Wingrave was Mayor William Caston Ralph Balancer Sheriffs In his eleventh Year John Wingrave continued Mayor John Prior William Furneaux Sheriffs In his Twelfth Year John Wingrave continued Mayor John Pointel John Dalling Sheriffs In his Thirteenth year Hammond Chickwel was Mayor Simon de Abingdon John Preston Sheriffs In his Fourteenth Year Nicholas Farendon was Mayor Renauld at the Conduit Will. Prodham Sheriffs In his Fifteenth Year Hammond Chickwel was Mayor Richard Constantine Richard de Hackney Sheriffs In his Sixteenth Year Hammond Chickwel continued Mayor John Grantham Richard de Ely Sheriffs In his Seventeenth Year Nicholas Farendon was Mayor Adam of Salisbury John of Oxford Sheriffs In his Eighteenth Year Hammond Chickwel was Mayor Benet of Fulham John Cawston Sheriffs In his Ninteenth Year Hammond Chickwel continued Mayor Gilbert Mordon John Cawston Sheriffs In his Twentieth Year Richard Britain was Mayor Richard Rothing Roger Chauntelere Sheriffs EDWARD III. EDWARD the third was Crowned King upon Candlemas-day A. D. 1327. being the eighth day after that his Father had made a resignation of the Crown to him And now because sundry great persons with the whole order of Friars Preachers took pity on the old Kings captivity Mortimer therefore hastned to dispatch him out of the way in order to which he procured an Express from the young King then about 16. Years of age to remove him from Kenelworth Castle delivering him into the hands of those ignominious Knights Thomas de Gourney Seniour and John Mattrevers who conveying him from Kenelworth to Barkly-Castle there murdred him by running a burning spit up into his body as he was about to disburden nature September 22. 1327. His body was buryed at Glocester To animate the bloody Regicides to the commitment of the horrid fact 't is said this ambiguous phrase was invented by Adam de Torleton Bishop of Hereford and sent to them by Mortimer Edwardum occidere nolite timere bonum est Gourney or Corney and his villanous companions when they would needs shave the King on his way to Barkley lest he should be known and rescued inforced him to sit down on a molehil and the rascal Barber insulting told him That cold water out of the next ditch should serve for his trimming at that time To whom the sorrowful King answered Whether you will or no there shall be warm water and therewith shed tears plentifully But young King Edward at his Fathers death was upon the borders of Scotland where having invironed the Scots in the woods of Wividale and Stanhope by the Treason of Mortimer they escaped and he returned inglorious after an huge wast of Treasure and great peril of his own person For had not his loyal Chaplain stept in and received the mortal weapon in his own body the Kings life had been lost Shortly after this peace was concluded with the Scots upon dishonourable terms to the English by the procurement of the Mother-Queen and her Minion Mortimer Joan the Kings Sister was marryed to David Bruce the Scots in derision calling her Joan Make-peace King Edward at the Treaty of Peace sealed Charters to the Scotish Nation the contents whereof were contrived by his Mother Roger Mortimer and Sir James Douglas without the privity of the English Peers He also delivered to them that famous evidence called the Ragman-Roll and likewise quitted them of all his claim to the government of Scotland withal rendring back certain Jewels taken by the English from the Scots amongst which was one of special Note called the Black-Cross of Scotland In the same year being the year of our Lord 1327. dyed Charles the fair King of France by whose death the Crown of that Kingdom devolved to Edward King of England in right of his Mother Queen Isabel Tho. Bradwardin A. B. Cant. who was daughter to Philip the Fair and Sister to Lewis Hutin Philip the Long and Charles the Fair all Kings of France successively and all three dying without Issue the whole right now seeming to be Isabel the only Child of the said Philip that had any Issue But the French pretending a fundamental Law or Entail called the Salique Law by which no woman was inheritable to France sought to debar King Edward his right receiving to the Crown Philip of Valois whose Father was younger Brother to Philip the Fair advancing the Brothers son before the Daughters son not following the propinquity or descent of blood but meliority of the Sex Against the stream of the Queen and her Lord Mortimers absolute sway some great persons now stood amongst whom was the Kings Uncle Edmund Earl of Kent whose death the Queen and Mortimer shortly procured Nor was Mortimers fall now far off for the King beginning to perceive his own peril in the others potency upon good advice therefore surprized Mortimer with the Queen-Mother in Nottingham-Castle and by a Parliament held at Nottingham Queen Isabel's Dowry was taken from her and only a pension of a thousand Pound per Annum allowed her Mortimer was condemned in open Parliament at VVestminster for causing the young King to make a dishonourable peace with the Scots from whom he received bribes For procuring the death of Sr. Edward of Caernarvon the late King For over-familiarity with Isabel the Queen-Mother For polling and robbing the King and Commons of their Treasure He was ignominiously drawn to Tyburn then called the Elmes where he was executed on the common Gallows there hanging two days and nights 1330. With him there dyed for expiation of the late Kings death Sr. Simon de Bedford and John Deverell Esquire About this time befel great disturbances and divisions in Scotland occasioned by young Bruce and Baliol who both pretended right to that Crown which opportunity King Edward took hold on conceiving himself not obliged to stand to that contract made in his minority by the predominancy of his mother and Mortimer the Scots also detaining his Town and Castle of Berwick from him Wherefore he raises an Army and with Edward Baliol marcheth to Berwick which having besieged David Bruce sent a puissant host to the relief thereof and at Halydon-Hill the English and Scoth Armies joyned battle where the Scots were vanquished with a lamentable slaughter of them There dyed Archibald Dougles Earl of Angus and Governour of Scotland the Earls of Southerland Carrick and Foss the three Sons of the Lord Walter Steward and at least fourteen thousand others with the loss only of one Knight and ten other English-men Hereupon Berwick was surrendred to King Edward and Baliol was accepted to be King of Scotland and had faith and allegiance sworn unto him by the Scotch Nobles Simon Islip A.B. Cant. Which done Baliol repaired to King Edward then at Newcastle upon Tine where he submitted to Edward the third as his Father John Baliol had done to Edward the first After which the King of England assisted this Edward Baliol as his homager going himself in person divers times for suppressing the Brucean party which
dignities rents and possessions during their natural lives That after the death of Charles the present King of France the Crown and Realm of France should with all rights and appurtenances remain unto the King of England and his Heirs for ever That because of King Charles his infirmness and incapacity to dispose the affairs of the Realm of France therefore during his life the government thereof should be and abide to King Henry so that thenceforth he should govern the Realm and admit to his Councel and Assistance with the Councel of France such of the English Nobility as he should think fit c. The Number of Articles were thirty three which were sworn unto at Troyes May 30 1420 the same being proclaimed in London the 20 of June following These Articles were concluded betwixt the two Kings in the presence of divers of the chief Nobility both of England and France homage being sworn unto King Henry and he proclaimed Regent of France And on the third of June the marriage of Henry and Katharine was with all pompous solemnity celebrated at Troyes the Bishop of that See performing the ceremonies From Troyes the King of England and his Queen rode to Paris where great entertainment was gâ—ven and the more to weaken the Daulphins interest a Parliament of the three Estates was assembled in Paris where the disinherison of the Daulphin was confirmed In this Parliament was also the final accord betwixt the two Kings acknowledged by the French King as made by his free consent and liking and with advice of the Councel of France whereupon it was likewise there ratified by the General States of that Realm and sworn unto particularly upon the Holy Evangelists by the French Nobles and Rulers spiritual and secular who also set their Seals to the Instruments thereof Which Instruments were sent into England to be kept in the Kings Exchequer at Westminster Things now setled in France as well as that unsetled time would permit King Henry leaves the Duke of Clarence to be his Lieutenant there and hasts for England with his Queen whom he caused to be Crowned at Westminster in little time after their arrival in England Then called a Parliament in order to the raising of moneys for the continuing of the Conquest in France but some men minding more their private interest than the publique instead of being free thereto to contribute they petitioned the King to commiserate the poverty of the Commons which as they pleaded were beggered by the Wars wherefore without further pressing for any aid the King again pawned his Crown to his rich Uncle Cardinal Beauford for twenty thousand pounds and then returned into France with four thousand Horse and 24 thousand Foot And time it was for the Daulphins party was grown considerably strong by Aids sent from Scotland under the conduct of the Earl of Bucquhanan and Archibald Douglas who had given a defeat to a party of the English therein killing the valiant Duke of Clarence and taking prisoners the Earls of Huntingdon and Somerset and Thomas Beaufort After which the Daulphinois had laid siege to Alenzon and straitned the City of Paris by withholding provisions from it but when victorious Henry appeared the enemy betook them to their strong-holds many of which he gained in short time A. D. 1421 and Decemb. the sixth whilst King Henry lay before Meaux news was brought him that his Queen at the Castle of Windsor was delivered of a Son at which he exceedingly rejoyced yet said he liked not the place of her delivery having before commanded that she should not be delivered there and withal predicted that what Henry of Monmouth should gain Henry of Windsor should lose A. D. 1422 Queen Katharine passed beyond the Seas to the King into France and there in the Loure King Henry and his Queen Katharine at the Festival of Pentecost sate in their Royal Robes with their Imperial Crowns on their heads and kept there Court with great confluence of people But shortly after this renowned Prince fell sick of a burning Fever and Flux whereof he dyed August 31. 1422. His bowels were buried at St. Mauro de Fosses his body at Westminster next beneath the Tomb of Edward the Confessor Upon his Tomb Queen Katharine caused a Royal Picture to be laid covered all over with Silver-Plate gilt the head whereof was wholly of massy Silver All which at the Abbies suppression was sacrilegiously broken off and taken away His Issue was only Henry of Windsor T is said of him That he was a Prince godly in heart sober in speech sparing of words resolute in deeds provident in Councel prudent in judgment modest in countenance magnanimous in action constant in undertaking a great Alms-giver devout to Godward a renowned Souldier fortunate in field from whence he never returned without Victory He erected the Monasteries of Bethlem and Briget near unto Richmond gave Princely gifts to the Church of Westminster and Brother-hood of St. Giles without Cripple-gate-London He first instituted Garter principal King at Arms besides other augmentations to the Order of St George A. D. 1414 Sigismond the Emperour came into England desiring to make peace betwixt the two Nations of France and England but when that could not be effected he entred into a League with the English himself Sir Roger Acton Beverly Murley and some others were strangled and burned for an unlawful meeting in St. Giles-fields A. D. 1417. Sir John Oldcastle Lord Cobâ—am was adjudged as a Traytor to the King and Realm to be drawn through the streets to St. Giles-fields by London and there to be hang'd and burnt Three Popes were now at once mounted into St. Peters Chair namely Benedict Gregory and John therefore for preventions of mischief to the Church by this Schisme a Councel was held at Constance in Germany whither King Henry sent nine English Prelates one of which to wit Richard Clifford Bishop of London was the first nominated by the Councel to be Pope and he first nominated him that succeeded which was Otho Collonna by the name of Martin the fifth In the third year of this Kings reign and on Candlemas day seven Dolphins came up the River Thames four of which were taken An Act made in Parliament holden at Leicester That such who maintained Wickliffes doctrine were Hereticks and Traytors and to be hanged and burned By which Law Sir Roger Acton with divers others as also the Lord Cobham were put to death The Mayors and Sheriffs of London in this Kings Reign In his first Year Sir VVilliam Cromar was Mayor John Sutton John Michael Sheriffs In his second Year Sir Thomas Falconer was Mayor John Michael Thomas Allen Sheriffs In his third Year Sir Nicholas Wotton was Mayor VVilliam Cambridge Alan Everard Sheriffs In his fourth Year Sir Henry Barton was Mayor Richard Whittington John Coventry Sheriffs In his fifth Year Richard Marlow was Mayor Henry Read John Gedney Sheriffs In his sixth Year VVilliam Sevenoke was Mayor John Brian
following he was condemned of Felony as seeking the death of some of the Kings Counsellors and on Febr. 22 of the same year he was brought to the Scaffold on Tower-hill where he thus spake to the people Dearly beloved Friends I am brought hither to suffer death albeit I never offended against the King either in word or deed and have always been as true and faithful to this Realm as any man hath been But forasmuch as I am by Law condemned to die I do acknowledg my self as well as others to be subject thereunto Wherefore to testifie my obedience which I owe unto the Laws I am come hither to suffer death whereunto I willingly offer my self with most hearty thanks unto God that hath given me this time of repentance who might through sudden death have taken away my life that I neither should have acknowledged him nor my self When having uttered these words with others exhortatory That the people would continue constant in the Gospel suddenly there was heard a great noise whereby the assembly was struck into great fear which noise was made by some of the Trainband-Hamlets coming hurrying on the Tower-hill This stir being ceased another presently insued for the people seeing Sir Anthony Brown ride towards the Scaffold they violently ran and crowded together thitherward supposing he had brought a pardon from the King and with a sudden shout cried a pardon a pardon God save the King But these interruptions over the Duke proceeded in his speech requesting the people to join in prayer with him for the King exhorting them unto obedience to him and his Council Which done asking every man forgiveness and declaring that he freely forgave every man he meekly submitted his head to the Axe Whose death the people were much grieved for speaking very bitterly against the Duke of Northumberland and the good King sorely mourned because of it which likely did much increase his Consumptive distemper that brought him to his end Whilst he lay in his weakness he was over-wrought to disinherit his two sisters Mary and Elizabeth and to ordain by Will for his Successor to Englands Diadem Guilford Dudley's Wife Jane the elder Daughter of the Duke of Suffolk whose Mother the Lady Frances was the Daughter of Mary Queen of France and Charles Branden Duke of Suffolk Unto this Will of King Edward all his Council the Bishops and all the Judges saving Sir John Hallis subscribed When the King drew towards his last breath he prayed as followeth Lord God deliver me out of this miserable life and take me among thy chosen howbeit not my will but thy will be done Lord I commit my spirit to thee O Lord thou knowest how happy it were for me to be with thee yet for thy Chosen sake if it be thy will send me life and health that I may truly serve thee O my Lord bless thy people and save thine inheritance O Lord God save thy chosen people of England O my Lord God defend this Realm from Papistry and maintain thy true Religion that I and my people may praise thy holy Name for thy Son Jesus Christs sake So turning his face and seeing some by him he said I thought you had not been so nigh Yes said Dr. Owen we heard you speak to your self Then said the King I was praying to God O I am faint Lord have mercy upon me and receive my Spirit And in so saying he yielded up the Ghost July 6 1553. And was interred in the Chappel of St. Peters at Westminster He was a Prince very well learned in the Latin and Greek Tongues also in the French Spanish and Italian adorned with the skill of Logick Natural Philosophy Musick and Astronomy Of such observation and memory that he could tell and recite all the Ports Havens and Creeks belonging to England Scotland and France what coming in there was how the Tide served in every of them what burden of Ship and what wind best served the coming into them Of all his Nobles chief Gentry and Magistrates he took special notice of their hospitality and religious conventions He was very sparing of his Subjects blood though rebells or hereticks When Joan Butcher was to be burnt for heresie all his Council could not move him to sign the Warrant for her execution till Dr. Cranmer A. B. laboured with him therein to whom the King said What my Lord will you have me send her quick to hell And taking the Pen he used this speeeh I will lay all the charge hereof upon Cranmer before God So zealous he was for the reformed Religion and against Popery that he thrust out all the Roman fopperies out of the Churches and superstitions out of the English Church nor would he permit his sister Mary to have Mass said in her house though the Emperour Charles made suit for it in her behalf So charitable that he conferred on the City of London Christs-Hospital and St. Thomas-Hospital for the relief of the Impotent fatherless Children and wounded Soldiers and Bridewell for vagabond and idle persons and so circumspect as to himself and publick that he kept a Journal-Book written with his own hand how all things proceeded with him and the state even from the first day of his raign unto his death The Mayors and Sheriffs of London in this Kings Reign In his first Year Sir John Gresham was Mayor Thomas White Robert Chertsey Sheriffs In his second Year Henry Amcoats was Mayor William Lock Sir John Ayleph Sheriffs In his third Year Sir Rowland Hill was Mayor John Yorke Richard Turk Sheriffs In his fourth Year Sir Andrew Jud was Mayor Augustine Hinde John Lion Sheriffs In his fifth Year Sir Richard Dobbes was Mayor John Lambert John Cowper Sheriffs In his sixth Year Sir George Barne was Mayor William Garret or Gerard John Mainard Sheriffs Queen MARY A.D. 1553 PIOVS King Edward having exchanged this wretched life for an happy the Councel in the first place perswaded the Lord Mayor and certain of the Aldermen of London to take their Oathes to be faithful to the Lady Jane Grey then caused the said Lady Jane to be proclaimed in London Queen of England But when Queen Mary heard the news of her brothers death and the Councels proceeds by her Letters she required the Councel as they tendred her displeasure and their own safeties to proclaim her Queen and Governour of the Land Unto which Letters the Lords forthwith answered That by good Warrant of Ancient Laws of the Realm besides the last Will of King Edward the right was in the Lady Jane to govern England unto whom therefore and none other they must yield subjection They also remembred the Queen of the unlawful marriage and divorce of her Mother of her own illegitimation desiring her to forbear any furder claim and to submit her self to the Queen Jane now her Soveraign Which Letters sent to Queen Mary were subscribed by Thomas Canterbury Archbishop Thomas Ely Chancellor Henry Suffolk Duke The Duke of
