Honour dooth beare to those that in any wise will trauell to set foorth such profitable things as lie hidden and therevnto doo weigh on mine owne behalfe my bounden dutie and gratefull mind to such a one as hath so manie and sundrie waies benefited me that otherwise can make no recompense I can not but cut off all such occasion of doubt and therevpon exhibit it such as it is and so penned as it is vnto your Lordships tuition vnto whome if it may seeme in anie wise acceptable I haue my whole desire And as I am the first that notwithstanding the great repugnancie to be seene among our writers hath taken vpon him so particularlie to describe this I le of Britaine so I hope the learned and godlie will beare withall reforme with charitie where I doo tread amisse As for the curious and such as can rather euill fauouredlie espie than skilfullie correct an error and sooner carpe at another mans dooings than publish any thing of their owne keeping themselues close with an obscure admiration of learning knowledge among the common sort I force not what they saie hereof for whether it doo please or displease them all is one to me sith I referre my whole trauell in the gratification of your Honour and such as are of experience to consider of my trauell and the large scope of things purposed in this Treatise of whome my seruice in this behalfe may be taken in good part that I will repute for my full recompense and large guerdon of my labours The Almightie God preserue your Lordship in continuall health wealth and prosperitie with my good Ladie your wife your Honours children whom God hath indued with a singular towardnesse vnto all vertue and learning and the rest of your reformed familie vnto whom I wish farder increase of his holie spirit vnderstanding of his word augmentation of honor and continuance of zeale to follow his commandements Your Lordships humble seruant and houshold Chaplein W. H. ¶ The names of the Authors from whome this Historie of England is collected A. Aelius Spartianus Aelius Lampridius Asserius Meneuensis Alfridus Beuerlacensis Aeneas Syluius Senensis Auentinus Adam Merimouth with additions Antoninus Archiepiscopus Florentinus Albertus Crantz Alexander Neuill Arnoldus Ferronius Annius Viterbiensis Amianus Marcellinus Alliances genealogiques des Roys Princes de France Annales D. Aquitaine per Iean Bouchet Annales de Bourgoigne per Guilamme Paradin Annales de France per Nicol Giles Annales rerum Flandricarum per Iacobum Meir Antonius Sabellicus Antonius Nebricensis Aurea Historia B. BIblia Sacra Beda venerabilis Berosus Brian Tuke knight Blondus Forliuiensis Berdmondsey a Register booke belonging to that house C. CAesars Commentaries Cornelius Tactius Chronica Chronicorum Chronica de Dunstable a booke of Annales belonging to the Abbey there Chronicon Io. Tilij Chronica de Eyton an historie belonging to that colledge although compiled by some Northernman as some suppose named Otherborne Chronicles of S. Albon Chronica de Abingdon a booke of Annales belonging to that house Chronica de Teukesburie Claudianus Chronicon Genebrard Chroniques de Normandie Chroniques de Britaine Chroniques de Flanders published by Denis Sauage Continuation de Historie and Chroniques de Flanders by the same Sauage Couper Cuspinianus Chronica Sancti Albani Caxtons Chronicles Carion with additions Crockesden a Register booke belonging to an house of that name in Staffordshire D. DIodorus Siculus Dion Cassius Dominicus Marius Niger E. EDmerus Eusebius Eutropius Encomium Emmae an old Pamphlet written to hir conteining much good matter for the vnderstanding of the state of this realme in hir time wherein hir praise is not pretermitted and so hath obteined by reason thereof that title Enguerant de Monstrellet Eulogium Edmund Campian F. FAbian Froissart Franciscus Tarapha Franciscus Petrarcha Flauius Vopiscus Siracusanus Floriacensis Vigorinensis G. GViciardini Francisco Guiciardini Ludouico Gildas Sapiens Galfridus Monemutensis aliàs Geffrey of Monmouth Giraldus Cambrensis Guilielmus Malmesburiensis Galfridus Vinsauf Guilielmus Nouoburgensis Guilielmus Thorne Gualterus Hemmingford aliàs Gisburnensis Geruasius Dorobernensis Geruasius Tilberiensis Guilielmus Gemeticensis de ducibus Normaniae Guilielmus Rishanger Guilielmus Lambert Georgius Lillie Guilamme Paradin H. HIginus Henricus Huntingtonensis Henricus Leicestrensis Hector Boece Historie Daniou Historia Ecclesistica Magdeburgensis Henricus Mutius Historia quadripartita seu quadrilogium Hardings Chronicle Halles Chronicle Henricus Bradshaw Henricus Marleburgensis Herodianus Humfrey Luyd I. IOhannes Bale Iohannes Leland Iacobus Philippus Bergomas Iulius Capitolinus Iulius Solinus Iohannes Pike with additions Iohannes Functius Iohn Price knight Iohannes Textor Iohannes Bodinus Iohannes Sleidan Iohannes Euersden a Monke of Berry Iohannes or rather Giouan villani a Florentine Iohannes Baptista Egnatius Iohannes Capgraue Iohannes Fourden Iohannes Caius Iacob de Voragine Bishop of Nebio Iean de Bauge a Frenchman wrote a pamphlet of the warres in Scotland during the time that Monsieur de Desse remained there Iohn Fox Iohannes Maior Iohn Stow by whose diligent collected summarie I haue beene not onelie aided but also by diuers rare monuments ancient writers and necessarie register bookes of his which he hath lent me out of his own Librarie Iosephus L. LIber constitutionum London Lucan Laelius Giraldus M. MArianus Scotus Matthaeus Paris Matthaeus Westmonaster aliàs Flores historiarum Martin du Bellay aliàs Mons. de Langey Mamertinus in Panegyricis Memoires de la Marche N. NIcephorus Nennius Nicholaus Treuet with additions O. ORosius Dorobernensis Osbernus Dorobernensis Otho Phrisingensis P. PAusania Paulus Diaconus Paulus Aemilius Ponticus Virunius Pomponius Laetus Philip de Cumeins aliàs M. de Argenton Polydor Virgil. Paulus Iouius Platina Philippus Melancthon Peucerus Pomponius Mela. R. ROgerus Houeden Ranulfus Higeden aliàs Cestrensis the author of Polychronicon Radulfus Cogheshall Radulfus Niger Register of the Garter Records of Battell Abbey Richardus Southwell Robert Greene. Radulfus de Diceto Robert Gaguin Rodericus Archiepiscopus Toletanus Records and rolles diuerse S. STrabo Suetonius Sigebertus Gemblacensis Sidon Appollinaris Simon Dunelmensis Sextus Aurelius Victor T. TRebellius Pollio Thomas More knight Thomas Spot Thomas Walsingham Titus Liuius de Foroliuisijs de vita Henrici 5. Titus Liuius Patauiensis Thomas Lanquet Thomas Couper Taxtor a Monke of Berry Theuet Thomas de la More Tripartita Historia V. VVlcatius Gallicanus Volfganus Lazius W. WHethamsted a learned man sometime Abbat of Saint Albons a Chronicler William Harrison William Patten of the expedition into Scotland 1574. William Proctor of Wiats rebellion Besides these diuers other bookes and treatises of historicall matter I haue seene and perused the names of the authors being vtterlie vnknowne FINIS A Table of such Chapiters as are conteined in the first booke of this Description 1 Of the diuision of the whole earth 2 Of the position circuit forme and quantitie of the I le of Britaine 3 Of the ancient denominations of this Iland 4 What sundrie nations haue dwelled in Albion 5 Whether it be likelie that
But as the number of churches increased so the repaire of the faithfull vnto the cathedrals did diminish whereby they now become especiallie in their nether parts rather markets and shops for march â—dize than solemn places of praier wherevnto they were first erected Moreouer in the said cathedrall churches vpon sundaies and festiuall daies the canons doo make certeine ordinarie sermons by course wherevnto great numbers of all estates doo orderlie resort and vpon the working daies thrise in the wéeke one of the said canons or some other in his stéed dooth read and expound some péece of holie seripture wherevnto the people doo verie reuerentlie repaire The bishops themselues in like sort are not idle in their callings for being now exempt from court and councell which is one and a no small péece of their felicitie although Richard archbishop of Canturburie thought otherwise as yet appeareth by his letters to pope Alexander Epistola44 Petri Blesensis where he saith Bicause the cleargie of his time were somewhat narrowlie looked vnto Supra dorsum ecclesiae fabricant peccatores c they so applie their minds to the setting foorth of the word that there are verie few of them which doo not euerie sundaie or offener resort to some place or other within their iurisdictions where they expound the scriptures with much grauitie and skill and yet not without the great mistaking and contempt of such as hate the word Of their manifold translations from one sée to another I will saie nothing which is not now doone for the benefit of the flocke as the preferment of the partie fauoured and aduantage vnto the prince a matter in time past much doubted of to wit whether a bishop or pastor might be translated from one sée to another left vndecided till prescription by roiall authoritie made it good For among princes a thing once doone is well doone and to be doone oftentimes though no warrant be to be found therefore They haue vnder them also their archdeacons some one diuerse two and manie foure or mo as their circuits are in quantitie which archdeacons are termed in law the bishops eies and these beside their ordinarie courts which are holden within so manie or more of their seuerall deanries by themselues or their officials once in a moneth at the least doo kéepe yearelie two visitations or synods as the bishop dooth in euerie third yeare wherein he confirmeth some children though most care but a litle for that ceremonie in which they make diligent inquisition and search as well for the doctrine and behauiour of the ministers as the orderlie dealing of the parishioners in resorting to their parish churches and conformitie vnto religion They punish also with great seueritie all such trespassers either in person or by the pursse where permutation of penance is thought more gréeuous to the offendor as are presented vnto them or if the cause be of the more weight as in cases of heresie pertinacie contempt and such like they referre them either to the bishop of the diocesse or his chancellor or else to sundrie graue persons set in authoritie by vertue of an high commission directed vnto them from the prince to that end who in verie courteous maner doo sée the offendors gently reformed or else seuerlie punished if necessitie so inforce Beside this in manie of our archdeaconries we haue an exercise latelie begun which for the most part is called a prophesie or conference and erected onelie for the examination or triall of the diligence of the cleargie in their studie of holie scriptures Howbeit such is the thirstie desire of the people in these daies to heare the word of God that they also haue as it were with zealous violence intruded themselues among them but as hearers onelie to come by more knowledge through their presence at the same Herein also for the most part two of the yoonger sort of ministers doo expound ech after other some péece of the scriptures ordinarilie appointed vnto them in their courses wherein they orderlie go through with some one of the euangelists or of the epistles as it pleaseth the whole assemblie to choose at the first in euerie of these conferences and when they haue spent an houre or a little more betwéene them then commeth one of the better learned sort who being a graduat for the most part or knowne to be a preacher sufficientlie authorised of a sound iudgement supplieth the roome of a moderator making first a breefe rehearsall of their discourses and then adding what him thinketh good of his owne knowledge wherby two houres are thus commonlie spent at this most profitable méeting When all is doone if the first speakers haue shewed anie peece of diligence they are commended for their trauell and incouraged to go forward If they haue béene found to be slacke or not sound in deliuerie of their doctrine their negligence and error is openlie reprooued before all their brethren who go aside of purpose from the laitie after the exercise ended to iudge of these matters and consult of the next speakers and quantitie of the text to be handled in that place The laitie neuer speake of course except some vaine and busie head will now and then intrude themselues with offense but are onelie hearers and as it is vsed in some places wéekelie in other once in foureteene daies in diuerse monethlie and elsewhere twise in a yeare so is it a notable spurre vnto all the ministers thereby to applie their bookes which otherwise as in times past would giue themselues to hawking hunting tables cards dice tipling at the alehouse shooting of matches and other like vanities nothing commendable in such as should be godlie and zealous stewards of the good gifts of God faithfull distributors of his word vnto the people and diligent pastors according to their calling But alas as sathan the author of all mischéefe hath in sundrie manners heretofore hindered the erection and maintenance of manie good things so in this he hath stirred vp aduersaries of late vnto this most profitable exercise who not regarding the commoditie that riseth thereby so well to the hearers as spekers but either stumbling I cannot tell how at words and termes or at the least wise not liking to here of the reprehension of vice or peraduenture taking a misliking at the slender demeanours of such negligent ministers as now and then in their courses doo occupie the roomes haue either by their owne practise their sinister information or suggestions made vpon surmises vnto other procured the suppression of these conferences condemning them as hurtfull pernicious and dailie bréeders of no small hurt inconuenience But hereof let God be iudge vnto whome the cause belongeth Our elders or ministers and deacons for subdeacons and the other inferiour orders sometime vsed in popish church we haue not are made according to a certeine forme of consecration concluded vpon in the time of king Edward the sixt by
a golden crowne his lawes his foundations with other his acts and deeds The first Chapter NOw to proceede with the aforesaid authors Mulmucius Dunwallō or as other saie Dunuallo Mulmucius the sonne of Cloton as testifieth th' english chronicle and also Geffrey of Monmouth got the vpper hand of the other dukes or rulers and after his fathers deceasse began his reigne ouer the whole monarchie of Britaine in the yéere of the world 3529 after the building of Rome 314 and after the deliuerance of the Israelites out of captiuitie 97 and about the 26 yéere of Darius Artaxerxes Longimanus the fift king of the Persians This Mulmucius Dunuallo is named in the english chronicle Donebant and prooued a right worthie prince He builded within the citie of London then called Troinouant a temple and named it the temple of peace the which as some hold opinion I wote not vpon what ground was the same which now is called Blackwell hall where the market for buieng and selling of cloths is kept The chronicle of England affirmeth that Mulmucius whome the old booke nameth Molle builded the two townes Malmesburie and the Uies He also made manie good lawes which were long after vsed called Mulmucius lawes turned out of the British spéech into the Latine by Gildas Priscus and long time after translated out of latine into english by Alfred king of England and mingled in his statutes He moreouer gaue priuileges to temples to plowes to cities and to high waies leading to the same so that whosoeuer fled to them should be in safegard from bodilie harme and from thence he might depart into what countrie he would with indemnitie of his person Some authors write that he began to make the foure great high waies of Britaine the which were finished by his sonne Blinus as after shall be declared After he had established his land and set his Britains in good and conuenient order he ordeined him by the aduise of his lords a crowne of gold caused himselfe with great solemnitie to be crowned according to the custome of 〈◊〉 lawes then in vse bicause he was the first that bare a crowne héere in Britaine after the opinion of some writers he is named the first king of Britaine and all the other before rehearsed are named rulers dukes or gouernors Amongst other of his ordinances he appointed weights and measures with the which men should buy and sell. And further he deuised sore and streight orders for the punishing of theft Finallie after he had guided the land by the space of fortie yéeres he died and was buried in the foresaid temple of peace which he had erected within the citie of Troinouant now called London as before ye haue heard appointing in his life time that his kingdome should be diuided betwixt his two sonnes Brennus and Belinus as some men doo coniecture The ioint-gouernment of Belinus and Brennus the two sonnes of Mulmucius their discontentment the stratagems of the one against the other the expulsion of Brennus out of Britaine The second Chapter BRennus and Belinus began to reigne iointlie as kings in Britaine in the yéere of the world 3574 after the building of the citie of Rome 355 and after the deliuerance of the Israelites out of captiuitie 142 which was about the seuenth yéere of Artaxerxes surnamed Mnenon the seuenth king of the Persians Belinus held vnder his gouernment Loegria Wales and Cornwall and Brennus all those countries ouer and beyond Humber And with this partition were they contented by the tearme of six or seuen yéeres after which time expired Brennus coueting to haue more than his portion came to first thought to purchase himselfe aid in forreine parties therefore by the prouocation and counsell of yong vnquiet heads sailed ouer into Norway and there married the daughter of Elsung or Elsing as then duke or ruler of that countrie Beline offended with his brother that he should thus without his aduice marrie with a stranger now in his absence seized all his lands townes and fortresses into his owne hands placing garisons of men of warre where he thought conuenient In the meane time Brenne aduertised hereof assembled a great nauie of ships well furnished with people and souldiers of the Norwegians with the which he tooke his course homewards but in the waie he was encountred by Guilthdacus king of Denmarke the which had laid long in wait for him bicause of the yoong ladie which Brenne had maried for whome he had béene a sutor to hir father Elsing of long time When these two fléetes of the Danes and Norwegians met there was a sore battell betwixt them but finallie the Danes ouercame them of Norway and tooke the ship wherein the new bride was conueied and then was she brought aboord the ship of Guilthdacus Brenne escaped by flight as well as he might But when Guilthdacus had thus obtained the victorie and prey suddenlie therevpon arose a sore tempest of wind and weather which scattered the Danish fleete and put the king in dangers to haue béene lost◠but finallie within fiue daies after being driuen by force of wind he landed in Northumberland with a few such ships as kept togither with him Beline being then in that countrie prouiding for defense against his brother vpon knowledge of the king of Denmarks arriuall caused him to be staied Shortlie after Brenne hauing recouered and gotten togither the most part of his ships that were dispersed by the discomfiture and then newlie rigged and furnished of all things necessarie sent word to his brother Beline both to restore vnto him his wife wrongfullie rauished by Guilthdacus and also his lands iniuriouslie by him seized and his possession These requests being plainlie and shortlie denied Brenne made no long delaie but spéedilie made toward Albania and landing with his armie in a part thereof incountred with his brother Beline néere vnto a wood named as then Calater where after cruell fight and mortall battell betwixt them at length the victorie abode with the Britains and the discomfiture did light so on the Norwegians that the most of them were wounded slaine and left dead vpon the ground Hereby Brenne being forced to flée made shift and got ouer into Gallia where after he had sued to this prince at length he abode and was well receiued of one Seguinus or Seginus duke of the people called then Allobrogs as Galfrid of Monmouth saith or rather Armorica which now is called Britaine as Polychronicon and the english historie printed by Caxton more trulie maie seeme to affirme But Beline hauing got the vpper hand of his enimies assembling his councell at Caerbranke now called York tooke aduise what he should doo with the king of Denmarke where it was ordeined that he should be set at libertie with condition and vnder couenant to acknowledge himselfe by dooing homage to hold his land of the king of
4. AS few or no nations can iustlie boast themselues to haue continued sithence their countrie was first replenished without any mixture more or lesse of forreine inhabitants no more can this our Iland whose manifold commodities haue oft allured sundrie princes and famous capteines of the world to conquer and subdue the same vnto their owne subiection Manie sorts of people therfore haue come in hither and settled themselues here in this I le and first of all other a parcell of the linage and posteritie of Iaphet brought in by Samothes in the 1910. after the creation of Adam Howbeit in processe of time and after they had indifferentlie replenished and furnished this Iland with people which was doone in the space of 335. yeares Albion the giant afore mentioned repaired hither with a companie of his owne race procéeding from Cham and not onelie annexed the same to his owne dominion but brought all such in like sort as he found here of the line of Iaphet into miserable seruitude and most extreame thraldome After him also and within lesse than sixe hundred and two yeares came Brute the sonne of Syluius with a great traine of the posteritie of the dispersed Troians in 324. ships who rendering the like courtesie vnto the Chemminits as they had doone before vnto the séed of Iaphet brought them also wholie vnder his rule and gouernance and dispossessing the peeres inferior owners of their lands and possessions he diuided the countrie among such princes and capteines as he in his arriuall here had led out of Grecia with him From hencefoorth I doo not find any sound report of other nation whatsoeuer that should aduenture hither to dwell and alter the state of the land vntill the Romane emperours subdued it to their dominion sauing of a few Galles and those peraduenture of Belgie who first comming ouer to rob and pilfer vpon the coasts did afterward plant themselues for altogither neere vnto the shore and there builded sundrie cities and townes which they named after those of the maine from whence they came vnto vs. And this is not onelie to be gathered out of Cesar where he writeth of Britaine of set purpose but also else-where as in his second booke a litle after the beginning for speaking of Deuiaticus king of the Swessions liuing in his time he affirmeth him not onelie to be the mightiest prince of all the Galles but also to hold vnder his subiection the I le of Britaine of which his sonne Galba was afterward dispossessed But after the comming of the Romans it is hard to say with how manie sorts of people we were dailie pestered almost in euerie steed For as they planted their forworne legions in the most fertile places of the realme and where they might best lie for the safegard of their conquests so their armies did commonlie consist of manie sorts of people and were as I may call them a confused mixture of all other countries and nations then liuing in the world Howbeit I thinke it best bicause they did all beare the title of Romans to reteine onelie that name for them all albeit they were wofull ghests to this our Iland sith that with them came all maner of vice and vicious liuing all riot and excesse of behauiour into our countrie which their legions brought hither from each corner of their dominions for there was no prouince vnder them from whence they had not seruitours How and when the Scots a people mixed of the Scithian and Spanish blood should arriue here out of Ireland when the Picts should come vnto vs out of Sarmatia or from further toward the north the Scithian Hyperboreans as yet it is vncerteine For though the Scotish histories doo carrie great countenance of their antiquitie in this Iland yet to saie fréelie what I thinke I iudge them rather to haue stolne in hither within the space of 100. yeares before Christ than to haue continued here so long as they themselues pretend if my coniecture be any thing Yet I denie not but that as the Picts were long planted in this Iland before the Scots aduentured to settle themselues also in Britaine so the Scots did often aduenture hither to rob and steale out of Ireland and were finallie called in by the Meats or Picts as the Romans named them because they painted their bodies to helpe them against the Britains after the which they so planted themselues in these parts that vnto our time that portion of the land cannot he cleansed of them I find also that as these Scots were reputed for the most Scithian-like and barbarous nation and longest without letters so they vsed commonlie to steale ouer into Britaine in leather skewes and began to helpe the Picts about or not long before the beginning of Cesars time For both Diodorus lib. 6. and Strabo lib. 4. doo seeme to speake of a parcell of the Irish nation that should inhabit Britaine in their time which were giuen to the eating of mans flesh and therefore called Anthropophagi Mamertinus in like sort dooth note the Redshanks and the Irish which are properlie the Scots to be the onelie enimies of our nation before the comming of Caesar as appeareth in his panegyricall oration so that hereby it is found that they are no new ghestes in Britaine Wherefore all the controuersie dooth rest in the time of their first attempt to inhabit in this Iland Certeinlie I maruell much whie they trauell not to come in with Cantaber and Partholonus but I see perfectlie that this shift should be too grosse for the maintenance of their desired antiquitie Now as concerning their name the Saxons translated the word Scotus for Irish whereby it appeareth that those Irish of whom Strabo and Diodorus doo speake are none other than those Scots of whom Ierome speaketh A duersus Iouinianum lib. 2. who vsed to féed on the buttocks of boies and womens paps as delicate dishes Aethicus writing of the I le of Man affirmeth it to be inhabited with Scots so well as Ireland euen in his time Which is another proofe that the Scots and Irish are all one people They were also called Scoti by the Romans bicause their Iland originall inhabitation thereof were vnknowne and they themselues an obscure nation in the sight of all the world Now as concerning the Picts whatsoeuer Ranulphus Hygden imagineth to the contrarie of their latter enterance it is easie to find by Herodian and Mamertinus of which the one calleth them Meates the other Redshankes and Pictones that they were setled in this I le long before the time of Seuerus yea of Caesar and comming of the Scots Which is proofe sufficient if no further authoritie remained extant for the same So that the controuersie lieth not in their comming also but in the true time of their repaire and aduenture into this Iland out of the Orchades out of which they gat ouer into the North parts of our countrie as the
