reduced to that penury that he was forced to live upon the Alms of the Church This King designed at least pretended to go for the Holy Land when the Parliament granted him large Aids upon this condition That at this time once for all he should submit himself to govern by Law to confirm the Charters of Liberties or Magna Charta Against the breakers whereof a most solemn curse was pronounced The King swearing to keep all Liberties upon pain of that execratory sentence As he was a man a Christian a Knight and a King anointed and crowned Yet notwithstanding the Oath and the Curse the King two or three years after caused the Tenth of all England and Ireland to be collected for his own use and the Popes the Pope having given the Kingdom of Sicily to his Son Edmond but the English subjects were first to win it for him Which the Nobles peremptorily denied the attempting there being occasion enough for money and men at home the Welsh having risen in rebellion Against whom Prince Edward was sent who though he wanted not for Courage St. Edmund of Abingâ—â—n A. B. Caâ—t yet in one field lost 2000 English men and was beaten out of the field In A.D. 1257 was Richard Earl of Cornwall the King's Brother elected King of Romans and was crowned at Aquisgrane having paid a large sum of money for the honour At this time the Earl was reputed to possess so much ready Coin as would every day for ten years afford him an hundred Marks upon the main stock besides his Rents and Revenues in Germany and the English Dominions And now the King relapsed into his profuseness and favouring of the Poictovins and other forreigners The Nobles hereupon came exquisitely armed to the Parliament holden at Oxford with a resolution to inforce the King and his Aliens to their proposals Which were That the King should unfeignedly keep the Charter of Liberties That such an one should be in place of Justitiar who would judg all impartially That the Forreigners should be expelled the Realm And that twenty-four persons should there be chosen to have the sole administration of King and State and yearly appointing of all great Officers Reserving to the King the Ceremonies of Honour Binding themselves by Oath to see these things performed and the King and Prince swearing to observe the ordination of these disloyal Barons who had by an Edict given out high menacings against all that should resist The Poictovins were so terrified by these violent proceedings that they fled into France The giddy people they joined with the Barons as the Assertors of their Liberties Boniface A. B. Cant the Londoners bound themselves under their publick Seal to assist them in the common Cause Richard King of Romans the Barons would not suffer to come into England but in a private manner with a very small train and being landed they exacted an Oath of him and upon pain of forfeiting all his Lands in England bound him to join with them in reforming the State which they factiously had assumed to do having appointed Four Knights Commissioners in every shire to enquire of all Oppressions and to certifie the same to them And the better to strengthen their Cause Simon Montford Earl of Leicester Head of the Factionists with others passed into France there to transact with the King thereof as to an indissoluble League About which time King Henry for want of Money or good Counsel or both was induced upon no very good terms for ever to renounce to the King of France all his right to Normandy Anjou Tourain Main and Poictou But the fire which had been long in blowing did now break out into a flame the King and his Barons taking arms against each other Simon de Montford executes his greatest revenge on the Queens friends who were aliens not sparing the King's who were free-born English-men Yet at length mutual weariness inclines Henry and his Barons to a peace and the King is willing that the Statutes of Oxford should be in force but the Queen was unwilling Which being known to the Londoners it put the baser sort into so leud a rage that she being to shoot the Bridg from the Tower towards Windsor where Prince Edward was ingarison'd they with dirt and stones and villanous words forced her back to the Tower Howbeit at London in a Parliament there held matters were pieced up though shortly after all was rent again both sides making fresh preparations for War King Henry drew towards Oxford where the rendezvous of his friends and forces was appointed from which University he dismissed all the Students being above fifteen thousand of those only whose names were entred into the Matriculation-book Whereupon many of them went to the Barons to Northamptor whither Henry came and breaking in at the Town-Walls encountred his Enemies amongst whom these Students of Oxford had a Banner by themselves advanced right against the King and did more annoy him in the fight than the rest of the Barons Forces Which the King who at length prevailed vowed sharply to revenge but was disswaded by his Councellors who told him that those Students were the sons and kindred of the great men of the Land whom if he punished even the Nobles that now stood for him would take arms against him The King encouraged by this success advanceth his Royal Standard toward Nottingham burning and wasting the Barons Lands wheresoever he came The Barons they sent Letters to him protesting their loyal observance to his person but all hostility to their enemies who were about him Rob. Kilwarby A B. Cant To which the King returned them a full defiance as to Traytors professing that he took the wrong of his friends as his own and their enemies as his At length the two Armies met and ingaged in fight wherein Prince Edward bravely behaved himself putting the Londoners to flight pursuing them for four miles but in the mean while his Father having his horse slain under him yielded himself prisoner the King of Romans and other great Peers were taken and the whole hope of the day lost on the Kings side On the next day peace was concluded for the present on condition That Prince Edward and Henry the King of Romans Son should also render themselves into the Barons hands And now by this advantage the factious Lords gained all the chief Castles of the Kingdom into their power Montford carrying his Soveraign as his prisoner about the Country yet with all outward respect and honour the rather to procure a more quiet surrender of Garrisons So fortunate may Treason and Rebellion for a time be though in the end it commonly speeds as it deserves To tame these Rebels the Pope sends his Cardinal Legate to Excommunicate them but they trusting to the temporal sword made light of the spiritual Howbeit to the Kings great advantage there hapned so irreconcileable a difference betwixt the two great Earls of Leicester and Glocester that the
London Bridge In May the King passed some Bills in the House of Lords whereof one was for raising an Imposition on Wines and other Liquors and the Parliament was adjourned till the 11th of August following In June News was brought to London of the burning of the Bridge Town in Barbadoes where besides the loss of most of the Houses the Magazine to the great prejudice of the publick as well as of private Persons was blown up The Duke of York in September near to Dover took the usual Oath of Warden of the Cinque Ports The Parliament that was to have met in August was by Proclamation Prorogued till the Tenth of November ensuing and the Duke of Monmouth upon the resignation of the Lord Gerrard was made Captain of his Majesties Life-Guards of Horse Sir Thomas Allen made Peace this year with the Algerines and the Parliament which met at the appointed time and adjourned till March were in December by Proclamation prorogued till the Tenth of October following About the middle of January 1668 9 the Dutchess of York was brought to Bed of a Daughter christened by the Name of Henrietta by the Archbishop of Canterbury the Duke of Ormond assisting as God-father the Marchioness of Dorchester and Countess of Devonshire having the Honour of being God-mothers In March 1668 9 the Prince of Tuscany in pursuance of his Travels came to visit England where being honourably received and magnificently treated by His Majesty and several Persons of Quality of the Kingdom he departed for Holland in his way homeward Anno 1669. The beginning of this year the Earl of Carlisle was sent Embassadour Extraordinary to Sweden As he was at Copenhagen on his way he received a Letter from the King of England in answer to an obliging Letter of the King of Denmark to be delivered to that King This Letter was so acceptable to the Dane that upon the Embassadours instance he dispatched Orders to all his Ports and Mercantile Towns especially in Norway for restoring the English to their former Freedoms and Priviledges in Trading Being arrived in Sweden he presented the King with the George worn by the Knights of the Garter and was afterward as His Majesties Proxie solemnly installed in the Order at Windsor This year was the stately new Theatre of Oxford the noble Gift of Dr. Sheldon Archbishop of Canterbury according to the intent of the Donor put into the Possession of that University And upon his Graces declining the Chancellourship the Duke of Ormond was installed Chancellour of the University of Oxford Whilst the King was taking his Divertisement with the Duke of York in the New Forrest in Hampshire they both received an Express of the death of their Mother the Queen Dowager of England who died at Columbee the last of August and was buried in St. Denis in November following About this time arrived at Dublin the Lord Roberts as Lord Deputy of Ireland The Exchange of London ever since the Fire had been kept at Gresham Colledge in Bishopsgate-street till now to the great satisfaction of the City the Merchants returned to the Royal Exchange in Corn-hill a Fabrick as far exceeding the old one in Beauty and Structure as the City rebuilt does that which was destroyed At the day of October prefixed the Parliament met to whom the King amongst other things in his Speech proposed the uniting of England and Scotland into one Kingdom this Project in the Sequel had no better issue than another set on foot by King James for the same purpose The Parliament having sate above a month and done but very little were prorogued till the 24th of February following The Parliament of Scotland sate at Edenbourgh at the same time that the Parliament of England did at Westminster in the which the Earl of Lauderdale represented His Majesty as His Commissioner In this Session of Parliament amongst many other Acts that of asserting his Majesties Supremacy in all Causes and over all Persons Civil and Ecclesiastical passed A necessary Act for securing the Rights of Monarchy against popular and unwarrantable Innovations and a duty which had it not been forgotten or trampled upon in these later times might with Gods Blessing have preserved both Nations from scandalous and fatal consequences A splendid and magnificent Embassie was this year sent to Taffelette Emperour of Morocco in the Person of Mr. Henry Howard since Duke of Norfolk which by reason of the troubles of that Countrey and the inability of the Emperor to secure a safe conduct to a Person of that quality proved of small consequences and the Embassadour returned without seeing the Emperour or performing his Embassie The later end of this year died the Duke of Albemarle his Dutchess not many days surviving him The King as a mark of gratitude to the deceased Duke sent his Son the present Duke his Fathers Garter continued to him many of his Honours and Preferments and sent him word that he himself would take care of his Fathers Funeral The Parliament met again at the appointed time and the King among other things re-minded them of the project of Union between the two Kingdoms This year in the beginning of April Anno 1670 the King having passed some Bills the Parliament was adjourned to the 24th of October Amongst others was an Act for authorizing such Commissioners as His Majesty should be pleased to nominate for treating with the Scottish Commissioners about the projected Union who being nominated and having afterwards met with those sent from Scotland many Conferences were held but insuperable difficulties appearing in the matter it was wholly laid aside At this time the Lord John Berkley arrived in Dublin and was invested Lord Lieutenant of Ireland The Princess of Orleans made now her last visit to her two Brothers the King of England and Duke of York at Dover and upon her return which was shortly after took her journey out of this World for to the great grief and surprize of the Court of England she died suddenly Captain Beach being in the Straits with four English Frigots met a squadron of seven Algier Men of War full of Men gave them Battel and after a short dispute forced them all ashore where two of them were burnt by themselves and the rest by the English most of their Men were lost and 250 Christian Captives set at liberty In October The Parliament met again according to their Adjournment and then was the Peace between England and Spain beyond the Line concluded and ratified The Prince of Orange came this year into England and having visited both Universities after a short stay he returned During this Session of Parliament the Lords and Commons having humbly represented to His Majesty their fears and jealousies of the growth of Popery the King by Proclamation commanded all Jesuits and English Irish and Scottish Priests and all others that had taken Orders from the See of Rome except such as were to wait upon the Queen and Foreign Embassadors to
