from his Barons and Clergy prevented his further designs yet about the 15th Year of his Reign having entred into a strong confederacy with other Foreign Princes he set sail for Bretaign and laid Siege to Nantes where a bloody Battle was fought the French King being once in great danger of his Life but at length proved victorious and took many Prisoners whereof of Note were the Earls of Brabant Holland Flanders and Bolloign the Emperor who was also at the Battle being driven out of the Field and 6000 marks on the King of Englands part was the purchase of a Truce for Five Years Commotions in England soon followed upon the neck of this and for male-Administration in so much that aâ— length Lewis the Dauphine was invited over by the Barons to take upon him the Crown of England who came accordingly with little opposition but being soon after displeased with their new King they resolved to cast him off and so he was fain at last to depart from whence he came This was an unhappy Reign but memorable for Magna Charta and for building of London Bridge of Stone This King dyed at Lyn as he was marching with his Army to Fight the Dauphine when he had reigned Seventeen Years and about five Months and was Aged 51 Years Anno. 1216. The first ground of this War was That Phillip of France did infringe the Truce made with England for 5 Years and invaded Normandy Then another Truce being made he violated that also and still fomented the Barons Wars HENRY III. COmmonly called Henry of Winchester from his Birth Place succeeded his Father King John at the Age of Nine Years as next heir maugre all the attempts of Lewis the Dauphine of France whose Forces were defeated at Lincoln by the Kings Guardian and Brother-in-Law the famous Earl of Pembrook and so from that time forward things went worse and worse with him most places yielding by Land and his Fleet utterly destroyed by Sea by Hubert de Burg Eustace a Monk that commanded it being slain by Richard a Bastard Son of King John he yielded up his claim to the Crown and so returned with a glimmering of it into France Henry about the 14th Year of his Reign determined to make War upon France and to that purpose he assembled at Portsmouth all his Nobility Knights and such a vast number both of Horse and Foot as never was done by any of his predecessors designing to have recovered all those Territories his Father had lost but when they came to be Shipped they had not Carriages enough for half the Army which he imputed to the Treachery of Hugo de Burg his chief Justice and in a rage drawing his Sword would have killed him had it not been for the Earl of Chester that interposed the Earl of Bretaign who was present and bound by an Oath to conduct the King to his Country and others perswaded him to defer his Expedition for that Season and so his mighty Preparations for the present vanished But the Year following King Henry with a mighty Army sailed into Bretaign and after he had ravaged and committed great Spoil in the Country laid Siege to the City of Nantes but after the Consumption of a vast Treasure and the loss of many Men by sickness and otherwise returned into England the same Year but set all things first in order for the Conservation of the Country of Bretaign The French making use of the Opportunity of the King's absence took the City of Rochel and so pushing on their Conquest reduced the whole Province of Poictiers to their obedience which King John his Father had Conquered whereat Henry being nettled prepared for another mighty Expedition but with the same fatal success as before For after several Bickerings wherein were lost many of his Men he made a Peace and returned re infecta but recovered at last the Province of Aquitain The later part of his Reign was so taken up with intestine Broils in the Barons Wars wherein sometimes he was worsted and imprisoned sometimes prevailed against his Enemies that he had no leasure to look after his Territories abroad and call the French to an Account for them till at last after he had lived 65 Years and of them Reigned 56 and odd Days and lavished away an immense Treasure he resigned his Breath to him that gave it at Edmundsbury in Suffolk was buried at Westminster Anno. 1272 and was happy in nothing so much as in the hopes of his eldest son Edward 1. One Cause of his Wars with France was that the French assisted the Scots against him 2. Another was the Recovery of those Towns and Provinces the French unjustly took from him and his Ancestors EDWARD I. SUrnamed â—ong-shanks the Son of Henry was in the Holy Land with Eleanor his Wife when the Crown fell to him being then about 33 Years old He began his Reign the 16th oâ— November and arrived with his Queen in England the 15 of Aug. following being in the Year 1273 He proved a warlike wise and victorious Prince and may justly be stiled The best Law-giver He made several Expeditions against Wales and Scotland the latter became Tributary to him and the former he reduced entirely under the Obedience of the Crown of England and has so continued to this day but the Stratagem he used for to satisfy those unruly Spirits and keep theâ— in Subjection may be worthy of observation Having about the 12th Year of his Reign reduced all Wales and by a Statute made at Ruthyn incorporated and annext it to the Crown of England but finding he could not win