Saxons enter Britaine vnder Hengist Horsa W. Malmesbury Beda 1. 15. Saxons ouercome the Enemie and free the Britains A composition betwixt Saxon and Britaine * Britaines Witichindas Hengist had the whole possession of Kent Fabian The King giueth himselfe to securitie Ioâ—… Stow. Hengist seasteth the King The King in loue with Rowena In the Fictious of Virg. 〈◊〉 1. Caxton 〈◊〉 Mark 10. Vortigern would needs haue Rowena to wife Will. Malmesb. de Regibus Verstegan Restit cap. 〈◊〉 Tacit. destri Cer. cap. 2. Crantzius Pagan Germans account of tyrannoâ—…s beasta Hengist and Horse their Atâ—… The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arâ—… The Duke of Sauoy his Armes Chron. Sax. Hengist his Country and parentage Floren. Wigoru Beda hist. Ang. li. 2. ca. 15. Hengist his first rising Ninius Octa and Ebissa a tettor to the Britaines The Nobilities complaint Vortigern reproued by the Bishop of London He continueth in his folly His subiects disclaime their obedience They chuse Vortimer Catigern and Horsa their single fight Iohn Stowe Cits-Cotihouse Catigern his Monument Beda hist. Aug. lib 1 cap. 15. Horsted the place of Horsa his Monument The Battels betweene Britaines and Saxons The Saxons driuen ouer Seas Vortimer poisoned by Rowena Leiden Castle in Holland begunne by Hengist Iohn Dousa Hengists landing resisted by the Britaines Matth. Westm. Hengist vseth treacherie At Salisbury-Plain the Britaines and Saxons treat of agreement Will. Malmesb. de regibus The Saxons suddenly murder the Britaines Randulp Higden Polychr li. 5. cap. 1. Diuers countries deliuered to the Infidels Beda hist. Angl. lib. 1. cap. 15. Great spoile and desolation ouer all the Land The Britaines abandoned the Land Beda hist. Angl. lib. 1. cap. 17. Pelagianisme brought into Britaine by Agricola The Heritikes conuicted The principall cause of the Britaines miseries Vortigern flieth into Wales Merlin the Welsh Wizard He builded a Castle there The differing opinions where this Castle was built Faustus spent his life in continuall praier Aurelius Ambrosius Captaine of the Britaines Beda hist. Eccles. Angl. lib. 1. ca. 16. Aurelius Ambrosius and Vter Pendragon returne out of Britaine Armorica A Battle at Maesbell Hengist discomfited Geffry ap Arthur Matth. Westminst Polydore Hengist raigne Geffry ap Arthur Arthurs acts augmented with fables The Saxons often at dissension among themselues The mightiest of the Saxon Kings alwaies King of the Englishmen Onely the East-Saxons intruded not on their neighbours dominions 1. An. Do. 455. Kent in the daies of Iulius Caesar the Seat of foure Kings Hengist his raign and death Of Hengist see more in the succession of the English Monarchy cap. 12. 2. An. Do. 488. Petrus Albinus Eske the second King of Kent Retained prisoner in Yorke His raigne and death Beda hist. Angl. lib. 2. cap. 5. 3. An. Do. 512. Octa his raigne 4. An. Do. 532. Florent Wigâ—… Iâ—…erik the sonne of Eske Iâ—…erik his children 5. An. Do. 561. Ethelbert the sonne of Iâ—…erik Cheulin inâ—…adeth his Territors Ethelbert the fifth Monarch of the Englishmen His first wife and children by her In the life of Saint Weâ—…rg His second wife 1. Cor. 5. 1. Repetition auoided in this Historie Beda Hist. Eccles Angl. lib 2. cap. 5. Heâ—…r 〈◊〉 6. An. Do. 617. Beda hist. â—…ccles Aug. lib. 〈◊〉 cap. 5. Edbald his sâ—… ther dead refused the doctrine of Christ. He married his Mother in Law Edbald often plagued Reclaimed from Idolatry by the Archbishop His Wife His Daughter His Sonnes and their issue Edbald his liberalitie to the Church Beda hist. Angl. lib. 1. cap. 6. His raigne and buriall 7. An. Do. 641. His care of Gods worship Beda hist. lib. 2. c. 〈◊〉 His Wife and issue Kent diuided into Parishes His raigne and death 8. An. Do. 665. Egbert his murther The fact reuealed Wil. Malmesbury de gestiâ—… rerum Anglorum Their bodies solemnly buried Dopnena their sister Her religiousnes Egbert his raigne and death Beda hist. eccles Ang. lib. 4. cap. 5. 9. An. Do. 673. Lothaire intrudeth into the Kingdome Matt. Westminst Lothaire slaine Beda hist. Eccles. Angl lib. 4. ca. 5. 26. His raigne Lothaire maketh but a â—…est of murder His buriall 10. An. Do. 686. Beda hist. Angl. lib. 4 cap. 26. Edrik his raigne His death Ceadwalla and Mollo inuade Kent Mollo burned to death 11. An Do. 693. Wigtred his meanes of attaining the Kingdome His bounty to the Church Beda Hist. Eccles. Angl. lib. 4. c. 26. lib. 5. cap. 9. His raigne and death 12. An. Do. 726. Edbert a vertuous prince His raigne Two blazing Starres His Buriall 13. An. Do. 749. Ethelbert his raigne His death His buriall 14. Alrik the last of lincall succession All the Kings of Kent after Alrik vsurpers 15. An. Do. 794. His imprisonment His releasement His raigne 16. An. Do. 797. His raigne 17. An. Do. 805. Baldred tooke vpon him the kingdome of Kent Egbert Monarch of the English-men This kingdomes beginning continuance and end The limits of this kingdome An. D. 488. The Inhabitants chased into a wood The diuers opinions of Ellas first entrance Maâ—… omitteth this Kingdome Ella his raigne and death 2. An. Do. 514. Cissa Succeeded Chichester and Chisburis founded by Cissa Stow. Cissaes Raigne 3. Liber Historialis S. Swithune VVâ—…ion Beda lib. 4. ca. 13. 〈◊〉 Edilbâ—…es Godfather Ebba the wife of VVolfere Beda loâ—…o ciâ—…ato Selsee in Sussex Cap. 15. His raigne and death Beda hist. l. 4. c. 13. Ceadwald driuen backe Beda Hist. Eccles. Angl. lib. 4. cap. 15. The continuance and end of this Kingdome The VVest Saxons the first that brought the Heptarchy to a Monarchy Florent Wâ—… 2. An. Do. 495. The time when Cherdik entred into Britaine An. Do. 508. The circuit of this kingdome The first Kings raigne issue and death 3. An. Do. 535. Kenrik his battels â—…anbery in Oxsordshire His issue Cheaulin Cuthwolfe and Cuâ—… Cearlike the son of Cuthwolfe rebelleth against his Vncle. Chedwall the most renowned King of the West-Saxons 4. An. Do. 561. Cheaulin the time when he began to raigne An vnquiet and ambitious neighbour Wimbledon cap. 5. Sect. 5. Stowe Ouerthrowne by Cealrik His raigne His issue Cuth and Cuthwin Cuth a vaâ—…nt vvarrior Slaine 〈◊〉 Fethanleygh 5. An. Do. 592. Cearlik the 〈◊〉 King of the West-Saxons His raignes continuance 6 Chelwolfe when he began to raigne VVest-Saxons inusded by three sundry Enemies Hen Huntingd. His death 7. An. Do. 611. Kingils his comming to the Kingdome Quinchelinus his associate Wil. Malmsbury Marianus Florent Wigorn. Their victorie ouer the Britaines Kingils conuerted to Christianitie the first of all the VVest-Saxons Kings Beda hist. Angl. lib. 3 cap. 7. Oswald a witnes at his baptizing His gift to Kingils 8. An. Do. 643. Beda hist. Angl. lib. 3. cap. 7. Kenwald reâ—…th the Christian faith He 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of his Kingdome Roâ—… ald wonne to the faith of Châ—…ist His vvorks of deuotion 〈◊〉 Malmsbury His raigne and death Vita Alel His Wife gouerneth the kingdome An. Do. 674. She becomes a Nunne
Sunne Yea and Tacitus saith that in the furthest North part of the Iland the nights are so short that betwixt the going out and comming in of the day the space is hardly perceiued and the Sunne seene neither to set nor arise Because saith he the extreme and plaine parts of the earth proiect a low shadow and raise not the darknesse on high so the night falleth vnder the skie and starre Better might hee haue said by reason of the inclination of his Circle to the Horizon descending not directly but passing obliquely razing as it were vnder their Horizon 7 The aire saith Strabo and Tacitus is rather inclinable to showers then to snow And Cesar commends it to bee more temperate and the cold lesser then that in France as not subiect to either extremes as the more Northerne and Southerne Countries are to which temperature Cescenius Getulicus a very ancient Poet seemeth to haue respect when of this Iland thus he versifieth Non illîc Aries verno ferit aëra cornis Gnosia nec Gemini praecedunt cornua Tauri The horned Ram there butteth not the aire of tender spring The Twins nor Bull do to this soile vntimely seasons bring 8 And although the Seas thereof are accounted and called by Nubiensis the Arabian The darke and dangerous Seas in regard of the misty vapors that therfrom arise yet in the winter season those clouds are dispersed into still showers of raine that doe dissolue the rigour and great extremitie of the cold yea and those Seas themselues stirred and working to and fro with the windes doe thereby wax warme as Cicero saith so that a man may easily perceiue within that world of waters a certaine heat inclosed And Minutius Foelix proouing that GOD hath a speciall regard to the seuerall parts of the world as well as to the whole saith that BRITAINE though otherwhiles wanting the aspect of the Sunne yet is it releeued with the warmth of her enuironing Seas and as much refreshed we may well say by those sweet and gentle windes that in the height of Summer are sent from those seas and doe abate the rigor of the Sunnes great scorching heat and yeeldeth not only entercourse for traffique into all parts of the World but plentifully aboundeth with all sorts of fish to the great benefit of the Inhabitants and bringeth foorth Pearles as Tacitus sheweth which were vsually cast out with the flood and gathered at the ebbe These Pearles though not altogether so orient as they in India by Amianus in his 23. booke and 12. chapter are called Rich Gemmes And Pliny in his ninth booke and thirty fifth chapter vseth the like terme The desire whereof as Suetonius saith drew Cesars affection for the Conquest of BRITAINE 9 The soile saith Tacitus setting aside the Oliue the Vine and such other plants as are onely proper to hotter Countries taketh all kinde of Graine and beareth it in abundance it shooteth vp quickly and ripeneth slowly the cause of both is the same the ouer-much moisture of the soile and thâ—… aire And Cesar writeth that for timber it was stored of all kindes as in Gallia the Beech and Firre tree onely excepted For abundance of Graine Britaine is said to bee The seat of Queene Ceres by Orpheus the old Poet and the Granary and Storehouse for the Westerne World as Charles the great tearmed it and by our owne Ancestors in the blacke Booke of the Exchequer it is called a Paradise of pleasure From whence the Romanes were wont yeerely to transport with a fleet of eight hundred vessels bigger then Barges great store of corne for the maintenance of their Armies But vnto the particular relation of each seuerall blessing belonging to this most happie Iland wee will not againe enter seeing that in euery County wee haue sufficiently and no more then truly spoken thereof Only if you please heare what hath beene said of this Land by the Romane Orators and first in the Panegyricke to Constantius the Emperour 10 O happie BRITAINE and more fortunate then all other Lands beside which first didst see Constantine Emperour For good cause hath nature endowed thee with all blessings both of aire and soile wherin there is neither excessiue cold of Winter nor extreme heat of Summer wherein there is so great abundance of graine that it sufficeth both for bread and drinke There the forrests are free from sauage beasts and the ground void of noisome serpents in whose stead an infinite multitude of tame cattle there are with their vdders strutting ful of milke and loden with fleeces to the ground And verily that which for the vse of our liues wee most esteeme the daies are therein very long and the nights neuer without some light for that those vtmost plaines by the sea side cast and raise no shadowes on high and the aspect both of skie and starres passeth beyond the bound of the night yea the very Sunne it selfe which vnto vs seemeth for to set appeareth there only to passe by a little and goe aside And in another spoken to Constantius the father of Constantine the Great thus is said Though BRITAINE be but a single name yet surely the States losses haue beene manifold in forgoing a Land so plentifull in fruit and graine so rich in pasturage so full of mines and veines of metall so gainfull in tributes and reuenewes so accommodated with many hauens and for circuit so large and spacious And a Poet of good antiquity of natures motherly affection towards this our Iland hath thus written Tu nimio nec stricta gelu nec sydere feruens Clementi coelo temperiéque places Cùm pareret Natura parens varióque fauore Diuideret dotes omnibus vna locis Seposuit potiora tibi matrémque professa Insula sis foelix plenáque pacis ait Quicquid amat luxus quicquid desiderat vsus Ex te proueniet vel aliunde tibi Nor freezing cold nor scorching hot thou art Thy aire a heauenly temper sweetly breath'd So pleas'd Dame Nature when she first bequeath'd To euery soile of her rich gifts a part Then Mother-like best choice for thee she sought Be thou quoth she the blessed I le of peace What euer pleasure yeelds or wealths increase From thee shall grow or shall to thee be brought 11 And that BRITAINE hath beene taken for those fortunate Ilands whereof the Poets haue imagined a perpetuall spring time is certaine by Isacius Tzetzes a Greeke Author of good account And in Robert of Auesburie wee read what time Pope Clement the sixth had elected Lewis of Spaine to be Prince of the Fortunate Ilands raising him powers both in Italie and France the English Ligier Embassadours that lay then in Rome for King Edward the third were so deepely set in the opinion that this preparation was made against BRITAINE that they wrote their suspicions conceiued and presently with-drew themselues into
and at this present growing vpon the lands of the right worthy Knight Sir Alexander Hayes his Maiesties principal Secretay for Scotland But among the Latine Writers Lucretius was the first that before Cesar mentioneth Britaine in these verses Nam quid Britannum coelum deferre putamus Et quod in Aegypto est quà mundi claudicat Axis We see the difference in the spheeres where Britaines Sunne doth goe From Egypts Clime wherein Charles waine is forc'd to draw so low 8 Other names hath this Iland beene termed by and that either by way of note for her situation as Insula Caeruli the Iland in the Sea so written in the sonet or parodia made against Ventidius Bassus and by Claudian confirmed whose sides saith hee the azure Sea doth wash And in a very ancient manuscript it is found written Insula florum an Iland of flowers for the abundance of Graine therein growing as also for her subiection to the Romanes hath beene called by Aegisippus the Romane World and by her owne Historian Gildas Romania for being first subdued by them the very name of seruitude saith he stucke fast to the soile And Prosperus Aquitanis in expresse words calleth it the Romane Iland and so did the South-saiers when the statues of Tacitus and Florianus the Emperours were by lightning ouerthrowen who prophecied that an Emperour should arise out of their familie that should send a Pro-consull to the Romane Iland Vpon the like cause of conquest and subiection we read in Amianus that what time the Iland had assaied a dangerous reuolt in the raigne of Valentinianus the Emperor Theodosius as then Gouernor of Britaine reducing them vnder their wonted obedience in honor of Valentinianus caused the Iland to bee called VALENTIA which name notwithstanding died either with or immediately after the death of the said Emperour 9 But about the same time when as by Gods decree the Romanes fulnesse was come to the wane and the greatnesse of their glory did abate by the downefall of that one Empire many Kingdomes beganne to arise and to haue their Rulers Lawes and Limits of themselues Among the rest this Iland Britaine shortlie came to be diuided into three scuerall Kingdomes and each of them to retaine an absolute power in their owne dominions and knowen by their seuerall and proper names The first was Scotland from Scotia and that from Scythia as the best suppose whose Southerne bounds was the famous Wall from Carlile to Newcastle and from thence the enorme tract of all that Northerne promontorie was called Scotia or Scotland The second was Cambria of vs called Wales sited in the West of this Iland inclosing those waste mountaines with a ditch drawen from Basingwarke in Flint-shire in the North to the mouth of Wye neere Bristoll in the South so separated by great Offa the Mercian King And the third was Angle-lond the East the most fruitfull and best of the Iland lying coasted with the French and Germane Seas so named when the vnited Heptarchie of the Saxons was ruled by King Egbert who by his edict dated at Winchester Anno 819. commanded the same to bee called Angle-lond according to the name of the place from whence his ancestors the Angle-Saxons came which was out of the continent part of Denmarke lying betwixt Iuitland and Holsatia where to this day the place retaineth the name Engloen And therefore Calepine is to be reiected that would haue the name from Queene Angela and Goropius of good Anglers either from Pope Gregorie his attribute of Angell-like faces or from others that would faine it from Angula the Giant-like brother to Danus or force it from Angulus Orbis 10 Neither indeed was it called England before the daies of Canutus the Dane but with Angle-land retained still the names both of Albion and Britaine as in a Saxon Charter made by King Edgar the tenth in succession from Egbert and no lesse then one hundred forty and nine yeeres after this Edict is seene where in the beginning he stileth himselfe thus Ego Edgar totius Albionis Basileus c. And in the end of the same charter thus Edgar Rex totius Britannia Dâ—…conem cum sigillo S. Crucis confirmaui And yet vpon his Coines wrote himselfe Rex Anglis whereby wee see the rellish of the former names not vtterly extinct though a new was imposed by the Saxons 11 This last name this Iland still retained though two seuerall Conquests of two seuerall Nations were made of the same Neither did William the Conquerour attempt to alter it it sounding belike so Angel-like in his eares accounting himselfe most happie to be King of so worthy a Kingdome the glorie whereof is further inlarged by the ranking of Christian nations assembled in their generall Councels wherein England is accounted the fifth and hath place of presidencie before kingdomes of larger territories This name of England continued for the space of seuen hundred eighty and three yeeres vnto the comming in of our Soueraigne Lord King IAMES in anno 1602. who by the hand of GOD hath vnited all these Diademes into one Imperiall Crowne and reduced the many Kingdomes in one Iland vnder the gouernment of one Monarch and after the manifold conquests irruptions and dissensions hath settled an eternall amitie and extinguishing all differences of names hath giuen the whole Iland the ancient name of GREAT BRITAINE by his Edict dated at Westminster quartring the royal Armes of his seuerall Kingdomes in one royall Scutchion and for his mott as is most meet BEATI PACIFICI THE ANCIENT NATIONS INHABITING THIS ILAND OF GREAT BRITAINE BEFORE THE CONQVEST THEREOF BY THE ROMANES CHAPTER III. IT is not to bee doubted but that this Iland with the Vniuersall was replenished with people immediately after that men began to be multiplied vpon the earth euen in the daies of the former Patriarkes and long before the Flood of Noah as sundrie ancient Writers haue related And surely if wee consider in those first ages of the world the long life of man the only meanes to multiplication and the worlds continuance for one thousand six hundred fiftie and six yeeres before it was destroied wee shall easily yeeld that euery Country and corner of the earth was plentifully peopled and inhabited And so much doe the Sacred Scriptures intimate vnto vs where by the Prophet Esay it is said Thus saith the Lord that created heauen God himselfe that framed the earth and made it he hath prepared it he created it not in vaine he formed it to be inhabited 2 But when the wrath of GOD was executed vpon the world for sinne and all ouer-whelmed with a Flood of waters the whole earth thereby became altogether vnpeopled eight persons only with the breedreserued creatures saued in the floting Arke Whose Port or Hauen was the mountaine of Araret in Armenia whence with the blessing of procreation mankinde againe
