in matâ—ers of Scotland could better skill Nor which their falshoode and vntrueth to note Had more affection or better wyll Or better knew water woodde toune vale hyll Or was more feruente the Scottes to persue Who to England he knew woulde neuer be true ¶ Neyther anye Chronicler that euer was Eyther dooth or can more largly declare Euen from Brutus howe it came to passe That kynges of Englande the soueraines are And ouer Scotlande oughte rule to beare Hymselfe is wytnes of their subiection And homage vnder Englandes protection ¶ In other thinges the tymes were suche That though this werke haue some spice of blindnesse Yet is the authour not to be blamed much For Popyshe errour that season doubtlesse Did all the worlde ouer go and oppresse Therfore such thinges we must in good part take And pardon that faulte for the tymes sake ¶ Yet haue we thought best the autour to set out Euen in suche fourme as hymselfe dyd endite It wer an vnquod thyng yf we should go about To alter and chaunge that olde men haue wryte Secondly to vs it maye bee greate delyte The blindnesse of those tymes to consider From whiche hathe pleased God vs to delyuer ¶ Fynally the darkenesse of those dayes to see To the honoure of our kyng dooeth redound To whom by goddes helpe geuen it hath bee All Popyshe trumperye for to confounde Which thyng al trew English hertes hath bouÌ„d Incessauntly to praye for kyng Henrye the eyghte Whose godly wisedome hath made all streyghte And for asmuch as Hardyng his boke doth ende With Edward the fourth whose seruauÌ„t he was And to whome also this booke he dyd commende Consideryng also the tyme and space Beyng .lx. yeres and more I coulde not let passe So many goodly statutes and decrees Battayles and stories not good to lese Wherfore I annexed theim by continuacion Begynning wyth Edwarde the fourth of that name Then Edward the fyfth kyng by generation Whom Richard the third to his immortal shame Cruelly murdered the story sayeth the same But plaged he was to hys greate greuaunce With a shamefull death as Goddes vengeaunce Then Henry the .vii. nexte doothe ensue Father vnto our moost dred soueraigne lorde And of Henry the. viii some thyng that is true I haue here set forth as wryters dooe accorde Not in metre but obseruyng worde for worde Myne authours that wrote it all in prose Reportyng the truth without fraude or glose ¶ Now right gentle reader thy parte shal be My good wyll and zele my payne and labour To entreprete and take in good parte and gre Geuing to the same suche good wordes of fauour As may enforce me with all myne endeuour The settyng forth of mo werkes to take in hande To thy solace and honour of Englande ¶ The Proheme of Iohn Hardynge into this his chronycle THe moste substance of power and of myght Through age distilled into debilitee Of me that am this time an aged wight And greate faute haue of habilitee This labour now shuld haue wthold fro me But that my witte would haue some diligence My ghoost to kepe from synne and insolence ¶ This werke is great and loÌ„ge to bryng to fyne So doeth it euer fro tyme to tyme encrease And long hath dooen afore Christ dyd enclyne In Marie mother and mayden without lease To chronicle so men haue theim put in prease Some in meetre and some also in prose Some in Latyn full wysely dyd it close ¶ And some in Frenche they made for intellecte Of men that could no Latyn vnderstande More sufficiently endited and protecte By ferre then I can it nowe take in hande And some in lynes two theyr ryme ay bande But though my witte be not so curious As theirs by ferre to make it glorious ¶ Yet wyll I vse the symple witte I haue To your pleasaunce and consolacion Moste noble lorde and prince so God me saue That in chronycles hath delectacion Though it be farre aboue myne estimacion Into balade I wyll it nowe translate Ryght in this forme with all myne estymate My lorde of Yorke vnto your sapience I wyll remember a notabilyte Of your elders rule and regymence That had this lande of olde prioryte Which ruled were after their dignitee In vertue digne by roiall gouernaunce And in vyce rulyd and misgouernaunce By whiche knowledge your discrete sapience All vyce euermore destroye maye and reproue By vertuous and blessedfull dilygence And vertue loue that maye not ought greue Howe ye shall rule your subiectes while ye lyue In lawe and peace and all tranquyllite Whiche been the floures of all regalyte ¶ Edward the thyrde that was king of this land By ryght title and very iuste discent And kyng of Fraunce as I can vnderstande By his mother quene Isabell the gent Sister and heyre of Charles by hole entent For Charles dyed without any chylde The ryght discent vnto his mother mylde Why shulde that French forbarre you of your right Sith God of heauen in libro numeri Gaue to Moises this lawe that nowe is lyght In the chapiter seuen and twenty By these wordes the doughter ryghtfully Of Salphaat aske the fathers heritage Geue them in possessyon amonge the cosynage ¶ This kyng Edward reignyng in his dayes In mercyall actes tryumphe and victorie Aboue all princes famed was alwayes Fyue sonnes had the worlde out to crye Ther wer no mo suche of one patry monye Edwarde the prince and eldest sonne of age Who gat Richarde that had the heritage ¶ Leonell next borne after in Antwerpe In Brabant lande that wedded vnto his wyfe The erles doughter of Vlster as men do karpe And begatte on her Philip his doughter ryue And also his heire whome he loued as his lyue Whome erle Emonde of Marche the Mortimer Wedded to his wyfe and begatte the erle Roger. Edwarde the thyrd had fyue sonnes Edwarde prince Leonell Iohn duke of Lancastre Edmounde duke of Yorke Thomas of Woodstocke duke of Gloucester ¶ That erle was after of Marche of Vlster With wylde Irishe that slayne wer in Irelande Who had a sonne erle Emonde Mortymer That dyed without yssue I vnderstande To whom dame Anne his syster vnto his land Was veraye heyre whoÌ„ the erle of CaÌ„bridge wed And gatte of her your selfe as I haue red ¶ Why should ye not then be her veraye heyre Of all her lande and eke of all her right Sith Iesu Christe of Iude lande so feire By veray meane of his mother Mary bryght To be kyng claymed tytle and right And so dyd name hym selfe kyng of Iewes So by your mother the right to you acrewes ¶ After Lyonell that was duke of Clarence And of Vlster the erle was by his wyfe And of Italie for his greate excellence Kyng should haue been without any stryfe Of all Europe without comparatyfe The royall lande and to his espousaile The dukes doughter of Melayn without faile ¶ Iohn borne in Gaunt of FlauÌ„ders chief cytee The thyrde
yere and was slayne The quene was of all Logres lādes so fine And of all Albaine also through out incertayne Crowned quene and so reigned with mayne And seruyce tooke of Cambre for his lande Who gouerned well her tyme I vnderstande ¶ Fyftene yere and then her sonne she crowned That Maddan hyght into Cornewaile went And then she dyed with sycknesse sore confounded And to her goddes her wofull herte she sent And thus this quene in her beste entente To set amonge the goddesse euerychone Euer to complayne her wedowhed alone The .xx. Chapiter ¶ Howe Maddan kynge of Britayne reygned after Gwendolena his mother and reygned .xi. yeres MAddan her sōne was king of Britain then Hauyng Logres and also Albany That fourty yere there reygned as a man Kepyng the lande in peace from tyrannye In whose tyme was none in his monarchye Durste ought vary or any thing displease So was he dred and set the realme in ease Throughe all Britayne durste none another dysplese So wel the lawe and peace he dyd conserue That euery man was gladde other to please So dred they hym they durst no thing ouer terue Againe his lawe nor peace but theim conserue So was he dred through his great sapience Both in and oute by all intellygence ¶ He dyed so and to his father yede His sonnes two Maulyne and eke Memprise A daye then sette whiche of theim shoulde precede To the croune but then by couetyse And that ylke daye the yonger Memprise Slewe his brother Maulyne elder of age To that entent to haue the herytage Memprise thus kyng destroied his men all oute Their landes their goddes or elles their liues certayne He tooke from theim all his lande aboute Fulfylled all with pryde and great disdayne His comonnes all with taxes did distrayne So tirauntely he lefte theim nought to spende By consequent thrifteles he was at ende His wyfe he dyd refuse and foule forsake Vsynge the synne of horribilyte With beastes ofte in stede right of his make Whiche by all ryght and equytee Vengeaunce asked by fell bestialitee And so hym fell as to the wood he wente A route of wolffes hym slough and all to rent The .xxi. Chapiter ¶ Ebranke kyng of Britayne had Logres and Albany Also he had .xx. wyues .xx. sonnes and .xxx. doughters he made Yorke Bamburgh Edenburgh Dumbritayne and Alclude Also he made an archeflaume at Yorke his temple that nowe is an archebishoppe EBranke his sōne thē crowned was anone Who shippes great made on the sea to sayle Withhelde his knightes with hym so forthe to gone Vpon warre he went without fayle Then into Gaule with a full manly tayle Wher that he had riches innumerable To holde estate royall incomparable ¶ XX. wyues he had as chronicles saith And .xx. sonnes of his owne generacion And doughters fayre .xxx. that wer not laith Whiche doughters so for theyr releuacion Into Italie with great supportacion There to be wedded in Troyan bloodde maried For ladies theyr with Troyans wer alyed ¶ In Albany he made and edifyed The castell of Alclude whiche Dumbritayne And some autours by chronycle hath applied And some sayen on the pight wall certayne And the west ende it stode that nowe is playne And some menne sayen it is Yorke cytee Thus stande menne nowe in ambyguytee ¶ But sooth it is he made this Dunbrytayne A castell stronge that standeth in Albany Vpon a roche of stone hard to optayne About the whiche the sea floweth dayly And refloweth again nocturnally Twyse in his course and to the sea again In the whiche no horsse maye dunge certain ¶ He made also the mayden castell stronge That men now calleth the castell of Edenburgh That on a roche standeth full hye out of throng On mounte Agwet wher mē may see out through Full many a towne castell and boroughe In the shire aboute it is so hye in heigth Who wyll it scale he shall not fynde it light ¶ He made also vpon mounte Dolorous A castell strong that this daye Bamburgh hight That on a roche is sette full hye and noyous Full hard to gette by any mannes might The castell is so stronge and so well dight If menne therin haue stufe sufficient Or it be wonne many one muste bee shent ¶ His sonnes all he sent to Germanye To wynne thesame lande by labour and conquest Vnder the rule of their brother Analye Duke Assarake that was the eldest A worthy knight proued with best All Germanye they gatte at theyr entent And lordes wer made their as there father ment ¶ Sixty yere whole he stoode and bare the crowne Reignyng fully in all prosperytee No enemyes durst again hym vp ne downe Warre ne do in no wyse again his royaltee He made a temple in * Ebranke citee Of Dyane where an archeflame he sette To rule temples as that tyme was his dette The .xxii. Chapiter ¶ Howe after the death of Ebranke reygned Brutus greneshilde BRutus Greneshilde then by his name full ryght Both good trewe and easy of all porte His people all that came into his syght With all his might euermore he recomforte Of all there sorowe that they to hym reporte And why he hight Greneshilde to his surname Because he bare on grene ay wher he became ¶ Xii yere he stoode reignyng full well in peace And dyed so and by his father buryed In Ebranke afore Dyane no lees With Britons hole thyther accompanyed With all honours that might bee multiplyed In any wyse with all seruyse funerall As longed to the fate of death ouer all The .xxiii. Chapiter ¶ Leyle kyng of Brytayn had Logres Brytayne he made at Carlele a temple flamyne and a flaume to rule it THē Leyle his sōne was kyng of Britain so That Carleele made that tyme in Albany That now Carleile is called by frend to Whiche in Englyshe is to say fynally The cytie of Leyle for in brytayn tongue playnly Cair is to saye a citee in theyr language As yet in Wales is there commen vsage ¶ This ilke kyng Leyle made then in that citee A temple greate called a temple flaumyne In whiche he sette a flaume in propertee To gouerne it by their lawes dyuyne Of Iupiter Saturne and Appolyne That then wer of all suche in dignitee After theyr lawes as nowe our byshoppes bee ¶ When he had reigned hole .xx. yere and fyue In youth full well and kepte lawe and peace But in his age his people beganne to stryue Failyng his lawes cyties wold not warre cease Cyuill warres greately beganne to encreace And he dyed then settyng no remedy Buried at Carleyle in his citee royally The .xxiiij. Chapiter ¶ Rudhudebras kyng of Brytayne had Logres and Albany he made Caunterbury Wynchester and Shaftesbury and three temples and three flaumes of theim RVdhudebras his sonne was kyng anone Cair kent he made that now is Caūterbury Cair went also buylded of lyme
