The history of the reigns of Henry the Seventh, Henry the Eighth, Edward the Sixth, and Queen Mary the first written by the Right Honourable Francis Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban ; the other three by the Right Honourable and Right Reverend Father in God, Francis Godwyn, Lord Bishop of Hereford.

ANNO DOM. 1545. REG. 37.

OUr late Expeditions had without doubt been very chargeable. [ 1545] So that I should not wonder that the King began to want supplies, if I did not consider the incredible summs raised of the spoils of the late suppressed Religious Houses. All which not∣withstanding, whether it were that God not pleased with this authorized Sacriledge did not enlarge them with his Blessing, Which only (saith Solomon) maketh Rich: Or that a great part thereof was otherwise divided either among his Courtiers, or for the maintenance of the ejected Religious Persons, the Treasury was certainly very bare. To which former reasons we may add the six new erected Bishopricks, and the like number of Cathe∣dral Churches, as also the Stipends conferred on both Universities for the publick Professors of the Hebrew and Greek Tongues, Di∣vinity, Law, and Physick, to each whereof he allotted an Annuity of forty Pounds. Howsoever it were, certain it is, that levies being made in Germany for the King, the Souldiers dis∣banded for want of Pay. The Parliament had already granted him great Subsidies, so that thence he could expect no more. Yet Monies must be had. Henry therefore resolves on an honest kind of Rapine. The Intreaties of Princes little differ from Com∣mands, unless perhaps in this, that they work more subtilly, and render them pliable with whom Commands would not have prevailed; which manifestly appeared in the execution of this Project. He had twenty years since commanded Money by Pro∣clamation, a course so far from taking as was desired, that it had like to have been the cause of much mischief: But now by some fit Commissioners informing his Subjects of his necessities, and desiring the richer sort one by one to contribute towards his support, he quickly replenished the Exchequer. The Commis∣sioners begin first with the Citizens of London, among whom two were more strait - laced than the rest, viz. Richard Read, and William Roch; but their parsimony shall cost them dear. For Read being an old man and utterly unexpert of Martial Discipline, is commanded to serve in person in the Wars of Scotland, is taken by the Scots, and forced to ransom himself at a high rate. Roch, as having used some uncivil language before those of his Maje∣stie's Council who sate Commissioners, was for some months

punished with straight imprisonment, and at length (not im∣probably) [ 1545] bought his liberty.

In the mean time Boloign was a great eye-sore to the French. They try to regain it by stratagems and surprisals, but in vain. They betake themselves to force with the like success. The Mar∣shal of Biez Governour of the Boloignois comes with a great Army to the Port, a Town two miles from Boloign, and begins to build a Fort on this side the River upon the point of the Tower of Ordre, but is by the Earl of Hertford forced away, and leaves his Castle in the Air. His intent was by this Fort to have kept the Garri∣son of Boloign within their Walls, to have commanded the Haven, so to cut off all Succours by sea, and from Calais by land. Which being done, Francis resolved in Person to besiege Guisnes, and there to fortifie, thereby to famish Boloign, and to keep Calais and the land of Oye in subjection. But these designs proving fruitless, he prepares his Naval forces, giving forth, that he intended to invade England, hoping that this Alarm would have made us have a care of the main, and neglect those pieces abroad, so that Boloign for lack of aid should easily be reduced. The noise of an invasion made Henry arm, who having gathered together a suf∣ficient Fleet, awaited the Enemy at Portsmouth, intent to all oc∣casions. Neither did the French only intend an Alarm, landing in three several places in England, but were every where with loss driven aboard their Ships. Two days after they fall down to the Channel that divideth the Isle of Wight from the rest of Bri∣tain; they seem to threaten Portsmouth, where the King then was, and seek to draw our Fleet to fight. The French, beside a sufficient Fleet of other Ships had twenty five Gallies, no way probably useful in these tempestuous and rough Seas not brooking this flat kind of shipping, but by their bulk and num∣ber to terrifie us: Yet at this time an unusual calmness of the Sea without wind or current, put them in hope of effecting wonders by their Gallies. But our Fleet was not to be drawn to fight, much less to be forced without apparent danger to the Enemy, who must slip down a narrow Channel, where but few Ships could go in front, and the like number opposed might easily defend it: Where they could not enter, but with the Tide and Wind, and the first Ships repulsed, in their falling back would have disordered the rest of the Fleet; where of necessity they must fight under the favour of our Forts and Cannon, which would easily have hindered their approach. The Enemy being put off here, consult of fortifying the Isle of Wight, where at St. Helens Point they land two thousand men, resolve forsooth to make that the Seat of the War, and there to build three Forts; but the valour of the Inhabitants made them change their design, and forced them again to their Ships. Thus every where affronted to their loss, without any memorable act they set fail for Normandy.

