Lorde of Northumberland hathe arrested me, but by whose authority or commission he sheweth me not; but saith, he hath one. If ye be privy thereto, or be joined with him therein, I pray you shewe me.' Indeede, my Lorde, if it please your Grace,' quoth Mr. Walche, 'he sheweth you the truthe.' 'Well, then,' quoth my Lord, 'I pray you let me see it.' Sir, I beseeche you,' quoth Mr. Walche, 'hold us excused. There is annexed to our commission certaine instructions which ye may not see, ne yet be privy to the same.' "Why,' quoth my Lorde, be your instructions suche that I may not see them? peradventure, if I mighte be privy to them, I could helpe you the better to perform them. It is not unknowne, but I have been privy and of counsell in as weighty matters as these be: and I doubte not for my parte, but I shall prove myselfe a true man, against the expectation of all my cruell enemies. I see the matter whereupon it groweth. Well, there is no more to doe. I trowe ye are one of the King's Privy Chamber; your name is Walche. I am content to yelde to you, but not to my Lord of Northumberland, without I see his commission. And also you are a sufficient commissioner in that behalfe, in as much as ye be one of the King's Privy Chamber; for the worst there is a sufficient warrant to arrest the greatest pere in this realme, by the King's only commaundement, without any commission. Therefore I am at your will to order and to dispose: put therefore your commission and authority in execution: spare not, and I will obey the King's will. I feare more the malice and cruelty of my mortall enemies, than I doe the untruthe of my allegiance; wherein, I take God to my judge, I never offended the King in worde ne dede; and therein I dare stand face to face with any man alive, having indifferency, without partiality.'

"Then came my Lord of Northumberland unto me, standinge at the portall dore, and commaunded me to avoide the chamber: and being lothe to departe from my master, I stode still, and would not remove; to whome he spake againe, and said unto mee, There is no remedy, ye must departe.' With that I loked upon my Lord (as whoe would say, shall I goe?) upon whome my Lorde İoked very heavily, and shoke at mee his heade. And perceiving by his countenaunce it boted me not to abide, I departed the chamber, and went into the next chamber, where abode many gentlemen of my fellowes, and other, to learne of me some newes; to whome I made reporte what I sawe and hearde; which was great heaviness unto them all."

It was required of the Cardinal to proceed to London. On the next day, the eve of his departure, Northumberland sent for Cavendish, and told him, it was the King's pleasure that he should still remain about the person of the Cardinal upon certain conditions, which Cavendish promised on oath to He was then desired to go in and attend upon his

observe.

master.

"And then I resorted unto my lorde, where he was sitting in a chaire, the tables being spred for him to goe to dinner. But as soon

as he perceived me to come in, he fell out into suche a wofull lamentation, with such rutheful teares and watery eies, that it would have caused a flinty harte to mourne with him. And as I could, I with others comforted him; but it would not be. For, quoth he, " Nowe I lament, that I see this gentleman, (meaning me) how faithefull, how dilligent, and how painfull he hath served me, abandonning his owne country, wife, and children; his house and family, his rest and quietnesse, only to serve me, and I have nothinge to rewarde him for his highe merittes. And also the sighte of him causethe me to call to my remembrance the nomber of faithfull servauntes, that I have here with me; whom I did intend to preferre and advaunce, to the best of my powre, from time to time, as occasion should serve. But now, alas! I am prevented, and have nothing here to rewarde them; all is deprived me, and I am left here their miserable and wretched master. Howbeyt,' quoth he to me (calling me by my name), I am a true man, and ye shall never have shame of me for your service.' 'Sir,' quoth I unto him (perceiving his heaviness), I doe nothing mistruste your truthe: and for the same will I depose bothe before the king, and his honnorable counsell. Wherefore, sir,' (kneeling upon my knee) 'comforte yourselfe, and be of good cheere. The malice of your ungodly enemies can, ne shall not prevaile. I doubt not but comming to your aunswer, my hearte is suche, that ye shall clearely acquit yourselfe, so to your commendation and truthe, as that, I trust, it shall be much to your great honnour, and restitution unto your former estate.' "Yea,' quoth he, if I may come to my aunswer, I feare no man alive; for he liveth not that shall look upon this face (pointing to his owne face), that shall be able to accuse me of any untruthe; and that knowe well mine enemies, which will be an occasion that they will not suffer me to have indifferent justice, but seeke some sinister meanes to dispatch me.' Sir,' quoth I, 'ye neede not therein to doubte, the king being so muche your good lorde, as he hath alwaies shewed himselfe to be, in all your troubles.' With that came up my lorde his meate; and so we left our former communication, and I. gave my water, and set him downe to dinner; who did eate very little meate, but very many times sodainely he would burste out in teares, with the most sorrowfull words that have bine hearde of any woefull creature. And at the laste he fetched a great sighe, and saide this texte of scripture in this wise,' O constantia Martirum laudabilis! O charitas inextinguibilis! O pacientia invincibilis,quæ licet inter pressuras persequentium visa sit despicabilis, invenietur in laudem et gloriam ac honorem in tempore tribulationis.' And thus passed he forthe his dinner in great lamentation and heaviness, who was fed more with weping teares, than with any delicate meates that were set before him. I suppose there was not a drie eie among all the gentlemen that were there attending upon him. And when the table was taken up, we expected continually our removing, untill it drewe to nighte; and then it was shewed my lorde that he could not goe away that nighte, but on the morrow, by God's grace, he should departe. Even then,' quoth he,' when my lord of Northumberland shall be pleased.' Wherefore it was concluded, that he should tarry untill the next day, being Sonday.”