driuen after the Sarons had made a full conquest of the other which we now call England although the pristinate integritie thereof be not a little diminished by mixture of the Latine and Saxon speaches withall Howbeit manie poesies and writings in making whereof that nation hath euermore delited are yet extant in my time wherby some difference betwéene the ancient and present language may easilie be discerned notwithstanding that among all these there is nothing to be found which can set downe anie sound and full testimonie of their owne originall in remembrance whereof their Bards and cunning men haue béene most slacke and negligent Giraldus in praising the Britons affirmeth that there is not one word in all their language that is not either Gréeke or Latine Which being rightly vnderstanded and conferred with the likenesse that was in old time betwéene the Celts the British toongs will not a little helpe those that thinke the old Celtish to haue some fauour of the Gréeke But how soeuer that matter standeth after the British speach came once ouer into this Iland sure it is that it could neuer be extinguished for all the attempts that the Romans Saxons Normans and Englishmen could make against that nation in anie maner of wise Petigrées and genealogies also the Welsh Britons haue plentie in their owne toong insomuch that manie of them can readilie deriue the same either from Brute or some of his band euen vnto Aeneas and other of the Troians and so foorth vnto Noah without anie maner of stop But as I know not what credit is to be giuen vnto them in this behalfe although I must néeds confesse that their ancient Bards were verie diligent in there collection and had also publike allowance or salarie for the same so I dare not absolutelie impugne their assertions sith that in times past all nations learning it no doubt of the Hebrues did verie solemnelie preserue the catalogs of their descents thereby either to shew themselues of ancient and noble race or else to be descended from some one of the gods But Stemmata quid faciunt quid prodest Pontice longo Sanguine censeri aut quid auorum ducere turmas c. Next vnto the British speach the Latine toong was brought in by the Romans and in maner generallie planted through the whole region as the French was after by the Normans Of this toong I will not say much bicause there are few which be not skilfull in the same Howbeit as the speach it selfe is easie and dâ—lectable so hath it peruerted the names of the ancient riuers regions cities of Britaine in such wise that in these our daies their old British denominations are quite growne out of memorie and yet those of the new Latine left as most vncertaine This remaineth also vnto my time borowed from the Romans that all our déeds euidences charters writings of record are set downe in the Latine toong though now verie barbarous and therevnto the copies and court-rolles and processes of courts and leets registred in the same The third language apparantlie knowne is the Scithian or high Dutch induced at the first by the Saxons which the Britons call Saysonaec as they doo the speakers Sayson an hard and rough kind of speach God wot when our nation was brought first into acquaintance withall but now changed with vs into a farre more fine and easie kind of vtterance and so polished and helped with new and milder words that it is to be aduouched how there is no one speach vnder the sunne spoken in our time that hath or can haue more varietie of words copie of phrases or figures and floures of eloquence than hath our English toong although some haue affirmed vs rather to barke as dogs than talke like men bicause the most of our words as they doo indéed incline vnto one syllable This also is to be noted as a testimonie remaining still of our language deriued from the Saxons that the generall name for the most part of euerie skilfull artificer in his trade endeth in Here with vs albeit the H be left out and er onlie inserted as Scriuenhere writehere shiphere c for scriuener writer and shipper c beside manie other relikes of that spéech neuer to be abolished After the Saxon toong came the Norman or French language ouer into our countrie and therein were our lawes written for a long time Our children also were by an especiall decrée taught first to speake the same and therevnto inforced to learne their constructions in the French whensoeuer they were set to the Grammar schoole In like sort few bishops abbats or other clergie men were admitted vnto anie ecclesiasticall function here among vs but such as came out of religious houses from beyond the seas to the end they should not vse the English toong in their sermons to the people In the court also it grew into such contempt that most men thought it no small dishonor to speake any English there Which brauerie tooke his hold at the last likewise in the countrie with euerie plowman that euen the verie carters began to wax wearie of there mother toong laboured to speake French which as then was counted no small token of gentilitie And no maruell for euerie French rascall when he came once hither was taken for a gentleman onelie bicause he was proud and could vse his owne language and all this I say to exile the English and British speaches quite out of the countrie But in vaine for in the time of king Edward the first to wit toward the latter end of his reigne the French it selfe ceased to be spoken generallie but most of all and by law in the midst of Edward the third and then began the English to recouer and grow in more estimation than before notwithstanding that among our artificers the most part of their implements tooles and words of art reteine still their French denominations euen to these our daies as the language it selfe is vsed likewise in sundrie courts bookes of record and matters of law whereof here is no place to make any particular rehearsall Afterward also by diligent trauell of Geffray Chaucer and Iohn Gowre in the time of Richard the second and after them of Iohn Scogan and Iohn Lydgate monke of Berrie our said toong was brought to an excellent passe notwithstanding that it neuer came vnto the type of perfection vntill the time of Quéene Elizabeth wherein Iohn Iewell B. of Sarum Iohn Fox and sundrie learned excellent writers haue fullie accomplished the ornature of the same to their great praise and immortall commendation although not a few other doo greatlie séeke to staine the same by fond affectation of forren and strange words presuming that to be the best English which is most corrupted with externall termes of eloquence and sound of manie syllables But as this excellencie of the English toong is found in one and the south part of this Iland so
vnto or not verie farre from the coasts of Britaine many faire Ilands wherof Ireland with hir neighbors not here handled séeme to be the cheefe But of the rest some are much larger or lesse than other diuers in like sort enuironed continuallie with the salt sea whereof I purpose onelie to intreat although not a few of them be Ilands but at the floud and other finallie be clipped partlie by the fresh and partlie by the salt water or by the fresh alone whereof I may speake afterward Of these salt Ilands for so I call them that are enuironed with the Ocean waues some are fruitfull in wood corne wild foule and pasture ground for cattell albeit that manie of them be accounted barren bicause they are onelie replenished with conies and those of sundrie colours cherished of purpose by the owners for their skins or carcases in their prouision of household without either man or woman otherwise inhabiting in them Furthermore the greatest number of these Ilands haue townes and parish-churches within their seuerall precincts some mo some lesse and beside all this are so inriched with commodities that they haue pleasant hauens fresh springs great store of fish and plentie of cattell wherby the inhabitants doo reape no small aduantage How manie they are in number I cannot as yet determine bicause mine informations are not so fullie set downe as the promises of some on the one side mine expectation on the other did extend vnto Howbeit first of all that there are certeine which lie neere togither as it were by heapes and clusters I hope none will readilie denie Of these also those called the Nesiadae Insulae Scylurum Silcustrae Syllanae now the Sorlings and Iles of Silley lieng beyond Cornwall are one and confeâ—eth in number one hundreth fourtie and seauen each of them bearing grasse besides shelfes and shallowes In like sort the companie of the Hebrâ—des in old time subiect vnto Ireland are another which are said to be 43. situat vpon the west side of this Iand betweene Ireland Scotland and of which there are some that repute Anglesei Mona Caesaris and other lieng betweene them to be parcell in their corrupted iudgement The third cluster or bunch consisteth of those that are called the Orchades and these lie vpon the northwest point of Scotland being 31. alià s 28. in number as for the rest they lie scattered here and there and yet not to be vntouched as their courses shall come about There are also the 18. Shetland Iles and other yet farther distant from them of which Iohn Frobuser I doubt not touched vpon some in his voiage to Meta Incognita but for somuch as I must speake of the Shetlands hereafter I doo not meane to spend anie time about them as yet There haue beene diuers that haue written of purpose De insulis Britanniae as Caesar doth confesse The like also may be seene by Plutarch who nameth one Demetrius a Britaine that should set foorth an exact treatise of each of them in order and among other tell of certeine desert Iles beyond Scotland dedicated to sundrie gods and goddesses but of one especiallie where Briareus should hold Saturne and manie other spirits fast bound with the chaines of an heauie sléepe as he heard of which some die now and then by meane wherof the aire becommeth maruellouslie troubled c as you may sée in Plutarch De cessatione oraculorum c. But sith those bookes are now perished and the most of the said Ilands remaine vtterlie vnknowen euen to our owne selues for who is able in our time to say where is Glota Hiuerion Etta Iduna Armia Aesarea Barsa Isiandium Icdelis Xantisma Indelis Siata Ga. Andros or Edros Siambis Xanthos Ricnea Menapia c whose names onelie are lest in memorie by ancient writers but I saie their places not so much as heard of in our daies I meane God willing to set downe so manie of them with their commodities as I doo either know by Leland or am otherwise instructed of by such as are of credit Herein also I will touch at large those that are most famous and breeflie passe ouer such as are obscure and vnknowen making mine entrance at the Thames mouth and directing this imagined course for I neuer sailed it by the south part of the Iland into the west From thence in like sort I will proceed into the north come about againe by the east side into the fall of the aforesaid streame where I will strike saile and safelie be set a shore that haue often in this voiage wanted water but oftener béene set a ground especiallie on the Scotish side In beginning therefore with such as lie in the mouth of the aforesaid riuer I must néeds passe by the How which is not an Iland and therefore not within the compasse of my description at this time but almost an Iland which parcels the Latins call Peninsulas and I doo english a Byland vsing the word for such as a man may go into drie-footed at the full sea or on horssebacke at the low water without anie boat or vessell and such a one almost is Rochford hundred in Essex also yet not at this time to be spoken of bicause not the sea onelie but the fresh water also doth in maner enuiron it and is the cheefe occasion wherfore it is called an Iland This How lieth between Cliffe in old time called Clouesho to wit Cliffe in How or in the hundred of How the midwaie that goeth along by Rochester of which hundred there goeth an old prouerbe in rime after this maner He that rideth into the hundred of How Beside pilfering sea-men shall find durt ynow Next vnto this we haue the Greane wherein is a towne of the same denomination an I le supposed to be foure miles in length and two in bredth Then come we to Shepey which Ptolomie calleth Counos conteining seauen miles in length and three in bredth wherein is a castell called Quinborow and a parke beside foure townes of which one is named Minster another Eastchurch the third Warden and the fourth Leyden the whole soile being throughlie fed with shéepe verie well woodded and as I heare belongeth to the Lord Cheyney as parcell of his inheritance It lieth thirtéene miles by water from Rochester but the castell is fiftéene and by south thereof are two small Ilands wherof the one is called Elmesie and the more easterlie Hertesie In this also is a towne called Hertie or Hartie and all in the Lath of Scraie notwithstanding that Hartie lieth in the hundred of Feuersham and Shepey reteineth one especiall Bailie of hir owne From hence we passe by the Reculuers or territorie belonging in time past to one Raculphus who erected an house of religion or some such thing there vnto a little Iland in the Stoure mouth Herevpon also the Thanet abutteth which Ptolomie calleth
Grimsdale Kirke Andros Beaumont falleth into the sea beneath the Rowcliffe castell And thus much of the Eden which Leland neuerthelesse describeth after another sort whose words I will not let to set downe here in this place as I find them in his commentaries The Eden after it hath run a pretie space from his head méeteth in time with the Ulse water which is a great brooke in Westmerland and rising aboue Maredale a mile west of Loder it commeth by the late dissolued house of Shappe priorie théee miles from Shappe and by Brampton village into Loder or Lodon Certes this streame within halfe a mile of the head becommeth a great lake for two miles course and afterward waxing narrow againe it runneth foorth in a meane and indifferent bottome The said Eden in like sort receiueth the Aimote about thrée miles beneath Brougham castell and into the same Aimote falleth the Dacor becke alreadie touched which riseth by northwest in Materdale hils foure miles aboue Dacor castell and then going through Dacor parke it runneth by east a good mile lower into Eimote a little beneath Delamaine which standeth on the left side of Dacor In one of his bookes also he saith how Carleill standeth betwéene two streames that is to saie the Deua which commeth thither from by southwest and also the Logus tha descendeth from the southeast He addeth moreouer how the Deua in times past was named Uala or Bala and that of the names of these two Lugibala for Caerleill hath beene deriued c. and thus much out of Leland But where he had the cause of this his coniecture as yet I haue not read Of this am I certeine that I vse the names of most riuers hete and else-where described accordinglie as they are called in my time although I omit not to speake here and there of such as are more ancient where iust occasion mooueth me to remember them for the better vnderstanding of our histories as they doo come to hand Blacke Leuen and white Leuen waters fall into the sea in one chanell and with them the Lamford and the Eske the last confluence being not a full mile from the maine sea The white and blacke Leuen ioining therfore aboue Bucknesse the confluence goeth to Bracken hill Kirkleuenton and at Tomunt water meeteth with the Eske In like sort the Kirsop ioining with the Lidde out of Scotland at Kirsop foot running by Stangerdike side Harlow Hathwater and taking in the Eske aboue the Mote it looseth the former name and is called Eske vntill it come to the sea Hauing thus gone thorough the riuers of England now it resteth that we procéed with those which are to be found vpon the Scotish shore in such order as we best may vntill we haue fetched a compasse about the same and come vnto Barwike whence afterward it shall be easie for vs to make repaire vnto the Thames from which we did set forward in the beginning of our voiage The first riuer that I met withall on the Scotish coast is the Eske after I came past the Solueie which hath his head in the Cheuiot hilles runneth by Kirkinton and falleth into the sea at Borow on the sands This Eske hauing receiued the Ewis falleth into the Solueie first at Atterith After this I passed ouer a little créeke from Kirthell and so to Anand whereof the vallie Anandale dooth séeme to take the name There is also the Nide whereof commeth Nidsdale the Ken the Dée the Crale and the Bladnecke and all these besides diuerse other small rilles of lesse name doo lie vpon the south of Gallowaie On the north side also we haue the Ruan the Arde the Cassile Dune the Burwin the Cluide wherevpon sometime stood the famous citie of Alcluide and whereinto runneth the Carath the Hamell the Dourglesse and the Lame From hence in like maner we came vnto the Leuind mouth wherevnto the Blake on the southwest and the Lomund lake with his fléeting Iles and fish without finnes yet verie holesone dooth séeme to make his issue This lake of Lomund in calme weather ariseth sometimes so high and swelleth with such terrible billowes that it causeth the best marriners of Scotland to abide the leisure of this water before they dare aduenture to hoise vp sailes on hie The like is seene in windie weather but much more perillous There are certeine Iles also in the same which mooue and remooue oftentimes by force of the water but one of them especiallie which otherwise is verie fruitfull for pasturage of cattell Next vnto this is the Leue the Rage the Long the Goile the Heke which for the excéeding greatnesse of their heads are called lakes Then haue we the Robinseie the Foreland the Tarbat the Lean and the Abir wherevnto the Spanseie the Loine the Louth the Arke and the Zefe doo fall there is also the Sell the Zord the Owin the Newisse the Orne the Lang the Drun the Hew the Brun the Kell the Dowr the Faro the Nesse the Herre the Con the Glasse the Maur the Urdall the Fers that commeth out of the Caldell the Fairsoke which two latter lie a little by west of the Orchades and are properlie called riuers bicause they issue onelie from springs but most of the other takes bicause they come from linnes and huge pooles or such low bottomes fed with springs as séeme to haue no accesse but onelie recesse of waters whereof there be manie in Scotland But to procéed Hauing once past Dungisbie head in Cathnesse we shall yer long come to the mouth of the Wifle a prettie streame comming by south of the mounteins called the Maidens pappes Then to the Browre the Clin the Twin whereinto runneth three riuers the Shin the Sillan and Carew the Nesse which beside the plentie of samon found therein is neuer frosen nor suffereth yce to remaine there that is cast into the poole From thence we come vnto the Narding the Finderne the Spaie which receiues the Uine the Fitch the Bulich the Arrian the Leuin and the Bogh from whence we saile vntill we come about the Buquhan head and so to the Downe and d ee which two streames bring forth the greatest samons that are to be he had in Scotland and most plentie of the same Then to the north Eske whereinto the Esmond runneth aboue Brechin the south Eske then the Louen and the Taw which is the finest riuer for water that is in all Scotland and wherevnto most riuers and lakes doo run As Farlake Yrth Goure Loich Cannach Linell Loion Irewer Erne and diuerse other besides small rillets which I did neuer looke vpon Then is there the lake Londors vpon whose mouth saint Andrewes dooth stand
epistles where he saith Modò mihi date Britanniam quam pingam coloribus tuis penicillo meo c. But sithence that was not performed and the treatise of Demetrius and other of the same argument are perished which were of some value let this trifle I beseech you not be reiected till some other man of better skill shall haue drawne a more absolute péece of workemanship wherevnto my vnskilfulnesse I hope shall prooue no hinderance Of the maruels of England Chap. 24. SUch as haue written of the woonders of our countrie in old time haue spoken no doubt of manie things which deserue no credit at all and therefore in séeking thankes of their posteritie by thier trauell in this behalfe they haue reaped the reward of iust reproch and in stéed of fame purchased vnto themselues nought else but méere discredit in their better and more learned treatises The like commonlie happeneth also to such as in respect of lucre doo publish vnprofitable and pernicious volumes wherby they doo consume their times in vaine and in manifold wise become preiudiciall vnto their common wealths For my part I will not touch anie man herein particularlie no not our Demetrius of whom Plutarch speaketh in his oracles if those bookes were written by him for some thinke that Plutarch neuer wrote them although Eusebius lib. 4. cap. 8. dooth acknowledge them to be his which Demetrius left sundrie treatises behind him conteining woonderfull things collected of our Iland But sith that in my time they are found to be false it should be far vnmeet to remember them anie more for who is he which will beléeue that infernall spirits can die and giue vp their ghosts like mortall men though Saxo séeme to consent vnto him in this behalfe In speaking also of the out Iles he saith thus Beyond Britaine are manie desolate Ilands whereof some are dedicated to the Gods some to the noble Heroes I sailed saith he by the helpe of the king vnto one that laie néere hand onelie to see and view the same in which I found few inhabitants and yet such as were there were reputed and taken for men of great pietie and holinesse During the time also that I remained in the same it was vexed with great storme and tempest which caused me not a little to doubt of my safe returne In the end demanding of the inhabitants what the cause should be of this so great and sudden mutation of the aire they answered that either some of the Gods or at the least of the Heroes were latelie deceased for as a candle said they hurteth none whilest it burneth but being stenderlie put out annoieth manie with the filthie sauour so these Gods whilest they liued were either not hurtfull or verie beneficiall to mankind but being once deceassed they so mooue the heauens and aire that much mischéefe dooth insue eftsoones vpon the same Being also inquisitiue of the state of other Iles not farre off they told him further how there was one hard by wherin Saturne being ouertaken with a dead sléepe was watched by Briarous as he laie which Saturne also had manie spirits attending vpon him in sundrie functions and offices By which reports it is easie to conceiue with what vaine stuffe that volume of Demetrius is interlaced But of such writers as we haue too too manie so among the said rable Geruase of Tilberie is not the least famous a man as it were euen sold to vtter matters of more admiration than credit to the world For what a tale telleth he in his De otio imperiali of Wandleburie hilles that lie within sight by south of Cambridge where the Uandals incamped sometime when they entered into this Iland and of a spirit that would of custome in a moone shine night if he were chalenged and called therevnto run at tilt and turneie in complet armor with anie knight or gentleman whomsoeuer in that place and how one Osbert of Barnewell hearing the report thereof armed himselfe and being well mounted rode thither alone with one esquier and called for him who foorthwith appeared in rich armour and answered his chalenge so that running togither verie fiercelie they met with such rigor that the answerer was ouerthrowne and borne downe to the ground After this they bickered on foot so long till Osbert ouercame and draue him to flight who departed leauing his horsse behind him which was of huge stature blacke as he saith of colour with his furniture of the same hue and wherevpon he seized giuing him vnto his page who caried him home and there kept him till it was néere daie during which space he was seene of manie But when the daie light began to shew it selfe somewhat cléere the beast stamped and snorted and foorthwith breaking his raine he ran awaie and was no more heard of to his knowledge in that countrie In the meane season Osbert being verie faint and waxing wearie for he was sore wounded in the thigh which either he knew not of or at the leastwise dissembled to know it caused his leg-harnesse or stéelebootes to be pulled off which his fréends saw to be full of bloud spilled in the voiage But let who so list beléeue it sith it is either a fable deuised or some diuelish illusion if anie such thing were doone And on mine owne behalfe hauing I hope the feare of God before my eies I purpose here to set downe no more than either I know my selfe to be true or am crediblie informed to be so by such godly men as to whom nothing is more deare than to speake the truth and not anie thing more odious than to discredit themselues by lieng In writing therefore of the woonders of England I find that there are foure notable things which for their rarenesse amongst the common sort are taken for the foure miracles and woonders of the land The first of these is a vehement and strong wind which issueth out of the hilles called the Peke so violent and strong that at certeine times if a man doo cast his cote or cloake into the caue from whence it issueth it driueth the same backe againe hoising it aloft into the open aire with great force and vehemencie Of this also Giraldus speaketh The second is the miraculous standing or rather hanging of certeine stones vpon the plaine of Salisburie whereof the place is called Stonehenge And to saie the truth they may well be woondered at not onelie for the manner of position whereby they become verie difficult to be numbred but also for their greatnesse strange maner of lieng of some of them one vpon another which séemeth to be with so tickle hold that few men go vnder them without feare of their present ruine How and when these stones were brought thither as yet I can not read howbeit it is most likelie that they were raised there by the Britons after the slaughter of their nobilitie at the deadlie banket which Hengist and his Saxons prouided for them where
