12 Jan 1545. On the twelfe of Ianuarie, the lord chancellour, the duke of Suffolke, and other of the kings councell, began to sit at Bainards castell, where they first called before them the maior and aldermen, &c. And bicause Richard Read alderman would not agree to paie as they set him; he was commanded vpon paine to serue the king in his warres of Scotland, who departed from London the thrée and twentith of Ianuarie.

Also sir William Roch alderman, for words of displeasure taken by the kings councell, was by them sent to the fléet, where he remained till passion sundaie.

26 Jan 1545. On the six and twentith of Ianuarie, there camped on the west side of Bullongne beyond the hauen, an armie of French, to the number of eightéene thousand, where they laie ten daies, and the sixt of Februarie were put to flight by the earle of Hertford, and sir Iohn Dudleie lord admerall, then deputie of Bullongne. On the thirteenth of Februarie, a priest was set on the pillorie in Cheape, and burnt in both chéekes with the letters F. and A. and a paper on his head, wherein was written, For false accusing: which iudgement was giuen by the lord chancellor in the Starre chamber, a notable example of iustice. Great cause haue I to wish the like to the like accuser, who neuer yet repented, but contrariwise sweareth and forsweareth that he neuer did anie such act against his brother.

01 Mar 1545. In the beginning of March sir Rafe Euers lord warden of the marches after manie fortunate rodes and forraies made into Scotland, assembled now about foure thousand men, & entering with the same into Scotland, was incountered at Halidon rig by the earle of Arraine and other Scotishmen, which so beset the Englishmen with thrée battels on ech side, that in the end they slue the said lord warden, with the lord Ogle, and a great number of other gentlemen and commons, beside prisoners, which they tooke, so that few escaped the Scotishmens hands. Among other prisoners taken, Richard Read an alderman of London aforesaid was one. The death of sir Rafe Euers was greatlie bemoned: for he had shewed great proofe of his valiant prowesse at sundrie times before; namelie in this yeare past, as at the taking and burning of the towne of I [...]dworth, which enterprise was atchiued the tenth of Iune, beside diuerse other exploits fortunatelie brought to passe by his high valiancie and manhood, till his hap was at this present to finish his daies: whose life though then it tooke end, yet shall not his fame & good report (purchased by martiall courage, policie, and dangerous aduentures) perish or decaie; as the poet trulie saith:

Parta labore volat vas [...]um bona fama per orbem,

Haec veluti Phoebus non m [...]ritura manet.

23 Apr 1545. This yeare on saint Georges daie sir Thomas Wriothestleie lord chancellor of England was made knight of the garter. [...] Also Trinitie terme was adiourned by reason of the warres, but the escheker and the court of the tenths were open, for those that were accomptable in either of the said courts.

13 Jun 1545. The thirteenth of Iune Robert Luken seruant to sir Humfrie Browne one of the iustices of the kings Bench, Anne Askew gentlewoman, otherwise called Anne Kime, wife to one Kime, a gentleman of Lincolneshire, and Ione Sautereie, wife to Iohn Sautereie of London, were arreigned in the Guildhall of London, for speaking against the sacrament of the altar (as they tearmed it) contrarie to the statute of the six articles: but because no witnesse appeared against the women, nor against Luken, one onelie excepted, who was thought to accuse him rather of malice, than otherwise, they were by twelue honest substantiall men of the citie (sworne to passe vpon their indictments) cléerelie acquited and discharged.

13 Jun 1545. The same daie also was a pewterer named Thomas Daie discharged, by the pardon granted in the last parlement, after he had remained in prison in Newgate the space of thrée yeares now past, condemned long before the date of the same pardon, for the article of auricular confession comprised within the same statute. About the same time, to wit the seuenth of Iune a great armie of Frenchmen came downe to Bullongne, and néere to the hauen incamped themselues. In this armie were reckoned to be twelue thousand lanceknights, twelue thousand French footmen, six thousand Italians, foure thousand of legionarie soldiours of France, & a thousand or twelue hundred men of armes, beside seuen or eight hundred light horsmen. After some skirmishes not greatlie to their aduantage, they began yet to build a fort, which at length they accomplished, as after shall appeare.

25 Jun 1545. About the fiue & twentith of Iune, was a great tempest in Derbishire, where thorough trées were ouerturned, & diuerse churches, chappels, and houses were vncouered. Also in Lancashire, there fell hailestones as big as mens fists, which had diuerse prints in them, some like mens faces, some like gun holes, &c.

