Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 When the barons had hard the words of the king, being therewith astonied, they made answer, that there should be no right abridged from him, but that he might take vpon him the gouernment as of rea|son was due. Well said he, yée know that I haue beene a long time ruled by tutors, so as it hath not béene lawfull to me to doo anie thing, were it of neuer so small importance, without their consents. Now therefore I will, that they meddle no further with matters perteining to my gouernment,The king ta|king vpõ him the gouerne|ment of all things displa|ceth diuers of|ficers & set|teth others in their roomes. & after the maner of an heire come to lawfull age, I will call to my councell such as pleaseth me, and I will deale in mine owne businesse my selfe. And therfore I will first that the chancellor resigne to me his seale. When the archbishop of Yorke (who in the yeare last past ha [...] béene remooued from Elie vnto Yorke, and Alexander Neuill displaced) had deliuered vnto him the seale, the king receiuing it of him, put it in his bosome, and suddenlie rising, departed foorth of the chamber, & after a little while returning, sat downe againe, and deliuered the seale to the bishop of Win|chester, William Wickham,Wickham bi|shop of Win|chester made L. chancelor. and so made him chan|cellor, although sore against the same bishops will. He made also manie other new officers, remoouing the old, and vsed in all things his owne discretion and authoritie. The duke of Glocester, the earle of War|wike, & other honorable and worthie men, were dis|charged and put from the councell, and others placed in their roomes, such as pleased the king to appoint. At the same time he made fiue new iustices.

¶Of this assuming the regiment to himselfe, Abr. Fl. out of Henrie Knigh|ton canon of Leicester abbeie. as di|uerse diuerslie report: so Henrie Knighton a man li|uing in those daies, and committing to writing the occurrents of that tumultuous time, saith as follow|eth. In the moneth of Maie, the king held a councell at Westminster, and in the feast of the Inuention of the crosse, comming personallie to the councell house he remooued all the great officers (contrarie to expec|tation and thinking) from their offices, and at his pleasure placed in their roomes whome he list. He re|mooued the archbishop of Yorke lord chancellor, and put in his place the bishop of Winchester: he remoo|ued the bishop of Hereford lord treasuror, and put an|other in his place: he remooued the clearke of the priuie seale, and all other: so likewise did he the iusti|ces of either bench. But least the affaires of the realme should in the meane while be hindered, he commanded the iustices of law to follow and prose|cute EEBO page image 467 things requisite as they were woont, till such time as he was better aduised touching the proui|ding of other iustices. The erle of Arundell likewise, vnto whome the gouernment of the parlement was committed, and the admeraltie of the sea, was remoo|ued; and the earle of Huntington put in his roome. In like sort dealt the king with the residue of his offi|cers, saieng that he ought not to be inferior in degree & of lesse account than an other ordinarie heire what|soeuer within the realme of England; sith the law and custome of the realme of England auerreth, that euerie heire being in the gardianship of anie lord, when he is growne to be one and twentie yeares of age, ought presentlie to inioy the inheritance left him by his father, and is lawfullie to possesse his pa|trimonie, and freelie to dispose and order his owne goods and chattels to his liking. But now it is come to passe, that I thus manie yeares haue liued vnder your counsell and gouernement; and now first to God, secondlie to you, I giue manifold thanks, that you haue gouerned and supported me, mine inheri|tance, and my realme of England, as well within as without, & speciallie against our enimies round about vs, all renowme of honour and praise to vs and our kingdome alwaies safelie reserued. But now God hath so dealt for vs, that we are of full age, so that we are two and twentie yeares old at this present: and we require that we may fréelie and at libertie from this time forward rule and gouerne both our selues and our inheritance; and we will haue our kingdome in our owne hands, and officers and seruitors of our owne appointing at our plea|sure; secondlie, as shall seeme to vs more auaileable, by Gods grace, to elect, choose, and preferre vnto offi|ces such as we doo well like of, and at our pleasure to remooue such as be presentlie resiant, and in their roomes to substitute and set others wheresoeuer and whomsoeuer we list. The king hauing thus spoken, there was not one that went about to breake him of his will, but they all glorified God, who had proui|ded them such a king, as was likelie to prooue discreet and wise.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 Anno Reg. 13. Wickleuists increase.In this season, the followers of Wickliffes doc|trine maruellouslie increased, speciallie in the dio|cesse of Sarum, where they had manie that tooke vp|on them as ministers, both to preach the word, and to dispense the sacraments. This they did in secret: but they were discouered by one that had beene of their fellowship, who declared to the bishop of Salisburie at his man or of Sonning, all the whole circumstan|ces thereof, as he knew. There were of them that preached in those daies earnestlie against pilgrima|ges, calling such images as the people had in most veneration, as that at Walsingham, and the rood of the north doore at Paules in London, rotten stocks, and worme eaten blocks, through which the vnskil|full people being mocked and deceiued, were com|pelled most manifestlie to commit idolatrie. The bi|shops (saith Thomas Walsingham) hearing, behol|ding, and knowing these things with much more, to be true, did little or nothing to redresse the same, saue onlie the bishop of Norwich who stirred coles, swea|ring and staring, that if anie of that sect presumed to preach anie peruerse doctrine within his diocesse, he would cause them either to hop headlesse, or to frie a fagot for it: he was therefore not a little praised and extolled by the moonks and other religious men (as should appeare) for that his zeale.