Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
england_n ambassador_n france_n king_n 7,641 5 4.2834 3 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A17848 Remaines of a greater worke, concerning Britaine, the inhabitants thereof, their languages, names, surnames, empreses, wise speeches, poësies, and epitaphes; Remaines concerning Britain Camden, William, 1551-1623. 1605 (1605) STC 4521; ESTC S107408 169,674 306

There are 26 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

Regi Regilianus whereat the souldiers which in all actions are forward beganne with acclamation Ergo potest Rex esse Ergo potest regere Deus tibi regis nomen imposuit and so invested him with imperiall roabes In this Isle also at Silcaster in Hamshire Constantinus a militarie man of some reputation in hope of his luckie name and that he would proue another Constantinus Magnus to the good of the people was by the Britan Armie proclaimed emperour against Henorius who exployted great matters in his owne person in Gallia and by his son in Spaine So in former times the name of Antoninus in remembrance of Antoninus Pius was so amiable among the Romans as he was supposed vnfit for the empire who bare not that name vntill Antoninus Elagabalus with his filthie vices distained the same We reade also that two Ambassadours were sent out of France into Spaine to King Alphonse the 9 to d●mand one of the daughters that he begat of the daughter of King Henry the second of England to be married to their Soveraigne King Lewes the eight one of these Ladies was very beautifull called Vrraca the other not so beautifull but named Blanche When they were presented to the Ambassadours all men held it as a matter resolved that the choyce would light vpon Vrraca as the elder and fairer But the Ambassadours enquiring each of their names tooke offence at Vrraca and made choyce of the Lady Blanche saying That her name would be better received in France than the other as signifying faire and beautifull according to the verse made to her honour Candida candescens candore cordis oris So that the greatest Philosopher Plato might seeme not without cause to advise men to be carefull in giving faire and happie names as the Pythagoreans affirmed the mindes actions and successes of men to be according to their Fate Genius and Name One also well observeth that these seven things Virtue good Parentage Wealth Dignity or Office good Presence a good Christian name with a gratious Surname and seemely attire doe especially grace and adorne a man And accordingly saieth Panormitan Ex bono nomine oritur bona presumptio As the common Proverb Bonum nomen bonum omen The divell neverthelesse who alwayes maligneth God and goodnesse wrought by the cruelty of Valens the emperour the destruction of many men of worth who hadde happy names beginning with Theo signifying God as Theodorus Theodubis Theodoretus Theodosius c. For that diverse curious companions had found by the falling of a ring magically prepared vpon those letters onely of all the Alphab●t graven in a Charger of sundry mettals and set vpon a Laurell trivet that one who had his name beginning with Theod should succeede in the empire which was verified in Theodosius not long after In times of Christianity the names of most holy and vertuous persons and of their most worthy progenitors were given to stir vp men to the imitation of them whose names they bare But succeeding ages little regarding saint Chrysostoms admonition to the contrary have recalled prophane names so as now 〈…〉 names of vnhappy disastre are as 〈◊〉 some 〈…〉 they were in Paga●●sm●s Albeit in our late 〈…〉 of good consideration have brought in 〈…〉 Iosias c. as better agreeing with our saith but without contempt of our countrey names as I hope which have both good and gratious significations as shal appeare hereafter Whereas in late yeeres Surnames have beene given for Christian names among vs and no where else in Christendome although many dislike it for that great inconvenience will ensue neverthelesse it seemeth to proceede from hearty good-will and affection of the Godfathers to show their love or from a desire to continue and propagate their owne names to succeeding ages And is in no wise to be disliked but rather approoved in those which matching with heires generall of worshipful antient families have given those names to their heires with a mindefull and thankefull regard of them as we have now Pickering Wott●n Grevill Varney Bassingburne Ga●●dy Culthorp Parker Pees●ll Brac●● Fuz-Raulfe Chamberlaine who are the hei●●s of Pickering 〈◊〉 Bassingburn Grevill Calthorp c. For beside the continuation of the name we see that the selfe name yea somtime the similitude of names doth kindle sparkles of love and liking among meere strangers Neither can I beleeve a waiward olde man which would say that the giving of Surnames for Christian names first began in the time of king Edward the sixt by such as would be Godfathers when they were more then halfe fathers and thereupon would have perswaded some to change such names at the Confirmation Which that I may note by the way is vsuall in other countries as wee remember two sonnes of king Henry the second of France christ●●ed by the names of Alexander and Hercules ch●●●ged them at their Confirmation into 〈◊〉 and Francis But two Christian names are rare in England and I only remember now his Maiesty who was named Charles Iames as the Prince 〈…〉 and among private men Thomas Maria Wingfield and sir Thomas P●sth●●●us Hobby Although it is common in Ita●●e to adioyne the name of some Saint in a kinde of devotion to the Christian name as 〈◊〉 Baptista Spinalu Iohannes Franciscns Bor●omeus Marcus Antonius 〈◊〉 and in Spaine to adde the name of the Saint on whose day the childe was borne If that any among vs have named their children Remedian 〈◊〉 Imago s●eu● or with such like names I knowe some will thinke it more then a vanitie as they do but little better of the new names Free-gift Reformation Earth Dust Ashes Delivery More fruite Tribulation The Lord is neare More triall Discipline Ioy againe From above which have lately beene given by some to their children with no evill meaning but vpon some singular and precise conceit That I may omit another more vaine absurditie in giving names and surnames of ruen yea and of the best families to dogges beares and horses Whenas wee reade it was thought a capitall crime in Pomposiamas for calling his base bondslaves by the name of grand captaines Here I might remember how some mislike the giving of parents names successively to their heires for that if they should be forced to proove descent it will be hard to proove the Doner and the Done in Formedon and to distinguish the one from the other It were impertinent to note heere that destinies were superstitiously by Onomantin desciphered out of names as though the names and natures of men were sutable and fatall necessitie concurred heerein with voluntary motion in giving the name according to that of Ausonius to Probus Qualem cravit moribus Iussit vocari nomine Mundi supremus arbitar And after where he playeth with bibbing mother Mere● as thogh she were so named bicause she would to drink meere wine without water or as he pleasantly 〈◊〉 it ●●rum Merum for as he saieth Qui primus Mere● 〈◊〉
conioyned and beginne to close together into one in their most antient name of BRITAINE If any would vndertake the honour and precedence of Britaine before other Realmes in serious maner for heere I protest once for all I will passe over each thing lightly slightly a world of matter at the first view would present it selfe vnto him As that the true Christian Religion was planted heere most auntiently by Ioseph of Arimathia Simon Zelotes Aristobulus yea by saint Peter and saint Paul as may be prooved by Dorotheus Theod●●● Sophronius before the yere of Christ 200. it was propagated as Tertullian writes to places of Britaine ●accessa Ro●anis whither the Romans never reached which can not be vnderstoode but of that parte which was afterward called Scotland The kingdomes also are most auntient helde of God alone acknowledging no superiours in no vassalage to Emperour or Pope The power of the Kings more absolute than in most other kingdomes their territories very large for the Kings of England beside Ireland have commaunded from the Isles of Orkenay to the Pyrene Mountaines and are de iure Kings of all France by descent The Kings of Scotland beside the ample realm of Scotland commands the 300 Westerne Isles the 30. of Orkney Schetland Also which was accounted a special note of maiesty in former ages the Kings of England with them of Fraunce Ierusalem Naples and afterward Scotland were antiently the onely annointed Kings of Christendome which manner beganne among the Iewes was recontinued at length by the Christian Emperors of Constantinople with this word at the annoynting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Be holy and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be worthie and from thence was that sacred ceremonie brought to vs and the other kingdomes As for that admirable gift hereditary to the annoynted Princes of this Realme in curing the Kings Evil I referre you to the learned Discourse thereof lately written Neyther would it be forgotten that England in the opinion of the Popes when they swayd the world and their authoritie was held sacred was preferred because it contained in the Ecclesiasticall Division two large Provinces which had their severall Legatinati whereas Fraunce had scantly one That Scotland was by them accompted an exempt kingdome and a Peculiar properly appertaining to the Roman Chappell And which was accompted in that age a matter of honour when all Christianitie in the Counsell Constance was divided into Nations Anglicana Natio was one of the principall and no sub alterne As also that in times past the Emperour was accounted Maior filius Ecclesiae the King of France Filius Minor and the King of England Filius Tertius and Adoptivus And so in generall Councells as the King of Fraunce had place next the Emperour on the right hand so the King of England on the left and the Kings of Scotland as appeereth in an antient Roman Provinciall had next place before Castil● The Archbishops of Canterbury who were antiently stiled Archbishoppes of Britaine were adiudged by the Popes tanquam alterius orbis Pontifices Maximi and they had their place in all general Councells at the Popes right foote The Title also of Defensor fidei is as honourable and more iustly conferred vpon the Kings of England than either Christianissimus vpon the French or Catholicus vpon the Spaniard Neither is it to be omitted which is so often recorded in our Histories when Brithwald the Monke not long before the Conquest busied his brain much about the succession of the Crown because the blood Royall was almost extinguished he had a strange vision and heard a voyce which forbade him to be inquisitive of such matters resounding in his eares The kingdome of England is Gods owne kingdome and for it God himselfe will provide But these such like are more fit for a graver Treatise than this I will performe that I promised in handling nothing seriously and therfore I will bring you in some Poets to speake in this behalfe for mee and will beginne with olde Alfred of Beverlie who made this for Britaine in generall which you must not reade with a censorious eye for it is as the rest I will cite of the middle age having heeretofore vsed all of more auntient and better times in an other worke But thus saide he of Britaine Insula praedives quae toto vix eget orbe Et cuius totus indiget orbis ope Insula praedives cuius miretur optet Delicias Salomon Octavianus opes For Scotland one lately in a far higher straine and more Poetically sung these Quis tibi frugifera 〈…〉 Aut aris gravides 〈◊〉 p●●dere 〈…〉 Et nitidos auro monces ferr●que rigent●● Deque met all●feris manantia 〈…〉 Quaeque bea●t alias communia commoda g●●tes● For England a very olde Epigr●●●tist made these with a Prosopopoeia of Nature the indulgent mother to England which doth comprise as much as the best wittes can nowe conceive in that behalfe Anglia terra ferax tibi pax secura quietem Multiplicem luxum merx opulenta dedit Tu nimio nec stricta gelu nec sydere fervens Clementi coelo temperieque places Cùm pareret Natura parens varioque favore Divideret dotes omnibus vna locis Seposuit potiora tibi matremque professa Insula fis ●oelix plenaque pacis ●●t Quicquid amat luxus quicquid desiderat vsus Ex t● proveniet vel aliunde tibi Accordingly it is written in the Blacke booke of the Exchequer that our Auncestors termed England a Store-house of Treasure and a Paradise of Pleasure in this verse Divitijsque sinum delicijsque larem So that not without cause Pope Innocentius the fourth most willingly and especially desired to see Divitias Londini delicias Westmonasterij In these respects to conclude most truely our Lucan singeth of this our countrey The fairest Land that from her thrusts the rest As if she car'd not for the world beside A world within herselfe vvith vvonders blest The inhabitants of Britaine AS all the Regions with the whole worlds frame and all therein was created by the Almightie for his last and most perfect worke that goodly vpright provident subtile wittie and reasonable creature which the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his vpright looke the Latines Homo for that he was made of Molde and we with the Germains call Man of his principall part the mind being the verie image of God and a pettie world within himselfe so he assigned in his divine providence this so happy and worthy a region to men of answerable worth if not surpassing yet equalling the most excellent inhabitants of the earth both in the endowments of minde lineaments of bodie and their deportment both in peace and warre as if I would enter into discourse I could very easily shew But overpassing their naturall inclination by heauenly influence answerable to the disposition of Aries Leo and Sagittary Iupiter with Mars
of the Greekes but other with more probabilitie deduce it from Eberard .i. excellent or supreme towardnes A name most vsuall in the ancient familie of the Digbyes EVSEBIVS gre Pious and religious godly-man EVSTACE gre Seemeth to be drawne from the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth Constant as Constantinus but the former ages turned it into Eustachius in Latine EVAN See Ivon EVTROPIVS gr Well mannered EZECHIAS Heb. Strength of the Lord. EZECHIEL Heb. Seeing the Lord. F FABIAN from Fabius who had his name from beanes as Valerian from Valerius Fabianus bishop of Rome martyred vnder Decius first gave reputation to this name FOELIX Lat Happy the same with Macarius among the Graecians FLORENCE Lat Flourishing as Thales with the Greekes Antonius with the Latines FRANCIS g●rm from Franc that is Free not servile or bond The same with the Greeke Eleutherius and the Latine Liberius FREDERIC germ Rich peace or as the Monk which made this allusion Peaceable raigne Est ●●ibenda fides rationi nominis huius Composit● Frederic 〈◊〉 componentia cuius S●●t FRIDERIC Frith ꝙ nisi pax Ric ꝙ nisi regnū Sic per 〈◊〉 Fredericus quid nisi vel rex Pacificus vel regia pax pax pacificusque For 〈◊〉 th' English have commonly vsed Frery and Fery which hath beene now a long time a christian name in the antient family of Tilney and luckie to their house as they report FREMVND Sax Free-peace FOVLK or FVLKE germ Some derive it from the German Vollg Noble and Gallant But I from Folc the English-Saxon woorde for people as though it were the same with Publius of the Romanes and onely translated from Publius as beloved of the people and commons FVLBERT Sax Full bright FVLCHER Sax Lord of people FERDINANDO See Beriram This name is so variable that I can not resolve what to say for the Spaniards make it Hernand and Hernan the Italians Ferando and Ferante the French Ferrant which is now become a surname with vs and the Latines Ferdinandus vnlesse wee may thinke it is fetcht by transposition from Fred and Rand that is Pure peace G GA●RIEL ●ebr Man of God or Strength of God GAMALIEL hebr Gods rewarde as Deodatus Theodorus and Theodosiu● GARRET for GERARD and GERALD See Everard for from thence they are de●●rted if we beleeve Ges●erus But rather Gerard may seeme to signifie All 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 All truth Gerwin All victorious and the German nation is so named as All and fully men GAVVEN a name devised by the author of king Arthurs fable if it be not Walwin See Walwin GEORGE gre Husbandman the same with Agricola a name of speciall respect in England since the victorious King Edward the third chose Saint George for his Patro●●c and the English in all encounters and batt●●les vsed the name of Saint George in their cries as the French did M●●ti●y S. Denis GEDEON Heb A Breaker or Destroyer GERMAN Lat of the same stocke Tr●e no counterfeit or a naturall brother S. German who suppressed the Pelagian heresie in Brittaine about the yeere 430. adva●●ced this name in this Isle GERVAS Ger●●sius in Latine for Gerfast as some Germans coniecture that is All sure firme or fast If ●● be so it is onely C●●stans translated But it is the name of a 〈◊〉 who suffered vnder Nero at Ma●lai●● who if hee were a 〈…〉 was it may signifie Grave Antient or Honourable as wrested from Gero●sius GEFFREY Ger. from Gaufred Ioyfull peace Kilianus translateth Gaw Ioyfull as the French doe Gay That Fred and Frid doe signifie peace is most certaine as Fred-stole i. Pacis cathedra See Frederic GILBERT germ I supposed heretofore to signifie Gold-like-bright as Aurelius or Aurelianus or yellow bright as Fl●vius with the Romans For Geele is yellow in old Saxon still in Dutch as Gilvus according to some in L●tin But because it is written in Dooms-day booke G●sl●bert I iudge it rather to signifie Bright or brave pledge for in old Saxon Gisle signifieth a pledge in the old English booke of S. Augustines of Canterbury sureties and pledges for keeping the peace are called Fredgisles So it is a well fitting name for children whi●h are the onlye sweet pledges and pawns of love between mā wife accordingly called Dulcia pignora Pignora amoris GILES is miserably disjoynted from Aegidius as Gillet from Aegidia by the French as appeareth in lustories by the name of Duke of Rollos wife It may seeme a Greeke name for that S. G●●es the first that I have read so named was an Athenian and so drawne from Aigidion that is Little Kid as we know Martia●us Capell had his name in like sense ●or some no●●sse probably fetch Giles from Iulius as G●●ha● from Iuliana GODFREY ger From Godfred Gods-peace or god●v for the D●nes call godlines Gudfreidhed Ionas Turson GODARD ger Strength of God or Gods-man as Gabriel according to Luther But I thinke it rather to signifie Godly disposition or toward●es for Ard and Art in the German tongue do signifie Towardnes aptnes or disposition As Mainard powerfull disposition Giffard Liberal dispositiō as Largus Bernard Childlike disposition Leonard Lionlike disposition as Leoninus Re●●ard pure disposition as Syncerus GODVVIN ger for Win-God converted or Victorious in God GODRICH ger Rich or powerfull in God GREGORY gre Watching watchfull as Vigilantius and V●gilius in Latine GRYFFITH Brit. Some Britans interpret it Strong-faithed GRVFFIN Brit. If it be not the same with Griffith some do fetch from Rufinus Red. as many other Welsh names are derived f●ō colours GRIM●ALD ger But truly Grim●ald power over anger as Rodoalà power of councel ●uther a name most vsuall in the old family of Pa●●cefoote GVVISCHARD See Wischard GVY In Latine Guide from the French Guide A guide leader or director to other H HADRIAN Lat. deduced from the city Hadria whence Hadrian the emperor had his orig●nall Gesner bringeth it from the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grosse or weal●hie HAMON Heb. Faithfull HANIBALL A● unick name Gratious Lord. HECTOR gr Defendour according to ●lat● HENRY ger in Latine Henricus A name so famous since the yeare 920. when Henry the first was Emperour that there have beene 7. Emperours 8. Kings of England 4. Kings of France as many of Spaine of that name If Ein-ric be the originall it signifieth Ever rich or powerfull If it be deduced from Herric which the Germans vse now it is as much as Rich-Lord I once supposed not without some probabilitie that it was contracted from Honoricus of which name as Procopius mention●th there was a Prince of the Vandales in the time of Honorius and therefore likely to take name of him as hee did from Honor. And lately I have found that Fr. Philelphus is of the same opinion Howsoever it hath been an ominous good name in all respects of signification HENGEST Sax. Horse man the name of him which led the first Englishmen into
