an Army of eighteene thousand men led by the Dukes of Sommerset and Excester the Earles of Deuonshire and Wiltshire the Lords Neuill Clifford Rosse and in effect all the Northerne Nobility The host or so much therof as they thought necessary to shew presents it selfe before Sandall to prouoke and dare the Duke to battell His bloud impatient of these braues ignorant perhaps that the enemy had so great a multitude will needes fight though the Earle of Salisbury and Sir Dauid Hall an ancient seruant of his and a great Souldier gaue him aduise to stay till his sonne the Earle of March approched with such Welshmen and Marchers as hee had in great numbers assembled But God would forbeare him no longer but like a seuere Master meanes to take a present account at which he found whether all the kingdomes of the earth are worth the least sinne much lesse a wilfull periurie 89 The Queene therefore addeth stratageme and wit to her force to the entent hee might not escape her hands whereupon the Earle of Wiltshire vpon one side of the hill and the Lord Clifford vpon the other lie in ambush to thrust between him and the Castell the Dukes of Sommerset and Exceter stand embattelled in the open field Their policy had the wished successe for the Duke being not fully fiue thousand strong issueth out of the Castle downe the hill The battels which stood in front ioyne furiously when sodainly the Duke of Yorke sees himselfe inclosed and although hee expressed great manhood yet within one halfe houre his whole Armie was discomfited himselfe and diuers his deare friends beaten downe and slaine There lay dead about him the Lord Harington Sir Thomas Neuill sonne to the Earle of Salisburie Sir Dauid Hal with sundry Knights and others about two thousand two hundred among which were the heires of many Southern gentlemen of great account whose bloud was shortly after reuenged Let vs not linger vpon the particular accidents of this battell but consider what it wrought for King Henries aduancement yet these few things are not to bee vnremembred The Earle of Rutland a yonger sonne to the Duke of Yorke being about twelue yeeres old was also slaine by the Lord Clifford who ouertooke him flying in part of reuenge for that the Earles father had slaine his A deed which worthily blemished the Author but who can promise any thing temperate of himselfe in the heat of martiall furie chiefly where it was resolued not to leaue anie branch of Yorke line standing for so doth one make the Lord Clifford to speake 90 That mercilesse proposition was common as the euent will shew to either faction The Duke of Yorkes head crowned with paper is presented to the Queene Cruell ioy is seldome fortunate Caesar wept ouer Pompeis head but the Queen ignorant how manifold causes of teares were reserued for her owne share makes herselfe merrie with that gastly and bloody spectacle The Earle of Salisburie after wounds receiued being in this battel taken prisoner is conueighed to Ponfract Castle from whence the common people who loued him not violently haled him and cut off his head which perhaps was not done without the good liking of others The Dukes head together with his were fixed on poles and set vpon a gate of Yorke and with them if Grafton say true the heades of all the other prisoners which had beene conducted to Pomfret 91 This battell called of Wakefield was fought vpon the last day of December of whose weathers complexion if their courages had participated mischiefe might haue made her stop here which now is in her swiftest course 92 For the Earle of March sonne and heire to this late valiant Duke of Yorke hearing of this tragicall aduenture giues not ouer but hauing gathered an armie of about twenty thousand to march against the Queene he findes emploiment neerer hand being certified that Iasper Theder Earle of Pembrooke halfe brother to King Henrie and Iames Butler Earle of Ormond and Wiltshire had with them a great force of Welsh and Irish to take him The youthfull and valiant Earle of March whose amiable presence and carriage made him gratious with the people and the rather for that he had the generall good word of women meanes to try his fortune against the said Earles He sodeinely therefore turnes backe from Shrewsbury and at a place called Mortimers Crosse neere Ludlow where the enemie abode he sets vpon them It was Candlemas day in the morning at which time there appeared as some write three Sunnes which sodeinely ioined in one This luckie prognosticon and ominous Meteor exceedingly fired the Earle of March and was some say the reason why he vsed for his Badge or roiall deuise the Sunne in his full brightnesse The Battels maintaine their fight with great furie but in the end the Earle of March obtaines the victorie killing of his enemies three thousand and eight hundreth men the Earles saued themselues by flight The sonne of honour and fortune did thus begin to shine through Clouds of blood and miserie vpon Edward whome shortly we are to behold King of England There were taken Sir Owen Theder father to Iasper Earle of Pembrooke who was beheaded by Edwards commandement as also Sir Iohn Skudamor knight with his two sonnes and other 93 The Queene on the other side hauing ordered her affaires in the North setled the estate thereof and refreshed her people within a while after drawes neere with her Northern armie to S. Albans There came before them an euill fame of their behauiour to London whose wealth lookt pale knowing it selfe in danger for the Northern armie in which were Scots Welsh and Irish aswell as English made bold by the way with what they liked making small distinction of sacred or prophane after they were once past the riuer of Trent Captaine Andrew Trolop being their Coronell King Henry himselfe in person with the Dukes of Norfolke and Suffolke the Earles of Warwicke and Arundel the Lord Bonuile other with a great puissance encampe at S. Albans to giue the Queene battell and stop her farther passage toward London But the Lords of her faction being ready to attempt on her behalfe assaile the Kings forces within the Town and after some sharpe affronts breake through and driue their aduersaries out with much bloodshed till they fell vpon a squadron or battalion of the Kings wherein there were about foure or fiue thousand men which made good their ground for a while with great courage but in the end the Queenes side clearely wanne the day There perished in this conflict about two thousand This hapned vpon Shroue-tuesday the seuenteenth of Februarie The King Queene and Prince meet ioifully where he knights his sonne being eight yeeres old and thirtie others The Lord Bonuile and Sir Thomas Kiriel of Kenâ—… being taken in the fight were beheaded but all the other great men elcape The common people
BRITANNIA A ROMANE A SAXON A DANE A NORMAN THE HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAINE Under the Conquests of the ROMANS SAXONS DANES and NORMANS Their Originals Manners Warres Coines Seales with the Successions Lives acts Issues of the English Monarchs from IULIUS CAESAR to our most gracious Soueraigne King IAMES by IOHN SPEED IMPRINTED AT LONDON Anno Cum Privilegio 1611 And are to be solde by Iohn Sudbury Georg Humble in Popes head alley at the signe of the white Horse THE PROEME TO THE LEARNED AND LOVERS OF GREAT BRITAINES GLORY HAuing thus farre trauelled in the protract and description of this famous Empire of GREAT BRITAINE I might here haue rested and claimed the priuiledge that yeeres and imbecillitie haue brought me vnto had not a further desire in others â—…ged it a matter incident historically to lay downe the originals of those Nations and successions of those Monarchs which either by birth or conquest haue aspired to the Imperiall Crowne And albeit I finde my selfe both tired in the former and most vnfit to prosecute this latter yet will I endeuour to giue herein my best assayes though as my labours so my wants also thereby will be made more vulgar to the world For if those men were blame-worthy against whom Heraclite exclaimeth who with long toile and great trouble finde a little pure substance in a great deale of base earth how shall I then free me from the like imputatioâ—… that from so many mines of pure mettals haue gotten so little Oare and the same neither well tried in my defectiue fornace nor yet artificially cast off through the default of the mould wanting both skil for to fashion and measure to performe the true proportions that in such a proiect is to be required and how often these my defects haue disswaded my proceedings is best knowne to him that is the searcher of the heart But by what fate I am inforced still to goe forward I know not vnlesse it be the ardent affection and loue to my natiue Countrey wherein I must confesse that Nature in those gifts hath bene both liberall yea and prodigall though Fortune as sparing fast-handed against me euer checking the Bit with the Raines of necessity and curbing the meanes that should illustrate my labours which moues me sometimes to thinke that if the great Philosopher Theophrastus had cause on his death-bed to accuse Nature for giuing man so long a lesson and so short a life then I against Fortune may as iustly exclaime that hath assigned me so great a labour and so little meanes And therefore let it not seeme offensiue that I draw my waters from the Cesterns of others who am not able to fetch them at the spring-head my selfe Neither that I strike vpon the same Anuile vnto their sound though nothing so loud nor with the like strength wherein yet this fruit at least wil I hope redound of my endeuours that I shall incite the more learned if not otherwise yet in emulation of me to free the face drawne by Apelles from the censure of the fault or defect in the foot and not onely to amend but euen to new-mould the whole Which thing though my dayes are neere spent and with Barzillai I may say that musicke to me is now vnpleasing yet doth my eare thirst after the set of that straine as Socrates thoughts ranne euer on his Booke who the night before he was to suffer death was desirous to learne musicke because he would die learning still something Moses when he foresaw the destruction of his Common-wealth which whilst it stood was the glory of the earth and a paterne to all kingdomes succeeding left this for a Law among the rest and euen to remaine for euer that the fathers should teach their children and should commit vnto writing those things which the Lord in their dayes had done and enioyned the children Likewise to enquire of the times that were past euen from the first creation of man For when as Empires and Kingdomes Common weales and Cities do end and perish yet the Histories thereof do remaine and liue And that made Cicero to say as he did that Salamina should be vtterly forgotten before the things that were done in Salamina should perish And therefore as among the wise answeres of Thales the Histories of Countreis are to be accounted for principals either as Cicero calleth them the Mistres of life and expositions of Times so likewise let vs from the lyricall Poet Simonides learne this further That he is perfectly happy which knowes his natiue countrey to be truly glorious And as Cassidorâ—… calls him a worthy Citizen that seeketh the commodity of his countrey So contrariwise he is by Bale esteemed but a fruitles clod of earth that sucks the sappe of his soile onely to himselfe whose memoriall shall perish as the dispersed smoake in the clouds though for a time he mount aloft in his swelling pride This naturall loue and true affection to our natiue Countrey we may further learne from the ancient Patriarks and Fathers themselues who besides a desire that they had to theirs continually to liue therein during life commanded their bodies to be buried therein after death from whose Bowels they first had assumed their breathes and in whose bosome they layd their bones as in their last bed of rest Yea of the vnreasonable creatures the Birds and Beasts we may learne this loue that alwayes are willing towards their home And if it happen that Countreys grow vnkinde as Homers did that in his old age and blind suffred him to beg his bread or that a Prophet in his owne countrey is not esteemed as Ieremy felt it and CHRIST IESVS taught yet did the one for his peoples captiuity wish his eyes a fountaine of teares and the other for his countreys destruction lamented and wept holding it vnlawfull to take the childrens bread and to giue it vnto others That this our Countrey and subiect of History deserueth the loue of her inhabitants is witnessed euen by forraine writers themselues who haue termed it the Court of Queene Ceres the Granary of the Westerne world the fortunate Island the Paradise of pleasure and Garden of God whose Typographicall descriptions for the whole Iland and Geographical surueyes for the seuerall parts exceed any other kingdome vnder the cope of Heauen that onely excepted which was conquered and diuided by Iosuah And for fruitfulnes and temperature may be accounted another Canaan watered with riuers that doe cleaue the earth as the Prophet speaketh and make the land as rich and beautiful as was that of Aegypt Our Kings for valour and Sanctity ranked with the worthiest in the world and our Nations originals conquests and continuance tried by the touch of the best humane testimonies leaue as faire a Lustre vpon the same stone as doeth any other and with any nation may easily contend saith Lanquet both
and at this present growing vpon the lands of the right worthy Knight Sir Alexander Hayes his Maiesties principal Secretay for Scotland But among the Latine Writers Lucretius was the first that before Cesar mentioneth Britaine in these verses Nam quid Britannum coelum deferre putamus Et quod in Aegypto est quà mundi claudicat Axis We see the difference in the spheeres where Britaines Sunne doth goe From Egypts Clime wherein Charles waine is forc'd to draw so low 8 Other names hath this Iland beene termed by and that either by way of note for her situation as Insula Caeruli the Iland in the Sea so written in the sonet or parodia made against Ventidius Bassus and by Claudian confirmed whose sides saith hee the azure Sea doth wash And in a very ancient manuscript it is found written Insula florum an Iland of flowers for the abundance of Graine therein growing as also for her subiection to the Romanes hath beene called by Aegisippus the Romane World and by her owne Historian Gildas Romania for being first subdued by them the very name of seruitude saith he stucke fast to the soile And Prosperus Aquitanis in expresse words calleth it the Romane Iland and so did the South-saiers when the statues of Tacitus and Florianus the Emperours were by lightning ouerthrowen who prophecied that an Emperour should arise out of their familie that should send a Pro-consull to the Romane Iland Vpon the like cause of conquest and subiection we read in Amianus that what time the Iland had assaied a dangerous reuolt in the raigne of Valentinianus the Emperor Theodosius as then Gouernor of Britaine reducing them vnder their wonted obedience in honor of Valentinianus caused the Iland to bee called VALENTIA which name notwithstanding died either with or immediately after the death of the said Emperour 9 But about the same time when as by Gods decree the Romanes fulnesse was come to the wane and the greatnesse of their glory did abate by the downefall of that one Empire many Kingdomes beganne to arise and to haue their Rulers Lawes and Limits of themselues Among the rest this Iland Britaine shortlie came to be diuided into three scuerall Kingdomes and each of them to retaine an absolute power in their owne dominions and knowen by their seuerall and proper names The first was Scotland from Scotia and that from Scythia as the best suppose whose Southerne bounds was the famous Wall from Carlile to Newcastle and from thence the enorme tract of all that Northerne promontorie was called Scotia or Scotland The second was Cambria of vs called Wales sited in the West of this Iland inclosing those waste mountaines with a ditch drawen from Basingwarke in Flint-shire in the North to the mouth of Wye neere Bristoll in the South so separated by great Offa the Mercian King And the third was Angle-lond the East the most fruitfull and best of the Iland lying coasted with the French and Germane Seas so named when the vnited Heptarchie of the Saxons was ruled by King Egbert who by his edict dated at Winchester Anno 819. commanded the same to bee called Angle-lond according to the name of the place from whence his ancestors the Angle-Saxons came which was out of the continent part of Denmarke lying betwixt Iuitland and Holsatia where to this day the place retaineth the name Engloen And therefore Calepine is to be reiected that would haue the name from Queene Angela and Goropius of good Anglers either from Pope Gregorie his attribute of Angell-like faces or from others that would faine it from Angula the Giant-like brother to Danus or force it from Angulus Orbis 10 Neither indeed was it called England before the daies of Canutus the Dane but with Angle-land retained still the names both of Albion and Britaine as in a Saxon Charter made by King Edgar the tenth in succession from Egbert and no lesse then one hundred forty and nine yeeres after this Edict is seene where in the beginning he stileth himselfe thus Ego Edgar totius Albionis Basileus c. And in the end of the same charter thus Edgar Rex totius Britannia Dâ—…conem cum sigillo S. Crucis confirmaui And yet vpon his Coines wrote himselfe Rex Anglis whereby wee see the rellish of the former names not vtterly extinct though a new was imposed by the Saxons 11 This last name this Iland still retained though two seuerall Conquests of two seuerall Nations were made of the same Neither did William the Conquerour attempt to alter it it sounding belike so Angel-like in his eares accounting himselfe most happie to be King of so worthy a Kingdome the glorie whereof is further inlarged by the ranking of Christian nations assembled in their generall Councels wherein England is accounted the fifth and hath place of presidencie before kingdomes of larger territories This name of England continued for the space of seuen hundred eighty and three yeeres vnto the comming in of our Soueraigne Lord King IAMES in anno 1602. who by the hand of GOD hath vnited all these Diademes into one Imperiall Crowne and reduced the many Kingdomes in one Iland vnder the gouernment of one Monarch and after the manifold conquests irruptions and dissensions hath settled an eternall amitie and extinguishing all differences of names hath giuen the whole Iland the ancient name of GREAT BRITAINE by his Edict dated at Westminster quartring the royal Armes of his seuerall Kingdomes in one royall Scutchion and for his mott as is most meet BEATI PACIFICI THE ANCIENT NATIONS INHABITING THIS ILAND OF GREAT BRITAINE BEFORE THE CONQVEST THEREOF BY THE ROMANES CHAPTER III. IT is not to bee doubted but that this Iland with the Vniuersall was replenished with people immediately after that men began to be multiplied vpon the earth euen in the daies of the former Patriarkes and long before the Flood of Noah as sundrie ancient Writers haue related And surely if wee consider in those first ages of the world the long life of man the only meanes to multiplication and the worlds continuance for one thousand six hundred fiftie and six yeeres before it was destroied wee shall easily yeeld that euery Country and corner of the earth was plentifully peopled and inhabited And so much doe the Sacred Scriptures intimate vnto vs where by the Prophet Esay it is said Thus saith the Lord that created heauen God himselfe that framed the earth and made it he hath prepared it he created it not in vaine he formed it to be inhabited 2 But when the wrath of GOD was executed vpon the world for sinne and all ouer-whelmed with a Flood of waters the whole earth thereby became altogether vnpeopled eight persons only with the breedreserued creatures saued in the floting Arke Whose Port or Hauen was the mountaine of Araret in Armenia whence with the blessing of procreation mankinde againe
him in great fury with his drawne sword but Ranulph Earle of Chester and others stept betweene and saued the King from so foule a blemish who soone after receiued him into grace againe But that assembly was dispersed by the arriuall of a great man out of Britaine a principal confederate with the English against Lewis who shewed the vnseasonable time of the yeare and other reasons and the enterprize thereupon adiourned to the Spring So after Easter hee transports from Portsmouth with a full Armie into Britaine The same day in which hee set saile from England himselfe did in person visite the poore and feeble and dealt large Almes not refusing to kisse the sicke and leprous The successe of this voyage is so diuersly reported that without preiudice to an obseruant Reader it might be all left out Much certainely was not done The King of Englands purpose was to haue marched through Britaine where many receiued him into Poictou and as some write hee did so and tooke homagein Gascoigne To empeach this passage the King of France lay with a great Armie at Angiers and the King of England at Nants in Britaine expecting the repaire of more force Fulk Paganel a noble Norman with about sixty valiant Knights perswaded the King of England it was easie for him to reduce Normandie to his obedience but Hubert de Burgh diuerted the King from acceptance of that enterprize The Normans therefore made an ill iourney and an vnlucky for they preuailed not with King Henry and for their conspiracy were disseised at home by King Lewis But whether it were by losse in battle wherin if any battle were at all some say the French had the better taking about foure thousand of the English or otherwise this is agreede on that after the wast of infinite Treasures and the great diminution of his numbers the King of England returned without accomplishment of his purpose leauing for the defence of Britaine the three great Earles of Chester Pembroke and Aumarl with forces answerable 28 It is not vnlikely that the dangerous rebellion of the Irish hastned his returne for the King of Connaught and his Irish seeing the King and the Earle of Pembroke who as Heire to the great Strangbaw had goodly possessions in those parts wholie embusied in the enterprise of Britaine had inuaded the Kings people with a purpose and hope vtterlie to expell and amoue our Nation from among them but their deuises proued mischieuous to themselues that rebellious King himselfe being taken Prisoner not without the losse of many thousands of the Irish The Welsh also soone after brake out againe whose Prince Lewelin in reuenge of those Welshmens heads which Hubert de Burgh had cruelly caused to bee strucken off in cold bloud and presented to the King had burnt certaine Churches and Gentlewomen in them for which at Oxford in the presence of the King all the Nobility and Clergy hee was solemnly excommunicated and the King there gathering a great Army in person went to represse the Welsh though not without losse 29 Another Garboyle thereafter no lesse disturbed the whole land the Insolency of the Romans who were charged to haue wrought innumerable confusions and infinite grieuances to the King his Kingdome Peeres and People stirring vp multitudes through the Land by a common consent to seeke by force to shake off the importable yoke of their oppressions It was alleadged by these reformers that they had vnder hand the Kings Letters Patents the Lord Chiefe Iustices assent the Bishop of Londons countenance and the Shiriffes aide in sundry Shires wherby the armed troupes took heart euery where violently to seize on the Romanes Corne and their other wealth which booties they imployed to good purposes and for reliefe of the poore the Romans the while hiding their heades for feare of loosing them And though the King on the Popes complaint thereof seemed to mislike the outrage yet had the King himselfe no lesse cause to bee moued with the insolency of the Pope then were his subiects of those Popelings For that very time the See of Canterbury being void Ralph Neuill Bishop of Norwich was elected by the Monkes and gladly approued by the King whose most faithfull Chancelour hee was an vnshaken pillar of truth doing right to all without delayes especially to the poore without declining to the right hand or the left But the Pope being told he was a Royalist and one that would ioine with the King and whole Kingdome who now all strugled to shake off the Popes seruitude and would to the death sticke to that law and those Appeales which Stephen Langton solemnly before the Altar in Saint Paules Church vrged against King Iohns submission to the See of Rome his Election as being a person very dangerous was presently pronounced void Whereupon the Monkes choose a second and him the Pope misliked for beeing too old and soft spirited then a third was elected a man of eminent learning a Student in the Vniuersity of Oxford and him also the Pope reiected neuer resting till they had chosen Edmund of Abington a man more pleasing to the Romane palate But the King seeing the Great Emperour Fredericke euen this very time whiles hee was winning the Kingdom of Ierusalem from Infidels so Turkishly in his absence deposed from his owne Empire by the Pope vpon a priuate spleene no maruaile if in this his vnripe age and distracted gouernment hee feared to draw on himselfe by any opposition so mercilesse an enemy So that for the time these indignities were winked at in these parts in France also by the wisedome of Queen Blanch and mediation of the Archbishoppe of Reims and Philip Earle of Bollein of one part and the Earles of Britaine and Chester on the other a three yeeres cessation from mutuall hostilities was ratified by oath betweene the French and English 30 Hubert de Burgh Earle of Kent Chiefe Iusticiar of England hauing with few rubbes hitherto enioyed the most inward loue and fauour aswell of this King as of King Iohn seemes now to haue run the Stage of his best fortunes For the King vpon occasion of such inrodes and spoiles as the Prince Lewelin continually made in the Marches of Wales being aduertised by Peter Bishoppe of Winchester and certaine other of the Councell once for all to giue an end to those braues and insolencies of the Welsh complained that hee was not able in regard of his wants saying that his Treasurers told him all the rents of his Exchequor would doe no more then scarce maintaine apparrell houshold and ordinary Almes-deedes This was not vnknowne to the Bishop and the rest of that faction who watched this opportunity of purpose to lift the Earle of Kent out of fauour wherefore they boldly answered the King that if he were poore hee might thanke himselfe who gaue away to others such Honours Custodies and Dignities
King is a Parallel There are named to haue been present at this wofull-ioyfull Act Arundel Archbishoppe of Canterburie Richard Scrope Archbishoppe of Yorke Iohn Bishoppe of Hereford Henry Duke of Lancaster who in this serious play must seeme as if hee were but a looker on the Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland the Lords Burnell Barckley Ros Willoughby and Abergeuenie the Abbot of Westminster c. 112 In their presence Richard as yet a King and in his Tower of London but not otherwise then as a prisoner reades the Instrument of his surrender with a seeming chearefull countenance as if he were glad the hower was come in which hee might taste what it was to be a priuate man and hauing otherwise first done and said what then he could to put all right out of himselfe subscribes it with his hand but prayes that his Cosen the Duke of Lancaster might succeed him in the regall gouernement and in token that it was his desire for he must seeme to desire what hee could not hinder hee plucked off his Signetring and put it vpon the Dukes finger Then did he constitute the Archbishoppe of Yorke and Bishop of Hereford his Procurators to declare to the whole Body of Parliament what he had done how willingly where euery one except the loyal magnanimous Bishop of Carleol being particularly asked did particularly accept of the resignation Neuerthelesse it was not thought inough to haue his Crowne vnlesse they also published his shame Thirty and two Articles are therefore openly but in his absence read of all which it was said for then men might say what they listed that he had confessed himselfe guilty In the front was placed his abuse of the publike treasure and vnworthy waste of the Crown-land whereby he grew intollerably grieuous to the Subiects The particular causes of the Dukes of Glocester and Lancaster the Archbishop of Canterburie and Earle of Arundel filled sundry Articles They charged him in the rest with dissimulation falshood losse of honour abroad in the world extortions rapine deniall of Iustice rasures and embezelling of Records dishonourable shifts wicked Axiomes of state cruelty couetousnesse subordinations lasciuiousnesse treason to the rights of the Crown periuries and briefly with all sorts of vnkingly vices and with absolute tyranny 113 We may be assured that nothing could then be obiected so vntrue or incredible but would haue gone for current and vndenyable with affections so throughly prepared Hereupon it was concluded that in all those thirty and two Articles hee had broken the Oath of Empire taken at the Coronation al the States of the Kingdom strange that so many should so concurre in disloyalty vnder pretence of equity being asked what they thought did hold that those causes seemed notorious and sufficient to depose King Richard Commissioners were therefore nominated by consent of the whole house to pronounce the sentence of Deposition which were the Bishop of Asaph the Abbot of Glassenbury the Earle of Glocester the Lord Barkly William Thyrning Chiefe Iustice of the common Pleas and some others The forme of pronuntiation was IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN We Iohn Bishop of Saint Asaph Iohn Abbat c. Commissioners specially chosen by the Lords spirituall and temporall of the Realme of England and Commons of the said Realme representing all the States of the said Realme sitting in place of iudgement c. 114 The definitiue sentence of Deposition giuen thus in open Parliament there were further named certaine persons amongst whom William Thirning Chiefe Iustice of the Cōmon Pleas was thoght the fittest man by whose lawlesse mouth that vniust doome should be deliuered to the King and who on the behalfe of the Realme should renounce to the said Richard the fealties and homages heretofore made vnto him and to make relation of the whole manner and causes of their proceedings The Regall seate was now reputed void whereupon Duke Henrie riseth from his place and stands vpright that hee might be seene of the people then signing himselfe with the signe of the Crosse vpon the forehead and breast and inuocating the name of Christ he challenged the Crown and Realm of England with all the members and appurtenances His words are said to be these In the name of God Amen I Henry of Lancaster claime the Realme of England and the Crowne with all the appurtenances as comming by the blood royall from King Henry and by that iustice which God of his grace hath sent to me by the helpe of my kinfolke and friends for recouery of the said Realme which was in point of perdition through default of Gouernment and breach of lawes 115 Which challenge and claime being thus made all the States of the Kingdome doe with one consent grant that the said Lord Duke should reigne ouer them The Archbishop of Canterbury brother to the late Earle of Arundel takes him then by the right hand and the Archbishop of Yorke the late Earle of Wiltshires kinseman being his assistant placeth him in the royall throne with the generall acclamation and applauses of the people Lastly in full complement of the present solemnity the Archbishoppe of Canterburie that we may see how the Diuinity as well as the Law of those times were degenerated into temporizing Policie made a Sermon vpon these words in Samuel A Man shall raigne ouer the People By occasion whereof hee describeth out of the holy Scriptures the happinesse of that Kingdom which is gouerned by a man and the infelicity of those Realmes where a Child whether in age or discretion weeldes the Scepter The euill whereof as they had dangerously felt vnder the late King so they hoped abundantly to enioy the other in King Henry To all which the whole Auditorie ioyously answered Amen Then rose the affable new Monarch among a few other words hee gaue the world to vnderstand that none should thinke hee would as by way of Conquest disinherite any man certaine bad members onelie excepted 116 From henceforth hee was taken for King and all Writs issued and went forth in his name which disorderly matters being orderly related to the deposed Prince in the Tower by Thirning the Chiefe Iustice hee onely vsed these words That hee looked not after such things but quoth he my hope is that after all this my cosen will bee my good Lord and friend The Archbishop otherwise inexcusable in those proceedings yet in his said Sermon seemeth grauely and truly to haue described the cause of this effect for quoth hee the child or insipient which are with him aequiparable drinketh the sweet and delicious words vnaduisedly and perceiueth not intoxication which they beene mingled with till hee bee enuironed and wrapped in all dauger as lately the experience thereof hath beene apparant to all our sights and knowledges and not without the great danger of all this Realme Being thus brought downe to the show and littlenesse of a priuate man wee leaue
Romans at the command of Didius their Deputie and these striking battell won the day yet so as the war continued to the Romans the kingdome to Venutius and the infamy with Cartismandua both for betraying the pledge of her trust reposed by Caractacus in his distresse and her truth to Venutius her noble Lord and husband preferring the licentious pleasures of a vassall before the bed of chast mariage or the nuptiall imbracements of a worthy King and hath to ages following left her name noted with the scarres of infamy that time nor continuance shall euer weare away His ancient coyne is thought to be as thou seest here aboue described 13 Prasutagus Boduo King and Queene of the Icenians a people vnshaken by war and themselues rich as Tacitus reporteth the only cause of their ruines for which the Romans then warred were brought to destruction vpon this insuing occasion King Prasutagus dying by will left Nero his heire supposing by this meanes to leaue his state the safer together with the protection of his two daughters These contrary to trust were abused and defloured the mother Boduo turned out of all and against all manly ciuility or womanly much lesse princely respect contumeliously and despitefully whipped In the reuenge of which vnsufferable wrongs she so opposed and oppressed the Romans that at one battell seuenty thousand or as Dion Cassius saith 80000. of their slaughtered bodies she sacrificed to her dead husbands ghost and hath left the fame of her proceedings registred euen by her enemies themselues to her immortall and neuer dying memory The strong Cities Camalodunum and Verolanium she sacked with the rage of mercilesse war Petilius Lieutenant of the ninth Legion she discomfited Catus the Procurator droue ouer the seas Posthumus the Campe-master durst not resist her and all indeed feared the valour of this heroick Lady whose lawes were not martiall to saue vpon ransome whose reuenge was not pacified with yeeldings or submission nor did she thinke there was blood enough in the Romans to imbrue the altars of her assisting gods or to wash off the staine of their vnnoble and vnmanly iniuries But when successe altered after losse and valorous resistance she made an end of her life by poison lest liuing she should see either her owne miseries in their triumphs or leaue her remembrance in the records of their lauish and selfe-pleasing historians Her Coyne of gold we haue here expressed the forme shield-like and vpon the embossement thus inscribed BODVO 14 Aruiragus the valiant British King whom Humfrey Lhuyd confidently affirmeth to be the same man that is called Meurigus and is said to withstand Claudius in his enterprises for Britaine vntill a composition of mariage was concluded betwixt the Emperors daughter and himselfe Notwithstanding by Iuuenal it is plaine that this Aruiragus was in his fame in the daies of Domitian vnto whom the Poet as a Prophet would foredoome his happy successe in the dispossession of his gouernment ouer the Britaines as in these his verses are seene It bodes great honor to thy selfe some King thâ—… shalt depriue Or els Aruiragus from the rule of Britains waine shalt driue An ancient British Coyne of siluer is here inserted and a mans head thereon instamped which is supposed to be his the letters alluding so neere to his name 15 Galgacus a worthy and most valiant prince of the Caledonians for vertue and birth preferred before any other in the Northern parts of this Iland and made their Generall against the inuasions of Iulius Agricola was the last Britaine that against the Romans stood out accounting those only happy which were free from the contagion of that Roman tyranny and themselues the flower of all the British nobility that yet had not subiected their necks to their yoke The resistance which he made was great and warlike but against the decree of God no man can stand for the Romans risen to their greatnesse bare downe all that withstood them and in a bloody battaile subdued him and his forces making all silent before them where they came and leauing desolation in the places where they had been Thus then was the whole Iland subiected to the Roman Emperors about one hundred thirty and six yeeres after Caesars first entrance and the land that had been ruled by many petty kings was brought now as most parts of the world besides were vnder the gouernment of one absolute Monarch Grieuous no doubt was the losse of their liberties but a greater gaine was gotten not many yeeres after for from the rude and sauage manners of the barbarous they were reclaimed and became most ciuill And he that had giuen their Iland to his Christ prepared their hearts to receiue him their King vnto whose subiection also they were motiues to the Romans themselues Two ancient British Coynes stamped in siluer we haue here set downe attributing them both to this Galgacus of Caledonia Notwithstanding in these as in the rest I must submit my selfe to the more experienced and the censures of these ancient things to the learned and more iudicious 16 These then were the resisters of the Romans proceedings that rather yeelded their brests to the sword then their necks to the yoke of a forrein subiection and made their assaulters more famous in their conquests and themselues more renowned to following posterities neither in these relations haue we followed the records of our owne but the approued testimony of their best writers who haue deliuered what we haue said and no doubt felt the like repugnancy of many others both in the South and North of this Iland though their names died with their valiant resistance And as these Britains held the Romans at euen hand the space of one hundred thirty and six yeeres neither yet then were subdued without themselues that euer sided with the enemy against themselues and whose factions made way for the feet of their conquerors as from Tacitus we haue declared So their successors the Saxons found as warlike withstanders till God for Britains sinnes had cast downe their strength whereof more shall follow Christ assisting in the due place of their stories that from the raigne of Vortigerne the scourge of his country to Cadwallader the last prince of the Britains spent their liues in the quarrell of liberty and hath left their memorials famous for their countries defence 17 But the state of kingdomes how largely so euer extended or by what humane wisedome strengthned with defence do find their periods not to exceed much the number of six hundred yeeres as by common experience among most nations is seene In these times therefore when the world was shaken with wars first by the Romans that stroue to mount hie the spires of their intended glory and were by Gods decree appointed to ouerrun and afflict the earth when Kings of people I say were enforced to lay the Crownes from their heads at their conquering feet and free nations loaded with the yokes of their bondage then was fulfilled
certaine predictions in Rome happening were so respected and generally expounded That Nature was about to bring forth a King that should raigne ouer the whole world And albeit these and other Heathen Writers ascribe these things either to Augustus himselfe or to some of his fauorites yet wee see them accomplished in none other but Iesus Christ the Messiah our blessed Sauiour in whom only the Kingdome of God began with the vtter subuersion of all their heathenish Oracles which at his birth or at furthest at his death ceased all and gaue place to HIS eternitie Which time of his birth by the Scriptures most certaine account was from the worlds creation 3927. and is set by the Britaine 's in the fourteenth of their Cunobelines raigne and by other authenticke Writers in the two and fortieth of Augustus Caesar euen in the top of that Empires greatnesse when Rome was with an vniuersall subiection acknowledged the absolute Lady of the knowne earth For so in S. Luke wee read that this Augustus then first taxed the world A text most strong for the full dissolution of the foure foregone kingdomes represented in Daniels Image by the fall of this stone Christ the rocke and stay of our eternall happinesse 7 This Emperour raigned in great honour the space of fifty six yeeres and was obeyed both by the Easterne Indians and the Northerne Scythians with the subiection of the Parthians a fierce and vntamed people and generally with the loue of all Hee was a Prince indued with great wisdome magnanimitie and Iustice yet faulty in this that he tooke from Tiberius Nero his wife Liuia both great with child and hauing also formerly borne him a sonne Deuout hee was in the worship of the Romane Gods amongst whom in the Capitoll he built an Altar vnto the Hebrew childe with this inscription The Altar of the first begotten Sonne of God being thereunto mooued by the Oracle of Apollo that had answered his owne destruction by the birth of this childe Of Stature he was but low and of a good complexion gray-eied his haire somewhat yellow and his body freckled with spots which as his flatterers would haue the world beleeue were in forme like starres Predictions foreshewing his gouernment and death are alleged the which I willingly ouerpasse holding most of them rather fantasies then truth At his death hee demanded of the standers by whether he had well acted the enterlude of his life vpon the stage of this world and died fourteene yeeres after Christ his incarnation leauing after him so honourable an estimation of his glory that as the succeeding Emperours in remembrance of Iulius Caesar gloried to be called Caesars so they euer held the name of Augusti to be sacred and only befitting persons destinated to imperiall Maiestie And both their names were inserted into the number of the moneths that the honour of them both might neuer perish while Times euiternitie should endure TIBERIVS CHAPTER IV. AVgustus Caesar thus gloriously raigning and peaceably dying had ordained for his successour Tiberius Nero the sonne of Tiberius the Patritian and of Liuia his wife whom as we said before he had taken for his Empresse and by whose incitements and continuall instigations that matter was procured though Suetonius thinketh it was by Augustus his owne ambitious conceit to make himselfe the sooner missed and the more lamented in leauing his sonne so vnlike him to succeed whose conditions as they stood vpon their owne basis hee knew to bee both reprooueable and also contemptible 2 But before the death of Caesar could be diuulged to write his imperiall stile as it were in blood he began with the murder of young Agrippa the sonne of Iulia daughter to Octanian and once his owne wife and continued his raigne with such tyrannie that many he slaughtred without respect of person or cause and in his loosest lasciuiousnesse thought of nothing but how to subuert the Nobilitie for rare it was in his daies that any such died a naturall death and maintaining a race of men Promoters as Tacitus tearmes them found out for a common ouerthrow and destruction of others allured them by rewards to accuse the rich though guiltlesse only this fauour granted to the condemned that if they slew themselues before the day of execution their bodies should haue buriall their goods not confiscate and their testament stand good in law 3 A great dissembler he was seeming euer to hate those vices which in truth he loued and to loue those vertues which he did most deadly hate and for life and libidinous filthinesse so extreme that a Christians pen may not expresse when the Heathen themselues doe blush to name such things as hee shamed not openly to commit his publike drunkennesse and continuall banquettings whereat hee spent whole daies and nights together without intermission caused exchange of names from Tiberius Nero to Biberius Mero Dissolute and carelesse he was in gouernment though some haue accounted him a wise and politicke Prince for the Prouinces he left to defend themselues and yet daily charged them with larger Tributes to their great impouerishment and almost vtter ruine 4 In this state amongst others neglected Britaine stood wherein Tiberius neither maintained garrison nor attempted alteration and whereby as it may be thought their owne Lawes and Princes bare sway among themselues howsoeuer the cause for Tribute was ballized betwixt them And most certaine it is the Britaines if not in subiection yet were well affected to the Romanes as appeareth by Tacitus in the kinde entertainments and in releeuing their shipwracked souldiers that in crossing the Seas were by tempest driuen vpon their Coasts and courteouslie sent thence by their petty Kings vnto Germanicus their Generall Notwithstanding Ieffrey Monmouth seemeth to affirme the contrary that bringeth the raign of one Guiderius and the valour of Aruiragus the sonnes of Cunobeline of whom more heereafter to withstand the Romish Command and vtterly to refuse the paiment of Tribute banding both against Tiberius as also against Caligula and Claudius the Emperours succeeding 5 Other remembrances of these times concerning vs finde we none besides that which is common to all namely the death of our Saviour Christ which vnder this Tyrant and in his eighteenth yeere was accomplished by the proceeding of his as wicked Deputy Pontius Pilate who both adiudged him to die and to bee guiltlesse of deseruing death whereby was wrought the mysterie of our Redemption with such signes and euidences of his Deitie that the wicked Iudge himselfe wrote thereof to Tiberius and hee to the Senate to haue him consecrated among the Roman Gods Which they refused to doe that the wisdome and diuine power of God in the doctrine of Saluation should not need the allowance and commendation of men as Eusebius hath well obserued 6 Finally when hee had raigned hated of all men
