and to bee a witnesse to the said kings Charter touching the foundation of the Abbay of Selbie by the name of Edward Earle of Salisburie Which proueth that Patrike his grand-childe was not then the first Earle of Salisburie of that familie as you affirme Secondly where you hold for a certaintie that Walter the sonne of Edward aforesaid before his monasticall profession left issue to succeede him Patrike his sonne To that I answere that Sybill his wife after the death of the said Walter her husband took vpon her the habit of a Nunne and hauing continued in that estate but one moneth perceiuing her selfe to be with child forsooke that order again and afterwards was deliuered of a son which was named Patrike who was after steward to Maude the Empresse by whose meanes king Henry the second in the 28. yeare of his reigne confirmed vnto the said Patrike the earledom of Salisburie Thirdly concerning your affirmation that William sonne of the said Patrike had but one only daughter named Ella maried to William Longa-Spatha who in her right was Earle of Salisbury and did beare her Armes To this I say you do hereby greatly preiudice the honorable familie of Howards for the said William had not onely two sonnes but also two daughters as appeareth by the booke of Bermondsey in Southwarke viz. Patrike William Mabell and Ella Mabell was maried to Nigell Lord Mowbray of whom all the Howards with many others are discended Ella was maried vnto William Longa-Spatha base sonne to Henrie the second who afterward by the speciall fauour of King Richard the first in the 9. yeare of his reigne was made Earle of Salisburie and not in right of his wife as you would haue it And where you say the said William Longa-Spatha and Ella had issue William who succeeded his father in that dignitie and left issue the third William which lost that Earledome through displeasure of King Henrie the third I answere that I maruaile howe you can inuent two so great vntruths as first to affirme these two last Williams to be Earles of Salisburie when neither of them both were euer Earles either of that or anie other place And that the saide William did vse or beare the Armes of his wife I take it you haue no other proofe for the same then your owne bare imagination which with you is verie great Lastly where you affirme Henrie Lacie to bee Earle of Salisburie in right of his wife the daughter and heire of the last William Longa-Spatha I say that neither hee the saide Henrie nor any other of his Surname were euer at anie time honoured with that title or Earledome And nowe to manifest the mariage of the Lorde Nigell de Mowbray with Mabell daughter of William Fitz-Patrike I will set you downe for proofe the said Nigels deed which is as followeth SCiant presentes futuri quod ego Nigellus dominus de Mowbray dedi concessi c. Know ye that I Nigell Lord Mowbraw haue giuen and confirmed from my Mannor of Bensted in Surrey which I had in mariage with Mabell my wife heire of William Fitz-Patrike the Church of Bensted to the canons of Southwarke in whose possession I found the said Church confirmed by Richard Bishop of Winton c. TOuching the Earles of Winchester as our Herauldes report after that Clito the Saxon was by the Normans depriued of his auncient dignitie King Iohn made Saer de Quincie Earle of Winchester who vsed for his Armes a Fesse with a Labell of fiue points as wee haue seene in his Seale but Roger his sonne bare seuen Losenges golde voyded in a field Gules He hauing no issue male by Helene his wife the eldest daughter and Coheire of Alane Prince of Galloway in Scotland that honour lay dead A great while after Hugh de Spencer was honoured with that title by King Edward the second whose sonne for treason lost both that dignitie and his life After that by the bountie of king Edward the fourth Lewis of Bruges a Belgian Baron of Gruthuse and Prince of Stenhuse enioyed this title with the Armes of Quincies Which title after the death of King Edwarde aforesaide he surrendered againe to King Henrie the seuenth Pag. 197. VVHom you vnderstand by the terme of our Heralds I knowe not my selfe being one of her Maiesties Heralds do approue for truth that Seer de Quincy was Earle of Winchester and did vse in his shield for his Armes a Fesse and a Labell of 13. points and not of 5. as you misreport to haue seene in his seales And to proue my assertion true I haue diuerse deedes with the Seales of the saide Quincies in my custody made aswell in the reigne of king Richard the first as in the times of king Iohn and Henry the third As for Hugh Spencer he was made Earle of Winchester high Treasurer of England in the 15. yeare of King Edwarde the second and in the 19. yeare of the said kings reigne hee was executed at Bristow by Queene Isabell so that the dignitie ceased