Tudor Books, History of England by John Strype, The Life and Reign of Edward VI by John Hayward

For the Lord Sudley had taken to Wife Katherine Parre Queen Dowager, last Wife to King Henry the Eighth; a Woman beautify'd with many excellent Virtues, especially with Humility the Beauty of all other Virtues. The Duke had taken to Wife Anne Stanhope, a Woman for many Imperfections intolerible, but for Pride monstrous: She was exceeding both subtle and violent in accomplishing her Ends, for which she spurn'd over all respects both of Conscience and of Shame. This Woman did bear such invincible Hate, first against the Queen Dowager, for light Causes and womens Quarrels, especially for that she had precedency of place¹ before her, being Wife to the greatest Peer in the Land, then to the Lord Sudley for her sake; that albeit the Queen Dowager died by Childbirth, yet would not her Malice either die or decrease; but continually she rubbed into the Duke's dull Capacity, that the Lord Sudley dissenting from him in Opinion of Religion², fought nothing more than to take away his Life, as well in regard of the common Cause of Religion, as thereby happily to attain his Place. Many other things she boldly feign'd, being assur'd of easy belief in her heedless Hearer, always fearful and suspicious (as of feeble Spirit) but then more than ever, by reason of some late Opposition against him. Her Persuaslons she cunningly intermix'd with Tears, affirming, that she would depart from him, as willing rather to hear both of his Disgraces and Dangers, than either to see the one or participate of the other.

Note 1. This Story of the Dutchess's quarrel with the Queen about taking place, Hayward had neither from Stow nor Holinshed, nor yet from King Edward's Journal, none of which Writers speak a word of it. So that he must have it from Sunders, who was the first Broacher of that Fable; and who thus relates it, 'That there arose a very great Contest between queen Katherine Parre, and the Protector's Wife, who should have the Precedency. And the Contest rested not in the Women, but passed to the Men: And when the Emulation continually increast, the Protector's Wife would not let her Husband alone, till at last it came to pass, that the Protector (who altho he ruled the King, yet was ruled by his Wite) must cut off his Brother, that nothing might be an hindrance to her Will. Thus Sanders: who being an Author of such a profligate Character, it became not a just Historian and a good English-man, to borrow any thing from, unless confirmed with better Authority.

Note 2. The Author suggests, that this Lord JSudley dissented from his Brother the Duke in Religion; that is, in other words, that he was a Papist. No such thing appears in History, but rather that he was of the Religion now professed and countenanced: For one of his last Requests, when the Message was brought him to prepare for Death, was, that his Daughter might be commited to the Care of the Dutchess of Suffolk, a fast Protestant; and another was, that Mr. Latymer might be sent to him, to assist him with his Counsel and Prayers. Who would not have been a Ghostly Father fit for his Turn, had he been of a Religion different from Latymer. And here our Author dissents from Sanders, whom at other times he too much follows; who faith, that the Admiral was tainted with the same Herefy with his Brother the Protector.