awaye Ah ê™ the quene hath he so tendre a zele to hym that he feareth nothyng but least he should escape hym Thynketh he that I would sende hym hence whiche is neyther in the plight to sende oute and in what place coulde I recone hym sure if he bee not sure in sanctuarye whereof was there neuer tyraunte yet so deuelyshe that durste attempte to breake the priuiledge and I truste God is nowe as stronge to wythstande his aduersaries as euer he was But my soonne can deserue no sanctuarye you saye and therfore he cannot haue it forsothe the lorde protectoure hath sente a goodly glose by the whiche that place that may defend a these may not saue an innocent but he is in no ieopardye nor hath no nede thereof I woulde God he had not Troweth the protectoure I praye God he maye proue a protectour rather then a destroyer whereunto his peynted processe draweth Is it not honourable that the duke byde here it were confortable to theim bothe that he were with his brother because the kyng lacketh a playe feloe yea bee you sure I praye God sende hym better playefelowes then hym that maketh so hyghe a matter vpon suche a tryfleynge pretexte as though there coulde none bee founde to playe with the kynge but yf his brother whiche hathe no lu 〈…〉 to playe for syckenesse muste come oute of Sanctuarye oute of his sauegarde to playe with hym as though that prynces so young as they beâ— coulde not playe without their peres or chyldreÌ„ coulde not playe without theyr kynred with whome for the more parte they agree muche woorsse then with straungiers But the chyld you saye cannot require the priuiledge who tolde the protectoure so Aske hym and you shall here hym aske it and so shall he if ye wyll Howebeit this is a straunge matter suppose he coulde not aske it and thynke he woulde not aske it and ymagene he woulde aske to go oute yf I saye he shall not Note if I aske the priuiledge but for my selfe I saye that he that agaynst my wyll taketh out hym breaketh Sanctuarye Serueth thys lyberty for my personne onlye or for my goodes too you maye not frome hence take my horsse frome me yf I stale hym not nor owe you nothynge then foloweth it that you maye not take my chylde from me he is also my ward for as farre as my learned councell sheweth me he hath nothyng by dyssente holden by knyghtes seruage but by socage then the lawe maketh me his garden then maye no manne lawfully I suppose take my warde frome me oute of thys place wythoute the breche of Sanctuarye and yf my pryuyledge coulde not serue hym nor he aske it for hym selfe yet sythe the lawe commytteth to me the custodye of hym I maye requyre it for hym excepte the lawe geue the infaunte a garden onelye for hys gooddes dyschargynge hym of the cure and sauekepynge of his bodye for whiche onely bothe goodes and landes serue Wherfore here entende I to kepe hym sithe mannes lawe serueth the garden to kepe the infaunte and the lawe of nature wylleth the mother to kepe that chyld and Goddes lawe priuiledgeth the Sanctuarye and the Sanctuarye pryuyledgeth my soonne sythe I feare to putte hym to the protectoures handes that hathe his brother already whiche is yf bothe fayled inheritoure to the croune as heyre male as he sayth The cause of my feare no man hath to dooe to examen and yet feare I no further then the law feareth whiche as learned menne tell me forbyddeth euery manne the custody of theim by whose death he maye enheryte lesse lande then a kyngdome I can saye no more but whosoeuer he bee that breaketh this holy sanctuary I praye God sende hym shortelye nede of Sanctuary when he maye not come to it for I woulde not that my mortall enemie should be taken out of Sanctuary The Cardynal perceaued that the quene euer that lenger the farther of and also that she beganne to kyndle and chafe and spake sore bytynge woordes agaynst the protectoure and suche as he neyther beleued also was lothe to here he sayd to her for a finall conclusion that he would no more dispute the matter and if she were contente to delyuer the duke to hym and to the other lordes there present he durste laye his owne bodye and soule bothe in pledge not onlye for his suretie but also for hys estate and surely he knewe nor suspected no cause but he might so dooe but he knewe not all And further he saide if she would geue hym a resolute aunswere to the contrarye he would therewith departe incontinent and shifte who so woulde wyth this busynesse afterwarde for he neuer entended further to moue her in the matter in the whiche he thought that he and all other also saue her selfe lacked eyther wytte or truthe Wytte if they were so dull if they nothyng coulde perceaue what the protectoure entended and yf they should procure her soonne to bee delyuered into his handes in whome they shoulde perceaue towardes the chyld any euell wyll entended then she myghte thynke all the councell bothe euel aduysed and of lytle fydelyte to theyr prince The quene with these wordes stoode in a great studye and forasmuche as she sawe the lord Cardynall more redyer to departe then the remanauÌ„t and the protectoure hym selfe redye at hande so that she verelye thought that she coulde not kepe hym there but he shoulde bee incontynente taken thence and to conueye hym elles where neyther had she tyme to serue her nor place determyned nor personnes appoynted to conueygh hym and so all thyng was vnreadye when this message came so sodenly on her nothyng lesse lookyng for then to haue hym out of sanctuarye whiche she knewe nowe menne to bee set in all places about that he coulde not bee conueyghed oute vntaken and partely as she thought it myghte fortune her feare to bee false so well she wist it was ether nede lesse or botelesse Wherfore yf she should nedes go from hym she demed best to deliuer hym specially of that Cardinalles faith she nothing doubted nor of some other lordes whome she sawe there which as she feared least they might be deceaued so well was she assured that they woulde not bee corrupted then thoughte she that it woulde make theim the more warely to looke to hym and the more circum spectly to see his surety yf she with her owne handes betooke hym theim by truste and at the laste she tooke the young duke by the hande and saied vnto the Lordes my Lorde ê™ she and all my lordes nether am I so vnwise to mistruste youre wittes nor so suspicyous to mistruste your truthes of which thing I purpose to make such a proofe that yf either of bothe lacked in you might turne both me to greate sorowe the realme to muche harme and you to greate reproche For lo here is ê™ she this gentilman whome I doubte not but I could kepe salfe if I would whatsoeuer
With landes and rentes that with hym suffred pain And Troynouaunt he made full specially An Archflaume his sea Cathedrall certain A temple therof Apolyne to opteyne By Troyane lawe of all suche dignite As archbyshop hath nowe in his degree The .xv. Chapiter ¶ Howe Brute departed Britaine in thre partes to his thre sonnes the two yonger to holde of the elder so that Wales and Scotlande shulde do homage to Englande by hys ordynaunce by the lawe of Troye THis kyng Brutus this ysle deuided in iii A lytell afore out of this ysle he dyed To his thre sonnes that were full faire to se After his dayes to ioyse he signifyed And when he had the Isle all tripertyed He called the chyefe Logres after Locryne That doth extende fro Monsehole to HuÌ„ber fine ¶ Fro Humbar north vnto the Northwest sea Of all Britaine which he called Albanye For Albanacte the kyng therof to be His second sonne that was both good and manly To holde it of Locryne perpetually And of his heyres by homage and feaute As to chiefe lorde longeth the suffraintie ¶ And fro the water of Waage right in that southe And Strigell castell to Seuerne all by and by And so to Dee at Chester as it is full couth Ryght in the North cambre he called for thy For Cambre shulde it haue all plenerly And on Locryne it should euer be homage And of his heyres euermore in herytage The .xvi. Chapiter ¶ Howe by lawe Troyane the souerayntie belongeth to the eldest brother or syster AS after the lawes of Troye yâ— soueraintie And all resorte of ryght doth apertayne To the eldest brother in propertie The eldest syster ryghte so by ryght shulde bene Souerayne lady and ouer them all quene By equytie of that ylke lawe and ryghte In place where it is holden lawe perfyghte ¶ This kyng Brutus made people faste to tylle The lande aboute in places both farre and nere And sowe with sede and get theim corne full wele To lyue vpon and haue the sustynaunce clere And so in feldes both farre and nere By his wysdome and his sapience He sette the lande in all suffycience And as the fate of death doth assygne That nedes he muste his ghoost awaye relees To his goddes Dyane he dyd resygne His corps to be buryed withouten lees In the temple of Apolyne to encreace His soule amonge the goddes euerychone After his merytes trononized highe in trone Fro beginnyng of the worlde to Brutus Into this isle entred fyrste at Totnesse Foure thousande yere .lxxx. and .iiii. were thus As the chronycles therof beareth witnesse And after the incarnacion to expresse A thousande hole a hundreth and fyftene And of Hely Iudge in Iuly was eyghtene In the thyrde age he came into this ysle And in the yere as it is afore expressed But howe longe that he reygned or shorte whyle Walter of Oxforde hath confessed Foure and twenty yere as he hath inpressed And other sayne he reigned thre and fourty yere But Marian saith thre score he reygned here ¶ Whiche is moste lyke to be verifyed By all his workes and greate operacions Whiche in shorte tyme myght not been edifyed Ne performed with shorte occupacyons But in longe tyme by good consyderacyons Rather it is lyke he reigned thre score yere By his greate workes and beginninges that appere The .xvii. Chapiter ¶ Kyng Locryne the souerayne lorde of all Britayne had Logres to his parte to whom his .ii. brethren dyd homage for Albyne and for Cambyr THis eldest soÌ„ne was king that hight Locrine Of all Britayne hauing the souerante Hauing Logres as Brute dyd determine To whome Cambre and Albanacte the free Obeying both vnto his royalte There homage made as to that lorde souerayne And Emperoure of that lande of Britayne ¶ There homage made and to Cambre went Albanactus then rode to Albyne And reigned so by lyfe in one assente Eche one other to helpe and fortifye And thus in peace holding their regalite But as they satte so beste in peace and reste Kyng Humbar arose in Albyne full preste The .xviii. Chapiter ¶ Howe kyng Humbar slewe Albanactus wherfore Locryne and Cambre gathered a great power and disconfyted king Humbar ceased Albany by excheter vnto Loâ—res againe for defaute of an heyre IN the ryuer that called is Humbar nowe Where Albanactê° anon did with hym fyght And in batel stroke Humbar on the browe And felde hym were he neuer so wight But Humbar arose agayne with all his myght And in that stoure was Albanacte slayne Kyng Humbar had the felde with mikyll payne ¶ King Locryne then Cambre elles his brother With hoostes great vpon king Humbar faughte That of Humbarlande was king with many other In Albany that mikyll sorowe wrought And with hym met where he before had fought Where sore for fyght he fledde to the ryuer And there was drowned in that water clere ¶ A greate parte of his hooste was drowned also As they dyd flee in that water clere And many slayne that myght no further go And many other taken for prysonere Locryne the felde had and his brother dere And to the shyppes where they had all rychesse Theyr men to helpe that suffred there distresse ¶ All Albayne into his hande he seased And helde hole to Logres ioyned then agayne As it was firste and that lande well pleased Of the resorte the people were full fayne But in the shyppes a lytell from Almayne He fande the kynges daughter of Germanye Dame Estrylde that was full womanly ¶ Whome for his wyfe he helde at his plesaunce For whiche the duke Corneus was wroth But frendes then by noble gouernaunce The playne trouth to saye in soth Made hym to wed all yf it were full loth The doughter so of Duke Corneus With all frendeshyppe they were accorded thus ¶ Dame Gwendolyne the hight by proper name Of whome he gate a sonne that hight Maddan And in the meane whyle in preuy wyse at hame He helde Estrylde as his loue and leman Therof his wyfe vnwetyng or any other man And of her gate a doughter full femynyne That Sabren hyght as chronycles do deuyne ¶ In this meane tyme Corneus so dyed To whome the quene Gwendolyne was heire Whome kyng Locryne forsoke and replyed And Estrylde weddid agayne that was full fayre But Gwendolyn to Cornewayle dyd repayre With her power and faught with kyng Locrine Where he was slayne and had none other fyne ¶ She drowned Estrelde and her doughter dere In a ryuer whiche that tyme had no name But fro thens forth for Sabryn farre and nere That ryuer that was plentuous of name Was called then Seuerne that hath greate fame Thus Seuerne firste had name in propertee Of that lady that drowned was in specyaltee The .xix. Chapiter ¶ Gwendolena quene of Britaine had Logres and Albayne in peace and reste .xv. yere GWendolyne so after fro kyng Locryne Had reigned hole .x.
