Schollers who were bigge men Which when the Emperour sawe hee smiling saide In good faith Maister Iohn you are no indifferent divider Yes if it like your Highnesse verie indifferent saide he for heere poynting to himselfe and the two great fishes be two great ones and a little one and so yonder reaching his hand towardes the Schollers are two great ones and a little one Idem Wenefridus borne at Kirton in Devonshire after furnamed Boniface who converted Freesel and to Christianitie was wont to say In olde time there were golden Prelats and woodden Chalices but in his time woodden Prelates and golden Chalices Beatus Rhenanus libr. 2. rerum Germenâ—arum Ethelwold the Bishop of Winchester in the time of king Edgar in a great famine solde away all the sacred golde and silver vessells of all his church to releeve the hunger-starved poore people saying That there was no reason that the senselesse temples of God should abound in riches and living temples of the holy-ghost starve for hunger Whenas Kinnad King of Scotâ— a vassall to King Eadgar of England had saide at his Table That it stoode not with the honour of the Princes of this Isle to be subiect to that Dandiprat Eadgar who was indeede but of small stature yet full of courage He vnderstanding thereof withdrew Kinnad privately into a wood as though hee had to conferre with him of some important secret where he offered him the choice of two swords prepared for that purpose with these wordes Now we are alone you may try your manhood now may it appeare who should be subiect to the other retire not one foote backe It standeth not with the honour of Princes to brave it at the Table and not to dare it in the field But Kinad heere-at dismaied desired pardon by excuse and obtained it Malmesburiensis pag. 33. The same king Eadgar having brought into his subiection the aforesaid Kinnad king of Scottes Malcolm king of Cumberland Mac cuis the arch pirate lord of the Isles with Dufnall Griffith Howell Iacob Iudethilâ— Princes of Wales was rowed by them in triumphant manner in his barge vpon the river of Dee at Chester at which time it is reported he saide Then may my successours the Kings of England glorie when they shall doe the like Marianus Scotus Anno 973. When Hinguar of Denmarke came so sodainely vppon Edmund the king of the East-Angles that hee was forced to seeke his safetie by flight hee happened vnhappily on a troupe of Danes who fell to examining of him whether hee knew where the king of the East-Angles was whome Edmund thus answered Even now when I was in the palace he was there and when I went from thence he departed thence and whether he shall escape your handes or no onely God knoweth But so soone as they once heard him name God the godlesse infidells pittifully martired him Vita Sancti Edmundi When Brithwold a noble Saxon marching against the Danes encamped neare Maldon was invited by the Abbot of Elie to take his dinner with him he refusing answered Hee would not dine from his companies because hee could not fight without his companies Liber Eliensis King Canutus commonly called Knute walking on the sea sands neare to Southampton was extolled by some of his flattering followers and tolde that hee was a king of kings the mightiest that raigned farre and neare that both sea and land were at his commaund But this speach did put the godly King in mind of the infinite power of God by whome Kings have and enioy their power and therevpon hee made this demonstration to refell their flatterie He tooke off his cloake and wrapping it round together sâ—te downe vpon it neare to the sea that then beganne to slowe saying Sea I commaund thee that thou touch not my feete 〈◊〉 he had not so soone spoken the worde but the surgâ—ng wave dashed him He then rising vp and going backe saide Ye see now my Lorde what good cause you have to call me a King that am not able by my commaundement to stay one wave no mortaâ—l man doubtlesse is woorthy of such an 〈◊〉 name no man hath such commaund but one King which ruleth all Let vs honour him let vs call him King of all kings and Lord of all nations Let vs not onely confesse bvt also prâ—fesse him to be ruler of the heavens sea anâ— land Polydorus and others When Edric the extorteâ— was deprived by King Câ—ute of the government of Mercia hee impatient of the disgrace tolde him he had deserved better for that to pleasure him hee had first revolted from his Soveraigne king Edmund and also dispatched him Whereat Câ—ute all appalled answered And thou shalt die for thy desert whenâ—â— thou arte a traitour to God and me in killing thy king and my confederate brother His bloud be vpon thy head which hast layed handes vpon the Lordes annoynted Some reporte that he saide For his deserts he should be advaunced above all the Nobilitie of England which hâ— câ—mmediately performed advauncing his head vpon the Tower of London Florilegus King Edward the Confessour one afternoone lying in his bedde with the curtaine drawne round about him a poore pilfering Courtier came into his chamber where finding the Kings Casket open which Hugoline his chamberlaine had forgotten to shut going foorth to pay money in haste hee tooke out so much money as hee couldâ— well carry and went away But insatiable desire brought him againe and so the third time when the King who lay still all this while and would not seeme to see beganne to speake to him and bade him speedily be packing For he was well if hee coulde see for if Hugoline came and tooke him there he were not onely like to loose all that he had gotten but also stretch an halter The fellow was no sooner gone but Hugoline came in and finding the Casket open and much money taken away was greatly mooved But the King willed him not to he grieved For saide he he that hath it had more neede of it then wee have This at that time was adiudged Christian lenitie but I thinke in our age it will be accounted simplicitie in the woorst sense Vita Sancti Edwardi This Edward hasted out of Normandie whither his expelled father king Ethelred had fled with him with a great power to recover the kingdome of England from the Danes neere vnto whose forces hee was encamped ready to give them battell But when his Captaines promised him assured victorie and that they would not leave one Dane alive God forbid quoth Edward that the kingdome should be recovered for me one man by the death of so many thousand men It is better that I do leade a private and vnbloody life then be a King by such but chery And therewithall brake vp Campe and retyred into Normandy where he staied vntill God sent oportunitie to obtaine the kingdome without blood Paulus Aemilius Harold as hee waited on the cup of the said king Edward chanced
Vale Vale Salue anima nos eo ordine quo natura iusserit sequemur With H. M. H. N. S for Hoc monumentum haeredes non sequitur When they would not haue their heires entombed therein with Rogo per Deos superos inferosque ossa nostra ne violes And most commonly with Sit tibi terra leuis in these notes S. T. T. L. And somtime with Quietem posteri non inuideant But omitting this discourse I will offer vnto your view a Century of choise Epitaphes of our nation for matter and conceit some good some bad that you may see how learning ebbed and flowed most of them recouered from the iniury of time by writers And will beginne with that at Rome as most auncient erected to the memory of a Britanne who after the maner of the time tooke a Romane name M. VLPIO IVSTO Q. SIG. AVG. MILITAVIT AN. XXV VIXIT XLV NATIONE BRITTO â—EC M. VLSIVS RESPECTVS VEH. AVG. AMICO OPTIMO DE SE BENE MERENTI Arthur the valerous vpholder of the ruinous state of Britaine against the Saxons about the yeare 500. was buried secretly at Glastenburie least the enimie should offer indignity to the dead body and about 700. yeares after when a graue was to be made in the Churchyard there a stone was found betweene two Pyramides deepe in the ground with a crosse of lead infixed into the lower part thereof and inscribed in the inner side of the crosse in rude Characters which the Italians now call Gotish letters HIC IACET SEPVLTVS INCLYTVS REX ARTVRIVS IN INSVLA AVALONIA Vnder which in a trough of Oke were found his bones which the Monkes translated into the church and honoured them with a tombe but dishonored him with these horne pipe verses Hic iacet â—rturus flos regum gloria regni Quem morum probitas commendat laude perenni Augustine the first Archbishop of Canterbury who first preached Christ to the English nation conuerted the Kentishmen reuiued Christianity in this Isle which flourished among the Britaines many years before his coÌ„ming was buried at Canterbury in S. Peters Porch with this Epitaph Hic requiescit dominus Augustinus Dorobernensis Archiepiscopus primus qui â—lim huc a beato Gregorio Remanae vrbis pontifice directus a Deo operatione miraculorum suffultus Aethelbertum regem ac gentem illius ab idolorum cultu ad Christi fidem perduxit completis in pace diebus officij sui defunctus est septimo Kalendas Iunias eodem rege regnante In the same place were interred the sixe succeeding Archbishops for whom and Augustin making the seauenth were these verses as coÌ„mon to them all written on the wall with this title as I finde them in Geruasius Dorobernensis Septem primae ecclesiae Anglorum columnae Augustinus Laurentius Mellitus Iustus Honorius Deus-dedit Theodorus Septem sunt Anglis primates protopatres Septem rectores caelo septemque triones Septem cisternae vitae septemque lucernae Et septem palmae regni septemque coronae Septem sunt stellae quas haec tenet area cellae But Theodore the last of the 7. which first taught Greeke in England and died in the yeare 713. had this seuerally inscribed vpon his tombe Scandens alma nouae foelix consortia vitae Ciuibus Angelicis iunctus in arce poli Cedwall King of the West Saxons went to Rome in the yeare 689. there being Baptized renounced the world ended his life and lieth buried with this Epitaph Culmen opes sobolem pollentia regna triumphos Exuuias proceres mania castra lares Quaeque patrum virtus quae congesserat ipse Caedwal armipotens liquit amore Dei With some more which you may see in Paulus Diaconus and Beda King Eadgar surnamed the Peaceable the great patron and fauourer of Monkes deserued well for his foundation of so many Abbayes this Epitaph Autor opum vindex scelerum largitor honorum Sceptriger Eadgarus regna superna petit Hic alter Salomon legum pater orbita pacis Quòd caruit bellis claruit inde magis Templa Deo templis monachos monachis dedit agros Nequitiae lapsum iustitiaeque locum Nouit enim regno verum perquirere