in such besynes: and so her Grace sustayned of eche syde with ijto bysshops, the Bysshope of London ande the Bysshop of Wynchester, came furthe in processyon unto the Churche of Westminster, she in her here, my Lord of Suffolke berying before herr the Crowne, and ijto other Lords beryng also before her a Ceptur and a white Rodde, and so entred up into the highe Alter, where diverse Ceremoneys used aboute her, I did sett the Crowne on her hedde, and than was songe Te Deum, &c. And after that was song a solempne Masse, all which while her grace satt crowned upon a scaffold whiche was made betwene the Highe Alter and the Qwyer in Westminstre Churche; which Masse and ceremonyes donne and fynysshed, all the Assemble of noble men broughte her into Westminstre Hall agayne, where was kepte a great solempne feaste all that daye; the good ordre therof were to longe to wrytte at this tyme to you. But nowe Sir you may nott ymagyn that this Coronacion was before her mariege, for she was maried muche about sainte Paules daye last, as the condicion therof dothe well appere by reason she ys nowe sumwhat bygg with chylde. Notwithstandyng yt hath byn reported thorowte a great parte of the realme that I maried her; whiche was playnly false, for I myself knewe not therof a fortenyght after yt was donne.

And

And many other thyngs be also reported

of me, whiche be mere lyes and tales.

Other newys have we none notable, but that one Fryth, whiche was in the Tower in pryson, was appoynted by the Kyngs grace to be examyned befor me, my Lorde of London, my lorde of Wynchestre, my Lorde of Suffolke, my Lorde Channcelour, and my Lorde of Wylteshere, whose opynion was so notably erroniouse, that we culde not dyspache hym but was fayne to leve hym to the determynacion-of his Ordinarye, whiche ys the bishop of London. His said opynyon ys of suche nature that he thoughte it nat necessary to be beleved as an Article of our faythe, that ther ys the very corporall presence of Christe within the Oste and Sacramente of the Alter, and holdethe of this poynte muste after the Opynion of Oecolampadious. And suerly I myself sent for hym iij or iiij tymes to perswade hym to leve that his Imaginacion, but for all that we could do therin he woulde not applye to any counsaile, notwithstandyng nowe he ys at a fynall ende with all examinacions, for my Lorde of London hathe gyven sentance and delyuerd hym to the secular power, where he loketh every daye to goo unto the fyer. And ther ys also condempned with hym one Andrewe a taylour of London for the said self same opynion.

And thus farr you well, from my manor of Croydon the xvij. daye of June.

LETTER CXV.

Edward Earl of Derby and Sir Henry Faryngton to King Henry the Eighth.

[FROM THE ORIGINAL preserved in THE CHAPTER HOUSE AT WESTMIN

STER.]

The clamour as well among the clergy as among the laity, upon the second marriage of King Henry the Eighth, was great.

Stow says, "the first that openly resisted or reprehended the King touching his marriage with Anne Boleyn, was one friar Peto, a simple man yet very devout, of the Order of Observants." He preached before the King at Greenwich, upon the latter part of the Story of Ahab, "saying 'Even where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, even there shall the dogs lick thy blood also O King;' and therewithal spoke of the lying prophets which abused the King. I am, quoth he, that Micheas whom thou will hate, because I must tell thee truly that this marriage is unlawful; and I know I shall eat the bread of affliction, and drink the water of sorrow, yet because our Lord hath put it into my mouth, I must speak of it." The King being thus reproved, endured it patiently, says Stow, "but the next Sunday being the eighth of May, Dr. Curwen preached in the same place, who most sharply reprehended Peto and his preaching, and called him dog, slanderer, base beggarly friar, close man, rebel, and traitor; saying that no subject should speak so audaciously to Princes; and having spoke much to that effect, and in commendation of the King's marriage, thereby to establish his seed in his seat for ever, he supposing to have utterly supprest Peto, and his partakers, lifted up his voice, and said I speak to thee Peto which makest thyself Micheas, that thou mayest speak evil of Kings, but now thou art not to be found, being fled for fear and shame, as being ⚫ unable to answer my arguments.' And whilst he thus spake, there was one Elstow, a fellow friar to Peto, standing in the rood-loft, who with a bold voice said to Dr. Curwen, 'Good Sir, you know that father Peto, as he was commanded, is now gone to a Provincial Council holder at Canterbury, and not fled for fear of you, for tomorrow he will return again; in the mean time I am here, as another Micheas, and will lay down my life to prove all those things true which he hath taught out of the holy Scripture: and to this combat I challenge thee before God and all equal judges; even unto thee CURWEN I say; which art one of the four hundred Prophets into whom the spirit of lyeing is entred, and seekest by adultery to establish succession, betraying the King unto endless perdition, more for thy own vain glory and hope of promotion, than for discharge of thy clogged conscience, and the

