amiddest the ennemies And God bee thanked I have sufficient revenews left by my Aâ—ncestours to maintaine me in your service Whereupon the Prince praising his prudence and liberalitie confirmed his gift made to his Esquiers and assigned him moreover sixe hundred markes of like land in England â—rossard William Wickham after Bishoppe of Winchester came into the service and also into the great favour of King Edward the third by beeing overseer of his great woorke at Windesor wheras before he served as a poore parish priest Wherfore he caused to be written in one of his windows This worke made Wickham Which being tolde vnto the King hee was offended with Wickham as though hee had gone about to robbe him of the glorie of that magnificent worke But when Wickham tolde him that his meaning was that that worke had beene his making and advauncement the King rested content and satisfied Vita Wiccami When the saide William Wickham as it is commonlie saide sued vnto Edward the third for the Bishoppricke of Winchester the King tolde him that hee was vnmeete for it because he was vnlearned but hee saide In recompence thereof I will make many learned men The which hee performed indeed For he founded New Colledge in Oxford and another in Winchester which houses have affoorded verie many learned men both to the Church and to the Common-wealth When Henry of Lancaster surnamed the Good Earle of Darby had taken 1341. Bigerac in Gascoigne hee gave and graunted to every souldier the house which every one should first seaze vpon with all therein A certaine souldier of his brâ—ke into a Mint-maisters house where hee found so great a masse of money that hee amazed therewith as a prey greater than his desert or desire signified the same vnto the Earle who with a liberall minde aunswered It is not for my state to play boyes play to give and take Take thou the money if it were thrice as much Walsingham When newes was bâ—ought vnto king Richard the second that his vnkles of Yorke and Gloucester the Earles of Arundell Warwicke Darby and Nottingham with other of that faction who sought to reforme the misorders of the King or rather of his wicked Counsellors were assembled in a woodde neere vnto the Court after hee had asked other mens opinions what was to be done in so weightie and doubtfull a case At length hee mernly demaunded of one sir Hugh a Linne who had beene a good militarie man in his dayes but was then somewhat distraught of his wittes what he would advise him to doe Issue out quoth sir Hugh and let vs set vppon them and stay them every mothers sonne and by Gods eyes when thou hast so done thou hast killed all the faithfull friendes that thou hast in England Anonymus KIng Henry the fourth a wise Prince who full well knew the humour of the English in his admonition to his sonne at his death saide Of Englishmen so long as they have wealth and riches so long sâ—alt thou have obeysance but when they be poore then they be alwayes ready to make insurrections at every motion Hall King Henry the fourth during his sickenes caused his Crowne to be set on his pillow at his beds head and sodainâ—ly his pangue so sore troubled him that hee lay as though his vitall spirites had beene from him departed Such chamberlaines as had the care and charge of his bodie thinking him to be dead covered his face with a linnen cloth The Prince his sonne being thereof advertised entred into the chamber and tooke away the Crowne and departed The father being sodainely revived out of his traunce quickely perceived that his Crowne was taken away and vnderstanding that the Prince his sonne had it caused him to repaire to his presence requiring of him for what cause he had so mis-used himselfe The Prince with a good audacitie answered Sir to mine and all men iudgements you seemed dead in this world wherefore I as your next and apparant heire tooke that as mine owne not as yours Well faire sonne saide the King with a great sigh what right I had to it and how I enioyed it God knoweth Well quoth the Prince if you die King I will have the garland and trust to keepe it with the Sworde against all mine enemies as you have done Hall KIng Henry the fift when he prepared warres against Fraunce the Dolphin of Fraunce sent him a present of Paris Balles in derision but hee returned for answere That he would shortly resend him London Balles which should shake Paris Walles Anonymus Angticè When King Henry the fift had given that famous overthrowe vnto the French at Agincourt hee fell downe vppon his knees and commaunded his whole armie to doe the same saying that verse in the Psalme Non nobis Domine non nobis sed nomini tuo da gloriam Not vnto vs O Lord not vs but vnto thy name give the glorie HEnry the sixt did take all iniuries whereof he received plenty so patiently that he not only did not seek to revenge them but Gave God thankes that hee did send them to punish his sinnes in this life that hee might escape punishment in the life to come Vita Henrici Sexti As the