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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68197	The first and second volumes of Chronicles. [vol. 1] comprising 1 The description and historie of England, 2 The description and historie of Ireland, 3 The description and historie of Scotland: first collected and published by Raphaell Holinshed, William Harrison, and others: now newlie augmented and continued (with manifold matters of singular note and worthie memorie) to the yeare 1586. by Iohn Hooker aliàs Vowell Gent and others. With conuenient tables at the end of these volumes.; Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande. vol. 1	Holinshed, Raphael, d. 1580?; Stanyhurst, Richard, 1547-1618.; Fleming, Abraham, 1552?-1607.; Stow, John, 1525?-1605.; Thynne, Francis, 1545?-1608.; Hooker, John, 1526?-1601.; Harrison, William, 1534-1593.; Boece, Hector, 1465?-1536.; Giraldus, Cambrensis, 1146?-1223?	1587 (1587)	STC 13569_pt1; ESTC S122178	1,179,579	468

which the Romans had followed till they were throughlie wearied There were slaine of the Britains that day 10000 and of the Romans 340 among whom Aulus Atticus a capteine of one of the cohorts or bands of footmen was one who being mounted on horssebacke through his owne too much youthfull courage and fierce vnrulines of his horsse was caried into the middle throng of his enimies and there slaine The lamentable distresse and pitifull perplexitie of the Britains after their ouerthrow Domitian enuieth Agricola the glorie of his victories he is subtilie depriued of his deputiship and Cneus Trebellius surrogated in his roome The xviij Chapter THe night insuing the foresaid ouerthrow of the Britains was spent of the Romans in great ioy gladnes for the victorie atchiued But among the Britains there was nothing else heard but mourning and lamentation both of men and women that were mingled togither some busie to beare away the wounded to bind and dresse their hurts other calling for their sonnes kinsfolkes and friends that were wanting Manie of them forsooke their houses and in their desperate mood set them on fire and choosing foorth places for their better refuge and safegard foorthwith misliking of the same left them and sought others herewith diuerse of them tooke counsell togither what they were best to doo one while they were in hope an other while they fainted as people cast into vtter despaire the beholding of their wiues and children oftentimes mooued them to attempt some new enterprise for the preseruation of their countrie and liberties And certeine it is that some of them slue their wiues and children as mooued thereto with a certeine fond regard of pitie to rid them out of further miserie and danger of thraldome The next day the certeintie of the victorie more plainlie was disclosed for all was quiet about and no noise heard anie where the houses appeared burning on ech side and such as were sent foorth to discouer the countrie into euerie part thereof saw not a creature stirring for all the people were auoided and withdrawne a farre off When Agricola had thus ouerthrowne his enimies in a pitcht field at the mountaine of Granziben and that the countrie was quite rid of all appearance of enimies bicause the summer of this eight yéere of his gouernement was now almost spent he brought his armie into the confines of the Horrestians which inhabited the countries now called Angus Merne and there intended to winter and tooke hostages of the people for assurance of their loialtie and subiection This doone he appointed the admirall of the nauie to saile about the I le which accordinglie to his commission in that point receiued luckilie accomplished his enterprise and brought the nauie about againe into an hauen called Trutulensts In this meane time whiles Iulius Agricola was thus occupied in Britaine both the emperour Uespasianus and also his brother Titus that succéeded him departed this life and Domitianus was elected emperor who hearing of such prosperous successe as Agricola had against the Britains did not so much reioise for the thing well doone as he enuied to consider what glorie and renowme should redound to Agricola thereby which he perceiued should much darken the glasse of his same hauing a priuate person vnder him who in woorthinesse of noble exploits atchiued farre excelled his dooings To find remedie therefore herein he thought not good to vtter his malice as yet whilest Agricola remained in Britaine with an armie which so much fauoured him and that with so good cause sith by his policie and noble conduct the same had obteined so manie victories so much honor and such plentie of spoiles and booties Wherevpon to dissemble his intent he appointed to reuoke him foorth of Britaine as it were to honor him not onelie with deserued triumphs but also with the lieutenantship of Syria which as then was void by the death of Atilius Rufus Thus Agricola being countermanded home to Rome deliuered his prouince vnto his successor Cneus Trebellius appointed thereto by the emperour Domitianus in good quiet and safegard ¶ Thus may you sée in what state Britaine stood in the daies of king Marius of whome Tacitus maketh no mention at all Some haue written that the citie of Chester was builded by this Marius though other as before I haue said thinke rather that it was the worke of Ostorius Scapula their legat Touching other the dooings of Agricola in the Scotish chronicle you maie find more at large set foorth for that which I haue written héere is but to shew what in effect Cornelius Tacitus writeth of that which Agricola did here in Britaine without making mention either of Scots or Picts onelie naming them Britains Horrestians and Calidoneans who inhabited in those daies a part of this Ile which now we call Scotland the originall of which countrie and the inhabitants of the same is greatlie controuersed among writers diuerse diuerslie descanting therevpon some fetching their reason from the etymon of the word which is Gréeke some from the opening of their ancestors as they find the same remaining in records other some from comparing antiquities togither and aptlie collecting the truth as néere as they can But to omit them and returne to the continuation of our owne historie Of Coillus the sonne of Marius his education in Rome how long he reigned of Lucius his sonne and successor what time he assumed the gouernment of this land he was an open professor of christian religion he and his familie are baptised Britaine receiueth the faith 3 archbishops and 28 bishops at that time in this Iland westminster church and S. Peters in Cornehill builded diuers opinions touching the time of Lucius his reigne of his death and when the christian faith was receiued in this Iland The 19. Chapter COillus the sonne of Marius was after his fathers deceasse made king of Britaine in the yeare of our Lord 125. This Coillus or Coill was brought vp in his youth amongst the Romans at Rome where he spent his time not vnprofitablie but applied himselfe to learning seruice in the warres by reason whereof he was much honored of the Romans and he likewise honored and loued them so that he paied his tribute truelie all the time of his reigne and therefore liued in peace and good quiet He was also a prince of much bountie and verie liberall whereby he obteined great loue both of his nobles and commons Some saie that he made the towne of Colchester in Essex but others write that Coill which reigned next after Asclepiodotus was the first founder of that towne but by other it should séeme to be built long before being called Camelodunum Finallie when this Coill had reigned the space of 54 yeares he departed this life at Yorke leauing after him a sonne named Lucius which succéeded in the kingdome LUcius the sonne of Coillus whose surname as saith William Harison is not extant

a prince of great vertue deuout towards God a furtherer of the common-wealth of his countrie and passed his life in great sinceritie of maners In the fift yéere of his reigne he renounced the world and went to Rome togither with Offa king of the Eastsaxons where he was made a moonke and finallie died there in the yéere of our Lord 711. By the aid and furtherance of this Kenred a moonke of saint Benets order called Egwin builded the abbbie of Eueshame who afterwards was made bishop of Worcester ¶ We find recorded by writers that this Egwin had warning giuen him by visions as he constantlie affirmed before pope Constantine to set vp an image of our ladie in his church Wherevpon the pope approouing the testifications of this bishop by his buls writ to Brightwald archbishop of Canturburie to assemble a synod and by authoritie thereof to establish the vse of images charging the kings of this land to be present at the same synod vpon paine of excommunication This synod was holden about the yéere of our Lord 712 in the daies of Inas king of Westsaxons and of Ceolred king of Mercia successor to the foresaid Kenred After Kenred succéeded Ceolred the sonne of his vncle Edilred died in the 8 yeere of his reigne and was buried at Lichfield Then succéeded Ethelbaldus that was descended of Eopa the brother of king Penda as the fourth from him by lineall succession This man gouerned a long time without anie notable trouble some warres he had and sped diuerslie In the 18 yéere of his reigne he besieged Sommerton and wan it He also inuaded Northumberland and got there great riches by spoile and pillage which he brought from thence without anie battell offered to him He ouercame the Welshmen in battell being then at quiet and ioined as confederats with Cuthred K. of Westsaxons But in the 37 yéere of his reigne he was ouercome in battell at Bereford by the same Cuthred with whome he was fallen at variance and within foure yéeres after that is to say in the 41 yéere of his reigne he was slaine in battell at Secandon or Sekenton by his owne subiects which arreared warres against him by the procurement and leading of one Bernred who after he had slaine his naturall prince tooke vpon him the kingdome but he prospered not long being slaine by Offa that succéeded him in rule of the kingdome of Mercia as after shall be shewed The bodie of Ethelbald was buried at Ripton Bonifacius the