SOME ACCOUNT

OF

KING EDWARD VI.

EDW. ARD THE SIXTH was the son of Henry VIII. by his third wife, Jane Seymour. He was born at Hampton-court, October 12th, 1537, where he was christened with much ceremony on the 15th of the same month. The birth of a prince had been long desired, but the joy with which the intelligence was received by the court and the nation, was abated by the death of the queen, his mother, on the 24th, twelve days after the birth of her son.* Henry was much afflicted, and showed that he was not insensible to the loss he had sustained; even the festivities of the ensuing Christmas were not allowed to put aside the outward tokens of respect to her memory.

The care which Henry VIII. evinced for the welfare of his children, with his anxiety to place them under the charge of learned and pious instructors, are circumstances which prove the character of that monarch, with all his faults, to have been very different from the representations of those who cannot forgive the part he took in freeing this country from the iron bands of popery. At the early age of six years, prince Edward was committed to the charge of able preceptors, the principal of whom was Sir Anthony Cook, a sincere favourer of the gospel, whose own children manifested their father's suitableness for such a trust. Another of his early tutors was Dr. Richard Cox, moderator of the school of Eton, afterwards dean of Christ Church and chancellor of the university of Oxford, and lastly bishop of Ely. When Dr. Cox received an ecclesiastical appointment which often required him to be absent from his noble pupil, Sir John Cheke, then professor of Greek at Cambridge, where he had, with much difficulty, introduced a more correct

* Some historians have by mistake stated October the 14th as the day of queen's Jane's death, the error, probably at first unintentional, has been copied from one to another. By this the Romanists have strengthened their legend of Henry's desiring that the life of the child might be preserved by the death of his mother, which they still repeat. The falsehood of that statement is clearly proved by a book among the records of the Herald's college, (see Strype's Memorials,) which gives all the particulars relative to the queen's funeral, and the various ceremonies of attendance on the corpse, from her decease to the interment. An original letter from her physicians to the council is also in existence, dated the 24th, which describes her declining state, from an illness incident to her condition, and mentions her being supposed to be near death. There is also a letter extant from the queen herself, written after the birth of her son.

B

pronunciation of that language,* was appointed tutor to the prince. These excellent and learned men gave full attention to their important charge. The manner in which their labours were blessed is thus described by William Thomas, afterwards clerk of the council, himself a learned man. In a work entitled The Pilgrim, he says, If ye knew the towardness of that young prince, your hearts would melt to hear him named, and your stomach abhor the malice of them that would him ill. The beautifullest creature that liveth under the sun; the wittiest, the most amiable, and the gentlest thing of all the world. Such a capacity in learning the things taught him by his schoolmasters, that it is a wonder to hear say. And finally, he hath such a grace of posture, and gesture in gravity, when he comes into a presence, that it should seem he were already a father, and yet passes he not the age of ten years. A thing undoubtedly much rather to be seen than believed." Sufficient proof still remains of the progress made by prince Edward under these instructors, from numerous letters written by him in Latin and in French, some as early as his ninth year, also by several Latin orations or themes, preserved in the British Museum. At this period of his life the prince chiefly resided in Hertfordshire. Of his tutors, Cheke appears to have been the most constantly with him, but the early formation of his habits and temper probably had devolved principally upon Cook and Cox. The prince afterward told Cardan he had had two masters, Moderation and Diligence, designating Cox by the former, and Cheke by the latter appellation. Curio, the Italian reformer, addressing Cheke and Cook, said, “that by their united prayers, counsels, and industry, they had formed a king of the highest, even of divine hopes." But, in the history of this excellent prince, Cranmer must never be forgotten. The watchful care of that excellent prelate, and his anxiety for the progress of the reformation, were continually exercised for the benefit of the heir to the crown, and for his advancement in true religion and sound learning. It is however evident, that more than mere natural docility prepared the youthful prince to receive the instructions of his able and pious preceptors. The effects of divine influence upon his heart were manifest during the whole of his short yet interesting course. Without this, human

teachers would have planted and watered in vain.

