The fyrst I woulde wyshe to be folowed as a thynge very necessary to our Englysh commen wealthe The other for the fyrst tyme myghte wele be spared For vndoubtedly authoryte it woulde adde vnto them to apere fyrst of all in their owne simplycyte or natiue colours without bewtie of speche The scriptures are not to be reiected though they for the more part want that same plesaunt order which is commenly sought amonge prophane wryters God hath chosen S. Paule saith the folyshe and weake thynges of the worlde to confounde the wyse and myghtye i. Cor. i. ¶ Iohan Leylande Farther more part of the exemplaries curyously sought by me and fortunately found in sondry places of this youre dominion hath bâ—ne emprynted in Germany and now be in the presses chefely of Frobentus that not alonly the Germanes but also the Italianes themselfe that counte as the Grekes ded full arrogantly all other nacyons to be barbarouse vnlettered sauinge their owne shall haue a direct occasyon openly of force to say That Britannia prima fuit parens altrix addo hoc etiam iure quidem optimo conseruatrix eum uirorum magnorum tum maxime ingeniorum ¶ Iohan Bale Here sheweth Leylande howe the thirde or latter part of hys colleccions out of the Englyshe lybraryes was bestowed to profyte But where as he maketh report here a serten of them to haue bene emprynted in Germany I suppose he partlye speaketh it for the worke of Iosephus Deuonius which he wrote in paraphrasticall verses vpoÌ„ the treatyse of Dares Phrygius concerninge the destruccyon of Troye and in vi bokes dedicated it to Baldewine thaÌ„ archebyshop of CaÌ„terbury whiche worke sayth he in Syllabo antiquarum dictionum was prynted in Germany but very corruptly vnder the tytle of Cornelius Nepos a Romane Wherof Guilhelmus Fastregicus in his fyrste boke de Originibus rerum maketh also mencyon Of the bokes which shoulde be in the handes of Hieronymus Frobenius can I nothyng heare Yet haue I made thydre most instaunt sute and labour by diuerse honeste men at the least to haue had but theyr tytles but I neuer coulde obtayne them Whiche maketh me to thinke that eyther they haue peryshed by the waye or els that they are throwne a syde in some corner and so forgotten Yet Conradus Gesnerus sumwhat conforteth me agayne whyche in the seconde part of hys vnyuersall Biblyotheke fol. clvij. confesseth serten olde Brittyshe hystorianes yet to remayne For so lytle estemynge our true Antiquytees the proude Italyanes haue alwayes holdeÌ„ vs for a Barbarouse nacyon Loke Iohan Boccatius in hys sixt boke de genealogia Deorum Cap. lvij where as he treateth of Syluius posthumus and of our Brute besydes their hystoryans Where as yf we had by all ages set them abroade they had bene iustly occasyoned to haue named Brytayne a mother a nource and a mayntener not only of worthy men but also of moste excellent wyttes ¶ Iohan Leylande And that profyte hath rysen by the aforsayd iourneye in bryngynge full manye thynges to lyght as concernynge the vsurped autoryte of the Byshopp of Rome and hys complyces to the manyfest and vyolent derogacyon of kyngely dygnyte I referre my selfe moste humbly to your moste prudent lerned hygh iudgement to dyscerne my dylygence in the longe volume wherin I haue made answer for the defence of your supreme dygnyte alonly leuynge to the stronge pyllour of holye scripture agaynste the whole college of the Romanystes clokynge their crafty assercyons and argumentes vndre the name of one poore Pighius of Vltraiecte in Germany and standynge to them as to their onlye anker holde agaynst teÌ„pestes that they knowe wyll aryse yf truthe maye be by lycens lette in to haue a voyce in the generall counsell ¶ Iohan Bale By the hystoryes of Antiquyte are the natures of all ages of the worlde manyfested from tyme to tyme also both the prophecyes of Daniel and of S. Iohans reuelacyon more easely of their readers vnderstanded For he that marketh not by the serche of ernest chronycles the dysposycyon of tymes shall neuer beholde those godly prophecyes fulfylled in effect And therfore sayth Leylande here that thys profyte amonge other hath rysen of hys studyouse labour Antichrist and hys mynysters are lyke to be the better knowne and their tyrannouse vsurpacyons perceyued how shamefullye they haue abused the dygnyte of kynges Whose power S. Paul declareth not to be of the proude Romysh popet as they haue bene persuaded by hys false prophetes in euery nacyoÌ„ but immedyatly