the good will of the People unless he would engage to reside amongst them or allow them a Prince of their own Nation to govern them and that after several Conferences no English Deputies would do but that they were content to submit to any Man he should name provided he were a Welchman at length he privily sends for his Queen then big with Child and caused her to remain at Carnarvaâ— Castle where she was brought to bed of a Son at which time he sends for the Barons and chief Men of Wales to come to him to Ruthyn to deliberate about the affairs of the Country and when they came he told them he had now occasion to go out of that Country but before he went he was determined to name them a Prince if they promised to obey him they replyed They would proviâ—â—d he were one of their own Nation wherefore 〈◊〉 King rejoined he would name one born in 〈◊〉 m and that could speak never a word of â—â—glish and who was of unspotted Life and Conâ—â— Csation and when all was agreed to he namâ—d his Son Edward born as aforesaid But notwithstanding this King had so much to do with Wales and Scotland yet he was no ways â—egligent of his Affairs and Interest in France 〈◊〉 as soon as he had any leasure which was 〈◊〉 the 22d Year of his Reign first like a wise
himself for not delivering of St. Quinâ—â— alleadging that if he had done it he could â—â—ve done him no further service in the Kingâ—om of France but added that seeing the King 〈◊〉 England was come over in Person he would 〈◊〉 the future do whatever the Duke should comâ—and him and gave him his Faith in Writing he â—ould serve him and his Confederates to the utâ—ost of his Power against all Opponents whatsoâ—â—er the Duke delivers the Constables Letter to the King adding some things thereto of his own head as that the Constable would certainly dâ—liver up St. Quintin and all other places in 〈◊〉 Power as soon as ever he came before them which the King willing to believe marches tâ—gether with the Duke forthwith from Peronne tâ—wards St. Quintin the English expecting to be â—â—ceived with ringing of Bells approached thâ— Town in a careless manner but had a quite contrary entertainment for they from the Towâ— fired their Cannon upon them and withâ—â—â— made a Sally both with Horse and Foot wherâ—in some English were slain and others taken Prâ—soners This double dealing both of the Constable anâ— Duke made the King the more readily hearkâ—â— to the Overtures of Peace that the French Kinâ— offered him wherefore in a Village near Amiâ—â— Commissioners for both Kings met whereof 〈◊〉 France were the Bastard of Bourbon Admiral 〈◊〉 Lord St. Peter and Bishop of Eureux and for Eâ—â—land the Lord Howard one Chalanger and Doctâ—â— Morton where it was agreed the French Kiâ—â— should pay the King of England presently befoâ—â— his departure out of France Seventy Two Thoâ—sand Crowns towards the expence of the Engâ—â—â—â— Army and 50000 Crowns a year for ever 〈◊〉 that the Dauphine should marry King Edwards â—â—dest Daughter and have the Dutchy of Guien 〈◊〉 her maintenance but at the King's return 〈◊〉 English Barons held it to be an inglorious Peâ—â—â— though 't was said to be made by the Holy Ghâ—â—â— â—or a Dove was seen to be often on King Edward's â—ent during the Treaty But the last Article was never performed for the Dauphine was afterward married to Margaret Daughter to Maximiâ—an Archduke of Austria so much to the disappointment and sorrow of King Edward that he â—ell sick upon it as Comines saies and departed â—his life at Westminster the 9th of April at the Age of 41. when he had Reigned 22 Years and â—bout one Month Anno 1483. and was buried at Windsor where before he had provided him a â—esting place this King had three Concubines whereof Jane Shoar was one of whom he would say one was the Merriest another the Wiliest and the third the Holyest Harlot in his Realm The cause of this War was a defection of the French from their Loyalty to England in Conjuction with the assistances they gave Queen Margaret and the Earl of Warwick against King Edward EDWARD V. ELdest Son of King Edward IV. was not above 12 years of Age when his Father died during this Kings short Reign if it may be called 〈◊〉 there was neither nor well could be any war 〈◊〉 act of Hostility that we read between Engâ—â—nd and France for it was but three Months that he reigned for Richard Duke of Glocester his Unkle knowing how easie a step it was from the place of a Protector and first Prince of the Blood to the Crown turned every stone to get the the Protectorship from the Lord Rivers the King's Unkle by the Mother side and having compassed it his next business was to get Prince Richard the King's Brother into his Clutches also whom the Queen Mother was fain to part with in great arfliction and struggling of Nature for she delivered him up as it were for Execution and the Protector who was resolved to make both him and the King a victim to his ambition looks upon the two young Princes from that very time as two Birds in a Cage that should not be long-lived but to blind the People he forthwith gave orders for the King's Coronation whilst he secretly contrived with the Duke of Buckingham his great Coajutor in his cursed designs to fix the Crown upon his own head Buckingham with his Artifices forced in a manner the City to a compliance which nolens volens was at last