began his Dominion over the Land in the yeare of the Incarnation two hundred Coil made 〈◊〉 Britains threescore and two who governed peaceably for a time for the Senate of Rome were glad of the death of the former King who had beene a great enemy and persecutour of theiâ—… Nation being then in great trouble amongst themselves could not conveniently send over fresh forces in the Land but at length their domestick discords being compounded and the State setled in peace Hearing that this Coil also denied them tribute they sent hither a Noble Constantius first comming into Britain prudent Prince cald Constantius with a puissant army against whom Coil assembled his Britains but greatly dreading the power of this Roman President he sent to him to commune and treat of peace with the acknowledgment of the Tribute due unto the Senate of which assurance being given and taken on both sides Coil died within a moneth after having governed the Britains for the tearme of twenty seven yeares Constantius at the intercession of the Nobles of the Land tooke to wife Helena the daughter Constantius married to Helena of the late King with the entire possession of the Realme and was inaugurated in the yeare two hundred fourscore and nine This Helena was held to be the fairest Lady in the whole land withall very well verst in literature and language by whom hee received a sonne called Constantine This Constantius being of great courage and valour ambitious to adde unto his Dominion subdued the Almains or Germans and slue of them in one battail threescore thousand and after many other victories the two Emperours Dioclesianus and Maximinianus resigned up their Imperiall Dignitie to Constantius Constantius made Emperor making one Galerius a partner with him in the Empire which these two Caesars divided betwixt them Galerius governed in the East that is Illiricum and all Graecia with the Ilands and Constantius Italy and the Westerne Kingdomes after he subdued Spain and a great part of Gallia or France of which two Kingdomes he made his son Constantine President and Governour in the time that Constantius was King of Britaine under the two foresaid Emperours S. Albon was martyred at Verâ—…m in the tenth persecution of the Church which began in the eighteenth yeer of Dioclesian and endured for the space of ten yeares which was so violent and cruell that in the space of one moneth were martyred seventeene thousand holy men and women for the faith of Christ This Noble Prince Constantius after he had governed Britaine and the West part of the Empire for This Constan tius lyeth buried at York the terme of thirty yeares leaving his Successor Constantine his sonne by the famous Queene Helena Who began his Reigne in the yeare of Grace three hundred and nineteen and at the decease Constantine made King of Britain of his Father was busied in the wars of Gallia but hearing the report of his death came over into Britain and was made King Hee was off a noble and affable condition who though hee â—…ere a Pagan and misbeliever yet hee used no â—…yrannie towards his subjects neither compeld them to the worship of Idols but to use their own laws with the liberty and freedome of conscience whilst he thus governed Britain with the Westerne part of the Empire one Maxentius sonne to Herculeus Maximianus who was parrner with Dioclesian in the Imperiall purple Maxâ—…s was by assent of the Senate chosen Caesar who first insinuated with all cunning affability into the hearts of the plebeian multitude but when he found himselfe strong in their opinions hee exercised all tyranny that could be possibly devised especially against the Christians He likewise expelled hâ—… Father Maximianns from Rome who sought to be again Emperour with other great oppressions used against the Senate and Prime Nobility of which Constantine having intelligence he assembled a strong hoast of Brâ—…tains and Galls to suppresse his great pride and insolence leaving in his absence a great Duke called Octavius or Octavian to governe Octavian made Dâ—…puty Governour of Britain the Land of Britain as his Vicegerent or Deputy Constantine having setled the State here being on his journy he saw as in a Vision being upon his bed a Crosse shining in the firmament held by an Angell who said unto him Constantine iâ—… hoc signo vinces that is of Constantine under this signe or banner thou shalt have victory After which awaking and considering well of his vision or dream hee called his chiefe Captains about him and acquainted them therewith presently giving order that the Crosse should be The Crosse first used in any Imperiaâ—… Ensigne portrayed in all his Ensignes Escutcheons and Banners being thus accommodated he marched against the Tyrant Maxentius and met him at a bridg called Pont Milvium where after long fight he chaced him and his whole army where Maxentius drowned a great part of them were drowned in the River with himselfe also when hee had ruled as Caesar about five yeares after which victory Constantine marched to Rome where hee was received of the Senate and people with great honour and triumph soone after he received the Christian Faith and was baptized by Sylvester the first of that name Bishop of Rome which done he opened the prisons destroyed the Temples of the false gods and dedicated others to the true everliving God pulling down their idols and opening those Christian Oratories as had beene shut commanding divine service to bee said in them He was the first also that gave any possessions to the Church of Rome and ordained that the Bishop of Rome should be a chiefe Bishop Constantinus great devot on and zeale and all others to be obedient unto him which was before any superstition crept into the Church hee also bore clay and stones upon his shoulders to the foundation of the great Church dedicated to Saint Peter Whilst Constantine thus laboured to plant the Christian Faith his mother Hellen being then Hellen the mother of Constantine in Britain sent unto him commendatory Letters gratulating his great victories in which shee seemed to rejoyce that hee had suppressed Idols and demolisâ—… their Temples but wondred that hee had chosen for his God a man who had been nayled to a Crosse c. to which hee returned her answer that hee would sufficiently prove the God whom hee honoured and worshipped was the Creatour of Mankind and Maker of the World and all the creatures therein and not man only but God and Man c. For proof of which after she had assembled a Synod of Iews to the number of sevenscore Sylvester with other Christian Clerks were appointed to dispute with them concerning the Faith and Gospel in which arguing the Iews were confounded and she converted and was a constant professour of the true Faith and Religion all her life time after I leave what the Legend relates concerning her seeking and
finding the true Crosse and the nayles with which our blessed Saviour was fastned thereto and returne to Hellena sindeth 〈◊〉 Cressâ—… her sonne the Emperour who greatly inlarged the famous City Bizantium and beautified it with stately and sumptuous buildings and for the pleasure which hee tooke in the situation thereof made it his Royall Seat and caused it to be called after his name Constantinople which is the City of Constantine He was also of such power and might in armes that hee purchased to himselfe the Title of Constantine the Great Constantine the Great Hee was moreover stiled the first Christian Emperour and did many things for the upholding of the Faith of which seven by a learned Authour are especially noted First that Christ our blessed Saviour should bee worshipped as God throughout his whole Dominions Secondly Seven Derees made by Constantine to the honour of his Saviour that what man or woman soever spake any blasphemy against him hee should be most severely punished Thirdly that person who did any violence or injury to a Christian man because he was of that belief should forfeit half his goods and possessions Fourthly that as the Emperor of Rome is Head of all temporall Princes so the Bishop of Rome should be chief of all Ecclesiasticall Prelats Fiftly that who so fled to a Church for refuge and made it his Sanctuary should be there free from molestation and danger Sixtly that no man should offer to erect any Church or Temple without the leave and licence of the Bishop of that Diocesse Seventhly that every Prince should give the tenth part of his Revenues toward the mayntenance of Churches and Temples which law for example sake hee confirmed by contributing unto them from his own possessions after all which care of his to establish the true Faith and Gospell hee fell into the detestable Heresie of the Arrians banished Bishop Sylvester beforenamed and persecuted many zealous and godly professors Constantine infated with the Aâ—…rian heresie after which as mine Author affirmeth hee was strook with an incurable Leprosie But now I return to Octavian whom hee left his substitute in Britain Who during the long absence of the Emperour ruled the Land to the great content of the Natives but when hee had throughly invested himselfe into the hearts of the people and thinking his Lord so far remote and could not easily be drawne from so great a charge as the government of both the East and Westerne Octavian usurpeth the Crowne of Britain Empires He thought to usurpe the Title of King and to that purpose distressed such Romans as Constantine had left heere in the Land and so took upon him the sole Soveraignity of which when the Emperour had notice hee sent hither in all haste a Prince called Traherne who was uncle to his mother Helena with three Legions of Romans every Legion consisting on six thousand six hundred and six Knights whom Octavian met in battaile neare unto Portchester or as some Authors write neere Winchester and Trahernesent into Britain compeld Traherne to forsake the field and flie towards Scotland whither Octavian pursued him and gave him a second battaile where hee and the Britains were discomfited and himselfe with some few took shipping and sailed to Norway but not long after he returned into England with a strong Armâ—… of Britains and Norwayes in which interim a British Earle who greatly loved Octavian slue Traherne so that with little difficulty hee subdued the rest of the Commons who were left without a Commander and repossessed the Land which was from the time that Constantine made him Governor or Protector of the Land ten years Octavian thus re-instated gathered great Octavian made absolute K. of Britain riches and treasure in so much that hee feared not the power of any forreigne Prince and ruled the Nation in great peace and quietnesse who being growne aged and full of yeares by the counsell of some of his British Noble men he sent one Mauritius son to Caradock Duke of Cornwall unto Rome For an hopefull young Gentleman called Maximian who was neere allyed to Helena the mother of Constantine that he would come into this Land and by marrying his only daughter enjoy the Kingdome of Britain after him though divers perswaded him to confer that honour upon Conan Meriadock his neere Cousin but the former motion prevailed Conon Meriadock And Maximian the sonne of Leonine brother to Hellen and Uncle to Constantine the Great was sent over with the beforenamed Mauritius and with a sufficient guard of Romans landed safely at the port of Southampton which Conan Meriadock hearing hee gathered a company of his friends and kinsmen and because the other came Maximians first entrance into Britain to dispossesse him of that whicâ—… hee held to be his right Her purposed to ambush him in the way and give him battaile which being told to the King he by his wisdome and power pâ—…evented it so that Maximian came peaceably to Court unto whom the King gave his daughter and the Land with her for her Dower and dyed soon after when he had nobly and peaceably governed the Kingdome for the space of fifty foure yeares CHAP. 5. Maximian made King of Britaine and after Emperour How Armorica came to be called Little Britaine and this Britaine the Great Of Ursula and the eleven thousand Virgins Gratian the last Roman that was King of the Land The great distresses of the Kingdome the cessation of their Tribute paid to Rome Constantine brother to Aldroenus made King of the Realm his death and issue MAximian the sonne of Leonine and Cousin German to Constantine the great was made King of Britaine Maximian K. of Britaine in the yeare of Grace three hundred fourescore and two who proved a valiant and victorious Prince but somewhat proud and withall a persecutor of the Christians And first there was great strife betwixt him and Conan with sundry Conflicts in which they sped diversly but at length they were reconciled and made friends so that he raigned for a time in great peace in which interim he gathered together much treasure and riches At last he was accited to move warre against the Galls and landed with a great Hoast in Armorica now Armorica first called Litle Britaine called Little Britaine which after hee had subdued by the sword hee gave it to Conon Meriadock to hold of him and of the Kings of great Britaine for ever commanding from that time Armorica to be called Little Britain and this Land Britaine the great For which victory and others his Knights proclaimed him Emperour which increased both his pride and tyranny so that he invaded the Lands of the Empire and conquered a great part both of France and Germany which was contrary to his Oath before sworne to the two Emperors Gratian and Valentinian to whom when tydings was brought of this his invasion Gratian prepared to resist him but fearing his power
Merlin and his wonderfull Prophesies CHAP. 1. Of the Birth of Merlin sirnamed Ambrosius whether he were a Christian or no and by what spirit hee prophesied c. TO Prophets there be severall attributes given some are called prophetae some vates others videntes that is Prophets Predicters and Prophets predicters and seers Seers and these have been from all antiquity The name of prophets was and ought to bee peculiar to those only that dealt onely in divine Mysteries and spake to the people the words which the Almighty did dictate unto them concerning those things which should futurely happen and such also are called in the holy Text Seers But vates was a title promiscuously conferd on prophets and poets as belonging to them both of the first were Moses Samuel David Isaiah Ieremiah Daniel and the rest whose divine Oracles are extant in the old Testament others there were in the time of the Gospell as Iohn Baptist of whom our Saviour himselfe witnesseth that he was not onely a prophet but more than a prophet and we reade in the Acts of the Apostles Cap. 11. 27. And in those days also came Prophets from Hierusalem to Antiochia And there stood up one of them called Agabus and signified Propheticall Poets by the spirit that there should be great famine in all the world which came to passe under Claudius Caesar of the Vaticall or propheticall poets amongst the Greeks were Orpheus Linus Homer Hesiod c. and amongst the Latins Publius Virgilius Maro with others But before I come to enquire in which of these lists This our Countryman Merlin whose sirname was Ambrosius ought to be filed It is needfull that I speak something of his birth and The birth of Merlin parents His mother being certain but his father doubtfull for so our most ancient Chronologers have left them that is whether hee were according to nature begot by a man and a woman or according to his mothers confession that hee was conceived by the compression of a fantasticall spirituall creature without a bodie which may bee easily believed to bee a meere fiction Meâ—…lin the sonne of a Kings daughter or excuse to mitigate her fault being a Royall Virgin the daughter of King Demetius or to conceale the person of her sweet-heart by disclosing of whose name shee had undoubtedly exposed him to imminent danger and this is most probable And yet we reade that the other fantasticall congression is not impossible For Speusippus the sonne of Platoes sister and Elearchus the Sophist and Amaxilides in the second book of his philosophie affirme in the honour of Plato that his mother Perictione having congression with the imaginary shadow Plato and Merlin had fathers alike of Apollo conceived and brought into the World him who proved to bee the Prince of Philosophers Apuleius also in his book intitled De Socratis Daemonio of Socrates his Daemon or genius writes at large that betwixt the Moone and the Earth Spirits inhabit called Incubi of which Spirits betwixt the Moone and the Earth opinion Plato was also who saith That their harbour was between the Moone and the Earth in the moyst part of the ayre A kinde of Daemons which hee thus defines a living creature moyst rationall immortall and passible whose property is to envy men because to that place from whence they were precipitated by their pride man by his humilitie is preferd and of these some are so libidinous and luxurious that sometimes taking humane shape upon them they will commixe themselves with women and generate children from whence they have the name of Incubi whom the Romans called Fauni and Sicarii and of such Saint Augustine Spirits called Incubi in his booke De civitate Dei makes mention It further may bee questioned whether hee were a Christian or a Gentile as also by what Whether Merlin were a Christian or an Heathen spirit he prophesied a Pythonick or Divine that is by the Devill who spake delusively in the Oracle of Apollo or by holy and celestiall revelation For the first it is not to be doubted but hee was a Christian as being of the British Nation This Kingdome having for the space of two hundred and odde yeeres before his birth received the Gospell under King Lucius the first King of this Land by the Substitutes of Pope Eleutherius by whose preaching the King and a great part of his people quite renounced all Pagan Idolatry and were baptized into the Christian Faith but by what spirit he so truly predicted is only knowne to the God Prophets and Prophetesses in all Nations of all spirits who in every Nation and Language pickt out some choice persons by whose mouthes hee would have uttered things which should futurely happen to posterity according to his divine will and pleasure and amongst these was this our Merlin to prove the former Holy Iob was but a Gentile a man of the land of Chus yet none of the holy Prophets of the The former proved Lord did more plainly more faithfully and more pathetically acknowledge Christ and the Resurrection than himselfe when hee saith in a most raptured Emphasis Iob 19. v. 23. O that my words were written even in a book and graven with an iron pen in lead or in stone for ever For I am sure my Redeemer liveth and hee shall stand the last on the earth and though after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet I shall see God in my flesh whom I my selfe shall see and mine eyes shall behold and none other for mee though my reines be consumed within me Neither was this any wonder in blessed Iob Of the Sibyls whose like for holinesse and uprightnesse of life was not to bee found upon the face of the whole earth when even all the Sibils who were Prophetesses and Virgins and Gentiles of severall Nations for so Varro affirmes predicted not onely of the Incarnation passion and death of our blessed Saviour but of his second comming to judgement of the consummation and dissolution of the World the Resurrection of all flesh the glory of the Saints and the condemnation of the Reprobates especially Sibylla Cumana whom the renowmed Doctors of the Church and more especially Saint Augustine S. Austine aâ—d other of the Fathers approve of the Sibyls prophesies quoted in her prophesies and not thought them altogether unworthy to be remembred in their works of which also Virgil makes menâ—ion in his fourth Eglogue in which Saint Augustine Virgil prophesied of Christ. himselfe witnesseth that hee though an Heathen predicted the Incarnation of our blessed Saviour for he insinuates that he is to speak of a great mystery in his first words which are these Sicelides Musae paulo major a canamus As speaking to the Muses or invocating their assistance that he is now to sing of more stupendious and high things and a little after it followeth Vltima jam venit Cumaei carminis aetas That is now
and Scots having knowledge of the death of their countrymen invaded the Land with great hostilitie in so much that hee was no way able to withstand their malice and fury in this great distresse retyring himselfe to Canterbury newes was brought him of theer great ships full of Ammunition and armed men landed in the Isle of Tenet at first hee feared that they were the late Kings brothers Ambrose and Vter who came to lay claime to the Kingdome but finding them to be strangers hee sent to know of what Nation they were and the purpose of their landing Who returned him answer that they were Saxons so called of a Province in The first landing of the Saxons Germany who came to seek adventures abroad and since fortune had brought them into this Land they besought him to receive them into service as being both ready and able to be his faithfull souldiers and to fight for him in the defence of his Country against all forreigne invaders and their Captaines were two brothers Hengist and Horsus The King in regard of his present necessitie which much moved him to correspondencie was exceeding glad of their liberall proffer and accepted of them yet sorry that they were Miscreants and of the Pagan beliefe for as Reverend Bede hath left recorded with Gulielmus de Regibus They at that time worshipped an Idoll or false god called Woden and a Goddesse named Fria in the honour of which god they called one day of the week Wodens-day which When Wednesday and Friday had their appâ—…llation we terme Wednesday and another in the honour of the Goddesse Fria Frisday by us still continuing the name Friday But it followeth in the story Vortimer by the ayde of these Saxons having freed his Land from all forreigne enemies Hengist in reward of his former service demanded of the King so much ground as the hide of a Bull would compasse which request appeared to the King so reasonable that hee easily granted it which skin hee caused to be cut into small and slender thongs with which hee measured a large circuit of earth upon which hee builded a great and strong Fort which he called The building of Thonge Castle Thonge Castle which standeth in the County of Lyndsee When news arrived in Germany of the plenty and goodnesse of this Land with all the commodities thereto belonging they came hither in multitudes covenanting with the Britains that they should only intend their Tillage and Husbandry and themselves would as their souldiers defend the Land from all incursiâ—…ns and invasions demanding for that service only competent means and wages in which interim Hengist The policy of the Saxons sent for sixteen saile more well furnisht with men and all necessary provision In which fleet came also his daughter Rowen a beautiful Lady concerning whom to cutoff all circumstances Hengist invited the King to his new Castle where his faire daughter gave him entertainment with whose beauty hee became so surprised and perditely enamoured that for her sake he repudiated his lawfull wife by whom he had three noble sonnes Vortimerus Catagrinus and Pascentius to marry with this young Saxon Lady and that hee might enjoy her gave to her Vortimer forsaketh his Queen to mary with Rowen the daughter of Hengist Father the Dukedome or Province of Kent though Garagonus then Lord thereof with divers other of the British Peeres thereat much grudged For which and many other honours and revenues conferred upon the Saxons as also that hee left his owne Christian Consort to marry with an Infidel and that Hengist had sent for his sonne Octa to come over with a fresh supply of his Countrymen The Lords of Britaine considering An assembly of the British Lords what dangers were like to fall upon the Land assembled themselves and comming to the King laid open to him the inconvenience and perill which was likely to fall both upon himselfe and the Kingdome by the multitude and strength of these strangers humbly beseeching him for their generall securitie to banish them all or the greatest part of them the Land But the King was deaf of that eare for the Saxons were in such favour with him by reason of his beautifull young Queene that hee preferred them before the love of his owne wife sonnes subjects kinsmen and friends wherefâ—re the Britains with one will and assent crowned his eldest sonne Vortimer King depriving him of all Regall dignity when hee had fully King Vortiger deposed reigned after the consent of the best Histories sixteen yeeres A word or two by the way of our new King Vortimer who assisted by the resolute Britaines Vortimers many brave victories over the Saxons in all haste pursued the Saxons and gave them a great battaile upon the River of Darwent in which the Saxons Hoast was quite discomfited He fought with them a second upon the Foord called Epiford or Aglisthorpe in which fight Catrignus the brother of Vortimer and Horsus the brother to Hengist meeting in the battaile fought together a brave combat and slue each other in which the Britaine 's also were Victors He gave them a third neere unto the Sea-side in which the Saxons were chaced and forced to take the Isle of Wight for their refuge and likewise a fourth mayne battaile upon Colemore which was long and couragiously maintained by the Saxons by reason that they now closed a great part of their Hoast so defensively that the Britaine 's could but with much difficulty approach them for the danger of their Vortimer conquered the Saxons in seven severall battails shot yet in the end they were rowted and many of them drowned and swallowed in the Moore And besides these foure principall and mayne battailes hee had divers other conflicts with them one in Kent another at Thetford in Norfolke a third in Essex neer unto Colchester from all which fields hee departed a glorious Victor neither did he leave their pursuite till he had deprived them of all their possessions in the Land saving the Isle of Tenet which he continually assaulted with his Navy by Sea which when his step mother Rowen saw and how much her Father Hengist with his Saxons by his Martiall Vortimer poysoned by his stopdame Rowen prowesse were distressed shee used such meanes that he was poysoned after hee had victoriously governed the Kingdome for the space of seven yeeres All which time Vortiger the Father of the late dead Vortimer lived privately in Chester where hee so well demeaned him towards the King his sonne by aiding him with his counsell and otherwise that by the Britains generall assent he was againe restored to the Kingdome Hengist againe pierced the Land with a mighty Vortiger restored to the Kingdome Hoast of his Countrymen which Vortiger hearing made towards him with his Army of Britains But Hengist who had before tasted of their hardnesse and courage made means of a treaty for peace whence lastly it was concluded that
impression both in the Princes themselves and both their Armies that a Truce being made they agreed to end the warre betwixt them in a single Duell for which was assigned an Isle called Olkney neere Gloster incompast with the water of Severne which makes good the prophesie Two Lions shall a dreadfull combat make And have their Lists incompast by a Lake In which place at the day prefixed the two worthy and warlike Champions compleatly armed singly met the two Hoastsstanding without the Isle where first they encountred with sharpe The combat betwixt Edmund and Canutâ—…s Lances on Horsback breaking them even to the very Truncheons then they alighted and fought long on foote with their keene swords till their armours were broken in divers places and they both were dangerously wounded when retyring for breath by the first motion of Canutus they made an accord betwixt themselves Canutus made the first motion of peace embracing one another as brothers to the great rejoycing of both Armies After which they made an equall partition of the Land and Canutus married Emma the mother of Edmund but the Snake Edricus whom his Lord had not only pardoned for his former Treason but promoted unto further dignity by creating him Earle of Kent notwithstanding which he corrupted his sonne then attending the King who awaited his opportunity and as he was doing the necessiites of nature strooke him with a Speare into the fundament of which mortall wound hee dyed soone after at Oxford Edmund slaine by the traytour Edricus Then Edricus posted in haste to Canutus and saluted him by the Title of sole Sovereigne of the Kingdome insinuating that for his love and honour hee had removed his Competitour and told him the manner how which Canutus having truly understood and that the Treason was uttered from his owne mouth and in his personall hearing like a just and wise Prince he replyed unto him Forasmuch ô Edricus as for my love thou hast slaine thy naturall Lord whom I entirely affected I shall exalt thy head above all the Lords of England and presently commanded his head to be struck off and pitcht A traytours just reward upon a pole and set upon the highest gate of London and his body to bee throwne into the River of Thames yet Marianus and others write otherwise concerning the manner of his death which makes good what is formerly spoken that a speckled Snake Ayming at high things shall his Lord betray Poysoning the Royall Nest in which he lay Meaning the Kings Treason in which the Traitor was closeted as one whom hee most favoured and honoured Canutus being now sole Monarch the white Canutus sole Monarch of England Dragon was forced to stoop to the Eagle that is the Saxons were compeld to bee under the subjection of the Danes by whom they were so miserably opprest that scarce the tenth part of them were left in the Land and these that remayned were forced to tithe their goods and pay it as a tribute to the Danes therefore saith the Prophet Of the white Dragon so the Fates agree A Decimation in the end shall bee It followeth in the History in a great assembly made of the King and his Barons a question was propounded whether in the composition made betwixt Edmund and Canutus there was any mention made of Edmunds children to have the inheritance of their Father after his death that was in halfe part of the Kingdome to which a great part of them thinking thereby to insinuate unto the Kings favour answered Nay but it hapned unto them contrary to their expectation for knowing them to be naturall Englishmen and before sworn to King Edmund and his heires hee hated them for their perjury never trusting them after but some hee exiled The Kings conscionable justice and some were slaine and others being strooke with the hand of God died suddenly It was likewise ordered by the foresaid Counsell that the two sonnes of Ironside Edmund and Edward should be sent to Swanus the elder brother of Canutus King of Denmarke the purpose is diversly reported some say to be slaine What became of the sons of Edmund Ironside and that Swanus abhorring the Act sent them to Salomon then King of Hungary where Edmund died of a naturall death but his brother Edward in the processe of time married Agatha the daughter of Henry the fourth of that name Emperour and by her besides daughters had a sonne sirnamed Ethelinge This Edward of our English Chronologers is named the Out-law because he never returned into England his native Country In this interim died Swanus King of Denmarke and the Crowne fell to Canutus so that he was sole Sovereigne of both Nations the English and the Danes Canutus landed in Denmarke with a strong Army to possesse himselfe of his lawfull Inheritance and to oppose the Vandals who had pierced that Land and when the King was otherwise negotiated Earle Goodwin with a band of Englishmen set upon the Invaders by night and rowted their whole Army for which noble act the King had him in great favour and the English Nation ever after This King was greatly beloved of his subjects for many of his vertues as being very charitable and devout a great repayrer and decorer of Churches especially of divers Cathedrals which hee caused to be richly beautified with gilding their Altars and Roofs more gloriously then in former ages thereby confirming that part of the prophesie What time the red shall to his joy behold The rooffs of all the Temple shine with gold Meaning the red Dragon Some attribute the cause of his devotion to a noble care he had to repaire what his tyrannicall Father had before ruined that the memory of his Atheisticall cruelty might bee quite forgot others that it was at the Altar of Emma his Queen the Widow Dowager of Egelredus and mother of Ironside who was a Lady of great religious sanctity Hee made also a Voyage to Rome where hee was pontifically received by Bennet the eight of that name and demeaned himselfe with great magnificence and honour It is further reported of him that after his great entertainment there and return from rhence he was so tumoured with pride that standing by the Thames side at a flowing tyde hee charged the water that it should presume no further nor dare to touch his feet which was so farre from obeying his command that he stil keeping his ground from his ankles it came up to his knees at which suddenly stepping backe out of Vaine pride soone repented of the River he blushing said By this all earthly Kings may know that their powers are vaine and transitory and that none is worthy of that name but he who created the Elements and to whom they only obey This Canutus married his eldest daughter by his Wife Elgina the daughter to the Earle of Hampton to Henry sonne of the Emperour Conradus The death of Canutus the second of that name
stiled because of his ruffe haire and beard This Robert the eldest because hee might Robert rebelleth against his Father not be possest of the Duchy of Normandy which his father had before promist him hee by the aide of the French King Philip and Lewis his sonne invaded that Dutchy and tooke divers prizes thence which put his Father to much grievance and trouble in so much that at length the father and the sonne with two great Hosts met in the plaine field where betwixt them was fought a cruell and bloudy battell in which King William was wounded and beaten from his horse and in great danger to be tooke or slaine which his sonne Robert hearing in true filliall piety hee restored his Father set him upon a fresh Horse and delivered him from all danger howsoever in that conflict many of the Kings men fell by the sword and his sonne William received many wounds so that they were compeld to forsake the field and yeeld the honour thereof to his Sonne Robert for which Robert gaineth the day of his Father rebellion as some have related he laid an heavy curse upon him which proved fatall unto him in the end Some write that by the leaping off an horse hee got such a straine meaning King William that it was the cause of his death and when hee found that hee was pasthope of life hee called his three sonnes unto him exhorting them to fraternall love and unity and by his will appointed to Robert the eldest the Duchie of Normandy to William the second the Kingdom of England and to his third sonne Henry because K. Williams admonition to his sons hee was a piece of a Scholer sirnamed Beauclerke hee bequeathed his moveables and treasure then he informed his two eldest sonnes of the disposition of the people whom they were to governe advising William to be affable courteous and liberall to the English and Robert to behave himselfe roughly and sternly towards the Normans which having uttered hee The death of William sirnamed the Conquerour died within few houres after in Normandy and was buried in the City of Cane in the third yeere of his Duchie but of his Reigne over England one and twenty yeeres and ten moneths in the moneth of Iuly in which time of his Sovereignty hee kept the English so streight and low that none of the Nation bore any office of profit or honour but hee somewhat favoured the City of London by granting them their first Charter which is written in the Saxon Londons first Charter granted by King William tongue and sealed with green Wax and is comprehended in eight or nine lines at the most with whose death I also conclude this Chapter CHAP. 12. The prediction of the two Dragons made good by the subsequent History in Robert and William the two sons of the Conquerour who the Lion of Iustice was and what was meant by his Alchymy c. WIlliam the second of that name sirnamed William the second crowned King of England Rufus or the Red beganne his Reigne in the moneth of Iuly in the yeere of Grace one thousand sourescore and nine but Rainolf Monke of Chester in his Polychronicon affirmes that Robert was absent at the death of his Father and hearing that hee had preferd his younger brother to the Crowne of England hee was greatly inraged and laid his Dukedome to pawne to his brother Henry for certaine summes of money with which hee hired an Army and landed at Hampton of which his brother having intelligence sent unto him with this submission following A strange submission of a King Thy brother William entreateth thee to be no way incensed at what I have done For he calleth himselfe not absolute King but Viceroy and thy Substitute and to reigne under thee being greater and therein better because before him borne who hath taken upon him this charge only because of thine absence yet since he is now in place and authority by thy sufferance he humbly prayes thee that he may under thee still so continue paying unto thee annually three thousand marke with condition that the survivour of the two may peaceably enjoy the Kingdome Duke Robert who was not unacquainted with the politick proceedings of his brother shaked his head and began to pawse about an answer and being of a loving and gentle disposition The two brothers attowd bountifull withall and still preferring his honour before his profit as in all his after proceedings hee made manifest condescended to his brothers request and returned into Normandy but William was of a more subtle and crafty condition and yet withall ambitious after vain-glory to maintaine which hee extorted both from the Spiritualty and Temporalty He builded He buildeth Westminster Hall Westminster Hall and by reason that his brother Robert was then in the holy Warres to redeeme Ierusalem from the Pagans hee spent some time in Normandy about his brothers affaires but at his returne the building of the Hall being finished he seemed much discontented with the littlenesse thereof saying it was more fit for a Dining Chamber then a Kings Hall purposing if hee had liv'd to have made a farre greater In the beginning of the thirteenth yeere of his Reigne the third day of August being hunting in the New Forrest by the glancing of an Arrow shot by the hand of one Sir Walter Tyrrell The King murthered to death by Sir Walter Tyrrell the King was wounded to death in the forty fourth yeere of his age who escaped and saved himselfe for none pursued him and few in regard of his former tyranny sorrowfull for his death some thinke that this arrow was purposely aymed at him to fulfill the prophesie of the two brothers One aimes at but attains not his desire By envies dart the other shall expire Now Robert though hee still aymed at the Kingdome yet never attained unto it and the other died according to Merlins words spiculo Invidiae by the dart of Envy the King thus wounded was laid in a Horse-litter and conveyed to Winchester where hee died and was buried In his life time he took upon him great The Kings Character things the day before hee died one asked him where he purposed to keep his Christmasse to which he answered at Poyctiers for the Earle intendeth a Voyage for Ierusalem meaning to seize upon his Earldome Henry of Huntington reporteth of him that though he was generally reported avaritious and gripple-handed yet he was in his owne condition bountifull and liberall as may appeare by the narration following The Abbot of a great Monastery being dead too wel-monied Monks of the same place made friends to the King offering Iustice and liberality in the King large summes to be promoted to that dignity there was also a third Monk who out of his meeknesse and humility had accompanyed them to the Court and to give attendance on him whom the King should admit to be Abbot who called to the