from the omnypotent God of heauen Roma xiij In all ages haue there bene some godly writers in EnglaÌ„de which haue both smelled out also by theyr writynges detected the blasphemouse fraudes of thys Antichrist Dyuerse of those christen workes ded Leylande fynde and was by them occasyoned to write a great boke called Antiphilarchia agaynst the ambycyouse empyre of the Romysh byshop And in thys he chefely withstode the subtyle assercyoÌ„s sophystycall reasonynges of an ydell brayned papyste called Albertus Pighius sumtyme a catty stayled canoÌ„ in y e great cathedral mynster of vtrecht in Hollande Wherin he wylleth that the veryte maye ones fynde geÌ„tyll hearers agaynst those wycked enemyes ¶ Iohan Leylande Yet herin only I haue not pytched the supreme worke of my labour whervnto your grace moste lyke a kyngelye patrone of all good learnynge ded anymate me But also consyderynge and expendynge with my selfe how great a numbre of excellent godlye wyttes and wryters learned wyth the best as the tymes serued hath bene in thys your regyon Not onely at suche tymes as the Romane emprours had recourse to it but also in those dayes that the Saxons preuayled of the Brytaynes and the NormaÌ„nes of the Saxons coulde not but with a feruent zele and an honest corage commende them to memory Els alas lyke to haue bene perpetually obscured or to haue bene lyghtelye remembred as vncerteyne shaddowes ¶ Iohan Bale Not onelye ded Iohan Leylande collect these frutefull auncyeÌ„t authors togyther that men mgyhte by them inueye agaynste the false doctryne of papystes corruptynge both the scriptures of God and the chronycles of thys realme by execrable lyes fables but also that their wyttye workes myghte come to lyght and be spredde abroade to the whorthye fame of the land For by them maye it wele apere the tymes alwayes consydered that we are no Barbarouse nacyon as contemptuouslye the Italyane wryters doth call vs. Yet Cornelius Tacitus a noble Romane in the lyfe of Iulius Agricola commendeth the bryngynge vp of noble mennys chyldren in the lyberall scyences amonge the Brytaynes and preferreth the pregnauncy of their wittes afore the laboryouse stody of the Galles whome we now call Frenche men Moreouer afore that he reporteth the seyd Brytaynes to be famously remembred of manye worthy writers which is no note of obscuryte or barberousnesse And thys
noble nacyon had afterwarde most wyttie writers and men of grounded learnynge vndre the Saxōs Danes Normānes so wele as they had afore tyme vndre the Romane Emprours A fylthy bastarde is he to Englande and a moste cruell enemy to all good lernyng that wyll now obscure their names and destroye their workes to the landes perpetuall dyscommodyte As some vnnaturall chyldren haue done now of late to serue their pryuate affeccyons more than the commen welthe God shorten their vnprofytable lyues if they cease not of that myschefe in tyme. ¶ Iohan Leylande Wherfor I knowynge by infynyte varyete of bokes and assyduouse readynge of them who hath bene learned and who hath written from tyme to tyme in this realme haue digested into iiij bokes the names of thē wyth their lyues and monumentes of learnynge And to them added thys lytle De uiris illustribus folowynge the profytable example of Hierome Gennadie Cassiodore Seueryane and Trittemie a late writer But alwaye so handlynge the matter that I haue more exspacyated in thys campe than they ded as in a thynge that desyred to be sumwhat at large to haue ornature The fyrst boke begynnynge at the Druides is deducted vnto the tyme of the cōmyng of S. Augustyne into Englande The secōde is from the tyme of Augustyne vnto the aduente of the Normanes ¶ Iohan Bale In thys ded Iohan Leylande declare a noble kynde of stody and a naturall hart to hys contrey The Lorde of heauē sende England more of suche louers and take awaye those vnprofytable cloddes whyche seketh not els but them selues in the destruccyon of thynges memorable necessarye The boke of S. Hierome de uiris illustribus is iudged of them that be godly wyse and lerned to be a worke verye excellent and muche profytable to the Christen commen vse For it sheweth what writers there were in the prymatyue churche what frute spronge of their doctryne If anye learned man hadde shewed thys ordre in the Brittyshe churche whyche contynued from the Apostles tyme by Ioseph of Arymathie and other godlye mynysters tyll the commynge of Augustyne we had knowne of their christianyte