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
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
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
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
to king Edward the third by Anna his wife daughter to Roger Mortimer Earle of March son to Edmund Mortimer Philippa daughter and sole heire of Lionel Duke of Clarence third son to king Edward king of England and France Lord of Ireland by conquest and the right of his house Edward the fift king of England and France and Lord of Ireland son to Edward the fourth deposed and afterwards murthered by his vnnaturall vncle Richard the third deceasing without issue Richard the third son to Richard Duke of Yorke and yonger brother to Edward the fourth He was slaine at Bosworth field against Henry the seaventh the last king of the name of Plantagenet Henry the seaventh king of England France and Lord of Ireland son to Edmund Earle of Richmund and Margaret his wife daughter to Iohn Duke of Somerset sonne to Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster by Catherine Swinford the next and almost onely surviuing person of the house of Lancaster butchered in the late warres The better to assure the kingdome to his posterity and to prevent all future quarrells he tooke to wife Elizabeth eldest daughter to king Edward the fourth vniting in his issue the vndoubted rights of both factions of Lancaster Yorke Henry the eight son to Henry the seaventh He made Ireland a kingdome and first assumed the title of Defendour of the faith Edward the sixt king of England France and Ireland son to Henry the eight Mary Queene of England France and Ireland daughter to Henry the eight sister to Edward Elizabeth of famous memory Queene of England France Ireland sister to Edward Mary Iames of happie memory the sixt of that name king of Scotland in the yeare 1602 the whole issue of king Henry the eight being extinguished in Elizabeth succeeding in the kingdome of England and the dominions therevnto belonging son to Henry Stuart Lord Darly and Mary Queene of the Scots daughter to Iames the fift son to Iames the fourth Margaret eldest daughter to king Henry the seaventh the first sole Monarch of Great Britaine and of the neighbouring Ilands Charles king of Great Britaine France Ireland whom God long preserue sonne to Iames of happie memorie In this sort the Iland of Great Britaine having suffered so many alterations is at length now become devided into two onely kingdomes governed by one Monarch but not any wise depending or subordinate to another the kingdome of England lying vpon the South of the river Tweede Solwey Frith and the kingdome of Scotland lying beyond The kingdome of England our present subject hath beene formerly devided into 52 Shires or Counties Kent Sussex Surrey Barkeshire Hantshire Wiltshire Somersetshire Dorsetshire Devonshire Cornwall Glocestershire Oxfordshire Buckinghamshire Bedfordshire Hartfordshire Middlesex Essex Suffolke Norfolke Cambridgeshire Huntingdonshire Northamptonshire Rutlandshire Leicestershire Lincolneshire Nottinghamshire Darbyshire Cheshire Staffordshire Warwickshire Worcestershire Shropshire Herefordshire Monmouthshire Glamorganshire Brecknockshire Radnorshire Caermardenshire Penbrokeshire Cardiganshire Merioneihshire Caernarvonshire Anglesey Denbighshire Flintshire Lancashire Yorkeshire the Bishopricke of Durham Westmoreland Cumberland Northumberland Of these Kent retayneth yet the auncient name Essex Sussex haue bin thus called from the East South-Saxons Midlesex from the situation of the English or Dutch inhabitants planted betwixt the West South East Mercian Saxons Devonshire or Denshire from the Danmonij the auncient British inhabitants Westmoreland from the more Westerne position and quality of the countrey being hilly and full of fruitles wasts named Mores by the Northerne English Northumberland from the English kingdome of Northumberland whereof it was a part Rutlandshire most probably from the ruddie colour of the soile Barkeshire from the wood Berroc after Asser Menevensis Glamorganshire from the word Mor signifying the sea with the Britons or Welsh vpon which it lyeth Wiltshire and Somersetshire from Wilton and Somerton decayed townes sometimes the chiefe of the Shires Anglesey from the English since the possession hereof by the Nation Suth-rey or Surrey signifyeth with the English the Southerne kingdome a part of the kingdome of the South-Saxons Suffolke Norfolke the more Southerne and Northerne people compared thus together the parts sometimes of the kingdome of the East-Angles The occasion of the names of Cornwall and Cumberland we euen now related Merioneth was the auncient name given by the Welsh The reason hereof we finde not The rest haue beene named from the chiefe townes of each devision Their descriptions follow L. D. THE THIRD BOOKE Contayning the Chorographicall description of England KENT BOunded vpon the South and East with the English channell and the German Ocean vpon the North with the river Thames from Essex and vpon the West with Surrey and Sussex The country is hilly shaded with hedge-rowes woods populous and fruitfull planted with a frugall and industrious inhabitant The aire is thick and in many places agueish and