daughter to King Phillip the faire sister and heire to thrée Kings deceasing without any issue which enheritaunce of the woman is declared to be iust by the Mosaicall law and vsed and approued by the Gallicean descēt as I haue before declared Therfore for gods sake léese not your patrimonie disherite not your heires dishonor not your selfe diminish not your title which your noble progenitours so highly haue estemed Wherefore with courage aduance forth your victorious banour fight for your right conquere your inheritance spare not sword bloud nor fyer your warre is iuste your cause is good your claime true Therefore couragiously and spéedely set forwarde your warre against your capitall enimies for maintenāce of the which we your louing Chaplaines and obedient subiectes of the Spiritualtie to shew our selues willing and desirous to minister aide and succour to you for the recouery of your auncient right and true title to the Crowne of Fraunce we haue in our Spiritual Conuocation graunted to your highnesse such an infinit tresure sūme of money as neuer by that Spiritualtie was graūted to any prince before your dayes to serue for an assurāce caution pawne gage pledge also for a witnesse attestatiō approbation of the vnfained fauour which we your true Chaplaines beare towards you beside our songs himnes odes cantels collects with diuers other dayly prayers continual precations dedicate cōsecrate attribute to god his Saints that prosperous successe may ensue your martiall exployte royall passage When the Archbishop had finished this his oratiō which rightly may incense the hearts of all true English men make them to be redy at the princes pleasure not onely to endeuor thē selues to restore the which of right belongeth to the crowne of Englande but also to enlarge the bonds of their natural coūtry like faithful harted Philines neuerthelesse he vsed it wickedly as a vele of his wicked purpose The honorable lord Rafe earle of westmerlād a noble of no lesse grauity thā experiēce a champion of no lesse experiēce than stomacke which was at that instante worthy high warden of the Marches toward Scotland and therefore considering if that the King with his whole power and chiualry of the Realme should passe ouer into Fraunce as Chickley had craftely conueyed the matter that the remnante should be to weake to withstand the strength and power of Scotland if during the kings absence they should inuade that Realme Wherefore as a true Curtius toward his coūtrey he arose vp and after making of due obeisaunce to the Kings highnesse he spake this vnpremeditat Oration not without the great solace of all the Conuocation house as here foloweth Surely syr as my lorde of Canterburie hath clarkely and curiously declared the conquest of Fraunce is very honorable and when it is gotten and obtained very profitable pleasant But sauing your graces reformation I say and affirme that to conquer Scotland is more necessarie more apparant easy and more profitable to this Realme than should be the florishing gaine obtained by the conquest of Fraunce For although I am not so wel learned as my lord Archbishop is haue not ben Laureate in the Vniuersitie neither proceded to basest degrée in scholes yet haue I eftsones read and hard the opinions of famous and great clarkes in the which they douted not to affirme that strength knit combined together is of more efficacie and force than being seuered dispersed As for an example sprinkle a vessell of water and it moysteth not but cast it out wholy together it not only washeth but also nourisheth This notable example and saying before this time hath encouraged kings animated Emperours inflamed princes allured couragious Captaines to conquere Realmes to them adioyning to vanquish nations adiacent to their dominions to subdue people eyther necessarie to their purpose or being to them dayly enimies either continuall aduersaries for attestation whereof beholde what was the chiefe cause and occasion why rulers and gouernours so sore labored thirsted coueted to bring all regions to them adioyning into on rule or Monarchie was it not done to this intent that the conquerours might haue onely power entier gubernation of all the landes and people within their clymate gouerne them in time of peace also their aide in the time of warre which monarchie was of that maiestie and estimatiō in the world that no other foreine prince either exterior potētate either had audacitie or yet was able to attēpt any thing within the territorie or region of the Monarchiall prince and adorned King Let the Kingdome of the Assirians be your example and if that suffise not then looke vpon the Persians after vpon the Grekes and lastly view the Romans which euer desired coueted more to obtaine the litle yle of Scicilie the territorie of the Numidians the meane Citie of the Samnites lying vnder their wings rather than to obteine populous Gaull plētuous Pannouie or manly Macedonie farre distant from theyr sight and oute of their circle or compasse This desire séemeth to rise of a greate prudent and vigilant pollycie for as a prince is of more puissance when his countries ioyne so is he of more strength when his power is at hand And as men destitute of cōfort be more relieued by frends which are present than by