England Denmarke Norway some adde also part of Sweden together with Scotland were wholy subject unto him 3. His Iealousies of Ironsides Children moved him to send his sonnes Edward and Edmund to Swanus King of Denmarke to be dispatched but he abhorring such Villâ—ny transfer'd them to the King of Hungary where Edmund dying Edward Married Agatha the Emperour Henry the fourths Daughter by whom he had Edgar Etheling the surviving Heire of the Crowne of England which he could never recover 4. To strengthen his Title what he might he takes Emma to wife King Etheldreds Widdow M. Lambard makes good Lawes extant in the Saxon tongue and Latine gave one hundred Talents of Silver and one of Gold for St Augustince Arme which he bestowed on Coventry as a memoriall of his Zeale though not according to knowledge 5. He had Issue by Emma his second Wife the faire Gunhilda and Hardy-Canutus Gunhilda was Married to the Emperour Henry the third where falling into suspition of Incontinency she was vindicated by her English Page overthrowing in her quarrell a great Gyant Hardicanutus was designed to succeed by his Father here in England but was put by in his absence by his Brother 2. A.C. 1038 HAROLD called Harefoot by reason of his swiftnesse Earle Goodwin withstands his entrance but by secret prevailing meanes was soone made his friend 2. A Letter is forged in Queene Emma's name to bring over her sonnes Edward and Alfred which she had by Ethelred to claim their Right to the Crowne Alfred comes and by Earle Goodwin is made away with all those that came with him at Gilford 3. Emma is banished but courteously entertained by Baldwin Earle of Flanders Harold thus secured as he thought from Competitors lives loosly dyes speedily and without Issue leaves the Kingdom to 3. A.C. 1041 HARDICANUTUS who made it his first worke to disintombe his Predecessors Corps and threw it into Thamisis but some Fishermen more courteous recovered it and buryed it againe in St Clements neare Temple-Barre 2. His recalling his Mother Emma and half Brother Edward and entertaining them respectively deserves commendations As also the prosecuting Earle Goodwin and the Bishop of Worcester for Prince Alfreds death but the Earle quitted himselfe by his Oath and a rich Present and the Bishops questioning is said to be for the Murther of the Kings Taxe-Collectors in Worcester by the inraged Citizens for which their City was afterwards consumed with fire 3. His Epicurismo left an ill Custome to all posterity Foure times a day his Table must be covered to invite men to Intemperancy Through which at a Marriage he is thought to have Choaked himselfe at Lambeth most rejoycing to be rid of him in memory whereof Hock-tide a Feast of scorning was a long time continued after In this third Heire expired the Danish Line and the Saxon revived againe in 4. EDWARD the sonne of Ethelred Emma A.C. 1043 commonly called the Confessour 1. To gaine the more love of his Subjects at his first entrance he remitted the Taxe of Danegilts so greivous to the Commonds collected the Lawes of his predecessors into a body for the administrationof Iustice which some say are the ground of our Common-Law though the Pleading be altered since the Norman Conquest 2. He was threatned by the Dane See M. Lambards Archnom and vexed by Griffith the Welch Prince who was quelled by Harold especially who was imployed against them Betweene him and the potent Earle Goodwin were such debates that twice came to the hazard of dangerous Battles if wise mediation of the Nobles had not prevented them the death of which Earle is reported to be his Choaking with a bitt of Bread upon an imprecation laid on himselfe that that might be his last if he had a hand in the death of the Kings Brother Prince Alfred though some say he died of the deadpalsie 3. Grafton In this man's time Coventry purchased its Freedome from Earle Leofrie by the Riding of his Countesse Godina naked through it but such order was taken by the Townesmen that shutting up all Doores and Windowes none beheld it 4. His unnaturall dealing with his good Mother Emma and vertuous faire Wife Editha Earle Goodwins Daughter cannot be excused For upon a poore surmise of Incontinency with Alwin Bishop of Winchester his Mother in his presence was put to the Ordalium to passe Blindfolded between nine glowing Coulters which she did untouched and his spotlesse Queene Editha denied Marriageright perchance for hatred to her Father and with one Waiting-maid to live disrespected in a Nunnery 5. Such actions so opposite to Gods word should Saint no man The first curing the Kings Evill is referred to him and thence to have continued to his Successors More Laudable was his respect to Edgar Etheling Grandchild to to Ironside by his sonne Edward the Out-law that died in banishment whom he intended for his successour and he had the best right