an end to these long afflictions and vnsetled state of the Church the Gospell reestblished with mature and graue aduice and confirmed by her many victories and long and prosperous raigne continued since by her glorious successour King Iames maintained by the authority of his royall pen the faiths vndoubted defender the Churches patron and the true Cleargies friend with no lesse zeale and constancie by Charles our gracious soueraigne now raigning heire of his Fathers Crowne and Prinâ—ly vertues The Religion then here publiquely allowed is the Reformed or Protestant whose briefe summe is set downe in the 39 Articles agreed vpon in a Convocation holden at London in the yeare 1562 and confirmed by the Cleargie of both Provinces The supreame head hereof is the prince by a common right and prerogatiue of Kings and by decree of Parliament enacted in the yeare 1534 26 of the raign of King Henry the eight The Cleargie are Arch-bishops Bishops and inferiour ranks all Regulars or Monks excluded The Arch-bishops or Metropolitane seas follow Canterbury whose Diocesse with that of Rochester is Kent and whose Province in a manner is the whole South-part of England on this side Trent and Humber begunne about the yeare 596 by Ethelbert the first Christian King of the Kentish Saxons in the person of Saint Austine the first Apostle of the English The Bishops hereof are named Primates and Metropolitans of all England by order of Convocation in the yeare 1534. Formerly during the Romish Hierarchy they assumed the title of Legats of the Popes and Primates of all Britaine Yorke whose Diocesse is Nottinghamshire and Yorkeshire and Province the part of England vpon the North of Humber Dee and Trent founded about the yeare 652 by Edwin King of Northumberland in the person of Paulinus Chaplaine to his Queene Ethelburga and the Apostle of these Northerne parts of the English The Bishopricks may thus be ranked vnder their seas Metropolitane vnder Canterbury London whose Diocesse is Essex Middlesex and part of Hartfordshire founded about the yeare 606 by Sebert and Ethelbert Kings of the East and Kentish Saxons in the person of Mellâ—â—us the Apostle of the East-Saxons and continued after a long apostacy by Sigebert the second Christian king hereof in the person of S. Cedde the second Apostle and Bishop brother to Saint Ceadda for thus are the names distinguished the Apostle and Bishop of Lichfield and the Mercians The Bishops hereof are otherwise in Beda named of the East-Saxons The extent of their iurisdiction hath not any thing beene altered since the time of their institution Winchester founded by Kenwald king of the VVest-Saxons in the person of VVina a Frenchman taken out of the large Diocesse of Dorcester by Oxford in the time of Agilbert the second Bishop of that sea founded by King Kingills father to Kenwald in the person of Berinus an Italian the Apostle of the West-Saxons Agilbert forsaking England discontented with this division and the promotion of VVina the voyde Bishopricke of Dorcester became vnited to VVina to the sea hereof By king Ina the South-Saxons are likewise herevnto added vpon his conquest of that Countrey The great Bishoprick of VVinchester contained then by this meanes both kingdomes of the South and West-Saxons By Ina about the yeare 704 the Bishopricke of Sherborne is taken out Not long after in the yeare 711 the Bishopricke of Selsey for the South-Saxons The Diocesse after so many loppings comprehendeth now the countries onely of Surrey and Hantshire with the Iles of VVight Iersay Garnsay and Alderney In the yeare 733 Dorcester was againe made a Bishops see but for the Province of the Mercians takeÌ„ out of the Diocesse of Lichfield Out of Sherborne by Edward surnamed the Elder were devided the Bishoprickes of VVells for Sommersetshire of Ramesbury for Wiltshire and of Kirton and Bodman for Devonshire and Cornwall Of these Ramesbury became vnited againe with Sherborne in bishop Herman and the raigne of Edward the Confessour Bodman during the Danish warres was translated to S. Germans and lastly vnited with Kirton by the authority of king Canutus Of Kirton and VVells hereafter The Bishops of Winchester were otherwise in Beda named of the West-Saxons Lincolne begunne at Dorcester by Oxford in the yeares aforesaid brought hither by Bishop Remigius in the raigne of the Conquerâ—ur according to the order of a Synod at London that the Sees of bishops in obscure and decayed townes should be remoued to the chiefe citties of each Diocesse It conteined then the middle of England betwixt the riuer of Thames and Humber By king Henry the first the bishoppricke of Elie is taken out By Henry the eight those of Oxford and Peterborough It extendeth yet over Lincolneshire Leicestershire Huntingdonshire Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire with part of Hartfordshire the largest of all the English bishopricks Sarisburie begunne at Sherborne by Ina king of the West-Saxons in the person of Adelmus about the yeare 704 and remoued hither by bishop Hâ—man in the raigne of the Conquerour It conteineth now VViltshire and Barkshire Excester begunne at Kirton in Devonshire in the person of Adulfus by Edward surnamed the Elder Monarch of the English and remoued hither vnder bishop Leofricus in the raigne of Edward the Confessour VVells tooke out of the Diocesse of Sherborne and founded in the person of Athelmus by Edward the Elder Monarch of the English-Saxons By Iohn de Villula vnder king VVilliam Rufus the See was remoued to Bath Vnder bishop Robert in the raigne of king Stephen the two Churches of Bath and VVells after much contention are agreed and the Bishoppes are to assume the title of both places continuing euer since The Diocesse hereof is onely Somersetshire Chichester begun in Selsey by Edilwalch the first Christian king of the South-saxons in the person of S. VVilfride the exiled bishop of Yorke or of Northumberland the Apostle hereof after VVilfride and the conquest of the country by the West-Saxons vnited to Winchester about the yeare 711 in bishop Edbrith devided againe from Winchester and restored to Selsey and lastly from Selsey remoued hither the chiefe towne of the Diocesse by bishop Stigand in the time of William the Conquerour It conteineth onely Sussex Elye tooke of Lincolne and conteyning only Cambridgeshire founded by king Henry the first in the person of Harvaeus sometime Bishop of Bangor in Wales Norwich begun at Dunwich about the yeare 630 by Sigebert king of the East-Angles in the person of Faelix a Burgundian vnder Bisus the fourth bishop diuided into two Bishopricks of Dunwich and North-Elmham in the yeare 955 after a long vacancy during the Danish tyranny and vsurpation in the person of Athulfus restored and vnited in one bishoppricke of North-Elmham by Edwy king of the English-Saxons by bishop Herfast remoued from North-Elmham
gouernment and withdrawing their service and ayde too eager revengers of his childish and weake raigne Henry the sixt irrecoverably France through the faction of the house of Yorke abusing the people with pretenses for their private ends and lastly challenging the Kingdome and turning our conquering swords into our owne bosomes The Land is divided into Shires Hundreds which are the divisions of Shires and are in some places otherwise called Weapontakes and Lathes and Tithings the divisions of Hundreds King Alfred was the Author of these divisions as likewise of the name and office of the Vice-Comites or Sheriffs ordained for the more peaceable gouernment of the Countrey and the more easie restraint of theeues and robbers much encreasing then through the occasion of the Danish warres The word Shire signifieth with the auncient Saxons a part or division as doth the word Share with the present English What number hereof were first instituted by Alfred we finde not Malmesburiensis accompteth 32 of them in the raigne of Etheldred Monarch of the English-Saxons succeeding not long after Kent Essex Middlesex Surrey Sussex Hantshire Dorsetshire Wiltshire Somersetshire Devonshire Cornwall Hartfordshire Oxfordshire Buckinghamshire Barkeshire Glocestershire Suffolke Norfolke Northamptonshire Huntingdonshire Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire Warwickshire Leicestershire Staffordshire Worcestershire Shropshire Herefordshire Lincolneshire Nottinghamshire Darbyshire and Cheshire Doomesday Booke addeth Yorkeshire in the raigne of William the Conquerour Afterwards were added Lancashire and the Bishoprick of Durham most probably sometimes parts of Yorkeshire and Cumberland Westmoreland and Northumberland beyond the Tine the part now onely retaining the name of the ancient Kingdome thus called after their revnion to the English Crowne formerly possessed by the Scots The last were the 13 Welsh Shires added by Edward the first and Henry the eight Their whole number are at this present 52 in both Countreyes of England and Wales 1 Surrey Kent Sussex Hantshire Barkeshire Wiltshire Somersetshire Dorsetshire Devonshire and Cornewall lying vpon the South of the riuer Thames along the shore of the English Channel 2 Glocestershire Oxfordshire Buckinghamshire Middlesex Essex Hartfordshire Norfolke Suffolke Cambridgeshire Huntingdonshire Bedfordshire Northamptonshire Rutlandshire Warwickeshire Worcestershire Herefordshire Shropshire Cheshire Staffordshire Darbyshire Nottinghamshire Lei-cestershire and Lincolneshire containing the middle part of the Kingdome and included within the riuers Thames Trent Merseye Dee and Wye Humber Offaes Ditch and the German Ocean 3 Yorkeshire the Bishopricke of Durham Northumberland Cumberland Westmoreland and Lancashire the parts vpon the North of Humber Trent and Mersey 4. and Monmouthshire Glamorganshire Radnorshire Brecknockeshire Cardiganshire Caermarthenshire Penbrokshire Montgomeryshire Merionethshire Denbighshire Flintshire Caernarvonshire and the I le of Anglesey containing Wales or the westerne parts within the Dee VVye and the sea of Severne Their descriptions follow after that I haue first related the auncient estate of the Country with the many chaunges and successions of people and Kingdomes in their turnes comming vpon the stage hereof and occasioning the present names state and divisions THE SECOND BOOKE COntayning the Description of the more great and famous Mountaines and Rivers of Great Britaine The more noted Creekes and Promontories Their ancient and present names The Etymologyes and names of Britaine and Albion The ancient limits and extent of Britaine The first Inhabitants The conquest of the more Southerne part by the Romans The estate and description of Britaine during the Roman government out of Tacitus Dion Ptolemye Antoninus and the Authour of the Notitia with others The period and conclusion of the Roman Empire in Britaine The estate and kingdome of the Britons after the departure of the Romans The estate hereof after Cadwallader and the conclusion of the Brittish Monarchie The originall and history of the Cornish VVesh and Britons of Cumberland Their Conquests by the Saxons and Normans and vnion into the kingdome and name of England The history of the Scots and Picts The Conquest of the Picts by the Scots and Vnion of the Northerne part of the Iland into the name and kingdome of Scotland The invasion of the Germans or Dutch The Iutes Saxons and English The Saxon or English Heptarchye The originall and fortunes of the kingdomes of Kent the South-Saxons VVest-Saxons East-Saxons East-Angles Mercia and Northumberland The vnion of the rest into the Monarchie of the VVest-Saxons The originall of the name and kingdome of England The kingdome of England 1 vnder the VVest-Saxons 2 vnder the Danes 3 and vnder the Normans The vnion of the blood and rights of the Saxons or English Scots and Normans and of the whole Great Britaine vnder one Prince in Iames our late Soveraigne of happie memorye The present estate of the Iland occasioned through so manie mutations The kingdomes of England and Scotland The names and Etymologie of the Shires of England THE MOVNTAINES OF GREAT BRITAINE THE bounders or land-markes whereof I shall haue occasion to make vse in the discourse following are the Mountaines and Riuers hereof with the more noted Promontories and Creekes of the Ocean whereinto the Rivers are disburdened The onely Mountaine noted by ancient authours was Grampius Mons mentioned by Tacitus containing now Braid-Albin with other hilly regions beyond the Frith of Dunbriton in Scotland The woods sometimes covering this Mountainous tract were named Saltus Caledonius by Lucius Florus and Sylva Caledonia by Pliny inaccessable thorough their intricate and darke thickets bogs lakes and marishes safe shelters of the Northerne Britons invaded by Iulius Agricola the Emperour Severus and the Romans In the part subject to the Crowne of England rise the Mountaines of Wales taking vp the Westerne devision of the kingdome betwixt the Irish Ocean the Sea of Severne and the Riuers Wye and d ee strong fastnesses of the warlike Silures and Ordovices with great obstinacy for a long time resisting the Roman yoake and not fully subdued vntill Iulius Agricola and the raigne of the Emperour Domitian and afterwards the Rendez-vous of the distressed Britons shunning the rage of the Saxons or English Beyond the riuer Trent beginneth another long Mountainous ridge which continued through the North of Staffordshire then by the West of Darbye-shire afterwards betwixt Yorkeshire and Lancashire lastly by Cumberland Westmoreland and Northumberland doth end at Cheviot or the Scottish borders This is not known by any one name ancient or moderne In Staffordshire it is named Moreland in Darbieshire the Peake betwixt Lancashire and Yorkeshire Blackestone-edge Pendle Craven betwixt Richmondshire and Westmoreland Stane-more in Cumberland Copland and at the borders of Scotland Cheviot The other hills of the South Blackamore Yorkes-would the Chilterne Cots-wold Malvern those of Sussex Devonshire and Cornwall with others are rather to be accompted Downs then Mountaines Those many of Scotland seeme all branches of the Grampius THE RIVERS CREEKES AND PROMONTORIES THe Rivers issue from the Mountaines and hils The more great and famous are the Thames Severne Trent Yeure or
valour and many and great victories against the English vnpartiall graue authors haue willingly acknowledged Constantine sonne to Cador Duke of Cornwall by the appointment of King Arthur whose kinsman he was succeeding in the yeare 542. He was slaine in battaile after Fabian by Aurelius Conanus Aurelius Conanus Nephew to Constantine succeeding in the yeare 545. Vortoporius after Fabian sonne to Aurelius Conanus in the yeare 581. These foure last Princes seeme otherwise out of Gildas who liued about those times to haue ruled together and not successiuely one after another since spoken vnto and personally reprehended by him in his invectiue Epistle de excidio Britanniae Wee adde that Gildas in the same place expressely mentioneth diuerse Kings of the Britons and nameth Vortoporius the tyrant of Dimetia containing a part onely of the present Wales In the raigne of Malgo and yeare 585 after my authour or according to others in the yeare 582 vnder their king Creodda or Crida begun the kingdome of the Mercians the last and greatest of the seauen kingdomes of the Saxons the victorious English by this time ouer-spreading the whole East and Southerne part of the Iland and the Britons confined within a narrow compasse along the Irish or Westerne Ocean much weakned doubtlesse since the decease of king Arthur through the euill and licentious gouernment of the Princes here mentioned called tyrants by Gildas vehemently taxed by him for their cruelty injustice lust and other sinnes and impieties Caretius or Caereticus after others king of the Britons succeeding in the yeare 586. Set vpon after my Authour by the joint Armes of the Saxon Princes he was forced out of the plaine Country beyond the riuer Severne amongst the Welsh mountaines Since this time the Severne was the furthest bounds Eastwards of the Brittish Dominions The Author of the Welsh History maketh mention of one Gurmund an arch-pirate and Captaine of the Norvegians assisting the Saxons in this their war against Caereticus Geffrey of Munmouth more absurdly would haue this Gurmund to haue beene a king of Afrique Neither people or names were at that time extant Cadwan succeeding according to Fabian after many yeares civill dissention in the yeare 613. Cadwallin succeeding in the yeare 633. By Beda he is named Cedwallo by Malmesouriensis Cedwalla Cadwallader sonne to Cadwallin succeeding in the yeare 676. Moued with a superstitious zeale he went vnto Rome to receiue the habit of Religion where shortly after he died in the yeare 689 and Papacy of Sergius Bishop of that sea the last king of the Britons The like voyage during the Papacy of Sergius and agreeing in euery circumstance with this of Cadwallader Venerable Bede to whom more credit is to be giuen relateth of Ceadwalla king of the West-Saxons With no better certainly the Scholiast of the Welsh history attributeth this pilgrimage vnto Edwal son to Cadwallader The relations of the Brittish affaires since the Romans are very vncertaine and many times fabulous through the impudent liberty of Geffrey of Monmouth followed by the vulgar Historians and the ordinary vanity of other their Writers more zealous to maintaine and encrease the honour of their Nation then carefull to preserue the truth After this sort the kingdome of the Britons begun by Vertigern being extinguished and the weake remainders hereof shut vp within the mountaines of the West the Iland became divided amongst many different and for the most part stranger names and inhabitants the Britons Picts Scots Saxons Iutes and English whose fortunes we are in the next place to relate The Britons scattered and divided asunder by the interveening of the Saxons became after this better knowne by the names of the Cornish Welsh and Cumbri or Britons of Cumberland of whom severally THE CORNISH BRITONS THey were named Cornwealer by the auncient Saxons by the Latin authors from hence Cornwalli and their country Cornwallia by later writers Cornubia Malmeshuriensis would haue them thus called from their situation to Cornu-Galliae or Cournovaille in France The more judicious fetch their name frō the word Corn which in the British language as almost in the Latin signifieth a horne or wedge in regard of such a resemblance of their country inhabiting a long narrow promontory from the word Walsh signifying strange or forrein with the Saxons as they accounted all the Britons VVhen this name begun we finde not as neither what was the forme of their gouernement The British authours make mention of Dukes of Cornwall before Cadwallader but of whose truth we much doubt Vpon the conquest of the country where now is Somersetshire by the VVest-Saxon kings they became severed from the rest of the Britons divided afterwards from the Welsh by the Sea of Severne They contained the present Cornwall the whole or part of Devonshire or the country of the Danmonij of Ptolemy By great Egbert the first Monarch of the English in the yeare 809 after Matthew of Westminster they were subdued and made a Province of the Saxon Empire euer since continuing English although to this day in part retaining the British language By King Athelstan succeeding about the yeare 924 at that time extending Eastward as farre as Excester which Citty then they inhabited together with the English they were after Malmesburiensis remoued more VVestward confined within the river Tamar the moderne bounds of Cornwall from Devonshire and the rest of England THE BRITONS OF CVMBERLAND THE word Cumberland signifieth the country of the Kimbri or Cymbry by which appellation the auncient Britons as now are the Welshmen were called in their natiue language By the taking in of Caer-Legion or Chester the neighbouring Regions by the Northumbrian and Mercian Saxons they were excluded from the vnion commerce of the other Britons They contained then the parts where now lye Cumberland Westmorland and Fournesse Fells in Lancashire with part of Scotland beyond Solway Frith secured by their mountaines and wastes wherewith those countryes are on all sides environed Afterwards notwithstanding wee finde them subject to the Saxon kings of Northumberland About the yeare 685 and in the raigne of king Allfrid they shooke off the yoake hereof for of those onely can we interpret the Britons mentioned by Beda assuming liberty after the decease of Ecgfrid his predecessour ouerthrowne and slaine in a great battaile by the Picts VVe doe not reade notwithstanding of the name of Cumbri or Cumbria vntill the Monarchie of the West Saxons and the great warres hereof with the Danes In the Scottish Histories about the yeare 875 we heare of one Constantine king of the Britons of Cumbria invading the Scottish Dominions and slaine in fight by Gregorius king of that Nation succeeded vnto by his brother Hebert More distinctly in Malmesburiensis we finde mention of Eugenius king of the Cumbri made subject to great Atheistan Monarch of the English Vnder Dummailus their last king in the yeare 946 after Matthew of Westminster they were at