archbishop of Mentz or Moguntz hauing assembled a councell with other bishops and doctors deuised a letter and sent it vnto this Ethelbald commending him for his good deuotion and charitie in almes-giuing to the reliefe of the poore and also for his vpright dealing in administration of iustice to the punishment of robbers and such like misdooers but in that he absteined from mariage and wallowed in filthie lecherie with diuerse women and namelie with nuns they sore blamed him and withall declared in what in famie the whole English nation in those daies remained by common report in other countries for their licentious liuing in sinfull fornication and namelie the most part of the noble men of Mercia by his euill example did forsake their wiues and defloured other women which they kept in adulterie as nuns and others Moreouer he shewed how that such euill women as well nuns as other vsed to make awaie in secret wise their children which they bare out of wedlocke and so filled the graues with dead bodies and hell with damned soules The same Bonifacius in an other epistle which he wrote vnto Cutbert the archbishop of Canturburie counselled him not to permit the English nuns to wander abroad so often on pilgrimage bicause there were few cities either in France or Lombardie wherein might not be found English women that liued wantonlie in fornication and whordome Offa king of the Eastsaxons with other go to Rome he is shauen and becommeth a moonke succession in the kingdome of the Eastsaxons and Eastangles Osred king of Northumberland hath carnall knowledge with nuns he is slaine in battell Osrike renouncing his kingdome becommeth a moonke bishop Wilfrid twise restored to his see Westsaxonie diuided into two diocesses bishop Aldhelme a founder of religious houses Ethelard succeedeth Inas in regiment two blasing starres seene at once and what insued the king dieth the successiue reigne of Wichtreds three sonnes ouer Kent what prouinces were gouerned by bishops of what puissance Ethelbald king of Mercia was Egbert archbishop of Yorke aduanceth his see a notable remembrance of that excellent man Beda his death The second Chapter IN this meane time Sighard and Seufred kings of the Eastsaxons being departed this-life one Offa that was sonne to Sigerius succéeded in 〈◊〉 ●uernment of that kingdome a man of great towardnesse and of right comelie countenance but after he had ruled a certeine time being mooued with a riligious deuotion he went to Rome in companie of Kenred king of Mercia and of one Egwine bishop of Worcester and being there shauen into the order of moonks so continued till he died After him one Selred the sonne of Sigbert the good ruled the Eastsaxons the tearme of 38 yéeres After Alduife the king of Eastangles departed this fraile life which chanced about the yéere of our Lord 688 his brother Elewold or Akwold succeeded him and reigned about twelue yéeres After whose decease one Beorne was made king of Eastangles and reigned about 26 yéeres In this meane while that is to say in the yeere of our Lord 705 Alfride king of Northumberland being dead his sonne Osred a child of 8 yéeres of age succeeded him in the kingdome and reigned 11 yéeres spending his time when he came to ripe yeeres in filthie abusing his bodie with nuns and other religious women About the seuenth yéere of his reigne that is to say in the yéere of our Lord 711 one of his capteins named earle Berthfride fought with the Picts betwixt two places called Heue and Cere and obteining the victorie slue an huge number of the enimies At length king Osred by the traitorous means of his coosens that arreared warre against him was slaine in batell and so ended his reigne leauing to those that procured his death the like fortune in time to come For Kenred reigning two yéeres and Osricke ten yeeres were famous onelie in this that being worthilie punished for shedding the bloud of their naturall prince and souereigne lord they finished their liues with dishonourable deaths as they had well deserued Osricke before his death which chanced in the yéere of our Lord 729 appointed Ceolwolfe the brother of his predecessor Kenred to succeed him in the kingdome which he did reigning as king of the Northumbers by the space of 8 yéeres currant and then renouncing his kingdom became a moonke in the I le of Lindesferne

quicklie into ar●●ie began to charge them againe afresh and so hauing them at that aduantage they slue them downe on euerie side The Englishmen on the other part fought sore and though their king was beaten downe among them and slaine yet were they loth to flée or giue ouer so sharpe was the battell that duke William himselfe had thrée horsses slaine vnder him that day and not without great danger of his person Some of the Englishmen got them to the height of an hill and beate backe the Normans that forced themselues to win the hill of them so that it was long yer the Normans could preuaile being oftentimes driuen downe into the botome of the vallie beneath At length the Englishmen perceiuing themselues to be ouermatched and beaten downe on euerie side and therevnto greatlie discouraged with slaughter of their king began first to giue ground and after to scatter and to run away so that well was he that might then escape by flight When they had fought the most part of all that saturday the Normans followed the chase with such eger rashnesse that a great number of them falling with their horsses and armour into a blind ditch shadowed with reed and sedges which grew therein were smouldered and pressed to death yer they could be succoured or get anie reliefe The next day the Normans fell to gathering in the spoile of the field burieng also the dead bodies of their people that were slaine at the battell giuing licence in semblable manner to the Englishmen to doo the like Of the death of Harold diuerse report diuerslie in so much that Girald Cambrensis saith that after king Harold had receiued manie wounds and lost his left eie he fled from the field vnto the citie of Westchester and liued there long after an holie life as an anchoret in the cell of S. Iames fast by S. Iohns church and there made a godlie end But the saieng of Girald Cambren in that point is not to be credited bicause of the vnlikelihood of the thing it selfe and also generall consent of other writers who affirme vniuersallie that he was killed in the battell first being striken thorough the left eie by the scull into the braine with an arrow wherevpon falling from his horsse to the ground he was slaine in that place after he had reigned nine moneths and nine daies as Floriacensis dooth report He was a man of a comelie stature and of a hawtie courage albeit that for his valiancie he was highlie renowmed and honored of all men yet through his pride and ambition he lost the harts of manie There were slaine in this battell besides king Harold and his two brethren Girth and Leofrike what on the one side and on the other aboue twentie thousand men The bodie of king Harold being found among other slaine in the field was buried at Waltham within the monasterie of the holie crosse which he before had founded and indowed to the behoofe of such canons as he had placed there with faire possessions Uerelie as some old writers haue reported there was nothing in this man to be in anie wise dispraised if his ambitious mind could haue beene staied from coueting the kingdome and that he could haue béene contented to haue liued as subiect Among other manifest proofes of his high valiancie this is remembred of him that being sent against the Welshmen as before is partlie mentioned knowing their readie nimblenesse in seruice and how with their light armed men they were accustomed to annoie and distresse those that should assaile them he likewise to match them prepared light armed men for the purpose so being furnished with such bands of nimble men and light souldiers entered vpon the mounteins of Snowdon and there remained amongst the enimies for the space of two yéeres He sore afflicted the Welsh nation tooke their kings and sent their heads vnto the king that sent him about his businesse and proceeding in such rigorous maner as might mooue the hearers to lament and pitie the case he caused all the male kind that might be met with to be miserablie slaine and so with the edge of his swoord he brought the countrie to quiet and withall made this lawe that if anie Welshman from thencefoorth should presume to passe the limits ouer Offas ditch with anie weapon about him he should lose his right hand To conclude by the valiant conduct of this chieftaine the Welshmen were them so sore brought vnder than in maner the whole nation might séeme to faile and to be almost vtterlie destroied And therefore by permission of the king of England the women of Wales ioined themselues in marriage with Englishmen Finallie héereby the bloud of the Saxons ceassed to reigne in England after they had continued possession of the same from the first comming of Hengist which was about the yéere of our Sauiour 450 or 449 vntill that present yeere of king Harolds death which chanced in the yéere 1069. So that from the beginning of Hengist his reigne vnto Harolds death are reckoned 916 yéeres or after some 617 as by the supputation of the time will easilie appeere By all the which time there reigned kings of the Saxons bloud within this land except that for the space of twentie yéeres and somewhat more the Danes had the dominion of the realme in their possession for there are reckoned from the beginning of K. Swaines reigne which was the first Dane that gouerned England vnto the last yéere of K. Hardicnute the last Dane that ruled heere 28 yéeres in which meane space Egelred recouering the kingdome reigned 2 yéeres then after him his sonne Edmund Ironside continued in the rule one yéere so that the Danes had the whole possession of the land but 25 yéeres in all Touching this alteration and others incident to this Iland read a short aduertisement annexed by waie of conclusion to this historie comprising a short summarie of the most notable conquests of this countrie one after an other by distances of times successiuelie The rule of this realme by Gods prouidence allotted to duke William his descent from Rollo the first duke of Normandie downewards to his particular linage he was base begotten vpon the bodie of Arlete duke Roberts concubine a pleasant speech of hirs to duke Robert on a time when he was to haue the vse of hir person a conclusion introductorie for the sequele of the chronicle from the said duke of Normandies coronation c with a summarie of the notable conquests of this Iland The twelfe Chapter NOw forsomuch as it pleased God by his hid and secret iudgement so to dispose the realme of England and in such wise as that the gouernance therof should fall after this maner into the hands of William duke of Normandie I haue thought good before I enter further into this historie being now come to the conquest of the realme