this Isle somewhat answerable to the Greeke names Philippe Speusiprus Ctesippus his brother in like sort was called Horsa HARHOLD Sax. Luther interpreteth it Governour or Generall of an Armie and so would I if it were Harwold But being written Harhold Herold I rather turne it love of the Armie For Hold see Rheinhold For Hare and Here that they signifie both an Armie and a Lord it is taken for granted Yet I suspect this Here for a Lord to come from the Latine Herus See Ethelwold HERBERT Germ. Famous Lord bright Lord or Glorie of the Army HERVVIN ger Victorious Lord or Victor in the Armie HARMAN or Hermon ger Generall of an Army the same which Strato or Polemarchus in Greeke Caesar turned it into Arminius Tscudus Hence the German Dukes are called Hertogen as Leaders of Armies HERCVLES gr Glorie or illumination of the aire as it pleaseth Macrobius who affirmeth it to be proper to the Sunne but hath bin given to valiant men for their glorie HIEROME gr Holy name HILDEBERT germ Bright or famous Lord. See Maud. HILARY Lat. Merrie and pleasant HOVVEL A Brittish name the originall whereof some Britan may finde Goropius turneth it Sound or whole as wisely as he saith Englishmen were called Angli because they were good Anglers I rather would fetch Hoel from Haelius that is Sunne-bright as Coel from Caelius HV●H Aventinus deriveth it from the German word Hougen that is slasher or cutter But whereas the name Hugh was first in vse among the French and O●frid in the yeare 900. vsed Hugh for Comfort I iudge this name to be borrowed thence and so it is correspondent to the Greeke names Elpidius and Elpis HVMFREY ger for Humfred House-peace a lovely and happie name if it could turne home-warres betweene man and wife into peace The Italians have made Onuphrius of it in Latine HVBERT Sax. Bright forme faire shape or faire hope HORATIO I know not the Etymologie vnlesse you will derive from the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is wel sighted J IACO● Heb. A tripper or supplanter Whose name because he had power with God that he might also prevaile with men was changed into Israel by God See Genes ca. 32. Philo de nominibus mutatis IAMES Wrested from Iacob the same Iago in Spanish Iaques in French which some frenchified English to their disgrace have too much affected IASPER I●EL See Ybel IOACHIM Heb. Preparation of the Lord. IEREMY Heb High of the Lord. IOAB Heb Fatherhood IOHN Heb Gratious yet though so vnfortunate in Kings for that Iohn of England well neare lost his Kingdome and Iohn of France was long captive in England and Iohn Balioll was lifted out of his Kingdome of Scotland that Iohn Steward when the Kingdome of Scotland came vnto him renouncing that name would be proclaimed King Robert See Iuon IOB Heb. Sighing or sorrowing IORDAN Heb The river of iudgement IOSVAH Heb As Iesuiah Saviour IOSC●LIN A diminitive from I●st or Iustus as Iustulus according to Islebius but molefied from Iostelin in the old Netherland language from whence it came with Ioscelin of Lovan yonger sonne of Godfrey Duke of Brabant Progenitour of the honourable Percyes if not the first yet the most noble of that name in this Realme Nicotius maketh it a diminitive from Iost Iudocus IOSEPH Heb. Encreasing Phil● or encrease of the Lord. IOSIAS Heb. Fire of the Lord. IOSVAH Heb The Lord Saviour INGEIBERT See Engelbert INGRAM Germ Engelramus in Latine deduced from Engell which signifieth an Angell as Angelo is common in Italy so Engelbert seemeth to signifie bright Angell ISAAC Heb Laughter the same which Gelasius among the Greekes ISRAEL Heb. Seeing the Lord or prevailing in the Lord See Iacob IVLIVS gr Soft haired or mossie bearded so doth Iulus signifie in Greeke It was the name of Aeneas sonne who was first called Ilus Ilus erat dum res stetit Ilia regno The old Englishmen in the North parts turned Iulius into Ioly and the vnlearned Scribes of that time may seeme to have turned Iulianus into Iolanus for that name doth often occurre in olde evidences IVON is the same with Iohn and vsed by the Welsh and Sclav●nians for Iohn and in this Realme about the Conquerours time Iohn was rarely found but Iuon as I have observed IONATHAN Heb. The same with Theodorus and Theodosius that is Gods gift K KENHELME Sax. Defence of his kinred H●●m Defence Luther so 〈◊〉 Happy defence Bright-helme Faire defence Sig-●elme Victorious defence KENARD Sax. Kinde disposition and affection his kinred L LAMBERT Sax As some thinke Faire-lamb Luther turneth it Farre famous LANCELOT seemeth a Spanish name and may signifie a Launce as the militarie men vse the word now for an horseman Some think it to be no auntient name but forged by the writer of king Arthurs historie for one of his doubtie knights LAVRENCE Lat Flourishing like a Baie tree the same that Daphnis in Greeke LAZARVS Hebr Lords-help LEOFSTAN Sax most beloved LEOFVVIN Sax Winlove or to be loved as Agapetus and Erasmus with the Greekes and Amandus with the Latines LEONARD ger Lion-like disposition as Thymoleon with the Greekes or Popularis indoles as it pleaseth Lips●●s that is People pleasing disposition LEVVIS Wrenched from L●dowike which Tilius interpreteth Refuge of the people LEVVLIN Brit. Lion-like the same with Leominus and Leontius LIONELL Lat Leonellus that is Little-lyon LVKE Hebr Rising or lifting vp LEODEGAR or LEGER ge●m Gatherer of people Lipsius in Poliorceticis or Altogether popular LEODPOLD ger Defender of people corruptly Leopold In our auncient tongue Leod signified people of one Citie as Leodscip was to them Respublica The northerne Germans have yet Leud in the same sense So Luti Li●di Leuti and Leudi as the Dialect varieth signifies people In which sence the Normans in the life of Carolus Magnus were called Nortleud The names wherein Leod are found seeme translated from those Greeke names wherein you shall finde D●m●s and L●●s as Demosthenes that is Strength of the people Dimochares that is Gratious to the people Demophilus that is Lover of the people Nicodemus that is Conqueror of people L●●medon that is Ruler of people L●od●mas that is Tamer of people c. LIVIN germ The same with Amatus that is Beloved Kilianus M MADOC Brit from Mad that is Good in the Welsh as Caradoc from C●●● that is Beloved The same with Agathias in Greek Dict Walicum MALACHIAS hebr My messenger MANAS●● hebr not forgotten MARC●LLV● lat Plutarch out of P●ssido●ius do●●vet● it from Mars as martiall and warlike other from Marculus that is an Hammer The latter times turned it to Martell and Mallet which diverse tooke for a surname because they valiantly didde hammer and beate downe their adversaries See Malmes pag. 54. MARMADVC germ Mermachtig as some coniecture which in olde Saxon signifieth More mightie being sweetened in sound by processe of time A name vsuall in the North but most in former times in the noble
Vrtiaco LOVE Lupus LOVET Lupettus LOVELL Lupellus LISLE De Iusula MALLOVELL Malus Lupellus MONTIOY De Moute Iovis MANNOVRS De Mannerijs MINORS De Minerijs MARSH De Marisco MAVLEY De Mal●-Lacu MONTCHENSEY De Monte Canisio MORTIMER De Mortuo Mari. MVSTERS De Monasterijs MEVVS De Melsa MONTHERMER De Monto Hermer●● MONTFICHET De Monte-●ix● MONTPERSON De Monte Pessonis MOLINES De Molindinis MOIGNE Monachus NEVVMARCH De Noue Mercatu NOVVRES De Nodorijs NEVILL De Nova Villa PECHE De Peccato PERPOINT De Petra-Ponte PVDSEY De Puteaco ROCH De Rupe SELLENGER or Saint LEGER De Sancto 〈◊〉 SYMBER● De Sancta Barb●● STRADLING Easterling because they first came out of the East part of Germany S●NLIS Sylv●●●ct●●sis and De Sancto Lizi● S. FOSTER De S. Vedasto SEMARC De S. Medardo SEIMOR De S. Maur● SAMPIER De S. Petro. SAMPOL De S. Paul● SENTLO De S. Land● SENTLOVV De S. Lup● SYNCLER De S. Clara. SEMARTON De S. Martino SINGLIS in Ireland De S. Gelasio S. TOMER De S. Aud●mar● S. OVVEN De S. Aud●●n● SAMOND De S. Amand● SV●TEYES Super Teysam SALTMERSH De Salso Marisco SPENCER or Le Despencer Dispensat or SCALES De Scalarijs STRAVNGE Extrancus VIPOVNT De Veteri-ponte DE LA ZOVCH De Stipite sicc● For William de la Zouch Archbishop of Yorke is so called in this verse for his valour in an encounter against the Scottishmen at Bearparke 134● Est pater invictus sicc● de stipite dictus c. For Zouch signifieth the stocke of a tree in the French tongue And this translation of names into Greeke or Latine is still in vse among the Germans for hee whose name is Ertswert or Blackland will be Melancthon if Newman Neander if Holieman Osiander if Brooke Torrenti●s if Fenne Paludanus c. which some amongest vs beganne lately to imitate To drawe to an end no man whatsoever is to be disliked in respect either of originall or of signification for neither the good names doe grace the bad neither do evil names disgrace the good if names are to bee accounted good or bad In all countries both good and bad have bin of the same surnames which as they participate one with the other in glory so somtimes in shame Therfore for ancestors parentage and names as he said let every man say Vix ca nostra voco Time hath intermingled confused all we are com al to this present by successive variable descents from high and lowe or as hee saieth more plainely the low are descended from the high and contrariwise the high from low If any doe vaunt of their names let them looke to it lest they have inania nomina you know who faith Vestra nomina nunquam sum admiratus 〈…〉 vobis reliquerunt magnos arbitrabor And if they glory in their auntient fai●e names and farr● fetcht descents with contempt of others happly some such like as Marius was may returne vppon them Marius wordes Si iure despiciunt nos faciunt idem maioribus suis quibus vti nobis ex virtu●● nobilitas caepit Invident honori nostro ergo invideant labori innocentiae periculis etiam nostris quoniam per haec ill●● 〈◊〉 Yea some of these occupation and office names which doe seeme so meane to some are as auntient in this Realme as most other For in that most authenticall Register Doomesday book in the Exchequer ye shal have C●●us A●rifaber ●●tor Pistor Accipitrarius Camera●ius Venator 〈◊〉 Modicus ● Cook Goldsmith Painter Baker Falconer Chamberlaine Huntsman Fisher Marshall Porter Leach and others which then held land in Capite and without doubt left these names to their posteritie albeit happly they are not mentioned in those tables of B●●●aile Abbey of such as came in at the Conquest which whosoever consider well shall finde alwayes to be forged and those names to be inserted which the time in every age favoured and were never mentioned in that authenticall Record If you please to compare the Roman names that seeme so stately because you vnderstand them not you will disdaine them in respect of our meanest names For what is Fronte but Beetle-browed Casius but Cattes-eies Petus but Pink-eyed Cocles One-eye Naso Bottle-nose Galba Maggot as Suetonius interpreteth Sil● Apes-nose Ancus Crooked arme Pausa Broade foote Strabo Squint-eye Suillius Swincheard Capito Iobbernoll Calvus Bald-pate Crispus Curle-pate Flaccus Loll-eares or Flagge-eared Labeo Blabber-lippe Scaurus Knobd heele Varus Bow-legged Pedo Long-shankes Marcellus Hammer for it commeth from Marculus Hortensius Gardner Cilo Petty-long pate Chilo Flap-lippes or as Velius Longus saith Impro●●●ribus labris hom● Those great names also Fabius L●ntulus Cicero Piso Stolo are no more in our tongue then Bean-man Lentill Chich-pease Pescod-man Braunch for as Plinie saieth these names were first appropriated to them for skill in sowing those graines Neyther those from beasts which Varro reciteth in the second de Rustica Taurus Vitulus Ovilius Por●ius Caprilius were better than Bull Calfe Sheep Hogge Goate c. In respect of these names all the names of England are such as I thinke few would take the benefite of Dioclesians rescript which I lately mentioned But in France where the fowle names Marmot Merd●oyson Boreau and in Spaine where Verdugo i. Hangman Putanero and such like are rife it is no marvel that some procure licence from the King to change their names and that a Gentlewoman doctor Andreas the great Civilians wife said If faire names were saleable they woulde be well bought Thus much of Christian names and Surnames or Praenomina and Nomina As for Cognomina and Agnomina or By-names were rare in our Nation onely I remember these three Le Beuf in the familie of the Giffardes of Meuill among the Darcies and Bouchard in one house of the Latimers and some say Algernoun in the familie of Percies but that as yet is out of the reach of my reading vnlesse it be the same that is corruptly in the descent of the Earles of Belleyn belonging to the late Queene Mother of France set downe Agernouns for Alger●●●●s For so Eustace the second is there by-named who in other olde Pedegrees is called Eustace with the cleare eyes As for additions given over and beside names and surnames in Law causes that I may note them out of a Lawe booke they are either of estate or degree or mysterie or towne or hamlet or countie Addition of estate are these Yeoman Gentleman Esquire Addition of degree are those which wee call names of dignitie as Knight Earle Marquesse Duke Additions of mysterie are such Scrivener Carpenter Smith Addition of townes as of Padington Islington Edelmeton And where a man hath houshold in two places he shall be saide to dwell in both of them so that his addition in one of them doth suffice By the Statute the first yeere of king Henry the fift and fift chapter it was ordained that in suites or in actions where processe of Vtary
his learning great Grandfather to the honourable Charles now Earle of Denshire who is no lesse famous for his vertue and hereditary love of learning when hee was the Queenes Chamberlaine in an Epistle to Erasmus called king Henry the eight Octavius for Octavus resembling him thereby to Octavius Augustus the onely mirror of Princely vertues Lady Iane Grey daughter to the Duke of Suffolke who payde the p●●ce of others ambition with her bloud for her excellency in the Greeke tongue was called for Greia Graia and this made to her honour in that respect Miraris Ianam Craio sermone valere Quo nata est primùm tempore Crata fuit When the duke of Buckingham was put to death by the practise of cardinall Wolsey a Butchers sonne the Emperour Charles the fift saide It was great pitty that so faire and goodly a Bucke should be woried to death by a Buchers curre alluding either to the name of Buckingham or to a Bucke which was a badge of honour to that familie Domingo a Spaniard in the time of Queene Mary offended with an Englishman that called him Domingus tolde him hee was Dominicu● but hee was I assure you more highly offended when hee after for Dominicus called him D●moniacu● In the beginning of her late Maiesties raigne one alluded to her name Elisabetha with Illasa-Beata that is Safe without hurt and happy The sense whereof as the Almightie by his fatherly mercy performed in her person so shee by her motherly providence vnder God effected in this realme in blisfull peace and plenty whereas contrariwise other con●ining Regions have beene overwhelmed with all kinde of miseries The cause whereof one in this last French broyles referred by Allusion to Spania and Mania two Greeke words signifying Panury and Furie but implying therein closely the late King of Spaine and duke du Maine Rebus or Name-devises MAny approoved customes lawes maners fashions and phrases have the English alwayes borrowed of their neighbours the French especially since the time of King Edward the Confessour who resided long in Fraunce and is charged by Historians of his time to have returned from thence wholy Frenchified then by the Norman Conquest which immediately ensued after by the honourable aliances of the Kings of England with the most renowned families yea and with the verie royall house of Fraunce But after that the triumphant victorious king Edward the third had traversed Fraunce with his victories and had planted English colonies in Calice Havres and Guynes our people bordering vpon the pregnant Picardes beganne to admire their fooleries in painted Poesies For whereas a poesie is a speaking picture and a picture a speechlesse Poesie they which lackt wit expresse their conceit in speech did vse to dep●int it out as it were in pictures which they called Rebus by a Latine name well fitting their devise These were so well liked by our English there and sent hither over the streight of Callice with full saile were so entertained heere although they were most ridiculous by all degrees by the learned and vnlearned that he was no body that coulde not hammer out of his name an invention by this wit-craft and picture it accordingly whereupon who did not busie his braine to hammer his devise out of this forge Sir Thomas Cavall whereas Cavall signifieth an horse engraved a gallopping horse in his scale with 〈◊〉 limping verse Thomae credite cùm cernitis eius equum So Iohn Eagleshead as it seemeth to notifie his name about his Armes as I have seene in an olde S●ale with an Eagles head set downe this Hoc aquila caput est signumque figura Iohannis The Abbot of Ramsey more wisely sette in his Seale a Ramme in the sea with this verse to shew hee was a right ramme Cuius signa gero dux gregis est vt ego William Chaundler Warden of New colledge in Oxford playing with his owne name so filled the hall-windowes with candles and these wordes Fiat lux that hee darkened the hall Whereuppon the Vidam of Charters when hee was there saide It should have bin Fiant tenebrae Did not that amorous Youth mystically expresse his love to Rose Hill whome hee courted when in the border of his painted cloth hee caused to be painted as rudely as he devised grosely a rose an hill an eye a loafe a well that is if you will spell it Rose-Hill I love well You may imagine that Frauncis Corn●field did scratch his elbow when hee hadde sweetely invented to signifie his name Saint Francis with his Frierly kowle in a corne-field It may seeme doubtfull whether Bolton Prior of Saint 〈◊〉 In Smithfield was vviser vvhen hee invented for his name a bird bolt through a T●nne or when hee built him an house vppon Harrow Hill for feare of an mundation after a great coniunction in the watry Triplicitie Islip Abbot of Westminster a man most favored by king Henry the seaven●h had a quadruple devise for his single name for somewhere hee s●tte vppe in his windowes an ●ie with a slip of a t●ee other places one slipping boughs in a tree in other places an I wi●h the saide slip and in some places one slipping from a t●ee with the woorde Islip Whosoever devised for Thomas Earle of Arundell a capitall A in a Rundle wherewith hee decked an house which hee built did thinke I warrant you that hee did the Nobleman great honour No lesse did he 〈◊〉 his invention which for sir Anthony Wingfield devised● Wing with these foure letters F E L D quarterly about it and over the Wing a crosse to shew he was a Christian and on the crosse a red rose to shew that the followed the house of Lancaster Morton Archbishop of Canterbury a man of great wisedome and borne to the vniversall good of this realme was content to vse Mor vppon a Tunne and sometime a Mulbery tree called Morus in Latine out of a Tunne So Luton Thorneton Ashton did notifie their names with a Lute a Thorne an Ash vpon a Tunne So an Ha●● on a bottle for Harebottle a Maggot-pie vppon a goate for Pigot an Hare by a sheafe of ●e in the Sunne for Harrison Med written on a calfe for Medcalfe Chester a chest with a Starre over it Allet a Lot Lionel Duckes a Lion with L. on his head whereas it should have beene in his 〈◊〉 If the Lion had beene eating a ducke it had beene a ra●e devise woorth a duckat or ducke-egge And if you require more I referre you to the witty inventions of some I ●●doners but that for Garret Dews is most memorable two in agarret casting Dews at dice. This for Rebus may suffice and yet if there were more I thinke some lips would like such kinde of Lettice In parte to excuse them yet some of the greatest Romans were alittle blasted with this fooleri● if you so censure it Our great Maister Cicero in a dedication of his to his gods inscribed Marcus 〈◊〉 and that 〈◊〉 pulse lesse than 〈…〉 call I thinke
