Queene of Scotland to the succession of the Croune of England The obiections of the aduersaries touching the pretensed vvill of King Henry the eight are clearlie auoided The statutes of King H. 8. touching the succession of the Croune IT doth appeare by the said statute of .28 of king Henry the eight that there was authoritie geuen him by the same to declare limite appoint assigne the succession of the Croune by his Letters Patentes or by his last VVill signed with his owne hande It appeareth also by the foresaid statute made .35 of the said King that it was by the same enacted that the Croune of that Realme of England should go and be to the said King and to the heires of his body lawfully begotten that is to say vnto his Highnes first sonne of his body betwene him and the Ladie Iane then his wife begotten for default of such issue then vnto the Lady Marie his daughter and to the heires of her body lawfully begotten for defaut of such issue then vnto the Ladie Elizabeth his daughter and to the heires of her body laufully begotten for defaut of such issue vnto suche person or persones in remainder or reuersion as should please the said king Henry the eight and according to such estate and after such manner order and condition as should be expressed declared named and limited in his Letters Patentes or by his last VVill in writing signed with his owne hande By vertue of which said Acte of Parlament the Aduersaries doo alleage that the said late King Henry the eight afterward by his last VVill in writing signed with his owne hand did ordeine and appoint that if it happen the said Prince Edward Ladie Marie and Ladie Elizabethe to dye without issue of their bodies lawfully begotten then the Croune of that Realme of England should goe and remaine vnto the heires of the bodie of the Ladie Francis his Neece and the eldest daughter of the French Queene And for the defaulte of suche issue to the heires of the body of the Ladie Eleonour his Neece second daughter to the French Queene lawfully begotten And if it happened the sayd Ladie Eleonour to dye without issue of her body lawfully begotten to remaine and come to the nexte rightfull heires VVherevpon the aduersaries do inferre that the succession of the Croune ought to go to the chyldren of the said Ladie Francis and to their heyres according to the sayd supposed will of the said king Henry the eight and not vnto Ladie Marie Queene of Scotlande that nowe is To this it is An ansvver to the foresaid statute on the behalf of my said soueraign Lady Marie Queene of Scotland among other things answered that King Henry the eight neuer signed the pretensed will with his own hand and that therfore the said will can not be any whit preiudicial to the said Queene The effect of the aduersaries arguments for the exclusion of the Queene of Scotlād by a pretēsed vvil of King H. 8. Against which answere for the defence and vpholding of the saide will it is replied by the Aduersaries first that there were diuers copies of his wil found signed with his own hande or at the least wise enterlined and some for the most part written with his owne hande out of the whiche it is likely that the original will commonly called King Henry the eightes will was taken fayer drawen out Then that there be great and vehement presumptions that for the fatherly loue that he bare to the common wealth and for the auoiding of the vncerteintie of the succession he well liked vpon and accepted the authoritie geuen him by Parlament and signed with his owne hande the said originall will whiche had the said limitation and assignation of the Croune And these presumptiōs are the more enforced for that he had no cause why he should beare any affectiō either to the said Queene of Scotlād or to the Lady Leneux and hauing withal no cause to be greeued or offended with his sisters the Frenche Queenes children but to put the matter quite out of all ambiguitie and doubte it appeareth they say that there were eleuen witnesses purposely called by the King who were present at the signing of the said VVill and subscribed their names to the same Yea that the chief Lordes of the Counsaile were made and appointed executours of the said VVill and that they and other had greate Legacies geuen them in the said VVill which were paid and other thinges comprised in the VVill accomplished accordingly There passed also purchases and Letters Patentes betwene King Edward and the executors of the said VVill and others for the execution and performāce of the same Finally the said Testament was recorded in the Chancerie VVherefore they affirme that there ought no manner of doubt moue any man to the contrarie and that either we must graunt this VVill to be signed with his hand or that he made no VVill at all bothe must