monke if a man should leane to one side without anie conference of the asseuerations of the other But herin as I take it there lurketh some scruple for beside that S. Peters church stood in the east end of the citie and that of Apollo in the west the word Cornehill a denomination giuen of late to speake of to one street may easilie be mistaken for Thorney For as the word Thorney proceedeth from the Saxons who called the west end of the citie by that name where Westminster now standeth bicause of the wildnesse and bushinesse of the soile so I doo not read of anie stréete in London called Cornehill before the conquest of the Normans Wherfore I hold with them which make Westminster to be the place where Lucius builded his church vpon the ruines of that Flamine 264. yeeres as Malmesburie saith before the comming of the Saxons and 411. before the arriuall of Augustine Read also his appendix in lib. 4. Pontif. where he noteth the time of the Saxons in the 449. of Grace and of Augustine in the 596. of Christ which is a manifest accompt though some copies haue 499. for the one but not without manifest corruption and error Thus became Britaine the first prouince that generallie receiued the faith and where the gospell was freelie preached without inhibition of hir prince Howbeit although that Lucius and his princes and great numbers of his people imbraced the word with gréedinesse yet was not the successe thereof either so vniuersall that all men beleeued at the first the securitie so great as that no persecution was to be feared from the Romane empire after his decease or the procéeding of the king so seuere as that he inforced any man by publike authoritie to forsake and relinquish his paganisme but onelie this fréedome was enioied that who so would become a christian in his time might without feare of his lawes professe the Gospell in whose testimonie if néed had béene I doubt not to affirme but that he would haue shed also his bloud as did his neece Emerita who being constant aboue the common sort of women refused not after his decease by fire to yeeld hir selfe to death as a swéet smelling sacrifice in the nostrels of the Lord beyond the sea in France The faith of Christ being thus planted in this Iland in the 177. after Christ and Faganus and Dinaw with the rest sent ouer from Rome in the 178. as you haue heard it came to passe in the third yeare of the Gospell receiued that Lucius did send againe to Eleutherus the bishop requiring that he might haue some breefe epitome of the order of discipline then vsed in the church For he well considered that as it auaileth litle to plant a costlie vineyard except it afterward be cherished kept in good order and such things as annoie dailie remooued from the same so after baptisme and entrance into religion it profiteth little to beare the name of christians except we doo walke in the spirit and haue such things as offend apparentlie corrected by seuere discipline For otherwise it will come to passe that the wéedes of vice and vicious liuing will so quicklie abound in vs that they will in the end choke vp the good séed sowne in our minds and either inforce vs to returne vnto our former wickednesse with déeper securitie than before or else to become meere Atheists which is a great deale woorse For this cause therefore did Lucius send to Rome the second time for a copie of such politike orders as were then vsed there in their regiment of the church But Eleutherus considering with himselfe how that all nations are not of like condition and therefore those constitutions that are beneficiall to one may now and then be preiudiciall to another and séeing also that beside the word no rites and orders can long continue or be so perfect in all points but that as time serueth they will require alteration he thought it best not to laie any more vpon the necks of the new conuerts of Britaine as yet than Christ and his apostles had alreadie set downe vnto all men In returning therefore his messengers he sent letters by them vnto Lucius and his Nobilitie dated in the consulships of Commodus and Vespronius wherein he told them that Christ had left sufficient order in the scriptures for the gouernment of his church alreadie in his word and not for that onlie but also for the regiment of his whole kingdome if he would submit himselfe to yéeld and follow that rule The epistle it selfe is partlie extant and partlie perished yet such as it is and as I haue faithfullie translated it out of sundrie verie ancient copies I doo deliuer it here to the end I will not defraud the reader of anie thing that may turne to the glorie of God and his commoditie in the historie of our nation You require of vs the Romane ordinances and thereto the statutes of the emperours to be sent ouer vnto you and which you desire to practise and put in vre within your realme and kingdome The Romane lawes and those of emperours we may eft soones reprooue but those of God can neuer be found fault withall You haue receiued of late through Gods mercie in the realme of Britaine the law and faith of Christ you haue with you both volumes of the scriptures out of them therefore by Gods grace and the councell of your realme take you a law and by that law through Gods sufferance rule your kingdome for you are Gods vicar in your owne realme as the roiall prophet saith The earth is the Lords and all that is therein the compasse of the world and they that dwell therein Againe Thou hast loued truth and hated iniquitie wherefore God euen thy God hath annointed thée with oile of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes And againe according to the saieng of the same prophet Oh God giue thy iudgement vnto the king thy iustice vnto the kings sonne The kings sons are the christian people flocke of the realme which are vnder your gouernance and liue continue in peace within your kingdome * The gospell saith As the hen gathereth hir chickens vnder hir wings so dooth the king his people Such as dwell in the kingdome of Britaine are yours whom if they be diuided you ought to gather into concord and vnitie to call them to the faith and law of Christ and to his sacred church to chearish and mainteine to rule also and gouerne them defending each of them from such as would doo them wrong and keeping them from the malice of such as be their enimies * Wo vnto the nation whose king is a child and whose princes rise vp earlie to banket and féed which is spoken not of a prince that is within age but of a prince that is become a child through follie sinne vnstedfastnesse of whom the prophet saith The bloudthirstie and deceitfull men

dominion Coell the sonne of this Marius had issue Lucius counted the first christian king of this nation he conuerted the three archflamines of this land into bishopriks and ordeined bishops vnto ech of them The first remained at London and his power extended from the furthest part of Cornewall to Humber water The second dwelled at Yorke and his power stretched from Humber to the furthest part of all Scotland The third aboded at Caerleon vpon the riuer of Wiske in Glamorgan in Wales his power extended from Seuerne through all Wales Some write that he made but two and turned their names to archbishops the one to remaine at Canturburie the other at Yorke yet they confesse that he of Yorke had iurisdiction through all Scotland either of which is sufficient to prooue Scotland to be then vnder his dominion Seuerus by birth a Romane but in bloud a Briton as some thinke and the lineall heire of the bodie of Androge●s sonne of Lud nephue of Cassibelane was shortlie after emperour king of Britons in whose time the people to whom his ancester Marius gaue the land of Cathnesse in Scotland conspired with the Scots receiued them from the Iles into Scotland But herevpon this Seuerus came into Scotland and méeting with their faith and false harts togither droue them all out of the maine land into Iles the vttermost bounds of all great Britaine But notwithstanding this glorious victorie the Britons considering their seruitude to the Romans imposed by treason of Androgeus ancestor to this Seuerus began to hate him whome yet they had no time to loue and who in their defense and suertie had slaine of the Scots and their confederats in one battell thirtie thousand but such was the consideration of the common sort in those daies whose malice no time could diminish nor iust desert appease Antoninus Bassianus borne of a Briton woman and Geta borne by a Romane woman were the sonnes of this Seuerus who after the death of their father by the contrarie voices of their people contended for the crowne Few Britons held with Bassianus fewer Romans with Geta but the greater number with neither of both In the end Geta was slaine and Bassianus remained emperour against whom Carautius rebelled who gaue vnto the Scots Picts and Scithians the countrie of Cathnesse in Scotland which they afterward inhabited whereby his seison thereof appeareth Coill descended of the bloud of the ancient kings of this land was shortlie after king of the Britons whose onelie daughter and heire called Helen was married vnto Constantius a Romane who daunted the rebellion of all parts of great Britaine and after the death of this Coill was in the right of his wife king thereof and reigned in his state ouer them thirtéene or fouretéene yeares Constantine the sonne of this Constance and Helen was next king of Britons by the right of his mother who passing to Rome to receiue the empire thereof deputed