or through the incertainty of words in the said letters patents expressed, he thinks it necessary to declare and make known his mind to all his subjects, as also to all foreign powers,

"That whereas he constituted, &c. his dear uncle, Edward Duke of Somerset, governor of his person, and protector of his kingdoms, dominions, and subjects, during his minority; his intention was, and is, that by the said letters patents, he constituted, and by these doth appoint, the said Duke of Somerset, his lieutenant and captain general in war within his dominions, as well as in all other dominions, kingdoms and places whatsoever, as well on this side, as beyond the seas, when the cause shall require and whenever it shall seem necessary and expedient to his said uncle. And also to summon and assemble together all his liege subjects, within his dominions, of all degrees, or as many of them as shall seem necessary to him; and also to array them, and chuse such that to him seem most proper, and them to arm and review in proper places, and to hire, at his discretion, foreign troops and soldiers; also to take, out of his storehouses, provisions, artillery, tents, &c. for horses, ships, transports, galleys, &c. for the defence of the kingdom, both by sea and land. And for his said liege subjects, so chosen, mustered, and armed, as well horse and foot as archers, as well as armies, and all manner of arms and provisions, and other warlike necessaries, to transport and carry, not only into any part of his dominions, for the defence of the same; but also to oppose his enemies making any attempts on his dominions in an hostile manner, and also to vanquish them, and take cities, castles and towns, for his use, and the same to garrison and hold.

"He likewise empowers him, in his absence, to reward all persons in the army (at his discretion) by conferring the honour of Knighthood, or dignity of Baron, or other title of nobility, and to grant arms and ensigns of honour, as shall become them.

"To hear and determine all quarrels and disputes of those matters, which appertain to the office of lieutenant-general, chief captain and commander, or governor; and to make and appoint a marshal of the said army; and to take cognizance of all other causes within his said dominions arising as well as in the army.

"To make decrees and orders for the sound and good government of his dominions and army, and to make proclamations, and see that they be put in force. To punish, within his dominions

and army, delinquents, and opposers, by imprisonment, or otherways, at his discretion.

"To hear and determine all causes criminal as well of life, and limbs maimed, and of death, and all other causes, contracts and quarrels, of all persons whatsoever, within his dominions and army, by himself, or sufficient deputies; with power to punish or pardon according to the nature of the fact.

"And because his said uncle, for diverse great and necessary causes, touching his royal person and dominions, hath daily occasions to treat and confer with foreign Emperors, Kings, Princes, and Potentates; he decreed by his said letters patents, and by these wills, and grants him power to confer, treat, and conclude cessations of arms, truces, alliances, and leagues of peace and war; as also any other league or treaty with any foreign Prince or power, or other person or persons, on such terms as to him shall seem most congruous, fitting, opportune, and convenient. And also on the ending, or breach of the said truces, leagues, &c. to proclaim war on all such persons who shall break the same; and to prosecute the same to his Majesty's use, in as full a manner as if he himself were present.

“And further the King grants, that whatsoever his said uncle in his wisdom shall do in the premisses during his minority, shall be deemed and construed grateful and acceptable, as though the same had been transacted by himself. And that in case his said uncle should be called from the army, so that he could not attend in time of war, he empowers him, by his letters under his hand, to grant commissions, constituting one or more lieutenants, or captain-generals, in time of war, by sea and land, under him. And he wills and commands, in full hopes and confidence of the gravity, care, wisdom, and integrity of his said uncle, all persons whatsoever, on pain of their allegiance, to be aiding to him, or his lieutenant, or lieutenants, &c.

"And his will is, that his said uncle, his lieutenant, or lieutenants, &c. and all other his subjects so raised, shall be acquitted and discharged from all forfeitures, damages, censures, pains and troubles, which he or they may be subjected to, on the said account, notwithstanding any act or statute heretofore made."

Soon after this, his power and near alliance to the King exposed him to the envy of the nobility, who sought means to divest him of his places. And in 1549, the major part of them withdrawing from the court, by the subtle artifices of John Dudley,

Viscount Lisle, Earl of Warwick (afterwards Duke of Northumberland) they secretly combined to ruin him. Hollinshed relates, "That suddenly, on what occasion few knew, every lord and counsellor went through the city weaponed, and had their servants likewise weaponed, attending upon them in new liveries, to the great wondering of many. And at the last, a great assembly of the said counsellors was made at the Earl of Warwick's lodging, which was then at Ely Place in Holborn, whither all the confederates in this matter came privily armed; and finally concluded to possess the Tower of London, which by the policy of Sir William Paulet, Lord Treasurer of England, was peaceably obtained, and who, by order of the said confederates, immediately removed Sir John Markham, then lieutenant of the Tower, and placed in his room Sir Leonard Chamberleine. And after that the said council was broken up at Ely Place, the Earl of Warwick removed forthwith into the city of London, and lay in the house of one John York, a citizen of London, who was then chief master of the mint, kept at Suffolk Place, Southwark. The Lord Protector hearing of the manner of the assembly of this council, and of the taking of the Tower, which seemed to him very strange and doubtful, did presently, the said night, remove from Hampton Court, taking the King with him, unto the castle of Windsor, and there began to fortify the same." He likewise wrote the following letter to the Lord Russel, Lord Privy-Seal, then in the West country.

