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A16282 The manners, lauues, and customes of all nations collected out of the best vvriters by Ioannes Boemus ... ; with many other things of the same argument, gathered out of the historie of Nicholas Damascen ; the like also out of the history of America, or Brasill, written by Iohn Lerius ; the faith, religion and manners of the Aethiopians, and the deploration of the people of Lappia, compiled by Damianus a ̀Goes ; with a short discourse of the Aethiopians, taken out of Ioseph Scaliger his seuenth booke de emendatione temporum ; written in Latin, and now newly translated into English, by Ed. Aston.; Omnium gentium mores, leges, et ritus. English. 1611 Boemus, Joannes, ca. 1485-1535.; Góis, Damião de, 1502-1574.; Nicolaus, of Damascus.; Léry, Jean de, 1534-1611. Histoire d'un voyage fait en la terre du Brésil.; Scaliger, Joseph Juste, 1540-1609. De emendatione temporum.; Aston, Edward, b. 1573 or 4. 1611 (1611) STC 3198.5; ESTC S102777 343,933 572

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my owne part hath hitherto best contented my selfe and I trust hath beene most acceptable to God From the which if either ambition of high estate offered to mee in marriage by the pleasure and appointment of my Prince whereof I haue some records in this presence as you our Treasurer well knew or if the eschewing the danger of mine enemies or the avoyding of the perrill of death whose messinger or rather a continuall watch-man the Princes indignation was no little time daily before mine eyes by whose meanes although I know or iustly may suspect yet I will not now vtter or if the whole cause were in my sister her selfe I will not now burthen her therewith because I will not charge the dead if any of these I say could haue drawne or diswaded mee from this kinde of life I had not now remained in this estate wherein you see mee but so constant haue I alwaies continued in this determination although my youth and wordes may seeme to some hardly to agree together yet is it most certaine and true that at this day I doe stand free from any other meaning that either I haue had in times past or haue at this present with which trade of life I am so throughly acquainted that I trust in God who hath hitherto therein preserued and led mee by the hand will not of his goodnesse suffer mee to goe alone For the other part the manner of your petition I doe well like and take it in verie good part because that it is simple and contayneth no lymitation of place or person if it had beene otherwise I must needs haue misliked it verie much and thought it in you a verie great presumption beeing vnfitting and altogither vnmeete for you to require them that may commaunde or those to appoint whose partes are to desire or such to binde and limit whose duties are to obey or to take vpon you to drawe my loue to your likings or to frame my will to your fantasie For a guerdon constrained and a guift freely giuen can neuer agree together Neuerthelesse if any one of you bee in suspect that whensoeuer it may please God to incline my heart to another kinde of life you may well assure your selues my meaning or resolution is not to doe or determine any thing wherewith the Realme may or shall haue iust cause to bee discontented or complaine of imposed iniurie And therefore put that cleane out of your heads and remooue such doubtfull thoughts for I doe assure you what credit my assurance may haue with you I cannot tell but what credit it shall deserue to haue the sequell shall declare I will neuer in that matter conclude any thing that shal be preiudiciall to the Realme for the benefit weale good and safetie whereof I will neuer shunne to spend my life And whomsoeuer my chance shal be to light vpon I trust he shal be such as shal be as carefull for the Realme and you I will not say as my selfe because I cannot so certainelie determine of any other but at the leastwise by my good will and desire hee shal be such as shal be as carefull for the preseruation of the Realme and you as my selfe And albeit it might please Almightie GOD to continue mee still in this minde to liue out of the estate of marriage yet is it not to bee feared but hee will so worke in my heart and in your wisdomes as good prouision by his helpe may bee made in conuenient whereby the Realme shall not remaine and stand destitute of an heire to succeed mee that may bee a fit Gouernour and peraduenture more beneficiall to the Realme and generality then such off-spring as may come of mee For though I bee neuer so carefull of your well doings and minde euer so to bee yet may issue growe out of kinde and become perhaps vngratious And in the end this shal be for mee verie sufficient that a marble stone shall declare that a maiden Queene hauing raigned and ruled such a long time liued and died a virgine And heere I end and take your comming vnto mee in good part and giue vnto you all eft-somes my hearty thankes more yet for your zeale