I drew my sword Vnto my selfe and souldiers full reward I gaue and with small bloudshed as I could I tam'd my foes and quailed princes bolde As second Worthy I do claime the place Amongst the nine and more For in my time All Christian Princes sought to me for grace For without me they could not liue sans cryme My peeres and princes I maintain'd with right And in the field dubd many a worthy Knight King Henry the third KIng Henry the third of that name was the eldest son of King Iohn the yongest son of king Henry the second being a childe of the age of nine yeares he began his raigne ouer the realme of England the 19. day of October in the yeare of our Lord 1216. he was crowned at Glocester by the hand of two Bishops viz. VVinchester and Bathe by the honorable meanes of William Marshall then Earle of Pembroke He was a Prince of great wisdome power and policy by whose eloquent oration this young king was crowned as is here mentioned he departed this life at VVestminster the 16. day of Nouember in the yeare of our Lord 1272. after he had liued 65. years and raigned King of this Realme 56. yeares 28. dayes hee was buried at VVestminster lefte a Princely and a very honourable issue as Edward Prince of VVales who succeeded him by the name of King Edward the first He had one Sonne more and three daughters he was of body well cast to vse the former writers owne words being strong and of a good stature well fauoured and of a be wtifull face only blemished a little in the lid of one of his eyes of nature very curteous and of stomacke both noble and stoute as may appeare by his many battailes and victories a deuaut Prince toward his God and bountifull in works of reliefe and comforts towards the poore and néedie therefore a Worthy and worthy of th' ensuing Epitaph His Epitaphe HEnry the third began his raigne in peace And likewise brought a mighty peace to passe Beginning his forc't factious French surcease And landed Lewis in France where first he was Else noble England had been thrust in thralls By Lodowicke and his lusty gallants then But English Britaine 's banished the Galles So shewing that they were true English men King Henry then of Worthies was the chiefe That for his subiects wrought so greatreliefe King Henry the fourth WHen king Richard the secod had resigned the crown as in his history it appeareth he did Henry Plantaginet borne at Bollingbroke in the county of Lincolne Duke of Lancaster Earle of Hertford Lecester and Lincolne was with the general consent both of the Lords and commons of the Realm published proclaimed and declared king of England France and Lord of Ireland he was crowned at VVestminster in An. 1399. with great and kingly Maiestie all Officers of estate and of princely seruice doing their homages and attending vpon the same He departed this life the 20. day of March 1413. and in the yeare of his age 46. when he had raigned 13. yeares fiue moneths and od dayes The manner of his death THis king was indued with magnanimity and did purpose a voiage against the infidels and to haue with his force and might redéemed Palestina or the holy land then so called from the Infidels Hauing an army and all honourable prouisions for such a iourney ready and beeing the time of his high court of Parliament hee fell sodainely and extreamely sicke as he was then though vainly praying before Saint Edwards shrine from whence being remoued into a chamber of the Abbots of VVestminster called Ierusalem he departed as is aboue sayd But during the time of his sicknesse say some Writers he caused his crowne to be set vpon a pillowe at his beddes head and sodainely the pangs of death hauing power ouer him he seemed dead and the gentlemen Attendants couered his face with a vaile That valiant Prince his sonne being aduertised thereof entred into the chamber tooke away the Crowne and departed The King his father reuiued quickly and did perceiue the lacke of his crowne and hauing knowledge that the Prince his sonne had taken it away he caused him to appeare before his presence demanding of him how he durst presume to such an act Who made vnto the king an humble and princely answere but the king answered with a powerful Maiestie saying with a great sigh Wel fayre Sonne what right I had to it God knoweth yet I commit all to God and wish vnto you all good graces from him worthy of so high and mighty a calling so yelding vp the ghost in the Abbot of VVestminsters chamber called Ierusalem as is aforesayd And himselfe being tolde that the same chamber was