would either assemble at any parliament, or in any other great
business, first would most reverently call to God for his gracious
assistance therein. And now I see the contrary. Wherefore me seems that
they trust more in their own wisdoms and imaginations than they do to
God's help and disposition; and therefore often they speed thereafter,
and their matters take no success. Therefore not only in this history,
but in divers others, ye may perceive right evident examples. And
yet I see no man almost in authority or high estate regard or have
any respect to the same; the greater is the pity, and the more to be
lamented. Now will I desist from this matter and proceed to other.
Upon the taking of the French king, many consultations and divers
opinions were then in argument among the council here in England.
Whereof some held opinion that if the king would invade the realm of
France in proper person, with a puissant army royal, he might easily
conquer the same; considering that the French king, and the most part
of the noble peers of France, were then prisoners with the emperor.
Some again said how that were no honour for the king our sovereign
lord, (the king being in captivity). But some said that the French
king ought by the law of arms to be the king's prisoner, forasmuch as
he was taken by the king's champion and general captain, the Duke of
Bourbon, and not by the emperor. So that some moved the king to take
war thereupon with the emperor, unless he would deliver the French king
out of his hands and possession; with divers many other imaginations
and inventions, even as men's fantasies served them, too long here to
be rehearsed: the which I leave to the writers of chronicles.
Thus continuing long in debating upon the matter, and every man in the
court had their talk, as will without wit led their fantasies; at the
last it was devised by means of divers embassies sent into England out
of the realm of France, desiring the king our sovereign lord to take
order with the emperor for the French king's deliverance, as his royal
wisdom should seem good, wherein the cardinal bare the stroke; so that
after long deliberation and advice taken in this matter, it was thought
good by the cardinal that the emperor should redeliver out of his ward
the French king, upon sufficient pledges. And that the king's two sons,
that is to say, the Dolphin and the Duke of Orleans should be delivered
in hostage for the king their father; which was in conclusion brought
to pass.
After the king's deliverance out of the emperor's bondage, and his
two sons received in hostage to the emperor's use, and the king our
sovereign lord's security for the recompense of all such demands and
restitutions as should be demanded of the French king, the cardinal,
lamenting the French king's calamity, and the pope's great adversity,
who yet remained in castle Angell, either as a prisoner, or else for
his defence and safeguard (I cannot tell whether), travailed all that
he could[105] with the king and his council to take order as well for
the delivery of the one as for the quietness of the other. At last,
as ye have heard here before, how divers of the great estates and
lords of the council lay in a-wait with my Lady Anne Boleyn, to espy
a convenient time and occasion to take the cardinal in a brake[106];
[they] thought then, now is the time come that we have expected,
supposing it best to cause him to take upon him the king's commission,
and to travel beyond the seas in this matter, saying, to encourage
him thereto, that it were more meet for his high discretion, wit, and
authority, to compass and bring to pass a perfect peace among these
great and most mighty princes of the world than any other within this
realm or elsewhere. Their intent and purpose was only but to get him
out of the king's daily presence, and to convey him out of the realm,
that they might have convenient leisure and opportunity to adventure
their long desired enterprise, and by the aid of their chief mistress,
my Lady Anne, to deprave him so unto the king in his absence, that he
should be rather in his high displeasure than in his accustomed favour,
or at the least to be in less estimation with his majesty. Well! what
will you have more? This matter was so handled that the cardinal was
commanded to prepare himself to this journey; the which he was fain
to take upon him; but whether it was with his good will or no, I am
not well able to tell you. But this I know, that he made a short abode
after the determined resolution thereof, but caused all things to be
prepared onward toward his journey. And every one of his servants were
appointed that should attend upon him in the same.
[Illustration: _Etched by I Harris Jun^r._
CARDINAL WOLSEY AND HIS SUITE IN PROGRESS.
_From a M.S. in the Collection of Francis Douce Esq.^r F.S.A._
_Published by Harding, Triphook, & Lepard, 1824._]
When all things were fully concluded, and for this noble embassy
provided and furnished, then was no lett, but advance forwards in
the name of God. My Lord Cardinal had with him such of the lords and
bishops and other worthy persons as were not privy of the conspiracy.
