the Parliament of England to do this homage And escuage was first invented for them and the Scots as Ployden saith against whom War was made by the Kings of England as rebels not as enemies for that they were subject to England and were within the Sea And so those of Wales were subject to the King of England Vide Ploid fol. 129. B. though they were not parcel of the body of the Realm of England And hence was it that Henry the third upon the often revolts of the Welch endeavoured to assume the territory of Wales as forfeited to himself and conferred the same upon Edward the Longshank his Heir-apparent who took upon him the name of Prince of Wales yet could not obtain the possession or any profit thereby for the former Prince of Wales continued his government for which cause between him and the said Edward Wars did rage whereof the said Edward complaining to King Henry his Father An. 1257. fol. 914. who made him this answer as Mathew Paris reciteth it Quid ad me tuâ— terra ex dono meo est Exerce vires primitivas famam excita juvenilem de caetero timeant inimici c. What is your territory to me it is of my gift Advance your primitive forces stir up your juvenile renown and as for the residue let your enemies fear you c. which according to his Fathers Heroical incouragement he fortunately enterprised for as the Comaedian to that purpose Vt quisque filium suum vult esse Terent. ita est And not long after sundry Battails were fought between the said Edward both before and after he was King of England with Leolan the last Prince of the Welch blood and David his brother until both the said Prince and his said Brother were overcome by the said Edward after he was King of England who thereby first made a conquest of Wales and afterwards annexed it to the Crown of England The territory of Wales being thus united the said King Edward used means to obtain the peoples good will thereby to strengthen that which he had gotten by effusion of blood with the good will and affection of his subjects who promised their most harty and humble obedience if it would please the King to remain among them himself in person or else to appoint over them a governour that was of their own Nation and Countrey Whereupon the cunning King projecteth a pretty policy and sendeth his Queen being then great with child into Wales where she was delivered of a Son in the Castle of Carnarvon The King thereupon sent for all the Barons of Wales and remembred them of their submiss assurance tendred according to their former proffers if they should have a governour of their own countrey and who could not speak one word of English whose life and conversation no man was able to stain or blemish and required their offered obedience whereunto they yeilding the King presented unto them his said Son born at Carnarvon Castle whom thereupon the Barons unanimously embraced for their Prince and afterwards made their homage to him at Crester Anno. 29. Edw. 1. as Prince of Wales And though the Welch Nation do not willingly acknowledge the aforesaid conquest but refer it rather to this composition yet as Sir John Davis saith Edward the first made a conquest of the Dominion of Wales Davys vep fol. 41. B. as it is expressed in his charter or statute of Rutland where it is said Divina providentia terram Walliae cum incolis suis prius nobis jure feodali subjectam in proprietatis nostrae dominium convertit coronae Regis nostri annexit And thereupon according to the course and power of conquerours as the same Author saith he changed their Laws and customs as it is also expressed in the said charter or statute For as to the Laws and customs he saith Quasdam illarum de concilio procerum regni nostri delevimus Quasdam correximus etiam quasdam alias adjiciendas faciend as decrevimus c. Some of them by the council of the Peers of our Realm have we expunged some have we corrected and also some have we determined to be made and added and as another saith divided some parts thereof into shires and appointed Laws for the government of that people Yet though the King had gained the property of that Kingdom and that the Inhabitants of it de Alto Basso as it is recited in the said charter had submitted themselves to his will yet it appears that he did admit all those who would be ruled and governed by the common Law of England which he had established among them by the said charter to have Frank Tenement and Inheritance in their Lands for there he prescribeth a form of the writ de Assize de novel disseisin de mort Dauncaster de dower to be brought of Lands in Wales according to the course of the common Law of England and when they wanted a writ of form to supply the present case they used the writ Quod ei deforceat 2. E. 4.12 A. Thus was the Dominion of Wales united to the crown of England by the valour and wisdome of Edward the first and the principality of it hath constantly since appertained to the Eldest Sons of the Kings of England Ployd Com. fol. 126. B. as Ployden saith from all time that there hath been a Prince of Wales or as Sir John Doderidge to the eldest Son or the next succeeding Heir For Henry the third first made Edward the first his eldest Son Prince of Wales and gave to him the Dominion and dignity of it and also