two Spencers c. BY the Cornish Eagle in the former Chapter is meant Pierce Gavestone Earle of Cornwall by his plumes of gold his pride and riches borrowed and extorted from others by the Goat the King who was given to all intemperate effeminacie by the Beare Thomas Earle of Lancaster c. This King was of a beautifull aspect King Edwards Character and excellent feature of a strong constitution of body but unstedfast in promise and ignoble in condition as refusing the company of men of honour to associate himselfe with lewd and vile persons he was much addicted to bibacity and apt to discover matters of great counsell and of stupration and adultery perswaded thereto by his familiars the French men for whose death the King vowed an irreconciliable revenge against the Barons which he after performed indeed so unking-like was his misgovernment that a base Villaine called Iohn Tanner named himself the son of Edward the Iohn Tanner an Impostor first and that by the means of a false nurse hee was stoln out of his cradle and this Edward being a Carters son was laid in his place which the people for the former reasons were easily induced to believe but the Impostor was discovered and by his own confession judged to be hanged and quartered In the seventh yeere of his Reigne Robert le Robert le Bruce wars against England Bruce King of Scots whom his Father made flye into Norway hearing of the misguiding of the Kingdome and the dissention betwixt him and his Barons warre strongly against him and his friends in Scotland and wonne from them Castles and Holds howsoever well munified to the great damage of the English who were interessed The Kings power against Scotland in the Land For which affront the King assembled a great power and invaded Scotland by Sea burning and destroying all such Townes and Villages as were in his way which Robert le Bruce hearing he hasted with a strong Army and upon S. Iohn Baptists day both Hoasts met at a place called Estrivelin neere unto a fresh River called Bannoksburne where betwixt them was fought a cruell battaile in which the English were compeld to forsake the field For which in derision of the English the Scots made this Ryme Doggerill Maidens of England sore may you mourn The Scots derision of the English For the Lemans you have lost at Bannocksborn With a heave and hoe What weened the King of England so soone to have wonne Scotland With a Rumby low In his ninth yeere Barwick was betrayed to the Scots by one Peter Spalding whom the King had Barwick betrayed to the Scots made Governour of the Town and Castle and in the eleventh yeâ—…re the Scots entred the borders of Northumberland most cruelly robbing and burning the Country even the houses of women who lay in Childbed not sparing age The cruelty of the Scots nor sex religious nor other therefore the King raised a new Army and laid siege to Barwick in which interim the Scots past the River of Swale and leaving the Coast where the Kings people lay came into the Borders of Yorkeshire to whom the Archbishop with Priests and ploughmen unexercised in armes gave battail but were discomfited in which so many Priors Clerks Canons and other Clergymen were slaine that they called it the white battaile when The white battaile the King heard of this overthrow hee broke up his siege and retyred to Yorke and soone after to London After this nothing was done without the advice of the two Hugh Spencers the father and the sonne and in a Counsell held at Yorke Hugh Spencer the sonne maugre the Lords was made high Chamberlain of England who bore him as haughtily as ever did Gavestone but let The pride of Hugh Spencer the sonne me take the prophesie along A Goat shall then appeare out of a Carr VVith silver hornes not Iron unfit for warre And above other shall delight to feed Vpon the flower that life and death doth breed By the Goat is figured lascivious Edward therefore said to appeare out of a Car as born in Carnarvan his hornes of silver and not of Iron denotes his effeminacie being unserviceable for warre as may appeare in his successe against the Scots by the Flower of life and death is intended his Queene Isabel the Flower of France at first deare to him as life but in the end as most Writers have suspected with Mortimer accessary to his death but to proceed with the History The Barons to a great number seeing how The assembly of the Barons the Spencers misled the King and misgoverned the affaires in the Land assembled themselves and tooke a solemne and unanimous vow to remove them out of the Kingdome and as their first attempt certain of them appointed to that purpose entred upon the Mannors and Castles of the Spencers in the Marches of Wales spoyling and ruining them to the earth of which riot they complained to the King who summoned them to appeare before his Counsell which The petition of the Barons to the King they refused to doe but gathered unto them a stronger Hoast and sent to his Majesty humbly beseeching him to remove from his person the two Spencers which daily did to him great dishonour and to the Common-weale which damage with humble request the King hearing and doubting his owne safety called a Parliament to be held at London to which the Barons came with a great Hoast all suited in demy-parted Iackets of yellow and greene with a list of white cast overthwart for which the common The Parlament of white-bands people called it the Parliament of white-bands in which the two Spencers were banished the Kingdome for ever But the yeere following the King revoked the Acts made in the former Parliament and called them into England contrary to the will of the Barons and set them in greater authority then before to the great disturbance and almost utter subversion of the Realme for now the whole Land was in combustion and the King animated by the Spencers tooke on him the shape of a Lion and ceased not till hee had cut off the chiefe and prime Nobility of the Land For besides those that were slaine none was brought to the Barre but was thence led to the blocke who having got the better of his Barons he called a Parliament at Yorke in which Hugh Spencer the Father was made Earle of Hugh Spencer the father made Earle of Winchester Winchester and soone after was one Robert Baldock a follow of debaucht life and condition made Chancellour of England Then forfeits Robert Baldock made Chancellour and sines were gathered without sparing of priviledged places or other till a mighty summe of money was gathered towards another expedition into Scotland and then his Army consisted according to Caxton and others of an hundred thousand men but hee sped in that as in the former for on Saint Lukes day at a
slaine of men of note the Duke of Athenes the Duke of Burbon Sir Iohn Cleremont Marshall of France Sir Henry Camian Banneret who bore that day the Oriflambe a special relick that the French Kings used in all battailes to have borne before them the Bishop of Chabous with divers others to the number of fifty foure Bannerets Knights and others And of prisoners taken in that battaile were Iohn King of France Philip his fourth sonne Iohn King of France tooke prisoner Sir Iaques of Burbon Earle of Poitou and brother to the Duke of Burbon Sir Iohn of Artoys Earle of Ewe Sir Charles his brother Earle of Noble men took prisoners Longevile Sir Giffard Cousin German to the French King Sir Iohn his sonne and heire William Archbishop of Sence Sir Simon Melen brother to the Earle Canlarvive and Earle of Vandature The Earles of Dampmartin of Vendosme of Salisbruch of Moyson the Martiall Denham with others as Bannerets Knights and men of name according to their owne Writers fifteene hundred and above from which battaile escaped Charles eldest son of King Iohn and Duke of Normandy with the Duke of Anjoy and few others of name And King Edward after due thanks given to Almighty God for his Charles Duke of Normandy escapeth from the battaile triumphant victory retyred himselfe to Burdeaux with his Royall prisoners where the King and the rest were kept till Easter following In the one and thirtieth yeere of the King the sixteenth of April Prince Edward being eight and twenty yeeres of age tooke shipping with his prisoners at Burdeaux and the foure and twentieth of May was received with great joy by the Citizens of London and thence conveyed to the Kings palace at Westminster where the King sitting in his estate Royall in Westminster Hall after hee had indulgently entertained the Prince he was conveyed to his lodging and the French King royally conducted to the Savoy where he lay long after and in the Winter following were royall Iusts held in Smithfield at which were present the King of Three Kings present at the Iusts in Smithfield England the French King the Scotch King then prisoners with many noble persons of all the three Kingdoms the most part of the strangers being then prisoners Whilst K. Iohn remayned in England which was for the space of 4 yeers and odde days The king of England and the blacke Prince his son with their Armies over-run the greatest part of France during the time of Charles his Regency over the kingdome who was king Iohns eldest son against whom they had many memorable victories spoyling where they list and sparing what they pleased in so much that king Edward The Father and sonne victorious in â—…rance made his owne conditions ere any peace could be granted at length the king was delivered and royally conveyed into his country who so well approved of and liked his entertainment here that in the thirty seventh yeere of king Edward he returned into England and at Eltham besides Greenwich dined with the king and in the same afternoon was royally received by the Citizens and conveyed through London to the Savoy which was upon the twenty fourth of Ianuary but about the beginning of March following a grievous sicknesse tooke him of which he dyed the eight of Aprill following King Iohn dyeth at the Savoy whose body was after solemnly conveyedto St. Denis in France and there royally interred In the fortieth yeere of the king one Barthran de Cluicon a Norman with an Army of Frenchmen entred the land of Castile and warred upon Peter king of that Country and within foure moneths chaced him out of his kingdome and crowned Henry his bastard brother in his stead wherefore hee was constrained to flie to Burdeaux and to demand aide of Prince Edward who commiserating his case as being lawfull king howsoever of a tyrannous and bloudy disposition he granted his request so that hee assisted Peter with his English Archers against the bastard Henry with his French Spear-men whose two Armies mâ—…t neere unto a town called Doming where betwixt them was a lâ—…ng P. Edwards victoryia Spaine and cruell fight but in the end the victory fell to the Prince and Henry with his whole army were rowted In which battail were taken Barthran de Claicon and Arnold Dodenham Marshall of France with divers others as well French as Britons and Spaniards and slain to the number of five thousand of the enemies and of the princes Army sixteen hundred after which hee enstated Peter in his kingdome who after perfidiously denyed to pay the princes army For which he was after divinely punished as also for killing his owne wife the daughter to the Duke of Burbon for his Bastard brother Henry knowing how hee was justly abandoned by the English having gathered new forces gave him battaile in which being taken his brother commanded his head to be strooke off which was immediately done after which Iohn of The death of Don Peter Gaunt Duke of Lancaster the Kings sonne and Edward his brother Earle of Cambridge married the two daughters of this Peter late King of Castile Iohn espoused Constance the elder and Iohn a Gaunts title to Spain Edward Isabel the younger by which marriages the two brethren claimed to be inheritours to the Kingdome of Castile or Spaine In the one and fiftieth yeare of the King upon the eighth of Iune being Trinity Sonday dyed that renowned souldier Edward the black Prince in the palace of Westminster whose body The death of the blacke Prince was after carried to Canterbury and there solemnly interred who in his life time was much beloved both of the Commons and the whole kingdome especially for removing from the kings person all such as had misled him in his age by which the Common Weale was much oppressed amongst others was the Lord Latimer noted for principall and Alice Pierce the Kings Concubine with Sir Richard Skory Alice Pierce the Kings Conâ—…ine all which were according to the Commons just complaint by the Prince removed but hee was no sooner dead but the king contrary to his promise before made called them again admitting them to their former Offices and Honours and Alice his prostitute to his wonted grace and favour In the two and fiftieth yeer the two and twentieth day of Iune dyed at his Mannor of Sheen The death of K. Edward the third now called Richmond the royall and most victorious Prince king Edward the third of that name of whom it was truly predicted The spirits of many Lions shall conspire To make one by infusion so entire He by his mighty courage shall restore What his sire lost and grandsire wonne before As also that of the unparalleld blacke Prince his sonne who died before his Father A numerous issue shall his Lionesse bring Black shall the first be and though never King Yet shall he Kings captive but ere mature Die shall this brave Whelp of a
Westcrag Enderlaw the Pile and the Towne Broughton Chester Fell's Crawned Dudistone Stanhouse the Fiker Beverton Franent Shenstone Marcle Farpren Kirklandhill Katherwyke Belton Eastbarnes Howland Butterden Quickwoe Blackbourne Raunton Bildi and the Tower with many other Townes and Villages by the Fleet on the Sea-side as Kincorne Saint Miuers the Queens Ferry part of Petinwaines c. Which done for their brave and notable service there done hee made Forty five Knights made at Leith at Leith forty five knights And thus was the king victorious over Scotland In this interim Warres were proclaimed against France so that the king gave free liberty and licence to all his subjects to use the French king and all that depend upon him to their best advantage and commodity and the same yeare hee prepared an Army to invade King Henry in person invadeth France France and himselfe in person the fourteenth of Iuly departed from Dover towards Callais and the next day removed to Morgisen upon the twenty sixt of the same month the Campe removed to high Bulloine and there camped on The siege of Bulloine the north-east part of the Towne two dayes after the Watch Tower call'd the old man was taken and the day after base Bulloine was won and upon the thirteenth of Septemb. the Town Bulloine taken by the K. was victoriously conquered by Henry the eight king of England France and Ireland defendor of the faith who upon humble petition made by the French suffered them to depart the Towne with bagge and baggage and this year were taken by the English fleet 300 and odde ships of the French to the great enriching of this nation and the great impoverishing of theirs CAP. 33. The death of Henry the eighth Edward the sixt crowned a calculation of his reigne Musselborow field wonne by the Lord Protector The death of the two brothers the Lord High Admirall and Lord protector a Character of the Duke of Somerset the death of King Edward not without suspition of poyson His Character c. THe yeare following being the thirty seventh of the kings reigne upon the thirteenth of Iune being Whitsunday Peace concluded betwixt England and France in London was proclaimed a generall peace betwixt the two kingdomes of England and France with a solemne procession at the time of the proclamation and that night were great Bone-fires made in the City and Suburbs for the celebration of the said union and upon the one and twentieth of August came over from the French king Monsieur Denebalt high Admirall of France and brought Monsieur Denebalt Embassador fom the French King with him the Sacre of Deepe with twelve Gallyes bravely accommodated who landed at the Tower where all the great Ordinance were shot off and he received by many peeres of the Realme conveighed to the Bishop of Londons palace where hee rested two nights and on Monday the twenty third of the same month he rode towards Hampton Court where the king then lay whom the young prince Edward met with a royall traine to the number of five hundred and fourty in velvet Coats and the His entertainment by Prince Edward princes Livery were with sleeves of cloath of gold and halfe the Coats embroydered where were eight hundred Horses richly caparison'd and riders suiting to the state who brought him to the Mannor of Hampton Court The next morning the KING and hee received the Sacrament together in confirmation of the late concluded peace After that were many Masques and Showes in which the very Torch Magnificent Showes bearers were apparrelled in gold with costly feasts and banquets during the space of sixe dayes after with many great gifts given to him and his chiefe followers hee returned to his countrey The next yeare being the thirty eighth of the King upon the ninth of Ianuary by the The death of the noble Earle of Surrey Kings expresse command was beheaded on the Tower-hill that noble and valorous gentleman the Earle of Surrey who had ingaged his person in Picardy Normandy Ireland Scotland c. from whence he never came but crowned with victory and the twenty eighth of the same Month the King himselfe departed the world in the yeare one thousand five hundred forty The death of Henry the eighth seven whose body was most Royally intombed at Windsor the sixteenth of February following King Edward the sixt began his dominion The inauguration of Edward the sixt over the Realme of England the one and thirtieth of Ianuary in the yeare of grace one thousand five hundreth forty seven and upon the nineteenth of February ensuing hee rode with his Vncle Sir Edward Seymour Lord governour and Protector and Duke of Somerset with the Nobility of the Land from the Tower through the City of London and so to Westminster and was annoynted and Crowned by Doctour Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury who after ministred unto him the Sacraments with other divine Ceremonies according to the Protestant reformed Church Of this Kings Birth and Reigne it was thus calculated By birth a Caesar and in hopes as great Shall next ascend unto th' Imperiall seat Who ' ere mature cropt in his tender bloome Shal more against then Caesar could for Rome He th' Aristocracy Monarchall makes This from the triple Crowne the Scepter takes Vpright he shall betweene two Bases stand One in the sea fixt the other on the land These shall his pupillage strongly maintaine Secure the continent and scoure the maine But these supporters will be tane away By a Northumbers Wolfe and Suffolks Gray Then fall must this faire structure built on high And th' English like the Roman Caesar dye In his first yeare Sir Thomas Seimour the Kings unkle brother to the Duke of Somerset being Lord high Admirall by the Viz-Admirall called Sir Andrew Dudley having no other Vessells but the Paunce and the Hart and these singly manned there was a great conflict at Sea with three tall Scottish ships in the narrow Victory by sea Seas doubly manned and trimmed with great Ordinance notwithstanding which hee tooke them and brought them into Orwell Haven where he had good booty and store of prisoners And the same yeare in August the Lord Protector the Duke of Somerset with the Earle of Warwicke and others marcht with a noble Army into Scotland and not farre from Edenborrough at a place called Mosselborrough Musselborough field the English and Scotch Hoasts met where betweene them was fought a sharpe and cruell battaile in which in the end the English were victors and in which were slaine of the Scots foureteene thousand and prisoners taken of Lords Knights and Gentlemen to the number of fifteene hundred This yeare also was ordained that the Communion should be received in both kinds and at that time Stephen Gardner Bishop of Winchester for opposing the same was commanded to the Tower Commandement Gardner committed to the Tower also was given to all the Curats of every
Merlin well verst in many an hidden spell His Countries Omen did long since foretell Grac'd in his Time by sundry Kings he was And all that he predicted came to passe The Life of MERLIN Sirnamed AMBROSIVS His Prophesies and Predictions Interpreted and their truth made good by our English Annalls Being a Chronographicall History of all the Kings and memorable passages of this Kingdome from BRUTE to the Reigne of our Royall Soveraigne King CHARLES A Subject never published in this kind before and deserves to be knowne and observed by all men Quotque aderant vates Rebar adesse Deos. LONDON Printed by I. Okes and are to be sold by Iasper Emery in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Eagle and Child neare St. Austins Gate 1641. To the worthy and by me much Honoured Master IAMES METTAM Esquire c. SIR BY that generous and noble Character which long since I have heard confer'd upon you my sole ambition was to attend so happy an opportuninity as to be any way knowne unto you But when time so farre seconded my wishes that upon an unexpected meeting I was made so fortunate not onely to be admitted into your company but accepted into your knowledge for which I stand much ingaged to your kinseman and friend Mr. T. B. I instantly apprehended that report came much short of your worth and merit which I ingenuously confesse transcended my expectation for besides your generous affability and courtesie the most gracefull garnish and best decorements that become and adorn a true-bred Gentleman finding you not onely generally addicted to the incouragement of all good Arts and Sciences but especially to the professours of Literature and Learning and when upon further discourse I understood that you more particularly had not only took view of some of my weake Labors but crowned them with your Verdict These inducements so farre emboldned mee as to offer these my unpolisht papers to your perusall and patronage which if you shall be pleased to countenance I shall remayne confident against all malicious prejudice desiring rather to stand to the judicious censure of one truly rationall then to the ignorant Nonsence of a numerous rabble Worthy Sir complement is a thing I have ever studied to avoid and I presume you were never pleased to affect then in a word wishing you the accomplishment of all your noble desires alternatly corresponding to your worthy deserts I commend you my generous Patron to the Almighties gracious protection ever remayning Yours obsequiously devoted T. H. To the Reader COurteous and considerate Reader I have here exposed to thy especiall perusall the life and prophesies of our famous predictor Merlinus sirnamed Ambrosius who though he lived in the time of profane paganisme was a professed Christian and therefore his Auguries the better to be approved andallowed thou hast withall their exposition and explanation expresly and punctually making plain and evident how genuinely and properly they comply with the truth of our Chronologie in which you shall finde adding the supplement of the History from Brute who laid the first foundation of our British Colony to the time of King Vortigernus or Vortiger the Usurper of the Crowne under whose Reign Merlin first flourisht a true catalogue of all the Kings of this Island with a summary of all passages of State Ecclesiasticall or Temporall of any remarke or moment during their Principalities and Dominions in so much that scarce anything shall be here wanting to thy best wishes if thou beest desirous to be instructed and faithfully informed in the knowledge of our English Annalls For in the steed of a large study book and huge voluminous Tractate able to take up a whole yeare in reading and to load and tyre a Porter in carrying thou hast here a small Manuell containing all the pith and marrow of the greater made portable for thee if thou so please to beare in thy pocket so that thou mayst say that in this small compendium or abstract thou hast Hollinshed Polychronicon Fabian Speed or any of the rest of more Giantlike bulke or binding to which my short Abbreviary I strive to make this my Prologue or Preface to thee alike sutable being as succinct and briefly contrived as the former summarily comprehended desiring thee to read considerately and withall to censure charitably and so without further complement wishing thy care in the one and courtesie in the other with a favourable pardon of some few errours committed in the presse I bid thee farewell Thomas Heywood A narration of the Kings Reignes from Brute to Vortiger and from Vortiger to King Lud in the first six Chapters and from K. Lud to K. Charles Chap. 1. Brutes first plantation in this Island How he divided it amongst his three sons of severall famous Cities builded here by sundry Kings and how divers Rivers took their first name Of all the remarkable passages that hapned in their Reigns A catalogue from Brute c. Chap. 2. A Continuation of the History of the British Kings unto the time that Iulius Caesar made conquest of the Island the building of divers Cities and Townes Two things especially remarkable in an indulgent mother and a most naturall brother sundry other passages worthy observation The City of Troynovant how called London Chap. 3. The first conquest of this land by Iulius Caesar Britain made tributary to the Romans The birth of our Saviour under Cimbeline K. of Britaine How Southampton came to be so called Vespatians conquest of the Isle of Wight of Catnesse in Scotland of Lucius the first Christian K. of the Britains and of other Roman Governours Chap. 4. The Duke of Cornwall made King of Britain how Walbrooke took first name Constantine the Roman marieth with Helena daughter to King Coill and is made King His Reigne and buriall His son Constantine made King after him who was cald the Great and was the first Christian Emperour His great devotion and after falling into Heresie Octavian his Deputy in Britain usurpeth and after made King Maximinus a Roman by mariage with his daughter succeeds him Chap. 5. Maximian made King of Britain and after Emperour How Armorica came to be called Little Britain and this Britain the Great Of Ursula and the 11000 Virgins Gratian the last Roman that was King of the Land The great distresses of the Kingdome the cessation of their Tribute paid to Rome Constantine brother to Aldroenus made K. of the Realme his death issue Chap. 6. A necessary digression shewing the lives and reigns of 33 Kings of Britain scarce mentioned by any of our English remembrancers with an exact computation of the times c. Chap. 1. Of the strange birth of Ambrosius Merlin whether he were a Christian or no and by what spirit he prophesied c. pag. 1. Chap. 2. In whose Reign Merlin was born How the state of Britain stood in those days with divers necessary occurrences pertinent to the story pag. 9. Chap. 3. By what miraculous accident young
siege and one night whilst the Guardians thereof were asleep they undermined the earth and were likely to have wonne it but a noble Roman named Manlius Torquatus waking by the crie of Geese and Ganders prevented the Galls and saved the Capitoll For which cause the Romans for a long time after on the first day of Iune The feast of Ganders did annually celebrate the feast of Ganders But Brennus and his people held the Romans so short that they slew many of the Senators and compelled the survivers to lay him downe a thousand pound weight in Gold besides they took the spoyle of the City so that they were inforced to call backe Furius Camillus whom they had before most ungratefully banisht from Ardea and created him the second time Dictator who gave strong battaile to the Galls and won from them all the gold and jewells which they had taken from the Romans Therefore Bren neâ—… his Army towards Greece entering Brennus inva deth Greece Macedonia and dividing his people into two hoasts the one he retained with himselfe and sent the other into Galatia which after was caled Gallograecia and lastly from Gallograecians the Nation were termed Galathians Then Bren conquered Macedonia and overcame their Duke or King Sosthenes and after spoyled the gods of their Temples and said in sport Rich gods ought to contribute towards men some part of their wealth Thence hee came to Delphos where the Oracle was and robbed the Temple of Apollo upon which there was a great Earthquake and Haile-stones of mighty weight and bignesse which destroyed some part of his Hoast and upon the rest an huge part of the rockie mountaine fell and buried them in the Earth and Bren being wounded and despairing of safety drew his Sword and killed himselfe And his â—…rother Belinus after hee had honourably governed the The death of Brennus Kingdome of Britaine with his brother and alone for the space of twenty sixe yeares expired and was buried at Belingsgate leaving a Sonne behinde him called Gurguintus Barbarosse or Gurguint with the red Beard Gurguintus Hee beganne his Reigne in the yeare of the world foure thousand eight hundred thirty foure he conquered Denmarke and forced from them an annuall Tribute of one thousand pound Denmarke made tâ—…butary to England After which victory hee sayled towards England in great triumph but in his course upon the sea hee met with a Fleet of thirty Sayle who haliâ—…g them and demanding of what Countrey they were and the purpose of their Navigation they answered him Their people were called Balenses and that they were exiled from Spaine and with their wives and children had long sayled upon the sea beseeching the King to have compassion of them and to grant them within his large dominions some place to inhabit and they would bee his true and faithfull subjects The King commiserating their estate by the advice of his Barons granted them a wide and vast The first plantation of Ireland Countrey which is the farthest of the westerne Islands which of their Captaine Irlomall was called Ireland and that was the first plantation of that Countrey And after this Gurguintus had established the Lawes of his fore-fathers and exercised justice amongst his Subjects for the space of nineteene yeares he dyed and was buried at Troynovant leaving a sonne called Guintolinus Hee with great honour and clemency guided the Land taking to wife an honourable and learned Lady called Marcia who added to the former Lawes of the Land other wholesome statutes and decrees which were greatly imbraced continued long of efficacy and force which Alured long after King of England caused to be translated out of the British into the Saxon tongue and called them Marthe he lege or the Marcian Lawes to this woman for her great wisedome the government of the Kingdome was committed with the Guardianship of his sonne Cecilius for the space of twenty Cecilius sixe yeares after which time the King expired and was buried at London of this Cecilius there is little or nothing remembred but that he governed the Realm 15 years leaving to succeed him his son Kimarus who was a wild yong Kimarus man and irregular both in his private life and publicke government who when he had reigned three yeares being in his disport of hunting was trayterously slaine by his servants Him succeeded his son Elanius who expired in the second Elanius of his reigne whom succeeded his bastard sonne called Morindus begotten of his Concubine Faugrestela Morindus He was made King in the yeare of the world foure thousand eight hundred fourescore and ten who was a Prince of great valour and courage but given to wrath and cruelty of goodly presence comely personage but a mervailous strength above all the Nobles of the Realme In his time came the King of Mauritania and invaded his Realme whom he incountred with a puissant army and chased to sea taking many of his Souldiers prisoners whom he caused in his owne view to be put to many cruell and tormenting deaths at length riding upon the Sea Strand he espyed an huge Monster which the waters cast up alive which out of his great courage and ambitious of glory purposing to slay with his owne hands he was by it devoured after he had governed the kingdome eight years leaving behinde him five sonnes Gorbomannus Archigallo Elidurus Vigenius and Peridurus Gorbomannus being the first begotten sonne of Gorbomanus Morindus succeeded his Father being a just Prince in whose time was more riches and plenty than in any of the dayes of his predecessors who to the great sorrow both of his Peeres and people dyed without issue after hee had reigned eleven yeares after whom his second brother Archigallo was instated in the Soveraignty Archigallo this Prince was of a contrary condition to the former who gave himselfe to dissen ion and strife imagining causes against his Nobles to deprive them of their possessions and dignities and raising men of base and sordid birth and quality to office and honour And so he could inrich himselfe not caring how hee impoverisht his subjects For which by one assent of the Nobility and Commons he was deposed from all regall dignity after hee had tyrannized five yeares In whose stead was instated the third brother Elidurus Elidurus in the yeare of the world foure thousand nine hundred and fifteene who was so milde and gentle to his Subjects that they added to him a sirname and called him Elidure the meeke To expresse the goodnesse of his condition it happened that hunting in a Wood called Calater neare untâ—… Yorke hee found his banisht brother wandring in the thicke of the Forrest whom he no sooner saw but dismounted Aâ—…are president in a brother from his Steed and imbraced him in his armes and so conveighed him into the City privately where hee concealed him for a time and at length feigning himselfe sicke hee so
wrought with his Nobility severally and apart that hee had won them to re-instate his brother Archigallo in the Throne after he himselfe had governed for the terme of five yeares who being againe advanc't to the supreme power and Majesty hee changed his former Conditions ordering all things according to equity and Iustice during his naturall life and then dyed after he had lastly reigned ten yeares and lyeth buryed at Yorke Then was Elidurus againe The death of Archigallo made King against whom his two yonger brothers Vigenius and Peridurus had great indignation because for his vertue and piety he was so much beloved of the Britons therefore they conspired against him and tooke him prisoner in battaile when the second time hee had reigned two yeares committing him unto safe custodie These two Brothers were then joyntly made Kings and divided the Land betwixt them Vigenius dyed after he had governed his part of the Kingdome seven yeares after whose death Peridurus seized the whole under his Dominion who ruled with great Temperance and Prudence insomuch that hee was praised above his other brethren and Elidurus quite forgot who after he had reigned with his brother and alone for the terme of nine yeares expired after whom Elidurus was fetcht from prison Elidure the third time made King and the third time instated in the Throne who continued in his former sincerity and integrity and lastly being of a good age ended his life when hee had this last time governed foure yeares and was buried at Carleil leaving a Son called Gorbomannus who began his raigne in Gorbomanus the second the yeare of the World foure thousand nine hundred forty five after whom succeeded Margan and after Margan his brother Emerianus Margan Emerianus who was deposed for his cruelty and tyranny after whom successively raigned twenty Kings of whom small or no mention is made by any approved Author the last of which was called Blegabridus a cunning Musitian who Blegabridus for his excellency in that faculty was called of the Britains god of Glee-men or Minstrells After whom succeeded nine Kings of whom there is left neither name or memory saving that the last of them was named Hely who governed King Hely the Kingdome forty yeares wanting seven months which time of thirty three successive Kings that is from Elidure to the last yeare of Hely amounted to one hundred fourescore and sixe yeares This Hely left behind him three sons Lud Cassibeline and Nennius King Lud. Lud the eldest sonne of King Hely began his Reigne in the yeare of the world five thousand one hundred thirty one who in all his actions shewed himselfe honourable repaired old Temples and builded new and so of Cities and Townes but especially in Troynovant hee caused sundry structures to bee made both for the inlarging and beautifying of the City walling it round and ditching it about and in the west part of the Wall made a strong gate and commanded it to be called after his name Luds-gate Luds Towne now London and for he much affected the City as the place where he most frequented hee changed the name thereof from Troynovant to Caerlud or Luds Towne now London Hee was strong and mighty in subduing his enemies liberall given to hospitality and much loved and feared of the Britains who reigning in great peace and prosperity eleven yeares then dyed and was buryed in Port-Lud or Ludgate leaving two Sons Androgeus and Tenantius In regard of the pupillage and minority of Cassibelan made King of Britaine the two young Princes Cassibelan their Vncle and brother to King Lud was made King in the yeare of the world 5142. This man was of great wisedome and courage exercising Iustice mixt with mercy amongst his subjects insomuch that they favoured him greatly above his Nephewes yet he provided that they were royally educated according to their births and when they came to yeares of discretion he gave to Androgeus the City of London and the Earledom of Kent and to Tenantius the Dukedome of Cornwall c. CHAP. 3. The first conquest of this Land by Iulius Caesar Britaine made tributary to the Romans the birth of our Saviour under Cimbeline King of Britaine How Southampton came to bee so called and the Citie of Glocester and Coilchester Vespatians conquest of the Isle of Wight of Catnesse in Scotland of Lucius the first Christian King of the Britaines and of other Roman Governours CAius Iulius Caesar being imployed by the Senate of the famous City of Rome with Lucius Publius his Collegue in the warres of Gallia now called France being on the Sea side at Callis beholding the white Cliffes and Rocks of Britaine Iulius Caesar ambitious to Conqeur Britaine demanded of the Natives what manner of people inhabited this Island and being fully satisfied concerning the people and commodities thereof he was ambitious to adde it to the Roman Empire and to that purpose sent Messengers to Cassibelan then King to make him and his Land tributary to Rome At which he being highly moved sent him backe peremptory answer that every Soveraigne was bound to keep his Subjects from slavery and servitude and maintaine them in their Franchises and liberties and that hee would doe to his utmost ability and power With this answer Caesar who was of an invincible Courage much incensed instantly made ready his Navy and sayled towards Britaine with purpose to adde His first attempt and successe this Kingdome to his conquest of France but the Britaine 's had piâ—…cht stakes on the shore which much hindred their landing whilst Cassibelan gathering a strong Host gave the Romans battaile and beat them backe unto their ships but after he had new rigged and repaired his Navy and furnisht himselfe with a sufficient Army â—…e returned againe the second time and His second attempt was likewise beaten backe to his great dishonour For which victory twice obtained by the Britaines he assembled all his Lords and made a great triumph at London where were sundry martiall exercises performed in the performance of which one of Androgeus his Knights having slain one of the Kings Kinsmen whom hee much loved hee sent to have him stand to the tryall of the cause but Androgeus denyed to give up to the censure of the Law and departed Difference betwixt the 〈◊〉 and Androgeus in secret without taking leave from the Court which gave Cassibelan great cause of incensement against him Whose indignation Androg us justly fearing sent Letters unto Caesar that if hee would make a third attempt upon this Countrey hee with all his whole power would bee reâ—…dy to assist him against his Uncle pretending that he not onely usurped his right in the Crowne but had done to him divers other affronts and injuries Caesar glad of so good an opportunity after Hostages given for his fidelity which were his sonne Sceva with thirty others of the sonnes of his Nobility and Gentlemen a third time
