what view it was that they and no other (except Cox once) are named. Over against the 15th article their names are set down in this order: York, Duresme, Carlisle, Corren, Simon, Oglethorp, Edgeworth, Day, Redman, Robinson, Winchester; and a little below, Canterbury, Hereford, Rochester, Davys (I suppose St. David's), Westminster, Layton, Tresham, Cox, Crayford; these are writ in a hand that I do not know, but not in the same hand. It seems those lists were made with relation to the different parties in which they stood. The book thus carefully examined was finished and published.

The king went in progress with his queen, who began to have a great influence on him; and, on what reason I do not know, she withdrew from her uncle, and became his enemy but before the king's return, her life came to be discovered, which ended fatally to her. It is scarce worth the reader's while to say any more of a matter that is so universally acknowledged; but having found an original account subscribed by herself, of one of her examinations, I have put it in the Collection (No. lxxi). It appears, there was a particular view in the archbishop of Canterbury's examining her, to draw from her all the discoveries they could make to fasten a precontract with Dereham on her. Many trifling stories relating to that being suggested, she was examined to them all: but though she confesses a lewd commerce with Dereham, she positively denied every thing that could infer a precontract; nor did she confess any thing of that sort done after the king married her; which she still denied very positively, even to the last. On the 15th of December letters were written to the king's ambassadors abroad, that contain a severe account of the lewd and naughty behaviour and lightness of her lately reputed for queen (I give the words of the letter), at which the king was much troubled*.

Upon her disgrace there was a new negotiation proposed with the protestant princes of Germany. Mount was again sent over to excuse, as well as he could, the divorce with Anne of Cleve. He said, she was treated nobly and kindly in all respects by the king. He renewed the proposition for a league, with relation to their common interests; but they still stood upon this, that they could enter into no alliance with him, unless they agreed in religion, insisting particularly on private masses, the denying the chalice, and the celibate of the clergy; upon which a conference was proposed in Gelderland, or at Hamburgh, or Ereme. The king

* Paper-office. Secken, lib. iii, p. 78.

in answer to this wrote, that he would carefully examine all that they laid before him he expressed great regard to the elector, but complained that some of his learned men had written virulently against him, and misrepresented his proceedings. Cranmer likewise wrote to the elector, and set forth the great things the king had already done in abolishing the pope's authority, the monastic state, and the idolatrous worship of images: he desired they would not be uneasy, though the king in some things differed still from them. He was very learned himself, and had learned men about him he was quick of apprehension, had a sound judgment, and firm in what he once resolved on: and he hoped the propositions they had sent over would be well considered.

Lord William Howard, the late queen's uncle, was then ambassador in France: he tells in one of his letters, that the admiral was restored to favour, chiefly by the means of Madame d'Estampes, whose credit with that king is well known. There were reports that the emperor and the French king were in a treaty, and that, in conclusion, they would join to make war on the king: this was charged on the French, but solemnly disowned by that king. It appears, the proposition for marrying the Lady Mary to the duke of Orleans was then begun: great exceptions were taken to her being declared a bastard; but it was promised, that when all other things were agreed to, she should be declared legitimate. Upon Queen Katharine Howard's disgrace, Lord William was recalled, and Paget was sent over in his

room.

(1542.) There is in the Paper-office an original letter of Paget's to the king, that gives an account of his conversation with the admiral, who was then in high favour, Montmorency being in disgrace. It is very long, but it contains so many important passages, that I have put it in the Collection (No. lxxii), and shall here give an abstract of it. It is dated from Chablais, the 22d of April, in the year 1542.

"He gave the admiral an account of his instructions, and of what both the king and his council had ordered him to say: he perceived the admiral sighed and crossed himself often; and said, in his answer to him, that he saw the king of France resolved to enter into some confederacy: he de sired it might be with the king, and would think of no other prince till the king refused him he thought both the kings were by their interests obliged to stick to one another, though the marriage had never been spoke of: it is true, that would fix and strengthen it. But he thought 200,000 crowns was a very mean offer, for such a king's daughter, to such a

prince; 400,000 or 500,000 crowns was nothing to the king. The duke of Orleans was a prince of great courage, and did aspire to great things. So mean an offer would quite discourage them. The daughter of Portugal was offered with 400,000 ducats, together with the interest of it since her father's death, which was almost as much more. At the first motion of the matter, it was answered, The man must desire the woman: now he does desire her, and you offer nothing; with this he sighed. Paget answered, and fully set out the personal love that he knew his master had for the French king: that none of the occasions of suspicion that had been given could alienate him from it: and he reckoned up many of these: he acknowledged there were great hopes of the duke of Orleans, but he studied to show that the offer was not unreasonable, all things considered. Lewis the Twelfth had but 300,000 crowns with the king's sister, and the king of Scots had with the other but 100,000 crowns but he said, besides the 200,000 crowns which he offered to give, they will also forgive 800,000 crowns that France owed the king, and discharge the 100,000 crowns yearly pension. To this the admiral replied, he counted the forgiving the 800,000 crowns for nothing: and for the annual pension they would be at as much charge to maintain her and her court. Paget said, the 800,000 crowns was a just debt, lent in an extreme necessity; and because it had been long owing, and often respited, must that pass for nothing? So he bade him ask reasonably, or offer what was proper reciprocally for it. The admiral said, the king was rich; and what was 800,000 crowns to him, which they were not able to pay? So the admiral said, he wished the thing had never been spoke of: he fell next to turn the motion to the Lady Elizaabeth, and he proposed a league offensive and defensive against the emperor: and that whatever should be got from the emperor, should be the king's in lieu of the pension during life. He knew the emperor was practising with the king, as he was at the same time with them. Bonner was then sent ambassador to Spain, and had carried over from the king to the emperor three horses of value. The emperor might say what he will in the way of practice: but he knew he would never unite with the king, except he would return to the pope: for so the nuncio told the chancellor, and the chancellor told it to the queen of Navarre, who fell out with him upon that occasion. She told him he was ill enough before; but now, since he had the mark of the beast (for he was lately made a priest), he grew worse and worse the emperor's design was only to divide them. He offered to them, that the duke of Orleans should be king of

