duke of Israell began to be theyr capytayne that is to say in the yere of the worlde .v. thousande .xlvi. or there about ca. xlvi fo xvi To make the storyes to agre and to kepe the order of the yeres begon fyrst it is to be noted that as sheweth Ranulph wyth diuers other Iulius Cesar made Brytayn trybutary to Rome in the .xlviii. yere before the incarnacyon of Chryste or in the yere of the worlde fyue thousande C.li. which was in the .ix. yere of Cassybelan From whēs takyng from y e tyme of Cassybelā before the trybute payd ix yeres for the tyme of the reygne of Lud .xi. yeres it foloweth congruently that kynge Lud beganne to reygne in the yere of the worlde fyue thousande C.xxxi And so frome the last yere of Elidure vntyll the begynnyng of the reygne of Lud or in the tyme of y e .xxxiii. kynges there passed C.lxxxvi yeres Lud the sonne of Hely last kynge of the forsayd .xxxiii was stablysshed kynge of Brytayne in the yere of the worlde fyue thousande C.xxxi and reygned yeres .ix. Thys kynge made Ludgate the westgate of London and walled a parte of the same and named the cytye Caerlud ca. xlvii fo xvi Cassibelan the brother of Lud was ordeyned kynge of Brytayn in the yere of the worlde fyue thousand C.xlii and reygned or he were made trybutary to the Romaynes yeres full and more .viii. ca. xlviii folio xvi The begynnyng of thys trybute as hath Peter Pyctauyensis Polycronycon and other authours was in the yere of the worlde .v. thousand C.li the .xlviii. yere before Cristes comynge And Eutropius sayeth in hys cronicle that Caius Iulius did conquere Brytayn by .ii. yeres before he was create emperour and he reygned as emperour .ii. yeres And furthermore the sayde Eutropius affermeth that Octauian Augustus successour of the sayde Iulius began to reygne in the yere of the worlde .v. thousande C.lviii and that he reygned full .xli. yeres before Cryste was borne whyche sayeng Iacobus Philippus and other auctours afferme wherby it foloweth that Iulius Cesar subdued Brytayne .xlviii. yeres before the comyng of Cryste and the yere of the worlde as before is sayde v. thousande C.li. And so it appereth that Cryst was incarnate in the yere of the worlde after the account of the lxx interpreters .v. M.C.xcix ¶ Thus endeth the seconde parte that conteyneth .iii. C.lxxxiii yeres CAssibelan as before is sayde was made tributarie to the Romayns in the yere of the worlde v. M.C.li and reygned after yeres vii ca. l. fo xviii Temancius or Tēnancius brother to Cassibelan was of the Brytaynes ordeyned kyng in the yere of the worlde .v. thousande C. and .lvii. and reygned yeres .xxiii. ca. lii folio xviii Kymbelinus the sonne of Thēnācius was made kyng of the Brytōs in the yere of the world .v. M.C.lxxx reygned yeres .xxxv. All wryters agre that reygnyng thys kyng oure sauyour Iesus Christ was incarnat And than began the .vi. age ca. liii folio xviii Of the tyme of thys kynge Kymbelyus reygn dyuers auctours trete very darkly for fewe of them do nat accoūt any yeres for the tyme of hys reygne excepte Peter pictauiensis the auctours of the Englysshe boke whych afferme hym to reygne .xi. yeres But Galfrido of Monmouth sayth that whanne he had reygned yeres he begate .ii. sonnes But the floure of hystoryes wytnesseth hym to reygne .xxxv. yeres and y t Iesus Chryst was borne in .xix. yere of hys reygne whych wyth other cronycles or tymes dothe somwhat better agre Guiderius the sonne of Kymbalyne was made kynge of Brytayne in the yere of our lordes incarnacyō xvi in the yere of the worlde .v. M.ii. C.xvii and reygned yeres .xxviii. ca. liiii fo xix Aruiragus the brother of Guiderius began to reygne ouer the Brytons in the yere of our lordes incarnacyon .xliiii. and reygned yeres .xxx. In thys tyme Glouceter was buylded of Claudius And in the .xxvi. yere of thys kynges reygne whych was the .lxx. yere of the incarnacyō of our lorde began the fyrst persecuciō of the chrysten men vnder Nero. ca. lv fo xix Marius whyche the Englysshe cronycle nameth westmere sonne of Aruiragus was made kyng of Brytayne in the yere of our lorde .lxxiiii. and in the yere of the worlde and reygned yeres .ii. Chester towne of thys kyng was founded westmerlande also of thys kynge toke hys name And about the .xxi. yere of this kynges reygne was the second persecucyon vnder Domicianus And also the thyrd persecucyon about the xxxv yere of thys kynge vnder Tratanus ca. lvii fo xx Coilus the sonn̄ of Marius was made kyng of Brytayne in the yere of our lorde C. and .xxvi. and the yere from the fyrste Adam and reygned yeres .liii. And about y e .xlv. yere of thys Coilus was the fourthe persecucyon vnder Marcus Antonius Amelius ca. lviii fo xxii Lucius the sonne of Coilus begā hys reygne ouer the Brytons in the yere of oure lorde an C.lxxx of the worlde and reygned yeres .xii. Thys was the fyrste chrysten kyng in Brytayne The image of Cryst at the north dore in the church of Poulys was founde in the ryuer of Thames by thys Lucius But an other authoure sayeth that it was founden in y e .xiiii. yere of Coilus or in the yere of the worlde C.xl. ca. lix folio xxii Of thys Lucius auctours do dout fully treate For Galfride sayth that Lucius dyed in the yere of our lorde C.lvi. And Guido de Calūpna sayth that Lucius was cristened in the fore sayd yere And Peter pictauiensis sayth that Lucius began to reygne in the yere of our lorde C.lxxx that he receyued the fayth in the .viii. yere of his reygn And the Floure of historyes sayth that he reygned .xii. yeres after the fayth by hym receyued Furthermore it is shewed in a certeyne table hangyng on the north parte of the quyre of Poules in Londont hat the sayd Lucius was crowned kyng of Brytayne in the yere of grace C.xxiii and that he reygned .lxxvii. yeres And the Englyshe cronycle agreeth therwith of hys coronacion but it sayth that he reygned but only xii yeres And so there appereth a great dyscord betwene these wryters But all agreen that the sayd Lucius was conuerted to y e fayth in the tyme of pope Eleutherius which after the concordance of many storyes was made pope about the yere of our lord C.lxxviii wherfore Galfrides sayng is to be denayd that sayth he died in the yere of grace C.lvi. and also the sayeng of Guydo for receyuyng of y e fayth And rather we oughte to gyue credence to the foresayde table or to Peter pictauiensis that affermeth y e sayd Lucius to reygne .xii. yere But some wryters that wrote the actes the reygnes of kynges haue ouerskypt as it semeth the tyme whyche Lucius reygned before he receyued the fayth And if he reygned before he receyued the fayth .xx. yeres and y t he receyued the faythe
Dioclecyan kyng of Sirye as in the englyshe cronycle is affermyd For in all olde storyes or cronycles is not founde that any suche kynge of that name reygned ouer the Syriens or yet Assyriens nor yet any suche storye that his .xxx. doughters shuld slee theyr .xxx. husbandes as there is surmysed was put in writynge whyche yf eny such wonder hadde ben there wrought shulde not haue ben vnremembred of the wryters auctours of that partyes consyderynge that many lesse wonders are put in writynge by the sayde wryters wherfore it ys more apparant y t yt toke that fyrst name of Albyon as aboue is sayde then of Albyne doughter of the sayde Dioclecyon And as to the GeauÌ„tes that Brute founde in this yle at his arryuayll they myght be brought into this laÌ„de by some meane of shyppes or other wyse rather then to be borne of those women as there also is imagyned Of this yle the auctours Alpherd and Beda tell many wonders which in the fyrst boke of Policronycon are suffycieÌ„tly towched where it is sayd y t this yle is called an other worlde For as sayth Solinus the edge of the Frenche cliffe shuld be the ende of the world yf this yland ne were not Many other thynges ben there specyfyed the whyche I passe ouer Thys yle is closyd on all sydes with y e see stretcheth in length out of the sowth into the north hauynge in the sowthest syde Fraunce in the south y e land of Spayne in the north y e couÌ„tre of Norway in y e weste the couÌ„tre of Irland And hath in length from Totnesse to Catenessey .xv. myles beyonde Mychell Stowe in Cornewayle vpon .viii. hundred myles And to reken the brede from saynte Dauyds lande in walys called Menema to Douer clyffes it coÌ„teyneth after moste wryters .iii. hundred myles And yf yt be rekened from y e sayd place in walys vnto parmouthe in Norfolk not so much but lesse by .lx. myles after some wryters And Beda saith it coÌ„teineth ouer CC. miles And this I le was fyrste as aboue ys sayde named Albyon and secundaryly Britayne after Brute thyrde 〈…〉 of Anglis by coÌ„mauÌ„dmeÌ„t of Egberte kynge of Anglys and of westsaxons all be yt that after some wryters yt was called Anglia after the name of the quene of this lande name Anglia albe it that therof is founde lytell authoryte This ile was fyrst coÌ„queryd by y e Romayns and so contynued vnto them as trybutary and vnder theyr rule as after in the ende of the story of Gracianus shall appere ouer .iiii. huÌ„dred yeres secondely by the SaxoÌ„s thyrdely by y e Danys fourthly by the Normans and was deuyded fyrst by Brute in thre partes as in the storie shall appere folowynge THE II. CHAPITER BRute of the auncyent and noble blode of Troyans dyscendyd of Eneas a Troyan and of the doughter of Pryame kynge of the Troyans whyche Eneas receyued of his sayde wyfe a sonne named Ascanius the whych was kynge of the countre of Italye nexte after hys father Eneas For so yt was that after the foresayde cytye of Troy was as before is sayde by the Grekes subuertyd Eneas whyche entendyd to haue sauyd from dethe the fayre Polixena doughter of kynge Pryam was for that dede by Agamemnon duke or chyefe leder of the Grekes exyled froÌ„ Troy the whyche accoÌ„panyed wyth a great nomber of Troyans wythin iii. yeres after his departynge from Troye landed in y e couÌ„tre of Italye And there after dyuerse conflyctys and bataylles hadde wyth Latynus then kynge of Italye he maryed by the agrement of the sayde Latinus hys doughter named Lauina Uppon y e which he gatte a sonne and named hym Syluius Posthumus of the whych after some wryters descendyd Brutus fyrste kynge of Albyon But for a more concordaunce of this worke and conuenyencye of yeres As testyfyeth Policronia Guydo de ColuÌ„na wryter of storyes other Ascanius the fyrste sonne of Eneas gotten vppon hys fyrste wyfe hadde a sonne named Siluius whyche after some wryters is named Siluius Eneas this Siluius Eneas was father to Brute Of this is dyuers opinyons whereof some are manyfestly shewed in the .xxvii. chapyter of the seconde boke of Polycronycon Then yt foloweth in y e story this Brute beyng of the age of .xv. yeres slewe his father in shotyng at a wyld beste And as some authours haue he slewe also hys moder in tyme of his byrth But for the laste dede by agrement of all wryters he was banyshed the countre and after by fortune landed wyth his conpanye in a prouynce of Grece where at y e tyme reygned a kyng named Pandrasus or after some wryters Pandarus y e whyche kynge as affermyth Geffrey of Monmouth was lynyally descendyd of the blode of Achylles In this prouynce Brute founde many Troyans as captiuys thrall to the Grekes wyth the whyche he conspyred faughte wyth y e Grekes sondry tymes lastely for a fynall concorde toke to wyfe the doughter of the sayd Pandrasus name Ignogen After whyche maryage solemnysyd the sayde Brute by couÌ„sayle of y e Troyans with a certayne of shyppes well vytaylled departed out of Grece and soughte his aduenture whyche after many daungers of the passed he landed wyth his company in a parte or yle of Affrica named as sayth Guydo and other Lergesia wythin whyche yle at those dayes stode an old temple dedycate in y e honoure of Diua or Diana a goddesse of mysbyleued people The whyche temple when Brute had apê‘ceyuyd anon he yode into yt where knelyng before the aulter wyth great deuocyon sayde these versys folowynge Diua potens nemorum terror syluestribus apris Cui licet amfractus ire per aethereos Infernasque domos terestria iura resolue Et dic quas terras nos habitare velis Dic certam sedem qua te venerabor in aemon Qua tibi virgineis templa dicabo choris The whyche versys are to be vnderstanden in our moder tonge as after is expowned Celestyall goddesse that weldest fryth a woode The wylde bore bestes thou feryst by thy myght Guyder of shypmen passynge the ragyone flode The infernall howses for and the erth of ryght Beholde and serche and shewe where I shall fyght Tell the certayne place where euerlastyngly A temple of virgyne to the Iâ—Balledyfpe After whyche prayer obseruaunces after y e pagan ryte with great deuocyon done and exercysed aboute y e auter of y e sayd goddesse or idolle in those days vsed Brute fill in a slepe In tyme of whyche slepe apperyd to hym the sayd goddesse and sayd to hym in maner forme as foloweth Brute sub occasum solis trans Gallica regna Insula in oceano est vndeque clausa mari Insula in oceano est habitata gigantibus olins Nunc deserta quidem gentibus apta tuit Hic de prose tua reges nascentur ipsis Totius terrae subditus orbis erit Hanc pete nanque tibi sedes erit in illa
some wryters Siluius the brother of Gurgustius as affermeth the foresayde olde cronycle was made chyef ruler of Brytayne in the yere of the worlde .iiii. thousande .v. hundred and .xxi. This in y e englyshe boke is named Seyzill Of the whych is no mencyon made nother of his reygne nor dedes excepte that Geffrey of Monmouth wryter of y e hystoryes of Brytons sayth that he reygned two yeres whyche sayenge is not accordaunte wyth other wryters But more to the coÌ„uenyency of tyme and agrement of other cronyclers accordyng to the sayeng of the forenamed old authour he reygned by y e terme of .xlix. yeres and after dyed was buryed at Caerbadon or Bathe and lefte after hym none heyre of his bodye begotten THE XXII CHAPITER IAgo or Lago y e cosyne of Gurgustius as wytnesseth Gaufryde as nexte inherytoure was made gouernour of Britayne in the yere of the worlde .iiii. thousande .v. hundred .lxx. This also ys vnmynded of wryters other for restfulnesse of tyme or ellys for rudenesse of his dedes that clerkes lyste not to speÌ„de any tyme in wrytynge of such dedes Of hym is nothynge specyfyed sauynge the forenamed olde authoure ioyneth to his tyme of reygne .xxv. yeres and also he sayth he dyed wythoute issue and was buryed by hys cosyn at Caerbrank or yorke THE XXIII CHAPITER BInimacus the sonne of Sisilliê° as some wryters haue but more verytably as sayth the olde cronycle y e brother of Lago was made ruler of Brytayne in the yere of the world .iiii. thousand .iiii. huÌ„dred .lxxx and xv the whyche as his brother before hym passed his tyme without any notable actes or dedes so that of hym is no more memorye made theÌ„ of his brother For the more party they that wrote the faytes dedes of Brytons make but a shorte rehersayll of these .v. kynges y t is to saye from Ryuallo to Gorbodug sayeng that after Ryuallo succedyd Gurgustius after hym succedyd Lago to Lago succedyd Kinimacus after Kinimacus succeded Gorbodug Of these .v. kynges or rulers is made lytell other mencyon Thenne yt foloweth in the sayd olde cronicle that when this Kinimacus had reygned liiii yeres he dyed and was buryed by his brother at CaerbraÌ„k or york leuynge after hym a sonne as testyfyeth Flos historiaruÌ„ whych sonne was named Gorbodug THE XXIIII CHAPITER GOrbodug the sonne of Kinimacê° was made ruler of Brytayne in the yere of the worlde folowynge the foresayde accompt .iiii. thousande .v. hundred and .xlix. whych all so passed his tyme lyke vnto the forenamed dukes or kynges wythout any specyall memory of honour noted by writers This by most lykelyhode to brynge historyes to accorde shulde reygne ouer the Brytons the terme of .lxiii. yeres whych terme endyd he dyed and lyeth buryed at new Troy or LoÌ„don leuyng after hym two sonnes named Ferrex and Porrex or after some wryters Ferreus and Porreus THE XXV CHAPITER FErrex wyth Porrex hys brother sonnes of Gorbodug were ioyntly made gouernours and dukes of Britayne in the yere of the worlde foure thousande .vii. hundred and .xi and contynued in amytye a certayne tyme. After whyche tyme expyred as witnessyth Policronica and also Gaufride Porrex beynge couetouse of lordeshyp gaderyd his peple vnwetynge Ferrex his brother entendynge to destroy hym wherof he beynge warned for lacke of space to assemble his people for sauegard of his persone fled sodeynly into Gallia or FrauÌ„ce and axyd ayd of a duke of Gallia named by Gaufryde Gunhardus or Suardus the the whych duke hym ayded and sent hym agayne into Brytayne with his hoste of Gallis After whose laÌ„dynge his brother Porrex with his BrytoÌ„s hym mete and gaue to hym batayll in the whyche batayll Ferrex was slayne with y e more part of his peple But here dyscordeth myn authour wyth some other wryters and wyth the cronycle of Englande for they testyfye that Porrex was slayne and Ferrex suruyuyd But whether of them was lyuyng the moder of these two brethern named widen settynge a parte all moderly pytye with help of her women entred the chambre of hym so lyuynge by nyght and hym there slepynge slew cruelly and cut into small peces And thus dyed the two foresayde bretherne after they had thus ruled Brytayne in warre and peace to the agrement of moste wryters .v. yeres THE XXVI CHAPITER HEre now endeth the lyne or of sprynge of Brute after the affermaunce of moste wryters For Gaufride saith after the deth of these forenamed bretherne great discorde arose amonge the Brytons y â— which longe tyme among them continued by meane wherof the people and couÌ„tre was sore vexed and noyed vnder v. kynges And further saith Guydo de Columna that the Brytons abhorred the lynage of Gorbodug for so myche as fyrste that one brother slew that other and more for the innaturall dysposycyon of the morder that so cruelly slew her owne chylde The cronycle of Englande sayth that after the deth of the two forenamed bretherne no ryghtfull enherytour was lefte on lyue wherfore the the people were brought in great discorde in so myche that the land was deuydyd in foure partyes So that in Albania was one ruler in Loegria or Logiers one other ruler in Cambria the thyrde duke or ruler in Cornewayle the .iiii. duke or ruler But of these .iiii. dukes the english cronicle alloweth ClotonÌ„ duke of Cornewayll for moste ryghtefull heyre Policronyca sayth that after y e deth of the foresayde two bretherne great dyscorde was in the lande whyche greuyd the people sore vnder .v. kynges But he nother reheseth the names nor the tymes of theyr regnes excepte he addeth to that the sayde dyscorde contynued tyll the tyme of Moliuncius Dumuallo So y t here appereth no tyme certayn how loÌ„ge this varyaunce and dyscorde amoÌ„g the Brytons contynued But who so lyst to loke vpon a draught made by me in english in y e beginnyng of this boke he shall se there yf he please to caste ouer the tymes and yeres there expressed that this forsayde discorde contynued nere to the terme of .li. yeres In whyche draught or conceyte yf any man here fynde erroure of his goodnes lette hym amende correcte yt and all other places where he shall by good profe fynde place of correccyon THE XXVII CHAPITER THus here endyth y e fyrst parte of this worke conteynynge or dyuyded in .vii. partes as before is shewed And in a waye of a thank to be gyuen to our moste blessyd aduocate helper of all wretches that to her lyste to call I meane y e moste blessyd vyrgyne our lady saynt Mary moder of Cryste for y t her grace hath fortheryd this worke hytherto and for to impetrate of her the grace and ayde of her moste mercyfull contynuauÌ„ce to accomplysh this worke begonne as before is shewed vnder supporte of her most bouÌ„teous grace here wyll I wyth humble mynde salute her wyth the fyrste ioye of y e .vii. ioyes whych begynneth Gaude flore virginali c.