Edward the second after he was King of England created Edward the third in his life time Prince of Wales and the Lady Mary eldest Danghter of King Henry the eight Doderidge principality of Wales fol. 39. and afterwards Queen of England did carry the title of Princess of Wales Et Sic de Similibus Yet notwithstanding this conquest by Edward the first and general submission of the Welch were there divers insurrections fomented by them against the former established Government and especially one which happened in his Raign raised by Rice up Meredick who rebelled against the King upon which all the lands of the said Meredick were confiscated as forfeited and seised by the said King Doderidge Prince of Wales fol. 8 and nominally given by his successour Edward the third to Edward the black Prince Prince of Wales for his better maintenance and honourable support and though after the death of the Father they assisted Edward the second his son in his Wars against the Scots Herbert Hen. 6. and got victories for Edward the third and stood firm during all the differences in this realm to his Grandchild Richard the second yet when the unfortunate and fatal Wars happened between the two Houses of York and Lancaster the Welchmen fell from their fidelity to the Crown hoping upon that disasterous
death of the King eveening which was juridically inflicted on him for his tyranny to prevent succeeding tyranny As in the Declaration of Parliament is express'd the Parliament was necessitated to the alteration in Government and to the setling the Government in a way of a free state which according to the practise of the Romans whom in this tractate we have chosen for a president was adjudged convenient and conducible for the good of this Nation as it was for theirs when for the tyranny of Tarquinius Superbus they did change their royal rule into the free commonwealth neither doth such a transmutation alter the substance and essence of a state for the form of a commonwealth or city being changed the commonwealth or city remaineth the same Neque enim as Grâ—tius saith refert quomode gubernetur an rege Grotius de I B. P. l. 2. c. 9. an plurium an multitudinis imperio Idem enim est populus Romanus sub Regibus Consulibus Imperatoribus Neither is it material how it is governed whether by a King or by the command of more or a multitude but the formal difference consisteth in the quality and vertue of the Governours for as learned and Judicious Patricius who was born in a free City and did compose two elaborate and accurate Volumes the first being in commendation of a free State and the second in praise of Principality comparing the one with the other affirmeth that if a Commonwealth be governed by one good man that kind of Government as it was the first so it is the best Patric dâ— Rep. l. 1. tit 1. but if through the vices and tyranny of the Prince is be devolved into a free State such Government is also to be approved and extolled lest the people being factious and carried away with lust and avarice ruine the estates of the best deserved Citizens and will not be satisfied without the effusion of blood or banishment which as the same Author saith was the overthrow of the Athenian Commonwealth and concludeth with the determination of Xenophon Patric de princ l. 1. tit 3. Omnes civiles civitates vitio eorum ruere qui illis praesunt that all civil Cities are ruined by the vices of those that have authority over them for if they be rightly governed they may be omnino perpetuae immortales altoâ—ether perpetual and immortal But to return to the point whence my Penstarted the Scors incensed with the dismal and ignominious death of their King and total deprivation of his issue from the inheritance of the Crown of England began to muster up in their mindes hostile thoughts of revenge and to dream of the conquest of England they having a title to it by their King and many Cavaliers and Royalists dormant in that State vigorously to assist them And therefore his Father being deprived of this life they treated with CHARLES his Son and Heir being then in Forreign parts upon certain Presbyterian Covenants to come and succeed his Father in that Crown which he accepting was royally by them received and solemnly crowned KING of Scotland And now the Scots proud of their Native King he being indeed a gallant Gentleman and by reason of the civil Wars brought up in the field of Mars began to prepare an Army for the Invasion of England of which the circumspect Parliament having intelligence all the actions of the Enemy being as equally known to them as their own to prevent the imminent danger which was esteem'd great they being unanimously united under one Head who before were divided and besides aided by forreign Princes upon a serious debate created Oliver Cromwell for their General as a man equivalent to so perilous a Design Sueton. who Elatus gaudio as Caesar was when by the consult of the Senate he was decreed to march against the Gaules the ancient terror of Rome to give him his due without envy or flattery with the Caesarean celerity and a compleat and well disciplined Army marched up into the bowels of Scotland wisely projecting to make it the miserable Seat of War and by provoking the Enemy to increase