Ancient funerall monuments within the vnited monarchie of Great Britaine, Ireland, and the islands adiacent with the dissolued monasteries therein contained: their founders, and what eminent persons haue beene in the same interred. As also the death and buriall of certaine of the bloud royall; the nobilitie and gentrie of these kingdomes entombed in forraine nations. A worke reuiuing the dead memory of the royall progenie, the nobilitie, gentrie, and communaltie, of these his Maiesties dominions. Intermixed and illustrated with variety of historicall obseruations, annotations, and briefe notes, extracted out of approued authors ... Whereunto is prefixed a discourse of funerall monuments ... Composed by the studie and trauels of Iohn Weeuer.

CHAP. X. Of the rooting vp, taking away, erazing and defacing of Funerall Monuments in the reignes of King Henry the eighth, and Edward the sixth. Of the care Queene Elizabeth, of famous memory, had, for the preseruation of the same. Her Procla∣mation in the second of her raigne against defacing of Monuments.

TOward the latter end of the raigne of Henry the eight, and throughout the whole raigne of Edward the sixth,* 1.1 and in the beginning of Queene Elizabeth, certaine persons of euery County were put in authority to pull downe, and cast out of all Churches, Roodes, grauen Images, Shrines with their reliques, to which the ignorant people came flocking in adoration. Or any thing else, which (punctually) tended to idolatrie and superstition. Vn∣der colour of this their Commission, and in their too forward zea••e, they rooted vp, and ba••tered downe, Crosses in Churches, and Church-yards, as also in other publike places, they defaced and brake downe the images of Kings, Princes, and noble estates; erected, set vp, or pourtraied, for the one∣ly memory of them to posterity, and not for any religious honour; they crackt a peeces the glasse-windowes wherein the effigies of our blessed Sa∣uiour hanging on the Crosse, or any one of his Saints was depictured; or otherwise turned vp their heeles into the place where their heads vsed to be fixt; as I haue seene in the windowes of some of our countrey Churches. They despoiled Churches of their copes, vestments, Amices, rich hang∣ings, and all other ornaments whereupon the story, or the pourtraiture, of Christ himselfe, or of any Saint or Martyr, was delineated, wrought, or embroidered; leauing Religion naked, bare, and vnclad; as Dionysius left Iupiter without a cloake, and Aesculapius without a beard. It will not seeme

distastfull, I hope, to my Reader, nor impertinent to this purpose, if I shall relate the story.

Dionysius a Tyrant of Sicilie, spoiled the Churches, and tooke away a cloake of gold from Iupiter, saying (scoffingly) a cloth-cloake was lighter for Summer and warmer for Winter; he tooke likewise away from Aescu∣lapius his golden beard, saying it was a saucie part for him to haue a long beard, and his father Apollo to haue none. But this his scoffing sacriledge was punished in his sonne Dionysius, who was enforced to flie out of his owne kingdome; to trudge vp and downe like a runneagate, and in the end to leade a priuate life at Corinth. Seldome saith one, the children of them prosper, that scorne the false Gods, and beleeue not in the true God. And how the posteritie of these Commissioners haue prospered vpon earth, or how punished after death, God knowes all, howsoeuer by men somewhat in their passages hath beene obserued.* 1.2 For these hote-burning in zeale of∣ficers, got cloakes to hide their knauery, and beards to visard their hypo∣crisie, and thereby vnder a goodly pretence of reforming Religion, they preferred their priuate respects, and their owne enriching, before the ho∣nour of their Prince and countrey; yea and before the glory of God him∣selfe.

But the foulest and most in humane action of those times, was the viola∣tion of Funerall Monuments. Marbles which couered the dead were dig∣ged vp, and put to other vses (as I haue partly touched before) Tombes hackt and hewne a peeces; Images or representations of the defunct, broken, erazed, cut, or dismembred, Inscriptions or Epitaphs, especially if they be∣gan with an orate pro anima, or concluded with cuius animae propitietur Deus. For greedinesse of the brasse, or for that they were thought to bee Antichristian, pulled out from the Sepulchres, and purloined; dead carca∣ses, for gaine of their stone or leaden coffins, cast out of their graues, not∣withstanding this request, cut or engrauen vpon them, propter misericor∣diam Iesu requiescant in pace. These Commissioners, these 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, these Tombe-breakers, these graue-diggers, made such deepe and diligent search into the bottome of ancient Sepulchres, in hope there to finde (belike) some long-hidden treasure;* 1.3 hauing heard or read that Hircanus ex Dauidis Sepulchro tria millia auri talenta eruit: That Hircanus tooke three thou∣sand talents of gold out of King Dauids Sepulchre;* 1.4 Crimen Sacrilegio proximum, a sinne the nearest vnto Sacriledge. Not so much for taking out the money,* 1.5 for Aurum Sepulchris iustè detrahitur, vbi Dominus non ha∣betur, as for the drawing out, and dispersing abroad the bones, ashes, and other the sacred remaines of the dead. And hereupon the graue-takers, these gold-finders are called theeues, in old Inscriptions vpon Monuments.