meruelouse strength in so mych that he had not his pere wythin his realm of any man of noble byrthe In his tyme came into Brytayne a prynce oute of a countre called Mauritania the whyche countre at those dayes is assygned by Strabo y e wryter â–ª to be betwene the kyngdomes of Hungary and of Beame the whych prynce wyth his cruell fyers people wasted the laÌ„d of Britayne with iron and fyre wythout pytye wherof Morindus beynge warned in all haste gaderyd his people and hym mette and faught in such wyse that he chasyd the sayde prynce agayne to the see and toke many of his sowdyours as prysoners the whyche in satysfyeng of his cruelnesse and tyranny he caused to be put to deth in his syght by dyuerse maners of tormentes as by heedynge fleynge brennynge and other cruell execucyons Lastely as testyfyeth Guydo de Columpna and other this Morindus walkynge or rydynge vppon the see stronde espyed a woÌ„derfull monstre the whych of his corage and knyght hod he thought to sle And by a maÌ„ly corage and force assayled this monstre or beste fyghtyng wyth yt a certayne of tyme. But in conclusyon he was deuoured and swalowyd of the sayd monstre after he had reygned after moste wryters by the terme of viii yeres leuynge after hym as wytnessyth Gaufryde fyue sonnes wherof the fyrste was named GorbomaÌ„nus the secunde Archygallo the thyrde Elidurus the fourth Uigenius or Nigenius and the fyfte or yongest Peredurus THE XXXVIII CHAPITER GOrbamaÌ„nus the fyrste sonne of Morindê° was made king of Brytayne in the yere of the world foure thousande .viii. hundred .lxxx. and .xviii. This in the englyshe cronycle ys named Granbodyan the whyche as testifyeth Gaufryde was a iuste and ryghtwyse man to y e goddes and to his people and yelded to eyther partye that was his that ys to say to his goddes he yelded due reuerence sacrifyce and to the people iustyce equyte And he renewed and repayred all olde temples thorough his realme and buylded some newe And in his tyme was more welth and plente in his realme mych more theÌ„ was in any of his predecessours dayes But fynally to y e great sorow of all his Brytons he was taken wyth sykenesse and dyed wythout issue of his body when he hadde reygned after moste wryters by the terme of .xi. yeres THE XXXIX CHAPITER ARchigallo the seconde sonne of Morindus and broder vnto GorbomaÌ„nus was made kynge of Brytayne in the yere of y e worlde foure thousande .ix. hundred and .x. This in the englyshe boke is named Artogayll the whyche folowed nothynge the workes of his brother but gaue hym selfe all to discencyon and stryfe and imagyned causes agayne his nobles to put them from theyr goodes and dygnytyes and in theyr places to sette and ordeyne vnnoble and of rude byrthe and maner and from the ryche by synystre and wrongfull meanes he plucked theyr ryches and goodes By whyche inordynate meanes he enryched hym self and impoueryshed his subiectes For whyche condycyons his lordes subiectes murmuryd agaynst hym and lastly of one assent toke him or more verely depryuyd hym of all honour and kyngly dygnyte when he hadde reygned after moste concordaunce of wryters fyue yeres THE XL. CHAPITER ELidâ—rus the thyrde sonne of Morindus and the brother of Archigallo was by one assent of the Brytons made kynge of Brytayne in the yere of the worlde .iiii. M.ix hundred and .xv. This in y e englyshe cronycle is named Hisider or Esodyr The which became so myld and benygne to the Brytons that they gaue to hym a surname and called hym Elidure y e meke For he amoÌ„ge other dedys of mekenes as he was vpon a daye in his dysporte of huntynge in a wode nere vnto CaerbraÌ„k or yorke called Calater or after some wryters Caltras he fande his elder brother Archigallo late kynge maskelyng or wandrynge in the thykest of the woode whome louyngly and charytably he in secrete maner conueyed vnto his owne mancyoÌ„ into y e cytye then named Aldud or Acliut And as affermeth myn authour Gaufryde to th entent to brynge his brother to his former dygnytye as after foloweth the sayd Elidurus fayned hym selfe syke and in all haste sente his messagers aboute his realme to gather and assemble the Barons of his laÌ„de And when the daye of assemble was coÌ„myn and his lordes accordynge to his commaundement were present he called them one by one as they were of honour into his secrete cubycle or chamber there by his wyse dyscrete wordes as well in benygne and louynge maner as other wordes and countenaunce apperteynyng to his royall power and dygnyty he gat graunte of his sayd lordes that they shuld ayde streÌ„gth hym to theyr powers to brynge hys brother Archigallo to his former honour and regally After which grauÌ„t by the lordes made he assembled a counsayll of his Brytons at Caerbrank or yorke there caused suche meanes to be made to the coÌ„mons that in conclusion when the sayd Elidurus hadde ruled the lande .v. yeres as kynge he there resygned his crowne and all kyngly power vnto his sayde brother Archigallo THE XLI CHAPITER WHen Archigallo was thus restored to his kyngly dygnyte he remembred well the euyl lyfe that before tyme he had ladde and the punishement which he had suffred for y e same wherfore in eschewynge of lyke daunger He chaunged all hys olde condicyons and became a good and ryghtwyse man mynystryng to the people equyte and iustyce bare hym so nobly agayne his lordes and rulers vnder hym of his landes that he was belouyd dradde of all hys subiectes and so contynued duryng the terme of his naturall lyfe But fynally he payde the dette of nature when he hadde reygned nowe lastly after moste wryters .x. yeres was buryed as sayth the sayde olde cronycle at Caerbranke or yorke THE XLII CHAPITER ELidurus before named was agayne by one assent of y e Brytons made kynge in the yere of the worlde .iiii. thousande .ix. hundred xxx But his two yonger bretherne Uigenius and Peredurus hauynge of hym indignacyon that he was for his vertue and good gouernauÌ„ce so well fauoured with the Brytons of malyce conspyryd agayne hym gatheryd an army of soudiours made a felde wyth hym And in the felde toke hym and commauÌ„ded hym vnto the towre of TroynouaÌ„t as sayth Gaufryde there as a prysoner to be sauely kepte After when he hadde reygned nowe laste by the space as wytnesseth the old cronycle .ii. yeres THE XLIII CHAPITER UIgenius and Peredurus y e yongest sonnes of Morindê° and bretherne of Elidurus before sayde were ioyntly made kynges of Brytayne in the yere of the worlde foure thousande .ix. hundred .xxxii. These two bretherne are named in y e engleshe cronycle Higanius and Petytur the whych as testyfyeth Gaufryde departed y e land betwene theÌ„ so y t all y e land from the water of HuÌ„ber westwarde fyll to Uigenius or Nigeniê° the other part of
or from the ende of the lordshyp of Deira vnto the sayde Scottyshe see or after some wryters from Durham to the see beforesayde Then yt foloweth the Pictes with theyr leder Fulgenius issued from Albany or Scotlande into the lande of Brytayne and destroyed myche of y e couÌ„tre beyonde Durham wherfore this Seuerus with and hoste of Brytons and of Romaynes mette wyth the sayde Fulgenius in a place nere vnto yorke where after sore fyght the sayd Seuerus was slayn when he hadde ruled this lande after moste concordaunce of wryters by y e terme of .v. yeres and was after buryed at yorke leuynge behynde hym two sonnes that one named Geta and that other Bassianus THE LXII CHAPITER BAssianus the sonne of Seuerus and of the moders syde a Bryton beganne to rule this lande of Britayne in the yere of Cirstes incarnacyon two hundred and .xii. Of this man spekyth nothynge the englyshe cronycle But trouth yt is as wytnessyth Gaufride and other that after y e deth of Seuerê° stryfe arose betwene the Brytons the Romaynes then beynge wythin the land of Brytayne For the commons helde for theyr kynge Bassianus for so myche as he was borne of a Bryton woman And vpon that other party in lyke maner the Romayns alowed Geta for theyr kyng because he was descended of a Romayne And as far ther affermeth the forenamed Gaufryde for this dyscencyon a batayll was hadde betwene the sayd two bretherne in y e whych Geta was slayn and Bassianus remayned for kynge of all the lande But froÌ„ this sayeng varyeth greatly Eutropius and other that wryte of the cronycles of Rome For by theÌ„ yt is witnessed that Geta was slayn at a cytye named Edessa when he faught agayne the Parthiens and Bassianus succedyd his fader in the dignyte of emperoure which as in y e sayde cronycle of Rome is testyfyed was also called Marcus Aurelius Antonnius and Caracalla a man of ryght euyll condycyon and vnreasonable of lechery so y t he laye by his stepdame named Iuliana and weddyd her and dyd other many cruell dedys and lastely he was slayne at the forenamed cytye of Edessa when he had ben emperour vpoÌ„ .vii. yeres In the tyme that Bassianus was thus kynge of Brytayne one named Carassius a Bryton of lowe byrthe but valyant and hardy in mercyall dedys purchaced of the senate of Rome the kepynge of y e costes of Brytayne and to wythstaÌ„de the malyce of straungers as Pictes and other By meane of this Carassius drewe vnto hym many knyghtes specyally of the Brytons promysynge to them y t if they wold make hym kyng he wolde clerely delyuer them from all seruytude of y e Romaynes where thorough y e Britons as wytnessyth Gaufryde rebelled agayne Bassianus and wyth theyr duke and leder Carassius arreryd agayne hym dedely warre By meane wherof Bassianus was slayne when he hadde ruled this land by moste concordaunce vi yeres THE LXIII CHAPITER CArassius a Briton of vnknowen byrth was of the BrytoÌ„s made ruler in the yere of our lord .ii. hundred and .xviii. the whych as before is touched was by the senate of Rome deputed for a substytute or a ruler vnder the Romaynes as yt is shewed in theyr cronycles in the absence or whyle Bassianus then emperour of Rome and kynge of Brytayne was occupyed aboute the nedes of the empyre This Carassius for that he was not of power to withstande the Pictes or for the fauoure that he bare towarde theÌ„ for aydyng hym agayne the Romayns he gaue to them the countre of Albania that now is called Scotlande But ye shall vnderstande y t here is not ment all Scotlande For as wytnessyth Policronica this parte y t was gyueÌ„ thus to the Pictes was the south parte of Albania and beganne at Twede and enduryd to the Scottysh see Of the kynde of those Pictes is somwhat shewed before in the story of Marius but more after shall be shewed of them in conuenieÌ„t place bothe of theyr ofsprynge and maners Then yt foloweth in the story wheÌ„ the Romaynes hadde knolege of the deth of Bassianus anon they sent a duke froÌ„ Rome named Alectus with iii. legyons of knyghtes for to slee Carassius and to subdue the Brytons to the empyre To the whyche Alectus fortune was so fauourable that he chased Carassius and lastely slew hym when he hadde ruled the Brytons by most accorde of wryters viii yeres But Iacobus Philippê° authour of a boke named SupplementuÌ„ cronicarum sayth that in the tyme that Maximianus or Maxymyan surnamed Herculeus and Dioclecyan Dalmatheus were emperoures of Rome they harde that this Carassiê° had taken vpon hym to were y e purpure that onely was reserued to emperours also y t he ruled the realm of Brytayne as to his synguler vse and furthermore were credybly enfourmed that Narsetê° an other substytute hadde or occupyed the eest laÌ„des wyth cruell batayll and other prynces the great couÌ„tre of Affrica and many other also by the instygacyon and leuyng of one named Achilleus hadde subdued the countre of Grece For whych sayde nouellys tydynges these two emperours to the ende to refourme all these sayde rebellyons chase vnto them two noble men of the whyche that one was named Galerius and that other CoÌ„stancius as cesars or felowes to rule the empyre And y t done the sayd .ii. cesars were sent with great powers that one iÌ„to Affrica and y e other into Egypte This forenamed Maximyan came wyth great power of people into Britayne and ouercame the sayde Carassius more by gyle then by strength when the sayde Carassius had ruled the Brytons as sayth the forenamed authour Iacobê° Philippus by the terme of .x. yeres In the whyche sayeng appereth errour for dyuersytie of tyme and yeres For after moste accorde of wryters and also by the affyrmacyon of the sayde Iacobus Philippus the sayde emperoures Dioclesian Maxymyan ruled the empyre of Rome aboute the yere of Crystes incarnacyon two hundred and lxxxx And this Carassiê° was ruler in Britayne long before as in the tyme of Bassianus emperour of Rome y e reygned aboute the yere of our lorde two hundred .xiii. as testyfyeth Polycrocon and other Also a boke in frenche called la Mere de hystoryes whyche maye be englyshed y e Moder of hystoryes sayth that this Carassius was fyrste a treasourer or such a hygh offycer amoÌ„ge the Romayns By reason wherof he sought great abundaunce of ryches and fyll by reason therof in fauoure of the senatours of Rome so that fynally he was made senatour and became a man of great authorytye in so myche that Bassianus then emperoure made hym protector of the cytye and countre of Alexandrye But then he was supprysyd wyth suche pryde that he exercysed tyranny and other vnlefull meanes in so excedynge maner that the countre waxed wery of him and conspired his deth wherfore after punyshemeÌ„t done vpon some of his enymyes he feryng the sequell and reuengement of the same left that countre
e pope and he shulde be by hym restoryd to perfytte helthe whyche was done and he heled as the legende of sayntes bereth wytnesse Thus haue I shewed to you a part of the dedys of Constantyne whych yf I shulde coÌ„tynue the hole processe of his reygne that endured as emperoure by the space of .xxx. yeres I shulde therof make a large volume But it concernyth nothynge of th entent of this worke as touchynge the lande of Brytayne therfore I woll retourne my style to Octauius from whom I haue made a loÌ„g digressyoÌ„ THE LXX CHAPITER IN this passetyme whyle Constantyne occupyed hym in nedes of th empyre as aboue is shewed Octauius beynge lieutenant in the lande of Brytayne vnder Constantyne ruled the lande to the pleasure of the Brytons a certayne of tyme. But when he perceyued that he was in fauoure of them and that Constantyne was farre from hym castynge also in his mynde that y e sayd Constantyne beyng then emperour wold or myght not lyghtly retourne into Britayn he therfore with helpe of his affynyte and freÌ„des withstode the Romaynes lefte in Brytayne of Constantyne and vsurpyd the rule domynyon of y e lande wherof wheÌ„ certayntie came to y e knowlege of CoÌ„stantyne he in all hast sent into Brytayne a duke named TrahernÌ„ the whyche was vncle vnto Heleyne moder of Constantyne when this TrahernÌ„ was arryued in Brytayne with iii. legions of knyghtes anon Octauius made towarde hym wyth hys Brytons and wyth hym mette nere the citye then called Kaerperis now called Porte chestre or Porchestre but more verely in a felde nere vnto the cytye of Kaerguent that now ys called wynchester whych felde then was named Maesurian The .ii. hostes mette wyth great ire and fough ten longe whyle But in y e ende TrahernÌ„ was compelled to forsake the felde and after drewe wyth his Romaynes towarde Albania or Scotlande wherof Octauius beyng warned folowed hym and in the countre of westmerlande gaue vnto hym the seconde batayll where then Octauius was chasyd TrahernÌ„ was vyctour the whych pursued Octauius so egerly that he coÌ„pelled hym to forsake the lande of Britayne and to sayle into the countre of Norway for his sauegarde But yt was not longe after that the sayde Octauius gaderyd a newe people of Brytons Norways and was redy to retourne agayn into Britayne In whych tyme as testyfyeth myne authour Gaufryde an erle of Brytayne that entyerly loued Octauius by treason slewe the sayd TrahernÌ„ a lytell before the landynge of the sayde Octauius whyche shortly subdued the Romaynes and y e lande to his owne vse This shuld be after moste concordaunce of wryters wheÌ„ Constantyne wyth also the ayde of TrahernÌ„ hadde ruled this lande of Brytayne by the terme of .x. yeres THE LXXI CHAPITER OCtauiê° duke of y e Iessis otherwyse westsaxons beganne his reygne ouer the Brytons in the yere of our lorde .iii. hundred .xxix. This in the englyshe boke is called Octauian the whych as testyfyeth Gaufryde gaderyd in shorte whyle after so great plentye of treasoure and rychesse that he feryd no man and ruled this lande in peasyble wyse So that of hym or of his actes is left lytell memorye excepte that when he was fallen into age by the counsayll of Brytons he sent vnto Rome for a noble yonge man of the aliy of Heleyne moder vnto Constantyne called Maximianê° as after more playnly shal be shewed all be yt that some aduysed hym to make one Conan Meryadok his cosyne kynge after hym But by the instaÌ„t labour of Caradok then duke of Cornewayll Octauius lastly sent vnto Rome Mauryce the sonne of the forenamed Caradok to brynge or conuey the sayd Maximianus into Brytayne for to mary the onely doughter of Octauius and by reason therof to enioy y e realme of Brytayne This Maximianê° is of some auctour named Maximius the whych as wytnessyth Gaufride was the sonne of Leonyne brother to Heleyne and vncle vnto CoÌ„stantyne the great whych saynge affermeth also Iacobus Philippê° authour of a boke called Supplementum cronicarum wherin he nameth the sayde Maximianus a knyght of the Bryton blood Then it foloweth when the forenamed Maurice had spedde his nedes so y t he came to the presence of Maximianê° shewed theffecte of his Message the sayd Maximianus to hym graunted in all haste prepared for his voyage into Brytayne shortly after with coÌ„uenient cuÌ„pany landed at Southampton wherof beynge warned Conan Meryadok he wyth a certayne of knyghtes of his affinytye was purposed to haue frayed with the sayd Maximianê° to haue destressed hym for so mych as he wel knewe that by hym he shuld be puâ— from the rule of the lande But thys purpose was let by the commaundement of the kynge or otherwyse so y t the sayd Maximianus was coÌ„ueyed safely to the kynges presence shortly after wyth consent of the more partye of his lordes gaue his doughter vnto the sayde Maximianus wyth possessyon of this yle of Brytayne The whyche mariage solemnysed endyd the sayde Octauiê° dyed shortly after But howe long he reygned none of the foresayde authours testystye excepte dyuers of them agre y t he contynued his reygne tyll y e tyme that Gracyan and Ualentinyan ruled the empyre the whyche beganne to reygne the yere of our lorde .iii. huÌ„dred .lxxx. and .ii. By whyche reason yt muste folowe that the sayd Octauius reygned at the leest .liiii. yeres THE LXXII CHAPITER MAximianê° or Maximiê° y e son of Leonine cosyn Germayn of Constantyne the great was made kynge of Bryton in the yere of oure lorde .iii. hundred .lxxx. and .ii. Thys in the englyshe boke is named Maximian the whych as testyfyeth Gaufryde and other was stalworth and myghty of his handes But for he was cruell and pursued somdele the cristen he therfore of all wryters is called Maximianê° the tyrant Attwene this Conan before named was stryfe and debate and dyuers conflyctes attwene theÌ„ was foughten in the whyche eyther of them spedde dyuersly all be yt that lastely they were made frendes So that Maximianê° reygned a season in quyete and gaderyd rychesse treasour not all wyth out grudge Lastely he was moued exyted to warre vpon the Galles thorow whych couÌ„cell he wyth a great hoste of BrytoÌ„s sayled into Armorica that now is called lytell Brytayne and bare hym so knyghtly that he subdued that countre vnto his lordshyp after gaue the sayde countre to Conan Meryadok to hold of hym and of the kyngeê of great Brytayn for euer And then commaunded the sayde lande to be called lytell Brytayne For this vyctory his knyghtes proclamed hym emperour where thorough he beynge the more exaltyd in pryde passed farther in the landes of the emprye vyctoryously subdued a great parte of Gallia or Fraunce and all Germania For thys dede dyuers authours accompt hym false and periuryd wherfore yt shulde seme that before his departynge froÌ„ Rome he was sworne vnto Gracian and Ualentynyane emperours