invaded the Land which Cassibelan hearing gave him a strong battaile in a valley neare unto Canterbury in which he had the better Caesars third attempt upon this Island of the day till Androgeus comming in with his fresh forces turned the Dy of warre so that Cassibelan with his Britaines were forced to forsake the field and after a great slaughter of the Britaines retyred himselfe to a place of safety where Caesar kept him so strictly in that hee was forced to submit himselfe paying to the Romans an annuall tribute of 3000 pounds After which Caesar would have made Androgeus King but not daring to trust his Nation Britaine made Tributary to Rome which he had so lately betrayed hee went with Caesar to Rome where he ended his life Cassibelan reigned after this conquest of the Romans seven yeares in all sixteene and dying left the Scepter to the younger sonne Tenantius who governed the Realme with all diligence Tenantius and Iustice for the space of twenty three yeares leaving the Soveraignty to his sonne Cimbelinus He was made King in the yeare of the world five thousand one hundred and fourscore in the nineteenth of whose Reigne our blessed Saviour was borne of the Virgin Mary which maketh the yeare of the world from the Creation The birth of our Saviour of Adam to the Incarnation of our Redeemer by the computation of Isidore Bede and others five thousand one hundred and twenty nine yeares so that Christ was Incarnate from Noahs flood or the generall Deluge two thousand nine hundred and fifty seven after Abraham two thousand and seventeene after David King of Israel one thousand threescore and fifteene from the Transmigration or the Captivity of the Iewes to Babylon five hundred A computation of the times and twenty After Brutes plantation in this Island eleven hundred thirty sixe After Alexander the great about three hundred twenty five After the building of Rome seven hundred twenty nine and in the beginning of the two and fortieth yeare of Octavius Augustus Caesar then Emperour of Rome c. But to come backe to the History Cimbeline after hee had worthily governed the Land thirty five yeares yeelded his due to nature and was interred in Caer-Lud or London leaving two sonnes Guiderius and Arviragus Guiderius the eldest sonne of Cimbelinus began Guiderius K. of Britaine his Raigne in the yeare after our Blessed Saviours Incarnation seventeene who having a great confidence in his riches and strength denyed to pay any tribute to the Romans which had beene tendred annually from the time of Iulius Caesar to his dayes For which Claudius then Emperour of Rome came over with a mighty Hoast and recovered it againe in the Hoast of the Romans was a great Captain called Hamo a great Captain of the Romans Hamo who in the Battaile pur upon him the Armour and habit of a Britaine By which meanes having accesse to the place where the King fought in person he slew him and escaped Of which disastrous accident his brother Arviragus having intelligence armed himselfe with the Cognizance of the dead King and continued the battaile with such valour and courage that in the end hee put the Romans to slight Guiderius being thus slaine by Hamo after hee had ruled the Kingdome twenty eight yeares leaving no issue to succeed him his brother Arviragus by the generall suffrage both of the Peeres and people was invested in his stead This Martiall and magnanimous Prince Arviragus made King tooke upon him the government of the Land in the yeare of our Saviour forty foure He was also for his great valour by some Authors called * Orbearing Armes Armager who strongly made warre upon the Romans and after in a battaile slue Hamo who had formerly cowardly kild his brother neare to an Haven or Port of the Sea and after causing his body to be peecemeale cut cast it into the Ocean for which it was called Hamoes From whence Southampton tooke its name Haven and since Southampton Claudius much admiring the courage of Arviragus sent to Rome for his daughter Gemissa and gave her in marriage to him upon conditions of peace and to make the solemnities of the Nuptialls more famous hee called the City where they were kept Claudio Cestria w ch before was stiled Carleon and after Glovernia of a Duke called Claudio Cestria or Glocester Glovio but now Glocester after which Claudius sent certaine of his Legions to governe Ireland and departed towards Rome Arviragus then repayred decayed Cities and Castles and ruled with such justice integrity that hee intyred to him all the hearts of his Subjects and as his riches so also increased his pride so that he denyed the Tribute to Rome before granted therefore a great Duke called Vespatian was sent from the Senate who overcame him in battaile and forced him to become tributary which some writers affirme was meerely at the intercession and intreaty of the Queene Genissa and no coaction or constraint from Vespatian who after he had wonne the Isle of Wight returned The Isle of Wight conquered by Vespatian with honour to Rome After which Arviragus grew more tractable towards the Romans and continued in their great grace and favour who after he had nobly governed the Britaines for the space of 30 yeares expired and was interred at Claudiocestria or Glocester leaving to succeed him a sonne called Marius Hee was crowned King in the yeare of our blessed Saviour threescore and foureteene a Marius King of Britaine wise and just man and flourished in great prosperity and wealth in whose time one Loudricus whom some writers call Rodicus with a mighty Army of Picts or Scythians whom some also call Gothes and Huns landed in a part of Scotland wasting and spoyling wheresoever he came with Iron and fire whom Marius met in Battaile and gave him a great overthrow in which their Duke Loudricus was slaine in remembrance of which victory in Stanismore a place of Westmaria or Westmerland where this battaile was fought he caused a great stone or pillar to be erected upon which was inscribed in capitall Letters Marii victoria The remnant of the Army that survived the battaile humbly besought the King to allow them some place under his dominions in which to inhabite who commiserating their case granted them a place Cathnesse in Scotland when inhabited and by whom in Scotland called Cathnesse to whom the Britaines disdaining to give their daughters in marriage they allyed themselves with the Irish and were after called Pictavians Marius having thus subdued his enemies gave him soly to study the weale of his Subjects and lived peaceably his whole life time after and lastly payed his naturall Tribute and was buried at When he had reigned 52 yeares Carleil leaving a sonne named Coillus or Coill Coill was inaugurated in the yeare of the Incarnation one hundred twenty sixe This Prince had his breeding in Italy amongst
and potency fled to Lyons where hee was Maximian breaketh his oath which was to be true to the Empire slaine and Valentinian compelled to forsake Rome and flie to Constantinople Then Maximian made his sonne Victor fellow with him in the Empire During whose warres in Italy Conon Meriadock not willing that hee or his people should marry with any of the French Nation sent Messengers to Dionotus Duke of Cornwall and governour of the Kingdome under Maximian to send him his daughter Vrsula with a certaine number of Virgins to bee coupled to him and his Knights in marriage who according to his request sent his daughter with eleven thousand maids towards Britaine to that purpose who by the way were taken at Sea and piâ—…eously Urfula with eleven thousand Virgins murdered who so will know the manner thereof I referre them to the Legend of Saints Maximian thus tyrannizing in Italy to great Commanders called Guanus and Melga were sent into Britaine to chastise all such as favoured the party of Maximian who did here much outrage upon the Natives afflicting them with great strage and massacre Against whom the Emperour sent a great Captaine called Gracianus or Gracian with two Legions who so knightly behaved himselfe that hee chaced them in short space into Ireland holding the land in peace for Maximian In this interim Maximinian continuing wars against the Empire to be absolute Caesar Theodosius sirnamed the elder then Emperour of the east part of the world hearing the death of the first Gracian and the chacing of Valentinian he with a mighty hoast sped himselfe to meete with Maximian and gave him battaile at Aquilea a great City in Italy in which Maximians forces were utterly discomfited and himselfe tooke prisoner whose head Theodosius commanded to be cut off of whose death Gracian his deputy in Britain The death of the tyrant Maximian having knowledge he seized the Land to his owne use after that Maximian had governed the same by the terme of eight yeares Gracian who of some writers is called Gracian King of Britaine Municeps which word may bee diversly taken either for an hired or waged Knight or for a keeper of Presents and Gifts or bearing chiefe rule in a City or Province beganne his dominion over the Britaine 's in the yeare of grace three hundred fourescore and ten Hee exercised great exaction and tyranny on his subjects for which hee was very much hated and despised amongst them so that they sundry wayes laboured his supplantation and hourely insidiated his life but after many dangers escaped they with a common assent invaded his Palace and slew him when he had reigned or rather usurped for the space of The death of Gracian foure yeares Of whose death Guanus and Melga having Guanus and Melga knowledge they returned out of Ireland and with fire and sword made great havocke in the Land of which the Romans understanding because the Realme was then under their Tribute and tuition they sent one Constantine to have the rule of the Land and the Regions about Constantine but being found to bee an enemy to the Empire for divers outrages done by him during his Regency in France therefore by the commandement of Honorius then Caesar they sent against him a valiant Captaine named Constantius who slew him neare to a Towne called Constantius Arelat after which the Britaines were much distressed by the Picts the Scots and other strange Nations by reason whereof they were againe constrained to send to Rome for aide with a covenant that they would all continue subjects and servants to the Senate Upon which request and promise the Emperour Honorius The 〈◊〉 Honorius himselfe came hither in person and chaced hence all their forraigne enemies and leaving the Land in peace returned to his greater affaires in Italy Who was no sooner departed but the same enemies againe invaded them to whom Honorius sent a second deliverance exhorting them withall to be manly and couragious But in regard of the remotenesse of the place and the great troubles the Empire was then in to trust to their owne valour and fortune but to expect no more supplyes either from Caesar or Senate The Britaine 's for saken of the Romans the Roman supplyes being then took out of the Land to maintaine the Imperiall warres the Natives were worse distressed than before for the Picts and Scots came out of their Dens and Caves where they had concealed themselves and invaded them by multitudes insomuch that by the enemies spoyles and robberies they were brought to that extremity of poverty and misery that they were inforced to pilfer and steale one from another in which sundry murthers were also committed so that The great distâ—…esse of the Britaines the ground lay unsowed or manured upon which great Dearth and hunger immediatly insued Which to prevent and withall to rid them from these great extremities the best amongst them petitioned unto Aetius who was Master of the Chivalry of Honorius the Emperour Aetius denies them succour and at that time governed France to commiserate their estate which to him they most passionatly expressed but all was to no purpose for hee slightly put them off with a peremptory denyall to lend them any succour at all still their calamities augmented and the famine increased so that lastly the noblest and discreetest amongst them especially the Arch-bishop Guethelinus Arch-bishop of London of London whose name was Guethelinus whom our English Chronicles call Gosseline concluded to send an Embassy to the King of little Britaine whose name was Aldroenus which this Arch-bishop beeing learned and well spoken in person undertooke who delivered their calamities and distresses with such passionate efficacy that it wrought great commiseration and compassion in the King who after advice taken of his Lords granted them a supply of sufficient forces to recover their Franchises and liberties upon condition that if God who is Aldroenus commiserates the Britaines the Lord of Hoasis gave them victory they should Crown his brother Constantine King of Great Britaine acknowledging him their Liege and Soveraigne which conditions they gladly accepted and swore to performe with all truth and fidelity Now it appeareth from the time of Gratian the last Roman that was King of the Lâ—…nd the How loâ—…g Britain wâ—…s without a Kâ—…ng Nation of the Britaine 's during their multiplicity of miseries were without a Monarch or sole Soveraigne for the space of thirty nine yeares till the comming in of the forenamed Constantine brother to Aldroenus King of Litle Britain It is further to bee observed that here ended The end of the tribute and government of the Romans the Tribute and Dominion of the Romans neither had any of that Nation any rule over the Land after that time which Tribute lasted and was paid to Rome from the ninth yeare of King Cassibelan to the dayes of the Emperour Severus amounting to two hundred and
fifty five yeeres And from the Reigne of Severus to the first yeere of Gratian one huadred fourscore and three and from the first of Gratian to the last yeare of their great misery before expressed forty three yeeres so that from the time that Iulius Caesar made this Isle of Britaine first tributary to the Roman Empire to the comming in of Constantine amounteth to foure hundred and one and thirty yeares after this small digression and yet worthy observation I returne to the passages and proceeding in this Land of An exact computation of the times Britaine and how it was governed The Archbishop with the Lords of this Realme having sealed to the Covenants before named they returned with a sufficient army under the conduct and command of Duke Constantius and safely arrived at Totnesse in Devonshire the place where Brute landed the first Prince and Planter of this Island whither assembled all the flower of the Nation who before were compeld to hide themselves in Dens and Caves and to seeke shelter amongst Rocks and Mountaines by whose power and martiall prowesse all the enemies of the Land were rowted and chaced not one daring to shew his head After which victory the Land being againe setled in peace and quietnesse they conveighed their Captain Constantine to the tower of Kaercegent now called Cicester and according to their former Covenants made with Aldroenus saluted him as their Chiefe Lord Sovereigne and there crowned him King in the Constantine King of the Britaines yeare of our blessed Saviours Incarnation foure hundred and three and thirty This Constantine governed the Realme with great manhood and policie so that he was not more beloved at home then dreaded abroad notwithstanding of any forreign atchievement done by Him the English Annals make no mention neither of any memorable thing performed by Him in His owne Kingdome save that He kept it in great tranquillity and rest and that He received by His Wife three sonnes the eldest named Constant or Constantius the second Constantines Royall Issue Aurelius Ambrofius the third Vterpendragon all which in processe succeeded Him in the Sovereignty But for Constance the eldest being somwhat heavy and dull witted thinking Him not able to take upon Him any Regall Soveraignty especially to govern so noble a Nation He caused Him to be shorne a Monke and put him into the Monastery of Saint Amphiable after cald Saint Swithins at Winchester and the other two How he disposed of his children being then but yong children Hee committed to Guardianship of the before-remembred Gosselin Archbishop of London In the Court of this Constantine was a certain Pict or Scot much favoured by the King and on whom hee had conferd many graces and Honours making him of His Closet Counsell and a partaker with Him in all his secrets which perfidious and ingratefull traitour watching his opportunity slue Him in his Chamber when he had ten years ruled the Land The death of K. Constantine There lived at that time in the Land a potent Duke called Vortigerus or Vortigernus who Vortiger or Vortigern was a man wondrously politick and exceedingly ambitious who taking the advantage of the time knowing the stupidity of the eldest sonne and the inability of the two yonger in regard of their minority to reigne He coloured his aspiring to the Crown by a notable project for hee pretending the right of the eldest brother had it as a matter of conscience to make Him King and therefore tooke him out of the former Monastery and invested him in the Throne in the year of Grace foure hundred forty three by which means he had the sole management of Constantius made K. of Britain the whole Kingdome and Constantine the name only whom after hee in short time supplanted and reigned in his stead in whose dayes Ambrosius Merlinus the subject of our discourse was born and uttered his predictions c. CHAP. 6. A necessary digression shewing the lives and reigns of 33 Kings of Britain scarce mentioned by any of our English remembrancers with an exact computation of the times c. TO make the former passages the more plain to the Reader it is fit to keep a true computation of the Times and looking back into our former historicall narration perfect those things which were left doubtfull especially in the Inter-regnum before spoken of In which the names of many Kings Princes and Governours of the Kingdome were conceald Divers Historiographers who write the passages of those times reck on from the last yeer of Eliodure to the first of Hely the father of K. Lud 186 yeers during Of three and thirty Kings before scarce remembred which times here raigned 33 Kings according to Galfridus and others whose names thus follow Gorbovinian whom Lanquet the Chronicler calleth Reygay son to Garbomanus reignned Gorbovinian for the term of ten yeers after him Morgan 14 yeers whom succeeded Emerianus or Emerian Morgan Emerianus who held the pincipaliâ—…y seven Iuall called also Ivall followed him and swayed the Scepter Ivall twenty after whom came Rimo and held the Dominion over the Britains 16 after whose expiration Rimo Geruntius was by the generall suffrage Geruntius of the peers and people admitted to the throne and governed in greatpeace and prosperity 20 compleat yeers who uo sooner expired but they made election of Catellus or Catel who ruled without any great molestation or disturbance Catellus ten and then left the Dominion to Coill who Coil ruled with great humanity and gentlenes for the space of 20 yeeres and dying in a mature age yielded up the crown and Scepter into the hands of Porrex who kept and maintained them Porrex though with some difficulty five yeers resigning the principality to Cherimus who tyrannizing Cherimus over the people was supplanted being compeld to yield up al his power and authority after he had governed but 12 months into the hands of Fulgen or Fulgentius who kept it peaceably Fulgentius and to the great liking and applause both of the Nobles and Commons three yeeres and some odde moneths who had no sooner yielded to the common fate due to all mortality but Eliud by some writers cald Eldred stept into his room Eliud or Eldred but enjoyed it but for a short season for he died within the compasse of one yeer after hee came to take upon him the Sovereignty Then Androgeus aspired unto the Regall dignitie Androgeus but bore him so proudly and haughtily in his Soveraignty that his subjects unanimous consented and made an insurrection against him surprizing him in his palace and forcing him to give up his Sword Scepter after he had tyrannized one whole yeer to his sonne Vrian who Vrian sate in the Throne but three yeers and then yielded up his due to Nature after whom Eliud was invested in the state who as the rest of his predecessors
is fulsilled the prophesie of Sibylla Cumana so called from Cuma once a famous Citie in Greece where she was borne hee Sibylla Cumana further proceedeth Magnus ab integro seclorum volvitur ordo Iam redit virgo redeunt Saturnia regna Iam nova progenies coelo demittitur alto Intimating in those words that by revolution the great order and course of the World should feele a change which was not from the beginning and that now the Celestiall Maid which figured Iustice or the mother of the most righteous â—…hat Prophet could come neerer to the truthâ—… should returne and that wee should see againe those innocent and blessed dayes which were in the reigne of Saturne which was called the golden World and that a new birth should be sent down to the earth from the highest heaven meaning our blessed Saviour God and man born of the immaculate Virgin Mary nay further in the two subsequent Verses hee implyes that he came to take away the sins of the world which are these Quo duce si qua manent sceleris vestigia nostri Irrita perpetua solvent formidine terras So much for Virgil there are divers other prophets of the Gentiles both men and women as Cassandra Chrysis Phiomaene c. and what shall we think of Balaam whose Oracles Moses Other Prophetesses Balaam the sonne of Bosor inserted in the sacred Text and whose prophesies the great Clerkes and Doctours of the Church have expounded in large voluminous Works yet for his person some have held him for no better than a Southsayer or a Wisard and hired for a reward to curse the children of Israel Gods selected people and they by his counsell after inticed to fornication and idolatry of whom the blessed Apostle Saint Peter in the second Chapter of his second Epistle and fourteenth Verse gives him this character speaking of such whose hearts were exercised in covetousnesse and children of the curse who forsaking the right way have gone astray following the way of Balaam the sonne of Bosor who loved the wages of unrighteousnesse but hee was rebuked for his iniquitie for the dumbe beast speaking with mans voice forbade the foolishnesse of the prophet These former examples may beget an hesitation or doubt by which of the two spirits the good or bad our Country-man Merlin uttered his predictions But whosoever shall make question of the true events of his prophesies I shall referre him A just siâ—…tion of the truth of Merlins prophesiâ—…s Dâ—…ctor Alanus de Insulis to the reading of that most excellent Oratour â—…olyhistor and Theologist of his time Alanus de Insulis a German Doctour for his admirable and multifarious Learning sirnamed Vniversalis and Rector of the Parisian Academy in his Explanation or Comment upon Merlins Prophesies the originall being extracted out of Ieffery of Monmouth part of his words are these In all his prophesies I find nothing dissonant incongruous or absurd nor any thing forreigne or averse from truth And those who shall live in ages to come shall finde those his predictions as constantly to happen in their dayes according to the limit of time as wee have hitherto found them certaine and infallible even to the age in which we now live And for these signes and tokens which before the consummation of the World shall appeare he divineth and foretelleth of them in the Sun and Moâ—…ns and the other five Planets Iuno Mars Mercury Venus Satnrne and other stars how they shall confound and alter their courses which they had His predict on from the Planets in the Creation according to that in the holy Evangelist Saint Luke cap. 21. v. 25. Then there shall be signes in the Sun and the Moon and in the stars and upon the earth trouble amongst the Nations with perplexity the Sea and the waters shall roare and mens hearts shall faile them for feare and for looking after those things which shall come in the World for the powers of Heaven shall be shaken c. But of the new heaven and the new earth and the resurrection of the dead to new life how truly he spake according to the Propheticall Evangelicall and Apostolicall Traditions it is manifest that hee no way deviated or erred from the orthodoxall Christian Faith and so much Doctor Alanus concerning the truth of his prophesies with whom I conclude this first Chapter CHAP. 2. In whose Reigne Merlin was borne How the state of Brittaine stood in those days with divers necessary occurrences pertinent to the story THe better to illustrate this our History of Merlin the subject now in agitation it is necessary that I shew you in what Kings Reigne he was borne in what state the Kingdome stood at that time and how our prophet came to bee first knowne in Court He was born in the reigne of King Vortiger who by usurpation aspired to the Crown who being a potent Duke of the Merlin born in the reigne of King Vortiger Brittaine after the death of Constantius took his sonne Constantins out of a Monastery being a simple man and uncapable of so great a charge and made him King so that Duke Vortiger being a popular man had the whole government of the Land and Constantine only the name of King who taking advantage of his Sovereigns easie nature and milde disposition cast in his thoughts how by the death of his Lord and Master to compasse the Crown to himselfe and Vortigers ambition to the Crown to accomplish his ambitious designe he placed as a guard about him an hundred Picts and Scots whom hee so bribed with continuall gifts and rewards that they feared not openly to say that Vortiger better deserved the Imperiall dignity then Constantine in which interim he got into his possession all the treasure howsoever divers thereat grudged and the strangers in hope to purchase his greater favour took their opportunity to lay violent hands upon the King and presented his head to Vortiger being King Constantine slâ—…ine by his guard then at London Who in his Crocodile comming and to blinde the eyes of the Britaines to make them think he had no hand in his death wept exceedingly and made great shew of sorrow and to expresse his great justice caused all those honoured Knights to bee beheaded according to the Treason rewarded Lawes of the Kingdome by which he was held both by the peeres and people innocent of the Treason but those that had the Guardianship of the Kings two younger brothers Aurelius and Vter the one sirnamed Ambrosius the other Ambrosius and Vtâ—…r the Kings younger brothers Pendragon fearing the power and potencie of Vortiger fled with them into little Britaine where they continued yet it pleased God otherwise to dispose of them Then was Vortiger by a generall and unanimous consent crowned King in the yeere of the Vortiger crowned King Incarnation of our blessed Saviour foure hnndred fortie eight but it was not long ere the Picts
a certain number of Britaines and as many Saxons should meet upon a Mayday weaponlesse upon the Plaine of Salisbury on which prefixed day Hengist bethought him of a strange and persidious Treason charging all his Saxons that every one should put a long Knife in his hose and when hee gave this watch-word Nempnith your Sepis they should suddenly fall upon the A most unkâ—…ngly treason unarmed Britaines and kill them to one man Briefly they met at the time and place appointed where Hengist and his Saxons received him and his power with a countenance of peace and love but they had not long spoken together when Hengist giving the watchword the Britans were basely and barbarously butchered unlesse any by his manhood and strength wrest the Knife from his enemy and defend himselfe amongst the British Lords was one Edolf Earle of Chester who as Gunfride affirmes seeing his friends and fellows thus murdered he found the stake of an hedge by chance their scattered with which he not only saved his owne life but A valiant Britain slue seventeene of the opposite side and got safely into the City of Salisbury after which treason executed the King remained with Hengist as prisoner Hengist by his Treason having thus gotten the upper hand and reteining the King in his Vortiger suppressed by Hengist power and custodie hee compelled him to give him three Provinces in the East part of Britain Kent Suffex Norfolke and Suffolke to which some adde Essex c. of which being safely possessed hee suffered the King to goe at large sending for some other of his Kinsmen to take possession of other Provinces in the Kingdome crowning himselfe King of Kent and from his Britain first called England owne name caused this Realme to bee called Hengists Land or as wee now pronounce it England and the Saxons now spreading and quartering themselves in the best and most fertile soyles of the Land as having the Sovereignty over London Yorke Lincolne Winchester with most of the principall Cities in the Realme The Saxons still increasing in multitude and power and the Britains daily decreasing both in number and strength Vortiger was forced to flie or retire himself into Wales where Vortiger forced to fly into Wales after some writers thinking to fortifie himself he began to lay the foundation of a Castle called Generon or Gwayneren in the West side of the River Grana upon an Hill called Cloaricus But what successe he had in the building thereof and how Merlin came first to be knowne to the King with part of his Prophesies I will referre to the subsequent Chapter giving withall the intelligent peruser of this story to better his knowledge this Item that without the laying open of the true passage ofthose timâ—… which I have as briefly as possibly I could in the premises these our prophets predictions which now seeme plaine and easie would have beene much more intricate and hard to bee understood CHAP. 3. By what miraculous accident young Merlin came to be knowne to King Vortiger of the combat betwixt the red and the white Dragon and his prophesie thereof c. WHen Vortigers Architectors had caused the Hill to be digged and the foundation to bee laid on which to erect this new structure after the weake men had digged the circuit of the place where the great stones were to be set in order they were no sooner laid in the hollow of the earth but they instantly sunke down and were swallowed up and no more seen at which the Workmen wondred and the King himselfe was much astonished and the more proofs they made the greater cause of admiration they had especially the scituation being upon an Hill and no moorish or uncertaine ground therefore the King commanded a cessation from the worke for the present and sent to the Bards and Wisards of which that age afforded plenty Vortiger inquires of the Wizards to know a reason of that prodigie or at least what it might portend who being gathered together and having long consulted amongst themselves and not finding by any naturall or supernaturall reason what the cause thereof might be they concluded in the end to save their credits and to excuse their ignorance to put the King off with an impossiblitie and when hee came to demand of them what they had done in the matter they returned him this answer that those stones could never be laid together or the place built upon till they were cemented with the bloud of a man-childe who was borne of a mother but had no man to A cunning evasion his father With this answere the King satisfied the soothsayers departed from him not meanly glad that they had put him off according to our English word with a flam or delirement without any disparagement to their art and cunning who no sooner left his presence but the King cald his servants about him commanding them to ride and search into and through all Provinces and Countries till they could find such an one as the Wisards had spoken of and by faire or foule meanes to bring the party unto him but not acquainting him with the Cause but that the King seeing such an one would send him back richly and bountifully rewarded having received this commission or rather Imposition from the King their master wee leave them to their severall adventures every of them being sufficiently accommodated for so uncertaine a journey One of them amongst the rest hapned to come to a Towne or Citty called Kaier Merlin Merlins City since from him so called which implyes Merlins Towne or Merlins borrough which is no doubt the same which wee call at this day Marlborrow but my author termes it a City at whose gates the messenger of the king arriving it hapned that a great many young Lads were sporting themselves without the walls and of the company two of them in gaming fall out the one yong Merlin the other called Dinabutius who amongst other breathing words cast into Merlins teeth that hee was but some Moon-calfe as born of a mothsr who knew not his father The servant taking notice of this Language presently demanded what he was and who were his parents who returned him answer that for any father hee Merlin first discovered had they knew none but his mother was daughter to the King Demetius and lived a Votaresse in that Citie in a Nunnery belonging to the Church of Saint Peter which having heard her presently went to the chiefe Magistrates and shewed them his Commission from the King which they obeying sent both the mother and sonne under his conduct to attend the pleasure of his Majesty Of whose comming the King was exceeding joyfull and when they appeared before him Merlin and his mother appeare before the King both ignorant of the occasion why they were sent for the King first asked him if that were his naturall sonne Who reply'd that hee was and borne of her own body hee then
the poore Britains betwixt the Courtier and Cottager the peere and the pesant by the Rivers flowing with bloud The many Battails fought betwixt the two Nations and that in those dayes Religion and the true Worship of God was supprest hapned under Hengist and Horsus and their posterity Octa the sâ—…nne of Hengist who succeded his Father in the Kingdome of Kent Tosa Pascentius and Colgrinus all Pagans and Princes of the Saxons for when the Britains from the time of Eleutherius whom the Romists write was the fourteenth Pope after the blessed Saint Peter had received the Christian Faith under King Lucius of glorious memory and had continued it for many yeeres unto that time The Saxons after their comming into the The Saxons suppressed the faith of Christ Land being then Miscreants laboured by all means to suppresse the same and in the stead thereof to plant their Pagan Idolatry which they accomplished even to the comming of St. Augustine sent hither by Pope Gregory in Aurâ—lius and Vter maintainers of the true religion whose time it began againe to flourish and get the upperhand in the Reigne of Aurelius Ambrose and his brother Vter-Pendragon which is by interpretation the Head of the Dragon who succeeded him By the Bore which should come out of Cornwall and tread upon the necke of the white Dragon is meant the invincible King Arthur who vanquished the By the Boar of Cornwall is ment King Arthur Saxons and subdued them in many Battails and was a great maintainer and exalter of the true Christian Religion of whose begetting and birth in this our History of Merlin wee shall have occasion to speak hereafter As Merlin was plentifully indued with the Some held Merlin to be a Magitian spirit of divination so by some authours it is affirmed of him that hee was skilfull in darke and hidden arts as Magick Necromancy and the like and relate of him that when King Vortiger lived solitary in his late erected Castle forsaken of the greatest part of his followers and frinds and quite sequestred from all Kingly honours hee grew into a deepe and dumpish melancholy delighting onely if any delight can be taken therein in solitude and want of company to expell which sad fits from him which might bee dangerous to impaire his health he would devise for his recreation and disport many pleasant fancies to beget mirth and somtimes laughter by solacing his eare with severall straines of Musique both courtly and rurall the sound heard but the persons not seen as with the Harpe Bag-pipes Cimball and Tabret and sometimes again Severall sports devised by Merlin to make the melancholy King merry with the Lute Orphorian Viall Sackbut Cornet and Organs then to recreate his eye hee would present him with stately Masques and Anti-Masques and againe for variety sake with Rustick dances presented by Swains and Shepherdesses and where these grew any thing stale or tedious to his eye or eare he would take him up into the top of one of his turrets whereon hee should see Eagles and Hawkes fly after sundry Games and what fowle the King liked they would strike it into his lap to adde unto his slender provision for dinner and supper which gave the King no small contentment Sometimes hee would have an Hare or Hart hunted and chased by a pack of Dogges in the Strange sports in the aire devised by Merlin ayre the Game flying the Hounds with open and audible mouthes pursuing with Huntsmen winding their Hornes and following the Chace with all the indents and turnings losses and recoveries the Champaigne Plaines the Woods and Coverts appearing as visible and naturall as if the sport had beene upon the firme and solid earth Upon a time being in the Kings Summer Parlour who was desirous to bee partaker of Other Magick sports to content the King some novelty which hee had never seene there instantly appeared upon the Table a paire of Butts and Whites in the middle to shoote at where suddenly came in sixe dapper and pert fellows like Archers in stature not above a foote high and all other members accordingly proportioned their bowes were of the side bones of an overgrowne pike their strings of a small slevy silke no bigger then the thred of a Cobweb their arrowes lesse then pick-tooths feathered with the wings of small Flyes and headed with the points of Spanish Needles who made a shew as if they were to shoote a match three to three and roundly they went about it in the middle of their Game there was a shot which rested doubtfull which as it appeared the Gamesters could not well decide then Merlin called to one of the servants who had something a big nose that stood by and bade him measure to the marke and give it to the best To which whilst he stooped and inclined his face the better to umpire the matter one of the Pigmey Archers who had an arrow to shoote delivered it from his bow and shot him quite through the nose at which he started and the King heartily laughed for there was no room to be seene and the Butts with the Archers together disappeared But when Merlin knew the Kings fate to Merlin leaveth the King draw nigh and not willing to partake in his disaster he fained occasions abroad and though with much difficulty had at length leave to depart leaving behind him a paper which hee put into the Kings Closet where upon occasion hee might easily finde and reade this ensuing prophesie Fly from these fatall severall sires ô King His prophesies of the Kings death c. Which from lesse Britain the two exiles bring Now are their ships arigging now forsake Th' Armoricke shoares and towards Albion make To avenge their murdered brothers bloud on thee In Totnesse road to morrow they will bee The Saxon Princes shall contend in vain For young Aurelius having Hengist slaine Shall peaceably possesse the British throne Striving the opposite Nations to attone He the true Faithshall seek to advance on high But in the quest thereof by poyson die The Dragons head his brother shall succeed Vter-Pendragon And after many a brave heroick deed By him perform'd the Fates shall strive to wast His soule ore Styx by a like poysonous draught But those who sent them to th' Elizian bower His sonue the Bore of Cornwall shall devoure This History needs no comment being so plaine in it selfe by the successe thereof only thus much let me intreat the Reader to beare in memory that that Arthur figured under the name of Aper Cornubiae that is the Boare of Cornwall was sonne to Vter-Pendragon here called the head of the Dragon Amongst many brave Heroicall Acts done by this Aurelius Ambrose after the death of Vortiger hee maintained the middle part of Aurelius Ambrose against the Saxons the Kingdome of Britain with all Cambria and Wales endevoring to repaire all the ruined places in the Land as Forts Castles and
