BRITANNIA A ROMANE A SAXON A DANE A NORMAN THE HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAINE Under the Conquests of the ROMANS SAXONS DANES and NORMANS Their Originals Manners Warres Coines Seales with the Successions Lives acts Issues of the English Monarchs from IULIUS CAESAR to our most gracious Soueraigne King IAMES by IOHN SPEED IMPRINTED AT LONDON Anno Cum Privilegio 1611 And are to be solde by Iohn Sudbury Georg Humble in Popes head alley at the signe of the white Horse THE PROEME TO THE LEARNED AND LOVERS OF GREAT BRITAINES GLORY HAuing thus farre trauelled in the protract and description of this famous Empire of GREAT BRITAINE I might here haue rested and claimed the priuiledge that yeeres and imbecillitie haue brought me vnto had not a further desire in others â—…ged it a matter incident historically to lay downe the originals of those Nations and successions of those Monarchs which either by birth or conquest haue aspired to the Imperiall Crowne And albeit I finde my selfe both tired in the former and most vnfit to prosecute this latter yet will I endeuour to giue herein my best assayes though as my labours so my wants also thereby will be made more vulgar to the world For if those men were blame-worthy against whom Heraclite exclaimeth who with long toile and great trouble finde a little pure substance in a great deale of base earth how shall I then free me from the like imputatioâ—… that from so many mines of pure mettals haue gotten so little Oare and the same neither well tried in my defectiue fornace nor yet artificially cast off through the default of the mould wanting both skil for to fashion and measure to performe the true proportions that in such a proiect is to be required and how often these my defects haue disswaded my proceedings is best knowne to him that is the searcher of the heart But by what fate I am inforced still to goe forward I know not vnlesse it be the ardent affection and loue to my natiue Countrey wherein I must confesse that Nature in those gifts hath bene both liberall yea and prodigall though Fortune as sparing fast-handed against me euer checking the Bit with the Raines of necessity and curbing the meanes that should illustrate my labours which moues me sometimes to thinke that if the great Philosopher Theophrastus had cause on his death-bed to accuse Nature for giuing man so long a lesson and so short a life then I against Fortune may as iustly exclaime that hath assigned me so great a labour and so little meanes And therefore let it not seeme offensiue that I draw my waters from the Cesterns of others who am not able to fetch them at the spring-head my selfe Neither that I strike vpon the same Anuile vnto their sound though nothing so loud nor with the like strength wherein yet this fruit at least wil I hope redound of my endeuours that I shall incite the more learned if not otherwise yet in emulation of me to free the face drawne by Apelles from the censure of the fault or defect in the foot and not onely to amend but euen to new-mould the whole Which thing though my dayes are neere spent and with Barzillai I may say that musicke to me is now vnpleasing yet doth my eare thirst after the set of that straine as Socrates thoughts ranne euer on his Booke who the night before he was to suffer death was desirous to learne musicke because he would die learning still something Moses when he foresaw the destruction of his Common-wealth which whilst it stood was the glory of the earth and a paterne to all kingdomes succeeding left this for a Law among the rest and euen to remaine for euer that the fathers should teach their children and should commit vnto writing those things which the Lord in their dayes had done and enioyned the children Likewise to enquire of the times that were past euen from the first creation of man For when as Empires and Kingdomes Common weales and Cities do end and perish yet the Histories thereof do remaine and liue And that made Cicero to say as he did that Salamina should be vtterly forgotten before the things that were done in Salamina should perish And therefore as among the wise answeres of Thales the Histories of Countreis are to be accounted for principals either as Cicero calleth them the Mistres of life and expositions of Times so likewise let vs from the lyricall Poet Simonides learne this further That he is perfectly happy which knowes his natiue countrey to be truly glorious And as Cassidorâ—… calls him a worthy Citizen that seeketh the commodity of his countrey So contrariwise he is by Bale esteemed but a fruitles clod of earth that sucks the sappe of his soile onely to himselfe whose memoriall shall perish as the dispersed smoake in the clouds though for a time he mount aloft in his swelling pride This naturall loue and true affection to our natiue Countrey we may further learne from the ancient Patriarks and Fathers themselues who besides a desire that they had to theirs continually to liue therein during life commanded their bodies to be buried therein after death from whose Bowels they first had assumed their breathes and in whose bosome they layd their bones as in their last bed of rest Yea of the vnreasonable creatures the Birds and Beasts we may learne this loue that alwayes are willing towards their home And if it happen that Countreys grow vnkinde as Homers did that in his old age and blind suffred him to beg his bread or that a Prophet in his owne countrey is not esteemed as Ieremy felt it and CHRIST IESVS taught yet did the one for his peoples captiuity wish his eyes a fountaine of teares and the other for his countreys destruction lamented and wept holding it vnlawfull to take the childrens bread and to giue it vnto others That this our Countrey and subiect of History deserueth the loue of her inhabitants is witnessed euen by forraine writers themselues who haue termed it the Court of Queene Ceres the Granary of the Westerne world the fortunate Island the Paradise of pleasure and Garden of God whose Typographicall descriptions for the whole Iland and Geographical surueyes for the seuerall parts exceed any other kingdome vnder the cope of Heauen that onely excepted which was conquered and diuided by Iosuah And for fruitfulnes and temperature may be accounted another Canaan watered with riuers that doe cleaue the earth as the Prophet speaketh and make the land as rich and beautiful as was that of Aegypt Our Kings for valour and Sanctity ranked with the worthiest in the world and our Nations originals conquests and continuance tried by the touch of the best humane testimonies leaue as faire a Lustre vpon the same stone as doeth any other and with any nation may easily contend saith Lanquet both
to be distinguished and knowen from the borderers then by their custome of painting their bodies whereof the most approued authors doe witnesse as Caesar Mela Pliny Martial anâ—… others who affirme that the Britanes vsed to colour themselues with woad called in the Latine glastum and Glase at this day with them doth signifie blew what if I then should coniecture saith he that they were called Britains from this their painted bodies for what is thus stained or coloured in their ancient country speech is called BRITH Neither let this Etymologie of Britains seeme to be either harsh or absurd seeing the very words sound alike and the name also as an expresse image representeth the thing which in Etymologies are chiefly required for Brith and Brit doe passing well accord And the word Brith among the Britaines implieth that which the Britans were indeed to wit painted stained died and coloured as the Latine poets describe them hauing their backes pide or medly coloured as Oppianus termeth them From which colours and vse of painting the ancient Britaines as he thinketh had their names and as yet in vse among the Welsh But this is certaine that a Britain is called in the British tongue BRITHON and as BRITO came of BRITH so did BRITANNIA who as Isidore saith tooke the name from a word of their owne nation for what time the ancient Greeks that first gaue name to this Iland either as rouers or merchants trauelled into other remote and farre disioined countries as Eratosthenes reporteth learned from the Inhabitants themselues or els of the Gaules which spake the same language that this our nation was called Brith and Brithon They then vnto the word BRITH added TANIA which in the Greek Glossaries betokeneth a REGION and whereof they made a compound name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the BRITONS-LAND And that this is so the countries also lying in the West part of the world as Mauritania Lusitania and Aquitania doe sufficiently confirme for the Grecians being the first Surueiors of those regions of Mauri whom Strabo saith was called Numidia made Mauritania of Lusus the sonne of Bacchus Lusitania and of Aquis waters as Iuo Carnotensis is of opinion called the country Aquitania as also Turditania and Bastinania Prouinces in Spain might arise from the Turdi and Basti their possessors And that this manner of composition is most vsuall in the names of countries we see For came not Ireland by composition of the Irish word Erim Did not Angle terre grâ—…w together of an English and French word and became England Doth not Franc-lond proceed from a French and Saxon word Came not Poleland from a Polonian word which with them betokeneth a plaine and was not Danmarch compounded of Dan and the Dutch word March which signifieth a bound or limit Neither haue we cause to wonder at this Greek addition TANIA seeing that S. Hierome in his questions vpon Genesis proued out of most ancient Authors that the Greekes inhabited along the sea coasts and Isles of Europe thorowout as far as to this our Iland Let vs read saith he Varroes bookes of Antiquities and those of Sisinius Capito as also the Greeke writer Phlegon with the rest of the great learned men and we shall see all the Ilands well neere and all the sea coasts of the whole world to haue been taken vp with Greek inhabitants who as I said before from the mountaines Amanus and Taurus euen to the British Ocean possessed all the parts along the sea side And verely that the Greeks ariued in this our region viewed and considered well the site and nature thereof there will be no doubt nor question made if we obserue what Athenaeus hath written concerning Phileas Taurominites who was in Britaine in the yeere one hundred and sixty before Caesars comming if we call to remembrance the Altar with an inscription vnto Vlysses in Greek letters erected in Caledonia as Solinus saith and lastly if we marke what Pytheas before the time of the Romans here hath deliuered and written as touching the distance of Thule from Britaine For who had euer discouered vnto the Greeks Britain Thule the Belgick countries and their sea coasts especially if the Greek ships had not entred the British and German Ocean yea and related the description therof vnto their Geographers Had Pytheas thinke you come to the knowledge of six daies sailing beyond Britaine vnlesse some of the Greeks had shewed the same Who euer told them of Scandia Bergos and Nerigon out of which men may saile into Thule And these names seem to haue been better knowen vnto the most ancient Greeks then either to Pliny or to any Roman Wherupon Mela testifieth that Thule was much mentioned and renowned in Greek writers Pliny likewise writeth thus Britain an Iland famous in the monuments and records both of the Greeks and of vs. By this meanes therefore so many Greeke words haue crept into the British French and withall into the Belgick or Low-Dutch language And if Lazarus Baysius and Budaeus doe make their vant and glory in this that their French-men haue been of old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is louers and studious of the Greeks grounding their reason vpon few French words of that Idiome which receiue some marks and tokens of the Greek tongue if Hadrianus Iunius ioyeth no lesse because in the Belgick words there lie couertly Greek Etymologies then may the Britains make their boast in whose language many words there be deriued from the Greeks Thus farre M. Cambdens iudgement for Britannia Which name we find first mentioned by Polybius the Greeks historian who liued and traueled with Scipio thorow most parts of Europe about 265. yeers before the birth of Christ. And after him Athenaeus a Greek authour of good account and before the yeere of grace 179. mentioneth the name of Britaine and that vpon this occasion King Hiero saith he framing a ship of such hugenesse and burden as was admirable to the world was much troubled for a tree whereof he might make the maine mast which at last with much adoe was found in Britaine by the direction of a Swineheard and by Phileas Taurominites the Mechanick conueied into Sicilie whereby that want was sufficiently supplied To this let not the Criticks from Caesar say that Britaine brought foorth neither Beech nor Firre as he in his fist book of commentaries affirmeth if by fagus he meane the Beech seeing that the same kind doth most plentifully grow in all parts of this Iland and the Firre-trees for masts in the North west of Scotland vpon the bankes of the Lough argicke of such great height and thicknesse that at the root they beare 28. handfuls about and the bodies mounted to 90. foot of height they beare at that length 20. inches Diametre as hath been measured by some in commission so certified to his Maiesty