so called hee tooke comfort there at and much reioiced therin for determining a most honourable iourney towardes Ierusalem hee did end his dayes in Ierusalem His Description THis King was of a mean stature well proportioned and formally compact quick prompt and ready of wit of a stoute courage and in his latter dayes hee shewed himself so gentle that he obtained more loue amongst the Nobles and people of this Roalme then he had purchased enuie concerning his right to the Crowne mentioned to the Prince his sonne he was buried at Canterburie the King his sonne being present at his funeralles His Epitaphe HEnry the fourth though Richard second should Haue dyed our king he dyed our King indeed Which act by dint ofsword was so control'd That many English hearts it made to bleed Shrewsburie field doth still the matter scan Where Percies pearc't the heart of many a man Themselues were pearc't and perisht in the field This mighty King could not be conquered so Lord Henry hotspurre could not make him yield Northumberland Earle Worcester thousands moe The Prince of VVales a leader young but bould Fought for his Father like a Lyon olde Like an olde Lyon rampant open iawes Deuouring beasts so fought this peerelesse Prince Yet was he wounded in the face God knowes Prayd to take Tent he sayd I will conuince Those foes that dare beholde my Fathers face Within his land and worke him this disgrace The braue Earle Dowglas strake the King on helme And feld him flat vpon the trampled plaine Slew Walter Blunt and like to ouerwhelme The King the prince and all their valiant traine Till Kingly valour forced Dowglas flight And with his hand slew thirtie sixe outright Dowglas was taken prisoner in the place So was the Earle of Wore'ster worthy paine And so he was beheaded wanting grace But Dowglas was receav'd to grace againe And freely ransom'd by that worthy King Gainst whom he fought and many foes did bring More of this King if more ye list to heare Then read his story and more shall you finde That from his prime vnto his perfect'st yeare Great honour and great fortunes were assign'd Vnto this King but more vnto his sonne Who had no peere since Christian World begun Counterfaite
of his gracious grandmother the Countesse of Richmond and Darby such as he knew to be prudent indéed and the kings his father most deare and familiar friends some of whose names I thought good to insert for the especiall and singular effects which insued of their most honourable and graue counsels viz. Thomas Lord Haward Earle of Surrey and Treasurer of England George Lord Talbot Earle of Shrewsebury and Steward of the kings householde Charles L. Somerset Lord Chamberlaine after Earle of Worcester and others which wise and graue Counsellers séeing what aboundance of wealth this young king was now possessed of least it might incline his young yeares vnto riotousnesse and forgetting of himselfe for not to any King before him was left the like riches in ready coyne iewels and plate and excellent moueables as to him by his famous father King Henry the seauenth therefore those most honourable Counsellers did labour to attaine his Princely presence in their secret méetings and most honourable priuie counsels that by degrées they might win him to suruay at least the affaires of a kingly office and Princely gouernment Which also he slacked not to do for within lesse then 5. yeares after to wit the 20. of Iuly in the fift yeare of his reigne he entred into France with a puissant power and mighty army wan the strong Townes of Torney and Turwin had in pay as souldiers mercenary that most famous Emperour Charles the fift and also the Palsgraue of the Rhene which wore Saint Georges crosse in which time also was fought that famous battaile of Branxstone or Floden-field where the King and the flower of all his chiualry was conquered by the valiant hands of Norfolke and Hawardes In the sixt yeare of his raigne the Pope did send him a cappe of maintenance in those dayes the highest degrée of honour and the same Pope was mediatour to him for peace in the French Kings behalfe and for the confirmation thereof the French king married the kings yonger sister Mary and dyed shortly after In the twelfth yeare the king made a most famous pleasant and princely voyage into France with atriumphant traine of Nobles Ladies c. for an interuew betwéene him his Quéene and States on the one party which was performed in the valley of Andrean with many varieties of princely showes as the history thereof at large