Lancastershire onelie not subiect to the sée of Chester and when the pope bare authoritie in this realme it paid vnto his see 1000 ducates beside 5000 for the pall of the new elect which was more than he could well spare of late considering the curtailing diminution of his sée thorough the erection of a new metropolitane in Scotland but in my time it yéeldeth 1609 pounds ninetéene shillings two pence to hir maiestie whom God long preserue vnto vs to his glorie hir comfort and our welfares Chester vpon Dee otherwise called Westchester hath vnder hir iurisdiction in causes ecclesiasticall Chestershire Darbishire the most part of Lancastershire to wit vnto the Ribell Richmond and a part of Flint and Denbigh shires in Wales was made a bishoprike by king H. 8. anno regni 33. Iulij 16 and so hath continued since that time being valued 420 pounds by the yeare beside od twentie pence a streict reckoning as the record declareth Durham hath the countie of Durham and Northumberland with the Dales onelie vnder hir iurisdiction and hereof the bishops haue sometimes béene earles palantines ruled the rost vnder the name of the bishoprike and succession of S. Cuthbert It was a sée in mine opinion more profitable of late vnto hir maiesties coffers by 221 pounds eighteene shillings ten pence sarthing and yet of lesse countenance than hir prouinciall neuertheles the sunne-shine thereof as I heare is now somewhat eclipsed and not likelie to recouer the light for this is not a time wherein the câ—â—rch may looke to increase in hir estate I heare also that some other flitches haue forgone the like collops but let such maters be scanned by men of more discretion Capgraue saith how that the first bishop of this sée was called bishop of Lindseie or Lincolne that Ceadda laie in Liechfield of the Mercians in a mansion house néere the church But this is more worthie to be remembred that Cuthred of the Northumbers and Alfred of the Westsaxons bestowed all the land betwéene the These the Tine now called the bishoprike vpon S. Cuthbert beside whatsoeuer belonged to the sée of Hagulstade Edgar of Scotland also in the time of the Bastard gaue Coldingham and Berwike withall their appurtenances to that house but whether these donations be extant or no as yet I cannot tell Yet I thinke not but that Leland had a sight of them from whome I had this ground But whatsoeuer this bishoprike be now in externall outward apparance sure it is that it paid in old time 9000 ducates at euerie alienation to Rome as the record expresseth Aidan a Scot or Irishman was the first bishop of this sée who held himselfe as did manie of his successors at Colchester and in Lindeffarne I le till one came that remooued it to Durham And now iudge you whether the allegatlon of Capgraue be of anie accompt or not Caerleill was erected 1132 by Henrie the first and hereof one Ethelwoolfe confessor to Osmond bishop of Sarum was made the first bishop hauing Cumberland Westmerland assigned to his share of the deaneries and number of parish churches conteined in the same as yet I haue no knowledge more than of manie other Howbeit hereof I am sure that notwithstanding the present valuation be risen to 531 pounds foureteene shilings eleuen pence halfe penie the pope receiued out of it but 1000 florens and might haue spared much more as an aduersarie thereto confessed sometime euen before the pope himselfe supposing no lesse than to haue gained by his tale and so peraduenture should haue doone if his platforme had taken place But as wise men oft espie the practises of flatteries so the pope saw to what end this profitable speach was vttered As touching Caerleill it selfe it was sometime sacked by the Danes and eftsoones repared by William Rufus planted with a colonie of southerne men I suppose that in old time it was called Cairdoill For in an ancient booke which I haue séene and yet haue intituled Liber formularum literarum curiae Romanae octo capitulorum episcopatus Cardocensis And thus much generallie of the names and numbers of our bishoprikes of England whose tenths in old time yearelie amounting vnto 21111 pounds twelue shillings one penie halfe penie farthing of currant monie in those daies doo euidentlie declare what store of coine was transported out of the land vnto the papall vses in that behalfe onelie Certes I take this not to be one quarter of his gaines gotten by England in those daies for such commodities were raised by his courts holden here so plentifullie gat he by his perquisits as elections procurations appeales preuentions pluralities tot quots trialities tollerations legitimations bulles seales préests concubines eating of flesh and white meats dispensations for mariages times of celebration Peter pence and such like faculties that not so little as 1200000 pounds went yearelie from hence to Rome And therefore no maruell though he séeke much in these daies to reduce vs to his obedience But what are the tenths of England you will saie in comparison of all those of Europe For notwithstanding that manie good bishoprikes latelie erected be left out of his old bookes of record which I also haue séene yet I find neuertheles that the whole sum of them amounted to not aboue 61521 pounds as monie went 200 yeares before my time of which portion poore saint Peter did neuer heare of so much as one graie grote Marke therfore I praie you whether England were not fullie answerable to a third part of the rest of his tenths ouer all Europe and therevpon tell me whether our Iland was one of the best paire of bestowes or not that blue the fire in his kitchen wherewith to make his pot seeth beside all other commodities Beside all these we haue another bishoprike yet in England almost slipped out of my remembrance because it is verie obscure for that the bishop thereof hath not wherewith to mainteine his countenance sufficientlie and that is the see of Mona or Man somtime named Episcopatus Sodorensis whereof one Wimundus was ordeined the first bishop and Iohn the second in the troublesome time of king Stephan The gift of this prelacie resteth in the earles of Darbie who nominate such a one from time to time therto as to them dooth séeme conuenient Howbeit if that sée did know and might reape hir owne commodities and discerne them from other mens possessions for it is supposed that the mother hath deuoured the daughter I doubt not but the state of hir bishop would quicklie be amended Hauing therefore called this later sée after this maner vnto mind I suppose that I haue sufficientlie discharged my dutie concerning the state of our bishoprike and maner how the ecclesiasticall iurisdiction of the church of England is diuided among the shires and counties of this realme Whose bishops as they haue béene heretofore of lesse learning and yet of greater port dooings in the
purpose Such as are idle beggers through their owne default are of two sorts and continue their estates either by casuall or méere voluntarie meanes those that are such by casuall means are in the beginning tustlie to be referred either to the first or second sort of poore afore mentioned but degenerating into the thristlesse sort they doo what they can to continue their miserie and with such impediments as they haue to straie and wander about as creatures abhorring all labour and euerie honest exercise Certes I call these casuall meanes not in respect of the originall of their pouertie but of the continuance of the same from whence they will not be deliuered such is their owne vngratious lewdnesse and froward disposition The voluntarie meanes proceed from outward causes as by making of corosiues and applieng the same to the more fleshie parts of their bodies and also laieng of raâ—â—bane sperâ—wort crowfoot and such like vnto their whole members thereby to raise pitifull and odious sores and mooue the harts of the goers by such places where they lie to yerne at their miserie and therevpon bestow large almesse vpon them How artificiallie they beg what forcible spéech and how they select and choose out words of vehemencie whereby they doo in maner coniure or adsure the goer by to pitie their cases I passe ouer to remember as iudging the name of God and Christ to be more conuersant in the mouths of none and yet the presence of the heuenlie maiestie further off from no men than from this vngratious companie Which maketh me to thinke that punishment is farre meeter for them than liberalitie or almesse and sith Christ willeth vs cheeflie to haue a regard to himselfe and his poore members Unto this nest is another sort to be referred more sturdie than the rest which hauing sound and perfect lims doo yet notwithstanding sometime counterfeit the possession of all sorts of diseases Diuerse times in their apparell also they will be like seruing men or laborers oftentimes they can plaie the mariners and séeke for ships which they neuer lost But in fine they are all théeues and caterpillers in the common-wealth and by the word of God not permitted to eat sith they doo but licke the sweat from the true laborers browes beereue the godlie poore of that which is due vnto them to mainteine their excesse consuming the charitie of well disposed people bestowed vpon them after a most wicked detestable maner It is not yet full thréescore yeares since this trade began but how it hath prospered since that time it is easie to iudge for they are now supposed of one sex and another to amount vnto aboue 10000 persons as I haue heard reported Moreouer in counterfeiting the Egyptian roges they haue deuised a language among themselues which they name Canting but other pedlers French a speach compact thirtie yeares since of English and a great number of od words of their owne deuising without all order or reason and yet such is it as none but themselues are able to vnderstand The first deuiser thereof was hanged by the necke a iust reward no doubt for his deserts and a common end to all of that profession A gentleman also of late hath taken great paines to search out the secret practises of this vngratious rable And among other things he setteth downe and describeth thrée twentie sorts of them whose names it shall not be amisse to remember wherby ech one may take occasion to read and know as also by his industrie what wicked people they are and what villanie remaineth in them The seuerall disorders and degrees amongst our idle vagabonds 1 Rufflers 2 Uprightmen 3 Hookers or Anglers 4 Roges 5 Wild roges 6 Priggers or pransers 7 Palliards 8 Fraters 9 Abrams 10 Freshwater mariners or whipiacks 11 Dummerers 12 Drunken tinkers 13 Swadders or pedlers 14 Iarkemen or patricoes ¶ Of women kind 1 Demanders for glimmar or fire 2 Baudie baskets 3 Mortes 4 Autem mortes 5 Walking mortes 6 Doxes 7 Delles 8 Kinching mortes 9 Kinching cooes The punishment that is ordeined for this kind of people is verie sharpe and yet it can not restreine them from their gadding wherefore the end must néeds be martiall law to be exercised vpon them as vpon théeues robbers despisers of all lawes and enimies to the common-wealth welfare of the land What notable roberies pilferies murders rapes and stealings of yoong children burning breaking and disfiguring their lims to make them pitifull in the sight of the people I need not to rehearse but for their idle roging about the countrie the law ordeineth this maner of correction The roge being apprehended committed to prison and tried in the next assises whether they be of gaole deliuerie or sessions of the peace if he happen to be conuicted for a vagabond either by inquest of office or the testimonie of two honest and credible witnesses vpon their oths he is then immediatlie adiudged to be gréeuouslie whipped and burned through the gristle of the right eare with an hot iron of the compasse of an inch about as a manifestation of his wicked life and due punishment receiued for the same And this iudgement is to be executed vpon him except some honest person woorth fiue pounds in the quéenes books in goods or twentie shillings in lands or some rich housholder to be allowed by the iustices will be bound in recognisance to reteine him in his seruice for one whole yeare If he be taken the second time and proued to haue forsaken his said seruice he shall then be whipped againe bored likewise through the other eare and set to seruice from whence if he depart before a yeare be expired and happen afterward to be attached againe he is condemned to suffer paines of death as a fellon except before excepted without benefit of clergie or sanctuarie as by the statute dooth appeare Among roges and idle persons finallie we find to be comprised all proctors that go vp and downe with counterfeit licences coosiners and such as gad about the countrie vsing vnlawfull games practisers of physiognomie and palmestrie tellers of fortunes fensers plaiers minstrels iugglers pedlers tinkers pretensed schollers shipmen prisoners gathering for fees and others so oft as they be taken without sufficient licence From among which companie our beare wards are not excepted and iust cause for I haue read that they haue either voluntarilie or for want of power to master their sauage beasts béene occasion of the death and deuoration of manie children in sundrie countries by which they haue passed whose parents neuer knew what was become of them And for that cause there is haue béene manie sharpe lawes made for bearwards in Germanie wherof you may read in other But to our roges Each one also that harboreth or aideth them with meat or monie is taxed and compelled to fine with the quéenes maiestie for euerie time that he dooth so succour them as it shall please the
deserued better of their successours by leauing the description thereof in a booke by it selfe sith manie particulars thereof were written to their hands that now are lost and perished Tacitus in the foureteenth booke of his historie maketh mention of it shewing that in the rebellion of the Britons the Romans there were miserablie distressed Eadeth clades saith he municipio Verolamio fuit And herevpon Nennius in his catalog of cities casteth it Cair municip as I before haue noted Ptolonie speaking of it dooth place it among the Catyeâ—chlanes but Antoâ—â—nus maketh it one end twentie Italian miles from London placing Sullomaca nine mile from thence whereby it is euident that Sullomaca stood neere to Barnet if it were not the verie same Of the old compasse of the walles of Verolamlum there is now small knowledge to be had by the ruines but of the beautie of the citie it selfe you shall partlie vnderstand by that which followeth at hand after I haue told you for your better intelligence what Municipium Romanorum is for there is great difference betweene that and Colonia Romanorum sith Colonia alio traducitur a ciuitate Roma but Municipes aliundè in ciuitatem veniunt suisque iuribus legibus viuuni moreouer their soile is not changed into the nature of the Romane but they liue in the stedfast fréendship and protection of the Romans as did somtime the Ceretes who were the first people which euer obteined that priuilege The British Verolamians therefore hauing for their noble seruice in the warres deserued great commendations at the hands of the Romans they gaue vnto them the whole fréedome of Romans whereby they were made Municipes and became more frée in truth than their Colonies could be To conclude therefore Municipium is a citie in franchised and indued with Romane priuileges without anie alteration of hir former inhabitants or priuileges whereas a Colonie is a companie sent from Rome into anie other region or prouince to possesse either a citie newlie builded or to replenish the same from whence hir former citizens haue beene expelled and driuen out Now to proceed In the time of king Edgar it fell out that one Eldred was abbat there who being desirous to inlarge that house it came into his mind to search about in the ruines of Verolamium which now was ouerthrowne by the furie of the Saxons Danes to sée if he might there come by anie curious peeces of worke wherewith to garnish his building taken in hand To be short he had no sooner begun to dig among the rubbis but he found an excéeding number of pillers péeces of antike worke thresholds doore frames and sundrie other peeces of fine masonrie for windowes and such like verie conuenient for his purpose Of these also some were of porphyrite stone some of diuerse kinds of marble touch and alabaster beside manie curious deuises of hard mettall in finding whereof he thought himselfe an happie man and his successe to be greatlie guided by S. Albane Besides these also he found sundrie pillers of brasse and sockets of latton alabaster and touch all which he laid aside by great heaps determining in the end I saie to laie the foundation of a new abbaie but God so preuented his determination that death tooke him awaie before his building was begun After him succéeded one Eadmeerus who followed the dooings of Eldred to the vttermost and therefore not onlie perused what he had left with great diligence but also caused his pioners to search yet further within the old walles of Verolamium where they not onelie found infinite other péeces of excellent workemanship but came at the last to certeine vaults vnder the ground in which stood diuers idols and not a few altars verie superstitiouslie and religiouslie adorned as the pagans left them belike in time of necessitie These images were of sundrie mettals and some of pure gold their altars likewise were richlie couered all which ornaments Edmerus tooke awaie and not onelie conuerted them to other vse in his building but also destroied an innumerable sort of other idols whose estimation consisted in their formes and substances could doo no seruice He tooke vp also sundrie curious pots iugs and cruses of stone and wood most artificiallie wrought and carued and that in such quantitie besides infinite store of fine houshold stuffe as if the whole furniture of the citie had beene brought thither of purpose to be hidden in those vaults In proceeding further he tooke vp diuerse pots of gold siluer brasse glasse and earth whereof some were filled with the ashes and bones of the gentils the mouths being turned downewards the like of which but of finer earth were found in great numbers also of late in a well at little Massingham in Norffolke of six or eight gallons a péece about the yeare 1578 and also in the time of Henrie the eight and not a few with the coines of the old Britons and Romane emperours All which vessels the said abbat brake into péeces and melting the mettall he reserued it in like sort for the garnishing of his church He found likewise in a stone wall two old bookes whereof one conteined the rites of the gentils about the sacrifices of their gods the other as they now saie the martyrdome of saint Albane both of them written in old Brittish letters which either bicause no man then liuing could read them or for that they were not woorth the keeping were both consumed to ashes sauing that a few notes were first taken out of this later concerning the death of their Albane Thus much haue I thought good to note of the former beautie of Verolamium whereof infinite other tokens haue beene found since that time and diuerse within the memorie of man of passing workemanship the like whereof hath no wher 's else béene séene in anie ruines within the compasse of this I le either for cost or quantitie of stuffe Furthermore whereas manie are not afraid to saie that the Thames came sometimes by this citie indeed it is nothing so but that the Uerlume afterward called Uere and the Mure did and dooth so still whatsoeuer Gildas talketh hereof whose books may be corrupted in that behalfe there is yet euident proofe to be confirmed by experience For albeit that the riuer be now growne to be verie small by reason of the ground about it which is higher than it was in old time yet it kéepeth in maner the old course and runneth betwéene the old citie that was and the new towne that is standing on Holmehirst crag as I beheld of late Those places also which now are medow beneath the abbaie were sometimes a great lake mere or poole through which the said riuer ran and as I read with a verie swift and violent course wheras at this present it is verie slow and of no such deapth as of ancient times it hath beene But heare what mine author saith further of the same As those aforsaid workemen digged in these ruines