"After our right hartie commendations to your good Lordship. Here hath of late risen such a conspiracie against the King's Majestie and us, as never have been seene, the which they cannot mainteine, with such vaine letters and false tales surmised, as was never ment nor intended on us. They pretend and saie, that we have sold Bullougne to the French, and we doo withhold wages from the soldiers; and other such tales and letters they doo spread abroad (of the which if anie one thing were true, we would not wish to live;) the matter now being brought to a marvellous extremitie, such as we would never have thought it could have come unto; especiallie of those men towards the King's Majestic and us, of whome we have deserved no such thing, but rather much favour and love. But the case being as it is, this is to require and praie you, to hasten you hither to the defence of the King's Majestie, in such force and power as you may, to shew the part of a true gentleman, and of a verie friend; the which thing we trust God shall reward, and the King's Majestie in time

to come, and we shall never be unmindfull of it too. We are sure you have other letters from them, but as ye tender your dutie to the King's Majestie, we require you to make no staie, but immediately repaire with such force as you have, to his highnesse in his castle at Windsor, and cause the rest of such force as you maie make, to follow you. And so we bid you right hartilie farewell. From Hampton Court, the 6th of October.

"Your Lordship's assured loving friend, EDWARD SUMMERSET."

And in a postscript, his Grace adds, They are not ashamed to send posts abroad to tell that we are already committed to the Tower that we would deliver the bishops of Winchester and London out of prison, and bring in again the old mass." The nature of this work will not permit me to give a full relation of the troubles that befel the Duke; but the course his enemies took to bring him under their power, was in part thus: they summoned armed men, horse and foot, to repair to them from every county, to oppose the Duke and his men; giving out to the gentry the great dangers the King's person was in, and the necessity of rescuing him out of the Duke's hands; whose doings they called traiterous and false, and his proceedings devilish. Burnet remarks that, "that which provoked the nobility most, was the partiality the Protector had for the commons in the insurrections that had been this summer. He had also given great grounds of jealousy, by entertaining foreign troops in the King's wars; which, though it was not objected to him, because the council had consented to it, yet it was whispered about that he had extorted that consent. But the noble palace he was raising in the Strand, (which yet carries his name) out of the ruins of some bishops' houses and churches, drew as public envy on him as any thing that was done. It was said, that when the King was engaged in such wars, and when London was much disordered by the plague, that had been in it for some months, he was then bringing architects from Italy, and designing such a palace as had not been seen in England. It was also said that many bishops and cathedrals had resigned many manors to him, for obtaining his favour." f "All these things concurred to beget him many enemies, and he had very few friends, for none stuck firmly to him but Paget and Secretary Smith, and especially Cranmer, who

f Burnet's Hist. Ref. vol. ii. p. 134.

:

never forsook his friend. All that favoured the old superstition were his enemies and seeing the Earl of Southampton leading the party against him, they all run into it." But on his submission, and surrendering the King's person, which he was prevailed on to do, to prevent the effusion of blood, the lords dispatched another letter, dated from London, October 11th, to forbear the sending up the forces they required. And by bill signed October 13th, h his letters patent of protectorship, &c. were made void. The next day, the Duke was committed to the Tower, and after continuing a prisoner about three months, was advised to submit himself, and acknowledge that he had deserved his imprisonment, or whatever greater punishment the King should be pleased to inflict on him; and withal implore the favour of his Majesty's royal clemency. To this he easily condescended. "Thus fell," says Burnet," the Duke of Somerset from his high offices and great trust. The articles objected to him," (among which was having a court of requests in his own house) seem to say as much for his justification, as the answers could do, if they were in my power. He is not accused of rapine, cruelty, or bribery; but only of such things as are incident to all men that are of a sudden exalted to a high and unproportioned greatness. What he did about the coin, was not for his own advantage, but was done by a common mistake of many governors, who in the necessity of their affairs, fly to this as their last shift, to draw out their business as long as possible; but it ever rebounds on the government to its great prejudice and loss. He bore his fall more equally than he had done his prosperity: and set himself in his imprisonment to study and reading; and falling on a book that treated of patience, both from the principles of moral philosophy, and of christianity, he was so much taken with it, that he ordered it to be translated into English, and writ a preface to it himself, mentioning the great comfort he had found in reading it, which had induced him to take care that others might reap the like benefit from it. Peter Martyr writ him also a long consolatory letter, which was printed both in Latin and in an English translation; all the reformed, both in England and abroad, looked on his fall as a public loss to that whole interest, which he had so steadily set forward."k "He was fined in 20007. a year of land, and lost all his good offices. And

• Burnet's Hist. Ref. vol: ii. p. 134.

h Vincent's Baronage, MS.
Ibid.

i See them in Burnet's Hist Ref. vol. ii. p. 138.