causing a great dearth among Cattel extraordinary Rains Water floods incredible which so softned the hills to the foundations that some of them fell and over-whelmed the Villages near them Most of the principal Cities were indamaged by fire So great a fire hapned in London that it consumed Houses and Churches all the way from the West-gate to the East-gate And 't is said that tame and domestick Fowls became wild flying to the Woods WILLIAM RVFVS WIlliam sirnamed Rufus A. D. 1087. notwithstanding that Robert Curtoise his eldest Brother was living yet by the mediation and assistance of Lanfrank Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and Wolstane he gained the voices of the Councel and was Crowned A. D. 1087. But Odo Bishop of Bayeux to take revenge for his sufferings under the Conqueror instigated Duke Robert to repair into England and recover his right which he promised should soon be effected Now Robert that Money the sinews of War might not be wanting for the carrying on of this design mortgaged the Province of Constantine to his Brother Henry and with him many of the English sided William on the other hand by fairly promising to abolish the over-hard Laws made by his Father and to take off the Taxes and Imposts drew the people generally to stand in his defence by whose aids he regained divers strong holds that the Nobles had seized for Duke Robert He also besieged Rochester wherein Odo was from which siege he sent forth his Proclamation throughout the Land commanding all men to repair thereto and that whosoever would not should be reputed a Niding A word so disgraceful and hateful to the English signifying a Coward or base-hearted fellow that made multitudes hast with all speed to that service Whereupon the Castle was yielded and Odo banished and his goods confiscated But whilst these things were acting Robert Duke of Normandy Landed at Southampton and very shortly returned again into his own Territories upon his Brother Williams promise to pay him Three thousand Marks yearly and to resign the Kingdom to him or his Heirs at his death About this time Lanfrank Arch-Bishop of Canterbury dyed and the King kept that See vacant above Four years So did he by many other Ecclesiastical promotions and set to sale the rights of the Church preferring those therein that would give the most and yet his exchequer became never the richer He was wont to say That Christs bread is sweet dainty and most delicate for Kings His Brother Roberts Territories in Normandy he invaded taking divers strong holds and Castles inforcing Robert to make a Peace with him After which these two Brothers unite their forces against their Brother Henry But he fearing after-claps had strongly fortified the Castle of Mount St. Michael in Normandy wherein they besieged him In which time of Siege King Williams life was in great hazard for some of the besieged sallying forth William more boldly than wisely rode against them and a Knight encountring him slew his Horse under him and had slain him too had he not made himself known by his voyce Whereupon the armed men with great reverence took him up and brought him another Horse when the King not staying for the stirrup sprang into the Saddle and with angry countenance demanded who it was that overthrew him and the Knight as boldly answered and shewed himself who he was By Lukes face quoth the King thou shalt be my Knight and be inrolled in my Check with a fee answerable to thy worth Prince Henry in the time of this siege being sorely distressed for Water sent to his Brother Robert knowing him to be of the better temper desiring him that he might have that permitted him which God had made common Duke Robert commanded him to be supplied whereat King William was wroth Anselme A.B. Cant. To whom Robert sayd And dost thou esteem more of water which is every where to be got than of a Brother having no more but him and me In short time after these Three brethren were reconciled and in short time after that the two elder again disagreed The Peace of England was also disturbed by Malcolme King of Scots but by the Ambushment of Mowbray Earl of Northumberland he was slain with his Son Edward Then Mowbray grown proud turns Rebel but was taken and committed to Windsor Duke Robert preparing for the Holy Wars mortgaged his Dukedom to his Brother William for the sum of Six thousand six hundred sixty six pounds of Silver for the making up of which sum King William made the Religious Houses to ransack their Coffers Normandy therefore was now the Kings concern to keep as his own wherefore a while after hearing as he sate at meat that Main a City in Normandy was straitly besieged and his Subjects sorely distressed he swore his wonted Oath By St. Lukes face that he would not turn his back till he was with them And thereupon commanded the wall of the House to be broke down that he might go forth the next way to Sea leaving order for his Nobles straight-way to follow him But the Winds being contrary and Seas raging his Pilate humbly desired him to stay a while till the winds and Seas were appeased To whom the King said Hast thou ever heard that a King hath been drowned Therefore hoise up the sails I charge thee and be gone Which accordigly being done the King making such hast relieved the City before it was expected Then setling his affairs in that Countrey he returned into England where as he was Hunting in New-Forest Sir Walter Tyrrel a French Knight shooting at a Stag the Arrow glanced against a Tree and struck the King into the breast with which he immediately dyed Aug. 1. A. D. 1100. His body layd in a Colliers Cart was drawn with one poor Jade through a very dirty way till the Cart broke where for a while the Corps was left in the dirt but afterwards was conveyed to Winchester and there buryed in the Cathedral Church The bones since have been taken up and laid into a Coffer with the bones of Canutus At Westminster he laid new foundations of a most stately Palace and finished that stately building called the great Hall which he found fault with because no bigger accounting it scarce worthy the name of a Bed-chamber in respect of that which he intended to build He new built the City Carlisle which 200 years before had been spoiled by the Danes built the Church of St. Saviours in Southwark and founded an Hospital in York to the Honour of St. Peter In this Kings reign the Bishops See was translated from Selsey to Chichester anciently called Cissancester In his Reign happened a most dreadful Earth-quake vehement Lightning leaving an intolerable stink behind it An exceeding tempest of Wind that in London drove down Sixty Houses blew off the Roof of Bow-Church with the Beams Six of which in their fall were driven Twenty three foot deep into the ground the Streets of the City lying then
Welsh they made some stirs And one Fitz-Arnulph a Citizen of London attempted to set up Lewis again for the which himself and two others were hanged and many more had their hands or feet cut off The Barons they were high for a confirmation of their Liberties And Lewis of France upon the death of his Father seized Rochel and the whole Country of Poictou which belonged to the King of England into his hands under pretence that K. Henry an Homager for Aquitain was not present at his Coronation nor yet excused his absence by Ambassadors Whereupon Henry summons a Parliament for Aids to recover his losses which being granted he sent over his forces which discomfited the French But the King necessitated for more Monies for the carrying on of his design in Gascoign wrung from the Londoners Five thousand Marks above their Fifteenths alledging that they had to his prejudice given Lewis the like sum The Clergy also were compelled under pain of Papal censure to pay the Fifteenth not only for their temporal but also Ecclesiastical Goods And by advice of Hubert de Burgo Chief Justice the King revoked the Charters of Liberties which for about two years had been practised through the Realm pretending his Non-age when granted Which caused in all a great heart-burning against Hubert Howbeit the King was well furnish'd with money and men which he caused to be transported into Britain and on the same day in which he set sail from England himself in person did visit the poor and feeble dealing large Alms to them and not refusing to kiss the sick and leprous But before that the King had opportunity to effect any thing in those parts considerable the Irish rebelled constraining him to return to reduce then inâ—o order Which when he had done he advanced against the Welsh whom he also repressed though not without considerable loss About this time Hubert de Burgo Earl of Kent was accused by the Bishop of Winchester and others for the committing of many great crimes and he doubting that he should not have a fair Tryal retired himself into Essex whither he was prosecuted by Armed men and in a Chappel at Burntwood was apprehended out of which the rude Soldiers hailed him and sent for a Smith to make Shackles for him which when the Smith understood that they were for him fetching a deep sigh he said Do with me what you please and God have mercy on my soul but as sure as the Lord lives I will never make Iron-Shackles for him but will rather dye the worst death that is For is not this the most Loyal and Courageous Hubert who so often hath preserved England from being destroyed by strangers and restored England to England Let God be judge between him and you for using him so unjustly and inhumanely requiting his most excellent deserts with the worst recompence that can be Notwithstanding all this Sir Godfrey de Crancomb who commanded the party bound the Earl and conveyed him to the Tower of London where he had not long been ere the Bishop of London procured his liberty though shortly after he was again imprisoned In his place the King elected for his Councellor and Confident Peter de Rupibus Bishop of Winchester who displaced the English Officers and in their Rooms placed Poictovins and Britons stuffing the Kings Castles with them intrusting as it were the treasures strength and Realm it self in their hands to the great discontent of the English Peers Who now confederated against the strangers and refused upon the Kings summons to appear in Parliament sending this impudent Message to their Soveraign That if out of hand he removed not the Bishop of Winchester and strangers out of his Court they all of them by the common consent of the Kingdom would drive him and his wicked Counsellors out of it and would consult about creating of a new King Whereupon the King animated by Winchester commanded the Earl-Marshal with all others whom he suspected to appear at Glocester where the King was with an Army Which they refusing to do the King burnt their Mannors and gave away their Inheritances to the Poictovins The Earl-Marshal he contracts strict amity with Leweylyn Prince of Wales and made great spoil on the possessions of the Kings reputed Seducers Shrewsbury he sackt and burnt Gilbert Lord Basset the Earls great Confederate set fire on Alkmundbury not far from Huntingdon But the Earl-Marshal having crossed the seas into Ireland there to recover his Lands taken from him by the fraud of the Bishop of Winchester was there wounded to death for whose loss the King to the wonder of all that saw it broke forth into tears affirming That he had left no Peer about him in the Kingdom And now the Bishop of Winchester hated of the people was commanded by the King not to meddle any farther in State-matters And against Peter Rivallis Lord Treasurer the King was so in raged that he sware he would pluck out his eyes were it not for reverence of holy Orders And by the workings of the Bishops an accord was effected betwixt the King and his Peers and the Poictovins were commanded to depart the Realm Howbeit the Land was not yet eased of its Oppressors and Oppressions for the Pope sent over into England three hundred Romans requiring to have the first Benefice that should become vacant to be bestowed on them requiring also great sums of money of the Clergy for maintenance of the Pope's Wars against the Emperor Which though the Clergy at first opposed yet were forced to yeild unto it at the last The Pope himself had a mind to have come hither in his own person but the King's Councel liked not thereof alledging that the Romans Rapines and Simonies had enough stained England's purity though the Pope himself came not personally to spoil and prey upon the Wealth of the Church About the year 1240 Richard Earl of Cornwall the King's Brother with the Earls of Pembroke Chester Lincoln Salisbury and many other honourable persons departed for the Holy Land and in A. D. 1242 the King passed the Seas to recover Poictou but effected not any thing remarkable though he expended great store of Treasure Upon his return into England he was therefore compelled to be burthensome to his subjects for recruiting of his exhausted Treasure as well by the levy of Escuage as of Loan and otherwise The Jews in especial manner were made sensible of his wants Too much of their money thus rais'd 't is said he expended in Entertainments and Shows though afterward the King reflecting on his former profuseness in gifts and entertainments he shortned the allowances of his houshold and entertainments without any regard to Majesty And to spare his own charge the more he invited himself now to this mans house now to that but no-where contenting himself with his welcome unless himself and his Queen Son Edward yea and chief Favourites were presented with costly Gifts 'T is said that he was sometime