they happened oftentimes vpon Lempet shels péeces of rustie anchors and kéeles of great vessels wherevpon some by and by gathered that either the Thames or some arme of the sea did beat vpon that towne not vnderstanding that these things might aswell happen in great lakes and meres wherof there was one adioining to the north side of the citie which laie then as some men thinke vnwalled but that also is false For being there vpon occasion this summer passed I saw some remnant of the old wals standing in that place which appeared to haue béene verie substantiallie builded the ruines likewise of a greater part of them are to be séene running along by the old chappell hard by in maner of a banke Whereby it is euident that the new towne standeth cleane without the limits of the old and that the bridge whereof the historie of S. Albane speaketh was at the nether end 〈◊〉 Halliwell stréet or there about for so the view of the place doth inforce me to coniecture This mere which the Latine copie of the description of Britaine written of late by Humfrey Lhoid our countrie man calleth corruptlie Stagnum enaximum for Stagnum maximum at the first belonged to the king and thereby Offa in his time did reape no small commoditie It continued also vntill the time of Alfrijc the seuenth abbat of that house who bought it outright of the king then liuing and by excessiue charges drained it so narrowlie that within a while he left it drie sauing that he reserued a chanell for the riuer to haue hir vsuall course which he held vp with high bankes bicause there was alwaies contention betwéene the moonks and the kings seruants which fished on that water vnto the kings behoofe In these daies therefore remaineth no maner mention of this poole but onelie in one stréet which yet is called Fishpoole stréet wherof this may suffice for the resolution of such men as séeke rather to yéeld to an inconuenience than that their Gildas should seeme to mistake this riuer Hauing thus digressed to giue some remembrance of the old estate of Verolamium it is now time to returne againe vnto my former purpose Certes I would gladlie set downe with the names and number of the cities all the townes and villages in England and Wales with their true longitudes and latitudes but as yet I cannot come by them in such order as I would howbeit the tale of our cities is soone found by the bishoprikes sith euerie sée hath such prerogatiue giuen vnto it as to beare the name of a citie to vse Regaleius within hir owne limits Which priuilege also is granted to sundrie ancient townes in England especiallie northward where more plentie of them is to be found by a great deale than in the south The names therefore of our cities are these London Yorke Canturburie Winchester Cairleill Durham Elie. Norwich Lincolne Worcester Glocester Hereford Salisburie Excester Bath Lichfield Bristow Rochester Chester Chichester Oxford Peterborow Landaffe S. Dauids Bangor S. Asaph Whose particular plots and models with their descriptions shall insue if it may be brought to passe that the cutters can make dispatch of them before this chronologie be published Of townes and villages likewise thus much will I saie that there were greater store in old time I meane within three or foure hundred yeare passed than at this present And this I note out of diuerse records charters and donations made in times past vnto sundrie religious houses as Glassenburie Abbandon Ramseie Elie and such like and whereof in these daies I find not so much as the ruines Leland in sundrie places complaineth likewise of the decaie of parishes in great cities and townes missing in some six or eight or twelue churches and more of all which he giueth particular notice For albeit that the Saxons builded manie townes and villages and the Normans well more at their first comming yet since the first two hundred yeares after the latter conquest they haue gone so fast againe to decaie that the ancient number of them is verie much abated Ranulph the moonke of Chester telleth of generall surueie made in the fourth sixtéenth nineteenth of the reigne of William Conqueror surnamed the Bastard wherein it was found that notwithstanding the Danes had ouerthrowâ—e a great manie there were to the number of 52000 townes 45002 parish churches and 75000 knights fées whereof the cleargie held 28015. He addeth moreouer that there were diuerse other builded since that time within the space of an hundred yeares after the comming of the Bastard as it were in lieu or recompense of those that William Rufus pulled downe for the erection of his new forrest For by an old booke which I haue and sometime written as it seemeth by an vndershiriffe of Nottingham I find euen in the time of Edw. 4. 45120 parish churches and but 60216 knights fées whereof the cleargie held as before 28015 or at the least 28000 for so small is the difference which he dooth séeme to vse Howbeit if the assertions of such as write in our time concerning this matter either are or ought to be of anie credit in this behalfe you shall not find aboue 17000 townes and villages and 9210 in the whole which is little more than a fourth part of the aforesaid number if it be throughlie scanned Certes this misfortune hath not onelie happened vnto our Ile nation but vnto most of the famous countries of the world heretofore and all by the gréedie desire of such as would liue alone and onelie to themselues And hereof we may take example in Candie of old time called Creta which as Homer writeth was called Hetacompolis bicause it conteined an hundred cities but now it is so vnfurnished that it may hardlie be called Tripolis Diodorus Siculus saith that Aegypt had once 18000 cities which so decaied in processe of time that when Ptolomeus Lagus reigned there were not aboue 3000 but in our daies both in all Asia Aegypt this lesser number shall not verie readilie he found In time past in Lincolne as the fame goeth there haue beene two and fiftie parish churches and good record appeareth for eight and thirtie but now if there be foure and twentie it is all This inconuenience hath growen altogither to the church by appropriations made vnto monasteries and religious houses a terrible canker and enimie to religion But to leaue this lamentable discourse of so notable and gréeuous an inconuenience growing as I said by incroching and ioining of house to house and laieng land to land whereby the inhabitants of manie places of our countrie are deuoured and eaten vp and their houses either altogither pulled downe or suffered to decaie by litle and litle although sometime a poore man peraduenture dooth dwell in one of them who not being able to repare it suffereth it to fall downe thereto thinketh himselfe verie friendlie dealt withall if he may haue an acre of ground assigned vnto him whereon to kéepe
he they teach you to repent too late of your great gentlenesse Caietanus in his common-wealth hath finallie no liking of them as appéereth in his eight booke of that most excellent treatise But what haue I to deale whether they be profitable or not sith my purpose is rather to shew what plentie we haue of them which I will performe so far as shall be néedfull There haue béene in times past great store of castels places of defense within the realme of England of which some were builded by the Britons manie by the Romans Saxons and Danes but most of all by the barons of the realme in about the time of king Stephan who licenced each of them to build so manie as them listed vpon their owne demeasnes hoping thereby that they would haue imploied their vse to his aduantage and commoditie But finallie when he saw that they were rather fortified against himselfe in the end than vsed in his defense he repented all too late of his inconsiderate dealing sith now there was no remedie but by force for to subdue them After his decease king Henrie the second came no sooner to the crowne but he called to mind the inconuenience which his predecessour had suffered and he himselfe might in time sustaine by those fortifications Therefore one of the first things he did was an attempt to race and deface the most part of these holds Certes he thought it better to hazard the méeting of the enimie now and then in the plaine field than to liue in perpetuall feare of those houses and the rebellion of his lords vpon euerie light occasion conceiued who then were full so strong as he if not more strong and that made them the readier to withstand and gainesaie manie of those procéedings which he and his successours from time to time intended Herevpon therefore he caused more than eleuen hundred of their said castels to be raced and ouerthrowne whereby the power of his nobilitie was not a little restreined Since that time also not a few of those which remained haue decaied partlie by the commandement of Henrie the third and partlie of themselues or by conuersion of them into the dwelling houses of noble men their martiall fronts being remooued so that at this present there are verie few or no castels at all mainteined within England sauing onelie vpon the coasts and marches of the countrie for the better kéeping backe of the forren enimie when soeuer he shall attempt to enter and annoie vs. The most prouident prince that euer reigned in this land for the fortification thereof against all outward enimies was the late prince of famous memorie king Henrie the eight who beside that he repared most of such as were alreadie standing builded sundrie out of the ground For hauing shaken off the more than seruile yoke of popish tyrannie and espieng that the emperour was offended for his diuorce from quéene Catharine his aunt and thereto vnderstanding that the French king had coupled the Dolphin his sonne with the popes neece and maried his daughter to the king of Scots whereby he had cause more iustlie to suspect than safelie to trust anis one of them all as Lambert saith he determined to stand vpon his owne defense and therefore with no small spéed and like charge he builded sundrie blockehouses castels and platformes vpon diuerse frontiers of his realme but chieflie the east and southeast parts of England whereby no doubt he did verie much qualifie the conceiued grudges of his aduersaries and vtterlie put off their hastie purpose of inuasion But would to God he had cast his eie toward Harwich and the coasts of Norffolke and Suffolke where nothing as yet is doone albeit there be none so fit and likelie places for the enimie to enter vpon as in those parts where at a full sea they may touch vpon the shore and come to land without resistance And thus much brieflie for my purpose at this present For I néed not to make anie long discourse of castels sith it is not the nature of a good Englishman to regard to be caged vp as in a coope and hedged in with stone wals but rather to meet with his enimie in the plaine field at handstrokes where he may trauaise his ground choose his plot and vse the benefit of sunne shine wind and weather to his best aduantage commoditie Isocrates also saith that towres walles bulworkes soldiers and plentie of armour are not the best kéepers of kingdomes but freends loue of subiects obedience vnto martiall discipline which they want that shew themselues either cruell or couetous toward their people As for those tales that go of Beston castell how it shall saue all England on a daie and likewise the brag of a rebellious baron in old time named Hugh Bigot that said in contempt of king Henrie the third and about the fiftith yeare of his reigne If I were in my castell of Bungeie Vpon the water of Waueneie I wold not set a button by the king of Cockneie I repute them but as toies the first méere vaine the second fondlie vttered if anie such thing were said as manie other words are and haue béene spoken of like holds as Wallingford c but now growen out of memorie and with small losse not heard of among the common sort Certes the castell of Bungeie was ouerthrowen by the aforesaid prince the same yeare that he ouerthrew the walles and castell of Leircester also the castels of Treske and Malesar apperteining to Roger Mowbraie and that of Fremlingham belonging likewise to Hugh Bigot wherof in the chronologie following you may read at large I might here in like sort take occasion to speake of sundrie strong places where camps of men haue lien and of which we haue great plentie here in England in the plaine fields but I passe ouer to talke of any such néedlesse discourses This neuerthelesse concerning two of them is not to be omitted to wit that the one néere vnto Cambridge now Gogmagogs hill was called Windleburie before time as I read of late in an old pamphlet And to saie the truth I haue often heard them named Winterburie hilles which difference may easilie grow by corruption of the former word the place likewise is verie large and strong The second is to be séene in the edge of Shropshire about two miles from Colme betwéene two riuers the Clun or Colunus and the Tewie otherwise named Themis wherevnto there is no accesse but at one place The Welshmen call it Cair Carador and they are of the opinion that Caractatus king of the Sillures was ouercome there by Ostorius at such time as he fled to Cartimanda quéene of the Brigants for succour who betraied him to the Romans as you may sée in Tacitus Of palaces belonging to the prince Chap. 15. IT lieth not in me to set down exactlie the number names of the palaces belonging to the prince nor to make anie description of hir graces
genus delicti 21 Poena forisfactio non vna eadémque erit liberalis quem Dani Ealderman vocant illiberalis domini serui noti ignoti nec vna eadémque erit causarum tum ciuilium tum criminalium ferarum forestae ferarum regalium viridis veneris tractatio nam crimen veneris ab antiquo inter maiora non immeritò numerabatur viridis verò fractione chaceae nostrae regalis excepta ita pusillum exiguum est quòd vix earespicit nostra constitutio qui in hoc tamen deliquerit sit criminis forestae reus 22 Si liber aliquis feram forestae ad cursum impulerit siue casu siue praehabita voluntate ita vt cursu celeri cogatur fera anhelare decem solidis regi emendet si illiberalis dupliciter emendet si seruus careat corio 23 Si vero harum aliquot interfecerit soluat dupliciter persoluat sitque pretij sui reus contra regem 24 Sed si regalem feram quam Angli Staggon appellant alteruter coegerit anhelare alter per vnum annum alter per duos careat libertate naturali si verò seruus pro vtlegato habeatur quem Angli Frendlesman vocant 25 Si verò occiderit amittat liber scutum libertatis si sit illiberalis careat libertate si seruus vita 26 Episcopi abbates barones mei non calumniabuntur pro venatione si non regales feras occiderint siregales restabunt rei regi pro libito suo sine certa emendatione 27 Sunt aliae praeter feras forestae bestlae quae dum inter septa sepes forestae continentur emendationi fubiacent quales sunt capreoli lepores cuniculi Sunt alia quà m plurima animalia quae quāquam infra septa forestae viuunt oneri curae mediocrium subiacent forestae tamen nequaquā censeri possunt qualia sunt bubali vaccae similia Vulpes lupi nec forestae nec veneris habentur proinde eorum interfectio nulli emendationi subiacet Si tamen infra limites occiduntur fractio sit regalis chaceae mitiùs emendetur Aper verò quanquam forestae sit nullatenus tamen animal veneris haberi est assuetus 28 Bosco nec subbosco nostro sine licentia primariorum forestae nemo manum apponat quòd si quis fecerit reus sit fractionis regalis chaceae 29 Si quis verò ilicem aut arborē aliquam quae victum feris suppeditat sciderit praeter fractionem regalis chaceae emendet regi viginti solidis 30 Volo vt monis liber homo pro libito suo habeat venerem siue viridem in planis suis super terras suas sine chacea tamen deuitent omnes meam vbicúnque eam habere voluero 31 Nullus mediocris habebit nec custodiet canes quos Angli Greihounds appellant Liberali verò dum genuiscissio eorum facta fuerit coram primario forestae licebit aut sine genuiscissione dune remoti sunt à limitibus forestae per decem miliaria quando verò propiùs venerint emendet quodlibet miliare vno solido Siverò infra septa forestae reperiatur dominus canis forisfaciet decem solidos regi 32 Velteres verò quos Langeran appellant quia manifestè constat in ijs nihil esse periculi cuilibet licebit sine genuiscissione eos custodire Idem de canibus quos Ramhundt vocant 33 Quòdsi casu inauspicato huiusmodi canes rabidi fiant vbique vagātur negligentia dominorum redduntur illiciti emendetur regi pro illicitis c. Quòdsi intra septa forestae reperiantur talis exquiratur herus emendet secundum pretium hominis mediocris quòd secundum legem Werinorum 1. Churingorum est ducentorum solidorum 34 Si canis rabidus momorderit feram tunc emendet secundum pretiū hominis liberalis quod est duodecies solidis centum Si verò fera regalis morsa fuerit reus sit maximi criminis And these are the constitutions of Canutus concerning the forrest verie barbarouslie translated by those that tooke the same in hand Howbeit as I find it so I set it downe without anie alteration of my copie in anie iot or tittle Of gardens and orchards Chap. 19. AFter such time as Calis was woone from the French and that our countriemen had learned to trade into diuerse countries wherby they grew rich they began to wax idle also and therevpon not onlie left off their former painfulnesse and frugalitie but in like sort gaue themselues to liue in excesse and vanitie whereby manie goodlie commodities failed and in short time were not to be had amongst vs. Such strangers also as dwelled here with vs perceiuing our sluggishnesse and espieng that this idlenesse of ours might redound to their great profit foorthwith imploied their endeuours to bring in the supplie of such things as we lacked continuallie from forren countries which yet more augmented our idlenes For hauing all things at reasonable prices as we supposed by such means from them we thought it méere madnesse to spend either time or cost about the same here at home And thus we became enimies to our owne welfare as men that in those daies reposed our felicitie in following the wars wherewith we were often exercised both at home and other places Besides this the naturall desire that mankind hath to estéeme of things farre sought bicause they be rare and costlie and the irkesome contempt of things néere hand for that they are common and plentifull hath borne no small swaie also in this behalfe amongst vs. For hereby we haue neglected our owne good gifts of God growing here at home as vile and of no valure and had euerie trifle and toie in admiration that is brought hither from far countries ascribing I wot not what great forces and solemne estimation vnto them vntill they also haue waxen old after which they haue béene so little regarded if not more despised amongst vs than our owne Examples hereof I could set downe manie in manie things but sith my purpose is to deale to this time with gardens and orchards it shall suffice that I touch them onelie and shew our inconstancie in the same so farre as shall séeme be conuenient for my turne I comprehend therefore vnder the word garden all such grounds as are wrought with the spade by mans hand for so the case requireth Of wine I haue written alreadie else-where sufficientlie which commoditie as I haue learned further since the penning of that booke hath beene verie plentifull in this Iland not onlie in the time of the Romans but also since the conquest as I haue séene by record yet at this present haue we none at all or else verie little to speake of growing in this Iland which I impute not vnto the soile but the negligence of my countrimen Such herbes fruits and
time with application of one simple c if a Spaniard or Englishman stand in need of their helpe they are driuen to haue a longer space in their cures and now and then also to vse some addition of two or thrée simples at the most whose forces vnto them are throughlie knowne because their exercise is onelie in their owne as men that neuer sought or heard what vertue was in those that came from other countries And euen so did Marcus Cato the learned Roman indeuor to deale in his cures in sundrie diseases wherein he not onelie vsed such simples as were to be had in his owne countrie but also examined and learned the forces of each of them wherewith he dealt so diligentlie that in all his life time he could atteine to the exact knowledge but of a few and thereto wrote of those most learnedlie as would easilie be séene if those his bookes were extant For the space also of 600 yéeres the colewort onelie was a medicine in Rome for all diseases so that his vertues were thoroughlie knowne in those parts In Plinies time the like affection to forren drugs did rage among the Romans whereby their owne did grow in contempt Crieng out therefore of this extreame follie lib. 22. cap. 24 he speaketh after this maner Non placent remedia tam longè nascentia non enim nobis gignuntur immò ne illis quidem alioquin non venderent siplacet etiam superstitionis gratiâ emantur quoniam supplicamus c. Salutem quidem sine his posse constare vel obid probabimus vt tanto magis sui tandem pudeat For my part I doubt not if the vse of outlandish drugs had not blinded our physicians of England in times passed but that the vertues of our simples here at home would haue béene far better knowne and so well vnto vs as those of India are to the practisioners of those partes and therevnto be found more profitable for vs than the forren either are or maie be This also will I ad that euen those which are most common by reason of their plentie and most vile bicause of their abundance are not without some vniuersall and especiall efficacie if it were knowne for our benefit sith God in nature hath so disposed his creatures that the most néedfull are the most plentifull and seruing for such generall diseases as our constitution most commonlie is affected withall Great thanks therefore be giuen vnto the physicians of our age and countrie who not onelie indeuour to search out the vse of such simples as our soile dooth yéeld and bring foorth but also to procure such as grow elsewhere vpō purpose so to acquaint them with our clime that they in time through some alteration receiued from the nature of the earth maie likewise turne to our benefit and commoditie and be vsed as our owne The chiefe workeman or as I maie call him the founder of this deuise is Carolus Clusius the noble herbarist whose industrie hath woonderfullie stirred them vp vnto this good act For albeit that Matthiolus Rembert I obell and other haue trauelled verie farre in this behalfe yet none hath come néere to Clusius much lesse gone further in the finding and true descriptions of such herbes as of late are brought to light I doubt not but if this man were in England but one seuen yéeres he would reueale a number of herbes growing with vs whereof neither our physicians nor apothecaries as yet haue anie knowledge And euen like thankes be giuen vnto our nobilitie gentlemen and others for their continuall nutriture and cherishing of such home-borne and forren simples in their gardens for hereby they shall not onlie be had at hand and preserued but also their formes made more familiar to be discerned and their forces better knowne than hitherto they haue béene And euen as it fareth with our gardens so dooth it with our orchards which were neuer furnished with so good fruit nor with such varietie as at this present For beside that we haue most delicate apples plummes peares walnuts filberds c and those of sundrie sorts planted within fortie yéeres passed in comparison of which most of the old trées are nothing woorth so haue we no lesse store of strange fruit as abricotes almonds peaches figges cornetrees in noble mens orchards I haue seene capers orenges and lemmons and heard of wild oliues growing here beside other strange trees brought from far whose names I know not So that England for these commodities was neuer better furnished neither anie nation vnder their clime more plentifullie indued with these and other blessings from the most high God who grant vs grace withall to vse the same to his honour and glorie and not as instruments and prouocations vnto further excesse and vanitie wherewith his displeasure may be kindled least these his benefits doo turne vnto thornes and briers vnto vs for our annoiance and punishment which he hath bestowed vpon vs for our consolation and comfort We haue in like sort such workemen as are not onelie excellent in graffing the naturall fruits but also in their artificiall mixtures whereby one trée bringeth foorth sundrie fruits and one and the same fruit of diuers colours and tasts dallieng as it were with nature and hir course as if hir whole trade were perfectlie knowne vnto them of hard fruits they will make tender of sowre sweet of sweet yet more delicate béereuing also some of their kernels other of their cores and finallie induing them with the sauour of muske ambre or swéet spices at their pleasures Diuerse also haue written at large of these seuerall practises and some of them how to conuert the kernels of peaches into almonds of small fruit to make farre greater and to remooue or ad superfluous or necessarie moisture to the trées with other things belonging to their preseruation and with no lesse diligence than our physicians doo commonlie shew vpon our owne diseased bodies which to me dooth seeme right strange And euen so doo our gardeners with their herbes whereby they are strengthened against noisome blasts and preserued from putrifaction and hinderance whereby some such as were annuall are now made perpetuall being yéerelie taken vp and either reserued in the house or hauing the rosse pulled from their rootes laid againe into the earth where they remaine in safetie What choise they make also in their waters and wherewith some of them doo now and then keepe them moist it is a world to sée insomuch that the apothecaries shops maie séeme to be needfull also to our gardens and orchards and that in sundrie wise naie the kitchin it selfe is so farre from being able to be missed among them that euen the verie dishwater is not without some vse amongest our finest plants Whereby and sundrie other circumstances not here to bée remembred I am persuaded that albeit the gardens of the Hesperides were in times past so greatlie accounted of because of their delicacie yet if it were possible to