his Astrologers and starre-gazers forwarding him with their vaine predictions a kinde of people euer to Princes vnfaithfull to hopers deceitfull and in a common-wealth alwaies forbidden yet alwaies retained The souldiers likewise euer disliking the present and affecting the new fell without respect to Othoes side amongst whom Sulpitius Florus one of the British Cohorts slew Piso the elected Caesar Galba himselfe being murdered and mangled by the Souldiers and band of Horsemen 6 He was of a good stature his head bald his eies gray and his nose hooked his hands and feet crooked by reason of the gout and a bunch of flesh or wen vpon his right side A great feeder and Sodomite hee was seuere in iustice and ouer-ruled by his seruants Hee died aged seuenty three yeeres hauing out-liued fiue Princes In prosperitie happier vnder the Empire of others then in his owne for hee sate only seuen moneths and them with small contents In his flourishing age with great renowne he had serued in Germany Africke he ruled as Proconsul and the neerer Spaine vprightly and well seeming more then a priuate man whilest he was priuate and held capable of the Empire had he neuer beene Emperour THE FIRST PLANTING OF RELIGION IN BRITAINE CHAPTER IX THis short time of Galbaes gouernement with the conspiracies against his Predccessour admitteth small remembrances of our British affaires which Prouince saith Tacitus among all other stirres against both Nero and Galba held amity and stood in quiet whether it was the farre distance of place seuered by Sea from the seditions of the Reuolters or that by continuall seruice against the Enemie the malice of their humours were spent it is vncertaine Therefore a while to digresse from the Succession of our British Monarkes and to fill vp the emptinesse of those Times with matters incident to our selues let it not seeme either tedious or superfluous to speake of the planting of his Kingdome in this Iland whose Rule in short time extended to the Ends of the Earth and whose Ambassadours as some haue written about the midst of Neroes Raigne and in the yeere of Christs Incarnation sixty three approched for the Inhabitants saluation Aruiragus then swaying the Scepter of this Kingdome 2 At which time say they were sent certaine Disciples out of France into Britaine by Philip the Apostle whereof Ioseph of Arimathea that buried the body of Christ was chiefe who first laid the foundation of our faith in the West parts of this Iland at the place then called Aualon afterwards Inis Witrin now Glastenburie where he with twelue Disciples his Assistants preached the Gospell of life vnto the Ilanders and there left their bodies to remaine for a ioifull Resurrection This doth Gildas affirme and Malmesburie in his Booke of the Antiquitie of Glastenburie written to Henry de Bloys brother to King Stephen and Abbat of the same place report and is consented vnto for the matter though all agree not touching the time by the learned Antiquaries of later times grounded on the Testimonies of the best approued Ancient writers who account the most happy influence of Christianitie to haue beene by those glorious conduits conuayed into these remote parts of the world that so according to the promise of God by Esaiah The Iles a farre off which had not heard of his fame should be conuerted and haue his glorie to them declared among the Gentiles 3 And if the credit of Dorotheus Bishop of Tyre who liued to see the Apostacie of Iulian weigh any thing with vs in his tract of the Liues and Deaths of the Prophets Apostles and Disciples he bringeth Simon Zelotâ—… an Apostle of Iesus Christ to preach the word and to suffer Martyrdome on the Crosse here in Britaine with whom Nicephorus and after him Iohn Capgraue in his Catalogue of English Saints agree saying that the same Simon spread the Gospell to the west Ocean and brought the word of life into the Iles of Britaine and in the conuersion of Countries wrought by the Apostles the same Nicephorus with Egypt and Lybia assigneth Britaine also to be one And the foresaid Dorotheus as also Mirmanus nameth Aristobulus one of the seuenty Disciples the same whom Saint Paul in his Epistle to the Romans among others saluteth to haue taught the doctrine of Saluation and to haue executed the office of a Bishop heere in Britaine 4 To these first Planters and Sowers of this heauenly Seed Caesar Baronius that voluminous Historian ioineth Mary Magdalen Lazarus and Martha who by his relation being banished Ierusalem in a masterlesse ship without tackling arriued in Gallia and with them Ioseph of Arimathea who afterward landed in Britaine vt tradunt as hee saith out of an old Manuscript which he saw in the Vatican Library yea and with them also Eurgain the sister of Ioseph who afterwards maried a Britaine named Siarklos if the authoritie whereon George Owen-Harry doth ground that report be of any credit 5 But yet there are others who vpon a very good ground from the words of Gildas the most ancient of our British Historians will haue the Sunne of the Gospell long before to haue risen in this our West and this Iland of Britaine to haue enioied the very morning of his Ascent the brightnesse thereof piercing thorow the mistie clouds of errour and shining heere in Britaine euen in the daies of Tiberius towards whose end Christ suffered his death and by whose indulgence towards Christians their profession was propagated farre and neere Which assertion the said Gildas doth not deliuer coldly or doubtingly but with great confidence relying vpon good grounds as it appeareth when he saith Scimus c. Wee know for certainty that this was in the latter times of Tiberius Which was immediately after our blessed Sauiours Passion To which vncontroleable testimonie some others haue added though not perhaps on so vndoubted warrant that S. Peter the Apostle preached the word of life in this Iland as to other Gentiles he did for whom God had chosen him that from his mouth they might heare the Gospell and beleeue as himselfe allegeth and that hee heere founded Churches and ordained Priests and Deacons which is reported by Simon Metaphrastes out of the Greeke Antiquities and Guilielmus Eisingrenius in the first of his Centurie who saith that Peter was here in Neroes time whereas Baronius thinketh it was in the raigne of Claudius when the Iewes were banished Rome and that therefore Paul in his Epistle to the Romans mentioneth him not Indeed Baronius and some others plead very hotly for S. Peters preaching heere but I see not well how it can stand either with Eusebius his account which keepes him so long at Rome after he was Bishop there or with Onuphrius who denieth that he went west-ward being expulsed by Claudius but to Ierusalem and thence to Antioch where he liued
Inhabitants saith hee haue also consented to the word which is planted in euery heart in honour whereof they haue erected their Temples and Altars And againe Those Britaines saith hee which had formerly fed vpon humane flesh making no difference betwixt the blood of man and beast now through the power of the word by them embraced haue learned the law of true pietie and giue themselues to a religious abstinence and holy fasts Of which Barbarisme S. Ierome also complained that some of those Nations vsed to eat the buttocks of boies and Paps of Virgins which in their Feasts were serued for the daintiest dishes But elsewhere speaking of the Britaines conuersion he saith that they had turned themselues from their westerne Paganisme and now had diâ—…ected their faces towards Ierusalem in the East whose beautie shined in the word of God 13 And thus wee see by the planting of the Gospell in this Iland the saying of the Psalmist accomplished that God would giue his sonne Christ the Heathen for his inheritance and the Ends of the Earth the proper attribute of this our Britaine to be his possession And the successe in Historie most apparantly sheweth these parts by an especiall prerogatiue to bee Christs Kingdome For albeit that Ierusalem and Antioch may rightlie claime the precedencie of all other places the one being as it were the chamber where Christians were first borne and the other the font where they were first Christened with that most sacred name yet britaine in some other graces hath outstript them all hauing the glory to be graced with the first Christian King that euer raigned in the world which was our renowned Lucius the first fruits of all the Kings that euer laid their Crownes at the foot of our Sauiours Crosse as also for producing the first Christian Emperour that euer by publike authoritie established the Gospell thorow the world which was Constantine the Great borne and brought vp heere in Britaine by Queene Helena a most vertuous and religious British Lady vnto whose daies the succession of Christianitie did heere continue as by the martyrdomes of many Saints vnder Dioclesian is apparant Heerein also raigned the King that first vncrowned the head of the vsurping Beast and triple-headed Cerberus and freed the Land from his deuouring Locusts putting downe Idolatrie with Hezekiah that brake the Brasen Serpent and with Isaack new digged the Wels that those Philistines had stopped And lastly hath this Iland produced that most royall and Christian Monarke whose learned pen hath first depainted Antichrist and pierced the heart of all Papall Supremacie as the sword of Gedeon did Zalmunna the Image of trouble King of Madiaâ—… And as a Lion hath he met that crooked Serpent in the way of his vsurped authoritie whereby in short time vndoubtedly the Kall of his heart will be broken if other Potentates likewise by his most godly example cast off the yoke of vassallage and in their seuerall Dominions gouerne as free Princes ought the people that GOD hath committed to their charge So that in those and many other the like Princes of this happy Iland most properly is performed that propheticall promise made vnto the Church of Christ that Kings should become her nursing Fathers and Queenes should be her nursing Mothers Of both which may be truly said to Britaine in imitation of that of Salomon Many kingdomes haue done gloriously but thou hast surmounted them all 14 And of such power hath Christ beene in these His Possessions that euen the Hostile Kings and Conquerours thereof were they neuer so sauage and Idolatrous at their first entrance yet when they here had seated for a time they became milde and religious and gladly submitted their hearts to the Religion of those whose necks themselues held vnder the yoke of subiection 15 Such were the Romans in this Iland whose Deputies at the day-spring almost of Christianitie were conuerted as Trebellius Pertinax and others which submitted themselues to that profession and were motiues to King Lucius more publikely to maintaine the same as also Constantius the father of great Constantine that here in Britaine permitted the profession of the Gospell with the erections of Churches for the true seruice of God and prohibited the superstitious worships of the Gentiles 16 The Saxons after them in time but not in Idolatrie had neuer tasted the liuing waters of Siloh till they were here seated in Christs Possession where they changed their affections as farre from their wonted manners as did the Messengers to Iehu which turned after his Chariot to destroy the Altars of Baal or as Saul and his seruants who no sooner had entred Naioth in Ramah but that their spirits were ioined to the Prophets and the heat of their furie with their garments cast downe at Samuels feet 17 The Danes likewise their Conquerours and Successors in this Royall Throne euer vntill then were both bloudy and barbarous and therefore of all our Writers commonly called the Pagan Danes whose many desolations and ruines remaine as records of their cruelties in many places euen vnto this day yet being a while in this Land King Guthurn with thirtie of his chiefe Princes and people were drawen by the valour and vertue of King Alured to receiue the Christian Faith by whose bounty thereupon they enioied the possession of a faire portion of this Kingdome And afterward Canutus their greatest King no sooner almost had this Imperiall Diademe set vpon his head but that hee held it his chiefe Maiestie to be the vassall of Christ confessing him only to be King of Kings and with such religious deuotion as then was taught crowned the Crucifix at Winchester with the Crowne he wore and neuer after thorow all his raigne by any meanes would weare the same and the Danes his Souldiers remaining in England began by little and little to embrace Christianity and in short time were al conuerted to the Faith Thus then we see the happie increase of these holy seeds springing from the furrowes of this blessed ground and the Tents of Seâ—… to be spread vpon the Mountaines of Britaine wherein God according to his promise perswaded vs who are of Iapheth to dwell 18 As hitherto we haue searched the first foundation of our Faith so neither want wee testimonies concerning the continuance of the same in this Land vnto following Posterities although the iniurie of Time and Warre haue consumed many Records For the Britaines that were daily strengthned in their receiued faith by the Doctrine of many learned and godly men left not their first loue with the Church of Ephesus but rather tooke hold of their skirts as the Prophet speaketh vntill the tortures of Martyrdome cut them off by death And those Fathers euen from the Disciples themselues held a succession in Doctrine notwithstanding some repugnancie was made by the Pagans and preached the Gospell with good successe
to confirme vs of their Profession and doth shew the badge of that ages Christianitie But the famous Monasterie of Banchor as a College of diuine Philosophers and by Clariuallensis truly acknowledged to be the Mother of all other in the world and her Monkes distributed into seuen seuerall parts euery part numbring three hundred soules and earning their bread by their daily labours doth notably witnesse to all succeeding ages that Christian Religion was then both planted and preached in this Iland And in the Synod held at Austins Oake were seuen old Britaine Bishops besides other Doctours who met with that Romane Legate and not in points of doctrine but rather in their seuerall rites and ceremonies did varie by any thing that in that Assemblie appeared For as it is most vndoubted that if we speake properly Ierusalem is the Mother of vs all and of all Churches and our former allegations doe euince that the first Plantation of the British Faith was altogether by Iewes and others of the Easterne Church so the very rites of this Religious College of Banchor do euidently proue that their first institution in Religion came from the East Beda shewing that in all of them they dissented from the Romane Church yea and that they neuer did nor then would acknowledge any authoritie of the Bishop of Rome ouer them in matters of the Church and seruice of God All which accordeth right well with that before cited out of Zachary that the waters of life should issue from Ierusalem And S. Hierome who spake most properly in saying the Britaines leauing Paganisme had turned their faces to Ierusalem in the East The foundation of the said College is ascribed to King Lucius from whose time vnto the entrance of this Austin the Monke foure hundred thirty eight yeeres were expired in all which space we haue seene that the Christian Faith was both taught and embraced in this Iland notwithstanding the continuall persecutions of the Romans Huns Picts and Saxons which last made such desolations in the outward face of the Church that they droue the Christian Bishops into the deserts of Cornwall and Wales In which number were Theomis and Thadioceus Bishops of London and Yorke chusing rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season By whose labours the Gospell was plentifully propagated among those vast mountaines and those parts especially aboue all other made very glorious by the multitudes of their holy Saints and learned Teachers 21 Lastly for the close of all that these testimonies are sincerely by vs produced for the first preaching and planting of the Gospell and by such meanes and men as we haue declared and particularlie by Ioseph of Arimathca and his associates the consent of all Writers both forraine and home-bred doth sufficiently approoue and the reuerend regard had of the place with the many Charters thereof to this day remaining are strong inducements for those our first Apostles Residencies and Burials whereof one exemplified vnder the Seale of King Edward the third is to be seene at this day reciting that the Abbey of Glastenburie being burned in the time of King Henrie the second while it was in his hands at the request of the Patriarke of Ierusalem then present in England instigated further both by the Bishops and Nobilitic hee did reedifie the same causing diligent search to bee made for the ancient Charters of that foundation and among many recited in that exemplification in one of them it is called Origo Religionis in Anglia in another Tumulum Sanctorum ab ipsis discipulis Domini aedificatum fuisse venerabilem Also in the same Charter amongst many other Kings there is mention made of King Arthur to be a great Benefactor vnto that Abbey whose Armes vpon the stone walles both in the Chapell called S. Ioseph and in diuers other places of the Abbey are cut which is an Eschucheon whereon a Crosse with the Virgin Mary in the first quarter is set and is yet to this day remaining ouer the Gate of entrance and is held to be also the Armes of that Abbey This place is said to haue beene giuen to Ioseph and his brethren by Aruiragus then King of Britaine and from hence were those two diuine Doctors sent to Elutherius by King Lucius as by their Epithetes doth appeare the one of them called Eluanus Aualonius or of Glastenburie and the other Meduuinus of Belga that is Welles neere vnto this place And to these persons and place Polydore Virgil that dwelled among vs and had perused most of our Antiquities ascribeth the originall and precedencie of our Christian Faith in these words Haec omnia Christianae pietatis in Britannia extitêre primordia quam deinde Lucius Rex accendit adauxit c. And our other latter Writers likewise with him agree of this place further affirming that at first but poore and without all pompe it was their Oratorie built only of wrethen wands as both Capgraue Bale Maior Scroope Harding Thorne and others affirme Afterwards by diuers Princes raised vnto greater glory with many large priuileges Charters granted to wiâ—… of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Conquerour Rufus and others all which were diligently perused by King Henry the second as we haue said that Rectorie in these Charters continually termed The Graue of Saints The mother Church â—…he Disciples foundation and dedicated vnto Christ as the first place in this Land wherein hiâ—… Gospell was fiâ—…st preached and embraced 22 To conclude this digresson growen much greater then was intended we see it is most apparant that the Britaine 's had a settled opinion in 〈◊〉 before the sound thereof was heard from â—…me and that the Lord had heere set vp his Standard whereunto these Ilanders resorted as to the Tower of their strength and was the first Kingdome of the Gentiles that are said to bring their sonnes thus in their armes and their daughters thus vpon their shoulders vnto the Lords Sanctuarie whose knowledge continually increasing hath hitherto to Englands great ioy and fame beene still continued though the spirituall sparkes thereof for a season haue sometimes beene couered in the cinders of the Pagans desolations or with the superstitious worships of mans inuentions both which now dispersed as clouds before the Sunne the light appeareth in his full strength and the most pure waters of the word run vntroubled This Iland then in this thing made happy before the most the Inhabitants became Instructers of others and in their earthly vessels bare this heauenly liquor which thorow their golden Conduits ran into many other Countries and filled their Cesternes with this water of life For from hence was Netherland conuerted to Christianitie as testifieth the story of Swithbertus Burgundie by our Columbanus saith Sigebert Scotland by Brandanus as Bernard the French Monke affirmeth Swedia by
thus wrote to Lucius King of Britannie for the reformation of the King and the Nobilitie of the Kingdome of Britaine You desired vs to send vnto you the Romane and Imperiall Lawes which you would vse in your Kingdome of Britannie The Roman Lawes and the Emperours wee may at all times mislike but the Law of God by no meanes By the Diuine Clemencie you haue of late receiued in your Kingdome of Britannie the Law and Faith of Christ You haue with you in your Kingdome beth the Old and New Testament out of them in Gods name by the Counsell of your State take you a Law and therewith by Gods permission gouerne your kingdome of Britannie For you are Gods Vicar in your Kingdome as the kingly Prophet saith The earth is the Lords and the plenty thereof the whole world and they that dwell therein And againe in the same Propheticall King Thou hast loued righteousnesse and hated iniquity wherefore God euen thy God hath anointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes And againe Lord giue thy iudgements vnto the king and thy iustice vnto the Kings sonne He saith not The iudgement or iustice of the Emperor And the Kings sonnes are the Christian Nations and People of the kingdome such as liue and abide together in your Kingdome vnder your Protection and peace according to that in the Gospell As the Hen gathereth her Chickens vnder her wings The Nations of the Kingdome of Britanny are your People who being now seuered you ought to gather them vnto Vnity Concord and Peace and reclaime them to the Faith and Law of Christ and to the holy Church to foster them cherish them protect and rule them and alwaies to defend them from all iniurious malicious and hostile attempts For Woe be to the kingdome whose King is a child and whose Princes rise early to banquetting Neither doe I call a King a child for the tendernesse of his Age but for the folly and wickednesse and madnesse of his disposition As that roiall Prophet saith Wicked and bloud-thirsty attaine not to halfe their Age. And by banqueting I meane gluttony by gluttony luxury by luxury all filthinesse peruersity and lewdnesse according to that of King Salomon Wisedome shall not enter into the wicked soule nor shall it dwell in a Body enthrald to Sinne. A King hath his name from Ruling and not from his Kingdome and so long shall you be indeed a King while you rule well which if you doe not the name of a King will not continue with you but you shall lose that roiall title which God forbid Almighty God grant you so to rule your Kingdome of Britanny that with him whose Vicar you are in your said Kingdome you may raigne eternally To whom with the Father c. 9. The date of this Epistle as by some other Copies it appeareth being the yeare of the second Consulship of Commodus and Vespronius may giue great light and satisfaction to such as are curious to know the truth and to reconcile the differences of our Historians touching the time That Consulship being about the yeare of Christ one hundred and eighty which was at the beginning if not a little before of Commodus his raigne and therefore whereas some refer it to the one hundred sixty ninth yeer after Christs Passion it is apparant to be the only error of transcribers who so writ in stead of one hundred seuenty nine after his birth which was anno currente the very time of Commodus being Consul the second time and on this yeere agree both forrain and domestick writers of this matter And albeit the very texture of this Epistle carieth with it the true Character of Antiquity yet because our worthy writers mentioning this Epistle are charged of flat forgery by such who challenge to be Masters in all ancient knowledge we will adde somewhat to wash off those false aspersions both from the Record and from the mentioners thereof Their first exception is that the Latin Copy would doubtlesse haue been produced by them if it had not beene counterfeit Whereto what need we answer sith now we haue produced it and can produce as many as there are Copies of King William the Conquerors Lawes wherein it is expresly repeated The next is that the English translations of it differ each from other A reason more childish then the former sith euery man hath a seuerall conceit of that he translateth and sometimes the very Originalls by transcribers ignorance or omission cause variety of translation as may appeare in the variae lectiones of this Copy prefixed The last but most saucy and ignorant exception is that the places of Scriptures mentioned in the letter are so sottishly and senselesly applied as is vnworthy to be fathered on the learned Eleutherius Let vs therefore in a word bring the diuinity of this Grand-censurer to the touchstone For Eleutherius proueth first that Kings are Gods Vicars in their kingdome because the whole Earth is properly Gods and therefore Kings haue it not as their owne but as his Lieutenants Next that as Dauid typically and Christ impliedly was by God annointed King for the execution of Righteousnesse and Iustice so euery godly King ought to make that the only end of his high honor that being by God aduanced he might likewise aduance Righteousnesse Iustice and the seruice of God whose vassall he is and that therefore Gods iudgements and Lawes are to be preferred by them before all humane Lawes with which they should rule and cherish their godly subiects as their children and protect them and gather them vnder one faith as Christ their master doth who therefore compareth himselfe to a Hen gathering her Chickens vnder her wings The defects of which Princely duties Eleutherius most liuely expresseth afterward in so proper applications as if the learnedst fathers on these places be duly examined they will be found no whit to exceed the apprehensions of this Godly Bishop But if Robert Cowback would haue cast his eie on the moderne Popes and their Cardinals applications of Scriptures what would he then say God made a greater light and a lesse therefore the Pope is as much greater then the Emperor as the Sunne is bigger then the Moone Christ said to Peter Kill and eat therefore the Pope may excommunicate and depose Kings yea and kill them too for a need Peter said Behold two swords therefore the Pope hath both Temporall and Spirituall Iurisdiction ouer the world So God said to Ieremy he should plant and transplant therefore the Pope may dispose and transpose all Kingdomes at his pleasure Christ to Peter thou art Cephas and Cephas is a head therefore the Pope is head of the Church Domini sunt Cardines Terra The earth is the Lords therefore the Cardinals are the Lords of the Earth On such pillers and applications of Scriptures is the whole Papall greatnesse founded and yet these late Scribes can
and the Vnion of the whole Iland to be brought into one intire Monarchie by the rightfull Succession and thrice-happie entrance of our most gracious King IAMES are yeeres fiue hundred thirtie six But of these three last we are to speake hereafter and now returne to finish vp the falling Estate of the Romans Greatnesse 3 Theodosius the sonne of Arcadius beganne his Empire in the yeere of the worlds saluation foure hundred and eight and was gouerned with a speciall protection by the Persian King during his Minoritie vnder the charge of Antigonus an excellent man But now growne to yeeres and some variance happening betwixt him and his Tutor he was left to the dispose of himselfe and his vncle Honorius leauing at his death great troubles vnquenched in the West the mightiest Potentates assaied to make themselues Emperours ouer seuerall Dominions and from the richnesse of the Imperiall Diademe each one sought to plucke a Iewell to beautifie his owne Crowne So the Barbarous Nations out of this one Monarchie began the foundations of many succeeding Kingdomes For in Spaine the Vandals 〈◊〉 and Alanes not contented with their portion therein assigned betooke themselues to Armes The Frankes and Burgundians which had been driuen out of France resolued againe to returne The Gothes that were Lords of Barcelona Narbona and Tolosa did as the rest The Hunnes entred Hungarie Iohn the Tyrant held Rome and in Africa Boniface became a Neuter These stirres mooued Theodosius to nominate Valentinian his kinsman Emperour in the West whose raigne and affaires so farre as they touch Britaine we will follow being the last of the Romane Emperours that held out the succession of our British Monarkes 4 This Valentinian was the sonne of Constantine made Augustus as is said and of Placidia Galla daughter to the first Theodosius Emperour which Lady in the sacking of Rome by Alaricus the Gothe was taken Prisoner and by him giuen in mariage to his neere kinsman Athaulphus who afterwards was King of that Nation and by her sweet demeanour and prudent meanes a Peace was concluded betwixt her Husband and her Brother but with such dislikes to the Gothes that they presently killed him and raised one Wallia for their King who likewise comming to composition with Honorius deliuered Placidia according to Couenants whom the Emperour her Brother bestowed in Mariage vpon Constantine his Generall in regard of his good seruice and Victories by him atchieued 5 Shee with young Valentinian New-made Emperour being sent into Italie selected the best approued Captaines to secure her sonnes Estate whereof Aspar was one that in Rome slew Iohn the Vsurper who had there made himselfe Emperour stamping this his face and stile vpon the currant Money of the State and by his Tyrannies held his fortunes for fiue yeeres continuance Aetius likewise that had beene Gouernour of Spaine was imploied into Gallia where the Frankes and Burgundians vnder the conduct of Clodius their second King sought to establish as shortly they did their Kingdome in that Countrey giuing it the name of France according to their owne by which name they were neuer knowne to Caesar Strabo Pliny Tacitus Mela nor Ptolemie whereby the great blast of their Antiquitie is shewed to be but a puffe of winde 6 At this time the Britaines were againe sore oppressed by the Scots and Picts who hauing notice that the Aides sent by Honorius were returned passed ouer the Water in their Boats at both the ends of the Wall and inuaded the Prouince with such force that they bare downe all before them The Britaine 's in this lamentable plight sent their Ambássadours to Rome with their Garments rent and dust vpon their heads vnto Valentinian the Third bewailing their most miserable Estates and crauing his helpe The Emperour mooued to remorse sent a Regiment of Souldiers into Britaine vnder the Command of Gallio of Rauenna a most valiant man who hauing put backe the Enemie with the assistance of the Ilanders gaue some small comforts to the distressed Britaines But the Burgundians passing the Rhene and threatning to waste Italy Aetius was compelled to recall Gallio with his Legion to secure the Countrey about Paris whilest himselfe with his followed the dangerous Enemie 7 He now ready to depart for France told the Britains that it was not for the Romans to take so long and painefull Iournies neither at that time especially when their own Empire was in danger to be ouer-run Therefore he willed them thenceforth to stand vpon their Guard and to prouide for their owne safeties and to that end in regard of their good seruices done to the Romans he taught them the vse of their Armour and Weapons as also to strengthen their Fortification and Wall of Turfe which now they began to build with firme Stone laid eight foot in thicknesse and twelue foot in height This Wall saith Gildas they drew in a straight line at the publike charges of the State from East to West and from Sea to Sea planting Bulwarkes and raising Turrets with conuenient spaces distant one from another which gaue a faire and farre prospect into the Sea And so the Romans gaue a finall Farewell meaning neuer to returne againe and burying part of their Treasures heere in the Earth whereof much hath beene found and more is still sought left Britaine about the yeere of Christ fiue hundred after the first inuasion thereof made vnder the conduct of Iulius Caesar. 8 This vnfortunate Emperour Valentinian lost not only Britaine but suffred also Africa France and Spaine to be plucked from his Empire and the weaknesse of the Romans power whose strength consisted most in Forraine Aides as Tacitus saith was left vnable to defend it selfe when they had bereft this Prouince of all the Flower and Choice of Men as Gildas in that age complained saying Britaine is despoiled of all her armed men with her militarie forces her Rulers cruell though they were are wasted her Garrisons withdrawn and defense laid open and an exceeding great number of her stout couragious Souldiers taken from her to serue the Romans in their warres With which his sayings the Roman Writers themselues agree and record the Musters and great multitudes of Britaines that haue beene transported by them out of this Iland as when Trebellius Maximus with his British Forces made strong the Faction against Otho in Germanie and then also Honorius Flaccus brought thence eight thousand chosen Souldiers to vphold Vitellius in his cause Clodius Albinus banding against Seuerus the Emperour assuming the Title and stamping the Moneyes of the Imperiall Estate as by this here inserted is to be seene which comming to our hands since his Storie was written we hold it more acceptable to set heere though out of place then to giue it no place at all in this Worke being so worthy an Antiquitie and so much concerning the Britaines vnder whose Banner the Flower of
Sigbert 7. 5. Sigebert 23. 6. Sigibert 13. 7. Swithelme 14. 8. Sighere 9. Sebba 30. 10. Sigherd 8. 11. Seofrid 12. Offa 4. 13. Selred 30. 14. Suthred 38. Beganne in An. 527. Continued yeers 281. Ended in Anno 827. Sebert The Kingdome of Northumberland contained Counties York-shire Durham Lanca-shire Westmorland Cumberland Northumber Kings raigning 1. Ella Ida 2. Adda 7. Elappea 5. 3. Theodwald 1. 4. Frethulfe 7. 5. Theodrik 7. 6. Ethelrik 5. 7. Ethelfrid 23. 8. Edwine 17. 9. Oswald 9. 10. Oswy 28. 11. Egfrid 15. 12. Alkfryd 20. 13. Osred 11. 14. Kenred 2. 15. Oswike 11. 16. Ceolnuphe 8. 17. Egbert 20. 18. Oswulph 1. 19. Edilwald 11. 20. Alured 21. Ethelred 5 7. 22. Alfwald 11. 23. Osred 1. Beganne in An. 547. Continuedyeers 379. Ended in Anno 926. Edwin The Kingdome of Mercia contained Counties Huntington Rutland Lincolne Northampton Leicester Darby-shire Nottingham Oxford-shire Chesse-shire Shrop-shire Glocester-shire Worcester-shire Stafford-shire Warwick-shire Buckingham-sh Bedford-shire Hartford-shire Kings raigning 1. Creda 6. 2. Wibba 3. 3. Cheorl 34. 4. Penda 30. 5. Peada 4. 6. Wolfere 17. 7. Ethelred 30. 8. Kenred 4. 9. Chelred 7. 10. Ethelbald 42. 11. Offa 40. 12. Egfrid 4 monet 13. Kenwolfe 22. 14. Kenelme 5. mon. 15. Chelwolfe 1. 16. Bernulfe 3. 17. Ludecan 2. 18. Whitlafe 13. 19. Bertwolfe 13. 20. Burdred 22. Beganne in An. 582. Continued yeers 202. Ended in Anno 886. Peada The Kingdome of East-Angles contained Counties Suffolke Norfolke Cambridge-sh Ely-Iland Kings raigning 1. Vffa 7. 2. Titullus 10. 3 Redwald 44. 4. Erpenwald 12. 5. Sigebert 6. Egrik 7. Anna 13. 8. Ethelbert 9. Ethwald 9. 10. Aldwolfe 19. 11. Afwald 7. 12. Beorn 24. 13. Ethelred 52. 14. Ethelbert 5. 15. Edmund 16. Beganne in An. 575. Continued yeers 353. Ended in Anno 914. Redwald THE KINGDOME OF KENT BEGVN BY HENGIST THE SAXON WITH THE SVCCESSION OF THEIR KINGS THEIR ISSVES AND RAIGNES CHAPTER V. KEnt the first Dominion of the Saxons Heptarchie was formerly in the daies of Iulius Caesar the Seat of foure seueral petty Kings yet neuer called a Kingdome before that Hengist the first Saxon Captaine in fauour of his Daughter Rowena got it by the gift of King Vortigern about the yeere of Grace 455. and in the seuenth yeere after his first arriuage heere he first laid the foundation of those fortunes which the Saxons his Nation in this Land afterwards attained vnto for hauing possessed the same with Victorie and Wealth the space of thirty one yeeres some adde three more he left it in peace to his sonne Eske and the rest of the Iland so weakened by his meanes that others of his Nation were shortly planted in other parts thereof It contained the Continent that lieth betwixt our East-Ocean and the Riuer Thames being bounded vpon the West with Sussex and Surrey ESke the second King of Kent is reported to bee the second sonne of King Hengist who accompanying his father into this Iland made proofe of his great valour in all his Battles fought against the Britaines and in one of them as Geffrey of Monmouth rereporteth being taken prisoner was for a time retained in Yorke but thence escaping hee aided his father in the Battle of Crekynford and after his decease succeeded him in the Kingdome of Kent from whom those Inhabitants saith Beda were called Eskings amongst whom he peaceably raigned about twentie yeeres and died in the yeere of our Lord 512. OCta the sonne of Eske began his raigne ouer his Fathers Dominions the yeere of Christs Incarnation 512. and raigned twenty two yeeres without mention of any memorable Act. IMerik the sonne of Eske and the fourth King of Kent raigned twenty fiue yeeres saith Stowe twentie nine saith Sauil in his Table collected from our English Writers He had issue Ethelbert the first Christian King of Kent and a daughter named Rikell maried to Shedda the second King of the East-Saxons the mother of Sebert and Segebald EThelbert the sonne of Imerik in the yeere of grace 561. succeeded him in the Kingdome of Kent who by reason of his young yeeres was sore molested by his neighbour Princes that sought to inlarge their Prouinces vpon his for now the Saxons hauing made full Conquest of the Britaines fell at variance among theÌ„selues taking all occasions to supplane each other as Conquerours commonly can endure no equals and prosperitie euer is looked at with an enuious eie whereupon Cheulin King of the West-saxons proud of his victorious successes ouer the Britaines beganne to disdaine all amitie with his owne neighbour Saxons inuaded the Territories of this young Prince and in a set Battle slew Oslaue and Cnebban two of his Dukes discomfited the King and wonne the day This field was fought at Wiphandun in the yeere of our Redemption 567. and is noted to bee the first Battle betwixt the Saxons themselues since their first entrance into Britaine But young Ethelbert growne vnto yeeres repaired his losses with the inlargement of his Kingdome to the banks of Humber and was the fifth Monarch of the Englishmen as after we shall heare His first Wife was Berta the daughter of Chilperik King of France by whom he had Edbald Ethelburg and Edburg a second Wife he had vnworthy of name for her incestuous and abominable act in matching her selfe in marriage with her Husbands Sonne A sinne saith the Apostle not to be named among the Gentiles Of this King as also of all the rest that attained vnto the glorie to bee enstiled per excellentiam the Soueraigne Kings of the Englishmen I purpose to bee sparing in their particular Kingdomes and to reserue the larger relation of their Acts Matches Issues and continuance to the times of their seuerall Monarchies whereby a more historicall course may be carried through the successions of the English-Saxon Monarches and a needlesse repetition of the same things auoided which otherwise of necessitie would follow Hee raigned in great glory fiftie six yeeâ—…s and was the First Saxon King that receiued and established the Gospell He died the foure and twentieth day of Februarie the yeere of Christ 616. after he had raigned 56. yeeres and was buried at Canterbury with this inscription vpon his Tombe Rex Ethelbertus hîc clanditur in Poliandro Fana pians Christo ad Christum meat absque Meandro EDbald the sonne of King Ethelbert in the yeere of Christ 617. assumed the Gouernment of Kent who no sooner saith Beda had gotten from vnder the awe of his father but he refused to entertaine the Doctrine of Christ and so polluted himselfe with the foule sinne of fornication as that hee married his Mother in Law the late Wife to his owne Father which two hainous faults gaue his subiects both occasion and impunity to returne to their former idolatry who vnder his Father for fauour or for feare had yeelded to the Lawes of the Christian Faith But the scourge of God