Emperor Fredericke the third when he heard of the death of a great noble man of Austria who lived ninety three yeeres most wickedly in fleshly pleasures and yet never once afflicted with griefe or sickenes saide This proâ—veth that which Divines teach that after death there is some place where wee receive rewarde or punishment when wee see often in this worlde neyther the iust rewarded nor the wicked punished The same King Henry having in Christmasse a shew of yoong women with their bare breasts layde out presented before him hee immediately departed with these wordes Fie fie for shame forsooth you be too blame Idem He receiving on a time a great blowe by a wicked man which compassed his death hee onely sayde Forsooth forsooth yee doe fowly to smite a King annoynted Not long before his death being demaunded why hee had so long held the Crowne of England vniustly hee replied My father was King of England quietly enioying the Crowne all his raigne and his father my grandfire was also king of England and I even a childe in cradle was proclaimed and crowned King without any interruption and so held it fortie yeeres wel-neere all the states doing homage vnto mee as to my Auncestors Therefore wiâ—â— I say with King David My lot is fallen in a faire ground I have a goodly heritage my helpe is from the Lord which saveth the vpright in heart Idem Thomas Montacute â—arle of Sarisbury when hee besieged Orleans and had so enforced it that the Inhabitants were willing to articulate and to yeelde themselves to the Duke of Burgundie then being in his company he highly disdaining it saide in the English proverbe I wil not beate the bush and another shal have the birdes Which proverbiall speech so offended the
Burgundian that it wholy alienated his minde from the English to their great losse in all the French warres following Paulus Aemilius Lib. 10. Iohn Lorde Talbot first Earle of Shrewsbury of that familie supprised vppon the sodaine by the French army at Chastilion farre from cowardly fâ—are of death and fatherly affected to his sonne the Lorde â—isle who woulde not forsake him in that danger advised him to fâ—le saying My death in respect of my former exploites can not be but honourable and in respect of thy youth neither can it be honourable for thee to die nor dishonourable to fâ—ie But this yong Lord in height of courage nothing degenerating from so worthy a father lost his life with his father in the field and with them a base sonne and a sonne in lawe of the sayde Earles Paulus Aemilius Lib. 10. Commentarij Pij PP 2. Lib. 6. After this battell when the flames of inward warre beganne to flash out in England the martiall men of England were called home out of Fraunce to maintaine the factions heere at which time a French Captaine scoffingly asked an English-man when they woulde returne againe into Fraunce He answered feelingly and vpon a true ground When your sinnes shal be greater and more grievous in the sight of God than ours are now ¶ Vntill this time from the beginning of King Edward the first which was about an hundred and sixtie yeeres whosoever will with a marking eie consider the comportment of the English Nation the concurrent of martiall men their Councells military discipline designs actions and exploites not onely out of our owne Writers but also forraine Historians cannot but acknowledge that they were men of especiall worth and their prowesse both great and glorious Why afterward it should decay as all other professions which even like plants have their times of beginning or in-rooting their growing vp their flourishing their maturitie and than these fading were a disquisition for the learned Whether it proceedeth from celestiall influence or those Angelles which Plato makes or the Secundei which Trithâ—â—â—ius imagined to have the regiment of the world successively or from the degenerating of numbers into summes which I confesse I vnderstand not being an ignorant in abstruse learning Onely I have read in Paterculus that when either envie or admiration hath given mâ—n an edge to ascend to the highest and when they can ascend no higher after a while they must naturally descend Yet I relie vpon that of Eccclesiastes as I vnderstand it Cuncta fecit bona in tempore suâ— Deus mundum tradidit disputationi eorum vt non inveniat home quod operatus est Deus ab initio vsque ad finem But pardon mee I cannot tell how I have beene by admiration of our Progenitours diverted from my purpose In the yeere of our Lord 1416. when a fifteene hundred English vnder the coÌ„duct of I Beaufort erle of Derset were encompassed betweene the sea and fifteen thousand French The Erle of Arminac generall of the French sent to the Earle advising him to yeelde himselfe but hee answered It is not the manner of the English to yeelde without blowes neither am I so heartlesse that I will deliver my selfe into their handes whom God â—ay deliver into mine And accordingly God gave him the honour of the day to the great confusion of the