to it but he being young and wanting meanes and friends to support him 5. A.C. 1066 HAROLD sonne of Earle Goodwin makes bold to take the place a man of excellent parts and approved valour as the Welch and others which he subdued in his Predecessors time found to their cost 2. He droven by Tempest into Normandy was affianced to young Adeliza Duke William's Daughter with whom he Covenanted upon Oath to make him successour to Edward in the Kingdome of England 2. But this contract he held as a nicity or complement and constrained Oathes no way to bind wherein he soothed himselfe but God is not mocked and usurpations thrive not long 3. Three Enemies at one time assault him Tosto his owne Brother Harold Harefager or Fairelocks of Norway and William Duke of Normandy The two former he manfully quelled but fell under the hand of William in that famous Battle of Hastings in Sussex the setter up of the next Dynasty 2. IN those times whiles Princes sought the ruines one of another Popes grew up to dispose of them and their Kingdoms and those that protested against such deformities and enormities could not be heard INQVIRIES 3. Whether 1. Canutus had the largest Dominious of any that ever Ruled in this Kindome 2. St Augustines Arme were worth so much as he gave for it 3. Edward the sonne of Etheldred deserved the Title of Confessour 4. Our Common-Law have its grounds from his Collections 5. Ordalium by hott Coulters be fit to purge suspition of Incontinency 6. Stopping the rights of Marriages without consent for a time of both Parties be not directly against Gods word 7. Harold were bound to keep his Oath to William of Normandy for the Crowne of England in prejudice to Edgar Etheling the apparent right Heire Of the Normans DYNASTY IV. THe Fourth Dynasty is of the Normans to the Plantagenets and hath in it 1. A.C. 1067 WILLIAM the Conquerour the seaventh Duke of Normandy the sonne of Robert begotten on Arlot a poore Skinners daughter whom he affected for her
handsomenesse and comely dauncing which by chance he beheld among her country companions 2. After the overthrow of Harold with little lesse then the losse of 68000 men on both sides in Battle field he quickly brought under the rest of the Kingdome The Kentish men circumvent him by a stratageme and thereby retained their ancient Customes and Liberties 2. Edgar Etheling the right heire formerly wronged by Harold with the discontented Earles Edwin and Morcar make some resistance but to no purpose Edgar flyes with his Mother and Sisters into Scotland where King Malcolme entertaining them nobly takes Margaret his Sister to Wife and by his constant and effectuall standing for him Edgar was reconciled unto the Conquerour and had Royall allowance from him 3. To those insurrections that here vexed him his eldest sonne Robert added a more unnaturall in Normandy which he hastening to appease was in Battle Vnhorsed by his own sonne whom upon submission he was content to pardon for the time 4. The Church found no friend of him whose Revenues he alienated and burthened with unusuall taxes not sparing the poore meanes of Vniversity Colledge in Oxford which must be diverted from the Students 5. Besides the imposing of the Norman Lawes he left the Doomesday Booke in the Exchequer containing a Survay in generall of all England For a groat to short in payment of some dues required he forced the Monkes of Ely to lay downe a 1000 markes notwithstanding for all this the Pope bucks him and allowes his doings and Title 6. He depopulated about thirty miles in compasse Cambden iâ— Hantshire and outed the Inhabitants to make a forrest for Wild-beasts which pleasured not himselfe so much as it proved unluckie to his Posterity The plainnesse of these times of Letting Lands is worth the comparing with the intricate prolixity of our times Then it passed for good From me and mine to thee and thine As good and as faire as ever they mine were To witnesse that this is sooth I bite the white waxe with my tooth But now we find it otherwise 7. After all these transactions abroad he is summoned by Death as he was in Normandy but had the place of his buriall compounded for before he was interred and then the Grave proved too little for him that had proved so great a Conqueror in the World His second sonne 2. A.C. 1087 WILLIAM Rufus by Arch-Bishop Lanfrankes working for him gets the place 1. He is strongly opposed by his elder brother Robert whom he calmeth with promising faire words without performance and Robert joynes in the famous expedition to the Holy Laud with Godfrey of Bullaine 2. As his Father began so he persisted to withstand Papall intrusions He sleighted the Popes Binding Loosing and held it bootlesse to invocate Saints Curbed Anselme Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and taxed the then swelling Clergy for their Pride Luxury Idlenesse and