CONTENTS OF CHAPTER THIRTY-FIRST. -- France.-Both kings defy the emperor. The death of cardinal Woolsey.-Henry divor ced from his first wife.-Marrieth the lady Anne Bullen.Her death. He marrieth the lady Jane Seymour. He revolteth from Rome. The earl of Hartsford's victories in Scotland.-Boulogne besieged Prince Henry married to his brother's wife. He winneth Touraine and Tournay in France. Flodden-field, with the famous victory against the Scots. Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk, marrieth the French queen, the king's sister. The emperor, Char. les the fifth, made knight of the Garter.-Peace with and won. -- H ENRY the seventh, who was loath to part with the dowry of the Spanish princess, wrought so by a dispensation from the pope, that his son, prince Henry, was married to the widow of his own brother, prince Arthur, deceased; who, coming to the crown, (some say by the counsel of his father on his death-bed) put to death Empson and Dudley, who had gathered a great mass of money into the king's treasury, by exacting and extorting from the commons, of whom they were extremely hated. For which piece of justice, he won the hearts of the people; and soon afterwards was born at Richmond, upon New-year's day, prince Henry, the king's son, who died upon St. Matthew's day the year following. And soon afterwards, was the lord Dacres sent into Spain, to aid the king against the Moors; and Sir Edward Poynings, into Gelderland, to aid the prince of Castile. And in his fourth year, the king in person invaded France, and took Touraine and Tournay, having discomfited the French host at a place called Blewmy. During which time, the Scotch king raised against England an 100,000 men, whom the earl of Surry, the king's lieutenant, encountered at a place called Flodden. In which battle the king himself was slain, with eight bishops, and 11 earls; besides, of the common soldiers innumerable. For which service by him done, king Henry created him duke of Norfolk, and his son, earl of Surry. In his sixth year, a peace was concluded between England and France; and in his seventh year, the French king espoused the lady Mary, the king's sister, in the month of June, and died upon New-year's day next ensuing; wherefore the king sent for her again, by Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk. In February was born the lady Mary, the king's daughter, at Greenwich; and in April, the French queen came over into England, and was married to the foresaid duke of Suffolk. In which year, also, Margaret, queen of Scots, the king's sister, fled into England, and lay at a place called Hare-bottle, where she was delivered of a daughter called Margaret, and came to London in May, and tarried there a whole year; and upon the eighth of May following, returned again into her country. In October, the tenth year of the king, the admiral of France came into England, and Tournay was again delivered to the French king, whom afterwards Henry met between Arde and Guines, where were great triumphs. Afterwards, there was a solemn meeting between the emperor, and Charles the fifth and the king of England, who went with him to Graveling, and afterwards he went to Calais with the king, where he was royally entertained and feasted, who in the 13th year of the king, the sixth of June, was honourably received into the city of London, by the lord mayor, the aldermen, and the commonalty, who from London went to meet the king at Windsor, where he was made knight of the garter; which was done with great solemnity; and then, from Southampton he sailed into Spain. Soon afterwards, Christian, king of Denmark, came into England, and had royal entertainment from the king. During these passages, the earl of Surrey, lord admiral, who before had appeased the tumults and manifold com bustions stirred up in Ireland, burnt divers towns in Britain and Picardy; and the duke of Suffolk invaded France with 10,000 men, and passing the river Some, spoiled many towns and villages, and returned without opposition. And the duke of Albany in Scotland, who before had made a vain attempt against England, besieged the castle of Wark, but hearing of the earl of Surry's marching towards him, he fled into his country. In the 18th year of the king, cardinal Woolsey went over into France, pompously attended; where he concluded a league between the king of England and the French king, who both defied the emperor, and sent an army into Italy, to make war against him, and upon the 19th of October the great master of France, came over into England, to ratify the league made between the two kings. All which verify that part of the prediction: "Rouze him shall this fierce Lion in his den, Those, whom the Africke Moores halfe blacke have By Albania, is meant Scotland, so called from Albanactus, the second son of Brute, the first king thereof; and by Hesberia, Spain, who after the