be graunted or both denied If any will deny it in case he be one of the witnesses he shall impugne his own testimonie if he be one of the executours he shall ouerthrow the foundation of all his doinges in procuring the said will to be inrolled set forth vnder the great Seale And so by their dublenes they shall make them selues no mete witnesses Nowe a man can not lightly imagine how any other bysids these two kind of witnesses for some of them and of the executors were suche as were continually wayting vpon the kinges person may impugne this will and proue that the king did not signe the same But if any such impugne the will it would be considered how many they are and what they are it wil be very harde to proue negatiuam facti But it is euidēte say they that there was neuer any such lawful proofe against the said will producted For if it had ben it would haue bene published in the Starrechamber preached at Poules Crosse declared by Acte of Parlamēt proclamed in euerie quarter of the Realm Yea admitting say they that it were proued that the said pretensed will lacked the kinges hande yet neuerthelesse say they the very copies we haue spoken of being written signed or at least interlined with his owne hande may be saide a sufficient signing with his owne hande For seing the scope and final purpose of the statute was to haue the succession prouided for and asserteined whiche is sufficiently done in the said will and seing his owne hande was required but onely for eschewing euil sinister dealing whereof there is no suspicion in this will to be gathered what matter in the worlde or what difference is there when the king fulfilled and accomplished this gratiouse Acte that was loked for at his hādes whether he signed the wil with is owne hāde or no If it be obiected that the king was obliged and bound to a certaine precise order and forme which he could in no
take the succession of the Croune it were any thing reasonable or euer was once meant of the ParlameÌ„t that the King without cause should disherite and exclude them from the title of the Croune On the other side if ther were any such impedimeÌ„t whereof this surmised will geueth out a great suspicion it is to be considered whether it standeth with reason and iustice with the honour of the king and the whole Realme or with the minde purpose and intente of the said Parlament that the King should not onely frustrate and exclude suche whose right by the common lawe is moste euidente and notoriouse but call and substitute suche other L. si pater ff Quae in frau credit L. fili fami ff de Dâ—rat L. 1. 6. quae res pign l. obligation ff de pigno c. in gener de Regum iuris in 6. L. quidaÌ„ ff de ver sig L. vt grad §. 1. de uumer hono L. permitteÌ„do cuÌ„ notatis ff de iure dotiuÌ„ In geuing generall authoritie that seemeth not to be comprised that the partie vvould not haue graunted being specially demaunded Generall vvordes must be referted to hable persons L. 2. c. de Nopall L. sin §. in computatione De iure deliber ibi notat Alciat in l. 1. de ver significat as by the same lawe are plainely excluded In consideration whereof many notable Rules of the Ciuil lawe doo concurre First that who soeuer geueth any man a generall authoritie to do any thing seemeth not to geue him authoritie to do that thing whiche he would not haue graunted if his minde therein had bene seuerally and specially asked and required Againe generall wordes either of the Testatours or of such as make any contract especially of statutes touching any persons to doe or enioy any thing ought to be restrained and referred to hable mete and capable persons onely It is furthermore a rule and a Principle that statutes must be ruled measured and interpreted according to the minde and direction of the generall and common lawe VVherefore the King in limiting the succession of the Croune in this sorte as is pretended seemeth not to answere and satisfie the expectation of the Parlament putting the case there were any suche surmised impediment as also on the other side likewise if there were no suche supposed impediment For here an other rule must be regarded which is that in Testaments Contractes and namely in statutes the generalitie of wordes must be gently and ciuily moderated and measured by the coÌ„mon lawe and restrained when so euer any man should by that generalitie take any dammage and hurte vndeseruedly Yea the Statute shall rather in that casse ceasse and quaile and be taken as void As for example it appe eth by the Ciuill lawe that if it be enacted by statute in some Cities that noman shall pleade against an Instrument no not the Executour yet this notwithstanding if the Executour make a true and perfect Inuentorie of the goodes of the Testatour if he deale faithfully and