XXXII. pany as they decay: which they are to do in memory of CHAP. his large benefactions towards them. For he gave them much plate, and curiously wrought, and many houses and Anno 1550. lands. He was Lord Mayor, anno 1545, 37 Henry VIII. and Sheriff five years before. But to return to the surrender of his office: the commissioners appointed to hear and determine all accounts and reckonings of the King's mints, within the realm, (viz. the Earl of Warwick, Sir William Herbert, and Sir Walter Mildmay,) found him in debt to the King 10,000. And for his honest and faithful managery of his place, and surrender of his fee of 200 marks, first, he had an annuity granted him of 200 mark, and the confirmation of 661. 13s. 4d. granted him by King Henry for his good service done in the said office. Secondly, he had a grant to pay and discharge the foresaid debt as followeth, that is to say, in hand 3,000l. and so yearly 1,000l. till all were paid. Lastly, a pardon of all treasons, trespasses, contempts, &c. done and committed by the said Martin, concerning money and coin of the King's Majesty and his father, and of all unjust and false making of money, and payments of the same and of all other offences done contrary to the effect of the common law, and to any statute, act, provision, proclamation, &c. or to any prescriptions, customs, or any other conventions, concerning the making and coining of the said money; and of all forfeitures of goods, chattels, lands, and tenements, and pains of death; and of all imprisonments, and other pains whatsoever; and of all prosecutions, condemnations, judgments, and indictments, and the execution of them, which by reason of any of them he should run in the King's danger; and of all manner of debts, accounts, arrearages of accounts, acts, and demands, that against the said Martin, or Thomas Shepwith, or either of them, as executors of the last will and testament of Rafe Rowlet, Esq. [to whom it seems Sir Martin succeeded in the mint,] or against Sir Rafe Rowlet, Knt. as son and heir of the said Rowlet, by reason of any recognisances, obligations, bills, &c. BOOK 1. CHAP. XXXIII. Anno 1550. The King's good progress in learning and virtue. The (272) Marquis of Northampton. Commissioners for French progress in matters. French crowns. of Southampton; a ward. A Scotch ship stayed. Earl Thomas Lord Howard. The King's THE King was now thirteen years of age, and by this his studies. time understood Latin, spake it, wrote it properly, skilfully, fluently, and all this with judgment too. He made also good progress in the Greek tongue, and with great ease turned Latin into Greek. He had learnt over logic, and was now entering into Aristotle's Ethics in Greek, (for Cicero's philosophy he was also versed in.) For being once instructed in those universal precepts and parts of virtue and vice, he would be able to bring a steady judgment to look into the various manners of men, which he should meet with plenteously in reading of history: which was the reason his learned tutor Cheke assigned for this course of study, in his answer made to Ascham; who had asked him, why he had not rather put him upon reading the Institution of Cyrus, a book very proper for a king to read. When these Ethics were done with, which would take the King up but a little time, then he was to peruse Aristotle's Rhetoric. And in virtue. Some endeavour to take the But together with his aptness and great progress in learning, he had a great disposition to virtue, a love of religion, a good judgment, and other excellent qualifications. Ascham, who knew him well, and lived then at the Court, in a letter dated in December to the learned Sturmius at Argentine, gave this account of him: "that his nature equalled his fortune; but his virtue, or, to speak as a Chris“tian, the manifold grace of God in him, exceeded both. "That he did to admiration outrun his age in his desires "of the best learning, in his study of the truest religion, in "his will, his judgment, and his constancy." 66 Though there wanted not for some about his person, who laboured to divert him from his studies and care of his XXXIII. from bis course. the King, kingdom, to pastime and gaiety, which therefore the graver CHAP. sort, as they had opportunity, endeavoured to arm the good King against. One whom we have mentioned before, took Anno 1550. the confidence from the pulpit to bespeak him with respect King off hereunto, after this manner: "It is not unlike, but if your present "Majesty with your Council speak unto your nobles for good provision, now to be made for the poor people, ye shall Lever's ser“find some that, setting afore your eyes the hardness of the mon before 66 matter, the tenderness of your years, and the wonderful on the third Sunday in "charges that should be requisite, will move and counsel Lent. "you to quiet yourself, to take your ease, yea, to take your "pastime in hawking, hunting, and gaming." And then turn- (273) ing his speech to such an one, he thus accosted him: "Thou "hast no taste nor savour, how delicious God is unto a pure "conscience in godly exercise of good works. But all that "thou regardest and feelest is voluptuous pleasures in "worldly vanities. And therefore thou dost not perceive, "how that they which be endowed with a special grace of "God, may find more pleasure and pastime in godly goσε vernance, to keep together and save simple men, than in "hawking and hunting, to chase and kill wild beasts. Yea, "a godly king shall find more pleasure in casting lots for "Jonas, to try out offenders which trouble the ship of this "commonwealth, than in casting dice at hazard, to allow "and maintain by his example such things as should not "be suffered in a commonwealth. Yea, surely a good king "shall take far more delight in edifying with comfort, and decking with good order, the congregation of his people, "the Church and house of God, the heavenly city of Je"rusalem, than in building such houses as seem gay and "gorgeous, and be indeed but vile earth, stones, timber, "and clay. Such like answer ought your Majesty and all "noblemen to make, if ye find any of your counsellors "more carnal than spiritual, more worldly than godly." 