Shrewsbury (afterwards appointed by Queen Elizabeth for the meeting
of her and Mary Queen of Scots, which never took place), where he
continued eighteen days, being there seized with the flux. Here Sir
William Kingston the Constable of the Tower came to take charge of his
person, and on Thursday the twenty-fourth of November they set forward,
the cardinal hardly able to sit upright on his mule. They passed the
night at Hardwicke upon Line in Nottinghamshire. (_See note on the
Life_, p. 379.)
On Friday the twenty-fifth they rode to Nottingham, and lodged there
that night.
On Saturday the twenty-sixth at night, they reached Leicester Abbey; he
had many times like to have fallen from his mule by the way; telling
the abbot as he entered he had come to lay his bones among them. He
gradually became worse, and died at eight o'clock in the morning of
Tuesday November the twenty-ninth.
_Beside the solemn mass performed by Cardinal Wolsey upon the
ratification of peace between the French and English kings, which
is described at p. 190 of the Life, he officiated at another great
ceremony of thanksgiving upon occasion of the Pope's deliverance
from captivity. The particulars of which are preserved in the
archives of the Herald's College in an ancient book written by Thomas
Walle, Windsor Herald, and published by Dr. Fiddes at p. 179 of his
Collections. For the convenience of the reader who may not possess Dr.
Fiddes's Life of Wolsey, I have thought it desirable to place this
curious relation in my Appendix._
_The Comming and Reseyving of the Lord Cardinall into Powles for the
Escaping of Pope Clement_ VII. A. D. 1527. A^o Regni Henrici VIII.
XIX^{th}.
Memorandum that the fifth day of January beyng Sunday even in the year
aforesaid, the Lord Thomas Wolcy Cardinall of Yorke &c. landyd betweene
eight of the clocke and nyne in the morninge at the Black fryars at
London, with great company of noblemen and gentlemen, where met with
him the Embassadours of the Pope, of the Emperour, the Frenche kinge,
of Venise, of Florence, of Millain. And so procedyd on horseback unto
Powles church dore, where they did alight. And ther the officers of
armes longing unto the king gave there theire attendance, and at his
alighting put on there sootes of armes. And here was also foure of
the doctors, prebendarys of the sayd Powles, in copes and grey amys,
which bare a rich canape over him of cloth of gould. And so the lord
cardinall procedyd, havyng themperours embassadour on his right hand,
and the Frenche kinges [embassadour] on his lifte hand, untill he came
to the arches where was prepared a bank with quyshions and carpets,
where the said Lord kneled, and there mete him, in Pontificalibus, the
Bushop of London, the Bushop of St. Asse [Asaph] which censyd him: And
the Bushop of Lincoln, the Bushop of Bath, the Bushop of Llandaff,
the Lord Priour of Westm^r, the Priour of St. Saviours, th Abbots of
Stratford, and of Towerhill, the Priour of Christ-churche, of St. Mary
Spytell, with other to the so[=m]e of xvi miters. And so the procession
of the hole quyer procedyd fourth, havyng thambassadours with him as
afore, up to the quier, and so to the high aultier, wher, his oblation
doon, he went with him into his travers, and duringe that the howre was
a singing he was revestyd in Pontificalibus, and then he with all the
other prelats, the quiere of Powles and his hole quiere, with his suit
of rich copes, went in procession within the said church, the officers
of arms about him, and next after him thembassadours, and then the
Mayor of London, and the other estates and gentlemen, with the aldermen
of the cittie.