Plutoni sacrum munus ne attingite fures▪

And in another place:

Abite hinc pessumi fures.

But I haue gone further then my commission, thus then to returne.

This barbarous rage against the dead (by the Commissioners, and others animated by their ill example) continued vntill the second yeare of the raigne of Queene Elizabeth, of famous memory, who, to restraine such a sauage cruelty, caused this Proclamation (following) to bee published

throughout all her dominions; which after the imprinting thereof, shee signed (each one seuerally) with her owne hand-writing, as this was, which I had of my friend, Master Humphrey Dyson.

ELIZABETH. A Proclamation against breaking or defacing of Monuments of An∣tiquitie, being set vp in Churches, or other publike places, for memory, and not for superstition.

THe Queenes Maiestie vnderstanding, that by the meanes of sundrie people, partly ignorant, partly malicious, or couetous; there hath been of late yeares spoiled and broken certaine ancient Monuments, some of me∣tall, some of stone, which were erected vp aswell in Churches, as in other publike places within this Realme, onely to shew a memory to the poste∣rity of the persons there buried, or that had beene benefactors to the buil∣ding or dotations of the same Churches or publique places, and not to nourish any kinde of superstition. By which meanes, not onely the Chur∣ches, and places remaine at this present day spoiled, broken, and ruinated, to the offence of all noble and gentle hearts, and the extinguishing of the honourable and good memory of sundry vertuous and noble persons de∣ceased; but also the true vnderstanding of diuers Families in this Realme (who haue descended of the bloud of the same persons deceased) is thereby so darkened, as the true course of their inheritance may be hereafter inter∣rupted, contrary to Iustice, besides many other offences that doe hereof ensue to the slander of such as either gaue, or had charge in times past onely to deface Monuments of idolatry and false fained images in Churches and Abbeyes. And therefore, although it be very hard to recouer things bro∣ken and spoiled: yet both to prouide that no such barbarous disorder bee hereafter vsed, and to repaire as much of the said Monuments as conueni∣ently may be: Her Maiestie chargeth and commandeth all manner of per∣sons hereafter to forbeare the breaking or defacing of any parcell of any Monument, or Tombe, or Graue, or other Inscription and memory of any person deceased, being in any manner of place; or to breake any image of Kings, Princes, or nobles Estates of this Realme, or of any other that haue beene in times past erected and set vp, for the onely memory of them to their posterity in common Churches, and not for any religious honour; or to breake downe and deface any Image in glasse-windowes in any Church, without consent of the Ordinary: vpon paine that whosoeuer shal herein be found to offend, to be committed to the next Goale, and there to remaine without baile or mainprise, vnto the next comming of the Iustices, for the deliuery of the said Goale; and then to be further punished by fine or imprisonment (besides the restitution or reedification of the thing bro∣ken) as to the said Iustices shall seeme meete; vsing therein the aduise of the Ordinary, and if neede shall bee, the aduise also of her Maiesties Councell in her Starre-chamber.

And for such as bee already spoiled in any Church, or Chappell, now

standing: Her Maiestie chargeth and commandeth, all Archbishops, Bi∣shops, and other Ordinaries, or Ecclesiasticall persons, which haue autho∣ritie to visit the Churches or Chappels; to inquire by presentments of the Curates, Churchwardens, and certaine of the Parishoners, what manner of spoiles haue beene made, sithens the beginning of her Maiesties raigne of such Monuments; and by whom, and if the persons be liuing, how able they be to repaire and reedifie the same; and thereupon to conuent the same persons, and to enioyne them vnder paine of Excommunication, to repaire the same by a conuenient day, or otherwise, as the cause shall further re∣quire, to notifie the same to her Maiesties Councell in the Starre-chamber at Westminster. And if any such shall be found and conuicted thereof, no•• able to repaire the same; that then they bee enioyned to doe open pe••ance two or three times in the Church, as to the qualitie of the crime and part•••• belongeth vnder like paine of Excommunication. And if the partie that of∣fended bee dead, and the executours of the Will left, hauing sufficient in their hands vnadministred, and the offence notorious; The Ordinary of the place shall also enioyne them to repaire or reedifie the same, vpon like or any other conuenient paine, to bee deuised by the said Ordinary. And when the offendour cannot be presented, if it be in any Cathedrall or Col∣legiate Church, which hath any reuenue belonging to it, that is not parti∣cularly allotted to the sustentation of any person certaine, or otherwise, but that it may remaine in discretion of the gouernour thereof, to bestow the same vpon any other charitable deed, as mending of high-wayes, or such like; her Maiestie enioyneth and straightly chargeth the gouernours and companies of euery such Church, to employ such parcels of the said sums of any (as any wise may be spared) vpon the speedy repaire or reedification of money such Monuments so defaced or spoiled, as agreeable to the origi∣nall, as the same conueniently may be.

