was maintained a garrison at Ardmaughe, Belefarst, and of late in
Glanarme, Mountsendall, Island Sydneye, Castle-Town, Don-Lewse and other
places, they were also furnished for their provision for the most part
by like cess out of the English Pale as before, and to the Queen’s
Majesty more charge than any the others were, by as much as the English
Pale for carriages by sea and land is further distant to those remote
places than the other garrisons upon the borders were; and keeping of
fort in the heart of the enemy’s country, they were a defence and stay
and strength only to themselves in those pieces which they kept, wherein
they were shut up as they could neither relieve themselves by anything
they could get in the country itself, being waste, as it is always so
kept by the enemy of purpose; nor yet could they be so easily victualled
of the Queen’s provision, but sometime with conduct, to more charge and
trouble than the rest, as was Ardmaughe, which cost the English Pale
many men’s lives and their garrisons lost with victualling thereof; and
of late Glanarme, Mount Sendall, Donnlewse, Island Sydneye, and others,
whereof some were lost by casualty, as of late Castle-Town, Island
Sydneye, Donlewse; and those that were kept and impregnable to the enemy
were, after great charge bestowed, abandoned and voluntary given up to
the Irishry again in better case than it was before.
And when in time of war with any Irishry of power, as of late with one
Nele, and such like occasion moveth the Governor to proclaim a main
journey for 30 or 40 days to invade the enemies’ country, the Governor
goeth with the army and force of the English Pale, to their great
charge, where they continue out their days, whilst their victuals last,
and then fain to return home again, as many times they do, without booty
or other harms they do or yet can be done to a waste country, the
inhabitants thereof, whilst the English host is in their country,
shunneth all their cattle into woods or pastures, where they continue
until the English Army be gone; and then do they come into the plains of
their country with their cattle again, where they are as ready anew to
invade and spoil the English Pale as before; as commonly they do bring
with them great booties out of the borders of the same, whereof if
recovery be not made by hot pursuit of some part of that they take away,
very seldom or never can be found anything of theirs worth the having to
be taken from them for the same again. So as by these appearances,
wheresoever the service is done, the same is a charge to the Queen’s
Majesty, a burden to the liege people, to the decay both of them and the
English soldiers, fretting one another of themselves, with small defence
to the Pale, nor yet can be any great scourge to the enemy, who always
gaineth by our losses, and we never gain by them, although we win all
that we play for, the stakes being so unequal, viz., not a penny against
a pound, for that the English Pale is planted with towns and villages,
inhabited with people resident, having goods, chattels, corn and
household stuff, good booties for the Irish enemies to take from us, and
their countries being kept of purpose waste uninhabited, as where
nothing is, nothing can be had.
And thus the crown of England, being at charge this 37 years past since
the rebellion of Thomas FitzGerrelde,[21] at which time the same army
were sent into Ireland, which hath cost your late father, of worthy
memory, King Henry the Eighth, and your late brother and sister, and now
your Highness’ time, not so little as the sum of thirteen or 14 hundred
thousand pounds in all that time. And until this day they have neither
won to your Majesty obedience of people, nor yet increased your revenue
by any territory of ground they have annexed to your Crown, saving Lexe
and Ophale, which yieldeth to your Crown a yearly rent, although not so
much as it standeth your Majesty in wages to the farmers thereof that do
dwell upon the same for the only keeping and defending of the same, unto
whom was paid wages before 30 thousand pounds for keeping thereof waste,
and could not find the means to make twenty acres worth a penny a year
rent to the Queen’s Majesty; but since they have had property and
fee-farm thereof, they have learned the way to make every acre worth
20d. a year rent to themselves, and that well paid by the poor churls
and native inhabitants of those countries, whom they could not frame to
any better use but as enemies to the Queen’s Majesty whilst her Highness
was at the charge of keeping; but since they have obtained and had the
fee-farm thereof to themselves they have found the mean to make of those
that erst were called rebels to the Queen to become to themselves
profitable tenants.
