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Leicester

Lecester, Leycester

NGR: SK 590 045

A borough, having separate jurisdiction, in the county of Leicester, of which it is the capital. 97 miles north-north-west from London. The borough comprises the parishes of All Saints, St Leonard, St Martin, St Nicholas, and parts of St Margaret and St Mary. St Margaret is within the peculiar jurisdiction of the prebend of that stall in Lincoln cathedral. The rest are in the Archdeaconry of Leicester, Diocese of Lincoln

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English information from Samuel Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of England (S. Lewis & Co: London, 1831)

Scottish information from Samuel Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland (S. Lewis & Co: London, 1846)

Welsh information taken from Samuel Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales(Lewis & Co: London, 1840)

The reason for the use of these works of reference is that they present the jurisdictional and ecclesiastical position as it was before the major Victorian changes. The descriptions therefore approximate to those applying in the sixteenth century, after the major changes of 1535-42. Except for the physical locations, which have not changed, the reader should not therefore take these references as being accurate in the twenty-first century.

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ther in the foresayd Inditement. It foloweth.

(B)Marginalia(B) Per Sacramētum xij. iuratorum extitit præsentatum. &c. ¶ MarginaliaThe second note of the names of the Iurers left out.If there had bin true dealing in this, the Iurers should haue bene named. But it is not like, that there was euer any such Inditement found by any Iurers, and therefore they did best, not to name the Iurours, least they would haue denied this Inditement to be their Acte: it foloweth more in proces of the Inditement.

(C)Marginalia(C) Et dictum Ioan. Oldcastel Regentem Eiusdem regni constituere. &c. ¶ MarginaliaThe 3. argumēt by making a Regent, the king being not yet gone ouer.If there were no other argument, this were sufficient to disproue the manifest vntruth of this surmised Inditement. When as the king was not yet gone to Fraunce, nor determined to go, how could they conspire then to make a Regent? For the king went in Iuly folowing, vidz. the second yeare of his raigne, leauing behinde him the Queene his mother in law, for Regent, whereby it may be gathered, that this matter was vntruly entred and stolen into the Kecords with an antedate, or els at the least, there appeareth manifest vntruth, that they should conspire to make a Regent, when a Regent was not thought vpon, vnlesse it were all ready run into the heads of the Cleargie, who shortly after fearing their temporalities (as Caxton saith) perswaded the King to make warres in Fraunce. This word Regent therefore proceedeth of the secret spirit of the Cleargy, and maketh the whole matter very suspicious, to be grounded altogether vpon the malice of the Cleargie, and their vntrue surmises. It foloweth moreouer.

(D)Marginalia(D) Quasi gens sine capite in finalem destructionem. &c. ¶ MarginaliaThe 5. argumēt, by cōtrarietie.How doth this stand with that goeth before, that they conspired to make a Regent, except you will say that to make a Regent is to be a people without an head? It foloweth.

(E)Marginalia(E) Cum quam pluribus rebellibus dicti regis ignotis ad numerum viginti millium hominum. &c. ¶ MarginaliaThe 6. argumēt, by the persons vnknowen.A straunge matter that they should knowe of the conspiracie of twentie thousand, and yet knowe of no moe names of the rebels, but the Lord Cobham onely, or one or two mo. And all the rest were ignoti.

(F)Marginalia(F) Priuatim insurgentes. &c. ¶ MarginaliaThe 7. argumēt by the vnskilfull penning.This smelleth of the Cleargies owne penning, without any great aduise of learned counsaile: for otherwise such as had bene herein skilfull, would neuer haue put in priuatim insurgentes.

(G)Marginalia(G) Die Mercurij proximo post festum Epiphaniæ D. anno R. R. prædicto, &c. ¶ MarginaliaThe 8. argumēt by the date and tyme.This Wednesday next after the Epiphanie, was the x. day of the moneth of Ianuary, and the same day when both the conspiracie was put in execution, and the same day when the commission was giuen out to enquire, also when the fact was by enquirie presented. Whereby it may seeme a strange thing that so great a conspiracy knowne beforehand, was not suppressed nor enquired of by any commission, but ouely by a commission bearing date of the same day, vpon which day by the purport of the Inditement, the conspiracie should haue bene put in execution, by open rebellion, as it is aforesayd.

(H)Marginalia(H) Prædictum D. nostrum Regem fratres suos videl. Thomam Ducem Clarentiæ, Ioannem de Lancastre, & Humfredum de Lancastre, &c. ¶ MarginaliaThe 9. argumēt, by errour and wrong naming the Dukes.If the kings learned counsaile had dealt in this Inditement, as in case of treason they should haue done, if it had bene a matter of truth, they would neuer haue handled it so slenderly, and wrongly, as to name the Dukes of Bedford, and of Gloucester: Iohn of Lancaster, and Humfrey of Lancaster, who were made Dukes in the 13. yeare of the raigne of King Henry the fourth their father, as appeareth by Caxtones Chronicle.

(I)Marginalia(I) Et ibidem versus campum prædictum, modo guerrino arriati proditorie modo insurrectionis, contra ligeantias suas equitauerunt ad rebellandum dictum D. nostrum regem, &c. ¶ MarginaliaThe 10. note or argumēt by the absence of the partie.This is falsified by plaine euidence of histories. And Cope hymselfe confesseth no lesse. For he so sayth and confesseth page [illegible text] line [illegible text] That Sir Iohn Oldcastle was not there in person, but onely, that his consent and good will was there.

