It came not then to my mind upon the sudden; but I might very truly have added the like of sir John Shelton, that having married the daughter of Henry lord Cromwell, he died very little or nothing worth, and without any issue (as I take it), but certainly without any issue-male to continue his family. (Subscribed) HENRY SPELMAN.

I Jeremy Stephens being then present, do

testify the truth of this relation.

Having made mention of Cadiz and queen Elizabeth, I will add further what was lately told me by a knight of worth (who was himself in the voyage) much conducing to the honour of that renowned princess, and to the scope also of this our discourse. It is said, that when she set forth her expedition for Cadiz, or other Spanish towns, she gave particular and strait instructions that in no case any violence should be offered to any church or consecrated thing. This notwithstanding, sir Conyers Clifford, upon the taking of Cadiz, fired and burnt the cathedral-church there; and sir Charles Blunt (in the return from thence), the cathedral-church of Faro, in Portugal. It followed, that sir Conyers Clifford never after prospered in any thing, and was at last slain by the natives in Ireland, leaving no son to continue his nominal line; and that sir Charles Blunt, about two years after the fact, was drowned at sea, in passing for Ireland."

Ex relat. Will, Slingsby. Mil. 22 Nov. 1634.

[CHAPTER VII.

Additional particulars collected by the Editors. THE following particulars respecting the history and fate of Sacrilege have been collected in many quarters, and with no little trouble. Some will be found more, some less remarkable; but all, it is thought, will be, in their place, appropriate. No order has been observed in their arrangement; partly on account of its almost impossibility in such a list, partly because no great utility was likely to arise from it.

We begin with one of the most remarkable series of judgment on sacrilege, namely, the fate of the Stuarts.

Robert the Bruce slew sir John the Red Comyn before the high altar at the Minorite church of Dumfries. For this his sacrilegious deed, he and his posterity were fearfully punished. Robert himself, some time before his death, was afflicted with leprosy, of which at last he died. He had vowed a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to expiate his wickedness; but not being able to go there, he made his friend Douglas promise to carry his heart thither. Douglas, however, was defeated in Spain by the Saracens ; and the heart, as if not worthy of being taken to the Holy Land, was carried back to Scotland. Robert Bruce was only fifty-four when he died. He was succeeded by his son, David II. David was an exile in France

for some time, and afterwards taken prisoner by the English at the battle of Neville's Cross, and kept in prison eleven years. He was twice married, but died childless, being divorced from his second wife. With him the male line of Bruce failed.

He was succeeded by Robert II., son of Marjory, daughter of Robert the Bruce, and Walter Stuart. Robert Stuart was nearly blind, and lived in much obscurity and retirement. He was succeeded by Robert III. his son, who was lamed from a kick of a horse. He was father of the duke of Rothsay, who was starved to death by his uncle, Albany. James, his second son, was taken prisoner by the English on his way to France; and Robert III. died brokenhearted.

James I. was captive in England eighteen years. He was murdered by his own subjects.

James II., his son, succeeded him. He was constantly at war with his subjects, especially the family of Douglas. He was killed by the bursting of a cannon at Roxburgh.

He was succeeded by James III., his son, who was a very weak man, a coward, and miser; he was defeated by his subjects, the Homes and Hepburns, at Stirling; and riding from the battle, was thrown from his horse, which took fright at a pitcher in which a woman was drawing water at a brook. He was much hurt, and being taken up was laid on a bed: a pretended priest came to confess him, and stabbed him dead: he was only thirty-six.

1

James IV., though a child, had joined in the rebellion against his father, whom he succeeded. He was slain at Flodden Field. His body was not buried, since he died excommunicate; it was taken to Shene, in Surrey, where it remained till the Reformation, when the monastery was dissolved; after that it lay tossing about like lumber. Stowe saw it flung into a work-room amongst old rubbish many years afterwards. Some workmen cut off the head, and one Launcelot Young, glazier to queen Elizabeth, carried it home, and kept it for some time; at last it was buried in the charnel-house in S. Michael's, Woodstreet.

James V. succeeded his father at the age of two years. He died of a broken heart, aged thirty-one years, after the rout at Solway. His two sons died before him: the unfortunate Mary was born as he was dying.

"'Tis a wonder," (says sir Simon Degge, in a letter appended to the first edition of Erdeswicke's History of Staffordshire, but omitted in the second and third, and dated Feb. 22, 1662) "that in sixty years (it being no more since Mr. Erdeswicke wrote this tract), one half, I believe, of the lands in Staffordshire have changed their owners; not so much, as of old they were wont, by marriage, as by purchase. And if it were not that I should tire out your patience, I could give you my conjecture of the reason; but I know the freedom of your disposition so well, that I hope you will pardon this boldness.

The first reason I conceive to be, for that our ancient gentry were so guilty of Henry the VIII.'s sacrilegious robbing the church, that so mingled church-lands with their ancient inheritances; and 'tis no wonder to see the eagle's nest on fire that steals flesh from the altar for her young ones. This very subject would take up a large volume: and besides your own observations of Sherburn, with your patience I will give you a little taste of the success these lands have had in Staffordshire; for Abbey Hilton, &c., that was given in exchange to sir Edward Ashton, was with much more sold by his son; and where this issue will stay, God knows. You know how near to an end it hath brought that family; and as I told Mr. Hugh Sneyd, I feared it was a worm in his estate, for it was travelling apace. Dieulacres was given to the Bagnals, which, like a mushroom, rose on a sudden, and vanished as soon in the first generation. Anthony Rudyard has the Seyte,* and, as I take it, he is issueless. Jolley has Leeke, and some other things: how long it will stay there, God knows. Calwich is next in order, bought by sir Richard Fleetwood's grandfather: how unhappily it prospered with the grandson, you have seen; and the children of that family have been unfortunate.

Roucester was granted to Thomas † Trentham, whose son Francis, soon after, so settled it, that he nor any of his sons could alienate it, which, if any * [Q. The Leyes?-EDD.]

[Tanner says Richard.-EDD.]