saith it was done by S. Berinus Bishop of Dorchester who vsually preaching the Gospell in the kingdome of the Mercians in the Citie of Oxenford and presence of Wulpherus King of Mercia it hapned that King Athelwold then a Pagan was present who by the indeauour of Vulpherus and instruction of Berinus receiued the lauer of Baptisme whom also Wulpherus receiued at the Font for his God-sonne and in signe of that adoption gaue vnto him two Prouinces to be annexed to his former kingdome that is to say the I le of Wight and the Prouince of Manures in the West of England at which time also Berinus by King Athelwolds permission baptized the chiefe Dukes and Nobles of that Prouince His Queene Ebba was baptized in her owne I le the Prouince of the Viecians being the daughter of Eanfride who was brother to Eanheres and both of them Christians But it is generally held that King Edilwach gaue vnto Wilfride the Peninsula as the Latines speake of Seoleseu now Selsee in the West with the demaynes of eightie seuen Tenements wherein he built the Monasterie that bare the same name and was his owne Episcopall Sea Against this Edilwach Ceadwald a valiant young Prince of the Bloud-royall of the West-Saxons being banished his Countrey making head with the assistance of friends and followers entred his Territories with an impetuous incursion and slew the King as he made resistance when hee had raigned twentie fiue yeeres in whose raigne and Countrey raged such an extreme Famine that both men and women in great flockes and companies cast themselues from the Rockes into the Sea 4 Berthun and Authun two Dukes of the South-Saxons maintained the Warres and defence of their Country against Ceadwald and by manly valour forced him to retire These Captaines betwixt them held the dominion of that Prouince vntill such time as Ceadwald had gotten the Kingdome of the West-Saxons who bearing in mind the remembrance of his former proceedings and thinking to inlarge his owne Kingdome with the subiection of the South-Saxons entred againe that Prouince and in Battell slew Duke Berthun harrying the Country miserably before him Which State vnable to withstand the West-Saxons puissance was by Iue the next King succeeding made a subiected Prouince their Gouernment thence forward resting vnder his Successors after it had stood one hundred and thirteene yeeres and ended in the yeere of Christ 601. by ordinary computation But whosoeuer shall compare the times of the foresaid Kings Wulpherus and Athelwold together will easily finde that it is not easie to finde the certaine concurrence of times in affaires so clouded in obscuritie and so farre remote from our preseut times THE KINGDOME OF THE VVEST-SAXONS THE CIRCVIT THEREOF AND SVCCESSION OF THEIR KINGS VNTO EGBERT WITH THEIR ISSVES AND RAIGNES CHAPTER VII THe Kingdome of the West-Saxons though in time later then the two former yet in circuit and fame surmounted them both whose Monarch was the Maull that first brake the Scepters of the other six Kingdoms in sunder and made one Crowne of these their seuerall Diadems more glorious then they all and that first worne vpon Egbert the West-Saxons heads and the Scepter swaied in his Imperiall hand vntill whose time and person wee will continue the succession of their Kings beginning with Cherdik that first made it a Kingdome and briefly shew their Acts whilest it so stood in the Saxons Heptarchie THis Cherdik is said to haue brought a second supply of Saxâ—…s forces into Britaine in the yeere of our Lord 495. and fifth of the Monarchy of King Ella his landing being at a place on that occasion called Chederik-shore who with his sonne Kenrik was encountred by the Britaines vnder the conduct of Natanleod a British Prince whose Country was then called after his name whom he slew in Battell with fiue thousand more of his Britaines the fortune of which field gaue resolutions and hopes of better successe it was fought neere vnto a Brooke vpon that euent called Cherdiks-ford now by contraction Chard-ford Heereupon establishing his new erected Kingdome which contained Cornwal Deuonshire Dorsetshire Somersetshire Wiltshire Hantshire and Barkshire he inlarged the same with the conquest of the I le of Wight the gouernment whereof was by him giuen to Stuffe and Withgar his Nephewes which later slew the Britaines there inhabiting and named the place of his victory Withgarbirg assuming the name of King and was buried at his Citie Withgar in the same I le About seuen yeeres after Cherdiks entrance Porth a Saxon with his two Sonnes Megla and Beda landed in the West at the place from him called Portesmouth whose aid with Kent and Sussex assisted Cherdik in his Conquests His raigne is set to be thirty three yeeres and his death in the yeere of grace fiue hundred thirtie fiue hauing had two sonnes Kenrik and Chelwolf the one of which died before his Father and the other succeeded him in his Kingdome Chelwolf had issue Cuthgils whose sonne was Kenfridd and his sonne Kensy the Father of King Eskwin who was the Successor of King Kenwalk and predecessor of King Kentwin in the Kingdome of the West-Saxons KEnrik the eldest Sonne of King Cherdik hauing formerly made proofe of his prowesse in the assistance of his Father was after his death also verie fortunate in obtaining two victories ouer the Britaines the one at Searesberige and the other at Beranbrig whose raigne beginning Anno 534. continued twenty six yeers ending in the yeere of our Redemption fiue hundred sixty He had issue three Sonnes of which Cheaulin the eldest succeeded him in his kingdome Cuthwolfe the second assisted his Brother in his Warres and was partaker with him of his victories who died Anno 672. leauing issue one onely Sonne named Chell or Cearlike who proued nothing so vertuous and dutifull a subiect as his Father had beene for he rose in rebellion against his Vncle and by strong hand expelled him his kingdome The third Sonne of King Kenrik was Cuth famous in his issue though mentionlesse for action in himselfe for hee had three sonnes of which Chelwolf the eldest was King of the West Saxons as shal be declared Chell the second was father to Kingils the sixt and first Christian King of the West Saxons and Grandfather to Kenwall and Kenwin the seuenth and ninth Kings of that Kingdome and Ched the yongest was father of Kenbert Grandfather to Chedwall the most renowned King of the West Saxons of whom we are presentlie to speake and of them all in the succession of thâ—… English Saxons Monarchs and now to returne againe to the issue of King Kenrik CHeaulin his first sonne entred vpon the gouernement ouer the West-Saxons Anno 561. and euen at the first began to disturbe the quiet peace of his neighbour Prouinces taking aduantage at the young yeeres of Ethelbert who was made King of
she abused her body by committing of adultery and was shortly expelled and in beggerly misery ended her life as by manie that so saw her we haue heard it reported saith Asserius mine Author For this her most hainous crime whereby was procured the murther of her Husband the West-Saxons ordained a Law to the great preiudice of all their Queenes succeeding that none of them should haue either title maiestie or place of roialtie which was seuerely executed for many yeeres after In the daies of this Brithrik many prodigies appeared and more perhaps then will be beleeued For it is reported that in his third yeere a shower of bloud rained from heauen and bloudy crosses fell vpon mens garments as they walked abroad And in his tenth yeere were seene fiery Dragons flying in the ayre Which wonders some tooke to be presages of the miseries following both by the Inuasions of the Pagan Danes that in these times were first seene to arriue in this Iland and the extreme Famine that afterwards happened howsoeuer sure it is that the Heptarchy now beganne to set in the West and the rising Monarchy to appeare in King Egbert whose acts and issue shall be further rehearsed when wee shall come to the time of his succession among the English Monarchs THE EAST-SAXONS KINGDOME THE CIRCVIT SVCCESSIONS OF THEIR KINGS THEIR ISSVES AND KINGDOMES CONTINVANCE CHAPTER VIII THe site of the East-Saxons Kingdom was the Country of Essex Middlesex and part of Hartfordshire and the Circuit so far as the Diocesse of London now extendeth It was bounded on the East with the Ocean on the South with the Thames on the West with the Colne and on the North with the Riuer Stowre The Kings thereof claime their descent from Prince Woden not as all the rest of the Saxon Kings but onely by a collaterall line and Erchenwine became the first King which neuerthelesse he held as Feodarie to the Kings of Kent For which cause it seemeth that Malmsbury mentioneth him not in the Catalogue of those Kings but maketh his sonne Sledda the first and tenth in descent from Woden ERchenwine is said to bee the Sonne of Offa the sonne of Bedca the sonne of Sigefuget the son of Sneppa the sonne of Awpig the sonne of Supig the sonne of Seaxnod from whom all these Kings fetch their originall His Kingdome began about the yeere of grace 527. and in the fifteenth of Eske the second King of Kent and his raigne long but yet without any memorable acts dying in the yeere 586. and leauing his sonne to succeede in his place SLedda the sonne of Erchenwine succeeding in the East-Saxons Kingdome raigned peaceablie without mention of any warres for hauing married Ricula the daughter of Imerik King of Kent was thereby the more fauoured of them and feared of others and nothing left besides his quiet raigne to be recorded to posterities neither are many yeeres of successions numbred but as they are gathered from the Computations of other princes with whom they either liued or were linked in action This Sledda died about the yeere of our Redemption 596. and left issue by his wife Queene Ricula Sebert who succeeded him in the Kingdome and Segebald his brother whose Sons afterward were Kings of that Prouince SEbert the sonne of Sledda and of Queene Ricula beganne his Raigne in the yere of Christs Incarnation 596. and in the thirtie six yeere of the raigne of King Ethelbert of Keâ—… his mothers brother at that time Monarch of the English-men who in Seberts chiefe citie London a Princelie Mart Towne saith Beda of many people ariuing thither both by sea and land new built a Church making it the Cathedrall of Bishop Miletus and so wrought with King Sebert that hee conuerted him to Christianitie and assisted him in that Foundation where formerlie say some had stood the Temple of Diana This Church these new Conuerts and Saxon Kings either new reared or inlarged for the honour and seruice of God and dedicated vnder the name of Saint Paul which worke Ethelbert further confirmed with sufficient maintenance as by this his Charter is seene containing these words Aethelbert Rex Deo inspirante pro animae suae remedio dedit Episcopâ—… Mileto terram quae appellatur Tillingham ad Monasterium siue Solatium scilicet S. Pauli Et ego Rex Aethelbert ita firmiter concedo tibi Praesuli Mileto potestatem eius habendi possidendi vt in perpetuum in Monasterij vtilitate permaneat c. And that this was the Temple of Diana some haue further confirmed vnto vs by the incredible number of Oxe-heads there digged vp in the daies of King Edward the First when the east-end of that Church was enlarged which were supposed to be of those Beasts that were there sacrificed to this Goddesse Diana These Kings likewise founded the Church of S. Peter in the West of London at a place called Thornye where sometimes stood the Temple of Apollo as Sulcardus affirmeth which being ouerthrowne by an Earth-quake King Lucius new built for the celebration of Gods seruice and that againe being decaied those Kings restored it to a greater beautie where Sebert after thirteene yeeres raigne as some write with Aethelgoda his Queene were buried whose bodies in the daies of Richard the Second saith Walsingh were translated from the old Church to the new and there interred Hee had issue by the said Queene Sered Seward and Sigebert whose liues and deaths were as followeth SEred Seward and Sigbert the sonnes of King Sebert raigned as it seemeth together in the Kingdome of the East-Saxons all three wicked irreligious men and deadly enemies to the Christian Profession These contumeliously presuming to the Lords Table and holy Sacrament of his Body and Bloud were prohibited by Bishop Miletus because they were Idolaters and vnbaptized which repulse they tooke so offensiuely that they expulsed Miletus who therupon fled into France But their impietie was not long vnrewarded for fighting against Kingils and Qinchelinus his sonne Kings of the West-Saxons were by them ouercome and in battle slaine about the yeere of Grace 623. as by the learned Sir Henry Sauile is calculated whose account for these times I altogether follow SIgebert the little the sonne of Seward the second sonne of King Sebert entred his raigne ouer the kingdome of the East-Saxons the yeere of Christ 623. of whose affaires little matter is left for vs to relate sauing that hee hauing both a Brother and a Sonne yet his Kingdome was succeeded by neither but by one Sigibert his Cosen-German once remooued SIgibert the sonne of Segebald the brother of Sebert the sonne of King Sledda and of Ricula his Queene succeeded his kinsman in the Kingdome of the East-Saxons This Sigibert reduced againe his Prouince vnto the embracing of the Christian Faith being daily instigated thereunto by Oswie King of
Northumberland and receiued Baptisme himselfe at the hands of Bishop Finnan and at the place called The Wall procured vertuous Cedda to be his assister for the plantation of the Gospell in his Kingdome He was murdered by two of his kinsmen who as Beda saith were Brethren no other cause moouing them but his ouermuch lenitie and clemencie He raigned by the foresaid account sixteene yeeres leauing issue a young sonne named Selred that succeeded Seofrid in that Kingdome SWithelme succeeded his brother in the Prouince of the East-Saxons nothing being mentioned of his life or raigne besides his Baptisme by Bishop Cedda and that his God-father at the Font-stone was Edelwald King of the East-Angles SIghere the sonne of Sigebert the little entred his raigne ouer the Kingdome of the East-Saxons the yeere of our Lord 664. and was the eighth King of that Prouince in part whereof Sebba his nephew raigned with better commendations then Sigehere at his beginning had done for Beda reporteth that vpon a great mortalitie and plague to appease the wrath of his Gods Sighere became an Apostata and forsooke the faith of Christ wheras SEbba continued constant with those in that Prouince vnder his Iurisdiction yet by the diligent care of Wulfere King of the Mercians Sighere and his people were reclaimed throwing downe the Temples and Altars erected to Idolatrie and opening againe the Christian Churches for the Saints assemblies that so saith hee they might rather die in hope of the Resurrection then wallow in sinne and liue in Idolatrie His wife was Oswith the daughter of Edelfrith King of Northumberland whom Capgraue maketh a Saint and Abbesse of Berking neere London euen in the daies of her husband SEbba the Brother of Segebert the Little and Sonne of Seward as we haue said succeeded as sole King in the Prouince of the East-Saxons and with much equitie and administration of Iustice raigned therein thirty yeeres towards the end whereof the better to prepare his mind for contemplation he relinquished his Princely Robes and put on the Habit of Religious Profession in the Monastery of S. 〈◊〉 in London as Radulphus de Diceto with others at tirme Wherein this penitent King liuing a while in fasting and praiers died the yeere of Christ 693. whose body was intombed in a Coffin of Gray Marble the Couer copped and as yet standing in the North wall of the Chancell of the same Church A miracle thereof Beda reporteth needlesse either then to be wrought or now of vs repeated were it not to point at the blindnes wherein euen good men were then led and thus it is They hauing prepared a Tombe-stone to lay his body in found it too short by the quantitie of an hands bredth and hewing it longer yet would not serue therefore they minding to bow vp the knees laid the body therein and suddenly it lengthned of it selfe with more then was sufficient But surely howsoeuer this tombe was then set on this Monkish tenter it is now since shrunke againe in the standing and exceeds not in measure fiue foot in length His wife but vnnamed hee likewise instigated to leaue the momentanie pleasures of princely State for that which is permanent which thing with much adoe he lastly obtained leauing her to follow him in his vertuous deuotions and his two sonnes to succeed him in his kingdome SIgherd the Sonne of King Sebba whom Beda maketh a Monke with his Father followed him also in the succession of the East-Saxons Kingdome the time of whose entrance is set in the yeere of Christs Incarnation 694. and his death in 701. no other mention being made either of Acts Wife or Issue SEofrid the Sonne of King Sebba and Brother to King Sigheard either ioyntly raigned with him or successiuely after him of whom I finde nothing mentioned worthy inserting hauing had neither Wife nor issue that are recorded OFfa the Sonne of Sighere and of Queene Oswith his Wife a man noted for his comely feature and sweet countenance succeeded King Seofrid in the Kingdome of the East-Saxons the yeere of grace 701. He both enlarged with buildings and enriched with lands the goodly and beautiful Church of Westminster but after he had ruled eight yeeres being moued with a supposed religious deuotion hee abandoned Kineswith his wife the daughter of Penda the Mercian King his lands kinne and Country and with Kenred King of Mercia and Edwine Bishop of Worcester went to Rome where he was shorne a Monke and in that habit died leauing his Cosen Selred to succeed in his kingdome His wife Kineswith after his departure with the like penancie vowed her selfe a vailed Nunne in the Abbey of Kineburg whereof his sister was Abbesse who had been wife to Alfrith King of Northumberland SElred the Sonne of Sigebert the Good who was murthered for his ouermuch clemencie attained to the Kingdome of the East-Saxons in the yeere of grace 709. His raigne was long though his acts are little spoken of either that others worther affaires filled the pens of those Story-writers or that his time was so peaceable and vnactiuely spent that it ministred not matter whereof to indite Hee raigned 38. yeeres and died Anno 746. without relation either of Wife or Children SVthred after the slaughter of Selred was made King of the East-Saxons which title hee retained vntill that Egbert King of the West-Saxons taking Armes against him expulsed him out of that Kingdome as also the same yeere he did Baldred King of Kent which was in the yeere of Christs Incarnation 827. and made it a Prouince annexed vnto the West-Saxons after it had stood in state of a Kingdome 281. yeeres THE KINGDOME OF NORTHVMBERLAND CIRCVIT AND CONTINVANCE WITH THE SVCCESSIONS AND ISSVES OF THOSE KINGS VNTO THE LAST SVBVERSION THEREOF BY KING EGBERT CHAPTER IX THis Kingdome of Northumberland consisted at first of two distinct Prouinces whereof the one was called Deira and the other Bernicia and were gouerned sometimes by their Kings seuerally and sometimes vnder one as successe of warre or other casualties incident did afford The royall descents of whose Kings are brought by Florentius both from the Fourth and Fifth Sonnes of Prince Woden after this manner Ella vnder whom the Kingdome of Deira beganne was the sonne of Iffi who was the sonne of Wuskfrea the sonne of Wilgils the sonne of Westorwalchna the sonne of Seomel the sonne of Suearta the sonne of Saepugell the sonne of Seabald the sonne of Siggeot the sonne of Suebdeg the sonne of Siggar the sonne of Weadeg the fourth sonne of Woden And the descent of Ida the raiser of the Bernicians kingdome is brought from Bealdeag the fifth sonne of Woden for Bealdeag was father to Brand whose sonnes were Beorn and Freodegar the latter of which twaine was the progenitour of Cherdik the first West-Saxon King and his brother Beorn begat another Beorn also and hee Wegbrand
Woden His raigne is accounted only seuen yeeres without any mention of further matter worthy the recording and his death to haue hapned in the yeare fiue hundred eighty one TItulus the second King of the East-Angles and only sonne of Vffa that is read of beganne his raigne the yeere of Christs Incarnation fiue hundred eighty three continued the same for the space of twenty yeeres And although the Writers of these times haue made no further mention of his Acts yet may we well suppose that his daies were not altogether so quietly spent both in the infancy of that newly erected kingdom and when such wars were commenced for the obtaining the whole Iland His issue was Redwald that immediatly succeeded him from whom other Kings of that kingdom were lineally descēded REdwald the greatest of all the East-Angles Kings succeeded his father Titulus in the Dominions of the East-Angles and Ethelbert of Kent in the Monarchie of the Saxons He receiued and succoured in his Court Edwyne with his wife in their Exiles and assisted him against Ethelfrid King of Northumberland that sought his life as before wee haue shewed and hereafter in the succession of his Monarchy wee shal haue further occasion Hee raigned Monarch eight yeeres and King of the East-Angles thirty one by the account and computation of the Table annexed to Malmesbury and others of our English Writers and died the yeare of our Saluation six hundred twenty-three ERpenwald the younger sonne of King Redwald Reynhere his elder brother being slaine in battle by Ethelfred in the quarrell of distressed Edwine succeeded his Father in the Kingdom of the East-Angles the yeer of our Lord God six hundred twenty foure He was the first King of that Prouince that publikely professed the Christian Faith which hee receiued at the friendly motion and zealous exhortation of King Edwine of Northumberland but so much to the discontentment grudge of the people as thereupon they presently entred into conspiracy to practise his death which a Pagā Ruffian named Richebert not long after most traiterously executed His raigne is placed in the foresaid Table of our Writers as it is compared with the other Kings of those times to extend twelue yeeres after whose death those people returned to their wonted Idolatrie and for three yeeres continuance embraced their former Gentility from which they were reclaimed by Sigebert his brother in law who succeeded him in his Throne hee hauing no issue to whom it might be left SIgebert the sonne of the second wife to Redwald and by her born to a former husband whose name is vnknowne was greatly mistrusted by his Father in law King Redwald that he went about to aspire his Crowne the motiues of which suspition notwithstanding all the endeauours of innocent Sigebert were still followed with an enuious eye and his subiectiue semblances as notes of popularity were euer conceiued to aime at the supreme authority which blot of iealousie when it could no otherwise bee wiped out he abandoned the Court of the King and Country of his birth and in France as an exile al the time of Redwald the Father and likewise the raigne of Erpenwald the sonne spent his time in study of good Literature contemplatiue exercises where learning the truth of Christs Doctrine and hauing receiued the lauer of Baptisme after the death of this said Erpenwald his allied Brother returned and was made King of the East-Angles This man saith Beda following the examples of France brought the light of the Gospell into his Dominions and by the assistance of Felix Bishop of Dunwich for a more firme plantation thereof built a Schoole for the education of children appointing them Schoole-masters and Teachers after the maner of the Kentish-men who are * supposed to haue at that time the Liberall Sciences professed among them in their Metropolitane City Canterbury which was the paterne saith that Countries Perambulator that this Sigebert followed in the erection of his but whether at Cambridge or elsewhere hee leaueth for Doctor Caius of Cambridge and M. Key of Oxford to be disputed of And indeed Beda assigneth not the place for this foundation nor once nameth Cambridge vnlesse you will say that out of the ruines of Grantcester an ancient Citie decaied in his daies the same arose and whereof hee maketh mention in his fourth Booke vpon this occasion as followeth Queene Etheldred saith he that had been a Virgin wife to Egfrid King of Northumberland the tearme of twelue yeeres and Abbesse of Ely for seuen more for her reputed holinesse after her death and buriall was thought worthy by Queene Sexburg her sister who had beene wife to Ercombert King of Kent and succeeded her Abbesse in the same Monasterie to bee remooued out of her wooden Tombe meane place of buriall into the Church and richer Monument but for want of stone which was scarce in those parts certaine brethren were sent to find out some for that vse who comming to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little City lest desolate and vninhabited found by the walles a Tomb of white marble verie faire and couered with a like stone This they thought to be found not without miracle and therefore most fit to intombe her corps which accordingly they did But that this had beene the place of Sigeberts Schoole hee mentioneth not But whether by him or no wee know it now the other Vniuersity of England a seed-plot of all diuine and humane Literature and one of those springs whence issue the wholesome waters that doe bedewe both the Church Common-wealth both famous for the Arts for Buildings and Reuenewes as their like is not to be found in Europe saith Peter Martyr and that most truely But to returne Sigebert being wearied with the waighty affairs of this world laid the burden thereof vpon Egricke his kinsman and shore himselfe a Monk in the Abby of Cumbreburge which himselfe had built wherein he liued vntill that wicked Penda the Mercian King with his heathenish cruelty molested the peace of the East-Angles who after long resistance finding themselues too weake besought Sigebert for the better incouragement of their souldiers to shew himselfe in field which when he refused by constraint saith Beda they drew him forth where in the midst of them hee was slaine in battle vsing no other weapon for defence sauing only a white wand when hee had raigned onely three yeeres and left no issue to suruiue him that is any where recorded EGricke cosin to King Sigebert and by him made King as wee haue said was sore molested by the continuall inuasions of Penda the cruell King of Mercia who lastlie in a set battle slew him with Sigebert about the yeere of Christ his incarnation sixe hūdred fifty two And when himself had raigned 4. yeers deceased without mentiō either of wife or child that is read
of further to reuiue his memory to posterities ANna succeeded King Egricke in the Kingdome of the East-Angles the yeer◅ of grace six hundred fortie two as the next in bloud to Erpinwald beeing the sonne of Guido saith Beda the sonne of Eni saith Malmsbury who was brother to great Redwald and both of them the sons of Titulus the second King of that Prouince This King as the other two former had done felt the fury of raging Penda with his mercilesse Mercians that sore assaulted his Territories with rapine and spoile To withstand whose further proceedings King Anna drew the strength of his East-Angles against them and encountred Penda in a great and mortall battle wherein they were all discomfited and himselfe among them slaine when hee had raigned in continuall trouble the space of thirteene yeeres His issue were many and those of great holinesse or sanctity of life Whereof Ferminus the eldest and heire apparant was slaine by Penda in the same battle with his Father and was with him buried in Blidribrugh now Blibrugh but afterwards remoued to S. Edmondsbury His other sonne was Erkenwald Abbat of Chertside and Bishoppe of London that lieth buried in the South I le aboue the Quire in S. Pauls Church where to this day remaineth a memoriall of him His daughters were these Etheldrid the eldest was first married vnto a Nobleman whom Beda nameth Tonbert Gouernor of the Fenny Countries of Nothfolke Huntington Lincolne and Cambridge-shires and after his death remaining a virgin she was remarried to Egfrid King of Northumberland with whom likewise she liued in perfect virginity the space of twelue yeeres notwithstanding his intreaty and allurements to the contrary From whom lastly she was released and had licence to depart his Court vnto the Abbey of Coldinghā where first she was vailed a Nunne vnder Abbesse Ehba and thence departing she liued at Ely and became her selfe Abbesse thereof wherein lastly she died and was interred remembred vnto posterities by the name of S. Audrte His second daughter was Sexburg who married Ercombert King of Kent vnto whom she bare two sons and two daughters as we in that Kingdomes succession haue shewed after whose death shee tooke the habit of a Nunne and succeeded her sister Etheldrid Abbesse of Ely wherin she died and was interred and their yongest sister Withgith was likewise a Menchion with them in the same Monastery and all of them canonized for Saints Ethilburge his third daughter was made Abbesse of Berking neere London built by her brother Bishop Erkinwald wherein she liued and lastly died A naturall daughter likewise he had whose name was Edelburg that with Sedrido the daughter of his wife were both of them professed Nunnes and succeeded each other Abbesses in the Monastery of S. Brigges in France Such a reputed holinesse was it held in those daies not only to be separated from the accompanying with men wherunto women by God were created but also to abandon the Country of their natiuity and as strangers in forraine Lands to spend the continuance of their liues EThelherd the brother of Anna the yere of Christs Incarnation six hundred fifty foure was made King of the East-Angles the which it seemeth he had attempted in the raigne of his brother for that hee had assisted Penda in his warres against him and was the motiue saith Beda of the warres against Oswin King of Northumberland wherin siding with the heathen Penda he was worthily slaine the fifteenth day of Nouember when he had raigned onely two yeeres leauing his name to the blot of infamy and his Crowne to be possessed by his younger brother His wife was Hereswith sister of Hilda the famous learned Abbesse of Streanshale and great grand-childe to Edwyne King of Northumberland who bare vnto him Aldulfe Elswoolfe and Beorne all three succeeding Edilwald in the Kingdome of the East-Angles EDelwald the brother of Ethelherd entred his gouernment of the East-Angles the yere of our Lord six hundred fifty sixe and continued the same the space of nine yeeres without either mention of any other memorable act from whom as is supposed issued Ethelred that succeeded King after Beorne ALdulfe the eldest sonne of Ethelherd and Queene Hereswith after the death of his vncle King Edelwald obtained the Kingdome of the East-Angles and therein raigned without any honour or honourable action by him performed onely his name and time of his raigne which was nineteene yeres is left of him by Writers and affordeth no further relation of vs here to be inserted besides his Coine here set ELswolf the sonne of King Ethelherd and bother to this last mentioned Aldulfe began his raigne ouer the Kingdome of the East-Angles the yeere of Christ his Incarnation six hundred eighty three and continued in the same the time of seuen yeeres without record of any memorable Act Wife or Issue to reuiue his name BEorne the yongest sonne of King Ethelherd succeeded his brother King Elswolfe in the Kingdom of the East-Angles no further mention being made of him his wife nor Issue which are altogether perished and laid long since in their graues of obliuion EThelred after the death of his cosen Beorne succeeded him in the Kingdome of the East-Angles issuing as is supposed from King Ed◅lwald the brother of Ethelherd and of Anna both of them Kings in that Prouince His raigne by writers is said to bee fiftie two yeeres which notwithstanding was passed ouer without any memorable note for albeit that his gouernment was long and the declining Heptarchie not vnlikely to haue ministred matters of remembrance to posterities yet is the same passed ouer by the silence of our Wrirers and no further mention made of him besides the education of his yonger sonne Ethelbert who proued a most worthy King His wife and the mother of this vertuous sonne was Leofrun saith the Writer of his life without further mention of her parentage or other issue This King deceased the yeere after Christs natiuity seuen hundred forty eight the same yeere that Ethelbert entred his Kingdome of Kent EThelbert the sonne of King Ethelred after his Fathers death was ordained King of the East-Angles whose daies of youth were spent in learning and deeds of charity and the whole time of his gouernement in continuall tranquillity for hee is recorded to be a Prince religious and charitable sober profound and wise in counsell This King being incited by Offa the Mercian that still thirsted after greatnesse to marie Elfryd his daughter a Lady of great beautie came vpon that purpose to Offa his Court then seated at Sutton Wallis in the County of Hereford and was by him there cruelly murdered at the instigation of Quendrid his vnkind intended mother in law no other occasion ministred but the greatnes of his Port that much in her eyes ouer-heighted her husbands His Bride-bed the graue was first at Merden
his raigne ouer both at one and the same time the yeere of Christ his Natiuitie fiue hundred thirty foure 2 And enlarging his confines vpon the Territories of the Britaines gaue them two great ouerthrowes the one at Searesbery in Wilt-shire and the other at Banbury in Oxford-shire which was fought the two and twentieth of his raigne whereby his fame grew more renowned and his Kingdome in more quiet after He raigned the space of twenty six yeeres and left this life in the yeere of our Lord God fiue hundred sixty 3 He had issue three sonnes Chenlâ—…e Câ—…thwolfe and Câ—…th Chelwin the first succeeded his father in the Monarchie and West-Saxons Kingdome 4 Câ—…thwolfe the second assisted his brother in many victories as presently in his raigne shall follow And Câ—…th the third brother famous in his issue though mentionlesse for action in himselfe whereof more largely hath beene spoken in the raigne of Kenrik as he was King only of the West-Saxons CHEVLINE THE THIRD KING OF THE VVEST-SAXONS AND FIFTH MONARCH OF THE ENGLISHMEN CHAPTER XVII CHeuline the eldest sonne of King Kenrike serued with great commendations vnder his father in all his warres against the Britains and is specially mentioned at the Battle of Banbury in Oxford-shire and after his fathers death became the third King of the West-Saxons and the fifth Monarch of the Englishmen Hee much enlarged the bounds of his Kingdome and increased the power and glorie of the West-Saxons 2 For continuing the warres where his Father left did not onely subdue the Britaines in many Battles but also set himselfe against his owne Nation the Saxons and sought to impose the scope of his power vpon the South of the Riuer Thames for entring Kent whose King was then a childe by name Ethelbert the sonne of Imerik at Wiphandun or Wilbandun in Surrey in a set and sore Battle defeated all his forces whence the young King was chased and two of his greatest Captaines bearing the names of Dukes were slaine as we haue said 3 Not long after this victory he set his minde to inlarge his West-Saxons Dominions vpon the possession of the declining Britaines and to that end furnished forth a great Band of his Souldiers whereof he made his brother Cuthwin chiefe Generall These marching to Bedford gaue Battle to the Britaines where they slew them downe-right and surprized soure of their chiefest Townes at that time called Liganburge Eglesbourgh Bensington and Eusham which they fortified to their owne strength and the Britaines great losse 4 And following the Tract of his fore-going fortunes about six yeeres after sent forth againe his Saxons vnder 〈◊〉 conduct of the foresaid Cuthwin who encountred the Britaines at Diâ—…th or Deorham with such valour and successe that besides great slaughter of the British Souldiers three of their Kings whose names were Coinmagill Candidan and Farimnagill fell in the Field with the surprizall of these three Cities Glocester Bathe and Cirencester Then saith Gyldas euidently appeared the Lands destruction the sins of the Britaine 's being the only cause when neither Prince nor People Priest nor Leuite regarded the Law of the Lord but disobediently wandred in their owne waies 5 But no greater were the sinnes of the Britains then the vnsatiable desires of the Saxons were to conquer for Cheuline about the last of Malgoe his gouernment met the Britaines at Fethanleah in the face of a Field which was fought out to the great slaughters of them both and with the death of Prince Cuth King Cheulins sonne notwithstanding the victorie fell on his side with great spoiles obtained and possessions of many Prouinces which himselfe no long time enioied 6 For growne proud through his many prosperous victories against his enemies and tyrannizing ouer his owne Subiects the West-Saxons fell into such contempt that they ioined with the Britaine 's for his destruction The greatest against him was disloyall Chell or Cealrik his nephew the sonne of Cuthwin his most loyall brother whom both the Nations had elected for Generall Vnder him they muster and march into Wilt-shire and at Wodnesbeothe now Wannes-ditch pitch downe their Standards Cheuline that thought hee lead fortune in a lease with confident boldnesse built his present proceedings vpon his former successe and in the face of his enemies displaied his colours But the Battles ioined and the Field goared with bloud the day was lost vpon the Kings side and he in distresse saued himselfe by flight Heere might you haue seene the world as it is vnconstant and variable for he a Mars that had ouer-borne the Britains in so many Battles and had raised his Saxons vnto so great a height is forced to flee before his conquered Captiues and to exile himselfe from the sight of his owne Subiects after he had gloriously raigned thirty one yeeres or as some will thirty three and as a meane man died in his banishment the yeere of grace fiue hundred ninety two 7 He had issue two sonnes which were Cuth and Cuthwin the elder whereof had valiantly serued in his fathers warres namely at Wimbledone in Surry against King Ethelbert and his power of Kentishmen in the yeere of Christ fiue hundred sixty seuen and lastly in the Battle at Fethanleah where the Britaines receiued a great ouerthrow Notwithstanding as hee was valiantly fighting among the thickest of his enemies hee was there slain in the yeere of our Lord fiue hundred eighty foure being the fiue and twentieth yeere of his fathers raigne and that without issue 8 Cuthwin the younger sonne of King Cheuline suruiued his father but succeeded him not because of his young yeeres or else and that rather for the hatred that his father had purchased of his Subiects which they repaied him in his owne expulsion and in this his sonnes depriuation But although the wreath of the West-Saxons did not adorne this Cuthwines head yet shone it more bright and stood with greater maiesty vpon the browes of Ina the warlike and zealous King of West-Saxons and of Egbert the victorious and first sole absolute Monarch of the English Empire both of them in a right line issued from this Cuthwin as in the seuenth Chapter we haue said ETHELBERT THE FIFTH AND FIRST CHRISTIAN KING OF KENT AND THE SIXTH MONARCH OF THE ENGLISHMEN HIS WIVES AND ISSVE CHAPTER XVIII THe flame of the West-Saxons for a time thus quenched the Lampe of Kent began againe to shine and to assume the Title of the Monarchie after it had beene suppressed in them through the raignes of these foure last Kings for young Egberts entrance with the great losse of his Kentish ouerthrowne by King Cheuline gaue rather inducements to a tributary subiection then any apparant hopes to purchase an Empire 2 But such is the dispose of God in his hidden Counsell that things of least appearance many times become the greatest in substance as in this Prince it was euidently seene who making
studie or vpon pilgrimage we haue seene the same order kept and we know by relation that in Africke Asia Aegypt and Greece nay thorowout all nations and tongues in the world where Christ hath his Church that this our time and order is obserued Shall then these obstinate Picts I meane the Britaines and these remote Ilands in the Ocean Sea and yet not all of them neither fondly contend in tâ—…is point against the whole world But here Colman interrupted him and said I much maruell brother that you terme our doings a fond contention seeing we haue for our warrant so worthy an Apostle as Iohn was who only leaned vpon our Lords brest and whose life and behauiour all the world acknowledgeth to bee most wise and discreet Godforbid said Wilfrid that I should accuse Iohn but yet we know that he kept the decrees of Moses literally and according to the Iewish Lawes and so the rest of the Apostles were constrained in some things to doe for the weakenesse of them who accounted it a great sin to abrogate these rites that God himselfe had instituted and for that cause S. Paul did circumcise Timothie offred bloud-sacrifices in the Temple shaued his head at Corinth with Aqâ—…a and Priscilla vpon which consideration also spake Iames vnto Paul You see brother how many thousand of the Iewes haue receiued the faith and all of these are yet zealous followers of the Law But the light of the Gospell now shining thorow the world it is not lawfull for any Christian to bee circumcised or to offer vp bloudy sacrifices of Beasts Saint Iohn therefore according to the custome of the Law in the fourteenth day of the first moneth at euen began the celebration of Easters Festiuitie regardlesse whether it fell vpon the Sabbath day or any other of the weeke But S. Peter preaching the Gospell in Rome remembring that our Lord arose from his graue the first day after the Sabbath giuing thereby vnto vs certaine assurance of our resurrection obserued the Feast of Easter according to the Commandement of that Law he looked for euen as S. Iohn did that is to say the first Sabbath after the full Moone of the first moneth Neither doth this new obseruation of the Gospell and Apostles practise breake the old Law but rather fulfilleth it for the Law commandeth the Feast of Passeouer to bee kept from the foureteenth day of that moneth to the twentie and one of the same And this hath the Nicene Councell not newly decreed but rather confirmed as the Ecclesiasticall Historie witnesseth that this is the true obseruation of Easter and of all Christians after this account is to bee celebrated and thereupon charged Bishop Colman that hee neither obserued it according to Iohn nor Peter To this the Bishop replied that Aâ—…tholius for his holinesse much commended by the said Ecclesiasticall Historie and Columba a Father of like sanctitie by whom miracles were wrought kept the Feast according as he then did from whose imitation he durst not digresse Your Fathers which you pretend to follow how holy soeuer they bee said Wilfrid and what miracles soeuer they haue wrought yet this I answer that in the day of iudgement many shall say vnto Christ that they haue prophecied cast out Diuels and wrought miracles in his name to whom our Lord will answer I know you not And if your Father Columba yea and our Father if hee be the true seruant of Christ were holy and mightie in miracles yet can hee by no meanes bee preferred to the most blessed Prince of the Apostles vnto whom our Lord said Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it and to thee will I giue the keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen Thus said the King asked Colman whether our Lord indeede spake thus vnto Peter who answered He did But can you said hee giue euidence of so speciall authoritie granted to your Father Columba The Bishop said No. Then quoth the King doe you both agree confidently that thesewords were principally spoken vnto Peter and that vnto him the keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen were giuen They all answered It is most certaine Whereupon the King concluded this great controuersie and said Then will not I gaine say such a Pâ—…rter as this is but as farre as I know and am able I will couet in all points to obey his ordinante lest perhaps when I come to the Doores of Heauen I finde none to open vnto mee hauing his displeasure which is so cleerely prooued to beare the keyes thereof And with this so simple a collection of King Oswy concluded this long and great contention for the celebration of Easter which heere as borne before the time I haue inserted to continue the narration thereof together to auoid repetition of the same things which I seeke purposely to shunne and so returne againe to King Ethelbert 13 Who now became an instrument himselfe for the conuersions of his Nation the Saxons The first fruits of his intendements were wrought vpon Sebert King of the East-Angles his owne sisters sonne whom not onely hee conuerted to Christianitie but therein assisted him in the building of the Cathedrall Church of S. Paul for Miletus his Bishop as also the Church of S. Peters on the West of London then called Thorny with the assistance of a London Citizen as some haue said and himself at Rochester built the Cathedral Church there which he dedicated to the Apostle S. Andrew 14 This noble King hauing a care for them that should come after brought the Lawes of his Country into their owne mother tongue and left nothing vnattempted that might aduance the glorious Gospell of Christ or with honour adorne his owne temporall raigne and is worthily an example to all succeeding Princes in all true pietie and heroicall parts of a true Christian King He died the foure and twentieth day of Februarie in the yeere of our Lord God six hundred and sixteene being the one and twentieth of his Christianitie the three and twentieth of his Monarchie and the fifty sixth of his Kingdome of Kent and was buried at Canterbury in the Church of S. Peter and Paul afterwards called S. Augustines in the Chapell of S. Martines 15 His first wife was Berta the daughter of Chilperik King of France as we haue said who was the son of King Clotayre the sonne of Clodoue the first Christian King of that Country Shee deceased before the King her husband and was buried in the Church of S. Peter Paul at Canterburie within the Chapell of S. Martines there 16 He had a second wife whose name is not recorded by any Writer being as is thought vnworthy of remembrance because of the vnnaturall contract and mariage of Edbald her husbands sonne a sinne that both Law and Religion doe condemne and lastly by her conuerted husband was forsaken without either
