CHOICE OBSERVATIONS OF ALL THE KINGS OF ENGLAND FROM THE SAXONS To the Death of KING CHARLES the First COLLECTED Out of the best Latine and English VVriters who have Treated of that Argument By EDVVARD LEIGH Esquire and Master of Arts of Magdalen Hall in Oxford LONDON Printed for Ioseph Cranford at the Sign of the Gun in St. Pauls Church-yard 1661. TO HIS SACRED MAJESTY CHARLES the Second King of Great-Bâ—ittain France and Ireland Most Gracious Soveraigne I Hope this Dedication of these my Collections concerning all the Kings of England to your Sacred Majesty from the first of them of whom there is any thing credible in story to the decease of your Royall Father will not be interpreted either a fruit of ambition or over-bold presumption I have had the honour formerly to dedicate Books to very eminent Societies and Persons but never to any so signally eminent and publike a Person as your Majesty And should not have taken the confidence to have begun now but that in regard of the Argument I treat of I thought there was an obligation upon me and that of right such a Work was to be presented onely to Him who is the just and unquestionable Successour to all those Kings I here mention I finde it usuall with those who either wrote Chronicles in generall or the reigns of some particular Princes to inscribe the Name of the King or Prince then living to their Works I wish my Observations were as choice as the subject is sutable Since Cadwallader the last King of the Britains there was none born Prince of Great-Britain but your Majesty Hactenus Anglorum nulli was therefore the Motto on the Medals made in memory of your Birth-day the 29th of May 1630 with three Laurels upon them betokening three Kingdoms May your raign be as prosperous and happy as your birth was glorious and illustrious your deliverance by Sea at your entrance into Scotland and your escape by Land at Worcester-fight and after in England and your happy restitution to your Kingdom was wonderfull and conspicuous Kings have their regal Titles and Ornaments To the Kings of Spain from the time of Alphonsus King of Castile about 800 years agoe for expelling the Arians was given the Title of Catholike as Michael Ritius a Neapolitan writeth To the French King the Title of most Christian from the time of Philip the Emperour about 400 years since as recordeth Nicol Gillius To our King Henry the 8th of England for his Book of the Sacraments against Luther Pope Leo the 10th gave the Title Defender of the Faith which his Successors have since enjoyed though in another sense than it was first intended Henry the 5th reigning amongst us his Subjects gave him the Title of Grace Under Henry the Saint the 6th Excellent was added to Grace Under Henry the 8th the acclamation of Majesty began a little after excellent Majesty most excellent and at last Sacred Majesty which now is generally used Kings are crowned enthronized and anointed the Crown was a sign of a Military dominion the Throne of sedentary or judiciall the Oyl of Religious and sacred power A King by vertue of his Kingly Office hath two things to perform 1. To govern 2. To defend His Governing also divideth it self into two branches First To direct Secondly To recompence He directeth by appointing what shall be done and forborn of all his subjects in his Jurisdiction He recompenceth or requiteth by punishing those which disobey the Laws with such punishments as himself thinketh good to appoint and to signifie to them in his penalties by which he ratifieth his Laws and by rewarding those which keep the Laws with such rewards as he seeth fit to specifie in his Statutes and in generall by making them partakers of the wealth peace quietness and happiness of his government He defendeth his subjects against the hostility of open enemies and the injuries of their fellow-subjects It was an excellent speech of Henry the Great King of France your Grand-father by the Mothers side When I was born there were a thousand other souls more born what have I done for God more than they Learned King Iames your Grand-father by the Father in his Book dedicated to Prince Henry would have him to remember that he differed not in stuff but in use from the rest of the people and that by Gods Ordinance Kings as well as others are bound to read the Scriptures Deut. 17. 18 19 20. and some think that Book of the Kings and Chronicles especially worthy their diligent perusall others would have them study well the 101 Psalm Next the Scriptures Ecclesiasticall History is to be preferred some highly commend Polybius as usefull for Kings to read and Causabon dedicating it to Henry the 4th King of France much magnifieth that Book and likewise the reading of History in generall The Chronicles and Annals of their own Predecessors surely must needs be both delightfull and profitable for them Your Majesty may observe many things in them well worthy imitation in Learned and valiant Alfred how thriftily he spent his time how he encouraged Learning and Learned men in little Edgar great Canutus William the Conquerour the many worthy Henries and Edwards your own wise Grand-father and Father of happy memory Yet in the whole series of the Kings and Queens of