And where the couetousnesse of certaine persons is such, that as Pa∣trons of Churches, or owners of the personages impropriated, or by some other colour or pretence, they do perswade with the Parson and Parishio∣ners to take or throw downe the Bels of Churches and Chappels, and the lead of the same, conuerting the same to their priuate gaine, and to the spoiles of the said places, and make such like alterations, as thereby they seeke a slanderous desolation of the places of prayer: Her Maiestie (to whom in the right of the Crowne by the ordinance of Almighty God▪ and by the Lawes of this Realme, the defence and protection of the Church 〈◊〉〈◊〉 this Realme belongeth) doth expresly forbid any manner of person, to ta••e away any Bels or lead of any Church or Chappell, vnder paine of impri∣sonment during her Maiesties pleasure, and such further fine for the con∣tempt, as shall be thought meete.

And her Maiestie chargeth all Bishops and Ordinaries to enquire of all such contempts done from the beginning of her Maiesties raigne, and to enioyne the persons offending to repaire the same within a conuenient time. And of their doings in this behalfe, to certifie her Maiesties priuie Coun∣cell, or the Councell in the Starre-chamber at Westminster, that order may be taken herein.

Yeuen at Windsor the xix of September the second yeare of her Maiesties raigne.

God saue the Queene.

Imprinted at London in Pauls Churchyard by Richard Iugge and Iohn Cawood, Printers to the Queenes Maiestie.

Cum priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis.

This Proclamation was seconded by another, to the same purpose, in the fourteenth yeare of her Maiesties raigne, charging the Iustices of her Assise to prouide seuere remedie, both for the punishment and reformation thereof.

But these Proclamations tooke small effect, for much what about this time, there sprung vp a contagious broode of Scismatickes; who, if they might haue had their wills, would not onely haue robbed our Churches of all their ornaments and riches, but also haue laid them l••uell with the ground; choosing rather to exercise their deuotions, and publish their er∣ronious doctrines, in some emptie barne, in the woods, or common fields, then in these Churches, which they held to be polluted with the abhomi¦nations of the whore of Babylon.

Besides about that time these foresaid wilfull Sectaries did penne, print, and spread abroad certaine seditious Pamphlets (as still they doe) against our booke of Common Prayer; against all Ecclesiasticall gouernment, and against all the rites and ceremonies vsed in this our orthodoxall Church of England; inuenting out of their owne corkie braines, a new certaine no∣••orme of Liturgie to themselues; thereby to bring into the Church all dis∣order and confusion. These Renegadoes are (at this day) diuided, and sub∣diuided into as many seuerall Sects, as there be seuerall Trades in the grea∣test Market-towne. As into Brownists, Barowists, Martinists, Prophesiers, Solifidians, Famelists, rigid Precisians, Disciplinarians, Iudaicall Thraskists, &c. and into a rable, numberlesse.

* 2.1In the three and thirtieth yeare of Queene Elizabeth, the sixteenth day of Iuly in the morning, Edmund Coppinger and Henry Arthington, repai∣red to one Walkers house neare vnto Broken warfe of London, where conferring with one of their Sect, named William Hacket of Own∣dale in the County of Northampton, Yeoman, they offered to anoint him king: But Hacket taking Coppinger by the hand, said, You shall not need, for I haue beene already anointed in heauen by the holy Ghost him∣selfe. Then Coppinger asked him what his pleasure was to be done: Go your way both (said he) and tell them in the citie, that Christ Iesus is come with his fanne in his hand to iudge the earth. And if any man aske you where he is, tell them he lies at Walkers house by Broken-wharfe; and if they will not beleeue it, let them come and kill me if they can: for as truely as Christ Iesus is in heauen, so truely is he come to iudge the world. Then Coppinger said it should be done forthwith: and thereupon went forward, and Ar∣thington followed, but ere he could get downe the staires, Coppinger ••ad begun below in the house, to proclaime newes from heauen of exceeding