and good meaning then for your petition And thus farre Stowe THIS good Queene ELIZABETH was the last of the Royall issue of King Henry the eight shee died without any issue her selfe and left the Kingdome vnto Iames King of Scotland and next heire to the crowne of England King Iames the first of that name since the Conquest by the death of Queene Elizabeth vnited the two famous Kingdomes of England and Scotland which had beene long deuided the crowne of England rightfully and linially descending vnto him from Margueret eldest daughter to Henry the seuenth and Elizabeth wife of the sayd Henry eldest daughter to Edward the fourth which Margueret was maried to Iames the fourth King of Scotland who had issue Iames the fifth father vnto Mary the last Queene of Scots who was mother vnto Iames the sixth King of Scotland and of great Britan France and Ireland the first To omit Ireland an Island vnder our Kings dominion the people wherof of late yeeres haue growne to more ciuility by conuersing with other nations and to speake something more in perticular of this Island as now it is wee may deuide the whole Island of Britanny into three partes that is to say England Wales and Scotland Scotland the North of this Island hauing for a long time beene a Kingdome of it selfe seuered and distinct from England is now by this happy vnion as I said before made one againe with England and both of them gouerned by one King and Monarch This Country in respect of England is very barren and mountanous and the Inhabitants especially the vulgar sort farre more rude and barbarous their language in effect is all one with the English the Northerne Scots excepted which speake and liue after the Irish fashion nor is their any difference in their religion but all causes and controuersies bee there determined by the ciuill law as in most other Countries for with our common lawes of England they are little acquainted Wales an other part of this Island and the proper habitation of the Britans expelled thither out of England by the Englishmen was gouerned by Princes of their owne bloud vntil the raigne of Henry the third who slue Lhewellen ap Griffith the last Prince of the British race vnited that Prouince vnto the Kingdome of England and forced the Inhabitants to sweare fealty and alleagiance vnto Edward of Carnaruan his eldest sonne whom hee made Prince of Wales After the decease of Edward the first this title of Prince of Wales lay dormant during all the raigne of Edward the Second and was againe reuiued by Edward the Third who created his sonne Edward surnamed the Blacke Prince Duke of Cornwall Earle of Chester and Prince of Wales and euer since hath this title beene duely conferred vnto the
entred into great part of the Atlantick shore wherein many townes citties and Islands were discouered and found forth in all which places by his meanes the faith of Christ was made knowne and Churches there erected especially in those Islands which before lay desart the principall whereof was the Iland of Wood commonly called Medeyra now a most famous and fruitfull Iland But in the end as there is no certaintie in mortal matters in the yeare of our Sauiour Christ one thousand foure hundred and three score this Henry was surprised by death and for that he was neuer married he had lest al which he had got by his voiages traueling by sea vnto the crown of Portugal as his proper inheritance which being giuen by his own hands continued vnto the time of Iohn the second of that name without enuy or emulation of other forraine kings or Princes In which Kings daies Columbus a Genoan borne a very skilfull Sayler being repulsed vnregarded and dismissed by the same King Iohn to whome he promised to discouer the West Indies by the ayde and furtherance of Ferdinand and Elizabeth King and Queene of Castile he most fortunately attempted the voyage and found out those large and ample prouinces to their great and vnspeakeable profit shewing also how they might come to them by shippes This Iohn oftentimes reuoluing in his minde the affaires of the East Indies of whose fruitfulnesse many and sundry things were deliuered by auncient writers Amongst his other great labours and costes whereof hee was no niggard hee determined to send certaine men skillfull in the Arabian tongue vnto those prouinces and especially vnto Prestor Iohn whereof two of them which hee sent were Alfonsus of Payua borne at the white Castell and another Iohn Peter of Couilham both Portingales These luckely began their iourney from Schalabiton the seauenth day of May in the yeare of our Sauiour Christ one thousand foure hundred foure-score and six and fayning them selues to be Marchants for their more quietter passage they iournyed first to Barchiona from thence to Naples and so to Rhodes then taking their iourney from Alexandria they arriued lastly at Cayre and their getting the company of some Marchants they tooke their iourny towards Thor where taking shipping they arriued neere a certayne citty