nourishyng of vice and abhominable lyuing. Now, what vnkyndnes and vnnaturalitie may we impute to you & all our subiectes that be of that mynde, which had leuer such an vnthriftye sort of vicious persons shoulde enioye suche possessions profites and emolumentes, as grow of the sayd houses, to the maintenaunce of their vnthrifty life, then we your naturall Prince, soueraigne Lord and Kyng, which doth and hath spent more in your defences of our owne, thē six tymes they be worth?

MarginaliaThe act of vses. As touchyng the act of vses, we maruaile what madnes is in your brayne, or vpon what ground ye would take authoritie vpon you, to cause vs to breake those lawes and statutes, which by all the noble Knightes and Gentlemen of this Realme, (whom the same chiefly touched) hath bene graunted and assented to: seyng in no maner of thynges, it toucheth you the base commons of our Realme.

Also, the groundes of al those vses were false, and neuer admitted by law, but vsurped vpon the Prince, contrary to all equitie and iustice, as it hath bene openly both disputed and declared by all the well learned men in the realme of England, in Westminster hall: whereby ye may well perceyue, how madde and vnreasonable your demaundes be, both in that and in the rest, and how vnmeete it is for vs, and dishonorable, to graūt or assent vnto, and lesse meete and decent for you in such a rebellious sort, to demaunde the same of your Prince.

MarginaliaThe act of fiftene. As touchyng the fiftene whiche ye demaunde of vs to be released, thinke ye that we be so fayntharted, that perforce ye of one shyre (were ye a great many moe) coulde compell vs with your insurrections and such rebellious demeanour, to remitte the same? or thinke ye that any man will or may take you to be true subiectes, that first make & shew a louyng graunt, and then perforce would compell your soueraigne Lord and Kyng to release the same? The tyme of payment wherof is not yet come: yea and seyng the same will not countreuayle the tenth peny of the charges, which we haue and dayly do susteyne for your tuition & safegarde: make you sure by your occasions of these your ingratitudes, vnnaturalnes, and vnkyndnes to vs now administred, ye geue vs cause (which hath alwayes bene asmuch dedicate to your wealth, as euer was Kyng) not so much to set our study for the settyng 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 consider your duety of allegiaunce to your kyng & soueraigne Lord, the rest of our Realme (we doubt not) hath, & we and they shall so looke on this cause, that we trust it shalbe to your cōfusion, if accordyng to your former letters you submit not your selues.

MarginaliaThe act of first fruites. As touching the first frutes, we let you to witte, it is a thyng graunted vs by Act of Parliament also, for the supportation of part of the great and excessiue charges, which we support & beare for the maintenaunce of your wealthes and other oure subiectes: and we haue knowen also that ye our commons haue much complayned in tymes passed, that the most part of our goodes, landes, and possessions of the Realme, were in the spirituall mens handes: and yet bearyng vs in hand, that ye be as louyng subiects to vs as may be, ye can not finde in your hartes, that your Prince and soueraigne Lord should haue any part therof (and yet it is nothyng preiudiciall vnto you our commons) but do rebell and vnlawfully rise agaynst your Prince, contrary to the duety of allegiaunce and Gods cōmaundement. Syrs, remember your folyes and trayterous demeanours, and shame not your natiue countrey of England, nor offende no more so greuously your vndouted kyng & naturall prince, whiche alwayes hath shewed him selfe most louyng vnto you, and remember your duety of allegiaunce, and that ye are bounde to obey vs your kyng, both by Gods cōmaundement, and law of nature.

Wherfore we charge you eftsoones vppon the forsayd bondes and paynes, that ye withdrawe your selues to your owne houses euery man, and no more to assemble contrary to our lawes and your allegiaunces, and to cause the prouokers of you to this mischief, to bee deliuered to our Lieutenauntes handes or ours, and you your selues to submitte you to such condigne punishement, as we and our nobles shall thinke you worthy: for doubt you not els, that we & our nobles can nor wyl suffer this iniurie at your hands vnreuenged, if ye geue not place to vs of soueraignetie, and shewe your selues as bounden and obedient subiectes, and no more to entremeddle your selues from henceforth with the weighty affayres of the Realme, the direction wherof only apperteyneth to vs your kyng, and such noble men and counsailours, as we lyst to elect and chose to haue the orderyng of the same.