falso Immensum modico perpetuumque breui To the honor of King Alfred a godly wise and warlike prince and an especiall aduancer of learning was made this better then that time commonly afforded Nobilitas innata tibi probitatis honorem Armipotens Alfrede dedit probitasque laborem Perpetuumque labor nomen cui mixta dolori Gaudia semper erant spes semper mixta timori Si modò victor eras ad crastina bella pauebas Si modó victus eras in crastina bella parabas Cui vestes sudore iugi cui sica cruore Tincta iugi quantum sit onus regnare probarunt Non fuit immensi quisquam per climata mundi Cui tot in aduersis vel respirare liceret Nec tamen aut ferro contritus ponere ferrum Aut gladio potuit vitae finisse labores Iam post transactos vitae regnique labores Christus ei sit vera quies et vita perennis It is meruailous how immediately after this time learning decayed in this Kingdome for Iohn Erigena alias Scotus fauoured of Charles the Bald King of France and the forsaid King Alfred for his learning when he was stabbed by his schollers at Malmesbury was buried with this rude rough and vnlearned verse Clauditur in tumulo Sanctus Sophista Iohannes Qui ditatus erat iam viuens dogmate miro Martyrio tandem Christi conscendere regnum Quo meritis regnant sancti per secula cuncti And from this time learning so lowe ebbed in England that betweene Thames Trent there was scant one found which could vnderstand Latin and that you may perceiue when as Hugolin Treasurer to King Edward the Confessor had these most sillie verses in grauen vpon his monument in the olde Chapter house of Westminster Qui ruis iniustè capit hic Hugoline locus te Laude pia clares qnia martyribus nece clares But shortly after the Conquest learning reuiued as appeareth by these that follow which were cast in a more learned mould than the former King William surnamed the Conqueror for his conquest of England was buried at Caen in Normandie with this Epitaph discouered in the late ciuill warres of France but mentioned in Gemeticensis Qui rexit rigidos Normannos atque Britannos Audacter vicit fortiter obtinuit Et Caenomanenses virtute contudit enses Imperijque sui legibus applicuit Rex magnus parua iacet his Gulielmus in vrna Sufficit magno paruae domus domino Ter septem gradibus se voluerat atque duobus Virginis in gremio Phoebus et hic obijt Vpon Stigand Archbishop of Canterbury degraded for his corruptioÌ„ I finde this most viperous Epitaph in an olde Manuscript Hic iacet Herodes Herode ferocior huius Inquinat infernum spiritus ossa solum William the Valiant Earle
Pace had a sonne at his circumcision named Haly hee would be called Aven Pace concealing Haly but his sonne howsoever hee were named would be called Aven-Haly c. So Surnames passing from father to sonne and coÌ„tinuing to their issue was not antiently in vse among any people in the world Yet to these single Names were adioyned oftentimes other names as Cognomina or Sobriquetts as the French call them and By-names or Nicke-names as we terme them if that word be indifferent to good and bad which still did die with the bearer and never descended to posteritie That we may not exemplifie in other nations which would afforde great plenty but in our own King Eadgar was called the Peaceable king Ethelred the Vnreadie king Edmund for his Valour Iron-side king Harold the Hare-foote Eadric the Streona that is the Getter or Streiner Siward the Degera that is the Valiant King William the first Bastard king William the second Rouse that is the Red king Henry the first Beauclarke that is Fine Scholler so in the house of Aniou which obtained the Crowne of England Geffrey the first Earle of Aniou was surnamed Grisogonel that is Grey-cloake Fulco his sonne Nerra his grand-childe Rechiâ— for his extortion Againe his grand-childe Plantagenet for that he ware commonly a broome-stalke in his bonnet His sonne Henry the second king of England Fitz-Empresse because his mother was Empresse his sonne king Richard had for surname Corde-Lion for his lion-like courage as Iohn was called Sans-terre that is Without land So that wheras these names were never taken vp by the sonne I knowe not why any should thinke Plantagenet to be the surname of the royall house of England albeit in late yeeres many have so accounted it Neither is it lesse strange why so many should thinke Theodore or Tydur as they contract it to be the surname of the Princes of this Realme since king Henry the seaventh For albeit Owen ap Merâ—dith Tydur which married Katharine the daughter of Charles the sixth king of France was grandfather to king Henry the seventh yet that Tydur or Theodore was but the Christian name of Owens grandfather For Owens father was Meredith ap Tydur Ap Grone Ap Tydur who all without Surnames iterated Christian names after the olde manner of the Britaines and other nations heeretofore noted and so lineally deduced his pedegree from Cadwallader king of the Britans as was found by Commission directed to Griffin ap Lewellin Gitteu Owen Iohn King and other learned men both English and Welsh in the seaventh yeare of the said king Henry the seventh Likewise in the line Royall of Scotland Milcolme or Malcolme was surnamed Canmore that is Great head and his brother Donald Ban that is White Alexander the first the Prowde Malcolme the fourth the Virgine William his brother the Lion As amongest the Princes of Wales Brochvail Schitrauc that is Gaggtothed Gurind Barmbtruch that is Spade-bearded Elidir Coscorvaur that is Heliodor the Great house-keeper and so in Ireland Murough Duff that is Blacke 〈◊〉 Roo that is Red Nemoliah that is full of wounds Patric Ban that is White Gavelcâ— that is Fetters To seeke therefore the auntient Surnames of the royall and most antient families of Europe is to seeke that which never was And therefore greatly are they deceived which thinke Valoys to have beene the surname of the late French kings or Borbon of this present king or Habsburg or Austriac of the Spanish king or Steward of the late kings of Scotland and now of BRITAINE or Oldenburg of the Danish For as all know that have but sipped of Histories Valoys was but the Apponage and Earledome of Charles yonger sonne to Philip the second from whome the late kings descended so Borbon was the inheritance of Robert a yonger sonne to saint Lewes of whom this king is descended Habsburg and Austria were but the olde possessions of the Emperors and Spanish Kings progenitours Steward was but the name of office to Walter who was high Steward of Scotland the progenitour of Robert first King of Scots of that family and of the King our Soveraigne And Oldenburg was but the Erledome of Christian the first Danish king of this family elected about 1448. But yet Plâ—â—tagenet Steward Valois Borbon Habsburg c. by prescription of time have prevailed so farre as they are now accounted surnames But for surnames of Princes well said the learned Marcus Salon de Pace Reges cognomiue now vtâ—ntur qâ—â—ia vt Regum familiae agnationes memoriae conserventur 〈◊〉 cognomina non sunt necessaria prout in alijs inferioribus quorum ipsa cognomina agnationum ac familiarum memoriâ—â— tutantur About the yeare of our Lord 1000. that we may not minute out the time surnames beganne to be taken vp in France and in England about the time of the Conquest or else a very little before vnder King Edward the Confessor who was all Frenchified And to this time doe the Scottishmen referre the antiquitie of their surnames although Buchanan supposeth that they were not in vse in Scotland many yeares after But in England certaine it is that as the better sort even from the Conquest by little and little tooke surnames so they were not setled among the common people fully vntill about the time of King Edward the second but still varied according to the fathers name as Richardson if his father were Richard Hodgeson if his father were Roger or in some other respect and from thenceforth beganne to be established some say by statute in their posteritie This will seeme strange to some Englishmen and Scotishmen which like the Arcadians thinke their surnames as ancient as the Moone or at the least to reach many an age beyond the Conquest But they which thinke it most strange I speake vnder correction I doubt they will hardly finde any surname which descended to posteritie before that time Neyther have they seene I feare any deede or donation before the Conquest but subsigned with crosses and single names without surnames in this manner in England Ego Eadredus confirmavi ✚ Ego Edmundus corroboravi ✚ Ego Sigarius conclusi ✚ Ego Olfstanus consolidavi c. Likewise for Scotland in an old booke of Duresme in the Charter whereby Edgare sonne of King Malcolme gave lands neere Coldingham to that Church in the yeare 1097. the Scottish Noblemen witnesses therevnto had no other surnames than the Christian names of their fathers For thus they signed S. ✚ Gulfi filij Mâ—niani S ✚ Culverti filij Donecani S ✚ Olavi filij Oghe c. As for my selfe I never hitherto found any hereditarie Surname before the Conquest neither any that I know and yet both I my selfe and divers whom I know have pored and pusled vpon many an old Record and Evidence to satisfie our selves heerein and for my part I will acknowledge my selfe greatly indebted to them that wil cleare me this doubt But about the time of the Conquest I
