Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	account_v	ancient_a	appear_v	27	3	4.9729	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68197	The first and second volumes of Chronicles. [vol. 1] comprising 1 The description and historie of England, 2 The description and historie of Ireland, 3 The description and historie of Scotland: first collected and published by Raphaell Holinshed, William Harrison, and others: now newlie augmented and continued (with manifold matters of singular note and worthie memorie) to the yeare 1586. by Iohn Hooker aliàs Vowell Gent and others. With conuenient tables at the end of these volumes.; Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande. vol. 1	Holinshed, Raphael, d. 1580?; Stanyhurst, Richard, 1547-1618.; Fleming, Abraham, 1552?-1607.; Stow, John, 1525?-1605.; Thynne, Francis, 1545?-1608.; Hooker, John, 1526?-1601.; Harrison, William, 1534-1593.; Boece, Hector, 1465?-1536.; Giraldus, Cambrensis, 1146?-1223?	1587 (1587)	STC 13569_pt1; ESTC S122178	1,179,579	468

his terme if he haue not six or seuen yeares rent lieng by him therewith to purchase a new lease beside a faire garnish of pewter on his cupbord with so much more in od vessell going about the house thrée or foure featherbeds so manie couerlids and carpets of tapistrie a siluer salt a bowle for wine if not an whole neast and a dozzen of spoones to furnish vp the sute This also he taketh to be his owne cléere for what stocke of monie soeuer he gathereth laieth vp in all his yeares it is often séene that the landlord will take such order with him for the same when he renueth his lease which is commonlie eight or six yeares before the old be expired sith it is now growen almost to a custome that if he come not to his lord so long before another shall step in for a reuersion and so defeat him out right that it shall neuer trouble him more than the haire of his beard when the barber hath washed and shauen it from his chin And as they commend these so beside the decaie of housekéeping whereby the poore haue beene relieued they speake also of thrée things that are growen to be verie grieuous vnto them to wit the inhansing of rents latelie mentioned the dailie oppression of copiholders whose lords séeke to bring their poore tenants almost into plaine seruitude and miserie dailie deuising new meanes and séeking vp all the old how to cut them shorter and shorter doubling trebling and now then seuen times increasing their fines driuing them also for euerie trifle to loose and forfeit their tenures by whome the greatest part of the realme dooth stand and is mainteined to the end they may fléece them yet more which is a lamentable hering The third thing they talke of is vsurie a trade brought in by the Iewes now perfectlie practised almost by euerie christian and so commonlie that he is accompted but for a foole that dooth lend his monie for nothing In time past it was Sors pro sorte that is the principall onelie for the principall but now beside that which is aboue the principall properlie called Vsura we chalenge Foenus that is commoditie of soile fruits of the earth if not the ground it selfe In time past also one of the hundred was much from thence it rose vnto two called in Latine Vsura Ex sextante thrée to wit Ex quadrante then to foure to wit Ex triente then to fiue which is Ex quincunce then to six called Ex semisse c as the accompt of the Assis ariseth and comming at the last vnto Vsura ex asse it amounteth to twelue in the hundred and therefore the Latines call it Centesima for that in the hundred moneth it doubleth the principall but more of this elsewhere See Cicero against Verres Demosthenes against Aphobus and Athenaeus lib. 13. in fine and when thou hast read them well helpe I praie thée in lawfull maner to hang vp such as take Centū pro cento for they are no better worthie as I doo iudge in conscience Forget not also such landlords as vse to value their leases at a secret estimation giuen of the wealth and credit of the taker whereby they séeme as it were to cat them vp and deale with bondmen so that if the leassée be thought to be worth an hundred pounds he shall paie no lesse for his new terme or else another to enter with hard and doubtfull couenants I am sorie to report it much more gréeued to vnderstand of the practise but most sorowfull of all to vnderstand that men of great port and countenance are so farre from suffering their farmers to haue anie gaine at all that they themselues become grasiers butchers tanners shéepmasters woodmen and denique quid non thereby to inrich themselues and bring all the wealth of the countrie into their owne hands leauing the communaltie weake or as an idoll with broken or féeble armes which may in a time of peace haue a plausible shew but when necessitie shall inforce haue an heauie and bitter sequele Of cities and townes in England Cap. 13. AS in old time we read that there were eight and twentie flamines and archflamines in the south part of this I le and so manie great cities vnder their iurisdiction so in these our daies there is but one or two fewer and each of them also vnder the ecclesiasticall regiment of some one bishop or archbishop who in spirituall cases haue the charge and ouersight of the same So manie cities therefore are there in England and Wales as there be bishopriks archbishopriks For notwithstanding that Lichfield and Couentrie and Bath and Welles doo séeme to extend the aforesaid number vnto nine and twentie yet neither of these couples are to be accounted but as one entier citie and sée of the bishop sith one bishoprike can haue relation but vnto one sée and the said see be situate but in one place after which the bishop dooth take his name It appeareth by our old and ancient histories that the cities of this southerlie portion haue beene of excéeding greatnesse and beautie whereof some were builded in the time of the Samotheans and of which not a few in these our times are quite decaied and the places where they stood worne out of all remembrance Such also for the most part as yet remaine are maruellouslie altered insomuch that whereas at the first they were large and ample now are they come either vnto a verie few houses or appeare not to be much greater in comparison than poore simple villages Antoninus the most diligent writer of the thorough fares of Britaine noteth among other these ancient townes following as Sitomagus which he placeth in the waie from Norwich as Leland supposeth wherin they went by Colchester to London Nouiomagus that lieth betwéene Carleill and Canturburie within ten miles east of London and likewise Neomagus and Niomagus which take their names of their first founder Magus the sonne of Samothes second king of the Celtes that reigned in this Iland and not A profunditate onelie as Bodinus affirmeth out of Plinie as if all the townes that ended in Magus should stand in holes and low grounds which is to be disprooued in diuerse cities in the maine as also here with vs. Of these moreouer sir Thomas Eliot supposeth Neomagus to haue stood somewhere about Chester George Lillie in his booke of the names of ancient places iudgeth Niomagus to be the verie same that we doo now call Buckingham and lieth farre from the shore And as these and sundrie other now perished tooke their denomination of this prince so there are diuerse causes which mooue me to coniecture that Salisburie dooth rather take the first name of Sarron the sonne of the said Magus than of Caesar Caradoc or Seuerus as some of our writers doo imagine or else at the least wise of Salisburge of the maine from whence some Saxons

that now at this present their fame is fullie equall and the resort vnto them nothing inferior to that of the old baths Beside this the cures of such diseases as their forces do extend vnto is much more speedie than we may haue at the other and this is one commoditie also not smallie to be considered of The fift place of baths or medicinable welles is at an hamlet called Newton a little from saint Neots or as we pronounce it saint Needs which is ten or twelue miles from Cambridge where two springs are knowne to be of which the one is verie sweet and fresh the other brackish salt this is good for scabs and leaperie as it is said the other for dimnesse of sight Uerie manie also doo make their repaire vnto them for sundrie diseases some returning whole and some nothing at all amended bicause their cure is without the each and working of those waters Neuer went people so fast from the church either vnto a faire or market as they go to these wels and those neere Rugbie both places being discouered in this 1579 of Grace I heare of another well to be found also about Ratcliffe néere London euen at the same season But sith rumors are now spred almost of euerie spring vaine tales flie about in maner of euerie water I surcease to speake at all of anie other till further experience doo trie whether they be medicinable or not and yet I doubt not but most of these alredie mentioned haue heretofore bin knowne remembred also though confusedlie by the writers of old time yet in processe of time either neglected or forgotten by meanes of sundrie troubles and turmoiles made in this realme by Danes and other outward enimies whereby their manifold benefit hath woonderfullie béene missed The last place of our baths is a citie in Summersetshire which taketh his name of the hot waters there to be séene and vsed At the first it was called Cair Bledud and not Cair Bledune as some would haue it for that is the old name of the ancient castell at Malmesburie which the Saxons named Yngleburne Ptolomie afterward called it Thermae other Aquae solis or Scamannia or Acmancester but now it hight generallie Bath in English and vnder that name it is likelie to continue The citie of it selfe is a verie ancient thing no doubt as may yet appeare by diuerse notable antiquities ingraued in stone to be séene in the wals thereof and first of all betweene the south gate and the west and betwixt the west gate and the north The first is the antike head of a man made all flat with great locks of haire much like to the coine that I haue seene of Antius the Romane The second betweene the