describeth that voyage And that in his way the Emperor Charles met his Maiestie at Canterburie kéeping Whitsontide there with the king In the fouretéenth yeare of his raigne he was by a Bull from Rome ordained or intitled the defender of the Christian faith which title was then giuen to him and his successors for euer The same yeare also he receaued into his Realme the forenamed Charles the fift Emperour againe into the Cittie of London with Great triumphes c. inuosted him with the Garter and habit of that most honourable order sware league and amity during both their liues In the 18. yeare he contracted league with the french K. to hold both those kings liues and one yeare after hee was also inuested with the coller and order of S. Michael and the French king with the Garter and order of S. George The twentie three yeare hee or the lawe for him did confiscate Cardinall Wolsey a proude and wealthy Prelate in the statute of premunire had great treasure therby as also great fines of all the Clergie for defence of the Cardinals power Legatine and about the same time he took vpō him the title Supream head of the church c. For the which for the suppressiō of Abbeies immediatly after howsoeuer the Pope and his successors since haue presumed to curse him and his blessed succession his Daughter Mary only excepted Yet the Almighty hath blessed both him and them Edward and Elizabeth since and long O Lord vouchsafe to blesse the trewe and lineall descent of noble King Henry the seauenth But sure it was a wonderfull Kingly Maiestie in that valiant King who possessed but a part of great Britaine nor hauing fast friendship with the other part but many domestick and ciuill garboiles at home all or the maior parts of Christendome holding then Rome and her religion for Catholicke and vniuersall all which notwithstanding this most famous and mighty king did abolish and abandon to his euer immortall praise and wonder of the world How did God after this blesse his sonne although but with young yeares and short raigne yet with miraculous might and his second sister raigning almost forty and fiue yeares with immaculate happinesse And after this also he warred against the French king wonne the Tower of Bulloyne and many other partes on that side forced that Nation to composition brought home peace honor wealth and in the excéeding loue of his people he ended his life at his palace at White-hall the eight and twentieth day of January Anno 1546. when he had reigned thirty and seuen yeares nine moneths and odde dayes triumphantly and in great felicitie leauing the Issue before mentioned Edward Mary and Elizabeth His body according to his Will in that behalf was interred at Windsor with all funeral Pompe in the Chappel and Colledge of S. George Patron of the Garter whereof almost 38. yeeres hee had béene sole Souereigne His Description THis worthy Prince was right fortunate in all his doing◠so that except onely in his mariages all other his attempts had good successe as wel in matters of peace as of wars Of personage he was tall and mightie yet excéeding comely but towards his latter end grosse and as wee tearme it bourly in wit and memory very perfect of great Maiestie yet so tempered with gracious humanitie as best became so high an estate a great fauourer of Learning learned men and of himself not ignorant of diuine Learning nor morall literature and for his great magnificence and bountious liberality his renowne was spred throughout the World His Epitaphe EIght Worthies now are nominated here Eight Kings eight Britaines eight braue English men Eight such as in their times had no compeere Eight such as cannot be exprest with pen Eight such as neuer liu'd in time together King Dauids Worthies might not match them euer For Dauids Worthies were not crowned Kings Dauid was once anointed of the Lord His Psalmes great comfort to our conscience brings His vertues were according to the word Of God for all his treatises are true Prefiguring Christ he Beare and Lyon slew Prince Iosua Captaine of that mightie hoste Six hundred thousand did his campe containe His prayer stayed the Sunne amid the Coast Till he the Kings of Canaan had slaine He Israel their foes did all confound And raz'd proud Iericho downe to the ground Braue Iudas Machabeus with the best Of valure his thus bouldly may he boast The Iewes redeeming them with foes opprest And that with small and verie sober hoast A Worthie therefore of the Iewish Race Arm'd with that God disposer