from whom the eternall King of Kings descended in their offrings made in time of their highest glory were by the Lord thus commanded to acknowledge and say A Syrian was my father who being ready to perish for hunger went down into Egypt and soiourned with a small company And the richest stone of that most beauteous building in his highest pride is counselled by the Prophet to looke back to the rocke whence it was hewen and to the hole of the pit whence it had been digged THE GOVERNMENT OF GREAT BRITAINE CHAPTER V. WEE come at length to speake of the gouernment and politicall estate of the Britaines which doubtlesse the times then considered was as honorable in their rulers and as manageable in the subiects as any other nations in these West parts of the world their temperance religion learning and noble resolution shewing no lesse But in this point I must craue pardon of our British Heraulds and some learned Antiquaries if I bring not a lineall succession from Brute and a monarchicall gouernment in those times of obscurity through whose mists no Egles eies could pierce before the daies of Geffrey ap Arthur as before was touched And therefore following his counsell who is best able in these things to giue direction I will begin the succession of Great Britains Monarchs at the entrance and person of Iulius Caesar at which time it seemeth by him and other Latine writers the best Recorders of kingdoms affaires this Iland was gouerned rather after the manner of an Aristocratie that is by certaine great Nobles and Potent men then vnder the command of any One as an absolute Monarch though herein is a difference in that in the Aristocraticall regiment the rulers are all Peeres of one Common wealth whereas here as many Princes so many seuerall Publike weales For so Caesar himselfe found the state of Britaine to be diuided into Provinces vnder the names of her inhabitants and to be ruled by diuers Peeres or petty Kings 2 And such a Gouernor was Cassibelan ouer the Trinobantes Cingetorix Caruilius Taximagulus and Segonax all foure Rulers together in Kent Comes supposed to be King of the Atrebatij and to be the same Comius of Arras whom Caesar imploied to tease and worke the Britaines to his subiection Caractacus the warlike King of the Silures Galgacus the worthy King of the Caledonians yea and women also without exception of sex held gouernment among them such as was faithlesse Cartismandua Queen of the Brigantes and famous Boudicea Queene of the Icenians Whereby it seemeth that euery seuerall Prouince owed seruice and alleageance only to their owne Prince And as their gouernments were confined vnto certaine bounds and limits so were the Inhabitants diuided and distinguished by diuers Names of whom because we shall haue occasion hereafter often to speak it shal not therfore be amisse in this place once for all table-wise to lay downe the same whereby our narrations may passe vntroubled without more explanations and the readers mind carried with lesse incombrances Those ancient names of people and places for abode throughout the whole Iland from Ptolemie were as follow A TABLE OF THE ANCIENT INHABITANTS AND THE SITES OF THEIR POSSESSIONS AS THEY WERE CALLED BY PTOLEMY AND OFTEN SINCE MENTIONED IN THE ROMAN WRITERS People Countries CANTII Kent REGNI Sussex Surrey DVROTRIGES Dorsetshire DAMNONII Deuonshire Cornwal BELGAe Somersetshire Wiltshire Hampshire ATREBATII Barkshire DOBVNI Oxfordshire Glocester CATIEVCHLANI Warwickshire Buckingham Bedfordshire TRINOBANTES Hertford Essex Middlesex ICENI Suffolke Norfolke Cambridge Ely Iland Huntington CORITANI Rutlandshire Lincolnshire Northhampton Leicestershire Darbishire Nottingham CORNABII Staffordshire Worcestershire Cheshire Shropshire BRIGANTES Lancaster Yorkshire Richmondshire PARISI Duram Westmerland Cumberland ORDOVICES Flintshire Denbighshire Caernaruon Montgomery Merionethshire SILVRES Herefordshire Radnorshire Brecknock Monmouth Glamorgan DIMETAe Caermarden Penbrookshire Cardiganshire OTTADINI Northumberland Teifidale Twedale Merch. Louthien SELGOVAe Lidesdale Ensdale Eskdale Annandale Niddisdale NOVANTES Gallowey Carick Kyle Cunningham DAMNII Cluydsdale Renfraw Lennox Striueling Menteth Fifa CALEDONII Perth Strathern Albin GADINI Argile Lorne EPIDII Cantyre VICEMAGI Murray VENNICONES Mernia Auguis Mar. TAEZALI Buquhâ—…e CANTAe  CREONES Rosse CERONTES Sutherland CARNONACAe Strathâ—…ern CARINI CORNABII SIMERTAe Caithues LOGI 3 These States ambitiously banding ech against others to raise their owne Prince to a more soueraigne supremacy and to enlarge their Prouinces vpon the borders of the next were euer ready the least occasion ministred saith Pomponius Mela to enter quarels and seldome held amity or were quiet This was the cause as Tacitus tells vs which brought that puissant nation into bondage and was the only helpe to the Romans victories for seldome it chanced saith he that two or three states met in counsell and concurred in opinion to repulse the common danger so that whilst they resisted and fought one by one all at length were subdued But this was not at once performed by Iulius Caesar the first Roman enterer who as he saith rather shewed the place to posterities then gaue them the possession thereof supposing it his glory sufficient to haue done what he did For vnto the daies of Domitian they held play with the Romans and that with such valour that the subduing of some small part of this Iland was accounted by themselues to match the conquests of other mightier countries and more notes of honour shewed in their publike triumphs for one Britaines misfortune then vsually was solemnized for whole kingdomes subdued 4 That such people possessed and that many Kings together raigned here in Britaine Pomponius Mela doth shew Britaine saith he bringeth foorth Nations and Kings of nations though they be all without ciuility and barbarous And Caesars intendments being known vnto them it is said that many of their Cities sent him by their Embassadors profers of submission whereby appeareth their diuersities of States whereof only two held promise and the rest failing was the occasion of his second expedition for Britaine And Tacitus speaking of the shipwrack suffered by the Romans in the raigne of Tiberius saith that many of their souldiers then distressed and torne being cast vpon the coasts of Britaine were by the people curteously releeued and by their petty Kings sent backe vnto Germanicus their Generall into Germanie which Princes or petty Kings were drawn as else where he saith by emulation into many partialities and factions which was indeed their owne destruction And by Gildas these were termed cruell Tyrants taking his authority out of Saint Hierome 5 Let thus farre suffice in generall of these ancient Britains whose particulars we will further prosecute in the places of their resistances lest otherwise they should seeme to fight only against themselues And therefore so many of these Gouernors as either yeelded their subiections to the Romans or stood their opposits till their owne strengths were spent I will briefly touch vntill such time as the land
may appeare out of the ancient Gildas who thus recordeth it To represse saith hee many Inuasions of those their ancient enemies which with cruell slaughters and booties continually afflicted them the Britaines fell to consult vpon some conuenient course therein to be taken Lastly all the Counsellers together with the proud Tyrant being blinded in iudgement deuised such a protection as in the end prooued their Countries destruction namely that those â—…rce Saxons a people sauage and of hatefull name odious both to God and man should be let into this Iland as it were wolues into sheepe-folds to repulse for sooth the Northerne Nations then which proiect doubtlesse nothing was euer more pernicious and vnhappie vnto this Land O senses senslesse and plunged into deepest mists of errour O desperate dulnesse and blinde blockishnesse of minde Those whom in absence were feared more then death now of their owne accord are inuited by these Princes of Aegypt if I may so say thus sottishly counselling their Pharao to come and rest with them vnder one roofe Presently out of the Denne of that barbarous Lionesse rushed foorth a kennell of her whelpes in three long Vessels called in their Language * Cyula carried vnder full saile and with ominous presages fore-prophecying that for 300. yeeres they should possesse that Land vnto which they then directed their course and for halfe of that space viz. one hundred and fiftie yeeres they should waste and depopulate the same These being put on shore first in the East part of the Iland and that by Commandement of this vnfortunate Tyrant there set fast their terrible pawes pretending to the Ilanders defense of their Countrey but more truly intending the destruction of them The foresaid Lionesse finding that her first troupe of whelpes sped so well sends againe a greater Rabble of the same Litter which heere arriued in Flâ—…es bringing with them some other Associates of bastardly and vnnoble brood And these beginnings the slips of iniquitie and the roots of bitternesse an accursed plantation well befitting our demerits haue sprung vp and put foorth in our soile their haughtie boughes and spreading branches This barbarous Nation thus admitted professing themselues our Souldiers and such as would endure all hazards so they fained in defense for their good Hosts first they craued supplie of victuals only which being giuen them for some time stopped as we may say the Dogs mouth howbeit afterward they complaine that their wages was not bountifully enough paid deuising of purpose colourable occasions of quarrell and threatning that vnlesse they might haue more munificent entertainment they would with the breach of couenant spoile and waste the whole Iland And without further delay they second these threats with deeds for our Sinnes the cause of deserued reuenge were still nourished and the fire kindled Eastward was set a flaming by these sacrilegious men from Sea to Sea ceasing not to consume all the Cities and Countries bordering there about vntill such time as burning welneere all the Inland Soile of the Iland it licked as it were with the red tongue of the flame the very Westerne Ocean it selfe In this violent inuasion comparable to that of the Assyrians against the Land of Israel in old times is historically fulfilled also in vs that which the Prophet by way of sorrowfull lamentation vttereth They haue set fire vpon thy holy places and haue burned the dwelling place of thy name euen vnto the ground And againe O God the Heathen are come into thine heritage thy holy Temple haue they defiled for all the Fortifications demolished with their Engines and the Inhabitants together with the Bishops of the Church and also the Priests and people with glistering swords and crackling flames were all at once laid along vpon the ground yea and which was a most lamen-table spectacle the stately Turrets high mounted Walles and the sacred Altars lay all tumbling together all purpled with the broken and bloudy Quarters and goared Carcases mixed as in a horrible wine-presse Neither were there any other Sepulchers abroad saue the 〈◊〉 of buildings and the bowels of wilde beasts and birds 9 During this most wofull desperate and tempestuous season saith the mournfull Historian some poore Remaines of Britaines being found in the Mountains were slaine by whole heapes others pined by famine came and yeelded themselues vnto their enemies vpon composition to serue them as Bond-slaues for euer so they might not bee slaughtered out of hand which granted was reputed a most high and especiall grace Others went ouer Seas into Strange Lands singing vnder their spread Sailes with a lamentable and mourning note that of the Psalmist Thou hast giuen vs O Lord as Sheepe to bee deuoured and hast scattered vs among the Heathen Yet others remained still in their owne Countrey albeit in fearefull estate and continually suspecting hazard committing their liues and safetie to the high steepe Hilles to craggie Mountaines naturally intrenched to thick growne Woods and Forrests yea and to the Rockes of the Sea 10 Thus was Britaine brought to the period of her glory and the people miserably subiected to a forraine Nation about the yeere from Christs Natiuitie 473. and after the Romans last farewell 28. In which time you see they were most cruelly pursued with all calamities of warre and lastly betraied by them in whom so much trust was reposed as mournfull Gildas hath ruefully declared THE SAXONS ORIGINALL CHAPTER II. AS times decaied Ruines haue stopped the Passage of those small Springs issued from the first fountaine of Nations beginnings and haue diuerted their streames far from any sure Course or certaine known Heads so the originall parent place and name of our English-Saxons haue bin writteÌ„ with a pen of slight touch vpon the leaues of obliuion or else recorded in those obscure Roules that as yet lie bound vp in the Office of Times forgetfulnesse whereby it rests doubtfull from what root these branches first sprang some bringing them from Asia some from Africa some from Macedon some from Denmarke and some without all likelihood from Britaine it selfe Occa Scarlensis a Frislander borne affirmeth these Saxons to come of Saxo a Prince of India who with his two brethren were banished by lot to seeke their destinies abroad their owne Countries being pestered with ouer many people at home These saith he following Alexander the Great into Greece became Progenitors to their Countries that from them receiued their of-springs and names as that from Friso the eldest his Frislanders descended from Saxo the second the Saxons vpon the Riuer Albis and from Bruno the yongest the Inhabitants of the Dukedome of Brunswic And of this opinion also Sufridus Petri seemeth to be Crantzius doth deriue them from the Catti in Germany and the Phrygians a Region in Asia to omit others who would bring them from Saxo the brother of Vandale 2 F. Albinus a learned Author doth thinke the Saxons to bee
descended from Sacae a people in Asia and that afterward in processe of time they came to be called Saxons as if it were written Sax-sones as much to say as The sonnes of the Sacae To this opinion Master Henry Ferrers a Gentleman of ancient descent great reading and a iudicious Antiquary agreeth whose iudgement for my particular I haue alwaies honoured and from the Progeny of his English Monarchs haue taken my principall proceeding in these Saxon Successors 3 As touching the ancient place of their aboad Ptolomie the Alexandrian placeth the people Sasones in the Inner Scythia betwixt the Mountaines Alani Tapurt and Amianus Marcellinus siteth the Sacae no doubt the very same a fierce and sauage Nation to inhabit ouer-growne places commodious onely for cattell at the foote of the Mountaines Ascanimia and Comedus neere vnto which the Citie Alexandria Tribatra and Drepsa were adioyning and are so set by Ptolemie Neither is it lesse probable that our Saxons descended from these Sacae in Asia then the Germans from those Germans in Persia of whom Herodotus writeth And Ioseph Scaliger a renowned Author sheweth that these words fader moder brader tutcher band and such like are at this day found in the Persian tongue in the same sense as we vse Father Mother Brother Daughter and Bound c. a great inducement as some thinke for the Saxons originall from those parts though in my opinion the Latine Pater Mater Frater haue no lesse affinitie of sound and in all likelihood were the Primitiues to these of ours Of these Sacae Strabo writeth that they made inuasions into Countries lying farre off as namely Armenia where they left the memory of their successe in a part of that Country by calling it Sacacena after their owne name 4 From these parts of Asia as Seythia and the rest one Band of them consisting chiefly of their Youth proceeded by degrees into Europe and possessed the Nesse or Forland which the Romans called Cimbrica Chersonesus being at this day the continent part of the kingdome of Denmarke In which place they were first knowne by the name of the Saxons And here also they among themselues beganne first to be distinguished into other Tribes as Holt-Saxons for so Verstegan out of their old Chronicle saith they were called for their keeping in the Woods but more properly wee may say into Saxons Angles and Iutes From hence afterwards they departed and passing ouer the Riuer Elbe diuided themselues into two Companies whereof the one taking into the vpper parts of Germany by little and little intruded themselues into the ancient Seat of the Sueuians which now of them is called Westphalia and Saxome and the other incroched vpon Friseland and Holland then called Batania with the rest of those Countries that lie along the German Seas 5 The time wherein these Saxons should thus infest Germany by Occa Scarlensis verdict is as ancient as great Alexander others account it long after in the raigne of Tiberius But before Ptolomie we finde them not mentioned by any Author