MarginaliaAn. 1552. a conuenient power shoulde be leuyed, to be in readynesse to withstand the worst (what peryls soeuer might ensue) for the preseruation both of the king, and state of the realme frō the inuasion of foreine enemies, and also for the staying of bloudshed, if any such thyng should be intended betwixt the partes in the heate of this faction. And this he thinkyng best for discharge of his allegeance, humbly beseecheth his grace to haue the same also in special regard and consideration, first that the kinges maiestie be put in no feare, & that if there be any such thing wherein he hath geuen iust cause to them thus to procede, he wyl so conforme hym selfe, as no such priuate quarrels de redound to the publike disturbance of the Realme: certifying moreouer the Duke, that if it were true whiche he vnderstandeth by the letters of the Lordes that he shoulde sende about proclamations and letters for raysing vp of the Commons, he liked not þ^e same. Notwithstanding he trusted wel, that his wisedome would take such a way, as no effusion of bloud should folowe.

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MarginaliaThe contentes of the second aunswere of the L. Russell to the Lord Protector. And thus muche being conteined in his former letters of the eight of October, in his next letters againe written the. xi. day of Octob. the said Lord Russell  

reioysing to heare of the most reasonable offers of the Lord Protectour made to the Lords, writeth vnto hym and promiseth to do what in the vttermost power of hym (and likewise of sir W. Harbert ioyned together with him) do lye, to worke some honorable reconciliation betweene hym and them: so as his sayd offers being accepted & satisfied, some good conclusion might ensue, according to their good hope and expectation: Signifiyng moreouer, that as touching the leuyng of men, they had resolued to haue the same in readines for the benefite of the Realme, to occurre all inconueniences what soeuer, eyther by forreine inuasion or otherwise might happen, and so hauing their power at hand, to drawe neare, MarginaliaThe good Lord Russell a solicitor for peace betwene the Lord Protector and the Lordes. whereby they might haue the better oportunitie to be solicitours and a meanes for this reformation on both parties &c. And thus much for annsweare of the Lord Russell to the Lord Protectours letters.

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MarginaliaThe Lordes of the Counsell assembled agaynst the Lorde Protector. But now to the matter againe of the Lordes, who together with the Earle of Warwike (vppon what occasion God knoweth) being assembled at London, as ye heard, against the Lord Protector: when the king with his counsaile at Hampton Court heard therof, first Secretary Peterwith the kinges message was sent vnto them, whom the Lords notwithstāding deteined styl with them, making as yet no answere to the message. Wherupon the lord protectour writeth to them in this maner as foloweth.

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MarginaliaThe Lorde Protectors letter to the Lordes of the Counsaile at London. M Y Lordes, we commende  

vs most hartily vnto you, and whereas the kinges maiestie was infourmed that you were assembled in such sort as you do and nowe remayne, and was aduised by vs and suche other of his Counsaile as were then here about his person, to sende maister Secretary Peter vnto you with such a message as whereby might haue ensued the suretie of his maiesties person, with preseruation of his Realme and subiectes, and the quiet both of vs and your selues, as maister Secretarye can well declare to you: his maiestie and we of his Counsaile here doo not a litle marueile that you stay styll with you the said maister Secretarye, and haue not as it were vouchsafed to sende answeare to his maiestie, neither by hym nor yet any other. And for our selues we doo muche more marueile and are right sorye, as both we and you haue good cause to be, to see the maner of your doinges bent with violence, to bring the kinges maiestie and vs to these extremities. Which as we doo intend, if you wyll take no other way but violence, to defende (as nature and our allegeance doth binde vs) to extremitie of death, and to put all to Gods hand, who geueth victorie as it pleaseth hym:MarginaliaNo worde hetherto sent from the Lordes to the Lord Protector, what they required of him to doe. so if that any reasonable conditions & offers would take place (as hitherto none hath bene signified vnto vs from you, nor we do not vnderstand what you do require or seeke, or what you do meane) and that you do seeke no hurt to the kinges maiesties person: as touching all other priuate matters, to auoyde the effusion of Christian bloud, and to preserue the kinges maiesties person, his Realme & subiectes,MarginaliaReasonable conditions offered by the Lord Protector. you shall finde vs agreeable to any reasonable conditions that you wyl require. For we do esteeme the kinges wealth and tranquilitie of the Realme, more then al other worldly things, yea then our own lyfe. Thus praying you to sende vs your determinate aunsweare herein by maister Secretary Peter, or if you wil not let hym go, by this bearer: we beseeche God to geue both you and vs grace to determine this matter, as may be to Gods honour, the preseruation of the king, and the quiet of vs all: which may be if the fault be not in you. And so we bid you most hartily fare well. From the kinges maiesties Castle of Windsore, the 7. of October. 1549.