length totally subdued by Edmund Monarch of the Saxons aided by Lewelin king of Dimetia or Southwales and giuen by Edmund vnto Malcolme king of the Scots to be held vnder the sief of the kings of England with condition to defend the Northerne frontire of the English against the Danes and forraine invaders After this time Cumberland and Westmoreland or the countrey hereof for aboue the space of one hundred yeares were possessed by the Scottish Nation whose Praefects as the Scottish writers tearme them or immediate Princes were the eldest sons or next Heires of Scotland By king William surnamed the Conquerour they were taken from the Scots and with the rest of England subjected to the Normans King Stephen ingaged in a dangerous war against Maâ—de the Empresse restored Cumberland to the Scots to be held with the old conditions recouered againe not long after by king Henry the second his successour disliking this liberalitie of Stephen and so great a diminution of his kingdome and incorporated with the Crown of England in which vnion the country hath euer since continued the name language and accompt of the Britons thorough their English and Scottish subjection being long since here worne out and extinguished THE VVELSH BRITONS THese in their natiue language call themselues Câ—mro Cymero and Cymbri as their Latihe Authours Cambri and their countrey Cambria which they would haue to be deriued from Camber one of the sonnes of Brutus their progenitour vnto whose share this part of the Iland should fall in the devision hereof with his brethren a fable begunne by Geffrey or Monmouth and yet maintained by all their Historians Commentatours men otherwise learned and skilfull in antiquities but over zealous to preferre the glory of this their Troian descent The name as before we haue shewed was common to the Britons of Cumberland and to the rest of the nation the words Britons Britaine not being British originally but imposed by the Greekes and forreiners The Etymologie hereof we cannot conjecture vnlesse from Gomar the sonne of Iapheth first peopling these VVesterne parts of Europe and from whom after Iosephus and Zonaras the Gaules were aunciently called Gomarenses and Gomares of which nation the first Britons were a colonie Their name of Welsh or Walsh was Dutch and of a later imposition signifying strangers with the Saxons in which accompt the English still held the Britons They were a more great strong remainder of the vanquished Britons vnder their King Careticus before mentioned driuen ouer the Severne by the victorious Saxons and sheltering themselues amongst the Silures Ordovices and the Mountaines of the VVest The name notwithstanding of the Welsh we finde not vntill afterwards and the yeare 708 at what time we first read in Henry of Huntington of one Gerent King of the Welshmen ouercome in so attaile by Ina the VVest-Saxon some 19 yeares after the decease of Cadwallader and end of the British kingdome The more auncient bounds hereof were vpon the South the sea of Severne by which they were diuided from the Cornish Britons vpon the West the Irish Ocean and vpon the North East the rivers Dee Severne from the Mercian Saxons By the raigne of Offa King of the Mercians succeeding in the yeare 758 all the plaine Country beyond the Severne where now is Herefordshire with parts of Glocestershire Shropshire and Worcestershire being subdued and taken in by the Saxons of Mercia they were wholy shut vp within their Mountaines for their better distinction enclosed by Offa and severed from his English with a wide and deep ditch continued from Basingwerk vpon the Dee betwixt Chester Ruthland in Flintshire along the hills vnto the mouth of the river Wye neere Bristoll whose tract in many places is yet seene and named Claudh Offa in their language or Offa's ditch afterwards the common bound of both nations Others notwithstanding as a more known limit make the river Wye to be the bounds of both Their government after Cadwallader was vnder diverse Lords whom their Histories call Kings Amogst these their Chronicle maketh mention of Edwall Roderique and Conan Tindaethwy descended from Cadwallader and following in a direct line the progenitours of the succeeding Princes Afterwards Roderique surnamed the Great grandchild by his mother vnto Conan Tindaethwy attained to a Monarchy of the whole Wales which about the yeare 870 he deuided into three parts or provinces which limited and distinguished with their meeres he left vnto his three sons with the authority name of Kings Guinedh or Northwales bounded with the Dee the Ocean the riuer Dovi the part of Anarawd his eldest sonne Deheubarth or South-wales lying beyond the riuer Dovi Powys extended vpon the East toward England the portions of Codelh and Mervin his two yonger sonnes These likewise subdeviding their estates amongst their numerous issue as did continually their successours after them for such was then the bad custome of the Welsh the countrey againe became shared amongst many petty Lords each sonne hauing a part of his fathers inheritance whereof some notwithstanding the eldest sonne most commonly or who otherwise overtopped the rest in power or favour with the people still bore the titles of their generall divisions knowne in their histories by the names of Kings of North and South-Wales and Lords of Powys continuing those stiles vntill towards their subiection to the English Amongst these likewise one was still accompted soveraigne or chiefe Lord to whom the rest were to pay tribute and to doe seruice which honour by the order of Roderique the great and of Howell Dha their lawgiuer was due vnto the succession of Anarawd before mentioned the Kings of Northwales the first borne or chiefe of the house of Cadwallader These their soueraigne lords are named kings in the Welsh historie vnto Owen surnamed Guyneth succeeding about the yeare 1137 who first is called Prince which title is continued vntill the time of Edward the first King of England to Lâ—evelyn their last prince taken vp since by the heires of the house of England By Egbert the great Saxon Monarch the nation is first made subject to the tribute and homage of the English ruled neuerthelesse after their owne lawes and free from forreine yoake vntill the Kings of England of the Norman race By Bernard de Neumarck a Norman gentleman assisted by the Aubryes and other of the French English nobility in the raigne of William Rufus king of England Brechiniauc now Brecknockshire after a long and hard warre is wrested herefrom and annexed to the English Empire By Robert Fitz-hamon in the same raigne Morganwc now Glomorganshire By Arnulph of Mountgomerie and Girald of Winsore his successour in the warre in the raigne of King Henry the first the Country of Dyvet now Pembrokeshire at what time a colonie of the Flemmings whose countrie had beene drowned by the Ocean by the permission hereof were planted in Ros a part of Dyvet continuing
here euer since their succession and English language and occasioning the name of little England beyond Wales By the Earles of Chester Warren and Mortimer with others about the same times the parts of Flint Denbigh together with Caeretica and the land of Gwent now Cardigan Monmouthshire are likewise taken in and subdued The valour or fortune of King Edward the first put an end to this languishing estate of the Welsh after some yeares warre vanquishing and killing Lhewelyn ap Gruffith their last prince and annexing the whole Wales to the English subiecting the people to his English lawes King Henry the eight of later yeares descended from the Welsh by the fathers side incorporated the country with the kingdome of England investing the Welsh with all the rights and priviledges of his English subjects in which ranke and vnion they now remaine The princes hereof from more certaine cleare times follow with that truth which their Histories will afford Roderique surnamed the Great Monarch of the Welsh sonne to Meruyn Vrych a nobleman of Wales Esylht daughter to Conan Tindaethwy son to Roderique Molwynoc son to Edwal son to Cadwallader the last king of the Britons Parting Wales into the divisions before mentioned he allotted Guynedh or Northwales vnto Anarawde his eldest son and vnto Cadelh Mervyn Deheubarth or Southwales Powys with condition that the two younger brethren their successours should be leigemen acknowledge the soveraignety of Anarawd the kings of Northwales confirmed afterwards by the lawes of Howel Dha He deceased in the yeare 876 slaine by the English Anarawd prince of Guynedh or Northwales soveraigne or chiefe King of the VVelsh eldest son to Roderique the Great The order of the kings of Southwales Lords of Powys for thus were they called and of the many inferiour Lords or Princes in each devision for as before euery son after the custome of the present Germans had a share of his fathers possessions I haue omitted in regard of their number Edwal Voel prince of Guynedh chiefe King of VVales sonne to Anarawd succeeding about the yeare 913. In the raigne hereof Athelstan King of England forced a tribute vpon the Welsh of 20 pounds of gold and 300 of silver with 200 head of cattaile remitted afterwards by King Edgar for a tribute of wolues Howel Dha Prince of Deheubarth or Southwales Powys soveraigne King of VVales succeeding in the yeare 940 descended from Cadelh brother to Anarawd the sonnes of Edwal Voel the right heires excluded Hee made lawes for the VVelsh obserued by the nation vntill their subjection to the English Iames and Ievaf sonnes to King Edwal Voel joynt princes of Guynedh and chiefe Kings of VVales succeeding after the decease of Howel Dha Owen with other the sonnes of Howel Lords of Southwales and Powys contending with them for the soueraignety being overthrowne by them in battaile and their elder brother Meyric omitted as vnfit for government Vnto these princes Edgar the King of England forgaue the tribute of money imposed by Athelstan exchanged for a certaine number of wolues constantly brought in by the VVelsh after my Authour vntill they were all destroyed The relation I leaue to the censure of the reader These afterwards falling out Ievaf is taken prisoner and Iames remaineth sole king overcome not long after and chased out by Howel sonne to Ievaf Howel Prince of Guynedh chiefe King of Wales sonne to Ievaf succeeding about the yeare 973 his father freed by him and set at liberty but not restored to the soveraignty He was slaine fighting against the English without any male issue Cadwalhon Prince of Guynedh soveraigne King of Wales son to Ievaf and brother to Howel succeeding about the yeare 984. He was slaine in battaile with Meiryc his brother by Meredith son to Owen king of Southwales Meredith Prince of Guynedh and chiefe king of Wales having slaine Cadwalhon Meyric son to Owen king of Deheubarth or South-wales After the decease of his father he likewise got seized of Southwales He afterwards lost Guynedh or Northwales vnto Edwal son to Meyric the eldest son of Edwal Voel the right heire in his absence set vp by the inhabitants Edwal prince of Guynedh chiefe King of Wales son to Meyric eldest son to Edwal Voel succeeding in the yeare 992. He was slaine in fight by the Danes leaving behind him a young son named Iames. In the yeare 998 died also Meredith aforesaid King of Southwales leaving one onely daughter named Angharat marryed to Llewelin ap Sitsylht By meanes hereof for want of heires or fit to goyerne Conan ap Howel Aedan ap Blegored contended for the gouernment when comming to battail Conan is slaine and Aedan vsurpeth the kingdome Aedan ap Blegored prince of Guynedh and soveraigne king of Wales succeeding in the yeare 1003. He was slaine with his foure sons in the yeare 1015 by Llewelin ap Sitsylht husband to Angharad Llewelin ap Sitsylht descended from king Anarawd and Angharad his wife daughter to Meredith king of Southwales after the decease of Aedan the vsurper soveraigne kings of Wales Hee was slaine in the yeare 1021 by Howel Meredith sons to Edwin son to Eneon brother to king Meredith leauing a son named Gruffith ap Llewelin After the death of Llewelin ap Sitsylht Iames son to King Edwal tooke vpon him the gouernment of Northwales as right heire Iames the second prince of Guynedh chiefe king of Wales son to king Edwal He was ouerthrowne slaine in the yeare 1037 by Gruffith son to Llewelin Angharad Gruffith prince of Guynedh chiefe king of Wales son to Llewelin ap Sitsylht Angharad He also subdued Southwales slaine by treason Blethyn Rywalhon sons to Angharad aforesaid Conwyn ap Gueristan her second husband princes of Guynedh and chiefe kings of Wales after the decease of king Gruffith Rywalhon being slaine in the yeare 1068 in a battaile fought betwixt these Meredith and Idel sonnes to king Gruffith Blethyn by this meanes remaineth sole King of Northwales He was slaine in the yeare 1073 by the treason of Rees ap Owen ap Edwyn Trahern ap Caradoc prince of Guynedh or Northwales and chiefe king of Wales cosen german to king Blethyn Hee was slaine in battaile by Gruffith son to Conan son to king Iames the second Gruffith ap Conan prince of Northwales chiefe king of Wales In the yeare 1079 after my Authour and the raignes of Gruffith ap Conan Rhees ap Theodor king of Southwales William the Conquerour king of England tooke the homages of the Welsh princes Not long after vnder William Rufus by the good leaue hereof Morganwc Brechiniauc and the Countrie where now is Cardiganshire parts of Deheubarth or Southwales with some part of Northwales neighbouring vnto Chester are subdued by Robert Fitzhamon Bernard de Neumarck other valiant Norman adventurers and added to the English government In regard hereof Matthew Paris maketh William Rufus the
Conquerour of Wales Gruffith ap Conan in a full age deceased about the yeare 1137 the last whom the Welsh history nameth king of Wales THE PRINCIPALITIE OF VVALES Owen Guyneth prince of Guynedh and Wales eldest son to king Gruffith ap Conan succeeding about the yeare 1137. At this time Rhees ap Gruffith descended from Howel Dha was chiefe Lord of Southwales named King by the English by the Welsh the Lord Rhees David prince of Guynedh and Wales younger son to Owen surnamed Guyneth succeeding in the yeare 1169 his elder brother Iorwerth in regard of some deformity excluded Hee was deposed in the yeare 1194 by Llewelin the son of Iorwerth Llewelin prince of Guynedh and Wales son to Iorwerth eldest son to Owen Guyneth He tooke the oathes and acknowledgements of the many inferiour Welsh princes which duety for some yeares had beene omitted through their civill dissentions and other defects David prince of Guynedh Wales succeeding in the yeare 1240 son to Lhewelin ap Iorwerth He did homage at Glocester for the principality of Wales to Henry the third King of England He deceased without issue Lhewelin prince of Guynedh Wales son to Gruffith son to prince Lhewelyn ap Iorwerth the last prince of VVales of the British of-spring and race of Cadwallader By this time through the daily encroachings of the English in a manner the part onely of Guynedh or Northwales contayning now Merionith and Caernarvonshire with Anglesey were left vnto the Welsh princes better defended by their inaccessable mountaines bogs Refusing or rather deferring the accustomed homage due from the Welsh he was pursued with hot war by king Edward the first and forced to a composition amongst other hard conditions concluding after his decease a surrendry to the English of the principality of Wales and the parts he now enjoyed Not long after as it seemeth repenting himselfe of his act and the more incensed through the instigation of his brother David excluded from all hope of succession by this agreement pretending the English tyranny iniustice he againe fatally tooke armes the successe whereof was his owne death hapning shortly after slaine in the prosecution of the warre nere the towne of Buelth as the Welshmen say betraied the execution of David his brother by the hand of iustice the finall abolition of the Welsh government and the conquest of the whole country by the English The Welsh line extinguished the king of England invested with this title and honour their eldest sons or who were next to succeede them in the English Monarchy Their order and names we haue inserted vnto our times Edward of Caernarvon son to Edward the first prince of Wales and afterwards king of England by the name of Edward the second Edward of VVinsore sonne of Edward the second king of England by the name of Edward the third Edward surnamed the blacke prince eldest son to Edward the third Richard of Bourdeaux son to Edward the blacke prince king of England by the name of Richard the second Henry of Monmouth son to Henry the fourth king of England by the name of Henry the fift His sonne Henry the sixt is not accompted amongst the princes of Wales his father deceasing onely some few moneths after his birth Edward son to Henry the sixt slaine by the faction of Yorke after the battaill at Tewkesbury Edward sonne to Edward the fourth king of England by the name of Edward the fift Edward son to Richard the third Arthur eldest son to Henry the seventh Henry younger sonne to Henry the seventh king of England by the name of Henry the eight Edward son to Henry the eight king of England by the name of Edward the sixt Henry eldest son to Iames king of great Britaine of happy memorie Charles son to King Iames and brother to prince Henry now King of great Britaine whom God long preserue THE PICT'S THe name hereof signifyeth painted in the Latine tongue which was first giuen vnto them by the Romans in regard of their paintings That the Picts were accustomed to paint themselues the authorities of Claudian and Isidore make manifest Pompoinus Laetus Buchanan and others would haue them to haue beene a Colonie of the opposite and neighbouring Germans But which nation wee reade not in Tacitus or in any classique authour ever to haue beene painted Beda of much better authority fetcheth their pedegree further of from the Scythians who should arriue in the Northerne parts of the Iland in the yeare 78 after Christ yet which he doth not constantly affirme but delivereth onely as receiued by tradition The errour hereof and of the like forreine derivations the generall consent of auncient Geographers and Historians doth plainely evince placing here the Caledonii and other names of the Britons but not mentioning the Picts vntill two hundred yeares afterwards The most probable assertion is that they were no other then the natiue Britons inhabiting the wilde parts of Caledonia who after Herodian vsing to paint their bodies with sundry shapes of birds and beasts and going naked to haue their braverie seene became at length thus named by the Romans from such their straunge habit and for their better distinction from the civill Britons of the Province wearing cloathes and attired after the Roman manner Some reasons inducing herevnto might be their like fashions and manner of liuing with the more auncient Britons and the many British words yet left in the townes and parts of Scotland which they sometimes inhabited arguing as the same language so the same nation of both We adde the great silence of the Romans who neighbouring close vnto them and possessing the Southerne part of the Iland long before their supposed arrivall by Beda yet make no mention of their descent hither from forreine parts We adde likewise the testimony of Eumenius in his Panegyrique vnto the Emperour Constantine the Great who maketh the Caledonij to be a part of the Picts intimating hereby as the Picts to be Britons for such were the Caledonij so this not so much then to haue beene the name of a people as some agnomination or by-name given to all the wild barbarous Britons in regard of their disfiguring or painting They are first mentioned by Eumenius in his Panegyrique aforsaid liuing in the time of Constantine the great The part of Britaine they then possessed was the whole Northerne part hereof not yet conquered or brought into a Province by the Romans for by this name all the barbarous Britons begun now to bee called neither were the Irish Scots at this time arriued had setled here their habitation The Westerne part of Caledonia being overwhelmed by a deluge of the Scots which hapned about the raigne of the Emperour Honorius they withdrew wholy into the Easterne part hereof bordering vpon the German Ocean bounding vpon the South with the Bodotria now Edenborough Frith for thus farre Northwards extended the Roman or civill Britons as did afterward the Saxons