The same moneth also the lord Lisle admerall of England with the English fléet entered the mouth of Saine, and came before Newhauen, where a great nauie of the Frenchmen laie, to the number of a two hundred ships, and six and twentie gallies, wherof the pope (as was reported) had sent twentie well furnished with men and monie, to the aid of the French king. The Englishmen being not past an hundred and thréescore saile, and all great ships, determined not to set vpon the Frenchmen where they laie: but yet approching néere vnto them, shot off certeine péeces of ordinance at them, and thereby caused the gallies to come abroad, which changed shot againe with the Englishmen. The gallies at the first had great aduantage, by reason of the great [...]alme. Twise either part assaulted other with shot of their great artillerie, but suddenlie the wind rose so high, that the gallies could not indure the rage of the seas, and so the Englishmen for feare of flats were compelled to enter the maine seas, and so sailed vnto Portesmouth where the king laie, for he had knowledge by his espials that the Frenchmen intended to land in the Ile of Wight, wherefore he repaired to that coast, to see his realme defended.

18 Jul 1545. After this, the eighteenth of Iulie the admerall of France monsieur Danebalte hoised vp sailes, and with his whole nauie came foorth into the seas, and arriued on the coast of Sussex before bright Hamstéed, and set certeine of his soldiors on land, to burne and spoile the countrie: but the beacons were fired, & the inhabitants thereabouts came downe so thicke, that the Frenchmen were driuen to flie with losse of diuerse of their numbers: so that they did little hurt there. Immediatlie herevpon they made to the point of the Ile of Wight, called saint Helens point, and there in good order vpon their arriuall they cast anchors, and sent dailie sixtéene of their gallies to the verie hauen of Portesmouth. The English nauie lieng there in the same hauen, made them readie, and set out toward the enimies, and still the one shot hotlie at the other: but the wind was so calme, that the kings ships could beare no saile, which greatlie grieued the minds of the Englishmen, and made the enimies more bold to approch with their gallies, and to assaile the ships with their shot euen within the hauen.

20 Jul 1545. The twentith of Iulie, the whole nauie of the Englishmen made out, & purposed to set on the Frenchmen, but in setting forward, thorough too much follie, one of the kings ships called the Marie Rose was drowned in the middest of the hauen, by reason that she was ouerladen with ordinance, and had the ports left open, which were verie low, and the great artillerie vnbreeched; so that when the ship should turne, the water entered, and suddenlie she suncke. In hir was sir George Carew knight and foure hundred soldiours vnder his guiding. There escaped not past fortie persons of all the whole number. On the morrow after about two thousand of the Frenchmen landed in the Ile of Wight, where one of their chiefe capteins named le cheualier Daux, a Prouencois was slaine with manie other, and the residue with losse and shame driuen backe againe to their gallies.

The king perceiuing the great Armada of the Frenchmen to approch, caused the beacons to be fired, and by letters sent into Hamptonshire, Summersetshire, Wiltshire, and into diuerse other countries adioining, gaue knowledge to such as were appointed to be readie for that purpose, to come with all spéed to incounter the enimies. Wherevpon they repaired to his presence in great numbers well furnished with armor, weapon, vittels, and all other things necessarie, so that the Ile was garnished, and all the frontiers alongest the coasts fortified with excéeding great multitudes of men. The French capteins hauing knowledge by certeine fishermen, whom they tooke, that the king was present, & so huge a power readie to resist them, they disanchored and drew along the coast of Sussex, and a small number of them landed againe in Sussex, of whome few returned to their ships: for diuerse gentlemen of the countrie, as sir Nicholas Pelham, and others, with such power as was raised, vpon the sudden, tooke them vp by the waie and quickelie distressed them.

When they had searched euerie where by the coast, and saw men still readie to receiue them with battell, they turned sterne, and so got them home againe without anie act atchiued woorthie to be mentioned. The number of the Frenchmen was great, so that diuerse of them that were taken prisoners in the Ile of Wight, and in Sussex, did report that they were thrée score thousand. The French king aduertised the emperor most vntrulie by letters, that his armie had gotten the Ile of Wight with the ports of Hamton, and Portesmouth, and diuerse other places. In August following, the earle of Hertford entered againe into Scotland with twelue thousand men, and destroied all the townes in the middle marches, burned Coldingham abbeie, and passed to the west marches, sore annoieng and indamaging the Scots, and yet neither they, nor the Frenchmen that were sent into Scotland this yeare to the aid of the Scots, vnder the leading of monsieur de Lorges, Montgomerie his father, durst once come foorth into the field to incounter with him.