autenticke Writers and first from Cesar who formost of all the Romanes discouered and described our ancient Britaines 2 Touching their persons All the Britaine 's saith Cesar vsed to die themselues with woad which setteth a blew colour vpon them and that maketh them more terrible to behold in battle But 〈◊〉 Mela therein moueth a doubt They died their bodies saith he with woad but whether to make a gallant shew or for what other cause else is vncertaine And yet Herodian herein absolutely determineth where hee saith that the Britaine 's knew no vse of garments at all but about their wastes and neckes wore chaines of iron supposing them a goodly ornament and a proofe of their wealth and their bare bodies they marked with sundry pictures representing all manner of liuing creatures and therefore they would not be clad for hiding the gay paintings of their bodies To which painting Pliny also agreeth and describeth that hearbe woad to bee like to the Plantine in Gallia naming it Glastum with the iuice whereof saith he the women of Britaine as well wiues as yoong women anoint and die their bodies all ouer resembling by that tincture the colour of the Aethiopians in which manner they vse at solemne feasts and sacrifices to goe all naked And Dio Nicaeus out of the epitome of Xiphilinus saith that the custome of that Nation was to abide in tents all naked and vnshod Notwithstanding Cesar doth elsewhere report that they clad themselues in leather which perchance is meant of the ciuiller sort of them and in time of battle Solinus likewise speaking of the Britaines saith their Country is peopled partly with Barbarians who by meanes of artificiall incisions of sundry formes haue from their childhood diuers shapes of beasts incorporate vpon them and hauing their markes deepely imprinted within their bodies looke how their growth for stature so doe these pictured characters likewise increase Neither do these sauage Nations repute any thing a greater testimonie of their patience then by such durable skarres to cause their limmes drinke in much painting and colour These skarres by Tertullian are tearmed Britannorum stigmata The Britaines markes And vnto this skie-colour or blewish dyings it seemeth Martial had relation in his praises of Lady Claudia Claudia caeruleis tùm sit Rufina Britannis Edita cur Latiae pectora plebis habet Sith Claudia comes of Azurde Britaines race Whence comes her minde so deckt with Roman grace And of this vse of painting as our great Antiquarie iudgeth both the Britaine 's had their primitiue deriuation and the Picts a branch of British race a long time after for that their accustomed manner were called Picti by the Romanes that is the painted people 3 The haire of their heads saith Cesar they let grow and wore long which naturally was curled and of colour yellow as in the Panegyricke Oration ascribed to Mamertinus and spoken in praise of Maximianus is to be seene all other parts of their bodies being shauen sauing only the head and vpper lippe Yet their complexions were much different as by Tacitus wee see who auoucheth that some of those Ilanders were red of haire as the Caledonians in the Northerne Promontories the haire of the Silures coloured and curled like to the old Spaniards and those neerest vnto Gallia resembled their complexions though not altogether so yellow saith Strabo But their wit by Tacitus is preferred before them and their statures more tall as Strabo affirmeth whose lineaments shewed a good making of body and measurable proportion in all parts answerable Their women faire and of exceeding good features as is described by the Romane Writers Such was Boudicea saith Xiphilinus Claudia and Helena saith Martial and Eutropius 4 That the strength of nature wrought long in the Britaines we read out of Plutarch who reporteth that the people liued one hundred and twenty yeeres for that saith he their cold and frozen Country kept in their naturall heat whose conditions by Diodorus Siculus are commended to be plaine and vpright farre from the wilinesse and craft of the Romanes And by Strabo their dispositions are partly resembled to the Gaules but yet somewhat more rude and plaine and those most ciuill who were the inhabitants of Kent by reason of their oftner conuersing with other Nations as Cesar sheweth But the farther from the continent the more rude and lesse acquainted with other kind of riches besides cattell as Pomponius Mela affirmeth 5 Now touching their domestick matters Their buildings were many and like to them of the Gaules saith Iulius Caesar notwithstanding they giue the name of Townes to certaine combersome woods which they haue fortified with rampires and ditches whither they retreat and resort to eschue the inuasions of their enemies Which stand them in good stead saith Strabo for when they haue by felling of trees mounted and fenced therewith a spacious round plot of ground there they build for themselues houses and cottages and for their cattell set vp stalls and folds but those for the present vse onely and not for long continuance Which as Diodorus Siculus saith were vsually thacked with reed but the cities without walls and the country without townes as Dion describeth the Calidonians and Meats 6 Their wiues were ten or twelue a peece as Caesar hath alledged which they held common among brothers and parents yet the issue reputed his who first maried the mother when she was a maide and Dio indeed affirmeth no lesse adding withall that the children thus begotten were fostred and brought vp in common among them And Eusebius likewise testifieth that many Britaines together kept one wife in common to them all This community in mariage moued Iulia the Empresse of Seuerus to twite the wife of Argetecaxus that the fashion of the women of Britaine in accompanying with men was very impudent to whom she replied and said we British women do indeed herein differ from you Roman Ladies for wee satisfie our appetite by accompanying with the worthiest men and that openly but you with euery base fellow in a corner 7 For their diet it was a heinous matter with them to eat either Hen Hare or Goose saith Caesar which notwithstanding they bred for their pleasures neither fed daintily at full and rich tables as Diodorus Siculus affirmeth but rather in necessity could liue vpon barkes and roots of trees and with a kind of meat no bigger then a beane after which for a good time they did neither hunger nor thirst saith Dio Nicaeus who likewise testifieth that the Britains did till no ground neither eat fish though their riuers thereof be pleneously stored but liue vpon prey venison and fruits to which also Caesar addeth milke whereof saith Strabo they had not then skill to make cheese And according to Solinus their vsuall drinke was made of
of God and Heauens you only know Or only erre therein Where shady woods doe grow There you repose and teach that Soules immortall be Nor silent Erebus nor Plutoes Hall shall see And if your Sawes be sooth Death is no finall dome But only Mid-way twixt life past and life to come Braue Britain bloods perdilwarmd with this happy error Death greatest feare of feares amates the with no terror Hence t' is they manly rush on pikes and griesly death And scorne base minds that stick to sped reuiuing breath 9 These Britaines being meerly barbarous as most of the Western parts of the world then were liued priuately to themselues with scarce any commerce or entercourse with any other nation neither indeed were much known to forraine people for a long time For the first notice of them extant was by Polybius the Greek writer that accompanied Scipio in his warres about the yeere of the worlds creation 3720. and two hundred and nine before the birth of our Sauiour Christ. Which Author nameth their Iland to be plenteously stored with Tynne but of other things therin is silent saying that al those parts which lay betwixt Tanais and Narbor bending Northward in his daies were vnknown and vncertaine and therefore the reporters of them he held as dreamers So doth Master Cambden another Polybius no way his inferior account it a prodigall humor of credulity to be perswaded that Himilco from the state of Carthage sent to discouer the coasts of Europe in the said expedition entred this Iland or that Hannibal should war in this Iland because Polybius in the Eclogues of his tenth booke saith that he was inclosed within the streits of Britaine which place is mistaken for the Brutij in Italy or that Alexander came from the East Indians to Gades and from thence into Britaine though Cedrenus say so seeing all other writers are against it or that Vlysses ancient enough if he be that Elishah the sonne of Iauan the fourth sonne of Iapheth should visit Britaine in his trauels whereof Brodaeus maketh doubt though Solinus report that an Altar in Caledonia was erected and Vlysses in Greeke letters thereon inscribed Which might very well be for who doubteth but that the Greekes in their vaine deuotions did both build and sacrifice vnto their Gods which they made of their worthiest men and sith Vlysses in regard of his farre sea-trauels was had in speciall account among all nauigators why might not such monuments be reared and his name inscribed as farre as the Grecians trauelled though his person neuer came there And if the Romanes at whose greatnesse the whole world trembled were so lately known in those ancient times as that neither Thucydides nor Herodotus made mention of them yea and with much adoe at last were heard of by the Grecians themselues as Iosephus affirmeth And if the Gaules and Spaniards inhabitants in the continent for many yeeres together were vtterly vnknowen to the worlds historiographers shall we then thinke that this remote Iland and people then far from ciuility were noted foorth with markes of more certainty surely to my seeming nothing lesse seing that their next neighbours the Gaules knew not so much as what manner of men they were none resorting thither except some few merchants and they no further then vpon the sea coasts neither able to describe the bignesle of the Iland the puissance of the inhabitants their order for war the lawes that they vsed the customes of the people nor their hauens for the receit of ships all which Caesar by diligent inquiry sought after but could find no satisfaction till he had sent some purposely to search it out 10 Neither is this their want of knowledge to bee wondred at seeing the entercourse of their trafficke was vpheld by so meane commodities for Strabo saith that their merchandizing chiefly consisted in Iuory Boxes Sheeres Onches Bits and Bridles Wreaths Chains with other conceits made of Amber and Glasse for which notwithstanding they were compelled to pay customes and imposts vnto Oct auian Augustus as elsewhere shall be shewed 11 And as their commodities were very mean so were their meanes either for exportation or importation very slender in those times I meane their shipping It is true that some are of opinion that Ships were first inuented in these our Seas but that this should be true I haue cause to doubt that Art being long before inspired by God himselfe into the heart of Noah for making the Arke and no doubt practised by that paterne of many others But that the ancient Britaines had ships of reasonable vse though of simple Art Cesar testifieth saying that the keeles and ribs of their ships were of light wood and couered ouer with leather which kinde the now Britaine 's call Corraghs and with them saith Polyhistor they did saile betwixt Britannie and Ireland which sea for roughnesse and danger may bee compared with any other whatsoeuer though the bulke of their vessels were but of some flexible wood couered with the hides of Bufflles and as long as they were sailing so long did they abstaine from meat whereby it seemeth they neuer sailed any great iourneys And of this their shipping Pliny also speaketh and Lucan singeth thus Primùm cana salix madefacto vimine paruam Texitur in puppim caesoque induta iuuenco Vector is patiens tumidum super emicat amnem Sic Venetus stagnante Pado fusoque Britannus Nauigat Oceano At first of hoary sallowes wreathed boughs the ships Small bulke is trimly twist and clad in bullocks hide Then patient to be rul'd on swelling wanes she skips Thus on the spacious Poe the Venice Merchants glide And Britaine Pilots saile on surge of Ocean wide But after-times brought the Britaines to more exquisite skill in nauall affaires insomuch as the royall Nauie of this Kingdome hath beene reputed and so is at this day not only the inuincible walles of our owne but the incredible terror of al other Kingdoms which haue or shall enuy our happie peace and the aduentures likewise of Merchants and the skill of our Seamen hath left no corner of the world vnsearcht 12 And their trafficke amongst themselues was not of much worth in that as Cesar saith the Coines which they had were either of brasse or else iron rings sized at a certaine waight which they vsed for their monies Of which kind some haue auerred they haue seene found and lately taken vp in little cruses or pitchers of earth But as times grew more ciuill and trafficke more frequent they shortly after stamped both siluer and gold and thereon the faces of their Kings euen in the daies of Iulius Caesar who was the first that had his owne stampt on the Romane Coynes Many of these are amongst vs remaining whereof I haue inserted some few as in their due places shall follow which I receiued from the liberall hand of that most
whom Comius before remembred was imploied whom they had retained in strait prison for Caesars cause but now made him a meane to worke their peace which was granted after some soft and gentle reproofes with hostages receiued for performance of Couenants and resort of their Nobles to Caesars campe to yeeld themselues and Cities to his will 8 These Britaines although rude in regard of the Romanes and vnmatchable to them in educated ciuilitie yet were so skilfull in the affaires of warre and so ready to discerne the least aduantage that they easily perceiued the weaknesse of Caesars power both in want of horsemen to equall their wagons wherein chiefly stood the strength and order of their fight as also of ships for seruice and safety as occasions should be offred whereby their mindes touching their promised submission began to wauer and the matter with better aduice to be pleaded in their assemblies for that not only these foresaid ships for Caesars supply were dispersed and hindred but euen his owne flect which lay then in harbour by the rage of winde and sea beeing then spring tide and the moone in the full was not onely filled with waues but also their tacklings sailes and anchours spoiled or lost the violent storme so dashing the bulkes one against another that their bruised bottomes were thereby made vnfit for burden 9 This losse was so great that it is accounted the first of the three aduerse fortunes which euer happened to Caesar in all his proceedings and it was so well obserued by the Britaines that immediately they intended a reuolt and in Counsell vrged this as the materiall point that breathed hope and life to their former liberties condemning themselues as impious if they should refuse to ioine consent with the heauens whose elements had thus farre fought for their freedome and full deliuerance assuring themselues if on this aduantage they might cut off these new guests that neuer any afterward would aduenture to enter Britanny in hostile manner And thereupon they began both to slacke the performance of couenants and daily to withdraw themselues from Caesars Campe which gaue him iust occasion to suspect whereat they aimed And to preuent their proceedings he as wisely wrought for first repairing his Nauie with the huls timber and tackling of the most bruised ships with the losse of twelue ships only the rest were made able to brooke the seas And prouiding against the aduantage of the enemie he sent foorth the seuenth Legion for forrage to supplie any occasion 10 This Legion taking the coast cleere and little surmising so sudden a reuolt fell to the sickle and sithe like haruest labourers and laid their weapons apart mistrusting no Enemie Now the Britaines as forward to put in practise what they had determined closely had laid themselues in ambush for thither they knew the enemie would come a peece of corne there standing whereas in all other parts haruest was past and so hauing these workmen in their danger suddenly fell vpon them slaying some and forcing the rest out of their array who not knowing the order of their fight cast themselues in a ring the best defensiue forme of embattelling and stood on their guard as they might but had they not happily beene rescued Caesar had lost one whole Legion at that time 11 For though this skirmish thus in acting was altogether vnknowne and vnexpected to the rest of the Romans yet by the rising of the dust appearing to the Coherts that warded before their Campe the same was mistrusted which caused Caesar in all haste to make thitherward with part of his host 12 The Britaine 's thus preuented seeing more supply to maintaine the battle stood still without further stroke and the Romanes as much amazed at this sudden attempt and order of their fight made a stand not venturing any further Which order in fight so often mentioned and so much admired in Caesars words we will declare the rather because some haue thence collected that the Britaine 's were the ofspring of the Troians who with other Easterne Nations only vsed this kinde of fight in Chariots 13 They vsed saith he to ride in wagons against the approch of the enemie and to circulate them about with a whirling compasse and ratling noise each waies casting their darts as they did driue and euer as they saw aduantage would winde themselues in amongst the horse and foot to breake the array which done they would for sake their wagons and onfoot most dangerously assaile the enemie In the meane while the Wagoners would with-draw themselues somewhat out of the battle and place their wagons in such order that if their masters were ouer-charged they might haue speedy accesse and opportunity of retrait by which meanes they were euer as quicke to mooue as were horsemen and as stedfast to stand the battle as were the foot whereby they did supply the duties of both at once and by daily exercise grew so expert in managing their horses that running them forcibly downe a steepe hill they would stop and turne them in the mid-way and they would run along the beame and stand firme vpon the yoke whence with like facility they would againe returne into their Chariots This order Caesar so well obserued as that notwithstanding his desire of reuenge yet wanting his horsemen as he pretended wherein consisted the chiefest resistance hee durst attempt no further on them but was content to keepe the field without profer of battle 14 The Britaine 's likewise hopelesse of further successe at that present departed without any impeachment intending to prosecute their cause with a greater and more generall supplie and thereupon sent messengers to their seuerail States with notice of their hopes against so small a power whose Campe by them if any way might bee vanquished the purchase of spoile besides their frced liberties would requite the paines 15 These States though maintaining ciuill factions amongst themselues yet seeing the intended danger of this generall enemie presently assembled a great power purposing yet once againe to trie the hazard and fortune of warre Caesar whose vigilancy did euer equall his valour prepared his armie wherein now only â—…0 horsemen were present and those brought to him by Comius the King The battle ioining continued not long but that the Britaine 's gaue backe and fled whom the Romanes pursued as farre as strength indured and returned with the slaughter of many burning the Country where they came 16 Thus the Britaines once againe vanquished foorthwith sent their third Embassage vnto Caesar desiring peace with promise of quiet subiection whom he with hard termes now reprooued and imposed a double number of hostages to be brought him into Gallia whither he made all possible preparation for that the Aequinoctium drew neere doubting his crazed ships would hardly brooke the winter stormes that vsually rage vpon these Seas And hauing gotten a faire wind imbarked all his forces
certaine predictions in Rome happening were so respected and generally expounded That Nature was about to bring forth a King that should raigne ouer the whole world And albeit these and other Heathen Writers ascribe these things either to Augustus himselfe or to some of his fauorites yet wee see them accomplished in none other but Iesus Christ the Messiah our blessed Sauiour in whom only the Kingdome of God began with the vtter subuersion of all their heathenish Oracles which at his birth or at furthest at his death ceased all and gaue place to HIS eternitie Which time of his birth by the Scriptures most certaine account was from the worlds creation 3927. and is set by the Britaine 's in the fourteenth of their Cunobelines raigne and by other authenticke Writers in the two and fortieth of Augustus Caesar euen in the top of that Empires greatnesse when Rome was with an vniuersall subiection acknowledged the absolute Lady of the knowne earth For so in S. Luke wee read that this Augustus then first taxed the world A text most strong for the full dissolution of the foure foregone kingdomes represented in Daniels Image by the fall of this stone Christ the rocke and stay of our eternall happinesse 7 This Emperour raigned in great honour the space of fifty six yeeres and was obeyed both by the Easterne Indians and the Northerne Scythians with the subiection of the Parthians a fierce and vntamed people and generally with the loue of all Hee was a Prince indued with great wisdome magnanimitie and Iustice yet faulty in this that he tooke from Tiberius Nero his wife Liuia both great with child and hauing also formerly borne him a sonne Deuout hee was in the worship of the Romane Gods amongst whom in the Capitoll he built an Altar vnto the Hebrew childe with this inscription The Altar of the first begotten Sonne of God being thereunto mooued by the Oracle of Apollo that had answered his owne destruction by the birth of this childe Of Stature he was but low and of a good complexion gray-eied his haire somewhat yellow and his body freckled with spots which as his flatterers would haue the world beleeue were in forme like starres Predictions foreshewing his gouernment and death are alleged the which I willingly ouerpasse holding most of them rather fantasies then truth At his death hee demanded of the standers by whether he had well acted the enterlude of his life vpon the stage of this world and died fourteene yeeres after Christ his incarnation leauing after him so honourable an estimation of his glory that as the succeeding Emperours in remembrance of Iulius Caesar gloried to be called Caesars so they euer held the name of Augusti to be sacred and only befitting persons destinated to imperiall Maiestie And both their names were inserted into the number of the moneths that the honour of them both might neuer perish while Times euiternitie should endure TIBERIVS CHAPTER IV. AVgustus Caesar thus gloriously raigning and peaceably dying had ordained for his successour Tiberius Nero the sonne of Tiberius the Patritian and of Liuia his wife whom as we said before he had taken for his Empresse and by whose incitements and continuall instigations that matter was procured though Suetonius thinketh it was by Augustus his owne ambitious conceit to make himselfe the sooner missed and the more lamented in leauing his sonne so vnlike him to succeed whose conditions as they stood vpon their owne basis hee knew to bee both reprooueable and also contemptible 2 But before the death of Caesar could be diuulged to write his imperiall stile as it were in blood he began with the murder of young Agrippa the sonne of Iulia daughter to Octanian and once his owne wife and continued his raigne with such tyrannie that many he slaughtred without respect of person or cause and in his loosest lasciuiousnesse thought of nothing but how to subuert the Nobilitie for rare it was in his daies that any such died a naturall death and maintaining a race of men Promoters as Tacitus tearmes them found out for a common ouerthrow and destruction of others allured them by rewards to accuse the rich though guiltlesse only this fauour granted to the condemned that if they slew themselues before the day of execution their bodies should haue buriall their goods not confiscate and their testament stand good in law 3 A great dissembler he was seeming euer to hate those vices which in truth he loued and to loue those vertues which he did most deadly hate and for life and libidinous filthinesse so extreme that a Christians pen may not expresse when the Heathen themselues doe blush to name such things as hee shamed not openly to commit his publike drunkennesse and continuall banquettings whereat hee spent whole daies and nights together without intermission caused exchange of names from Tiberius Nero to Biberius Mero Dissolute and carelesse he was in gouernment though some haue accounted him a wise and politicke Prince for the Prouinces he left to defend themselues and yet daily charged them with larger Tributes to their great impouerishment and almost vtter ruine 4 In this state amongst others neglected Britaine stood wherein Tiberius neither maintained garrison nor attempted alteration and whereby as it may be thought their owne Lawes and Princes bare sway among themselues howsoeuer the cause for Tribute was ballized betwixt them And most certaine it is the Britaines if not in subiection yet were well affected to the Romanes as appeareth by Tacitus in the kinde entertainments and in releeuing their shipwracked souldiers that in crossing the Seas were by tempest driuen vpon their Coasts and courteouslie sent thence by their petty Kings vnto Germanicus their Generall Notwithstanding Ieffrey Monmouth seemeth to affirme the contrary that bringeth the raign of one Guiderius and the valour of Aruiragus the sonnes of Cunobeline of whom more heereafter to withstand the Romish Command and vtterly to refuse the paiment of Tribute banding both against Tiberius as also against Caligula and Claudius the Emperours succeeding 5 Other remembrances of these times concerning vs finde we none besides that which is common to all namely the death of our Saviour Christ which vnder this Tyrant and in his eighteenth yeere was accomplished by the proceeding of his as wicked Deputy Pontius Pilate who both adiudged him to die and to bee guiltlesse of deseruing death whereby was wrought the mysterie of our Redemption with such signes and euidences of his Deitie that the wicked Iudge himselfe wrote thereof to Tiberius and hee to the Senate to haue him consecrated among the Roman Gods Which they refused to doe that the wisdome and diuine power of God in the doctrine of Saluation should not need the allowance and commendation of men as Eusebius hath well obserued 6 Finally when hee had raigned hated of all men