I haue exhorted you And all the other deale I shall suffer you to amende and refourme wythin your selfe but they wold not therof of Then saynt Augustyne sayde vnto them and warned them by maner of inspyracyon that syns they wold not receyue peace of theyr bretherne they shulde of other receyue warre wreche the whyche was after put in experyence by Ethelfrydus kynge of Northumberlande Longe yt were to tell the cyrcumstauÌ„ce of the lyfe of this blessyd man wherfore I passe ouer Lastly wheÌ„ he hadde in one daye crystyned .x. thousande of Saxons or Anglys in the weste ryuer that is called Swale besyde yorke and knewe that he shuld shortely dye after he ordeyned a successour named Laurence whyle he lyued for the state of holy chyrche in Brytayn was as yet but rude boystous But in y t doynge he folowed the ensample of Peter that was fyrst pope whyche made Clement by his lyfe helper and successour Also this Augustyne made Mellitus bysshop of London and of EestsaxoÌ„s whych after moste wryters were then newly entred the lande The ryuer of Thamys departed theym and Kent and after dyed and was buryed in y e monastery before rehersed wythoute the wallys of Dorobernia or Caunterburye THE CXX CHAPITER EThelbertus then confermyd in the fayth among other costly dedys beganne he foundacyon of Paulys chyrche wythin the cytye of London and ordeyned yt for the bysshoppes see of London For the archbyshoppes see that before tyme was at London was by Augustyne and Ethelbert at the prayer of y e cytezyns of Dorobernia traÌ„slated to the sayde cytye as in the .lix. chapyter of thys treatyse yt is more at length declared But of the buyldynge of thys chyrche of saynt Paule dyuerse opynyons ben For some wryters testyfye that yt was buylded or begonne to buylde by Sygebertus kynge of Eestanglys but more veryly kynge of EestsaxoÌ„s or Eestsex This Ethelbert also fouÌ„ded the chyrche of sayne Andrew in the cytye of Dorubres in Kent nowe called Rochester of the whyche Iustus was byshoppe ordeyned before of saynt Albane About y e tyme or a season after the forenamed Ethelfrydus whyche in the englyshe cronycle is named Elfryde foughte wyth the Brytons at the cytye of Legyscestre or Chestre slew of the Brytons a great nomber At whyche tyme and season a great nomber of the monkes of Bangor were also there assembled for to pray for the good spede of the Brytons wherof when Ethelfrydus was warned he fell also vppon theym and flewe of theym at that tyme as wytnessyth dyuers authours .xxi. huÌ„dred as yt is before shewyd in the C. and ix chapyter of this boke This forenamed Ethelbert excyted a dweller or cytezen of London to make a chyrche or chapell in the worshyp of saynte Peter in the west ende of London then called Thorney and now the towne of westmynster the whyche that tyme was forgrowen wyth bushes and bâ—eres excedyngly where the sayde cytezen be ganne and buylded the fyrst chyrche of westmynster in y e honour of saynt Peter whych was after by saynt Edwarde the coÌ„fessour enlarged or new buylded But of the thyrde Henry when he reygned as kynge of England yt was newe edyfyed made as yt now is a beauteous monastery and rychely endowed bothe wyth possessyon and relykes and ryche iewellys It is shewyd in the Englyshe cronycle of Englande that thys Ethelbert shulde be slayne in a fyghte betwene hym and Ethelfryde kynge of Northumberlande But Policronicon sayth that he dyed and went to heuen when he hadde reygned ouer the lordshyppe of Kent .lvi. yeres and the .xxi. yere after that he hadde receyuyd Crystendome The kyngdome of Eestsaxons THE CXXI CHAPITER DUrynge also the foresayde persecucyon of y e BrytoÌ„s or any ruler of theÌ„ were specyally named beganne the reygne of Eestsaxons as wytnessyth Policronicon vnder Sebertus theyr fyrste kynge nere about the yere of our lordes incarnacyon .vi. hundred and .xiiii. All be yt that Guydo de Columna sayth that yt beganne nere about the tyme and season when the kyngdome of Eestanglys beganne But I folowe Polycronicon for he leyeth holy Beda for his Authour in myche of his worke This kyngdome whych is to meane Essex hadde in the eest syde the see in the weste Myddelsex and London in the southe the cyuer of Thamys in the north Suffolke and endured after moste wryters by the terme of two hundred and odde yeres But by y â— sayeng of Policronica yt shuld not endure ouer two hundred yeres Neuerthelesse yt shulde appere by the storye of Edwarde the elder sonne of Aluredus y t yt shulde coÌ„tynue vnder the Danys and other wyse tyll the .viii. yere of his reygne And by that reason yt shulde endure two hundred .lxxx. .xiii. yeres The contynuauÌ„ce therof is more doutfull to be iustly determyned for so myche as wryters be of dyuers opynyons of the begynnyng therof All be it y e Polycronycon in the .li. chapyter of hys fyrste boke sayth that yt began vnder Sebertus and vnder .x. kynges tyll Egbertus kynge of westsaxons subdued yt and ioyned yt to his owne kyngedome The fyrste crysten kynge of thys lordshyppe was the forenamed Sebertus conuertyd by meanes of Mellitus byshoppe of London as sayth Guydo But after hys sayeng thys Sebertus shulde be the thyrd kynge of Essex All wryters agreen that the kynges of thys lordshyp were more comynly named vnder kynges and were more subiecte to other kynges and chefely vnto the kynges of Mercia or Mercheryke Then to retourne agayn vnto the Brytons whyche by all this season occupyed a parte of Cornewayl and the countres of Cambria as Uenedocia whyche now is called Northwalys ad Demecea whych now is called Southwalys and there held them in makynge assautes vpon the Saxons as before is touchyd some whyle in one coste and some whyle in that other vnder sondrye dukes as witnessyth Gaufryde and also the englysh cronycle The whych so contynued after moste accorde of tyme and to accorde thys hystorye wyth other by the terme of .xxiiii. yeres ouer and aboue thre yeres alowed for the reygne of Careticus aforesayd So that from the fyrste yere of Caretycus to the laste of these .xxiiii. yeres expyryd or flowyd .xxvii. yeres At whyche tyme the Brytons of one assent chase for theyr hedde or ruler y â— duke of Uenedocia or Southwalys named Cadwanus Francia THE CXXII CHAPITER CLotharius or Lotharius the sonne of Chilpericus second of y t name was made kynge of a parte of FrauÌ„ce in y e yere of oure lorde .v. hundred lxxx and .viii and the .ii. yere of Careticus then kynge of the Brytons Thys Clotharius by the reporte of mayster Robert Gagwyne is notyd to be descendyd of Clodoueê° Lowis fyrste crystened kynge of Fraunce not expressely to be the sonne of Chilpericus But for so myche as in the cronycle of Chilperych I haue shewed to you somwhat of the dedys of Fredegund wyfe of Chylperiche therfore I
partye of Edmunde gatte hym to an hyghe place where he myght be somwhat harde of y e hoste and spake in thys wyse Dayly we dye and no man hath the vyctorye For Edmunde may not be ouercome for his great strength and Canutus may not be ouercome for fauoure of Fortune what shall then be y e fruyte of thys cōtynuall stryfe None other but when the knyghtes ben all slayn on eyther partyes then the dukes compelled by nede shall accorde or ellys they shall fyght alone wythout knyghtes Then syn this shall be the ende why do they not one of these two If they accorde why is not this kyngedome suffycynt for twayne y t somtyme suffysed for .vii. If theyr couetyse of lordshyppes be so great y ◠eyther hath indygnacyon to take and haue parte wyth other or ellys that one to be vnder that other then lette them fyghte alone that woll be the lordes alone left If all mē fyght all men be slayne by meane wherof no men shall be left to be vnder theyr lordshyp or ledyng of dukes nor yet to defende the kynge agayne stronge enymyes or nacyons These wordes thus spoken were ryght wele alowed of both hostes For as affermeth myne author at this time a trewce was made betwen both prynces far a certayne tyme. After whych peace ended were yt by occasyon of these wordes or otherwise the sayde two dukes Edmunde and Canutus agreed to trye theyr quarelles betwene them two onely And for thys was assygned by theyr both agrementes a lytell yle called then Olney nere vnto Glouceter or after some wryters named Olenege bycleped wyth the water of Seuerne In whyche place at the daye appoynted the two chāpyons met wythoute company or assistence wythin y e sayd yle the hostes of bothe partyes standynge wythoute the yle and there abydynge the fortune of thys batayll There eyther proued other fyrste wyth sharpe speres and after wyth kene and cuttynge swordes what shall I of thys make lenger proces when eyther hadde other well proued and assayed by receyuynge of harde and sore strokes by the fyrste mocyon of Canutus as moste wryters testyfyen they lastely accorded and kyssed to gyther as louers to the great comforte of bothe hostes And shortely after by the aduyce of bothe theyr counsaylles condescended vppon partycyon of the lande whyche immedyately was done to bothe theyr agrementes and loued after as two bretherne duryng theyr naturall lyues But the serpent Idre of enuy and false conspyracye which euer burnyd in the harte of Edricus was kyndeled so sore that of pure force yt must breke out vpon a lyght flambe so what he myghte not accomplyshe by his owne persone he fulfylled by his sonne as testyfyen dyuerse authours For as affermeth Guydo this sonne of Edricus away tynge his tyme espyed when y e kyng was at the wyddraught to purge nature and wyth a spere strake hym into the foundement and so into the bodye wherof kynge Edmunde dyed shortly after at Oxen. The king thus beynge slayne anon Edricus thynkynge therby to be greatly exalted spedde hym in all haste vnto Canutus and saluted hym as kynge and shewed hym of thys treason onely for hys loue done when Canutus hadde well vnderstandyng of y e confessyon of Edricus he lyke a dyscrete and ryghtous prynce sayd vnto hym in thys wyse For thou haste Edricus for the loue thou berest vnto me slayne thyne naturall lorde whyche I moste loued I shall exalte thyne hed aboue al the lordes of England And forthwyth commaunded hym to be taken and hys hedde to be stryken of and pyght on a spere hedde and after sette vppon the higest gate of London But Marianus the Scot telleth that Edmunde dyed at London by naturall sekenesse about the feste of saynt Andrewe And the englyshe cronycle affermeth the forenamed treason but by a nother maner of doynge But howe so euer this noble prynce dyed trouth yt is after agrement of moste wryters y t he ended hys lyfe when he hadde reygned one yere more as myche as from the moneth of Iune vnto the ende of Nouember and was buryed at Glastenbury by hys graundfather Edgare Policronica sheweth in the .xviii. chapyter of hys .vi. boke that Canutus after the deth of Edmunde gave vnto Edricus the lordeshyppe of Mercia and by hys counsayll exyled the brother of Edmunde called the kynge of chorles and thorough his con̄sayle executed many cruell dedes Of this Edmūde remayned two sonnes that is to wyt Edmunde and Edwarde THE CCV CHAPITER CAnutus or Knougth after the Englyshe cronycle sonne of Swanus as before is touched and yonger brother as appereth by y e story folowynge began his domynyon alone ouer Englande in the yere of our lorde a thousande .xix and the xxi yere of Robert then kyng of Fraūce The whyche anon after the deth of Edmunde assembled a counsayll at London where among other thynges in that coūsayll debated a questyon was put whether in the composicyon made betwene Edmunde and Canutus any speciall remembraūce was made for the chyldren or brethern of Edmunde for any partycyon of any parte of the lande wherunto yt was answered of the lordes naye Affermyng farthermore wyth othe for the kynges pleasure that they to the vttermoste of theyr powers wolde put of that blood of Edmunde in all that they myght By reason of whyche answere promyse they thought many of them to haue standen in the great grace and fauoure of the kynge but yt turned all otherwyse For many of them or the more partye such as Canutus apperceyued knewe that they beforetyme were sworne to Edmunde and his heyres also were natyue Englishe men he mystrusted disdaned euer after In so myche that some he exyled some were slayn and some by goddes punyshement dyed sodaynly But amonge all Edricus wyth his sugred wordes contynued in the kynges fauoure as sayth Marianus before mynded By whose counsayll other he shortely after outlawed the foresayde brother of Edmunde surnamed kynge Charlis as before is touched But he afterwarde was reconcyled to the kynges fauour and lastely slayne of his owne seruaūtes Canutus also by the sayde counsayll sent the .ii. sonnes of Edmūde named as before is sayde Edmunde Edwarde vnto his brother Swanus then kynge of Denmarke to be slayne after the oppynyon of some wryters But he abhorrynge that dede sente theym to Salomon then kynge of Hungarye as wytnessyth Guydo and other where in processe of tyme Edmunde dyed and his brother Edwarde in tracte of tyme maryed Agatha the doughter of the .iiii. Henry then emperour of Almayne Of the whyche Edwarde and Agatha procedyd Margarete that after was quene of Scotlande and Crystyane that was a menchon and a sonne named Edgar and surnamed Ethelynge Thys Edwarde of the cronycles of England is named Edwarde the outlawe for so myche as he neuer returned into Englande as sayth the sayde englyshe cronycle after hys fyrste exyle Then to returne vnto Canus the whyche after some thynges
with y t she beganne to syghe and sorow sayd alas this daye is my soule comen to the laste sorow And so after that she had spoken those wordes a messanger came to her and sayde that her son and all her mayny was dede sodaynly Then she was conueyed to her owne and was full syke wherfore in haste she sent for an other son of hers that was a monke a doughter y t was a nunne at whose coÌ„myng she sayd to them in thys wyse I am the woman that haue vsed yll crafte and enyll lyuynge and in vayne I hoped to haue ben saued by your bedes and prayers But now I praye you that ye woll releue my tourmentes and paynes for of my soule the iudgement is gyuen wherfore in case that ye maye kepe my body from tourment sewe it in an hartes skyn and laye it in a troughe of stone and hyll it wyth lede close and iuste and after do bynde it wyth barres of iron in moste strongest and sure wise and cause ye .xl. ê‘sons to synge psalmes by nyght and vppon the morne as many masses And yf I lye so stylle iii. nyghtes than burye my body on the .iiii. daye But all thys was for noughte For the fyrste nyght whyle the psalmes were in sayeng y e stroÌ„ge bandes were sodaynly to brokeÌ„ and one wyth a gresely loke was sene vppon an horse backe all blacke cast thys woman behynde hym so rode forth wyth so greate crye and noyse that it was harde as sayth Polycronycon .iiii. myles thens Thys wolde I not haue shewed but that I fynde it wryten and recorded of diuers authours Than to retourne to our fourmer story as wytnessyth myne authoure Ranulfe about y e .xx. yere of y e reygne of kynge Edwarde Harolde sayled towarde Normandye to vysyte hys brother wylnotus and Hacun hys neuewe the which as ye before haue harde were layde there for pledges for the peas to beholden vppon erle Goodwyns syde agayne the kynge But he in his course of saylyng was weder dryuen by tempeste into the countre or prouynce of Pontyfe or more verely into the puynce of PouÌ„tyth where he was taken as a prysoner and sent vnto duke wyllyam of Normandy The whyche forced hym to swere that he in tyme folowynge shulde marye hys doughter that after the deth of kynge Edward he shulde kepe the lande of England to hys behofe accordyng to the wyll and mynde of Edwarde after some wryters And after the opynyon of a nother cronycle wryten in latyn the sayd Harolde for to be in the more fauour of duke wyllyaÌ„ shewed to hym that kynge Edwarde in presence of hys barony had admytted the sayde wyllyam for his heyre and couenauÌ„ted wyth hym that yf he ouerlyued the kyng he wold in saue wyse kepe the lande to hys vse For the whyche tydynges promyse wyllyam grauÌ„ted to hym hys doughter to wyfe y t than was wythin lawfull yeres of maryage wyth greate dower And for to cause Harolde to be the more stabler in hys promyse kepynge he delyuered to hym Hacun hys neuew and sonne of hys brother Swanus whyche he myche desyred and kepte styll wylnotus the brother of y e sayd Harolde After whiche couenauntes suffycyentely stablysshed and enacted Harold departed from duke wyllyam wyth greate and ryche gyftes and in processe of tyme landed in Englande And at hys comynge to the kynges presence he shewed to hym all that he had done in the foresayde maters where wyth the kynge was well coÌ„tented as affermeth the sayd latyne cronycle THE CCXIIII CHAPITER IN the .xxii. yere of kynge Edwarde as testyfyeth Ranulfe Tostius the brother of Harolde was for cause not shewed disconted in the kynges courte and went vnto Harforde in the marche of walys where at that tyme the seruauntes of Harold by coÌ„mauÌ„dement of theyr mayster were besyed to make prouysyon for to receyue the kynge But whan thys Tostius was thyder comen he cruelly slewe the sayde seruauÌ„tes of hys brother hacked them in small pecys and caste them after in meresowce or salte And that done sent worde vnto the kynge y t yf he wolde come vnto hys feest he shulde lacke no powdered mete what so euer he hadde besyde Thys cruell dede sprange wyde so that for it he was hated of all meÌ„ in so mych that hys owne tenauntes the men of NorthuÌ„berland of which prouynce he than was lorde of arose agayne hym and toke froÌ„ hym that he hadde and lastely chaced hym into Flaunders wyth a fewe persons than a waytynge vppon hym But y e vertuouse kyng Edward not beyng contented wyth the comons doynge consyderynge it to be done wythout hys aduyce and coÌ„mauÌ„dement sent thyder Harolde to do correccyon vppon the heddes or capytayns of the Northumbers wherof they beynge acerteyned coÌ„tynued theyr strength and mette wyth Harolde hys people and sent hym to vnderstaÌ„de that they were frely borne and frely nourysshed that they myght nat suffer no cruelnesse of dukes Also they had lerned of theyr elders soueraynes to meyntayn fredom or to suffer deth and to lyue in quyetnesse vnder an easy duke whan Harolde had receyued thys message and aduertysed y e strength of the NorthuÌ„bers he perceyued well that wythout greate effusyon of blode he myghte not correcte the mysse doers wherfore it semed to hym better to fauour the couÌ„tree than to take hede of the synguler profyte of hys brother so that he retorned to the kynge wyth thys answere and purchased theyr pardon of hym and also procured so y e kyng y e he assygned to them an other duke or erle that was named Malcarus And Tostius hys brother wyth hys wyfe chyldern remayned in Flaunders durynge the kynges lyfe Kynge Edwarde in the .xxii. yere of hys reygne syttyng at mete vpon Eester day in his paleys of westmynster sodaynly lowghe whan other dyd talke and eate whan thys blessyd man had dyned and was entred into his chamber his famylyers asked of hym y e cause of hys lawghyng To whom he answered for y e same selfe tyme sayd he .vii. slepers that in the mount Seleon besydes Ephesym in Asya the lasse had slepte two hundred yeres or there about vpon the ryght syde the selfe same tyme they tourned them and shall slepe agayne vpon that other syde .lxxiiii. yeres Though thys be tolde of Ranulphe other syth in thys sayenge appereth some dyscordaunce wyth other wryters also wyth the former sayenge of the sayde Ranulphe in the .xxii. chapyter of hys .iiii. boke of PolycronycoÌ„ where he sayth that the sayd .vii. slepers were closed in y e caue the fyrst yere of Decius and so sleped contynuyngly to the laste tyme or yeres of Theodocius the youger than emperour by whyche reason they shulde slepe about y e season or space of .ii. hundred yere as aboue is sayd and than arose and shewed them to that sayd Theodocius emperour and many other dyed soone after as wytnessyth