south and the north gate is an image as I take it of Hercules for he held in each hand a serpent and so dooth this Thirdlie there standeth a man on foot with a sword in his one hand and a buckler stretched out in the other There is also a branch that lieth folded and wreathed into circles like to the wreath of Alcimedon There are moreouer two naked images whereof the one imbraceth the other beside sundrie antike heads with ruffeled haire a greiehound running and at his taile certeine Romane letters but so defaced that no man liuing can read them at this present There is moreouer the image of Lacaon inuironed with two serpents and an other inscription and all these betwéene the south and the west gates as I haue said before Now betweene the west and north gate are two inscriptions of which some words are euident to be read the residue are cleane defaced There is also the image of a naked man and a stone in like sort which hath Cupidines labruscas intercurrentes and a table hauing at each hand an image vined and finelie florished both aboue and beneath Finallie sauing that I saw afterward the image of a naked man grasping a serpent in each hand there was an inscription of a toome or buriall wherein these words did plainelie appeare Vixit annos xxx but so defusedlie written that letters stood for whole words and two or thrée letters combined into one Certes I will not saie whether these were set into the places where they now stand by the gentiles or brought thither from other ruines of the towne it selfe and placed afterward in those wals in their necessarie reparations But howsoeuer the matter standeth this is to be gathered by our histories that Bladud first builded that citie there and peraduenture might also kindle the sulphurous veines of purpose to burne continuallie there in the honour of Minerua by which occasion the springs thereabout did in processe of time become hot not vnprofitable for sundrie kinds of diseases Indeed the later pagans dreamed that Minerua was the chéefe goddesse and gouernesse of these waters bicause of the néerenesse of hir temple vnto the same Solinus addeth furthermore how that in hir said temple the fire which was continuallie kept did neuer consume into dead sparkles but so soone as the embers thereof were cold they congealed into clots of hard stone all which I take to be nothing else than the effect of the aforesaid fire of the sulphurous veine kindled in the earth from whence the waters doo come That these baths or waters are deriued from such the marchasites which the Grecians call Pyritis per antonomasiam for being smit with the iron it yéeldeth more sparkes than anie flint or calcedonie and therefore seemeth to deserue the name aboue the rest and besides these other stones mixed with some copper and dailie found vpon the mounteins thereabouts will beare sufficient witnesse though I would write the contrarie Doctor Turner also the father of English physicke and an excellent diuine supposeth that these springs doo draw their forces from sulphur or if there be anie other thing mingled withall he gesseth that it should be salt peter bicause he found an obscure likelihood of the same euen in the crosse bath But that they participate with anie allume at all he could neuer till his dieng daie be indured to beléeue I might here if I thought it necessarie intreat of the notable situation of the citie which standeth in a pleasant bottome inuironed on euerie side with great hils out of the which come so manie springs of pure water by sundrie waies vnto the citie and in such abundance as that euerie house is serued with the same by pipes of lead the said mettall being the more plentious and lesse of value vnto them bicause it is not had far off from those quarters It should not be amisse also to speake of the foure gates number of parish churches bridges religious houses dissolued and their founders if place did serue therefore but for so much as my purpose is not to deale in this behalfe I will omit the mention of these things and go in hand with the baths themselues wherof in the title

in Wales the greatest number as I said retaine still their owne ancient language that of the north part of the said countrie being lesse corrupted than the other and therefore reputed for the better in their owne estimation and iudgement This also is proper to vs Englishmen that sith ours is a meane language and neither too rough nor too smooth in vtterance we may with much facilitie learne any other language beside Hebrue Gréeke Latine and speake it naturallie as if we were home-borne in those countries yet on the other side it falleth out I wot not by what other meanes that few forren nations can rightlie pronounce ours without some and that great note of imperfection especiallie the French men who also seldome write any thing that sauoreth of English trulie It is a pastime to read how Natalis Comes in like maner speaking of our affaires dooth clip the names of our English lords But this of all the rest dooth bréed most admiration with me that if any stranger doo hit vpon some likelie pronuntiation of our toong yet in age he swarueth so much from the same that he is woorse therein than euer he was and thereto peraduenture halteth not a litle also in his owne as I haue séene by experience in Reginald Wolfe and other whereof I haue iustlie maruelled The Cornish and Deuonshire men whose countrie the Britons call Cerniw haue a speach in like sort of their owne and such as hath in déed more affinitie with the Armoricane toong than I can well discusse of Yet in mine opinion they are both but a corrupted kind of British albeit so far degenerating in these daies from the old that if either of them doo méete with a Welshman they are not able at the first to vnderstand one an other except here and there in some od words without the helpe of interpretors And no maruell in mine opinion that the British of Cornewall is thus corrupted sith the Welsh toong that is spoken in the north south part of Wales doth differ so much in it selfe as the English vsed in Scotland dooth from that which is spoken among vs here in this side of the Iland as I haue said alreadie The Scottish english hath beene much broader and lesse pleasant in vtterance than ours because that nation hath not till of late indeuored to bring the same to any perfect order and yet it was such in maner as Englishmen themselues did speake for the most part beyond the Trent whither any great amendement of our language had not as then extended it selfe Howbeit in our time the Scottish language endeuoreth to come neere if not altogither to match our toong in finenesse of phrase and copie of words and this may in part appeare by an historie of the Apocrip●a translated into Scottish verse by Hudson dedicated to the king of that countrie and conteining sixe books except my memorie doo faile me Thus we sée how that vnder the dominion of the king of England and in the south parts of the realme we haue thrée seuerall toongs that is to saie English British and Cornish and euen so manie are in Scotland if you accompt the English speach for one notwithstanding that for bredth and quantitie of the region I meane onelie of the soile of the maine Iland it be somewhat lesse to see to than the other For in the north part of the region where the wild Scots otherwise called the Redshanks or rough footed Scots because they go bare footed and clad in mantels ouer their saffron shirts after the Irish maner doo inhabit they speake good Irish which they call Gachtlet as they saie of one Gathelus whereby they shew their originall to haue in times past béene fetched out of Ireland as I noted also in the chapiter precedent and wherevnto Vincentius cap. de insulis Oceani dooth yéeld his assent saieng that Ireland was in time past called Scotia Scotia eadem saith he Hibernia proxima Britanniae insula spatio terrarum angustior sed situ foecundior Scotia autem à Scotorum gentibus traditur appellata c. Out of the 14. booke of Isidorus intituled Originum where he also addeth that it is called Hybernia because it bendeth toward Iberia But I find elsewhere that it is so called by certeine Spaniards which came to seeke and plant their inhabitation in the same wherof in my Chronologie I haue spoken more at large In the Iles of the Orchades or Orkeney as we now call them such coasts of Britaine as doo abbut vpon the same the Gottish or Danish speach is altogither in vse and also in Shetland by reason as I take it that the princes of Norwaie held those Ilands so long vnder their subiection albeit they were otherwise reputed as rather to belong to Ireland bicause that the verie soile of them is enimie to poison as some write although for my part I had neuer any sound experience of the truth hereof And thus much haue I thought good to speake of our old speaches and those fiue languages now vsuallie spoken within the limits of our Iland Into how manie kingdoms this Iland hath beene diuided Cap. 7. IT is not to be doubted but that at the first the whole Iland was ruled by one onelie prince and so continued from time to time vntill ciuill discord grounded vpō ambitious desire to reigne caused the same to be gouerned by diuerse And this I meane so well of the time before the comming of Brute as after the extinction of his whole race posteritie Howbeit as it is vncerteine into how manie regions it was seuered after the first partition so it is most sure that this latter disturbed estate of regiment continued in the same not onelie vntill the time of Caesar but also in maner vnto the daies of Lucius with whome the whole race of the Britons had an end and the Romans full possession of this Iland who gouerned it by Legats after the maner of prouince It should séeme also that within a while after the time of Dunwallon who rather brought those foure princes that vsurped in his time to obedience than extinguished their titles such partition as they had made of the Iland among themselues each great citie had hir fréedome and seuerall kind of regiment proper vnto hir selfe beside a large circuit of the countrie appertinent vnto the same wherein were sundrie other cities also of lesse name which owght homage and all subiection vnto the greatter sort And to saie truth hereof it came to passe that each of these regions whereinto this Iland was then diuided tooke his name of some one of these cities although Ciuitas after Caesar doth sometime signifie an whole continent or kingdome whereby there were in old time Tot ciuitates quot regna and contrariwise as may appeare by that of the Trinobantes which was so called of Trinobantum the chiefe citie of that portion whose territories conteined all