and diuerse other which I haue prouided readie for the purpose beside the monuments and liuelie images of sundrie philosophers and kings of this Iland since the time of Edward the Confessor Wherof although presentlie I want a few yet I doo not doubt but to obteine them all if friendship at the leastwise procured for monie shall be able to preuaile But as it hath doone hitherto so the charges to be emploied vpon these brasen or copper images will hereafter put by the impression of that treatife whereby it maie come to passe that long trauell shall soone proue to be spent in vaine and much cost come to verie small successe Whereof yet I force not greatlie sith by this means I haue reaped some commoditie vnto my selfe by searching of the histories which often minister store of examples readie to be vsed in my function as occasion shall mooue me But to procéed with my purpose Before the comming of the Romans there was a kind of copper monie currant here in Britaine as Caesar confesseth in the fift booke of his Commentaries but I find not of what maner it was Hereto he addeth a report of certeine rings of a proportionate weight which they vsed in his time in stead likewise of monie But as hitherto it hath not bene my lucke I saie to haue the certeine view of anie of these so after the comming of the Romans they inforced vs to abandon our owne and receiue such imperiall monies or coines as for the paiment of their legions was dailie brought ouer vnto them What coines the Romans had it is easie to be knowne and from time to time much of it is found in manie places of this Iland as well of gold and siluer as of copper brasse and other mettall much like stéele almost of euerie emperour So that I account it no rare thing to haue of the Roman coine albeit that it still represent an image of our captiuitie and maie be a good admonition for vs to take heed how we yéeld our selues to the regiment of strangers Of the store of these monies found vpon the Kentish coast I haue alreadie made mention in the description of Richborow and chapter of Iles adiacent vnto the British Albion and there shewed also how simple fishermen haue had plentie of them and that the conies in making profers and holes to bréed in haue scraped them out of the ground in verie great abundance In speaking also of S. Albans in the chapter of townes and villages I haue not omitted to tell what plentie of these coines haue bene gathered there wherfore I shall not néed here to repeat the same againe Howbeit this is certeine that the most part of all these antiquities to be found within the land distant from the shore are to be gotten either in the ruines of ancient cities and townes decaied or in inclosed burrowes where their legions accustomed sometime to winter as by experience is dailie confirmed What store hath béene séene of them in the citie of London which they called Augusta of the legion that soiourned there likewise in Yorke named also Uictrix of the legion Victoria or Altera Roma because of the beautie and fine building of the same I my selfe can partlie witnesse that haue séene often had of them if better testimonie were wanting The like I maie affirme of Colchester where those of Claudius Adrian Traian Vespasian and other are oftentimes plowed vp or found by other means also of Cantorburie Andredeschester now decaied Rochester then called Durobreuum Winchester and diuerse other beyond the Thames which for breuitie sake I doo passe ouer in silence Onelie the chiefe of all and where most are found in deed is néere vnto Carleon and Cairgwent in Southwales about Kenchester thrée miles aboue Hereford Aldborow Ancaster Bramdon Dodington where a spurre and péece of a chaine of gold were found in king Henrie the eight his daies besides much of the said Roman coine Binchester Camalet Lacocke vpon Auon and Lincolne Dorchester Warwike and Chester where they are often had in verie great abundance It seemeth that Ancaster hath beene a great thing for manie square colored pauements vaults and arches are yet found and often laid open by such as dig and plow in the fields about the same And amongst these one Uresbie or Roscbie a plowman did ere vp not long since a stone like a trough couered with another stone wherein was great foison of the aforesaid coines The like also was séene not yet fortie yeares agone about Grantham But in king Henrie the eight his daies an husbandman had far better lucke at Harleston two miles from the aforesaid place where he found not onelie great plentie of this coine but also an huge brasse pot and therein a large helmet of pure gold richlie fretted with pearle and set with all kind of costlie stones he tooke vp also chaines much like vnto beads of siluer all which as being if a man might ghesse anie certeintie by their beautie not likelie to be long hidden he presented to quéene Katharine then lieng at Peterborow and therewithall a few ancient rolles of parchment written long agone though so defaced with mouldinesse and rotten for age that no man could well hold them in his hand without falling into péeces much lesse read them by reason of their blindnesse In the beginning of the same kings daies also at Killeie a man found as he eared an arming girdle harnessed with pure gold and a great massie pomell with a crosse hilt for a sword of the same mettall beside studs and harnesse for spurs and the huge long spurs of like stuffe whereof one doctor Ruthall got a part into his hands The boroughs or buries wherof I spake before were certeine plots of ground wherin the Romane souldiers did vse to lie when they kept in the open fields as chosen places from whence they might haue easie accesse vnto their aduersaries if anie outrage were wrought or rebellion mooued against them And as these were the vsuall aboads for those able legions that serued dailie in the wars so had they other certeine habitations for the old and forworne souldiers whereby diuerse cities grew in time to be replenished with Romane colonies as Cairleon Colchester Chester and such other of which Colchester bare the name of Colonia long time and wherein A. Plautius builded a temple vnto the goodesse of Uictorie after the departure of Claudius which Tacitus calleth Aram sempiternae dominationis a perpetuall monument of that our British seruitude But to returne vnto our borowes they were generallie walled about with stone wals and so large in compasse that some did conteine thirtie fourtie three score or eightie acres of ground within their limits they had also diuerse gates or ports vnto each of them and of these not a few remaine to be seene in our time as one for example not far from great Chesterford in Essex néere to the limits of Cambridgshire which I haue often
rigging them in sundrie places tooke order for thier setting forward to his most aduantage for the easie atchiuing of his enterprise He appointed to passe himselfe from the coasts of Flanders at what time other of capteines with their fleets from other parts should likewise make saile towards Britaine By this meanes Alectus that had vsurped the title dignitie of king or rather emperour ouer the Britains knew not where to take héed but yet vnderstanding of the nauie that was made readie in the mouth of Saine he ment by that which maie be coniectured to intercept that fléet as it should come foorth and make saile forwards and so for that purpose he laie with a great number of ships about the I le of Wight But whether Asclepiodotus came ouer with that nauie which was rigged on the coasts of Flanders or with some other I will not presume to affirme either to or for because in déed Mamertinus maketh no expresse mention either of Alectus or Asclepiodotus but notwithstanding it is euident by that which is conteined in his oration that not Maximian but some other of his capteins gouerned the armie which slue Alectus so that we maie suppose that Asclepiodotus was chiefteine ouer some number of ships directed by Maximians appointment to passe ouer into this I le against the same Alectus and so maie this which Mamertinus writeth agrée with the truth of that which we doo find in Eutropius Héere is to be remembred that after Maximians had thus recouered Britaine out of their hands that vsurped the rule thereof from the Romans it should séeme that not onelie great numbers of artificers other people were conueied ouer into Gallia there to inhabit and furnish such cities as were run into decaie but also a power of warlike youths was transported thither to defend the countrie from the inuasion of barbarous nations For we find that in the daies of this Maximian the Britains expelling the Neruians out of the citie of Mons in Henaud held a castell there which was called Bretaimons after them wherevpon the citie was afterward called Mons reteining the last syllable onlie as in such cases it hath often happened Moreouer this is not to be forgotten that as Humfrey Lhoyd hath very well noted in his booke intituled Fragmenta historiae Britannicae Mamertinus in this parcell of his panegyrike oration dooth make first mention of the nation of Picts of all other the ancient Romane writers so that not one before his time once nameth Picts or Scots But now to returne where we left The state of this Iland vnder bloudie Dioclesian the persecuting tyrant of Alban the first that suffered martyrdome in Britaine what miracles were wrought at his death whereof Lichfield tooke the name of Coilus earle of Colchester whose daughter Helen was maried to Constantius the emperour as some authours suppose The xxvj Chapter AFter that Britaine was thus recouered by the Romans Dioclesian and Maximian ruling the empire the Iland tasted of the crueltie that Dioclesian exercised against the christians in presecuting them with all extremities continuallie for the space of ten yéeres Amongst other one Alban a citizen of Werlamchester a towne now bearing his name was the first that suffered here in Britaine in this persecution being conuerted to the faith by the zealous christian Amphibalus whom he receiued into his house insomuch that when there came sergeants to séeke for the same Amphibalus the foresaid Alban to preserue Amphibalus out of danger presented himselfe in the apparell of the said Amphibalus so being apprehended in his stead was brought before the iudge and examined and for that he refused to doo sacrifice to the false gods he was beheaded on the top of an hill ouer against the towne of Werlamchester aforesaid where afterwards was builded a church and monasterie in remembrance of his martyrdome insomuch that the towne there restored after that Werlamchester was destroied tooke name of him and so is vnto this day called saint Albons It is reported by writers that diuers miracles were wrought at the time of his death insomuch that one which was appointed to doo the execution was conuerted and refusing to doo that office suffered also with him but he that tooke vpon him to doo it reioised nothing thereat for his eies fell out of his head downe to the ground togither with the head of that holie man which he had then cut off There were also martyred about the same time two constant witnesses of Christ his religion Aaron and Iulius citizens of Caerleon Arwiske Moreouer a great number of Christians which were assembled togither to heare the word of life preached by that vertuous man Amphibalus were slaine by the wicked pagans at Lichfield whereof that towne tooke name as you would say The field of dead corpses To be briefe this persecution was so great and greeuous and thereto so vniuersall that in maner the Christian religion was thereby destroied The faithfull people were slaine their bookes burnt and churches ouerthrowne It is recorded that in one moneths space in diuers places of the world there were 17000 godlie men and women put to death for professing the christian faith in the daies of that tyrant Dioclesian and his fellow Maximian COelus earle of Colchester began his dominion ouer the Britains in the yeere of our Lord 262. This Coelus or Coell ruled the land for a certeine time so as the Britains were well content with his gouernement and liued the longer in rest from inuasion of the Romans bicause they were occupied in other places but finallie they finding time for their purpose appointed one Constantius to passe ouer into this I le with an armie the which Constantius put Coelus in such dread that immediatlie vpon his arriuall Coelus sent to him an ambassage and concluded a peace with him couenanting to pay the accustomed tribute gaue to Constantius his daughter in mariage called Helen a noble ladie and a learned Shortlie after king Coell died when he had reigned as some write 27 yéeres or as other haue but 13 yeeres ¶ But by the way touching this Coelus I will not denie but assuredly such a prince there was howbeit that he had a daughter named Helen whom he maried vnto Constantius the Romane lieutenant that was after emperor I leaue that to be decided of the learned For if the whole course of the liues as well of the father and the sonne Constantius and Constantine as likewise of the mother Helen be consideratelie marked from time to time and yeere to yéere as out of authors both Greeke and Latin the same may be gathered I feare least such doubt maie rise in this matter that it will be harder to prooue Helen a Britaine than Constantine to be borne in Bithynia as Nicephorus auoucheth But forsomuch as I meane not to step from the course of our countrie writers in such points where the receiued
haue growne vnto the Britains by receiuing certeine men of warre that fled out of Italie into Britaine whome the emperour Constantius would haue punished because they had taken part with Maxentius his aduersarie Paulus a Spaniard and notarie was sent ouer by him with commission to make inquirie of them and to sée them brought to light to answere their transgressions which Paulus began to deale roughlie in the matter whereof he was called Catera and to rage against the Britains and partakers with the fugitiues in that they had receiued and mainteined them as he alledged but in the â—nd being certified by Martinus the lieutenant of their innocencie and fearing least his extreame rigour might alienate the hearts of the inhabitants altogither and cause them to withdraw their obedience from the Romane empire he turned the execution of his furie from them vnto the Romans and made hauocke of those that he suspected till the said Martinus fell at square with him thinking on a time to kill him he drew his sword and smote at him But such was his age and weakenesse that he was not able to kill him or giue him anie deadlie wound wherefore he turned the point of his sword against himselfe and so ended his life being contented rather to die than sée his countriemen and subiects of the empire so to be abused After this the said Paulus returned backe againe into Italie from whence he came after whose departure it was not long yer he also was slaine and then all the Scots and Picts sore disquieted the Romane subiects for the suppressing of whose attempts Lupicinus was sent ouer out of Gallia by Iulianus as shall be declared out of Amianus Marcellinus after we haue first shewed what we find written in our owne writers concerning the Scots and Picts who now began to rob and spoile the British inhabitants within the Romane prouinces here in this I le and that euen in most outragious maner Maximianus or Maximus gouerneth this I le why writers speake ill of him strife betwixt him and Conan duke of Cornewall Maximus is proclaimed emperour in Britaine he transporteth the British youth seruiceable for warres into France little Britaine in France why so called eleuen thousand maids sent thither to match with Conans people whereof some were drowned and other some murthered in the way by Guanius king of Hunnes and Melga king of Picts they flie into Ireland murther requited with murther the words of Gyldas concerning Maximus The xxx Chapter AFter the deceasse of Octauius or Octauian as the old English chronicle nameth him Maximianus or Maximus as the Romane writers call him began to rule the Britains in the yéere of our Lord 383 he was the sonne of one Leonine and coosen germane to Constantine the great a valiant personage hardie of stomach but yet because he was cruell of nature and as Fabian saith somewhat persecuted the christians he was infamed by writers but the chiefe cause why he was euill reported was for that he slue his souereigne lord the emperour Gratianus as after shall appeare for otherwise he is supposed woorthie to haue had the rule of the empire committed to his hands in ech respect Betwixt him and the abouenamed Conan Meridoc duke of Cornewall chanced strife and debate so that Conan got him into Scotland and there purchasing aid returned and comming ouer Humber wasted the countrie on ech side Maximianus thereof hauing aduertisement raised his power and went against him and so fighting with him diuers battels sometime departed awaie with victorie and sometime with losse At length through mediation of friends a peace was made betwixt them Finallie this Maximianus or as the Romane histories say Maximus was by the souldiers chosen and proclaimed emperour here in Britaine although some write that this was doone in Spaine After he had taken vpon him the imperiall dignitie vpon desire to haue inlarged his dominion he assembled togither all the chosen youth of this land méet to doo seruice in the warres with the which he passed ouer into France there as our writers record he first subdued the countrie ancientlie called Armorica and slue in battell the king thereof called Imball This doone he gaue the countrie vnto Conan Meridoc which was there with him to hold the same of him and of the kings of great Britaine for euer He also commanded that the said countrie from thencefoorth should be called litle Britaine and so was the name changed What people soeuer inhabited there before the ancient name argueth that they were rather Britains than anie other for Armorica in the British toong signifieth as much as a countrie lieng vpon the sea Conan then placing himselfe and his Britains in that quarter of Gallia auoided all the old inhabitants peopling that countrie onelie with Britains which abhorring to ioine themselues with women borne in Gallia Conan was counselled to send into Britaine for maids to be coupled with his people in mariage Herevpon a messenger was dispatched vnto Dionethus at that time duke of Cornwall and gouernour of Britaine vnder Maximianus requiring him to send ouer into little Britaine 11000 maids that is to say 8000 to be bestowed vpon the meaner fort of Conans people and 3000 to be ioined in mariage with the nobles and gentlemen Dionethus at Conans request assembled the appointed number of maids and amongst them he also appointed his daugther Ursula a ladie of excellent beautie to go ouer and to be giuen in mariage to the foresaid Conan Meridoc as he had earnestlie requested These number of maids were shipped in Thames and passing forward toward Britaine were by force of weather and rage of wind scattered abroad and part or them drowned and the residue among whom was the foresaid Ursula were slaine by Guanius king of the Hunnes and Melga king of the Picts into whose hands they fell the which Guanius and Melga were sent by the emperour Gracian to the sea coasts of Germanie to oppresse and subdue all such as were friends and mainteiners of the part of Maximianus We find in some bookes that there were sent ouer at that time 51000 maids that is to say 11000 gentlewomen and 40000 other After that Guanius and Melga had murthered the foresaid virgins they entred into the north parts of Britaine where the Scots now inhabit and began to make sore warre on the Britains whereof when Maximus was aduertised he sent into Britaine one Gratianus with thrée legions of souldiers who bare himselfe so manfullie against the enimies that he constreined the said Guanius and Melga to flie out of the land and to withdraw into Ireland In this meane while Maximus hauing slaine the emperor Gratian at Lions in France and after entring into Italie was slaine himselfe at Aquilia after he had gouerned the Britains eight yéeres by the emperour Theodosius who came in aid of Ualentinian brother to the said emperor Gratian as ye may find in
of the enimies ceassed for a time but the wickednesse of the British people ceassed not at all The enimies departed out of the land but the inhabitants departed not from their naughtie dooings being not so readie to put backe the common enimies as to exercise ciuill warre and discord among themselues The wicked Irish people departed home to make returne againe within a while after But the Picts settled themselues first at that season in the vttermost bounds of the I le and there continued making insurrections oftentimes vpon their neighbours and spoiling them of their goods This with more also hath Gyldas and likewise Beda written of this great desolation of the British people wherein if the words of Gyldas be well weighed and considered it maie lead vs to thinke that the Scots had no habitations here in Britaine but onelie in Ireland till after this season and that at this present time the Picts which before inhabited within the Iles of Orkenie now placed themselues in the north parts of Scotland and after by processe of time came and nestled themselues in Louthian in the Mers and other countries more neere to our borders But to procéed The British histories affirme that whilest the Britains were thus persecuted by these two most cruell and fierce nations the Scots and Picts the noble and chiefest men amongst them consulted togither concluded to send an honorable ambassage vnto Aldroenus as then king of little Britaine in Gallia which Aldroenus was the fourth from Cnoan Meridoc the first king there of the British nation Of this ambassage the archbishop of London named Guetheline or Gosseline was appointed the chiefe and principall who passing ouer into little Britaine and comming before the presence of Aldroenus so declared the effect of his message that his suit was granted For Aldroenus agréed to send his brother Constantine ouer into great Britaine with a conuenient power vpon condition that the victorie being obteined against the enimies the Britains should make him king of great Britaine ¶ Thus it is apparent that this land of Britaine was without anie certeine gouernour after that Gratian the vsurper was dispatched a number of yéeres togither but how manie writers in their account do varie Fabian deposeth by diuers coniecturs that the space betwixt the death of Gratian and the beginning of the reigne of the said Constantine brother to Aldroenus continued nine and thirtie yéeres during which time the Britains were sore and miserablie afflicted by the inuasions of the Scots and Picts as before ye haue heard by testimonies taken out of Beda Gyldas Geffrey of Monmouth and other writers both British and English What the Roman historiographer Marcellinus reporteth of the Scots Picts and Britains vnder the emperour Iulianus Valentinianus and Valens they send their vicegerents into Britaine the disquietnesse of that time London called Augusta the worthie exploits of Theodosius in this Iland against the enimie Valentinus a banished malefactor deuiseth his destruction he is taken and executed he reformeth manie disorders and inconueniences the first entring of the Saxons into Britaine they are dawnâ—ed at the verie sight of the Romane ensignes the Saxons lieng in wait for their enimies are slaine euerie mothers sonne The xxxiiij Chapter BUt now sith no mention is made of the Scots in our histories till the daies of Maximus the vsurper or tyrant as some call him who began his reigne here in Britaine about the yéere of our Lord 383 and that till after he had bereft the land of the chiefest forces thereof in taking the most part of the youth ouer with him we find not in the same histories of anie troubles wrought to the Britains by that nation Therefore we haue thought good héere to come backe to the former times that we may shew what is found mentioned in the Romane histories both before that time and after as well concerning the Scots and Picts as also the Saxons and especiallie in Ammianus Marcellinus where in the beginning of his twentith booke intreating of the doings of the emperour Iulianus he saith as followeth In this state stood things in Illyricum or Slauonia in and the east parts at what time Constantius bare the office of consull the tenth time and Iulianus the third time that is to say in the yéere of our Lord 360 when in Britaine quietnesse being disturbed by roads made by the Scots and Picts which are wild and sauage people the frontiers of the countrie were wasted and feare oppressed the prouinces wearied with the heape of passed losses The emperor he meaneth Iulianus as then remaining at Paris and hauing his mind troubled with manie cares doubted to go to the aid of them beyond the sea as we haue shewed that Constantius did least he should leaue them in Gallia without a ruler the Almains being euen then prouoked and stirred vp to crueltie and warre He thought good therefore to send Lupicinus vnto these places to bring things into frame and order which Lupicinus was at that time master of the armorie a warlike person and skilfull in all points of chiualrie but proud and high-minded beyond measure and such one as it was doubted long whether he was more couetous or cruell Herevpon the said Lupicinus setting forward the light armed men of the Heruli and Bataui with diuers companies also of the people of Mesia now called Bulgarie when winter was well entred and come on he came himselfe to Bulleine and there prouiding ships and imbarking his men when the wind serued his purpose he transported ouer vnto Sandwich and so marched foorth vnto London from thence purposing to set forward as vpon aduise taken according to the qualitie of his businesse he should thinke méet and expedient In the meane time whilest Lupicinus was busie here in Britaine to represse the enimies the emperour Constantius displaced certeine officers and among other he depriued the same Lupicinus of the office of the master of the armorie appointing one Gumobarius to succeed him in that roome before anie such thing was knowen in these parties And where it was doubted least that Lupicinus if he had vnderstood so much whilest he was yet in Britaine would haue attempted some new trouble as he was a man of a stout and loftie mind he was called backe from thence and withall there was sent a notarie vnto Bulleine to watch that none should passe the seas ouer into Britaine till Lupicinus were returned and so returning ouer from thence yer he had anie knowledge what was doone by the emperour he could make no sturre hauing no such assistants in Gallia as it was thought he might haue had in Britaine if he should haue mooued rebellion there The same Marcellinus speaking of the doings about the time that Ualentinianus being elected emperour had admitted his brother Ualens as fellow with him in gouernement hath these words In this season as though