called Cuaquen sytuated on the Aethiopian shore from thence they sayled towards Adenes where they agreed betwixt themselues that Alphonsus should returne againe into Aethiopia vnto Prestor Iohn and that Peter should go forward into India but Iohn hauing found out Calecut Goa and the whole shore of the Malabars sayled to Zofala and from thence againe to Adenes so went straight to Caire expecting to finde his companion there and that they might returne together into Portingale to their king for they appointed when they went from Adene to meete againe at a time limited at the same Cayre whither when he was returned he receyued letters from King Iohn out of Portugale by the hands of two Iewes whereof one was called Rabbi Abraham a Biensian and the other Ioseph a Lamacensian by which letters he was certified that his fellow Alfonsus was there dead and whereby hee was also commanded not to returne into his country before hee had vewed Ormuzia and saluted Prestor Iohn of whose state the king did greatly desire to be certified Wherefore Iohn Peter not knowing what his companion Alphonsus had done in his life time went backe againe to Adenes accompanied with the same Rabbi Abraham and sent Ioseph backe againe to the King with letters signifiing his trauels and what he had done so taking water sayled from Adenes to Oromuzia where leauing Abraham the Iew and dispatching him with more letters to the King he determined to saile towards Mecha which when hee had deseryed he ernestly desired to see mount Synai from thence hee departed to Thor and againe taking shipping and passing ouer the straights of the Erythrean sea hee came to Zeila and from thence went all the rest of the way on foote vnto the court of Prestor Iohn who was then called Alexander of whome beeing very curteously receiued hee deliuered vnto him the letters which hee had from King Iohn offerring into his hands also the Topography or Mappe wherein he might see all our voyage This Alexander determining to send him backe to his King was preuented by death that hee could not doe it who being dead his brother surnamed Nau succeeded him in his place of whome this Iohn Peter could neuer obtaine licence to depart into his country and Nau dying likewise his liberty to depart was in like manner denied him by Dauid the Sonne of Nau and next heire to his Kingdome but seeing hee could by no meaues haue leaue to depart from that prouince and to mitigate and asswage the exceeding desire he had to returne home the King bestowed vpon him most ample and large gifts and then he tooke to his wife a noble woman of whome hee begot many children This man our Embassadors found out in the court of Prestor Iohn and had conferrence with him from whence when they departed in the yeare of our Lord one thousand fiue hundred twenty and sixe they were very desirous to take him with them into their country and he himselfe was as willing to depart but they could neuer get leaue of king Dauid for hee euer answered to their desires that hee receiued that man of his father Nau when he receiued his Kingdomes and that hee would regard him with the like care and loue as he did his Kingdomes And that there was noe cause why it should bee irckesome to him to liue amongst the Aethiopians where both from his fathers liberality and his owne he had receiued great welth and riches This Iohn Peter as our Embassadors reported was skilfull almost in all languages for which cause and more especially for his wisdome which was very great was he so earnestly retayned of the Aethiopian Emperors from whome they exactly understood the estate of Portugall and their nauigations by the often recytall whereof as he was very learned and eloquent he purchased the loue and affections of the people of Aethiopia both to him-selfe and to vs all After Iohn the second King of Portugall was dead and Emanuell most happily succeeded him in his Kingdome he sent a nauy whereof Vascus a Gama was gouenor in the yeare of our redemtion one thousand foure hundred ninty and seauen for Aethiopia who disankerring at Vlysbone and recouering and escaping that dangerous poynt called caput bonaespei at last arriued in East India where by armes they reduced many prouinces and citties vnder our subiection and gouernment which newes being made knowne in Aethiopia by the borderers as also by some Portugalls which at that time came out of India to Prester Iohns Court Helena the grand-mother of David who by reason of Dauids non age had the administration and gouernment of his Kingdomes sent one Mathew Armenius a skilfull man and learned in