no faile And rayned bloodde the same .iii. dayes also Greate people dyed the lande to mykell woo ¶ Gurgustyus his sonne so reygned then In mykill ioye and worldly celynesse Kepyng his landes from enemyes as a manne But drunken he was echedaye expresse Vnaccordynge to a prince of worthynesse Out of drunkennesse succedeth euery vice Whiche all men shuld eschewe if thei wer wise ¶ Scicilius his sonne then did succede In whose tyme echeman did other oppresse The lawe and peace was exiled so in dede That ciuill warres and slaughter of men expresse Was in euery parte of the lande without redresse And murderers foule through all his lande dayly Without redres or any other remedy ¶ Iago succeded and kyng was of this lande As eiuill as was the kyng of Scicilus The same vices as I vnderstand Orels wourse and more malicious Wherfore our lorde toke vengeaūce of hym thus He smote theim bothe in suche aletargie That sone thei dyed for marrid with frenesie ¶ Kymar his soonne had then the diademe And kyng then was with all kyndes of royalte Kepyng his lande as well did so hym seme In lawe and peace with greate felicite The common weale and their vtilite He did prefer euer in vniuersall Whiche to a prince is a vertu principall ¶ First if he kepe not lawe nor peace certein His people will nothyng dred ne doubt Than stande he moost in parell to bee slaine Orels putte doune right by his vnderlout No better is he bee he neuer so stout Then is his subiect or another wight That with rebell vnlawfull kill hym might ¶ Gorbonyan that was his soonne and heire Was kyng who had that tyme but soonnes twoo The eldre hight Ferrex that was full faire The younger hight Porrex whiche discordid so That either of theim was alwaye others foo For that the father sent Ferrex into Fraunce To kyng Syward that was of greate puisaunce ¶ But after long when he had reigned .xi. yeres Dyed awaye frome all royalte Leuyng his lande by his good rule inclere In sufficiente and all prosperite Ferrex heryng of his mortalite With power strong came to this lande againe And with Porrex faught sore wher he was slaine ¶ For sorow of whiche ther mother that Iudō hight To Ferrex came with hir maydens all in ire Slepyng in bed slew hym vpon the night And smote hym all on peces sette a fyre Loo this cruell mother sett on fyre With suche rancor that she could not ceas Whiche for passyng ire was mercyles The .xxxi. Chapiter ¶ Clotane Pynner Ruddan Stater reigned with barōs warres .xl. yere howe this Isle of Brytaine was departed in foure parties stood departed .xl. yere in barōs warres CLotane that then was duke of Cornwaile Next heire then was by all succession But Pinner thē had Logres ī gouernaile And kyng ther of was by wrong ingression Ruddan had Cambre in his possession And Stater was then kyng of Albany Thus was this Isle then lede by tirannye ¶ Thus Brytain was to foure kynges deuided Echeon of theim warryng on other The barons also on warre were so prouided That all the people to wast father and mother Thei spared none all wer thei sister or brother And eche citee on other bothe towne and tour And eche tyranne was a conquerour ¶ And lordes faine subiectes then to been The poore menne that afore that warre wer desolate Of all honour and worship that was seen Through their manhode with people congregate Lordeship conquered and roose to high astate Laddes and boyes the ladeis tho did wedde Their kynne afore nether lande ne hous hadde ¶ Fourty wynter thus duryng barons warre This Isle so stoode in sorowe and in strife In faute of might the weaker had the wer And suffered wrong that was then their life For who that might aught gette with spere or knife He helde it furth as for his heritage And waxid a lorde that a fore was a page ¶ Defaute of peace lawe sette theim on hight To ouer runne lordes and bee victorious As worthy was for of their wrongfull might The lordes were cause that thei were rygurous That would not so their wronges malicious At first with stande and punishe trespassoures But suffer theim endure in their erroures The .xxx. Chapiter ¶ The conseipt of the maker of this booke touchyng barrons warres in defaute of peace and lawe DEfaut of lawe was cause of this mischief Wronges susteined by mastry by might And peace laied downe that should haue been the chief Through whiche debates folowed all vnright Wherfore vnto a prince accordeth right The peace and lawe euen with equite Within his realme to saue his dignite ¶ What is a kyng without lawe and peace Within his realme sufficiently conserued The porest of his maye so encrease By iniury and force of menne preserued Till he his kyng so with strēgth haue ouerthrowed And sette hym self in royall maieste As tratour Cade made suche an iuoperte ¶ O ye my lorde of Yorke and veraie heire Of Englande so this matter well impresse Deipe in your breste lette it synke softe and feire And suche defautes sette you aye to represse At the begynnyng lette your high noblenes The trespassoures to chastes and to restreine And lette theim not lawe ne peace disobeine ¶ O ye lordes that been in high estate Kepe well the lawe with peace and gouernaunce Lest your hurtes you hurte and depreciate Whiche been as able with wrongfull ordynaunce To reigne as ye and haue also greate puisaunce For lawe and iustices in lordes vnpreserued Causeth many of theim to bee ouerthrowed The .xxxi. Chapiter ¶ Dunwallo Moluncyus kyng of Cornewayle conquerid Logers Lambry and Albanie as right heire of Brytayne he gaue fraunchises to the temple plough merkettes feyres and hie wayes so that none should disturbe by lawe nor by wrong he made sixe temples in Logers Cambre Albanie and also many Flāynes to rule theim of estate as bishoppes nowe dooen KYng Clotein died that reigned in Cornewaile Wherfore his soōne Dūwallo Molūcius Was kyng of all his realme without faile A mannly prince in armes full cuorageous Assembled his hoost and came full vigorous Of kyng Pynner in Logres intrusour And sleugh hym ther as wrongfull gouernour ¶ Kyng Ruddan and kyng Stater Of Albanie with hoostes strong and wyght Gaue hym battaill with mighty power Where Ruddan Stater wer slain downe right With all their hoostes and their greate might And Dunwallo had the victory With muche ioye and manhod mightely ¶ Dunwallo so called Moluncius At Troynouaunt with royall diademe Of gold crouned moost riche and precious Vpon his hede as did hym well besene The first he was as chronicles expreme That in this Isle of Brytein had croune of golde For all afore copre and gilt was to beholde ¶ He graunted pardon vnto all trespasoures Of whiche thei were full glad and ioyus Amendyng all their faultes and errours With all their hertes full beneuolous
capitayn had to name By whome it was so bigged and supporte That out of Spayn wer exiled and thither came And some sayth that Hiberus of great fame There duke was than and there gouernour That of Spayne afore had been the floure ¶ This king Gurgwyn his surname was Batrê° Came home agayn after the voyage sore All forbeten so was he corageus That from his corps his ghoste departed thore Reigned that had .xxx. yere afore In Carlion after his high degre Was buried so with full greate royaltee The .xxxv. Chapiter ¶ Howe Guytelyn kyng of Britayne wedded Marcian to wife that Mercian lawes made by her great wisedome GVytelyn his sonne gan reigne as heyre Of all Brytayn aboute vnto the sea Who wedded was to Marcyan full fayre That was so wyse in her femynitee That lawes made of her syngularytee That called wer the lawes Marcyane In Britayne tongue of her owne witte alane ¶ This Guytelyn was good of his estate Full iuste he was in all his iudgement Wise and manly of porte erly and late Right meke and good euer in his entente Although of state he was right excellent With eche poore man that came to his presence Through whiche he waxed of moste hie sapience ¶ When he had reigned ful peacebly .x. yere He lefte the realme to his sonne and heire And to his wife to be his counceller For his sonne then was .vii. yere olde full fayre Whom at her death she sent for all repayre Of Barons all their she delyuered hym To kepe in payne of losse life and lymme ¶ Sicilius his sonne reygned .xxiiii. yere And crowned was and dyed in iuuentude That gouerned wel the realme full well and clere At Karlyon buryed after consuetude As kynges afore in all simylitude With all repayre of all his Baronage As well accorded vnto his hye parage ¶ Rymar his sonne the barons dyd crowne With honoure suche as fell to his degree Who twenty yere and one so bare the crowne And kepte lawe and all tranquilytee And peteous was euer as a king shulde be In ryghtwesnesse accordyng with his lawe Hauyng pytee and mercy where hym sawe ¶ Danius kyng his brother dyd succede Duryng .x. yere in warre and greate payne Withouten reste he was alwaye in dede The lawe vnkepte was cause there of certayne As myne authour it lyste nothyng to layne I wyll it nowe wryte and in this boke expresse That men may knowe his foly and lewdenesse The .xxxvi. Chapiter ¶ Howe Moruile kyng of Britaine was slayne by his owne immoderate Ire withoute knowledge of eny man with a fysshe bestyall of the sea MOruyle his sonne a baste goten and bore On Tangusta his specyall paramour Was crowned then after faught full sore with the kyng of Morians as a conqueroure Where he hym kylled and had the felde that houre And lefte no man on lyue and brente theim all His Ire exceded his wytte and gouernall ¶ Sone after then came fro the yrishe sea A bestyous fyshe a monstre sume dyd it call Wherof afrayde was all the comontye For it deuoured the folke both great and smalle Wherfore the kyng his yre myght not apall Ne cesse afore he foughten with it had All sodaynly alone as a man ryght mad ¶ Where both were dead or any man it knewe His yre full fell was and vntemperate His discrecyon out of his brayne flewe But he coulde not by reason ordynate Proroge his wyll ne yre inordynate By other meanes with people multytude It to haue slayne by wytte and fortytude ¶ He reigned had that tyme but seuentene yere When he thus dyed and fondly dyd expire Vnsemingly of any prynce to heare That he with suche a monstre shoulde desyre To fyghte alone so preuely of yre But sonnes he had full fayre then fyue Of manly men also substantyfe ¶ Gorbonian his eldest sonne of fyue Was after kyng and helde the maieste Ryghtwesse and trewe to euery creature In peace his realme and all tranquillyte And to his people he helde all equyte Tyllers of lande with golde he dyd comforte And soudiours all with goodes he dyd supporte ¶ Arthegall his brother signed with Diadene The kyng was then with all solempnytee By natyfe byrth nexte brother as men deme Who good men hated of his iniquyte Oppressyng them by greate subtylyte And all fals folke with ryches dyd auaunce His Barons all deposed hym for that chaunce The .xxvii. Chapiter ¶ Howe this kyng was crowned in defaute of his elder brother and after of pure pytee crowned his brother agayne CLydoure then the thirde brother generate Was kyne create by all successyon And bare the crowne with all royal estate By lordes wyll and there concessyon That ruled well withoute oppressyon When he had reigned so fully fyue yere Arthegall he founde that was his brother dere ¶ As he was gone on huntyng for his disporte In the forest and woode of collatre That sought had frendes and found had no comforte But heuy was and of full simple chere Whome Eledoure toke in his armes clere And brought hym to his cytee of Alclude That then was of great myght and fortytude ¶ In Albany then was it the greatest citee tho Besyde the woode that tyme of collatre Where his Barons and many other moo At his biddyng were come and presente there Whome syngulerly he made them for to swere Vnto Arthegall his brother to be trewe So purposed he to crowne hym all newe ¶ And then anon in haste so forth they rode To Ebranke and helde then his parlyament Where of good loue and tender brotherhod The crowne he set with very trewe entente On Arthegalles hede thought it was wel spent By hole decree and iudgement of his mouth And made hym kyng agayne by north and south ¶ Arthegall kyng crowned so all newe agayne Full well his lordes after dyd loue all perlees Forsoke all vyces and tooke to vertue playne And set his lande and people in all kyne and ease Reigning .x. yere he fell in greate disease In maladye of dyuerse great syckenesse Dead and buried at Carleyle as Igesse The .xxxvii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Eledoure was that seconde tyme crowned king of Britayne for his good rule THe Briteines all crowned Eledoure That reygned after .xiii. yere in dignytee So well theim payde to haue hym gouernoure For his goodnesse and his benignyte And for he was so full of all pytee That in all thynge mercy he dyd preserue Well better euer then men coulde it deserue ¶ Iugen with force and eke syr Peredoure His brethren two on hym rose traytorously Deposed hym oute of his hye honoure And prisoned hym full sore and wrongfullye All in the towre of Troynouaunt for thy And parted the realme betwixte theim two Together reignyng .vii. yere and no mo ¶ Paredour then had all the lande full clere And crouned was reignyng after worthely His lawe and peace kepyng full well foure yere And dyed then and to