kinsfolkes dwelling farre distant and in forayne regions so Princes haue commonly coueted and euer desired to haue theyr dominions lying aboute them and at hand rather than to heare by reporte from them being farre distante Yf this hath ben the pollycie of conquerers the appetite of purchasers and the studie of gouernours why doeth your most noble grace desyre Fraunce before Scotland or couet a countrey farre distant from your sight before a Realme lying within your leape remember you not how the Ile of Britaine was an intire monarchy in the time of your noble auncetour King Brute the first royal ruler of this your famous Empire and glorious region which deuiding his realme to his thrée sonnes indued Lothron the eldest with this part of Britaine which your honorable highnesse now enioyeth gaue to Albanacte his second sonne the coūtrey of Albanie now nominated Scotland and to Camber the yongest he appointed the countrey of Cambria now called Wales reseruing always to him and his heires homage liege and fealtie loyal for these same countreys and dominions By this diuision the glory of the Monarchie of Britaine was obscured and clearely defaced by this seperation the strength of the British kings were sore diminished weakned by this dispersion intestine more warre began and ciuile rebellion budded firste with bloudie shoures wythin this region For duryng the time that it was wholy vnder one no forain nation durst once either inuade or attempt warre against the Britaines but the region being discided and the monarchiall estate once seuered outward enimitie and externe hostilitie no whit so muche infested grieued or troubled our valiant and
inuente some way by the which he might passe into Africa with his armie and at the leÌ„gth vsed this pollicie vnderstanding how the heads of this for named riuer were so stopte with certaine windes that the vaste profoundnesse thereof was turned to shalow at which time he supposed best to conueie his armie Making no man priuie to this his deuise he houered to espie oportunitie which once offered he set forwarde in the night time with his souldiers vndescried and conueyed them ouer that riuer In the morning not only his enimies but the Citizens were astonyed at his wonderfull passage Then he marched foreward to them which kept Sephira But Spendius perceiuing that he had conueyed ouer his Armie with all his retinue immediatly set forwarde to aide his coÌ„panions There were at Sephira x. thousand men at Vtica about xv thousaÌ„d so they supposed that they might at pleasure impale the Carthaginenses if they both marched forward at one time incountered with them the one company before the other behind wherfore incouraging their company they set forward towards Amilcar which failed not of his iorney placing his Elephants in the first fronte then his horsemen lightest footemen setting the legion souldiers in the rearewarde perceiuing his enimies to be very earnest coÌ„manded that incoÌ„tineÌ„tly the whole order of the battaile should be changed so they which stode in the fore warde should returne as though they would flée and come into the hinmost part likewise they which were in the rearewarde trauersing about should enter into the for most rampire at which sight the Libeans being redy to inuade them on bothe partes supposing them to be afraide and redy to runne away incontinently brake their order and came hurling vpon them and to handy strokes but perceiuing the horsemen redy to resist and the residue of the armie to assaile them in warlike order they were so astonyed with the rarenesse thereof that scattering them selues abroade they were compelled to flée many were slayne of the legion souldiers while they inuaded the sides of the battayle and diuers were ouerrunne by the Elephantes horsemen so that there was sixe thousande Libians slaine and two thousande taken in this combate the rest fled some to Sephira and many to the Campe by Vâ—â—ca Amilcar after this triumph pursued those which escaped into Sephira winning the Towne at the first assalte all the Souldiers fled to Tunes from thence he passed through the prouince receiuing many of the townes which reuolted fauorably expugnate many by force of armes which caused the Carthaginenses which of late hadde no hope of good fortune or libertie to receiue their pristinate courage boldnesse Matho in this time besieged Hippona perswading Spendius and Autoricus Captaines of the Frenchmen to pursue their Enimies counselling them to eschew the plaines for feare of the Elephantes and kepe them selues continually in the sides of the mountaines and in addible wayes and neuer to kepe farre distant from him for many inconueniences that might ensue he also solicitated the Numidians Libians to rebellion intising theÌ„ with many sugred wordes to assist him and not to pertermit such an oportunitie in which they might dyliuer Africa from bondage and seruitude Then Spendius with vj. thousand olde seruitours picked from amongst the whole hoste at Tunes incamped by the hil sides not farre distant from his enimies he had also vnder his conduct two thousand FreÌ„chmen belonging to Antoricus for the reste were reuolted to the Romans at the siege of Erix in Scicilie At this present Amilcar with his Armie remained in a