eldest daughter to Edward surnamed the Outlaw eldest son to Edmund Ironside King of England by which meanes the right of the house of the Saxons Edgar Atheling the only son of Edward deceasing vnmarried and without issue descended vpon the Kings of Scotland the posterity hereof and Margaret continued herein vnto our times and the vnion of the two kingdomes in Iames our late Soveraigne of happy memory He first as is thought brought into Scotland the titles of Earles Barons with others borrowed from the neighbouring English with whom vnder Edward the Confessour during the vsurpation of Macbeth he had for a long time remained He was slaine at the taking of Anwick Castle in Northumberland after some yeares warre maintained against William the Conquerour and the Normans occasioned through his protection and ayde of the banished English Donaldus the fourth son to Duncanus yonger brother to Milcolumbus the third vsurping the kingdome by the aide of Magnus king of Norwey He was driven out by Duncanus naturall son to Milcolumbus the third Duncanus the second naturall son to Milcolumbus the third slaine by the treason of Macpendirus Earle of Merne corrupted by Donaldus the fourth liuing then exiled amongst the Westerne Ilands He thus murthered Donardus the fourth resumed the kingdome vanquished and taken prisoner not long after by Edgar the right heire son to Milcolumbus the third and Margaret ayded by his vncle Edgar and the English Edgar son to Milcolumbus the third and Margaret daughter to Edward surnamed the Outlaw His sister Maude was marryed vnto Henrie the first king of England yongest son to the Conquerour vniting hereby the royall blood of the Saxons with that of the Normans Hee deceased without issue Alexander the first son to Milcolumbus and Margaret and brother to Edgar He also deceased sans issue David the first brother to Edgar and Alexander and son to Milcolumbus and Margaret succeeding in the yeare 1124. He annexed to the Crowne of Scotland the Earledomes of Northumberland and Huntingdon acruing through his marriage with Maude daughter to Earle Waldeofus He recouered likewise Cumberland and Westmoreland from the English taken from his predecessours by William the Conquerour restored vnto him by the liberality of king Stephen Milcolumbus the fourth son to Henrie prince of Scotland son to king David Vnable to withstand the ambition and greater power hereof he quitted Northumberland Westmoreland and Cumberland vnto Henry the second king of England retaining onely the Earledome of Huntingdon of all his English possessions left for a time vnto his successours He deceased without issue vnmarried VVilliam brother to Malcolme the fourth Taken prisoner at the battaill of Anwijck to procure his libertie peace with the English he did homage and sweare fealty vnto king Henry the second for the Crowne of Scotland Alexander the second son to William Alexander the third son to Alexander the second He deceased in the yeare 1285 without heires of his body or not long surviving The whole issue hereof and of king Alexander the second and William extinguished their contended for the soveraignety Iohn Balliol Lord of Galloway son to Iohn Balliol and Dornagilla daughter to Alan Lord of Galloway and Margaret eldest daughter to David Earle of Huntingdon brother to king William great vncle to Alexander the third and Robert Bruce Lord of Annandale son to Robert Bruce and Isabell second daughter to David Earle of Huntingdon and sister to Margaret both parties challenging a chiefer right and interest before the other Balliol as descended from the elder sister and Bruce as nearer by one degree to Earle David The Scots not able to determine the controversie or without armes Edward the first king of England is chosen vmpire After 6 yeares vacancy the right is adiudged on the behalfe of Balliol by king Edward with condition of his acknowledgment and homage to the English Crowne Iohn Balliol Lord of Galloway king of Scotland by the arbitration of king Edward the first He did homage to king Edward at the towne of Newcastle vpon Tine according to the agreement made betwixt them Discontenting his subjects through this his English subjection to regaine their lost loues or after my Scottish Authours provoked with some disgrace iniuries receiued from Edward he renounced not long after his homage and fealty sworne to the English warred vpon by Edward and after some ouerthrowes vnable to withstand so valiant and great a Monarcke forced to resigne into the hands hereof the whole right and interest he had or might claime to the Crowne of Scotland imprisoned afterwards in the towre of London and set at liberty by the mediation of Pope Boniface the eight and sent ouer to his inheritance and possessions in France where in a private fortune he dyed After this king Edward the first of England made a full conquest of the Scots whō he kept vnder hard subjection during his whole raigne although not without sundry defections and rebellions of this fierce stirring nation moued by William Walleys Robert Bruce and others most commonly to their losse He deceasing through their great victorie at Banocks-bourne neare Striueling obtained against Edward the second and the English and the tumults disorders hapning in England during the raigne of this weake and vnfortunate prince the Scots againe recouer their libertie Robet Bruce formerly crowned in the raigne of Edward the first is confirmed king Robert the first son to Robert Bruce lord of Anandale competitour of the kingdome with Iohn Balliol king of Scotland by right of warre his birth and the voluntary cession of Balliol the restorer of the Scottish name and liberty after a victorious and happy raigne deceasing in the yeare 1329. David the second king of Scotland son to Robert the first In the minority hereof Edward Balliol son to Iohn Balliol invadeth and by the helpe of the English obtayneth the Scottish Crowne to be held by him vnder the homage and protection of Edward the third king of England opposed by the faction of David Balliol and his Enhlish after long miserie and war being thrust out king David recovereth his almost lost kindgome taken prisoner shortly after at the battaill of Nevills crosse neere Durham invading England in favour of his auncient friends the French distressed through the many victories of Edward the third and the English He deceased without issue in the yeare 1370 the second and last king of Scotland of the house and name of Bruce Robert the second the first of the familie name of the Stewarts descended from Walter created Stewart of Scotland by Malcolme the third which name of office grew afterwards a surname to his house and ofspring king of Scotland in right from his mother eldest daughter to Robert the first and sister to Dauid the second Since this time the name and house of Stewarts haue still worne the regall Crowne of the Scottish dominions Iohn the second called Robert after his inauguration the name of Iohn as
ominous cast off by a decree of the states vnluckie to the Scottish French and English Monarchs son to Robert the second Iames the first son to Iohn or Robert the third murthered in his bed at Perth by Walter Earle of Athol Iames the second sonne to Iames the first slaine at the siege of the Castle of Rosburg against the English Iames the third son to Iames the second slaine in battaill against his seditious and rebellious subjects neere the towne of Sterling Iames the fourth son to Iames the third He married the Lady Margaret eldest daughter to Henry the seaventh king of England He was slaine at the field of Floddon by Thomas Howard Earle of Surrey and the English Iames the fift son to Iames the fourth and Margaret daughter to king Henry the seaventh He deceased without male issue Mary daughter to Iames the fift Iames of happy memory son to Henry Stewart Lord Darly and Mary Queene of Scotland The famous and victorious Queene Elizabeth in the yeare 1602 deceasing vnmarryed the last descended from the male issue of Henry the seaventh and Elizabeth he succeeded in the English dominions descended from Lady Margaret aforesaid the right and vndoubted heire of the three princely houses of the Saxon Scottish and Norman Kings and the first sole Monarke of Great Britaine Ireland and the neighbouring Ilands Charles king of great Britaine France and Ireland son to Iames of happy memory whom God long preserue THE ENGLISH THey were a German people mentioned by Tacitus and Ptolemy contayning part of the great and populous nation of the Suevi Ptolemy placeth them in this time about the middle of that vast continent and the riuer Albis with which riuer they were bounded vpon the North having towards the West the people of the Longobards They inhabited then most probably according to his discription the parts where now lie the Bishopricke of Hall and the Higher Saxony about Wittenberg Their interpretations seeme absurd who in regard of the affinity of the names would haue them seated about Engerne in Westphalen or Angloen in Pomerania places farre distant from the river Elb or the heart of Germany Afterwards towards the waine of the Romane Empire they flitted to the German Ocean more Westwards Beda before their invasion of this Iland placed them there betwixt the Iutes lying vpon the North of them and the Saxons vpon the South Ethelwerd an auncient Authour liuing not long after Beda more distinctly maketh Sleswiick then to be their chiefe citie situated in the Cimbrian Chersonese betwixt the two nations now mentioned The name of Angelen in the present Dukedome of Schleswiick together with these authorities manifestly proue that to haue beene their country in Dutchland immediatly before their English arriuall THE IVTES THe Iutes doubtles were the Gutae of Ptolemy inhabiting the Southerne part of Scandia which he mistaketh to be an Iland and attributeth vnto Germany In the declining age of the Westerne Empire the exact time we finde not sayling ouer the Bay Codanus or the Straights of the Sundt they flitted into the neighbouring Cimbrian Chersonese subdued or made viode which is the more likely vpon the departure of the Cimbri and other Dutch people drawing more Southwards towards the Romane frontier vniting into the common names of Saxons French or Almans Beda placeth them in this Chersonese vpon the North of the English or of Sleswiick their chiefe towne Their memorie is here yet preserued in the name of Iutlandt the part of the Chersonese or of Denmarke lying vpon the North of the Dukedome of Schleswiick THE SAXONS OF this nation we haue spoken more fully in the relation of Germany They were likewise a Dutch people mentioned by Ptolemy inhabiting then the necke of the Cimbrian Chersonese now Holstein Afterwards passing the riuer Elbe and sundry other German names joyning into this common they spread Southwards as farre as the French These conquering and remouing into Gaule they enlarged vnto the right shore of the riuer Rhijn By the raigne of the Emperour Charles the great they extended along the German Ocean from the river Eydore deviding them from the Danes vnto the Rhijn from the fall of that river vpwards as high as Colen parting them from the French These three German nations since their affaire with the Britons are onely by Beda thus particularly named and distinguished By Ammianus Marcellinus Gildas and other Authours before his time the Dutch infesting Britaine are all called by one generall name of the Saxons After Beda and the more ancient English historians they are sometimes named the English by others the Saxons and English-Saxons That they were the different parts of one generall Dutch name or people it is by all agreed In the yeare 449 according to Beda if his accompt be right Valentinian the third and Theodosius the second then governing the Roman Empire after long pyracies vpon the sea-coasts hereof they first to any any purpose enter and inhabit Britaine called in by Vortigerne and the Britons to their aide against the Scots and Picts and vnder Hengist and Horsa their Captaines planted in the Iland of Thanet in Kent given vnto them by Vortigerne The Scots Picts being vanquished and overthrowne through their valour neere Stamford after Henry of Huntingdon and the weakenesse of the Ilanders discouered new supplies from Germany are sent for by Hengist with his faire daughter Rowena marryed shortly after to the lustfull prince Vortigerne bewitched with her beauty by whom for his consent and more firme friendship with the Saxons Kent is allotted to Hengist about the yeare 455 by him erected into a kingdome the first dominion of the Saxons in Britaine This forreine friendship and alliance with the daily intrusion of the Dutch growing suspected by the Britons Vortigerne deposed and Vortimer his son by a former wife elected king hot warres ensue betwixt the two nations continued with deadly hate furie for many hundred yeares betwixt them whose effect was the finall expulsion of the Britons beyond the Severne amongst the Welsh Mountaines which happened by the raigne of their King Caereticus about the yeare 586 and the conquest of the plaine and Easterne countrey by the Saxons with fresh companies continually invading the Iland vpon occasion of those warres or allured with the happy successe of those first adventurers and beginning sundry small kingdomes in the parts where they arrived or tooke vp to inhabite whereof some one notwithstanding still bore a sway over the rest whose King was accōpted soveraigne or Monarch the kingdomes of Kent the South-Saxons East-Saxons East-Angles Northumberland Mercia and of the West-Saxons whose originall continuance and fortunes vntill their vnion into the kingdome of the West-Saxons name of England come next in place THE KINGDOME OF THE KENTISH SAXONS THis contained onely Kent It was begunne by Hengist aforesaid the first Saxon Captaine that invaded Britaine vnto whom the countrey was
and rich Monasterie of S t Alban in honour of that first British Martyr a Citizen of the neighbouring Verulamium put to death here by the Emperour Dioclesian and now canonized at his cost He deceased in the yeare 796. Egfri◠son to great Offa king of Mercia and Monarch of the English deceasing within the yeare Kenwolf descended from Wibba king of Mercia and Monarch or chiefe king of the English deceasing in the yeare 819. After this prince the Mercians lost the sovernignety or chiefe rule of the English to Egbert and the West-Saxons hapning through the feeble vnripe yeares of Kenelme his next successour the quarrels and devisions hereof for the Crowne and the power of Egbert growne mighty through the accesse of the East and South-Saxons and Kentish kingdome Kenelme son to Kenwolf at the age of seaven yeares succeeding in the kingdome of Mercia murthered by his sister Quendrid ambitious of the gouernment Ceolwulf king of Mercia Vncle to Kenelme and brother to Kenwolf after one yeares troublesome raigne driuen out by his seditious subiects and thorough the treason and faction of Bernulf Bernulf King of the Mercians vsurping the kingdome against Ceolwulfe Hee contended with great Egbert for the chiefe rule or soveraignty of the English by whom he was ouercome in fight was lastly slaine against the East-Angles Ludecan King of Mercia intruding the Bernulf overcome slaine by Egbert the East-Angles Withlafe King of Mercia vsurping after Ludecan subdued afterwards made tributary substituted by Egbert Berthulf king of Mercia after Withlafe substituted by the West-Saxons He was driuen out by the bloudy all-conquering Danes Burdred appointed by Ethelwolf the West-Saxon or English Monarch After two and twenty yeares raigne wearied out with continuall warres fresh invasions of the Danes leaving England vnto fortune about the yeare 886 he tooke sanctuary in Rome where in a private state he dyed the last Prince of the long languishing Mercian kingdome after whom some few yeares revelling of the Danes the countreyes hereof by Alfred the Danes brought vnder were vnited to the English or VVest-Saxon Monarchy THE KINGDOME OF NORTHVMBERLAND IT was thus called from the more famous river or creeke of Humber vpon whose North it lay It contained the Brigantes of Ptolemy with other parts of North Britaine extended from hence vnto the Bodotria Glota of the same Authour now the Friths of Edinburgh and Dunbriton on after Malmes buriensis the present countryes of Yorkeshire Lancashire Durham Westmoreland Cumberland Northumberland Wee adde Tweedale Merch Lauden Carict Galloway with other parts of moderne Scotland vnto the Glota and Bodotria for thus farre after Malmesburiensis the Empire of the English whose North this was shortly vpon their invasion conquest extended It had vpon the South the riuers of Mersey and Humber from the kingdome of the Mercians vpon the East the German Ocean vpon the West the Irish sea and vpon the North the two Friths before mentioned parting it from the Scots and Picts It was divided into two Provinces more aunciently commaunded a part by their kings of Deira which was the part intercepted betwixt Humber and the river of Tees and Bernicia lying betwixt the Tees and Frith of Edinburgh The kingdome was occasioned by Otha and Ebusa the brother and son of Hengist shortly after the comming of the first Saxons the better to strengthen their party sent for out of Germany by Hengist and by the good leaue of Vortigern king of the Britons arriuing and planting in those Northerne parts pretending their guard against the injurious and ill neighbouring Picts and Scots whose successours the truce and amity betwixt the two Nations quickly broken in continuance of time subduing the Country thus limited and governing the same with the title of Dukes vnder the right and soveraigne commaund of the kings of Kent about the 60 and 72 yeares after the death of Hengist chaunged their stile into the name of kings of Bernicia and Deira for thus the parts hereof as before then were called vniting againe not long after into one onely kingdome and common name of Northumberland called thus in regard of the Northerne situation thereof vnto that famous river The Northumbrians after Ethelred and the yeare 794 being much distressed through their ciuill dissentions and the invasions of the Danes by the advantage hereof the Scots and Picts got seazed of the parts of Bernicia situated vpon the North of the river Tweede and Solway Frith the ordinary bounder afterward of the English and Scottish kingdomes The Britons before this inhabiting the parts where now lye Cumberland and Westmoreland with Fournesse Fels in Lancashire subiect aunciently to the Saxon kings of Northumberland about the yeare 685 revoulting from vnder the government hereof begun the kingdome of the Cumbri or Cumberland continuing after the Heptarchy of the English expired In this māner the kingdome of Northumberland stinted towards the North with the Frith of Solway and the river Tweede about the yeare 827 and some 33 years after the decease of Ethelred before mentioned ouer-charged with forreine and domestique wars submitted to the protection of great Egbert and his West-Saxons by whom it was lastly vnited to the West-Saxon or English Monarchy The princes hereof were Ida the first king of Northumberland after Mat. of Westminster elected by the victorious Dutch or English of these Northerly parts in the yeare 548 and about the 60 yeare after the death of Hengist By Floretinus Monke of Worcester he is stiled only king of Bernicia Ida deceasing the Northumbrians in the yeare 560 after Mat. of VVestminster first became divided into the two kingdomes of Deira vsurped with this title by Ella son to Duke Iffus and Bernicia the portion remaining vnto Adda son and successour vnto Ida succeeded vnto in Bernicia during the long raigne of Ella by Clappa Theodulphus Freothulfus Theodoricus and Ethelricus all sons to Ida and brethren to Adda Adda Clappa Theodulphus Freothulfus Theodoricus and Ethelricus kings of Bernicia and sons to Ida successiuely raigning one after another Ella king of Deira son to Duke Iffus After the decease of Ella king Ethelricus Edwin thrust out son to Ella obtaineth the soueraignty of the whole Northumberland Ethelricus son to Ida Edwin son to Ella excluded king of Northumberland or of both Provinces of Deira and Bernicia Ethelfrid king of Northumberland son to Ethelricus He confirmed and much enlarged the kingdome of the Northumbrians through his conquests and victories against the Scots and weake remainders of the Britons He was slaine in battaile by Redwald king of the East-Angles and Monarch of the English in the quarrell of Edwyn king of Deira expulsed by Ethelricus Edwyn king of Deira son to Ella after Ethelfrid succeeding in both Provinces of Deira and Bernicia the first Christian king of the Northumbrians converted by the meanes of his Queene Ethelburga daughter to Ethelbert the first
Egbert and through their owne intestine broyles and in the yeare 819 by the decree of Egbert at an assembly of the states at VVinchester joyned into one entire state or common name of England continued through many successions of princes vnto our times The order of the kings of the VVest-Saxons followeth vntill the Heptarchy determined and the vnion and name of England Cerdic before mentioned the first king of the West-Saxons about the yeare 502 and 43 yeares after the first arrivall of Hengist After Ella of the South-Saxons he attayned to the chiefe rule or soueraignety amongst the Saxon princes the third Monarch of the English continued in his successours for two descents Kenrik king of the West-Saxons and Monarch or chiefe king of the English son to Cerdic Cheulin king of the West-Saxons chiefe king or Monarch of the English son to Kenrik After sundry conquests and great victories against the Britons and Kentish Saxons he was lastly ouerthrowne and driuen out by a joynt warre of the Welsh and his seditious subjects discontented with his insolent government drawne on through the treason and ambition of his nephew Cealic Cealic king of the West-Saxons son to Cuthwolf brother to Cheulin and son to Kenric He lost the Monarchy or chiefe rule of the English vnto Ethelbert king of the Kentish men Chelwolf king of the VVest-Saxons son to Cuth brother to Cheulin Kingils son to Chel brother to Chelwolfe king of the VVest-Saxons succeeding in the yeare 612. He first of the VVest-Saxon princes embraced the Christian Religion won to the faith by the preaching of Berinus an Italian the first Bishop of Dorchester in Oxfordshire and through the holy zeale and endeavours of Oswald king of Northumberland He tooke for his companion in the government his son Quincheline who deceased before him Kenwald king of the VVest-Saxons son to Kengils he founded the rich abbey of Malmesburie and the great Church of VVinchester He deceasing without issue his wife Segburg a manly woman for a time mannaged the affaires of the kingdome succeeded vnto by Eskwin Eskwin king of the VVest-Saxons descended from Cerdic Kenwin king of the VVest-Saxons brother to Kenwald and son to Kingils He much enlarged the kingdome of the VVest-Saxons vpon the Bordering Britons or VVelsh Ceadwalla king of the VVest-Saxons descended from Kenric He slew in fight Edilwalch the last king of the South-Saxons After much cruelty and outrage committed against the neighbouring South and Kentish-Saxons to expiate his sinnes following the manner of those superstitious times he departed on holy pilgrimage to Rome baptized there by Sergius Bishop of that sea where shortly after he dyed Ina king of the West-Saxons descended from Cheulin He annexed to his dominions the Countrie of the South-Saxons and founded the Colledge of Wels and the great Monastery of Glastenbury Ambitious of the honour of his predecessour hee went to Rome and put on the habit of religion deceasing in a private fortune hauing first subjected his kingdome to the payment of Peter-pence to that sea Ethelard king of the West-Saxons descended from Cheulin Cuthred king of the West-Saxons brother to Ethelard About this time after Beda the dead corps of the deceased begun first to bee enterred within townes and cities formerly after the manner of the Turkes at this day buried in the fields Sigebert of vnknowne parentage king of the West-Saxons driven out by his seditious subjects pretending his tyrannie and many vices Kenwulf king of the West-Saxons descended from Cerdic He was slaine by Kineard brother to Sigebert Brithric descended from Cerdic king of the West-Saxons succeeding in the yeare 784. In the time hereof and yeare 787 the Danes first arriue and discover the Westerne coasts of the Iland followed with greater forces in the raigne of Egbert and the succeeding English Monarches He was poysoned by his Queene Ethelburga daughter to Offa the great king of the Mercians In regard of this treason the wiues of the succeeding West-Saxon Monarches were by law afterwards excluded from all state place and title of princes Egbert king of the VVest-Saxons descended from Cheulin and succeeding in the yeare 800. He subdued the Cornish Britons and the Kentish and East-Saxons with those of Mercia East-England and Northumberland Of these Kent and the East-Saxons with the Cornish Britons he immediatly incorporated with his kingdome of the West-Saxons The rest which were Northumberland with the East-Angles and Mercians he commaunded by his substitutes or Vice-royes All notwithstanding he vnited into one entire Monarchie which he named of England from the Angli or English of whom himselfe was descended or in regard of the greater extent of that people contayning after Beda the Mercians Northumbrians and Mercians or some two thirds of the whole Dutch Nation whereof he was Crowned king in the yeare 819 some 370 yeares after the arrivall of Hengist In this sort the Heptarchy extinguished the whole Southerne part of the Iland tooke the name of England Wales the Britons of Cumberland excepted whose fortunes vntill the returne hereof into the vnion of Britaine vnder Lames out late Soveraigne of happy memory remaine in the next place to bee related THE KINGDOME OF ENGLAND THis was begun by Egbert aforesaid The manner and yeare wee haue even now shewed It was bounded more aunciently with the German Ocean vpon the East vpon the South with the English channell from France vpon the West with the Welsh and Britons of Cumberland with part of the Westerne or Irish Ocean from Ireland and vpon the North with the river Tweede from the Picts or Scotland King William surnamed the Conquerour added Cumberland and VVestmoreland parts of the auncient kingdome of the Cumbri wrested from the Scots His son Rufus and the succeeding princes of the Norman bloud added VVales By the raigne of king Edward the first VVales then being totally subdued the accompt and name of England enlarged ouer all the part of the Iland lying vpon the South of the river Tweede and Solway Frith the present extent of the kingdome It hath suffered sundry changes since this its first name and erection being twise conquered by forreine power and made subject to three different successions of Monarches 1 Of the race of the VVest-Saxons 2. Of the Danes 3 and of the Normans THE KINGDOME OF ENGLAND VNDER THE VVEST-SAXONS THe Kings of England follow of the house of the West-Saxons and vntill the Danish subiection Egbert king of the West-Saxons the Heptarchy destroyed crowned king of England at a Parliament of the states held at Winchester in the yeare 819. In the raigne of this prince the Danes begin their fierce invasions of the English continued with variable successe during the whole time of Englands Monarches of the race of the West-Saxons and vntill the yeare 1016 and conquest of the whole by Canutus He deceased in the yeare 836. Ethelwolf and Athelstan sons to Egbert succeeding to their father in the kingdome of England and the Danish warres Of these