came to inhabit in this land And for this later not vnlikelie sith before the comming of the Saxons the king of the Suessionenses had a great part of this Iland in subiection as Caesar saith and in another place that such of Belgie as stale ouer hither from the maine builded and called diuerse cities after the names of the same from whence they came I meane such as stood vpon the coast as he himselfe dooth witnesse But sith coniectures are no verities and mine opinion is but one mans iudgement I will not stand now vpon the proofe of this matter least I should séeme to take great paines in adding new coniectures vnto old in such wise to deteine the heads of my readers about these trifles that otherwise peraduenture would be farre better occupied in matters of more importance To procéed the refore As soone after the first inhabitation of this Iland our cities began no doubt to be builded and increased so they ceased not to multiplie from time to time till the land was throughlie furnished with hir conuenient numbers whereof some at this present with their ancient names doo still remaine in knowledge though diuerse be doubted of and manie more perished by continuance of time and violence of the enimie I doubt not also but the least of these were comparable to the greatest of those which stand in our time for sith that in those daies the most part of the Iland was reserued vnto pasture the townes and villages either were not at all but all sorts of people dwelled in the cities indifferentlie an image of which estate may yet be seene in Spaine or at the lestwise stood not so thicke as they did afterward in the time of the Romans but chéefelie after the comming of the Saxons and after them the Normans when euerie lord builded a church neare vnto his owne mansion house and thereto imparted the greatest portion of his lands vnto sundrie tenants to hold the same of him by coppie of court roll which rolles were then kept in some especiall place indifferentlie appointed by them and their lord so that the one could haue no resort vnto them without the other by which means the number of townes and villages was not a little increased If anie man be desirous to know the names of those ancient cities that stood in the time of the Romans he shall haue them here at hand in such wise as I haue gathered them out of our writers obseruing euen their manner of writing of them so neare as to me is possible without alteration of anie corruption crept vp into the same 1. London otherwise called Trenouanton Cair Lud. Londinum or Longidinium Augusta of the legion Augusta that soiourned there when the Romans ruled here 2 Yorke otherwise called Cairbranke Vrouicum or Yurewijc Eorwijc or Eoforwijc Yeworwijc Eboracum Victoria of the legion victrix that laie there sometime 3 Canturburie Duroruerno aliàs Duraruenno Dorobernia Cantwarbirie 4 Colchester Cair Colon. Cair Colden Cair Colkin of Coilus Cair Colun of the riuer that runneth thereby Colonia of the colonie planted there by the Romans Coloncester Camulodunum Plin. lib. 2. ca. 75. Tacitus Ptolome 5 Lincolne Cair Lud Coit of the woods that stood about it Cair Loichoit by corruption Lindum Lindocollinum 6 Warwijc had sometime 9 parish churches Cair Guttelin Cair Line or Cair Leon. Cair Gwair Cair Vmber Cair Gwaerton 7 Chester vpon Vske was a famous vniuersitie in the time of Arthur Cair legion Carlheon Cairlium Legecester 〈◊〉 legionum 8 Carleill Cair Lueill Cair Leill Lugibalia Cair Doill 9 S. Albanes Cair Maricipit Cair Municip Verolamium Verlamcester Cair Wattelin of the street wheron it stood 10 Winchester Cair Gwent Cair Gwin Cair Wine Venta Simenorum 11 Cisceter Cair Churne Cair Kyrne Cair Kery Cair Cery Cirnecester Churnecester 12 Silcester Cair Segent Selecester 13 Bath Cair Badon Thermae Aquae solis 14 Shaftesbyry Cair Paladour Septonia 15 Worcester Wigornia Cair Gworangon Brangonia Cair Frangon Woorkecester 16 Chichester Cair Key or Kair Kis Cair Chic 17 Bristow Cair Odernant Badon Oder Cair Bren. Venta Belgarum Brightstow 18 Rochest Durobreuis corruptlie Rofcester Roffa Durobrouis Dubobrus Durobrius 19 Portchester Cair Peris Cair Poreis 20 Cairmarden Cair Maridunum Cair Merdine Maridumum Cai● Marlin Cair Prid●in 21 Glocester Cair Clowy Cair Glow Claudiocestria 22 Leircester Cair Beir Cair Leir Cair Lirion Wirall teste Matth. West 895. 23 Cambridge Grantabric Cair Graunt 24 Cair Vrnach peraduenture Burgh castell 25 Cair Cucurat 26 Cair Draiton now a slender village 27 Cair Celennon 28 Cair Megwaid As for Cair Dorme another whereof I read likewise it stood somewhere vpon the Nene in Huntingdon shire but now vnknowne fith it was twise raced to the ground first by the Saxons then by the Danes so that the ruines thereof are in these daies not extant to be séene And in like sort I am ignorant where most of them stood that are noted with the sta● I find in like sort mention of a noble citie called Alcluid ouer and beside these afore mentioned sometime builded by Ebracus of Britaine as the fame goeth and finallie destroied by the Danes about the yeare of Grace 870. It stood vpon the banks of the riuer Cluda to wit betwéene it and the blanke on the north and the Lound lake on the west and was sometime march betwéene the Britons and the Picts and likewise the Picts and the Scots neuerthelesse the castell as I heare dooth yet remaine and hath béene since well repared by the Scots and called Dombrittain or Dunbritton so that it is not an hard matter by these few words to find where Alcluid stood I could here if leisure serued and hast of the printer not require dispatch deliuer the ancient names of sundrie other townes of which Stafford in time past was called Stadtford and therfore as I gesse builded or the name altered by the Saxons Kinebanton now Kimbalton But if anie man be desirous to sée more of them let him resort to Houeden in the life of Henrie the second and there he shall be furthor satisfied of his desire in this behalfe It should séeme when these ancient cities flourished that the same towne which we now call saint Albons did most of all excell but chéefelie in the Romans time and was not onelie nothing inferior to London it selfe but rather preferred before it bicause it was newer and made a Municipium of the Romans whereas the other was old and ruinous and inhabited onelie by the Britons as the most part of the Iland was also in those daies Good notice hereof also is to be taken by Matthew Paris and others before him out of whose writings I haue thought good to note a few things whereby the maiestie of this ancient citie may appeare vnto posteritie and the former estate of Uerlamcester not lie altogither as it hath doone hitherto raked vp in forgetfulnes through the negligence of such as might haue

they happened oftentimes vpon Lempet shels péeces of rustie anchors and kéeles of great vessels wherevpon some by and by gathered that either the Thames or some arme of the sea did beat vpon that towne not vnderstanding that these things might aswell happen in great lakes and meres wherof there was one adioining to the north side of the citie which laie then as some men thinke vnwalled but that also is false For being there vpon occasion this summer passed I saw some remnant of the old wals standing in that place which appeared to haue béene verie substantiallie builded the ruines likewise of a greater part of them are to be séene running along by the old chappell hard by in maner of a banke Whereby it is euident that the new towne standeth cleane without the limits of the old and that the bridge whereof the historie of S. Albane speaketh was at the nether end 〈◊〉 Halliwell stréet or there about for so the view of the place doth inforce me to coniecture This mere which the Latine copie of the description of Britaine written of late by Humfrey Lhoid our countrie man calleth corruptlie Stagnum enaximum for Stagnum maximum at the first belonged to the king and thereby Offa in his time did reape no small commoditie It continued also vntill the time of Alfrijc the seuenth abbat of that house who bought it outright of the king then liuing and by excessiue charges drained it so narrowlie that within a while he left it drie sauing that he reserued a chanell for the riuer to haue hir vsuall course which he held vp with high bankes bicause there was alwaies contention betwéene the moonks and the kings seruants which fished on that water vnto the kings behoofe In these daies therefore remaineth no maner mention of this poole but onelie in one stréet which yet is called Fishpoole stréet wherof this may suffice for the resolution of such men as séeke rather to yéeld to an inconuenience than that their Gildas should seeme to mistake this riuer Hauing thus digressed to giue some remembrance of the old estate of Verolamium it is now time to returne againe vnto my former purpose Certes I would gladlie set downe with the names and number of the cities all the townes and villages in England and Wales with their true longitudes and latitudes but as yet I cannot come by them in such order as I would howbeit the tale of our cities is soone found by the bishoprikes sith euerie sée hath such prerogatiue giuen vnto it as to beare the name of a citie to vse Regaleius within hir owne limits Which priuilege also is granted to sundrie ancient townes in England especiallie northward where more plentie of them is to be found by a great deale than in the south The names therefore of our cities are these London Yorke Canturburie Winchester Cairleill Durham Elie. Norwich Lincolne Worcester Glocester Hereford Salisburie Excester Bath Lichfield Bristow Rochester Chester Chichester Oxford Peterborow Landaffe S. Dauids Bangor S. Asaph Whose particular