well the small number of souldiers that he had by good proofs taught how Petilius paid for his rashnesse he determined with the damage of one towne to save all the rest whole Neither could he bee won by the weeping and pitifull teares of those that besought his aide but he would needs put out the signall of a remove and receive all followers as part of his armie to march along with him As many therefore as weaknesse of sex wearisomnesse of age or pleasantnesse of the place held back were all put to the sword by the enemie The like calamitie befell unto the free towne Verulamium because the Barbarians leaving the castles forts of garrison souldiers made spoile of the richest and fattest and carrying their pillage into some place of safetie as men glad of bootie went on still to such as were of note and mark above the rest And thus to the number of seventie thousand Roman citizens and associats together by true report were knowne to have been slaine in those places before named For there was no taking of prisoners no selling of them nor any other commerce and traffique of war but killing hanging burning and crucifying such haste they made to make havocke of all as if they were to requite the measure they had suffered and anticipate in the meane while all revenge Now by this time Suetonius having with him the fourteenth Legion with the old souldiers of the twentieth the auxiliaries from the parts next adjoyning was well neere ten thousand strong when he resolved to lay aside all further delaies and to trie the chance of a main battel And so he chooseth a place with a narrow entrance like a gullet and enclosed behind with a wood being well assured that he had no enemies but in front and that the plain lay open without feare of ambush The Legionarie souldiers therefore being marshalled in thick rankes and close together with the light armours about them the horsemen were placed on either hand like wings But the Britaine forces came leaping forth all abroad by troupes and companies in such a multitude as never the like else where at any other time and with so fierce courage as that they would needs bring their very wives with them and place them in carts which they had bestowed in the utmost parts of the plaine to be witnesses of the victorie Boodicia having her daughters before her in a chariot ever as she came to any severall nation for it was the custome verily of the Britans to make warre under the conduct of women protested told them that she was come then not as a Lady descended of so noble progenitors to make either Kingdome or riches her quarrell but as one of the common people in revenge of her libertie lost her body sore whipped and her daughters chastitie assailed by uncleane handling That the Romans lust and concupiscence was growne to such a passe that they spared no body no not aged persons nor left their Virgins undefiled How be it the Gods saith she are with us and favor just revenge For the legion that came into the field and durst hazard a battell was cut in pieces the rest are either hidden within campe and hold or else seek meanes to escape by flight so that they will never abide so much as the noise and crie of so many thousands much lesse then their violent charge and close hand fight If then they would weigh with her the power of their armed forces and with all the motives of war resolve they should either to vanquish in that battell or to die for her owne part being but a woman this was her resolution the men might live if they pleased and serve as slaves Neither could Suetonius himselfe in so great an extremitie hold his tongue For although hee presumed and trusted much upon valour yet enterlaced hee exhortations praiers That they should contemne the lowd and vaine threats of the Barbarians Among whom there were more women to be seene than lusty young men Vnwarlike as they were and unarmed they would presently give ground when they came once to feele acknowledge the weapons valour of those cōquerors by whom so often they had bin put to flight For even in many legions a few they bee that carry away the honour of the battell and to their greater glory it would turne if with a small power they won the fame of a whole armie Only this they must remember marshalled close together as they stood first with launcing ther Iavelins and afterwards with the bosses and pikes of their bucklers and with their swords to continue in beating downe and killing them and never to think all the while of any booty for after victory once gotten all would come to their share These words of the Captaine gave such an edge and kindled their courage so the old souldiers also experienced in many battels had so bestirred thēselves and were so ready to let their darts fly that Suetonius assured of the event gave signall of battell And first of all the legion not stirring one foot but keeping the streights of the place aforesaid as a sure defence after that the enemies approching neerer within the just reach of shot had spent all their darts sallied out as it were in pointed battels The auxiliarie souldiers likewise were of the same stomack and the horsemen stretching out their long launces brake what was in their way and made head against them The residue shewed their backs and had much adoe to flie and escape by reason of the carts and waggons placed round about the plaine which had blocked up the passages on every side And the souldiers forbare not the execution so much as of the women the very horses and draught beasts were thrust through with darts which made the heape of dead bodies the greater This was a day of great honour and renowne comparable to the victories of old time for some report that there were slaine few lesse in number than fourescore thousand Britans but of our souldiers there died not all out foure hundred and not many more hurt Boodicia ended her life with poison And Poenius Posthumus campe-Master of the second Legion understanding of this prosperous successe of the fourteenth and twentieth Legions because he had defrauded his owne Legion of the like glorie and contrary to the order of service refused to obey the Captaines commandement thrust himselfe through with his owne sword After this the whole armie being rallied together kept the field still and lay encamped for to end the residue of the warre and Caesar augmented their forces by sending out of Germanie two thousand Legionarie souldiers eight cohorts of auxiliaries and a thousand horsemen by whose comming they of the ninth Legion had their companies supplied and made up with the Legioners The cohorts and cornets of horse were appointed to lodge in new wintering places and all those nations of the enemies
againe Thus they performed in all their fights the nimble motion of horsemen and the firme stabilitie of footmen so ready with daily practise exercise that in the declivity of a steepe hill they could stay their horses in the very full cariere quickly turn short moderate their pace run along the beame or spire of the Chariot stand upon the yoke and harnesse of the horses yea and from thence whip in a trice into their chariots again But by the cōming of Caesar to rescue them in so good time the Romans took heart afresh and the Britans stood still who having conceived good hope to free themselves for ever presuming upon the small number of the Roman forces together with the scarcitie of corne among them had assembled a great power and were come to the campe of Caesar. But he received them even before the campe with a battell put them to rout slew many of them and burnt their houses far and neare The same day came messengers from the Britans to Caesar intreating peace which they obtained upon condition that they should double the number of their hostages whom he commanded to be brought into Gaule And streight after because the Aequinox was at hand hee put to sea hoised saile from Britaine and brought all his ships safe unto the continent of France And thither two onely of all the States of Britaine sent hostages unto him the rest neglected it These exploits thus performed upon the relation of Caesars Letters the Senate decreed a solemne procession for the space of twentie daies although he gained nothing to himselfe nor to Rome but the glorie onely of an expedition enterprized The yeare next ensuing Caesar having gotten together a great fleet for what with ships for convoy of corne and victuals and what with other private vessels that every man had built for to serve his owne turne there was 800. saile and above and the same manned with five Legions and 2000. horsemen he launched from the port called Iccius and landed his forces in that part of the Isle where hee did the yeare before Neither was there an enemie to be seene in the place For albeit the Britans had beene there assembled with a great power yet terrified with so huge a number of ships they had secretly withdrawne themselves into the upland countrey Here Caesar encamped in a place convenient and left two cohorts and three hundred horsemen as a garrison or guard for his ships Himselfe having by night marched forward twelve miles espied the enemies who having gone forward as farre as to the river began to give battell but beaten backe by the cavallery they conveighed themselves into a wood and there lay hid as lodging in a place strongly fortified both by nature and mans hand But the Romans with a Testudo or targnet-roofe which they made and mount that they raised against their fortifications tooke the place and drave them out of the woods neither followed they them with any long pursuit for they were to fortifie the campe in that very place The next day Caesar divided his forces into three regiments and sent them out to pursue the Britaines but straightwaies called them back againe for that hee had intelligence by messengers of such a tempest at sea the night before that his navie was sore beaten run one against another and cast on shore And thereupon himselfe in person returned to the ships and with the labour of ten daies haled them all up to land and enclosed them and his campe together within one and the same fortification and so goeth to the place from whence he was returned Thither also had the Britaines assembled themselves with greater forces under the conduct of Cassivellaunus or Cassibelinus unto whom in a publike counsell of all the Britains the whole government and managing of the warre was committed whose cavallery and chariotiers together gave the Romanes a sharpe conflict in their march wherein many of both sides lost their lives But the Britans after some intermission of time whiles the Romans were busie in fortifying their campe charged fiercely upon those that kept ward before the campe unto whom when Caesar had sent for rescue two cohorts and those the principall and choysest of two legions they most boldly and with full resolution brake through the thickest of the enemies and from thence retired in safety The next morrow the Britans shewed themselves here and there in small companies from the hils but about noone they made an assault upon three legions and all the horsemen sent out for to forage yet beaten backe they were and a great number of them slaine Now by this time were all their auxiliarie forces that had met together departed neither encountred they afterward the Romans with their maine power Caesar then marched with his army to the river Thames and so to the confines of Cassivelaunus Vpon the farther banke of this river yea and under the water they had covertly stucke sharpe stakes and embattelled themselves with a great power But the Romans went and waded over with such violence notwithstanding they had but their heads cleere above the water that the enemy was not able to endure the charge but left the banke and betooke themselves to flight not skared as Polyaenus writeth at the sight of an Elephant with a turret upon his backe Cassivellaunus having now no courage to contend any longer retained onely foure thousand Charioters with him and observed the Romanes journeys and so often as their horsemen went foorth and straied out in the fields for forage or booty he sent out his chariots and kept them from ranging all abroad Meane while the Trinobantes submit themselves unto Caesar and intreated that he would defend Mandubratius whom Eutropius and Beda out of the Fragments of Suetonius now lost call Androgorius and our Britans Androgeus from the oppression of Cassivellaunus and send him unto them to be their soveraign Of them Caesar required and received forty hostages and corne for his army and therewith sent Mandubratius Then the Cenimagi Segontiaci Ancatites Bibroci aad Cassij following the example of the Trinobantes yeeld unto Caesar By whom he understood that Cassivellaunus his towne was not far off fortified with woods and bogs which as he assaulted in two severall places the Britans flung out at a back way but many of them in their flight were taken and put to the sword Whiles these things were a doing foure pety Kings that ruled Kent to wit Cingetorix Carvilius Taximagulus and Segonais by a mandate from Cassivellaunus did set upon the campe where the Romanes navy was kept but by a sally that the Romanes made they were driven backe and Cingetorix one of the said Kings was taken prisoner Then Cassivellaunus having received so many losses and troubled most of all with the revolt of the states sent Embassadour to Caesar by Conius of Arras tending unto him a surrendry Whereupon
in the end to the Scottish For Sir Henry Percy for his overforward spirit and youthfull heat by-named Hot-Spurre who had the leading of the English lost 15. hundred of his men in fight and was himselfe led away prisoner William Douglas also the leader of the Scots with most of his company was slaine so that the martiall valour of both nations was never more illustrious There is also another towne beneath of ancient memory which Rhead watereth or rather hath now well neare washed away they call it at this day Risingham which is in the ancient English and German language The Giants Habitation as Risingberg in Germany the Giants Hill Many shewes are there and those right evident of antiquity The inhabitants report that God Magon defended and made good this place a great while against a certaine Soldan that is an Heathenish Prince Neither is this altogether a vaine tale For that such a God was here honoured and worshipped is plainly proved by these two altar stones lately drawne out of the river there with these Inscriptions DEO MOGONTI CAD ET N. DN AUG M. G. SECUNDINUS BF COS. HAâ—ITA NCI PRIMAS TA PRO SE ET SUIS POSUIT DEO MOUNO CAD INVENTUS DO V. S. Out of the former of these wee may in some sort gather that the name of the place was HABITANCUM and that he who erected it was Beneficiarius to a Consull and Primate beside of the place For certaine it is out of Codex Theodosii that the chiefe Magistrates of Cities Townes and Castles were called Primates Now whether this God were the tutelar and appropriate Genius of the Gadeni whom Ptolomee placed as next neighbours to the Ottadini I cannot averre let others sift and search it out Moreover these inscriptions also were here found for which with others we are to thanke the right worshipfull Sir Robert Cotton of Connington Knight who very lately both saw them copied them out and most kindly imparted them to this worke D. M. BLESCIVS DIOVICVS FILIAE SVAE VIXSIT AN. I. ET DIES XXI CUIPRAEEST M. PEREGRINIUS SUPER TRIB COH I. VANG FECIT CURANTE JUL. PAULO TRIB DEAETER TIANAESA CRUM AEL TIMOTHEA P. V. S. LL. M. HERCU LIJUL PAULLUS TRIB V. S. VR ANTONI NI PII AVG. M MESSORIVS DILIGENS TRI BVN VS SACRVM DEO INVICTO HERCVLI SACR L. AEML SALVANVS TRB. COH IVANGI V. S. P. M. And that which farre surmounteth all the rest for curious workmanship a long table in this forme artificially engraven set up by the fourth Cohort of the Gauls-Horsmen and dedicated to the sacred Majestie of the Emperours But now leaving these particularities Rhead a little lower carrieth both his owne streame and also other swelling brookes that hee receiveth unto him by the way into Tine and so farre reacheth Rhedesdale Which as we find in a book of the Kings Exchequer the Umfran Vills held of ancient feofament by regall power and service that they should keep the vale from theeves and robbers Here every way round about in the Wasts as they tearme them as also in Gillesland you may see as it were the ancient Nomades a martiall kinde of men who from the moneth of April unto August lye out scattering and summering as they tearme it with their cattell in little cottages here and there which they call Sheales and Shealings Then North-Tine aforesaid passing downe by Chipches a towre belonging sometime to the Umfranvills afterward to the Herons and not farre from Swinborne a little Castle or Pile which gave name unto a worthy family and was in old time parcell of the Baronie of the Hairuns now commonly called Heron a warlike generation now a seat of the Wodering tons and so commeth to the Wall running under it beneath Collerford where a bridge of arches was made over and where now are seen the ruins of a large castle Which if it were not CILURNUM wherein the second wing of the Astures lay in garrison it was hard by at Scilicester in the wall where after that Sigga a noble-man had treacherously murdred Ethwald King of North-Humberland there was a Church built by the faithfull Christians in honour of Saint Cuthbert and King Ofwald whose name so obscured the light of the other that the old name being quite gone it is now called Saint Oswalds This Oswald King of Northumberland being at the point to give battaile unto Cedwall the Britan for so Bede calleth him whom the Britans themselves named Caswallon King as it seemeth of Cumberland erected a Crosse and humbly upon his knees prayed unto Christ that he would vouchsafe his heavenly aide unto his devoted servants and presently with a loud voice cried unto the army in his wise Let us all kneele downe and beseech the Almightie living and true God of his mercie to defend us from our proud and cruell enemie No signe saith Bede doe we finde of Christian faith no Church no altar throughout the whole nation to have bin erected before that this new leader conducter of an armie directed thereto by faithfull devotion did set up this sign of the holy Crosse when he was to fight against a most savage bloodie enemie For when Oswald perceived in this battell the present assistance of Christ which he had so earnestly implored streightwaies he bacame a professed Christian and sent for Aidan the Scot to catechise and instruct his people in the Christian religion The very place of victorie was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Heaven-field which at this day in the same sense as some will have it is named Haledon Concerning which have here these verses such as they be out of the life of the said Oswald Tune primum scivit causam cur nomen haberet Heafenfeld hoc est caelestis campus illi Nomen ab antiquo dedit appellatio gentis Praeteritae tanquam belli praesaga futuri Nominis caussam mox assignavit ibidem Caelitùs expugnans caelestis turba scelestam Neve senectutis ignavia possit honorem Tam celebris delere loci tantÃque triumphi Ecclesiae fratres Hangustaldensis adesse Devoti Christúmque solent celebrare quotannis Quoque loci persistat honos in honore beati Oswaldi Regis ibi construxêre capellam Then wist he first and not before why this place tooke the name Of Heafenfield that is the field of Heaven for the same By those that liv'd in alder time unto it given had beene As if by skill divine they had this future warre fore-seene And even the reason of this name he there streightwaies expressed For that from heaven an heavenly troupe a wicked crew suppressed Now that in time through negligence the same might not miscarry Both of the place so memorable and this so noble victory The Monkes of Hangustald-Church in great devoutnesse here Are wont to be and Christ to praise duely from yeere to yeere And that the honour of this
Trojane King Priams sonne was the founder of the French Nation Hence they collect that when our country-men heard once how the French-men their neighbours drew their line from the Trojanes they thought it a foule dishonour that those should out-goe them in nobilitie of Stocke whom they matched every way in manhood and proesse Therfore that Geffrey Ap Arthur of Monmouth foure hundred yeares ago was the first as they thinke that to gratifie our Britans produced unto them this Brutus descended from the gods by birth also a Trojane to bee the author of the British Nation And before that time verily not one man as they say made any mention at all of the said Brutus They adde thus much moreover that about the same time the Scotish writers falsely devised Scota the Egyptian Pharaoes daughter to bee the Foundresse of their nation Then also it was that some misspending their wit and time yea and offring violent abuse unto the truth forged out of their owne braines for the Irish their Hiberus for the Danes their Danus for the Brabanders their Brabo for the Goths their Gothus and for the Saxons their Saxo as it were the Stock-fathers of the said nations But seeing that in this our age which hath escaped out of those darke mists of fatall ignorance the French have renounced their Francio as a counterfeit Progenitor Whereas the Frenchmen quoth Turnibus a right learned man stand highly upon their descent from the Trojanes they doe it in emulation of the Romans whom they seeing to beare themselves proud of that Pedigree and noble stocke would needs take unto themselves also the like reputation And for that the Scots such as be of the wiser sort have cast off their Scota and truth it selfe hath chased away Hiberus Danus Brabo and the rest of these counterfeit Demi-gods and Worthies of the same stampe Why the Britans should so much sticke unto their Brutus as the name-giver of their Island and to the Trojane originall they greatly wonder as who would say before the destruction of Troy which happened in the thousand yeare or there about after Noahs floud there had beene no Britaines heere and as if there had not lived many valorous men before Agamemnon Furthermore they avouch that very many out of the grave Senate of great Clerks by name Boccace Vives Hadr. Jâ—nius Polydore Buchanan Vigneier Genebrard Molinaeus Bodine and other men of deepe judgement agree joyntly in one verdict and denie that ever there was any such in the world as this Brutus also that learned men of our owne country as many acknowledge him not but reject him as a meere counterfet Among whom they produce first John of Weathamsted Abbat of S. Albanes a most judicious man who in his Granarie wrote of this point long since in this manner According to other histories which in the judgment of some are of more credit the whole Discourse of this Brutus is rather Poeticall than historicall and for divers reasons built upon opinion more than truth indeede First because their is no where mention made in the Roman stories either of killing the father or of the said birth or yet of putting away the sonne Secondly for that after sundry authors Ascanius begat no such sonne who had for his proper name Sylvius for according unto them he begat but one onely sonne and that was Iulus from whom the house of Iulii afterwards tooke their beginning c. And thirdly Sylvius Posthumus whom perhaps Geffrey meaneth was the sonne of Aeneas by his wife Lavinia and hee begetting his sonne Aeneas in the eight and thirtieeh yeare of his reigne ended the course of his life by naturall death The Kingdome therefore now called England was not heeretofore as many will have it named Britaine of Brutus the sonne of Sylvius Wherefore it is in their opinion a vaine peice of worke and ridiculous enough to challenge noble bloud and yet to want a probable ground of their challenge For it is not manhood only that ennobleth a nation the mind it is also with perfect understanding and nothing else that gaineth gentilitie to a man And therefore Seneca writeth thus in his Epistles out of Plato That there is no King but hee came from slaves and no slave but hee descended of Kings Wherefore to conclude let this suffice the Britaines from the beginning of their Nobilitie that they bee couragious and valiant in fight that they subdue their enemies on every side and that they utterly refuse the yoke of servitude In a second rancke they place William of Newborough a writer of much greater authoritie who too too sharply charged Geffrey the Compiler of the British history for his untruth so soone as ever it came forth in these words A certaine writer quoth he in these our daies hath risen up who deviseth foolish fictions and tales of the Britaines and in a vaine humour of his owne extolleth them farre above the valorous Macedonians and Romans both he hath to name Geffrey and is surnamed Arthurius for that the tales of Arthur taken out of the Britaines old fables and augmented by inventions of his owne with a new colour of Latine speech laid over them hee hath invested into the goodly title of an Historie who also hath adventured farther and divulged under the name of authentike prophesies grounded upon an undoubted truth the deceitfull conjectures and foredeemings of one Merline whereunto hee added verily a great deale of his owne whiles hee did the same into Latine And a little after Moreover in his booke which he entituleth The Britans Historie how malapertly and shamelesly hee doth in manner nothing but lie there is no man that readeth the said booke can doubt unlesse hee have no knowledge at all of ancient histories For hee that hath not learned the truth of things indeede admitteth without discretion and judgement the vanitie of fables I forbeare to speake what great matter thaâ— fellow hath forged of the Britans acts before the Empire and comming in of Julius Caesar or else being by others invented hath put them downe as authentike In somuch as Giraldus Cambrensis who both lived and wrote at the same time made no doubt to terme it The fabulous story of Geffrey Others there bee who in this narration of Brutus laugh at the foolish Topographie set downe by this Geffrey as also how falsly hee hath produced Homer as a witnesse yea and they would perswade us that it is wholly patched up of untunable discords and jarring absurdities They note besides that his writings together with his Merlins prophesies are among other books prohibited forbidden by the church of Rome to be published Some againe doe observe thus much how these thaâ— most of all admire Brutus are very doubtfull and waver to and fro about their 〈◊〉 He say they that taketh upon him the name and person of Gildas and 〈…〉 briefe glosâ—es to Ninius deviseth first that this Brutus was a Consul of Rome then that hee was
British pearles the bignesse and weight whereof hee was wont to peize and trie by his hand or rather upon an ardent deâ—ire of glorie which wee must most easily believe considering that he rejected the Embassadors of the Britaines who having intelligence of his designement repaired unto him and promised to put in hostages and to become obedient to the Roman Empire But his entrance into the Island I wil compendiously set down even in his own very words Considering the coasts ports and landing places of Britaine were not well knowne unto Caesar he sent C. Volusenus before with a galley to discover what he might who having taken what view of the countrey hee could in five daies space returned In the meane time the resolution of Caesar being made knowne unto the Britans by merchants many particular States sent their Embassadours to him into Gallia promising both to put in pledges and also to submit themselves unto the Roman Empire Having then exhorted these to continue in that mind still he sent them home backe againe and together with them Comius of Arras a man in those countreys of great authoritie for the Attrebates had before time departed out of Gaule and planted themselves there to perswade the said Cities vnd States to accept of the friendship and protection of the people of Rome No sooner was hee set a shore but the Britaine 's cast him into prison and hung irons upon him Meane while Caesar having gotten together and put in readinesse about fourescore ships of burden for the transporting of two Legions and eighteene others besides which hee appointed for the horsemen put out to sea from the countrey of the Morini at the third watch and about the fourth houre of the day arrived upon the coast at an unfit landing place For the hilles lay so steepe over the sea that from the higher ground a dart or javelin might easily be cast vpon the shore beneath Having therefore at one time both wind and tide with him hee weighed anchor and sailed eight miles from that place unto a plaine and open shore and there hee rid at anchor But the Britaines perceiving the Romans determination sent their horse and chariots before and there kept the Romans from landing Here the Romans were exceeding much distressed For the ships were so great that they could not ride neere unto the shore where the sea was ebbe the souldiers in strange and unknowne places being loden with heavie armour were at one instant to leape downe of necessitie from those tall ships withall to stand amid the very billowes and to fight with their enemies whereas contrariwise the Britaines were perfect in the knowledge of those places lightly appointed as having all parts of their bodies at libertie fought either from the dry shore where they had sure footing or wading not farre into the water Hereupon the Romans being terrified behaved not themselves with the like courage and alacritie as before time But after that Caesar had caused the Gallies to be remooved from those hulkes to bee rowed and laid against the open side of the Britaines and so from thence the enemie to be beaten backe and displaced with slings ordinance and shot of arrowes the Britans being troubled with the strange forme of those Gallies the stirring of the Oares and the unusuall kind of their engines reculed Then the Eagle-bearer of the tenth Legion earnestly beseeching the Gods that it might fall out happily for the Legion Leape downe quoth he my fellow souldiers unlesse ye will forsake your standerd and betray it into the enemies hands For mine owne part I will bee sure to doe my devoir both to the common-weale and also to my Generall so forthwith hee cast himselfe into the sea and began to advance the Eagle against the enemie then all the rest followed hard at his heeles But if we believe Julian Caesar himselfe was the first that came downe from his ship The fight on both parts was very eager But the Romans encombred with their heavie armor and weapons tossed with the waves not able to get any firme footing and put out of array were wonderfully troubled untill such time as Caesar had caused the ship-boats pinnaces and smaller vessels to bee manned with souldiers and when he saw need of helpe sent them to rescue such as were overcharged As soone as the Romans got footing on the dry land they made head together charged the Britaines and put them to flight but they were not able to follow them in chace for want of the horsemen that were not arrived in the Island The Britaines beeing overthrowne in battell presently dispatched Embassadors unto Caesar to treat of peace and together with them the foresaid Comius of Arras whom they had detained bound in prison and withall laid the fault upon the multitude and excused all by their owne ignorance Caesar soone pardoned them and commanded hostages to be delivered unto him which they presently performed in part and gave their word to bring in the rest Thus was peace concluded foure daies after that Caesar was landed in Britaine At the same time those eighteene ships which transported the horsemen approching so neare the coast of Britanny that they were within view by reason of a suddaine tempest that arose were cast upon the west part of the Island from whence with much adoe they recovered the continent of France In the same night also it hapned that the Moone being in the full and the tides very high both the Gallies which were drawne up to the shore were filled with the tide and the ships of burden also that lay at anchor so shaken with the tempest that they became altogether unserviceable This beeing knowne to the Princes of Britaine when they understood also that the Romans now wanted horsemen shipping and provision of corne they rebelled and resolved to cut off their provision of graine Caesar suspecting that which fell out indeed brought corne daily out of the fields into his campe and with the timber and other stuffe of those twelve ships which were most weather beaten and dismembred repaired the rest While these things were in action the seventh Legion being sent out to fetch in corne and busie in reaping the Britains suddenly set upon and so with their horsemen and chariots all at once encompassed them round about The manner of their fight from out of these chariots is thus as I related a little before First they ride up and downe into all parts and cast their darts and with the very terrour of the horses and ratling of the wheeles often times disorder the rankes and when they have wound themselves betweene any troups of horsemen they forsake their chariots and fight on foot In the meane time the guiders of the chariots drive a little a side out of the battell and place their chariots so as that if the other chance to bee overcharged with the multitude of enemies they might have an easie passage unto them
ornaments He suffered Licinius Crassus Frugi to follow after himselfe in this triumph mounted upon a trapped courser with a rich caparison and arraied in a roabe of Date tree worke Upon Posidius the Eunuch hee bestowed a speare staffe without an head upon C. Gavius cheines bracelets horseâ—trappings and a coronet of gold as is to be seene in an ancient marble at Taurinum In the meane time Aulus Plautius went on with the reliques of this war and sped so well in his battels that Claudius passed a decree that he should ride in pety triumph ovant and when he was entred into the City himselfe went to meet him giving him the right hand all the way both going and comming And Vespasian even then shewed by the destinies whom Claudius assumed unto him to beare a part of this British war partly under the conduct of Claudius himselfe and partly of Plautius fought thirty battels with the enemy two most mighty nations and above twenty townes together with the Isle of Wight he subdued For which worthy exploits he received triumphall ornaments and within a short space two sacerdotall dignities with a Consulship beside which hee bare the two last moneths of the yeare Titus also served here in quality of a Tribune under his father with exceeding commendation for his industry and valour for valiantly he delivered his father when he was besieged and no lesse report of his modest carriage as appeareth by a number of his Images and titles to them annexed thorowout the Provinces of Germanie and Britaine The rest of the Occurrences which hapned in Britaine afterward unto the very latter end of Domitian Tacitus who best can do it will declare by his owne words to this effect P. Ostorius Propraetor in Britan was welcomed at his first landing with troubles and tumults The enemies ranged all over the Allies country and used so much the greater violence for that they thought the new captaine was unacquainted with the army the winter also being now began would not come foorth to encounter But he knowing well that the first successes alwaies breed either feare or confidence gathered with all speed his readiest cohorts advanced toward the enemy and having slaine those which made head against him pursued the rest that were dispersed for feare they should joine againe and lest an hatefull and faithlesse peace might give neither captaine nor souldier any rest he went about to disarme as many of them as he suspected and by raising forts and setting garrisons upon the two rivers Aufona and the Severn to restrain and hem in the Britons Which the Iceni first of all refused a strong nation and unshaken with battels because of their owne motion they had sought our alliance and amity And at their instigation the people adjoyning chose a place to fight in compassed about with a rude and rusticall rampire having a narrow entrance of purpose to hinder the comming in of horsemen This fense the Romane captaine albeit he had under his conduct the power of his allies alone without the maine forces of the Legion assaieth to breake thorow And having bestowed his cohorts in rankes setteth the troupes of horsemen in like readinesse to performe their service Then after the signall given they broke open the said rampire and disordered the enemies encombred and penned within their owne hold And they knowing in their owne conscience they were no better than rebels and seeing all passages for escape stopped up shewed great valour and courage in defending themselves In which fight M. Ostorius the lieutenants sonne deserved the honor of saving a Citizen Vpon the discomfiture and slaughter of these Iceni they that wavered betweene warre and peace became setled and were quiet and so the army was led against the Cangi Whose territory they wasted harried and spoiled all over whiles the enemies durst not shew themselves in the field or if privily by stealth they attempted to cut off the taile of our armie as they marched they paid for their craft and deceit Now by this time were the Romanes come well neere to the sea coast that looketh toward Ireland when certaine troubles and discords sprung up among the the Brigantes brought their leader backe being certainly resolved to attempt no new matters before he had setled the old But as for the Brigantes some few being put to death that began first to take armes he pardoned the residue and all were quieted The Silures could neither by cruelty nor faire meanes bee reclaimed but they would needs war and therefore no remedy there was but to keepe them under with garrisons of Legionary souldiers Which to performe more easily the colonie called Camalodunum consisting of a strong company of old souldiers was brought into the countries by conquest subdued for succour and savegard against Rebels and an inducement to traine the Associats to observe the lawes Certaine Cities and States were granted by way of Donation to King Cogidunus according to the ancient custome of the people of Rome that they might have even Kings to be instruments of servitude and thraldome Then went the Romanes from thence against the Silures who besides their owne stoutnesse trusted much in the strength of Caractacus a man whom many dangerous adventures which he had waded thorow and as many prosperous exploits by him atchieved had so lifted up that he carried the reputation and praeheminence above all the British Commanders But he in subtill craft and knowledge of the deceitfull waies having the advantage of us though otherwise weaker in strength of souldiers translateth the warre into the country of the Ordovices and there joyning to him as many as feared our peace resolveth to hazard the last chance having chosen a place for the battell where the comming in and going forth with all things else might be incommodious to us but for his very advantageous Then against the high hilles and wheresoever there was any easie passage gentle accesse he stopped up the way with heaps of stones raised in manner of a rampier withall there ranne hard by a river having a doubtful foord and the severall companies of his best souldiers had taken their standing before the fortifications Besides all this the leaders of every nation went about exhorted and encouraged their men by making lesse all causes of feare and kindling in them good conceits of hope with all other motives and inducements to war And verily Caractacus bestirring himself and coursing from place to place protested That this was the day this the battell which should begin either the recovery of their libertie for ever or else perpetuall bondage And here he called upon his ancestors by name who had chased Caesar the Dictator from hence through whose valour they were freed from the Romane axes and tributes and enjoyed still the bodies of their wives ann children undefiled As he uttered these and such like speeches the generall multitude of the