MarginaliaThe 11. note or argument.Againe, seeing this equitation or riding toward Saint Giles field was vpon the Wednesday next after the feast of Epiphany (as in this Inditement and processe of outlawry is aboue testified) which was the tenth daye of Ianuary, and commission also the same day was charged, and the Iewry moreouer impanelled the same daye, & yet no Iewrer named: Item, the verdict the same day presented, how all these can concurre together, and all in one day, let the reader after he haue well considered the matter, vse his iudgement therin, not only whether it be like, but also whether it be possible.

MarginaliaThe 12. note or argument.Ouer and beside all this it is to be noted, that if thys matter had bene truely and duly handled, as touching the reason, then had it not bene needefull to haue brought sirIohn Oldcastle into the Parliament house, before the Lords to haue had his iudgement. MarginaliaThe L. Cob. sir R. Actō, &c. proued no traitors.For by the outlawrie (if it had bene true) he was attainted, and without anie more adoe should haue had iudgement in the Kings Bench as a Traytor. But the chiefe Iustice knowing the handling of the matter, durst not belike enterprise so far. Wherefore it was deuised, that he should certifie the record into the Parliament, which he did together, with the Bishops sentence filed to the record,which was verie strange.

And thereupon the Lords gaue such a iudgement, as was not due for a Traytor. For that they gaue no iudgement, that he should be drawne, hanged, and let downe aliue, and then bowelled and quartered, which is the iudgement of a Traytor. And albeit the Parliament might haue attainted him without any more ado: And by the same Act of atteinder haue ordeined a speciall iudgement, as they should thinke good: yet when hee was before atteinted by the outlawrie, they could not lawfully varie from the common iudgemēt of treason. At least how could or should the iudgement of Sir Roger Acton, Maister Browne, and Iohn Beuerley, who were iudged in the Guildhall before and without the Parliament, vary from the said common iudgement of Traytors, if they had truly committed, and bene conuicted of such high treason?

MarginaliaThe 13. note or argumēt.Adde this moreouer to the foresaid Notes: that if Sir Iohn Oldcastle after his escape out of prison, had bene culpable and so atteinted of that high treason, wherby his lands had bene immediately forfait vnto the King by the processe of his outlawry: What needed the king then in the second yeare of his raigne, in the Parliament after holden at Leycester, haue made that prouiso to haue his lands forfaite to him by vertue of Parliament, vpon his escape on the day of his arest: when as the lands and cattaile of his had bene forfeite before, by the processe of the outlawry, as is before specified?

Thus you see (Maister Cope) how little aduantage you can wrast out of this Commission and inditement against the Lord Cobham and his fellowes to proue them traytors. And admit the said Lord Cobham was attainted of treason by the Acte, and that the King, the Lordes, and the Commons assented to the Act: yet it bindeth not in such sort (as if in deed he were no Traytour) that anye man may not by search of the truth vtter and set forth sincerely and iustly the very true cause whereby his death hapt and followed.

MarginaliaAunswere to the allegations of Fabian, Polydore, and Hall, &c.Thus then hauing sufficiently cleared the Lord Cobham and his parteners, from all that you can obiect vnto them out of records and statutes: let vs now come to your English Chroniclers, wherwith you seeme to presse me, & to oppresse them whome ye name to be Robert Fabian, Edward Halle, Polydor Virgilius, Thomas Cooper, Richard Grafton, with other briefe Epitomes and Summaries, &c. Concerning which authors, as I haue not to say, but to their commendation in this place: so if that you had auouched the same, to the commendation rather then to the reproofe of other, I would better haue commēded your nature, and beleued your cause. But now like a spidercatcher sucking out of euery one, what is the worst, to make vp your leystall, you heape vp a donghill of dirtie Dialogues conteining nothing in them but malicious railing, virulent slanders, manifest vntruths, opprobrious contumelies, & stinking blasphemies, able almost to corrupt & infect þ^e aire. Such is the maladie & cacoethes of your pen, þ^t it beginneth to barke, before it hath learned well to write. Which pen of yours notwithstanding I do not heere reproch nor contemne, as neither do I greatly feare þ^e same. God of his mercy keepe þ^e sword out of the Papists hand, it is not the pen of the papists I greatly passe vpō, though xx. Copes, and so many surplesses, were set against the booke of Monuments, were I so disposed (Maister Cope) to dally, or as the Greekes do say αντιπαιξειν, and to repay againe as I am prouoked. But in despightful railing, and in this Satyricall sort of barking I geue you ouer, and suffer you therin to passe not only your selfe, but also Cerberus himself if ye will, the great bandog of Pluto. MarginaliaModestie commended in writers.Mildnes and humanitie rather beseemeth and is the grace of the Latine phrase. If ye could hit vpon the vaine therof, it would win you much more honestie, with all honest men. But the Lord hereafter may cal you, which I beseech him to do, and to forgiue you that you haue done.

In the meane time seeing this your pratling pen must nedes be walking, yet this you might haue lerned of these your own authors whom you aledge, more ciuilly to haue tēpered your fume, in exclaiming against thē, whose cause is to you not perfectly known. And now briefly to answer