The procession doon, the Masse of the Trinity was begun, songen by the
Byshop of London; the Priour of St. Mary Spittell Gospeller; the Priour
of Christ Church Pistoler. The masse doon the lord cardinall with the
other prelatz went unto the quyer dore, where Doctor Capon declaryd
the calamities, miseries, and the opprobrious deeds and works, with
the great suffrance that our mother the Holy Churche hath suffryd, not
allonly by the Lutherian sorte, which was lyke to have sortyd to an
ungracious effecte; but also now of late of the great unhappy delings
of the Paynymes, and violators of our Christien faith, the men of
warr belonging to the emperor. In the sorrowful destruction of Rome,
where they, like miscreantz, nothing regarding nother God nor shame,
violentlye tooke and by force imprisoned our Holy Father the Pope, the
which now of late by the helpe of our Lord God, which se his churche in
p^rdicion, did releive hit againe; insomuch that our said Holy Father
is escapyd their hands, wherfore the Lord Legats grace by the kings
commandement hath here caused as this day, this noble assemble to be
had, to the end that lauds praysings and congratulations might be gyven
by all true Christien people unto Almighty God, and the hole company of
Heaven.
And thus doing, the said lord cardinall did give his benediction to
all the people. Which Doctor Capon sayd, much more than I can reherse,
and this doon the sayd lord retournyd to the aultier wher the lord
cardinal began _Te Deum_, the which was solempnly songen with the
kingis trumpetts and shalmes, as well Inglishmen as Venysians, which
doon every man repayred home. And the Lord Legat Cardinall went to his
place to dynner, and the embassadours with him.
_Copied out of an ancient book written by Thomas Walle Windsore, and
afterwards Garter, folio 126. Examined by us_,
WILLIAM LE NEVE.
L. YORKE.
DANCER HANCOCKE.
_The Ceremonial of receiving the Cardinal's Hat, sent by the Pope to
Wolsey._ Extracted from a MS. in the Herald's Office. Ceremon. vol. 3.
p. 219.
[FROM FIDDES' COLLECTIONS. _See p. 92._]
In the yeare of our Lord 1515, the 15^{th} daie of November, being
Thursdaie and the seaventh yeare of our sovereigne lord King Henry
the Eight, the said prothonitary enter'd into London, which before
according was mett bothe at the sea side, likewise at Canterbury and
at Rochester with the bishop of the same, and at Black Heath theare
mett with him the Reverend Father in God the Bishop of Lincolne, the
Earle of Essex, and many other gent. of great honour, both spiritual
and temporal, and soe proceeded through London, the Bishop of Lincolne
ridinge on the right hand [of] the said prothonitary and the Earle of
Essex on his left hand, having with them sixe horses or above, and
they all well beseeming and keeping a good order in their proceeding.
The Maior of London with the aldermen on horseback in Cheapside, and
the crafte stoode in the streets after there custome: and when the
said Hatt was comen to the Abbey of Westminster, wheare at the north
door of the same was redie th Abbot and eight abbotts besides him,
all in pontificalibus, and honorabilie received it; and in like sort
the same conveied to the high alter, whearuppon it was sett. The
Sundaie next following, the eightenth daie, the most Reverend Father
in God my Lord Cardinal, well accompanied with noble and gentlemen,
both spiritual and temporal, being on horseback, as knights, barons,
bishops, earles, dukes, and arch-bishops, all in due order proceeded
from his place betwixt eight and nyne of the clocke to the abbey; and
at the dore beforesaid, his grace with all the noble men descended
from their horses and went to the high alter, wheare on the south
side was ordeyned a goodlie travers from my Lord Cardinal, and when
his grace was comen into it, imediatelie began the Masse of the Holy
Ghost, songen by the Arch-bishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of Lincoln
Gospeller, and the Bishop of Excester Epistoler, th Arch Bishops of
Armachan and Dublyn, the Bishops of Winchester, Duresme, Norwiche,
Ely, and Landaffe, and viii abbotts, as of Westminster, Saint Albans,
Bury, Glastonbury, Reading, Glocestre, Winche-Combe, Tewkesbury, and
the Prior of Coventrie, all in pontificalibus. The Bishop of Rochester
was crosier to my Lord of Canterbury during the mass. M^r Doctor
Collet, Deane of Powles, made a brief collation or proposition, in
which especially he touched thre things, That is to witt, the name of a