which were left behind to build fortresses in the Silures country And if the villages ans forts next adjoyning had not speedily come to rescue they had beene put to the sword every man Neverthelesse the Camp-Master with eight Centurions and all the forwardest maniples of common souldiers were slaine and not long after they put to flight our forragers and the very troupes of horsemen that were sent out to succour them Then Ostorius setteth out certaine companies lightly appointed and yet thereby could not stay their flight had not the Legions come in and undertooke the battell By their strength they fought with small ods on either hand but afterward wee had the better of it and the enemie betooke himselfe to his heeles and escaped with small losse because the day was farre spent After this they had many skirmishes and for the most part in manner of rodes and robberies in woods on marishes rashly or with foresight it skilled not according as it fell out either as occasion by chance or their owne hearts served them one while for anger another while for booty sometime by commandement from their Captaines and sometimes againe without their warrant and privitie but principally through the wilfull obstinacie of the Silures who were exasperated with a speech of the Roman Generalls that was bruted abroad and came to their eares which was this That as the Sugambri were rooted out and transported over into Gaul so the name of the Silures should utterly be extinguished And in this heat they intercepted two auxiliary bands as they through the avarice of their Praefects forraied and spoiled without advised circumspection Also by large giving away of spoiles and prisoners they drew the rest of the Nations to revolt And then Ostorius wearied with care and griefe of heart yielded up his vitall breath Whereat the enemies rejoyced as at the death of a Captaine not to be despised who though he died not in battell yet was toiled out and spent by reason of the warres But Caesar having intelligence of his Lieutenants death lest the Province should bee destitute of a governour appointed A. Didius in his place He beeing thither come with great speed yet found not all in good state For in the meane space the Legion whereof Manlius Valens had the charge met with an unlucky and disasterous fight The fame whereof the enemies had made greater than it was to terrifie the captaine which was comming who also in the like policie multiplied all that he heard to win more praise by appeasing those troubles or to purchase pardon more easily if they continued still The Silures were they that wrought us this displeasure and damage whereupon they overran the province far and nere untill such time as by Didius his comming they were driven backe About this time Claudius departed this life and Nero succeeded him in the Empire one who had no heart at all to attempt any thing in warfare nay he was minded once to withdraw the forces out of Britain Neither gave he over that intent of his but onely for shame lest he might have been thought to deprave the glory of Claudius After that Caractacus was taken Venutius a very expert man above the rest in military affaires borne under the state of the Iugantes long time trusty to us and defended by the Romanes power having to wife Queene Cartismandua by occasion soone after of a divorce and then of open war between them rebelled also against us and proceeded to plaine hostility At the first the quarrell was onely between them two untill Cartismandua by pollicie and craft had intercepted the brother and neere kinsmen of Venutius Whereupon our enemies kindled with rage and pricked forward with an ignominous indignity lest they should be brought under the yoke of a womans government with a strong power of choise youth by force of armes invaded her kingdome which was foreseen by us and thereupon were cohorts sent to aid her and they fought a hot battell The beginning whereof was doubtfull but the end more joifull The Legion also which Cesius Nasica commanded fought with like successe For Didius yee must thinke being strucken in yeeres and having many honours heaped upon him thought it sufficient to execute his charge and keep off the enemy by the ministery of others For what was woon by others he held onely a few fortresses he built forward farther into the country whereby he might purchase the name of enlarging his office These exploits although they were atchieved by two Propraetors Ostorius and Didius in many years yet I thought good to joyne together lest beeing severed they should not so well have beene remembred After Didius Avicus there succeeded Verannius who having with small rodes spoiled the Silures was hindered by death for warring any farther a man while he lived carrying a great name of precise severitie but in his last will he shewed himselfe manifestly ambitious For after much flattering of Nero he added this That he would have subdued the Province unto his obedience if he had lived the next two yeares But then Suetonius Paulinus governed the Britans one in martiall skill and opinion of the people which suffereth no man without a concurrent striving to match Corbule desirous to equall the honour which he won in recovering Armenia by subduing the enemies that stood out in this country And therefore hee maketh all the preparation hee can to invade the Isle of Mona peopled with strong Inhabitants and a receptacle of traiterous fugitives To this purpose hee buildeth flat botom vessels for the shalowes and uncertaine landing places Thus the footmen passed over and then followed the horsemen by the foord or if the waters were any thing high by swimming they put the horses over Against them the enemies stood upon the shore in divers places embattelled thicke in array well appointed with men and weapons with women also running among who all in blacke and mournefull array with their haire about their eares carried firebrands before them in their hands like the Furies of hell The Druidae likewise round about them lifting up their hands to heaven and pouring out deadly and cursing praiers with this so strange and uncoâ—th sight amazed the souldiers so as they stood still as stockes and stirred not a foot as if they would expose their bodies to receive all wounds presented unto them But afterwards being encouraged by their Captaine and animating one another that they should not feare a flocke of women and franticke people they displaied their ensignes and advanced forward Downe they went with such as encountred them and thrust them within their owne fires This done they planted garrisons in their townes and cut downe their woods and groves consecrated to their execrable superstitions For they accounted it lawfull to offer sacrifies upon their altars with the bloud of captives and to aske counsell of their Gods by inspection of mens fibres and entrailes As Suetonius was
which were either doubtfull or knowne adversaries were wasted with fire and sword But nothing distressed them so much as famine being negligent in sowing of corne by reason that of all ages they were given to warre for that also they made full account to live of our provision and as all other fierce and stout nations slowly give eare to peace because Iulius Cliassicianus being sent to succeed Catus and at variance with Suetonius hindred the common good with private grudges and had given it out abroad that they were to expect and tarrie for a new Lieutenant who without any hostile rancour and pride of a Conqueror would gently entreat and use with all clemencie such as yielded unto him Withall he sent word to Rome that they should looke for no end of warre unlesse some one or other succeeded Suetonius upon whose overthwartnesse he laid all his ill proceedings and attributed all fortunate successe to the happy fortune of the common weale To see therefore in what state Britaine stood Polycletus one of Neroes freed men was sent for good hope he had that by his authoritie there should not onely be wrought a perfect agreement betweene the Lieutenant and the Procurator but also that the rebellious minds of the Barbarians would be won to peace Neither failed Polycletus being with his mightie hoast burdensome to Italie and Gaul after he had passed the Ocean sea to shew himselfe terrible even to our souldiers also But to the enemies he was but a laughing stocke who whiles libertie was still fresh on foot among them knew not what the power of these freed men was and they made a marvell of it that a Captaine and an armie which had atchieved so great a war should yield to obey slaves But of all these things the best was made to the Emperor And Suetonius being busied still in these affaires for that he had lost afterwards some few Gallies upon the shore and the gallie slaves in them as if the warre continued still was commanded to deliver up the armie to Petronius Turpilianus who now was newly out of his Consulship as unto a man more exorable-unacquainted with the delinquencies of the enemies and therefore more ready to accept of their repentance who neither incensing the enemie nor provoked by him colouring a lazie and idle life with the honest name of peace after hee had dared and done no more but composed former troubles and debates delivered the charge of the province unto Trebellius Maximus But he a man unfit for action and altogether unexpert in war-service by a kind of courteous and mild regiment entertained the country in quiet For now the Britaines also had learned the good manners not rudely to repulse the sugred assaults of flattering vices and the disturbance of civill dissentions comming between ministred a lawfull excuse for his doing nothing But much discord arose among them whiles the souldier accustomed to warfare waxt wanton with ease and grew to be mutinous and he for his niggardly sparing and base taking of bribes was both despised and hated of the armie This hatred of theirs against him was enflamed by Roscius Caelius Lieutenant of the twentieth Legion an ancient enemie of his but now by occasion of civill dissentions they were fallen out farther and brake into more heinous tearmes Trebellius objected ever and anon to Caelius and charged him with factious behaviour and confounding the order of discipline Caelius againe that Trebellius had spoiled and beggered the Legions But in the meane time whiles the Lieutenants thus jarred the modest cariage of the armie was marred and the discord at length grew so great that Trebellius was driven away with the railing of the Auxiliaries also in cohorts and wings sorting themselves to Caelius side was glad as a man forsaken to give place and flie to Vitellius The Province although the Consular Lieutenant Generall was absent remained in quiet whiles the Lieutenants of the Legions supplied the charge in right of equall authoritie But Caelius indeed bare the greater stroke because he was of more boldnesse Whiles the Civill war betweene Galba Otho and Vitellius grew hot Vectius Bolanus was by Vitellius sent to succeed him Neither troubled he Britanny with any discipline The same default continued still against the enimies and the like licentiousnesse in the campe saving onely that Bolanus a good honest harmelesse man and not odious for committing any crime had wonne himselfe love and good will in lieu of obedience and albeit Vitellius sent for aids out of Britanny yet Bolanus made no hast for that Britain was never quiet enough As for the Island that great favour and reputation in warlike affaires which Vespasian had gotten being Lieutenant there of the second Legion under Claudius did easily win it unto him yet not without some stir of the other Legions wherein many centurions and souldiers who had bin advanced by Vitellius were loth to change that Prince whom they had proved already And besides the souldiers of the fourteenth Legion called the subduers of Britain removed from thence by Nero to the Caspian wars and in the quarrell of Otho vanquished were by Vitellius sent backe into Britanny and called away againe by Mutianus letters For all this civill warre no quarrell nor mutinies there were in the Britaine armie And to say a truth during all the troubles of civill warres no Legions behaved themselves more harmelesse either because they were farre off and severed by the Ocean or for that they were taught by continuall service and soulderie to hate the rather all hostility and dealing with enemies Howbeit by meanes of these dissentions and rumours still of civill war the Britaines tooke heart and rebelled through the procurement of Venusius who besides a naturall fiercenesse of courage and hatred of the Roman name was incensed particularly by private unkindnesses between him and his wife Queene Carthismandua This Carthismandua was Queene of the Brigantes of high and noble linag who upon the delivery of King Caractacus whom shee tooke by fraud and sent to furnish and set out the triumph of Claudius that glorious spectacle I meane in manner of a triumph wherein Caractacus was shewed had woon favour with the Romans and greatly increased her strength Whereupon ensued wealth of wealth and prosperitie riotous and incontinent life in so much that casting off Venusius her husband and intercepting his kinsfolke shee joyned her selfe in marriage with Vellocatus his harnesse-bearer and crowned him King which foule fact was the overthrow immediately of her house The good will of the country went generally with the lawfull husband but the Queenes intemperate affections were peremptory and violent in maintaining her minion the adulterer Whereupon Venutius by the helpe of friends which he procured and the revolt of the Brigantes themselves made warre upon Carthismandua and brought her into great extremities Then upon her instant praier unto the Romans for aid our garrisons cohorts and wings were sent to defend her
which after sundry skirmishes with divers event delivered the Queenes person out of perill but the kingdome remained to Venutius and the warre unto us Now when as the state of Rome Citie was for Vespasian governed by Mutianus hee made Iulius Agricola who was gone to side with Vespasian and had behaved himselfe with great integritie and courage Lieutenant of the two and twentieth Legion in Britanny a Legion which slowly had sworne allegiance to Vespasian In which province his predecessour by report seditiously demeaned himselfe For the said Legion was out of awe or rather it over-awed even Lieutenants generall that had beene Consuls Neither was the ordinarie Legions Lieutenant who had beene but Praetor of power sufficient to restrain and keepe it under whether it were through his owne weaknesse or the stubborne disposition of the souldiers it is not certaine Thus being elected both to succeede and revenge hee shewed an example of most rare moderation in making choice to bee thought rather to have found them than to have made them dutifull souldiers And albeit that Vectius Bolanus Lieutenant Generall of Britannie for the time being governed in a gentler and milder manner than was fit for so fierce a Province Yet under him Agricola cunningly conforming himselfe to that humor and not unlearned to joyne profitable counsels with honest tempered the heat of his owne nature that it might not grow upon him still But when as Vespasian recovered together with the rest of the world Britanny also brave captaines good souldiers were sent and the enemies hope was greatly abated For straightwaies Petilius Cerialis strooke a terror into them by invading at his first entry the Brigantes thought to be the most populous state of the whole Province Many battels were fought and some bloudy And the greatest of the Brigantes he either conquered or wasted And whereas Cerialis would doubtlesse have dimmed the diligence and fame of another successor Iulius Frontinus a great man sustained also as hee might after such a predecessor that waightie charge with reputation and credit who subdued the puissant and warlike people of the Silures where he had beside the vertue of the enemie struggled with the streights and difficult places In this estate Agricola found the Province and the wars thus far proceeded in when as about the middest of summer he passed the seas at what time the souldiers as if the season were past attended an end for that yeare of their service and the enemie occasions to begin for to hurt The Ordovices a little before he entred the land had hewed almost wholly in pieces a wing which lay in their borders Vpon which beginning the countrey being awaked as men desirous of warre allowed the example and some staied to see how the new Lieutenant would take it Then Agricola although the Summer was spent and the bands lay dispersed in the Province and his souldiers had fully presumed of rest for that yeare which hindred much and crossed directly his undertaking of warre most men also being of opinion rather to keepe and assure the places suspected all this notwithstanding resolved fully to encounter the danger having gathered therefore the ensignes of the Legions and some few Auxiliaries because the Ordovices durst not descend into indifferent ground himselfe before the voward to give others like courage in the like danger led up in battell-ray to encounter the enemie And having slaughtered almost the whole nation knowing full well that fame must with instance be followed and as the first fell out so the rest would succeede hee deliberated to conquer the Island Mona from the possession whereof as before I have rehearsed Paullinus was revoked by the generall rebellion of Britannie But as in purposes not resolved on before ships being wanting the pollicie and resolutenesse of the captaine devised a passage over For he commanded the most choise of the Aid-souldiers to whom all the foords and shallowes were knowne and who after the usuall practise of their countrie were able in swimming to governe all at once themselves their armour and horses laying aside their carriage to put over at once and suddenly invade them Which thing so amazed the enemie attending for a fleet for shipping for tide that they surely believed nothing could bee hard or invincible to men that came so minded to war Whereupon they humbly intreated for peace and yielded the Island Thus Agricola at his first entry into this province which time other consume in vaine ostentation or ambitious seeking of complements entring withall into labors and dangers became famous indeed and of great reputation Neither abused Agricola the prosperous proceeding of his affaires to vanity or braving in speeches as to tearme it an exploit or a conquest thus to have kept in order persons subdued before or to bedeck with lawrell his letters of advertisement but by stopping and suppressing the fame he augmented it the more whiles men began to discourse upon what great presumptions of future successe hee should make so light an account of such great actions already performed as not to speake a word of them Now as touching civill government Agricola knowing right well the disposition and mind of the Province taught also by the experience of others that armes availe little to settle a new conquered State if injuries and wrongs bee permitted determined to cut off all causes of warres And beginning at home his owne house first of all he reformed and restrained a point of as much hardnesse with many as to governe a province He committed no manner of publike affaires to bond men or freed hee admitted no souldier about his person either upon private affection of partiall suiters or upon the commendation and intreatie of Centurions but elected simply the best presuming the same to be the most faithfull He would see into all things but not exact all things to the rigor Light faults he would pardon and the great severely correct not alwaies proceeding to punish but often content with repentance chusing rather not to preferre unto office and charge such as were like to offend than after offence to condemne them The augmentation of corne and tributes he mollified with equall dividing of charge and burthen cutting away those petty extortions which grieved the subject more than the tribute it selfe For the poore people were constained in a mockery to waite at the barnes fast locked against them and first to buy the corne then after to sell it at a price Severall waies were enioyned and far distant places by the purveiors commandement that the country should carry from the neerest standing-camps to those which were far off out of the way till that which lay open to all and at hand was turned in fine to the gaine of a few By repressing these abuses presently in his first yeare a good opinion was conceived from him of peace which either by the negligence or connivence of former Lieutenants was now no lesse feared than
warre At this time died Vespasian unto whom for these victories of the leaders and his owne vertue under Claudius Valerius Flaccus before his Poeme thus speaketh Tuque ô pelagi cui major aperti Fama Caledonius post quam tua carbasa vexit Oceanus Phrygios prius indignatus Iulos And thou for seas discovery whose fame did more appeare Since time thy ships with sailes full spred in Northerne Ocean were Which of the Trojan Julii erst did scorne the sailes to beare But when that Noble Titus THE LOVELY Deareling AND JOY OF THE WORLD succeeded his father Agricola when summer was once come assembling his armie together those souldiers of his who in marching behaved themselves in modest sort hee commended the loose and dissolute straglers he checked The places for pitching the campe hee designed himselfe the friths he sounded and the thickets he proved first in his owne person not suffering in the meane season any corner in the enemies country to be quiet but wasting and spoiling with sudden excursions and roads But when he had throughly terrified them then would he againe spare and forbeare alluring thereby their minds to friendship and peace Vpon which kind of proceeding many states that stood upon termes of equalitie before that day gave hostages and meekely submitted themselves receiving garrison and permitting to fortifie which he so wisely and with such great foresight and reason performed that nothing was ever attempted against them whereas before no new fortified place in all Britanny escaped unassailed The winter ensuing was spent in most profitable and politicke devises For whereas the Britaines were rude and dispersed and therefore prone upon every occasion to warre hee to induce them by pleasures unto quietnesse and rest exhorted them in private and helpt them in common to build temples houses and places of publique resort commending the forward and checking the slow imposing thereby a kind of necessitie upon them whiles each man contended to gaine honour and reputation thereby And now by this time the Noble mens sonnes he tooke and instructed in the liberall sciences preferring the wits of the Britaine 's before the students of France as being now curious to attaine the eloquence of the Roman language whereas they lately rejected their speech After that our attire grew to be in account and the Gowne much used among them Sâ— by little and little they fell to these provocations of vices to sumptuous galleries bathes yea and exquisite banquettings which things the ignorant termed civility being indeed a part of their bondage In the third yeare of his wars he discovered new countries wasting along till he came to the firth of Taus Which thing so terrified the enemies that although the armie was toiled out with cruell tempests yet durst they not assaile them and the Romans moreover had leasure space to fortifie there They which were skilfull that way observed that never any Captine did more advisedly chuse his places No Castle planted by Agricola ever was either forced by strength or upon conditions surrendred or as not defensible forsaken Many times they issued forth for against a long siege they were stored with a whole yeares provision So they wintered there without feare every garrison guarding it selfe and needing no helpe of their neighbours the enemies assaulting sometimes but in vaine without successe and driven thereupon to despaire For the losses of Summer they were commonly wont before to repaire with winter events but now summer and winter alike they went to the worse In all these actions Agricola never sought to draw unto himselfe the glory of any exploit done by another but were it Centurion or of other degree hee would faithfully witnesse the fact and yield him alwaies his due commendation By some hee is said to have beene somewhat bitter in checks and rebukes and indeed the man was as toward the good of a most sweet disposition so to the bad and lewd persons unpleasant and sower enough But this choler passed away with his words closenesse in him and silence you needed not to feare hee esteemed it more honest to offend then to hate The fourth summer was spent in perusing and ordering that which he had over-run And if the valiant minds of the armies and glory of the Roman name could have permitted or accepted it so they needed not to have sought other limit of Britaine For Glotta and Bodotria two armes of two contrary seas shooting a mightie way into the land are onely divided a sunder by a narrow partition of ground which passage was guarded and fortified then with garrison and castle so that the Romans were absolute Lords of all on this side having cast out the enemie as it were into another Island The fifth yeare of the warre Agricola first taking sea there went over and subdued with many and prosperous conflicts nations before that time unknowne and he furnished with forces that part of Britannie which lieth against Ireland more in hope than for feare For Ireland if it might have beene wonne lying between Britannie and Spaine and fitly also for the French sea would aptly have united to the great advantage of the one and the other these strongest members of the Empire together In bignesse it is inferiour to Britannie howbeit bigger than the Islands of our sea The soile and temperature of the aire the nature and fashions differ not much from the British The ports and places of accesse are better knowne by reason of more commerce and frequenting of merchants Agricola had received before a Prince of that country driven out by civill dissention whom under colour of courtesie and friendship he retained till occasion should serve I have heard him oftentimes say that with one Legion and some few Aides Ireland might bee wonne and possessed that it were also a strength for our British affaires If the Roman forces were planted each-where and libertie banisht as it were quite out of sight About this time died Titus who for these valiant Acts exploited by Agricola was the fifteenth â—ime named Imperator as Xiphilinus writeth and an ancient piece of coine witnesseth with him Then Agricola under Domitian in the summer which began the sixth yeare of his office because a generall rising in armes of all the farther Nations beyond Bodotria was feared passages were all beset with a power of the enemies manned a fleet to search the Creeks and Harboroughes of that ample region which lieth beyond it Which being by Agricola then first taken and emploied as a part of his strength followed after a long and made a goodly brave shew while at one time warre both by sea and land went forward And oft it so chanced that the horseman footman and sea-souldier met and made merrie in the same campe one with another extolling and magnifying each their owne prowesse and adventures making their vaunts comparisons souldier-like the one of the woods high mountaines the other of dangerous tempests and
billowes the one of the land and enemie conquered the other of the Ocean subdued The Britains as by the prisoners was understood were amazed also at the sight of the navie as though now the secrets of their sea were disclosed and no refuge remained if they were overcome Whereupon the Caledonians arming with great preparation and greater bruit thereof as the manner is of matters unknowne having of themselves first set in hand to assault our Castles braved our men and put them in feare as Chalengers in so much that some of our side who would seeme to be wise but were dastards indeed counselled the Generall to retire on this side Bodotria and that the best course was to depart of their own accord rather than to be repelled with shame in the mean while Agricola takes knowledge that the enemies meant to divide themselves and to give the onset in severall Companies whereupon lest hee should bee enclosed about and entrapped by their multitude and skill in the country he also marched with his armie divided in three Which when it was knowne to the enemie they on a sodaine changing advise and uniting their forces together joyntly assaulted by night the ninth Legion as being of weakest resistance and having slaine the watch partly asleep and partly amazed with feare brake into the campe And now were they fighting within the very trenches when Agricola having intelligence given him by Spies what way the enemies had taken and following withall their footsteps commanded the lightest horsemen and footmen to play on their backs and maintaine the skirmish and the whole armie anone to second them with a shout And when it drew neere to day the glittering of the ensignes was seene So the Britaines were quailed with a duple danger but the Romans recovered courage againe and being past perill of their persons fought now for their honour freshly assailing their late assailers And verily within the streights of the gates the conflict was sharpe and cruell till in the end the enemies were forced to flie whilest both our armies contended the one would seeme to have helped their fellows the other to have needed none other to help them and if the bogs and wood had not covered their flight that one victory had ended the warre Vpon this battell so manfully fought so famously wonne the armie presuming that to their prowesse all things were easie and open cried To lead into Caledonia and to find out the limit of Britan with a course of a continued Conquests and even those who ere while were so warie and wise waxt forward enough after the event and grew to speak bigly such is the hard condition of warres If ought fall out well all challenge a part misfortunes are ever imputed to one Contrariwise the Britans presupposing that not valour but the cunning of the Generall by using the occasion had carried it away abated no whit of their stomacke but armed their youth transported their children and wives into places of safetie and sought by assemblies and religious rites to establish an association of their Cities and States together And so for that yeare both parties departed away incensed The same summer a cohort of Vsipians levied in Germanie and sent over into Britan committed a hainous and memorable Act. For having slaine a Centurion and certaine souldiers intermingled among other manciples and set over them for direction of discipline they fled and embarqued themselves in three pinnaces compelling by force the Masters of the said vessels to execute their charge and only one doing his office the other two being suspected and thereupon slaine this strange going out and putting to sea the fact as yet not noised abroade was gazed and wondred at afterwards being driven uncertainly hither and thither and having skirmished with the Britains standing in defence of their owne often prevailing and sometimes repulsed they came at last to that miserie that they were enforced to eat one another first the weakest then as the lot lighted Thus after they had floated round about Britain and lost their vessels for lacke of government they were intercepted first by the Suevians then by Frisians as Pirats and Rovers Now some of them there were that being bought by merchants as slaves and by change of Masters brought to our side of the river grew into a name by giving first notice of so great and so rare an adventure In the beginning of Summer Agricola was deepely touched with a grievous mischance that happened in his owne house for he lost his owne Sonne about a yeare old Which infortunate hap he neither bare out as most of these great men do in the like case vaine-gloriously nor tooke it againe so impatiently with sorrow and lamentation as women are wont and amidst his mourning used the warre as one of his remedies Therefore having sent his fleete afore which by spoiling in sundry places should induce a greater and more uncertaine terrour upon his enemies hee made ready and followed after with his armie joyning thereto some of the valiantest Britaine 's whom by long experience in peace he had found most faithfull and so came as farre as to the mount Grampias where the enemies were lodged before For the Britans nothing danted with the event of the former battell and attending for nothing else but revenge or servitude and being taught at length that common danger must bee repelled with concord by embassages and league made had raised the power of all their Cities and States together And now by this time there were entred into the field the view being taken above thirty thousand armed men besides an endlesse number of youth which daily flocked to them still yea and lusty old men renowned in warr and bearing every one the badge due to their honour at what time among many other leaders Galgacus for his valour birth the principall man seeing the multitude thus assembled hotly to demand battell is said to have used this speech unto them When I view and consider the causes of this warre and our present necessitie I have reason me seemes to presume that this day and this your agreeing consent will give a happy beginning to the freedome of the whole Island For both have we all hitherto lived in liberty besides no land remaineth beyond no nor so much as sea for our safegard The Romane navie thus as you see hoovering upon our coasts so that Combat and armes which valiant men desire for honour the dastard must also use for his best securitie the former battels which have with divers events been fought against the Romanes had their hope and refuge resting in our hands Because we the flower of the British Nobilitie and seated therefore the furthermost in never seeing the coasts of the countries which serve in slaverie have kept even our eies unpolluted and free from all contagion of tyrannie Beyond us is no land beside us none are free us hitherto this very corner and the inward recesse