one Octauius king of Wales and duke of the Gewisses which some expound to be afterward called west Saxons to haue the gouernment of this dominion But abusing the kings innocent goodnesse this Octauius defrauded this trust and tooke vpon him the crowne For which traitorie albeit he was once vanquished by Leonine Traheron great vncle to Constantine yet after the death of this Traheron he preuailed againe and vsurped ouer all Britaine Constantine being now emperor sent Marimius his kinsman hither in processe of time to destroie the same Octauius who in singular battell discomfited him Wherevpon this Maximius as well by the consent of great Constantine as by the election of all the Britons for that he was a Briton in bloud was made king or rather vicegerent of Britaine This Maximius made warre vpon the Scots and Scithians within Britaine and ceassed not vntill he had slaine Eugenius their king and expelled and driuen them out of the whole limits and bounds of Britaine Finallie he inhabited all Scotland with Britons no man woman nor child of the Scotish nation suffered to remaine within it which as their Hector Boetius saith was for their rebellion and rebellion properlie could it not be except they had béene subiects He suffered the Picts also to remaine his subiects who made solemne othes to him neuer after to erect anie peculiar king of their owne nation but to remaine vnder the old empire of the onelie king of Britaine I had once an epistle by Leland exemplified as he saith out of a verie ancient record which beareth title of Helena vnto hir sonne Constantine and entreth after this manner Domino semper Augusto filio Constantino mater Helena semper Augusta c. And now it repenteth me that I did not exemplifie and conueigh it into this treatise whilest I had his books For thereby I might haue had great light for the estate of this present discourse but as then I had no mind to haue trauelled in this matter neuerthelesse if hereafter it come againe to light I would wish it were reserued It followeth on also in this maner as it is translated out of the Gréeke Veritatem sapientis animus non recusat nec fides recta aliquando patitur quamcunque iacturam c. About fiue and fourtie yeares after this which was long time after the death of this Maximius with the helpe of Gouan or Gonan and Helga the Scots newlie arriued in Albania and there created one Fergus the second of that name to be there king But bicause they were before banished the continent land they crowned him king on their aduenture in Argile in the fatall chaire of marble the yéere of our Lord foure hundred and two and twentie as they themselues doo write Maximian sonne of Leonine Traheron brother to king Coill and vncle to Helene was by lineall succession next king of Britons but to appease the malice of Dionothus king of Wales who also claimed the kingdome he maried Othilia eldest daughter of Dionothus and afterwards assembled a great power of Britons and entered Albania inuading Gallowaie Mers Annandale Pentland Carrike Kill and Cuningham and in battell slue both this Fergus then king of Scots and Durstus the king of Picts and exiled all their people out of the continent land wherevpon the few number of Scots then remaining a liue went to Argile and there made Eugenius their king When this Maximian had thus obteined quietnesse in Britaine he departed with his cousine Conan Meridocke into Armorica where they subdued the king and depopulated the countrie which he gaue to Conan his cousine to be afterward inhabited by Britons by the name of Britaine the lesse and hereof this realme tooke name of Britaine the great which name by consent of forren writers it keepeth vnto this daie After the death of Maximian dissention being mooued betweene the nobles of Britaine the Scots swarmed togither againe and came to the wall of Adrian where this realme being diuided in manie factions they ouercame one

iustices of peace to assigne so that the taxation excéed not twentie shillings as I haue béene informed And thus much of the poore such prouision as is appointed for them within the realme of England Of sundrie kinds of punishments appointed for malefactors Chap. 11. IN cases of felonie manslaghter roberie murther rape piracie such capitall crimes as are not reputed for treason or hurt of the estate our sentence pronounced vpon the offendor is to hang till he be dead For of other punishments vsed in other countries we haue no knowledge or vse and yet so few gréeuous crimes committed with vs as else where in the world To vse torment also or question by paine and torture in these common cases with vs is greatlie abhorred sith we are found alwaie to be such as despise death and yet abhorre to be tormented choosing rather frankelie to open our minds than to yeeld our bodies vnto such seruile halings and tearings as are vsed in other countries And this is one cause wherefore our condemned persons doo go so chéerefullie to their deths for our nation is frée stout hautie prodigall of life and bloud as six Thomas Smith saith lib. 2. cap. 25. de republica and therefore cannot in anie wise digest to be vsed as villanes and slaues in suffering continuallie beating seruitude and seruile torments No our gailers are guiltie of fellonie by an old law of the land if they torment anie prisoner committed to their custodie for the reuealing of his complices The greatest and most gréeuous punishment vsed in England for such as offend against the state is drawing from the prison to the place of execution vpon an hardle or sled where they are hanged till they be halfe dead and then taken downe and quartered aliue after that their members and bowels are cut from their bodies and throwne into a fire prouided neere hand and within their owne sight euen for the same purpose Sometimes if the trespasse be not the more hainous they are suffered to hang till they be quite dead And when soeuer anie of the nobilitie are conuicted of high treason by their peeres that is to saie equals for an inquest of yeomen passeth not vpon them but onelie of the lords of the parlement this maner of their death is conuerted into the losse of their heads onelie notwithstanding that the sentence doo run after the former order In triall of cases concerning treason fellonie or anie other greeuous crime not confessed the partie accused dooth yéeld if he be a noble man to be tried by an inquest as I haue said and his péeres if a gentleman by gentlemen and an inferiour by God and by the countrie to wit the yeomanrie for combat or battell is not greatlie in vse and being condemned of fellonie manslaughter c he is eftsoons hanged by the necke till he be dead and then cut downe and buried But if he be conuicted of wilfull murther doone either vpon pretended malice or in anie notable robberie he is either hanged aliue in chaines néere the place where the fact was committed or else vpon compassion taken first strangled with a rope and so continueth till his bones consume to nothing We haue vse neither of the whéele nor of the barre as in other countries but when wilfull manslaughter is perpetrated beside hanging the offendor hath his right hand commonlie striken off before or néere vnto the place where the act was doone after which he is led foorth to the place of execution and there put to death according to the law The word fellon is deriued of the Saxon words Fell and One that is to say an euill and wicked one a one of vntamable nature and lewdnesse not to be suffered for feare of euill example and the corruption of others In like sort in the word fellonie are manie gréeuous crimes conteined as breach of prison An. 1 of Edward the second Dissigurers of the princes liege people An. 5. of Henrie the fourth Hunting by night with painted faces and visors An. 1. of Henrie the seuenth Rape or stealing of women maidens An. 3. of Henrie the eight Conspiracie against the person of the prince An. 3. of Henrie the seuenth Embesilling of goods committed by the master to the seruant aboue the value of fourtie shillings An. 17. of Henrie the eight Carieng of horsses or mares into Scotland An. 23. of Henrie the eight Sodomie and buggerie An. 25. of Henrie the eight Stealing of hawkes egs An. 31. of Henrie the eight Coniuring sorcerie witchcraft and digging vp of crosses An. 33. of Hen. 8. Prophesieng vpon armes cognisances names badges An. 33. of Hen. 8. Casting of slanderous bils An. 37. Hen. 8. Wilfull killing by poison An. 1. of Edw. the sixt Departure of a soldier from the field An. 2. of Edward the sixt Diminution of coine all offenses within case of premunire embeselling of records goods taken from dead men by their seruants stealing of what soeuer cattell robbing by the high waie vpon the sea or of dwelling houses letting out of ponds cutting of pursses stealing of déere by night counterfeitors of coine euidences charters and writings diuerse other needlesse to be remembred If a woman poison hir husband she is burned aliue if the seruant kill his master he is to be executed for petie treason he that poisoneth a man is to be boiled to death in water or lead although the partie die not of the practise in cases of murther all the accessaries are to suffer paines of death accordinglie Periurie is punished by the pillorie burning in the forehead with the letter P the rewalting of the trées growing vpon the grounds of the offendors and losse of all his mooueables Manie trespasses also are punished by the cutting of one or both cares from the head of the offendor as the vtterance of seditious words against the magistrates fraimakers petie robbers c. Roges are burned through the eares cariers of sheepe out of the land by the losse of their hands such as kill by poison are either boiled or skalded to death in lead or séething water Heretikes are burned quicke harlots and their mates by carting ducking and dooing of open penance in shéets in churches and market stéeds are often put to rebuke Howbeit as this is counted with some either as no punishment at all to speake of or but smallie regarded of the offendors so I would wish adulterie and fornication to haue some sharper law For what great smart is it to be turned out of an hot shéet into a cold or after a little washing in the water to be let lose againe vnto their former trades Howbeit the dragging of some of them ouer the Thames betwéene Lambeth and Westminster at the taile of a boat is a punishment that most terrifieth them which are condemned therto but this is inflicted vpon them by none other than the knight marshall and that within the compasse of his iurisdiction limits onelie Canutus was the first