Where the Queen’s Majesty’s charges is increased of late extraordinarily
four or five thousand pounds a year, bestowed upon presidents and
judges, with their retinue, for deciding of causes, in remote parts, as
it was then devised, for more ease and less charges for the people
inhabiting thereabouts than to go to the Courts to Develyn, so far off;
and where the laws was executed but in one place within the realm, the
train now of the president[s and] justices at hand is such a burden to
the poor liege people of those provinces, who dependeth upon the Queen’s
Majesty’s laws to be defended, as they are all by the same now
impoverished and decayed in worse case than they were before, as they
complaineth; and saith that when they went to Develyn to sue for their
right, though their charges was great, yet they saved somewhat; but now,
since justice is come to their doors, it, say they, leaveth them
nothing: and as for the Irishry of that province, that are of power of
themselves able to take by violence and hold the same perforce, they
will neither go to justice to give right to their neighbours, nor tarry
at home to take wrong. And thus all service in Ireland, as the same is
yet used, is a great and continual charge to the Crown of England, no
ease nor benefit to the liege people of Ireland, but pain and penury, a
consuming of them and the English soldiers, as a bough with the wind,
and native people fretting one another of themselves, and the Irish
unreformed, or yet the rebels and enemies repressed, who keepeth their
countries waste of purpose, as having nothing to lose, but living by the
spoil of others.
THE RISING IN THE NORTH (1569).
=Source.=--Record Office (_State Papers, Domestic_, 1566-1579, _Addenda_,
p. 111).
A. PROCLAMATION BY THOMAS EARL OF NORTHUMBERLAND AND CHARLES EARL
OF WESTMORELAND, THE QUEEN’S TRUE AND FAITHFUL SUBJECTS, TO ALL THE
SAME OF THE OLD AND CATHOLIC FAITH.
Know ye, that we, with many other well-disposed of the nobility and
others, have promised our faith for the furtherance of this our good
meaning. As divers ill-disposed persons about Her Majesty have, by their
crafty dealing, overthrown in this realm the true and Catholic religion
towards God, abused[22] the Queen, dishonoured the realm, and now seek
to procure the destruction of this nobility, we have gathered ourselves
together to resist force by force, and rather, by the help of God and
you good people, to redress those things amiss, with the restoring of
all ancient customs and liberties to God and this noble realm. If we
shall not do it ourselves, we might be reformed by strangers, to the
great hazarding of the state of this our country.
HANG
STAINDROP,
_15 Nov., 1569_,
B. ANOTHER PROCLAMATION BY THE SAME.
=Source.=--Dodd’s _Church History of England_. Edited by M. A. Tierney,
1840. Vol. iii., App. i.
Whereas it hath been, by the sinister and wicked reports of sundry
malicious persons, enemies both to God’s word and the public estate of
this commonwealth, devised and published, that the assembly of these
noblemen, the earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland, with sundry of
the greatest worship and credit in this part of the realm, is and hath
been to the overthrow of the commonwealth and the crown, it was
therefore thought good to [_sic_] the earls and their council, to
signify to all and every the queen’s majesty’s subjects the true and
sincere meaning of the said earls, their friends and allies.
Know ye, therefore, that where of late it hath been faithfully and
deliberately considered and devised by the right high and mighty prince,
Thomas, Duke of Norfolk, Henry earl of Arundel, William, earl of
Pembroke, together with the said earls of Northumberland and
Westmoreland, and divers others of the ancient nobility of this realm,
with a common consent of sundry the principal favourers of God’s word
(and the same as well for the avoiding of bloodshed and utter subversion
of the commonwealth, as the reforming of certain disorders crept in by
the abuse and malicious practices of sundry wicked and evil-disposed
persons), to make manifest and known to all manner of men, to whom of
mere right the true succession of the crown appertaineth; dangerously
and uncertainly depending, by reason of many titles and interests
pretended to the same: the which godly good and honourable meaning of
the said nobility hath been sought by all manner of means to be
prevented by certain common enemies of this realm about the Queen’s
person,[23] by whose sinister and detestable counsel and practice, well
known to us and to the rest of the nobility, their lives and liberties
are now endangered, and daily devices made to apprehend our bodies, the
true remain of their virtuous counsel and intent; the which their unjust
and ambitious policies and practices can by no submission on our parts
be avoided, but only by the sword:
We have therefore, of just and faithful meaning to the queen’s majesty,
her commonwealth, and the true successors of the same,[24] assembled
ourselves, to resist force by force; wherein we commit ourselves (seeing
no intercession will help) to the exceeding mercy and goodness of God,
and to all true favourers of this realm of England, resolved in
ourselves, in this so just and godly enterprise, wholly to adventure
lives, lands, and goods: whereunto we heartily crave the true aid and
assistance of all faithful favourers of the quietness of the
commonwealth, and the ancient nobility of the same.
