mongest the people, and finally to withdraw from vs the hartes of our nobilitie. He gaue commaūdement by his letters, that those thynges should be proclaimed in all places of great resort by diuers speciall articles, contrary to his former order in his prouinciall Coūcell. Wherfore, respecting the integritie of our fame, entending to preuent the malice of the said Archbishop, and also to decline frō vs the snares prepared for vs and ours: we haue thought good at this present (ouer and besides those which before are rehearsed) amongest so many which we omitte, to declare vnto you some of his peruerse and wicked actes. When in our minoritie we were constituted ouer our dominions, he caused vs through his vnaduised coūsaile and rash persuasiō (therby to winne excessiue fauour) to geue away so many wastfull giftes, and so many vnlawfull alienations that now by meanes therof our treasure is cleane consumed, the reuenewes of our Exchequer without all order diminished, & he corrupted with bribes innumerable. Oftentimes also without cause why, when neither necessitie nor vtilitie so required, onely through his persuasion we forgaue diuers men great summes of money due vnto vs, yea and the rentes and reuenewes which ought to haue been cōserued for our necessitie and profite we applyed to the vse of his frendes largely bestowyng vpon such as euill deserued it. Moreouer (accepting aswell persons as money) cōtrary to our minde, and his othe of fidelitie made vnto vs: he admitted vnto publique offices throughout our dominiōs, persons vnworthy, neglecting those that had wel deserued. Many other thinges he rashly tooke in hand, to the detriment of our state, the hurt of our dignitie royall, and no small dammage of our subiectes, by abusing his authoritie and office cōmitted vnto him. MarginaliaThe Archb. abuseth his office.But if he persiste in his proude obstinacie and stoute rebellion, we shall hereafter in conuenient tyme and place, cause it to be more openly knowen: willing and commaunding you to publish and cause to be published, all and singular the premisses opēly and distinctly in places where you shall thinke it expedient, and to set forth (as shall seme best to your godly wisedomes) our good entēt for the suppressing of incommodities, & furtheryng of the cōmodities of our subiectes, that we may worthely commēde your circumspect care herein. Test meipso apud Westm. x. die Februa. Anno regni nostri Angliæ. xv. Regni vero Franciæ Secundo.

By these foresayd obiections and accusatiōs of the king premised, and layd agaynst the Archbishop of Canterbury: what is to be thought of the doynges of the sayd Archbishop, I leaue it to thy iudgement gentle reader (as I sayd before) to be coniected: For so much as our histories somewhat bearyng with the sayd Archbyshop, seeme either to be vncertaine of the truth of the matter, or els couertly to dissemble some part of that they knew. And especially of Polydor. Vergil. I mervaile, who hauyng so good occasion to touche the matter, doth so sleightly passe it ouer without any word of mention. In which matter if probable coniecture (beside history) might here be heard, it is not vnlike: But that some old practise of prelates hath herein been put in vre, through some crafty conspiracie betwene the Pope and the Archbishop. And the rather to be gathered, for that as the Pope was enemie vnto the kyng in this his chalēge to the crowne of Fraunce: So the Archbishop agaynst his Prince (as for the most part alwayes they haue bene) was a frend, as no man neede to doubt thereof, vnto the Pope. Which thyng also more probable may be supposed, because of the cōmyng downe of the two Cardinals the same tyme, from the Pope to the kyng of England, about the matter of farther truce: wherof (Christ willing) more hereafter shall folow. Albeit, the Archbishop (this yet notwithstandyng) subtely and featly excuseth himselfe to the kyng of the foresayd obiections, & cunningly handleth the matter in wordes by his letter directed to the kyng, as foloweth.