Avarice Heard a Disputation of the Iewes who bribed him to favour them against the Christians but they lost the day and their mony togither 3. A Groome of his chamber on a time bringing him a paire of Breeches of three shillings price was blamed of him and commanded to furnish him with a paire fit for a King that should cost a marke He goes and presenting him with a meaner paire which he said cost so much yea Bellamy or by St Lucies face saith the King they are well bought such was the frugality of those times and difference from ours 4. His liberality to Religious persons and places shewes that he was not voyd of Religion though he could not endure Appeales to Rome and his building the Towre in London and Westminster Hall of 270 foot in length and 74 in breadth are sufficient testimonies of his Magnificence 5. His death was casuall by the glance of an arrow from a tree Cambden in Hantshire ex G. Mapes shot by Sir Walter Tirrell at a Stagge in the New Forrest wherein foure Abbies and thirty fixe Parish Churches had been demolished with the removing of all the Inhabitants to make roome for Beasts or Doggs game as one calls it Rex cervum insequitur Regem vindicta Tyrellus Non bene provisum transfixit acumine ferri The King the Stagge vengeance the King doth chase Tyrells hard hap concludes this Tragick case Also Richard his brother and Robert his Nephew came to their untimely ends in the same place so dangerous it is to prove Abaddons especially in consecrated things A Colliars Cart that removes him thence brake in the way and left him in the dirt whence he was after taken and buried as a King in Winchester dying without issue his Scepter descended to his brother 3. A.C. 1100 HENRY the first surnamed Beauclark for his Learning He was wont to say that an unlearned King was a Crowned Asse 1. Great stirres he had with his brother Robert who returning from Ierusalem where he was made King to possesse England but missed of it and at length lost Normandy togither with his eyes by his unnaturall brother 2. He Married Maud King Malcolmes daughter of Scotland by her Mother Margaret lineally descended from Edmund Ironside to strengthen his title to the Kingdome 3. As his predecessors did so he stoutly denyes the Popes incroachings Curbs Anselme that continued Romes agent establisheth the Lawes of Edward the Confessor Holinshed and addes other convenient of his owne 4. A.C. 1114 He is said to have held the first Parliament which he ordained should consist of Three Estates of which himself was the Head Martin A great Bickering began in his time between Canterbury and Yorke for priority which continued a long time after till Canterbury carried it And Cardinall Cremensis the Popes Legate sent hither to interdict Priests Marriages was taken in the Act with a common strumpet which he excused in saying he was no Priest himselfe but a corrector of them 5. The drowning of his sonne William with diverse other Nobles was repaired in some sort by the Marriage of Maud his Daughter first with Henry the fifth Emperour of Germany and he dying without Issue next with Jeffery Plantagenet Earle of Anjoy by whom she had Henry Fitz Empresse Heire apparant to the Crowne But his Grand-father dying unexpectedly by eating of Lampresse and he not upon the place 4. STEPHEN of Blois steps in A.C. 1135 sonne to Adeliza daughter to the Conquerour and holds it which was the cause of no small stirres and blood-shed especially it being against his Oath which he had taken with the Nobles for the Empresse Mauds succession and first brake it The Bishops excused it that it was for the good of the Church but Perjury promotes not Piety 2. Lesse he could not expect then continuall oppositions from the Empresse and her sonne Henry to recover their right wherein after various successe and windings on either side At the Battle of Liucolne notwithstanding his Herculian laying about him with his slaughtering Axe the King himselfe was taken Prisoner
opposing Pope Innocent the third in Stephen Langtons preferment to the See of Caterbury sleighting the Monks and vexing them 3. Their Combinations forced him after the Interdicting of the Realme for six years three moneths and sixteene dayes to render his Crowne to Pandulphus the Popes Legate and take it againe in Fee-Farme at the Rent of a Thousand Markes yearely which exasperated his Nobles against him howsoever it warped the Pope and Clergy to be for him 4. His Bickering abroad with the French and at home with his Barons made his Raigne very Tragicall which ended at Swansted Abby by Simon the Monkes Poyson as some say and gave way to his sonne 4. A.C. 1216 HENRY the third who Crowned between nine or tenne yeares Old 1. Cleared this Realme of the French who had Invaded it by the Popes interdiction by William Martiall Earle of Pembroke his Protector 2. Hubert De Burgo Earle of Kent did