in himselfe and not in his sonne as you affirme who neuer had or was possessed of that dignitie Lastly where you say that King Edward the fourth did giue to Lewes of Bruges the Earledome of Winchester with the Armes of Quincies I answere you haue not onelie misreported the same but also shewed your selfe to be very ignorant in matters of Armes for those Armes giuen by Edward the fourth to Lewes of Bruges were neither the armes of Quincies nor any thing at all resembling the same And for proofe hereof I pray you let vs a little compare them both togither first the armes giuē by K. Ed. 4. to the said Lewes were Azur ten mascles gold the armes of Quincies were Gules 7. masclesgold Bruges did beare in his armes a canton Gules charged with a Lion passant gardant of the second Quincy had neither Canton nor Lion in his Armes So that here is neither colour nor charge to induce a man of any iudgement or knowledge to thinke or say that this gift of Edward the fourth was the Armes of Quincy And for better proofe hereof I will here insert the wordes of king Edwardes graunt concerning the gift of the said Armes REx omnibus c. Sciatis quod c. Lodouicum Brugensem principem de la Gruthuse dominum de Spieres de Aemsted de Oestamp in Comitat. Winton praefecimus Creauimus insigniuimus ac per praesentes praeficimus Creamus insignimus vnà cum armis insignib armorum modo forma hîc depict in gallico sic discernundis Il port d' azure a dix mascles d'or en orme de vn canton de nostre propre armes de Angleterre c ' est ascauoir de gules vn Leopard passant d'or armé d'azure pat 12. Edw. 4. LAnheron was the seate of the familie of Arundels or de Hirundine that is of the Swallow for Arondell is in French a Swallow Those of
Earle of Kent dyed without issue as you here report hee did then doth the now Lord de La-ware wrong to quarter the said Huberts Coate of Armes pretending thereby to bee his heire But whether the said honourable person doth wrong therein or you wrong him in so saying Let vs examine this matter a little better First it doth appeare in a summons of the Nobilitie of this realme for the leuying of an army against Llewellin Prince of Wales in the fift yeare of king Edward the first that Iohn de Burgo Baron of Lammale grandchilde to Hubert by his sonne Iohn was by the name of Iohn sonne of Iohn de Burgo called thereunto Also by an inquisition taken after the death of the said Iohn in the same kings reign it was found that Deruergulda the wife of of Robert Fitz-Walter Lord of Woodham and Hawise the wife of Robert Greylie of Manchester were the daughters and heires of the said Iohn de Burgo and that the foresaide Hawise did holde of the inheritance of Hubert de Burgo her great grandfather the Mannor of Werkerley in Northamptonshire and the Mannor of Portland in Essex Which discent being thus farre prooued to Greyley I doubt not but you will confesse that Ioan the onelie daughter of the saide Robert Lord Greyley was married to Iohn Lord de La-ware Which done I hope you will yeeld your selfe to haue erred herein and acknowledge the said noble person now to be right heire and that the said Hubert died not without issue as you very daungerously haue affirmed he did HErbert married the sister of William Earle of Hereford and in her right was Lord of Deane from whom is discended the noble familie of the Herberts From hence also if we shall credite the heraulds and Escucheons of Armes Anthonie Fitz-Herbert that great lawier and Lord chiefe iustice of England tooke his originall But I thinke he rather descended from the worshipfull familie of the Fitz-Herberts in Derbishire Pag. 267. YOur often and suspitious obiections whereby you call in question the credit of her Maiesties Heraulds as though you iudged them scarce worthy to be belieued doth proceed as I suppose from a malignant humour in you rather then from any grounds or sufficient reasons that might moue you thereto But I trust those of discretion will sooner giue credit vnto them in matters that they shall auerre by good warrantise and authoritie then to you who ground your contradicting arguments vpon heare sayes and opiniatiue imaginations And where you charge the Heraulds to haue made Anthonie Fitz-Herbert that was Lorde chiefe Iustice of England to bee discended from that familie of Herberts which married the sister of William Earle of Hereford I say they haue done therein like honest and learned Officers of Armes and those that haue or shall deriue the saide Anthonie or anie of that familie of Fitz-Herberts from anie other originall then that aforesaid they haue and shall erre from the trueth IN the time of king Edward the first the barons of Winterborne were the Bradstones from whom by the Ingeldesthorpes and Neuils the Viscount Montacute and the Baron of Wentworth are