vale along a river SYDE TEMPLE TERN or DERN a standing poole a word vsuall in the North. THORN THORP from the Dutch Dorpe a village THVRN a tower Ortelius THVVAIT a word only vsed in the north in addition of Townes some take it for a pasture from the Dutch Hwoit TOFT a parcell of ground where there hath beene a house but for Toft and Croft enquire of Lawyers TOR a high place or tower TREY brittish from Tref a Towne TRENCH TREE Vale VAVLX the same in french VPP VNDER WALD a Wood the same with Wild. WALL WARE or WEAR WARK or WERK a worke or building WARREN WAST A desart or solitary place WASH WATH a foorde a worde vsuall in Yorkeshire WATER WAY WICK and WICH iÌ„ short the curving or rech of a River or the Sea Iunius Rhenanus But our Alfric and so Tillius maketh it a Castle or little Port. WICH iÌ„ Long a salt spring WELL WILD WOLD hills without wood WOOD WORTH auntiently Worth and Woorthid Alfricus makes it Praedium a possession or Farme Abbo translateth it a court or place Kiâ—â—anus a Fort and an Isle YARD YATE or YATES At a word all which in English had Of set before them which in Cheshire and the North was contracted into A as Thomas a Dutton Iohn a Standish Adam a Kirkby and all which in Laâ—ine old â—viâ—ences have had De praefixed as all heeretofore spâ—cified were borrowed from places As those which had Le set before them were not â—â—call but given in other respects As Iâ— Marshall Le Lâ—â—ner Le Despencer Le Scroope Le Savâ—â—e Le â—avâ—sour Le Strange Le Norice Le Fscrivaâ— Le Blâ—â—d Le Molineux Le Bret. As they also which were never noted with De or Le in which number I have observed Gifford Bâ—sset Arundel Howard Talbâ—â— Bellot Bigot Bagot Taâ—leboise Taleâ—â—ch Gernâ—â— Lâ—vell Lovet Fortescu Pancevolt Tirell Biund or Blunt Bisset Bacun c. And these distinctions of locall names with De and other with Le or simply were religiously observed in Recordes vntill about the time of king Edward the fourth Neither was there as I said before or is there any towne village hamlet or place in England but hath made names to families and so many names are locall which doe not seeme so because the places are vnknowne to most men and all knowne to no one man as who would imagine Whitegift Powlet Bacon Creping Alshop Tirwhit Antrobus Heather Hartshorne and many such like to be locall names and yet most certainely they are Many also are so changed by corruption of speach and altered so strangely to significative wordes by the common sort who desire to make all to be significative as they seeme nothing lesse than locall names as Wormwood Inkepen Tiptow Moone Maners Drinkewater Cuckold Goddolphin Harlestone Waites Smalbacke Loscotte Devill Neitheâ—mill Bellows Filpot Wodâ—l c. for Ormund Ingepen Tiptoft Mahune Manors Derwentwater Cuckswold Godolchan Hudleston Thâ—â—ts Smalbach â—â—scot Davill or D'Eivill Nettervil Bell-house Phillipot Wahul c. Neither is it to be omitted that many locall names had At prefixed before them in olde Evidences as At More Aâ— Stow At Ho At Bower At Wood At â—owne c. which Aâ— as it hath beene removed from some so hath it beene conioyned to other as Atwood Atslowe Atho Atwell Atmor As S also is ioyned to most now as Mannors Knâ—les Crofts Yates Gates Thornes Groves Hills Combes Holmes Stokes c. Rivers also have imposed names to some men as they have to Townes situated on them as that olde Baâ—on â—ur-Teys that is on the river Teys running betweene Yorkshire and the Bishoppricke of Duresine Derwent-water I deâ— Troutbecke Hartgill Esgill Wampull Swale Stoure Temes Trent Tamar Grant Tine Croc Lone Lun Calder c. as some at Rome were called Tiberij Anâ—eni Aufidij c bicause they were borne neere the rivers Tibris Anten Ausidus as Iulius Paris noteth Divers also had names from trees neere their habitations as Oke Aspe Box Alder Elâ—â—e Elder Beach Coigniers that is Qâ—ince Zouch that is the trunke of a tree Cursy and Curson the stocke of a Vine Pine Plumme Chesney or Cheyney that is Oke Dauney that is Alder Foulgiers that is Fearne Vine Ashe Hawthorne Turres Bush Hasle Coularay that is Hasâ—ewood Bucke that is ` Beech Willowes Thorne Broome Blocke c. which in former time had at praefixed as at Beech at Furres at Ashe at â—lme And heere is to be noted that diverse of this sorte have beene strangely contracted as at Ashe into Tash at Oke into Toke at Abbey into Tabbey at the End into Th end As in Saints names Saint Olye into Tolye Saint Ebbe into Saint Tabbe Saint Osyth into Saint Tows Many strangers also comming hither and residing here were named of their Countries as Picard Scot Lombard Flemming French Bigod that is superstitious or Norman For so the Frenchmen calld the Normans because at every other word they would sweare By God Bretton Britaine Bret Burgoin Germain Westphaling Dane Daneis Man Gascoigne Welsh Walsh Walleys Irish Cornish Cornwallis Fasterling Maigne Champneis Poitevin Angevin Loring that is de Lotharingia c. And these had commonly Le praefixed in Records and Writings as Le Fleâ—â—ing Le Picard Le Bret c. viz. the Flemming the Picard In respect of situation to other neere places rise these vsuall names Norrey North South East Weast and likewise Northcote Southcote Estcote Westcote which also had originally At set before them Yea the names of Kitchin Hall Sellar Parler Church Lodge c. may seeme to have been borrowed from the places of birth or most frequent abode as among the Greekes Anatoâ—â—us i. East Zephirius i. Weast c. Whereas therefore these locall denominations of families are of no great antiquitie I can not yet see why men should thinke that their Auncestours gave names to places when the places bare those very names before anie men did their Surnames Yea the very terminations of the names are such as are onely proper and appliable to places and not to persons in their significations if any will marke the Locall â—erminations which I lately specified Who would suppose Hil Wood Field Ford Ditch Pole Pond Towne or Ton and such like terminations to bee convenient for men to beare in their nâ—mes vnlesse they could also dreame Hilles Woods Fieldes Fordes Ponds Pounds c. to have beene mâ—tamorphosed into men by some supernaturall transformation And I doubt not but they will confesse that Townes stand longer then families continue It may also be prooved that many places which nowe have Lordes denominated of them had Lordes and owners of other Surnames and families not many hundred yeeres since But a sufficient proofe it is of antiâ—nt descent where the inhabitant had his Surname of the place where he inhabiteth as Compton of Compton Terringham of Terringham Egerton of Egerton Portington of Portington Skeffington of Skeffington Beeston of Beeston c. I know neverthelesse that albeit most Townes
his learning great Grandfather to the honourable Charles now Earle of Denshire who is no lesse famous for his vertue and hereditary love of learning when hee was the Queenes Chamberlaine in an Epistle to Erasmus called king Henry the eight Octavius for Octavus resembling him thereby to Octavius Augustus the onely mirror of Princely vertues Lady Iane Grey daughter to the Duke of Suffolke who payde the pâ—â—ce of others ambition with her bloud for her excellency in the Greeke tongue was called for Greia Graia and this made to her honour in that respect Miraris Ianam Craio sermone valere Quo nata est primùm tempore Crata fuit When the duke of Buckingham was put to death by the practise of cardinall Wolsey a Butchers sonne the Emperour Charles the fift saide It was great pitty that so faire and goodly a Bucke should be woried to death by a Buchers curre alluding either to the name of Buckingham or to a Bucke which was a badge of honour to that familie Domingo a Spaniard in the time of Queene Mary offended with an Englishman that called him Domingus tolde him hee was Dominicuâ— but hee was I assure you more highly offended when hee after for Dominicus called him Dâ—moniacuâ— In the beginning of her late Maiesties raigne one alluded to her name Elisabetha with Illasa-Beata that is Safe without hurt and happy The sense whereof as the Almightie by his fatherly mercy performed in her person so shee by her motherly providence vnder God effected in this realme in blisfull peace and plenty whereas contrariwise other conâ—ining Regions have beene overwhelmed with all kinde of miseries The cause whereof one in this last French broyles referred by Allusion to Spania and Mania two Greeke words signifying Panury and Furie but implying therein closely the late King of Spaine and duke du Maine Rebus or Name-devises MAny approoved customes lawes maners fashions and phrases have the English alwayes borrowed of their neighbours the French especially since the time of King Edward the Confessour who resided long in Fraunce and is charged by Historians of his time to have returned from thence wholy Frenchified then by the Norman Conquest which immediately ensued after by the honourable aliances of the Kings of England with the most renowned families yea and with the verie royall house of Fraunce But after that the triumphant victorious king Edward the third had traversed Fraunce with his victories and had planted English colonies in Calice Havres and Guynes our people bordering vpon the pregnant Picardes beganne to admire their fooleries in painted Poesies For whereas a poesie is a speaking picture and a picture a speechlesse Poesie they which lackt wit expresse their conceit in speech did vse to depâ—int it out as it were in pictures which they called Rebus by a Latine name well fitting their devise These were so well liked by our English there and sent hither over the streight of Callice with full saile were so entertained heere although they were most ridiculous by all degrees by the learned and vnlearned that he was no body that coulde not hammer out of his name an invention by this wit-craft and picture it accordingly whereupon who did not busie his braine to hammer his devise out of this forge Sir Thomas Cavall whereas Cavall signifieth an horse engraved a gallopping horse in his scale with 〈◊〉 limping verse Thomae credite cùm cernitis eius equum So Iohn Eagleshead as it seemeth to notifie his name about his Armes as I have seene in an olde Sâ—ale with an Eagles head set downe this Hoc aquila caput est signumque figura Iohannis The Abbot of Ramsey more wisely sette in his Seale a Ramme in the sea with this verse to shew hee was a right ramme Cuius signa gero dux gregis est vt ego William Chaundler Warden of New colledge in Oxford playing with his owne name so filled the hall-windowes with candles and these wordes Fiat lux that hee darkened the hall Whereuppon the Vidam of Charters when hee was there saide It should have bin Fiant tenebrae Did not that amorous Youth mystically expresse his love to Rose Hill whome hee courted when in the border of his painted cloth hee caused to be painted as rudely as he devised grosely a rose an hill an eye a loafe a well that is if you will spell it Rose-Hill I love well You may imagine that Frauncis Cornâ—field did scratch his elbow when hee hadde sweetely invented to signifie his name Saint Francis with his Frierly kowle in a corne-field It may seeme doubtfull whether Bolton Prior of Saint 〈◊〉 In Smithfield was vviser vvhen hee invented for his name a bird bolt through a Tâ—nne or when hee built him an house vppon Harrow Hill for feare of an mundation after a great coniunction in the watry Triplicitie Islip Abbot of Westminster a man most favored by king Henry the seavenâ—h had a quadruple devise for his single name for somewhere hee sâ—tte vppe in his windowes an â—ie with a slip of a tâ—ee other places one slipping boughs in a tree in other places an I wiâ—h the saide slip and in some places one slipping from a tâ—ee with the woorde Islip Whosoever devised for Thomas Earle of Arundell a capitall A in a Rundle wherewith hee decked an house which hee built did thinke I warrant you that hee did the Nobleman great honour No lesse did he 〈◊〉 his invention which for sir Anthony Wingfield devisedâ— Wing with these foure letters F E L D quarterly about it and over the Wing a crosse to shew he was a Christian and on the crosse a red rose to shew that the followed the house of Lancaster Morton Archbishop of Canterbury a man of great wisedome and borne to the vniversall good of this realme was content to vse Mor vppon a Tunne and sometime a Mulbery tree called Morus in Latine out of a Tunne So Luton Thorneton Ashton did notifie their names with a Lute a Thorne an Ash vpon a Tunne So an Haâ—â— on a bottle for Harebottle a Maggot-pie vppon a goate for Pigot an Hare by a sheafe of â—e in the Sunne for Harrison Med written on a calfe for Medcalfe Chester a chest with a Starre over it Allet a Lot Lionel Duckes a Lion with L. on his head whereas it should have beene in his 〈◊〉 If the Lion had beene eating a ducke it had beene a raâ—e devise woorth a duckat or ducke-egge And if you require more I referre you to the witty inventions of some I â—â—doners but that for Garret Dews is most memorable two in agarret casting Dews at dice. This for Rebus may suffice and yet if there were more I thinke some lips would like such kinde of Lettice In parte to excuse them yet some of the greatest Romans were alittle blasted with this fooleriâ— if you so censure it Our great Maister Cicero in a dedication of his to his gods inscribed Marcus 〈◊〉 and that 〈◊〉 pulse lesse than 〈…〉 call I thinke