him much good service for which he had small recompence 3. His immoderate and exasperating favours cast on Strangers drew on the Barons Warres in which an Insanum Parliamentum held at Oxford appointed twelve Peeres in prejudice of his Regality The Earles of Leicester and Glocester are the greatest sticklers in it who took Prisoners the King with his brother Richard King of the Romanes and his sonne Prince Edward in the Battle of Lewes in Sussex 4. He confirmes Magna Charta The Earles fall at deadly fend between themselves Prince Edward tels the King of it and joyning with Glocester Rights himselfe by the Ruine of Leicester in the Battle of Eversham in Worcestershire 5. London is threatned to be Burnt by the King for taking the Barons part 6. Glocesters service failing of expected Favours repines to no purpose and undertakes to goe to the Holy Land but shrinking that enterprise is performed by Prince Edward and his Heroick Princesse Elianor who suck'd out there the poyson of an invenomed wound given him with the hazard of her owne life whereby he recovered He did there great service untill he was called back to succeed his Father that dyed after fifty six yeares Raigne by the Title of 5. EDWARD the first commonly called Longshanks A.C. 1273 1. He brought the Welch with their Valiant Prince Lewillin under the English Subjection 2. Conquered Scotland being at Variance who should be King brought thence the Marble Chayre in which the Scottish Kings were wont to be Crowned spoken of before 3. Hesleighted the Popes Inhibition to forbeare Scotland and in the Parliament of Lincolne under the subscription of the Peeres utterly renounced Pope Boniface his Supreame Authority 4. He banished the Jewes for their Exactions and Censured the Judges and Officers for their Corruptions 5. Vpon his Death-bed charged his sonne to continue the Banishment of Pearce of Goveston and to convey his Heart to be buried in the Holy Land 6. Of his sixteene Children which he had by two Wives Elianour of Spaine and Margaret of France 6. A.C. 1307 EDWARD the second surnamed Carnarvan the first English hereditary Prince of Wales succeeds him 2. He against his Oath calls Gaveston twice out of Banishment permits him to convey beyond the Seas his Iewels with a Table and Tressels all of Beaten Gold 3. In place of Gaveston beheaded by the Nobles he takes the Spencers Father and sonne to be his Favourites worse if it might be then Gaveston 4. At Estreveline and twice afterwards he received three notable overthrowes by the Scotts to the losse of all his Interest there and the Devastation of the Northerne parts of his Kingdome 5. Vpon these preposterous events Iohn Poydrus an Exeter man would needs prove the King a Changling and said himselfe was Long-shanks sonne But his claime was quickly strangled with an Halter 6. To right these wrongs the Barons by a Parliament get the Spencers banished The King recalls them the Barons take Armes receive a great overthrow and two and twenty of them are Behoaded The Spencers the more insult 7. The Queene flyes with the Prince into France is deserted by her bribed Brother the French King and commanded to returne by the Pope finds favour with Robert of Artois Earle of Henalt and Sr Iohn his brother returnes by their help into England is assisted by the Barons takes the King and the Spencers at Bristow The Londoners behead Walter Stapleton Bishop of Exeter for withstanding the Queenes proceedings The Spencers are executed the King is Deposed in Parliament sent to Killingworth as Prisoner and thence to Barkly Castle where he was barbarously Spitted to Death leaving his sonne 7. A.C. 1327 EDWARD the third otherwise calied Edward of Windsor to governe better 1. He surprised Mortimer the Minion of his mother and Executed him at Tyburne who had by his pernicious plotting caused King Edward the second to be made away by an Amphibologie Edvardum occidere nolite timere bonum est To shed King Edwards blood Refuse to feare I hold it good And the Scottish Ragman to be redelivered in the Non-age of this King whereby the English laid claime to Scotland together with their Black Crosse so that the People cried out Vae pueris terrae saepissime sunt ubi guerrae Woe to the Land where Rulers age Is not mature to stop mens rage 2. Notwithstanding the King repaired this afterward by the overthrow of the Scotts at Hallidowne Hill which wiped off their contumelious Rime made upon their Victorie over the English in his Fathers dayes being this Long Beards heartlesse Painted Hoods witlesse Gray Coates gracelesse Make England thriftlesse And also in taking their King David the valiant Bruces sonne Prisoner at Nevils Crosse in his absence in France by the Queene and placing in Edward Balioll to be King 3. Against the French by himselfe and this Valiant sonne Edward the Black Prince He obtained eminent Victories