104 A. D. 1549. 



King Henry VII ; and the penfion was continued to him during life 

 by Queen Mary. [Fa'dera, V. xv, pp. 181, 427.J He was governor of 

 the Ruffia company ; and for the reil; of his life the great diredor of 

 our naval expeditions. 



That good young prince gave great afliftance to perfecuted foreign 

 proteftants,' many thoufands of whom fettled in fundry parts of Eng- 

 land, but principally at London, Southwark, Canterbury, Sandwich, 

 Maidftone, Southampton, Norwich, and Colchefter, where they had 

 the free exercife of their religion in feparate congregations (fome of 

 which remain to the prefent time) and where manufactures were fo 

 greatly cultivated and improved by their means, as not only to enrich 

 thofe places where they were fettled, but to prove very beneficial to 

 the whole kingdom. In the iliort perfecuting reign of Qjieen Mary 

 thofe poor people were forced again to fly beyond fea ; but at her 

 death they returned to their habitations. They conlifted of Walloons, 

 Germans, French, Italians, Polanders, and Switzers ; and tliere was iu 

 thofe times even a congregation of proteftant Spaniards in London. 



We have already remarked, that the humour of inclofing the lands 

 of England for pafture, inftead of arable, had made the common people, 

 at different times, very uneafy, infomiich that they had now begun vio- 

 lently to lay them open by inlurredions in many counties, vvithout 

 having patience for their being laid open by a proclamation from the 

 king already ilTued, becauie the proprietors were not fo quick in obey- 

 ing it as the mob expeded. And of all others that in Norfolk in this 

 year was the moft remarkable and furious, headed by Ket a tanner in 

 Windham, and Flowerdew, who, by firing beacons and ringing bells, 

 drev/ many thoufands of the lower people of Norfolk and Suffolk to 

 join them, and committed many grievous and Ihocking outrages. They 

 did iniinita damage and miichief to the city of Norwich, which they 

 almoil: laid deiolate, by either driving the indufirious and wealthy in- 

 habitants out of it, or elfe miltrably butchering them, inlbmuch that it 

 became a receptacle for idle, loole, and extravagant vagrants : ' In 

 ' which condition (fays Roger Coke in his refledions on the Eaft-India 

 ' ar,i African companies, printed anno 1695), it was thought fo dan- 

 ' gerous to the gfivernrnent, that in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's 

 ' reign, it was often debated in council whether for this caufe it fliould 

 ' not be demoliflied. But a better fate attended that noble city, 

 ' through the wifdom of that great queen, and the cruelty of the Ne- 

 ' therland perfecution about twenty years after this time.' This infur- 

 redion occafioned the llaughter of about 5000 of the rioters, Ket their 

 leader being hanged on the top of Norwich caftle. 



There had indeed been many inclofures lately made out of wafte, 

 marfhy, and other kinds of barren and common grounds, whereby 

 ",reat improvements were eff^ded. But as the poorer fort were there* 