the first and second Kings of the West-Saxons and the third and fourth Monarchs of the Englishmen She was the second Kings wife that was debarred of the title and place of Queene Shee deceased three years before the King her husband in the nineteenth yeare of his raigne being the yeare of Christs Natiuity eight hundred fifty fiue 10 Iudith his second wife was the daughter of Charles the Emperour and King of Fraâ—…e as wee haue said her Mother was Queene 〈◊〉 the daughter of Vodon Earle of Orlâ—…ance She was a Lady of passing beauty and marryed to this King in France and when she came into England was receiued with the title and place of a Queene in abolishment of the peruerse law of the VVest-Saxons made against the Kings VViues as before was touched She was his wife three yeares and suruiued him without any issue His Issue 11 Ethelbald the eldest sonne of King Ethelwolfe and of Lady Osburg his first wife was brought vp in his youth in the exercise of warre and serued vnder his Father in the great victory obtained against the Danes at Ocley in Surrey in the yeare eight hundred fifty one afterwards hee turned his force against his Father and at his returne from Rome practised to defeat him of his Kingdome and was ready to haue giuen him battaile had not his Father parted with him his Dominion 12 Ethelbert the second son of King Ethelwolfe and Lady Osburg his first wife was in the life time of his Father after the decease of his vncle Ethelstan appointed and placed his Successor in his Kingdome ouer the South-Saxons the Kentish and the East-Saxons without any mention or meaning as it seemeth that hee should intermeddle further with any other part of England Notwithstanding after the death of his brother Ethelbald it was generally holden of all men for law equity and reason that he should succeed him in the Monarchy and so he did with the consent of his Brethren and without resistance or contradiction of any other 13 Ethelred the third sonne of King Ethelwolfe and Lady Osburg his first wife had by the disposition of his Father in his last will the one halfe of his Fathers proper inheritance which was all such land as King Egbert his Grandfather had before hee was King and was no part of the Demaines of the Kingdome and this was diuided betwixt him and his brother Elfred as the kingdome was betweene their elder Brethren Ethelbald and Ethelbert with an intent that this Ethelred should succeed his brother Ethelbald in the kingdome of the West-Saxons notwithstanding his brother Ethelbert after the decease of King Ethelbald entred into the other part adioining it to his former kingdome and was king of the whole and after left it entire to this Ethelred who succeeded him in the Monarchy 14 Elfred the fourth sonne of King Ethelwolfe and of Lady Osburg his first wife was borne at Wantage in Barkeshire in the yeare of our Lord God eight hundred forty nine and the thirteenth of his fathers raign Being a child of fiue yeeres old he was sent very honourably attended to the City of Rome where Leo the fourth then Bishoppe confirmed him was his Godfather at the confirmation and annointed him to the expectation of a kingdome growne in yeares hee grew so in discretion magnanimity and fauour of all men that in the successiue raignes of his three elder Brethren he ruled as a Vice-roy or secondary king vnder euery of them and after them at the last succeeded in the English Monarchy 15 Ethelfwith the daughter of King Ethelwolfe and Lady Osburg was maried to Burthred the twentieth King of Mercia which mariage was solemnized at the towne of Chippinham in Wiltshire in the moneth of Aprill and yeare of Christs Natiuity eight hundred thirty fiue and the fifteenth of her fathers raigne but within twenty two years after they were both forced by the Danes to abandon their kingdom and departed into Italy where the King died the same yeare in the English Colledge at Rome shee liued after him fifteene yeares in the habite of a Nâ—…ne at the City of Padâ—…a and there died and was honourably buried in the yeare of our Lord God eight hundred eighty nine which was the eighteenth yeare of her brother King Elfreds raigne 16 Neâ—…te supposed by Iohn Capgraâ—…e the Legend writer to be the sonne of King Ethelwolfe was in his youth brought vp at Glastenbery vnder Dunstan who was afterward Arthbishop of Caâ—…terbury He proued a man of great learning and was one of the first Readers of Diuinity in the Vniuersity of Oxford at the foundation or as some will haue it the restauration thereof by King Elfred hee planted a Monastery in Cornwall whereunto hee vsed for deuotion and studious meditations often to withdraw himselfe which of his abode there was afterward called Neotestoke and when he was dead his body was with great honour enterred in the County of Huntingdon at a place then called Anulfesbery and afterward in regard of his enterment Saint Neotes and now Saint Needes ETHELBALD THE TVVENTIETH KING OF THE VVEST-SAXONS AND THE TWENTIE ONE MONARCH OF THE ENGLISHMEN HIS ACTS AND RAIGNE CHAPTER XXXIII EThelbald the eldest sonne of king Ethelwolfe hauing had part of the kingdome in the life time of his Father after his death entred vpon the whole and was the twentieth King of the West Saxons and the twenty one Monarch of the Englishmen beginning his raigne in the yeere of Christs incarnation eight hundred fiftie seuen 2 His youth he had spent in the exercise of war hauing made proofe of valour in his seruice against the Danes in many battels and likewise attempted though not in so good a cause to haue fought against his owne father Which his assaies as they seemed violent and vnnaturall yet being in the quarrell of the West-Saxons law enacted in preiudice of their Queenes he was both sided and approued as hath been said 3 But howsoeuer vnwilling he was this faire Queene should sit in state by his fathers side yet contrary to all lawes either of God or man hee laid her by his owne and by nuptiall rites brought her to his sinfull and incestuous bed Which act though foule enough some haue made worse in reporting his Wife to be his owne Mother whom King Ethelwolfe kept for his Concubine And surely this his sin was not long vnpunished by the shortnesse of his raigne and life leauing no other memory of his acts besides this foule blot to his faire name 4 His raigne was onely two yeeres and an halfe and death chanced vpon the twentieth day of December the yeere of Christs assuming our flesh eight hundred sixtie His body was first buried at Shâ—…rburne in the County of Dorset where at that time was the Cathedrall Church and Episcopall See but afterwards was remoued and enterred at Salesbury in the County of Wiltshire His Wife 5 Iudith the
brother 2 Hee beganne his raigne in the yeare of his age twenty two and of our Lord God eight hundred seuenty two being crowned in the City of Winchester the twenty third King of the West-Saxons and the twenty foure Monarch of the Englishmen but of some Historians he is famoused by the stile of the first absolute Monarch 3 His raigne beganne with troubles and wars in defence of the land which the Pagan Danes intended to destroy and though his powers were smal yet was he forced into the field within one month after his Coronation the place was Wilton in the County of Wiltstire on the south-banke of the riuer Wily where the Danes at first gaue backe and fled but seeing the fewnes of their pursuers reenforced their battle and got the field with whom the West-Saxons entred league and compounded for their departure from among them 4 These Rouers then with their associates at Reading got themselues into London where they wintred with whom the Mercians likewise compoūded for their peace which proued shortly to be the destruction of their princely bloud and lastly the lands subuersion to a forraine nation For the Danes hauing got footing in the North the West and the South of this land vnto whose aide many new-come guests from their Easterne countries were arriued vnder the leading of other three Kings Gurthrun Esketel and Ammond all together set their griping tallents with such fast hold vpon Mercia that at Ripendon they constrained Burthred the King with his Queene Elswith out of the land and in his stead placed a King of their owne choise vpon condition to deliuer vp the same againe vnto them when they would demaund it 5 In the fourth yeare of King Elfred their armies diuided themselues into two parts the one of them guided by King Halden returned into Northumberland where hee bestowed that Country among his followers and therein remained for two yeares continuance doing much harmes both to the English and Picts The other part led by the last new-come King came to Granabridge whence they wintered and spoiled the Country and there spreading themselues as Grashoppers vpon the face of the earth eate vp all where they came so that King Elfred was enforced to compound for their departure out of his owne kingdome in West-Saxia to which couenants they promised and swore yet contrary to both tooke into Deuonshire and wintred at Excester vnto whom a further supply by sea sought to ioine themselues but met with such boisterous blasts that one hundred and twenty of their ships were cast away by tempest at Swanwicke vpon our coasts and their land-army marching towards Excester were there welcommed with so sharpe an encounter by King Elfred that they gaue him both pledges and oath to depart with all speed 6 But Fortune euer dallying with them whom shee meanes to down-cast set the chance of losse presently vpon the Saxons side for now the three Kings Gurthrun Esketel and Ammond thought it not good to let Elfred thus rest and thereupon drew their forces westwards towards him where at Chipingham a Mannor of his they wintred and compelled th West-Saxons there either to yeeld or to forsake the Country 7 King Elfred therefore with such strength as he had hasted towards them and seuenteene miles from Bristow pitched downe his tents euen in the face of the enemy where betwixt these fierce nations a great battaile was fought to the infinite losse of bloud on both sides and that vpon such equall departure as neither could challenge to bee masters of the field yet the report went that King Elfred was discomfited which turned greatly to his aduantage for thereupon many of the English hasted to his succour lest the ouerthrow of him should be the bane of them all his strengthes thus renued with an vnexpected supply no time was detracted to stay the Danish rage who were now returned further into the heart of the land and at Abington by Oxford had pitched their standreds for fight 8 Thither the English repaired and the next morning he ordered his Army neither were the enemies vnprepared but with braues stood ready to receiue the encounter The battaile ioyned continued with such losse of bloud that it is accounted one of the sorest that euer betwixt them before had beene fought and onely parted by the approch of the night neither party challenging the honor of the day the losse being so great vpon both sides Seuen of these battailes are reported to be fought in that yeare whereby both their strengthes were much abated and their spilt bloud so cooled their liuers that lastly they concluded vpon a peace one article was this that the Danes should admit no more of their nation to arriue in this Iland but how soone that was broken the sequels did shew 9 For in the yeare eight hundred seuenty sixe saith Simon Dunelmensis Rollo a nobleman of Denmarke with a great Army entred into England with no lesse spoile and destruction then other of those Danes before him had done notwithstanding the truce with whom King Elfred met and gaue him so hoat welcome that hee liked not greatly his entertainement and being warned forsooth in his sleepe that better fortune attended him in France hee left his countrimen to tugge with the English 10 The Danes then accounting the peace to be broken like Bees from the Hiue infect all the land insomuch that this vndaunted King Elfred was ofttimes brought to such extremities that he hid himselfe out of sight and in the Fens Marsh grounds was forced with such small companies as he had to liue by fishing fowling and hunting of wild beasts for his food hauing no more of his great Monarchy left him but Somerset Hamton and Wiltshires only neither yet them free from the incursions of the Danes 11 The solitary place of his most residency was an Iland inclosed with the two riuers Tho◅e and Parret at their meeting in the County of Sommerset commonly called Edelingsey where he in very poore attire disguised was entertained into a Cow-heards house if not into his seruice where on a time as he sate by the fire in trimming of his bow and shafts a cake of dow baking vpon the hearth before him chanced to burn the Cowheardesse comming in and seeing him mind more his bow then his bread in a great fury cast away both his bow and arrowes and checking him as her Groom said Thou fellow doest thou see the bread burne before thy face and wilt not turne it and yet art thou glad to eate it before it bee halfe baked little suspecting him to be the man that had beene serued with more delicate cates 12 But this Prince the very mirrour of Princes more minding the wealth of his subiects then the maiesty of State disguised himselfe in the habite of a common Minstrell and in person repaired to the Danes Campe who lay like sena◅ wallowing in
by the King For doubtlesse at that time the Bishops of Rome had not deuested our Kings of that prerogatiue His Wife 28 Elswith the wife of King Elfred was the daughter of Ethelred surnamed Mâ—…hel that is the Great an Earle of the Mercians who inhabited about Gainesborough in Lincolnshire her mother was Edburg a Lady borne of the Bloud-roiall of Mercia She was married vnto this King in the twentieth yeare of his age being the second of the raigne of his brother King Ethelred and was his wife twenty eight yeares and liuing after him foure died in the year of grace nine hundred and foure and was buried in the Monastery of Nunnes which shee had founded at Winchester out of which afterwards King Henry the first took to his wife Maâ—…d the daughter of Malcolme King of Scots by whom the roiall bloud of the ancient Kings of England became vnited to the Normans whereby he wanne much loue of the English nation His Issue Edward the eldest sonne and second child of King Elfred and Queene Elsewith was borne about the beginning of his Fathers raigne in the yeare of our Lord eight hundred seuenty one hee was brought vp in his Fathers Court and carefully attended and instructed by men of great vertue and knowledge in learning and in all other qualities and exercises conuenient for Princes He was maried and had diuers children hee was thirty yeeres of age before his Father deceased and then he succeeded him in his Kingdome and Monarchy Ethelward the second son fift and last child of King Elfred and Queene Elswith was borne about the midst of his Fathers raigne and about the yeare of our Lord eight hundred and eighty Hee was in his youth by his Fathers appointment and for the example of other young Nobles brought vp in the study of good Arts at the vniuersity of Oxford where saith Th. Rudburne and the Annales of Winchester he became a man very learned and a great Philosopher he had of his Fathers gift by his last Wil great liuings in the Counties of Deuon Sommerset South-Hampton â—…he proued a man of great iudgement and wisedome and liuing vntill he was aboue forty yeres old hee died the sixteenth day of October in the two and twenty yeare of his brother King Edwards raign Anno nine hundred twenty two and was buried at Winchester Elfleda the eldest daughter and first child of King Elfred and Queene Elswith his wife was married to Ethelred Duke of Mercia who in respect of this mariage was suffered to haue all roiall iurisdiction ouer that Country in as ample maner as the Kings thereof had enioied and after the decease of her husband which happened in the yeare of our Lord nine hundred and twelue shee continued the gouernement in the same sort eight yeares with such resolution and valiant resistance of the common enemy the Danes that she stood her brother Edward in great stead as in the relation of his life shall be further shewed She died the fifteenth of Iune nine hundred and nineteene and was buried in S. Peters Church at Gloucester leauing issue a daughter named Elswin whom King Edward her brother depriued of that Duchy which her owne mother enioied and he his crowne by her assistance Ethelgeda the second daughter and fourth child of King Elfred and Queene Elswith was neuer married but tooke vpon her the profession and vow of Virginity and was by her fathers appointment made a Nunne of Shaftsbury in the County of Dorset in the Monastery there founded by him who is also accounted the first of the Towne it selfe Shee was afterward Abbesse of the house and therein spent and ended her life and was there also buried Elfride the yongest daughter and child of King Elfred and Queene Elswith his wife was married to Baldwin the second surnamed the Bald Earle of Flanders sonne of Earle Baldwin the first and Queene Iudith his wife the widdow of King Ethelwolfe her Grandfather Shee was his wife thirty yeares and more shee suruiued him and was a widdow eleuen yeeres she died the seuenth of Iune in the yeere of our Lord nine hundred twenty nine being the fift of the raigne of King Ethelstan her Nephew She is buried by her husband in the Chappell of our Lady within the Monastery of S. Peter at the City of Gaunt She had issue Arnulfe the third Earle of Flanders progenitor of all the Earles of Flanders since his time Adâ—…lfe Earle of Bolâ—…igne and Terwiâ—… EDVVARD SVRNAMED THE ELDER THE TWENTIE FOVRTH KING OF THE WEST SAXONS AND TWENTY FIFT MONARCH OF THE ENGLISH-MEN HIS RAIGNE ACTS AND ISSVE CHAPTER XXXVII NO greater were the griefes conceiued for the death of worthy Elfred then were the hopes of the people in his sonne Prince Edward whose valour had beene often approued against the raging Danes whose vertues were both many and princely not so learned as his Father neither so patient to vndergoe his chance but as glorious in martiall prowesse and as fortunate in al his fights vnder whose hand the Danes euery where fell and vnder his Monarchy all the English did stoope excepting the Northumbrians 2 He entred his raigne the yeare of Christs natiuity nine hundred and one and at Kingston vpon Thames was crowned and annointed with holy oyle The Danish warres continuing in a successiue maner fell as it were hereditaryly from the Father vnto the Sonne and ripened dayly towards their wished haruest Besides Ethelwald the sonne of Ethelbert the vncle to this King Edward young at his fathers decease and therefore perhappes held vncapable of gouernment shewed now the blossoms of vnder-sucking plants whose fruits are neither plenteous nor pleasant in tast for his humours euer working vpon discontents drew his thought onely how to make the possessor fall 3 He then entring action of rebellion tooke the towne of Winborne neere vnto Bathe and besides the allegiance due to his Prince in sacrilegious manner brake the hests of holy Church in deflowring and taking a Votarist to wife Edward the elder so called it may be in regard of this his Opposite with a selected Army repaired to Bathe and thence prepared for the field whose sight was so cockatrice-like to his cosen-Germans eye that in the night he bade his Nun and Winborne adew posting to Northumberland and proffering his seruice to the Danes that lay for aduantage of rapine and spoile 4 Him as a fitte instrument they created their King and forward in hope of some prosperous successe passed through the East-Saxons the East-Angles and the Mercians Countries and laden with robberies came to Crikelade in Wilt-shire whence they departed ouer Thamesis to Basingstoke and harrying the land before them with triumph returned vnto East-Anglia Edward thus endangered by these dreadfull enemies gaue them no aduantage by lingering delaies but followed their tract vnto Saint Edmunds Ditch whence in his returne the Danes gaue
more warrantable witnesses it is reported that this was the very place which the Iutes and Angles abandoned when they remoued their Colonies for Britaine 5 In this place then the Danes laid first the foundation of their Kingdome which from the word Mars signifying not a limit but a region was named Den-marc But touching the former part of that compounded name the truth and original occasion is not so soone found out for the searching eye of truth hath long since seene into the receiued fable of Damarc their first King and Giant-like sonne of Humblus though Verstegan of late holds it more certaine in the search of originals to follow the grounded opinion that ancient Tradition hath held then at randome to seeke them else-where as these Danes saith he from Dan and the Britaine 's from Brute which truely for truth I hold much alike and will herein make doubt as many more of riper iudgement before me haue done 6 For Goropius Becanus deduceth the name Dane from Da-hen signifying a Henne or rather as some will a fighting Cocke Iunius from Den signifying Firre-trees which doe there abound Andrew Velley from a people in Scythia named Dahae of whom Iosephus maketh mention in his eighteenth booke and placeth them by the Sacae Ethelward our English historian will haue them named from the faire City Donia And Ionas Iacobus Venusinus a diligent searcher of Antiquites out of Pomponius Mela findeth the names of certaine Bays opening into those parts which now the Danes inhabite to haue beene ancientlie written CDAN and CDANONVM which Orthographie and Pronuntiation to the Latines was both harsh and hard and therefore they added a vowell and wrote it CODANVM and CODANONIA whereof it may be thought these people giuen much to piracies were knowne and called by that name as breaking out of those Codanian seas Some others from Ptolomie haue thought that from his Daeuciones placed in Scandia and corruptly so written for Danciones the name of these Danes hath beene deriued whereto the neerenesse of the place induceth much 7 For Nations Originals may well bee compared vnto a spring whose current surcharged with continuall supply of more first filleth the neere Chanels which done they passe further and at length are oftentimes diuided into many and great streames and euen so these Danes saith Dudo of S. Quintins after they had in heat and lasciuious lust ingendred an innumerable ofspring swarmed out of Scandia like bees out of their hiues that both on diuers occasions and in very barbarous manner for growne to ripenesse of yeeres falling at strife with their Fathers and Grand-sires yea and most commonly among themselues for lands and liuely-hood necessity compelled them to disburden the land thus ouerflowed for the better maintenance of the residue and to banish by lot after their ancient custome a multitude of their youth that might conquere by their swords in forraine Realmes places to liue in These then thrust out of their owne fell vpon other lands with no lesse danger then the falling of a sword out of the sheath or rather as the breaking in of a tempestuous sea vpon the neighbouring grounds sore distressing their neighbour nations among them England not the least as shal be said 8 And yet their name was not much notified to the world before the raigne of Iustinian the Emperour about the yeere of mans saluation 570 but then rouing vpon the coasts of England France in exercising Piracies were noted by writers by the name Wiccingi for that Wiccinga in the Saxon tongue as Alfricus witnesseth doth signifie a Pirate they were also called Pagani for that they were not Christians but by the English Deniscan and also Heathon-mon as being Ethnicks 9 The manner of their Religion or rather superstition and Idolatry was much like vnto the other Germans and Saxons whose principall God and Nationall reputed-Patron was Thur vnto whom the fourth day of the weeke for his seruice was assigned whereof as yet it beareth his name Thursday who in his robes was set vpon a sumptuous bed the Canopie whereof was bespangled with starres of gold vnto him they performed their chiefe deuotions and ascribed all their fortunes in their affaires as the foresaid Dudo doth more particularly relate They saith he sacrificed vnto Thur whom they worshipped in old time as their Lord for whom they killed not many sheepe oxen or other cattle but offered vnto him mens bloud thinking that to be the most pretious oblation of all others whom when the Priest by casting of lots had destinated to death they were all at once deadlie smitten vpon the head with oxeyokes and euery one thus chosen by lot hauing at one stroke his braines dashed out was laid along on the ground and there with a narrow prying was sought out the Fibra or veine of the heart on the left side whence drawing the bloud as their custome was and therewith besmearing the heads of their deerest friends forthwith they hoise sailes thinking their Gods well pleased with such sacrifices and fore-deeming happie successe to their intended voiage 10 Ditmarus the Bishop somewhat ancienter then Dudo recordeth another detestable superstition vsed by the Danes to purchase the fauour of their Gods Because saith he I haue heard wonderfull reports of the ancient sacrifices which the Danes and Normans vsed I will not let them passe vntouched In those parts there is a place and the chiefe it is of that Kingdome called Lederum in a Prouince named Selon where euery ninth yeare in the moneth of Ianuary after the time in which we celebrate the Natiuity of our Lord they all assemble together and there they kill and sacrifice vnto their Gods ninety and nine men and as many horses with dogs and also cocks in stead of hawkes assuring themselues that hereby their Gods are fully pleased and pacified And thus much may serue for a tast and view of their customs names and originals THE DANES FIRST ATTEMPTS AGAINST ENGLAND CHAPTER II. THough many were the Piracies of the Danes on the coasts of France and this our Island in former times yet their arriuall heere which gaue first breath to their ensuing conquests was not till the wane of the Saxon Monarchie about the yeere of Christs Incarnation seuen hundred eighty seuen in the raigne of Brightrik King of the West-Saxons in whose dominions after some proffer at Portland they first came to land at Teigne-mouth in Deuon-shire beeing sent then with three Ships onely to espie the wealth of this Countrie the forces of the Inhabitants the commodities of the Hauens and aduantage of arriuall for a greater power which was to follow them The Kings Lieuetenant and Prefect for that place vnderstanding of their landing went himselfe to demand the reason thereof and attempting to lay hands on some to carrie them to the Kings presence hee was there slaine which they tooke as a fortunate presage of the
thousand men and Harold in Souldier-like exequies borne vnto Waltham in Essex there honourably enterred as we haue said William the Conqueror for so now may wee stile him returned to Hasting and thence set forward with spoile of the Country ouer Thamesis towards London 2 Where Edwine and Morcar the Brethren of the Queen were in working the English that one of them should be King or rather saith Simon of Durham to crowne Edgar Etheling the rightfull heire in such esteeme with the People that he was commonly called Englands Darling vnto whose side most of the Nobles aâ—…ered with the Citizens of London and the Nauall forces to which part also ioined Aldred Archbishop of Yorke though presently he fel off and stuckt to the stronger for the Prelates though secretly affecting the right claime yet terrified with the flashing thunderbolts of the Papall curse durst not goe forward with their purpose so powerful was the Pope euen then to defeat the rightfull heires of kingdomes but refused to side with the Lords whereupon all their designements were suddainely quashed 3 For William hauing wasted through Kent Sussex Surrey Hampshire and Barkshire came vnto Wallingford and crossing there the Thamesis passed through the Counties of Oxford Buckingham and Hertford where staying at Berkhamsted Aldred Archbishop of Yorke Wolstane Bishop of Worcester Walter Bishop of Hereford with the Earles Edâ—… and Morcar yea and Edgar himself yeelded their allegiance vnto the Duke This curse so preuailing farre engaged William to the Pope 4 William intending for London being on his way found the passage stopt vp with multitudes of great trees which by the policy of Frethericke Abbot of S. Albanes a man descended from the Saxons noble bloud as likewise from Canutus the Dane to secure his Monasterie from the destruction of the Normans were so cut downe whereat the Duke both wondring and fretting sent for the Abbot vnder his assurance of safe returne and demanding the cause why his woods were so cut Frethericke answered very stoutly I haue done said he the duety both of my birth and profession and if others of my ranke had performed the like as they well might and ought it had not beene in thy power to haue pierced the land thus farre 5 Wâ—…lliam hearing the bold answere of this Prelate and knowing it was now a time fitter to pacifie then exulcerate the English spirits gaue way to the present necessity and withall hastned as good policy required his coronation which at Westminster was solemnized vpon Monday being the day of Christs Natiuity and yeere of saluation 1066. where he receiued the crowne at the hands of Aldred Archbishop of Yorke causing the Bishops and Barons to take the oath of allegiance vnto him and himselfe likewise at the altar of S. Peters tooke a solemne oath to defend the rights of the Church to establish good lawes and to see iustice vprightly administred as became a good King and thereupon chose for his counsell such men as he knew to bee of great wisedome and experience next applying his thoughts for the security of his new gotten Empire fortified such places as lay open to danger bestowed strong Garrisons vpon the coasts ships to ride in those Harbours which were most exposed to inuasion 6 And the better to assure the south of the land best seruing his purpose if any new troubles should arise hee tooke his way towards Douer the locke and key of the Kingdome as Mathew Paris terms it that so hee might commaund the seas from his enemies arriuage and ouer-awe the Kentish a most strong and populous Prouince When Stigand therfore Archbishop of Canterbury and Eglesine the Politicke Abbot of Saint Augustines being the chiefest Lords and Gouernours of Kent vnderstoode of his approch they assembled the Commons at Canterbury laying forth the perils of the Prouince the miseries of their neighbours the pride of the Normans and the wronges of the Church all which now were too apparantly seene the English till then they sayd were borne free and the name of bond-men not heard of among them but now seruitude only attend vs if wee yeeld sayd they to the insolency of this griping enemy These two Prelates therefore after the example of the vndaunted Machabees offered themselues to die in the defence of their Country whose forwardnesse drew the people vnto the like resolution which by their aduertisements were assigned to meet at a day the place was Swanscombe two miles west from Graues end 7 Where accordingly conuening and keeping secret in the woods they waited the comming of the Conquerour all iointly agreeing for that no way lay open saue onely a front to carry in their hands great branches of trees wherewith they might both keepe themselues from discouery and if need were impeach the passage of the Normans which deuice tooke so strange an effect that it daunted the Duke euen with the sight at his approch who being as he thought free from the enemy was now suddainly beset on all sides with woods whereof seeing some before him to moue he knew not but that all the other vast woods were of like nature neither had hee leasure to auoide the danger The Kentish inclosing his Army about displaied their banners cast downe their boughes and with bowes bent prepared for battle so that hee which euen now had the Realme to his seeming in his fist stood in despaire of his owne life of which his sodaine amazement the reuerend Prelates Stigand and Eglesine taking notice also aduantage presented themselues before him and in the behalfe of the Kentish thus spake 8 Most noble Duke behold here the Commons of Kent are comeforth to meete and receiue you as their Soueraigne requiring your Peace their own free condition of estate and their ancient lawes formerly vsed if these be denied they are here presently to abide the veraite of battaile fully resolued rather to die then to depart with their lawes or to liue seruile in bondage which name and nature is and euer shall be strange vnto vs and not to be endured The Conquerour driuen into this strait and loath to hazard all on so nice a point their demaunds being not vnreasonable more wisely then willinglie granted their desires and pledges on both parts giuen for performance Kent yeeldeth her Earledome and Castle of Douer to their new King William 9 All things established for Englands securitie and subiection now to the Normans hee ordained his halfe brother by the surer side Odo Bishop of of Bayeux whom he created Earle of Kent and his cosen William-Fitz-Osburne by him made Earle of Hereford to bee Gouernours in his absence ouer the Realme and in the Lent following sailed into Normandy leading with him many pledges for their fidelity besides other Nobles especially such as he feared to be too potent amongst whom Stigand the Archbishop of Canterbury the two great Earles
such pranks of impietie that his gouernment was odious to the Romans who wished an end of his raigne and life so that certaine South saiers imploied in that busines gaue forth that after Gregory Odo should be Pope Odo our said Earle the Conquerours brother fed with ful hope that hee was the man sendeth to Rome to buy him a Pallace adorning it with stately and ouer-lauish trimmings Salutes the Senators with great gifts complements stuffeth bagges with money and letters to such as might doe much in the election and prouides honourable personages to attend him to Rome Among the which for chiefe was Hugh Earle of Chester with many great men and Knights of the land for the Normans variable and desirous to see forraine Countries were contented to forsake their faire lands in the west climate to accompany this proud Prelate ouer the riuer Poo This iolly traine was set forward into the Isle of Wight and there in great pompe ready to set saile into Normandy when on the sodain King William vnlooked for was euen among them and in his great Hall in presence of his Nobles thus spake 50 Excellent Peeres I beseech you hearken to my words and giue me your counsell at my sailing into Normandy I commended England to the gouernment of Odo my brother Bishop In Normandy many forraine foes haue risen vp against me yea and inward friends I may say haue inuaded me for Robert my sonne and other yonglings whom I haue brought vp and giuen Armes haue rebelled vnto whom my false Clients and other bordering enemies haue giuen their assistance but they haue not prospered God whose seruant I am euer defending mee neither haue they gotten any thing of mine besides iron in their wounds They of Aniou prepared against me whom with the onely feare of warre I haue pacified These businesses you know haue drawn me into Normandy where I haue staied long and imploied my painfull endeuours on publike behoofes But in the meane time my brother hath greatly oppressed England spoiling the Churches of Lands and Rents hath made them naked of Ornaments giuen by our Predecessors and hath seduced my Knightes with purpose to traine them ouer the Alpes who ought to defend the Land against the inuasions of the Danes Irish and other Enemies ouer strong for me but my greatest dolour is for the Church of God which he hath afflicted and vnto which the Christian Kings that raigned before me haue giuen many gifts and with their loues honored for which now as we beleeue they rest reioicing with a happy retribution in a pleasant State Ethelbert Edward Saint Oswald Althulph Aefred Edward the Elder Edgar and my cosen and most deere Lord Edward haue giuen Riches to the Church the spouse of God But my Brother to whom I committed the whole Kingdome violently plucketh away their goods cruelly grindeth the poore and with a vaine hope stealeth away my Knights from me and by oppression hath exasperated the whole Land with vniust taxations consider thereof most Noble Lords and giue mee I pray you your aduice what is heerein to bee done 51 At which pause when all stood mute as fearing to giue their opinions in so weighty a point concerning so great a Person the King thus continued his speech Hurtfull rashnesse is euer vnsufferable and must at length be repressed This man hath oftentimes banded himselfe against his owne father and vpon a stomacke blowne vp with pride and folly hath fallen off to the King of France therefore lest with ouermuch lenity we buy too late a repentance he shall remaine Prisoner yet not as a Bishop whose name I both honour and reuerence but as an Earle subiect to the Lawes and Censure of his King Which accordingly was done vpon seizure of whose estate this Prelate was found so well lined in purse that the heapes of yellow mettall did moue admiration to the beholders and many of his bags were taken vp out of the bottome of Riuers where they were hidden full of gold ground into powder 52 Soone after some displeasure hauing arisen betwixt King William and Philip King of France hee hauing first generally caused to be taken the Oath of English Alleageance to himselfe and successors with a mighty masse of money fitted for some great attempts departed to Normandy where falling sicke and keeping his Bed more then his wont the French King hearing that his disease was in his belly gaue him this frumpe Our Cosen William said he is laid now in Child-bed Oh what a number of Candels must I offer at his going to Church surely I thinke a hundred thousand will not suffice King William hearing thereof is said to make this answere Well our cosen of France I trust shall be at no such cost but after this my child-birth at my going to Church swearing by the resurrection and brightnes of God I will said he find him one thousand candles and light them my selfe And accordingly towards August following when both the trees fruites corn and ground was most flourishing hee entred France with a mighty Army spoiling all the west parts thereof before him and lastly set the City Meux or Mauntz on fire wherein he consumed the faire Church of our Lady in the wals wherof was enclosed an Anchoret who might but would not escape holding it a breach of his religious vow to forsake his Cell in that distresse The King busied in these attempts cheered his men to feede the fire and came himselfe so neere the flames that with the heat of his harnesse he got a sicknesse and the same encreased by the leape of his horse that burst the inward rimme of his belly and cost him his life 53 At which time feeling death to approach he deferred not to addresse his last Will wherein hee commanded all his Treasure to bee distributed to Churches Gods Ministers and the Poore limiting to each their seuerall portion and quantity which he caused to be ingrossed in writing by Notaries before him Amongst which he bequethed to the Church and Monkes of Saint Stephens at Cane in Normandy two Mannors in Dorsetshire one Mannor in Deuonshire another in Essex much Lands in Barke-shire some in Norfolke a Mansion house in Woodstreet of London with many Aduowsions of Churches yea which is to be wondred at hee gaue his Crowne and Regall Ornaments thereto belonging to the said Church being of his owne foundation for the redemption whereof King Henry his sonne gaue the Mannor of Brideton in Dorsetshire to preuent any danger that thereof might arise and vnto the Churches by fire destroied in Meuxe he gaue great summes of money to repaire them and so preparing himselfe for God briefly ranne ouer the carriage of his former life the summe whereof as much as best fitteth this place we will declare as he spake it to them that were present 54 Being laden with many and grieuous sins O Christ I now tremble
