grace it shalbe calde of right Speake what you can a happie Seate it is A trim Shiere towne for Noble Barron or Knight A Cittie sure as free as is the best Where Size is kept and learned Lawyers rest Buylt auncient wise in swéete and wholesome ayre Where the best sort of people oft repayre Not farre from thence a famous Castle fine That Raggland hight stands moted almost round Made of Freestone vpright as straight as line Whose workmanship in beautie doth abound The curious knots wrought all with edged toole The stately Tower that lookes ore Pond and Poole The Fountaine trim that runs both day and night Doth yéeld in showe a rare and noble sight Now Chepstowe comes to mynd as well it may Whose Seate is set some part vpon an hill And through the Towne to Neawport lyes a way That ore a Bridge on Wye you ride at will This Bridge is long the Riuer swift and great The Mountaine bigge about doth shade the Seate The craggie Rocks that ore the Towne doth lye Of force farre of doth hinder viewe of eye The common Port and Hauen is so good It merits praise because Barkes there doe ride To which the Sea comes in with flowing flood And doth foure howers aboue the Bridge abide Beyond the same doth Tyntterne Abbey stand As old a Sell as is within that Land Where diuers things hath bene right worthie note Whereof as yet the troth I haue not gote To Chepstowe yet my pen agayne must passe Where Strongbow once an Earle of rare renowne A long time since the Lord and Maister was In princely sort of Castle and of Towne Then after that to Mowbray it befell Of Norffolke Duke a worthie knowne full well Who sold the samet o William Harbert Knight That was the Earle of Penbrooke then by right His eldest Sonne that did succeede his place Of Huntyngton and Penbrooke Earle likewise Had but one childe a Daughter of great race And she was matcht with pompe and solempne guise To Somerset that was Lord Chamberlaine And made an Earle in Henry seuenths raigne Of him doth come Earle Worster liuing nowe Who buildeth vp the house of Raggland throwe A Creation of an Earle EDward by the grace of God King most imperiall Of France England the Lord of Ireland therwithall To Archbishops Bishops all to Abbotes and to Priors To Dukes to Earles to Barrons to Sheriffes of the shires To Iustices to Maiors and chiefe of Townly gouernment To Baylieffes my lichefolke all haue herewith greeting sent Knowe ye whereas we iudge it is a gracious Prince his parte To yéeld loue fauour and reward to men of great desarte Who of himselfe his Royall house and of the publique state Haue well deseru'd their vertues rare euer to renumerate And to adorne with high reward such vertue cléere and bright Stirs others vp to great attempts and faintnes puts to flight We following on the famous course y e former Kings haue run That worthie approued wight whose déedes most nobly dun Haue greatest things of vs deseru'd we do intend to raise To fame and honors highest type with gifts of Princely praise That truely regall are we meane that valiant worthie Knight That William Herbert hath to name now L. Herbert hight Whose seruice wheÌ„ we first did raigne we did most faithful find When for our royal right we fought which stil we call to mind To which we ad from then till now continuall seruices Which many were whereof each one to vs most pleasing is And chiefly when as lately now his déedes did him declare A worthie Knight wherby he gayn'd both fame and glorie rare When as that Rebell and our foe euen Iasper Tudyrs sonne who said he Earle of Penbroke was did westwales coast oreruÌ„ And there by subtile shifts and force did diuers sondrie waies Anoy our State and therewithall a vyle Sedition raise But there he gaue to him a fielde and with a valiant hand Orethrew him and his forces all that on his part did stand And marching all along those Coasts y e most he flew out right The rest he brake and so disperst they gaue themselues to flight Our Castle then of Hardelach that from our first daies raigne A refuge for all Rebels did against vs still remaine A Fort of wonderous force besiege about did he And tooke it where in most mens mynds it could not taken be He wan it did make them yéeld who there their saftie sought And all the Countrie thereabouts to our obedience brought These therefore his most worthie