lorde

On Sunday, the Cardinal was constrained to depart. As he proceeded from his chamber, he demanded where his servants were, and would not stir a step until he had bade farewell to them. It appeared that the commissioners had locked them up in the chapel, in the fear of a tumult, but they somehow hearing that their lord was setting off, began to make such a "ruthful riot," that they were let out as he was demanding to see them. After bidding them a kind farewell, and shaking every one by the hand, he mounted his horse amidst the shouts and blessings of an immense concourse of people, who, such was his popularity, had assembled at his gates. From Cawood he passed to Pontefract, and was struck with horror when he heard he was to lie there that night, lest his conductors should be leading him to imprisonment." Alas!" quoth he, " shall I go to the castle, and lie there, and die like a beast!" From Pontefract he proceeded to Doncaster, and thence to Sheffield Park, the seat of the Earl of Shrewsbury, still accompanied everywhere by the lamentations of the people. At Sheffield Park he was most nobly and courteously received by my Lord of Shrewsbury, who, with his lady, paid him the most respectful and delicate attention, as if he had still been in the height of his prosperity. Nothing, however, could restore the tone of his mind, nor restore him to his customary dignified self-possession. From the moment of the arrest his spirits sunk, he indulged in bitter lamentations, and would take no comfort. At last he was taken suddenly ill one day at dinner. The disorder proved to be a dysentery, which shortly reduced him to such a state of weakness, that it was with the utmost difficulty he could proceed on his journey; during which he became rapidly worse, so that before he reached Leicester he could with difficulty sit on his mule.

"The next day he tooke his journey, with M. Kingstone and them of the guarde. And as sone as they espied him, considering that he was their olde master, and in such estate, they lamented his misfortune, with weping eyes; whome my lord toke by the hand, and many times, as he rode by the way, he would talke, nowe with one, then with an other, until he came to an house of my lord of Shrewesburys, called Hardwicke Hall, where he lay all that nighte very evill at ease. The next day he rode to Nottingham, and there lodged that nighte, more sicke, and the next day he rode to Leicester Abbey; and by the way he waxed so sicke, that he was almost fallen from his mule; so that it was nighte before he came to the abbey of Leicester, where at his comming in at the gate, the Abbot with all his convent met him with divers torches lighte; whom they right honorably received and welcomed with great reverence. To whome my lorde saide, Father Abbot, I am come hither to leave my bones among you,' riding so still until he came to the staires of his chamber, where he alighted from his mule, and

then master Kingstone tooke him by the arme, and led him up the stairs; who tould me afterwardes, he never felt so heavy a burden in all his life. And as sone as he was in his chamber, he went incontinent to his bed, very sicke. This was upon Satterday at nighte: and then continued he sicker and sicker.

