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. 1520. Reg. 12.

HEreupon the King setting forward towards France, by easy iourneis comes to Canterbury, intending there to keepe his Whitsontide. The next day after being the twenty sixth of May, the new created Emperor CHARLES the fifth in his return from Spaine arriues at Douer, distant twelue miles from Canterbury. The King gladly entertaines the newes, and although it were midnight, takes horse, and within little more than an houre comes by torch light to Douer Castle, where the Emperour lay; who sea∣weary was then asleepe. But being certified of the Kings arriuall, hee suddenly apparelled himselfe, and met the King at the top of the staires. They embraced and saluted one another, they long con∣ferred together, and the next morning (beeing Whitsonday) they rode together to Canterburie,

the Emperour alway keeping the right hand, and the Earle of Derby bearing the Sword before them both. Canterburie is a Citie more famous for antiqui∣tie, than for moderne beauty. To let passe, that it was aboue a thousand yeares since made an Archiepisco∣pall Sea, our Chronicles do sufficiently testify, that both in respect of priuate mens faire houses, and the magnificent structure of it's Churches, it antiently excelled the brauest cities of England. But within these few yeares it hath lost so much of it's greatnesse and beautie, that a man shall finde little of Canterburie be∣side the name. Why it should so much in so short space decay, many reasons may be alledged: As the vicinity of London, which swelling like the spleene, suckes both bloud and moisture from all the other languishing Cities of the Kingdome. Likewise the subuersion of Saint AVGVSTINES Monasterie, the losse of Calais, and the pulling downe of Archbishop BECKET his Shrine, things which occasioned a great concourse of people, and did by their losse and ouerthrow much impaire this Cities splendor. One only Ornament therof suruiues, which is the Cathe∣drall and Metropoliticall Church, with such a Maiesty piercing the skies (saith ERASMVS) that it a far off fills the beholder with deuout amazement. This Church being at first dedicated to our Sauiour CHRIST, a few ages past degenerated into the nickname of S. THOMAS. This THOMAS surnamed BECKET, hauing obstinatly opposed HENRY the second, was in this Church slain by certaine soldiers: and being afterward canonized for a Saint, his sepulchre mightily encreased the glory of the place. For from those times euen almost to our dayes, all sorts of people from all parts of Europe, su∣perstitiously frequented the Shrine of this vpstart Saint, with rich oblations indeuoring to procure his fauor. Hence the Monastery was so inriched, that of it

and the Church ERASMVS said, That euery place was enlightened with the lustre of most pretious and huge stones, and the Church throughout abounded with more than Royall Treasure. But the Shrine especially, that contained the reliques of this Saint, was so embossed with jewels, that gold was the meanest thing about it. Hither accompanied with King HENRY, came the Emperor CHARLES, but whether out of deuo∣tion or curiositie, I cannot say. But this is certaine, that the Cardinall and the Clergie going in processi∣on, to the Church they went directly, where a great deale of time was spent in Ceremonious wor∣ship, and ablations at BECKETS Tome, not onely by the Emperour, but euen by Him, who shortly af∣ter defaced the Monument, and seised vpon that infi∣nite Treasure, heaped vp by the deuout follie of ma∣ny preceding ages. From the Church they went to the Archbishops Palace, where the Queene, Aunt to the Emperour, awaited them, and very ioyfully wel∣commed her Nephew. Three dayes were spent in banketing & pastimes, and then the Emperour went to his Nauy at Sandwich, the King and Queene to Do∣uer, from whence they passed to Calais, that the inten∣ded interuiew of the two Kings might worke it's due effects. The seuenth of Iune was the appointed day. The place, betweene Ardres and Guisnes. There the two Kings mounted on Spanish Gennets, attended by such a multitude of Nobilitie, as the occasions of a hundred yeres before had not at once brought toge∣ther the like, incountred each other, both in the floure of their age, the goodliest Princes of the world, and most expert in all kinde of combates both on horse and foot. It were needlesse to set forth the mag∣nificence of these Princes, when the brauerie of their attendants was such, that the place was thence named The golden campe. Hauing embraced each other on