in their service for the Publick Cause should be secured from the injury of their Masters and their time to go on toward their freedom by which means multitudes of Youth forsook their Masters to fight for the Parliament They also invited their Brethren the Scots as they call'd them to come into England to their aid And to animate the people to take up Arms for the Parliament some busie Clergy-men made great not good use of that sacred Text in their Pulpits Curse ye Meroz c. Judges the 5.23 But blessed are the Peace makers saith the Prince of peace About the beginning of March Commissioners were appointed to treat at Oxford in order to a rcconcilation but the Parliaments proposals were so out of reason that the treaty proved fruitless A. D. 1643 in the beginning of the Spring the Queen returned into England bringing with her considerable supplies of Men Money and Ammunition out of France and that year his Majesty became Master of the North and West some few Garisons excepted July the 5th Sir Ralph Hopton with his Cavaliers routed Sir William Waller at Lansdown near Bath and July the 15th he again defeated him at Roundway-hill by the Devizes killing many hundreds in the place and taking many more Prisoners Bristol and Exeter were yielded unto those two Martial Princes Rupert and Maurice Sons of Fredrick Prince Palatine of the Rhine and Elizabeth his Wife Sister to King Charles the first Gloucester the King besieged with a brave Army and the besieged under the command of Colonel Edward Massey defended themselves with great bravery till the Earl of Essex came with an Army and raised the Siege From this Siege the two Armies marched within few miles each of the other without any engagement save a little skirmish by Alborne-Chace till they came to Newbury where a sore Battel was fought On the Kings part were slain the Earls of Carnarvon and Sunderland and the Learned Lord Faulkland Essex lost many of his Officers January the 22 those loyal Members of Parliament who dissented from them at Westminster met at Oxford by the Kings Summons of these besides the Prince and Duke of York the Lord Keeper Littleton Treasurer Cottington Duke of Richmond and Marquess of Hartford there were nineteen Earls and as many Lords and one hundred and seventeen Knights and Gentlemen Other Loyal Lords Knights and Gentlemen Members of Parliament were at this time imployed in the Kings service in divers places of the Nation In this month and year the Scotch Army under the Conduct of the Earl of Leven entred England for the Parliament being about 18000 foot and 2000 horse About this time was Loyal Newark besieged by Sir John Meldram but by Prince Ruperts coming it was relieved and the Parlimentarians forced to march away after great losses on such conditions as the Prince would grant them This year upon a cessation of Arms in Ireland some forces came over to the Kings assistance This year also that Rebellious thing called a Parliament at Westminster and their Adherents and some to save themselves from punishment took the Scottish Solemn League and Covenant with hands lifted up to the most high God swearing to endeavour the preservation of the reformed Religion the extirpation of Popery and Prelacy to preserve the Rights and priviledges of Parliament and liberties of the Kingdom and to defend and preserve the Kings Majesties person and Authority c. All the Parliaments pretence in raising Arms was reformation for the defence of the Kings person to rescue him from his evil Council and to make him a glorious King which at length they did when they deprived him of his natural life A. D. 1644 Sir William Waller defeated Sir Ralph Hopton about Brandon Heath The Lord Fairfax and his Son Sir Thomas took divers of the Kings Garisons in the North. Prince Rupert raised the Siege of Latham-house June the 29 the Kings forces gave a great defeat to Wallers Army at Cropredy-bridge And presently after this the King drove the Earl of Essex up into Cornwall but the Earl deserted his Army passing by water to Plymouth and his horse taking the advantage of a dark night escaped leaving the Foot to shift how they could who capitulated for their lives leaving their Arms Cannon Amunition and Baggage to the Kings disposal Then Ilferdcomb Barnstable and Saltash yielded to the King who now victoriously marched towards London July the third was a great fight at Maston-Moor where the Parliament obtained a very considerable Victory And October the 27th Essex Waller and the Earl of Manchester met the King as he came out of the West at Newbury where a sharp Battle was fought and the Kings part forced out of the field In November Mac-Mahon an Irish Rebel was hang'd and quartered at Tyburn And December 23d Sir Alexander Carew was beheaded on Tower-hill for attempting to give up the Island of Plymouth to the Kings forces January the first Hotham the Son and January the second Hotham the Father were beheaded on Tower-hill for designing to betray Hull to the Royalists and for other treacheries January the 10th William Laud Archbishop of Canterbury was brought to the Scaffold on Tower-hill where he preached his last Sermon taking for his Text Heb. 12. Vers 2 So yielded his neck to the stroak of the Executioner The charge against him was endeavouring to subvert the Laws Religion and Priviledges of Parliament January the 30th by his Majesties procurement a Treaty was held at Vxbridge where the Parliaments demands were That Episcopacy might be extirpated that Presbytery might be establisht and that the King should yield up the Militia solely into the Parliaments dispose which were such unreasonable demands that the King could not yield to them February the 20th the Lord Mac-Guire another of the grand Irish Rebels was executed at Tyburn About this time was the Parliaments Army new-moduled The Earl of Essex and the other Commanders who were Parliament-men Oliver Cromwel was excepted were by the self-denying ordinance lately made to attend in Parliament in whose steads other and more active persons were appointed Sir Thomas Fairfax was constituted Captain-General Oliver Cromwel then the Sectaries Darling was made Lieutenant-General Henry Ireton Commissary-General c. After which model the Kings affairs of the Nation began fatally to decline A. D. 1645 His Majesty drew his Army out of Oxford in order to relieve his Nothern Counties and Garisons but after he had stormed and taken Leicester in his way he was called back to secure Oxford which the Parliament Army threatned with a Siege This while Sir Thomas Fairfax had intercepted a Letter of the Lord Gorings to the King wherein that Loyal Subject had desired of his Majesty to forbear engaging with the Enemy till he could be joyned with him Hereupon Fairfax left his Siege afore Oxford and made directly towards the King with a purpose to fight him before that addition of strength should come in And at a place near
America But when the kind Heavens was pleased to gratifie the Industry of Man with the Invention of Letters no Subject seemed to the Ancients so worthy of the Prerogative of being transmitted to Posterity as that of History And indeed the most Ancient that can be found of their Writings is of that kind Whether it was that they knew no immortality but that of Fame or found no better way to provide with security for their off-spring in whom they were to live to Posterity than by handing down to them the Methods and honest Courses by which some attained to Honour Wealth and Command whilst others by the contrary wayes lived and died in Obscurity Poverty and Contempt And the desire of perpetuating the Memory is such a glimmering glance of the Primitive but offuscated Light of Nature that some think it a convincing Argument to prove the immortality of the Soul it being a vain thing for any but especially a reasonable Being to desire that to which it hath no natural capacity And the rather that the greater and more elevated Souls of all Ages have aspired as much to the perpetuating of their Fame as they have to the purchasing of the same Witness in Ancient times the great Alexander who envied no man but Achilles for the happiness he had in having Homer for his Historiographer And since him Julius Caesar who notwithstanding he was tired out with the Fatigues of a continued and difficult War yet as he thought no man able to do what he had done so he judged none worthy to perpetuate his Memory and to Write as he Fought but himself But what Satisfaction soever dying men may have in the Prospect of a lasting Name it is certain the living reap great benefit from the Register of their Actions for would a Prince have Measures to govern a Subject how to obey a Statesman how to give Counsel a Judge and Magistrate how to execute Justice a Husband and Father how to command and cherish a Wife and Child how to Love Honour and Obey and all Conditions of Men how to perform mutual good Offices in every kind of Society History and especially the truest and most Ancient of All the Holy Scripture is that Repository from whence they may draw the truest Maximes for all Duties exemplified with the good or bad Successes of those who have â—â—â—â—ed or transgressed the same 〈…〉 thus much in short of History in general But as all Histories are not of the same Nature so neither are they of the same usefulness and Advantage Not to mention the Ancient Poets which are good in their way some are fictitious Romances which besides the Satisfaction they give the Authors Inventing Head are of very little if of any Use unless it be to teach young Gallants to strut it in the phrase of Hero's and Ladies to repartie like a Play Book And the Moralities which we are told are couched therein are too frequently applied in Serenades Love-Letters and Assignations Others are Real Histories or at least intended to be such and are either Ancient or Modern Universal or Particular of Kingdoms or of Private Families Foreign or Domestick and are all very profitable according to the several Qualities and Capacities of the Readers which is a point that needs no particular Discussion in this place In the writing of Histories some Authors affect an exactness of recounting Matters with the minutest Circumstances that attend them and of omitting nothing that can have any place in the Book which unless it be some conspicuous and famous Transactions looks liker the Depositions of a Witness in a Trial or the Breviate of a Lawyer at the Bar than the Annals or Chronicles of a Nation for it is enough for Posterity to know the memorable Actions of a great King or the Atchievements in a famous Battel with such circumstances as render them most considerable in themselves and significant to the Reader though they be not told what kind of Beard the King wore on his Wedding-day or to whom the Ground belonged where the Battel was fought Many likewise puzzle both themselves and their Readers with a too nice inquiry into the first Original of Nations and especially by what new flight of Colonies or transmigration of People Islands and Countreys discontinued from the Continent became first inhabited and in this Search so soon as they transgress the bounds of Authentick Records and Monuments of Antiquity the rest is no more History but the conjectures and probabilities of the Authors It is true that since we are taught by our Religion That all Mankind descended from Adam and consequently as they increased in number by new Generations so they successively inlarged their Habitations into remoter Regions until the Habitable World was possest it would be very curious for Men to know from what branch of the Stock they are descended and not with the Ancients who understood nothing of the Creation believe those People whose Original was unknown to be Indigenae that is started out of the Countrey they inhabited but that being impossible to be attained to since the Memory of Man cannot and Letters were not invented to preserve the Knowledge of the various Changes and Mutations of Elder Times we should satisfie our selves knowing that we are Men with what we find in received Record concerning the Beginnings Progress and Changes of Kingdoms and States without troubling our selves with our Ancient Relations who were not one drop of Blood in kin to William the Conqueror The Design therefore of this little Manual of History is not to amuse the Readers with the strange Romances of the First Peopling of this Island nor to give a List of the Kings who reigned here probably enough even before Aeneas or his Son Ascanius nor yet to burden their Memory with all the lesser Occurrences that are fully and at large related in many ample Volumes of this kind but only to serve as a Remembrancer to those who have already studied the History of England that in a short View they may refresh and rub up their Memories as to smaller Circumstances by the general Heads and more remarkable Passages which they shall here find faithfully digested in a succinct Method both as to time and place and for others whose humour or leisure will not permit them to turn over larger Volumes this small Pocket Book if carefully and often perused may acquaint them with as much as is necessary perhaps for them to know of the State of this Kingdom in relation to times past for satisfying their own curiosity and rendering them able to entertain others who want the same advantages of Knowledge This Compend then presents the Reader with what has been most remarkable in the several Changes of Government that have happened in this Kingdom since the first Invading of the Island by Julius Caesar tracing down the Succession and Lives of the several Emperours from that time till it was forsaken because it could not be kept by the
