The Holinshed Texts (1587, Volume 6, p. 946)

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 In this parlement the act of the six articles was established.

The statute of the six ar|ticles,

An inquest of inquirie.

Of some it was named the bloodie sta|tute, as it prooued indéed to manie. And euen shortlie after the making thereof, when the first inquest for inquirie of the offendors of the same statute sat in London at the mercers chappell, those that were of that inquest were so chosen foorth for the purpose, as there was not one amongst them that wished not to haue the said statute put in execution to the vtter|most, insomuch that they were not contented onelie to inquire of those that offended in the six articles conteined in that statute, but also they deuised to in|quire of certeine branches (as they tooke the matter) belonging to the same, as of those that came seldome to heare masse, that held not vp their hands at the sacring time, who tooke no holie bread nor holie wa|ter, who vsed to read the bible in churches, or in com|munication séemed to despise preests, or images in the churches, &c. To conclude, they inquired so dili|gentlie of them that had so offended in anie of those articles or the branches, that they indicted & presen|ted to the number of fiue hundred persons and a|boue, so that if the king had not granted his pardon, for that he was informed by the lord Audleie then lord chancellor that they were indicted of malice, a great manie of them which alreadie were in pri|son, had died for it in Smithfield, in frieng a faggot. But although the king at that present granted his gratious pardon, and forgaue all those offenses:The extreme procéeding in execution of the six arti|cles. yet afterwards, during the time that this statute stood in force, which was for the space of eight years insuing, they brought manie an honest and simple person to death. For such was the rigor of that law, that if two witnesses, true or false, had accused anie, and ad|uouched that they had spoken against the sacrament, there was no waie but death; for it booted him not to confesse that his faith was contrarie, or that he said not as the accusers reported, for the witnesses (for the most part) were beléeued.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 The king being informed that the pope by insti|gation of cardinall Poole,Prouision for defense of the realme. had mooued and stirred di|uers great princes and potentats of christendome to inuade the realme of England; without all delaie rode himselfe toward the sea coasts, and sent diuerse of his nobles and councellors to surueie all the ports and places of danger on the coast, where anie meet and conuenient landing place might be doubted, as well in the borders of England, as also of Wales: in EEBO page image 947 which dangerous places he caused bulworks and forts to be erected. And further, he caused the lord ad|merall earle of Southampton to prepare in a readi|nesse his nanie of ships, for defense of the coasts. Be|side this, he sent forth commissions to haue generall musters taken through the realme, to vnderstand what number of able men he might make account of: and further to haue the armor and weapons séene and viewed. Nothing left he vndoone that tended to the foreséeing and preuenting of a mischiefe to insue, which in a prince is counted a vertue, because such prouidence and circumspection is reputed no lesse in a priuat & ordinarie man, as the poet Plautus saith;

Virtus est, vbi occasio admonet, dispicere.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Sir William Forman knight, at that present maior of London, was commanded to certifie the names of all the able men within the citie and liber|ties thereof, betwéene the ages of thrée score and of sixtéene, with the number of armors and weapons of all kinds of sorts. Wherevpon the said maior and his brethren ech one in his ward, by the oth of the common councell and constable, tooke the number of men, armor, and weapons. And after well consi|dering of the matter, by view of their bookes, they thought it not expedient to admit the whole number certified for apt and able men: and therefore assem|bling themselues againe, they chose forth the most able persons, and put by the residue, speciallie such as had no armor, nor for whom anie could be proui|ded. But when they were crediblie aduertised by Thomas Cromwell lord priuie seale (to whome the citie was greatlie beholden) that the king himselfe would see the people of the citie muster in a conue|nient number, and not to set forth all their power, but to leaue some at home to kéepe the citie; then eftsoons euerie alderman repaired to his ward, and there put aside all such as had iacks, cotes of plate of maile,Preparation in London for a muster to be made and shewed before the king. and brigandines, and appointed none but such as had white armor, except such as should beare mo|rish pikes, which ware no armor but sculles, and there was no stranger (although he were a denisine) permitted to be in this muster.

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