plots and models with their descriptions shall insue if it may be brought to passe that the cutters can make dispatch of them before this chronologie be published Of townes and villages likewise thus much will I saie that there were greater store in old time I meane within three or foure hundred yeare passed than at this present And this I note out of diuerse records charters and donations made in times past vnto sundrie religious houses as Glassenburie Abbandon Ramseie Elie and such like and whereof in these daies I find not so much as the ruines Leland in sundrie places complaineth likewise of the decaie of parishes in great cities and townes missing in some six or eight or twelue churches and more of all which he giueth particular notice For albeit that the Saxons builded manie townes and villages and the Normans well more at their first comming yet since the first two hundred yeares after the latter conquest they haue gone so fast againe to decaie that the ancient number of them is verie much abated Ranulph the moonke of Chester telleth of generall surueie made in the fourth sixtéenth nineteenth of the reigne of William Conqueror surnamed the Bastard wherein it was found that notwithstanding the Danes had ouerthrow●e a great manie there were to the number of 52000 townes 45002 parish churches and 75000 knights fées whereof the cleargie held 28015. He addeth moreouer that there were diuerse other builded since that time within the space of an hundred yeares after the comming of the Bastard as it were in lieu or recompense of those that William Rufus pulled downe for the erection of his new forrest For by an old booke which I haue and sometime written as it seemeth by an vndershiriffe of Nottingham I find euen in the time of Edw. 4. 45120 parish churches and but 60216 knights fées whereof the cleargie held as before 28015 or at the least 28000 for so small is the difference which he dooth séeme to vse Howbeit if the assertions of such as write in our time concerning this matter either are or ought to be of anie credit in this behalfe you shall not find aboue 17000 townes and villages and 9210 in the whole which is little more than a fourth part of the aforesaid number if it be throughlie scanned Certes this misfortune hath not onelie happened vnto our Ile nation but vnto most of the famous countries of the world heretofore and all by the gréedie desire of such as would liue alone and onelie to themselues And hereof we may take example in Candie of old time called Creta which as Homer writeth was called Hetacompolis bicause it conteined an hundred cities but now it is so vnfurnished that it may hardlie be called Tripolis Diodorus Siculus saith that Aegypt had once 18000 cities which so decaied in processe of time that when Ptolomeus Lagus reigned there were not aboue 3000 but in our daies both in all Asia Aegypt this lesser number shall not verie readilie he found In time past in Lincolne as the fame goeth there haue beene two and fiftie parish churches and good record appeareth for eight and thirtie but now if there be foure and twentie it is all This inconuenience hath growen altogither to the church by appropriations made vnto monasteries and religious houses a terrible canker and enimie to religion But to leaue this lamentable discourse of so notable and gréeuous an inconuenience growing as I said by incroching and ioining of house to house and laieng land to land whereby the inhabitants of manie places of our countrie are deuoured and eaten vp and their houses either altogither pulled downe or suffered to decaie by litle and litle although sometime a poore man peraduenture dooth dwell in one of them who not being able to repare it suffereth it to fall downe thereto thinketh himselfe verie friendlie dealt withall if he may haue an acre of ground assigned vnto him whereon to kéepe

at large concluding in the end that the said passage of this prince into France is verie likelie to be true and that he named a parcell of Armorica lieng on the south and in manner vpon the verie loine after his owne name and also a citie which he builded there Britaine For saith he it should séeme by Strabo lib. 4. that there was a noble citie of that name long before his time in the said countrie whereof Plinie also speaketh lib. 4. cap. 7. albeit that he ascribe it vnto France after a disordered maner More I find not of this foresaid Brute sauing that he ruled the land a certeine time his father yet liuing and after his decease the tearme of twelue yeares and then died and was buried at Caerbranke now called Yorke LEill the sonne of Brute Greeneshield began to reigne in the yeare of the world 3021 the same time that Asa was reigning in Iuda and Ambri in Israell He built the citie now called Carleil which then after his owne name was called Caerleil that is Leill his citie or the citie of Leill He repaired also as Henrie Bradshaw saith the citie of Caerleon now called Chester which as in the same Bradshaw appeareth was built before Brutus entrie into this land by a giant named Leon Gauer But what authoritie he had to auouch this it may be doubted for Ranulfe Higden in his woorke intituled Polychronicon saith in plaine wordes that it is vnknowen who was the first founder of Chester but that it tooke the name of the soiourning there of some Romaine legions by whome also it is not vnlike that it might be first built by P. Ostorius Scapula who as we find after he had subdued Caratacus king of the Ordouices that inhabited the countries now called Lancashire Cheshire and Salopshire built in those parts and among the Silures certeine places of defense for the better harbrough of his men of warre and kéeping downe of such Britaines as were still readie to moue rebellion But now to the purpose concerning K. Leill We find it recorded that he was in the beginning of his reigne verie vpright and desirous to sée iustice executed and aboue all thinges loued peace quietnesse but as yeares increased with him so his vertues began to diminish in so much that abandoning the care for the bodie of the common-wealth he suffered his owne bodie to welter in all vice and voluptuousnesse and so procuring the hatred of his subiects caused malice and discord to rise amongst them which during his life he was neuer able to appease But leauing them so at variance he departed this life was buried at Carleil which as ye haue heard he had builded while he liued LUd or Ludhurdibras the sonne of Leill began to gouerne in the yeare of the world 3046. In the beginning of his reigne hée sought to appease the debate that was raised in his fathers daies and bring the realme to hir former quietnesse and after that he had brought it to good end he builded the towne of Kaerkin now called Canterburie also the towne of Caerguent now cleped Winchester and mount Paladour now called Shaftsburie About the building of which towne of Shaftsburie Aquila a prophet of the British nation wrote his prophesies of which some fragments remaine yet to be seene translated into the Latine by some ancient writers When this Lud had reigned 29. yeares he died and left a sonne behind him named Baldud BAldud the sonne of Ludhurdibras began to rule ouer the Britaines in the yeare of the world 3085. This man was well séene in the sciences of astronomie and nigromancie by which as the common report saith he made the hot bathes in the citie of Caerbran now called Bath But William of Malmesburie is of a contrarie opinion affirming that Iulius Cesar made those bathes or rather repaired them when he was here in England which is not like to be true for Iulius Cesar as by good coniecture we haue to thinke neuer came so farre within the land that way forward But of these bathes more shall be said in the description Now to procéed This Baldud tooke such pleasure in artificiall practises magike that he taught this art throughout all his realme And to shew his cunning in other points vpon a presumptuous pleasure which he had therein he tooke vpon him to flie in the aire but he fell vpon the temple of Apollo which stood in the citie of Troinouant and there was torne in péeces after he had ruled the Britaines by the space of 20. yeares LEir the sonne of Baldud was admitted ruler ouer the Britaines in the yeare of the world 3105 at what time Ioas reigned in Iuda This Leir was a prince of right noble demeanor gouerning his land and subiects in great wealth He made the towne of Caerleir now called Leicester which standeth vpon the riuer of Sore It is written that he had by his wife thrée daughters without other issue whose names were Gonorilla Regan and Cordeilla which daughters he greatly loued but specially Cordeilla the yoongest farre aboue the two elder When this Leir therefore was come to great yeres began to waxe vnweldie through age he thought to vnderstand the affections of his daughters towards him and preferre hir whome he best loued to the succession ouer the kingdome Whervpon he first asked Gonorilla the eldest how well she loued him who calling hir gods to record protested that she loued him more than hir owne life which by right and reason should be most déere vnto hir With which answer the father being well pleased turned to the second and demanded of hir how well she loued him who answered confirming hir saiengs with great othes that she loued him more than toong could expresse and farre aboue all other creatures of the world Then called he his yoongest daughter Cordeilla before him and asked of hir what account she made of him vnto whome she made this answer as followeth knowing the great loue and fatherlie zeale that you haue alwaies borne towards me for the which I maie not answere you otherwise than I thinke and as my conscience leadeth me I protest vnto you that I haue loued you euer and will continuallie while I liue loue you as my naturall father And if you would more vnderstand of the loue that I beare you assertaine your selfe that so much as you haue so much you are worth and so much I loue you and no more The father being nothing content with this answer married his two eldest daughters the one vnto Henninus the duke of Cornewall and the other vnto Maglanus the duke of Albania betwixt whome he willed and ordeined that his land should be diuided after his death and the one halfe thereof immediatlie should be assigned to them in hand but for the third daughter Cordeilla he reserued nothing Neuertheles it fortuned that one of the princes