muche more than we now do Bedas in the Englysh churche wrote De scriptoribus Ecclesiae whych had clerelye peryshed Gesnerus sayth yf one Honorius Augustudimensis had not into his boke of the same tytle conuayed a certen of them Other collectors of the names workes of lerned writers had we none here in Englande that I euer hearde of sauynge one Bostonus of Bury whyche was verye copyouse in that matter Now cōmeth Iohan Leylande with hys iiij bokes de uiris illustribus he so abundauntlye wyll satisfye the hungry expectacyon of many maye hys worke come ones to lyght that muche more is not therin to be desyred Blessed be that man whyche shall set that worthy worke abroade And contrary wyse cursed be he for euer and euer that shall in sphyght of hys nacyon seke therof the destruccyon ¶ Iohan Leylande The thirde from the Normans to the ende of the most honourable reigne of the myghtie famouse and prudent Prynce Henry the. vij your father The fourth begynneth wyth the name of your maieste whose glorie in learnynge is to the worlde so clerely knowne that though emonge the lyues of other learned men I haue accuratelye celebrated the names of Bladudus Molinutius Constantinus magnus Sigebertus Alfridus Alfridus magnus Athelstanus Henry the fyrste Kynges and your progenytours And also Ethelwarde seconde sonne to Alfride the greate Hunfryde Duke of Glocester and Tipetote earle of worcestre yet conferred with your grace they seme as small lyghtes yf I maye frely saye my iudgement your hygh modestie not offended in respect of the daye starre ¶ Iohan Bale Of many ydell wytted braggers whych iudge them selues lerned and are nothynge lesse is the tytle of thys worke de uiris illustribus contempned and ill spoken of But what wyse men do thynke of them that so frantycklye on their ale benches do prattle it is easy to coniecture Saynt Hierome Gennadius Cassiodorus Seuerianus Tritemius whome Leylande here nameth for example thought not the argument lyghte whan they wrote workes of that tytle No more ded Suidas Grecus Isidorus Hildefonsus Prosper Sigebertus Honorius Trissa Bostonus Bostius Bergomas a great sort more in doynge the same The ordre of Leylandes worke into iiij bokes deuyded begynnynge at the Druides endyng in the lattre yeares of Kynge Henry the. viij as he hath herin vttered is very commendable Sumwhat more is it thā a yeare past sens I put fourth a worke of the same argument entytled de scrpitoribus Britannicis conteynynge v. bokes wyth serten addycyons whych I gathered togyther beynge out of the realme Sens I returned agayne therunto by the serche of dyuerse most ruynouslye spoyled broaken vp and dyspersed lybraryes I haue collected by no small labour dylygence so muche as wyll make so many bokes more besydes the necessarye recognycyon and frutefull augmentacyon of the seyd first worke Thys lattre worke intende I to set fourth also to the commodyte of my contrey as it is ones fynyshed yf pouerte withstande me not as it is my most doubt Yet wolde I haue no man to iudge my rude labours to Leylādes fyue workemāshyp in any poynt equal but at all tymes to geue place vnto it ¶ Iohan Leylande Now farther to insynuate to your grace of what matters the writers whose lyues I haue congested into iiij bokes hath treated of I maye ryghte boldely saye that besyde the cognyciō of the. iiij tungues in the whych part of them hath excelled that there is no kynde of lyberall scyence or any feate concernynge learnynge in the whych they haue not shewed certayne argumentes of great felycyte of wytte Yea and concernynge the interpretacyon of holy scripture both after the auncyent forme and sens the scholastycall trade they haue reygned as in a certayne excellencye ¶ Iohan Bale In thys parcell Leylāde expresseth the most excellēt wyttes y e knowledge of tungues and the manyfolde lyterature of hys Englyshe writers whose lyues he vttereth in hys iiij former bokes at large Many of them he sayth were excellent in the thre pryncypall languages Hebrue Greke Latyne As concernynge the Hebrue it is to be thought that many were therin wele learned in the dayes of Kynge Athelstane For at the instaunt request of his prelates he caused the scriptures out of that tungue to be by certē doctours translated into the Saxonysh or Englyshe speche as in the chronycles is mencyoned Robert Grosthede of Sothfolke a famouse learned man sumtyme byshop of Lyncolne extracted many thynges out of the Hebrues commentaryes specyally he translated the Testament of the Patryarkes and out of the Greke certen workes of Aristotle Dionyse and Suidas besydes that Helena the mother of great Constantyne ded in her tyme. Gildas