Athelstan had for his share the countries of Kent and of the South East-Saxons and Ethelwolf the rest of England with the praerogatiue and title of Monarch or chiefe king of the whole At the same time likewise Burdred commaunded Mercia but substituted and vnder the right of Ethelwolf and the English Monarches Ethelbald and Ethelbert kings of England sons to Ethelwolf Hereof Ethelbert inherited Kent with the East and South-Saxons the portion of his vncle Athelstan The rest with the right of chiefe king or Monarch of the English fell to the lot of Ethelbald the elder brother This last tooke to his incestious bed his stepmother Iudith daughter to Charles surnamed the Bauld king of West-France widdow to his father Ethelwolf married after his death which hapned shortly after to Bauldwin the first Earle of Flanders He deceasing his brother Ethelbert remained sole king of the English Ethelbert sonne to Ethelwolf after the decease of Ethelbald sole Monarch of England Ethelred the first king of England brother to Ethelbald and Ethelbert During the troublesome raigne hereof through the advantage of the warres of the Danes the East-Angles shake off the yoake of the English Monarches creating holy Edmund their king martyred by Hungar Hubba two Danish Captaines and succeeded vnto by princes of this merciles Pagan Nation After stout resistance and many battails fought he was at last slaine against the Danes Alfrid king of England fourth sonne to Ethelwolf brother to the three preceding Kings Great was the valour amongst other vertues of this vnparaleld and matchles princes if not altogether vanquishing yet repressing the furie of the raging and vnconquerable Danes threatning now an vtter destruction of the English nation brought to a low ebbe through their long restles invasions frequent victories depopulations tyranny He founded or rather renewed the most auncient aud renowned Vniversity of Oxford and first parted the land into shires tithings and hundreds deceasing in the yeares 901. Edward surnamed the Elder king of England son to Alfred He made subject the East-Angles and all other parts possessed by the now languishing and droping Danes excepting Northumberland held yet by princes of that natiō Athelstan king of Englād son to Edward He twise vanquished in fight Constantine king of the Scots assisted with the Irish subdued the Britons of Cumberland with the remainder of the Danes inhabiting Northumberland made the Welsh tributary and confined the Cornish within the River Tamar their present bounds the greatest and most victorious of the English Monarches before his time deceasing in the yeare 940. Edmund the first king of England son to Edward and brother to Athelstan The Danes of Northumberland revolting he againe brought vnder annexed that province to his immediate government He also quite ouerthrew the kingdome of the Britons of Cumberland killing the two sons of Dummailus their last king whose country hee gaue vnto Malcolme the first king of Scotland with condition of homage to the English Crowne and of his defence of those Northerne parts against the Danish intruders Edred King of England son to Edward and brother to Athelstan He the third time tamed and brought vnder the ever restles rebellious Danes of Northumberland Edwy King of England son to Edmund the first Against this prince nothing gratious with his subjects Edgar his brother next successour vsurped the dominion of the still vnquiet Northumbrians Mercians Edgar King of England surnamed the peaceable in regard of his quiet raigne not molested with forraigne or domestique warres nor ordinarie in those tumultuous stirring times son to Edmund brother to Edwy He remitted the taxe of money imposed by Athelstan vpon the Welshmen for a tribute of wolues Edward the second king of England son to Edgar surnamed the Martyr from the manner of his death murthered by the treachery of his stepmother Elfrida coveting the kingdome for her son Ethelred Ethelred the second king of England son to Edgar Elfrida halfe brother to Edward In his time the Danes who had laine still during the late raigne of his victorious praedecessours subdued or beaten home through the high valour of Alfred Athelstan and other succeeding English Monarches renew their wonted outrages on all sides with furie vnresistable pillaging spoyling the countrie encouraged by the quarrells factions and bad affection of his disloyall subjects withdrawing or forslowing their aides or betraying his armies after much calamity and affliction compounded withall by Ethelred and not long after vpon Saint Brice his festivall and in the yeare 1002 massacred in one day by the commaund hereof and a joint conspiracy of the English drawing on a more sharpe revenge dreadfull warre of the nation vnder Sueno Canutus their potent much incensed kings not ending but with the English Monarchy of the West-Saxons and the finall conquest hereof by Canutus After a long but miserable raigne he deceased in the yeare 1016. Edmund the second from his hardie valour surnamed the Iron-side son to Ethelred the second succeeding his father in the kingdome of England in his vnfortunate warre with the Danes Having fought sundry stout battailes and one single combate with Canutus in the I le of Alney by Glocester comming to an agreement with the Dane he parted with him the kingdome of England contenting himselfe with the more Southern moity hereof deceasing after a seaven moneths raigne a short time for so many braue acts which in that space he atchieued in the yeare 1016 about 567 yeares after the first arrivall of the Dutch vnder Hengist some 197 yeares since the name beginning of the kingdome by Egbert Edmund Iron-side thus removed out of the way the whole kingdome of the English tyred out with long miseries of war yeelded to Canutus and the Danes whose estate and succession followeth during their rule government over the English THE KINGDOME OF ENGLAND VNDER THE DANES COncerning this Nation wee haue more fully related in the discourse of Germany They were a Dutch people for thus their Dutch dialect or language doth manifest Their name we conjecture from the bay Codanus Iland Codanonia of Mela now the Sundt Iland of Zelandt where and in the adjacent countries the Nation since their first mention hath alwayes continued When they begun we finde not Iornandes is the first of auncient authours by whom they are named living in the time of the Emperour Iustinian the first Their Countrey then he maketh to be the neighbouring Scanzia or Scandia most probably now Hallandt Schonen and Bleking or the part in that Continent of the present Denmarke We adde the Ilands of Zeland Funen with others lying in the straights of the Sundt Afterwards the exact time we know not they spread into the bordering Cimbrain Chersonese in the maine land of Germany taking vp the left roomes of the Iutes English departing into the Iland of Britaine vnder Hengist By the raigne of Charles
the Great king of the Frenchmen vnder their king Godfrey wee finde them in Aymonius extended Southwards in the Chersonesse as far as the riuer Eydore dividing them from the Saxons beyond the Elb the present bounds now of Denmark from the land of Holstein and the German Empire In the yeare 787 and raigne of Brithric king of the West-Saxons agreeing with the 20 yeare of Charles the Great we first heare of them in England with three ships landing in the South-West parts hereof not so much attempting a conquest as making a discouery of the country In the next raigne of Great Egbert they first to any purpose invaded the Iland arriuing at seuerall times in the Iland of Lindisferne in the North in Wales and in the I le of Shepeye in Kent not without much difficulty driuen out by Egbert He deceasing they fell on with greater power and rage in the raignes of his sons Ethelwolf and Athelstan and of the succeeding English Monarches sons to Ethelwolf laying waste and beating downe all before them and subduing the Provinces of the Mercians East-Angles and Northumbrians where the English Governours or Princes being either slaine or beaten out they erected petty tyrannies of their owne Nation omitting no kinde of barbarous cruelty vpon the miserable and distressed inhabitants By the wisdome patience and great valour of learned Alfred this violent torrent is somewhat asswaged and the edge of their fury abated By Edward surnamed the Elder the East-Angles are recovered and vnited againe to the English Empire By Athelstan Northumberland or the rest of England the Danes being either wholy expulsed by him or made subject to his government mixing amongst and ioyning in alliance with the English By Edmund the first and Edred the Danes rebelling in Northumberland are againe vanquished and reduced into the English obedience after whom we heere read no more of them during the more peaceable raignes of Edwy Edgar and Edward surnamed the Martyr and vntil Ethelred the second In the vnfortunate raigne of this Prince they begin afresh their intermitted pyracies war which after the treacherous massacre of the Nation by Etheldred they maintained with a more eager pursuit and bloudie revenge managed in person by Swaine and Canutus their powerfull kings In the yeare 1016 both sides wearied with their continuall fights and mutuall butcheries they come to a composition with the English and the kingdome is divided betwixt the reconciled kings Canutus son to Swaine and Edmund Ironside son to Etheldred The death of the Iron-side hapning in the same yeare put shortly an end to this division and a beginning to the Monarchie of the Danes after whom the English loath as before any more to hazard submitted voluntarily to Canutus and the Danish government The time from the first arrivall of the Danes in the raigne of Brithricus king of the West-Saxons vnto the conquest of England by Canutus was 229 yeares The male issue of Canutus fayling in his son Hardi-canute the English in the person of Edward surnamed the Confessour resume the soveraignty the Danes thrust out The kings of England follow of the Danish descent off-spring Canutus surnamed the Great king of England Denmarke Norweye and Sweden son to Swaine He tooke to wife Emme sister to Richard the third Duke of Normandy widow to king Ethelred mother to Edward the Confessour Peace his kingdome established hee vnburthened the land of the multitudes of his Danish souldiers contented with a large salary at the request of Emme sent back into their Country Hauing governed with much piety iustice moderation for the space of 19 yeares hee deceased in the yeare 1035 buried at Winchester Harold king of England naturall son to Canutus intruding in the absence of his brother Hardi-canute to whom England with Denmarke had beene allotted by the will of Canutus He deceased without issue in the yeare 1040. Hardi-canute king of England son to Canutus Emma He deceased likewise sans issue in the yeare 1042 the last prince of the Danish bloud The house of Canutus being thus extinguished the Crowne of England all Danish forraine bloud by a present Decree of the States excluded returneth againe vpon the English Edward for his Saint-like life surnamed the Coufessour son to Ethelred Emma is sent for out of France where with Richard William Dukes of Normandy he had soiourned during the Danish vsurpation by a generall consent succeedeth in the kingdome to whom besides his nearenesse in regard of his English descent the right of the Danes did seeme in a manner to appertaine being halfe brother to the late deceased king THE KINGDOME OF ENGLAND recovered by the English or VVest-Saxons EDward surnamed the Confessour king of England son to king Ethelred the second Emma Daughter to Richard the second Duke of Normandy succeeding in the yeare 1042 Edward surnamed the out-law eldest son to Edmund Ironside the right heire remaining then in Hungarie passed ouer by the practise of Queene Emma very gracious in the subjects eyes or for that liuing in too forreine remote parts He deceased in the yeare 1066 marryed but hauing neuer vsed the company of his wife reputed in those blind times amongst his many true noble vertues deserving his accompt and name of Saint the last in the line masculine of the house of the West-Saxons Edward deceased Edgar Ethelinge the true heire son to Edward surnamed the out-law neglected as too young a forreiner borne in Hungary Harold son to Goodwin Earle of Kent Duke of the West-Saxons without either choyse or dislike of the irresolute English intrudeth into the Gouernment well approved for his great valour other Princely vertues befitting a king Harold king of England son to Goodwin Duke of the West-Saxons Earle of Kent succeeding in the yeare 1066 opposed by Harold Haardread king of Denmarke challenging the Crowne in the right of his Danish succession and by William surnamed the Bastard Duke of Normandy pretending the donation of Edward the Confessour The Dane vanquished slaine at Stamfordbridge in Yorkeshire with his torne and wearied troupes adventuring shortly after his person and the fortunes of the English against the Norman at the great battaile neare Hasting in Sussex he there most vnfortunately within the first yeare of his raigne lost both his kingdome and life the last English or Saxon king succeeded vnto by William the Conquerour and the Normans whose turne now falleth in the last place THE KINGDOME OF ENGLAND vnder the Normans THe word Normans or Nortmans signified Northerne men with the Dutch of which Nation and language they were The name was common to the Danes Norvegians and Swethlanders or to whatsoeuer German people inhabiting towards the Pole Artique and the North taken vp or giuen vnto them from such their more Northerly situation An ancient Frencb Historian liuing in the raigne of the Emperour Lewis the Godly about which time we finde them
first mentioned more distinctly boundeth Normannia or the Countrey of the first or Dutch Normans with the river Eydore including within this accompt Denmarke and other more Northerly Regions and excluding Saxony and the parts of Germany lying vpon the South of that riuer They were otherwise called the Nord-luidi in Helmoldus and the aforesaid Authour The derivation we know not vnlesse from the words Nord or North and Lieu which last with the French signifieth a place or country The names were begun vpon occasion of the pyracies and warres of certaine mixtures of all those Northerne together or of the Swethlanders Norvegians a part following the tracts of the Danes and invading and preying vpon the French and English towards the declining estate of those nations and called by these generall appellations either because their proper names were not yet so well knowne abroad or because then consisting of many We first read of the expresse name of the Normans in the raigne of Charles the Great by Eginhartus in his life of that Emperour infesting then the sea-coasts of France and Germany Their mentioÌ„ after this is frequent more especially in the French Histories with great cruelty fury vnresistable afflicting the kingdome of France in the raigne of Charles the Bauld vnder their Captaine Hastinge and vnder Godfrey an other of their Leaders in the raigne of Charles the Gros. In the yeare 912 they first fixe fast footing in this rich Continent vnder Rollo another of their Captains to whom king Charles surnamed the Simple vpon composition for his peace herewith gaue the country of Neustria together with his daughter Gista in marriage with condition to hold the same vnder the fief and homage of the French kings and to become Christian. After this time that part of France from the firme residence hereof hath ever since beene called Normandy as the inhabitants hereof Normans victoriously held for a long time by the heires of Rollo with the title of Dukes of Normandie succeeded vnto by William surnamed Long-espee or with the Long-sword son to this first Rollo Richard the first son to William surnamed Long-espee Richard the second son to Richard the first Richard the third son to Richard the second Robert brother to Richard the third and William surnamed the Bastard the seaventh Duke naturall son to Robert Vnder this last prince these French Normans France now growing too narrow for their ambition first attempt vpon invade England Their colour for this war was the pretended right of their Duke William to the Crowne hereof bequeathed vnto him by Edward the Confessour in the time of the Danes during his exile in France confirmed afterwards by Edward being king and now since his decease with-held by Harold Their hopes in so great an enterprise was the vnsetled state of England now vnder an vsurper Edgar Etheling the right heire excluded and the favour of the Bishop of Rome Alexander the second then succeeding in the Papacy siding to their cause of whose countenance in authorizing vniust claimes Pepin and the late kings of France had made profitable vse In the yeare 1066 the Armies of the English Normans assisted with many thousands of French adventurers in Sussex neere Hastings fatally encounter Harold not by valour but through the sins and many vices of the Nation is vanquished and slaine with the losse of aboue 67000 of his valiant and faithfull souldiers and the remainder of the miserable English none then further adventuring factious irresolute without head and terrified with Papall cursings without any more resistance become subiect to the Conquerours William the Norman obtayneth the Crowne with great happines maintained hitherto in his Norman posterity The kingdome of the English the growth hereof hauing beene long hindred by the Danish warres before this last Norman conquest exceeded not the auncient limits of the Saxons Heptarchie bounding vpon the West with Wales and the Countries of Westmoreland Cumberland enjoyed by the Scots Welsh princes vnder the homage of the kings of England By king William the first following his victories Cumberland and Westmoreland as before are taken in and incorporated into the accompt name hereof By William Rufus and the succeeding Monarches Wales In forreine parts by Henry the second Ireland is conquered and Aniou Touraine Maine Aquitaine and Guienne with Normandy their auncient inheritance contayning almost one halfe part of France are annexed to the house and right of the Norman-English By Edward the third and the fift sixt Henries the potent kingdomes of France The French hauing long since withdrawn their allegiance divided asunder by spacius seas language and affection the rest remaine subject parts or states appending of the English kingdome In Iames the first of happy memory both kingdomes of England and Scotland or the whole Britaine are vnited vnder one Monarch together with Ireland a Countrie depending vpon England or the dominion of all the British Ilands The Kings of England follow of the Norman blood and vntill this last and blessed vnion William duke of Normandy from this victories surnamed the Conquerour the first king of England of the house of the Normans naturall son to Robert Duke of Normandy by Arlet a Burgers daughter of Falaise in that Countrey Battle-field wonne by conquest and a pretended right from the gift of Edward the Confessour his cosen German by the mothers side succeeding in the yeare 1066. The subdued English stubborne male-contented vnquiet and ill brooking forreine gouernment he oppressed with servitude and hard Lawes dispossessing the nobility of their goods places and revenues which he assigned to his French Normans the root of the present more auncient English gentrie He deceased in the yeare 1087. william the second surnamed Rufus from his more ruddy colour a younger son to the Conquerour king of England by the will of his father his elder brother Robert succeeding in the Dukedome of Normandy He deceased in the yeare 1100 slaine vnawares in New-Forrest in Hamshire as he was following his game vnmarried and without issue Henry the first surnamed Beauclercke or the good Scholler for such he was by meanes of his education borne at Selby in Yorkeshire yongest son to the Conquerour king of England through the advantage of his brother Roberts absence warring then abâ—ad in the Holy Land and by the favour of the people in regard of his English birth and his sugred promises which in part hee performed to remit those heavy lawes taxations wherewith they had beene burthened during the raignes of his father and brother To better his title and the more to insinuate into the English affections he tooke to wife Maude daughter to Malcolme the third king of Scotland and S t Margaret daughter to Edward surnamed the Out-law eldest son to Edmund Iron-side hereby vniting together the Norman and English blood in his issue posterity Warres arising betwixt the two brethren he with his English subdued the Normans vpon the same day after forty yeares