at his eyes This his devise had no life because it had no Motte but his answer gave it life when he said to one demaunding his meaning That they were his sonnes which did so pecke him and that Iohn the yongest whome he loved best practised his death more busily than the rest Giraldus Cambrensis distinct King Henry the third as liking well of Remuneration commaunded to be written in his Chamber at Woodstocke as it appeareth in the Recordes in the Tower Qui non dat quod amat non accipit iâ—le quod optat Edmund Crâ—uch-backe his second sonne first Earle of Lancaster vsed a red Rose wherewith his Tombe at Westminster is adorned Edward the third bare for his devise the rayes of the Sunne dispersing themselves out of a cloude and in other places a golden truncke of a tree The victorious Blacke Prince his sonne vsed sometimes one feather sometime three in token of his speedy execution in all his services as the Postes in the Roman times were Pterophori and wore feathers to signifie their flying post-haste But the tradition is that hee wonne them at the battell of Poitiers whereunto hee adioyned this olde English word IC DEN that is I serve according to that of the Apostle The heire while he is a childe differeth nothing from a servant These feathers were an anâ—ent ornament of militarie men as is evident by that of Virgil Cuius olorina surgunt de vertice pennae And were vsed by this Prince before the time of Canoy Chan the Tartarian who because his life was saved by an Owle would have his people weare their feathers from whome Haithon fableth that the people of Iurope received first the vse of feathers Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster brother to this Prince tooke a red Rose to his devise as it were by right of his first wise the heire of Lancaster as Edmund of Langley Duke of Yorke tooke the white Rose Before these two brethren tooke these two Roses which the fautors and followers of their heires after bare in that pittifull distraction of England betweene the families of Lancaster and York a white Rose-tree at Longleete bare vpon one branch a faire white rose on the one side and as faire a red rose on the other which might as well have beene a fore-token of that division as the white henne with the bay sprigge lighting in the lap of Livia Augusta betokened the Empire to her posteritie which ended in Nero when both the brood of that hen failed and the baies of that sprigge withered The said Edmund of Langley bare also for an Imprese a Faulcon in a fetter-locke implying that he was locked vp from all hope and possibility of the Kingdome when his brethren beganne to aspire therevnto Wherevpon he asked on a time his sonnes when he saw them beholding this devise set vp in a window what was Latine for a fetter-locke Whereat when the yong gentleman studied the father said well then you cannot tell me I will tell you Hic haec hoc taceaâ—s as advising them to be silent and quiet and therewithall said Yet God knoweth what may come to passe heereafter This his great Grandchilde King Edward the fourth reported when he commanded that his yonger sonne Richard Duke of Yorke should vse this devise with the fetter-locke opened as Roger Wall an Herald of that time reporteth King Richard the second whose vntrained youth and yeelding lenitie hastened his fall vsed commonly a white Hart couchant with a crowne and chaine about his â—â—cke For wearing the which soone after his deposition lost their lives He also vsed a pescod branch with the cods open but the pease out as it is vpon his Robe in his Monument at Westminster His wife Anne sister to Wenceslaus the Emperour bare an Ostrich with a naile in his beake King Henry the fourth as it is in Maister Garters booke vsâ—d onely a Fox tayled pendent following lysanders advise if the Lions skin were too short to peece it out with a Foxes case His halfe brethren surnamed Beausort of their natall place who after were dukes of Sâ—mmerset c. bare a port-cullis golde wherevnto not long afterward was added this word ALTERA SLCVRITAS And not long since by the Earles of Worcester issued from them MVTARE AVT TIMERE SPâ—RNO His yonger sonne Humfrey Duke of Glocester a noble fautor of good letters baâ—e in that respect a Laurell branch in a golden cup. That most martiall Prince King Henry the fift carried a burnâ—ng Cresset sometime a Beacon and for his word but not appropriate therevnto VNE SANS PLVS One and no more King Henry the sixt had two feathers in saltire King Edward the fourth bare his white Rose the fetter-locke before specified and the sunne after the battell of Mortimers crosse where three Sunnes were seene immâ—diately conioyning in one King Richard the third bare a white Boare which gave occâ—sion to the ryme that cost the maker his life The Cat the Rat and Lovell the Dog Rule all England vnder an Hog King Henry the seaventh in respect of his descent from the house of Summerset vsed the Portcullis before mentioned and in respect of the vnion of the two houses of Lancaster and Yorke by his marriage the white Rose vnited with the red sometime placed in the Sunne And in respect he was crowned in the field with King Richards crowne found in an hawtherne bush hee bare the hawthorne bush with the crowne in it with this he filled the windowes at Richmond and his Chappell at Westminster His wife Queene Elizabeth had a white and red rose knit together His mother Lady Margaret Countesse of Richmond had three white Dasies growing vpon a turfe When king Henry the eight beganne his raigne the English wits beganne to imitate the French and Italian in these devises adding the Mots First king Henry himselfe at the interview betweene him and king Francis the first whereat also Charles the fift was present vsed for his Impresse an English Archer in a greene coat drawing his arrow to the head with this inscription CVI ADHAEREO PRAEEST whenas at that time those mighty Princes banding one against the other wrought him for their owne particular His wife Queene Anne a happy mother of Englands happines by her most happy daughter bare a white crowned Faulcon holding a Scepter in her right talon standing vpon a golden truncke out of the which sprowted both white and red roses with MIHI ET MEAE To the honour of Queene Iane who died willingly to save her childe King Edwarde was devised after her death a Phaenix in his funerall fire with this Motte NASCATVR VT ALTER King Edward the sixt bare as the Blacke Prince three feathers in a crowne while his father survived as Prince of Wales with IC DEN. Queene Mary when she was Princesse of Wales vsed both a red and white Rose and a Pomegranate knitte together to shew her descent from Laâ—caster Yorke and Spaine When she
Burgundian that it wholy alienated his minde from the English to their great losse in all the French warres following Paulus Aemilius Lib. 10. Iohn Lorde Talbot first Earle of Shrewsbury of that familie supprised vppon the sodaine by the French army at Chastilion farre from cowardly fâ—are of death and fatherly affected to his sonne the Lorde â—isle who woulde not forsake him in that danger advised him to fâ—le saying My death in respect of my former exploites can not be but honourable and in respect of thy youth neither can it be honourable for thee to die nor dishonourable to fâ—ie But this yong Lord in height of courage nothing degenerating from so worthy a father lost his life with his father in the field and with them a base sonne and a sonne in lawe of the sayde Earles Paulus Aemilius Lib. 10. Commentarij Pij PP 2. Lib. 6. After this battell when the flames of inward warre beganne to flash out in England the martiall men of England were called home out of Fraunce to maintaine the factions heere at which time a French Captaine scoffingly asked an English-man when they woulde returne againe into Fraunce He answered feelingly and vpon a true ground When your sinnes shal be greater and more grievous in the sight of God than ours are now ¶ Vntill this time from the beginning of King Edward the first which was about an hundred and sixtie yeeres whosoever will with a marking eie consider the comportment of the English Nation the concurrent of martiall men their Councells military discipline designs actions and exploites not onely out of our owne Writers but also forraine Historians cannot but acknowledge that they were men of especiall worth and their prowesse both great and glorious Why afterward it should decay as all other professions which even like plants have their times of beginning or in-rooting their growing vp their flourishing their maturitie and than these fading were a disquisition for the learned Whether it proceedeth from celestiall influence or those Angelles which Plato makes or the Secundei which Trithâ—â—â—ius imagined to have the regiment of the world successively or from the degenerating of numbers into summes which I confesse I vnderstand not being an ignorant in abstruse learning Onely I have read in Paterculus that when either envie or admiration hath given mâ—n an edge