trumpets had blowne the sound to battell through out the whole Romane empire most cruell nations being stirred vp inuaded the borders next adioining the Almans wasted and destroied the parts of Gallia and Rhetia as the Sarmatians and Quadi did Pannonia the Picts the Saxons the Scots and the Attacots vexed the Britains with continuall troubles and gréeuous damages the Austorians and the people of the Moores ouerran the countrie of Affrike more sharpelie than in time past they had done the pilfring troops of the Goths spoiled Thracia the king of Persia set in hand to subdue the Armenians and sought to bring them vnder his obeisance hasting with all spéed toward Numonia pretending though vniustlie that now after the deceasse of Iouinius with whome he had contracted a league and bond of peace there was no cause of let what he ought not to recouer those things which as he alledged did belong to his ancestors and so foorth Moreouer the same Marcellinus in another place writeth in this wise where he speaketh of the said Ualentinianus Departing therefore from Amiens and hasting to Trier he was troubled with gréeuous newes that were brought him giuing him to vnderstand that Britaine by a conspiracie of the barbarous nations was brought to vtter pouertie that Nectaridus one of the emperours house earle of the sea coast hauing charge of the parties towards the sea was slaine and that the generall Bulchobaudes was circumuented by traines of the enimies These things with great horrour being knowne he sent Seuerus as then erle or as I may call him lord steward of his houshold to reforme things that were amisse if hap would so permit who being shortlie called backe Iouinius going thither and with spéed hasting forward sent for more aid and a great power of men as the instant necessitie then required At length for manie causes and the same greatlie to be feared the which were reported and aduertised out of that I le Theodosius was elected and appointed to go thither a man of approoued skill in warlike affaires and calling togither an hardie youthfull number of the legions and cohorts of men of warre he went foorth no small hope being conceiued of his good spéed the fame wherof spred and went afore him A litle after Marcellinus adding what people they were that troubled the Britains in this wise saith thus This shall suffice to be said that in this season the Picts diuided into two nations Dicalidones and Victuriones and in like maner the Attacotti a right warlike nation and the Scots wandering here and there made fowle woorke in places where they came The confines of France were disquieted by the Frankeners and Saxons borderers vnto them euerie one as they could breaking foorth dooing great harme by cruell spoile fire and taking of prisoners To withstand those dooings if good fortune would giue him leaue that most able capteine going vnto the vttermost bounds of the earth when he came to the coast of Bullen which is seuered from the contrarie coast on the other side by the sea with a narrow streight where sometime the water goeth verie high and rough shortlie after becommeth calme pleasant without hurt to those that passe the same transporting ouer at leasure he arriued at Sandwich or rather Richburrow where there is a quiet road for vessels to lie at anchor Wherevpon the Bataui and Heruli with the souldiers of the legions called Iouij and Victores being companies that trusted well to their owne strength marched foorth drew towards London an ancient citie which now of late hath bin called Augusta Herewith diuiding his armie into sundrie parts he set vpon the troops of his enimies as they were abroad to forrey the countrie pestered with burdens of their spoiles and pillage and spéedilie putting them to flight as they were leading away those prisoners which they had taken with their booties of cattell he bereft them of their preie the which the poore Britains that were tributaries had lost To be briefe restoring the whole except a small portion bestowed amongst the wearie souldiers he entred the citie which before was opprest with troubles but now suddenlie refreshed bicause there was hope of reliefe and assured preseruation After this when Theodosius was comforted with prosperous successe to attempt things of greater importance and searching waies how with good aduise to woorke suerlie whilest he remained doubtfull what would insue he learned as well by the confession of prisoners taken as also by the information of such as were fled from the enimies that the scattered people of sundrie nations which with practise of great crueltie were become fierce and vndanted could not be subdued but by policie secretlie practised and sudden inuasions At length therefore setting foorth his proclamations and promising pardon to those that were gone awaie from their capteins or charge he called them backe againe to serue and also those that by licence were departed and laie scattered here and there in places abroad By this meanes when manie were returned he being on the one side earnestlie prouoked and on the other holden backe with thoughtfull cares required to haue one Ciuilis by name sent to him to haue the rule of the prouinces in Britaine in steed of the other gouernours a man of sharpe wit and an earnest mainteiner of iustice He likewise required that one Dulcitius a capteine renowmed in knowledge of warlike affaires might be sent ouer to him for his better assistance These things were doone in Britaine Againe in his eight and twentith booke the same Marcellinus reciting further what the same Theodosius atchiued in Britaine hath in effect these words Thedosius verelie a capteine of woorthie fame taking a valiant courage to him and departing from Augusta which men of old time called London with souldiers assembled by great diligence did succour and reléeue greatlie the decaied and troubled state of the Britains preuenting euerie conuenient place where the barbarous people might lie in wait to doo mischiefe and nothing he commanded the meane souldiers to doo but that whereof he with a chéerefull mind would first take in hand to shew them in example By this meanes accomplishing the roome of a valiant souldier and fulfilling the charge of a noble capteine he discomfited and put to flight sundrie nations whome presumption nourished by securitie emboldened to inuade the Romane prouinces and so the cities and castels that had béene sore endamaged by manifold losses and displeasures were restored to their former state of wealth the foundation of rest and quietnesse being laid for a long season after to insue But as these things were a dooing one wicked practise was in hand like to haue burst foorth to the gréeuous danger of setting things in broile if it had not béene staied euen in the beginning of the first attempt For there was one Ualentinus borne in the parties of Ualeria adioining to Pannonia
now called Stiermarke a man of a proud and loftie stomach brother to the wife of Maximinus which Ualentinus for some notable offense had béene banished into Britaine where the naughtie man that could not rest in quiet deuised how by some commotion he might destroy Theodosius who as he saw was onelie able to resist his wicked purposes And going about manie things both priuilie and apertlie the force of his vnmeasurable desire to mischiefe still increasing he sought to procure aswell other that were in semblable wise banished men inclined to mischiefe like him selfe as also diuers of the souldiers alluring them as the time serued with large promises of great wealth if they would ioine with him in that enterprise But euen now in the verie nicke when they shuld haue gone in hand with their vngratious exploit Theodosius warned of their intent boldlie aduanced himselfe to sée due punishment executed on the offendors that were foorthwith taken and knowne to be guiltie in that conspiracie Theodosius committed Ualentine with a few other of his trustie complices vnto the capteine Dulcitius commanding him to sée them put to death but coniecturing by his warlike skill wherein he passed all other in those daies what might follow he would not in anie wise haue anie further inquirie made of the other conspirators least through feare that might be spread abroad in manie the troubles of the prouinces now well quieted should be againe reuiued After this Theodosius disposing himselfe to redresse manie things as néed required all danger was quite remooued so that it was most apparent that fortune fauored him in such wise that she left him not destitute of hir furtherance in anie one of all his attempts He therefore restored the cities castels that were appointed to be kept with garrisons and the borders he caused to be defended and garded with sufficient numbers to kéepe watch and ward in places necessarie And hauing recouered the prouince which the enimies had gotten into their possession he so restored it to the former state that vpon his motion to haue it so a lawfull gouernour was assigned to rule it and the name was changed so as from thencefoorth it should be called Ualentia for the princes pleasure The Areani a kind of men ordeined in times past by our elders of whome somewhat we haue spoken in the acts of the emperour Constance being now by little and little fallen into vices he remooued from their places of abiding being openlie conuicted that allured with bribes and faire promises they had oftentimes bewraied vnto the barbarous nations what was doone among the Romans for this was their charge to runne vp and downe by long iournies and to giue warning to our captains what sturre the people of the next confines were about to make Theodosius therefore hauing ordered these other like things most woorthilie to his high fame was called home to the emperours court who leauing the prouinces in most triumphant state was highlie renowmed for his often and most profitable victories as if he had béene an other Camillus or Cursor Papirius and with the fauor and loue of all men was conueied vnto the sea side and passing ouer with a gentle wind came to the court where he was receiued with great gladnesse and commendation being immediatlie appointed to succéed in the roome of Ualence Iouinus that was maister of the horsses Finallie he was called by the emperour Gratianus to be associated with him in the imperiall estate after the death of Ualence in the yeare after the incarnation of our Sauior 379 and reigned emperour surnamed Thodosius the great about 16 yeares and 2 daies Hereto also maie that be applied which the foresaid Marcellinus writeth in the same booke touching the inuasion of the Saxons the which as Wolf Lazius taketh it entred then first into great Britaine but were repelled of the emperour Ualentinianus the first by the conduct and guiding of Seuerus The same yéere saith he that the emperours were the third time consuls there brake forth a multitude of Saxons passing the seas entred stronglie into the Romane confines a nation fed oftentimes with the slaughter of our people the brunt of whose first inuasion earle Nonneus susteined one which was appointed to defend those parties an approoued capteine with continuall trauell in warres verie expert But then incountring with desperate and forlorne people when he perceiued some of his souldiers to be ouerthrowne and beaten downe and himselfe wounded not able to abide the often assaults of his enimies he obteined this by informing the emperour what was necessarie and ought to be doone insomuch that Seuerus maister or as I maie call him coronell of the footmen was sent to helpe and reléeue things that stood in danger the which bringing a sufficient power with him for the state of that businesse when he came to those places he diuiding his armie into parts put the Saxons in such feare and trouble before they fought that they did not so much as take weapon in hand to make resistance but being amazed with the sight of the glittering ensignes the eagles figured in the Romane standards they streight made sute for peace and at length after the matter was debated in sundrie wise because it was iudged that it should be profitable for the Romane commonwealth truce was granted vnto them and manie yoong men able for seruice in the warres deliuered to the Romans according to the couenants concluded After this the Saxons were permitted to depart without impeachment so to returne from whence they came who being now out of all feare and preparing to go their waies diuers bands of footmen were sent to lie priuilie in a certeine hid vallie so ambushed as they might easilie breake foorth vpon the enimies as they passed by them But it chanced far otherwise than they supposed for certeine of those footmen stirred with the noise of them as they were comming brake foorth out of time and being suddenlie discouered whilest they hasted to vnite and knit themselues togither by the hideous crie and shout of the Saxons they were put to flight Yet by and by closing togither againe they staied and the extremitie of the chance ministring to them force though not sufficient they were driuen to fight it out and being beaten downe with great slaughter had died euerie mothers sonne if a troope of horssemen armed at all points being in like maner placed in an other side at the entring of the waie to assaile the enimies as they should passe aduertised by the dolefull noise of them that fought had not spéedilie come to the succour of their fellowes Then ran they togither more cruellie than before and the Romans bending themselues towards their enimies compassed them in on each side and with drawne swords slue them downe right so that there was not one of them left to returne home to their natiue countrie to bring newes
betwéene Tine and Tweed as in the Scotish chronicles may further appeare Also this is to be remembred that the victorie which was got against the Saxons by the Britains at what time Germane bishop of Auxerre was present Hector Boetius affirmeth by authoritie of Vâ—remond that wrote the Scotish chronicles to haue chanced the second time of his comming ouer into this land where Beda auoucheth it to be at his first being heere Againe the same Boetius writeth that the same victorie chanced in the daies of Uter Pendragon Which can not be if it be true that Beda writeth touching the time of the death of the said Germane for where he departed this life before the yeare of our Lord 459 as aboue is said Uter Pendragon began not his reigne till the yeare of our Lord 500 or as the same Hector Boetius saith 503 so that bishop Germane was dead long before that Uter began to reigne In déed some writers haue noted that the third battell which Uortimer fought against the Saxons was the same wherein S Germane was present and procured the victorie with the crie of Alleluia as before ye haue heard Which seemeth to be more agréeable to truth and to stand also with that which holie Beda hath written touching the time of the being héere of the said Germane that the opinion of other which affirme that it was in the time of the reigne of Uter The like is to be found in the residue of Hector Boetius his booke touching the time speciallie of the reignes of the British kings that gouerned Britaine about that season For as he affirmeth Aurelius Ambrosius began his reigne in the yeare of our Lord 498 and ruled but seuen yeares and then succéeded Uter which reigned 18 yeares and departed this life in the yeare of our Lord 521. ¶ Notwithstanding the premisses here is to be remembred that whatsoeuer the British writers haue recorded touching the victories of this Uter had against the Saxons and how that Osca the sonne of Hengist should be slaine in battell by him and his power in those old writers which haue registred the acts of the English Saxon kings we find no such matter but rather that after the deceasse of Hengist his sonne Osca or Occa reigned in Kent 24 yeares defending his kingdome onelie and not séeking to inlarge it as before is touched After whose death his sonne Oth and Irmenrike sonne to the same Oth succéeded more resembling their father than their grandfather or great grandfather To their reignes are assigned fiftie and three yeares by the chronicles but whether they reigned iointlie togither or seuerallie apart either after other it is not certeinlie perceiued Porth the Saxon arriueth at Portesmouth warre betweene Nazaleod king of the Britains and the Saxons the Britains are ouethrowen and slaine the kingdome of the west Saxons beginneth the compasse or continent thereof the meanes whereby it was inlarged The eleuenth Chapter NOw will we breefelie discourse vpon the incidents which first happened during the reigne of Uter Pendragon We find that one Porth a Saxon with his two sons Megla and Beda came on land at Portesmouth in Sussex about the beginning of the said Uters reigne and slue a noble yoong man of the Britains and manie other of the meaner sort with him Of this Porth the towne hauen of Portesmouth tooke the name as some haue thought Moreouer about 40 yeares after the comming of the Saxons into this land with their leader Hengist one Nazaleod a mightie king amongst the Britains assembled all the power he could make to fight with Certicus king of the West saxons who vnderstanding of the great power of his enimies required aid of Osca king of Kent also of Elle king of Sussex and of Porth and his sonnes which were latelie before arriued as ye haue heard Certicus being then furnished with a conuenient armie diuided the same into two battels reseruing the one to himselfe and the other he appointed to his sonne Kenrike King Nazaleod perceiuing that the wing which Certicus led was of more strength than the other which Kenrike gouerned he set first vpon Certicus thinking that if he might distresse that part of the enimies armie he should easilie ouercome the other Herevpon he gaue such a fierce charge vpon that wing that by verie force he opened the same and so ouerthrew the Saxons on that side making great slaughter of them as they were scattered Which maner of dealing when Kenrike saw he made forward with all spéed to succour his father and rushing in amongst the Britains on their backs he brake their armie in péeces and slue their king Nazaleod and withall put his people to flight There died of the Britains that daie 5000 men and the residue escaped by fléeing as well as they might In the sixt yeare after this battell Stuff and Wightgar that were nephues to Certicus came with three ships and landed at Certicesford and ouerthrew a number of Britains that came against them in order of battell and so by the comming of those his nephues being valiant and hardie capteins the part of Certicus became much stronger About the same time Elle king of the Southsaxons departed this life after whome succéeded his sonne Cissa of whome we find little left in writing to be made account of About the yeare of our Lord 519 and in the yeare after the comming of the Saxons 71 which was in the 26 yeare of the emperour Anastasius the Britains fought with Certicus and his sonne Kenrike at Certicesford where the capteins of the Britains stood to it manfullie but in the end they were discomfited and great slaughter was made there of them by the Saxons and greater had béene if the night comming on had not parted them and so manie were saued From that day forward Certicus was reputed taken for king of Westsaxons so began the same kingdome at that time which was as W. Harison noteth in the yéere of Christ 519 after the building of Rome 1270 of the world 4485 of the comming of the Saxons 70 of Iustinus Anicius emperour of the east the first and third of the renowmed prince Patricius Arthurus then reigning ouer the Britains The said kingdome also conteined the countries of Wiltshire Summersetshire Barkeshire Dorsetshire and Cornewall hauing on the east Hamshire on the north the riuer of Thames and on the south and west the Ocean sea Howbeit at the first the kings of the Westsaxons had not so large dominions but they dailie wan ground vpon the Britains and so in the end by inlarging their confines they came to inioy all the foresaid countries and the whole at the last In the ninth yéere of the reigne of Certicus he eftsoones sought with the Saxons at Certicesford aforesaid where great slaughter was made on both parts This Certicesford was in times past called Nazaleoy of the late remembred Nazaleod king of the Britains About this
a grounded truth that such a prince there was and among all other a late writer who falling into necessarie mention of prince Arthur frameth a spéech apologeticall in his and their behalfe that were princes of the British bloud discharging a short but yet a sharpe inuectiue against William Paruus Polydor Virgil and their complices whom he accuseth of lieng toongs enuious detraction malicious slander reprochfull and venemous language wilfull ignorance dogged enuie and cankerd minds for that they speake vnreuerentlie and contrarie to the knowne truth concerning those thrisenoble princes Which defensitiue he would not haue deposed but that he takes the monuments of their memories for vndoubted verities The British histories and also the Scotish chronicles doo agrée that he liued in the daies of the emperour Iustinian about the fiftéenth yeere of whose reigne he died which was in the yéere of our Lord 542 as diuerse doo affirme Howbeit some write farther from all likelihood that he was about the time of the emperor Zeno who began his reigne about the yéere of our Lord 474. The writer of the booke intituled Aurea historia affirmeth that in the tenth yéere of Cerdicus king of Westsaxons Arthur the warriour rose against the Britains Also Diouionensis writeth that Cerdicus fighting oftentimes with Arthur if he were ouercome in one moneth he arose in an other moneth more fierce and strong to giue battell than before At length Arthur wearied with irkesomnes after the twelfth yéere of the comming of Cerdicus gaue vnto him vpon his homage doone and fealtie receiued the shires of Southampton and Somerset the which countries Cerdicius named Westsaxon This Cerdicius or Cerdicus came into Britaine about the yéere of your Lord 495. In the 24 yere after his comming hither that is to say about the yéere of our Lord 519 he began his reigne ouer the Westsaxons and gouerned them as king by the space of 15 yéeres as before ye haue heard But to follow the course of our chronicles accordinglie as we haue began we must allow of their accounts herein as in other places and so procéed The decaie of christian religion and receiuing of the Pelagian heresie in Britaine by what meanes they were procured and by whom redressed Constantine succeedeth Arthur in the kingdome ciuill warre about succession to the crowne the chalengers are pursued and slaine Constantine is vnkindlie killed of his kinsman a bitter and reprochfull inuectiue of Gyldas against the British rulers of his time and namelie against Constantine Conan that slue Constantine reigneth in Britaine his vertues and vices his two yeeres regiment the seuere reprehensions of Gyldas vttered against Conan discouering the course of his life and a secret prophesie of his death The xv Chapter IN this meane while that the realme was disquieted with sore continuall warres betwixt the Britains and Saxons as before ye haue heard the christian religion was not onelie abolished in places where the Saxons got habitations but also among the Britains the right faith was brought into danger by the remnant of the Pelagian heresie which began againe to be broched by diuers naughtie persons But Dubritius that was first bishop of Landaffe and after archbishop of Caerleon Arwiske and his successour Dauid with other learned men earnestlie both by preaching and writing defended the contrarie cause to the confuting of those errors and restablishing of the truth AFter the death of Arthur his coosine Constantine the sonne of Cador duke or earle of Cornewall began his reigne ouer the Britains in the yere of our Lord 542 which was about the 15 yéere of the emperour Iustinianus almost ended the 29 of Childebert king of France and the first yéere well néere complet of the reigne of Totilas king of the Goths in Italie Arthur when he perceiued that he shuld die ordeined this Constantine to succéed him and so by the consent of the more part of the Britains he was crowned king but the sonnes of Mordred sore repined thereat as they that claimed the rule of the land by iust title and claime of inheritance to them from their father descended Herevpon followed ciuill warre so that diuers battels were striken betwéene them and in the end the two brethren were constreined to withdraw for refuge the one to London and the other to Winchester but Constantine pursuing them first came to Winchester and by force entered the citie and slue the one brother that was fled thither within the church of saint Amphibalus and after comming to London entered that citie also and finding the other brother within a church there slue him in like maner as he had doone the other And so hauing dispatched his aduersaries he thought to haue purchased to himselfe safetie but shortlie after his owne kinsman one Aurelius Conanus arrered warre against him who ioining with him in battell slue him in the field after he had reigned foure yéeres His bodie was conueied to Stonheng and there buried beside his ancestour Uter Pendragon Of this Constantine that seemeth to be ment which Gyldas writeth in his booke intituled De excidio Britanniae where inueieng against the rulers of the Britains in his time he writeth thus Britaine hath kings but the same be tyrants iudges it hath but they be wicked oftentines péeling and harming the innocent people reuenging and defending but whom such as be guâ—ltie persons and robbers hauing manie wiues but yet breaking wedlocke oftentimes swearing and yet for swearing themselues vowing and for the more part lieng warring but mainteining ciuill vniust warres pursuing indéed théeues that are abroad in the countrie and yet not onelie cherishing those that sit euen at table with them but also highlie rewarding them giuing almesse largelie but on the other part heaping vp a mightie mount of sinnes sitting in the seat of sentence but seldome séeking the rule of righteous iudgement despising the innocent and humble persons and exalting so farre as in them lieth euen vp to the heauens most bloudie and proud murtherers théeues and adulterers yea the verie professed enimies of God if he would so permit kéeping manie in prison whome they oppresse in loding them with irons through craft rather to serue their owne purpose than for anie gilt of the persons so imprisoned taking solemne oths before the altars and shortlie after despising the same altars as vile and filthie stones Of this hainous and wicked offense Constantine the tyrannicall whelpe of the lionesse of Deuonshire is not ignorant who this yeare after the receiuing of his dreadfull oth whereby he bound himselfe that in no wise he should hurt his subiects God first and then his oth with the companie of saints and his mother being there present did notwithstanding in the reuerent laps of the two mothers as the church and their carnall mother vnder the coule of the holie abbat deuoure with sword and speare in stead of téeth the tender sides yea and the entrailes