Hengist and the first Christian King thereof was Ethelbert sirnamed Pren. The South Saxons Kingdom containing the Counties of Sussex and Surrey 2 South Saxons commenced in A. D. 488 continuing 113 years Ella being the first King and Ethelwolph the first Christian King thereof 3. West Saxons The West Saxons Kingdom containing the Counties of Cornwall Devon Dorset Somerset Wilts Berks and Hantshire began in A. D. 519 continuing 300 years Cherdick being the first King and Hingils the first Christian King thereof 4. East Saxons East Saxons Kingdom containing the Counties of Essex Middlesex and part of Hartfordshire began in A. D. 527 continuing 281 years Erchenwin being the first King thereof and Sebert the first Christian King 5. North. The Kingdom of Northumberland containing the Counties of York Durham Lancaster Westmoreland Cumberland and Northumberland began in A. D 527 continuing 379 years Ella and Ida the first Kings thereof and Edwin the first Christian King 6. Mercia The Kingdom of Mercia containing the Counties of Huntingdon part of Hartfordshire Northampton Rutland Lincoln Leicester Derby and Nottingham began in A. D. 582 continuing 202 years Creda being the first King and Peada first Christian King thereof 7. East Angles The Kingdom of the East Angles containing the Counties of Norfolk Suffolk and Cambridge began in A. D. 575 continuing 353 years Vffa being the first King and Redwald the first Christian King thereof Its last King was Edmond whom the Danes for his constant profession of the Christian Faith most barbarously slew at a Village then called Heglisdune where when the Danes were departed his head and body were buried and the Town upon occasion thereof called St. Edmunds-bury After the death of this Edmond the Kingdom of the East Angles was possessed by the Danes till such time that Edward sirnamed the Elder expulsed them and joyned it a Province to the West Saxons But the Britains during the time of the Heptarchy stood still in defence of their own rightful inheritance with great disdain and valorous resistance as much as in them lay opposing the Saxon yoke The British Princes who contended with the Saxons to maintain their Countries rights were these chiefly First VOrtigern at that time King VORTIGERN by the election of the Britains when the Saxons were first invited into the Land This Vortigern reigned first Sixteen years and then deposed for his favours to the Saxons was retained indurance all the Reign of Vortimer his Son after whose death he was re-established but oppressed by the Saxons and pursued by Aurelius he fled into Wales where in a Castle which he built by Merlins directions in the Mountains he with his Daughter whom he had taken to Wife were burnt to Ashes VOrtimer for his Fathers abuse of Government VORTIMER was constituted King of the Britains He gave unto the Saxons Four famous overthrows almost to their utter expulsion After his last Victory over them British Princes he caused his Monument to be erected at the entrance into Thanet whither he had driven the Saxons even in that same place of the overthrow Which Monument was sometime called Lapis Tituli now the Stoner wherein he commanded his Body to be buried to the further terrour of the Saxons that in beholding this his Trophey their hearts might be daunted at the remembrance of their great overthrow But Rowena procured his death by Poyson He restored the Christian Religion then sorely decayed and rebuilt the Churches destroyed by the Pagan Saxons AMBROSIUS AVrelius Ambrosius descended of that Constantine who was elected here only in hope of his lucky name He was very successful against the Saxons but as some say was poysoned by the procurement of Pascentius the youngest Son of Vortigern Others report that he was slain in the Field by the Saxons and that the Britains erected that famous Monument called Stone-henge anciently Chorea Gigantum over the place where he was slain and buried though according to the saying of some Aurelius Ambrosius caused that Monument of Stone-henge to be erected in memorial of the Massacre of 300 of the Nobility of the Britains by the Saxons who were there buried He built Ambresbury in Wilts VTer Pendragon the Brother of Ambrosius was in all his Wars against the Saxons most victorious and fortunate UTER PENDRAGON A.D. 497. He was sirnamed Pendragon either because at his birth there appeared a fiery Comet something resembling a Dragons-head or because of his Serpentine-wisdom or from his Royal Banner wherein was pourtrayed a Dragon with a Golden head When he had reigned Eighteen years he dyed of poyson put into a Well whereof he usually drank ARthur the Son of Pendragon ARTHUR A.D. 516. begotten upon the Lady Igren Dutchess of Cornwall was Crowned King of Britains at Fifteen years of Age about A. C. 516. Twelve Battels he fought against the Saxons with great manhood and victory the last of which was fought at Bath or Bathen-Hill where the Britains gave the Saxons a very great overthrow But Mordred a Prince of the Picts whose Mother was Pendragons Sister affecting the Crown upon the pretence of Arthurs reputed Bastardy gave many attempts against him and lastly at Cambalu now Camelford in Cornwall encountering King Arthur gave him his deaths-wound and was himself slain by Arthur in the place From which place this renowned King was carried to Glastenbury where he dyed of his wounds in A. D. 542 whose body was there buried and after 600 years was digged up by the command of Henry the 2d His bones of great bigness and Skull wherein was perceived Ten wounds were found in the Trunk of a Tree over him was a huge broad Stone in which a leaden Cross was fastned and therein this Inscription Hic jacet c. Here lyes King Arthur buryed in the Isle of Avalonia By him lay his Queen Guenaver whose tresses of hair finely platted of a golden colour seemed perfect and intire till but being touched they mouldred to dust These relicks were reburied in the great Church CONSTANTINE A.D. 542. COnstantine the Son of Cador Duke of Cornwall and Cousin to King Arthur by Marriage and his adopted Heir was slain by Conanus when he had been King Three years and was buried at Stonehenge CONANUS A.D. 545. AVrelius Conanus King Arthur's Nephew detained his Uncle in perpetual Imprisonment and slew his two Cousins because they had more right to the Crown than himself VORTIPORUS A.D. 578. VOrtiporus in many Battels vanquished the Saxons and valiantly defended his Subjects but otherwise very wicked MALGO A.D. 581. MAlgo Canonus in Arms and Dominions was stronger and greater than any other British Potentate saith Gildas CARETICUS A.D. 586. Careticus sowed civil Wars amongst his Subjects the Britains which occasioned them to forsake him and leave him to the mercy of the Saxons who pursuing after him he fled into Cyrencester for safety but by the device of his pursuers certain
note and gain'd an exceeding rich booty both of gold and silver then seized on their great Navy And now VVilliam the Norman being well furnished with a vast Fleet of Ships well man'd store of money drawn from his people the Pope's Benediction who had sent him a consecrated Banner an Agnus Dei and one of the hairs of St. Peter with a curse to all that should oppose him Thus prepared the Duke arrived at Pevensey in Sussex Sep. 28 where when he came to Land his foot chanced to slip and he fell into the mud and all mired his hands which accident was presently construed for a lucky prefage For now said a Captain O Duke thou hast taken possession and holdest of that Land in thine hand whereof shortly thou shalt become King But the Duke thus landed he set fire on his Fleet thereby to cut off all occasion or hope from his men of returning And from Pevensey he marched to Hastings divulging as he went the causes of his coming which was for the obtaining of his Kingdom it being as he said his by donation from Edward giving withal a severe charge to his soldiers not to wrong any of their persons who in a short time after were to become his subjects To Harold he sent his Messenger demanding the Kingdom and Harold's subjection But Harold returned him this answer by the same Messenger That unless he forthwith departed the land he would make him sensible of the strokes of his just displeasure And with a brave and undaunted mind the valiant Harold advanced his Forces into Sussex pitching his Camp within seven miles of his Enemy When the Armies were come near together and ready to engage the Norman Duke to save the effusion of Christian blood as he said sent a Monk as a Mediator for peace with offers to Harold of these conditions Either wholly to resign the Kingdom to him or in sight of the Armies to try the quarrel with him in single combat or to stand to the arbitrement of the Pope To whom Harold answered That it should the next day be tryed with more swords than one The next day was the Fourteenth of October which Harold ever accounted fortunate because his birth-day and with hopeful affurance desired greatly the approach of the same His Soldiers likewise too confident of victory Stigand A.B. Cant. spent the night in revellings The morning being come they both marshalled their battels The Kentish-men Harold placed with their heavy Axes or Halberts in the van for by ancient custom they had the Front belonging to them Then the battels joined both parts bravely fighting but the Norman perceiving that by true valour he could not vanquish the English betook himself to a stratagem commanding his men to retreat yet withal to keep in good order which the English seeing supposed that they had fled and thereupon pursued their enemy so rashly that they put themselves into disorder Which opportunity William took hold of so that facing about and charging them fiercely when disranked he made a great slaughter of the English Yet would not any of the remaining English flye the field but manfully fought it out till such time that Harold wounded into the brains with an arrow through the left eye fell down dead With Harold dyed his brethren Gyrth and Leoswinc with most of the English Nobility And of the Soldiers were slain Sixty seven thousand nine hundred seventy and four some say an Hundred thousand The Conqueror had three Horses slain under him yet lost not a drop of blood by the enemy He won this battel with the loss only of 6013 men It was fought in Sussex seven miles from Hastings upon Saturday the 14th of October A. D. 1066. The English after this loss had designed to have made Edgar Atheling King and to have took the field again against the Conqueror but the Earls of York-shire and Cheshire Edwin and Morcar the Queens Brothers plotting secretly to get the Crown to themselves hinder'd the design The Body of King Harold dispoiled of his Ornaments and by a base Soldier mangl'd and hack'd in the leg for which the Conqueror cashiered him for ever after much search was found among the dead bodies and by the English Nobles conveyed to Waltham in Essex where it was solemnly and royally interred A little before the fight a dreadful Comet appeared Tosto Earl of Northumberland in spight to his brother Harold slew all Harolds servants and cutting them piece-meal salted some of their limbs and cast the rest into Vessels of Meath and Wine sending his brother word that he had furnished him with powder'd meat against his return home This he did at Horolds house when he was absent NORMANS William the Conqueror WIlliam the Conqueror A. D. 1066. was the base Son of Robert Duke of Normandy His Mother Arlotte a Skinners Daughter when she was great with him dreamed that her bowels were extended and dilated all over Normandy and Britain And as soon as he was born being laid on the Chamber-floor with both his hands he took up Rushes and held them fast therein which things were taken for presages of his future greatness He began his Reign October 14 A. D. 1066 and was Crowned December 25 on the same year by Aldred Arch-Bishop of York the English Bishops and Barons swearing Allegiance to him and himself taking a solemn Oath to defend the rights of the Church to establish good Laws and to see justice uprightly administred After which he applied himself to secure his new-obtained Kingdom and the better to assure the South of the Land he took his way towards Dover that so he might command the Seas from Enemies arrivage and over-awe the Kentish a most strong and populous Province But Stigand Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and Eglesire Abbot of St. Augustines hearing of his coming they assembled the commons of Kent to oppose him who about Swancomb kept themselves secret in the Woods waiting the coming of the Conqueror All joyntly agreeing because no way lay open save only a Front to carry in their hands great branches of Trees wherewith they might keep themselves both from discovery and if need were impede the passage of the Normans Which said device took so strange effect that it daunted King William even with the sight who being as he thought free from the enemy was now on the sudden beset on all sides with Woods some of which he saw to move and the rest for ought he knew were of the like nature At length to put him out of all doubt the Kentish men inclosing his Army about displayed their Banners cast down their Boughs and with Bows bent were prepared for Battel At which sight the Conqueror stood amazed To whom Stigand and Eglesine presented themselves and in behalf of the Kentish men thus spake Most noble Duke behold here the Commons of Kent are come forth to meet and receive you as their Sovereign requiring your Peace their own free condition of Estate and