Flesh the Deuill Thomas Binwin Gent. vpon his worthy yong Master the ninth Worthy I Fall the Worthies should on earth appeare The ancient Worthies nine in Ranke and place Three from Iudaea three from other where And Christians three our Britaine 's hopefull Grace Our sweet yong Prince thereby could take smal staine Though they from graues were raised vp againe Now for those Kings which HENRY had to name May they compare with HENRY Britaines Prince These Worthies though of farre renoumed fame Haue sought and fought long time agoe and since In vaine for to conioyne their neighbour land To this their owne continuing warre and strife Vntill it pleas'd Iehouas mighty hand From hence to giue King IAMES the fourth a wife HENRY seuenths sister Lady Margaret faire Of whom descends our Liege and gracious King And braue Prince HENRY his thrice worthy heire Magnifie God and Nature for this thing Which sole succession hath brought such accord That he of both may once rest Soueraigne Lord. This then may make our Worthy principall Of later nine His future power and strength Yea more herein exceeding Worthies all They being dead are now entumbd at length This Worthy liues God graunt him long to liue Graunt long good Lord the King his father reigne And to his princely sonne thy graces giue Great God that both may Britains wealth maintaine The Authors excuse of an Escape in the Title following NExt Title some small error may containe Which doth auerre HENRIES nine English Kings Yet to my Booke why should it seeme a staine Sith to Great Britaine it great comfort brings The hopefull Prince and Heire apparant He With the eight Kings well may consorted be Twice scap't by Pen and Presse I fear'd to raze His future Stile at whom euen Kings may gaze The nine English Worthies or famous and worthie Kings of England being all of one name beginning with King HENRY the first and concluding with HENRY now Prince of Great Britaine King Henry the First KIng Henry the first was the sonne of William the Brother to William Rufus that was immediately before King of England which worthy King for his wisdom learning iudgement and honourable policy was surnamed Henry Beuclarke or the faire Writer and good Scholler He began his raigne the fift day of August Anno Domini 1100. He was crowned at Westminster raigned 35. yeares and 4. moneths lacking 4. dayes he was strong of body comely of stature blacke haired large and faire eyes a Princely and a pleasant countenance excelling in thrée vertues most commendable and comfortable to the subiects of his time viz Wisedome Eloquence and Ualour His Epitaphe HENRY the first a King a Princes sonne Excellent wise well learn'd of valiant minde His gouernement recorded this hath wonne For euerlasting praise to him assign'd First worthy Then take place O mighty Prince That with these vertues didst thy foes conuince King Henry the Second of that name HE was a Frenchman borne the second sonne of Ieffrey Plantaginet Earle of Aniow begotten of Mawde the Empresse daughter to King Henry the first he began his raigne ouer this noble Kealme of England the 25 day of October in the yeare after the incarnation of our Sauiour Christ 1154. and departed this life in An. 1189. in the 61. yeare of his age after he had raigned 34. yeares 9. moneths and two dayes And heere may be thought sayth the Historiographer that the raigne of the Frenchmen and the names tooke an end after they had borne sway 122. yeares after the comming in of King William the Conqueror For those Kings which raigned after this Henry the second may rightly be called Englishmen because they were borne in England and vsed the English tongue custome and manners according to the nature and quality of the Country His body was buried at Fountverand which is an Abby situate not far from the Eagle within the Dutchy of Almucon His Description HE was a man of good stature and very wel formed of comely conntenance partly red hayred grey eyes of wit quicke and perfect good memory so that he could remember long al things of any moment which he had eyther heard or séene of body somewhat fleshy and strong and could abide very patiently the displeasures both of colde and heate he had a large head a broad breast and very spare of dyet the rather because he would not be too fat therefore when he was at leasure and free from warres his exercise was hunting and progresse trauels He was a Prince of stout stomacke and inuincible courage more resolute and constant in time of aduersitie then in prosperitie liberall to all men but chiefely