jects that you will either assent or suffer his Majesties most royall persone to remaine in the garde of the Duke of Somersetts men, sequestred from his old sworne servaunts. It seemith straunge that in his Majesties owne Howse strangers shuld be armed with his Majestie's owne armour, and be nearest abowte his Highnes persone; and those to whome the ordynary charge is committed, sequestred away so as they may nat attende according to their sworne duetyes. If any evyll come thereof ye can consider to whome it must be imputed. Ones the exemple is very straunge and perillous. And now my Lords, if you tender the preservacion of his Majestie and the State, joyne with us to that ende. We have wrytten to the Kings Majestie by which way things may sone be quyetly and moderatly compounded; in the doing whereof we mynde to doo none otherwise then we would be doon unto, and that with as much moderacion and favour as we honorably maye. We trust none of you hath juste cawse to note any oon of us, and much lesse all of such crueltye as you so many tymes make mention

you

of. Oon thing in youre Lettres we mervayle much at, which is that write that you knowe more than we knowe. If the matters comen to your knowlege and hidden from us be of such waight as you seme to pretende, or if they towche or may touche his Majestie or the State, we thinke you do not as you ought in that ye have not disclosed the same unto us being the

hole state of the Counsail. And thus prayeng God to sende you the Grace to do that may tende to the surety of the Kings Majestie and tranquillite of the Realme, we bidde you hartely farewell. From Westm. the ixth of Octobre 1549.

Archbishop Cranmer, Sir William Paget, and Sir Thomas Smith to the Lords of the Council in London, offering terms of accommodation.

[MS. COTTON. CALIG. B. VII. fol. 412. Orig.]

It may lyke your good Lordshyps, with our most harty commendacions, to understand that this mornyng Sir Phillip Hobby hath, according to the charge gyven to hym by your Lordships, presented your Letters to the Kings Majestie in the presence of us and all the rest of his Magisties good servants here, which was

there redde openly; and also the others to them of the chambre and of the household, moche to theyr comforts and ours also; and according to the tenors of the same we will not faile to endevor ourselfs accordingly Now tooching the mervaile of your Lordships both of that we wold suffre the Duke of Somersetts men to garde the Kings Majestie's persone and also of our often repeting the worde cruel. . Although we doubt not but that your Lordships hath bene thorowly enformed of our estates here, and uppon what occasions the one hath bene suffred, and the other proceded, yet at our convenyng togider (which may be when and where please you) we will and are able to make your Lordships such an Accompt as wherewith we doubt not you wilbe satisfyed if you

And for bycause this

think good to require it of us. berar Mr. Hobby can particulerly enforme your Lordship of the hole discourse of all things here, we remitt the reaport of all other things to hym, saving that we desyre to be advertised with as moch spede as you shall think good, whether the Kings Majestie shall cum furthwith thither, or remayn stil here; and that sum of your Lordships woold take payn to cum hither furthwith; for the which purpose I the comptroller will cause thre of the best chambres in the gret court to be hanged and made redy. Thus thankyng God that all things be so wel acquieted we committ your

Lordships to his tuycion. From Wyndsor the x of

The Lords of the Council in London, to Sir William Paget, comptroller of the Household respecting the safety of the person of King Edward VIth; and urging him to cause the Duke of Somerset to be appre

hended.

[MS. COTTON. CALIG. B. VII. fol. 410. Orig.]

It is singular that this Letter should have been addressed to Sir William Paget, who, with Cranmer and Sir Thomas Smith, was supposed most strenuously to have adhered to the Duke of Somerset. But as will be seen in the latter part of this Letter, a message had been delivered by Sir William Paget's servant stating that Somerset might easily be apprehended. The arrest which was directed in consequence was not violently made: for though Somerset and some of his friends and partizans were sent prisoners to the Tower, it was, at least on his part, by capitulation a.

a" Articles offerid by me the Lord Protector to the Kings Majestie, in the presence of his Highnes Counsail, and other his Majesties Lords and Gentlemen at Wyndesor to be declared on my behalf to the Lords and the rest of his Highnes Counsail remayning at London.

"Furst that I do not, nor did not meane to apprehend any of them, or otherwise to disturbe or molest them, but hering tell of their suche meetings and assembles and gathering of horsemen and other power owt of severall Countreys, not being privie of the causes therof, t'avoid further inconvenyences, and danger which might ensue to your Majesties person, which by many rumors, certain intelligences, and sundrie messages was declared immynent unto your Highnes, and to me the Lorde Protector, was forced to seke this defence as I at the furst beginning declared unto your lighnes.

On the 11th, of October, Sir Anthony Wingfield, captain of the Guard, was sent to Windsor to the King, to detach the Lord Protector from his person; who caused the guard to watch his Majesty till the coming of the Lords. "On the morrow," says Stow," the Lord Chancellor, with the rest of the Council rode to Windsor to the King, and that night the Lord Protector was put in ward into Beauchamp's tower in the Castle of Windsor." On the 14th of October he was brought from Windsor to the Tower of London.

AFTER our most harty commendations, we have hard the Credence declared unto us by Bedill your servant, by the which wee doo well understand your wyse and stowt doings for the suertye of the Kings Majesties person our most gracious Soveraigne Lorde; for whos only suertye and preservation of His Majestie's realme and subjects, lyke as wee have entred thies busines, so do we give you our most harty thanks for your good travayll to the same ende. And ffor the rest wee have declared our mynds att more lenght to our loving freends M Vicechamberlayn Knight to

Secondly, that this force and power which here is assembled abowt your Majestie at this present, is to do none of them which be there at London or else where either in person or goods any damage or hurt, but to defend only if any violence should be attempted against your Highnes. As for any contencion and strief betwixt me the Lorde Protector and the Counsail there, I do not refuse to come to any reasonable ende and conclusion that shuld be for the preservacion of your Majestie and tranquillitie of the Realme, if they will send any two of them with Commission on their behalfs to conclude and make a good end betwixt us. And I most humbly beseche your Majestie to appoinct any two of suche as be here about your Majestie to joyne with the same: and whatsoever these fowre, or thre of them, shall determyn, I do and shall holy and fully submit myself therunto. And that for more conformacion, if it shalbe so thought good to the said persones, their agreament and conclusion to be established and ratified by Parlyament or any other order that shalbe devised.

"And I beseche your Majestie that at my humble sute and by th'advise of me and others of your Counsail here for the better procedings herin, and to take away all doubts and feares that might arise to grant to them, for any such two of them which they shall send for the purpose abovesaid, fre passage for them selfs and with eche of them xxti of their servants to saufly come, tarry here, and retorn at their pleasure. And I most humbly beseche your Majestie that this Bill signed with your Majestie's hands and owres may be a sufficient warrant therefore. Given and exhibited at the Castle of Wyndesore the viijth, of October 1549." MS. Cotton. Calig. B. vII. fol. 407.