assygne begynnynge at Gaunt so to Bruges other places more ouer they shulde yelde vnto Robert theyr erle y e castell of Courtray with all abylemeÌ„tes of warre other necessaries theruÌ„to belongyng Al whych coÌ„dicions to obserue they shuld deliuer vnto y e kyng of FrauÌ„ce good hostages But al this came to small effect as after shal appere IN the .xxvii. yere of thys Phylyp Iacob the mayster of y e teÌ„plers with an other greate ruler of y e sayd ordre whych was named Uisytour of the same after longe prysonment were brent at Parys And in the same yere kynge Phylyp arrered a taxe thorugh Fraunce whyche before that dayes was neuer herde nor spoken of Thys was so greuous that al NormaÌ„dy Picardy Champeygne allied them togyder vtterly denayde the paymeÌ„t therof wherof heryng other countrees toke the same opynyon so that a greate rumour murmour was reysed thorugh out y e realme of FrauÌ„ce in such wyse that the kyng for pacyfyeng of the people was fayne to repeale the sayd taxe In the .xxviii. yere of the reygne of kyng Philip in y e weke of Easter the iii. wyfes of the .iii. sonnes of kynge Philip that is to say Margarete the wyfe of Lowys hys eldest sonne and kyng of Nauerne Iohanne or Ione the wyf of hys seconde sonne Philip erle of Poytyers and Blaunche the wyfe of hys thyrde sonne Charles erle of Marches were accused of spouse brekyng and sent froÌ„ a place of nunnes where they lay and conueyed vnto more streyghter kepyng y e whych .iii. wyfes were al .iii. doughters vnto the duke of Burgoyn ThaÌ„ vppon strayte examynacyon made Margaret and Iohanne were gyltye of that cryme fouÌ„d wherfore they were sent vnto the castell of Gaylard in NormaÌ„dy there to be kept as prysoners terme of theyr lyues And the forenamed Blanche for so moche as she was foundeÌ„ gyltles was agayn restored vnto her lorde Charles erle of the Marches And in shorte tyme after the two paramours of the sayd Margaret Iohanne that is to saye Philip DaÌ„noy and Gautyer DaÌ„noy or waltier Dannoy knyghtes men of fame and goodly personage bretherne at the kynges commaundement were fyrst brent in the vysage with hote ireÌ„s after draweÌ„ to the gybet at PoÌ„toyse there hanged whyche mysfortune the kynge toke so greuously that he reioysed neuer after About the feast of saynte Peter or the begynnyng of August the kynge herynge of the rebellyon of the Flemynges by Engwerram hys mooste secrete couÌ„saylour made an assemble of the cytezyns of Parys and by the mouth of the saynd Enguerram desyted a subsydye of the sayd cytezeyns to mayntayne hys warre agayne the Flemynges the whyche by StephaÌ„ Barbet in the name of the hole cytye was graunted By precideÌ„ce wherof all the great cyties good townes of FrauÌ„ce were charged in lyke maner whyche caused greate vnkyndnes grudge of the people towarde y e sayd Enguerram Than prouysyon was made for a newe iourney into Flaunders so that the kynge sent hys twoo sonnes and many other nobles of his lande in the moneth of Septembre folowynge into the sayd countre of FlauÌ„ders The whyche made good spede layde fyrste theyr siege to the castel of the I le and wanne it after that entred towarde other stroÌ„ge holdes But the flemynges put them of and gaue vnto the Frenche hoost so sharpe assautes that in processe they were constrayned to retourne into Fraunce wyth smal honoure wherof the great defaute was layde vpoÌ„ Enguerram and vpoÌ„ one of the sonnes of the erle of Flaundres whych lytel tofore by meanes of y e sayd EnguerraÌ„ was made erle of Neuers In the moneth of Nouembre folowyng kynge Phylyp beyng at fouÌ„tayne Beliaunt in the prouynce of Gastenoys was taken with suche sykenesse and dyed shortly after when he had reygned .xxviii. yeres and more and hys body after caryed vnto saynt Dionise and there buryed leuing after hym y e thre forenamed sonnes Lowys Philyp Charlys a doughter named Isabell whych before tyme was maryed vnto the seconde Edwarde thaÌ„ kyng of Englande Anglia EDwarde the seconde of y t name soÌ„ne of Edwarde the fyrst born at Carnaruan in a towne of walys beganne his reygne ouer Englande in the moneth of Iulii .viii. day of the sayd moneth in the yere of our lord .xiii. C. .vii the .xxi. yere of the .iiii. Phylip than kyng of Frauce The whych was crowned at westmynster the .xiiii. daye of Decembre after the oppinioÌ„ of dyuers wryters But Ranulph moÌ„ke of Chester in his boke of Policronicon sayth y t he was crowned in the forsayd monastery of the bisshop of wynchester the sonday in quinquagesima whych is the .xiiii. day after the closyng of Alleluya of the bisshoppe of wynchester for so moche as Robert than archebisshope of CauÌ„terbury was than out of Englande Thys Edwarde was fayre of body great of strengthe but vnsted faste of maners vyle in coÌ„dicions For he wolde refuse the company of lordes men of honour hauÌ„te hym with vylayns vyle ê‘sones He also gaue hym to great drynkyng lightly he wolde dyscouer thiÌ„ges of great couÌ„sayl with these many other disalowable condicions he was exercysed whych tourned hym to great dishonour hys lordes to great vnrest as by the sequele of thys hys story shall appere Anone as hys father was buryed and hys exequy scantly fynysshed he forgettynge the hyghe chargeable commauÌ„dement of hys sayd father sent in all haste for hys olde compere Pyers of Gauâ—stone The whych he receyued wyth all ioy gladnesse auaunced hym to moche honour And thus passed the season of y e olde mayre and shyreffes of London so y t at the feastes of Myghelmas Symon Iude folowyng y e olde mayre and shyreffes that is to meane syr Iohan Blount Symon Bolet Godfrey at the conduyt were dyscharged and the newe as vnder foloweth admytted Iuno domini M.CCC.vii  Anno domini M.CCC.viii  Nycholas Pygotte  Syr IohnÌ„ Blount  Anno primo  Myghell Drury  IN thys begynnynge of thys mayres yere and fyrst yere of y e kynge the sayd kynge Edwarde in the moneth of Decembre sayled into FrauÌ„ce and the .xv. day of Ianuarii folowynge at Boleyn in Pycardy maryed Isabell the doughter of Philyp le Beaw than kyng of Fraunce soon after retourned with her into Englande so vnto London where of the cytezeyns they were ioyously receyued and so conueyed vnto west mynster where as before is shewed vpon the sonday in quinquagesima they were bothe solemply crowned At whyche coronacyon was so excedynge prease that a knyghte called syr IohnÌ„ Bakwell was thrested to deth Than the kynge gaue shortely after vnto Pyers of Gauestone the erledome of Cornewayl and the lord shyp of wallyngford was ruled all by hys wanton counsayll folowed the appetite and pleasure of his body nothynge orderynge by sadnesse nor yet
other and there was taken the erle of Lancastre syr Roger Clyfforde syr Iohan Moubraye syr Roger Tuckettes syr wyllyam Fyzwyllyam with dyuerse other ladde vnto porke And thys feelde was foughten as wytnesseth Polycronycon the .xv. daye of Marche in the ende of y t yere of oure lorde a thousande thre hundreth twenty It was nat longe after that syr Hugh Daniell and syr Barthew de Bladysmoore were taken And syr Thomas erle of Lancastre was brought agayn to his owne towne of Pountfret where he was broughte in iugement before syr Aymer de Ualaunce erle of Penbroke syr Iohan Brytayne erle of Rychemounde syr Edmunde of woodstoke erle of Kent syr Hughe Spenser the father â–ª and syr Roberte Malmestorp iustyce wyth other and before them fynally adiuged to haue hys hedde stryken of whereof execucyon was done the twelef daye of Aprell in the begynnyng of the yere of grace after the rekenynge of the chyrche of EnglaÌ„de M.CCC.xxi Of this erle Thomas are dyuerse opynyons For some wryters shew of hym to be a seynt But PolicronicoÌ„ in y e .xlii. chapytre of hys .vii. boke sheweth otherwyse But what so euer erthlye men in such thynges deme it is farre frome the secrete iugemente of god so that to hym and hys sentence such thynges are to be referred From thys tyme forthwarde by y e terme of .v. yeres ensuyng y t fortune of the Spensers hugely encreased And as faste the quenes dyscreased tyll she was releued by the kynge of of Fraunce than Charles the .v. of y e name and brother vnto hyr as after shal be shewed Than to retourne vnto oure former mater vpon the foresayde daye that erle Thomas was thus put in execucyon syr Roger Tutkettes syr wyllyam FizwyllyaÌ„ syr waren of Iselde or Isell syr Henry of Bradborne syr willyaÌ„ Cheyny Barones knyghtes were drawen hanged theyr hedes smytren of and sent vnto London whyche all were putte to deth at PouÌ„tfrete foresayd with an esquyre called Iohan Page And at yorke soone after was drawen heded syr Roger Clyfford syr IohnÌ„ Moubray syr Goselyne Danyell Barons And at Brystowe syr HeÌ„ry womyngton syr Henry Monforde Banerettes at Glowceter syr IohnÌ„ Giffard syr wyllyaÌ„ Elmyngbrydge knyghtes and at London syr IohnÌ„ Tiers or Tryers baron and at wynchelsâ—e syr Thomas Culpepyr knyght and at wyndesore syr Fraunceys walden ham baron and at Caunterbury syr Barthew de Bladismoore syr Bartholl de Asbornham baronys And at Cardeeffe in walys was putte to lyke execucyon syr wyllyaÌ„ Flemyng knyght vpon whose soules and all crysten Iesus haue mercy whan the kyng had thus subdued his barons he soone after aboute the feast of the assencyon of oure Lorde kepte hys parlyamente at yorke Durynge whyche parlyament syr Hugh Spenser the father was made erle of wynchester and syr Andrew of Harkeley erle of Carleyle or after some wryters Cardoyll and dysheryted all suche as before hadde holden wyth the erles of Lancastre and of Hereforde except syr Hugh Dandell and fewe other the whych syr Hugh was receyued to grace by reason that he had maryed a kynneswoman of the kynges There was also ordeyned or soone after that mayster Roberte Baldok a man of euyll fame shuld be chauÌ„celer of EnglaÌ„de Than forfaytes tynes were gathered into the kynges treasoury without sparyng of pryui leged places or other so that what myght be fouÌ„de all was seased for y e kyng By reason wherof moche treasoure was brought vnto the kynges coffers besyde great thynges y t were brybed and spoyled by the officers of dyuers shyres Anno domini M.CCC.xxi  Anno dnÌ„i M.CCC.xxii  Rycharde Constantyne  Hamonde Chykwell  Anno .xv.  Rychard Hakeney  IN thys .xv. yere the kyng gadered the .vi. peny of temporall mennes goodes through Englande Irelande walys that to hym was graunted at the foresayd parlyameÌ„t for the defence of the Scottes which was payed wyth great murmoure grudge consyderyng the manyfolde myseryes that the common people at those dayes were wrapped in This yere also the sone appered to mannes syght as blode and so continued by the space of .vi. houres that is to meane in the moneth of Octobre and laste daye of the sayde moneth from vii of the clocke in the mornyng tyll one of the same day After some wryters about thys tyme y e Scottes entendyng to wynne an enterpryse in Irelande and for to wynne that contrey to theyr obeysaunce entered it with a stronge hoste vnder theyr capytayne Edwarde le Bruze brother to the Scottisshe kyng But howe it was by ayde of Englysshe men or of them selfe the Irysshe quyt them so well and bare theÌ„ so manfully that they vaynquysshed the Scottes and chased theÌ„ out of that countrey In y e whych chase fyght y t sayd Edward le Bruze many of the noble men of Scotlande were slayne Anno dnÌ„i xiii C.xxii.  Anno dnÌ„i xiii C.xxiii  IohnÌ„ Grantham  Hamonde Chykwell  Anno .xvi.  Rycharde of Ely  IN this .xvi. yere y e kyng made greate prouysyon for to make a voyage into Scotland so y t about the begynnyng of August he entred that countrey But the Scottes consyderyng the great multytude of his hoste drewe them into the mountaynes other places where as the Englysshemen myght nat wynne to theÌ„ and all to the entent for to wery and tyre the kynges great hoste Than diâ—erse maladyes fell amonge the Englysshmen so that many of theÌ„ dyed and were loste in that iournay aswel for lacke of vytayl as by infyrmyte sykenesse so that the kyng for theyse causes other was constrayned to retourne into Englande about y e natyuyte of our Lady where of the scottes beynge enfourmed syr Iamys Dowglas with other capytayns of y e Scottes wyth a stronge hooste folowed or costed y e kyng in suche wyse that about the feest of saynte Luke they had almooste taken the kynge at dyner at an abbey called Bella Launde or Beyghlande Thant he kynge of pure constraynte defended hym and withstoode the Scottes as he myghte But after shorte and weke fyghte the kynge was compelled to flee by that meane to saue hym selfe In thys skyrmysshe was taken syr Iohan Brytayne erle of RychemoÌ„de and the kynges treasoure was there spoyled and borne away and the ordenaunce belongynge to the hoste great parte of it was by the Scottes conueyed into Scotlande Than the Scottes in theyr retournyng homewarde wan the castell of Norham robbed the towne of Northallerton and other Of thys losse and harmes way syr Andrewe of Harkeley put in wyte by mysledynge of the kynges hoste as in the nexte yere shal be shewed Anno dnÌ„i M.CCC.xxiii  Anno dnÌ„i M.CCC.xxiiii  Adam Salesbury  Symon Franceys  Anno .xvii.  IohnÌ„ of Oxynforde  IN thys .xvii. yere the kyng beynge enfourmed that he hys people were so put vnto dyshonoure as in the precedyng yere is touched
aboute Lammesse sayled into Braban and there helde hys couÌ„sayl with hys frendes and by theyr aduyces made clayme to y e hole crowne of Fraunce as hys ryghtefull enherytaunce for more auctorytye of the same entermedeled the armes of England with y e armys of FrauÌ„ce as ye se them at this daye Then kynge Phylyp beyng of these thynges warned gathered an howge hoste came with them to a towne called Uermendoys And kyng Edwarde with hys people entred y e couÌ„trey called Theresse breÌ„t wasted y e couÌ„trey before hym ThaÌ„ kyng Philip drew toward the Englisshe hoste and came vnto a place or towne called in freÌ„ch BuyroÌ„ Fosse where he entended as sayth y â— frenche boke to haue set vpon y e Englysshemen But by counsayl of hys lordes for dyuerse causes he was let to hys dyspleasure For after y e daye he myght fynde no conuenyent tyme for to assayle hys enemyes so that in conclusyon eyther hoste departed froÌ„ other without batayll or fyght and kynge Edwarde toke hys wey towarde Gaunt kyng Phylip retourned into Fraunce Than kynge Edwarde by meanes of hys frende Iaques de Artyuele had all hys pleasure of the towne of Gaunt receyued of them othe and homage And after dyuerse conclusioÌ„s with them and other takeÌ„ he leuyng there the quene after the testymony of some wryters retourned agayne into EnlaÌ„de left with the quene which thaÌ„ was great with chylde y e erles of Salysbury of Oxynforde whyche in y e kynges absence ayded well y e Flemynges agayne the FreÌ„ch kyng dyd dyuerse marcyall actes whyche I here passe ouer But iÌ„ ê“ces y e erle of Salysbury was takeÌ„ prysoner diuers englyssh men slayne at y e assaut of a towne called y e I le in FlauÌ„ders or of flauÌ„ders Anno dnÌ„i M.CCC.xxxix  Anno dnÌ„i M.CCC.xl  Adam Lucas  Andrewe Awbry  Anno .xv.  