ANNALS OF THE REFORMATION OF RELIGION,
III. That the communion was then ministered under one kind
IV. That there was mass said at that time, although there were none to receive with the priest. And in the conclusion he assigned no less than twelve causes, whereby he acknowledged himself to have been stayed in his old Catholic faith that he was baptized in, wishing the same to be made common to many for the like stay in these perilous times; as it ran in the titlepage. The book was printed at Antwerp, and dedicated to Tho. Harding, D.D. and dated at Aquicinctum, the seat of his banishment, as he called it.
And this year came forth, Feb. the l3th, from John Day’s printing-house, an useful book, (though of no great bulk,) in quarto, being a consideration of those things that were concluded in the late council of Trent. It bore this title; A godly and necessary Admonition of the Decrees and Canons of the Council of Trent, celebrated under Pius IV. bishop of Rome, in the years of our Lord 1562 and 1563. Written for those godly disposed persons which look for the amendment of doctrine and ceremonies to be made by general councils, lately translated out of the Latin. The design of this book was to open the eyes of many good people, who out of a veneration of general councils were apt to adhere with an implicit faith to the
determinations of this council of Trent. The method of the author (who is unknown) was first to set down the decrees, the canons, and other things, as he received them from Trent; and then his own distinct answers or animadversions. In the preface is taken notice of the specious pretence of that pope in calling again a council of cardinals, bishops, and monks, at Trent; wherein he with great glory and magnificence promised both the purging of doctrine from all error and heresy, and also a speedy
amendment of manners, and such as should be worthy of the gospel, as well in the clergy as laity. And to amuse the people the more of their good intent, they of the clergy accuse themselves of dissolute life, and make themselves guilty before the whole world, as the fountains and authors of all evil, as the acts of the council declared. And now, who would not to his power help so godly and holy an enterprise? But, saith the writer, if the canons and decrees, that came at length out of the council, were examined, every Christian man should easily perceive, that these good holy fathers intended nothing less; yea, rather, all their labour was only to this purpose, to oppress sound doctrine; and that being oppressed, stubbornly to defend idolatry, superstition, and abuses, which had been brought into the church of God. And hence the author declared his purpose to be, that seeing many men hung in doubt and suspense by expectation of this council, and the authority thereof, and earnestly hoped for a simple, godly, and.plain determination of the controversies of religion; he thought he should do a worthy act briefly and perspicuously to declare by the word of God, what was to be judged of their disputations, decrees, and canons, and what was to be hoped for of the event of this council; namely, that all Christians were called to it by Pius, not as lost sheep, to be sought and healed of the pastor;
but the safety of the faithful to be laid in wait for, and the sheep of Christ like to be torn in pieces, even as it were of wolves in sheeps’ clothing.
The convocation met this year, October the 6th, in king Henry the Seventh’s chapel, by authority of the queen’s brief to the archbishop of Canterbury. And Dr. Yale, by the archbishop’s commission to him, did continue and prorogue the present convocation in the state it then was in, to the first day of May next, and to that place, with further prorogation of days and places, if need were, to be made in that behalf.
CHAPTER 40.
A diary of various historical matters of the court and state falling out this year, John Hales’s book. The Scotch queen’s match with Leicester. Spanish and French matters.
LET me take this place to insert a diary of various historical matters, taken chiefly out of advices and private letters sent from the secretary of state to sir Thomas Smith, ambassador in France, containing several intrigues of court, and transactions of moment in the state.
April the 22d, the treaty with the French took place: and this day it was proclaimed in London. And the 23d day, a sermon was made at St. Paul’s on the occasion, and Te Deum sung. And the same day it was published at Windsor in the queen’s presence, going to church; having with her the French ambassador: so as nothing wanted to shew contentation. Yet her majesty inwardly to the secretary, and other her counsellors, shewed much misliking; especially, as the said secretary guessed, because the money was no more for honour’s sake; [which was to be paid for Calais, I suppose;]
Camden therefore thought fit to conceal the sum, and saith only, “a certain sum of money;” and upon payment of 620,000 crowns, the hostages to be delivered.
On the said 23d day, being St. George’s day, the French king was chose of the order, and so was the earl of Bedford and sir Henry Sydney. And the earl of Hunsdon was to bring over the order into France; and so was to have commission to require the oath jointly with sir Tho. Smith, the queen’s ambassador resident there. And the same joyful day the French hostages were put to liberty at Windsor; where she challenged Nantoillet [one of the hostages, as it seems,] for his practices in Oxford; provoking evil subjects to be worse in popery than they were. But she right wisely and nobly thus concluded her reprimand, that she would wrap up all such matters with oblivion, because of peace. And as soon as the treaty was engrossed and ratified, sir Nic. Throgmorton, the queen’s joint ambassador with Smith, [who was kept in some durance, for meddling too much,] was to be returned. And therefore all the haste possible was made therein for his sake.
Malvesier, the French ambassador, in this treaty, had a chain given him weighing threescore and odd ounces of gold, and was well used in England.