to stumble with one foot that he almost kissed the ground but with the other legge he recovered himselfe and saved the wine whereat his father Godwyn Earle of Kent who then dined with the King smiling sa●d Now one brother did helpe another At this word although spoken proverbially the Kings blood beganne to rise thinking how shamefully they had murdered his brother Alfrede and angerly answered And so might my brother have beene a helpe to me if it had pleased you VitaS Edwards The same king Edward passing out of this life commended his wise to the Nobilitie and said That she had carried her selfe as his wife abroad but as his sister or daughter at home Afterward seeing such as were present weeping and lamenting for him he said If you loved me you would for beare weeping and reioyce because I go to my father with whom I shall receive the ioyes promised to the faithfull not through my merits but by the free mercy of my Saviour which sheweth mercy on whom he pleaseth Eilredus Rivallensis Sywarde the martiall Earle of Northumberland feeling in his sicknes that he drew towards his end arose out of his bed and put on hi● Armour saying That it became not a valiant man to die lying like a beast and so he gave vp the Ghost standing As valiantly both spoken and performed as it was by Vespasian When the said Siward vnderstood that his sonne whom he had sent in service against the Scottishmen was staine he demaunded whether his wound were in fore part or hinder pa●t of his body when it was answered in the fore part he replied I am right glad neither wish any other death to me or mine Hen. Hunt●ngdon In this age when a Bishop living loosely was charged that his conversation was not according to the Apostles lives he made a mocke at it and excus●d himselfe with this verse which was after taken vp for a common excuse in that behalfe Nunc aliud tempus a●●j pro tempere m●res Anonymus When the fatall period of the Saxon Empire was now complete and battells were marshalled betweene William Duke of Normandy and Harold King of England Girthe Haroldes yonger brother not holding it best to hazard the kingdome of England at one cast signified to the King that the succ●sse of warre was doubtfull that victory was swayed rather by fortune than by valour that advised delay was most important in Martiall affaires and if so bee brother said he You have plighted your faith to the Duke retyre your selfe for no force can serve against a mans owne conscience God will revenge the violation of an ●the You may reserve your selfe to give them a new encounter which will be more to their terrour As for me if you will commit the charge to me I will performe both the part of a kinde brother and a couragious Leader For being cleare in conscience I shall sell my life or discomfit your enemy with more felicitie But the King not liking his speech answered I will never turne my backe with dishonour to the Norman neither can I in any sort disgest the reproach of a base minde Wel then be it so said some discontented of the company let him beare the brunt that hath given the occasion Anonymus VVIlliam Conquerour when he invaded this Iland chanced at his arrivall to be graveled and one of his feete stacke so fast in the sand that he fell to the ground Wherewithall one of his attendants caught him by the arme and helped him vp saying Stand vp my ●iege Lord and be of good cheare for now you have taken fast footing in England and then espying that he brought vp sand and earth in his hand added Yea and you have taken livery and seisin of the Country For you know that in delivering of livery and seisin a peece of the earth is taken Hist Normanica A Wizard or a Wise-man as they then called them had fore-told William that he should safely arrive an England with his whole Armie without any impeachment of Harold the which after it came it passe the King sent for the Wizard to conferre further with him But when it was told him that he was drowned in that ship which onely of all the whole fleete miscarried The Conquerour said He would never make account of that science that profited more the ignorant then the skilfull therein for he could fore-see my good fortune but not his owne mishap Idem That morning that he was to ioyne battell with Harold his atmorer put on his backe-peece before and his breast-plate behinde the which being espied by some that stood by was taken on them for an ill token and therefore advised him not to fight that day to whom the Duke answered I force not of such fooleries but if I have any skill 〈◊〉 South-saying as in sooth I have none it doth prognosticate that I shall change copie from a Duke to a King Idem Magike in the time of Ner● was discovered to be but a vanitie in the declining state of the Roman Empire accounted by the Gentiles a verity in the time of Hildebrand if we beleeve Authors so approoved that it was commonly practised For as in the time of Vale●s divers curious men as hath beene said by the falling of a ring Magically prepared vpon the letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iudged that one Theodorus should succeede in the Empire when indeede Theodosius did So when Hildebrand was Pope by like curiosities it was found that Odo should succcede Wherevppon Odo Earle of Kent and Bishop of Bayeux brother to king William the Conquerour devoured the Papacy in hope sent mony his perswading messengers to Rome perchased a pallace there and prepared thitherward when king William for his presumption and other his misdemenours staied him and committed him saying Offensive foole-hardines must be timely restrained Liber Cadomensis When the same Od● who was both Bishop of Bai●ux in Normandy and Earle of Kent in former time had so disloyally carried himselfe against king William the Conquerour that he complained of him to his Lords Lanfranc Archbishop of Canterbury advised the King to commit him But what say you● quoth the King whenas he is a Clergyman You may not saide he commit the Bishop of Baieux but you may well 〈◊〉 the Earle of Kent W Malmsbur Like vnto this was that distinction of Piramus Secretary to Charles the fift in late yeares when Pope Iulius the second did combine with the French king against the Emperour of the Popes honesty and Iulius dishonesty This King William by reason of sickenes kept his chamber a long time whereat the French King scoffing saide The King of England heth long in childe-bed Which when it was reported vnto King William hee aunswered When I am churched there shal be a thousand lights in France alluding to the lights that women vsed to beare when they were churched and that hee performed within few dayes after wasting the French frontires with fire and sword The
backe vnto his flocke Whereuppon the King sent vnto the Pope the armour that he was taken in and willed his Ambassadour to vse the words of Iacobs sonnes vnto their father when they had solde away their brother Ioseph Hanc invenimus vide vtrum tunica filij tui sit an 〈◊〉 This wee found see whether it be the coate of thy sonne or no. Nay quoth the Pope it is not the coate of my sonne nor of my brother but some impe of Mars and let him procure his deliverie of he will for I wil be no meane for him When the French king and king Richard the first beganne to parlee of peace his brother Iohn who had falsely and vnnaturally revolted vnto the French king fearing himselfe came in of his owne accord and suppliantly besought Richard brotherly to pardon his manifolde offences that he had vnbrotherly committed against him hee rehersed the straight league of brotherly piety he recounted the many merits of his brother he bewailed with teares that hitherto he had beene vnmindefull of them as an vnnaturall and vnthankefull person Finally that hee dooth live and shall live hee dooth acknowledge that hee hath received it at his handes The king being mollified with this humble submission saide God graunt that I may as easily forget your offences as you may remember wherein you have offended IN the wofull warres with the Barons when king Iohn was viewing of the Castle of Rochester held against him by the Earle of Arundel he was espied by a very good Arcubalister who tolde the Earle thereof and saide that hee would soone dispatch the cruell tyrant if he would but say the word God forbid vile varlet quoth the Earle that we should procure the death of the holy one of God What saide the souldier he would not spare you if hee had you at the like advantage No matter for that quoth the Earle Gods good wil be done and be wil dispose and not the King Math Paris When one about him shewed him where a noble man that had rebelliously borne armes against him lay verie honourably intoombed and advised the king to deface the monument he said No no but I would al the rest of mine enemies were as honourably buried Idem When diverse Greekes came hither and offered to proove that there were cettaine ●rrours in the Church of England at that time hee reiected them saying I will not suffer our faith established to be called in question with doubtful disputations Fragm antiquum aeditum à P. Pithaeo Yet when the saide king Iohn sawe a fatie Bucke haunched he saide to the standers by See how faire and fatte this Bu●ke is and yet hee never heard Masse all his life long But this may be forged to his disgrace by the envious Math. Paris IN a solemne conference betweene king Henry the third of England and Saint Lewes king of France the onely devout kings of that age when the French king saide He had rather heare Sermons than heare Masses Our king replied which some will smile at now but according to the learning of that time That he had rather see his loving friend meaning the reall presence in the Sacrament than to heare never so much good of him by others in sermons This I note because it was then thought facetious which I doubt not but some wil now condemne as superstitious G●●l Rishanger Pecham that Opticall Archbishop of Canterbury who writte Perspectiva Communis when Pope Gregorie the tenth who had created him Archbishop commaunded him to pay foure thousand markes within foure moneths vnder paine of excommunication hee that came vnto the See then deepely indebted saide Beholde you have created me and as a creature doth desire to be perfected by his creator so I doe in my oppressions flie vnto your Holmesse to be recreated Archiep. Cantuar. Sewall Archbishop of Yorke much agrieved with some practises of the Popes collectors in England tooke all patiently and saide I will not with Cha● discover the nakednes of my father but cover and conceale it with Sem. As Constantine the Great saide that hee would cover the faults of Bishops and Fathers of the Church with his Imperiall robe Mat. Paris Pope Innocentius the fourth when he offered the kingdome of Sicil and Naples to Richard Earle of Cornewall with many impossible conditions You might as well say de the Earles Agent at Rome say to my Lord and Maister I sell or give you the Moone climbe vp catch is and take it Anonymus qui incipit Rex Pictorum Alexander successor to Innocentius sent vnto the saide Earle Richard to borrow a great masse of money but the Earle answered I wil not lend to my superior uppon whome I cannot distraine for the debts This Richard is reported by the saide Author to have had so great treasure that hee was able to dispend for tenne yeeres an hundred markes a day which according to the Standard of that time was no small summe Idem In the raigne of king Henry a Bishop of London sto●●ly withstoode the Popes Nunci● that would have levied exactions of the Cleargie Whereupon the N●●ci● complained vnto the king who shortly menaced the Bishop and tolde him he would cause the Pope to plucke his peacockes toile but the Bishop boldely answered the King that the Pope and he being too strong for him might bereave him of his bishoprick by might but never by right and that although they tooke away his Mitre yet they would leave him his Helmet Lib. Cantuar. Wicked rather than wittie is that of a Deane high treasurer of England that had demeaned himselfe so well in his office that when he died he made this wicked will I bequeathe all my goodes and possessions vnto my liege Lords the King my body to the earth and my soule to the divell Idem VVHen Edward the first heard of the death of his onely sonne hee tooke it grievously as a father but patiently as a wise man But when hee vnderstoode shortely after of the departure of his father king Henry the third he was wholy deiected and comfortlesses whereat when Charles king of Sicile with whome he then soiourned in his returne from the holy land greatly marvelled He satisfied him with this God may send more sonnes but the death of a father is irrecoverable Wa●singham This is that king Edward the first who as in lineaments of body he surpassed all his people being like Saul higher than any of them so in prudence conioyned with valour and industry he excelled all our Princes giving ther by sure ankerholde to the governement of this realme waving vp and downe before most vncertainely Which hee effected not so much by establishing good lawes as by giving life vnto his lawes by due execution And as my Author saith Iudices potissimùm iudicans quos constituit indices aliorum Who addeth also this of him Nem● in consilijs illo argutior in eloqu●● torrenti●r in periculis socurior in prosperis ●●uti●r in adversis
Burgundian that it wholy alienated his minde from the English to their great losse in all the French warres following Paulus Aemilius Lib. 10. Iohn Lorde Talbot first Earle of Shrewsbury of that familie supprised vppon the sodaine by the French army at Chastilion farre from cowardly f●are of death and fatherly affected to his sonne the Lorde ●isle who woulde not forsake him in that danger advised him to f●le saying My death in respect of my former exploites can not be but honourable and in respect of thy youth neither can it be honourable for thee to die nor dishonourable to f●ie But this yong Lord in height of courage nothing degenerating from so worthy a father lost his life with his father in the field and with them a base sonne and a sonne in lawe of the sayde Earles Paulus Aemilius Lib. 10. Commentarij Pij PP 2. Lib. 6. After this battell when the flames of inward warre beganne to flash out in England the martiall men of England were called home out of Fraunce to maintaine the factions heere at which time a French Captaine scoffingly asked an English-man when they woulde returne againe into Fraunce He answered feelingly and vpon a true ground When your sinnes shal be greater and more grievous in the sight of God than ours are now ¶ Vntill this time from the beginning of King Edward the first which was about an hundred and sixtie yeeres whosoever will with a marking eie consider the comportment of the English Nation the concurrent of martiall men their Councells military discipline designs actions and exploites not onely out of our owne Writers but also forraine Historians cannot but acknowledge that they were men of especiall worth and their prowesse both great and glorious Why afterward it should decay as all other professions which even like plants have their times of beginning or in-rooting their growing vp their flourishing their maturitie and than these fading were a disquisition for the learned Whether it proceedeth from celestiall influence or those Angelles which Plato makes or the Secundei which Trith●●●ius imagined to have the regiment of the world successively or from the degenerating of numbers into summes which I confesse I vnderstand not being an ignorant in abstruse learning Onely I have read in Paterculus that when either envie or admiration hath given m●n an edge to ascend to the highest and when they can ascend no higher after a while they must naturally descend Yet I relie vpon that of Eccclesiastes as I vnderstand it Cuncta fecit bona in tempore su● Deus mundum tradidit disputationi eorum vt non inveniat home quod operatus est Deus ab initio vsque ad finem But pardon mee I cannot tell how I have beene by admiration of our Progenitours diverted from my purpose In the yeere of our Lord 1416. when a fifteene hundred English vnder the cōduct of I Beaufort erle of Derset were encompassed betweene the sea and fifteen thousand French The Erle of Arminac generall of the French sent to the Earle advising him to yeelde himselfe but hee answered It is not the manner of the English to yeelde without blowes neither am I so heartlesse that I will deliver my selfe into their handes whom God ●ay deliver into mine And accordingly God gave him the honour of the day to the great confusion of the enemy Walsingham in Ypodigmate VVHen Elizabeth the widow of sir Iohn Gray was a suter vnto King Edward the fourth against whome her husband lost his life for her ioynture the kinde King became also a suter to her vnto her for a nights lodging But she wisely answered him when hee became importunate That as she did account her selfe too base to be his wife so shee did thinke her selfe too good to be his 〈◊〉 When love grew so hote in this K. Edward the fourth that hee would needes marry the saide Elizabeth widow of sir Iohn Grey to the great discontent of his Counsell but especially of his mother who alleaging many reasons to the contrary saide That onely widowhood might be sufficient to restraine him for that it was high disparagement to a King to be dishonoured with bigamy in his first marriage The King merrily aunswered In that shee is a widdow and hath already children by Gods blessed Lady I am a batcheller and have some too and so each of vs hath a proofe that neither of vs are like to be barren And therefore Madam I pray you be content I trust in God she shal bring you forth a yong Prince that shall please you And as for the bigamy let the Bishop hardly lay it in my way when I come to take Orders for I vnderstand it is forbidden to a Priest but I never wist it yet that it was forbidden to a Prince His note love neverthelesse was partable among three other of his Mistresses of whome hee was woont to say The one was the fairest the other the merriest and the third the holiest for she had wholy devoted her selfe to his bedde and her beades When Lewes the eleaventh French King entertained diverse Councellors of king Edward the fourth with large pensions to steede him in England hee sent Peter Cleret one of the maisters of his housholde vnto the Lorde Hastings the Kings Chamberlaine to present him with twoo thousand crownes Which when he had received Petre Cleret did pray him that for his discharge he would make him an acquittance The Lorde Chamberlaine made a great difficultie thereat Then Cleret dooth request him againe that hee would give vnto him onely a letter of three lines for his discharge to the King signifying that hee had received them The Lord Chamberlaine answered Sir that which you say is very reasonable but the gift comes from the goodwill of the King your Maister and not at my request at all If it please you that I shall have it you shall put it within the pocket of my sleeve and you shall have no other acquittance of me For I will never it shal be saide for mee that the Lorde Chamberlaine of the King of England had beene Pentioner to the King of Fraunce Nor that my acquittances shal be found in the Chamber of accompts in Fraunce The afores●id Cleret went away male-content but left his money with him and came to tell his message to his King who was very angry with him But thenceforth the Lord Chamberlaine of England was more esteemed with the French and alwayes payde without acquittance Philippe de Commines KIng Richard the third whose monstrous birth foreshewed his monstrous proceedings for he was born with all his teeth and haire to his shoulders albeit hee lived wickedly yet made good Lawes and when diverse shires of England offered him a benevolence hee refused it saying I know not in what sence I haa rather have your hearts than your money Ioannes Rossus Warwiceusis Iohn Morton then Bishoppe of Elie but afterward of Canterbury being solicited by the Duke of Buckingham then
and was but Herr●● reversed Aventinus turneth it Treasure of the kingdome See Aubry ROBERT Germ. Famous in Councell for it is written most anciently Rodbert Rod Red and Rod do signifie councell See Conrad and Albert This name was given to Rollo first Duke of Normandy an originall Ancestour of the Kings of England who was called first by the Normans and French Rou wherevnto some without ground thinke that Bert was added so that it should signifie Rou the renowmed Others vntruly turne it Red-●eard as thogh it were al one with Aenobarbus of the Latines or Barbarossa of the Italians Iohn Bodin or Pudding that I may give him his true English name maketh it full wisely Red-bara but I thinke no Robert which knoweth what Bardus meaneth will like of it ROGER Ger. Ruger Quiet the same with Tranquilles in Latine Frodoard writeth it alwaies Rottgarius or Rodgarus so it seemeth to signifie All councell or strong councell ROLLAND Ger. Whereas it was anciently written Rod land it may seem to signifie Councell for the Land And the first that I finde so named was land-wardē in France vnder Carolus Magn●s against the Piracies of the Normans The Italians vse Orland for Rowland by Metathesis ROMANE Lat. Strong from the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answerable to Valens RVBEN Heb. The sonne of visions or a quick-seeing sonne Philo. REINFRED Sax. Pure peace S SALOMON hebr Peaceabi● SAMPSON hebr There the second 〈◊〉 SAMV●L hebr Place of God SAVLE Hebr Lent of the Lord or ●● some will Fox S●●ASTIAN gre Honorable or 〈◊〉 as Augustus or Augustinus among the Romans SIG●SMVND germ Victo●●●● peace 〈◊〉 victory with peace That Sig signifieth Victorie A●frie Das●podius and Luther do all agree yet Hadr 〈◊〉 turneth it Victorious or prevailing speech So Sigward now Seward victorious preserver Sigh●m victorious defence Sighere Conqueror of an army or victorious Lord and Sigbert now Sebright victorious fame or fame by victory SILVESTER Iat Woodman SYLVANVS Lat Woodman or rather Wood-god See Walter SIMON Hebr Obedientlistening Phil● STEPHEN gre A Crowne SVVITHIN Sax From the olde English Swithea●n that is Very high as Ce●●●s or Ex●periu● with the Romans This name hath bin taken vp in honour of Saint Swithin the holie Bishop of W●nchester about the y●●re 860. and called the Weeping saint 〈◊〉 for that about his feast Praesepe and Aselli 〈◊〉 constellanons do 〈◊〉 Cosmic●●y and commonly cause raine T THEOBALD ●●mmonly Tibald and Thibald Gods power as B Rhenanius noteth But certaine it is that in our Saxon Psalter Gentes is alwayes translated by Theod and in the English-Saxon old Annales the English nation is often called Engl●-th●●d The same Lips●●● in Poli●●ceticis affirmeth to be in the auntient German Psalters So that Theobald seemeth in his opinion to signifie Powerfull or bolde over people It was the common name in the familie of the Gorges and of the Lord Verdons of whom the Earles of Shr●wsburie and Essex are descended THEODORE gre Gods gift now corruptly by the Welsh-Britans called Tydder THEODOSIVS gre the same with Theodore THEODERIC ger contractly Deric and Torry with the French Powerable or Rich in people according to Lipsius THEOPHILVS gre A lover of God THOMAS hebr Bottomles deepe or Twinne TIMOTHY gre from Timotheus Honou●ing God TOBIAS hebr The Lord is good TRISTRAM I knowe not whether the first of this name was christned by king Arthurs fabl●r If it be the same which the French ●all Trist●● it commeth from sorrow for P. Aemi●ius noteth that the sonne of Saint Lewes of Franc● horne in the heavie sorrowfull time of his fathers imprisonment vnder the Saracens was named Tristan in the same respect TVRSTAN Sax for Trustan most true and trustie as it seemeth V VALENS Lat Puissant VALENTINE Lat The same VCHTRED ger High counsell vsed in the old family of Raby From whence the Nevilles VINCENT Lat Victorious VITAL Lat Hee that may live a long life like to Macrobius or Lively the same that Zosimus in Greeke VIVIAN Lat the same VRBANVS Lat Curteous civill VRIAN The same with George as I have heard of some learned Danes It hath beene a common name in the family of Saint Pier of Chesshire now extinguished W VVALTER ger from Waldher for so it is most auntiently written a Pilgrime according to Reneccius other make it a Wod-Lorde or a Wood-man aunswerable to the name of Silvius Silvanus or Sylvester The old English called a wood Wald and an hermite living in the woods a Waldbro●der But if I may cast in my conceit I take it to be Herwald inverted as Herric and Richer Winbald and Baldwin And so it signifieth Governour or Generall of an Arm●e as Hegesistratus See Herman and Harold WALVVIN Some have interpreted out of the German tongue a Conquerour as Nicholaus and Nicodemus Victor in Latine but wee now vse Gawen insteede of Walwyn Architrenius maketh it Walganus in Latine But if Walwin was a Britan and king Arthurs nephew as W Malmesbury noteth where hee speaketh of his giant-like bones found in Wales I referre the signification to the Britans WARIN Iovianus libr. 1. de Aspiratione draweth it from ●●rro But whereas it is written in all Records Guarinus It may seeme mollified from the Dutch Gerwm that is All-victorious See Gertrud WILLIAM ge For sweeter sound drawne from Wilhelm which is interpreted by Luther Much Defence or Defence to many as Wilwald Ruling many Wildred Much reverent feare or Awfull Wilfred Much peace Willibert Much brightnesse or Very bright Willibrod Much increase So the French that cannot pronounce W have turnd it into Philli as Phillibert for Willibert Much brightnes Many names wherein wee have Will seeme translated from the Greeke names composed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Polydamas Polybius Polyxenus c. Helm yet remaineth with vs and Villi Willi and Bills yet with the Germans for Many Other turne William a Willing Defender and so it answereth the Roman Titus if it come from Tuendo as some will have it The Italians that liked the name but could not pronounce the W if wee may beleeve Gesner turned it into Galeazo retaining the sence in part for Helme But the Italians report that Galeazo the first Viscount of Mill●●●● was so called for that many Cockes crew lustily at his birth This name hath beene most common in England since king William the Conqueror insomuch that vppon a festivall day in the Court of king Henry the second when Sir William Saint-Iohn and Sir William Fitz-Hamon especiall Officers had commaunded that none but of the name of William should d●●e in the great Chamber with them they were accompanied with an hundred and twentie Williams all Knights as Robert Moutensis recordeth Anno 1173. WILLFRED Sax Much peace WIMVND Sax Sacred peace or holy peace as Wibert Holy and Bright for Wi in Willeramus is translated Sacer. WISCHARD or GVI●CARD Norm Wilie and crafty shifter W Gemiticensis Falcandus the Italian interpreteth it