cardinal, and wheareof it is said, alsoe the highe honour and dignitie
of the same, and as keeping the articles due and belonging to it, and
by what meanes he obtained to this high honour chieflie, as by his own
merits, theare naminge divers and sundrie vertues that he hath used,
which have been the cause of his high and joyous promotion to all the
realme. The second cause of his promotion was through our sovereigne
lord the king, for the greate zeale and favour that our holy father the
pope hath to his grace. The second thing, is touching the dignitie of
a prince as having power judicial. The third, of a bishop signifying
both the old and newe lawe, and havinge the power of them, and also
the highe and great power of a cardinal, and howe he betokeneth the
free beames of wisdome and charitie, which the apostles received of
the Holie Ghoste on Whitsundaie, and a cardinal representeth the order
of seraphin, which continually brenneth in the love of the glorious
Trinity; and for thies considerations a cardinal is onelie apparrelled
with redd, which collour onelie betokeneth nobleness; and howe these
three estates before named be collocated and placed in heaven, also he
exhorteth theare my lord cardinal, saying to him in this wise: _Non
magnitudo superbum extollat nobilitatissimum honorisq; dignitate_. But
remember that our Saviour in his owne person said to his disciples,
_Non veni ministrari, sed ministrare; & qui minor inter vos his maior
regno Celorum, et qui se exaltat humiliabilitur, & qui se humiliat
exaltabitur_; my lord cardinal, be glad and enforce your selfe always
to doe and execute righteousness to riche and poore, and mercy with
truth; and desired all people to praie for him that he might the
rather observe these poynts, and in accomplishinge the same what his
reward shall be in the Kingdom of Heaven; and so ended. The Bull was
read by Doctor Vecy, Deane of the King's Chappell, and Excestre, and
at Agnus Dei came forth of his travers my Lord Cardinal and kneeled
before the middle of the high alter, wheare for a certayne tyme he laye
gravelling, his hood over his head, during benedictions and prayers,
concerning the high Creation of a Cardinal, said over him by the Right
Reverend Father in God the Arch-Bishop of Canterburie, which alsoe
sett the hatt uppon his head. Then Te Deum was sung. All service and
ceremonies finished, my Lord came to the doore before-named, led by
the Dukes of Norffolk and Suffolk, where his grace with all the noble
men ascended uppon their horses, and in good order proceeded to his
place by Charing Crosse, next before him the crosse, preceeding it
the mace such as belongeth a cardinal to have, and then my Lord of
Canterbury, havinge no crosse borne before him, with the Bishop of
Winchester, before them the Duke of Norffolk and Suffolk together, and
in like order the residue of the noblemen, as the Bishop of Durham with
the Popes Orator, then the Marquess Dorsett with the Earle of Surrey,
the Earle of Shrewsburie, the Earle of Essex, the Earle of Wiltshire,
the Earle of Derby, the Lord of St. Johns, the Lord Fitzwater, the
Lord of Burgaveny, the Lord Dawbeny, the Lord Willoughby, the Lord
Hastings, the Lord Ferrers, the Lord Lattimer, the Lord Cobham, and
the Lord Darcey, Sir Henry Marney, Sir John Peche, Sir Thomas a Parr,
Sir Nicholas Vaux, and so all other Banneretts, Knyghts, and Gentlemen
before, after their degrees, and following his grace the Arch-bishop of
Armachan and Dublyn, the Bishops of Lincolne and Norwiche, Excestre,
Ely, and Rochester, and the ----, after them, my Lords Cardinals place,
being well sorted in every behalfe, and used with goodlie order, the
hall and chambers garnished very sumptuouslie with riche arras, a great
feast kept as to suche a highe and honourable creation belongeth.
At the which were the King & Queene and the French Queene, with all
the noblemen above specified, alsoe present at the creation the Lord
Fineaux, the Lord Read, the Barons of the Exchequer, with other Judges
and Serjeants at Law.
FINIS.
POEMS.
BY
GEORGE CAVENDISH.
The Poems of George Cavendish, which accompany the Life of Wolsey in
the Original Autograph Manuscript, consist of a series of Visions upon
the Fortunes and Fall of the most eminent Persons of his time.
The reader is here presented with the Prologue; the Legend of Wolsey;
and the Author's Address to his Book; with two stanzas from a long
Epitaph on Queen Mary. This specimen, it is presumed, will be deemed
sufficient to convey an idea of the style of Cavendish in verse.
