IX. October, the ruling lords rode down to this place; CHAP. committed Somerset into immediate custody; and two days afterwards, entering the metropolis, thro Holborn, at Newgate, conducted him thro the streets, lined with householders standing with their bills as he passed,' to the Tower, with four of his supporters." Twenty-nine articles of offensive conduct were exhibited against him: 18 of which the substance was, an undue assumption and exercise of authority in himself alone; improper reprehensions of the king's counsellors, for their official opinions; grant of crown lands, benefices, and bishoprics, without counsel with the cabinet; debasing practices on the coin and, what had evidently decided the aristocracy of the land to overthrow his power, his siding with the people against the gentry, both in sentiment and favoring conduct on the recent commotions; a charge which operated to punish him for the honest exercise of his judgment, and which, if it had stood alone, would have entitled him to our forbearing respect; but if he actually supplied any money to foment the evil," and encouraged its continuance by 20 17 Stowe, 600. Earl Warwick was made admiral of England; sir Th. Cheney sent ambassador to the emperor, and Dr. Wotton made secretary. Edw. Journ. 12. 18 Stowe details them, 600, 1. 19 This is curiously expressed, You commanded multiplication and alcumestry to be practised, thereby to abate the king's coin.' ib. 601. 20 Ye have many times affirmed, that the nobles and gentlemen were the only causes of the dearth of things; you caused proclamations to be made against inclosures, you giving commissioners authority to hear and determine the same causes; you suffered the rebels and traitors to assemble, without any speedy subduing or appeasing them.' ib. 601. 21You did comfort and encourage divers of the said rebels, by giving to them divers sums of your own money, and by promising to divers of them fees, rewards and services.' ib. 602. This was the conduct charged BOOK an expressed approbation of the insurrections while they were raging," these were actions which no possibility of benevolent pity or of political reasoning can rescue from the suspicion of treasonable meditations. Somerset signed a written acknowlegement of the specified offences in December; 23 and six weeks afterwards sent a humble and supplicatory submission, and intreaty for pardon, with a promise of amendment. 24 He was released in a few days more, and dispossessed of his protectorate; but in April was reconciled to his compeers, and admitted to a seat in the council.2 25 The conciliation seemed complete. Family bonds united him with his most competing rival, Warwick; 26 and the ministerial amity lasted for eighteen months; but it then burst into a deadly explosion. Five days. after the addition of new dignities to others, 27 he 22 You have said in the time of rebellion, that you liked well the doings and proceedings of the said rebellious and traitors; and that the covetousness of gentlemen gave occasion to the common people to rise, saying that, better it were for the commons to die than to perish utterly for lack of living.' ib. 602. 23 Stowe has printed it, dated 23 December 1550. p. 602. 24 It was penned on 2 Feb. 1550. See it in Stowe, 603. 25 On 8 April. Stowe, 604. 26 On the 3d June, his daughter was married to earl Warwick's eldest son and heir, the lord Lisle. ib. Edward's account is, 'Which done, and a fair dinner made, and dancing finished, the king and the ladies went into two anti-chambers made of boughs, where first he saw six gentlemen of one side and six of another, run the course of the field twice over.' Jour. 20. The next day, Warwick's third son was married to a knight's daughter, after which, there were certain gentlemen that did strive who should first take away a goose's head, which was hanged alive on two cross posts.' ib. 20. Both king and nobles thought it a proper recreation, thus to torment the poor animal, for the sake of shewing some momentary dexterity. 27 Warwick, on 11 Oct. 1551, was created duke of Northumberland; Dorset, the duke of Suffolk; Wiltshire St. John, the marquis of Winchester, besides other promotions; the celebrated Cecil, then secretary, was also knighted. ib. 605. was arrested on a new charge of treasonable conspiracy, and, with Lord Gray of Wilton, five knights, and divers gentlemen, was deposited in the Tower; to which the next day his duchess was also committed.28 There was no actual treason personally against the king; but that he was forming a plot to regain possession of the governing power, and to overthrow the new duke of Northumberland and subvert the state council, in order to substitute himself and his friends in their stead, are facts which, what remains of the evidence against him, sufficiently proves. The machination was discovered by sir Thomas Palmer going to Northumberland, and in his garden revealing to him that Somerset had planned with his friends to invite him, the marquis of Northampton and others, to a banquet; to set upon them, and to cut off their heads; 29 to raise, by the apprentices, an insurrection in London, seize the great seal, and destroy the horses of the cavalry guards.30 The object was to possess themselves of the government, by an imitation of one of Cesar Borgia's villanies.3 31 No immediate notice was taken of this information; but a week after, Somerset, from some indications which alarmed him, sent to the secretary Cecil, that he suspected some ill. The statesman answered, that if he were not guilty, he might be of good courage; but if he were, he had nothing to say, but to lament him.32 Somerset returned the minister a letter of 29 Edw. Jour. 52. 