Pace had a sonne at his circumcision named Haly hee would be called Aven Pace concealing Haly but his sonne howsoever hee were named would be called Aven-Haly c. So Surnames passing from father to sonne and cōtinuing to their issue was not antiently in vse among any people in the world Yet to these single Names were adioyned oftentimes other names as Cognomina or Sobriquetts as the French call them and By-names or Nicke-names as we terme them if that word be indifferent to good and bad which still did die with the bearer and never descended to posteritie That we may not exemplifie in other nations which would afforde great plenty but in our own King Eadgar was called the Peaceable king Ethelred the Vnreadie king Edmund for his Valour Iron-side king Harold the Hare-foote Eadric the Streona that is the Getter or Streiner Siward the Degera that is the Valiant King William the first Bastard king William the second Rouse that is the Red king Henry the first Beauclarke that is Fine Scholler so in the house of Aniou which obtained the Crowne of England Geffrey the first Earle of Aniou was surnamed Grisogonel that is Grey-cloake Fulco his sonne Nerra his grand-childe Rechi● for his extortion Againe his grand-childe Plantagenet for that he ware commonly a broome-stalke in his bonnet His sonne Henry the second king of England Fitz-Empresse because his mother was Empresse his sonne king Richard had for surname Corde-Lion for his lion-like courage as Iohn was called Sans-terre that is Without land So that wheras these names were never taken vp by the sonne I knowe not why any should thinke Plantagenet to be the surname of the royall house of England albeit in late yeeres many have so accounted it Neither is it lesse strange why so many should thinke Theodore or Tydur as they contract it to be the surname of the Princes of this Realme since king Henry the seaventh For albeit Owen ap Mer●dith Tydur which married Katharine the daughter of Charles the sixth king of France was grandfather to king Henry the seventh yet that Tydur or Theodore was but the Christian name of Owens grandfather For Owens father was Meredith ap Tydur Ap Grone Ap Tydur who all without Surnames iterated Christian names after the olde manner of the Britaines and other nations heeretofore noted and so lineally deduced his pedegree from Cadwallader king of the Britans as was found by Commission directed to Griffin ap Lewellin Gitteu Owen Iohn King and other learned men both English and Welsh in the seaventh yeare of the said king Henry the seventh Likewise in the line Royall of Scotland Milcolme or Malcolme was surnamed Canmore that is Great head and his brother Donald Ban that is White Alexander the first the Prowde Malcolme the fourth the Virgine William his brother the Lion As amongest the Princes of Wales Brochvail Schitrauc that is Gaggtothed Gurind Barmbtruch that is Spade-bearded Elidir Coscorvaur that is Heliodor the Great house-keeper and so in Ireland Murough Duff that is Blacke 〈◊〉 Roo that is Red Nemoliah that is full of wounds Patric Ban that is White Gavelc● that is Fetters To seeke therefore the auntient Surnames of the royall and most antient families of Europe is to seeke that which never was And therefore greatly are they deceived which thinke Valoys to have beene the surname of the late French kings or Borbon of this present king or Habsburg or Austriac of the Spanish king or Steward of the late kings of Scotland and now of BRITAINE or Oldenburg of the Danish For as all know that have but sipped of Histories Valoys was but the Apponage and Earledome of Charles yonger sonne to Philip the second from whome the late kings descended so Borbon was the inheritance of Robert a yonger sonne to saint Lewes of whom this king is descended Habsburg and Austria were but the olde possessions of the Emperors and Spanish Kings progenitours Steward was but the name of office to Walter who was high Steward of Scotland the progenitour of Robert first King of Scots of that family and of the King our Soveraigne And Oldenburg was but the Erledome of Christian the first Danish king of this family elected about 1448. But yet Pl●●tagenet Steward Valois Borbon Habsburg c. by prescription of time have prevailed so farre as they are now accounted surnames But for surnames of Princes well said the learned Marcus Salon de Pace Reges cognomiue now vt●ntur q●●ia vt Regum familiae agnationes memoriae conserventur 〈◊〉 cognomina non sunt necessaria prout in alijs inferioribus quorum ipsa cognomina agnationum ac familiarum memori●● tutantur About the yeare of our Lord 1000. that we may not minute out the time surnames beganne to be taken vp in France and in England about the time of the Conquest or else a very little before vnder King Edward the Confessor who was all Frenchified And to this time doe the Scottishmen referre the antiquitie of their surnames although Buchanan supposeth that they were not in vse in Scotland many yeares after But in England certaine it is that as the better sort even from the Conquest by little and little tooke surnames so they were not setled among the common people fully vntill about the time of King Edward the second but still varied according to the fathers name as Richardson if his father were Richard Hodgeson if his father were Roger or in some other respect and from thenceforth beganne to be established some say by statute in their posteritie This will seeme strange to some Englishmen and Scotishmen which like the Arcadians thinke their surnames as ancient as the Moone or at the least to reach many an age beyond the Conquest But they which thinke it most strange I speake vnder correction I doubt they will hardly finde any surname which descended to posteritie before that time Neyther have they seene I feare any deede or donation before the Conquest but subsigned with crosses and single names without surnames in this manner in England Ego Eadredus confirmavi ✚ Ego Edmundus corroboravi ✚ Ego Sigarius conclusi ✚ Ego Olfstanus consolidavi c. Likewise for Scotland in an old booke of Duresme in the Charter whereby Edgare sonne of King Malcolme gave lands neere Coldingham to that Church in the yeare 1097. the Scottish Noblemen witnesses therevnto had no other surnames than the Christian names of their fathers For thus they signed S. ✚ Gulfi filij M●niani S ✚ Culverti filij Donecani S ✚ Olavi filij Oghe c. As for my selfe I never hitherto found any hereditarie Surname before the Conquest neither any that I know and yet both I my selfe and divers whom I know have pored and pusled vpon many an old Record and Evidence to satisfie our selves heerein and for my part I will acknowledge my selfe greatly indebted to them that wil cleare me this doubt But about the time of the Conquest I
Geffrey the sonne of Robert Fitz-Maldred and Isabel his wife heire of the Norman house of the Nevilles tooke the name of Nevill and left it to his posteritie which was spread into very manie honourable families of England In like manner the sonne of Ioscelin of Lovan a yoonger sonne to the Duke of Brabant when he had married Agnes the onely daughter of William Lord Percy so named of Percy forrest in the county of Maen from whome they came and not of piercing the king of S●●ts through the 〈◊〉 as H●ct●r B●●tius fableth his sonne and posteritie vppon a composition with the same Lady tooke her name of Percy but retained theyr olde coate armour to shew from whome they descended So Adam de Montgomery marrying the daughter and heire of Carew of Molesford her sonne relinquishing his owne left to his posteritie his mothers name Carew from whom the Barons Carew the Carews of Haccomb of Berry of Authony Beddington c. have had their names and originall Likewise Ralph Gernon marrying the daughter of Cavendish or Candish left that name to his issue as Th Talbot a learned Genealogist hath prooved So Robert Meg the great favourite of king Iohn took the name of Braybrooke whereof his mother was one of the heires So sir Iohn de Haudlow marrying the daughter and heire of the Lorde Burnell his posteritie tooke the name of Burnell So sir Tibauld Russell tooke the name of De Gorges to him and his issue for that his mother was sister and one of the heirs of Ralfe de Gorges as it appeareth in the controversie betweene Warbleton and the saide Tibauld de Corges for the coate of Armes Lozengy Or and Azure 21. of Edward the third before Henry Earle of Lancaster and others at the siege of Saint Margaret Not many years since when Iames H●rsey had married the daughter of De-Le-vale of Northumberland his issue tooke the name of De-la-vale Heerevnto may they also bee referred who changed their names in remembrance of their Progenitours being more honourable as the sonnes of Geffrey Fitz-Petre tooke the name of Magnavilla or Mandevile when they came to be Earles of Essex because their grandmother Beatrix was of the house of Mandevile as appeareth by the Abby booke of Walden So Thomas de Molton tooke the name of Lucy and many other which I omit Others also have taken the name of them whose lands they had As when King Henry the first gave the lands of the attainted Robert Moubray Earle of Northumberland being 120. Knights fees in Normandy and 140. in England to Nigall or N●●le de 〈…〉 who in the battell at 〈◊〉 tooke Robert Duke of 〈◊〉 prisoner he commanded withall that his posteritie should take the Surname of Mo●bray which they accordingly did and retained the same as long as the issue male continued which determined in Iohn Mo●bray Duke of Norfolke in the time of King Edward the fourth whose heires were married into the families of Howard and Barkeley Remembrance of benefits made others to change their names as William Mortimer descended from those of Richards Castle tooke the name of La-Zouch and named his sonne Alan de la-Zouch for some favour received from the Lord Zouch of Ashby de la-Zouch as appeareth by Inquisition 11. 21. Ed. 3. In respect of adoption also very many in all ages have changed their names I neede not particulate it for all know it Some of their owne dislike of their names have altered them for as I have read in the booke of Fornesse William Fitz-Gilbert Baron of Kendall obtained licence of King Henry the second to change his name and call himselfe and his posteritie Lancaster from whom the Lancasters in Westm●rlaud c. are descended Heerevpon some thinke that without the Kings licence new names cannot be taken or old names given away to others Yet Tiraquell the great Civilian of France in Leg. quin. Conub Tit. 92. seemeth to incline that both name and Armes may be transferred by will and testament and produceth Augustus who by his Testament commanded Tiberius and Livia to beare his name How in former times Herevile Dunvile Clauwowe gave and granted away their Armes which are as silent names distinctions of families and the same was thought vnlawfull afterward when the Lord 〈◊〉 would have done the same shall be declared in more convenient place But the inconvenience of change of names hath beene discovered to be such in France that it hath beene pr●pounded in 〈◊〉 at 〈◊〉 that it should not be permitted but in these two respects eyther when one should bee made heire to any with especiall words to assume the name of the testatour or when any one should have a donation surmounting a thousand crownes vpon the same condition But to retyre to our purpose Not a few have assumed the names of their fathers Baronies as in former times the issue of Richard Fitz-Gilbert tooke the name of Clare which was their Barony and in late time since the Suttons came to the Barony of Dudley all their issue tooke the name of Dudleyes that I may omit others The dislike of others hath caused also a change of names for King Edward the first disliking the iteration of Fitz commanded the Lord Iohn Fitz-Robert a most ancient Baron whose Ancestours had continued their Surnames by their fathers Christian names to leave that manner and to be called Iohn Clavering which was the capitall seate of his Barony And in this time many that had followed that course of naming by Fitz tooke them one setled name and retained it as Fitz Walter and others Also at that time the names of Thomson Richardson Willson and other of that forme began to be setled which before had varied according to the name of the father Edward the fourth likewise as I have heard loving some whose name was Picard would often tell them that hee loved them well but not their names wherevpon some of them changed their names and I have heard that one of them which tooke the name of Ruddle being the place of his birth in that respect And in late yeares in the time of King Henry the eight an ancient worshipfull gentleman of Wales being called at the panniell of Iury by the name of Thomas Ap William Ap Thomas Ap Richard Ap Hoel Ap Evan Vaghan c. was advised by the Iudge to leave that old manner Wherevpon he after called himselfe Moston according to the name of his principall house and left that Surname to his posterity Offices have brought new names to divers families as when Edward Fitz-Th●●bald of Ireland the Earles of Ormond and others descended from them tooke the name of Butler So the distinct families of the Constables in the County of Yorke are saide to have taken that name from some of their Ancestours which bare the office of Constables of some Castles In Like manner the Stewards Marshalls Spencers That I may say nothing of such as for well acting on the stage have carried
a 〈◊〉 pease and the Latines Cicer in steede of Cicero As in the coines of Iulius Casar wee have seene an Elephant for so Caesar signifieth in the Mauritanian tong and the two Mint-maisters in that age L. Aquilius Florus and Voconius Vitulus the one vsed a Floure the other a Calfe in the reverses of their coynes alluding vnto their names Anagrammes THE onely Quint-essence that hitherto the Alchimy of wit coulde draw out of names is Anagrammatisme or Metagrammatisme which is a dissolution of a Name truly written into his Letters as his Elements and a new connexion of it by artificiall transposition without addition substraction or chang of any letter into different words making some perfect 〈…〉 〈…〉 omitting or retaining it for that it cannot challenge the ●●ght of a letter But the licentiats somewhat licentiously lest they should preiudice poeticall libertie will pardon themselves for doubling or reiecting a letter if the sence fall aptly and thinke it no iniury to vse E for AE V for W S for Z and C for K and contrariwise The French exceedingly admire and celebrate this facultie for the deepe and farre fetched antiquitie the piked fines and the mysticall significations thereby for that names are divi●e notes and divine notes do notifie future events so that events consequently must lurke in names which onely can be pried into by this mystery Affirming that each mans fortune is written in his name as Astrologians say all things are written in heaven if a man could read them They exemplifie out of the Rabbins they quote dreaming 〈◊〉 with other allegations they vrge particular experiments and so enforce the matter with strong words and weake proofes that some credulous yong men hovering betweene hope and feare might casily be carried away by them into the forbidden superstition of Onomantia or South-saying by names But some of the sower sort will say it is nothing but a troublous toy and because they cannot attaine to it will condemne it lest by commending it they should discommend themselves Others more milde will grant it to be a daintie devise and disport of wit not without pleasure if it be not wrested out of the name to the reproach of the person And such will not deny but that as good names may be ominous so also good Anagrammes with a delightfull comfort and pleasant motion in honest mindes in no point yeelding to many vaine pleasures of the body They will also afford it some commendations in respect of the difficultie Diffici●●a quae pulchra as also that it is a whetstone of a patience to them that shall practise it For some have beene seene to bite their penne scratch their head bend their browes bite their lips beate the boord teare the paper when they were faire for somewhat and caught nothing heerein If profound antiquitie or the inventour may commend an invention this will not give place to many For as the great Masters of the Iewes testifie Moses received of God a literall law written by the finger of God in the two Tables of the ten Commaundements to be imparted to all and another Mysticall to be communicated onely to seaventy men which by tradition they should passe to their posteritie whereof it was called Cabala Which was devided into Mercana concerning onely the sacred names of God and Bresith of other names consisting of Alphabetary revolution which they will have to be Anagrammatisme by which they say Marie resolved made Our holy Mistris But whether this Cabala is more ancient than the Talmudicall learning hatched by the curious Iewes as some will about 200. yeares after Christ let the learned consider The Greeks referre this invention to Licophron as Isaac Tzetzes hath in his preface to his obscure Poeme Cassandra who was one of those Poets which the Greekes called the Seaven-starres or Ple●ades and flourished about the yeare 380. before Christ in the time of Ptolomaus Philadelphus king of Aegypt whose name hee thus anagramatised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Made of h●●ny And vpon Arsinoe his wife thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iunes violet Afterward as appeareth by Eustachius there were some Greekes disported themselves heerein as he which turned Atlas for his heavie burthen in supporting heaven to Talas that is wretched Aret Virtue into Erate that is louely Ilaros merry into Liar●s that is warme But in late yeares when learning revived vnder Francis the first in France the French beganne to distill their wits heerein for there was made for him Francis de Valoys DE FACON SVIS ROYAL For his sonne Henry de Valoys ROY ES DE NVL HAY. For Charles of Barbon the Prince of Conde Borbonius ORBI BONVS For the late Queene of Scotland his Maiesties mother Maria Stevarta VERITAS ARMATA And that Greeke one which is most excellent of the sacred name of our sweete Saviour Iesus according to that of the 53. of Esay He is brought as a sheepe to the slaughter thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Thou art that sheepe The Italians who now admire them beganne not 20. yeares since to vse them as the Bishop of Grassa a professor heerein testifieth In England I know some who 30. yeares since have bestowed some idle houres heerein with good successe albeit our English names running rough with cragged consonants are not so smooth and easie for transposition as the French and Italian Yet I will set downe some which I have happened vpon framed o●t of the names of divers great personages and others in most of the which in the sence may seeme appliable to their good parts To begin with his most Excellent Maiestie our d●ead Soveraigne was made this declaring his vndoubted rightfull claime to the Monarchy of Britan as the successor of the valourous king Arthur Charles Iames Steuart CLAIMES ARTHVRS SEATE As this also truly verified in his person Iacobus Sextus Stuartus VITA CASTVS EX SE ROBVSTVS For our late Queene of happy memory to whose gratious government vnder God we owe much happinesse I have found the letters of Elizabetha Regina transposed to signifie that happinesse as speaking vnto her in this sence O Englands Soveraigne thou hast made vs happy thus Elizabetha Regina ANG●IAE HERA BEASTI And whereas the French compare Anagrames by themselves to gems but when they are cast into a distich or Epigram to gems enchased in enameled gold Thi● distich was then made thereon with a most humble and 〈◊〉 wish Nos Anglos radijs hera nostra beata beasti Sis hera nostro solo sis Deasera poso The same blessednes of her Maiestre to England vnspeakeable good and her ioyfull raigne were noted thus out of Elizabetha Regina ANGLIAE ERIS BEATA EIA LETA REGNABIS Carolus Vienhovius my good friend made this 30. years since in Greeke when he attended heere vpon Monsieur Foix Ambassadour from the French King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