rigging them in sundrie places tooke order for thier setting forward to his most aduantage for the easie atchiuing of his enterprise He appointed to passe himselfe from the coasts of Flanders at what time other of capteines with their fleets from other parts should likewise make saile towards Britaine By this meanes Alectus that had vsurped the title dignitie of king or rather emperour ouer the Britains knew not where to take héed but yet vnderstanding of the nauie that was made readie in the mouth of Saine he ment by that which maie be coniectured to intercept that fléet as it should come foorth and make saile forwards and so for that purpose he laie with a great number of ships about the I le of Wight But whether Asclepiodotus came ouer with that nauie which was rigged on the coasts of Flanders or with some other I will not presume to affirme either to or for because in déed Mamertinus maketh no expresse mention either of Alectus or Asclepiodotus but notwithstanding it is euident by that which is conteined in his oration that not Maximian but some other of his capteins gouerned the armie which slue Alectus so that we maie suppose that Asclepiodotus was chiefteine ouer some number of ships directed by Maximians appointment to passe ouer into this I le against the same Alectus and so maie this which Mamertinus writeth agrée with the truth of that which we doo find in Eutropius Héere is to be remembred that after Maximians had thus recouered Britaine out of their hands that vsurped the rule thereof from the Romans it should séeme that not onelie great numbers of artificers other people were conueied ouer into Gallia there to inhabit and furnish such cities as were run into decaie but also a power of warlike youths was transported thither to defend the countrie from the inuasion of barbarous nations For we find that in the daies of this Maximian the Britains expelling the Neruians out of the citie of Mons in Henaud held a castell there which was called Bretaimons after them wherevpon the citie was afterward called Mons reteining the last syllable onlie as in such cases it hath often happened Moreouer this is not to be forgotten that as Humfrey Lhoyd hath very well noted in his booke intituled Fragmenta historiae Britannicae Mamertinus in this parcell of his panegyrike oration dooth make first mention of the nation of Picts of all other the ancient Romane writers so that not one before his time once nameth Picts or Scots But now to returne where we left The state of this Iland vnder bloudie Dioclesian the persecuting tyrant of Alban the first that suffered martyrdome in Britaine what miracles were wrought at his death whereof Lichfield tooke the name of Coilus earle of Colchester whose daughter Helen was maried to Constantius the emperour as some authours suppose The xxvj Chapter AFter that Britaine was thus recouered by the Romans Dioclesian and Maximian ruling the empire the Iland tasted of the crueltie that Dioclesian exercised against the christians in presecuting them with all extremities continuallie for the space of ten yéeres Amongst other one Alban a citizen of Werlamchester a towne now bearing his name was the first that suffered here in Britaine in this persecution being conuerted to the faith by the zealous christian Amphibalus whom he receiued into his house insomuch that when there came sergeants to séeke for the same Amphibalus the foresaid Alban to preserue Amphibalus out of danger presented himselfe in the apparell of the said Amphibalus so being apprehended in his stead was brought before the iudge and examined and for that he refused to doo sacrifice to the false gods he was beheaded on the top of an hill ouer against the towne of Werlamchester aforesaid where afterwards was builded a church and monasterie in remembrance of his martyrdome insomuch that the towne there restored after that Werlamchester was destroied tooke name of him and so is vnto this day called saint Albons It is reported by writers that diuers miracles were wrought at the time of his death insomuch that one which was appointed to doo the execution was conuerted and refusing to doo that office suffered also with him but he that tooke vpon him to doo it reioised nothing thereat for his eies fell out of his head downe to the ground togither with the head of that holie man which he had then cut off There were also martyred about the same time two constant witnesses of Christ his religion Aaron and Iulius citizens of Caerleon Arwiske Moreouer a great number of Christians which were assembled togither to heare the word of life preached by that vertuous man Amphibalus were slaine by the wicked pagans at Lichfield whereof that towne tooke name as you would say The field of dead corpses To be briefe this persecution was so great and greeuous and thereto so vniuersall that in maner the Christian religion was thereby destroied The faithfull people were slaine their bookes burnt and churches ouerthrowne It is recorded that in one moneths space in diuers places of the world there were 17000 godlie men and women put to death for professing the christian faith in the daies of that tyrant Dioclesian and his fellow Maximian COelus earle of Colchester began his dominion ouer the Britains in the yeere of our Lord 262. This Coelus or Coell ruled the land for a certeine time so as the Britains were well content with his gouernement and liued the longer in rest from inuasion of the Romans bicause they were occupied in other places but finallie they finding time for their purpose appointed one Constantius to passe ouer into this I le with an armie the which Constantius put Coelus in such dread that immediatlie vpon his arriuall Coelus sent to him an ambassage and concluded a peace with him couenanting to pay the accustomed tribute gaue to Constantius his daughter in mariage called Helen a noble ladie and a learned Shortlie after king Coell died when he had reigned as some write 27 yéeres or as other haue but 13 yeeres ¶ But by the way touching this Coelus I will not denie but assuredly such a prince there was howbeit that he had a daughter named Helen whom he maried vnto Constantius the Romane lieutenant that was after emperor I leaue that to be decided of the learned For if the whole course of the liues as well of the father and the sonne Constantius and Constantine as likewise of the mother Helen be consideratelie marked from time to time and yeere to yéere as out of authors both Greeke and Latin the same may be gathered I feare least such doubt maie rise in this matter that it will be harder to prooue Helen a Britaine than Constantine to be borne in Bithynia as Nicephorus auoucheth But forsomuch as I meane not to step from the course of our countrie writers in such points where the receiued

this was called into Italie to deliuer the Romans and Italians from the tyrannie of Maxentius which occasion so offered Constantine gladlie accepting passed into Italie and after certeine victories got against Maxentius at length slue him After this when Maximianus was dead who prepared to make warre against Licinius that had married Constantia the sister of Constantine he finallie made warre against his brother in law the said Licinius by reson of such quarrels as fell out betwixt them In the which warre Licinius was put to the woorse and at length comming into the hands of Constantine was put to death so that Constantine by this meanes got the whole empire vnder his rule and subiection He was a great fauourer of the Christian religion insomuch that to aduance the same he tooke order for the conuerting of the temples dedicated to the honour of idols vnto the seruice of the true and almightie God He commanded also that none should be admitted to serue as a souldier in the warres except he were a christian nor yet to haue rule of anie countrie or armie He also ordeined the weeke before Easter and that which followed to be keptas holie and no person to doo anie bodilie woorks during the same He was much counselled by that noble and most vertuous ladie his mother the empresse Helen who being a godlie and deuout woman did what in hir laie to mooue him to the setting foorth of Gods honour and increase of the christian faith wherein as yet he was not fullie instructed ¶ Some writers alledge that she being at Ierusalem made diligent search to find out the place of the sepulchre of our Lord and at length found it though with much adoo for the infidels had stopped it vp and couered it with a heape of filthie earth and builded aloft vpon the place a chappell dedicated to Uenus where yoong women vsed to sing songs in honour of that vnchast goddesse Helen caused the same to be ouerthrowne the earth to be remooued and the place cleansed so that at length the sepulchre appéered and fast by were found there buried in the earth thrée crosses and the nailes But the crosse wherevpon our Sauiour was crucified was knowne by the title written vpon it though almost worne out in letters of Hebrew Gréeke and Latine the inscription was this Iesus Nazarenus rex Iudaeorum It was also perceiued which was that crosse by a miracle as it is reported but how trulie I can not tell that should be wrought thereby for being laid to a sicke woman onlie with the touching thereof she was healed It was also said that a dead man was raised from death to life his bodie onlie being touched therewith Wherevpon Constantine mooued with these things forbad that from thencefoorth anie should be put to death on the crosse to the end that the thing which afore time was accounted infamous and reprochfull might now be had in honour and reuerence The empresse Helen hauing thus found the crosse builded a temple there taking with hir the nailes returned with the same to hir sonne Constantine who set one of them in the crest of his helmet an other in the bridle of his horsse and the third he cast into