vs in most ample maner Suche may be most of al the noble and worthie monumentes of our lande here truly gathered to the manyfolde prayse of our eternall lyuynge God whyche hathe in these lattre dayes visited both theÌ„ vs wyth innumerable giftes of his heauenly grace To whom be glory wythout ende Amen ¶ Thus endeth the laboriouse iourney and searche of Iohan Leyland for Englandes Antiquitees with declaracyons enlarged by Iohan Bale Anno M.D.XLIX ¶ Haue loue to your naturall countrey as had Abraham Isaac Iacob Ioseph Moses Iosue Gedeon Mathathias and other noble capitaynes to the lande of Israel Seke the confort and honor therof as ded these worthy fathers and not the cruel desolacyon as ded Ismael Esau Ouan Nabal Achitofel Antiochus Alchimus Triphon the Prestes of Bahal and other notatable traitours ¶ A wyse man whiche applyeth hys mynde to vnderstande Goddes lawe wyll busy hym selfe to seke wysedome out from all Antiquite and exercyse his wittes in y e prophets He obserueth the sayenges of famouse men and laboureth to perceyue darke sentences of wysdome Ecclesiast xxxix ¶ As I had fynyshed this present Treatyse a frind of Iohan Leylande brought me these verses of hys to emprint them wyth the worke leaste any thinge shulde perysh that came froÌ„ hym And I was as glad to perfourme it as he was to desyre it I woulde I myghte so wele geue vnto my readers the most noble worke of his Epigrammes as these fewe verses folowynge MOlliter hic tumulus Thomae legit ossa Milonis Cui ter quinque Deus lustra uidere dedit Sic uitam instituit sanctam moresque pudicos Illius ut cuncti faâ—ta suprema gemant Sic ornamentis sacra hanc decorauit aedeÌ„ Se dibus ut niteant aurea quaeque suis. Ergo sâ—meritis pateat locus ullus amoenum Inter coelicolas possidet ille locum ☞ De calumniante Croco Me fatuum Curuus fatuorum maximus ille Imperio quodam praedicat esse suo Vt sim me Furiae non torquent illius urgeÌ„t Clade Mathematicum nocte dieque caput A Regystre of the names of Englysh Wryters whome the seconde part of my worke de Scriptoribus Britannicis shall compreheÌ„d as it cometh fourthe ¶ Iohan Bale to the readers AN occasyoÌ„ me thinketh is offered me here to exhybit som part of my studious labours to the vse of my brethreÌ„ I wold I were as able to geue them the whole contentes therof as I coulde fynde in my harte to do it out of hande frely Sens I returned home agayne from Germany where as I both collected and emprented my symple worke de Scriptoribus Britannicis I haue for the full correccyon and further augmentacyon of the same perused many libraries both in Cambridge and Oxforde In the famouse cytye of London is but one knowne library so farre as I can learne whyche also by fauer I haue seane ouer But alas for pytie that it shoulde be reported of so noble a cytie to haue but one lybrary and that to be so slendre a thing as it is The tyme hath bene whan it hath had a great nombre of the noblest libraries in all Christendome their destenecyon at this daye of men godly mynded is muche to be lameÌ„ted Though the acte were most coÌ„mendable to suppresse y e dysgysed sectes of the Romyshe Antichrist and so to bannyshe them hens yet can not the sufferaunce of this so heauy a ruine of Englandes noble monumentes be so iudged of men wyse learned but alas farre otherwyse Their temples for the more parte 〈◊〉 their other buyldynges remayne yet styll vnbroken Alac whie myghte not theyr libraries as wele haue remained to the commen wealth of learnynge vndestroyed Among the stacyoners boke bynders I found many notable Antiquitees of whom I wrote out the tytles tymes and begynnynges that we myghte at the leaste shewe the names of them though we haue not as now their whole workes to shewe Yf the byshop of Romes lawes decrees decretals extrauagantes clemeÌ„tines and other suche dregges of the deuyll yea yf Heytesburyes â—â—phlsmes Porphyryes vniuersals Aristotles olde so gyckes and Dunse dyuynyte wyth such other lowsy legerdemaynes and frutes of the bottomlesse pytte had leaped out of our libraries and so becomeÌ„ couerynges for bokes comminge from the foreÌ„ nacyons we might wele haue ben therwith contented But to put our auncient Chronicles our noble hystoryes our learned coÌ„mentaryes homelyes vpoÌ„ y e scriptures