the Senate in eternall memorie of his goodnes recalled from banishment the Christians seuerally dispersed and suffred them to enioy the freedome of their profession At which time Iohn the Euangelist returned from Pathmos wherein he had beene confined vnto Ephesus a Citie in ◅sia the lesse And Nerua raigning only one yeare foure mone◅s and nine daies died of a passionate anger conceiued against a Senator in the yeare of Christ his incarnation ninetie nine the twentie seuenth day of Ianuary seuentie sixth of his own age TRAIAN CHAPTER XVI VNto Nerua succeeded Vulpius Traian in the Roman Empire borne neere vnto Seuill in the Territories of Spaine of a noble familie but was much more ennobled in himselfe for his princely endowments which moued Nerua in his life time to adopt him into so high a calling and the whole Senate after his death ioifullie to confirme his Election and so often to honour him with the title of the Most Excellent Prince in publike dedications as on the Coine aboue 2 Hee raised the Romane Empire vnto the very highest pitch of glory and spread the power of their Command into the largest circuit that euer before or since hath beene possessed For the Kingdome of Dacia hee subdued Armenia Parthia and Mesopotamia made subiect Assyria Persia and Babylon conquered passed Tigris and stretched the confines of the Roman Empire vnto the remotest dominions of the Indies which neuer before that time had heard of the Roman Name And indeed if wee looke vpon his politicke managing of the gouernment he may seeme in comparison of others a right worthy memorable and louely Prince of much affabilitie and familiaritie euen with his inferiours and of such cariage towards his Subiects as he himselfe would wish his Prince he said to vse towards him if he were a Subiect A great obseruer also of Iustice insomuch that when he inuested any Pretor in giuing him the Sword he commanded him to vse the same euen against his owne person if he violated Law or Equitie But yet against the good Christians he vsed neither of both nay hee stirred vp their Third Persecution wherein Ignatius and many other worthy Saints of God receiued the Crowne of Martyrdome in such cruell manner as that his other vertues are much clouded by that taxation for mollification whereof he was compassionately intreated by Plinius Secundus his Tutor whose Epistles to that purpose are yet extant 3 The Iewes in his time rose vp in armes against the Gentiles and in Cyrene Aegypt and Cyprus slew a great number against whom Traian sent his Captaines with forces sufficient and in diuers parts of the Empire put the Iewes to death in such infinite numbers as that Massacre is accounted the greatest Execution that euer had beene in the world God suffring this their punishment to light vpon them for their infidelitie and obstinacie against his Christ. 4 Finally after his Conquests in the East returning towards Rome at Seleucia in Asia the lesse himselfe was conquered by the stroke of death by a fluxe the seuenth day of August after he had raigned nineteene yeeres six moneths and fifteene daies the yeere of our Redemption one hundred and eighteene and of his age sixtie foure whose ashes brought to Rome were inclosed within the Crowne of a goodly Pillar wrought of one intire stone containing one hundred forty foot in height 5 Of stature he was bigge of complexion swarthie thinne of haire both head and beard a hooked nose brode shoulders long hands and a pleasant eie whose liuely Image was borne in Triumph after his death and that in most glorious and pompous manner in celebration of his great renowne and fame attained in his life 6 How silent soeuer writers haue beene for this Emperours affaires in this our Iland yet it is to be thought that vnto this as wel as vnto other Prouinces both Propretors Lieutenants Presidents Pretors and Proconsuls were sent and euery Citie to haue their municipall Magistrates The Pretor that yearely proclaimed solemne Sessions wherin himself sate aloft vpon a high tribunall seate and guarded with his lictors about him in great estate did execute his authoritie throughout his owne iurisdiction and determined all causes brought before him where rods and axes were prepared for the common people that were enforced to receiue a new Ruler euerie yeare And surely as this yoke of bondage was grieuously borne of euery Prouince vpon whose necke it was imposed laid So the Britaines vnderwent the weight of that subiection with such vnwillingnes that in the time of this Traian they reuolted and rebelled though presently suppressed as it is euident out of Spartianus 7 The care that this good Emperour had for the weale of his Subiects is proiected by his prouidence in making waies passageable from place to place whereof remaine many testimonies by those his Causeies drawne with wonderfull diligence euen thorow the whole Iland which now though dismembred and cut in peeces by the Countrie people wherethorow they passed yet doe many remnants thereof remaine especially in pastures or by-grounds out of the rode way with bankes so high that euidently they shew themselues Of these Causeies Gallen writeth as followeth The waies saith he Traian repaired by pauing with stone or raising with bankes cast vp such peeces of them as were moist and miry by stocking vp and ridding such as were rough and ouergrowne with bushes and briers by making bridges ouer Riuers that could not bee waded thorow where the way seemed longer then needed by cutting out another shorter if any where by reason of some steepe hill the passage were hard and vneasie by turning it aside thorow easier places now in case it was haunted with wilde beasts or lie waste and desert by drawing it thence thorow places inhabited and withall laying leuell all vneuen and rugged grounds Along these Causeies the Emperour caused to bee set little pillars or Columnes with numerall Characters cut in thē to signifie how many miles was from place to place Of these Sidonius Apollinaris writeth thus Antiquus tibi nec teratur agger Cuius per spatium satis vetustis Nomen Caesareum viret columnis Breake not the ancient Causeies strong Whereon the Columnes stand along Nor names of Caesars doe not wrong HADRIAN CHAPTER XVII AFter the decease of Traiane his Nephew Aelius Hadrianus by the consent of the Armie who swore to him obedience was proclaimed Emperour the Senate likewise confirming their choice as beeing a man indued with gifts both of Art and Nature answerable to the fortunes of his Estate His birth was of Spaine in the Citie Italica neere vnto Cicill where Traian was born his Father Noble and his Mother in Cales descended of an honourable stocke 2 A great Mathematician he was skilfull in Arithmeticke Geometrie Astronomie and Iudicious Astrologie learned in the Greeke and Latine Tongues in which languages he wrote both Poesie
whereby the One-bodied Eagle became againe foure-headed and each almost of an equall authority Dioclesian chose Galerius Maximinus and Maximianus surnamed Herculius chose Constantius Clorus a Roman Senator enforcing them to put away their former Wiues to take their Daughters for an assurance of loue by the bonds of that Alliance of whom the former was imploied for defence of Illyricum and the other afterwards into Britaine against the Rebellions there raised by Carausius whose coine is here set 5 This Carausius by birth a Menapian but of low Parentage as Beda and Eutropius saith who being appointed Admirall by the Romans to guard the British Seas from the Pyracies of the Saxons and Lower Germans who with continuall robberies wasted the coasts abused his authority both in suffering those Pirats to passe vnder Compositions and in taking many Shippes and much substance from the true Subiect to his owne vse whereby in short time hee became very rich and like a cat set to keepe mice from the larder did more mischiefe then the Robbers themselues Sabellicus reports one very politike custome whereby he inriched himselfe and that was by suffering the Pirats to take as much spoiles as possibly they could before hee would surprise them whereby they were his instruments to rob others and nothing to better themselues 6 Maximianus then warring in Gallia and fearing the greatnes of his wealth and power sent secretly to slay him by treacherie and in the meane while surprised many of his principall men at Gessoriacum 7 Carausius now rich compassed with friends seeing his destruction thus intended and sought thought that death was but death as well to Prince as to Peazant and therefore with a bold resolution and aid of the Picts or Northerne Britaines who had been alwaies enemies to the Roman Subiection put on the Purple Robe and vsurped the Authoritie and Title of Emperour which hee most valiantly maintained in sundry Battles and so kept it for the terme of seuen yeeres 8 Against him Maximianus set forward with a puissant Armie and marched to the British Ocean but there vnderstanding the power of his Enemie and finding himselfe in want of men for Sea-seruice hee pitched downe his Tents and knowing Carausius a man meet to command the Ilanders and able to defend them against the other Warlike Nations sent him offers of peace the making of which is remembred vnto vs by the Coine of Carausius before expressed whereon are stamped the Portraitures of two Emperours ioining hands So himselfe returning against the Batanians left Carausius for Britaine who gouerned the Prouince with an vpright and vnstained reputation and with exceeding peaceablenesse notwithstanding the incursions of the Barbarous He reedified the wall as Ninnius the disciple of Eluodugus writeth between the moneths of Cluda and Carunus fortifiing the same with seuen Castles and built a round house of polished stone vpon the banke of the Riuer Carun which some thinke tooke name of him erecting therewith a Triumphall Arch in remembrance of Victorie Howbeit Buchanan thinkes the same to bee the Temple of Terminus and not the foundation of Carausius But the date of his noble Gouernment was brought now to a period by the Treason of Allectus his Familiar friend one whom he had imploied in managing of the State who thirsting after the Supreme Authoritie betraied his trust and treacherously murdered him by a wile putting on himselfe the Purple-Robe stamping this his Image vpon the publike Coine as an absolute Soueraigne and assuming the Title Imperiall about the yeere of Christ 294. 9 Constantius who had leuied an Armie and was come with great speed vnto Bulloigne in France a Towne that Carausius had sometime fortified and kept hearing now of his death determined the recouery of Britaine and after great preparations at length passing the Seas in a darke fogge or mist landed his men without impeachment which done hee fired his owne Ships therby to frustrate all hopes of escape Allectus who had laien to intercept his comming forsooke also the Seas and meeting at vnawares with Asclepiodotus great Seneschall of the Praetorium as a desperate man hasted vpon his owne death for encountring with him hee neither ordered his Battle nor marshalled his men but fought at randome very vnfortunately for hauing put off his Purple Garment he was among many other slaine when hee had held his estate the terme of three yeeres The Frankners and others of the Barbarous Souldiers escaping the Battle sought to sacke London and so to be gone but as good happe was the Souldiers of Constantius which by reason of a mistie and foggie aire were seuered from the rest at vnawares came to London where they rescued their Allies and making great slaughter of the Enemie slew Gallus their Leader casting his body into a Brooke that theâ—… ran thorow the Citie which thence after was called by the Britaines Nant-gall and by the English Gallus his Brooke where now a faire Street is built called vpon that occasion to this day Walbrooke 10 The deaths of these two Vsurpers with the recouerie of the Britaine 's vnto their wonted obedience was accounted so great a benefit to the Romans that it is most gloriously commended and Rhetorically set downe in a Panegyricke Oration ascribed to Mamertinus in the praise of Dioclesian Maximianus and Constantius where after hee had extolled the fertilitie of the British Soile and the Riches that the Empire reaped thence he set forth the strength of the Enemy growne to so dangerous a head and concluded with this Acclamation O what a manifold Victory was this worthie vndoubtedly of innumerable Triumphs by which Victorie Britaine is restored to the Empire their Confederates brought to obedience and the Seas secured to a perpetuall quietnesse Glory you therefore inuincible Emperour for that you haue as it were gotten another World and in restoring to the Romans puissance the glory of the Conquest by Sea haue added to the Roman Empire an Element greater then all the compasse of the Earth that is the mightie maine Ocean it selfe and afterwards now by your Victories Inuincible Constantius Caesar whatsoeuer did lie vacant about Amiens Beauois Trois and Langres beginneth to flourish with Inhabitants of sundry Nations Yea and moreouer that your most obedient City Autum for whose sake I haue a peculiar cause to reioice by meanes of this Triumphant Victorie in Britaine hath receiued many and sundry sorts of Artizans of whom those Prouinces were full And now by their workmanship the same Citie riseth vp by repairing of Ancient Houses and restoring of Publike Buildings and Temples so that now it accounteth that the old name of brotherly Incorporation to Rome is againe restored when shee hath you eft-soones for her Founder 11 But leauing Constantius to be further spoken of in his due place let vs pursue the Raignes of these two Tyrants who new began the Persecutions of Gods Saints in all the parts
notable or remarkable him obeied respectiuely to the number of the Prouinces two Consular deputies and three Presidents who had the hearing of ciuill and criminall causes For military affaires there ruled the Leader or Commander of the footemen in the West at whose disposition were the Earles or Lieutenants of Britaine the Earle Count or Lieutenant of the Saxon coast along Britaine and he Duke of Britaine stiled euery one Spectabilis The Earle Lieutenant of Britaine seemeth to haue ruled the Inland parts of the Iland who had with him seuen companies of footmen and nine coronets or troopes of horse The Earle Lieutenant of the Saxon coast who defended the Maritime parts against the Saxons and is named by Amianus Lieutenant of the Maritime tract for defence of the Sea coast had seuen companies of footmen two Guidons of horsemen the second legion and one cohert The Duke or Generall of Britaine who defended the Marches against the Barbarians had the command of thirty and eight garrison forts wherein their Stations kept consisting of fourteen thousand foot nine hundred horse So that in those daies by Pancirolus account Britaine maintained nineteene thousand two hundred sootmen and seuenteene hundred horsemen or thereabout in ordinary Besides all these the receiuer of the Emperors Finances or publike reuenewes the Prouost of the Emperors Treasures in Britaine and the Procurator of the Draperie in Britaine in the which the clothes of the Prince and Souldiers were Wouen and the Count also of priuate reuenewes had his Rationall or Auditor of priuat State in Britaine to say nothing of the sword-fence-schoole Procurator in Britaine whereof an old inscription maketh mention and of other officers of inferior degrees 12 After the setling of these affaires to the end that he might with the more facilitie bridle the vntamed Persians that seldome were in quiet he remoued the Imperiall seat of his Residence into the East for now Gallerius and Licinius both dead the rent and diuided state of the Roman Empire was in him vnited and purposing to build there a Citie as an eternall Monument of his name he chose the plot at Chalcedon in Asia but whiles they were measuring out the circuit an Eagle scouping at the Line fled with it ouer the Sea towards Byzantium in Thracia to which place the thing seeming ominous he transferred his new foundation and there built a most Magnificent Citie naming it New Rome as appeareth by an inscription of his Statue In imitation whereof he circulated Seuen hils with a Wall for Height Thicknesse and Beauty the fairest in the world and not only erected Temples Towers and most stately Palaces himselfe but by his publike Edicts coÌ„manded all the Princes of the Empire to raise therein some Monuments memorable Edifices beseeming the Maiesty of so glorious a foundatioÌ„ 13 Hither also from Rome hee caused to bee brought many renowned Monuments of Antiquities as the famous Goddesse Pallas of old Troy the Image of Apollo in brasse of an vnmeasurable bignesse the Statues of Iuno Minerua Venus and the like whereupon Hierome saith That Constantine to inrich this one Citie impouerished all others in the Empire and other Writers which saw it in the perfectioÌ„ of beauty report it to be rather an habitation for the Gods theÌ„ the dwelling place for Earthly men Herein also so studious was he of good Arts was built the Proud Palace of that Publike Library wherein were contained one hundred twenty thousand of the chiefest Written Bookes and in the midst thereof were the Guts of a Dragon in length one hundred twenty Foote on which was admirably written in Letters of Gold the Iliads of Homer The New Name of this new Citie lasted not long for the affection of all men to the Founder afforded it rather the name of Constantinople As a trophey then of this Emperours renowne though now a brand of infamie to another of that name who lost it in the yeere 1452. to Mahomet the Turke and as New Rome was reared and ruined in one name so had Old Rome in Augustus her pitch of height and in Augustulus her period 14 He drew likewise hither those Legions that lay for defence of the Prouinces as well in Germany and Gallia as in Britaine from whence hee brought saith Malmesbury a great power of British Souldiers through whose industry and forward seruice hauing obtained Triumphant Victories to his hearts desire and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Empire such of them as were past seruice and 〈◊〉 formed the painefull parts of Souldiers their fulltime he planted in a certain part of Gaule Westward vpon the very 〈◊〉 of the Ocean where at this day their posterity 〈◊〉 are wonderfully growen euen to a mightie people in manners language somewhat degenerate from our 〈◊〉 In which his doings he laid open the Prouinces to the irruptions of their Enemies and is therefore by Zâ—…imus hardly censured as being the onely man that by this meanes first subuerted the flourishing estate of the Empire And indeed by withdrawing his Forces out of Britaine the Picts and other their wonted Enemies had the bolder and easier entrance into the more ciuill parts of this Iland where by ere long being altogether abandoned of the Romans it became a pray of Conquest to the Saxons as shall be shewed in due place 15 But howsoeuer his policie failed carried as it seemeth by a Diuine inspiration to leaue Rome yet is this good Emperour much commended by all Writers for his many vertues especially for that hee so laid the foundation of the Christians securitie that the same hath stood vnder the protection of Princes euer since euen vnto this day And albeit that many Caesars his successors haue often attempted to shake it by their authorities and the sharpe instruments of heretikes dangerously haue vndermined it yet hath it borne out the Stormes of all their boisterous assaies and stood in the strength that this Emperor first laid it 16 And vpon this foundation that a glorious building might be raised hee congregated three hundred and eighteene Christian Bishops in the Citie Nice in Thracia where himself was present and also President of the same Councel though now his Beadsmen the Popes put him his Successors from that right and as another Moses he then pacified the contentions of the brethren and reestablished the authorities of the Bishops for the godly gouernment of the Church in that Primitiue age 17 But as the cleerest Sunne hath his set and the fairest day his night so Constantines glorious life drew to an end though his liuing-glory shall be endlesse for intending a voyage against the Persians hee fell grieuously sicke and counselled by his Physitions to be carried vnto Nicomedia a Citie in Bythinia to the Hot Bathes that naturally there sprang which caused some erroneously to write that he became a Leaper he died on the way neere to the place and in great deuotion commended his departing Soule to