at Cressay and Poycters In the last of which their King John was taken and brought into England 4. He Founded the Order of the Garter first quartered his Armes with France In his old age was much abused by a Strumpet Alice Pears 5. After he had seene the death of his Victorious sonne Edward the Black Prince he died peaceably at Sheene in Surry leaving to succeed him his Grandchild the Black Princes sonne 8. RICHARD the second 1. A.C. 1378 He misled by his Favorite Michael De La Poole and other Syeophants incurres the hatred of his People Iohn Wall Priest Watt Tylor lack Sraw and Jack Shepherd raise a Rebellion against him which happily was quieted by the Maior of London's William Walworths mortall blow given Watt Tylor 2. Thirteene Commissioners were appointed to see matters reformed but it came to nothing 3. An Invasion of French with twelve hundred Ships under Sayle against England by Gods providence were utterly scattered Iohn of Gaunt his Vncle Warreth successively in Spaine and himselfe in Scotland 4. He continues his hatred against his Nobles executes diverse of them Banisheth his Cosen Henry of
the Church of Rome by bestowing on it the power of the Exarches and Romandiola to stop as some say Cerberus chapps with such bits least they should worry him as they had his predecessors Notwithstanding he had no mind to travell to Rome for his Coronation Quia me vestigia terrent faith he as the foxe observed concerning repairing to the Lions denne many paths lead thither but few tracts appeare of returners 3. He had many children and matched sixe of his daughters to so many Princes the seaventh remaining a virgin His usuall Motto was MELIVS EST BENE IMPERARE QVAM IMPERIVM AMPLIARE Better it is to governe well that a man hath then to inlarge his Dominions many Cities in Italy purchased their freedome of him before his death he endeavoured to settle the Empire upon his sonne Albert but it was carried against him especially by the Elector of Mentz and 2. A.C. 1291 ADOLPH Earle of Nassau had the place a man of too mean a fortune to uphold the Majesty of it Our Edward of England sent him a round snmme of mony to uphold his rights but he was forced to use it to supply his want 2. His saying was ANIMVS EST QVI DIVITES FACIT It is the mind not the Purse which makes man rich but he found by experience they would doe well togither 3. In a quarrell between him and Albert of Austria who had the better purse he was forsaken of his friends and slaine by his Enimies of whom 3. A.C. 1298 ALBERT the chiefe succeeds him This man was the Sonne and Heire of Radulphus the first surnamed Austriacus in regard of his wife Elizabeth he got Tyrol and Carinthia to be annexed to it 2. Victorious he is said to be in twelve severall Battles the most of which might be rather termed Skirmishes Of 21. children which he fathered eleaven came to age and were honourably disposed of 3. In this mans time seaven things happened very remarkable 1. The removing of the Papall seat from Rome to Avignion in France 2. The subversion of the Knights Templass 3. The setling of the Knights of St Iohns in Rhodes 4. The Scaligers in Verona and the 5. Estei in Ferrara 6. The firsti Iubilee at Rome in the West And 7. the beginnings of the Ottomans in the East 5ly His Motto is said to be QVOD OPTIMVM ILLVD ET IVCVNDISSIMVM That which is best should most take us as in it selfe most pleasant He was treacheroufly slaine by his Nephew and his complices in which place his sonnes afterward built a Monastery His successor was 4. A.C. 1308 HENRY the seaventh of Lutzeâ—burg a pious prudent and valarous Prince 2. Having composed matters in Germany he hastneth to doe the like in Italy where all discipline was out of frame Was Crowned in Rome in the Popes absence by three Cardinalls omitted no opportunity to give all content notwithstanding he was tumultuously droven out of Rome by the faction of the Vrcini and through hatred of the Florentines poysoned in the Eucharist by one Bernard an hired Monke 3. That passeth for his Motto which he uttered upon the first feeling of the operation of the Poyson CALâ—X VITAE CALIX MORTIS The Cup of life is made my death Which made way for the succession of 5. LEWIS of Bavaria an able and resolute man A.C. 1314 Against whom by the Popes faction and some Electors was set up Frederick of Austria Alberts soune and Lewis was twice excommunicated which he little regarded and was told by our Occam who stood up in his defence with this resolute saying Defendas me ô Imperator gladio ego defendam te verbo protect me with the sword and I will justify that thou doest by the word 2. In this siding on all sides Lewis having the better of Frederick they come to an agreement both keep the title of Emperours but Lewis hath the Power and right In his time the Countesse of Holland is said to have had as many Children