enemy Walsingham in Ypodigmate VVHen Elizabeth the widow of sir Iohn Gray was a suter vnto King Edward the fourth against whome her husband lost his life for her ioynture the kinde King became also a suter to her vnto her for a nights lodging But she wisely answered him when hee became importunate That as she did account her selfe too base to be his wife so shee did thinke her selfe too good to be his 〈◊〉 When love grew so hote in this K. Edward the fourth that hee would needes marry the saide Elizabeth widow of sir Iohn Grey to the great discontent of his Counsell but especially of his mother who alleaging many reasons to the contrary saide That onely widowhood might be sufficient to restraine him for that it was high disparagement to a King to be dishonoured with bigamy in his first marriage The King merrily aunswered In that shee is a widdow and hath already children by Gods blessed Lady I am a batcheller and have some too and so each of vs hath a proofe that neither of vs are like to be barren And therefore Madam I pray you be content I trust in God she shal bring you forth a yong Prince that shall please you And as for the bigamy let the Bishop hardly lay it in my way when I come to take Orders for I vnderstand it is forbidden to a Priest but I never wist it yet that it was forbidden to a Prince His note love neverthelesse was partable among three other of his Mistresses of whome hee was woont to say The one was the fairest the other the merriest and the third the holiest for she had wholy devoted her selfe to his bedde and her beades When Lewes the eleaventh French King entertained diverse Councellors of king Edward the fourth with large pensions to steede him in England hee sent Peter Cleret one of the maisters of his housholde vnto the Lorde Hastings the Kings Chamberlaine to present him with twoo thousand crownes Which when he had received Petre Cleret did pray him that for his discharge he would make him an acquittance The Lorde Chamberlaine made a great difficultie thereat Then Cleret dooth request him againe that hee would give vnto him onely a letter of three lines for his discharge to the King signifying that hee had received them The Lord Chamberlaine answered Sir that which you say is very reasonable but the gift comes from the goodwill of the King your Maister and not at my request at all If it please you that I shall have it you shall put it within the pocket of my sleeve and you shall have no other acquittance of me For I will never it shal be saide for mee that the Lorde Chamberlaine of the King of England had beene Pentioner to the King of Fraunce Nor that my acquittances shal be found in the Chamber of accompts in Fraunce The aforesâ—id Cleret went away male-content but left his money with him and came to tell his message to his King who was very angry with him But thenceforth the Lord Chamberlaine of England was more esteemed with the French and alwayes payde without acquittance Philippe de Commines KIng Richard the third whose monstrous birth foreshewed his monstrous proceedings for he was born with all his teeth and haire to his shoulders albeit hee lived wickedly yet made good Lawes and when diverse shires of England offered him a benevolence hee refused it saying I know not in what sence I haa rather have your hearts than your money Ioannes Rossus Warwiceusis Iohn Morton then Bishoppe of Elie but afterward of Canterbury being solicited by the Duke of Buckingham then
shee looke heere is one steppe to heaven-ward shewing him a Friers girdle I feare mee quoth sir Thomas Moore this one steppe will not bring you vppe a steppe higher One day when shee came from shrift shee saide merrily vnto him Be merry sir Thomas for this day was I well shriven I thanke God and purpose now therefore to leave off all my olde shrewdnesse Yea quoth hee and to beginne afresh When he was sent prisoner vnto the Tower and the Lievtenant his olde friend received him with a heavy cheere hee sayde Is this the entertainement and good countenance you give your guests when they come to you Why looke man heere are twenty angell nobles shewing him his purse and when this is spent turne me out at doores as a bare gamester and not able to pay for that he takes Hitherto may bee referred his silent answere when at his entring into the Tower one of the Officers claimed for a fee his vpper garment meaning his gowne or his cloke he offred him his cappe Being asked after his condemnation and before his execution whether hee had changed his minde hee saide Yea for I thought to have beene shaven but now seeing I shall die so shortly I will let my beard growe His daughter Roper one day as shee repaired vnto him into the Tower counselled him to recover the Kings favour and his owne former libertie by doing I know not what the which shee saide one of the greatest States of this Realme and a man learned too and his tender friend saide he might doe without scruple of conscience as most of the Nobilitie of the Realme hadde doone