who flourished in the daies of Antoninus Pius about the yeere from Christs Natiuity 140. And most certaine it is by Eutropius and Beda that before the yeere three hundred when Dioclesian swaied the Roman Scepter the Saxons out of Cimbrica Chersonesus sore offended the coasts of Britaine and France with their many piracies and were fearfull euen to the Romans themselues These multiplying in number and strength seated in the Maritime tract of Iutland Sleswick Holsatia Ditmarse Breme Oldenburgh all Frisland and Holland and indeed according to the Testimonie of Fabius Quaestor Wholly all the Sea coasts from the riuer Rhene vnto the Citie Donia which now is commonly called the Denmarc and with him Henry of Erfurd affirmeth Saxon-land to stretch from the Riuer Albis vntothe Rhene the bounds of no one people of all the Germans extending any way so far saith he 6 But these spreading Boughes are brought by others from a neerer Roote planted not in Asia or Scythia but rather in Europe and in Germanie it selfe grounding their opinion from Cornelius Tacitus who maketh them to be bred in the same Countrey though distinguished by Name from the rest as others more beside then were Which Saxons say they though they were not mentioned by Tacitus in his Description of Germanie yet in Ptolemy that wrote not much aboue fortie yeeres after him they are named as also the Gutae and the Angli Copartners of their Conquest Tacitus placeth among these Germanes that worshipped Herthum the Mother-earth for their Auowrie Goddesse at first but one People but afterwards diuided into three seuerall Tribes that is the Saxons Angles and Iutes who left the remembrance of their Names stamped as it were in the soile from whence they departed and also coined new vnto others wherof they became possessors 7 Ptolomy among the Sueuians in Germanie placeth the Saxons neere to the mouth of the Riuer Albis in the continent of Cimbrica Chersonesus And in this Iland of Britaine Beda telles vs that the Kingdomes of the East and West Saxons were of them peopled Whose originall Name besides the Indian Saxo or the Seythian Sacae some wil haue Etymologed from Saxum a Stone because forsooth these people were hard or Stonie-hearted and some againe from the Axones in Gallia of whom Lucan maketh mention in this his verse Longisque leues Axones in armis And nimble Axones in their Armour light 8 Iustus Lipsius coniectureth and Engelhusius affirmeth as Verstegan saith that the name Saxon tooke the appellation from the Fashion of the Weapon that vsuallie they wore which was a Crooked Bowing Sword somewhat like vnto a Sithe with the edge on the contrarie side called by the Netherlanders a Saisen and by themselues Seaxen and the shorter of like fashion for hand-weapons Seaxes such as were those that were hid vnder their Garments in the Massacre of the British Nobilitie vpon Salisbury Plaine when Hengist gaue the watch-word Nem eour Seaxes that is Take you Swords three of which Kniues Argent in a Field Gules were borne by Erkenwyne King of the East-Saxons vpon his shield of Armes as some of our Heralds haue imblazed And that their Name was so giuen them from their Weapons some allege their accustomed manner in wearing thereof which vsually was to trusse the same ouerthwart their backes when they went foorth to battle whereby notice was taken and that name attributed vnto them as the like hath been vpon like occasion vnto others for so in Asia the Scythians were named for their skill in shooting in France the Picards for their long Pikes vsed in fight and in Ireland the Galloglasses which bare the Pollax as their principall weapon and of latter times vpon lesse occasions haue Surnames growne both to particular men as also to whole Societies which may appeare in such as hauing vowed their voiage and
seruice for Ierusalem wore continually vpon their backes a red Crosse whereby the name Crosse-backe or in old English Crouch-backe was to them attributed in which ranke Edmund Earle of Lancaster second sonne to King Henry the third was a principall and thereby got that name which he could not claw off from his backe euer since So likewise those men who entred that Religion of Monasticall life wore vsually vpon the outside of their Garments the signe of a Crosse whereby that Order was distinguished and noted from others by the name of Crouched or Crossed-Friers But whence or howsoeuer the name arose among all the Germans there were none in reputation for militarie deeds comparable vnto these Saxons neither had any aduentured by Sea and Land so farre to purchase renowne and praise or perhaps and that more likely to supply their owne wants ranging often from place to place as men alwaies ready to enter any action and in Germanie to this day a great Dukedome retaineth from them the name of Saxonie 9 The Gutae no doubt the Iutae Ptolomie likewise placeth in the Iland Scandia lying very neere the Coasts of Germanie vpon whose vttermost Promontorie as saith an ancient Manuscript the Iutes did for certaine inhabite which vnto this day of the Danes is called Iutland These Iutes Gutes Getes or Gothes or as Beda calles them Vites gaue names to those parts of Britaine which they inhabited as to this day the I le of Wight beareth their impression This variety of names we will no further inforce then that these Gothes were not the same that had passed Ister by Pontus Euxinus and ouer-ranne Europe who were also called the Getae by Iohn Maior Their name as Verstegan will haue it was taken from their agilitie or swiftnesse of foot and some of them as Sebastian Munster declareth went and inhabited among the Mountaines that diuide Germanie from Italie whereupon their name grew to be called the Hill-Vites which are now the Hel◅ans 10 The Angles by Fabius Quaestor Ethelwardus an ancient Writer and a Noble Person of the Saxons Royall Bloud are brought from Ould-Anglia a Portion lying betwixt the Countries of the Saxons and the Giots as he writeth them whose chiefe Towne was by them called Sleswic and of the Danes Haathby but more particularly it lay betwixt the Citie Flemburge and the Riuer Sly which Country by Albertus Crantzius is called Anglia From hence saith He◅ricus Rantzouius the Saxons who were also called the Angle-Saxons went to aid the Britaines And at this day there is a little Prouince in the Kingdome of Dania named Angell beneath the Citie Flemburge which Lindebergus calleth Little Anglia Their site notwithstanding is placed by most Authours in Westphalia where the Citie Engern standeth and where Tacitus and Ptolomy rangeth them among the Sueutans which in their times might very well be Others would haue them in Pomerania where the Towne Engloen doth somewhat sound their name so doe Engelheim Engleburg and Englerute places in Germanie beare witnesse and are prints of their footing among the Longobards and Sueuians But the most glorious remembrance of that their name hath beene for these many ages in this Kingdome of England though Saxo Grammaticus as erst we touched Lib. 5. Cap. 2 will needs haue Anglia named from Angul the sonne of Humblus and Giant-like brother of Danus the first King of Denmarke But Albertus Crantzius being offended at his folly telles him that England had the name of Britaine many hundred yeeres after that Angul was dead Others there are that deriue the name England from the manner of this Ilands situation being narrow in the West and North for that Eng in the ancient Teutonik Tongue as well as in the moderne doth signifie Narrow Strait or a Nooke and to that purpose doe produce this verse of a Portugals allusion Anglia terra ferax et fertilis Angulus Orbis Insula praedines quae toto vix eget orbe A fruitfull Angle England thou another world art said An Iland rich and hast no need of other countries aid 11 Callepine without proofe deriueth the Name frō Queene Angela but on as weake a ground as those who will fetch it from their Angel-like faces alluded vnto by Pope Gregory the Great Or that of Goropius from the Angle or Fishing-hooke because saith he they hooked all things to themselues and might verie well therefore be called Good Anglers a very meane conceit in sooth But howsoeuer most certaine it is that these Angles stole the name of this blessed Iland from their elder brethren the Saxons as Iacob did the birth-right from Esau and called it after their owne as wee shall further shew when our Historie hath gotten to the age of the Saxons Monarchie 12 These all claime their descents from Prince Woden called by the ancient Latines Othinus and who is deduced by our Antiquaries as hath beene said from the eldest Sonne of the Patriarke Noah and is accounted the most noble of all the Progenitors of the Saxon Kings insomuch as they and especially the Angle-Saxons our Ancestors haue in their superstitious conceit of such wodden gods imagined Woden to be their principall God of Battell whose Wife named Frea was by the like fancie held a Goddesse of whom more hereafter 13 These had issue between them sundry Sons and from fiue of them all the Monarchs of the English-men haue claimed to haue been descended Wechta the first being reported to be the Progenitor to the Kings of the Kentishmen Caser the second to the Kings of the East-Angles Wethelgeat the third to the Kings of the Mercians Wegdeg the fourth to the Kings of the Dierians and Beldeg the fifth to the Kings of the South-Saxons to the Kings of the Bernicians afterwards Kings of Northumberland and also the Kings of the West-Saxons only the Kings of the East-Saxons claiming to descend of the same race deriue not their descents from any of the Sonnes of the same men This may suffice for the Originals of these three people who as Cisner affirmeth retained still the same manners after they were seated in Europe as they had formerly done in Asia And what those were let vs heare the reports of Tacitus and other ancient Authors who together with the Germans among whom they dwelled doe thus describe them THE MANNERS AND CVSTOMES OF THE ANCIENT SAXONS CHAPTER III. THese Germans and among them the Catti and Sueuians our Ancestors according to Albertus Crantzius were a people saith Tacitus well set sterne of countenance tall of stature gray eied and of a firie aspect and their haire yellow Vnto whom Witichindus the Monke addeth and saith that They were faire of complexion cheerfull of countenance very comely of stature and their limbes to their bodies well proportioned bold of courage hardy in fight and very ambitious of
the right side of King Edward the Confessor 61 Ad◅licia or Alice the second wife of King Henry was the daughter of Godfrey the first Duke of Louaine by the daughter of the Emperour Henrie the fourth and sister to Duke Godfrey and Iocelin of Louain Shee was married vnto him the nine and twentieth of Ianuary in the twentie one of his raigne and yeere of Christ 1121. and was crowned the morrow after being Sunday Shee was his wife fifteene yeeres but euer childlesse and suruiuing him was remarried to William Daubeny Earle of Arundel and was mother of Earle William the second Rayner Godfrey and Ioan married to Iohn Earle of Augi c. His Issue 62 William the sonne of King Henry and Queen Maud his first wife was born the secōd of his Fathers Raigne and of Christ 1102. When he came to age of foureteene yeeres the Nobility of England did him homage and sware their fealties vnto him at Shrewsburie The third yeere after hee married the daughter of Foulk Earle of Aniou and the same yeere hee was made Duke of Normandy doing his homage for the same to Lewes the Grosse King of France and receiued the homage and oathes of the Nobility of that Country but in his returne for England hee was vnfortunately drowned neere vnto Barbfleet vpon the twenty sixt of Nouember the yeere of Grace 1120. and eighteenth of his owne age without any issue to the great griefe of his Father 63 Maud the daughter of King Henry and of Queene Maud his first wife was borne the fourth yeere of her Fathers raigne She was the second wife of the Emperour Henrie the fourth espoused at sixe yeeres of age and at eleuen with great solemnity was married and crowned his Empresse at Mentz in Germany 6. Ianuary Anno 1114. the ninth of her husbands and foureteenth of her Fathers Raignes Shee was his wife twelue yeeres and suruiued him without any issue of him comming into England a widdowe she had fealty sworne vnto her by the Nobility and was remaried to Geffrey Plantaginet Earle of Aniou sonne of Foulke King of Ierusalem vpon the third of Aprill and yeere of Grace 1127. by whom shee had issue Henry the Second King of England Geffery Earle of Nantes in Britanie and William who was called Earle of Poyto she was his wife twenty three yeeres and suruiuing him also continued a widdowe the last seuenteene yeeres of her life which she ended in the City of Roan the tenth of September 1167. the foureteenth of the raigne of King Henry her sonne and was buried in the Abbey of Bee in Normandy 64 Richard a second sonne to King Henry and Queene Maud by the testimony of Geruasius the Monke of Canterbury who maketh Maud their eldest Child William the second and lastly Richard and then saith he she left bearing but Malmsbury saith she had but two Children one of each sexe 65 Eufem also another daughter and fourth Child by Hector Boetius the Scottish Historian is said to be borne vnto the Beauclearke by Queene Maud the credite of the two last I leaue to the reporters who onely thus name them without any further relation His Naturall Issue 66 Robert the naturall sonne of King Henry was Earle of Gloucester and married Ma◅l daughter and heire of Robert Fitzhamon Lord of Glamorgan by whom hee had issue William Earle of Gloucester Richard Bishop of Bayon Roger Bishop of Worcester and Maud the wife of Randolph Gernon the mother of Hugh Keueliot Earle of Chester and Richard his brother Earle William married Auis daughter of Robert Bossu Earle of Leicester and had issue three daughters and heires of that Earledome which by Au◅s the second of them in the end descended to Clare Earle of Hertford This Earle Robert died the last of October in the twelfth yeare of King Stephen and was buried at Bristow in the Church of S. Iames which hee had founded and his body laide in the midst of the Quire vnto him William Malmsbury dedicated his Booke called Historia Nouella 67 Richard another naturall sonne of King Henry was as it seemeth by an ancient Register of the Monastery at Abington borne in the raigne of King William Rufus of the widow of Anskill a Nobleman of the Country adioining to the said Monastery and it seemeth hee is that Richard that was drowned in the Norman Seas neere Barbfleet among the rest of King Henries children 68 Raynold the naturall sonne of King Henry was borne of a daughter vnto Sir Robert Corbet Lord of Alcester in Warwickeshire by the gift of the King in fauour of her who was after married to Henry Fitz-herbert his Chamberlaine This Raynold was created Earle of Cornwall and Baron of Castle comb with consent of King Stephen and had issue foure Daughters of whom haue sprung many faire branches 69 Robert another of that name was borne of Edith the sister of Iue sonne and daughter of Forne the sonne of Sigewolfe both of them great Barons in the North which Edith afterwards King Henry gaue in marriage to Robert D◅lie Baron of Hook-Norton in Oxfordshire and with her gaue him the Mannor of Eleydon in the County of Buckingham by whom he had issue Henry Doylie Baron of Hook-Norton who oftentimes mentioneth this Robert in his Charters euer calling him Robert his brother the Kings sonne 70 Gilbert another naturall sonne of King Henry is named in the additions to the story of William Gemeticensis the Norman Monke in the Chronicle of that country written by Iohn Taylor being a Translator of that worke out of Latine into French and lastly in the Treaties betwixt England and France written in the French tongue by Iohn Tillet Secretarie to their late King Henry the second and yet in them not any other mention is made but only of his name 71 William also a narurall sonne of Henry the King had giuen vnto him the Towne of Tracie in Normandy of which hee tooke his surname and was called William of Tracie But whether he were the Progenitot of the Tracies sometime Barons in Deuonshire or of them that now be of the same surname or whether Sir William Tracie one of the foure Knights that slew Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury were any of his posterity is not certainely reported nor any thing else of him more then that hee died a little after his Father which was in the yeere of Christ 1135. 72 Henry another naturall sonne of King Henry was borne of the Lady Nesta daughter of Rees ap Tewdor Prince of South-Wales who was the Wife of Sir Gerald Windsor and of Stephen Constables of the Castles of Pembrooke and Abertinie in Wales and Progenitors of the Families of the Fitz-geralds and the Fitz-Stephens in Ireland he was borne and breed and liued and married in Wales hauing issue two sonnes namely Meiler and Robert of which Meiler the elder married the daughter of Hugh Lacie Lord of Methe in Ireland
