Volume 1

Desiderata curiosa: or, a collection of divers ... pieces relating chiefly to matters of English history : consisting of choice tracts, memoirs, letters ... etc / Transcribed ... and illustrated with ample notes ... By Francis Peck.

Francis Peck

Date:: 1779

Credit: Desiderata curiosa: or, a collection of divers ... pieces relating chiefly to matters of English history : consisting of choice tracts, memoirs, letters ... etc / Transcribed ... and illustrated with ample notes ... By Francis Peck. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$5. Where he remayned a quarter of a ye re ; & was delivered. 6. The Duke of Somerfit, perceaving the kings great likeing of Mr. Cecill, about the third yere of the kings reigne, preferred him to be fecretarie of eifate, & a counsellor to the kinge : [Mr. Cecill] being [then] but twenty five yeares old.4 7. And anno 5. Edward 6. he was made knight. A rare thinge, or a fygne of rare gifts, for fo younge a man, to be called to fuch places of honor & eftimation wherein he con- tynnued tyl the kings death.5 8. For, during all their power in that reign,] the two Dukes of Northumbreland & So¬ merfit ftrived [each] to wynne the fecretarie (fure to [him* f\ both ufeing him exceeding MS, kindly, [&] temting him with great offers and gifts. 9. He fhewed duty to both; but wold take gifts of neither. And fo, though with difR- cultie, he carried himfelf even to both, all King Edwards time.6 10. But, after the king died, he was greatlie threatned & difgraced by the Duke of Nor¬ thumbreland, for miflyking, or not confentynge, to the dukes purpofe touchinge the Ladie Jane. Yet he carried the matter fo temperatlie, as he kept his confcience free, his truth to the crown [untainted,] & himfelf [alfo fecurej from danger.7 4. ‘ On- the xi. Oft. 1551. (v. Edw. vi.) Mr. Cecil ‘ was made fecretary.’ Stow. p. 605. bi Where note, this was the fecond time of his being made fecretaiy in this reign. For Mr. Cecil himfelf tells us, ‘ . . . Sept. 1 348* cooptatus fum in officium fecre- * tariiMS. Diary. So that he was fecretary in the ii. Edw. vi. but dii'placed the iii. Edw. vi. when he was fent to the Tower ; and now again rellored. ‘ 5. He was knighted the xi. 061. 1551. (v. Edw. vi.) Godwin's Hift. p. 244, 245. being the very fame day he was made fecretary. Here alfo I beg leave to add thefe other pafiages. 4 x°. Maii, 1551- [vi. Edw. vi.] lab or ami Fehri 4 Wymbletonia [in com.. Surr.] ad mortis pcriculum.' MS. * Diary. 4 xii. Apr. 1553. [7 E. 6.] Sir William was made 4 chancellor of the order of the Gartei', with the fee of 4 c. marks per annum.' Dugd. a Pat. j E 6. p. g. & Rymer tom. XP. p. 330. Under the fame year Sir William fets down,—4 Paid 4 the embroiderer for xxxvi. fcutchyns for my fervants 4 coats, at ii. s. each, iii. 1. xiiii. s.’ MS. Diary. It was the. cuftom then it feerns for all fervants and retainers of any great man to wear badges, generally reprefenting his crefl: or device. Which badges were wrought l'ome on fatin, fome on velvet, & fome on cloth of filver and gold it felf, according to the rank of the fervants, or the quality of any other retainers, who were to wear them. 6. King Edward the fixth departed this life the vi. of July, 1553. & the next day Mr. Secretary writes, 4 vii°. 4 Julii, 1553. Libertatem adeptusfum, morte regis ; &, ex 4 mifcro aulicoy fadlus fum liber & meijuris.' MS. Diary'. 7. 4 In which perilous time, wherein fome prevailed 4 for excluding the Lady Mary &Lady Elizabeth in the 4 fucceilion, he oppol'ed all he could (tho’ he fubfcribed 4 with them.) For which refpedt he found fair efteem 4 from Queen Mary.’’ Dugd. Baron, (a Canid.) Pol. //„ p. 406. a. 4 Cecil, in a relation which he made one write of 4 this tranfadlion for clearing himfelf afterwards, fays, 4 —that when he heard [the judges] Gofnald and Hales 4 declare how much it was againiHaw, he refufed to let 4 his hand to it as a counl'ellor, & that he only fgned a» 4 a witnefs to the king’s fubfcription.5 4 Burnet Hiji. Re¬ format. Pol. II. p. 223, 224. C H A P. VII.. I. Queen Mary grants him a~general pardon. 1. And offers to continue him fecretarie if privy counfellor, if he would change his religion. 3. And privately fends to draw him over, if to Jift him. 4. But he refufes to comply. 5. For he was no turn-coat. 6. His enemies afterwards accufe him of fever al things. 7. Particularly, of correfponding with the Princefs Elifabeth. 8. But the queen will not hear them. 9. On the contrary, jhe fends him with Lord Paget to fetch over Cardinal Poole. 10. After his return divers wejlern members dine with him, if difcourfe freely, of affairs. 11. Who are all committed. 12. And Sir William himfelf taken up. 13. His anfwer. 14. And efcape. u WHEN$