A Chronycle with a Genealogie declaryng that the Brittons and Welshemen are lineallye dyscended from Brute Newly and very wittely compyled in Meter The preface To the hyghe and moste excellente Prince Edwarde the sixâ—… Kynge of Englande Fraunce and Irelande and in yearthe the supreme heade of the Churche of Englande and Irelande Arthur â—…elton wyssheth continuall peace helthe of bodye and prosperous successe AS the worthy prudent Secretary In those daies named Danucius Wrote volumes large of famous memory Onely to prefer and make glorious The name of his Lord called Aurelius Thinkyng it sinne rebuke and shame Out of his boke to seclude his name ¶ Eucolpius euen in like case Preferred Alexander Seuerus Whiche in his tyme so worthy was The Romain Tato with Citus Liuius Aduaunced the name of â—…easar Iulius Thus one after other their time Did apply To that entent good fame shuld not dy ¶ Euen so most mighty and gracius prince Under support of your benigne grace I mindyng sleuth vtterly to conuince As most vnworthy folowyng their trace Your redoubted father in euery lyke case For to aduaunce my wittes will frame With the most worthiest to set out his name ¶ After shall intreate of his magnificence His lawes statutes his Ciuil ordinaunce His mighty powre his wonderfull prudence His iust iudgemeÌ„tes his rightfull gouernaÌ„ce Namely to speake of very true substance His graces lawes most godly deuised Lately into Wales to vs there commised ¶ With a certayne true comparison Whiche was most worthiest of Antiquitie The Romains with their foundacion Ether the Brutes with their posteritie And of their Cities the soueraigntie Which of them twayne shuld other surmouÌ„t London or Rome as after shall recount ¶ With an extract or a Genealogy Conueiyng his and your most noble discent As auncient Aucthors putteth in memory From the fyrst age to this time present Accordyng to their myndes true iudgement Who wrote the same in time long paste To that intent it shuld indure and last ¶ Consideryng the high magnificence Of your father most clerely did shyne Passing al other in princely excellence None to be compared before his tyme Al men perceiue your nature doth inclyne To amplify the same more out at large SurmouÌ„ting the steps of your fathers stage ¶ In whom consisteth our confidence Our hope our trust our consolacion Wherin nature sheweth an euidence Accordyng to our expectacion To folowe the same by inclinacion With your mother most gracious Quene Whose vertue plaine in your face is sene ¶ Thus God of his deuine myght Hath indued your most noble maiestie As appeareth to euery mannes syght Whose incomperable dexterstie In learnyng hauyng a soueraigntie Passyng all other by reporte of name Consideryng your age this is the fame ¶ The procedynges of yournoble age Doth vs encourage your subiectes trewe Well perceauyng your verteous courage Most godly stories for to insewe Which doth insence my hert doth renewe To dedicate this vnworthy litell boke Unto your highnes therevpon to lake ¶ Whiche was begon in your fathers time Unto whose highnes I minded the same But death alas his life did vptwyne Before I coulde my purpose well frame Preuenting al thinges but his worldly fame Whiche may not passe wither nor yet decaie His famous report indure shal alway ¶ O ye infernal systers of the darcke nighte With Cerberus in Hel as Poetes doth fain Of all nobilitie the quenchers of lighte Whose crueltie no wight can restrayne Ye cut the thred ye parte in twayne The life of man without respecte The poore ye spare the noble reiecte ¶ Cursed be ye ye doughters of Hell Whiche are in number counted but three Cloto Lachesis and Atropos the fell Ye might haue spared your crueltie A littel tyme of our felicite Untill our king most noble of corage Had proceded into moo yeares of age ¶ What I haue written in sentence playne In laude or prayse of your father dere Unto your highnes let it remayne As though it did to your grace appere Written of your selfe as matter clere With no lesse zeale obedience and loue Then duetie may obserue