not once sticking thereat save onely himselfe and one other man This speach of her hee aunswered with a pleasaunt tale At a Bartholomew faire at London there was an Escheater of the same city that had arrested a Clothier that was outlawed and had seized his goodes which he had brought into the faire tolling him out of the faire by a traine The man that was arrested was a Northerne man which by his friendes made the Escheator to be arrested within the faire vppon an Action I not neere what and called a Court of Pipowders Now â—ad the Clothier by friendship of the Officers found the meanes to have all the Quest almost made of the Northerne men such as had their Boothes standing in the faire who were no sooner departed from the barre and come into the house but the Northerne men were agreed and in effect all the other to cast our London Escheater They thought they needed no were to proove that hee did wrong than even the name of his bare office alone But then was there amongest them as the Divell woulde an honest man of another quarter called Company And the fellow seemed but a seely soule and sate still and sayde nothing they made noreckoning of him but saide We be agreed now come let vs goe and give vp our verdict Then when the poore fellow sawe that they made such hasle and his minde nothing gave him that way that theirs did if that their â—â—ndes gave them that way they saide hee prayed them to tarry and talke vpon the matter and tell such reason therein that â—ee might thinke as they did and when they should so doe be would be glad to say with them or else hee saide they must pardon him For sith â—ee had a soule of his owne to keepe as they had be must say as he thought for his soule as they must for theirs When they heard this they were halfe angry with him What good fellow quoth one of the Northerne men whare wannes thou Be not we eleaven heere and thou but one all alone and al we agreed whereto shouldst thou sticke Whates thy name gud fellow Maisters quoth he my name is called Company Company quoth they now by my troth good felow play then the gud companion come thereon foorth with vs and passe even for gude company Would God good maisters quoth the man againe that there lay no more weight thereon But now when we shall hence and come before God and that hee shall send you vnto heaven for doing according vnto your conscience and me to the divell for doing against mine al passing at your request heere for good company now By God Maister Dickenson that was one of the Northerne mens names If I then shall say vnto you al againe Maisters I went once with you for good company which is the cause that I goe now to hell play you the good felowes now againe with mee as I went then for good company with you so some of you go now for good company with me would you goe maister Dickenson Nay nay by our Lady nor never a one of you all And therefore must you pardon me for passing as you passe for the passage of my poore soule passeth all good company In the like sence he vsed often to say That he would never pinne his soule at another mans backe not even the best man that he knew that day living for he knew not whither he might hap to carry it When one came to him to signifie that hee must prepare himselfe to die for hee coulde not live he called for his vrinall wherein when hee had made water hee cast it and viewed it as Physitions vse at last hee saide soberly That hee saw nothing in that water but that he might live if it pleased the King When he was in prison and his bookes and papers taken from him he did shutte his chamber windowes both day and night saying When the wares are gone and the tooles taken away we must shut vp shop When he went to death a certaine woman offered him a cuppe of wine which he refusing saide Good woman Christ in his passion drunke gall and no wine When he was to mount the scaffold hee saide to one of the Shiriffes men I pray thee helpe mee vp as for comming downe I take no care When the hangman according to his manner desired him to pardon him his death hee answered I doe forgive thee with al my heart but one thing I wil tel thee thou wâ—â—t never have honestie in cutting off my head my necke is so short NOw we have done with sir Thomas Moore his owne Apothegmes which have come to my handes I will transcribe out of his workes a few Tales or call them what you please A poore man found a priest over familiar with his wife and because he spake it abroad and could not prove it the priest sued him before the Bishops Officiall for defamation where the poore man in paine of cursing was commaunded that in his parish Church hee should vppon the Sonday at high Masse stand vp and say Mouth thou liest Whereuppon for fulfilling of his penaunce vp was the poore soule set in a pew that the people might wonder at him and heare what hee sayde and there all aloude when hee had rehearsed what hee had reported by the priest then hee sette