discended Pag. 271. YOur Barons of Winterborne must be turned out of the plurall into the singular number and where you make them Barons in the reigne of king Edward the first therein are you much deceaued for Thomas Bradston the first and last Baron of that surname began his dignitie at a Parlement holden at Westminster in the 21. yeare of king Edward the third and dyed aboute the 34. yeare of the said kings reigne leauing issue a daughter and heire marryed to Poole who had issue a daughter and heire marryed to Ingeldesthorpe which likewise had a daughter and heire marryed to Neuill Marquis Montacute who hauing diuers daughters his heires one of them was marryed to Browne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and an other to Stoner of whome the Lord Wentworth is discended So that hereby it may appeare that the Vicount Montacute and the Lord Wentworth are discended from Bradston by these foresaid three seuerall families whereof you haue left out Poole the first of them without which the other cannot discend from Bradstone And thus haue you through ignorance obscured and made vnperfect this honorable discent to the preiudice of many worthie families discended of the same SVdley was lately the seate of Giles Baron Chandos whose father Edmond Bruges was created Baron Chandos by Queene Elizabeth because he was discended from the auncient familie of the Chandos out of which familie issued Iohn Chandos Baron de Santo-Saluatore that famous warriour Pag. 272. YOu thinke by your perswasions to make men beleeue you haue seene that which God knoweth you were neuer neare by many a mile otherwise I take it you would not doe as heere you haue done making Edmond Bruges father of the now Lord Chandos to be the first Baron of his surname and that hee was created into that dignitie by Queene Elizabeth Because say you he was discended of the auncient familie of Chandos So that here is both a cause lay de downe a time for a colour and shadowe to this your vntrue imaginatiō to the no small preiudice of that honorable house But to manifest these your delusions and to restore againe this honorable person to his right knowe you for certaintie that Iohn Bruges the grandfather of the now Lord Chandos was the first Baron and not Edmond his father as you very vniustly haue written And for proofe here of I affirme that the said Iohn was created Baron Chandos by Queene Mary at her manner of Saint Iames the eight day of Aprill in the first yeare of her reigne 1553. as by his letters patents bearing date the same day and yeare aboue said it may appeare Which being true I would now gladly knowe heere of you how you can make good that Edmond Bruges was the first Baron and had his creation by Queene Elizabeth OVr Heralds haue thrust vpon vs William Fitz-Eustace to be the first Earle of Glocester But I suppose there was neuer any such borne I haue read in the historie of Teukesbury that aboute the time of the Conquest Bithricke a Saxon was Lorde of Glocester who was much hated of Maude the Conquerors wife because he before that despised to take her to his wife In reuenge of which disgrace she caused him to be imprisoned and dispossessed of all his honors and landes Whose titles and possessions were after giuen to Robert Fitz-Hamon the son of Hamon of Corbule whose onely daughter and heire named Sibill was marryed to Robert Fitz-Roy base sonne to king Henry the first Who was made the first Earle of Glocester commonly called the Consull of Glocester This Robert had issue William who had issue three daughters which caryed this honour by marriage vnto three families Isabell the eldest marrying with Iohn sonne to K. Henry the second honored him with that title who being after king made Almericke de
succession of these Earles saying That from the first Hugh in Henry the first time succeeded in direct line from father to sonne Hugh that tooke parte against king Henry the second c. To this I answere that you were in a Labyrinth not able to finde out what issue there was betwixt the first and second Hugh And to vnfolde this your error I affirme that the first Hugh and those that you say succeeded betweene from father to sonne to that Hugh whome you name the second were all but one person for he that was Steward to king Henry the first and was after made Earle of Norffolke by king Stephen was the same person that liued in the time of king Henry the second and that tooke part with the yong king against his father Thirdly where you affirme that the last Earle Roger surrendred all his honors and almost all his inheritance vnto king Edward the second it seemeth a matter vnto me very vnlike that the said Roger dying in the life of king Edward the first could in the reigne of king Edward the second make any such surrender But here haue you done very