forced to proclaim Richard King of England the Duke pretending that all the late Kings issue were Bastards and the Protector only true heir to the Crown who when it was offered unto him by the Duke in the name of the City refused it with a counterfeit angry Countenance but when his Privado making himself the mouth of the Assembly said that if his Grace would not accept of the Crown they would find one that should then he was pleased to take it upon him as his right RICHARD III. WAs youngest Brother to Edward IV. of whom 't was said he was born with Teeth in his Head and Hair on his Shoulders At his first coming to the Crown he took his Seat in the Court of King's Bench where like a gracious Prince he pronounced Pardon of all offences committed against him to insinuate thereby to the People what a blessed Reign this was like to be but he spared not the two young Princes then in the Tower but they were by his Order stiffled in their Beds this reign was so troublesom at home that Richard though a warlike Prince in himself had not leasure to mind his affairs abroad for the Duke of Buckingham the great instrument of all his Villanies whether through the horrour of the said Murder or some other resentment did most certainly from that time project his ruine who had been the chief instrument of his elevation there was then at the Court of the Duke of Bretaign in France Henry Earl of Richmond the next heir to the House of Lancaster whose advancement to the Crown Buckingham and others resolved upon with proviso that Henry should consent to marry the Lady Elizabeth eldest daughter to Edward IV. whereby the Houses of York and Lancaster should be united into one but before the Plot took effect the Duke was taken and lost his Head without any form of Tryal or any regard had to his former Service Richmond lands at Milford Haven in Wales but with 200 men from whence advancing forwards by dayly reinforcements made up a body of 5000 men with whom he incountred K. Richard at Bosworth in Leicestershire being Aug. 12. 1485. The fight was very sharp but successful to Henry who carried the day and with it the Crown of England for there Richard was slain after he had acted the part of a great Captain and most valiant Soldier and so ended his bloody and short Reign which was but two years two Months and odd days but however to his praise it must be said that during his Reign he procured many good Laws for the ease of his People and omitted nothing that might tend to the honour of the English Nation HENRY VII BOrn in Pembrocke Castle in Wales succeeded next
same day landed at Calais some overtures of aâ— accommodation were made him from France before he took Shipping but he was no sooner arrived at Calais but the calm Winds of Peace began to blow for he found Maximilian was unprovided of the assistance promised for lack of Money which soon spread through the Army and upon the neck of this he received news also that Ferdinand and Isabel had made peace with Charles King of France upon his restoring unto them the Counties of Rousillion and Perpignan formerly mortgaged unto France by John King oâ— Arragon however October 15th he left Calais and directed his march towards Bulloigne where hâ— arrived in four days and so sat down before it 〈◊〉 the Siege continued for near a Month but without any memorable action or accident of War only Sir John Savage a valiant Commander was slain as he was riding about to view the Walls the Town was well fortified and had a good Garrison yet it was much distressed and ready for an assault which if it had been given 't was believed it would have been carried when the Commissioners appointed for that purpose concluded a Peace which was to continue for both the Kings lives wherein there was no Article of importance being in effect rather a bargain then a treaty as my Lord Bacon observes for all things remained as they were save that there should be paid to the King Seven Hundred Forty Five Thousand Duckats at present for his charges in that Expedition and Five and Twenty Thousand Crowns yearly for his expenses sustained in the aids of the Britons and besides this was left indefinitely when it should determine or expire which made the English esteem it as a tribute carried under fair terms and the truth is it was paid both to this King and to his Son King Henry VIII longer then it could continue upon aâ—y computation of charges but this Peace gave no great contentment to the Nobility and principal Officers of the Army who had many of them sold or engaged their Estates upon the â—opes of the War and they stuck not to say that the King cared not to plume his Nobility and â—nd People to feather himself and others made themselves merry with what the King had said in Parliament that after the War was once begun he doubted not to make it pay it self saying he had kept his Promise However Charles was by this peace assured of the Possession of Bretaign and free to prosecute his designs upon Naples which Kingdom he won though he lost it afterward in a kind of felicity of a Dream after he had passed â—he whole length of Italy without resistance so that it was true what Pope Alexander was wont to say That the Frenchmen came into Italy with Chalk in their hands to mark up their Lodgings rather then with Swords to Fight However Henry in the 11th year of his Reign upon