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN AND THE NOBILITY.
C. PROCLAMATION BY THOMAS EARL OF SUSSEX, LORD-LIEUTENANT IN THE NORTH,
IN ANSWER TO THE PRECEDING.
=Source.=--_State Papers, Domestic_, as above, p. 113.
Whereas Thomas Earl of Northumberland and Charles Earl of Westmoreland,
being commanded upon their allegiance to repair to Her Majesty, have
contemptuously disobeyed her command, and have, with Christopher
Nevill, Rich. Norton of Norton Conyers, Tho. Markenfeld of Markenfeld,
John Swinburne, Robt. Tempest, Fras. Norton, and others, committed
divers offences, levied great numbers of horse and foot and put them in
armour, and do daily draw to them great forces, abusing her name and
authority to further their wicked purpose, and intend to proceed further
in their rebellious enterprise, if not resisted in time; we therefore,
in Her Majesty’s name, and by her warrant, denounce the said Earls, and
the others named, to be rebels and disturbers of the peace, and in her
name command that they henceforth be reputed rebels.
And we in Her Majesty’s name, do command all faithful subjects to flee
from the company or aiding of rebellious persons, and do by these
presents receive to her grace and free pardon all such persons, other
than hereafter be exempted, as have accompanied the said Earls and
others, if before the 22nd inst. they repair to their dwelling houses,
and there remain quiet, and do not abide in company of the said persons
aforesaid after 21 Nov.
Her Majesty’s pleasure is that the said Earls and the others named, and
Thos. Jennings, be exempted from this pardon, and also any person
adhering to or accompanying any of the before exempted after 21 Nov.,
and she commands all her subjects to repute them rebels.
[YORK], _19 Nov., 1569_.
D. BORDER-BALLAD OF THE RISING IN THE NORTH (1569-70).
=Source.=--Percy’s Folio MS. Ed. by Furnivall and Hales. Vol. i., p. 210.
Pub. 1867.
Listen lively lordings all,
and all that beene this place within!
if you’ll give eare unto my songe,
I will tell you how this geere did begin.
It was the good Erle of Westmorlande;
a noble Erle was callèd hee;
and he wrought treason against the crowne;
alas, it was the more pittye!
And soe it was the Erle of Northumberland,
another good noble Erle was hee;
they tooken both upon one part,
against their crowne they wolden bee.
Earle Percy is into his garden gone,
and after walks his awne ladye;
“I heare a bird sing in my eare
that I must either fight or flee.”
“God forbid,” shee sayd, “good my Lord,
that ever so that it shalbee,
but goe to London to the court,
and faire fall truth and honestye!”
“But nay, now nay, my Ladye gay,
that ever it shold soe bee;
my treason is knowen well enoughe;
at the court I must not bee.”
“But goe to the Court! yet, good my Lord,
take men enowe with thee;
if any man will doe you wronge,
your warrant they may bee.”
“But nay, now nay, my Lady gay,
for soe it must not bee,
if I goe to the court, Ladye,
death will strike me, and I must dye.”
“But goe to the Court! yett, good my Lord,
I my-selfe will ryde with thee;
if any man will doe you wronge,
your borow[25] I shalbee.”