to ascend to the highest and when they can ascend no higher after a while they must naturally descend Yet I relie vpon that of Eccclesiastes as I vnderstand it Cuncta fecit bona in tempore suâ— Deus mundum tradidit disputationi eorum vt non inveniat home quod operatus est Deus ab initio vsque ad finem But pardon mee I cannot tell how I have beene by admiration of our Progenitours diverted from my purpose In the yeere of our Lord 1416. when a fifteene hundred English vnder the coÌ„duct of I Beaufort erle of Derset were encompassed betweene the sea and fifteen thousand French The Erle of Arminac generall of the French sent to the Earle advising him to yeelde himselfe but hee answered It is not the manner of the English to yeelde without blowes neither am I so heartlesse that I will deliver my selfe into their handes whom God â—ay deliver into mine And accordingly God gave him the honour of the day to the great confusion of the enemy Walsingham in Ypodigmate VVHen Elizabeth the widow of sir Iohn Gray was a suter vnto King Edward the fourth against whome her husband lost his life for her ioynture the kinde King became also a suter to her vnto her for a nights lodging But she wisely answered him when hee became importunate That as she did account her selfe too base to be his wife so shee did thinke her selfe too good to be his 〈◊〉 When love grew so hote in this K. Edward the fourth that hee would needes marry the saide Elizabeth widow of sir Iohn Grey to the great discontent of his Counsell but especially of his mother who alleaging many reasons to the contrary saide That onely widowhood might be sufficient to restraine him for that it was high disparagement to a King to be dishonoured with bigamy in his first marriage The King merrily aunswered In that shee is a widdow and hath already children by Gods blessed Lady I am a batcheller and have some too and so each of vs hath a proofe that neither of vs are like to be barren And therefore Madam I pray you be content I trust in God she shal bring you forth a yong Prince that shall please you And as for the bigamy let the Bishop hardly lay it in my way when I come to take Orders for I vnderstand it is forbidden to a Priest but I never wist it yet that it was forbidden to a Prince His note love neverthelesse was partable among three other of his Mistresses of whome hee was woont to say The one was the fairest the other the merriest and the third the holiest for she had wholy devoted her selfe to his bedde and her beades When Lewes the eleaventh French King entertained diverse Councellors of king Edward the fourth with large pensions to steede him in England hee sent Peter Cleret one of the maisters of his housholde vnto the Lorde Hastings the Kings Chamberlaine to present him with twoo thousand crownes Which when he had received Petre Cleret did pray him that for his discharge he would make him an acquittance The Lorde Chamberlaine made a great difficultie thereat Then Cleret dooth request him againe that hee would give vnto him onely a letter of three lines for his discharge to the King signifying that hee had received them The Lord Chamberlaine answered Sir that which you say is very reasonable but the gift comes from the goodwill of the King your Maister and not at my request at all If it please you that I shall have it you shall put it within the pocket of my sleeve and you shall have no other acquittance of me For I will never it shal be saide for mee that the Lorde Chamberlaine of the King of England had beene Pentioner to the King of Fraunce Nor that my acquittances shal be found in the Chamber of accompts in Fraunce The aforesâ—id Cleret went away male-content but left his money with him and came to tell his message to his King who was very angry with him But thenceforth the Lord Chamberlaine of England was more esteemed with the French and alwayes payde without acquittance Philippe de Commines KIng Richard the third whose monstrous birth foreshewed his monstrous proceedings for he was born with all his teeth and haire to his shoulders albeit hee lived wickedly yet made good Lawes and when diverse shires of England offered him a benevolence hee refused it saying I know not in what sence I haa rather have your hearts than your money Ioannes Rossus Warwiceusis Iohn Morton then Bishoppe of Elie but afterward of Canterbury being solicited by the Duke of Buckingham then
his handes on his mouth and sayde Mouth thou liest And by and by thereupon he sette his handes vpon both his eyes and sayde But eyne quoth hee by the Masse yee lie not a whit When sir Thomas Moore had told one whom hee tearmeth in his Dialogue the Messenger how he might yeerly have seene a myracle done at the Rhodes if he would have gone thither So farre quoth the Messenge nay yet I had rather have Gods blessing to beleeve that I see not then to go so farre for it I am well apaid said sir Thomas thereof for if you had rather beleeve then take the paine of a long pilgrimage you will never be so stiffe in any opinion that you will put your selfe in ieopardie for pertinacy and stubborne standing by your part Nay Marie said the Messenger I warrant you that I will never be so madde to hold till it waxe too hot for I have such a fond fantasie of mine owne that I had rather shiver and shake for colde in the Summer then be burned in the mids of Winter It happened that a yong Priest verie devoutly in a Procession bare a Candle before the Crosse for lying with a Wench and bare it light all the long way wherein the people tooke such spirituall pleasure and inward solace that they laughed apace And one merrie Marchant sayd vnto the Priests that followed him Sic luceat lux vestra coram hominibus Thus let your light shine before the people But a lewde Priest in later time being reproved of his loose life and told that he and other of the Clergie ought to bee the Lanthornes of light How can we saide the shamelesse Priest be Lanthornes of light when as ye Lay men have all the hornes When a lustie gallant saw a Frier going barefoote in a great frost and snowe hee asked him why hee did take such paine Hee aunswered that it was a verie little paine if a man would remember hell Yea Frier quoth the Gallant but what and if there be no Hell Then arte thou a great foole Yea Maister quoth the Frier but what if there be hell then is mastership much more foole A Frier as he was preaching in the Countrey espied a poore wife of the parish whispering with her Pew-felow and he falling angrie thereat cried out vnto her aloude Holde thy babble I bid thee thou wife in the red hoode which when the huswife heard she waxed as angrie and sodainly she started vp and cried vnto the Frier againe that all the Church rang thereon Mary sir I beshrew his heart that babbleth most of vs both for I do but whisper a word with my neighbour here and thou hast babled there a good large houre King Ladislaus vsed much this maner among his servants when one of them praised any deed of his or any condition in him if he perceyved that they sayde nothing but the truth he would let it passe by vncontrolled But when he saw that they did set a glose vpon it for his praise of their owne making beside then would he shortly say vnto them I pray thee good fellow when thou faist grace never bring in Gloria patri without a Sicut erat Any act that ever I did if thou report it againe to mine honour with a Gloria patri never report it but with a Suut trat That is to wit euen as it was and no otherwise and lift not me vp with lies for I loue it not Frier Donalde preached at Paules Crosse that our Ladie was a virgin and yet at her pilgrimages there was made many a foule meeting And loude cried out Ye men of London gang on your selues with your wiues to Wilsdon in the Divils name or else keepe them at home with you with a sorrow Sir Iohn Moore was wont to compare the choosing of a wife vnto a casuall taking out at all a verie ventures of Eles out of a bagge wherein were twentie Snakes for an Ele. Sir Iohn Fineux sometime chiefe Iustice of the Kings bench was often heard to say Who so taketh from a Iustice the order of his discretion taketh surely from him more than halfe his office Wise was that saying of Doctor Medealfe You yong men do thinke vs olde men to be fooles but we olde men do know that you yong men are fooles Katherine wife to Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke when her husband at a feast willed everie Ladie to take to sit by hir him that shee loued best prouided hee were not her husband she tooke Stephen Cardiner Bishop of Winchester saying Seeing she might not have him whom she loved best she would take him whom she loved worst KIng Edward the sixt when three swordes were delivered at his coronation vnto him as king of England Fraunce and Ireland sayd There was yet another sworde to be delivered vnto him Whereat when the Lords marvelled he sayd I meane sayd he the sacred Bible which is the sworde of the spirit without which we are nothing neither can do any thing Balaeus in Centurijs When sit Ralfe Fane was condemned to die by the practise of the Duke of Northumberland he said no more protesting his innocencie but My blood shall be the Dukes bolster as long as he liveth Meaning as I thinke that his conscience affrighted with shedding innocent blood shoulde enioy little quiet but passe restlesse nights Relatio Gallica Thirlby Bishop of Elie when he was Ambassador at Rome one of hir men negligently laying downe his liuery cloake in his lodging lost it wherewith the Bishop being angrie rated the fellow roughly who told him that hee suspected nothing in so holy a place as Rome was but did take them all for true men What knaue qvoth the Bishop when thou commest into a strange place thinke all men there to be theeves yet take heede thou doe not call them theeves When hee was prisoner in the Tower he was searched by the Lievetenaunt and five hundred French crownes found in his purse and in his doublet about him whereat when the Lievetenant wondering asked him what hee meant to carry so much money about him hee answered I love to have my friends still neere about mee and can not tell how I should be vsed if I lacked them In the rebellion in the Weast during the raigne of king Edward the sixt sir Anthony Kingston marshall of the field hanged vp a fellow that was servant to a rebellious Miller whome he affirmed himselfe to be vntill hee came vnto the gallowes and then his deniall would not be allowed Afterward the matter being better knowne sir Anthonie was tolde that hee had executed the man for the maister It is well enough quoth sir Anthony hee coulde never have doone his maister better service than have hanged for him THese following are taken out of the life of Cardinall Poole Archbishop of Canterbury written by a learned man and Printed at Venice When one asked counsell of Cardinall Poole what methode and way was best to be taken to