horseback, they alight and betake themselues to a Pa∣uilion there purposely pitched: HENRY attended on by the Cardinall of Yorke, and the Dukes of Nor∣folke and Suffolke; FRANCIS by the Admirall BO∣NIVET, the Chancellour du PRAT, and some other Counsellors. Hauing had familiar conference con∣cerning some priuate matters, they gaue order for e∣recting a Theater, and enclosing a ground for a Tilt∣yard, that so they might solace themselues, whiles their Counsell treated of grauer matters, the conclu∣sion whereof they might at leisure euery day know by relation. Fourteene dayes these Princes gaue each other the meeting, with great concourse of most fa∣mous soldiers. HENRY then entertained the French King at Guisnes, in a house made of timber (framed partly in England, partly in Holland, and thence brought thither) wherein there were foure Mansions: The out side was couered with cloth so painted, that it would haue deceiued the beholders for squared stone: the in side was hung with most rich Arras, so that it euery way seemed a most artificiall and stately Buil∣ding. The forme of it was much like that of the Ex∣change at Calais. It being afterward taken asunder, was transported into England, and so stood the King in little or nothing, saith BELLAY. (Whereas wee know, and that by Records, that there were sent ouer out of England for this Worke, three hundred Ma∣sons, six hundred Carpenters, two hundred Painters, Glasiers, and other Artificers (in all eleuen hundred) which for the space of two moneths laboured conti∣nually on this fabricke.) The day ensuing, the French King prepares a banquet: the banqueting house was a Canopy euery way extended sixtie foot, which with∣out was couered with cloath of Tissue, within with blew velvet pouldred with golden floures de Lys. At each corner was a Pauilion of the same workes: the

cords were of blew silke twisted with gold of Cy∣prus, which was of great esteeme. But a most im∣petuous and tempestuous winde broke asunder the cords, and laid all this brauerie in the dirt. Patience par force. The French King suddenly makes ano∣ther banquetting house, in that place where there is now a Fort that takes it's name from this banquet. The preparations were extraordinary, and the mag∣nificence outstripped the reach of humane iudge∣ment. There wanted neither houses, woods, nor fields for disport; for many men brought them en∣tire on their backes. But pleasures must haue their intermission, and Kings if not by their Greatnesse, are by their Affaires seuered. HENRY therefore returnes to Calais, and FRANCIS to Boloigne. The tenth of the ensuing moneth, the King gallantly at∣tended, visited the Emperour at Graueling. The Em∣perour in requitall accompanied him backe to Ca∣lais. Shewes and banquets are Princes vsuall enter∣tainments. To this end, the King so commanding, a round building is made in the forme of an Am∣phiteatre, eight hundred foot in compasse. The sides were of plankes: in the middle was a pillar made of eight great masts tied together. This pillar suppor∣ted the weight not onely of the roofe of the whole fabricke, (whither as into a lower Heauen the Moone and Stars had descended) but Organs also, and places for the receipt of all sorts of musicke in aboundance. These places were adorned with ta∣pestrie, statues, and curious pictures, insomuch that the most fault finding could not complaine of any want in that kinde. All things were now prepared for the entertainment of such a guest, and the ban∣quet readie to be serued in, when the same mis∣chance that befel the French Canopy, made our En∣glish Heauen and Earth meet together. God, as dis∣pleased

with the mad prodigality of these two Kings, sent a tempest, the violence whereof scatte∣red this counterfeit heauen, blew out aboue a thou∣sand wax tapers, defaced the glorious thrones pre∣pared for these Princes, frustrated the expectation of the people, and forced the King to the necessitie of another place. But to lec passe the tilting, maskes, and gorgeous feasts during the six dayes the Empe∣ror stayed at Calais: In these seueral enterviewes be∣tweene all these Princes there was no one serious thing done, but this, that a firme Peace, a perpetuall League, & faithfull Friendship seemed to be conclu∣ded on all sides. For who would haue thought, that it had been possible for discord it selfe to haue dis∣olued this knot, where CHARLES & FRANCIS attri∣buted so much to HENRY, that they made him Vm∣pier of all controuersies that should arise betweene thē? But that there is seldom any heed to be giuen to the Agreements of Princes, where they are tied by no other bands (as of Religion, Affinity, or mani∣fest Vtility) than that weake one of their plighted Troth, those foule dissentions, and bloudy wars which afterwards rent all Christendome, and ope∣ned a way for that cōmon enemy of our Faith, may be a sufficient example. The Emperor after all these passages of courtesy & humanity, departs toward Graueling, moūted on a braue horse couered with a foot cloth of cloth of gold, richly beset with stones which the King had giuen him. He would often speak of his Aunts hap∣pinesse, that was matcht to so magnificent a Prince. The King staied some few days after at Calais, from whence passing to Douer, he with all his traine arri∣ued safe at London. I cannot but enuy their happines who in so little time saw 3 the mightiest Monarchs in Christendom, who for their exploits, & the great alterations happening vnder each of thē, will with∣out doubt be famous through all succeeding Ages.

Notes

• The Empe∣rour Charles the in Fifth England.
• Canterburie.
• Enterview betwixt the Kings of England and France.
• Henry visits the Emperor at Graueling