Parrots and Vnicornes and aboundeth with precious stones as Berrils Chrysophases Adamants Carbuncles Lychnites Pearles and Vnions There be two Sommers as it is said the winds be gentle and calme and the ayre temperate they haue plenty of ground and aboundance of water therefore some of them namely the Musicans liue till they be a hundred and thirty yeers of age the people called Seres be longer liued then they Al the Indians weare long lockes and colloured either blew or yellow Their trimming is for the most part with precious stones and they be not clothed al alike but some in wollen and some in linnen garments some goe altogither naked some couer onely their priuities and many of them haue for their apparel the barkes or rines of trees made flexible and bending towards their bodies Their bodies for the most part be blacke for by the disposition of the seed generatiue they be of such how in their mothers wombes as those be which begot them their seed of generation is black like the Aethiopians they be tall of stature and very hardy valerous they be very frugal thrifty in their liuing They be curious in their apparel as I haue said abstaine greatly from theft they vse no written lawes nor know any letters but administer al things by helpe of their memories and by reason of their simple and thristy manner of liuing all things succeed very prosperously with them They drinke no wine but in their sacrifices for their vsuall drinke is made of Ryce and Barley and their meate for the most part is thinne Rycepottage That there is great simplicity in their couenants and contracts may well be gathered by this that the people bee not litigious nor giuen to quarrelling for they haue no lawes to recouer a thing committed or left in an other mans keeping neither do they need witnesses or seales but credit one an other simply without intent of fraud or guile In so much as they will leaue their houses when they goe abroad with the doores open and no body in them All which be manifest signes that they be maruelous iust and continent no man there may bee admitted to liue alone to dine and sup when he pleaseth himselfe but they ought to eate and drinke all at one houre for such things they coniecture doe best dispose them to social ciuil conuersation They excercise their bodies by rubbing thē with combes made of sweet wood for the purpose addorne themselues with Ebon-wood In making their tombes and sepultures they bee very sparing and in their apparel maruellous costly and curious for besides gold precious stones very fine linnen cloth or cambricke wherewith they be arraied they carry about with them fans or shadowes to preserue their beauties from the sun For they are so desirous to seeme faire as they do al things that appertaine to the beautifying of their faces truth vertue are with them much esteemed and they yeeld no more honor to old men then to others vnlesse they excell others in wisdome They haue many wiues some wherof they buy of their parents for a yoke of oxen some they marry for obedience sake some for cause of procreation some for pleasure and voluptuousnesse and vnlesse their husbands inforce them to liue chast it is lawful for thē to play the harlots at their pleasure No Indian doth sacrifice or burn incence with a garland vpon his head neither do they cut the throats of the sacrifices but strangle thē to death that their offrings to their gods may be whole and not maimed he that is conuicted of false witnesse bearing hath the vtmost ioynts of his fingers cut off he which depriueth an other of any member is not only punished with losse of the like member but hath his hand cut off besides and to depriue an artificer of hand or eye is death the body of their King is committed to the keeping of hyreling women who only haue the custody and charge of him none else do euer come into his presence and if any of these women kil the King when he is drunke for her reward she shall marry his successor and their sons do euer succeed them in their Kingdomes It is not lawfull for the King to sleepe in the day-time and hee is constrained to change his lodging at certaine houres in the night for feare of treason If hee be not in campe he oftentimes goeth abroad and sitteth in Iudgement and heareth causes and if it be at such a time as his body is to be rubbed with a rubbing combe he hath three to rub his body and heareth causes all the while He issueth forth also sometimes to doe sacrifice and sometimes to hunt and then he is compassed about and inclosed with a great troupe of women after the manner of Bacchus his gard remaining without the Court gate and the way into the house is couered with cords and snares and if any one offend with any of the women which stay at home he shall die for it The King when hee hunteth hath going before him drums timbrils and little bels and when he hunteth in parkes and inclosed grounds he is assisted with two or three women armed and when in forests and open fields he shooteth from an Elephant some of the women ride in chariots some on horsebacke and some on Elephants in that maner they make wars also they be excercised in al kind of weapōs but therin they much differ from our women There be some writers that affirme that the Indians worship shewry Iupiter the riuer Ganges and the spirits of men deified and that when the King washeth or shaueth his beard they celebrate that time very