of the Cathedrall Church where there remaineth a monument of him with an inscription entitling him a Duke and some suppose of Bologne 70 William the third Son of King William and Queene Maud was borne in Normandy in the 21. yere of his Fathers Dukedom ten yeeres before he was King 1159. hee was surnamed of the Red colour of his haire in French Rows in Latine Rufus he was brought vp vnder Lanefranke the learned Lumbard who was Archbishoppe of Canterbury of whom he receiued both instructions of knowledge and the order of Knighthood he serued vnder his Father at the battaile of Gerbereth in Normandy 1079 wherein hee was wounded and hee alwaies framed his actions so pleasing to his Fathers humor as that hee thought him much worthier then his elder brother to succeed in his Kingdome 71 Henry the fourth and yongest sonne of King William and Queene Maud his wife was borne in England at Selby in Yorkeshire the third yeere of his Fathers raigne and of our Lord God 1070 his childhood was trained vp in learning at Cambridge saith Caius but the ancient Annales of Saint Austins in Canterbury say he was Philosophiâ peregrè informatus instructed beyond Sea in Philosophy where for his notable knowledge in the Liberall Sciences he was surnamed by the French Beauclerk that is the fine Scholler Vpon his return he was made Knight being 16. yeers old by his Father at Westminster in Whitsontide the nineteenth yeer of his Raign Anno 1086. and thogh at his Fathers death he had nothing bequeathed him but Treasure yet afterward he succeeded his Brothers both in the Kingdome of England and Dutchie of Normandy 72 Cecilie the Eldest daughter of King William and Queene Maude his wife was borne in Normandy brought vp in England and carried againe into Normandy where in the ninth yeere of the Kings Raigne and the yeere of our Lord 1075. shee was by her Father on Ester day with great Solemnity offered vp in the Church of Feschampe vailed to be a Nunne in the Monastery there but was afterward elected by the Nunnes of our Lady at Cane to be Abbesse of their Monasterie founded by her Mother which she gouerned and where she died and was enterred 73 Constance the second daughter of King William and Queene Maud was the first wife of Allayne Earle of little Britaigne surnamed in the British Fergent in English Red. In regard of which marriage and his seruice done at the conquest of England his Father in law gaue him all the lands of Earle Edwine whereon he built the Castle and wherof he made the Earledome of Richmond which long after belonged to the Earles and Dukes of Britaigne his Successors although he had his children by an other wife for she died very yong and without issue and was buried in the Abbey of Saint Edmundsbury in Suffolke 74 Alice the third daughter of King William Queen Maud was married to Stephen Earle of Bloys in France and had issue by him William an Innocent Thibaud surnamed the Great Earle of Blois and Champain Stephen Earle of Mortain and Boleine who was King of England Henry a Monke of Cluny after Abbot of Glastenbury and Bishop of Winchester Mary married to Richard Earle of Chester and Emme wife of one Harbert an Earle of France and mother of Saint William Archbishop of Yorke Shee suruiued Earle Stephen her husband and in her widowhood tooke vpon her the profession of Religion in the Priorie of Nunnes at Marciguy in France where she ended her life 75 Gundred the fourth daughter of King William and of Queene Maud was married to William of Warrein a Nobleman of Normandy who was the first Earle of Surrey in England by whom shee had issue William the second Earle Progenitors of the Earles that followed and Rainold of Warren her second sonne who had also Issue Shee died in Child-bed three yeeres before her husband at Castleaker in Norfolke the 27. of May in the 20. yere of her fathers raigne being the yeere of our Lord 1085. and is buried in the Chapter-house of Saint Pancrase Church within the Priory at the town of Lews in the County of Sussex 76 Ela the fifth daughter of King William and his Queen Maud in her Child-hood was contracted in marriage to Duke Harald when he was in Normandy being then a yong Widower Notwithstanding hee refusing her tooke an other wife and vsurped the Kingdom of England after the death of King Edward whereby hee occasioned his owne ruine and Conquest of his Country which afterward ensued when her Father sought reuenge so much as some write to the discontentment of this Lady that for griefe of these mischances shee euer after refused marriage and led a single and solitarie life though others vpon better warrant collect that shee died yong and before William her Father set forth for England Harald himselfe pleading that hee was free from all couenants and promises to Duke William by reason of the death of this his daughter 77 Margaret the sixth and yongest daughter of King William and Queene Maud was in her childhood giuen in marriage to Alphonso King of Gallicia in Spaine that afterward was so renowned for the Conquest of the City Lysbon for his victories against the Mores and for the slaughter of their fiue Kings and was the founder of the Kingdome of Portugall the first King thereof and the first bearer of the fiue Shields of the said fiue Kinges which are to this day the Armes of the same But this Lady being thus contracted deceased before those things hapned and before shee came to yeeres of lawfull consent to the marriage VVILLIAM THE SECOND SVRNAMED R VFVS THE FORTIETH MONARCH OF THE ENGLISH HIS ACTS RAIGNE AND VNTIMELY DEATH CHAPTER III. WIlliam posting for England Archbishop Lanfrank his earnest soliciter by liberall gifts giuen and promises made to abrogate the ouer hard lawes of his Father had the readier passage into the opinions of them that could doe most and the more to notifie his intended mild gouernment with other his noble inclinations to princely vertues as eye-witnesses of his fauours towards the English hee brought with him from Normandy Morcar the stout Earle of Chester and Wilnoth the sonne of King Harold both of them released out of prison and then held in especiall fauour with him But most of the States standing for Robert Curtoise his elder Brother a man deemed of a more liberall disposition and better temperature towards the Subiects their titles had beene tried by swords had not Lanfrank and Wulstan both wise reuerend Prelates by their Counsels and Mediations staied their hands 2 Consent thus gotten and all voices giuen for William he was crowned their King at Westminster vpon Sunday the twenty sixt day of September and yeere of Saluation 1087. by the hands of Lanfrank Archbishop of Canterbury vnder whom he had beene educated
bin twice endangered and had at both times been wonderfully preserued and while the young King by profound dissimulations plotted to bring both his Father and Brother Richard into subiection behold the hand of God by taking away the young King at Martell not farre from Linoges where his Father lay at siege gaue an end to this odious fowle and intricate contention 87 Thus was his life cut off like a Weauers threed say Authors who had by dying cut of the hope of many But whatsoeuer his life was which God thus shortned at his age of twentie and eight yeeres certainely his death was not inglorious but worthy to be set out in Tables at large as a pattern to disobedient Children for his Father refusing to visite him fearing his owne life but sending his King in signe of forgiuenes the dying Prince most humbly with flouds of teares kissing the same made a most sorrowfull confession of his sinnes and fecling death approch would needs be drawne as an vnworthy sinner out of his owne bed and laid vpon another strewed with ashes where his soule departed in a most penitent manner from his body which being related to the Father hee fell vpon the earth weeping bitterly and like another Dauid for his Absolon mourned very much O quam nefandum est saith one most grauely O how hainous a thing it is for sons to persecute the father for neither the sword of the fighter nor the hand of an enemy did auenge the fathers wrong but a feuer and a flux with excoriation of the bowels His body was buried by his own desire at Roan which yet was not done without trouble as if the factions of which hee was the cause in his life did by a kind of Fate not forsake him beeing dead for the Citizens of Mauns hauing enterred it they of Roan without menaces and the fathers expresse commandement could not obtaine it who thereupon was taken vp againe but his wife Queene Margaret was sent backe into France and his suruiuing sonnes were once againe reduced to due obedience not any enemie daring to appeare 88 Who would not haue thought that this stirring Prince should haue had opportunitie to end his daies in peace and glorie but it was otherwise ordained by God and ancient writers hold hee was principallie scourged for beeing drawne by seeming reasons of State to put off an holy enterprize the occasion whereof was laid as it were at his foote For Heraclius Patriarcke of Hierusalem drawne with the supereminent fame of King Henries wisdome valour riches and puissance trauailed from thence into England where at Clerkenwell by London in an assemblie of the States purposelie called the king made knowne to them That Pope Lucius had by ernest letters commended the lamētable state of the Holie-land and the Patriarcke Heraclius vnto him That Heraclius there present had stirred compassion and teares at the rehersall of the tragicall afflictions of the Easterne world and had brought with him for memorable signes that the suite was by common consent of the Countrey the Keies of the places of Christs Natiuitie Passion and Resurrection of Dauids Tower and of the holy Sepulchre and the humble offer of the Kingdom of Hierusalem with the Ensigne or Standard of the Kingdom as dulie belonging to him who was right heire thereunto to wit the sonne of Geffrey Earle of Aniou whose brother Fulke was king of Hierusalem 89 Neuerthelesse the King hauing at leftwise formally adiured the Lords to aduise him that which should bee most for his soules health it was thought fit to aid the cause with money but not to emploie his person northe person of any child hee had which was the Patriarcks last request and therupon to the vnspeakable griefe of the said Patriarcke and of the whole Christianitie of the East hee refused the said Kingdome and abandoned as noble an occasion of immortall renowne as euer any King of England had beene offered but gaue leaue to all such as would to take vpon them the Crosse and serue This Heraclius is hee who dedicated the Temple Church in London as by this Inscription ouer the Church doore in the Stone-worke doth appeare ANNO AB INCARNATIONE DOMINI M. C. LXXXV DEDICATA HEC ECCLESIA IN HONOREM BEATE MARIE A DNO ERACLIO DEI GRATIA SANCTE RESVRRECTIONIS ECCLESIE PATRIARCHA II IDVS FEBRVARII Q i EAM ANNATIM PETENTIBVS DE INIVNCTA Si PENITENTIA LX DIES INDVLSIT 90 Thus the sorrowfull Patriarcke being dismissed not forgetting as some doe write to thunder against the King for abandoning the cause brought back nothing but discomfort and despaire the Westerne Princes by the Diuels malicious Arts beeing wrapt and knotted in mutuall suspitions and quarrells indetermined whereupon shortly after ensued with the losse of Ierusalem the captiuity of Guido King thereof and of innumerable Christians besides whom Sultan Saladin Prince of the Musulmans or Saracens to the griefe and disgrace of all the Christian world did vanquish 91 But King Henries mind was more fixed on setling the state of his already-possessed Kingdomes and therefore in a great Parlament held at Oxford vnto which came Rhesus and Dauid Kings of South-Wales and North-Wales with other their chiefe Nobles which al did there sweare fealtie to the King he beeing desirous to aduance his sonne Iohn whom he exceedingly loued and commonly in sport hee called Sans-terrae hauing assured vpon him certaine Lands and Rents in England and Normandie did there verie solemnly giue him also the title Kingdome of Ireland for besides the foresaid Bull of Pope Adrian the fourth who for signe of inuestiture had also sent a ring of gold which were laid vp in the Records at Winchester Giraldus who liued in that age tells vs to omitte what hee writes of one Gurguntius that Guillomar King of Ireland was tributarie to the famous Arthur that Baion whence saith hee the Irish came was at that present vnder King Henrie the second and that the Irish Princes had voluntarily submitted themselues as vnto him who by the * Law of a Sociall warre was become their Soueraigne But that Author had not seene belike or did not remember when thus he went about to prooue a legall right in the King what others write of Egfrides vngodly spoiles in Ireland or of Edgars Charter in which is said to bee contained that he had vnder his rule the chiefe City of Ireland Dublin and the greatest part of the kingdome also But King Henrie strengthening his other rights with Grants of the Popes Adrian and Alexander obtained also of Vrban the third for Luciue the third who was Alexanders successor would not gratifie the the King therein that it should bee lawfull for him to crowne which of his sonnes hee would King of Ireland to whom hee sent a crowne of Feathers wouen with gold in all their Grants reseruing to the Roman See the Peters pence and
King Henry to whom he had beene sometime disobedient and God affording him gracious leasure till hee had thus disposed of all the venemous vapour ascended to his heart and draue the spirite forth with whom say * Authors the glory and honor of Militarie skill exspired 70 There hath been an opinion or fancy that this King was called Cordelyon because hee encountred a Lyon in prison at the Emperours Court but saith one very truly these are fables imagined by English tale-tellers to aduance their King Richard as the Britaines by the like aduanced their King Arthur The like deuice though more lofty and Mathematicall may theirs seeme who coniecture hee was called so of the famous Starre called Cor Leonis But how the conceite of killing of a Lion should come vp as iâ—… is not worth the while to enquire so certainely Hugo de Neuile one of King Richards speciall familiars is recorded to haue slain a Lion in the holy-Land driuing first an arrow into his breast and then running him through with his sword whence perhaps that atchieuement is transferred from the man to the master and the story applide to the by-name of King Richard whereof the true reason is that which * Thomas Walsingham mentioneth saying That for the magnanimity of his heart grossitudinem praestans saith an other meaning as it seemes that his materiall heart it self was bigge and massiue which another also saith was inexpugnable this King was both by the English Normans stiled Caeur de Lion His Wiues Alice the daughter of Lewis the seuenth King of France by Queene Alice daughter of Earle Thibald of Champaigne is by some reputed the first wife of King Richard though indeede she were onely contracted to him being both children and committed to his Father but when he demanded her his father refused to deliuer her or she to com to him or both Wherefore being King conceiuing displeasure against King Philip her brother and more then suspecting her continency with his owne father by whom he alledged she had a child he refused to take her yet gaue a hundreth thousand pounds to Philip pro quieta clamantia to be quite freed from her She became the wife of William Earl of Ponthieu and had issue Queene Ioan of Castile the mother of Queene Eleanor wife to King Edward the first Berengaria the second wife of King Richard was the daughter of Sanches the fourth of that name King of Nauarre sonne of King Garcie the fourth her mother was Beatrice daughter of Alphonso the seuenth King of Castile called the Emperour of Spaine She was conueied by Eleanor the kings mother vnto the king in Sicily and married to him in Cyprus whence she accompanied him to the Holy land The king vpon what cause we find not neglected her company for a while but vpon more setled thoughts he resumed her againe to his loue and society but had no issue by her His naturall Issue Philip the naturall son of king Richard seemeth to haue been begotten while he was Earle of Poytou of a Gentlewoman Poytouin and to haue had of his fathers gift a towne in Poytou named Sumac to haue taken also his surname and title of the same towne and to haue beene the Progenitour of a familie of Gentlemen of the same surname title in the same Country Isabel by * some who mention not Philip at all is reputed the Naturall Daughter of king Richard whose mother the Author nameth not and that she was married to Leoline Prince of Wales Three other Daughters Bastards no doubt he is said to haue of whose names and matches wee will report as we finde recorded Whiles hee was in France imployed in his warres against king Philip Fulco a French Priest came vnto him telling him he had three very bad Daughters which he wished him to bestow away from him in marriage or else Gods wrath would attend him when the king denied he had any daughter yes quoth the Priest thou cherisest three daughters Pride Couetousnesse and Lecherie The king apprehensiue of his meaning called his Lords there attending and saide My Lords this Hypocrit hath found that I haue three Daughters which I maintaine viz. Pride Couetousnes and Lecherie which he would haue me bestow forth in mariage and therfore if any such I haue I haue found out most fit husbands for them all My Pride I bequeath to the haughty Templars Hospitallers who are as proud as Lucifer himselfe My Couetousnesse I giue to the white Monks of the Cisteaux Order for they couet the Diuell and all But for my Lechery I can bestow it no where better then on the Priests and Prelates of our times for therein haue they their most felicity Doubtlesse these mariages proued so fruitfull that their issue hath now ouerflowed all kingdomes of the earth IOHN DVKE OF NORMANDIE GVYEN AND AQVITAINE c. THE FIRST STILED LORD OF IRELAND THE FORTIE-FIFTH MONARCH OF ENGLAND HIS RAIGNE ACTS AND ISSVE CHAPTER VIII THe lustre of Diadems and Soueraignety so dazeleth the eyes and bewitcheth the hearts of ambitious beholders that whiles they fondlie deeme the greatest content to bee in highest Titles running after a seeming Happines they often cast themselues headlong and whole Kingdoms into irrepairable ruine as the calamities which after the death of the noble Ceur-de-Lyon lighted on the Pretenders to his Crowne and on this miserably distracted State will yeeld vs too ruful a President To the full acting of which Tragedy for such it was and so we must now present it in this our Theatre concurred as principall Actors the two though these Patients rather as the issue proued vnfortunate Corriuals for the Crowne Iohn Earle of Moreton Brother to the late King and his Nephew Arthur the Posthumous sonne of Geoffry Duke of Britaine the Earles eldest Brother their two Female and therefore more emulous and restlesse Solicitors Queen Eleanor and Lady Constance each ambitious of their owne in their Sonnes aduancements their two reuengefull Abettors Otho the Emperour for Iohn and Philip King of France for Arthur thereupon the two vniust Intruders on the Crowne Lewis the French Kings Sonne and Innocentius the Pope the one by vnprincely forces the other by vnpriestlie fraud and lastly their two sorts of treacherous Instruments of the Laitie for the one and Clergie for the other all which like so many Tragicke fire-breathing Furies set this State in so horrible combustion as that the smoake is not as yet so many ages after quite allayed 2 Earle Iohn the very Centre in which those calamities met had from his infancy beene fedde with high and royall hopes as being his Fathers onely darling from whome hee had the possession of the Irish and intendment also of the English Kingdom and in his brothers time whose return from the holy warres all men despaired had by gracious deportment
as were vacant alienating them from his estate that hee was onely to be called a King in name rather then for any riches which he had that his Ancestors magnificent Princes abounding in all sorts of worldly glorie and wealth heaped to themselues inestimable treasures out of no other meanes but the Rents and Profites of the Kingdom 31 The King stung with this iust reprehension beganne by their instructions to call the Sheriffes of Shires Baylifes and other his Officers to a strait account for all such receites as appertained to the Exchequor thrusting some out of their places and wringing out of all their full spunges store of coine till hee satisfied himselfe both for the arrerages and interest Out of Ralph Briton Treasurer of his Chamber hee screwzed a thousand pounds and also put him from his place into which by the Bishoppe of Winchesters suggestion who now predominated in Court hee substituted Peter de Oriuail a Poictouine the Bishoppes Nephew or Sonne if Paris say true and so saith hee the Kings coffers otherwise empty and leane were by these means stuffed againe though not to their full surfet For these were but preparatiues to a farther scrutinie and ransacke intended against the Earle of Kent whom vpon the Bishoppes suggestion the King remoued from the Proto-Iustitiarishippe or high office of his Chiefe Iustice and put in his place Sir Stephen Segraue a Knight onely in name Then is a strict and captious account demaunded of the Earle of Kent for all such things as he was in any sort chargeable with as 1. For such receipts or debts as were due to King Iohn or to this King Henry himselfe 2. For the meane profites of such lands as the King was seised of from the day of the death of the first great William Earle of Pembroke his Iustitiar and Marshall whither those lands were in England Wales Ireland or Poictou 3. For such Liberties or free Customes which the King had in Forrests Warrens Counties and else where and how they were kept or alienated 4. For such things as the King lost by Huberts negligence 5. For the wronges and dammages offered to the Romane and Italian Clerks and to the Popes Nuncios against the Kings will by authority of Hubert who would take no order to correct the misdoers as by vertue and nature of his place hee was obliged 6. For the many escuages comming by Carrucages gifts and presents or for the rents of Custodies belonging to the Crowne 32 To all which heades the Earle answered that hee had the Charter of the Kings Father by which hee was freed from giuing any account eyther for things passed or to come and that hee had giuen such proofe of his fidelity vnto King Iohn as he would not endure to heare him make an account Peter Bishoppe of Winchester replyed hereunto that such a Charter after the death of King Iohn had no force and therefore the Fathers Charter and graunt of Priuilege was no reason why he should not stand accountant to the Sonne This defence for money dangers in this sort trauersed or auoyded they labored to draw him in for his head by charging him with sundry Articles sounding treasonable as 1. That Hubert had disswaded the Duke of Austria from matching his Daughter with the King who sought it 2. that he had hindred the King from entring vpon forrain lands to him belonging whereby the King Peeres and People consumed their Treasures vainely 3. that hee had enticed the Daughter of the King of Scots whom King Iohn had entrusted to his custody meaning himselfe to marry her traiterously defiled the noble yong Lady whom he married in hope to bee King of Scotland in her right if shee suruiued her Brother 4. that hee had stolne out of his Iewel-house a precious stone of wonderfull value whose vertue was to make him who had it inuincible in Battle that he gaue that stone to Lewelin prince of Wales the Kings enemie 5. that he by his letters had caused Lewelin to hang William de Breuse 33 The Earle much preplexed with these accusations whither true or false could hardly obtaine a short respite to make his answere Thus that Hubert say the Monkes who for loue of the King and defence of the Kingdome had prouoked the hatred of all the great Lords now being forsaken of the King is left sole and solitarie without friends or comfort Onely Luke Archbishoppe of Dublin neuer fosooke him but with prayers and teares besought the King on his behalfe but could not bee heard against so great opposites on so great pretenses When the cry was thus vp and that the world saw it was no superficiall displeasure into which the Earle was faln with the mutable King there rise forth many accusations sauouring of much malignity round about vpon hope to oppresse bury Hubert vnder them for euer as 1. that he had poisoned the two noble Earles of Salisbury and Pembroke 2. that hee had also procured Falcasius de Brent and Richard Archbishop of Canterbury to be made away 3. that by Sorceries and Enchantments hee had drawne the King to fauour him aboue all other 4. that in the victory gotten against the French by Sea hee forceably tooke many Prisoners from the Kings Sailers and made his benefite of their ransoms contrary to right and that hee had spoiled and disinherited many 5. that hee had without triall vniustly put to death Constantine for which excesse the Citizens of London required iustice against the said Hubert The King hereupon makes Proclamation through the City that all such as could charge Hubert with any wrong should repaire to Court and there receiue immediate redresse This strange course of proceeding did so appale and terrifie the Earle that hee forthwith fled to the Priorie Church of Merton in Surrey where among the Chanons hee sheltered his head for a time 34 The King with his Prelates and Peeres meeting at Lambeth at the day appointed for Huberts answere hee being made to beleeue that the King would put him to a most soule death durst not appeare or peepe forth of his sacred refuge The Londoners were assembled in Armes by the Kinges commaund to the number of about twenty thousand vnder banners displayed to dragge the Earle out of Sanctuary but vpon the Earle of Chesters wiser Counsell the prey was taken out of the hands of a bloudy multitude who mortally hated him for Constantines death and they returned againe to their City The Archbishoppe of Dublin still performing the office of a true friend ouerslips not this occasion and by his importunity obtayned day for Hubert till about Twelfe-tide then next ensuing and the King for his assurance during the Interim giues him letters Patents Hubert thinking himselfe secure for the present is now vpon his way toward his wife at the Abbey of Saint Edmund in Suffolke but his enemies so preuailed by their suggestions
that Sir Godfrey de Crancumb Knight with three hundred armed men was sent to apprehend the Earle in Essex Hee hauing intelligence of their approach fledde into a Chappell at Brentwood which adioyned to his lodging from whence those rough Souldiers haled him hee holding in one hand a Crucifix and in the other the Sacrament and sent for a Smith to make for him shackels of yron But when the Smith vnderstood that it was for Hubert de Burgh Earle of Kent he refused vttering such words if Mathew Paris doe not Poetize as did well shew that honourable thoughts are somtimes found in the hearts of men whose fortunes are farre from honour for hauing first drawne a deepe sigh hee said Doe with mee what yee please and God haue mercy on my soule but as sure as the Lord liues I will neuer makeyron shackles for him but will rather die the worst death that is For is not this that most loyall and couragious Hubert who so often hath preserued England from being destroyed by strangers restored England to England He who faithfully and constantly serued his Soueraigne Lord King Iohn in Gascoigne Normandy and else where that he was compelled to eate the flesh of horses whose high courage euen Enemies admired he that so long defended Douer Castle the Key of England against all the exquisite sieges of the French and by vanquishing them at Sea brought safety to the Kingdome What need I rehearse his excellent doings at Lincolne and Bedford Let God be iudge between him and you for vsing him so vniustly and inhumanely repaying good with euill nay requiting his most excellent deserts with the worst recompence that can be But Sir Godfrey and his blacke band regarded not such speeches but otherwise binding the Earle hard they set him on horsebacke and so conuayed him to the Tower of London 35 This breach of Sanctuary being made knowne to Roger Bishoppe of London whose Diocesse it was he confidently tels the King that if the Earle were not restored to the Chappell hee would excommunicate all the Authors of that outrage The Earle is accordingly restored but the Sheriffes of Essex and Hertford at the Kings commandement with the powers of their counties besiege the Chappell so long that at last they hauing cast a Trench about it that none might goe in or out the Earle was compelled to come forth and render himselfe bearing all things with an equall mind as one that had a cleare conscience before God which hee professed to haue While the Chappell was thus beset round the Kings indignation was so violent that hee forbad all men once to make mention of Hubert in his hearing No maruaile then if it bee said that the Princes indignation is death The Archbishoppe of Dublin neuerthelesse was not deiected but with praiers and teares besought the King who remained as yet inexorable Huberts enemies possessing his soule and senses Hubert therefore is againe imprisoned in the Tower There was no sacrifice as it seemes could appease the Kings iâ—…e but that of the Earles Hoord of gold and other riches which the Knights Templars had in their custodie vpon trust without Huberts consent refused to deliuer Hubert therefore willingly yeelds which when the Depositaries did giue vp the value seemed incredible This hoording perhaps was Huberts crime whereof being thus purged he had hope to recouer out of these deadly pangs and conuulsions of fortune and himselfe to bee made capable of curing Well the king obtains this precious booty but his enemies would haue his bloud also saying sith hee was conuicted of theft and fraud it was meet he should die a most shamefull death It seemes they thought that the verie finding of so much treasure was a conuiction of fraud in the getting and that the King must bee interpreted to haue lost whatsoeuer the Earle had gained But the displeasure of the King was mollified with this golden balme for hee answered them thus Hubert from his childhood hath as I haue heard faithfully enough serued my vncle King Richard and my Father King Iohn and if he haue done ill towards me hee shall neuer therefore die an euill death For I had rather be reputed a foolish or a negligent King then a cruell Tyrant or a bloudy man toward him who hath long serued mee and mine ancestors nor will I weigh more his euill deedes which are not as yet manifest nor proued true then all his good deeds which are plainelie knowne to the Realme and to vs all Hereupon Hubert had all such lands granted vnto him as eyther King Iohn had giuen or himselfe had purchased There vndertooke for him to the King as sureties the Earles of Cornwall and Warrenn Marshal Ferrars and himselfe was committed to the Castle of Deuises there to abide in free Prison vnder the Custody of foure Knights belonging each of them to one of these foure Earles This Court-storme thus in part ouerblowne let vs take our standings to view what other weather followed and what countenance of things in this Kingdome did next present it selfe to the world 36 The King being naturally as it seemes addicted to repose himselfe vpon some one mans counsell was now wholy swayde by Peter de Rupibus Bishoppe of Winchester who had therefore wrought the Earle out of grace that hee might soly raigne and predominate in the gentle King Which the better to effect the Bishoppe procures him to displace the English Officers and in their roomes to surrogate Poictouines and Britons who comming ouer to the number of about two thousand he stuffes his Castles with them and in briefe did as it were wholy entrust himselfe his treasures strengthes and the Realme to them So that Iudgements were committed to the vniust Lawes to the Out-lawes Peace to Wranglers and Iustice to wrong-dâ—…ers Such as would haue praied redresse for these abuses were interrupted and put off by the Bishoppe of Winchester Among them who were remoued from their places in Court was one Sir William de Redune a Knight and Deputy Marshall to Richard Earle of Pembroke This was to the Earle very displeasant which ioyned with a consideration of the publike cause and danger he associates vnto him certaine of the great Lords as was the fashion of those Lording times vpon euery discontent and in the Company of them aduanceth confidently to the King whom in the hearing of many hee reproueth for that he had through sinister aduise called in the Poictouins to the oppression of the Realme of his naturall subiects of their Lawes and Liberties humblie therefore hee beseecheth him that hee would spedily reforme such abuses which threatned the imminent subuersion both of the Crowne and Kingdome which if hee did not himselfe and other Lordes would so long withdraw their attendance as he entertained Strangers The Bishoppe hereunto makes answere That the King might well and lawfully call in what Strangers himselfe
English being in number aboue a thousand Knightes beside greater States as Prelates Earles and Barons and of the Scots about sixe hundreth Knights and Gentlemen all of them well appointed There was also two Queenes the Mother of the Bride who was to be Queene and the widow or Queen Dowager of Scotland who for that cause was returned out of France attended vpon in royall manner with many Lords and Gentlemen of France The Scots were lodged in one place of the City by them selues Vpon Christmas day the King of England gaue the order of Knight-hood to the King of Scots and at the same time to twenty others richly apparrelled Vpon the next day the princely couple were espoused Take a scantling of the cheere and multitude of guests by this The Archbishoppe of Yorke who was Prince as it were of the Northerne parts and the common host of all that most noble fellowshippe which cost him about foure thousand marks gaue toward that feast six hundreth fat oxen all which were spent in the first generall seruice and whatsoeuer the vaine Stage-play of the world might afford eyther for pompe or delight was there all enioyed More worthy to bee remembred then that magnificent gluttonie the natural vice of these our Nations was the orderly and no childish action of the young Bridegroome in reconciling Philip Louell whom King Henry had latelie fined and discourted for taking Bribes to the King his Lord. K. Alexander vndertaking the businesse and finding a fitte time presents himselfe to the King of England vpon his knees holding vp his hands neither would hee rise though earnestly requested but with a gesture which seemed to draw teares of ioy and loue from the eyes of such as sate round about prosecuting his intent saith My Lord King your Maiesty knowes that though I my selfe am a king and through your goodnesse honored with the girdle of Knight-hood yet that I am withall both a Child aswell in age as in knowledge and also an Orphan my father being dead and my mother leauing me though at your sending for she is now pleased to bee present therefore from henceforth and for euer after I here doe take you both for Father and Mother that you may supply both their wants and with your paternall care help protect all mine insufficiencies The King scarse able to refraine from tender teares or to hold down his throbbings said no more but onely this one word Willingly The princely Child replied therupon I will make experiment of that and know it by proofe seeing you haue graciously heard mee hitherto in trying whether I shall reape the effect of my first suit Then hee declared his request and had it so that Louell was afterward Treasurer 80 The State and fidelity of the Gascoignes was so desperately shaken and plunged by the reuenges which Simon de Montford to whom the king had giuen the gouernment of their Country for sixe yeeres had exercised vpon them for that they had accused him to the King of tyrannous proditorious dealing and affirmed that his name ought rather to bee Sinon then Simon that but for the vent of their wines in which respect their subiection to England was verie beneficiall to their Common-weale it was thought they would generally haue reuolted But the King though readie thus to leese Gascoigne would yet needs hope to obtaine Normandie and his other lands in France without blowes The King of France whose conscience was wonderfully tender and sincere had indeed written out of Palestine to that purpose as thinking King Henries title was better then his owne but the French among whom their Kings misfortunes in the losse of Damiata in Aegypt which was wholy ascribed to the Popes auarice who for money released those who should haue aided him had brought him into lesse regard then his excellent vertues merited did vniuersally and constantly refuse adding that before the King of England should haue any more land among them hee must passe through a thousand sharpe Lances and a thousand bloudy Swords when the Lances were burst On the other side the King of England was but in little credit with his people for whereas by an agreement betweene the Pope and him the Tenths of the Clergie through England during three yeeres should haue beene receiued toward his charges in his pretended iourney to the Holy-Land yet in a generall assembly at Westminster very few were drawne to giue their names to that seruice notwithstanding that two Bishops and the Abbot of Westminster laboured in their Sermons all they could to stirre the people to that martiall Pilgrimage and though the King himselfe in all their view took a most solemn oth that within three yeere he would set forward the onlie reason of their vnwillingnes growing vpon suspition that he onely sought as the Pope had giuen him example to draw by this colour the treasure of the Realme into his hands This their diffidence of sinceritie in him made him the rather incline to foster and fauour strangers that with a kind of peruicacie though himselfe by manifold neglects of his word had worthilie bred that diffidence 81 The King could more hardlie find followers in such an enterprise for that his people had no conceit of his valour but said What reason encourageth him who was neuer trained vp in Martiall discipline nor hath managed an horse nor drawn a sword nor charged a staffe nor shooke a Target to hope for a triumph ouer the Sarazens against whom the Cheualrie of France hath miscarried or wherefore dreames hee of recouery of more land who could not keepe that which he had in for raine parts concluding that he was a man onely borne to draine their purses to empty his own and to multiplie debts This was the opinion of men behind his backe but not onely of men for Isabel Countesse of Arundel widow of Henry Earle of Arundel a young Lady receiuing the repulse at the Kings hands in a matter which shee alleadged to be hers in equity durst say thus to his face O my Lord King why doe you turne away from iustice we cannot now obtaine that which is right in your Court you are placed as a mean between God and vs but you neither gouerne vs nor your selfe neither dread you to vexe the Church diuersly as it hath not onely felt in present but often heretofore Moreouer you doubt not manifoldlie to afflict the Nobles of the Kingdome The King fired at so free a speech with a scornefull and angry countenance answered with a loud voice O my Lady Countesse What haue the Lords of England because you haue tongue at will made a Charter and hyred you to bee their Orator and Aduocate wherevnto the Countesse replied Not so my Lord for they haue made to mee no Charter but that Charter which your Father made and which your selfe confirmed swearing to keepe the same inuiolably and constantly and often extorting
great displeasure hee had conceiued seeking vtterly to ruine him till afterward by means of the Papall authority hee was restored and in a faint sort reconciled 4 The thing which suited best with his youthfull affections to wit the marriage of young Isabel daughter of Philip the Faire King of France he performed with wonderfull magnificence at Bolein at which solemnity were present besides all others The King of France Father to the Bride The King of Nauarre his sonne The King of Almaine The King of Sicill Marie Queene of France Margaret Queene Dowager of England her daughter The Queene of Nauarre There was also present as no Sunne-shine but hath shadow Peirs of Gaueston the beloued Minion of this Edward whose reentertainement the dying King had so seriously forbidden whom notwithstanding together with his own new wife he brought into England 5 This fatall fauourite of this young King was a stranger borne but a Gentleman and in regard of good seruice done by the Father of Peirs in Gascoigne brought vp at old king Edwards owne appointment with this Prince from whom not to derogate in any point as if hee had without some appearances of worth and value embraced Peirs it is certaine by that which a Knight and seruitor of this very King hath left written that he had a sharpe witte in a comely shape and briefly was such an one as wee vse to call very fine Neither yet was he vnhardie in Arms but of commendable performance whereof saith de la Moore hee gaue proofe against the Scots to whom hee was alike hatefull as to the English till hee was recalled to satisfie such as saith their Courtier did enuie his graces and good successe but of his Christian or morall vertues which onely make men truly commendable there is great silence in Authors though not of his vices wherof wee shall haue occasion enough to speake hereafter 6 At the Coronation of the King and Queen which the Lords would haue empeached had hee not promised reasonably to satisfie them about Gaueston none was neere to Peirs in brauery of apparrell or delicacie of fashion which and for that the King gaue him S. Edwards Crowne to carrie in that pompe greatly encreased the offence of the Lords against him But hee that hauing a King to backe him knew no other means to extinguish hatred but by daring it to the vttermost spared not afterwardes to scoffe and reproach the principall Peeres calling Thomas Earle of Lancaster Stage-plaier Aimerie de Valence Earle of Pembroke Ioseph the Iew because hee was pale and tall and Guy Earle of Warwicke the blacke dogge of Ardern all whom and others he at a Turneament by him proclaimed and holden handled vilely 7 But King Edward was dayly more and more possessed with the familiarity of Peirs who to establish his interest in the vnprudent Prince by sensualities and riotous practises filled the Court with buffons parasites and the like pernicious instruments drawing Edward from the thought of al great enterprises in accomplishment of his fathers will or discharge of his particular dutie to all sorts of vnworthy vanities and sinnefull delights while himselfe in the meane space reuelled in all outward felicity wasting the riches of the Kingdome or conuerting them to his priuate vses For fearing belike that the time might come againe to vndergoe banishment hee transported much treasure into forraine parts and much hee had to transport for not onely by the sale of his fauour with the King to which there was no speeding approach but by Gaueston who vsed to peize the gifts more then the causes but also by the kings prodigality hee had whatsoeuer could bee powred vpon him for though it might seeme incredible he both gaue him his iewels and ancestors treasure and euen the Crowne it selfe of his victorious father not sticking to professe that if it lay in him hee should succeed him in the kingdome 8 The Lords who for reuerence of the King sate downe by their priuate iniuries in hope there would be a season in which their Soueraign might by timelie and sweet admonitions recouer the vse of himselfe not thinking it tollerable to bee now any longer silent and the rather lest that Peirs farther abusing his greatnesse should bring in Forreiners not onely to the preiudice of the English lawes and customes but of their authority also and places preuailed so much with the King in a Parliament holden at London where sundry prouisions concerning the liberties of the people and execution of Iustice were enacted and by corporall oath confirmed by the King himselfe that among them the decree of Gauestons perpetuall banishment was by the king ouercome with a meere necessity for satisfaction of the Kingdome to whom the said Earle of Cornwall was odious vnwillinglie suffered to passe and the king was thereupon regratified with a Subsidie of the twentieth part of the subiects goods The king also tooke his Oath not to reuoke the said Earle of Cornwall frō banishment if it may be called a banishment wherin he had the kingdom of Ireland entrusted to his charge and for the securing thereof against rebels was furnished with men money by the king 9 Yet forgetting that those affections which oftentimes deserue praise in a priuate person are subiect to much construction in a publike and neglecting both his deceased fathers so solemne adiurations and also his owne oath as carelesse of the sequele hee cals Earle Peirs home with whose loue hee was most fondly and most passionatelie transported and as if hee had receiued some diuine benefite gaue him most ioyous welcome at the Castle of Flint in Northwales and bestowed vpon him for wife Ioan of Acres Countesse of Glocester his sisters daughter resoluing with himselfe to retaine his Gaueston maugre all his Earles and Barons or for the loue of him to put his Crowne and life in perill when time should serue In which whether the king or his fauourite shewed lesse discretion it is not at the first sight easily determinable it being as vnsafe for the one with so offensine behauiour to affect immoderate shew and vse of grace as for the other to the iniury of his name and realme to bestow the same 10 The contemptibilitie and vanitie of this effeminate argument detaines vs longer then for the qualitie thereof were fitting did not so much mischiefe issue out of it For Peirs of his owne nature insolent being thus aboue reason or his own dareings aduanced to alliance with the bloud royall was so far from all amendment as hee rather seemed to striue to outgoe himselfe in his former courses consuming so much of the kings treasure and meanes that he had not wherewith to defray ordinarie charges or to pay for the necessaries of his Court The young Queene also tooke herselfe not to be a little wronged by this vngracious mans predominancie thereof