as it were of fame hath defended Now the uttermost point of Britannie is laid open things the lesse they have bin within knowledge the greater is the glory to atchive them But no nation now is there beyond us nothing but water nothing but rockes and the Romans even among them more infest than all besides Whose intolerable pride in vaine shall a man seeke to avoide with any obsequious service and humble behaviour Robbers as they be of the world who having now left no more land to spoile search also the sea If their enemies be rich they covet their wealth if poore they seeke to gaine glorie Whom neither the East nor the West is ever able to satisfie the onely men of all memorie that seeke out all places be they wealthy or be they poore with like affection To take away by maine force to kill and to spoile they fasly terme Empire and government when they lay all waste as a wildernesse that they call peace That every man should hold his owne children and bloud most deare Nature hath ordeined and even those are pressed for souldiers and carried away to serve as slaves elswhere Our wives and sisters if they be not violently forced as in open hostilitie are in the meane time under the colour and title of friends and guests often abused Our goods and substance they draw from us for tribute our corne for provision Our verie bodies and hands they weare out and consume in paving of bogs and ridding of woods with a thousand stripes and reproachfull indignities besides Slaves yet which be borne to bondage are bought and sold once for all and afterwards fedde and found at their owners expences But Britannie daily buyeth dayly feedeth and is at daily charge with her owne bondage And as in a private retinue of houshold servants the fresh man and last commer is laughed and scoffed at by his very fellowes even so in this old servitude of the whole world our destruction only is sought as being the latest and vilest in account of all other For fields we have none to manure no mines to be digged no ports to trade in for which purposes and emploiments we should be reserved alive And as for the manhood and fierce courage of the subject it pleaseth not much the jelous Soveraign And this very corner being so secret and far out of the way the more security it yeeldeth to us in them it works the greater suspicion So seeing all hope of pardon is past at the length take courage to defend and maintaine your safety as well as your honor things most deere and pretious unto you The Trinobantes led by a woman fired a Colonie forced campe and castle and if such a lucky beginning had not ended in sloth and security they might with ease have shaken off the yoke We as yet were never touched never foiled nor subdued as men therefore that mind to maintain their freedome not for the present but for ever let us shew straitwaies in the first joining what manner of men Caledonia reserved in store for herselfe Or do yee thinke the Romanes to be as valiant in war as they are wanton in peace No it is not by their owne vertue but by our farrings and discords they are grown into fanie and the faults of their enemies they abuse to the glory of their owne armie composed of most divers nations and therefore as by present prosperity holden together so if fortune once frowne it doubtlesse will dissolve unlesse ye suppose the Frenchmen and Germanes and to our shame be it spoken many of our owne Nation which now lend their lives to establish a forrain usurper and yet have beene enemies longer than servants to be led and induced with any true harted and loyall affection Nay it is feare and terror weake links and bounds of love Remove them once those which shall cease to feare will soone begin to hate All things to incite unto victory are on our side No wife to encourage the Romanes no parents to upbraid them if they flee most have either no country at all or els some other A few fearefull persons trembling and gazing all about at the strangenesse of heaven it selfe of sea of woods and all things els the Gods have delivered mewd up as it were and fettered into our hands Let the vaine shew and glittering of gold and silver terrifie us which neither defendeth nor offendeth And even amongst our enemies in the field we shall find of our side The Britaines will agnize their owne cause The French will call to remembrance their freedome and former estate the rest of the Germans will leave and forsake them as of late the Vsipians did And what else then have we to feare the Castles are emptie the colonies peopled with aged and impotent persons the free Cities discontent and in factions whiles those which are under obey with ill will and they that doe governe rule against right Here is the Generall and here is the armie There are the tributes there be the mettall mines and other miseries inseperably following them that live under the subjection of others which either to continue and endure forever or straight to revenge it lieth this day in this field Wherefore as yee are going to battell beare in your minds both the freedome of your ancestors and the bondage of your posteritie This speech they cheerefully received as well with a song after their barbarous mâ—â—â—ner as with confused acclamations and dissonant noises And as the companies clustered together and glittering armour appeared whiles the boldest advanced forward and withall the rankes were putting themselves in array Agricola albeit his souldiers were glad of that day and scarce with words could be with-holden supposing it best to say somewhat encouraged them in this wise Fellow souldiers and companions in armes Your faithfull service and diligence these 8. yeares so painfully shewed by the vertue and fortune of the Roman Empire hath conquered red Britanny In so many journies in so many battells we were of necessitie to shew our selves either valiant against the enemie or patient and laborious almost above and against nature it selfe In which exploits wee have hitherto borne our selves both so that neither desired I better souldiers nor you other Captaine Insomuch as we have exceeded the limits I of my predecessor and you of yours To the end of Britannie wee have found not by fame and report but we are with our armes and pavillions really invested thereof Britain I say is found and subdued In marching when the passage over bogs mountaines and rivers toiled you out how oft have I heard every valiant souldier say when will the enemie present himselfe when shall wee fight Loe they are now put up out of their holes and hither they are come Your wish loe is here and place for your vertue yea and all things to follow in an easie and expedite course if you win but all against you if you leese For as
to have gone so much ground escaped through the woods passed over the friths is honourable forward so if we doe flee the vantages wee have this day will become our greatest disadvantage For wee are not skilled so well in the country we have not the like store of provision but hands wee have and weapons and therein all things included For my part I am long since resolved that it is not safetie either for souldier or Generall to shew their backs and therefore a commendable death is better than life with reproach and commonly safetie and honour are dwelling together or if ought should mishappen even this will bee a glory to have died in the uttermost end of nhe world and nature If new nations and souldiers unknowne were in the field I would by the example of other armies embolden and encourage you now recount you your owne victorious exploits and aske your owne eies These are the same men which the last yeare assailed one legion by stealth in the night and were by a blast of your mouth overthrowne These of all other Britans have been the most nimble in running away and therefore have scaped the longest alive For as in forrests and woods the strongest beasts are chased away by main force the cowardly and fearefull are scared with the very noise of the hunters so the most valiant of the British nation long since have been by you dispatched and slaine the rascall herd of dastardly cowards only remaineth whom at length we have found not as having intended to stay and make head but at last overtaken and by extreme passion of feare standing as stocks presenting occasion to us in this place of a worthy and memorable victory Make an end therefore once for all of your warfare and to fiftie yeares travells let this day impose a glorious conclusion Approve to your country that the Armie could never justly be charged either with protracting the warre or pretences for not accomplishing the conquest As Agricola was yet speaking the souldiers gave great tokens of fervencie and when hee had ended seconded the speech with a joyfull applause and ran straightwaies to their weapons Agricola seeing them sufficiently animated and rushing furiously forward ordered his men in this manner With the auxiliary footmen being eight thousand he fortified the middle battell three thousand of their horse he put on both sides in the wings commanding the Legions to stand behind before the trench of the camp to the greater glory of the victory if it were obtained without shedding any Roman bloud otherwise for assistance and succour if the vantgard should be repelled The Britans were marshalled on the higher ground fitly both for shew and also to terrifie The first battalion standing on the plaine the rest in the assent of the hill knit and rising as it were one over another The middle of the field was filled with the clattering of chariots and horsemen Then Agricola perceiving the enemy to exceed him in number and fearing lest hee should be assailed on the front and flancks both at one instant displaied his army in length and although by that meanes his battell would become disproportionably long and many advised him to take in the Legions Yet being more forward to hope than yeelding to feare he rejected the counsell and leaving his horse 〈…〉 himselfe before the ensignes on foot In the first encounter before the joining both sides discharged and threw Wherein the Britans both employing art and shewing resolution with their great swords and little targuets a voided our shot or shooke them off darting withall great store of theirs against us till at length Agricola spying his vantage exhorted three Batavian cohorts and two of the Tungrians to presse forward and bring the matter to handy strokes and dint of sword a thing which they in respect of long service were able readily to performe and contrariwise to the enemy prejudiciall and hurtfull by reason of their small bucklers and huge swords For the swords of the Britans being blunt pointed were no way for the close or for the open fight Now as the Batavians began to deale blowes and lay about them to strike with the pikes of their bucklers to mangle their faces and having overborne in the plaine all that resisted to march up the hill the rest of the cohorts gathering heart upon emulation violently beat downe all about them and many halfe dead or wholly untouched were left for hast of winning the victory In the meane time the troups of the horsemen began to flee and the charriotters mingled themselves with the battell of the footmen who albeit they had lately terrified others were now distressed themselves by the unevennesse of the ground and thicke rankes of their enemies Neither was the forme of this fight like a loose skirmish of horsemen to and fro But standing still and maintaining their places they sought withall by maine weight of horses to breake in and beare downe one another The wandring waggons also and masterlesse horses affrighted as feare caried them over-bare many times those which met them or thwarted their way Now the Britans which stood aloofe from the battell on the heigth of the hils and at their good leasure disdained our fewnesse began to come downe by little and little and to wheele about the backs of our men that were now in traine of winning the field but that Agricola suspecting as much opposed against them foure wings of horsemen purposely retained about him for sudden dispatch and all chances of war and so by repulsing them backe as sharply as they ran fiercely to assaile put them in rout Thus the counsell of the Britans turned upon their owne heads and the wing by commandement of the leader turning quite from the battell in front followed the enemy at the back and pursued the chase Then might you have seen in the open fields a grievous and pitifull spectacle coursing wounding taking and killing of them that were taken when others were offred Now whole regiments of the enemies according to their severall dispositions armed though they were and more in number turned their backs to the fewer others unarmed sought their own death offring themselves voluntarily to the slaughter Every where there lay scattered weapons bodies and mangled limbs and the ground was every where embrued with bloud and sometime even in them that were overcome appeared both anger and valour For when they approached the woods uniting themselves they entrapped unawares some of the formost of our men which unadvisedly followed not knowing the country And but that Agricola with his presence every where assisted at need setting about them certain cohorts of his bravest and most ready footmen as it were in forme of a toile and commanding some of his horsemen to forego their horses where the passes were narrow and others where the wood was thin to enter on horseback no doubt we had taken some blow by our overmuch boldnesse But after they saw our men again in strong
inaggeratas Beda and the latter writers Stratas that is Streets Our Chronicles doubtlesse herein deceived doe hold that there were but onely foure such causeies as these of which the first was Watling-streete so called of one Vitellian I wote not what he was who had the charge thereof and indeed the Britans named Vitellian in their tongue Guetalin and Werlam-street for that it went through Verolamium which elsewhere also the people dwelling neere unto it named High dike High ridge Fortie-foot-way and Ridge-way The second they commonly call Ikemildstreet because it began in the Icenes country The third the Fosse for that as men thinke it was fensed on both sides with a ditch and the fourth Ermin-street by a German word of Mercurie whom as I am informed by Iohn obsopoeus a great learned man under the name of Ermisul that is the Columne of Mercurie the Germans our ancient progenitors worshipped Now that Mercurie had the charge of waies his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Greekes may shew sufficiently as also his Statues with foure sides called in old time Hermae which were set every where upon high waies It hath been generally thought that one Mulmutius I know not what he should be many hundred yeares before the birth of Christ made these causeys but so far am I from believing it that I dare confidently avouch the Romans by little and little founded and raised them up Whilest Agricola saith Tacitus governed Britaine severall waies were enjoyned and farre distant places by the purveyors commandement that the country should carry from the nearest standing camps or wintering places to those that were farre off and out of the way And the Britans complained as the same Tacitus writeth That the Romans wore out and consumed their bodies and hands in cleering of woods and paving the Fens with a thousand stripes reprochfull indignities And so we read in ancient records That in the daies of Honorius and Arcadius there were made in Britaine certain beaten high waies from sea to sea That this was the Romans worke Beda witnesseth The Romans inhabited saith he within the wall which as I rehearsed before Severus had made overthwart the Island toward the southerne side which the Cities Churches and street waies there made doe witnesse at this day About the making of such causeys and high waies the Romans were wont to exercise their souldiers and the common multitude lest being idle they should grow factious and affect alteration in the Sate The Romans as Isodorus writeth made Causeys in sundry places almost through the world both for the direction of journeys and also because the people should not be idle and to the making and paving of such causeys prisoners were many times condemned as may be gathered out of Suetonius in the life of Caius And there are to be seene in Spaine the Causeys called Salamantica or Argentea as also in France certaine Rode waies called Viae militares paved by the Romans to say nothing of the way Appia Pâ—mpeia Valeria and others in Italie A long these Causeys and high waies Augustus placed young men at first as posts within small distances one from another and afterward swift wagons to give notice with all speed and out of hand what was doing in every place Neere or upon these Cawsies were seated Cities and Mansions which had in them Innes furnished with all necessaries belonging to this life for travailers and way-faring persons to abide and rest in as also Mutations For so they called in that age the places where strangers as they journied did change their post-horses draught beasts or wagons He therefore that seeketh not about these Rode waies for those places which are mentioned in the Itinerarie of Antoninus shall no doubt misse the truth and wander out of the way Neither think much of your labour in this place to note that the Emperors erected at every miles end along these Cawsies certaine little pillars or Columnes with numerall Characters or Letters cut in them to signifie how many miles Whereupon Sidonius Apollinaris writeth thus Antiquus tibi nec teratur agger Cujus per spatium satis vetustis Nomen Caesareum viret columnis That ancient cawsey doe not decay Where on good old pillars along the way The Caesars name stands fresh for aie Neere also unto these high waies on both sides were Tombs and Sepulchers with Inscriptions graved upon them in memoriall of brave and noble men that the passengers by might be put in mind that as those sometimes were mortall men so themselves are now For the repairing likewise of the said cawseys as wee may see in the Code of Theodosius title de Itinere muniendo that is Of making and mending waies They all were willing upon a good and profitable devotion who could doe best and make most speed in this businesse Furthermore in our owne ancient lawes there is mention made de pace quatuor Cheminorum that is Viarâ—m sub majori judicio that is Touching the peace of the foure Rhode-waies in some higher Court. Under the raigne of Nerva the writers have discontinued the Storie of Britannie But in the time of Trajane the Britans may seem to have revolted and rebelled and evident it is out of Spartianus that subdued then they were Moreover while Adrian was Emperour Julius Severus ruled the Island and when he was called away against the Jewes who then were in an uprore the Britans could not have beene kept in their allegiance to the Romans had not Adrianus come among them in person who being then Consull the third time in the yeare of Christ 124. seemeth by the prowesse of his armie to have discomfited his enemies For I have seene in one piece of mony of his coining the stampe of an Emperour with three souldiers whom I judge to represent three Legions with this Inscription EXER BRITANNICUS and another bearing this Inscription RESTITUTOR BRITANNY This Prince reformed many things throughout the Island and was the first that built a wall between the barbarous Britans and the Romans fourescore miles in length laying the foundation thereof within the ground of huge piles or stakes and fastning them together in manner of a strong hedge or mound For which expedition of his Florus the Poet plaied upon him thus Ego nolo Caesar esse Ambulare per Britannos Scythicas pati pruinas I will in no wise Caesar be To walke along in Britanie The Scythicke frosts to feele and see Unto whom Adrianus wrote back in this wise Ego nolo Florus esse Ambulare per tabernas Latitare per popinas Culices pati rotundos And I will never Florus be To walke from shop to shop as he To lâ—rke in Tavernes secretly And there to feele the round wine fly At this time M.F. CL. PRISCVS LICINIVS was the Propraetor of Britannie and emploied in the Journey of Jurie with Hadrian as appeareth by this antique Inscription in a broken marble
their naturall Princes To speake in a word this victory was held to be so worthy and memorable that the Romans from thence forward solemnized that day every yeare as festivall There succeeded Theodosius in the West Empire his sonne Honorius a child ten yeares old over whom was ordained as Tutor and Protector Flavius Stilicho a man passing famous for a long time as who being an inward companion of Theodosius in all his warres and victories and by degrees of militarie service advanced unto high authoritie and the Princes affinitie in the end cloied and glutted with prosperitie and carried away through ambition miserably lost his life This man surely for certaine yeares had a provident regard of the Empires good estate and defended Britaine against the invasion of Picts Scots and Vandals And hereof it is that Britaine speaketh thus of her selfe in Claudian Me quoque vicinis pereuntem gentibus inquit Munivit Stilicho totam quum Scotus Hibernem Movit infesto spumavit remige Thetis Illius effectum curis ne bella timorem Scotica nec Pictum tremerem ne littore toto Prospicerem dubiis venientem Saxona ventis And me likewise at hand quoth she to perish in despight Of neighbour Nations Stilicho protected 'gainst their might What time the Scots all Ireland mov'd offensive armes to take And with the stroke of enemies ores the Sea much fome did make He brought to passe his care was such that I the Scotish warre Should feare no more nor dread the Picts ne yet ken from a farre Along the shore whiles I looke still when wavering winds will turne The Saxons comming under saile my coasts to spoile and burne And thus for that time Britaine seemed safe enough from any danger of enemies For in another place that Poet writeth thus Domito quod Saxona Thetis Mitior aut fracto Secura Britannia Picto What either seas more quiet now that Saxons conquer'd are Or Britaine become secure since Picts subdued were And when Alaricus King of the Gothes hovered about Rome seeking meanes to assault and spoile it that Legion which in the marches kept Station against the Barbarians was called from hence as Claudian signifieth when he reckoneth up the aids sent for from all parts Venit extremis legio praetenta Britannis Quae Scoto dat fraena truci ferroque notatas Perlegit exanimes Picto moriente figuras The Legion also came which did for British frontiers lie In garrison that curbs fell Scots and doth pursue with eie Those yron-brent markes in Picts now seene all bloudlesse as they die In these daies flourished Fastidius a Bishop of Britaine and wrote bookes of divine learning I assure you Chrysanthâ—s likewise the sonne of Bishop Martian who having beene a Consular deputy in Italy under Theodosius and made Uicar of Britan deserved that praise and admiration for his good mannaging of the common-weale that he was against his will enstalled at Constantinople Bishop of the Novatians who having made a schisme in that Church and calling themselves Cathari had Bishops apart of their owne and sectaries who stoutly but impiously denied that such as after baptisme received fell by relapse into sinne could not returne againe and bee saved This is that Bishop who as wee read in histories of all Ecclesiasticall revenues and profits was wont to reserve nothing for himselfe but two loaves of bread onely on the Lords day When as now the Roman Empire began to decline and decay and barbarous Nations every way made foule havocke of the provinces all over the Continent the British armes fearing least the flame of their neighbours fire might flash out and catch hold likewise of them supposing also that they stood in need of some Generall Soveraign commander to expell the Barbarians addressed themselves to the election of Emperors First therefore they enthronized in the royall seat Marcus and him they obeied as one that in these parts bare the chief soveraignty But afterward having made him away because his carriage was not answerable unto theirs they bring foorth and set up Gratian countryman of their owne him they crowned and arraied in the regall purple and him they dutifully attended upon as their Prince Howbeit upon a mislike that they tooke to him also at foure moneths end they deprive him of his Empire take away his life and made over the Soveraignty of State to one Constantine a souldier of the meanest place onely because his name imported as they thought the osse of good luck For they conceived assured hope that he by the fortunate name of Constantine would likewise constantly and fortunately governe the Empire and dispatch all enemies like as that Constantine he Great had done who in Britaine was advanced to the Imperiall dignitie This Constantine putting to sea from Britan landed at Bologne in France and easily induced withal the Roman forces as far as to the Alpes to joyne with him in his war Valentia in France he manfully defended against the puissance of Honorius Augustus the Roman Emperor the Rhene which long before had been neglected he fortified with a garison Upon the Alpes as well Cottiae and Peninae as those toward the maritime coasts where ever there was any passage he built fortresses In Spaine under the leading and name of his sonne Constans whom of a Monk he had denounced Augustus or Emperor he warred with fortunate successe and afterwards by letters sent unto Honorius requesting to be held excused for suffering the purple forcibly to be done upon him by the souldiers received at his hands of free gift the Imperiall roabe Whereupon he became prouder than before and after he had passed over the Alpes intended to march directly to Rome but hearing that Alaricus the King of the Goths who had sided with him was dead hee retired himselfe to Arles where he planted his Imperiall seat commanded the Citie to be called Constantina and ordained therein that the assemblies for Assizes of 7. provinces should be held His sonne Constans hee sendeth for out of Spaine to the end that meeting together they might consult as touching the State Who leaving the furniture of his Court and wife at Caesar Augusta and committing the charge of all matters within Spaine to Gerontius came speedily without intermission of journey to his father When they had met together after many daies Constantinus seeing no feare of any danger from Italy gave himselfe wholly to gluttony and belli-cheere and so adviseth his sonne to returne into Spaine But when he had sent his forces to march before whiles he abode still with his father newes came out of Spaine that Maximus one of his vassals and followers was by Gerontius set up and advanced to the Empire and having about him a strong power and retinue of barbarous nations prepared to come against them Whereat they being affrighted Constans and Decimius Rusticus who of the Master of Offices was
now become the Prefect having dispatched Edobeccus before unto the German Nations together with the Frankners Almans all the militarie forces went into France intending out of hand to returne unto Constantinus But as for Constans Gerontius intercepted him by the way at Vienna in France and killed him Constantine himselfe he besieged within Arles to raise this siege and to assaile him in hostile manner when one Constantius sent from Honorius made hast with an armie Gerontius fearefully fled whereupon his souldiers for anger and indignation beset his house round about and drave him to those hard streits that first he cut off Alanus his most trusty friends head then he laid violent hands upon Nunnichia the said Alanus wife who earnestly desired to die with her husband and last of all perished himselfe Constantinus being very straitly shut up and withall utterly dejected and cast down with the unfortunate fight of Edobeccus after he had beene beleaguerd foure moneths and raigned likewise foure yeares laid away his purple habite entred into a Church and tooke the orders of priesthood and soone after having surrendred Arles was led captive into Italie and there beheaded together with a sonne of his whom he had named Nobilissimus and a brother called Sebastian From that time returned Britaine under the Empire of Honorius and was refreshed a while through the wisedome and prowesse of Victorinus who then ruled the Province and repressed the outroades of Picts and Scots In commendation of whom in Rutilius Claudius are these verses extant answerable in worth to the Author Conscius Oceanus virtutum conscia Thule Et quaecunque ferox arva Britannus arat Quà Praefectorum vicibus frenata potestas Perpetuum magni foenus amoris habet Extremum pars illa quidem discessit in orbem Sed tanquam medio rector in orbe fuit Plus palmae est illos inter volâ—isse placere Inter quos minor est displicuisse pudor The Ocean maine his vertues knowes and Thule witnesse will And all the fertile fields likewise that Britans fierce doe till Where ever Rulers power by turnes successive bridled is Of much good love continuall increase he doth not misse That part indeed divided was from all the world beside And yet as if in mids thereof it were he did it guide The greater prise and praise it is to seeke there for to please Where to controll lesse feare it were lesse bashment to displease When Rome was forced by Alarîcus Honorius calleth Victorinus home with his army and forthwith the Britans took armes and engaging themselves into danger for the safety of themselves freed their own cities and States from the barbarous people that waited all opportunities to annoy them Semblably that whole maritime tract of Armorica and the rest of the Gaulois Provinces accompanied the Britans and in like manner delivered themselves casting out the Roman Presidents and setting up a certain proper common-wealth at their owne pleasure This revolt and rebellion of Britaine together with the French Provinces hapned in the time that Constantine usurped the Kingdome considering that the Barbarians taking advantage of his negligence in government boldly and without restraint overcame those Provinces Howbeit within a while after the States of Britan importuned Honorius for succor whom he without sending any aid at all advised by his Letters to stand upon their owne guard look to themselves The Britans upon the receit of Honorius Letters were stirred up and put themselves in armes to defend their owne cities but being not able to match the Barbarians that came upon them so on every side they besought Honorius what they could and obtained at his hands that a Legion should bee sent to their rescue and succour Which being come over hither defeated and overthrew a great number of the enemies chased the rest out of the marches of the Province and took order for a wall or rampier of turfe to be made from the Eirth of Edenburgh unto Cluid which stood them in small or no stead For by occasion that the said Legion was called backe to the defence of France the barbarous enemies returne breake downe with ease the frontier bounds and in all kind of outrage and crueltie in every place carry harrie and make havocke of all Then were dispatched a second time in lamentable sort Embassadours with their garments rent and heads covered with sand marke the manner of it for to crave aid of the Romans unto whom by the commandement of Valentinian the Third were appointed certaine regiments of souldiers conducted by Gallio of Ravenna which most valiantly vanquished the Barbarians and in some sort gave comfort to the poore distressed and afflicted Province They made a wall directly by a straight line and that of stone not as the other at the publike charges of the State and with private mens purses together joyning with them the miserable Inhabitants after the wonted manner of building to wit traversing along the land from one Sea to another betweene those cities which haply were placed there for feare of enemies to the fearefull people they gave good instructions and exhortations to play the men and left unto them paternes shewing them how to make armour and weapons Vpon the coast also of the Ocean in the tract of the South countrey what way they had ships because even from that side also they stood in feare of those barbarous and savage beasts they planted turrets and bulwarkes with convenient spaces distant one from another yielding farre and faire prospect into the sea and so the Romans gave them a finall farewell never to returne againe Now was the State every where in a most wofull and pitious plight to see unto to see the Empire drooping with extreme age lay along maimed dismembred and as it were benummed in all the limmes and parts thereof the Church likewise most grievously assailed by Heretikes who amid the burning broiles of warre cast and spread their venome all abroad Among whom Pelagius borne in this Island taught here to the prejudice of Gods meere grace That we might attaine to perfect righteousnesse by our owne works One Timothie also impiously disputed among the Britains against the divine and humane nature both in Christ. Now also was the Roman Empire in Britaine come to her full and finall period to wit the foure hundreth seventie and sixth yeare after Caesars first entrie what time in the raigne of Valentinian the Third the Romans having transported their forces with the foresaid Gallion for the defence of France and buried their treasure within the ground left Britaine bereft of her youth wasted with so many musters and levies dispoiled of all succour and defence of garrison unto the cruell rage of Picts and Scots Hence it is that Prosper Aquitanus wrote thus and that right truely At this time by reason of the Romans weakenesse the strength of Britaine was utterly spent and brought to nought