And thus we pray vnto allmighty God, to geue you grace to do your duetyes, to vse your selues towardes vs lyke true and faythfull subiectes, so as we may haue cause to order you therafter: and rather obediently to consent amongest you, to deliuer into the handes of our Lieutenaūt, a hundreth persons to be ordered accordyng to their demerites, at our will and pleasure, then by your obstinacy and wilfulnes, to put your selues, your wiues, children, landes, goodes and cattelles, beside the indignation of GOD, in the vtter aduēture of totall destruction, and vtter ruine, by force and violence of the sword.

MarginaliaThe commotion of Lincolnshire asswaged. After the Lyncolneshyre men had receiued this the Kynges aunswere aforesayd, made to their petitions, eche mistrustyng other who should bee noted to be the greatest meddler, euen very sodeinly they began to shrinke and out of hand, they were all diuided, and euery man at home in his owne house in peace: but the Captaines of these rebels escaped not all cleare, but were after apprehended, and had as they deserued. Ex Edw. Hallo.

MarginaliaA popishe insurrection in Yorkshire. After this, immediatly within sixe dayes, vppon the same, followed 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 be taken out of their Churches, and that no man should be maryed, or eate any good meate in his house, but should giue tribute therfore to the kyng: but their speciall malice was agaynst Cromwell, and certaine other Counsaillours.

The number of these rebels were neare about 40. thousand,MarginaliaThe badges of the rebels hauyng for their badges the fiue woundes, with the signe of the Sacrament, and Iesus written in the middest.

This their deuilish rebellion,MarginaliaA holy pilgrimage. they termed by the name of a holy Pilgrimage, but they serued a wrōg and a naughtie Saint. They had also in the field their stremers and banners, whereupon was paynted Christ hangyng vpon 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 thereby to fight for the fayth, and right of holy Church.MarginaliaThe kinges power agaynst the rebels in the North. As soone as the kyng was certified of this new seditious insurrection, he sent with all speede against them, the Duke of Northfolke, Duke of Suffolke, Marques of Excetor, Earle of Shrewsbury & other, with a great armye, forthwith to encounter with the rebels.

These noble Captaines and Counsailours 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 went about to assay and practise how to appease all without bloudshedyng:MarginaliaThe blynde stubburnes of superstitious people, rebelling where they haue no cause. but the Northern men stoutly and sturdely standyng to their wicked cause and wretched enterprise, would in no case relent frō their attemptes. Which when the nobles perceiued, and saw no other way to pacifie their furious mindes vtterly set on mischief, determined vpō 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 myracle of God in defending the cause of his Gospell. but yet, as it were by a great miracle of God, the water which was but a very small forde, & that men, in maner, the day before, might haue gone drishod ouer, sodeinly rose of such a height, deepenes, and breadth, that the lyke no mā that there did inhabite, could tell that euer they saw afore: so that the day, euē when the houre of battaile should come, it was impossible for the one armye to come at the other.

After this, the appointment made betwene both the armyes beyng thus disappointed, as it is to be thought, onely by God, (who extended his great mercy and had compassion on the great number of innocent persons, that in that deadly slaughter had lyke to haue ben murthered) could take no place: then by the great wisedome and policie of the sayd Captaines, a communication was had, and a pardon of the kynges Maiestie obteyned, for all the Capitaines and chief doers of this insurrection, and they promised that such thynges as they founde themselues agreeued with all, they should gently bee heard, and their reasonable peticions graunted, and þ^t their Articles should bee presentend to the Kyng, that by his highnesse authoritie, and wisedome of his Counsayle, all thynges should bee brought to good order and conclusion: and with this order euery man quietly departed, and those which before were bent as hote as fire, to fight, beyng letted therof by God, wēt now peaceably to their houses, and were as cold as water. A Domino factum est istud.

MarginaliaPopishe priestes rebelling against the k. In the tyme of this ruffle in Yorkeshyre, and the kyng lying the same tyme at Windsore, there was a Butcher dwellyng within fiue myles of the sayd towne of Windsore,