the sea to asswage and pacifie the furious tempests and rage thereof She also brought with hir a parcell of that holie crosse and gaue it to hir sonne the said Constantine the which he caused to be closed within an image that represented his person standing vpon a piller in the market place of Constantine or as some late writers haue he caused it to be inclosed in a coffer of gold adorned with rich stones and pearls placing it in a church called Sessortana the which church he indued with manie great gifts and precious ornaments Manie woorks of great ●eale and vertue are remembered by writers to haue béene doone by this Constantine and his mother Helen to the setting foorth of Gods glorie and the aduancing of the faith of Christ. But to be briefe he was a man in whome manie excellent vertues and good qualities both of mind and bodie manifestlie appéered chieflie he was a prince of great knowledge and experience in warre and therewith verie fortunate an earnest louer of iustice and to conclude borne to all honour But now to speake somewhat of the state of Britaine in his time ye shall vnderstand that as before is recorded at his going ouer into France after that he was proclaimed emperour he left behind him in Britaine certeine gouernours to rule the land and almongst other one Maximinus a right valiant capteine He tooke with him a great part of the youth of Britaine and diuerse of the chiefe men amongst the nobilitie in whose approoued manhood loialtie and constancie he conceiued a great hope to go thorough with all his enterprises as with the which being accompanied and compassed about he passed ouer into Gallia entred into Italie and in euerie place ouercame his enimies Some write that Constantine thus conueieng ouer sea with him a great armie of Britains and by their industrie obteining victorie as he wished he placed a great number of such as were discharged out of wages and licenced to giue ouer the warre in a part of Gallia towards the west sea coast where their posteritie remaine vnto this daie maruellouslie increased afterwards and somewhat differing from our Britains the Welshmen in manners and language Amongst those noble men which he tooke with him when he departed out of this land as our writers doo testifie were thrée vncles of his mother Helen that is to say Hoelmus Traherinus and Marius whome he made senators of Rome Of Octauius a British lord his reigne ouer the Britains he incountereth with Traherne first neere Winchester and afterwards in Westmerland Octauius being discomfited fleeth into Norway Traherne is slaine Octauius sendeth for Maximianus on whom he bestoweth his daughter and the kingdome of Britaine the death of Octauius Helena builded the wals of Colchester and London she dieth and is buried Constantine departeth this life Britaine reckoned among the prouinces that reteined the christian faith Paulus a Spaniard is sent into Britaine he dealeth roughlie with the people Martinus the lieutenant excuseth them as innocent his vnluckie end Paulus returneth into Italie The xxix Chapter NOw in the meane time that Constantine had obeteined and ruled the whole empire Britaine as it were hauing recouered libertie in that one of hir children being hir king had got the gouernment of the whole earth remained in better quiet tan afore time she had doone But yet in the meane season if we shall credit the British chronicle and Geffrey of Monmouth the interpretor thereof there was a British lord named Octauius or Octauian as the old English chronicle nameth him that was duke of the Gewisses and appointed by Constantine to be ruler of the land in his absence the which Octauius after that Constantine had recouered

where he should remaine for a time and then to returne againe and reigne in as great authoritie as euer he did before might well perceiue themselues deceiued in crediting so vaine a fable But yet where it might otherwise be doubted whether anie such Arthur was at all as the British histories mention bicause neither Gyldas nor Beda in their woorks speake anie thing of him it may appéere the circumstances considered that suerly such one there was of that name hardie and valiant in armes though not in diuerse points so famous as some writers paint him out William Malmesburie a writer of good credit and authoritie amongst the learned hath these woords in his first booke intituled De regibus Anglorum saieng But he being dead meaning Uortimer the force of the Britains waxed féeble their decaied hope went backward apace and euen then suerlie had they gon to destruction if Ambrosius who alone of the Romans remained yet aliue and was king after Uortigerne had not kept vnder and staied the loftie barbarous people that is to say the Saxons by the notable aid and assistance of the valiant Arthur This is the same Arthur of whom the trifling tales of the Britains euen to this day fantasticallie doo descant and report woonders but woorthie was he doubtlesse of whom feined fables should not haue so dreamed but rather that true histories might haue set foorth his woorthie praises as he that did for a long season susteine and hold vp his countrie that was readie to go to vtter ruine and decaie incouraging the bold harts of the Britains vnto the warre and finallie in the siege of Badon hill he set vpon nine hundred of the enimies and with incredible slaughter did put them all to flight On the contrarie part the English Saxons although they were tossed with sundrie hops of fortune yet still they renewed their bands with new supplies of their countriemen that came out of Germanie and so with bolder courage assailed their enimies and by little and little causing them to giue place spread themselues ouer the whole I le For although there were manie battels in the which sometime the Saxons and sometime the Britains got the better yet the greater number of Saxons that were slaine the greater number of them still came ouer to the succour of their countriemen being called in and sent for out of euerie quarter about them Héere is also to be noted that where the British historie declareth that Gawaine or Gallowine being slaine in the battell fought betwixt Arthur and Mordred in Kent was buried at Douer so that his bones remained there to be shewed a long time after yet by that which the foresaid William Malmesburie writeth in the third booke of his volume intituled De regibus Anglorum the contrarie maie séeme true his woords are these Then saith he in the prouince of Wales which is called Rosse the sepulture of Gallowine was found who was nephue to Arthur by his sister not going out of kind from so woorthie an vncle He reigned in that part of Britaine which vnto this day is called Walwichia a knight for his high prowesse most highlie renowmed but expelled out of his kingdome by the brother and nephue of Hengist of whome in the first booke we haue made mention first requiting his banishment with great detriment and losse to those his enimies wherein he was partaker by iust desert to his vncles woorthie praise for that he staied for a great manie yéeres the destruction of his countrie which was now running headlong into vtter ruine and decaie But Arthurs graue no where appéereth yet the others toome as I haue said was found in the daies of William the conqueror king of England vpon the sea side and conteined in length fouretéene foot where he was as some say wounded by his enimies and cast vp by shipwracke But other write that he was slaine at a publike feast or banket by his owne countriemen Thus saith William Malmesburie ¶ But heere you must consider that the said Malmesburie departed this life about the beginning of the reigne of king Henrie the second certeine yéers before the bones of Arthur were found as ye haue heard But omitting this point as néedles to be controuerssed letting all dissonant opinions of writers passe as a matter of no such moment that we should néed to sticke therein as in a glewpot we will procéed in the residue of such collections as we find necessarilie pertinent to the continuation of this historie and now we will say somewhat of quéene Guenhera or Guenouer the wife of the foresaid king Arthur Some iudge that she tooke hir name of hir excellent beautie bicause Guinne or Guenne in the Welsh toong signifieth faire so that she was named Guennere or rather Guenlhean euen as you would say the faire or beautifull Elenor or Helen She was brought vp in the house of one Cador earle of Cornewall before Arthur maried hir and as it appeareth by writers she was euill reported of as noted of incontinencie breach of faith to hir husband in maner as for the more part women of excellent beautie hardlie escape the venemous blast of euill toongs and the sharpe assaults of the followers of Uenus The British historie affirmeth that she did not onelie abuse hir selfe by vnlawfull companie with Mordred but that also in Arthurs absence she consented to take him to husband It is likewise found recorded by an old writer that Arthur besieged on a time the marishes neere to Glastenburie for displeasure that he bare to a certeine lord called Melua who had rauished Gueneuer and led hir into those marishes and there did kéepe hir Hir corps notwithstanding as before is recited was interred togither with Arthurs so that it is thought she liued not long after his deceasse Arthur had two wiues as Gyraldus Cambrensis affirmeth of which the latter saith he was buried with him and hir bones found with his in one sepulchre but yet so diuided that two parts of the toome towards the head were appointed to receiue the bones of the man and the third part towards the féet conteined the womans bones apart by themselues Here is to be remembred that Hector Boetius writeth otherwise of the death of Arthur than before in this booke is mentioned also that Gueneuer being taking prisoner by the Picts was conueied into Scotland where finallie she died and was there buried in Angus as in the Scotish chronicles further appeareth And this may be true if he had thrée sundrie wiues each of them bearing the name of Gueneuer as sir Iohn Price dooth auouch that he had Now bicause of contrarietie in writers touching the great acts atchiued by this Arthur and also for that some difference there is amongst them about the time in which he should reigne manie haue doubted of the whole historie which of him is written as before ye haue heard ¶ But others there be of a constant beléefe who hold it for