Bartholomewe Marres  IN thys .xv. yere whyle y e kyng was busyed in Englande to make prouysyoÌ„ for mete money to withstande the FreÌ„che kyng aswell for the warre that the sayde Frenche kyng made vpoÌ„ the Flemynges other beyng y e kynges frendes as for hys owne particuler causes y e quene as before is sayd beyng at the towne of Gaunt was deliuered of a sonne which after was named IohnÌ„ about Crystmas in the begynnynge of thys mayres yere ende of this .xiiii. yere This chyld whaÌ„ he came to mannes astate was surnamed IohnÌ„ of GauÌ„t was fyrst erle of RychemouÌ„t after duke of LaÌ„caster also fast as kyng Edwarde ê“uyded for abylemeÌ„tes of warre in EnglaÌ„de so fast hasty prouysyoÌ„ made the FreÌ„ch kyng to withstande kyng Edward both by laÌ„de by water so y t he had a great stroÌ„ge nauy vpoÌ„ see Kyng Edward thaÌ„ in y e moneth of Iunii with .ii. C. sayles tooke shyppynge sayled towarde FlauÌ„ders vpoÌ„ the see met or came vnto hym syr Robert Morley with y e north nauye of EnglaÌ„de so y t he had in al aboue .iii. C. sayles And at myd somer vppon saynte IohnÌ„s euyn he fought with the freÌ„ch kynges nauy whyche lay in a wayte for hym nere to the towne called the Sluse Of thys nauy whyche were in noumber by the reporte of the freÌ„che boke vpoÌ„ iiii C. sayles wherof were chyefe admyralles syr Hugh Queret syr Nycholas Buchet one named Barbe Noyre or in Englysh Blacke berde the whych capytayns or admyralles anone as they espied y e englyssh flote they made towarde theÌ„ to begyn the fyght .iiii. galeys set vpoÌ„ a shyppe of auauÌ„tage which sayled before y e other named y e ryche Oliuer the which .iiii galeys the fore named Barbe Noyre had the cunduyt of assayled thys sayd shyppe on euery parte bet her with gunneshot her men with hayl shot excedyngely so that of the men within her were many slayn and mo wouÌ„ded lykely to haue ben shortly won ne had beÌ„ the rescous of her coÌ„pany thaÌ„ were the sayd foure galeys soone becleped with y e English nauy so cruelly assayled that they were borded or they myghte be rescowed Then approched the hole flote vpon bothe sydes with hydous ferefull dynne noyse of gunnes with terryble flamynge of wylde fyre other with thycke shot of quarelles arowes and crusshynge of shyppes y e hydous woÌ„derfull it was to beholde so that many a soule was there expelled from theyr bodies iÌ„ shorte whyle This mortall and cruell fyght coÌ„tynued as sayth the Frenche story by y e space of .viii. howres or more iÌ„ suche wyse y e harde it was to knowe whether parte had the better so many deed and wounded men were cast into the see that the water whiche was in cyrcuyte aboute them was coloured or dyed as reed But in y e ende by grace great maÌ„hode of y e kynge whiche there was sore wouÌ„ded And by his great conforte y e Frenchemen were chased and many of theyr shyppes bowged taken with many prysoners in them Amonge the whiche the forenamed admyralles or capytaynes syr Nycholas Buchet syr Hugh Queret were .ii the whiche in despyte of the Frenchemen were hanged vpon y e sayles of theyr shyppes which they were takeÌ„ in And amoÌ„ge the shyppes that were at this season taken were recouered the .ii. foresayd shyppes named the Edwarde and y e Crystofer the whiche before were taken by the Frenchemen as it before is shewed in y e .iii. yere of this kynge In this batayle also as is testyfyed of many and dyuerse wryters were slayne vpon the noumber of .xxx. M. Frenchemen al be it y e Frenche boke nameth so many to be slayne vpon bothe partyes excuse this mysfortune by the neglygence of syr Nycholas Buchet whiche kepte the FreÌ„che nauy so longe within the hauen that they were so closed in with the Englysh nauy y t a great nouÌ„bre of them myght neuer stryke stroke nor shote theyr ordenaunce but to the hurte of theyr owne company whaÌ„ kynge Edwarde had optayned this tryumphaunt vyctory of his enmyes he yelded great thaÌ„kes vnto god How be it he was fayne to tary a season with in his shyppe by reason of a wouÌ„de y e which he had receyued in his thyghe In whiche season y e quene his wyfe came to vysyte hym and retourned agayne vnto GauÌ„t And after a fewe dayes passed y e kynge departed from Swynne rode vnto our lady of Ardenbourghe sent his nauy in the nexte hauen to Brugys moche of his people vnto the towne of GauÌ„t And whaÌ„ he had accoÌ„plished his pylgrymage he rode vnto Brugys and from thense vnto GauÌ„t where of the dwellers he was ioyously receyued Than kynge Edwarde there called a great counsayle by the whiche it was determyned that he shulde prepare .ii. hostes wherof y t one shuld be of y e meÌ„ of GauÌ„t of y e townes there aboute of y e
of the cytye whyche wyth all dylygence resysted them and of theÌ„ toke dyuers that robbed and sent theym to Newgate And fynally not wyth out shedyng of blode and maymyng of dyuers cytesyns the rumour and people were appeasyd whan the yonge man begynner of all thys busynesse sawe this inconuenyence ensue of hys wantonesse were it by counsayll or otherwyse feryng the sequell of the mater yode streyght vnto westmynster and there taried as a sayntwary man tyll all the mater were endyd It was not longe after or the duke of Buckyngham with iustyces and other noble men was sent down from the kynge into the cytye charged the mayre by vertue of a commyssyoÌ„ y t an enquery shulde be made of this ryot And so by vertue of the sayde coÌ„myssyon called an Oyer determyner a day was kepte at Guyldhall vpon the day of the moneth of where the sayde daye sat for iudges y e mayre as the kynges lyeutenauÌ„t y e duke of Buckyngham vpoÌ„ his ryght hande y e chyefe iustyce vppon y e lefte hande wyth many other men of name whyche I passe ouer whyle the mayre and the sayd lordes were callyng of the panels of the enquestes at y e Guyldhall the other comoners of the cytie not beyng coÌ„tent with the order many of theÌ„ secretely armed them in theyr houses and enteÌ„ded as the comon fame after went to haue ruÌ„ge Bow bell so to haue reysed gathered y e comynalty of the cytye and by force to haue delyuered such persons as before for y e robbery were commytted to warde But thys mater was so discretely handeled by the couÌ„sayll and labour of some dyscrete comoners whyche appeased theyr neyghbours in such wyse that all this fyry haste was quenchyd came to none effecte sauyng y e word was brought vnto the duke of Buckyngham that the comynalty of the cytye were in harnysse yf he taryed longe there he with the other lordes shuld be in great ieopardy with whyche vntrew tidinges he beyng fered hastely toke leue of y e mayre so deê‘â—ted vnto hys lodgyng and so ceasyd y e enquery for y e day UpoÌ„ the morow for so much as y e mayre had vnderstaÌ„dynge of y e secrete murmur he commauÌ„ded the comoÌ„ counsayle with all wardeyns of felysshyppys to apere vpoÌ„ the morow at Guyldhall where by the recorder in the kinges name the mayers as hys lyeutenaunt was coÌ„mauÌ„ded to euerych wardeins that in that after none folowynge eyther of them shuld assemble hys hoole felisshyp at theyr propre hallys there to gyue euery cytezyn streyght commaundemente that euery man see entende to see the kynges peace with in the cytye And yf they fynde any person that maketh any reasonynge wherby they myght coÌ„ceyue or espye that he fauoured any gatherynge of companyes or the delyuerey of suche persones as were in warde that the sayd wardeyns shuld with fayre wordes exorte hym to the beste and with out sygne or token therof shewynge secretly co bryng the name or names of hym or them vnto the mayre By meane of whych polycy good order the cytesyns were brought in suche a quyetnes that after that day the foresayd enquery was duely pursued iii. persones for the sayde ryot put in execucyon and hanged at tybourne whereof .ii. after some wryters were seyntwarye men of saynt Martyns and the thyrd was a shypmaÌ„ or boteman The quene wyth certeyne lordes whyche fauoured her partye dysdayned sore the rule whyche the duke of yorke bare and other specyally for that that the sayde duke bare y e name of protectour whych argued that the kynge was insuffycyent to gouerne the realme whyche as she thoughte was a great dyshonour to the kynge and to all the realme wherefore she made suche meanes and wan by hyr polycy such frendshyp of diuerse of y e lordes bothe spyrytuall and temporall that she caused y e duke of yorke to be dyscharged of hys protectourshyp the erle of Salysbury of hys chauncellershyp which was cause of newe warre as after shall appere Anno. dnÌ„i M.iiii C.lvi.  Anno dnÌ„i M.iiii C.lvii Grocer IohnÌ„ Stewarde  Thomas Canynges  Anno .xxxv.  Raufe Uerney  IN thys yere and begynnynge of the same the quene suspectynge the cytye of London demyd it to be more fauourable vnto y e duke of yorkes partye than hyrs caused y e kynge to remoue from LoÌ„don vnto Couentre and there helde hym a loÌ„g season In whyche tyme the duke of yorke was sent for thyther by pryuey seale with also the erle of Salesbury the erle of warwyke where by couyne of the quene they were all .iii. in great daunger Howe be it by monys shemeÌ„t of theyr frendes they escaped And soone after the sayd duke or erle went into the Northe and the erle of warwyke wyth a goodly companye sayled vnto Calays And shortly after were taken at Eryth wythin .xii. myles of London .iiii woÌ„derfull fysshys whereof one was called Mors Maryne the secoÌ„de a Sword fisshe the other .ii. were whalys whyche after some exposytours were pronostycacyons of warre trouble to ensue soon after In this yere also was a great fray in the Northe countrey betwene the lord EgremoÌ„de and the sonnes of the erle of Salysbury and diuers meÌ„ maymed slayen betwene them But in the ende the lord Egremonde was taken howe it was by the dome of the kynges counsayll or otherwyse the sayd lorde EgremoÌ„de was founden in suche defaute that fynally he was condempned in great summes of money to be payed vnto the sayd erle of Salysbury For lack of payment whereof or of puttynge suertye for the same the sayde lorde Egremonde was coÌ„mytted to Newgyte where after he had contynued a certayne of tyme he brake the prysone and escapyd with thre other prysoners to the greate charge of the sheryffes It was not longe after that dyscencyon vnkyndnesse fell bytwene the yonge duke of Somerset and syr IohnÌ„ Neuyll sonne vnto the erle of Salysbury beynge than bothe lodged wythin the cytye wherof the mayre beyng warned ordeyned such watches and prouysyoÌ„s that yf they had any thynge styrred he was able to haue subdued bothe partyes and to haue put theÌ„ in warde tyll he had knoweÌ„ the kynges farther pleasure wherof the frendes of bothe partyes beynge ware laboured such meanes that they agreed them for that tyme. In thys also as testyfye the Englyshe cronycle and also the French a nauye or flote of Frenchemen landyd at Sandwyche and spoyled and robbed the towne excercysed there greate crueltye Of whych flote was capytayne a Frenche knyght named after the French boke syr Guyllyain de Pomyers And thys yere after the opynyon of dyuers wryters began in a cytye of Almayne named Magounce the crafte of enprentynge of bokes whyche sen that tyme hath had wonderfull encreace as experyence at thys daye proueth In this yere also the prysoners of Newgate by neglygence of theyr kepers brake out
the dedes haue sprong to the world wyde But of those dedes me lyste not here to shewe For in the sequele they shall well appere And in shorte processe and in as wordes fewe As I goodly may I shall lynke in fere The storyes of Englande and fraunce so dere That to the reader yt may well be sayâ—e what kynges to gyder ruled these landes twayne And in the pryncypyll of the reygne of euery kyng As well of one and other more and lesse what yere of the worlde he toke begynnynge To guyde his realme and farther besynesse I wyll eke take to shewe and expresse what terme of yeres euery prynce dyd reygne And in what honour he dyd his tyme maynteyne The tyme also how longe the Brytons ruled And how by Saxons they lastely were put oute Then of Danes whyche both landes defoyled By theyr outrage and of theyr fury stoute Of whom both nacyons stode longe in great doute Tyll Fraunce wyth them allyed by maryage And Englande lastely voyded that lynage Then how the Normayns by wyllyaÌ„ coÌ„querour Entrede this lande and helde the seygnory A certayne of tyme tyll the hygh gouernour Restored the blode of Saxons enterly And of the Scottes that neuer coude apply To kepe theyr allegeaunce but many a tyme rebelled And to be true were full often compelled The fatall warre that hath dured so longe Twene FrauÌ„ce and Englande to both theyr damage And of the peace that hath ben vnderfonge Both by great othes and eke by maryage Of walys geryshenesse and of theyr lyght dotage How they were scourged for theyr vnstedfastnesse wyth dyuers other whyche I shall after expresse And for that London that auncyent cytye Hath euer perseueryd in vertuous noblesse To the great honour as may consydred be Of all this lande in welth and great largesse Therfore I thynke somwhat to expresse Of theyr good order and cyuyle polycy That they so longe haue ruled theyr cytye by And of theyr rulers as they are yerely chosen To rule the coÌ„monte by theyr dyscrecyon I shall you shewe and to you dysclosen The names of mayres and shyryffes of that towne And all suche actes as by reuolucyone In theyr dayes fyll so that there shall appere The prynces actes whyche chaunged yere by yere Of Fraunce also the cronycle shall ensew In his dewe order so that ye may knowe when they beganne theyr prynces to renewe And from the seruage when they were kept lowe Of the Romayns whom they dyd ouerthrowe And of theyr names that they whylom dyd chaunge Of theyr fyrst baptysme and of theyr names strauÌ„ge Thus in this boke maye you here and se Of bothe landes the cronycles entyere wyth other maters whyche regystred be Of olde wryters suche as wrote full clere Actes of prynces done both farre and nere And them engrosed wyth great dylygence wherby to theyr folowers myght growe experyence Into .vii. partes I haue this boke dyuyded So that the reder may chose where he wyll The fyrste conteyneth how the Brytons guyded This lande from Brute Moliuncius vntyll And from Moliuncius I have sette for skyll To the nynthe yere of kynge Cassibelan The seconde parte for that the Romaynes than Conquered Brytayne And thens to Seueryne The thyrde parte I haue also assygned The fourth endyth then at Constantyne The fyfte at Cadwalader I haue also dyffned At the conquest I have eke determyned The .vi. parte And of the Seuenth or laste At our redoubted prynce I haue the ende caste Henry the .vii. whom god preserue and saue And hym defende from all aduersyte Besechynge them that wyll the laboure haue This boke to rede or any parte to se That where defaute is yt may corrected be wythout dysdayne and that they wyll supporte And ayde this worke wyth all theyr comforte And for this boke includeth storyes fele And to wchyth thynges done in sondry place So that one tyme muste wyth an other dele To kepe the yeres the tyme and the space Therfore this name yt shall now purchace Concordaunce of storyes by me prouyded The auctor sans nome fynally deuysed And for thys worke may haue the better spede To prayer me thynketh yt is ryght necessarye That I shulde fall consyderynge my nede That I must haue for lacke of due studye where through that connynge and perfyte memory Of thynges taken when I was yonge and hynde Ben farre sette of and putte from my mynde By this is ignoraunce now comen in place And oblyuyon hath sette in hys fote So that knowlege from me they done race wherby in olde auctours I myght fynde some boot In latyn and frenche that in theyr dytees swoot These olde wryters haue so compendyously Sette the olde storyes in order dylygently But in this prayer I thynke nought to be vsed As dyddyn these poetys in theyr olde dayes whyche made theyr prayers to goddes abused As Iupiter and Mars that in theyr olde lawes were named goddes and fayned in theyr sawes That they were goddes of batayll and rychesse And hadde in them great vertue and prowesse For what may helpe these fayned goddes all As Saturne or Mercury or yet bryght Apollo Bacchus or Neptune or Pluto the thrall Eolus Morynos or blynde Cupido Or yet that goddesse the fayre Iuno Diana or Pallas or Ceres the fre Or yet the Musys that ben thryes thre wherto shulde I call vnto Caliope Moder of Orpheus wyth swete armony That of eloquence hath the soueraynte Or to Carmentis whyche by her fyrste studye The latyne letters fouÌ„de out perfytly Syns all these were mynystres of god immortall And hadde in them no power dyuynall wherfore to the lorde that is celestyall I wyll now crye that of hys influence Of grace and mercy he wyll a droppe lette fall And sharpe my wytte wyth suche experience That this may fynyshe wyth his assystence wyth fauour of the virgyn his moder moste excellent To whom I thus pray wyth mynde and hole entent Assit principio sancta Maria meo Moste blessyd lady comforte to suche as calle To the for helpe in eche necessyte And what thou aydest may in no wyse apalle But to the best is formyd in ylke degre wherfore good lady I praye yt may please the At my begynnynge my penne so to lede That by thyne ayde this worke may haue good spede THE FYRST CHAPITER Syns that I haue shewed vnto you what season and tyme of the yeres of y e world Brute entred fyrste this yle of Albyon me semyth yt is coÌ„uenyent that I also shew how and for what cause yt was fyrste named Albyon The whych so toke fyrst name as wytnessyth Strabo and other writers of the whyte clyues or rockes y t stande vppon the sees syde and are farre seen in clere wether and bryght dayes wherof it was of olde wryters named Albyon as yt were the whyte lande whyche sayenge affermyth also Ranulphe dyuerse other so that yt may certaynly be knowen that yt toke not that fyrste name of Albyne doughter of
