Annales of England Containing the reignes of Henry the Eighth. Edward the Sixt. Queene Mary. Written in Latin by the Right Honorable and Right Reverend Father in God, Francis Lord Bishop of Hereford. Thus Englished, corrected and inlarged with the author's consent, by Morgan Godwyn.

Anno Dom. 1553. Reg. 7.

* 1.1 THis yeare sets a period to yong EDWARDS Reigne, who by the defluxion of a sharpe rheume vpon the lungs shortly after became hecticall, and died of a consumption. Some attri∣bute the cause of his sicknesse to griefe for the death of his Vnkles; some to poison, and that by a nose∣gay of sweet flowers presented him as a great dain∣ty on New yeares day. But what hopefull Prince was there ever (almost) immaturely taken away, but poison or some other treachery was imputed? Our deluded hopes being converted into griefe, out of passion we bely Fate. Had there beene the least suspition of any such inhumane practise, Queene MARY would never have suffered it to have pas∣sed as an act of indifferency without an inquest. It was doubtlesse a posthumous rumor purposely rai∣sed to make the Great Ones of that Raigne distate∣full to the succeeding times. Howsoever it were, the Nobility vnderstanding by the Physitions, that the King's estate was desperate, began every one to proiect his owne ends. The Duke of Northumber∣land as he was more potent than the rest, so did his ambition fly higher. It was somewhat strange, that being not any way able to pretend but a shadow of Right to the Crowne, he should dreame of confir∣ming the Succession of it in his Family. But he shall sore so high, that he shall singe his wings, and fall no lesse dangerously than he whome the Poêts feigne to have aspired to a like vnlawfull governe∣ment. As for the Ladies MARY and ELIZA∣BETH,

two obstacles to be removed, he doubted not by reasons drawne from their questionable Births to exclude them. The next reguard must be of the Daughters of HENRY the Seventh. But of the Queene of Scots (who was Niepce to MAR∣GARET the eldest Daughter of HENRY the Seventh) he was little sollicitous. For by reason of our continuall enmity with the Scots, and thence in∣veterate hatred, he imagined that any shew of rea∣son would put her by, especially shee being contra∣cted to the French, whose insolent government hee was confident the English would never brooke. In the next place consideration is to be had of Lady FRANCIS Daughter to CHARLES BRAN∣DON Duke of Suffolke by MARY Dowager of France the second Daughter of HENRY the Seventh, who, her two Brothers then alive, had beene married to HENRY GRAY Marquis of Dorset. The two Brothers (as before) dying of the late mortality, the Marquis is in the right of his Wife created Duke of Suffolke; and this was ano∣ther stop to his Ambition. For the removall whereof he intends this course: He imparts his de∣signes to the Duke of Suffolke, and desires that a Match may be concluded betweene the Lord GVILFORD DVDLEY his fourth Sonne, and Lady IANE GREY the Duke of Suffolke's eldest Daughter. And because, if onely right of in∣heritance should be pretended, the Duchesse of Suffolke were in reason to be preferred before her Daughter; he vndertakes to persuade the King not only to disherit his Sisters by Will and Testament, but also by the same to declare the Lady IANE his next and immediate Successor. Suffolke biting at this bait, they complot by drawing the chiefest of the

Nobility, to contract Affinity either with the one or tother to procure the generall assent of them all. So on the same day that Lady IANE vnder anvn∣happy Planet was married to Lord GVILFORD, the Duke of Suffolk's two youngest Daughters are married, CATHARINE to Lord HENRY el∣dest sonne to the Earle of Pembrooke, and crouch backed MARY to MARTIN KEYES Groome Porter. Northumberlands eldest Daughter also na∣med CATHARINE was married to the Lord HASTINGS eldest sonne to the Earle of Hun∣tington. These marriages were in Iune solemnized at London, the King at that time extremely languish∣ing.