of his predecessors he sought by severe courses to reduce but they being backt by Maximinus whom he had raised murder'd him CAius Julius Verus Maximinus MAXIMINVS A.D. 237. a Thracian by birth spent his youth in keeping of cattel and was of a gigantick stature being eight foot and an half high by geometrical measure On his thumb he wore as a Ring the bracelet which his Wife used to wear on her arm And according to his limbs so was his diet for he daily devoured forty pound weight of flesh and thereunto did drink six gallons of Wine For his admirable height he was admitted by Severus into the rank of a common Soldier and shortly after to be one of his guard and at last the soldiers elected him Emperor But a Tyrant he proved as well to the Roman State in general as the Christians in special 6th Pers against whom he raised the sixth Persecution His conditions were so hateful that the Senate advanced one Gordianus to sway the Empire but he proving unfortunate in his attempts against him strangled himself And Maximinus as he was drawing his forces towards Rome to revenge himself on the Senate at the siege against Aquileia was slain in his pavilion by his discontented soldiers The Citizens Wives in the time of this siege cut off the hair of their heads to make bow-strings thereof PVPIENVS and BALBINVS A.D. 239. PVpienus Maximus and Clodius Balbinus were by the Peers and Princes constituted Empeperors the people extolling the Senate for their prudent choice of so wise men contrary to the rash practice of such who chose their Governours to fit their own fancies But the Praetorian soldiers taking this as a reflect upon them and chiefly because German strangers were brought in to be of the Guard as if themselves were not to be trusted therefore turning their spleens against these Emperors they assaulted them in their chambers dispoiled them of their Imperial Robes haled them through the City like two Thieves and lastly slew them leaving their bodies to despightful ignominy in A. D. 241. in which year was so great an eclipse of the Sun that the noon-day thereby became as dark as the midnight GORDIANVS A D. 241. ANtonius Gordianus was by the Senate and Praetorian Band elected Emperor when he was not yet full sixteen years of age He caused the Temple of Janus at Rome which had long stood shut to be opened a sure token that Wars were at hand which with good success he prosecuted against the Persians Goths Sarmates and Germans He was most noble and lovely conditioned exceeding studious and addicted unto learning having in his Library no less than 62000 books But by his Praefect Philip he was deposed Philip also usurping the Imperial Government under whom for a time this deposed youth held an ordinary Captains place but the Usurper judging himself not secure while Gordianus lived commanded him to be slain JVlius Philippus Arabs hath the honour PHILIPPVS A.D. 246. according to some of being the first Emperor baptized into the Christian faith together with his Wife Severa and Son Philip. Himself and Son were slain by the soldiers Of his son it is reported that he was of so admirable composedness that in all his life he was never seen to laugh TRajanus Decius swayed the Empire like a worthy Prince TRAJANVS A.D. 253. 7th Pers saving his persecuting the Saints of God for he it was that raised the Seventh Persecution against the Christians Under him suffered Fabianus and Cornelius Bishops of Rome St. Lawrence and many other good Christians he put to great tortures amongst the rest Origen he caused to be scourged at an Iron-stake and then lockt his feet in the stocks four paces asunder But after that he had seen his two sons Decius and Hostilianus slain before his face himself was swallowed up in a whirl-pool never having other honour of burial TRebonianus Gallus TREBONIANVS A.D. 254. whom Decius had appointed Governour of Mysia and to keep the passages from the invading Goths through the desire of rule he plotted with the Goths against the Roman Army to the ruine of his Soveraign Lord but thereby he attained the Empire he had lusted after The Christians he banished At which time so violent a Pestilence commenced that no Province in the world was exempt from it He made a dishonourable peace with the Goths who notwithstanding continued their furies against the Romans which his General Aemilianus Maurus revenged with a wonderful slaughter whereby Aemilian grew so famous and Gallus so contemptible that the soldiers proclaimed Aemilian Emperor who slew Gallus and his son both in fight AEMILIANUS A. D. 255. JVlius Aemilianus an African by birth of base parentage was elected Emperor only by the Mysian Army which election the Italian Bands opposed in favour of their own Leader Valerianus whom they sought to promote to the Empire the Senate also inclining thereto Therefore the Mysian Soldiers when they understood this tumultuously murder'd Aemilainus when he had reigned about four months VALERIANUS A. D. 255. 8th Perse LIcinius Valerianus in the beginning of his reign was very gracious and mild toward the Christians but afterward stirred up by an Egyptian Sorcerer he began the Eighth persecution with great cruelty Many were the Martyrs which with horrible tortures he caused to be put to death but the just revenging hand of God cut him off by Sapor the savage King of Persia who in battel took him prisoner and made his aged back his footstool whilst he mounted his horse for the space of seven years and then caused him to be fley'd alive and salted LIcinius Gallienus GALLIENUS A.D. 268. in whose time the sun was clouded as under sackcloth not being seen for many days together also great and fearful earthquakes hapned which overthrew Cities and other Edifices shaking the ground so terribly that vast caves and hideous gaping bowels of the earth were thereby laid open and great streams of salt water flowed out from them the earth roared and seemed to thunder when there was no voice heard in the air above The sea overswelled her banks and brake into many Continents drowning countreys cities and people And so violent a Pestilence raged that in Rome no less than Five thousand persons dyed thereof in a day Which said calamities somewhat moving this Emperor to remorse he stayed the persecutions of the Christians sending out his edicts in favour of them The Roman soldiers now in divers places of the Empire set up no fewer than Thirty titular Emperors at once But Gallienus after that he had suffered the Empire to be rent in pieces and usurped by many barbarous nations was murder'd at Millain by three of his principal Captains AVrelius Flavius Claudius CLAUDIUS II. A.D. 271. was elected by the soldiers before the Walls of Millain and with much joy was confirmed Emperor by the Senate in Rome He slew and took prisoners of the Goths who had
Sparrows being taken and fire fastned to their feet were let fly into the City who lighting among Straw set it on fire whence the City was burnt to the ground but Careticus escaped and fled for safety unto the Mountains of Wales where he dyed From that time forth the Britains lost their whole Kingdom in the East part of the Island and were confined in the West by the Rivers Severn and Dee CAdwan maintained himself and Subjects in great honour and peace CADWAN A D. 635. His first affairs against the Saxons was to revenge the deaths of his Britains and harmless Monks of Bangor slain by wild Ethelfrid the mighty King of Northumberland The Monastery of Bangor in North Wales was situated in the fruitful valley now called the English Mailor containing within it the quantity of a Mile and an half of ground This Monastery as saith Bernard Clarivalentius was the Mother of all others in the World Whose Monks distributed themselves into Seven portions every one numbring 300 Souls and all of them living by the labour of their own hands Many of these Monks assembled at * Chester Caer-Legion to assist their Brethren the Britains with their Prayers against Ethelfrid sirnamed the Wild King of Northumberland who with his Pagan Soldiers set upon the Britains discomfited their host and put to the Sword Twelve hundred of these Christian Monks CAdwallo or Cadwallin the Son of Cadwin warred most valiantly against the Saxons slew the Christian King Edwin of Northumberland CADWALLO A. D. 635. with his Son Osfride in a great and bloody Battel at Heathfield He dyed in peace as the British Writers say and was buried in St. Martins Church in London his Image great and terrible triumphantly riding on Horseback being artificially cast in Brass the Britains placed upon Ludgate to the further fear and terror of the Saxons CADWALLADOR A.D. 685. CAdwallador the Son of Cadwallo with great valour fought against the Saxons but his Nobles dissenting and warring among themselves did much endamage his very hopeful undertakings And by the All disposing hand of Providence so great a dearth befell that Herbs and Roots were the Commons chiefest sustenance Mortality and Pestilence likewise raging so sore and so suddenly that people in their eating drinking walking and speaking were surprised by death and in such numbers that the living were scarce sufficient to bury the dead Which calamities lasted no less than Eleven years whereby the Land became desolate insomuch that the King and many of his British Peers were forced to seek and eat their bread in forain parts But the destroying Angel by Gods appointment having sheathed his devouring Sword Cadwallador was minded to have returned into his native Country with some aids which he had procured of his Cousin Alan King of Little-Britain but was forbid by an Angel as he thought and commanded to go to Rome and there take upon him the habit of Religion which accordingly he did and dyed at Rome where in St. Peters Church he was buried being the last King of the Britains blood about A. D. 689. The most powerful Kings of the Saxon Heptarchy were HEngist HENGIST A.D. 455. who about the 5th year after his arrival in Britain began his Kingdom in Kent He as all the Saxon Kings beside doth derive his original from Prince Woden and his Wife Fria by Wechta the eldest of their Seven Sons being the fifth in Issue from them His Brother Horsa was slain in Battel by the Britains According to some himself dyed in peace others say that he was slain when he had reigned Thirty four years ELla the first King of the South Saxons ELLA A.D. 479. in the Twenty third year of Hengist's Reign brought a fresh supply of Germans to he relief of his Countreymen who landing at Shoreham in Sussex vanquished the Britains in those parts after which he assumed the name of King of that Province CHerdick the first King of the West Saxons CHERDICK A. D. 485. arrived in the Western parts of this Island in the Seventh year of Ella's reign where in his first Battel with the Britains he slew a mighty King of theirs named Natanleod or Nazaleod This Battel was fought in Hampshire near unto a Brook of Water which from Cherdick began to be called Cherdick-ford where now a Town of the same name standeth but by contraction called Charford KENRICK KEnrick the 2d King of the West Saxons inlarged his confines upon the territories of the Britains giving them two great overthrows the one at Searbury in Wiltshire the other at Banbury in Oxfordshire CHELWIN A.D. 560. CHelwin or Cheuline the Son of Kenrick and 3d King of the West Saxons overcame the Britains in many fights also set himself to inlarge his own Territories upon his Countrey-mens For entring Kent in a set Battel he defeated that Kings forces He surprized the Cities of Glocester Bath and Cyrencester slew Three of the British Kings named Coinmagil Candidan and Farimnagil But grown proud through his many victories he tyrannized over his own Subjects which moved them to take part with the Britains against him and at Wodnesbeath now Wansditch in Wiltshire they vanquished and put him to flight forcing him into Banishment in which he dyed EThelbert the 5th King of Kent ETHELBERT A.D. 561. was Married to Berta the Daughter of Chilperick King of France on these conditions That the Lady should enjoy the profession of her Christian Faith and the conversation of Luidhard her learned Bishop About this time it chanced that Gregory the Great then Arch-Deacon of Rome saw certain youths of this Island of Britain brought to Rome to be sold concerning whom he enquired first of what Nation they were and being answered that they were Angles Gregory replied and not without cause are they so named indeed their resemblance is so Angelical and fit it is that they be made inheriters with the Angels in Heaven But of what Province are they in Britain said he and being answered of Deira now great pitty it is said he but that these people should be taken from Deiâ—ira the wrath of God And being told that their Kings Name was Ella he by way of allusion said That Alelujah to the praise of God should shortly be sung in that Princes Dominions to which end when he had attained to be Bishop of Rome he sent Augustin a Monk with Fourty others his assistants which landed in Thanet about A. D. 596 finding at their coming Seven Bishops in the British Churches These Roman Christians sent by Gregory were by King Ethelbert freely permitted to Preach the Gospel and in his chief City of Canterbury he allowed them fit places of residence and to Augustine resigned his own Palace In this City Austin laid the foundation of that great Church dedicated to the name and service of Christ Augustine the Monk and Laurentius A. Bps. of Canterbury And also at his cost built a most fair Monastery wherein