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Your Lordships louing frend,
E. Somerset.

After these letters receiued and the reasonable conditions of the Lord Protectour, and yet not much regarded of the Lordes,  

they persisting styll in their protended purpose, tooke this aduise: first to keepe them selues in the citie of London, as strong as they might:MarginaliaA solemne watch commaunded in London. and therfore calling vpō the Maior and the Aldermen, they wylled them in any case to prouide a good and substantiall watche by night, and a good ward by day, for the safegard of their citie, & the portes and gates therof: which was cōsented vnto, and the Companies of London in their turnes warned to watche and warde accordingly.  

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MarginaliaThe Citie of Londō pressed with 500. men to fetch the Lord Protector. Then the said Lordes and Counsailours demaunded of the Lord Maior & his brethren five hundred men to aide them to fetche the Lorde Protectour out of Windsore from the king:MarginaliaThe aunswere of the Lord Maior to the Lordes. but therunto the Maior answeared, that he could graunt none aide without the assent of the common Counsaile of the citie. Wherupon the next day a common Counsaile was warned.MarginaliaThe Lordes assembled in the Lord Maiors house. But in this meane time the said Lords of the Counsaile assembled thē selues at the Lord Maiors house of London, who then was Syr Henry Amcottes Fishmonger, & Will. Locke Mercer, and sir Iohn Aileph Sheriffes of the said citie, and there the said Counsayle dyd agree and publishe a Proclamation forthwith against the Lord Protectour, the effect of which proclamation was as followeth.

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1 First that the Protector by his malitious and euyl gouernment, was the occasion of all the sedition that ofMarginaliaThe effect of the proclamation set out agaynst the Lord Protectour.  

late happened within the Realme.

2 The losse of the kinges peeces in Fraunce.

3 That he was ambitious and sought his own glory, as appeared by buildyng of most sumptuous and costly houses in the tyme of the kinges warres.

4 That he esteemed nothing the graue counsell of the Counsaylours.

5 That he sowed diuision betwene the Nobles, the gentlemen, and the commons.

6 That the Nobles assembled them selues together at Londō for none other purpose, but to haue caused the Protectour to haue lyued within limites, and to haue put suche order for the suretie of the kinges maiestie as apperteyned: what soeuer the Protectours doinges were, whiche they said were vnnatural, ingrate, and trayterous.

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7 That the Protector sclaundered the Counsaile to the kyng, and dyd that in hym lay, to cause variaunce betweene the king and the Nobles.

8 That he was a great traytor, and therfore the Lordes desired the citie and commons to ayde them, to take hym frō the kyng.

And in witnes and testimonie of the contents of the said proclamation, the Lordes subscribed their names, whiche were these.

The Lord Riche Lord	the kinges house, and lord
Chauncelour.	wardē of the Cinque
The Lorde S. Iohn L.	portes.
great master, and pre-	Syr Ioh. Gage Knight
sident of the Coun-	Constable of the To-
saile.	wer.
The Lord Marques of	Sir Wil. Peter knight,
Northampton.	Secretarye.
The Earle of War-	Syr Edwarde North
wicke lord great cham	knyght.
berleyne.	Sir Edw. Mountague
The Earle of Arundel	chiefe Iustice of the
Lord Chamberleyne.	common place.
The Earle of Shrews-	Syr Rafe Sadler.
bury.	Syr Iohn Baker.
The Earle of South-	Syr Edw. Wootton.
hamton Wriothesley.	Doctor Wootton.
Sir Thomas Cheyney	Deane of Cant.
knight, treasurer of the	Syr Sich. Southwell.

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MarginaliaThe Lordes comming into the Guild hall. After the foresayd proclamation was proclaymed, the Lordes or the most parte of them still continuing and lying in Londō, came the next day to the Guildhal, during the tyme that the Lord Maior and their brethren sate in their Court or inner chamber, and entred and communed a long while with the Maior, and at the last the Maior and his brethrē came forth vnto the common Counsaile, where was read the kings letter sent to the Maior and citizens, commaundyng them to ayde hym with a thousand well appointed mē out of their citie, and to send the same with all speede to his Castle at Windsore.

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