this famous Champion K. Philip by degrees gain'd all in Normandy even Roan it self Main Turain and Poictou revolted from King John and Angiers was betrayed All these losses happening through the default of some of the English Peers and Prelates For when the King was in readiness to take shipping for Normandy Hubert the Archbishop forbad him proceeding in the voyage the Peers also again refused to attend him Wherefore the King put many of his Earls Barons and Knights yea and Clergy-men also to a grievous pecuniary redemption and Huberts Wealth and Possessions who dyed the same year the King seized on This Hubert was suspected of too familiar practising with the King of France Upon the death of this Archbishop Hubert the Monks of Canterbury made choice of Reginald their Sub-Prior in his stead and the King after them of John Gray Bishop of Norwich a man of great wisdom But the Pope neglecting both these recommended Stephen de Langton to the Monks of Canterbury and Bishops of that Province to be presently chosen for their Primate Which the Monks unwilling and deferring to do Stephen Langton A.B. Cant. alledging that no Canonical Election could be made at Rome where was no consent neither of King nor Covent The Pope with choler replied That he had plenitude of Power over the Church of Canterbury and moreover that no consent of Princes used to be expected in Elections where the Pope was He therefore commanded them under pain of his high curse to accept him for their Primate Which all accordingly did though not without murmurations save one Elias de Brantford And to work the King into a compliance hereto the Pope sent him four Gold Rings with four precious stones an Emerald Saphire Ruby and Topaz signifying in his Letter sent with them that the Rings roundness must remember him of Eternity the quadrate number must mind him of Constancy and the four Cardinal Virtues Prudence Justice Temperance and Fortitude The Golds price of Wisdom the Emeralds greeness of Faith the Saphires brightness of Hope the Rubies redness of Charity and the Topaz's clearness of sanctity of life But King John for all these fond toys and fine words when he observed the Popes arbitrariness the dishonour arising to himself in being frustrated of his choice the prejudice to his Crown in having a Bishop thrust upon him without Sovereign consent the hazard to the State in having a French Favourite over the English with also the Monks disloyalty in yeilding to the Pope's Election He first of all proscribed the Monks as Traytors and after that writ Letters to the Pope wherein he alledged the wrongs done to himself and made his exceptions against Langton vowing immutably to stand for his own elect and to dye in defence of the liberties of his Crown likewise minding the Pope of his great profits he received from England menacing withall that if he were crossed in this he would then stop all from crossing the Seas to Rome To which Letters of the King the Pope answered very comminatory and shortly after viz. in A. D. 1208. because the King would be King in his own Dominions this Servus Servorum interdicted the whole Kingdom under which it lay for the term of six years and fourteen weeks without Gods service or Sacraments or Christian burial The Lay-people were tumbled like Dogs into every Ditch Howbeit the King to be even with the Pope proscribed the disloyal Clergy their revenues he confiscated their Bishopricks Abbies and Priories he put into Laymens hands and every-where they suffered wrong without ordinary protection of justice But some of the eminent Clergy detested the Popes savage proceedings as Philip Bishop of Durham and his Successor The Bishops of Winchester and Norwich they animated the King to contemn the Papal Curse and the Cistercian Abbots neglecting the Interdict continued their Divine Service till the Pope suspended them for their contempt Moreover the Pope to revenge himself on the King Anathematized him by name which caused many to desert his service for which he punished them by Fine Yet at length the better to secure himself and State the King was very desirous to come to an atonement and assured under his Seal that Archbishop Langton with the Bishops and Monks and others should be restored both to his favour and their possessions that Holy Church should have all its Franchises as in Edward the Confessors time But because he would not make full satisfaction to the Clergy for all confiscations and other emoluments received of them the Popes Nuncio's refused a peace with him And the Pope was so mad that he absolved all Kings and people poor and rich having dependence on him from all fealty and subjection to him whereupon Male-contents set themselves to work mischief The Welsh fall off from the King wherefore at Nottingham he hangs up their hostages 28 in number His Nobles many of them held themselves discharged of their Allegiance so rebel inviting the French King to their assistance and promising to settle the English Crown on his head Stephen Langton and other Bishops implore the Popes help to support the Church of England being at the point of ruine His officious Holiness thereupon decrees That K. John must be deposed and that he would â—ppoint one more worthy in his stead To effectuate which the Pope sent his Letters to Philip King of France requiring him to undertake the affair of dethroning the King of England and for his reward he should have pardon of all his sins besides the enjoying of the English Crown to him and his heirs for ever Also transmitting his Letters general to all Potentates Soldiers Men of War of all Nations to sign themselves with the sign of the Cross and to follow Philip in this design assuring all that their assistance herein whether in person or purse should be no less meritorious than if they visited our Saviours Sepulcher The King of France accepts the offer and makes great preparation for the invading of England and King John raises a Land-Army and prepares a Royal Navy to withstand him But ere the French make their attempts Pandulph the Popes Messenger arrives in England and so wrought upon the King what by representing the danger he was in and what by flattering promises that King John not insensible of his desperate estate sware in all things to submit to the judgment of the Church And shortly after at the Knight-Templers House in Dover he surrendred his Crown into the hands of Pandulph for the use of the Pope laying at his feet his Scepter Robe Sword and Ring and subscribed to a Charter whereby he resigned his Kingdom to the Pope Professing he did it neither through fear or force but of his own free will as having no other way to make satisfaction to God and the Church for his offence And that from that time forward he would hold his Crown of the Pope paying a pension annual of a Thousand Marks for the Kingdoms of
of his place and committed to the Tower for some days A. D. 1621 the Count Palatine of the Rhine was elected King of Bohemia by the States of that Kingdom but immediately after the Emperor with great forces assaulted him in Prague drove him with his Wife and Children from thence and deprived him of his Patrimony the Palatinate Prince Charles about this time by great Gundamores perswasion was sent into Spain in order to the gaining of the Infanta to Wife it being suggested that by that match with Spain a re-settlement of the Prince Palatine in his Patrimony might have been procured But when the Prince was arrived in Spain though he found Royal entertainment in the Court yet was he suffered to have little acquaintance with the Infanta insomuch that in all his eight months stay in Spain he never spake with her but twice and that before company with certain limitations also what he should speak to her Some thought that a difference betwixt the Duke of Buckingham then with the Prince and Count Olivares the King of Spains great Favourite was no small obstruction to the match Others thought that the King of Spain never intended any such thing but meant only by this Treaty to spin out time till he had compassed some designs in the Low-Countries and Palatinate But howsoever it was Gundamore made some good improvement of the Treaty to himself for he perswaded some English Ladies of the certainty of the match and they gave him good Sums of money to be put in such or such an Office when the Spanish Princess should come to the English Court King James at last wearied with delaies if not angred with the delusion sent for the Prince to return which accordingly he did and not long after this Treaty of marriage with Spain was utterly ended and the King made preparations both of men and money to recover the Palatinate and sent to Treat of a marriage with France A. D. 1525 and March 27th this Politick and Peaceable Monarch King James died of an Ague at Theobalds and was buried at Westminster with great solemnity and greater lamentations of his Subjects His Issue were Henry Charles Elizabeth And Mary and Sophia who both died young Two obstinate Arian-Hereticks Bartholomew Legat and Edward Wightman were burnt the first in Smithfield the other at Lichfield George Abbot Archbishop of Canterbury being on hunting as he shot at a Deer his Arrow by mischance glanced and killed a man but he was cleared yet out of a Religious tenderness he kept the day of the year on which the mischance hapned with a solemn fast all his life after The murder of one VVaters murdered by his Wife was discovered by a dream One of the said VVaters neighbours dreamed that VVaters was strangled and buried in such a certain dunghill which upon search was found true and the Wife was burned for the fact A. D. 1606 Virginia was planted with an English Colony It was first discovered A. D. 1584 by Sir VValter Rawleigh who is said to have first brought that charming weed Tobacco into England The Bermudas and New-England were also made English Plantations King James for a sum of money quit the Cautionary Towns Brill c. A. D. 1612 A blazing Star was seen streaming toward the West infinite slaughters and devastations following both in Germany and other places Mayors and Sheriffs of London in his Reign In his first Year Sir Thomas Bennet was Mayor Sir William Rumney Sir Thomas Middleton Sheriffs In his second Year Sir Thomas Low was Mayor Sir Thomas Hayes Sir Roger Jones Sheriffs In his third Year Sir Leonard Hollyday was Mayor Sir Clement Scudamor Sir John Jolles Sheriffs In his fourth Year Sir John VVats was Mayor William VValthall John Leman Sheriffs In his fifth Year Sir Henry Row was Mayor Geoffrey Elwes Nicholas Style Sheriffs In his sixth Year Sir Humphrey VVeld vvas Mayor George Bolles Richard Farrington Sheriffs In his seventh Year Sir Thomas Cambell vvas Mayor Sebastian Harvey William Cockaine Sheriffs In his eighth Year Sir William Craven vvas Mayor Richard Pyat Francis Jones Sheriffs In his ninth Year Sir James Pemberton was Mayor Edward Barkham John Smiths Sheriffs In his tenth Year Sir John Swinnerton vvas Mayor Edward Rotheram Alexander Prescot Sheriffs In his eleventh Year Sir Thomas Middleton vvas Mayor Thomas Bennet Henry Jaye Sheriffs In his twelfth Year Sir Thomas Hayes was Mayor Peter Proby Martin Lumley Sheriffs In his thirteenth Year Sir John Jolles was Mayor VVilliam Goare John Goare Sheriffs In his fourteenth Year Sir John Leman was Mayor Allen Cotten Cuthbert Hacket Sheriffs In his fifteenth Year Sir George Bolles vvas Mayor William Holyday Robert Johnson Sheriffs In his sixteenth Year Sir Sebastian Harvey was Mayor Richard Hearne Hugh Hamersley Sheriffs In his seventeenth Year Sir William Cockaine vvas Mayor Richard Deane James Cambell Sheriffs In his eighteenth Year Sir Francis Jones was Mayor Edward Allen Robert Ducie Sheriffs In his nineteenth Year Sir Edward Barkham was Mayor George Whitemore Nicholas Rainton Sheriffs In his twentieth Year Sir Peter Proby was Mayor John Hodges Sir Humphrey Hantford Sheriffs In his one and twentieth Year Sir Martin Lumley was Mayor Ralph Freeman Thomas Mounson Sheriffs In his two and twentieth Year Sir John Goare was Mayor Rowland Heilin Robert Parkhurst Sheriffs CHARLES I. CHARLES the First was born at Dunferling in Scotland on November the nineteenth A. D. 1600 A. D. 1625. but in so much weakness that his Baptisme was hastned In the second year of his age he was created Duke of Albany Marquess of Ormond Earl of Ross and Baron of Ardmonack In the fourth year of his age he was brought to the English Court and made Knight of the Bath and invested with the Title of Duke of York In his eleventh year he was made Knight of the Garter and in his twelfth year Duke of Cornwal In his sixteenth year he was created Prince of Wales Earl of Chester and Flint the revenues thereof being assigned to maintain his Court. In his nineteenth year he performed a Justing at White-hall wherein he acquitted himself with a bravery equal to his dignity A. D. 1622 he was sent into Spain there to contract a marriage with the Infanta whither he was to pass incognito through France accompanyed only with the Marquess of Buckingham Mr. Endymion Porter and Mr. Francis Cottington But this attempt of King James in sending him to the Court of Spain raised the censures of the World upon him as being too forgetful of the inhospitality of Princes to each other when they have been found in an others Dominions And this none other daring to mind the King of his Jester Archee did it after this manner He came to exchange Caps with the King why so said King James because said Archee thou hast sent the Prince into Spain from whence he is never like to return But said the King what wilt thou say when thou seest him come back again Marry saith the