plaine inuironed with mountaines on euery side there repaired to Spendius great crewes of the Numidians troupes of the Africans so that the Carthaginenses were hemmed in with thrée great hostes of their enimies on the fore side with the Africans in the diametre with the Numidians on the other side which Spendius which brought Amilcar into a great perplexitie as one desolute abaÌ„doned of al libertie There was at that present amongst the Numidians one Nerua a man disceÌ„ded of a honorable noble progenie both worthy and valiant in battayle which had always intierly affected the Carthaginenses then especially rapte with the noblenesse of Amilcar which supposing that a time most expedient to obtaine his fauor approched to his tentes hauing in his company aboute a hundreth Numidians and being approched nighe his pauilion stayed boldly beckning with his hande signifying that he would speake with him Amilcar wondering at his audacitie sent one forth vnto him whome Nerua aduertised that he would commen with his captaine Amilcar yet in dout and not rashely crediting his wordes stoode stil but Nerua incontinently deliuering his horse and speare to a Numidian that stode by approched to Amilcar The whole armie wondered to sée such boldenesse in one man and beginning to disclose his minde shewed how earnestly he had ben always affected toward the Carthaginenses that aboue all things he required the amitie of Amilcar for which causes he came at that present to submit him selfe promising that he would be prest and redy to ayde him without all deceipte or guile to the vttermost of his power Amilcar perceiuing his entier affection towardes him reioised wonderfully as well for the hautie courage that he saw in the young man by comming to him so stoutly as for the simplicitie and plainnesse of his words not mixte with fraude or guile not onely admitting him to his frendeship but affirming if he would persist faithfull and true towarde the Carthaginenses that he should haue his Daughter in mariage After their communication was finished Nerua returned to his souldiers and in the nexte morning came to Amilcar with two thousand Numidians which were vnder his retinue so that this crue of men being reuolted to the Carthaginenses Amilcar thought him selfe able to match with his enimies Spendius likewise hauing his army streÌ„gthned by the comming of the Numidians and Africanes conducted them into a plaine place and immediatly encountred his ennimies where was a terrible and cruell fight but after long contention by the multitude of their elephants and the prowesse of Nerua the Carthaginenses obteined the victorie Then Antoricus and Spendius beyng desolate and abandoned of all comfort fled away There were slaine in that combate aboute ten thousande men and foure thousand taken After this victorie Amilcar granted pardon and fréedom to all those which woulde remayne and be his souldiers deliuering them the armour of those which were slaine the reste he called vnto him persuading them neither to rebell or moue warre against the Carthaginenses remitting al such offences as they had coÌ„mitted vntill that time without punishement licencing them that woulde to returne to their countreys About this time the hired souldiours that kepte Sardinia imitating Matho and Spendius inuaded all the Carthaginenses inhabiting the I le and soone after leading Bostarus and the other into a hold beheaded them Then was Hanno sent to
at the ende a replye to the same made by the right honorable Lorde Rafe earle of Westmerlande a man of no lesse grauitie than experience which was garnished with such floures of Rethoricke and matter of importance that if it had ben in Greke and Latine it had ben nothing inferiour but equiualent with the Orations of Demosthenes or Tully When I had taken a superficial sight of it I was rapte in minde more profoundly to digest his stately stile knit together as the Ambre and argumentes indissoluble as the Adamant After that I had circumspectly pondered and wayed it with deliberation I wondered not a little to sée such eloquence and pithie sentences procede out from such a potentate as scant in these our dayes demane from graue great learned Doctors There lacked no copie of examples as of the Persians the Africans the Grekes and especially of the Romans by diuerse other nations yea of Englande and Scotlande When I had perused the mellifluous Oration of this worthy Oratour and mightie magistrate I determyned with my selfe to reade some of the famous Histories out of which he had picked such pleasant pearles and especially before the rest that Historie intreating of the warres made by the Romans for Scicilie and the Citie of the Samnites out of the which he hadde collected the most firme infringible argumentes of his Oration With the perusing of the which History I was so rapt and pleasured that my appalled senses were quickned and my dul wit sharpened reuiued For the which causes I vowed to apply my vacant houres in reducing it to our maternal vulgar tong vnder the protection gouernāce of the most worthy sequele hautie successours of the incomparable Earle trusting so much to their boūtiful beneuolēce accustomed gētlenes which naturally is plāted in that stock so that they would gratefully accept my good