The tragicall hystorie of the worthy L. Edward Duke of Somerset, Lord Protector, with the whole cause of his troubles and handling.
AFter so many troublous matters in this historie afore∣passed, comming nowe to the lamentable and tragicall narration of the L. Edward duke of Somerset,* 1.1 the kings vncle, and Protector of his person & of his realme, I could not wel enter into the story of him, without some premoni∣tion first to all noble personages,* 1.2 of what honor or calling soeuer within this realme, by way of history briefly to ad∣monish them, no man to plant any trust or assurance vpon the brickle pillers of worldly prosperity, howe high soeuer it seemeth, consideringe that there is no state so high, but it hath his ruine, wisedome so circumspecte, but it maye bee circumuented, no vertue so perfecte, but it may be enuyed, neither any mans trade so simple, but it maye be beguiled. And therefore seeing the condition of mortall things is so,* 1.3 that no man can alwaies stand in this so ruinous a world: ye surest way is euery man to chuse his standing so, that his fall may be ye easier. But because my purpose is (as I haue said in the stories before) to abridge and make short, I will here stay, referring to the secrete cōsideration of that which remaineth further by me in this matter to be vttered: and so falling into the storie of the Lorde Protectoure Duke of Somerset, we will (the Lorde willing) declare in order the original and whole occasion of his trouble and decay, euen from the beginning.
King Edwarde, after that both his father and mother were dead, had three vncles least him by his mothers side, Edwarde, Thomas, and Henry Semer, of the which two first, one was made Protectour of the Realme, and the o∣ther high admirall of the same. These two brethren, so long as they were knit & ioyned together in amitie and cōcorde,* 1.4 preserued both themselues, the king their nephew, and the whole common wealth from the violence and feare of all danger. But the subtil old serpent alwaies enuying mans felicitie, through slanderous tongues sought to sowe mat∣ter, first of discord betwene them, then of suspition, and last of all extreme hatred: in so much that the Protectour suffe∣red his brother being accused (whether truely or falsely the Lorde knoweth) to be condemned, and to loose hys heade. Wherby it came to passe (whether by ye correction of Gods iudgement vpon him, or whether that he after the death of his brother, and the king being yet but yong and tender of age, was the lesse able to shift for himselfe) that not long af∣ter he was ouermatched and ouerthrowen of his enemies, and so cast into the Tower, and at last lost hys head also, to the great lamentation of many good men, as in the sequele of this hystorie foloweth to be declared.
For the better introduction of which hystorie, firste to begin with the foresaide brother of the Lorde Protectoure,* 1.5 namely Sir Thomas Semer high Admirall of England, and the kings Uncle, here is to vnderstande that he hadde maried Queene Katherine late wife to kinge Henrye the eight, of whome ye heard before, pag. 1342.* 1.6 Now it happe∣ned (vppon what occasion I knowe not) that there fell a displeasure betwixt the sayde Queene and the Duchesse of Somerset, and therupon also in the behalf of their wiues, displeasure and grudge began betwene the brethrē. Which albeit through perswasion of frendes it was for a time ap∣peased betweene them:* 1.7 yet in shorte space after (perchaunce not without ye priuie setting forward o•• some whych were backefrendes to the Gospell) it brake out againe, both to the trouble of the Realme, and especially to the cōfusion of them both, as after it is prooued. First to the Lorde Admi∣ralles charge it was laide, that hee purposed to destroy the young king, and translate the Crowne vnto hymselfe, and for the same being attainted and condemned, did suffer at Tower hill the 20. of Marche. An. 1549. As manye there were which reported that the Dutches of Somersette had wrought his death: so manye moe there were,* 1.8 who mis∣doubting the long standing of the Lord Protectour in hys state and dignity, thought and affirmed no les, but that the fall of the one brother, woulde be the ruine of the other: the experiment whereof as it hath often ben proued, so in these also eftsoones it ensued.
It was not long after the beheading of the Lorde Ad∣mirall, but insurrections began to kindle the same yeare in diuers quarters of the realme, as is aboue storied.* 1.9 By the occasion wherof the lord Russel, lord priuy Seale was sent to the West parts, and the lord Dudley Earle of Warwike was sent wt an armie into Norfolke: where bothe he hym∣selfe & a great number of Gentlemen that were with hym, meeting with the rebels were in great daunger: notwith∣standing in the ende the ouerthrowe was geuen to the re∣bels, which was aboute the beginning of Septemb. 1549. After this victorie atchieued, in the next moneth folowing, whiche was October,* 1.10 howe the matter fell oute betweene the Lorde Protectour and certaine other Lordes, I knowe not, but at the retourne of the Earle of Warwike aforesaid, greate workinge and consultation there was amonge the Lordes, assembling them selues in the house of M. Yorke, and at Bainardes Castle, and in the Lorde Maiors house at London, against the Lorde Protectoure remaining the•• with the King at Hampton Court. Of the which businesse and trouble, thus the Lorde Protectoure wryteth in hys letters to the Lorde Russell in the West countrey, as follo∣weth.