accidents which that age did take for Ominous signes For the Statue of Maximianus Caesar standing at the entrance into the Kings Palace let fall the Ball or Globe out of his hand no force mouing it horrible sounds and noises were heard within the Consistory and Blazing-starres appeared at Noone-day Thence therefore in greatt haste he marched and at Ancyra declared his sonne Varronianus his Caesar a verie Infant whose Wrawlings and vnwillingnesse to ride in the Imperiall Chariot portended saith Amianus that which after happened For hasting still towards Constantinople he came to Dadastana a place that diuideth Bithynia and Galatia asunder and there died suddenly of the obstructions and stopping of the Lungs caused by the dampe of a new mortered Chamber wherein he lay or as others write by coales there set to dry the new seeling whose vapors hauing no issue stifled him to death the seuenteenth day of February the yeere of the worlds redemption three hundred sixtie foure after hee had raigned seuen moneths and twenty two daies aged thirty three yeeres 6 For his personage he was of goodly presence both tall and big his gesture graue his eyes gray and countenance pleasant an affectionate louer professor he was of the Christian religion of indifferēt learning himselfe but a most honorable imbracer thereof in others very precise and considerate in choosing of Iudges and Magistrates facile and familiar to his seruitors about him His Blemishes were these that hee was a great feeder and giuen to wine and somewhat to that other Vice which vsually accompanieth such intemperancies FLAVIVS VALENTINIANVS Emp. FLAVIVS VALENS CHAPTER L. PResently vpon the death of Iouianus by a secret whispering and running rumor Equitius Tribune of the Scutarij was nominated Emperor a man naturally rigorous and rude and therefore disliked of the better aduised and no further followed But frō him their voices turned to Ianuarius a kinsman to the last deceased Iouianus at that present Gouernor of Illyricum But he also reiected Valentinianus then absent was Elected at Nice as a fit and meet person for the managing of their Warres and good of the Weale-publike 2 His birth was of Pannonia in the Citie Cibalas of meane and poore parentage the sonne of Gracian spoken of before who by trade was a Rope-seller but of great strength and therefore by seruice preferred to places of account and had been made Ruler of Britaine His owne life likewise was spent in seruice of Warre and was ere-while a Captaine ouer the Targatiers but Iulian requiring him either to Sacrifice to his Gods or to leaue his place he chose rather to lay aside his Belt then his Faith and Christianitie as likewise Iouianus had done and so for neglecting a little honour then he had now a farre greater bestowed on him by the disposer of all Earthly Kingdomes The Estate so vrging it he made Valens his Brother Partner in the Empire the trumpets euery where sounding Warres throughout the Roman World For the Almans inuaded Gaul and Rhaetia the Sarmatians and Quadi made spoile of Pannonia the Picts Saxons Scots and Attacots infested the Britaines the Austorians made roades into Africa the Gothes ransacked Thracia and the Persians entred Armenia For which cause Valens remained to defend the East and Valentinianus tooke his progresse into the West where in three Battels vnder the conduct of Iouinus hee discomfited the Almans and Valens likewise ouercame and beheaded Procopius whose feature we haue here expressed a dangerous Vsurper in the East 3 But in Britaine things prospered not so well for by the generall bandings of the foresaid Nations their old Enemies the Prouince was sore distressed and brought to extreame misery For Nectaridius Admirall of the British Fleet they slew and Balchobaudes Lord Warden of the Marches by a traine of these barbarous people was forelaid assailed on euery side The intelligence of which occurrences when it was brought to Rome with great horror the Emperor first sent hither Seuerus Steward of his House if fortune would happily speed his hand to redresse whatsoeuer had happened amisse But he in short time being called away had not the hap to see the wished successe Then Iouinus famous for his Warres in Germany came into the same parts and seeing the puissance of the Enemy meant to craue aid of the Auxiliarie Forces the vrgent necessitie requiring so much at last in regard of many and those fearefull accidents which rumor continually reported touching the state of this Iland hither was designed Theodosius a man esteemed most happy and approued for his Martiall prowesse who with a bold resolution and select power both of Horse and Foote set forward for Britaine 4 The Picts at that time were diuided into two Nations to wit Deucalidones and Vesturiones The Attacots likewise a warlike kinde of people and the Scots ranging in diuers parts wasted all where they went As for the Tracts of Gaule the Frankners and Saxons their neere confined neighbours wheresoeuer they could breake foorth and make Roades by Sea or Land made hauocke heere by seizing of Booties firing of Townes in killing of men and women and leading away Captiues To stay these wofull miseries if the Heauens had beene so benigne this valiant Captaine intended a voyage to this our end of the World and comming to Bononia which lieth diuided from the opposite tract of Land by a narrow Channell ebbing and flowing with terrible Tides where the waters are seene sometimes to match the highest Mountaine and againe to settle with the Ieuell of the Plaines without any harme of Sailers or Passage this Sleue with a gentle course hee crossed and arriued at Rutupie a quiet Roade and Harbour ouer against it from whence after that the Bactauians the Heruli Iouij and Victores Companies bold and confident in their strengths were come he marched towards Lundinium an ancient Citie which posterities afterwards named Augusta and hauing seuered his Troopes into sundry parts he charged vpon those companies of rouing and robbing enemies euen when they were heauie laden with Booties and spoiles and were driuing away before them both Men and Women bound for their Captiues besides much Cattle and a great Prey These hee soone discomfited and restored to the poore distressed Tributaries their Liberties and Losses bestowing some small parcels thereof among his weary and well-deseruing Souldiers and entred the City with exceeding great ioy in manner of a Petty-triumph which erewhile was ouer-whelmed with Calamities but now on the sudden refreshed and set in perfect safety 5 Vpon this prosperous successe encouraged to greater attempts hee abode yet doubtfull of the future casting with himselfe many proiects which poised Fortunes Scales alike but lastly by certaine Captiues and Fugitiues hee learned that those Companies of sundry fierce Nations spread so farre and diffusedly vpon the face of the Prouince could not be vanquished vnlesse it were by
the Sea as that they ouer-slowed and laid leuell an infinite number of buildings and Cities And therefore in this furious discord of the Elements the surface of the world being couered represented strange and wonderfull sights Among which S. Ierome reporteth that there rained Wooll from Heauen so perfect and good that no better grew vpon the Sheepe the naturall Producer But to returne 12 Fraomarius whom Valentinianus had ordained to be King of the Bucinobantes in Germanie was made Tribune and Colonell ouer a Regiment of Almains in Britaine which for number and valour in those daies were renowned where no doubt matter enough was ministred for him to worke vpon but the death of the Emperour presently following admits no mention of further discourse which happened in this manner The Quadi after many molestations done to the Roman Legions and their Confederates sent their Ambassadours vnto him desiring pardon for their former faults committed and an abolishment of all remembrances thereof 〈…〉 conference suddenly the bloud 〈…〉 mouth and being laid vpon his 〈…〉 â—…ed of an Apoplexie or rathâ—…r of the Plague 〈…〉 Markes appearing vpon his dead body gaue â—…cture Nouember the seuenth of his age fiftie fiue yeeres hauing raigned eleuen yeeres eight moneths and two daies in the yeere of our Christ three hundred seuenty fiue 13 For presence he was Maiesticall of bodie fat his complexion faire his eies gray and hauing therwith somwhat a scue cast his haire shining bright his ioints strong and well knit he was a Prince mercifull and louing and mitigated many Tributes formerly imposed on the Prouinces a wise Warriour sterne in countenance hastie of speech and chast 〈…〉 body a good Iusticer and impatient of all delaies But these his Vertues with some Vices were accompanied for he is taxed with enuie and partialitie in punishing seuerely the poore Souldier for small offenses but remissiue to the faults of their Captaines and Leaders and that was the cause by Amianus his report of the troubles in Britaine the losses in Africke and the wasting in Illyricum 14 His Arian brother Valens suruiuing him raigned Emperour in the East by whose sufferance the Barbarous Gothes entred Thracia which presently proued to be the bane of the Roman World for that these Gothes a strange and vnknowne People till then being forced out of a secret Nooke in Scythia by the Hog-Backt Hunnes rushing as an vnresistable Whirle-Winde from those High Mountaines infested the Coasts about Danubius and obtained licence from Valens to passe the Riuer Donaw into Thracia where long in quiet they staied not but like a violent Floud running with a full currant they ouer-whelmed all before them ouercomming the Romans in many Battles and in one slew the Emperour Valens with most of his approoued Captaines and twenty fiue Tribunes that had charge of Regiments the third part of his Armie hardly escaping vnslaine Some report that Valens flying the Field tooke into a house neere Adrianople whither being pursued by the Enemie and his Hold fired vpon his head was therein burned to ashes after he had sate Emperour fourteene yeeres FLAVIVS GRACIANVS Emp. FLA. VALENTINIANVS IVNIOR CHAPTER LI. GRacianus the Eldest Sonne of Valentinianus by his Empresse Seuera was made his fathers Collegue in the Empire in the fourth yeere of his Raigne notwithstanding six daies after his death his second Sonne Valentinian a Childe of Foure yeeres old by the aduice of the Counsell and generall consent of the Camp was also stiled and proclaimed Emperor These Brethren liued in much loue and ruled in the West as their vncle Valens did in the East of whom wee last spake And albeit Gracian had cause of displeasure that this his Younger Brother was thus aduanced without his allowance yet he as a Prince kind and naturall regarded his Brother exceedingly and brought him vp in all tender affection forgetting the wrong offered vnto himselfe and his owne Mother for Valentinians mothers sake 2 The Mother of this Valentinian was Iustina a damsell of an admirable feature and exceeding beautie surpassing all other women so farre that the Empresse her selfe fell in loue with her and vsually conuersed with her familiarly as her equall imparting her most priuate secrets vnto her as her trustie Counseller and often bathing together in the same Bath Neither was her ardent affection contained within the measure of Womanish modestie insomuch as she refrained not in the hearing of the Emperour her Husband to extoll her incomparable beautie preferring her far aboue any creature in the World Whereupon Valentinianus so farre affected this Lady as that he tooke her to his Wife by whom he had this young Valentinian and also three Daughters notwithstanding Seuera was yet liuing 3 The stormes of the Gothes as a violent tempest beating still against the Shoares of the Roman Prouinces caused Gracian to beare Sayle toward the safest Harbour and to commit the guidance of his shippe to the most assured Pilot their forces being so great and their outrages so terrible that hee thought it best not to aduenture his owne person but to imploy some other approoued Captaine For which exploit none was held more sufficient then Theodosius the Sonne of that Theodosius who was so famous for his British Warres and whose life was taken away by Valens the Easterne Emperour Him he made first Captaine Generall of the Roman Empire and immediatly vpon his first seruice against the Gothes his Fellow Emperor and Augustus allotting him those parts in the East that his vncle Valens lately had enioyed 4 In many Battels fought to the last drop of bloud this worthy Generall ouercame the Gothes so that their King Athanarius was lastly inforced to sue for his Peace which vpon honourable compositions was graunted and himselfe in most princely manner entertained by Theodosius in the Imperiall Citie Constantinople where falling sicke after three moneths he died and was both much lamented and sumptuously buried by the Emperor These reports caused Sapor the most puissant King of Persia to submit himselfe vnto Theodosius and by his Ambassadors attending his Court obtained his Amitie Thus gloriously raigning and perfect peace established he ordained his young sonne Arcadius his Fellow Emperor in the East 5 But the affaires in the Westerne Empire proceeded nothing so fortunately for Gracian a meeke and soft spirited man ballanced with Theodosius was held without regard and Valentinian by his Prefect Probus held both Rome and Italy at his deuotion onely Gallia obeyed Gracian For Clemens Maximus borne in Spaine but descended lineally from Constantine the Great by his affability and liberal carriage had wonne the affections of the Britaine 's to side with him a man no doubt both Valiant and Wise had he held his alleagiance to his Soueraigne Lord. But the time fitting his purposes when the Scots and Picts with their wonted inroads sore indamaged the Prouince he set himselfe for
their Cheualrie perished in Battle when in the Fields of France and neere vnto Lyons they spent their bloud in his cause whereby the sinewes of their owne Countries defense was sore weakened and laid open to Forraine I◅aders Constantine the Great also as Malmesbury noteth carried hence a great power of British Souldiers with him in his warres by whose puissance as he saith he obtained Triumphant Victories and the Empire of the whole World and after assigned them that part of Gallia to inhabit which was called Armorica lying westward vpon the Sea Coasts where they seating themselues their posteritie was increased and continueth a Mightie People euen vnto this day 9 This Countrey afterwards being conquered by Maximus and his reconciled Enemie Conan Meriadoc Lord of Denbigh-land by the prowesse of those British Souldiers whom hence hee carried in his quarrell against Valentinian the Emperour was receiued in free gift of Conan after the slaughter of Iubates the King and the name thereof changed to Little Britaine as being a Colonie or Daughter of this our Iland The Pronince is large pleasant and fruitfull and containeth in her Circuit nine Bishops Seas whereof three are called Cor◅aille vnto this day which are Le◅sss S. Paul and Treg◅rs the other six are D◅le Rhenet S. Malo Nanetensis Vannes and Brien whose language differeth from their Neighbours the French and retaineth as yet the British Dialect I omit to speak of those other Numbers of men sent for out of this Kingdome by the said Conan whereof our British Historians make mention besides the sending of Vrsula with Eleuen thousand Virgins to be matched in mariage with these their Country-men all of them perishing by Sea or by Sword but none of them returning hither againe whereby the bane of the Land presently followed her hopes being cut off and depriued of wonted Posterities 10 This Conquest and Plantation in Armorica Matthew of Westminster accounteth to haue happened in the yeer of Christ three hundred ninety two And these Souldiers thus withdrawne are so recorded by Henry of Huntington his ancient and Ninius also long before both reporteth that Maximus gaue manie Countries to these his Britaines euen frō the Poole which is on the Top of Iupiters Hill to a Citie called Cantguic and vnto the Western Mountaines These sayeth hee are the Britaine 's in Armorica who neuer returned to this day in regard whereof Britaine was Conquered by Strange Nations With whom agreeth Geruasius a Monke of Canturburie Iohn Anglicus Ranulphus of Chester and others Thither also in the downefall and desperat Estate of the Britaines many of them fled from the rage of their Enemies as hee that was borne in Armorica and liued neerest to that age euen the Writer of the Life of S. Wingualof the Confessor doth sufficiently proue An of-spring saith he of the Britaine 's embarked in Flotes arriued in this Land on this side the British Sea what time as the Barbarous Nation of the Saxons fierce in Armes and vnciuill in manners possessed their Natiue and Mother Soyle c. 11 And lastly in the cause of that other Constantine who was elected only for his Name most of the Flower and Strength of the Britaine 's were transported into Gallia and Spaine where in his variable fortunes many of them perished And Malmesbury writing of these Times saith that the Romans had emptied Britaine of all her Flower and Chiualry of Warre leauing now in her Countries but Halfe-barbarous men and in her Cities only Epicures vnfit for seruice In confirmation whereof the most learned Cambden out of Antike Inscriptions and the Booke named Notitia Prouinciarum hath obserued that these Companies vnder written serued the Romans in their Warres and were dispersed here and there in their Prouinces which also were from time to time euermore supplied out of Britaine Ala Britannica Milliaria Ala IIII. Britonum in Aegypto Cohors prima Aelia Britonum Cohors III. Britonum Cohors VII Britonum Cohors XXVI Britonum in Armenia Britanniciani sub Magistro Peditum inter Auxilia Palatina Inuicti Iuniores Britanniciani Exculcatores Iun. Britan. Britones cum Magistro Equitum Galliarum Inuicti Iuniores Britones inter Hispanias Britones Seniores in Illyrico 12 No maruell is it then if Britaine lay weake being thus continually exhausted of her strengths which these approued Records made so apparant as we need not alleage the doubtfull Story of Irpus of Norway for the depopulation of the Iland who is said by subtilty vnder pretence of Kindred and Honour to be atchieued to haue gotten an infinite number of Britaines to follow him in his enterprise which neuer returned againe or the Booke Triades mentioned by the Author of the Reformed History of Great Britaine that bringeth an Army hence consisting in number of one and twenty thousand men into Aquitaine and Gaul which as he saith was the Aid mentioned by Caesar that out of Britaine assisted the Gaules against him Which may partly seeme to be gathered from Caesar himselfe as hath been said where he affirmeth that the Britaines and Gaules were gouerned vnder the same King and is further confirmed by the fashion and Inscriptions of Antique Coines which wee haue seene stamped in Gold the Forme round and Shield-like Imbossed outward in the Face and Hollow in the Reuerse a Forme vnfallible to be of the Britaines Coines and yet the word Comes is inscribed vpon the Imbossed side whom we imagine to be the same Gouernor of Artoye in Gallia whom Caesar mentioneth 13 Thus then was Britaine first made Weake by the Romans exhaustings and then quite abandoned of their helpe and left as a tree in the Wildernesse to lose her faire leaues by the continuall blasts of these sharp Northerne windes whose beauty before had bin as the Cedars of Libanon or like vnto those in the Garden of God And whose Riches had drawne the Worlds then-Monarchs to such liking and loue that no meanes was omitted to attaine the same nor care neglected to keepe it in their Subiection which while it stood a Prouince in their obedience was held and accounted to be the fairest flower in their Triumphant Garlands and of some of their Emperors thought worthy the Residencie of their Imperiall Throne THE ORIGINALL INVASIONS AND HEPTARCHIE OF THE SAXONS VVITH A SVCCESSION OF THEIR MONARCHS IN THIS ILAND OF GREAT BRITAINE THEIR RAIGNES MARRIAGES ACTS AND ISSVES VNTIL THEIR LAST SVBVERSION BY THE DANES AND NORMANS But first of the Downe-fall of BRITAINE BOOKE VII CHAPTER I. BRITAINE thus abandoned of all the Romane Garrisons and emptied of strengths that should haue supported her now down-falling-estate lay prostrate to confusion and miserable calamities no lesse burdened with the tumultuous vproares of her owne great men who stroue for the supreme Gouernment then of the Barbarous Nations which with continuall incursions made spoile where they came These times saith Ninius were full of feares