tenet mappam madidam mulum tenet Odo Epitaphes GReat hath bene the care of burial euen since the first times as you may see by the examples of Abraham Iacob Ioseph Iosua the old prophet in Bethel and Tobie and also by that in holy scriptures Mortuo ne deneges gratiam The Iews annoynted the dead bodies wrapped them in sindon layed them in couered sepulchers hewed out of stone The Aegyptians embalmed and filled them with odoriferous spices reseruing them in glasse or coffins the Assirians in wax and hony the Scythians caried about the cleansed carkases to the freinds of the deceased for 40. daies with solemne banquets And that we may not particulate the Romaines so far exceeded in funerall honors and ceremonyes with oyntments images bonfires of most precious woods sacrifices banquets burning their dead bodies vntill about the time of Theodosius that lawes were enacted to restraine the excesse Neither haue any neglected buriall but some sauage nations as Bactrians which cast the dead to their doggs some varlet Philosophers as Diogenes which desired to be deuoured of fishes some dissolute courtiers as Mecaenas who was wont to say Non tumulum curo sepelit natura relictos As an other said De terra in terram quaeuis terra sepulchrum Yea some of especiall note amongst vs neglecting the last duty eyther vpon a sparing or a precise humour are content to commit to the earth their parents wiues and the nearest vnto them in tenebris with little better than Sepultura asinorum As for those which philosophically dislike monuments and memorialls after their death and those that affect them I thinke as Plinie did speaking of Virginius and Apronius that both of them do ambitiously march with like paces toward glory but by diuerse wayes these openly in that they desire their due titles those other couertly in that they would seeme carlesly to contemne them But among all funerall honours Epitaphes haue alwaies bene most respectiue for in them loue was shewed to the deceased memory was continued to posterity friends were comforted and the reader put in mind of humane fraielty The inuention of them proceeded from the presage or forfeeling of immortality implanted in all men naturally and is referred to the schollers of Linus who first bewayled their maister when he was slaine in dolefull verses then called of him Aelinum afterward Epitaphia for that they were first song at Burialls after engraued vpon the sepulchers It were needlesse to set downe heere the lawes of Plato that an Epitaph should be comprised in foure verses or of the Lacedemonians who reserued this honor only to Martiall men and chast women or how the most ancient especially Greeke were written in Elegiac verse after in prose How monuments were erected most vsually along the high waye side to put passengers in minde that they are as those were mortall How such as violated sepulchres were punished with death banishment condemnation to the mines losse of members according to circumstance of fact aud person and how sacred they were accompted In which regard I cannot but giue you the words out of the Nouellae leges Valentiniani Augusti De Sepulchris titulo v. which are worth reading Scimus nec vana fides solutas membris animas habere sensum in originem suam spiritum redire caelestem Hoc libris veteris sapientiae hoc religionis quam veneramur colimus declaratur arcanis Et licaet occasus necessitatem mens diuina non sentiat amani tamen animae sedem corporum relictorum nescio qua sorte rationis occultae sepulchri honore laetantur cuius tanta permaneat cura temporibus vt videamus in hos vsus sumptu nimio praetiosa montium metalla transferri operosasque moles censu laborante componi Quod prudentium certè intelligentia recusaret si nihil crederet esse post mortem Nimis barbara est vesana crudelitas munus extremum luce carentibus inuidere dirutis per inexpiabile crimē sepulchris monstrare caelo corporum reliquias humatorum Against which I cannot without griefe remember how barbarously and vnchristianly some not long since haue offended yea some Mingendo in patrios cineres which yet we haue seene strangely reuenged I could here also call to your remembrance how the place of buriall was called by S. Paul Seminatio in the respect of the assured hope of resurrection of the Greekes Caemiterion as a sleeping place vntill the resurrection and of the Hebrews The house of the liuing in the same respect as the Germaines call Churchyardes vntill this day Gods aker or Gods field And in the like sence tombes were named Requietoria Ossuaria Cineraria Domus aeternae c. As you may see in ould inscriptions at Rome and elsewhere Which Lucian scoffingly termed Campes and Cottages of Carkases Notorious it is to all how the same Lucian bringeth in Diogenes laughing and outlaughing King Mausolus for that he was so pitifully pressed and chrushed with an huge heape of stones vnder his stately monument Mausoleum for the magnificence accompted among the worlds wonders But monuments answerable to mens worth states and places haue alwaies bene allowed yet