for what else can we call the same since that they betraide thereby their Soueraignes Crown and Life to speedie destruction let it by this in part appeare and moue the world the rather to pitty the seduced 46 Among them who were condemned for rising with the Earle of Lancaster there was one of a meane Familie for whose life neuerthelesse because hee had once serued in Court and was pleasing to some of the Grands or Potent fauourites therein many interceded and pressed the king so farre on his behalfe that he brake out into these most vehement words A plague vpon you for cursed whisperers malicious backe-biters wicked counsellors entreat you so for the life of a most notorious knaue who would not speake one word for the life of my neere Kinsman that most noble Knight Earle Thomas Had hee liued wee and our whole Realme should haue had speciall need and vse of him This fellow the longer hee liues the more villanies he wil commit as hauing already filled my Kingdome with his desperate outrages By the soule of God hee shall therefore die the death he hath deserued 47 By this then it is euident that these tragedies against the Lords were exploited by others in which it is plaine that this King otherwise so deuout to God so noble and so full of naturall good propensions was fatally ouer-wrought by wicked counsell though hee therein bee inexcusable for good nature as wee call it cannot satisfie for publike errours But the condemned man was forth with put to death accordingly the King being most highlie offended that none had entreated him on the Earles behalfe whom saith Walsingham he did in wardlie loue Neuerthelesse he had not long before created the elder Spenser Earle of Winchester and deckt the plume of his fortunes with a toppe-feather taken out of the said late Earle of Lancasters estate that is to say with the Castle and honour of Donington parcell of the Earledome of Lincolne Hauing thus farre shewed the originall of the mischiefe wee will hasten now to the last Act or Catastrophe of our Edwards tragedie onely wee will first remember some intercurring matters 48 You haue heard before how that the Cardinals sent from the Pope had in fauour of the English put Scotland vnder Interdict wherefore King Robert now at last dispatched the Bishop of Glascow and Thomas Randolfe Earle of Murrey to Rome for obtaining release and absolution but they returned without effecting it Whereupon King Robert moued to haue a truce for thirteene yeeres which King Edward accordingly granted and the Pope then absolued the Scots The matters of Scotland seemed thus to be sufficiently prouided for during that time and the rather for that somewhat before the motion for truce the King had caused the newly created Earle of Carlile Andrew de Herkley to be degraded hanged drawne and quartered for treason which hee was conuinced to haue entred into with the Scots vpon whom he had before done speciall seruices as hauing for that cause the Castle and Citie of Carleil committed to his gouernment The truce with Scotland being thus confirmed the King makes his progresse through the Counties of Yorke and Lancaster and the Marches of Wales from whence the late seditious had their nourishments taking wise carefull courses for ministration of Iustice there and preuention of like inconueniences by punishing their Authors seuerely And Iustices void of all corruption were appointed else-where 49 In the meane space the new King of France Charles the fifth a most earnest enemie to the English mens possessions there sought occasions of quarrell with King Edward who while hee consuled at home how to order that affaire the yong L. Roger Mortimer one whom the Diuell saith our Courtier reserued to kindle new dissention with and to stirre vp a most miserable ciuill warre hauing corrupted his Keepers or as some others write hauing potioned them with a sleepy drinke escaped out of the Tower of London getting ouer clearely without any empeachment into France 50 The Spensers both father and sonne the one thus created Earle of Winchester and the other Earle of Glocester aspiring to the fulnesse of command and desirous to leaue nothing in their eye which might stumble their sway with the King failed not to beget immortall enmities both against themselues and the King The Queene tooke their carriage so heinously because besides other things they had abridged her meanes of maintenance while themselues abounded in all riches and magnificence as shee complained That the daughter and sole heire of the king of France was married to a gripple miser and that being promised to be a Queene shee was become no better then a waiting woman liuing vpon a pension from the Spensers 51 Thus was the matter and as it were the Embrion of their common destruction laid and begun in the impotencie of a womans will to helpe out the which with shrewd drifts and directions they encrease her side with Adam Bishoppe of Hereford by stripping him out of all his Temporalties as a Traitour for that hee had supported the Mortimers in the Barons quarrell This Adam saith our Knight was a man of most subtle witte and in all worldly pollicies profound daring to doe great things and factious withall who for this cause conceiuing deepest hate and therefore easily growing deare to the Queene made a great secret party To which Henrie Burwash Bishoppe of Lincoln who for like causes had beene kept from his temporalties about two yeeres ioyned himselfe Neither would the Spensers auarice suffer them to weaken the multitudes of their enemies for they sold the Kings gracious fauour to such as had beene in the Barons quarrell at so great rates that they by granting away lands and Manours to the said Lords Spensers for their pardons c. verie many of the Nobles were empouerished To be short the royall power being in the hands of the Spensers and Roger Baldock Chancellour or of their Creatures and Fauourites this other faction had the generall discontentments of the Realme to worke vpon for their aduantage 52 The King thus guiding himselfe and hauing sent his Brother Edmund Earle of Kent vpon notice of the first troubles with Forces into Gascoigue who gaue some little stay for a time to the French proceedings till they might otherwise bee prouided for it came to this point at last that whereas the King had a purpose to haue gone in person into France the Spensers who were afraid to bee seuered from his person the onely reuerence whereof they knew to bee their safegard and yet not daring to attend him thither or stay behind perswaded the King contrary to the minds of all the rest that the Queene who sought it should goe and negociate her husbands affaire in France She did so and whereas before her departure things were in great extremity betweene the two Nations insomuch that all the French were banished out of
first thus ordered the Queen with her sonne and whole power pursues the King as it had beene agreede by the Councell of warre taking first her way to Oxford where the whole Vniuersity being called together in the presence of the Queene the Prince Roger Mortimer and the rest of that troope the Bishop of Hereford the Queenes bosome Counsellor preaching to them on this Text My head my head aketh deliuered to them the reasons of the Queens comming with her Army concluding more like a Butcher then a Diuine that an aking sick head of a kingdom was of necessity to be taken off and not to be tampered with by any other physicke 60 The Londoners in fauour of the Queene and hatred of the Spensers committed sundry outrages besides bloudy sacrilege in cutting off the Bishop of Excesters head and some others whom the King had made Guardian of London in their popular fury among the which one of them was a Citizen of their owne Iohn le Marchal who had beene of the yonger Spensers acquaintance The Tower of London they get into their possession placing and displacing the Garrison and Officers therein at their pleasure vnder the name of the Lord Iohn of Eltham the Kings second sonne whom they proclaimed Custos of the City and of the Land They also set at liberty all prisoners which by the popular Queenes commandement was done through the whole Realme and all banished men and fugitiues were reuoked who all flocking vnto London brought no small encrease to her forces 61 Whither in the meane space doth wofull Edward flie what force what course what way takes hee poore Prince O fearefull condition of so great a Monarches State when a Wife a Sonne a Kingdome are not trusted and those onely are trusted who had nothing strong but a will to liue and die with him The Queene passing from Oxford to Glocester onward to the siege of Bristow Castle grew all the while in her strengths like a rowled snow-ball or as a Riuer which spreades still broader from the fountaine to the Ocean vires acquirit eundo For thither repaired to her for the loue of the young Prince the Lord Percy the Lord Wake and others aswell out of the North as Marches of Wales But Edward hauing left the Earle of Winchester the elder Lord Spenser in the Castell of Bristol for the keeping thereof meditates flight with a few into the Isle of Lundie in Seuerne Sea or into Ireland while hee wandreth about not finding where to rest safe his roiall credite name and power like a Cliffe which falling from the toppe of some huge rocke breakes into the more pieces the farther it rolles are daylie more and more diminisht as they scatter till now at last they are come vnto a very nothing After a weeke therefore spent vpon the Sea Sir Thomas Blunt forsaking him and comming to the Queene he came on shore in Glamorganshire where with his few friends hee entrusted himselfe to God and the faith of the VVelsh who indeed still loued him lying hidden among them in the Abbey of Neath 62 Now had the Queene and her sonne for his name was abused to all sorts of turne-seruings taken the elder Lord Spenser at the Castell of Bristol who without any forme of triall was cruelly cut vp aliue and quartered saith de la Moore our Knight being first at the clamours of the people drawne and hanged in his proper Armories vpon the common Gallowes without the City but his grandchild Hugolin stood so valiantly in defence of himself within the Castell of Kerfilli that hee had his life and the liues of all his assistants saued 63 The King not appearing Proclamations were euery day made in the Queenes Armie declaring That it was the common consent of the realm that hee should returne and receiue the gouernement thereof so as he would conforme himselfe to his people This whether Stratagem or Truth not preuailing Henry Earle of Lancaster the late Earles Brother Sir William la Zouch and Rhese ap-Howell a Welshman who all of them had Lands in those parts where the King concealed himselfe were sent with coine and forces to discouer and take him The Queene and her people lay in the City of Hereford the Episcopall See of that great Arch-plotter of her courses Adam de Orlton where by aduise and consent of the Lords her sonne the Duke of Aquitaine was made High-Keeper of England and they as to the Custos of the same did sweare him fealty And here also the Bishoppe of Norwich was made Chancellor of the Realme and the Bishoppe of Winchester Treasurer 65 What will not money diligence and faire words doe with corrupt dispositions euen to euerting of all bands of either religious or ciuill duties By such meanes therefore the desolate sad and vnfortunate King came into his cosen of Lancasters hands and with him the yonger Lord Spenser Earle of Glocester Robert Baldock Lord Chancellour and Simon de Reding there being no regard had to the detention of any other The King was conueied by the Earle from the place of his surprise to Monmouth to Ledburie and so to the Castell of Kenelworth belonging to the Earle of Leicester who was appointed to attend him that is to keepe him safe The other three Spenser Baldock and Reeding were strongly guarded to Hereford there to bee disposed of at the pleasure of their most capitall enemies 66 Before whose comming to satisfie Roger Mortimer the Lord Edmund Earle of Arundel and two Gentlemen Daniel and Micheldene were beheaded at Hereford The Lord Mortimer was so high in the Queenes fauour that she could doe no lesse as weee may suppose then gratifie him with a few hated heades But Mortimer there will bee a time when the cry of this and other bloud sacrificed to thy priuate reuenge while thou abusest the publike trust will neuer giue ouer the pursuit till it hath deseruedly drawne thine in lieu thereof 67 The Lord Spenser and the rest on whom VVilliam Trussell the Iudge gaue sentence of death being now drawne to Hereford the said Lord being clad in his coat-armour was most despitefully dragged to the place of execution where being first hung vpon a gallowes fifty foot high hee was afterward headed and cut into quarters they who brought him to the Queene hauing the promised summe of two thousand pounds distributed among them for reward His head was set vp at London and his quarters in foure parts of the Kingdome Simon de Reding was hanged ten foot lower then hee in the same place 68 This Execution saith Walsingham was done vpon a Munday in reuenge of the death of Thomas Earle of Lancaster whose bloud was likewise shed vpon a Munday Robert Baldock late Lord Chancellor was committed to the keeping of the Bishop of Hereford who after a time caused him to bee brought vp to Hereford-house in London where the tumultuous people
dammages for a prime man among them the Lord William Dowglasse was taken prisoner by the English not without losse of many his men Before which time by no honourable meanes the new King of Scotland was driuen to seeke his safety by flight into England 27 King Edward considering those foiles which his father had endured and the oportunity of the time neither holding himselfe lyable in honour to that contract made on his behalfe by the predominant sway of his mother and her Paramour Mortimer as wherein hee tooke both himselfe and the rights of his Crowne to haue beene wronged in his minority which in point of gouernement hee was more bound to respect then his Sisters estate and for that hee was informed that the Towne and Castle of Berwicke belonged to the Crowne of his Realme hee raised his power and hauing with him Edward the new-crowned of Scotland hee laid siege to that Towne and Castel in May. But before hee did this there is who writes that he summoned his brother in law King Dauid to doe homage and fealty vnto him which when Dauid would not yeeld to doe nor confesse hee ought no more then his father King Robert hee made that a ground for the iustice of his warre as reputing the Acts and releases at Northampton void 28 To the rescues of Berwicke Archimbald Dowglas Earle of Angus Gouernour of Scotland for King Dauid came with a puissant Army and gaue King Edward battell at Halydon-hill where with a lamentable slaughter of his people he was vanquished and slaine This battell deuoured in a manner all the remainders of the Scottish Nobles which preserued it selfe at Dupline by retrait or by absence from that field There perished besides Archimbald the Earles of Ros Sutherland and Carricke three sonnes of the Lord Walter Steward whose issue afterward raigned in Scotland when warre and death had made way to that line by extirpation of the Male-Competitors in the races of Bruce and Baliol and at least foureteene thousand others with the losse say some of one Knight and ten other Englishmen Our Writers affirm that the Scots were at this battell threescore thousand strong and that there were slaine eight Earles 1500. horsemen and of the common Souldiers fiue and thirty thousand which is not improbable for so much as Hector confesseth they were stopped in their flight and put to the sword vpon all sides without mercy 29 Hereupon Berwicke was rendred which the King of England detained as a supposed parcell of his Patrimony and dismissed the Baliol to the gouernment of the Scottish Kingdome with sundrie Lords and others of the English And now the bloudie tallies and cruell scores seemed euen betweene the two puissant though then vnkind neighbour-Nations and Edward throughly redeeemed the dishonour sustained at Banocksbourn by his late father deliuering his younger yeeres from that contempt in which his enemies might otherwise haue holden him as they had done at the entrance of his raign playing vpon the English with Truffes and Rounds of which this one is euery where noted Long beards heartlesse Painted hoods witlesse Gay coates gracelesse make England thriftlesse 30 As for the subornation of poisoning Earle Thomas Randal and the hanging of Sir Alexander Setons two sonnes contrarie to faith and law of Arms at Berwicke with the like staines which one would faine leaue vpon this victorious Prince wee haue found no colour of warrant but his owne liberty of auouching which therfore our freedome of not beleeuing him shall as easily take away and cancell Neither would wee so farre haue touched this iarring string of discord betweene these two Nations but that each out of their owne harms of old may haue the more true sense of their felicity by their new harmonicall concordance 31 After that the Nobles of Scotland had vnanimously confirmed Baliol in the kingdome thereof and sworne vnto him faith and allegiance at Perth hee repaired to the King of England at Newcastle vpon Tine where hee submitted to Edward King of England as his Father had done to Edward the first and with the like successe for by occasion of such his submission our Writers say the Scots as before they had done fell off againe Which auersion or defection was augmented vpon priuate quarrels and titles of inheritance to lands of great value betweene powerfull Competitors and by other particular reuenges to which a people so continually exercised in fight and battels were not slowlie prone 32 Notwithstanding all which the Balliols party hauing once had all the Holds of Scotland at their commandement fiue onely excepted Dumbritaine Loughâ—…ijm Kildrummie Vrwhart and the pile of Lowdon Edward king of England hauing with him the Balliol and a sufficient Army preuailed so much that there was no appearance of rebellion whereupon hee tooke backe with him the Lord Edward Balliol late crowned king of Scotland of whose sted fastnes hee was saith Hector alwaies iealous returned leauing Dauid Cuâ—…in Earle of Athol gouernour for the parts beyond the Scottish sea with sufficient force and authority as was iudged to take in such strengthes as yet stood out but needed not his royall power or presence for their expugnation 33 The King of England hoping now that all was well there had newes brought vnto him not long after at the Parliament at London that the Scots were out in Armes againe whereupon hee obtaines aid of money from his Subiects for repressing their attempts promising to goe against them in person The Lord Robert Stewart sonne of the Lady Mariorie Bruce daughter of King Robert vpon whose line the remainder of the Crown of Scotland had beene estated was the man that first lifted vp the head of his Country in this dangerous sad and desolate condition though put into action vpon a priuate iniurie done vnto him by the Earle of Athol to whom diuers did adhere though the quarrel seemed properly to be the said L. Roberts for that if the Bruces were cut off his hopes perished in them The Earle of Murray and he were then chosen gouernours for King Dauids party but by reason of the diligence and power of Dauid Earle of Athol they were not able as yet to conuene or effect any thing against the English neuerthelesse it was not long before they slew the said Earle Dauid At this Parliament the King of England purposed to goe vpon his owne charge into the Holy-Land and to send the Archbishoppe of Canterbury to deale with Philip de Valois King of France for appointing a certaine time wherein they two with their vnited forces might take their voyage thither from which the desire of obtaining the Crowne of France vpon the fore-mentioned title did quickly diuert him 34 Mean-while in accomplishment of the Parliaments expectation King Edward after Michaelmas marched againe into Scotland with an Armie and sent his Nauie to the Forth
egresse whereupon the Duke of Lancaster caused thē to bee assaulted so both of them being taken by surrender were razed to the ground though some English first lost their liues among which was Sir Robert Swinarton a valiant Knight of Staffordshire and Iohn de Bolton a couragious Esquier of Yorkeshire whom the sodaine ruine of a Tower ouerturned by mining whelmed and slew outright Sharpened with the successe of this victorie they commit themselues to God and the Sea and prosperously arriue with the whole Fleet in the Port Corone or the Groyne in August 61 The French belike thought England could not furnish an other Army for France as she had for Spain wherupon there was now no false nor vain rumor spread again that the French would besiege Calis The King to secure that pretious transmarine part of his Dominions sent thither store of men and of all prouisions The most eminent person was Henry Lord Percie sonne to Henry Earle of Northumberland This was hee whom the Scots by-named Hotspur a young Gentleman in whom saith Walsingham the patterne of all vertue and martiall prowesse shined and indeed his nature did answere his by-name for hee made such ridings into the quarters about Calis that they could neuer wish a worse neighbour After which when the fame went that the French king would not delay or as they call it beleaguer Calis but rather inuade England hee returned to bee present where the greatest danger was expected At this time the English Seamen of warre brought two French prizes to Sandwich in which was taken a part of an huge strong Timber-wall which the French king preparing now for Englands inuasion had caused to bee built in length three miles in height twenty foot which had at euery twelue paces a Tower ten foot higher and each capable of ten men the whole to be a defence for the French encampments against our shot and a shelter for theirs there was also in the same Ships the Enginer and master workeman who was an Englishman and great quantities of powder and store of Ordinance together with the French Kings Master Gunner 62 There was in this time a great resemblance betweene England and France in the chiefe points of State As England had Richard so had France her Charles both young Kings Charles with an huge armie had prepared to inuade England but did nothing Richard with no lesse forces entred Scotland and did no great thing Richard had vncles which bare great sway in the Realme so had Charles Richard had his vncle Iohn more potent then the rest Charles had his vncle Lewis Iohn vpon his wiues title claimeth the kingdomes of Castile and Leon Lewis by the gift of Ioan the Queene claimes the Kingdomes of Naples and Sicil. Lewis went with an Army of thirty thousand horse into Italie to atchieue his claime with what force Iohn set forth you haue heard But Lewis died without obtayning Iohn preuailed so farre as to settle his child by marriage The King and great Lords of France were glad with any charge to enioy the absence of Lewis and Richard and his fauourites were not sad that the Realme was for the present rid of Iohn 63 The forces of the French prouided for this inuasion of England were reported in open Parliament which the King held about Michaelmas in London to consist of 15 Dukes 26. Earles two hundreth Lords an hundreth thousand souldiers and a thousand Ships assembled about Sluse with full purpose to take reuenge of all the euils which the English nation had formerly wrought in France and to destroy the English kingdome But though these reports were not fained for the French attended nothing in a manner but a faire gale of winde to bring them yet could not the King without Capitulations made by the Duke of Gloster obtaine any aides of money so that whereas it seemed to the King that by the Duke of Lancasters departure he was become more free yet had he left behind spirits much more stiffe and intractable O deare Countrey hadst thou not then beene apparantlie in Gods protection for the French hauing stayd for a wind till Hallontide and then hauing it halfe-way were beaten backe and the voyage made vtterly voyd certainely thy ruine had then beene certaine What shall wee thinke or say of those popular Lords by this gentle King armd to his owne bane with power and greatnes who vnder the specious pretext of reforming abuses did satisfie their enuie and inbred insolency 64 The King tels them that England is as they saw in manifest danger and prayes their succour in money what is the answere That the Duke of Ireland for now the Marquesse of Dublin was made a Duke and Michaell at the Pole so they scornfully called the Earle of Suffolke and other must be remoued Things are badly carried at home say they and they perhaps said truly but where was now the care of our Countrey God indeed turned from vs the mercilesse point of the French sword but here began the seeds of innumerable worse miseries neuer to be remembred without sighes and teares 65 The seedes we say of those fearefull calamities were then first here sowne whose sum a flourishing Writer in our age willing neerely to haue imitated Lucan as hee is indeed called our Lucan doth not vnfortunately expresse though hee might rather haue said he wept them then sung them but so to sing them is to weepe them I sing the ciuill warres tumultuous broiles And bloudy factions of a mighty land Whose people hauty proud with forraine spoiles Vpon themselues turne backe their conquering hand While kinne their kinne brother the brother foiles Like Ensignes all against like Ensignes band Bowes against Bowes a Crowne against a Crowne While all pretending right all right throwne downe But Robert de Vere saith Thomas Duke of Glocester and his party was vnworthily created Duke of Ireland and De la Pole the Lord Chancellour seemed to the onely great Lords for so they would seeme to be in the Kings debt Strange colours for Subiects to capitulate with their King vpon giuing their ioynt aides against the common enemy now ready with one destruction to ouerwhelme them all The time they tooke to worke this pretended amendment in state was not well fitted It sauoured of somewhat else besides the loue of common-weale Priuate ambitions and passions could not bee wanting in such oppositions This is some mens iudgement let the sequels shew how iust 66 There were called vp at this Parliament for defence of the Realme innumerable people out of al Shires which forces lay about London within twentie miles round and had no pay but liued vpon spoile These at last were licenced to depart to be ready at warning There was also the Lord Chancellour accused of we wot not what petty crimes for the abuses of following ages haue made them seeme so as for paying to the Kings Coffers but twentie markes yeerely
his vnderhand workings they obiected also that hee had secretly practised to flie with the Duke of Ireland into France and to deliuer vp to the French Kings possession Callis such pieces as the Crowne of England held in those parts to proue which dishonourable act they as some write produced the French packets intercepted This wrung teares perhaps of disdaine from the King and hee yeelded to come to VVestminster vpon the next day there to heare and determine farther The King in signe of amitie stayed his Cosen the Earle of Derbie the same who afterward dethroned him to supper O where was the courage of a King The Lords in their owne quarrell could draw vp fortie thousand men but in the generall danger of the Realme when the Commons were vp and the French hung ouer their heads with no lesse hatred then preparations no such numbers appeared Was it fortheir honour or praise that their most rightful King should by their violence be driuen to consult vpon flight out of his proper Kingdome The Citie of London was also in no little perill at this present by their accesse which drawne by iust feare was contented to open the gates and harbour the Lords and their partakers These Lords who so often are called here the Lordâ—… are named in our Statute bookes to be but these fiue The Duke of Glocester the Earles of Derbie Arundel Warwicke and Marshal 76 The next day hee would haue deferred his repaire to Westminster This being signified to the Kings Lords for so they might bee called as being more Masters then the King they labour not by humble words and dutious reasons to perswade the vse or necessity of his presence in that place but contrarie to their allegiance and all good order send him word That if hee came not quickly according to appointment they would choose them another King who both would and should obey the counsell of the Peeres They had him indeed amongst them whom belike they euen then meant to haue surrogated that is to say the before said Earle of Derby heire to the D. of Lancaster The Lords certainely had so behaued themselues towards the King that they well saw they must bee masters of his person and power or themselues in the end perish 77 The King after a preposterous and inuerted manner attending his Subiects pleasures at Westminster heauily and vnwillingly is drawne to disclaime Alexander Neuil Archbishoppe of Yorke the Bishops of Duresme and Chichester the Lords Souch and Beaumount with sundry others Neither was the Male-sexe onely suspected to these curious pruners the Lady Poinings and other Ladies were also remoued and put vnder baile to answere such things as should bee obiected Sir Simon Burley Sir William Elinham Sir Iohn Beauchampe of Holt Sir Iohn Salisbury Sir Thomas Triuet Sir Iames Berneys Sir Nicholas Dagworth and Sir Nicholas Brambre knights with certaine Clerks were apprehended and kept in straite prison to answere such accusations what if meere calumniations as in the next Parliament at Westminster should be obiected 78 The Parliament began at Candlemas where the King was vnwillingly present The first day of the Session all the Iudges Fulthrop Belknap Care Hott Burgh and Lockton were arrested as they sate in Iudgement on the Bench and most of them sent to the Tower The cause alleadged was that hauing first ouerruled them with their counsels and directions which they assured them to bee according to law they afterward at Nottingham gaue contrarie iudgement to that which themselues had fore-declared Trysilian the chiefe Iustice preuented them by flight but being apprehended and brought to the Parliament in the forenoone had sentence to be drawne to Tyborne in the afternoone and there to haue his throat cut which was done accordingly Sir Nicholas Brambres turne was next This Brambre saith Walsingham was said to haue imagined to be made Duke of new Troy the old supposed name of London by murthering thousands of such Citizens whose names hee had billed for that purpose as were suspected of likelihood to resist him Then Sir Iohn Salisbury and Sir Iames Bernes two young Knights Sir Iohn Beauchamp of Holt Steward of the Household to the King and Iohn Blake Esquier were likewise sacrificed to reuenge Sir Simon Burley onely had the worshippe to haue but his head strucken off Loe the noble respect which the gentle Lords had to iustice and amendment This was no age wee see for a weake or slothfull Prince to sit in quiet for now the people and then the Peeres foile and trample the regall authority vnder foote the Duke of Ireland the Archbishoppe of Yorke the Earle of Suffolke and others had their estates confiscated to the kings vse by Act of Parliament as in the booke of Statutes may bee seene together with a great part of the whole proceedings 79 These troubles boiling and burning within in the Bowels of the State the Scots abroad had oportunity to inuade the North of England vnder the conduct of Sir William Dowglasse a noble young knight a parallel and riuall in the honour of Armes to Henry Hotspur Lord Percy whom Hotspur fighting hand to hand slew in battell but the Earle of Dunbar comming with an excessiue number of Scots tooke Hotspur and his brother prisoners killing many English not without such losse to themselues that they forthwith returned 80 But these vnneighbourly hostilities soone after found some surcease there being a meeting at Calis betweene the English and French about establishing a peace and albeit because the French would haue the Scot and Spaniard included therein the conclusion was deferred yet shortly after it was resolued vpon for three yeeres the Scots being comprehended therein 81 King Richard being now of age declares himselfe free to gouerne of himselfe without either controlement or help of any other then such as hee selected to that place and in token that he was at liberty he takes the Great Seale of England from Thomas Arundel Archbishop of Yorke Alexander Neuill being attainted and fled and departs out of the Councell Chamber After a while hee returnes and giues it backe to William Wickham the renowned Bishoppe of Winchester who was vnwilling to haue accepted the same Hee also puts out sundrie Officers substituting such others as best liked him From the Councell Table hee remoued his vncle Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of Glocester the Earle of Warwicke and others which as it might encouraged the Dukes enemies about the King to doe euill offices betweene them Yet the king did not presently credite what was whispered into his care concerning a purpose suggested to be in the Duke to raise forces againe but acquainting him withall was satisfied Neuerthelesse he would not suffer the Duke to pursue an orderly or any reuenge vpon the Authors whom indeed it had beene wisdome to haue punished in an exemplary manner 82 Michael de la Pole late Earle of Suffolke whom the popular Lords had made most
odious to the English died at Paris in exile bequeathing such goods as hee had there to Robert Duke of Ireland who also breathed out his griefes in banishment and died at last in Brabant 83 The Duke of Lancaster the meane while returnes into Gascoigne out of Spaine and not long after into England The successe of that voyage being made to claime the Crowne of Castile and Leon was briefly this Iohn King of Castile alledged that Constance the Dukes wife was not right heire but he For albeit the Lady Constance was eldest daughter and heire to Peter sonne of Alfonse whose father Fernand the fourth was sonne of Sanchez the fourth and he sonne of Alfonse the tenth all Kings of Spaine successiuely yet that neither Constance Peter Alfonse Ferdinand nor Sanchez had the right His reason was for that Alfonse the tenth chosen Emperour of Almaine had before he begat the said Sanchez an elder sonne called Ferdinand de la Cerda who married Blanch the daughter of Saint Lewis King of France from whom descended Alfonse de la Cerda who entituled himselfe King but died without issue and Fernand who had a daughter married to Iohn sonne of the Infant of Portugall Emmanuel mother to the Lady Ioane wife of King Henry the second father of Iohn King of Castile defendant 84 This Apologie made by the Castilian would not serue for kingdomes are not vsed to be pleaded for by Bil and Answere The English and Portugals ioine their forces To the Duke by reason of his wiues presence manie did voluntarily submit themselues all did not for Don Aluarez de Perez on the behalfe of his Lord the King of Spaine offred to stop the Duke in his march to Burgos and was ouerthrowne Other aduentures that warre afforded but sicknesse hapning in the English Armie consumed many of the principall and among them the Lord Fitzwalter with other Lords Knights Esquires and men of armes almost three hundreth Moreouer the penurie was such that sundrie reuolted to the enemy to get reliefe which being seene of the King of Portugal he told the Duke he would set vpon them as Enemies but hee said no for that he knew they did it onely for lacke of foode Thus hauing said he held downe his head as he sate on horsebacke and wept most bitterly secretly powring forth his praiers to almighty God and most humbly beseeching mercy From which time forward his affaires in Spaine succeeded happily 85 The warres had beene â—…harpe and tedious but the end acceptable For Don Iuan king of Castile a Prince of no euill conscience seeing the right which the Duke of Lancaster vrged and foreseeing what calamities might happen hereafter if as was feared the French should match with him sought and obtained a firme peace The Principall conditions were That the Lord Henry his sonne and heire should marry the Lady Katherine daughter and heire to the Duke and Constance his wife That the Lord Henry during his fathers life should be called Prince of Asturia and Katherine his wife Princesse That for default of issue betweene the young Princely couple the Crowne should come to the Lord Edward Duke of Yorke who had married the other daughter of King Peter That the king of Spaine should lade eight Cars with wedges of gold for the Duke or as some write pay two hundreth thousand nobles toward the defrayment of the Dukes huge charges That finallie he should giue sufficient Caution for an Annuitie of ten thousand pounds during the liues of the said Duke and Dutchesse to be duly paid to their vses at the City of Bayon in Gascoigne 86 The King at such time as the Duke of Lancaster returned was at Reading whither he had commanded the Peeres to repaire To that meeting the Duke makes hast aswell to present his dutie to his Soueraigue as to be an authour of loue and peace betweene the king and Lords against some of whom the King was not thought to be verie fauourably disposed Which he gratiously effected as seeming to addict his mind to offices of piety and publike benefit Certainely the wisdome and moderation of the Duke of Yorke his brother were such in all the late and other tumults that he is not so much as once named among the factious which Christian spirit if it had raigned in all the rest England had neuer beene polluted with such infinite bloodshed of her noblest Children neither had the goodlie fabricke of state laden with innumerable trophees falne vnder that most hideous Chaos which succeeding ages saw and sighed for 87 The King vpon the Duke of Lancasters returne whether hee felt the keeping of Aquitaine an vnprofitable burthen or the absence of his vncle the Duke a thing worthie to be purchased at anie rate certaine it is that in a Parliament held at London he vested in him that famous Dutchy by deliuering the Cap of State and Ducal Rod whither hee shortly went to take possession His sonne Henrie of Bullingbroke Earle of Derbie loath to spend his houres in sloath but desirous to pursue renowne by martiall Acts in forreine parts sailed ouer to the warres in Prussia where in sundry enterprizes against the Lithuanians he wan great honor which by comparison of King Richards Calmnes prepared a way for him in the Englishes affections to points more eminent 88 The Pope now vnderstood that the English State began againe to be sensible of Romish encroachments and as in a former Parliament they had enacted against all Collations of Bishoprickes and dignities by the Pope with banishment to all which did accept such Collations and death to al that brought in any excommunications from the Pope to hinder the execution of that Act so in this last Parliament another seuere Act was made against such as went to the Pope to procure any such prouisions A Proclamation also was made at London * that all beneficed men then being in the Court of Rome should returne by a day prefixed or loose all their liuings The Pope himselfe saith Walsingham troubled with so great a thunder-clap sent with all speed into England to perswade the King that such Statutes as had beene thus made in their preiudice who followed the Court of Rome and such other clauses as tended to the dammage of that See should be made void whereto the Kings answere was that the Popes Nuntio must expect till the next Parliament At which Parliament the King as also the Duke of Lancaster seemed to haue some respect to the Pope whose messenger was their Present but the Knights of the house would not in any wise giue their consents that such Rome-gadders should without due punishment pursue their wonted course longer then till the next Parliament To furnish the Duke of Lancaster into France to treat of a peace and vpon condition that the King should that yere inuade Scotland large contributions were there made
swallowing about fiue hundreth in his vnknowne depthes as they who fled from the battell sought to passe This victory hapned vpon Holyrood in haruest The troubles which afterward hapned did not onely hinder the Lord Percie from farther prosecution of such a victorie but eclypsed the honour hee had gotten now and gaue his dayes a bloudy foule Catastrophe 29 The Lord Edmund Mortimer Earle of March next generall heire in bloud to the Crowne of England after the death of Richard the second hauing through feare of Owen whose prisoner hee was or hope of recouering his right or for reuenge because the King did not ransom him married Owens daughter by which hee must necessarily declare himselfe an enemie to King Henrie entertained intelligence with his neere kinsmen the Percies and sundry other his friends in Cheshire and elsewhere to what purpose will shortly appeare The night in which this Lord Mortimer though some referre it to Owens birth was born all the horses in his fathers stable are said to haue bin found standing Belly-deep in bloud A fearefull prodigie as euen then it seemed but verified afterward in the farre more fearefull euents when vpon the quarrell of Mortimers title by which the house of Yorke claimed the horses of warre did not onely stand belly-deepe in bloud but also swam therein The mischiefe was already begun for Henry Earle of Northumberland when now his owne and his houses strengths were mightily encreased by this late victory against the Scots which he vnder-hand seemes to haue conuerted to his secret priuate ends closely animated his brother the Earle of Worcester and his fiery spirited son against the King to both their confusions 30 The King tooke to wife the Lady Iane of Nauarre widdow of Iohn de Montfort Duke of Britaine named the Conquerour who died the yeere before by whom she had issue both sons and daughters but by the King none He met and married her at Winchester and crowned her Queene at Westminster The King was not trusted with the custody of any her three sonnes Iohn Richard Arthur who remained in France 31 Euents are the best interpreters of prophesies and prodigies Strange was that which Walsingham hath written of a fatall Spectrum or Apparitions in the summer time betweene Bedford and Bickleswade where sundry monsters of diuers colours in the shapes of armed men were often seene to issue out of the woods at morning and at noone which to such as stood farre off seemed to encounter one the other in most terrible manner but when they drew neer nothing was to be found Of another nature were the fiery attempts of the Percies The first of them who discouered in armes his mortall hatred was the noble Hotspur who vnder colour of the Scottish warre made head about Chester and the marches of Wales To him by the priuitie of Hotspurs father repaires the naughtie old man the Earle of Worcester leauing the young Prince of Wales and the Princes houshold ouer both which for their better Gouernment the King had placed him Now was the torch of warre lighted vp and began to blaze for though the chiefe plot-master the Earle of Northumberland was not ioined to them as hee did intend yet were their numbers growne mightily with which they meant to enter the Towne of Shrewsbury to make thereof a Seat of warre 32 Colourable causes of their armes were the ordinarie paintings of the like attempts Care of common-wealths reformation and their owne safeties for hauing first protested their intentions not to be the breach of loyaltie they pretend and by letters sent about doe signifie 1. That the publike monie was not employed vpon the pretended defence of the kingdome but vnduly wasted 2. That by reason of bad tongues about the King they durst not approach him to declare their innocency vnlesse the Prelates and Peeres of the Realme did first intercede for them 3. That they tooke armes onely to guard their owne heads and to see the Kingdome better gouerned These Articles had the place of the Huske but the kernell of the enterprize had principallie these 1. To thrust King Henry out of his seat and consequently to depriue him of life 2. To aduance the title of the Lord Mortimer Earle of Mâ—…ch their neerest Allie for the Earle of Northumberland had married Elizabeth the daughter of the Lord Edmund Mortimer the elder Earle of March by Philip daughter to Lionel Duke of Clarence 3. To take reuenge of King Henry for seeking to drawe the chiefe benefit to himselfe of the victory at Halidowâ—… hill whose principall prisoners he required and for such other priuate grudges 4. To share the Kingdome betweene Mortimer Percy and Owen Glendower Concerning which partition it is in some found written that Indentures tripartite were sealed showing that South-England should remaine to Mortimer North-England to Percy and Wales beyond Seuern to Glendower But Archembald Earle of Dowglas who did his Countrey good seruice by making one in our Combustions by common consent was allowed for his share to be free from ransome and to haue Berwicke 33 This in our English Adages is called to reckon without our host or to count our chickens before they are hatched But though at this time God would haue it so yet who doth not easily see what a wild horse a kingdome so gotten is and how hard to sit and not to manage onlie Yet it seemeth that if Mortimer hauing so iust a title to the Crowne had openlie professed the cause of his attempt against King Henry it might iustlie haue beene exempted from all staine of disabilitie But this partition is said to haue beene wisely built vpon a sound Welsh prophesie of Merlins as if King Henry were the Mowldwarp cursed of Gods owne mouth and Mortimer Percy and Glendower the Dragon Lyon and Wolfe which should diuide this Realme betweene them Surely the Welsh hauing any hand in such a partition it is not likelie they could thinke it had the right feete if it stood not vpon the supposed Merlins his ridiculous cosenages and riddles The English not to be behind in leasings doe in the meanetime euery where spread that Richard was safe aliue and in the Castle of Chester Who can wonder that this name should be so gratious as if alone it were enough to haue shaken Henry out of his State when Nero himselfe had so many fauorites that twenty yeeres after his death an obscure fellow faining himselfe Nero was so backt and countenanced by the Parthians and others that not without much difficulty the Romans could get him into their hands 34 On the other side King Henry assailed with so vnexpected ieopardies defends his cause by letters and strongly puts the blame vpon the accusers saying That he maruelled exceedingly seeing the Earle of Northumberland and Henry his Sonne had the greatest part of the publike moneys deliuered to them for defence of the borders against