Caledonian advanc'd and though no barre Staid him but that the Scots and Picts with Saxons he subdu'd c. I cannot chuse but with another Poet crie out in this wise Sit nulla fides augentibus omnia Musis These Poets love to over-reach Beleeve them not when so they teach For Caesar who is prodigall in his owne praise would never have concealed these exploits if he had ever performed them But these men seeme not unlike to those good honest and learned writers in our age who whiles they patch together an historie of Caesar write forsooth how he subdued the Franks in Gaule and the English men in Britaine whereas in those daies the names of English and French were not so much as heard of either in the one or the other country as who many ages after came into these Regions That the Pictones of Gaule and our Picts were both one Nation I dare not with Ioannes Picardus avouch seeing the names of the Pictones in Gaule was even in Caesars time very riâ—e and much spoken of and for that our Picts were never called Pictones yet am I not ignorant how in one onely place of the Panegyrist among all the rest through the negligence of the copier there was foisted in Pictonum in stead of Pictorum SCOTI AMong the people of Britaine after Picts the SCOTISH Nation by good right challenge the next place concerning whom before I speake ought for feare lest evill willers frowardly peevish should calumniously misconsture those allegations which I simply ingenuously and in all honest meaning shall heere cite out of ancient writers as touching Scots I must certifie the Reader before hand that every particular hath reference to the old true and naturall Scots onely Whose of-spring are those Scots speaking Irish which inhabite all the West part of the Kingdome of Scotland now so called and the Islands adjoyning thereto and who now adaies be termed High-land men For the rest which are of civill behaviour and bee seated in the East part thereof albeit they beare now the name of Scottish-men yet are they nothing lesse than Scots but descended from the same Germane originall that wee English men are And this neither can they chuse but confesse nor we but acknowledge being as they are teamed by those above said High-land men Sassones as well as we and using as they doe the same language with us to wit the English-Saxon different onely in Dialect a most assured argument of one and the same originall In which regard so farre am I from working any discredit unto them that I have rather respectively loved them alwaies as of the same bloud and stocke yea and honoured them too even when the Kingdomes were divided but now much more since it hath pleased our Almightie and most mercifull God that we grow united in one bodie under one most Sacred head of the Empire to the joy happinesse welfare and safetie of both Nations which I heartily wish and pray for The beginning and Etymologie of the Scotish Nation like as of other neighbour nations round about is so full of obscuritie and lies over-spred under the mist of darkenesse in such sort that even Buchanan himselfe though otherwise a man of a very deepe insight either hath seene little therein or seene to himselfe alone for in this point he hath come short of all mens expectation Whereupon I have forborne a long time to take this enterprize in hand lest with others in admiring fables I should full sweetly please my selfe and fall into folly For a man may with as great probability derive the Scots pedigree from the Gods as from Scota that supposed and counterfeit daughter of the Aegyptian King Pharaoh wedded forsooth unto Gaithelus the sonne of Cecrops founder of Athens But as this conceite arising from the unskilfulnesse of Antiquitie is of the better sort of ingenuous Scots rejected so that other opinion of later daies drawne without all sense from a Greeke fountaine that Scots should bee so called as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Obscure I utterly disallow and condemne as a device of envious persons to the slanderous reproach of a famous and valiant Nation Neither doe all men like the derivation of our Florilegus namely that Scots were so called because they came of a confused mingle-mangle of divers nations And yet I cannot but marvell whence Isidorus had this The Scots saith he take their name in their owne proper tongue of their painted bodies for that they are marked with sharpe yron pricks and inke and so receive the print of sundry shapes Which also Rabanus Maurus in the very same words doubtlesse out of him doth testifie in his Geographie to Ludovicus â—ius the Emperour which is to be seene in the Librarie of Trinitie Colledge in Oxford But seeing that Scotland it selfe hath of her owne people such as might very well fetch their beginning from the inmost record of Antiquitie and thereby best of all advance the glory of their Country in case they would wholly set their minds and bestow their carefull diligence for a time in this argument I will point only with my finger to the fountaines from whence haply they may draw the truth and lay before them certaine observations which I would wish them to marke and consider more diligently for my selfe will in this matter play the Scepticke and affirme nothing And first touching their originall and then of the place from whence they removed and came over into Ireland For certainely knowne it is that out of Ireland an Isle inhabited in old time by Britans as shall in due place be proved they passed into Britan and what time as they were first known unto writers by this name seated they were in Ireland For Claudian the Poet hath written of their irruptions into Britaine in these verses Totam cum Scotus Hibernem Movit infesto spumavit remige Thetis What time the Scots all Ireland stir'd offensive armes to take And with maine stroke of enemies ores the sea much fome did make And also in another place Scotorum cumulos flevit glacialis Hiberne And frozen Ireland heapes of Scots bewail'd with many a teare Orosius likewise writeth thus Ireland is peopled with Scotish Nations Gildas calleth Scots Irish Spoilers And Beda The Scots that inhabite Ireland an Isle next unto Britaine as also elsewhere Yea and in the daies of Charles the Great Eginhardus in expresse words calleth Ireland The Isle of Scots Moreover Giraldus Cambrensis That the Scottish nation saith he is descended out of Ireland the affinitie as well of their Language as of their apparell of their weapons also and of their manners even to this day doe sufficiently prove But now to come unto the points which I would have the Scots throughly to weigh For as much as they which are right and naturall Scots acknowledge not this name of Scots but otherwise call themselves Gaoithel Gael and Albin seeing also that very many
ancient time subject to the Roman Empire For meete it is that they who first have bestowed benefits should either reape condigne thankes againe or receive good turnes reciprocally To this also may seeme to bee referred that the Scots write How Fergusius the Scot accompanied Alaricke the Goth in the sacking of Rome that Irenicus likewise reporteth How Gensricke King of the Vandals came over unto Scotland and Britaine as also that which Cambrensis delivereth unto us but whence himselfe had it I know not namely how the Gaideli that is to say the Scots drew both their discent and also their name from the Vandals who were all one with the Gothes as Paulus Diaconus sheweth Neither can it be any disparagement at all to the name and nation of the Scots to acknowledge themselves the ofspring of the Gothes seeing that the most puissant Kings of Spaine thinke it an honour to fetch their pedigree from hence and the noblest houses in all Italie either draw indeed or else falsifie their lineall descent from the Gothes The Emperor himselfe Charles the fifth would often times give out and that in good earnest that all the Nobilitie of Europe came out of Scandia and from the stocke of the Gothes But these reasons are not of such credit and importance with mee as that I dare thereupon resolve that the Scots are sprung and issued from the Gothes Now to end all in a word I would have the learned Scots to consider seriously whether they were of those most ancient Britans Inhabitants of Ireland For certaine it is that Britans in times past inhabited Ireland and called Scythae or Scoti because they suted so well with Scythians in manners or Scythians indeed such as came out of Scandia or Scythia unto whom the Gallaeci Franci or Germanes driven out of Spaine and Gothes or Vandals came afterwards what time as Spaine with most hot and bloody warres was all in combustion or rather a mishmash of sundry nations which conflowed into Ireland and thereupon gat that name among other neighbors The language saith Giraldus of the Irish is called Gaidelach as one would say gathered out of all tongues And Florilegus whencesoever he gathered it From Picts and Irish quoth he the Scots tooke their beginning as people compounded of divers nations For that is called Scot which from sundry things groweth into one heape Like as the Almanes by the testimonie of Asinius Quadratus carried that name because they came of a commixture of divers men Neither may any man thinke it strange that so many nations in old time flowed into Ireland considering the scite of that Island in the very midst betweene Britan and Spaine and lying open so conveniently upon the French sea seeing also it appeareth most certainly upon record in the best approved Annals that within these eight hundred yeares last passed the Norwegians and Oustmans that is Easterlings out of Germany the Englishmen Welchmen and Scots out of Britaine planted themselves surely there These are the points I say which I would wish the Scotish men in this matter diligently to thinke upon But let them remember in the meane time that I have affirmed nothing but onely given an inkling of certaine things which may seeme in some sort materiall and to make for the purpose Whence if the originall of the Scots shall receive no light let them seek else where For I my selfe in this am stark blind and have in vaine searched and hunted after the truth that flieth still from me howbeit with this considerate and circumspect care that I have not I hope given the least offence to any whomsoever Touching the time when the name of Scots became first famous there is some question and Buchanan a right good Poet hath herein commenced an action against Humfrie Lhuid as good an Antiquarie Because the said Lhuid averreth that the name of Scots can no where be picked out of Authors before the time of Constantine the Great he fals upon the man is ready to take him by the throat and with two silly arguments goeth about to give them the deadly stab the one out of the Panegyrist the other grounded upon a bare conjecture Because we finde in the old Panegyrist that Britaine in Caesars time was wont to be troubled with Irish enemies therefore the Scots as then were seated in Britaine but no man before him ever said that so much as those Irish had then any settled place much lesse that they were Scots No doubt the Panegyrist after the usuall and received manner of writers spake according to his owne times and not unto Caesars And as for the conjecture it is none of his owne but the conjecture of that most learned Joseph Scaliger For he in his notes upon Propertius whiles he was correcting by the way of that verse out of Seneca his enterlude The Britans those that seated are beyond the knowne sea-coast And Brigants with blew painted shields he forced with his hoast To yield their necks in Roman chaines are captives to be led And even the Ocean this new power of Roman ax to dread Ille Britannos Vltra noti Littora Ponti Et caeruleos Scuta Brigantes Dare Romuleis Colla Catenis Iussit c. Â readeth Scoto-Brigantes and straightwaies exclaimeth that the Scots are now beholden unto him for their originall But to this his opinion I cannot yield assent though it be somewhat against my will who in many things have alwaies for his learning honored and admired the man For this conjecture ariseth not from the divers readings in bookes but out of his owne braine and the sense may beare either Caeruleos Scuta Brigantes as it is in all bookes or Caeruleos cute Brigantes that is the Brigantes with blue died skins as that most learned Hadrian Iunius readeth it But Buchanan who had rather disport himselfe sweetly in his owne conceit and the witty invention of one other than to judge aright with the usuall and approoved reading of that place giveth a marvellous applause to this conjecture First because authors do not record that the Britans painted their shields Then for that Seneca called them Scoto-Brigantes for difference sake to distinguish them from the Brigantes of Spaine and Ireland Last of all because in these verses hee makes a distinction betweene the Britans and Brigantes as though they were divers nations But if one would narrowlie sift and examine these matters what letteth but that they might paint their shields as well as themselves and their chariots Why should he for distinction sake coine this new word Scoto-Brigantes when he calleth them blew and saith they were subdued by Claudius doth he not sufficiently distinguish them from the other Brigantes But that observation of his touching Britans and Brigantes as if they were divers nations doth scarse favour of a Poets head which could not be ignorant of that poeticall figure and manner of speaking wherein a part is used for the whole and
of the Romans helpe For the people of Rome after that the Emperour Martial was by his souldiers killed being sore tired out with forraigne warres was not able to assist their friends with supply of accustomed aides Yet neverthelesse the Romanes having built a mightie peece of worke for the defence of the Countrey reaching betweene the confines from sea to sea where it was thought that the enemies would assaile the Inhabitants left the Land But no difficultie it was for the enemie fiercely bent and alwaies ready to wage warre especially where they deale with a nation feeble and unable to make warlike resistance to destroy the said worke Therefore hearing by report of the worthy and fortunate exploits atchieved by the Saxons they send an humble Embassage to require their helping hand and so the Embassadors having audience given them came forth and spake as followeth Most noble Saxons The poore and distressed Brets out-toiled and over-tired by the many incursions of their enemies hearing the fame of those victories which yee have valorously atchieved have sent us suppliants unto you craving that yee would not denie us your helpe and succour A large and spatious Land plentifull and abundant in all things they yeeld whollie to be at your devotion and command Hitherto have we lived liberally under the patronage and protection of the Romanes after the Romans we know none of more prowesse than your selves and therefore wee seeke for refuge under the wings of your valour So that we may by your puissant vertue and armes be found onely superiour to our enemies what service soever ye impose upon us willing we are to abide the same To this petition the Peeres and Nobles of the Saxons briefly made answere in this wise Know yee that the Saxons will be fast friends unto the Brets and prest at all times both to assist them in their necessitie and also to procure their wealth and commoditie With joy returne these Embassadours home and with this wished for tidings make their countrey-men more joyfull Hereupon according to promise an armie sent into Britaine and joyfully received in short time freeth the Land from the spoiling enemies and recovered the countrey unto the behoofe of the Inhabitants For the performance hereof required no great labour the enemies who had long since heard of the Saxons were terrified with the verie fame that was bruited of them so that their very presence drave them farre off For these were the nations that troubled the Brets namely Scots and Pehits against whom the Saxons whiles they maintaine warres received of the Brets all things necessary They abode therefore in that country a good while making use in civill sort of the Brets friendship reciprocally But so soone as the Chieftaines of the armie saw the countrey to be large and fertile and withall the hands of the Inhabitans slow to practise feats of armes and considered therewith that themselves and the greatest part of the Saxons had no certaine place to seat themselves in they send over to call unto them a greater power and more forces Thus having concluded peace with the Scots and Pehits they rise all together in common against the Brets drive them out of the countrey and divide the Land at their pleasure as if it were their owne Thus much Witichindus The originall and Etymologie of the Saxons like as of other nations not onely Monkes ignorant as they were in learned antiquitie but also latter Writers being men of some exact and exquisite judgment have enwrapped with forged and fained fables Some derive them and their name from Saxo the sonne of Negnon and brother of Vandalus others from their stonie nature some from the remaines of the Macedonian armie others of certaine knives whereupon was made that rhyme in Engelhusius Quippe brevis gladius apud illos Saxa vocatur Vnde tibi nomen Saxo traxisse putatur For Sax with them and Short-sword is the same From whence it 's thought the Saxon tooke his name But Crantzius deriveth them from the Catti in Germanie and that learned Capnio from the Phrygians Of these let every man follow which he liketh best For such conjectural opinions as these I will not labour to disproove Howbeit that conceit of the best learned Germans may seeme worthy of acceptance and to bee preferred before the rest who suppose that the Saxons descended from the Sacae a most noble Nation and of much worth in Asia and so called as one would say Sacosones that is the sonnes of the Sacae and that out of Scythia or Sarmaria Asiatica they came in companies by little and little together with the Getae Suevi Daci and others into Europe Neither is this opinion of theirs improbable which fetcheth the Saxons out of Asia wherein mankind was first created and multiplied for besides that Strabo writeth how those Sacae as before time the Cimerij made invasions into countreys which lay farre off and termed a part of Armenia after their owne name Sacacena Ptolomee also placeth the Sassones Suevians Massagetes and Daci in that part of Scythia and Cisner observeth that these Nations retained the same vicinitie or neighborhood in a manner in Europe which was among them in former times when they were in Asia Neither is it lesse probable that our Saxons descended from these Sacae or Sassones in Asia call them whether you will than the Germanes from those Germanes in Persia of whom Herodotus maketh mention which they themselves after a sort doe affirme by reason of the affinitie of their Language for that singular Scholer Ioseph Scaliger sheweth that these words Fader Moder Tutchter Band and such like are at this day found in the Persian tongue in the same sence as we use Father Mother Brother Daughter and Bond. But when the Saxons began first to bee of any name in the world they had their abode in Cimbrica Chersonesus which wee now call Denmarke wherein Ptolomee placeth them who was the first author as far as I find that mention them For we should not indeed read Saxones as it is in some bookes but more truly Axones in that verse of Lucan Longisque leves Axônes in armis And Axons in side armour light and nimble Out of this Cimbrica Chersonesus in the time of Dioclesian they with the Frankes their neighbours troubled our coasts and the seas with Piracie in so much as for the defence of the countrey and to repell them the Romanes made Carausius their Generall Afterwards they having passed over the river Albis part of them by little and little gat footing within the seat and territorie of the Suevians where now is the Dukedome of Saxonie and part of them bestowed themselves in Frisland and Holland which now the Frankes had quite forsaken For those Frankes who before time had inhabited those inmost Fennes of Frisland whereof some by overflowes and flouds are growne to be that sea which at this day they call Zuider-sea and possessed
of his pride and confident hope Forthwith he dispatched his Embassadours also unto William by way of insolent termes to menace him unlesse with all speed he retired backe into Normandie Yet William gave him a gentle answer and dismissed them with great courtesie Meane time Harold mustreth up souldiers in London and findeth that by the former battell against the Norwegians his forces were very much diminished yet a mightie armie hee levied of Nobles Gentlemen and others whom the love of their native countrey had raised and brought into the field for to put backe repell the common danger Presently he leadeth forth into Southsex notwithstanding his mother though in vaine did what she could to stay him and with an undaunted heart encamping upon a faire plaine scarce seven miles from Duke William sat him downe And thither also immediately the Norman approached with his Armie First there were secretly sent out on both sides Espies and they of the English part either not knowing the truth or disposed to lie made incredible report of the Normans number their furniture and provisiō of their good order also and discipline insomuch as Gyth a younger brother of King Harold a man renowned for martiall exploits thinking it no good policy to hazard all in the triall of one battel advertised the King that the events of war were doubtful that victories oftener depend of fortune than of valour that holding off and deliberate delay was the chiefest point of militarie discipline Also he advised him that in case he had made promise unto William of the Kingdom he should for his owne person withdraw himself for surely he could not with all his forces be fenced against his conscience and God no doubt would require punishment for breach of faith promise neither saith he wil any thing strike greater terrour into the Normans than if he should be levying and enrolling of a new Armie whereby they might bee received eftsoones with fresh battels Furthermore he assureth him in his owne behalfe that if he would commit the fortune of that battell into his hands hee would not faile to performe the part of a good brother and a valiant Captaine as who trusting upon the clearenesse of his heart and a good conscience might either more easily defeat his enemies or else more happily spend his life for his country The King was not well content to heare these admonitions and counsels which seemed to tend unto his dishonour for as he could willingly abide the event and issue of warre so in no wise could he endure the reproach of fearefull cowardise And therfore the praises of the Normans with bad words he depraved neither thought he that it would stand with his owne dignitie or the reputation of his former prowesse being now come as it were to the utmost point of perill and hazard like a milke-sop and dastard to draw foot backe and incurre the perpetuall staine and blot of shame Thus whom it pleaseth Almightie God to overthrow hee first maketh them uncapable of good counsell Whiles these matters thus passed between them Duke William upon a pious affection to preserve maintaine the state of Christendome and to spare the effusion of Christian bloud sendeth a Monke as a mediatour between both who proposed this offer condition unto Harold Either wholly to resigne up his Kingdom or to acknowledge from thence forth that he holdeth it of the Norman Duke as his superiour Lord or else to decide the quarrell with William by combate or at leastwise stand to the judgment of the Pope of Rome touching the Kingdom of England But he as one having no rule of himselfe and accepting of no condition whatsoever referred the whole triall of the matter to the tribunall seat of God made answer that the very next day following which was the second before the Ides of October he would bid him battell and this day upon a credulous errour he had assured himselfe would be fortunate unto him because it was his birth day All the night ensuing the Englishmen spent in licentious revels in riotous excesse of banqueting and in clamorous noises But the Normans bestowed the same in praiers and vows for the safetie of the armie and for victorie The next morning by day light they embattell thēselves on both sides Harold placed in the vant-guard the Kentish men with their billes and halberts for by an old custome the front of the battell was due to them and in the rereguard himselfe took place with his brother and those of middle England with the Londoners Of the Normans vaward Roger of Montgomerie and William Fitz-osberne had the leading the same consisted of horsemen out of Anjou Perch and little Britaine the most part of whom served under Fergentus the Briton The maine battell which stood of Poictovins Germans Geffery Mattell and a German Pensioner commanded In the rereguard was the Duke himselfe with the whole manhood of Normans and the flower of his Nobilitie and Gentrie But in every place were intermingled with the rest certaine companies of Archers The Normans having with no confused nor untunable shout sounded the battell and advanced forward with their Battalions at the first encounter did let flie lustily on every side a volley of arrowes like haile a kind of fight which as it was strange to the Englishmen so it terrified thē exceedingly for they flew so thick that they thought they had their enemies even in the midst of thēselves Then with a violent charge they assaile the vaward of the English and they for their parts who resolutely had determined to cover the place which they had taken up with their bodies rather than to give one foot of ground bending all their forces and keeping themselves close together right valiantly put the enemies backe and slew a number of them the Normans reenforced themselves againe upon them and with an horrible noise the battels of both sides gave the strok And now by this time were they come to the medley wherin as if foot to foot man to man they had coped together there was for a good while a fierce cruel fight The Englishmen standing thick close as if they had stuck one to another abid the brunt charge of the enemies with constant resolution insomuch as after many a bloudy wound received they were now at the point to have reculed had not William performing the part of a leader as well as of a souldier with his authoritie restrained them Thus the fight continuing still the Norman horsemen brake in upon them and withall from above the arrowes flew so thick about the English mens eares that they were in manner overwhelmed with them yet for all that they kept their array unbroken For Harold neglecting no dutie of a valorous Captaine was ready in person every where and William againe for his part bare himselfe as worthily who having one or two horses stabbed and slaine under him seeing that he could not
Diocesses Lucius the Pope in Gratian insinuateth thus much that the Ecclesiasticall Iurisdictions of the Christians followed the Iurisdictions of the Roman Magistrates and that Archbishops had their Seas in those cities wherein the Romane Presidents in times past made their abode The Cities and places saith he in which Primats ought to sit and rule were appointed not by the Moderne but long before the comming of Christ to the Primats of which Cities c. the Gentile also appealed in matters of greater importance And in those verie cities after Christs comming the Apostles and their Successors placed Patriarks or Primats unto whom the affaires of the Bishops and greater causes ought to be preferred Whereas therefore Britaine had in old time three Archbishops to wit of London of Yorke and Caerleon in Southwales I suppose that the Province which now we call of Canterburie for thither the Sea of London was translated made BRITANNIA PRIMA Wales under the Citie of Caer Leon was BRITANNIA SECVNDA and the Province of York which then reached unto the Limit or Borders made MAXIMAA CAESARIENSIS In the age next ensuing when the forme of the Roman Empire was daily changing either through ambition that more men might attaine to places of honour or the warie forecast of the Emperours that the power of their Presidents which grew over great might be taken downe and abridged they divided Britaine into five parts to wit BRITANNIA PRIMA SECVNDA MAXIMA CAESARIENSIS VALENTIA FLAVIA CAESARIENSIS VALENTIA seemeth to have been the northerly part of Maxiâ—â— Caesariensis which being usurped and held by the Picts and Scots Theodosius Generall under Valens the Emperour recovered out their hands and in honour of him named it Valentia which Marcellinus sheweth more plainly in these words The Province now recovered which was fallen into the enemies hands he restored to the former state in such sort as by his own procuring it had both a lawful governor was also afterwards called VALENTIA at the pleasure of the Prince Now that the son of this Theodosius who being created Emperour was named Flavius Theodosius and altered very many things in the Empire added Flavia we may very wel conjecture for that before the time of this Flavius wee read no where of BRITANNIA FLAVIA Wherefore to make up this matter in few words All the south coast which of one side lieth between the British sea and the river Thames with the Severn sea on the other side was called BRITANNIA PRIMA BRITANNIA SECVNDA was that which now is Wales FLAVIA CAESARIENSIS reacheth from Thames to Humber MAXIMA CAESARIENSIS from Humber to the river of Tine or the wall of Severus VALENTIA from Tine to the wall or rampier neere Edenburgh which the Scots call Gramesdike and was the utmost limit of the Roman Empire in this Island when this last division was in use And now I cannot chuse but note some want of judgement in certaine men who otherwise being very learned doe reckon Scotland in this account which some of them make to have beene Maxima Caesariensis and others Britannia Secunda As if forsooth the Romans neglected not that part of the Island lying under a cold climate and reckoned here those Provinces onely which they governed by Consular Lieutenants and Presidents for Maxima Caesariensis and Valentia were ruled by Consular Lieutenants Britannia Prima Secunda and Flavia by Presidents Now if any man would have me render a reason of this my division and accuse me as a false bounderer and surveior let him heare in briefe what hath induced mee to this opinion Having observed thus much that the Romans alwaies called those Provinces PRIMAS which lay nighest to Rome as Germania Prima Belgica Prima Lugdunensis Prima Aquitania Prima Panninia Prima all which lay neerer to Rome than those that were named Secundae and that these Primae were by the finer sort of writers termed Superiores or higher the Secundae Inferiores or Lower I resolved that the South-part of our Island and neerer to Rome was Britannia Prima By the same reason seeing the Provinces Secundae as they call them were more remote from Rome I supposed Wales was the Britannia Secunda Moreover having noted this also that in the decaying State of their Empire those Provinces onely had Consular Magistrates which lay against the enemies not onely in Gaule but also in Africke as appeareth in the booke of Notices also that in the said Booke Valentia with us and Maxima Caesariensis be accounted Consular Provinces I have judged them being next and exposed to the Scots and Picts to lie in those places which I have spoken of I can doe no other but guesse that Flavia Caesariensis here was in the midst betweene them all and in the very heart of England and so much the more confidently because that ancient writer Giraldus Cambrensis is just of the same opinion with me And thus much of the Divisions of Britaine under the Romans Afterwards when the Barbarians made invasion on every side and civill war daily increased among the Britans the Island as bereft of all life and vigour lay for a time languishing and forlorne without any shew at all of government But at length that part which inclineth to the North became two Kingdomes to wit of the Scots and the Picts and the Romans Pentarchie or five portions in this hither part became in processe of time the Heptarchie or seven Kingdomes of the Saxons For they divided the whole Province of the Romans setting Wales aside which the remnant of Britans possessed into seven Kingdomes that is to say Kent Southsex East-England Westsex Northumberland Eastsex and Mercia But what this Heptarchie of the English-Saxons was and what their names were in those daies in this chorographical table here adjoyned you may if you please behold Considering that in a Chorographicall Table or Map by reason of so narrow a roome those Regions or Counties which these Kingdomes contained could not well and handsomely bee described In this other Table heere rather than by heaping many words together I thinke good to propose and set downe the same that the Reader may once for all have a view of them The Saxons Heptarchie 1 The Kingdome of KENT contained the Countie of Kent 2 The Kingdom of SVSSEX or Southern Saxons contained the Counties of Suthsex Suthrey 3 The Kingdome of EAST-ENGLAND or East-Angles contained the Counties of Norfolke Suthfolke Cambridge shire with the Isle of Ely 4 The Kingdome of WESTSEX or West-Angles contained the Counties of Cornwall Devonshire Dorsetshire Somersetshire Wiltshire Southampton Berkshire 5 The Kingdome of NORTHVMBERLAND contained the Counties of Lancaster Yorke Durham Cumberland Westmorland Northumberland and the Countries of Scotland to Edenburgh-frith 6 The Kingdome of EAST-SEX or East-Saxons contained the Counties of Essex Middlesex and part of Hertfordshire 7 The Kingdome of MERCIA contained the Counties of Glocester shire Herefordshire Worcestershire Warwickshire Leicestershire Rotlandshire
that they are deemed entire and solid marble The common saying is that Ambrosius Aurelianus or his brother Vther did reare them up by the art of Merlin that great Mathematician in memorie of those Britaine 's who by the treachery of Saxons were there slaine at a parley Whereupon Alexander Necâ—â—m a Poet of no great antiquitie in a poeticall fit but with no speciall grace and favour of Apollo having his instructions out of Geffreys British historie come out of these verses Nobilis est lapidum structura Chorea Gigantum Ars experta suum posse peregit opus Quod ne prodiret in lucem segniùs artem Se viresque suas consuluisse reor Hoc opus adscribit Merlino garrula fama Filia figmenti fabula vana refert Illa congerie fertur decorata fuisse Tellus quae mittit tot Palamedis aves Hinc tantum munus suscepit Hibernia gaudens Nam virtus lapidi cujlibet ampla satis Nam respersus aquis magnam transfundit in illa Vim queis curari sepiùs aeger eget Vther Pendragon molem transvexit ad Ambri Fines devicto victor ab hoste means O quot nobilium quot corpora sacra virorum Illic Hengesti proditione jacent Intercepta fuit gens inclita gens generosa Intercepta nimis credula cauta minùs Sed tunc enituit praeclari Consulâ— Eldol Virtus qui letho septuaginto dedit The Giants Daunce a famous stone-worke stands Art did her best in bringing it to passe Vaine prating fame reports by Merlins hands In manner strange this worke effected was The stones men say in their land first did lie Whence Cranes in flockes so many use to flie From thence conveied as things of charie price The Irish soile received them with joy For why their vertue in a wondrous wise Oft cures the griefe that doth sicke folke annoy For waters cast and sprinckled on these stones Their vertue take and heale the grieved ones The noble Vther that Pendragon hight Them over seas to Ambresburie brought Returning thence where he by martiall might Had quel'd his foes in battell fiercely fought O worthy Wights how many on that plaine Of you lie dead by Hengists treason slaine The Britans brave that race of noble blood Entrap't by little heed and too much trust Were kild alas in parley as they stood Through faithlesse fraud of enemies unjust But Eldol Earle his manhood excellent Then shewed to death who seventie persons sent Others say that the Britaine 's erected this for a stately Sepulchre of the same Ambrose in the very place where hee was slaine by his enemies sword that hee might have of his countries cost such a piece of worke and tombe set over him as should forever be permanent as the Altar of his vertue and manhood True it is that mens bones have many times beene digged up heere and the village lying now on Avons side is called Ambresburie that is to say Ambrose his towne where certaine ancient Kings by the report of the British Historie lay interred And the booke called Euâ—â—gium saith that a Monasterie stood there of three hundred Monkes which one Gurmundus I wot not what Pagan and Barbarian spoiled and rifled In that place afterward Alfritha King Edgar his wife by repentance and some good deed to expiate and make satisfaction for murthering of King Edward her sonne in Law built a stately Nunnerie and endowed it with livings In which Queene Eleanor King Henrie the Thirds widdow renouncing all royall pompe and princely state devoted her selfe unto God among other holy Nuns The said Ambrose Aurelianus who gave name unto the place when the Romane Empire drew now to an end toske upon him the Imperiall purple Roabe in Britaine as saith Paulus Diaconus succoured his decaying countrey and the aide of that warlike Arthur repressed the violent rage of the enemies overthrew puissant armies consisting of the most couragious Nations of Germany and at the last in a battell fought upon this Plaine lost his life in the defence of his countrey Now seeing both Gildas and Bede do write that his Parents wore the purple Roabe and were slaine why may not I suppose him to be descended of that Constantine who in the Fourth Consulship of Theodosius the younger was elected Emperour heere in Britaine in hope of his luckie name and afterwards slaine at Arles I have heard that in the time of King Henrie the Eighth there was found neere this place a table of mettall as it had beene tinne and lead commixt inscribed with many letters but in so strange a Caracter that neither Sir Thomas Eliot nor master Lilye Schoole-master of Pauls could read it and therefore neglected it Had it beene preserved somewhat happily might have beene discovered as concerning Stonehenge which now lieth obscured Scarce foure miles from Ambresburie on this side Avon there is a Warren of hares commonly called Everlie Warren where there is great increase of hares for Gentlemen in the countrey there dwelling to disport themselves with game yet not such store as that the neighbour Inhabitants should require the helpe of souldiers in their defence against them as the men of the Isles Baleares sometime did by Plinies relation albeit they did likewise much harme heere unto the Corne fields and neere neighbour unto it is Lutgershall where stood sometimes as I read the Castle of Geffrey Fitz-Peter Lord chiefe Justice of England in his time and Earle of Essex a man of exceeding great wealth Not much higher is Wolshall which was the house of the Noble Familie of Seimoâ— now Earle of Hertford or of Saint Maur to whom by marriage accrewed a great inheritance of the Estâ—rmies in this tract who bare argent three Demy-Lions Gules and from the time of King Henrie the Second were by right of inheritance the Bailifes and Guardians of the Forrest of Savenac lying hard by which is of great name for plenty of good game and for a kind of Ferne there that yieldeth a most pleasant savour In remembrance whereof their Hunters â—orne of a mightie bignesse and tipt with silver the Earle of Hertford keepeth unto this day as a monument of his progenitours More somewhat into the East the River Cunetio in the Saxon tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commonly Kenet ariseth neere unto a little Village of the same name which some would have to be that CVNETIO mentioned by Antoninus but the distance of both sides gain-saieth it Heere Selburie a round hill mounteth up aloft to a great height which by the forme of the hill it selfe and the outward settling of the earth beneath may seeme to have beene cast up by mans hand And many of that sort round and with sharpe tops are to bee seene in this tract Burrowes they call them and Barrowes raised happily in memoriall of Souldiers there slaine For bones are found in them and read I have how an usuall thing it was with the Northerne