Naples, and to give Flanders to the crown of France: but in lieu of that he asked the renunciation of Milan and Navarre, and the restoring of Piedmont and Savoy: but by this the father and son being so far separate, the emperor would soon drive the duke of Orleans out of Naples. He was also studying to gain the duke of Cleve, and to restore him Guelder quietly, provided that he and his wife would renounce Navarre but he concluded, that they knew the emperor did nothing but practise: they knew he offered to the king to reconcile him to the pope, without any breach of his honour, for it should be at the pope's suit. Paget said, he knew nothing of all that, but believed it would be hard to reconcile him to the bishop of Rome, for virtue and vice cannot stand together in one predicament. Call ye him vice? said the admiral; he is the very devil, and I trust to see his con-" fusion every thing must have a time, and a beginning. But when begin you? said Paget. The admiral answered, Before it be long; the king will give all the abbeys to his lay-gentlemen, and so by little and little overthrow him altogether: why may not we have a patriarch in France? This the pope's legate began to perceive; and though they talked of a general council, he believed the pope would as soon be hanged as call one. Paget said, he would be glad to see them once begin to do somewhat. Ah, said the admiral, I'm ill matched he wished the entire union of the two kings; and if an interview might be between them, it would be the happiest thing could befal Christendom: but he believed some of the king's council leaned too much to the emperor, and proposed several advantages from it. He said, the emperor cared not if father, friend, and all the world, should sink, so his insatiable desires might be satisfied. He suffered two of his brothers-in-law to perish for want of 50,000 crowns first the king of Hungary, and then the king of Denmark; whom he might have restored, if he would have given him 10,000 crowns. He was then low enough, and they would do well to fall on him, now that he was so low, before he took breath: so he pressed Paget to put matters on heartily with the king: he thought it an unreasonable thing for the emperor and his brother to ask aid against the Turk, to defend their own dominions, when they kept the king's dominions from him. Paget gave the king an account of all this conversation very particularly, with an humble submission to him, if in any thing he had gone too far. The court of France believed the emperor was treating with the king for the marriage of the Lady Mary, and that for that end Bonner was sent to Spain; who was looked on as a man thoroughly imperial. After Paget had ended his letter, written on the 19th of April, he adds a long postscript on

the 22d, for the admiral had entered into farther discourse with him the next day. He told him how sorry he was to see all his hopes blasted. He could not sleep all night for it. They had letters from their ambassadors in England, and were amazed to find that a king who was so rich stood for so small a matter. The pope had offered the duke of Guise's son 200,000 crowns with his niece: he said he was much troubled at all this all that were about the king his master were not of one mind; and he had been reproached for beginning this matter. They knew the falsehood and the lies of the pope and the emperor well enough: he wished they would consider well what the effects of an entire friendship with the king of France might be the French could do no more than they could do: within two years they would owe the king 100,000 crowns, besides the 100,000 crowns during the king's life, and 50,000 crowns for ever after that but he said in those treaties many things ought to be done for their own defence at this he was called away by the king, but came afterwards to Paget: he said, it was not 100,000 nor 200,000 crowns could enrich the one or impoverish the other king: so he added, we ask your daughter, and you shall have our son; but desired that they might carry the matter further into a league, to make war on the emperor, defensive, for all their territories.

:

"He proposed that the king should send ten thousand foot and two thousand horse into Flanders, and to pay five thousand Germans. and the French king should furnish the same number of foot and of Germans, and three thousand horse, and an equal number of ships on both sides; and the king of France should in some other places fall into the emperor's dominions, at an expense of 200,000 crowns a month. What a thing, said he, would it be to the king to have Gravelin, Dunkirk, and all those quarters joining to Calais! Paget answered, they might spend all their money, and catch nothing: and he did not see what ground of quarrel his master had with the emperor; upon which the admiral replied, Does not he owe you money? Hath not he broken his leagues with you in many particulars? Did not he provoke us to join with the pope and him, to drive your master out of his kingdom? And hath he not now put the pope on offering a council to sit at Mantua, Verona, Cambray, or Mets (this last place was lately named), all on design to ruin you? A pestilence take him, said he, false dissembler that he is! If he had you at such an advantage, as you now have him, you should feel it: and he run out largely, both against the bishop of Rome and the emperor : he desired the war might begin that year, the emperor being so low, that for all his millions, he had not a penny."