to so homely an office of subieccyon vtter conteÌ„pte we haue both greatly dishonoured our nacyon and also shewed our selues very wycked to our posteryte Now lete me returne to my laboriouse serche for olde and new wryters I haue bene also at Norwyche oure seconde cytie of name and there all the library monumeÌ„tes and turned to the vse of their grossers candelmakers sope sellers and other worldly occupyers so studyouse haue we ben there for a coÌ„men wealth and so careful of good lernyng o negligence most vnfryndly to our nacion I woulde haue bene sory to haue vttered so obscure a facte had not the vngentilnesse of the thing required it to the warnyng of them whiche shall come after for doyng the lyke to the hinderauÌ„ce of the realme As much haue I saued both there in certeÌ„ other places of Northfolke and Southfolke coÌ„cerning the authors names tytles of their workes as I could as much wold I haue done through our y e whole realm yf I had bene able to haue borne the charges as I am not Wherfor my dere coÌ„â—rey men such as are zelouse to their nacion desirouse of good knowledge in y e residue shall accept at thys tyme my good wil for my facte These are the notable writers whose names I haue gathered whose manifold frutes of doctrine I am redy to shew yf y e lord make me of power to perfourme it besides y e diligeÌ„t recognicioÌ„ increacementes of my first labors ¶ The names ADalbertus spaldingeÌ„sis Adamus Cartusiensis Adamus abbas doreÌ„sis Adamus anglicus Cisterciensis Adamus abbas Rieuallis Adamus Saxlyngham Adamus Hemlynghton Adamus Eston Cardinalis Adamus Salthus Adamus de Nidzarde Adamus Mirymouth Adelardus Bathomensis Achardus Anglicus Aegidius de foeno Albertus episcopus Lincolnie Albanus somniator Allexander de S. Albano Alexander Carpentarius Alexander Barkeley Alfricus Archiepiscopus Alphredus Capellanus Alienora Regina Andreas Horne Andreas Ammonius Anglicus Ceriptor Antonius fizherberde Antonius Cooke Antonius Gylby Arnoldus Ciuis Londinensis Arnulphus Abbas Astulphus Monachus Arturius Kelton Atroclius et Isanus ¶ Baldewinus Cantuariensis Bartholomeus Dunelmensis Bartholomeus de Culey Bartholomeus Exoniensis Benedictus Anglicus Bernardus Syluester Bernardus Morlanensis Bylyngham Philosophus Brito Monachus Nordouicensis Bridferthus Ramesiensis Bridlyngtonus quidam Brenkyll Monorita Bocfastus Philosophus Boedanus Anglus Bostonus Buryensis ¶ Canonicus Regularis Caratocus Nancaruan Castertonus Monachus Christophorus Nolhamsensis Christophorus Seyn Iermayn Clemens Lanthoniensis Cornelius Hibernus Chronica Anonymorum Commentatores
workes and sente their good labours vnto him to amplifie the same So ded the printers also the cataloges and regestres of their printed workes to the furtheraunce of good learninge and honest report of their names as vndoubted they all for so doynge are worthye I would to our lord that we had within this lande a nombre of learned men of the same honest zele to letters So shulde our noble Antiquitees and monumentes of learninge be knowne to our posteryte and our people be replenished with all kyndes of good knowledge In all ages of the churche saythe Baptista Mantuanus in Apologetico had we men of eloquence and lernynge so wele whan it was in the Apostles time planted as whan it was in the dayes of the Martyrs watered and vndre the auncyent fathers and doctours noryshed and refreshed Whyche sentence myghte as wele be founde true in thys oure Bryttyshe nacyon as eyther in Asia Palestyne or Rome in Ioseph of Arimathy and hys companyōs which fyrst taught vs the Christen fayth here in Lucius the kynge Amphibalus Aaron and Iulius And last of all in Ninianus Patricius Elcutus Dubrice Dauid Congellus Kentingerne Asaph Gildas and a greate sorte more yf we had not in place of our true Antiquitees moste deuylyshe fables and lyes Whan the boke of Gods lawe whiche Moses wrote was founde in the chest of the Leuytes good kynge Iosias w t the congregacyon of the Lorde very muche lamented the blindnesse and ignoraunce of theyr fathers for the wāt therof and their owne mysfortune as they than thought it that they had ben so longe wythout it ij Parali xxxiiij A notable maner had the Prophane or Ethnyck Prynces and Magistrates in reseruyng the excellent frutes of profounde and rare wyttes for theyr posteryte as are the noble workes of Socrates Plato Cicero Virgyl Arystotle and Pliny The nature of the ignoble and curryshe generacyon of Antichrist