Then marched he forward out of his own house at Westminster, passing
through all London[107], over London Bridge, having before him of
gentlemen a great number, three in a rank, in black velvet livery
coats, and the most part of them with great chains of gold about their
necks. And all his yeomen, with noblemen's and gentlemen's servants
following him in French tawny livery coats; having embroidered upon the
backs and breasts of the said coats these letters: T. and C., under
the cardinal's hat. His sumpter mules, which were twenty in number and
more, with his carts and other carriages of his train, were passed on
before, conducted and guarded with a great number of bows and spears.
He rode like a cardinal, very sumptuously, on a mule trapped with
crimson velvet upon velvet, and his stirrups of copper, and gilt; and
his spare mule following him with like apparel. And before him he had
his two great crosses of silver, two great pillars of silver, the great
seal of England, his cardinal's hat, and a gentleman that carried his
valaunce, otherwise called a cloakbag; which was made altogether of
fine scarlet cloth, embroidered over and over with cloth of gold very
richly, having in it a cloak of fine scarlet. Thus passed he through
London, and all the way of his journey, having his harbingers passing
before to provide lodging for his train.
The first journey he made to Dartford in Kent, unto Sir Richard
Wiltshire's house, which is two miles beyond Dartford; where all his
train were lodged that night, and in the country thereabouts. The next
day he rode to Rochester, and lodged in the bishop's palace there;
and the rest of his train in the city, and in Stroud on this side the
bridge. The third day he rode from thence to Feversham, and there
was lodged in the abbey, and his train in the town, and some in the
country thereabouts. The fourth day he rode to Canterbury, where he
was encountered with the worshipfullest of the town and country, and
lodged in the abbey of Christchurch, in the prior's lodging. And all
his train in the city, where he continued three or four days; in which
time there was the great jubilee, and a fair in honour of the feast
of St. Thomas their patron. In which day of the said feast, within
the abbey there was made a solemn procession; and my Lord Cardinal
went presently in the same, apparelled in his legantine ornaments,
with his Cardinal's hat on his head; who commanded the monks and all
their quire to sing the litany after this sort, _Sancta Maria ora pro
papa nostro Clemente_; and so perused the litany through, my Lord
Cardinal kneeling at the quire door, at a form covered with carpets and
cushions. The monks and all the quire standing all that while in the
midst of the body of the church. At which time I saw the Lord Cardinal
weep very tenderly; which was, as we supposed, for heaviness that the
pope was at that present in such calamity and great danger of the Lance
Knights[108].
The next day I was sent with letters from my Lord Cardinal unto
Calais, by empost, insomuch as I was that same night at Calais. And
at my landing I found standing upon the pier, without [the] Lantern
Gate, all the council of the town, to whom I delivered and dispatched
my message and letters or ever I entered the town; where I lay two
days or my lord came thither; who arrived in the haven the second day
after my coming, about eight of the clock in the morning: where he was
received in procession with all the worshipfullest persons of the town
in most solemn wise. And in the Lantern Gate was set for him a form,
with carpets and cushions, whereat he kneeled and made his prayers
before his entry any further in the town; and there he was censed
with two great censers of silver, and sprinkled with holy water. That
done he arose up and passed on, with all that assembly before him,
singing, unto St. Mary's church, where he standing at the high altar,
turning himself to the people, gave them his benediction and clean
remission. And then they conducted him from thence unto a house called
the Checker, where he lay and kept his house as long as he abode in
the town; going immediately to his naked bed, because he was somewhat
troubled with sickness in his passage upon the seas.
That night, unto this place of the Checker, resorted to him Mons. du
Biez, captain of Boulogne, with a number of gallant gentlemen, who
dined with him; and after some consultation with the cardinal, he with
the rest of the gentlemen departed again to Boulogne. Thus the cardinal
was daily visited with one or other of the French nobility.