vnto souldiers Pittifull to the poore an excellent vertue and nature in a Prince For proofe whereof in a time of dearth which happened in Aniow and Mayne hee did at his owne cost and Princely pitty feede ten thousand poore people euery day with good victuals from the first of Aprill till the last of Iuly An. Dom. 1176. And aboue his Princely and most magnificent house-keeping he stored garners cellars and store-howses religious persons and their howses Tributes and Taxes he tooke verie seldome and those not great Hee was very expect in feates of warre and no lesse fortunate therin He would praise his Captaines and men of warre after their deaths to encourage those that liued hee was well learned as those Princes aforesayde and excéeding wise His care to haue Iustice duly administred in his Realme was excéeding great in so much that finding that the Sheriffs in his time were rather inclined to seek their owne gaine then to deale vprightly with his subiects hee appointed Sapranisors ouer them to ouer sée their doings as if they had béen Controllers so as an awfull regard made them circumspect and wary in their doings He ordained also punishment for Hunters in Forrestes and groundes of warren either by fines or byimprisonment He ordained that murtherers should be hanged other offences he punished with losse of limmes and otherwise as the qualitie of the offence required Most carefull hee was to haue iustice administred without corruption He tryed men of sundry sorts to execute iustice with iustice but in fine hee referred it to the Bishops and Clergy men hoping in that profession to finde the most integritie and yet he little regarded the Bishop of Rome or feared his censures as is manifest by the history of Thomas Becket in this Kings time and sundry others I find two Latine Epitaphes translated into rude English by the Writer of this whole Historie the effect wherof somewhat reformed is as followeth KIng Henry was of late my famous name A Conqueror of many a Princely land Small Epitaph shall need to aduance my fame What done by me was done by powerfull hand And in my dayes I passed not a pin For Pope of Rome he nought of me could win Warre Lawe and Iustice as a princes word I held them alwaies of the great'st regard Where peace would not preuaile
did plainely appeare it would séeme incredible to be tolde and no lesse admirable how hee did abstaine from lasciuious liuing and auaritious desires in such time and estate of riches and prouoking youth In the time of losse he was no more sad then in the times of victory which cōstancy fewe Princes haue euer vsed To speake of his bounty and liberality no man could be more free gentle and liberall in bestowing rewardes vpon all persons according to their deserts sauing that hee did not regarde money to kéepe but to giue away and to spend What may besayd he was the Myrror of al Christendome and the glory of his Country the flower of Kings passed and the glasse of all succéeding Maiestie No Prince had lesse of his subiects no king conquered more whose fame by his death liuely florished as his acts in his life were séene and remembred The losse of such a Prince could not bée sufficiently lamented of his subiectes blaming fortune for taking away so precious a iewel so noble an ornament so sure a defence for no doubt so much hope as was taken away from the Englishmen the assured conquest of all France by his sodaine death so much trust was increased in the French nations stomackes to recouer their late losses againe as not many yeares after they did indéed Peeter Basset Esquier and one of his chamber affirmed that he dyed of a Pleurisy there were others that did astirme otherwise but the most likely was a Pleurisy indeed the nature of that disease being then vnknowen to Phisicians or to the world in those dayes especially This King raigned nine yeares fiue moneths and three and twenty dayes and liued not full thirty eight yeares he was of stature higher then the common sort of body leane singularly proportioned and strongly made of face bewtifull something long necked blacke haired stoute of stomacke eloquent of tongue in Martiall affaires a perfect maister and of chiualry the very peragon His body inbalmed and lapped in lead was layd in a chariot royall richly apparelled in cloth of golde vpon his corps was layde a representation of his person adorned with robes diademe scepter and ball like a king the which chariot was drawen with sixe horses richly trapped with seuerall armes the first with the