wherein his father with the Normans had conquered the English annexing Normandy to his English Crowne his borther Robert being surprised in battaile and detayned prisoner during life He deceased in the yeare 1135 the first English-Norman king Stephen Earle of Mortaigne yonger son to Stephen Earle of Blois and Champaigne by Adcla daughter to the Conquerour king of England by the power of his faction the advantage of his sexe and the pretended will of king Henry vpon his death-bed opposed by Maude the onely legitimate daughter surviuing issue of Henry formerly wife to Henry the fourth Emperour of the Romans After long trouble warres betwixt the two sides a peace at length is concluded Stephen is continued in the possession of the Crowne to returne after his decease vpon Henry Fitz-Empresse son to Mande and to the heires of the first Henry Henry the second son to Geffrey Plantaginet Earle of Aniou in France Maude the Empresse daughter to Henry the first and Maude daughter to Malcolme king of Scotland and S t Margaret descended from king Edmund surnamed the Iron-side In this prince the surname of Plantaginet was first deriued vpon the house of England continued vnto Edward sonne to George Duke of Clarence the last Plantaginet or of the male issue hereof the rest extinguished during the ciuill warres betwixt the houses of Yorke and Lancaster put to death by king Henry the seaventh He marryed vnto Eleanor daughter and sole heire to William Duke of Aquitaine Guienne and by armes voluntary submission made first subiect the factious and devided Irish king of England Duke of Normandy Aquitaine Guienne Earle of Aniou The dominion title of Ireland he had given vnto his yongest son Iohn Maude his eldest daughter was married vnto Henrie surnamed the Lyon Duke of Saxony and Bavaria from whom are descended the present Dukes of Brunswyck and Lunenburg in Germany bearing the same armes with the more auncient kings of England Richard the first king of England Duke of Normandy Aquitaine Guienne Earle of Aniou son to Henrie the second He accompanied Philip surnamed Augusts king of France with other Latine princes towards the East for the recoverie of the Holy Land renowned for his victories against Saladine Sultan of Aegypt and the Infidels Not the least in that journey amongst his other conquest was that of the Cyprioâ—s whom occasioned by some hostile and churlish carriages of Cursar their king against his distressed and weather-beaten Fleete he in few daies subdued exchanging that Iland with Guy of Lusignan for the kingdome or title of Hierusalem remaining in the house of Guy for many descents vntill the vsurpation thereof by the Venetians He deceased without issue Iohn king of England Duke of Normandie Aquitaine and Guienne Earle of Aniou and Lord of Ireland which last title he first added yongest son to Henry the second opposed by Arthur Duke of Britaine son to Geffrey his elder brother and Constance inheretresse of that house He lost Normandy Aniou Touraine and Maine with Poictou part of the Dukedome of Aquitaine to Philip the second surnamed Augustus French king pretending their forfeiture holding of the French kings in fee vpon the decease of Arthur whom he surmised to haue beene murthered by Iohn forsaken in those troubles by his disloyall Nobility refusing their aydes and betrayed by the natiues of those countries better effected to the French Ingaged at once in three dangerous warres against the Pope Cleargie the French king and his rebellious subjects to make his peace with the Pope his more potent adversary and the chiefe authour of those evils Innocentius the third then succeeding in the Papacy he enthralled his Crowne to the tribute and vassallage of the sea of Rome Henry the third son to Iohn succeeding in the left dominions of his father and in his warres against the French and his traiterous English Barons Edward the first son to Henry the third He subdued the Scots and annexed the Welsh to his English kingdome Edward the second son to Edward the first He marryed vnto Isabel daughter to Philip the fourth French king deposed by a joint conspiracy of his disloyall Queene subjects pretending his bad government and vices Edward the third son to Edward the second Isabel of France The male issue of Philip the fourth extinguished in Charles surnamed the Faire in right from his mother daughter to Philip the next heire generall he made claime to the rich kingdome of France assuming the title hereof and quartering his English armoryes with the French Lillies continued still in his successours Hauing vanquished the French in two memorable battailes at Crecy and Poictiers taken Iohn their king prisoner he in the end nothwithstanding fortune changing lost to that enimy all Aquitaine and Guienne the remainder of the English possessions in that Continent Calais excepted yeelded vp by the treacherous inhabitants ill affecting the English government and coveting a revnion with France He deceased in the yeare 1378. Richard the second king of England France and Lord of Ireland son to Edward prince of Wales eldest son to Edward the third deposed by Henry the fourth without issue Henry the fourth king of England France Lord of Ireland son to Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster fourth son to Edward the third the first prince of the Lancastrian family whose vsurpation and vniust title gaue occasion afterwards to those long and miserable warres betwixt his house Yorke Henry the fift king of England France and Lord of Ireland eldest son to Henrie the fourth The field of Azincourt won and the vnfortunate French vnder a lunatike and weake king being devided into two great factions of Burgundie and Orleans by the aide of Burgundie hauing married Catharine the French kings daughter he is made Regent of France during the malady and indisposition hereof and declared his next successour to the Crowne Charles the Dolphin his son disinherited Henrie the sixt king of England France and Lord of Ireland son to Henry the fift Catherine of France Crowned French king at Paris in the yeare 1431. In the raigne hereof Richard Duke of Yorke layd claime to the Crowne of England in the right of the house of Clarence elder brother to Iohn of Gaunt father to king Henry the fourth ayded by Richard Nevile Earle of Warwick and other potent nobility the effect whereof was a bloody civill warre continued with variable fortune for the space of 25 yeares betwixt the two houses of Lancaster and Yorke the slaughter of the greatest part of the blood royall of both factions the deposing murder of this holy and just prince the irrecoverable losse of France by these tumults the establishing of the kingdome in Edward the fourth his succession the house of Yorke Edward the fourth son to Richard Plantaginet Duke of Yorke which Richard was son to Richard Earle of Cambridge sonne to Edmund Duke of Yorke fift son
Hundreds 22 Market-townes and 161 Parishes The Inhabitants are part of the Danmonij of Ptolemy named otherwise the Cornish by the English a remainder as are the Welsh of the auncient Britons and retayning their language These ten Shires seeme more aunciently to haue contayned the Roman Province named Britannia Prima by Rufus Festus the Authour of the Notitia devided amongst 6 British people the 1. Cantij 2. Regni 3. Attrebatij 4. Belgae 5. Durotriges 6. and the Danmonij of Ptolemy Vnder the Saxons they comprehended 3 kingdomes of their Heptarchie 1 of Kent 2. and of the South 3. and West-Saxons At this day they make the first Quart or Devision before obserued extended in length from East to West about 250 Italian miles and in breadth about 60 of the same miles bounded vpon the South and East with the English Channell and part of the German Ocean vpon the West with the Vergivian Ocean and vpon the North with the sea of Severne and the riuers Avon by Bristow and the Thames from the rest of England GLOCESTER-SHIRE IT lyeth vpon both sides of the riuer of Severne bounded vpon the South with Wiltshire Sometsetshire vpon the West with Herefordshire and the riuer of Wye from Monmouthshire vpon the North with Worcestershire and vpon the East with Warwickshire and Oxfordshire The countrie is fruitfull pleasant beyond the Severne woody over-spread with the great Forest of Deane towards the East where is Cotteswold hilly open yeelding good pasturage for sheepe in the vale betwixt the hils and the riuer fat deepe and most plentifull in corne and fruits Townes of better note are Bristow a Bishops sea and a famous port and rich empory for state and beauty accompted the third city of the kingdome seated vpon a rising ground vpon both sides of the riuer Avon at the confluence hereof with the litle river Frome It standeth in both divisions of Glocestershire Somersetshire whereof the greatest part is in Glocestershire but is accompted of neither being a Countie within it selfe Vpon the Severne Barkley honoured with a castle whereof the Lord Barkleyes are entitled Further vp Glocester Clevum of Antoninus a Bishops sea and the chiefe towne Teuxbury vpon the Avon a different riuer from the Avon by Bristow neere the confluence hereof the Severne In the wood-lands beyond the Severne Newent Michel-deane naming the Forrest of Deane extending from hence for many miles Southwards betwixt the Severne and Wye vnto the confluence of both vast and thick of woods but much wasted of late yeares by reason of iron-workes In the forrest vpon the right shore of the Severne Avington a meane village Abone of Antoninus In Cotteswold Cirencester vpon the river Churne Corinnium of Ptolemy Corinium of Antoninus the chiefe city of the Dobuni Winchelcomb It containeth 30 Hundreds and 280 parishes The auncient inhabitants were vpon the hither side of the Severne the Dobuni of Ptolemy Bodunni of Dion beyond part of the warlike Silures afterwards the Mercian Saxons OXFORD SHIRE BOunded vpon the West with Glocestershire vpon the North with Warwickshire Northamptonshire vpon the South with the Thames from Barkeshire vpō the East with Buckinghamshire The aire is sweet healthfull and the soile fruitfull towards the East Buckinghamshire hilly couered with woods deepe and rich in the vale betwixt this Cherwell to the West and North champian most pleasant Townes of more note are Burford vpon the VVindrush Whitney vpon the same riuer Chipping-norton Not far off vpon the hils aboue Long-Compton are seene Rolle-rich stones set vp in manner of a circle as it is thought by Rollo the first Duke of Normandy his trophy of some victory obtained against the English before his plantation in France Woodstock amongst woods grassie plaines honoured with a royall house of the kings the birth place of Edward surnamed the Blacke Prince the terrour and scourge of France Banbury vpon the Cherwel Oxford the Sun eye and soule of the kingdome and with her sister Cambridge the fountaine of wisedome divine humane learning from whence Religion civility and all good arts doe flow a Bishops sea and the chiefe towne seated at the confluence of the Cherwell and Isis vpon the coing of a plaine descending euery way to the rivers encompassed with waters meadowes and wooddy hils and only open to the cleare and health-breathing North enriched with sumptous and stately buildings as private so much more publique of the Vniversity and Colledges with faire large and open streets a sweete and apt dwelling of the Muses Beyond the Cherwell Biciter Tame vpon the river thus named Dorchester Dorcinia of Beda at the confluence or marriage-bed of the Tame and Isis and beginning of the name of Thames sometimes a Bishops sea begun by king Kingils in the person of Birinus the Apostle of the VVest-Saxons remoued afterwards and divided betwixt VVinchester and Lincolne In the Chilterne Henly vpon the Thames in a bottome betwixt wooddy hils Here are contained 10 Market Towns 14 Hundreds and 280 Parishes The auncient inhabitants were the Dobuni of Ptolemy afterwards the Mercian Saxons BVCKINGHAMSHIRE BOunded vpon the North with Northamptonshire vpon the West with Oxfordshire vpon the South with the riuer Thames from Barkeshire and vpon the East with Bedfordshire Hartfordshire and the river Cole from Middlesex extended much in length but narrow not so wide It is distinguished into the Chilterne or Hill-country shaded with thick beechie woods and lying towards the East and South and along the course of the Thames and the Vale to the North and West vnder the hils a fat and deepe soile rich in corne and pasturage Chiefer townes in the Vale are Alesbury Vpon the river Ouse Buckingham the Shire towne Stony-Stratford Vpon the further side of the river is Passham a country village thought to be Lactodurum of Antoninus Newport Painell Oulney Vpon the hils Wickham Beaconsfeld Vpon the Thames Marlow Colebroke vpon the river Cole Pontes of Antoninus The auncient Inhabitants were the Cattyeuchlani of Ptolemy the Catuellani of Dion afterwards the Mercian Saxons Here are reckoned 11 Market Townes and 185 parishes BEDFORDSHIRE BOunded vpon the West with Buckinghamshire vpon the North with Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire and vpon the East and South with Cambridgeshire and Hartfordshire The countrey is litle more wooddy in the middle towards the North more fruitfull Townes of better note are Bedford vpon the riuer Ouse the chiefe towne Bigleswade Vpon the edge of the Chilterne Dunstable Magiovintum of Antoninus The Shire is divided into 9 hundreds containing 10 Market Townes and 116 parishes The auncient inhabitants were the Cattyeuchlani of Ptolemy afterwardes the Mercian Saxons HARTFORD-SHIRE BOunded vpon the North with Cambridgeshire vpon the West with Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire vpon the East with the riuer Stort from Essex vpon the South
to hospitality Townes are Lemster vpon the river Lug commended for wools the best of the kingdome Brameyard in a bottome vpon the riuer Frome Ledbury vnder Malverne hils vpon the Ledden Hereford in a plaine vpon the Wye a Bishops See and the chiefe towne raised as it is thought out of the ashes and named thus from Ariconium of Antoninus whose ruines are yet seene where are Kenchester wals distant about three miles Westward from the city The Cathedrall Church is dedicated to S. Ethelbert a king of the East-Angles murthered at Sutton vpon the Lug the Court then of Offa king of the Mercians thorough the ambition and treason of Quendreda Queene to Offa honoured afterwards as a Sainct and Martyr Rosse vpon the same riuer The Old Town a small village vpon the Munow Blestium of Antoninus The auncient inhabitants were the Silyres of Ptolemy or the Silures of Antoninus It containeth 8 market townes 11 hundreds and 176 parishes These 23 Shires inclusiuely from Glocestershire seeme to haue contained more aunciently the Roman Province named Flavia Caesariensis by Rufus Festus and the Notitia with part of Britannia secunda of the same Authours divided amongst 6 more great and potent British people the Dobuni Cattieuchlani Trinobantes Iceni Coritani and Cornavij of Ptolemy and others with part of the Silures and Ordovices During the Saxons Heptarchy they comprehended the three kingdomes 1 of the East-Saxons 2 the East Angles 3 and the Mercians They make now the 2 Quart or division formerly mentioned extended about 160 English miles in length betwixt East and West and in breadth betwixt North and South some 130 of the same miles and bounded vpon the East with the German Ocean and from the rest of England vpon the South with the riuer Thames and the Avon by Bristoll vpon the North with Humber and the riuer Mersee and vpon the West with Offaes Ditch and part of the Wye from Wales MONMOVTH-SHIRE BOunded vpon the North with the riuer Munow from Herefordshire vpon the East with the Wye from Glocestershire vpon the South with the Sea of Severne and vpon the West with the Remney from Glamorganshire The parts towards the East and Wye are graffie and full of woods those toward the West stony and somewhat mountainous the Sea-coasts where the Vske falleth into the Severne low moorish and subject to invndations Places of more note are Munmouth at the confluence of the Wye and Munow the chiefe towne honoured with the birth of Henry the fift the glorious Conquerour of France Chepstow vpon the Wye neere vnto the fall thereof into the Severne Westwards from hence is seene Caer Went the carkase of an old Roman city named Venta of the Silures by Antoninus Aber-gevenny or Aber-genny Gobannium of Antoninus at the meetings of the Gevenye and the Vske Vske named thus from the riuer Burrium of Antoninus Caer-Leon vpon the same riuer of Vske Isca Silurum of Antoninus the Mansion of the second Romane Legion surnamed Augusta Newport vpon the same riuer neerer to the Severne The inhabitants are part of the Silyres of Ptolemy the Silures of Tacitus It is divided into 6 Hundreds wherein are contained 6 Market townes and 127 parishes It is not accompted amongst the Welsh shires GLAMORGAN-SHIRE BOunded vpon the East with the river Remneye from Monmouthshire vpon the South with the Sea of Severne vpon the West with the Loghor from Caermarthenshire and vpon the North with Brecknockeshire The North and more inland parts are mountainous hilly the Sea-coasts more plaine fruitful populous and well replenished with townes These of better note are Landaff vpon the riuer Taff a Bishops See Caerdif vpon the same river the chiefe towne Cowbridge Not far from hence vpon the sea-coast is Boverton Bovium of Antoninus Neath vpon the riuer so called Nidum of Antoninus Swansey or Aber-taw at the mouth of the riuer Taw in Gower the part of this country betwixt the rivers Neath and Loghor Further to the West standeth Loghar vpon the riuer thus named Leucarum of Antoninus The inhabitants are the Silures of Tacitus Here are contained 6 Market townes 10 Hundreds and 118 parishes BRECKNOCK-SHIRE BOunded vpon the East with Herefordshire vpon the South with Monmouthshire and Glamorganshire vpon the West with Caermarthen-shire and vpon the North with the riuer of Wye from Radnorshire The countrey is mountainous in the valleyes not vnfruitfull Places of more note are Brecknocke vpon the riuer Vske the chiefe towne Vpon the VVye Buelth Bulleum of Antoninus naming the bordering mountainous region Hay vpon the same riuer The inhabitants are part of the Silures of Tacitus The Shire contayneth 6 Hundreds 3 Market townes and 61 parishes RADNOR-SHIRE BOunded vpon the North with Mongomerieshire vpon the East with Hereford-shire vpon the South with the riuer Wye from Brecknock-shire and vpon the VVest with Cardiganshire The parts towards Cardiganshire the VVest are altogether taken vp with rocky asperous desert mountaines strong refuges of Outlawes and of Vortigerne king of the Britons pursued by the all conquering English and the feare and hate of his owne subiects Those to the South and East are lesse vnfruitfull and better inhabited Townes here are New-Radnor the chiefe towne distinguished thus from the Old not vnprobably Magni of Antoninus and Magi of the Notitia the station of a foote company of the Pacenses Prestaine vpon the riuer Lug. Knighton The inhabitants are part of the Silures It contayneth 6 Hundreds 4. Market-townes and onely 52 Parishes CARMARDEN-SHIRE BOunded vpon the North with the riuer Tyvi from Cardiganshire vpon the East with Brecknockshire and the riuer Loghor from Glamorganshire vpon the South with the Sea of Severne vpon the VVest with Penbrokeshire The country is hilly the soile not vnfruitfull Townes here are Caermarden vpon the riuer Tovy the chiefe towne Maridunum of Ptolemy Higher vpon the top of a hill vnder which runneth the Tovy standeth Dineuour-castle the seate sometimes of the princes of South-wales New-castle vpon the Tyui and the edge of Cardiganshire coniecturally Louentinum of Ptolemy Kidwelly vpon the Ocean The inhabitants are part of the Demetae of Ptolemy The whole contayneth 6 Market-towne 6 Hundreds 87 Parishes PENBROKE-SHIRE BOunded vpon the East with Caermardenshire vpon the North with the riuer Tyvi from Cardiganshire and vpon the other sides encompassed with the Ocean The countrey is lesse hilly the soile fruitfull cut and deuided in the middle with the riuers Cledhydhy and Cledhewen Milford haven whereinto these are disburdened distinguished into sundry creekes bayes roades for ships the most safe and spacious harbour of the kingdome Vpon the VVest of the bay lyeth a Promontorie or Chersonese named Ros by the Britons and otherwise from the speech litle England beyond VVales inhabited by a colony of the Dutch or Flemmings planted here by king Henrie the first