wil towards them When the matter was come to this point I thought that of necessitie I must nedes pen the oration which was the originall cause of this my translation that thereby I might satisfie them which were desirous to know for what cause I toke this worke in hand which could not be done without declaring of the bishops which was the cause of the earls So then I was persuaded that euery man would be desirous to know for what cause the bishop made his which could not be shewed without entring into the life of King Henry the which percell of his life would haue caused him to haue ben iudged of some maligne cursed persons a wicked prince But for their confounding which would go about to take such a cause where none is offered I iudged it as a thing necessarie at the leaste compendiously to shew this abstract of the life of our worthy and renoumed prince and gouernour not neding any argelier to explicate set forth his workes bothe bicause I should soner emptie the Occeans and fill the vorages of Scilla and Caribdis than shew his merited praises which are done alredy as worthely as may be by any man in the vnion of the two illustre and noble families of Lancaster and Yorke compiled by the forenamed Hal but yet not accordingly as they ought to haue ben or as he deserued and also bicause this may sufficiently serue for the vnderstanding of that which I intēded Thus fare you well from my study in saint Iohns Colledge at Cambridge Yours Christopher Watson ¶ The victorious actes of king Henry the fift THe mightie puissāt prince Henry sonne heire to king Henry the fourth toke vpon him the highe power and regimēt of this Realme of England the twenty day of March in the yeare after that Christ our sauiour had entred into the immaculate wombe of the holy Virgin his natural Mother a thousand foure hundreth and eyght and was crowned King the ninth day of April next ensuing and proclaimed King by the name of King Henry the fift This King was the man which according to the auncient prouerbe declared shewed that honour ought to chaunge maners for incontinently after that he was inthronised in the siege royall and had receiued the diaadem and scepter of this famous and fortunate region he determined with him selfe to put on the shape of a new man to vse an other sort of liuing turning insolency wildenesse into grauitie and sobernesse and wauering vice into constant vertue and to the entent that he would so persiste without reflection either least he should bée allured by the sinister persuasions of his familyer companions with whome he had passed his adolescencie in wanton pastimes and ryotous rufflings he banyshed and separated from him all his olde flatterers and lighte bolde brainesicke playféeres but not vnrewarded inhibiting them from thence forth on a great payne not once to approche eyther to his speach or presence nor yet to lodge or soiourne within ten miles of his highe Courte or royall mansion and in their places elected chose men of grauitie and great wit with such as were practised in pollicie and martial prowes by whose skilful wisdome curious counsayle prudent pollicies and ingenious instructions he might at all times rule regally to his high honour guide his gouernāce princelike to his profit This péerlesse prince was righteously reported to be the rare Arabical Phoenix and the very Peragone of his predecessours This haughty Henry was a King whose life was exempt from al faults his liuing vnspotted with obloquie this curtuous king was a princely potentate whome all men leally loued none disdained or dreade this prewe Prince was a coragious Captaine against whome fickle Fortune neuer fraudulently frowned nor irous mischaunce once spitefully spurned this warlike Captaine was a sincere shepherd whome his fawning flocke faithfully fauored and obediently obeyed and with continuall acclamations reknowledged their louing lorde Thys our pastor was such a iust iusticiarie that no facinorous fact was pretermitted vnpunished or faithfull frendshyp destitute of due desert This gentle Iusticiarie was so vnfaynedlye feared that all rage and rebellion were quite banished and all sedition suppressed His feruēt vertues were no more notable than his fine qualities wer worthy of praise for the whiche fewe or none were to him comparable No mā could be found more temperate in eating and drinking than he was he fained no frugalitie his diet was not delicate dainties but rather rurall and grosse more to be desired of the wearied warrier than to be offred to amorous ladies Hys indomable courage was so constant and his hearte was so immutable that he reiected al feare and dastardly dread from him was vtterly banished He had such profound knowledge in conducting and ordring an armie and suche a rare grace in the incoraging of his souldiers that frēch men publikely pronounced him to bée inuincible and impossible to be vanquished Hée was endued with suche pregnant wyt such perfecte prudence and admirable policie that he neuer enterprised any thing before he hadde