truely rather than he should wrongfully and without cause paie the Testatours debt of his owne he may come and pleade against the InstrumeÌ„t VVherefore the kings doings seeme either muche defectiue in the said Ladie Francis Ladie Elenour or much excessiue in their children And so though he had signed the said will with his hand yet the said doings seme not conformable to the mind and purpose of the Parlament VVe will now go forward and propound other great and graue coÌ„siderations seruing our said purpose and intent VVhereof one is that in limiting the Croune vnto the heires of the bodie of the Lady Francis the same Ladie then and so long after liuing the said King did not appoint the SuccessioÌ„ of the Croune according to the order meaning of he honorable Parlament forasmuch as the said Acte of Parlament gaue to him authoritie to limite and appoint the Croune to such persone or persones in reuersioÌ„ or remainder as should please his Highnes Meaning thereby some persone certaine of whome the people might haue certaine knowledg vnderstanding after the death of king Henrie the eight VVhich persones certaine the heires of the Ladie Francis could not by any meanes be intended 11. H. 4. fo 72. 9. H. 6 fo 24. 11. H. 6. fol. 15. forasmuch as the said Ladie Francis was then liuing and therfore could then haue no heires at al. By reason whereof the people of that Realme could not haue cettaine knowledge and perfit vnderstanding of the Succession according to the true meaning intent of the said Acte of parlameÌ„t But to this matter some peraduenture would seeme to answere and say that although at the time of the said King Henries death the Heires of the bodie of the said Ladie Francis begotten were vncertaine yet at suche time as the said remainder should happen to fal the said heires might then certainly be knowen In deede I will not deny but that peradueÌ„ture they might be then certainly knowen But what great mischieffes and incoÌ„uenieÌ„ces might haue ensued and yet may if the wil take place vpoÌ„ that peraduenture vncertaine limitation I would wishe all men well to note and consider It is not to be doubted but that it might haue fortuned at such time as the remainder should happen to fall to the said heires of the Ladie Francis the same Ladye Francis should then be also liuing who I pray you then should haue had the Croune Paraduenture ye wold say the heires of the body of the Ladie Eleonour to whome the next remainder was appointed Vndoubtedlye that were contrarie to the meanyng of the sayde supposed will forsomuch as the remainder is therby limited vnto the heires of the body of the Ladie Eleonour onely for default of issue of the Ladie Francis VVherby it may be very plainly gathered vpoÌ„ the said supposed wil that the meaning therof was not that the children of the Lady Eleonour should enioye the Croune before the children of the Lady FraÌ„cis But what if the said Lady Eleonour had bene then also liuing which might haue happened forasmuch as both the said Ladie Francis and Ladie Eleonour by common course of nature might haue liued longer then vntil this day who then should haue had the Croune Truly the right Heire whome this supposed will meante to exclude so long as there should remaine any issue either of the body of the said Ladie Francis or of the bodie of the said Ladie Eleonour lawfully begotten And therefore quite contrarie to the meaning of the said supposed will wherefore I doe verely thinke that it would hardly sinke into any reasonable mans head that had any experience of the great wisdome and aduised doings of King Henry the eight about other matters being of nothing like weight that he would so slenderly and so vnaduisedly dispose the successione of the Croune wherevpon the whole estate of that Realme doth depend in suche wise that they to whome
he meant to geue the same by his wil could not enioye it by the lawe VVherevpon ye may plainely see not onely the great vnlikelihod that King Henry the eight would make any such wil with such slender aduise but also that by the limitation of the said will the succcession of the Croune is made more vncertaine and doubtfull then it was before the making of the said Actes of Parlament VVhich is contrary to the meaning and intent of the said Actes and therefore without any sufficient warrant in law But peraduenture some here will say that although these daungers vncertainties might haue ensewed vpō the limitation of the said wil yet forasmuch as they haue not happened neither be like to happen they are therefore not to be spoken of Ye as verely it was not to be omitted For although these things haue not happened and therefore the more tolerable yet for as much as they might haue happened by the limitation of the said supposed will contrary