The 29th of April, the two treaties of peace with France were sealed with the queen’s ratification, and delivered to the ambassador in formal sort by the secretary, according to the advice of Dr. Wotton, an old ambassador;
and with the testimony of a public notary. Together with the treaty, the queen wrote a letter to the French king, signifying that she had chosen him of her order, and that the earl of Hunsdon should come with it; and that he should be joined in commission with sir Tho. Smith, her ambassador resident, to require the oath.
John Hales, clerk of the hanaper, a learned and active man, and an earnest protestant, had secretly made a book in the time of the late parliament.
Wherein he had taken upon him’ to shew no small matter, viz. the title to this crown after the queen; having confuted and rejected the line of the Scottish queen, and made the line of the lady Frances, mother to the lady Katharine Gray, only next and lawful. He was in this month of April committed to the Fleet for this boldness; especially, because he had
communicated it to sundry persons. The lord John Gray was also in trouble for this business. Besides, the said Hales had procured sentences and counsels of lawyers from beyond seas, to be written in maintenance of the earl of Hertford’s marriage with the said lady Katharine. [For which they were both put into the Tower.] For this dealing offended the queen very much: the secretary, after he had related all this in a letter to sir Thomas Smith, made this prayer: “That God would give her majesty by this chance a disposition to consider hereof; that either by her marriage, or by some common order, they her poor subjects might know where to lean and aventure their lives, with contentation of their consciences.”
In the beginning of May, Hales’s matter came to be examined and inquired into by the secretary; a business he had no great mind to be concerned with, and could have been well contented to be delivered of. But yet he told his friend, sir Tho. Smith aforesaid, that he would go uprightly, neither ad dextram nor ad sinistram. He himself was not free of suspicion, by reason some of these persons engaged in this business had access to him in their suits. But as for Hales, he was found after examination to have first made and procured books in defence of the earl of Hertford’s marriage, [which was no more than a contract by their mutual assent,] and likewise,
in approbation of the title of succession for the lady Katharine. And in this matter he so dealt, that both himself and others were like to find trouble.
He was committed to the Fleet, and narrowly escaped going to the Tower.
Nudigate, another in this business, was committed to custody to sir John Mason. And the lord John Gray was in custody in court. We shall hear more of this by and by.
One article in the late treaty of peace with France created some trouble to the court, namely, that commerce should be free. There had been a stop made of the intercourse, that is, the trade betwixt this kingdom and the Low Countries; wherein the English traded chiefly with the clothing
manufacture. The French merchants at this juncture would have struck into this trade by some means or other. And the French king instructed the French ambassador residing here, to make strong and earnest motion about it: which he did in the month of September. This motion was by no means liked by the English; and the queen wrote a letter at large about it to Smith, her ambassador in France. The sum of the French’s demands in this point was, to exact by the treaty, that although the English had and did forbid both their own merchants, and those of the Low Countries, the trade of the Low Countries, [as the duchess of Parma, governess of those countries, had forbid English cloths to be brought thither,] yet the French might now enter into the trade, wherein they never heretofore did meddle; but now, partly to pleasure them of the Low Countries, partly, or chiefly, to procure a gain by monopoly, they would exercise that negotiation. This made this court think it necessary now to return to the trade of the Low Countries, [the English having lately upon this prohibition removed their mart to Embden in Friesland:] for though it were to great purpose to divert some part of their trade from thence, and was seen to be possible; yet the matter was not so foreseen, considering it fell out upon a casualty, that our country should be presently able to endure the holding out. One of the greatest lets was the lack of the revenue of the customs for the queen. The second was the sudden stay of the people here at home, that belonged to cloth-making; as the secretary in private letters signified the politic considerations of the state about it.
And therefore now upon the return of the queen from her progress in the north, the court thought to come to some conclusion with the Spanish ambassador concerning the affair of the intercourse. Which ambassador began the motion for it before the said progress: now upon her return he renewed it again, and required a new communication. Which accordingly
soon began this month of September, between the Spanish ambassador, for the Flemings, and sir William Petre, sir John Mason, and secretary Cecil, on the English part.
In this month of September, upon the death of the emperor, the queen intended to send some person thither to condole and congratulate. And reports were whispered in the queen’s privy chamber, who should be sent in this employ. Some said that sir Henry Sydney was to be the person;
some, sir Nicolas Throgmorton; some, sir Nicolas Throgmorton and Cecil the secretary should go together. A few said, that sir Nicolas Throgmorton and my lord Robert should go. But more was meant than condolence or congratulation. It was an intention for marriage. But the secretary, for his present sickness and affairs at home, was excused; and Throgmorton would go with none but the secretary. So he was laid aside. And in October sir Henry Sydney was named again; but being in Wales, he must spend much time before he could be ready. So, as it was the secretary’s advice, time being so far spent, it was thought convenient to stay the ambassade, and to condole only; and to send hereafter to congratulate the coronation.