confidence in his Commilitons and to dishearten theirs with whom was conjoined Lieut. Gen. Lambert due fulmina belli who in the end thundered them all in pieces but they in the beginning though exceeding them in number would not adventure to hazard a battel but endeavoured by Fabian cunctations and deprivation of necessaries to weaken and diminish their forces continually retreating and drawing them into moorish and unsound places whereby many perished and divers fell into pernicious diseases so as the General was constrained to retire with the reliques of his Army towards the Sea with an intention to ship them for England which the numerous Scottish Army conceiving being well accomplished and furnished with sound and able men and sufficient necessaries pursued them at the heels and having cooped them up within a Nook of land and encompassed them within the Arms of the Sea thinking themselves sure of spoil and victory they boldly offered them battel which the General and Lambert his Lieut. General though environed with desperate extremes Veget. de mili l. 3. cheerfully and couragiously embraced Clausis in desperatione crescit audacia and with more then ordinary vigour and audacity piously excited their Commilitons being but a wearied and sick handful of men to that desperate encounter who resolving to die or gain the victory rushed with them into the battel And the General animating the Foot and the Lieut. General Lambert the Horse under the Word and Name of the Lord of Hosts obteined a glorious and wondrous Victory most of that mighty Army being slain or taken prisoners Dignos laude viros Musa vetat mori Whereas if the Scots had permitted them to passe and not forced them to fight upon such desperate straits and followed the military precept cum desperatis non est pugnandum they had made an inglorious return and the Scots had gained a fortunate opportunity upon a consequent Invasion to have subdued England 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Homcr Ibâ—ad 1. But God's will was done and the General skilful how to use his Victory with his victorious Army like an irresistible inundation over-ran the whole Countrey took Edenburgh and the Castles of Leith Dundee Brent Island as also St. Johnstons and Sterling Castle a place of incredible strength and in conclusion forced their hopeful KING with the remainder of his forces secretly to fly into England for Refuge upon vain hopes of second supplies but by the divine providence being prevented and stopping his course at Worcester was by the invincible General and his couragious Commilitons who with tedious and irksome marches at the length overtook him totally deseated and utterly vanquished many Nobles of Scotland being taken and committed with many thousand other inferiour persons By which Victory the conquest of Scotland was absolutely accomplished and ever since hath been subject to
auimos fraenat quae fortibus aequat Imbelles populisque duces By whose immature obit the final and entire conquest of Scotland was prevented which in all probability might have prosperously succeeded if the envious destinies hâ—â— not stopped the success of his victories or his succeeding son had beâ— a trusty Executor of his Fathers Tâ— stament but he resembled his Father in vertue no more then Dimitian did Vespasian or Commodeâ— Aâ—toninus and one day of his Fathers as Tully said of Antony waâ— more to be desired then an whole Age of his For he degenerating from his fathers worth lost all by sloth and luxury which his father had won by valour and industry permitting the new Scotch King to take all the Garrisons and Castles in Scotland and without resistance to enter the English borders and to take and burn Towns that unless he would suffer him to pull his crown from his head he could doe no less then give him battel and in a manner forced him for his honour to levy an Army who like himself raised one more fit for a court then a camp which though it in number exceeded the Scottish Army was by it hamefully defeated the particulars and event of which would I could bury in oblivion so much doth it ecclipse the ancient glory of our Nation Which singular victorie so encouraged the Scots that for the space of three hundred years they were emboldned almost without any intermission to make War with the English to their little losse and prejudice and could never be throughly quieted and appeased until the happy arrival of James the King of Scots to the crown of England upon which ensued a blessed peace and union between those two discordant and belligerant Nations an hopeful union of both Kingdoms under one natural Liege Sovereign Bacon discourse of that union at which the Scottish Nation at the instant of his Majesties reign became Denisons and the â—ostuati were naturalized Subjects of England from the time forward and besides it was a conjunction of Allegiance and Obedience of the Subjects of both Kingdoms due by nature to their Sovereign which in substance is but the uniting of the hearts of the Subjects of both Kingdoms one to the other under one Head and Sovereign Cok. L. 7. Calvins case f. 15. from which proceeded the union of protection of both Kingdoms equally belonging to the Subjects of either of them Yet was