Navy upon the British Seas first with three hundred and sixty thousand souldiers who first invaded Ireland and made great spoyle of the Country and from thence hee was invited by the Saxons to assist them against the British Nation to which hee assenting invaded the Kingdome with fire and sword committing many direptions and outrages chasing the King from place to place and from Citie to Citie till hee was in the end forced to flie into Wales where they shut him up and by this means the German Worme by the means of this Sea-wolfe had the upper hand of the Red Dragon whilst these things were thus in agitation there came to this great Generall of the Africans from the transmarine parts of Gallia one Isimbardus Isimbardus the Nephew to Lewis the French King Nephew to Lewis the French King who complained unto him that his Uncle against all Iustice kept his right from him imploring his aid for the recovery therof promising him great rewards in pledge whereof like a wretched Apostata hee renounced his Faith and Christianitie of which proffer Gormundus accepted and made his speedy Expedition for France But the Miscreant Isimbardus failed of his purpose and was justly punisht by the hand of God for his Apostasie for at their landing in the Port of Saint Waleric a young Gentleman called Hugo sonne to Robert Earle of the Mount having received an affront from this Isimbard challenged him to a single Duell who entertaining the Challenge was by the foresaid King left dead in the field and the French setting A just reward of â—…postasie upon the Hoast of the Pagans gave them a great discomfiture in so much that of all that infinite number scarce any were left to beare the tydings of their disaster into their Country but either perisht by the sword or were drowned in the Ocean in which time saith the prophet Religion shall faile which hapned when The failing of Religion made good in Gormundus and the Saxons this Gormundus with the Saxons rioted and made havock in this Island suppressing Religious Houses and ruinating Churches so that scarce a Christian Native durst shew his head but he was subject to persecution and torture But it follows in the prophesie that the honour of Londons Clergie shall give place to Dorobernia or Canterbury that the Seventh who sate in the Eboracensian See which is the Archbishopricke of Yorke shall be compeld to flie into Armorica or Little Britaine and that Menevia shall be adorned with the Pall that belonged to the Citie of Legions give me leave to use a little circumstance in the explaining of these that finding the truth of his predictions by the successe the Reader may be more easily induced to give credit unto the rest in which I shall strive though plain to be much briefer The three prime Seats or Sees were the three The former Prophesie explained Archbishopricks which were London Yorke and the City of Legions now note how punctually he comes to the purpose the dignity of Londons Metropolitanship was transferd to Canterbury by Saint Augustine whom Pope Gregory sent hither with others to preach the Gospel who also gave the primacie of the City of Legions unto Menevia a Citty of Wales scituate neer to the Demeticall Sea but the Citty of Legions stands vpon the River Osca not far from the Severne Sea which was first erected by King Belinus whose valiant brother Brennus being Generall of the Senon Galls after many Honourable exployts and glorious Victories by him atcheived assaulted the famous Citty of Rome tooke sacked and spoyled it in the dayes of Ahashuerosh and Hester Gabinus and Porsenna being Consuls the first of whom hee slue in Battail and the other tooke Prisoner c. By the Arch-Bishop of York the seventh inaugurated Of Samson Archbishop of York and his six brothers into that See who should bee compeld to seek shelter in Little Britaine is intimated Samson then Resident who in that great persecution made by the Africans and the Saxons with six of his brothers all Clergiemen and of great sanctitie of life fled into the lesse Britaine and there establisht his Metropolitan Cathedrall The rest of his six brothers whose names were Melanius Matutus Maclovius Pabutaus Paternus The names of the Archbishop Samson's six brothers and Waslovius being all Divines were made the Rectors of other Churches and became in short time to be capable of Episcopall Dignities which seven Brothers not only the Natives of the Country but all the bordering Provinces call the seven Saints of Britain meaning the lesse Britaine even to this day now let it be held any deviation or digression from the subject now in hand if I borrow so much patience of the Reader to acquaint him with a strange and almost miraculous story or legend by what accident or rather Divine providence these seven holy and devout brothers were by the mutuall congresse of two Noble parents the Father and Mother begot and conceived in one wombe and after mature time of Teeming delivered into the World at one day but because I am loth to swell the pages of this Chapter beyond the limits of the former I will referre the relation thereof unto that next ensuing CHAP. 7. Of the conception and birth of these seven pious and religious Brothers and being sent to death how preserved educated and doctrinated with a continuance of Merlins Prophesies and their explanation THe Legend reports that their mother The like is reported by the Countesse Altorfence the Mother of the Guelfi in Italy being a Noble and chast Matron but in her feminine ignorance not acquainted with the accidents belonging to other women conceived a strange opinion from which she could not be removed that it was not possible for any of that sex to conceive more then one at once unlesse she had had the consociety of so many severall men as shee brought forth children in so much that she vilisied and disreputed holding all those no better then adulteresses and prostitutes who were delivered of Twins or a more numerous issue But the God of all flesh and the Creatour God the justifier of innocence of Nature being also the searcher of hearts and a justifier of innocence to convert this Lady from her erroneous beliefe and to cleere these unjust aspersions with which shee had branded other chast and fruitfull wombs so by his providence ordained that by her sole Lord and Husband she at one congression was conceived of seven sonnes and delivered of them at one time being within the compasse of one day Which shee seeing and much amazed at the prodigious novelty of such an unexpected issue and now favouring by a reciprocall retribution these accusations and suspicions which shee had so often cast upon other good women might be throwne upon herin a desperate way thereby thinking to salve her reputation which shee thought hazarded at last if not quite lost shee consulted with the midwife and one
of her most trusty maids having hyred them to A cruell purpose of a mother that purpose to take the young spralling infants and either to kill them or to cast them into the next River to which purpose as they were hasting and carrying them in little baskets it pleased the higher powers that a grave and reverent Bishop met them upon the way and as hee passed by the women hee heard the infants to cry and make mone which hee imagined was Gods providence in the preservation of the children to implore his helpe and aide therefore hee made stay of them and would needs see what they carried in their laps concealed which they as loth to betray their ladies secrets unwilling to shew hee grew the more suspicious and compelled them having some servants then about him to discover what was hid in their baskets which being opened the babes all living seemd to rejoyce at his sight and smile in his face with which he was much delighted Then more strictly examining them to what purpose they carried them in that manner and threatning them with the severity of the Law if they told him not the truth they knowing the power and authority of the Church and danger of Ecclesiasticall censure and that their attempt deserved if not execution yet excommunication at the least concealed no part of the truth but earnestly solicited him whatsoever became of them to have a care of their Ladies honour the pious and charitable Prelate having been before himselfe of her perverse opinion and now seeing how justly the Creatour of all things had dealt with her and to what desperation shee was brought by thinking to save a A good and charitable Prelate poore credit in this life by the murther of so hopefull an issue to forfet all the hopes she had in the World to come hee dismist the bearers without any further trouble adjuring them to tell their Lady that they had wounded the young Infants according to her commandement of which he himselfe would take charge and adopt them for his owne and causing them to be born to his palace and after to the Church he himselfe baptized them and gave them their names as aforesaid then sent for Nurses and commanded that they should bee carefully educated and when they came to any understanding he set them to schoole and caused them to be instructed in all the seven Liberall Arts for hee found them to be of pregnant and capable apprehensions who after by his means came to be preferd to Church promotions and after to The seven children proved seven Bishops Episcopall Dignities I now proceed to Merlins next prophesie which thus followeth The Heavens in stead of water bloud shall showre And famine shall both young and old devoure Droop and be sad shall the red Dragon then But after mickle time be blithe agen And now the Serpent that was white before Shall have his silver scales all drencht in gore Seven scepter-bearing Kings in field shall die One of whose Sainted soules shall pierce the Skie Kept shall the babes bee from their Mothers wombes And soone as climbe on earth grope for their Tombes All by a brazen man shall come to passe Who likewise mounted on his Steed of brasse Both night and day will Londons prime Gate keep Whether the carelesse people wake or sleepe Whosoever shall read Matthew of Westminster our ancient English Chronologer pag. 29. shall finde that in the days of Cadwallo King King Cadwallo and his fortune of this Island the thirteenth after Brute that for three dayes together bloud dropt from the clouds after which came great swarms of infectious Flyes by whose bytings or stingings there was great mortality in this Land and by the shower of bloud is further intimated the great effusion of British bloud sometime by publicke hostility sometimes by Civill and Domesticke enmity profusely wasted in so much that the earth appeared as if bloud had been powred downe from the Heavens after which by the barrennesse of the earth followed so great a Famine that nothing was found for A great Fâ—mine the people to feed on but the roots of withered Herbs and Grasse and such flesh as they could catch by hunting No wonder then if this made the British Nation figured under the Red Dragon greatly to Britain much distressed droop which after much sufferance and labour was restored to his pristine state and dignity For Cadwallo who was King Anno salutis 633 after many horrid crosses and disasters â—xile expulsion from his Kingdome and the losse of his whole Inheritance was forced with a few of his followers that remayned of his many Legions to retire into the lesse Britaine to his Cousin King Salomon who courteously received him where hee wintred and in the spring when Kings goe customably out to warre hee Cadwallo returns to Britain furnisht him with an Army of ten thousand able men when having shipt her safely and prosperously arrived in this his owne native and hereditary provinces And hearing that Paeanda King of Mercia or middle England had besieged in Exeter his Cousin Briant with those poore remainder of Britons which he had left behind dividing his souldiers into severall Squadrons not only removed the siege but took the King prisoner who having given him sufficient hostages for his truth and fidelity Cadwallo receiveth Paeanda into league gave him also his only daughter to wife so that hee became the Father in Law who made him Generall of his Army After which Cadwallo calling all his exiled subjects dispersed abroad in severall provinces into the Kingdome hee raised a competent Army and invaded Northumberland with fire and sword of which Edwinus was then King who assembling to his aide all the Reguli or lesse Kings gave him a strong encounter in which his whole Army was discomfited and himselfe slain in the field whom succeeded his sonne Assricus assisted by Chaldodus Duke of the Orcades Cadwallo victorious over the Northumbers whom Matthew of Westminster cals Offridus and Gothaldus now Cadwallo not contented with his former victories gathered his whole forces together against Offricus whom hee also slue in battaile with his two Nephewes and Cadamus the Scots King who came to take part with the Northumbers which done he past through all the Kingdome being so maliciously and cruelly bent against the Saxons that hee His cruelty against the Saxons neither spared age nor sex killing the old and young Infants new borne and those that never saw the sun in their mothers wombs purposing utterly to extirpate and root out all the Saxon Nation thus you see the red Dragon namely the British Nation after much dejection exalted and the sâ—…ales of the white Serpent the Saxons stained in sanguine tincture by so generall a massacre It followeth seven Scepter-bearing Kings shall be slaine in the field of which one of them shall bee The names of the seven Kings slaine by
Cadwallo Sainted now these seven Kings slaine by Cadwallo and his father in law Paeanda were Edwinus his sonne Offricus and Oswaldus the Saint spoken of which were three Kings of Northumberland Segebartus Egricus and Anna who raigned over the Orientall Britons and Cadamus the Scotch King concerning which Oswaldus his sanctity and other pious vertues the ancient Chronicles write largely as also the The story of Saâ—…t Oswaldus Lords of those â—…imes many panegyricks in his prayse which would be too tedious here to insert yet some 〈◊〉 of him howsoever credible or nâ—… I â—…hought fitting to remember it was said of him that when Aldanus Bishop of Scotland whose language neither he nor any of his Saxons understood did at any time pâ—…h before him and his people hee would put upon him a royall garment worn only on solemne Festivall days and whether by vertue of that or by divine rapture he would deliver all that Sermon word for word to his Countrymen in their proper and moderne language hee was also so Hâ—… temperance and charity to the poore temperate in his owne diet and withall so liberall to the poore that when he had guests at his Table hee would not only spare from his owne stomach but if hee saw any of them to gormondize or feed more then became them hee would bid them to eat more sparingly and toremember those hungry bellies at the gate which attended the reversion and fragments from his boord and bounty This reverent Bishop Aldanus being feasted by him on an Easter day the King commanded a great silver Charger fild with the best meats at his Table to bee carried to the beggars at his gate who when they had eaten the meat hee sold the dish and equally divided it amongst them which the Bishop seeing said aloud Live may that liberall hand ô may it always live and never taste of corruption which if we will believe the Roman Legend proved according to his propheticall acclamation for many yeeres after his death when his Tombe was searched and all the rest of his body according to the A prâ—…tended Miracle common course of Nature was putrified and turned to dust that hand and arme alone were preserved from corruption and rottennesse and remained as entire flesh bloud veines and arteries as when he was interred It followeth in the History six of these before named Kings being slaine in severall conflicts Cadwallo whose high spirit was irreconciliable towards the Saxons pursued this Oswald from province to province chasing him even to the wall which Severus the Roman Emperour built to part and divide the two Kingdomes of Britaine and Scotland and then sent his Generall and Father in law Paeana to give him battaile at a place called Hed-field or holy Camps in which by the prayers of this Oswaldus The Britons The battail of Headfield Hoast was quite discomsited of which defeat when King Cadwallo understood he gathered a fresh Army and gave him a second battaile at a place called Bourne in which Oswaldus and his Army were wholly routed and himselfe The death of Oswaldus died lamented in his owne pious bloud for whose charity and sanctitie hee was after canonized and remayneth to this day one of the Saints blessed in our Kalender whose death hapned in the yeere of our Saviour 644 which improved that part of Merlins prophesie Seven Kings shall bee slaine of which one shall bee Sainted By the brazen man mounted upon a steed of brasse who is said to do all these is antonomastiâ—…e meant King Cadwallo to honour whom after his death for his many brave victories and expelling Cadwallo the brazen man and why so called the Saxons out of the land the peeres and people caused his statue at his full size and proportion to be cast in brasse sitting also upon an Horse of brasse in whose buckler they intombed his embalmed body and after set it upon the prime gate of the Citie London it being a piece of admirable art and pulchritude and neere unto the same in further memory of him built a Church dedicated to Saint Martin therefore saith the Prophet The brazen Horse and Man shall watch the Gate whether the people wake or sleepe which continued for many yeeres after CHAP. 8. Hee prophesieth of the civill Warres that shall bee in Britaine in the time of Cadwallo and of the great dearth and desolation in the reigne of Cadwalloder of the Saxons exalting themselves and of the first comming in of the Danes into this land c. AS Merlin in all his prophesies aimeth at a continued History of the maine A continuation of the History passages in this I le of Britain so I also desire to observe a concordance of times left the neglect of either might breed a confusion in both as shall be made good in the sequell his prophesie followeth The crimson Dragon with his owne fierce pawes Shall teare his proper bowels gainst the Lawes Of wholsome Nature plague and famine then Shal fill the barren earth with shrowds of men After the Dragon whose smooth scales are white Hither the Almans daughter shall invite And crown themselves Against whom shall rise An Eagle from the Rock and both surprise Two Lions shall a dreadfull combate make Having their Lists incompast by a Lake At length be atton'd and after shall divide The glorious prey a speckledscale whose pryde Shall ayme at high things will his Lord betray Poysoning the Royall nest in which he lay Of the white Dragon so the Fates agree At length a Decemvirum there shall bee What time the Red shall to his joy behold The roofs of all his Temples deckt with gold c. By the Crimson Dragon is still meant England which after the death of Cadwallo being The conquering Britains fall at ods with themselves impatient of peace for want of forreigne Enemies shall be at Civill dissention in it selfe of which shall ensue much strage and mortality such Dearth also Famine and Desolation which shall happen by the plague that destroyeth the men and the Murrian that killeth the cattle that the Natives shall bee forced to leave the Kingdome as a Wildernesse unpeopled the remaynder of the living being scarce sufficient in number to bury the dead which strange depopulation sell in the third and last yeere of Cadwallader the sonne of Cadwallo which was in the yeere of Grace sixe hundred fourescore and sixe which maketh up the yeere of the World Cadwâ—…llader the last King of the Britains by the account of Polycronicon and other of our English Chronologers five thousand eight hundred fourescore and five so that it appeareth the native Britains had the title and soveraignty of this Kingdome from Brute first landing by the space of one thousand eight hundred and two and twenty yeeres Cadwalloder being the last King of the Britons after whom the Saxons or Angles had the full dominion thereof which maketh good that in the prophesie
a proverbe wee retaine from Antiquity as that day hopt without their heads Now concerning the pride of the Danes and their incredible tyranny exercised throughout The pride and insolency of the Danes over the Britains the whole Kingdome which was the occasion of this their universall slaughter our English Historians have thus recorded of them they caused the Farmers and Husbandmen to plow sow and eare the ground and to doe all the servile labour that belonged to agriculture and husbandâ—…y whilst they kept their wives and commanded their daughters and servants at their pleasure and when the Master of the house came home hee was forced to salute his superintendent Dane as his Lord and whilst the Usurper eate and fed of the best the poore oppressed owner could scarcely have his fill of the worst besides for feare and dread they called them in every house where they had rule Lord Dane which after when the English had attained to their former honour grew to a title of great opprobry and contempt for when Lord Dane turned into Lurdain any one would rebuke or revile an other hee would in scorne call him Lurdan a word in the Countrey in use euen to this day But now comes in the Eagle by which is intended Swanus K. of Denmark who surpriseth both that is subdueth the Saxons the other Almans or Germans whom they had admitted into the land and after infinite devastations depopulations and spoils with his broad wings soared over the whole Kingdome and made prey in every province thereof the particulars would aske much time and paper who in conclusion tooke from the White Dragon the Saxons after they had held the sovereignty by many successive Kings both Crown and Scepter but before this happened the unfortunate King whose onely fight was with money to impoverish his owne people and inrich the enemy for hee often bought his peace which prov'd to no purpose Edricus crea ted Duke of Mercia hee made Edricus whom Merlin calleth the Snake Duke of Mercia who was of low and base birth and parentage yet had attained to great wealth and rich possessions false of tongue subtle of brain and eloquent in speech and persidious in purpose and promise which will more at large appeare hereafter In this interim Swanus so farre prevailed The King with his Queene forc't to flye the Land that the King fearing the continuall persecution of the Danes first sent Emma his Queene with his two younger sonnes which were Alfred and Edward to Richard the second of that name and fourth Duke of Normandy who was her naturall brother and after was compeld to flie thither in person with a slender traine of followers of which when Swanus had notice he grew inflamed with greater pride and insolence and amongst other of his Tyrannies hee fired the City of Canterbury and slue nine hundred religious persons tithing them as killing nine and saving the tenth with 8000 women children and because the reverend Bishop would not or could not pay him downe three thousand pounds hee kept him prisoner seven moneths The Bishops name was Elphigus and caused him after at Greenwich foure miles from London to be stoned to death and wheresoever hee came hee reserved all the women to be vitiated and defloured aswell the religious as others robbing the Shrine of Saint Edmond not leaving any cruelty which could finde a name unperformed At length upon the day of the Purification of the blessed Virgin in the yeere one thousand and fourteen he died miserably howling and crying three dayes and nights together before his death whom succeeded The death of the Tyrant Swanus his sonne Canutus And two yeeres after at one thousand sixteen expired at London King Edelfred and was buried in the Church of Saint The death of Edelfredus Paul whom succeeded his sonne Edmund sirnamed Ironside and these two Princes were the two Lions spoken of in the former prophesie of whom you shall heare more in the ensuing Chapter CHAP. 9. Of divers bloudy battails fought betwixt Canutus and Edmund their great opposition ended in a single Duel They make peace and equally divide the Kingdome betwixt them the trayterous death of Edmund Canutus revengeth it upon the murderer with other occurences pertinent to the story c. EDmund sirnamed Ironside the sonne of Egelredus and Canutus the sonne of Swanus King of Denmarke began to rule the English Nation Anno 1016 and in the twenty ninth yeere of Robert King of France the Londoners with some of the English Nobles favouring Edmund but the greater part of the Nobility and Clergie adhering to Canutus betwixt which yong and valiant Princes were fought sundry cruell and bloudy battails too long here to reherse In which infinite both of the Natives and Strangers fell by the sword one of which was fought in Dorsetshire besides a Towne called Gillingham another in Worcestershire which continued from morning till night when they surceased In which battail Canutus was overcome by Edmund fight either for great wearinesse or for want of light when both Hoasts joyned the next morrow early and eagerly in which battaile the Traytour Edricus perceiving the fortune of the day to encline towards Edmund pitcht a The treason of Eldricus dead mans head upon a speare and calling to his Countrymen cryed out with this acclamation Fly you Englishmen and preserve your lives for behold this is the head of Edmund your King of which the Prince being warned hasted to that part of the field and plucking off his Helmet to shew that he was living so comfortably and couragiously demeaned himself among his souldiers that in the end hee had the better of the day In the preparation of another field when both the Hoasts were ready to joyne battaile upstarted This Commander was of K. Edmunds party one of the Commanders and appearing betweene the two Armies in the Front of either spake aloud as followeth You Princes both to you I declare my selfe you see how we daily perish for neither of you gaine an absolute victorie Edmund cannot bee overcome because of his great strength and courage and Canutus cannot be subdued being also much favoured by Fortune what then shall be the finall successe of this inveterate malice and contention when all your Knights souldiers are slain shall you not bee then inforced either to compound your enmity or to fight hand to hand betwixt your selves If this must bee the end why do you not one of these two For the first Is not this Kingdome now sufficient for two which before contented seven or if your spleen be so great that it cannot be reconciled by an equall division of the Land why doe not you two fight alone that strive to be Lords alone For if we all perish who shall be left either to serve you or to keepe forreigne invaders out of the Land Which words were so emphatically delivered and tooke such
and soone after died at Shaftbury and was buried at Winchester when he had reigned nineteen yeeres leaving two sonnes Harold sirnamed for his swiftnesse in running Harefoot and Hardy Canutus whom Harold sonne of Canutus King of England in his life time hee caused to bee crowned King of Denmarke Harold succeeded his Father in the Crowne of England in the beginning of whose Reigne there was great doubt made of the Legitimacie of his birth or whether hee were the Kings sonne or no but more especially by Earle Goodwin who was a man of a turbulent spirit who to the utmost of his power would have disinherited him and conferred the Kingdome to his brother But Leofricus whom the King much loved and trusted by the assistance of the Danes opposed mightily Goodwin and his sonne so that they were utterly disappointed of their purpose Harold was no sooner setled in the Kingdome but hee robbed his stepmother Emma that good and devout Lady of her Iewels and Emma wife to Canutus banished Treasure and then banished her the Land wherefore she sailed to Baldwin Earle of Flanders where she was nobly entertained and continued all the Reigne of this Harold in which hee did nothing worth register or deserving memory who after three yeeres and some few moneths died at London or as some say at Oxford and having no issue left his brother Hardy Canutus heire to the Crowne with the death of whose elder brother I conclude this Chapter CHAP. 10. Merlins Prophesie of Hardy Canutus and Earle Goodwin which accordingly hapned his many Tyrannies amongst other his Tithing of the Norman Gentlemen the death of Prince Alured sonne to Canutus and Emma the strange death of Earle Goodwin After the death of Edward the Confessor Harold Earle Goodwins sonne usurpeth YOu see how hitherto Merlin hath predicted nothing which the successe and event have not made good wee will yet examine him further and prove if hee have beene as faithfull in the future as the former who thus proceedeth And Helluo then with open jaws shall yawne Devouring even till midnight from the dawn And he an Hydra with seven heads shall grace Glad to behold the ruine of his race And then upon the Neustrian bloud shall prey And tithe them by the pole now well away Burst shall he after gordg'd with humane blood And leave his name in part of the salt flood Iron men in woodden Tents shall here arrive And hence the Saxons with her Eglets drive c. It followeth in the History Hardy Canutus the Hardy Canutus the Dane crowned King of England sonne of Canutus and Emma began his Reigne over England in the yeere of Grace one thousand forty one who was oâ—… such cruelty as that he was no sooner setled in the State but he presently sent Alphricus Archbishop of Yorke and Earle Goodwin to Westminster to take up the A barbarous cruelty in a brother body of his deere brother and having parted the head from the shoulders to cast them into the River Thames which was by them accordingly performed the cause thereunto moving was for rifling and after exiling his mother Emma whom hee caused with great honour to be brought againe into the Land Hee revived also the almost forgotten Tribute His riot and eâ—…cesse called Dane gelt which hee spent in drinking Deep and Feeding high for these were his delights For besides his immoderate quaffing he had the Tables through his Court spred four times a day with all the riot and excesse that might be devised who himselfe minding only gormondizing and voracitie committed the whole rule of the Land to Emma and Goodwin who had married the Daughter of Canutus by his first wife Elgina by whom many things were much misordered to the great discontent of the Commons This Earle had many sonnes as witnesseth Polychronicon lib. 6. cap. 15. by his Earle Goodwins sons and daughter first wife who was sister to Canutus hee had but one who by the striking of an Horse was throwne into the Thames and there drowned whose mother after died by Lightning and was of such incontinent life that shee prostituted Virgins and young women to make base and mercenary use of their bodies she dead he married a second of whom hee begot sixe sonnes Swanus Harold Tostius Wilnotus Syrthe or Surthe and Leofricus with a daughter named Goditha who after was married to Edward the Confessor Hardy Canutus wholly devoted to all voluptuousnesse being at a Feast at Lambeth in the midst of his mirth and jollity drinking a carowse out of a bowle elbow-deep fell downe Hardy Canutus dieth drinking suddenly and rested speechlesse for the space of eight dayes at the end whereof he expired in the eight day of Iune when hee had raigned two compleat yeeres leaving no issue lawful of his body and was buried by his Father at Winchester in whom ended the Line and Progeny of Swanus so that after this King the bloud of the Danes was quite extinct and made uncapable of any Regall Dignity within this Land The end of the Danish persecution and how long it continued Their bloudy persecution ceasing which had continued counting from their first landing in the time of Brightricus King of the West Saxons by the space of two hundred fifty five yeeres or thereabout by this Hardy Canutus Merlin intended his Helluo as being a gluttonou Prince whose bibacity and voracity would continue from morning till midnight in the first yeere of whose Reigne The two sonnes of Egelredus and Emma namely Alphred and Edward who before were sent into Normandy came into England to see their Mother and were Princely attended by a great number of brave Norman Knights and Gentlemen of which Earle Goodwin that By the seven heads are meant he and his six sonnes who aâ—…sisted him in all his bloudy projects subtle seven-headed Hydra before spoken of having notice ' hee began to plot and devise how to match his only daughter Goditha to one of the two Princes but finding Alured the eldest to be of an high and haughty spirit and would disdaine so mean a marriage he thought by supplanting him to conferre her upon the younger who was of a more flexible disposition Earle Goodwins pâ—…te to compasse which hee pretended to the King and Councell that it might prove dangerous to the state to suffer so many strangers to enter the Land without license By which he got authority and power to manage that businesse according to his owne discretion as being most potent with the King and a great incourager of his profusenesse and riot therefore being strongly accompanied he met with the two Princes and their traine and set upon them as Enemies killing the greater part of them at the first encounter and having surpris'd the rest upon a place called Guil-downe hee slue nine and saved the tenths and then thinking the number of the survivors too Earle Goodwins great cruelty great he tithed againe