an industrious stout and valiant people exercised in continuall armes against the neighbouring VVelsh alwayes most faithfull loyall to the English retayning yet their language Townes here are Tenby seated vpon a rocke ouerlooking the Ocean a walled towne a neate well traded empory Penbroke vpon a creeke of Milford haven the chief towne Harford-west vpon the Cledhewen or the more Westerne Gledawh in Ros or litle England beyond Wales Beyond vpon a bleeke and open Promontorie the Promontorie of the Octopitae of Ptolemie S t Davids more aunciently called Menew by the Welsh a Bishops See brought hither from Caer Leon in the raigne of king Arthur by S t David since naming the place Fishgard or Abergwain of the Welsh in the Baronny of Keimes and at the mouth of the riuer Gwain New-port vpon the Neuern Kilgarran vpon the Tyvi and the edge of Cardiganshire The inhabitants are part of the Demetae of Ptolemy It contayneth 5 Market-townes 7 Hundreds 145 Parishes CARDIGAN-SHIRE BOunded vpon the East with Radnorshire vpon the South with the riuer Tyvi from Penbrokeshire vpon the West with the Irish Ocean and vpon the North with Mongomery-shire and Merionith-shire The countrie is plaine towards the Ocean the riuer Tyvi towards the East and North hilly and mountainous In the borders betwixt this and Montgomerieshire riseth the great hill Plinlimon whence issue out the riuers Wye and Severne Townes here are vpon the Tyvi Tregaron Llan-Beder Cardigan or Aber-tyvi of the Welsh neere vnto the fall of the riuer Tyvi the chiefe towne Aber-y-stwith at the mouth of the riuers Y-stwith Ridol descending from the mountaine Plinlimon The inhabitants are the Demetae of Ptolemy It contayneth 4 Market-townes 5 Hundreds 64 Parishes MONT-GOMERY-SHIRE BOunded vpon the South with Radnorshire the mountaine Plinlimon from Cardiganshire vpon the East with Shropshire vpon the North with Denbighshire and vpon the West with Merionith-shire The countrie is mountainous the soile fruitfull in the bottomes In the West hereof out of the great mountaine Plimlimon ariseth the Severne Townes of more note are Machleneth not vnprobably Maglona of the Notitia the station of a foote company of the Solenses Llan-Vethlin probably Mediolanium of Ptolemy and Antoninus Vpon the Severne Llanidlos neere vnto the head of the riuer Tre-newith or the New-towne Trellin or the Welsh-poole Betwixt this and Llan-vethlin is Mathraval sometimes the seate of the Princes of Powis Vpon the hither side of the riuer Montgomery the chiefe towne founded by Bauldwin Warden of the Marches in the raigne of the Conquerour and afterwards named thus from Roger of Montgomerie Earle of Shrewesburie in the same raigne whose it was The inhabitants are part of the Orduices of Ptolemy Ordovices of Tacitus The Shire retayneth yet amongst the Welsh the accompt name of Powys devided into 7 Hundreds contayning 6 Market townes 47 Parishes MERIONITH-SHIRE BOunded vpon the West with the Irish Ocean vpon the South with the riuer Dovy from Cardiganshire vpon the East with Montgomery-shire and vpon the North with Caernarvon-shire The countrey is wholy ouergrowne with thicke asperous high mountaines affording good pasturage for sheepe beeues but litle corne steepe rocky and vnapt for tillage The townes are few and those verie meane Places of more note are Harlech a strong castle mounted vpon a steepe rocke nere to the Ocean the place of Assises and the chiefe Market of the Mountainers Dolegethel in a valley vpon the riuer Avon Bala at what place the Dee issueth out of Lhin-tegid or Pimble-meare The inhabitants are part of the Ordovices of Tacitus It containeth 6 Hundreds devided amongst 37 Parishes CAERNARVON-SHIRE BOunded vpon the South with Merionith-shire vpon the East with the Conwey from Denbigh-shire and vpon the North West with the Ocean and the Menai an arme of the Irish seas from Anglesey The Sea-coasts are more plaine populous fruitfull for corne more especially the great Promontorie named Langanum by Ptolemy and now Lhein by the Welsh The inland swelleth with precipitious high and inaccessable mountaines the greatest whereof is Snowdon in the middle ouertopping the rest good pasturages strong shelters sometimes of the Welsh ouermatched with the greater power of the English Chiefer townes are Pullhelie vpon the Ocean and the Promontorie now mentioned Newin vpon the further side of the Promontorie Caernarvon the best towne seated vpon the Menai founded by king Edward the first Close by where is Caer Seont stood Segoncium of Antoninus Bangor vpon the same branch of the Ocean a Bishops See Aber-Conwey at the mouth of the riuer Conwey built by Edward the first Further vp where is Caer-hean a small village vpon the Conwey stood Conouium of Antoninus The inhabitants are the Ordovices of Tacitus The Shire containeth 5 Market-townes 68 Parishes ANGLESEY IT is an iland Mona of Tacitus the seate of the British Druides encompassed vpon three sides with the Irish-Ocean and by the Menai deuided from Caernaruonshire and the Continent of England The countrey seemeth dry stonie yet the soile is most fruitfull the mother of Wales in Giraldus Cambrensis extended some 20 miles in length betwixt East West and about 17 in breadth Townes of more note are Beau-marish in a flat vpon the Menai the chiefe towne founded by king Edward the first Newburg More Westward vpon the Ocean is Aber-fraw the royall seate sometimes of the kings of Guynedh or North-wales and Holy Head or Caer Guby of the VVelsh the religious recesse of S t Guby or Kibius a scholler of S t Hilary Bishop of Poictou a noted Promontorie passage into Ireland The inhabitants are part of the Ordovices of Tacitus It contayneth onely 2 Market townes 6 Hundreds 74 parishes DENBIGHSHIRE BOunded vpon the West with the riuer Conwey from Caernarvonshire vpon the South with Merionithshire and Mont-gomery-shire vpon the East with Shropshire and the riuer Dee from Cheshire and vpon the North with Flint-shire and the Irish Ocean The West is cold hungrie mountainous ill inhabited as likewise are Chirke and Yale towards the East and South In the middle for 17 miles in length and about 5 in breadth where lyeth Strat Cluid or the valley of the riuer Cluid the countrey is pleasant sweete healthy and most fruitfull The like affected is Bromfeld vpon the Dee towards Cheshire amongst other profits rich in mines of lead Places of better note are Denbigh the chiefe towne In Strat-Cluid Ruthin vpon the riuer Cluid In Bromfeld Wrexham Holt Castle vpon the riuer Dee and the edge of Cheshire The inhabitants are the Ordovices of Tacitus The whole contayneth 3 Market townes 12 Hundreds 57 parishes FLINT-SHIRE BOunded vpon the South aud West with Denbighshire vpon the East with Cheshire and vpon the North with the mouth of the riuer Dee The countrey is somewhat â—illy but no where mountainous
fruitfull more especially towards the Ocean or d ee Places of more note are S t Asaph or Llan-Elwy of the VVelsh at the confluence of the riuer Elwy and the Cluid a Bishops See named thus from S t Asaph the second Bishop Not farre off where is Bod-vary in the confines of this and Denbighshire stood Varis of Antoninus Ruthlan vpon the Cluid Basingwerk at the mouth of the Dee Here begun the Ditch of Offa before mentioned Close by is Haly-well or the famous well of S t VVinnifrid Flint vpon the Dee naming the Countye In the English Mailor a part of the Shire severed from the rest by the comming betwixt of Cheshire and Denbigh-shire are seene yet some ruines of Bonium of Antoninus turned afterwards to a Monastery and named Bancornaburg by Beda and Banchor by Malmesburiensis the first of the Britons flourishing before the English invasion containing 7 greater divisions whereof each had at the least 300 persons liuing without revenue with the labour of their hands Some fragments hereof now remaining are named Port Hoghan and Port Cleis by the Welsh lying vpon both sides of the Dee and some mile asunder The inhabitants are part of the Ordovices of Tacitus It containeth 5 Hundreds and onely 1 market towne and 28 parishes These 13 Shires with Herefordshire and the parts of Shropshire Worcestershire and Glocestershire within the Severne more aunciently seeme to haue contained the Roman Provence named Britannia secunda by Rufus Festus and the Authour of the Notitia diuided amongst three stout and renowned British people the Silures Demetae and Ordovices vnconquerable through their valour or the advantage of their mountaines and kept in awe by two Roman Legions continually attending their motions the Second Legion surnamed Augusta residing at Isca Silurum now Caer Leon in Monmouthshire and the Twentieth Legion surnamed Victrix at Deva or Chester The Romans being with-drawn into the Continent and the Monarchy of the Britons lastly extinguished in Cadwallader about the yeare 870 vnder Roderique the Great they broke into 3 greater names or divisions which the Welshmen call kingdomes 1 of Guynedh bounded with the Ocean the Dee and the Dovy and comprehending now Anglesey Merionithshire and Caernarvonshire with parts of Denbighshire and Flintshire 2 Powysland divided into Powys Vadoc and Powys Wenwynwin and containing Shropshire within the Severne Montgomery-shire and Radnor-shire with the rest of Merionithshire Flintshire and Denbighshire 3 and of Deheubarth bounded with the Ocean the sea of Severne and the riuers of Dovy and Wye from Guynedh and Powys and containing Glamorganshire Monmouthshire Caermardenshire Penbrokeshire Brecknockshire and Cardiganshire after long warres subdued by William Rufus the succeeding English Monarchs these distinctions abolished incorporated into the vnion name of England They now take vp all the Westerne part of the kingdome and make the third Quart or Division which we call Wales distinguished into South-Wales containing the 7 first Shires whereof Caermardenshire Penbrokeshire and Cardiganshire are otherwise named accompted West-Wales North-Wales containing the six last shires bounded with the Irish Ocean and with the sea of Severne the Dee Wye and Offaes-Ditch from the rest of England and extended about 100 miles in length betwixt North and South and some 60 in breadth LANCASHIRE BOunded vpon the South with the riuer of Mersee from Cheshires vpon the VVest with the Irish Ocean vpon the North with the river Duden from Cumberland and vpon the East with VVinander-meere from VVestmoreland and with Mountaines from Yorkeshire The country is large populous and well woodded the aire healthy but sharpe and moists the soile fruitfull where are not hils and mosses much helped by marle and the great industry of the inhabitants yet more commendable for pasturage a large and kindly breed of beeves oxen Townes here are VVarrington vpon the Mersee Further downe Letherpoole or Lirpole a noted passage into Ireland Ormeskirk neighbouring whereunto is Latham a large magnificent house of the Earles of Darbye VViggin Bolton Vpon the riuer Irwell Bury Manchester Mancunium of Antoninus Rochdale vnder Blackstone-edge the mountaines of Yorkeshire Blakeborne vpon the riuer Darwen Vpon the Ribble VVhaley vnder Pendle-hill the highest of the English Apennine Preston Betwixt these vpon the same river is Ribble-chester Rhigodunum or Ribodunum of Ptolemy a city of the Brigantes Lancaster vpon the river Lune the shire towne Longovicus of the Notitia the station of a foote company named from the place the Longovicarij Higher vpon the same river Ouer-Burrow a meane village thought to be Bremetonacum of Antoninus Vlverston in Fournesse a rocky and mountainous country betwixt the Sands by Lancaster and Cumberland The more auncient inhabitants were the Brigantes of Ptolemy afterwards the Deiri of Beda part of the Northumbrian Saxons or English Fournesse or the division beyond the Sands seemeth otherwise to haue beene a part of the kingdome of Cumberland inhabited by a remainder of the Britons after the English conquests and invasion The shire containeth 15 market townes and only 6 Hundreds and 36 parishes but those spacious and very populous YORKE-SHIRE BOunded vpon the West with Mountaines from Lancashire and VVest-moreland parts of the English Apennine vpon the South with Cheshire Darbyshire Nottinghamshire and Humber from Lincolneshire vpon the East with the German Ocean and vpon the North with the river Tees from the Bishoprick of Durham The country is large populous and well watered with great and faire riuers the Dun Calder Are VVharfe Nid Ouse Swale and Derwent descending from the hils by the wider channell of the Ouse emptied into Humber The soile is diverse It containeth three greater divisions in extent and number of inhabitants scarse inferiour to the best Shires 1 the VVest-Riding 2 the East-Riding 3 the North-Riding THE WEST-RIDING OF YORKE-SHIRE BOunded vpon the West with the English Apennine Lancashire vpon the South with Cheshire Darbyshire Nottinghamshire and vpon the East North with the riuers Ouse and Derwent from the East and North-Ridings The VVesterne parts are hilly and more barren but which defects are more then recompensed by the great industry of a stout and painefull inhabitant exercising cloathing and other gainefull trades manufactures The soile towards the East is abundantly fruitfull especially Marshland encompassed with the Dun Are Ouse and Trent a deepe fat country but moorish and subiect to invndations defended by bankes from the ouer-flowings of the Ouse and the waters of Dich marsh in Winter Chiefer townes are vpon the Dun Sheafield in Hallom-shire as are sundrie neighbouring villages inhabited by Cutlers Smiths Hard-ware-men Rotheram Dancaster Danum of the Notitia the station of a troupe of horse of the Crispiniani Halifax Wakefeld vpon the Calder rich townes of cloathing Betwixt these vpon the top of a steepe hill neere vnto the towne of Almondburie and the Calder the ruines are yet showne of
Camulodunum of Ptolemy and Antoninus a towne of the Brigantes Skipton amongst hils neere vnto the Are the best towne of Craven a stony mountainous region in the English Apennine bordering vpon Lancashire Leedes vpon the Areâ— Below where is Castleford at the confluence of the Are and Calder stood Legeolium of Antoninus Pontfreit defended with a beautifull and strong castle a royall honour of the kings Sherborn Beyond is Towton Englands Pharsalia fatted with the blood of aboue 35000 of her natiues slaine at one battaile of both factions of Yorke and Lancaster Vpon the VVherf Wetherby in the Roman military roade Aboue is Inckley Olicana of Ptolemy Tadcaster Calcaria of Antoninus vpon the same riuer Knasborrow a towne and castle mounted vpon a steepe rocke vnder which runneth the riuer Nid Rippon at the confluence of the Vre and Skell Neere herevnto where is Ald-borough stood Isurium of Ptolemy and Antoninus a city of the Brigantes Yorke Eboracum of the same Authours a Municipium of the Romans the Mansion of their sixt Legion surnamed Victrix and the seate of their Emperours during the time of their abode in the Iland attending the warres of the Picts Caledonians famous for the death and funerall exequies of the Emperours Severus Constantius and the happie inauguration of Constantine the Great son to Constantius here beginning his raigne ouer the Roman and Christian world now a Metropolitane sea and the second city of the kingdome the seate of the President and Councell of the North standing in a plaine vpon both sides of the Ouse populous and well traded with Merchands thorough the commodity of the riuer round spacious within the walls and thick builded In the large and beautifull Cathedrall Church of S. Peter begun although not with that state hauing beene sundry times rebuilt by Edwin S t Oswald the first Christian kings of Northumberland is seene amongst other more costly monuments the tombe epitaphe of Brian Higden sometimes Deane hereof whom with all due thankefulnes I remember vnder God the founder of those meanes whereby I haue beene enabled to those other studies West of the city lie Ackham hils the place where the Exequies of the Emperour Severus were celebrated raysed vpon that occasion Selbye further downe vpon the Ouse amongst woods marishes the Birth place of Henrie the first sonne to the Conquerour the first English Norman king THE EAST-RIDING BOunded vpon the South East with Humber the German Ocean and with the riuer Derwent from the West North-Ridings The parts along the Derwent and towards the Ocean are low and fat soiles chiefly Holdernes a long Chersonese the Promontorie Ocellum of Ptolemy enclosed with the sea Humber and the riuer of Hull Betwixt these riseth Yorkes-would high and grassie downes good arable and pasturage for sheepe Townes of more note are Howden vpon the Ouse neere vnto the fall thereof into Humber Vpon the Derwent Auldby Derventio of the Notitia the station of a foote company named from hence the Derventionenses Vnder the Woulds Pocklington Wighton Delgovitia of Antoninus Close by vpon the hils standeth God-manham Gotmundin-gaham of Beda a place or temple of idolatrous worship vnder the Pagan Saxons burnt downe and destroyed by Coifi chiefe Priest of the Idols converted to Christianity by Paulinus the first Arch-bishop of Yorke Behind the Woulds vpon the riuer of Hull Beverley the Cell or religious recesse of Saint Iohn sometimes Arch-bishop of Yorke deceasing in the yeare 721 canonized a Saint and here enshrined occasioning the towne Kingston vpon Hull seated in a flat at the fall of the riuer into Humber a walled town and the chiefe port of these parts defended with rampires bulwarkes sundry block-houses or castles In Holdernes Headon vpon Humber Patrington Praetorium of Antoninus Beyond lyeth the Spurne head the furthest point of the Promontorie Ocellum of Ptolemy of late yeares and in our memorie broken off and devided from the Continent made an Iland Bridlington vpon the German Ocean Hard by is Flamborough head a large noted Promontory The sea lying vnder the Lee hereof to the South seemeth to haue beene the Bay or Roade named of the Gabrantovici by Ptolemy THE NORTH-RIDING BOunded vpon the South with the riuers Derwent Ouse from the North and East-Ridings vpon the East with the German Ocean vpon the North with the riuer Tees from the Bishoprick of Durham and vpon the West with hills from Westmoreland rocky and mountainous in the extreame parts towards Westmoreland and the sea in the middle plaine and more fruitfull contayning foure chiefe names or devisions Blackamore Cliueland North-Allerton-shire Rich-mondshire Places of better note are in Blackamore Scarborough a sea-port defended with a strong castle on all sides vnles to the West environed with high and precipitious cliffs The subject Ocean yeeldeth plenty of fishing neglected by the lesse industrious provident English and occupied by the Dutch with leaue notwithstanding by auncient custome to be obtayned from the castle Whitbye The sea-coasts hereabouts as else-where afford good geate found in the clefts of the rocks More within the land Pickering Kirkby-Moreside Malton vpon the riuer Derwent In Cliueland Gisburgh enjoying a most sweete and pleasant situation The countrie amongst other profits is plentifull in Allom discouered of late yeares Not farre off is Ounsbery-Topping a noted sea-marke Yarum vpon the Tees Vpon the riuer Wisk vnder the hils North-Allerton naming the Shire or Devision In Richmond-shire Catarick Caturactonium of Ptolemy Cataracton of Antoninus in the Roman militarie roade vpon the riuer Swale Higher vpon the same riuer Richmond the chiefe towne of the Devision Betwixt the Swale the Tees Bowes Lavatrae of the Notitia the station of a foote company of the Exploratores or Sentinells Here beginneth Stanemore a high mountainous region stony vast desert almost fruitles vnles for cattaill exposed to continuall windes and stormes and affording a slutchie troublesome and ill way for travellers The like or worse affected are all the Westerne parts hereof bordering vpon Westmoreland and Lancashire In the middle of Stanemore standeth the Rerecrosse or Reicrosse the bounder betwixt the two kingdomes of England Scotland at what time that Westmoreland Cumberland were Scottish set vp by the Conquerour The whole is devided into 28 Hundreds containing 46 Market townes 563 parishes The auncient inhabitants were the Brigantes of Tacitus afterwards the Deiri of Beda part of the Northumbrian Saxons THE BISHOPRICK OF DVRHAM BOunded vpon the South with the river Tees from Yorkeshire vppon the East with the German Ocean vpon the North with the Tine and the Derwent from Northumberland and vpon the West with Mores from Westmoreland The sea-coasts are good ground and well replenished with townes the parts towards Westmoreland rocky wast solitary and ill inhabited Places of note are Barnards-Castle vpon the Tees Darlington Vpon the Wire Aukland graced with a palace of the Bishops