to the meaning of the said Actes the will can not by any meanes be said to be made according to the meaning and intent of the makers of the said statutes And therefore in that respect the said will is insufficient in lawe And to aggrauate the matter farther ye shall vnderstand of great inconueniences and imminent daungers which as yet are likely to ensue if that supposed will should take place It is not vnknowen but that at the time of the making of the said will the said Lady Frācis had no issue male but onely three daughters betwene her Henrie Duke of Suffolke Afterward in the time of the late soueraigne Lady Queene Marie the said Duke of Suffolke was attainted and suffered accordingly After whose death the said Ladie Francis to her great dishonour and abasing of her selfe toke to husbande one Adrian Stokes who was before her seruant a man of very meane estate and vocation and had issue by him VVhiche issue if it were a sonne be also yet liuing by the wordes of the said supposed will is to inherite the Croune of that Realme before the daughters betwene her and the said late Duke of Suffolke begotten whiche thing was neither intended nor meant by the makers of the said Actes VVho can with any reason or cōmō sense thinke that al the states of the Realme assembled together at the said Parlament did meane to geue authoritie to King Henry the eight by his letters Patents or last will to disherit the Queene of Scotland linially descended of the blood royal of that Realme and to appoint the sonne of Adrian Stokes then a meane seruing man of the Duke of Suffolks to be King Gouernour ouer that noble Realme of England The inconueniences whereof as also of the like that might haue followed of the pretensed Mariage of M. Keies the late Sergeante Porter I referre to the graue considerations and iudgementes of the honorable and worshipfull of that Realme Some peraduenture will say that King Henry the eight meant by his will to dispose the Croune vnto the Heires of the body of the said Ladie Francis by the said Duke lawfully begotten not vnto the heires by any other person to be begotten VVhich meaning although it might very hardly be gathered vpon the said supposed will yet can not the same be without as great inconueniences as the other For if the Croune should now remaine vnto the heires of the bodie of the said Ladie Francis by the said Duke begotten then should it remaine vnto two daughters ioyntly they both being termed and certainly accompted in law but one heire And by that meanes the state and gouernment of that Realme should be changed from the auncient Monarchie into the gouernement of many For the Title of the Ladie Francis being by way of remainder whiche is cōpted in law a ioynt purchase doth make all the issue female inheritable a like and can not go according to the aunciēt law of a descent to the Croune which is that the Croune by descent must go to the eldest daughter only as is aforesaid For great differences be in law where one cometh to any Title by descent and where as a purchassor And also if the one of those issues female dye then were her heire in the Title as a seueral tenant in tayle And so there should follow that so many daughters so many general Gouernors so might their issue being heirs femals make the gouernmēt grow infinite VVhich thing was most farre frō the meaning of the makers of that Acte of Parlament VVhat if the said King had by his last will disposed that realme into two or three parts diuiding the gouernement thereof to three persons to rule as seueral Kinges as for example wales vnto one the Northe partes vnto an other the South partes vnto the third and by that meanes had miserably rent that Realme into partes Had this bene according to the entent and meaning of the said Acte of Parlament Or had it bene a good and sufficient limitation in law No verily I thinke no man of any reasonable vnderstanding wil so say And no more can he either say or thinke of the remainder limited vnto the heires of the body of the said Lady Francis by the said supposed will Now to complete and finish this our Treatise touching the Queene of Scotlāds Title to the succession of the Croune as we haue done so let vs freely and liberally graunt the Aduersaries that whiche is not true that is that the said supposed wil was signed with the kings own hand Let the heires of the Lady Frācis come forth in Gods name lay forth to the world their demaund supposed right against the said Q. of Scotlāds interest The Queene on the other side to fortifie strēghten her clame layeth foorth to the open sight of all the worlde her iust title and interest signed and alwaies a fore this time allowed not onely as with the Seales but with the othes also of al the kings that euer were in England taken