King's salvation.' This Elstow waxed hot, and spake very earnestly, so as they could not make him cease his speech, until THE KING HIMSELF bad him hold his peace, and gave order that he and Peto should be convented before the Council, which was done the next day; and when the Lords had rebuked them, then the earl of Essex told them that they had deserved to be put into a sack and cast into the Thames; whereunto Elstow smiling, said, • Threaten these things to rich and dainty folke, which are clothed in purple, fare deliciously, and have their chiefest hope in this world; for we esteem them not, but are joyful that for the discharge of our duties we are driven hence: and, with thanks to God, we know the way to Heaven to be as ready by water as by land, and therefore we care not which way we go." The Letter now, before the reader will show the coarse manner in which the marriage of Anne Boleyn was received in a remoter quarter of the Kingdom.

a

PLEAS it your Highnes to be advertysed, that wher as Sir William Fitzwilliam knyght, on of your Counsullors and Tresorer of your moost honorable Howse, lately directed his severall Lettres unto us your humble subgetts and servants Edward Erle of Derby and Henry Faryngton Knyght, whereby we perceyve your graces pleasor is that a lewde and noghty preist inhabytyng in thise partyes, who hathe of late reported and spoken befor and in the audyence of certeyn persons sundry and diverse unfyttyng and sklaunderous words, aswell by your Highnes as by the Quenes grace, shuld not only be attached and sent up to your Highnes, but also that we shuld in the accomplishement of your said pleasor take th’examynacions and saings of suche persons as were present and herd the same unfittyng and sklaunderous reports and sayngs of the said preist in the premisses; and the same to

a Stow, Annals, edit. 1631. p. 562.

send in wrytyng to your Highnes subscribed with our hands; We according to our bounden duties in the accomplishement of your graces pleasor, have called befor us suche persons whose names and deposicions herafter do ensue; and the same persons did examyn upon ther othes at Ley in the Countie of Lancaster, the xth day of August in the xxvth yere of the reign of your noble Highnes, Sir Richard Hoghton, Sir Willm Leylond knyghts, and Thomas Howcroft your servants and other of the Counsaill of me the said Erle beyng present with us. And the said S Henry hath attached the said preist and send hym to your Highnes.

And S Richard Clerke vyker of Leegh deposith and saith that the xx day of July last past he rede a proclamacion at Crofton, in the Howse of John Blackeston's, concernyng Lady Katharin Princesse-dowager, whiche S Jamys Harrison preist hering the said proclamacion, said that Quene Katharyn was Quene, And that Nan Bullen shuld not be Quene, nor the King to be no King but on his bering.

Also St John Haworthe preist examyned, saith upon his othe that he herd the said S Jamys saye that Quene Katharyn shuld be Quene, and as for Nan Bullen who the devell made her Quene; and as for the King shuld not be King but on his bering.

Also William Dalton squyer examyned, and sworn upon a boke, deposith and saith that after that on S Richard Clerke had redde the said proclamacion,