MarginaliaAn. 1552.rall Countrey like to be destroyed with all our posterities, lyke as we haue agayne fully resolued with Gods helpe, either to deliuer the Kynges Maiestie and the Realme from this extreme ruine and destruction, or to spend our lyues for the declaratiō of our faythfull hartes and dueties: so knowyng your harty good willes and trouth to his Maiestie, and therefore nothyng doubtyng of your readynes to ioyne with vs in our godly purpose, we thought good to let you know the very trouth of our enterprise, and in the Kynges Maiesties behalfe to require you, not only to put good and substantiall order for watch & ward, but also to haue an earnest continuall regarde to the preseruation within your Citie of all harneis, weapons, and munitions, so as none be suffred to be conueyed to the sayd Duke, nor any others attendyng about him: and besides that, you from hence forth obey no letters, proclamations, nor other commaundementes to be sent from the sayd Duke. And thus we byd your Lordshyp most hartely farewell. Frō London the vj. of October.

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Your Lordships assured louyng frendes

W. Saint Iohn.	William Peter.
W. Northampt.	Edward North.
Iohn Warwicke.	Iohn Gage.
Arundell.	Rich. Southwell.
Th. Southampto&nmacron.

MarginaliaThe Citie of London vrged with two contrary letters at one instant.After the receiuing of these two letters aboue mencioned, the one from the king, the other frō the Lords, which came both at one instant with contrarye comaundement to the Lord Maior and Citizens of London, the case seemed hard to them, and verye doubtfull (as it was in deede) what way to take, and what were best for the Citizens to do. On the one side the name & authoritie of the kyng was much. On the other side the power and garrisons of the Lordes, lying then in Londō, was not litle, which semed then to be such as would haue no repulse. MarginaliaThe Recorder speaketh for the Lordes.The case thus stāding perplexedly, fyrst by the mouth of þ^e Recorder it was requested that the Citizens would graunt theyr ayde rather vnto the Lords, for that the Protector had abused both þ^e Kings Maiestie, and the whole Realme, and that without he were taken from the king and made to vnderstand his folly, this realme was in great hazard, and therfore required that the Citizens woulde willingly assent to ayde the Lordes with. v. C. men.

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Hereunto of a great part of the common Counsaile was no nother answer made but silence. MarginaliaM. Broke Recorder then of London.But the Recorder (who at that tyme was M. Broke) styll cryed vpon them for aunswere. At the last stepped vp a wyse and good Citizen named George Stadlow, and sayd:

MarginaliaThe graue Oration of a discrete Citizen speaking for the kyng, whose name was George Stadlow a Parlament man.In this case, it is good for vs to thincke of thinges past to auoyde the daunger of thinges to come. I remember (sayth he) in a story written in Fabians cronicle of the warre betwene the king and hys Barons, which was in the time of kyng Henry the. iij. and the same time the Barons (as our Lordes do now) demaūded ayde of the Maior and City of London, and that in a rightfull cause for þ^e common weale, which was for þ^e execution of diuers good lawes against the king, which would not suffer those lawes to be put in executiō: and the Citye did ayde them, MarginaliaDiuision betwene the Lordes and K. Henry. 3. Of thys read before pag. 412.and it came to an open battel, and the Lordes preuailed agaynst the king, and tooke the king & hys sonne prisoners, & vpon certaine conditions the Lords restored the king and his sonne againe to theyr liberties, and among all other conditions this was one, that the king should not onely graunt his pardon to the Lordes, but also to the Citizens of London: the which was graunted, yea and the same was ratified by act of Parliament. But what followed of it? Was it forgotten? No surely, nor forgeuen neither, during the kinges life. The liberties of the Citye were taken away, straungers appointed to bee our heades and gouernors, the Citizens giuen away body and goods, and from one persecution to an other were most miserably afflicted. MarginaliaThe wrath of a kyng not rashly to be prouoked.Such is it to enter into the wrath of a prince, as Salomon saith: The wrath and indignation of a Prince is death. Wherefore, for asmuch as this ayde is requyred of the kinges Maiestie, whose voyce we ought toharken vnto, for he is our high shepheard, rather then vnto the Lordes, & yet I would not wysh þ^e Lords to be clearely shaken of: my counsell is that they with vs, & we with thē may ioyne in sute, & make our most humble petition to the kinges Maiesty that it woulde please hys highnes to heare such complaint agaynst the gouernment of the Lorde Protector, as may bee iustly alledged and proued, and I doubt not, but this matter wyll be so pacified, that neither shall the king, nor yet the Lordes haue cause to seeke for further ayde, neither we to offend any of them both.