guilty of Treason either in particulars or in the whole The Parliament therefore resolved for right or wrong this wise man must fall to proceed against him by Bill of Attainder and upon April the 19 by making a Law after the fact vote him guilty of High-Treason yet withal add a caution for the security of themselves that it should not be drawn into a president Which vote of theirs passed not without a long debate and contention and 59 of the Members honestly dissented from the vote whose names were afterwards posted and marked for the fury of the Rabble In the bill of Attainder the Earl was charged for endeavouring to subvert the ancient Fundamental Laws and Government of the Realms and for exercising a tyranous and exorbitant power over the liberties and estates of his Majesties Subjects and for having by his own authority commanded the laying and assessing of Soldiers upon his Majesties Subjects in Ireland And also for that upon the dissolution of the last Parliament he did slander the House of Commons to his Majesty and did advise his Majesty that he was loosed and absolved from rules of Government and that he had an Army in Ireland which he might imploy to reduce the Kingdom And that the said Earl had been an Incendiary of the Wars betwixt England and Scotland c. May the first his Majesty called both Houses together and told them that he had been present at the hearing of the great Cause and that in his Conscience positively he could not condemn the Earl of Treason and yet could not clear him of misdemeanours but hoped a way might be found out to satisfie Justice and their fears without oppressing his Conscience May the second the Prince of Orange was Married to the Princess Mary at Whitehall May the third there came a seditious Rabble of about 5 or 6000 of the dregs of the People armed with staves cudgels and other instruments of outrage to the Parliament-dores clamouring Justice Justice and posted upon the gate of Westminster a Catalogue of names of those that would have acquitted the Earl whom they stiled Straffordians Then at the dores of the House of Peers they affronted some of the Lords especially the Bishops at their passing in and out after this they forced open the dores of the Abby-Church where they broke down the Organs spoiled the Vestments and Ornaments of Worship From thence they hurried to the Court and there most Impudently and Traiterously cried out That they would have Straffords head or a better upbraiding the King himself who perswaded them as they passed by to a modest care of their own private affairs with an unfitness to Reign and when some Justices of the Peace according to their Office endeavoured to suppress those tumults by imprisoning some of the Leaders of them they themselves were imprisoned by the command of the Commons upon pretext of an injury offered to the Liberties of the Subject one of which was as they then dictated that every one might safely Petition the Parliament howbeit afterwards they acted quite contrary to such whose Petitions were too honest to please them But notwithstanding these tumultuous inforcements his Majesty would not sign the Bill of Attainder till he had consulted both with the Judges as to matter of Law and the Bishops as to matter of Conscience When the Judges told his Majesty that in point of Law according to the Oath made by Sir Henry Vane of the Earls advice to raise horse to awe this Nation the Earl was guilty of Treason 't is said an eminent Bishop did answer the King that he had a Conscience as a private man and as a publick and though by his private Conscience he could not yield to the Earls death yet by his publick considering the present state of things he might May the 10. With much reluctancy the King signed a Commission to some Lords to pass that Bill of Attainder and another of ill consequence also which was for continuation of the Parliament during the pleasure of the two Houses May the 12 1641 was the Earl of Strafford strongly guarded to the Tower-Hill and there with courage beseeming a Christian he suffered the severing of his Head from his body The death of which great and able Minister of State did so terrifie the other Ministers of State that many of them made a voluntary resignation of their Offices At the request of the house of Commons the King for peace-fake relinquished his claim to Tonnage and Poundage and yielded to sign the Bills for taking away of the High-Commission and Star-Chamber Courts A. D. 1641 and October the 12 the Natives or wild Irish began a most bloody Rebellion throughout the whole Kingdom of Ireland on a suddein invading the unprovided English that were scattered amongst them despoiling them of their goods and massacring 200000 of them without any respect of sex age kindred or friendship making them as so many sacrifices to their bloody superstition the Popish Religion The chief heads of this Rebellion and Massacre besides the Priests were Sir Phelim O-Neal Turbough O-Neal his Brother Rowry Mac-Guire Philip O-Rely Moelmurry O-Rely Sir Conno Mac-Gennis Mac-Brian and Mac-Mahon His Majesty then in Scotland having intelligence of the dismal fate of the English in Ireland sent post to the Parliament of England to have them send reliefs thither but differences still heightning betwixt the King and his Parliament succours were not seasonably sent by which the Rebels much strengthened themselves At the Kings return from Scotland the Parliament presented him with a Petition for taking away the votes of Bishops in the House of Lords and the Ceremonies of the Church and for the removing of evil Councellors from about him Their grand Remonstrance they also presented him wherein were reckoned up the offences of the Courtiers the unpleasing resolves of some Judges the neglects or rigours of some Ministers of State the undigested Sermons of some Preachers the Positions of some Divines in the Schools unpleasing accidents they therein represented as designs of Tyranny and those things which had been reformed were yet mentioned as burthens To this Remonstrance his Majesty answered That he thought he had given satisfaction to his Peoples fears and jealousies concerning Religion Liberty and Civil Interests by the Bills he had past this Parliament desiring that misunderstandings might be removed on either side and that the bleeding condition of Ireland might perswade them to unity for the relief of that unhappy Kingdom But this modest answer of his Majesties did not at all satisfie the factious The Apprentices and Rabble in great numbers and much confusion resorted again to Westminster some crying out against Bishops and Liturgy of the Church others boldly menacing that the Militia should be taken out of the Kings hands Affronting the Bishops at their passing in and out of the Lords House and before Whitehall behaving themselves very insolently His Majesty hereupon took a Guard of such Gentlemen as offered their
thereby to exclude such Peers as have been faithful to the Parliament from their priviledg of being duly summoned to be Members of that House Then they took into their consideration the Cases of divers persons who had been imprisoned in the time of Oliver Major General Overton and others of the Common-wealth party they released The Duke of Buckingham was also freed out of Windsor-Castle upon his Father-in-Law the Lord Fairfax's giving 20000 l. security that he should not seek by any means to promote the interest of Charles Stuart Next after long and tedious debates they yielded that the Members who had been returned to serve for Scotland and Ireland should continue to set amongst them as Members for that present Parliament They likewise proceeded to draw up a bill which should be entituled An Act of Recognition of his Highness his right and title to be Protector and chief Magistrate of the Common-wealth of England c. But this was never perfected A. D. 1659 The Army now grew jealous of his Highness complaining of his company that he kept how that divers of them were no better than Cavaliers censuring his Religion also giving out that Godliness was discouraged by him that he rather favoured those of loose principles than the zealous professors of the Gospel April the 6th General Charles Fleetwood presented the Protector a Representation from the Officers of the Army wherein they complained That they who had born the brunt of the War were now despised and like to be laid aside That the Cavaliers held dangerous meetings in and about London That lists of the names of such who were the Tryers of the old King were Printed in red Letters and scattered about as if they were men appointed for destruction That the famous actions of the long Parliament and his late Highness in and since 1648 were traduced and vilified Therefore they desired that his Highness would be pleased to represent these things to the Parliament and procure their remedies The Army also began to grow jealous also of the Parliament as if they were too favourable to the Royal party and joyned with the Protector to bring the Officers of the Army into subjection Thereupon the General-Council of Officers held many meetings and consultations which the Parliament hearing of voted that there should be no meeting nor General Council of Officers without consent and by order of his Highness the Lord Protector And that no person should have any command in the Army who should refuse to subscribe that he will not disturb the free meetings in Parliament or their freedom in their debates and counsels These votes the Protector sent to the Officers of the Army which they valued not at all but on the contrary resolved that the Parliament should be dissolved And in order thereunto Desbrough with other chief Officers went to the Protector and forced him to sign a Commission for the Parliaments dissolution and accordingly the Parliament was dissolved Which being effected their next work was to put a period to the Protectors power by restoring that remnant of the Long Parliament which his Father had turned out to which end the Officers of the Army invited those Members of Parliament who continued sitting till April the 20th 1653. and promised them that they would be ready in their places to yield them their utmost assistance that they might set and act in safety These Members accepted their invitation and accordingly took their places in Parliament May the seventh and upon notice that these were again housed divers of those that were secluded in 1648 attempted to have taken their places but were repulsed Then these Members caused the Protectors Great Seal to be broken and voted their own old Seal up again Then sent to the Protector for an acknowledgment from him of his submission to their government and accordingly on May the twenty-fifth he made his resignation and submission declaring in writing That though in respect to the particular engagements that lay upon him he could not be active in making a change in the Government of these Nations yet through the goodness of God he would freely acquiesce in its being made and that he held himself ingaged as with other men he expected Protection from the present Government so to demean himself with all peaceableness under it and to procure to the utmost of his power that all in whom he had interest should do the same In short time after this Henry Cromwel came over and yielded up the Lieutenancy of Ireland unto the Members sitting at Westminster who appointed five Commissioners for the Government of that Kingdom General Monck in Scotland conformed himself to their directions and Colonel Lockhart Governour of Dunkirk likewise submitted to their Authority Then this Junto commanded all such as had been in Arms for the King to depart twenty Miles from London passed an Act for setling of the Militia in the respective Counties of England and Wales Ordered a whole years Assessment at 35000 l. a month on England 6000 l. the month on Scotland and 9000 l. on Ireland to be paid into the Treasury before the eleventh of August next following Ordered the immediate sale of White-Hall Hampton-Court and Sommerset-House towards payment of the Armies Arrears To their quondam Protector they were so friendly as to protect him from all arrests and withal to promise the payment of all his debts for his Fathers Funeral and other occasions which amounted to 29640 l. but this they never performed The while these things were in agitation the Kings friends were very busie in promoting his interest by engaging as many as they could for his service in all places of England and so successful was the Kings Commissioners that great part of the Nobility and Gentry of England and Wales were interested by them in the Kings quarrel and a day was fixed in July for their appearing in Arms the first rising was to be chiefly of such as had never engaged on the Kings side in the late Wars thereby to draw the Army unto a more faint opposition Sir George Booth Sir Thomas Middleton and some other of the old Parliamentarians raised a party in Cheshire Flintshire and Lancashire to the number of about three or four thousand men who declared for a Free Parliament and the due rights and priviledges of the Nation against that Phanatick and unlawful power which now usurped dominion over them But Major General Lambert marching speedily against them and encountring them his old Souldiers without much bloodshed totally routed them near unto Nantwich August the 17th Colonel Charles White raised a small party in Nottingham and Derby-Shires other inconsiderable parties were raised in other parts but dispersed themselves again for the Rulers at Westminster having met with some hint of this designed rising had so ordered their standing-Army and Militia-forces in most places of the Land that no considerable parties of the Kings friends could have opportunity to get into a Body After the defeat of