diligently debated it and circumspectly foresene all such meane chances as might happen And when the end was concluded with al celeritie courage he furthered his pretence purpose Wonder it is to heare how he being a potentate of honor a prince of youth a Kyng of riches and extract of so hautie a familie didde continually abstaine from lasciuious lyuing and blynde auarice yea in the time of sinister chances he was no more dolent than in the time of victorie the which constancie fewe men haue or can vse Such a stable stomacke had he and such a grauitie was ingrauen in the bottome of his heart What politike practises and diuers deuises he ingeniously inueÌ„ted vsed in findyng sodain and resolute remedies for present mischiefes and what captainlike conueyances he frequented in the exempting hym selfe and his people in imminent distresses except he had shewed them in the couragious conflict and bold battail fiercely fought at Egencourt and in dyuers other places to the great confusion of the Frenche nation they might haue bene thought incredible In the which bolde battaile he victoriously vanquished with a small power of oure Englishe souldiers insuperable the floures of France fast buckled with boisterous baÌ„ds on their barbed horses holding sharpe speares and funerall weapons in their vnhautie hands also the bolde Britains with fiery handgunnes and slashing swords with the practised Pickards which caried strong weightie Crosbowes beside the fierce brain-sick Brabanders and strong Almayns with their long pushing pykes by his prudent policies he sodainly subuerted all these in the which combat the sworde deuoured aboue ten thousande persons wherof were princes and nobles bearing banners a hundreth sixe and twentie all the remnant sixtene hundreth excepte were Knightes Esquiers and Gentlemen so that of noble men and high blood wer slain eight thousande and foure hundreth of the Gallician armie And in thys furious battaile onely fiue or sixe hundreth of our English armie with two or thrée of the nobilitie were exempt from the fruition with eternall glorie of this incomparable terrene triumph Thys conflict may be a notorious mirroure and gasing glasse to all christen Princes to behold and folow and also a resonable testimonie and attestation of the worthie acts perpetrate by our famous King Henry the english Hector which was the blasing comete and glistering lanterne of his days He was the mirrour of Christendome and the glorie of hys countreye Hée was the floure of kings passed a seing glasse to such as should succede No emperor surmounted him in magnanimitie no potentate was more piteous or lorde more bounteous no Kyng had lesse of his subiectes and neuer King conquered amplier dominions whose fame by hys death as liuely flourisheth as his acts in this life were séene and remembred hée was the scourge of the Frenchmen and continually abated and appalled their courages yet he neuer putte confidence in hys owne strength neither in the puissaunce of his people nor in the fortitude of hys champions neither yet in the strength of his barbed horses or any whitte in his owne policie But he acknowledged God to be the onely cause and gatherer of these his heape of renoumes and victorious conquests in whom he put his whole confidence hope trust vpon whom he stedfastly ancored and firmely cleaued vnto in all his daungers as to an immouable rock or stedfast corner stone And he which neuer leaueth them destitute that put theyr trust in him remunerated his firme fayth with many glorious and triumphaunt victories of the whiche some might almost be thought incredible if we had not red in the booke of Kings that God likewise had defended them that put their affiance in him and committed them selues wholly to his gouernance This worthie Peragon amongest all gouernours remembred that a King ought to rule with witte grauitie circumspection diligence constancie and for that cause to haue a rule coÌ„mitted not as an honor but for an onerarious charge and quotidian carefulnesse not to looke so muche on other mens liuing as seriously to consider and intentiuely reuolue hys own propre acts and doings for which cause he not so muche trusting to the redinesse of his owne capacitie nor to the iudgement of his owne wauering will called to hys Counsell such prudent and politike personages as shold not onely helpe to illeuate and sustein his charge in supportyng the burdeyn of his realme and empire but also incense and instructe him with such good reasons and fruitful persuasions that he mighte shewe hym selfe a singular mirrour ano manifest example of Morall vertues and good qualities vnto hys common people and louyng subiectes After that he had layde thys prudente and politike foundation he intended in his minde to do many noble and notable actes and remembryng that all goodnesse commeth of God and that all worldly things and humaine actes be more weaker and poorer than the celestiall powers heauenly rewardes determined to begyn wyth some thing which shold be pleasant and acceptable vnto God So that after hée hadde establyshed all things beyng in controuersies and variaunce within these his peculiar realmes countreys territories and confines to the same nothyng forgetting nor no one thyng more desiring than the extermination and ceassing of the long scisme and diuision sprong and continued in the catholike church of christian religion by the moste wicked desire of a Sathanicall swarme of wicked worldlings as contemptuous Cardinals bloudthirstie