It should be remembered, that the Mirror for Magistrates, which
subsequently became so popular, had not then been given to the world.
Cavendish, therefore, may have formed his plan from Lydgate's Fall of
Princes. Traces of the same kind of versification, which is evidently
intended to depend more on rhythmical cadence than the number of feet
in the verse, will be found in Skelton, in Stephen Hawes, Nicholas
Grimoald, and other contributors to Tottel's Miscellany of Songes and
Sonnettes. In the MS. copy there is no punctuation; but instead we
have the mark of the pause or cæsura in the middle and occasionally at
the end of the line; as may be remarked in the example on the plate of
fac-similes.
PROLOUG DE L'AUCTOR G. C.
In the monyth of June, I lyeng sole alon
Under the umber[246] of an oke with bowes pendant,
Whan Phebus in Gemynys had his course overgon
And entered Cancer, a sygne retrogradant,
In a mean measure his beams radyant,
Approaching Leo, than mused I in mynd
Of fykkellness of Fortune and the course of kynd[247];
How some are by fortune exalted to riches,
And often such as most unworthy be;
And some oppressed in langor and sykness,
Some wayling, lakkyng welthe, by wretched povertie;
Some in bayle and bondage, and some at libertie:
With other moo gystes[248] of fortune varyable;
Some pleasant, some mean, and some onprofitable.
But after dewe serche and better advisement,
I knewe by Reason that oonly God above
Rewlithe thos thyngs, as is most convenyent,
The same devysing to man for his behove[249];
Wherefore Dame Reason did me persuade, and move
To be content with my small estate,
And in this matter no more to vestigate.
Whan I had debated all thyng in my mynd,
I well considered myne obscure blyndness;
So that non excuse could I see or fynd,
But that my tyme I spent in idelnes;
For this me thought, and trew it is doughtles,
That since I ame a reasonable creature,
I owght my reason and wytt to put in ure[250].
Than of what matter myght I devise to wright,
To use my tyme and wytte to excercyse,
Sithe most men have no pleasour or delight
In any history, without it sownd to vice:
Alass! shold I than, that ame not young attise
With lewed ballatts, faynt harts to synne,
Or flatter estatts[251] some favor of them to wynne.
What than shall I wright? the noble doughtyness
Of estatts that used is now a dayes?
I shall than lak matter; for gredy covetousnes
Of vayne riches, whiche hathe stopt all the wayes
Of worthy chyvallry, that now dayly sore dekayes:
And yet thoughe some behave them nobly,
Yet some ther be that dayly doth the contrarye.
For some lovyth meat fynne and delicious,
And some baudye[252] brothes, as their educasion hath be;
So some lovethe virtue, and some tales vicious:
Sewerly suche tales get ye non of me,
But to eschewe all ociosite,
Of Fortune's fykellnes hereafter shall I wright,
How greatest estatts she overthrowyth by myght.
Thoughe I onworthe this tragedy do begyne,
Of pardon I pray the reders in meke wyse;
And to correct where they se fault therein,
Reputing it for lak of connyng exercyse.
The cause that moved me to this enterprise
Especyally was that all estatts myght see
What it is to trust to Fortune's mutabylitie.
With pen and ynke I toke this work in hand,
Redy to wright the deadly dole and whofull playnt
Of them whose fall the world doth understand;
Which for feare made my heart to faynt:
I must wright playn; colours have I none to paynt;
But termes rude their dolours to compile;
An wofull playnt must have an wofull style.
To whome therefore for helpe shall I nowe call?
Alas! Caliope my calling will utterly refuse;
For mornyng dities and woo of Fortune's falle
Caliope dyd never in hir dyties use;
Wherefore to hir I might my self abuse:
Also the Musis that on Parnasus syng
Suche warblyng dole did
never temper stryng.
Now to that Lord whose power is celestiall,
And gwydyth all thyng of sadnes and of blysse,
With humble voyce to the I crie and call,
That thou wouldest direct my sely[253] pen in this:
For, wantyng of thy helpe, no marvel thoughe I mysse;
And by thy grace, though my style be rude,
In sentence playne I may full well conclude.
