June 23. Then our Commissioners asked what they would offer? First they offered 100,000 Crowns, then 200,000, which they said was the most, and more than ever was given. Then followed great Reasonings, and showing of Presidents, but no nearer they would come.
June 24. They went forward unto the Penalties if the Parties misliked, after that the King’s Daughter were twelve and upwards, which the French offered 100,000, 50,000 Crowns, or promise, that she should be brought, at her Father’s Charge, three months before she were twelve, sufficiently jewelled and stuffed. Then bonds to be delivered alternately at London, and at Paris, and so forth.
June 26. The Frenchmen delivered the foresaid answers written to my Commissioners.
December 1. The Duke of Somerset came to his Trial at Westminster-Hall; The Lord Treasurer sat as High-Steward of England, under the Cloth of State, on a Bench between two Posts, three degrees high. All the Lords to the number of 26,[2] viz.:
| Dukes. Suffolk. Northumberland. Marquesses. Northampton. |
Earls. Derby. Bedford. Huntington. Rutland. Bath. Sussex. Worcester. Pembrook. Vis. Hereford. |
Barons. Burgaveny. Audley. Wharton. Evers. Latimer. Bourough. Souch. Stafford. Wentworth. Darcy. Sturton. Windsor. Cromwell. Cobham. Bray. |
These sat a degree under, and heard the Matter debated.
First, After the Indictments were read, five in number, the Learned Counsel laid to my Lord of Somerset, Palmer’s Confession. To which he answered, That he never minded to raise the North, and declared all the ill he could devise of Palmer, but he was afraid for Bruites, and that moved him to send to Sir William Herbert. Replied it was again, that the worse Palmer was, the more he served his purpose. For the Banquet, he swore it was untrue, and required more Witnesses. Whence Crane’s Confession was read. He would have had him come Face to Face. For London, he meant nothing of hurt of any Lord, but for his own Defence. For the Gendarmoury, it were but a mad matter for him to enterprise with his 100 against 900. For having men in his Chamber at Greenwich, confessed by Partridg, it seemed he meant no harm, because when he could have done harm he did it not. My Lord Strange’s Confession, he swore it was untrue, and the Lord Strange took his oath it was true. Nudigate’s, Hammond’s and Alexander Seimour’s Confessions he denied, because they were his Men.
The Lawyers rehearsed, how to raise Men at his House for an ill Intent, as to kill the Duke of Northumberland, was Treason, by an Act, Anno tertio of my Reign, against Unlawful Assemblies, for to devise the Death of the Lords was Felony. To mind resisting his attachment was Felony. He answered, He did not intend to raise London, and swore, that the Witnesses were not there. His assembling of men was but for his own defence. He did not determine to kill the Duke of Northumberland, the Marquess, &c., but spoke of it, and determined after the contrary, and yet seemed to confess he went about their Death.
The Lords went together. The Duke of Northumberland would not agree that any searching of his Death should be Treason. So the Lords acquitted him of High Treason, and condemned him of Treason Fellonious, and so he was adjudged to be hang’d.
He gave thanks to the Lords for their open Trial, and cried Mercy of the Duke of Northumberland, the Marquess of Northampton, and the Earl of Pembrook, for his ill-meaning against them, and made suit for his Life, Wife, Children, Servants, and Debts, and so departed without the Ax of the Tower. The People knowing not the Matter, shouted half a dozen of times so loud, that from the Hall-Door it was heard at Charing-Cross plainly, and rumours went that he was quit of all.