28 Stowe, 605. 30 Ib. He declared also, that Mr. Vane had 2,000 men in readiness. Sir Th. Arundel had assured my lord, that the Tower was safe.' 31 He destroyed the chiefs of the Ursini at Senigaglia, at a banquet to which he had invited them. See Hist. Henry 8. v. 1. p. 88. 32 Edw. Jour. ib. CHAP. IX. II. BOOK defiance,33 and two days afterwards was in custody." His confederates were also arrested, as well as the informer.35 New confessions corroborated and amplified Palmer's account; 36 and involving the earl of Arundel, that nobleman was also apprehended;" and in December, the infatuated duke was put upon his trial, and asserted the falsehood of all that had been deposed.38 He afterwards modified his denial with these distinctions: he admitted that he had assembled men, but it was for his own defence; he owned that he had spoken of killing the duke of Northumberland, the marquis, and the other lords, but he had finally determined the contrary. The 39 33 Edw. Jour. ib. He was found in a stable of his mansion at Lambeth, under the straw.' ib. 53. The duchess, Crane and his wife and chamber keeper, were sent to the Tower, for devising these treasons.' ib. 3519 Oct. Sir T. Palmer confessed, that the gens d'armes, on the muster day, should be assaulted by 2,000 footmen of Mr. Vane's, and my lord's hundred horse, besides his friends which stood by, and the idle people which took his part. If he were overthrown, he would run thro London, and cry Liberty! Liberty!' to raise the apprentices and rabble. If he could, he would go to the Isle of Wight, or to Poole.' Edw. Journ. 53. 36 Crane also confessed, That the place where the nobles should have been banqueted, and their heads stricken off, was the lord Paget's house; and how the earl of Arundel knew of the matter as well as he. Bren also confessed much of this matter. The lord Strange confessed how the duke willed him to be his spy in all matters of my doings and saying.' Edw. Journ. 55. 37 On 8 Nov. ib. 57. 38 Edw. Jour. 59. The arraignment contained five charges: 1. Raising and assembling men, to kill Northumberland. 2. Resolving to resist his attachment. 3. Plot for killing the horse guards. 4. Intent to rase London. 5. And to assault the lords, and devising their death. Heylin, 115. 39 Edward, after mentioning this qualification of the projected murders, has added, in his Diary, the impression that heyet seemed to confess he went about their deaths. p. 60. Heylin justly remarks, that, hoping to make his fault seem less by a fair confession, he made it great enough to serve for his condemnation.' p. 115. The assertion, that he had changed his determination about killing them, was an admission that he had intended it. 42 IX. crown lawyers reasoned, that by a former statute, to CHAP. conspire to kill a privy councillor, like Northumberland, was a capital offence; 40 and to devise an insurrection in London, was treason. But Northumberland desired the peers not to consider any attempt against his person to be of that character." No evidence appears to have been introduced but the confession of his confederates, which they swore to before the judicial lords, and his own admission. The peers acquitted him of high treason, but voted him to be guilty of treasonable felony, which equally affected his life.43 He confessed afterwards that he had hired a Frenchman to assassinate his political enemies, which the purchased scoundrel on his examination admitted. He was detained on his sentence till the latter part of the following month, and then beheaded on Tower-hill.45 His fate excites our regret, and his misconduct 40 Edw. 59. The Stat. 3 Henry 7. made this offence punishable by death; and the 3 & 4 Edw. 6. c. 7. had recently enacted, That if twelve persons assembled to kill a privy councillor, and on proclamation did not disperse, it should be treason.' Edw. Jour. 60. 42 Twenty-two peers and nobles, besides the council, heard Sir T. Palmer, Mr. Hammond, Mr. Crane, and Newdigate, swear that their confessions were true.' Edw. 58. Twenty-six lords sat on his trial. ib. 43 Edw. 60. "We learn this fact from the King's Journal: 3 Dec. The duke told certain lords that were in the Tower, that he had hired Bertivill to kill them; which thing Bertivill examined [stated] on confession: and so did Hammond, that he knew of it.' p. 60. Burnet says, 'The king also, in his letter to Barnaby Fitzpatrick, then in France, wrote, that the duke seemed to have acknowleged the felony; and that after sentence, he had confessed it, tho he had formerly vehemently sworn the contrary. Hist. Ref. v. 3. p. 292. 45 On 22 Jan. 1552. His speeches are in Foxe and Burnet. He denied any treason against the king or realm, but was silent as to the conspiracies for which he suffered. Of his confederates, Vane and Partridge were hanged, and Stanhope and Arundel beheaded, all knights, on 26 Feb. Godw. 251. |