causing a great dearth among Cattel extraordinary Rains Water floods incredible which so softned the hills to the foundations that some of them fell and over-whelmed the Villages near them Most of the principal Cities were indamaged by fire So great a fire hapned in London that it consumed Houses and Churches all the way from the West-gate to the East-gate And 't is said that tame and domestick Fowls became wild flying to the Woods WILLIAM RVFVS WIlliam sirnamed Rufus A. D. 1087. notwithstanding that Robert Curtoise his eldest Brother was living yet by the mediation and assistance of Lanfrank Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and Wolstane he gained the voices of the Councel and was Crowned A. D. 1087. But Odo Bishop of Bayeux to take revenge for his sufferings under the Conqueror instigated Duke Robert to repair into England and recover his right which he promised should soon be effected Now Robert that Money the sinews of War might not be wanting for the carrying on of this design mortgaged the Province of Constantine to his Brother Henry and with him many of the English sided William on the other hand by fairly promising to abolish the over-hard Laws made by his Father and to take off the Taxes and Imposts drew the people generally to stand in his defence by whose aids he regained divers strong holds that the Nobles had seized for Duke Robert He also besieged Rochester wherein Odo was from which siege he sent forth his Proclamation throughout the Land commanding all men to repair thereto and that whosoever would not should be reputed a Niding A word so disgraceful and hateful to the English signifying a Coward or base-hearted fellow that made multitudes hast with all speed to that service Whereupon the Castle was yielded and Odo banished and his goods confiscated But whilst these things were acting Robert Duke of Normandy Landed at Southampton and very shortly returned again into his own Territories upon his Brother Williams promise to pay him Three thousand Marks yearly and to resign the Kingdom to him or his Heirs at his death About this time Lanfrank Arch-Bishop of Canterbury dyed and the King kept that See vacant above Four years So did he by many other Ecclesiastical promotions and set to sale the rights of the Church preferring those therein that would give the most and yet his exchequer became never the richer He was wont to say That Christs bread is sweet dainty and most delicate for Kings His Brother Roberts Territories in Normandy he invaded taking divers strong holds and Castles inforcing Robert to make a Peace with him After which these two Brothers unite their forces against their Brother Henry But he fearing after-claps had strongly fortified the Castle of Mount St. Michael in Normandy wherein they besieged him In which time of Siege King Williams life was in great hazard for some of the besieged sallying forth William more boldly than wisely rode against them and a Knight encountring him slew his Horse under him and had slain him too had he not made himself known by his voyce Whereupon the armed men with great reverence took him up and brought him another Horse when the King not staying for the stirrup sprang into the Saddle and with angry countenance demanded who it was that overthrew him and the Knight as boldly answered and shewed himself who he was By Lukes face quoth the King thou shalt be my Knight and be inrolled in my Check with a fee answerable to thy worth Prince Henry in the time of this siege being sorely distressed for Water sent to his Brother Robert knowing him to be of the better temper desiring him that he might have that permitted him which God had made common Duke Robert commanded him to be supplied whereat King William was wroth Anselme A.B. Cant. To whom Robert sayd And dost thou esteem more of water which is every where to be got than of a Brother having no more but him and me In short time after these Three brethren were reconciled and in short time after that the two elder again disagreed The Peace of England was also disturbed by Malcolme King of Scots but by the Ambushment of Mowbray Earl of Northumberland he was slain with his Son Edward Then Mowbray grown proud turns Rebel but was taken and committed to Windsor Duke Robert preparing for the Holy Wars mortgaged his Dukedom to his Brother William for the sum of Six thousand six hundred sixty six pounds of Silver for the making up of which sum King William made the Religious Houses to ransack their Coffers Normandy therefore was now the Kings concern to keep as his own wherefore a while after hearing as he sate at meat that Main a City in Normandy was straitly besieged and his Subjects sorely distressed he swore his wonted Oath By St. Lukes face that he would not turn his back till he was with them And thereupon commanded the wall of the House to be broke down that he might go forth the next way to Sea leaving order for his Nobles straight-way to follow him But the Winds being contrary and Seas raging his Pilate humbly desired him to stay a while till the winds and Seas were appeased To whom the King said Hast thou ever heard that a King hath been drowned Therefore hoise up the sails I charge thee and be gone Which accordigly being done the King making such hast relieved the City before it was expected Then setling his affairs in that Countrey he returned into England where as he was Hunting in New-Forest Sir Walter Tyrrel a French Knight shooting at a Stag the Arrow glanced against a Tree and struck the King into the breast with which he immediately dyed Aug. 1. A. D. 1100. His body layd in a Colliers Cart was drawn with one poor Jade through a very dirty way till the Cart broke where for a while the Corps was left in the dirt but afterwards was conveyed to Winchester and there buryed in the Cathedral Church The bones since have been taken up and laid into a Coffer with the bones of Canutus At Westminster he laid new foundations of a most stately Palace and finished that stately building called the great Hall which he found fault with because no bigger accounting it scarce worthy the name of a Bed-chamber in respect of that which he intended to build He new built the City Carlisle which 200 years before had been spoiled by the Danes built the Church of St. Saviours in Southwark and founded an Hospital in York to the Honour of St. Peter In this Kings reign the Bishops See was translated from Selsey to Chichester anciently called Cissancester In his Reign happened a most dreadful Earth-quake vehement Lightning leaving an intolerable stink behind it An exceeding tempest of Wind that in London drove down Sixty Houses blew off the Roof of Bow-Church with the Beams Six of which in their fall were driven Twenty three foot deep into the ground the Streets of the City lying then
Matilda came to Winchester where sending for the Bishop being then the Popes Legate though he doubted some danger yet not daring to send a flat denyal returned this equivocal answer Ego parabo me I will make ready as though he had meant to follow the Messenger whereas he addressed himself to work her downfall For sending for his Brothers Queen Prince Eustace the Londoners and William Ypre he made strong his party for the King Himself and friends abiding in the City and the Empress keeping in the Castle not daring to adventure forth for about the space of Seven weeks When the Bishop to deceive Matilda commanded peace to be proclaimed and the City Gates to be set open But the Empress and her Friends now leaving the Castle to go to some other place were pursued by the Bishops forces in which pursuit many of her party were wounded and slain Earl Robert taken and others flying into the Nunnery of Warwell were burned together with the place And Winchester City the Bishop caused to be fired for the Citizens affections to the Empress The Empress who had escaped to the Castle of the Devizes and there in hazard to be surprized caused her self to be put into a Coffin as though dead bound fast with Cords and so as if it had been her dead Corps she was carried in a Horse-litter to Glocester King Stephen and Earl Robert being exchanged one for another the King now pursues Matilda and in Oxford besieged her wan the Suburbs thereof and brought her to that streight that for her escape in a great Frost and Snow she was forced in order to the deceiving of the Centinels eyes to cloath her self in white Linen Garments and so on foot to run through Ice and Snow Ditches and Vallies till she came to Abingdon where taking Horse she got the same night to Wallingford Castle After which many bickerings hapned betwixt the two parties with variable successes to and fro Sometimes in one part of the Nation Matilda's side prevailed in another part Stephens to the great ruine of the whole Realm However Stephen to assure the succession to his Son Eustace called a Councel at London commanding Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury to consecrate his Son King Which he refusing to do and that by the Popes special Mandate was forced to fly into Normandy the King seizing upon all his possessions But Eustace shortly after dying King Stephen inclined to peace and was content to adopt Henry Fitz-Empress for his Son and Successour To whom the Nobles at Oxford did homage as to the undoubted Heir and the Prince yielded Stephen the honour of a Father But King Stephen being afflicted with the Iliack passion together with his old Disease the Hemerhoids gave up the Ghost at Dover A. D. 1154 and was buried at Feversham in Kent Though his body afterward for the Lead-sake wherein it was wrapped was cast into the River He had Issue Balwine Eustace William Maud Mary and two natural Sons His Son Eustace in a rage set fire on the Corn-fields belonging to the Abby of Bury Theobald A.B. Cant. because the Monks denyed to help him to a sum of Money but afterwards sitting down to Dinner at the first morsel of Bread he put into his mouth he fell into a fit of madness and in that fit dyed King Stephen erected the Abbies of Cogshall in Essex of Farness in Lancashire the Nunneries at Carew and Higham an Hospital at York and Monastry at Feversham About the beginning of his Reign a Fire beginning at London-stone consumed Eastward to Aldgate and Westward to St. Pauls HENRY II. A.D. 1154. HENRY PLANTAGINET the Son of Maud the Empress and Earl Geofry of Anjou was Crowned at Westminster by Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury And Henry to settle the Realm in quiet demolished certain Castles and fortified others Some Earls unduly created he reduced into a private condition purged the Realm of Foreign Soldiers chiefly of the Flemings Chose himself a Councel out of the most eminent persons spiritual and temporal and restrained the insolencies of some great personages which made some of them discontented especially that arrogant Lord Hugh de Mortimer who raised a Rebellion Against whom the King went in person where in the Siege of Bridge-North he had been shot with an arrow had not Hubert de St. Clare interposed and took the arrow into his own bosome The King having quieted the Rebels he hasted into France and there did homage to King Lewis for his French Provinces setled an accord between himself and Brother Geofry and at his return into England entred into amity with Malcolm King of Scots restoring to him the Earldom of Huntingdon Then he advanced against the Welsh with whom fighting his person was in great danger his Standard-royal cowardly abandoned for the which Henry de Essex Standard-bearer was afterward accused by Robert de Montford who in single combat within lists vanquished him at Reading where the said Essex was shorn a Monk But the King at length overcame the Welsh and returned with triumph into England after which himself and his Queen Eleanor were crowned at Worcester where they both at the Offertory laid their Crowns upon the high Altar vowing never to wear them after This now was the third time in which at three several places Westminster Lincoln and Worcester he had been crowned Then the King crost the seas into his Dukedom of Normandy where he made seizure of some Cities into his hands after his Brother Geofry's death and setled some affairs then returned After which and about the year 1163 began the famous Controversie betwixt the King and his Favourite Beâ—ket whom in the beginning of his reign he had advanced to be Lord Chancellor and upon the death of Theobald to be Archbishop of Canterbury Tho. Becket A.B. Cant. Which Archbishoprick Becket at the Council of Tours secretly delivered up to the Pope and received it again from his hands But the cause of the dissention betwixt the King and this Bishop was the remisness and neglect of Becket's curbing the disorders of the Church-men which then were grown to a dangerous height complaint having been made to the King of above a hundred Murders committed by the Clergy in his reign Which enormities besides many others of other kinds not being punished by Church-censure the King exceedingly displeased brought them under the Civil Power ordering that Justice should be administred to all alike without partiality as well Clergy as Laity appointing Ministers of Justice through all parts of the Land to that purpose against which Becket opposed himself peremptorily defending the pretended Rights of the Clergy and his See of Canterbury yea so far as that he challenged from the Crown the custody of Rochester Castle and other Forts which the King for securing his state had resumed into his own hands Hereupon the King assembling his Bishops at Westminster it was there agreed That none should appeal to the See of Rome in any case
his two Brothers Richard and Geofry with many of the English Nobles Against whom the Father with a bleeding heart for his Sons ungraciousness prepared himself and was very successful in Little Britain where himself was in person also in England by his faithful Subjects For Humphrey de Bohun High Constable of the Realm with other Nobles vanquished Robert Earl of of Leicester and took him Prisoner which moved Lewis of France to seek a Truce of him for six Months whereunto King Henry yielded then Ship'd for England landing at the Port of Hampton From whence he took his journey towards Canterbury and being come within about three miles thereof he went barefooted the hard stones so cutting his tender feet that the ground was stained with his blood And after he came to Canterbury and was entred into the Chapter-house of the Monks Baldwin A.B. Cant. he most humbly prostrated himself on the ground begged pardon and by the instancy of his own Petition was by all the brethren corrected with Rods. The number of lashes which he received on his bare flesh amounted to Fourscore About this time William King of Scots that had lately entred England was taken Prisoner and young King Henry was with storms driven back into France and his Fleet scattered shortly after which Peace was concluded betwixt his Father and him But yet again he sought his Fathers ruine though before he could effect it he was prevented by the King of Terrors Death A. D. 1183. The following year Heraclius Patriarch of Jerusalem arrived in England soliciting the King to undertake the holy War in his own person which by the advice of his Lords he refused yet yielded to aid the Cause with Money and gave them leave to go that were disposed thereto His Son John whom he exceedingly loved and commonly in jest called Sans terre without Land he made Lord of Ireland assuring unto him also Lands and Rents in England and Normandy Richard and Geoffery his Sons rebelled again against him The younger of which in a Turnament at Paris was trod to death under the Horse feet but the elder lived to the further grief of his Father For joyning himself with Philip of France forced his Father out of the City of Mentz the City where he was born and loved above all others which made King Henry to utter these words against him That since his Son Richard had taken from him that day the thing which he most loved in the world he would requite him for after that day he would deprive him of that thing which in him should best please a Child namely his heart And afterwards finding his Son John first in the Catalogue of the Conspirators against him in that action he bitterly cursed the hour of his birth laying Gods curse and his upon his Sons which he would never recall by any perswasions But coming to Chinon he there fell desperately sick and feeling death approach caused himself to be born into the Church before the Altar where after humble confession and sorrow for his sins he yielded up his Soul A. D. 1189 and was buried at Font-Everard His Issue were William Henry Richard Jeffry Philip John Maud and Eleanor His base Issue William sirnamed Longsper and Jeffry Archbishop of York These two by fair Rosamund and Morgan by another Woman Rosamund his beloved Concubine was the Daughter of the Lord Clifford whom to keep safe from the envy of Queen Eleanor he placed in a Labyrinth which he built for her at Woodstock with such windings and turnings that none could come at her retiring Room save the King or whom he instructed Howbeit the jealous eye of Queen Eleanor found her out by a clew of silk which Rosamund let fall as she sate to take the Air. For she suddenly fleeing to escape being seen the end of the silk fastned to her foot and the clew still unwinding which the Queen followed till she had found the lovely Rosamund whom she so dealt with giving her Poyson that she ended her days whose body was buried at Godstow with this Epitaph upon her Tomb Hic jacet in Tumba Rosa mundi non Rosa munda Non redolet sed olet quae redolere solet King Henry divided England into Circuits appointing that two of his judges should twice in the year in each Circuit administer Justice In the year 1164 he called an assembly of the States at Clarendon in Wilts where amongst other matters it was decreed That all the Clergy should bona fide swear allegiance to the King and should appeal but unto the Archbishop or from him finally to the King without particular licence In the beginning of his reign one Nicholas Breakspear an English man was elected Pope by the name of Adrian the 4th who in the 5th year of his Popedom was choaked with a Fly He sent the Lords Prayer in this manner from Rome to be taught the English people Vre Fadyr in Heaven rich Thy name be halyed everlich Thou bring us thy michel bliss Al 's hit in Heaven y-doe Evar in yearth been it also That holy bread that lasteth ay Thou send it ous this ilke day Forgive ous all that we have don As we forgive uch other mon. Ne let ous fall into no founding Ac shield ous fro the foul thing Amen In the Isle of Wight it rained blood the shower continuing for the space of two hours together A great Earthquake in Ely Norfolk and Suffolk which made the Bells to ring in the Steeples At St. Osyths in Essex was seen a Dragon of marvelous bigness which by moving burned Houses Another great Earthquake which overthrew many buildings and amongst the rest rent in pieces Lincoln Cathedral At Oreford in Suffolk a certain hairy creature perfectly resembling man in all parts and proportions was taken out of the Sea by Fishers in a Net who after he had been kept a while secretly slipt away into the Sea again RICHARD I. A.D. 1189 RICHARD from his exceeding valour sirnamed Ceur de Lion was Crowned at Westminster by Baldwin Archbishop of Canterbury At which time a great number of the Jews were in a tumultuous sort slaughtered by the common people for which many of them suffered death The Coronation rights performed Richard with all speed prepares for his voyage into the Holy-Land appointing William Longchamp Bishop of Ely his chief Justiciar and Lord Chancellor joyning with him Hugh Bishop of Durham for the parts beyond Humber associating to those Bishops divers temporal Lords for the defence and preservation of Justice And with the King of Scots he concluded firm friendship Which done with a royal Navy he put out to Sea and by the way to the Holy-Land he seized on the Island Cyprus where he solemnly took to Wife his beloved Lady Berengaria The Island he committed to the keeping of his own Deputies permitting the Islanders to injoy all such Laws and Liberties as they held in the time of Immanuel the Emperor Furder in his way
