BOOK to make his 1. peace with the queen as well as with his father; and that he might obtain permission to cohabit with his Anno 1585. lady whom he had married. But coming out of the country (where, as it seems, he was enjoined to abide) with this purpose of address, his angry father caused him to be seized in his journey by one of his servants at Reading: where he was detained. Whence he applied himself by a submissive letter to the lord treasurer; declaring his case, and hoping by his intercession with the queen and council to obtain their favour; and that he might be sent for by their warrant. His request and case will more particularly appear by his letter; which coming from so noble a person, and upon such an occasion, may be acceptable from the original. 350 His letter casion to "My lord, having sought my lord my father's good-will "this long while, hoping by my dutiful means I might on this oc- have obtained his favour; and finding his lordship to deal "harder, to the end he might weary me; hoping thereby " in time to bring me not to care for my wife, whom I am ther's order. ❝ bound by conscience, as well by God, God and his law, "to love as myself; I was determined to come to your lord the court, being seized by his fa ship, whom I have found my good lord and honourable "friend: meaning so to submit myself to her majesty by "your honour's means, and also to the rest of her majesty's "council: hoping, that first her majesty, whose faithful "and loyal subject I am, to spend the best blood of my body, as well in cause private as public, (if it should "please her majesty so to command me,) as also your lordship, with the rest of her majesty's privy-council, would grant me the benefit of the laws of the realm. 66 66 66 66 Coming on the way, I was stayed at Reading by my "lord my father's man; desiring your honour's favour so far, "that it would please you by your warrant to send for me; "that I might not be injured by any my lord my father's men, though hardly dealt with by his lordship himself; "considering how dutifully I have used myself. I hope your honour will consider of my case, and suffer me to "take no wrong, so long as I am a faithful and true sub"ject. 66 XXVII. "I understand of certain, before I would attempt to de- CHAP. part, that her majesty should say of me, I was no prisoner "of hers; and also your lordship, with the rest of the coun- Anno 1585. "cil, should answer my wife, that you would impute it no "offence if I sought to enjoy my wife's company. Most "humbly craving to hear something from your honour, I "commit your lordship to the tuition of the Almighty. "From Reading, the 9th of August, 1585. "Your honour's to command, "Edward Beauchamp." This gentleman died before his father. And by his said wife had issue Edward and Thomas. But his grandchild William succeeded in the honour, by letters patents of king James I. out the I have one note more to make of one Davys, a mariner, Davys finds sometime belonging to sir Francis Drake. Who being em- north-west ployed to find out a north-west passage into those seas in passage. that part of the world, came back this year. And upon his return, in a letter, acquainted the said Drake with some account of those seas, and how navigable they were. The letter, shewing the first discovery of that passage, and wrote to so eminent a seaman, may deserve to be preserved, and is, as I take it from the original, to this tenor. 66 66 to sir Fran Right honourable, most dutifully craving pardon for His letter "this my rash boldness, I am hereby, according to my cis Drake. duty, to signify unto your honour, that the north-west "passage is a matter nothing doubtful; but at any time "almost to be passed by sea navigable, void of ice; the ice "tolerable, the waters very deep. I have also found an isle 351 "of very great quantity, not in any globe or map discover"ed; yielding a sufficient trade of furs and leather. Al though this passage hath been supposed very impossible, "yet through God's mercy I am in experience an eyewitness "to the contrary; yea, in the most desperate climates. "Which by God's help I will very shortly more at large "reveal unto your honour; so soon as I can possibly take "order for my mariners and shipping. Thus depending upon your honour's good favour, I most humbly commit "Your honour's for ever most dutiful Hence those straits in that passage are called Davis' Straits to this day. The Great Bible printed. CHAP. XXVIII. Books set forth. The Great English Bible. A Declaration of the Causes of the Queen's giving Aid to the Low Countries. A summary Report of the Earl of Northumberland's Treason. The true and lawful Right and Title of Don Anthonio to the Kingdom of Portugal. The State of the English Fugitives under the King of Spain. The true Difference between Christian Subjection and Unchristian Rebellion: by Dr. Bilson. An Apology and true Declaration of the Institution of the two English Colleges at Rome and Rhemes. A Defence of English Catholics. Pilkington's Exposition upon Nehemiah. Certain Prayers and other