not this Union so absolute but that there were many separations and distinctions between them as that they were distinct Kingdoms governed by several judicial and municipal laws and had distinct and separated Parliaments for which reason the said King with all the forces and faculties of his mind wherein he surmounted his Predecessors endeavoured more entirely to cement and conjoin them especially by laws which are the sinews of Societies For as Sir Francis Bacon naturalization doth not take away the mark of a Forreiner but union of laws makes us entire as our selves which taketh away both destruction and separation and to that end called a Parliament without which it could not legally be brought to pass For as Sir Edw. Coke Cok. lib. 7. Calvins case f. 17. a King that hath a Kingdom by descent seeing by the Laws of that Kingdom he doth not inherit that Kingdome he cannot change those laws of himself without consent of Parliament which though solenmly propounded and ardently pursued by his Majesty in Parliament as also vigorously and judiciously seconded by many of the ablest members of the house of Commons yet were the subjects of this kingdome in this point so refractory and adverse to the subjects of the other Kingdome that no union during that Kings raign at any time in any Parliament though often times moved could be voted ordained and established Augustis tamen excidit ausis And therefore this union lasted not long for that it was not setled and pertected according to the aforesaid principles and rules neither had it so long lasted but that that provident and circumspect King did conserve those two Emulous Nations in peace and unity more by his magnificency and humanity especially towards the subjects of the other Kingdome then by the politick precepts of union by whose debonarity and bounty the Scottish mens minds were so closely bound and knit unto him that as well in Scotlend whilst the King was absent no distast or discontent did break out among them as also they forsook their stable confederacy with the French which for many ages was the Source and Origin of implacable and bloody battels between the English and Scots they being thereunto incited and assâ—â—ed by the French whereas whilst the King reigned the Scots had little Correspondence with the French and in civil comport seemed to exceed the English being ready with them chearfully to conjoâ—n their forces against the affronts of any enemy whether Spaniard or French In this peaceable posture and union did King James leave the Scots when he left this light But his Sonne succeeding wanted his Fathers Kings craft and became too rigid towards the Scots and though he knew them addicted to the reformed Religion and the Geneva discipline yet would he obtrude upon them a book of common prayer framed by the Arch-bishops and Bishops wherein was contayned several seeds of idolatry superstition false Doctrine as they averred also a Canon annexed thereunto that whosoever should oppose the same should incurr the pain of excomunication with diâ—ers other canons fraught with errors and superstitions which wonderously inflamed the Scots and exasperated them to raise seditions and to rebel against their King for as Danaeus propter mutatam a Principe vel publice vel privatim religionem patriam ob peregrinam susceptam populus saepe a principe desciscit For the changing of the Religion of ones Countrey publiquely or privatly by the Prince and imposing a strange one the people doe often rebel against their Prince as here it hapned which they managed with such violence and confidence that a royall and terrible army of the English could not fright or dismay them but cunningly by degrees drew the English into their faction who unanimously conjoyning did eradicate the Hierarchy of Arch-bishops Bishops their jurisdiction book of common prayer and canons and the like trumpery in both Kingdomes and for many years adhered to the Parliament and maintained a defensive War against those evil counsellors as seduced and withdrew his Majesty from his Parliament But in the end the Scots fell into variance with the Parliament for many particular propositions concerning the interest and power of the King and chiefly for going about to diminish the just power and greatness of his Majesty which they by their covenant as was by them pretended their allegiance and duty as subjects were obliged to support and thereupon in a grievous discontent without taking their leaves left England and quite deserted the Parliament But not long after the fatal doom and