his bountifuln●s and buriall The ninth Chapter HEere note by the waie a thing not to be be forgotten that of the foresaid Helie the last of the said 3● kings the I le of Elie tooke the name bicause that he most commonlie did there inhabit building in the same a goodly palace and making great reparations of the sluces ditches causies about that I le for conueiance awaie of the water that els would sore haue indamaged the countrie There be that haue mainteined that this I le should rather take name of the great abundance of éeles that are found in these waters and fennes wherwith this Ile is inuironed But Humfrey Llhoyd holdeth that it tooke name of this British word Helig which signifieth willowes wherwith those fennes abound After the decesse of the same Helie his eldest son Lud began his reigne in the yéere after the creation of the world 3895 after the building of the citie of Rome 679 before the comming of Christ 72 and before the Romances entred Britaine 19 yéeres This Lud proued a right worthie prince amending the lawes of the realme that were defectiue abolishing euill customs and maners vsed amongst his people and repairing old cities and townes which were decaied but speciallie he delited most to beautifie and inlarge with buildings the citie of Troinouant which he compassed with a strong wall made of lime and stone in the best maner fortified with diuerse faire towers and in the west part of the same wall he erected a strong gate which he commanded to be called after his name Ludsgate and so vnto this daie it is called Ludgate S onelie drowned in pronuntiation of the word In the same citie also he soiorned for the more part by reason whereof the inhabitants increased and manie habitations were builded to receiue them and he himselfe caused buildings to be made betwixt London stone and Ludgate and builded for himselfe not farre from the said gate a faire palace which is the bishop of Londons palace beside Paules at this daie as some thinke yet Harison supposeth it to haue bin Bainards castell where the blacke friers now standeth He also builded a faire temple néere to his said palace which temple as some take it was after turned to a church and at this daie called Paules By reason that king Lud so much esteemed that citie before all other of his realme inlarging it so greatlie as he did and continuallie in manner remained there the name was changed so that it was called Caerlud that is to saie Luds towne and after by corruption of spéech it was named London Beside the princelie dooings of this Lud touching the aduancement of the common wealth by studies apperteining to the time of peace he was also strong valiant in armes in subduing his enimies bountious and liberall both in gifts and kéeping a plentifull house so that he was greatlie beloued of all the Britaines Finallie when he had reigned with great honour for the space of 11 yéeres he died and was buried néere Ludgate leauing after him two sons Androgeus and Theomancius or Tenancius Of Cassibellane and his noble mind Iulius Caesar sendeth Caius Volusenus to ●●●uey the coasts of this Iland he lieth with his fleet at Calice purposing to inuade the countrie his attempt is bewraied and withstood by the Britains The tenth Chapter GAssibellane the brother of Lud was admitted king of Britaine in the yéere of the world 3908 after the building of Rome 692 and before the comming of Christ 58 complet For sith the two sonnes of Lud were not of age able to gouerne the rule of the land was committed to Cassibellane but yet as some haue written he was not created king but rather appointed ruler protector of the land during the nonage of his nephewes Now after he was admitted by whatsoeuer order to the administration of the common wealth he became so noble a prince and so bountious that his name spred farre and néere and by his vpright dealing in seeing iustice executed he grew in such estimation that the Britaine 's made small account of his nephewes in comparison of the fauour which they bare towards him But Cassibellane hauing respect to his honour least it might be thought that his nephewes were expelled by him out of their rightfull possessions brought them vp verie honourablie assigning to Androgeus London and Kent and to Theomantius the countrie of Cornwall Thus farre out of the British histories whereby it maie be gathered that the yéeres assigned to these kings that reigned before Cassibellane amount to the summe of 1058. But whether these gouernors whose names we haue recited were kings or rather rulers of the common wealth or tyrants and vsurpers of the gouernment by force it is vncerteine for not one ancient writer of anie approued authoritie maketh anie remembrance of them and by that which Iulius Cesar writeth it maie and dooth appéere that diuerse cities in his daies were gouerned of themselues as héereafter it shall more plainlie appéere Neither doth he make mention of those townes which the British histoie affirmeth to be built by the same kings In déed both he and other Latine writers speake of diuerse people that inhabited diuers portions of this land as of the Brigantes Trinobantes Iceni Silures and such other like but in what parts most of the said people did certeinlie inhabit it is hard to auouch for certeine truth But what Iohn Leland thinketh héereof being one in our time that curiouslie searched out old antiquities you shall after heare as occasion serueth and likewise the opinions of other as of Hector Boetius who coueting to haue all such valiant acts as were atchiued by the Britains to be ascribed to his countriemen the Scots draweth both the Silures and Brigantes with other of the Britains so farre northward that he maketh them inhabitants of the Scotish countries And what particular names soeuer they had yet were they all Scots with him and knowne by that generall name as he would persuade vs to beléeue saieng that they entred into Britaine out of Ireland 330 yéeres before the incarnation of our Sauiour Neuerthelesse how generall soeuer the name of Scots then was sure it is that no speciall mention of them is made by anie writer till about 300 yeares after the birth of our sauiour And yet the Romans which ruled this land and had so much adoo with the people thereof make mention of ●iuerse other people nothing so famous as Boetius would make his Scotish men euen then to be But to leaue to the Scots the antiquitie of their originall beginning as they and other must doo vnto vs our descent from Brute and the other Troians sith the contrarie dooth not plainelie appeare vnlesse we shall leane vnto presumptions now are we come to the time in the which what actes were atchiued there remaineth more certeine record and therefore

discomfited by reason that one of their chiefest capteins called Gothlois disdaining to be at the appointment of Nathaliod got him vp to the next hill with the next battell which he led leauing the other Britains in all the danger which they séeing began by by to flée There died no great number of the Britains except those that were killed in the fight for Occa mistrusting what Gothlois meant by his withdrawing aside would not suffer the Saxons to follow the chase but in the night following Gothlois got him awaie and rested not till he was out of danger Occa then perceiuing himslefe to haue the vpper hand sent an herald vnto king Uter with a certeine message threatning destruction to him and to his people if he refused to doo that which he should appoint Uter perceiuing what disloialtie rested in the harts of his owne subiects agréed that the matter might be committed to eight graue and wise courrestors foure Britains and foure Saxons which might haue full power to make an end of all controuersies and variances depending betwixt the two nations Occa was likewise contented therewith wherevpon were named on either part foure persons of such wisedome knowledge and experience as were thought meetest for the ordering of such a weightie matter So that by the arbitrement award and doome of those eight persons authorised thereto a league was concluded vpon certeine articles of agreement amongst the which the chiefest was that the Saxons from thencefoorth should quietlie inioy all that part of Britaine which lieth fore against the Almaine seas the same to be called euer after Engistlaund and all the residue should remaine to the Britains as their owne rightfull and ancient inheritance Thus far Hector Boetius But now to returne vnto Uter according to that we find in the British histories and to procéed after our owne historians we find that when he had vanquished the Saxons and taken their two chiefeteins prisoners in processe of time he fell in loue with a verie beautifull ladie called Igwarne or Igerna wife to one Gorolus or Gorlois duke of Cornewall the which duke he slue at length neere to his owne castell called Diuulioc in Cornewell to the end that he might inioy the said ladie whome he afterwards maried and begot on hir that noble knight Arthur and a daughter named Amie or Anna Occa and Osca escaping also out of prison assembled eftsoones a poer of Saxons and made warre against the Britains whereof Uter hauing aduertisement prepared to resist them and finallie went himselfe in person against them and at saint Albans as some write gaue them battell and slue them both in the field By that which Polydor Virgil writeth it should séeme that Germane the bishop of Auxerre came into Britaine in the daies of this Uter by whose presence the Britains had victorie against the Saxons as before ye haue heard after which victorie both rested from troubling either other for a time The Saxons as it were astonied with that present miracle the Britains not following their good successe shortlie after fell at discord amongst themselues which finallie brought them to vtter decaie as after shall appeare But the Saxons desirous to spoile the Britains of the whole possession of that part of the Ile which they