godly Exercises, for the seventeenth day of November. A godly and necessary Admonition concerning Neuters. Moral Questions in Latin: by Case. Exploits by the English in the Netherlands : by H. Archer. Leicester's Commonwealth. BOOKS I find of most note printed this year were as fol lows: The English Bible, of the last translation, in the great volume. Printed by Christopher Barker, the queen's printer, with this title; The Holy Bible; containing the Old Testa352 ment and the New: and appointed to be read in churches. Which was a third edition of the Bible, after the first set forth, new translated by archbishop Parker's care, oversight, and order, anno 1572, there being another edition anno 1578. This Bible hath, 1. A remarkable prologue, or preface, set before it; which was that made by Tho. Cranmer, XXVIII. archbishop of Canterbury; and set before the first transla- CHAP. tion of the Bible in king Henry VIII. his reign, printed. 2. A table of genealogy, from Adam; and so passing Anno 1585. through the patriarchs, judges, kings, &c. and so continuing Thus at the end At the end of the in lineal descents to our Saviour Jesus Christ. It hath in This Bible I saw some several places two capital letters, being the two first letters time in Sion of the names of the bishops or others that reviewed or cor- college library. rected their several portions allotted them in this work: and therefore called the Bishops' Bible. of the Pentateuch are the letters W. E. Second Book of Samuel, R. M. At the end of Chronicles, E. W. And at the end of Job, A. P. C. &c. And who these persons were, designed by these letters, are shewn in the Life of Archbishop Parker, under the year 1572. This Book iv. Bible hath marginal notes. To give a specimen thereof. chap.,20. At Genesis, chap. i. ver. 2. The earth was without form, and was void. Here the note in the margin is; "The works of "God, both in his creation and in his spiritual operation in "man, seem rude and imperfect at the first; yet God, by "the working of his Holy Spirit, bringeth all things to a "perfection at the end." And at that clause, ver. 2. The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters; the note is, "The confused heap of heaven and earth was imperfect "and dark; yet not utterly dead; but was endued with the power and strength of God's Spirit; and so made lively "to continue unto the world's end." Now to account for other books and discourses that came Other books. forth and were printed this year; both state-books and books about religion. A declaration of the causes moving the queen of England to give aid to the defence of the people, afflicted and oppressed in the Low Countries. Beginning; "Although 66 kings and princes sovereign," &c. This book I have mentioned before. "Given at Richmond the 1st of Octob. "27 regin. Elizabeth." Which words conclude that book. And it is of the more remark, being drawn up by the head and pen of the lord treasurer Burghley. It is preserved to BOOK us by John Stow; and inserted by him into Holinshed's Chronicle. As also this book that follows. I. Anno 1585. P. 311. 353 A true and summary report of the declaration of some part of the earl of Northumberland's treason: delivered publicly at the court of the star-chamber. Together with the examination and depositions of sundry persons, touching the manner of his wicked and violent murder committed upon himself with his own hand in the Tower of London, the 20th of June, 1585. This man before was in the rebellion, 11 regin. Elizab. (being then sir Henry Percy, knight,) and undertook the conveying away of the Scottish queen, as appeared by a record the 14th year of the queen. This is shortly summed up in queen Elizabeth's History by Camden. Another book now came forth in favour of don Anthonio: who claimed the right of possession to the kingdom of Portugal; which Philip king of Spain had actually possessed himself of. This prince came into England to crave assistance of the queen to recover his right; which she granted him. For the better understanding of his cause, this book was printed, translated from the French and Latin, and was entitled, The examination of the true and lawful right and title of the excellent prince Anthony, the first of that name, king of Portugal. Concerning his wars against Philip, king of Castile, and against his subjects and adherents, for recovery of his kingdom. 'Together with a brief history of all that had passed about that matter, until the year of our Lord 1583. Translated into English, and conferred with the French and Latin copies. At Leyden. The design of this tract appears in the end of it, viz. "That don Antho"nio having a rightful and just cause, that all Christian "princes, or the more part of them, would on their own "accord offer themselves to aid and succour him to recover "his kingdom, whereof he is so unjustly and tyrannously "spoiled by the king of Castile: as it appertaineth to all J princes to help that be afflicted and oppressed by tyranny. "And especially, it being the only way and means to deli |