Hauing thus brought these things to a desired passe, nothing now remained but to act his part with the weake King. To Him he inculcates, In what danger the estate of the Church would be, if He dying, provision were not first made of a pious Successour, and such a one as should maintaine the now established Religion. How the Lady MARY stood affected was well knowne. Of the Lady ELIZABETH there might be peraduenture better hopes. But their causes were so strongly connexed, that either both must be excluded, or the Lady MARY be admitted. That it was the part of a religious and good Prince to set apart all respects of Bloud, where God's Glory and the Subiects weale might be indangered. They that should do otherwise, were after this life (which is short) to exspect revenge at God's dreadfull Tribunall, where they are to vndergo the tryall either of eternall life or eternall death. That the Duke of Suffolke, had three Daughters neerest to him in degrees of Bloud: they were such as their Vertues and Birth did commend, and from whome the violation of Religion, or the danger of a forraine yoke by any match was not to be

feared, for asnuch as their education had beene Religious, they had as it were with their milke suckt in the spirituall food of true Christian Doctrine, and were also matched to Husbands as zealous of the Truth as themselves; He could wish and would advise, that these might be successively called to the Crowne, but with this caution, That they should maintaine the now established Religion. And although Lady IANE the eldest of the three were married to his Sonne; he would be content that they should be bound by oath to performe whatsoever his Maiesty should decree: for he had not so much reguard to his owne as the generall good.

* 1.2 These reasons so prevailed with the young King, that he made his Will, and therin as much as in him lay, excluded both his Sisters from the Succession to the Crowne, and all others whosoever, beside the Duke of Suffolke's Daughters. This Will was read in presence of the Counsaile and the chiefe Iudges of the Realme, and by each of them confirmed, with a strict command that no man should publish the contents of it, least it might prove an occasion of sedition and civill tumults. The Archbishop CRANMER did for a while refuse to subscribe to it, not deeming it any way agreeable to equity, that the right of lawfull Succession should vpon any pretences be violated: But the King vrging him, and making Religion a motive, which was otherwise likely to suffer, after a long deceptation he was at length drawne to assent. But these delaies of his were so little reguarded by Queene MARY, that vnder her scarce any man was sooner marked out for destruction. Some few daies after these pas∣sages,* 1.3 on the fixt of Iuly in the sixteenth yeare of his age King EDWARD at Greenwich surrendred his soule to God, having vnder his Tutors reigned six

yeares, five moneths, and nineteene daies, and even in that tender age given great proofe of his vertue; a Prince of great devotion, constancy of minde, love of the Truth, and incredibly studious; vertues which with Royall Greatnesse seldome concur. Some three howers before his death, not thinking any one had beene present to over-heare him, he thus commen∣ded himselfe to God:

* 1.4 O Lord God, free me Ibeseech thee out of this miserable and calamitous life, and re∣ceive me among the number of thine Elect, if so be it be thy pleasure: although not mine but thy will he done. To thee O Lord do J com∣mend my Spirit. Thou knowest O Lord how happy J shall be, may I live with thee in Hea∣ven: yet would I might live and be well for thine Elects sake, that I might faithfully serve thee. O Lord God, blesse thy People, and save thine Jnheritance. O Lord God, save thy people of England, defend this King∣dome frome Popery, and preserve thy true Religion in it, that Iand my People may blesse thy most Holy Name for thy Sonne IESVS CHRIST.

Then opening his eyes, which he had hitherto closed, and seeing Doctor OWEN the Physition, (from whose report we have this Prayer) sitting by, Are you there? (quoth he) J had not thought you had been so neere: who answered, I heard you speake, but could not collect your words: Jndeed (replied the King) J was making my prayer to God. A little after, he suddenly