for all England right happy For it brought forth to us Queene Elizabeth a most gracious and excellent Prince worthy of superlative praise for her most wise and politique government of the Common-wealth and for her heroicke vertues farre above that sexe But when the said Thomas Bullen overcome with the griefe and sorrow that hee tooke for the infortunate fall and death of his children he ended his daies without issue this title lay still untill that King Edward the Sixth conferred it upon William Powlet Lord Saint Iohn whom soone after hee made Marquesse of Winchester and Lord Treasurer of England in whose family it remaineth at this day This Countie containeth in it Parishes 304. HANTSHIRE NExt to Wilshire is that Country which sometimes the Saxons called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is now commonly named Hantshire of which one part that beareth farther within the land belonged no doubt to the Belgae the other which lieth upon the sea appertained without question to the Regni an ancient people of Britaine On the West it hath Dorsetshire and Wilshire on the South the Ocean to bound it on the East it joyneth to Sussex and Surrie and on the North it bordereth upon Barkshire A small province it is fruitfull in corne furnished in some places with pleasant woods standing thicke and well growne rich in plenteous pasture and for all commodities of sea most wealthy and happie It is thought that it was with the first brought under subjection to the Romans For our Histories report that Vespasian subdued it and very probable reasons there are inducing us to beleeve the same For Dio witnesseth that Plautius and Vespasian when they were sent by the Emperour Claudius against the Britaines did give the attempt upon this Island with an armie divided into three parts least if they should have ventured to land in one place onely they might have beene driven backe from the shore Suetonius also writeth that in this expedition Vespasian fought thirtie battailes with the enemie and subdued the Isle of Wight which lieth against this country and two other right puissant nations with it For which his victories as also for passing over the Ocean so safely Valerius Flaccus speaketh unto Vespasian himselfe as one more fortunate than Iulius Caesar in this manner Tuque O Pelagi cui major aperti Fama Caledonius post quam tua Carbasa vexit Oceanus Fhrigios prius indignatus Iülos And thou for Seas discoverie whose fame did more appeare Since that thy ships with sailes full spred in Northren Ocean were Which skorn'd before of Phrygian line the Julii to beare And of the very same Vespasian Appolonius Collatius Novariensis the Poet versified thus Ille quidem nuper faelici Marte Britannos Fuderat He verily of late by happy flight Had won the field and Britains put to flight But how in this war Titus delivered Vespasian his father when he was very streightly besieged by the Britans and how at the same time likewise an adder grasped him about and yet never hurt him which he tooke as a lucky foretoken of his Empire you may learne out of Dio and Forcatulus I for my part to come to my purpose beginning at the West side of this province will make my perambulation along the sea-coast and the rivers that runne into the Ocean and after that survey the more in-land parts thereof HAMSHIRE OLIM PARS BELGARVM A long the East banke of this river in this Shire King William of Normandie pulled downe all the townes villages houses and Churches farre and neere cast out the poore Inhabitants and when he had so done brought all within thirty miles compasse or there about into a forrest and harbour for wild beasts which the Englishmen in those daies termed Ytene and we now call New forrest Of which Act of his Gwalter Maps who lived immediately after wrote thus The Conquerour tooke away land both from God and men to dedicate the same unto wild beasts and Dogs-game in which space he threw downe sixe and thirtie-Mother-Churches and drave all the people thereto belonging quite away And this did he either that the Normans might have safer and more secure arrivall in England for it lieth over against Normandie in case after that all his wars were thought ended any new dangerous tempest should arise in this Island against him or for the pleasure which he tooke in hunting or else to scrape and rape money to himselfe by what meanes soever he could For being better affected and more favourable to beasts than to men he imposed verie heavie fines and penalties yea and other more grievous punishments upon those that should meddle with his game But Gods just judgement not long after followed this so unreasonable and cruell act of the King For Richard his second sonne and William Rufus King of England another sonne of his perished both in this Forrest William by chance shot through with an arrow by Walter Tirell the other blasted with a pestilent aire Henrie likewise his Grand-child by Robert his eldest sonne whiles hee hotely pursued his game in this Chase was hanged amongst the boughes and so died that wee may learne thereby How even childrens children beare the punishment of their Fathers sonnes There goe commonly abroad certaine verses that Iohn White Bishop of Winchester made of this Forrest Which although they falsly make William Rufus to have ordained the same yet because they are well liked of many I am likewise well content heere to set them downe Templa adimit Divis fora civibus arva colonis Rufus instituit Beaulensi in rure forestam Rex cervum insequitur Regem vindicta Tirellus Non bene provisum transfixit acumine ferri From God and Saint King Rus did Churches take From Citizens town-court and mercate place From Farmer lands New forrest for to make In Beaulew tract where whiles the King in chase Pursues the Hart just vengeance comes apace And King pursues Tirrell him seeing not Unawares him slew with dint of arrow shot He calleth it Beauley tract for that King Iohn built hard by a pretty Monasterie for the pleasant scituation called Beaulieu which continued ever unto our Fathers memorie of great fame as being an unviolated sanctuarie and a safe refuge for all that fled to it in so much that in times past our people heere thought it unlawfull and an hainous offence by force to take from thence any persons whatsoever were they thought never so wicked murtherers or traitours so that our Ancestors when they erected such Sanctuaries or Temples as they terme them of Mercie every where throughout England seemed rather to have proposed unto themselves Romulus to imitate than Moses who commanded that wilfull murtherers should bee plucked from the Altar and put to death and for them onely appointed Sanctuarie who by meere chance had killed any man But least the sea coast for so long a tract as that forrest is heere should lie without defence all open
answered for him at his Baptisme Then Ceadwalla King of the West-Saxons when the said Edelwalch was slaine and Aruandus the petty King of the Island made away annexed to it the Dominion and in a tragicall and lamentable massacre killed every mothers child almost of the inborne Inhabitants and the fourth part of the Isle to wit as much land as contained 300. Hides hee gave unto Bishop Wilfrid The first that instructed the Islanders in the knowledge of Christian religion But these matters Beda will informe you best writing as he doth in these words After then that Ceadwalla had obtained the kingdome of the Gevissi hee wonne also the Isle of Wight which unto that time had beene wholly given to Idolatrie and then endeavoured what he could to make a generall massacre and tragicall slaughter of all the native Inhabitants thereof and instead of them to plant there people of his owne province binding himselfe with a vow although he was not yet regenerate and become Christened and in case he wonne the Isle he would give unto God a fourth part both of it and also of the whole booty Which vow he so paied as that he offered this Isle unto Wilfrid the Bishop who being of his nation hapened then to come thither be present to the use and glory of God The measure of the same Island according to the English mens estimation is proportionable to one thousand and two hundred hides of land Whereupon the Bishop had possession given him of so much Land as rose to three hundred Hides But hee commended that portion which hee received unto one of his Clarkes named Bernwin and his sisters sonne he was giving unto him a priest named Hildila for to minister unto all that were desirous of salvation the word and laver of life Where I thinke it not good to passe over in silence how for the first fruits as one would say of those who of the same Isle were saved by their beleife two young children brethren of the Royall bloud to wit the sonnes of Arvandus King of the Isle were by the especiall favour of GOD crowned with martyrdome For when the enemies approached hard unto the Island these children slipt secretly out of the Isle and were remoâ—ved into the province next adjoyning where being brought to a place called Ad Lapidem when they had committed themselves upon trust to be hidden from the face of the King that was conquerour betraied they were and commanded to be killed Which when a certaine Abbat and Priest named Cynbreth heard who not farre from thence had his monasterie in a place named Reodford that is the Ford of reed hee came unto the King who then in those parts lay secretly at cure of those wounds which hee had received whiles hee fought in the Isle of Wight and requested of him that if there were no remedie but that the children must bee murthered they might yet bee first taught the Sacraments of Christian faith before their death The King granted his petition and hee then having catechised them in the word of truth and bathed them in the fount of salvation assured them of their entrance into the everlasting Kingdome of heaven And so within a while after when the executioner called instantly for them they joyfully suffered that temporall death of the body by which they made no doubt of their passe unto the eternall life of their soules In this order and manner therefore after all the Provinces of Britaine had embraced the faith of Christ the Isle of Wight also received the same in which notwithstanding for the calamitie and trouble of forraine subjection no man tooke the degree of Ministerie and See Episcopall before Daniell who at this day is the Bishop of the West Saxons and the Gevissj Thus much Beda From this time forward our writers for a great while have not one word of Wight unto the yeare of our Lord one thousand sixtie six in which Tostie Hing Haralds brother with certaine men of warre and Rovers ships out of Flanders in hatred of his brother invaded it and after he had compelled the Islanders to pay him tribute departed Some few yeares after as we read in the old booke of Cares broke Priorie which Master Robert Glover Somerset shewed me who carried as it were the Sunne light of ancient Genealogies and Pedigrees in his hand Like as saith this booke William the Bastard conquered England even so William Fitz Osbern his Mareschal and Earle of Hereford conquered the Isle of Wight and was the first Lord of Wight Long after this the Frenchmen in the yeare 1377. came suddenly at unawares under saile invaded and spoiled it and the same French in the yeare 1403. gave the like attempt but in vaine For valiantly they were drived from landing even as in our fathers daies when the French Gallies set one or two small cottages on fire and went their way As touching the Lords of this Isle after that William Fitz-Osbern was forth-with slaine in the warre of Flanders and his sonne Roger outlawed and driven unto exile it fell into the Kings hands and Henrie the First King of England gave it unto Richard Ridvers otherwise called Redvers and de Ripariis Earle of Denshire and withall the Fee or Inheritance of the Towne Christ-Church Where like as at Caresbroke that Richard built certaine Fortresses but Baldwin his sonne in the troublesome time of King Stephen when there were in England so many Tyrants as there were Lords of Forts and Castles who tooke upon them every one to stampe money and challenged other rights of Regall Majestie was by Stephen disseized and expelled from hence Howbeit his posteritie recovered their ancient right whose Genealogie wee have already put downe when wee treated of the Earles of Denshire But in the end Isabell widow to William de Fortibus Earle of Albemarle and Holdernesse sister and heire of Baldwin the last Earle of Devonshire of that house after much intreatie was overcome to make over by charter all her right and interest and to settle it upon King Edward the First with the Manours of Christ-Church and Fawkeshaul c. For foure thousand Markes Ever since which time the Kings of England held the Isle and Henry de Beauchamp Earle of Warwicke was by King Henrie the Sixth unto whom hee was most deere crowned King of Wight and afterwards nominated The first or principall Earle of all England But together with him this new and unusuall title died and vanished quite Afterwards Richard Widevile Earle Rivers was by King Edward the fourth stiled Lord of the Isle of Wight Sir Reginald Bray took it of King Henry the Seventh with whom he was most inward in Fee farme for a rent charg'd of three hundred markes yearely to be paid Also beside these Lords this Isle had a noble Familie named de Insula or Lisle out of which in the raigne of King Edward the Second one was summoned unto the Parliament by the
these very same of which we now speake And verily no where else are they found but in a chalkie and marly soile Vnlesse a man would thinke that our English-Saxons digged such caves and holes to the same use and purpose as the Germans did of whom they were descended For they were wont as Tacitus writeth to make holes and caves under the ground and those to charge aloft with great heapes of dung as harbours of refuge for Winter and garners of receit for corne because by such like places they mitigate the rigour of cold wether and if at any time the enemie commeth hee wasteth onely the open ground but as for those things that lie hidden and buried under the earth they are either unknowne or in this respect doe disappoint the enemies for that they are to be sought for From above Feversham the shoare runneth on plentifull of shel-fish but especially oisters whereof there are many pits or stewes as far as Reculver and farther This Reculver is a place of ancient memorie named in the old English-Saxon Reaculf but in elder time REGVLBIVM For so it is named in the Roman Office booke Notitia Provinciarum which reporteth that the captaine of the primer band of the Vetasians lay heere in garrison under the Lieutenant of the Saxon-shoare for so was the sea coast a-long this tract called who had the command then of nine Ports as the L. Warden now hath of five Ports And verily the Roman Emperours coines digged up there give testimony to this antiquitie of the place In it Aethelbert King of Kent when he had made a grant of Canterbury to Augustine the Monk built himselfe a Palace and Bassa an English-Saxon beatified it with a Monasterie out of which Brightwald the Eighth Archbishop of Canterbury was elected Of this Monastery or Minster it was named Raculf-Minster what time as Edred brother to King Edward the Elder gave it to Christ-church in Canterbury Howbeit at this day it is nothing else but an uplandish country towne and if it bee of any name it hath it for the salt savory Oisters there dredged and for that Minster the steeples whereof shooting up their loftie spires stand the Mariners in good stead as markes whereby they avoide certaine sands and shelves in the mouth of the Thames For as he versifieth in his Philippeis Cernit oloriferum Thamisin sua Doridi amarae Flumina miscentem It now beholds swann-breeding Thames where he doth mix his streame With brackish sea Now are we come to the Isle Tanet which the river Stour by Bede named Wantsum severeth from the firme land by a small channell running betweene which river made of two divers rivelets in the wood-land called the Weald so soone as it goeth in one entire streame visiteth Ashford and Wye two prety Mercate townes well knowne Either of them had sometimes their severall Colledges of Priests the one built by Iohn Kemp Archbishop of Canterbury who was there borne the other to wit of Ashford by Sir R. Fogge Knight Wye also had a speciall fountaine into which God infused a wonderfull gift and vertue at the instant prayer of Eustace a Norman Abbat if we may beleeve Roger of Hoveden whom I would advise you to have recourse unto if you take delight in such like miracles As how the blind by drinking thereof recovered sight the dumbe their speech the deafe their hearing the lame their limbes And how a woman possessed of the devill sipping thereof vomited two toades which immediately were first transformed into huge blacke dogs and againe into asses and much more no lesse strange than ridiculous which some in that age as easily believed as others falsely forged Thence the Stour leaving East-well the inhabitation of the family of the Finches worshipfull of it selfe and by descent from Philip Belknap and Peoplesham goeth on to Chilham or as other call it Iulham where are the ruines of an old Castle which one Fulbert of Dover is reported to have built whose issue male soone failed and ended in a daughter inheritrice whom Richard the base sonne of King Iohn tooke to wife and had with her this Castle and the lands thereto belonging Of her hee begat two daughters namely Lora the wife of VVilliam Marmion and Isabell wife first to David of Strathbolgy Earle of Athole in Scotland afterward to Sir Alexander Baliol who was called to Parliament by the name of Lord of Chilham mother to that Iohn Earle of Athole who being condemned oftentimes for treason was hanged at the last upon a gibbet fifty foot high as the King commanded because he might be so much the more conspicuous in mens eies as he was of higher and nobler birth and being cut downe halfe alive had his head smitten off and the truncke of his body throwen into the fire a very cruell kinde of punishment and seldome seene among us And after his goods were confiscate King Edward the first bounteously bestowed this castle together with Felebergh Hundred upon Sir Bartholomew Badilsmer who likewise quickly lost the same for his treason as I have before related There is a constant report among the inhabitants that Iulius Caesar in his second voiage against the Britans encamped at this Chilham and that thereof it was called Iulham that is Iulius his Mansion and if I be not deceived they have the truth on their side For heere about it was when at his second remove he in his march staied upon the intelligence that his ships were sore weather-beaten and thereupon returned and left his army encamped tenne daies while he rigged and repaired the decaies of his Navy And in his march from hence was encountered sharply by the Britans and lost with many other Laberius Durus a Marshall of the field A little beneath this towne there is a prety hillocke to be seene apparelled in a fresh suit of greene sord where men say many yeeres agoe one Iullaber was enterred whom some dreame to have beene a Giant others a Witch But I conceiving an opinion that some antiquity lieth hidden under that name doe almost perswade my selfe that the foresaid Laberius was heere buried and so that the said hillocke became named Iul-laber Five miles from hence the river Stoure dividing his Channell runneth swiftly by DVROVERNVM the chiefe Cittie of this Countie and giveth it his name For Durwhern in the British tongue signifieth a swift river Ptolome calleth it in steed of Durovernum DARVERNVM Bede and others DOROBERNIA the English Saxons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The Kentishmens citie Ninnius and the Britans Caer Kent that is the Citie of Cent wee Canterbury and the later writers in Latine Cantuaria A right antient citie this is and famous no doubt in the Romans time not over great as William of Malmesbury said 400. yeares since nor verie small much renowned both for the situation and exceeding fertility of the soile adjoining as also for
agoe an old towne and Cornelius Tacitus in like manner who in Nero his daies 1540. yeares since reported it to have been a place very famous for fresh Trade concourse of Merchants and great store of victuals and all things necessary This onely at that time was wanting to the glory thereof that it had the name neither of Free City nor of Colony Neither verily could it have stood with the Romans profit if a City flourishing with merchandize should have enjoyed the right of a Colony or Free City And therefore it was as I suppose that they ordained it to bee a Praefecture for so they termed townes where Marts were kept and Justice ministred yet so as that they had no Magistrates of their owne but rulers were sent every year to governe in them and for to minister Law which in publique matters namely of tax tributes tolles customes warfare c. they should have from the Senate of Rome Hence it commeth that Tacitus the Panegyrist and Marcellinus call it onely a towne And although it was not in name loftier yet in welth riches and prosperity it flourished as much as any other yea and continued in manner alwaies the same under the dominion of Romans English-Saxons and Normans seldome or never afflicted with any great calamities In the Raigne of Nero when the Britans had conspired to recover and resume their liberty under the leading of Boadicia the Londoners could not with all their weeping and teares hold Suetonius Paulinus but that after hee had levied a power of the Citizens to aide him hee would needs dislodge and remove from thence leaving the City naked to the enemy who foorthwith surprised and slew some few whom either weaknesse of sex feeblenesse of age or sweetnesse of the place had deteined there Neither had it susteined lesse losse and misery at the hands of the French if it had not soddenly and beyond all expectation by Gods providence beene releeved For when C. Alectus had by a deceitfull wile made away C. Carausius a Clive-lander who taking vantage of our rough seas of Dioclesians dangerous warres in the East and withall presuming of the French and most venterous Mariners and servitors at sea had withheld to himselfe the revenewes of Britain and Holland and borne for the space of six yeares the title of Emperour Augustus as his coines very often found heere doe shew when M. Aurelius Asclepiodotus likewise had in a battaile slain Alectus in the third year now of his usurpation of the imperiall purple and state those French who remained alive after the fight hasting to London forthwith would have sacked the City had not the Tamis which never failed to helpe the Londoners very fitly brought in the Roman souldiers who by reason of a fogge at Sea were severed from the Navie For they put the Barbarians to the sword all the City over and thereby gave the Citizens not onely safety by the slaughter of their enemies but also pleasure in the beholding of such a sight And then it was as our Chronicles record that Lucius Gallus was slaine by a little Brookes side which ran through the middle almost of the City and of him was in British called Nant-Gall in English Walbrooke which name remaineth still in a Street under which there is a sewer within the ground to ridde away filth not farre from London-stone which I take to have beene a Milliary or Milemarke such as was in the Mercate place of Rome From which was taken the dimension of all journies every way considering it is in the very mids of the City as it lyeth in length Neither am I perswaded that London was as yet walled Howbeit within a little while after our Histories report that Constantine the Great at the request of his mother Helena did first fense it about with a Wall made of rough stone and British brickes which tooke up in compasse three miles or thereabout so as it enclosed the modell of the City almost foure square but not equall on every side considering that from West to East it is farre longer than from South to North. That part of this Wall which stood along the Tamis side is by the continuall flowing and washing of the River fallen downe and gone Yet there appeared certaine remaines thereof in King Henry the Seconds time as Fitz-Stephen who then lived hath written The rest now standing is stronger toward the North as which not many yeares since was reedified by the meanes of Jotceline Lord Major of London became of a sodaine new as it were and fresh againe But toward East and West although the Barons in old time during their warres repaired and renewed it with the Jewes houses then demolished yet is it all throughout in decay For Londoners like to those old Lacedemonians laugh at strong walled Cities as cotte houses for Women thinking their owne City sufficiently fensed when it is fortified with men and not with stones This Wall giveth entrance at seven principall Gates for wittingly I omit the smaller which as they have beene newly repaired so they have had also new names given unto them On the West side there be two to wit Lud-gate of king Lud or Flud-gate as Leland is of opinion of a little floud running beneath it like as the Gate Fluentana in Rome built againe of late from the very foundation and Newgate the fairest of them all so called of the newnesse thereof where as before it was termed Chamberlangate which also is the publique Goall or Prison On the North side are foure Aldersgate of the antiquity or as others would have it of Aldrich a Saxon Creple-gate of a Spitle of lame Creples sometime adjoyning thereunto More-gate of a moory ground hard by now turned into a field and pleasant Walkes which Gate was first built by Falconer Lord Major in the yeare of our Lord 1414. and Bishopsgate of a Bishop which Gate the Dutch Merchants of the Stilyard were bound by Covenant both to repaire and also to defend at all times of danger and extremity On the East side there is Aldgate alone so named of the oldnesse or Elbegate as others terme it which at this present is by the Cities charge reedified It is thought also that there stood by the Tamis beside that on the Bridge two Gates more namely Belings-gate a Wharfe now or a key for the receit of Ships and Douregate that is The Water-gate commonly called Dowgate Where the Wall endeth also toward the River there were two very strong Forts or Bastilions of which the one Eastward remaineth yet usually called The Towre of London in the British tongue Bringwin or Tourgwin of the whitenesse A most famous and goodly Citadell encompassed round with thicke and strong Walles full of lofty and stately Turrets fenced with a broad and deepe ditch furnished also with an Armory or Magazine of warlike Munition and other buildings besides so as it resembleth a big towne
of the aforesaid came another Gilbert his sonne and heire who gave the Manour of Folkingham with the Appertenances to Edward the sonne of Henry King of England This Gilbert as wee finde in the Plees out of which this Pedegree is prooved claimed service against Wil. de Scremby And at length it came by gift of the Prince to Sir Henry Beaumont For most certaine it is that he held it in the Raigne of Edward the Second Neere unto this is Screkingham remarkable for the death of Alfrick the second Earle of Leicester whom Hubba a Dane slew Of which place it seemeth that Ingulph spake writing thus In Kesteven were slaine three great Lords or petty Kings of the Danes whom they buryed in a Village which was called before Laundon but now for the Sepulture of three Kings Tre-King-ham And more into the East is Hather in this regard onely to be mentioned that the Busseis or Busleis heere dwell who deduce their Race from Roger de Busly in the Conquerours time Then Sleford a Castle of the Bishops of Lincolne built by Alexander the Bishop where Sir John Hussy the first and last Baron of that name created by King Henry the Eighth built himselfe an house who having unwittingly and unadvisedly in the yeere 1537. engaged himselfe with the common people in a tumultuous commotion what time as the first dissention brake out in England about Religion lost his head Not many miles from hence standeth Kime which gave name to a noble family called De Kime but the possession of the place came at length to the Umfranvils of whom three were called to the Parliament by the name of the Earles of Anguse in Scotland But the first of them the learned in our common lawes would not acknowledge to be Earle for that Anguse was not within the limits of the Realme of England untill hee produced openly in Court the Kings Writ by vertue whereof he had been summoned by the King to the Parliament under the Title of Earle of Anguse From the Umfravils this came unto the family of Talbois of whom Gilbert was created by King Henry the Eighth Baron Talbois whose two sonnes dying without issue the inheritance was by the females transferred to the Dimocks Inglebeies and others More Westward wee saw Temple Bruer that is as I interprete it Temple in the Heath For it seemeth to have beene a Commaundery of the Templers considering that the decayed broken Walles of the Church there are seene in forme of the New Temple at London Hard to it lyeth Blankenay the Barony in times past of the D'incourts who flourished successively a long time one after another from the Normans comming in unto King Henry the Sixth his time For then their male line determined in one William who had two sisters for his heires the one married to Sir William Lovell the other to Sir Ralph Cromwell The more willingly have I made mention of this Family to give satisfaction in some measure unto the longing desire of Edmond Baron D'eincourt who long since being carefull and earnest about the preservation of the memory of his name as having no male Issue put up an humble Petition to King Edward the Second Whereas hee foresaw that his sirname and Armes after his death would bee quite forgotten and yet heartily desired that after his decease they might bee still remembred that hee might bee permitted to enfeoffe whomsoever it pleased him both in his Manours and Armes also Which request hee obtained and it was graunted under the Kings Letters Patents yet for all that is this sirname now quite gone to my knowledge and had it not beene continued by the light of learning might have beene cleane forgotten for ever In the West part of Kesteven and the very confines of this Shire and Leicestershire standeth Belvoir or Beauvoir Castle so called of the faire prospect what name soever it had in old time mounted upon the top of a good steepe hill built by Robert De Todeneie a Norman Nobleman who also beganne the little Monastery adjoyning from whom by the Albeneies out of little Britaine and the Barons Roos it came by inheritance to the Mannors Earles of Rutland of whom the first that is to say Thomas as I have beene enformed raised it up againe with newbuildings from the ground when as it had for many yeeres lien buryed as it were in his owne ruines For in despite of Thomas Lord Roos who tooke part with King Henry the Sixth it was much defaced by William Lord Hastings unto whom after that the said Baron Roos was attainted King Edward the Fourth had graunted it with very faire Lands But Edmond Baron Roos sonne of the said Thomas by the gracious favour of king Henry the seventh recovered this ancient Inheritance againe About this Castle are found the Stones called Astroites which resemble little Starres joyned one with another wherein are to bee seene at every corner five Beames or Rayes and in every Ray in the middest is small hollownesse This Stone among the Germanes got his name of Victorie for that as George Agricola writeth in his Sixth Booke of Mineralls they are of opinion that whosoever carryeth it about him shall winne his suite and get victory of his enemies But whether this Stone of ours as that in Germany being put in vineger will stirre out of his place and turne it selfe some-what round I could never yet make tryall Under this Castle lyeth a Vale and presenteth a most pleasant prospect thereunto whereupon it is commonly called the Vale of Belver which is very large and passing pleasantly beautified with Corne fields and no lesse rich in pastures lying stretched out in three Shires of Leicester Nottingham and Lincolne If not in this very place yet hard by it in all probability stood that MARGIDUNUM which Antonine the Emperour placeth next after VERNOMETUM as both the name and the distance also from VERNOMETUM and the Towne PONT or Paunton betweene which Antonine placeth it may most plainly shew It should seeme that ancient name Margidunum was borowed from Marga and the situation of it For Marga among the Britans is a kinde of earth named Marle wherewith they nourished and kept their grounds in heart and DUNUM which signifieth an Hill agreeth onely to places higher mounted than others And yet in this Etymology of the name I am in a doubt seeing that Marle in this place is very geason or skant happily because no man seeketh for it unlesse the Britans by the name of Marga tearmed Plaister-stone which is digged uppe hard by as I have learned the use whereof in white pargetting and in making of Images was of especiall request among the Romans as Plinie witnesseth in his Naturall History Witham a River plentifull in Pikes but carrying a small streame watereth this part of the Shire and on the North-side encloseth it It hath his beginning by a little towne
Aelfred his brother humbly beseeching them to come and aide them that so they might give battaile to the fore-named Army which request they also easily obtained For those two brethren slacking no whit their promise having levied from all parts a mighty Army assembled their forces entred Mercia and seeking with one accord jointly to encounter the enemy come as farre as to Snottenga-ham And when the Painims keeping themselves within the defense of the Castle refused to give battaile and the Christians with all their force could not batter the Wall after peace concluded betweene the Paganes and Mercians those two brethren with their bands returned home But after this King Edward the elder built the Village Bridgeford just over against it and compassed the Towne about with a wall which now is fallen downe and yet the remaines thereof I have seene on the South side And within very few yeeres after in King Edward the Confessours time as wee reade in Domesday booke there were numbered in it one hundred and seventy three Burgesses and from the two Minters there were paid forty shillings to the King Also the water of Trent the Fosse dike and the way toward Yorke were warded and kept that if any man hindered the passage of vessels he was to make amends with the payment of foure pounds As for the Castle which now wee see it may bee well of great name in regard both of the Founder and the worthinesse also of the worke for William of Normandy built it to bridle the English and so strong it was as William of Newborough writeth as well by naturall situation as hand labour that it is held impregnable if it may have sufficient men to defend it unlesse it bee by famine Afterward also King Edward the Fourth bestowed great cost in the repairing of it and beautified it with faire buildings whereto King Richard also the Third set to his helping hand Neither for all the changes and alterations of times hath it undergone the common condition or destiny incident to such great Castles being never forced and wonne by assault Once was it in vaine besieged by Henry of Anjou at which time the souldiers lying in Garison set fire upon the buildings joyning unto it Once also it was suddenly surprised by Earle Robert de Ferrarijs in the Barons warre who spoiled the Inhabitants of all their goods The Castellanes report many stories of David King of the Scots prisoner in it and of Roger Mortimer Earle of March taken heere in a hollow secret passage under the ground who because he prised his faith and loyalty to his country lighter than Scotish gold and with a vaste minde designed other mischiefes was afterwards hanged Certes in the first base Court of the Castle wee went downe by many steps or staires with candle light into a Vault under the ground and certaine close roomes wrought out of the very rocke in the walles whereof are engraven the stories of Christs Passion and other things by the hand as they say of David the Second king of Scots who was there imprisoned But in the upper part of the Castle which riseth up aloft upon a rocke we came also by many staires into another Cave likewise under the ground which they call Mortimers Hole for that in it the foresaid Roger Mortimer lay hidden when as being guilty to himselfe of wickednesse he stood in feare of his life As for the position of Nottingham it seeth the North Pole elevated fifty three Degrees and hath the Meridian two and twenty Degrees and foureteene minutes distant from the utmost point of the West whence Geographers beginne to measure the Longitude From hence the Trent runneth with a milde streame and passeth forward by Holme called of the Lords thereof Holme Pierpount whose Family is both ancient and noble and out of which Robert Pierpount was summoned by King Edward the Third unto the high Court of Parliament among the Barons of the Kingdome unto Shelford where Ralph Hanselin founded a Priory and the Lords Bardolph had a mansion but now the seat of the worshipfull stocke of the Stanhopes knights whose state in this Tract hath growne great and their name renowned since they matched with an heire of Mallovell From whence he runneth downe with a rolling streame to Stoke a little Village but well knowne for no small overthrow and slaughter that there happened when Sir John de la pole Earle of Lincolne who being by King Richard the Third declared heire apparent to the Crowne seeing by the comming of king Henry the Seventh himselfe debarred of the hope of the Kingdome heere in behalfe of a counterfeit Prince rebelliously opposed himselfe against a lawfull king and so resolutely with his friends and followers lost his life Not farre from hence is Thurgarton where Sir Ralph D'eincourt founded a Priory and somewhat higher Southwell sheweth it selfe aloft with a Collegiat Church of Prebendaries consecrated to the blessed Virgin Mary a place not very faire in outward shew I must needs say but strong ancient and of great fame Which as they write Paulinus the First Archbishop of Yorke founded after he had baptised the Inhabitants of this Shire in the River Trent and so regenerated them to Christ. Since which time the Archbishops of Yorke have had here a very faire and stately Palace and three Parkes stored with Deere adjoyning thereto That this is the City which Bede calleth Tio-vul-Finga-cester I doe the more stedfastly beleeve because those things which he hath reported of Paulinus baptizing in the Trent neere unto Tio-vul-Finga-cester the private History of this Church constantly avoucheth to have beene done in this very place From thence out of the East Snite a little Brooke runneth into Trent which being but small and shallow watereth Langer a place of name in regard of the Tibetots or Tiptofts Lords thereof who afterwards became Earles of Worcester also Wiverton which from Heriz a worshipfull man long since in these parts came by the Brets and Caltostes unto the Chaworthes who fetch their name out of the Cadurci in France and derive their pedegree from the Lord of Walchervill Now doth Trent divide it selfe neere Averham or Aram an ancient habitation of the Suttons Gentlemen of respective worth and runneth hard under a good great Towne called Newark as one would say The new worke of the new Castle which Castle so fresh and of so beautifull building as Henry of Huntingdon termeth it Alexander that bountifull minded Bishop of Lincolne built which Prelate that I may use the words of an ancient Historian carrying a most brave and gallant minde builded both this Castle and another also with most profuse and lavish expense And because such manner of sumptuous buildings little became the gravity and dignity of a Bishop he to take away the envie and hard conceit of the world for such building and to expiate as it were the offence that grew thereby founded