stately sepulchers for base fellowes haue alwayes lyen open to bitter iests as that marble one of Licinus the barber which one by way of comparison thus derided with a doubt thereon whether God regarded men of worth Marmoreo Licinus tumulo iacet at Cato paruo Pompeius nullo Credimus esse Deos Whereunto another replied with an assurance that God doth regard worthy men Saxa premunt Licinum vehit altum fama Catonem Pompetum tituli Cedimus esse Deos. As for such as bury themselues liuing and say they liue to themselues when they liue neither to themselues nor to other but to their belly ease and pleasure wel worthy are they to haue while they liue that Epitaph which Seneca deuised for Vatia their fellow to be inscribed vpon his house Hic situs est Vatia and no memoriall at all when they are dead It is not impertinent to note in one worde as the auncient Romans beganne Epitaphes with D. M. for Dijs Manibus D. M. S. i. Dijs Manibus sacrum Hic situs est Hospes as speaking to the reader So we other Christians began them with Hic deponitur Hic iacet Hic requiescit Hic tumulatur in French Icy gist Here lieth and in latter time according to the doctrine of the time Ora pro. c. Of your charity c. And now after the auncient manner D. O. M. for Deo Optimo Maximo Posteritati Sacrum Memoriae Sacrum Deo Posteris Virtuti Honori Sacrum c. Likewise as our Epitaphes were concluded with On whose soule God haue mercy Cuius animae prepitietur Deus God send him a ioyfull resurrection c. So theirs with Hoc Monumentum posuit vel fecit in these letters M. P. M. F. in the behalfe of him that made the Monumente With
to stumble with one foot that he almost kissed the ground but with the other legge he recovered himselfe and saved the wine whereat his father Godwyn Earle of Kent who then dined with the King smiling saâ—d Now one brother did helpe another At this word although spoken proverbially the Kings blood beganne to rise thinking how shamefully they had murdered his brother Alfrede and angerly answered And so might my brother have beene a helpe to me if it had pleased you VitaS Edwards The same king Edward passing out of this life commended his wise to the Nobilitie and said That she had carried her selfe as his wife abroad but as his sister or daughter at home Afterward seeing such as were present weeping and lamenting for him he said If you loved me you would for beare weeping and reioyce because I go to my father with whom I shall receive the ioyes promised to the faithfull not through my merits but by the free mercy of my Saviour which sheweth mercy on whom he pleaseth Eilredus Rivallensis Sywarde the martiall Earle of Northumberland feeling in his sicknes that he drew towards his end arose out of his bed and put on hiâ— Armour saying That it became not a valiant man to die lying like a beast and so he gave vp the Ghost standing As valiantly both spoken and performed as it was by Vespasian When the said Siward vnderstood that his sonne whom he had sent in service against the Scottishmen was staine he demaunded whether his wound were in fore part or hinder paâ—t of his body when it was answered in the fore part he replied I am right glad neither wish any other death to me or mine Hen. Huntâ—ngdon In this age when a Bishop living loosely was charged that his conversation was not according to the Apostles lives he made a mocke at it and excusâ—d himselfe with this verse which was after taken vp for a common excuse in that behalfe Nunc aliud tempus aâ—â—j pro tempere mâ—res Anonymus When the fatall period of the Saxon Empire was now complete and battells were marshalled betweene William Duke of Normandy and Harold King of England Girthe Haroldes yonger brother not holding it best to hazard the kingdome of England at one cast signified to the King that the succâ—sse of warre was doubtfull that victory was swayed rather by fortune than by valour that advised delay was most important in Martiall affaires and if so bee brother said he You have plighted your faith to the Duke retyre your selfe for no force can serve against a mans owne conscience God will revenge the violation of an â—the You may reserve your selfe to give them a new encounter which will be more to their terrour As for me if you will commit the charge to me I will performe both the part of a kinde brother and a couragious Leader For being cleare in conscience I shall sell my life or discomfit your enemy with more felicitie But the King not liking his speech answered I will never turne my backe with dishonour to the Norman neither can I in any sort disgest the reproach of a base minde Wel then be it so said some discontented of the company let him beare the brunt that hath given the occasion Anonymus VVIlliam Conquerour when he invaded this Iland chanced at his arrivall to be graveled and one of his feete stacke so fast in the sand that he fell to the ground Wherewithall one of his attendants caught him by the arme and helped him vp saying Stand vp my â—iege Lord and be