increase and moue ¶ I do confesse and this is trewe If Cato the sage or prudent Tully With their fyled tonges and sentence newâ—… Were here again his grace to magnify As they dyd the Romains glorify Yet shulde they not as in this case Worthely geue prayse vnto his grace ¶ All thynges remembred as of my parte Most humbly desireth your noble grace With constant wyll and faithfull heart To pardon my boldenes foly and trespace Consideryng alway as in this case That euery trewe heart inforced is To rendre his loue duetie and seruice The ende of the preface The Chronicle of the Brutes IN the Golden tyme when al thynges florished As it were by deuyne prouidence And that nature in manne was stablished Hauyng reason wisdome and science By gifte of the high magnifycence To vnderstand determine and knowe The Heauens aboue and the earth alowe ¶ Then the wyse sage and auncient By great industry and diligent laboure By sobre respecte and great aduisement Made lawes statutes with other good order Man to stablyshe onely by fauoure Them to conducte sauely to bryng Unto knowledge wisdome and learnyng ¶ Thus by politike moderacion Without rigoure or cruel ordinaunce Prynces notable of intencion Hauyng poure and mightye gouernaunce Established lawes by discrete purueyaunce Onely theyr subiectes to keepe in awe Dreadyng God and fearyng his lawe Such Princes kinges famous Emperors Of duetie ought to be magnified Not onely as worthy Lonqueroures But as men with grace nutrified Whose actes are worthy to be specified Enrolled vp with golde pearle and stone Registred in a boke them selfes alone ¶ Like as the Romains wyse circumspect In tyme long past their fame to aduaunce All notable thynges as in effecte Made by statutes or Liuill ordynance Registered was for a remembraunce Their Senate onely to magnify By fam ' report as thei thought theÌ„ worthy ¶ The Romaines most commended Leasar The Troians Hector the famous knyghte The Percians great Alexander The Grekes Achilles for manhode myghtâ—… The Larthagiens to maintain their righte Affirmyng Hanniball their lodesterre Thus euery one his tyme dyd preferre ¶ And we Arthur most worthyest of all Ought to remember in our fantasy Passyng all other in deedes marciall Like Mars him selfe shinyng in glory In his triumphes conquest and victory As the story of him do the recounte All other kinges in his time dyd surmount AS that tyme is past and worne out This tyme present we must put in vre That in time to come there be no doute But that this tyme that time may assure For time once past is without recure Wherfore this tyme let vs intende The time to come may this time coÌ„mende ¶ Let the Romains aduannce their Leasar The Troian Hector their famous knyght The Percian their great Alexander The Greke Achilles for strength myght The Larthagiens to maintain their
to spoyle and waste By colour or craft suthe meanes to caste Them to kepe in thraldome and bondage Where they ought no dewtie nor seruage ¶ Yet some there were by way of exaction Under pretence of suche rialteâ—… By craft and subtill collusion Onely to deceiue the porealtee Affirmyng vnder suche libertee All men to take that there shoulde passe Out of their way to fine for their trespasse ¶ A lacke that suche ingratitude In mannes mynd shuld be comprehended A poore man beyng destitude Oute of his way nothyng offended The oppression before entended Compound they must be it right or wronge Or els inforced to some pryson stronge ¶ Suche was the custome without defence Playnely to yelde or money to pay Foly it was to speake of indigence For ready money wolde then a away And further some dothe report and say They must agre and be at a poynt As the Foster wold or els lose a ioynte ¶ Worthy Edippus the famous yoÌ„g knight Which was so lusty and freshe of courage So strong so hardy so full of myght Had neuer so dredefull a passage Nor in the lengthe of all his voyage Founde none so monsterus a beast In mountayne wodde chace or forest Spynx the serpent whiche was so odible So monsterus so fearefull to see So fyerse so cruell and so