“But nay, now nay, my Lady gay,
for soe it must not bee;
for if I goe to the Court, Ladye,
thou must me never see.
But come hither, thou litle footpage,
come thou hither unto mee,
for thou shalt goe a message to Master Norton
in all the hast that ever may bee.
Comend me to that gentleman;
bring him here this letter from mee,
and say I pray him earnestlye
that he will ryde in my companye.”
But one while the foote page went,
another while he rann;
untill he came to Master Norton,
the foot page never blanne.[26]
And when he came to Master Norton,
he kneled on his knee,
And tooke the letter betwixt his hands,
and lett the gentleman it see.
And when the letter it was reade
afore all his companye,
I-wis, if you wold know the truth,
there was many a weeping eye.
He said, “Come hither, Kester[27] Norton,
a fine fellow thou seemes to bee;
Some good councell, Kester Norton,
this day doe thou give to mee.”
“Marry, I’ll give you councell, father,
if you’ll councell take at mee,
that if you have spoken the word, father,
that backe againe you doe not flee.”
“God amercy, Christopher Norton,
I say, God amercy!
if I doe live and scape with life,
well avancèd shalt thou bee.
But come you hither, my nine good sonnes,
in men’s estate I thinke you bee;
how many of you, my children deare,
on my part that wilbe?”
But eight of them did answer soone,
and spake full hastilye,
sayes, “We wilbe on your part, father,
till the day that we doe dye.”
“But God amercy, my children deare,
and ever I say God amercy!
and yet my blessing you shall have,
whethersoever I live or dye.
But what sayst thou, thou Francis Norton,
mine eldest sonne and mine heyre trulye?
some good councell, Francis Norton,
this day thou give to me.”
“But I will give you councell, father,
if you will take councell at mee;
for if you wold take my councell, father,
against the crowne you shold not bee.”
“But fye upon thee, Francis Norton!
I say Fye upon thee!
When thou was younge and tender of age
I made full much of thee.”
“But your head is white, father,” he sayes,
“and your beard is wonderous gray;
it were shame for your countrye
if you shold rise and flee away.”
“But fye upon thee, thou coward Francis!
thou never tookest that of mee!
when thou was younge and tender of age
I made too much of thee.”
“But I will goe with you, father, quoth hee,
like a naked man will I be;
he that strikes the first stroake against the crowne,
an ill death may hee dye!”
But then rose up Master Norton that Esquier,
with him a full great companye;
and then the Erles they comen downe
to ryde in his companye.
Att Whethersbye they mustered their men
upon a full fayre day;
thirteen thousand there were seene
to stand in battel ray.
The Erle of Westmoreland, he had in his ancyent[28]
the Dunne Bull in sight most hye,
and three doggs with golden collers
were sett out royallye.
The Erle of Northumberland, he had in his ancyent
the Halfe Moone in sight so hye,
as the Lorde was crucifyed on the Crosse,
and sett forthe pleasantlye.
And after them did rise good Sir George Bowes,
after them a spoyle to make;
the Erles returned backe againe,
thought ever that Knight to take.
This Baron did take a Castle[29] then,
was made of lime and stone;
the uttermost[30] walls were ese to be wonne;
the Erles have won them anon;
But tho they won the uttermost walls
quickly and anon,
the innermost walls they cold not winn,
they were made of a rocke of stone.
But newes it came to leeve[31] London
in all the speed that ever might bee;
and word it came to our royall Queene
of all the rebélls in the north countrye.
She turned her grace then once about,
and like a royall Queene she sware,
sayes, “I will ordeine them such a breake-fast
as was not in the North this thousand yeere!”
She caused thirty thousand men to be made
with horsse and harneis all quicklye;
and shee caused thirty thousand men to be made
to take the rebélls in the North countrye.
They took with them the false Erle of Warwicke,
soe did they many another man;
untill they came to Yorke Castle,
I wis they never stinted nor blan.
“Spread thy ancyent, Erle of Westmoreland!
The halfe moone faine wold we see!”