vnholsome for this cause or in regard of some bad vapours from a wet cold and vnhealthfull ground Places of better note are Canterbury vpon the river Stour Darvernum of Ptolemy Durovernum of Antoninus Durovernia of Beda the chiefe towne and an Archbishops sea the Primate of the kingdome founded by Ethelbert the first Christian king of Kent in the person of S. Austine the Apostle of the English Vpon the Ocean Reculver a country village Regulbium of the Notitia the Station of the 1 Cohort named of the Vetasii Sandwich a Cinque Port. In the neighbouring fields stood the towne Rhutupiae of Ptolemy and Rhitupae of Antoninus the tract of whose streets are yet discovered by a more thin growth of corne in those places named S. Augustines crosse by the vulgar people a famous port of the Romans and the Mansion of their 2 d Legion surnamed Augusta drawne hither in the waine of that Empire from Isca Silurum now Caer Leon in South-Wales to defend the coast against the pyracies and incursions of the Saxons North hereof lyeth the I le of Tenet Thanatos of Ptolemy made by the river Stour here dividing and falling into the Ocean with two branches or channels The foreland a promontory of the Iland is named Cantium by Ptolemy in some editions corruptly Nucantium and Acantium Dover vnder the cliffs and where they divide Dubris of Antoninus and Dubrae of the the Notitia the Station of a foot company of the Tungricani a noted passage into France and one of the Cinque ports defended with a spacious and strong castle mounted vpon a high and praecipitous rocke commaunding the subject Ocean The Constable hereof is Warden of the Cinque ports The straight of the sea betwixt this and the Continent named by the French Le Pas de Calais by the Latines Fretum Caletanum containeth about 30 miles in breadth At the castle of Deale a low shore in the way towards Sandwich Caesar is thought to haue landed when he first invaded Britaine Along the cliffs Folkeston Hide a cinque port
of the Estates incorporated this great Dukedome with the Crowne of France never from thence to be severed which the male issue hereof extinct in Henry the third Lewis the thirteenth of the house of Bourbon and Navarre now raigning Isabella of Austria Princesse of the Lowe Countries the heire generall rejected by the vertue hereof at this day enjoyeth Their religion was alwayes Christian and Catholique instructed in this faith vnder the Romans before their comming into this Province Their government vntill their vnion with the crowne of France was Monarchicall first vnder kings then vnder dukes Their Princes follow Conan an English Briton placed here by Maximus in the yeare and raigne aforesaid Grallon after some son to Conan Salomon the first son to Grallon Auldran son to Salomon the first Budic the first son to Auldran Hoel the first son to Budic the first Hoel the second son to Hoel the first Alain the first son to Hoel the second Hoel the third son to Alain the first Salomon the second son to Hoel the third In this prince Iudicael the last K. of Basse Bretaigne dying without heires for since the last disbourdments hither of the Britons vntill this time the estate hereof was divided into two kingdomes the whole became vnited vnder one Prince Alain the second grandchild to Salomon the second He deceased without heires the last king of Bretaigne of the house of Conan Daniel Dremruz Budic the second Maxence Iohn Reith and David Wa chiefes of their factions the kingdome being then rent into many petty tyrannies the occasion of the after conquest hereof by Charles the Great After that the kingdome became againe recouered from the French Neomene formerly Lieftenant here Gouernour of the Province for the Emperour Lewes the godly chosen about the yeare 841. Heruspee son to Neomene slaine by Salomon his successour Salomon the third the murtherer of Heruspee son to Rivaillon brother to King Heruspee Hee was likewise slaine by Pastenethen Gurvant brothers to Heruspee and sons to Neomene in the yeare 874 the last king of Bretaigne Alain surnamed le Rebre son to Pastenethen after long misery and contention for the kingdome succeeding in the gouerment hereof the Normans who had invaded the province being vanquished and his competitours slaine and subdued THE DVKEDOME OF BRETAIGNE REfusing the more envious name of king he tooke vpon him onely the title and stile of Duke since followed by all the succeeding Princes Iuhael and Collodoch sons to Alain le Rebre An Inter-regnum for certaine yeares by meanes of the Norman or Danish invasion and tyranny miserably wasting and subduing the Country Alain surnamed Barbetorte son to Mathuede Earle of Porrhoet and of the daughter of Alain le Rebre the Normans being driuen out Drogon â—on to Alain Barbetorte slaine yong by the treason of Fouques Earle of Aniou in whom ended the house of Alain le Rebre Conan Earle of Renes descended from king Salomon the third his Competitours Hoel and Guerâ—ch naturall sons to Alain Barbetorte successiuely contending being vanquished and slaine Geffrey sonne to Conan the first Alain the third sonne to Geffrey the first Conan the second son to Alain the third He dyed sans issue Hoel the fourth son to Alain Earle of Cournovaille in the right of his wife Havoise sister to Conan the second