Bishops pelting Priours ambitiâ—us Abbots mischeuous Monkes filthie Frierlike furies and a companie of cakling Canons with a pestiferous plumpe of popish Proctors a troupe of trouncing Tyrants with other mo monstrous monasticall mirroures of mischiefe disordred orders of the vnsatiable Romish sea which nominated them selues spirituall Chyrurgians but in dede they wer carnal couetous and gréedie deuouryng gluttons aspiring for high honor and not for vertue to the licencious and proude rent rock of Rome where was and is frequented dayly wanton luxurious superfluous and vndecent pompes with dissolute maners neyther are they taken for enormities beyng permitted by their diabolicall dimigod with these peruerse fugitiues being alienated reuolted from Gods truth and ariued in the pensiue hauen of inexplicable wickednesse for which their diuelishe digression they shall be afflicted wyth condigne punishmeÌ„t and terrible tortours vnlesse they spéedily retire and endeuour to reduce them selues from the barbarous insolencie in the which they haue long loitered as the acclamations and earnest exhortations of the sincere Euangelisters desistyng any longer to protract the time to perseuer and participate wyth those raging Romists whiche desire more to pill than to profite Christes flocke and christian religion by sellyng of theyr polling pardoÌ„s which thei make serue in place of passportes for those whiche intend to peregrinate through purgatorie vngracious indulgences For these causes the Kings royal maiestie most graciously grauÌ„ted establyshed a parliament in the second yere of his famous reigne to hys hygh honoure and to the
inestimable aduauncement of pure religion calling his high court the last daye of Aprill in the towne of Leicester In the whiche parliament many commodious lawes were concluded diuers petitions moued were for that time deferred amongst which requestes one was that a complaynte exhibited in the parliament holden at Westminster in the eleuenth yere of Kyng Henry the fourth which by reason that the King was at that instant vexed with ciuile diuisiō intestine discord domesticall discention the prorogation of the parliament came to no effect might now be wel studied pondred and resolutely concluded The effect of which supplication was that all the temporal lands which in auncient times had ben deuoutly giuen nowe disordinately spent by the rude religious rablement other spiritual spitesoules whiche apishly vsurped the names of spirituall pastors myght well suffise to maintein to the honor of the Prince and defence of the realme fiftene honorable Erles fiften hundreth worshipful Knights six thousand and two hundreth gentle Esquiers and a hundreth almes houses for relief only of the poore néedie and impotent persones and the King to haue clerely to his priuate cōmoditie and amplifiyng of his tresury twenty thousand poūds with many other ample prouisions large values of the rakehellish otherwise called religious houses whiche I pretermit that was riotously spent by the panchplying porkheads This before remēbred supplicatiō was attentiuely noted much feared amongst the cursed companie of drousie dreaming Dromos I mean Baals Baldons that mungrel Massalians cruel churchrobbers whome it touched most in effect in so muche that the grosse Gospeller Ethnike Epicures beastly bellygods wic ked worldlyngs and spirituall shauelyngs were fallen in a pelting chafe the bloudy Bishoppes broyled the cullionly Cardinalles coured the proude Priours frouned the fat Abbots swet the pore Friers cursed the white Chanons chafed the poore Nunnes puled like Puttockes in conclusion all the sectarie Sathanists were sore displeased Now to finde a present preseruatiue for a mischeuous chaunce and a sanatiue tent for a déepe wound Caiphas clergie clustred mynding rather to play with the pliant réede thā stubburnely to stande with the stiffe Oke purposed rather to bowe than breake so that they agréed to offer vnto the King a mighty masse of money to stay the newe moued demaund The cause of this offer séemed to some of the craftie cullions and periured pilates neyther decent nor conuenient for the paterne lay so plaine before their eyes that they well foresawe and perfectly knew that if the commons once perceiued their legierdemaine and that by rewardes and offer of money they endeuoured them selues to resiste their request and petitiō that then they being stirred kindled with furie would not onely asprely raile but also worthily contemne them as priuy corrupters of Princes and ennimies to the publike vtilitie and importunatly cal vpon the Kings Maiestie and his honorable Lords temporall that they were like to bestowe both laboure charges and liuing Wherefore they determined vigilantly to forecast all chaunces that might preuaile or further theyr pretensed purpose and like an vngracious garde and as auctors and procurers of all mischieues and facinorous factes they intended to exterminate this the commons request oute of the Kings minde to obnebulate his senses with some glistering vaile or to replenish his brayne with some newe toy lest he shoulde fantasie or regarde their importunate petition The performance of which tended so much to Gods glorie and the aduancement of true religion and vertue