sorte of vicious persones should enioy suche possessions, profytes, and emolumentes, as growe of the sayd houses, to the mayntenaunce of their vnthriftie life, then we your naturall Prince, Souereygne Lorde and Kyng, which doth and hath spent more in your defenses of our owne, then six tymes they bee woorth?

MarginaliaThe act of vses.As touching the act of vses, we maruaile what madnes is in your brayne, or vpon what ground ye woulde take authoritye vpon you, to cause vs to breake those lawes & statutes, which by all the noble knightes and gentlemen of this realme, (whome the same chiefly toucheth) hath ben graunted & assented to: seying in no maner of things, it toucheth you the base commons of our realme.

Also, the groundes of al those vses were false, and neuer admitted by lawe, but vsurped vpon the Prince, contrary to all equitye and iustice, as it hath bene opēly both disputed and declared by all the well learned men in the realme of Englande, in Westminster hall: whereby ye maye well perceyue, how madde and vnreasonable your demaundes be, both in that and in the rest, and how vnmete it is for vs, and dishonorable, to graunt or assent vnto, and lesse mete and decent for you in suche a rebellious sorte, to demaunde the same of your Prince.

MarginaliaThe act of fiftene.As touching the fyftene whiche ye demaunde of vs to be released, think ye that we be so fayntharted, that perforce ye of one shire (were ye a greate many moe) coulde compel vs with your insurrections and suche rebellious demeanour, to remitte the same? or thynke ye þ^t any man wyll or may take you to be true subiectes, that fyrst make and shewe a louing graunt, and then perforce would cōpell your soueraygne lorde and kyng to release the same? The tyme of payment whereof is not yet come: yea and seyng the same wyll not countreuaile the tenth peny of the charges, which we haue & dayly do susteyne for your tuition & safegarde: make you sure, by your occasions of these your ingratitudes, vnnaturalnes, and vnkindnes to vs now administred, ye geue vs cause (which hath alwaies ben asmuch dedicate to your wealth, as euer was king) not so much to set our studie for the setting forward of the same, seing how vnkyndly and vntruly ye deale now with vs, without any cause or occasion. And doubt ye not, though you haue no grace nor naturalnes in you to consyder your dutie of allegiaunce to your kyng and souereygne lord, the reste of our Realme (we doubt not) hath, and we and they shall so loke on this cause, that we trust it shalbe to your confusion, if according to your former letters you submit not your selfes.

MarginaliaThe act of first fruites.As touching the first frutes, we let you to wit, it is a thing graunted vs by act of parliament also, for the supportatiō of parte of the great and excessiue charges, which we supporte and beare for the mayntenaunce of your wealthes and other oure subiectes: and we haue knowē also that ye our commons haue much complained in tymes passed, that the moste parte of our gooddes, landes, and possessions of the realme, were in the spiritual mennes handes: and yet bearyng vs in hand, that ye be as louing subiectes to vs as may be, ye can not fynde in your hartes, that your Prince and Soueraigne lorde shoulde haue any parte therof (and yet it is nothing preiudiciall vnto you our commons) but doe rebell and vnlawfully ryse agaynst your Prince, contrarye to the duety of allegeaunce and Gods commaundement. Sirs, remembre your folies and traiterous demeanours, and shame not your natiue countrey of England, nor offende no more so greuouslye your vndouted kynge and naturall Prince, which alwayes hath shewed him self most louing vnto you, and remembre your dutie of allegeaunce, and that ye are bounde to obey vs your kynge, both by Gods commaundement, and lawe of nature.

Wherefore we charge you eftsones vpon the forsayde bondes and paines, that ye withdrawe your selues to your owne houses euery man, and no more to assemble contrarie to oure lawes and your allegeaunces, and to cause the prouokers of you to this mischief, to be deliuered to our Lieftenaūtes handes or ours, and you your selues to submit you to such condigne punishmēt, as we and our nobles shall thinke you worthye: for doubt you not els, that we and our nobles can nor well suffre thys iniurie at your handes vnreuenged, if ye geue not place to vs of souereigntie, and shewe your selues as boundē and obedient subiectes, and no more to entremedle your selues from henceforth with the weightie affaires of the Realme, the direction whereof only apperteineth to vs your kyng, and such noble men and counsailours, as we lyst to elect and choose to haue the ordering of the same. And thus we praye vnto allmighty God, to geue you grace to do your duties, to vse your selfes towardes vs lyke true and faythfull subiectes, so as we maye haue cause to ordre you therafter: and rather obediently to cōsent amongest you, to deliuer into the handes of our lieftenannt, a hundreth persons to be ordered accordinge to their demerites, at our will and pleasure, then by your obstinacy and wilfulnes, to put your selfes, your wyues, children, landes, goodes and cattelles, besyde the indignation of God, in the vtter aduenture of totall destruction, and vtter ruine, by force and violence of the sword.