We have not many anecdotes of the youthful days of this excellent prince; but one which is characteristic of his piety, and evidences the principles in which he was trained, has been preserved by Fuller. When engaged with some companions in amusements suitable for his age, he wished to take down from a shelf something above his reach. One of his playfellows offered him a

* Gardiner's zeal against every kind of reformation, and especially any which promoted the study of the scriptures in the original, was shown by his decided opposition to this improvement, he threatened expulsion to all who should favour it.

large bible to stand upon, but perceiving it to be a bible, Edward refused such assistance with much indignation. He sharply reproved the offerer, adding, it was unfit that he should trample under his feet that which he ought to treasure up in his head and heart.

Fox says, that there was not wanting in the prince any diligence to receive that which his instructors would teach him. So that in the midst of all his play and recreation, he would always observe to keep the hours appointed to his study, using the same with much attention, till time called him again from his book to pastime. In this, his study and keeping of his hours, he so profited, that Cranmer, beholding his towardness, his readiness in both tongues, in translating from Greek to Latin, from Latin to Greek again, in declaiming with his school-fellows without help of his teachers, and that extempore, wept for joy, declaring to Dr. Cox, his schoolmaster, that he would never have thought it to have been in the prince except he had seen it himself.

Fox then mentions prince Edward's exact knowledge of the various parts of his own realm, Scotland, and France; also his minute acquaintance with the names and characters of all the magistrates and gentlemen who bore any authority. A manuscript in the British Museum relates how a schoolmaster, named Herne, incited his unwilling scholars to apply themselves more diligently to their books, and to improve in learning, by emulating the example of their prince.

While prince Edward was in the tenth year of his age, and was thus preparing for the duties which lay before him, Henry VIII. died, on January 28th, 1547. The office of protector devolved upon the earl of Hertford, one of the young king's maternal uncles. The appointment of this nobleman to that important office became a means of promoting the reformation. His piety appears from a devout prayer which he seems to have used constantly with reference to the important charge which devolved upon him. It is as follows:

"Lord God of hosts, in whose only hand is life and death, victory and confusion, rule and subjection, receive me, thy humble creature, into thy mercy, and direct me in my requests, that I offend not thy high majesty. O my Lord and my God, I am the work of thy hands; thy goodness cannot reject me. I am the price of thy Son's death, Jesu Christ; for thy Son's sake thou wilt not lose me. I am a vessel for thy mercy: thy justice will not condemn me. I am recorded in the book of life, I am written with the very blood of Jesus; thy inestimable love will not cancel then my name. this cause, Lord God, I am bold to speak to thy Majesty. Thou, Lord, by thy providence hast called me to rule; make me therefore able to follow thy calling. Thou, Lord, by thine order hast committed an anointed king to my governance; direct me therefore with thy hand, that I err not from thy good pleasure. Finish

For

in me, Lord, thy beginning, and begin in me that thou wilt finish.

66

By thee do kings reign, and from thee all power is derived. Govern me, Lord, as I shall govern; rule me, as I shall rule. I am ready for thy governance; make thy people ready for mine. I seek thy only honour in my vocation; amplify it, Lord, with thy might. If it be thy will that I shall rule, make thy congregation subject to my rule. Give me power, Lord, to suppress whom thou wilt have to obey.

"I am by appointment thy minister for thy king, a shepherd for thy people, a sword-bearer for thy justice: prosper the king, save thy people, direct thy justice. I am ready, Lord, to do that thou commandest; command that thou wilt. Remember, O, God, thine old mercies; remember thy benefits showed heretofore. Remember, Lord, me thy servant, and make me worthy to ask. Teach me what to ask, and then give me that I ask. None other I seek to, Lord, but thee, because none other can give it me. And that I seek is thine honour and glory.