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After this tale the Commons stayed, and the Lorde Maior and his brethren for that time brake vp, till they had further communed with the Lordes. To make short, I let passe what order by the Citie was taken. MarginaliaHere is to be noted that the Citie leuied 500. mē, but they were not sent.But the conclusion was, that the Lordes (vppon what occasion I know not) sat the nexte day in Counsayle in the Starre chamber, and from thence sent Syr Phillip Hobby with their letter of credence to the kynges Maiestie, beseeching his maiesty to geue credite to that which the sayd Syr Phillip should declare vnto his maiestie in their names:  

and the king gaue hym libertye to speake, and most gently heard all that he had to say. Who so handled the matter, declaring hys message in the name of the Lordes, that in the ende the Lord Protector was commaunded from the kings presence, MarginaliaThe Lord Protector cōmitted to prison in Windsore castle.and shortly was committed to warde in a tower within the Castle of Wynsore called Bewchamp tower:   and sone after were stayed   Syr Thomas Smith, Maister Whalley, Maister Fisher, and many other Gentlemen that attended vpon the Lorde Protectour. The same day the Lordes of the Counsayle resorted to the king, MarginaliaThe Lorde Protector committed to the Tower.and the next day they brought from thence the Lorde Protector, and the other that were there stayed, and conueyed them through the City of London vnto the Tower, and there left them.  

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Shortly after the Lordes resorted vnto the Tower and there charged the Lorde Protectour with sundry Articles as folow.

Marginalia1.
Articles obiected agaynst the Lord Protectour.IIN Primis, you tooke vpon you the office of Protectour and Gouernour vpō condition expressely and specially, that you would do nothyng in the kynges affayres, publickly or priuatly, but by the assent of the late kynges executours.

Marginalia2.2 Also you, contrary to the said condition, of your owne authority, dyd stay and let iustice & subuerted the lawes, aswell by your letters as by your commaūdements.

Marginalia3.3 Also, you caused diuerse persons being arested and imprisoned for treason, murder, manslaughter and fellony to be discharged & set at large, against the kinges lawes, and statutes of this realme.

Marginalia4.4 Also, you haue made and ordeined Lieftenants for the kinges armies and other weighty affaires vnder your owne writing and seale.

Marginalia5.5 Also, you haue communed with the Ambassadours of other realmes, discoursing alone with them the waighty causes of this realme.

Marginalia6.6 Also, you haue sometime rebuked, checked, and taunted, aswell priuatly as openly, diuers of the kinges most honorable Coūsaillers for shewing and declaring their aduises & opinions against your purposes in the kinges weighty affiares, saying some tymes to them that you neede not to open matters vnto them, and would therfore be otherwise aduised: and that you would, if they were not agreable to your opinion, put them out & take other at your pleasure.

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Marginalia7.7 Also, you had and helde against the law in your own house, a court of requestes, and therby did enforce diuers the kings subiectes to aunswere for their freeholdes and goods, and determined the same to the subuersion of the same lawes.

Marginalia8.8 Also you being no officer without the aduise of the Counsaill or the more part of them, did dispose of the offices of the kinges gifte, for money, and graunted leases and Wardes of the kinges, and gaue presentations to the kinges benefices and bishoprikes, hauing no authoritye so to do. And farther you dyd meddle with the selling of the kinges landes.

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