his raigne ouer both at one and the same time the yeere of Christ his Natiuitie fiue hundred thirty foure 2 And enlarging his confines vpon the Territories of the Britaines gaue them two great ouerthrowes the one at Searesbery in Wilt-shire and the other at Banbury in Oxford-shire which was fought the two and twentieth of his raigne whereby his fame grew more renowned and his Kingdome in more quiet after He raigned the space of twenty six yeeres and left this life in the yeere of our Lord God fiue hundred sixty 3 He had issue three sonnes Chenlâ—…e Câ—…thwolfe and Câ—…th Chelwin the first succeeded his father in the Monarchie and West-Saxons Kingdome 4 Câ—…thwolfe the second assisted his brother in many victories as presently in his raigne shall follow And Câ—…th the third brother famous in his issue though mentionlesse for action in himselfe whereof more largely hath beene spoken in the raigne of Kenrik as he was King only of the West-Saxons CHEVLINE THE THIRD KING OF THE VVEST-SAXONS AND FIFTH MONARCH OF THE ENGLISHMEN CHAPTER XVII CHeuline the eldest sonne of King Kenrike serued with great commendations vnder his father in all his warres against the Britains and is specially mentioned at the Battle of Banbury in Oxford-shire and after his fathers death became the third King of the West-Saxons and the fifth Monarch of the Englishmen Hee much enlarged the bounds of his Kingdome and increased the power and glorie of the West-Saxons 2 For continuing the warres where his Father left did not onely subdue the Britaines in many Battles but also set himselfe against his owne Nation the Saxons and sought to impose the scope of his power vpon the South of the Riuer Thames for entring Kent whose King was then a childe by name Ethelbert the sonne of Imerik at Wiphandun or Wilbandun in Surrey in a set and sore Battle defeated all his forces whence the young King was chased and two of his greatest Captaines bearing the names of Dukes were slaine as we haue said 3 Not long after this victory he set his minde to inlarge his West-Saxons Dominions vpon the possession of the declining Britaines and to that end furnished forth a great Band of his Souldiers whereof he made his brother Cuthwin chiefe Generall These marching to Bedford gaue Battle to the Britaines where they slew them downe-right and surprized soure of their chiefest Townes at that time called Liganburge Eglesbourgh Bensington and Eusham which they fortified to their owne strength and the Britaines great losse 4 And following the Tract of his fore-going fortunes about six yeeres after sent forth againe his Saxons vnder 〈◊〉 conduct of the foresaid Cuthwin who encountred the Britaines at Diâ—…th or Deorham with such valour and successe that besides great slaughter of the British Souldiers three of their Kings whose names were Coinmagill Candidan and Farimnagill fell in the Field with the surprizall of these three Cities Glocester Bathe and Cirencester Then saith Gyldas euidently appeared the Lands destruction the sins of the Britaine 's being the only cause when neither Prince nor People Priest nor Leuite regarded the Law of the Lord but disobediently wandred in their owne waies 5 But no greater were the sinnes of the Britains then the vnsatiable desires of the Saxons were to conquer for Cheuline about the last of Malgoe his gouernment met the Britaines at Fethanleah in the face of a Field which was fought out to the great slaughters of them both and with the death of Prince Cuth King Cheulins sonne notwithstanding the victorie fell on his side with great spoiles obtained and possessions of many Prouinces which himselfe no long time enioied 6 For growne proud through his many prosperous victories against his enemies and tyrannizing ouer his owne Subiects the West-Saxons fell into such contempt that they ioined with the Britaine 's for his destruction The greatest against him was disloyall Chell or Cealrik his nephew the sonne of Cuthwin his most loyall brother whom both the Nations had elected for Generall Vnder him they muster and march into Wilt-shire and at Wodnesbeothe now Wannes-ditch pitch downe their Standards Cheuline that thought hee lead fortune in a lease with confident boldnesse built his present proceedings vpon his former successe and in the face of his enemies displaied his colours But the Battles ioined and the Field goared with bloud the day was lost vpon the Kings side and he in distresse saued himselfe by flight Heere might you haue seene the world as it is vnconstant and variable for he a Mars that had ouer-borne the Britains in so many Battles and had raised his Saxons vnto so great a height is forced to flee before his conquered Captiues and to exile himselfe from the sight of his owne Subiects after he had gloriously raigned thirty one yeeres or as some will thirty three and as a meane man died in his banishment the yeere of grace fiue hundred ninety two 7 He had issue two sonnes which were Cuth and Cuthwin the elder whereof had valiantly serued in his fathers warres namely at Wimbledone in Surry against King Ethelbert and his power of Kentishmen in the yeere of Christ fiue hundred sixty seuen and lastly in the Battle at Fethanleah where the Britaines receiued a great ouerthrow Notwithstanding as hee was valiantly fighting among the thickest of his enemies hee was there slain in the yeere of our Lord fiue hundred eighty foure being the fiue and twentieth yeere of his fathers raigne and that without issue 8 Cuthwin the younger sonne of King Cheuline suruiued his father but succeeded him not because of his young yeeres or else and that rather for the hatred that his father had purchased of his Subiects which they repaied him in his owne expulsion and in this his sonnes depriuation But although the wreath of the West-Saxons did not adorne this Cuthwines head yet shone it more bright and stood with greater maiesty vpon the browes of Ina the warlike and zealous King of West-Saxons and of Egbert the victorious and first sole absolute Monarch of the English Empire both of them in a right line issued from this Cuthwin as in the seuenth Chapter we haue said ETHELBERT THE FIFTH AND FIRST CHRISTIAN KING OF KENT AND THE SIXTH MONARCH OF THE ENGLISHMEN HIS WIVES AND ISSVE CHAPTER XVIII THe flame of the West-Saxons for a time thus quenched the Lampe of Kent began againe to shine and to assume the Title of the Monarchie after it had beene suppressed in them through the raignes of these foure last Kings for young Egberts entrance with the great losse of his Kentish ouerthrowne by King Cheuline gaue rather inducements to a tributary subiection then any apparant hopes to purchase an Empire 2 But such is the dispose of God in his hidden Counsell that things of least appearance many times become the greatest in substance as in this Prince it was euidently seene who making
vse of his owne youth and losse got thereby experience both to defense himselfe and to prouoke others and with such victories abroad repaired his losses at home that as farre as Humber he made all subiect to Kent 3 Thus growne to be the greatest of any Saxon before him hee sought to hold it vp by forraine alliance and to that end became suter for Berta a most vertuous Christian Lady the daughter of Chilperik King of France vnto whom by her father she was lastlie granted but with these conditions that she might reserue her Christian Profession enioy the presence and the instructions of Luidhard her learned Bishop with the place of his Queene 4 These couenants concluded and many French Christians attending her in his Court by their daily seruice of God and continuall practise of pietie drew many of the English to fauour their Religion yea and the King also to bee inclined that way And as these were working the saluation of Kent behold Gods proceedings for the conuersion of the rest 5 It chanced great Gregory then but Arch-deacon of Rome to see certaine youths of this Iland brought to that Citie to be sold for slaues His Christian heart pitying at such heathenish tyrannizing and beholding stedfastly their faces to be faire and Angel-like demanded of their Merchants of what Nation they came who made him answer that they were Angles and by that name were knowne vnto other Nations Indeed said he and not without cause for their resemblance is Angelicall and fit it is that they be made inheritours with the Angels in Heauen But of what Prouince are they said Gregory It was replied Of Deira a Country situated in the Continent of Britaine Now surely saith he it is great pity but these people should bee taken from Dei ira the ire of God And farther asking what was the name of their King it was answered that he was called Ella whereunto he alluding said that Alleluia to the praise of God in that Princes Dominions should shortly be sung 6 And to that purpose himselfe being afterwards Pope sent Austine a Monke with forty others for assistance whereof Melitus Iustus and Iohn were chiefe These landing in Tanet in the moneth of Iuly about fiue hundred ninety and six yeeres after the Incarnation of Christ and one hundred forty and seuen after the first arriuage of these Angles into Britaine had immediately accesse vnto the presence of King Ethelbert but yet in the open Field for hee feared to conferre with them in any house lest by sorcerie as hee fondly surmised he might be ouercome 7 These preaching vnto him the word of life his answer was that presently he could not consent to their Doctrine neither rashly forsake his ancient and accustomed Religion But seeing said hee you tell vs strange things and giue vs faire promises of after life when this life shall be ended wee permit you to preach the same to our people and to conuert as many as you can and wee our selues will minister all things behoouefull for your liuelihood Which promise hee instantly performed and in Canterburie his head City allowed them fit places for residence and sufficient prouision for their maintenance wherein these religious men following in some measure the examples of the Apostles spent their times in preaching and praiers watching for the peoples conuersions and exercising the workes of true piety as examples and motiues vnto others to embrace the Gospel which they sought to plant 8 Neere vnto the East part of the City stood an ancient Church built by the Christian Romans whiles they had dwelt in Britaine and by them dedicated to the honour of S. Martin and is so yet called To this Church the Christian Queene Berta with her Communicants the French daily resorted to pray and vnto these and in this Church Austine and his fellowes began daily to preach vnto whose Sermons so many of the Kentish also resorted that a plentifull haruest in short time appeared vpon the seede-plot of their tillage for it is reported that ten thousand of the English people were baptized there in one day insomuch that the King himselfe forsooke his Heathenish Idolatrie and likewise receiued the Sacrament of Baptisme vnto his saluation in Christ in witnesse whereof hee gaue the Lordship and Royaltie of his chiefe Citie Canterburie vnto Augustine and resigned his princely Palace therein vnto him who in the East of this City laid the foundation of that great and afterwards magnificent Church dedicated to the seruice and name of Christ which at this day is the Cathedrall of that Metropolitan See and Ethelbert to giue him more roome withdrew himselfe vnto Reculuer in Tanet where he erected a Palace for himselfe and his successours the compasse wherof may be traced by an old wal whose ruines remaine there yet to this day 9 Austine thus seated and in the well deserued fauour of King Ethelbert got one request more which was this that whereas by the Law of the Twelue Tables it was forbidden to bury the dead within the walles of any Citie the practise whereof wee daily finde by monuments taken vp in the fields adioining it would please him to giue to that vse an old Idoll-Temple standing without the East Wall of the Citie wherin the King himselfe had wontedly worshipped his Idols This obtained and the Church purged frō that prophane exercise to the seruice of God being honored with the name of S. Pancras King Ethelbert added thereunto a most faire Monasterie built vpon his owne cost and dedicated it vnto the name of Peter and Paul the Apostles appointing it to bee the place for the Kentish Kings Sepulchers and Austine likewise meant it for the burials of his successours in that See But first it became the Monument of his owne name for in regard of the Procurer both Pancras Peter and Paul were soone swallowed vp and the whole called onely by the name of S. Austines In this place eight Kings of Kent had their bodies interred and tenne of their Arch-bishops therein laid vntill that Cuthbert the eleuenth in succession in fauour of S. Iohns a new Church by him erected procured of King Egbert the sonne of Ercombert that the succecding Arch-bishops might be buried there This Monasterie as all the rest did came to her fatall period in the daies of King Henry the Eighth whose vncouered walles stood so long languishing in time and stormes of weather that daily increased the aspect of her ruines till now lastly they are made subiect to other publike vses and the whole tract of that most goodly foundation in the same place no where appearing Onely Ethelberts Tower in memorie and honour of the man as yet hath escaped the verdict and sentence of destruction whose beauty though much defaced and ouerworne will witnesse to succeeding ages the magnificence of the whole when all stood compleat in their glory together 10 These his happie beginnings Austine signified by
him for Normandy Aquitane Angiou Main and Tourain which partly were his patrimony and partly the inheritance of Elianor his wife 6 His domesticke enemies being subdued or appeased hee put his brother Geffrey by force to a pension the summe whereof if it be any thing to the purpose to know was 1000. l. English and 2000. l. Aniou by yeere wringing out of his possession all such territories as by their Fathers last Will and Testament were bequeathed to him in France But Geffrey did not long enioy the said annuity or his brothers friendship for in the third yeare death brought a discharge and Henry was disburdened of those paiments For his violence in taking away those lands King Henry might alledge he was eldest brother but that allegation might bee auoided with his owne consent which once hee gaue but the great Elixar called Reason of State though falsly so called vnlesse it bee seasoned with Iustice and Religion hath so transmutatiue a faculty as to make Copper seeme Gold right wrong and wrong right yea when all Pleas faile it will stand for good while there are forces to support it 7 This accord between the two brethren being thus howsoeuer established the King repaires into England and at Chester enters amity with Malcolme King of Scots on such termes as his Grandfather had done yet Saluis omnibus dignitatibus suis sauing to himselfe all his dignities and the said Malcolme restored to Henry the City of Karleol Newcastle vpon Tyne c. and Henry restored to him the Earledome of Huntington in England And so iustly dreadfull did the growing puissance of this young Monarch appeare to his greatest enemies that Hugh Bigod Earle of Norfolke who had potent means to doe mischiefe rendred his Castle to bee at his disposall 8 The Welsh notwithstanding forsooke not themselues but did some memorable matters vnder conduct of the valiant Prince Owen against the English in defence of North-Wales and their Countries liberty to the losse of the English and extreame danger of the Kings owne person whose Standard roiall was cowardly abandoned and the King reported to be slaine for which Henrie de Essex the Kings Standard-Bearer at that conflict was afterward accused by Robert de Montford his neere Kinsman and in single battaile within lists was vanquished at Reading where the said Henry de Essex was shorne a Monke and died Mathew Paris relates the whole voiage of King Henry summarily thus That Henry prepared a very great Army against the Welsh with full purpose to ouercom them both by land and sea that hee cut vp the woods and forrests and laid open a way that hee recouered the Castle of Ruthlan and other fortresses taken from his Ancestors that hee repaired the Castle of Basingwerke and that hauing brought the Welsh to his will hee returned with triumph into England 9 After this himselfe and his wife Queene Elienor beeing openly crowned vpon Christmas day some say Easter day at the Citie of Worcester they both at the Offertorie laid their Diademes vpon the high Altar vowing neuer to weare them after this beeing now the third time in which at three seuerall places Westminster Lincolne and Worcester he had beene crowned This deuout act of his did flow perhaps out of some such speculation as that of Canutus who thought none truly worthy the name of King but God alone or that vpon which Godfrey of Buillion refused to weare a crowne of gold in Hierusalem where our Lord and Sauiour had beene crowned with thornes For this King had at times the pangs and symptoms of mortification and piety and did heerein acknowledge the onely giuer and taker-away of kingdoms God-almighty putting himselfe and Realme vnder the protection of that Maiestie of whom hee held paramount and professing as it were that from thencefoorth hee would direct his actions to the glorie of his omnipotent Master which is indeede the only finall cause of all true monarchie 10 Not long after hauing established his affaires in England hee crost the Seas into Normandie where successiuely sundrie matters of importance fell out as the seisure of the City of Nants in Britaine after his brother Geffreis death his iourney to Paris beeing inuited thither by Lewis and his wife the Queene the vnprofitable siege of Tholouze laid by King Henrie where Malcolme King of Scots was in companie with him the vnripe marriage of his sonne Henrie to Margaret the French Kings daughter whom Thomas Becket then Lord Chancellor had formerlie conducted with verie great State from Paris by consent of parents for that purpose the offence taken at those spousals by Lewis for that the children were but infants and that himselfe was a looser thereby the warre heereupon attempted by Lewis fortifying Chaâ—…mount which the French hauing quit the Field by flight King Henrie recouered with aduantage the Armies of both these great Kings being afterward at point as it were to ioine dispersed vpon reconciliation of the two Kings by reason of a marriage concluded vpon betweene Richard King Henries second son and Alice the French Kings daughter All which and some other not drawing with them any extraordinarie sequell nor offording much matter for ciuill document must not preponderate the handling of things more rare and considerable 11 For after these accidents beganne the famous controuersies betweene the King and his Arch-bishop Becket a man of an inuincible stomack and resolution in his life and after death reputed by some for a great Saint or Martyr as is likewise noted of Henrie that he was the most politike martiall rich and honoured Prince of all his time This Prelate by birth a Londoner though his mother a Sarazen say some by profession a Ciuilian was by Theobald Arch-bishop of Canterburie both made his Arch-deacon and also placed about the person of Duke Henrie who beeing now King aduanced him in the verie first yeere of his raigne to bee Lord Chancellor of England in which high honor he carried himselfe like another King and afterward vpon the death of Theobald though the Monks obiected against Becket that neither a Courtier nor a Souldier as hee had beene both were fit to succeede in so high and sacred a function yet the King gaue him that Arch-bishopricke partly in reward and partly in further hope of his ready and faithfull seruice Which to be true a Legender of his Miracles can best relate Nonnullis tamen c. Many saith hee iudged his promotion not Canonicall because it was procured more by the importunity of the King then by the voices of Clergie or People and it was noted as presumption and indiscretion in him to take vpon him to guide the Sterne who was scarce fit to handle an Oare and that beeing skild onely in worldly affaires hee did not tremble to ascend vnto that sacred top of so great dignitie Whereto agreeth the reports of two
