CHAP. IX. ACCUSATION AND DEATH OF THE LORD PROTECTOR; IX. THE insurrections had scarcely terminated, when a CHAP. conflict of power began between the protector and the council of state, which the swords of both were drawn to decide, and which threatened for a few days to divide the realm into the worst of all civil warsa military struggle between the competing and factious great-an evil prevented in this case only by the fewness of those who chose at the last crisis to support the duke. Two things placed him at variance with the nobility and gentry of the land; an abusing irritability of temper, which increasing upon him as he became older, made his protectorate offensive to those who approached the court;' and the opinion, not discreditable either to his feelings or his judgment, which he had expressed, that the insurgent people had some grievances to complain of, and should therefore be patiently heard, and mildly treated, and with every possible redress. His iras 2 His ostensible friend, sir William Paget, in May 1549, thus admonished him of his failing; 'Of late your grace is grown in great choleric factions whensoever you are contraried in that which you have conceived in your head. Unless your grace do more quietly shew your pleasure in things wherein you will debate with other men, and hear them graciously say their opinions when you do require it, that will ensue whereof I shall be right sorry, and your grace will have first cause to repent. No man will dare speak to you what he thinks, tho it were never so necessary, which in the end will be dangerous unto you. In council your grace nips me sharply sometimes.' Lett. 8 May, in Strype's Eccl. 428. This is the main subject of Paget's second letter to him of 7 July 1549. Stryp. ib. 429–37. II. BOOK cible infirmity, the most unbecoming of all imperfections in every one of high official rank, and indeed in all classes of society, had personally affronted many;3 but his political measures, to lessen the inclosures, restore the appropriated commons, and to break up the sheep lands for resumed tillage, disposed the great landed interest of the country to desire the conclusion of his regent power. Their angry voice required exemplary punishment of the rebellious peasantry, who had endangered them; and the protector was not inclined to enforce the severities they urged. His reluctance was not only declared to be the cause of the turbulence, but was also unjustly imputed to a dark and deep ambition of securing, by his forbearance, a mob popularity for the achievement of daring and treasonable objects. His sacrifice of his brother was remembered to his disadvantage; and tho he had been first nominated to attack 4 3 Paget mentions an instance. Poor sir Richard Alte, this afternoon, after your grace had very sore, and too much more than needed, rebuked him, came to my chamber weeping; and there complaining, as far as became him, of your handling of him, seemed almost out of his wits, and out of heart. Your grace, peradventure, thinketh it nothing; but words spoken by the lord protector goeth to a man's heart. He adds a very important warning: A subject in great authority as your grace is, using such a fashion, is like to fall into great danger and peril of his own person, beside that to the common weal.' Lett. Strype's Eccl. 428. His friend thus intimates this charge: And what is the cause ? Your own lenity; your softness; your opinion to be good to the poor. The opinion of such as saith to your grace, O! Sir, there was never man had the hearts of the poor as you have. O! the commons pray for you, Sir:' they say, 'God save your life.'' Lett. Strype's Eccl.430. 5 Sir William very fairly acquits him of this insidious purpose: 'I know your gentle heart right well, and that your meaning is good and godly, however some evil men riot to prate here, that you have some greater enterprise in your head that lean so much to the multitude. I know, I say, your meaning and honest virtue; but, Sir, it is a great pity that ever warm weather should do harm. It is pity that your too much gentleness should be an occasion of so great an evil as is now chanced in England by these rebels.' Lett. 7 July, p. 431. 