held whereas they accounted the cities and townes of small strength to be defended they got them to an high mounteine called Badon hill which Polydor supposeth to be Blackamore that lieth néere to the water of Theise which diuideth the bishoprike of Durham from Yorkeshire hauing at the mouth thereof an hauen méet to receiue such ships as come out of Germanie from whence the Saxons looked for aid hauing alreadie sent thither for the same The Britains being thereof aduertised made hast towards the place and besieged it on euerie side They also laie the sea coasts full of souldiers to kéepe such of the enimies from landing as should come out of Germanie The Saxons kept themselues for a certeine space aloft vpon the high ground but in the end constreined through want of vittels they came downe with their armie in order of battell to the next plaines and offering to fight the battell was anon begun which continued from the morning till far in the day with such slaughter that the earth on euerie side flowed with bloud but the Saxons susteined the greater losse their capteins Occa and Osca being both slaine so that the Britains might séeme quite deliuered of all danger of those enimies but the fatall destinie could not be auoided as hereafter may appeare And thus was the slaughter made of the Saxons at Badon hill whereof Gyldas maketh mention and chanced the same yeare that he was borne which was in the 44 yeare after the first comming of the Saxons into this land the yeare of Grace 492 15 indiction About the same time Uter departed out of this life saith Polydor so that this account agréeth nothing with the common account of those authors whome Fabian and other haue followed For either we must presuppose that Uter reigned before the time appointed to him by the said authors either else that the siege of Badon hill was before he began to reigne as it should séeme in déed by that which Wil. Malmesburie writeth thereof as hereafter shall be also shewed Finallie according to the agréement of the English writers Uter Pendragon died by poison when he had gouerned this land by the full terme of 16 years was after buried by his brother Aurelius at Stoneheng otherwise called Chorea Gigantum leauing his sonne Arthur to succéed him ¶ Here ye must note that the Scotish chronicles declare that in all the warres for the more part wherein the Britains obteined victorie against the Saxons the Scots aided them in the same warres and so likewise did the Picts but the same chronicles doo not onelie varie from the British writers in account of yeares but also in the order of things doone as in the same chronicles more plainelie may appeare namelie in the discourse of the accidents which chanced during the reigne of this Uter For whereas the British histories as ye haue heard attribute great praise vnto the same Uter for his victories atchiued against the Saxons and their king Occa whome he slue in battell and obteined a great victorie the Scotish writers make other report affirming in deed that by the presence of bishop Germane he obteined victorie in one battell against them but shortlie after the Britains fought againe with the Saxons and were discomfited although Occa in following the chase ouer rashlie chanced to be slaine after whose deceasse the Saxons ordeined his sonne named also Occa to succéed in his place who to make himselfe strong against all his enimies sent into Germanie for one Colgerne the which with a great power of Dutchmen came ouer into this our Britaine and conquered by Occas appointment the countrie of Northumberland situate

forward courage hasted to incounter his enimies the which receiued him so sharplie and with so cruell fight that at length the Englishmen were at point to haue turned their backs But herewith came king Ethelred and manfullie ended the battell staied his people from running away and so encouraged them and discouraged the enimies that by the power of God whom as was thought in the morning he had serued the Danes finallie were chased and put to flight losing one of their kings that is to say Basreeg or Osréeg and 5 earles Sidroc the elder and Sidroc the yoonger Osberne Freine and Harold This battell was sore foughten and con●inued till night with the slaughter of manie thousands of Danes About 14 daies after king Ethelred and his brother Alured fought eftsoones with the Danish armie at Basing where the Danes had the victorie Also two moneths after this they likewise fought with the Danes at Merton And there the Danes after they had béene put to the woorse pursued in chase a long time yet at length they also got the victorie in which battell Edmund bishop of Shireborne was slaine and manie other that were men of woorthie fame and good account In the summer following a mightie host of the Danes came to Reading and there soiourned for a time ¶ These things agrée not with that which Polydor Virgil hath written of these warres which king Ethelred had with the Danes for he maketh mention of one Iuarus a king of the Danes who landed as he writeth at the mouth of Humber and like a stout enimie inuaded the countrie adioining Against whome Ethelred with his brother Alured came with an armie and incountring the Danes fought with them by the space of a whole day togither and was in danger to haue béene put to the woorse but that the night seuered them asunder In the morning they ioined againe but the death of Iuarus who chanced to be slaine in the beginning of the battell discouraged the Danes so that they were easilie put to flight of whome before they could get out of danger a great number were slaine But after that they had recouered themselues togither and found out a conuenient place where to pitch their campe they chose to their capteines Agnerus and Hubba two brethren which indeuored themselues by all meanes possible to repaire their armie so that within 15 daies after the Danes eftsoones fought with the Englishmen and gaue them such an ouerthrow that little wanted of making an end of all incounters to be attempted after by the Englishmen But yet within a few daies after this as the Danes attended their market to spoile the countrie and range somewhat licentiouslie abroad they fell within ●he danger of such ambushes as were laid for them by king Ethelred that no small slaughter was made of them but yet not without some losse of the Englishmen Amongest others Ethelred himselfe receiued a wound whereof he shortlie after died Thus saith Polydor touching the warres which king Ethelred had with the Danes who yet confesseth as the trueth is that such authors as he herein followed varie much from that which the Danish writers doo record of these matters and namelie touching the dooings of Iuarus as in the Danish historie you may sée more at large But now to our purpose touching the death of king Ethelred whether by reason of hurt receiued in fight against the Danes as Polydor saith or otherwise certeine it is that Ethelred anon after Easter departed this life in the sixt yeare of his reigne and was buried at Winborne abbey In the daies of this Ethelred the foresaid Danish capteins Hungar otherwise called Agnerus and Hubba returning from the north parts into the countrie of the Eastangles came vnto Thetford whereof Edmund who reigned as king in that season ouer the Eastangles being aduertised raised an armie of men and went foorth to giue battell vnto this armie of the Danes But he with his people was chased out of the field and fled to the castell of Framingham where being enuironed with a siege by his enimies he yéelded himselfe vnto them And because he would not renounce the christian faith they bound him to a trée and shot arrowes at him till he died and afterwards cut off his head from his bodie and threw the same into a thicke groue of bushes But afterwards his friends tooke the bodie with the head and ●uried the same at Egleseon where afterward also a faire monasterie was builded by one bishop Aswin and changing the name of the place it was after ca●●ed saint Edmundfburie Thus was king Edmund put to death by the cruell Danes for his constant confessing the name of Christ in the 16 yeare of his reigne and so ceased the kingdome of Eastangles For after that the Danes had thus slaine that blessed man they conquered all the countrie wasted it so that through their tyrannie it remained without anie gouernor by the space of nine yeares and then they appointed a king to rule ouer it whose name was Guthrun one of their owne nation who gouerned both the Eastangles and the Eastsaxons Ye haue heard how the Danes slue Osrike and Ella kings of Northumberland After which victorie by them obteined they did much hurt in the north parts of this land and amongest other cruell deeds they destroied the citie of A●●uid which was a famous citie in the time of the old Saxons as by Beda and other writers dooth manifestlie appeare Here is to be remembred that some writers rehearse the cause to be this Osbright or Osrike king of Northumberland rauished the wife of one Berne that was a noble man of the countrie about Yorke who tooke such great despight thereat that he fled out of the land and went into Denmarke and there complained vnto the king of Denmarke his coosin of the iniurie doone to him by king Osbright Wherevpon the king of Denmarke glad to haue so iust a quarell against them of Northumberland furnished foorth an armie and sent the same by sea vnder the leading of his two brethren Hungar and Hubba into Northumberland where they slue first the said king Osbright and after king Ella at a place besides Yorke which vnto this day is called Ellas croft taking that name of the said Ella being there slaine in defense of his countrie against the Danes Which Ella as we find registred by writers was elected king by such of the Northumbers as in fauour of Berne had refused to be subiect vnto Osbright Alfred ruleth ouer the Westsaxons and the greatest part of England the Danes afflict him with sore warre and cruellie make wast of his kingdome they lie at London a whole winter they inuade Mercia the king whereof Burthred by name forsaketh his countrie and goeth to Rome his death and buriall Halden king of the Danes diuideth Northumberland among his people Alfred incountreth with the