of England whose glorious life and acts next insue 56 Thomas Duke of Clarence President of the Councell to King Henry the first his brother and Steward of England He was slaine at Beaufort in Anion without any issue He married Margaret daughter to Thomas Holland Earle of Kent the widow of Iohn Beauford Earle of Somerset 57 Iohn Duke of Bedford Regent of France in the time of King Henry the sixt Duke also of Anion and Alanson Earle of Cenomannia Harecourt of Kendall and Dreux Viscount Beaumont He married first with Anne daughter to Iohn Duke of Burgundy Secondly with Iacoba daughter to Peter de Luxemburgh Earle of Saint Paul And died without any issue 58 Humfrey was by his brother King Henry the fifth created Duke of Glocester was Protectour of the Kingdome of England for 25. yeeres in the time of King Henry the sixt in whose first yeere hee styled himselfe in his Charters thus Humfrey by the grace of God sonne brother and vncle to Kings Duke of Glocester Earle of 〈◊〉 Holland Zeland and Pembroke Lord of Friestand Great Chamberlaine of the Kingdome of England Protector and Defendor of the same Kingdome and Church of England Hee was a man who nobly deserued of the common wealth and of learning as being himselfe very learned and a magnificent Patron and benefactor of the Vniuersity of Oxford where hee had beene educated and was generally called the Good Duke Hee married first Iacoba heire to William Duke of Bauaria Earle of Holland who as after was knowne had first beene lawfully troth-plighted to Iohn Duke of Brabant and therefore was afterward diuorced from the said Humfrey His second wife was Elianor daughter to Reginald Baron Cobham de Scarborough Queene Margaret wife to King Henry the sixt repining at his great power in swaying the King state socretly wrought his ruine hee being murthered in his bed at Burie dying without any issue 1446. His body was buried at Saint Albans yet the vulgar error is that he lyes buried in Saint Pauls 59 Blaunch married to William Duke of Bauaria and Emperour 60 Philip married to Iohn King of Denmarke and Norway HENRIE THE FIFTH KING OF ENGLAND AND FRANCE LORD OF IRELAND THE TWO AND FIFTIETH MONARCH OF ENGLAND HIS RAIGNE ACTS AND ISSVE CHAPTER XV. AMongst the many Monarchs of this most famous Empire none is found more complete with all heroicall vertues then is this King of whose life by order and successe of story wee are now to write which is Henry of that name the fifth the renowne of England and glory of Wales Of whom what was spoken of Titus in the flourishing times of the Romans may for the time of his raigne be truly verified in him both of them being the-louely darlings and delightfull ioy of Mankind But as Titus is taxed by his story-Writers in youth to haue been riotous profuse wastfull and wanton for which as he saith with the dislikes of men he stept into the throne so if wee will beleeue what others haue writ Henry was wilde whiles hee was a Prince whose youthfull prankes as they passed with his yeers let vs haue leaue here to rehearse and leaue them motiues to our owne vse as hee made them for his 2 His birth was at Monmouth in the Marches of Wales the yeer of Christs assuming our flesh 1388 and the eleuenth of King Richards raigne his father then a Subiect and Earle of Derbie Leicester Lincolne afterwards created Duke of Hereford in riâ—…ht of his wife then of Lancaster by the death of his father and lastly by election made the Soueraigne of England that vnfortunate Richard being deposed the Crowne His mother was Mary second daughter and coheire of Humfrey Bohun Earle of Hereford and Northampton high Constable of England as we haue said 3 His young yeeres were spent in literature in the Academie of Oxford where in Queenes Colledge he was a Student vnder the tuition of his vncle Henry Beauford Chancellour of that Vniuersity afterwards Bishoppe of Lincolne and Winchester and lastly made Cardinall by the title of Eusebius But his Father obtayning the Crowne and himselfe come to the age of twelue yeeres had the succession thereof entailed on him by Parliament and accordingly was created Prince of Wales Duke of Cornwall and Earle of Chester and presently had the Title of the Dukedome of Aquitaine conferred vpon him the better to effect the thing then intended which was to haue obtained in marriage young Queene Isabel late wife to the murthered King Richard daughter of Charles the sixt King of France 4 From Oxford Prince Henry was called to Court and the Lord Thomas Perey then Earle of Worcester made his Gouernour but being himselfe false to the Father could giue no good example vnto the sonne whose hostile attempts in the field of Shrewsburie cost that disloyall Earle his head and almost had done Prince Henry his life who in battell against him was wounded in the face with an arrow This marke of his manhood with the ouerthrow of Hotspur in that bloody conflict were hopefull signes of his following successe which presently were seconded with as fortunate proceedings against Owen Glendowr that scourge of his Country and Arch-rebell vnto Englands peace whom this Prince so pursued through the vast mountaines of Wales that from the Dennes of those deserts hee durst not shew his face but therein perished by famine natures other wants though the Prince had then scarcely attained vnto sixeteene 5 But growne from his tutors command or controll and come to the yeers for dispose of himselfe as his youth stood affected so were his consorts and those many times whose conditions were none of the best whether led by an inclination of youth which commonly lets the raine loose vnto Will or to know that by proofe which other Princes doe by report I will not determine yet vnto the latter doe I rather incline knowing that Salomon the wisest of Kings did so himselfe and rather by Rosse I am lead who writeth that Prince Henry in Oxford had in great veneration such as excelled in vertue or learning and among many two hee nameth Thomas Rodban of Merton Colledge a great Astronomer by him preferred to the Bishopricke of S. Dauids in Wales and Iohn Carpenter of Oriel Colledge a learned Doctor of Theologie whom hee aduanced to the See of Worcester But let vs heare how his wilde oates were spent and with what increase the haruest was got The translater of Liuie who wrote the storie of this worthy Prince and dedicated his paines to King Henry his sonne affirmeth for truth that many actions he did farre vnfitting his greatnesse of birth and among other doth taxe him with no better then theft who in the raigne of his Father accompanied with such as spent their wits vpon other mens spoiles laide waite in the way for his Rents receiuers and robd them of that which
of the Norrices Bulkeley Grust Bould and other Gentlemen he was forbidden to land at Bewmaris or to haue any refreshment affirming that he the Duke of Yorke was against the Kings intent and as a Traitour The King stoupes so much as to answere the letter letting him to knowe That the suspition vniuersally conceiued of his behauiours moued those effects neuer thelesse in regard of the humble obedience which was now protested he for the easing of the Dukes heart doth declare repute and admit him as a true and faithfull subiect and as his welbeloued Cosen The Duke then aduanceth his practise one step further and writes to the King that Iustice might be done vpon all persons of what degree soeuer which were guilty or noised to be guiltie of treason aiming at the Duke of Sommerset whom he doubted not to ouerwhelme with sleights and calumnics as hee and his had done the Duke of Suffolke 57 The King is contented such weake or treacherous counsels he relied vpon that Sommerset for his satisfaction should be commanded Prisoner to his owne house and Yorke hauing first dissolued his armie should come in person and put himselfe into the Kings hand When he was come he exhibites a great complaint against the pride and auarice of the Duke of Sommerset and cunningly accusing none but him he seekes the good-will of all others A cunning drift as any considering that hereby he deriued vpon his enemie all the enuie of the people and left him single to withstand the effects Sommerset a Prince of great spirit and wit not thinking it reasonable as well in regard of his owne honour as the Commonwealthes interest to endure such indignity presents himselfe to the King against his accuser and resoluing not to be tender-mouthed in the so apparent perill of the King and Realme whose quiet was vndermined answeres Yorke face to face and in plaine termes accuseth him of highest treason as hauing conspired to depose the King and take vpon himselfe the Soueraignty vehemently vrging That the Duke of Yorke might be committed and arraigned to the intent that by his deserued death and the disenablement of his sonnes Ciuill warre might be extinguished praying finally that God would not suffer the enemie of the Kingdome to escape the hand of iustice 58 This had in likelihood beene done but that the publike faith seemed to stand engaged for the Dukes indemnitie he hauing come in vpon the Kings word and also for that the hearts of men were not well assured to the King which by executing Yorke would perhaps haue beene more vnsetled because not looking into the depth of the Kings perill it would haue beene thought that he had beene destroied to gratifie Sommerset and not to secure the Realme There was hope likewise to recouer Aquitain for that Burdeaux had offered to returne Lastly the Dukes sonne and heire Edward Earle of March afterward King was reported to be ready with a great force of Welshmen to succour his father Vpon these and other reasons the Duke is no longer restrained as vpon Sommersets most weighty accusations he had beene and to assure the gentle and indulgent King of his allegiance he makes his submission and solemnely TAKES HIS OATH to bee true faithfull and obedient subiect This was done vpon the tenth of March in the Church of S. Paul in London the King himselfe and most of the chiefe nobility being present as the Dukes of Buckingham Norfolke Sommerset nine Earles the Vicounts Beaumont and Wels manie great Barons Of the Clergy the Cardinall of Yorke the Archbishop of Canterburie the Bishops of Winchester Elie and London 59 Let vs view the forme and words of this Caution vpon which King Henrie measuring other mens hearts by his owne aduentured to repose his life and Kingdome which are these I Richard Duke of Yorke confesse and beknown that I am and ought to be humble subiect and liegeman to you my Soueraigne Lord King Henry the sixt and owe therefore to beare you saith and truth as to my Soueraigne liege Lord and shall doe all daies to my liues end and shall not at any time will or assent that any thing be attempted or done against your most noble person but wheresoeuer I shal haue knowledge of any such thing imagined or purposed I shall with all speed and diligence possible to me make that your highnesse shall haue knowledge thereof and ouer that doe all that shall possible be to me to the withstanding and let thereof to the vttermost of my life I shall not any thing take vpon me against your roiall estate or obeisance that is due thereto nor suffer anie other man to doe as farre forth as shal be in my power to let it And also shall come at your commandement whensoeuer I shall be called by the same in humble and obeisant wise but if I be letted by any sicknesse or impotencie of my person or by such other cause as shall be thought by you my Soueraigne Lord reasonable I shall neuer hereafter take vpon me to gather any rowt or to make any assemblie of your people without your commandement or licence or in my lawfull defence in interpretation or declaration of the which my lawfull defence I shall report me at all times to your highnesse and if the case require to my Peers nor any thing attempt against any of your Subiects of what estate degree or condition that they be But whensoeuer I find my selfe wronged and agrieued I shall sue humbly for remedie to your highnesse and proceed after the course of your lawes and none otherwise sauing in mine owne lawfull defence in manner abouesaid and otherwise haue to your highnesse as an humble and true subiect ought to haue him to his Soueraigne Lord. All these things abouesaid I promise you truly to obsâ—…rue and keep by the holy Euangelists conteined in the booke that I lay my hand here vpon and by the holie Crosse I here touch and by the blessed Sacrament of our Lords body that I shall now with his mercie receiue And ouer I agree me and will that if at any time hereafter as by the grace of our Lord God I neuer shall any thing attempt by way of feate or otherwise against your roiall Maiestie and obeisance that I owe thereto or any thing take vpon me otherwise then is aboue expressed I from that time forth be vnabled held and taken as an vntrue and openly forsworne man and vnable to all manner of worship estate or degree he it such as I now occupie or any other that might in any wise grow to me hereafter And this I haue here promised and sworne proceedeth of mine owne desire and free volunt and by no constraining nor Coaction In witnes of all which things aboue written I Richard Duke of Yorke aboue write subscribe with mine owne hand and seale This Oath he also tooke at Westminster and Couentree at sundrie times Who now can consider the effects of
for their liues whom he most opprobriously reuiled in the termes of a Traitor with his Battell-axe stroke his brains out of his head when presently Glocester and after him the King entred the Trench wherein all of the Queenes part went to wracke for there were slaine in this battell on her side Iohn L. Sommerset Iohn Courtney Earle of Deuonshire the Lord Wenlocke in manner as wee haue said Sir Iohn Delues Sir Edward Hampden Sir Robert Whittingham and Sir Iohn Lewkener with three thousand others besides 72 Among them that fled Prince Edward was one whome Sir Richard Crofts apprehended before hee got to Tewkesbury but Edmund Duke of Sommerset Iohn Longstrother Prior of Saint Iohns many Knights and Esquiers tooke Sanctuary in the Abbey and other places of the Towne notwithstanding they were taken forth and arraigned before Richard Duke of Glocester who that day sate Constable of England where they were condemned and had iudgement of death which they immediatelie suffered vpon a Scaffold set vp in the Town With these two Lords died twelue worthy Knights besides others of inferior degrees 73 Then was Proclamation made for the apprehension of Prince Edward promising to his taker an annuitie of an hundred pounds during his life if the Prince were liuing his life to be spared vpon which promises Sir Richard Crofts presented young Edward vnto the King whom with a sterne countenance hee a while beheld and as sternely demanded how he durst so presumptuously with Banner displayed enter into his Realme wherunto the Prince made this reply to recouer said hee my fathers Kingdomes and his most rightfull inheritance possessed by his Father and Grandfather and from him immediately belonging vnto me how darest thou then which art his Subiect display thy colour against him thy liege-Liege-Lord which answere moued King Edward so much as with his Gantlet hee dashed the Prince on his mouth whom Richard Duke of Glocester with others of the kings seruans most shamefully murthered euen in his presence and at his feete whose body was buried without all solemnity among other poore and meane persons in the church of the Monastery of the Blacke-Fryers in Tewkesburie 74 Queene Margaret in this fatall day of battell fled towards Worcester and by the way tooke into a poore religious house in that her present distresse but three dayes after shee was apprehended and brought vnto Worcester to King Edward who committed her to sure and straite keeping in which City she a while remained But sodain news brought him that the Northern men were in Armes and meant to aduenture for her liberty the Conquerour marched to Couentrie and there made preparation further to proceed which when these hote spirits pefectly vnderstood their courages grew colder their weapons cast away they came thronging to Edward to offer him subiection yet the Lancastrians were not so minded but rather inâ—…ended once more to trie whether fortune would afford them her smile 75 A fitte instrument they had to forward the enterprise namely Thomas Neuill bastard Fanconbridge sonne of Lord Fanconbridge Earle of Kent a great supporter of King Edwards Crowne howbeit this Bastard being a man of a turbulent spirit and forward for action Earle Warwicke had made him his Admirall to keepe the narrow seas that none should haue way to strengthen King Edward which his office he executed beyond his Commission and became a taker of all Merchants goods being aided with 300. Malecontents from Calleis 76 His enterprise desperate and his name growne fearefull at sea hee meant to make it no lesse on the land for putting in at Douer many misgouerned and loose persons dayly drew to him so as his power grew to bee seuenteene thousand strong with these through Kent he made his way towards London meaning to doe much the land so molested with intestine warres and lodging his hoast on the Southside of London commanded the Citizens to giue him accesse that with King Henry whom hee meant to release from the Tower he might passe through their streetes to meet and encounter the vsurping Edward But the Londoners knowing the rudenesse of these Rakehels kept their gates shut and garded the same with sufficient strengthes whence some Lords of the royall bloud therein residing sent vnto Edward of their present danger who presently sent them fifteene hundred of his best Souldiers after whom in person hee warily marched leading with him his prisoner Queene Margaret whose bounds hee well knew gaue him the full scope of liberty 77 Fauconbridge in the meane while thirsting after spoile with his shippes secured the Thamesis aboue S. Katherines purposing with his land Forces to passe the Riuer at Kingston but hearing that Edward was on his March and fearing to bee cut off from the benefite of his ships hee altered his mind when to open his way into London hee caused the Bridge to bee fiered and three thousand of his men being set ouer Thamesis by his ships diuided themselues into two Companies the one assaying to enter at Algate and the other at Bishopsgate both which they likewise set on fire so that the Citie was in three places fired and assaulted at once but with such euill successe to the assailants that seuen hundred were slaine and the bold Bastard driuen to his ships 78 Vpon the twentieth of May the Conquerour Edward with his Captiue Queen Margaret entred London and so into the Tower the one in pomp commanding the place at his pleasure the other in teares to remaine a most pensiue prisoner where her husband the downcast King Henry was kept in hard durance The place being thus charged with the presence of two Kings and their Queens the Crokebacke of Glocester intended to cleare by taking him away that stood in his brothers way whose successor as is thought hee then meant to bee and making his inward mind more deformed then were his outward lineaments without regard of bloud-defiled hands stabbed the most innocent Henry to the heart with his dagger in which act at once beganne the ones happy rest and the others foule guilt which accompanied his conscience to the day of his death 79 The body of this murthered King was vpon the Ascention Eue laide in an open Coffin and from the Tower guarded with many bils and glaues was so carryed through the streetes vntâ—… 〈◊〉 Cathedrall Church of Saint Paul where it rested vncouered one day and beganne to bleed againe afresh a sorrowfull spectacle to most of the beholders and thence was it carried to the Blacke-Fryers Church where it likewise lay bare faced and bled as before all men being amazed at the sorrowfull sight and lastly it was put in a boat without Priest Clerke Torch or Taper singing or saying and was ferried vnto the Abbey of Chertsey in Surrey there without pompe enterred But afterwards King Henry the seuenth translated his body vnto his Castle of Windsor
vpon that string and then said hee to the Queen that he nothing doubted but that those Lords of her honourable kinne which as yet remained vnder arrest should vpon the matter examined doe well inough and as towards her noble person neither was neither could be any ieopardy 34 Whereby should I trust that quoth the Queene in that I am guiltlesse as though they were guilty in that I am with their enemies better loued then they when they hate them for my sake in that I am so neere a kin to the King and how farre they be off if that would helpe as God grant it hurt not and therefore as for me I purpose not as yet to depart hence And as for this gentleman my sonne I minde that he shall be where I am till I see further for I assure you for that I see some men so greedy without any substantiall cause to haue him makes me much more fearefull to deliuer him Truly Madame quoth he the more vnwilling that you be to deliuer him the more vnwilling other men be to suffer you to keepe him least your causelesse feare might cause you farther to conuey him and many there be that thinke he can haue no priuiledge in this place which neither can haue will to aske it nor malice to deserue it and therefore they reckon no priuiledge broken though they fetch him out which if you finally refuse to deliuer him I verily think they will so much dreadhath my Lord his vncle for the tender loue he beareth him lest your grace should hope to send him away 35 Ah sir quoth the Queene hath the Protector so tender zeale that he feareth nothing but least he should escape him thinketh he that I would send him hence which is not in plight to send out and in what place could I account him sure if he be not sure in the Sanctuary which there was neuer Tyrant yet so diuelish that durst presume to breake And I trust God is as strong now to withstand his aduersaries as euer he was But my sonne can deserue no Sanctuary and therefore he cannot haue it Forsooth he hath found out a goodly glosse by which that place that may defend a thiefe may not saue an innocēt but he is in no ieopardy nor hath no need thereof would God he had not Thinketh the Protector I pray God hee may proue a Protector thinketh hee that I perceiue not whereunto his painted Processe draweth It is not honorable that the Duke abide here It were comfortable for them both that he were with his brother because the King lacketh a play fellow forsooth I pray God send them both better playfellows then him that maketh so high a matter vpō so trifling pretext as though there could none be found to play with the King but his brother that hath no list to play for sicknes come out of Sanctuary out of his safegard to play with him As though Princes as yong as they be could not play but with their Peeres or Children could not play but with their kindred with whom for the most part they agree much worse then with strangers But the Childe cannot require the priuiledge who tolde him so he shall heare him aske it if he will Howbeit this is a gay matter suppose hee coulde not aske it suppose hee woulde not aske it suppose hee woulde aske to goe out if I say hee shall not if I aske the priuiledge but for my selfe I say he that taketh him out against my will breaketh the Sanctuarie Serueth this liberty for my person onely or for my goods also you may not take hence my horse from me and may you take my child from me He also is my ward for as my learned Councell sheweth me sith he hath nothing by discent holden by Knights seruice the law maketh his mother his Gardian Then may no man I suppose take my ward from me out of Sanctuary without the breach of Sanctuary And if my priuiledge could not serue him nor he aske it for himselfe yet sith the law committeth to me the custodie of him I may require it for him except the law giue a child a Gardian only for his goods and lands discharging him of the cure and safe-keeping of his body for which only both lands and goods serue And if examples be sufficient to obtaine priuiledge for my child I need not farre to seeke them for in this place in which now we be and which is now in question whether my child may take benefit of it mine other sonne now King was borne kept in his Cradle and preserued to a more prosperous fortune which I pray God long to continue And as you all know this is not the first time that I haue taken Sanctuary For when my Lord my husband was banished and thrust out of his Kingdome I fled hither being great with Child and here I bare the Prince and when my Lord my husband returned safe againe and had the victory then went I hence to welcome him home and from hence I brought my babe the Prince vnto his father when hee first tooke him in his armes And I pray God that my sonnes Pallace may be as great a safegard vnto him now raigning as this place was sometime to the Kings enemie In which place I intend to keepe his brother since mans law serueth the Gardian to keepe the Infant The law of nature wils the mother to keepe her child Gods law priuiledgeth the Sanctuary and the Sanctuary my sonne sith I feare to put him in the Protectors hands who hath his brother already and were if both failed inheritour to the Crowne and the cause of my feare hath no man to doe to examine But yet I feare no further then the law feareth which as learned men tell me forbiddeth euerie man the custody of them by whose death hee may inherit lesse land then a Kingdome I can no more but whosoeuer he be that breaketh this holy Sanctuary I pray God shortly send him need of a Sanctuary when hee may not come to it for taken out of Sanctuary I would not that my mortall enemy were 36 The Lord Cardinall perceiuing that the Queene waxed euer the longer the further off also that shee beganne to kindle and chafe and speake more biting words against the Protector and such as he neuer beleeued and was also loath to heare hee said to her for a finall conclusion that he no longer would dspute the matter but if shee were content to deliuer the Duke to him and to the other Lords present he durst lay his body and soule both in pledge not onely for his surety but also for his estate And if she wou'd giue a resolute answere to the contrary he would forthwith depart therewithall and shift who so would with this businesse afterward for he neuer intended more to moue her in that matter in which shee thought that hee and all others also saue herselfe lacked either witte or truth wit if they
attached the Court and publike prison for crimes of highest nature being then within the cincture of one and the same wall Sir Robert Clifford at his comming into the Kings presence though hee was secretly before assured of his life most humbly praying and obtaining pardon appeached among many others Sir William Stanley Lord Chamberlaine The King would not at first giue credite or at leastwise pretended not to giue credite to the accusation of a Peere so great and so neere vnto him but vpon farther search finding the same confirmed with circumstances and particularly for that he said to Clifford Hee would neuer beare Armes against the young man if he knew him for certaine to be the sonne of King Edward hee resolueth to vse seuerity against the delinquent 38 But Bernard Andreas directly saith That besides bare words and purposes Sir William had supported Perkins cause with treasure wherein hee is recorded so to haue abounded as that in his Castle of Holt he had in coine and plate to the value of forty thousand Markes besides lands of inheritance in sundry places about to the yeerely value of three thousand pounds a prety stocke in treasure at those times to vphold the first brunt of a warre and a large extent of land to furnish the wing of a powerfull battell with able souldiers out of Tenancies with all which the same Author in plaine wordes saith That hee promised to defend the said Pretender and bring him into the Kingdome And if we haue any insight into King Henries disposition it seemes to vs that before he entred into the Tower he not only knew the Lord Chamberlaine vnsound but also that for his quiet apprehension hee chiefly repaired thither Stanley being hereupon attached and referred to farther examination is said To haue denied nothing of all that wherewith hee was charged which he perhaps the more confidently did in hope that king Henry would pardon him in respect of passed seruices they in their effects considered being the greatest whereof mortality is capable preseruation of life and gaining of a Kingdome But the poore gentleman found himselfe farre deceiued in his politicke Lord and Master who to teach mankind thereby how dangerous it is to make a King was not vnwiling to cut him off as perswading himselfe that those seruices proceeded of ambition not of affection or if of affection the cause now ceasing the contrary effects might proue as pernicious as the other had been aduantageous and auaileable The King was vnwilling to displease his Father in Law Thomas Earle of Derby brother german to Sir William Stanley and did therefore for a while suspend his iudgement but rigour finally preuailed and hee was at Westminster openly arraigned conuicted and afterward at the block on Tower-hil beheaded In whose office Giles Lord Dawbeney a most faithfull and moderate man succeeded This sharpe iustice exercised vpon so eminent a person was of great vse in the stay of peoples minds through the Realme of England But in Ireland they were not so setled or reduced but that for the better and fuller purging thereof Henry Deney a Monke of Langton Abbey was sent Lord Chancellour thither with orders and directions and Sir Edward Poinings Knight with souldiers whose greatest diligence and cares were not wanting to punish such as heretofore had aided Perkin or might hereafter The Earle of Kildare Lord Deputy falling into suspition with Poynings was by him apprehended and sent prisoner into England where the King did not onely graciously heare and admit his defences but also returned him with honour and continuation of authority In the meanetime the errour or weaknesse of the Burgundian Dutchesse and her Perkin suffering their enemy in this sort to puruey for his own security and their depulsion hee yet for farther assurance of himselfe makes a progresse into Lancashire there to recreate with his Father in law the Earle and the Countesse his mother where among all other his secret purposes he throughly satisfied the Earle both for the iustice and necessity of Sir William Stanleyes death 39 These certainely were perillous times to liue in and vndoubtedly full of infinite iealousies and hypocrisies nor vnlike to those lately passed wherein there was nothing so plaine and openly proued but that yet for the common custome of close and couert dealing men had it euer inwardly suspect as many well-counterfeited iewels make the true suspected these generall distrusts being among the strange gradations by which the incomprehensible prouidence doth vse to chastise insolent Nations and to make regular Princes meer and absolute But the Dutchesse and her Perkin knowing al things as they passed in England resolue notwithstanding to proceede and therefore taking aduantage of the Kings absence in the North he with a force of broken and discontented persons sets saile for England and approcheth the coasts of Kent about Sandwich and Deale there to beginne his enterprize for obtaining the Crowne of England vnder the borrowed name and title of Richard Duke of Yorke if he found the Commons forward But they though doubtfull at first what to doe yet at the last considering that his Souldiers were for the most part of desperate fortunes and felonious qualitie though hardy otherwise and approoued men of warre remembring withall the mischiefes of part-takings would not adhere but training them within danger vpon promise of succour assaile and driue them to their shippes take fiue of the Captaines Mountford Corbet Whitebolt Quintin and Genin and one hundreth sixty and foure others which were all of them afterward executed Perkin himselfe who would not trust his person on shore being worthily troubled at the inauspicious fortune of his followers presently hoised sailes and returned to his Lady Patronesse and Creatrix into Flanders 40 These newes being brought to the King where he was then in the North he is said to haue giuen God thanks and declared his ioy in these words I am not ignorant most mercifull Iesu how great victories thou hast giuen mee vpon the Saturday at the praiers of thy most gracious Mother all which I ascribe not to my deserts but to the bounty of thy celestiall grace Thou seest ô most benigne Iesu how many snares how many deceits how many weapons that terrible Iuno hath prepared notwithstanding that after my marriage shee faining herselfe ioyfull hath faithfully promised to beare toward vs all fauour and good will but shee more changeable then the winde peruerting all things aswell diuine as humane feares not God but in her fury seekes the vtter ruine of her owne blood Thou ô God who knowest all deliuer vs also if we seeme worthy from these euils but if our sinnes haue deserued to suffer doe thou ô Lord thy good pleasure Neuerthelesse wee owe to thy Grace immortal thanks which though with our tongue we cannot vtter worthily enough yet must they bee rendred We are alwaies of good courage and so minded for certain that
Church though vnsufficient for so great a worke doe powre forth the cogitations of our heart that the Catholike faith without which no man can attaine to saluation may receiue continuall increase and that those good lawes and constitutions decreed by the wisdome and learning of such as are in authority especially the faithfull in Christ for restraining the attempts of all that labour to oppresse the same or by wicked lyes fictions seeke to peruert and obscure it may prosper with perpetuall increase doe bestow our paines and vtmost endeuour in our office and Ministery And like as the Romane Bishops our Predecessors were wont to shew especiall fauour to Catholike Princes according as the quality of matters and timesrequired especially to them that in troublesome times when the madnesse and perfidious dealing of Schismatikes and heretikes most of all abound did abide constant and vnmoueable not onely in soundnesse of faith and pure denotion to the holy Romane Church but also as the most legitimate sonnes and valiant Champions of the same opposed themselues both with mind and body against the furious madnes of Schismatikes and heretikes so likewise also doe wee desire to extoll your Maiesty with worthy and immortall praises for your high and immortall deserts and labours towards vs and this holy See wherein by Gods permission wee sit to grant vnto it those things for which it ought to watch and driue away the Wolues from the Lords flocke and to cut off with the materiall sword rotten members which infect the mysticall body of Christ and to confirme the hearts of the faithfull in soundnesse of beliefe Now where of late our beloued sonne Iohn Clarke your Maiesties Orator with vs being in our Consistory before our venerable brethren of the holy Romane Church the Cardinals and many other Prelates of the same exhibited a booke vnto vs to bee examined and allowed of vs which booke your Maiesties selfe who doth all things with diligence and nothing amisse enflamed with charity and zeale to the Catholike faith and with ardent deuotion toward vs and this holy See hath composed as a most worthy and soueraigne Antidote against the errors of diuers heretikes often condemned by this holy See and of late stirred vp and brought in by Martin Luther And your said Orator hath also largely declared vnto vs that your Maiesty is ready and purposeth like as you haue confuted the notorious errors of the said Martin by true reason and inuincible authorities of sacred Scripture and Ancient fathers so you will punish to the vttermost of your power all those of your whole Kingdome that shall presume to follow or defend them and we haue diligently and exactly perused and viewed the admirable doctrine of your said booke watered with the dew of heauenly Grace and doe heartily thanke Almighty God from whom euery good and perfect gift doth come who hath vouchsafed to inspire your Noble mind inclined to euery good thing and to endue you with so great Grace from heauen as to write those things whereby you are able to defend his holy faith against such a new Innouator of damned errors and also incite by your example all other Christian Kings and Princes to be willing to fauour and further with all their best aides the Orthodoxall faith and Euangelicall truth whensoeuer it bee brought into danger or doubt And wee thinke it also meete that they who haue vndertaken such godly labours for the defence of the faith of Christ should haue all prayse and honour of vs and wee are desirous that not onely the things themselues which your Maiesty hath written being both of most sound doctrine and no lesse eloquence should bee extolled and magnified with condigne commendations and allowed and confirmed by our authority but also that your Maiesty should bee graced with such an honour and such a Title as that both for our time and euer hereafter all men might perceiue how gratefull and acceptable this gift of your Maiesties hath been vnto vs especially offered vnto vs now at this time Wee who be the true successors of Peter whom Christ at his ascension into heauen left his Vicar on earth and to whom hee committed the care of his flocke We I say who sit in this holy seate from which all dignities and titles doe flow vpon mature deliberation had with our said brethren about these things haue by the generall agreement and consent of them decreed to bestow vpon your Maiestie this title namely THE DEFENDER OF THE FAITH And accordingly by these Presents doe instile you with such a title commaunding all faithfull Christians that they name your Maiesty with this Title and when they write to you that after the Word KING they adioine DEFENDER OF THE FAITH And truely wee diligently considering and weighing your singular merits were not able to bethinke vs of a name more worthy and conuenient for your Maiesty then the excellency and dignity of this Title which so often as you shal heare and reade so often you may call to mind this your singular vertue and great desert nor may you by this Title puffe vp your self in pride but according to your wonted prudence become more humble and bee more valiant and constant in the faith of Christ and in denotion to this holy See by which you haue beene exalted reioycing in the Lord the giuer of all good things leauing this as a perpetuall and immortal monument of your glory to your children shewing them the way vnto the like that if they shall desire to be graced 55 Whilest these things were in working at Rome arose great troubles in Ireland the Kerns casting off all obedience and killing the Kings subiects where they found them against whom Thomas Howard Earle of Surrey Lord Lieutenant of that kingdome made foorth his power and followed them himselfe with such danger of life that the visor of his Helmet was shot off as hee pursued the enemy through the desert woods but these Rebels cut off by his high valour and warres proclaimed at one time against Scotland and France the Lord Lieutenant was recalled into England and Piers Butler Earle of Osorie made Deputie of Ireland in his stead betwixt whom and Girald Fitz-Girald Earle of Kildare whose sister hee had married arose no little strife and debate which grew to that height as King Henry sent Commissioners to trie and examine the differences which was so cleered on Kildares behalfe that Osorie was discharged of his Office and the Lord Fitz-girald sworne deputy in his place whereat Cardinal Wolsey whose hand chiefly steered all states affaires a deadly enemy to the Earle of Kildare was highly offended and to vndermine the foundations of this his new Gouernment gaue eare vnto Osorie who accused the new deputie of many misdemeanors among which these were the principall that he winked at Desmonds escape whom he should haue attached by order from the King that he grew ouer familiar with the natiue Irish