and was so successful that within a short space he took fifteen Ships of the Spaniards fraught with Rich Merchandize By a Tempest were cast away at Sea four Knights and above a thousand Englishmen in their passage to Little-Britain In the year 1392 the Londoners were so unkind to the King that they refused to supply him with the loan but of a thousand pound and because a certain Lombard offered to lend the same they abused and almost killed him for which the King took away their Charter The year of Christ 1394 was famous or notable for the deaths of many great Ladies and amongst the rest of Queen Anne the Kings first wife whom it is said he loved to a kind of madness In the same year that the King was deposed the Bay or Lawrel Trees withered all over England and afterwards reflourished and on the first of January near Bedford-Town the River where it was deepest did on the sudden stand still and so divided it self that the bottom remained dry for about three miles Now flourished Sir John Hawkwood whose Chivalry had made him renowned through the Christian World Sir Geoffry Chaucer Poet Lawreat now also lived Queen Anne wife to King Richard the second first taught English women to ride on side-saddles when as before that time they rid astride She also brought in high head attire piked with Horns and long trained Gowns for Women The Mayors and Sheriffs of London in this Kings Reign In his first Year Sir Nicholas Brember was Mayor Nicholas Twiford Andrew Pikeman Sheriffs In his second Year John Philpot was Mayor John Boseham Thomas Cornwallis Sheriffs In his third Year John Hadly was Mayor John Helisdon VVilliam Barra Sheriffs In his fourth Year VVilliam VValworth was Mayor Walter Doget William Knighthode Sheriffs In his fifth Year John Northampton was Mayor John Rotu John Hinde Sheriffs In his sixth Year John Northampton continued Mayor Adam Bramme John Sely Sheriffs In his seventh Year Sir Nicholas Brember was Mayor Simon Winchcome John Moor Sheriffs In his eighth Year Sir Nicholas Brember continued Mayor Nicholas Exton John French Sheriffs In his ninth Year Sir Nicholas Brember continued Mayor John Organ John Churchman Sheriffs In his tenth Year Nicholas Exton was Mayor William Stondon William More Sheriffs In his eleventh Year Nicholas Exton continued Mayor William Venor Hugh Falstalfâ— Sheriffs In his twelfth Year Nicholas Twiford was Mayor Thomas Austen Adam Carlehul Sheriffs In his thirteenth Year William Venor was Mayor John Walcot John Love Sheriffs In his fourteenth Year Adam Bamme was Mayor John Francis Thomas Vibent Sheriffs In his fifteenth Year John Hinde was Mayor John Shadworth Henry Vamere Sheriffs In his sixteenth Year William Stondon was Mayor Gilbert Mafield Thomas Newington Sheriffs In his seventeenth Year John Hardley was Mayor Drew Barintin Richard Whitington Sheriffs In his eighteenth Year Sir John Froyshe was Mayor William Bramston Thomas Knolls Sheriffs In his nineteenth Year Sir VVilliam More was Mayor Roger Ellis VVilliam Sevenoke Sheriffs In his twentieth Year Adam Brown was Mayor Thomas VVilford VVilliam Parker Sheriffs In his twenty first Year Sir Richard VVhitington was Mayor John VVodcock VVilliam Ascham Sheriffs In his twenty second Year Sir Drew Barintin was Mayor John VVade John VVarner Sheriffs HENRY IV. A D. 1389 HENRY of Bullingbroke the son of John Duke of Lancaster the fourth son of King Edward the third was Crowned at VVestminster by Thomas Arundel Archbishop of Canterbury His Cousin the late King Richard seem'd so little concern'd for the loss of his Crown that when it was told him of Bullingbrokes being accepted by Parliament for King in his stead he only used these words I look not after such things but my hope is that after all this my Cousin will be my good Lord and friend But now Henry seated in Richards Throne used all the best means to retain the hearts of the people that sided with him and to weaken the opposite party and withal sent Ambassadors to forreign Princes to justify his unjust proceedings But the King of France and people of Aquitain would not allow of his pretences and the Citizens of Burdeaux openly said That since the world began there was never a more cruel unreasonable nor wicked fact done That the good Prince was betrayed by faithless men and that all Law was violated In England were many that inclined and contrived to set King Richard again upon his rightful Throne though to seek a captive Kings deliverance doth commonly hasten his death The principal Conspirators were John Holland Earl of Huntingdon Thomas Holland Earl of Kent the Dukes of Surrey Excester and Aumarl John Monticute Earl of Salisbury Thomas Spencer Earl of Glocester and the Bishop of Carlile Their plot was to kill Henry Bullingbroke and his son Henry but before the time of intended execution was come the whole conjuration was discovered Many attempts the conspirators made to effect the re-establing of Richard and amongst the rest they procured one Maudlen King Richards Chaplain to personate his Lord but this with all the rest of their projects failed The Towns-men of Cyrencester assayled and took some of the discontented Lords and then cut off their heads because some of their followers set fire on Cyrencester thinking that whilst the Towns-men were busied in quenching the fire they might set their Lords at liberty The Commons in Essex took the Earl of Huntingdon and cut off his head in revenge of the Duke of Glocesters death which he had had a hand in The Lord Spencer the Commons beheaded at Bristol Some others of them were put to death at Oxford some at London where also John Maudlen the counterfeit Richard a goodly personage and one VVillian Ferby were hang'd and quartred The Bishop of Carlile was by the Kings Clemency saved after his condemnation King Richard did not long survive his friends but at Pontfract Castle was put out of the way by hunger cold and great torments though the Scots have untruly writ that he escaped out of prison and led a solitary and vertuous life in Scotland and there dyed and was buryed at the black-Fryars in Sterling After Richards murder at Pontfract King Henry caused his dead body to be brought up to London where in St. Pauls with his face uncovered he lay for a time exposed to the view of all men then was his body transported to Langley in Hartfordshire where it lay buried till Henry the fifth in the first year of his Reign caused the Royal remains of his body to be Translated to VVestminster That beautiful Picture of a King sitting Crowned in a chair of State at the upper end of the Quire in VVestminster-Abby is said to be of him And now King Henry to divert the thoughts of the people from his Predecessors Tragedy prepared a puissant Army and marched with it into Scotland where he only did some hurt by wasting the Countrey and then returned Shortly after which he advanced against Owen Glendour that had
and his wild companions would way-lay and rob his Fathers and his own Receivers And when one of his servants was arraigned at the Kings Bench bar for felony this Prince hearing thereof posted thither commanding his Fetters to be struck off and he set at liberty and when the Judge opposed him therein commanding him upon his Allegiance to cease from such riot and keep the Kings peace he in a rage ascended the Bench and gave the Judge a blow on the face who sate still undaunted and boldly thus spake unto the Prince Sir I pray remember your self This seat which I here possess is not mine but your Fathers to whom and to his Laws you owe double obedience If his Highness and his Laws be thus violated by you who should shew your self obedient to both who will obey you when you are a Soveraign or minister execution to the Laws that you shall make Wherefore for this default in your Fathers name I commit you prisoner to the Kings Bench until his Majesties pleasure be further known With which words the Prince abashed stood mute laid by his weapons and with obeysance done went to the Prison Whilst the King his Father was crazie and kept his Chamber he through the Princes wild extravagances and set on by some Court-whisperers began both to withdraw his affections and to fear some violence against his own person from the Prince which when young Henry understood in a strange disguise he repaired to his Fathers Court accompanied with many persons of Honour His garment was a Gown of blew Satten wrought full of eye-let-holes and at every eye-let the needle left hanging with the silk it was worked with About his Arm he wore a Dogs Collar set full of S's of Gold the Tirets thereof being most fine Gold Being come to the Court he charged his followers to advance no further than the fire in the Hall whilst himself passed on to his Fathers presence before whose feet he fell confessing his youthful faults and justifying his loyalty to his person declaring himself to be so far from any disloyal attempt that if he knew any person of whom his Father stood in any danger or fear his hand according to duty should be the first to free the King of suspition yea saith he I will most gladly suffer death to ease your perplexed heart and to that end I have this day prepared my self both by confession and receiving the blessed Sacrament Wherefore I humbly beseech your Grace to free your suspition from all fears conceived against me with this dagger the stab whereof I will willingly receive at your hands and will clearly forgive my death At which the King melting into tears cast down the naked dagger which the Prince had put into his hand and raising his prostrate Son Henry Chicheley A. B. Cant. embraced and kissed him confessing that his ears had been over-credulous against him which he promised they should never be in the future But notwithstanding this Prince's youthful exploits yet when he had attained the Crown to begin a good Government he began at home banishing from his Court those unruly youths that had been his consorts commanding them either to change their manners or never to approach within ten miles of his person And chose worthy men for his Council of Estate advancing his Clergy with Power and dignity So highly careful was he for the execution of Justice that himself would every day after dinner for the space of an hour receive Petitions of the oppressed and with great equity would redress their wrongs And so nearly did the death of King Richard touch his heart that he sent to Rome to be Absolved from that guilt of his Fathers Act. In the first year of his Reign at a Parliament holden at Leicester was a Bill exhibited wherein complaint was made That the temporal lands given to the Religious houses and spiritual persons for devotion sake were either superfluous or disorderly spent Whose revenues if better imployed would serve for the defence of the Land and Honour of the King For the maintenance of fifteen Earls 1500 Knights 6200 Esquires and 100 Almes-houses for the relief of diseased and impotent people and unto the Kings Coffers Twenty thousand pounds per Annum By the Authority of this Parliament an 110 Priories alien were suppressed and their possessions given to the King and his successors for ever But to divert those in Authority from such like proceedings projects were put into the Kings head for recovery of France his rightful possession Henry Chicheley Archbishop of Canterbury suggested that King Henry as the true Heir unto his Great-grand-Father Edward the third was the true Heir to the Crown of France As for the Salique-Law alledged against the English claim he affirmed that that Text touched only those parts of Germany which lay betwixt the Rivers Elbe and Sala conquered by Charles the Great who placing the French there to inhabit because of the dishonest lives of those German-women made this Law In terram Salicam mulieres ne succedant which the gloss did falsely expound for the whole Kingdom of France whose practise notwithstanding he shewed to be contrary by many experiences both in King Pepin descended of Blithud daughter to Clothair the first and by Hugh Capet as Heir to the Lady Lingard daughter to Charlemain so King Lewis called the Saint and besides that this exclusion is contrary to the word of God which alloweth women to succeed in their Fathers inheritance Numbâ— 27. King Henry now sends a summons and demand in the first place of his Dutchies of Normandy Aquitain Guyon and Anjou to which the Daulphin of France in derision sent him for a present a Tun of Paris Tennis-Balls but the King returned for answer That he would shortly send him London-Balls which should shake Paris-walls Whilst the English were making provision against the French Sir Robert Humfreville gave the Scots a considerable defeat which the French understanding with also the great preparations that Henry of England was making against them they sent over Ambassadors who at Winchester made offer of money and some Territories also the Princess Katharine to be given in marriage to King Henry so that he would conclude a peace but it was answered That without the delivery of the other Dominions belonging to the Kings Progenitors no pacification was to be made And when the Ambassadors had had their answer given them the King sent Antilop his Pursevant at Arms unto Charles King of France with Letters of defiance next made Queen Joan his Mother-in-Law Regent of the Realm then drew his Forces to Southampton commanding his followers there to attend him on such a day The King of France on the other part makes all the preparation he could to defend himself and to offend the King of England To Grey a Privy-Councellor Scroop Lord Treasurer and the Earl of Cambridge Son of Edmond Duke of York he sent 't is said a Million of Gold to betray
and hanged at Wapping A. D. 1609 was the New-Exchange built the King naming it Britains-Burse In the same year the King by Proclamation prohibited all foreign Nations from fishing on any of the coasts of England Scotland Ireland or the Isles adjacent without special License from his Commissioners In this year also the King according to an ancient custom had aid of his Subjects through England for making his eldest son Prince Henry Knight A. D. 1610 June 4th all Roman Priests Jesuits and Seminaries as being the Incendiaries of disturbances were commanded to depart the Realm Then the Oath of Allegiance was ministred to all sorts of people His Majesty caused to be built the goodliest Ship of War that had ever been built in England being of the burthen of 1400 Tun and carrying 64 pieces of Ordinance Prince Henry named it the Prince A. D. 1612 The Corps of Mary late Queen of Scotland the Kings Mother was translated from Peterborough to the Chappel-Royal at Westminster On November the sixth following Prince Henry died of a malignant Fever which reigned that year in most parts of the Land Some said that he died by poisoned grapes which he eat others by Gloves of a poisoned perfume given him for a present but be his death by what means it would certain it is that he was infinitely beloved of the people as one that had given great hopes of proving a wise and Martial Prince February 14th the marriage of the Prince Palatine of the Rhyne with the Princess Elizabeth was solemnized in the Chappel at White-Hall She was attired all in white having a rich Crown of Gold upon her head her hair hanging down at length curiously beset with Pearls and precious Stones her train supported by 12 young Ladies all in white In this same year the City of London having before had the Province of Vlster granted them by the King for a plantation sent thither about three hundred persons of all sorts of Handy-crafts-men chiefly to inhabit the Cities of London-derry and Coleraign And for the advancing of this or the like plantation in Ireland the King about this time began a new Order of Knights called Baronets which Order he stinted within the number only of two hundred and as the Issue should fail the Order to cease About this time also an exemplar punishment was imposed upon Sir Peckshall Brockas which was to stand at Pauls-Cross in a white sheet holding a wand in his hand he having been formerly convicted before the High-Commissioners for many notorious adulteries with divers Women About A. D. 1614 Mr. Hugh Middleton Citizen and Goldsmith of London with infinite cost and labour brought the New-river to the City of London from the two great springs of Chadwel and Amwel in Hartfordshire And about the same time was the Moor-Fields by London converted from deep stinking ditches and noisom Common-shores to pleasant sweet Walks A. D. 1615 Smithfield which was before a rude dirty place was paved all over and the middle part thereof railed in September 27th the Lady Arbella the Kings Cousin-German died She had sometime before without the Kings privity secretly married the Earl of Hartfords younger Son for which they were both committed to the Tower Sir Edward Cook the famous Lawyer upon some displeasure was discharged from