mediamnis in orbe Colle tumet modico duplici quoque ponte superbit Accipiens patriâ sibi linguâ nomen ab alnis The buildings high of Shrewsbury doe shine both farre and nere A Towne within a River set an Island as it were Mounted upon a prety hill and Bridges hath it twaine The name it tooke of Alder trees in British tongue they sayne Neither is it strengthned onely by nature but fortified also by art for Roger of Montgomery unto whom by the Conquerors gift it was allotted pulling downe 50. houses or thereabout built a strong stately Castle on the North side upon a rising rocke and Robert his son when hee revolted from King Henry the First walled it about on that side where it was not fensed with the River which notwithstanding never that I know of suffered assault or hostility but once in the Barons Warre against King John At the first entring of the Normans it was a City well inhabited and of good trade For as we reade in Domesday booke In King Edward the Confessors time it paid Gelt according to an hundred Hides In the Conquerours time it paid yeerely seven pounds and sixteene shillings de Gablo They were reckoned to bee two hundred and fifty two Citizens whereof twelve were bound to watch about the Kings of England when they lay at this City and as many to accompany them when they went forth on hunting Which I would verily thinke to have beene ordained because not many yeeres before Edricke Streona Duke of the Mercians a man notoriously disteined with wickednesse lay in wait heere for Prince Ashelm and slew him as he rode on hunting At which time as that Booke sheweth the custome was in this City That a woman taking howsoever it were a husband if she were a widdow gave unto the King twenty shillings if a maide tenne in what manner soever she tooke a man But to returne unto our matter the said Earle Roger not onely fortified it but also adorned it with other buildings both publique and private yea and founded a very goodly Abbay to the honour of Saint Peter and Saint Paul unto which he granted many Possessions and therewith Saint Gregories Church And namely in that tenour I exemplifie the words out of the private History of the said Abbay That when the Chanons who held Prebends therein should any of them die the said Prebends should come unto the Demaine and Possession of the Monkes Whereupon arose no small controversie For the sonnes of the said Chanons sued the Monkes at Law that they might succeed in their fathers Prebends For at that time the Chanons and Priests in England were married and it grew to be a custome that Ecclesiasticall livings should descend by inheritance to the next of the bloud But this controversie was decided under King Henry the First and concluded it was that the heire should not succeed in Ecclesiasticall Livings yea and about that time lawes were enacted touching the single life of Priests Soone after in processe of time other Churches also were heere erected For to say nothing of the houses or Frieries of Dominicans Franciscans and Augustine Friers which the Charletons Jenevils and Staffords founded there were two Collegiat Churches erected Saint Chadds with a Deane and ten Prebendaries and Saint Maries with a Deane likewise and nine Prebendaries And even at this day a faire and goodly City it is well frequented and traded full of good merchandise and by reason of the Citizens painfull diligence with cloth making and traffique with Welshmen rich and wealthy For hither almost all the commodities of Wales doe conflow as it were to a common Mart of both Nations Whereupon it is inhabited both with Welsh and English speaking both languages who among other things deserve especiall commendation for this in that they have set up a Schoole for the training up of children wherein were more Schollers in number when I first saw it than in any one Schoole throughout all England againe unto which Thomas Aston the first head Schoolmaster a right good man procured by his meanes a very honest Salarie and Stipend for the Teachers It shall not now I hope bee impertinent to note that when diverse of the Nobility conspired against King Henry the Fourth with a purpose to advance Edmund Mortimer Earle of March to the Crowne as the undoubtfull and right heire whose father King Richard the Second had also declared heire apparent and Sir Henry Percy called Hote-spurre then addressed himselfe to give the assault to Shrewsbury upon a suddaine all their designes were dashed as it were from above For the King with speedy marches was upon his backe before hee imagined To whom yet the young Hote-spurre with courageous resolution gave battaile and after a long and doubtfull fight wherein the Scotishmen which followed him shewed much manly valour when the Earle of Worcester his Unckle and the Earle of Dunbar were taken hee despairing of Victory ran undaunted upon his owne death amiddest the thickest of his enemies Of this battaile the place is called Battaile-field Where the King after Victory erected a Chappell and one or two Priests to pray for their soules who were there slaine As for the position of this Shrewsbury it is from the Islands Azores twenty Degrees and seven and thirty minutes distant in Longitude and from the Aequinoctiall Line two and fifty Degrees and three and fifty minutes in Latitude From out of this city I wot not whether it may be thought worth my labour or pertinent to my purpose to relate so much brake forth the last time namely in the yeere of our Salvation 1551. that dismall disease The English Sweat which presently dispersed over the whole Realme made great mortality of people especially those of middle age for as many as were taken suddenly with this Sweat within one foure and twenty houres either dyed or recovered But a present remedy was found namely that such as in the day time fell into it should presently in their clothes as they were goe to bed if by night and in bed should there rest lye still and not stirre from thence for foure and twenty houres provided alwayes that they should not sleepe the while but by all meanes bee kept waking Whereof this disease first arose the learned of Physicians know not for certaine Some strangers ascribe it to the ground in England standing so much upon plastre and yet it is but in few places of that nature In certaine moist Constitutions of weather say they it happeneth that vapours arise out of that kinde of Soile which although they bee most subtile yet they are corrupt which cause likewise a subtile contagion and the same is proportionate either unto the spirits or to the thinne froth that floateth upon the bloud But whatsoever the cause is no doubt there is an Analogie betweene it and the subtile parts of bloud by reason whereof within one day the Patient either mends
inscription IMP. DOMIT. AUG GER DE CEANG. But on the other IMP. VESP. VII T. IMP. V. COSS. Which Monument seemeth to have beene erected for a Victory over the Cangi Heereto maketh also the very site upon the Irish sea For thus writeth Tacitus in the 12. booke of his Annales Whiles Nero was Emperour There was an Army led by Ostorius against the Cangi the fields were wasted booties raised every where for that the enemies durst not come into the field but if they attempted closely and by stealth to cut off the Army as it marched they paid for their deceitfull cunning Now were they no sooner come neere unto the Sea-Coast toward Ireland but certaine tumults and insurrections among the Brigantes brought the Generall backe But by the inscription abovesaid it should seeme that they were not subdued before Domitians time and then by computation of the times when as that most warlicke Julius Agricola was Propretour in Britaine Ptolomee likewise placed the Promontory KARRANâ—N that is of the Cangi on this shore Neither dare I seeke elsewhere than in this tract that Station CONGANII where in the declining estate of the Roman Empire a Company or Band called Vigiles that is Watchmen with their Captaine under the Dux Britanniae kept watch and ward Notwithstanding I leave to every man for mee his owne judgement heerein as in all things else of this nature Touching the Earles that I may passe over the English Saxons Earles only by office and not by inheritance king William the first created Hugh sirnamed Lupus son to the Vicount of Auranches in Normandy the first hereditary Earle of Chester and Count Palatine and gave unto him and his heires all this County to be holden as freely by his sword as the King himselfe held England by his Crowne For these are the words of the Donation who forthwith appointed under him these Barons viz. Niele Baron of Haulton whose posterity afterwards tooke the name of Lacies for that the Lacies inheritance had fallen unto them and were Earles of Lincolne Robert Baron of Mont-hault Seneschall of the County of Chester the last of whose line having no issue ordained by his last Will Isabel Queene of England and John of Eltham Earle of Cornwall his heires William Malbedeng Baron of Malbanc whose nephewes daughters by marriage brought the inheritance to the Vernons and Bassets Richard Vernon Baron of Shipbroke whose inheritance for default of heires males in the end came by the sisters unto the Wilburbams Staffords and Littleburies Robert Fitz-Hugh Baron of Malpas who as it seemeth dyed as I said before without issue Hamon de Masey whose possessions descended to the Fittons of Bollin Gilbert Venables Baron of Kinderton whose posterity in the right line have continued and flourished unto these our dayes N. Baron of Stockeport to whom at length the Warrens of Pointon budded out of the honorable family of the Earles of Warren and Surry in right of marriage succeeded And these were all the Barons of the Earles of Chester that ever I could hitherto finde Who as it is written in an old Booke Had their free Courts of all Plees and Suits or Complaints except those Plees which belong unto the Earles sword And their Office was To assist the Earle in Councell to yeeld him dutifull attendance and oftentimes to repaire unto his Court for to doe him honor and as we finde in old parchment Records Bound they were in time of warre in Wales to finde for every Knights fee one horse with caparison and furniture or else two without within the Divisions of Ches-shire Also that their Knights and Freeholders should have Corslets and Haubergeons and defend their Foces by their owne bodies After Hugh the first Earle beforesaid succeeded Richard his sonne who is his tender yeeres perished by shipwracke together with William the onely sonne of King Henry the First and other Noblemen betweene Normandy and England in the yeere 1120. After Richard succeeded Ranulph de Meschines the third Earle sonne to the sister of Earle Hugh and left behinde him his sonne Ranulph named de Gernonijs the fourth Earle of Chester a Warlike man and who at the Siege of Lincolne tooke King Stephen Prisoner Hugh sirnamed Keveltoc his sonne was the Fifth Earle who died in the yeere 1181. and left his sonne Ranulph named de Blundevill the sixth Earle who after he had built the Castles of Chartley and Beeston and the Abbay also De la Cresse died without children and left foure sisters to be his heires Maude the wife of David Earle of Huntingdon Mabile espoused to William D' Albeney Earle of Arundell Agnes married to William Ferrars Earle of Darby and Avis wedded to Robert de Quincy After Ranulph the sixth Earle there succeeded in the Earledome John sirnamed the Scot the sonne of Earle David by the said Maude the eldest daughter Who being deceased likewise without any issue King Henry the Third casting his eye upon so faire and large an inheritance laid it unto the Domaine of the Crowne and assigned other revenewes elsewhere to the heires not willing as the King himselfe was wont to say that so great an estate should be divided among distaves And the Kings themselves in person after that this Earledome came unto their hands for to maintaine the honor of the Palatineship continued here the ancient rights and Palatine priviledges and Courts like as the Kings of France did in the County of Champan Afterward this honour of Chester was deferred upon the Kings eldest sonnes and first unto to Edward King Henry the Third his sonne who being taken prisoner by the Barons and kept in ward delivered it up for his ransome unto Simon Montford Earle of Leicester But when Simon was soone after slaine it returned quickly againe unto the bloud Royall and King Edward the Second summoned his eldest sonne being but a childe unto the Parliament by the Titles of Earles of Chester and Flint Afterwards King Richard the Secondary by authority of the Parliament made it of an Earldome a Principality and to the same Principality annexed the Castle of Leon with the territories of Bromfield and Yale Chircke Castle with Chircke land Oswalds-street Castle the whole hundred and eleven townes belonging to that Castle with the Castles of Isabell and Delaley and other goodly lands which by reason that Richard Earle of Arundell stood then proscript and outlawed had beene confiscate to the Kings Exchequer and King Richard himselfe was stiled Prince of Chester but within few yeeres after that Title vanished away after that King Henry the Fourth had once repealed the Lawes of the said Parliament and it became againe a County or Earledome Palatine and at this day retaineth the jurisdiction Palatine and for the administration thereof it hath a Chamberlaine who hath all jurisdiction of a Chancellour within the said County Palatine a Justice for matters in Common Plees and Plees of the Crowne to bee heard and determined in the said
in British called Castle Hean that is The Old Castle and in English The Old Towne A poore small Village now but this new name is a good proofe for the antiquity thereof for in both tongues it soundeth as much as an Old Castle or towne Next unto this Old Towne Alterynnis lieth in manner of a River-Island insulated within waters the seat in old time of that ancient family of the Sitsilts or Cecils knights whence my right honourable Patron accomplished with all the ornaments of vertue wisdome and Nobility Sir William Cecil Baron of Burghley and Lord high Treasurer of England derived his descent From hence Munow turning Eastward for a good space separateth this Country from Monmouth-shire and at Castle Map-harald or Harold Ewias is encreased with the River Dor. This Ewias Castle that I may speake out of K. William the First his Booke was repaired by Alured of Marleberg Afterwards it pertained to one Harold a Gentleman who in a Shield argent bare a Fesse Geules betweene three Estoiles Sable for his Armes of whom it beganne to bee called Harold Ewias but Sibyll his niece in the second degree and one of the heires by her marriage transferred it to the Lords of Tregoz froÌ„ whom it came at length to the Lords of Grandison descended out of Burgundie But of them elsewhere Now the said Dor which running downe froÌ„ the North by Snodhill a Castle and the Barony sometime of Robert Chandos where is a quary of excellent marble cutteth through the midst of the Vale which of the River the Britans call Diffrin Dore but the Englishmen that they might seeme to expresse the force of that word termed it the Gilden Vale which name it may by good right and justly have for the golden wealthy and pleasant fertility thereof For the hils that compasse it in on both sides are clad with woods under the woods lie corne fields on either hand and under those fields most gay and gallant medowes then runneth in the midst between them a most cleere and crystall River on which Robert Lord of Ewias placed a faire Monastery wherein most of the Nobility and Gentry of these parts were interred Part of this shire which from this Vale declineth and bendeth Eastward is now called Irchenfeld in Domesday Booke Archenfeld which as our Historians write was layed wast with fire and sword by the Danes in the yeere 715. at what time Camalac also a Britan Bishop was carried away prisoner In this part stood Kilpeck a Castle of great name and the seat it was of the noble Family of the Kilpecks who were as some say the Champions to the Kings of England in the first age of the Normans And I my selfe also will easily assent unto them In the Raigne of Edward the First there dwelt heere Sir Robert Wallerond whose nephew Alane Plugenet lived in the honourable state of a Baron In this Archenfeld likewise as wee reade in Domesday booke certaine revenewes by an old custome were assigned to one or two Priests on this condition that they should goe in Embassages for the Kings of England into Wales and to use the words out of the same booke The men of Archenfeld whensoever the Army marcheth forward against the enemy by a custome make the Avantgard and in the returne homeward the Rereward As Munow runneth along the lower part of this shire so Wy with a bending course cutteth over the middest upon which River in the very West limit Clifford Castle standeth which William Fitz Osborn Earle of Hereford built upon his owne West as it is in King William the Conquerours booke but Raulph de Todenay held it Afterward it seemeth to have come unto Walter the sonne of Richard Fitz Punt a Norman for he was sirnamed De Clifford and from him the right honorable family of the Earles of Cumberland doe truly deduce their descent But in the daies of King Edward the First John Giffard who married the heire of Walter L. Clifford had it in his hands Then Wy with a crooked and winding streame rolleth downe by Whitney which hath given name to a worshipfull Family and by Bradwardin Castle which gave both originall and name to that famous Thomas Bradwardin Archbishop of Canterbury who for his variety of knowledge and profound learning was in that age tearmed The Profound Doctour and so at length commeth to Hereford the head City of this Country How farre that little Region Archenfeld reached I know not but the affinity betweene these names Ereinuc Archenfeld the towne ARICONIUM of which Antonine in the description of this Tract maketh mention and Hareford or Hereford which now is the chiefe City of the Shire have by little and little induced mee to this opinion that I thinke every one of these was derived from ARICONIUM Yet doe I not thinke that Ariconium and Hereford were both one and the same but like as Basil in Germany chalenged unto it the name of Augusta Rauracorum and Baldach in Assyria the name of Babylon â—or that as one had originall from the ruines of Babylon so the other from the ruines of Augusta even so this Hariford of ours for so the common people call it derived both name and beginning in mine opinion from his neighbour old ARICONIUM which hath at this day no shape or shew at all of a Towne as having beene by report shaken to peeces with earthquake Onely it reteineth still a shadow of the name being called Kenchester and sheweth to the beholders some ruines of walles which they tearme Kenchester walles about which are often digged up foure square paving stones of Checker worke British-brickes peeces of Romane money and other such like remaines of Antiquity But Hereford her daughter which more expressly resembleth the name thereof standeth Eastward scarce three Italian miles from it seated among most pleasant medowes and as plentifull corne fields compassed almost round about with Rivers on the North side and on the West with one that hath no name on the South side with Wy thath hastneth hither out of Wales It is thought to have shewed her head first what time as the Saxons Heptarchie was in the flower and prime built as some write by King Edward the Elder neither is there as farre as I have read any memory thereof more ancient For the Britans before the name of Hereford was knowne called the place Tresawith of Beech trees and Hereford of an Old way and the Saxons themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of ferns The greatest encrease if I be not deceived that it had came by Religion and by the Martyrdome of Ethelbert King of the East England Who when he wooed himselfe the daughter of Offa K. of the Mercians was villanously forlaid and murdered by the procurement of Quendred Offaes wife respecting more the countries of the East England than the honest and honorable match of her daughter which Ethelbert being registred in
high and steepe Hill which hath no easie passage on even ground unto it but of one side are seene the manifest tokens of a Rampire some ruines of walles and of a Castle which was guarded about with a triple strength of Forts and Bulwarkes Some will have this also to have beene OLICANA But the trueth saith otherwise and namely that it is CAMBODUNUM which Ptolomee calleth amisse CAMULODUNUM and Beda by a word divided CAMPO-DUNUM This is prooved by the distance thereof on the one side from MANCUNIUM on the other from CALCARIA according to which Antonine placeth it Moreover it seemeth to have flourished in very great honour when the English Saxons first beganne to rule For the Kings Towne it was and had in it a Cathedrall Church built by Paulinus the Apostle of these parts and the same dedicated to Saint Alban whence in stead of Albon-bury it is now called Almon-bury But when Ceadwall the Britan and Penda the Mercian made sharpe warre upon Edwin the Prince of these Countries it was set on fire by the enemy as Beda writeth which the very adust and burnt colour as yet remaining upon the stones doth testifie Yet afterwards there was a Castle built in the same place which King Stephen as I have read confirmed unto Henry Lacy. Hard unto it lyeth Whitly the habitation of an ancient and notable Family of Beaumont which notwithstanding is different from that House of the Barons and Vicounts Beau-mont yet it was of great name in this Tract before their comming into England Calder now leaving these places behinde him and having passed by Kirkley an house in times past of religious Nunnes and the Tombe of Robin Hood that right good and honest Robber in which regard he is so much spoken of goeth to Dewsborrough seated under an high Hill Whether it had the name of DVI that tutelar God of the place of whom I wrote a little before I am not able to say Surely the name is not unlike for it soundeth as much as Duis Burgh and flourished at the very first infancy as it were of the Church springing up amongst the Englishmen in this Province for I have heard that there stood a Crosse heere with this Inscription PAULINUS HIC PRAEDICAVIT ET CELEBRAVIT that is PAULINUS HERE PREACHED AND CELEBRATED DIVINE SERVICE And that this Paulinus was the first Archbishop of Yorke about the yeere of our Redemption 626. all Chronicles doe accord From hence Calder running by Thornhill which from Knights of that sirname is descended to the Savills passeth hard by Wakefield a Towne famous for clothing for greatnesse for faire building a well frequented Mercate and a Bridge upon which King Edward the Fourth erected a beautifull Chappell in memoriall of those that lost their lives there in battaile The Possession sometime this was of the Earles of Warren and of Surry as also Sandall Castle adjoyning which John Earle of Warren who was alwaies fleshly lustfull built when he had used the wife of Thomas Earle of Lancaster more familiarly than honesty would require to the end he might deteine and keepe her in it securely from her Husband By this Townes side when the civill warre was hote heere in England and setled in the very bowels thereof Richard Duke of Yorke father to King Edward the Fourth who chose rather to hazard his fortune than to stay the good time thereof was slaine in the field by those that tooke part with the House of Lancaster The Tract lying heere round about for a great way together is called The Seigniory or Lordship of Wakefield and hath alwaies for the Seneschall or Steward one of the better sort of Gentlemen dwelling thereby Which Office the Savills have oftentimes borne who are heere a very great and numerous Family and at this day Sir John Savill Knight beareth it who hath a very sightly faire house not farre off at Howley which maketh a goodly shew Calder is gone scarce five miles farther when he betaketh both his water and his name also to the River Are. Where at their very meeting together standeth betweene them Medley in times past 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so called for the situation as it were in the middest betweene two Rivers The seat it was in the age aforegoing of Sir Robert Waterton Master of the Horse to King Henry the Fourth but now of Sir John Savill a right worshipfull Knight and a most worthy Baron of the Kings Exchequer whom I acknowledge full gladly in his love and courtesie to have favoured me and out of his learning to have furthered this worke This river Are springing out of the bothom of the hill Pennigent which among the Westerne hils mounteth aloft above the rest doth forthwith so sport himselfe with winding in and out as doubtfull whether hee should returne backe to his spring-head or runne on still to the sea that my selfe in going directly forward on my way was faine to passe over it seven times in an houres riding It is so calme and milde and carryeth so gentle and slow a streame that it seemeth not to runne at all but to stand still whence I suppose it tooke the name For as I have said before Ara in the British tongue betokeneth Milde Still and Slow whereupon that slow River in France Araris hath his name The Country lying about the head of this River is called in our tongue Craven perchance of the British word Crage that is a Stone For the whole Tract there is rough all over and unpleasant to see to with craggy stones hanging rockes and rugged waies in the middest whereof as it were in a lurking hole not farre from Are standeth Skipton and lyeth hidden and enclosed among steepe Hilles in like manner as Latium in Italie which Varro supposeth to have beene so called because it lyeth close under Apennine and the Alpes The Towne for the manner of their building among these Hilles is faire enough and hath a very proper and a strong Castle which Robert de Rumeley built by whose posterity it came by inheritance to the Earles of Aumarle And when their inheritance for default of heires fell by escheat into the Kings hands Robert de Clifford whose heires are now Earles of Cumberland by way of exchange obtained of King Edward the Second both this Castle and also faire lands round about it every way delivering into the Kings hands in lieu of the same the possessions that he had in the Marches of Wales When Are is once past Craven hee spreadeth broader and passeth by more pleasant fields lying on each side of it and Kigheley among them which gave name to the worshipfull Family of Kigheley so sirnamed thereof Of which Family Henry Kigheley obtained of king Edward the First for this Manour of his The Liberty of a Mercate and Faire and free warren So that no man might enter into those lands to bunt and chace in them or
them who deserve for their vertue and piety to bee renowned Let it suffice to note in a word that from Paulinus the first Archbishop consecrated in the yeere of our Redemption 625. there have sitten in that See threescore and five Archbishops unto the yeere 1606. in which D. Tobie Matthew a most reverend Prelate for the ornaments of vertue and piety for learned eloquence and continuall exercise of teaching was translated hither from the Bishopricke of Durrham This City for a time flourished very notably under the English Saxons dominion untill the Danes like a mighty storme thundring from out of the North-East defaced it againe with merveilous great ruines and by killing and slaying disteined it with bloud which that Alcuine aforesaid in his Epistle to Egelred King of Northumberland may seeme to have presaged before What signifieth saith he that raining of bloud which in Lent we saw at Yorke the head City of the whole Kingdome in Saint Peters Church to fall downe violently in threatning wise from the top of the roufe in the North part of the house and that in a faire day May it not bee thought that bloud is comming upon the Land from the North parts Verily soone after it was embrued with bloud and did pine away with most miserable calamities when the Danes spoiled wasted and murrhered all where ever they came And verily in the yeere 867. the wals were so battered and shaken by reason of continuall Warres that Osbright and Ella Kings of Northumberland whiles they pursewed the Danes easily brake into the City who being both of them slaine in a most bloudy battaile in the very middest of the City left the victory unto the Danes Whereupon William of Malmesbury writeth in this manner Yorke alwaies exposed first to the rage of the Northren Nations sustained the barbarous assaults of the Danes and groaned being pitteously shaken with manifold ruines But as the very same Authour witnesseth King Athelstone wonne it perforce out of the Danes hands and overthrew the Castle quite which they had heere fortified Neither for all this was it altogether free from warres in the times next ensuing whiles that age ranne fatall for the destruction of Cities But the Normans as they ended these miseries so they made almost a finall hand of Yorke also For when the sonnes of Sueno the Dane had landed in these parts with a Danish Fleete of 240. Saile the Normans lying in Garison who kept two Forts within the City fearing least the houses in the Suburbes might stand the enemy in stead to fill up the Ditches withall set them on fire but by reason the winde rose highly the fire was so carried and spred throughout that City that now it was set a burning when the Danes breaking in upon them made pitifull slaughter in every place having put the Normans to the sword and keeping alive William Mallet and Gilbert Gant two principall persons that they might be tithed with the souldiers For every tenth man of the Normans they chose out by lot to be executed Whereupon King William the Conquerour was so incensed with desire of revenge that he shewed his cruelty upon the Citizens by putting them all to death as if they had taken part with the Danes and upon the City it selfe by setting it on fire afresh and as William of Malmesbury saith Hee so depopulated and defaced the Villages adjoyning and the sinewes of that fertile Region were so cut by the spoiles there committed and booties raised and the ground for the space of threescore miles lay so untilled that if a stranger had then seene the Cities that in times were of high account the Towres which with their lofty toppes threatned the skie and the fields that were rich in pastures hee could not but sigh and lament yea and if an ancient inhabitant had beheld the same hee could not have knowne them How great Yorke had beene aforetime Domesday booke shall tell you in these words In King Edward the Confessours time there were in Yorke City sixe Divisions or Shires besides that of the Archbishops One was laid waste for the Castles or Forts In the five Divisions were 1428. dwelling Mansions to give entertainement And in the Archbishops Shire or Division 200. dwelling Mansions likewise After these woefull overthrowes our countryman Necham thus versified of it Visito quam foelix Ebrancus condidit urbem Petro se debet pontificalis apex Civibus hac toties viduata novÃsque repleta Diruta prospexit moenia saepe sua Quid manus hostilis queat est experta frequenter Sed quid nunc pacis otia longa fovent The City that Great Ebrauk built I come now for to view Whereof the See pontificall is to Saint Peter due This many times laid desolate and peopled new hath beene Her wals cast downe and ruinate full often hath it seene What mischiefe hostile hands could worke not once nor twice it found What then since now long time of peace doth keepe it safe and sound For in his time when after these troublesome stormes a most pleasant calme of peace presently ensued it rose of it selfe againe and flourished afresh although the Scots and Rebels both did oftentimes make full account to destroy it But under the Raigne of King Stephen it caught exceeding great harme by casualty of fire wherein were consumed the Cathedrall Church the Abbay of Saint Mary and other religious houses yea and that noble and most furnished Library as it is thought which Alcuin hath recorded to have been founded by Archbishop Egeldred his Praeceptour As for the Abbay of Saint Mary it quickly recovered the former dignity by new buildings but the Cathedrall Church lay longer ere it held up head againe and not before King Edward the First his time For then John Roman Treasurer of the Church laid the foundation of a new worke which his sonne John William Melton and John Thoresby all of them Archbishops brought by little and little to that perfection and beauty which now it sheweth yet not without the helping hand of the Nobility and Gentry thereabout especially of the Percies and the Vavasours which the armes of their houses standing in the very Church and their images at the West gate of the Church doe shew Percies pourtraied with a peece of timber and Vavasours with a stone in their hands for that the one supplied the stone the other the timber for this new building This Church as he reporteth who wrote the life of Aeneas Sylvius who was Pope Pius the second and that upon the Popes owne relation For workmanship and greatnesse is memorable over all the world and the Chappell most lightsome the glasse-windowes whereof are fast bound betweene pillars that bee most slender in the mids This Chappell is that most dainty and beautifull Chapter-house in which this verse stands painted in golden letters Ut Rosa flos florum sic est Domus ista Domorum The floure of floures a Rose men call So is