solemnly and sending great gifts striue one to an other who shall shew the greatest pompe ioylity and magnificence The whole people of India were heretofore deuided into seuen orders the first whereof was the order of Philosophers who though they were fewest in number yet in honor and dignity with their Kings they excelled all others These Philosophers were freed from all labours they serued no man nor were serued of others and for that they were beloued of the gods they receiued of priuate men al things necessary for them to do sacrifice and to bury the dead bodies There were great Prophesiers and negromancers and therefore had many gifts and honors bestowed vpon them for that by their knowledge the Indians receiued great commodity for they would assemble themselues togither in the beginning of the yeere and then foretell of drought raine winds and diseases and other accidents the knowledge whereof was exceeding profitable vnto the people so as both the King people hearing what occurents were likely to happen that yeer might thereby the rather auoide future euils follow such courses as by probability might proue good and no other punishment was inflicted vpon any of those Philosophers that prophisied falsly but onely
by certaine women asfigned to that businesse he answereth in the middle of the people and all men to whom he speaketh ought to listen vnto him kneeling vpon their knees when how long soeuer his speech be and so diligently to attend his words as they misconster not his meaning in any point for it is not lawfull for any to alter the Emperours words nor in any sort to contradict or gaine-say the sentence hee pronounceth hee neuer drinketh in any publick assembly nor yet any other Tartarian Prince vnlesse some doe sing and play vnto him vppon a harpe before hee drinke and men of great worth when they ride are shadowed with a certaine fanne or curtaine fastned to a long speare and caried before them which custome is said to be vsed also by the women And these were the customes and maner of liuing of the people of Tartary about two hundred yeares sithence The Georgiani whom the Tartarians ouercame much about that time were worshippers of Christ obseruing the custome of the Greeke Church they dwelt neere vnto the Persians and their dominion extended a length wayes from Palestine to the Caspian hilles they had eighteene Bishopricks and one Catholicke or vniuersall Bishop who was insteed of a Patriarch at the first they were subiect to the Patriarch of Antioch the men be very warlike their Priests heads bee shauen round and the lay-men foure square some of their women were trained vp in the warres and serued on horseback The Georgians hauing disposed their armies and entering into the battell were wonte to carouse a gourd as bigge as ones fist filled full of the best wine and then to set vpon their enimies with greater courage The Cleargie bee much addicted to vsury and symonie there was mutuall and perpetuall enmity betwixt the Armenians and them The Armenians were Christians also vntill the Tartarians after they had subdued the Georgians ouer-came them likewise but they disagreed in many things from the faith and approoued fashion of the true Church they knew not the day of our Lords natiuitie for they obserued no feasts nor no vigils nor yet the foure Ember weekes they feasted not vpon Easter Eue alledging that Christ rose from the dead about the euening of that day they would eate flesh vpon euery Friday betwixt the feasts of Easter and Penticost yet they fasted much beginning their fast so strictly and precisely in Lent as they would neither vse oyle wine nor fish vpon Fridayes and Wednesdayes throughout the whole Lent holding it a greater sinne to drinke wine on those dayes then to lye with a strumpet in a brothell house Vpon Mondayes they abstained wholy from all meates vpon Tuesdayes and Thursdayes they did eate once and receiued no sustenance at all vpon Wednesdayes and Fridayes but vpon Saterdayes and Sundayes they would eate flesh and refresh themselues well They would not celebrate the office of the Masse throughout all Lent but vpon Saterdaies and Sundaies nor vpon Fridayes throughout the whole yeare for thereby as they were of opinion they brake and violated their fasts Infants moreouer of the age of two months and all others whatsoeuer were indifferently admitted to their communion and they put no water into the Sacrifice In the vse of Hares Beares Choughes and such other like creatures they imitated the Iewes as well as the Greekes they celebrated their Masses in glasse and wodden Chalices and some hauing no paraments nor Priest-like vestiments at all some of them also wore Miters belonging to Deacons or Subdeacons both Clergie and Lay-men allowed of vsury and Symony as well as the Georgians the Priests exercised themselues in Diuinations and Negromancie they vsed more drinking then lay men and all of them had or might haue wiues but after the death of one wife as well lay-men as the