"I ask victory, but to show thy power upon the wicked. I ask prosperity, but for to rule in peace thy congregation. I ask wisdom, but by my counsel to set forth thy cause. And as I ask for myself, so, Lord, pour thy knowledge upon all them which shall counsel me. And forgive them, that in their offence I suffer not the reward of their evil.

"If I have erred, Lord, forgive me; for so thou hast promised me. If I shall not err, direct me; for that only is thy property. Great things, O my God, hast thou begun in my hand; let me then, Lord, be thy minister to defend them. Thus I conclude, Lord, by the name of thy Son Jesus Christ. Faithfully I commit all my cause to thy high providence, and so rest to advance all human strength under the standard of thy omnipotency."

The coronation took place on the 28th of February. The usual grant of a general pardon followed; thus the prosecutions for religion commenced during the latter years of the preceding reign, under the act of six articles, were terminated. Although that and other persecuting acts were not regularly repealed till some months after, many were released from prison, and a number of learned and pious individuals were allowed to return from exile, whose assistance gave new vigour to the efforts for reformation. But the most remarkable circumstance connected with the coronation, was the address of archbishop Cranmer to the youthful monarch. The prelate therein gave the following charge, which the king did not forget, as his subsequent conduct shows. This address was found among the collections of archbishop Usher. "Most dread and royal sovereign; the promises your highness hath made here, at your coronation, to forsake the devil and all his works, are not to be taken in the bishop of Rome's sense; when you commit any thing distasteful to that see, to hit your majesty in the teeth, as pope Paul the third, late bishop of

Rome, sent to your royal father, saying, 'Didst thou not promise, at our permission of thy coronation, to forsake the devil and all his works, and dost thou run to heresy? For the breach of this thy promise, knowest thou not, that it is in our power to dispose of thy sword and sceptre to whom we please?' We, your majesty's clergy, do humbly conceive, that this promise reacheth not at your highness's sword, spiritual or temporal, or in the least at your highness swaying the sceptre of this your dominion, as you and your predecessors have had them from God. Neither could your ancestors lawfully resign up their crowns to the bishop of Rome or his legates, according to their ancient oaths then taken upon that ceremony.

"The bishops of Canterbury, for the most part, have crowned your predecessors, and anointed them kings of this land; yet it was not in their power to receive or reject them; neither did it give them authority to prescribe them conditions to take or leave their crowns, although the bishops of Rome would encroach upon your predecessors, by their act and oil, that in the end they might possess those bishops with an interest to dispose of their crowns at their pleasure. But the wiser sort will look to their claws and clip them.

"The solemn rites of coronation have their ends and utility; yet neither direct force or necessity: they are good admonitions to put kings in mind of their duty to God, but no increasement of their dignity; for they are God's anointed; not in respect of the oil which the bishop useth, but in consideration of their power, which is ordained; of the sword, which is authorized; of their persons, which are elected of God, and endued with the gifts o his Spirit, for the better ruling and guiding of his people.

66

The oil, if added, is but a ceremony: if it be wanting, tha king is yet a perfect monarch notwithstanding, and God's anointed, as well as if he was inoiled. Now for the person or bishop that doth anoint a king, it is proper to be done by the chiefest. But if they cannot, or will not, any bishop may perform this ceremony.

To condition with monarchs upon these ceremonies, the bishop of Rome (or other bishops owning his supremacy) hath no authority; but he may faithfully declare what God requires at the hands of kings and rulers, that is, religion and virtue. Therefore, not from the bishop of Rome, but as a messenger from my Saviour Jesus Christ, I shall most humbly admonish your royal majesty, what things your highness is to perform.

"Your majesty is God's vicegerent, and Christ's vicar within your own dominions, and to see, with your predecessor Josiah, God truly worshipped, and idolatry destroyed'; the tyranny of the bishops of Rome banished from your subjects, and images removed. These acts are signs of a second Josiah, who reformed the church of God in his days. You are to reward virtue, to revenge sin, to justify the innocent, to relieve the poor, to procure peace, to repress violence, and to execute justice throughout your realms. For