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
to enforce seeing my purpose is to expose this most beautifull Iland in her owne beseeming attire and not deformed by these rotten and patched ragges And of this forged Berosus we haue better cause to vpbraid Iohannes Annius his Countenancer and Commenter then the Egyptian Priests had to twit Solon in accusing the Grecians that for historie had not attained to the yeeres of a gray head For it exceeds not much one hundred and twenty yeeres since the same booke first appeared in the world and then vehemently suspected as fabulous by Lodouicus Viues and afterwards conuicted by the learned Gasperus Varrerius in a seuerall treatise and now vniuersally reiected of all skilfull Antiquaries 4 But the name ALBION is better receiued being found so tearmed of the Grecians in ancient time as in the booke De Mundo written to Alexander and supposed to be Aristotles Pliny in his Naturall Historie Ptolomie Strabo and others yet vpon what ground it should bee so called there arise many coniectures Pomponius Mela Nicolas Perottus Rigmanus Philesius Aristotle and Humfrey Lhuyd deriue it from Albion Mareoticus a Giant and sonne of Neptune that conquered as they say these Samotheans and seated himselfe in this Iland the yeere after the Flood three hundred thirty fiue And if that be true which Perottus and Lilius Giraldus haue written then may this Albion giue name to this Iland Notwithstanding Strabo Munster and Frier Bartholomew will haue it so named ab albis rupibus of the rockes and white clifts appearing towards the coasts of France which carrieth the more likelihood through the credit of Orpheus a most ancient Poet who in his Argonauticks if so be they were his calleth the Iland next vnto Hibernia or Hernin which questionlesse is this of ours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the white Land And accordingly haue the Welsh Poets called it Inis Wen. And this is further confirmed from Cicero who termeth these whitish clifts mirificas moles as also by the anticke Coines of Antonius Pius and Seuerus the Romane Emperours wheron BRITAINE is stamped in a womans attire sitting vpon rocks And the same being chalkie or of a plaster-like substance Fracastorius supposeth was the cause of the sweating sicknesse and whereof Albion had the name Vnlesse some will deriue it from Alphon which as Festus saith doth signifie white in Greeke or Olbion rich or happie in regard of the fertilitie of the soile wholesome temperature of the aire and the rich commodities in the same either from Albion for the high situation But from the Latine albis rupibus it could not bee deriued when that language was vnknowen to the world Marianus the Monke Iohn Rous Dauid Pencair and William Caxton from others more ancient doe fetch the name thereof from Albina the beautifull daughter of Dioclesian King of Syria who with her sisters thirty in number for the slaughter of their husbands were banished their Countrey and without man oares or tackles were committed to the mercy of the Seas who after many aduentures lastly arriued vpon this shoare where they inhabited and gaue name to this Iland calling it Albion after the name of their eldest sister and accompanying with Diuels brought foorth a progenie of Giants if we will beleeue the Legend of this most impudent lier which is worthily reiected by Badius Volateranus Harding Bale Iohn Rous and others But that the name Albion was both of great acceptance and long continuance is apparent by the worthy Epitheton of King Edgar the Saxon who in his Charter for the foundation of the Abbie of Ely hath these words Ego Edgarus Basileus dilectae Insulae Albionis subditis nobis sceptris Scotorum Cumbrorum omnium circumcirca Regionum quieta pace fruens c. By which hee knitteth the whole Iland together as a Land worthily to be beloued and calleth it ALBION 5 The next name ascribed vnto this Iland is BRITAINE and that first found and giuen by the Grecians who were the first discouerers of these Westerne parts of the world either from their painted bodies as their neighbours if not ancestours the Gaules were named of their long shaggie haire or of their rich metals therein gotten and thence carried in abundance into other Countries or from Brute that with his dispersed Troians conquered it as he of Monmouth hath translated or what occasion soeuer I dispute not only it feares me I shall giue but small satisfaction to the desirous Reader of the cause and originall of this name being consorted with so many vncertainties wherein the further we follow this intangled threed the further are we lead into the Labyrinth of ambiguitie But as Plutarch Liuy and other Latine Writers haue complained of the many fictions and fables of Poets intermingled with the histories of truth whereby truth it selfe was often made inctedible so we in rehearsing the diuers names of Britannie and the reasons thereof by sundry Writers alleged rest free in our relations either from impeaching the power of Antiquitie or approouing those things that are as yet wrapped vp in Times Obliuions leauing the credit to them that haue left the same vnto vs and the censure of their opinions to the iudgement of the learned and those of better experience 6 The vulgar receiued opinion held on with foure hundred yeeres continuance some few mens exceptions had against the same is that this Iland tooke the name of Britannia from Brute the sonne of Syluius of whom more shall bee spoken in the next Chapter for the peopling of this Iland and from whom some following a suspected Gildas doe write the name Brutaine for so doth Hierome who translating Aethicus that excellent Scythian Philosopher calleth both this and the Ilands adiacent Insulas Brutanicas But besides the many obiections made both by forraine and home-â—…red Writers that seeme to make the storie of Brute doubtfull Humfrey Lhuyd a Cambre-Britaine a learned and diligent searcher of Antiquities doth confidently deny the name Britaine to be taken from Brute and among many other obseruations makes this an infallible argument that the letter B. is not the first radicall of that name and affirmeth boldly that there is not any British word whose first radicall letter is B. And therefore hee will haue it to be anciently written PRYDCAIN compounded of two British words PRYD and CAIN which signifie as he saith Beauty and White the C. being lost in the latter word for the more easie pronuntiation in the British tongue and the P. in the former changed into B. by the Latines for the more gentle and pleasant sounds sake so that himselfe thinketh that those learned and expert men in the British tongue which wrote the Ilands name with B. doe therein rather follow the Latines then iudging that to bee the true name indeed for proofe whereof hee citeth both ancient Copies and Traditions of their owne old Poets the
Bardi by whom saith he it was vsually called Prydain as the fittest denomination for so beautifull a Land But if either colour or commodities were her Godfathers at the font-stone why was she not rather named The Palace of Queene Ceres as old Orpheus termes her either Insula florâ—… as it hath beene found written in a very ancient manu-script And yet to second this his concâ—…ited name I finde recorded by Bishop Cooper a learned Writer that which makes for that purpose At Eâ—…ychurth saith he two miles from Salisburie in the digging downe of a wall a booke containing twenty leâ—…es of very thicke veloâ—…e was found which from the hands of Master Richard Pace chiefe Secretarie to the King I receiued but being sore defaced could read no one sentence thorow yet did I well perceiue the word PRYTANIA not called so from the adiuncts white and Beauteous but rather from the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prytania which as he saith doth signifie mettals For the Grecians flourishing in wisedome and experience entred the Ocean and finding this Iland full of Brasse Tynne Lead Iron Gold and Siluer gaue name thereunto accordingly and called it Prytania Thus farre he And some in regard of these rich commodities thence brought will haue it named Britannia as vpon like occasion Vibius Sequester affirmeth Calabria sometimes to haue beene so called Others and those many do hold a more strange opinion namely that this Iland was called Britannia of Bretta a Spanish word which signifieth Earth for that it was separated from the maine land and say they it was once ioined with the continent of France Of this opinion are Antonius Volscus Dominicus Marius Niger Seruius Honoratus Vinianus Bodine Twyne and Verstegan But how that name from that separation may be gathered I vnderstand not for if it be granted that this Iland also was cut from the continent as it is thought all others in the world were by the violent rage of the vniuersall floud yet it followeth not that this only should claime that name and from that occasion more then any other or then all of them so diuided and set apart in the maine Ocean Others there are that would haue the name Britaine to bee brought from Britona a Nymph in Greece daughter to Mars who as they say to auoid the lasciuious intents of Minos forsooke the country and passing the seas ariued in this Iland and by her the name arose this hath Textor But I might as well cite Calepine for his Anglia and Marianus for his Albina being all fables consorting alike together and fictions of the same authority that Virgils Dido is Hesychius deriueth the name Britaine from Britannus the father of Celtice on whom Hercules begat Celtus the originall of the Celtae as Parthenius Nicaeus a very ancient author writeth And Sir Thomas Eliot a learned Knight draweth the name of this Iland from the Greek fountaine also but of other signification viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prutania by which terme the Athenians signified their publike reuenues and yet that is iustly excepted against seeing that it is a peculiar terme only to the Athenians and that the Grecians called this Iland 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Goropius Becanus in his Originall of Antwerp saith that the Danes sought here to plant themselues and so named this Iland Bridania that is free Denmarke And others deriue it from Prutenia a country in Germany But that both these are fictions it manifestly appeareth for that this Iland was famous by the name of Britaine many hundred yeeres before that either Dania or Prutania were heard of in the world Pomponius Latus would haue it Briton and that name giuen it from the Britons in France Indeed it is probable that from the Celtes the old Gaules our originals descended but that the name should come of them hath no colour of truth seeing that those Britons came from vs and not we from them and in Caesars time that coast was called Armorica but this of ours Britaine Forcatulus deriueth the name thereof from Brithin a drinke which as Athenaeus saith was vsed among the Greeks And others will haue it from the Brutij a roauing and stragling people in Italy both which are accounted but idle conceits and for no lesse we will leaue them White of Basingstocke will haue the name thereof deriued from an Hebrew word and Isidore from a word of her own language Thus then is Britanny burthened with many titles vnder one truth and these are the ascriptions causes and exceptions as far as we are able to gather all which must giue place to that which is to follow out of the painfull collections and iudicious obseruances of our illustruous Antiquarie Master Cambden Whose words I will abridge and by his good fauour bring to furnish this chapter and further to satisfie the vnsatisfied Reader 7 This then he holdeth for granted that ancient nations in the beginning had names of their own and that after from these the Greeks and Latines by wresting them to the analogie or proportion of their speech imposed names vpon Regions and countries which tooke their denominations from their people and in-dwellers So Iewry was named from the Iewes Media from the Medes Persia of the Persians Scythia of the Scythians c. And why not then by the authority of Martial Iuuenal Ausonius Procopius and in old inscriptions set vp by the Britaines themselues BRITTA BRITO BRITONES BRITTVS from BRIT or BRITH from whom any one being of that nation might be termed NATIONE BRITTO as is seene so inscribed in Saint Mary the Round at Rome The Saxons likewise themselues called the Britains 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Witichindas the Saxon euerie where nameth the Britaines Britae so that the word BRIT is doubtlesse the Primitiue from whence BRITTO is deriued and from whence the first glimpse of light leading to the word BRITAINE seemeth to appeare And that all nations deuised their names of that wherein they either excelled others or were knowen by from others whether in regard of their first founders honor as the Iones of Iauan the Israelites of Israel the Cananites of Canaan or whether in respect of their nature conditions and inclinations as the Iberi after the Hebrew Etymologie because they were Miners the Heneti because they were straglers the Nomades for that they were breeders of Cattell the Almanes for their esteemed valour and manhood the Frankners for being free the Pannonians as Dio conceiteth of their coats with cloth-sleeues the Aethiopians of their blacke hue and the Albanes because they were borne with white haire for so saith Solinus that the colour of their heads gaue name vnto the people Seeing then that these our Ilanders were known and called by a name common to both them and their neighbors Cimbri or Cumeri and had no better marke