MarginaliaThe commotion of Lincolnshyre asswaged.After the Lyncolneshire men had receiued this the kynges aunswer aforesayd, made to their peticions, ech mistrusting other who should be noted to be the greatest medler, euen very sodenly they began to shrinke, and out of hand, they were al diuided, and euery man at home in hys owne house in peace: but the Capitaynes of these rebelles eskaped not all cleare, but were after apprehēded, and had as they deserued. Ex Edw. Hallo.

MarginaliaA Popishe insurrection in Yorkeshyre.After this, immediatly within sixe dayes, vppon the same, folowed a new insurrection in Yorkshyre for the same causes, through the instigation and lying tales of seditious persons, especially Monkes and Priestes, makyng them beleue, that their siluer chalices, crosses, iewels, and other ornamentes should bee taken out of their Churches, and that no man should be maryed, or eate any good meete in his house, but should giue tribute therfore to the kyng: but their speciall malice was agaynst Cromwell, and certeine other Counsaillours. The number of these rebels were nere about 40. thousand, MarginaliaThe badges of the rebelles.hauyng for their badges, the v. woūdes, with the signe of the Sacrament, & Iesus writtē in the middest. This their deuilish rebelliō, MarginaliaA holy pilgrimage.they termed by þ^e name of a holy Pilgrimage, but they serued a wrong & a naughtie Saint. They had also in the field their stremers and banners, wherupon was paynted Christ hanging vpō the Crosse on the one side, and a chalice with a paynted cake in it, on the other side, with other such ensignes of lyke hypocrisie and fayned sanctitie, pretendyng therby to fight for the fayth, and right of holy Churche. MarginaliaThe kings power agaynst the rebelles in the North.As soone as the kyng was certified of this new seditious insurrection, he sent with all spede against them, þ^e Duke of Northfolke, Duke of Suffolke, Marques of Excetor, Earle of Shrewsbury and other, with a great armye, forthwith to encounter with the rebels.

These noble Captaines and Coūsailours thus well furnished with habilement of warre, approchyng toward the rebels, and vnderstandyng both their number, and how they were full bent to battaile, first with policie wēt about to assay and practise how to appease all without bloudshedyng: MarginaliaThe blynd stubburnes of superstitious people, rebelling where they haue no cause.but the Northern mē stoutly and sturdely standyng to their wicked cause & wretched enterprise, would in no case relent from their attemptes. Whiche when the nobles perceiued, and saw no other way to pacifie their furious mindes vtterlye set on mischief, determined vpon a battaile. The place was appointed, the day assigned, & the houre set, but see the wonderous worke of Gods gracious prouidence. The night before the day of battaile came (as testifieth Edward Hall) fell a small rayne, nothyng to speake of: MarginaliaA great miracle of God in defending the cause of his Gospell.but yet, as it were by a great myracle of God, the water which was but a very smal forde, and that mē, in maner, the day before, might haue gone dryshod ouer, sodenly rose of such a height, depenes, and bredth, that the like no man that there did inhabite, could tel that euer they sawe afore: so that the daye, euen when the houre of battayll shoulde come, it was impossible for the one armye to come at the other.

After this, þ^e appointmēt made betwene both the armies being thus disapointed, as it is to be thought, only by God, (who extended his great mercie & had compassion on þ^e great nomber of innocēt persons, þ^t in that deadly slaughter had like to haue ben murdered) could take no place: then by the great wisedome and policye of the sayd Capitaynes, a cōmunication was had, and a pardon of the kynges Maiestie obteyned, for all the Capitaynes & chiefe doers of thys insurrection, & they promysed that such thinges as they founde themselues