England as others have made severall parallels of some of our English Kings I have not found a fitter parallel in every respect for your Majesty than Queen Elizabeth I will not speak of her skill in the modern Languages and how she often answered Embassadors her self nor how gracious and gentle a Princess she was to her very enemies wherein your Majesty is not unlike to Her What troubles and hazards did she undergo before she came to the Crown with what joyfull and generall acclamations was she received into this Metropolis I need not apply this to your Majesty it s sufficiently obvious to every vulgar capacity how you agree herein After her Coronation being presented with a Bible as she passed by the little Conduit in Cheapside she received the same with both her hands and kissing it said That it had ever been her chief delight and should be the rule by which she meant to frame her Government Your Majesty in your entring into the City at the presentment of the Bible to you by the Reverend London Ministers used this speech worthy to be written in Gold I thank you for this Book above all other gifts and assure you I shall make it my first care to set up Gods Worship and service this is the Book must guide us all and I will make it the rule of my Life and reign Queen Elizabeth was a couragious and stout spirited Princess In 88 when the Spaniard was coming she went to the Army at Tilbury-Camp riding with a Truncheon or baston in her hand to the severall Companies and by her presence
and speech encouraged both Commanders and souldiers saying to them as I have heard If her brother Philip came she would give fire to the first Piece against him I might alledge the testimony of your greatest enemy in confirmation of your Majesties valour at Worcester-battle Kings bear a double image of God as they are men and as they are Magistrates The Scripture saith Those which rule over men should be just ruling in the fear of God One saith They should labour to be more religious and pious toward God than ordinary persons because of the great need they have of his illumination in their counsels of his conduct in their enterprises of his force in their executions and of his provident care in their various occurrents dangers difficulties The Kings seat was so set in the Temple that all might see him there Ezek. 46. 10. 2 Chron. 6. 12 13. 2 King 11. 14. 23. 3. that by his example the devotion of his people might be stirred up God having done such great things both abroad and at home for your Majesty expecteth great things from you I shall humbly implore the Almighty that he would so guide you in all your wayes that you may make his Interest your great interest by reforming what is amiss in Court and Kingdom by promoting his pure worship encouraging the power of godliness and all such as walk according to Scripture-rule are peaceable and hold the Fundamentals by discountenancing Atheisme errour and profaneness the fruits of abused peace and prosperity altering the old speech for the better Exeat aula Qui vult esse pius into impius So shall White-Hall answer its name and your Majesty approve your self to be what your Father desired Charles the Good which is the earnest prayer of Your Majesties most humbly devoted and Loyall subject Edward Leigh TO THE CURTEOUS AND CANDID READER Reader I Here present thee with Choice Observations of all the Kings of England I suppose the Subject will not be unpleasing to an Englishman if the work be answerable to the Title I have excerped my Materials out of the best Latine Writers the Monks to whom we are especially beholding for the History of our Kings of England and chiefest English Chroniclers and Annalists and such as have written of a few or any one of our English Princes Bedes Historia Gentis Anglorum set out by Wheelock of whom Petavius in his History of the world lib. 8. cap. 4. saith thus Bede made his Brittain famous with no lesse Godlinesse and Learning than History who even unto the year 735 hath concluded the Christian beginnings of that Nation Rerum Anglicarum Scriptores post Bedam praecipui in Latine in folio set out by Sr Henry Savill containing the History of Gulielmus Malmesburiensis Henry Huntington Roger Hoveden and others Anglica Normannica Hibernica Cambrica a veteribus Scripta in Latine also in Folio put out by Camden Matthew Paris his Works set out by Dr Watts who is a faithfull Historian and hath written the Reigns of the first seven Kings after the Conquest Of the English Chroniclers Speed Martin and Baker seem to be the best Voluminous Hollingshead Stow and How are not much esteemed by the Learned Sr John Hayward hath written well of the three Norman Kings and Edward the sixth he hath written briefly also of Henry the eourth Godwin of Henry the eighth Edward the sixth and Queen Mary and also of the Bishops of England in Latine and English Sr Robert Cotton of Henry the third Habington of Edward the fourth Sr Thomas More of Richard the third both in Latine and English and Buck my Lord Bacon excellently of Henry the seventh my Lord Herbert of Henry the eighth Camden Annals of Queen Elizabeth and Dr Heylin as is said of King Charles the first History is both pleasing and profitable