Complaints brought against Empfon, Dudley, &c. This Proclamation fo much engaged the Hearts of the People towards the young King, that his Clemency was the Subject of all Converfations. Petitions were foon brought from all Parts of the Kingdom, not only against Empfon and Dudley, but also against their Under-ftrappers, called Promoters, filled with Complaints of the Extortions they had been guilty of in the Execution of their Offices; among the latter were Jofeph Derby, Jofeph Smith, and John Simfon, with whom the Government made fhort Work, inftantly trying, convicting, and fentencing them feverally according to their Deserts; and then they were conveyed thro' the City on Horfeback, with their Faces to the Horfes Tails, and Papers pinned to their Breafts, denoting the Offences they had been guilty of; at which Time the Populace were not wanting in their Beneficence. This Treatment had fuch an Effect on thefe Mifcreants, The SECRET HISTORY of the CARDINAL, Path-way to Promotion, behaved himself to politickly, that he was made one of the King's Privy Council, and increafed in Favour daily; to whom he gave a Houfe at • Bride-well near Fleet -Street, where he kept his Houfe for his Family, and so he daily attended upon the King, being in fpecial Favour. His Sentences in the StarChamber were ever fo pithy and witty, that, upon all Occafions, they affigned him, for the fluent Eloquence of his Tongue, to be the Expofitor to the King in all their Proceedings. In whom the King received fo great Content, that • he called him ftill nearer to that his Perfon; and the rather, because he was ready to advance the King's own Will ⚫ and Pleasure, having no respect to the Cafe. • Now the King being young, and much given to his Pleasure, ⚫ his old Counsellors advised him to have Recourfe fometimes to the Council about his weighty Affairs; but the Almoner, on the contrary, perfuaded him to. mind his Pleafure, and he ⚫ would take his Care and Charge upon himfelf, (if his Majefty ' would Countenance him with his Authority) which the King liked well. And thus none was like to the Almoner in Favour with the King. СНАР, that divers of them fhortly after died in Newgate. A Warning, one would think, fufficient to deter Perfons from enriching themselves by stirring up Suits on Inquifitions, and obfolete Recognizances, But Mr. Salmon remarks "Thus we find the Ministry making a Sacrifice of their inferior Agents " and Under-strappers at the beginning of this Reign, "to remove the Odium of the late Extortions from "themselves; for it is not to be fuppofed, that those unhappy Men durft have diftreffed the Nation in "the manner they did, if they had not been support"ed and encouraged in it by their Superiors: But "this has ever been the Policy of the great Men at "the Helm, when they have ventured upon any "destructive Schemes, to give up their Inftruments, " in order to turn the Fury of the People from them"felves, expecting to be looked upon as Patriots, "perhaps for punishing those very Facts which they "themselves advised." By GEORGE CAVENDISH, Efqs CHA P. III. Emp Of King Henry's Invading France in his own Perfon, with the Cardinal's Afiftance. T HUS the Almoner continuing in high Favour, till at last many Prefents, Gifts, and Rewards, came in fo plentifully, that, I dare fay, ⚫ he wanted nothing, for he had all Things in Abundance, that might either please his Fancy, or enrich his Coffers; for the • Times fo favourably fmiled upon him, but to what End you ⚫ fhall hereafter hear: Therefore • let all Men, to whom Fortune extendeth her Favour and Grace, take heed they truft not her fubtil and fair Promifes, for under Colour there 66 Empfon and Dudley, the two principal Contrivers of all this Calamity, were cited before the Council, where the principal Articles against them were briefly exhibited. Empfon answered for them Emplon's both, "That he could not but take it Speech. as a Favour that he was allowed to "fpeak for himself and Mr. Dudley, "when he confidered with what Violence they had "been pursued; and obferved, that the Accufation was of a very new and ftrange Nature; that ufually "Men were profecuted for acting against the Laws, 66 or disobeying their Sovereign's Commands; but "they were charged for executing the Laws, of "which the People were the Authors. That he "knew it was to little purpofe for him to fpeak, when "the King, to whom they fhould appeal as their fupreme Judge and Protector, had abandoned them "to the Fury of their Enemies, for no other Caufe "than obeying his Father's Orders, and maintaining "his his Authority. How could they expect Justice "from the People, or have an equal Tryal from "them, who fought their Destruction before they were "heard? If any of the Statutes, that had been put "in Force, were difagreeable to the Kingdom, why were they not repealed? Was it ever known before, "that an Attempt fhould be made for condemning "Men for doing Juftice, efpecially when the King, "the chief Difpenfer thereof, had confirmed and "warranted every part of their Proceedings, which they were able to fhew. An Attempt (fays he) "before unheard of! and if what we have thus done "be now construed as Crimes, and we fuffer thereby, "I defire it may not be divulged to Foreign Nations, " left they should infer the final Diffolution of the English Government was approaching". 66 To this one of the Council anfwered, "That, tho' Empfon had fpoken "with Boldness, yet he had not By GEORGE CAVENDISH, Efq; had there made his Arrival, and landed all his Provifion ⚫ and Munition, and fate in Con• fultation about his weighty Affairs, marched forth in good • Order of Battle, till he came to the ftrong Town of Turwine, to the which he laid ftrong Siege, and made a fharp Affault, fo that in a short space it was yielded unto him, unto ⚫ which Place the Emperor Max⚫imilian reforted unto him with a great Army like a mighty Prince, taking of the King's ⚫ Wages. ་ Thus, after the King had taken this ftrong Town, and taken Poffeffion thereof, and fet all Things in good Order, for the Defence and Preferva thereby tion thereof to his Majefty's Use, then he retired from thence and marched towards Turney, and there lay'd Siege in like ⚫ manner; to which he gave fo 'fierce Affault, that the Ene'mies were constrained to render the Town to his Majefty. At which Time, the King gave 6 unto the Almoner the Bithoprick of the fame See towards his Pains and Diligence fuftained in that Journey. And when he had established all Things according to his Prince⚫ly Mind and Pleasure, and furnifhed the fame with Men and 'Captains of War for the Safeguard of the pared for his gland, Town, he pre- • But "thereby cleared himself and Dudley of the Charge 66 brought against them; for that they were not "accufed of executing the Laws, or obeying the lawful Commands of the late King, but for "ftretching the Laws beyond their due Bounds, and exceeding their Sovereign's Authority, which Ac"cufation the Council had Reafon to believe was too well ground; and therefore it was his Majef"ty's Pleafure, that they fhould be committed to the "Tower, till an Enquiry could be made into the Charge "that had been brought against them." And upon breaking up of the Council they were accordingly committed. Rapin's Remarks on their Cafe. 66 "In any other Country (fays Rapin) an Act of Sovereignty to fend these two Men to the Gallows would "have been seen with Joy; but it's not the fame in England, because no Man can be "condemned unheard, of which Privilege the greatest Criminals are not debarred. It was necef"fary therefore to find out fome exprefs Law to " condemn The SECRET HISTORY of the CARDINAL, |