iurisdiction or their Delegates offices for the most part hereditary to noble families The Country containeth 34 parts or diuisions Merch. Lauden Tweedale Teifidale Liddesdale c. Annandale Niddesdale Galloway Carick Kyle Cuningham Arran Cluidesdale c. Lennox Stirling Fife Strath-ern MeÌ„teith Argile Cantire and Lorne lying vpon the South of the riuer Taye and Braid-albin Loquabria Perth Athol Anguis Mern Marre Buquhan Murray Rosse Sutherland Catnesse and Strath-Navern lying vpon the South of that river the middle of the kingdome MERCH LYing vpon the German Ocean betwixt Northumberland in England and Lauden More noted places are Hume-Castle naming the familie of the Humes Kelso Coldingham Coldana of Beda and not vnprobably Colania of Ptolemy Fast-Castle belonging to the Humes vpon the Promontory S. Ebbes LAVDEN EXtended along the same Ocean betwixt Merch and the Frith of Edenburg fruitfull in corne and inhabited by an industrious and civill people Chiefer townes are Hadington in a plaine vpon a small rivulet named the Tine Below vpon the Ocean and neare vnto the mouth of that river stood sometimes the strong Castle of Dunbar in the yeare 1567 destroyed by the commande of the States iealous of the surprisall thereof by rebells Musselborough vpon the riuer Eske memorable for a great overthrow of the Scots giuen by the English vnder Edward Duke of Somerset protectour of the Realme of England in the minority of king Edward the Sixt. Leith a noted port vpon the Frith of Edenborough Bodotria of Tacitus and Boderia of Ptolemy the seate of warre of the French in the raigne of Queene Mary wife vnto Francis the Dolphin besieged and thrust out by the ioinct armes of Queene Elizabeth of famous memorie and the Scottish nobility Edenburgh the chiefe citty of the kingdome extended betwixt West and East vpon a hil or rising ground of some mile in length some halfe a mile in breadth populous faire and through the neighbourhood of the Frith and Leith rich and well traded defended with wals and a magnificent and strong castle mounted vpon a steepe and precipitious rocke towards the West end of the Towne Some suppose here to haue beene Alata Castra of Ptolemy but erroneously Linlithquo or Lithquo vpon a Lake neere vnto the head of the Frith supposed to be Lindum of Ptolemie a citty of the Damnij of the same Authour TWEEDALE COntinued along the Tweede towards Merch Berwijck commended for sheepe and woolls More chiefe places are Drimlar Castle and Peblis and Selkirck Sherifdomes or Praefectureships for the vally all standing vpon the Tweede TIVIDALE SEated among rocky hills betwixt Tweedale and Northumberland and along the course of the river Teviot Places of more note are Iedburg neere vnto the confluence of the Ied and Teviot and Roxburg a decayed castle at the meetings of the Teviot and Tweede the Sherifdome of the country fatall to the Scots by the vntimely death of king Iames the second slaine in the siege hereof by the English These fowre seeme to containe the Gadeni of Ptolemie ESKE-DALE LIDDES-DALE AND EVSE-DALE NAmed thus from and extended vpon the rivers Eske and the Lidden and Euse by the Eske disburdened in the Solway neere to Caerlile The chiefe place is the Hermitage a strong castle in Liddesdale ANNANDALE COntinued vpon both sides of the riuer Annan falling into the Frith of Solway against Burgh vpon the Sands in Cumberland More noted places are the Castle Maban strongly seated within the Lake Maban and the towne Annand standing vpon the riuer thus named nere vnto the fall therof into the Frith NIDISDALE LYing to the West of Annandale vpon the riuer Nid Nobius of Ptolemy receiued into the Solway below the riuer Annan Places of better note are vpon the Nid Sanghuer Castle wherof are entitl'd the Lords Sanqhuer of the house or name of the Creichtons Morton naming the Earles Morton of the name of Duglas Dunfreis nere to the fall of the riuer a rich well traded Emporie the chiefe towne of these parts At the mouth of the riuer Caerlaverock castle Carbantorigum of Ptolemie the house now of the Lord Maxwels Vpon a lake more remote from the river Glencarne whereof are stiled the Earles of Glencarne of the house of the Cuninghams These from Eskedale seeme more anciently to haue contained the Elgovâ—e or Selgovae of Ptolemy imparting their name to bordering Frith of Solway GALLOWAY RIsing with grassie hils betwixt Nidisdale vpon the East and Carict vpon the North and enclosed vpon the other sides with the Irish Ocean the most Westerne part this way of the kingdome Places of more note are vpon the riuer Dee Dea of Ptolemy Kircoubright a commodious haven and Seneschaussee Wigton a Sherifdome and a commodious Port betwixt the rivers Blaidnoo and Crea Whit-herne Leucopibia of Ptolemy a Bishops sea the seat sometimes of S. Ninian the Apostle of the Northern Picts Beyond lyeth the Mul of Galloway a Promontory and Chersonese ioyned to the continent by a very narrow neck of land the Promontory of the Novantes of Ptolemy the furthest point of Galloway towards the West and Ireland CARICT SEated vpon the Irish Ocean betwixt Galloway and Kile rich in pasturages corne and commodities arising from the sea Places of more note are Bargeny Berigonium of Antoninus and Cassil Castle the seat of the Earles thus named of the house of the Kennedyes KYLE VPon the Irish Ocean or Frith of Dunbriton betwixt Carict and Cuningham populous and well inhabited The chiefe towne is Aire a Sherifdome and a noted port Empory at the fall of the river thus called into the Ocean or Frith of Dunbriton CVNINGHAM VPon the Frith or Irish Ocean betwixt Kyle and Dunbriton More noted places are vpon the Sea-coast Irwin a small Port at the mouth of the Irwin a river parting this Country and Kyle Ardrossan Castle Largis Neerer Dunbriton Eglington Castle naming the Earles of Eglington The parts inclusiuely from Galloway were the Novantes of Ptolemie CLVYDS-DALE LYing vpon both sides of the river Cluyd from the head thereof in Crawford-Moore towards the Frith of Dunbriton 〈…〉 Duglas Castle in Duglas-dale a valley vpon the river Douglas naming the ancient and noble familie of the Duglasses Lanric a Sherifdome at the confluence of the Duglas and Cluyd Hamilton Castle vpon the Cluyd naming the house and Marquesses of Hamilton Bothwell whereof the Earles Bothwell were entitl'd vpon the Cluyd Farther downe vpon the same riuer Glascow an Arch-bishops sea an Vniversity and the chiefe towne Betwixt this and Cuningham lyeth the Barony of Renfrew named thus froÌ„ the towne a Sherifdome hereditary to the Lord Sempils LENNOX LYing vpon the North of the river Cluyd whereby it is divided from the Barony of Renfrew and by the river Kelwin parted from Cluydes-dale or the Sherifdome of Glascow named thus from the riuer Levin Lelanonius of Ptolemy issuing forth of
Lough Lomoâ—â— a spacious Lake of whose Ilands strange wonders are spoken spreading here vnder the mountaine Grampius for some 24 miles in length and some 8 in breadth and falling into the Cluyd at Dunbriton More noted places are Kilmoronock vpon the East side of the Lake a faire house of the Earles of Cassel Dunbriton a towne and Castle a Sherifdome and the strongest hold of the kingdome seated in a grassie plaine at the fall of the Levin into the Cluyd vpon two steepe precipitious rockes flancked vpon the West with the two rivers and vpon the East with a myrie flat drowned at every Full-sea THE SHERIFDOME OF STERLING DIvided with mountaines from Lennox and with the river Aven from Lauden having vpon the East the Bodotria or Frith of Edenborough a plentifull and rich soile and much graced with the seates and houses of the Scottish Nobilitie The chiefe towne is Striuelin or Sterlin vpon the Forth defended with a faire and strong castle The more ancient inhabitants hereof and from Cluydesdale seeme to be the Damnij of Ptolemy Through this country passed the trench or wall of Iulius Agricola and Lollius Vrbicus before mentioned continued for about the space of 30 miles for such is only the narrow distance here betwixt the two seas from Abercorne vpon the Frith of Edenburgh vnto Dunbriton or Kirck-patrick the farthest limit Northwards of the Romane Empire with the two Friths the bounder betwixt them and the Picts or Caledonians as afterwards betwixt the Saxons or English and the Picts and Scots The tract hereof in manie places is yet appearing and is called Grahams-dike by the Natiues The part of the Iland betwixt this and the wall of Severus containing the countries of Scotland already described with Northumberland in England was named Valentia in Rufus Festus and the Author of the Notitia being one of the fiue generall Provinces whereinto the Romans divided their British conquests vncertainely held by them vntill the expiration of their Empire inhabited by the Mâ—â—tae of Xiphilinus afterwards by the Bernicij part of the Northumbrian English MENTEITH BOrdering vpon Sterling and Menteith diuided herefrom by the Forth and named thus from the riuer Teith or Taich falling into the Forth The chiefe towne is Dunblan a Bishops sea vpon the Taich STRATH-ERN LYing to the North of Menteith and continued along the course of the riuer Ern arising in the Lake Em vnder Drum-albin part of the hill Grampius and falling into the Taye below S. Iohns-Towne Places of more note are Drumin Tulibardin Duplin castles situate vpon the Erne Towards Fife and the East hereof and Menteith lie the Prefectures or Sherifdomes of Clackmannan and Kinross FIFE COntained betwixt the Frith of Edenborough and the mouth of the Taio plentifull in corne pasturage sea-cole and in commodities and profits arising from the Ocean populous and full of townes along the Sea-coast Places of more note are Aberneth neere Straith-ern and at the fall of the riuer Ern into the Taye the chiefe seat sometimes and residence of the kings of the Picts S. Andrewes vpon the Ocean nere vnto the fall of the Ethan an Vniuersity and an Archbishops sea the Primate of Scotland More within the land Cuper vpon the Eden or Ethan a iuridicall resort the seat of the Sheriff Falkland a pleasant secesse of the Scottish kings retiring thither for the pleasure and commodity of hunting THE SHERIF-DOME OF PERTH COntinued vpon the riuer Taye Townes of better note are Dunkelden a bishops sea Perth or S. Iohns-Towne in the middle of the kingdome a walled Towne faire and peopled with industrious inhabitants both seated vpon the Taye Beyond in Goury a Champion and fruitfull country on the further side of the riuer is Scone sometimes a famous Monastery the place of inauguration of the Scottish kings Arrol further downe vpon the Taye the seate of the Earles of Arrol ATHOL LYing vpon the North of the Taye rough woodie and Mountainous part sometimes of the wood Caledonia of Cacitus with other bordering countries strong fastnesses of the Picts and Northern Britons against the Romans and of later yeares of the Scots in their hard warrs with the English in the raignes of Edward the first and Edward the third ANGVIS EXtended along the German Ocean betwixt the mouth of the Taye and the riuer Eske plentifull in wheate corne and pasturages Places of more note are Forfar neerer Gowry the seat of the Sheriffs Dundee a rich and noted port at the mouth of the Taye Brechin vpon the Eske a Bishops sea Mont-rose at the mouth of the Eske naming the Earles of Mont-rose MERNE COntinued along the same Ocean betwixt Anguis and the river Eske vpon the South and Marre and the Dee vpon the North plaine and abundantly fruitfull The chiefe place is Dunnotyr Castle mounted vpon a steepe and inaccessable rock overlooking the subiect Ocean the seat of the Sherifs MARRE LYing with a narrow point vpon the same Ocean betwixt the falls of the rivers Dee and Done or Merne and Buquhan within the land spreading more wide and extending some 60 miles Westward The Sea-coast and along the riuers are more plaine fruitfull and better inhabited The parts towards the West swell with mountaines and hills branches of the Grampius The chiefe townes are old Aberdon at the mouth of the Dee new Aberdon an Vniversitie and a Bishops sea at the mouth of the Done distant about a mile a sunder Towards the West betwixt this country and Loquabria riseth the high country of Badgenoth containing part of the Grampius BVQVHAN Vpon the same Ocean from Marre and the river Done vpon the South extended towards Murray Northwards well stored with grasse sheep and pasturage Betwixt this and Murray or the riuer Speye lye the small countries and prefectures of Bamff a Sherifdome Boen Ainz Straithbogye or the vally of the river Bogie MVRRAY EXtended vpon the same Ocean froÌ„ the riuer Speye vnto the Lake river of Nesse parting it froÌ„ Rosse Here beginneth the mountaine Grampius of Tacit. continued from hence with a perpetuall ridge of high hills South-West ouer Badgenoth Athol Braid-albin vnto the Lake LomuÌ„d Lennox spreading into other neighbouring Countries Places of more note are Rothes Castle vpon the Spey naming the Earles of Rothes Elgin Forres and Narne Sherifdomes or Prefectureshipss for the division The Lake and river of Nesse freezeth not in the hardest time of winter through a warme qualitie of the water infused from mineralls in the neighbouring mouÌ„tains out of which they issue extended some 24 miles Westwards and with Logh-Loth froÌ„ the which it is diuided by a small neck of Mountaines Logh Aber whereinto this is disburdened falling into the Westerne Ocean parting Rosse Loqhuabria other the more Northerly regions from the rest of the Continent of Scotland ROSSE EXtended betwixt both Seas the German Westerne
warres or more honourable and gainefull conquests Towards the waine of the Romans Empire they are named the Scots the occasion or reason hereof we finde not subduing the neighbouring Picts and Caledonians and giuing the name of Scotland to the Northern part of the Brittish Continent Leauing there this new affected name they lastly resume and returne here vnto their first and more wonted name of Irish. Their gouerment anciently was vnder many petty kings or tyrants In the raigne of king Henry the second occasioned through the quarrels hereof they are first made subiect to the English whose princes were stiled Lords of Ireland King Henry the eight by the good likeing of the natiues first assumed the title of King continued euer since in his successours More lately they were distinguished into the Irish and the English Pales or the Wild and Civill Irish whereof these obeyed the English lawes the other were let loose to their barbarous customes and liuing The happy successe of the last warres against Tir-oën and the wisdome and zeale of King Iames of happy memory put an end to this diuision the country being now every where planted with ciuill inhabitants and the whole reduced to an English Province The lawes whereby the people are governed are their Acts of Parliament and the Municipall or Common Lawes of England executed by the Lord Deputy or Vice-roy for the king Presidents Iudges Sheriffs other English names of Magistrates Their Religion which only is allowed is the Reformed or Protestant yet where the pretended Catholique or Roman doth more prevaile amongst the vulgar through their discontent or an inbred and rooted superstition Their Cleargie are Archbishops Bishops and Inferiour rankes whose Primate is Armagh and first Apostle S. Patricius or Patrick in the yeare 432 and the raigne of the Emperour Valentinian the third a Scot or Irishman after my author nephew to S. Martin Bishop of Tours and Disciple to S. German The Religious of this nation Monkes of an ancient institution haue been no lesse deseruing then their neighbours of Great Brittaine chast and holy Seminaries of pietie and religion during the Primitiue times of the English French and Dutch Churches but who passing vnder the generall name of the Scots for both then were thus called are oftentimes mistaken by their readers for the Scots of the Continent The country is divided into 5 greater names or Provinces petty kingdomes sometimes of the Irish Vlster Leinster Meth. Conaght Mounster VLSTER BOunded vpon the East North and West with the Ocean and vpon the South with Leinster Meth and Conaght The country is large the soil good deepe pasturages but otherwise vntill the English last plantation lesse fruitfull through the sloathfulnesse of the wild natiues overgrowne with vast and thicke woods bogs lakes and marishes Chiefe townes are Knocfergus in Antrim within a spacious bay Vinderius of Ptolemie a garrison towne and a commodious Port neere to Cantire and Scotland Vpon the same Easterne shore and in Louth Carlingford Dundalk Tredah at the mouth of the riuer Boine a faire and populous towne the next to Leinster Within Armagh neere to the river Kalin an Archbishops sea the Primate of the kingdome The Province containeth ten shires or counties Louth Cavon Fermanagh encompassing the great Lake Erne Monaghan Armagh Down Antrim Colran Tir-oen and Tir conell or Donegall The ancient inhabitants were the Darnij Voluntij Robognij and Erdini of Ptolemy LEINSTER EXtended along the Irish Ocean from Tredah Vlster and the river Boine vnto the Neure and Mounster vpon the South and bounded towards the West with Meth and the riuer Shaâ—on from Canaght The soile is fruitfull better manured and lesse encombred with woods the inhabitants more civill descended for a great part from the English and conforming to their habit and custome of living Chiefe townes are Dublin Eblana of Ptolemie vpon the Ocean at the fall of the river Liff Libnius of Ptolemy an Archbishops sea and the seat of the Lord Deputy or Viceroy of the kingdome rich strong populous and beautified with faire buildings Without standeth a College consecrated to the Muses and the name of the holy Trinitie a small Vniversitie founded by Queene Elizabeth of happy memory Weisford Menapia of Ptolemie at the mouth of the Slane the river Modona of the same author the first place in Ireland subdued by the English and peopled with their Colonies Within the land Kildare a Bishops sea Kilkenny vpon the river Neure the best towne of all the inland parts The whole containeth 7 divisions or shires Dublin Weisford Kildare Kings-Countie Queenes countie or the Lease Caterlogh and Kilkenny The ancient inhabitants were the Menapij Cauci Blanij and Brigantes of Ptolemy METH SEated in the middle of the Iland betwixt Leinster Conaught and Vlster It containeth East-Meth West-Meth and the countie of Longford Towns here are Trim in East-Meth vpon the river Boyne and Molingar in West-Meth The ancient inhabitants were part of the Blanij of Ptolemy CONAGHT BOunded vpon the West with the Irish Ocean vpon the North with Vlster and vpon the East and South with Meth Leinster and Mounster by the great river Shanon Senus of Ptolemie arising out of the mountaines of Letrim and after a long course hauing made sundry great lakes by the way falling into the Westerne Ocean some 60 miles below Limerick In the North hereof rise Curlew Mountaines fatall to the English by their slaughter and overthrow during the late Irish warres It containeth 6 shires or Counties Letrim Roscoman Slego Maio Galway and Twomund The chiefe towne and the third citty of the kingdome is Galway a Bishops sea a faire rich and well frequented Port neere vnto the fall of the great lake or river Corbes into the Westerne Ocean The ancient inhabitants were the Gangani Auteri and Nagnatae of Ptolemie MOVNSTER BOunded vpon the South-East and West with the Ocean and vpon the North with Leinster and the river Shanon from Conaght divided amongst 6 Counties Limerick Tipperarie Corck Waterford Desmond and Kerry Chiefe townes are Limerick in an Iland encompassed with the riuer Shanon a Bishops sea and a well traded Empory Waterford a rich Port and the second citty of the kingdome vpon the river Suire Corck a Bishops sea Kinsale a walled towne and a commodious Port at the mouth of the river Bany The ancient inhabitants were the Velibori Vodiae Vterni and Coriondi of Ptolemie Other more noted Ilands of Great Brittaine are 1 those of Orkney 2 those of Schetland lying in 63 degrees of Latitude 3 the Westerne Ilands belonging to the Crowne of Scotland 5 Subject to the English Crowne Man 6 Those of Silly 7 Wight and Holy Iland c. THE FIFTH BOOKE COntayning the present bounds situation and quality of Spaine The Inhabitants Their manners languages and religion The institution power and courts of their Inquisition The number and order of their Bishops The Religious del
surnamed the Stammerer joynt Kings created in the minority of Charles the Simple Lewis the second deceasing Carloman raigned alone who dyed not long after Lewis the third surnamed le Fay-neant sonne to Carloman His raigne was but short deposed for his slought many vices and shorne Monke of Saint Denys Charles surnamed the Fat son to Lewis the Auncient King of Germany and Emperour of the Romans called in by his faction elected King of West-France in the minority of Charles the Simple Hee was deposed not long after and deprived of all his estates dying in great misery and want nere vnto Constance in Germany in the yeare 889. Eudon guardian to Charles the Simple son to Robert Earle of Aniou son to Witichind prince of the Saxons in the raigne of the Emperour Charles the Great in the minority of his pupill after the Emperour Charles the Fat created French King After some two yeares raigne he was likewise deposed by this factious vnconstant nation succeeded vnto by Charles the Simple By meanes notwithstanding of this election there followed afterwards long quarrels and contention for the kingdome betwixt his kindred the house of Aniou and Charles the Simple and his issue during the whole Caroline line a chiefe pretence of Capets vsurpation Charles the Simple the legitimate son of the Emperour Lewis surnamed the Stammerer He had warres with Robert Earle of Aniou brother to King Eudon in regard of the election of Eudon pretending right to the kingdome and slaine by him in a battaill After a short and troublesome raigne caught imprisoned at Peronne by Hebert Earle of Vermandois and forsaken by the nobility hee resigned the kingdome to Rodulph Duke of Burgundy Transiuraine Rodulph Duke of Burgundy Transiuraine son to Conrade Earle of Burgundy Transiuraine brother to Robert the first Earle of Aniou vncle to King Eudon vpon the imprisonment and forced resignation of Charles the Simple elected French King Lewis the fourth son to Charles the Simple and Elgina daughter to Edward surnamed the Elder and sister to Athelstan Kings of England surnamed the Forreiner for that during the captivity of his father and the vsurpation of Rodulph he lived exiled with his vncle Athelstan in England after the death of the vsurper called home and restored to the kingdome Hee had wars with Hugh surnamed the Great Earle of Paris Majour of the Palace son to Robert the second jealous of the popularity greatnes and the ambition of that house Lothaire son to Lewis the fourth In the raigne hereof Hugh Capet heire of the house of Aniou son to Hugh the Great begun againe to renew the auncient quarell of his family touching the kingdome the which not long after he obtayned Lewis the fift son to Lothaire He dyed young without issue the last French King of the house of Charles the Great Hugh Capet son to Hugh the Great Earle of Paris and Majour of the Palace after much quarrell betwixt the houses of Aniou and of Charles the Great thorough a long basenes slougth and pusillanimity of the degenerate princes of that line the present dislike of Charles Duke of Lorraine the next heire the long greatnes and still growing popularity of his house his flattery and crafty insinuations with the nobility and people and religious pretences and of his right and succession to King Eudo and Rodulph in the yeare 965 elected king by this wavering nation Charles Duke of Lorraine excluded caught afterwards by him and imprisoned during life Robert son to Hugh Capet Henry the first younger son to Robert preferred by his father before Robert his elder brother succeeding in the Dukedome of Burgundy Philip the first son to Henry the first Lewis the sixt son to Philip the first Lewis the seaventh son to Lewis the sixt About the raigne of this prince dyed Iohn de Temporibus by the stiffe consent of the French and German writers reported to haue lived from the Emperour Charles the Great vnto this time for aboue the space of 300 yeares Philip the second surnamed Augustus sonne to Lewis the seaventh Lewis the eight son to Philip the second Lewis the ninth surnamed the Saint son to Lewis the eight Philip the third son to Lewis the ninth Philip the fourth surnamed the Faire son to Philip the third Lewis the tenth surnamed Hutin son to Philip the Faire Hee deceased without male issue Philip the fift surnamed the Tall brother to Lewis the tenth Hee also dyed without issue male Charles the fourth brother to Lewis Hutin and Philip the Tall. He also deceased without male issue Philip the sixt surnamed of Valois the next prince of the blood of the line masculine succeeding by the pretence of a Salique Law In the raigne hereof began those long and fierce wars betwixt the French Edward the third King of England descended of Isabel daughter to Philip the fourth pretending in this right for the kingdomes the issue whereof was the great overthrowes of the French at the battails of Crecy and Poictiers the captivity of Iohn French King and the restitution of Normandy and other parts of France taken from the English by King Philip Augustus lost notwithstanding not long after to King Charles the fift with Aquitaine Guienne vntill that time still held by the English nation Iohn French King sonne to Philip the sixt taken prisoner in the English warres by Edward Prince of Wales son to Edward the third at the battaile of Poictiers Charles the fift son to Iohn He recovered againe the countries of Normandy Aquitaine and Guienne and whatsoever else the English held in the continent of France the towne and forts about Calis onely excepted Charles the sixt son to Charles the fift In the raigne hereof fell out that fatall discord betwixt the houses of Orleans and Burgundy by the advantage whereof the weakenes of this phrenetique king and their victory at Agincourt Charles the Dolphin disinherited and Henry the fift King of England having married Catherinne his daughter made Regent of France the English again got seazed of the chiefest parts of the kingdome hereof Henry the sixt King of England being afterwards crowned king of France at Paris Charles the seaventh son to Charles the sixt After long trouble warres Philip the Good and the faction of Burgundy reconciled hee againe cleered France of the English the towne countrey of Calis excepted Lewis the eleaventh son to Charles the seaventh Charles the eight son to Lewis the eleaventh He dyed sans issue Lewis the twelth Duke of Orleans and Valois the next prince of the blood of the line masculine Hee marryed vnto Anne Dutchesse of Bretaigne and deceased without heire male Francis the first Duke of Engoulesme the next prince of the blood of the race masculine He marryed vnto Claude Dutchesse of Bretaigne daughter to Lewis the twelth Anne and incorporated Bretaigne to the crowne of France Henry the second son to Francis the first He wonne the towne countrey of