great mercy: that Christ Iesus was come, &c. with whom Arthi••••••on also cried the same words aloude; following him along the streets from thence by Warling-street, and Old Change toward Cheape; they both ad∣ding beyond their commission, Repent England, repent. After they had both thus come (with a mightie concourse of common multitu••e) with an vniforme cry into Cheape neare vnto the Grosse, and there finding the throng and prease of people to increase about them, in such sort a•• they could not well passe further, nor be conueniently heard of them all as they desired: they got them vp into an emptie pease cart; wherein they stood not onely vpon the words of their former crie, but reading something out of a paper, they went more particularly ouer the office and ca••ling of Hac∣ket, how he represented Christ, by partaking a part of his glorified bodie, by his principall spirit, and by the office of seuering the good from the bad. And that they were two Prophets, the one of mercy, the other of iudge∣ment, called and sent of God, to assist this their Christ Hacket in his great worke. These men were apprehended the same day. The 26, of Iuly Hacket was arraigned, and found guiltie, as to haue spoken diuers most false and traiterous words against her Maiestie; to haue razed and defaced her Armes, as also her picture, thrusting an iron instrument into that part which did represent the breast and heart. For the which he had iudgement, and on the 28. of Iuly, hee was brought from Newgate, to a gibbet by the Cro••e in Cheape; where being moued to aske God and the Queene forgiuenesse, be fell to railing and cursing of the Queene, and began a most biasphemous prayer against the diuine Maiestie of God. They had much ado to get him vp the ladder; where hee was hanged, and after bowelled and quartered. His execrable speeches and demeanure as well at his arraignment, as death, vtterly distained and blemished all his former seeming sanctitie, wherewith he had shroudly possessed the common people. Thus you see how easily ignorant people are seduced by false new doctrines, how suddenly they ••••ll from true Religion into heresie, frensie, and blasphemie; robbing the Church of all her due rites, and (as much as in them lies) God of his Glory; which abuse, of these times, I leaue to be reformed by our reuerend Clergie.

On the next day (to make an end of the Story) Edmund Coppinger ha¦uing wilfully abstained from meat, and otherwise tormented himselfe, died in Bridewell. And Henry Arthington lying in the Counter in Wood∣street, submitting himselfe, writ a booke of repentance, and was deliuered; such was the end of these men (saith mine Authour) of whom the ••il••ie people had receiued a very reuerend opinion, both for their sincere holi∣nesse and sound doctrine.

And in the yeare 1612. Aprill 11. Edward Wightman, another peruerse heretique, was burned at Lichfield. This Wightman would faine haue made the people beleeue, that he himselfe was the holy Ghost, and immortall, with sundrie other most damnable opinions, not fit to bee mentioned amongst Christians. Yet for all this, this heretique had his followers. It is much to be wished that all backsliders from our Church, should be well looked vnto at the first: and not to runne on in their puritanicall opinions.

Of the Shcismatiques of those times, and more especially of Martin Marprelate, these Rythmicall numbers following were composed.

Hic racet vt pinus, Nec Caesar, nec Ninus, Nec Petrus, nec Linus, Nec Coelestinus, Nec magnus Godwinus, Nec plus, nec minus, Quam Clandestinus, Miser ille Martinus; Videte singuli, O vos Martinistae, Et vos Brownistae, Et vos Barowistae, Et vos Atheistae, Et Anabaptistae, Et vos Haketistae, Et Wiggintonistae, Et omnes Sectistae, Quorum dux fuit iste, Lugete singuli, At Gens Anglorum, Presertim verorum, Nec non qui morum, Estis honorum, Inimici horum, Vt est decorum, Per omne forum In secula seculorum, Gaudete singuli.

A certaine Northern Rimer also made these following Couplets vpon him and his seditious Pamphlets:

The Welchman is hanged, Who at our Kirke flanged, And at her state banged, And brened are his buks. And tho he be hanged; Yet he is not wranged, The de'ul has him fanged Is his kruked kluks.

His name was Iohn Penry a Welshman, a penner and a publisher of books, intituled, Martin marre Prelate, he was apprehended at Stepney, by the Vi∣car there, and committed to prison, and in the moneth of May 1593. hee was arraigned at the Kings bench in Westminster, condemned of Felonie, and afterward suddenly in an afternoone conuaied from the Gaile of the Kings Bench to Saint Thomas Waterings, and there hanged with a small audience of beholders, saith Stow.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Vid••. Parl. An. 2••. ••d 6. ca. 6.
• * 1.2

  Camd. in ••uff
• * 1.3

  Ioseph. Antiq. Iud. l. 13. ca ••5.
• * 1.4

  Cod. Theod l 5
• * 1.5

  C••ss••••d l. 4.
• * 2.1

  〈…〉〈…〉 of a booke in∣tituled, Con∣spiracie of pre∣tended Refor∣mation.