being Lord Chief Justice In this year was a divorce made betwixt Robert Devereux Earl of Essex and his Countess for his Insufficiency and she left free to marry any other After which divorce Robert Carre Earl of Sommerset took her to Wife But Sir Thomas Overbury the Earls special friend having disswaded the match and perhaps laid some imputation on the Ladies fame according to desert did by this means so incense these Lovers against him that they first made means to have the said ingenious Gentleman committed to the Tower and then by their instruments to have him poisoned some say by a Tansey sent him to eat some by a Clister ministred to him For which fact Sir Gervas Elwes then Lieutenant of the Tower and Mrs. Turner with others were put to death The Earl and his Countess were also arraigned and condemned but had a lease of their lives granted them for ninety-nine years yet so as after never to see the Kings face more This made way for the advancement of Mr. George Villers for this great favourite the Lord Carre being upon this occasion laid aside the said Mr. Villers was accepted in his stead Whom the King first of all Knighted and made Gentleman of his Bedchamber soon after Viscount and Master of his Horse a while after Earl of Buckingham then Marquess of Buckingham and Lord High Admiral and lastly Duke of Buckingham A person 't is said he was of delicate composure of body and of excellent natural parts and one that was very mindful of his Relations and Kindred most of whom he procured to be advanced A. D. 1618 Sir Walter Rawleigh who had lived a condemned man many years in the Tower of London now to procure some liberty propounded to the King a project for the fetching of Gold from a Mine in Guyana and that without any wrong to the King of Spain This the King condescended unto and Sir Walter set forward in his Voyage but when after a real or only a shew of search no treasure could be found he fell upon St. Thome belonging to the King of Spain George Abbot A B. Cant which he plundred and burnt then returned though to his ruin For though Sir Walter sought to excuse his spoiling of St. Thome by alledging that the Spaniards had first assaulted him and moreover that he could not come at the Mine without first winning of that Town yet did the Spanish Lieger Gundamoâ—e so aggravate this his fact and prevailed so with the King who preferred the publick peace before the life of a man already condemned that he gave way to have the sentence of his former condemnation executed upon him And accordingly this man famous for Letters and Arms was beheaded in the Parliament-yard at Westminster In this Year 1618 and March the second Queen Anne died at Hampton-Court and was buried at Westminster The November preceding her death a famous Comet or Blazing-Star appeared A. D. 1620 July the seventeenth Bernard Calvert of Andover rode from St. Georges Church in Southwark to Dover from thence passed by Barge to Callis in France and from thenee returned back to St. Georges Church the same day This his journey he performed betwixt the hours of three in the morning and eight in the afternoon A.D. 1621 Sir Francis Michel a Justice of the Peace of Middlesex was sentenced by Parliament to Ride with his face to the Horse-tail through the City of London for practising sundry abuses in setting up new Ale-houses and exacting monies contrary to the Law This sentence was executed upon him Sir Francis Bacon Viscount St. Albans Lord Chancellor of England was for bribery but it was his servants that were bribed put out
Deputy thereof Ireton was very successful against the Marquess of Ormond the Lord Inchequin Marquess Clancard Earl of Castlehaven and other the Kings friends taking many Garisons from them the like did Oliver in Scotland from the Kings friends there Howbeit His Majesty hoping that now at length England might be favourable to his just Cause he advances into England by the way of Carlile with about 16000 men bending his course by a swift march for the West of England though it was hoped by his friends he would have directed his course for London But August the 23 the King with his Army entred the City of Worcester and Cromwel with all hast marched after him by the way joyning with Fleetwood Desbrough the Lord Grey of Groby Lambert Harrison and the Militia-forces of several Counties so that his Army when he was come to Worcester could not amount to fewer then 80000 men In Lancashire the Earl of Derby had raised for the King near 1500 Horse and Foot against whom Colonel Lilbourn marched and routed them taking many persons of quality the Earl of Derby himself with much ado escaped to the King at Worcester where on that twice fatal but once Lucky day September the 3d his Majesty being surrounded by his Enemies resolved to sally upon them with his whole force which accordingly he did and at the first made the disloyal party retire somewhat disorderly the King himself performing the part of a Valiant Souldier at the head of his Horse But at length his Army being overpowered by the numerous fresh supplies of his enemies His Majesties side was put to the worst his Horse flying amain towards the North and his Foot into Worcester whither they were followed at the heels by their Victors who entred the City with them which they plundred killing and taking most of the Scots Prisoners those Horse that fled were pursued and great part of them taken and the poor stragling Scots were either made Prisoners or killed by the Country People The number of the Kings party slain were judged to be about 3000 and of Prisoners taken in the whole near 10000 amongst whom were Duke Hamilton the Earls of Shrewsbury Derby Cleveland Lauderdaile Rotho Carnwath and Kelly the Lord Synclare Sir John Packington Sir Charles Cunningham Sir Ralph Clare Major General Piscotty Major General Mountgomery Colonel Graves Mr. Fanshaw the Kings Secretary the Adjutant General Marshal General General of the Ordnance together with five Colonels of Horse 13 of Foot 17 Lieutenant Colonels 19 Majors 109 Captains there was also taken 158 Colours the Kings standard Coach and Horses Coller of SS and Star-Cloak with other things of great value His Majesty through the good providence of God escaped the hands of his enemies wandring about England in disguise for six weeks at length being transported from a Creek near Shoram in Sussex to Freccam near Haure de Grace in France although his foes made the strictest search for him possible withall menacing those that should conceal him and promising high rewards to those that should discover him A little before this fight at Worcester divers persons many of them Presbyterian Ministers were seized on for holding correspondence with Charles Stuart none might as they loved their lives and estates call him King and on August the 22 were two of them namely Mr. Christopher Love Minister and Mr. Gibbons beheaded on Tower-hill The common Prisoners Scots and English taken at Worcester were sent up to London and that they might no further trouble the States of England they were transported into Foreign Plantations October the 15th the Earl of Derby was beheaded and Sir Timothy Fetherstonhaugh dyed the same death also for the same crime viz. for honouring the King In short time after the fight of Worcester the Mock-Parliament had the welcome news of reducing the Isle of Man the Barbadoes the Isle of Jersey and Cornet Castle in Guernsey but a little to allay their transport they had the unwelcome news of the death of their Admiral Popham and Ireton their Deputy of Ireland this last dyed of the plague under the Walls of Limirick but was buryed in great State in Westminster-Abby All was now in a calm at home and Scotland and Ireland both almost subjected to the English States they therefore in this leisure-time judg it seasonable to vindicate themselves on the Vnited Netherlands for the affronts done to their Ambassadors Oliver St. John and Walter Strickland in Holland and their incroaching on the English merchants trade and slighting the English States who proffered strict amity and alliance Hereupon they prohibited the importing any Foreign Comodities except upon English bottoms or such as were of the Country whence the goods came beginning withal to stand high upon the claim of dues and reparations for the prejudice done the English in their Trading and when no satisfaction would be given but the Dutch grew rather more Lordly calling into question the English Soveraignty in the narrow Seas and refusing to give the English the honour of the FLAG the States of England resolved to beat them into better manners And in the Year of our Lord 1652 on May the 19th was the first Sea-fight between the States of England and the Netherlands the fight continued about four hours till the night parted them without much cause of boasting on either part that which was the English had a right to But shortly after this Admiral Blake took twelve Dutch men of War August the 16th Sir George Ayscough with a squadron of seven Ships charged through and through the Dutch Fleet consisting of sixty men of War in which Encounter Captain Pack was slain September the fifth as the French Fleet who took part with the Dutch were going to the relief of Dunkirk most of them were taken by General Blake and about the conclusion of the same month the Dutch were bang'd to purpose by Blake at a place called the Kentish-Knock and were pursued by the English into their very Harbor But in the beginning of Winter Blake was worsted by the Dutch in the Downs losing the Garland Bonadventure and two Merchantmen Upon the 18 19 and 20th days of February the two Fleets fought again when the Dutch were forced to fly the English taking fifty-two of their Merchant-men they had in Convoy and nine men of War A. D. 1653 and April the 20th Oliver Cromwell took upon him to put a period to the fitting of those long winded-Members at Westminster objecting to them when he came to displace them That they delayed if not utterly neglected the redressing of publick Grievances that they designed their own interest and perpetuating themselves therefore they were to sit there no longer Instead of these Members turned out of doors Oliver and his Officers constituted a Council of State to rule the Common-wealth though they resolved to rule the Council of State June the 2d the English and Dutch Fleets engaged again in Fight when at the very first shot made by
AVGVSTVS A. M 3930 OCtavian Augustus Caesar was Julius Caesars Sisters Son and his adopted and declared Heir In the Fourty second year of his reign the Prince of peace Jesus Christ was born when was universal peace This wise Emperors Motto was Festina â—enté And used to say That is speedily or soon enough done that is well enough done and that to get some small profit with great danger is like those that fishing with a golden Hook hazard more than the Fish is worth He dyed in the embraces of his Wife Livia of whom he took this Farewell Livia Nostri conjugii memor vive vale CLaudius Tiberius Nero was ordained by Augustus for his Successor TIBERIVS A. D. 17. Such an impudent Letcher he was that he caused naked Women and Maidens to bring in and attend on him at Supper Such a notorious Drunkard that caused the people instead of Claudius Tiberius Nero to call him Caldus Biberius Mero a Wine-bibber In his time the worlds Saviour was crucified about Five years after which time the Gospel was planted in Britain as saith old Gildas This Emperor as is conjectured was smothered to death by Caligula CAius Caligula Nephew to Tiberius CALIGULA A D. 39. was at some times exceeding prodigal at other times sordidly covetous always cruel proud and libidinous He would force Rich men to make their Wills and therein to declare him their Heir which when they had done he would presently cause them to be poysoned scoffing at them and saying That when men had once made their Wills it was fit they should dye His own Mother he defamed to be incestuously begot his Grandmother he poysoned his Brother Tiberius he murdered his Three natural Sisters incestuously polluted He made himself a god commanding that men should worship him as such and ordained his great Horse for his Priest but as Decius saith Truly a fit priest for such a god and a fit god for such a priest Howbeit though he would be a god yet when the true God sent his Thunder he would cover his eyes with his Hat and hide himself under the Table He was so exceeding hairy of body that during his regality it was next to High Treason but to name a Goat He often lamented that some rare and unusual disaster happened not in his time whereby his Reign might be made memorable to posterity He wish'd that all the people had but one Neck that so he might have the glory of giving the bravest blow that ever was struck but himself was murdered receiving Thirty wounds of the Conspirators CLAUDIUS A. D. 43. CLaudius Drusus the Grandson of Livia Augustus's Wife was by the Praetorian Band chosen Emperor contrary to the mind of the Senate who had determined to reduce the City into her ancient liberty without admission of any Caesar He came into Britain where for his clemency the Britains erected a Temple and Altar in his name giving him Divine honour His first Wife Messalina besides all her private Lecheries went often to the common Stews to satiate her Lust but she for her impudency being put to death Claudius Married Julia Agrippina who to make way for her Son Nero to the Empire procured the disinheriting of Brittanicus the Emperors Son and by Poyson tempered in a Mushrom she ended Claudius's days DOmitius Nero was elected Emperor by the Soldiers His own Father he poysoned NERO A. D. 56. upon his Mother he first committed incest then murder he deflowred the Vestals slew his Brother Germanicus and Sister Antonia his Wives Poppea and Octavia his Ant Domitia his Son-in-Law Rufinus and his famous Tutour Seneca with many of the Roman Nobility and raised the first persecution against the Christians He set the City of Rome on fire 1st Persetion charging the innocent Christians with the fact and tormenting them for it He caused St. Peter and St. Paul to be put to death the first by crucifying the other by beheading But this Tyrant was grown so hated that the Senate adjudged him to be shamefully whipt to death which he hearing of run himself upon his own Sword In the first five years of his Reign he was very compassionate in so much as being requested to sign a Writ for the execution of a Malefactor he said Would God I had never learnt to Write In the year of our Redemption 67 Joseph of Aâ—imathea was sent by Philip the Apostle to plant the Gospel in Britain who laid the foundation of the Christian Faith at a place then called Avalon afterward Iniswitren now Glastenbury where he dyed and was buried In Nero the progeny of the Caesars ended SErgius Sulpitius Galba was elected Emperor by the Soldiers and Senate GALBA A. D. 70. who when he had Reigned only Seven Months was by the procurement of Otho slain by a Troop of Horsemen OTHO A. D. 71. SAlvius Otho being chosen Emperor Vitellius a Roman General marcheth against him and at Brixillium won the day and to save the shedding of Roman Blood Otho refused to engage any further with him though much importun'd by his Soldiers to reinforce the Battel but he thus answered them To hazard your virtues and valours for one mans estate I hold it dangerous and needless it is that my life should be prized at so dear a rate These Civil Wars Vitellius begun which for my part I purpose not to continue And hereby let posterity esteem of Otho that others have kept the Empire longer but never any that left it more Valiantly You for your parts would have dyed for my sake but I to save your lives do dye voluntarily and unvanquished I blame not the gods nor envy I Vitellius his rising glory sufficient to me it is that my House hath touched the highest strain of honour and my self to be left upon Record The Soveraign Monarch of the World And thereupon with a solemn farewel to the whole Army he went into his Tent and with his Dagger gave himself his deaths-wound VITELLIVS A. D. 71. AVlus Vitellius was so gluttonous and prodigal that Two thousand Dishes of Fish and Seven thousand of Fowl were served to his Table at one Supper In those few Months he reigned he wasted Seven millions thirty one thousand two hundred and fifty pound Sterling but was ignominiously slain after the manner of a common Malefactor when he had reigned only Eight Months and five days FLavius Vespasian was chosen Emperor by the Mesian Legions VESPASIAN A D. 71. He was a great enemy and scourge to the Jews but a great favourer of Learning valiant just and wise yet it may be too covetous for he imposed a Tax upon every Family according to the quantity of Urine that was made in it which his Son Titus blaming him for as dishonourable to so great an Emperor he bade Titus smell to the Gold brought for Tribute-Money asking him what ill favor he found in it Adding that the smell of gain is sweet out of any