Alain the fourth surnamed Fergent son to Hoel the fourth Conan the third son to Alain the fourth Eudon Earle of Ponthieure in the right of his wife Berthe daughter to Conan the third Conan the fourth sonne to Eudon and Berthe aforesaid Geffrey the second third son to Henry the second king of England in the right of his wife Constance daughter to Conan the fourth Arthur the first son to Geffrey and Constance He dyed young and vnmarried after the French relation murthered by his vnnaturall Vncle Iohn King of England jealous of his better right to that kingdome Peter de Dreux in the right of his wife Alis daughter by a second marriage to Constance aforesaid He first made the Dukedome subject vnto the soveraignty and homage of the French kings Iohn the first son to Peter de Dreux and Alis Iohn the second son to Iohn the first Arthur the second son to Iohn the second Iohn the third son to Arthur the second He dyed without heires After the decease hereof the right was controversed betwixt Iohn Earle of Montfort yonger son to Arthur the second aided by Edward the third King of England and Charles de Blois husband to Ioan la Boiteuse daughter to Guye second son to Duke Arthur the 2 d assisted by Philip de Valois French king neither side yet prevailing Iohn the fourth surnamed the Valiant son to Iohn Earle of Montfort aforesaid sole Duke of Bretaigne after the decease of Charles de Blois his competitour thorough the aide and valour of the English ouerthrowne and slaine at the battaile of Auray Iohn the fift son to Iohn the fourth Francis the first son to Iohn the fift He deceased without heire male Peter brother to Francis the first He dyed sans heires Arthur the third Earle of Richmond and Constable of France second sonne to Iohn the fourth He also deceased without issue Francis the second son to Richard Earle of Clisson third son to Iohn the fourth He deceased in the yeare 1488. Charles the eight French king in the right of his wife Anne heire of Bretaigne daughter to Francis the second He dyed without issue Lewes the twelfth French king in the right of Anne of Bretaigne aforesaid daughter to Duke Francis the second marryed vnto him after the decease of King Charles the Eight He deceased without male issue Francis the first French king and the third of that name Duke of Bretaigne in the right of his wife Claude eldest daughter to king Lewes the twelfth and Anne aforesaid With consent of the estates of Bretaigne in the yeare 1532 he inseparably vnited the Dukedome to the crown of France Francis Daulphin of Vienne eldest son to king Francis the first and of Claude crowned Duke of Bretaigne in the yeare 1539. He dyed yong before his father Henry the second French king son to King Francis the first and Claude Francis the second French king son to Henry the second Charles the ninth French king brother to Francis the second and son to Henry the second Henry the third French king brother to Francis the second and Charles the ninth and sonne to Henry the second the last French king of the house of Valois and in whom ended the line succession of the Dukes of Bretaigne After his decease the line masculine of the house of Valois and Bretaigne being extinguished the right hereof was questioned betwixt Henry the fourth King of France and Navarre and Philip the second king of Spaine pretending the title of his daughter Isabella now Princesse of the Low countreyes descended of Elizabeth daughter to King Henry the second By the aide of the English the Spaniards
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
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
yeare 347 and raigne of Constantius sonne to the great Constantine where againe wee read of S t Maximinus Bishop of Trier Tessis of the Nemeti or Spier Victor of the Vangiones or Worms Amandus of the Argentinenses or Strasburg Martin of Mentz Iustinian of the Rauraci or Basil and Servatius of the Tungri amongst others present in that Synode The like wee cannot but define in Rhaetia Noricum and Pannonia or the parts betwixt the Danow and the Alpes subiect then to the Christian and Catholique Roman Empire of the West The Great or proper Germanie within the Rhijn and the Danow for their desert vastnesse and incivilitie were not converted vntill the conquests and soveraigntie of the Frenchmen The Westerne Roman Empire troden vnder foot by the barbarous nations and the countries or parts now mentioned being planted with new Colonies of French Almans Bavarians and Huns at that time Gentiles and enimies to Christianity Religion for a time is againe totally darkned eclypsed By meanes of the great victories of the Frenchmen not long after converted besides Gaule subduing this whole Continent vnto the rivers of the Elb and Saltza Christianitie begunne againe to be planted as in the tracts without the Rhijn and the Danow so within those rivers vnto the Saltza and Elb now mentioned the bounds then of their Empire amongst the Switzers and Grisons by S t Fridolinus a Scottishman in the raigne of Clovis the first Christian king of the French in Bavaria by S. Rupert Bishop of Worms about the yeare 590 and the raigne of Theodebert King of Austrasia and of Theodo the third prince of that country amongst the Frisons Thuringians and Lower Germans by