this occasion entred into a League with the Italian Potentates for the defence of Italy He had many intestine broils and insurrections and his Reign is noted for Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck's impostures and no less remarkable for the immense treasure he left behind him a testimony of his avaritious nature and after above 23 years reign and having lived 52 he died April the 22d at his Palace of Richmond which himself had built Anno. 1508. The Causes of his Wars were partly for the relief of Bretaign partly on behalf of the Arch-Duke Maximilian and partly for the recovery of his own right in France HENRY VIII HEir to both Houses of York and Lancaster and the only surviving Son of Henry VII succeeded his Father at the Age of 18 and proved a Prince of great Vertues as well as Vices Towards the fourth year of his Reign the French King making war upon Pope Julius King Henry wrote him monitory Letters to desist as being his Friend and Confederate which letters being little regarded Henry sent to demand his Dutchies of Normandy Guien Anjou and Main and the Crown of France it self but this had the same effect with the former the French King continuing his war in Italy which provoked King Henry so that entring into Confederacy with the Emperor Maximilian Ferdinando King of Spain and other Potentates he determined by the advise of his Council to make War upon France and made preparations both by Sea and Land accordingly and in concert with Ferdinando sends over into Biscay an Army of 10000 Men all foot under the command of the Marquess of Dorset with a design to invade France on that side first for the recovery of the Dutchy of Aquitain but Ferdinand failing in the promises he had made of Horse Ordinance Carriages c. the English after they had waited from May till December for performance returned into England without any memorable action performed their number being considerably diminished through sickness Henry nothing discouraged hereat calls a Parliament who gave him a plentiful supply for carrying on the War wherefore with a Puissant Army wherein were many noble Persons and over which as Captain General was constituted the Earl of Shrewsbury under the King's Person he lands at Calais on the last day of June being the fifth Year of his Reign and the day following lands the Admiral of England at Whitsand Bay entred the Town and burnt it and then returned From Calais about the 21st of July the King marches in great state and good order of Battle towards Turwin where he arrives on the fourth of August and laies close siege to it the French attempting to impede his march but without success Seven daies after came the Emperor Maximilian whom the King received with great Triumph between Aire and the Camp where he enters into the King's Pay and as a Testimony thereof wore St. George's Cross with a Rose the Town made no extraordinary defence for notwithstanding the Garrison consisted of 4000 whereof were 600 good Horse yet they capitulated the 23d and marched away the day following but the King did not think fit to keep the place and therefore rased all the Works and burnt the Town removing first the Ordinance that was in it to Aire from hence he directs his march towards the City of Turnay and about the 21st of September sets down before it it was but weakly Garrisoned but full of Inhabitants and so on the 29th of the same Month was by Capitulation surrendred the Citizens which were to the number of 60000 swearing Allegiance to him Here Sir Edward Poinings was made Governour and of this City Wolsey then the Kings Almoner was made Bishop and so by the way of Calais Henry returns for England and on the 24th of October lands at Dover the Earl of Surrey during his absence having fought the Scots slain their King James IV. and defeated their whole Army The King's Arms thus prevailing by Land in France it self and against the Scots its confederates proved no less successful by Sea for Sir John Wallop
surnamed Ceur de Lion was the third Son of Henry the II. but the Eldest when his Father died aged 35 years when he began his Reign the former part whereof was spent by him in the Wars in the Holy-Land William Longshamp Bishop of Ely and Chancellor of England governing the Kingdom during his absence in this War he signalized his Valour to a wonder having first taken Cyprus in his way thither and at Acon in Syria so behaved himself that he became an object of Envy to other Christian Princes especially to King Phillip of France as you shall see hereafter where ever he went Terror was his forerunner insomuch that it grew common amongst those Eastern People to terrifie their Children with the apprehension of King Richard's coming in his return being driven upon the Coast of Dalmatia and thinking to pass home by Land incognito he was made Prisoner by the Duke of Austria who brought him to the Emperor Henry and was detained by him in Custody for a Year and five Months till he paid a great Ransom his unparallell'd Valour and Bravery was the occasion of this misfortune these and other Princes bearing him Envy especially the French King who invades Normandy during his absence which obliged Richard to make a Peace with Saladine for Three Years much to the disadvantage of the cause they fought for Phillip attacked Gisors and had it surrendred to him and many