Person during his Minority; to which all the Gentlemen and Lords did agree, because he was the King’s Uncle on his Mother’s side. Also in this time the late King was buried at Windsor with much solemnity, and the Officers broke their Staves, hurling them into the Grave; but they were restored to them again when they came to the Tower. The Lord Lisle was made Earl of Warwick, and the Lord Great Chamberlainship was given to him; and the Lord Sudley made Admiral of England: all these things were done, the King being in the Tower. Afterwards, all things being prepared for the Coronation, the King being then but nine Years old, passed through the City of London, as heretofore hath been used, and came to the Palace of Westminster; and the next day came into Westminster Hall. And it was asked the People, Whether they would have him to be their King? Who answered, Yea, yea: Then he was crowned King of England, France and Ireland, by the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, and all the rest of the Clergy and Nobles; and Anointed, with all such Ceremonies as were accustomed, and took his Oath, and gave a General Pardon. …
March 31 [1550]. A Challenge made by Me, that I, with sixteen of my Chamber, should run at Base, Shoot and Run at the Ring with any seventeen of my Servants Gentlemen in the Court.
April 1. The first day of the Challenge at Base, or Running, the King won.
April 6. I lost the Challenge of Shooting at Rounds, and won at Rovers.
May 3. The Challenge at running at the Ring performed; at the which first came the King, sixteen Footmen, and ten Horsemen, in black Silk Coats, pulled out with white Taffety; then all the Lords, having three Men likewise apparelled: and all Gentlemen their Footmen in white Fustian, pulled out with black Taffety. The other side came all in yellow Taffety; at length the yellow Band took it thrice in 120 courses, and my Band touched often, which was counted as nothing, and took never, which seemed very strange, and so the Prize was of my Side lost. After that Tournay followed, between six of my Band and six of theirs.
May 6. The Testourn cried down from 12d. to 9d. and the Groat from 4d. to 3d.
June 21. The Cardinal of Lorrain, and of Chastilion, the Constable, the Duke of Guise, &c., were appointed Commissioners on the part of France who absolutely denied the first motion for the Scotch Queen, saying, Both they had taken too much Pains, and spent too many lives for her. Also a conclusion was made for her Marriage to the Dolphin. Then was proponed the Marriage of the Lady Elizabeth, the French King’s eldest daughter; to which they did most chearfully assent. So after they agreed neither Party to be bound in Conscience nor Honour, till she were twelve Years of Age and upwards. Then they came to the Dote which was first asked 1,500,000 Scutes of France, at which they made a mock; after for donatio propter nuptias, they agreed that it should be as great as hath been given by the King my Father to any Wife he had.
June 22. Our Commissioners came to 1,400,000 of Crowns, which they refused, then to a Million, which they denied; then to 800,000 Crowns, which they said they would not agree to.
June 23. Then our Commissioners asked what they would offer? First they offered 100,000 Crowns, then 200,000, which they said was the most, and more than ever was given. Then followed great Reasonings, and showing of Presidents, but no nearer they would come.
June 24. They went forward unto the Penalties if the Parties misliked, after that the King’s Daughter were twelve and upwards, which the French offered 100,000, 50,000 Crowns, or promise, that she should be brought, at her Father’s Charge, three months before she were twelve, sufficiently jewelled and stuffed. Then bonds to be delivered alternately at London, and at Paris, and so forth.
June 26. The Frenchmen delivered the foresaid answers written to my Commissioners.
December 1. The Duke of Somerset came to his Trial at Westminster-Hall; The Lord Treasurer sat as High-Steward of England, under the Cloth of State, on a Bench between two Posts, three degrees high. All the Lords to the number of 26,[2] viz.:
| Dukes. Suffolk. Northumberland. Marquesses. Northampton. | Earls. Derby. Bedford. Huntington. Rutland. Bath. Sussex. Worcester. Pembrook. Vis. Hereford. | Barons. Burgaveny. Audley. Wharton. Evers. Latimer. Bourough. Souch. Stafford. Wentworth. Darcy. Sturton. Windsor. Cromwell. Cobham. Bray. |
These sat a degree under, and heard the Matter debated.
First, After the Indictments were read, five in number, the Learned Counsel laid to my Lord of Somerset, Palmer’s Confession. To which he answered, That he never minded to raise the North, and declared all the ill he could devise of Palmer, but he was afraid for Bruites, and that moved him to send to Sir William Herbert. Replied it was again, that the worse Palmer was, the more he served his purpose. For the Banquet, he swore it was untrue, and required more Witnesses. Whence Crane’s Confession was read. He would have had him come Face to Face. For London, he meant nothing of hurt of any Lord, but for his own Defence. For the Gendarmoury, it were but a mad matter for him to enterprise with his 100 against 900. For having men in his Chamber at Greenwich, confessed by Partridg, it seemed he meant no harm, because when he could have done harm he did it not. My Lord Strange’s Confession, he swore it was untrue, and the Lord Strange took his oath it was true. Nudigate’s, Hammond’s and Alexander Seimour’s Confessions he denied, because they were his Men.
The Lawyers rehearsed, how to raise Men at his House for an ill Intent, as to kill the Duke of Northumberland, was Treason, by an Act, Anno tertio of my Reign, against Unlawful Assemblies, for to devise the Death of the Lords was Felony. To mind resisting his attachment was Felony. He answered, He did not intend to raise London, and swore, that the Witnesses were not there. His assembling of men was but for his own defence. He did not determine to kill the Duke of Northumberland, the Marquess, &c., but spoke of it, and determined after the contrary, and yet seemed to confess he went about their Death.
The Lords went together. The Duke of Northumberland would not agree that any searching of his Death should be Treason. So the Lords acquitted him of High Treason, and condemned him of Treason Fellonious, and so he was adjudged to be hang’d.
He gave thanks to the Lords for their open Trial, and cried Mercy of the Duke of Northumberland, the Marquess of Northampton, and the Earl of Pembrook, for his ill-meaning against them, and made suit for his Life, Wife, Children, Servants, and Debts, and so departed without the Ax of the Tower. The People knowing not the Matter, shouted half a dozen of times so loud, that from the Hall-Door it was heard at Charing-Cross plainly, and rumours went that he was quit of all.
January 6 [1551]. The same night was first of a Play. After a Talk between one that was called Riches and the other Youth, whether of them was better. After some pretty Reasoning there came in six Champions of either side.
| On Youth’s side came My Lord Fitzwater. My Lord Ambrose. Sir Anthony Brown. Sir William Cobham. Mr. Cary. Mr. Warcop. | On Riche’s side My Lord Fitzwarren. Sir Robert Stafford. Mr. Courtney. Digby. Hopton. Hungerford. |
All these fought two to two at Barriers in the Hall. Then came in two apparelled like Almains,