animam Nonnè quod vides sequeris Vt bos ductus ad victimam Saltem sordes quas ingeris Cur non lauas per lachrimam Aut quarè non crueris Mentem fermentans azimam Cordi respondet oculus Iniustè de me quaereris Seruus sum tibi sedulus Exequor quicquid iusseris Nonne tu mihi praecipis Sicut et membris caeteris Non ego tu te decipis Nuntius sum quò tu miseris Cur damnatur apertio Corpori necessaria Sine cuius obsequio Cuncta languent officia Quo si fiat ereptio Cum sim fenestra peruia Si quod recepi nuntio Quae putatur iniuria Addo quòd nullo puluere Quem immitto pollueris Nullum malum te laedere Potest nisi consenseris De corde mala prodeunt Nihil inuitum pateris Virtutes non intereunt Nisi culpam commiseris Dum sic vterque disputat Soluto pacis osculo Ratio litem amputat Diffinitiuo calculo Vtrumque reum reputat Sed non pari periculo Nam cordi causam imputat Occasionem oculo Dan Elingham a Monke of Linton of Saint Benedicts order comming to the White-friers in Nottingham found there Iohn Baptist painted in a white Friers weed whereat marueling he coled out these verses vpon the wall neere to the picture Christi Baptista vestis non te decet ista Quiâ—e vestiuit fratrem maledictus abiuit Nunquam Messias â—iater fuerat nec Helias Non stat plebs lata dum sit pro fratre propheta Si fratrem Ionam fingis Geezi tibi ponam Ac Iebusaeum ne iungas his Helisaeum But a white Frier there answered Elingham with these following in the person of Iohn Baptist. Elingham mentiris metris fatuis quoque miris Atque ea quae nescis sic astruis vt ea quae scis Nam deus est testis decet haec me candida vestis Plusquà m te vestis pulla siue nigra cuculla Sum Carmelita meritò sed tu Geezita Aâ— frater fictus Benedicti non benedictus He which made this when King Edward the first and the Pope concurred in exacting a paiment from the Cleargie should haue smarted had he beene knowne Ecclesiae nauis titubat regni quia clauis Errat Rex Papa facti sunt vnica capa Hoc faciunt do des Pilatus hîc alter Herodes A merry learned Lawyer which had receiued Wine for a regarde or remembrance from the Abbot of Merton who had entertained him in a cause sent these two verses as standing vpon his integrity against bribes and requiring rather good euidence than good Wine Vinum transmissum nunc me facit esse remissum Conuiuis vina causis tua iura propina The Abbot which perswaded himselfe what would moue a Lawyer when Wine could not returned these three distiches Tentaui temerè vinô te posse movere Non movi verè sed forte moveberis aere Vinum non quaeris sed tinnit si sonus aeris Et spe duceris forsità n alter eris Vt mihi sis mitis tibi misi pocula vitis Nec tamen illa sitis desinit vndè sitis King Edward the third when he first quartered the Armes of France with England declared his claime in this kinde of verse thus Rex sum regnorum binâ ratione duorum Anglorum regno sum rex ego iure paterno Matris iure quidem Francorum nuncupor idem Hinc est armorum variatio facta meorum These following were made by his Poet when Philip de Valoys the French King lurked in Cambray and so well liked of him that he sware by Saint George they were valiant verses and commanded them to be shot vpon an arrow into the Cittie as a cartell of challenge Si valeas venias Valoys depelle timorem Non lateas pateas maneas ostende vigorem In the Chapiter house of Yorke Minster is written this in commendation thereof Vt rosa flos florum sic est domus ista domorum The Exchequer officers were extortours in the time of King Henry the 4 otherwise Henry Bell Collectour of the Custome as he stileth himselfe at that time would neuer haue written a riming long Satyre against them which beginneth thus O Scacci Camera locus est mirabilis ille Vt referam vera tortores sunt ibi mille Si contingat ibi temet quid habere patrandum Certe dico tibi caetum reperire nefandum And concludeth in this maner O sic vexatè tortoribus cruciate Non dices vere propter tales Miserere But this is good aduise which he giveth to such as haue to deale with the officers of the Receipt Qui tallas scribunt cum murmure saepè loquuntur Summas quique solent in magnâ scribere pelle Scribere valdè dolent dùm non sit soluere bellè Escas manè datas propter ientacula pones Costas assatas pisces pinguesque capones Illos conforta pariter per fortia vina Westminster porta pro talibus est medicina Now for the Fleet then he writeth thus Cum sis in Fleta patioris mille molesta Illic dona dabis si sanus vis fore puncto Nam custos Fletae bona de prisonibus vnit Ni soluant laete mox hos per vincula punit Illis qui baculos portant ostendere debes Valde pios loculos ludere praebeo praebes In the time of King Henry the 4. when in leauying of a Subsidie the rich would not and the poore could not pay so they of the meaner sort bare the burthen a skilfull dicer and no vnskilfull rimer wrote these verses Dews As non possunt Sise Sinke soluere nolunt Est igitùr notum Cater Tre soluere totum Of the decay of gentry one made these rimes Ex quo nobilitas seruilia caepit amare Nobilitas caepit cum seruis degenerare Many more and of great varietie of meeters in this kinde I could present you with all for these rimers haue as curious obseâ—â—ations in their Arte Rithmizandi as the Italian makers in their Stanzas Quartetts Tercetts Octaves but now they are counted long eared which delight in them Beside these our Poets hath their knacks as young Schollers call them as Ecchos Achrostiches Serpentine verses Recurrents Numeralls c. yea and our prose Authors could vse Achrostiches for Ranulph of Chester began the first Chapter of his Polychronicon with P the 2. with R the 3. with E. the 4. with S. the fift with N. and so forth as if you would spell the first Chapters of his Booke you shall find Praesentem chronicam compilauit Ranulphus Monachus Cestrensis And why not as well as Agapetus the Greeke who did the like in his admonitions to Iustinian the Emperour But I will end with this of Odo houlding Maister Doctors Mule and Anne with her table-cloth which cost the maker much foolish labour for it is a perfect verse and euery word is the very same both backward and forward Odo tenet mulum madidam mappam tenet Anna. Anna
of Flaunders nephew to this King William the Conquerour sonne to Robert who vnhappy in his state loosing the hope of the Kingdome of England dying of a wound in his hand was not altogether vnhappy in his Poet which made him this Epitaph Vnicus ille ruit cuius non terga sagittam Cuius nosse pedes non potuere fugam Nil nisi fulmen erat quoties res ipsa mouebat Et si non fulmen fulminis instar erat King Henry the first for his learning surnamed Beauclerc had this flatterng Epitaph as Poets could flatter in all ages Rex Henricus obit decus olim nunc dolor orbis Numina flent numen deperijsse suum Mercurius minor eloquio vi mentis Apollo Iupiter imperio Marsque vigore gemunt Anglia quae curá quae sceptro Principis huius Ardua splenduerat tam tenebrosa ruit Haec cum rege suo Normania cum Duce marcet Nutrijt haec puerum perdidit illa virum Of him also another composed these in respect of his peaceable gouernment and the troubles which ensued vnder King Stephen both in England and Normandie Anglia Iugeat hinc Normannica gens fleat illinc Occidit Henricus modò lux nunc luctus vtrique Vpon William sonne of King Henry the first and heire apparent of this Realme drowned vpon the coast of Normandie I haue found this Epitaphe Abstulit hunc terrae matri maris vnda nouerca Proh dolor occubuit Sol Anglicus Anglia plora Quaeque priùs fueras gemino radiata nitore Extincto nato viuas contenta parente But well it was with England in that he was so preuented which threatned to make the English draw the Plough as Oxen. Hypodigma Mawd daughter to the foresaid King wife to Henry the Emperour mother to King Henry the 2. who intitled her selfe Empresse Augusta for that she was thrice solemnly crowned at Rome as R. de Diceto test fieth Anglorum Domina because she was heire apparent to the crowne of Englād was very happy in her Poet who in these 2. funerall verses contained her princely parentage match issue Magna ortis maiorque viro sed maxima partu Hic iacet Henrici filia sponsa parens Alberic Vere graundfather to the first Earle of Oxford and his sonne William were buried together Anno 1088. with this Epitaphe at Colne where he was founder afterward Monke as it is in the Annales of Abingdon En puer en senior pater alter filius alter Legem fortunam terram venêre sub vnam In which the maker seemed to imitate that of Conrad the Emperour at Spires in Germany Filius hîc pater hîc annus hî proauus iacet istic Thomas Beket Arch-bishop of Canterbury had these Epitaphes expressing the cause the time place of his death made by his especiall fauourer Pro Christi sponsa Christi sub tempore Christi In templo Christi verus amator obit Quinta dies natalis erat flos orbis ab orbe Carpitur et fructus incipit esse poli Quis morritur praesul cur pro grege qualiter ense Quando natali quis locus ara Dei For Theobald of Bloys Earle of Champaine nephew to King Henry the first Giraldus Cambrensis Bishop of S. Dauids in Walles made this Ille comes Comes ille pius Theobaldus eras quem Gaudet habere polus terra carere dolet Non hominem possum non audeo dicere numen Mors probat hunc hominem vita fuisse Deum Trans hominem citraque Deum plus hoc minus istud Nescio qui◠neuter inter vtrumque fuit Vitalis Abbot of Westminster which died in the time of the Conquerour had this Epitaph Qui nomen traxit a vita morte vocante Abbas Vitalis transijt hicque iacet And for Lawrence Abbot of the same place which died 1176. was made this alluding to his name Pro meritis vitae dedit isti Laurea nomen Detur ei vitae laurea pro meritis These two happely may finde as much fauour with some if one word do not preiudice as that auncient one of Floridus so highly commended Quod vixi flos est seruat lapis hic mihi nomen Nolo Deos manes flos mihi pro titulo Geruays de Bloys base sonne to King Stephen and Abbot also of the same church was buried with the foresaid in the cloyster with this De Regum genere pater hic Geruasius ecce Monstrat defunctus mors rapit omne genus William de Albeney Erle of Arundel and Butler to the King was buried at Wimodham which he founded with this Hunc Pincerna locum fundauit hîc iacet alla Quae dedit huic domui tam