above all the Peers of his Kingdom A while after performing this his promise by causing Edrick's head to be cut off and placed on the highest Gate of London But some say that King Edmond dyed a natural death at London when he had reigned seven Months whose body was buried at Glastenbury His Issue were Edward sirnamed the Out-law because he lived out of England during the reign of the Danes and Edmond DANES CANUTE A.D. 1017 CANVTE the Dane after the death of Edmond seized upon the other half part of the Kingdom the English Nobles owning him for their rightful King and swearing allegiance to him He was crowned at London by Living us Elstane Arch-bishop of Canterbury A. D. 1017. And to establish the Crown more sure to himself he banished Edwin the son of King Ethelred who for his melancholy and regardless behaviour was called The King of Churles He also sent away Edward and Edmond the sons of Edmond Ironside Next he espoused Emma the Widow of King Ethelred and sister to the Duke of Normandy on this condition That the issue of her body by him should inherit the English Crown Then calling a Parliament of his Peers to Oxford he there established these Laws following viz. That all decent ceremonies tending to the encrease of reverence and devotion in the service of God should be used as need required That the Lords Day should be kept holy That a Clergy killing a Lay-man or for any other notorious crime should be deprived both of his Order and Dignity That a married woman convict of adultery should have her nose and ears cut off And a Widow marrying within the space of twelve months after her Husbands dectase should lose her Joynture With many others He went on pilgrimage to Rome where he complained against the excessive exactions and vast sums of money extorted by the Pope from the English Archbishops at such times as they received their Palls from thence Which the Pope engaged to redress for the future The greatness and glory of this King was such that some Court-Parasites sought to perswade him that he possessed a more than humane power but he to demonstrate the contrary being then at Southampton caused a Chair to be set on the shore when the Sea began to flow then sate himself in it and in the presence of his many attendants thus spake to the swelling-waves Thou Sea art part of my dominion don't therefore on pain of punishment presume so much as to wet the robes of thy Lord. But the unruly Sea swelling on further and further first wet his skirts then thighs so that the King suddenly started up and retiring said Let the inhabitants of the world know that the power of Kings is but weak and vain and that none is worthy the name of King save He that keepeth Heaven Earth and Sea in obedience to his own will After which time he would never wear his Crown but therewith crowned the picture of Christ on the Cross at Winchester which became a prize to the Church-men He dyed in A.D. 1035 and was buried at Winchester His Issue were Swein Harold Hardicanute and two Dâ—ughters In Essex he built the Church of Ashdon where he had the victory of King Edmond In Norfolk he founded the Abbey of St. Benets and in Suffolk the Monastry of St. Edmond Egelnoth A.B. Cant. which Saint he much dreaded To the Church of Winchester besides other rich Jewels he gave a Cross worth as much as the Revenue of England amounted to in one year And unto Coventry they say he gave the Arm of St. Augustine which at Papia cost him an hundred Talents of silver and one of gold HARALD A.D. 1035 HARALD for his exceeding swiftness sirnamed Harefoot the base son of King Canute in the absence of Hardicanute his Fathers son by Queen Emma was admitted King by the Nobility and crowned at Oxford by Elnothus Archbishop of Canterbury Which done for the better securing of the Crown to himself he sought means to gain Edward and Alfred the two surviving sons of King Ethelred into his hands In order whereunto he sent to them into Normandy a Letter feigned in their Mother Emma's name inviting them over into England for the recovery of their right But when Prince Alfred was accordingly arrived Earl Goodwin who pretended great kindness unto him betrayed him and his small party brought over with him into Haralds hands who at Guilford committed them to the slaughter only reserving every tenth man either for service or sale Alfred he sent prisoner into the Isle of Ely where his eyes being put out he in short time after dyed through grief and pain Queen Emma's Goods Harald confiscated banished her out of the Realm and oppressed the English people with great payments He dyed at Oxford Elnothus A B. Cant. A.D. 1040 and was buried at Westminster HArdicanute upon the death of Harold was by the States of the Land HARDICANUTE A.D. 1030 as well English as Danes invited over from Denmark to take upon him the government of the Kingdom which he accordingly did and was crowned at London by Elnothus Archbishop of Canterbury The dead body of his half brother King Harold he caused to be taken up and to be thrown into the River Thames which being found by a Fisherman he buried it in the Churchyard of St. Clements Danes so called because the great burial-place of the Danes Hardicanute for the maintaining of his Fleet imposed heavy tributes on the English insomuch that two of the Collectors thereof named Thurstane and Feader were slain by the Citizens of Worcester for which fact their City was burnt and their Bishop Alfred expulsed the See till that with money he had purchased his peace Earl Goodwin presented to this King a Ship whose Stern was of Gold with Eighty soldiers in her all uniformly and richly suited On their heads they all wore gilt Bargenets and on their bodies a triple gilt Habergion swords with gilt hilts girded to their wasts a battel-ax after the manner of the Danes on their left shoulders a target with gilt bosses born in their left hands a dart in the right hand and their arms bound about with two bracelets of gold of six ounces weight But as Hardicanute was revelling and carousing at Lambeth in a solemn Assembly and Banquet He suddenly fell down dead The day of whose death instead of laments was annually celebrated amongst the common people with open pastimes in the streets Which time being the eighth of June is called Hoctide or Hucxtide signifying a time of scorn and contempt which fell upon the Danes by his death He was buried at Winchester A. D. 1042. About four years before the Danes first coming into England which was near the year of our Lord 789 showers of blood fell from Heaven and bloody Crosses were therewith marked upon mens garments 'T is said also that after the Danes had seated themselves in England whilst the English were drinking
rescue between whom and Alanzon was a hard contest Alanzon giving the King a slighty wound and the King at length striking him down to the ground whom the Soldiers in the heat of fight then slew contrary to the Kings command The French Reer-Guard seeing the disaster of their Van and Main Battel to save themselves ran away leaving the English no more work to do The number of prisoners taken by the English here was very great But King Henry perceiving fresh troops of the King of Sicils to appear fresh in the field and the same strong enough without any new rallied forces to encounter with his wearyed Souldiers to the end therefore that he might not have at once prisoners to guard and an enemy to fight contrary to his generous nature he commanded that every man should kill his prisoner which was immediately done certain principal men excepted Then by his Heralds he commanded those Troops either forthwith to come and fight with him else to depart the field either of which if they delayed he would revenge upon them without mercy Whereupon they quit the field When the fight was over and the field won King Henry fell down upon his knees and commanded his whole Army to do the same saying that verse in the Psalm Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give the glory And demanding what was the name of the place when it was answered him Agincourt then to all posterities following saith he shall this battel be called the battel of Agincourt The spoil here taken in Armour Jewels and Apparel was very great Of the English were slain the Duke of York the Earl of Suffolk two Knights David Gam Esquire and twenty eight private Souldiers Of the French were slain four thousand Princes Nobles Knights and Esquires and ten thousand common Souldiers Prisoners of Account taken in the field were Charles Duke of Orleans John Duke of Bourbon the Earl of Richmond Louis de Bourbon Count de Vendosme the Earl of Eu Edward de Rouen with divers others Just before this battel of Agincourt when it was reported that the French forces were very numerous Captain Gam resolutely said That if there were so many there were enough to be killed enough to be taken prisoners and enough to run away The next day after this battel Great Henry marched towards Callis and in the next month following spread sails for England and on November 23 in Triumph-wise he entred London where he received the gratulations of his people The City presented him a thousand pound in Gold and two golden Basons After some time of refreshing the King called a Parliament to London which granted him a Subsidy and a Tenth for the carrying on of his Wars in France which he graciously accepted though it was too short for the defraying so vast a charge Therefore to make it up the King pawned his Crown to his Uncle Cardinal Beauford for a great Sum of Money and certain Jewels to the Lord Mayor of London for ten thousand Marks Then with an Army of 25527 Souldiers every fourth being an Horseman besides a thousand Carpenters and Labourers Upon July 28 1417 he took to the Seas and August the first arrived in Normandy to their great terror many of the Inhabitants for fear flying into Britain And as soon as on shore to encourage his followers he dubbed 48 Knights then laid siege against Conquest the strongest Castle in Normandy which he took August the sixteenth He took likewise the Castles of Aumbelliers and Lovers the first of which he gave to his brother Clarence the second to the Earl of Salisbury and third to the Earl Marshal Caen in Normandy the King took by force giving the pillage thereof amongst his Souldiers Now whilst King Henry was busied in France the Scots wrought what mischief they could against him at home entred England in an Hostile manner bringing with them one whom they pretended to be King Richard the second laid strait siege against Roxbrough and Berwick but upon the report of an Army of English coming against them they broke up their sieges and well was he that could first set foot in his own Country In January the strong Town and Castle of Fallors was delivered to the King after which he divided his Army into several parts under the Conducts of the Dukes of Clarence and Glocester and Earl of Warwick who took sundry garisons The King the while besieged Roan which after about a Twelve-months siege was delivered to him upon Terms i. e. That the Burgesses should pay unto him three hundred fifty six thousand Crowns of Gold Should swear faith and loyalty to him and his successors c. A. D. 1418. Immediately after the surrender of this sundry other places of Note yielded themselves wherein King Henry placed Garisons And now France trembling at the English successes and their own losses sought a peace from King Henry who yielded to a personal conference to be held at Melun vvhither Charles the French King his Queen Isabel the Princess Katharine Duke of Burgundy Count of St. Paul with a thousand Horse came first then King Henry his brothers of Clarence and Glocester attended likewise with a thousand Horse met them When much conference passed but nothing was concluded which did not well please the King of England wherefore ready to depart he thus spoke to Burgundy Cousin I may not well digest this refusal but be ye assured that either I will have your Kings daughter and all my demands or else I will banish both you and them out of France You may speak your pleasure answered the Duke but before you shall thrust us out of France you shall be weary of the enterprize The Treaty thus broke Burgundy reconciled himself with the Daulphin and Henry displeased herewith prosecuted the War more sharply set upon Ponthois the last of July and in few hours gained the Town wherein great spoils fell to the Souldiers shares The news of this made King Charles to remove his Court from Paris to Troys in Champagne whilst Henry went forward with his intended enterprizes he and his Generals winning many strong-holds And to make the more way for the English successes the Daulphin and his Mother the Queen fell at great variance when the Queen by the procurement of Burgundy the King being very infirm was made Regent of France whose female authority and the hatred to her own Son the Daulphin did not a little prejudice the Crown of France And to the greater advantage of the English the Daulphin killed the Duke of Burgundy whereupon the Queen and young Duke of Burgundy perswaded King Charles to disinherit the Daulphin his Son and to give the Lady Katharine in marriage unto the King of England which accordingly was done and a peace was concluded betwixt the two Kings of England and France The prime Articles of the peace were these That Charles and Isabel should retain the name of King and Queen and should hold all their
Princes to attempt the recovery of the holy-Land sending Cardinal Campeius on this errand into England Which Cardinal and his company being come to London as they passed through Cheap-side the sumpture Mules cast their Carriages and Coffers on the ground out of which the lids flying open fell old breeches boots and broken shoes torn stockings tattered rags old iron and horse shoes broken meat marrow bones roasted eggs and crusts of bread with such-like treasure About A. D. 1521 the Emperour Charles passing toward Spain landed at Dover where the King met him and conducted him in great state to London lodging him in his new Palace in the Black-Friars then feasted him at Windsor and in such bands of amity the Emperor and King Henry seemed to be link'd that in London this sentence was set up in the Guild-hall over the dore of the Councel-Chamber Carolus Henricus vivant Defensor uterque Henricus fidei Carolus Ecclesiae The reason of which Titles Defender of the Faith and Church was For that Charles the Emperour had directed forth a solemn Writ of Out-lawry against Dr. Martin Luther who had then given a great blow to the Triple Crown and King Henry had wrote a Book against the said Luther for the which the Pope gave the Title of Defender of the Church to the Emperour and Defender of the Faith to the King and for the same cause he sent King Henry a consecrated Rose A new variance hapning again betwixt the Kingdoms of France and England the King assembled a Parliament at the Black-Friers in London which granted him half of the yearly revenues of all Spiritual livings to be paid for five years continuance and the tenth part of all temporal substance to carry on the Wars against France and Scotland When the King being furnished with mony sent a great Army into France under the conduct of Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk who had married Mary the Kings Sister Queen Dowager of France This valiant Commander first besieged and won Bell-Castle then took the Castle of Bonguard Braie Roie Lihome Mondedier and Boghan which done he returned King Henry was so inraged against the Scots that he took from all those inhabiting England all their goods sending them into their Country on foot with white Crosses sowed upon their uppermost garments But Margaret Queen of Scots solliciting her brother Henry for a peace the difference betwixt the two Nations was for a while reconciled About A. D. 1525 arose great troubles in Ireland the wild Irish casting off all obedience and killing many of the Kings English Subjects Girald Fitz-Girald Earl of Kildare was sent prisoner into England for that the Earl of Ossery had accused him of many misdemeanors as That he connived at the Earl of Desmonds escape whom he should have attached by order from the King That he grew over-familiar with the Irish and that he put to death the Kings best subjects When the Earl was brought to London he was committed to the Tower by the Cardinals means who did not love him In the Tower he expected death daily but with such couragious resolution that being at slide-groat with the Lieutenant when the Mandate was brought for his Execution on the morrow morning and seeing the Lieutenant struck into a sudden sadness he said unto him By St Bride Lieutenant there is some mad game in that Scroll but fall how it will this throw is for a huddle And when the worst was told him he said I pray thee Lieutenant do no more but assuredly learn from the Kings own mouth whether his Highness be witting of this or not Whereupon the Lieutenant loving the Earl well went to the King and shewed him the Warrant which the King seeing controlled the sawciness of the Priest for so he then called the Cardinal and gave the Lieutenant his Signet for a nullity of the Warrant so the Earl was delivered from the death threatned and not long after from his imprisonment About or in A. D. 1528 King Henry began to call into Question the lawfulness of his marriage with his Queen Katharine who was daughter to Ferdinand King of Spain and had been married to Prince Arthur eldest son of Henry the seventh when he was about fifteen years of age but he dying ere he had been married twelve months King Henry his brother by the advice of his Councel took this Princess Katharine to Wife in few days after his Fathers death and enjoyed her nuptial society near twenty years in which time she had born him two sons both dying in their infancy and one daughter named Mary afterward Queen But now he said his Conscience was much dissatisfied doubting it might not be lawful for him to have his brothers Wife notwithstanding he had had a dispensation from the Pope for it therefore first he refused his Queens bed and having moved the doubt to his own Divines he next sent for the opinion of most of the Universities of Europe which concluded against it and signified so much under most of their common Seals He also sent Agents unto Rome with an humble request to the Pope that an indifferent Judge might be sent to determine this weighty affair Whereupon Cardinal Campeius was sent over into England with whom Cardinal Wolsey was joyned in Commission These Cardinals had a place ordained them in the Black-Friers in London for the keeping of their Court of Judicature To which Court the King and Queen were summoned to appear personally which accordingly they did having several seats prepared for them When the Court was sate the Cryer called King Henry to appear who forthwith answered Here Then was the Queen called who made no answer at all but presently rose up and going to the King fell on her knees at his feet and in the audience of the people said unto him Sir I desire you to take some pity upon me and do me Justice and right I am a poor woman a stranger born out of your Dominions having here no indifferent Councel and less assurance of friendship Alas Wherein have I offended or what cause of displeasure have I given you that you thus intend to put me away I take God to my Judge I have been to you a true and humble Wife ever conformable to your will and pleasure never gain-saying any thing wherein you took delight Without all grudge or discontented countenance I have loved all them that loved you howsoever their affections have been towards me I have born you Children and been your Wife now this twenty years Of my Virginity and Marriage-bed I make God and your own Conscience the Judge and if it otherwise be proved I am content to be put from you with shame The King your Father in his time for wisdom was known to be a second Solomon and Ferdinand of Spain my Father accounted the wisest amongst their Kings could they in this Match be so far over-seen or are there now wiser and more learned men than at that time were Surely it seems