at the time of their Coronation for the continuance of the lawes of that noble Realme of England signed and allowed I say almost of all the world by sides yea signed with God and natures owne fingers Her right is as open and as clere as the bright Sonne Now to darken and shadow this glorious light what doe the heires of the said Ladie Frācis or others bringe foorth to ground their iust clame and demaund vpon VVhen all is done they are faine to runne and catche hold vpō king Henry the eightes written will signed with his owne hāde VVel let them take as good handfast thereon as they can but yet lette them shewe the said Queene the said original will It is well knowen that they themselues haue said that that to doe they can not Yet let them at least lay forth some authentical record of the same It is also notorious that they can not If then the foundation of
sufficient to satisfie euery honest and indifferent persone and able to persuade all such as are not obstinatly bent to their own partiall affections or not gyuen ouer to some sinister meanyng and factiouse dealing TO THE NOBILITIE AND people of England and Scotland A Poesie made by T. V. Englishman Dravve neare vvith heedfull eyes this booke peruse VVho that desires assuredlie to knovve Those iust decrees that English people vse For rightfull heyres to whom the Croune dothe grovve VVith gloriouse Rases of so riche a soyle And golden bondes of most assured peace VVhiche after vvarres and many a bloodie broyle Hath long time lasted and dothe still encrease By Henries vvyfe vvhom Stories seuenth doe name From vvhose renoumed stocke and princelie straine Marie novv present Quene of Scotland came And Iames her sonne as king to rule and raigne Vnder that Pole vvhiche vve the Northern call This ladie by her predecessors right Dothe looke the Englishe Croune to her shall fall Vertue to defend and people by her Might To guyde in peace vvhen Henries heyres are dead VVhiche vvas the eight in great renoume of late For then vvith right pretence vvho can procede To gayn saye her and spoyle her of her state And right to beare the svvaye in Englishe land But lest the simple man should grovve in doubt VVhat lavve allovves her for their heyr to stand Lesley vvell knovveing all the cause throughout As one that loues his Quene and common peace By busie toyle hathe brought this thing aboute And dothe his best to make false practise cease You Britaine 's therfore vvith attentiue heede Dravve neer and reape the croppe of this his seede Esteme his vvorke and vveighe his vvarninges vvyse That telles the truthe still one in vvoorde and mynde Regarde the right of her vvho once may ryse And rule in state your Quene to heauens resigned That onlie Realm is in most happie state VVhiche beares no Tyrannes rule nor blody band And whose renowmed Prince doeth euell hate And rules in peace the people of her land A TREATISE TOVVCHING THE RIGHT TITLE AND interest asvvell of the most excellent Princesse Marye Queene of Scotland as of the most noble Kyng Iames her Graces sonne to the succession of the Croune of England And first touching the Genealogie or pedegrue of suche Competitors as pretend title to the same Croune A DECLARATION OF THE TABLE folovveing touching the rase progenie of suche persones as descēding from the Princely families of Yorke and Lacastre doe eyther Iustlye clame or vniustlye aspire vnto the Croune of England set foorthe for this speciall intent that all men may clearlye see as by a plain demonstration and by the best proofe that can be of a true and laufull succession hovv the most Graciouse Princesse Marye Queene of Scotland and from by her the most noble King Iames the sixt of that name her Graces sonne ought Iustlye to barre all others contending to intrude them selues into the Royal Throne of the Realme of England before their time CERTAINE IT IS Queene of Scots right heir apparent of the Croune of England and assuredlie tried and knowen to all men that after the decease of Elizabeth now Queene of England without laufull yssue of her bodie the Soueraigne Gouernement of that Realme by right and iust title of a laufull succession is to remayn and come to Marie the most noble Queene of Scotland and from her to the sayd Kyng Iames. And this is suche an vndoubted truthe as the Aduersaries them selues are not able to denye it yf they will cast away all partiall affection of priuate quarrelles and sincerely discouer their owne consciences For A vvomā may haue the kingdome of England to let passe as sufficiently by others aunswered and clearly confuted that absurde paradox heretical assertion blowen abrode by vndiscrete and seditiouse libells against the regiment of women I make this full accoumpt and reckening as of a thing most clearly knowne and