CHAP. II. King Henry's departure. Young King Edward's Governors and Council. He is proclaimed: and comes to the Tower. New commissions to the Justices. The Duke of Somerset Protector. The war with Scotland: and victory obtained. WHILE King Henry lay on his deathbed in his palace Anno 1546. Conferences be Earl of tary Paget upon King death. at Westminster, Sir Edward Seimour, Earl of Hertford, and Sir William Paget, among others, were at Court; and tween the Paget, being Secretary of State, was much about his per-Hertford son: whom, being a man wise and learned, and well versed and Secrein the affairs of state, both by reason of his office and his several embassies abroad, the Earl prudently made choice Henry's of for his inward friend and counsellor. By the King's desperate condition, the Earl well perceiving the crown ready to fall upon Prince Edward his nephew's head, before the breath was out of his body, took a walk with Paget in the gallery; where he held some serious conference with him concerning the government. And immediately after the King was departed they met again, the Earl devising with him concerning the high place he was to hold, being the next of kin to the young King. Paget at both meetings freely and at large gave him his advice, for the safe managery of himself, and of the mighty trust likely to be reposed in him and the Earl then promised him to follow his counsels in all his proceedings, more than any other man's. To his failure in which promises the said Secretary attributed those miseries which afterwards befell the nation and himself; as he plainly told him in one of his letters. The King then departed this world on the Friday before King Henry's Candlemas-day, being the 28th day of January; and was, funerals. buried in a most magnificent manner, Feb. 15, at Windsor. His corpse remained in his privy chamber five days, covered with a rich pall of cloth of gold, and an altar set up at his feet, where services, obsequies, and oraisons, were used night and day, with thirty persons of the gentlemen of his privy I. BOOK chamber, besides his chaplains, always about him. On Wednesday, Feb. 2, being Candlemas-day, in the night, Anno 1546. the royal corpse was removed, with great reverence and ce11 remony, into the chapel; and there it abode twelve days, with services, masses, and dirges, said daily morning and even. The 14th day the corpse was conducted in all imaginable solemn state from Westminster towards Windsor : resting that night at Sion, and the next day was brought to Offic. Ar- Windsor. A particular account of all the solemnity of this funeral may be found in a volume in the Heralds' Office; and is transcribed thence into the Repository. mor. i. 11. A. The Earl of The same day King Henry expired, the said Earl of repairs to Hertford, accompanied with Sir Anthony Brown, Master the Prince. of the Horse, and a great number of noblemen, with The present posture of affairs. The Earl of his wife knights pensioners, esquires, and gentlemen, did ride in their best manner, with all speed, to the Court of Prince Edward, to attend upon his Grace there, as on their Sovereign Lord, according to the last will and testament of his said illustrious father: which was, That the true title of the crown of England should appertain, undoubtedly, to his said most dearly beloved son, and right heir apparent, then Prince Edward, now most worthily named, Our Sovereign Lord, &c. and King of England, &c. For the precise hour of King Henry's departure, and who they were he entrusted by his last will with the care of the Prince his son, and the public affairs, when the new King was proclaimed; and how the public state of the kingdom at this crisis stood, I had rather the reader should take these things from the pen of a great Peer then at London, I mean Henry Earl of Sussex; who wrote thus to his Countess the last day of January: "These be to signify unto you, that our late Sovereign Sussex to "Lord the King departed at Westminster, upon Friday concerning "last, the 28th of this instant January, about two of the King. "clock in the morning; and the King's Majesty that now Titus, B. 2. “ is, proclaimed King this present last day of the same "month. And like as for the departure of the one we may the new "lament, so for the establishment of the other, to all our CHAP. "comforts, we may rejoice. The names of his executors, 66 are, II. the Archbishop of Canterbury; the Lord Wriothes- Anno 1546, "ley, Lord Chancellor of England; the Lord St. John, "Lord President of the Council, and great Master; the "Lord Russel, Lord Privy Seal; the Earl of Hertford, "Lord Great Chamberlain of England; the Viscount Lisle, "Lord Admiral; the Bishop of Durham; Mr. Secretary "Paget; Sir Anthony Denny; Sir Anthony Brown; Sir "William Herbert, the Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas; Bromley, another Justice there; Sir Thomas [John] Baker, Chancellor of the Tenths; Sir Edward "North, and divers others, aiders to the same, which for lack "of time I pretermit. The Parliament is clearly dissolved; "the term and all writs closed. The Court is now at the "Tower; from whence the King to-morrow shall be received ❝ and conducted to his house, Durham Place. His Highness' “coronation shall be at Shrove-tide, &c. From Ely Place " in Holbourn, the last day of January, in the first year of "the reign