hath alwayes ben busied seking contrary wyse to obscure all thynges that contayned any veryte necessarye So come all sciences for the time of his reygne barbarysed darkened and peruerted by the Sophysters and subtyle Summistes besydes their fylthie handelynges of the sacred scryptures Christ condēpned the pharisees not for professynge the knowledge of the lawe but for hydinge and corruptinge the ryght vnderstandinge therof for holdynge the people in a very wycked blyndnesse Math. xxiij And contrary wyse he most amyably perswaded his dere dyscyples and fryndes that they shoulde in no wise hyde or conuaye vndre a bushel the lyghte whyche he had appointed to be shewed fourth abroad Luce. xi Yf we that by a name of Christianyte professe hys relygon in baptym be not wyth hym we are vtterly agaynste hym and so procure to oureselues Mathe. xij Lete one noble man therfore nowe that the scryptures are plēteously spredde bring fourth one noble author and an other emprinte an other to the cōseruacion of Englandes Antiquitees In lyke case lete one ryche merchaunte brynge one worthye worke of an auncyent wryter to lyght and an other put fourth an other to the bewtie of our nacyon Besides the Bryttyshe authors whome I oft named afore lete one bryng fourth Bedas ge gestis Anglorum an other Willyam of Malmesbery de gestis Pontificum Regum Lete an other brynge fourth Simeon of Durham wyth Rycharde and Iohan of Haugustalde an other Aldrede and Wyllyam of Rieuall wyth Marianus the Scott An other Giraldus Cambrensis an other Hēry of Huntyngtō an other Alphrede of Beuerlay an other Florēce of Worcestre and an other Walter of Excestre An other Roger Houedē an other Mathew Parys on other Iohan Beuer an other Radulphus Niger an other Radulphus de Diceto an other William Newburg of Bridlington an other Iohan of Oxforde An other Scala temporum an other Flores historiarum Asserius Obseruus Geruasius Stephanides and Richardus Diuisiensis of winchestre wyth a wonderfull nombre besydes As muche yea rather more is vnfrutefully consumed at one belly bāket than woulde paye the charges of thre of these famouse workes Let all noble hartes consydre the vanyte therof what honest fame might aryse by these doynges as wele to their owne persones as to their maturall contrey Plinius as I remembre hathe thys very notable sentēce that one to helpe an other is a most comelinesse in the mortal kynde of man The Philosopher sayth also the more commen to mannes vse and good thyng is made the more profitable and precyouse it is So wele is he worthy of perpetuall fame that bringeth a good worke to lyghte as is he that fyrst ded make it ought alwaies to be reckened the second father therof For as Vlpianus reporteth in his Pādectes it is all one a thynge not to be and not to apere to the commen vse No edyfyenges on the earth are to be compared to thys yf we haue respecte to durable fame and renoume All the Pantheōs Palaces Amphitheaters Castels Capitols and other monstruouse buyldinges of the worlde are not to vs so notable as is yet the name of one Theophilus a citiezen of Antioche to whom S. Luke in his tyme only dedicated his Gospel and Actes No neyther the Labyrinth of Dedalus nor yet the great pyllers of Hercules neyther yet here in England the Stonheng of Salysbury playne whyche they say was brought thydre from Irelande by Merlyne y e Prophete of Wales What els hath reduced the name of sir Iohan Bourchier the lord Barners to a fame immortal but hys translacyon of frossardes Chronycle from Frenche into Englyshe O that we had now the floryshyng workes of Gildas surnamed Cambrius that moste noble Poete and Historyane of the Britaines which wrote in the tyme of kynge Aruiragus when S. Peter yet preached to the dispersed bretherne The Venecyans more than lxxxviij yeares ago for theyr cōmodite coulde fatche them out of Irelande haue them yet commen both at Venys and Rome accountynge them a very specyal treasure We neyther seke thē couete them nor regarde them though they be of our land the most precyouse Antiquitees and excellent memoryalles of learnynge as testyfyeth both Lilius Gyraldus in uitis poetarum and also Pontius Virunnius in historia Britannica I pray God we may ones rightly way our owne slouthful neglygēce in thynges which myghte be greatlye to our honour Then shoulde we sone perceyue what a poynt it were of ignobylyte to suffre such workes to perysh as we dayly with our eyes beholde I haue hearde it amonge straungers reported that Englysh men are fryndely in thinges which lasteth not as in bankettes and late suppers But lete thys be veryfyed of the vayne and inconstāt Papistes of our nacyon and not of vs Christianes whyche ought to be of a farre other disposycyō Lete vs applye our studyes to geue to our forē Christē fryndes thynges lastyng durable as they haue full learnedly done vnto