at a Birth as there be daies in a yeare He deposed Pope Iohn the 22. and put Nicholas the fifth into his place Lyra then flourished whose Comment upon the whole Scripture is Worthily esteemed at this day 3 His Motto was SOLA BONA QVAE HONESTA Those things are only good which may stand with honesty others attribute to him this HVIVSMODI COMPARANDAE SVNT OPES QVAE CVM NAVFRAGIO SIMVL ENATENT Englished by our Queen Mary which we have in a Breviary of hers under her own hand to a certain Lady when she was Princesse to be seen in the Archives of our Oxford Library Get you such goods which may in a Shipwrack be carried away with you Some say he dyed of an Apoplexy others that he was poysoned by the Austrian faction of his competor at a Banquet in a Burgraves house in Norimberg This is agreed upon that 6. A.C. 1346 CHARLES the fourth the Kings sonne of Bohemia succeeded him Against him were set up our Edward the 3d of England Frederick of Misnia and Gunter of Swartzburg but Edward waved the dignity with such trouble Frederick was satisfied with money and Gunter poysoned 1. In his journy into Jtaly to be Crowned all was fish with him that came to nett so that for his capacity he was termed the Stepfather of the Church and this put upon him that he would sell the Empire if he might find a Chapman to gaine by the bargaine 3. But with these enormities he had joyned many excellencies As himself was Leâ—rned so he much favoured Scholers Founded the Vniversity of Prague set forth that Golden Bull called Lex Carolina wherein he requires that Emperours should be good Linguists to conferre themselves with Embassadours and prescribes what solemnity should be used in electing and authorizing Emperours according to the Eminency of their place 4. In this time florished Wicliffe and Richard Armacanus for Divinity Bartholus and Baldus for Law renowned ever since A Rattcatcher led forth with Taber and Pipe most of the Children of the Towne of Hamel in Germany who followed him into the side of a Mountaine opening and were never more after heard of The number also that dyed of the Plague in those dayes is incredible 5. His Motto was OPTIMVM EST ALIENA FRVI INSANIA It is a wise way to make use of other mens Madnesse which his sonne 7. A.C. 1378 WENCESLANUS for whom he purchased the Empire had scarce the witt to doe 1. He granted diverse Priviledges to the Noringbergers for a Load of Wine executed Barthold Swartz for inventing Gunpouder 2. Bajazâ—â—â— the furious Turke this time was like to have overrunne Europe but was recalled and overthrowne by the unresistable Tamberlane and carryed about within a Golden Cage to be trod upon as a foot-stoole when he mounted on Horseback 3. The Motto put upon him was MOROSOPHI MORIONES PESSIMI None are more pernicious Fooles then those that are between Hauke Buzzard sots in serious matters but wise enough to doe
his Crowne for seaven years which he penitently submitted unto but held on his lascivious courses 3. It was a successefull device to free his Country from Wolves by injoyning the Prince of North-Wales to bring him yearly 300 skinnes of them for a Tribute and another Ordinance he made for putting pinnes in cupps that none should quaffe whole ones 4. Vpon the river Dee he had seaven petty Kings to row his Barge to shew his greatnesse 5. After his death great stirre there was who should succeed him Elfrida the Queene and the Duke of Mercia interposed strongly for her sonne Ethelred but Dunstane and the Monkes carried it for 13. EDWARD the sonne of his former wife An. C. 975 Ethelfreda the White In this mans time the greatest troubles were between the Matried Clergy and Monkes Duke Alfarus standing for the Married men and Dunstane for the single 2. At an Assembly in Winchester the married Priests lost the day by the decision of a Woodden Rood which never spake before nor after and at another meeting the ruine of the House with the preservation in it of St Dunstane and his party ruind the poore Priests cause although manifest delusion appeared in both 3. The end of this young King was lamentable being stab'd by his Step-mothers treachery when he was drinking a cup of Wine on Horse-back when he in kindnesse came to visit her through which wound fainting and falling from his Horse he was drag'd to death by his foot intangled in the stirrop This made a bloody way for the succession of his brother 14. An. C. 978 ETHELRED or Egelred who had little comfort in it For the Danes grew upon him so fiercely that he was forced to purchase his Peace from them with great summes of Mony to the undoing of his poore Kingdome who yet never rested contented but multiplied the oppression of the Subject enforcing them to drudge to maintain these Lurdan's idle 2. To put a period to this insufferable Vassalage a Bloudy Massacre was executed upon them by the Kings secret Commission A.C. 