A Chronicle of the Kings of England from the Time of the Roman Government, Regnal history 13 · Part 5
Casualties in his time.
IN his ninth yeere happened a Swea…ing-sicknesse, whereof infinite multitudes in many parts of England dyed, specially in London; and was so violent, that in three and sometimes two houres, it tooke away mens lives, and spared neither rich nor poore; for in the Kings Court the Lord Clinton, the Lord Gray of Wilton, and many Knights, Gentlemen and Officers dyed of it. It began in Iuly, and continued to the midst of December. In his thirteenth yeere, was a great mortality in London, and other places of the Realme, and many men of Honour and Worship dyed; amongst others, Doctor Fitz-Iames Bishop of London, in whose place Doctor Tunstall succeeded. In his nineteenth yeere, by extremity of raine in seed-time, there followed a great dearth of Corne, which would have caused great calamity, but that it was relieved in London by Merchants of the Styliard out of Germany, and a thousand quarters supplied out of the Kings owne provision. In his twentieth yeere, in the end of May, began in London another Sweating-sicknesse, which afterwards infected all places of the Realme; by reason whereof the Tearme was adjourned, and the Cicuit of the Assizes also; many dyed in the Court, as Sir Fra…cis Poynts, Sir William Compton Knights, and William Carew Esquire of the Kings Privie-Chamber; the King himselfe for a space, removed almost every day, till he came to Tittinhanger, a place of the Abbot of Saint Albones, where he with the Queene and a small number remained, till the sicknesse was past. In his thirtieth yeere, the manner of casting Pipes of Lead, for conveyance of water under-ground, without using of soder, was first invented by Robert Brocke Clerke, one of the Kings Chaplaines: a profitable invention, for by this, two men and a boy will doe more in one day, then could have beene done before by many men in many dayes: Robert Cooper Goldsmith, was the first that made the Instruments, and put this Invention in practice. In a Rebellion in the North, in this Kings time, when the Duke of Nor…olke, was sent with an Army against the Rebels, and that a day o… battaile betweene them was appointed, it happened, that the night before a small Brooke called Dun, running between the two Armies, upon the fall of a small rai…e, swelled to such a height, that it was not passable by either foot or horse; a thing which had never happened before upon a great raine, and was then accounted (as indeed it was) no lesse then a Miracle. In his three and thirtieth yeere, was a great mortality in the Realme, by reason of hot Agues and Fluxes; and withall so great a drouth, that small Rivers were clean dryed, much cattell dyed for lacke of water, and the Thames were grown so shallow, that the Salt-water flowed above London-bridge, till the raine had encreased the fresh waters. In his five and thirtieth yeere, the first cast-Peeces of Iro… that ever were made in England, were made at Buckstead in Sussex by Ralph H…ge and Peter Bawde. In his six and thirtieth yeere, was a great Plague in London, so as Michaelm…s Tearme was adjourned to Saint Albones, and there kept. In his seven and thirtieth yeere, on Tuesday in Easter-weeke, William Foxley Pot-maker for the Mint of the Tower of London, fell asleepe, and could not b… waked with pinching or burning, till the first day of the next Tearme, which was full fourteene dayes; and when he awaked, was found in all points, as if he had slept but one night, and lived forty yeeres after. About …is fifteenth yeere, it happened that divers things were newly brought int… England, whereupon this Rime was made:
Tur…s, Carps, Hoppes, Piccarell and Beere,
Ca…e into ENGLAND all in one yeere.