sine fine tenet That mighty Monarch King Henry the second which by his owne right adioyned Anioy Maine and Tourain by his wife Aquatine Poyctov and by conquest Ireland to the Crowne of England and commanded from the Pyrene mountaines to the Orcades had this Epitaph according to his greatnesse Rex Henricus eram mihi plurima regna subegi Multiplicique modo Duxque Comesque fui Cui satis ad votum non essent omnia terrae Climata terra modo sufficit octo pedum Qui legis haec pensa discrimina mortis et in me Humanae speculum conditionis habe Sufficit hic tumulus cui non suffecerat orbis Res breuis ampla mihi cui fuit ampla breuis Rosamond the faire his paramour daughter to Walter Lord Clifford and mother to William Longspee the first Earle of Sarisbury aeternised by maister Daniels muse had this nothing answerable to her beauty Hac iacet in tumba rosa mundi non Rosamunda Non redolet sed olet quae redolere solet William Longspee Earle of Sarum base sonne to King Henry the second by this Lady had an Epitaph not vnlike to that of his mother Flos comitum Willielmus cognomine longus Ensis vaginam caepit habere breuem The glory of that magnanimous and lionlike prince king Richard the first renowned for his Conquest of Cyprus The king whereof he tooke and kept in setters of siluer and for his great exployts in the holy land stirred vp the wits of the best Poets in that age to honor him with these Epitaphs which follow when he was slaine in viewing the Castle of Chaluz in Limosin Hic Richarde iaces sed mors si cederet armis Victa timore tui cederet ipsa tuis Another also writt of him Istius in morte perimit formica leonem Proh dolor in tanto funere mundus obit An English poet imitating the epitaph made of Pompey his children whose bodies were buried in diuerse contries made these following of the glory of this one king deuided in three places by his funerall Viscera Carccolum corpus fons seruat Ebrandi Et cor Rothomagum magne Richarde tuum In tria diuiditur vnus qui plus fuit vno Non vno iaceat gloria tanta loco At Font Euerard where
honor of the name then the worth of the verse Hic iacet ingenui de Courtney gleba Roberti Militis egregij virtutum laude referti Quem genuit strenuus Reginal dus Courteniensis Qui procer eximius fuerat tunc deuoniensis A MoÌ„ke of Duresme busied his braine in nicking out these nice verses vpon the death of W. de La-march Chauncellor of England vnder king Iohn Culmina qui cupitis Laudes pompasque sititis Est sedata sitis Si me pensare velitis Qui populos regitis memores super omnia sitis Quod mors immitis non parcit honore potitis Vobis prapositis similis fucram benè scitis Quod sum vos eritis ad me currendo venitis William de valentia coÌ„monly called Valens Earle of Pembroke halfe brother to K. Henry the 3. from whom the Earles of Shrewsbury Kent and others are descended is intombed at Westminster with these ranke rimes Anglia tota doles moritur quia regia proles Qua slorere soles quam continet infima moles Guilelmus nomen insigne valentia praebet Celsum cognomen nam tale dari sibi debet Qui valuit validus vincens virtute valore Et placuit placido sensu morumque vigore Robert Grostest coÌ„monly called Robin Groshead bishop of Lincolne a most learned prelate reported by Mathew Paris to be a seuere reproouer of the Pope a fauourer of learning a searcher of scriptures a preacher of the word generally a man of great worth coÌ„manded this only to be engrauen ouer his Tombe Quis sim nosse cupis caro putrida nil nisi vermis Quisquis es hoc de me sit tibi scire satis But vpon his death this was written Rex dolet ac regnum gemit et flet Anglia tota Plebs plangit gemitus ingeminare iuuat Quippe Grosredus speculum virtutis asylum Iustâ—â—ciae Regis inchora morte iacet Non poterit tamen ille mori cui fama perorat Laus loquitur redolet fructus abundat honor Vnde 〈◊〉 tristatur homo canit Angelus inde Vnde serenantur sidera pallet humus Vpon the tombe of doctor Iohn Bekingale somtime bishop of Chichester this is engrauen which I set here for rare correspondency of the rime Tu modo qualis eris quid mundi quaeris honores Crimina deplores in me nunc te speculeris En mors ante fores quae clamitat omnibus adsum In paenis passum pro me te deprecor ores Which is the same in sence with that at Geneua VIXI VT VIVIS MORIERIS VT SVM MORTVVS SIC VITA TRVDITVR Lewes de Beaumont that learned bishop of Duresme who was preferred therunto for his affinity vnto the Queene although he could not with all his learning read this word Metropoliâ—ice at his coÌ„secration but passed it ouer with Soit pour dict and would sweare by S. Lewes that they were discourteous which set downe so many hard words in the ordering of priests had this vpon his tombe in Duresme Church where he was buried 1333. De Bello Monte iacet hic Lodouicus humatus Nobilis ex fonte regum Comitumque creatus c. King Edward the first a most worthy and mighty prince the first establisher of the kingdome of England had affixed at the Aulter of S. Edward neare his tombe at Westminster a large Epitaph in prose whereof I haue found onely this fragment Abauus autem triâ—vus eius dilatantes imperia subieâ—erunt sibi Ducatus Comitatus Edwardus vero paternarum magnificentiarum amplius aemulator existens Regaleque solium perornans in clypeo in hastà Principatum Walliae truncatis eius principibus Leclino Dauid potentissimè adquisiuit Quinimò dominium regni Scotiae primò magni industria consilij de inde virtute bellorum victoriosissimè est adeptus Nihilominus Comitatibus Cornubiae Northfolke disponente â—o cuius est orbis terrae plenitudo eius ad manus Edwardi mirabilitèr deuolutis suis successoribus amplissimam reliquit materiam gloriandi Vbicunque igitur Christus habet nomen inter praecellentissimos reges fidelium habeat Edwardus honorem The famous K. Edward the 3. which had so great victories ouer the French to the greater glory than good of England as some say is entombed at Westminster with this Hic decus Anglorum slos regum praeteritorum Fama futurorum rex clemens pax populorum Tertius Eduardus regni complens Iubilaum Robert Hawley a valiant Esquire was murthered in Westminster Church in seruice time where he had taken sanctuary and is there buried in the place where he was first assaulted with these verses Me dolus ira furor multorum militis atque in hoc gladiis celebri pietatis asylo Dum leuita Dei sermones legit ad aram Proh dolor ipse meo Monachorum sanguine vultus Aspersi moriens chorus est mihi testis in â—uum Et me nunc retinet sacer hic locus Hawle Robertum Hic quia pestiferos malè sensi primitùs hostes Famous is L. Siccinius Dentatus who serued in an hundred and twentie battailes And glorious is Henry the third Emperour who fought 62. battailes and likewise honourable should the memory be of Sir Mathew Gâ—urnay out Countriman of whose house Sir H. Newton is descended which commaunded in 6. battailes was buried at Stoke Hamden in Somersetshire with this French memoriall now defaced Icy gist le noble valient Cheualer Maheâ— de Gurnay iadis seneschall de Landes Capitayn du Chastell d'Aques pro nostre Signior le Roy en la Duche de Guien que in sa viâ— fu a la battaile de Benamazin a la pres a la siege de Algezir sur le Sarazines auxi a les battayles de Scluse de Cressy de Ingenesse de Poyters de Nazara c. Obijt 96. aetatis 26. Septemb. 146. Henry Chichely although he was founder of All Soules Colledge in Oxford and an especiall furtherer of learning was but little honoured by this vnlearned Epitaph 1443. Pauper eram natus post Primas his releuatus Iam sum prostratus vermibus esca paratus Ecce meum tumulum His next successour one Iohn Kempe happened vpon a better Poet who in one verse comprehended all his dignities which were great Thomas Kempe Bis Primas ter praesul erat bis cardine functus For he was Bishop of Rochester Chichester and London Archbishop of Yorke then of Canterbury and Cardinall first Deacon than Priest This that followeth is engrauen about a faire tombe in a goodly Chappell adioyning to the Quire of Saint Maries Church in Warwick being a worthy monument of so noble a person since whose time although but late you may obserue a great change both of the heyres of his house and the vse of words in this Epitaph Pray deuoutly for the soule whome God assoâ—le of one of the most worshipfull Knights in his dayes of manhood and cunning Richard Bâ—auchampe late Earle of Warwicke Lord dispenser
came to the kingdome by perswasion of her Cleargie she bare winged Time drawing Trueth out of a pit with VERIT AS TEMPORIS FILIA Her Successor of blessed memory Queene Elizabeth vpon occasions vsed so many heroicall devises as would require a volume but most commonly a Sive without a Motte for her words VIDEO TACEO and SEMPER EADEM which shee as truely and constantly performed Cardinal Poole shevvd the terrestrial globe incompassed with a Serpent adding this out of Saint Mathew ESTOTE PRVDENTES NOw I will descend from the bloud Royall and former time and present vnto you a few Impreses born by noble and gentlemen of our nation in our age without commenting vpon them as the Italians vse For the persons names I am to be pardoned as knowing them not when I observed them at Titles and else-where But such as adioyned after the olde and most laudable Italian manner their Armes withall He signified his constancie in aduersitie which painted a man swimming and striving against the streame in a tempestuous sea with this ANIMVS TAMEN IDEM Desirous was he to rise but found counterblasts who figured a man ascending a Mountaine but repelled with contrarie winds with this Mot NITENS AD SVMMA REPELLOR Henry Howard Earle of Surrey sonne and heire to Thomas Duke of Norfolke devised for himselfe I know not vpon what consideration a broken piller with this word SAT SVPEREST But I reade he was charged at his arraignement with that devise the impaling of his Armes with the Armes of Saint Edward and erecting three banqueting houses as Bastilions in his garden neere Norwich as matters of great consequence and high treason to the losse of his life This is that noble Earle of Surrey who first among the Nobilitie of England conioyned the honour of learning to the honour of high Parentage Of whom the learned Hadrianus Iunius giueth this testimonie in Lattine which I cannot so well expresse in English Hâ—roicum corporis filium ingenium velox expromptum memoria inexhausta planeque Mythridatica sermo ob ipsis Gratiis effictus linguarum multiplex cognitio c. He would either finde a way or make a way to his preferment which caused to be pourtrayed a hand working out a way in a craggie hill with a pickaxe