1012 on St Brices day but such brutish courses never find a wished close 3. The Danes rather exasperated to revenge then any way thereby dismaied returne with Swaine their King and desolate all the Country The perfidious Earle Edrick with other of the Clergy and Nobility underhand abet them the King opposeth to his power but with extreame difficulty 4. After the death of Swaine who some say was miraculously gored by St Edmunds Sword for his Sacriledge in Thetford Canutus his Sonne arrives with greater forces The King dyes after a lingering sicknesse 5. His second Wife was Emma tearmed the flower of Normandy Duke Richards daughter by whom he had diverse children but more by his first Wife Elgiva of which 15. EDMUND surnamed Ironside succeeded in valour and performance if not beyond surely not inferior to any of his Predecessors 2. He raised the Siege of London worsted the valiant Canutus foure times at least in plaine field and had in all likelyhood rid England of him if the Traytor Edrick and others of the perfidious Clergy and Nobility had not secretly assisted him 2. In a Duell between him and Canutus in the I le of Alney he overmatched the stout Dane and wounded him to be supplicant By compact they divide the Kingdome between them 3. But that Villanous Duke Edrick found the means to have this excellent Prince gored as he sate on a Draught for whose head presented to Canutus he had his own exalted upon a Pole above the rest of his Peeres as it was promised him An Advancement fit for betrayers of their King and Country 2. THis Distance runs a long with the Period of Charles the Great and his successors from whose Military Discipline our Egbert learned to Conquer and bring dismembred Polyarchies and Heptarchies into the best kind of Government which hath been approved by all to be Monarchy 2. Notice may be here taken of the continued irruptions of the Northerne Nations to infest the Southerne whom they excelled most commonly so much in boysterous strength and number as they came short of them in Learning Civility and Policy wherein the providence of God appeared that the Conquerors should be Conquered by those they had subdued being of Pagans made Christians and of boysterous Tyrants submissive brethren so that malum ab Aquilone became bonum Aquiloni by Divine disposition which permiteth not evill but to produce good out of it 3. Learning so stifled by tumults of former ages begins here to bud againe by Alcuinus Beda but especially by King Alfreds liberality encouragements and good Example INQVIRES 3. Whether 1. The Saxon Heptarchy were distinctly visible at any one time or grew up more successively by degrees 2. Alfred were the first founder of the Vniversity of Oxford or only a munificent Reviver 3. The Relations of the humorous carriage and strange atchievements of Guy of Warwick be for the most part put upon him without ground 4. The Nunnes of Codingham did well by mangling their faces to preserve their chastity 5. The miracles ascribed to St Dunstane were rather deluding sleights or Divelish Magick then Acts of Piety 6. Edward basely stabbed by his Step-mothers treachery may be justly held a Martyr 7. Ethelreds Massacre of Danes may passe for warrantable Policy Of the Danes DYNASTY III. THe third Dynasty that outed the Saxons and possessed their Dominions is that of the Danes who partly invited by Beorn Bocador Vice-Roy of Northumberland Speed to revenge the ravishing of his Lady by Osbright and partly taking occasion from the murther of Lothbrook alias Lether-breech by Benick St Edmunds Faulkouer for which no satisfaction could be obtained never desisted to Invade the whole Realme till they became sole Masters of it In this Dynasty or Government we have but three Danes and two others in this succession 1. CANUTUS the Conquerour A.C. 1018 a Valiant and prudent man He was an enimy to Dissemblers Traytors and Flatterers for the Nobility that to curry favour with him assented to the Disinheriting of Ironsides Issue were ever after slighted by him and came to Dishonourable ends The Traytor Ederick vaunting his good service in murthering his Soveraigne he caused to be executed with the extreamest and disgracefull tortures And a company of Flatterers that extolled his Greatnesse and Power to be unmatchable he caused to place him in a Chayre where the Sea Ebbs and Flowes at South-Hampton that by the disobedience of the Tyde that would not stop at his Command but presum'd to dash his Royall Garments they might learne how Low man is at the Highest not to applaud his fortune but feare his fall 2. By the valour of Earle Goodwin and English he drove the Vandales out of Denmarke which fell to him by his brother Swaynes death and got the neighbouring Norway by subduing Olave the King who had quarrelled with him without any provocation In like manner he vanquished Scotland so that