our common Laws that as we are one and the same common-wealth so we may be governed by one and the same Laws and they participate of the same honours and priviledges which is the surest means for the consolidation of such a union for the more entire the union is the less apt will they be upon any occasions to break and the imperfection of such a union being oftentimes the Origine and cause of Revolts a direful example of which is recorded in the Annals of the Roman Republick which as it was the best estate in the world so is it the best example which as in the frontispice we have followed so will we not forsake to the end Aneus Martius was the first that conquered the Latins who having by force taken many of their Towns received many thousands of them into the City of Rome as one body but because they were not equally intreated they joyned Armes with the Tarquinians against the people of Rome and though after a bloody battail they were reunited yet was not that union durable because not entire for that the people of Rome had not inserted them in their Tribes nor admitted them to participate of their immunities and honours for which reasons the Latins conceiving themselves to be undervalued and vilified were bold to demand the freedom of the city of Rome and that one of their consuls be of their countrey which being denyed they converted their demands into Armes Yet afterwards being again reconciled upon hopes to be enfranchised first by Fabius Flaccus one of the consuls who attempted the prorogation of the Law though impeded by the Senate and afterwards by Livius Brusus who was also opposed by the people at which exasperated seeing themselves deluded they made an association with the Hetrurians and the Sabius who because they were all by affinity of promiscuous marriages consanguineans and as Florus saith Florus l. 3. c. 18. unum corpus with the people of Rome and that they had augmented that city by their valour and yet were dispised they jointly made War against the City of Rome as well those who lived in the City as those who abided in Italy which was called Bellum sociale but indeed bellum civile Ibid acivil and destructive War both to the people of Rome and the Cities of Italy that as Florus saith Nec Annibalis nec Pyâ—rhi fuit tanta vastatio the devastation and depopulation of Hanniball and Pyrrhus was not soe great such were the fatall fruits of an imperfect union Whereupon the people of Rome instructed by fad experience did condiseend to a more intire union with them and permitted them to participate of the priviledges and honors of Rome being according to their worth preferred and placed in the Senate which Claudius in Tacitus urgeth in the like case for the bringing in of the chiefest of the French into the Senate in these words Neque enim ignoro Iulios Alba Tacit. l. 11. Caruncanios Camerio Portios Tusculo ne vetera scrutemur Etruria Lucaniaque omni Italia in Senatum accites Caeter a quis neseit And needs no application But in this case the sovereign use of the Law hath almost made me to omit the necessity of Arms and to demonstrate how through the insufficiency and debility of English Colonies and the Militia in Ireland a detestable and infernal design was hatched and contrived by the rebellious and bloody Papists whereby all the Forts and Magazins in that Kingdom were to be surprized in one day and all the English Protestants massacred and all Ireland in one day to be lost had it not through the providence of God the very night before been discovered by one only Irish man servant to one Sir John Clotworthy whom Macmahon had unadvisedly trusted with the Plot by which Dublin was saved and the seizure of the Castle the Kingdomes chief Magazine prevented to which purpose many rebels of great note came to the City the day before who upon the apprehension of Macmahon escaped with the Lord Macquire that night to do more mischief with the rest of the conspirators that were that day in all the country round about within two months space murthered 200000 protestanes many of them being by intollerable tortures brought to their end besides infinit numbers who were robbed and spoiled of all they had and daily driven naked and almost famished to Dublin for reliefe with whom the City was soc filled that they were enforced for the preservation of themselves and the lives of their wives children and families to fly for succour into the severall parts of the Dominions of England and Wales O nullo scelus credibile in avo Quodque posteritas negot Sen ' câ— Toyest It equalling if not exceeding in number and cruelty the execrable and perfidious Massacre of the Protestants in France and Paris For Ireland being destitute of a Deputy and military guards Hinc Hiberniae calamitas the Lord Justices Sir William Persons and Sir John Borlace were driven to take those Arms which they found in Dublin and to arm whom they could of a â—â—â—dain to defend themselves and the places near against the approach of the enemy In this dangerous streight and perillous condition did the estates of the English in Ireland stand who for want of a setled station of English Colonies were at the point to have lost themselves and that Countrey for the English were so involved in homebred civil Wars that the Parliament of England for a present aid could send them but twenty thousand pounds and though afterwards they transported some Regiments yet for the space of ten years were they unable to free that countrey from that malignant and pestilent enemy The Trojan Wars being incomparable to it for cruelty for through our daily discords and distractions their cursed cruel crue continually augmented almost to the overwhelming and destruction of the English But when all the malignants were quelled in England and the Royalists debelled in Scotland and that Dublin was besieged by the Irish with a formidable Army and in danger of a surrender General Cromwell was sent by the