which Scots at a low water when the tide was past used to passe over the river and fall to boot-haling But they would in no wise take Aeneas with them although hee intreated them very instantly no nor any woman albeit amongst them there were many both young maids and wives passing faire For they are perswaded verily that the enemies will doe them no hurt as who reckon whoredome no hurt nor evill at all So Aeneas remaines there alone with two servants and his Guide in company of an hundred women who sitting round in a ring with a good fire in the mids before them fell to hitchell and dresse hemp sate up all night without sleep and had a great deale of talk with his Interpreter When the night was far spent what with barking of dogs and gaggling of geese a mighty noise and outcry was made then all the women slipped forth divers waies his Guide also made shift to be gone and all was of an hurry as if the enemies had beene come But Aeneas thought it his best course to expect the event within his bed-chamber and that was a stable for feare lest if he had runne forth of dores knowing not the way he should become a prey and booty to him that should first meet him But see streightwaies the women returned with the Interpreter bring word all was well and that they were friends and not enemies were come thither There have been in this countrey certaine petty nations called Scovenburgenses and Fisburgingi but to point out precisely the very place of their abode in so great obscurity passeth my skill Neither can I define whether they were Danes or English But Florentius of Worcester published by the right honourable Lord William Howard writeth That when there was an assembly or Parliament holden at Oxenford Sigeferth and Morcar the worthier mightier ministers of the Scovenburgenses were secretly made away by Edrike Streona Also that Prince Edmund against his fathers will married Alfrith the wife of Sigefrith and having made a journey to the Fisburgings invaded Sigeferth his land and brought his people in subjection to him But let others inquire farther into these matters This region of North-humberland being brought under the English Saxons dominion by Osca Hengists brother and by his sonne Jebusa had first officiall governors under the fealty of the Kings of Kent After that when the kingdome of the Bernicii whom the Britans call Guir a Brinaich as it were Mountainers was erected that which reached from Tees to the Scottish Frith was the best part thereof and subject to the Kings of North-humberland who having finished their period whatsoever lay beyond Twede became Scottish and was counted Scotland Then Egbert King of the West-Saxons laied it to his owne kingdome when it was yeelded up to him Afterwards King Aelfred permitted the Danes to possesse it whom Athelstane some few yeeres after dispossessed and drave out yet after this the people set up Eilrick the Dane for their king whom King Ealdred forthwith displaced and expelled From which time forward this countrey had no more Kings over it but such as governed it were tearmed Earles Amongst whom these are reckoned up in order successively in our Histories Osulfe Oslake Edulph Walde of the elder Uchtred Adulph Alred Siward Tostie Edwin Morcar Osculph and that right valiant Siward who as he lived in armes so would he dye also armed Then his Earldome and these parts were given unto Tostie the brother of Earle Harold but the Earldomes of Northampton and Huntingdon with other lands of his were assigned to the noble Earle Walde of his sonne and heire These words of Ingulphus have I put downe because some deny that hee was Earle of Huntingdon And now will I adde moreover to the rest that which I have read in an old manuscript memoriall of this matter in the Librarie of Iohn Stow a right honest Citizen and diligent Antiquarie of the City of London Copso being made Earle of Northumberland by the gift of King William Conquerour expelled Osculph who notwithstanding within a few daies after slew him Then Osculph being runne through with a Javelin by a thiefe ended his life After this Gospatricke purchased the Earldome of the Conquerour who not long after deposed him from that honour and then succeeded after him Walde of Siwards sonne His fortune was to lose his head and in his roome was placed Walcher Bishop of Durham who like as Robert Comin his successour was slaine in a tumultuous commotion of the common people Afterwards Robert Mowbray attained to the same honour which hee soone lost through his owne perfidious treacherie when he devised to deprive King William Rufus of his royall estate and to advance Stephen Earle of Albemarle a sonne to the Conquerors sister thereunto Then K. Stephen made Henrie the sonne of David King of Scotland as wee read in the Poly Chronicon of Durham Earle of Northumberland whose sonne also William that afterwards was King of Scots writ himselfe William de Warrenna Earle of Northumberland for his mother was descended out of the familie of the Earles of Warren as appeareth out of the booke of Brinkburne Abbey After some few yeeres King Richard the first passed away this Earldome for a summe of money unto Hugh Pudsey Bishop of Durham for tearm of his life scoffing that he had made a young Earle of an old Bishop But when the said King was imprisoned by the Emperour in his returne out of the Holy-land and Hugh for his deliverie had contributed only 2000. pounds of silver which the King took not well at his hands because he was deemed to have performed but a little whom hee understood to have raised and gotten together a huge masse of money under pretence of his ransome and release he devested and deprived him of his Earldome After which time the title of the Barledome of Northumberland lay discontinued about an hundred and fourescore yeeres But at this day the family of the Percies enjoyeth the same which family being descended from the Earles of Brabant inherited together with the surname of Percie the possessions also of Percie ever since that Joscelin of Lovaine younger sonne of Godfrey Duke of Brabant the true issue of the Emperour Charles the Great by Gerberga the daughter of Charles a younger brother to Lothar the last King of France of the line of Charles tooke to wife Agnes the daughter and sole heire of William Percie of which William the great grandfather William Percie comming into England with King William the Conquerour was rewarded by him for his service with lands in Tatcaster Linton Normanby and other places Between this Agnes and Joscelin it was covenanted that hee should assume the name of Percies and retaine still unto him the ancient Armes of Brabant viz. A Lion azure which the Brabanters afterwards changed in a shield Or. The first Earle of Northhumberland out of this family was Henrie Percie begotten of Marie daughter
father to Matthew Earle of Lennox who having sustained sundrie troubles in France and Scotland found fortune more friendly to him in England through the favour of King Henrie the eighth considering that hee bestowed upon him in marriage his Neice with faire lands By the meanes of this happie marriage were brought into the world Henrie and Charles Henrie by Marie Queene of Scots had issue JAMES the sixth King of Britain by the propitious grace of the eternall God borne in a most auspicate and lucky houre to knit and unite in one bodie of an Empire the whole Island of Britaine divided as well in it selfe as it was heretofore from the rest of the world and as we hope and pray to lay a most sure foundation of an everlasting securitie for our heires and the posteritie As for Charles he had issue one onely daughter Arbella who above her sexe hath so embraced the studies of the best literature that therein shee hath profited and proceeded with singular commendation and is comparable with the excellent Ladies of old time When Charles was dead after that the Earledome of Lennox whereof he stood enfeoffed was revoked by Parliamentarie authoritie in the yeere of our Lord 1579. and his Unkle by the fathers side Robert Bishop of Cathanes had some while enjoyed this title in lieu whereof he received at the Kings hands the honour of the Earle of March King James the sixth conferred the honourable title of Duke of Lennox upon Esme Steward sonne to John Lord D'Aubigny younger brother to Mathew aforesaid Earle of Lennox which Lodowic Esme his son at this day honourably enjoieth For since the time of Charles the sixth there were of this line Lords of Aubigny in France the said Robert before named and Bernard or Eberard under Charles the eighth Lewis the twelfth who is commended with great praise unto posteritie by P. Iovius for his noble acts most valerously exploited in the warre of Naples a most firme and trustie companion of King Henrie the seventh when he entred into England Who used for his Emprese or devise a Lion betweene buckles with this Mot DISTANTIA JUNGIT for that by his meanes the Kingdomes of France and of Scotland severed and dis-joined so farre in distance were by a straighter league of friendship conjoyned like as Robert Steward Lord D'Aubigny of the same race who was Marshall of France under King Lewis the eleventh for the same cause used the royall Armes of France with buckles Or in a border Gueules which the Earles and Dukes of Lennox have ever since borne quarterly with the Armes of Steward STIRLING Sheriffdome UPon Lennox North-eastward bordereth the territorie of STERLING so named of the principall towne therein for fruitfull soile and numbers of Gentlemen in it second to no province of Scotland Here is that narrow land or streight by which Dunbritton Frith and Edenborrough Frith that I may use the termes of this our age piercing farre into the land out of the West and East Seas are divided asunder that they meet not the one with the other Which thing Iulius Agricola who marched hitherto and beyond first observed and fortified this space betweene with garrisons so as all the part of Britaine in this side was then in possession of the Romans and the enemies removed and driven as it were into another Island in so much as Tacitus judged right truely There was no other bound or limit of Britaine to bee sought for Neither verily in the time ensuing did either the VALOUR of Armies or the GLORIE of the Romane name which scarcely could be stayed set out the marches of the Empire in this part of the world farther although with inâ—odes they other whiles molested and endammaged them But after this glorious expedition of Agricola when himselfe was called backe Britaine as faith Tacitus became for-let neither was the possession kept still thus farre for the Caledonian Britans drave the Romans backe as farre as to the river Tine in so much as Hadrian who came into Britaine in person about the fortieth yeere after and reformed many things in it went no farther forward but gave commandement that the GOD TERMINUS which was wont to give ground unto none should retire backward out of this place like as in the East on this side Euphrates Hence it is that S. Augustine wrote in this wise God TERMINUS who gave not place to Iupiter yeelded unto the will of Hadrianus yeelded to the rashnesse of Iulian yeelded to the necessitie of Iovian In so much as Hadrian had enough to doe for to make a wall of turfe between the rivers Tine and Esk well neere an hundred miles Southward on this side Edenborrough Frith But Antoninus Pius who being adopted by Hadrian bare his name stiled thereupon TITUS AELIUS HADRIANUS ANTONINUS PIUS under the conduct of Lollius Urbicus whom he had sent hither Lievtenant repelled the Northern enemies backe againe beyond BODOTRIA or Edenborrough Forth and that by raising another wall of turfe namely besides that of Hadrianus as Capitolinus writeth Which wall that it was reared in this verie place whereof I now speake and not by Severus as it is commonly thought I will produce no other witnesses than two ancient Inscriptions digged up here of which the one fastned in the wall of an house at Cader sheweth how the second Legion Augusta set up the wall for the space of three miles and more the other now in the house of the Earle Marshall at Dunotyr which implieth that a band of the twentieth Legion Victrix raised the said wall three miles long But see here the verie inscriptions themselves as Servatius Riheley a Gentleman of Silesia who curiously travailed these countries copied them out for mee IMP. CAESARI T. AELIO HADRIANO ANTONINO AUG PIO P. P. VEXILLATIO LEG XX. VAL. VIC F. PER. MIL. P. III. IMP. CAES. TIT. IO AELIO HADRIANO ANTON AUG PIO PP LEG II. AUG PER. M. P. III. D. CIXVIS At Cadir where this latter inscription is extant there is another stone also erected by the second Legion Augusta wherein within a Laurell garland supported by two little images resembling victorie are these letters LEG II AVG. FEC And in a village called Miniabruch out of a Ministers house there was removed this inscription into a Gentlemans house which is there new built out of the ground D. M. C. JULI MARCELLINI PRAEF COH I. HAMIOR But when the Northerne nations in the reigne of Commodus having passed once over this wall had made much wast and spoile in the countrey the Emperour Severus as I have alreadie said repaired this wall of Hadrian Howbeit afterwards the Romans brought eftsoones the countrey lying betweene under their subjection For Ninius hath recorded that Carausius under Diocletian strengthened this wall another time and fortified it with seven castles Lastly the Romanes fensed this place when Theodosius the younger was Emperour under the conduct of Gallio of Ravenna Now saith Bede they
Fort at Blackewater repaired and re-enforced by the Rebels by which the way lieth into the Countie of Tir-Oen and which besides woods and marshes was the onely strength that the Rebels had and by this first attempt gave good proofe that if the warre were well prosecuted they might easily be vanquished The very same day whereon this Fort was taken whiles the Deputie together with his armie were giving thankes unto God for this victorie suddenly an allarum was given and the enemie shewed himselfe from an hill hard by against whom Henrie Earle of Kildare presently marched with a cornet of horse and certaine of the better sort of Gentlemen voluntaries and setting upon them put them to flight Yet were there slaine of the English part Francis Vagham brother to the Lord Deputies wife R. Turner Serjeant Major a doughty and approved servitour two of the Earle of Kildares foster brethren whose death he tooke so heavily that himselfe within few daies after for griefe of heart ended his life For there is no love in the world comparable by many degrees to that of foster-brethren in Ireland But many more were wounded and among the rest Sir Thomas Waler highly commended for his Martiall forwardnesse After that this Fort was with new munitions re-enforced no sooner had the L. Deputy withdrawne his army from thence but the Rebels waving now betweene hope feare and shame thought it their best and safest course straightly to besiege it For the Earle supposed it was the most important place to offend and annoy them as that both his honour and fortunes were for ever at their down-set if he might not recover it With a strong power therefore he beleaguered it round about Against whom the Deputy straightway setteth forward and marched without intermission but alas marching on thus in his full pace to victory hee was arrested by violence of sicknesse and cut off by untimely death leaving a great misse of him to the State and security to the ranging Rebels Certes if he had lived longer by the judgement of wisemen he had abated their insolencies and the State had not beene plunged into so great perils The Rebels understanding of the Deputies death became exceeding stout and bold and so eft-soones with mighty out-cries and furious violence assaulted the Fort but repulsed alwaies they were with the greater losse they that gave the Scallado were thrown down headlong and most of them by the Garrison souldiers sallying resolutely upon them borne downe and troden under foot in so much as distrusting now to maine force they changed their copy and determined to protract the siege being perswaded that they within had victuals but for few daies and besides they conceived good hope that the Garrison souldiers for very want would bee wavering in their alleageance and turne traitours But through the singular valour of Thomas Williams the Captaine and of the band within the place was manfully defended who having suffered hunger sharp fights and all extremities after they had eaten up their horses were driven to pluck up the weeds growing among the stones for their food and endured all the miseries that might be Now by this time the government was by authority from the Queene committed unto the Earle of Ormond under the title of Lievtenant Generall of the Armie unto the Chancellor and Sir Robert Gardiner Then Tir-Oen recapitulateth in a long letter unto the said Lievtenant all his greivances afore specified and not leaving out the least insolencie either of souldiers or of Sheriffes coldly excuseth his breach of Covenants with Sir John Norris But principally he complaines that Feogh Mac-Hugh a â—eere associate and kinsman of his had been persecuted and executed and in the end That his letters unto the Queen were in England intercepted and suppressed as also that those impositions and compositions laid both upon the Nobles and Commons were intolerable He addeth moreover and saith he saw full well that all the Territories of the Nobility and Gentry of Ireland would shortly bee parted and shared among the Councellors Lawyers Souldiers and Notaries And herewith he closely sendeth succour unto the sonnes of Feogh Mach-Hugh that they might kindle new coales in Leinster So that now every man might see that this war was begun to no other end whatsoever was pretended but to extirpate the English quite out of Ireland All this while the Earle continued his siege about the Fort at Black-water for the raising whereof the Lievtenant Generall of the Armie for there was no Deputy as yet substituted sent the most choice troupes fourteene Ensignes under the conduct of Sir Henry Bagnall the Mareschall and the bitterest adversary the Earle had upon whom as he marched with divided troupes the Earle edged with fretfull malice assailed most furiously neere unto Armagh and forthwith the Mareschall against whom he had bent all his force being slaine amongst the thickest of his enemies as he obtained a most joyous triumph over his private adversarie so he went away with a glorious victory over the English And verily since the time that they set first footing in Ireland they never had a greater overthrow wherein thirteene valiant Captaines lost their lives and fifteene hundred of the common souldiers who being routed and put to shamefull flight as they were disparkled all over the fields were cut in pieces and such as remained alive laid the fault reproachfully not upon their owne cowardice but their chiefe leaders unskilfulnesse a thing now a daies ordinary Immediately upon this followed the yeelding up of the Fort at Black-water when as the garrison souldiers having held out with loyaltie in heart and weapon in hand unto extreme famine being now driven to exceeding great distresse saw all hopelesse of succour and reliefe A notable victory this was and of great consequence to the Rebels who furnished themselves hereby with armour and victuals and now the Earle renowned all Ireland over and magnified in every place as the founder of their freedome above all measure swelled with haughty arrogancy and sent into Mounster Ouny-Mac-Rory-Og-O-More and Tirell who although by his first originall he were of English blood yet none so maliciously bent against the English name as hee with 4000. preying rogues against whom Sir Thomas Norris President of that Province advanced forward with a strong power as far as to Kilmalock but before hee saw the enemy he dispersed his forces and retired backe to Corcke Which when the Rebels understood having a great rabble of most lewd rascals flocking from all parts unto them they fell to waste the country to drive booties before them to ransack and burne where ever they went the castles houses and farme places of the English and most cruelly in all places to kill them Iames Fitz-Thomas one of the family of the Earles of Desmond they set up as Earle of Desmond yet so as he should hold as tenant in fee of the O-Neal or Earle of Tir-Oen And thus after a month when they had kindled this
expect him at the Foord of the river hard by Balla-Clinch they call it This Foord is not far from Louth the head towne of the County and neere unto the Castle of Gerard Fleming Thither sent the L. Lievtenant before some of purpose to discover the place who found the Earle at the said Foord and he told them that although the river was risen yet might a man be easily heard from one side to the other Hereupon the Lord Lievtenant having bestowed a troupe of horsemen in the next hill there by came downe alone the Earle riding his horse into the water up to the belly in dutifull and reverent sort saluteth the Lievtenant being on the banke side and so with many words passing to and fro betweene them without any witnesses by to heare them they spent almost an houre Then both of them retire unto their companies and Con a base sonne of the Earles following hard after the L. Leivtenant besought him in his fathers name that certaine principall persons of his traine might bee admitted to a conference The L. Lievtenant assented thereto so they were not above six Then forthwith the Earle taking with him his brother Cormoc Mac Gennys Mac Guir Ever Mac Cowley Henry Ovington and O-Quin sheweth himselfe at the Foord Unto them the L. Lievtenant came down accompanied with the Earle of Southampton Sir George Bourchier Sir Warrham St. Leger Sir Henry Danvers Sir Edward Wingfeld and Sir William Constable Knights The Earle saluteth them every one with great courtesie and after some few words between them passed thought good that certaine Commissioners should the next day following treat of peace between whom it was agreed that there should be a trâ—ce from that very day for six weeks and so forward from six weeks to six weeks unto the first of May yet so as it might be free for both sides after fourteen daies warning given aforehand to begin warre afresh And if that any Confederate of the Earles would not yeeld his assent hereto he left him unto the L. Lievtenant to prosecute him at his pleasure Whiles these things were a doing those letters of the Lord Lievtenant which I spake of erewhile were delivered to the Queen by Henrie Cuffe a man very learned but as unfortunate Which when she had perused through and understood thereby that her Lievtenant with so great an armie in so long time and with the expence of so much money had effected just nothing nor would doe ought that yeere shee being highly offended thereat writeth backe againe to himselfe and to the Councellers of Ireland in these termes That his proceeding answered neither her direction nor the worlds expectation that shee could not but marvell much why the Lievtenant by prolonging thus from time to time and by finding meanes still of further delay had lost those excellent opportunities which he had of prosecuting war upon that Arch-rebell considering that himselfe whiles he was in England advised nothing else but to prosecute the Earle himselfe and none but him yea and in his letters otherwhiles seriously promised to doe the same She expostulated wherefore hee had made those unprofitable journeyes even against his owne judgement when it was found into Mounster and Ophaly whereof he had not certified her nor given so much as any notice before they were undertaken which otherwise shee would expressely have countermanded If his armie were now broken weake and much empaired why undertooke hee not the action upon the enemie whiles it was entire strong and complete If the spring had not been a fit season for to make war in Ulster wherefore was the summer wherefore was the autumne neglected what was there no time of the yeere meet for that war Well shee now foresaw that her Kingdome of England must be impoverished beyond all measure by such expences her honour blemished among forrain Princes and the Rebels encouraged by this unfortunate successe yea they that shall pen the Story of this time will deliver unto posterity that she for her part was at great charge to hazzard her Kingdome of Ireland and that he had taken great paines and had left nothing undone to prepare for many purposes which perished without undertaking if now at length he tooke not a course for the maine prosecution of the war In tart termes therefore she admonisheth both him and the Councellers of the Kingdome to look more considerately to the good of the State and not from thence forward to be transported contrary waies by indirect counsell commanding them withall to write into what case they had brought the Kingdome of Ireland and carefully to foresee that all inconveniences from thenceforth might be diligently prevented The Lord Lievtenant startled or rather galled with these letters speedeth in all hast and sooner than any man would have thought into England accompanied with some men of quality and well and early in a morning comming upon the Queene at unwares while she was most private and in her bed chamber presents himselfe upon his knees unto her who after she had welcomed him with a short speech and not with that countenance as heretofore commanded him to withdraw himselfe unto his owne chamber and there to keepe For the Queene was highly offended with him both because hee contrary to her commandement had left his charge so suddenly without her leave and before he had setled the State and also had treated with the Rebels to her dishonour privately and upon equall termes with condition of toleration of Religion and to her diservice when as the Rebels made profit of all cessations and moreover that hee had agreed upon such a cessation as might every fourteenth night be broken whereas it was in his power by the authoritie that he had to make a finall end with the Rebels and to pardon their treason and rebellion What befell him afterwards in England and how it appeared by pregnant presumptions and some evidence that he aimed at other matters than war against Rebels whiles hee could not finde in his heart to remit private distastes for the publike good and relied too much upon popularitie which is alwaies momentany and never fortunate it is impertinent to this place neither take I pleasure so much as to remember the same The said cessation was scarcely once or twice expired when the Earle of Tir-Oen drew his forces together and addresseth himselfe againe to war Unto whom there was sent from the State Sir William Warren to know of him wherefore he brake the Cessation that was made Unto whom in the swelling pride of his heart he haughtily answered That he had not broken the Cessation considering he had given fourteene daies warning before that he ment to renew the warre and that he had just cause to war a fresh for why he understood that the Lord Lievtenant in whom he had reposed all his hope and whole estate was committed in England Neither would he have any thing to doe from thence forth with the Councellours of
because they were more in number fresh and better furnished with all kinde of meanes whereas contrariwise the English were out-wearied with the inconveniences that follow a winter-siege excluded from victuals and their horses besides with travell and hunger together altogether unserviceable In these difficulties and distresses the Deputie consulteth with the Captaines what was to be done Some thought the best way was to break up the siege to retire into Corke and not to hazzard the whole Realme upon the fortune of one battell Contrariwise the Deputy adviseth and perswadeth to persist and not to degenerate from the approved vertue of their ancestors adding that valiant men could not have a more wished opportunity presented unto them than that which was now fallen into their laps namely either to spend their lives with glory or to vanquish their enemies with honour He urgeth therefore and plieth the siege with all the power he had with raising platformes and continuall battering he plaied upon the towne and withall fortifieth his Campe with new trenches Upon the one and twentieth day of December the Earle of Tir-Oen sheweth himselfe with his horse upon an hill about a mile from the campe and there encamping himselfe maketh a bravado likewise the next day in the same place the night following both the Spaniards sallied forth of the towne and the Irish also assayed to steale into the towne but both were forced to retire On the three and twentieth day the English men discharge their greater peeces upon the towne as if they had not cared for the Earle now so neere at hand and the very same day were the letters of D' Aquila unto the Earle intercepted wherein he importuned Tir-Oen that the Spaniards newly arrived might bee put into the towne and that they might assaile the campe on both sides When the Moone was ready to rise over the horizon the Deputy commanded Sir Henry Poer to leade forth into the field eight ensignes of old souldiers and to make a stand on the West side of the campe Sir Henry Greame who that night had the charge of the horsemen that watched very earely in the morning advertised the Deputy that the enemies for certaine would advance forward for that a great number of their matches were lighted Hereupon the al'arme was given throughout the campe and companies placed wheresoever there was any way to the towne The Lord Deputy himselfe with the President of Mounster and Sir Richard Wingfeld Marshall marched toward the watch and withall by the advise of Sir Olivar Lambart chooseth out a plot wherein he might give battell to the enemies Thither were brought the Ensignes and Regiments of Sir Henry Folliot and Sir Olivar Saint Iohn with sixe hundred sea souldiers under the conduct of Sir Richard Levison But the Earle of Tir-Oen who resolved as afterwards it was knowne to have brought into Kinsale by darke night the new supplie of Spaniards and eight hundred Irishmen when hee saw now the day to breake and beheld withall the Marshall and Sir Henrie Danvers with the power of horsemen and Poer with the Companies of old souldiers at the foot of the hill being disappointed of his hope stood still and soone after by his bag-pipers sounded the retreat No sooner was the Deputy certified of this retreat of his so confused and disordered but hee commanded the pursuit and himselfe advanced before the vantgard to marke the manner of their retreat and according to the present occasion to resolve what to doe but so thicke a mist with a storme beside fell upon the earth that for a time they could not see before them Within a while after the weather cleering up againe hee observed that they retired hastily for feare in three great battalions and with the horsemen placed behind at their backes hee fully determined therefore to charge upon them having sent backe the President of Mounster with three companies of horsemen into the campe to restraine the Spaniards if haply out of the towne they should sallie and breake out upon them And the Lord Deputie himselfe followed after the Rebels with such speed in their retreat that hee forced them to stand in the brinke of a bogge whereunto there was no accesse but at a foord but when those horsemen that kept the foord were by the valour of the Marshall and the Earle of Clan-Ricard discomfited and put to rout the other and courageously gave the onset upon the maine troupes of the enemies horsmen which charge when Sir William Godolphin who had the leading of the Deputies horse Sir Henry Daâ—vers Minshaw Taff Fleming and Sir John Barkly Sergeant Major of the Camp who joyned with them redoubled with so great alacrity that the Rebels presently brake and fell in disorder But it was not thought good to follow the chase but gathering their forces and power together they charged upon the maine battell now in feare and wavering which they also brake Tirell with his company and the Spaniards all this while kept their standing and made their ground good against whom the Deputy putteth forward his rereward and that he might accomplish not onely the part of a leader in commanding but also of a souldier in fighting with three companies of Oliver S. Iohns whereof Captaine Roe had the conduct chargeth violently upon them and so brake their arraies that in great disorder and confusion they reculed backe and betooke themselves to the Irish by whom they were presently left unto the edge of the sword and routed by the troupe of the Duputies horsemen whereof Sir William Godolphin had the leading Then Ter-Oen O-Denel and the rest on all sides put to flight flung away their weapons and made what shift they could to save themselves Alphonso O Campo was taken prisoner with three other Captaines of the Spaniards and six ensigne bearers slaine there were one thousand and two hundred nine ensignes taken whereof six were Spanish Of the English part scarce two men lost their lives many were wounded and among them Sir Henry Danvers Sir William Godolphin and Crâ—ft so little cost this so great a victory The Lord Deputy after he had founded the retreat and rendred thankes unto almighty God for this victory among the dead bodies of the enemies lying thicke in heapes gave the order of Knight-hood to the Earle of Clan-Ricard for his right valiant service in this battell and thus with lucky acclamations returned victor into his Campe which he found safe and found from all dangers For the Spaniards within the towne seeing all places every way made sure with guardes and having experience before time that all sallies were to their losse kept themselves at home in carefull expectation of the event A noble victory this was and in many regards important whereby Ireland most miserably distressed and ready to revolt was retained the Spaniards ejected the Arch-rebell Tir-Oen repulsed into his starting holes in Ulster O Donell driven into Spaine the rest of the rebellious rable scattered into sundry parts the
unto the said place and there she saith on this wise I call thee P. from the East and West South and North from the forrests woods rivers meeres the wilde wood-fayries white red black c. and withall bolteth out certaine short praiers then returneth she home unto the sicke party to try whether it be the disease called Esane which they are of opinion is sent by the Fairies and whistereth a certaine odde praier with a Pater Noster into his eare putteth some coals into a pot full of fair water and so giveth more certain judgment of the disease than many of our Physicians can Their warre-fare consisteth of horsemen of souldiours set in the rere-guard whom they terme Galloglasses who fight with most keen hatchets and of light armed footmen called Kernes whose service is with darts and skeanes To give an acclamation and shout unto every footman or horseman as he goeth out of the gate is counted lucky and fortunate he who hath no such applause is thought to have some mischeife portended unto him In war they use the bagpipe in stead of a trumpet they carry about them Amulets they recite certain praiers in joining battel they crie as loud as possible they can Pharroh I suppose this to be that military Barritus which Ammianus speaketh of with this perswasion that he who crieth not as loud as the rest shall have this accident befall unto him suddenly to bee taken up from the ground and carried as it were flying in the aire avoiding ever after the sight of men into a certaine vale in Kerry as I have said before Such as visite and sit by one that lieth sicke in bed never speake word of God nor of the salvation of his soul ne yet of making his will but all to put him in hope of his recovering If any one call for the sacrament him they count past hope and recovery The wives passe not for any will-making because it is grown now to be a common custome that a third part of the goods shall bee given unto them and the rest to bee divided by even portions among the children saving that when they come to enter upon the inheritance be that is mightiest carrieth away the best share For he that is strongest be he unkle or nephew most times seizeth upon the inheritance and shutteth the children out of all When one lieth ready to die before he is quite gone certaine women hired of purpose to lament standing in the meeting of crosse high-wayes and holding their hands all abroad call unto him with certain out-cries fitted for the nonce and goe about to stay his soule as it laboureth to get forth of the bodie by reckoning up the commodities that he enjoyeth of wordly goods of wives of beauty fame kinsfolke friends and horses and demanding of him why he will depart and whither and to whom yea they expostulate with his soule objecting that she is unthankfull At length they piteously make moane and say that the soule now ready to leave the body is going away to these kinde of haggish women that appeare by night and in darknesse but after it is departed once out of the body they keepe a mourning and wailing for it with loud howling and clapping of their hands together Now they follow the corps when it goes to buriall with such a peale of out-cries that a man would thinke the quicke as well as the dead past all recoverie In these wailings and lamentations the nurses daughters and concubines make the greatest adoe and are most vehement Neither doe they mourne with lesse sorrow and heavinesse for those that are slaine in battaile than such as die of sicknesse although they affirme that they have an easier death who lose their lives in fighting in the field or in robbing Yet notwithstanding they raile upon their enemies with most spitefull words and continue for a long time deadly hatred against all of that sept and kinred They suppose that the soules of such as are deceased goe into the company of certaine men famous in those places touching whom they retaine still fables and songs as of Giants Fin-Mac-Huyle Osker Mac-Oshin and they say that by illusion they often times doe see such As for their meats they feed willingly upon herbs and watercresses especially upon mushromes shamroots and roots so that Strabo not without good cause said they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Eaters of herbes for which in some copies is falsly read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Great Eaters They delight also in butter tempered with oate-meale in milke whey beefe-broth and flesh oftentimes without any bread at all As for the corne that they have they lay it up for their horses provender for whom verily they are especially carefull When they be hunger bitten in time of dearth they disdaine not to devoure raw flesh after they have pressed out the blood thereof and for to concoct and digest it they swill in and poure down the throat Uskebah draught after draught They let their kine blood also which when it is growne to a gelly and strewed over with butter they eat with good appetite They goe for the most part bare headed unlesse it bee when they put on an head-piece The haire of their head they weare long and nothing set they greater store by than the glibbes or tresses of their haires and to have the same plucked or twitched they take it for a contumelious indignitie They use linnen shirts and those verily exceeding large with wide sleeves and hanging side downe to their very knees which they were wont to staine with saffron Little Jackets they have of woollen and those very short breeches most plaine and close to their thighes But they cast over these their mantles or shagge rugges which Isidore seemeth to call Heteromallae with a deepe fringed purâ—le and the same daintily set out with sundrie colours within which they lappe themselves in the night and sweetly sleepe on the very ground Such also doe the women cast over the side garment that they weare downe to the foot and with elnes as I said of Sendall rolled up in wreathes they rather load than adorne their heads like as they doe their neckes with chaines and carkaneth their armes also with bracelets These are the manners of the wild Irish out of our Author In the rest for the most part all that inhabite the English Pale as they tearme it there is no point of curtesie and civilitie wanting for which they are beholden to the English conquest and for much more might the whole Island bee beholden unto it in case upon a certaine peevish and obstinate love they beare unto their owne country fashions they had not stopped up their eares and shut up their hearts against better governance For the Irishry are so stifly settled in observing of the old rites of their country that not onely they cannot be withdrawne from them but also are able easily to draw the English unto