wisely in leauing out the cause of the kings displeasure against the said Roger for therein would you haue disclosed your owne error But because I would not haue you ignorant of the same king Edward the first in the fifteenth or sixteenth yeare of his reigne required this Roger Bygot Eerle of Norffolke Gilbert de Clare Earle of Glocester and Humfrey de Bohun then Earle of Hereford to goe with him into France whose request these three noble persons refused whereupon at the said kings returne againe into England he forced Gilbert de Clare and Humfrey de Bohun the yonger sonne of the soresaid Humfrey to marrye with two of his daughters without either land or money and the said Roger Bygot to appease the kings indignation did make ouer vnto him most part of his landes with the office of Marshall of England And this was done by king Edward the first and not by Edward the second as you haue here set downe KIng Edward the third gaue the Earledome of Cambridge vnto Edward of Langley his fift sonne Afterwardes Richard his yonger sonne enioyed the same honor by the fauour of king Henry the fift But he being disloyall and vngratefull plotting the death of that most excellent prince was beheaded and the Earledome of Cambridge vtterly decayed with him Pag. 381. THe Earledome of Cambridge vtterly decayed not with Richard of Conesborough yonger sonne of Edmond of Langley Earle of Cambridge and Duke of Yorke who was executed in the third yeare of Henry the fift as you say but was after reuiued againe in Richard his sonne whome king Henry the sixt in the fourth yeare of his reigne created Earle of Cambridge and after Duke of Yorke Regent of Fraunce and protectour of England HVntingdon had these Earles Syward and Walthe of his sonne after whome by Maude his daughter that honor came first to Simon Sant-lize Earle of Northampton After that to Dauid brother to Alexander king of Scots for Maude was marryed to to them both and had issue by both Whereupon as the princes fauour and fortune changed sometimes the Sant-lizes and sometimes the Scots enioyed this honor vidz Henry the sonne of Dauid then Simon Sant-lize sonne to the first Simon And then Simon Sant-lize the third who dying without issue William king of Scots brother of the foresaid Malcolme succeeded whome Dauid his brother followed and had issue that succeeded him Iohn his sonne surnamed Scote that was Earle of Chester and dyed without issue leauing for his successor Alexander the second which marryed the daughter of king Henry the third who possessed this honor but a while Pag. 387 BEfore I enter to open your errors in this succession of the Earles of Huntingdon I would entreate you of this number of eleuen Earles to put out fiue of them at the least And because you shall take them right I will first nominate vnto you those which ought to stand beginning with Walthe of Earle of Northumberland vnto whome William the Conqueror gaue in mariage with Iudith his neece the Earledomes of Huntingdon Northampton This Walthe of had issue Maude who was giuen in marriage vnto Dauid brother to Alexander king of Scots which Dauid was after a witnesse to the Charter of king Henry the first touching landes and liberties that the said king gaue vnto the Cittie of London by the name of Dauid Earle of Huntingdon After the death of Dauid the foresaid Maude was marryed againe to Simon Sant-lize a Norman gentleman who had with her the Earledome of Northampton Dauid before named had issue Henry who in the life of his father was Earle of Huntingdon and dyed in the 18. yeare of king Stephen leauing issue three sonnes Malcolme William and Dauid Malcolme being king of Scottes rebelled against king Henry the second for which cause the king seised into his handes the Earledome of Huntingdon After the said Malcolmes death William his brother succeeded him in the kingdome of Scotland He likewise rebelled against his Lorde king Henry the second and being taken prisoner was caryed into Normandie Anno 1174. Where he compounded to pay for his raunsome ten thowsand markes and to release all his title and interest of the Earledomes both of Huntingdon and Northumberland After which king Henry gaue the Earledome of Huntingdon to Dauid the third sonne of Dauid Earle of Huntingdon before mentioned Which Dauid was a witnesse to the Charter of king Richard the first of landes that he gaue to the Abbey of Peterborough Anno 1189. by the name of Dauid Earle of Huntingdon He dyed in the second yeare of king Henry the third and left issue Iohn his sonne surnamed Scotte who succeeded him which dyed without issue in the 22. yeare of king Henry the third Thus haue I rightly set downe the succession of the Earles of Huntingdon vnto Iohn surnamed Scotte which vnlesse you can by good authorities disproue as I assure my selfe