withdrew togither with their cleargie into the mounteins and woods within Wales taking with them the reliks of saints doubting the same should be destroied by the enimies and themselues put to death if they should abide in their old habitations Manie also fled into Britaine Armorike with a great fléete of ships so that the whole church or congregation as ye may call it of the two prouinces Loegria and Northumberland was left desolate in that season to the great hinderance and decaie of the christian religion Careticus was driuen into Wales as before is rehearsed about the second or third yéere of his reigne and there continued with his Britains the which ceassed not to indamage the Saxons from time to time as occasion still serued But here is to be noted that the Britains being thus remoued into Wales and Cornwall were gouerned afterwards by thrée kings or rather tyrants the which ceased not with ciuill warre to seeke others destruction till finallie as saith the British booke they became all subiect vnto Cadwallo whome Beda nameth Cedwallo In the meane time Ceaulinus or Cheuling king of the Westsaxons through his owne misgouernance and tyrannie which towards his latter daies he practised did procure not onelie the Britains but also his owne subiects to conspire his death so that ioining in battell with his aduersaries at Wodensdic in the 33 yeare of his reigne his armie was discomfited and he himselfe constreined to depart into exile and shortlie after ended his life before he could find meanes to be restored ¶ So that we haue here a mirror or liuelie view of a tyrant and a king wherein there is no lesse ods in the manner of their gouernement than there is repugnance in their names or difference in their states For he seeth but little into the knowledge of toongs that vnderstandeth not what the office of a king should be by the composition of his name the same sounding in Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which being resolued is in effect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the foundation or stay of the people from which qualitie when he resulteth he maketh shipwracke of that goodlie title and degenerateth into a tyrant than the which violent and inforced gouernement as there is none more perillous so is it of all other the least in continuance this is prooued by historicall obseruation through the course of this historie Ceolric reigneth ouer the Westsaxons the Saxons and Britains incounter Ethelbert king of kent subdueth the Englishsaxons he is maried to the French kings daughter vpon cautions of religion the king imbraceth the gospell Augustine the moonke and others were sent into this Ile to preach the christian faith the occasion that moued Gregorie the great to send him buieng and selling of boies the Englishmen called Angli commended Ethelbert causeth Augustine and his fellowes to come before him they preach to the king and his traine he granteth them a conuenient seat and competent reliefe in Canturburie the maner of their going thither and their behauiour there the king and his people receiue the christian faith and are baptised The xix Chapter NOw after Cheuling his nephue Celricus or Ceolric that was sonne vnto Cutwine the sonne of the foresaid Cheuling reigned as king ouer the Westsaxons fiue yeares fiue moneths In like manner the same yeare died Ella or Alla king of Northumberland after whome succéeded Ethelricus the sonne of Ida and reigned but fiue yeares being a man well growne in yeares before he came to be king About thrée yeeres after this the Saxons Britains fought a battell at Wodenesbourne where the Britans being ranged in good order the Saxons set vpon them boldlie indéed but disorderedlie so that the victorie remained with the Britains The Saxons the more valiant they had shewed themselues in battell before that time so much the more slow and vntowardlie did they shew themselues now in running awaie to saue themselues so that an huge number of them were slaine Also about the same time died Crida king of Mercia 594 after whome his sonne Wibbas or Wipha succeeded And after the deceasse of Ethelric one Edelbertor Edelfride surnamed the wild succeeded in gouernement of the Northumbers But to returne to our purpose Ethelbert king of Kent not discouraged with the euill chance which happened in the beginning but rather occasioned thereby to learne more experience in feats of warre prooued so perfect a maister therein that in processe of time he subdued by force of armes all those English Saxons which lay betwixt the bounds of his countrie and the riuer of Humber Also to haue friendship in forraine parts he procured a wife for himselfe of the French nation named the ladie Bertha being king Cheriberts daughter of France but with condition that he should permit hir to continue and vse the rites and lawes of christian faith and religion and to haue a bishop whose name was Luidhard appointed to come and remaine with hir here in this land for hir better instruction in the lawes of the Lord. So that they two with other of the French nation that came ouer with them remaining in the court and vsing to serue God in praiers and otherwise according to the custome of the christian religion began vndoubtedlie to giue light to the kings mind as yet darkned with the clouds of paganisme so as the bright beames of the celestiall cléerenes of vnderstanding remooued the thicke mists of his vnbeléefe in tract of time and prepared his heart to the receiuing of the gospell which after by heauenlie prouidence was preached to him by occasion and in maner as followeth In the yeare of our Lord 596 which was about the 14 yeare of the reigne of the emperour Mauricius and after the comming of the English Saxons into this land about an 47 yeares almost complet the bishop of Rome Gregorie the first of that name and surnamed Magnus sent Augustinus a moonke with certeine other learned men into this Ile to preach the christian faith vnto the English Saxons which nation as yet had not receiued the gospell And here we hold it necessarie to shew how it is recorded by diuers writers that the first occasion whereby Gregorie was mooued thus to send Augustine into this land rose by this meanes It chanced whilest the same Gregorie was as yet but archdeacon of the sée of Rome certeine yoong boies were brought thither to bee sold out of Northumberland according to the accustomable vse of that countrie in somuch that as we haue in our time séene saith W. Mal. the people of that prouince haue not yet doubted to sell awaie their néere kinsfolke for a small price When those children which at that time were brought from thence to Rome had by reason of their excellent beauties and comelie shape of lims and bodie turned the eies in maner of all the citizens to the beholding of them it fortuned that Gregorie also came amongst other to
be a let but that when a bishop should be consecrated there might be thrée or foure present Also touching the bishops of France he willed Augustine in no wise to intermeddle with them otherwise than by exhortation and good admonition to be giuen but not to presume anie thing by authoritie sith the archbishop of Arles had receiued the pall in times past whose authoritie he might not diminish least he should séeme to put his sickle into another mans haruest But as for the bishops of Britaine he committed them vnto him that the vnlearned might be taught the weake with wholesome persuasions strengthened and the froward by authoritie reformed Moreouer that a woman with child might be baptised and she that was deliuered after 33 daies of a manchild and after 46 daies of a woman-child should be purified but yet might she enter the church before if she would The residue of Augustines demands consisted in these points to wit 1 Within what space a child should be christened after it was borne for doubt to be preuented by death 2 Within what time a man might companie with his wife after she was brought to bed 3 Whether a woman hauing hir floures might enter the church or receiue the communion 4 Whether a man hauing had companie with his wife might enter the church or receiue the communion before he was washed with water 5 Whether after pollusion by night in dreames a man might receiue the communion or if he were a priest whether he might say masse To these questions Gregorie maketh answere at full in the booke and place before cited which for bréefenesse we passe ouer He sent also at that time with the messengers aforesaid at their returne into England diuers learned men to helpe Augustine in the haruest of the Lord. The names of the chiefest were these Melitus Iustus Paulinus and Ruffinianus He sent also the pall which is the ornament of an archbishop with vessels and apparell which should be vsed in churches by the archbishop and other ministers He sent also with the pall other letters to Augustine to let him vnderstand what number of bishops he would haue him to ordeine within this land Also after that Melitus and the other before mentioned persons were departed from Rome he sent a letter vnto the same Melitus being yet on his way toward Britaine touching further matter concerning the churches of England wherein he confesseth that manie things are permitted to be vsed of the people latelie brought from the errors of gentilitie in keeping feasts on the dedication daies which haue resemblance with the old superstitious rites of the Pagan religion For to hard and obstinate minds saith he it is not possible to cut away all things at once for he that coueteth to the highest place goeth vp by steps and not by leaps At the same time Gregorie did send letters vnto Augustine touching the miracles which by report he vnderstood were shewed by the fame Augustine counselling him in no wise to glorie in the same but rather in reioising to feare and consider that God gaue him the gift to worke such signes for the wealth of them to whom he was sent to preach the gospell he aduised him therefore to beware of vaine-glorie and presumption for the disciples of the truth faith he haue no ioy but onlie that which is common with all men of which there is no end for not euerie one that is elect worketh miracles but euerie of the elect haue their names written in heauen These letters with the other which Gregorie sent at this time vnto Augustine were dated the tenth day of the kalends of Iulie in the yéere of our Lord 602 which was the 19 yeere of the emperour Mauricius Moreouer he sent most courteous letters by these messengers to king Ethelbert in the which he greatlie commended him in that he had receiued the christian faith and exhorted him to continue in that most holie state of life whereby he might worthilie looke for reward at the hands of almightie God What reparations and foundations Augustine finished for clergimen to the supportation of the church the building of Paules in London and saint Peters in Westminster vncerteine a prouinciall councell called by Augustine he restoreth a blind man to his sight the Britains are hardlie weaned from their old custome of beliefe an heremits opinion of Augustine he requireth three things to be obserued of the Britains he ordeineth bishops at London and Rochester Sabert reigneth ouer the Eastsaxons Augustine dieth and is buried The xxj Chapter THus farre we haue waded in the forme and maner of conuerting the English nation to christianitie by the labours of Augustine and his coadiutors now therefore that we may orderlie procéed it remaineth that we say somewhat of the acts and déeds of the said Augustine of whom we read that after he was established archbishop and had his sée appointed him at Canturburie he restored another church in that citie which had béene erected there in times past by certeine of the Romans that were christians and did dedicate the same now to the honour of Christ our Sauiour He also began the foundation of a monasterie without that citie standing toward the east in the which by his exhortation king Ethelbert built a church euen from the ground which was dedicated vnto the holie apostles Peter and Paule in the which the bodie of the said Augustine was buried and likewise the bodies of all the archbishops of Canturburie and kings of Kent a long time after This abbie was called saint Austins after his name one Peter being the first abbat thereof The church there was not consecrated by Augustine but by his successor Laurence after he was dead Moreouer king Ethelbert at the motion of Augustine built a church in the citie of London which he latelie had conquered and dedicated it vnto saint Paule but whether he builded or restored this church of saint Paule it may be doubted for there be diuers opinions of the building thereof Some haue written that it was first builded by king Lud as before is mentioned Other againe write that it was builded afterward by Sigebert king of the Eastsaxons Also king Ethelbert builded the church of saint Andrews in Rochester It is likewise remembred by writers that the same king Ethelbert procured a citizens of London to build a church to S. Peter without the citie of London toward the west in a place then called Thorney that is to say the I le of thorns and now called Westminster though others haue written that it was built by Lucius king of Britaine or rather by Sibert king of the Eastsaxons This church was either newlie built or greatlie inlarged by king Edward surnamed the Confessor and after that the third Henrie king of England did make there a beautifull monasterie and verie richlie indowed the same with great possessions and sumptuous iewels The place was ouergrowne with vnderwoods
bodie of saint Thomas in India Sighelmus the bishop of Shireborne bare the same and brought from thence rich stones and swéet oiles of inestimable valure From Rome also he brought a péece of the holy crosse which pope Martinus did send for a present vnto king Alfred Moreouer king Alfred founded three goodlie monasteries one at Edlingsey where he liued sometime when the Danes had bereaued him almost of all his kingdome which was after called Athelney distant from Taunton in Sumersetshire about fiue miles the second he builded at Winchester called the new minster and the third at Shaftesburie which was an house of nuns where he made his daughter Ethelgeda or Edgiua abbesse But the foundation of the vniuersitie of Oxford passed all the residue of his buildings which he began by the good exhortation and aduise of Neotus an abbat in those daies highlie estéemed for his vertue and lerning with Alfred This worke he tooke in hand about the 23 yéere of his reigne which was in the yéere of our Lord 895. So that the vniuersitie of Cambridge was founded before this other of Oxford about 265 yeeres as Polydor gathereth For Sigebert king of the Eastangles began to erect that vniuersitie at Cambridge about the yéere of our Lord 630. King Alfred was learned himselfe and giuen much to studie insomuch that beside diuerse good lawes which he translated into the English toong gathered togither and published he also translated diuerse other bookes out of Latine into English as Orosius Pastorale Gregorij Beda de gestis Anglorum Boetius de consolatione philosophiae and the booke of Psalmes but this he finished not being preuented by death So this worthie prince minded well toward the common wealth of his people in that season when learning was little estéemed amongst the west nations did studie by all meanes possible to instruct his subiects in the trade of leading an honest life and to incourage them generallie to imbrace learning He would not suffer anie to beare office in the court except he were lerned and yet he himselfe was twelue yéeres of age before he could read a word on the booke and was then trained by his mothers persuasion to studie promising him a goodlie booke which she had in hir hands if he would learne to read it Herevpon going to his booke in sport he so earnestlie set his mind thereto that within a small time he profited maruellouslie and became such a fauorer of learned men that he delighted most in their companie to haue conference with them and allured diuerse to come vnto him out of other countries as Asserius Meneuensis bishop of Shirborne Werefridus the bishop of Worcester who by his commandement translated the bookes of Gregories dialogs into English Also I. Scot who whiles he was in France translated the book of Dionysius Ariopagita intituled Hierarchia out of Gréeke into Latine and after was schoolemaister in the abbeie of Malmesburie and there murthered by his scholers with penknâ—ues He had diuerse other about him both Englishmen strangers as Pleimond afterward archbishop of Canturburie Grimbald gouernor of the new monasterie at Winchester with others But to conclude with this noble prince king Alured he was so carefull in his office that he diuided the 24 houres which conteine the day and night in thrée parts so that eight houres he spent in writing reading and making his praiers other eightâ—â— emploied in relieuing his bodie with meat drinke and sléepe and the other eight he bestowed in dispatching of businesse concerning the gouernement of the realme He had in his chapell a candle of 24 parts whereof euerie one lasted an houre so that the sexton to whome that charge was committed by burning of this candle warned the king euer how the time passed away A little before his death he ordeined his last will and testament bequeathing halfe the portion of all his goods iustlie gotten vnto such monasteries as he had founded All his rents and reuenues he diuided into two equall parts and the first part he diuided into thrée bestowing the first vpon his seruants in houshold the second to such labourers and workemen as he kept in his works of sundrie new buildings the third part he gaue to strangers The second whole part of his reuenues was so diuided that the first portion thereof was dispersed amongst the poore people of his countrie the second to monasteries the third to the finding of poore scholers and the fourth part to churches beyond the sea He was diligent in inquirie how the iudges of his land behaued themselues in their iudgements and was a sharpe corrector of them which transgressed in that behalfe To be briefe he liued so as he was had in great fauour of his neighbours highlie honored among strangers He maried his daughter Ethelswida or rather Elstride vnto Baldwine earle of Flanders of whome he had two sonnes Arnulfe and Adulfe the first succéeding in the erledome of Flanders and the yoonger was made earle of Bullogne The bodie of king Alured was first buried in the bishops church but afterwards because the Canons raised a fond tale that the same should walke a nights his sonne king Edward remoued it into the new monasterie which he in his life time had founded Finallie in memorie of him a certeine learned clarke made an epitath in Latine which for the woorthinesse thereof is likewise verse for verse and in a maner word for word translated by Abraham Fleming into English whose no litle labor hath béene diligentlie imploied in supplieng sundrie insufficiences found in of this huge volume NObilitas inhata tibi probitatis honorem Nobilitie by birth to thee ô Alfred strong in armeâ— Armipotens Alfrede dedit probita que laborem Of goodnes hath the honor giuen and honor toilesome harmes Perpetuúmque labor nomen cul mixta dolorâ— And toilesome harmes an endlesse name wâ—ose ioâ—es were alwaies mext Gaudia semper erant spes semper mixta timori With sorow and whose hope with feare was euermore perplexe Si modo victor eras ad crastina bella pauebas If this day thou wert conqueror the next daies warre thou dredst Si modo victus eras in crastina bella parabas If this day thou wert conquered to next daies war 〈◊〉 spedst Cui velâ—es sudore iugi cul sica cruore Whose clothing wet witâ— dailie sweâ—â— whose blade with bloudie staine Tincta â—ugi quantum sit onusâ—egnare probarunt Do praâ—e how great a burthan tiâ— in roialtie to raine Non fuit immensi quisquam per climata mundi There hath not beene in anie part of all the world so wide Cui tot in aduet sis vel respirare liceret One that was able breath to take and troubles such abide Nec tamen aut ferro contritus ponere ferrum And yet with weapons wearie would not weapons lay aside Aut gladio potuit vitae fimisse labores Or with the sword the â—oile
