Letters 1536. 24 Apr 1536. Vienna Archives. 720. Chapuys (age 46) to [Granvelle].

This very moment when the courier was about to mount I have been informed of his departure, and having already written pretty fully, I shall say little now. I forgot in my last to make answer about the intentions of those here with regard to the Council. They have made no formal reply, only saying that they would not disturb such a good thing, or cut themselves off from the number of Christians, but they conclude that such a Council must be convoked by the Emperor. Does not think they want one. Thinks the news of an arrangement between the Emperor and the king of France has thrown them into great confusion, and compelled them to dispatch this courier; because previously they cared nothing, and would not have written even to their ambassador if Chapuys had not urged them, which he very soon afterwards repented, for he would have dispatched the courier two days sooner without waiting for their letters. Yesterday the French ambassador was long at Court, and Chapuys has not been able yet to discover what he was negociating. The King also sent for the late Queen's physician, and told him he would have called him sooner but for fear of its being insinuated that there had been some intrigue to put the Queen to death. The King said he wished to make use of him, and thought that I would consent willingly, and get the Emperor to agree to it, otherwise he would not take him into his service, and that the means to get the Emperor and me to agree to it was to give out that he was retained for the Princess, with whom he would be left till all suspicions and murmurs had died out. And hereupon the King began to speak very well of me, and asked the physician two or three times if he had not spoken with me since Easter Tuesday when I was with him. I think he wished to find out what was in my mind after his brusque replies. Although I would not kiss or speak to the Concubine (age 35), the Princess and other good persons have been somewhat jealous at the mutual reverences required by politeness which were done at the church. I refused to visit her until I had spoken to the King. If I had seen any hope from the King's answer I would have offered not two but 100 candles to the shedevil, although another thing made me unwilling, viz., that I was told she was not in favor with the King; besides, Cromwell was quite of my opinion that I should do well to wait till I had spoken to the King. Even before receiving instructions from the Emperor, has always avoided "l'envoy" which the Princess urged, as again she has since done, for the reasons which he has heretofore written¹. London, 24 April 1536. Fr., from a modern copy, pp. 3.

Note 1. "Sans quil eust pleu a sa matc me faire aduertir dexcuser lenvoy, dont la Princesse me sollicitoit comme encoires elle a depuis fait je nen (qu. m'en?) avoye garde, et continuellement luy ay satisfait des raisons que jay cy devant escriptes."

Diary of Edward VI. 24 Apr 1550. Certein articles touching a straighter amytie in marchandis sent to the king of Suethen² being these: First, if the king of Suethen sent bullion, he should have our commodites, and pay noe toll. Secundly, he shuld bring bullion to non other prince. Thirdly, if he brought ozymus, and stele, and cooper, etc, he shuld have our commodites and pai custom as an Englishman. Eorthly, if he brought any other, he shuld have free entrecours, paing custom as a strangier, etc.

It was answerid to the due of Brunswic,^1a that wheras he offered service with 10,000 men of his band, that the war was endid; and for the mariage of my lady Mary to him, ther was talk for her mariag with th' enfant of Portungal, wich being determined, he shuld have answere.

Note 2. On the 22d of April, "Th'ambassador of Swethen's requestes were declared by Thomas Ghamberlaine, the effect whereof was, that the king of Swethen, for him and his subjects, would be free of custome in England, and his subjects exempte from all lawes and restrainots here: which request, he said, being first graunted, he wold then common further, and elles he had no commission so to do. These requestes of th'ambassador of Swethen were thought onreasonable, to require so great privileges without making any offer. Wherefore it was agreed he shulde be with the counsaill the xxiilj of this presents, and with gentle words like condicions to be proposed unto him: and so to be licensed, without conclusion. Devising rewarde correspondent to the reward e and entertainment that mr. Chamberlains had of the king his master." On the 24th, "The ambassador of Swethen had accesse to the counsaill, unto whome, according to the order taken the xxij of this present, these condicions following were proponed: —

1. First the Kinges majestie embraced the auncient amitie of the king of Swethen, and was well pleased the same shulde continu mutually between them and their subjects.

2. Likewise for the traiEcque of their subjects, that they might freely come and go without any empechment, observing the laws and customes of either realme.

3. If any expedicion of navie or armie shulde be made by sea, either prince to bynde his subjects not to dampnifye or annoy any part of the other's dominions or subjects, taking sufficient suretie therefore er they depart foorthe of his owne havens.