terrible Deuouryng all thyng without pitie Was neuer so full of crueltie Men for to spoyle for siluer or golde in story founde that euer was tolde ¶ This Edippus with full pure entent Goyng towarde Thebes that famous citie Of aduenture met this cruell Serpent Uppon the mountayne called Phocie Of his manfull Magnamitee There he slewe this monsterous beast Sâ—…ttyng the countrey and Thebes at rest ¶ But our Edippus refuge and Champion Our comforte our ioye and hearâ—…es solace Our noble most famous of renoune Our kyng most worthiest that euer was Onely by prudence hath brought to pas A thousande hath slayne as in effecte Whiche of suche cryme by force wer detecte Our mountains our wodes ourchases gret From suche exactions are made full playne No raucnous prayes now can they geate They must of force their fury restrayne They may no longer suche purpose attayne There is no helpe for their refute But leaue their custome and olde pursute ¶ There shall no crafte nor yet colusion No fayned tales no falce pretence No colour deceipte or adulacion Be taken nowe for their defence Lyke as they are suche lyke recompence So that the truthe shal be defended When the vniuste shal be condempned ¶ Hathe not his grace of his mere goodnes Moste pryncely our causes to renewe Brought vs from all wrongfull dures Suche abusions onely to subdew And further all offenders to pursewe Hathe stablyshed vs by prudent purueiaunce Them to Chastise for their misgouernauÌ„ce ¶ Hercules the strong and pereles knyghte Of whoÌ„ the Poetes so muche dothe faine Had neuer more vertue force or myght Then hath our kyng Lorde and soueraygne Yet dyd he wonderfull thinges attayne In his conquest triumphes and victory As the stories of hym do the specify ¶ Busiris Antheus and Gereon Of Egipte Libie also of Spayne All thre kynges by succession Can witnesse this story playne Diomed in Trace as kyng did raygne Cacus Nessus and Cerberus the great Also the Lyon and the Bulle of Crete ¶ Abcor the Serpent odious and blacke Most outragious wylde and sauage The monsterus messe of Archades lake deuouryng all thynges in their rage Hercules with most knyghtly visage Slewe them all suche was his grace None might withstand his knighthod to deface ¶ These tirantes great by odius cryme Accused were of thefte and robbery Bryngyng the countrey vnto ruine Spoilyng the people of malice and enuy Delityng in murder and tiranny Whiche caused Hercules maugre their wyll Them to betray and after to kyll ¶ Here must ye note marke this ryght well As Diodorus affirmeth it playne Also Sainct Ierome likewyse doth tell How that there were Hercules twayne Whiche were ryght noble stories be playne But Hercules named Egipcius Was he that dyd these dedes meruaylous ¶ Not Hercules called Alcides Whiche the Greekes so highly do commend Sonne of Iupiter this is douteles To whose powre he myght not extend Who euer wyll the cause defend Loke in the fifth boke of Antiquities Of Birosus the Ethimologies ¶ As in a treatise lately compyled After my simple and rude deuice As auncient Aucthors hathe comprysed In time long past right famous and wyse Whiche to set forth I did enterpryse Where ye may see of these nobles twayn For the coÌ„mon welth which toke most payn ¶ Of this Hercules Called Egipcius Came the notable and famous lignage Downe to Troy and so to Brutus Unto this day with all the surplusage To our most noble ryall of courage Henry the eyght elect by grace deuine Of the same discent stocke blud and lyne ¶ Whiche onely nowe for our redresse With like vygoure and manfull myght As a kyng of wisedome perelesse Consideryng all thynges of ryght Suche tiranny hath appealed out of syghte By his royall powre and heart most coÌ„stant As at this tyme to vs is apparaunt ¶ Where are become these tirauntes great So insaciate of their desyre Whose â—…auin some time no man could set So â—…raged was their mortall yre Who durst denay what they did require To burne or spoyle all was one thyng Suche was their vse custome and liuyng ¶ The trewe man abrode he might not pas But must of force with