Part 8

These prophecies were thus explained: by the “Cow,” was made King Henry, by reason of the Earldom of Richmond, which was his inheritance; and the “Bull,” betokened Anne Boleyn, whom the king took to wife in the room of Queen Catherine; her father gave the black bull’s head in his cognizance; and when the king had married Queen Anne, then was fulfilled the second line of the prophecy, viz., “Then, oh! priest, beware thy skull!” for what a number of priests, religious and secular, lost their heads, for offending against the laws, made to bring this matter to pass.

Cardinal Wolsey (who was intended by the “mitred Peacock”), in the height of his pride and vastness of his undertakings, intending to erect two colleges, one at Ipswich, where he was born, the other at Oxford, where he was bred; and finding himself unable to endow them at his own charge, he obtained licence of Pope Clement VII. to suppress forty small monasteries in England, and to lay their old lands to his new foundations, which was done accordingly, and the poor people that lived in them were turned out of doors. Many of the clergy were very much against this action of Wolsey, especially John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, alleging for the same an apologue of Æsop, that “the iron head of the axe craved a handle of the wood of oaks, only to cut off the boughs of the trees: but when it was a complete axe it felled all the wood;” applying it, that the suppressing of those smaller houses would prove destructive to all the rest, which came to pass accordingly; for King Henry, seeing the cardinal’s power to extend so far as to suppress these lower shrubs, he thought his prerogative might stretch so far as to fell down the great trees; and soon after dissolved the priory of Christ Church, near Aldgate, in London (now known by the name of Duke’s Place), the richest in lands and ornaments of the priories in London or Middlesex; which was a forerunner of the dissolution of the rest; and that not long after came to pass.

By the “Great Court,” is meant the Parliament, the supremest court of England; which, in the twenty-seventh year of King Henry’s reign, to support the king’s states, and supply his wants, conferred on the crown all religious houses which were not able clearly to expend above two hundred pounds a year; the great ones not long after following the same fortune of the smaller, which was not done (though attempted) by any king before.

By the dissolution of these houses, many thousands were driven to seek their fortunes in the wide world, and became utterly exposed to want; when monkish profession was without possession, many a young man proved an old beggar, and many forced to fast for want of victuals, who formerly had it provided for them to their hands.

The great riches and pride of the monks and friars, was, no doubt, the main cause of their overthrow; for whatsoever was the pretence, questionless profit was the rope which pulled these religious houses down.

All those things coming to pass before the abbot died, caused him to have a great esteem of Mother Shipton, and to value her prophecies more than ordinary conjectures; though at first he could not tell what to make of her ambiguous lines, which, like the oracles delivered at Delphos, rather brought one into a labyrinth of confused conjectures than satisfied the expectation, until by the clue of time, the riddles were manifest; and that which at first seemed so hard, now appeared to the understanding as easy; however, he at present kindly thanked Mother Shipton, and liberally rewarded her maid, much admiring that she could be so clear-sighted as to see through his counterfeit dress; resolving afterwards to be more informed by her concerning future events, he at that time took his solemn leave of her, and returned home.

Not long had the abbot been at home, but his abbey was visited by some instrument employed by the Lord Cromwell for that purpose. He who knew what was intended by this compliment thought it not safe to strive against the stream, and therefore quietly surrendered his monastery into the king’s hands. And now perceiving Mother Shipton’s prophecies plainly fulfilled in the downfall of those houses, which were judged to be impregnable against all the assaults of malice and time, considering the strange revolution of so short a space, he was very desirous to be more fully informed of the future. In this resolution he repairs again to Mother Shipton, whom he now accosts more familiarly than he did before, making himself plainly known unto her; telling her that as what she had formerly spoken he had found to be true in the event, so his judgment persuaded him she was not ignorant of those things which were in the future to ensue; and therefore desired she would not be nice in imparting her foreknowledge to him; for which great favour, though it were more than his deserts could command, yet should there never in him be wanting a grateful tongue to acknowledge, and a grateful heart to be thankful unto her, for so great a favour.

“Mr. Abbot,” said she, “leave off complimenting, as it is more fit for courtiers and lovers, and not agreeable to an old woman, who will neither flatter nor be flattered by any; and for what you came about, I shall not be squeamish to fulfil your request; let me therefore desire you to lend me your attention;” and thereupon, after some short pause, she thus began—

“A prince that never shall be born, Shall make the shaved heads forlorn, Then shall commons rise in arms, And woman’s malice cause much harms.”

These lines being prophecies of the actions in King Edward’s reign, for the reader’s benefit we will unfold the meaning of them by themselves, that we may not too much burden his memory; but by variety add a pleasure to the reading of them.

By the “Prince that never shall be born,” is meant King Edward VI., of whom all reports agree that he was not naturally delivered into the world, but that his mother’s body was opened for his birth, that she died of the operation the fourth day following: and by “shaved heads,” is understood the monks, friars, etc., who are said to become “forlorn;” the Reformation beginning with the commencement of King Edward’s reign.