Here the Author likewise will scarcely obtain Credit in other of his Reflections upon the Duke, when he makes the first Cause of dissolving the Knot of these two Brothers Love to proceed from the Dutchess; and that she rubbed into the Duke's dull Capacity (as he unhansomely and rudely treats with his Words that great Peer) that his Brother fought to take away his Life, and to attain his Place. And that the Duke at length yielding himself to her, did devise his Brother's Destruction. And that being arrested and sent to the Tower, he was condemned by Act of Parliament a very short time after. And lastly, that the accusations against him consisted of frivolous or pittiful Matters. By all this Account of this Lord's Fall, he is represented to come unjustly by his Death, by the unnatureal acting of his brother against him. And that he was let on in all this Mischief, like a weak Man, by his Wife. This, if it were true, layeth a most heavy Imputation upon the Duke. But surely he was no such Man as he is here delivered down to be; He had better Morals, and more Religion than this came to. The Admiral was certainly an evil Man, turbulent, and full of ambitious Designs from the beginning of this King's Reign. And his Brother the Duke observing it, did often advise him, and earnestly dissuade him from his dangerous Courses, using all the fairest Means with him; pardoning what was past: and that he might meet with his Brother's high Mind, gratifying him with Possessions, besides the high and honourable Office of Lord High Admiral. Yet was he continually practising after this; He raised Soldiers, and threatned, he would make the blackeft Parliament that ever was in England. He is suspected to have poisoned his Wife, that excellent Woman, queen Katherine; that being single, he might make his Addresses to the Lady Elizabeth the King's Sister, and one of the Heirs to the Crown. So that in fine, the Parliament did judg these Things to be a traiterous aspiring to the Crown. And surely Sir John Hayward had never read the Act of Parliament whereby that Lord was attainted, to term his Accusations to be frivolous and pittiful Matters. The Writer of the History of the Reformation of the Church of England hath, from the Council Book, exemplifyed the Articles against him to the Number of Thirty three: which will shew what heavy Crimes he was charged with. And which, altho he was urged by the Lords of the Privy Council, and that upon his Allegiance, to make Answer to, he would never be persuaded to do: Till at last he made some Answer to the three first but no more. Nor would he set his Hand to them.

And how fairly he was judged and dealt with in the Parliament, will appear by this Account, as it stands in the Journals of both Houses: vix. February the 25th, was read in the House of Lords the first time, the Bill of Attainder of the Lord Admiral. Febr. the 26th read the second time. Febr. the 27th read the third; and concluded with the common Assent of all the Peers. The same Day, being Wednesday, the Bill was sent down to the Commons;, when it was thought good by them to send down certain Members of their House, to declare unto the Commons the Manner after which the Lords had proceeded in that matter; and further to declare unto them, that in case they were minded to proceed in like sort, certain Noblemen who had given evidence against the said Lord Admiral, should be sent unto them to declare by Mouth and Presence such Matters, as by their Writing should in the mean time appear unto them. The Master of the Rolls, Sir James Hales, and Sergeant Mollimeux were the Persons sent by the Lords.

March the 2d, they were sent again to the Lower House, with the like Commission in effect, as they were sent the Wednesday before. Answer was made, that they would consult together, and thereupon they would with speed send up their Resolution. But no Haste having been made therein by them of the Nether House, the Lords having sat so long as it was thought the Time now far spent, they concluded to depart; desiring the Lord Protector, that it would please him to receive such Answer as should be sent touching that Purpose, and to make report thereof at their next Assembly, which should be the next Monday.

March the 5th, the Bill was brought from the Commons for the Attainder of the L. Sudley; Thus it is related in the Journal of the House of Lords.

By the Journal of the House of Commons it appears, That this Bill was read there the last Day of February the first time. March the 1st, read again. And March the 2d, the Master of the Rolls, Sergeant Mollineux, Sergeant Hales, and the King's Sollicitor, were sent from the Lords, to know the Pleasure of this House, it should be ressolved there, to pass upon the Attainder of the Admiral in such Order as was passed in the Higher House. Whereupon it was ordered, that Advertisement thereof be sent to the Lords by some of that House; That it was resolved, that the Evidence should be heard orderly as it was before the Lords: And also to require, that the Lords who affirmed that Evidence, might come hither, and declare it viva voce. And this to be delivered to the Lord Protector by Mr. Speaker, and other the King's Privy Council of the House.

March the 4th. The Mafler of the Rolls, declared the King's Majesty's Pleafure to be, that the Admiral's Presence was not necessary in this Court. And therefore not to be there. And further declared, that if the House would require to have the Lords to come, and to satisfy the House for the Evidence against the Admiral, the Lords would come. Then it was ordered, that Master Comptroler [and others] of the King's Privy Council should hear the Lords; and require, that if it were judged necessary to have the Lords come down, that upon any further Suit they might come down to the House. And the Bill for the Attaindor of High Treason of Sir Tho. Seymour, L. Sudley, was read the third time.