his attendants in tumultuous manner made into London his followers crying through the streets that the said Earl of Essex should have been murdred by Cobham Cecill and Rawleigh Howbeit instead of finding that friendship in London which they expected the Earl was proclaimed Traytor in divers places thereof Wherefore the Earl made haste back and fortified his own house in the Strand but after some little resistance yielded himself to the Lord Admiral and the same night was sent prisoner to the Tower And upon February the nineteenth the Earls of Essex and South-hampton were Arraigned and condemned at Westminster and on February 25 1600 the Earl of Essex suffred death on the Green within the Tower whose dying speech was to this effect That his punishment was just his sins innumerable his last sin for which he died a great crying bloody and infectious sin that had drawn others for love to him to offend God their Soveraign and the World He prayed God to forgive his sins and her Majesty and the state to forgive him Prayed for them thanked God that he was never Atheist in denying the Scriptures nor Papist in trusting to his own merits for Salvation but in the merits of Christ Jesus his Saviour Prayed the people to joyn with him in prayer that his Soul might be lifted up by faith above all earthly things desired forgiveness of all the World as he from his heart forgave all men His head was with three strokes severed from the body and his death generally lamented For Accessories and Abettors in the offence were executed first Captain Lee and after him Sir Gilliam Merrick and Henry Cuff a learned man were executed at Tyburn and on Tower-hill were beheaded Sir Charles Davors and Sir Christopher Blunt But as the death of this Noble person was much bewayled of the Subjects so was it likewise of her Majesty who would oft times shew passions of her grief for his death even until her own death which to the great sorrow of her people befel on the 24 of March 1602. Her body was buried in Henry the sevenths Chappel at VVestminster where her Successor King James erected her a Princely Monument Memoriae Sacrum c. She was 't is said Spains rod Romes ruin Netherlands relief Earths joy Englands gem worlds wonder Natures chief In her Raign were executed in England of Jesuites and Seminary-Priests for sowing sedition and plotting Treason the number of sixty seven and fifty three more of them were banished A. D. 1571 and February the seventeenth at Kingstone near Marlech in Hereford-shire the ground opened and certain Rocks with a piece of ground removed and went forward the space of four days It removed it self betwixt six of the Clock in the evening and seven the next morning forty paces carrying great Trees and sheep-coats some with flocks of sheep in them It overthrew Rinnastone-Chappel also two high-ways were removed nigh an hundred yards with Trees and Hedges The ground thus carried being in all twenty six Acres and where tillage-ground was there pasture is left in place and where pasture there tillage A. D. 1578 Mark Scaliot a Black-smith of London made a Lock of Iron Steel and Brass of a eleven several pieces and a pipe-Key all which weighed but one grain of Gold He also made a Chain of Gold of forty three links which Chain being fastned to the Lock and Key and put about a flea's neck the flea drew them with ease Chain Key Lock and Flea weighâ—d but one grain and an half A. D. 1580 In the Marishes of Dainsey in Essex was so infinite a number of Mice that they almost covered the whole Marsh and so tainted the grass with their venemous teeth that the Cattle grazing thereon were infected with the Murrain and died And by no art could men destroy these Mice but at length Owles in abundance to the great admiration of the Country came and devoured them In or nigh the Year of our Lord 1591 was VVilliam Hacket a hot-headed Sectarist Arraigned and found guilty of having spoken many Seditious and Trayterous words c. For the which he was brought from New-gate in London to a gibbet in Cheapside and there executed Divers persons called Brownists were executed in several places of England for sowing sedition namely Henry Barrow and John Greenwood one Penrie a VVelch-man Elias Thacker and John Copping A. D. 1600 and August the fifth did James the sixth King of Scotland narrowly escape a grand Conspiracy practised by the Earl of Gowry and his brother A. D. 1586 that mirrour of men for Letters and Arms Sir Philip Sidney died of a wound received at Zutphen-fight in Guelderland Mayors and Sheriffs of London in her Reign In her first Year Sir VVilliam Hewet was Mayor Thomas Lodge Roger Martin Sheriffs In her second Year Sir VVilliam Chester was Mayor Christopher Draper Thomas Roe Sheriffs In her third Year Sir VVilliam Harper was Mayor Alexander Avenon Humphrey Baskervile Sheriffs In her fourth Year Sir Thomas Lodge was Mayor VVilliam Allen Richard Chamberlain Sheriffs In her fifth Year Sir John VVhite was Mayor Edward Banks Rowland Heyward Sheriffs In her sixth Year Sir Richard Mallory was Mayor Edward Jackman Lionel Ducket Sheriffs In her seventh Year Sir Richard Champion was Mayor John Rivers James Hawes Sheriffs In her eighth Year Sir Christopher Draper was Mayor Richard Lambert Amb. Nicholas John Langley Sheriffs In her ninth Year Sir Roger Martin was Mayor Thomas Ramsey John Bond Sheriffs In her tenth Year Sir Thomas Roe was Mayor John Oliph Robert Harding James Bacon Sheriffs In her eleventh Year Sir Alexander Avenon was Mayor Henry Beecher VVilliam Dane Sheriffs In her twelfth Year Sir Rowland Hayward was Mayor Francis Barneham VVilliam Boxe Sheriffs In her thirteenth Year Sir VVilliam Allen was Mayor Henry Milles Johr Branch Sheriffs In her fourteenth Year Sir Lionel Ducket was Mayor Richard Pipe Nicholas VVoodrosse Sheriffs In her fifteenth Year Sir John Rivers was Mayor James Harvey Thomas Pulloccel or Pullison Sheriffs In her sixteenth Year Sir James Hawes was Mayor Thomas Blancke Anthony Gamage Sheriffs In her seventeenth Year Sir Ambrose Nicholas was Mayor Edward Osborne VVolstane Dixie Sheriffs In her eighteenth Year Sir John Langley was Mayor VVilliam Kempton George Barne Sheriffs In her nineteenth Year Sir Thomas Ramsey was Mayor Nicholas Backhouse Francis Bowyer Sheriffs In her twentieth Year Sir Richard Pipe was Mayor George Bond Thomas Starkie Sheriffs In her one and twentieth Year Sir Nicholas VVoodroffe was Mayor Martin Calthorp John Hart Sheriffs In her two and twentieth Year Sir John Branch was Mayor Ralph VVoodcock John Allot Sheriffs In her three and twentieth Year Sir James Harvey was Mayor Richard Martin William Webbe Sheriffs In her four and twentieth Year Sir Thomas Blancke was Mayor William Roe John Haydon deceased Cuthbert Buckle succeeded Sheriffs In her five and twentieth Year Sir Edward Osbourne was Mayor William Mashaw John Spencer Sheriffs In her six and twentieth Year Sir Thomas Pulioccell was
than their own Army amounted unto and that was about 12000. The Parliament lost here that daring Martialist Collonel Francis Thornhaigh Shortly after the Battel Duke Hamilton was taken Prisoner and Cromwell to improve this success followed the scattered parties into Scotland where when he was come there repaired to him the Earls of Arguile Lowden Leven and other of the Scotch Covenanting-Nobility who contracted with him for subduing the common Enemy meaning the Loyal party Colchester that had endured a tedious siege and was now brought to such scarcity of provision that they had not Horse-flesh enough to serve them one day longer and on it they had lived almost a Fortnight August the 27th yielded upon Articles The private Soldiers to depart with life the Commanders to remain at the Generals dispose and the City to raise 14000 l. to save it from Plunder Prisoners of quality taken here were the Lords Goring Capel Loughbrough eleven Knights twelve Colonels eight Lieutenant-Colonels nine Majors thirty Captains and sixty-five Gentlemen Three of the Knights were presently condemned by a Council of War two of whom namely Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle were shot to death dying as they had lived with great courage But whilst these things were managed by the Army the Parliament was busied with Petitions from London and other places for a Personal Treaty The Parliament therefore contrary to the humours of some of their factious Members repealed those Votes they had formerly made for no more Addresses to the King and both Houses voted a Treaty to be with the King in honour freedom and safety And September the 18th the Treaty began at Newport in the Isle of Wight where his Majesty condescended so far unto the Parliaments demands which were the same in substance with those formerly made that both Houses came to this resolve That the Kings Concessions were a sufficient ground for peace But this did exceedingly inrage the factious Members and Commanders of the Army who now resolved to seize the King into their own hands and dispose which they did removing him out of the Isle of Wight and making him Prisoner in Hurst-Castle November the 30th the Army then fell to purging the Parliament apprehending forty Members thereof that were persons of the most known integrity and highest resolution denying admission to 150 more and suffering none to enter the House save such whom they knew would serve their designs Which Army-Members revived those Votes of no more Addresses to the King the Votes for a Treaty with the King and of the satisfactoriness of his Concessions they razed out of the Journal-book And then proceeded to vote That the supreme authority of the Nation resided in themselves That to raise Arms against the Peoples Representatives or the Parliament was High-treason That the King himself took Arms against the Parliament and so was guilty of the blood-shed throughout the Civil-war And therefore this fag-end of a Parliament was resolved to have his Majesty brought to his Trial in order thereto giving their commands for his bringing up to London and January the 19th he was accordingly brought to St. James's When the factious Members whom the Army had licensed to sit proceeded to constitute a Court for the Trial of the King giving it the specious name of the High Court of Justice which said Court they impowred to convene hear judg and execute Charles Stuart King of England These proceedings the House of Lords detested so did the Parliament of Scotland the Judges of the Land affirmed it to be contrary to the known Laws and Customs of England for the King to be brought to Trial and the Presbyterian Ministers did both publickly and privately disswade them from this horrid action though all in vain And the more to animate the Kings Judges in their illegal proceedings that Pulpit-Jester Hugh Peters preached before them on that Text Psal 149.8 To bind their Kings in chains c. such honour have all his Saints when he assured them that they were the Saints there meant often in his prophane Sermon calling them the Saint Judges and professed that he had for a certain found upon a strict scrutiny that there were in the Army 5000 Saints no less holy than those that now conversed in Heaven with God Almighty Afterwards kneeling in his Pulpit weeping and lifting up his hands he earnestly beg'd them in the name of the People of England that they would execute justice upon that wretch Charles and would not let Benhadad escape in safety c. January the 20th his Majesty was brought before the High Court of Justice in Westminster-Hall where he boldly and chearfully took the Seat prepared for him and the Chargâ— was reâ—d against him with all those reproachful terms of Tyrant Traytor and Murderer and impleaded in the name of all the People of England But General Fairfax his Lady from a Scaffold adjoining cried with a loud voice That not half the People of England were guilty of that crime but that 't was by means of that Traytor Cromwell that this wickedness was done The King alledged to the Court that he could not make his defence unless they first produced their Authority for the trial of him their King which they not being able to do except that of the Sword remanded him to the place of his captivity January the 22d the High Court of Justice met again when the King being brought to the Bar Solicitor Cook required that he might be put upon it either to give in his positive answer or else that the charge against him upon his refusal to plead might be taken for confessed The substance of which Charge was That he the said Charles Stuart King of England had been the Occasion Author and Contriver of the Wars and therein was guilty of all the Treasons Murders Rapines Burnings Spoils Desolaâ—ioâ—s damage and mischief to this Nation acted or committed in the Wars or occasioned thereby To the Charge President Bradshaw required the Kings answer but his Majesty firmly persisting in the disowning of their Authority and offering to give reasons why he could not own their Court the Court was adjourned to the next day January the 23d the King was again brought before his fictitious Judges when he was again press'd to give in his reasons why he could not own their Authority alledging that to own this new Court was against the Priviledges of the People and the Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom whereupon the President commanded the Clerk to record the default and the Guard to take back the Prisoner which was accordingly done January the 27th his Majesty was again brought to the Bar where he still refused to own their illegal Court but said he had some matters conducing to the good of the People which he desired to have liberty to speak before the Members of both Houses which the Court would by no means yield unto but commanded the Clerk to read the Sentence against him which was That whereas the