that is The devine dew of her Kingdome Likewise out of the Greeke was this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is A Goddesse Queene Her most milde government of her subiects and Lion-like courage against her Spanish enemies was thus declared out of Elizabetha Regina Anglia ANGLIS AGNA HIBERIAE LEA. Whereas she was as a Sweepnet for the Spanish ships which as the Athenians said of their fortunate Timothye happily fell into her net this was made by transposing of Elizabeth Regina Angliae GENTI HIBERAE ILLA SAGENA In respect of her great warres exploited against that mighty Monarch this was wrought out of Elizabetha Anglorum Regina MAGNA BELLA TV ●EROINA GERIS The good government of her Maiestie was thus noted vnder the name of the flourishing Muse Thalia Elizabetha Regina BENE THALIA REGIS In this following was comprised the wish then of all true English Elizabetha Regina Anglorum GLORIA REGNI SALVA MANEBiT Have now some framed vpon the names of divers honourable personages and others lovers I hope of good letters neither let any conceive offensively if they a●e not here remembred I have imparted all that came to my hands Out of the name of the late right reverend the Lorde Archebishoppe of Canterbury the mirrour of Praelats in our daies was found this in respect of his milde proceedings Ioannes Whitegiftius NON VI EGIT FAVIT ●●ESVS For the Lord Chancelor Lord Ellesmer Thomas Egerton GEST AT HONOREM Oris honore viget Vt mentis gestat honorem Iuris Egertonus dignus honore col● For the late Lord Treasurer a most prudent and honourable Councellor to two mightie Princes Guilielmus Cecisius Baro Burglio VIGILI CVM LABORE ILLVCES REGIBVS Regibus illuces vigili Gulielme labore Nam clarè fulget lux tua luce Dei For the Earle of Nottingham Lord Admirall Carolus Howarde CHARVS ARDVO LEO. For the Earle of Northumberland Henricus Percius HIC PVRE SINCERVS Vpon which with a relation to the Crescent or silver Moone his Cognisance was framed thus Percius HIC PVRE SINCERVS Percia Luna Candida tota micat pallet at illa p●lo This was made as a wish to the Earle of Shrewsbury that his name and Talbot may be as terrible to the French as it was when the French so feared his progenitour Iohn Lord Talbot first Earle of Shrewsbury of that family Gilbert●● Talbottius CALLOS TV TIBI TVRBES Vt proavi preavus sic GALLOS TV TIBI TVRBES Impreses AN Imprese as the Italians call it is a devise in picture with his Motte or Word borne by noble and learned personages to notifie some particular conceit of their owne as Emblemes that we may omitte other differences doe propound some generall instruction to all As for example Wheras Cosmi Medici Doke of Florence had in the ascendent at his nativitie the signe Capricorue vnder which also Augustus and Charles the fift two great and good Princes were borne hee vsed the celeshall signe Capricorne with this Mone FIDEM FATI VIRTVTE SE QVEMVR for his Imprese particularly concerning his good hope to proove like vnto them But a faire woman pictured with an Olive crowne representing Peace carrying in one hand the horne of Plenty leading a little golden boy for Plutus in the other with EX PACE RERVM OPVLENTIA is an Embleme and a generall document to all that Peace bringeth Plentie There is required in an Imprese that wee may reduce them to few heades a correspondencie of the picture which is as the bodie and the Motte which as the soule giveth it life That is the body must be of faire representation and the word in some different language wittie short and answerable thereunto neither too obscur● 〈◊〉 too plaine and most comm●nded when it is an Hemislich or parcell of a verse According to these prescripts neither the starres with the Moone in Tide●s shield in Aeschilus neither Amphiaraus dragon in Pindare neither the stemme of a shippe vsed for a seale by Pompey can have heere place Much lesse the reverses in Roman coynes which were onely historicall memorialles of their actes as that of Claudius with a plowman at plow and this COL CAMALODVN was to signifie that he made Maldon in ●ssex a Colony and that of Hadrian with an Emperour three souldiers and EXERC BRITANNICVS was in memorie of some good service by the three Legions resiant in this Isle at Yorke Chester and Car-leon vpon Vske That also of Severus with a woman sitting vppon Cliffes holding an ensigne in one hand and as it were writing vppon a shield with VICTORIA BRITANN was onely to shew his victories here Such also as are set downe in Notitia Provinciarum as a Boore seiant for Iovij a circle party per Saltier for Britanniciani a carbuncle as Blazoners terme it for Britannici c. cannot be admitted into the number of Impreses for they were the severall ensignes of severall militarie companies whereof the two last seemed to be leavied out of this Isle Childish it is to referre hither the shieldes of King Arthurs round-table Knights when they were devised as it is probable for no other end but to teach yoong men the termes of Blazon Neither are Armes to be referred hither which were devised to distinguish families and were most vsuall among the nobilitie in warres tiltes and tournaments in their coates called Coate-armours Shields Standards Banners Pennors Guydons vntill about some hundred yeeres since when the French and Italian in the expedition of Naples vnder Charles the eight beganne to leave Armes happly for that many of them had none and to beare the curtaines of their mistresses beddes their mistresses colours or these Impreses in their banners shields and caparisons in which the English have 〈…〉 and albeit a few have borrowed somewhat from them yet many have matched them and no few surpassed them in wittie conceit as you shall perceive heereafter if you will first give me leave to remember some imperfect Devises in this kinde of some former Kings of England which you may well say to be livelesse bodies for that they have no word adioyned Of King William Conquerour I have heard none neither dare as Iovius taketh the Sphinx Augustus signet for an Imprese so set downe our Conquerours seale which had his owne picture on horsebacke with these verses to notifie his Dominions Hoc Normannorum Willelmum nosce patronum On the other side Hoc Anglis Regem signo fatearis eundem As a King of Sicile had about that time this Apulus Calaber Siculus mihi servit Afer Stephen of Bloys the Vs●●per tooke the signe Sagutarius for that hee obtained this kingdome when the Sunne was in the saide signe King Henry the second grievously molested by the disobedience of his foure sonnes who entred into actuall rebellion against him caused to be painted in his great Chamber at his pallace in Winchester an Eagle with foure yong chickens whereof three pecked and scratched him the fourth picked
at his eyes This his devise had no life because it had no Motte but his answer gave it life when he said to one demaunding his meaning That they were his sonnes which did so pecke him and that Iohn the yongest whome he loved best practised his death more busily than the rest Giraldus Cambrensis distinct King Henry the third as liking well of Remuneration commaunded to be written in his Chamber at Woodstocke as it appeareth in the Recordes in the Tower Qui non dat quod amat non accipit i●le quod optat Edmund Cr●uch-backe his second sonne first Earle of Lancaster vsed a red Rose wherewith his Tombe at Westminster is adorned Edward the third bare for his devise the rayes of the Sunne dispersing themselves out of a cloude and in other places a golden truncke of a tree The victorious Blacke Prince his sonne vsed sometimes one feather sometime three in token of his speedy execution in all his services as the Postes in the Roman times were Pterophori and wore feathers to signifie their flying post-haste But the tradition is that hee wonne them at the battell of Poitiers whereunto hee adioyned this olde English word IC DEN that is I serve according to that of the Apostle The heire while he is a childe differeth nothing from a servant These feathers were an an●ent ornament of militarie men as is evident by that of Virgil Cuius olorina surgunt de vertice pennae And were vsed by this Prince before the time of Canoy Chan the Tartarian who because his life was saved by an Owle would have his people weare their feathers from whome Haithon fableth that the people of Iurope received first the vse of feathers Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster brother to this Prince tooke a red Rose to his devise as it were by right of his first wise the heire of Lancaster as Edmund of Langley Duke of Yorke tooke the white Rose Before these two brethren tooke these two Roses which the fautors and followers of their heires after bare in that pittifull distraction of England betweene the families of Lancaster and York a white Rose-tree at Longleete bare vpon one branch a faire white rose on the one side and as faire a red rose on the other which might as well have beene a fore-token of that division as the white henne with the bay sprigge lighting in the lap of Livia Augusta betokened the Empire to her posteritie which ended in Nero when both the brood of that hen failed and the baies of that sprigge withered The said Edmund of Langley bare also for an Imprese a Faulcon in a fetter-locke implying that he was locked vp from all hope and possibility of the Kingdome when his brethren beganne to aspire therevnto Wherevpon he asked on a time his sonnes when he saw them beholding this devise set vp in a window what was Latine for a fetter-locke Whereat when the yong gentleman studied the father said well then you cannot tell me I will tell you Hic haec hoc tacea●s as advising them to be silent and quiet and therewithall said Yet God knoweth what may come to passe heereafter This his great Grandchilde King Edward the fourth reported when he commanded that his yonger sonne Richard Duke of Yorke should vse this devise with the fetter-locke opened as Roger Wall an Herald of that time reporteth King Richard the second whose vntrained youth and yeelding lenitie hastened his fall vsed commonly a white Hart couchant with a crowne and chaine about his ●●cke For wearing the which soone after his deposition lost their lives He also vsed a pescod branch with the cods open but the pease out as it is vpon his Robe in his Monument at Westminster His wife Anne sister to Wenceslaus the Emperour bare an Ostrich with a naile in his beake King Henry the fourth as it is in Maister Garters booke vs●d onely a Fox tayled pendent following lysanders advise if the Lions skin were too short to peece it out with a Foxes case His halfe brethren surnamed Beausort of their natall place who after were dukes of S●mmerset c. bare a port-cullis golde wherevnto not long afterward was added this word ALTERA SLCVRITAS And not long since by the Earles of Worcester issued from them MVTARE AVT TIMERE SP●RNO His yonger sonne Humfrey Duke of Glocester a noble fautor of good letters ba●e in that respect a Laurell branch in a golden cup. That most martiall Prince King Henry the fift carried a burn●ng Cresset sometime a Beacon and for his word but not appropriate therevnto VNE SANS PLVS One and no more King Henry the sixt had two feathers in saltire King Edward the fourth bare his white Rose the fetter-locke before specified and the sunne after the battell of Mortimers crosse where three Sunnes were seene imm●diately conioyning in one King Richard the third bare a white Boare which gave occ●sion to the ryme that cost the maker his life The Cat the Rat and Lovell the Dog Rule all England vnder an Hog King Henry the seaventh in respect of his descent from the house of Summerset vsed the Portcullis before mentioned and in respect of the vnion of the two houses of Lancaster and Yorke by his marriage the white Rose vnited with the red sometime placed in the Sunne And in respect he was crowned in the field with King Richards crowne found in an hawtherne bush hee bare the hawthorne bush with the crowne in it with this he filled the windowes at Richmond and his Chappell at Westminster His wife Queene Elizabeth had a white and red rose knit together His mother Lady Margaret Countesse of Richmond had three white Dasies growing vpon a turfe When king Henry the eight beganne his raigne the English wits beganne to imitate the French and Italian in these devises adding the Mots First king Henry himselfe at the interview betweene him and king Francis the first whereat also Charles the fift was present vsed for his Impresse an English Archer in a greene coat drawing his arrow to the head with this inscription CVI ADHAEREO PRAEEST whenas at that time those mighty Princes banding one against the other wrought him for their owne particular His wife Queene Anne a happy mother of Englands happines by her most happy daughter bare a white crowned Faulcon holding a Scepter in her right talon standing vpon a golden truncke out of the which sprowted both white and red roses with MIHI ET MEAE To the honour of Queene Iane who died willingly to save her childe King Edwarde was devised after her death a Phaenix in his funerall fire with this Motte NASCATVR VT ALTER King Edward the sixt bare as the Blacke Prince three feathers in a crowne while his father survived as Prince of Wales with IC DEN. Queene Mary when she was Princesse of Wales vsed both a red and white Rose and a Pomegranate knitte together to shew her descent from La●caster Yorke and Spaine When she
Schollers who were bigge men Which when the Emperour sawe hee smiling saide In good faith Maister Iohn you are no indifferent divider Yes if it like your Highnesse verie indifferent saide he for heere poynting to himselfe and the two great fishes be two great ones and a little one and so yonder reaching his hand towardes the Schollers are two great ones and a little one Idem Wenefridus borne at Kirton in Devonshire after furnamed Boniface who converted Freesel and to Christianitie was wont to say In olde time there were golden Prelats and woodden Chalices but in his time woodden Prelates and golden Chalices Beatus Rhenanus libr. 2. rerum Germen●arum Ethelwold the Bishop of Winchester in the time of king Edgar in a great famine solde away all the sacred golde and silver vessells of all his church to releeve the hunger-starved poore people saying That there was no reason that the senselesse temples of God should abound in riches and living temples of the holy-ghost starve for hunger Whenas Kinnad King of Scot● a vassall to King Eadgar of England had saide at his Table That it stoode not with the honour of the Princes of this Isle to be subiect to that Dandiprat Eadgar who was indeede but of small stature yet full of courage He vnderstanding thereof withdrew Kinnad privately into a wood as though hee had to conferre with him of some important secret where he offered him the choice of two swords prepared for that purpose with these wordes Now we are alone you may try your manhood now may it appeare who should be subiect to the other retire not one foote backe It standeth not with the honour of Princes to brave it at the Table and not to dare it in the field But Kinad heere-at dismaied desired pardon by excuse and obtained it Malmesburiensis pag. 33. The same king Eadgar having brought into his subiection the aforesaid Kinnad king of Scottes Malcolm king of Cumberland Mac cuis the arch pirate lord of the Isles with Dufnall Griffith Howell Iacob Iudethil● Princes of Wales was rowed by them in triumphant manner in his barge vpon the river of Dee at Chester at which time it is reported he saide Then may my successours the Kings of England glorie when they shall doe the like Marianus Scotus Anno 973. When Hinguar of Denmarke came so sodainely vppon Edmund the king of the East-Angles that hee was forced to seeke his safetie by flight hee happened vnhappily on a troupe of Danes who fell to examining of him whether hee knew where the king of the East-Angles was whome Edmund thus answered Even now when I was in the palace he was there and when I went from thence he departed thence and whether he shall escape your handes or no onely God knoweth But so soone as they once heard him name God the godlesse infidells pittifully martired him Vita Sancti Edmundi When Brithwold a noble Saxon marching against the Danes encamped neare Maldon was invited by the Abbot of Elie to take his dinner with him he refusing answered Hee would not dine from his companies because hee could not fight without his companies Liber Eliensis King Canutus commonly called Knute walking on the sea sands neare to Southampton was extolled by some of his flattering followers and tolde that hee was a king of kings the mightiest that raigned farre and neare that both sea and land were at his commaund But this speach did put the godly King in mind of the infinite power of God by whome Kings have and enioy their power and therevpon hee made this demonstration to refell their flatterie He tooke off his cloake and wrapping it round together s●te downe vpon it neare to the sea that then beganne to slowe saying Sea I commaund thee that thou touch not my feete 〈◊〉 he had not so soone spoken the worde but the surg●ng wave dashed him He then rising vp and going backe saide Ye see now my Lorde what good cause you have to call me a King that am not able by my commaundement to stay one wave no morta●l man doubtlesse is woorthy of such an 〈◊〉 name no man hath such commaund but one King which ruleth all Let vs honour him let vs call him King of all kings and Lord of all nations Let vs not onely confesse bvt also pr●fesse him to be ruler of the heavens sea an● land Polydorus and others When Edric the extorte● was deprived by King C●ute of the government of Mercia hee impatient of the disgrace tolde him he had deserved better for that to pleasure him hee had first revolted from his Soveraigne king Edmund and also dispatched him Whereat C●ute all appalled answered And thou shalt die for thy desert when●● thou arte a traitour to God and me in killing thy king and my confederate brother His bloud be vpon thy head which hast layed handes vpon the Lordes annoynted Some reporte that he saide For his deserts he should be advaunced above all the Nobilitie of England which h● c●mmediately performed advauncing his head vpon the Tower of London Florilegus King Edward the Confessour one afternoone lying in his bedde with the curtaine drawne round about him a poore pilfering Courtier came into his chamber where finding the Kings Casket open which Hugoline his chamberlaine had forgotten to shut going foorth to pay money in haste hee tooke out so much money as hee could● well carry and went away But insatiable desire brought him againe and so the third time when the King who lay still all this while and would not seeme to see beganne to speake to him and bade him speedily be packing For he was well if hee coulde see for if Hugoline came and tooke him there he were not onely like to loose all that he had gotten but also stretch an halter The fellow was no sooner gone but Hugoline came in and finding the Casket open and much money taken away was greatly mooved But the King willed him not to he grieved For saide he he that hath it had more neede of it then wee have This at that time was adiudged Christian lenitie but I thinke in our age it will be accounted simplicitie in the woorst sense Vita Sancti Edwardi This Edward hasted out of Normandie whither his expelled father king Ethelred had fled with him with a great power to recover the kingdome of England from the Danes neere vnto whose forces hee was encamped ready to give them battell But when his Captaines promised him assured victorie and that they would not leave one Dane alive God forbid quoth Edward that the kingdome should be recovered for me one man by the death of so many thousand men It is better that I do leade a private and vnbloody life then be a King by such but chery And therewithall brake vp Campe and retyred into Normandy where he staied vntill God sent oportunitie to obtaine the kingdome without blood Paulus Aemilius Harold as hee waited on the cup of the said king Edward chanced