or by the extremity of tempests hee was driven upon the province of Pountithe and there surprised and sent as prisoner to William Duke of Normandy who some say forced him to take an oath to marry his daughter and keep the Kingdome of England to his behoofe but that which carrieth more shew of trueth is that Harold to insinuate into the Dukes favour in whose power hee now was told him that his King in the presence of his Baronry had selected him his Heire and covenanted with him that if hee survived his sovereigne hee would keepe the Crowne to his use for which Meaning the Duke the Duke gave him his daughter in contract with promise of a large dowry but she was yet in her minority not ripe for marriage in confirmation of which Duke William gave him also his brothers sonne Hucon one of the Hostages and kept the other and after sent him over with rich gifts all which at his returne to England he acquainted the King with who expired the fourth day of Ianuary when hee had reigned twenty three yeeres seven months and The death of Edward the Confessor odde dayes and lyes buried in the Monasterie of Westminster which he before had much beautified and repaired After whom succeeded in the Throne Harold the second son of Earle Goodwin and last King Harold crowned King of England of the Saxons who began his Reigne over England in the yeere one thousand forty six the ambition to gain a Crowne making him forget his oath and promise made to Duke William In the beginning of his Reigne his Land was invaded by his brother Tostius who was beat out of the Kingdome by Edwin and Malcharus Earles of Mercia and Northumberland then Harold Hafagar King of Denmarke and Norway whom Guido the Historiographer calleth the sonne of Canutus hearing of the death of Edward with an Army of three hundred England invaded by the Danes ships entred the mouth of the River Tyne pretending to conquer England as his right and lawfull inheritance which Harold hearing sent the two aforesaid Earles of Mercia and Northumberland till he himselfe had gathered sufficient forces who gave the Danes a strong battaile but being overset with multitudes they were forced to give backe so that the enemy entred further into the Land which the King hearing Harold made haste with his powers And met them at a place called Stratford bridge In which Interim Tostius came out of Scotland and tooke part against his brother Betwixt these two Hoasts was fought a bloudy A bloudy battail in which Harold was victor and cruell battaile In which many brave Knights breathed their last and amongst them Tostius the two Harolds of England and of Denmarke met and fought hand to hand in which combat Harold of Denmarke fell under the hand of Harold of England who was likewise Master of the field in which Olanus brother to Harfagar and Paulus Duke of the Orcades were taken prisoners of whom Harold took sure pledges for their fidelity and homage CHAP. 11. The Landing of Duke William with the Normans the battaile betwixt him and Harold in which Harold is slaine being the last King of the Saxon bloud William remayneth Conquâ—…rour and is crowned King of England His death and the successe of the Prophesie HArold ambitiously puft up with this great victory divided not the spoyle Some think it was a great cause of his losse of the battail against William from the enemy taken equally but avaritiously kept the greatest part to his owne use and the remainder hee distributed not to those who had best fought but to those whom hee most favoured by reason whereof hee lost the Harolds answer to Duke William hearts of many of his Knights in this Interim died the Daughter of Duke William before contracted to Harold by which hee thought himselfe fully discharged of his former duty and promise But Duke William was of a contrary minde and by divers messengers mixing faire termes with menaces put him in remembrance of the breach of both to which Harold gave a slight answer that rash and unadvised covenants might bee as well violated as kept that it was not in his power to dispose of the Crowne and Kingdome without the assent of the Peeres and Barons of the Realme besides oaths and promises made either by feare or force were of no validity and therefore left him to take what course hee pleased according to his best direction for that was his peremptory answer At which Duke William being much incensed gathered a selected Army which hee caused to be shipt with all things necessary for so great Duke William â—…ndeth in England an Enterprize and launching from the port of Saint Valery In shorttime landed neer Hastings in Sussex at a place called Penusy making three Three pretenses for his Invasion pretences for his invasion The first and chiefe was to challenge his right to the Crowne as next Heire and moreover bequeathed unto him by his Nephew Edward the Confessor upon his death-bed The second was to vindicate the bloudy murder of his Cousin Alfred and brother of the late King committed by E. Goodwin upon Guildowne which was done as hee pretended by the especiall instigation of Harold The third was to revenge the banishment of Archbishop Robert before remembred in the accusation of Queene Emma with which also hee chargeth Harold as the sole animatour of his exile and hitherto Merlins Prophesies admit no contradiction when he faith Iron men in wooden Tents shall here arrive And hence the Saxons with the Eglets drive By the Iron-men meaning the Normans in The prophesie explained Iron Casks and Corslets by wooden Tents their Navigable Vessels who in Harold extinguisht the bloud of the white Dragon the Saxons and expelled the Eglets who were the Danes the brood of Swanus in that Princely bird so emblematized the story followeth Duke William landing one of his feet slipt and the other stuck fast in the sand which one of his Knights observing A good Omen cried aloud A good Omen now William England is thine owne and thou shalt change the title of Duke into King at which he smiled and piercing further into the Land hee made proclamation that no man should take any prey or make any spoyle or doe any violence to the Natives saying it were no reason that hee should offer outrage to that which should be his owne Harrold was at that time in the North who hearing the Normans were landed gathered his forces by the way as he came to supply his army which was much weakned by reason of the last battaile fought against the Danes and Norways and sending spies into the Dukes host to Harold sends spyes into the Dukes Hoast discover their strength word was brought him that his souldiers were all preists and lawyers as having their upper lips chins and cheeks shaven which was their custom then and the English used to weare
knowne magnanimity and courage farre surpassest other men but the Kings false oath hath levied men to this unjust warre in which wee must either strive bravely to winne the mastery or else be basely overcome and we now are run into that hazard that none of us is safe which shall not acquit himselfe by his resolution and Knightly boldnesse therefore shew your valour and be assured of victorie Then Earle Baldwin standing in the front of Earle Baldwins incouragement to to the Kings Army the Kings battaile began to incourage his souldiers in this manner To men that shall fight three things are by them to be observed The first the Iustice of the cause lest they indanger their soules which is cleere on our part who sight for our King Country the second is the number of men and the accommodation of Armes for few are not to oppose a multitude nor naked men against armed and we parallel if not exceed them both in amunition and number the third is boldnesse and courage not for defence only but offence which me thinks I espy in your faces and therefore of all these three our Army is sufficiently furnished Now what bee our enemies A weake and distressed woman assisted by two weak supporters Robert Earle of Glocester a man daring without deed and accustomed to word with words not weapons and Ranulph Earle of Chester haughty but withall fool-hardy constant in nothing and conscious only of Conspiracies who proposeth great enterprizes but never brings any to good effect and for many Legions conducted by such Leaders the more they be in company the sooner they be overcome At which word he was cut off by the violent The battell betwixt the King and the Empresse comming on of the enemy and now beganne a cruell battaile resolutely and bravely fought on both sides the violence whereof lasted long uncertain who should be victors but in the end the Kings Hoast was utterly routed but hee of a more heroicke spirit as scorning to flie mayntained the fight with some few of his Knights The King takâ—…n prisoner and was taken prisoner and being brought before the Empresse shee commanded him to bee conveyed under safe custody to the Castle of Bristoll where he remayned indurance from Candlemasse to holy Rood day next ensuing after which victory she was so exalted in thought and puft up with pride that shee thought now shee had the whole Kingdome in her owne possession and came triumphantly to Winchester after to Wilton to Oxford to Reading to Saint Albans and lastly to London in all which places she was royally received and during her abode there the Queene made assiduate labour for the delivery of the King her husband promising he The Queenes pâ—…tition to the Empresse should surrender the whole Land into her possession and either be take himselfe to some Religious Order or to become a banisht Pilgrime to the end of his life but all was in vaine shee could receive no comfort from the Empresse upon any conditions The Citizens of London likewise petitioned unto her that they might use the Laws of Edward the Confessor as they were confirmed by the Conquerour and that she would be pleased to disanull the strict innovations imposed on the land by her Father Henry to which she nor her Counsell would in the least wise condiscend but the tyde soone turned for Kent tooke part The Londoners and Kentishmen take part with the King with the King and the Londoners being discontented at the deniall of their suite and being assured that the Kentish men would in all their Enterprizes assist them they purposed to have surprized her person of which she having secret intelligence left a great part of her Iewels and houshold-stuffe and fled to Oxford in which slight many of her adherents were disheartned and a great part of her forces dispersed and scattered Then the Queene before so much despised The Queene puâ—…sueth the Empresse by the ayde of her friends the Kentish men Londoners and others gathered a strong host under the conduct of one William De-Pre to pursue the Empresse who understanding the Queens forces daily to increase and hers assiduatly to diminish shee left Oxford and secretly escaped to Glocester whither the Queenes host followed her in defence of which City Robert brother Earle Bobert of Glocester taken prisoner of the Empresse making an excursion from the towne was surprised and taken Briefly a Communication was held between the two opposite parties in which after much debating the businesse on both sides it was concluded that there should be one exchange made of the two prisoners so that the King vpon Holy rood day in harvest King Stephen released in exchange of Earle Robert was released and delivered up to the Queen and her Army and Robert of Glocester was surrendred to his sister Maud the Empresse The Land in this time was much distressed by these two Armies who were in continuall agitation sometimes the King having the better and sometimes the Empresse to relate which at large would aske too long circumstance but in the end the King had the better in the seventeenth Yeare of whose Raigne dyed Ranulph Earle of Chester and Ieffry Plantaginet husband to Maud the Empresse after whose death their The death of Iâ—…ffery Plantaginet sonne Henry sirnamed short mantle because hee used to goe in a short Cloak was created Duke of Anjou and Normandy whose sonne few yeares after maried Elenor daughter to the Earl of Poyctow who had before bin maried to Lewis The marriage of Henry Duke of Normandy the French King but for the too neernesse of blood divorced after hee had received two daughters from her Mary and Alice so that this Henry was the Earle of Anjou by his father Duke of Normandy by his mother and Earle of Poyctow by his wife This King Stephen had a sonne named Eustace Eustace the sonne of King Stephen who by ayde of the French King warred upon the forenamed Henry in which the Duke so Knightly demeaned himselfe that it proved to their great disadvantage some say that King Stephen would have crowned his sonne in his life time but the Clergie would not agree thereto having a command from the Bishop of Rome to the contrary and therefore his purpose tooke no effect Then the King said siege to the Castles of Newbery Wallingford Warbycke and Warwell which had beene kept by the friends of the Empresse to her use in hope of the comming over of her sonne Duke of Duke Henry landeth in England Normandy c. who the same yeere with a great Hoast entered England and first wanne the Castle of Malmsbury and after came to London and possessed himselfe both of the City and the Tower which more by his policie and promise then his potencie and power performed Then King Stephen with his Hoast drew neer to Duke Henry but by the mediation of Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury and
Borderers He likewise added the whole Kingdome to his owne and from the South Ocean to the North Islands of the Orcades hee closed all those Lands as under one principall which done and receiving fealty and homage of the said King having a certaine summe of money promist to bee payd unto him within nine moneths following hee suffered him to goe at liberty He spred his Empire so far that none of all his No King before him of such large Empire predecessours had so many Countries and Provinces under their Dominion and rule for besides the Realme of England he had at once in his possession Normandy Gascoine and Guien Anjou and Chinou with Alverne and others and by his wife as her rightfull Inheritance the Pyrene Mountaines which part France and Spaine which proves that hee Who from the height of the great rock may see The Countries round both neere and far away Shall search amongst them where hee best can prey In the seventh year of his Raigne died Theobald Tho Becket created Arch-bishop of Canterbury Arch-bishop of Canterbury and Thomas Becket who was then Chancellour of England was translated unto that See and in the ninth yeare the King cal'd a Parliament at Northampton where hee intended to abolish some privileges which the Clergie had usurped amongst which one was that no Priest or Clergie man though he had committed felony murther or treason against the Kings owne person yet had hee not power to put him to death which he purposed to have reformed in which Thomas Becket then Arch-Bishop violently opposed him and gave him very peremptory and unseemly language vilifying the Kings prerogatiue and authority The Archbishop opposeth the King to his face but when he saw he had not power to prevaile against the King hee in great heate and hast sped him to Alexander then Bishop of Rome grievously complayning on the King and suggesting what iniuries and innovations he would put upon the holy Church continuing there partly in Italy and partly in France for the space of six yeares together After which time Lewis King of France reconciled The King and the Archbishop atton'd the King and the Archbishop the King being then in Normandy and Becket returned to his See at Canterbury whither hee summond all such persons as in his absence had spoyled and rifled his moveables and goods advising them first by faire meanes to restore them but when he saw that course prevailed not he tooke The King cursed by the Archbishop a more severe and compulsory way excommunicating and denouncing all such accursed in his Anathema not sparing the Kings royall person at which the parties here in England whom it particularly concerned sailed over unto the King in Normandy and made a grievous complaint against the Archbishop at which his being extraordinarily incensed sayd in the open audience of those then about him had I any friend that tendered mine honour and safety I had ere this time beene revenged of that traiterous Archbishop At that time were present and heard these words Sir William Breton Sir Hugh Morvill Sir Richard Fitzvile and Sir William Tracy which foure Knights having communed and considered amongst themselves with an unanimous resolution took shipping and landed at Dover and road thence to Canterbury where the fift day in Christmasse weeke they slue the said Bishop in the Church as hee was going to the Altar who had before in the open pulpit The Archbishop slain going to the Altar denounced the King and divers others of his subjects accursed which answers to the former The All-commanding keys shall strive to wrest And force the lock that opens to his nest But breake their own wards c. By the All-commanding Keys is meant the power of the Keyes of Rome who striving to force the lock opening to his nest that is his principality and prerogative broke their owne wards which proved true in this Th. Becket Primate and Metropolitan who was slaine in the yeer 1170 over whose Tombe this Distich was inscribed Anno milleno centeno septuageno Anglorum primus corruit ense thronus which with small alteration may bee thus paraphrased Anno one thousand one hundred seventy dy'd Thomas the Primate in his height of pride The inscription over his Tombe Henry in the fourteenth yeere of his Reigne caused his eldest sonne Henry to bee crowned King of England at Westminster giving him full power over the Realme whilst hee himselfe was negotiated in Normandy and his many other provinces which after proved to his great Henry crowneth his sonne Henry King disadvantage and trouble In which interim he had cast his eye upon a most beautifull Lady called Rosamond on whom hee was so greatly enamoured that it grew even to dotage insomuch that hee neglected the Queenes company The faire Lady Rosamond insomuch that she incensed all his sonnes who tooke up armes against their Father in the quarrell of their mother by which the peace of the Land was turned to hostility and uprore yet the King so farre prevailed that hee surprised the Queen and kept her in close prison and withall The King imprisons the Queene was so indulgent over his new Mistresse that he built for her a rare and wondrous fabricke so curiously devised and intricate with so many turning Meanders and winding indents that none upon any occasion might have accesse unto her unlesse directed by the King or such as in that businesse hee most trusted and this edifice â—…e erected at Woodstocke not farre from Oxford and made a Labyrinth which was wrought like a knot in a Garden called a Maze in which any one might lose himselfe unlesse guided by a line or threed which as it guided him in so it directed him the way out But in processe it so hapned that the sonnes having the better of The Sonnes release their mother their Father set at liberty their Mother who when the King was absent came secretly to Woodstocke with her traine at such a time when the Knight her Guardian being out of the way not dreaming of any such accident had left the Clue carelesly and visible in the entrance of the Labyrinth Which the Queene espying slipt not that advantage but wound her selfe by that silken threed even to the very place where shee found her sitting and presenting her with a bowle of poyson shee compeld her to drinke it off in her presence after which draught shee within few minutes expired and the Queene departed thence in her revenge fully satisfied for which cruell act the King could never be drawne to reconcile Lady Rosamond poisond by the Queene himselfe unto her after and this makes good that of Merlin of all the flowers that grow The Rose shall most delight his scent and so That lest it any strangers eyes should daze He plants it close in a Dedalian Maze Rosamund being dead was buried in the Monastery of Goodstow neere unto Oxford upon whose Tombe
seek a man not mony every Christian Prince sendeth us money but none sendeth us a Prince and therefore we demand a Prince that needeth money and not money that needeth a Prince who finding no other comfort from the King departed his presence much discontented but the King thinking to sooth him up with faire words followed him to the Sea-side but the more the King laboured to humour him the more harsh and hardned he grew against the King and said unto him hitherto thou hast reigned gloriously The Patriarchs answer to the King but hereafter thou shalt be abandoned of him whom thou forsakest think what he hath given to thee and what thou in gratitude hast returned to him againe who at the first wast false to the French King and after slewest Thomas Becket and now lastly forsakest the protection of Christs faith at which words the King was much moved and sayd to the Patiarch though all the people of the Land were one body and spoke with one mouth they durst not say to me as thou hast done true saith the Patriarch for they love thine and not thee the safety of thy goods temporall but not the safety of thy soule then he offered his head to the King saying now doe me that right which thou did'st to thine Arch-Bishop for I had rather be slayne by thee then by the Sarazens The King kept his patience and replied should I depart out of the Land mine owne sons would seise upon my Crowne and Scepter in mine absence no wonder answered the Patriarch A proud and peremptory Patriarch for of the devil they come and to the devill they shall and so departed from the King in great anger after which all things went averse against him Giraldus Cambrisius writes of him that he cherisht strife amongst his owne children thinking thereby to live himselfe in the more rest and further saith that hee was peerelesse for three things wit war wantonnesse He Raigned twenty sixe yeares victoriously and gloriously foure yeares distractedly and doubtfully and his five last yeares infortunately and miserably in the end by meere vexation and anger he fell into a fever and dyed thereof in the Castle of Chinon in Normandy in the moneth of The death of King Henry the second Iuly when he had raigned thirty foure yeares eight moneths and odd dayes and was buried at Founte-blew fulfilling that of the former prediction Fortune at first shall on his glories smile But faile him in the end c. Richard the first of that name and second sonn Richard the first succedeth his father of Henry sirnamed Short Mantle succeeded his father and began his Raigne over England in the moneth of Iuly 1189 who upon the day of his Coronation commanded that all the prisoners about London which lay in for the Kings debt or otherwise murder and treason excepted should be set at large of whose future Reign it was thus predicted The Lions heart wee l gainst the sarazen rise And purchase from him many a glorious prise The Rose and Lilly shall at first vnite But parting of the prey prove opposite Iebus and Salem will be much opprest As by the lame and blind againe possest The Lion-hearted amongst Wolves shall range And by his art Iron into silver change But whilst abroad these great acts shall be done All things at home shall to disorder run Coopt up and cag'd then shall the Lion bee But after sufferance ransom'd and set free Then doubly crowned two mighty ones whose prides Transcend twixt whom aseas arme only glides Ambitious both shall many conflicts try Last by a poysonous shaft the Lion dye This King soone after his Coronation conferd upon his brother three great dignities and honours as the Earldome of Nottingham Cornwale Chester and Lancaster and maried him to the daughter of the Earle of Gloster who was his only childe by which he was heire to that Earldome also all which he after but cruelly requited then the king sought to be absolved for his rebellion against his father which he easily purchast upon promise to pursue the wars Richard undertaketh the holy voyage in Palestina which his father refused and to expedite that voyage he gave over the two Castles of Barwick and Rocheborough to the Scotch king for ten thousand pound towards the charges of his journey moreover he sould to the old Bishop of Durham that Province for a great sum of mony and as he had covenanted made him Earle thereof which done the king laught and said to the standers by observe what art and cunning is in me who can make a young Earle of an old Bishop by such meanes hee emptyed many of the Clergies bagges and fil'd his own coffers granting large fees and annuities out of the Crowne for which some as far as they durst blaming him he replyed unto them that it was good for a man to ayde himselfe with his owne adding that if the citty London were his at that time of his neede he would sel that also if he could meete with a merchant able to buy it In the second yeare of his Raigne hee made The Bishop of Ely made Vice Gerent in the Kings absence William Longshamp Bishop of Ely Chancellour of England leaving the whole Land to his guiding then sayled he into Normandy and thence into France to Philip the second and after covenants drawne betwixt them for the continuance of so great and hazardous a iourney in the spring of the yeare they set forward Richard by sea and Philip by land appointing their randevouz in Sicily where meeting as it was agreed a difference grew betwixt the 2. Kings Difference betwixt the English and French Kings in so much that King Phillip left Richard in Sicily and departed towards Acon or Acris in which time the King of Cyprus tooke two of king Richards ships and peremptorily denyed their delivery For which he invaded the kingdome of Cyprus making sharpe war therein chacing the King from Citty to Citty in so much that K. Richard conquered the Kingdome of Cyprus he was compeld to yield unto him upon condition that he should not bee layed in bonds of iron whereof the king accepted and kept his promise causing him to be fettered in chaines of silver verifying that of the prophesie The Lion-hearted amongst Wolves shall range And by his art iron into silver change When he had remained there for the space of 2. months taking his pleasure of the countrey victualled his navy he steered his course towards Acon and by the way he encountered a great ship of the Soldans furnisht with store of amunition and treasure which he surprised seized after which he safely arived at the foresaid citty and met with the king of France of whom he was ioyfully received for not long before 2000 of his army were cut off by the Sarazens then King Richard caused the Citty to be violently assaulted on every side so that they were
torne What many Lions in their pride have worne Hither the French flower would it self transpose Where must spring after many a glorious rose Hee that did all he might the Kirk despise Against his life shall a base Kirk-man rise The former part of this prediction is apparant Iohn cold here the Fox and after the Leo pard in the premisses where Iohn sought like a Fox subtlely and craftily to insinuate into the peoples hearts and rob him of his Kingdom thinking his brother all that time as dead when hee was utterly despairing of his liberty but finding him waking as being enfranchised and set at large he then was frighted by the least frown of his brows being glad to mediate his peace by his Mother the rest shall follow in order hee was King Iohns châ—…acter of a disposition course and retrograde self-will'd and proud in all or most of his undertakings very infortunate In the first yeere of his reigne he divorced himselfe from his first wife daughter to the Earle of Glocester pretending too neere propinquitie in bloud and soone after married Isabel daughter to the Earle Angolesme King Iohns second mariage and issue in France by whom hee had issue two sonnes Henry and Richard and three daughters Isabel Eleanor and Iane He was before his coronation girt with the sword of the Dukedome of Britany and suffered it to be taken from him by his yong Nephew Arthur son to Ieffery Plantaginet to his great derogation and dishonour he after left all Normandy which the French King wonne Iohn looseth Normandy from him even to one Towne and Village approving that of the Prophet After this Leopard stain'd with many a spot Rollo and Gilla Shall lose all Rollo by his Gilla got The Prophet for his stained and contaminated life and government would not vouchsafe him the name of a Lion but a Leopard alluding as well to his spotted fame as his skin by whose cowardly and unkingly proceedings Philip the French King seized all Normandy and tooke it into his absolute possession annexing it to his Crowne which no French Monarch ever had since the time of Charles the Simple who gave that Duchie to Rollo as a dowry with Guilla his daughter which had successively continued under the Sovereignty of the Dukes of Normandie and the Kings of England three hundred yeers and upwards In the first yeere of his Reigne Stephen Langton being chosen Archbishop of Canterbury by the Monks the election was opposed by the The ground of a great quarrel betwixt the King and the Archbishop King for which hee complained him to the Pope who sent unto him loving and kinde Letters to admit of the said Stephen to which his Lords advised him but the more he was importuned the more implacable hee grew returning the Popes messengers backe with peremptory deniall The next yeere came a strict commandement from Rome that unlesse the King would peaceably suffer the Archbishop to enjoy his See that the whole Land should be interdicted charging these four Bishops William of London King Iohns obstinacy Eustace of Elie Walter of Winchester and Giles of Hereford to denounce the King and his Land accursed unlesse his command were punctually obey'd but though these Prelates with the rest of his Peeres were urgent with him to eschew the rigorous Censure of the Church all was to no purpose for which upon the six and twentieth day of March they began in London and first shut up the doores of all Temples Churches and Chappels with all the other places where Divine Service was used and as in London so they did through the whole Land The whole land by the Popâ— accursed for which the King was so inraged that he seized all their temporalties into his hands putting them into such feare that they were forced to flie to the banisht Archbishop some write that this interdiction was of such power and validity that during the time therof which was six yeers three moneths and odde dayes no Service was said no Sacraments administred no Childe Christned none Married and not any suffered An uncharitable Bull. to come to Confesse In this interim the King from anger grew to The Kings Proclamation rage proclayming that all persons Spirituall or Temporall that held any Lands or other livelihood here shall by the next Michaelmasse returne into the Land or failing therein forfeit their whole estates besides that diligent search should be made what Letters should be brought from Rome which should bee delivered to the He extorteth from the Clergie King then hee extorted from all the Monasteries not sparing any Religious House that had dependance on the Clergie For which a new Commission was sent from Rome by vertue whereof the Curse of interdiction was againe denounced to which by the authority of the Pope was added that this his Bull acquitted and absolved all the Lords of England as well spirituall as Temporall from all duty and allegiance before sworne to the King and that they might lawfully rise in armes against him to depose and deprive him of all Regall honour and dignity but all these tooke no more impression The Lords and others acquit of their allegiance by the Pope in him then if they had beene clamoured in the eares of a deafe man or proclaymed to a Statue of Marble But by the way which I cannot let passe this King Iohn in the tenth yeere of his Reigne and of grace one thousand two hundred and ten The first Major and Sheâ—…iffs of London made by K. Iohn granted to the City of London by his Letters Patents that in stead of two Bayliffs by which their Magistracy was held they should yeerly choose themselves a Major and two Sheriffs which Major was Henry Fitz-allwin and Peter Duke and Thomas Neale Sheriffs The same yeere London bridge which before was of timber London bridge Saint Mary Overies was begun to be builded of stone and Saint Mary Overies Church to be erected in Southwark CHAP. 17. A continuance of some passages in King Iohns Reign Henry the Third succedeth his Father a prediction of his Reigne his brother Richard made King of the Romans Henries long Reign the mad Parlament The Barons Wars c. I Proceed where I left in the same yeere the Pope sent over his Legate More thunderings from the Pope Pandolphus with another a Latere to accompany him to solicit the same businesse who were sent back with a like frivolous answer yet hee sent againe the yeere following the same Pandolphus threatning wonders if hee did not receive Stephen Langton into his Archbishoprick and make restitution of all such moneys and other moveables of which he had robbed the Monasteries c. Then at last the King considering into what dangers hee had intricated himselfe hy his peremptory denials how he had lost Normandy abroad and then in what desperate case his Kingdom stood King Iohns submission at home
that his Lords were acquitted of their allegiance and in what danger his souls and his peoples were hee and his whole Nation standing accursed he at length condiscended to submit himselfe to whatsoever the Court of Rome should determine The Articles proposed by the Pope and by him to be performed were these following Peaceably to suffer Stephen Langton to enter The Articles that hee should yield to into the Land and to enjoy the primacy and profits of his Archbishoprick that these whom hee had banisht should be repeald and their goods whom hee had rifled should be to them restored and that he should yield up his absolute right and title to the Crowne of England and he his heirs thence-forward to hold it of the Pope and his successors to which having granted and he and his Lords being sworne to observe Iohn delivers up his Crowne to the Popes use the same Hee kneeling tooke the Legâ—…te to him the Crowne from his head and delivered it to the Popes use saying these words I here resigne up the Crowne of the Realmes of England and Ireland into the hands of pope Innocent the third and put my selfe wholly into his power and mercy then Pandolph as Deputy for the Pope tooke the Crowne and kept it five dayes in his possession and then the King received it from him againe First having sealed and delivered up an Instrument or writing the effect was that he could challenge no power but by permission of the Pope and further to pay unto the Apostolicke See yeerly a thousand Marks of silver seven hundred for the Crowne of England and three hundred for the Kingdome of Ireland for the payment of which Tribute yeeâ—…ly paid by King Iohn to Rome tribute but the Peter-pence were after gathered and this confirmes the premisses exprest in the prophesie Then shall those keyes whose power would awe the fates For along time lock up his Temple gates Vnburthen him of all the charge he beares And wrest from him the Lawrell that he wears Woes me that from one Leopard should be torne What many Lions in their pride have worne It is made so plaine that it needs no further Interpretor In those days lived one called Peter Peter of Pomfret of Pomfret a Bard and such then were held as Southsayers and prophets who predicted divers of the Kings disasters which fell out accordingly amongst which one was that hee should reigne but fourteene yeeres but when the King had entred the fifteenth hee called him into question for a false prophet to which hee answered that whatsoever hee had foretold was justifiable and true For in the fourteenth yeer hee gave up his Crowne unto the pope and hee paying unto him an annuall tribute the pope raigned and not hee notwithstanding which apology he caused him as a Traytour to be hanged and quartered After which he bore himselfe so aversly towards his Barons that the greatest part of them Lewis sonne to the French King called in to England by thâ—… Barons fell from his Allegiance and called in Lewis son to the French king into the Land covenanting to make him king who was received with his whole Army and possessed of London the Tower and many other strong holds in the kingdome betwixt whom and the king were sundry conflicts and skirmishes in which they diversly sped during which dissention in the seventeenth yeere of his Reigne he expired as the Authour of Polychron saith at Newarke of The death of King Iohn a bloudy flix But by the relation of our English Chronicle to which we give more credit as also by the authority of Master Fox in his Martyrologie he was poysoned by a Monke having been a great Rifler of their Monasteries and dyed at Swinsted Abbey in Lincolnshire this Monke being of the same House and his body was after buried in the Cathedrall Church at Winchester which fatall accident hapned unto him the day after Saint Luke being the eighteenth of October after hee had reigned sixteen yeeres six moneths and odde days leaving behind him two sonnes Henry and Richard In his death verifying He that did all he might the Kirke despise Against his life shall a base Kirkman rise Not forgetting the former which was predicted of Lewis comming into the Land Hither the French flower would it self transpose Where must spring after many a glorious Rose Henry the third of that name and eldest son Henry the third crowned King to King Iohn at the age of nine yeeres beganne his Reigne over the Realme of England the twentieth of October in the yeere of Grace one thousand two hundred and sixteene Philip the second being then king of France this king reigned the longest and did the least of remarkable memory of any of his predecessours Of whom it was thus predicted Dreame shall the Leopards issue in the throne The Prophesie Crudled in rest carefull to keep his owne Nor forcing ought from others changing then His Leopards spots a Lion turn agen Abroad the second whelpe for prey will rore Beyond the Alps to Ioves bird restore rage Her decayde plumes the King of beasts whose His youth conceal'd shall rowse him in his age Against the Boare the Talbot and the Beare The Mountain Cat Goat with whom cohere Of fowls the Falcon Hearn the Peacock Swan With Fishes too prest from the Ocean With whose mixt blouds the Forest shal be dyde Till love unite what discord did divide Presently upon the young Kings Coronation the greatest part of the English peeres revolted The English Lords revolt from Lewis to Henry from the French party and acknowledged him their sole King and Soveraigne so that within a short season they quit both him and all the Aliens and Strangers out of the Land in the eight yeare of his Raigne was held a Parlament The first granting of Wards in which was granted to the King and his successor Kings the Wardship and Mariage of all the Heires which act was called by wise men of that age Initium Malorum In the thirtieth yeare of his Raigne dyed Frederick the Emperour who had before maried Isabell the Kings sister who for his contempt of the church of Rome was accursed of The death of the Emperour Frederick whom was made this Epitaph Fre sremit in Mundo De deprimitalta profundo Ri res rimatur cus cuspide cuncta minatur Which though it cannot sound so well in our English tongue yet is thus paraphrased Free frets the world De Height which depth confounds Ri searcheth all things Cus with the weapen wounds After whose death the Electors could not agree in the choise of a successor some nominated the Duke of Thoring others the Earle of Holland and some againe stood for Richard Earle of Cornwale the Kings brother but in the end Rodulphus Duke of Habspurg was inaugurated by Pope Gregory the ninth so that great variance and strife continued for the space of 27 yeares to