Commons of England in Parliament assembled have appointed them a High Court of Justice for the Trying of Charles Stuart King of England before whom he had been three times convened and at the first time a Charge of High Treason and other crimes and misdemeanors was read in behalf of England c. To which Charge the said Charles Stuart refused several times to answer c. for all which Treasons and crimes mentioned in the Charge this Court doth adjudg the said Charles Stuart as a Tyrant Traytor Murderer and publick enemy to be put to death by severing his Head from his Body This Sentence being read the Members of the Court approved it by holding up their hands His Majesty offered to speak after the Sentence which Bradshaw would not suffer him to do but commanded him to be taken away when in his passing along the Soldiers reviled him with many irreverent taunts blew their stinking Tobacco into his face which they knew to be very distasteful to him and one or two more barbarous than the rest spit in his face the good King wiping it off again and saying My Saviour suffered far more than this for me And when the rude Soldiers instructed by their Commanders cried out Justice Justice Execution Execution this pious King pitied their blindness saying Poor souls for a piece of money they would do as much for their Commanders Such as pull'd off their Hats or bowed to him as he was carrying back to his imprisonment the Soldiers beat with their fists and weapons and knocked down one dead but for saying God be merciful unto him January the 28th this right Christian King was guarded from Whitehall to St. James's where Dr. Juxon Bishop of London preached before him on these words In the day when God shall judg the secrets of all men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel Rom. 2.16 January the 29th the Lady Elizabeth and Duke of Gloucester being admitted to take their last Farewell of their condemned Father his Majesty after he had given his blessing to the Princess Elizabeth bad her tell her Brother James whenever she should see him that 't was his Fathers last desire That he should no more look upon Charles as his Eldest Brother only but be obedient to him as his Soveraign and that they should love one the other and forgive their Fathers enemies He also bad her to read Bishop Andrews Sermons Hooker 's Ecclesiastical Policy and Bishop Laud against Fisher which would ground her against Popery wished her not to grieve for him for he should die a glorious death it being for the Laws and Liberties of the Land and for maintaining the Protestant Religion Bad her tell her Mother That his thoughts had never strayed from her and that his love should be the same unto the last Then gave her his Blessing bidding her to send his Blessing to the rest of her Brothers and Sisters and commendations to all his friends To the Duke of Gloucester he said He heard the Army intended to make him King but that he told him he must not accept so long as his two Elder Brothers were living commanded him to fear the Lord and he would provide for him Tuesday January the 30th in the morning the Bishop of London read Divine Service in his Majesties presence when the 27th Chapter of St. Mathew's Gospel the History of our Saviours Crucifixion fell out to be the second Lesson After Morning-prayer the King received the Sacrament and performed private Devotions in preparation to his Passion which being ended about Ten of the Clock this most Christian King was brought from St. James's to Whitehall by a Regiment of Foot and a private Guard of Partizans the Bishop on one hand of him and Colonel Thomlinson who had the charge of him on the other both bare headed His Majesty walked very fast and bad them go faster thus saying That he now went before them to strive for an Heavenly Crown with less solicitude than he had often encouraged his Soldiers to fight for an Earthly Diadem Being come into the Cabinet-Chamber in Whitehall where he used to lodg he there pass'd the time for near two hours in his Devotion about Twelve he eat a bit of bread and drank a glass of Clarret and towards One Col. Hacker with other Officers and Soldiers brought him through the Banquetting-house and through a Window of that upon a Scaffold which was hung with Black Divers Companies of Foot and Troops of Horse were placed on each side of the Street which hindred the approach of the very numerous spectators therefore the King directed his Speech chiefly to Col. Thomlinson therein declaring his innocency how that he began not the War with his two Houses of Parliament calling God to witness that he never intended to incroach upon their priviledges but they began upon him and that he believed that ill instruments betwixt him and them had been the cause of all the bloodshed Then acknowledged Gods Judgments to be just upon himself in suffering an unjust sentence to pass upon him for that he had suffered an unjust sentence to be executed upon another meaning upon the Earl of Strafford Then declared himself to be a good Christian having forgiven all the World and even those in particular who ever they were that had been the chief causers of his death desiring God to forgive them and that they might repent of that great sin praying with St. Stephen that this might not be laid to their charge and wished they might take the right way for the peace of the Kingdom which was he said by giving God his due in regulating rightly his Church according to the Scriptures By giving the King his due being directed by the Laws of the Land By giving the people their due in having Government under those Laws by which their lives and goods might be most their own and not be subject to an Arbitrary power for the opposing of which said he it is that I am brought to the Scaffold for if said he I would have given way to an Arbitrary power or way to have all Laws changed according to the power of the Sword I need not to have come here and therefore I tell you and pray God it be not laid to your charge that I am the Martyr of the People Then he declared he died a Christian according to the Profession of the Church of England as he found it left him by his Father After this he discoursed with the Bishop to whom he gave his George to be sent to the Prince then preparing himself for the Block he said I have a good cause and a gracious God on my side I go from a corruptible to an incorruptible Crown where is no disturbance no disturbance in the world Then having said a few words to himself as he stood with hands and eyes lift up he laid his neck upon the Block and after a short pause stretching forth his hands the Vizarded Executioner at one
supply of 18 months Assessement not exceeding 70000 l. a Month but began to be dissatisfied with the Kings indulgence and toleration to Phanaticks though his Majesty by a gracious Answer to an Address of theirs endeavoured to remove that scruple Anno 1673. About the later end of March an Act for a general and free pardon past in Parliament and then both Houses adjourned till the 20th of October following One James Piercy upon the death of the Earl of Northumberland in whom the male race of that ancient Family expired came into England laid claim to the Title and Estate and thereupon petitioned the Parliament but his Petition was rejected and himself looked upon as an Imposter The Island of Tobago was this year taken by the English from the Dutch in exchange whereof the Dutch took St. Helena from the English which might have proved of very bad consequence to the English East-India Trade had it not been re-taken by Captain Monday with three Dutch East-India Merchant Men besides which fully paid the charges of its reprisal For this good service Captain Monday was Knighted The Dutch this year were first at Sea and attempted a vain project of stopping up those narrow Channels that give entry to the River of Thames Prince Rupert who commanded the English Fleet put out to encounter them but they retreating to their own Shoar the Prince stood to the West-ward that he might joyn the French and part of the English Fleets This being shortly after done the whole Fleet made toward the coast of Holland and the Prince finding them before Schonvelt secured by their Banks and the shallowness of the Water on the 28th of May detached a Squadron of Thirty five small Frigots to provoke them to an Engagement The Dutch contrary to expectation came forth in good order and engaged The French and English emulous for honour fought with extraordinary eagerness and somewhat entangled each other but at length after a sharp dispute the magnanimous Prince forced the Enemy to run and followed them as far as the Sands and Water did permit till Night put an end to the conflict and the Dutch regained their former station The English lost but a few common Seamen and not one Ship Captains were slain Fowles Finch Tempest and Woorden On the Dutch side were killed Vice Admiral Schram Rear Admiral Vlugh and six Captains more They lost considerably in Men but onely one Ship called the Deventer On the fourth of June happened another Engagement wherein no great Execution was done on either side it being managed at great distance and most part in the night time And that the Series of this years Warlike Actions may be continued without interruption on the Tenth of August both Fleets met again at Sea and gave the last stroke to this War The Dutch being about the Goree got the Wind of the English and bore briskly down upon them the Fight was obstinate and bloody on both sides especially between Sir Edward Sprague and van Tromp but the French making as if they stood off for the Wind did it in reallity that they might have the conveniency of being Spectators Prince Rupert and de Ruyter who had been engaged together all day finding themselves at distance from their respective Squadrons stood back again to their assistance and de Ruyter designing to have cut off the blew Squadron from the rest of the Fleet was so smartly charged by the Prince that he was fain to give way so that had the French made use of their Wind they had the Dutch had certainly sustained far greater loss then they did and not so easily drawn off by favour of the Night In this Engagement Sir Edward Sprague as he was shifting from one Ship to another had his long Boat by a Random Shot shivered to pieces under him and so to the grief and regret of all that knew him was drowned his Ship strangely disabled was by his valiant Second the Earl of Ossory brought off Captain Neve was slain Reeves and Heywood died of their Wounds and Martel only of the French was killed The loss of common Seamen was not very great on the English side The Dutch lost two Flag Officers several Captains and about a 1000 common Seamen About the middle of June the Lord Clifford resigned his Treasurers Staff and Sir Thomas Osborn created Viscount Osborn of Dumblain in Scotland and afterwards Earl of Danby in England was made Lord High Treasurer The Parliament according to their last Adjournment meeting in October were prorogued till the 27th of the same month then meeting again they were prorogued till the 7th of January following Soon after the King issued out His Proclamation requiring all Judges and Justices of the Peace effectually to prosecute the Laws against all Papists and Popish Recusants About the later end of November his Royal Highness the Duke of York was married to the Princess of Modena Though the Preparations for War went on vigorously both on the English and Dutch sides yet overtures of Peace were still set on foot and His Majesty condescended to a Treaty at Cologne which took no effect The Dutch in the mean time thought it not fit to desist but by another way of Negotiation that is to say by intercourse of Letters they at length prevailed so far as to receive a condescending Letter from the King of England in February 1673 4 which was shortly after followed by a conclusion of the Peace by them so much desired Peace being now concluded Anno 1674. this year affords no great Transactions of importance the Consultations of Government being chiefly directed to the preservation of quietness and unity at home in order to which His Majesty emitted several Proclamations against Papists and Jesuits The Duke of Monmouth upon resignation of the Duke of Buckingham was chosen Chancellour of the University of Cambridge The Earl of St. Albans giving up the Staff of Lord Chamberlain of His Majesties Houshold his place was given to the Earl of Arlington to whom Sir Joseph Williamson succeeded as Principal Secretary of State Upon the 22th of September His Majesty by Proclamation prorogued the Parliament which was to have met the 10th of November till the 13th of April ensuing His Majesty having been pleased to accept of the Freedom of the City of London was in December by Sir Robert Vynor Lord Mayor in Name of the City presented with the Copy of his Freedom in a large square Box of Massie Gold the Seal appended being in a Box of Gold set all over with large Diamonds About the beginning of January 1674 5 her Royal Highness was brought to Bed of a Daughter Christened at St. James's by the Bishop of Durham by the Name of Katharina Laura the Duke of Monmouth being Godfather and the Lady Mary and Lady Anne Godmothers Anno 1675. The Parliament according to their last Prorogation met on the 13th of April but having sate till a week in June and a difference
danger he was in changed his note confessing himself to be but the man Sir Anthony said Well thou canst never do thy Master better service than to hang for him causing him to be trussed up on the next tree Other commotions arose in other parts of the Realm but the most dangerous was that in Norfolk headed by Robert Ket a Tanner of Wimonham who took upon him to be the Kings Deputy giving out Warrants in the Kings name for what he pleased His Tribunal-seat was in an old Tree where sate the jolly Tanner accompanied with his Counsellors and Assistants being two chosen men out of every hundred of the rout Hither came the complaints of the Camp and from hence Commissions were issued out to plunder Ships and Gentlemens houses of Armour and Artillery so that this Tree was termed the Oak of Reformation Whence likewise sometimes Sermons were delivered and once by the Reverend Dr. Parker for which his life was endangered his Sermon was so displeasing to the Rabble To pacifie these rebells the King caused his general pardon to be proclaimed by an Herald at Arms. Notwithstanding which they still proceeded in their rebellion and made themselves Masters of the City of Norwich The King therefor sent William Parre Marquess of Northampton against them but him they over-powered Then the Lord Dudley Earl of Warwick was imployed against them who with small resistance gained the Market-place of Norwich where he caused sixty rebells whom he had taken immediately to be executed by Martial Law The main body of the rebells entrenched themselves at the foot of the Hill called Dussin-dale partly upon vain Prophesies given forth amongst them by Wisards That Hob Dic and Hie meaning the Clowns should with their clubs fill up the valley of Dussin-dale with dead bodies On August 27 the Earl prepared for fight the rebells likewise set themselves in order placing in their fore-rank all the Gentlemen whom they had taken prisoners coupled in Irons Upon the rebells Captain Drury with his own Band and the Almains charged couragiously and opened their Battel to the setting at liberty of the captive Gentlemen and the Earls light Horsemen came so valiantly on that the rebells gave back and fled and with the foremost their Captain Ket The chase held three miles and more with the slaughter of 3500 rebells The rest of the rebells that kept about the Ordnance by the Generals perswasions and promise of pardon cast away their Weapons and with one voice cried God save King Edward The next day following Ket was apprehended in a Barn where he had hid himself and shortly after was hanged in Chains upon the Castle of Norwich William Ket his brother was hang'd upon the high Steeple of Wimonham and nine other of them were hang'd upon the Oak of Reformation This Rebellion was at the first broacht under the pretence of throwing open the Inclosures which the King by Proclamation had commanded to be done though it was neglected These disturbances being setled others were made in the North by Thomas Dale a Parish Clark William Ombler a Yeoman and one Stevenson the Post of Seymour Their pretences were to restore the Church her rights and to disburthen the Land of Grievances giving out that the Pope was the man that K. Edward was an intruder if not a meer Heretick that the Church had power of both the Swords When these fellows were increased to the number of about 3000 the Kings pardon being sent to them they most of them departed to their own homes but Ombler and Dale with four others were executed at York Septemb. 21 1549. And as the Commons disquieted the Country so did some Lords and Ladies disquiet the Court. The Protector 's brother Thomas Seymour Baron of Sudley High Admiral of England had married Queen Katharine Parre which Lady contending for place with the Protector 's Dutchess occasioned the haughty Dutchess 't is said to procure the Lord Sudley's ruin Which Lord was accused to have designed the getting of the Kings person into his custody and Government of the Realm for the which with some smaller matters charged upon him he was condemned by Act of Parliament and by his brother the Protector 's Warrant was beheaded on Tower-hill March 20. But the Brothers being now disjoined who might have supported each other had they lived together in brotherly love the Protector himself is marked out for destruction Divers Lords article against the Duke accusing him That he had animated the rebells in their rebellion That he was a sower of sedition amongst the Nobles That he had against Law erected a Court of Requests in his own house inforcing divers of the Kings Subjects thither to answer for their free-holds c. And so close and cunningly they prosecuted the matter against him that they got him into the Tower Octob. 12 1549 but the King procured his liberty immediately though not his former Authority In the mean space that the Protector was under these troubles the Scots recovered the places that the English had gained from them The French also attempted to gain the Fort of Bulloinberg by surprize unto which enterprize 7000 men were chosen who secretly marched in the night with Ladders and furniture meet for the design and approached within a quarter of a Mile of the Fort but one Carter an English man a soldier amongst them understanding what was intended hastily and privately made from his Company and gave the Alarm to his Countrymen in the Fort whereupon Sir Nicholas Arnalt the Governour made such preparations against the French mens coming that at their approach he repulsed them with so great a slaughter that fifteen Wagons went away laden with dead bodies of the French After this the French assaulted the Isles of Garnsey and Jersey but were beaten off with the lost of a thousand men Howbeit the French King gave not over till he had recovered by surrender Bulloinberg and the Town of Bulloin which last he purchased at a high price A. D. 1550 that mortal disease called the sweating-sickness raged extreamly through England whereof died the two Sons of Charles Brandon both of them Dukes of Suffolk successively besides an infinite number in their best strength And which is wonderful this disease followed only English men in foreign Countries no other people being infected thereby And to fill up the dolours of these doleful times the good Duke of Sommerset was again by the over-reachings of the Earl of Warwick lately created Duke of Northumberland and other his emulators committed prisoner and not long after put to death For the Duke of Sommerset giving ear to such false friends as sought his ruin privily armed himself and so went to the Council-Table his flatterers having put him in fear of some sudden attempt intended against him But at the Council-Table his bosom being opened and the Armour found he was forthwith apprehended as intending the death of some Counsellor and sent to the Tower Octob. 16 1551 and in December