Acts we calling into minde His seruices and great desarts which we praise worthie finde And for that cause we willing him with honors royally For to adorne decke and aduaunce and to sublime on hye The eight day of September in the eight yéere of our Raigne We by this Charter that for ours shall firme for euer remaine Of speciall grace and knowledge sure sound and determinate And motioÌ„ méere him William doe of Penbroke Count create Erect preferre and vnto him the Title stile and state And name thereof and dignitie foreuer appropriate As Earle of Penbroke and withall we giue all rights that do All honors and preheminence that state perteyne vnto With which estate stile honor great and worthie dignitie By cincture of a Sword we him ennoble reallie For that the sence and worthie words were great The seruice such as merites noble fame The forme thereof in verse I doe repeate And shewe likewise the Lattin of the same He seru'd a King that could him well reward And of his house and race tooke great regard And recompenst his manly doing right With honor due to such a noble Knight Where loyall mynd doth offer life and all For to preserue the Prince and publique state There doth great hap and thankfull Fortune fall As guerdon sent by destnie and good fate No Soueraine can forget a Subiects troeth With whose good grace great loue and fauour goeth Great gifts and place great glorie and renowne They get and gayne that truely serues a Crowne And thou my Knight that art his heire in blood Though Lordship land and Ragglands stately towers A female heire and force of fortunes flood Haue thée bereft yet bearst his fruits and flowers His armes his name his faith and mynd are thyne By nature nurture arte and grace deuyne Ore Seas and Lands these moue thée paynes to take For God for fame for thy swéete Soueraines sake ⧠Here followeth the Creation of an Earle of Penbroke in Latin EDwardus Dei gracia Rex Angliae Fraunciae Dominus Hiberniç Archiepiscopis Episcopis Abbatibê° Prioribus Ducibus Comitibus Baronibus Iusticiarijs Vicecomitibus Prepositis Ministris omnibus Balliuis fidelibus suis saluteÌ„ Sciatis quod cum felicis grati admodum Regis munus censeamus de se de Regia domo deque Republica regno bene meritas personas coÌ„gruis
THE Worthines of Wales VVherein are more then a thousand seuerall things rehearsed some set out in prose to the pleasure of the Reader and with such varietie of verse for the beautifying of the Book as no doubt shal delight thousands to vnderstand Which worke is enterlarded with many wonders and right strange matter to consider of All the which labour and deuice is drawne forth and set out by Thomas Church-yard to the glorie of God and honour of his Prince and Countrey ¶ Imprinted at London by G. Robinson for Thomas Cadman 1587. ⧠To the Queenes most Excellent Maiestie Elizabeth by the grace of God Queene of England Fraunce and Ireland c. Thomas Church-yard wisheth alwayes blessednes good fortune victorie and worldly honour with the encrease of quiet raigne vertuous lyfe and most Princely gouernment MOST Redoubted and Royall Queene that Kings doe feare Subiects doe honour strangers seeke succour of and people of speciall spirit acknowledge as their manifold books declare I least of all presume to farre either in presenting matter to be iudged of or to aduenture the cracking of credite with writing any thing that may breede mislike presents not well taken in the deepe iudgement of so high and mightie a Princesse But where a multitude runnes forward forced through desire or fortune to shewe duetie or to see what falleth out of their forwardnes I stepping in among the rest am driuen and led by affection to followe beyond the force of my power or feeling of any learned arte So being thrust on with the throng I finding my self brought before the presence of your Maiestie but barely furnished of knowledge to whom I must vtter some matter of delight or from whom I must retourne all abashed with open disgrace Thus Gracious Lady vnder your Princely fauour I haue vndertaken to set foorth a worke in the honour of VVales where your highnes auncestors tooke name and where your Maiestie is as much loued and feared as in any place of your highnesse dominion And the loue and obedience of which people so exceedes and surpasseth the