or Military power But the General 's Speech was not well liked of by Mr. Tho. Scot and some other of the Members And the City of London with whom they thought his Excellency too gracious gave them greater cause of discontent for the Common Council was now resolved to pay no more Taxes till such time that the House was filled up with equal Representatives Hereupon the Junto resolved to punish the City and to make the General instrument in it ordering him to seize upon eleven of the most active of the Common-Council and commit them to the Tower and also to pull down and break the Posts Chains Gates and Portcullices of the City which he put in execution accordingly on February the ninth though not with any pleasure to himself but of necessity that so the House might not take any occasion from his disputing their commands to vacate his Commission and put him out of capacity to accomplish the blessed end he designed Howbeit this action of the Generals did exceedingly amuse the loyal-hearted Citizens and other good Subjects and made them almost quite to give over the good hopes they had formerly had of him But his Excellency to put them out of all doubt concerning his intentions bravely resolved to put an end to the Junto's power And in order thereto the very next morning he sent a Letter to the House therein complaining that they gave too much countenance to Lambert Vane and several others that engaged with the late Committee of Safety that they had too much favoured a Petition lately delivered by one Praise God Barebone and other Fanaticks and then concludes with a prefixed day before which they should issue out Writs for a New Parliament that so they might terminate their sitting and come to a dissolution The Junto receiving the Generals Letter dissemble their resentment of it and order him the Thanks of the House for his faithful service in securing the City yet the very same day that they might limit his power they past an Act for the Government of the Army by five Commissioners he to be one of them the other their own Creatures The General hearing hereof with all convenient speed drew his Army together and marched to Westminster where he gave the Secluded Members re-admission into the Parlia-House February the 21 to the great grief of the Rump-Parliament for so the Junto was now called in scorn and contempt and to the exceeding joy both of City and Country And now the Parliament vote General Monk to be Captain General of all the Forces in the three Nations constitute a new Council of State set at liberty Sir George Booth and such of his party as were Prisoners also all such as had been imprisoned for petitioning for a Free Parliament caused the Rump Militia consisting most of Sectaries to be disbanded made such Acts as might the best conduce to the settlement of the Nation as for the taking away all places of trust and power out of the hands of the Sectarian party also voted a Full and Free Parliament to be chosen and to sit at Westminster April the 25th This Parliament was called Free yet as in all the Protectors Parliaments no Loyalist that had been in actual Arms for the King was capable of being elected for a Parliament-man March 17 the Long Parliament dissolved themselves leaving a Council of State to govern till the next Parliament should assemble But in the interim that the Parliament was busied for the recovering the peace and freedom of the Nation some malecontents were very active for sowing the seeds of division in the Army especially in that part which had been for the Committee of Safety yet by the care and prudence of General Monk who displaced most of the Fanatick Officers their designs were frustrated Lambert after the dissolution of the Parliament attempted to involve the Nation again in a Civil War but Col. Richard Ingoldsby dispersed his small force and took him prisoner A.D. 1660 Apr. 20 the Free Parliament assembled at Westminster on May 1. voted That according to the ancient and fundamental Laws of this Kingdom Charles the II. is the lawful and undoubtful King of these Nations Transcendent was the joy all over England which issued from this good news His Majesty from his Court then at Breda had sent his Letters to both Houses of Parliament to General Monk and to the City to Admiral Montague and the Officers of the Fleet with also a Declaration to all his loving Subjects the substance whereof was That he did grant a free and general pardon to all his Subjects that should within forty days lay hold upon his grace and favour excepting such persons as should be excepted by Parliament That he would shew all possible Indulgement to tender Consciences And such as differ in matter of Religion so they did not disturb the peace of the Kingdom that he would preserve them free from injury in their lives and estates and that all things relating to sales and purchases for there had been more lands bought and sold in the late usurping times than what the right owners loyal Subjects had consented to should be determined in Parliament That he would take care for the full satisfaction of the arrears of the Soldiery under the command of General Monk and that they should be received into his service upon as good pay and conditions as at that present they enjoyed The Parliament considering that his Majesty had for many years been deprived of his Revenues and therefore could not but be in want of money they therefore ordered that the sum of 5000 l. should be sent him for a present 10000 l. to the Duke of York and 5000 l. to the Duke of Gloucester The City of London likewise to testifie their gratitude to his Majesty sent him 10000 l. and to his two Brothers a 1000 l. apiece and 300 l. they presented to the Lord Mordant and Sir John Greenvil who brought them his Majesties Letters to buy each of them a Ring and the Parliament for the same reason gave 500 l. to Sir John Greenvil to purchase a Jewel May 8. by order of Parliament Charles the II. was at London with very great solemnity proclaimed The most Potent Mighty and undoubted King of England Scotland c. at which time the Acclamations of the people were wonderful great and their joys such that they could not find ways to express them May 22. his Excellency G. Monk set forth of London in order to meet his Majesty and May 23. his Majesty with his Brothers set sail for England from the Hague and on Friday landed at Dover where the loyal General received the King About 2 miles from Dover his Majesty forsook his Coach and took Horse his Brothers riding on his right hand and the General on his left after whom the Duke of Buckingham and many other Noblemen Gentlemen followed in gallant Equipage For the excellent service that G. M. had done for the King and
depart the Kingdom upon pain of having the Laws and Statutes of the Realm put in execution against them Anno 1671. In the beginning of this year died at St. James's her Royal Highness Anne Dutchess of York Daughter to the Earl of Clarendon and was shortly after privately buried at Westminster The Parliament still sate and amongst others having past an Act for an addition to the Kings Revenue by an Imposition on proceedings at Law by an humble Address they Petitioned His Majesty that he would be pleased by his Royal Example to encourage the wearing of the Manufactures of his own Kingdome and to discountenance the use of Foreign to which the King having graciously condescended they were Prorogued till the 16th of April next ensuing In June Sir Edward Sprague Admiral for the King in the Mediterranean Sea burnt and took under the very Guns of the Castle of Bugia nine of the best men of War of Algier This News so incensed that people that in a tumultuary manner they cut off the Head of their King the Aga having done the like to their General and forced their New created King to make a Peace much to the advantage of England The Parliament was again Prorogued from the 16th of April following to the 30th of October 1672. This Year his Majesty was pleased to Honour the City of London with his Presence at the Lord Mayors Feast being the first that since the Fire was kept in their Guild-hall after it was advantageously repaired The King having long concealed his Just displeasure against the Dutch and his resentments of their unworthy dealings towards him intends now an open War with the Vnited Provinces In order thereunto in January 1671 2 his Majesty declared that seing his Neighbours were making great preparations both by Sea and Land he looked upon himself as obliged to put himself into such a Posture as might best secure his Government and People And that seeing Money which was absolutely necessary for that end was wanting he was unavoidably forced which otherwise he would not have done to put a Stop to the Payment of all Moneys brought in or to be brought in to his Exchequer for the space of one whole Year In the mean time Sir George Downing his Majesties Embassadour in Holland Presses the States hard with the Business of the Flag but finding his Demands shifted of with Delays and his Negotiation like to prove successess he returned back in a short time to England where he was committed to the Tower for not having punctually obeyed his Instructions In March 1671 2 there was War declared by the King of Great Britain the Dutch by this allarmed and by the proceedings and preparations of the French King which they knew tended to a rupture with them fortified themselves with all diligence as well by Forces at home as Allies abroad and made the Prince of Orange their Captain General at Land and Admiral at Sea for the ensuing Years actions This Year the beautiful Escurial in Spain one of the most Magnificent buildings in Europe and reckoned one of the Wonders of the World was consumed by fire Besides the many Varieties that here were lost the Famous Library perished a loss hardly ever again to be repaired The French King being now joyned with the English in War against the Dutch Anno 1672. in the beginning of this year marches at the head of his Main Army towards the Frontiers of the Netherlands and sends his Fleet to joyn the English In May both Fleets were joyned at Sea under the Command of His Royal Highness the Duke of York making all together about 160 Sail. They had had often sight of the Dutch but no Engagement till the 28th of this Month and then in Southwold Bay a sharp Fight began about five of the Clock in the Morning and was obstinately maintained on both sides till Night the Dutch then bore away and the Duke stood after them keeping within sight of their Lights all Night In this Engagement died the Earl of Sandwich Captain Digby in the Henry Sir John Cox hard by the Duke in the Prince Sir Frescheville Hollis and Monsieur de la Rabiner the French Rear Admiral Several other Officers were slain and wounded about Seven hundred common Seamen lost and as many wounded the Royal James burnt and the Katherine taken but by her own men rescued again On the Dutch side were killed Admiral Van Ghent and Captain Brakhel Their great Ships were sadly shattered two sunk one taken and one burnt many others were missing whereof no account could be given and a great many of their common Seamen killed and wounded The French at the same time to increase their loss took several of their Towns and Forts by Land Next day after this Engagement in the Afternoon The Duke of York put twice out his bloody Flag upon sight of the Dutch but was as often prevented from Engaging them by thick Fogs and Mists which gave the Duch opportunity to retreat and so no more considerable Action at Sea was performed this year The States being thus pressed in all probality above the strength of so small a Republick having the French on the one side the Bishop of Munster on the other by Land and the English by Sea to deal with were not able to repress the Tumults and Insolencies of the exasperated People The Burghers of Dort in a tumultuary manner got the Prince of Orange created Statholder which was afterward confirmed by the States And at the Hague not long after a masterless Rabble hall'd out of Prison the Ruart van Putten and his Brother De Witt who had been condemned to lose their Dignities and be banished for some Designs against the Prince and barbarously murthered them dragging their Bodies through the Streets hanging them on the Gallows by the Heels and afterward inhumanely tearing and cutting them to picces The Parliament of England which was to have met in October was prorogued till the Fourth of February following This year was the Earl of Essex sent into Ireland to succeed to the Lord John Berkley as Lieutenant of that Kingdom The Lord Keeper of England Bridgeman now aged and infirm having resigned his place the Earl of Shaftsbury was made Chancellour of England and Thomas Lord Clifford Lord High Treasurer Toward the beginning of December the Duke of Richmond who had been this year sent Embassadour Extraordinary into Sweden died in his Calesche as he was upon his return to Elsenore from being aboard of the Yarmouth Frigat No other reason could be given for the suddenness of his death but the extream coldness of that piercing Air to which his Body was not accustomed The time of Prorogation being expired the Parliament met again and upon the removal of Sir Edward Turnor their Speaker to be Lord chief Baron of the Exchequer Sir Job Charleton was made Speaker but he shortly after falling Sick Edward Seymour Esq succeeded This Session of Parliament voted the King a