you cannot I hope you will not onely confesse your error but will abate in your next impression those fiue which in deede were neuer Earles of Huntingdon vidz Syward who was but Earle of Northumberland then the three Simons Sant-lizes that were Earles of Northampton onely and lastly William king of Scottes Ashbye de-la-zouch was sometimes belonging to Alane de-la-zouch Baron who bare for his armes a Shielde gules tenne bezants He by marrying the daughter of Roger Quincie Earle of Winchester greatly increased his inheritance But calling in question of lawe Iohn Earle Warrin who would haue his cause tryed by sworde and not by lawe he was by him slaine in the kings courte at Westminster Anno 1279. and within a fewe yeares after the daughters and heires of his grand-childe caryed this inheritance by marryage to the familie of Hollands who were Barons a long time whose inheritance passed to the Louels and
second Earle of Sussex and Arundell father of William the third Earle which had issue by Maude coheire of Ranulfe Earle of Chester William the fourth Earle and Hugh that was the fift Earle both dying without issue After which time that honour of Sussex lay dead vntill that king Henrie the eight in the 21. yeare of his reigne created Robert Radclife Earle of Sussex Pag. 234. IN this succession of Albeneys Earles of Sussex you haue taken great paines making fiue of that surname to haue beene Earles both of Sussex and Arundell when as you can prooue but foure in all to haue beene Earles of that familie and but two of them Earles of Sussex viz. William whom king Henrie the second made the first Earle of Sussex and Hugh his sonne who died without issue in the 27. yeare of king Henrie the third for that VVilliam whom you call the fourth Earle of Arundell I deeme as yet neuer borne And the first VVilliam which married Queene Aelidise the widow of King Henrie the first who you say was both earle of Sussex and Arundell I make great doubt of thinking you not able to make proofe he was Earle of either For sure I am that his owne deed doth shew the contrarie that he was onelie Earle of Chichester and not of Arundell and Sussex which to manifest I haue here set downe his deed as followeth GVilielmus Comes Cicestriae c. William Earle of Chichester to the Bishop of Norwich and to all faithfull children of our holie mother the Church and to all men as well French as English c. Knoweye that I haue giuen and granted to God and to the Church of Saint Maries in Thetford and to the Monkes there seruing God for the the soules of my father and mother and Queene Aelidise my wife and the health of our children in pure almes the lands that were Godricks in Ridlesworde and in Guareshall which belonged to Garestorpe which land the same day that I made this grant one Robert held Witnesses Raph the Chaplaine and Hubert de Montecaniso with manie others Lastly where you say that after the familie of the Albeneyes were extinct the Earldome of Sussex lay dead vntill he 21. yeare of king Henrie the eight who then created Robert Radcliffe Earle of Sussex To that I answere it did not lie dead all that while for after the death of Hugh de Albeney 1242. king Edward the first in the 18. yere of his reigne made Richard Fitz-Allen Earle of Arundell knight at which time he also girded him with the sworde of the Earldome of Sussex In whose issue it continued diuers discents and then by attainture fell vnto the crowne As in my booke entituled the Nobilitie of England which I meane shortly God willing to publish you may see at large RIchard Earle of Clare builded the Castle of Tunbridge hauing had the said Tunbridge in exchange for Brionie in Normandie for his grandfather Godfrey base sonne of William the second Duke of Normandie was Earle of Aniou Brionie Pa. 243 THis discent of Godfrey Earle of Aniou and Brionie is forreine and bredde beyond the Seas in Normandie from whence you haue had little intelligence therfore not so much to be condemned for mistaking the right father of the saide Godfrey making him the sonne of William the second duke of Normandy when as he was sonne to Richard the first Duke of Normandie Which fault notwithstanding I woulde wish you to amende in your next edition and also to take away from this Richard his grandchilde the title of Earle vntill such time as you haue a better commission for making of Earles And for your warrant to doe this you shall haue both the booke of Domesday and diuerse charters of William the Conqueror wherein the said Richard was a witnesse by the name onely of Richard Fitz-Gilbert without any other title of honor THe Creuecueurs so named de crepito-corde builded the Castell of Leedes of which familie the first was Robert who had issue Daniell that was father to Robert who had issue Hamon which married the