Simon Burneston Simon Fishe Specula Nonnulla Stanfordiensis Preceptor Stephanus Hawis ¶ Teruanus Seruanus Theobaldus Stampensis Thinredus Doueriensis Thomas Eboracensis Thomas de Wynchecombe Thomas Ismaelita Thomas de Hibernia Thomas Newe Market Thomas Peuerell Thomas Walsyngham Thomas Langle Thomas Wylton Thomas Hasylwode Thomas Stacy Thomas Gascoigne Thomas Dando Thomas Merke Thomas Palmer Thomas Esseby Thomas StaÌ„shaue Thomas Dockinge Thomas Baiocensis Thomas de Hanneya Thomas Brinton Thomas Bungey Thomas Phaier Thomas de Stureia Thomas Sarisburiensis Thomas Monumetensis Thomas Rudborne Monachus Thomas Eboral Thomas Lupsetus Thomas Spenser Thomas Artour Thomas Philomelus Thomas Solimount Thomas Lanquet Thomas Serneholde Thomas Swynnerton Thomas Cowper Tipitotus Wygorniensis ¶ Vignalocus Britannus VinceÌ„tius Minorita Visiones quedaÌ„ Vite quorundam Vtredus monachus Waldewinus Wigorniensis Waruerus Westmonasteriensis Watertonus Buriensis Whetley Anglicus Wigmore Concionator THus haue I mynystred here a taste of my labours to theÌ„ that be fryndely harted to their coÌ„trey and fauorable to good letters doynge theÌ„ therby to know that I wold do gretter thinges to their honest commodyte yf I were of power I haue geuen them a great nombre of the names of their famouse and notable workemeÌ„ which wrote in this nacyon from age to age some wele some yll accordynge to the dyuerse nature of their times like as the holy Ghost foreiudged of theyr doynges in S. Iohans reuelacion Yf ye had with the seid names their actes their ages and the tytles of their bokes whiche I haue now in a redinesse to shew ye might parauenture se many vnknowne woÌ„ders But yf ye had their whole workes in dede as they were in substaunce fashyon whyche now for the more part are peryshed ye shoulde haue seane most wonders of all Their ages are as necessary to be knowne as their doctrynes and the tytles of their bokes so wele as their manyfest actes to theÌ„ that wyl throughly iudge things as they are not be deceiued by colours For what thynge more clerely tryeth the doctrynes of meÌ„ what they are thaÌ„ do their ages or times Either yet what more proueably manifesteth the goodnesse or euylnesse of their actes than do the tytles or argumentes of their workes He that wyll thus trye Dominick and Frances the founders of two new relygyons whiche with their shulders vndrepropped the greate temple of Laterane or stowte synagoge of Rome thaÌ„ fallyng downewardes as pope Innocent the thirde behelde ones they saye in S. Peters churche in a vision shall fynde the one a murtherer of the bodye the other a murtherer of the sowle the one an Hypocryte afore God the other before the world The other two sectes of begging frires to apere of an highar perfeccyon ded fatche their fouÌ„dacioÌ„s much farther of that is to say from Helias Mary and Augustyn yet coulde they neuer precede them in Hypocresy to dascll the eyes of the worlde for lucre The boke of Dominickes docrine no fyer they say was able to burne yet now whaÌ„ his vertu shuld be tried therby it is not vpon the earth to be seane The doctrine of Fraunces is apparuÌ„t to this day both in his rule testameÌ„t to be a blasphemouse professyoÌ„ of hypocresy in the ydolatrouse kingedome of Antichrist Yf these men be proued hypocrites sowle murtherers by their execrable doctrines examples as they are conferred wyth the noble rules of the pure scriptures what shall we iudge of all their ydel folowers eyther yet of theyr frantyck frutes of vowes constytucyons ceremonies theyr other fryuolouse obseruacioÌ„s Yea what shall we report of those vpholders of Sodomebe they doctours lawers iustyces geÌ„tylmen or men of other sort that wyll yet vngentylly contende by sophystycall argumentes voyde of all veryte those Gomorreal rules and vowes to be so indispensable that they can geue no place to Gods fre institucyoÌ„ of marryage I saye as I thynke as I wyll wryte whan I come ones to the tryeng out of the worthie truthe from theyr execrable poyson y t they are neyther learned wise nor noble but vnsauerly smel