his goddes full hye He passed so and buryed full royally After their rites and their olde vsage With greate honour by all the baronage The .xxxix. Chapiter ¶ Eledour kyng of Brytein thrise crouned for his good rule and good condicions ELedour was kyng all newe made againe Thrise crouned that kepte his olde cōdicion Of whome the lordes cōmons wer full faine And sory for his wrongfull deposicion He reigned so fro losse and all perdicion Reignyng after full peacebly tenne yere Buried full faire at Alclude his citee clere ¶ Gorbonian that was Gorbonian his soonne The croune after his vncle in all thynges That ruled well fro tyme that he begonne Full well beloued with olde and also with young He reigned tenne yere of Brytein kyng And dyed then with worship whole enterred As to suche a prince of right should bee required ¶ Morgan that was the soonne of kyng Arthegall Was crowned then and held the royalte Full fourten yere he ruled the realme ouer all The lawe and peace with all tranquillite He kepte full well in all prosperite For whiche he was full greately magnified In all his realme with people landefyed ¶ Emnan his brother so was crouned kyng Seuen yere reigned in all kynd ofe tiranny For whiche he was deposed as an vnderlyng When he had reigned seuen yere fully That to god and manne was euer contrarie Till all his lordes and commons euerione Whiche wer full glad awaye that he was gonne ¶ Iuall the soonne of kyng Ingen did reigne Louyng alwaye to kepe all rightwesnese Hatyng all vices and of good menne was faine All vicious menne he helde in sore distres Helpyng poore menne fallyng in feblenes When he had reigned full well by twenty yere He dyed awaye as saieth the chronicler ¶ Rymo the soonne that of kyng Paradour Crouned was then louyng all gentilnes All vertue euer he louid and all honour And in his tyme was plenty and larges Of his people full well belouid I gese And dyed so in all felicite on hye Sixten yere whole reigned when he ganne dye ¶ Gerennes then the soonne of Eledour To reigne beganne and ruled well this daye And sone the deathe hym toke and dyd deuour If I the treuth of hym shall saye That twenty yere he reigned all menne to paye The lawe and peace full well aye conserued Of his commons the loue aye deserued Catellus his soonne then ganne succede Kepyng the lawe and peace as he had hight Oppressours all that poore menne did ouer lede He hanged euer on trees full hie to sight That ensample of theim euery manne take might Tenne yere reigned full of felicite And dyed so vnder his vnsure deite ¶ Coile his soonue after hym succede And crouned was reignyng so twenty yere In lawe and peace as to his worthihede Accordyng was for lawe and peace cōserued clere As euery manne maye se bothe farre and nere The floures been of royall dignyte In whiche he reigned twenty yere ere he did dye ¶ Porrex his soonne was crouned in his astate Esye of porte to speake with euery wight Their comonnyng to hym was delicate Who reson spake he fauoured as was right Who viceous spake or did in his sight He chasticed theim after the cause required Reignyng fiue yere of no lande had he fered ¶ Cheryn his soonne norished in dronkennes Customably to whiche folowed all kynde of vyce It exiled witte out of his brayn doubteles And reason after that made hym full vnwyse He was of all his gouernaunce so nyce And reigned so in Brytein but one yere When he dyed laied was on the bere ¶ His soonne Fulgen reigned but one yere Eldred his brother and Androge hight the thirde Kynges after hym echeone were synguler A yere reignyng whose good rules are hid For why vnto no manne was it kyde Thei dyed sone for long that might not dure In suche drōkennes full weake was their nature ¶ Vryan the soonne of kyng Androge Three yere reigned that was full lecherous A mayden young wher he did ride or goo He had euery daye he was so vicyous But yet he was gentill and bounteous All if he had maydens in suche charte Wedowes and wifes he had in greate plentie ¶ Elynde was kyng fiue yere bare the croune Full well ruled the realme in all kynd of thyng In Astronomye full redy aye and bowne Dedancius also reigned fiue yere full young Who the realme ruled in all maner thyng Full peseably frome that Elynde was dedde Bothe twoo dyed in their floreshed youthede ¶ Detonus then was kyng reignyng twoo yere Gurguncius so twoo yere bare also the croune And Meryan twoo yere by wrytyng clere Bledudo then full ready bowne Twoo yere also bare the croune Cappe and Owen and then Sicilyus Eche after other by twoo yere reigned thus ¶ Bledud Gabred reigned expert in song And in all musike instrumentes Farre passyng was all other and had been long Suche was his cunnyng and his sentementes That for a god in all folkes ententes In myrth and ioye and maner of melodye Thei honoured hym tenne yere onely ¶ Archiuall then his brother reigned so And Eldoll after his soonne succeded anone And Redon then his soonne came nexte hym thoo Redrike his soonne when his father was gonne Croune and septer receiued hath anone Samuell Pirre Peneysell and Capre Seuerally echeone reigned twoo yere The .xl. Chapiter ¶ Elynguellus kyng of Brytein had greate will to here all mēne whē thei came to hym whiche is a vertue For greate cunnyng maketh a manne wyse and to knowe muche and for mischefes to fynde remedies as my lorde Vmfrewill commended neuer a manne that putteth a mischief and canne fynde no remedie therfore ELynguellus whiche was Capre his sōne Bothe wyse and sadde and in his realme helde right He herd all menne what counsaill that thei conne For oftymes a symple manne to sight More wysedome hath in his insight And better reason canne in his braynes fynde Then canne a lorde though he maye beres bynde ¶ Who in his lande did wrong or any vnright He prisoned hym in sore and greate distresse He gaue his menne that souldyours were full wight Lyuelode to liue vpon frome all destres Sicke folke and poore caste into feblenesse He visited aye and reigned had seuen yere When that he dyed and left his realme full clere ¶ Hely his soonne in all thyng good and wise Succeded then the Isle of Hely made His palais gaye that might right well suffice He buylded ther that was bothe long and brade Wherin he dwelled muche and moost abaide The lawe and peace he kepte and conserued Which himvpheld that he was neuer ouer terued ¶ Three soonnes he gatte Lud and Cassibalain The third was called that tyme sir Nemynus When he had reigned sixty yere in certaine The death cruell to menne that is aye noyeous In his commyng that is
alwaye douteous Hym sleugh a waye who was at Hely buryed Afore his god that ther was edified The .xli. Chapiter ¶ Lud kyng of Brytain buylded frome London stone to Lud gate called that parte Luds toune after by processe was called London by turnyng of tongues HIs soonne and heire was Lud of muche might TheÌ„ crouned by all the baronage His citees all eke his heritage castelles wight He did repeire that were his heritage And where was worthy his seruesse and homage To hym was doone in landes al aboute Was none withstode so was he dred and doubte With walles faire and towres freshe about His citee great of Troynouaunt full fayre Full well he made and batelled throughout And palays fayre for royalles to appeare Amendyng other defectyfe and vnfayre From London stone to his * palays royall That nowe Ludgate is knowen ouer all ¶ Betwene Londonstone Ludgate forth right That called was then for his name Ludstone He made men buyld that London so then hight His Palays fayre then made he there anone With toures high bothe of lyme and stone Besyde Ludgate and his temple nere thereby His God to serue and hym to glorifye ¶ When he had reigned by fourty yere all out He died so and in his temple fayre Entoumbed was with stories all about Androgeus was then his sonne and heyre Passyng of sight and Iuly fayre Tenancius his yonger sonne of age Which wer to young to rule the heritage ¶ Cassibalayn there vncle then was kyng And founde his neuewes full honestly and well And nourtred theim while thei wer chylder ying And at there age when they could reason fele He theim auaunced right worshipfully and well Androge he made and created duke of Kent Of Troynouaunt also by whole entent The .xlii. Chapiter ¶ How Iulius Caesar came to Britayn that nowe is Englande and arryued in Thamis and fled to Fraunce for newe succour HE made also then Tenancius Duke of Cornwail that time of mikel might In whiche tyme so came Caesar Iulius Into the lande of Fraunce that nowe so hight And on a daye walkyng vp and downe full right On the sea syde wher he this lande did see Desyryng sore of it the souerayntee ¶ His nauye greate with many soudyoures To sayle anone into this Britayn made In Thamis aroue wher he had ful sharpe shores And countred was with Brytons that abade With Cassibalayn the kyng of Brytons brade Wher after battayll smytten and forfought Iulius fled and then preuayled nought ¶ To Fraunce agayn and there he did soiorne The Frenche wer fayn of his discomfiture And trowed to make hym so fro theim retorne But the Britons full besely did there cure In this batell as came them of nature The dukes of kent and eke of Cornewayle And Nemynus theyr Eme did moste preuayle ¶ Crudan the kyng that tyme of Albany Gnechet the kyng also of Venedose That northwales nowe is called specially And kyng Bretayle that was full vertuous A manne in armes passyngly curious Of Denycye southwales that nowe hight He asked helpe of Fraunce that fayled hym right ¶ Then sent he to all landes there about To poore menne all he gaue full great ryches And exyled men of warre that wer full stoute He gaue liuelode and felons all douteles He delyuered quyte fre of all distres All outlawed menne he graunted full perdon The bondemen also of euery region The .xliii. Chapiter ¶ Howe whan Iulius Caesar failed power he gatte newe power by wily polycy to haue his purpose and came again to Brytayn and fled the seconde tyme. IN whiche meane tyme wheÌ„ he was redy so With his nauy came to brytayn again Into Thamis where Cassibalayn tho Great pyles of tree and yron sette hym again His shippes to peryshe and so he did certain Throughe whiche greate parte of hys nauy was drowned And some other in batayl wer coÌ„fouÌ„ded ¶ Then fled he eft with shippes that he had Into the lande of Fraunce wher he was ere Hym purposyng to Rome full wo by stad Of his rebuke with sorowe and with care But then the kyng full glad of his euell fare A feaste royall at Troynouaunt he made Where great discorde with his neuewes he had The .xliiii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Iulius Caesar came agayne to Britayne the thyrde tyme accorded with the kyng and had truage of hym PVrposed fully on theim to bee auenged For whiche thei sent anone to Iulius And prayed to come his right that he had chaleÌ„ged To clayme it hole thei wrote hym right thus Thei should hym helpe with people plenteous Through whose councell ful gladly then he came At Douer arryued with mykeil ioye and game ¶ Where then the kyng Cassybalayn he met And