cried out, I faint, Lord have mercy vpon me, and receive my Soule: which words he had scarce spoken ere hee departed. Much might be spoken in praise of this Prince, but reguardfull of my intended brevity, I will* 1.5 only give you a taste of him out of CARDAN, who about a yeare before travailing through England to∣ward Scotland, was admitted to his presence. The conference betweene them he thus describeth. Ade∣rant illi (speaking of the King) Gratiae: Linguas enim multas callebat puer, &c. He was stored with Graces: for being yet a Childe he spake many Languages, his native En∣glish, Latine, French, and as I heare, was also skilled in the Greeke, Italian, Spanish, and peradventure some others. He wanted neither the rudiments of Logicke, the principles of Philosophy, nor Musicke: He was full of Humanity the relish of Morality, of Gravity befitting Roy∣alty, of hopes great as himselfe: A Childe of so great wit, and such expectation could not be borne, without a kinde of miracle in nature. I write not this Rhetorically with the excesse of an Hyperbole; for to speake all the truth were to spake far more. Being yet but in his fifteenth yeare, he spake Latine as readily and politely as I could. What (saith he) is the subiect of your Bookes De Rerum Varietate? (I had dedicated them to his Maiesty) CARD. In the first Chapter I shew the long hidden and vainly sought after causes of Comets. KING. And what is the cause? CARD. The concourse and meeting of the lights of the er∣ratique Stars. KING. But being the Planets are mo∣ved with severall motions, how comes it to passe, that the Comet doth not either presently dissolve and scatter, or move with their motion? CARD. It moves in∣deed, but with a far swifter motion then the Planets, by reason of the diversity of the aspect, as we see in Chry∣stall and the Sunne when a Rainebow rebound vpon a wall, for a little change makes a great difference of the place. KING. But how can that be done with∣out

a subiect? for the wall is the subiect to the Rainbow. CARD. As in the Galaxia or Milky way, and in the reflection of lights when many candles lighted are set neere one another, they do produce a certaine lucid and bright meane. You may know the Lion by his paw, as they say. For his ingenuous nature and sweet conditions he was great in the expectation of all either good or learned men. He began to favour learning before he could know it, and knew it before he knew what vse to make of it. O how true is that saying,

Jmmodicis brevis est etas, & rara senectus:

Immoderate growths short liv'd are, aged seld.

He could give you only a taste of his Vertue, not an exam∣ple. When occasion required a Maiestique gravity, you should see him act an old man: in his affability and mildnesse he shewed his age. He plaied on the Lute, accustomed him∣selfe to publique affaires, was liberally disposed, &c. So much CARDAN. His Corps was on the ninth of August with no very great pompe interred at West∣minister neere to his Grandfather HENRY the Seventh.

And here had I with this King's death conclu∣ded this second Part, had not the consideration of a memorable enterprise of this Kings occurred. To SEBASTIAN CABOTA a Portugall, for his ad∣mirable skill in Cosmography and the art of Navigation, hee allowed an annuity of an hundred sixty six pounds. EDWARD by this CABOTA'S persuasi∣on on the twelfth of May set forth three ships vnder Sir HVGH WILLOVGHBEY for the discovery of vnknowne Regions in the North parts of the world. The maine hope of this voiage was, that way to open a shorter passage to those vast Countries of

the East, Catay and China. Neere vpon the coast of Norway these Ships were so severed by tempest, that they never met againe. One of these great Ships ter∣••ified with the greatnes of irresistable dangers, quick∣ly returned home. Sir HVGH WILLOVGHBY arrived at last at a Countrey vnder the Latitude of se∣venty foure degrees, not inhabited, hitherto to vs* 1.6 vnknowne, and was forced to winter there, where he & all his company were frozen to death. The Ship was afterward found by some the like English Adven∣tures, and in his Deske a writing relating the adven∣tures of each day, his Will also, by which it appeared that he lived vntill Ianuary. RICHARD CHAN∣CELLER with the third Ship making a more pro∣sperous voyage, after many dangers and incer••ainties arrived at last among the Russes and Muscovites. To these parts some few yeares after he made a second voyage: but in his returne suffered wracke on the* 1.7 Scottish coast, where seeking to save the Muscovite Embassador, he himselfe was drowned. Howsoever he were vnfortunate, he opened a rich veine of traf∣fique to succeeding times, wherby we have an exact discovery of that Countrey, and of the Manners of those Heathen Christians.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The King sickeneth.
• * 1.2

  His Will, wherin he disinheri∣teth his Sisters.
• * 1.3

  He dieth.
• * 1.4

  His Prayer.
• * 1.5

  Cardanus Lib. de Ge∣nituris.
• * 1.6

  Sir Hugh Willoughby frozen to death.
• * 1.7

  Commerce with the Muscovite.