4. And tooohing the request of the freedome for payinge of custome, the Kinges majestie was contented that the Swethen and his subjects shulde yerely bringe in to this realme the value of xx m. li. in mercliandise, upon condicion that he shoulde yerely send hither xx m. li. of sylver buUoyn which he shall pay noe custome for, and the Eanges highnesse to have the same sylver at xLviij s. the once. Provided that the Swethen shall carrye no monye hense, but such comodities of the realme as they shall choose to that value, paying therefore such custome as Enghshmen pay, and with condicion also that they shall utter no part of the said comodities on this side the city of Breame.

5. Or ells if this first condicion please him not, it shall be lawftdl for him and his said subjects to bring into this realme in sylver, copper, Steele, and yron, the value of xxm'. dallers by the yere, whereof the one halfe to be sylver; for which sylver he shall paie no custome: and the same sylver to be sold to the Kinges majestie at the price accustomed here in the yere 1543. To the value of which merchandize they shall take clothes of divers sorts, leade and tynne, at like prices as they were here the same yere 1543.

6. Further, if he like not this, the Kinges majestie is pleased that the Swethen shall carry hense two thousand clothes a yere, to bring hither the value thereof, th'one half in sylver, after the manner aforesaid. The Swethen as well to pay, for that he carryeth out as for that he bringeth hither, such custome as Hansemen pay, saving the King to have the sylver at xlviij s. the once, the rest to be sold at their pleasure.

7. Finally, wheare this ambassador demaundeth restitution of a shippe lost in the Temes, with the goods of the same, it was answered, that the judges of the office apperteigning thereunto shuld search and examine how the case had been; and, upon answer of these articles from the king of Swethen, hee shulde see there shulde be no laoke of justice tooching his demaunde in that behalfe.

Wherewith this ambassador was dispatched, and thereupon —

A warrant to (blank) to give in rewarde to the king of Swethen's ambassador ClII. sterling." (Council Book.)

Note 1a. On the 24th April "the marquess of Brandenburgh's ambassador had access to the counsaill, whose requests consisteth in two poincts: the first, that his master ofiered his service to the Kinges majestie with aide of men of warre; and the second, that he desired the lady Maries (age 34) grace in marriage. First, he was answered, that, as for service, the Kinges majestie had taken the offer in good parte as it deserved, and therefore did accordingly thank the marques. And as tooching the marriage, his highness, with th'advise of his counsaill, had alreadie entred into practise thereof with th'emperor, which, being yet undetermined, allowed not them with their honors to begin any newe practise for the same: wherefore he was praied to take this for an answere, with most hearty thankes for his good will. And so departed. A warrant to (blank) to give in rewarde to the marques of Brandenburgh's ambassador cc li. sterling." The reader will observe that these passages speak of the margrave of Brandenburgh as offering marriage to the princess Mary (age 34), whilst the King in the text names "the duke of Brunsmck." Either statement has found its way into our histories; and Miss Strickland in her life of Mary treats both princes as suitors. But Joachim II. margrave of Brandenburgh (age 45) was a married man at this date, and so was his son John-George (age 24). The only conclusion must be that the margrave urged the suit of another person, and the duke of Brunswick in question may be identified beyond a doubt. Julius (age 21) was the third and youngest son of Henry duke of Brunswick Wolfenbuttel, who married a staunch Romanist. Julius (age 21), who had embraced Protestantism, was resigned by his father to the mercies of the priests, but, escaping from prison, he took refuge with the margrave of Brandenburgh (age 45); and he became a distinguished Protestant captain. He was at this time a widower, but subsequently, in 1566, he married the margrave's own daughter Hedwige (age 10), and having lost his two brothers at the battle of Silverhausen in 1553, he eventually succeeded his father as reigning duke of Brunswick Wolfenbuttel in 1568.