of their beggerly bagges whose lowsy wallettes they shake As the sayeng is suche lyppes suche letuce suche harpe suche melody bot now to conclude The vi viij ix and xi chapters of S. IohaÌ„s Apocal. are as a perfighte sure towch stone wherby all ages doctrines actes tytles are from tyme to tyme tryed of what estymacyon and value they apere in Gods sighte to make vs godly wyse in receyuynge them In the supplecyoÌ„s of my v. hondred of Brytysh Englysh wryters of whoÌ„ I haue not vi persones here named to som one haue I added more thaÌ„ lx workes with their beginnings to some xl to some xx to som more to some lesse as I haue them collected of the libraryes Wherin men may behold the diligeÌ„ce of our forefathers in the tyme of supersticion the vntowarde negligence of vs now a dayes in the myddes of learnynge syght Yf any men louing the learned fame of their nacyon do know of more learned wryters than I haue here in thy other boke named as it is not in my power to trauayle in all quarters yf â—hey in season sende me the names tymes tytles nombres and beginninges of theyr workes I wyl registre theÌ„ as I haue done those The same wyll I do also for theÌ„ whych ar now liuing or of late yeares haue deceased yf I may obtayne the lyke at their handes to the famouse coÌ„modyte of Englande in so many noble frutes Moreouer yf any honest godly maÌ„ English Brityshe Scottysh or Irysh haue any Antiquite notable concernyng hystory which otherwyse myght peryshe and be loste yf he for thys good purpose vouchesafe to lende his coppy he shall not only haue bokes for it but also in y e ende the sayde coppy agayne The grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ be euermore to them assistent that loue hys heaueÌ„ly truth wythoute superstycyon vnfaynedly Amen ¶ Emprented at London by Iohan Bale Anno. M.D.XLIX Antiquitees peoples Bedas Lybraryes wryters Loue. MoÌ„kes abbeyes lubbers MasmoÌ„gers couetyse Cyrus Nehemias Destroyers Auaryce Lybraryes Destruccyon grossers A Merchaunt An exaÌ„ple norwich Gylde hawles EnglaÌ„d daÌ„mage Prestes nobylite Antiquitees CoÌ„treye Fables Corrupcyon LeylaÌ„de Antiquarius A witnesse Oblocutours Lamentable workes A wondre Autorytees Acquainted ToÌ„gues Authors Doloously 〈◊〉 Old writers Terencius Not alone Creatures Fathers Contrey loue Clodde A clodde Simâ—les The title Studium antiquitatis in principe Princely Antiquite A kinge Studoouse Cura religionis in Principe y e truthe SuÌ„good Iesabel A kynge ExamplariaueteruÌ„ authorum coÌ„seruata Auctae Bibliothecae palatinae Iourney Libraryes Good bokes Ignobilite Stylus aegrestis ueterum scriptorum Antiquitees ij things eloqueÌ„ce Scriptures Exemplaria praeliscoÌ„missa Of bokes LelaÌ„dus CoÌ„iecture Neglygence Antiphilarchia repellens ambitiosuÌ„ Ro. Epi. ImperiuÌ„ Albertus Pighius Prophecyes Antichrist writers a papyst Affectus autoris erga patriam doctrine Coneliê° Tacitus britayne Bastardes Libri quatour de uiris illustribus siue descriptoribus Britannicis More fryndes Church Honoriê° LeylaÌ„d Principes eruditi the tytle Authores Scriptores Aliud opus Ingenia scriptoruÌ„ BritannicoruÌ„ omni genere eruditionis exercitata Lyterature Hebrues Grekes Latines Ingens numerus scriptoruÌ„ reruÌ„ BritaÌ„nicaruÌ„ Chronyclers Hystorianes Erasmê° Fables Peragratio laboriosa totius Britaniae primae A frynd vi yearâ— Geography woÌ„ders Desriptio totius BritaÌ„niae primae in quadrata argenti tabula Carolus HeÌ„rus Iosephê° Britaine Liber de Topographia BritaÌ„niae primae Diuesite Topography memory A Chronycle Restituta uetera locorum in Britannia nomina Cytyes Negligence Olde names Scryptures London De Antiquitate BritaÌ„nica siue de Ciuili historia libri quinquaginta A Chronycle For all men Shadowes A frynd Libri sex de insulis BritaÌ„niae adiacent bus the yles Amyte Scryptures Esaias De nobilitate BritaÌ„nica libritres Summâ— nobylyte Noble hart Helpe it Conclusio a delectabili utili Prynted Vnpryntedr Obscure Kynge Henry CoÌ„munenotum Prayer Herytag Obedyence Pray pray Antiquytees Auncetours Examples Ignomeny Commodytees Tyrauntes Eutropius Iack Straw Anabaptistes Lybraryes Coruinê° Lerned men Examples NeÌ„nius primus Opynions NeÌ„nius alter Charles Alcuinê° Bobes Dylygence Kynges decayed Edward papistes Iohan CobhaÌ„ wicleue HuÌ„frey writers Pouerte Helpers Gesnerê° Helpers Mantuanus teachers Iosias Antichrist Pharsees Helpers Bedas Writers CoÌ„sidre Mark it buildinges Merline Gildas antiquite Straungers durable