Henry the Third by reason of his tall stature sirnamed Long-shanks began his Reign Novem. 17. the yeere of Grace one thousand two hundred threescore and twelve who came to London the second day of August and was crowned at Westminster the fourteenth of December following The Cororati of P. Edward sirnamed Loâ—…gshanks being the second yeere of his Reigne at whose Coronation was present Alexander King of Scots who the morrow following did homage to him for the Kingdome of Scotland but Lewellin prince of Wales refused to come to that solemnitie for which King Edward gathered a strong power and subdued him in his Lewellin P. of Wales rebeileth owne borders and in the yeere after hee called his high Court of Parlament to which also Lewellin presumptuously denied to come therefore after Easter he assembled new forces and entring Wales hee constrained him to submit himselfe to his mercy which with great difficulty Lewellin took to mercy hee obtained then the King built the Castle of Flint and strengthened the Castle of Rutland to keepe the Welsh in due obedience He gave also uuto David brother of Lewellin David brother to Lewellin the Castle of Froddesham who remayned in his Court and with his seeming service much delighted the King but David did it only as a spie to give his brother secret intelligence of whatsoever the King or his Counsell said of him or against him who tooke his opportunity and privatly left the Court stirring up his broâ—…her to a new Rebellion of which the King being informed hee could hardly thinke that hee could prove so ingratefull but being better ascertained of the truth he made fierce warre upon them at length Lewellin was strictly besieged in Swandon Castle from which when hee thought early in a morning to escape with ten Knights only hee was met by Sir Roger Mortimer upon whose Lands hee had before done great out-rage who surprized him and cut off his head and sent it to the King being then at The death of Lewellin P. of Wales Rutland who commanded it to bee pitcht on a pole and set upon the Tower of London and further that all his heires should be disherited and their claime to the Soveraignty of Wales to be deprived the right thereof solely remayning in the Kings of England and their Successours So one after was his brother David taken and after doomed to be drawn hanged and quartered The death of David his brother and his head sent to the Tower and placed by his brother Lewellins in which the prophesie is verified The Cambrian Wolves he through their woods shall chace Nor cease till he have quite extirpt their Race Of this Lewellin a Welsh Metrician writ this Epitaph Hic jacet Anglorum tortor tutor Venedorum Princeps Wallorum Lewelinus regula morum A Welsh poet upon the death of Lewellin Gemma Coaevorum flos regum praeteritorum Forma futurorum Dux Laus Lex Lux populorum Thus anciently Englisht Of Englishmen the scourge of Welsh the protector Lewellin the Prince rule of all vertue Gemme of Livers and of all others the flower Who unto death hath paid his debt due Of Kings a mirrour that after him ensue Duke and Priest and of the Law the right Here in this grave of people lyeth the light To which an English Poet of those times made this answer Hic jacet errorum princeps ac praedo virorum An English poets answer to the former Proditor Anglorum fax livida sectareorum Numen Wallorum Trux Dux Homicida piorum Fex Trojanorum stirps mendax causa malorum Here lyeth of Errour the Prince if yee will ken Thiefe and Robber and traytor to Englishmen A dimme brood a Sect of doers evill God of Welshmen cruell without skill In slaying the good and Leader of the bad Lastly rewarded as he deserved had Of Trojans bloud the dregs and not the seed A root of falshood and cause of many evill deed In the twentieth yeere of the King upon Saint Andrews Eve being the twentie ninth of November died Queene Eleanor sister to the The death of Q. Eleanor King of Spaine by whom the King had foure sonnes Iohn Henry Alphons and Edward the three first died and Edward the youngest succeeded his Father and five Daughters Eleanor who was married to William of Bar Ioan of The Kings Râ—…yall Issue Acris to the Earle of Glocester Gilbert de Clare Margaret to the Dukes sonne of Brabant Mary who was made a Nun at Ambrisbury and Elisabeth espoused to the Earle of Holland and after his death to Humphrey Bokun Earle of Hereford This yeere also died old Queene Eleanor wife The death of K. Edwards mother to Henry the third and mother to King Edward I come now to the twenty fourth yeare of his Reigne in which Alexander King of Scotland being dead hee left three Daughters the first was married to Sir Iohn Baliol the second to Sir Robert le Bruise the third to one Hastings Amongst which there fell dissention about the Title to the Crown as shall appeare in the next Chapter CHAP. 19. The right that the Kings of England have anciently had to the Crowne of Scotland for which they did them homage King Edwards victorious wars in Scotland The Prophesie fulfilled His death And Coronation of his sonne c. The death of Gaveston with a Prophesie of King Edward the Second THese three before-named Baliol Bruse and Hastings came to King Edward as chiefe Lord and Sovereigne Authority by which England claimed homage from the Scotch Kings of that Land to dispose of the right of their Titles to his pleasure and they to abide his censure who to the intent that they might know hee was the sole competent Iudge in that case caused old Evidences and Chronicles to be searcht amongst which was Marianus the Scot William of Malmsbury Roger of Hungtington and others in which were found and read before them that in the yeere of Grace nine hundred and twenty King Edward the elder made subject unto him the two Kings of Cambria and Scotland In the yeere nine hundred twenty one the said Kings of Wales and Scotland chose the same Edward to bee their Lord and Patron In the yeere nine hundred twenty six Ethelstane King of England subdued Constantine King of Scots who did him fealty and homage And Edredus brother and successor to Ethelstane subdued the Scots againe with the Northumbers who reigned under him It was also found in the said Chronicles that King Edgar overcame Alpinus the sonne of Kinudus King of Scots and received of him homage as hee had done of his father before time And that Canutus in the sixteenth yeere of his Reign overcame Malcolm K. of Scots and received of him oath and homage that William the Conquerour in the sixt yeere of his Reigne was victorious over Malcolme who before received the Kingdome of the gift of Edward the Confessor who did him fealty the
like did Malcolme and his two sonnes to VVilliam sirnamed the Red sonne to the Conquerour David King of Scots did homage also to Stephen King of England VVilliam King of Scots did the like to Henry the third at the time of his Coronation and when this Henry was dead This Henry cald the third was sonne to Henry the se cond and was crowned but dyed befoâ—…e his Father hee came after to his father Henry the second into Normandy and did the like to him also Alexander King of Scots in the thirty first yeer of Henry the second sonne of King Iohn married at Yorke the Daughter of the said Henry and did him homage for the Realme of Scotland c. Further was shewed unto them the Popes Bulls sent into Scotland by vertue whereof those of their Kings were accursed that would not bee obedient to their Lords the Kings of England Briefely they acknowledging all these Authoriy from Rome to be true Bonds were made on both sides in which thing Edward was tyed in an hundred thousand pounds to nominate their King and the Scots againe bound to obey him nominated as their Soveraigne After which writings sealed they delivered the possession of the Kingdome of Scotland into King Edwards hands to preserve it to his use of whom hee would make election who made choise of Sir Iohn Balioll as true and immediate heire by marrying Sir Iohn Balioll made king of Scots the eldest sister for which he did him homage and sware him fealty which done the Scots with their new King departed joyfully into Scotland But soone after Baliol repented him of his Oath and as some say by the Counsell of the Abbot of Menrosse others by the instigation of the King of France but whether by one or both certaine it is that hee perfidiously revolted and made warre upon England which Edward hearing sped him with a great hoast into The Scots revolt Scotland and laid siege to Barwicke but they bravely defended the Towne and burnt some of our English with which they were so inflamed with pride that they made this scornfull Rime upon the English What ween is King Edward with his long shanks To have won Barwicke all our unthankes Gaas pikes him And when he had it Gaas dikes him At which King Edward being mightily moved so incouraged his souldiers that they first wonne the Ditches and after with great difficulty the Bulwarkes and then came to the gates which they inforced and entring the Towne slew twenty five thousand and seven hundred Scots and lost no man of note save Richard King Edward winneth Barwicke Earle of Cornwall and of meaner people twenty seven and no more which hitherto upholds the former prediction Then from the North shall fiery Meteors threat Ambitious after blood to quench their heate The Dragons blood at which his Crest wil rise And his skales flame where he treads or flies Fright all shall him oppose the Northerne Dyke Passe shall he then and set his foot in wyke By the Northerne Dyke is implyed the River Tweede and by Wyke the Towne of Barwicke but I pursue the History The King having possest the Towne and Castle hee sent Sir Hugh Spencer with Sir Hugh Parcy and other Noble men to besiege Dunbar whither came a mighty Host to remove them thence with whom the English had a fierce and cruel battail A glorious victory at the taking of Dunbar in which were slaine of the Scots twenty two thousand and of the English a very small number wherefore the English to reproach the Scots in regard of their former Rime made this These scattered Scots Hold we for sots Of wrenches unware Earely in a morning in an evill timing Came yee to Dunbar After the taking of the Towne and Castle of Dunbarre the King besieged the City of Edenborough and wonne both it and the Castle Edenborough taken with the Castle Crown c. in which were found the Regalities of state which King Edward tooke thence and offered them at the shrine of Saint Edward upon the eighteenth day of Iune the year following Then Sir Iohn Baliol with diverse of his Clergy and Nobility submitted themselves to the kings grace and having setled the affaires of Scotland hee brought them up to London and then asked them what amends they would make him for all the trouble and damage they had put him to who answered they wholly submitted themselves to his mercy Hee then replyed your Lands nor your goods doe I desire but I will that you take the Sacrament to be my true Feodaries and never more to beare Armes against me to which they willingly assented of w ch were sir Iohn Commin the Earle of Stratherne the Earle of Carick and foure The Scotch sworne on the Sacrament Bishops took Oath in the behalfe of themselves and the whole Clergy which done the king gave them safe conduct into their Country But not long after they hearing the king was busied in his warres of Gascoyne against the French king they made a new insurrection having They breake their oath one VVill. Wallis a desperate Ruffin and of low condition to be their chiefe Leader which the King hearing having ordred his affaires in â—…rance hee sped towards Scotland and entring the Kingdome he burnt and wasted wheresoere he came sparing only all Churches Religious Houses and the poore people who besought him of mercy At length hee met with the Scottish Army upon Saint Mary Mawdlins day at a place called Fonkirke where hee gave them The bâ—…ve battaile at Fonkâ—…ke battaile and slue of them thirty three thousand with the losse only of twenty eight men and no more and finding no other enemies able to resist him hee returned into England and after married Margaret the French Kings sister by which King Edward marrieth the French Kings sister a peace betwixt England and France was concluded Then went king Edward a third time into Scotland and almost famished the Land and tooke the strong Castle of Estrevelin and soon after was taken William VVallis at the Town of The end of William Wallis Saint Dominick who was sent to London where he received his judgement and upon Saint Bartholomews Eve was drawne and quartred his head stooke off and set on London bridge and his foure quarters sent to bee hanged up in the foure chiefe Cities of Scotland after this Robert le Bruce claymed the Crowne of Scotland without acquainting king Edward therewith and drove all the Englishmen out of the Land of which he vowed revenge and to hang up all the Traytors in that kingdome who before hee set forward on that expedition made foure hundred and foure knights at VVestminster upon a Whitson Sunday with whom and the rest of King Edward maketh 400 and foure Knights his Army he once more pierced Scotland and upon Friday before the Assumption of our Lady hee met with Robert le Bruce and his Hoast
beside Saint Iohns Towne and slue of them seven thousand at the first encounter and the rest fled In this battaile was taken Sir Simon Frizell and sent to London where hee was drawne hanged and quartered there suffered also Iohn Earle of Athelus and Iohn brother to VVilliam King Edwards last victory over the Scots VVallis but Robert le Bruce fled from Scotland into Norway to the King who had married his sister When King Edward had thus abated the pride of his enemies he returned again Southward and a great sicknesse took him at Bozroes upon Sands in the Marches of Scotland beyond Carlile and when he knew hee should die hee called unto him Aymer de Valence Earle of Pembroke Sir Henry Piercy Earle of Northumberland Sir Henry Lacie Earle of Lincolne and Sir Robert Clifford Baron and swore them to crowne his sonne Edward of Carnarvan after his death then hee called his sonne charging him with many things upon his blessing but The Barons sworne to the successour especially that hee shall never receive Pierce Gavestone his old companion before banisht into the Kingdome and so dyed upon the seventh of Iuly when hee had reigned foure and thirty yeeres seven moneths and odde dayes and The death of K. Edward the first thence his body was conveighed to Westminster and there buried approving the prophesie After which showres of bloud will fall upon And barren the faire fields of Caledon Then having ended what he took in hand Die in the Marches of another Land Upon whose Tombe this Distich was inscribed Dum vixit Rex valuit sua magna potestas His Epitaph Fraus latuit pax magna fuit regnavit honestas Thus in those dayes Englisht VVhile lived this King by his power all things VVas in good plight For guile was hid great peace was kid And honesty had might Of his sonne Prince Edward the Prophesie runs thus A prophesie of the Reigne of Edward the second A Goat shall then appeare out of a Carr VVith silver hornes not Iron unfit for warre And above other shall delight to feed Vpon the flower that life and death doth breed A Cornish Eagle clad in plumes of gold Borrowed from others shall on high behold What best can please him to maintain his pride Whose painted feathers shall the Goat misguide Who at length ayming to surprise the Beare Him shall the rowzed beast in pieces teare Two Owles shall from the Eagles ashes rise And in their pride the Forest beasts despise They forc't at first to take their wings and flie Shall back returning beare themselves so hie T' out-brave both birds and beasts and great spoyls winne By the Goats casing in a Lions skin But after be themselves depriv'd of breath By her they scorn'd the flower of life and death And the crown'd Goat thinking himself secure Shall after all a wretched end endure To confirme which Edward the second of that name and sonne of Edward the first borne at Carnarvan a Town of VVales began his Reigne over England the eighth of Iuly in the yeere of Grace one thousand three hundred and seven and was crowned at Westminster the fourteenth day of December whose Fathers Obsequies were scarcely ended but forgetting the great His Coronation charge and command layed upon him in his death hee sent in haste for his old friend and familiar Pierce Gauestone out of France whom hee received with great joy then sayling into Pierce Gavestone revoked from banishment France the fifteenth of Ianuary following at Bolloigne in Picardy espoused Isabell the His marriage daughter of Philip the Faire and returned with her into England where soone after hee made Gaveston Earle of Cornwall and gave him the Gaveston made Eâ—…le of Cornwall Lordship of VVallingford to the great displeasure of the Barons who were sworne to his father not to suffer him to come into the Realm In the second of his Raign remembring the complaint that Steph. Langton Bishop of Chester had made of him and Gaveston for sundry ryots committed in his fathers dayes for which he was banished he sent him prisoner to the Tower where he was strictly kept and ill attended The Bishop of Chester sent to the Tower for which end seeing how by this Pierce the kings treasury was howrely exhausted the Barons assembled themselves and contrary to the Kings pleasure banished him into Ireland for a Gaveston bani shed into Ireland yeere where the King gave him the Dominion over the whole Land but so mourned and lamented his absence that by the consent of Lords he was shortly call'd back again where he demeaned himselfe with greater pride and insolence then at first despising the Lords and chiefe peeres of the Land calling Sir Robert of Clare Earle of Gloster whoreson the Earle of Gavest abuseth the peeres Lincolne sir Henry Lacy Burstenbelly sir Guy Earle of Warwick black dog of Arderne and the noble Earle Thomas of Lancaster churle and moreover having the keeping and command of all the kings treasure he tooke out of the Iewell-house a table of Gold and tressels of the same which once belonged to King Arthur with many other invaluable Iewels and delivered He robs the Kings treasury them to a merchant called Amery of Friskband to beare them over into Gascoigne which was a great losse to the kingdome and further by his loose and effeminate conditions he drew the King to many horrible vices as adultery as some think sodomitry with others therefore the Lords againe assembled and maugre the king banisht him into Flanders In the first yeere upon the day of saint Brice He is banisht into Flanders being the 13 day of November was born at Winsor the first and eldest sonne of King Edward that after his father was king of England named The birth of Edward the third Edward the third and the same yeere Gaveston was called out of Flanders by the king and restored to all his former honours and then he demeaned himselfe more contemptuously toward the Barons then before who besieged him in the Castle of Scarborough and won it and tooke him and brought him to Gaversed The death of Pierce Gavest besides Warwick and there smote off his head which was done at the instigation of Thomas Earle of Lancaster whom Merlin calls the bear and this approveth the premisses A Cornish Eagle cladin plumes of gold Borrowed from others shall on high behold what best can please him to maintain his pride whose painted feathers shall the Goat misguid who at length aiming to surprise the Beare Him shall the rowzed beast in pieces teare CHAP. 20. The Kings unfortunate wars in Scotland The battle of Bannocsbourn c. Barwick betrayed to the Scots The pride and insolency of the Spencers Their misleading the King Their hate to the Queen she is sent over into France Her victorious return with the Prince The King and his Minions taken the death of the
place called Bellalaund or Brighland hee had like to have beene taken as he sat at dinner which could not have beene had he not had some traitours about him and now confer the premisses The King almost surprized at dinner with the Prophesie Two Owles shall from the Eagles ashes rise And in their pride the Forest beasts despise They fore't at first to take their wings and flie Shall back returning beare themselves so hie T' out-brave both birds and beasts and great spoyls winne By the Goats casing in a Lions skin The two Owls are the two Spencers who from the ashes of the Cornish Eagle Gaveston grew into the especiall favour of the King who were sayd to case the Goat in the skinne of the Lyon by animating the effeminate King to the warres against the Barons by whose deaths they got many rich spoyls and then forced to take their wings to fly where they were banisht the Realme at the parliament of white Bands c. The state of the kingdome thus standing and the two Spencers commanding all the Land had Warres with France about the Dutchy of Guian to attone which difference betwixt the two Kings the two Spencers being in all things The hate of the Spencers towards the Queene which was after the cause of their ruine opposite to the Queen whom they had brought to the bare allowance and pension of twenty shillings a day they further plotted how to rid her out of the Land and perswaded the King to send her into France to make peace betwixt the two Kingdomes having before seized on all her lands and those belonging to the Prince The Queen sent into France Briefely the Queene arrived in France and was royally received by her brother who hearing of her base usage and by whom he was much incensed against the K. and his wicked Counsellors and sent to him under his seale to come in person into France to doe him homage or he She is royally received by the King her brother should forfeit the Dutchy of Guian Of which K. Edward took little regard in hope his Queen would salve all things that were amisse betwixt the brother and husband After the Queenes three months abode in France the Prince desired of his Father that he might have leave to visite his mother and unckle which his Father granted and said to him at parting Goe my faire sonne in Gods blessing and mine and returne to mee againe as speedily as you may who passing the Sea and comming to the Kings Court hee joyfully received him and said Faire sonne you bee welcome and since your Father came not to doe homage for the Dutchy of Guian as his antecessors have done I give you the Lordship to hold of me in heritage and so the Prince was created and thence forward called the Duke P. Edward made Duke of Guien of Guien Which being knowne to King Edward hee was highly incensed especially because the Prince was instated into that honour without his consent and pleasure and finding that notwithstanding his often sending they made no haste to returne hee made Proclamation that if within such a day prefixed they made not their repaire into the Land they should be held as enemies to the Crowne and state but the Queene much fearing the malice of the Spencers whom she knew to bee her mortall enemies she removed not thence then the King made forfeiture of all their goods and Lands before seized and took the profits of them to his owne use and sent sharpe and threatning Letters to the French King if he suffered them The French King refuseth to aid his sister to sojourne longer in his Realme upon which he commanded them thence without any further comfort or succour At that time Sir Iohn Henaud brother to the Earle of Henaud a man of great courage and valour being in the French Court much commiserating the Queene and the Prince desired her to goe with him to his brother the Earle of which she was glad and taking his noble offer was there honourably received Then was a marriage concluded betwixt Prince Edward The Prince contracted to Philip daughter to the Earl of Henaud and Phillip the Earles Daughter upon certaine conditions one of which was that the Earle should send over into England the Queene and her sonne with 400 men at Armes under the conduct of his Brother In which interim the two Spencers sent three Barrells of Coyne with Letters to some of the French Peeres that if it were possible they should make away the Queene or her sonne or at least send them away disgraced out of the Realme which mony and Letters were taken by a ship of the Henauders and brought to the Queene during her abode The Spencers beat at their own weapons there which the Earles brother seeing said unto her bee of comfort Madam this is a good Omen the Spencers your enemies have sent you money to pay your souldiers Of which the King of England having intelligence he sent to all the Ports and Havens to interdict their landing notwithstanding which the Queene and Prince with these foure hundred Hollanders and a small company of English gentlemen who had fled to her in the time of her exile landed at a port called Orwel besides The Queene landeth in Suffolk Harwich in Suffolke the fifteenth of September Sir Iohn Henaud the Earles brother being their Captain and Leader without any opposition or resistance to whom after their landing the people resorted in great companies and sped towards London where the King and the Spencers were then resident who hearing of the multitudes that then drew unto her left Walter Stapleton Bishop of Exeter Custos of the Citie The King and Spencers flie to Wales and with a small company fled towards Wales she came then to London where the people were willing to receive her which the Bishop with many sharpe and bitter words opposing the Commons of the City tooke him violently and beheaded him with two of his Esquires at the Standard in West-cheap whose bodies were borne to the Thames side where the Bishop had begun a new edifice contrary to their liking and there unreverently buried The Queene with an easie march followed The Queene pursueth the King the king who came to Bristoll with the Earle of Arundell the two Spencers and his infamous Chancellour Baldock where after counsell taken it was agreed that Hugh Spencer the father should stay there and take charge of the towne and castle whilest the King and the rest tooke shipping thence for Wales to raise the Welshmen in his aid of which the Queene having notice sent thither the Earle of Kent Sir Iohn Henaud with others who with small difficultie The Town and Castle of Bristoll taken tooke the towne and castle with Hugh Spencer the father alive and delivered them to the Queene who remained there till the greatest part of her army pursued the King and his other Minions
was surprized in Nottingham Castle though the keyes were day and night in his owne keeping and sent to the Tower who was accused of the Lords of the Parliament of these particulars following first of the bloudy murder of Edward of Carnarvan in Berkley Castle secondly that he had confederated with the Scots against the honour of the King thirdly that hee had received great summes of money from Sir Iames Douglas Captaine of the Scots delivering unto him the Charter called Ragman to the Scots great advantage and impoverishing of England Fourthly that hee had ingrost into his hands much of the Kings treasure which he had riotously wasted to his owne use by which meanes the King was forc't to borrow of his friends fiftly that he was more private and familiar with Queene Isabel the Kings Mother then was to Gods pleasure and the Kings honour of which Articles being convicted hee was by authority of the said Parliament judged to death and upon Saint Andrews Eve following at London drawne and hanged In his fourth yeere about the beginning of August Sir Edward Baliol the sonne of Sir Iohn The death of Mortimer Baliol sometime King of Scots obtained such favour of King Edward that with the aide of Sir Henry Beaumont Sir David Stocley Sir Iefferey Mowbray and two thousand Englishmen they entred Scotland by Sea where drew to them such multitude that in short time Sir Edward was Lord of a great Hoast and kept his way till he came to a place called Gladismore or as some write Crakismore where hee was encountred with the power of Scotland where betwixt them was fought a sharpe and cruell Sr. Edward Balioll crowned K. of Scots battaile in which a great multitude of the Natives was slaine by reason whereof hee was crowned King at the Towne of Stone shortly after and met with the King at New-castle where Edward received of him fealty and homage for the Crowne of Scotland but soone after the Scots laid plots against his life which he narrowly escaped being forc't to flie from place to place and hide himselfe which King Edward hearing with a strong army pierced K. Edward of England besiegeth Barwick the Realme of Scotland and laid siege to the Towne of Barwick Upon the nineteenth of Iuly the Scots with a mighty power made thither with purpose to remove the siege whom King Edward met and encountred on Halidon Hill giving them battaile over whom he had a triumphant victory insomuch that hee slue of them seven Earles nine hundred Knights and Bannerets four hundred The famous battaile at Hallidowne Hill Esquires and of the common people two and thirty thousand in which battail were slain of the English but 15 persons after which glorious victory the Captaine of Barwick the morrow following being Saint Margarets day yielded to the King both the Town and Castle which verifies that mauger the Canicular Tyke Tweed shall he passe and set his foot in Wyke Tyke is that which the Northerne men call a Dogge and by the Canicular Tyke is meant the Dog-starre Tweed is the water which parteth the two Kingdomes of England and Scotland and by Wyke as is before remembred meant the Towne of Barwicke I onely capitulate this one battaile of many against the Scots purposing the like compendiousnesse in his famous victories over the French During the dissention betwixt the two Kings of England and France which by no mediation could be atton'd though there were many meetings English ships taken by the French to that purpose the French King sent a strong Navy to Sea to take our English Merchants and encountred with two good ships of England called the Edward and the Christopher and after nine houres fight in which were slaine of both parties about sixe hundred men the two ships were taken and all the wounded Englishmen alive cast overboard into the Sea after King Edward in his fifteenth yeere in the moneth of Iune tooke shipping and sayled towards Flanders where met him Sir Robert Morley with the North Navy of England so that his Fleet consisted of three hundred sayle and at Midsomer upon Saint Iohns Eve hee met and fought with the French Navy which were foure hundred saile which lay in waite for him â—…eere to the Towne cald Sluce their chiefe Admirals were Sir Hugh Querret Sir Nicholas Buchet and Barbe Nore in English black beard The French Admirals Betwixt these two Royall Fleets was a strong and bloudy fight which continued for the space of eight houres before it could be distinguisht which way the victory was likely to incline yet in the end by Gods mercy and the manhood of the King the French were chaced and many of their ships burned and taken amongst which were the ships of the two Admirals Querret and Buchet who maugre the French were hanged up in their owne Vessels and amongst the rest were recovered the Edward and the Christopher manned with the French in this battaile the King himselfe was sore wounded in the thigh and of the French were slain thirty thousand A glorious Sea-victory in that one Navall conflict soon after or as some write a little time before by the advice of his confederate Princes hee layed claime to the Crowne of France as his rightfull inheritance King Edward lays claime to the Crowne of France and for the more authority to countenauce itâ—… hee quartered the English Lions with the French Flower de Lyces as they remaine to this day so that we see Neptune his Navall Triumphs did advance and He his Coat quarters with the Arms of France I am forc't to intermit many and divers conflicts and skirmishes with winning of Forts and Castles Challenges that past betwixt the two Kings with the particular valours and noble Gests of sundry of our Nation to relate which would aske a voluminous Tractate where my confinement is to a meer epitomy of Chronicle passing over all accidents saving what are most remarkable which brings me to the eighteenth yeere of his Reigne In which at a Parliament King Edwards eldest son created Prince of Wales held at West minster his eldest sonne Edward was created Prince of Wales and he in the yeer following first instituted the famous renowmed Order of the Garter which was solemnized at Windsor as it is continued to this day In his one and twentieth yeere hee landed in Normandy The Order of the Garter first instituted and burnt and spoyled all the Country before him wasting the Province of Constantine Then he laid siege to Caan the chief City and wonne it and amongst other he took there prisoners the Constable of France and the Kings Chamberlaine and all the spoyle of the City which was held to be inestimable and sent to his ships which was conveighed into England He then entred France and coasted towards Paris to Vernon to Poysie to Saint German still wasting as hee went Then hee tooke and made use of all the Kings Royall Mannors
Iohn of Gaunt claymes his title in Spain King Richard marrieth the French Kings Daughter Difference betwixt the King and Glocester His murder in Calice The murmur of the Commons against the present government The pride of the Dukes Court The Dukes of Hereford and Norfolke banished King Richard deposed and Henry Duke of Hereford and Lancaster made King WHen the King saw the great manhood and courage of the Lord Major The Lord Major and divers Aldermen Knighted by the King and his Brethren the Aldermen his assistants hee in his own person Knighted the said William Walworth with Nicholas Bremble Iohn Philpot Nicholas Twiford Robert Laundor and Robert Gayton Alderman and moreover in the memory of that Noble Act added to the Armes of the City the bloudy Dagger as it remayneth to this day In the eleventh yeere of this King Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of Glocester and Uncle to the King the Earle of Arundell with the Earles of Warwicke Darby and Nottingham taking into their consideration how much the land was misgoverned and his Majesty mislead by some Sycophants neere about him they met in counsell at a place A Parliament to rectifie the Commonweale called Radecockbridg and having assembled a strong power came to London and there caused the King to call a Parliament whereof hearing Alexander Nevell Archbishop of Yorke Lionel Vere Marquesse of Divelin Michael de la Poole Earle of Suffolke and Chancellour of England fearing the censure of that high Court â—…ed the Land and dyed in forreigne Countries Then the King by counsell of the fore-said Lords caused to be apprehended Sir Robert Tresilian chief Iustice of England Sir Nicholas Brembre late Major of the City Sir Iohn Salisbury of the Persons judged to death Kings Houshold Sir Iohn Beauchampe Steward of the House Sir Simon Burleigh Sir Thomas Bernes Sir Robert Belknap with one Iohn Vske Serjeant at Arms all which by the foresaid Parliament were convict of Treason and put to death some at Tyburne some at Towerhill and all such as fled with those that forsook the land by the authority of that high Court banished for ever In the thirteenth yeare Iohn a Gaunt Duke Iohn a Gaunt clayms his title in Spain of Lancaster with a strong army sailed into Spaine to claime the Kingdome in right of Lady Constance his wife the daughter of Don Peter with whom joyned the King of Portugall with his forces so that of necessity the King of Spain was forced to treat with the Duke of peace and amity the conditions were that the King of Spaine should marry the Dukes eldest daughter named Constance and moreover should give unto the said Duke to recompence the charges of his warre so many wedges of gold as should load eight Chariots and moreover during the lives of the said Duke and his wife hee should at his proper cost and charges deliver unto the Honourable conditions of peace Dukes Assignes yearely ten thousand Markes of gold within the towne of Bayon which conditions being ratified and assurance given for the performance thereof the Duke departed with the King of Portugall to whom shortly after hee married his second daughter the Lady Anne so that the elder and the younger were made the two Queenes of Spaine and Portugall King Richards first wife being dead after hee K. Richards second marriage maried Isabel the daughter of Charles the sixt K. of France who was but 8. years of age at whose espousalls in the French kings Court many rich interchangable gifts passed betwixt them as first the king of England gave the French king a Bason of gold and Ewer who returned him three standing Cups of gold with covers and a Enterchangeable gifts betwixt the two Kings ship of Gold garnished with pearle and stones at a second meeting Richard gave him a curious Oâ—…ch set with rich stones valued at five hundred Markes then the French King gave him two Flagons of gold and a Tablet of gold set with Diamonds and in it the picture of St. Michael a Tablet of gold with a Crucifixe another with the image of the Trinity and a fourth with the image of Saint George all of them set with stones of great splendor Richard then presented him with a Belt or Bauldricke set with great Diamonds Rubies and Emeraulds which for the riches thereof the King wore upon him so often as they met together many other presents past betwixt them and a full peace was concluded betweene them for thirty yeares Peace concluded betwixt England and France and amongst other things King Richard delivered up Brest which had beene long held by the English The yeare after in the Moneth of February the King held a magnificent Feast at Westminster Hall whither pressed divers Souldiers lately discharged from Brest whose mindes when the Duke of Gloster rhe Kings Vncle understood he went to his Majesty and said Sir doe you take notice of you Souldiers who asked him again what they were The Duke replyed these be your subjects souldiers cashiered from Brest who have done you good service and have now no meanes to live upon who have been ill paid and now are worse rewarded To whom the King answered it was my will they should have been well paid but if ought have failed therein let them petition to our Treasurer at length the Duke said but it savoureth of small discretion to deliver up a strong Fort with ease which was got with great difficulty by your Progenitors The Duke of Glosters bold replye to the King at which the King changed countenance and said Vncle how spake you these words which the Duke with great vehemency uttered againe whereat the King being more moved replyed Thinke you I bee a Merchant or foole to sell my Land by St. Iohn Baptist nay c. For these words thus uttered on both sides great ranâ—…or was kindled betwixt the King and Duke which was never extinguished till by the consent of the K. his uncle was basely murdered For the Duke purposing to remove some who were potent about the king called to him A second purpose for reformation the Earles of VVarwicke of Arundel and of Nottingham who was Marshall of England and of the Clergy the Arch-bishop of Canterbury with the two Abbots of St. Albans and VVestminster and these were solemnly sworne to supplant from their authority the Duke of Lancaster the Duke of Yorke with others prejudiciall to the good of the kingdome But Nottingham contrary to his oath revealed all to the king A persidious act in the Earle of Notingham who presently whilst the other thought themselves secure called another Councell in which it was decreed that the Earles of Arundell and Warwicke shâ—…uld bee censured and brought to the King who in person arrested his Vncle Sir Thomas of VVoodstock some say at Plashy in Essex others at Greenwitch in the night time and taking him in his bed first sent him to the Tower and