clergy men were prohibited to marry againe the Bishops gaue liberty to any to put away their wiues that were sound in adultery and to marry an other they beleeued not that there is a purgatory and obstinately denyed that there was two natures in Christ The Georgians report that they erred in thirty articles from the right path and diameter of Christian religion Of Turcia and of all the manners lawes and ordinances of the Turkes CHAP. 11. THat country which is now called Turcia or Turkie hath vpon the East the greater Armenia and extendeth to the Cilicke sea vpon the North it is bounded with the Euxine sea Aitonus calleth it Turquia it consisteth of many Prouinces as Lycaonia wherein Iconium is the chiefe towne Cappadocia where Cesaria is chiefe citty of the Prouince Isauria where Seleucia is head Licia now called Briquia Ionia now called Quiscum wherein standeth the citty of Ephesus Paphlagonia where Germanopolis and Lenech where Trapezus be chiefe cities All this vast country which is now called Turcia is not inhabited by one onely people but by Turkes Greekes Armenians Sarrasins Iacobitans Nestorians Iewes Christians all of them for the most part liuing after the lawes and institutions which that false Prophet Mahomet a Sarrasin ordained for the people of Arabia in the yeare of our Sauiour Christ 631. This Mahomet some say was an Arabian some a Persian but whether he was it is doubtfull but his father was certainly a worshipper of euill spirits his mother an Ismaelite and therfore not ignorant in the true law now whilst his father and mother instructed him in both their lawes they distracted the boy and made him doubtfull and wauering betwixt both so as being trained vp in both religions when hee grew of mans estate he followed neither of them but being a very crasty fellow of a subtill wit and long conuersant with Christians he framed and inuented out of both those lawes a religion most dangerous and pernicious to all mankinde First he affirmed that the Iewes did very ill in denying that Christ should be borne of a Virgin seeing that the Prophets men of wonderfull sanctity and integrity of life indued with the spirit of God did long before prophesie and soreshew that it should be so and that hee was to bee expected on the other side he condemned the Christians folly in beleeuing that Iesus the deerest friend of God borne of a Virgin would suffer reproches punishments of the Iewes Martinus Segonius Nouomontanus hath written thus of the Sepulcher of Christ our King and Lord. The Sarrasins and Turkes saith he by the ancient preaching of Mahomet laugh the Christians to scorne which attribute any honor to that Sepulcher affirming that the great Prophet Christ proceeded from the spirit of God that he was voide of all earthly blot or sinne and that hee he shall come to be iudge of all people but that they may approach vnto his true Sepulcher they vtterly deny because his glorious body conceiued by the diuine spirit was altogether impassible thus much hath Segonius written more to the same purpose which the Mahometans are wont to
and receiued it againe at his hands onely to appease the Pope being then his enemy To passe ouer the seuerall peoples that haue inhabited this Island and the times of their continuance as Britans Romans Danes and Saxons and to come to times more nere vnto vs for that my purpose is not to wade in vncertaine waters but briefly to touch the present state and condition of my country too sleightly slipt ouer by mine author William surnamed the Conqueror bastard sonne to Robert the sixth Duke of Normandy and cousin germaine vnto King Edward the Confessor by the mothers side pretending a title vnto this Kingdome by the guift of Edward his kinseman and also by a couenant confirmed by oth betwixt Harrold and him entred this land slue King Harrold in battaile and obtained the crowne by conquest vpon the fourteenth day of October 1066. Hee alterred the whole state of the country dispossessed the Inhabitants and distributed their lands by portions vnto his people that came in with him he raigned twenty yeeres eight monthes and sixteene daies and left the Kingdome to William his third sonne surnamed William Rufus who was flaine in hunting after hee had raigned twelue yeeres eleuen months and eighteene daies and hauing no issue left the gouernment to Henry his brother and youngest sonne to William the Conqueror Henry the first surnamed Henry Beuclarke raigned fiue and thirty yeeres foure months and eleuen daies and dying without issue male left the crowne vnto Stephen Earle Morton and of Bologne sonne to the Earle of Bloys and Adela William Conquerors daughter and nephew to King Henry the first Stephen raigned eighteene yeeres eleuen months and eighteene daies and Henry sonne to Maude the Empresse whose mother was Maude Queene of England wife to King Henry the first and daughter to Margaret Queene of Scots who was daughter to Edward the sonne of Edmund surnamed Ironsyde by which meanes the Saxon