other Places and then hasted to lay Siege to Roan but found such a vigorous defence made by the Valiant and Noble Earl of Leicester that he was forced to quit his Enterprize and so returned into France On the 12th of March 1194. King Richard landed at Sandwich was recrowned again reduced the Kingdom entirely to his Obedience which was much divided because of his Brother John's pretentions in his absence and hearing the King of France had besieged Vernail he passed over into Normandy and arrived at Harfleur with 100 Ships full of Horsemen Armour c. the noise whereof so frighted the Monsieur that he left the Siege and went his ways whereupon Richard enters the French Dominions takes in several strong Places but the Noble Leicester had the misfortune to be taken Prisoner who afterward paid a great summ of Money for his Ransom and soon after ensued a Truce for a short time which was no sooner ended but Richard takes the Field possesses himself of the Castle of Brisen Novencourt c. the French King in the mean time besieging Albermarl whither Richard hastening to succour the Place a sharp Battle was fought between both Armies wherein the French prevailed chiefly upon the account of the English being wearied with their hard March But Richard had no sooner recruited and refreshed his Soldiers but he laid Siege to Miligio took it and burnt it down to the Ground whereupon ensued some overtures of Peace Albemarl in the mean time falling into the French hands and ran the same fate with Miligio Some three Years after Richard turned his Arms against the Barons of Poictiers that rebelled against him with prosperous success till at last besieging the Castle of Chaluz and having brought it to that extremity that he would grant no other Conditions but a surrender at Discretion he was shot in the left Arm out of a Cross-bow with an invenomed Dart by one Bartram de Gordon of which wound he died the 6th of April 1199. after he had reigned Nine Years and Nine Months and was buried at Fonteverard at his Fathers Feet The Causes were that while Richard went on so prosperously in the Holy Land the French King out of Envy and contrary to his Sacramental Oath invaded Normandy which forc'd King Richard to make peace with Saladine so much disadvantagious to all Christendom JOHN THe Brother of Richard who died without issue and youngest Son of Henry the II. succeeded his Brother to the prejudice of Arthur Geoffrey his Elder Brothers Son who was the real heir of Course This Arthur in right of his Mother was Earl of Bretagne in France so that by this exclusion England lost one of the best Provinces in that Kingdom and by advancing John to the Throne we not only lost almost all our Possessions in France but England it self became vassal to the Pope the Clergy of those times growing strangely bigotted to Rome and perverse to the King King John was in Normandy when his Brother dyed and though he wasted over into England with all possible speed to take Possession of the Crown and that his presence was so necessary here for to keep his new Subjects in their Obedience to him yet he could make no long stay for before a Year came about he was forced to return into Normandy again upon information that Phillip King of France had with a powerful Army made an irruption into Normandy who took the Country of Main and several other places from the English the Britons at the same time possessing themselves of the City of Angiers the Towns of Gorney Butenant and Gensoline Arthur doing also Homage to King Phillip for Anjou Poictiers Turain Main Bretaign and Normandy but soon after a Peace was concluded between the Kings and thereby many places confirmed to the French King that he had taken and others yielded up by John upon the account of his neece Blanch's Marriage with Lewis heir of France besides 30000 Marks in Silver paid to Phillip and all this to the great dishonour as well as detriment of the English Nation About two Years after this to wit the third of the Kings Reign one Hugo Brune a Noble Man of Aquitain raised a Rebellion against King John in that Province but he and his Adherents being unable to withstand John's Forces made complaint of him to Phillip of France whereupon he was summoned by the Nobles of France as Duke or Earl of Aquitain and Anjou to appear before the French King and to stand to the Judgment of his Peers which he refused upon which the Court adjudged him to be deprived of all his Lands which he or his Predecessors held of the King of France King Phillip forthwith raises a great Army invades Normandy takes in many Castles and a great part of the Country without resistance but Arthur Duke of Bretaign besieging the Castle of Mirable with Queen Eleanor then in it King John fell upon him there with such Force and Fury that he routed his Army and took Arthur and many others of Note Prisoners Arthur sometime after was sent Prisoner to the Tower of Roan and was there barbarously Murdered some said by King John's own hands but in all this time Phillip prospered in so much that in a very short space King John was in a manner despoiled of all the Lands he held in Fee of the Crown of France King John once and again made great preparations to recover his lost Dominions and had the good success to destroy the French Fleet and recover the Province of Poictou but his Domestick troubles both