great conflicts with hiâ—…e put himselfe most humbly into his Fathâ—…â—…cy and throwing himselfe with teares 〈◊〉 obtained the pardon hee begd and 〈◊〉 â—…ion to his most inward grace and fauoâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…istan fatherly wise happy Act 〈◊〉 â—…ercome with this vnexpected and 〈◊〉 â—…nes neuer desisted till hee had brought tâ—… young King to a finall attonement armes being laid apart vpon all hands The chief points of that wished peace were 1. That Henry the yong King with Richard and Geffrey his brethren should returne freed from all oathes of confederation to the King their Fathers obedience as to their Lord and Father 2. That Prisoners should be set at large without ransome on all hands 3. That William King of Scots the Earle of Leicester and Chester Ralph de Fulgiers other who had compounded for their ransome before this conclusion should haue no benefite of this exemption 4. That King Henry the Father should take assurance of loialty toward him by hostage or oath of such as were enlarged 5. That King Henry the son should ratifie that Grant which his Father the King had made to his son Iohn of some Castles yerely rents in England c. The Seale it selfe wherwith the yong king made this mentioned Ratification we haue here annexed 80 Touching King William of Scotland his fore-mentioned compounding our Historians all agree not some saying more some lesse but Hector Boetius a Scotish Historian of some credit with that Nation writes 1. That King William was to pay 100000. l. Striueling for his ransome the one half in present coin the other 50000. l. vpon time 2. That for assurance of that summe the Earledomes of Northumberland Cumberland Huntington should rest in morgage 3. That K. William should moue no warre against England for the retention of those lands 4. That for the moresecurity of the premisses the Castles of Berwick Edenbrough Roxbrough Striueling should bee deliuered to the English 81 In the meane while King Henry according to Couenants dischargeth out of captiuity nine hundred sixty and nine men of Arms taken in those late warres and King Henry the sonne discharged aboue one hundreth and hauing accomplished whatsoeuer might content or secure his Father they prepared for England where the ioious letters of their comming written by the Father had begotten great and longing expectations in the subiects which hee did saith Paris That whom the generall danger of warre had afflicted the common gladnesse might recomfort In their trauaile thitherward the confidence was such vpon this fresh reconcilement that one Chamber and table serued both for whom before one Kingdome was not wide enough They landed at Portsmouth vpon Friday 20. Maij 1175. 82 The face of England at this present was like that of a quiet skie and sea no blast no billow no appearing signe of discontentment which the better to continue King Henry the Father accompanied with the King his sonne omitted no office of a iust and prudent Gouernour visiting a great part of his Realme in person consulting ordering and enacting such lawes and courses as might most establish the good of Peace Hence it came that at London both the Kings were present in a Synode in which Richard lately chosen Archbishop of Canterbury did publish with the Kings assent certain Canons for the better gouernment of the Church of England beginning thus At the true fountaine of all happy rule that is to say at the honour of God and establishment of Religion Discipline c. amongst the rest this one Canon in especial words is enacted both by authority of the King Synode and indeed worthy for euer to bee in force That euery Patrone taking reward for any presentation should for euer loose the Patronage thereof And the same Kings not long after being at Woodstocke in accomplishment of such holy purposes by aduise of the Clergy prouided men to such Bishopricks Abbacies and principall cures as were vacant where King Henry the Father forgat not his true friend Iohn of Oxenford whom he preferred to the See of Norwich 83 From hence comming to Yorke he set those parts in peace whither William King of Scots* repairing sundry matters of importance were handled betweene the two Kings as likewise afterward at Windsor where the King had called a great assembly of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall Rotherick King of Connaught in Ireland at the suite of his Ambassadors the Archbishop of Thuamon and Toomund others of that nation subiects to Rotherick was receiued into protection fauour and became Tributarie K. Henry being vnwilling to fish with an hooke of gold which in warring vpon Ireland hee should seem to do In an other Parliament not long after at Northampton he caused England to be diuided into six circuits to each Circuit three Iusticiars Itinerants deputed and aswell to giue his lawes more free passage as also the better to secure himself he threw to the earth sundry Castles which had bin formerly kept against him as Leicester Huntington Walton Groby Stutesbury c. and had the rest both in his English and in his French Dominions committed to his disposition 84 The young King about these times discouered fresh alienations in his mind against his Father who yet dissembling all did arme notwithanding vpon the defensiue and replenished both England and Normandie with Garrisons which drew the sonne the sooner to come in 85 But the old King not vnwilling perhaps lest the Brethrens concord might proue no better then a conspiracy against the Father that his warlike Children should contend did nourish debâ—…te among them Certaine it is that to diuert the warre from himselfe he appeased his sonne the King with an encrease of maintenance for himselfe amounting in the whole to an hundreth pounds Aniouin by the day and ten pounds of the same money for his wife the Queene and whereas Alice daughter of Lewis then King of France who was maried at three yeares of age to Richard second sonne of King Henry when hee was but seuen and now demanded of King Henry the Father to the intent that Richard her husband might enioy her the old King who was suspected to haue deflowred her for that time shifted of the deliuery of her person in such sort that peace was not hindered thereby 86 But while the yong King by his Fathers instigation sought by force to constraine young Richard to doe homage to him for Aquitaine and King Henry the Father for the same cause commaunded Geffrey his third son Duke of Britaine whom * some for his extraordinary perfidiousnes in this seruice toward his Father and manifold sacrilege cals the Child of Perdition to aide and assist his said elder brother while also the iealous Father out of the strife of his sonnes sought his own safety and in nourishing it had by the treachery of the said sonnes
bin twice endangered and had at both times been wonderfully preserued and while the young King by profound dissimulations plotted to bring both his Father and Brother Richard into subiection behold the hand of God by taking away the young King at Martell not farre from Linoges where his Father lay at siege gaue an end to this odious fowle and intricate contention 87 Thus was his life cut off like a Weauers threed say Authors who had by dying cut of the hope of many But whatsoeuer his life was which God thus shortned at his age of twentie and eight yeeres certainely his death was not inglorious but worthy to be set out in Tables at large as a pattern to disobedient Children for his Father refusing to visite him fearing his owne life but sending his King in signe of forgiuenes the dying Prince most humbly with flouds of teares kissing the same made a most sorrowfull confession of his sinnes and fecling death approch would needs be drawne as an vnworthy sinner out of his owne bed and laid vpon another strewed with ashes where his soule departed in a most penitent manner from his body which being related to the Father hee fell vpon the earth weeping bitterly and like another Dauid for his Absolon mourned very much O quam nefandum est saith one most grauely O how hainous a thing it is for sons to persecute the father for neither the sword of the fighter nor the hand of an enemy did auenge the fathers wrong but a feuer and a flux with excoriation of the bowels His body was buried by his own desire at Roan which yet was not done without trouble as if the factions of which hee was the cause in his life did by a kind of Fate not forsake him beeing dead for the Citizens of Mauns hauing enterred it they of Roan without menaces and the fathers expresse commandement could not obtaine it who thereupon was taken vp againe but his wife Queene Margaret was sent backe into France and his suruiuing sonnes were once againe reduced to due obedience not any enemie daring to appeare 88 Who would not haue thought that this stirring Prince should haue had opportunitie to end his daies in peace and glorie but it was otherwise ordained by God and ancient writers hold hee was principallie scourged for beeing drawne by seeming reasons of State to put off an holy enterprize the occasion whereof was laid as it were at his foote For Heraclius Patriarcke of Hierusalem drawne with the supereminent fame of King Henries wisdome valour riches and puissance trauailed from thence into England where at Clerkenwell by London in an assemblie of the States purposelie called the king made knowne to them That Pope Lucius had by ernest letters commended the lamētable state of the Holie-land and the Patriarcke Heraclius vnto him That Heraclius there present had stirred compassion and teares at the rehersall of the tragicall afflictions of the Easterne world and had brought with him for memorable signes that the suite was by common consent of the Countrey the Keies of the places of Christs Natiuitie Passion and Resurrection of Dauids Tower and of the holy Sepulchre and the humble offer of the Kingdom of Hierusalem with the Ensigne or Standard of the Kingdom as dulie belonging to him who was right heire thereunto to wit the sonne of Geffrey Earle of Aniou whose brother Fulke was king of Hierusalem 89 Neuerthelesse the King hauing at leftwise formally adiured the Lords to aduise him that which should bee most for his soules health it was thought fit to aid the cause with money but not to emploie his person northe person of any child hee had which was the Patriarcks last request and therupon to the vnspeakable griefe of the said Patriarcke and of the whole Christianitie of the East hee refused the said Kingdome and abandoned as noble an occasion of immortall renowne as euer any King of England had beene offered but gaue leaue to all such as would to take vpon them the Crosse and serue This Heraclius is hee who dedicated the Temple Church in London as by this Inscription ouer the Church doore in the Stone-worke doth appeare ANNO AB INCARNATIONE DOMINI M. C. LXXXV DEDICATA HEC ECCLESIA IN HONOREM BEATE MARIE A DNO ERACLIO DEI GRATIA SANCTE RESVRRECTIONIS ECCLESIE PATRIARCHA II IDVS FEBRVARII Q i EAM ANNATIM PETENTIBVS DE INIVNCTA Si PENITENTIA LX DIES INDVLSIT 90 Thus the sorrowfull Patriarcke being dismissed not forgetting as some doe write to thunder against the King for abandoning the cause brought back nothing but discomfort and despaire the Westerne Princes by the Diuels malicious Arts beeing wrapt and knotted in mutuall suspitions and quarrells indetermined whereupon shortly after ensued with the losse of Ierusalem the captiuity of Guido King thereof and of innumerable Christians besides whom Sultan Saladin Prince of the Musulmans or Saracens to the griefe and disgrace of all the Christian world did vanquish 91 But King Henries mind was more fixed on setling the state of his already-possessed Kingdomes and therefore in a great Parlament held at Oxford vnto which came Rhesus and Dauid Kings of South-Wales and North-Wales with other their chiefe Nobles which al did there sweare fealtie to the King he beeing desirous to aduance his sonne Iohn whom he exceedingly loued and commonly in sport hee called Sans-terrae hauing assured vpon him certaine Lands and Rents in England and Normandie did there verie solemnly giue him also the title Kingdome of Ireland for besides the foresaid Bull of Pope Adrian the fourth who for signe of inuestiture had also sent a ring of gold which were laid vp in the Records at Winchester Giraldus who liued in that age tells vs to omitte what hee writes of one Gurguntius that Guillomar King of Ireland was tributarie to the famous Arthur that Baion whence saith hee the Irish came was at that present vnder King Henrie the second and that the Irish Princes had voluntarily submitted themselues as vnto him who by the * Law of a Sociall warre was become their Soueraigne But that Author had not seene belike or did not remember when thus he went about to prooue a legall right in the King what others write of Egfrides vngodly spoiles in Ireland or of Edgars Charter in which is said to bee contained that he had vnder his rule the chiefe City of Ireland Dublin and the greatest part of the kingdome also But King Henrie strengthening his other rights with Grants of the Popes Adrian and Alexander obtained also of Vrban the third for Luciue the third who was Alexanders successor would not gratifie the the King therein that it should bee lawfull for him to crowne which of his sonnes hee would King of Ireland to whom hee sent a crowne of Feathers wouen with gold in all their Grants reseruing to the Roman See the Peters pence and
in regard of the great enmities betweene the Pope and Emperour to depart out of England There was also strait commandement giuen to the Italian Vsurers to leaue the most pure earth of his Realme meaning that his owne people was most innocent and free from such a sinne but saith one who durst write any thing hee thought by giuing the King money which is too much vsed to iustifie the wicked they for a great part remained still as loth to forsake such fat pastures And the Legat himselfe also staied so long till the Pope by wily inducements and forged calumniations had drawne the King both to relinquish the Emperour his brother in law and to suffer the Papall Excommunication to passe here against him and money also to be gathered to his impeachment A briefe taste of all the Popes proceedings against this glorious Emperour we may take from the Nobilitie of France who when the Pope offered the Empire vnto Robert the French Kings brother in their grand Councell refused to accept it charging the Pope with the Spirit of audacious rashnesse for deposing the Emperour not conuicted of any fault and whom a Generall Councell onely ought to censure not the Pope to whom no credit ought to be giuen being his Capital Enemie For that themselues knew he was a vertuous and victorious Emperor and one who had in him more religion then the Pope had Our Legat Ottho who now at length is gone was no sooner departed but Peter of Sauoy the Queens Vncle arriued to whō the King gaue the Earldome of Richmōd and entertained otherwise most magnificently This and the like largesse to strangers drew on the King much euill will who also in fauour of his Queene procured her Vncle Bonifacius to be chosen Archbishop of Canterbury in place of Edmunde who weary of his life in England by reason that he could not redresse the Popes detestable exactions and oppressions made choise of a voluntarie Exile at Pountney in France where he died with the honour and opinion of a Saint 63 The Kings imploiments hitherto haue almost wholly been taken vp either in the impatiencie of ciuill disturbations or in the too-patient sufferance of some forraine greeuances nourished within his Kingdome which gaue him perhaps little leasure minde or meanes to pursue any transmarine designe But now better prouided with money then with men and yet not sufficiently with money he takes shippe immediatly after Easter towards Poictou where the Earle of March now husband to Queene Isabell his mother expected his arriuall Hee committed the Gouernment of the Realme in his absence to the Archbishoppe of Yorke Thirtie Hogsheads or Barrels fraught with sterling money were shipt for that seruice There also went with him Richard Earle of Cornwall who was returned with much honour out of the Holy-land not long before and seauen other Earles with about three hundreth Knights besides other souldiers To resist the English the King of France who had giuen Poictou to his brother Alfonse assembled an Armie royall of foure thousand men of Armes excellently wel appointed and about twenty thousand choise Souldiers with a thousand Carts to carrie their other necessaries King Henrie vnderstanding that the King of France lay before Frontenay a Castle belonging to the Earle of March seeking to force it by assaults sent a messenger of defiance to him as a breaker of Truce Lewis a most iust and valiant P◅ince denied that euer hee brake the truce but that the King of England by ma◅ntenance of his Rebe◅s did rather seeme to i◅ringe the Peace Neuerthelesse hee offered so as the English would not protect his enemies the Earle of March and others to giue him Poictou and a great part of Normandy in satisfaction of his Fathers Oath and moreouer to enlarge the last truce with a longer terme of yeeres These so honourable safe and profitable conditions by the practise of the Poictouines who feared the French Kings indignation would proue too heauie for them to beare if the English abandoned their cause were vnfortunately refused 64 When the French King heard hereof it repented him that he had humbled himselfe so farre telling his Lords that he neither feared his Cosen of England nor all his forces but onely that Oath for restoring of the lands in France which his father made when hee was in England This scruple did so trouble the Kings mind on the behalfe of his dead Father that hee would admit no comfort till one of his Lords told him that the King of England by putting Constantine Fitz-Arnold to death for hauing spoken some words in honour of King Lewis his Father had first broken the truce This satisfied the French That whole businesse is thus concluded by Tilius Hugh Earle of March ouercome with the pride and perswasions of his wife ◅sabel would not doe homage to Alfonse the French Kings brother for shee was a cause to draw the English thither where things thriuing on his part but meanely Hugh is constrained in the end to doe both homage and fealty vnto Alfonse This onely must be added that he did vnfaithfully prouide for his priuate safety without the knowledge of the King of England at such time as he pretended otherwise 65 This treacherie lost the King all Poictou for whereas he principally tooke care for money presuming vpon the Earle for men when it came to the point the Earle was not onely not prouided but sware by the throat of God he neuer promised any such matter and denied he had set his Seale to any writing concerning such promises and that if any such sealed writing were as the King and his brother the Earle of Cornwall affirmed their mother his wife had forged it They were now in sight of the French Host before Tailbourg in Xainctoing when this improuident expostulation was made The King of England manifestly seeing his perill and hauing by his brother Earle Richards mediation whom many of the French did greatly honour because he had by composition been a meane at his arriuall to free them from the Saracens in the holy-land raised his camp by night and retreated with much more hast then good speed Not long after this the faire Citie of Xainctes in Xainctoing vpon displeasure conceiued by the Cittizens against the King because he had giuen the same to the Lord Hugh his halfe-brother sonne to the Earle of March first contriued a perfidious reuolt so closelie that if first the said Lord Hugh and then Guy de Lusinian his elder brother had not in good time signified the danger the King and all the English had been surprized by the French There was none among all the mutable Poictouins found respectiue of honor and loyaltie but onely one called Hertold Captaine of the famous Castle of Mirabell who in great sorrow repaired to the King of England praying counsell and assistance where the King with a downecast looke gaue
hand whereunto shee answered I am not ignorant who they are and thereupon commanded to apprehend those her keepers her libertie thus got shee became wholy for Burgogne and by his meanes was made the Regent of France and her picture stamped vpon the Seale of that State 42 By birth shee was a Germane and daughter to Stephen Duke of Bauier of an imperious spirit and vnreconcileable enuie not ouermuch beloued of her husband and as the nature of most women are not ouermuch fauouring his fauorites whose femall authority and hatred against her owne sonne Daulphin Charles sore bruised the Crowne which her weake husband ware his foregone infirmities and her new sprung Regency were now as two fludgates set open to let in the deluge of France hers is to be spoken of in the intercourse of the English his manie times hath beene but not made knowne how it came therefore a while in that subiect before we passe forward in this place let vs reade what others haue writ 43 This Charles the sixt and sicke-braind King of France was the sonne of King Charles surnamed the wise who with Salomon his wiser might haue demanded this question who can tell whether his sonne shal be a wiseman or a foole for the flower of his youth and commendable dispositions of his middle age promised great hopes of a valiant moderate and most happie Prince only inclined to choller and reuenge as by the occasion of his lunacy is easilie seene which chanced on this manner 44 Peter Craon a Courtier his minion and an inward fauorite of the Duke of Orleance the Kings brother blabbed out some secrecy of the said Dukes amorous passions vpon a wanton Lady vnto his Dutchesse Valentine who but lately married and so soon deceiued of bed took the wrong no lesse then it was nor letted shee as who can let a woman to speake to tell him his faults on both sides of his head the Duke could not hide what shee too well knew and therefore sought to satisfie her with complements of kind words but the Curtaine-sermons nightly enlarged vpon the same text made him many times to lie awake with little deuotion God wot to heare and often to rise when hee would faine haue slept which caused him lastly to complaine to the King that Craon had and would betray their ouermuch trust The cause no more but yet too much against a Prince Craon with all disgrace was discharged the Court who not able to brooke such an open indignity assaulted Cliston the Constable in a murthering manner as the only man as he thought that wrought his disgrace and escaping Paris fled into Britaigne whose Duke was his kinseman and an enemy to the Constable 45 King Charles transported with choller of this double offence mindes to draw Craon by force out of Britaine to iustifie himselfe whom the Councell had declared guilty of high Treason and enemie to the Crowne of France and resolues in person to enterinto Britaine forthwith the expedition for men and manner of proceeding made Charles to loose both meate and sleepe so as the vexation of minde and distemperature of body carried apparant shewes in his face in so much that the Dukes of Berry and Burgogne mistrusting the worst counselled that his iourney might be staid his Physitians disswade him in regard of his health the summer extreme hot and his blood as then ouer subiect to dangerous feuers New deuises were wrought to stay him at home giuing it forth that Craon was fled Britaigne and in Arragon was imprisoned by the Queene All this notwithstanding needes would he forward so forward is man when his fate will so haue it 46 He departed Meaux in Iulie the yere very hot his head couered with a great Cap of scarlet his body wrapped in a thicke veluet Ierkin warme enough for winter his mind distempered with choller griefe and despite and his body wearied with watching distasture and want of rest Thus entring the forrest of Meaux about noone-tide a man bare-headed and bare legged attired in a Coat of white rugge stepped sodainely forth from betwixt two trees and caught hold of his bridle staid his horse saying King ride no further but returne backe for thou art betraied Charles whose spirits were otherwise dulled and his blood greatly distempered was amazed at the voice which seene his seruants ranne to this man and with blowes forced him to leaue the reines of the horse and so without any further search the man vanished away 47 The troopes of his nobles diuided because of the dust King Charles was followed by the Pages of his Chamber who ouercharged with heat and distemperature tooke no great paines to guide their horse so that thronging together he which bore the Kings Lance let it fal vpon him who had on his head the Kings helmet and in the falling made a clattering noise The King much musing vpon the words spoken and now withall hearing this vnexpected noise was from a pensiue melancholy suddainely strucke into a raging Lunacy supposing himselfe to be betraied indeed and transported with this frensie he drawes his sword and made towards his Pages with a maine crie his brother Orleance not knowing the cause hasted among them whom Charles likewise pursued and with the like rage ranne at his vncle of Burgogne thus spending himselfe and his horse out of breath all incompassed the still raging man tooke from him his sword disrobed him for heate and cheered him with flatterings and faire spoken words his brother and vncles saluted him but hee knowes them not sits mute sighing and panting and with troubled amazement moues both body and head so that all signes of Phrensie appeared in this poore Prince and the eminent misery that was to fall vpon France very apparant to the inseeing Statists but now to proceed 48 Iohn Duke of Burgogne ill disgesting the threats that King Henry had giuen and ioined in league with the Daulphin as we haue said was notwithstanding suspected to be a great enemy to the State and as the Giants are faine to heape mountaine vpon mountaine for steps of assent to pull Iupiter out of his throne so by sinister Counsellors Burgogne was accused of some intended stratageme as meaning to mount the Chaire where the Daulphin should sit Charles therefore from Monstrean-Surfault yonne a Towne in Brie sent for the Duke vnto Troyes in Champagne to conferre further vpon the effecting of their affected accord as also to imploy their vnited forces vpon the common enemie the English a third cause likewise was alleaged and that was to haue him his meanes for a reconciliation to his mother the Regent whose wrath besides him no man could pacifie 49 The Duke mistrusting no snake in the grasse thought all things as sure as they were faire in shew and accompanied with many noble-men fiue hundred horse and two hundred Archers he repaired to Monstreau at whose Gate the Daulphin
