State-worthies, or, The states-men and favourites of England since the reformation their prudence and policies, successes and miscarriages, advancements and falls, during the reigns of King Henry VIII, King Edward VI, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, King James, King Charles I.

Observations on the Life of Sir Charles Somerset.

SIr Charles Somerset, afterward Lord Herbert of Gower, &c. endeared himself to King H. as much for his Maxime, That Reason of State was Reason of Law; as for his Advice, That the King should never suck at Law, in case of Publique Good; and yet that all ••is Acts for publique Good should come as near as possi∣ble to the Law. So Popular was this Gentleman, that he received all the Petitions against Empson and Dudley; yet so loyal, that he advised his Ma∣ster neither to spare those Leeches, lest any should p••esume to alienate his Peoples affections from him by Extortions for the future; nor yet too se∣verely to punish them, lest any should be discou∣raged to serve the Crown for the present: (for indeed Empson and Dudley suffered for that which others were advanced for; the Parliament punish∣ed them for putting their Laws in execution, and the King deserted them for improving his Exche∣quer to a Treasury.)

Two things this Lord advised his Master to, be∣fore he put the Crown upon his head.

• 1. To redress the Peoples Grievances under his Father.
• 2. To marry not in France, where he had a Ti∣tle: A Kingdom so near us, that by reason of mu∣tual

• jelousies we may have peace with it some∣times, but Friendships never.

In the Houshold he was Lord Chamberlain, so discreet his Carriage! In the French Expedition, Anno 1513. he was General, so Noble his conduct! His Assi••stants were the Earls of Northumber∣land, Shrewsbury, Kent and Wiltshire; his Follow∣ers, the Lord Audley, De la Ware,a 1.1 Carew and Cur∣son, &c.

Therovene he besiegeth in good Order, and with Wolsey's advice, who had lived long in that Town; understands all the Avenues of it; a••d with Sir Oughtred, Sir Henry Guilford, Sir Edward Poynings, Sir Charles Brandon and, Sir Alexander Baynam's assistance, sprung several Mines, repulsed the French Relief and the City-Assailants, so that the Town was yielded August 22. 1513. and upon Mazimilian's Intreaty razed as he did Tournay, September 22. Herbert was for razing this place, as farther from us than Therovene; but Wolsey for the Bishopricks sake, is for the garisoning of it, as a Trophy. The King recollecting his former occa∣sions, Febr. 3. 1514. thought he could not do a more just or a more prudent Act, than recompence his Noble Servants (but the cheapest way, I mean that of Honour) as he did old Somerset with the Earldome of Worcester.

With this Honour at home, is joyned another abroad, viz. That of Embassie to Maximilian, where he reached that Germans depth••, and clearly demonstrated that those fond and impossible Offers of the Empire, were but Artifices rather than Kindnesses: to drain the Kings Treasure, rather than enlarg his Dominions: Advising him or raise

a Citadel at Tournay, and an Army in Normandy: He finished the Espousals between the Princess Mary and the Dolphin; and delivered Tournay, by the ••ame token that he would not let the Mareschal de Castilion to enter with Banner displayed, but rol∣led up, it being (as he said, who when Lord Her∣bert was at the taking of it) voluntarily yielded up, and not gotten by Conquest: and then bestow∣ed himself with Sir Richard Wingfield for the great enterview between King Francis and King Henry; an interview I know not whether more solemn or more dangerous: Kings cannot meet without great state, and they seldom part without much envy; who never are further asunder than when they meet, His most eminent Action here, was the Device of that Motto, Cui adhareo, praee••t; a Motto that speaks the Honour of England, and the Interest of Europe. The Arbitrators commanding both the parties, submitting ••o their Arbitration for two Cities in Italy, contending about their bounds, chose the People of Room to be their Ar∣bitrators; they gave either City a small pittance, and reserved all the rest to themselves; Quod in medio est Populo Romano adjudicetur.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Master of the Or∣dinance, who was killed the first Night before Therove∣ne.