standing where all might behold him first making the signe of the Crosse upon his forehead and after on his brest silence being commanded he spake as followeth In the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost I Henry of Lancaster Clayme the Realme of England with the Crowne and all the appurtenances thereto belonging as I am rightly discended from the right Line of the bloud comming from that good Lord K. Henry the third and through the right that God of his grace hath sent me with the help of my kinred and friends to recover the same which was in point to be undone for default of good governance and justice c. Which having spoken hee sate downe in his The Duke of Hereâ—…ord claymes the Crowne place then every one hearing his clayme spake what hee thought and after some distance of time the Archbishop of Canterbury knowing the minds of Lords stood up and asked the Commons if they would assent with the Nobility in their election which they thought to be needfull and for the good of the Kingdome to which with an unanimous voice they said yea yea after which the Archbishop approching the Duke uttered some words to him in private which done hee arose and taking him by the hand led him unto the Kings Seat and placed him therein after made a long Oration to that noble Assembly the effect whereof was to prove the Dukes Title to the Crowne and to justifie the deposing of the King verifying what was before predicted of him Foure Princely Lions were to him allide Gall shall be with his horns in his great pride At length a Fox clad in skin of gold Shall snatch the Kid from midst of all his fold By the foure Lions are figured his foure Princely Uncles sonnes to Edward the third whom he severally injured preferring men raised from nothing to be eminent above them both in honour and office and by the Fox Henry of Balwarke who clothed himselfe with all the golden ornament of Regall Majesty and snatcht him from the midst of all the fold that was from amongst his own subjects and people and after caused him to bee put to a violent and cruell death CHAP. 24. The Coronation of Edward the fourth with his great Feast held in Westminster Hall A great Conspiracy intended against him but prevented the lamentable murder of King Richard the second in Pomfret Castle by Sir Pierce of Exton his valour at his death His Epitaph The great riches found in his treasury A prosecution of sundry passages in the Reigne of King Henry He prepares a journey for the Holy land but is prevented by death HEnry the fourth of that name and sonne to Iohn a Gaunt Duke of Lancaster tooke possession of the whole Dominion of England upon the last day of September in the yeere of Grace one thousand three hundred fourescore and nineteene after which he made new Officers cleane through the Kingdome One and forty Knights of the Bath made and then gave order for his Coronation and the Eve before hee in the Tower made 41 knights of the Bath of which three were his owne sonnes and three Earles and five Lords c. Then the morrow after being Monday the thirteenth of October he was crowned at Westminster King Henries Coronation by the Archbishop of Canterbury after which solemnity ended a great and sumptuous feast was held in the great Hall where the king being sate in the middest of the table the Arch-bishop The manner of his great feast in Westminster Hall of Canterbury with three other Prelates were placed at the right hand of the same table and on the left hand the Arch-bishop of York with foure other of the Clergy Henry the kings eldest sonne stood by his Father on his right hand with a sword poyntlesse and the Earle of Northumberland new made Lord Constable with a poynted sword on his left hand both swords being held upright Before the king stood all dinner time the dukes of Aumerl of Surry and of Exceter with two other Earles and the Earle of Westmerland late made Marshall rov'd about the Hall with many Tip Staves to make roome that the Officers with more ease might serve the Tables Of which the chiefe upon the right side of the hall was begun by the Barons of the Cinque ports and at the Table next the Cupboord upon the left hand sate the Lord Major and the Aldermen of London which Major being Drewe Barendine Goldsmith was presented according to the custome with a cup of gold after the second course came in Sir Thomas Dimocke armed at all poynts and sitting upon a The Kings Champion good Steed road to the higher part of the Hall and before the King caused a Herald to make Proclamation that whosoever would affirme King Henry was not lawfull inheritour to the Crown and Kingdome of England he was there ready to wage battaile against him which Proclamation hee caused to bee made after in three other parts of the Hall in French and English with many more observances at such solemnities exercised and done which feast being ended the morrow after being tuesday the parliament was againe begunne of this King and his reigne it was thus predicted The Foxe being earth'd according to his mind In the Kids den a Magazine shall finde The prophesie of his reigne Yet all that treasure can his life not save But rather bring him to a timelesse grave Meane time shall study many a forrest beast By a new way to kill the King in jest But crafty Rainold shall the plot prevent And turne it all to their owne detriment Wales and the north against him both shall rise But he who still was politicke and wise Shal quell their rage much trouble he 'll indure And after when he thinks himselfe secure Hoping to wash the Kids bloud from his hand Purpose a voyage to the Holy Land But faile Yet in Hierusalem shall dye Deluded by a doubtfull augury In the former parlament were many Challenges of the peers one against the other which came to none effect but onething was there confirmed What was done in the Parliament that whosoever had hand in the good Duke of Glosters death should dye as traitors For which divers found guilty after suffered moreover sundry acts made in the time of Richards reigne were disannulled and made voyd and others held more profitable for the kingdomes good and Common-weales enacted in their stead Then was King Richard removed from the Tower and thence conveighed to Leedes and King Richard removed to Pomphret after to the Castle of Pomphret there was provision made for the King to keep his Christmas at Windsor in which interim the Dukes of Amerle of Surrey and of Exeter with the Earles of Salisbury and of Gloster with others of their affinity Lords Knights and Esquires made great provision for a Maske to be presented before the King upon Twelfth night which grew neere and
all things were in readinesse for the performance thereof But that day in the Morning A conspiracy of the Lords against King Henry came secretly unto the King the Duke of Aumerle and discovered unto him that he with the foresaid Lords gentlemen had made a solemne conjuration to kill him in the said Mask therefore advised him to provide for his safety upon which notice given the King departed privately from Windsor and came that night to London upon which the Lords finding their plot to be discovered they fled westward but the King caused speedy pursuit after them so that the Duke of Surry and the Earle of Salisbury were taken at Ciceter Sir Thomas Blunt Sir Benet Saly and Thomas Wintercell at Oxford Sir Iohn Holland Duke of Exeter at Pitwell in Essex and divers others in severall places the Noble men were beheaded the rest drawne and quartered but all of their Heads set upon the Bridge gate at London approving the premises Meane time shall study many a forrest beast By a new way to kill the Foxe in jest But crafty Rainold shall the plot prevent And turne it all to their owne detriment The King having well considered of this great conspiracy and that they intended by his death to restore the imprisoned King to his diadem The Foxes policy he bethought himselfe that he could live in no safety whilst the other was breathing and therefore he determined of his death and to that purpose called unto him one Sir Pierce of Exton to see his will executed who presently poasted to Pomphret and with eight more well armed entred the Castle and violently assaulted him with their Polaxes and Halberds in his Chamber who apprehending their purpose and seeing his owne present danger most valiantly wrested one of their weapons from him with which he manfully acquitted himselfe and slew foure of the eight before he himselfe fell but at the last he was basely wounded to death by the hand of Sir Pierce of Exton whose body was after laid in the Minster at Pomphret to the publicke view that all men might be satisfied of his The Death of K. Râ—…chard death and was after brought up to London and exposed to all eyes in Pauls least any man should after pretend to lay any plots for his liberty And now King Henry being in peaceable and quiet possession of the Kingdomes thought it time to rifle his predecessors Coffers in whose Treasury he found in ready Coyne three hundred thousand pound sterling besides Plate What King Richards treasure amounted to at his death Iewels and rich Vessels as much if not more in value Besides in his Treasurers hands hee found so many gold Noble and other summes that all of them put together amounted to seven hundred thousand pounds sterling yet could not all this summe afford him a better funerall than in the poore Friery of Langley which after by Henry the Kings sonne in the first yeare of his reigne was removed thence and with great solemnity interred amongst the Kings in the Chappell of Westminster All this processe verifying the former prediction The Foxe being earth't according to his mind In the Kids den a Magazin shall find Yet all that treasure can his life not save But rather bring him to a timelesse grave Over his Tombe in the Chappell the King caused these Verses following to be inscribed Prudens mundus Ricardus jure secundus K. Richards Epitaph Perfatum victus jacet hic sub marmore pictus Verus sermone suit plenus ratione Corpore procerus animo prudens ut Homerus Ecclesiam favit elatos suppeditavit Quemvis prostravit regalia qui violavit Thus Englished Wise and cleane Richard second of that name Conquered by fate lyes in this Marble frame True in his speech whose reason did surpasse Of feature tall and wise as Homer was The Church he favoured he the proudsubdude Quelling all such as Majesty pursude Concerning which Epitaph one of our English Chronologers seeing how it savoured more of flattery then truth thus exprest himself But yet alas though this meeter or rime Thus death embelisht this Noble Princes fame And that some Clerk which favoured him sometime List by his comming thus to enhance his name Yet by his story appeareth in him much blame Wherefore to Princes is surest memory Their lives to expresse in vertuous constancie In the second yeere of King Henries Reigne The rebellion of Owen Glendour Owen Glendour rebelled in Wales against whom the King entred the Countrey with a strong army but at the Kings comming hee fled up to the Mountaines whom the King for the endangering his Hoast durst not follow but returned without deeming any thing worthy note In the yeere following Sir Thomas Percy Earle of Worcester and Sir Henry Piercy sonne and heire to the Earle of Northumberland gathered The battaile at Shrewsbury a great power and upon the one and twentieth day of Iuly met with the King and his army neere unto Shrewsbury betwixt whom was fought a cruell and bloudy battail but at length the King was victor in which fight Thomas Percy Earle of Worcester was taken and his Nephew Sir Henry with many a brave Northerne man was slaine And upon the Kings part the Prince was wounded in the head and the Earle of Stafford with many others slaine It was observed that in this battail father fought against sonne sonne the father brother the brother and uncle the nephew the twenty fift of Iuly following was Sir Thomas Percy beheaded at Shrewsbury and in August after the Duchesse of Britain landeth at Flamoth in Cornwall K. Henries second mariage with the Duchesse of Britain and from thence conveyed to Winchester where shee was solemnely espoused to King Henry Soone after Richard Scroop Archbishop of Yorke with the Lord Mowbray Marshall of England with others to them allyed made a new insurrection against the King with purpose A nâ—… insurrection to supplant them to whom the King gave battaile on this side Yorke where after some losse on both sides the King had the better of the day the Archbishop and the Martiall being both taken in the field and soone after beheaded in that Kings Reigne was the Conduit builded in Cornwall as it now standeth The Market of the Stocks at the lower end of Cheapside and the Guild hall of London new edified and of a Sumptuous buildings during this kings Reigne small cottage and ruinous and decayed house made such a goodly structure as it appeares to this day Moreover the famous and stately Bridge of Rochester with the Chappell at the foot of the said Bridge was fully perfited and finished at the sole charge and cost of Sir Robert Knolls who in the time of Edward the third Sir Robert Knolls had atchieved many brave and memorable victories in France and Britain who also re-edified the body of the White Friers Church in Fleetstreet to which place hee left many good Legacies and
a Mars shall breed Who in his armes accommodate and fit Shall compasse more by warre then he by wit The Caduceus to a sword shall change And grim Orion shal though it seeme strange Sit in Astraea's orbe and from her teare The three leav'd flower she in her hand did bear And turn it to a lawrell to adorn The Lions brows whom late the Toad did scorn And after many a furious victory At length invested shall the Lion bce In a new Throne to which his clayme is faire As being matcht unto the Kingdomes heire Living this royall beast shall lose no time But be at last from earth snatcht in his prime Presently after his Coronation hee caused the corps of King Richard to be removed from the Fryers at Langley and solemnly interred upon the South side of Saint Edwards Shrine in Westminster by the body of Queene Anne his wife In the second yeere of his Reigne hee held his Parliament at Leicester where amongst other A parliament held at Leicester things the Commons put up their former Bill against the Clergy who kept so much of the Temporalties in their hands In feare whereof lest the King should give unto it any comfortable audience certaine Bishops and others of the Clergie put the King in minde to clayme his right in France for which they offered him great and notable summes by reason whereof that Bill was againe put by and the Prince listning to the motion of the Prelats aymed onely to set forward his expedition against France The King prepareth for France and sent his Letters to the French King to that purpose who returned him answer full of derision and scorne wherefore hee made speedy provision for war And in his third yeare road honorably accompanied through London and thence to Southampton where he had appoynted his army to meete him There Richard Earle of Cambridge Lords arrested of treason Sir Richard Scroope then Treasurer of England and Sir Thomas Gray were arrested of Treason arraigned and the nine and twentieth day of Iuly following beheaded The morrow after the King tooke the sea and the sixteenth of August landed in Normandy and laid siege to Hareflew and won it then leaving Sir Thomas Bewford his Noble Captaine there he sped him The King lands in Normandy from Calice with the Dolphin who had then the ruling government of France by reason of the Kings great sicknesse having broke the bridges to hinder the Kings passage over the river Sanne therefore hee was constrained to take the way toward Picardy and passe the River Pericon whereof the French being aware assembled their forces and lodged neere to Agencourt Roland court and Blangie When King Henry saw that hee was thus invironed K. Henry environed with the French with his enemies he pitcht his battaile betwixt Agincourt and Blangie having no more then seven thousand able men But in those dayes the yeomen had their limbes at liberty Their breeches fastned with one point and their jacks or coats of male long and easie to shoote in drawing bowes of great strength and shooting arrows of a yard long besides the head King Henry then considering the number of the enemy and that the French stood much upon their horse charged every Archer to take a sharpe stake and pitch it aslope before him that when the Cavalry with their speares assaulted them they should give back and so the horse should A rare policy of K. Henry foyle themselves upon the stakes and then to powre their shot upon them and when the king had thus providently ordered for the battaile over night the morrow after being the twenty fift of October and the day of Crispin and Crispianus hee attended the approch of the enemy who were in number forty thousand able fighting men The number of the French army Who about nine a clock in the morning with great pride and scorne set upon the English thinking to have overrid them with their horse and trod them underfoot but the Archers as they were before appointed retyred themselves within their stakes upon which the French horses were galled which the English Archers perceiving and that their horses being gored with K. Henries victorious battaile at Agencourt the stakes tumbled one upon another so that they which were foremost were the confusion of them which followed the Archers after their arrows were spent fell upon them with swords and axes so that the day fell with little losse to the English of whom were slaine that day the Slain of the English Duke of Yorke who had the leading of the Van and the Duke of Suffolke and not above six and twenty persons more But of the French were kild that day morethen Slain of the French 10000 common souldiers of the'nobility the three Dukes of Bar of Alonson and of Braban eight Earles and of Barons above fourescore with gentlemen in Coat Armours to the number of three thousand besides in that fight were taken prisoners the Duke of Orleance the Duke of Burbon the Earles of Vendosme of Ewe Prisoners takē of the French of Richmont and Bursigant then Marshall of France with knights and Esquires besides common men surmounting the number of two thousand and foure hundred when king Henry had by Gods helpe obtained this glorious victory and recalled his people from pursuit of the enemy newes was brought of a new Hoast comming towards him wherefore hee commanded his souldiers to bee imbattailed and then made proclamation through his Army A suddain policy of King Henry that every man should kill his prisoner which made the Duke of Orleance and the rest of the French Nobility in such feare that they by authority of the King sent to the Hoast to withdraw so that the King with his prisoners the morrow following took their way towards Calais where for a time he rested himselfe and his Army Thus it was truely prophesied of him Note a strange mixture in the planets seed For now a Mercury a Mars shall breed Who in his armes accommodate and fit Shall compasse more by warre than he by wit The Exposition is plaine by Mercury is meant the father who was politicke and ingenious and by Mars the sonne who by his Military Prowesse attchieved more then the other apprehended But it followeth the three and twentieth of November he was met upon Black Heath by the Lord Major and his brethren who conducted him through the City where were presented many pageants and Showes to The Kings comming into England gratulate his famous victory to Westminster whither the same houre came Sigismond the Emperour who lodged him in his owne palace and after was Saint Georges feast kept at Windsor in the time of which solemnity during the time of divine Service the King kept the estate but in the sitting at the Feast he gave it to the Emperour where he the Duke of Holland and The Emperour Sigismund made Knight of the Garter
a great Almane prince called the Duke of Briga were made Knights of the Garter and after seven weekes aboad here left the land whom the King in person conducted to Callis in which time of his there being the Duke of Bedford with the Earle of March and other Lords had a great Sea-fight with divers Caricks of Genoway and other ships where after long and cruell fight the honour fell to the English to the Victory by sea great losse of the strangers both of their men and shippes in which three of their Caricks were taken In his first yeare in a parliament called at Westminster wherein order was taken for provision for his second hostile expedition in to France Richard sonne and heire to the Earle of Cambridge put to death at Southampton was created Duke of Yorke who after was married to Cecile daughter to the Earle of Westmerland The issue of Richard Duke of Yorke by whom he had issue Henry who dyed young Edward who was after King Edmund Earle of Rutland Anne Dutchesse of Exeter Elizabeth Dutchesse of Suffolke George Duke of Clarence Richard Crook-backe Duke of Gloster and after King and Margaret Dutchesse of Burgoin and when all things were accommodated for the Kings voyage he made Iohn Duke of Bedford his brother protector of the Land and about Whitsunday tooke shipping at Southampton and sailed towards Normandy where hee King Henry lands in Normandy laid siege to a place called Toke or Towke During which notice was given to the King that the Vicount Narbon General of the French Navy intended to invade England to prevent whom he sent the Earle of March the Earle of Huntington with others to scoure the Seas who meeting with their Fleete after a long and bloody conflict conquered and overcame them Another Sea-victory upon the ninth of August in which they tooke plenty of Treasure being the money which should have payed the French Kings Souldiers Then was Tooke with the Castle deliuered up to King Henry which he gave to his brother the Duke of Clarence with all the Signiory thereto belonging hee after tooke the strong City of His many conquests in Normandy Caan in Normandy with foureteene other strong holds and Castles and whilst he was thus busied the Earle of March the Earle of Warwicke with others wonne Laveers Falois Newlin Cherburg Argentine and Bayons c. where the king kept St. Georges Feast and made fifteene knights of the Bath Then king Henry divided his people into three parts whereof one hee reserved to himselfe the second he committed to the Duke of Clarence the third to the Earle of Warwicke which Duke and Earle so well imployed their forces that in short time they wonne many strong Townes and Castles whilst the King laid siege to Roan of which one Sir Guy de Bowcier was Captaine which was also delivered up Roan taken by K. Henry into his hands so that having subdued all Normandy he then entered France and conquered the Cities and Townes as he marcht and upon the twentieth of May came to Troies in Champaigne where he was honourably received for the Duke of Burgoine being slaine in the presence of the Dolphin Philip his sonne who succeeded King Charles with his daugh ter and heire in the possession of K. Henry in the Dukedome refused the Dolphins part and leaguing himselfe with King Henry delivered unto him the possession both of the French King and Dame Katherine his sole Daughter Then was such an unity laboured by the Lords on both sides to be had betwixt the two Nations that by the urgence of the said Philip Duke King Henry marrieth the Lady Katherine of Burgoin King Henry at Troyes in Champaigne was solemnly marryed to Katherine heire to the kingdome of France upon the third day of Iune being Trinity sunday Before the solemnization of which marriage certaine Articles were agreed upon by the two Kings the effect Articles concluded betwixt the two nations of England and â—…rance whereof followeth that Charles should remain King during the tearme of his life and king Henry should be made regent and governour of the kingdome in the right of his Queene and wife and that after the death of Charles the Crowne of France with all the rights thereto belonging to remaine unto king Henry and his King Henry made heire apparant to the Crowne of France Heires kings c. And because Charles was then visited with sicknesse King Henry as Regent should have the whole and entire government of the Realme and that the Lords of France as well spirituall as temporall should make oath to King Henry to bee obedient unto him in all things and after the Death of Charles to become his true liege-men and subjects c. Further the Dutchy of Normandy and all other Normandy and France made one Monarchy Lordships thereto belonging to bee as one Monarchy under the Crowne of France and that during the life of Charles Henry sbould not name or write himselfe King of France but Charles in all his Writings should name King Henry his dearest Son and immediate Heire to the crown and that by the advice of both counsailes of the Realmes of England and France such ordinances should be established that when the Crowne of France fell to King Henry or his Heires that it might with such unitie joyne to the Realme of England that our King might Vnity betwixt the two Kingdomes rule both the Realms as one Monarchy c. that King Charles nor Philip Duke of Burgoyn should make any peace with the Dolphin of Vien without the consent of King Henry nor he make any accord with him without the agreement of Charles and Philip c. thus you see His Caducaeus to a Sword did change And grim Orion though it might seem strange Sit in Astraeas Orbe and from her teare The three leav'd Flower shee in her hand did beare And turne it to a Lawrell to adorne The Lions brows whom late the Toad did scorn By the Caducaeus turning into a sword is meant that Mercury was now turn'd Mars and The prophesie explained Peace into warre The same is allegorically intended by Orion who is called Lucifer for the terriblenesse of his aspect sayd by the Astronomicall Poets to beare a sword hee removeth Astraea that is Iustice out of her Orbe For in the time of warre force and might sway all who rends from her bosome the peaceable three leav'd Flower which is the Flower Delyce with which he Crownes the Lion King Henry whom the Toad did scorne thus demonstrated Some write that the Armes of France were at First the three Toads which after they changed to the three Lillies as they are now quartered with the English Armes c. But to continue the History these former Articles being by the consent of both the Princes and their peeres ratified king Henry with his new Queene were honourably received into Paris where King Henry and
our Lady after whose death notwithstanding the incomparable valour of the Lord Talbot whose name was so The death of the D. of Bedford regent terrible in France that with it women frighted their children to still and quiet them the Earle of Arundell and others yet fortune for the most part was averse to the English c. and though there were many Treaties of peace to bee made betwixt the two Kingdoms yet they came to no effect and thus for divers yeeres it continued During which passages divers murmurs and grudgings beganne to breake out betwixt the Duke of Glocester Lord Portectour and Uncle to the King and divers persons neere about the Court amongst which was chiefe the Earle of Suffolke which in the end was the confusion Suffolk seeketh to supplaâ—…t the Duke of Glocester of them both For in the one and twentieth yeere the said Earle of Suffolke who had broke off a Mariage concluded by the English Embassadors betwixt King Henry and the daughter to Earle Arminacke went over into France and made a match betwixt him and the Kings daughter of Hierusalem and Cicily who had the bare titles thereof and was indeed a king Suffolks proceedings without a Country to compasse which mariage he delivered to the said king the Duchie of Anjou and Earldome of Maine which were called the keyes of Normandy to the great prejudice and dishonour of the English Nation For which service done he was created Marquesse of Suffolke and soone after with his wife and others pompously accommodated brought her into England where shee was espoused to the King at a place called Southwick in Hampshire The King marrieth the Lady Margaret whence after she was convayed to London and thence to Westminster and thereupon the 30 of May being Trinity Sunday solemnly crowned With which match it seemes God was not well pleased for after that day fortune began to forsake the King who lost his Friends in England and his revenues in France for soone after Q. Margaret causeth many miseries the whole State was swayed by the Queene and her Counsell to the dishonour of the king the Realmes detriment and her owne disgrace for thereby fell the losse of Normandy the division of the Lords the rebellion of the Commons The king deposed her sonne slaine 〈◊〉 and she banisht the Land for ever all which â—…iseries fell as some have conjectured for the breach of that lawfull contract first made betwixt the king and the daughter to the Earle of Arminacke In his five and twentieth yeere was a Parliament called at Saint Edmondsbury in Suffolke which was no sooner begun and the Lords assembled but Humphrey Duke of Glocester was The Protectour arresteâ—… aâ—…d after murdered in his bed arrested by Viscount Beaumond then high Constable of England the Duke of Buckingham and others and the sixt day after found dead some say murdered in his bed of whose death the Marquesse of Suffolke was most suspected whose body after it was publikely showne was conveighed to Saint Albons and therehonourably interred and soon after five of the principall of his Houshold hang'd and drawne but by the kings mercy not quartered In his eight and twentieth yeere was called The Marquesse of Suffolke arrested another Parliament in which the Marquesse of Suffolke was arrested and sent to the Tower where hee lived a moneth at his pleasure and was after set at large to the discontent of some Lords but all the Commons For he was charged with the delivery of Amiens and Maine and the murder of Duke Humphrey called the good Duke of Glocester upon which ensued a rebellion of the commons of which one Blew-beard Blew-beard cald himselfe Captain but they were soon supprest and the chief of them put to death the Parliament was then adjourn'd to Leicester whither caâ—…e the King and with him the Queens great Favourite the Duke of Suffolke Then the Commons made petition to the king that all such as had hand in the delivery of Anjou and Maine and the death of the Protector might be severely punished of which they accused as guilty the Marquesse of Suffolke the Lord Say The Marquesse of Suffolk banisht for five yeeres the Bishop of Salisbury one Damiall a Gentleman and one Trivillian with others to appease whom Suffolke was exiled for five yeeres and the Lord Say Treasurer of England with the rest were put a part for a while and promist that they should bee imprisoned and Suffolke taking shipping in Norfolke to have sailed into France was met by a ship of Warre called the Nicholas of the Tower and being knowne by the Captain he tooke him into his owne Vessell and brought him backe to the port of Dover where on the side of the Boat he caused his head to be struck off and cast it with the body on the The death of Suffolk sands and so went again to sea In this yeere also being the Iubilee the commons of Kent assembled themselves in great multitudes under a Captaine called Iacke Cade The insuâ—…rection of â—…ck Cade who named himselfe Mortimer and Cousin to the Duke of Yorke against him the King raised a strong Hoast and sent Sir Humphrey Stafford and William his brother with certain forces to subdue them but the Rebels prevailed against them and left the two Noble brothers dead in the field after which victory the Captaine put on him Knights apparell with Briganders set with gilt nayls and Helmet with gilt Spurs To The Captains pride whom was sent the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Duke of Buckingham who had conference with him and found him very discreet in his answers but not to bee wonne to lay by his armes and to blinde the eyes of the people the more hee used great justice in his Campe at length he came to Southwarke at which time the commons of Essex lay with an army at Mile-end and when hee approched the draw-bridge he hewed the ropes and chains asunder with his Iack Cade enters London sword and so entred London where hee made proclamâ—…tions in the Kings name that no man on pain of death should rob spoyle or take from any man but to pay for whatsoever hee cald for which drew unto him the hearts of many of the Citizens and when he came to London stone His cunning to delude the people he strook upon it with his sword and said Now is Mortimer Lord of this City after hee caused the Lord Say to bee fetcht from the Tower and without any just processe at the Standard in Cheape commanded his head to be His Iustice. cut off and another called Cromer who had bin high Sheriffe of Kent he also commanded to be beheaded then pitcht their heads upon two poles and as they passed the streets in divers places caused the poles to joyn so that the dead mouthes kissed each other Thus hee had free recourse into the Citie by day and at night returned
Edward with the Dukes of Somerset and Exeter were in the North and would not come up at the kings sending it was agreed by the Lords that the Duke of Yorke and Earle of Salisbury should raise an Army and fetch them up by force and to that purpose sped them Northward of which the Queene with her people having notice with a great power of Northern men met with them upon the thirtieth of December at a Towne called Wake-field betwixt whom was fought a bloody Battaile in The battaile of Wakefield which was slaine the Duke of York with his son the earle of Rutland Thomas Nevill sonne to The Duke of Yorke slaine the earle of Salisbury and the earle himself took prisoner whom shee caused to be with others soone after beheaded at Pomphret then shee made haste towards London and the earle of Warwicke with the Duke of Norfolke who were appoynted by Yorke to attend the king gathered an Army and upon a Shrove-tuesday in the The Queen againe victorious morning gave her battaile at Saint Albons in which Warwicke and Norfolke were chaced and the king againe taken and presented to the Queen then He the same afternoone made his sonne Edward knight who was eight yeares of age with thirty persons more The Queene having thus gotten the upper hand of her Enemies thought all things safe expressing more pride than she before had done in the height of which newes was brought her that Edward earle of March eldest sonne to the Duke of Yorke with the earle of Warwicke and others with a great strength of March men were met at Cottiswald in their way to London wherefore the King and Queen returned with their Hoast Northward but before her departing from Saint Albons shee caused the Lord Bonsfield and others to bee beheaded who had beene taken in the former field Then came the Earles of March and Warwicke to London to whom resorted all the Gentlemen of the East and South parts of England Then was a Counsaile called of the Lords spirituall and temporall by whom after much debating of the matter it was concluded that forasmuch as King Henry contrary to his honour and oath at the last parliament had done and also that he was reputed unable and insufficient to governe the Realme hee was by their assents discharged of all kingly honour and Royalty and Henry deposed and Edward Earle of March made King by the authority of the said Counsell and agreement of the Commons Edward eldest sonne to the Duke of Yorke was elected King who presently with his Army followed Henry and met with his Hoast at a place called Towton or Shyrbourne and upon Palm-sunday gave them The battaile at Shyrbourne battaile which was so cruelly fought that there were slaine thirty thousand besides those of note and quality as the Earle of Northumberland the Earle of Westmerland the Lord Clifford Sir Andrew Trollop and others In the Henry and Qu. Margaret flie into Scotland same Field was taken the Earle of Devonshiere and sent to Yorke and there beheaded But Henry the Queene prince Edward the Duke of Somerset the Lord Rosse and others fled into Scotland and King Edward entered Yorke and there kept his Easter Thus Henry lost the Crowne after hee had reigned full thirty eight yeares sixe Moneths and odde dayes and the factious and ambitious Queen forfeited all her right in the kingdome verifying what was predicted But a young Lion hee at length shall tame And send her empty back from whence she came Much trouble shall be made about the Crowne And Kings soone raised and as soon put downe This Edward the fourth of that name and sonne to Richard Duke of Yorke beganne His The Coronation of Edward the fourth Reigne over the Realme of England the fourth of March in the yeare of grace to reckon after the English computation one thousand foure hundred and forty and upon Sunday being the feast day of Saint Peters day was solemnly crowned at Westminster before which time He made sixe and thirty Knights of the Bathe and soone after hee created his brother George Duke of Clarence and his brother Richard Duke of Gloster Of this Kings reigne thus runs the Prophesie The fiercest Beare who by his power alone A prophesie of his reigne Had planted the young Lion in his throne Is sent abroad a Lionesse to finde To be his phear who having chang'd his mind Doats on a Badger whom some terme a Gray And that shall cause much blood on Easter day The Beare who th'exil'd Tygresse meetes in France Vowes the suppressed Lambe againe t' advance And from the Coop where he hath long bin pent To raise him to his former government The Lion the Land flying with a small And slender traine the ragged staffe swayes all But the Beares fiercenesse shall be soone allaid As one that is halfe conquered halfe betraid Then shall the Lambe whom he did late restore Againe coopt up be slaughtered by the Boare After the King had visited the greatest part of the best Townes and Cities in the Kingdom Queen Margaret invadeth England in the second yeare of his reigne Margaret late Queene of England with an army of French and Scotch invaded the North part of England which King Edward hearing sped him thither at whose approach the Queene with the rest affrighted she disbanded her troopes and in a Carick would have sailed into France but such a Tempest fell that she was forced to take a Fisher-boat and landed at Barwicke and roade thence to the Scotch King where newes was brought her that the Carveil in which the greatest of her treasure was was swallowed up in the Sea And in his third yeare the Lord Iohn of Montacute brother to the Earle of Warwicke having chiefe command in the North was warned of King Henries comming with a great power out of Scotland against whom hee assembled the Northern men and met with him about Exham who routed the Scotch Army The battaile at Exham and chaced Henry so neare that hee tooke certaine of his Traine apparrelled in blue velvet garnished with two Crownes and fret with pearle and rich stones He took also the Duke of Somerset the Lord Hungerford the Lord Rosse and others which Duke with the rest were soon after beheaded some at Exham others at New Castle And the same yeare was King King Henry taken and sent to the Tower Henry taken in a Wood in the North Countrey by one Cantlow and presented unto King Edward who forthwith sent him to the Tower where hee remained for a long time after Now Richard of Warwicke who for his many Victoryes and potency in the Realme was called VVarwicke the great was imployed by the king into France to treat a marriage The King married to the Lady Elizabeth Gray betwixt him and the Lady Bona which whilst hee was earnestly soliciting the first of May the king espoused Elizabeth late wife to Sir Iohn Gray who