coÌ„forted enforced y t Britons wyth so sharpe fyght that they were compelled to forsake the felde and toke theym to flyght whom the Frenchemen chasyd and slewe wythout mercy In the whyche chase Cramyris wyth hys wyfe and chyldern were taken and presentyd vnto Lotharius The whyche shortly after settynge a parte all faderly loue compassion and pytye causyd a great fyre to be made into the whyche he commaunded to be caste the sayde Cramyris with also hys wyfe and chyldern Or as wytnessyth the frenche cronycle they were all enclosyd in a house and the house and they to gether consumyd wyth fyre Thus the moste cruell father without pyte chastysyd y e inobedyent son to the example and lernyng of other to bere dewe obedyeÌ„ce vnto theyr parentes After this vyctory and cruell chastysement executed by Lothariê° he retourned into Fraunce And so to the sepulcre or shryne of saynte Martyne yeldynge to god and hym thankes of thys vyctorye and offeryd there many ryche gyftes And after spedde hym to Soisons where he as kynge of all Fraunce excepte the lordshyppe of Austracy whyche Theobald sonne of his brother sons Theodorich then helde The father of this Theobald was Theodobert Then Lotharius seynge hys lande in reste and quyetnesse gaue hym to huntynge and chace of wylde bestes a game of great vse amoÌ„g all FreÌ„che prynces In whyche dysporte he beyng one daye greatly trauayled caught some surfet of the whyche ensued a mortall sykenes so that he dyed shortely after when he hadde reygned as before is specifyed ouer the lordshyppe of Soysons and other by the terme of .l. wynter full And was after buryed at Soisons with great pompe leuynge after hym foure sonnes GuÌ„thranus Aribertus Chilpericus Sigebertus It is testyfyed of mayster Robert Gagwyne that saynte Radegunde borne of the countre of Thurynge of a pagan father named Bernigarius was wyfe to this LotharÌ„ whose vertuous lyfe Antoninê° in his boke called SmÌ„ Antonini in the .viii. chapyter .xii. tytle of the seconde parte of his worke shewyth coÌ„peÌ„dyously Anglia THE CIIII. CHAPITER ARthurê° the sonne of Uter Pendragon a strepelynge of .xv. yeres of age beganne his reygne as kynge of Brytayne in the yere of oure lorde v. hundred and .xvii and the thyrde yere of Lotharius then kynge of Fraunce or of a parte therof as before is declared Of this Arthure is by Gaufryde recyted a longe storye and alowed by the englysh cronycle the whyche from other wryters ys greatly dyscordaunte But yet all authours agreen that he was noble an victoryous in all his dedys Fayne I wolde declare the fame of this noble prynce to the comforte of other to folowe his marcyall dedis so that I myght somwhat iustly fye my reporte by some authoure of authoryte But the more I am in doute bycause of the sayenge of Ranulphe monke of Chestre whyche vouchyth yt vppon wyllyam wryter of hystoryes of kynges as ys rehersed at length in the .vi. chapyter of the .v. boke of PolicronicoÌ„ which is there open to euery man that ys desyrous to knowe the sayde reporte or opynyon the whyche for the leÌ„gth therof I ouerpasse And somwhat to the honour of so great a champyon as was thys Arthur I shall lay vnto the reder that he may wyth authoryte shewe vnto the herers and ther wyth gladde the welsheman that he shuld desceÌ„de of so noble a vyctour whych so many dedys of honour executed in his dayes Then as testyfyeth Polycronycon and other Arthur faught .xii. no table batayllis agayne the Saxons and of them all was victour wherfore the fyrste was vpon the ryuer of Cleuy and .iiii. the nexte were foughten vpon the ryuer Douglys which rynneth vnder the town of wygan vpon ten myles from the ryuer of Merse in Lancashyre The .vi. batayll was vppon the ryuer called Bassa The .vii. besyde LyncolnÌ„ in a wood called CelidonÌ„ The .viii. and the .ix. were foughten about yorke The .x. was about Nycolf towne whyche is named warwyk as after some wryters The .xi. was at Bathe where he longe besegyd Cerdicus kynge of westsaxons The .xii. and last was at a place called Badon or Babowe hyll in which he slewe many Saxons But that notwythstandynge he myght not clerely voyde them his lande but that they kepte theyr couÌ„tes which they were before possessyd of as Kente Southerey and Norff all be it that some authours testyfy that they held these countres as trybutaryes vnto Arthure Thys noble warryour as wytnessyth holy Gildas slew with his own hande in one daye by y e helpe of our ladye saynte Marye whose picture he bare peynted in his shelde a hundred and .xl. Saxons whyche shelde he called PrydwenÌ„ his swerd was called Caliboure and his spere was called RonÌ„ after the brytyshe tunge or speche The thyrde or fourth THE CV CHAPITER ABout the .v. yere of this Arthur after the agrement of moste wryters beganne the lord shyppe of westsaxoÌ„s vnder y e Saxon called Cerdicus Kenricus hys sonne For Denys and other wytnesse that this lordshyppe or kyngdome shulde haue his begynnynge the .lxxi. yere after the fyrste commynge of Hengiste or the yere of oure lorde fyue hundred .xxii. which agreeth wyth the .v. yere of Arthure aforesayde Thys lordshyppe conteyned the weste countre of Englande as wylt wyltshyre Somersetshyre Berkê Dors. and other as Deuonshyre and Cornewayll and hadde in the Eest syde Southampton in y e north Thamys the famouse ryuer in the south and weste the see Occean This foresayde Cerdicus whyche of some authours is named Childricus laÌ„ded fyrst at Cerdyshore which nowe is called yermouth an hauen towne in the countre of Norff. And by helpe of other Saxons then inhabyted in that countre then called eest Anglys the sayd Cerdicus at leÌ„gth obteyned the foresayde countre and named yt westsaxon or westsaxonia and reygned therin as lorde or kyng a certayne of yeres and Kenricê° his sonne after hym The fyrste chrysten kynge of this prouynce was named Kyngilsus and coÌ„uertyd by meanes of that blessed man Berinus byshoppe of Dorchester To whom Quichelinus brother of the foresayd Kyngilsus gaue the sayd cytye to make there hys see after he also had receyued baptyme of the sayde Berinus And as Guydo wytnessyth the sayde Quichelinus gaue after to the byshoppe of wynchester .vii. myles compasse of lande to buylde there a byshoppes see the whyche was accomplyshed and finyshed by Kenwalcus his son Thys kyngdome enduryd longeste of all the other whyche were .vii. in nomber or .vi. besyde thys Some wryters accompte the terme of the duraunce of thys kyngdome from Cerdicus to Egbert and some to the laste yere of Aluredus But Guydo accomptyth the enduraunce of thys kyngdome from the fyrste yere of Cerdicus vnto the laste yere of Edwarde the coÌ„fessour By reason wherof yt shuld endure fyue hundred and .liiii. yeres But moste accordyngly yt shulde be rekened from the fyrst yere of Cerdicus to the laste yere of Aluredus For he
beatus Carne tenet tumulum mentis honore posunt Vir cui dura nihil nocuerunt fata sepulchri Viuit enim nam mors quam tulit ipsa timet Creuit ad hue pocius iustus post funera nam quâ— Fictile vas fucrat gemma superba micat Huius opeÌ„ ac merituÌ„ mutis data verba loquuÌ„tur Redditus caecis praedicatore dies Nunc vir apostolicus rapiens de carne tropheum Iure triumphale confidet arce throni The whych verses in our mother tunge maye thus be expounded in meters as foloweth Myrrour to the chyrche and of the countrey the strength Compassyon of gylty to them shewynge mercy A fader and a leche an herde and louer at length Of hys people cosyn to vertue and of allye In fayth and in herte and eke in mouth holy Of whom the flesshe now holdyth thys sepulture But the spyryte is in heuen euer to endure To thys nothynge noyed nor faute of sepulture He lyueth southly for deth whyche he not drede Hath hym hense tane But yet he hoped sure Thys ryghtwyse man though somtyme he were ladde As a bryttell vessell whych myth the erth was cladde And somewhyle felle yet ofte he rose anone Wherfore he now shyneth as doth an Orient stone By helpe and meryte now hath the dumbe hys speche Of thys blessyd man and to the blynde hys syghte Restoryd of god as thys daye doth vs teche And he of the flesshe hath gotten now the fyght And vpperhande wyth a tryumphant myght By vertue wherof he lyke a conquerour Of the hygh heuyn nowe fytteth in the tower Thus maye ye well apperceyue and knowe that as erthly men fauoure so woll they wryte as nowe shewyth by thys superscrypcyoÌ„ But to god all thyng is manyfestyd and knowen and nothynge to hym hyd whatsoeuer erthly man wryteth or demyth to whom all the premysses I remytte Anglia THE CXVIII CHAPITER CAreticus or Lareticus after y t wrytynge of Guydo of whom nother y t progeny nor yet other addicyon of honour is of wryters of hym remeÌ„bred began to rule the Brytons the yere of our lord .v. hundred .iiii. score and .vi. as the sayde authour recordyth and y e .xxii. yere of Chylperyche than kynge of Fraunce and also the ix yere of Ceawlmus then kynge of westsaxons Thys as wytnessyth all wryters was a louer of cyuyle batayle was worst of all men so y t he was odible to god and his subiectes in suche wyse that they excyted the Saxons to warre vpon hym as testyfyeth Guydo chasyd hym from cytye to cytye towne to towne tyll they had berafte hym the mostâ— parte of suche lande as hys predeces soure Malgo had holdeÌ„ before hym But PolycronycoÌ„ Gaufryde and other adde more there vnto sayen y t for as mych as the Saxons knew of the discensyon betwene Careticus and hys Brytons they in all haste sent into Irelande for the kynge called Gurmundus Affricanê° y e which of some wryters are named two persons as GurmuÌ„dus and Affricanê° But by the rehersall that Ranulfe monke of Chester maketh in y e .xxiii. chapyter of hys fyrste boke of PolycronycoÌ„ it shulde seme that he shuld be named Gurmundus the whyche by hys meanynge shulde warre in Brytayne and Fraunce whyle hys brother Turgecius regned as kyng in Irelande as in the sayd chapyter is more at lengthe declared whyche fayd Gurmundus with the strength of y e Saxons warred so sore agayne the BrytoÌ„s that lastly the sayd Careticus was fayne to take the towne of Kaersegent now called Sichester therein besegyd hym wyth hys Brytons by a certeyne of tyme where by dayly skyrmysshes and assautes he loste mych of hys people when Careticus had a season assayed and prouyd the strength of his enemyes and sawe that they encreasyd and hys knyghtes lassed mynysshed he sodenly lefte that towne and with a certeyne of Brytons toke ouer Seuarne water and so into walys then callyd CaÌ„bria whych shuld be after moste accorde of wryters y e iii. yere of y e reygne of this Careticê° About thys tyme as meaneth Antoninus the great Gregory then beyuge a monke and after pope sawe at Rome childyrn of Anglis or Saxons to sell at Rome And wheÌ„ he had aryd of them what couÌ„trey they were of and it was answered to hym that they were named Anglis he sayde y e Alleluya shulde be songe in that couÌ„tree that so fayre chylderne were borne in Alleluya before in the .iiii. score and .viii. chapyter rehersyd ys there takeÌ„ after y e exposycyoÌ„ of saynt Austayne for ayde and helpe of god But here it is ment for louynge and praysynge of god as to hym y e laude and thankes shulde be gyuen vnto that sendyth to men so fayre frewte wherfore as after shal be shewyd the sayd Gregory beynge Pope sent y t holy man Austayne wyth other for to preache to the sayde Anglis the fayth of Cryste Then to retourne to Careticus whom the Englysh cronycle nameth Cortife Trouth it is that after he wyth his Brytons were dryuen into Cambria or walis yet he lefte not contynually to make reyses and assautes vppon the Saxons nexte to hym adioynaunte In thys tyme or soone after ruled Ethelfridus the north Saxons For as wytnesseth the foresayde authour Guydo he began the reygne of Deira and Brenicia in the yere of oure lorde .v. C.lxxx .xiii. This is Ethelfridus son of Ethelricus y e pursued so sore the Brytons slewe so great a nomber of y e monkes of the towne of Bangor as is before rehersyd in the C. and .ix. chapyter of this worke The whyche dayly warred vpon the Brytons the Brytons vpon hym so y â— he destroyed or subuerted myche of Crystes fayth wyth the helpe of y e foresayd Gurmunde thorough Loegria or myddle England in so mych that the bysshoppes of London and yorke wyth other mynysters of the chyrche wyth such goodes relykes as they myght cary fled into dyuerse countrees so that theyr chyrchdores were shytte after them or ellys occupyed in worship of theyr fals goddes Thus the fayth that had endured in Brytayne from the tyme of Luciê° fyrst crysten kynge in Brytayne tyll thys daye nere vppon the season of iiii C. yeres and odde was well nere extyncte thorough all the lande And when y e forenamed GurmuÌ„de had fynysshed hys tyrannye wythin the land of Brytayne he then sayled into Fraunce where he was after slayne as wytnessyth PolycronycoÌ„ all be it y e french cronycle speketh nothyng of any such man duryng thys persecucyon as wytnessyth Guydo The chyrche or monastery before buylded in Uerolamy nowe called saynte Albanes was by the sayde myscreauntes beten downe whyche there was buylded of the BrytoÌ„s in the honoure of y e holy prothomartyr saynt AlboÌ„ with diuerse many other the whyche are loste out of memory Duryng also this trouble bytwene the Saxons BrytoÌ„s the lordshyp or kyngdome of Eest Saxon
wyth her son Clodoueê° vnto the guydyng tuycyon of a noble man of FrauÌ„ce theÌ„ mayster of hys Paleys named Agaynus he dyed when he had reygned xiiii yeres was buryed with great pompe in the forenamed monastery Of this Dagobert is reported by myne authour also the frenche cronycle besyde other wryters that an holy ancre or heremyte of Fraunce beynge in his medytacyons shuld se a company of fendes whyche beyng in the see shuld haue amonge theym in a bote the soule of Dagobert and were conueyenge yt towarde payne But thys spiryte ceasyd not to crye to call to saynt Denis and his felowes for helpe the whyche lastely came clad in whyte vestymentes delyuered that soule from the paynes of his enymyes and conueyed it vnto euerlastynge ioy as more at length and wyth more cyrcuÌ„staunce yt ys declared in the bokys beforesayde Anglia THE CXXXIII CHAPITER CAdwallus or Cadwalyne the sonne of Cadwan lastely spoken of in y e cronycle of mych Britayn as testyfyeth Guydo Gaufryde and other beganne hys reygne ouer the Brytons in the yere of Crystes incarnacyon .vi. hundred .xxxv y e fyrst yere of the fyrst Dagobert then kyng of Fraunce and also the .xii. yere of Kyngilsus Quichillinus then kynges of westsaxon This Cadwallus was stronge and myghty warryd strongly vpon the SaxoÌ„s nere vnto hym and wanne from them both castels and townes and droue theym backe into the lande towarde London wherof herynge Penda kynge of Mercia he assembled his SaxoÌ„s and made towarde Cadwall But he was in the ende dystressyd and fayn to seche and purchace the fauoure of Cadwal and lyue vnder his tribute This Penda after this was in great fauour with Cadwall in so myche y t he toke parte wyth Cadwall agayne his other Saxon kynges as after shall appere About thys tyme Kyngylsus one of the kynges of westsaxons was by the doctryne of y e blessyd man Berinê° coÌ„uertyd to y e ryght beleue and cristyned of hym at the citye of Dortyke or Dorchester And Oswald kynge of Northumberland was hys godfather and weddyd his doughter afterwarde And then that cytye was geuen to the byshop to the ende that he shuld there ordeyne hys see where the sayde Berinê° sat .xiiii. yeres after there was buryed tyll Beda bishop of wynchester traÌ„slatyd his body to y e citye of wynchester all be it y t the chanoÌ„s of Dorchester sayeÌ„ that the sayd bodye of holy Beryne was not taken thens but a nother in the stede of hym And yet in tokeÌ„ therof a beers of wonder worke staÌ„dyth at this day ouer that graue where y e holy man was fyrst buryed It shuld seme that this cytye of Dorchester is now called Dorset Thys see was in the tyme of wyllyam conqueroure chaunged to Lyncolne About thys tyme Sigebertus or after some Segebertus kynge of Eestenglande or Norfolke whyche reygned there next his brother Corpwaldus ordeyned letters to be lernyd and set scolys in dyuerse places of his kyngdome and ordeyned ouer theÌ„ schole maysters pedagoges as he somtyme hadde seen in Fraunce The whyche Sygebert was conuertyd to Crystes fayth by the doctryne of an holy man named Felix y e which he was fyrste acqueynted wyth in FrauÌ„ce or in Burgoyne The whych Felix came soone after that acqueyntaunce into Eestanglia or Norfolke where the kynge made hym byshop of DuÌ„wyche nowe called Thetford Lastelye the kynge betoke hys kyngdome vnto hys neuew Egritus and became a munke in an abbay whych he hym selfe buyldyd But when Penda kynge of Mercia warryd after in that couÌ„trey the sayde Sygebert was agayne hys wyll pulled oute of the sayde monastery and went in armes or as some testyfye vnarmyd wyth a whyte rod in hys hande nycely so was slayne and well nere all his hoste of knyghtes that came wyth hym to that feld By this rehersayll apperyth here dyscorde of wryters of the begynnyng of this sayd kyngdome of Eestanglis For yf yt were true that this beganne as wytnessyth Policronycon in the .iiii. chapyter of hys fyfte boke in the yere of grace .iiii. huÌ„dred lxxx and .xii as before also I haue shewed in the .lxxx. and .xvi. chapyter of this worke then myght yt not agree wyth conuenyency of tyme that this Sygebert or Sebert shulde reygne as kynge at those dayes nowe mynded wherfore y e sayenge of Guydo is more concordaunte whyche shewyth this kyngdome to haue his begynnynge in the yere of grace .v. C. .lxx as in the ende of the forsayd chapyter yt is there shortly touched Then yt foloweth in the story after the deth of this Sigebert Anna was made kyng of Eestanglis And durynge the reygne of Sigebertus befell the woÌ„der y t is tolde of that holy man Furceê° as is shewed at leÌ„gth in the .xiii. chapiter of the .v. boke of Policronicon aforesayd and in the .xiii. tytle of the .vi. chapyter of the .ii. parte of y e famous worke called Summa Antonini And about this season reygned or began to reygne the cursyd secte of y e detestable false prophete Machomet y e which syns y e tyme hath so enfected y t it hath enfectyd .ii. priÌ„cipall ê‘tes of y e world as Asia Affrica the more part of y e third named Europa dayly wynneth vpon the crysten peple great laÌ„des possessions Aboute the .vii. yere of thys forenamed Cadwall kynge of Britons reygned in Kent a Saxon kyng named Ercombertus the whyche had that pryncypate .xx. yeres nobly And amonge other of hys famous dedys he reuyued and quyckened agayne the fayth of Cryste that in some places of hys kyngedome was sore appallyd For he destroyed the temples of false goddes thorough all that countrey and ordeyned by the aduyse of his clergye the tyme of lente to be fasted He wedded the doughter of Anna kynge of Eestanglis named Sexburga of whom he receyuyd a doughter and named her Eukengoda y e whyche after was a menchon or nunne in the abbey of Brydgence in Fraunce before mynded where Ethelburga y e wyfe somtyme of Edwyn kynge of Northoumberlande serued god as in the hundred and .xxx. chapyter precedynge yt ys shewed and eyther of them was abbesse of the same place And though at those dayes there were many abbeys in thys yle of myche Brytayne yet many both of men and of women sayled into other landes as FrauÌ„ce and Burgoyne and other places because the conuersacyon and lyuynge of those countres were of more fame and perfeccyon then was then vsyd in thys yle of Brytayne About thys tyme as yt were about the .viii. yere of Cadwall dyed kyngylsus kyng of westsaxons when he had reygned with his brother and alone .xxxi. yeres And Kenwalcus his sonne was kynge after hym y e which in y e begynnyng of his reygne wolde not be crystyned forsoke hys wyfe the doughter of PeÌ„da toke to hym a nother wherfore Penda in aduengynge hys doughter gatheryd hys
