XXXV. HA P. fociety, yet was it difficult for the people to fkake off their former habits of indolence; and nothing but neceffity could compel them to fuch an exertion of their faculties. 1549. Ir must also be remarked, that the profufion of Henry VIII. had reduced him, notwithstanding his rapacity, to fuch difficulties, that he had been obliged to remedy a prefent neceffity, by the pernicious expedient of debafing the coin; and the wars, in which the protector had been involved, had induced him to carry ftill farther the fame abuse. The ufual confequences enfued: The good fpecie was hoarded or exported; bafe metal was coined at home or imported from abroad in great abundance; the common people, who received their wages in it, could not purchase commodities at the ufual rates; a univerfal diffidence and ftagnation of commerce took place; and loud complaints were heard in every part of England. THE protector who loved popularity, and pitied the condition of the people, encouraged these complaints by his endeavours to redrefs them. He appointed a commiffion for making inquiry concerning enclosures; and iffued a proclamation, ordering all late enclosures to be laid open by a day appointed. The populace, meeting with fuch countenance from government, began to rife in several places, and to commit disorders, but were quieted by remonftrances and perfuafion. In order to give them greater fatisfaction, Somerset appointed new t 2 1549. commiffioners, whom he fent every where, c HA F. with an unlimited power to hear and determine all caufes about enclosures, highways, and cottages. As this commiffion was disagreeable to the gentry and nobility, they stigmatized it as arbitrary and illegal; and the common people, fearing it would be eluded, and being impatient for immediate redrefs, could no longer contain their fury, but fought for a remedy by force of arms. The rifing began at once in feveral parts Infurrec of England, as if an univerfal confpiracy had tions. been formed by the commonalty. The rebels in Wiltshire were difperfed by Sir William Herbert: Those in the neighbouring counties, Oxford and Glocefter, by lord Gray of Wilton. Many of the rioters were killed in the field: Others were executed by martial law. The commotions in Hampshire, Suffex, Kent, and other counties, were quieted by gentler expedients; but the diforders in Devonshire and Norfolk threatened more dangerous confequences. THE Commonalty in Devonshire began with the ufual complaints against enclosures and against oppreffions from the gentry; but the parish priest of Sampford-Courtenay had the address to give their discontent a direction towards religion; and the delicacy of the subject, in the prefent emergmade the infurrection immediately appear ency, formidable. In other counties, the gentry had kept closely united with government; but here 2 Burnet, vol. ii. p. 115. Strype, vol. ii. p. 171. 1549. CHAP. many of them took part with the populace; among XXXV. others, Humphry Arundel, governor of St. Michael's. Mount. The rioters were brought into the form of a regular army, which amounted to the number of ten thousand. Lord Ruffel had been fent against them at the head of a fmall force; but finding himfelf too weak to encounter them in the field, he kept at a distance, and began to negociate with them; in hopes of eluding their fury by delay, and of difperfing them by the difficulty of their fubfifting in a body. Their demands were, that the mafs fhould be restored, half of the abbey-lands refumed, the law of the fix articles executed, holy water and holy bread refpected, and all other particular grievances redreffed'. The council to whom Ruffel tranfmitted thefe demands, fent a haughty answer; commanded the rebels to difperfe, and promifed them pardon upon their immediate fubmiffion. Enraged at this difappointment, they marched to Exeter; carrying before them croffes, banners, holywater, candlesticks, and other implements of ancient fuperftition; together with the hoft, which they covered with a canopy. The citizensof Exeter fhut their gates; and the rebels, as they had no cannon, endeavoured to take the place, first by fcalade, then by mining, but were repulfed in every attempt. Ruffel meanwhile lay at Honiton, till reinforced by Sir William 3 Hayward, p. 292. Hollingfhed, p. 1003. Fox, vol. ii. r. 666. Mem. Cranm. p. 186. Heylin, p. 76. 4 Herbert, XXXV. 1549. Herbert, and lord Gray, with fome German c II A P horse, and fome Italian arquebufiers under Battista Spinola. He then refolved to attempt the relief of Exeter, which was now reduced to extremities. He attacked the rebels, drove them from all their posts, did great execution upon them both in the action and purfuit', and took many prifoners. Arundel and the other leaders were fent to London, tried and executed. Many of the inferior fort were put to death by martial law: The vicar of St. Thomas, one of the principal incendiaries was hanged on the top of his own fteeple, arrayed in his popish weeds, with his beads at his girdle '. and THE infurrection in Norfolk rofe to a ftill greater height, and was attended with greater acts of violence. The populace were at first excited, as in other places, by complaints against enclosures; but finding their numbers amount to twenty thousand, thousand, they grew. they grew. infolent, proceeded to more exorbitant pretenfions. They required the fuppreffion of the gentry, the placing of new counsellors about the king, and the reestablishment of the ancient rites. One Ket, a tanner, had assumed the government over them, and he exercised his authority with the utmost arrogance and outrage. Having taken poffeffion of Moufhold-Hill near Norwich, he erected his 1549. CHAP. tribunal under an old oak, thence called the oak XXXV. of reformation; and fummoning the gentry to appear before him, he gave fuch decrees as might be expected from his character and fituation. The marquis of Northampton was firft ordered against him; but met with a repulfe, in an action, where lord Sheffield was killed. The protector affected popularity, and cared not to appear in perfon against the rebels: He therefore fent the earl of Warwic at the head of 6000 men, levied for the wars against Scotland; and he thereby afforded his mortal enemy an opportunity of increafing his reputation and character. Warwic, having tried fome fkirmishes with the rebels, at laft made a general attack upon them, and put them to flight. Two thoufand fell in the action and purfuit Ket was hanged at Norwich castle; nine of his followers on the boughs of the oak of reformation; and the infurrection was entirely fuppreffed. Some rebels in Yorkshire, learning the fate of their companions, accepted the offers of pardon, and threw down their arms. general indemnity was foon after published by the protector". Conduct of Seotland. A BUT though the infurrections were thus quickly the war with fubdued in England, and no traces of them feemed to remain, they were attended with bad confequences to the foreign interefts of the nation. The forces of the earl of Warwic, which Stowe, p. 597. Hollingfhed, p. 1030-34. Strype, vol. ii. p. 174. 9 |