was slaine at Towton in the great Battaile fought against Henry which espousalls were solemnized early in the morning at Grasten neare Stony Stratford where were present none but the Spouse the Spousesse the Dutchesse of Bedford Her Elizabeth Crowned Queene Mother the Priest two Gentlewomen and a young man who helped the Priest at Masse which marriage was for a time kept secret but after shee was with great solemnity Crowned Queene at VVestminster which the earle of VVarwicke taking as a great affront as being fooled in his Embassie and Queene Margaret being then with her sonne Edward in the Warwicke voweth to remove King Edward Court of France hee with the earle of Oxford who had stood alwayes against the Yorkists secretly made promise to the Queene to waite their time to remove king Edward and place the Diadem upon the Head of King Henry which makes good The Forest Beare who by his power alone Had planted the young Lion in his Throne Is sent abroad a Lionesse to finde To be his phere who having chang'd his mind Doats on a Badger whom some doe terme a Gray c. By the Beare is figured Warwick who gave the Beare and the ragged staffe who supported the cause of Edward Earle of March till hee had Crowned him King who being sent into France to negotiate a Match betwixt him and the Lady Bona whom hee calls the Lionesse In the interim hee married with a Badger or Gray by which is intimated Elizabeth the Lady Gray c. And now about the eighth yeare broke out the long dissembled hate betwixt the King and the Earle of VVarwicke who confedered unto him the Duke of Clarence who had before married his Daughter In which season by their instigations were divers Rebellions in Lincolnshire likewise in the North by a Captaine who called himselfe Robin of Ridisdale in Lincolnshire by the Lord VVels c. Robin of Ridisdale Meane time the Duke of Clarence with the Earle of VVarwick and other solicited Lewis the eleventh king of France to assist them in the restoring of king Henry to his rightfull inheritance who gladly granted their request which Lords after their departure from England were proclaimed Rebells and Traytors who in September the tenth yeare of the king landed at Dertmouth making their proclamations in the name of Henry the sixt to whom multitudes from all parts resorted so that the Edward flies the land king being in the North with great danger passed the Washes in Lincolneshire and fled into Flanders and Warwicke brought the king Henry again made King from the Tower and conducted him in all state through London to Westminster and once more set the Crowne upon his head CHAP. 29. King Edward proclaimed usurper of the Crowne and Gloster Traytor his landing at Ravensport the Battaile at Barnet the battaile at Teuxbury King Henry murdered in the Tower and after him the Duke of Clarence the death of Edward the fourth Gloster takes upon him to bee Protector of the young King his tyranny being Protector hee is proclaimed King the murder of the two Princes in the Tower A prophesie of them before their deaths KIng Henry being thus re-instated there was dayly waiting on the Sea-coast for the landing of Queen Margaret and her sonne Prince Edward and provision made against the re-entring of the kingdome by King Edward and his company then was called a Parliament in which King Edward was proclaymed usurper of King Edward proclaimed Vsurper and his brother Glost. traitor the Crowne and his brother Duke of Gloster Traytor and both attainted by vertue of the said parliament then the Earle of Warwicke road into Kent thinking to have met the Queene at Dover but the winds were so averse to her that she lay from November to Aprill and all that while could not put to sea by reason of which the Earle of Warwicks journey was disappoynted In the beginning of Aprill Edward landed King Edward landeth at Ravensport at Ravenspurne with a small company of Flemmings who in all could not make up the number of a thousand and so drew towards Yorke making proclamation in the name of King Henry that his comming was to no other intent than to claime the inheritance of the Dukedome of Yorke where the Citizens kept him out till he had taken a solemne oath that King Henries oath to York he purposed no more then he spake where having refresht him and his followers he departed thence and held his way toward London and having paked by favour and fairwords the lord Marquesse Montacute who lay with an army to stop his way and finding his strength hourely to The cōnivence of the Marquesse after his ruine increase hee then made proclamation in his owne name as king of England and so held on his journey till he came to London where hee was gladly received into the City and so made to Pauls and offered at the Altar and thence to the Bishops palace where hee found the King almost alone for all his servants and others had left him and having put him under safe custody King Henry againe made prisoner he there rested him till Easter Eve When hearing of his brother Clarence with the other Lords comming with a strong host to Saint Albons he hasted thitherward and lay that night in Barnet in which season the Duke of Clarence contrary to his oath made to the French Clarence revolteth from the Lords King renounced the title of King Henry and came that night with his whole strength to his brother at whose revolt the Lords were somewhat abashed but by the Earle of Oxford they were againe comforted by whose perswasion they marched forward to Barnet whither hee came leading the Vaward and on a plaine neere unto the Town pitched his field upon the morrow being Easter day both Hoasts met upon the one party were two Kings present Edward and Henry upon the other the Duke of Exeter Edward brought Henry to the field the Lord Marquesse Montacute the Earles of Warwicke and of Oxford with other men of name In their first encounter the Earle of Oxford so manfully demeaned himself that hee bore The valour of the Earle of Oxford over that part of the field which he set upon in so much that news came to London that Edwards Hoast was discomfited and it might have hapned if his men had kept their army and not presently disordered themselves by falling to rifle and pillage but after long and cruel fight King Edward obtained the victory in which battaile of the Lords party were slain Marquesse King Edward obtains the victory Mountacute his brother the Earl of Warwick on the Kings party the Lord Barons and of the Commons on both sides one thousand five hundred The death of the Earle of Warwicke and Marquesse Montacute the same day in the afternoon came King Edward to London and first offered at Pauls and road thence to his
lodging at Westminster and soon after was King Henry brought riding in a long gown of Blue Velvet and conveyed through Cheape unto Westminster and thence to King Henry again committed to the tower the Tower where he remayned all his life time after thus we find by the premisses The Beare who th'exil'd Tigresse meets in France Vowes the suppressed Lambe againe to advance And from the Coop where he hath long bin pent To raise him to his former government All which hapned according to the former prediction as also the sequell The Lion the land flying with a small And slender train the ragged Staffe sways all But the Bears fiereenesse shall be soon all aid As one that is halfe conquered halfe betraid That is half conquered by the prowesse of King Edward and betraid by his perfidious brother the D. of Clarence Edward thus having repossest the Kingdome provided against the landing of Queen Margaret and her sonne who notwithstanding with an army of Frenchmen entred the Land as farre as Teuxbury where the King met her and chaced her house and slue The battaile at Teuxbury many of them in which battaile was taken her sonne Edward and brought to the King who demanding some questions and he not answering him to his minde the King strook him over the face with his Gauntlet upon which hee was drag'd into a withdrawing room and there slaine by the Duke of Glocester In the same The murder of P. Edward yeere upon Ascension eve was the corps of Henry the sixt late King brought unreverently from the Tower through the high streets of the City unto Pauls and there left for that night and on the morrow conveyed with bils and staves and King Henry stabd to death in the tower the like weapons unto Chelsey and there without any solemne ceremony enterred who was stabd with a Dagger in the Tower by the hands of the foresaid Richard Duke of Glocester So that the Lambe the Beare did late restore Again coopt up was murdred by a Bore For the Bore was the Cognizance belonging to the said Duke when King Edward had thus subdued his enemies He sent over the miserable and distressed Queene Margaret into her owne Countrey whence shee never returned into this Kingdome after In the seventeenth yeere of the King the Duke of Clarence his second brother The murder of the Duke of Clarence was for some displeasure taken against him committed to the Tower where hee not remayned long but hee was secretly drowned in a But of Malmsey as it was commonly voic'd by the instigation of the Duke of Glocester I let passe the rest of this Kings Reigne in which hapned no great matter of remarke or consequence so that after his many victories for hee was never The death of K. Edward the Fourth conquered in any battaile hee governed the Realme in great tranquillity and quietnesse and expired the eleventh of Aprill in the yeere of the Incarnation of our Lord one thousand foure hundred fourscore and three after he had raigned full two and twenty yeeres and as much as from the fourth of March to the eleventh of Aprill whose corps was conveyed to VVindsor and there with all due and solemne Ceremony interred leaving two sonnes Prince Edward the eldest and Richard Duke of Yorke the younger with three Daughters Elizabeth after Queene Sicily and Katharine Edward the fift of that name and sonne to Edward the Fourth at eleven yeeres of age began his Reigne the eleventh of Aprill in the beginning of the yeer of our Lord God one thousand foure hundred fourescore and then of whom and his Uncle Richard Duke of Glocester the prediction followeth The Prophesie From the Herculean Lion lately sphear'd And in his Orbe to Iove himself indear'd Shall shine two stars without eclipse or cloud But they as to some sacred offering vow'd Shall perish on the Altar ere they grow To that full splendor which the world they owe A bunch-back'd monster who with teeth is born The mockery of art and natures scorn Who from the wombe preposterously is hurld And with feet forward thrust into the world Shall from the lower earth on which he stood Wade every step he mounts here deep in blood He shall to th' height of all his hopes aspire And cloth'd in state his ugly shape admire But when he thinks himself most safe to stand From forreigne parts a native Whelpshal land Who shall the long divided blood unite By joyning of the Red Rose with the white Edward the Fourth yielding his due to nature Hatred betwixt the King and Queenes kindred the long concealed grudge betwixt the King and the Queenes Allies began to vent it self for the Marquesse Dorset brother to the widowed Queene with others of her proximity had then the Guardianship of the young King who being in the Marches of VVales conveyed him towards London to make provision for his Coronation but the Duke of Glocester who intended otherwise attended with a company of Northern Gentlemen all in mourning met with the King at Stony-stratford and after a dissembled greeting betwixt him and the Marquesse dischardged him of his Office and Marquesse Dorset discharged of his Guardianship tooke upon himselfe the government of the king and thence accompanied with the Duke of Buckingham who was in great favour with the people brought him with all honour toward London whereof hearing Queene Elizabeth mother to the King and fearing the sequel she with her younger sonne the Duke of Yorke and her daughter Elisabeth tooke Sanctuary at VVestminster meane time the king was royally met by the Citizens of London and through The Queene taketh Sanctuary the City brought to the Bishop of Londons palace and there lodged Then the Duke of Glocester so wrought with Bouchier Archbishop of Canterbury that hee went with him to the Queene who upon the Archbishops faith and promise of his safety delivered The young Duke of York delivered to the Archbishop and Duke of Glocester to them the D. of Yorke then the Duke caused the king and his brother to be removed to the Tower and the Duke lodged himselfe in Crosby House in Bishopsgate street and great preparation was made for the yong kings Coronation in which time the Duke of Glocester being made Protector caused Sir Anthony VVoodvile Lord Scales the Queenes brother the Lord Richard the Queenes son Sir Richard Hawt and Sir Thomas to be beheaded at Pomfret more out of his owne tyranny then any The protectors tyranny trespasse by them committed next to further his aspiring purpose Hee covertly sounded the hearts of the Nobility how they stood affected and to that end cold many counsailes and amongst others he found the Lord Hastings then Lord Chamberlaine constant to the supporture of king Edward the Fourths Issue Upon the thirteenth of Iune being in the Counsel Chamber at the Tower with the Duke of Buckingham the Earle of Derby the Lord A
and the indisposition of the weather warring against him for by reason of the Land slouds hee could not joyne his forces together hee therefore was compeld to dissolve his Army and suffer every man to shift for his best safety himselfe retyring to the house of his Secretary and servant Banister who in hope of a thousand pounds reward to him that could bring forth the Duke promist only but never paid betrayde him to the King who caused him to bee had to Salisbury and on a scaffold in the Market place to have his head The death of the Duke of Buckingham cut off and such was the tragicall end of that honourable person Of this Banister and how his falsnesse to his Banisters persidiousnesse punished Lord was punisht in him and his posterity much hath been spoken as that his wife died distracted his sonne was found strangled with a cord his daughter found drowned in a shallow puddle of water and hee suffered on the gallows for a robbery and that since that day even to this age none of that House and Family but have some orother of the name beene troubled with the falling sicknesse a good caveat for all corrupt and perfidious servants King Richard though hee had removed all or most of his potent enemies Buckingham the Queenes Kindred and others yet knowing hee was hated for his many murders especially for the two Princes in the Tower and that hee was moreover suspected for causing Queen Anne his wife to bee poysoned who dyed suddenly in hope to have married the Lady Elizabeth daughter to the Queen Dowager who after the death of her two brothers was immediate heire Q. Anne poysoned to the Crowne hee to stop the mouthes of the multitude and as farre as might be to insinuate himselfe into the hearts of the Commons made many good and profitable Lawes to the benefit â—…ing Richards policy of the Common-wealth which are yet called the wholsome Laws of the Kingdome but this he did not that hee so much loved their good but that he so well affected his owne safety and because he was loth to leave the World without some worthy character behind him hee strived to bee reputed the best of Kings though hee knew himselfe to be the worst of men Amongst other pieces of his justice it was laid to the charge of one William Collingborne a Gentleman that hee was authour of a libell the effect whereof was this The Cat the Rat and Lovell the Dog Collingborns Libell Rule all England under an Hog By the Cat meaning Catesby by the Rat Ratcliffe and by Lovell the Dog the Lord Lovell all which were Court Favourites and ruled the Land under the King who bore the white Bore for his Cognisance for which Rime and other matters pretended against him he was arraigned convicted and condemned and after suffered on a new paire of Gallows on the Tower-hill where he was no sooner cast off the ladder but cut down and his bowels ript out of his belly The tyrannous death of M. Collingborne and thrown into the fire and lived till the bloudy Hangman thrust his hand into the bulk of his body to grope for his heart and even then hee was heard to say aloud O Lord Iesus yet more trouble and so died to the great compassion of much people During which passages Henry Earle of Richmond the Lord Marquesse Dorset brother to Henry Earle of Richmond the Queene and Sir Iames Blont then Keeper of the Castle of Guines who brought with him Iohn the brave and valiant Earle of Oxford who had been kept prisoner in that Castle ever since the field fought at Barnet These with other of their noble friends with a small company of English French and Britains landed in Milford His landing in Milford Haven Haven in the month of August which Earle no sooner sat his feet on shore but he incontinently kneeling upon the earth with a sober and devout countenance began the Psalme Indica me Domine discerne causam meam c which when hee had finished and kissed the ground he rose up and commanded such as were about him boldly and in the name of God to set forward of whose landing the King hearing he set it light making no haste to oppose them as despising them in regard of their small number But when the arrivall and returne of this Prince was rumoured abroad through the land many drew unto him aswell Sanctuary men as others so that his Army greatly increased which the King hearing hee then gathered a strong Hoast and so sped him that upon the two and twentieth day of the same moneth August and The Kings Hoast the beginning of the third yeere of his Reigne He met with Prince Henry neere unto a Village called Bosworth besides Leicester where betwixt them was fought a sharpe and cruell battaile for The battaile at Bosworth the time which more bloudy had beene if the Kings party had beene fast and constant to him for some left him and fled to his enemy and others stood hovering as Neuters to see unto whom the victory would fal of which the Lord Stanley Father in law to the Earle of Richmond with a strong band of Cheshire and Lancashire-men was chief Some were of opinion that the King lost the battaile by his owne foole-hardinesse and The Kings rashnesse in the field head-strong spleene for when the fight was begunne and he mounted on a white Steed was in the center of his Army to give directions for the field upon any occasion upon the suddaine hee cal'd to know what part of the adverse ground Richmond then maintained who being poynted to the place suddenly without any directions left or any substitute to command in his place sprung out of his hoast and made thither and calling aloud for Richmond was knowne by his Guard who seeking to presse through them wounding some and killing others was himselfe with his horse broached upon their Halberds The newes of the Kings death being blowne abroad his army stood The death of King Richard at a stand onely defending themselves but not offending any insomuch that the glory of the day fell to the Earle of Richmond and his partisans upon the Kings party were slaine Iohn Duke of Norfolke before his late creation Lord Howard with Brakenbury Lievtenant of the Tower but no other of name or quality where was taken the Earle of Surrey sonne to the Duke of Norfolke who was sent to the Tower The Earle of Surrey taken and there remained prisoner a long time after Then was the body of King Richard despoyled of his Armes and stript naked and then disgracefully cast behind a man riding upon a leane Iade the body being almost wholly covered with mire and dirt and so unreverently carryed to the Friers at Leicester where after a season he had laine openly that all men might behold him with little reverence and lesse mourning he was cast
to the Lady Anne Bolloigne Whitsunday was crowned Queene and on Midsommer day following dyed the French Queene Mary the kings sister and wife to Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke And on the Eve of the Nativity of the blessed Virgin following was born the Lady Elizabeth at Greenwich in which The birth of the Lady Elizabe◅h yeere as an happy presage of her future love unto the Gospell it was enacted that no man should sue any appeale to Rome In Ianuary the seven and twentieth of the King died the Lady Katherine princesse Dowager The death of Q. Katherine late wife to the King and in the 28 of his Reigne Queene Anne Bolloigne with her brother the Lord Rochford Noris Weston Breerton and Marks were attainted of high Treason and The King married to the Lady Iane Seymour beheaded and soone after the King married the Lady Iane Seymour in the yeere one thousand five hundred thirty seven on Saint Edwards eve in Iune Prince Edward was borne at Hampton The birth of Pr. Edward Court and the three and twentieth of October following died Queene Iane and lyeth buried at Windsore then was the Bishop of Rome with all his usurped power quite abolished out of the Realme and the King assumed to himselfe the supremacy over the Church in England and Ireland to whom were granted the first-fruits before The death of Sir Thomas Moore c. paid to the pope with the Tenths of all spirituall possessions For denying of whose Supremacy that famous and learned Gentleman Sir Thomas Moore Lord Chancellour of England with the Bishop of Rochester were beheaded and presently after three Monks of the Charterhouse for the some offence Then followed the dissolution of all the Abbeys Fryeries and Nunneries through the whole Realme when the Masse and all Romish Superstitions were forbidden and divers Images that had Engines to make their eyes open and shut and their other limbes to move and stirre were broken to pieces and defaced and all Fryers Monks Canons and Nuns were forced to change their Habits and forsake their Cloysters A proclamation also was made which hath beene since establisht as a Law that the English Bible should bee read in every Church The English Bible commanded to bee read in Churches throughout the Realme and that no Holydayes should be solemnized and observed except our Ladydayes the Apostles the Evangelists Saint George and Saint Mary Magdalen and that Saint Marks Eve and Saint Lawrence Eve should not be kept as fasting days And that children should not goe decked and garnished as they doe on Feasting dayes upon Saint Nicholas Saint Katherine Saint Clements and the holy Innocents and the like all which comply with the prophesie He from the sceptarchy of Hils That Europe aws and triple-crown that fils The Christiā world with terror takes the power And brings it home unto his British bower Blunting the horns of all the Bashan Buls And rooting from the Land the razord skuls By the Sceptarchy of Hils meaning the seven Hils on which the City Rome standeth and further The prophefie explained taking on himselfe to be the supreme Head of the Church within his own Dominions he takes away that power from the Popes Triple-crowne to which all the Christian Kingdomes else were in vassallage By blunting the hornes of the Bashan Buls meaning the Popes Writs of Excommunications Interdictions Anathemaes or Cursings which are called his Buls the terrour whereof hee now vilifies and sets at nought by rooting the rozard sculs from the Land is meant the suppression of Fryers Divers who suffered for denying the Kings Supremacie and Monks who had the upper part of their heads alwayes shaven c. Many were those who suffered for denying the Supremacie as Fryer Forrest who was hanged and burnt in Smith-field with the Image of Darvell Gathren in Wales and for the same offence suffered the Abbots of Reading of Colchester and the great rich Abbot of Glastenbury whose name was Whiting whom the King commanded to be hanged upon the top of the Tower an eminent place and visibly afarre for which way soever a man travels towards that Towne it may be seene twenty miles distant now it seem'd a thing impossible that the Sea with his greatest inundation should swell so high that any Fish should float over or upon it yet so saith the prophesie and all such are mystically delivered parabolically or in allegoricall figures O're Glastenbury for the eye that 's dim May at that day behold a Whiting swim The place being so conspicuous and apparant that one with halfe an eye might see his body waving betwixt the two Elements of Earth and Aire After diverse rebellions in Ireland for which Rebellions in Ireland the Earle of Kildare was committed and died a naturall death during his imprisonment in the Tower and that his sonne made a new insurrection and slew the Bishop of Develin and that for another Rebellion Thomas Fitzgarret with five of his Vncles were drawne hanged and quartered and that the Lord Leonard Gray was beheaded on the Tower-hill for divers Treasons done in Ireland during the time hee was there Deputy for the King yet the King so wisely and discreetly demeaned himselfe towards that Nation that in the thirtieth third yeare of his reigne the Earle of Desmond and the great Oneile submitted themselves to his mercy and grace after which the great Oneile The great Oneile made Earle of Tyron was created Earle of Tyron and his son Baron of Doncannon Thus you see He by his Art could fashion Musicall grounds From th' untun'd harp that discords only sounds By the Harpe which is the Armes of the kingdome meaning Ireland it selfe c. For Treason also were beheaded at the Tower-Hill Thomas Cromwell Earle of Essex and Vicar generall The death of Cromwel Earle of Essex of England who had beene once a faithfull servant to Cardinall Woolsey and after entertained and raised by the King who as it is commonly voyc't put it first into the kings head to pull downe the Abbyes and make a dissolution of the Monasteries and with him dyed the Lord Hungerford In the thirty fift yeare of the king the Earle of Hartford being made Livetenant Generall for his warres in Scotland in regard of divers affronts given him the fourth of May he landed at Leith burning and destroying the Countrey sparing neither Castle Towne Pile nor The Earle of Hartfords voy age into Scotland village for hee ransacked and laid waste the Borrough and towne of Edenborrow with the Abbey called Holy rood house and the Kings Palace neare adjoyning the Towne of Leith also with the Haven and Pire the Castle and Village of Cragmiller the Abbey of New Bottell with part of Muskelborrough Towne the Chappell of the Lady of Lauret Preston Town the Castle of Harinton Towne with the Friers and Nunnery a Castle of Oliver Sanckers the Towne of Dundbarre Laureston with the Grange Vrilaw
parish Church throughout England that no Coarse should be buryed before sixe a Clocke in the morning nor after sixe at night and that when any dyed the Bell should ring three quarter of an houre at least In this Interim the two great Dukes of Northumberland and Suffolke Dudly and Gray privately murmuring and openly maligning that The two Dukes of Northumberland and Suffolk the Kings two Uncles should beare such great authority in the Kingdome by which their glories seemed not onely eclipsed but quite darkned the elder brother commanding the Land the younger the Sea the one Lord Protector the other Lord High Admirall so that the whole Dominion and Soveraignty of the kingdome the kings name excepted was divided betwixt them And further considering that it was in vaine for them to attaine to their owne ambitious ends but by sundring this fraternall tye and unloosing this Gordian knot Their plots gainst the Protector and Admirall of Consanguinity which had beene so long inseparably continued betwixt them they therefore projected betwixt themselves how this almost impossible thing might be brought to passe and doubting the event if they should attempt to worke by their servants as to corrupt them with Bribes or the like they therefore tooke a nearer and more safe course to practise it by their Wives and to draw their balas from out of their owne bosomes and The Wives made themcans to betray the Husbands most successively to their purpose thus it happened Sir Thomas Seimer Lord High Admirall having married the Queene Dowager whose good Fortune it was of all the rest of the kings wives to survive her Husband contested with her sister in law for precedence and priority of place to which the Protectors wife standing upon her prerogative could by no meanes bee wonne to give way This emulation betwixt the two sisters fitly sorting to the Dukes purposes for the one challenged the right hand as once being Queene and the other claimed it as wise to the present Protector To this new kindled fire the two Dukes bring fuell Dudly incourageth the one secretly Gray the other privately so that the Wives set the Husbands at oddes by taking their parts so that by the instigation of those emulous and incensed Ladies a mortall hatred grew betwixt the two brothers insomuch that in the third year of the King the Admirall was questioned for the ill managing his Office and sundry Articles preferred in Court against him so that he was condemn'd in Parliament and his head The death of the Lord high Admirall strooke off the Protector his brother signing the Warrant for his death The one being thus removed there was the lesse difficulty to supplant the other for in the same Month of February in which the Admirall lost his head was the Protector committed to the Tower by the Lords of the Counsaile of which the two Dukes were chief and many Articles of Treason and ill government of the state commenced against him but about a yeare after his confinement by his submission to the Lords and intercession made for him by the K. upon the sixt of February hee was released injoy'd his former offices honors but all this was but a lightning before death for his two great potent adversaries stil prosecute their malice against him insomuch that not long after calling him to a second account when he had nobly acquit himself at the Barre of all treason objected against him he was in the Guild Hall of London not by a Iury of his peeres by The Lord Protector put to death for felony twelve men convicted and condemned of Felony for which on a Scaffold on Tower-Hill hee suffered death verifying what was before spoken of the young King Vpright he shall betweene two Bases stand One in the sea fixt th' other on the land These shall his pupillage strongly maintaine Secure the continent and scoure the maine But these supporters will be tane away By a Northumbers Wolfe and Suffolks Gray It is so manifest it needs no Comment This Edward Seimour was the sonne of Sir A Character of the L. Protector Edward Seimour knighted by Henry the eight who had married the Lady Iane his naturall sister He after created him Viscount Beauchamp in the yeare one thousand five hundred thirty sixe and the yeare following Earle of Hereford after that he was installed Knight of the Garter His honours and offices made Lord great Chamberlain of England one of the honourable privy Counsail much favoured of the eighth Henry who in his last Testament instituted him one of the chiefe of his sixteene Executors after this King Edward created him Baron de sancto Mauro then Duke of Somerset He was next by a generall voyce of parliament made Protector over the Kings person and of all his Kingdomes and Dominions Governour and Lord Generall of all the Kings forces by Land and Sea He was moreover Lord high Treasurer and Earle Martiall of England Captaine of the two Islands of Gernsie and Iersie and Chancellour of the University of Cambridge In all which Offices and Dignities he demeaned himselfe The Duke of Somerset catalogu'd amongst the English Martyrs with such Honourable bounty and singular piety that some have not doubted to Catalogue him amongst our English Martyrs But to returne to the History by this protectors meanes who was a constant Protestant Images were puld downe through all Churches of England Marriage of priests made lawfull The suppressing of the Romish Religion by parliament and Doctor Bonner with other Romish Prelates deposed from their Bishopricks and other of the Reformed Church supplyed their places making good what was before calculated of the young King By birth a Caesar and in hopes as great Shall next ascend unto th' Imperiall seat Who ' ere mature cropt in his tender bloome Shal more against then Caesar could for Rome He th' Aristocracy Monarchall makes This from the triple Crowne the Scepter takes This needs some explication Hee is called young Caesar as being produced into the world The prophesie explained by the cutting or ripping up of his mothers wombe from which the great Roman Iulius borne after the same manner had added to him the name of Caesar which Title hee left as Hereditary to all the succeeding Emperours after him who as hee reduced the Aristocracie which was the government of the Senate and Optimates into one entire monarchall Diadem placing the Empire in Rome so of the contrary this young King from the great Pontifex of Rome who in time wearing a Triple Diademe and thereby challenging power in Heaven potently upon earth regency and predominance over Hell and moreover making earthly Kings and Emperours to acknowledge unto him a preheminence and supremacie making them to kisse his feet with other servil officeâ—… â—…e by opposing this Soveraignty and shrinking his head out of so extreame a servitude may bee truly said to have done more against Rome in
especially the Clergy who in her dayes swayd all and were so busied in the butchery and burning of Martyrs at home that the honour and state of the Kingdome was much neglected abroad which Town had two hundred and odde yeares belonged to the Crowne of England It was first won by Edward the third the eleventh King from William the Conquerour after the siege of eight Months and was lost by Mary the eleventh from the said Edward in eight dayes Who when shee heard the Towne was taken in a great passion uttered these words The losse of Callais is written in Queen Maries sorrow for the lesse of Callis my heart and may bee there read when my body is dissected Besides Martyrdome in her time was great Mortality of people much harme done by lightning and Thunder a great part of her Fleet suddenly fired King Philips second returning into the Land and his short sojourne here ere hee left it againe These with other discontents so wrought upon her princely Nature that verifying the former prediction which saith Men shall her short unprosperous raign deplore By losse at Sea and damage on the shore Her heart when 't is dissected you in it May in large Characters read Callis writ These cogitable remembrances brought her into a Consumption or as some say into a Some say of a Dropsie or impostume burning Fever so that in the forty second yeare and sixt day of her age she departed the world at the Mannor of St. Iames neere Westminster the seventeenth of November in the yeare of our blessed Saviours Incarnation one thousand The death of Queen Mary five hundred fifty eight after shee had reigned five yeares foure months and eleven dayes whose body lyeth buried in a Chappell in the Cathedrall of Saint Peters Church in Westminster in a bare grave without either Tombe or any Inscription either of which might have She lyeth buried without a Monument beene some memorable decorement to adorne her Hearse The same day of her death was proclamed The Lady Elizabeth proclamed Queene Queene the Lady Elizabeth sister to Queene Mary and daughter to Henry the eight and the Lady Anne Bulloine who was appoynted by parliament to succeed her sister dying without Issue who shortly came to London where she was joyfully received by all ages sexes and degrees the Romists onely excepted and passing through the City to the Tower shee shewed to all her people and subjects the deportment of so sweet and a gracious Lady and they so mutual and alternate a joy for her happy and prosperous Inauguration that it almost wanted president and of whom it was thus predicted From th 'others ashes shall a Phenix rise Whose birth is thus predicted by the wise The prophesie of her birth reigne Her chief predominant star is Mercury Iove shall with Venus in conjunction be And Sol with them shine in his best aspect With Ariadnes Crown Astraea deckt Shall then descend upon this terrene stage Not seen before since the first golden age Against whom all the Latian Buls shall rore But at Ioves awfull summons shall give ore Through many forges shall this met all glide Like gold by fire repur'd and seven times tryde Her bright and glorious Sun-beams shall expell The vain clouds of the Candle Booke and Bell. Domestick plots and stratagems abroad French machins and the Italianated god The Spanish Engine Porteguized Iew The Iesuitick mine and politick crew Of home-bred Vipers let their menaces come By private pistoll or by hostile Drum Though all these Dogs chace her with open cry Live shall she lov'd and fear'd then Sainted die Concerning the Astrologicall calculation of her A calculation at her birth birth in her it prov'd most infallibly true for where Mercuries Star is predominant it portends a rare acutenesse and sharpnesse of wit a volubility in speech and retentivenes of memory with a naturall inclination to acquire Learning and knowledg Iupiters star infuseth honor state power and Majesty and Venus feature beauty affability and clemency both which being at that time in conjunction conserd their general gifts upon her in particular and Sol shining at the same houre with a favourable aspect ratified the former of which part of the prophesie there needs no further explanation To write largely of her troubles being a princesse or of her rare and remarkable Reigne An apologie of the Author after she was Queen I should but feast you with dyet twice drest Having my selfe published a discourse of the first from her cradle to her crowne and in another bearing Title of the nine worthy Women she being the last of the rest in time and place though equall to any of the former both in religious vertue and all masculine magnanimity and yet because the present occasion enforceth it I will give you only a capitulation in briefe of those passages which were at large related in the former which I refer to the following Chapter CHAP. 37. A briefe nomination of her troubles wrought by the Popish Clergie Her passage through London to her Coronation with the Speeches spoke in the pageants A short remembrance of the prime passages in her Reigne The former prediction fulfild her death other predictions fathered upon Merlin explained c. SHee was borne the seventh of September A briefe catalogue of her troubles and baptized the third day following in the Fryers Church in Greenwich her Godfather was Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury her Godmothers the Duchesse of Norfolke and Marchionesse of Pembroke both widows At her birth Mary the elder Daughter to the King by Queen Katherine was disabled of any claime to the Crown and his Heires by Queene Anne of Bulloigne admitted during her childhood she came not neere her sister but was brought up in the Protestant Faith and to her brother Edward much endeared Her Uncle the Protectour brought her Suitors of Honourable quality in her minority whom shee refused with great modesty At Queene Maries Coronation she graced her with her company but soone after confin'd her at the instigation of the Clergie no insurrection in her sisters time to which they would not have made her accessary Who were her greatest adversaries as that of Wiats in Kent the Carowes in Devonshire Throgmortons c. for which she was by them maliciously questioned but by the power of Heaven miraculously acquitted from Ashredge sent for to London from thence committed to the Tower her barge grating on the arches by the way her landing at the Traitours staires her close imprisonment there her dangers in being conveyed thence Her train untutored Souldiers Her bondage under Benningfield His fury at Woodstocke and the firing of her Lodgings a private Warrant for her death accidentally discovered and by King Philip prevented By these with infinite others appeares That against her the Latian Buls did rore But by Ioves awfull power at length give o're This hath not only reference to her pupillage By