obedyence Lastly Kenulph was supprysed wyth the loue of a womaÌ„ that he kept at Merton and hauntyd her more secretly then stode wyth his honour wherof hauynge knowlege a kynnesman of Sygebert late kyng entendynge to reueÌ„ge the deposynge of his kynnesmaÌ„ awayted the tyme and beset the house where Kenulphe his paramour was smally accoÌ„panyed But so soone as Kenulph had espyed his enymyes he serte vppon them whych as sayth Policronicon were .lxxx. in noÌ„ber and fought with them a longe whyle But in the ende he was slayn of Clyto or Clyton his enymye It was not longe after or worde sprang of the kynges deth wherfore Offricê° then beynge mayster of the kynges knyghtes toke wyth hym a certayn of the sayde chyualry pursued vpon the sayd murderers lastly encountred wyth them and slewe the sayde Clyto theyr captayne with the more parte of his companye And that done he retourned to Merton and there toke the corps of Kenulphe and with great solemnyte coÌ„ueyed yt vnto wynchester where yt was with all reuereÌ„ce enterryd wheÌ„ he hadde ruled the westsaxons all be yt that of hym the englyshe cronycle maketh no mencyon .xxxi. yeres Francia THE CLII. CHAPITER PIpinus the secoÌ„d sonne of Charlis Martell began his reygne ouer y e Frenchemen in y e yere of grace .vii. hundred and .l the seconde yere of Kenulphus then kyng of westsaxons This as before ye haue harde was elected to that honoure by assent of Pope zachary the consent of the nobles of FrauÌ„ce and after he was confermyd of the seconde Stephan when he satte after as Pope The fyrste yere of his reygne the Saxons otherwyse called Danys or Normannys beganne to warre vppon hym The whyche he encountred at the ryuer of Isayr and them knyghtly ouercame and chased and brought them fynally vnder his subieccyon And in his returnynge into the countrey of Fraunce word was brought to him of the deth of his brother Gryffon the whych as before is sayde fledde vnto Gayferus duke of Guyan and there helde hym to the ende for to haue caused the people of Guyan to haue rebellid and to make warre agayne his brother Pepyn wherof when some of them consyderyd the malycyous and vnstable condycyons of hym in auoydyng more daunger that to theyr countrey by his meanes myght ensue they fell sodeynly vppon hym and slew hym when Pepyn was retourned into Fraunce he by the aduyse of Remigius then byshoppe of Roan amendyd the state of the chyrche and causyd goddes seruyce to be songe that before tyme hadde ben wyth lytle deuocyon and reuerence done and vtteryd And other spyrytuall thynges that before were mysorderyd he caused them to be sette in a better forme And shortly after StephaÌ„ aboue named confyrmed this Pepyn and his heyres for kynges of Fraunce and of hym axyd ayde and assystence to wythstaÌ„de the power of Aystulphus then kyng of Longobardes y e which then warryd vppon certayne landes belongyng vnto the chirch of Rome The whyche kenge Pepyn to hym with good wyll grauÌ„tid the begynnynge of the nexte yere folowynge wyth a great hoste enteryd the boundes of Italy and in the same made sharpe and cruell warre In defence wherof the sayde Aystulphus made his beste prouysyon and defendyd y e straytes and mouÌ„taynes by y e which the Frenche men shuld haue further entre into hys lande and there gaue vnto his enymyes a stronge fyghte All be yt he wyth his people was forcyd to gyue backe for hys refuge toke y e citie of Papye wherof Pepyn hauynge informacyon beclyppyd y e sayd cytye wyth a strong syege when Aystulphê° had a season defended hys cytye saw by experieÌ„ce dayly his enimyes encreace his power mynyshe and feble in auoydynge of extreme daunger he sought meanes of peace and in suche wyse pursued the same that he finally hadde peace to hym graunted vppon condycyon that he by a daye lymytted shuld restore to y e pope all ryght to his chirch belongynge that he or any for hym helde or before tyme hadde wytholden wyth other thynges concernynge the sayde peace And for the perfourmaunce of the sayde condycyoÌ„s he deliueryd immediatly good hostages and pledgys After whyche peace thus substancially confermed Pepyn wyth his hoste wyth great tryumphe retourned into Fraunce But not wythstandyng this assuryd peace by the confyrmacyon of othe and other cyrcumstaunce before shewyd the nexte yere folowynge he trustynge vppon better fortune of warre denyed and reuokyd all his former grauntes and refused to do as before he hadde fyrmyly promysed For this vnstablenes and vntrouth to remedy the pope of newe made requeste vnto Pepyn The which wythout longe taryeng resembled his knightes made good sped towarde Italy not wythout dauÌ„ger passyd the mountaynes and fynally besyeged Aystulphus wythin y e foresayd cytye of Papy By meane wherof he lastly was constrayned to restore certayne cyties and other possessyons that before tyme he had taken from the pope After the whych agrement endyd and perfyted wythin a shorte terme the sayde Aistulphus beynge in hys dysporte of huntynge fell from hys horse or with his horse By vyolence wherof he was so brosyd that he dyed shortly after whan he had ruled the Longobardes Lumbardys or Italyans .viii. yeres After this vyctory thus obteyned by Pepyn the lordes and prynces that dwellyd aboute hym feryd and drad hym and sought to hym for allyaunce amyte Amonge the whych Tassylon duke of Bayon before spoken of that newly hadde conspyred agayn hym yelded hym to the kyng and became hys trewe lyege man and swore to hym and to hys two sonnes feawte But the Saxons whyche in the Frenche boke are named Soysons coude neuer hold them coÌ„tent without dystorbynge of the Frenchemen wherfore kynge Pepyn assembled a greate hoste and made towarde theÌ„ and had wyth them dyuerse conflyctes and batayles So that at length they were dryuen to aske peace vpoÌ„ condicyoÌ„ that yerely after they shuld yelde vnto the kynge of Fraunce iii. hundred good horses in waye of trybute And that done he retourned into FrauÌ„ce and immedyatly after ordeyned by the aduyse of hys counceyle a courte or counceyle y e whiche at this day is called y e parlyameÌ„t of FrauÌ„ce and is lyke vnto the courte of requestes now at this day holden in England How be it y t of mych greater resort of people and therwyth veray delayous in so mych that as I haue herde credyble persons say some one mater hath hanged there in dysputacyon ouer .xx. yeres The whych parlyament at this daye is kepte at Parys at Roan and other two places of the lande And for iudges of thys counceyll or parlyament is deputyd of the kynges coste in euery place where it is kepte an huÌ„dred persons what of one and what of an other Than it foloweth Gayfer duke of Guyan before mynded of wyll more than of reason set a trybute or imposycyon vppon the spyrytuall landes wythin hys lande wythout agrement of the
But to folowe myne authour I shall procede as foloweth THE CLXXVII CHAPITER LEwys the fourth af that name and sonne of Charlis as before is sayde beganne his reygne ouer y e Frenchmen in the yere of our lorde .viii. hundred .lxxx. .vi and the .xiiii. yere of Aluredus then kyng of Englande Of thys Lewys yt ys testyfyed of dyuers wryters that he shulde enamoure hym selfe vppon a menchon of the monastery of Chyell and her drawe oute by force and marye her vnto his wyfe For the which dede and other he purchasyd the aboue said name was called Lewis nought doynge In thys tyme the Danys contrary to theyr ê“myse before made made new warre wythin the land of FrauÌ„ce wherfore the Frenchmen hauyng lytell hope in theyr kynge sente vnto Charlon or Charlys y e emperour sonne of Lewys kynge of Germany as before is shewyd requyryng him in all humble wyse to vysyte y e realm of Fraunce and to defende yt from the persecucyon of the Danys In these dayes also was lyuynge in Fraunce the forenamed Hugh whych as ye before haue herd maynteyned the quarell of Lewys Charlys last kynges agayn Lewys kyng of Germanye The whyche Hugh of some writers is called Hue le grauÌ„d that is Hugh the great Thys man gaderyd an hoste of Frenchmen and gaue batayll vnto the Danys and slewe of them a great nomber It shulde seme by the wryters of the frenche storye that these noble men of Fraunce as thys Hugh and other shulde haue the rule of the spyrytuall possessyons of abbayes and other houses of relygyon For of myne Authour mayster Gagwyne they are in laten named abbates and in the Frenche boke abbis whych is to meane abbottes And also yt is testyfyed of the sayd writers that this Hugh and Robert erle of Parys were the fyrst that left the dystrybucyon of those spyrytuall goodes vnto theyr knightes gaue ouer that name of abbotte the whyche in some other estates contynued tyll the dayes of Roberte kynge of Fraunce Then yt folowyth accordynge to the request made vnto the emperour as aboue is shewyd he gatheryd a stronge hoste of Italyons and parced the lande of Fraunce and bare hym so vyctoryously agayne the Danys that he forced theym to obey to all theyr former promyse condycyons But Eusebiê° and other y t wrote the actes of the emperours sayen y t this Charlis whyche they name the thyrd of y â— name and also Grossus y t is great subdued the Danys of Fraunce compellyd theyr leder or prynce named there Rodefredus to take the habyte of Crystes relygyon and receyued hym at the coulde wa ter In whyche tyme or soone after wherof y e tyme is not duely ascertayned dyed the forenamed kynge Lewys surnamed nought doynge when he hadde reygned after most wryters viii yeres leuyng after hym a sonne named Charlis y t whyche after was surnamed symple But for he was to yonge to take vpon hym such a charge the lordes put hym vnder good conuenyent guydynge and chase an other as foloweth to guyde y e lande tyll he were come to hys laufull age whyche was named Eudo. THE CLXXVIII CHAPITER EUdo the sonne of Robert erle of Angeowe beganne his reygne ouer the French men in the yere of our lorde .viii. hundred .lxxx. .xv and the .xxiii. yere of Alurede then kynge of Englande ye shall vnderstand that the aboue named Robert erle of Angeow was as tutor and guyder vnto the forenamed kynges of Fraunce Lewys and Charlys and lastely was slayne of the Danys The whyche Robert left after hym .ii. sonnes Eudo and Robert whych Eudo for the great fame that he was of and also for y e great trouth that in hym was prouyd and knowen y e lordes of one assent chose hym to be kynge of the lande for the terme of his lyfe And as affermeth the french boke other he was crowned of walter then archebyshoppe of Senys Howe be yt this is somdele doutfull to be gyuen credence vnto for dyuers reasons that therunto myghte be made Mayster Gagwyne sayth that he hath sene some authoures that testyfye this forenamed Charlis the symple to be the lawfull son of Lewys Balbus and the foresayde Lewys and Charlis late kynges of Fraunce to be the bastarde sonnes of the sayde Lewys Balbus Then to folowe the mater thys Eudo in coÌ„syderacyon that the sayd Charlis the symple was insuffycyeÌ„t to guyde the lande he was putte vnder the guydyng of this sayd Eudo and he was made kynge in his stede The whyche myghtly defendyd the lande from all daunger of enymyes And ouer y t he caused the sayde Charlys the symple to be noryshed and broughte vp wyth moste dylygence so that he was informed exercysed wyth all vertues doctrine and other thynges necessarye vnto a prynces son And finally when this noble and vertuous knyghte Eudo knew y t he shulde dye he called before hym the lordes nobles of Fraunce y t whych he charched by solemne othe that after his deth they immedyatly shulde crowne Charlis for theyr kyng and dyed soone after when he hadde reygned as affermeth authours by the terme of .ix. yeres Anglia THE CLXXIX CHAPITER EDwarde surnamed the elder and son of Aluredus began his reygne ouer y e more part of England in y e yere of our lord .ix hundred one the .vii. yere of Eudo then kynge of Fraunce This was lower then hys father in letter and connynge but he was hygher in honoure worshyp By his fyrst wife he had a son named Ethelstane the whych was kynge after hym By his seconde wyfe he had two sonnes Edredus Edwynus vii doughters And of y e thyrd wyfe he receyued two sonnes Edmunde Edrede and two doughters Edburga and Edgina The fyrste of these .iii. wyfes hyght Edwyna the second hyght Edgina the thyrde was named Ethleeswyda Of y e forenamed .vii. doughters which he had by his second wife one named Alunda or Almyda was maryed to the fyrst Otto the emperour And a nother named Algina was maryed to Charlis the symple kyng of west FrauÌ„ce And the yoÌ„gest of his doughters as sayth Policronica he wedded vnto Lewys kyng of Guyan But therof speketh nothyng the frenche cronicle He set his sonnes to scole and his doughters he sette to woll worke takyng exemple of Charlis the conquestour By authoryte of Formosus the pope he made .vii. byshoppes in Enlande wherof he ordeyned .v. in west Saxon one in southe Saxon one in Mercia at Dorchester He also for that the munkes of wynchester sayd that his father Alurede walkyd caused hym to be remoued vnto the new abbay About the .v. yere of his reygne Clyto Ethelwaldus a nere kynnesman of his rebellyd agayn hym and occupyed y e towne of wymborne besydes Bathe toke thens by force nunne went thens vnto the Danys dwellyng in NorthuÌ„berlande excyted them to ryse agayn kyng Edwarde But the kynge pursued hym
made prouysyon wyth y e ayde of Edricus to go agayn hym But when he shulde haue met with Edricê° at a place assigned his host he was of hym dysceyued wherfore he was compelled to gyue place to his enymyes And as yt was after knowen the sayde Edricus had promysed his fauour and ayde vnto the sayde Canutus By reason wherof Canutus entred the countre of west Saxon and forsed them to swere to him feauty and to gyue vnto him pledges and other countreys adioynyng dyd the same In this seasan Egelredus beyng at London was taken wyth a greuous sykenes dyed and was there buryed in the chyrch of saynt Paule where at this day in y e North yle behynde the quere apperyth in the wal a token of hys sepulture whyche reygned or as say Policronicon other beseged Englande by the terme of xxxvi yeres full leuynge after hym a sonne named Edmunde Iron syde ouer Alphrede and Edwarde sonnes of Emma Francia THE CCI. CHAPITER LEwys the .vi. of that name son of Lothayre began hys reygne ouer Fraunce in the yere of our lordes incarnacyon ix hundred and lxxxvi and the .v. yere of Egelredus than kyng of England Of y â— whiche other for hys youth or for the shortnesse of hys reygne lytell of hys dedes is laft in memory excepte that y e Frenche boke wytnessyth that for he hadde none issue and Hugh Capet before in the story of Lothayre mynded was hys famylyer and chyefe couÌ„sayler he shuld therfore ordeyne and admytte the sayd Hugh for hys heyre But more verely as before is touched in the aboue named story in the ende therof thys Hugh was stronge and myghty and in the later dayes of Lothayre coueted the rule of the lande wherfore after the deth of this Lewys for so mych as he laft no chyld after hym he than hauyng y e chyefe rule of Fraunce by strength and power made hym selfe kynge But for I promysed in the story of Egelredus somwhat to shewe of Rycharde the fyrst of that name and thyrde duke of Normandye I shall somdele length thys story wyth the story of the sayd Rycharde Thys Rycharde as afferme all wryters was named Rychard wythout fere And for thys cause that foloweth as testyfyeth the Frenche boke He vsed mych to byd hys bedys for all crysteÌ„ soules And vpon a nyght whan he had longe watched he entred a chyrche where stode a corps vnburyed no man watchynge it And whyle he sayd hys orysons for that soule and other he layed hys gloues vppon a deske by hym And whan he had ended hys deuocyons he went out of y e chyrche for gettynge hys gloues behynde But shortly after he remembred hym of them and retorned towarde the chyrche for to fetche hys sayd glouys whan he came at the chyrch dore he founde y e corps there standynge wyth hys armes spradde abrode and makynge greate noyse and crye wherfore the duke made y e sygne of y e crosse in hys forehed and coniured the corps that he shulde reste but all was in vayne wherof the duke drewe hys sword and stroke at the corps and to hys thynkyng parted hym in two peces And that done entred the chyrche fet hys glouys so departed And for this chaunce he ordeyned after thorough hys realme that a corps shulde be watched the fyrste nyght or lenger as men hadde deuocyon which gyse was somtyme vsed in Englande and begon of the Normans as men may coniecture after they had fyrste conquered thys lande Polycronycon sheweth in the .vii. chapyter of hys .vi. boke that thys duke Rycharde dremed on a nyght that a monke of the house of saynte Audoenus in Roan as he went towarde hys lemman by nyght fyll besyde a brydge and was drowned whose soule after was in stryfe bytwene an angell and a fende The whyche after a longe stryfe condescended to put the iudgement in duke Rycharde Than the duke gaue sentence that the soule shuld be restored agayne to the body and then y e body to be set vppon y e brydge that before he was fallen fro And yf he than went to hys lemman he shuld be the fendes and yf nat he shulde than be saued And whan thys sentence was put in execucyon the monke fledde vnto the chyrche therby Uppon the morne whan the duke awoke called thys vysyon to hys memory to knowe the certaynte therof he went vnto the sayd chyrche and fande the monke there hys clothes yet wete after went to the abbot of that place and tolde to hym all thys dede aduertysynge hym to take better ouersyght of hys flocke To these narracyons the herers may gyue credence as them lyketh For they be nother in the pystle nor yet in the gospell All be it Antoninê° archbysshop of Florence whan he reherseth any lyke narracyons whych he thynketh somwhat doutefull he ioyneth these wordes and sayth piuÌ„est credere The thyrde narracyon is tolde of thys duke whych by all presumpcyon was regestred of some women scrybe Thys duke wyth Gunnore hys wyfe lyued longe whyle a dyshonest lyfe and contrary to the lawes of the chyrch wherof his people murmured sore so that at length by the holsome doctryne of some of hys clerkes or spyrytuall men he maryed her to hys lawfull wyfe The fyrste nyght after y e weddynge were it in game or otherwyse the duchesse torned her buttocke in y e dukes lappe as she before tyme hadde neuer done whan the duke frayned the cause of her so doyng for now sayd she may I do what me lyketh where before I myghte do but what you lyked Upon thys Gunnore he gate besyde other chylder Emma that was the wyfe of Egelredê° as before ye haue harde and dyed whan he had ruled Normandy by the terme of .lii. yeres Than to retourne to the .vi. Lewys kyng of Fraunce from whome we haue made a longe dygressyon as wytnesseth mayster Gagwyne he dyed in the yere of our lorde .ix. hundred .lxxxix wheÌ„ he had reygned iii. yeres and was buryed at CoÌ„payne ye shall vnderstande that this Lewys was the last kynge of the blode of Pepyn And for I promysed before to shewe the dyscent of the sayde Pepyn to the ende that ye maye the better know thys story and also to knowe the kynges of Fraunce from the kynges of Germany which both discended of thys Pepyn hereafter I shall more clerely set it out in brauÌ„ches But fyrste I woll expresse the kynges of Fraunce as they reygned lynially and ioyne to eyther of them the terme that he reygned that there by it maye appere howe longe thys blode continued in y e house of Fraunce or it were empeched by Hugh Capet as after appereth The yeres Pepyn xviii Charlys xlvii Lewys the fyrste xxvi Charlys the Ballyd xxxvii Lewys balbus ii Lewys and Charlys v. Lewys the fourth viii Eudo. ix Charlys the symple xvii Radulphus xii Lewys vnus xxi Lotharius xxx Lewys the syxte iii. OF the whyche kynges .ii.