confessed in the hartes and myndes of euery true English man and as agreable with the lawes of God and nature that for default of heyr male inheritable to the Croune of England the next heir female in an ordinary course of inheritance succession is to be inuited called to the laufull possession of the Croune And that aswell by the auncient common lawe and custome of England yet in force as also by the Statutes and actes of Parliaments of that Realm and by the vsuall construction and continuall practise of the same In like manner it is euident and playne that the right noblye renoumed Princesse of famouse memorye Lady Margaret some tyme Queene of Scotland eldest daughter of the seuenth Henry King of England and of his most noble wyfe Queene Elizabeth the vndouted heir of the howse of Yorke was maried to Iames King of Scotland the fowerth of that name by whome she had one only sonne called king Iames the fift that the said most excellent Princesse Marye now Queene of Scotland is the sole daughter of the same King Iames the fift VVherupon it falleth owt that after the decesses of the heirs males of the bodies of the sayed kyng Henry the seuenth and Queene Elizabeth his sayd wyfe whithout laufull issue of their bodies then the right title and interest to the Croune of England ought to descend Margaret King Hēry the seuenth his eldest daughter graundmother to the Scottish Queene and come by a laufull course of inheritaunce and succession first before all others to the sayd most gracious Lady Marie Queene of Scotland as next heir in a laufull descent from her sayd graundmother the sayd Queene Margaret eldest daughter of the sayd King Henry the seuenth and of Queene Elizabeth his sayd wyfe Now this is a briefe narration of suche an vndoubted truthe as should nede no further explication if men were deuoutlye inclined to credit a truthe But because some men are by ambition so blynded caried away with their own phantasies as they mynd nothing more than with cōtentiouse quarrelles to obscure and deface this matter I must fet a further course and though the thing be playn enough of it selfe yet must it be delated with a larger discourse of many proofes experimentes and examples to the intent that all those Competitors and Chalengers whiche oppose them selues against her Maiesties right albeit of them selues they will not yeeld to reason may neuerthelesse be so conuinced and daunted as they shall haue nothing left to gaynsaye when the truthe of the cause shal be clearlye reuealed and sincerely layd open to the vewe of Princes and people of all nations Fyrst therefore I will set downe a Genealogie The argumēt of this vvorke and Pedegrue of the Kinges of England And I will deriue the same frome king Edward the thirde And so frome the most noble houses of Yorke and Lancastre in manner of an historie vntil these our dayes Then will I duelie examin suche argumētes as the Competitours
of her this Henry the second being in FraÌ„ce VVhervpon the said king did reuiue and renue the like othe of allegeance aswell to her as to her sonne after her VVith the like false persuasion the Aduersaries abuse them selues and their Readers touchinge Arthur Duke of Britanie Nephewe to king Richard the first As though forsooth he were iustly excluded by kinge Iohn his vncle bycause he was a forainer borne If they had said that he was excluded by reason the vncle ought to be preferred before the Nephewe though it should haue ben a false allegation and plaine against the rules of the lawes of that Realme as may well appeare among other thinges by king Richard the second who succeded his grand father king Edward the third which Richard had diuerse worthie and noble vncles who neither for lacke of knowledge coulde be ignorant of the right neither for lacke of frendes courage and power be enforced to forbeare to chaleng their title interest then should they haue had some countenaÌ„ce of reason probabilitie bicause many arguments the authoritie of many learned and notable Ciuilians doo concurre for the vncles right before the Nephewe But to make the place of the natiuitie of an inheritour to a kingdome a sufficieÌ„t barre against the right of his blood it seemeth to haue but a weake and slender holde and grounde And in our case it is a moste vnsure and false grounde seeing it is moste true that Kinge Richard the first as we haue said declared the said Arthur borne in Britanie and not sonne of a King but his brother Geffreys sonne Duke of Britanie to be heire apparent his vncle Iohn yet liuing And for such a one is he taken in all our stories And for such a one did all the worlde take him after the said King Richard his death neither was King Iohn taken for other than for an vsurper by excluding him and afterward for a murtherer for