the faith by the preaching of Birinus king Kinigils is baptised he maketh Birinus bishop of Dorcester Penda king of Mercia maketh war against the christian kings of the Westsaxons both sides after a bloudie battell fall to agrement Ercombert the first English king that destroied idols throughout the whole land he ordeineth Lent why English men became moonks and English women nunnes in monasteries beyond the seas why Penda king of Mercia enuieth vertuous king Oswald he is assaulted slaine in battell and canonized a saint after his death The xxix Chapter NOw will we after all these differing discourses of the British chronologers approch and draw as néere as we can to the truth of the historie touching Oswald king of the Northumbers of whom we find that after he had tasted of Gods high fauour extended to himwards in vanquishing his enimies as one minding to be thankefull therefore he was desirous to restore the christian faith through his whole kingdome sore lamenting the decay thereof within the same and therefore euen in the beginning of his reigne he sent vnto Donwald the Scotish king with whome he had béene brought vp in the time of his banishment the space of 18 yéeres requiring him to haue some learned Scotishman sent vnto him skilfull in preaching the word of life that with godly sermons and wholesome instructions he might conuert the people of Northumberland vnto the true and liuing God promising to interteine him with such prouision as apperteined At his instance there was sent vnto him one Corman a clerke singularlie well learned and of great grauitie in behauiour but for that he wanted such facilitie and plaine vtterance by waie of gentle persuading as is requisite in him that shall instruct the simple onelie setting foorth in his sermons high mysteries and matters of such profound knowledge as the verie learned might scarselie perceiue the perfect sense and meaning of his talke his trauell came to small effect so that after a yéeres remaining there he returned into his countrie declaring amongst his brethren of the cleargie that the people of Northumberland was a froward stubborne and stiffe-harted generation whose minds he could not frame by anie good meanes of persuasion to receiue the christian faith so that he iudged it lost labour to spend more time amongst them being so vnthankfull and intractable a people as no good might be doone vnto them Amongst other learned and vertuous prelats of the Scots there chanced one to be there present at the same time called Aidan a man of so perfect life that as Beda writeth he taught no otherwise than he liued hauing no regard to the cares of this world but whatsoeuer was giuen him by kings or men of wealth and riches that he fréelie bestowed vpon the poore exhorting other to doo the like This Aidan hearing Cormans woords perceiued anon that the fault was not so much in the people as in the teacher and therefore declared that as he thought although it were so that the people of Northumberland gaue no such attentiue eare vnto the preaching of that reuerend prelate Corman as his godlie expectation was they should haue doone yet might it be that his vttering of ouer manie mysticall articles amongst them farre aboue the capacitie of the vnderstanding of simple men was the cause why they so lightlie regarded his diuine instructions whereas if he had according to the counsell of Saint Paule at the first ministred vnto their tender vnderstandings onelie milke without harder nourishments he might happilie haue woone a farre greater number of them vnto the receiuing of the faith and so haue framed them by little and little to haue digested stronger food And therefore he thought it necessarie in discharge of their duties towards God and to satisfie the earnest zeale of king Oswald that some one amongst them might be appointed to go againe into Northumberland to trie by procéeding in this maner afore alledged what profit would thereof insue The bishops hearing the opinion of Aidan and therewith knowing Cormans maner of preaching iudged the matter to be as Aidan had declared and therevpon not onelie allowed his woords but also willed him to take the iournie vpon him sith they knew none so able with effect to accomplish their wished desires in that behalfe Aidan for that he would not seeme to refuse to take that in hand which he himselfe had motioned was contented to satisfie their request and so set forward towards Northumberland and comming thither was ioifullie receiued of king Oswald who appointed him the I le of Lindesfarne wherein to place the see of his new bishoprike This Aidan in one point varied from the vse of the new begun church of England that is to say touching the time of obseruing the feast of Easter in like maner as all the bishops of the Scots and Picts inhabiting within Britaine in those daies did following therein as they tooke it the doctrine of the holie and praise-woorthie father Anatholius But the Scots that inhabited the south parts of Ireland alreadie were agréed to obserue that feast according to the rules of the church of Rome Howbeit Aidan being thus come into Northumberland applied himselfe so earnestlie in praier and preaching that the people had him within short while in woonderfull estimation chiefelie for that he tempered his preachings with such swéet and pleasant matter that all men had a great desire to heare him insomuch that sometime he was glad to preach abroad in churchyards bicause the audience was more than could haue roome in the church One thing was a great hinderance to him that he had not the perfect knowledge of the Saxon toong But Oswald himselfe was a great helpe to him in that matter who being desirous of nothing so much as to haue the faith of Christ rooted in the harts of his subiects vsed as an interpretor to report vnto the people in their Saxon toong such whole sermons as Aidan vttered in his mother toong For Oswald hauing béene brought vp as ye haue hard in Scotland during the time of his banishment was as readie in the Scotish as he was in the Saxon toong The people then seeing the kings earnest desire in furthering the doctrine set foorth by Aidan were the more inclined to heare it so that it was a maruellous matter to note what numbers of people dailie offred themselues to be baptised insomuch that within the space of seuen daies as is left in writing he christened 15 thousand persons of the which no small part forsaking the world betooke themselues to a solitarie kind of life Thus by his earnest trauell in continuall preaching and setting foorth the gospell in that countrie it came to passe in the end that the faith was generallie receiued of all the people and such zeale to aduance the glorie of the christian religion dailie increased amongst them that no where could be found greater Heerevpon were no small number of

licence to go into Mercia was gladlie receiued of king Uulfhere and well enterteined in so much that the said king gaue vnto him lands and possessions conteining 50 families or housholds to build a monasterie in a certeine place within the countrie of Lindsey called Etbearne But the sée of his bishoprike was assigned to him at Lichfield in Staffordshire where he made him a house néere to the church in the which he with 7 or 8 other of his brethren in religion vsed in an oratorie there to praie and reade so often as they had leasure from labour and businesse of the world Finallie after he had gouerned the church of Mercia by the space of two yeares and an halfe he departed this life hauing 7 daies warning giuen him as it is reported from aboue before he should die after a miraculous maner which because in the iudgement of the most it may séeme méere fabulous we will omit and passe ouer His bodie was first buried in the church of our ladie but after that the church of saint Peter the apostle was builded his bones were translated into the same In the yeare of our Lord 671 which was the second yeare after that Theodorus the archbishop came into this land Oswie king of Northumberland was attached with a grieuous sicknesse and died thereof the 15 kalends of March in the 58 yeare of his age after he had reigned 28 yeares complet AFter Oswie his sonne Egfrid succéeded in rule of the kingdome of Northumberland in the third yeare of whose reigne that is to say in the yeare of our Lord 673 Theodorus the archbishop of Canturburie kept a synod at Herford the first session whereof began the 24 of September all the bishops of this land being present either in person or by their deputies as Bisi bishop of Estangle Wilfrid of Northumberland by his deputie Putta bishop of Rochester Eleutherius bishop of Westsaxon and Wilfrid bishop of Mercia In the presence of these prelats the archbishop shewed a booke wherein he had noted ten chapters or articles taken out of the booke of the canons requiring that the same might be receiued 1 The first chapter was that the feast of Easter should be kept on the sundaie following the fourtéenth day of the first moneth 2 The second that no bishop should intermedle in an others diocesse but he contented with the cure of his flocke committed to him 3 The third that no bishop should disquiet in anie thing anie monasterie consecrated to God nor take by violence anie goods that belonged vnto the same 4 The fourth that bishops being moonks should not go from monasterie to monasterie except by sufferance and permission of their abbats should continue in the same obedience wherein they stood before 5 The fift that none of the cleargie should depart from his bishop to run into anie other diocesse nor comming from anie other place should be admitted except he brought letters of testimonie with him But if anie such chanced to be receiued if he refused to returne being sent for home both he and his receiuer should be excommunicated 6 The sixt that bishops and other of the cleargie being strangers should hold them content with the benefit of hospitalitie should not take in hand anie priestlie office without licence of the bishop in whose diocesse he chanced