and this woord INVENIT AVT FACIT Sir Philip Sidney to note that he persisted alwayes one depainted out the Caspian sea surrounded with his shoares which neither ebbeth nor floweth and over it SINE REFLVXV He acknowledged his essence to be in his gratious Soveraigne which bare a Sunne-diall and the Sun setting adding OCCASV DESINET ESSE Hee might seeme to beare a vindicative minde but I thinke it was for some amorous affection which bare a she vpon an eye with SIC VLTVS PEREAM Vpon his Princes favour he wholy 〈◊〉 which devised the Sunne shining vpon a bush subscribâ—â—g SI DESâ—RIS PEREO. As he which in like sense bare the Sunne reflecting his rayes from him with QVOVS QVE AVERTES His devote minde to his Lady hee devoutly though not religiously shewed which vnder Venus in â—â—â—owde chaunged the vsuall prayer into SALVA ME DOMINA He shewed his affectionate goodwill in height of courage that shewed in his shield Atlas bearing heaven with a roule inscribed in Italian INTENDAM CHE PVO. The force of love was well figured by him that gave an Vnicorne happly the badge of his family reposing his head in a Ladies lappe with this worde O QVANTA POTENTIA Excellent was that of the late Earle of Essex who when he was cast downe with sorrow and yet to be employed in Armes bare a blacke mourning shield without any figure but inscribed PAR NVLLA FIGVRA DOLORI A stedfast settled minde was in that gentleman that devised for himselfe a Pyramis open to winde and weather with NEC FLATV NEC FLVCTV He noted our peaceable times when having a Martiaâ—l minde shewed an armed Knight soundly sleeping in a cocke-boate vpon a calme Sea with AEQVORA TVTA SILENT Hee played with a Name and hoped remedy to his Love which dâ—vised a Rose with that of Ovid leaving out the negâ—tive AMOR EST MEDICABILIS HFRBIS A Gentleman committed and after to his great commendâ—tion enlarged tooke to him for an Imprese a Ball vpon a Racket sapersâ—ebing PERCVSSA RESVRâ—O The Sunne declining to the Weast with Occidens Occidens I being short in the first word and long in the second shewed that the safetie and life both of the bearer and of others did depend on the light and life of the Soveraigne A studious lover of good letters framed to himselfe only the figure of I with this philosophicall principle OMNIA EX VNO Out of Philosophie likewise an other to notifie his greatest impeachment drew this principle EX NIHIâ—O NIHIL and inscribed it bend-wise with his Armes in a bare shield One weighed downe with some adverse happe and yet not altogether hopelesse painted an heavy stone fastned to a mans arme with SPES MIHI MAGNA TAMEN Neither seemed he voide of all hope for his paines after long service which painted a followe fielde with AT QVANDO MESSIS The Needle in the Sea Compasse still moving but to the North poynt onely with MOVEOR IMMOTVS notified the respective constancie of the gentleman to one onely The ornament of our land was meant by him which placed only the Moone in heaven in full light with QVID SINE TE COELVM Farre was he from Venus service with bare Venus portrayed in a cloude with NIHIL MINVS But whole devoted was hee to that goddesse which contrariwise bare the Astronomicall character of Venus with NIHIL MAGIS The successive varietie of wordly affaires or his owne favours a studious Genâ—leman well noted which painted in an Hemisphere some starres rising some setting with SVRGVNT QVE CADVNT QVE VICISSIM His whole trust reposed that good Divine in God which after some adversities set vppe a Rocke beaten with winde weather to expresse his state yet standing with DEO IVVANTE DEO CONSERVANTE Heavenly cogitations were in him who onely figured a man kneeling with â—is hands lifted vp to the heavens with this inscribede SVPREMA OPTIMA MVNDI A verie good invention was that to shew his stay and support by a virgin Prince who presented in his shield the Zodiacke with the Characters onely of Leo and Virgo and this word HIS EGO PRAESIDIIS It may bee thought that he noted deserts to bee everie where excluded and meere happe to raise most men who inscribed within a Laurell Garland FATO NON MERITO A lavish tongue might seeme to have damnified the Gentleman which tooke for his device Landskip as they call it and solitarie Mountaines with TVTI MONTES TVTVM SILENTIVM He had no great care to expâ—esse his conceit in an Imprese which neverthelesse he did expresse which bare a white shield enscribed NEC CVRA NEC CHARACTER No Knight of Venus was he who as triumphing over her force bare
matched in our age which was written in the time of King Henry the 6. ouer the entrance into the Reccipt at Westminster to admonish accontants to be circumspect in entring as Ianus with his two heads and as vigilant in ending Exchequer accounts as Argus with his hundred eyes Ingrediens Iani rediture sis aemulus Argi. RYTHMES RIming verses which are called Versus Leonini I know not wherefore for a Lions taile doth not answere to the middle parts as these verses doe began in the time of Carolus Magnus and were onely in request then and in many ages following which delighted in nothing more then in this minstrelsie of meeters I could present you with many of them but few shall suffice when as there are but few now which delight in them In the praise of Miles Earle of Hereford was this penned in respect he was both martiall and lettered Vatum ducum gloria Milo cuius in pectore Certant vires studia Certat Hector cum Nestore Virtutum priuilegia Mente geris corpore Teque coronat arbore Mars Phoebi Phabus propria Walter de Mapes Archdeacon of Oxford who in the time of King Henry the second filled England with his meriments confessed his loue to good liquor with the causes in this maner Mihi est propositum in taberna mori Vinum sit appositum morientis ori Vt dicant cùm venerint Angelorum chori Deus sit propitius huic potatori Poculis accenditur animi lucerna Cor imbutum nectare volat ad superna Mihi sapit dulcius vinum in taberna Quà m quod aqua miscuit praesulis pincernn Suum cuique proprium dat natura munus Ego nunquam potui scribere iciunus Me iciunum vincere posset puer vnus Sitim iciunium odi tanquam funus Vnicuique propriumdat natura donum Ego versus faciens vinum bibo bonum Ft quod habent melius dolia cauponum Tale vinum generat copiam sermonum Tales versus facio quale vinum bibo Nihil possum scribere nisi sumpto cibo Nihil valet penitus quod iciunus scribo Nasonem post caelices carmine praeibo Mihi nunquam spiritus prophetiae datur Nisi tunc cùm fuerit venter bene satur Cum in arce cerebri Bacchus dominatur In me Phoebus irruit ac miranda fatur The infirmity and corruption of our nature prone to sensuality he acknowledgeth thus Via lata gradior more iuuentutis Implico me vitijs immenor virtutis Voluptatis auidus magis quam salutis Mortuus in anima curam gero cutis Mihi cordis grauitâs res videtur grauis Iocus est amabilis dulciorque fauis Quicquid Venus imperat labor est suauis Quae nunquam in mentibus habitat ignauis Quis in igne positus igni non vratur Quis in mundo demorans castus habeatur Vbi Venus digito iuuenes venatur Oculis illaqueat facie praedatur This lustie priest when Pope Innocent the third forbade the Clergie their wiues became Proctor for himselfe and them with these verses desiring onely for his fee that euery priest with his sweet hart would say a Pater noster for him Prisciani regula penitùs cassatur Sacerdos per Hic et Haec olim declinatur Sed per Hic solummodo nunc articulatur Cum per nostrum praesulum Haec amoueatur Ita quidem presbyter caepit allegare Peccat criminaliter qui vult seperare Quod Deus iniunxerat faeminam amare Tales dignum duximusâ—fures appellare O quam dolor anxius quà m tormentum graue Nobis est dimittere quoniam suaue O Romane pontifex statuisti prauè Ne in tanto crimine moriaris caue Non est Innocentius immò nocens verè Qui quod facto docuit studet abolere Et quod olim inuenis voluit habere Modò vetus pontifex studet prohibere Gignere nos praecipit vetus Testamentum Vbi nouum prohibet nusquam est inuentum Praesul qui contrarium donat documentum Nullum necessarium his dat argumentum Dedit enim dominus maledictionem Viro qui non fecerit generationem Ergo tibi consulo per hanc rationem Gignere vt habeas benedictionem Nonnè de militibus miliâ—es procedunt Et reges à regibus qui sibi succedunt Per locum à simili omnes iura laedunt Clericos qui gignere crimen esse credunt Zacharias habuit prolem â—t vxorem Per virum quem genuit adeptus honoreâ— Baptizâ—uit enim nostrum saluatorem Pâ—reat qui teneat nouum hunc errorem Paulus caelos rapitur ad superiores Vbi multas didicit res secretiores Ad nos tandem rediens instruensque mores Suas inquit habeat quilibet vxores Propter haec et alia dogmata doctorâ—â— Reor est mâ—lius et magis decorum Quisque suam habeat et non proximorum Ne incurrat odium iram eorum Proximorum faeminas filias neptes Violare nefas est quare nil deceptes Verè tuam habeas haâ— delâ—â—les Diem vt sic vltimum tutius expectes Ecce iam pro clericis multum allegaui Nec non pro presbiteris plura comprobaui Pater noster nunc pro me quoniam peccaui Dicat quisque presbiter cum sua suaui Mery Michaell the Cornish poet piped this vpon his pipe for mery England but with a mocking compassion of Normandy when the French vsurped it in the time of K. Iohn Nobilis Anglie pocula prandia donat et aera Terra iuuabilis et sociabilis agmine plena Omnibus vtilis Anglia fertilis est et amaena Sed miserabilis et lachrimabilis absque cateruà Neustria debilis et modo flebilis et quia serua He begged his exhibition of King Henry the third with this distich Regie rector miles vt Hector dux vt Achilles Te quia sector melle â—vector mel mihi stilles The same Michael highly offended with Henry of Aurench the kings Poet for disgracing Cornwall thought to draw bloud of him with these bobbing times Est tibi gamba capri crus passeris et latus apri Os leporis catuli nasus dens et gena muli Frons vetulae tauri caput et color vndique Mauri His argumentis quaenam est argutia mentis Quod non a monstro differs satis hic tibi monstro If you please to heare a solemne plea at Reasons barre betweene the Eye the Heart runne ouer this which a contriman of ours made in time of king Henry the 3. Quisquis cordis et oculi Non sentit in se iurgia Non nouit qui sunt stimuli Quae culpae seminaria Causam nescit periculi Cur alternant convitia Cur procaces aemuli Replicent in se vitia Cor sic affatur oculum Te peccati principium Te fontem te stimulum Te mortis voco nuntium Tu domus meae ianitor Hosti non claudis ostium Familiaris proditor Admittis aduersarium Nonnè fenestra diceris Quod mors intrat ad