daughter and heire of the Baron of Folkestone and by her had issue Hamon the father of Robert who wanting issue gaue his patrimonie to King Edwarde the first Pag. 244. THe familie of Abrinces were Barons of Folkestone from whom by marriage the same went to Hamon de Creuecueur and by his daughter to Iohn of Sandwich whose grandchilde by his sonne Iohn named Iulian carried that title to Iohn Seagraue Pag. 259. TO reconcile your contradictions in these two titles of Leedes Castle and Folkestone I thinke it a verie harde matter for in the first you say That Hamon Creuecueur who marryed the daughter and heire of the Baron of Folkestone had issue Hamon that succeeded him which Hamon had issue Robert who dying without issue gaue his patrimonie to king Edwarde the first And after in the title of Folkestone you affirme the contrarie saying That the same Hamon had issue a daughter that carried Folkestone by her marriage to Iohn of Sandwich By which thus still ouermuch busying your selfe in matters passing your skill it maketh you so forgetfull that oftentimes you are faine to vtter matters incoherent and much contradictorie Wherefore vnderstande that Hamon Creuecueur who you say married the daughter and heire of the Baron of Folkestone had issue Hamon who succeeded his father and he had issue Robert which died without issue and foure daughters Eleonor married to Bertram Criell Agnes to Iohn of Sandwich Isolde to Nicholas Lenham and Isabell to Henrie Hawt Of which foure daughters you haue left out the first and two last naming but onely the second married to Iohn of Sandwich who was not the daughter of the first Hamon as you affirme but of the second whom you haue casscered out of this discent And whereas in the title of Leedes castle you say that the last Robert Creuecueur dying without issue gaue his patrimonie to K. Edward the first Before I answer there unto I first demaund of you how that may be When your selfe in the title of Folkstone haue set downe the said Roberts sister to carie Folkestone by her marriage to Iohn of Sandwich which was a part of the said Roberts patrimony And for direct proofe that the said Robert did not giue his patrimony to king Edward the first as you haue said it appeareth by an inquisition taken after the death of the saide Robert in the thirtieth yeare of King Edward the first that his foresaide foure sisters were his heires and that Eleonore the eldest had for her part of her brothers inheritance the Mannor of Estwell in Kent and Agnes the second sister had Folkestone the other two had other landes that descended to the said Robert from his auncestors which I take to be his patrimonie HVbert de Burgo was made Earle of Kent by king Henry the third and died without issue Pag. 262. IF this be true that Hubert de Burgo
mooue you to the sight of it And because that it may be more permanent and farther knowne then to haue it engraued in Siluer or Brasse I entende by the leaue of God within the space of xij moneths folowing such a description to make of your Realme in writing that it shall be no masterie after for the Grauer or Painter to make the like by a perfect example Yea and to wade further in this matter where as now almost no man can well gesse at the shaddow of the auncient names of Hauens Riuers Promontories Hilles Woodes Cities Townes Castles and varietie of kindes of people that Cesar Liui Strabo Diodorus Fabius Pictor Pomponius Mela Plinius Cornelius Tacitus Ptolomeus Sextus Rufus Ammianus Marcellinus Solinus Antoninus and diuers other make mention of I trust so to open this window that the light shal be seene so long that is to say by the space of a whole thousand yeeres stopped vp and the old glory of your renowned Britaine to reflorish through the worlde This done I haue matter at plentie alreadie prepared to this purpose that is to say to write an Historie to the which I intende to adscribe this title De Antiquitate Britannica or els Ciuilis historia And this worke I intende to deuide into so many Bookes as there be Shires in England and Shires and great dominions in Wales So that I esteeme that this Volume will include a fiftie Bookes whereof each one seuerally shall containe the beginninges encreases and memorable actes of the chiefe Townes and Castles of the Prouince allotted to it Then I intende to distribute into sixe Bookes such matter as I haue already collected concerning the Isles adiacent to your noble Realme and vnder your subiection Whereof three shall be of these Isles Uecta Mona and Menauia sometime Kingdomes And to superadde a worke as an ornament and a right comely garlande to the enterprises aforesayd I haue selected stuffe to be destributed into three Bookes the which I purpose thus to entitle De nobilitate Britannica Whereof the first shall declare the