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
subiection 6 Seuerus thus entred Geta was appointed to remaine in the South of the Prouince and to gouerne those parts that stood in quiet assisted by Aemilius Papinianus the famous Lawyer whose Tribunall seat was held in Yorke himselfe and Bassianus marching further into the North against the Maatae and Caledonians their neighbours both which bare themselues boldly vpon the aduantage of their Countries their waters brackish and vnholsome drinke for their Enemies the aire sharpe and contagious to their constitutions and the soile it selfe so pestred with Loughs Bogs Meares and Mountaines that the Romans were forced to make way by continuall Labour in cutting downe Woods in building of Bridges and in drayning of Meares so that by distemperature of diet continuall labour contagiousnesse of Aire and afflictions by sicknesse fifty thousand of them perished and that without Battaile saith Dio many Souldiers also whose spirits were spent and through feeblenesse could not keepe ranke in their March were for meere pitty slaine by their fellowes lest they should fall into the hands of their Enemies 7 These miseries notwithstanding old Seuerus indured and fought many Battailes but as Sabellicus confesseth euer with more difficulties to the Romans then to the Britaines and yet in some small skirmishes he went away Victor and continued his courses with such resolution that lastly the Caledonians thought good to intreate their peace which vpon these conditions was granted first that they should forthwith lay aside all hostile Armes without any further resistance next that they should deliuer into the Romans Possession those Countries that were next abutting on their Prouince and lastly that thence-forth they should liue in quiet attempting nothing against the publike Peace 8 The State thus setled Seuerus bethought himselfe of some further meanes to secure the Prouince by building many In-land strengths anew and repairing those with Stone and Cement which formerly were but of Turffe and earth as appeareth by this Inscription found in the Ruines of one of his workes neere vnto the Riuer VRE in the County of Richmond erected IMP CAES. L. SEPTIMIO PIO PERTINACI AVGV IMP CAESARI M. AVRELIO APIO FELICI AVGVSTO BRACCHIO CAEMEN TICIVM VI NER VIO RVM SVB CVRALA SENECINON AMPLISSIMIO PERIL VISPIVS PRAELEGIO And neglecting the vttermost and vast Northerne parts of this Iland drew a Wall or Fortification which might serue as a Rampire and diuision betwixt the sauage and more ciuill people stretching it selfe thorow the whole Iland euen from Sea to Sea that is from the Bay of Itun otherwise Solweyfrith in Scotland to the doore of Tine or Tinmouth containing in length One hundred thirty and two Miles as Sextus Aurelius Victor Eutropius and others account them and by some more This Wall he built of Turfes and Timber stronglie fensed with Bulwarkes and Turrets neere vnto if not vpon the foundation of Adrians Wall the tract whereof thorow the Countries of Westmorland and Northumberland is more pleasing to bee seene then easie in word to be expressed For which his Acts thus heere atchieued about the yeere of grace two hundred and eleuen he assumed to himselfe his much desired Sirname Britannicus Maximus causing in his owne and his sonnes Coines that inscription to bee stamped 9 And recording to posteritie the glory of his first atchieuement heere vpon the reuerse of those his moneies whereon he sometimes formed a Trophy erected vpon spoiles with two Captiues vndersetting the word VICT. BRIT sometimes a winged victorie grauing a Shield hung on that tree which is the meede of Conquerours VICTORIAE BRITANNICAE and sometimes in such a forme and phrase as is expressed in the entrance of this his life And now retired to Yorke he left his eldest sonne to finish this worke of warre by him begun as being rather allaied then altogether ended 10 Bassianus thus set in the one part of the Iland as Geta was in the other sought rather to gaine the affections of his Army by a loose libertie to doe what they list then to manage the trust reposed on him by the restraint of Martiall Discipline and exaction of Militarie duties hoping by such his plausibilitie and indulgence to purchase to himselfe their best concurrence for the obtaining of the Empire which hee so thirsted after as that hee often tampered with them to raise him by the fall of his father 11 The Caledonians vnderstanding the dissolutenesse of his Campe and the want of a better Captaine suddenly assailed the Romans putting many to the sword and taking great booties which they dispersed amongst their neighbours without any regard of the obligation of their former Couenants whereat the testie old man was so much disquieted and so farre enraged to reuenge that hee gaue an expresse charge to make a generall Massacre without exception of any vsing in his speech to his Souldiers these verses borrowed out of Homer Nemo manus fugiat vestras cademque cruentam Non foetus grauidâ Mater quem gestat in aluo Horrendam effugiat cadem Let none escape your bloudy rage with terrour let all die Spare not the mother nor the child that in her womb doth ly 12 This which seemeth to haue beene the worke of Seuerus second yeere in Britannie Anno two hundred and twelue for so it is expressed vpon the monies of himselfe and sonnes may and with a fit and easie inference from the same authoritie seeme to haue beene heere the fortune and effect of two encounters and Conquests that same yeere for whether we obserue the two seuerall coines of victorie then minted on one of which is the Statue of that armed and winged Goddesse at whose feet are two Captiues prostrate bound or the other bearing on it a double figure of that Lady grauing the sculpture of the former VICT. BRIT vpon a Shield it can conclude no lesse in probabilitie 13 Seuerus remaining in Yorke where the Sixth Legion called Victrix kept which place afterwards grew to be one of the chiefest for account among the Brigantes as commonly the Staâ—… of the Râ—…dus Colonies were the seed-plots of all our Cities and principall Townes grew feeble and sicke being weakened with age and wearied with trauell his maladie more increasing by the disturbances of the Enemie and the daily disloialtie of Bassianus his sonne insomuch that despairing of life hee called his Counsell and Captaines before him and vnderlaid with pillowes he thus addressed his speech 14 Eighteene yeeres almost haue I wielded the affaires of the Empire and borne on my shoulders the burden of her encombred estate both at home and abroad at my first entrance troubled euery where now at length quiet euen here in Britaine the most vnquiet and molestious Prouince of all The profit of which trauels I must now leaue for others to enioy and with ease in peace to keepe that which I with care and warre haue gotten If therefore amity and mutuall concord be embraced the only sinewes of
but that they might aduance others more sauage then the former If hee were milde or inclining to truth the darts of hatred were on euery side leuelled against him as the onely Subuerter of the Britaines Estate What was pleasing or displeasing to God was all one with them sauing that the better things commonly wrought most discontent so that rightly the saying of the Prophet which was denounced vnto the people in old time might bee applied to our Countrey Yee lawlesse and corrupt children haue forsaken the Lord and prouoked vnto wrath the holy one of Israel Why should ye be smitten any more still multiplying iniquitie Euery head is sicke and euery heart is heauy from the sole of the foot vnto the crowne of the head there is nothing sound therein Thus did they all things that were contrary to their safetie as if that medicine which was bestowed by that truest Physitian of all was needlesse for the world And not onely the prophaner sort did this but also the selected flocke of the Lord and the Shepheards thereof who ought to haue giuen example to the whole people To speake of drunkennesse numbers of them lay senselesse and weltring in wine swelling with pride contention and griping enuie putting no difference in iudgement betweene good and euill insomuch that it seemeth contempt was powred forth both vpon Princes and people and all of them seduced by vanities wandred in errors and by-paths not lead in the right way When God therefore was minded to purge his Familie and to recure them thus infected with the corruptions of sinnes by heare-say only of Tribulation the winged flight of an often-tried rumour pierced the attentiue eares of all men giuing notice of their ancient Enemies ready to arriue and fully minded to destroy them vtterly and to inhabit as earst they did the whole Countrey from one end to another Yet all this could not reclaime them but like vnto mad horses which taking the bit fast betwixt their teeth runne away with their Riders so these leauing the way which leadeth narrow though it bee vnto saluation ranne at randome in the wide way of all wickednesse which leadeth directly to death Whiles therefore as Salomon saith the stubborne seruant will not bee amended with words he is scourged for a foole and feeleth not the whip for loe a pestilent contagion fell heauily vpon this foolish people which though the enemies sword was gone in short space destroied such multitudes of them that the liuing were not able to bury the dead Neither yet also were they thereby bettered that the saying of the Prophet Esay in them might be fulfilled God called them to mourning to baldnesse and sacke-cloth but behold they fell to killing of calues and to staying of Rammes loe they went to eating and drinking and said withall Let vs eat and drinke for tomorrow wee shall die And indeed the time now drew neere wherein their iniquities like as those in times past of the Amorites should come to the fulnesse And euen at that instant the like measure beganne to bee heaped vpon the Britaines 6 For the common enemie now inuading the Southerne parts was entred as farre as Stamford vpon the Riuer Welland whom to resist the Britaines assembled together and hauing experience what ciuilliarres had formerly done they iointly vnite their meanes and powers and with one consent elect a King to manage these affaires which was Vortigerne by birth extracted from the British Line nobly descended had not his many vices blemished the same The British Historie saith that hee was Earle of Cornwall and of great command in the daies of Constantine their King whose simplicitie hee much abused and whom lastly hee caused to be murdered by the Guard of his Person the Scots and Picts by him so placed and to that end instigated whom neuerthelesse with death hee seuerely punished to auoid further suspition In whose reuenge these fierce Nations so assaulted his Dominions with rape and spoile that hee was forced for further assistance to send for these Saxons to his aid Whether thus or otherwise most true it is the Saxons were sent for and of hoped Friends became the tried Enemies to the Britaines and their Estates as out of Gildas their Historian wee shall anon declare 7 The occasion and maner of this their inuiting and comming is set downe by a Countryman of their owne Witichindus a Writer of good antiquity who thus relateth the circumstance thereof Britaine saith he by Vespasian the Emperour long since being reduced among the Roman Prouinces and held in their subiection stood them in no small stead but their Legions abandoned and destinie as it seemeth determining the downfall became soone assaulted by their neighbour Nations the Northerne Borderers For the people of Rome after that the Emperor * Martiall was slaine by his Souldiers being tired out with forraine wars were not able to assist their friends with supply of accustomed aides And yet had they built a mighty peece of worke for the defence of the Country reaching betweene the confines from Sea to Sea where it was thought that the Enemies would assaile the Inhabitants left in the Land But no difficulty it was for them so fiercely bent and euer ready to make war especially where they dealt with a Nation feebled and left vnable to make resistance to destroy the said worke Therefore hearing of the worthy and fortunate exploits atchieued by the Saxons they sent an humble Embassage to require their aid and these hauing audience spake as followeth Most noble Saxons the poore and distressed Brets outworne and tired by the many incursions of their enemies hearing the fame of those victories which you haue most valiantly obtained haue sent vs. Suppliants vnto you crauing that you would not deny them your helpe and succour ☉ A large and spacious Land they haue plentifull and abundant in all things which wee yeeld wholly to bee at your deuotion and command Hitherto wee haue liued freely vnder the patronage and protection of the Romans next vnto whom wee know not any more powerfull then your selues and therefore we seeke for refuge vnder the wings of your valour So that we may by your puissance be superiour of our enemies whatsoeuer seruice you shall impose vpon vs that will we willingly abide To this petition the Peeres and Nobles of the Saxons briefly made answer in this wise Know yee that the Saxons will bee fast friends vnto the Brets and ready at all times both to assist them in their necessitie and also to procure their wealth with ioy therefore returne yee Ambassadors and with this wished-for tidings make your Countrey-men glad Heereupon according to promise an Armie sent into Britaine and ioifully receiued which in short time freed the Land frō the spoiling enemies recouered the country vnto the behoof of the Inhabitants 8 But how true this last clause is