Greville Memoirs. 24 Apr 1831. At Newmarket all last week, and returned to town last night to hear from those who saw them the extraordinary scenes in both Houses of Parliament (the day before) which closed the eventful week. The Reform battle began again on Monday last. The night before I went out of town I met Duncannon, and walked with him up Regent Street, when he told me that he did not believe the Ministers would be beaten, but if they were they should certainly dissolve instantly; that he should have liked to dissolve long ago, but they owed it to their friends not to have recourse to a dissolution if they could help it. On Monday General Gascoyne moved that the Committee should be instructed not to reduce the members of the House of Commons, and this was carried after two nights' debate by eight. The dissolution was then decided upon. Meanwhile Lord Wharncliffe (age 54) gave notice of a motion to address the King not to dissolve Parliament, and this was to have come on on Friday. On Thursday the Ministers were again beaten in the House of Commons on a question of adjournment, and on Friday morning they got the King to go down and prorogue Parliament in person the same day. This coup d'état was so sudden that nobody was aware of it till within two or three hours of the time, and many not at all. They told him that the cream-coloured horses could not be got ready, when he said, 'Then I will go with anybody else's horses.' Somebody went off in a carriage to the Tower, to fetch the Crown, and they collected such attendants as they could find to go with his Majesty. The Houses met at one or two o'clock. In the House of Commons Sir R. Vyvyan made a furious speech, attacking the Government on every point, and (excited as he was) it was very well done. The Ministers made no reply, but Sir Francis Burdett and Tennyson endeavoured to interrupt with calls to order, and when the Speaker decided that Vyvyan was not out of order Tennyson disputed his opinion, which enraged the Speaker, and soon after called up Peel, for whom he was resolved to procure a hearing. The scene then resembled that which took place on Lord North's resignation in 1782, for Althorp (I think) moved that Burdett should be heard, and the Speaker said that 'Peel was in possession of the House to speak on that motion.' He made a very violent speech, attacking the Government for their incompetence, folly, and recklessness, and treated them with the utmost asperity and contempt. In the midst of his speech the guns announced the arrival of the King, and at each explosion the Government gave a loud cheer, and Peel was still speaking in the midst of every sort of noise and tumult when the Usher of the Black Rod knocked at the door to summon the Commons to the House of Peers. There the proceedings were if possible still more violent and outrageous; those who were present tell me it resembled nothing but what we read of the 'Serment du Jeu de Paume,' and the whole scene was as much like the preparatory days of a revolution as can well be imagined. Wharncliffe (age 54) was to have moved an address to the Crown against dissolving Parliament, and this motion the Ministers were resolved should not come on, but he contrived to bring it on so far as to get it put upon the Journals. The Duke of Richmond endeavoured to prevent any speaking by raising points of order, and moving that the Lords should take their regular places (in separate ranks), which, however, is impossible at a royal sitting, because the cross benches are removed; this put Lord Londonderry in such a fury that he rose, roared, gesticulated, held up his whip, and four or five Lords held him down by the tail of his coat to prevent his flying on somebody. Lord Lyndhurst was equally furious, and some sharp words passed which were not distinctly heard. In the midst of all the din Lord Mansfield rose and obtained a hearing. Wharncliffe (age 54) said to him, 'For God's sake, Mansfield, take care what you are about, and don't disgrace us more in the state we are in.' 'Don't be afraid,' he said; 'I will say nothing that will alarm you;' and accordingly he pronounced a trimming philippic on the Government, which, delivered as it was in an imposing manner, attired in his robes, and with the greatest energy and excitation, was prodigiously effective. While he was still speaking, the King arrived, but he did not desist even while his Majesty¹ was entering the House of Lords, nor till he approached the throne; and while the King was ascending the steps, the hoarse voice of Lord Londonderry was heard crying 'Hear, hear, hear!' The King from the robing-room heard the noise, and asked what it all meant. The conduct of the Chancellor was most extraordinary, skipping in and out of the House and making most extraordinary speeches. In the midst of the uproar he went out of the House, when Lord Shaftesbury was moved into the chair. In the middle of the debate Brougham again came in and said, 'it was most extraordinary that the King's undoubted right to dissolve Parliament should be questioned at a moment when the House of Commons had taken the unprecedented course of stopping the supplies,' and having so said (which was a lie) he flounced out of the House to receive the King on his arrival. The King ought not properly to have worn the Crown, never having been crowned; but when he was in the robing-room he said to Lord Hastings, 'Lord Hastings, I wear the Crown; where is it?' It was brought to him, and when Lord Hastings was going to put it on his head he said, 'Nobody shall put the Crown on my head but myself.' He put it on, and then turned to Lord Grey and said, 'Now, my Lord, the coronation is over.' George Villiers said that in his life he never saw such a scene, and as he looked at the King upon the throne with the Crown loose upon his head, and the tall, grim figure of Lord Grey close beside him with the sword of state in his hand, it was as if the King had got his executioner by his side, and the whole picture looked strikingly typical of his and our future destinies.

Note 1. When Lord Mansfield sat down he said, 'I have spoken English to them at least.' Lord Lyndhurst told me that Lord Mansfield stopped speaking as soon as the door opened to admit the King. He said he never saw him so excited before, and in his robes he looked very grand. He also told me that he was at Lady Holland's giving an account of the scene when Brougham came in. He said, 'I was telling them what passed the other day in our House,' when Brougham explained his part by saying that the Usher of the Black Rod (Tyrwhit) was at his elbow saying, 'My Lord Chancellor, you must come; the King is waiting for you: come along; you must come,' and that he was thus dragged out of the House in this hurry and without having time to sit down or say any more.