them compounde Like as they wold geue more or las Or els they wolde his wealthe confounde With some distres to beate or wounde His cattell steale or goodes to spoile Thus wolde the Thefe the true man defoâ—…e ¶ yf they were taken as seldome was sene They wolde alledge for theyr defence The Lord of the soyie myght them redeme And of this roialtee with them dispence Suche was their vse and vyle pretence Paiyng therfore their fine accustomed From all daungier to be franchysed ¶ The partie nothyng herein suffysed Must nedss of force his wrong sustayne Goddes people vtterly despysed The trewe man the losse the thefe the gayne Restitucion none should they attayne Fiue pounde and a peny paid for the fyne The Thefe goeth quite for fault and crime ¶ And yet alas one custome we had Whiche as I thincke all grace dyd expell I suppose neuer none halfe so bad Ingendred in the pitte of Hell The pryce of a man was knowen to well Yf he ware â—…layne the paiment should be Lyke as he was in byrthe or degre ¶ O custome vnkynde causer of distresse Whose terrible plage infecteth the Ayre Mannes lyfe with murdre to represse Consideryng Christ mannes solle to repayre Became man of a Uirgyn fayre Onely for loue man to redeme Alas that man with murdre shuld be sene ¶ Murdre of truthe is intollerable Murdre before God calleth for vengeaunce Murdre to man is abhominable Murdre to nature is a defiaunce Murdre to lyfe is
no helpe no other meanyng Let this in our heartes fast be graued Onely by Christes blud our solles ar saued ¶ And yet O Lord how farre do they erre Thy maiesty is all full of mercy No sinner doutles wilt thou debarre Being penitent contrite and sory These couetous heades cleane contrary The poore solle wrapped in woo and payne Without money shal lie still and complaine ¶ What Charitee herein is extended When two solles in paine lieth together Perchance both in one case haue offended The one for money his ioye shall recouer The other for lacke shal lye styll for euer Suche is their Charitee in time of nede Their wordly pompe to set forth and fede ¶ If cruell Nero had now afrende That would disbource and paie at large So to compounde and make an ende For all his synnes and fell outrage I thinke his solle might walke at large Consideryng perdons are so plentie By meane wherof hel is emptie ¶ Oh Lorde God what wondrefull pride Is it on yearth goddes to be called Equall with thy grace solles to deuide As though thei wer in heuen stalled Thy enemies Lorde thei maie be called Whiche will thy people suche errors bryng For their profite our solles deceiuyng ¶ Is there any other maner of meanâ—… Then in the bloud of Christ Jesus The immuculate laÌ„be moste pure and cleane The sonne of God whiche doth forgeue vs If we knowledge our deedes vicius Christ it is that geueth remission By the mercie of his blessed passion ¶ The Apostle blessed sainct Peter Nether yet inspired holy sainct Paull The very trewe and sincere preacher Euer pardoned any solle at all The spirite once past the body mortall That onely to God reserued is His deuine power consisteth in this ¶ O glorius God how muche are we 〈◊〉 Unto thy deuine maiestie These errors greate for to confounde Auoydyng the danger of this infirmitie In the tyme of our necessite Like as sometyme surely it befell Unto thy electe of Israell ¶ Whiche so tenderly hast cared for vs That nothing mought be for our saluacion But by thy pitie moste glorious Thou hast of thy godly affeccion Prepared the same for our redempcion As in the olde lawe apereth full well By Iosiâ—… then kyng of Israell ¶ For when thy lawes wer clene suppressed By the space of many hundred yeres By Iosia again wer redressed Dedicated to thy heuenly speres Abholished their frounyng cheres In worshippyng their false Idolatry Thy glorious name newly to magnify ¶ By reason wherof this prince deserued A name of renowne to hym most excellent By thy grace Lorde onely reserued Whiche to his name shal be permanent Neuer none to hym equiuolent Reignyng as kyng ouer Israell Lorde vnto thee this is knowen right well ¶ So in likewise moste mercifull Lorde This present houre of thy tender loue Thy olde mercie newly to recorde Our princes herte inwardly doth mouâ—… Suche abusions to reiecte and reproue Thy lawes Lorde long out of remembraÌ„câ—… Are now reduced to thy godly ordinance ¶ By our moste noble Henry theight Through thy incomperable goodnesse All thynges Lorde is made pure and streight Aâ—…holished is all wickednesse In especiall Lorde this is doubtlesse The power of Rome so long misused Our kyng hath now vtterly confused ¶ Now to returne where I began So to conclude and briefe my stile Betwene the Brute and the Roman No termes to seke my tong to fyle No matter more now to compile The tyme to tracte do I intende But close vp my boke and make an ende ¶ But first to you master Polidoâ—… Your conscience onely to discharge Whiche of long tyme hath been obliuiâ—… Against vs Brutes in writyng so large Your spirites incensed all in a rage By your yeporte vs to infame Your pen to rashe your termes out of frame ¶ Where is become your bounden deutie Our antecessours this to deface Sithe it pleaseth the high Maiestie Of our moste noble the kynges good grace Not to disdaine as in this case To be compted of the same stocke and lyne Doune by dissent to this present tyme. Who wer more worthy then wer these three Hercules Hector and Arthur the kyng For their princely Magnanimitee Was neuer none to them resemblyng In bodely strength all other surmountyng Lions Dragons monsterous and wild By manly coÌ„straint made them tame milde ¶ These princely men these worthies thre Whose knightly force for to preferre Poetes do fayne a singularitee For their manhode and strength in warre Should be transformed into a starre As it wer by a deuine grace In the Cristall sky to take their place ¶ To bryng you from all ambiguitie Unto the truth of this succession By a dissente and a genelogie Without any vain ostentacion I purpose with an honest emulacion Here to conclude who so list to loke Set together at the ende of my boke ¶ But yet because I haue expressed As here to fore somewhat al large Our old abuses newly redressed Perchance ye will ley theim to my charge Saiyng therin ye haue aduantage So that we cannot the thyng deny But with the Prophete to saie peccaui ¶ We do confesse our simplicite Like as it was in tyme of Israell To liue with milke yerbes and hony For greate excesse we take no trauell Nether for pompe or riche apparell We Welshemen plaine that do deny Whiche is oft muche vsed in Italie ¶ But as Dauid with grace replete In tyme of Saull the famous kyng Disdained not his shepe to kepe Aboute the feldes them pastoryng Likewise do we our selfes conferryng Disdaine not herdmen to be Whiche is aparte of our ciuilite ¶ We vse no figges in pees â—…tage or meat Which in Italy is oft frequented Without suspecte together we eate No poysons with vs is there inuented And ye again contrary incensed With poyson strong this is insubstance The greater estate the lesse of assurance ¶ Withdrawe your pen Master Polidorus Your vain reporte and fliyng fantasy Your termes grose and matter slanderus No more in this to amplify But what maie stande with honesty Wordes of defame ye maie well thinke Men will requite euen to the pittes brinkâ—… ¶ Herin to make a degression After the mynde of Iosephus In the yeres and computacion Betwene noble Brute and Romulus And of their citees stately and sumpteous Which of theÌ„ twaine should other surmouÌ„t Of antiquitee their yeres to accompt ¶ Also their stocke birthe and their lyne As â—…usebius and also sainct Bede Plainly doth define and determyne Brute to bee moste auncient in dede Foure hundred and twenty yeres as I rede So that London was a citee of fame When Rome nor Romulus beare no name ¶ Loke vp your stories and marke theÌ„ well When Brute began his foundacion Ely was Iudge and prieste in Israell Nexte insuyng after Samson As holy scripture maketh mencion Whiche was before Christ M. C. xxii yere As in the stories more plainly doth apere ¶ And thus Eusebius also sainct Bede Affirmeth plain in