Bartholomew Verdon James White Stephen Gernon and their complices slew John Dowdal Sheriffe of Louth MCCCCIII In the fourth yeere of King Henry the fourth and in the moneth of May was killed Sir Walter Beterley a valiant Knight then Sheriffe there and with him thirty men In the same yeere about the feast of S. Martin there passed over into England Thomas the Kings sonne leaving Stephen Scroop his Deputy who also himself upon the first day of Lent returned into England and then the Lords of the land chose the Earle of Ormond Lord Justice of Ireland MCCCCIV In the fifth yeere of King Henry died Iohn Cowlton Archbishop of Armagh the fifth of May whom Nicholas Fleming succeeded The same yeere on S. Vitalis day began a Parliament at Dublin before the Earle of Ormond then Lord Justice of Ireland wherein where confirmed the Statutes of Kilkenny and of Dublin also the charter of Ireland In the same yeere Patrick Savage in Ulster was treacherously slaine by Mac-Kilmori and Richard his brother given for an hostage who likewise was murdred in prison after he had payed two hundred Marks MCCCCV In the sixth yeere of King Henry and in the month of May were taken three Scottish Galions or Barkes two at Green-castle and one at Dalkey with the captaine Thomas Mac-Golagh The same yeere the merchants of Tredaght entred Scotland tooke pledges and preies The same yeere Stephen Scroope crossed the seas into England leaving the Earle of Ormond Lord Justice of Ireland And the same yeere in the month of June the Dublinians entred Scotland at Saint Ninians and there behaved themselves manfully then landed they in Wales and did much hurt to the Welshmen there yea and carried away the Shrine of S. Cubie unto the Church of the holy Trinitie in Dublin Also the same yeere on the Vigill of the blessed Virgin died James Botiller Earle of Ormond whiles he was Lord Justice to the griefe of many at Baligauran unto whom there succeeded in the office of Lord Justice Gerald Earle of Kildare MCCCCVI And in the seventh yeere of King Henry on Corpus Christi day the Dublinians with the people of the Countrey about them manfully overcame the Irish and killed some of them they tooke three ensignes and carried away divers of their heads to Dublin The same yeere the Prior of Conall fought valiantly in the plaine of Kildare and vanquished two hundred Irish well armed killing some and putting others to flight there were in the Priors company not above twenty English and thus God regardeth those that repose trust in him In the same yeere after the feast of S. Michael Sir Stephen Scroop Deputy Justice under the Lord Thomas the Kings sonne Lievtenant of Ireland entred into Ireland The same yeere died Pope Innocentius the seventh after whom succeeded Pope Gregory The same yeere beganne a Parliament at Dublin on Saint Hilaries day which ended at Trym in Lent and Meiler Bermingham slew Cathol O-Conghir in the end of February and Sir Gefferey Vaulx a noble Knight in the countie of Carlagh died MCCCCVII A certaine Irishman a most false villaine named Mac-Adam Mac-Gilmori who caused fortie Churches to be destroied one that was never christened and therefore termed Corbi tooke Patricke Savage prisoner and received of him for his ransome two thousand Marks and yet killed him afterwards with his brother Richard The same yeere in the feast of the exaltation of the Holy Crosse Stephen Scroop Deputy under Thomas the Kings sonne Lievtenant of Ireland accompanied with the Earles of Ormond and Desmond and the Prior of Kylmaynon with many out of Meth set forth from Dublin and in hostile manner invaded the land of Mac-Murgh where the Irish had the better of the field in the forepart of the day but afterwards they were manfully by the said Captaines repulsed where O-Nolam with his sonne and others were taken prisoners But hearing then and there that the Burkeins and O-Keroll in the countie of Kilkenny had for two daies together done much mischiefe sodainly the said Captaines rode in all haste with bridle on horse necke unto the towne of Callan and there meeting with the said enemies manfully put them to flight O-Keroll and to the number of eight hundred they killed in the place The same yeere Stephen Scroop sailed over into England and Iames Butler Earle of Ormond was by the country chosen Lord Justice of Ireland MCCCCVIII The said L. Justice held a Parliament at Dublin in which Parliament were confirmed the Statutes of Kilkenny and of Dublin and a Charter granted under the great seale of England against Purveyouris The same yeere the morrow after S. Peters day ad Vincula the Lord Thomas of Lancaster the Kings sonne arrived as Lievtenant of Ireland at Cartingford and in the weeke following came to Dublin and arrested the Earle of Kildare as he came unto him with three of his house and all his goods he lost by the servants of the said Lievtenant and in the castle of Dublin he imprisoned him untill he made paiment of 300. Marks for a fine The same yeere on Saint Marcellus day died the Lord Stephen Scroop at Tristel-Dermot The same yeere the said Thomas of Lancaster was wounded at Kylmainon and hardly escaped death and afterwards caused Proclamation to be made that whosoever by his tenures owed service to the King should appeare at Rosse And after Saint Hilaries feast he held a Parliament at Kilkenny for to have a tallage granted And afterwards upon the third day before the Ides of March he passed over into England leaving the Prior of Kylmainon his Deputy in Ireland In this yeere Hugh Mac-Gilmory was slaine at Cragfergus within the Oratory or Church of the Friers Minors which Church he before had destroyed and broken the glasse windowes thereof for to have the iron barres therein at which his enemies to wit the Savages entred MCCCCIX In the tenth yeere of King Henry and in the month of June Ianico of Artoys with the English slew fourescore of the Irish in Ulster MCCCCX On the thirteenth day of June began a Parliament at Dublin and continued three weeks the Prior of Kylmainon sitting as Lord Justice The same yeere on the tenth day of July the same Justice beganne the castle of Mibracly in O-Feroll and built De la Mare and a great dearth there was of corne In the same yeere the Justice entred the land of O-brin with a thousand and five hundred kernes of whom eight hundred departed unto the Irish and had not the Dublinians beene there there would have beene wailing and many a woe and yet Iohn Derpatrick lost his life there MCCCCXII About the feast of Tiburce and Valerian O-Conghir did much harm to the Irish in Meth and tooke prisoner 160. men The same yeere O-Doles a knight and Thomas Fitz-Moris Sheriffe of Limerik killed one another In the same yeere the ninth of June died Robert Monteyn Bishop of Meth after whom succeeded Edward Dandisey sometime Archdeacon of
Lievtenant there 300. markes and the Parliament was adjourned eftsoones unto the munday after St. Ambrose day Then rumours resounded that the Lord Thomas Fitz-Iohn Earle of Desmund died at Paris on St. Laurence feast day and was buried there at the Friers Preachers covent the King of England being present at his funerals After whom succeeded in that Seigniorie James Fitz-Gerald his Unkle by the fathers side who had three times thrust him out of his patrimonie and laid an imputation upon him that he was a prodigall spend-thrift and had wasted his patrimony both in Ireland and England and that he gave or would give lands to the Abbey of St. Iames at Kernisham 1421. The Parliament began upon prorogation the third time at Dublin the munday after the feast of S. Ambrose and there certain persons were ordained to be sent in message to the King as touching the redresse of the land namely the Archbishop of Armagh and Sir Christopher Preston Knight At the same time Richard O-Hedian Bishop of Cassell was accused by John Gese Bishop of Lismore and Waterford upon thirtie Articles laid to his charge After all that hee charged him that hee made very much of the Irish and loved none of the English that hee bestowed no benefice upon any Englishman and gave order likewise unto other Bishops that they should not conferre the least living that was upon them Item that hee counterfeited the King of Englands seale and the Kings letters patents that he went about to make himselfe King of Mounster also that he tooke a ring away from the image of S. Patrick which the Earle of Desmund had offered and bestowed it upon an harlot of his beside many other enormities which he exhibited in writing And the Lords and Commons were much troubled betweene these twaine Now in the same Parliament there was debate between Adam Pay Bishop of Clon and another Prelate for that the said Adam went about to unite the others Church unto his but the other would not and so they were sent and referred unto the Court of Rome and this Parliament lasted 18. daies In the Nones of May there was a slaughter committed by O-Mordris upon the family or retinue of the Earle of Ormund Lievtenant neere unto the Monastery of Leys where were slaine of the English 27. The principall parties were Purcell and Grant Then Gentlemen of good birth were taken prisoners and 200. fled unto the foresaid Monastery and so were saved In the Ides of May died Sir Iohn Bodley Knight and Geffery Galon sometime Maior of Dublin and was buried in the house of the preaching Friers of the same City About this time Mac-Mahon an Irishman played the divell in Urgal wasting and burning where ever he went The seventh of Iune the Lievtenant entred into the country to wit of Leys against O-Mordis and led thither a most puissant army having the killing of his enemies for foure daies together and untill the Irish promised all peace and quietnesse Upon the feast of Michael the Archangel Thomas Stanley accompanied with all the Knights and Squires of Meth and Iriel took Moyle O-Downyll prisoner and slew others in the 14. yeere of King Henry the sixth his reigne Thus far forth were continued the Annales of Ireland which came to my hands and upon which I have bestowed these few pages to gratifie them that may delight therein As for the nice and dainty readers who would have all writings tried to the touch of Augustus his dayes I know they can yeeld no pleasing rellish to them in regard of the harsh words and the saplesse dry stile familiar unto that age wherein they were penned Neverthelesse I would have those to remember That HISTORIE both beareth brooketh and requireth the Authors of all ages Also That they are to look as well for reall and substantiall knowledge from some as for the verball and literall learning from others THE SMALLER ILANDS IN THE BRITISH OCEAN NOw will I at length waigh anchor and set saile out of Ireland and lanching forth take survey of the Ilands scattered here and there along the coasts of Britaine If I durst repose any trust in my selfe or if I were of any sufficiencie I would shape my course to every one But sith it is my purpose to discover and inlighten Antiquity such as are obscure and of lesse account I will lightly coast by and those that carry any ancient name and reckoning above the rest I will enter and visite yea and make some short stay in them that now at last in a good and happy houre they may recover their ancienty againe And that in this voiage I may at first set out orderly and take a straight and direct course I will to begin saile out of Ireland into the Severn sea and by the Irish sea after I have doubled the utmost point of Scotland follow my course down into the Germai◠Ocean and so from thence through the British sea which extendeth as far as to Spaine hold on my race as prosperously as I can But I am afraid lest this my ship of Antiquity steared by me so unskilfull a Pilot either run and be split upon the rockes of errours or else be overwhelmed with the waves of ignorance yet venter I must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Antiphilus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Adventure is a good sea Captain and he that saileth the same voiage a second time may haply speed much better and finish his desired course First and formost because it seemeth not impertinent to my matter I will set down what Plutarch out of a fabulous narration of Demetrius who seemeth to have lived in Hadrians time reporteth generally as touching the Ilands lying neer to Britain Demetrius made report that most of those Ilands which coast upon Britain lie desert desolate and scattering here and there whereof somewere dedicated to the Daemones and Heroes also that himself by commission from the Emperour sailed toward one that was neerest of those desert Iles for to know and discover somewhat the which he found to have in a few inhabitants and those he understood were reputed by the Britans sacred and inviolable Within a while after he was landed there the aire and weather as he said became foully troubled many portenteous signes were given by terrible tempests with extra-ordinary stormes flashing and violent lightnings and fiery impressions which after they were appeased the Ilanders certified him that some one of great eminency was dead And a little after Now he said moreover that there was a certain Iland there wherein Saturn was by Briareus closed up and kept in prison sound asleep for sleep was the means to hold him captive about whose person there were many Daemones at his feet that stood attending as servitours Thus they took pleasure in old time as now also at this day boldly to devise strange wonders and tales of places far remote in a certain secure veine of lying as it were by authoritie In the narrow sea
there established On the East-side where it faceth the citie Constantia there is seated upon a steep rocke a most strong castle with an haughty name called Mont Orgueil which is much beholden unto King Henry the fifth who repaired it The Governour of the Isle is Captain thereof who in times past was called the Custos of the Isle and in Henry the third his reigne had a yeerely pension of 200. pound On the South side but with longer distance betweene Saint Malo is to be seene having taken that new name of Maclou a very devout man where before time it was called the city Diablintum and in the ancient Notice ALETUM for in a Manuscript of Isidor Mercator we read thus in expresse termes Civitas Diablintum c. that is the city Diablintum which by another name is called Aletum As for the inhabitants they freshly practice the feat of fishing but give their minds especially to husbandry and the women make a very gainfull trade by knitting of hose which they call Iarsey Stockes or Stockings As touching the politicke state thereof a Governour sent from the King of England is the chiefe Magistrate hee appointeth a Bailiffe who together with twelve Jurats or sworne Assistants and those chosen out of the twelve severall parishes by the voices of the Parishioners sitteth to minister justice in Civill causes in criminall matters he sitteth but with seven of the said sworne assistants and in causes of conscience to be decided by equity and reason with three Twenty miles hence North-west lieth another Iland which Antonine the Emperour in ancient time named SARNIA we at this day Garnsey lying out East and West in fashion of an harpe neither in greatnesse nor in fruitfulnesse comparable to Iersey for it hath in it only ten parishes yet is this to be preferred before it because it fostereth no venemous thing therin like as the other doth It is also better fortified by naturall fenses as being enclosed round with a set of steepe rockes among which is found that most hard and sharpe stone Smyris which we terme Emerill wherewith Goldsmiths and Lapidaries clense burnish and cut their precious stones and glaziers also divide and cleave their glasse Likewise it is of greater name for the commodiousnesse of the haven and the concourse of merchants resorting thither For in the farthest part well neere Eastward but on the South side it admitteth an haven within an hollow Bay bending inward like an halfe Moone able to receive tall ships upon which standeth Saint Peters a little towne built with a long and narrow street well stored with warlike munition and ever as any warre is toward mightily replenished with Merchants For by an ancient priviledge of the Kings of England here is alwaies a continuall truce as it were and lawfull it is for Frenchmen and others how hot soever the warre is to have repaire hither too and fro without danger and to maintain entercourse of trafficke in security The entry of the haven which is rockie is fortified on both sides with castles On the left hand there is an ancient bulwarke or block-house and on the right hand over against it standeth another called Cornet upon an high rocke and the same at every high water compassed about with the sea Which in Queene Maries daies Sir Leonard Chamberlane Governour of the Iland as also under Queene Elizabeth Sir Thomas Leighton his successour caused to bee fortified with new workes For here lieth for the most part the Governour of the Iland and the Garrison souldiers who will in no hand suffer Frenchmen and women to enter in On the North side there is La-vall a biland adjoining unto it which had belonging thereto a covent of religious persons or a Priory On the West part neere unto the sea there is a lake that taketh up a mile and halfe in compasse replenished with fish but Carpes especially which for bignesse and pleasant taste are right commendable The inhabitants are nothing so industrious in tilling of the ground as those of Iarsey but in navigation and trafficke of merchandise for a more uncertaine gaine they be very painfull Every man by himselfe loveth to husband his owne land so that the whole Iland lieth in severall and is divided by enclosures into sundry parcels which they find not onely profitable to themselves but also a matter of strength against the enemie Both Ilands smile right pleasantly upon you with much variety of greene gardens and orchards by meanes whereof they use for the most part a kinde of wine made of apples which some call Sisera and we Sydre The inhabitants in both places are by their first originall either Normans or Britans and speake French yet disdaine they to be either reputed or named French and can very well be content to be called English In both Ilands likewise they burne Uraic for their fuell or else sea-coals brought out of England and in both places they have wonderfull store of fish and the same manner of civill government These Ilands with others lying about them belonged in old time to the Dukedom of Normandy but when as Henry the first King of England had vanquished his brother Robert in the yeere of our Lord 1108. he annexed that Dukedom and these Ilands unto the kingdome of England Since which time they have continued firme in loialtie unto England even when John King of England being endited for murdering Arthur his Nephew was by a definitive sentence or arrest of confiscation deprived of his right in Normandy which he held in chiefe of the French King yea moreover when the French had seized upon these Isles hee through the faithfull affection of the people twice recovered them Neither revolted they when Henry the third King of England had for a summe of money surrendred his whole interest and right in Normandy And ever since they have with great commendation of their constancy persisted faithfull unto the Crowne of England and are the onely remaines that the Kings of England have of the ancient inheritance of William the Conquerour and of the Dutchy of Normandy although the French otherwhiles have set upon them who from the neighbour coast of France have hardly this long time endured to see them appertaine not to France but to England And verily Evan a Welsh Gentleman descended from the Princes of Wales and serving the French King surprized Garnesey in the time of King Edward the third but soone lost it And also in the reigne of King Edward the fourth as appeareth by the records of the Realme they seized upon the same but through the valour of Richard Harleston valect of the Crowne for so they termed him in those daies they were shortly disseized and the King in recompence of his valorous service gave unto him the Captainship both of the Iland and of the castle And in the yeere 1549. when England under King Edward the sixth a child was distressed with domesticall troubles Leo Strozzi Captaine of
already into the hearts of all nations in manner that are Behold in one faith he hath conjoined the limits of East and west Behold I say the very British tongue which could nought else but rudely bray Barbarous words long since began in the land of God to resound the Hebrew Allelu-jah And in his Epistle to Augustine himselfe Who is able heere to shew sufficiently what great joy is risen up in the hearts of all the faithfull for that the nation of Englishmen by the operation of God almightie his grace and the labour of your brotherhood after the darknes of errours were chased and driven away is illuminated with the light of holy faith for that with most sincere devotion they now spurne and tread idols under their feete who beforetime in superstitîous feare lay prostrate before them In an old fragment also written in that age thus we read Augustine upon one day of Christs Nativitie which with the universall glorie of the Englishmen is for ever celebrated did regenerate by lively Baptisme above ten thousand men besides an innumerable multitude of women and young children But what a number of Priests and other holy orders besides could be sufficient to wash such a sort of people Having hallowed and blessed therefore the river called in English Swale the Archbishop Augustine commanded by the voice of Criers Maisters that the people should enter the river confidently two by two and in the name of the Trinitie baptize one another by turnes Thus were they all borne againe with no lesse miracle than in times past the people of Israel passed over the red Sea divided and likewise Iordan when it turned backe for even so they were transported to the banke on the other side and notwithstanding so deepe a current and chanell so great and so divers differences of sex and age not one person who will ever thinke it tooke harme A great miracle no doubt but this miracle as great as it was a greater preeminence doth surmount in that all feeblenesse and infirmitie was laid off in that river whosoever was sick and deformed returned out of it whole and reformed O festivall spectacle for Angels and men to behold when so many thousands of a nation suing for grace came forth of one rivers channel as out of one mothers wombe and out of one poole so great a progenie sprung up for the celestiall and heavenly Citie Hereupon the most gracious Pope Gregorie with all the companies of Saints above breaking forth into joy could not conceale this but wrote unto Saint Eulogius the Patriarch of Alexandria that hee would most thankefully congratulate with him for so great an host baptized upon one Christmas day No sooner was the name of Christ preached but the English presently with such fervent zeale and devotion consecrated themselves unto Christ that they tooke incredible paines in propagating Christianitie in celebrating divine service performing all functions and duties of pietie building Churches and endowing them with rich livings so that there was not another region in all Christendome that could make reckoning of more monasteries richly endowed Yea divers Kings there were that preferred a religious and monasticall life before their Crowne and Kingdom So many holy men also this land brought forth which for their most firme profession of Christian religion constant perseverance therein and sincere pietie were canonized Saints that it gave place to no other Christian province in this behalfe And like as Britaine was called of that prophane Porphyrie a plenteous province of Tyrants so England might truely be named a most fruitfull Island of Saints Furthermore they applied their minds to the bringing in againe of the better kind of arts and sciences and sowed the seeds of Divinitie and good literature throughout all Germanie by the meanes of Winifridus Willebrodus and others which a German Poet sheweth in these verses Haec tamen Arctois laus est aeterna Britannis Quòd post Pannonicis vastatum incursibus orbem Illa bonas artes Graiae munera linguae Stellarumque vias magni sydera coeli Observans iterum turbatis intulit oris Quin se religio multum debere Britannis Servata latè circùm dispersa fatetur Quis nomen Winfride tuum quis munera nescit Te duce Germanis pietas se vera fidesque Insinuans coepit ritus abolere profanos Quid non Alcuino facunda Lutetia debes Instaurare bonas ibi qui foeliciter artes Barbariemque procul solus depellere coepit Quid tibi divinumque Bedam doctissimus olim Dum varias unus bene qui cognoverat artes Debemus Yet this immortall praise is due to Britain Northern Isle That when the world was overrun and wasted all the while By Pannonik invasions it did reduce in ure Those troubled countries with good arts also with knowledge pure Of Greeke tongue and observing still the stars in spacious skie And planets with their wandring waies taught them Astronomie For true religion eke preserv'd and sowne in many a land The world much bound to Britaine is and to her helpfull hand Thy name and gifts ô Winifride who knowes not since by thee The way was made in Germanie where faith and pietie First setting foote beganne to chase all rites profane away What ow I not to Alcuine now may eloquent Paris say Who happily went there in hand alone to plant a new Good arts and thence all barbarisme to banish far from view And unto thee for worthy Bede we are beholden much The only man for sundry arts his learned skill was such Peter Ramus saith moreover that Britaine was twice Schole-mistris to France meaning by the Druida◠and Alcuinus whose industrie Charles the Great used especially in erecting the Universitie of Paris They brought also into Germanie military knowledge of Armes as well as learning and religion yea and which you will marvell at if wee may beleeve these words of Eginhardus they gave unto those Saxons their first Originall who now inhabite the Dukedome of Saxonie The nation of the Saxons saith he as Antiquities do record being departed from the English inhabiting Britaine sailing through the Ocean partly upon a desire they had and partly driven of necessitie to seeke where they might seat themselves arrived upon the coasts of Germanie and landed at a place called Haduloha what time as Theodericus King of the Franks warring upon Hirminfridus Duke of the Thuringers his Daughters husband cruelly with fire and sword wasted their land Now when as they had in two pight fields already tried the doubtfull fortune of battaile with lamentable slaughter of their people and uncertaine victorie Theoderich disappointed of his hope to be Master of the field dispatched Embassadors unto the Saxons whose Duke was Hadugato who having heard the cause of their comming and taken their promise that upon obtaining victorie they should cohabite together led forth an armie with them to aide Theodoricus By meanes of which forces valiantly
fighting now with him as it were for their libertie and native country hee overcame his enemies and when hee spoiled the naturall Inhabitants killed them up and in manner left not one alive their land according to his promise hee set out and appointed for the Conquerours to possesse who dividing the same by casting lots seeing many of them were slaine in the wars and that by reason of their fewnesse the whole country could not be occupied and peopled by them part of it that especially which lyeth Eastward they made over to coloners and new Inhabitants to every one according as by lot it fell out to be holden and tilled for a certaine rent and tribute All the rest they themselves possessed On the Southside verily these Saxons have the Franks and a remnant of the Thuringers whom the precedent whirlewind of hostilitie had not touched and are divided from them by the channell of the river Unstrote Northward dwell the Normans a most fierce Nation East from them the Obotrites inhabite and Westward the Frisians from whom continually without intermission they defended their territories and marches thereof either by Covenants of league or necessary skirmishing But now returne wee to our English-Saxons For a long time the State and Empire of the Saxons flourished exceeding well under the foresaid Heptarchie untill those Kingdomes bruised and impaired one of another with civill warres came all in the end to bee subjest unto the West-Saxons For Egbert King of these West-Saxons having conquered already foure of these Kingdomes and swallowed up as it were in hope the other twaine also to the end that they which were subdued and reduced to the rule of one Prince might bee conjoyned likewise in one name commanded by an Edict and Proclamation that the Heptarchie which the Saxons held should bee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is England whereupon in Latine it was named Anglia taking denomination of the Angles as beeing of those three nations most in number and of greatest prowesse For they kept in their possession the Kingdome of Northumberland and Mercia very great and large countries together with East-England whereas the off-spring of the Jutes held Kent only and the Isle of Wight The Saxons East-sex South-sex West-sex a small parcell verily if it be compared with those spatious territories lands of the English Of whom long before this they were generally throughout called English in their owne language Englatheod Anglcynne Engl-cynn and Englisc-mon albeit every Kingdome therein had a speciall name of the owne by it selfe And this appeareth for certaine as well out of other writers as Beda who intituled his Story The Historie of the English-Nation Yea and in that Heptarchie those Princes that over-ruled the rest were stiled Gentis Anglorum Reges that is Kings of the English nation At this time the name of Britaine lay forgotten and growne quite out of use among the Inhabitants of this Island remaining only in books and not taken up in common speech And hereupō it is that Boniface the bishop of Mentz descended frō hence called this our country Saxony beyond the Sea Howbeit K. Eadred about the yeare of our Lord 948. used in some Charters and Patents the name and title of King of Great Britaine like as Edgar in the yeare 970. bare this stile also The Monarch of all whole Albion Being now called Anglia or England the state and puissance of these Angles was come to the full height and therefore such is the revolution of all mortall things hastened apace to their period and end For the Danes continually infesting our coasts many yeares together at the length began to enter ransacking and mangling this countrie most pittifully NAMES OF ENGLISH-SAXONS MY purpose was even here to have set downe the orderly succession of the English-Saxon Kings both in the Heptarchie and also in their Monarchie but seeing that they seeme not properly to belong unto this place neither is the bare heaping up of names onely delightfull to the Reader perhaps it will be more acceptable if I briefly annexe hereto what I have observed by much reading and especially in Alfricus our ancient Grammarian as touching the force reason and signification of the ancient English names Not that my meaning is to interpret every name severally for that were a piece of worke very laborious neither can such barbarous names in which there lieth couched great significancie succinct brevitie and some ambiguitie be easily delivered in another tongue But considering that most of them bee compounded and that of few simples I will explaine the said simples that the significations of the compound implying all the osse and presage of good lucke wished-for and happie fortune may evidently appeare and that we may throughly perceive there is among all nations that Orthotes of names which Plato speaketh of AEL EAL and AL in names compounded like as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke compositions signifieth Al or Wholly Hereupon Aelwin is as much as Wholly or Fully Victor Albert All bright and dread wholly dread or reverend Alfred Altogether Pacificall or peacefull Whereunto in some sort are correspondent in Greeke Pammachius Pancratius Pamphilius c. AELF which with varietie of Dialect is pronounced Vlf Wolph Hulph Hilp Helfe and in these daies Helpe carrieth in it a signification of Helpe or Aide as for example Aelfwin that is a victorious aide Aelfwold a helpfull Governour Aelfgiva she that giveth helpe according to which are these Greeke names Boetius Symmachus Epicurus ARD betokeneth naturall disposition or towardnesse as Godard is as much as Divine towardlinesse or inclination Reinard Sincere disposition Giffard a franke and liberall nature Bernard a filiall and sonne-like affection ATHEL Adel and Ethel import Noble Thus Aethelred that is Noble in counsell Aethelard a noble nature or disposition Aethelbert famously Noble Ethelward a noble Tutor or Protectour BERT the same that with us at this day Bright and in Latin Illustris and clarus that is Splendent and cleare so Ecbert that is Bright and shining for ever Sigbert a splendent conquerour as also shee whom the Germans named Bertha the Greeke called Eudoxia as Luitprandus witnesseth And of this sort were Phaedrus Epiphanius Photius Lampridius among the Greekes Fulgentius and Illustrius c. among the Latins BALD with the people of the North parts is the same that Audax in Latine that is Bold as Jornandes sheweth a word that yet is not growne out of use So Baldwin and by inversion Winbald is the same that Bold Victour Ethelbald Nobly bold Eadbald Happily bold Unto which are consonant Thraseas Thrasimachus and Thrasibulus in Greeke c. KEN and KIN import Kinsfolke as Kinulph an helpe to Kinsfolke Kinhelm a Defender of his kin Kinburg a defence to kinred Kinric powerfull in or to kinsfolke CVTH beareth with it a signification of skill and cunning so Cuthwin that is a skilfull or politicke Conquerour