of our Sovereign Lord King Edward VI. 66 "Your assured loving husband, of proclaim London. intit. Co The ceremonies and circumstances that attended the pro- 12 claiming of the King were as follow. On Monday, about The manner ten of the clock in the morning, the officers of arms and ing the trumpets assembled in the palace of Westminster: where King in there was a stage of boards upon hogsheads; and upon it Vol. No. 17. stood Garter, York, Richmond, Somerset, and Rouge Cros, ronation. with their coats of arms; and all the trumpeters standing In Offic. on the ground in a range right before the said officers. And then one of the said trumpets blew three several times. Whereat was a great audience. Then when the Lords were come from the Parliament House to the same place, Somerset Herald gave the audience command to keep silence, and with a loud voice proclaimed these words following: “Edward the Sixth, by the grace of God King of Eng"land, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, and of Armor. I. BOOK "the Church of England, and also Ireland, in earth supreme Head, greeting: Where it hath pleased Almighty Anno 1546. "God, on Friday last past in the morning, to call to his "infinite mercy the most excellent, high and mighty "Prince Henry VIII. of most noble and famous memory, And in the countries. 66 66 our most dear and entirely beloved father, (whose soul "God pardon.) Forasmuch as we being his only son "and undoubted heir, be now thereby invested and esta❝blished in the throne imperial of this realm, and other his "realms, dominions, and countries, with all regalities, pre"eminencies, styles, names, titles, and dignities, to the same belonging or any wise appertaining, We do by these pre"sents signify unto all our said most loving, faithful, and "obedient subjects, That like as we for our parts shall by "God's great grace shew ourselves a most gracious and be"nign Sovereign Lord to all our good subjects in their "just and lawful suits and causes; so we mistrust not but "they, and every of them, will again, for their parts, "at all times and in all causes shew themselves unto us, "their natural liege Lord, most faithful and obedient sub"jects, according to their bounden duties and allegiances. "Whereby they shall please God, and do the thing that "shall tend unto their own preservation and sureties: will❝ing and commanding all men, of all estates, degrees, and "conditions, to see our peace and accord kept, and to be "obedient to our laws, as they tender our favour, and will "answer for the contrary at their extreme perils. In wit"ness whereof we have caused these our letters patents. "Witness ourself at Westminster, the 31st January, in the "first year of our reign." Also Clarencieux, Carlyle, Winsor, and Chester, in their coats of arms, with one trumpeter, in places accustomed of the City, having the like commission, sealed with the King's Great Seal, assisted with the Mayor, Aldermen, and Sheriffs, proclaimed the same in like manner the same morning. The The King then was proclaimed the 31st day of January. very next day warrants were hastened from the King to the sheriffs of the several counties, to see him proclaimed in their several sherifwicks. That to the Sheriff of Notting- CHAP ham and Darby, having come to my hands, it may not be amiss to specify; especially for some variation that may be Anno 1546. perceived in the proclamation. 66 66 Rex Vicecomiti Nottingham et Derby salutem. Præcipi-13 mus tibi, quod statim visis præsentibus, in singulis locis infra ballivas tuas, &c. "The King our Sovereign Lord "Edward the Sixth, by the Grace of God King of Eng"land, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. of "the Church of England, and also of Ireland, in earth the "supreme Head, doth give to understand to all his most "loving, and faithful, and obedient subjects, and to every "of them: that where it hath pleased Almighty God, on Friday the 28th of January last past in the morning, to call "unto his infinite mercy the most excellent, high and mighty "Prince Henry VIII. of most noble and famous memory, "the King's Majesty's most entirely beloved father, whose "soul God pardon; forasmuch as the King's Majesty now being his only son and undoubted heir, is now hereby "invested and established in the crown imperial of this "realm, and other his Majesty's realms, dominions, and coun"tries, with all regalities, preeminencies, styles, names, titles, " and dignities to the same belonging, or in any wise apper"taining: the same our Sovereign Lord doth signify unto all "his said most loving, faithful, and obedient subjects, that "like as his Majesty for his part shall by God's grace shew "himself a most gracious and benign Sovereign Lord to all "his good subjects, to all their just and lawful suits and "causes: so his Majesty mistrusteth not but they, and "every of them, will again for their parts, at all times and "in all causes, shew themselves unto his Highness, their "natural liege Lord, most loving, faithful, and obedient "subjects, according to their bounden duties and allegi"ances. Whereby they shall please God, and do the thing "that shall tend to their own preservations and sureties. "Willing and commanding all men, of all states, degrees, " and conditions, to see the peace kept, and to be subject to "his laws, as they tender his gracious favour, and will an |