line was againe restored succeeded in his Kingdome Henry the second raigned foure and thirty yeeres nine months and two daies and then departing this life left the managing of the estate vnto his third sonne Richard surnamed Richard Ceur de Lyon Richard the first raigned nine yeeres nine months and two and twenty daies and dying without issue his brother Iohn disinheriting Arthur and Eleanor the right heires to the crowne as being the issue of Ieffrey Duke of Britan his elder brother who was fourth sonne to Henry the second and died before his father tooke vpon him the gouernment Iohn raigned seuenteene yeeres seuen monthes and Henry his eldest sonne raigned in his steed Henry the third raigned sixe and fiftie yeeres and one month and left his sonne Edward surnamed Long-shankes to rule after him Edward the first raigned foure and thirty yeeres eight monthes and nine daies and exchanging his Kingdome for the Kingdome of heauen left the crowne to his sonne Edward of Carnaruon so called because hee was borne there Edward the second raigned nineteene yeeres seuen months and sixe daies and beeing then deposed the gouernment was committed to Edward his sonne Edward the third raigned fifty yeeres foure monthes and seuen daies and left the Kingdome vnto Richard his grand-child the sonne of Edward the Black Prince who died before his father Richard the second was deposed when hee had raigned two and twenty yeeres foureteene weekes and two daies and Henry Plantagenet sonne to Iohn of Gante Duke of Lancaster fourth sonne to Edward the third got possession of the crown rather by force then by lawful succession Henry the fourth raigned thirteene yeeres six months and foure daies and his sonne Henry succeeded him in the Kingdome Henry the fifth whose valor France well knew raigned nine yeeres fiue months and foure and twenty daies and left the gouernment to his sonne Henry likewise Henry the sixth raigned eight and thirty yeeres sixe months and nineteene daies and Edward Earle of March eldest sonne to Richard Duke of Yorke clayming the crowne by liniall discent from Lionel Duke of Clarence third sonne to Edward the third and elder brother to Iohn of Gante Duke of Lancaster succeeded him in the gouernment Edward the fourth raigned two and twenty yeeres fiue weekes one day left the Kingdom to his son Edward Edward the fifth was murthered by Richard Duke of Glocester youngest sonne to Richard Duke of Yorke and youngest brother to Edward the fourth when hee had raigned onely ten weekes and foure daies Richard the third hauing butchered his Nephewes and vsurped the crowne of England was slaine by Henry the Seuenth when hee had raigned two yeeres two monthes and fiue daies and left the Crowne vnto the said Henry who was next heire from the house of Lancaster and married Elizabeth Daughter vnto Edward the Fourth next heire from the house of Yorke by which marriage hee revnited the two long deuided houses of Yorke and Lancaster Henry the Seuenth raigned three and twenty yeeres eight monthes and nineteene daies and left the Kingdome to Henry his Second sonne for his eldest sonne Arthur died before his father without issue Henry the Eight raigned seuen and thirty yeeres ten monthes and one day and left the charge of the gouernment to Edward his sonne Edward the Sixth raigned sixe yeeres fiue monthes and nineteene daies and Queene Mary his eldest sister succeeded him Queene Mary raigned fiue yeeres fiue monthes and two and twenty daies and her sister Queene Elizabeth raigned after her Queene Elizabeth raigned foure and forty yeeres foure monthes and foureteene daies Shee was the mirrour of the world for Gouernment and her sex considered beyond compare admirable religious prudent magnanimous mercifull beloued euill spoken of by none but onely the wicked neuer to bee remembred of any true hearted Englishman but which reioycing for her birth and sorrowing for her death Her Virgine life was such as that for politique respects beeing mooued to marry in the first yeere of her reigne her answere was that that estate liked her best wherein she then liued with all concluding for satisfaction to her subiects with a Deus Prouidebit God shall prouide an heire for this Kingdome which blessed bee God therefore our eyes haue after foure and forty yeeres of her gratious raigne now to our comfort seene But for your better satisfaction I will here set downe her words at large as they are penned by Maister Stow in his Annals of England AS I haue had good cause so doe I giue you all my hearty thankes for the good zeale and louing care you see me to haue as well towardes mee as the whole estate of your Country your petition I perceiue consisteth of three partes and mine answere to the same shall depend of two And to the first part I may say vnto you that from my yeeres of vnderstanding sith I first had consideration of my selfe to bee borne a seruitor of almighty God I happily chose this kinde of life in the which I yet liue which I assure you for