same King at the time of his death saide I appoint 〈◊〉 successour in the kingdome of England but I commend it to the eternall God whose I am and in whose handes all thinges are happly remembring that of the Monke before specified pag. 5. This king perceiving his owne defects in some poynts for want of learning did exhort his children oftentimes to learning with this saying An vnlearned Prince is a crowned Asse Which speech tooke so great impression in his sonne Henry that hee obtained by studie and learning the surname of Beauclearke or fine Scholler Annales Ecclesia Cant. Malmesburiensi● VVilliam Rufus loved wel to keep vacant Bishopriks and Abbies in his handes saying Christes bread is sweet dainty and most delicate for Kings But although this King made most commonly as it were port-sale of the Spirituall livings yet when twoo Monkes were at drop-vied Bezantines the currant golde of that age before him for an Abbey hee espied a third Monke of their company standing in a corner whom the King asked what hee would give to be Abbot Not one farthing saide he for I renounced the world and riches that I might serve God more sincerely Then said the King thou arte most woorthy to be made Abbot and thou shalt have it Liber Cantuar. When newes were brought him that the French King had besieged the cittie of Constances in Normandy ●e posted with a few to the sea coast to take ship But because the winde blew very strong from South the sailers signified that it was very dangerous for him to take Sea but the King replied Hoise vp sailes in Gods name for I have not heard of a King drowned by tempest You shall see both winde and weather serviceable to vs. Answerable to that of Iulius Caesar which inforced a poore Pilote in the like case to launch foorth and in the rage of the storme comforted him with saying Caesarem Caesaris fortunam vebis And as couragiously as that of Charles the fift who in the battel of Tunis when he was advised by the Marquise of Gu●sto to retire his person when the great ordonance began to play saide Marquesse thou never heardst that an Emperour was slaine with a great shot I will heere present you with an other speech or call it what you will of the same King William Rufus out of the good and historicall Poet Robert of Glocester that you may compare a Princes pride in that age with our private pride and that our first finest Poets may smile at the verses of that time as succeeding ages after some hundred yeeres will happly smile at theirs As his Chamberlaine him brought as he rose on a day A morrow for to weare a paire of hose of Say He asked what they costned three shillings he seid Fie a dibles quoth the King who sey so vile a deede King to weare so vile a cloth but it costned more Buy a paire for a marke or thou shalt ha cory f●re A worse paire enough the other swith him brought And said they costned a marke vnneth he them so boght Aye bel-amy quoth the King these were well bought In this manner serve me other ne serve me not Hitherto also may be referred that of this king William who the morning before hee was slaine with an arrow in hunting tolde his company he dreamed the last night before that an extreame cold winde passed throgh his sides whereupon some disswaded him to hunt that day but hee resolved to the contrary answering They are no good Christians that regard dreames But he found the dreame too true being shot through the side by Walter Tirell Tragmentum antiquae historiae Franc. à P. P●th●● aditum OF Henry the first I have read no memorable speach but what I have read I will report He was by common voice of the people commended for his wisedome eloquence and victories dispraised for covetousnes cruelty and lechery Of which hee left proofe by his sixteene bastards But it seemeth that his iustice was deemed by the common people to be crueltie for the learned of that age surnamed him the Lion of Iustice Huntingd. Polycraticon Gemeticensis It was the custome of the Court in the time of King Henry the first that bookes billes and letters shoulde be drawne and signed for servitors in the Court concerning their owne matters without fee. But at this time Turstane the kings steward or Le Despencer as they then called him from whom the family of the L. Spencers came exhibited to the king a complaint against Adam of Yarmouth clarke of the Signet for that he refused to signe without fee a bill passed for him The king first heard Turstane commending the olde custome at large and charging the Clarke for exacting somewhat contrary thereunto for passing his booke Then the Clarke was heard who briefly saide I received the Booke and sent vnto your steward desiring him only to bestow of me two spice cakes made for your owne mouth who returned answer He would not and thereupon I denied to seale his Booke The King greatly disliked the steward for returning that negative and forthwith made Adam sit downe vppon the bench with the seale and Turstanes Booke before him but compelled the steward to put off his cloake to fetch two of the best spice cakes for the kings owne mouth to bring them in a faire white napkin and wi●h lowe curtsie to present them to Adam th● C●arke which being accordingly performed the Ki●g comma●ded Adam to seale and delive him his Booke and made them s●endes add●ng this speech Officers of the Court must gratifie anashew a cast of their office not onely one to another but also to all strangers whensoever neede shall require ●ualterus Mapes De nugis Curialium There was allowed a pottle of wine for livery everie night to be served vp to king Henry the first chamber but because the king did seldome or never vse to drinke in the night Paine Fitz-Iohn his Chamberlaine and the Pages of the Chamber did carowse the wine among them On a time it happened the King at midnight called for wine but none was to be found Paine and the Pages bestured them●elves in vaine seeking wine heere ●nd there Paine was called in to the King who asked him if there were not allowance for livery hee humbly answered that there was a pottle allowed everie night but for that hee never called for it to say the trueth in hope of pardon wee drunke it vp amongst v● Then quoth the King have you but one pottle every night that is too shorte for mee and you from hencefoorth there shall be a whole gallon allowed whereof the one pottle shall be for mee the other for you and yours This I note not for anie gravi●e but that the King in that age was commended herein both for bountie and clemencie Cualterus Mapes Queene Mawd wife to King Henry the first of England and daughter to Malcolme Canmore King of Scotland was so devoutly religious
planted himselfe in Vlster in Ireland advised his sonne for to builde a castle for his better defence against the Irish enemy who valiantly answered that hee woulde not trust to a castle of stones but to his castle of bones Meaning his body Mar●ebrigensis Robert B●anchmaines Earle of Leicester was wont to say Soveraigne Princes are the true types or relemblances of Gods true maiestie in which respect saieth mine Author treason against the Princes person was called Crimen maiest at is Polycraticon Pope Adrian the fourth an English man borne of the familie of Breakespeare in Middlesex a 〈◊〉 commended for converting Norway to christianity before his Papacie but noted in his Papacie for vsing the Emperour Fredericke the second as his Page in holding his stirroppe demaunded of Iohn of Sarisbury his countryman what opinion the world had of the Church of Rome and of him who answered The Church of Rome which should be a mother is now a stepmother wherein sit both Scribes and Pharises and as for your selfe whenas you are a father why doe you exspect pensions from your children c. Adrian smiled and after some excuses tolde him this tale which albeit it may seeme long and is not vnlike that of Menenius Agrippa in Livie yet give it the reading and happly you may learne somewhat by it All the members of the body conspired against the stomacke as against the swallowing gulfe of all their labors for whereas the eies beheld the eares heard the handes labored the feete traveled the tongue spake and all partes performeds their functions onely the stomacke lay ydle and consumed all Hereuppon they ioyntly agreed al to forbeare their labors and to pine away their lasie and publike enemy One day passed over the second followed very tedious but the third day was so grievous to them all that they called a common Counsel The eyes waxed d●mme the feete could not support the body the armes waxed lasie the tongue faltered and could not lay open the matter Therefore they all with one accord desired the advise of the Heart There Reason layd open before them that ●ee against whome they had proclaimed warres was the cause of all this their misery For he as their common steward when his allowances were withdrawne of necessitie withdrew theirs fro them as not receiving that he might allow Therfore it were a farre better course to supply him than that the limbs should faint with hunger So by the perswasion of Reason the stomacke was served the limbes comforted and peace re-established Even so it fareth with the bodies of Common-weales for albeit the Princes gather much yet not so much for themselves as for others So that if they want they cannot supply the want of others therefore do not repine at Princes heerein but respect the common good of the whole publike estate Idem Oftentimes would he say All his preferments never added any one iote to his happinesse or quietnesse Idem He also that I may omitte other of his speeches would say The Lord hath dilated me by hammering me vpon the anvild but I beseech him he would vnderlay his hand to the vnsupportable burthen which he hath layde vpon me Idem When it was signified vnto king Richard the first son to the foresaide King Henry sitting at supper in his pallace at Westminster which we call the old pallace now that the French king besieged his towne of Vernoil in Normandie he in greatnes of courage protested in these wordes I will never turne my backe vntil I have confronted the French For performance of which his princely word hee caused the wall in his pallace at Westminster to be broken downe directly towardes the South posted to the coast and immediately into Normandie where the very report of his sodaine arrivall so terrified the French that they raised the siege and retired themselves Ypodigma The same king Richard purposing an expedition into the holy land made money at all handes and amongst other things solde vnto Hugh Pudsey Bishop of Durham the Earledome of Northumberland merrily laughing when he invested him and saying Am not I cunning and my crafiesmaister that can make a yoong Earle of an olde Bishoppe But this Prelate was fitte to be an Earle for the worlde as one of that age saide of him was not crucifixus to him but infixus in him Lib. Dunelm One Fulke a Frenchman of great opinion for his holinesse tolde this king Richard that hee kept with him three daughters that would procure him the wrath of God if he did not shortly ridde himselfe of them Why hypocrite quoth the king all the worlde knoweth that I never hadde childe Yea saide Fulke you have as I saide three and their names are Pride Covetousnesse and Lechery It is so saide the king you shal see me presently bestow them the Knightes Templers shal have Pride the while M●nkes Covetousnesse and the Cleargy Lechery and there have you my three daughters bestowed among you When there was a faire opportunitie offered vnto this king Richard and to Hugh duke of Burgundie for the surprise of Ierusalem they marched forward in two battalles from Acres The king of England led the first the Duke of Burgundie the other when they approched the Duke of Burgundie envying the glory of the English signified to the king of England that he would retire with his companies because it should not be said that the English had taken Ierusalem While this message was delivering and the King grieving that so glorious an enterprise was so overthwarted by envie one amongest the English companies cryed alowde to the King and said Sir S●r come hither and I will shew you Ierusalem But king Richard cast his coate of armes before his face and weeping vttered these wordes with alowde voice Ah my Lord God I beseech thee that I may not see thy holy Cittie Ierusalem whenas I am not able to deliver it out of the handes of the enemies Ian Sire Signour de Ionville in the life of Saint Le wes cap. 70. This Author also giveth this testimony of the saide king in the eight chapter of the saide Booke This Prince was of such prowesse that he was more feared and redoubted amongest the Sarazens then ever was any Prince Christian Insomuch that when as their little infants beganne to crie their mothers would say to make them holde their peace King Richard commeth and wil have you and immediately the little children hearing him named would forbeare crying And likewise the Turkes and Sarazens when their horses at any time started they woulde putte spurre to them and say What you iades you thinke King Richard is heere When the same king Richard had fortunately taken in a skirmish Philippe the Bishop of Beavoys a deadly enemy of his hee cast him in prison with boltes vpon his heeles which being complained of vnto the Pope he wrote earnestly vnto him not to detaine his deere sonne an Ecclesiasticall person and a sheepheard of the Lordes but to send him
constanti●r Commendatie lamentabilis in transi●n Regis Edw pri●● Whereas the kings of England before his time vsed to weare their Crowne vpon all solemne feast dayes he first omitted that custome saying merrily That Crownes doe rather ●nerate than honour Princes Idem tractatus When a simple religious man seeing him meanely attired wondering thereat asked him why hee beeing so potent a Prince ware so simple a sute he answered Father Father you know how God regardeth garments What can I doe more in royall robes than in this my gabbardine Idem When the Cleargie pretending a discharge by a 〈◊〉 lately made at the Councell held at Lyons in Fra●●● would contribute nothing to the temporall necessities of King Edward hee saide vnto them in parliament Seeing you doe refuse to helpe me I will also refuse to help you c. If you deny to pay tribute to me as vnto your Prince I will refuse to protect you as my subiects and therefore if you be spoyled robbed mai●●ed and nurthered seeke for no succourner defence of me or mine The Pope sent an Iniunction vnto the same Edward the which was delivered vnto him in one of his iornies against the fautors of Iohn Balleal king of Scotland the tenour of it was that he should surcease to disquiet the Scottes which were an exempt nation and properly appertaining to the Roman Chappell wherefore the citty of Ierusalem could not but defend her Cittizens and helpe them that did trust in the Lord like mount Si●● Hee hadde no sooner read it but rapping out an othe saide I will not holde my peace for Syon nor Ierusalems rest as long as there is breath in my bodie but wil prosecute my iust right knowne vnto all the world and defend is to the death Tho Walsing ham When Iohn Earle of Ath●ll nobly descended who had with other murthered Iohn Co●●in was apprehended by king Edward the first and some intreated for him The king answered The higher his calling is the greater must his fall be and as he is of higher parentage so he shal be the higher hanged which accordingly was performed for he was hanged on a gallowes fiftie foote high Florilegus Whenas in siege of the Castle of Strivelin in Scotland king Edward the first by his over-forwardnesse was often endaungered some advised him to have more regarde to his person hee aunswered them with that of David in the Psalme A thousand shall fall as my fide and tenne thousand at my right hand but it shall not come neere me Florilegus When the learned Lawyers of the realme were consulted in a cause by him and after long consultation did not satisfie him hee saide as kings impatient of delayes may be bolde with their Lawyers My Lawyers are long advising and never advised Florilegus As for other speeches of his I wittingly and willingly overpasse Eleanor wife to king Edward the first a most vertuous and wise woman when hee tooke his long and dangerous voyage into the holy land would not be disswaded to tarrie at home but woulde needes accompany him saying Nothing must part them whome God hath ioyned and the way to heaven is as neare in the holy land if not nearer as in England or Spaine This worthy Queene maketh mee remember Eubulus a scoffing Comicall Greeke Poet which curseth himselfe if ever hee opened his mouth against women inferring albeit Medea were wicked yet Penelope was peerelesse if Clytemnestra were naught yet Alcestes was passing good if Ph●dra were damnable yet there was an other laudable But heere saith he I am at a stand of good women I finde not one more but of the wicked I remember thousandes Beshrew this scoffer yee good wives all and let his curse fall vpon him for of your kinde may many a million bee found yea of your owne country and that I may reserve other to a fitter place I will shew vnto you a rare example in this Queene of England a most loving and kinde wife out of Rodericus Sanctius not mentioned by our Historians When king Edward the first was in the holy land hee was stabbed with a poysoned dagger by a Sarazen and through the rancor of the poyson the wound was iudged incurable by his Physitions This good Queene Eleanor his wife who had accompanied him in that iourney endangering her owne life in loving affection saved his life and eternized her owne honour For she daily and nightly sucked out the ranke poyson which love made sweete to her and thereby effected that which no Arte durst attempt to his safety her ioy and the comfort of all England So that well woorthy was shee to be remembred by those Grosses as monuments which in steade of Statues were erected by her husband to hir honour at Lincolne Gr●●tham Stanford Goddington Northampton St●●y Straford Dunstaple Saint Albanes Waltham and Westminster called Charing crosse all adorned with her Armes of Castile Leon and Pontive Robert Winchelsey the Archbishop of Canterbury was banished by king Edward the first but afterward restored againe by him and all the rents that had beene sequestred during his absence repayed him whereby he became the richest Archbishop that had been in that feate before him Wherefore often recording his troubles hee woulde say Adversitie never burteth where no uniquity over-rule●● Liber Cantuar. William de March Lord Treasourer vnto king Edward the first caused all the treasure throughout all the land that was layed vppe in the Monasteries and Churches to be at one iustant violently taken away by military men saying It is better that money should be mooving and according to the name be currant and goe abroad to the vse of the people than resting in chests without fruits and occupation concurring in this last poynt with a Maxime of the Vsurers hall Of king Edward the second I finde nothing memorable but that which griefe and great indignitie wreasted from him when Corney and his rascall rabblements after his deposition would needes shave him on the way lest he should be knowne and rescewed They enforced him to sit downe vpon a mole hil and the knave Barber insulting told him that cold water taken out of the next ditch should serve for his trimming at that time Hee answered Whether you will or no there shall be warme water and therewithall hee shedding teares plentifully verified his words Thom de la More After the battell of Poitiers 〈◊〉 Lorde Audley was brought to the Blacke Prince in a Litter most grievously wounded for hee had carried himselfe most valiantly that day To whome the Prince with due commendations gave for his good service foure hundred markes of yeerely revenews The which hee returning to his tent gave as franckely to his foure Esquiers that attended him in the battell whereof when the Prince was advertised doubting that his gift was contemned as too little for so great good service the Lord Audley satisfied him with this answer I must doe for them who deserved best of me These my Esquiers saved my life