But the halfe moone is fled and gone,
and the Dun Bull vanished awaye;
And Richard[32] Norton and his eight sonnes
are fled away most cowardlye.
Ladds with mony are counted men,
Men without mony are counted none;
but hold your tounges! why say you soe?
Men wilbe men when mony is gone.[33]
E. LONDON BALLAD ON THE RISING, BY WILLIAM ELDERTON (1569-70).
=Source.=--Original in British Museum, Huth Bequest, 50, No. 4. Reprinted
in _Ancient Ballads_, 1867.
A Ballad intituled, A newe well a daye,
As playne, maister Papist, as Donstable waye.
Amonge manye newes reported of late
As touchinge the rebelles their wicked estate,
Yet Syr Thomas Plomtrie[34] their preacher, they saie,
Hath made the North Countrie to crie well a daye.
_Well a daye, well a daye, well a daye, woe is me,
Syr Thomas Plomtrie is hanged on a tree._
And now manie fathers and mothers be theare,
Are put to their trialles with terrible feare,
Not all the gaye crosses nor goddes they adore
Will make them as merrie as they have ben before;
_Well a daye, etc._
The widowes be woful whose husbandes be taken,
The childerne lament them that are so forsaken,
The church men thei chaunted the morowe masse bell,
Their pardons be graunted, they hang verie wel.
_Well a daye, etc._
It is knowne they bee fled that were the beginers,
It is time they were ded, poore sorofull sinners:
For all their great haste they are hedged at a staye,
With weeping and waylinge to sing well a daye.
_Well a daye, etc._
Yet some hold opynion, all is well with the highest;
They are in good saftie wher freedome is nieste;
Northumberland need not be doubtefull, some saye,
And Westmorelande is not yet brought to the bay;
_Well a daye, etc._
No more is not Norton, nor a nomber beside,
But all in good season they may hap to be spide;
It is well they be wandred whether no man can say,
But it will be remembered, they crie well a daie;
_Well a daye, etc._
Where be the fyne fellowes that caried the crosses?
Where be the devisers of idoles and asses?
Wher be the gaie banners were wont to be borne?
Where is the devocion of gentyll John Shorne?[35]
_Well a daye, etc._
* * * * *
Leave of your lyinge, and fall to trewe reason
Leave of your fonde spieng, and marke every season;
Against God and your countrie to taulke of rebelling,
Not Syr Thomas Plomtrie can bide by the telling.
_Well a daye, etc_.
And such as seduce the people with blyndnes,
And byd them to trust the Pope and his kyndnes,
Make worke for the tynker, as prouerbes doth saie;
By such popishe patching still comes well a daye.
_Well a daye, etc._
And she that is rightfull your Queene to subdue ye,
Althoughe you be spitefull, hath gyven no cause to ye;
But if ye will vexe her, to trie her hole force,
Let him that comes next her take heed of her horse.
_Well a daye, etc._
She is the lieftennante of him that is stowtest,
She is the defender of all the devowtest;
It is not the Pope, nor all the Pope may,
Can make her astonyed, or singe well a daie,
_Well a daye, etc._
God prosper her highnes, and send her his peace,
To governe good people with grace and increase;
And send the deservers, that seeke the wronge way,
At Tyborne some carvers, to singe well a daie,
_Well a daye, well a daye, well a daye, woe is me,
Sir Thomas Plomtrie is hanged on a tree._
FINIS.
W. E.
Imprinted at London in Fleetstrete beneath the Conduit, at the signe of
S. John Evangelist, by Thomas Colwell.
BULL DEPOSING QUEEN ELIZABETH (1569-1570).
=Source.=--Camden: _Annales_ (1615). English translation, 1625, _sub
anno_.
The Sentence Declaratory of the Holy Father Pope Pius the Fifth against
Elizabeth the pretended Queen of England and those Heretics adhering to
her: And finally all such as obey her, to be ensnared in the same:
Pius, Bishop, a servant of the servants of God, for the future memory of
the business.
* * * * *