Then when all his train and his carriages were landed at Calais, and
every thing prepared in a readiness for his journey, he called before
him all his noblemen and gentlemen into his privy chamber; where
they being assembled, [he] said unto them in this wise in effect:
"I have called you hither to this intent, to declare unto you, that
I considering the diligence that ye minister unto me, and the good
will that I bear you again for the same, intending to remember your
diligent service hereafter, in place where ye shall receive condign
thanks and rewards. And also I would show you further what authority
I have received directly from the king's highness; and to instruct
you somewhat of the nature of the French men; and then to inform you
what reverence ye shall use unto me for the high honour of the king's
majesty, and also how ye shall entertain the French men, whensoever
ye shall meet at any time. First, ye shall understand that the king's
majesty, upon certain weighty considerations, hath for the more
advancement of his royal dignity, assigned me in this journey to be
his lieutenant-general; and what reverence belongeth to the same I
will tell you. That for my part I must, by virtue of my commission of
lieutenantship, assume and take upon me, in all honours and degrees,
to have all such service and reverence as to his highness' presence
is meet and due: and nothing thereof to be neglected or omitted by me
that to his royal estate is appurtenant. And for my part ye shall see
me that I will not omit one jot thereof. Therefore, because ye shall
not be ignorant in that behalf, is one of the special causes of this
your assembly, willing and commanding you as ye entend my favour not
to forget the same in time and place, but every of you do observe this
information and instruction as ye will at my return avoid the king's
indignation, but to obtain his highness' thanks, the which I will
further for you as ye shall deserve.
"Now to the point of the Frenchmen's nature, ye shall understand that
their disposition is such, that they will be at the first meeting as
familiar with you as they had been acquainted with you long before, and
commune with you in the French tongue as though ye understood every
word they spake: therefore in like manner, be ye as familiar with them
again as they be with you. If they speak to you in the French tongue,
speak you to them in the English tongue; for if you understand not
them, they shall no more understand you." And my lord speaking merrily
to one of the gentlemen there, being a Welshman, "Rice," quoth he,
"speak thou Welsh to him, and I am well assured that thy Welsh shall be
more diffuse[109] to him than his French shall be to thee." And then
quoth he again to us all, "let all your entertainment and behaviour
be according to all gentleness and humanity, that it may be reported,
after your departure from thence, that ye be gentlemen of right good
behaviour, and of much gentleness, and that ye be men that know your
duty to your sovereign lord, and to your master, allowing much your
great reverence. Thus shall ye not only obtain to yourselves great
commendation and praise for the same, but also advance the honour of
your prince and country. Now go your ways admonished of all these
points, and prepare yourselves against to-morrow, for then we intend,
God willing, to set forward." And thus, we being by him instructed and
informed, departed to our lodgings, making all things in a readiness
against the next day to advance forth with my lord.
The next morrow, being Mary Magdalen's day, all things being furnished,
my Lord Cardinal rode out of Calais with such a number of black velvet
coats as hath not been seen with an ambassador. All the spears of
Calais, Guines, and Hammes, were there attending upon him in that
journey, in black velvet coats, and many great and massy chains of gold
were worn there.
Thus passed he forth with three gentlemen in a rank, which occupied the
length of three quarters of a mile or more, having all his accustomed
and glorious furniture carried before him, as I before have rehearsed,
except the broad seal, the which was left with Doctor Taylor, in
Calais, then Master of the Rolls, until his return[110].
Passing thus on his way, and being scant a mile of his journey, it
began to rain so vehemently that I have not seen the like for the time;
that endured until we came to Boulogne; and or we came to Sandyngfeld,
the Cardinal of Loraine, a goodly young gentleman, encountered my
lord, and received him with great reverence and joy; and so passed
forth together, until they came to Sandyngfeld, which is a place of
religion, standing between the French, English, and the Emperor's
dominions, being neuter, holding of neither of them. And being come
thither, met with him there Le Countie Brion, Captain of Picardy, with
a great number of men of arms, as Stradiots and Arbenois[111] with
others standing in array, in a great piece of oats, all in harness,
upon light horses, passing with my lord, as it were in a wing, all his
journey through Picardy; for my lord somewhat doubted the emperor, lest
he would lay an ambush to betray him; for which cause the French king
commanded them to await upon my lord for the assurance of his person
out of the danger of his enemies. Thus rode he accompanied until he
came to the town of Boulogne, where he was encountered within a mile
thereof, with the worshipfullest citizens of the town, having among
them a learned man, that made to him an oration in Latin; unto the
which my lord made answer semblably in Latin. And that done, Monsieur
du Biez, Captain of Boulogne, with the retinue there of gentlemen,
met him on horseback; which conveyed him into the town with all this
assembly, until he came to the abbey gate, where he lighted and went
directly into the church, and made his prayers before the image of our
Lady, to whom he made his offering. And that done, he gave there his
blessing to the people, with certain days of pardon[112]. Then went he
into the abbey where he was lodged, and his train were lodged in the
high and basse towns.