September the 23d, the emperor being dead, it was resolved his funerals should be here honourably celebrated within six or seven days hence. And so they were, the solemnities beginning October 1, and ending the 3d. The mourners were, the lord treasurer, the earls of Sussex and Huntingdon; the lords Strange, Darnley, Herbert, Lumley, and Hunsdon; Mr. Solicitor, Mr.
Vice-chamberlain, secretary Cecil, Mr. Sackvile, and Mr. Throgmorton.
And the bishop of London preached: who made so good and discreet a sermon, that it was resolved it should be printed both in English and Latin.
The queen was at great charges with these exequies of the deceased emperor.
In October the lord Robert was made earl of Leicester; and his preferment in Scotland [to match with that queen] earnestly intended.
And Randolph, the queen’s agent in Scotland, was instructed to shew the Scotch queen, that her majesty’s kind dealing with the earl of Lenox [in letting him peaceably pass into Scotland at this juncture] gave such general distaste, that she was fain to adjourn the parliament, [which should have met about this time,] against the opinion of her council and commons; lest they should in this time of offence question the queen of Scots’ title, and press the queen of England to conclude somewhat against it. Which, by
some good courses to content the English, might be altered against their next sitting. And to work this, she had given order to the earl of Bedford at Berwick, to meet with the commissioners of Scotland to treat the marriage for the earl of Leicester, whom she had made an earl on purpose.
November the 18th, the earl of Murray and lord Liddington met at Berwick, and treated with the earl of Bedford for the said marriage: but differed upon the matter of his advancement: and they writ to know, whether the queen of England meant it truly or no.
In November, the Spanish ambassador and the secretary, with some others, agreed upon articles of intercourse. November 19, they were sent to the duchess of Parma. But the English court began to find, that the English commodities would be well enough uttered, though the intercourse should not be opened for the Low Countries: for they found the strangers ready to carry all our cloths. But the inconvenience was, that all our own merchants should perish.
In this month the lords of Murray and Liddington were upon the frontiers, treating friendly with our wardens for border-matters. But that was thought but a colour to deal upon another matter; namely, to commune concerning a marriage for the queen [of Scots with the earl of Leicester, as it seems.]
And this month also the Rhinegrave was on his way from France hither, with the order [of St. Michael] for the earl of Leicester.
To this month of November the queen continued her displeasure to John Hales, for his foolish attempt (as the secretary called it) in writing that book, so precisely against the queen of Scots’ title: he remained still in the Tower, and in some danger for a particular passage. The lord keeper also [concerned in that business] was kept from the court, and from
intermeddling with any other thing but the chancery. Whereof surely, said Cecil to his correspondent, the [state] affairs took great harm; and he [the lord keeper] himself not void of peril by heaviness of mind.
November the 21st, the lord John Gray [another under a cloud for
meddling in the matter concerning the queen of Scots] died at his house at Pyrgo. Of whom men reported, that he died of thought; but his gout was sufficient to have ended his life.
In this month the lord Arundel [lord high steward of the household]
remained as a prisoner in his own house. His offence was, that being miscontented with sundry things, as he said, of interruption in his office, he surrendered his staff, with sundry speeches of offence, to the queen’s majesty. Whereof he was afterwards sorry. “But,” said the secretary, “I wish he had better thought thereon before.”
Since his committing he offended again, by using his house too openly for the resort of strangers to him, But afterwards he used his imprisonment circumspectly, and made all means to crave favour; but his suits were heard slowly, because he did not acknowledge himself a faulter.
This month the earl of Hertford [who had for some time remained a prisoner in the Tower for the business between him and the lady Katharine Grey] remained prisoner with sir John Mason; and the said lady Katharine [who had been removed from the Tower to the lord John Grey, her uncle]
was now with Petre [secretary of state.]
December the 9th, the queen fell perilously sick. Her distemper came to that which they call diarrhoea. They feared a flux. But the 15th day, though she was somewhat weakened, but in health, she would attend her affairs. The 16th, she was very well. But for the time she made the court sore afraid. The pious reflection the secretary made upon it was, “Thanked be God for both: for of both we take good. Warned by her sickness, and comforted by her recovery.”
December the French ambassador coming from his master with offer to the queen for two of her courtiers to be admitted to the order; on Saturday, December the 16th, or on Sunday the 17th, he had his answer concerning the queen’s acceptation of that king’s offer for the two rooms of his order.
Secretary Cecil, December 16, writes by order of the queen to Murray and Liddington, to hinder the matter of Darnley with that queen; and that her title should be declared by parliament upon her marriage with Leicester, after the queen of England was married herself. And so her desire granted, to be declared either filia adoptiva, or soror reginae, i.e. adoptive
daughter, or sister to the queen.
December the 29th, being Sunday, the Spanish ambassador presented the queen a writing, signed with the hand of the duchess of Parma. And the 31st, he received the like from the queen. So as by calculation the
intercourse was made on new-year’s-day. And the English commissioners