woorthie punishment for within one yéere after he was eaten to death with lice if the historie be true King Edward came to his death after he had reigned thrée yéeres or as other write thrée yéeres and eight moneths ¶ Whatsoeuer hath béene reported by writers of the murther committed on the person of this king Edward sure it is that if he were base begotten as by writers of no meane credit it should appéere he was in déed great occasion vndoubtedlie was giuen vnto quéene Alfred to seeke reuenge for the wrongfull keeping backe of hir son Egelred from his rightfull succession to the crowne but whether that Edward was legitimate or not she might yet haue deuised some other lawfull meane to haue come by hir purpose and not so to haue procured the murther of the yoong prince in such vnlawfull maner For hir dooing therein can neither be woorthilie allowed nor throughlie excused although those that occasioned the mischiefe by aduancing hir stepsonne sonne to an other mans right deserued most blame in this matter Thus farre the sixt booke comprising the first arriuall of the Danes in this land which was in king Britricus his reigne pag. 135 at which time the most miserable state of England tooke beginning THE SEVENTH BOKE of the Historie of England Egelred succeedeth Edward the martyr in the kingdome of England the decaie of the realme in his reigne Dunstane refusing to consecrate him is therevnto inforced Dunstans prophesies of the English people and Egelred their king his slouth and idlenes accompanied with other vices the Danes arriue on the coasts of Kent and make spoile of manie places warre betwixt the king and the bishop of Rochester archbishop Dunstans bitter denunciation against the king because he would not be pacified with the bishop of Rochester without moncie Dunstans parentage his strange trance and what a woonderfull thing he did during the time it lasted his education and bringing vp with what good qualities he was indued an incredible tale of his harpe how he was reuoked from louing and lusting after women whereto he was addicted his terrible dreame of a rough beare what preferments he obteined by his skill in the expounding of dreames The first Chapter IN the former booke was discoursed the troubled state of this land by the manisold and mutinous inuasions of the Danes who though they sought to ingrosse the rule of euerie part and parcell therof in to their hands yet being resisted by the valiantnesse of the gouernors supported with the aid of their people they were disappointed of their expectation and receiued manie a dishonorable or rather reprochfull repulse at their aduersaries hands Much mischiefe doubtlesse they did and more had doone if they had not béene met withall in like measure of extremitie as they offred to the offense and ouerthrow of great multitudes Their first entrance into this land is controuersed among writers some saieng that it was in the daies of king Britricus other some affirming that it was in the time of king Egbert c about which point sith it is a matter of no great moment we count it labour lost to vse manie woords onelie this by the waie is notewoorthie that the Danes had an vnperfect or rather a lame and limping rule in this land so long as the gouernors were watchfull diligent politike at home and warlike abroad But when these kind of kings discontinued and that the raines of the regiment fell into the hands of a pezzant not a puissant prince a man euill qualified dissolute slacke and licentious not regarding the dignitie of his owne person nor fauoring the good estate of the people the Danes who before were coursed from coast to coast and pursued from place to place as more willing to leaue the land than desirous to tarrie in the same tooke occasion of stomach and courage to reenter this I le waxing more bold and confident more desperate and venturous spared no force omitted no opportunitie let slip no aduantage that they might possiblie take to put in practise and fullie to accomplish their long conceiued purpose Now bicause the Danes in the former kings daies were reencountred and that renowmedlie so often as they did encounter and séeking the totall regiment where dispossessed of their partile principalilie which by warlike violence they obteined and for that the Saxons were interessed in the land and these but violent incrochers vnable to keepe that which they came to by constreint we haue thought it conuenient to comprise the troubled estate of that time in the sixt booke the rather for the necessarie consequence of matters then in motion and héere déeme it not amisse at so great and shamefull loosenesse speciallie in a prince ministring hart and courage to the enimie to begin the seuenth booke Wherin is expressed the chiefest time of their flourishing estate in this land if in tumults vprores battels and bloudshed such a kind of estate may possiblie be found For héere the Danes lord it héere they take vpon them like souereignes héere if at anie time they had absolute authoritie they did what they might in the highest degrée as shall be declared in the vnfortunate affaires of vngratious Egelred or Etheldred the sonne of king Edgar and of his last wife quéene Alfred who was ordeined king in place of his brother Edward after the same Edward was dispatched out of the waie and began his reigne ouer this realme of England in the yéere of our Lord 979 which was in the seuenth yéere of the emperor Otho the second in the 24 of Lothaine K. of France and about the second or third yéere of Kenneth the third of that name king of Scotland This Egelred or Etheldred was the 30 in number from Cerdicus he first king of the Westsaxons through his negligent gouernment the state of the commonwealth fell into such decaie as writers doo report that vnder him it may be said how the kingdome was 〈◊〉 to the vttermost point or period of old 〈…〉 age which is the next degrée to the graâ—e For wheras whilest the realme was diuided at the first by the Saxons into sundrie dominions it grew at length as it were increasing from youthfull yeeres to one absolute monarchie which passed vnder the late remembred princes Egbert Adelstane Edgar and others so that in their daies it might be said how it was growne to mans state but now vnder this Egelred through famine pestilence and warres the state thereof was so shaken turned vpside downe and weakened on ech part that rightlie might the season be likened vnto the old broken yéeres of mans life which through féeblenesse is not able to helpe it slefe Dunstane archbishop of Canturburie was thought to haue foreséene this thing and therfore refused to annoint Egelred king which by the murther of his brother should atteine to the gouernment but at length he was compelled vnto it and so he consecrated him at Kingston vpon Thames as the
which no small praise was thought to be due vnto the said quéene sith by hir politike gouernement in making hir match so beneficiall to hir selfe and hir line the crowne was thus recouered out of the hands of the Danes and restored againe in time to the right heire as by an auncient treatise which some haue intituled Encomium Emmae and was written in those daies it dooth and may appeare Which booke although there be but few copies thereof abroad giueth vndoubtedlie great light to the historie of that time But now to our purpose Cnute the same yeare in which he was thus maried through persuasion of his wife quéene Emma sent awaie the Danish nauie and armie home into Denmarke giuing to them fourescore and two thousand pounds of siluer which was leuied throughout this land for their wages In the yeare 1018 Edrike de Streona earle of Mercia was ouerthrowen in his owne turne for being called before the king into his priuie chamber and there in reasoning the matter about some quarrell that was picked to him he began verie presumptuouslie to vpbraid the king of such pleasures as he had before time doone vnto him I did said he for the loue which I bare towards you forsake my souereigne lord king Edmund and at length for your sake slue him At which words Cnute began to change countenance as one maruellouslie abashed and straightwaies gaue sentence against Edrike in this wise Thou art woorthie saith he of death and die thou shalt which art guiltie of treason both towards God and me sith that thou hast slaine thine owne souereigne lord and my déere alied brother Thy bloud therefore be vpon thine owne head sith thy toong hath vttered thy treason And immediatlie he caused his throat to be cut and his bodie to be throwne out at the chamber window into the riuer of Thames ¶ But others say that hands were laid vpon him in the verie same chamber or closet where he murdered the king straightwaies to preuent all causes of tumults hurlieburlies he was put to death with terrible torments of fierbrands links which execution hauing passed vpon him a second succeeded for both his féet were bound together and his bodie drawne through the streets of the citie in fine cast into a common ditch called Houndsditch for that the citizens threw their dead dogs and stinking carrion wish other filth into it accounting him worthie of worse rather than of a better buriall In such haired was treason had being a vice which the verie infidels and grosse pagans abhorred else would they not haue said 〈…〉 Treason I loue but a traitor I hate This was the end of Edrike surnamed de Stratten or Streona a man of great infamie for his craftie dissimulation falshood and treason vsed by him to the ouerthrow of the English estate as partlie before is touched But there be that concerning the cause of this Edriks death séeme partlie to disagrée from that which before is recited declaring that Cnute standing in some doubt to be betraied through the treason of Edrike sought occasion how to rid him and others whome he mustrusted out of the way And therefore on a day when Edrike craued some preferment at Cnuts hands said that he had deserued to be well thought of sith by his fight from the battell at Ashendon the victorie therby inclined to Cnutes part Cnute hearing him speake these words made this answere And canst thou quoth he be true to me that through fraudulent meanes did fiddest deceiue thy souereigne lord and maister But I will reward thée according to thy deserts so as from henceforth thou shalt not deceiue anie other and so forthwith commanded Erike one of his chiefe capteines to dispatch him who incontinentlie cut off his head with his are or halbert Uerelie Simon Dunelmenfis saith that K. Cnute vnderstanding in what sort both king Egelred and his sonne king Edmund Ironside had béene betraied by the saith Edrike stood in great doubt to be likewise deceiued by him and therefore was glad to haue some pretended quarell to dispatch both him and others whome he likewise mistrusted as it well appeared For at the same time there were put to death with Edrike earle Norman the sonne of earle Leofwin and brother to earle Leofrike also Adelward the sonne of earle Agelmare and Brightrike the sonne of Alfegus gouernor of Deuonshire without all guilt or cause as some write And in place of Norman his brother Leofrike was made earle of Mercia by the king and had in great fauour This Leofrike is commonlie also by writers named earle of Chester After this Cnute likewise banished Iric and Turkill two Danes the one as before is recited gouernor of Northumberland and the other of Northfolke and Suffolke or Eastangle Then rested the whole rule of the realme in the kings hands wherevpon he studied to preserue the people in peace and ordeined lawes according to the which both Danes and Englishmen should be gouerned in equall state and degrée Diuers great lords whome he found vnfaithfull or rather suspected he put to death as before ye haue heard beside such as he banished out of the realme He raised a tar or tribute of the people amounting to the summer of fourescore two thousand pounds besides 11000 pounds which the Londoners paid towards the maintenance of the Danish armie But whereas these things chaunced not all at one time but in sundrie Seasons we will returne somewhat backe to declare what other exploits were atchiued in the meane time by Cnute not onelie in England but also in Denmarke and elsewhere admonishing the reader in the processe of the discourse following that much excellent matter is comprehended whereout if the same be studiouslie read and diligentlie confidered no small profit is to be reaped both for the augmentation of his owne knowledge and others that be studious Cnute saileth into Denmarke to subdue the Vandals earle Goodwins good seruice with the English against the said Vandals and what benefit accrewed vnto the Englishmen by the said good seruice he returneth into England after the discomfiture of the enimie he saileth ouer againe into Denmarke and incountreth with the Sweideners the occasion of this warre or incounter taken by Olaâ—us his hard hap vnluckie fortune and wofull death wrought by the hands of his owne vnnaturall subiects Cnuts confidence in the Englishmen his deuour voiage to Rome his returne into England his subduing of the Scots his death and interrement The twelfth Chapter IN the third yeare of his reigne Cnute sailed with an armie of Englishmen and Danes into Denmarke to subdue the Uandals there which then sore anncied and warred against his subiects of Denmarke Earle Goodwine which had the souereigne conduct of the Englishmen the night before the day appointed for the battell got him forth of the campe with his people and suddenlie assailing the Uandals in their lodgings easilie distressed
it selfe beareth witnesse notwithstanding that the papists prefer S. Osmond as they call him because he builded the minster there and made the portesse called Ordinale ecclesiastici officij which old préests were woont to vse The bishops also of this sée were sometimes called bishops of Sunning of their old mansion house neere vnto Reading as it should seeme and among those that liued before the said Iuell one Roger builded the castell of the Uies in the time of Henrie the first taken in those daies for the strongest hold in England as vnto whose gate there were regals and gripes for six or seuen port cullises Finallie this sée paid vnto Rome 4000 florens but vnto hir maiestie in my time 1367 pounds twelue shillings eight pence as I did find of late Excester hath Deuonshire and Cornewall sometime two seuerall bishopriks but in the end brought into one of Cornewall and from thence to Excester in the time of the Bastard or soone after It began vpon this occasion Anno Gratiae 905 in a prouinciall councell holden by the elder Edward Plegimond archbishop of Canturburie among the Gewises wherein it was found that the see of Winchester had not onelie béene without hir pastor by the space of seuen yéeres but also that hir iurisdiction was farre greater than two men were able well to gouerne therefore from the former two to wit Winchester and Shirburne three other were taken whereby that see was now diuided into fiue parts the latter thrée being Welles Kirton and Cornwall this of Cornwall hauing hir sée then at saint Patroks not farre from north-Wales vpon the riuer Helmouth he of Deuon holding his iurisdiction in Deuonshire Kirton or Cridioc and the bishop of Welles being allowed Dorset and Barkshires for his part to gouerne and looke vnto according to his charge Finallie these two of Deuon and Cornwall being vnited the valuation thereof was taxed by the sée of Rome at six thousand ducats or florens which were trulie paid at euerie alienation but verie hardlie as I gesse sith that in my time wherein all things are racked to the verie vttermost I find that it is litle worth aboue fiue hundred pounds by the yéere bicause hir tenths are but fiftie Bath whose see was sometime at Welles before Iohn the bishop there annexed the church of Bath vnto it which was 1094 hath Summersetshire onlie and the valuation thereof in the court of Rome was foure hundred thirtie florens but in hir maiesties books I find it fiue hundred thirtie and three pounds and about one od shilling which declareth a precise examination of the estate of that sée Of the erection of this bishoprike mentioned in the discourse of Excester I find the former assertion confirmed by another author and in somewhat more large maher which I will also remember onelie because it pleaseth me somewhat better than the words before alleged out of the former writer This bishoprike saith he was erected 905 in a councell holden among the Gewises whereat king Edward of the west-Saxons and Plegimond archbishop of Canturburie were present For that part of the countrie had béene seuen yéeres without anie pastorall cure And therfore in this councell it was agréed that for the two bishoprikes whereof one was at Winchester another at Shireburne there should be fiue ordeined whereby the people there might be the better instructed By this meanes Frithstan was placed at Winchester and Ethelme at Shireburne both of them being then void Shireburne also susteined the subdiuision so that Werstane was made bishop of Cridioc or Deuonshire whose sée was at Kirton Herstan of Cornwall and Eadulfe of Welles vnto whome Barkshire and Dorsetshire were appointed But now you sée what alteration is made by consideration of the limits of their present iurisdictions Worcester sometime called Episcopatus Wicciorum that is the bishoprike of the Wiccies or Huiccies hath Worcester part of Warwikeshires And before the bishoprike of Glocester was taken out of the same it paid to the pope two thousand ducats of gold at euerie change of prelat but now the valuation thereof is one thousand fortie nine pounds seauen pence halfe penie farthing except my remembrance doo deceiue me This sée was begunne either in or not long before the time of Offa king of the east-Angles and Boselus was the first bishop there after whome succéeded Ostfort then Egwine who went in pilgrimage to Rome with Kinredus of Mercia and the said Offa and there gat a monasterie which he builded in Worcester confirmed by Constantine the pope In this sée was one of your lordships ancestors sometime bishop whose name was Cobham and doctor both of diuinitie and of the canon law who during the time of his pontificalitie there builded the vault of the north side of the bodie of the church and there lieth buried in the same as I haue béene informed Certes this man was once elected and should haue béene archbishop of Canturburie in the roome of Reginald that died 1313 vnder Edward the second but the pope frustrated his election fearing least he would haue shewed himselfe more affectionate towards his prince than to his court of Rome wherefore he gaue Canturburie to the bishop of Worcester then being And furthermore least he should seeme altogither to reiect the said Thomas and displease the king he gaue him in the end the bishoprike of Worcester whereinto he entred 1317 Martij 31 being thursdaie as appeereth by the register of that house after long plée holden for the aforesaid sée of Canturburie in the court of Rome wherein most monie did oftenest preuaile This is also notable of that sée that fiue Italians succéeded ech other in the same by the popes prouision as Egidius Syluester Egidius his nephue for nephues might say in those daies Father shall I call you vncle And vncles also Son I must call thée nephue Iulius de Medices afterward pope Clement and Hieronymus de Nugutijs men verie likelie no doubt to benefit the common people by their doctrine Some of these being at the first but poore men in Rome and yet able by selling all they had to make a round summe against a rainie daie came first into fauor with the pope then into familiaritie finallie into orders and from thence into the best liuings of the church farre off where their parentage could not easilie be heard of nor made knowne vnto their neighbours Glocester hath Glocestershire onelie wherein are nine deanries and to the number of 294 parish churches as I find by good record But it neuer paid anie thing to Rome bicause it was erected by king Henrie the eight after he had abolished the vsurped authoritie of the pope except in quéene Maries if anie such thing were demanded as I doubt not but it was yet is it woorth yeerelie 315 pounds seauen shillings thrée pence as the booke of first fruits declareth Hereford hath Herefordshire and part of Shropshire and it paid to Rome at euerie
alienation 1800 ducats at the least but in my time it paieth vnto hir maiesties cofers 768 pounds ten shillings ten pence halfe penie farthing In this sée there was a bishop sometime called Iohn Bruton vpon whome the king then reigning by likelihood for want of competent maintenance bestowed the keeping of his wardrobe which he held long time with great honour as his register saith A woonderfull preferment that bishops should be preferred from the pulpit to the custodie of wardrobes but such was the time Neuerthelesse his honorable custodie of that charge is more solemnlie remembred than anie good sermon that euer he made which function peraduenture he committed to his suffragane sith bishops in those daies had so much businesse in the court that they could not attend to doctrine and exhortation Lichefield wherevnto Couentrie was added in the time of Henrie the first at the earnest sute of Robert bishop of that see hath Staffordshire Darbishire part of Shropshire and the rest of Warwikeshire that is void of subiection to the sée of Worcestershire It was erected in the time of Peada king of the south Mercians which laie on this side the Trent and therein one Dinas was installed about the yeare of Grace 656 after whom Kellac first then Tunher an Englishman succéeded this later being well learned and consecrated by the Scots In the time of the bastard I wot not vpon what occasion one Peter bishop of this sée translated his chaire to Chester and there held it for a season whereby it came to passe that the bishops of Lichfield were for a while called bishops of Chester But Robert his successor not likeing of this president remooued his chaire from Chester to Couentrie and there held it whilest he liued whereby the originall diuision of the bishoprike of Lichfield into Lichefield Chester and Couentrie dooth easilie appeare although in my time Lichfield and Couentrie be vnited and Chester remaineth a bishoprike by it selfe It paid the pope at euerie alienation 1733 florens or as some old bookes haue 3000 a good round summe but not without a iust punishment as one saith sith that anno 765 Edulfe bishop there vnder Offa king of Mercia would by his helpe haue bereaued the archbishop of Canturburie of his pall so did in déed vnder pope Hadrian holding the same vntill things were reduced vnto their ancient forme Before the time also of bishop Langton the prebends of this see laie here and there abroad in the citie where the vicars also had an house of which this honest bishop misliked not a little for sundrie causes wherefore he began their close and bestowed so much in building the same and pauing the stréets that his hungrie kinsmen did not a little grudge at his expenses thinking that his emptie cofers would neuer make them gentlemen for which preferment the freends of most bishops gaped earnestlie in those daies King Iohn was the greatest benefactor vnto this sée next vnto Offa and it is called Lichfield Quasi mortuorum campus bicause of the great slaughter of christians made there as some write vnder Dioclesian Howbeit in my time the valuation thereof is 703 pounds fiue shillings two pence halfepenie farthing a summe verie narrowlie cast by that auditor which tooke it first in hand Oxford hath Oxfordshire onelie a verie yoong iurisdiction erected by king Henrie the eight where in the time of quéene Marie one Goldwell was bishop who as I remember was a Iesuit dwelling in Rome and more conuersant as the constant fame went in the blacke art than skilfull in the scriptures and yet he was of great countenance amongst the Romane monarchs It is said that obseruing the canons of his order he regarded not the temporalities of that sée but I haue heard since that he wist well inough what became of those commodities for by one meane and other he found the swéetnesse of 354 pounds sixtéene shillings thrée pence halfe penie yearelie growing to him which was euen inough if not too much for the maintenance of a frier toward the drawing out of circles characters lineaments of imagerie wherein he was passing skilfull as the fame then went in Rome and not vnheard of in Oxford Elie hath Cambridgshire and the I le of Elie. It was erected 1109 by Henrie the first being before a rich and wealthie abbeie One Heruie also was made bishop there as I haue found in a register belonging sometime to that house being translated from Bangor Finallie it paid to the pope at euerie alienation 7000 ducats as the registers there do testifie at large Albeit that in my time I find a note of 2134 pounds sixteene shillings thrée pence halfe penie farthing whose disme ioined to those of all the bishopriks in England doo yéeld yearelie to hir maiesties coffers 23370 pounds sixtéene shillings thrée pence halfe penie farthing whereby also the huge sums of monie going out of this land to the court of Rome dooth in some measure appéere Ethelwold afterward bishop of Winchester builded the first monasterie of Elie vpon the ruines of a nunrie then in the kings hands howbeit the same house whereof he himselfe was abbat was yer long destroied by enimies and he in lieu of his old preferment rewarded by king Edgar with the aforesaid bishoprike from whence with more than lionlike boldnesse he expelled the secular préests and stored with moonkes prouided from Abandune néere Oxford by the helpe of Edgar and Dunstane then metropolitane of England There was sometime a greeuous contention betwéene Thomas Lild bishop of this see and the king of England about the yeare of Grace 1355 which I will here deliuer out of an old record because the matter is so parciallie penned by some of the brethren of that house in fauour of the bishop for that I was also abused with the same in the entrance thereof at the first into my chronologie The blacke prince fauoring one Robert Stretton his chapleine a man vnlearned and not worthie the name of a clearke the matter went on so farre that what for loue and somewhat else of a canon of Lichfield he was chosen bishop of that see Herevpon the pope vnderstanding what he was by his Nuncio here in England staied his consecration by his letters for a time and in the meane season committed his examination to the archbishop of Canturburie and the bishop of Rochester who felt and dealt so fauourablie with him in golden reasoning that his worthinesse was commended to the popes holinesse to Rome he goeth Being come to Rome the pope himselfe apposed him and after secret conference vtterlie disableth his election till he had prooued by substantiall argument and of great weight before him also that he was not so lightlie to be reiected Which kind of reasoning so well pleased his holinesse that Ex mera plenitudine potestatis he was made capable of the benefice and so returneth into England when he came home this bishop being in the kings