MarginaliaThe letter of the Archbishop to the kyng.REdoubted Syr, may it please your maiesty to vnderstand: that the most chiefest and speciall thyng that keepeth kynges and Princes in the fauour of God, and best preserueth them in their estate: is sage, wise, and deliberate coūsaile. And therfore sayth the wise man, cōcernyng counsell in this wise: Good men haue therby their safetie. And it is written in the booke of kynges, how Salomon which was the wisest Prince that euer was, tooke vnto him the most auncient and sage men of his Realme to be his coūsailours: By whose aduisement and discretion, he alwayes kept the land of Israell in quyet and in peace, and besides that had all other kynges and princes that bordered vpon him at his will and commūdement. After whose death raigned Roboham his sonne, who neglecting the good counsell of his father, and good aduise of his sage and discrit counsailours: harkened to such counsellMarginaliaGood counsailors necessary about a kyng.as lighter and younger men perswaded him vnto, that sought rather how to please & flatter him, then the quiet state of his Realme: whereby he lost all the whole land of Israel, the. xij. part onely excepted. In like maner haue many kynges of Israell and other kyngdomes beside, by rash and euill counsell come to great ruine and mischief. And sir (sauyng your princely pacience) you may call to remembraunce your own tyme: for by the wicked and sinister counsell to our late soueraigne Lord your father geuen (whom God forgeue) which he tooke and folowed: both agaynst the law of his land, and graund charter of the peeres and other his people of the land: some he put to shamefull death, from other some he tooke their goods, and such as fled, he put vnto theyr raunsome: and what enemies he purchased therby, your grace well vnderstandeth. And after this sir, you know (euen in your owne tyme) how by folowing and beleuing ouer light counsell: you your selfe lost the hartes of many of your subiectes, frō the which God deliuer you, if it be his will. And after that tyme agayne vntill now, by the good aduisement of your Prelates, Peeres, and sage counseilours of your land, your graces busines and affaires haue bene so demained and ordered: that you haue had the hartes agayne of all your subiectes, as well spiritual as tēporall, as much or rather more, then any of your graces predecessours, kynges of England haue had. So that, by meanes of the sayd good counsell, the good will and ayde of your people, and speciall grace of God: you haue had the victory ouer all your enemyes, as well in Scotland as in Fraunce, and all other places besides: That vnto this day (Gods name be blessed therfore) your grace hath bene esteemed as one of the most noblest Princes in all Christendome. And now your grace (by the euill and peruerse counsaile of some such within this Realme, which are not so wise as they might be, and such also as consider and respect rather their owne priuate cōmoditie, then your graces honour and safety of your Realme) beginneth to apprehend diuers Clerkes, Pieres, and other people of the lād, and to direct proces agaynst them, not beseemyng: but contrary to the law of the land, which to keepe and maintayne you are bound by the othe you tooke at your coronatiō: and contrary to the graund charter, whereof all the Realme are witnesses, and all the Prelates of the same: and contrary to the sentence confirmed by the Bull of our holy father the Pope, which we haue to shew. All which thynges, as they are to the great perill and daūger of your soule: so are they also to the vtter debasing of your regall state and honour. And sir, although such as be your graces gouernours and counsailers (beyng a callyng aboue their degree) do geue your grace to vnderstād that their enterprises and yours do please and content your subiectes and commons: yet your grace shall know for certaine, and proue it your owne selfe to be farre other wise, then that they beare you in hād. And that vnlesse God do remedy the same if you prosecute your purpose begon in this order: you will lese the hartes of all your subiectes, as also your good and rightful enterprise, and shall see such discorde about the same: that you shall not bee able to performe that you haue begon, but rather enforce your ennemyes to seeke your destruction, to loose your noble and renowmed fame, and in the end your kyngdome it selfe, which God forbyd. Wherfore soueraigne Lord and kyng, I besech you: that for the safegard of your honor and realme, and enterprise begon: that you will take vnto you the most descret and wisest men, within your Realme, and worke by their aduise and counsell, as before this tyme you haue bene accustomed: without the ayde and counsell of whom you can neither mainteine your enterprise, nor gouerne your realme. MarginaliaExcōmunication in his own priuate cause abused.And for that, some such as are about your grace, falsly deuise agaynst vs, treason and such like troubles (and therfore are of vs excōmunicate, and as persons excommunicate do so esteme of them) as your spirituall pastour, we also desire you so to esteme and thinke of them: which also, make like report of other that haue bene with your grace beyond the Seas, that they haue naughtely and falsely serued you, whereby you haue lost the Towne of Tourney, and much honour els, which you might haue wonne, and gottē there. May it please your grace to call before you, the Prelates and Pieres of your Realme in some conuenient place, where we and other mo, may safely come and resort: and there also to make search and enquirie, in whose handes after the begynnyng of your warres, the money and what thing els so euer,