of good cheare for now you have taken fast footing in England and then espying that he brought vp sand and earth in his hand added Yea and you have taken livery and seisin of the Country For you know that in delivering of livery and seisin a peece of the earth is taken Hist Normanica A Wizard or a Wise-man as they then called them had fore-told William that he should safely arrive an England with his whole Armie without any impeachment of Harold the which after it came it passe the King sent for the Wizard to conferre further with him But when it was told him that he was drowned in that ship which onely of all the whole fleete miscarried The Conquerour said He would never make account of that science that profited more the ignorant then the skilfull therein for he could fore-see my good fortune but not his owne mishap Idem That morning that he was to ioyne battell with Harold his atmorer put on his backe-peece before and his breast-plate behinde the which being espied by some that stood by was taken on them for an ill token and therefore advised him not to fight that day to whom the Duke answered I force not of such fooleries but if I have any skill 〈◊〉 South-saying as in sooth I have none it doth prognosticate that I shall change copie from a Duke to a King Idem Magike in the time of Nerâ— was discovered to be but a vanitie in the declining state of the Roman Empire accounted by the Gentiles a verity in the time of Hildebrand if we beleeve Authors so approoved that it was commonly practised For as in the time of Valeâ—s divers curious men as hath beene said by the falling of a ring Magically prepared vpon the letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iudged that one Theodorus should succeede in the Empire when indeede Theodosius did So when Hildebrand was Pope by like curiosities it was found that Odo should succcede Wherevppon Odo Earle of Kent and Bishop of Bayeux brother to king William the Conquerour devoured the Papacy in hope sent mony his perswading messengers to Rome perchased a pallace there and prepared thitherward when king William for his presumption and other his misdemenours staied him and committed him saying Offensive foole-hardines must be timely restrained Liber Cadomensis When the same Odâ— who was both Bishop of Baiâ—ux in Normandy and Earle of Kent in former time had so disloyally carried himselfe against king William the Conquerour that he complained of him to his Lords Lanfranc Archbishop of Canterbury advised the King to commit him But what say youâ— quoth the King whenas he is a Clergyman You may not saide he commit the Bishop of Baieux but you may well 〈◊〉 the Earle of Kent W Malmsbur Like vnto this was that distinction of Piramus Secretary to Charles the fift in late yeares when Pope Iulius the second did combine with the French king against the Emperour of the Popes honesty and Iulius dishonesty This King William by reason of sickenes kept his chamber a long time whereat the French King scoffing saide The King of England heth long in childe-bed Which when it was reported vnto King William hee aunswered When I am churched there shal be a thousand lights in France alluding to the lights that women vsed to beare when they were churched and that hee performed within few dayes after wasting the French frontires with fire and sword The
same King at the time of his death saide I appoint 〈◊〉 successour in the kingdome of England but I commend it to the eternall God whose I am and in whose handes all thinges are happly remembring that of the Monke before specified pag. 5. This king perceiving his owne defects in some poynts for want of learning did exhort his children oftentimes to learning with this saying An vnlearned Prince is a crowned Asse Which speech tooke so great impression in his sonne Henry that hee obtained by studie and learning the surname of Beauclearke or fine Scholler Annales Ecclesia Cant. Malmesburiensiâ— VVilliam Rufus loved wel to keep vacant Bishopriks and Abbies in his handes saying Christes bread is sweet dainty and most delicate for Kings But although this King made most commonly as it were port-sale of the Spirituall livings yet when twoo Monkes were at drop-vied Bezantines the currant golde of that age before him for an Abbey hee espied a third Monke of their company standing in a corner whom the King asked what hee would give to be Abbot Not one farthing saide he for I renounced the world and riches that I might serve God more sincerely Then said the King thou arte most woorthy to be made Abbot and thou shalt have it Liber Cantuar. When newes were brought him that the French King had besieged the cittie of Constances in Normandy â—e posted with a few to the sea coast to take ship But because the winde blew very strong from South the sailers signified that it was very dangerous for him to take Sea but the King replied Hoise vp sailes in Gods name for I have not heard of a King drowned by tempest You shall see both winde and weather serviceable