"Upon Monday in the morning, as I stode by his bed side, about eighte of the clocke, the windowes being close shut, and having waxe lightes burning upon the cupborde, I beheld him, as me seemed, drawing faste towardes deathe. He perceiving my shadowe upon the wall by the bed side, asked who was there? Sir,' quoth I, I am here.' How doe you?' quoth he to me. Very well, sir,' quoth I, if it might see your grace well.' What is it of the clocke?' saide he to me. "Sir,' said I, it is past eighte in the morning.' Eight of the clocke?" quoth he, that cannot be,' rehearsing diverse times, eight of the clocke, eighte of the clocke; nay, nay,' quoth he at last, it cannot be eighte of the clocke: for by eighte of the clocke shall you lose your master; for my time draweth neare, that I must departe this world.' With that, one doctor Palmes, a worshipful gentleman, being his chapleine and ghostly father, standing by, bad me secretly demand of him if he would be shriven, and to be in a readiness towardes God, whatsoever should chaunce. At whose desire I asked him the question. 'What have ye to doe to ask me any suche question?' quoth he, and began to be very angry with me for my presumption; untill at the laste master doctor tooke my parte, and talked with him in Latine, and so pacified him."

The tragedy now drew very fast to its close. On the next day Sir William Kingston, whom the king had sent down to conduct him up to London, asked, about six of the clock in the morning, how he did.

"Sir,' quoth he, I tarry but the pleasure of God, to render up my poore soul into his handes.' 'Not so, sir,' quoth Master Kingstone, with the grace of God ye shall live, and do very well, if ye will be of good cheere.' Nay, in good soothe, Master Kingstone, my disease is suche that I cannot live; for I have had some experience in phisicke. Thus it is: I have a fluxe with a continuall feaver; the nature whereof is, that if there be no alteration of the same within eight daies, either must ensue excorrition of the entrailes, or frensy, or else present death; and the best of these three is deathe. And, as I suppose, this is the eighth daie: and if ye see no alteration in me, there is no remedy save that I may live a day or two after, but deathe, which is the best of these three, must followe.' Sir,' said Master Kingstone, 'you be in such pensiveness, doubting that thing that in good faith ye need not.' Well, well, Master Kingstone,' quoth my lord, I see the matter maketh you much worse than you should be against me; how it is framed I knowe not. But if I had served God, as diligently as I have done the king, he would not have given me over in my grey haires. But this is the just rewarde that I must receive, for my diligent pains and study, that I have had, to do him service; not regarding my service to God, but only to satisfye his pleasure. I

pray you have me most humbly commended unto his royal majestie; and beseeche him, in my behalfe, to call to his princely remembrance all matters proceeding betweene him and me from the beginning of the world, and the progress of the same: and most especially in this weighty matter;' (meaning the matter betweene good Queen Katherine and him), and then shall his Graces conscience knowe, whether I have offended him or no. He is a prince of royall courage, and hath a princely harte; and rather than he will miss or want any part of his will or pleasure, he will endanger the losse of the one halfe of his realme. For I assure you, I have often kneeled before him, the space sometimes of three houres, to persuade him from his will and appetite, but I could never dissuade him therefrom. Therefore, Mr. Kingstone, I warne you, if it chaunce you hereafter to be of his privy counsell, as for your wisdome ye are very mete, be well assured and advised what ye put in his head, for ye shall never put it out againe." "

He then went on with cautions which he desired to be communicated to the king, against" this new sorte of Lutherans," whom he wished him to depress, and warned him against heresy in general, and its evil consequences. He then concluded his speech, and died.

"Master Kingstone, farewell. I can no more say, but I wish, ere I dye, all things to have good successe. My time draweth on faste. I may not tarry with you. And forget not what I have saide and charged you withall: for when I am dead, ye shall peradventure remember my woods better.' And even with those wordes he began to draw his speche at lengthe, and his tongue to faile, his eyes being presently set in his head, whose sighte failed him. Then began we to put him in remembrance of Christ's passion, and caused the yeomen of the guard to stand by secretly, to see him die, and to be witnesses of his wordes at his departure, who heard all his saide communication; and incontinent the clock struck eight, and then gave he up the ghost, and thus he departed this present life. And calling to remembrance howe he saide the day before, that at eight of the clocke we should lose our master, as it is before rehearsed, one of us looking upon another, supposing that either he knew or prophesied of his departure, yet before his departure, we sent for the Abbot of the house, to annoyle him, who made all the spede he could, and came to his departure, and so sayd certain praiers, before the breath was fully out of his body."

The body of the Cardinal was interred with all the ceremonials and rites of the Catholic church, with great pomp, by torch-light, in the night of the next day. And in the words of Cavendish, we may say

"Here is the ende and fall of pride and arrogancy of men, exalted by fortune to dignities; for I assure you, in his time, he was the haughtiest man in all his proceedings alive; having more respect to the honor of his person, than he had to his spirituall profession; wherein should be shewed all meekness, humility, and charity; the discussing whereof any further I leave to divines.'