Wherefore vpon a daye when the Kings Maiestie was set the parliament house vpon his imperiall throne Henry Chickley Archbishop of Cāterbury therto newly preferred which had ben a Monk of the cankred Carthusians sect a manne which had professed wilful pouertie in religion but to speake congruely in the relegation of religion yet hopping abroade waxed as lustie as a Marche hare or rather madde as wée maye tearme it hys mynde was incensed wyth the furious flames of lordelyke honoure Also thys peruerse Paule beyng a verie Saule accordyng to the rule of blessed Becket was so zealous in Gods religion that he regarded ten tymes more hys owne priuate commoditie than the sincere euangelicall doctrine as all the trayne of the dimigod hys filthie fraternitie did always concealyng double faces vnder theyr hoodes and counterfeacte coules but truelyer termed calues cases after lowe obeysaunce and double duckyng made to the Kings honour spake after thys maner in effect When I consider our moste intierly beloued and lesse dread soueraigne lorde and natural Prince the louyng kindnesse the dayly labour and continuall studie whiche you incessantlye implore both for the aduauncemente of the honour of your Realme and also profite of your people I can not or oughte not excepte I woulde be noted not onely ingratefull to your royall person beyng my patron and preferrer but also a neglecter of my dutie a secrete mummer of suche thynges whyche doe touche youre inheritaunce holde my peace or kéepe sylence For all Authours doe agrée that the glorye of Kyngs consysteth not only in high bloud and hautie progenie not in abundance of riches and superfluous substance nor in pleasant pastime nor in ioyous solace but the verie type of the magnificencie in a prince resteth in populous riche regions subiects beautiful cities and townes of the which thanked be God although you be conueniently furnished bothe within your realmes of Englād and Irelande and the principalitie of Wales yet by lineall discent by progenie of bloude and by very inheritance not onely the Duchie of Normandie and Aquitane with the Counties of Aniow and Mayne and the countrey of Gascoyne is to you as true and indubitate heire of the same laufully deuoluted and lineally descēded from the high and most noble prince of famous memorie Kyng Edwarde the thirde your great grandfather but also the whole realme of Fraunce wyth all the prerogatiues and preheminences to you as heire to your great grād father is of right belonging and appertaining In which Realme to rehearse what noble persōs what beautifull Cities what fertill Regions what substanciall marchauntes and what plentiful Riuers are contained I assure you that time should rather fayle than matter waxe scant The fraudulent Frenchmen to defraude take away your right and title to the Realmes of Fraunce in the time of your noble progenitour King Edward the third alleaged a law vntruly fayned falsely glosed and sophistically expounded whereof the very words are these In terram Salicam mulieres ne succedant Which is to say let not womē succede in the lande Salique This land Salique the deceitfull glosers fained to be the Realme of Fraunce This lawe the logicall interpreters assigne to derect the Crowne and Regalitie of the same Region as who would say that to that preheminēce no woman were able to aspire nor no heire female is able to inherite The French wryters do affirme that Pharamonde king of the French Gaulles first instituted this law which neuer was
bold Britains as their owne neighbours extracte of one propre parente and descended of one progenie For the auaricious Albanacts otherwise called the false fraudulent snatching Scottes and the carelesse Cambers otherwise denominate vnstable wauering Welshmen falsified their faith not only by withdrawing their fealtie denying their homage refusing their allegiance due to their soueraignes the Kings of this realm but also made continual warre and destroyed their townes and slew the friendes of their neighbours the Britains For whiche cause diuers of your hautie progenitors haue not only made warre and subdued the faythlesse Scots for denying of their homage and reaping of rebellion but also haue deposed their Kyngs and Princes inthronising settyng vp other in their estates and dignities Was not Scater their king slaine and extincted for hys rebellion by your noble predecessour Dunwallo Moluncius Arthur also the glory of the Britains directed Angosile to the scepter of Scotlande and receyued of hym homage and fealtie If I shold recken how many of their kings haue done homage to youre auncient predecessors or reherse what numbre of Scottish Kings they haue corrected and punished for disobedience and denying their dueties or if I should declare what Kyngs they as superioure lordes and high Emperours ouer the vnder kings of Scotlande haue elected and made rulers to the intent that all people mighte manifestely perceyue that it was more glorious more honourable and more famous a Kyng to make a King than to be a King by naturall descent I assure you that your eares woulde be more wearie of hearing than my tongue fatigate with telling the truth Your noble progenitour Kyng Edwarde the first coueting to be superiour to surmount in honor or at the least to be