fought full sore where that Androgeus Out of a woode on Cassibalayn set And to a mounte hym droaue where that Iulius And he hym sieged again full coragious He fought full sore with all manly defence All nyght afore by myghty resistence ¶ But some for drede of famyshement He treated with the duke Androgeus To paye his tribute to Roome in good entent And to amende all thynges greuous With all his might and hertes beneuolence Androgeus to all this did assente And made Iulius to this fully consent ¶ This truage was .iii. M. â—i well payde Eche yere to Rome of siluer good and fyne These princes thus accorded wer and daied In peace and reste and Iulius went fro heyne To warre vpon Pompey that nought wold enclyne To Romys Senate after that Iulius Hym had conquered by warre full fortuous ¶ With whome then went the duke Androgeus And in Britayne no lenger wolde abyde He lefte his brother duke Tennancius In Britayne with Cassybalyn that tyde And so to Rome with Iulius dyd ryde But Neminus brother of Cassybalayne Full manly fought on Iulius tymes tweyne ¶ With strokes sore ayther on other bette But at the laste this prynce syr Iulius Crosea mors his swerde in shelde sette Of the manly worthy sir Neminus Whiche of manly force and myght vigorous The swearde he brought away oute of the felde As Iulius it set faste in his shelde ¶ Through which stroke sir Neminus then died And buried was at the north gate certayne Of London then where nowe is Scotlande edified London cytee royall of all Britayne Thus this worthy knyght in his graue befayne Crosea mors his swearde layde by his syde Whiche he brought from Iulius that tyde ¶ After whiche accorded this kyng Cassybalayn Reigned fully in Britayne then .vii. yere Payeng trybute to Rome alwaye certayne Rulyng his lande in lawe and peace full clere And reygned had in all full thyrtye yere And foure aboue vnto his god so yede Buryed at Ebranke with all knyghtly worthihede The .xlv. Chapiter TEmancius his neuewe then full faire Kyng Luds sonne that duke was of Cornewayle With Diademe was crowned as ryght heire Of all Britayne had the gouernalle Who kepte the lande in his tyme by good gouernalle Full
signe eche māne to knowe his naciō Frome enemies whiche nowe we call certain Sainct Georges armes by Nenyus enformaciō And thus this armes by Iosephes creacion Full long afore sainct George was generate Were worshipt heir of mykell elder date The .xlix. Chapiter ¶ Marius the kyng of Brytain reigned sixty yere and three howe the peightes inhabited firste in Albany that is Sotclāde nowe in these dayes in Catenes thei wer the North peightes and a parte of theim inhabited sone after bytwyxt the Scottes sea and tweid that were called South peightes MAryus his soonne was then intronizate And sette on high in trone of maiestie With croune of golde full royally coronate As worthy was vnto his royalte Who nourished was at Rome in his inuente With his mothers kynne the beest of the empire With Claudius also that was his oune graūdsir ¶ In whose tyme a peight hight Rodrike With power greate by sea came fro Sythy As proude and bryme as lyon marmerike Arreued so vp in Albanye Distroiyng whole the lande all sodainly With whome that kyng thē faught in greate battell And sleugh hym with oute any faile ¶ Wher then in signe of his high victorye He sette there vp a stone in remembraunce Of his triumph of his aduersatie Titled on it his fame for to auaunce Howe the peightes there brought to vttraunce Wher the redde crosse is nowe in Westmerlande In Stanys more as I canne vnderstande ¶ Then to the peightes left a liue he gaue catenese To dwell vpon and haue in heritage Whiche weddid wher with Irish as I gesse Of whiche after Scottes came on that linage For Scottes bee to saie their langage A collecciō of many into one Of whiche the Scottes were called so anone The .l. Chapiter ¶ Howe Scottes came of Scota kyng Pharois doughter that came after many daye into Albanye so that of peightes Irish of Pharois people collect togethers wer Scottes named For at the tauerne or at a gatheryng of people or of mony is called a scotte and so came first the name of Scottes which Scottes inhabited theim by twixt catnes the Scottishe sea BVt Mewynus the Bryton chronicler Saieth in his chronicles orther wise That Gadelus and Scota in the yere Of Christe seuenty and fiue by assise At stone inhabitte as might suffise And of hir name that countre there aboute Scotlande she called that tyme with outen doubt ¶ This Scota was as Mewyn saieth the sage Doughter and bastarde of kyng Pharao that daye Whome Gadele wedded and in his olde age Vnto a lande he went where he inhabited ay Whiche yet of his name is calle Gadelway And with the peightes he came into Albanie The yere of Christ aforsaid openlye ¶ And at hir death she left a precious stone In Albany on whiche Moses did preache And buryed there she was by hir self alone Whiche stone was holy as some menne then did teache And did miracles so was that cōmon speache In honour it was had bothe of greate and small And holden for a relique moost speciall ¶ This stone was called the regall of Scotlāde On whiche that Scottish kynges wer brechelesse set At their coronomente as I canne vnderstande For holynes of it so did thei of debte All their kynges vpon this stone was sette Vnto the tyme kyng Edward with long shankes Brought it awaye again the Scottes vnthākes ¶ At Westmonestery it offered to sainct Edward Where it is kepte and conserued To tyme that kynges of Englande afterward Should coroned bee vnder their fete obserued To this entent kept and reserued In remembraunce of kynges of Scottes alway Subiectes should bee to kynges of Englāde ay ¶ Also afore the fifte kyng Henryes daye Their siluer coigne was as it ought to bee The kynges face loked on side all waye To his soueraigne lorde of Englande as I see Whiche to been hetherwarde of egalite Vnto their lorde thei haue of newe presumed To looke euen furth whiche would nowe bee consumed ¶ Kyng Maryus kepte that realme in lawe peace Full of riches and of prosperyte And dyed so at Sarum buryed dowteles When he had reigned sixty yere and three His tribute payed full well to Roome citee Of Christes faith sumwhat he was enformid But muche more he neded to haue been reformid ¶ Coylus his soonne was kyng then crouned so Who mutryed was at Roome in greate vertue Held well his lawes egall to frende and foo And in his dooynges full iuste he was and trewe His life alwaye and rule in vertue grewe That full great name of hym was notifyed And in all landes of honoure multiplied ¶ The lordes gentiles yemen and commontee He cherished well and in no wise oppressed And to theim gaue wher was necessitee And tribute payde to Rome vndistressed And at his death with sickenesse impressed He buried was at Norwhiche then full clere When he reigned had fully .xiii. yere ¶ Somewhat in fayth of Christ he was instruct But not fully as was necessitee Like as he was in Rome with hym inducte So helde he forth in all stabilitee And as he harde in all symylitee Howe Ioseph had his graundser enformed With benyng herte and wil he hym confyrmed The .li. Chapter ¶ Lucius kyng of Britayn reigned .liiii. yere and was the seconde Christened kyng of Britayn by Faggan Dubyan that baptized all this lande and for the same cause bare the same armes after he was baptized Also he made of .iiii. archeflamynes in Britayn three archebyshoppes at London Yorke and Carlion AFter kyng Coile his sonne then Lucius So crowned was with royall diademe In all vertue folowed his father Coilus To compare hym in all that myght beseme He put his will after as his witte could deme In so farre forth that of Christentee He contynued so a Christen man to bee ¶ And in the yere of Christes incarnacion An C. foure score and tenne Eleuthery the first at supplicacion Of Lucyus sente hym twoo holy menne That called wer Faggan and Duuyen That baptized hym all his realme throughoute With hertes glad and laboure deuoute ¶ Thei taught that folke the lawe of Christ eche daye And halowed all the temples in Christes name All mawmentes and Idols caste awaye Through all Britayn of al false goddes thesame The temples flamynes the Idols for to shame They halowed eke and made bishoppes sees Twenty and .viii. at dyuers great citees ¶ Of .iii. archeflamynes thei made archbishoprikes One at London Troynouaunt that hight For all Logres with lawes full autentikes To rule the churche christentee in right Another at Carlyon a towne of might For all Cambre at Ebranke the thirde From Trent north for Albany is kyde ¶ All these workes Eugeny then confirmed The kyng then gaue to Faggan and Duuyen The ysle of Analoon and by cherter affirmed That was called otherwyse Mewtryen Also frely as Ioseph and his holy men Had it afore then forth for theyr dispence Wherof thei wer glad and
prynce euer had or any kyng ¶ But one defaute he had of greate offence Of Sodome synne he wolde it not amende He haunted it euer withoute any defence Whiche greued god and brought hym to an end Two and twenty yere as dyd appende His lande he helde in peace and vnyte Without suppryse of any enmytee ¶ Carreys was then crowned kyng anone That loued well in all cytees debate Betwene townes and citees euery chone And in suche wyse maynteyned early and late Imagened of his wyll preordinate So muche in warre that cytees and countrees Full comen were of his malicyousnesse ¶ For which Britons made hym full mykel war And Saxons also vnto kyng Gurmound sent Of affrycans that then in Irelande were Who with his fleete to perfourme his entent To Britayne came by all theyr hole assent But Saxons then and he were full accorde And Britons also that had ciuyle discorde The .lxxxvii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Gurmounde kynge of Affrycans conquered Brytayne and departed it in seuen kyngdomes to Saxons 〈◊〉 Englyshe and went to wynne moo landes made Gurmonde Chester GVrmoūde that then was mighty cōquerour King of Affricās most dred in euery lond with helpe of Britōs theyr great socour And of Englishe Saxons had made thē bonde That dwelled that tyme in Northumberlande And other places in Britayne vnder truage Rose with hym whole agayne that kynges outrage ¶ And fought with him and put hym to that flight To Circestre went and strongly helde the towne But kyng Gurmound that towne then seeged right And gate it so with myght greate renowne Wherfore he fled to wales for his proteccyon what came of him myne authour nought exp̄ssed But with the death I trowe he was oppressed ¶ But Gurmound then Britaine hole destroied Bothe churche and towne eke the christen faith For he a Paynym was and sore anoyded The chrystentye as Gyldas wrote and seyth Through Logres that whole was lost with paynī leyeth The prelates all curates and religyous With reliques all fledde awaye full dolorous ¶ And hid them then in hilles woodes and caues Tharchbishops the one of London then And Tadyok of Yorke that fled fro Knauis With sainctes bones to wildernes fast ranne And hid hym there and Gurmond sore did banne With crosse and bell with greate candill light Thei cursed hym as ferre as the churches might ¶ This kyng Gurmōd gaue all Northūberland Frome Trent North that then hight Berun deyre Northfolke Southfolke and Cābrydge shire at hāde Whiche Estāgle Bede calleth in his storie And all fro Trent to Themis for memorye Mers he called all to English gaue That dwelled ther for euer to reioyse and haue ¶ He gaue all these to Englishe menne in deede Whiche came out of a lande hight angulo In Germany that was and with woodes I rede Replenished of wild bestes buck and doo Sith that tyme hether hathe been and yet is so Wherfore thei were of it called Englishemenne All Logres Northumberlande Anglande then ¶ He gaue Sussex then to the Saxons Essex Midelsed with Surry whole and Kent But then Hamshire Barkeshire toures townes And Shropshire whole Gloucester as thē apēt All these were called Westsex as Bede ment Thus dalt he the lande to theim therin dwellyng Whiche long afore paied truage to the kyng ¶ Thē went he home through Fraūce it distroied And many other landes and regions But Brytons then to that West parties sore anoyed