Critical Apparatus for this Page
Commentary on the Text
Names and Places on this Page
Unavailable for this Edition
559 [535]

K. Henry. 4. Notes of Parliamentes. The coronation of K.Henry. 5.

to the king aunswered, that the ordinaries should doe their duties therein, or els he would prouide further remedy, to stay their pluralities.

MarginaliaIbidā. act. 37.Item, in the sayd Parliament, it was required: that none do sue to the Court of Rome for any benefice, but onely in the kinges courtes.

¶ In the next yeare folowing, which was the ix. of thys King, an other petition of the Commons was put vp in Parliament against the court of Rome, which I thought good here to expresse as foloweth.

The Commons do besech, that forasmuch as diuersMarginaliaEx Rotulo Parlamenti An. 9. Henrici. 4.prouisors of the benefices of holy Church, dwellyng in the Court of Rome, through their singular couetousnes now newly imagined to destroy those that haue bene long time incumbents in diuers their benefices of holy church peaceably, some of them by the title of the king, some by title ordinary, and by title of other true patrons therof, by coulor of prouisions, collations, and other grauntes made to þe sayd prouisors by the Apostoill, of the sayd benefices, MarginaliaThe wickednes of the popes prouisors in citing & depriuyig beneficed men in England, their citation being not knowen in the realme.doe pursue processes in the sayd Court by citation made beyond the Sea, without any citations made within the Realme in deede against the same incumbents, whereby many of the said incumbents through such priuy and crafty processes & sentences of priuation and inhabilitation, haue lost their benefices, and others put into the places of the sayd incumbentes before the publication of the same sentēces, they not knowing any thyng, and many are in great hassard to lose their benefices through such processes, to their perpetuall destruction and mischiefe: and for asmuch as this mischief cannot be holpen without an especial remedy be had by parliament: pleaseth it the king to consider the great mischiefe and daunger that may so come vnto diuers his subiectes without their knowledge through such citations out of the Realme, and therupō to ordaine by the aduise of the Lords of this present Parliament, that none presented, be receaued by any ordinary vnto any benefice of any such incumbēt for any cause of priuation or inhabilitation whereof the processe is not founded vpon citation made within the Realme, and also that such incumbents may remayne in all their benefices, vntill it be proued by due enquest in the Court of the King, that the citations wherupon such priuations and inhabilita realme: and that if such Ordinaries, or such presented or others, do pursue the contrary, that thē they and their procuratours, fautours and counsellours do incurre the paynes conteyned in the statute made against prouisours in the xiij. yeare of the raigne of the late Richard King of England the second, by processes to be made as is declared in the statute made against such prouisours in the xxvij. yeare of the raigne of K. Edward, predecessor to our Lord the king that now is any royall licences or grauntes in any maner to the cōtrary notwithstandyng and that all other statutes made against prouisors and not repealed before this present parliament, be in their full force and be firmely kept in all pointes.

[Back to Top]

That the kinges Counsell haue power by authoritie of Parliament, in case that any man finde himselfe greeued in particular, that he may pursue: and that the said Counsell by the aduise of the Iustices do right vnto þe parties. This to endure vntil the next Parlament, reseruing alwayes vnto the King his prerogatiue and libertie.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaAnno 9. Regis Henrici 4. Acts. 43.Item, that no Popes collector thenceforth should leuie any money within the Realme for first fruites of any ecclesiasticall dignitie, vnder payne of incurring the statute of prouisions.

MarginaliaEx Chronic. D. Albani, Fabiano, et alijs.Besides in the sayd Parliament holden the xj. yeare of thys kyng, is to be noted: how the commons of the land, put vp a Bill vnto the kyng, to take the temporall landes out from spirituall mens handes or possession. The effecte of which Bill was, that the temporalities, disordinately wasted by men of the Church, might suffice to finde to the K. xv. Earles xv. C. Knightes, vj. M.CC. Esquiers, and a C. houses of almose, to the relief of poore people, mo then at those dayes were wythin England: And ouer all these foresayd charges, the king might put yearely in his cofers. xx.M. pounde.

[Back to Top]

Prouided, that euery Earle should haue of yearely rent. iij.M. marke, and euery knight C. marke, and iiij. plough landes: Eurry Esquier xl. marke by yeare, with ij. plough landes, and euery house of almose. c. marke, with ouersight of two true seculars vnto euery house: And also with prouision, that euery towneship should keepe all poore people of their owne dwellers, which might not labour for their lyuing: with condition, that if moe fell in a towne then the towne might maintaine, than the sayd almes houses to relieue such towneships.

[Back to Top]

And for to beare these charges, they alledged by theyr said Bill, that the tēporalties, being in þe possession of spirituall men, MarginaliaA computatiō of Church good, to how much they do mount.amounted to iij.C. and. xxij.M. marke by yeare. Wherof they affirmed to be in the see of Canterbury, wyth & Abbayes of Christes church, of S. Augustines, Shreusbury, Coggeshale, and S. Osijs. xx.M marke by yeare. In the see of Durham and other Abbeys there. xx.M. marke. In the see of Yorke and Abbayes there. xx.M. marke. In the see of Winchester, & Abbayes there. xx.M. marke. In the see of London, with Abbayes and other houses there, xx.M. marke. In the see of Lincolne, Wt; the Abbayes of Peterborow, Ramsey, and other, xx.M. marke. In the see of Norwiche with the Abbayes of Bury & other, xx.M. marke. In the see of Ely, Spaldyng and other. xx.M. marke. In the see of Bathe, with the Abbayes of Okinborne and other, xx.M. marke. In the see of Worceter, with the Abbayes of Euisham, Abingdon and other. xx.M. marke. In the see of Chester with the precinct of the same, with the sees of S. Dauide, of Salisbury, and Exceter, with theyr precinctes. xx.M. marke. The Abbayes of Rauens or Reuans of Fountaines, of Gernons, and diuerse other to the number of v. mo. xx.M. marke. The Abbays of Leiceter, Walthan, Gosborne, Merton, Ticetir, Osney, and other, vnto the number of. vi. mo. xx.M. marke. The Abbays of Douers, Batill, Lewys, Couentry, Dauentre, and Tourney, xx.M. marke. The Abbays of Northampton, Thorton, Bristow, Killyngworth, Winchcombe, Hailes, Parchissor, Frideswide, Notly, and Grimmisby. xx.M. marke.