imprisoning him and priuily making him away The possessions of the Croune of England that vvere beyond the seas seased into the Frenche kings haÌ„ds for the murther of Arthur For the whiche facte the French king seased vpon all the goodly Countries in Fraunce belonging to the kinge of England as forfeited to him being the chiefe Lorde By this outragious deede of king Iohn the kings of EnglaÌ„d lost Normandie withal and their possibilitie to the inheritance of all Britanie for the right and Title to the saide Britanie was dewe to the said Arthur and his heires by the right of his mother ConstaÌ„ce And though the said king Iohn by the practise ambition of Queene Eleonour his mother and by the special procurement of Hubert then Archebishop of Caunterburie of some other factious persones in England preuented the said Arthur his nephew as it was easy for him to do hauing gotten into his handes all his brother Richardes treasures besides many other rentes then in England and the said Arthour being an infant remaining beyond the sea in the custody of the said Constance yet of this fact being against all Iustice aswell the said Archebishop as also many of the other did after most earnestly repent considering the cruell and the vniust putting to death of the said Arthur procured and after some Authours committed by the said Iohn himselfe Polid 15. Flor histo An. 1208 VVhich most foul and shameful act the said Iohn neded not to haue committed if by foraine birth the said Arthur had bene barred to inherit the Croune of England And much lesse to haue imprisoned that moste innocent Ladie Eleonour sister to the sayd Arthur in Bristow Castle wher she miserably ended her lyfe if that gay Maxime would haue serued to haue excluded these two children bicause they were strangers borne in the partes beyond the seas Yea it appeareth in other doinges also of the said time and by the storie of the sayd Iohn that the birth out of the allegeance of England by father mother forain was not taken for a sufficient repulse and reiection to the right and title of the Croune For the Barons of England being then at dissention with the said king Iohn and renouncing their allegeance to him receaued Lewis the eldest soÌ„ne of Philip the FreÌ„ch king to be their king in the right of Blanche his wife which was a stranger borne all be it the lawful Neece of the said Richard daughter to AlphoÌ„se king of Castil begotten on the bodie of Eleonour his wife Levvis the French Kings son claimed the Croune of that Realme in the title of his vvyf Pro hereditate vxoris meae scilicet neptis Regis Ioanusque ad mortem si necessitas exigere decertabo Flor histo Anno. 1216. Haroldus muneribus genere fretê° regni diadema inuasiit H. Hunte hist Angli lib. 6. Cui regnum iure hereditario debebatur Ealredus Rhiual in histo R. Angliae ad H. 2. Cui de iure debebatur regnuÌ„ anglorum Io. Lond. in Chro. Angliae EadeÌ„ verba sunt in Math. VVestmon in flor hist a. 1066. VVhat calamities fell to the Realme by the vsurping of King Harolde King Stephen and Iohn Rex Edwardus misit c. vt vel ipse Eduardus filius ieus sibi succedereÌ„t c. Rich. Cicest vid. VVil. Malmest de reg Angl. E. 2 c. 4â— lib. 3. c. 5. one of the daughters of king Henrie the second and sister to the said king Richard and king Iohn VVhich storie I alleage only to this purpose thereby to gather the opinion of the time that so raine birth was then thought no barre in the Title of the Croune For ortherwise how could Lewis of France pretend title to the Croune in the right of the said Blanche his wife borne in Spaine These examples are sufficient I suppose to satisfie and content any man that is not obstinatly wedded to his own fond fantasies and froward friuolus imaginations or otherwise worse depraued for a good sure and substantial interpretation of the common law And it were not altogether from the purpose here to consider and weigh with what how greuous plagues that Realme hath bene oft afflicted and scourged by reason of wrongfull vsurped titles I will not reuiue by odious rehearsal the greatenes and number of the same plagues as well otherwise as especially by the contention of the noble houses and families of York and Lancaster seeing it is so fortunately and almost within mans remembrance extinct and buried I will now put the gentle Reader in remeÌ„brance of those only with whose vsurping Titles we are nowe presently in hand And to begyn with the most auncient what became I pray you of Harold that by briberie and helpe of his kinred vsurped the Croune against the foresaid yong Eadgar who as I haue said and as the old monuments of Historiographers do plainly testifie was the true lawful Heire Could he think you enioy his ambitious and naughty vsurping on whole entier yere No surely