in their roomes by authoritie of pope Iohn the 13. This reformation or rather deformation was vsed by king Edgar in many other places of the realme He was as appeareth by diuers writers namelie in his beginning cruell against his owne people and wanton in lusting after yoong women as you haue heard before Of stature proportion of bodie he was but small and low but yet nature had inclosed within so little a personage such strength that he durst incounter and combat with him that was thought most strong onelie doubting this least he which should haue to doo with him should stand in feare of him And as it chanced at a great feast where oftentimes men vse their toongs more liberrallie than néedeth Kenneth the king of Scots cast out certeine words in this maner It may saith hée séeme a maruell that so manie countries and prouinces should be subiect to such a little silliehe was but small and low but yet nature had inclosed bodie as Edgar is These words being borne awaie by a ●ester or minstrell and afterwards vttered to Edgar with great reproch he wiselie dissembled the matter for a time although he kept the remembrance thereof inclosed within his breast and vpon occasion at length feigned to go on hunting taking the king of Scots forth with him and hauing caused one of his seruants to conuey two swords into a place within the forrest by him appointed in secret wise of purpose he withdrew from the residue of his companie and there accompanied onelie with the Scotish king came to the place where the swords were laid and there taking the one of them deliuered the other to the Scotish king willing him now to assaie his strength that they might shew by proofe whether of them ought to be subiect to the other Start not but trie it with me saith he for it is a shame for a king to be full of brags at bankets and not to be readie to fight when triall should be made abroad The Scotish king herewith being astonied and maruellouslie abashed fell downe at his féet and with much humilitie confessed his fault desired pardon for the same which vpon such his humble submission king Edward easilie granted This noble prince had two wiues Egelfrida or Elfrida surnamed the white the daughter of a mightie duke named Ordiner by whome he had issue a sonne named Edward that succéeded him His second wife was called Alfreda the daughter of Orgar duke of Deuon or Cornewall as some saie by whome he had issue Edmund that died before his father and Egelred which afterwards was king Also he had issue a base daughter named Editha begotten of his concubine Wilfrid as before ye haue heard The state of the realme in king Edgars daies was in good point for both the earth gaue hir increase verie plentiouslie the elements shewed themselues verie sauorable according to the course of times peace was mainteined and no inuasion by forraine enimies attempted For Edgar had not onelie all the whole I le of Britaine in subiection but also was ruler souereigne lord ouer all the kings of the out Iles that lie within the seas about all the coasts of the same Britaine euen vnto the realme of Norwaie He brought also a great part of Ireland vnder his subiection with the citie of Dublin as by authentike records it dooth and may appeare Contention amongest the peeres and states about succession to the crowne the monkes remoued and the canons and secular priests restored by Alfer duke of Mercia and his adherents a blasing starre with the euents insuing the same the rood of Winchester speaketh a prettie shift of moonks to defeat the priests of their possessions the controuersie betweene the moonks and the priests ended by a miracle of archbishop Dunstane great hope that Edward would tread his fathers steps the reuerent loue he bare his stepmother queene Alfred and hir sonne Egelred hir diuelish purpose to murther Edward hir stepsonne accomplished his obscure funerall in respect of pompe but famous by meanes of miracles wrought by and about his sepulture queene Alfred repenting hir of the said prepensed murther dooth penance and imploieth hir substance in good woorkes as satisfactorie for hir sinnes king Edwards bodie remoued and solemnlie buried by Alfer duke of Mercia who was eaten vp with lice for being against the said Edwards aduancement to the crowne queene Alfreds offense by no meanes excusable The xxv Chapter AFter the deceasse of king Edgar there was some strife and contention amongst the lords péeres of the realme about the succession of the crowne for Alfred the mother of Egelredus or Ethelredus and diuers other of hir opinion would gladlie haue aduanced the same Egelredus to the rule but the archbishop Dunstan taking in his hands the baner of the crucifix presented his elder brother Edward vnto the lords as they were assembled togither and there pronounced him king notwithstanding that both queene Alfred and hir friends namelie Alfer the duke of Mercia were sore against him especiallie for that he was begot in vnlawfull bed of Elfleda the nun for which offense he did seuen yeares p●nance and not for lieng with Wilfrid as maister Fox thinketh But Dunstane iudging as is to be thought that Edward was more fit for their behoofe to continue the world in the former course as Edgar had left it than his brother Egelred whose mother and such as tooke part with hir vnder hir sonnes authoritie were likelie inough to turne all vpside downe vsed the matter so that with helpe of Oswald the archbishop of Yorke and other bishops abbats and certeine of the nobilitie as the earle of Essex and such like he preuailed in his purpose so that as before is said the said Edward being the second of that name which gouerned this land before the conquest was admitted king and began his reigne ouer England in the yeare of our Lord 975 in the third yeare of the emperour Otho the second in the 20 yeare of the reigne of Lothar king of France and about the fourth yeare of Cumelerne king of Scotland He was consecrated by archb Dunstane at Kingston vpon Thames to the great griefe of his mother in law Alfred and hir friends ¶ About the beginning of his reigne a blasing starre was seene signifieng as was thought the miserable haps that followed And first there insued barrennesse of ground and thereby famine amongest the people and morraine of cattell Also duke Alfer or Elfer of Mercia and other noble men destroied the abbies which king Edgar and bishop Adelwold had builded within the limits of Mercia The priests or canons which had beene expelled in Edgars time out of the prebends and benefices began to complaine of the wrongs that were doone to them in that they had beene put out of possession from their liuings alleging it to be a great offense and miserable case that a

burned and then returning backe they fell to wasting of the countrie on both sides the Thames But hearing that an armie was assembled at London to giue them battell that part of their host which kept on the northside of the riuer passed the same riuer at Stanes and so ioining with their fellowes marched foorth through Southerie and comming backe to their ships in Kent fell in hand to repare amend their ships that were in anie wise decaied Then after Easter the Danes sailing about the coast arriued at Gipswich in Suffolke on the Ascension day of our Lord and inuading the countrie gaue battell at a place called Wigmere or Rigmere vnto Uikill or Wilfeketell leader of the English host in those parties on the fift of Maie The men of Northfolke and Suffolke fled at the first onset giuen but the Cambridgeshire men sticked to it valiantlie winning thereby perpetuall fa●e and commendation There was no mindfulnesse amongest them of running awaie so that a great number of the nobilitie and other were beaten downe and slaine till at length one Turketell Mireneheued that had a Dane to his father first bagan to take his flight and deserued thereby an euerlasting reproch The Danes obteining the vpper hand for the space of thrée moneths togither went vp and downe the countries wasted those parties of the realme that is to say Northfolke and Suffolke with the borders of Lincolnshire Huntingtonshire and Cambridgeshire where the fens are gaining excéeding riches by the spoile of the great and wealthie abbies and churches which had their situation within the compasse of the same fens They also destroied Thetford and burnt Cambridge and from thence passed through the pleasant mountaine-countrie of Belsham cruellie murdering the people without respect of age degrée or sex After this also they entred into Essex and so came backe to their ships which were then arriued in the Thames But they rested not anie long time in quiet as people that minded nothing but the destruction of this realme So as soone after when they had somwhat refreshed them they set forward againe into the countrie passing through Buckinghamshire so into Bedfordshire And about saint Andrewes tide they turned towards Northampton comming thither set fire on that towne Then turning through the west countrie with fire sword they wasted and destroied a great part thereof namelie Wiltshire with other parties And finallie about the feast of Christmas they came againe to their ships Thus had the Danes wasted the most part of 16 or 17 shires within this realme as Northfolke Suffolke Cambridgeshire Essex Middlesex Hartfordshire Oxfordshire Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire with a part of Huntingtonshire and also a great portion of Northamptonshire This was doone in the countries that lie on the northside of the riuer of Thames On the southside of the same riuer they spoiled and wasted Kent Southerie Sussex Barkeshire Hampshire and as is before said a great part of Wiltshire King Egelred offereth the Danes great summes of moneie to desist from destroieng his countrie their vnspeakable crueltie bloudthir stinesse and insatiable spoiling of Canturburie betraied by a churchman their merciles murthering of Elphegus archbishop of Canturburie Turkillus the Dane chiefe lord of Norfolke and Suffolke a peace concluded betweene the Danes and the English vpon hard conditions Gunthildis a beautifull Danish ladie and hir husband slaine hir courage