The French Fleet consisted of a hundred and three Sail of all sorts, [ 1545] ours of only sixty, so that it was no way safe for us to encounter them. Some light proffers were made on both sides, wherein we always came off with the better. As for the Mary Rose, a Ship which with her loss buried Sir George Carow the Captain, and seven hundred men; the French do well to make use of casualties to their own glory: But it was not the valour of the French, or fury of their Cannons that sunk her, but the supine negligence of the Mariners, being wrecked in the very Haven, in the pre∣sence of the King.

Boloign was not idle the while. Upon hope of a Fort to be built by the Marshal of Biez, Francis had made great preparations for an Enterprize upon Guisnes, but was diverted by the death of the Duke of Orleans his younger Son, and the lost hopes of his intended Fort near Boloigne, and having for a while encamped at Mont-Lambert, retired at last toward Amiens. The nearness of the King's Camp at Mont-Lambert did daily invite both Nations to make trial of their valour, the English sometimes, sometimes the French having the better. One day among the rest the English hotly charging the French, the Duke of Aumale comes to relieve them, who being strook with a Lance under his right Eye, it breaks in pieces and leaves the Trunchion half a foot within his Head. It was a token of an excellent spirit in this young Noble∣man, that for so rough a charge he lost not his stirrups; and endured the torture whereto they put him in drawing out the three square head, with such an invincible constancy, as if they had picked a Thorn from out his Finger, and beyond all expe∣ctation of the Chirurgions recovered. The Victory remained to the English: who could not long brag of it, afterward seeking to cut off a Convoy of the Enemies, defeated by the Rhinegrave with the loss of sixteen Captains, and seven or eight hundred men. The Earl of Surrey, who led them, saved himself by flight. And were it not discourtesie in us not to requite the late visit of the French? The Lord Admiral therefore landed six thousand men at Treport in Normandy, burned the Town and Abbey with thirty Ships and a Barque in the Haven, and returned with the loss of only fourteen men.

Neither were our employments less or fewer in Scotland, than among the French. Scotland had so many enemies at home, that it needed not any abroad. But their home-bred dissentions had caused War from us, and the way to set them at Peace was, to invade them. In the beginning of March Sir Ralph Evers, by the death of his Father Lord Evers, with an Army entred Scotland, making all the Countrey desert about Jedbury and Kelson. Thence marching to Coldingham fortified the Church and Tower, and leaving a Garrison there, departed. The Garrison partly out of covetousness, partly to distress the Enemy if he should lay siege

to them, pillaged and wasted all the neighbouring Countrey. The [ 1545] Regent according to their expectation besiegeth the Church with eight thousand men, and batters it a whole day and a night. But sud∣denly, making none of the Nobles partakers of his determinations, whether out of fear to be betrayed by his Army, or some other cause, took horse and posted away to Dunbar, which occasioned the disbanding of the Army, and the freedom of the besieged. Our often success having emboldened us, we adventure upon another impression, the fury whereof disburdened it self in Merch, Teifi∣dale, and Lauden, the Inhabitants being either forced to yield, or flie, and leave their goods to be seiled on by Bellonas Harbin∣gers. The Scots at length make head, and although of more than equal number, they betake themselves to stratagems. They understand by their Scouts of our approach; and to deceive us, by the advice of Walter Scot send their Horses to the adjoyning Hills. Neither indeed was the place so advantageous for Horse, as for Foot. The Horses backed by the Grooms that kept them, did from the Hills make shew of an Army, and that flying. We advance, as loath to let our enemies escape, in the pursuit of whom we unawares fall among the whole Army not disorderly flying, but prepared to receive us. It is not unusual to encounter men; but if Heaven and the Elements oppose us, how can we hope for victory? We find the number of our adverse Army great beyond our expectation, the Sun far declining to the West darted his rays in our faces, and a violent wind drives the smoak of the shot into our mouthes, which not only made the most necessary sense unuseful, but with a foul stench corrupted the Air, and hindred the breathing of the already panting Souldiers. The many advantages give them the Victory. We leave two hundred in the place, and among them the Lord Evers; a thousand are taken, whereof Alderman Read was one.

A little after this Victory, Francis sent into Scotland a supply of five hundred French Horse and three thousand Footmen, under the command of the Lord of Lorges Earl of Montgomery, not so much to cross our attempts against the Scots, as to distract our Forces, that the violence of them united might not at once fall on France.

This year among other accidents is also memorable through the death of the King's Brother-in-Law Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk, a man of a mighty spirit, yet so tempering it with mild∣ness and fair demeanour, that he was generally beloved both of Prince and people: Who in that height of favour carried him so evenly as to die quietly in his Bed. A happiness under this Prince rare even to Fortunes and His Favourites.

A Parliament assembled in November granted the King the Disposal of all Colledges, Chantries, and Hospitals, the de∣mesnes, salaries and stipends thereto belonging, or given to Priests to say Mass for the Souls of the departed. The King

personally gave thanks to both Houses, promising to have a care [ 1545] that they should be employed to the honour of God and the pub∣lick good. But we find not the effect of his promises.

Notes

• Alias Bon∣lamberg.