so to be remaining 7 The seuenth that twice in the yeare a synod should be kept but because of diuers impediments herein it was thought good to them all that in the kalends of August a synod should be kept once in the yeare at a certeine place called Cloofeshough 8 The eighth chapter was that no one bishop should by ambition séeke to be preferred aboue another but that euerie one should know the time and order of his consecration 9 The ninth that as the number of the christians increased so should there be more bishops ordeined 10 The tenth was touching mariages that none should contract matrimonie with anie person but with such as it should be lawfull for him by the orders of the church none should match with their kinsfolke no man should forsake his wife except as the gospell teacheth for cause of fornication But if anie man did put awaie his wife which he had lawfullie married if he would be accounted a true christian he might not be coopled with an other but so remaine or else be reconciled to his owne wife These articles being intreated of and concluded were confirmed with the subscribing of all their hands so as all those that did go against the same should be disgraded of their priesthood and separated from the companie of them all THe forsaid Bisi that was bishop of the Eastangles and present at this synod was successor vnto Bonifacius which Bonifacius held that sée 17 yéeres and then departing this life Bisi was made bishop of that prouince and ordeined by the archbishop Theodore This Bisi at length was so visited with sicknesse that he was not able to exercise the ministration so that two bishops were then there elected and consecrated for him the one named Aecci and the other Baldwin In this meane while that is about the yéere of our Lord 872 or in the beginning of 873 as Harison noteth Kenwalch king of the Westsaxons departed this life after he had reigned 30 yéeres This Kenwalch was such a prince as in the beginning he was to be compared with the woorst kind of rulers but in the middest and later end of his reigne to be matched with the best His godlie zeale borne towards the aduancing of the christian religion well appéered in the building of the church at Winchester where the bishops sée of all that prouince was then placed His wife Seghurga ruled the kingdome of Westsaxons after him a woman of stoutnesse inough to haue atchiued acts of woorthie remembrance but being preuented by death yer she had reigned one whole yéere she could not shew anie full proofe of hir noble courage I remember that Matth West maketh other report heereof declaring that the nobilitie remooued hir from the gouernment But I rather follow William Malmesburie in this matter TO procéed after Segburga was departed this life or deposed if you will néeds haue it so Escuinus or Elcuinus whose grandfather called Cuthgisio the brother of K. Kinigils succéeding in gouernment of the Westsaxons reigned about the space of two yéeres and after his deceasse one Centiuinus or Centwine tooke vpon him the rule and continued therein the space of nine yeeres But Beda saith that these two ruled at one-time and diuided the kingdom betwixt them Elcuinus fought against Uulfhere king of Mercia a great number of men being slaine on both parties though Uulfhere yet had after a maner the vpper hand as some haue written In the same yéere that the synod was holden at Herford that is to say in the yéere of our Lord 673 Egbert the king of

so at length by their diligent trauell the matter was taken vp and the armies being dismissed on both parts earle Goodwine was restored to his former dignitie Herevpon were pledges deliuered on his behalfe that is to say Wilnotus one of his sonnes and Hacun the sonne of Swanus the eldest sonne of Goodwine These two pledges were sent vnto William duke of Normandie to be kept with him for more assurance of Goodwines loialtie Some write that Swanus the eldest sonne of Goodwine was not reconciled to the kings fauour at this time but whether he was or not this is reported of him for a truth that after he had attempted sundrie rebellions against king Edward he lastlie also rebelled against his father Goodwine and his brother Harold and became a pirate dishonouring with such manifold robberies as he made on the seas the noble progenie whereof he was descended Finallie vpon remorse of conscience as hath béene thought for murthering of his coosine or as some say his brother erle Bearne he went on pilgrimage to Hierusalem and died by the way of cold which he caught in returning homeward as some write in Licia but others affirme that he fell into the hands of Saracens that were robbers by the high waies and so was murthered of them At what time William duke of Normandie came ouer into England king Edward promiseth to make him his heire to the kingdom and crowne the death of queene Emma earle Goodwine being growne in fauor againe seeketh new reuenges of old grudges causing archbishop Robert and certeine noble Normans his aduersaries to be banished Stigand intrudeth himselfe into archbishop Roberts see his simonie and lacke of learning what maner of men were thought meet to be made bishops in those daies king Edward beginneth to prouide for the good and prosperous state of his kingdome his consideration of lawes made in his predecessours times and abused the lawes of S. Edward vsuallie called the common lawes how whereof and wherevpon institured the death of earle Goodwine being sudden as some say or naturall as others report his vertues and vices his behauiour and his sonnes vpon presumption and will in the time of their authorities his two wiues and children the sudden and dreadfull death of his mother hir selling of the beautifull youth male and female of this land to the Danish people The fourth Chapter THe foresaide William duke of Normandie that after conquered this land during the time of Goodwines outlawrie 〈…〉 to this land with 〈…〉 of men and 〈…〉 receiued of the king 〈…〉 great chéere Now after he had taried a season hereturned into his countrie not without great gifts of iewels and other things which the king most liberallie bestowed vpon him And as some write the king promised him at that time to make him his heire to the realme of England if he chanced to die without issue ¶ Shortlie after or rather somewhat before queene Emma the kings mother died and was buried at Winchester After that earle Goodwine was restored to the kings fauour bicause he knew that Robert the archbishop of Canturburie had beene the chéefe procurer of the kings euill will towards him he found means to weare him out of credit and diuers other specially of the Normans bearing the world in hand that they had sought to trouble the state of the realme to set variance betwixt the king and the lords of the English nation whereas the Normans againe alledged that earle Goodwine and his sonnes abused the kings soft and gentle nature would not sticke to ieast and mocke at his curteous and mild procéedings But howsoeuer the matter went archbishop Robert was glad to depart out of the realme and going to Rome made complaint in the court there of the iniuries that were offred him but in returning through Normandie he died in the abbeie of Gemmeticum where he had bene moonke before his comming into England Diuerse others were compelled to forsake the realme at the same time both spirituall men and temporall as William bishop of London and Ulfe bishop of Lincolne Osberne named Pentecost and his companion Hugh were constreined to surrender their castels and by licence of earle Leosrike withdrew thorough his countrie into Scotland where of king Mackbeth they were honorablie receiued These were Normans for as partlie ye haue heard king Edward brought with him no small number of that nation when he came from thence to receiue the crowne and by them he was altogither ruled to the great offending of his owne naturall subiects the Englishmen namelie earle Goodwine and his sonnes who in those daies for their great possessions and large reuenues were had in no small reputation with the English people After that Robert the archbishop of Canturburie was departed the realme as before ye haue heard Stigand was made archbishop of Canturburie or rather thrust himselfe into that dignitie not being lawfullie called in like manner as he had doone at Winchester for whereas he was first bishop of Shireborne he left that church and tooke vpon him the bishoprike of Winchester by force and now atteining to be archbishop of Canturburie he kept both Winchester and Canturburie in his hand at one instant This Stigand was greatlie infamed for his couetous practises in sale of possessions apperteining to the church He was nothing learned but that want was a common fault amongest the bishops of that age for it was openlie spoken in those daies that he was méet onelie to be a bishop which could vse the pompe of the world voluptuous pleasures rich rament and set himselfe foorth with a iollie retinue of gentlemen and seruants on horssebacke for therein stood the countenance of a bishop as the world then went and not in studie how to haue the people fed with the word of life to the sauing of their soules King Edward now in the twelfth yeare of his reigne hauing brought the state of the realme quite from troubles of warre both by sea and land began to foresée as well for the welth of his subiects as for himselfe being naturallie inclined to wish well to all men He therefore considered how by the manifold lawes which had beene made by Britaines Englishmen and Danes within this land occasion was ministred to manie which measured all things by respect of their owne priuate gaine and profit to peruert iustice and to vse wrongfull dealing in stead of right clouding the same vnder some branch of the lawe naughtilie misconstrued Wherevpon to auoid that mischiefe he picked out a summe of that huge and vnmesurable masse and heape of lawes such as were thought most indifferent and necessarie therewith ordeined a few those most wholesome to be from thenceforth vsed according to whose prescript men might liue in due forme and rightfull order of a ciuill life These lawes were afterwards called the common lawes and also saint Edward his lawes so much esteemed of the