amiddest the ennemies And God bee thanked I have sufficient revenews left by my A●ncestours to maintaine me in your service Whereupon the Prince praising his prudence and liberalitie confirmed his gift made to his Esquiers and assigned him moreover sixe hundred markes of like land in England ●rossard William Wickham after Bishoppe of Winchester came into the service and also into the great favour of King Edward the third by beeing overseer of his great woorke at Windesor wheras before he served as a poore parish priest Wherfore he caused to be written in one of his windows This worke made Wickham Which being tolde vnto the King hee was offended with Wickham as though hee had gone about to robbe him of the glorie of that magnificent worke But when Wickham tolde him that his meaning was that that worke had beene his making and advauncement the King rested content and satisfied Vita Wiccami When the saide William Wickham as it is commonlie saide sued vnto Edward the third for the Bishoppricke of Winchester the King tolde him that hee was vnmeete for it because he was vnlearned but hee saide In recompence thereof I will make many learned men The which hee performed indeed For he founded New Colledge in Oxford and another in Winchester which houses have affoorded verie many learned men both to the Church and to the Common-wealth When Henry of Lancaster surnamed the Good Earle of Darby had taken 1341. Bigerac in Gascoigne hee gave and graunted to every souldier the house which every one should first seaze vpon with all therein A certaine souldier of his br●ke into a Mint-maisters house where hee found so great a masse of money that hee amazed therewith as a prey greater than his desert or desire signified the same vnto the Earle who with a liberall minde aunswered It is not for my state to play boyes play to give and take Take thou the money if it were thrice as much Walsingham When newes was b●ought vnto king Richard the second that his vnkles of Yorke and Gloucester the Earles of Arundell Warwicke Darby and Nottingham with other of that faction who sought to reforme the misorders of the King or rather of his wicked Counsellors were assembled in a woodde neere vnto the Court after hee had asked other mens opinions what was to be done in so weightie and doubtfull a case At length hee mernly demaunded of one sir Hugh a Linne who had beene a good militarie man in his dayes but was then somewhat distraught of his wittes what he would advise him to doe Issue out quoth sir Hugh and let vs set vppon them and stay them every mothers sonne and by Gods eyes when thou hast so done thou hast killed all the faithfull friendes that thou hast in England Anonymus KIng Henry the fourth a wise Prince who full well knew the humour of the English in his admonition to his sonne at his death saide Of Englishmen so long as they have wealth and riches so long s●alt thou have obeysance but when they be poore then they be alwayes ready to make insurrections at every motion Hall King Henry the fourth during his sickenes caused his Crowne to be set on his pillow at his beds head and sodain●ly his pangue so sore troubled him that hee lay as though his vitall spirites had beene from him departed Such chamberlaines as had the care and charge of his bodie thinking him to be dead covered his face with a linnen cloth The Prince his sonne being thereof advertised entred into the chamber and tooke away the Crowne and departed The father being sodainely revived out of his traunce quickely perceived that his Crowne was taken away and vnderstanding that the Prince his sonne had it caused him to repaire to his presence requiring of him for what cause he had so mis-used himselfe The Prince with a good audacitie answered Sir to mine and all men iudgements you seemed dead in this world wherefore I as your next and apparant heire tooke that as mine owne not as yours Well faire sonne saide the King with a great sigh what right I had to it and how I enioyed it God knoweth Well quoth the Prince if you die King I will have the garland and trust to keepe it with the Sworde against all mine enemies as you have done Hall KIng Henry the fift when he prepared warres against Fraunce the Dolphin of Fraunce sent him a present of Paris Balles in derision but hee returned for answere That he would shortly resend him London Balles which should shake Paris Walles Anonymus Angticè When King Henry the fift had given that famous overthrowe vnto the French at Agincourt hee fell downe vppon his knees and commaunded his whole armie to doe the same saying that verse in the Psalme Non nobis Domine non nobis sed nomini tuo da gloriam Not vnto vs O Lord not vs but vnto thy name give the glorie HEnry the sixt did take all iniuries whereof he received plenty so patiently that he not only did not seek to revenge them but Gave God thankes that hee did send them to punish his sinnes in this life that hee might escape punishment in the life to come Vita Henrici Sexti As the Emperor Fredericke the third when he heard of the death of a great noble man of Austria who lived ninety three yeeres most wickedly in fleshly pleasures and yet never once afflicted with griefe or sickenes saide This pro●veth that which Divines teach that after death there is some place where wee receive rewarde or punishment when wee see often in this worlde neyther the iust rewarded nor the wicked punished The same King Henry having in Christmasse a shew of yoong women with their bare breasts layde out presented before him hee immediately departed with these wordes Fie fie for shame forsooth you be too blame Idem He receiving on a time a great blowe by a wicked man which compassed his death hee onely sayde Forsooth forsooth yee doe fowly to smite a King annoynted Not long before his death being demaunded why hee had so long held the Crowne of England vniustly hee replied My father was King of England quietly enioying the Crowne all his raigne and his father my grandfire was also king of England and I even a childe in cradle was proclaimed and crowned King without any interruption and so held it fortie yeeres wel-neere all the states doing homage vnto mee as to my Auncestors Therefore wi●● I say with King David My lot is fallen in a faire ground I have a goodly heritage my helpe is from the Lord which saveth the vpright in heart Idem Thomas Montacute ●arle of Sarisbury when hee besieged Orleans and had so enforced it that the Inhabitants were willing to articulate and to yeelde themselves to the Duke of Burgundie then being in his company he highly disdaining it saide in the English proverbe I wil not beate the bush and another shal have the birdes Which proverbiall speech so offended the
alienated from Richard the third to speake his minde frankely vnto him in matters of State the Bishoppe aunswered him In good faith my Lord I love not much to talke with Princes as a thing not all out of perill although the words be without fault Forasmuch as it shall not be taken as the partie meant it but as it pleaseth the Prince to construe it And ever I thinke on Aesopes tale that when the Lien had proclaimed that on paine of death there should no horned beast abide in that wood one that had in his forehead a bounch of flesh fledde away a great pase The Foxe that sawe him ruune so fast asked him whither he made all that haste hee answered In faith I neither wote nor recke so I were once hence because of this proclamation made of horned beasts What fo●le quoth the Foxe thou mayest well enough abide the Lion meant not by thee for it is no horne that is vppon thy head No Mary quoth hee that wote I well enough but what and hee call it an horne where am I then Tho Moore Sir Thomas Rokesby being controlde for suffering himselfe to be served in treene Cuppes answered These homelie cuppes and dishes pay truly for that they containe I had rather drinke out of treene and pay golde and silver than drinke out of golde and silver and make woodden payment VVHen Richard the third was slain at Bosworth and with him Iohn Howard Duke of Norffolke King Henry the seaventh demaunded of Thomas Howard Earle of Surrey the Dukes sonne and heire then taken prisoner how he d●rst beare Armes in the behalfe of that tyranne Richard He answered He was my crowned King and if the Parliamentary authority of England sette the Crowne vppon a stocke I will fight for that stocke And as I fought then for him I wi● fight for you when you are established by the said authoritie And so hee did for his sonne King Henry the eight at Flodden field Anonymus When Margaret the widdow of Charles the Hardie Duke of Bargundie and sister to king Edward the fourth envying much the happy estate and raigne of Henry the seaventh descended of the adverse family of Lancaster had at sundry times suborned two rascalles to counterfeit the persons of her two brothers sonnes thereby to withdrawe the hearts of his subiects and raise vproares in his realme the king sent over vnto Philippe the Duke of Burgundie doctour Warrham afterward Archbishop of Canterbury to informe him of her treachery This Doctour in the latter ●●d of his Oration thus nipped the seditious Dutchesse That within few yeeres after shee was past threescore yeeres of age she had brought foorth two monsters Lambert and Peter and not in the nine and tenth moneths as women naturally doe but in the hundred and fourescore moneth for they were both about fifteene yeeres of age when shee brought them abroade as it were out of her belly neither were they Crisomers but such childe-choppers that as soone as ever they were borne they were able to wage warre with a mighty King Th More The earle of Kildare being charged before king Henry the seaventh for burning the Metropolitane Church of Cassilles in Ireland and many witnesses procured to avouch the trueth of the Article against him hee sodainely confessed it to the great wondring and detestation of the Counsell Then it was looked how he should iustifie that fact By Iesus quoth hee I would never have done it if it had not beene tolde me that the Archbishop had beene within it And because the Bishop was one of the busiest accusers present merrily laughed the king at the plainnesse of the man to see him alledge that intent for excuse which most of all did aggravate his fault When among many articles the last article exhibited by the Irish against that Earle of Kildare the last was Finally All Ireland cannot rule this Earle Then quoth the King shall this Earle rule all Ireland and shortly after hee made him Deputie thereof When one reprooved King Henry the seaventh for his slownesse in making warres on those that wronged him he answered If we Princes should take every occasion that is offered vs the worlde should never be quiet but wearied with continuall warres When a Gentleman none of the wisest tolde King Henry the seaventh that hee found sir Richard Gr●ftes who was made Banneret at the battell of Stoke to be a very wise man The King answered Hee doubted not that but marvelled much how a foole could knowe a wiseman It h●ppened that there was fallen in communication the story of Ioseph how his maister Putiphars wife a great m●n with the King of Aegipt would have pulled him to ●e●b●d ●n● he fled away Now Maister M●●o hee was the King Almoner quoth king Henry the seaventh You be a tall strong man on the one side and a cunning Doctor on the other side what would you have done if you had not beene Ioseph but in Iosephs steade By my troth fir quoth he and it like your Grace I cannot tell what I would have done but I can tell you what I should have done Tho Moore The Lady Margaret Countesse of Richmond mother to king Henry the seaventh a most worthy Patronesse of good Letters would often say On the condition that Princes of Christendome would combine themselves and march against the common enemy the Turke shee would most wil●ingly attend them and be their Laundresse in the campe There was a poore blind man in Warwick-shire that was accounted verie cunning in prognosticating of weather vpon a day Empson a great lawier as hee road that way sayd in scorne of his cunning I pray you tell me father when doth the Sunne change The chafed old man that knew his corrupt conscience answered when such a wicked Lawier as you goeth to heauen Doctor Collet the Deane of Paules said that if the Clergie were naught the Laitie were worse for it could not otherwise be but the laye men must ever be one degree vnder the Clergie for surely it can be no 〈◊〉 that our Sauiour sayth himselfe who sayth of the Cleargie that they be the salt of the earth and if the salt once appall the world must needes waxe vnsauerie and he sayeth that the Clergie bee the light of the world and then sayeth he if the light bee darkened how darke will then the darkenesse be that is to wit all the world beside whereof he calleth the Clergie onely the light Cardinall Wolsey his teeth watering at the rich Bishopricke of Winchester sent one vnto Bishop Foxe who had advaunced him vnto the kings service for to move him to resigne the Bishopricke because extreame age had made him blind the which message and motion Foxe did take in so ill part that he willed the messenger to tell the Cardinall thus from him that although olde age bereaving me of sight I know not white from blacke yet I can discerne truth from falshoode and right from wrong yea and that now I
am blind I haue esp●ed his malicious vnthankfulnesse the which I could never before perceive when my e●e sight was at the best And let my lord Cardinall take heede that his ambition and covetousnesse bring him not into a worse blindnesse then I have and make him fall before he feare At sir Thomas Moore his first comming to the service of King Henrie the eight the King gave him this godly lesson First looke vnto God and after vnto me He would also wish as I have heard of an ancient man of that age that his Councellers would commit simulation dissimulation and part●●litie to the Porters lodge when they came to sit in councell The same King Henrie the eight finding fault with the disagreement of Preachers would often say Some are too stiffe in their olde Mumpsimus and other to busie and curious in their new Sumpsimus Happly borrowing these phrases from that which Master Pace his Secretarie reporteth in his booke De Fructu doctrinae of an old Priest in that age which alwayes read in his Portasse Mumpsimus Domine for Sumsimus whereof when he was admonished he said that he now had vsed Mumplimus thirtie yeares and would not leave his olde Mumpsimus for their new Sumpsimus A noble man of this time in contempt of learning sayd that it was for noble mens sonnes enough to winde their horne and carrie their Hauke faire and to leave studie and learning to the children of mean men To whom the foresaide Richard Pace replied Then you and other noble men must be content that your children may wind their bornes and keepe their Haukes while the children of meane men do manage matters of estate R. Pacaeus De fructu doctrinae Iohn Fisher Bishop of Rochester when the King would have translated him from that poore Bishopricke to a better he refused saying He would not forsake his poore little olde wife with whom he had so long lived Happly thinking of the fifteenth canon of the Nicone Councell and that of the Canonistes Matrimonium inter Episcopum Ecclesiam esse contractum c. There was a Nobleman merry conceited aud ●iotously given that having lately sold a Mannor of an hundred tenements came ruffling into the Court in a new sute saying Am not I a mightie man that beare an hundred houses on my backe Which Cardinall Wolsey hearing said You might have better employed it in paying your debts Indeede my Lord quoth he you say wel for my Lord my father owde my maister your father three half pence for a Calfs head hold here is two pence for it As Skelton iested at the Cardinal that he was descended of Sanguil●er hee was cast out of a Butchers stall for his father was a Butcher of Ipswich When Stephen Cardiner was advaunced vnto the Bishopricke of Winchester and sent over as Ambassadour into Fraunce with great pomp●● hee saide vnto an old acquaintance of his that came to take his leave of him Nowe I am in 〈◊〉 Gloria Patri Yea saide his friend and I hope ●t nunc semper Or replied the Bishop if it please the king my maister Sicut erat in principio A poore Scholler of Cambridge againe When sir Thomas Moore was Speaker of the Parliament with his wis●dome and eloquence hee so crossed a purpose of Cardinall Wolsey that the Cardinall in a chafe sent for him 〈◊〉 White-Hall where when he had daunced attendaunce long at length the Cardinall comming out saide in the presence of many Maister Moore I woulde you had beene at Rome when you were made Speaker of the Parliament house Hee immediately replied And if it pleased your Grace so would I for then I should have seene a famous Cittie whereof I have heard much but never sawe Vita Tho Mori impressa The same cardinal at a ful Counsel table when sir Th● Moore was first made privie Counseller moved that there might be a Lievteuant generall of the Realme chosen for certaine considerations and the body of the Counsell inclined thereunto Sir Thomas Moore opposed himselfe Whereuppon the Cardinall in a chafe saide Are not you ashamed who are the meanest man heere to dissent from so many honourable and wise personages you proove your selfe a plaine foole Whereunto maister Moore foorthwith aunswered Thankes be to God that the Kings maiestie hath but one foole in his right honourable Counsell Idem When hee was Lorde Chauncellour hee inioyned a Gentleman to pay a good round summe of money vnto a poore widdowe whome he had oppressed and the Gentleman saide Then I doe hope your Lordeship will give mee a good long day to pay it You shall have your request saide sir Thomas Munday next is Saint Barnabas day the longest day in all the yeere pay her mee then or else you shall kisse the Fleete When hee had no lust to growe greatly vpward in the worlde neyther would labour for office of authoritie and over that forsake a right worshipfull roome when it was offered him his wife fell in hand with him and asked him What will you do that you list not to put foorth your selfe as others doe Will you sit still by the fire and make goselings in the ashes with a sticke as children doe Woulde God I were a man and looke what I would doe What By God goe forward with the best for as my mother was wont to say It is ever more better to rule than to be ruled and therefore I warrant you I would not be so foolish to be ruled where I might rule By my trueth wife quoth he I dare say you say trueth for I never found you willing to be ruled yet He vsed when hee was Lord Chauncellor vpon every Sonday when he was at home to sitte in the Quire in his surplice and sing the Service and being one day espied in that attire by the Duke of Norffolke The Duke beganne to chafe crying Fie fie my Lorde the Lord Chauncellour of England a parish priest and a paltrie singing man you dishonour the King you dishonour the King No my Lord quoth sir Thomas it is no shame for the King if his servant serve his Soveraigne and Saviour who is King of kings During the time of his Chancellourship of England he vsed to send his Gentleman-Vsher to his wifes pew after divine service was done to tell her that he was gone but the next Sonday after hee gave vp his Chancellourship of England he came himselfe to her pew and vsed the vsuall words of his Gentleman-Vsher Madame my Lorde is gone His latter wife was a widdow of whom Erasmus writeth that hee was wont to say that shee was nec bella nec puella who as shee was a good huswife so was shee not voyde of the fault that often followeth that vertue somewhat shrewd to her servants Vppon a time sir Thomas found fault with her continuall ch●ding saying if that nothing else would reclame her yet the consideration of the time for it was Lent should restraine her Tush tush my Lord saide
buried at Westminster to which Church she would come dayly barefoote while the Court laye there had an excellent Epigramme made to her commendation whereof these foure verses onely remaine Prospera non laetam fecere nec aspera tristem Aspera risus erant prospera terror erant Non decor effecit fragilem non sceptra superbam Sola potens humilis sola pudica decens No bad Poet was he which wrote to the honor of Adeliza second wife to King Henry the first who was daughter to the Duke of Brabant sister to Lord Ioscelin from whom the Percies Earles of Northumberland descended Anglorum Regina tuos Adeliza decores Ipsa referre parans Musa stupore riget Quid Diadema tibi pulcherrima quid tibi gemma Pallet gemma tibi nec Diadema nitet Deme tibi cultus cultum natura ministrat Non exornari forma beata potest Ornamenta caue nec quicquam luminis inde Accipis illa micant lumine clara tuo Non puduit modicas de magnis dicere laudes Nec pudeat dominam te precor esse meam But among all our olde Epigrammatists all commendation is carried away by olde Godffery Prior of Winchester who liued Anno 1100. which Citie hath brought forth so many excelling in Poeticall facultie not onely in former ages but also in latter out of the worthy Colledge there that the very Genius loci doth seeme Poeticall Out of his Epigrammes first imparted to me by the right learned Maister Th. Allen of Oxford I will here impart a few vnto you To one that would know how long he should learne he wrighteth thus Discendi Damiane modum te quaerere dicunt Discas dum nescis sit modus iste tibi That the contempt of fooles is not to be respected Contemptum stulti contemnere Dindime laus est Contemni a stulto dedecus esse nego Against pride in prosperitie Extolli noli quùm te fortuna beauit Pompone haec eadem quae leuat ipsa premit Against such as teach well and liue not accordingly Multa Solon sed plura Cato me verba docetis At nemo vestrum quanta docetis agit To one which had eaten stinking meate Druse comedisti quem misit Siluius hircum Vel tibi non nasus vel tibi nasus olet He teacheth vs to relye vpon firme and sure supports lest we fall to the ground with them in this Non est securus super titubantia fultus Iungere labenti labitur ille ruis That we must looke for like measure if we doe not as we would be done vnto he admonisheth all vnder the name of Albius Iurgia clamores tibi gloria gloria lites Et facis dicis omnibus vnde noces Expectes ead●m quae nobis seceris Albi Nam quem tu laedis te ferit ille libens Youth which in their haughty heat reiect the aduise of ould men he aduiseth thus Pannorum veterum facile contemnitur vsus Non sic consilium posthumiane senum The vanity of them which vaunt of their auncient nobility and haue no nobility in themselues he thus taxeth Stemmata continuas recitas ex ordine patres Queis nisi tu similis Rufule quid recitas That there was no contending with him who with missiue bribes can preuaile against Iustice Missilibus Daciane tuis Astraea recessit Vincis m●ssilibus Ius Dac●●nc tuis The common prouerbe Loue me loue mine he thus aduised vs to obserue Me tanquam socium te dicis amare Trebati Et quos totus amo dente furente teris Sed nisi sis socius socijs amic●s Non potero nostrum dicere te socium Against hooked gifts which draw others Multa mihi donas vereor ne multa requiras Nolo mihi doncs Aulice si repetas Against one that sought a benefice and would teach before he could teach Quâ doceat sedem quaerit Pl●timus aedem Quarit quâ doceat non ea quae doceat Against a couetous wretch Nasidiane diu vixisti semper anarus Oro tibi ●●uas Nasidiane dus Against one that would exact of others and do nothing himselfe Ex●gis a nobis quem 〈◊〉 soluis amorem Quam nulli praestes exigis Aule sidem Exig●● à nobis quem non m●rearis honorem Mirum est quod non das id tibi velle 〈◊〉 Against an Abbot that would defend his monks from others but worrye them himselfe Tollit onem de fauce lupi persaepe molossus Ereptamque lupo ventre recondit ouem Tu quoque Sceuae tuos praedone tueris ab omni Vnus praedo tamen perdis vbique tuos One amidst the warres betweene King Stephen and Henrie the second commended the same Henry in these verses Praelia quanta mouet Stephanus moucat volo namque Gloria nulla foret si pralia null moueret Tu contra Stephanum cui copia multa virorum Duxisti pautos our paucos gloria maior Est multos paucis quàm paucos vincere multis At the same troublesome time and as it were desolation of England were written to the same Henry as it were in a Prosopopcia of England Dux Henrice nepos Henrici maxime magni Anglia tota ruo nec iam ruo tota ruina c. Vpon two other fearfull flights of the French one at Vernoil the other at Vandosme in the time of King Henry the second one made this Gallia fugisti bis hoc sub rege Philippo Nec sunt sub modio facta pudenda duo Vernolium sumit testem fuga prima secunda Vindocîum noctem prima secunda diem Nocte fugam primam celerasti mane secundam Prima pauore fuit vique secunda fuit When one had flattered William Longchampe Bishop of Elye the only powerable man of England in his time with this blandation Tam benè tam facile tu magna negotia tractas Vt dubium reddas sis homo siue deus Giraldus Cambrensis a man well borne and better lettered of that house from whence the Giraldines of Ireland are descended and secretary to King Iohn played vpon these verses and that Bishop after he was apprehended in womans attire flying out of the realme Tam male tam temerè tam turpiter omnia tractas Vt dubium reddas bellua sis vel homo Sic cum sis minimus tentas maioribus vti Ve dubium reddas simia sis vel homo He that made the verse following some ascribe it to that Giraldus could adore both the sonne rising and the sonne setting when he could so cleanly honour King Henry the second then departed and King Richard succeeding Miracano sol occubuit nox nulla sequuta Great was the commendation of Maecenas who when he could do all with Augustus yet neuer harmed any wherevpon in an Elegie vpon his death Pedo Albinouanus writeth Omnia cum posses tanto tam carus amico Te sensit nemo posse nocere tamen Which commendation king Henry the eight gaue to that worthy Duke of Suffolke Charles Brandon