Elizabeth of most famous memory it was surprised by the English and for a time held by that nation for Calice detained by the French surrendred thorough sicknes amongst the souldiers and for want of fresh water which is altogether conveyed hither from the hils without by conduit pipes cut of by the enemie the onely weakenes of the towne Within the land not farre of is the towne of Yvetot sometimes stiled a kingdome in regard of the ancient exemptions and priviledges of the Lords thereof from al homage and subjection to the kings of France It is now a principality in the house of Bellay Diepe at the mouth of a little river so called a well frequented Port especially for the trade of the West-Indies and New-found-land S. Valerie an other haven towne lying betwixt Diepe and Havre de Grace Caux the country hereof were the Caletes of Caesar the Caleti of Strabo THE PARLIAMENT OF PARIS COmprehending Picardie Champaigne Brie France Special Beausse Poictou Engoulmois Berry Bourbonois Forest Beaujolois Lionois and Auvergne PICARDIE BOunded vpon the West with Normandy and the British Ocean vpon the North with Artois and Hainault of the Low Countries vpon the East with Luxemburg and Lorraine and vpon the South with Champaigne and France Speciall The countrie is fruitfull in corne the store-house of Paris Chiefer townes are Abbe-ville a Bishops sea and Bailliage the best towne of Ponthieu vpon the river Some Monstreul Nere herevnto is Crecie the French Cannae famous for their great overthrow and the victorie of the English in the raigne of Philip the sixt These two lie in Ponthieu which is a low fenny country named thus frō the many bridges made over the moorish flats thereof Boulogne Portus Gessoriacus of Caesar Gesoriacum Navale of Ptolemie Portus Morinorum of Plinie and civitas Bononensium of Antoninus a Bailliage and Bishops sea vpon the English chanell The towne hath beene made strong especially since the surprisall thereof by K. Henry the eight and the English divided into the Higher the Lower Boulogne distant about an hundred paces asunder and severally walled and fortified The haven serveth rather for passage into England then for traficke and negotiation The country neighbouring is named from hence le Pais Boulognois Pagus Gessoriacus of Plinie and the Bononenses of Antoninus part of the Morini of Caesar Strabo and Plinie Calais Portus Iccius of Caesar Portus Britannicus Morinorum of Pliny and Promontorium Itium of Ptolemy a strong sea-coast towne at the entrance of the English chanell and the borders of Artois After the battaill of Crecy and a whole yeares siege it was taken by Edward the third king of England held afterwards and peopled by the English with the neighbouring forts and townes of Oye Hams Ardres and Guisnes vntill the late lesse prosperous raigne of Queene Mary when it was surprised by Henrie the second French king Here the passage is shortest betwixt the continent of Europe and the Iland of Great Bretaigne accompted some thirty miles over named by the French le Pas de Calais Amiens Samarobrina of Caesar Samarobriga of Ptolemy and civitas Ambianensis of Antoninus a Bishops sea and Bailliage and the chiefe cittie in Picardie vpon the riuer Some with whose divided streames it is round encompassed the occasion as some conjecture of the name The towne is strong and well fortified the bulwarke of France on this part towards Netherland The country were the Ambiani of Caesar Pliny and Ptolemy occasioning most likely the name of the towne Corbie Peronne vpon the Some Roie Mondidier strong frontire places opposing the same enemie The three last lie in the district or territory named Santerre Noion Noviodunum of Caesar a Bishops sea the country of reverent Calvin S. Quintini Augusta Romanduorum of Ptolemie and civitas Veromannorum of Antoninus a strong towne in the same broder the chiefe of the country of Vermanduois Fere a strong towne against the same enemie the chiefe of the country of Tartenois part of the Vermanduois the Veromandui of Caesar and Pliny the Rhomandues of Ptolemy and the Veromanni of Antoninus Laon a Bishops sea The Bishop is one of the 12 Peers of France Soissons Augusta Vessonum of Ptolemie a Bishops sea vpon the river Aisne the last place the Romanes held in Gaule vnder Siagrius driven out by Clovys he fift king of the French Afterwardes in the division of the French Monarchie by the sonnes and posterity of Clovys the Great it was made the head of a particular kingdome called from hence the Kingdome of Soissons Soissonois or the country hereof were the Suessones of Caesar the Suessiones of Strabo and Pliny the Vessones of Ptolemy and the Suessiani of Antoninus with Noion and Laon now part of the more general country or name of Vermanduois Retel frontiring vpon Lorraine From hence the neighbouring country is called le Pais Retelois Guise a strong towne and castle vpon the same border and the river Oyse in the particuler country of Tirasche Hereof were entitled the late Dukes of Guise descended from the house of Lorraine CHAMPAIGNE SVrrounded with Picardy Barrois Lorraine Charolois the dukedome of Burgundy and France Speciall The country is plaine pleasant and fruitfull affording plenty of corne wines shadie woods meadowes riuers all sorts of pleasing and vsefull varieties Chiefer townes are Chaalon Civitas Catalaunorum of Antoninus a Bishops sea Pairry vpon the Marne The countrie about Chaalon were the Catalauni of Antoninus In the neighbouring plaines Campi Catalaunici of Cassiodorus was fought that great and famous battaile betwixt Aetius generall of the Romans for the Emperour Valentinian the third assisted by the Gothes and other barbarous nations and Attila king of the Huns. Rheims Durocortum of Caesar Durocottum of Ptolemy and Ciuitas Remorum of Antoninus a Metropolitan sea a Bailliage and the chiefe citty of Champaigne seated vpon the riuer Vasle The Archbishop is one of the. 12. Peeres of France Hither come the French kings to be consecrated The country were the Rhemi of Caesar Strabo Pliny Ptolemie and Antoninus Ligny vpon the riuer Sault Vitry sirnamed le Franeois vpon the rivers Sault and Marne the Bailliag◠and chiefe towne of Parthois Didier Perte naming the country Parthois both seated in Parthois and vpon the Marne Ian-ville a Seneschaussee vpon the Marne in the country of Vallage In the castle hereof magnificently seated vpon the top of an inaccessable high hil is seene the the tombe of Claude Duke of Guise one of the most costly monuments in France Vassey lying also in Vallage vpon the river Bloise enioying a most pleasant situation environed with shady forrests and woods Chaumont vpon the Marne the Bailliage for the country of Bassigny The castle here is very strong mounted vpon an high and steepe scalpe or rocke Trois Augustomana of Ptolemie and civitas Tricaffium of Antoninus a Bishops
this time for the most part continuing entire and vnder one became scattered as hath beene before related into sundry lesser peeces and names Brunswijck and Lunenburg being erected into the Dukedomes before mentioned Westphalia vsurped by Philip Bishop of Colen whose successours still hold the title of Dukes hereof the parts beyond the Weser by Bernard Bishop of Paderborn the Palatinate of Saxonie by Herman Lantgraue of Duringen Lubeck being annexed to the Empire and other parts otherwise carried Bernard the third descended of the familie of Anhalt sonne to Albertus Vrsus Marquesse of Brandenburg created Duke Electour of Saxonie by the Emperour Fredericke Barbarossa after the proscription of Henry the second surnamed the Lion He had the towne and little country of Wittenberg given vnto him by the Emperour Conrade the third his seat and of sundry the succeeding Dukes which part although lying without the riuer Saltza and the bounds of the ancient hath since notwithstanding obtained the account name of Saxonie called now the Higher Saxonie Albert the first sonne to Bernard the third Albert the second sonne to Albert the first Rodulph the first sonne to Albert the second Rodulph the second sonne to Rodulph the first Wenceslaus brother to Rodulph the second Rodulph the third sonne to Wenceslaus He died without issue male Albert the third brother to Rodulph the third He deceased without issue in the yeare 1422 in whom ended the Duke Electours of Saxonie of the house of Anhalt Fredericke the first surnamed the warlike Lantgraue of Duringen Marquesse of Meissen and Count Palatine of Saxonie created Duke Electour of Saxonie by the Emperour Sigismond By this meanes after so many flittings the title and dignitâ—e of the Electours and Dukes of Saxonie hath become quite remoued out of the ancient and true Saxonie confined within Duringen Meissen and the country about Wittenberg the only possessions of the moderne Dukes Fredericke the second sonne to Fredericke the first Ernest the first sonne to Fredericke the second Fredericke the third sonne to Ernest the first Hee deceased vnmarried Iohn brother to Frederick the third and sonne to Ernest the first Iohn-Fredericke sonne to Iohn the first He was taken prisoner in the Protestants warres in the yeare 1547 by the Emperour Charles the fift by whom he was depriued of his Electourship conferred vpon Duke Maurice his Dukedome and patrimony yet continuing in his house Maurice Duke of Saxonie of a younger house sonne to Henry Duke of Saxony sonne to Albert brother to the Electour Ernest the first appointed Electour in the place of Iohn Fredericke by the Emperour Charles the fift He died without male issue Augustus Duke Electour of Saxony brother vnto Maurice Christian the first son to Augustus Christian the second sonne to Christian the first deceasing in the yeare 1611 without heires Iohn George brother to Christian the second Duke Electour of Saxonie in the yeare 1616. The DVKEDOME of BRVNSWIICK This was sometimes a part of the ancient Dukedome of Saxonie The Estate as before was occasioned by meanes of the proscription of Henry surnamed the Lion Duke of Saxonie and Bavaria who being depriued of all his large possessions and honours by the Emperour Fredericke Barbarossa and afterwards by the mediation of his father in law Henry the second king of England being againe reconciled vnto the Emperour had the two citties of Brâ—nswijck and Lunenburg with their countries restored vnto him which left by him vnto his sonnes William and Henry with the title of Earles were afterwards in their persons erected into Dukedomes by the Emperour Fredericke the second In memory of their English descent the Princes hereof and of Lunenburg haue still since borne the armes of the first Kings of England in their escotcheons which theÌ„ were only two Lions rampant The Princes followe Henry Earle of Brunswijck sonne to Henry surnamed the Lion Duke of Saxonie and Bavaria created afterwards Duke of Brunswijck by the Emperour Fredericke the second He deceased without issue male succeeded vnto by Otho son to his brother William Duke of Lunenburg Otho Duke of Lunenburg sonne to William Duke of Lunenburg and grand-child vnto Henry the Lion duke of Saxonie and Bavaria after the decease of his vncle Henry without issue male succeeding likewise in the Dukedome of Brunswijck by the gift of the Emperour Fredericke the second By lands partly bought and partly giuen vnto him by the Emperour Fredericke the second hee much augmented the dukedome hereof in circuit and revenues Albert the First sonne to Otho the first duke of Brunswijck His brother Iohn succeeded in the Dukedome of Lunenburg the two Dukedomes being againe divided Albert the second sonne to Albert the first His brother Henry succeeded in the part of this Dukedome lying beyond the wood Hartz called afterwards from the seat of the prince the Dukedome of Grubenhagen continued in his successours vnto Wolfang and Philip in whom the line was extinguished Magnus the first sonne to Albert the second Duke of Brunswijck Hee became also Duke of Lunenburg the house of Iohn brother to Albert the first being extinguished in Otho and William Magnus the second surnamed with the chaine Duke of Brunswijck and Lunenburg sonne to Magnus the first Henry Duke of Brunswijck and Lunenburg sonne to Magnus the second William Duke of Brunswijck and Lunenburg sonne to Henry Vpon composition made with his vncle Bernard sonne to Magnus the second he yeelded vp vnto him the Dukedome of Lunenburg continued in his posterity William Duke of Brunswijck sonne to William Henry Duke of Brunswijck sonne to William the second Henry Duke of Brunswijck sonne to Henry Iulius Duke of Brunswijck sonne to Henry the younger Henry Iulius sonne to Iulius Duke of Brunswijck Hee married vnto Elizabeth daughter to Frederick the second and sister vnto Christierne the fourth kings of Denmarke Fredericke-Vlric and Christian Administratour of Halberstat sonnes to Henricus Iulius and Elizabeth sister to Christian the fourth king of Denmarke The rest of the princes of this house stiled likewise Dukes of Brunswijck but not continuing the house their lines being extinguished in regard of their number and to avoid confusion wee haue purposely omitted which methode we will obserue in the orders of the rest of the German Princes The DVKEDOME of LVNENBVRG How this state was first begun and occasioned we haue shewed in the Dukedome of Brunswijck The order of the Princes continuing the house follow William first Earle of Lunenburg afterwards Duke sonne to Henry the Lion Duke of Saxony and Bavaria Otho Duke of Lunenburg son to William His vncle Henry deceasing without male he succeeded likewise in the Dukedome of Brunswijcke Iohn Duke of Lunenburg sonne to Otho Duke of Brunswijck and Lunenburg His brother Albert succeeded in Brunswijck the two Dukedomes againe divided Otho Duke of Lunenburg sonne to Iohn Otho and William Dukes of Lunenburg sonnes to Otho the Elder They both deceased without issue male by which meanes after the custome of Germany
Duke of Kiovi In the minority of Ladislaus son to the Emperour Albert the second he was elected king of Hungary slaine in the battle of Varna by Amurath the second king of the Turkes young and without heires Casimir the fourth king of Poland and great Duke of Lithuania son to Iagello and Sconza and brother to Vladislaus the sixt Iohn Albert one of the younger sonnes of Casimir the fourth king of Poland He deceased vnmarried His elder brother Vladislaus after the decease of King George and of Matthias Corvinus succeeded in the kingdomes of Bohemia and Hungary Alexander Duke of Lithuania younger brother to Iohn-Albert Sigismond the first younger brother to king Alexander Hee conquered the land of Prussen from the Dutch-knights euer since annexed to the crowne of Poland with the part of East Pomeren belonging sometimes to that order Sigismond the second great Duke of Lithuania sonne to Sigismond the first He tooke from the Dutch-knights of Lieflandt the parts which the Kings of Poland now hold in that country He died without heires in whom ended the race masculine of the kings of Poland descended from the great Iagello By so many great enlargements the dominions of the kings of Poland are become at this day extended besides the two Polands over Prussen Lithuania Black Russia and Podolia with part of Pomeren and Lieflandt Henry Duke of Aniou brother to Francis the second and Charles the ninth French kings elected king of Poland after Sigismond the second His brother Charles the ninth deceasing without heires he voluntarily left the kingdome of Poland contented with his hereditarie of France Stephen Bathori Vaiwood of Transylvania after the departure of Henry the third French king elected king of Poland hauing married Anne sister to Sigismond the second Sigismond the third sonne to Iohn king of Sweathland by Catharine sister to Sigismond the second elected king of Poland after Stephen Bathori now raigning THE DVKEDOME OF SCHLESI THe name after Cromerus seemeth to haue beene giuen herevnto from the meeting here of sundry different people for thus the word Slezaci signifieth in the Polonian tongue It was sometimes part of Poland rent there frō by the diuision of that country amongst the numerous issue of Prince Boleslaus the 3 d the share of Vladislaus the 2 d his eldest son The maner we haue shewed in the succession of Poland Vladislaus deceasing during his banishment before he could returne home his part or divisiō in the year 1163 was surrēdred to his three sons Boleslaus Conrade Miezeslaus to be held vnder the homage right of the soveraigne Lords of Poland the first Dukes of Schlesi roote in a maner of all the succeeding commaunding in their severall divisiōs By Wenceslaus the second the Dukes of Schlesi of Breslaw Oppolen Ratibor Cessin and Bithom were made subject to the kings of Bohemia iealous of the power hereof distrusting the ability of the factious and divided Poles By king Iohn of Lutzenburg the Dukes of Glogaw Zegan Olentz Steinaw and Falkenburg for many then commanded togithet every son of a prince after the custome of those parts having his share and in their severall divisions bearing the title of the whole By the Emperour Charles the fourth the Dukedome of Schlesi of Sweinitz bequeathed vnto him by Boleslaus the last Duke In this maner the whole Schlesi quitting the part of the Poles became annexed to the crowne of Bohemia in which right it now resteth THE DANES THese were sometimes otherwise called the Normans signifying with the Dutch as in our moderne English tongue Northren-men named thus from such their situation the word being then common herevnto and to the Norweies and Sweathlanders and to all other vnknowne Barbarians issuing from the frozen tract of Scandia and the North. The word Dane Saxo Grammaticus Crantzius and others from their authoritie fabulously deriue from one Dan who should be king hereof about the yeare of the world 2898. Becanus no lesse absurdly but further about and with more trouble from Henen or Denen signifying in the Danish language a Cock the device or armes sometimes of the Alans their progenitours I marvell through what extraordinary pleasure of the heavens or clime c and fruitfulnesse of the soile or by what secret and vntroden waies invited and disbourding hither Andreas Velleius in Camden from the Dahi a people of Asia and the word Marck signifying a border Ethelwardus from Donia a towne sometimes situated herein Montanus vpon Mercator conjecturally from the Dutch word Aha signifying water in regard of the situation of their country being wholy either insulary or bounding vpon the Ocean The more judicious fetch their name from the baye or straight of the sea lying betwixt the Cimbrian Chersonese and Scandia called by Mela Sinus Codanus about which straight and in the Ilands thereof the nation since their first notice haue still to this day inhabited Of these we read not in any of the more ancient Greeke and Latine authors excepting Iornandes and Venantius Fortunatus who yet but sleightly passe them over In the French and English histories they are more frequently remembred by occasion of their long piracies and spoiles vpon the coasts hereof Their first cleare mention is in the raigne of Theodorick king of Austrasia about the yeare 516 agreeing with the time of Anastasius Emperour of the East vnder their King Cochliarius forraging vpon the Sea-coast of Gaule Belgicke belonging to the kingdome of Austrasia slaine in the returne by Theodebert sonne to Theodoricke After this we heare no more of them vntill the raigne of the Emperour Charles the Great vnder their Prince Godfrey then warring vpon the neighbouring Obotriti invading Freistandt with a fleet of 200 saile threatning the neighbouring Saxons with subjection and servitude and much endangering the Empire of the French if by the suddaine and vnexspected death hereof and their after dissention about the succession to the kingdome this mischiefe had not beene prevented Their mention afterwards is very frequent and famous during the race of the French kings of the Caroline line and of the Monarches of the English Saxons with sundry fleetes and armies and with might and furie vnresistable invading France and England conquering and subduing the English nation and occasioning in France the name and people of the Normans Their naturall and first country were the Ilands of the Sundt now Zealandt Funen and others with part of the neighbouring continent of Scandia But how farre they enlarged herein it is vncertaine Afterwards they overspread the adioining Cimbrian Chersonese as Becanus conjectureth not long after their slaughter and overthrow vnder Gochliarius by Theodebert disharmed thorough this diaster for attempting any more so hastily vpon the French and remoter provinces and in regard of their pestering multitudes thrusting into this next land made voide by the departure of the Iutes and English accompanying the Saxons into Great Brittaine A time notwithstanding more neere vnto the Emperour