66 I shall now set down some matters of more public concern, or special remark, that passed, and were signed by the King and his Council, beginning at the month of October. BOOK William Parr, Marquis of Northampton, brother to King 1. Henry's last wife, (being therefore one whom King Edward Anno 1550. called uncle,) was one of the favourites of this reign. BeOffices sides his advancement to be Lord High Chamberlain of the Mar- England, he had a grant, dated October 20, of the office of quis of Northamp- keeping the park of Hendley, and the little park of Wind granted to ton. sor, together with the constableship of the castle of Windsor; and the keeping of all the forests, parks, warrens, and other places belonging to every of the same offices, for life, with all profits thereto belonging; with the fee of sixpence per day for keeping Hendley park, and four pence per day for keeping the little park of Windsor. To him also was granted by patent, dated the same day, the office of keeping the laund of Benfield in the forest of Rockingham, in the county of Northampton, and of the game within the said laund, with the outwoods of Thornehaw, Woodhaw, and Corbe woods, within the said forest; and the keeping of Gratton woods, and of the west bailifwick within the said forest, with all fees and profits. Also he had a grant for life of all the chief messuage called the Laund Lodge, within the said laund; together with a lease to him for life of the herbage and panage. Of the same date was granted also to this lord, the office of bailiff of Surrey, alias Bagshots Bailes, in the forest of Windsor; and the office of steward and bailif of the manor of Godalming, and the hundred of Godalming, in the county of Surrey; with the gubernance of all the King's tenants and subjects within the said manor and hundred, inhabitant; with the keeping of the chief house and scite of the late prior's farm of Guildford in the Formerly said county, and the master of the game within the park of Whitley, for life. All which offices were surrendered by Stanhop. Sir Michael Stanhop. held by Sir Michael A commis sion for the (274) A commission was issued out, November 16, to John Wallop, Thomas Wyat, and Richard Rede, Knights, Wilcontrover- liam Cook, LL. D. and Francis Hall, Esquires, or to any the French four, three, or two of them, to hear and determine with the sies with about the French King's commissioners all controversies between the borders. King's Majesty and the said French King; touching as CHAP. well the right of title of lands and possessions, as also of XXXIII. lordships and territories, as well within the King's Majesty's Anno 1550. limits, as within the French King's, upon the marches of Calais. A new commission, but to the same tenor and purport, was made, only leaving out Sir Thomas Wyat, upon some reason of sickness, or the like, and putting Sir Richard Blount in his room. A memorial was then given by the King, with the advice of his Council, to the said commissioners, concerning the aforesaid controversies. And there was a warrant to Sir Edmund Peckham, cofferer, to pay to Sir Richard Rede, a learned common lawyer, and a judge, forty shillings per diem, until his return unto the King's presence, advancing him two months beforehand; and to allow him for all such sums of money as by his bills should be signified unto him, to be laid out about sending letters to the King's Majesty, or otherwise about the said affairs. The like warrant to the said Peckham was directed to pay Dr. Cook, a learned civilian, for his diet, the sum of thirtythree shillings four pence per day, and to advance him two months. mation for A proclamation came forth dated November 27, com- A proclamanding all the King's subjects, and every other person French having traffic within the realm, that from the last of De- crowns, cember next ensuing, they should not utter or receive any crowns, commonly called French crowns, above the value of six shillings and four pence of current money of England, upon pain of forfeiture of the same. Whereof the one half should be to the King's Majesty, and the other to the accusers with a proviso, that whosoever before the last day of December should bring any of the French crowns into the King's mints, should receive for every of them seven shillings, according to the value before limited. The Princess of Scotland had sent a letter of complaint A comto the King in this month of November, advertising the plaint of a Scotch ship King, that a ship called the Trinity, appointed to help some stayed. part of the train of the Queen her mother in her voyage to |