Vale Vale Salue anima nos eo ordine quo natura iusserit sequemur With H. M. H. N. S for Hoc monumentum haeredes non sequitur When they would not haue their heires entombed therein with Rogo per Deos superos inferosque ossa nostra ne violes And most commonly with Sit tibi terra leuis in these notes S. T. T. L. And somtime with Quietem posteri non inuideant But omitting this discourse I will offer vnto your view a Century of choise Epitaphes of our nation for matter and conceit some good some bad that you may see how learning ebbed and flowed most of them recouered from the iniury of time by writers And will beginne with that at Rome as most auncient erected to the memory of a Britanne who after the maner of the time tooke a Romane name M. VLPIO IVSTO Q. SIG. AVG. MILITAVIT AN. XXV VIXIT XLV NATIONE BRITTO ●EC M. VLSIVS RESPECTVS VEH. AVG. AMICO OPTIMO DE SE BENE MERENTI Arthur the valerous vpholder of the ruinous state of Britaine against the Saxons about the yeare 500. was buried secretly at Glastenburie least the enimie should offer indignity to the dead body and about 700. yeares after when a graue was to be made in the Churchyard there a stone was found betweene two Pyramides deepe in the ground with a crosse of lead infixed into the lower part thereof and inscribed in the inner side of the crosse in rude Characters which the Italians now call Gotish letters HIC IACET SEPVLTVS INCLYTVS REX ARTVRIVS IN INSVLA AVALONIA Vnder which in a trough of Oke were found his bones which the Monkes translated into the church and honoured them with a tombe but dishonored him with these horne pipe verses Hic iacet ●rturus flos regum gloria regni Quem morum probitas commendat laude perenni Augustine the first Archbishop of Canterbury who first preached Christ to the English nation conuerted the Kentishmen reuiued Christianity in this Isle which flourished among the Britaines many years before his cōming was buried at Canterbury in S. Peters Porch with this Epitaph Hic requiescit dominus Augustinus Dorobernensis Archiepiscopus primus qui ●lim huc a beato Gregorio Remanae vrbis pontifice directus a Deo operatione miraculorum suffultus Aethelbertum regem ac gentem illius ab idolorum cultu ad Christi fidem perduxit completis in pace diebus officij sui defunctus est septimo Kalendas Iunias eodem rege regnante In the same place were interred the sixe succeeding Archbishops for whom and Augustin making the seauenth were these verses as cōmon to them all written on the wall with this title as I finde them in Geruasius Dorobernensis Septem primae ecclesiae Anglorum columnae Augustinus Laurentius Mellitus Iustus Honorius Deus-dedit Theodorus Septem sunt Anglis primates protopatres Septem rectores caelo septemque triones Septem cisternae vitae septemque lucernae Et septem palmae regni septemque coronae Septem sunt stellae quas haec tenet area cellae But Theodore the last of the 7. which first taught Greeke in England and died in the yeare 713. had this seuerally inscribed vpon his tombe Scandens alma nouae foelix consortia vitae Ciuibus Angelicis iunctus in arce poli Cedwall King of the West Saxons went to Rome in the yeare 689. there being Baptized renounced the world ended his life and lieth buried with this Epitaph Culmen opes sobolem pollentia regna triumphos Exuuias proceres mania castra lares Quaeque patrum virtus quae congesserat ipse Caedwal armipotens liquit amore Dei With some more which you may see in Paulus Diaconus and Beda King Eadgar surnamed the Peaceable the great patron and fauourer of Monkes deserued well for his foundation of so many Abbayes this Epitaph Autor opum vindex scelerum largitor honorum Sceptriger Eadgarus regna superna petit Hic alter Salomon legum pater orbita pacis Quòd caruit bellis claruit inde magis Templa Deo templis monachos monachis dedit agros Nequitiae lapsum iustitiaeque locum Nouit enim regno verum perquirere falso Immensum modico perpetuumque breui To the honor of King Alfred a godly wise and warlike prince and an especiall aduancer of learning was made this better then that time commonly afforded Nobilitas innata tibi probitatis honorem Armipotens Alfrede dedit probitasque laborem Perpetuumque labor nomen cui mixta dolori Gaudia semper erant spes semper mixta timori Si modò victor eras ad crastina bella pauebas Si modó victus eras in crastina bella parabas Cui vestes sudore iugi cui sica cruore Tincta iugi quantum sit onus regnare probarunt Non fuit immensi quisquam per climata mundi Cui tot in aduersis vel respirare liceret Nec tamen aut ferro contritus ponere ferrum Aut gladio potuit vitae finisse labores Iam post transactos vitae regnique labores Christus ei sit vera quies et vita perennis It is meruailous how immediately after this time learning decayed in this Kingdome for Iohn Erigena alias Scotus fauoured of Charles the Bald King of France and the forsaid King Alfred for his learning when he was stabbed by his schollers at Malmesbury was buried with this rude rough and vnlearned verse Clauditur in tumulo Sanctus Sophista Iohannes Qui ditatus erat iam viuens dogmate miro Martyrio tandem Christi conscendere regnum Quo meritis regnant sancti per secula cuncti And from this time learning so lowe ebbed in England that betweene Thames Trent there was scant one found which could vnderstand Latin and that you may perceiue when as Hugolin Treasurer to King Edward the Confessor had these most sillie verses in grauen vpon his monument in the olde Chapter house of Westminster Qui ruis iniustè capit hic Hugoline locus te Laude pia clares qnia martyribus nece clares But shortly after the Conquest learning reuiued as appeareth by these that follow which were cast in a more learned mould than the former King William surnamed the Conqueror for his conquest of England was buried at Caen in Normandie with this Epitaph discouered in the late ciuill warres of France but mentioned in Gemeticensis Qui rexit rigidos Normannos atque Britannos Audacter vicit fortiter obtinuit Et Caenomanenses virtute contudit enses Imperijque sui legibus applicuit Rex magnus parua iacet his Gulielmus in vrna Sufficit magno paruae domus domino Ter septem gradibus se voluerat atque duobus Virginis in gremio Phoebus et hic obijt Vpon Stigand Archbishop of Canterbury degraded for his corruptiō I finde this most viperous Epitaph in an olde Manuscript Hic iacet Herodes Herode ferocior huius Inquinat infernum spiritus ossa solum William the Valiant Earle
of Flaunders nephew to this King William the Conquerour sonne to Robert who vnhappy in his state loosing the hope of the Kingdome of England dying of a wound in his hand was not altogether vnhappy in his Poet which made him this Epitaph Vnicus ille ruit cuius non terga sagittam Cuius nosse pedes non potuere fugam Nil nisi fulmen erat quoties res ipsa mouebat Et si non fulmen fulminis instar erat King Henry the first for his learning surnamed Beauclerc had this flatterng Epitaph as Poets could flatter in all ages Rex Henricus obit decus olim nunc dolor orbis Numina flent numen deperijsse suum Mercurius minor eloquio vi mentis Apollo Iupiter imperio Marsque vigore gemunt Anglia quae curá quae sceptro Principis huius Ardua splenduerat tam tenebrosa ruit Haec cum rege suo Normania cum Duce marcet Nutrijt haec puerum perdidit illa virum Of him also another composed these in respect of his peaceable gouernment and the troubles which ensued vnder King Stephen both in England and Normandie Anglia Iugeat hinc Normannica gens fleat illinc Occidit Henricus modò lux nunc luctus vtrique Vpon William sonne of King Henry the first and heire apparent of this Realme drowned vpon the coast of Normandie I haue found this Epitaphe Abstulit hunc terrae matri maris vnda nouerca Proh dolor occubuit Sol Anglicus Anglia plora Quaeque priùs fueras gemino radiata nitore Extincto nato viuas contenta parente But well it was with England in that he was so preuented which threatned to make the English draw the Plough as Oxen. Hypodigma Mawd daughter to the foresaid King wife to Henry the Emperour mother to King Henry the 2. who intitled her selfe Empresse Augusta for that she was thrice solemnly crowned at Rome as R. de Diceto test fieth Anglorum Domina because she was heire apparent to the crowne of Englād was very happy in her Poet who in these 2. funerall verses contained her princely parentage match issue Magna ortis maiorque viro sed maxima partu Hic iacet Henrici filia sponsa parens Alberic Vere graundfather to the first Earle of Oxford and his sonne William were buried together Anno 1088. with this Epitaphe at Colne where he was founder afterward Monke as it is in the Annales of Abingdon En puer en senior pater alter filius alter Legem fortunam terram venêre sub vnam In which the maker seemed to imitate that of Conrad the Emperour at Spires in Germany Filius hîc pater hîc annus hî proauus iacet istic Thomas Beket Arch-bishop of Canterbury had these Epitaphes expressing the cause the time place of his death made by his especiall fauourer Pro Christi sponsa Christi sub tempore Christi In templo Christi verus amator obit Quinta dies natalis erat flos orbis ab orbe Carpitur et fructus incipit esse poli Quis morritur praesul cur pro grege qualiter ense Quando natali quis locus ara Dei For Theobald of Bloys Earle of Champaine nephew to King Henry the first Giraldus Cambrensis Bishop of S. Dauids in Walles made this Ille comes Comes ille pius Theobaldus eras quem Gaudet habere polus terra carere dolet Non hominem possum non audeo dicere numen Mors probat hunc hominem vita fuisse Deum Trans hominem citraque Deum plus hoc minus istud Nescio qui● neuter inter vtrumque fuit Vitalis Abbot of Westminster which died in the time of the Conquerour had this Epitaph Qui nomen traxit a vita morte vocante Abbas Vitalis transijt hicque iacet And for Lawrence Abbot of the same place which died 1176. was made this alluding to his name Pro meritis vitae dedit isti Laurea nomen Detur ei vitae laurea pro meritis These two happely may finde as much fauour with some if one word do not preiudice as that auncient one of Floridus so highly commended Quod vixi flos est seruat lapis hic mihi nomen Nolo Deos manes flos mihi pro titulo Geruays de Bloys base sonne to King Stephen and Abbot also of the same church was buried with the foresaid in the cloyster with this De Regum genere pater hic Geruasius ecce Monstrat defunctus mors rapit omne genus William de Albeney Erle of Arundel and Butler to the King was buried at Wimodham which he founded with this Hunc Pincerna locum fundauit hîc iacet alla Quae dedit huic domui tam sine fine tenet That mighty Monarch King Henry the second which by his owne right adioyned Anioy Maine and Tourain by his wife Aquatine Poyctov and by conquest Ireland to the Crowne of England and commanded from the Pyrene mountaines to the Orcades had this Epitaph according to his greatnesse Rex Henricus eram mihi plurima regna subegi Multiplicique modo Duxque Comesque fui Cui satis ad votum non essent omnia terrae Climata terra modo sufficit octo pedum Qui legis haec pensa discrimina mortis et in me Humanae speculum conditionis habe Sufficit hic tumulus cui non suffecerat orbis Res breuis ampla mihi cui fuit ampla breuis Rosamond the faire his paramour daughter to Walter Lord Clifford and mother to William Longspee the first Earle of Sarisbury aeternised by maister Daniels muse had this nothing answerable to her beauty Hac iacet in tumba rosa mundi non Rosamunda Non redolet sed olet quae redolere solet William Longspee Earle of Sarum base sonne to King Henry the second by this Lady had an Epitaph not vnlike to that of his mother Flos comitum Willielmus cognomine longus Ensis vaginam caepit habere breuem The glory of that magnanimous and lionlike prince king Richard the first renowned for his Conquest of Cyprus The king whereof he tooke and kept in setters of siluer and for his great exployts in the holy land stirred vp the wits of the best Poets in that age to honor him with these Epitaphs which follow when he was slaine in viewing the Castle of Chaluz in Limosin Hic Richarde iaces sed mors si cederet armis Victa timore tui cederet ipsa tuis Another also writt of him Istius in morte perimit formica leonem Proh dolor in tanto funere mundus obit An English poet imitating the epitaph made of Pompey his children whose bodies were buried in diuerse contries made these following of the glory of this one king deuided in three places by his funerall Viscera Carccolum corpus fons seruat Ebrandi Et cor Rothomagum magne Richarde tuum In tria diuiditur vnus qui plus fuit vno Non vno iaceat gloria tanta loco At Font Euerard where
honor of the name then the worth of the verse Hic iacet ingenui de Courtney gleba Roberti Militis egregij virtutum laude referti Quem genuit strenuus Reginal dus Courteniensis Qui procer eximius fuerat tunc deuoniensis A Mōke of Duresme busied his braine in nicking out these nice verses vpon the death of W. de La-march Chauncellor of England vnder king Iohn Culmina qui cupitis Laudes pompasque sititis Est sedata sitis Si me pensare velitis Qui populos regitis memores super omnia sitis Quod mors immitis non parcit honore potitis Vobis prapositis similis fucram benè scitis Quod sum vos eritis ad me currendo venitis William de valentia cōmonly called Valens Earle of Pembroke halfe brother to K. Henry the 3. from whom the Earles of Shrewsbury Kent and others are descended is intombed at Westminster with these ranke rimes Anglia tota doles moritur quia regia proles Qua slorere soles quam continet infima moles Guilelmus nomen insigne valentia praebet Celsum cognomen nam tale dari sibi debet Qui valuit validus vincens virtute valore Et placuit placido sensu morumque vigore Robert Grostest cōmonly called Robin Groshead bishop of Lincolne a most learned prelate reported by Mathew Paris to be a seuere reproouer of the Pope a fauourer of learning a searcher of scriptures a preacher of the word generally a man of great worth cōmanded this only to be engrauen ouer his Tombe Quis sim nosse cupis caro putrida nil nisi vermis Quisquis es hoc de me sit tibi scire satis But vpon his death this was written Rex dolet ac regnum gemit et flet Anglia tota Plebs plangit gemitus ingeminare iuuat Quippe Grosredus speculum virtutis asylum Iust●●ciae Regis inchora morte iacet Non poterit tamen ille mori cui fama perorat Laus loquitur redolet fructus abundat honor Vnde 〈◊〉 tristatur homo canit Angelus inde Vnde serenantur sidera pallet humus Vpon the tombe of doctor Iohn Bekingale somtime bishop of Chichester this is engrauen which I set here for rare correspondency of the rime Tu modo qualis eris quid mundi quaeris honores Crimina deplores in me nunc te speculeris En mors ante fores quae clamitat omnibus adsum In paenis passum pro me te deprecor ores Which is the same in sence with that at Geneua VIXI VT VIVIS MORIERIS VT SVM MORTVVS SIC VITA TRVDITVR Lewes de Beaumont that learned bishop of Duresme who was preferred therunto for his affinity vnto the Queene although he could not with all his learning read this word Metropoli●ice at his cōsecration but passed it ouer with Soit pour dict and would sweare by S. Lewes that they were discourteous which set downe so many hard words in the ordering of priests had this vpon his tombe in Duresme Church where he was buried 1333. De Bello Monte iacet hic Lodouicus humatus Nobilis ex fonte regum Comitumque creatus c. King Edward the first a most worthy and mighty prince the first establisher of the kingdome of England had affixed at the Aulter of S. Edward neare his tombe at Westminster a large Epitaph in prose whereof I haue found onely this fragment Abauus autem tri●vus eius dilatantes imperia subie●erunt sibi Ducatus Comitatus Edwardus vero paternarum magnificentiarum amplius aemulator existens Regaleque solium perornans in clypeo in hastà Principatum Walliae truncatis eius principibus Leclino Dauid potentissimè adquisiuit Quinimò dominium regni Scotiae primò magni industria consilij de inde virtute bellorum victoriosissimè est adeptus Nihilominus Comitatibus Cornubiae Northfolke disponente ●o cuius est orbis terrae plenitudo eius ad manus Edwardi mirabilitèr deuolutis suis successoribus amplissimam reliquit materiam gloriandi Vbicunque igitur Christus habet nomen inter praecellentissimos reges fidelium habeat Edwardus honorem The famous K. Edward the 3. which had so great victories ouer the French to the greater glory than good of England as some say is entombed at Westminster with this Hic decus Anglorum slos regum praeteritorum Fama futurorum rex clemens pax populorum Tertius Eduardus regni complens Iubilaum Robert Hawley a valiant Esquire was murthered in Westminster Church in seruice time where he had taken sanctuary and is there buried in the place where he was first assaulted with these verses Me dolus ira furor multorum militis atque in hoc gladiis celebri pietatis asylo Dum leuita Dei sermones legit ad aram Proh dolor ipse meo Monachorum sanguine vultus Aspersi moriens chorus est mihi testis in ●uum Et me nunc retinet sacer hic locus Hawle Robertum Hic quia pestiferos malè sensi primitùs hostes Famous is L. Siccinius Dentatus who serued in an hundred and twentie battailes And glorious is Henry the third Emperour who fought 62. battailes and likewise honourable should the memory be of Sir Mathew G●urnay out Countriman of whose house Sir H. Newton is descended which commaunded in 6. battailes was buried at Stoke Hamden in Somersetshire with this French memoriall now defaced Icy gist le noble valient Cheualer Mahe● de Gurnay iadis seneschall de Landes Capitayn du Chastell d'Aques pro nostre Signior le Roy en la Duche de Guien que in sa vi● fu a la battaile de Benamazin a la pres a la siege de Algezir sur le Sarazines auxi a les battayles de Scluse de Cressy de Ingenesse de Poyters de Nazara c. Obijt 96. aetatis 26. Septemb. 146. Henry Chichely although he was founder of All Soules Colledge in Oxford and an especiall furtherer of learning was but little honoured by this vnlearned Epitaph 1443. Pauper eram natus post Primas his releuatus Iam sum prostratus vermibus esca paratus Ecce meum tumulum His next successour one Iohn Kempe happened vpon a better Poet who in one verse comprehended all his dignities which were great Thomas Kempe Bis Primas ter praesul erat bis cardine functus For he was Bishop of Rochester Chichester and London Archbishop of Yorke then of Canterbury and Cardinall first Deacon than Priest This that followeth is engrauen about a faire tombe in a goodly Chappell adioyning to the Quire of Saint Maries Church in Warwick being a worthy monument of so noble a person since whose time although but late you may obserue a great change both of the heyres of his house and the vse of words in this Epitaph Pray deuoutly for the soule whome God asso●le of one of the most worshipfull Knights in his dayes of manhood and cunning Richard B●auchampe late Earle of Warwicke Lord dispenser