Parliament of England to relieve Dublin and suppress the Irish Rebels at whose approach Colonel Jones encouraged made an unexpected and suddain sally on the enemy and valiantly repelling them put them all to flight which the General pursuing within a short space bysnarp siedges regained those strong Towns and Garrisons which the Irish had surreptitiously surprized and by degrees cleared the countrey of such seditious Irish as seduced and corrupted the well affected of that Nation and having setled it in peace and safety at his return was honoured with the thanks of the Parliament And now the provident Parliament apprehending it more safe and advantagious to prevent commotions then to suppress them ordained and appointed English Colonies to be deduced into Ireland which they committed first to the charge of Lieutenant General Ireton and after his death to the Marshalling of Lieutenant General Charles Fleetwood who afterwards for his singular care and vigilancy was by the Lord Protector made Deputy of Ireland both of them being successively Commanders in chief of a competent Army and of all the Garrisons sufficiently fortifyed and to strike the more terror into Delinquents they censured the ringleaders of that Rebellion with Capital punnishment Vt poena ad paucos metus ad omnes perveniat Cok. Com. And confiscated all the lands and goods of some and sequestrated others to the use of the Commonwealth by which Roman Model Ireland ever since hath been ruled and preserved in peace and unity the English language also being through continual commerce the common speech among them To draw all to period By this I hope it is made perspicuous that unions of Kingdoms upon conquest upon which basis the most parts of such unions have been founded being purchased by valour are possessed and setled by the sweetness of clemency power of Armes severity of clemency power of Armes severity of Laws and communication of language which is fully demonstrated by that universal union of the Roman Orb as by the particular union of England Wales Scotland and Ireland which is by those means so compleatly perfected and by the prowess and prudence of the Parliament and it's Conquering Champions fetled that as it was worthily vowed by the late King James faciam cos In gentem unam which indeed he did endeavour to have effected so it may be truly averred of the Common-wealth of England Quod fecit cos in gentem unaâ— that it hath made those several Countries one Nation which the premised Roman course being observed may so remain and continue Dum coelum stellae eandem rationem obtinent whilst the Sun and Stars run the same course With this hypothetical caution if union be softred and cherished among our selves and ambitious and envious discord shnaned which as a swelling and eminent Rock â—â—sheth in pieces the firmest commonwealth approaching it which was the ruine of the Roman commonwealth it self as the Venusine Poet. Suis ipsa Roma viribus ruit Hor. e. 15. And therefore let us lay aside all occasions of diffidence and suspition which may breed discord and dissention and remember the animadversion of St. Paul that if you bite and devour one another take heed you be not consumed one of another for humana Consilia Castig antur ubi divinis praeferuntur Thus hath the Author rudely woven a difficult work which deserves a finer thread and a neater Artist yet proposing truth for his end he hopeth it may countenance the simplicity of the stile Cok. li. 10. ep for veritatis sermo simpleâ— and his labour whatsoever it is Tacit. Agr. for the profession of truth aut laudatus aut excusatus erit yet respecting himself he is so far from the imagination of praise that he shall conceive himself favourably dealt withal if he may find pardon for his presumption FINIS
no other way to make his victory permanent but by his valour But after the Norman conqueror had brought under his yoke and subjection the utmost parts of this Island and by his continual victories tamed the minds of his formidable enemies he like a Roman victor with all diligence laboured by imposition of Laws to reduce the English and the Normans into a peaceable and sociable union and accordingly propounded to himself an exact survey of all the antient Laws as the old Laws of the Saxons which where compounded of the British customs and their own which mention the Danish Law Danellage the Mercian Law Mercemlage and the West Saxon Westsaxonlage All these being considered by William the conquerour comparing them with the Laws â— Norway Ibid. which he most affected as Mr. Selden supposeth because by them a Bastard of a Concubine â—â— himself was had equal inheritance with the most legitimate son as Gerâ—â—se of Tilburyâ— in this dialogue de Seaccario saith Quasdam reprobarit quasdam autem approbans illis transmarinas Neustriae leges quae ad regni pacem tuendam efficacissimae videbantur addidit some he rejected and some he approving to them he added the forraign Norway Laws which seemed most efficacious for the preserving of the peace of the kingdom And such laws as he in writing allowed though by Roger Hovendon and Iugulphus they were called Leges Edwardi regis yet by Mathew Paris are they properly called Bonae approbatae antiquae regui leges the good