common good-will of the worlde that it seemeth a wonder in our age wherein are so many writers that no one man doth not worthely according to the countries goodnes set forth that noble Soyle and Nation Though in deede diuers haue sleightly written of the same and some of those labours deserueth the reading yet except the eye be a witnes to their workes the writers can not therein sufficiently yeeld due commendation to those stately Soyles and Principalities For which cause I haue trauayled sondry times of purpose through the same and what is written of I haue beheld and throughly seene to my great contentment and admiration For the Citties Townes and goodly Castles thereof are to be mused on and merites to bee registred in euerlasting memorie but chiefly the Castles that stand like a company of Fortes may not be forgotten their buyldings are so princely their strength is so greate and they are such stately seates and defences of nature To which Castles great Royaltie and liuings belongeth and haue bene and are in the giftes of Princes now possessed of noble men and such as they appoint to keep them The royalties whereof are alwayes looked vnto but the Castles doe dayly decay a sorrowfull sight and in a maner remediles But nowe to come to the cōditions of the people to shew somewhat of their curtesie loyalty naturall kindnes I presume your Maiestie will pardon me to speake of for of trueth your highnes is no soner named among them but such a generall reioysing doth arise as maketh glad any good mans hart to behold or heare it it proceeds of such an affectionate fauour For let the meanest of the Court come downe to that countrey he shalbe so saluted halsed and made of as though he were some Lords sonne of that soyle further the plain people thinks it debt duetie to follow a strangers Stirrop being out of the way to bring him where he wisheth which gentlenes in all countries is not vsed and yet besides all this goodnes and great regard there is neither hewe nor cry for a robbery in many hundreth myles riding so whether it be for feare of iustice loue of God or good disposition small Robberies or none at all are heard of there They triumph likewise so much of fidelitie that the very name of a falsifier of promes a murtherer or a theef is most odious among them especially a Traytor is so hated that his whole race is rated at and abhord as I haue heard there report of Parrie and others who the common people would haue torne in peeces if the lawe had not proceeded And such regard they haue one of another that neither in market townes high wayes meetings nor publicke assemblies they striue not for place nor shewe any kind of roysting for in sted of such high stomackes and stoutnes they vse frendly salutations and courtesie acknowledging duetie thereby doing such reuerence to their betters that euery one in his degree is so well vnderctood and honored that none can iustly say hee hath suffered iniurie or found offence by the rude burbarous behauiour of the people These vsages of theirs with the rest that may be spoken of their ciuil maner and honest frame of lyfe doth argue there is some more nobler nature in that Nation then is generally reported which I doubt not but your Highnes is as willing to heare as I am desirous to make manifest and publish the hope whereof redoubleth my boldnes and may happely sheeld me from the hazard of worlds hastie iudgement that condemnes men without cause for writing that they know and praysing of people before their faces which suspicious heads call a kind of adulation but if telling of troth be rebukable and playne speeches be offensiue the ignorant world shall dwell long in errors and true writers may sodaynly sit in silence I haue not only searched sondry good Authors for the confirmation of my matter but also paynfully traueiled to trye out the substance of that is written for feare of committing some vnpardonable fault and offence in presenting this Booke vnto your Highnesse VVhich worke albeit it is but litle because it treateth not of many Shieres yet greatly it shal reioyce the whole Countrey of VVales whē they shall heare it hath found fauour in your gracious sight hath passed through those blessed hands that holds the rayne and bridle of many a stately Kingdome and Terrytorie And my selfe shall reape so much gladnesse by the free passage of this simple labour that hereafter I shall goe through GOD sparing life with the rest of the other Shieres not heere named These things only taken in hād to cause your Highnesse to knowe what puysance and strength such a Princesse is of that may commaund such a people and what obedience loue and loyaltie is in such a Countrey as hereunto hath bin but little spoken