The next morning, after he heard mass, he rode unto _Montreuil sur la
mer_, where he was encountered in like case as he was the day before,
with the worshipfullest of the town, all in one livery, having one
learned that made an oration before him in Latin, whom he answered in
like manner in Latin; and as he entered in to the town, there was a
canopy of silk embroidered with the letters and hat that was on the
servants coats, borne over him [by] the persons of most estimation
within the town. And when he was alighted his footmen seized the same
as a fee due to their office. Now was there made divers pageants for
joy of his coming, who was called there, and in all other places within
the realm of France as he travelled, _Le Cardinal Pacifique_; and in
Latin _Cardinalis Pacificus_. [He] was accompanied all that night with
divers worthy gentlemen of the country there about[113].
The next day he rode toward Abbeville, where he was encountered with
divers gentlemen of the town and country, and so conveyed unto the
town, where he was most honourably received with pageants of divers
kinds, wittily and costly invented, standing in every corner of the
streets as he rode through the town; having a like canopy borne over
him, being of more richer sort than the other at Montreuil, or at
Boulogne was; they brought him to his lodging, which was, as it seemed,
a very fair house newly built with brick. At which house King Louis
married my Lady Mary, King Henry the VIIIth sister; which was after
married to the Duke of Suffolk, Charles Brandon. And being within, it
was in manner of a gallery, yet notwithstanding it was very necessary.
In this house my lord remained eight or ten days; to whom resorted,
daily, divers of the council of France, feasting them, and other noble
men, and gentlemen that accompanied the council, both at dinners and
suppers.
Then when the time came that he should depart from thence, he rode to a
castle beyond the waters of Somme, called Pincquigny Castle, adjoining
unto the said water, standing upon a great rock or hill, within the
which was a goodly college of priests; the situation whereof was most
like unto the castle of Windsor in England; and there he was received
with a solemn procession, conveying him first into the church, and
after unto his lodging within the castle. At this castle King Edward
the Fourth met with the French king, upon the bridge that goeth over
the water of Somme, as ye may read in the chronicles of England.
When my lord was settled within his lodging, it was reported unto
me that the French king should come that day into Amiens, which was
within six English miles of Pincquigny Castle; and being desirous to
see his first coming into the town, [I] axed license and took with
me one or two gentlemen of my lord's, and rode incontinent thither,
as well to provide me of a necessary lodging as to see the king. And
when we came thither, being but strangers, [we] took up our inn (for
the time) at the sign of the Angel, directly against the west door of
the cathedral church _de notre Dame Sainte Marie_. And after we had
dined there, tarrying until three or four of the clock, expecting the
king's coming, in came Madame Regent, the king's mother, riding in
a very rich chariot; and in the same with her was her daughter, the
Queen of Navarre, furnished with a hundred ladies and gentlewomen or
more following, riding upon white palfreys; over and besides divers
other ladies and gentlewomen that rode some in rich chariots, and some
in horse litters; who lighted at the west door with all this train,
accompanied with many other noblemen and gentlemen besides her guard,
which was not small in number. Then, within two hours after, the king
came into the town with a great shot of guns and divers pageants, made
for the nonce at the king's _bien venue_; having about his person both
before him and behind him, besides the wonderful number of noblemen and
gentlemen, three great guards diversely apparelled. The _first_ was of
Soutches[114] and Burgonyons, with guns and havresacks. The _second_
was of Frenchmen, some with bows and arrows, and some with bills. The
_third_ guard was _pour le corps_, which was of tall Scots, much more
comelier persons than all the rest. The French guard and the Scots had
all one livery, which was rich coats of fine white cloth, with a guard
of silver bullion embroidered an handful broad. The king came riding
upon a goodly genet, and lighted at the west door of the said church,
and so [was] conveyed into the church up to the high altar, where he
made his prayers upon his knees, and [was] then conveyed into the
bishop's palace, where he was lodged, and also his mother.