Droue theim of Logres with all religions To liue in peace for dred of rebelions For after Carreis was fled thei had no kyng To tyme Cadwan was made by their chosyng ¶ So stode thei then kyngles by twenty yere Fro the yere of Christ fiue hundred and four score And therto three as clerly dooeth apere Vnto the yere after that Christ was bore Sixe hundreth and three without any more When Cadwan was of Brytons kyng elect And crouned was to rule theim and protect ¶ O kyng Carreis vnhappiest creature That in Brytain reigned euer afore What infortune made the flee from thy cure What caused the to maintene so euermore Eyuile discord within thy realme so sore That might haue reigned ouer many a lande Through whiche thyne owne is lost I vnderstād ¶ Thou vnderstandest full litill theuangilye That euery realme within it selfe deuide Shall desolate bee made as clerkes tell And euery hous on other shall fall and slyde Thy wycked will that nowe is knowen wyde That suffred so debate bytwyne lorde and lorde Bytwyne citees and landes cyuyle discord ¶ The cause was of thy disheriteson And of thy realmes desolacion That with lawe and peaceble constitucion Might haue been saued with greate consolacion And the churche preserued in greate prosperacion The Christen faith in thy lande distroyed That with the peace shuld haue be kept vnnoyed ¶ O woful Carreis thyne heires thy Brytons Their children all the widdowes and their wife 's The commonalte in citees and in townes The churche also may bāne full sore those striues By thy supporte that rest so many their liues Wher lawe and peace if thou had well conserued All had been saued with thanke of god deserued ¶ Defaute of lawe was cause of this mischiefes Wronges sustened by maistry and by might And peace layed downe that should haue been the chief For whiche debate folowed and vnright Wherfore vnto a prince accordeth right To kepe the peace with al tranquillite Within his realme to saue his royalte ¶ What is a kyng without lawe and peace Within his realme sufficiently conserued The poorest of his realme maye so encrease By iniury and force to bee preferred Till he his kyng with strength haue ouerterued And sette hym self in royall maieste If that he bee in suche a ieopardie ¶ O ye lordes and princes of high astate Kepe well the lawe and peace in gouernaunce Lest your subiectes defoule you and depreciate Whiche been as able with wrongfull gouernaūce To reigne as ye and haue as greate puysaunce If peace and lawe been voyed and vnytee The floures are lost of all your souerentee ¶ O worthy prince O duke of Yorke I meane Discendid downe of highest bloodde royall Se to suche ryotes that none sustene And specially that alyens none at all Inhabite not with power greate ne small That maye this lande ought trouble or ouer ride For twies it was so wonne with muche pride ¶ Through Vortiger by Engist and Horsus Whome he receiued whiche after hym distroyed And with his helpe full false and noyous The worthy bloodde of Brytain sore anoyed At the Caroll murdred and all accloyed And nowe again when Carreis was exiled The kyng Gurmōd the Saxons hym beguiled ¶ For Saxons Peightes and Englishemenne Reigned then through all the Logres lande Deuided in seuen realmes fully then Westser Sussex and Kente I vnderstande Estser and Mers Estangle Northumberlande That droue Brytons into the West countre To Walis and Cornwaile fro
greate meyne hym mette greate honour As if he had been of Roome themperour ¶ At his commyng again into England He gaue Norway vnto his soonne sir Swayne And to Herold his soonne as I vnderstand England he gaue of whiche he was full fain And to Harknowt Denmarke he gaue certain And so dyed in Christen whole creaunce At Shaftisbury buryed by his ordynaunce ¶ The yere of Christ a thousand so was than And thirty foure also truly written When he had reigned fro the tyme that he began Eightene yere whole as well it was wrytten With the darte of death whē that he was smitten In whose dayes the land was inquiet Full of riches and of welfare whole replete The C .xviij. Chapiter ¶ Herold kyng of England the soonne of kyng Kno wt reigned fiue yere and dyed in the yere a thousand and .xxxix. HErolde his soonne was crouned then in deede By Loofrike that duke of Leiscestre By Londoners in Flores as I reede By Danyshyr also as saieth the letter That strong werre then and of power greater Then other lordes of Englishe nacion At London made was this coronacion ¶ Alurede the soonne of kyng Ethelrede With fifty sailes landed at Southampton Wher kynge Herold with hoste hym met in deede Redy to fight with hym for the croune But certain lordes of Englondes region Betwene theim treated that Alurede went again To Normandy to duke Robert full plain ¶ But afterward as Alurede so rode Fro his mother vnto the kyng Herold The duke Goodwyn on Gyldismore hym bode With people greate of nombre manyfold And slewe his menne downe there as he would And led hym furth to Ely and hym slewe As traitour false that euer had bee vntrewe ¶ Some chronicle saieth he putte out bothe his eyen Fro whiche he dyed sone for pain and woo Some other sayin he slette his wombe full keen The lengest gut to a stacke he nayled tho Led hym about the stack ther with muche wo Till all came out that was his wombe within Thus sleugh thei hym with sobteltie and gyn ¶ His mother quene Eme Edward then sent To Normandy to duke Wyllyam anone That hir cousyn was to kepe he were not shent By kyng Herold of his cruelty alone Warnyng hym of the treasō that Herold had dooen For whiche cause Herold hir exild Out of England and Edward also hir child ¶ To Flaundres she fled then full sore amoued To erle Badwyn hir cousyn nie of bloodde Declaryng to hym howe Herold had distroyed Hir soonne Alurede that heyre of England stood And exiled hir without socour or good And Edward also hir soonne heire of England His brother children also awaye in vncouth land ¶ Wherfore therle to kyng Hardknowt then wrote All hir compleynt and of his socour prayed And he should help with all his might God wote It were amendid of that she was affrayed He came anone in warre full well aryed Into Flaundres his mother for to please Hir for to socour and sette hir hert in ease ¶ In whiche meane while the kyng Herold dyed At Westminster and buried was full feire After he had reigned as it is notified Fiue yere reigned without any heire Of his body gotten after hym to repeire England to gouerne wherfore the lordes by assēt To kyng Hardknowte then into Flaundres sente ¶ To bee their kyng sith Herold was a gone To please hym with and his mother to comfort Who came to England furth with anone And crouned was with all the whole disport That lordes conde as Flores dooeth report Thus kyng Hardknowt was kyng of Englande than Who worthily that tyme to reigne tho began ¶ This kyng began his brothers death to venge On erle Gowyn that erle was then of Kent That peased was for he should not reuenge With riche giftes whiche that he on hym spent With meekenesse lowe swore that he was sent To dooe that thyng on pein of high treson By kyng Herold charged without reason ¶ Through good and giftes mighty hie riches And of his kyn that meekely hym obeyed And by acquaintaūce that thei made then expresse Vpon the holy euangelis sworne vndelayed The kyng graūted hym his grace was well payed To make hym of his coūsell of gouernaūce Without more wrath or any discordaunce ¶ He maried then his sister Gunylde to Henry Themperour that falsly was accused Of synne and cryme vsed in auoutry With a young manne the whiche hir excused After the lawe of the land that was there vsed By battaill of his hand that then their flewe His accusour approuyng hym vntrewe ¶ For the whiche she would nomore come in his bed But lyued sole euer after so hir life For good ne gold for aught that he hir beed For loue ne threte for betyng ne for strife With hym dwellyng forthwarde as his wife In all thynges els euer at his gouernaunce Bothe daye and night in womanly pleasaunce ¶ Kyng Hardknowt then his doughter maryed Vnto a duke of the Danishrie At Lambirgh dyed at his feast magnified Emong his lordes and all his prelacie And putte hym whole in God his high mercye And charged theim his brother Edward to croūe To reioyse the land of Englandes region ¶ This was the yere of Christ then inscriued A thousand whole fourty also and one When that he had reigned as was subscribed The twoo yere whole whē he was thus wyse gone For whom was made that tyme full muche mone At Wynchester byside his father buryed With lordes all thither full well accompaignied The C .xix. Chapiter ¶ Kyng Edwarde the confessour kyng of Englād reigned twenty and foure yeres that began the yere of Christ a thousand fourty and one and dyed the yere a thousand sixty and fiue EDward his brother sōne of kīg Ethelrede was crowned then kyng of Englande The yere of Christ a M. then in dede Fourtye one as Flores could vnderstande To whom the kyng Swayn of Denmarke lande The tribute whiche he had fully relesed And warres all betwene theim ceassed ¶ To sende hym then the hole Englyshe nauy Agayn Magnus that kynge was of Norwaye That helde it so by wrong and tirannie Whiche Edwarde sente anone in great araye With lordes knightes and squiers freshe gaye With archers many by whiche he gate his lande Of Norwaye hole and seazed it in his hande ¶ Erle Eustace of Boleyn that had wed Edwardes suster on his mother syde To Edwarde came at Douer sore bested Where then his men a burges slewe that tyde Wherfore therle Goodwyn set full of pryde Asked the kyng to haue delyueraunce Of therls men to byde his ordynaunce ¶ Notwithstandyng that Burges slewe his knight For that same cause wherfore he it denyed But made peace then as he therle had hight Of Boleyne so his brother in lawe alied For whiche therle Goodwyn sore replied And warred sore vpon the kyng eche daye With his sonnes fyue in full great araye ¶ Not cōsideryng that kyng
not beleue to the entente that he myghte the more enbouldē certaine of his compaigny then despayryng and geuyng theimselfe to flight beganne to make a newe hoste and with many faire promyses did wowe his brother in lawe Thomas Stanley to take his parte but when that said Thomas would by no meanes fight or rebell agaynste kyng Edwarde then seeyng it was tyme to gooe one waye and he mistrustyng that he was not able to resiste the power of hys enemyes fled wyth the duke of Clarence his soonne in lawe to Excetre and whē he had taried there two or three dayes seyng that he lacked al thynges necessarye for warre purposed to gooe to Lewes the kyng of Fraunce with whom at his ambassate into Fraunce was veraye well acquaynted and beloued trustyng ether to haue some helpe of the kyng or els to incense hym wholy to fight against hym and so toke shippe at Dartmouth both he and the duke with a greate nombre of theyr familie and sayled with the wynde to Normandie where the chiefe lord of that towne entreteyned hym most royally in al the hast certified that kyng Lewes of his cōmyng thither And that kyng meruailyng greatlye at that noble actes that that erle had doen was mynded thorowly to helpe hym in all that he could when he knewe that he was lāded in Fraūce was glad of it sent to hym certayn of his nobles to shewe hym that he did wishe to haue an occasion wherby he might helpe hym at this time would gladly dooe for him desieryng hym to come to Ambassy where the kyng laye which Ambassy is a manour place of that kynges set vpō the ryuer syde of Loire the duke also his sonne in law and that it should not bee for his losse or harme This was that .ix. yere of kyng Edwardes reigne when the erle fled to Fraunce and of our Lorde a M CCCC and .lxxx. But this greued kyng Edward that thei wer fled for because many of the people and cōmunaltee was desyrous to see hym and thought that the sonne had been goone from theim and out of this worlde when he was absent And in suche estimaciō and honour was he had of the people that thei worshipped honoured none but hym or at the least none more then hym In so muche that his only name was euery mannes song voyce especially of the cōmē people when they made triumphe abrode in that stretes Wherby