to vs. Answerable to that of Iulius Caesar which inforced a poore Pilote in the like case to launch foorth and in the rage of the storme comforted him with saying Caesarem Caesaris fortunam vebis And as couragiously as that of Charles the fift who in the battel of Tunis when he was advised by the Marquise of Guâ—sto to retire his person when the great ordonance began to play saide Marquesse thou never heardst that an Emperour was slaine with a great shot I will heere present you with an other speech or call it what you will of the same King William Rufus out of the good and historicall Poet Robert of Glocester that you may compare a Princes pride in that age with our private pride and that our first finest Poets may smile at the verses of that time as succeeding ages after some hundred yeeres will happly smile at theirs As his Chamberlaine him brought as he rose on a day A morrow for to weare a paire of hose of Say He asked what they costned three shillings he seid Fie a dibles quoth the King who sey so vile a deede King to weare so vile a cloth but it costned more Buy a paire for a marke or thou shalt ha cory fâ—re A worse paire enough the other swith him brought And said they costned a marke vnneth he them so boght Aye bel-amy quoth the King these were well bought In this manner serve me other ne serve me not Hitherto also may be referred that of this king William who the morning before hee was slaine with an arrow in hunting tolde his company he dreamed the last night before that an extreame cold winde passed throgh his sides whereupon some disswaded him to hunt that day but hee resolved to the contrary answering They are no good Christians that regard dreames But he found the dreame too true being shot through the side by Walter Tirell Tragmentum antiquae historiae Franc. à P. Pâ—thâ—â— aditum OF Henry the first I have read no memorable speach but what I have read I will report He was by common voice of the people commended for his wisedome eloquence and victories dispraised for covetousnes cruelty and lechery Of which hee left proofe by his sixteene bastards But it seemeth that his iustice was deemed by the common people to be crueltie for the learned of that age surnamed him the Lion of Iustice Huntingd. Polycraticon Gemeticensis It was the custome of the Court in the time of King Henry the first that bookes billes and letters shoulde be drawne and signed for servitors in the Court concerning their owne matters without fee. But at this time Turstane the kings steward or Le Despencer as they then called him from whom the family of the L. Spencers came exhibited to the king a complaint against Adam of Yarmouth clarke of the Signet for that he refused to signe without fee a bill passed for him The king first heard Turstane commending the olde custome at large and charging the Clarke for exacting somewhat contrary thereunto for passing his booke Then the Clarke was heard who briefly saide I received the Booke and sent vnto your steward desiring him only to bestow of me two spice cakes made for your owne mouth who returned answer He would not and thereupon I denied to seale his Booke The King greatly disliked the steward for returning that negative and forthwith made Adam sit downe vppon the bench with the seale and Turstanes Booke before him but compelled the steward to put off his cloake to fetch two of the best spice cakes for the kings owne mouth to bring them in a faire white napkin and wiâ—h lowe curtsie to present them to Adam thâ— Câ—arke which being accordingly performed the Kiâ—g commaâ—ded Adam to seale and delive him his Booke and made them sâ—endes addâ—ng this speech Officers of the Court must gratifie anashew a cast of their office not onely one to another but also to all strangers whensoever neede shall require â—ualterus Mapes De nugis Curialium There was allowed a pottle of wine for livery everie night to be served vp to king Henry the first chamber but because the king did seldome or never vse to drinke in the night Paine Fitz-Iohn his Chamberlaine and the Pages of the Chamber did carowse the wine among them On a time it happened the King at midnight called for wine but none was to be found Paine and the Pages bestured themâ—elves in vaine seeking wine heere â—nd there Paine was called in to the King who asked him if there were not allowance for livery hee humbly answered that there was a pottle allowed everie night but for that hee never called for it to say the trueth in hope of pardon wee drunke it vp amongst vâ— Then quoth the King have you but one pottle every night that is too shorte for mee and you from hencefoorth there shall be a whole gallon allowed whereof the one pottle shall be for mee the other for you and yours This I note not for anie graviâ—e but that the King in that age was commended herein both for bountie and clemencie Cualterus Mapes Queene Mawd wife to King Henry the first of England and daughter to Malcolme Canmore King of Scotland was so devoutly religious