armes of S. George the second with the armes of Normandy the third with the armes of king Arthur the fourth with the armes of S. Edward the fift with the armes of France the sixt with the armes of England and France On this Chariot gaue attendance Iames King of Scotland principall Mourner his Unkle Thomas duke of Exceter Richard Earle of Warwicke Edmond Earle of March Humfrey Earle of Stafford Edmond Earle of Mortaine The Lord Fitz Hugh Hugh L. Beufort Walt. L. Hungerford Sir Lewis Robsert Lord Bourchier Sir Iohn Cornwall Lord Fanhope and the Lord Cromwell were the mourners The Lord Louell the Lord Audley the Lord Zouch bare the banners of Saints the Baron of Dublin bare the standard The Earle of Longvile bare the banner The Hatchments were borne onely by Captaines to the number of twelue and round about the Chariot rode fiue hundred men at Armes all in black armour and their horses barbd with black carrying the but end of their spears vpwards The conuoy of this dolorous funerall was committed to Sir William Philips Treasurer of his househould to Sir William Porter his chiefe caruer and other mourners on each side the chariot were 300. men bearing long torches and Lords bearing banners baueroles and penons With this funerall pompe he was conuaied from Bois De Vincens to Paris and so to Roan to Abuill to Calis to Douer and so through London to Westminster where he was buried with such solemnities as to such a Prince appertained especially such lamenting of the Lords and such mourning of the Commons asn euer before those daies were seene in the Realme of England There is as I doe thinke an Epitaph fixed vpon his Tumbe at Westminster but I held it my dutie to continue my course in writing a simple one of my owne in honour of him c. His Epitaphe OHad I Homers pen and Virgills wit With Tullies Eloquence to prayse this Prince And would the Muses come and by me sit Yet pen and paper would my Muse conuince For who can write of this most famous King And shall not erre in many a worthy thing His life immaculate what doth that meane But that he conquered sinne the world the flesh Vnspotted sure O heart and body cleane Almost two hundred yeares agoe yet fresh The memorie of thee O King remaines Thy Tumbe like Crystall shines deuoyd of staines Prose be thy prayse which Holinshed hathpend And praysed be thy name O King for euer Thy owne pure prayse no mortall man can mend Thy name cannot forgotten be no neuer England and France ring forth thy famous praise Though thou raigne with the Ancient of all dayes Yet as a mirror or a looking glasse Thou mai'st remaine ô King amongst vs still Succeeding princes will not let thee passe To Heauen without administring thy Will Such testaments grant all thy heires to proue Then Englands glory neuer shall remoue Rest then ô Rex and rise vp with renowne VVestmonastery doth thy tombe possesse Succeeding Soueraigne doth enioy thy Crowne And Kingdomes all one more for whome we blesse Thy name great God who long prolong his dayes To Englands comfort and ay-lasting praise King Henry the sixt AFter that death had bereft the World of that noble Prince King Henry the fift his only sonne Prince Henry béeing of the age of nine moneths or thereabout with the sownde of Trumpets was openly proclaimed King of England and of France the thirtéenth day of August Anno. 1422. by the name of King Henry the sixt The custody of this young Prince was committed to the Duke of Exceter and to Henry Beuford Bishop of Winchester In the eight yeare of his raigne the same of his age he was with all solemnity crowned king at Westminster not long after which time he tooke the sea at Douer landed at Calis from thence to Roan and so to Paris whither attended on him his Uncle the Cardinall of VVinchester the Cardinall and Archbishop of Yorke the Dukes of Bedford Yorke and Norfolke the Earles of Warwicke Salisbury Oxford Huntington Ormond Mortaine and Suffolk of Gaskoines there were the Earles of Longvoile and March besides many Noble men of England Gwyen and Normandy and the chiefe of the French Nation were the Dukes of Burgundy Lewis of Luxenburgh Cardinall and Chauncelor of France for King Henry the Bishops of Bauiors and Noyom both Péeres of France the Bishop of Paris and diuers other Bishops the Earle of Vandemont with a great number of other Noble-men superfluous to be named And hee had a Guarde about his person of thrée hundred choyse Archers some on horsebacke and parte on foote With what tryumphes pageants riche and sumptuous shewes hee was