8 IX. the Norfolk revolutionists, yet, from some dislike or CHAP. distrust, the council had sent Warwick in his stead." The minute facts of the progressive struggle have not been preserved. He had assumed a command over the council, that even foreigners had remarked; and in a few weeks after Ket's suppression, in the first week of October, we find the state lords placing themselves in a treasonable crisis against each other, with mutual demonstrations of resorting to the decision of military force. Persuading or compelling the king to accompany him to Hampton Court, the duke armed five hundred of their retainers: and issued thence his letters to the nobility, and proclamations to the neighboring towns, to assemble in arms to protect their sovereign. As they joined him, he conveyed Edward, with a large body of horse and foot, to Windsor Castle; and while he sent to the London magistracy for the immediate levy of one thousand well-harnessed men, he wrote to his opposing colleagues, that he was sorry to see them bent to bring things to extremities by violence; that if they took no other way than that, he should defend himself to extremity of death, and leave the issue to heaven; but that he was still agreeable to reasonable conditions, altho they had signified none to him, nor did he understand what they required.10 Strype's Eccl. v. 2. p. 272, 3; part 1. A Spaniard declared that he saw Somerset riding a goodly horse, so strong and big as to carry himself and all the king's council upon his back. Strype's Eccl. vol. 2. App. 431. 8 His language on 6 Oct. 1549, to earl Shrewsbury was: 'We most earnestly pray and require you to come hither to the king, as ye tender his good preservation and our earnest and hearty acquainted friendship. Lett. 1 Lodge, p. 135. On 6 Oct. Edw. Jour. 10 Stowe, Chr. 597, 8. BOOK The lords crossed this letter with one from them, written the same day, to such of their late associates as were then with Somerset, assuring them that they meant only the king's safety, and the good governance of his dominions; that if the duke would at any time have heard reason from them, and acknowleged himself a subject, their meaning was to have communed quietly with him, for the redress of all things, without any disturbance of the realm; but as he was raising great forces, and spreading untrue reports of them, they were compelled to assemble such themselves yet, if he would leave the king, disperse his levies, and submit to justice and reason, they would do nothing but what became good subjects and true counsellors. They urged, that they were almost the whole council of the government, and desired an amicable and pacific conference." As this passed to Windsor, the same cabinet lords in London explained to the lord mayor the misconduct of the protector, and by their official missive to the common council, desired two thousand men to aid them on the king's behalf, and that the city should be kept in strict watch both day and night.12 day with a more personal appeal, reminding him of their friendship from their youth: I protest I never meant worse to you than to myself; wherefore declare to me and the world your just honor and perseverance in friendship.' Lett. ib. 598. 11 Lett. of 7 Oct. from MS. Cal. B. 7. in Ellis, v. 2. p. 168. Its signatures shew us that nearly all the council were against him. They are, the chancellor lord Rich, the marquis of Northampton, the earls of Warwick, Arundel, Shrewsbury, and Southampton, besides sir R. Sadler, Cheyne, Petre, North, Gage, Southwell, and Dr.Wotton, ib. They immediately issued a proclamation against Somerset. See it in Stowe, 599. 12 Stowe, 597. King Edward's own account implies his opinion, that his uncle was in the wrong. The council, about nineteen of them, were gathered in London, thinking to meet with the lord protector, and IX. The few lords who had sided with the duke at CHAP. Windsor, were, Cranmer, who, tho admirable in his religious feelings, was almost always wrong in his political conduct; so dangerous it is, and ever will be, to mingle politics with piety-the great and busy world of man with all the nobler objects of his higher destiny-sir William Paget, who remained with the protector from personal attachment, while disapproving of his conduct-and sir Thomas Smith. But all these were rather friends and monitors of the duke than his determined adherents: and wishing by mediation to avert a desolating collision, they answered the appeal to themselves by intimating, that it must have been a misconception of each others intentions, which had alarmed both to arm themselves; that if the preservation of the common good did not operate on each side, both parties, as well as the king and country, would be cast away. They solicited the London cabinet so to use their wisdom and temper in their determination, as that no blood should be shed, and no cruelty used. They had conferred with the duke on the disputed points: he did not think it 'reasonable to be thrust from his office against his will in violent sort, as he had been called to it by the peers in parliament, and by themselves; but if the king and realm may be otherwise well served, he passeth little by the place he hath.' They intreated that he might not be driven to extremity, by putting his life in danger; and they instructed sir Philip Hoby, as their agent, to negotiate an amicable arrange to make him amend some of his disorders. He, fearing his state, caused,' &c. Jour. 11. On 13 Oct. his protectorship was revoked. Str. Eccl. 2, p. 288. |