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940 [940]

Actes and Monumentes Of the Church

thought the same. But how so euer of that mater is to be demed, credible it is, that the sayd Duke in suffering or procuryng this death of his brother, not only he endamaged him selfe, and weaked his owne power thereby, but also prouoked the chastisement of Gods scourge & rodde, whiche did so lyght vpon hym. Notwithstanding his ende (the Lorde so working with hym) was constant in Christes truthe, as his life was before a great mainteiner of thesame.

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King Edward the vi.

MarginaliaKyng Edwarde the syxt.NOt long after the death of the Duke of Somerset, whiche was the 22. day of Ianuary, in the yeare of our Lorde. 1552. followed the next yeare after An. 1553.Marginalia1553 about the moneth of Iune, the death of kyng Edward, beyng of the age almost of xvii. yeares, a prince in al ornamentes and giftes belonging to a prince incomparable, derely and tenderly beloued of all his subiectes, but especially of the good and the learned sort, and yet not so muche beloued as also admirable, by reason of his rare towardnes and hope both of vertue and learning whiche in hym appeared aboue the capacitie of his yeares. And as he was intierly of his subiectes beloued, so with no lesse good wyll he loued them agayne. Of nature and disposition meke, and muche inclined to clemencie. He alwayes spared and fauoured lyfe of man, as in a certaine dissertation of his once appeared, had with Maister Cheke, in fauouringe the lyfe of heretikes. Although the errour he dyd not fauour, and therefore was hym selfe (if it had pleased god otherwise) worthy of lōger life but our lyfe was not worthy of such a prince. There wanted in hym no promptes of wytte, grauitie of sentence, rypenes of iudgement: fauour and loue of religion was in him from his chyldhode. Suche an organe geuen of God to the church of England, as Englād had neuer better. Ouer and besydes these notable excel-cellēcies, and other great vertues in hym, adde moreouer skill & knowledge of tongues, & other sciences, whereūto he semed rather borne than broughte vppe. Moreouer there wanted not in hym to this felicitie of wytte, and dexteritie of nature, lyke happines of institution & good instructours: neyther dyd there lacke agayne in hym anye diligence to receiue that, whiche they would teache him, in so much that in the midst of all his playe and recreation, he would alwaies obserue and kepe his hower appointed to his study, vsing the same with much attention, tyll tyme called hym againe from his boke to pastime. In this his study and keeping of his houres, he did so profite, that Doctor Cranmer, tharchebyshop then of Caunter-bury, beholding his towardnes, his readynes to both tongues, in translating from Greke to Latin, from Latin to Greke againe, in declaming with his scholefellowes without helpe of his teachers, and that ex tempore, would wepe for ioye, declaryng to Doctor Coxe his scholemaister,  

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Richard Cox, the first Elizabethan bishop of Ely, was Edward VI's tutor and almoner from 1543-48. This reference is one clear indication that he was one of Foxe's sources for these tales of Edward's gifts and virtues.

MarginaliaD. Cox king Edwards scholemaister that he would neuer haue thought þt to haue been in him, except he had seen it hym selfe. To recite here his wyttie sentences, his graue reasons, whiche many tymes dyd proceade from hym, and howe he would somtime in a matter discoursed by his counsell, adde thereunto of his owne mo reasons and causes touching the sayd matter, then they thē selues had or coulde deuise, it was almoste incredible in that age to see & tedious here to prosecute.

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This in him as it was notorious and most certen, so it is not to be past ouer in silence and withot admiration, that he in this tender and immature yeares, could tell and recite all the portes, hauens & creakes, not within his owne realme, but also in Scotland, and lykewyse in Fraunce, what comming in there was, howe the tyde serued in euery hauen or creke. Moreouer what burden and what wynde serued the commyng in to the hauen.  

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The obvious bellicose intentions behind this line of study - it is necessary preparatory knowledge for invading France and Scotland - is passed over by Foxe.

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MarginaliaKing Edward knew the names & religion of all his magistrates.Also of al his Iustices, magistrates, gentlemē, that bare any autoritie within his realme, he knew their names, their houskeping, their religion, and conuersation what it was. MarginaliaThe diligence of the Lord Protector in hering Sermons.Fewe sermons or none in his court, especially in the Lorde Protectors tyme  

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I.e., during the ascendancy of the Duke of Somerset, 1548-49.

, but he wold be at thē: agayne neuer was present at any commonly, but he would excerpe them or note them with his owne hande.

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MarginaliaThe singular constancie of kyng Edward in mainteining true religion.Besydes and aboue all other notes and examples of his commendation, as touching the chiefest poynt whiche ought moste to touche al men, for mainteining, promoting, preferryng, embracyng, zealing and defending the true cause and quarell of Christes holye Gospell, what was his study, his zelous feruencie, his admirable constancie therein, by this one exāple, amōgest many other, may notably appere.

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In the dayes of this kyng Edwarde the vi. Carolus the Emperour made request to the sayde kyng and his counsell, to permitte Lady Mary (who after succeded the crowne) to haue Masse in her house without preiudice of the lawe. And the counsell on a tyme sytting vpon matters of policie, hauing that in questiō, sent Cranmer then Archebyshop of Caunterbury, and Rydley then B. of London, to intreate the kyng for the same: & comming to his grace, they alleaged their reasons and perswasions for the accomplishyng thereof. So the king hearing what they could saye, replied his aunswer agayne out of the scriptures, so groundly, grauely, & fully, that they were enforced to geue place to his replication, and graunt the same to be true. Then they, after long debating in this

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