The Holy State, Book 4 · Chapter 4
CHAP. 4. The life of CHARLES BRANDON, Duke of Suffolk.
CHarles Brandon was sonne to Sr. William Brandon, Standerd-bearer to King Henry the seaventh, in whose quarrell he was slain in Bosworth field; wherefore the King counted himself bound in honour and conscience to favour young Charles, whose father spent his last breath to blow him to the haven of victory, and caused him to be brought up with Prince Henrie, his second sonne.
The intimacy betwixt them took deep impression in their tender years, which hardned with continuance of time proved indeleble. It was advanced by the sympathy of their active spirits (men of quick and large-striding minds loving to walk together) not to say, that the loosenesse of their youthfull lives made them the faster friends. Henry, when afterwards King, heaped honours upon him, created him Viscount Lisle, and Duke of Suffolk.
Not long after some of the English Nobility got leave to go to the publick Tilting in Paris, and there behav'd themselves right valiantly, though the sullen French would scarce speak a word in their praise. For they conceived it would be an eternall impoverishing of the credit of their Nation, if the honour of the day should be exported by foreiners. But Brandon bare away the credit from all, fighting at Barriers with a giant Almain, till he made an earth-quake in that mountain of flesh, making him reel and *Hollinshed, pag 833.stagger, and many other courses at Tilt he performed to admiration. Yea, the Lords beheld him not with more envious, then the Ladies with gracious eyes, who darted more glaunces in love, then the other ranne spears in anger against him; especially Mary the French Queen, and sister to King Henry the eighth, who afterward proved his wife.
For after the death of Lewis the twelfth her husband, King Henry her brother imployed Charles Brandon to bring her over into England; who improved his service so well that he got her good will to marrie her. Whether his affections were so ambitious to climbe up to her, or hers so courteous as to descend to him (who had been *First married to Margaret Nevil, after to Anne, daughter to Sr Anthony Brown.twice a widower before) let youthfull pennes dispute it: it sufficeth us, both met together. Then wrote he in humble manner to request King Henries leave to marrie his sister; but knowing that matters of this nature are never sure till finisht, and that leave is sooner got to do such attempts when done already; and wisely considering with himself that there are but few dayes in the Almanack, wherein such Marriages come in, and subjects have opportunity to wed Queens, he first married her *Hollinshed, pag. 836.privately in Paris.
King Henrie after the acting of some anger, and shewing some state-discontent, was quickly contented therewith; yea the world conceiveth that he gave this woman to be married to this man, in sending him on such an imployment. At Calis they were afterward re-married, or if you will their former private marriage publickly solemniz'd, and coming into England liv'd many years in honour and esteem, no lesse dear to his fellow-subjects then his Sovereigne. He was often imployed Generall in Martiall affairs, especially in the warres betwixt the English and French, though the greatest performance on both sides was but mutuall indenting the Dominions each of other with inrodes.
When the divorce of King Henry from Queen Katharine was so long in agitation, Brandon found not himself a little agrieved at the Kings expence of time and money: for the Court of Rome in such matters, wherein money is gotten by delayes, will make no more speed then the beast in Brasil, which the Spaniards call Pigritia, which goes no farther in a fortnight then a man will cast a stone. Yea Brandon well perceived that Cardinall Campeius and Wolsey in their Court at Bridewell, wherein the divorce was judicially handled, intended onelyonly to produce a solemn Nothing, their Court being but the clock set according to the diall at Rome, and the instructions received thence. Wherefore knocking on the table, in the presence of the two Cardinalls, he bound it with an oath, That It was never well in England since Cardinalls had any thing to do therein: And from that time forward, as an active instrument, he indeavoured the abolishing of the Popes power in England.
For he was not onelyonly (as the Papists complain *Sanders. de Schismate Anglicano, p. 108.of him) a principall agent in that Parliament, Anno. 1534. wherein the Popes supremacy was abrogated, but also a main means of the overturning of Abbeys, as conceiving that though the head was struck off, yet as long as that neck and those shoulders remained there would be a continuall appetite of reuniting themselves. Herein his thoughts were more pure from the mixture of covetousnesse then many other imployed in the same service: For after that our eyes, justly dazled at first with the brightnesse of Gods Justice on those vitious fraternities, have somewhat recovered themselves, they will serve us to see the greedy appetites of some instruments to feed on Church-morsels.
He lived and dyed in the full favour of his Prince, though as Cardinall Pool observed, they who were highest in this Kings favour, their heads were nearest danger. Indeed King Henrie was not very tender in cutting off that joynt, and in his Reigne the ax was seldome wiped, before wetted again with Noble bloud. He dyed Anno 1544. much beloved, and lamented of all, for his bounty, humility, valour, and all noble virtues, since the heat of his youth was tamed in his reduced age, and lies buried at Windsor.