the North signified at an assemblie according as the truth was that the King though the Northern people had besought it would not remitte one penny of such Subsidy as was granted in Parliament for supportation of the warres in Britaine left the Acts of State should bee reuersed at the rude peoples pleasure but that on the contrary Commission and warrant was sent downe for him to see the same leuied by distresse or otherwise the desperate multitude falsely supposing that the Earle was the occasion of such an answere did suddenly set vpon him at the incitement of one Iohn à Chamber and furiously murdered him with certaine of his seruants in a place called Cocklegge by Thrusk eighteene miles from Yorke They to carry their wicked attempt through make head vnder Sir Iohn Egremond a discontented Knight of those parts openly declaring where they came that their meaning was to fight with the King in defence of their liberties as if the causelesse killing of a most noble Lord had beene one of them Thomas Howard Earle of Surrey sent from Court with some forces to represse their increase skirmisheth with a route of these Rebels beats them away and takes Iohn a Chamber prisoner The whole swarme flockes to Yorke where they roosted about three or foure daies when hearing of the Kings approach who was euer one of the first in the necke of such occasions they scattered themselues but the ring-leaders were hanged and quartered and Iohn a Chamber with some others were executed at Yorke after an extraordinarie manner Sir Iohn Egremond escaping fled to the common Center of all King Henries dangers and enmities Margaret Dutchesse of Burgundy so that though the colour of rising was about money yet Egremond at lest had reference it seemes to the generall perturbation of the Kingdome vpon the old ground of quarrell hatred of the Lancastrian Familie and this to bee but a sparke or flash of that great and troubleous fire which afterward brake foorth and blased so prodigiously The Earle of Surrey is left by the King hauing seuerely punished the murtherers Lieutenant of the North and Sir Robert Tonstall Knight as chiefe Commissioner for leuying the taxe or subsidie 27 The vnworthy death of the Earle of Nerthumberland was seconded by a more vnworthy of Iames the third King of Scotland so as King Henrie lost at home a most honourable stay of his Northerne affaires and a sure Ally abroade This vnfortunate Prince hauing by some irregularity of life and partialities and errors of gouernment amplified perhaps by the constructions and reports of his malignant Subiects incurred extreme hatred with many of the Nobility and people laboured with King Henry as also with the Pope and King of France to make an accord betweene him and his Mutinadoes for that they had compelled Prince Iames his sonne to be the titular and vnnaturall Head of those armes which traiterously as pretending to haue a right on behalfe of the Common-weale to depose an euill King they assumed against him The Kings accordingly interposed their mediations by earnest Ambassadors but could obtaine no other then this outragious answer That there was no talking of peace vnlesse he would resigne his Crowne King Henry and King Charles vehemently protested against these their whole proceedings declaring by their Ambassador that they thought the same to be as a common iniury done vnto themselues the example to be very wicked and pernicious and not sufferable by Princes that Subiects should be permitted to put hands vnto their Soueraigne Hereupon it came to a Battell at Banocksborn by Striuelin whereat K. Iames rashly fighting before his whole numbers were come was notwithstanding the contrarie commandement of the Prince his sonne slaine in the Mill of that Field whither he fled after the battel ended By reason of this infortunate precipitation of the Scotish King Hadrian de Castello an Italian Legate whom Pope Innocentius the eight had sent to take vp the cruell quarrell came too late for he arriued not in England till the battell at Banocksborne was passed but not too late to receiue honour at the hands of King Henry who respecting his wisdome and excellent learning vpon the speciall commendations first of Iohn Morton Archbishop of Canterburie but afterward vpon his owne experience of the man in sundry emploiments to the Roman Sea bestowed vpon him the Bishoprike of Hereford and after resignation thereof the Bishopricke of Bath and Welles who was also at the length created Cardinall by Pope Alexander the sixth But who is hee among many thousands saith Polyd. that vseth not to admire these outward honours which may alike be giuen to the vnworthy aswell as to the wel-deseruing and may alike be taken away from either But the praise of this Hadrian is of another farre more noble kinde and eternall for he was the man who first reuiued the glory of the ancient Latine eloquence and of all other sorts of abstruse and exquisit learnings as in which himselfe excelled Thus doth Polydor himselfe an Italian celebrate the learning of his Country-man of whose other qualities yet others write more harshly as that out of meere ambition to be Pope without any other grudge hee conspired with Alphonso Petruccio and other sacred Cardinals to murther Pope Leo the tenth induced thereto by suggestion of a Witch who foretold him that one Hadrian an old man of meane parentage of great Learning and wisdome should succeed in the Papacy The man thought it must needs be himselfe as being though of very base Parentage yet of some noble qualities but another Hadrian the sonne of a Dutch Brewer and instructer of Charles the fifth the Emperour prooued to be the man and this our Hadrian lost by depriuation all his promotions whatsoeuer for his nesarious attempt Into quch extreeme folly is learning and wisdome metamorphosed where it is tainted with Ambition or wants a Religious discretion to manage it aright 28 And albeit the King himselfe could verie gladly haue spent his time in the studies of peace as those which were farre more apt for the seruice of God and for attaining of knowledge then in martiall tumults yet the quality of his supereminent place enuied vnto him that felicitie for he was necessarily drawne into a warre with France vpon lesse occasions Anne the young Dutchesse of Britaine by their aduise who affected to preserue the liberty of that Dukedome which by vnion with France would be absorpt extinguished had so farre entangled and engaged her selfe with the Procurators of Maximilian King of Romans that shee was not only publikely cōtracted but cōtented for vttermost performāce of those rites whereof marriage by proxie was honorably capable to take vpon her the Bride and being solemnly bedded to permit Maximilians Deputie in the presence of sundry Noble witnesses aswell men as women to put in his legge stript naked to the knee betweene
the spousall sheetes that ceremony seeming to amount to a Consummation Charles King of France notwithstanding these solemnities and his owne particular engagement with the Lady Margaret daughter of Maximilian whom for the purpose of marriage he had already entertained into France did so ambitiously and vehemently couet to gaine Britaine that vpon confidence of his force hee resolued to breake through all respects and not only to offend all his forreine friends but to make them his iust enemies rather then to faile in effectuation Instruments are therefore very secretly set on worke and batterie is placed with bags of gold at all the opportunities which might let in his purpose Ambassadors also the Lord Frances of Lutzenburg Charles Marinian and Robert Gagwine Generall of the Order of the holy Trinitie are dispatched to Henrie praying that with his good will he might dispose of the body of the Lady Anne in marriage according to the right which he had thereunto as the chiefe Lord of whom shee held the Dukedome Henry denied the request but yeelded notwithstanding to send Ambassadors into France there to Capitulate about a peace The French carried this affaire with notable Art for to diuert the world for looking into the depth of their drift King Charles still detained the young Lady Margaret Maximilians daughter so as at most it could be but suspected that Charles meant to match her with some of his blood and all the entercourse of Orators and Ambassadors vsed in the meane time tended but to hold the English busied vpon other obiects till they had wrought their feate in the Court of Britaine For Maximilian to let the world see what iniuries shall be offered euen to Kings that are not strong him they altogether neglected King Henry they plaied with and Ferdinando King of Castile who was ready to ioine with Maximilian and Henrie against the French they resolue to appease with rendring vp vnto him the Counties of Ruscinoon and Perpinian as accordingly they did without reembursement of one penny of those 300000. Crownes for which Iohn King of Arragon father to Ferdinando had morgaged them The young Ladies doubts rising either out of religion or point of honor his cunning Agents and Emissaries wipe away with these solutions That Maximilianâ—… daughter was not of yeeres to consent and therefore the contract betweene King Charles and her did not binde either in law or conscience That her owne contract with Maximilian was void for that it was done without the consent of her Soueraigne Lord King Charles whose ward or Client shee was The Ladie vanquished in her iudgement with these reasons attracted with the present greatnes of King Charles and loath by refusall to make her Countrey the seat of a long and miserable warre secretly yeelded to accept of another husband Thomas Goldstone Abbot of S. Augustines in Canterbury and Thomas Earle of Ormond in Ireland King Henries Ambassadors into France hauing beene dandled by the French during these illusiue practises returned without other fruite of their labors 29 What could now the most patient doe lesse then take sword in hand vpon so palpable and vnworthy illusion But Maximilians wrongs were too impudent and intollerable for Charles sent home the Lady Margaret and married the Inheretrix of Britaine annexing it to his owne Realme whereas King Henrie found himselfe rather mockt then otherwise empaired Iames Contibald hereupon comes Ambassador from Maximilian and obtained his request which was that they with ioynt forces should by a certaine day prefixed inuade the French in full reuenge of these their bold prouocations Maximilian for his part promising to support that warre with at least ten thousand men for two yeeres King Henry hauing formerly in abundant manner prouided himselfe of treasure was ready before the day with a roiall army but Maximilian whose will to worke the vttermost mischiefe to France was not doubted being sent vnto by King Henry signifying his forwardnes was found vtterly vnfurnished Causes of Maximilians weakenesse in state were the rebellions and dislikes of his Flemish Subiects cherished by the French the Iealousie of Princes neighbourhood making them vniustly glad either of others molestations For subduing whereof though King Henry had heretofore giuen him good and successefull assistance vnder the conduct of Giles Lord Dawbeney Gouernour of Callis the Lord Morley and others whereby he the rather ouercame yet was hee the feebler as then by reason of so fresh exhaustures King Henry with good cause was not a little troubled at these newes secretly signified by his trustie Almner Mr. Christopher Vrswick and Sir Richard Risley knight his Ambassadors to Maximilian For hee was very loath to vndergoe so great an Action vpon his particular strengths though he doubted not to finde a potent party among the Britaines whose affections were as yet but loosely setled toward King Charles and yet farre more loath to deceiue the expectation of his owne people who had so largely contributed Chiefly the City of London out of which euen in those daies he receiued for his furniture in that voiage almost ten thousand pounds from the Commoners and as it seemes by our Author two hundreth pounds besides from euery Alderman where the same King could not but with some difficulty leuie in the third yere of his Reigne a loane of foure thousand pounds whereof three of the best Companies are noted as for hauing done and deserued extraordinarily to haue lent aboue nine hundred And verily this wise King knowing how great a strength that rich City was vnto him humored that people with all forces of popularities for himselfe did not onely come among them and cause himselfe to be entred a brother in one of their Companies but ware the habite at a publike feast and sate as Maister as is verie credibly reported out of the Records of their Hall His wisdome therefore saw that in giuing ouer the inuasion of France he should sloathfully abandon a goodly occasion of making himselfe vniuersally acceptable to his people His resolutions therefore are by him at leastwise pretended to continue and for that cause he sufficiently encreaseth his numbers that he might seeme able to goe through with that enterprize alone and though the time of yeere were too farre spent for he landed not at Caleis till the sixth day of October yet marcheth he with his whole forces toward Boloigne being wel assured that with this trowell he should at once plaister two wals that is humor his English subiects and for a peace draw to himselfe store of Crownes from the French 30 He had with him besides the flower of his Nobility and Captaines answerable numbers of People fit for the seruice The most named persons were these Iasper Duke of Bedford Lieutenant Generall of the Army Thoâ—…as Marquesse Dorset the Earles of Arundell Oxford Suffolk Shrewsburie Derby Kent Deuonshire and Ormond sundry Barons as Dawbeney Abergenny Delaware South Hastings
into other coun tries They are exempted from war Their schollers must learne a great many verses by heart They vse the Greek letters lest their skill should be too common Their Theology is that the soule dieth not but passeth from one to another Their naturall Philosophie Lucan Of their commerce and traffick Polybius the first that tooke notice of this land Polyb. lib. 3. Cambd. Britannia de moribus Britan Matters scarse to be beleeued That Himilco entred this Iland Polyb. Eclog. lib. 10. That Hannibal should war here That Alexander came hither That Vlysses should visit Britaine The like examples we haue now of Cap. Henry c. The Romans not mentioned either by Thucydides or Herodotus Ioseph contra Appion lib. 1. Gaules and Spaniards for many yeeres vnknown to Historiographers The Britains vnknown to their next neighbors Caesar com lib. 4. Their merchandize of small vse Strabo Their shipping very meane Shâ—…s first inuented in Britaine is a matter to be doubted The ships of this Iland according to Caesar. Plinie and Lucan of the ships of this Iland Casar The Britaines coines The first Romane coynes with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were in Caesars time Sir Robert Cotten The mâ—…ks to know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of their warres Caesar com 4. They amaze the enemy 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of their chariot 〈◊〉 Casar com 5. They fight not in great companies together They haue euer fresh men in the roomes of them that are weary Strabo Diodorus Siculus The Britaines fight in chariots as the vse was in the worlds first age Pomponius Mela. Tacitus Their chiefe strength consists in sootmen Iuuenal Dio. Their footmen run swiftly Their armor Herodian Many British women renowned for valour Tacitus Queen Elizabeth a glorious virgin Queen A most valorous Princesse in war Tacitus The British womens rufull attire and the Druides behauiour in praier amaze the Roman souldiers The Romans deriue their name from an infamous person Titus Liuius c. The poore beginnings of Scythian and Turkish Empires And of Iewish Deut. 26. 5. Isai. 51. 1. The British gouernment Their succession doubtfull Not meerly monarchicall How in Caesars time and after Tacit. an 14. 11. Tacit. histor lib. 3. cap. 9. Their emulations ambition Pomponius Mela. Tacitus in vita Agrico Caesar first enterer not conquerer Caractacus Tacitus Annal. lib. 2. cap. 5. Gildas S. Hierome Ptolemâ—…i Geograph Caesar. 〈◊〉 lib. 4. Caesar. commen lib. 5. Verolam a famous City neere to the place where now S. Albons is Beda hist. Angl. lib. 1. cap. 2. Camb. Britan. Numb 24. 17. Isay. 11. 1. Isay. 9. 6. Matt. 2. Esay 11. 6. Mica 4. 3. Sâ—…ton iâ—… vitae Catigâ—… sâ—… 44. Dio calls him Catacratus Tacitus in vitae Agricâ—… Tacitus in vita Agricola Zonaras Tacit. Annal. 12. cap. 8. Psal. 2. Numb 24 23. Ioseph Antiqui lib. 1. cap. 3. Aristotle The reason why Nations Originals are so hardly found out The three chiefe notes of the Britaines 1. The first note of the Britaines their Nakednes Caesar. Herodian Pliny Dio. Herodian * Saint Cypriâ—… interprets A 〈◊〉 East D. 〈◊〉 West A. arctos North. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 South 2. Ignorance Paneg. ad Constan. Paneg ad Constan. Strabo Pliny Dioscorides Caesar. Tacitus 3. Pride Herodian Mela. Caesar. 2. The second note of the Britaines their painting Caesar. Caesar. Pliny Cambd. in Briâ—… p. 14. Mela. Pliny 3. The thiâ—…d note of the Britaines their picturing of their bodies Solinuâ—… I sidore Maculosa Nobilitas Herodian Solinus Claudian * The Appendix to Hariots Virginea Their married weomen The vse of their different picturing Their Virgins The Men. The later British weomen Agryppa de laâ—…de saeminarum Of their women Gouernors Queen Elizabeth descended from Owen Tender whome Lâ—…iland calleth Mâ—…ridyck Tacitus Beda Of the Britains habits in warre Diodorus Die Strabo Herodian Die Herodien The Romans the second possessors of this Iland Iulius Caesar the first Roman attempter * Calez Suet. in vita Caesar Sect. 7. Caesars speech beholding Alexanders picture Caesars complottings for the Empire Caesar ten yeeres in Gallia Caesar the first Roman that assailed the Germans Causes of Caesars inuasion Sueton. in vita Caesar. Strabo Bacon de arte natura Volusenus Caesars spic Athenaeus reports he had 1000. ships The Romans diuided thâ—… night into foure equall parts each part being called a watch Caesar commeth in person against Britaine * Thought to bee Deale This ensigne was an Eagle of siluer standing in a little shrine vpon the top of a speare Valer. Mâ—… lib. 3. cap. 2. Caesar. bell â—…il Ioseph Iscanus in Antiocheidâ—… * Viz. Pompey The first assay for the conquest of this Land An. â—…nds 3873. Caesar putteth the Britains to flight At Barham Down Caesar seeth the dispersion of his ships The Britaines second ambassage to Caesar. Caesars ships distressed Suetonius in vit Caesar. Britaines reuolt The Britaines suddenly assaile the Romanes Clem. Edmunds his obseruations on Caes. Comment li. 4. ca. 12. obscr 2. Cas. Commenâ—… li. 4. The manner of the Britaines fight The Britains gather a greater power Cor. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Comius supplieth Caesar with â—…0 〈◊〉 The Britaines â—…ubmit 〈◊〉 the third time Aequinoctium is 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are both of a length Caesar was now the first that had 20. daies 〈◊〉 gâ—…ted the greatest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 5. daies or 10. at the most Most of the Britaines breake couenant with Caesar. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some thinke to be Calis some S Oâ—… Caesar againe landeth at the place of his first arriual Caesar resisted at the riuer Stower The Britains driuen from their fortresse Caesars Nauie greatly impaired by tempest Hee draweth his fleet on shoare Caesar. Com. lib. 5. Flor. Histor. Fabian Cassibelan brother of King Lud. Lamber Peramb Britaines retire to their seuerall Prouinces Thought to be Oatland Beda lib. 1. cap. 2. The Trinobants submit to Caesar. Beda calleth him Androgorius lib. 1. cap. 2. Ceminagues Segontianus Ancalits Bibrokes Cassians S. Albans besieged by Caesar. The Gouernours of Kent ioine with Cassibelan against Caesar. Cassibelan solliciteth for peace A great Tribute So saith an old written Chronicle the Author not named Tacitus in vita Agric. Eutrop. Plin. Caesars ambition Caesars death British Writers vary from Caesar. That Cassibelan repulsed Caesar twice Nenion won Caesars sword Beda hist. li. 1. c. 2. Lucan Eutropius Tacitus Tacit. lib. 12. ca. 〈◊〉 In vita Agric. Diodi 39. Caesar got nothing in Britaine saue the sight of the Countrie Quintilian Caesar would bee stiled amongst the Gods Sueton. Plutarch Caesar forewarned to take heed of the Ides of March. His dreames His wiues dream Ould Meta. li. 15. His personage Easie to be reconciled Seneca Cotas apud Athenaeum His successe in warre and number of battles His Offices Num. 24. 24. Dan. 11. 30. Dan. 2. 35. * From Macedonia say some Caesar against Antony Sueton. in vita August Cicero against Antonius Antonius discomfited Octauian and Antony reconciled The Empire too great Fabian out of Guido Columna Dio Cass.