vnexpected content so deepely touched her tender heart that foorth with shee fell into great feares laments and a most heauy melancholy and was in such danger of death that the King came to visit her hauing not gone foorth of his Chamber of many dayes before whereat shee so reioiced as shee began to 〈◊〉 and to acknowledge her like loue and duty the next night following repaired to the Kings Bed-chamber accompanied onely with the Lady Herbert her sister and the Lady 〈◊〉 the Kings neece carrying the Candle before her of whose presence the King seemed to be most desirous and presently falling in talke of Religion began to debate some question thereof with the Queene demanding to haue her resolutions therein but shee knowing that his nature was not to be crost and the sorenesse of his legge to encrease his cholâ—…er made him answere that she was a woman accompanied with many imperfectioâ—…s but his Maiesty wise and 〈◊〉 of whâ—…m shee must learne as of her Lordand Head for so God hath appointed you said shee the Supreame Head of vs all of whom next vnto him I will euer learnt Not so by Saint Mary said the King you are become a Doctor Kate to instruct vs and not to be instructed by vs as often heeretofore we haue seeme Indeede said 〈◊〉 if your Maiestie haue so conceiued I haue beene mistaken in my meaning who haue euer held it preposterous for a woman to instruct 〈◊〉 Lord. And whereas I haue heeretofore held talke with your highnesse touching Religion it was to leâ—…ne of your Maiesty some excellent 〈◊〉 which my selfe stood in doubt of and sometimes to the end that you might with lesse griefe passeouer this paineful time of your infirmity wherein if by my ouermuch boldnesse I haue failed in the latter yet haue I not 〈◊〉 in the former to my no small benefit and comfort And is it euen so sweet heart quoth the King why then are me friends and so kissing her gaue her leaue to depart But the day drawne on for her apprehension and the King disposed to take the â—…yre sent for the Queene to walke in the 〈◊〉 himselfe accompanied onely with two Gentlemen and shee with the three foresaid Ladies Whenas suddenly the Lord Chancellor with forty of the Guard came into the Garden with purpose to hâ—…e apperhended and carried the Queene to the Tower whose malepâ—…rt approach the King greatly misliked and â—…ernely beholding him slept aside 〈◊〉 him with the names of 〈◊〉 foole and 〈◊〉 bidding 〈◊〉 out of presence The Queene seeing the King chased but knew not the cause indeauoâ—…ed by all meanes to 〈◊〉 his Maiestie and iâ—…treted for the Lord Chancellour whose faultas shee thoughtand alleaged was rather through misimprision then will and therfore said she I wil become an humble 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him vnto your Highnesse Ah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quoth the King 〈◊〉 little 〈◊〉 Kate 〈◊〉 euill he 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 at thy hands of my word sweet heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But in following this trâ—…ct of blood â—…owed from the fountaine of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aâ—…ticles wee haue stepped ouer some other occurrences that happened somewhat before this time vnto which with thy patience goodReader we will returne againe 114 King Henrie by order of Parliament hauing assumed the Stile and Title of King of Ireland with the submission of most of the Irish Nobiâ—…ty Iames his Nephew King of Scotland tooke it not well forthat as Liâ—…ley saith a great part of Ireland especially in the North had been in possession of the Scotishmen for many hundred of yeeres before These discontents conceiued King Henrie well perceiued and because hee would haue no ill will so neere him that had so many enuiers abroad he sent vnto King Iames that it would please him to repaire vnto the City of Yorke where he would meet him to conferre for the wealth of both the Realmes which at first was granted but vpon better aduise vnaccomplished his Counsellors moouing the dangers and his Clergy the feares lest their Religion should be changed to the offence of his confederates the Pope the Emperour and the French King 115 The vnkindnes growing from this small sparke was presently kindled into great flames for Commissioners being sent from both Kings to view the limits of either Kingdome they fell at ods about a small peece of ground and from that tooke occasion of emulations and warres to prosecute which King Henry prepared an Armie and sent them into Scotland vnder the Conduct of the Duke of Norfolke accompanied with the Earles of Shrewsbury Darby Câ—…mberland Surrey Hertford Augus and 〈◊〉 land These passing the English Marches did much hurt in the Kingdome of Scotland To withstand whom King Iaâ—…es gathered a power of fiue and thirty strong and at Faâ—…aw more meant to haue bidden the Duke battell which as that writer relaxed was not then minded to doe but made againe into England and passing the water Tweâ—…d sustained great losse by the couragious pursuit of the Lord Huntly King Iames vpon a lusty courage meaning to repaire the Scotâ—… losses with the English spoiles was very forward to follow the Duke into their Borders but the Scotish Nobility wisely waying the danger of warre by no meanes would either assent or assist him out of his owne kingdome affirming it honour sufficient to haue forced the English backe with no little losse 116 King Iâ—…es discontented at his Nobles danials made towards the Burders himselfe where mouing the Lord Maxewell Lord Warden of the West Borders with many other men of speciall fauour and account to inuade England whereunto they gaue their consents These passing the Riuer Eske did some small dammage vpon the Westerne Borderers whereof Thomas 〈◊〉 Dacres and 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hollinshed cals them sent word to Thomas Wharton Lord Wardeâ—… for the King vpon the West Marches But the Scotâ—… comming forward they were forced to prepare for â—…ight before the Lord 〈◊〉 could come and out of their 〈◊〉 company lest a stand vpon the side of a hill 117 The Scots aduanced forward with no little hope were presâ—…ly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the â—…ght of these men and verily thought 〈◊〉 the Lord 〈◊〉 had assembled 〈◊〉 Charge or 〈◊〉 the Duke of 〈◊〉 with a great Army were come to their 〈◊〉 whereupon they began to consuâ—… what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be done and demanding who was deputed 〈◊〉 by the King Oliuer 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor honorable 〈◊〉 being lifted vp vpon the Shoulders of two Souldiers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 Commission wherein himselfe was appointed their Generall and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that so many more worthy honourable and approued Capâ—… of the 〈◊〉 should be 〈◊〉 by this his 〈◊〉 but â—…o 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 In whose 〈◊〉 and for the 〈◊〉 of their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 willingly lost the 〈◊〉 118 This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpon the twenty fourth
Redwald King of the East-Angles who in his quarrel forthwith assembled his forces and meeting Ethelfrid in the field slew him neere the Riuer Idle after hee had raigned twenty three yeeres in the yeere of Christ his Incarnation 617. He had issue by his Wife Acca the daughter of Ella Eanfrith King of Bernicia Oslafe and Oswald King of Northumberland Oslake and Offa with two Daughters canonized for Saints Oswith and Ebba the Nunne as also by his Concubine Oswy the tenth Monarch of the Englishmen EDwine thus raised by the helpe of King Redwald returned to his Country and was of the Inhabitants made King of Northumberland and afterward Monarch of the Englishmen as in their succession shall be declared Beda somewhat too much addicted to fabulous miracles of him reporteth this storie That whilest hee lay banished in King Redwalds Court Ethelfrid instigated his receiuer by promises to take away his life or if he refused threatned him warres for feare whereof Redwald partly inclining to this wicked purpose reuealed the same to the Queene his wife which a friend of Edwins hearing told him of his danger and wished him to flie Edwine thus perplexed with troubled thoughts in the dead of the night sate solitary vnder a tree in dumps musing what was best to be done to suspect and flie from Redwald that had honoured him so much he held it a wrong and to thinke himselfe safe in other Prouinces against so powerfull pursuers he thought it was vaine Thus distracted in casting what way might be safest suddenly approched a man vnto him vtterly vnknowne who after salutation demanded the cause why hee sate at so vnseasonable a time in so vncouth a place and pensiue manner Edwine thinking him to be his deaths-man resolutely answered It nothing concerned him at all either to aske or to know his estate Oh Edwine said he thinke not but that I know thy sorrow and the cause of thy sitting thus vpon that stone thy death is pretended and euen at hand but what wouldest thou giue to rid thee of that danger and to make King Redwald thy assured preseruer Any thing quoth Edwine which is in my power But what shall be his reward said the other that shall set thee vpon the throne of thy Kingdome and that with such glory as none of thy Progenitors euer attained vnto I would bee thankfull to that man said Edwine in all things and at all times as reason required and of right I ought But tell me Edwine said he what if the same man shew thee a more safe way to preserue the life of thy soule then either thou at this present knowest or any of thy Parents euer heard of wilt thou consent and imbrace his counsell Yea said Edwine God forbid that I should not bee ruled by him that thus should free me from this present danger set me vpon the throne of a Kingdome and after these great fauours should also teach mee the way to an eternall life Vpon this answere laying his right hand on Edwines head he said vnto him When these things shall in order come to passe then call to minde this time and what thou hast promised and so vanished from his presence The young Prince thus left betwixt hope and despaire his friend that had forewarned him of his death came hastily to him with a more cheerfull countenance Come in Edwine quoth he and surcease thy cares for the Queene hath not onely changed Redwalds mind to saue thy life but he also hath granted to maintaine thy right against Ethelfrid thine enemy Which shortly he did and slew him as we haue said Edwine thus placed vpon the Princely Throne his first Wife Queenburg being dead in his exile receiued in marriage Ethelburga surnamed Tace a fit name for a woman the Daughter of King Ethelbert and Sister to Edbald King of Kent a most chaste and vertuous Christian Lady whose teacher was Paulinus and both of them Gods instruments for the Conuersion of the Northumbrians to the imbracement of Christian Religion But because we shall haue occasion to speake of this Edwine as he was Monarch of the Englishmen we will reserue his Acts Issues and Raigne to bee further related in the course of his Succession Hee was slaine in battell against Cadwall King of the Britaines and Penda King of the Mercians when he had prosperously raigned seuenteene yeeres the twelfth of October Anno 633. and was buried in Saint Peters Church at Streanshall after called Whitby Vpon whose death the Kingdome of Northumberland was againe diuided OSricke the Sonne of Alfrid Edwines Vncle succeeding in the Prouince of Deira and Fanfrith the Sonne of Ethelfrid the Wilde in the Prouince of the Bernicians these with the rest of Ethelfrids Children for the continuance of Edwins Raigne had in banishment beene preserued among the Scots and Red-shanks and there had receiued the Sacrament of Baptisme but after the death of their Enemie these Princes returned to their owne Country and former superstitions renouncing againe the profession of Christ. Yet this their Apostasie saith Beda remained not long vnpunished For Cadwallader King of the Britaines with wicked force but with worthy vengeance slew them both the next Sommer ensuing Osrike vnprepared and his whole Army penned in the Suburbs of their owne Citie he miserably slew and possessing the Prouince of the Northumbrians not as a King or Conqueror but rather like an outragious Tyrant destroied and rent in tragicall manner all things before him Eanfrith vnaduisedly with twelue chosen persons comming to Cadwallader to intreat vpon peace were cruelly put to death This yeere saith he continueth vnhappy and hatefull euen vnto this day as well for the Apostasie of these English Kings as also for the Britain Kings furious tyranny Wherefore the Historiographers of that time haue thought it best that the memory of these Apostate Kings being vtterly forgotten the selfe-same yeere should be assigned to the Raigne of the next following King Oswald a man dearely beloued of God OSwald the sonne of Wild Ethelfrid and brother to King Eanfrith beganne his raigne ouer the Northumbrians Anno 634. hauing first embraced Christianitie and receiued Baptisme in Scotland wherein hee was secured all the raigne of King Edwin and had withall learned some experience in warre Hee comming vnlooked for with a small Armie but fensed saith Beda with the Faith of Christ obtained against Cedwald King of the Britaine 's a great victorie the manner whereof with his other acts atchieued wee will further declare in his succession among the Monarkes of the English-men whereof hee was the ninth from Hengist He sent for Aidan a Scotish Diuine to teach his people the Doctrine of Christ inlarged his Kingdome and reconciled the Deirians and Bernicians who were at mortall enmitie He was slaine and cruelly rent in peeces by the vnmercifull Pagan Penda
the Mercian at Oswaldstree in Shrop-shire quinto Augusti the yeere of our Lord 642. when hee had raigned nine yeeres and was buried at Bradney in Lincolne-shire His wife was Kineburg the daughter of Kingils King of the West-Saxons and his sonne Ethelwald young at his death and therefore defeated of his Kingdome by Oswy his Vncle the Naturall Sonne of King Ethelfrid the Wild. Notwithstanding when Oswin King of Deira was murdered by this Oswy of Bernitia and he not past sixteene yeeres of age entred by force vpon Deira and kept the same Prouince by strong hand so long as hee liued and dying left it to his cosen Alkfrid the Naturall Sonne of the said King Oswy OSwy the illegitimate sonne of Ethelfrid the Wild at thirty yeeres of age succeeded King Oswald his brother in the Kingdome of the Bernicians at whose entrance Oswyne the sonne of Osrik that had denied the Faith and was slaine of King Cedwall raigned in Deira This Oswyne was slaine by King Oswye after whose death seizing all Northumberland he spread his terrour further into other parts and was the tenth Monarch of the Englishmen as in his succession we will further speake His wife was Eanfled daughter to Edwine King of Northumberland by whom he had many children His raigne was 28. yeeres and death the fifteenth day of Februarie in the yeere of grace 670. and of his age 58. EGfrid the eldest sonne of King Oswy by Queene Eanfled had beene Hostage in the Kingdome of Mercia and after his father was made King of Northumberland in the yeere of Christ 671. Hee warred but with great losse against Edilred King of Mercia neere vnto the Riuer of Trent wherein his younger brother Elswyne was vnfortunately slaine to the great griefe of both the Kings the one being his owne brother and the other his brother in law by mariage whereupon a peace and reconciliation was made But Egfred being by nature of a disquiet disposition inuaded the Irish and destroied those harmelesse and silly people which as Beda saith had beene great friends to the English Their resistance consisted chiefly in curses and imprecations for reuenge which though they could not open heauen yet saith hee it is to be beleeued that for their cause he was cut off the next yeere ensuing by the Picts or Red-shankes against whom he prepared contrary to the aduice of his Counsell and by them was slaine among the strait and waste mountaines 20. Maij the yeere of mans felicitie 685. and of his age fortie after hee had raigned fifteene yeeres His wife was Etheldred the daughter of Anna King of the East-Angles shee was both Widow and Virgin first maried to Tonbert a Noble man that ruled the Giruij a people inhabiting the Fenny Countries of Norfolke Lincolne Huntington and Cambridge-shires and after him also in virginitie continued twelue yeeres with her husband King Egfrid contrarie to his minde and the Apostles precept that forbiddeth such defrauding either in man or woman except it be with consent for a time and to the preparatiō of praier affirming elswhere that Mariage is honourable and the bed thereof vndefiled wherein the woman doth redeeme her transgression through faith loue holinesse and modestie by beating of children This notwithstanding she obtained licence to depart his Court and got her to Coldingham Abby where shee was professed a Nunne vnder Ebba the daughter of King Ethelfrid Then went shee to Ely and new built a Monasterie whereof shee was made Abbesse and wherein with great reuerence shee was intombed whose vertues and remembrance remained to posterities by the name of S. Andrie she being canonized among the Catalogue of English Saints ALkfryd the illegitimate sonne of King Oswy in the raigne of his halfe-brother King Egfrid whether willingly or by violence constrained liued like a banished man in Ireland where applying himselfe to studie hee became an excellent Philosopher and as Beda saith was very conuersant and learned in the Holy Scriptures and therefore was made King ouer the Northumbrians where with great wisdome though not with so large bounds as others had enioied hee worthily did recouer the decaied estate of that Prouince ruling the same twenty yeeres and odde moneths and departed this life Anno 705. His Wife was Kenburg the daughter of Penda King of the Mercians and by her he had issue only one sonne that succeeded him in his Kingdome OSred a child of eight yeeres in age for the hopes conceiued from the vertues of his father was made King ouer the Northumbrians whose steps hee no wayes trod in but rather in filthy abuse of his person and place wallowed in all voluptuous pleasures and sensuall delight violating the bodies of vailed Nunnes and other religious holy women wherein when he had spent eleuen yeeres more to his age his kinsmen Kenred and Osrick conspired against him and in battle by his slaughter made an end of his impious life His wife was Cuthburga the sister of Inas King of the West-Saxons as by the time may bee gathered from the computation of Marianus and the Annales of the English-Saxons who vpon a loathing wearinesse of wedlocke sued out a diuorce from her husband and built a Nunnery at Winburne in Dorset-shire where in a religious habit shee ended her life and hee by Kenred and Osricke leauing his Kingdome to them that wrought his death KEnred the sonne of Cuthwyne whose father was Leolwald the sonne of Egwald and his father Adelm the sonne of Oga the naturall sonne of Ida the first King of Deira after the death of Osred raigned two yeeres no other remembrance left of him besides the murder of his Soueraigne Lord and King OSrick after the death of Kenred obtained the Kingdome of Northumberland and raigned therin the space of eleuen yeeres leauing to the world his name stained with bloud in the murder of young Osred no other mention of parentage wife or issue of him remaining for want whereof hee adopted Ceolnulph brother to his predecessor Kenred and died vnlamented the yeere of Grace seuen hundred twentie nine CEolnulph the brother of Kenred after the death of King Osrike was made King of the Northumbrians which Prouince hee gouerned with great peace and victorie the space of eight yeeres but then forsaking the Royall Estate and Robes of Maiestie put on the habit of a Monke in the I le of Lindesferne or Holy Iland These were the daies saith Beda wherein the acceptable time of peace and quietnesse was embraced among the Northumbrians who now laid their armour aside and applied themselues to the reading of holy Scriptures more desirous to be professed in religious houses then to exercise feats of warre or of Armes For not only Priests and Lay men vowed and performed Pilgrimages to Rome but Kings Queenes and Bishops also did the like
Normans disliking that and some other his doings sent for Theobald Earle of Bloys Stephens elder Brother offering him both their Dukedome and their swords and liues to defend him in it who comming to Luxonia Robert Earle of Gloucester not vnwilling any way to weaken King Stephen deliuered vnto him vpon composition the County of Falesia himselfe carrying no small summe of money thence out of King Henries Treasurie and very throughly though secretly watching all opportunities to aduance the title and designes of the Empresse 9 Stephen recouered and hearing these stirres prepared himselfe first into Normandy at whose approach after some small attempts the people distracted betwixt feare and sense of their ducty yeelded themselues vnto his power surrendring their fenced Cities and other strong holds This good successe thus fortunately begunne hee hoped further to prosecute by meanes of a league which hee lately had made with Lewis the seuenth King of France and heereupon created Eustace his eldest son liuing Duke of Normandie commanding him to do his homage for the same to Lewis 10 Earle Theobald seeing himselfe thus defeated of his hopes and purposes stormed at the wrongs done by King Stephen for hee his elder by birth and Bloyses Earledomes lawfull heire laide his title both for Normandie and England also now vsurped by Stephen his yonger notwithstanding rage nought auailing without power hee came to a composition and remitted his Claime for two thousand markes annually to be paid Geffrey of Aniou likewise whose title by his Wife was better then them both not able at the preset being so far ouer-matched by the Kings power wealth confederats to do what he would yeelded to necessity and for fiue thousand markes yeerely to be paid suffered Stephen quietly to enioy the Crowne 11 Hauing thus at once swept the two greatest rubbes out of his fortunes way hee well hoped that all cloudes of displeasure and opposition were now ouer-blowne when vnexpectedly newes came that England was intumults the sparkes of conspiracie kindled secretlie before in the hearts of factious Peers now openly breaking foorth vpon aduantage of his absence in Normandie therefore hauing not altogether cōposed his busines in those parts he took ship for England in the depth of the winter and euen in the Vigill of Christs Natiuitie besieged and after tooke the Castle of Bedford that was manned against him in the behalfe of the Scots about which time Dauid their King hauing entred Northumberland in the quarrell of Queene Maude the ruder sort of his Armie as commonly the best gouerned is not emptie of such reuenged too tragically the wrongs of the Empresse in ripping vp the wombes of women with child and tossing their infants vpon the points of their speares slaying the Priests at the Altar and dismembring the slaine bodies in most vnhumane maner 12 Against these King Stephen made hastilie forward affirming it no policie to giue one houres rest vnto the Enemie and threatning more then hee accomplished entred Scotland whence after some small reuenge wrought hee was hastily recalled so many of his Nobles in England now in Armes against him that hee was in a sort besette on euerie side And what other could bee a Vsurper expect from them but Treason whom himselfe had formerly taught to be Traitors to their rightfull Soueraigne But yet as no Rebellion was euer without pretence of Reason and Iustice they alledged that hee had violated his Oath touching their Forrests and other Immunities of Church and Common-wealth but Church and Common-wealth were but publike colours for priuate grudges as Malmesburie who then liued well vnfouldeth which the Great-Ones concerued against their King because he would not grant them such Castles Commands and Lordships as themselues liked and expected of him whom they thought to be so obliged vnto them that he ought denie them nothing The endlesse and shamelesse importunities of these men sometimes hee put off alleadging thereby the impaire of his Crownes reucnewes sometimes hee was faine to satisfie distrusting their fal◅ing from him whose loialtie notwithstanding beeing built on so vn-noble grounds was but coloured and therefore could not long bee permanent Neither was it For Robert of Glocester the Empresses halfe-brother and now her chiefe Counsellor and Captaine finding those particular dislikes apt to be wrought on and made seruiceable for a common behoofe whetted on with the touch of conscience and counsells of religious learned men who vrged him with the hazard both of his credit and soule for neglect of his first and only-lawfull Oath to the Empresse sent threatning messages vnto King Stephen charging him with his Oath of Allegiance vnto Lady Maud his Soueraigne against whom hee h◅ shewed himselfe a most perfidious man and had impiouslie drawne him with others to doe the like and so denouncing Stephen an open Enemie to the State and himselfe vnto Stephen made strong his faction with the assistance of many Nobles among whom Milo a chiefe man of warre and High Constable to King Stephen reuolted from him and became a great help to their proceedings 13 Earle Robert whom estsoones the enraged King discharged of his honours and possessions in England tooke into the Castle of Bristow and made good also his Castle of Slede his complices likewise did the like in other places for William Talbot manned the Castle of Hereford William Louell the Castle of Carie Paganell the Castle of Ludlow William de Mount the Castle of Dunestor Robert de Nichol the Castle of Warram Eustace Fitz-Iohn the Castle of Meltune William Fitz-Alain the Castle of Shrewsburie and Walkelinus the Castle of Doure And thus those forts which were erected to defend the Crowne first offended the King some few whereof as he recouered he flatted to the ground and wished the other no higher walls still swearing by Gods Birth his vsuall Oath hee would not so slightlie bee vnseated of his Crowne and wondring what should mooue them who had so readilie aduanced him so speedily to vnstate him One fresh motiue to these Noble-mens discontents was the Kings * seizing on some great men and their lands on bare suspition of their loialtie and on the other side the extraordinarie fauour which Stephen shewed to William de Ypre and his Flemings which they interpreted as a contempt of themselues and their Nation whose counsells he generally followed and chieflie relied vpon In disdaine whereof they sent word to the Empresse that within fiue Monethes shee should haue the Realme at command according to their Oaths made to her Father 14 These turmoiles thus working in the bowels of the Kingdome Dauid King of Scotland had better opportunitie to assaile the sides and skirts thereof and following what hee had begunne with a very great Armie entring Northumberland made great slaughter of the English and destruction of their Countrey
Against whom the Northren Lords prepared at 〈◊〉 command of Thurstan Arch-bishop of Yorke 〈◊〉 King Stephen Lieutenant in those parts who beeing by sickenes kept from the Field appointed Ralph Bishop of Durham his General whose Inuectiue Oration before their ioyning of battaile occasioned vpon the foresaid misdeameanors of some vndisciplined Scotish is at large set down by Houedon Huntingdon Wendouer and others in the close whereof he absolueth from punishment of sin all such of his side as should die in this battaile which made the English more desperate in fight who so sorely pressed vpon their enemies that they forsooke their King he notwithstanding valiantly persisting til his dearest friends ernestly vrged him to auoid But his son Henry esteeming more of glory theÌ„ life rushed in amongst his retiring souldiers and with vndaunted courage perswading them to regard themselus and his presence with threat of shamefull deaths to all such as fled he held them in for a time till at length ouer-laid with the maine-battaile of the English the magnanimous Prince Henry likewise quitted the field bitterly cursing the frowardnesse of Fortune and the mischance that hapned that day 15 With like fortunate successe proceeded Stephen against his disobedient Barons and wanne from them the Castles of Hereford Gloucester Webley Bristow Dudley and Shrewsbury whereby hee weakned Earle Robert so much that he was constrained to flie into France and there instigated his sister the Empresse to come into England 16 These domesticke opposites thus remoued out of his way King Stephen re-addressed himselfe for the North to prosecute that which Thurstan had begunne first therfore winning the Castle of Leids he went into Scotland where by the persuasion prowesse of Mars and Vulcan saith Paris a Peace was concluded betwixt the two Kings and Stephen thence returning brought Prince Henry whom he created Earle of Huntingdon with him into England and at the siege of Ludlow Castle the aduenturous Prince was almost surprised where the besieged with an Iron Grapple pluckt him from his horse and so had taken him but that King Stephen himselfe with great valour and honour recouered him who hauing wonne the Castle went presently to Oxford whither newes was brought him that the Empresse was preparing for England 17 To make all sure as he went Stephen thought it good to demolish and race those Castles lately built hauing had experience to what troubles they had brought him and to preuent the building of new and namely that of the Diuise now as hee surmised in fortifying against him hee therefore sent for Roger Bishop of Salisbury the Founder both of that Castle as also those other of Sherborn Malmsbury a man who in a bad cause had stood King Stephen in good stead howsoeuer some enuying his greatnes had incensed the King against him and other Prelates as if they were fallen from his side The Bishop standing peremptorily on his innocencie yet mistrusting the euent craued the company of Alexander Bishop of Lincolne and of Nigell Bishop of Ely so with a great and well appointed traine repaired to Oxford vnto the Court where Stephen had summoned a Grand-Councell of the States 18 The King who expected of Church-men humility seeing them now armed as men for the field commanded his attendants to take armour likewise and so entring communication of diuers matters with his Peeres and Prelates their Souldiers casually meeting fell at variance where the Bishops friends had the worse so that many of them were wounded and the rest forsaking their masters ranne away This great assembly thus disturbed the King required the Bishops to satisfie his Court for these outrages of their seruants which satisfaction should be to deliuer the keyes of all their Castles to the King as pledges of their fidelity which they refusing the Bishops of Salisbury and Lincolne were laid hold of but Ely escaped to the Castle of Diuise Alexander was imprisoned till hee had yâ—…ded him his Castles of New-werke and Slaford Roger the Castles of Sherborne and the Deuises accounted then one of the goodliest Castles of Europe besides forty thousand Markes in siluer which losses the Bishop did not long suruiue The King imployed the money to purchase Lady Constance sister to Lewis King of France to be wife vnto his sonne Eustace all which was to strengthen himselfe against the Empresse Maud whose comming he continually feared now before his expectation she was landed in England at a fitte time for her designes when all the great Prelates who formerly were his chiefest friends were highly incensed against the King for such oppression of their Brethren 19 The place of her arriuage was at the port of Arundell into which Castle shee was ioyfully receiued by William de Albeny who had married Queen Adeliza the late wife to King Henry whose Dowrie it was from hence Earle Robert diuerting his course onely with tenne horse-men and as many Archers for in all hee brought ouer but one hundred and forty with him for so great an exploit passed throgh the Land vnto Wallingford and Gloucester soliciting his Complices for the aid of his sister the Empresse A man who then liued holds him in this bold attempt with so small forces no way inferiour to Iulius Caesar whom Liuie reports to haue begun his ciuill war and to haue set himselfe against the whole world onelie with fiue Cohorts of Souldiers 20 King Stephen as then lay in siege of Marleburgh Castle but hauing intelligence of this more dangerous an enemy dislodged thence and with all expedition made towards Arundell whereat the Empresse wanting her Counsellor was wonderfully perplext yet wanted not a womans wit to helpe at need insomuch that by the report of Geruasius lest her dignity and right might any way be endammaged shee tooke an oath that none of these the Kings enemies by her aduice or consent had entred the land but with condition to carry themselues orderly without impeachment of the honour and allegiance due to the King by which policy to giue it no worse name she so satisfied King Stephen whom al do censure for too much credulity and facility towards his foes that hee caused her to bee conuaied honourably vnto Bristow where she remained the space of two monethes and then got thence vnto Wallingford 21 Earle Robert in the meane while dispersed the newes of the Empresses approch vnto whose aid so many gathered that the same Monke reporteth no man was able to set downe their multitudes in context of historie much lesse by way of Computation then beganne saith he both labour and dolour which brought the whole Realme to a most grieuous diuision and in a maner to an vtter ruine for those that fauoured the King what euill soeuer could be wrought or imagined they did against them that tooke part with the Empresse and contrariwise Earle
sent her complaints to the king of France her father which concerned iniuries in the highest kind as in her bed the King being drawne by Gaueston to adultery and in her honour and maintenance Whereupon the Peeres of the land animated by the King of France so confidently dealt with Edward that his Earle now the third time did abiure the Realme but the King of France and his enemies making forraine parts vnsure for him to abide in he returned in Christmas to the generall perturbation of the Kingdome and to his owne certaine ruine for that the Barons his aduersaries had gotten him banished with this Prouiso that if at any time afterward hee were taken in England hee should be forthwith apprehended and suffer death But an Angell from heauen could not seeme more welcome then this most faithful friend as that Courtier cals him was vnto King Edward who forthwith aduanced him to be his principall Secretary 11 Vpon report of Gauestons returne the chiefe Lords aswell Ecclesiasticall as temporall Walter Bishoppe of Couentree excepted who allowed the Kings affections towards Gaueston and procured him to breake the former agreements which were made and sworne in the Parliament at London consulted vpon a desperat course of reformation in this point and made choise of Thomas Earle of Lancaster to be their leader This Thomas was sonne of Edmund Earle of Lancaster Leicester and Ferrers second sonne of Henry the third King of England and in right of his wife after her fathers decease which hapned about this time Earle of Lincolne Salisburie and besides many other great Lands in Yorkeshire Cumberland and Wales hee had the Earledom of Artoys in Picardy so that without comparison hee was the greatest subiect of the Kingdome 12 The Issue of which combination before we pursue wee may not here in our way ouerslippe a strange alteration both here in England and in all Christendome by the vniuersall extinguishment of the Order of the Templars wrought about this time by the procurement of the French King who being so gracious with Pope Clement that formerly hee sent Ambassadors to craue of his holinesse with great importunity that the bones of his Predecessor Pope Boniface might bee burnt as being an Heretike so now also he so farre preuailed with him that in the Councel at Vienna this so highly esteemed Order was vpon clear proofe of their generall odious sinnes and scarse credible impieties vtterly abolished through Christendome The French King caused 54. of that Order together with their Great Maister to bee burnt at Paris and though that King hoped to conuert all the Lands of that Societie to his sonnes vse whom hee intended to make King of Ierusalem yet the Pope and Councell annexed their possessions to the Order of the Knights Hospitalers called commonly Knights of the Rhodes Notwithstanding in England where such Papall commands went not alwayes for lawes the heires of the Donours and such as had endowed the Templars here with landes entred vpon those parts of their ancient Patrimonies after the dissolution of the Order and saith our Courtier detained them vntill not long after they were by Parliament wholly transferred vnto the Knights of the Rhodes or of S. Iohn of Ierusalem 13 King Edward was now at Yorke and Earle Thomas according to that which had beene concluded among the combined Lords who resolued to trie all extremities rather then any longer to endure Peirs Gaâ—…eston as being perswaded while that King-bane breathed peace could neither be maintained in the Realme nor the King abound in treasure nor the Queene enioy his loue sent humble petitions by honourable messengers to their Soueraigne requesting him to deliuer the man into their hands or to driue him from his company out of England But the selfe-wild King preferring the dearenesse of one stranger before the loue of the whole Realme would not condiscend 14 Afterward Peirs whom the Earles pursued with an Armie being entrusted for his safeguard to Aimerie de Valence Earle of Pembrok was left by him but one night at a Village or Manour called Dathington betweene Oxford and Warwicke being a place neither farre enough off nor strong enough pretending to haue conuaied him on the next day to the Castle of Wallingford the said Aimerie in the meane space departing to lodge with his Countesse who lay hard by but the said Aimerie conniuing thereat as our Courtier chargeth him who also writes that hee tooke a solemne oath before the king to doe his best to safe-conduct Gaueston the king purposing in the meane time to labour his peace with the Lords vpon any conditions Guy Earle of Warwicke with his people surprised him the same night and took him to his Castle of Warwicke where in a place called Blacklow afterward Gaueshead his head was stricken off at the commandement and in the presence of the Earles of Lancaster Warwicke and Hereford as of one that had beene a subuerter of the lawes and an open Traitour to the Kingdom In which bold attempt themselues who yet pretended so much standing for the liberties of the land did most vnaduisedly infringe a Capitall branch of the same Franchises in putting to death an Earle and so deare a friend of the Kings without any iudiciall proceeding by triall of his Peeres which caused a lasting hatred betwixt the King and his Nobles 15 There wanted nothing now to King Edward but present meanes to reuenge the bloud of his friend or rather of his halfe-selfe the lacke wherof did encrease the sorrow he tooke for his death which being well knowne to the Lords they resolued not to lay downe Armes till they had prouided for their security and the performance of all such points as concerned the temperament of the Regall power that vnder colour thereof the Nobles themselues might finger some part of the Soueraigne gouernment The King was then at London and the Lords at Dunstaple but by the continuall interdealings of the Prelates and of Gilbert Earle of Glocester who stood neutrall the kindling displeasures were for the present allaied vpon condition that the Lords should restore to the King all such things once belonging to Peirs Gaueston as they had taken at Newcastle which they accordingly did 16 King Edward neuerthelesse as if his soule were ouercast with some blacke cloud continued mourning till it pleased God to enlighten the world with the birth of a young Prince whose noble Acts did afterward redeeme all the blemishes wherewith his Fathers infelicities had darkned the brightnesse of the English name and at this present cleared the mind of the sorrowfull King his father for vpon Saint Brices day Isabel his Queene brought forth her first sonne at Windsor which caused great reioycing through the Kingdome Her French kindred and friends which were there in good numbers of either sexe among them as chiefe the Queens owne brother
Lewis the French Kings sonne would haue had the Infant at his Baptisme named Lewis but the English Lords would not permit who therfore was after his Fathers and Grandfathers name called Edward This was hee who afterward raysed the honour of English Cheualrie to so high a point by his famous victories in France and elsewhere 17 The euill will which the King bare in his mind against the Barons for their ouer-ruling his affections and the death of Gaueston by sundry bad offices and sycophancies of the French at Windsor was rubd so hard vpon that it grew raw againe before it was halfe healed Therefore in a Parliament at London the king sharpely charged those presumptuous Lords with their contempt against him in the spoiles they had committed at Newcastle and which most afflicted his languishing spirit in taking and wickedly killing Peirs Gaueston To all which they stoutely answered that they had not offended in any point but deserued his roiall fauour for that they had not gathered force against him but against the publike enemie of the Realme c. How beit to preuent the feared mischiefe of ciuill Armes by the working of the young Queene of the Prelates and Earle of Glocester the Lords in open Court at Westminster humbled themselues to the King praying grace and the King granted to such of them as would desire the same his gracious pardon The whole house of Parliament seeing the kings wants of their own accord granted a Fifteenth al parts hereupon returned with ioy and peace but not long after the Lord Guy de Beauchampe Earle of Warwicke who in this Parliament was appointed to be of Priuie Councell with the King deceased being as by the Barons wel-willers it was said impoisoned by such of the Kings secret friends as did maligne him 18 The mischieuous effects of the Kings former misgouernment beganne now most perillouslie to discouer themselues For the Scots his neighbours who could not bee ignorant of all such griefes and maladies as festred in the heart and entrals of England had long since made their timely vse thereof adhering so to the vndaunted Bruce that by degrees hee had gotten a great strength and was againe publikely receiued and obeied for King of Scotland from most places whereof hee draue the English and in contempt of Edward committed great spoile by slaughter of People burning of Townes in Northumberland and other Acts of hostility The principall charge of Scotland for King Edward had beene entrusted to the Lord Iohn Cumin a Scot Earle of Bucquhan whom King Robert had vanquished in battell and was now while Edward sate bewitched with most vnworthy languishments grown potent sending his Brother Edward Bruce to besiege the Castle of Striuelin which was in the hands of the English 19 The King of England awakened out of his slumbers with these Alarums marched thereupon with a very great Armie toward the said Castle It pleaseth Hector Boetius putting off as it were the Historian to report maruellous thinges of the numbers of Souldiers which came with King Edward in this iourney for if he say true there were not fewer then one hundreth and fifty thousand horsemen and as many thousand footmen and that we may not suspect the multitude to bee far greater then either the cause required or the realm of England could well afford hee informeth vs that besides the English there were in his aid at this time Hollanders Zelanders Brabanders Flemings Picards Boloners Gascoignes Normans with much people of many other Regions and that besides these three hundreth thousand men of warre there were infinite families with their women children seruants and houshold-stuffe but because other Writers doe ingenuously grant and containe probable matter enough for the honour of the Scottish Nation in this iourney wee will as neare as wee can being things to vs neither vp nor downe in regard of the long time since these hostilities hapned truely and freely though briefly informe our selues hereof 20 The Earles of Lancaster Warren Warwicke and Arundel the greatest Peeres of the land refused to attend their King in this seruice for that hee had delaied to ratifie the points of their desired liberties and prouisions for the pretended better gouernment of England by himselfe so often consented vnto In which as their loyall affection cannot bee much admired so it is certaine that King Edward hereby vndertooke that voyage with farre the lesse force eyther of men or counsell Neuerthelesse his hoast was great enough if numbers did sway in such affaires more then religion discipline and valour to haue effected more then it selfe did suffer But King Edward and his people rather seemed to goe toward a Wedding or a Triumph then to a battell adorning themselues with all sorts of riches gold siluer and the like toies in a kind of wanton manner correspondent to the humour of the Prince whom they followed 21 In this iourney it was made manifest what true and sober valiancie could effect against light brauery and insolency King Robert lodged with his forces being inferiour in numbers to the English not farre off where was nothing but a religious deuout and modest care quickned after manifold calamities with a most noble desire to recouer the libertie of their Country and to settle the same into the hope whereof they were the rather erected by a fresh victorie which they had obtained that day vpon certaine of the English horsemen King Edward on the contrary part nothing esteeming so sleight a presage resolued vpon the very next being Midsommer or Saint Iohn Baptists day to take a terrible reuenge vpon the Scots but how to effect the same the care was not excessiue for in his Campe Wassaile and Drinkehaile were thundered extraordinarily as accounting themselues sure of the victory which kind of impiousselfe-trust if God Almighty did not sometime scourge with iust and terrible confusions what outrages would not bee executed 22 Farre otherwise the Bruces Army which by his commandement spent the euening in making humble confession of their sinnes that they might saith our Author bee ready on the morrow to receiue the blessed Sacrament as accordingly they did Moreouer to leaue nothing vndone which might aduance their cause the Scots had digged before their Battalions certaine trenches or dikes three foot deepe and three foot broad which hauing fixed sharpe stakes in them with their points vpward they couered so with hurdles that footemen treading warily might passe but not troupes of horse Next to Gods anger against the English whom courtly Pride and Sloth had now effeminated this stratageme was the cause of their ruine for whereas they reposed much vpon their Cauallerie in these Pit-falles the fury of their charge was intercepted and broken the riders being miserablie slaine by the Scots whom King Robert marching formost on foot had presented most couragiously to the enemy 23 The King of England not altogether