Germanicus molested them at home in their Country but to their more smart And yet these Saxons among those valiant Germans were accounted the best for courage of minde strength of body and enduring of trauell as Zosimus saith Terrible also they were and full of agilitie by the report of Orosius and for their sudden inuasions most feared of the Romans saith Marcellinus 5 Their fashion was to goe foorth singing to the Warres or rather they especially are said to march to battle whereas others are said to goe carrying before them certaine Images taken out of their consecrated Woods Their manner was before they ioined Battle to trie by single Combat therein arming one of their own against some captiued enemie what successe was to be expected and this they kept as a Law vnuiolate that none might presume to beare Armes before hee was solemnly admitted where in a frequent Assemblie a Shield was giuen him by his Parents or Kindred and this was the pledge as it were of his first honour he being till then reputed but a particular of a Familie but thence-forward a member of the Common-wealth They are very sensible wise and considerate in their seruice in preferring choice Captaines in following their Leaders in obseruing their rankes in taking the aduantage and benefit of the day and intrenching in the night holding Fortune euer doubtfull but valour alwaies certaine Their weapons as testifieth Ioannes Pomarius were long Speares broad Swords and the Crosbow these they held in such esteeme that with a horse furnished Shield Sword and Launce their Virgins were receiued in mariage accounting them for the greatest bonds and the very Patron-Gods of Matrimony which custome might well bee taken from their neighbours the ancient Saracens whose Maidens vsually presented to their husbands a Tent and a Speare in way of Dowrie at the entrance of their Nuptials And among these Germans those Martiall habiliaments were in such vse that they did meet neither at Feasts nor in Councell but in their Armour A People saith Tacitus whom thou canst not so easily perswade to manure the ground as to prouoke the Enemie and aduenture wounds holding small esteeme of that which is gotten by the sweat of their browes when it might 〈◊〉 been obtained by the expence of their bloud A strange diuersitie saith he that the same men should so much loue sloth and hate quietnesse It is with them a great shame for their Prince to be ouercome in Valour but for any one to returne aliue from that Battell wherein the Prince is slaine a perpetuall infamie and reproach And that their resolutions were euer noble and their corage not daunted in distresse or bondage it well appeared by a whole band of them taken by Symachus and designed for the Romans pastime of Sword-plaiers who the same morning that this spectacle was expected strangled themselues rather then they would ineurre such infamie and basenesse as to make others pastime with the ignominious vsage of their owne persons 6 Their Lawes were seuere and vices not laughed at and good Customes of greater authority among them then elsewhere were good Lawes no temporising for fauor nor vsury for gaine but bounteous in hospitality and liberall in gifts accounting both due to bee giuen and receiued yea and that without thanks no Nation freer from adulterie or punishing that sinne more seuerely For the woman offending hauing first her haire cut off was turned starke naked out of her Husbands house and that in presence of her owne kindred thence she was scourged with whips thorow the Towne without regard of birth beauty age or wealth and neuer after could finde another Husband Those that were vnnaturally leaud of their bodies their manner was to drowne them in filthy mud and to couer them with hurdles Yea and greater punishments then these the Pagan-Saxons executed vpon such offenders as by the Epistle of Boniface an English-man Arch-bishop of Magunce which he wrote vnto Ethelbald King of the Mercians in reproouing his adulterous life is manifest For saith hee in the ancient Country of the Saxons where there was no knowledge of God if either a Maid in her fathers house or one hauing a husband became a whore shee should bee strangled with her owne hands closed to her mouth and the Corrupter should bee hanged vpon the Pit wherein she was buried If shee were not so vsed then her Garments being cut away downe from the Girdle-steed the chaste Matrons did scourge and whip her and did pricke her with kniues and so was she sent from Towne to Towne where other fresh and new scourges did meet and torment her vnto death And their seuere Lawes a long time remaining in the daies of Christianitie doe declare with what rigor without regard of person they both examined and punished this offense whereof that of Queene Emma the mother of King Edward the Confessor is a sufficient example who being accused for incontinencie of body with Alwyn Bishop of Winchester was inioined to passe ouer nine Plough-share Irons glowing red hot she being blind-fold and bare-footed by which triall shee is said to haue acquitted her selfe insomuch that hauing passed them all before shee knew it cried and said O good Lord when shall I come to the place of my purgation This punishment beginning in these Pagans and continuing vnto the yeere 750. Stephen the Second and most pontificall Pope of Rome did vtterlie abolish as too seuere and ouer-rigorous for Christians to vndergoe The Virgins of these Saxons were neuer to bee married but once that they might haue no other thoghts nor further desire but in case of matrimony neither had the men pluralitie excepting great Personages and they sued vnto in regard of procreation for to be without Children was to be without reputation So that the testimony of Saluianus which liued among them fitteth well our purpose saying Though the Saxons are outragious in cruelty yet for chastity they are to be honoured 7 But as in these vertues they out-stripped most Pagans so in the Zeale of their heathenish superstitions and Idolatrous seruice they equalized any of them for besides Herthus the Mother-Earth whom the Angli our auncestors accounted for a Goddesse of Aide they worshipped Mercurie vnder the name of Woden for their principall God of Battell after whose victories they vsually sacrificed to him their Prisoners taken in warres and of him named one of the weeke daies Wodensday whereon hee was chieflie worshipped whose wife named Frea was by the like foolerie held to bee Venus a Goddesse vnto whom another of their weeke daies was assigned for name and seruice which of vs is called Fridaie Isis likewise with them was a Goddesse of great account so was Eoster vnto whom they sacrificed in the moneth of Aprill whence it commeth saith Beda that they called Aprill Eoster-Moneth and we still name the feast of the Resurrection
Easter The Images of all these they still bare before them in battle reputing no small confidence in their aides and yet saith Tacitus they thought it vnbeseeming to paint their Gods in the shape of men hauing euen by Nature doubtlesse written in their hearts a regard to that demaund of the Lord To whom will ye liken me that I should be like him saith the holie one Iehoua They gaue great heede also to the neighing of their Horses and to the flight and singing of Birds as ominous fore-shewers of future euents 8 These Superstitions Ethelward euen in his daies complained of That they had infected the Danes Normans and Sueuians with the worship of this God wooden vnto whom those barbarous Nations offered sacrifices that they might be victorious where they fought And as Crantz recordeth Herald the first of that name and Norwaies King was so farre ouergone that he sacrificed two of his Sonnes vnto his Idols that he might obtaine a tempest to disperse and put backe the Armado which Herald King of Denmarke had prepared against him This generall defection of Gods true worship Adam Bremensis maketh mention of in this manner In a Temple saith he called in their vulgar and natiue speech Vbsola which is made altogether of Gold the people worship the Statues of three Gods in such manner as that Thor the mightiest of them hath only a Throne or Bed on either hand of him Woodan and Frisco hold their places And thus much they signifie Thor say they beareth rule in the Aire and gouerneth the Thunder and Lightning Windes Showres Faire weather Corne and Fruits of the Earth The second which is Woodan that is stronger maketh Warres and ministreth manly valour against Enemies The third is Frisco bestowing largely vpon mortallmen peace and pleasure whose Image they deuise and pourtray with a great virtle member Woodan they engraue armed like as we vse to cut and expresse Mars 9 Their controuersies and doubtfull matters were decided by drawing of Lots which they euer made of some fruit-bearing tree and was performed after this manner If there were publike cause the Priest if priuate the Goodman of the house or worthtest in the company tooke those slitted slips distinguished with certaine markes that had beene scattered at hap hazzard vpon a white garment and after praiers and inuocation on their God with eies fixed vpon heauen and three times lifting the same lots aloft gaue their interpretations thereof according to the markes therein inscribed which was receiued and beleeued for a most sure Oracle as the like was obserued vpon other occasions both by the inspections of Beasts intrals and singings of Birds after the accustomed maner of other Gentiles that doted vpon the auguration for things of future successe 10 For the generall gouernment of their Countrey they ordayned twelue Noblemen chosen from among others for their worthines and sufficiency These in the time of peace rode their seuerall circuits to see iustice and good customes obserued and they often of course at appointed times met together to consult and giue order in publike affaires but euer in time of warre one of these twelue was chosen to be King and so to remaine so long onely as the warres lasted and that being ended his name and dignitie of King also ceased becomming againe as before And this custome continued among them vntill their wars with the Emperour Charles the Great at which time Wittekind one of the twelue aforesaid a Nobleman of Angria in Westphalia â—…bore ouer the rest the name and authoritie of King and he being afterward by means of the said Emperour conuerted to the faith of Christ had by him his mutable Title of King turned into the enduring stile and honour of Duke and the eleuen others were in like manner by the said Emperour aduanced to the honourable Titles of Earles and Lords with establishment for the continuall remaining of these Titles and Dignities vnto them and their heires Of whose descents are since issued the greatest Princes at this present in Germanie But though they obserued this said forme of gouernment elsewhere yet heere in Britaine it was otherwise as heereafter will appeare 11 And thus much out of my poore readings I haue obserued of the originall beginnings the names maners and customes of our ancient Progenitors the worthy Saxons without either amplyfying or impayring their glory who being of all the Germans so much deuouted to warre as that their only fame therein was many times sufficient to daunt the Enemy were thought vpon by the downe-cast Britaines as the fittest to support their ruiued Estate of whose Entrance Conquests and Kingdomes wee are now next addressed to speake THE SAXONS ARRIVALL INTO BRITAINE VNDER THE CONDVCT OF HENGIST AND HORSA CHAPTER IIII. WHen the state of Britaine was miserablie torne by the calamities of ciuill Dissensions Famine Death and Robberies the Romans returned their owne Strength decaied and their Afflictions daily augmented by their wonted Enemies the Scots and Picts no hope was left to their despairing hearts that of themselues they were able to defend themselues and therefore as wee haue shewed they called to their aid the Saxons a Nation fierce and valorous who to the number of nine thousand vnder the Conduct of Hengist and Horsa two brethren entred Britaine at Ebsfleet in the I le of Thanet in the raigne of Theodosius the second and of Valentintan the third Emperors of the East and West about the yeere of Grace 450. Receiued they were with great ioy as Angels from Heauen and saluted with songs after the accustomed manner of the Britaines who appointed them the Iland Thanet for their habitation 2 These Saxons in short time made proofe of their Manhood For ouercomming the Enemie euen in Scotland it selfe seated themselues in some part thereof so that their Conquest seemed absolute and the Britaine 's freed from their former assaults Peace thus setled and the Inhabitants freed a friendly Composition was made betwixt these Nations wherein the Saxons vndertook to maintaine the Field and the Britaines to sustaine the Charge In which league they aboad some certaine time faith Witichindus making vse in a ciuill sort of the Brets friendship but so soone as they perceiued the Country large the soile fertile and the hands of the Inhabitants slow to practise feats of Armes and further considering with themselues that themselues and the greatest part of the Saxons had no certaine place of aboad they found fault with their pay and want of victuals making that their quarrell as both too meane and too little for their high deserts threatning withall as vnkind Ghests that shortly they would reckon without their Hosts and thereupon sending ouer for more of their Nation entred peace with the Scots Picts who all together rose against the poore Brets 3 And Hengist that by the gift of Vortigern had got the
all which were presented vnto King Elfred at his returne to London who out of his princely magnanimity sent backe to Hastings his wife and two sonnes because said hee shee was no warriour and his two sonnes were his God-children whereupon Hastings repaired his Castle and ioined with the other Danes that lay at Apulder 22 Those then that had fled but lately from Excester in their returne met with other their consorts and rouing about the coast for their prey fell lastly vpon the ancient City Chester which presently they beganne to sacke and burne But the country inhabitants comming to the rescue begirt them about with their hoast and forestalled the passages of all supply of victuals so that for want of food the Danes were constrained to eate vp their horses and vpon composition thence to depart 23 Thence fetching a compasse all along the coasts of Wales in the same yeare they arriued in Essex being the twenty foure of King Elfreds raigne and in the Winter following drew their ships by the Thamesis into the riuer Lea by which they passed in those light Pinnaces twenty miles North-ward into the land and built them a fortresse at the place called Weare thither forthwith the King repaired and pitched his tets before his enemies in the same place who seeing their strength and the danger of long siege did that by policy which power could not so sodainely do for he diuided the riuer into sundrie streames whereby the Chanell was made vnnauigable and the Shippes bedded in the mudde lay rather to their annoiance then defence the former experience of their hunger-starud besiege made thē the more fearefull to fall into the like and therfore in great hast departed their fortresse leauing their wiues and children to the mercy of the English Neither stayed they till they came vnto the borders of Wales when at Cartbridge vpon Seuerne they built another Castle and lay there all the next winter 24 Long there they stayed not without dislike of their lodgings and cold entertainments but that they returned to their wonted spoiles and diuiding themselues some to Northumberland and some into East-Anglia like Locusts eate vp all as they went whose breath as it were so infected the aire that for three yeares following a great mortality raigned both vpon men and beasts and ended not much before the death of this incomparable Prince which hapned to the great sorrow of his subiects vpon wednesday the twenty eight of October when hee had raigned twenty nine yeares and sixe moneths of his age fifty one and yeare of Christ Iesus nine hundreth and one 25 The vertues of this Prince are matchable to any that euer raigned before him and exceed the most that euer raigned after him both in seruice of God whose Substitutes they are in defence of his Country which charge they all beare in prouiding good lawes the sinewes of Kingdomes and care of posterities from which no man is exempted The day and night containing twenty foure howers he