King Edward set out certain injunctions for the reformation of religion; as the commissioners passed to divers places for the establishing of them, much scorn was passed upon them, and the farther they went from London, as the people were more uncivil, so did they the more rise into insolence and contempt; for in Cornwall, the commons flocked together, having killed one of the commissioners, and although justice was done upon the offenders (the principal of them being executed in several places), yet could not their boldness be beaten down by that severity, but that the mischief spread farther. In Wiltshire and Somersetshire, where the people, supposing that a Commonwealth could not stand without commons, beat down enclosures, and laid parks and fields bare. The like commotions followed in Suffolk, Hampshire, Kent, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, and Rutlandshire, but the greatest of all was in Devonshire, and Norfolk.

“A virtuous lady then shall die, For being raised up too high; Her death shall cause another’s joy, Who shall the kingdom much annoy. Mitres shall rise, mitres come down, And streams of blood shall Smithfield drown. England shall join in league with Spain, Which some to hinder strive in vain, The Lioness from life retires, And pontifical priest expires.”

The Lady Jane Gray, assuming the title of Queen upon her, for her offence lost her head. This Lady Jane was a woman of most rare and incomparable perfections; for besides her excellent beauty, she was the mirror of her time for religion and education, in the knowledge of the liberal sciences and skill in languages; and far exceeded all of her sex and years.

The death of the Lady Jane was supposed to be a rejoicing to Queen Mary, and who, by restoring Popery, and the persecutions that the professors of the Gospel suffered in her time, is said to bring the kingdom to much annoy.

By the “Mitres,” are meant the bishops, who in the change of religion found great change; very few keeping their seats wherein they had been seated by King Edward VI.

Great was the number of martyrs burned in Smithfield in this queen’s reign, under the bloody hands of Bonner, Bishop of London, and Dr. Story, Dean of St. Paul’s; the first persecuting by wholesale, the second by retail; the names of all those who in this place thus testified their faith by the loss of their lives, would be too long here to recite; the chief of them were Mr. John Rogers, Mr. John Bradford, Mr. Robert Glover, etc.

Queen Mary intended to match herself with Philip, King of Spain; the news thereof of being spread amongst the people, was by them ill-resented, as dreading to be under the yoke of a stranger; but all to no purpose, for soon afterwards they were married, to the mortification of the English.

By the “Lioness” is meant Queen Mary, who having reigned five years and some odd months, died of a dropsy.

The “pontifical priest” signifies Cardinal Pole, who expired within a few hours after the death of Queen Mary. This prelate was of princely extraction, his mother, Margret, being daughter to George Duke of Clarence; when he was young, he was brought up together with Queen Mary, and being a zealous Catholic, during King Edward’s reign, suffered a voluntary exile for the same; when the marriage between Prince Philip and Queen Mary was made up, he returned into England, and was made Archbishop of Canterbury, but was more moderate than some of his fellow bishops, having a favourable inclination towards the Protestants.

“The Lion fierce being dead and gone, A maiden Queen shall reign anon. The Papal power shall bear no sway, Rome’s creed shall hence be swept away. The western monarch’s wooden horses Shall be destroyed by the Drake’s forces. More wonders yet! a widowed Queen In England shall be headless seen. The Harp shall give a better sound. An Earl without a head be found. Soon after shall the English Rose Unto a male her place dispose.”

These lines being a prophecy of the most remarkable actions during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, are to be interpreted after this manner:

Queen Mary is here meant, not so much for the cruelty done by her, as by the bishops and priests under her; in respect to the blood that was shed, and the persecutions then suffered, she is here termed a fierce “Lion;” after whom is said, “A maiden Queen to reign anon,” meant by Queen Elizabeth, one who was the mirror of her age and sex, who for above forty years managed the affairs of this kingdom; having, when she began, few friends that durst help, and leaving no foes when she died that could hurt her; acting her part so well whilst here she reigned, that history can scarce afford us one prince to be matched to her fame in all considerable particulars.

Soon after the queen coming to the crown, a Parliament began at Westminster, wherein the laws of King Henry VIII. against the see of “Rome” were renewed, and those of King Edward VI. in favour of the Protestants revived, and the laws by Queen Mary made against them, repealed.

Uniformity of prayer and administration of sacrament were enacted, and the queen acknowledged to be the only and supreme governor of her kingdom. The people in each place beating down superstitious pictures and images, which misguided zeal had set up.

By the “western monarch’s wooden horses,” is meant the King of Spain’s great Armada, by them termed invincible, though the success of it answered not the name; being by Sir Francis Drake and others fought with and really vanquished; most of it sunk, and the rest, destitute and scattered, being chased by our ships into the northern latitudes, and there left to be pursued by hunger and cold; a victory so remarkable, that neither time nor age will ever wear the remembrance thereof away.

The “widowed Queen” signifies the Queen of Scots, the mother of King James, who was beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle, some say by the privity, others say to the great discontent of Queen Elizabeth; a lady of sharp wit, undaunted spirit, comely person, beautiful face, and majestic presence; a fluent orator, and an excellent poetess, as appears by several things of her writing now extant; she was beheaded on the 8th of February, 1587, and was first buried in the choir of Peterborough; and afterwards by her son, King James, solemnly removed from thence to Westminster, where, in the south side of the chapel of King Henry VII. he erected a stately monument to her memory.

“The Harp” signifies Ireland, as being the arms of that country, when Queen Elizabeth, by reducing it to a better obedience, made it give a better sound, that is, made it more civilized and profitable to the exchequer than it ever was before.