the moste parte helde of the earle his syde and bare hym more fauoure in theyr hartes then kyng Edward Wherby the kyng was in feare and daunger both of his owne countremen that wer in his realme and of theim that were abrode in Fraunce but before all other he did prouide for that erle his cōmyng And first he sente to Charles the duke of Burgom his brother in law desiryng him that he would manashe Lewes the kyng with whom he had made a league of peace not to aide the erle of Warkwike or that duke his sonne in lawe neither with mony nor with mē The which Charles wrote to that kyng of Fraūce thretened hym many thynges if so that he mainteyned or helped theim And when the kyng of Fraūce had red his letter aūswered again saied that he might lawfully would sauyng his league truce helpe his frēds that wer valiaūt noble men as the earle was and settyng nothyng by all his thretenyng braggyng wordes sayd it shoulde bee neither greate peyne nor coste to hym Whē these tydynges came into England that kyng was veraye sorie for that cause searched priuely in his realme who wer frēdes to his enemies And for feare by that reason of the examinaciō of theim that wer prisoners in his hand some did take sentuarie and some came to the kynges side And emonges theim the lord Marques Montacute offered hymself to the kyng again to helpe hym in his warres whom the kyng gladly receaued for because that by him mo would leane to his side In this meane season the erle of Warwike the duke went to Ambassy wher the kyng of Fraūce was by the way the people came veraye thicke to see hym because they harde so muche speakyng of his noblenesse when he came there the kyng receaued hym moste gently to whō shortly after the erle did breake his mynd and shewed the cause of his commyng To whome the kyng promysed all that he coulde dooe for hym to the vttermoste extente of his power Sone after quene Margarete the wife of Henrye that .vi. came to theim with her sōne prince Edward and the earle of Penbruck and also of Oxēforde the whiche a lytle before sayled ouer to her After they cōmuned together as concernyng that safegard of their bodies a league was made thorowe the kyng of Fraunce his counsel And first lady Anne the doughter of the earle was maried and despoused to prynce Edwarde the quenes soonne Also the erle and the duke promysed faithfullye that they woulde not geue ouer vnto suche tyme that kyng Henrye the .vi. or Edwarde his soonne were proclaymed kyng of Englande after kyng Henry that the erle and the duke should ouersee and gouerne the realme by the wyll and apoyntmente of the quene Margarete and her sonne prince Edwarde vnto suche tyme that the forenamed prince wer of lawfull age and habilitee the whiche they promysed faythfully to obserue and dooe as they wer apoynted And besydes these many other condicions were made aswel for that reason did so require as the busynes that was at that tyme. When this league of truth faithfulnes was thus made the kyng Lewes holpe the erle with mēne harnes and nauie that he might the surer go to Englāde And Rhenate also the father of y◠quene Margarete gaue hym mēne harnyse to his power So that he hauyng no small nombre of men did take shippe at Sayne mouth ther tariyng hard word from Englād by letters that he should come ouer in all the haste that there were so many that would take his parte that he shoulde haue no nede to bryng any with hym for they wer redy in harneyse at the water side willyng to helpe hym in al that they could and not they onely but many noble men princes would helpe hym both with mony men harneyse with all that they could dooe When he had receaued these letters he purposed to go forth and take the oportunitee of the tyme. And because that the quene was not redy to set forth he the duke of Oxēford and the duke of Penbruch went before with parte of that hoste nauye to trie what chaūce thei shuld haue that if all thinges should chaunce well the quene and the prynce should folowe and come vnto Englande Therfore the Earle and the Duke thanking the king as highly as they coulde for that he had doone so much for theim dyd take their leaue and sayled vnto Englande with all their
wrought so laboured to haue peace whiche gotten he went backe to the castell of Barwike that sir Thomas Stanley had wonne a lytell before And the duke of Albany the authoure of this warre for that he had but lytle thankes of England for his so dooing fled into Fraunce there was kylled running at the tylte in Parys After this businesse Edward assembled his counsell together willed theim to prepare batayle againste the Frenche kyng for that he had neyther payde nor woulde paye his raunsome nor yet geue his soonne in mariage to his doughter as he promised to the setting forth of the which batayl certaine mony was exacted of the prestes religiouse men to be payde At the which time the kyng was sodēly sickened shortly after died at Westminster the .ix. day of April then being .l. yeres of age reigning xxiii after the date of oure Lorde a. M .iiii. C .lxxx. and thre whose corps was after conueyghed and had with great pompe and solempnitee to Winde sore and there buried in saint George his chapell Whiche kyng had by his wyfe the quene ten children of theim lefte aliue behinde hym Edward prince of Wales and Richard duke of yorke and one bastarde called Arthure and fyue doughters Elisabeth Cicilie Anne Catherine and Brigyde whiche after were maryed all sauyng that ladye Brigide was a nonne This Edward was a goodly man of personage of stature hyghe of countenaunce and beautee comely of sight quicke brode brested and well sette in euery other parte conformable to his bodye of a pregnant wytte stomake stoute haulte courage of perfect memori of such thinges as he conceaued in his braine diligent in his affaires weighti busines in auentures bold and hardy againe his aduersaries fearce terryble to his frendes liberal bounteous hauing in all his warres most prosperous lucky successe escheuing all pleasure sensualitee to the which he was by nature most proue vnto for the which cause and for the lowlines and humanite that is in hym in gendred by nature most plētifully he bare him self honestly amōg his priuate persons otherwise thē the degre or dignite of his maieste required wherfore the fame ranne that he was poysened A lytell before his death it was saied that he gaue hym selfe to auarice whiche before as you see vsed greate liberalytee Yet the realme whiche thorowe ciuile sedicyon was greatly impoueryshed he made ryche and plenteouse at his death daye Also he gaue spiritual promocions to the moste excellent and famous clerkes and made theim of his councell other of the laye sorte whome he loued he did not enriche with possessions but with monye and other lyke goodes the whiche many prynces hauyng no respecte of the honoure dooe not alwayes obserue By the whiche suche giftes rewardes he had so farre wonne the hartes of the people that after his deathe many menne dyd lamente the losse of his grace ¶ Edward the fyfth WHEN ALMIGHTIE GOD had called to his mercye the noble prince kyng Edwarde the fourth of that name Edward his eldest sonne prynce of Wales began his reygne the .ix. daye of Aprill in that yere of oure Lorde a. M CCCC .lxxxiij. and in the .xxij. yere of Lewes the .xi. then Frenche kyng Whiche younge prince reigned a smal space and lytle season ouer this realme other in pleasure or libertee for his vncle Richard duke of Gloceter within .iij. monethes depriued hym not only of his croune and regalytie but also vnnaturally bereft hym his naturall life and for the declaracion by what craftie engine he first attempted his vngracious purpose by what false colourable vntrue allegaciōs he set forth openly his pretensed enterprise fynally by what shamefull cruell and detestable acte he perfourmed the same Ye muste fyrst consyder of whom he and his brother descended there natures condicions inclynacions and thē you shall easely perceaue that there could not be a more crueller tyraunt appoynted to acheue a more abomynable enterpryse There father was Richard Plantagenet duke of Yorke whiche began not by warre but by lawe to chalenge the croune of Englande puttyng his clayme in the parliamēt holden that .xxx. yere of kyng Henry the .vi. where ether for right or for fauoure his cause was so set forthe and auaunced that the bloodde of the sayd kyng Henry although he had a goodly sonne was clerely abiected and that croune of the realme by autorytee of parliamente entayled to the duke of Yorke and his heyres after the discease of the sayd kyng Henrye the .vi. But the duke not entendyng so long to tary but myndyng vnder the preterte of discencion growen and arysen within the realme and of couenauntes made in the parliament not kepte but broken to preuēte the tyme and to take vpon hym the gouernaunce in kyng Henryes life was by to muche hardynes slayne at the battayle of Wakefylde leuynge behynde hym three sonnes Edwarde George Richard Al these three as they wer greate estates of byrth so were they greate and statelye of stomake gredy of autoritee and impaciēt parteners of rule and autoritee This Edward reuēged his fathers death and deposed kyng Henry the .vi. and atteyned the croune and sceptre of this realme George duke of Clarence was a goodlye and well feautured prince in all thynges fortunate yf ether his owne ambiciō had not set him against his brother or thenuie of his enemies had not set his brother agaynst hym for were it by the quene or the nobles of her bloode which highly maligned the kynges kynred as women cōmenlye not of malyce but of nature hate suche as theyr husbandes loue or wer it aproude appetite of the duke hym selfe entendyng to bee kyng at the leaste wise heynous treason was layde to his charge and finally were he in faute or were he fautelesse attaynted was he by parliament and iudged to deathe and thereupon hastely drouned in a butte of malmesey within the towre of Londō Whose death kyng Edward although he commaunded it when he wyste it was done pyteouslye he bewayled and sorowfullye he repented it Richard duke of Gloucestre the .iij. sonne of whiche I muste mooste entreate was in witte and courage eguall with the other but in beautee and lyniamentes of nature farre vnderneth both for he was lytle of stature euill feautered of lymmes croke backed the lift shulder much higher then the right harde fauoured of vysage suche as in estates is called a warlike vysage and amonge commen persons a crabbed face He was malycious wrothfull and enuyous and as it is reported his mother the duches had much a dooe in her trauayle that she could not be delyuered of hym vncutte and that he came into the worlde the fete forwarde as men be borne outwarde and as the fame ranne not vntothed whether that men of hatred reported aboue the truthe or that nature chaunged his course in his begynnyng which in his life many thynges vnnaturally cōmytted