African Moors had long possessed the greatest part of the land, by interchangeable marriages between them and the natives. The Spaniards are black and tawny even to this day. In the 21st year, the king having cast his eye upon a new mistress. Pretending a matter of conscience, he began to consider with himself, that he had long incestuously lived with his brother's wife; for which cause, the legates of Rome met with the king at Blackfriars, about the lawfulness or unlawfulness of that marriage. Amongst the rest, cardinal Woolsey, standing stiff against a divorce, in October following, was discharged of his chancellorship. And presently afterwards was a peace concluded between the emperor and the king; and in the year afterwards the great cardinal, who had been arested of high treason, and by that means forfeited his infinite estate to the king, and died on St. Andrew's day, in a poor friary, not without suspicion of poison. Afterwards, by a legal course, and due process of law, the king was divorced from the lady Katherine, his brother's wife, and soon afterwards married to the lady Anhe Bullen, who, upon Whitsunday, was crowned queen; and on Midsummer day following, died the French queen Mary, the king's sister, and wife to Charles Brandon, duke of Suffolk. And, on the eve of the nativity of the blessed virgin following, was born the lady Elizabeth, at Greenwich; in which year (as an happy presage of her future love unto the gospel) it was enacted that no man should sue any appeal to Rome. In January, the 27th year of the king, died the lady Katherine, princess dowager, and late wife to the king. And, in the 28th of his reign, queen Anne Bullen, with her brother, the lord Rochford, Norris, Weston, Breerton, and Marks, were attainted of high treason, and beheaded. And soon afterwards, the king married the lady Jane Seymour. In the year 1537, on St. Edward's eve, in June, prince Edward was born at Hampton court; and the 23rd of October following, died queen Jane, and lieth buried at Windsor. Then, was the bishop of Rome, with all his usurped power, quite abolished out of the realm, and the king assumed to himself the supremacy over the church in England and Ireland; to whom were granted the first-fruits, (before paid to the pope) with the tenths of all spiritual possessions. For denying of whose supremacy, that famous and learned gentleman, Sir Thomas Moore, lord chancellor of England, with the bishop of Rochester, were beheaded; and presently afterwards, three monks of the Charterhouse, for the same offence. Then, followed the dissolution of all the abbeys, friaries, and nunneries, through the whole realm, when the mass, and all Romish superstition were forbidden; and divers images that had engines to make their eyes open and shut, and their other limbs to move and stir, were broken to pieces and defaced, and all friars, monks, canons, and nuns were forced to change their habits, and forsake their cloisters. A proclamation also was made, which hath been since establised as a law, that the English bible should be read in every church through out the realm; and that no holydays should be solemnized and observed, except our Ladydays, the Apostles, the Evangelists, St. George, and St. Mary Magdalen; and that St. Mark's eve, and St. Lawrence's eve, should not be kept as fasting days. And that children should not go, decked and garnished (as they do on feasting days) upon St. Nicholas, St. Katherine, St. Clement's, and the holy Innocents, and the like. All which comply with the prophecy: He from the septarchy of Iils, That Europe aws, and triple crown, that fils By the Septarchy of hills, meaning the seven hills on which the city of Rome standeth; and further, taking on himself to be the supreme head of the church within his own dominions; he takes away that power from the popes' triplecrown, to which all the Christian kingdoms else where were in vassallage. By blunting the horns of the Bashan bulls, meaning the pope's writs of excomunications, interdictions, anathemas, or cursings, which are called his bulls, the terror whereof he now vilifies and sets at nought. By rooting the razord skulls from the land, is meant the suppression of friars and monks, who had the upper part of their heads always shaven, &c. Many were those who suffered for denying the supremacy, as friar Forrest, who was hanged and burnt in Smithfield; with the image of Darvell Gathren, in Wales. And for the same offence suffered the abbots of Reading, of Colchester, and the great rich abbot of Glastonbury, whose name was Whiting, whom the king commanded to be hanged upon the top of the Tower, an eminent place, and visible afar, for which way soever a man travels towards that town, it might be seen 20 miles distant. Now it seemed a thing impossible, that the sea, with its greatest inundation should swell so high, that any fish should float oyer or upon it; |