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

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 The ninth of March,Creation of new officers. the king created sir Willi|am Paulet knight treasuror of his house, lord saint Iohn, and sir Iohn Russell comptrollor of his house|hold, lord Russell. Also either then or shortlie after, was sir William Par created lord Par. The new abbeie of white moonks at the Tower hill, and the Minories, nuns without Algate, were suppressed on the last of March. The same time the king caused all the hauens to be fensed with bulworks, and blocke|houses, and riding to Douer,Bulworks & blockhouses builded. he tooke order to haue bulworks made alongst the sea coasts, and sent com|mission to haue generall musters made through the realme. Moreouer on Easter daie there were thrée|score saile discouered that laie in the Downes, and for that it was neither knowne what they were, nor what they intended to doo, all the able men in Kent rose and mustered in armour the same daie. The eight and twentith of Aprill began a parlement at Westminster, Anno Reg. 31 A parlement. Attaindors. in the which Margaret countesse of Salisburie, Gertrude wife to the marques of Exce|ster, Reginald Poole cardinall, brother vnto the lord Montacute, sir Adrian Foskew, & Thomas Ding|leie knight of saint Iohns, and diuerse other were atteinted of high treason,Execution. which Foskew and Ding|leie the tenth of Iulie were beheaded.

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.

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