the least rule more suite in his daies was to Shores wife a vile abhominable strompet then to all the lordes in England excepte vnto those that made her their Protectoure which simple woman was yet wel named honest tyll the Kynge for his luste and synfull affeceyon berefte her from her husband a right honest man and substanciall amongest you And in that point whiche in good fayth I am sorye to speake of sauing that it is vayne to kepe in councell that thyng that all menne knoweth the kynges gredy appetite was insaciable and euerye where ouer all the realme intollerable For no womanne was there any where younge or olde poore or ryche whome he set his iye vpon whome he any thing liked eyther for persone or beautie speche pace or countenaunce but without any feare of God or respecte of his honoure murmoure or grudgyng of the worlde he would importunately pursue his appe tite haue her to the great distruccion of many a good womanne and greate doloure to theyr husbandes and frendes whiche being honest people of theim selues so much regarded the clennesse of their houses the chastitee of their wiues and children that theim were leuer to loose all that they haue beside then to haue suche a vilame done to theim And albeit that with this and other importable dealing the realme was in euery place anoyed yet specially you the citezens of this noble citee as for that amongest you is moost plentie of suche thinges as minister matter to suche iniuries as for that you wer nerest hand sith that nere here about was his moost cōmon abidyng And yet bee ye people whome he had as synguler a cause well and trewelye to intrete as any parte of his realme not only for that the Prynce by this noble citee as of his speciall chaumbre and renoumed citee of this realme muche honourable fame receaueth amongest all other nacyons but also for that you nowe withoute youre greate coste and sondrye fauoures and ieopardyes in al his warres bare euer youre especyall fauoure to hys parte whych your kynd myndes borne to that house of Yorke sith he hath no thīgworthely requited you ther is of that house now whyche by Goodes grace shall make you full recompence which thyng to shew you is the whole somme and effecte of oure errande It shal not I wote well nede that I rehersed vnto you agayne that you all redy haue hearde of him that can bet ter tell it and of whom I am sure ye wyll better beleue it and reason it is that it so be I am not so proude to loke therfore that you shoulde receaue my wordes of so greate authorytee as the preachers of the worde of God namely a man so connyng so wyse that no man wotteth better what he should do say and thereto so good and vertuous that he would not say the thynge which he wyst he shoulde not saye in the pulpyt namely in to the whiche no honeste manne commeth to lye which honourable preacher ye wel remember substancyally declared to you at Poules crosse on sō daye laste past the ryght and tytle of the most excellent prynce Rychard Duke of Glouceter nowe protectoure of thys hys realme whych he hath vn to the croune of the kingdome of the same For the worshipful man made yt perfytely and groundly open vnto you The chyldren of kynge Edwarde the .iiii. wer neuer laufully begotten for as much as the kynge lyuyng hys very wyfe dame Elizabeth Lucy was neuer laufully maried to the quene theyr mother whose blood sauyng he set hys volupteous pleasure before hys honour was ful vn metely to be matched with his the mynglyng of which two bloodes together hath bene the effusiō of a gret part of the noble blod of this realme wher by it may well be sene that mariage was not well made of which ther is so much myschiefe growen For lacke of which laweful copulatiō also of other thinges which the sayd worshipful doctour rather signified thē vtterly explaned which thing shall not be spoke for me as the thing that euery mā forbeareth to say that he knoweth in aduoiding the dy spleasour that my noble lorde protectour bearing as nature requireth a filiall reuerence to the duches his mother For these causes before remembred I say that for lack of yssue lawfully cōming of the late noble prince Richard duke of york to whose roial blod the crownes of Englād of Fraūce ar by high aucthoritee of parliament entayled the right tytle of the same is by iuste course of enheritaūce according to the comon law of this land deuoluted come vnto the moost excellent prince the lord protectour as to the very lawful begotten soonne of the fore remēbred noble duke of yorke whiche thing wel cōsidered the knightly prowesse with many vertues which in his noble person singulerly do habound The nobles comons of this realme and specially of that north partes not willīg any bastard blood to haue the rule of the lād nor the abusions in the same before vsed exercised any lēger to cōtinue haue fully condiscended vtterly determyned to make hygh peticiō vnto y◠puisaunt prince the lord protectour that it may lyke his grace at our humble request to take vpō him the guiding go uernaūce of this realme to the welth increase of the same according to his very right iust title which thing I wote wel he wylbe loth to take vpon him as he whose wisdome wel perceueth the labour study both of mynd body that shal come ther with to hī whosoeuer shal occupy the rome I dare say he wyl yf he take it for I warrāte you that that roome is no childes office that the greate wise man wel perceaued whē he sayd Ve regno cuius rex puer est wo to that realme whose king is a chylde wherefore so much more cause haue we to thank god that this noble personage which is so righteously ētitled therto is of so sad age therto of so great wisdome ioyned with so gret experiēce which albeit he wylbe loth to take vpon hī yet shal he to our peticiō in the behalfe the more graciously encline if ye the worshipful cytezins of this cite beyng the chefe cite of the realme ioyne with vs the nobles in our sayd request which for your owne weale we doubte not but that ye wyll And yet neuerthelesse we pray you so to do wherby ye shall do great profite to all this his realme Beside that in chosinge then so good a kinge yt shal be to your selfe a special commodite to whom his maiesty shal euer after bear so much the more tender fauour in how much he shal perceaue you the more prone and beneuolentlye mynded toward his eleccion wherin dere frendes what mynd you haue we require you playnelye to shewe vs Whē the duke had said loked that the people whom he hoped that the maire had
accordyng to the lawe of God taken reputed as supreme heed of this his realme nexte and immediatly vnder Chryst This yere the erle of Kyldare died in the Towre and his sonne rebel led and slewe the byshop of Dubelyn wherfore the kyng dyd send sir Wylliam Skeuynton thether This yere was graunted to the king the fyrst frutes and the tenthes of all spirituall possessyons In Iune was the byshoppe of Rochester and sir Thomas Moore behedded for deniyng the kyng to be supreme hed of the church of Englande This yere wer .iii. Monkes of the Charterhouse executed for the same offence In this .xxvii. yere in Ianuary dyed lady Katheryn princesse dowager and is buryed at Peter borowe This yere quene Anne was attaynted of treason and was beheded And the kynge maried lady Iane Seymer And in October beganne a fololyshe commocion in Lyncolnshyre another in Yorke shyre by the meanes of Lord Darey lord Husey sir Robert CoÌ„stable Robert Aske Which only by the kynges wysedome his discrete counsayle were appeased withoute bloode shedynge In this .xxviii. yere the Thamis was ouer fro 〈…〉 in December wherfore the kyng and the quene rode throwe London with a goodlye companye This yere also syr Fraunces Bygot lord Darcy syr Robert Constable and other beganne a newe coâ—spyracie and thei were attaynted and putte to death in Iune In February was Thomas Fytzgarred and fyue of his vncles hanged drawen quartered And on saynt Edwardes euen Prynce Edwarde was borne at HamptoÌ„ court The. xxiii daye of October dyed quene Iane and is buryed at Wyndsore In this .xxix. yere in Maye was Frere Foreste hanged and brente in Smithfeelde for treason heresy with the Image of Daruell Gathern In thys yere all ydolatry was forbyddeÌ„ And dyuers ymages that had engynnes to make their eyes other lymmes to styre wyth many other disceates wer destroyed And all Freers and Monkes chauÌ„ged their garmentes In this .xxx. yere in DeceÌ„ber was the Marquis of Ereter the Lord Montacute and syr Edward Neuell behedded for hygh treasoÌ„ duly proued In May the cytesyns of LondoÌ„ mustred al in bright harneisse with coates of whyte clothe and whyte sylke wyth chaynes of golde in thre great armyes to the great wonder of straungers Nowe for a fynal coÌ„clusioÌ„ as touchiÌ„g this most noble exelleÌ„t prince and for the closing vp of this preseÌ„t werke If that his highnes had by al the space of his reigne heretofore whiche hath bene .xxxiiii. yeres done no more but only these three thynges as in dede his grace hath done a great infinite noÌ„bre of moste prudente beneficial thynges bothe for the quietnes of his realme wealth of his subiectes that is to saie the extirpyng abholyshyng of the vsurped authoritee of the B. of Rome out of all his dominions and restoring vnto vs the holy most blessed worde of God the is to saie the whole scripture in our Englishtongue to th entent chiefly that we mighte knowe oure dutie to almightie God oure obedyence to our prince and hys successours kynges of thys realme lyue a godlye and Christen life one with another Secondarely in takynge a waye all supersticion and ydolatrye whiche was a thyng moost detestain â–ª the sight of God And thirdlye and laste of all the dissoluynge of cloisters and suppressynge all conterfete and false religion which so long as thei coÌ„tinued wer not only teachers preachers of false and supersticious doctryne but also wer euer the autours begynners of all mischiefes commocions For reformacion I saye of which thynges who is hable to rendre woorthy thankes and prayses to his highnes And therfore to conclude infinite thankes be geueÌ„ to almightie God that so hath wrought by his speciall grace in the hearte mynde of his hihgnes let earnest prayers and supplicacioÌ„s incessantly be made of all his faythful subiectes for the preseruacion of his highnes in mooste triumphant honoure and wealth and ouer vs longe to reigne rule And that when nature shall geue place to death in his grace that then thesame giftes of prudence pollecie and godly iudgement that his highnes is so plentifully endewed with maye yet be planted in the personne of that goodly ympe and mooste flory shyng brauÌ„che prynce Edwarde that the same maye finishe mainteine that whiche his noble father and our souereigne lord kyng Henry the eyght hath moste graciously begoÌ„ne To this all true Englishe heartes saie Amen LONDINI In officina Richardi Graftoni Cmm priuilegio ad imprimendum solum per septennium Numeri .xxvii. Salphaat 〈…〉 ke 〈…〉 orn in GauÌ„t 〈…〉 y◠〈…〉 〈…〉 y◠〈…〉 〈…〉 that 〈…〉 EdmouÌ„d duke of yorke Thomas of wood stoke duke of gloucester Mat. 〈…〉 vii Edward prince of Wa 〈…〉 the eldest sonne of kynge Edward the .iii. Duke of Yorke The tytle of the kinges of EnglaÌ„de to Scotland and Ireland Godfrayâ— Boleyn Robert cur those Out of old bookes coÌ„meth newe knowledge The dukes wyfe named Cecely Kyng DioclesyaÌ„ and Albyne his wyfe This chronicle is not true Saul was the fyrste kyng in the thyrde age This sâ—e 〈…〉 that our chronicle is false in the beegynnyng Brutus The oâ—acyon of the authoure for that makyng of this booke The names of false goddes The armis of Brute Brutus Dute of oldbokes coÌ„meth new wisedome Adam The geneâ—aâ—ion of â—â—ute 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 h. 〈◊〉 〈…〉 th 〈…〉 m. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cely. Saturne Iubiter Dardanus Eriotonus Troilus Ilis Ilyon Hercules Lamadone Priamus Achilles was Priamus brother LamedoÌ„ shewed to Iason vnkindnesse Hector Troilus Dephebus Helenus Parys came of Pryamus Greekes Anchyses Eneas Ascaneus Eneas EuaÌ„dre Latene Turnus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Siluius the father of Brutus The praise of Brute Howe Brutus slewe his father Helenus Priamus Anchises Pandras Brutus Anacletus 〈…〉 onê° Pandras The pillers that Hercules made of brasse Diane the Goddes Corneus capitain of that TroyaÌ„s Goryne The armes of 〈…〉 e Maryan chronicler Corneus Gogmagog Coryn This Isle Briteyne Corneus London 〈…〉 The leÌ„gth and bredth of the Isle of Bryteyne Howe Brutus deuided this ysle Thre sonnes of Brute Locryne 〈◊〉 Albanacte Brutus ordered the people to sowe corne Locryne * The death of Albanact The ryuer of Humbar wherof it tooke that name How Loâ—yn was 〈…〉 e in betrayle by hys wyâ—e Gwendolyne The ryuer of Seuerne wherofit tooke the name Guendolena MaddaÌ„ kyng of Britain that is EnglaÌ„d Scotlande Howe the one 〈…〉 to be kynge MeÌ„pryse kyng of Britaine The wretched end of Mempryse Ebranke reygned â–ª lx yeres The Castell of DuÌ„brytayne in ScotlaÌ„d The castel of Ediburgh The castell of Bamburgh That is yorke Brutus greneshilde reigned xii yeres Leyle kyng of Britain reygned .xxv. yeres The cytee of Carleile by whoÌ„ it was buylded Rudhudebras kynge reygned xxxix yeres Bladud reigned .xx. yeres StaÌ„forde A manne decked in fethers Leyr kyng Cordell quene of Fraunce Morgan CoÌ„dage is that which we nowe call Walis Condage