arising between the two Houses concerning an Appeal made by one Sherley to the Lords His Majesty upon the 9th of June prorogued them till the 13th of October following There happened this year a dangerous Plot carried on with great secrecy by the Blacks of Barbadoes against the English which upon the very nick of being put in execution was detected and the Conspirators punished The Natives of New-England under the command of King Philip Hegamore rose likewise against the English and did them considerable damage but were in a short time curbed from their insolencies and driven to their skulking holes In September most part of the Town of Northampton was by a dreadful Fire burnt down nothing left standing except a few Houses in the out-skirts of the Town The Parliament met again at the prefixed time but the former difference between the Houses being revived they were upon the 22th of November prorogued again till the 15th of February 1676. In the French Army this year the Champion of France the renowned Marshal Turenne as he was viewing a Pass maintained by the Germans fell by a Cannon Shot fired by a Battery raised by Montecucully the Imperial General to the great grief of his Master the French King On the Fifth of March 1675 6 Sir John Narborough concluded an honourable Peace and of great advantage to the Trade of this Nation with the Government of Tripoly The French last Campagne lost their famous Mareschal Turenne Anno 1676. and the Dutch Marine Expeditions are this year ushered in with a fate as unlucky to the States for their Darling Admiral De Ruyter on the twenty ninth of April died of his Wounds which he had received some days before in an Engagement with the French in the Bay of Augusta on the Coast of Sicily But to return home The first thing we meet with this year of note is a dreadful Fire which happened the 26th of May in the Burrough of Southwark It began about four in the Morning and continued all day and part of the night and notwithstanding the indefatigable pains and diligence of his Grace the Duke of Monmouth of the Earl of Craven and Lord Mayor yet about 600 Houses were burnt and blown up by this sad accident His Majesty for securing Trading to and from his Ports which was much disturbed by the insolency of Dutch Spanish and French Privateers amongst whom the War still continued on the second of June caused a Proclamation to be published declaring all Ships of what party soever that should put into any of his Ports to be under his protect on during their stay there commanding His publick Officers and all other His Majesties Subjects to use their best endeavours to hinder the roving of any private Men of War so near his Coasts as might give apprehensions to Merchant Men That if a Man of War of one party and one or more Merchant Men of another should come into His Majesties Ports the Merchant Men should have the priviledge to sail out two Tides before the Man of War That none of his Seamen should presume to enter and list themselves on board of any Foreign Man of War or any Ship designed for Traffick or the Fishing Trade without His Majesties leave first obtained with several other Rules relating to the securing of Trade and His Majesties Sovereignty in these Seas in pursuance of which Proclamation several Privateers were stopt and detained in many of the Ports of this Kingdom August 20th her Royal Highness was brought to Bed of a Daughter Christened by the Name of Isabella the Lord High Treasurer being Godfather and the Dutchess of Monmouth and Countess of Peterborough Godmothers October 26th His Majesty passed an Order in Council That none of His Subjects except the Queens Domestick Servants should repair to her Majesties Chappel or to the Houses or Chappels of any Foreign Embassadors or Agents there to hear Mass or English Sermons upon pain of having the Laws severely executed against them and His Majesty appointed Messengers of the Chamber and other Officers to wait without at the Houses of Foreign Embassadors and Agents and to take notice of such of His Subjects as should come out of the said Chappels from Religious Worship and bring them or their Names to the Council Board The Principal Secretaries of State were by His Majesty likewise required to repair to the said Embassadors and Agents and in His Majesties Name acquaint them with His Royal Pleasure in executing His Laws that they might have no Cause to complain of disrespect offered to their Character or of any purpose of infringing their Priviledges February 15th 1676 7 the Parliament pursuant to their last Prorogation met at Westminster Anno 1677. April 16th His Majesty in His Royal Robes with the usual Solemnities came into the House of Lords whither the House of Commons being called several Bills were passed amongst others an Act for raising the sum of Five hundred eighty four thousand nine hundred seventy eight pounds two shillings and two pence half peny for the speedy building of thirty Ships of War another for an additional Excise upon Beer Ale and other Liquors for three years and a third for erecting a Judicature to determine differences touching Houses burnt and demollished by the late dreadful Fire in Southwark and then both Houses adjourned till the 21th of May following This Month the Duke of Newcastle and Earl of Danby Lord high Treasurer of England were installed Knights of the Garter at Windsor May 21th Both Houses according to their last Adjournment met again at Westminster His Majesty having before by Proclamation required all the Members to be present in order to the debating of Matters of great importance In this Session the House of Commons made an Address to His Majesty that he would be pleased for the security of the Nation and repressing the growing greatness of France to enter into some Leagues proposed by them in their Address to which on the 28th of the same month he gave them His Answer at the Banquetting House which Answer being made publick in Print we shall refer you to the Answer it self His Majesty farther told them that it was His pleasure the House should be Adjourned to the 16th of July following and that if he intended they should sit again before Winter he would give them notice by His Proclamation Accordingly both Houses were adjourned till the 16th of July ensuing July 16th both Houses met again pursuant to their last Adjournment and forthwith Adjourned again according to His Majesties Direction till the third of December following August the fourth His Grace the Duke of Ormond Lord Lieutenant of Ireland began his Journey for that Kingdom And now His Majesty thinking it fit to put a stop to the French Victorious Proceedings in Flanders bethought himself of entering into Alliances with some Princes and States abroad and began to raise Forces for that purpose of whom the year following will afford more matter of
Romans With the several Races of the British Saxon Danish and Norman Kings till the present year of his Majesty Charles the Second whom God long preserve It gives likewise an Account of all the Archbishops of Canterbury since it was erected into a Metropolitant See Of all the Mayors and Sheriffs of London since their First Creation till this present year It contains likewise a List of the Members of this present Parliament assembled in March last 1678 9 with the Names of the Lords and others of His Majesties present Privy Council the Commissioners of the Treasury and Navy And in a word enough to let us see how by the blessing of God the prudence of Governors and the unanimity and loyalty of the People this Kingdom though sometimes over-clouded by home-bred Dissentions yet has continued for many Ages to be the Envy and Terror of its Neighbours abounding in all the Worldly Enjoyments that were fit to be expected from a bountiful God or to be desired by a vertuous People To conclude We may expect still the continuance of the same Blessings unless our sins and wantonness bring upon us the same or worse Judgements than our Forefathers ever felt and instead of a delightful and fruitful Soil turn our Land into a Barren Wilderness and give us cause to say with the Poet Infelix colium steriles dominantur avenae T. N. MEDVLLA Historiae Anglicanae BRITAIN THIS most flourishing Island Britain is bounded on the South with Normandy and France on the East with Germany and Denmark upon the West with Ireland and the Atlantick Ocean and on the North with the Deucalidon Seas The length thereof from the Lyzard-point Southward in Cornwall to the Straithy-head in Scotland containeth 624 miles the breadth from the Lands-end in Cornwall in the West unto the Island Tenet in the East containeth 340 miles It is sited under the 9th and 13th Climates of the Northern temperate Zone insomuch that at the Summer Solstice in the Northern parts of Scotland there is no Night at all but only an obscure twilight A Country it is for Air mild for Soyl fruitful and for length of Days pleasant and delightful In Winter the absence of the Sun is relieved with the warmth of its invironing Seas and in Summer the heat is moderated by frequent showers and Sâ—a-winds O happy Britain said the old Panegyrist and more blisful than all other Regions Nature hath inriched thee with all commodities of Heaven and Earth wherein there is neither extream cold in Winter nor scorching heat in Summer wherein there is such abundant plenty of Corn as may suffice both for Bread and Wine wherein are Woods without wild-beasts and the Fields without noisom Serpents But infinite numbers of Milch-Cattel and Sheep weighed down with Fleeces and that which is most comfortable long Days and lightsom Nights And as our English Lucan sings The fairest Land that from her thrusts the rest As if she car'd not for the World beside A World within her self with wonders blest This Queen of Islands was at the first called Albion either from Albion Marcoticus who seated himself herein or ab albis rupibus from the white Rocks appearing towards the Coasts of France or from Olbion signifying rich or happy in regard of its fertility temperature and riches Next It was called Britain either from the two British words Pryd and Cain which signifie Beauty and White or from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying Mettals with which it aboundeth or from the British word Beyth that is painted stained coloured the Inhabitants of old using to dye their bodies with Woad to which the Greeks added Tania that is a Region thence called Britons-Land or Britanie At last The Southern and best part of it from the Angle-Saxons then inhabiting it was called Angle-Land now England which said part of Britain is bounded on the East with the Germane on the West with the Irish on the South with the British Ocean on the North with the River Tweed and a Line drawn from it to the Solway Westward The longest day in the Northern part of England is Seventeen hours and near Thirty minutes and the shortest day in the most Southern part thereof almost Eight hours long Englands dimension in length from Berwick to the Lands-End is 386 miles in breadth from Sandwich to the Lands-End 279 in compass by reason of the many Bays and Promontories about 1300 miles England in the Romans time was divided into Britania prima containing the South part of England Britania secunda containing the Western part now called Wales and Maxima Caesariensis containing the Northern parts beyond Trent The first of these in the Britains time belonged to the Arch-Bishoprick of London the 2d to the Arch-Bishoprick of * Glamorgan Caerleon and the 3d. to the Arch-Bishoprick of York The Britains or first Inhabitants of this Island were derived from the Gauls as both their Speech Laws Customs and Buildings manifest The Story of Brute with his Trojans Conquering this Island in A.M. 2887 or whenever else seems to be only a Fable of Geofry of Monmouths framing Amongst the Ancient Britains none save the better and more civil sort did wear any cloathing They painted their bare bodies with sundry Pictures representing all manner of living creatures flowers and the heavenly bodies conceiting that this made them appear the more terrible to their enemies About their Wasts and Necks they wore Chains of Iron supposing them to be a goodly Ornament The hair of their heads they wore long which was naturally curled all other parts they shaved save the upper-lip Of all the Provinces the Kentish were the most civilized persons by reason of their converse with other Nations in Trafficking and Merchandizing Their buildings were many and like to those of the old Gauls French poor rude Cottages yet did they give the name of Towns to certain cumbersom Woods which they fortified with Rampiers and Ditches whither they made their retreat and resort to eschew the invasions of their enemies The Romans first taught them to build their Houses of Stone Their Wives were many Ten or Twelve apiece which they held common among Parents and Brethren yet was the Issue reputed his only who first Married the Mother when she was a Maid The Children they brought up in common amongst them Their diet was spare and mean being Barks and Roots of Trees and Milk also a kind of food they had no bigger than a Bean after the eating of which for a considerable time they did neither hunger nor thirst They eat likewise Venison and Fruits Their usual drink was made of Barley The Habits of the Ancient Britaine 's Printed for Abell swalle at the Vnicorn at the West End of St Pauls Page 4. F. H. Van. Houe sculp Their Religion was Paganish superstition They had many Idol-gods and used mans flesh in their Sacrifices They had Priests and Instructers the chief of which were called Druides who were the