S. Willebrord the first Bishop of Vtreicht S. Weiro Bishop of Deira and S. Plechelmus of Candida Casa with others in the regency of Pepin the Fat Maior of the Palace in East-France by S. Willebald the first Bishop of Eystet about the same time and in Saxonie by S. Swibert Bishop of Verden in the yeare 711. and raigne of the Emperour Iustinian the second and by S. VVillehade first Bishop of Bremen in the raigne of the Emperour Charles the great Chiefer instruments in this sacred worke were the English of Great Britaine for such were these here named then a late Colonie of the Dutch of the same language with them and but newly made Christians and for these causes more especially imployed herein by the French Kings and the Bishops of Rome Of more eminent note amongst these was S. Winifrid or S. Boniface the first Archbishop of Ments comming hither in the Regency of Pepin the Fat by whose more effectuall endeauours Christianity and the Orthodox faith became here more fully established Gentilisme and haeresie rooted out a Churches discipline framed new Bishops erected and painefull ministers and labourers every where placed in regard hereof acknowledged yet by the Germans as their Apostle and the author of their conuersion These hether parts thus enlightned the further lying beyond the Saltza and the Elb and inhabited then by the sundry people of the Sclaui by meanes hereof not long after tooke flame the Morauians by the armes and conquest of Zwentibaldus base son to the Emperour Arnulph the Bohemians vnder their king Borzivoius conuerted by S. Methodius Bishop of the Moravians in the reigne of that Emperour the Sorabi inhabiting where now is Meissen and Lausnitz subdued by the Emperour Henry the first the Helveldi Leubuzi with others possessing sometimes the country called afterwards the Marquisate of Brandenburg forced by the same Emperour and their long warrs with the Marquesses hereof and the Wiltzi and Pomerani now Pomeren vnder their princes Wartislaw and Casimir the first Christned and won vnto the faith by Otto bishop of Bamberg about the yeare 1124 in the raigne of the Emperour Henry the Fift The last which stood out were the Obotriti with other people anciently possessing the moderne Dukedomes of Mecklenburg and Lawenburg after sundrie apostacies and much stifnes in the defence of their idolatry and liberty worne out by continuall warres with the neighbouring Saxons their country filled with new colonies of this Christian Dutch nation by Henry surnamed the Lion Duke of Saxony Bauaria in the raigne of the Emperour Fredericke Barbarossa which hapned in a manner by the same meanes to all the rest of the Winithi The whole country being thus cleared from Gentilisme ran the same fortune with other the Provinces of the West enthralled to Popish impostures and the tyranny of the Sea of Rome The first who sensible of their erronr begun to shake off this yoake were the Bohemians about the yeare 1400 in the raigne of their king Wenceslaus the fourth incited herevnto through the preaching of Iohn Husse professour of Divinity at Prage drawing his opinions from Iohn Wickliffe not long before attempting the like reformation in England in the raignes of Edward the third and Richard the second after long tumults sundry battailes fought many victories gained much blood-shed and cruelties committed on both sides Husse and Hierome of Prage burnt at Constance and in reuenge hereof Monasteries and Religious houses pulled downe by Ziska and his followers two Generall Councells assembled at Constance and at Basil at length in the raigne of the Emperour Sigismund obteining a liberty of their consciences which although commaunded still by Popish princes they enioyed notwithstanding vntill the present raigne of the Emperour Ferdinand the second by whō after his great victory at the battaile of Prage the publique exercise of their religion hath beene lately prohibited their ministers and such as would not conforme to the popish doctrine being banished the country iealous of their better inclination and loue vnto Frederique the first Counte Palatine of the Rhijn his competitor for the kingdome Orthodox religion for a time confined almost within the mountaines of Bohemia about some 117 yeares after Huss in the yeare 1517 and th◠raignes of the Emperour Maximilian the first Pope Leô the tenth for the further enlargement thereof it pleased god to raise vp Luther in the neighbouring parts of Saxony a Carmelite Frier by profession borne at Islebie in the County of Mansfield with great vehemency declayming against the errours and impostures of the Church of Rome stirred first vp through the abuse of indulgencies exasperated and drawne on to a more curious search by the vnseasonable violence and opposition of the Popes and their ministers adhaered vnto by many Princes and free Common-wealths of the Empire countenancing and maintaining his doctrine in sundry Colloquies and Diets afterwards by force of armes and open warre continued with variable successe betwixt them and the Emperour Charles the fift vntill in the yeare 1555 and raigne of the same Prince for the more secure defence and saftie of the Province threatned with the warres of the Turkes and their stronger vnion against that enimie in a Diet then held at