Nowe by thy helpe this hystory I will begyn,
And from theffect varie nothing at all;
For if I shold, it ware to me great synne
To take uppon me a matter so substancyall,
So waytie, so necessarie, of fame perpetuall:
And thus to be short, oon began to speke
With deadly voyce, as thoughe his hart wold breke.
FINIS QUOD G. C.
LE HISTORYE
CARDINALIS EBORACENSIS.
O Fortune! (quoth he) shold I on the complayn,
Or of my negligence, that I susteyn this smart?
Thy doble visage hathe led me to this trayne;
For at my begynnyng thou dydst ay take my part,
Untill ambysion had puffed up my hart
With vainglory, honor, and usurped dignytie,
Forgettyng cleane my naturall mendycitie.
From povertie to plentie, which now I see is vayn,
A cardinal I was, and legate de latere,
A byshope and archbysshope, the more to crease my gayn
Chauncellor of Englond, Fortune by hir false flatterie
Dyd me advance, and gave me such auctorytie
That of hyghe and low I toke on me the charge,
All England to rewle, my power extendyd large.
Whan Fortune with favor had set me thus aloft,
I gathered me riches; suffisance could not content;
My fare was superfluous, my bed was fyne and soft;
To have my desiers I past not what I spent:
In yerthe, such abondaunce Fortune had me lent,
Yt was not in the world that I could well requier,
But Fortune strayt wayes did graunt me my desier.
My byldyngs somptious, the roffes with gold and byse[254]
Shone lyke the sone in myd day spere,
Craftely entaylled[255] as connyng could devise,
With images embossed, most lively did appere;
Expertest artificers that ware both farre and nere,
To beautyfie my howssys, I had them at my will:
Thus I wanted nought my pleasures to fullfill.
My galleries ware fayer both large and long,
To walke in them whan that it lyked me best;
My gardens sweet, enclosed with walles strong,
Embanked with benches to sytt and take my rest;
The knotts so enknotted, it cannot be exprest[256],
With arbors and alyes so pleasant and so dulce,
The pestylent ayers with flavors to repulse.
My chambers garnysht with arras fynne,
Importyng personages of the lyvelyest kynd:
And whan I was disposed in them to dynne,
My clothe of estate there ready did I fynd,
Furnysshed complett according to my mynd;
The subtyll perfumes of muske and sweet amber,
There wanted non to perfume all my chamber.
Plate of all sorts most curiously wrought,
Of facions new, I past not of[257] the old,
No vessell but sylver before me was brought,
Full of dayntes vyands, the some cannot be told;
I dranke my wynne alwayes in sylver and in gold:
And daylye to serve me, attendyng on my table,
Servaunts I had bothe worshipfull and honorable.
My crosses twayne of sylver long and greate,
That dayly byfore me ware carried hyghe,
Upon great horses, opynly in the strete,
And massie pillars gloriouse to the eye,
With pollaxes gylt that no man durst come nyghe
My presence, I was so pryncely to behold,
Ridyng on my mule trapped in sylver and gold.
My legantyne prerogatyve was myche to myn avayle,
By vertue wherof I had thys high preemynence:
All vacant benefices I did them strayt retaylle,
Presentyng than my clarke, as sone as I had intellygence:
I prevented the patron, ther vaylled[258] no resistence;
All bysshopes and prelates durst not oons denay,
They doughted so my power, they myght not dysobey.
Thus may you see how I to riches did attayne,
And with suffisaunce my mynd was not content;
Whan I had most, I rathest[259] wold complayne;
For lake of good, alas! how I was blent[260]!
Where shall my gatheryngs and good be spent?
Some oon, perchance, shall me thereof dyscharge,
Whom I most hate, and spend it owt at large[261].
Sytting in Jugement, parcyall ware my doomes;
I spared non estatte, of hyghe or low degree;
I preferred whom me lyst, exaltyng symple gromes
Above the nobles; I spared myche the spritualtie,
Not passyng myche on the temperaltie;
Promotyng such to so hyghe estate
As unto prynces wold boldly say chek-mate.