[Back to Top]

The whiche foresayd sommes, amount to the full of iij. c.M. marke. And for the odde of. xxij.M. marke, they appoynted Hardford, Rochester, Huntingdon, Swineshed, Crowland, Malmesbury, Burt,ō Teukesbury, Dunstable, Shirborne, Taunton and Bilande.

And ouer this they alleaged by the sayd Bill, that ouer and aboue the sayd summe of iij. C. and xxij.M. marke, diuers houses of religion in England, possessed as many temporalties, as might suffice to finde yerely. xv.M. priestes and clerkes, euery priest to be allowed for his stipend. vij. marke by the yeare.

[Back to Top]

To the which Bill no aunswer was made, but that the kyng of this matter would take deliberation and aduisemēt, and with that aunswer ended, so that no further labour was made.

MarginaliaAn. 1413.These thinges thus hither to discoursed, touchyng such actes and matters as haue bene incident in the lyfe tyme of this kyng,  

Commentary   *   Close
Death of Henry IV

Foxe's accounts of the death of Henry IV and the accession of Henry V were both added in the 1570 edition and remained unchanged in subsequent editions. Foxe cited a chronicle that it has been impossible to trace - Foxe only notes that the chronicle began with the words 'That all men called' - for the story of Henry IV's death and the prophecy that he would die in Jerusalem. Undoubtedly Foxe related this story, and went to the trouble of repeating it from a minor chronicle, because it offered an example of the dangers of false prophecy - a topic which Foxe discussed at some length elsewhere (see 1570, pp. 848-52; 1576, pp. 692-4; 1583, pp. 717-19). Foxe drew his account of the accession of Henry V and the 1413 convocation from Thomas of Walsingham's chronicle (see Thomas of Walsingham, Historia Anglicana, ed. H. T. Riley, 2 vols., Rolls Series 28 [London, 1864-5], II, p. 290). But the most remarkable thing about Foxe's account is his declaration that he would not discuss Henry exploits or conquests in France. To almost all Tudor writers Henry V was a great hero, but, because of his persecution of the Lollards, to Foxe he was fundamentally a bad king, not worthy of praise.

[Back to Top]

Thomas S. Freeman
University of Sheffield

followeth next the. xiij. yeare of his raigne. In the which yeare, the said king Henry the. 4. after that he had sent a little before a certayne company of Captaines & souldiours to ayde the duke of Burgundy in Fraunce (among whom was the Lord Cobham) keping hys Christenmas at Eltham, fell greuously sicke. From thence, he was cōueyed to London, where he began to call a parliament, but taried not the ende. In the meane tyme, the infirmity of the king more and more increasing, he was taken and brought into a bed in a fayre chamber at Westminster. MarginaliaThe king had a prophecie, that he shoulde die in IerusalemAnd as he lay in hys bed, he asked how they called the same chamber: and they answered and sayde, Ierusalem. And then he sayde it was hys prophecie, that he should make his end in Ierusalem. MarginaliaProphecies deceauable.And so disposing hymselfe toward hys ende, in the foresayd chamber he died: vpon what sicknes, whether of leprosie, or some other sharpe disease, I haue not to affirme. MarginaliaEx vetust. Chron. Anglico. cui mitiū est.
That all men called.
Ex vetust. Chron. Anglico. cuius initium, That all men called. The like prophecy we read, that Pope Syluester, 2. pag. 180. MarginaliaThe prophecie of Pope Siluester .2.to whō beyng inquisitiue for the tyme and place where he should die, it was answered, that he shoulde dye in Ierusalem. Who then saying Masse in a Chappel (called likewise Ierusalem) perceaued his ende there to be nere, and dyed. And thus K. Henry the 4. successour to the lawfull K. Richard 2. finished hys life at Westminster, and was buried at Cant. by the tomb of Thomas Becket. &c. an. 1413.

[Back to Top]
¶ King Henry the fift.

MarginaliaKing Henry. 5.AFter this Henry 4. reigned Henry the 5. his son, which was borne at Munmorth in Wales, of whose other vertues and great victories gotten in Fraunce, I haue not greatly to intermeddle: Especially, seing the memorie of his worthy prowesse, being sufficiently described in other writers in this our tyme, may both content the reader, and vnburden my labour herein. Especially, seyng these later troubles and perturbatiōs of the church offer me so much, that vnneth any vacant laisure shall be left, to intermeddle with matters prophane.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaGreat tempeste at the coronation of the new Kyng.After the coronation then of this new kyng, whiche was the 9. day of Aprill, called then passion Sonday, which was an exceding stormy day, and so tempestuous, that many dyd

won
AA.iiij.