names of Kinges and Queenes with their chyldren Dukes Earles Lordes Captaines and Rulers in this Realme to the comming of the Saxons and their conquest The seconde shal be of the Saxons and Danes to the victorie of King William the great The thirde from the Normannes to the reigne of your most noble Grace descending lyneally of the Brytaine Saxon and Norman kinges So that all Noble men shall cleerely perceiue their lyniall parentell Now if it shall be the pleasure of Almightie God that I may lyue to performe these thinges that be alreadie begun and in a great forwardnesse I trust that this your Realme shall so well be knowne once paynted with his natiue colours that the renowne thereof shall giue place to the glory of no other Region And my great labours and costes proceeding from the most abundant fountaine of your infinite goodnesse towardes me your poore Scholar and most humble Seruant shall be euidently seene to haue not onely pleased but also profited the studious gentile and equall Reeders This is the briefe declaration of my laborious iourney taken by motion of your Highnesse so much studying at all houres about the fruitefull preferment of good letters and auncient vertues Christ continue your most royall estate and the prosperitie with succession in kingly dignitie of your deere and worthyly beloued Sonne Prince Edward graunting you a number of princely Sonnes by the most gracious benigne and modest Lady your Queene Catherine Ioannes Leylandus Antiquarius Leylands supposed Ghost AM I deceau'd or doth not Leylands ghost Complayne of wrong sustayned after death As Virgils Polidore accusd his host The Thracian King for cruel breach of fayth And treasurs gaynd by stoppinge of his breath Ah greedie Gardian that t'inioye his goods Didst plundge thy princelie Ward into the floods Am I deceau'd or doth not Leylands spirit Complaine with ghostes of English Notaries Whom Polidor Virgil robd of merit Bereft of name and sackt of Histories While wretch he rauisht English Libraries Ah wicked Booke-theefe whosoeuer did it Should one burne all to get one single credit Am I decau'd or doth not Leylands spirit Make hue and crye for some Booke-treasure stelth Riffling his workes and razing name and merit Whereby are smothered a prince-giuen wealth A learned wryters trauayle witts and health All these he spent to doe his cuntrie pleasure Oh saue his name the world may know this treasure I am deceau'd for Leylands ghost doth rest From plaints and cryes with soules of blessed men But Heauen and humane Lawes cannot disgest That such rare fruicts of his laboriouse penn Came to be drownd in such a thankles Denn And therefore heauen and all humanitie doth sue That Leyland dead may haue his titles due Tutburie Chartley. Reignald earle of Cornewall Earles of Wiltshire Totnes Torbay Haccombe Exceter Wiscombe Earles of Deuon Stoke-Curcy Bridgewater Hungerford Earles of Bathe Lo. Berkley Earles of Salisburie Earles of Winchester Lanheron Wallingford Hungerford Widehay Barons of Windsore Earles of Surrey Thomas Beauford Barons Botreaux Pemsey castle Earles of Sussex Tunbridge Leeds castle Folkestone Earles of Kent Fitz-Herbert Barons of Wintenborne Barons de Chandos Earles of Glocester Earles of Hertford Haresfield Dunmow Earles of Clare Walden Earles of Essex Earles of Suffolke I. Hayward saith M. De-la-poole was a marchants son of London Hengham Norwich Wormegay Earles of Norfolke Earles of Cambridge Earles of Huntingdon Ashbye de-la-zouch Earles of Warwicke Earles of Leicester Hinckley Pontfret Alencester Barons Burnell Harewood Castell Barons of Fokingham Earles of Lyncolne Lordes of Couentrie Lordes of the Isle of Wight Skelton Castell Danby The Barons of Burford Earles of Worcester Lordes of Gillesland Studium antiquitatis in principe Cura religionis in principe Exemplaria veterum authorum conseruata Auctae Bibliothecae palatinae Stylus agrestis veterum scriptorum Exemplaria praelis cōmissa Antiphilarchia repellens ambitiosum Ro. Epi. Imperiu Albertus Pighius Affectus autoris erga patriā Libri quatuor de viris illustribus siue de scriptoribus Britannicis Principes eruditi Ingenia scriptorum Britannicorum omni genere eruditionis exercitata Ingens numerus scriptorum rerum Britannicarum Perogralio laboriosa totius Britanniae primae Descriptio totius Britanniae primae in quadrata argenti tabula Liber de Topographia Britanniae primae Restituta vētera locorum in Britannia nomina De Antiquitate Britannica siue de Ciuili historia libri quinquaginta Libri sex de insulis Britanniae adiacentibus De nobilitate Britannica libri tres Conclusio a delectabili vtili Iohn Bale Blessed be that man which shall set this worthy worke abrode And cōtrariwise Cursed be he for euer and euer that shall in spite of his nation seeke thereof the destruction