designed equally to three especiall vses and them obserued by the burning of a taper set in his Chappell or Oratory eight howres hee spent in contemplation reading and prayers eight in prouision for himselfe his repose and health and the other eight in the affaires of his common-wealth and state His Kingdome hee likewise diuided into Shires Hundreds and Tithings for the better ordering and administring of iustice and for the abandoning of theeues which had formerly increased by the meanes of long warres whereby notwithstanding the multitude of souldiers continually imploied it is reported that a Virgin might trauaile alone in his daies through all his dominions without any violence offered and that bracelets of gold were hanged in the high waies and no man so hardy as to take them away Hee was a most zealous and studious protector and prouider for the Clergy Widdowes and Orphans liberall of his goods wise temperate and iust valiant patient in aduersities and euer relgious in the seruice of God A most learned Prince a skilfull Musition and an excellent Poet the best lawes beefitting his Subiects he translated into the English tongue as also the Pasterall of Gregory the history of Beda and Boetius his consolation of Philosophy the Psalmes of Dauid whose godly raigne he proposed to himselfe for imitation hee likewise began to translate but died before hee could finish the same And so great a desire had he vnto learning that as Alfredus Riuallensis witnesseth he published this Act We will and command that all Freemen of our Kingdom whosoeuer possessing two hides of land shall bring vp their sons in learning till they be fifteene yeares of age at least that so they may be trained to know God to bee men of understanding and to line happily for of a man that is borne free and yet illiterate we repute no otherwise then of a beast or a brainelesse body and a very sot And for the furtherance of this his roiall intent consorted with Aserius Meneuensis Grimbald Iohn Scot and others neither permitted he any in office in Court or elsewhere vnlesse he were learned which incited his Nobles to the earnest pursuit of learned Arts and to traine vp their children in good letters his buildings were many both to Gods seruice and other publicke vse as at Edelingsey a Monastery at Winchester a New-Minster and at Shaftsbury a house of Nunnes wherein hee made his daughter Ethelgeda the Abbesse But the foundation of the Vniuersity of Oxford which hee began in the yeare of our Lord eight hundred ninety fiue and whose lectures he honoured with his owne presence surmounteth all his others to the continuance of posterities a liuing spring and gratious fountaine whence issue the streames of all knowledge that abundantly haue watred both this and other kingdomes 26 His body was first buried in the Cathedrall Church of S. Peters at Winchester vnder a faire Monument of most pretious Purphory afterwards because the lewd-religious Chanons giue it out to work some feat of their vsual imposture that his Ghost did walk euery night from house to house both it and the Monument were taken vp and by his son the Kings commaund in detestation of those sorceries remoued into the Church of the new Monastery and lastly his body Monument Church and Monastery were taken thence and remoued without the North-gate of the City since called Hyde 27 Some alleadge that the malice of those Chanons against him was for displeasure that he placed ouer thē a rude Swineheard named Denewlphus whom he made their Bishop but the ground of that assertion seemeth vnwarrantable by the relation of Wigornensis also of Tho. Rudburne the first of which saith that Elfred caused him to be trained vp in learning and the later that after long study he attained to the degree of a Doctor of Di◅inity in the Vniuersity of Oxford and was afterward made Bishop of Winchester
Grandfather King Edgar 19 He was of personage tall for courage hardy strong of limmes and well could endure the trauels of warre insomuch that some deeme the surname Ironside giuen him onely vpon that occasion◅ With him fell the glory of the English and the aged body of their sore bruised Monarchy seemed to bee buried with him in the same Sepulchre His Wife 20 Algith the wife of King Edmund was the widow of Sigeferth the sonne of E◅grin a Danish Nobleman of Northumberland which Sigeferth with his brother Morcar was murthered at Oxford by the treason of the neuer-faithfull Edrick this Lady being of great beauty and noble parentage after the death of her husband and the seisure of his lands was by King Ethelred cōmitted in charge to the Monastery of Malmesbury where Edmund seeing her grew in great loue and there married her against the liking of his father in Anno 1015. His Issue 21 Edward the eldest son of King Edmund and Queen Algith his wife was surnamed the Outlaw because he liued out of England in Hungary as a banished man through the raigne of C◅t and of his sonnes the Danes But when his vncle King Edward the Confessor had obtained the English crown he was by him recalled and most honourably in his Court enterained till lastly hee was taken away by death in the City of London the yeere of Christ 1057. He married Agatha sister to Queene Sophia wife to Salomon King of Hungary and daughter to the Emperour Henrie the second by whom hee had Edgar surnamed Etheling confirmed heire apparant by Edward Confessor his great Vncle which title notwithstanding proceeded no further for that hee was depriued thereof by Harold his Protector The daughters of this Edward as after shall be said were Margaret and Christian the younger of which became a valed Nunne at Ramsey in Hampshire where shee in that deuotion spent her life and was there interred Margaret the elder and afterward sole heire vnto the Saxon Monarchy married Malcolme the third of that name King of Scotland and commonly called Canmore from which princely bed in a lineall descent our high and mighty Monarch King IAMES the first doth in his most roiall person vnite the Britaines Saxons English Normans and Scotish imperiall Crownes in one 22 Edmund the second and yongest sonne of King Edmund and of Queene Algith his wife after his fathers decease being a Child was with his brothe Edward sent by Canute to Olaue King of Swedon his halfe brother to the intent that he by murther should make them both away but this King taking pitty on the innocent Childrens estate sent them to Salomon King of Hungarie to the intent to haue them saued where they were receiued with great fauour and honour and Mathew of Westminster reporteth that this Prince married the daughter of the same King and other Writers of these times that he died in the same Country without any issue of his body 23 These two sonnes of the Ironside thus posted away and the crowne already set vpon the Danes head had not the meanes of themselues to displace it nor the English hearts to assist them to their right so that they rather secured themselues from violent deaths in this their exile then made claime to that which was vnrecouerable and left the Danes quietly to possesse the land which so long they had molested with their sturdy Armes The End of the Seuenth Booke THE ORIGINALL OF THE DANES THEIR MANNERS RELIGION AND INVASIONS OF ENGLAND THE RAIGNES OF THEIR KINGS HERE UNTILL THE CROWNE REVERTED AGAINE TO THE SAXONS WORNE BY KING EDWARD THE CONFESSOR AND AFTER HIM BY HAROLD THE LAST KING OF THEIR RACE CHAPTER I. THe Spirite of God in his sacred writings to shew his all-commanding power ouer Kingdomes and Nations compareth the transmigrations of people from country to country vnto the transfusion of wine from vessel to vessell and those that are at rest with sinne to the setling vpon their lees as Moab did against whom hee cursed that hand that was negligent in his worke of reuenge and the sword that was not sheathed in their bloud Euen so the sinnes of the Saxons growne now to the full and their dregs as it were suncke vnto the bottome they were emptied by the Danes from their owne vessels and their bottles broken that had vented their red bloody wines in lieu whereof the Lord then gaue them the cuppe of his wrath whose dregs hee had formerly by their own hands wrung out vpon other nations 2 For these Saxons that had enlarged their kingdomes by the bloud of the Britaines and built their nests high vpon the Cedars of others as the Prophet speaketh committed an euill couetousnesse vnto their owne habitations and were stricken by the same measure that they had measured vnto others When as the Danes often attempting the lands inuasion and the subuersion of the English estate made way with their swords through all the Prouinces in the realme and lastly aduanced the crowne vpon their owne helmets which whiles it so stood was worne with great honour especially of Canutus the first and their greatest 3 As touching this Nations originall and first place of residing seeing themselues know nothing at all we cannot determine but supposing them with Franciscus Irenicus to be a branch of the ancient Germans and knowing them by the testimonies of al others to inhabite◅ in the same Country among them we need not to doubt but that their conditions and customes were much alike Of the former what we haue obserued is already set downe where we spake of our Saxons now of these later what is supposed for truth shall be produced 4 These Danes so often mentioned by our historians for the great afflicters of the English state and peace were a people descended from the Scythians as Andrew Velley a learned Danish Writer reporteth but Dudo of S. Quintin an ancient Author will haue them to come from Scandia an Iland situated north-ward not farre from the continent of Denmarke which his opinion seemeth vnto some to be strengthned by Ptolemie the Alexandrian who in his Geography placeth the people Da◅ciones the supposed Ancestors of those Danes in this Iland Scandia at such time as himselfe wrote which was in the raigne of Hadrian the Emperour and about the yeere of Christs natiuity 133. But wheresoeuer the root had beginning the branches did farre spread themselues into the vpper Germany and parts of Norway and Sweyden whose faire fruit more particularly filled that promontory which tongue-like lieth into the Ocean on the north being anciently called of the learned Cimbrica Chersonessus where as Tacitus saith was the vttermost end of Nature and of the world a strange conceit indeed and yet more strange was their opinion who were perswaded that the sound and noise of the Sunne was there heard at his dailie rising and setting in those seas But from
And although William Fitz-Osberne a man in high fauour with the Duke and as gratious among the people endeauoured by all meanes to effect it yea and to draw on others by his example proffered to set out forty tall Ships vpon his owne Charges towards this warre yet would it not bee Therefore Duke William bethought him on another way 26 The wealthiest men among all his People he sent for and seuerally one by one conferred with shewing them his right and hopes of England wherin preferment lay euē to the meanest amongst them only money was the want which they might spare neither should that be giuen nor lent without a plentiful increase with such fair words he drew them so on that they stroue who should giue most and by this policy hee gathered such a masse of money as was sufficient to defray the warre Then went hee to his neighbour Princes namely to the Earles of Anion Poictou Mayne and Bulloigne promising them faire possessions in England yea and vnto Philip the French King in case he would aide him hee voluntarily offered to become his vassall and Leige-man and to hold England by oath and fealty vnder him But it beeing thought nothing good for the State of France that the Duke of Normandy who already was not so pliable to the French King as was wished should bee bettered in his estate by the addition of so mighty a Kingdome the power of Neighbour Potentates being euer suspected of Princes so farre was the King from yeelding any helpe that he secretly maligned openly disswaded this his attempt of inuading England This French iealousy the Norman soone perceiued which made him to cast about yet another way 27 For making his claime knowne vnto Alexander the second then Pope of Rome with the wrongs done vnto Robert Arch-bishop of Canterbury by Harold and his Father a text that might not bee read without a glosse he was so fauoured of his Holinesse whose See was euer glad to interest it self in disposing of Crowns that he both allowed well of his enterprize and sent him a consecrated Banner Saint Peter himselfe had none such in his Boate to bee borne in the Ship wherein himselfe in that expedition should take saile for England and accursed al them that shold oppose themselues against him for euen then the Popes had began to vsurpe authority ouer Princes with their leaden blades to hacke into the iron swords of Emperours 28 Thus furnished on all sides he assembled his forces and with a mighty Nauy came to the Towne of Saint Valeries which standeth vpon the mouth of the Riuer Some where a long time he lay wind bound to his great discontentment and with many vowes importunating the fauour of that locall Saint heaped daily a number of gifts and oblations vpon his Altar till lastly his desire was obtayned and then with three hundred Ships fraught full of his Normans Flemings Frenchmen Britaignes waighed Anchor and with a gentle gale of wind arriued at Peuensey in Sussex vpon the twenty eight day of September where Landing his men to cut off all occasion or hope of returne he fired his owne fleete and vpon the Shoare erected a Fortresse to bee if neede were 〈◊〉 retiring place for his Souldiers 29 At his arriuage from Sea 〈◊〉 our Historians report his foot chaunced to slippe so that not able to recouer himselfe he fell into the mud and all to bemired his hands which accident was presently construed for a lucky presage for now said a Captaine O Duke thou hast taken possession and holdest that land in thy hand whereof shortly thou shalt become King As Caesar is said to haue done when hee entred into Africa who from ship-board at his landing fell into the sands and merily said I doe now take possession of thee O Africa 30 From Peuensey Duke William departed towards Hasting where raising another fortification diuulged to all the causes of his comming as pretending to reuenge both the death of his Normans slain by the treachery of Goodwin Harold and the wrongs and banishment of Robert Gemeticus Archbishop of Canterbury pretenses very slender and enforced out of season but surely had not a third sate neerer his heart the two former would haue passed without the spleene of reuenge namely the donation of King Edward deceased whereon he built his claime to the English Crowne And there also by his Edict he straitely charged his souldiers not in hostile manner to wrong any of their persons who shortly were to become his Subiects 31 Harold in the North hearing of these news hasted with his Armie whose Armour yet reaked with the bloud of the Norwegians towards the south and with such power as possible hee could make entreth London where immediately a messenger frō Duke William was presented vnto him demaunding no lesse then the Kingdome and Harolds vassalage vrging the same with such instant boldnesse that Harolds furious indignation could hardly forbeare against the law of Armes to lay violent hands vpon the Ambassador so great a pride and confident hope had entred the heart of this late Victor to shew both with very great boldnesse he dispatcheth his Ambassadors to William and by way of irefull checkes menaceth him vnlesse forthwith hee departed backe into Normandy when presently mustering his men at London hee found them much lessened by his battaile against the Norwegians notwithstanding many Nobles Gentlemen and others whom the loue of their natiue Country inflamed did ingage themselues for the field against his common and dangerous enemy He therfore with an vndaunted courage led forth his Armie into Sussex against the importunate suite of his mother who sought by all meanes to stay him where on a large and faire plaine scarse seuen miles from the enemy he pitched downe his battailes and sent forth his Espials to descry his power 32 These comming into danger were caught by the Normans and presented to their Duke who commanded them forth with to bee led from Tent to Tent to be feasted and dismissed without any harme or dishonour done These returning to Harold told what they had seene commending the Duke in his Martiall Prouisions and his clemency to them-ward only said they his Souldiers seem to be Priests for their faces were all shauen whereas the vse of the English was then to reserue onely the vpper lippe vncut retaining or renewing the old manner of the ancient Britaines so described by Caesar but King Harold who had bin in that country wel knowing their errour replied that they were men of great valour stout Souldiers in fight Vpon which speech Girth his younger brother a man much renowned for martiall exploits tooke occasion to aduise the King from being present at the danger of the Field for said he it stands not with the rule of policy to hazard all in the triall of one battell nor to depend vpon the euent of war which euer is doubtful victory being