Also in the beginning of this moneth the citie of London set foorth a thousand soldiors of archers, harquebutters, pikes, and bils, which went to Douer, and so passed ouer vnto Calis, to serue the king in his wars on that side the seas. In the same moneth that valiant capteine sir Thomas Poinings knight, lord Poinings, and the kings lieutenant of his towne and marches of Bullogne departed this life, after he had to his great honor atchiued manie woorthie enterprises in seruice of his prince against the enimies, so that his death was much lamented. A gentleman vndoubtedlie deseruing to be had in perpetuall memorie: and pitie it is, that diuerse such valiant feats as he in his life time atchiued, were not committed to writing, to remaine for examples sake to posteritie.

Also in the same moneth at Guilford died the noble and valiant duke of Suffolke Charles Brandon lord great maister of the kings houshold, a right hardie gentleman, and yet not so hardie, as almost of all estats and degrees of men, high & low, rich and poore, hartilie beloued, & his death of them greatlie lamented: his bodie was honorablie buried at Windsore, at the kings costs. This man in his daies had doone to the king and realme right agreeable seruices, as well in peace, as in wars, both in England, France, Scotland, and Ireland, he died the kings generall lieutenant of his armie then appointed to resist the Frenchmen, if they durst haue landed.

But now, whereas in this meane time we haue spoken nothing of the dooings in Scotland, where the warre was still continued, the king of France sent thither certeine bands of Frenchmen, vnder the gouernement of monsieur de Lorges, to aid the Scots against the Englishmen; and the king of England waged manie strangers, and sent them with certeine Englishmen to the borders, for defense of the same against the inuasions of the enimies: for after the arriuall of the Frenchmen, a great armie of Scots was raised, and approched néere to the borders, where for a certeine time they incamped, so that manie thought some notable enterprise would haue béene attempted. But after they had laine in campe a certeine time, they brake vp, and departed without attempting anie further exploit.

Shortlie after the earle of Hertford lieng on the borders, as lieutenant of the north parts of England, calling to him an armie of twelue thousand men, or thereabouts, what of Englishmen and strangers, entred Scotland with the same, and burnt a great part of the Mers, and Teuidale, as Kelsaie abbeie and the towne; Melrosse abbeie & Driborne abbeie, also Iedworth abbeie, and diuerse other places, townes, and villages, to the number of fiue score. Kelsaie abbeie was defended a while by thrée hundred Scots, but in the end the most part of them were slaine, & taken by the strangers and others that gaue the assault. Thus the earle of Hertford sore indamaged the Scots by this inuasion, and yet neither they, nor the Frenchmen their assistants, dur [...] come foorth into the field once to incounter with him.

16 Sep 1545. On the sixtéenth of September a number of Scots and Frenchmen attempted to enter into England on the east borders. But the Englishmen perceiuing them about to passe by a certeine streict, set vpon them, and slue and tooke of them to the number of seuen score. Among the prisoners that were taken, the lord of Humes sonne, and a French capteine were accompted chiefest. Also in another rode made into the west borders, the lord Maxwels sonne, and diuerse others were taken. But at an other time about the same season also, certeine Englishmen to the number of fiue hundred, making their entrie by the west borders into Scotland, were discomfited by the Scots, and the more part of them either taken or slaine. Thus were they occupied as well on the borders betwixt England and Scotland, in this season, as also in the marches of Calis, Guisnes, and Bullognois, where the garrisons lieng in those places, made continuall rodes & forraies into the marches of the enimies countrie, and oftentimes chanced to incounter with some of their troops.

he capteine of Ard, monsieur de Dampiere, hauing got for a supplie from the French campe at Bullogne, the companie of the men of armes that belonged to the duke of Orleance, led by his lieutenant monsieur de Tauannes, chanced on a daie to incounter with the Englishmen guided by that valiant baron the lord Greie of Wilton, capteine of the towne of Guisnes, who being accompanied with a number of valiant gentlemen & soldiers, distressed their enimies, & slue the capteine of Ard the foresaid lord de Dampiere there in field. Diuerse other skirmishes and incounters chanced in that summer, on the further side the seas. And moreouer, now after that the French nauie was withdrawen (as ye haue heard) from the coasts about Portesmouth, that martiall chiefteine, sir Iohn Dudleie, lord Lisle, and high admerall of England, hauing all his ships, men, munition, & furniture readie, set forward from Portesmouth hauen, to haue fought with the Frenchmen, if they had still kept the seas, but they were withdraw [...]e home into harborough.