Oon to subdewe that did me always favor,
And in that place another to avaunce,
Ayenst all trewthe, I did my busy labor,
And, whilest I was workyng witty whiles in Fraunce,
I was at home supplanted, where I thought most assuraunce:
Thus who by fraud fraudelent is found,
Fraud to the defrauder will aye rebound.
Who workyth fraude often is disceyved;
As in a myrror, ye may behold in me;
For by disceyt, or I had it perceyved,
I was disceyved; a guerdon mete parde
For hyme that wold, ayenst all equite,
Dysceyve the innocent, that innocent was in deede;
Therefore Justice of Justice ayenst me must proceede.
For by my subtill dealyng thus it came to passe,
Cheafely disdayned, for whome I toke the payn;
And than to repent it was too late, alas!
My purpose I wold than have changed fayn;
But it wold not be, I was perceived playn:
Thus Venus the goddesse that called is of love
Spared not with spight to bryng me from above.
Alas! my soverayn Lord, thou didest me avaunce,
And settest me uppe in thys great pompe and pryde,
And gavest to me thy realme in governaunce;
Thy pryricely will why did I set aside,
And followed myn own, consideryng not the tyde,
How after a floode an ebbe comyth on a pace?
That to consider, in my tryhumphe I lakked grace.
Now fykkell Fortune torned bathe hir whele,
Or I it wyst[262], all sodenly, and down she did me cast;
Down was my bed, and upward went my hele,
My hold faylled me that I thought suer and fast;
I se by experience, hir favor doth not last;
For she full low now hath brought
me under, Though I on hir complayn, alas! it is no wonder.
I lost myne honor; my treasure was me beraft;
Fayn to avoyd, and quykly to geve place,
Symply to depart, for me nothing was laft,
Without penny or pound I lived a certyn space,
Untill my soverayn Lord extendyd to me his grace;
Who restored me sufficient, if I had byn content
To mayntayn myn estate, both of loud and rent.
Yet, notwithstanding, my corage was so hault,
Dispight of mine enemyes rubbed me on the gall,
Who conspyred together to take me with asault;
They travelled without triall to geve me a fall:
I therefore entendyd to trie my frends all;
To forrayn potentates wrott my letters playn,
Desireng their ayd, to restore me to favor againe.
Myn ennemyes, perceiving, caught thereof dysdayn,
Doughtyng the daynger, dreamed on the dought;
In councell consulting, my sewte to restrayn,
Accused me of treason, and brought it so about
That, travelling to my trial, or I could trie it owte,
Death with his dart strake me for the nons[263],
In Leicester, full lowe, where nowe lyeth my boons.
Loo, nowe you may see what it is to trust
In worldly vanyties that voydyth with the wynd;
For death in a moment consumeth all to dust:
No honor, no glory, that ever man cowld fynd,
But Tyme with hys tyme puttythe all out of mynd;
For Tyme in breafe tyme duskyth the hystory
Of them that long tyme lyved in glory.
Where is my tombe that I made for the nons,
Wrought of fynne copper, that cost many a pound,
To couche in my carion and my rotten boots?
All is byt vayn-glory, now I have found,
And small to the purpose, when I am in the ground;
What doth it avaylle me, all that I have,
Seyng I ame deade and laved in my grave?
Farewell Hampton Court, whos founder I was;
Farewell Westminster Place, now a palace royall;
Farewell the Moore, let Tynnynainger[264] passe;
Farewell, in Oxford, my college cardynall;
Farewell, in Ipsewich, my schole gramaticall:
Yet oons farewell, I say, I shall you never see;
Your somptious byldyng, what now avayllethe me?
What avayllyth my great aboundance?
What is nowe left to helpe me in this case?
Nothing at all but dompe in the daunce,
Among deade men to tryppe on the trace:
And for my gay housis now have I this place
To lay in my karcas, wrapt in a sheete,
Knytt with a knott at my lied and my feete.