Anno domini M.CCC.xlv  Edmunde Hempnale  Rychard Lacer  Anno .xx.  Iohn̄ Glouceter  IN thys .xx. yere or later ende of the .xix. yere y t is to wyt aboute saynt Nycholas tyde in the begynnynge of thys mayers yere the foresayd erles of Derby Northampton had won the towne castel of Bergarat in Gascoyne slewe there the erle of Ualētynoys chefe capytayne therof toke there a noble man called y e erle of the Ilys wyth many other ryche prysoners And about Apryll y e sayd erles wanne a strōge towne called the Ryall wherof heryng Philip de Ualoys in all haste sent hys sonn̄ Iohn̄ duke of Normandy to wythstande to gyue batayll vnto y e sayd erles But whan the sayd duke was nere vnto the Englysshemen he had suche tydinges of theyr strength that he retourned vnto hys father agayn For the whych dede hys father wyth hym was greuously discontented in so moche y t by y e occasiō to auoyd his fathers displeasure he retourned īto Gascoyne layed siege vnto y e castel of Aguyllon there remayned tyll y e moneth of August folowing without gettynge of it any aduauntage at whych season he retourned agayn to his father After whose departure the erle of Northāpton with hys cōpany gatte a strōge towne called in french la Roche Darien which is to meane the Roche or Rocke of Aryen In the tyme of whyche warre thus cōtinued in Brytayne Guyan the Frenche kyng made purueyaunce to defende hys lande agayne kyng Edward for whome he awayted dayly And kyng Edwarde as faste gathered money made hys dayly purueyaunce to prepare hym thyderwarde Anno dn̄i xiii C.xlv  Anno dn̄i xiii C.xlvi  Iohn̄ Croydon  Geffrey wychyngham  Anno .xxi.  wyllyam Clopton  IN this .xxi. yere kyng Edward helde hys parlyament at westmynster about the tyme of lent And in the moneth of Iuly folowynge he toke shyppynge and sayled into Normandy landed as wytnesseth the Frēche cronicle at a place in that prouynce named in Frenche la Hougne sent Uast with .xi. C. sayles greate small y e .xii. day of y e foresayd moneth of Iuly And anone as he was lāded he cōmaunded hys people to waste y e countrey before them And by the ledyng of a knyght called syr Godfrey Harcourte he was broughte vnto a towne called Melly and from thens vnto Mountboure where the kynge wythe all hys people rested hym a season In the whyche tyme the sayde syr Godfrey brent spoyled the coūtrey of Cōstantyne there nere adioynyng Than kyng Edward departed frō y e foresayd towne went vnto a strōge towne called Karenten or Karenton the whyche he gate wyth the castell to the same belongynge And so continued his iourney y t vpō the .xx. day of y e sayde moneth of Iule he layed hys syege before the cytye or towne of Caen. wherin were at y e daye chyef capytaynes the bysshop of Bayen y e erle of Ewe the lorde of Turnebu wyth other dyuerse knyghtes men of name Than kyng Edwarde commaunded that the sayd towne shulde be assayled y e whych was done with so great force specyally with suche stronge and cōtynuall shot that the Frenchmē forsoke the wallys drew them towarde the castell And in processe after longe cruell fyght y e Englysshemen entred the towne there toke prysoners Amonge the whyche there was taken y e cōstable of Fraūce the kynges chaūberleyne Than the Englysshemen spoyled and pylled the towne of Caen and bare the pyllage vnto theyr shyppes whyche after was conueyed by them into Englande whan kynge Edwarde had thus spoyled and brent a parte of the towne of Caen forced the bysshope of Bayen the other capytaynes to take the castell for theyr refuge considerynge the strength of the same he departed thens and so sped hym towarde the cytye of Roan chefe princypall cytye of Normandye But the Frenche kynge with a greate power was in thys whyle comē vnto Roan̄ had broken the brydges and stopped the passages in suche wyse that kynge Edwarde was fayne to leue y e way so that he costed toward Parys and came to a stronge towne called Uernon from thens to a towne named Amyrlene at whych townes he was resysted loste some of hys soudyours And the .xii. daye of Auguste he came to a towne named Poysy taryed there .vi. dayes and from thēs yode vnto saynt Germayn And euer syr Godfrey de Harcourt byeng in y e vawarde brent the townes spoyled the coūtrey as he went And lyke as kyng Edwarde with hys hoste thus passed the coūtrey towarde Parys so in lyke maner the Frenche kynge with hys power passed or helde hys way towarde y e sayd cytye beynge so nere sundry tymes that eyther hoste had syght of other But the ryuer of Seyne was euer betwene them so that for it they myght nat ioyne in batayll whan kyng Edwarde was comyn to a towne called saynt Clowe he set fyre therin which was sene vnto Parys whyche put y e cytezeyns in great fere in so moch as wytnesseth the Frēch cronycle that if the Frēch kyng had nat ben there present the cytye shulde haue be yelden vnto kyng Edwarde Thā kyng Edward seynge he myght nat passe the ryuer of Seyn towarde y e citie of Parys occupyed all y e chefe palaysys royall Manours where the Frenche kynges were accustomed for to soiourne and lye at dranke the wyne occupyed suche stuffe necessaryes as he there fande And at hys departyng set fyre vpō them cōsumed the more parte of them As at poyzy one at saynt Germayne an other and at Mount Ioy the thyrde brente the towne of Poyzy reseruyng an house of nunnes whyche was founded by Phylyp le Beawe father vnto kyng Edwardes wyfe Here ye shal vnder stāde that the auctours or wryters fauoureth theyr owne nacyon For the Englysshe wryters say that y e Frēch kyng fledde brake the brydges as he went to the ende that the Englysh hoste shuld nat wynne to the French men to gyue vnto thē batayll And y e Frenche boke sayeth that kynge Edwarde fled wolde nat abyde batayl with the Frenche men wherefore the Frēch kyng brake the brydges to the entent that y e Englyssh mē shuld nat escape hys daūger But howe it was as sayth an other wryter called Iohn̄ Froysarde the commons of Fraūce thought it a greate dyshonoure vnto all the lande that the Englyssh hoste shuld so passe thorough the harte or myddell of Fraunce and to occupye the kynges chief lodgynges nat to be foughten with of all that season whych myght nat be after the opiniō of the sayd common people wythout great treason of suche as were nere about the kyng Thā kyng Edward was so closed by reason of brekynge of brydges y t he was forced to drawe backe and to reedyfye the brydge of Poyzy The
Gaufryde and beraft hym the gouernaunce of the land vppon certayne coÌ„dycyons to be contynued for terme of lyfe the whyche in processe of tyme more and more were minyshyd as well by Maglaunus as by HeÌ„ninus husbaÌ„des of the forenamed Gonorild Ragan But moste dyspleased Leyr the vnkyndnesse of his two doughters consyderynge theyr wordes to hym before spoken and sworne and now founde prouyd them all contrarye For the whyche he beyng of necessyte constrayned fledde his lande sayled into Gallia for to be comforted of his doughter Cordeilla wherof she hauyng knowlege of naturall kyndnesse coÌ„forted hiÌ„ after shewynge all the maner to her husbande by his agrement receyuyd hym his to her lordes courte where he was cherished after her beste maner Longe yt were to shew vnto you y e circumstaunce of y e vtterans of the vnkyndnesse of his two doughters and of the wordes of comfort gyuen to hym by Aganippus and Cordeilla or of the couÌ„saile and purueyauÌ„ce made by the sayde Aganippus his lordes for restorynge of Leyr agayn to his dominyoÌ„ But fynally he was by the helpe of the sayde Aganippus restored agayne to his lordshyp and so possessed lyued as ruler gouernour therof by the space of .iii. yeres after In whych season dyed Aganippus And when this Leyr had ruled this lande by the terme of .xl. yeres as affermeth dyuerse cronycles he dyed and was buryed at his towne of Caerleir or Leycestre leuynge after hym for to inheryte the lande his doughter Cordeilla THE XVI CHAPITER COrdeilla the yongeste doughter of Leyr was by assente of the Brytons made lady of Brytayn in the yere of y e world .iiii. thousande iii. hundred lxxxxviii the whyche guyded the lande full wysely by the tyme or space of .v. yeres complete The whyche tyme expyred and roÌ„ne her .ii. neuewes called Margan and Cunedagiê° sonnes of her .ii. susters came vpon her land and made therin great waste and destruccyon and at the laste toke her and cast her into a stronge pryson where she beynge dyspayred of y e recouery of her estate as testyfyeth Gaufryde slewe her selfe whenne she hadde reygned as before is declared by the terme of fyue yeres THE XVII CHAPITER CUnedagius and Marganus neuewes as before is sayde of Cordeilla departyd this lande of Brytayne betwene them in the yere of the worlde .iiii. thousand .iiii. hundred and .iii. That is to wyt the couÌ„trey ouer and beyond Humber fyll to Margan towarde Catenessey and the other parte of the lande towarde weste as reherseth Gaufride fyll to Cunedagius After two yeres were ronne ended some euyll dysposyd came vnto Margan and sayde that to hym yt was great reproche and dyshonour consyderynge that he was comen of Gonorilla the elder suster of Maglaunus her husbande Cunedag was descended of Ragan the yonger and Hemnius her husbande that he had not y e rule of all y e land to which sedycyous ê‘sons Margan gyuynge credence was supprysed with pryde and couetyse and anon by theyr couÌ„sayle assembled a great hoste made warre vpon his sayde brother brennynge and destroyeng his land with out mercy wherof Cunedag beynge ware in all hast gaderyd his people after certayne message sent to hym of the reconcylyacyon seynge there was no peace to be made but by the iudgement of batayll he mette wyth his brother in playne felde where y e goddes were to hym so fauourable that he slewe myche of the people of his brother and coÌ„pellyd hym to fle After whyche vyctory thus had he pursued Margan from couÌ„tre to couÌ„tre tyll he came wythin the countre or prouynce of Cambria or walys in the whyche couÌ„tre the sayde Margan gaue one other batayll vnto his brother Cunedag but for he was farre the weker he there was ouercomen and slayne in the felde whyche felde or couÌ„tre where the sayd Margan fought was slayne is to thys daye called Glaumargan whych is to meane in our vulgare tung Margan lande And thus was Margan slayne whan he hadde regned wyth his brother two yeres THE XVIII CHAPITER CUnedagius before named the sonne of Hemnius and Ragan yoÌ„ger doughter or myddell doughter of Leyr was made ruler and lorde of all Brytayne in the yere of the worlde .iiii. thousande .iiii. hundred .v. Of the whyche is nothyng worthy memorye lefte in wrytyng but that he guyded y e lande after the deth of his brother well and honorably by the terme of .xxxiii. yeres After which terme ended he dyed and was buryed at Troynouant or London leuynge for his heyre a sonne as testyfyeth Gaufryde named Riuallo or Rinallo or after some wryters Reyngnolde THE XIX CHAPITER BIuallus the sonne of Cunedagius was made gouernoure of the Brytons in the yere of the world .iiii. thousand .iiii. hundred and .xxxviii the whyche of wryters is called fortunat and restfull This Riuallus ruled y e BrytoÌ„s with great sobernesse kepte the lande in great welthe and prosperyte all be yt that of hym is lefte no specyall memorye of acte done in his tyme except myn authour sayth that in y e tyme of his reygne yt reyned blood by the space of .iii. days contynually wythin the lande of Brytayne After the whych reyne ensued so great excedynge noÌ„ber of multitude of flyes the which were to the people so noyous and coÌ„tagyous that they slewe myche people And after that as sayth an olde authour whose name is vnknoweÌ„ ensued great sykenesse and mortallytie to the great desolacyon of thys sayde lande Then yt foloweth in the story wheÌ„ this Riuallus hadde reygned after moste coÌ„cordaunce of writers by the terme of .xlvi. yeres he dyed was buryed as testyfyeth the sayde olde authour at Caerbrank or yorke leuynge after hym a sonne as wytnessyth Gaufride named Gurgustius In the tyme of the reygne of thys kynge after moste concorde of wryters y e famous cytye of Rome shuld be buylded as is shewed more playnly in the treatyse in the begynnyng of this warke THE XX. CHAPITER GUrgustius the sonne of y e fore named Riuallus was made ruler of Brytayne in the yere of the worlde .iiii. thousane .iiii. hundred lxxxiii This in y e cronicle of EnglaÌ„d is named Gorbodiam sonne of Reygnold Of the which is lytell memory made other of his regne or of his dedes by any authours or wryters of y e hystorye of Brytayne excepte the aboue named olde authoure and the authoure called the floure of hystoryes wytnessyth that he reygned xxxviii yeres leuynge after hym none heyre of his bodye begotten and lastely dyed and was buryed by his fader at Caerbrank or yorke Rome as aboue ys towched was fyrst buylded edyfyed in the tyme of Riuallus and after moste writers In the yere of the worlde .iiii. thousande .iiii. hundred .lxx after the buyldyng of TroynouaÌ„t or London .iiii. huÌ„dred .vii. yeres whych folowyng that accompte shulde be in the .xxxii. yere of the forsayde Riuallus THE XXI CHAPITER SIsillius or after