In this meane while monsieur de Biez, being incamped néere to Bullogne with such a puissant armie (as before you haue heard) busied about the building of a fort, there was not such diligence vsed therin, as was promised on his part in accomplishing the same, to the French kings great displeasure (as some write) who had meant with that armie (if this fort had béene finished at the appointed time) to haue gone to besiege the towne and castell of Guisnes: but now the time being prolonged, and not without some suspicion least monsieur de Biez cared not how long the warres indured in that sort, so as he might command ouer so manie princes and great lords as were there vnder his gouernance, at length before the fort were fullie finished, he remooued to mount Lambert with the more part of the armie, pretending as though he meant to fight with the Englishmen, the which (as he said) he vnderstood were purposed to come with a conuoie of vittels from Calis to Bullogne.

Whilest he there remained, manie princes and great lords came from the court, that laie at an abbeie called forrest Montier, eleuen leagues from Bullogne beyond Muttrell, on the waie towards Abuille, in hope that battell should haue followed bewixt the English and French armies. Among other that came thither are these remembred as principall, monsieur Danguien, monsieur Daumalle, monsieur le duc de Neuers, monsieur le conte de Lauall, and monsieur de la Trimouille. Monsieur Daumalle eldest sonne to the duke of Guise, being lodged in the vantgard that was gouerned by monsieur de Brissac, chanced on a daie to be present at a skirmish, where shewing himselfe verie forward, he was striken through the sight of his helmet, with a light horssemans staffe, that pearsing in betwixt his nose and his eie, entred halfe a foot into his head, as monsieur de Langeie writeth, and breaking off a two singers beneath the iron, the same iron remained still within his head: but yet escaping out of the English mens hands, he came backe to the campe, had the truncheon and iron pulled out of his head, and being dressed was conueied in a litter to Piquignie, where he laie for two or thrée daies in such danger, that no man looked that he should haue escaped with life.

There were manie of these skirmishes, wherin the Englishmen bare themselues so valiantlie, that the Frenchmen went awaie oftentimes with losse of manie of their noble men and best souldiers. At one time they lost the lord Menaintuille brother to the lord de Tillebonne, being slaine with stroke of lance and pike. At another time they lost likewise a yoong lord of Picardie called le seigneur de Fretoie. At length, after their new fort or basti [...]lion was brought in some strength, they furnished it in most defensible wise with men, munition and vittels, naming it Monpleastre. Herewith monsieur de Biez departing from mount Lambert with part of the armie, came downe towards Calis, and entring into the English pale beside Grauelin, wan certeine bulworks, and incountring diuerse new bands of Leicestershiremen and others, latelie before sent ouer, distressed them, and after burnt certeine villages, forraied the countrie almost to Marke, and afterwards in great hast with their bootie and pillage they turned. This enterprise was exploited by the French men about S. Matthews daie in September.

There were with monsieur de Biez at this enterprise the lord of Brissac, who gouerned the vauntgard, and had with him his owne companie of men of armes, and the light horssemen of whome he had the generall conduct. There was also the companie of men at armes that belonged to the constable of France, led by the lord Guich, & fiftie men of armes vnder the gouernance of the lord of Helleie, the companie also of the lord of Boisie, the companie of the lord Escars, and that of the lord de la Roch du Maine, & others. There was also monsieur de Taies generall of the French footmen, and manie yoong princes and lords of high estate, as monsieur Francis de Bourbon, duc Danglien, Francis de Lorraine, duke Daumalle latelie recouered of his hurt, the duke of Neuers, and the earle de Lauall that in this voiage was hurt with an harquebush shot in the arme.

23 Nov 1545. The three and twentith of Nouember, a parlement began at Westminster, in the which was granted to the king a subsidie of the spiritualtie of six shillings the pound, to be paid in two yeares next insuing: and of the temporaltie two shillings and eight pence of the pound in goods, and foure shillings of the pound in lands, to be paid likewise within two yeares. Also in this parlement all colleges, chanteries, and hospitals were committed to the king, to order, by altering or transposing the same as to him should séeme expedient, which at the prorogation of the same parlement he promised should be doone to the glorie of God, and the common profit of the realme.

24 Dec 1545. The foure and tw [...]ntith of December, the said parlement was proroged, on which daie the king comming into the house, to giue his roiall assent vnto such acts as were passed, the speaker made vnto him an eloquent oration, to the which although the custome hath euer beene that the lord chancellor should make answer, it pleased the king at that present to make the answer himselfe, which he vttered as here ensueth.