This Lord was sent to the Tower the 16th of January, according to Stow; and the Bill for his Attaindor was not; finished till the 5th of March. Which shews that his Condemnation was not so very short a time after his Commitment, as our Author here writeth. And he was executed the 20th Day of March.

The ground then of the Admiral's Fall was his apparent Treason. But that the Cause should spring from an Envy the Dutchess of Somerset had against the L. Admiral, because his Wife, Queen Katherine, took place of her, is both trifling and incredible, and the less to be credited, because it is a Surmise taken from Sanders's Book of the Engliosh Schism, that abounds with Malice and Lyes, and Ill-will to all the Tranactions of this Reign.

The Author speaks of the Admiral's Proteslation at his Death; and that the open Course and Carriage of his Life cleared him in the Opinion of many. What his Protestation was, Store tells us, that he never committed or meant any Treason against the King or Realm. The contrary to which his Deeds declared, and the Act for the Attaindor abundantly sheweth; and also that the Course and Carriage of his Life was, during this King's Reign, vicious and turbulent; and in the preceding King's Reign he was very dissolute. A Woman going to her Execution for a Robber, confessed that Sir Tho., Seymour first debauched her. He seldom or never came to Common Prayer, which the Queen his Wife had said daily in her Family; and was reported to disbelieve the Immortality of the Soul, This, and a great deal more, Latymer in a Sermon preached before the King a little after his Execution, related upon his own Knowledg or upon good Evidence, to satisfy all People of the Manners of the Man, and how well he deserved his Punishment.

Then the Author hath a most vile insiinuation against the Protector, and the said Reverend Father and Martyr Hugh Latymer, viz. that he was set up by the Protector an Instrument to preach false Stories to the People, to take off the Odium of the Admiral's Death; and that he pretending all the Gravity and Sincerity of a professed Divine, yet content to be serviceable to great mens Ends, declared in a Sermon before the King, the while the L. Sudley was a Prisoner in Tower, he wrote to the Lady Mary and the Lady Elizabeth, that they should revenge his Death. He adds, that Latymer cast forth many other Imputations, most doubted, many known to be untrue. And then from this Story the Author takes occasion to express his cankered Mind against Men in Holy Orders in these words: Some Theologians have been employed to defile Places erected only for Religion and Truth, by defending Oppressions and Faction, distaining their Profession, and the good Arts which they have learned, by publishing odious untrnths upon report and credit of others. As tho they were a mercenary base sort of Men, that however Sacred their Office is, would be hired to be Trumpets of other mens lying Inventions, for the easier deceiving of the People. This Author going thus out of the Road of an Historian, that he might give a Lash to the Theologians, as he calls them, betrays only the Good-will he had to that Order, and leaves upon record his Malice; and particularly his ingrateful Pains to render (as much as lay in his power) that grave and good Man, Bishop, and constant Martyr for Religion and Truth, to be a publick Lyar in the Pulpit, to do a piece of Service to the Protector, And he that would die rather than to subscribe or acknowledg that to be true which he thought to be false, is made such a mercenary Wretch, as willfully and openly to promulgate, and that before so solemn an Assembly, Uncertainties and downright Lyes.

/,i>>vii)ii' iicrc again goeth hand in hand with S'rtnrfcri- to defame this Reverend Man; who, fpeaking oi Latymer,, givcth him this broad Complement (becaufe he was commonly filled the Apoftle of England) his Apoftlefliip conjijkti in Lying. And tells this Story of him i That after the Ducchefs had invented the Milchief againfl the Admiral, the Proteftor went and dealt with Latymer, that he fliould in hisSermon traduce him before the People for a Traitor. And that accordingly Latymer readily undertook it; and focn after in the Pulpit told a Tale of I know not what Snares prepared againfl the King's Majesty by the Admiral: and therefore that he deferved Death. So that by this Account the Duke and the Divine are reprefcntcd to Poflerity as a couple of bloody Wretches, combining together to make an innocent Man feem guilty of Treafon, and then cry out fur Execution of liim.