a peace Enguerrant de Mâ—…let Vpon an vnexpected assault by the French the King stâ—…eth further talke of peace A. D. 1415. March 14. * Nichol. Gilles Alain Chartier Secretarie an Roy Charles 7. * Hist. of Normandie saith 800. Rich. Grafton Harflew besieged by the French both by land and sea Enguerrant de Monstrel The Emperour out of hope to make attonement for France entreth league with England * Titus Liui. The Pope might not be opposed Agâ—…ino Giustiâ—…ano Vâ—…scouo di 〈◊〉 Paul Aemilâ—… Alain Charâ—…ey Secretarie French Nauy ouâ—…rthrowne History of Normandy La Mer des Histories The Emperour applaudeth the â—…city of England He prepareth for Germany Denis Sauage Chro. de Fland. The Duke of Burgundy doth homage to the Emperour and taketh a truce with K. Henrie Ioh. Serres in 〈◊〉 Charles 6. That no person should forsake the Towne for being true to K. Henry they should be safe Neither person nor goods of the Castels to be re ceiued into the Towne During the truce no assault to bee made on the Towne 12. Knights and Esquires to bee hostage to King Henry A. D. 1417. Fallais yeelded to the King The Articles agreed vpon That if they were not succoured by the French power to surrender That they should trust to the kings royall promise Geffrey Chasteaux excepted That the gouernour should repaire the wals 8. Gentlemen to be hostages The Castell repaired the Gouernour should be â—…et at liberty * Febru 16. The City of Roane besieged Polyd. Verg. Enguerrant de Monstreâ—… 15000. Citizens well trained within Roane The Riuer Seine blockt vp with Iron-Chaines Caxton Chron. Denis Sauage Roane besieged sixe monthes 50000. quite famished and 12000. almost starued put out of the Towne The Lady Katherines picture sent to King Henry to moue him to pitty Roane Iohn Serres Denis Sauage Enguerrant Ten thousand of Roane sally forth vpon King Henry and are ouerthrowne King Charles sendeth no succour The Rouennois desire a parley They returne vnsatisfied The Articles of the composition of Roane Denis Sauage Chron. de Flaunders King Henry requireth 356000. Crownes Enguerrant de Monstrel Two principall persons to bee left to his mercy All to sweare fealty to King Henry That their priuiledges should be confirmed to them That who so would might depart but their goods should bee forfeit The souldiers to resigne vp their armes and deâ—… part promising a twelue months truce The hungry Citizens plentifully relieued from Henries campe A fat mutton sould for 6. souses King Henry roially entreth the City Rouen 15. yeeres before the now winning of it was wonne by K. Philip from King Iohn of England Many Townes yeeld after the sorrender of Rouen Burgogne endeuoreth to make a peace betweene Charles and Henrie Polyd. Verg. The place of treaty was at Melun The French states came first Henry meeteth with a thousand horse Their followers on both parts though enemies demeane themselues ciuilly King Henry dis pleaâ—…d at their retuâ—…all The Dukes reply Burgogne sideth with the â—…ulphin who after ward slew him Ponthois besieged Enguerrant de Monstrelet The souldiers got great riches in the Towne King Charles vpon the loâ—…e oâ—… Poâ—… thâ—… flieth from Paris Enguerrant de Monstrelet Guillart and Rochguien two of the best Forts in Normandy A cunning plot of the Constable Armagnac 2. Sam. 17. Queene Isabell robd of her Iewels and plate The Daulphin drawes the King to suspect Queen Isabell. Aâ—…ls of Burgundy Queene Isabel and her sister imprisoned Shee solliciteth Burgogne for her deliuerance Burgogne sendeth to the Queene The manner of her escape from her keepers Shee is made Regent of France 10. Serres The causes why the French were the easier conquered by king Henry Eccles. 2. 19. The occasion of King Charles distemper Orleance newly married is in loue with another Câ—… dismist the Court for telling the Dutchesse of the incontinency of her husband King Charles pursueth Craon into Britaine Notwithstanding his sicknes he continueth his iourney Charles in the forrest at Noon-day seeth an apparition His followers thronging confusedly to helpe doe distemper him the more He runneth distractiuely at euery one with his sword Iohn Duke of Burgogne suspected of the State Charles the Daulphin seeketh his remouall Iohn Serres Burgogne repairing to the Daulphin is charged with breach of promise He is slaine by Tanneguy de Chastel and others Queene Isabel incites his sonne to reuenge it and moues Charles to disinherite the Daulphin and adopt King Henry Guil. Parradyn A peace concluded betweene K. Henry K. Charles and the new Duke of Buâ—…gogne King Henrie sollicites the Pope to confirme him King of France The Calamities of France for withstanding the right of the English La legende des Flamens The Pope stood for the Daulphin Alain Chartier Enguerrant de Monstrel Ambassadors from King Henry History of Normandy Ladie Katherine attended as Queene of England Henry goeth in person to Troyes History of Normandy The Articles agreed vpon betwixt the two kings Queene Katherines Dowry The Crowne of France intailed to England The gouernment of France assigned to King Henrie The subiects of France sworne to King Henry The tenor of the oath Churches Vniuersities and Colledges to enioy their liberties Normandy to be vnder the Crown of France Letter Grant gifts c. signed by King Charles And by King Henry King Henries stile duâ—…ing King Charles his life The vnion of the Crownes The vnion of the Subiects No peace with the Daulphin The punishment of the peace-breakers Holinsh. The testies of these Articles Wil. Parradin Annals of Burg. * Titus 〈◊〉 sets downe his Oath verbatim * Enguerrant Nicholas Vigneur Hollinsh King Henry married to Ladie Katheriâ—… History of Normandy Hollinshed but Polyd. 〈◊〉 aâ—…th this speech was deliuered before at their swearing of fealty Polyd. Verg. King Henries Oration vnto the States of France Polyd. Verg. The Daulphins counterplots to vphold himselfe Denis Sauage in Chro. de Fland. Enguerrant de Monstrel Monstreau beseeged and gotten Io. Millet Holinsh. Tis. Linius Melun beseeged and gotten Enguerrant King Henry fighteth in single Combat Translator of Liuie Enguerrant The French refuse to submit to their owne King Nichol. Giles Paris yeelded vp to King Henry * Dat. 23. Iuly An 1420. Denis Sauage Picardy sweares fealty to King Henry Enguerrant Enguerrant de Monstrelet Enguerrant A noble example of Iustice. Iohn Millet Iohn Millet The two Kings entred Paris The two Queens enter Paris Denis Sauage Millet Enguerrant de Monstr The two Kings sit personally in iudgement Processe against the murtherers of the Duke of Burgundy Iohn Serres The Daulphin cited to appeere and disinherited King Henry himselfe giues sentence iudicially Holinsh A quirke of Heraldy to ouerthrow a Iudiciall sentence A Parliament at Paris Holinsh. * Where they yet remaine saith Hollinsh p 578. King Henry returneth into England Enguerrant de Monstrelet Ex Antiq. M. S. D. Roberti Cotton Ex. Record Parl. 9. Hen. 5. The King pawneth his Crowne for money Pontus Herterm
should aide the Britaines or no. Charles King of France practiseth to 〈◊〉 Britaine to his Empire Ambassadors out of France to King Henrie Iohn Nordeâ—…s Middlsex lit H. The Lord Wooduile slaine in Britaine * Paulus Acâ—…yl in Carol. 8. The Battel of S. Albine wherein the French preuaile King Henrie opens the cause in Parliament The Parliament grants aide of money to support the warre of Britaine Polyd. Uirg Eight thousand English sent tardie into Britaine Iob. Stow Annal. * Polyd. Verg. l. 26. * Polyd. Verg. * Hollinsh Iob. Daâ—… MS. * Polyd. Verg. The Duke of Britainâ—… dies and the English returne The beginning of new stirres in Yorkeshire Iob. Stow ex Iob. Skelton * Polyd. Verg l. 26 Iob. Stow. Annal. The Earle of Northumberland slaine by the people in a tumult The King in person in Yorkeshire Iob. Stow Annal. Sir Iob. Egremond Captaine of the Rebels escapes to the Dutchesse of Burgundy * Bern. Andr. MS. * 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Polydor. Uirg King Henry â—…n vaine seekes to reconcile the Scotâ—… to their King Io. Lest. Bish. of Rosse Iames the third King of Scotland slaine in battell by his Subiects * Io. Stow. Annal. K. Henries bountie to a stranger for Learnings cause * Polyd. Verg. l. 26 The first reuiuer in this age of pure Laâ—…ne and choise learning Godwins Caral of P. 〈◊〉 in Bath c. pag. 309. Paul 〈◊〉 * Hadriâ—… 6. Warre with France and the causes The yong Dutchesse married by proxie * Stowes Annal. * Bern. And. MS. The French carried the practise of marriage with the inheretirex of Britaâ—… most artificially * Polyd. Uerg. * Iob. Tâ—…l Câ—…n * Lu Marin lib. 20. de reb Hispan Britaine annexed to France Maximilian vnprouided to 〈◊〉 with Henry * Addit to Fab. Chron. The Londoners large contributions to the king King Henries popularities in London * The Merchant Taylors A. D. 1492. An. reg 8. The chief Lords names who serued in thiâ—… voiage Boloigne besieged by K. Henry * Polydor cals him Desquerdo * Bern. Andr. MS. Reasons mouing the Kings to a peace * Phil. de Com. * Arnol. Ferron Hist. ad A. D. 1492. Polyd. Vergil in Hen 7. * Stow. Annal. The high points of wisdome practised by King Henry in atchieuing his ends * Bern. Andr. MS. * One hundreth eighty six thousand two hundreth and fifty pounds English I. Da. of Her MS Holinshed * Polyd. Verg. Forraine pensions of what vse or hazard * Ber. Andr. Henry returnes * 17. Decemb. I. Sto Annal. 〈◊〉 Henry returned * Andr. Thol MS The Dutchesse of Burgundy addresseth a Pseudo Rochard against Henry * Polyd. Verg. * Bern. Andr. MS. * Polyd. Verg. Causes mouing the Dutchesse to beare K. Henry so mortal hatred * Infra 〈◊〉 prox sequent * Videinfia § prox Perkin Warbecke fits the Dutchchesses turne by exact representation of a Richard Plantagenet * Pancerollus * Holinsh. 10. Da. MS. A summarie relation of Perkins first fortune after he was published * Stow Annal. * Ber. Andr. M. S. Perkin in Flanders with the Dutchesse * Stow Annal. Sir Rob. Clifford signifies to his friends in England that Perkin was the true Duke * Bern. Andr. MS. * Stow Annal. * Polyd. Verg. * Iohn Da. of Her M. S. King Henries countermines and courses against this Pseudo Richard * S. Robert Clifford wun away from the Dutchesse * Proclam of Perkin as a King Rich. MS. penes Sir Rob. Cotton * Polyd. Uirgin Hen. 7. The maine argument prouing that King Edwards sons were both of them murdered * Sir Tho. More The Dutchesse of Burgundies tvvo monstrous birthes * Lambert and Perkin were about fifteen yeeres old saith Polydor at the time of their appearance * Bern. Andr. MS. * Stow Annal. Poâ—…ydor cals him but a knight K. Henry expects Sir Rob. 〈◊〉 in the Tower of London Sir William Stanley Lord Chamberlaine accused * Polydor. Uirg l * Ioh. Stow. Annal. * Illum tutari in regnum adduâ—… cere premiseras * Polyd. Verg. Stanley Lord Chamberlaine beheaded * Sir Tho. Moore in Rich. 3. Perkin vpon the Kentish Seas Polyd. Verg. Stowes Annal. * Bernard Andr. saith about 400. * Bern. Andr. MS. The Kings praier and speech to God Io. Stow Annal. Perkin sailes into Ireland * Bern. And. MS. * Stowes Annal. His great forraigne friends * Io. Lesl. Epis. Ross. * Bern. Andr. Perkin sailes into Scotland * Bern. Andr. Perkins successe in Scotland 1. Lâ—…a Epis. Ross. The effect of Perkins speech to Iames the fourth King of Scotland MS. Perkini proclam penes D. R. C. Baronet * Polyd. Verg. l. 26. * MS. Perkini Proclamati * Polydor lib. 26. * MS. Per. Procl * Epis. Ross. * Polyd. Verg. l. 26. Perkin credited and aided matrics into the blood roiall of Scotland * Pern 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Scots inuaâ—… Northumberland in Perkins quarrell and retaine * Procl Per. MS King Henry prepares for reueÌ„ge * Add. to Fab. The Cornish rebellion * Polyd. Verg. 〈◊〉 Stowes Annal. Holinshed Perkins Proclamation The Earle of Warwicks emprisonment obiected Popular insinuations by Perkin * Polyd. Verg. Principeâ—… 〈◊〉 virtute preditum * Episc. Rosse Polyd. Verg. The Scots inuade and retire * I. Stow Annal. A. D. 1497. Iun. An. Reg. 12. The King moued against the Rebels Blackeheath field * Polyd. Verg. Hall * Io. Stow. Annal. * Polyd. Verg. The Blacke-smithes comfort at his death Holinsse Stowes Annal. * Addit to Fab. A Spanish Ambassador procures a truce betweene England and Scotland * Cambd. in Deuonshire Imaginarius Scenicus princeps The Queene of Spaine troubled by a counterfeit * Franc. Tarapha in Hen. 4. Luc. Merinaus Sicul. Perkin Warbecke practised out of Scotland The Cornish call in Perkin Warbeck King Henry setleth peace with neighbour Princes * Idâ—… Mâ—…l Perkin stirres the Cornishmen * Bern. Andr. MS. The City of Excester assaulted by Perkin The Exceâ—…rians policy in defenting fire by site * Polyd. Verg. Perkin at Taunton * Polyd. Virg. The King and his people match toward him * Polyd. Verg. Perkin flies from his hoast Perkins wile take and honourably vsed by the king * Epis. Ross. The King at excester Polyd Verg. sine spâ—… 〈◊〉 sede sine fortune Perkin yealde himselfe to the King * Polyd. Verg. The king returne to London with Perkin * Ioh. Stow Annal. 28. Nouemb. * Bern. And. MS. * English voyage by Ricb. Hackl * Bern. And. MS. * Engl. Heroick Epist. * Io. Stows Annal. Perkin set openly in the Stocks c * Hollinsh Perkin maketh an anatomâ—…e of his descent or lineage Perkins education oâ—… bringing vp Perkin a notable land-loper The Irish would haue Perkin take vpon him to bee the Duke of Clarences sonne They beare Perkin downe vvith oathes that hee is King Richards bastard They call him Duke of Yorke A. D. 1498. An. Reg. 14. Perkin in the Tower and