As touching the sixteenth,[53] which ye demand of us to be released, think ye that we be so faint hearted, that perforce ye of one shire (were ye a great many more) could compel us with your insurrections and such rebellious demeanour to remit the same? or think ye that any man will or may take you to be true subjects, that first make and shew a loving grant and then perforce would compel your sovereign lord and king to release the same? the time of payment whereof is not yet come, yea and seeing the same will not countrevayl[54] the tenth penny of the charges, which we do and daily sustain for your tuition and safeguard: make you sure, by your occasions of these your ingratitudes, unnaturalness and unkindness to us now administered, ye give no cause, which hath always been as much dedicate to your wealth as ever was king, not so much to set or study for the setting forward of the same, seeing how unkindly and untruly, ye deal now with us, without any cause or occasion: and doubt ye not, though you have no grace nor naturalness in you to consider your duty of allegiance to your king, and sovereign lord, the rest of our realm we doubt not hath: and we and they shall so look on this cause, that we trust it shall be to your confusion, if according to your former letters you submit not yourselves.
Wherefore we charge you eftsoons upon the foresaid bonds and pains, that ye withdraw yourselves to your own houses, every man, and no more to assemble contrary to our laws, and your allegiances, and to cause the provokers of you to this mischief, to be delivered to our lieutenants' hands, or ours, and you yourselves to submit you to such condign punishment as we and our nobles shall think you worthy: for doubt you not else that we and our nobles can nor will suffer this injury at your hands unavenged, if ye give not place to us of sovreignty, and shew yourselves as bounden and obedient subjects and no more to intermeddle yourselves from henceforth with the weighty affairs of the realm, the direction whereof only appertaineth to us your king and such noblemen and councillors, as we lyst to elect and choose to have the ordering of the same: and thus we pray unto Almighty God, to give you grace to do your duties, to use yourselves towards us like true and faithful subjects, so that we may have cause to order you thereafter, and rather obediently to consent amongst you to deliver into the hands of our lieutenant a hundred persons, to be ordered according to their demerits, at our will and pleasure, than by your obstinacy and wilfulness, to put yourselves, your wives, children, lands, goods and cattles, beside the indignation of God, in the utter adventure of total destruction, and utter ruin, by force and violence of the sword.
After the Lincolnshire men had received this the King's answer aforesaid, made to their petitions, each mistrusting the other who should be noted to be the greatest meddler, even very suddenly they began to shrink and out of hand they were all divided, and every man at home in his own house in peace: but the captains of these rebels escaped not all clear, but were after apprehended, and had as they deserved: he that took upon him as captain of this rout, named himself Captain Cobles, but it was a monk called Doctor Macherel, with divers other which afterward were taken and apprehended.
Note.—Within six days a new insurrection broke out in the north, known as the Pilgrimage of Grace. The objects of these insurgents were as follows: "the maintenance and defence of the faith of Christ, and deliverance of Holy Church sore decayed and oppressed, and also for the furtherance as well of private as public matters in the realm touching the wealth of all the king's poor subjects" (Hall ii., 275).
An army was sent to restore order, but they were prevented from reaching the rebels by a river, which suddenly overflowed its banks and was considered by the people to be a miracle. On the following day the King granted a pardon to all concerned, and the rebellion came to an end.
[53] = a tax of 1/16th of the assessed value of property.
[54] = balance.
INJUNCTIONS TO THE CLERGY MADE BY CROMWELL (1538).
Source.—Burnet's History of the Reformation; Collection of Records, Part I., Book III. xi.
First: That ye shall truly observe and keep all and singular the King's Highness' Injunctions, given unto you heretofore in my name, by his Grace's Authority; not only upon the pains therein expressed, but also in your default after this second monition continued, upon further punishment to be straitly extended towards you by the King's Highness' Arbitriment, or his Vice-Gerent aforesaid.