to the death The fift Chapter THe king and the peeres of the realme vnderstanding of the Danes dealing in such merciles maner as is aboue mentioned but not knowing how to redresse the matter sent ambassadors vnto the Danes offering them great summes of moneie to leaue off such cruell wasting and spoiling of the land The Danes were contented to reteine the moneie but yet could not absteine from their cruell dooings neither was their greedie thirst of bloud and spoile satisfied with the wasting and destroieng of so manie countries and places as they had passed through Wherevpon in the yeere of our Lord 1011 about the feast of S. Matthew in September they laid siege to the citie of Canturburie which of the citizens was valiantlie defended by the space of twentie daies In the end of which terme it was taken by the enimies through the treason of a deacon named Almaricus whome the archbishop Elphegus had before that time preserued from death The Danes exercised passing great crueltie in the winning of that citie as by sundrie authors it dooth and maie appéere For they slue of men women and children aboue the number of eight thousand They tooke the archbishop Elphegus with an other bishop named Godwine also abbat Lefwin and Alseword the kings bailife there They spared no degrée in somuch that they slue and tooke 900 priests and other men of religion And when they had taken their pleasure of the citie they set it on fire and so returned to their ships There be some which write that they tithed the people after an inuerted order slaieng all by nines through the whole multitude and reserued the tenth so that of all the moonks there were but foure saued and of the laie people 4800 whereby it followeth that there died 43200 persons Whereby is gathered that the citie of Canturburie and the countrie thereabouts the people whereof belike fled thither for succor was at that time verie well inhabited so as there haue no wanted saith maister Lambert which affirme that it had then more people than London it selfe But now to our purpose In the yéere next insuing vpon the saturday in Easter wéeke after that the bishop Elphegus had béene kept prisoner with them the space of six or seuen moneths they cruellie in a rage led him foorth into the fields and dashed out his braines with stones bicause he would not redéeme his libertie with thrée thousand pounds which they demanded to haue beene leuied of his farmers and tenants This cruell murther was committed at Gréenewich foure miles distant from London the 19 of Aprill where he lay a certeine time vnburied but at length through miracles shewed as they say for miracles are all wrought now by dead men and not by the liuing the Danes permitted that his bodie might be caried to London and there was it buried in the church of S. Paule where it rested for the space of ten yeeres till king Cnute or Knought had the gouernment of this land by whose appointment it was remooued to Canturburie Turkillus the leader of those Danes by whome the archbishop Elphegus was thus murthered held Northfolke and Suffolke vnder his subiection so continued in those parties as chiefe lord and gouernor But the residue of the Danes at length compounding with the Englishmen for a tribute to be paid to them of eight thousand pounds spred abroad in the countrie soiorning in cities townes and villages where they might find most conuenient harbour

Moreouer fortie of their ships or rather as some write 45 were reteined to serue the king promising to defend the realme with condition that the souldiers and mariners should haue prouision of meate and drinke with apparell found them at the kings charges As one autor hath gathered Swaine king of Denmarke was in England at the concluding of this peace which being confirmed with solemne othes and sufficient hostages he departed into Denmarke The same author bringeth the generall slaughter of Danes vpon S. Brices day to haue chanced in the yéere after the conclusion of this agréement that is to say in the yéere 1012 at what time Gunthildis the sister of king Swaine was slaine with hir husband hir sonne by the commandement of the false traitor Edrike But bicause all other authors agrée that the same murther of Danes was executed about ten yéeres before this supposed time we haue made rehearsall thereof in that place Howbeit for the death of Gunthildis it maie be that she became hostage either in the yéere 1007 at what time king Egelred paied thirtie thousand pounds vnto king Swaine to haue peace as before you haue heard or else might she be deliuered in hostage in the yéere 1011 when the last agréement was made with the Danes as aboue is mentioned But when or at what time soeuer she became hostage this we find of hir that she came hither into England with hir husband Palingus a mightie earle and receiued baptisme héere Wherevpon she earnestlie trauelled in treatie of a peace betwixt hir brother and king Egelred which being brought to passe chieflie by hir sute she was contented to become an hostage for performance thereof as before is recited And after by the commandement of earle Edrike she was put to death pronouncing that the shedding of hir bloud would cause all England one day sore to rue She was a verie beautifull ladie and tooke hir death without all feare not once changing countenance though she saw hir husband and hir onelie sonne a yoong gentleman of much towardnesse first murthered before hir face Turkillus the Danish capteine telleth king Swaine the faults of the king nobles commons of this realme he inuadeth England the Northumbers and others submit themselues to him Danes receiued into seruice vnder Egelred London assalted by Swaine the citizens behaue themselues stoutlie and giue the Danish host a shamefull repulse Ethelmere earle of Deuonshire and his people submit themselues to Swaine he returneth into Denmarke commeth back againe into England with a fresh power is incountred withall of the Englishmen whose king Egelred is discomfited his oration to his souldiers touching the present reliefe of their distressed land their resolution and full purpose in this their perplexitie king Egrlred is minded to giue place to Swaine lie sendeth his wife and children ouer into Normandie the Londoners yeeld vp their state to Swaine Egelred saileth ouer into Normandie leauing his land to the enimie The sixt Chapter NOw had Turkillus in the meane time aduertised king Swaine in what state things stood here within the realme how king Egelred was negligent onlie attending to the lusts pleasures of the flesh how the noble men were vnfaithfull and the commons weake and féeble through want to good and trustie leaders Howbeit some write that Turkillus as well as other of the Danes which remained héere in England was in league with king Egelred in somuch that he was with him in London to helpe and defend the citie against Swaine when he came to assalt it as after shall appéere Which if it be true a doubt may rise whether Swaine receiued anie aduertisement from Turkillus to mooue him to rather to inuade the realme but such aduertisements might come from him before that he was accorded with Egelred Swaine therefore as a valiant prince desirous both to reuenge his sisters death and win honor prepared an huge armie and a great number of ships with the which he made towards England and first comming to Sandwich taried there a small while and taking eftsoones the sea compassed about the coasts of the Eastangles and arriuing in the mouth of Humber sailed vp the water and entering into the riuer of Trent he landed at Gainesbourgh purposing to inuade the Northumbers But as men brought into great feare for that they had béene subiect to the Danes in times past and thinking therefore not to reuolt to the enimie but rather to their old acquaintance if they should submit themselues to the Danes streightwaies offered to become subiect vnto Swaine togither with their duke named Wighthred Also the people of Lindsey and all those of the northside of Watlingstreet yéelded themselues vnto him and deliuered pledges Then he appointed his sonne Cnutus to haue the kéeping of those pledges and to remaine vpon the sa●egard of his ships whiles he himselfe passed forward into the countrie Then marched he forward to subdue them of south Mercia and so came to Oxford to Winchester making the countries subiect to him through out wheresoeuer he came With this prosperous successe Swaine being greatlie incouraged prepared to go vnto London where king Egelred as then remained hauing with him Turkillus the Dane which was reteined in wages with other of the Danes as by report of some authors it maie appeare and were now readie to defend the citie against their countriemen in support of king Egelred togither with the citizens Swaine bicause he would not step so farre out of the way as to go to the next bridge lost a great number of his men as he passed through the Thames At his comming to London he bagan to assault the citie verie fiercelie in hope either to put his enimie in such feare that he should despaire of all reliefe and comfort or at the least trie what he was able to doo The Londoners on the other part although they were brought in some feare by this sudden attempt of the enimies yet considering with themselues that the hazard of all the whole state of the realme was annexed to theirs sith their citie was the chiefe and metropolitane of all the kingdome they valiantlie stood in defense of themselues and of their king that was present there with them beating backe the enimies chasing them from the walles and otherwise dooing their best to kéepe them off At length although the Danes did most valiantlie assault the citie yet the Englishmen to defend their prince from all iniurie of enimies did not shrinke but boldlie sallied foorth at the gates in heapes togither and incountered with their aduersaries and began to fight with them verie fiercelie Swaine whilest he went about to kéepe his men in order as one most desirous to reteine the victorie now almost gotten was compassed so about with the Londoners on each side that after he had lost a great number of his men he was constreined for his safegard to breake out through the