equiualēt in fame with his noble ancesters and famous progenitours studied dayly hourely compassed howe to associate together and tourne the whole I le of Britaine which was diuided by Brute into thrée seuerall partes to the pristinate Monarchial state and one dominion After long study and greate consultation hée victoriously subdued Wales tamed their wildenesse and bridlyng them with sharpe bittes turned them to their olde home and aunciente degrée whiche thyng done he semblably inuaded Scotlande and conquered the countrey to the towne of Pearche uent with the serpentine policie to auoid and eschue al things which might either be impedimentes to their progression and setting forwarde or occasions of their returne and losse of their enterprise least they leauing behinde them a noysom neighbor a continuall aduersarie and a secrete ennimie may as soone come to leese their owne patrimonie as conquere or gaine the dominions of other Wherefore the trite and common adage sayth Better one birde in hande than tenne in the woodde Leaue not the certain for the vncertaine for whiche consideration it is expedient and nedeful that I enūciate or declare vnto you certaine articles contained in the ancient league and amitie continued betwixt the realmes of France Scotland wherof the wordes be these The warres and iniuries moued or done by the Englishe nation to either of the sayd countreys to be as cōmon wrong to bothe If the English mē make warre on the french nation then the Scottes at the costes charges of the French king shal minister to them succoures Semblably if the Scottes be molested by the English warres the Frenchmen hauing their costes allowed shall be to them as aiders and assisters And that none of both nations shall either contract or make peace with the Realme of England without consent or agréemente of the other And to the intente that this league and amitie should be kept vnuiolate Robert le Bruse the vsurper of Scotlande willed by his testament two things especially to be obserued the one neuer to breake the treatie cōcluded with France the other neuer to kepe peace or paction made with Englishemen longer than the obseruing thereof were to them commodious or profitable Yet Mare and other Scottish writers colour thys cause saying that he would haue no treatie or peace concluded wyth Englande aboue thrée yeares But what so euer writers write or talkers tel they be to him most faithful executers haue neuer yet falsified or broken his testament but continually performed hys commaundement Yea for the verificatiō of Bruses brutish bidding and for the performaunce of this his wycked will and to kéepe and preserue thys league vnuiolate none of your auncesters euer inuaded Fraunce but incontinently the Scots troubled and vexed Englande none of your progenitors euer passed the seas in a iust quarel against the French nation but that Scots in their absence entred your realme spoyled your townes burned and destroyed youre villages sacked youre houses pilled and forraged your countrey afflicted your subiects slew your people taking and distributing booties innumerable and thus continually abandoning your countrey the caitifes are and haue bene accustomed couertly to kepe themselues in wooddes and secrete places that they myght there fight and with sodaine assaults and at vnwares inuade the defēders of your frontiers and all these deceipts were and are practised to prouoke then your auncesters and now you to desist and returne from the inuading of Fraunce If I should vnbuckle to you their com mon breakyng of leagues if I should vncaste theyr craftie and subtill dissimulation if I should drawe the vaile of their falsified faire promises often sworne and neuer kepte if I shoulde vnsheath all their shamefull shifts if I should shew open the pestiferous pack of their peuishnesse I doubte not but you would ten times more abhorre to heare of their detestable dealing than I should be ashamed of the truthe telling Therfore I will not only persist in aduouching my assertion but also affirme and proue that of necessitie and constrainte to swéepe all corners of priuate enimies shall be néedefull suffering no lurking moates behynde your backe which may proue mischenous lettes when you go to conquere aduersaries before your face Moreouer beside all these if you consider the quotidian charges the inconstant chāces which may happen I thinke yea and litle doubte but Scotlande shall be tamed before your iourney can be framed to Fraunce for if you intende to inuade it accompte what numbre of ships must bée prepared to the transportation of your armie recōpt what a charge of ankers forcast what a com panie of cables and what other innumerable necessaries appertaine to a nauie After your nauigation and safe arriuall as I truste God will prosper your iourney if your men chaunce to decay by sicknesse or to be extincte by sworde if victuals faile if money wax scant if the windes turne contrary or hoistyng tempestes make the sea to outrage with belchyng dashes when these necessaries shold be transuehate to your armie then shall you be destitute of aide prouision and treasure which in a foraine region are the confusion and defacing of an armie On the contrary part if you inuade Scotlande your men be hard at hand