must I write to furnish foorth this booke Some Shieres doe part at Waters tryall showes There who so list vpon the same to looke Dulace doth runne along vnto the Hay So Hartford shiere from Breakenoke parteth there Brennick Deelyes Thlauenny as they say At Tawllgath méetes so into Wye they beare From Arthurs Hill Tytarell runnes apace And into Oske and Breakenoke runnes his race Nere Breakenoke Towne there is a Mountaine hye Which shewes so huge it is full hard to clime The Mountaine seemes so monstrous to the eye Yet thousands doe repayre to that sometime And they that stand right on the top shal see A wonder great as people doe report Which common brute and saying true may bee But since in deede I did not there resort I write no more then world will witnesse well Let them that please of those straunge wonders tell What is set downe I haue it surely seene As one that toyld and trauayld for the troth I will not say such things are as I weene And frame a verse as common voyces goeth Nor yet to please the humors of some men I list not stretch nor racke my termes awry My muse will not so farre abuse the pen. That writer shall gayne any blot thereby So he haue thanke in vsing ydle quill He seekes no more for paines and great good will ¶ Ludloe Towne Church and Castle THE Towne doth stand most part vpon an Hill Built well and fayre with streates both large and wide The houses such where straungers lodge at will As long as there the Councell lists abide Both fine and cleane the streates are all throughout With Condits cleere and wholesome water springs And who that lists to walke the Towne about Shall finde therein some rare and pleasant things But chiefly there the ayre so sweete you haue As in no place ye can no better craue The Market house where Corne and Cates are sold Is couered ore and kept in finest sort From which ye shall the Castle well behold And to which walke doe many men resort On euery side thereof fayre houses are That makes a shewe to please both mynd and eye The Church nere that where monuments full rare There is wherein doth sondrie people lye My pen shall touch because the notes I finde Therein deserue to be well borne in minde Within the Quere there is a Ladie layd In Tombe most rich the top of fayre Touchstone There was bestow'd in honour of this mayd Great cost and charge the trueth may well be knowne For as the Tombe is built in sumptuous guise So to the same a closet fayre is wrought Where Lords may sit in stately solemne wise As though it were a fine deuice of thought To beautifie both Tombe and euery part Of that fayre worke that there is made by arte Against that Tombe full on the other side A Knight doth lye that Iustice Townesend hight His wife likewise so soone as that she dyed In this rich Tombe was buryed by this Knight And trueth to tell Dame Alice was her name An Heire in deede that brought both wealth and land And as world sayth a worthie vertuous Dame Whose auncient Armes in colours there doth stand And many more whose Armes I doe not knowe Unto this Knight are ioyned all a roe Amid the Church a Chantrie Chappell stands Where Hozier lyes a man that did much good Bestow'd great wealth and gaue thereto some lands And helpt poore soules that in necessitie stood As many men are bent to win good will By some good turne that they may freely showe So Hoziers hands and head were working still For those he did in det or daunger knowe He smyld to see a begger at his doore For all his ioye was to reléeue the poore Another man whose name was Cookes for troth Like Hozier was in all good gifts of grace This Cookes did giue great lands and liuings both For to maintaine a Chauntrie in that place A yéerely dole and monthly almes likewise He ordaynd there which now the poore doe mis His wife and he within that Chappell lyes Where yet full plaine the Chauntrie standing is Some other things of note