and approved antient Laws of the Kingdom by denomination from the greater part And sometimes the Laws and customs of King William For clearly diverse Norman customs were in practise first mixt with them and to these times continue as Mr. Selden asserteth as that of Coverfeu which was constituted to prevent conspiracies combinations and robberies which were then very frequent and commonly contrived and practised in the night And therefore it was ordained that in all townes and villages a bell should be rung at eight of the Clock in the evening and that in every house they should then put out their fire and lights which bell was therfore called Coverfeu and then to go to bed which among many other was one of the laws much conducing to the preservation of peace By which so great a peace was setled in the Kingdom as by Henry of Huntington he is stiled the Author of peace whose words are these Pacis author tantus quod puella auro onusta regnum Angliae transire possit impune He was so great an Author of peace that a Virgin laden with gold might without danger passe through the Kingdome of England And seeing his people to be part Normans Bacon uses of the law fol. 31. and part Saxons the Normans he brought with him the Saxons he found here he bent himself to conjoin them by marriages in amity and for that purpose ordains that if those of his Nobles Knights and Gentlemen should die leaving their Heir within age a Male within one and twenty and a Female within fourteen years and unmarried then the King should have the bestowing of such in such a Family and to such persons as he should think meet which was commonly to his Normans which interest of marriage went still imployed and doth continue at this day in every tenure is called Knights service Then he also commanded all his laws to be written in French and all causes and matters of law to be prosecuted pleaded and dispatched in the French language as the Romans did in Latin that the English thereby might be invited to addict their minds to the knowledge of that Language That whereas they were made by Laws as it were one people so by this constitution they might be brought to be of one Language In this manner through the prowess and prudence of the Norman Conquerour were the English and the Normans so entirely united that they seemed one Nation and one people without any difference or distinction of respect and honour as Dido promised the Trojans Tros Tyriusque mihi nullo discrimine agetur Which may more effectually be applied to him for he and his Progeny reigned over them so united for the space of five hundred years The next bordering Principality to England is Wales and therefore first in order by the English to be conquered according to the Roman Example as indeed it was A stout and hardy Nation Bellicosissima gens as Cambden and indeed the reliques of the auntient Britans who because they would not subject themselues to the Tyranny of the Saxous as the other English did were forced by their armes to retreat into the Western Region of that Island for refuge surrounded with the muniments of nature as mountaines and armes of the Sea which antiently was called Cambria as the people at this present Cambro-Britauni In so much as the Saxons were unable by their force to make way unto them and to overcome them And though by some of the Saxon Kings a ditch of a wonderfull work was framed which was called King Offa his ditch by which they divided that Country from England and called them Walshmen that is to say unto them strangers yet did they continually with fire and sword spoile and depopulate their fieldes and Cities And when the Heptarchy of the Saxons was devolved into a Monarchy could they onely by Athelstane that victorious King be made tributary nay William the Conqueror the terror of his time Cujus nomen as William of Westminster exterae remotae gentes timebant whose ruine and downfall the Welch also conspired And therfore as the said William saith though he raised a Copious army against the Welch with an intention to subject them to his sword as he had done the English yet did he meâ—â— with such martiall resistance that he was content to accept of their homage with faithfull hostages to pay him tribute though after upon their restless commotions he placed divers of his Norman Nobility upon the confines towards Wales and gave a power unto the persons thus placed to make such conquests on the Welch as they by their own strength could accomplish whereby divers of those parts were won by the Sword from the Welchmen which were planted with English Colonies and called Barons Marches Which though his Son William Rufus seconded yet was it a great glory for him only to conquer the Shire of Pembroke which was a very ancient Shire of Wales so as this parcel of this Island called Wales was no parcel of the Dominion of the Realm of England but was distinguished from the same and was as it were a Realm of it self not governed by the laws of England Ployd Com. 192. as the Books of the laws of this Realm do testifie yet nevertheless afterwards was the same Dominion of Wales holden in chief and in Fee of the Crown of England and the Prince thereof being then of their own Nation was compellable upon Summons to appeare in