sonne Iohn first in the Catalogue of the Conspirators against him in that action hee bitterly cursed the howre of his birth laying Gods curse and his vpon his sonnes which hee would neuer recall for any perswasion of the Bishoppes and others but comming to Chinon fell there grieuously sicke and feeling death approch hee caused himselfe to be borne into the Church before the Altar where after humble confession and sorrow for his sinnes hee departed this life 100 It shal not in contempt of humane glory be forgotten that this puissant Monarch being dead his people presently left him and fell to spoile all he had leauing him naked of whom one saith trulie and grauely Verè melmuscae c. Surely these flies sought honey these wolues a Carcase these Ants grain for they did not follow the Man but the spoile and bootie Neither must it be vnremembred that the fierce and violent Richard now heire of all comming to meete his Fathers body roially adorned for the buriall according to the Maiestie of his estate the very Corse as it were abhorring and accusing him for his vnnaturall behauiours gushed forth bloud whereat Richard pierced with remorse melted into flouds of teares in most humble and repentant maner attending vpon the remaines of his vnfortunate Father to the Graue His Wife 101 Eleanor the Wife of King Henry was the eldest of the two Daughters and the sole Heire of William Duke of Aquitaine the fift of that name the ninth in succession sonne of Duke William the fourth her Mother was Daughter to Raimund Earle of Tholoâ—…se and her great Dowrie was motiue first to King Lewis who had two daughters by her Mary and Alice and after to King Henry to marry her There are of the French Historians who report that king Henry had a former wife and that shee bare vnto him Prince Henry but Writers of our owne affaires and some also of the French acknowledge but onely Eleanor for his Wife Certain it is that king Henries times were much famoused by two Women of much differing qualities the one was his renowmed Mother Matildis whose Epitaph thus comprised part of her glory Ortu magna viro maior sed maxima prole Hic iâ—…cet Henrici Filiâ—… Sponsa Parens Here Henries Mother Daughter Wife dothrest By Birth much more by Spouse by Child most blest The other was this Eleanor his Wife the first cause of these bloudie Warres which long after continued as hereditary betwixt England and France yea and the bellows of that vnnaturall discord betwixt her husband and his sonnes Shee much out-liued her husband as a bad thing stickes longest beeing so happie as to see three of her sonnes aduanced to the Crowne and so vnhappie as to see two of them in their graues for she liued till King Iohns time His Issue 102 William the eldest sonne and first child of King Henry and Queene Eleanor his wife was borne before his father was King and while hee was but Duke of Normandy in the eighteenth yeere of the raigne of King Stephen 1152. and the fourth yeere after his father beeing then King and in the second yeere of his raigne the Nobilitie of England sware vnto him their fealtie as to the heire apparant of the Kingdome at the Castle of Wallingford in Barkeshire but he deceased the yeere following being the third of his fathers raigne and the fift of his owne age 1156. He was buried in the Monastery of Reading at the feete of his great Grandfather King Henrie the first 103 Henrie the second sonne of King Henry and Queene Eleanor beeing borne the last of Februarie 1156. was their heire apparant after the death of his brother William was Duke of Normandie Earle of Aniou and Maigne and was crowned King of England at Westminster by Roger Arch-bishop of Yorke the fifteenth of Iulie 1170. His wife was Margaret daughter of Lewis the Yonger King of France married to him at Nuburgh in Normandy the second of Nouember 1160. crowned Quene at Winchester by Rotrocke of Warwicke Arch-bishop of Roan the 21. of Nouember 1163. and suruiuing him was remarried to Bela King of Hungarie He died without issue before his father at Marcell in Tourâ—…ine the eleuenth of Iulie the twentie sixe yeere of his fathers raigne 1182. and was buried in the Church of our Lady at Roan 104 Richard the third sonne of King Henrie and Queen Eleanor was born at Oxford in the Kings Pallace there called Beau-Mount in September the fourth yeere of his fathers raigne 1157. He proued a Prince of great valor and was therefore surnamed in French Cuer-de-Lion in English Lions-Heart hee was created Earle of Poyton and had the whole Dutchie of Aquitaine for which he did his homage to King Lewis the Yonger of France in the eighteenth yeere of his fathers raigne 1170. yet afterward he conceiued some discontentment against his father and maintained warres vpon him but was reconciled againe into his loue and succeeded him in his Kingdome 105 Geffrey the fourth sonne of King Henrie and of Queene Eleanor was borne the twentie third of September in the fifth yeere of his fathers raigne 1159. Hee married Constance daughter and heire of Conan Duke of Britane and in her right was Duke of Britane and did his homage to his brother Henry for the same Dutchie and receiued the homages of the Barrons of the same hee died at Paris in the thirtie two yeere of his fathers raigne 1186. the nineteenth of August and is buried in the quire of our Ladies Church there hee had issue Arthur Duke of Britane borne after his fathers decease the heire apparant of King Richard and by some supposed to bee made away by King Iohn and also Eleanor called the Daâ—…sell of Britane who died in prison in the raigne of King Henrie the third 106 Philip the fifth sonne of King Henrie and Queene Eleanor may bee mistrusted to be mistaken by Antiquaries of our time as misunder-standing the ancient writers who mentioning the birth of Philip the Kings sonne might by good likelihood be thought to meane Philip sonne of Lewâ—… the Yonger King of France who was borne about this time and was after King of the same Countrey But Mr Thoâ—…as Talbot an exact trauailer in genealogies hath not onely set him downe in this place amongst the children of this King but also warranteth the same to bee done with good authoritie howsoeuer it is apparant his life was verie short 107 Iohn the sixth and yongest sonne of King Henrie and Queene Eleanor was borne in the thirteenth yeere of his fathers raigne in Anno 1166. hee was iestinglie surnamed by his father Sans-terre in English without Land because hee was borne last as if there had beene nothing left for him Notwithstanding soone after hee was created Earle of Mortaigne and had more-ouer by degrees the Earledomes of Cornwall and Glocester the Counties of Derby and Lancaster the Honors of Wallinford and Nottingham the Castles of
once with infinite benefit to the Realme by the coniunction of those two bloods in one whose seuerall titles had long time disquieted the Land hee fled the Realme went to Rome neuer minding more to meddle with the world till the noble Prince King Henry the seuenth got him home againe made him Archbishop of Canterbury and Chancellor of England whereunto the Pope ioined the honour of a Cardinall Thus liuing many dayes in as much honour as one man might well wish ended them so godly that his death with Gods mercy well changed his life 24 This man therefore as I was about to tell you by the long and often alternate proofe aswell of prosperitie as aduerse fortunes had gotten by great experience the very mother or mistresse of Wisedome a deepe insight in politicke worldly drifts Whereby perceiuing now this Duke glad to commune with him sed him with faire words and many pleasant praises And perceiuing by the processe of their communication the Dukes pride now and then balke out a litle bread of enuy towards the glory of the King and thereby feeling him easie to fall out if the matter were well handled hee craftily sought the wayes to pricke him forward taking alwayes the occasion of his comming and keeping himselfe so close within his bounds that hee rather seemed to follow then to leade him For when the Duke first began to praise boast of the King and shew how much profite the Realme should take by his raigne Morton answered thus Surely my Lord folly it were for me to lye for if I would sweare the contrary your Lordship would not ween I beseeue but that if the world would haue gone as I could haue wished King Henries son had had the Crowne and not King Edward But after that God had ordered him to lose it and King Edward to raigne I was neuer so mad that I would with a dead man striue against a quicke So was I to King Edward a faithfull Chapplaine and glad would haue beene that his child should haue succeeded him Howbeit if the secret iudgement of God haue otherwise prouided I purpose not to spurne against the pricke nor labor to set vp that God putteth downe And as for the late protector and now King and euen there he left saying that hee had already medled too much with the world and would from that day meddle with his Booke and his Beades and no further 25 Then longed the Duke sore to heare what he would haue said because he ended with the king and there so suddainly stopped and exhorted him so familiarly betweene them twaine to be bolde to say whatsoeuer he thought whereof he faithfully promised there should neuer come hurt and peraduenture more good then he would weene and that himselfe intended to vse his faithfull secret aduise and counsell which he said was the only cause for which he procured of the King to haue him in his custody where he might account himselfe at home and else had he beene put in the hands of them with whom he should not haue found the like fauour The Bishop right humbly thanked him and said In good faith my Lord I loue not to talke much of Princes as a thing not all out of perill though the word be without fault Forasmuch as it shall not be taken as the party meant it but as it pleaseth the Prince to construe it And euer I think on Aesops tale that when the Lyon had proclaimed vpon paine of death there should no horned beast abide in the wood one that had in his forehead a bunch of flesh fled away a great pace The foxe who saw him runne so fast asked him whether he made all that haste and he answered In faith I neither wot nor recke so I were once hence because of this Proclamation made against horned beasts What foole quoth the Foxe thou maist abide well enough the Lion meant not thee for it is no horne that is in thy head No mary quoth he that wot I wellynough but what if he call it a horne where am I then The Duke laughed merrily at the tale and said my Lord I warrant you neither the Lion nor the Boare shall picke any matter at any thing heere spoken for it shall neuer come to their eares In good faith Sir said the Bishop if it did the thing that I was about to say taken aswell as afore God I meant it could deserue but thankes and yet taken as I weene it would might happely turne me to litle good and you to lesse Then longed the Duke yet more to wit what it was whereupon the Bishop said in good faith my Lord as for the late Protector sith he is now King in possession I purpose not to dispute his title but for the weale of this Realme wherof his Grace hath now the gouernance and my selfe am a poore member I was about to wish that to those good abilities whereof hee hath already right many little needing my praise it might yet haue pleased God for the better store to haue giuen him some of such other excellent vertues meet for the rule of a Realme as our Lord hath planted in the person of your Grace and there left againe 26 The Duke somewhat mariailing at his suddaine pauses said My Lord I note your often breathings and suddaine stopping in your communication so that to my intelligence your wordes neither come to any direct or perfect sentence in conclusion whereby either I might haue knowledge what your intent is now towards the King or what affection you beare towards mee For the comparison of good qualities ascribed to vs both maketh mee not a little to muse thinking that you haue some other priuie imagination imprinted in your heart which you bee abashed to disclose and specially to me which on my honour doe assure you to be as secret in this case as the deafe and dumbe person to the singer or the Tree to the Hunter The Bishop being somewhat bolder considering the Dukes promise but most of all animated because hee knew the Duke desirous to be magnified and also he perceiued the inward hatred which hee bare towards King Richard hee opened his stomacke to the bottome and said My singular good Lord sith the time of my captiuitie which being in your graces custodie I may rather call it a libertie then a strait imprisonment in auoiding of idlenesse mother of all vices in reading bookes and ancient pamphlets I haue founde this sentence written that no man is borne fie and at libertie of himselfe onely for one part of dutie he oweth to his parents another part to his friends and kindred but the natiue Countrey in the which he first tasted this pleasant flattering world demandeth a debt not to be forgottē Which saying causeth mee to consider in what case the Realme my natiue Countrey now standeth and in what estate and assurance before this time it