there may you see Within that Church not touched now by mée Yet Beawpy must be nam'd good reason why For he bestow'd great charge before he dyde To helpe poore men and now his bones doth lye Full nere the Font vpon the formost side Thus in those daies the poore was lookt vnto The rich was glad to fling great wealth away So that their almes the poore some good might do In poore mens boxe who doth his treasure lay Shall finde againe ten fold for one he leaues Or els my hope and knowledge me deceiues THE Castle now I mynd here to set out It stands right well and pleasant to the vewe With sweete prospect yea all the field about An auncient Seate yet many buildings newe Lord Presdent made to giue it greater fame But if I must discourse of things as true There are great works that now doth beare no name Which were of old and yet may pleasure you To see the same for loe in elders daies Was much bestow'd that now is much to praise Prince Arthurs Armes is there well wrought in stone A worthie worke that fewe or none may mend This worke not such that it may passe alone For as the tyme did alwaies people send To world that might excéede in wit and spréete So sondrie sorts of works are in that Seate That for so hye a stately place is méete Which shewes this day the workmanship is greate Looke on my Lords and speak your fancies throw And you will praise fayre Ludloe Castle now In it besides the works are here vnnam'd A Chappell is most trim and costly sure So brauely wrought so fayre and finely fram'd That to worlds end the beautie may endure About the same are Armes in colours sitch As fewe can shewe in any Soyle or place A great deuice a worke most rare and ritch Which truely shewes the Armes the blood and race Of sondrie Kings but chiefly Noble men That here in prose I will set out with pen. Sir Walter Lacie was first owner of Ludloe Castle whose Armes are there and so followes the rest by order as you may reade Ieffrey Genyuile did match with Lacie Roger Mortymer the first Earle of Martchy an Earle of a great house matcht with Genyuile Leonell Duke of Clarence ioyned with Ulster in Armes Edmond Earle of Marchy matched with Clarence Richard Earle of Cambridge matcht with the Earle of Marchy Richard Duke of Yorke matcht with Westmerland Edward the fourth matcht with Woduile of Riuers Henry the seuenth matcht with Elizabeth right heire of England Henry the eight matcht with the Marquese of Penbroke These are the greatest first to be named that are there set out worthely as they were of dignitie and birth Now followes the rest of those that were Lord Presidents and others
in the hall windowe All that followes are Armes of Princes and Noblemen The great water called TeaÌ„ comes 17. mile froÌ„ a place called the Whitehall neere vnto Begyldie in the County of Radnor The Forrest of Brenwood is west from the towne The Chace of Mocktrie and Oâ—kley Parkes staÌ„ds not farre from thence A deuice of the Lord Presidents He gaue great possessions large liberties and did incorporate them with many goodly freedomes That Towne hath bin well gouerned a loÌ„g while with two Bayliefes twelue Aldermen and fiue and thirtie Commoners a Recorder a Townclarke assistant to the sayd Bayliefes by iudiciall course of lawe weekely in as large and ample maner for their triall betweene partie and partie as any Cittie or Borrowe of England hath The poore haue sweete lodgings each one a part to himselfe An Hospitall called S. Iones A Guyld that King Edward by Letters Pattents gaue to the Bayliefs and Burgesses of the towne The AldermeÌ„ are Iustices of the Peace for the time being A deuice of the Author called Reasons threatning The Author borne in Shrewseburie Shrewseburie the marshes of Wales Reasons threatning is done The priuie blowes that Reason giues For feare of shame slouthfull men are well occupied Newe buildings makes old deuice blush Labour reapes reward Many well borne and rich in Shrewseburie Diuers Almes houses in Shrewseburie and hath bin there mainteyned in old time Shrewseburie and Wales are like in courtesie Fayre wordes and reuerence is a common thing there Good nature and good maners shewes good mynds Stout behauiour is rather abhorred then embraced Many of wales wealthie men in Shrewseburie A deepe deuice the foundation of Shrewseburie The Castle built in such a braue plot that it could haue espyed a byrd flying in euery streate A matter to be marked A Knight lyes crosselegged in S. Maries his name is Leyborne Of the same of Churches Of the Riuer of Seuarne A notable Riuer called Seuarn running vnder two faire bridges of stone There is a bridge called Welshbridge which shewes Shrewseburie to be of Wales The Castle though old and ruynate stands most braue and gallantly Maister Prince his house staÌ„ds so trim and finely that it graceth all the Soyle it is in Here is the way to Meluerley to Wattels Borrow where Ma. Leighton dwelles to Cawx Castle Lord Staffords and to Maister Williams house Aldermen in Scarlet orderly in Shrewseburie and two Bayliefes as richly set out many Mayor of some great Cities Great costly banquetting in Christmas and at all Sessions Sizes A matter of trafficke to be noted and coÌ„sidered of London compared to the flowing Sea The great must maintaine the smal Ludloe is set out after Ozestrie and Bishops Castle doth front in Wales Of a notable market a meruclous matter Poore folkes makes fewe words in bargayning The blessednesse of plaine people A rare report yet truely giuen of Wales You must reade further before you finde Ludloe described The Authors forgetfulnesse clensed A pleasant and artificiall peece of grouÌ„d Maister Aston was a good and godly Preacher A Friery house stood by this ground called the Welsh Fryers In Shrewseburie were three Fryer houses A briefe discourse of auncient tyme. The occasion of buylding strong Holds Wales hath a wonderfull number of Castles A description of Denbighshiere A conceyted toy to set a broach an earnest matter Being Muster-maister of Kent more chargeable then well coÌ„sidered of there Chirke Castle a goodly and princely house yet Keeryock a wondrous violent water Maister Iohn Edwards hath a fayre house nere this Newe Bridge on the Riuer Dee A strauÌ„ge nature of a water There is a poole in Meryonethshiere of three myle long rageth so by storme that it makes this Riuer flowe Ruabon Church is a fayre peece of worke This Gentleman was called Iohn Bellis Eytton Offaes Dyke Wats Dyke Robert Howell lyes there a Gentleman In Maylor are all these Gentlemen Maister Roger Pilsons house at Itâ—hlay Maister Almmer at Pantyokin Maister Iohn Pilson of Bersan Maister Edward Iones of Cadoogan Maister Iames Eaton of Eatton Maister Edward Eaton by Ruabon Maister Owen Brueton of Borras Maister Iohn Pilson of Haberdewerne Maister Thomas Powell of Horsley Maister Iohn Treuar of Treuohn Agene all praise of all Gentlemen inhabiting of any Countrey Holt Castle an excellent fine place the Riuer of Dee running by it Maister Hues dwelles there Maister Euan Flud dwelles in Yale in a fayre house Castle Dynosebraen on a wooddie hill on the one side Greene Castle on the other A Bridge of stone very faire there stands ouer Dee Maister Lakon Ma. Thlude of Yale The names of the Riuers of Denbighshire Keeriock parts Shropshere DeÌ„bighshere before Chirk Dee at newe Bridge and Thlangothlen Aleyn in the valley of Yale Clanweddock in the fayre vale of Dufrin Cloyd Cloyd receiues Clanweddock and Elwye by Saint Asse Istrade by Denbigh Raihad comes to the Voâ—â—ney Keynthleth comes into Rayhad The Castle of Wrythen is yet outwardly a marueilous faire and large princely place There is a Poole here abouts that hath in it a kynd of fish that no other water can shewe A Riuer called Aleyn in the valley of Yale The valley of Yale The Earle of Kent lyes here An Anckres in King Henrie the fourths tyme buryed here The pleasant vale of Diffrin Cloyd The Vale throughly described Three Riuers in this Vale. A naturall secret touched Thomas Salesburie of Lleweni Robert Salesburie of Bachenbid Foulk Lloyd of Houllan Piers Holland of Kynmel Piers Owen of Abergele Edward Theleall of Beren William Wyn of Llamuaire Elis Price of Spitty Iohn Middleton The strongest Castle seate that euer man beheld Marke wel the situation and buylding of the same A practise by the Author proued A great glorie giuen to Denbigh The Abbey of Valey Crucis Castle Dynosebraen A goodly bridge of stone here The Towne and the bridge with the vyolent Riuer before that Towne A little spoke of Fluntshiere The Author fell sicke here The writer takes here breath till a better season serues