especially the memorable things of all our own Kings and Governours who have for so many years Raigned amongst us Examples of Superiours especially are very prevalent which of the Rulers believed in him One saith if King Edward the sixth had lived a little longer his only example had bred such a Race of worthy learned Gentlemen as this Realm never yet did afford Here are examples of all sorts good and bad to be followed and eschewed Some loose vain and licentious others learned wise valiant minding the publick welfare of the Nation The Pope could but little prevaile here in England during the Raign of King Edward the third and Richard the second Henry the eighth cast him out then when he had too great power and command over other Princes As he cast out the Pope so did his children Edward the sixth and Queen Elizabeth cast out Popery out of England and so freed us from his spirituall bondage as the other did from his Temporall May their memory be therefore still precious amongst us as the Reformation we enjoy chiefly by their means is a singular blessing Let Him be accounted our English Josias and Her our English Deborah on whom those Verses were made Spains Rod Romes Ruine Netherlands Relief Earths Joy Englands Gem Worlds Wonder Natures chief Prince Henry likewise eldest Son to King James was a virtuous and hopefull Prince had he not been taken away in the flower of his youth he would its thought have much opposed the Pope and Spaniard I have read somewhere of him that he would not swear no not at his Sports and Recreation and being demanded the reason tâ—ereof he said they were not of that weight as to draw an oath from him I hope therefore this Nation having had such worthy Princes and not being ignorant of the slavery they formerly indured when the Pope called England his Ass will never be so foolish as to turn back again into Egypt As long as Mr Foxe his Martyrology is so common to be read eighty eight and the fifth of November are so fresh in our remembrance let us valew the losse of Rome here amongst us no more than that Emperour Honorius did of whom Zonaras writes that he had a Hen called Roma and it being told him Rome was last he was troubled and said She was here even now yea said the other the Hen is here but the City is lost he was then well pleased Our Countriman Beda hath prophetically expounded that Roman S. P. Q. R. of our Englishmen travelling to Rome Stulâ—us Populus Quaerit Roman Though perhaps in some cases one may go too far from Rome yet since some of our Bishops formerly have written well against Antichrist and others have made the Pope to be Antichrist and since also the Iesuites are still busie amongst us I wish there may be no unwarrantable compliance either with the Romish Doctrine or Rites Thomas Lever who Preached before King Edward the sixth and escaped the fury of Queen Maries dayes is commended by Bullinger in his Epistle to Hooper He was the first
at a certain interview between the King and Pope Innocent the second the sons of Robert Earl of Mellent maintained open disputations against divers Cardinals and Chaplains of the Pope Sir Iohn Hayward To purchase the favour of the Clergy he called Anselme out of exile and restored him both to the dignity and revenues of the See of Canterbury He committed Radulph alias Ranulph Bishop of Durham to prison who had been both author and agent to King William in most of his distrustfull actions against the Clergy To make the Clergy the more assured the King renounced the right which his Ancestours used in giving Investitures and acknowledged the same to appertain to the Pope The Clergy did much favour him by reason of his liberall leave either to erect or to enlarge or else to enrich religious buildings For to these works the King was so ready to give not only way but encouragement and help that in no Princes time they did more within this Realm either flourish or encrease Sir Iohn Hayward numbers twenty five religious buildings either done or helped forward or permitted and allowed by the King This King being born in England and the Queen of English bloud-royall raised the depressed English Nation again unto honour and credit He restored them to the use of fire and candle after eight of the Clock at night which his Father had most straitly forbidden He being a wise Prince and well knowing that an Empire gotten by force could no longer remain then that force continued sent into Scotland and took to Wife Maud the daughter of Queen Margaret sister to Edgar Etheling who was now dead and left no issue whereby this Maud was the heir of the Saxon line and in her brought back again to us the ancient English blood-royall before it had descended beyond one generation from the Conquerour in whose line it continueth unto this day She was adorned with all royall vertues principally with piety and humility These Verses were made in her commendation Prospera non laetam fecere nec aspera tristem Aspera risus ei prospera terror erant Non decor effecit fragilem non sceptra superbam Sola potens humilis sola pudica decens She being married against her will seeing she must violate the vow of her virginity she cursed her of-spring if any came of her which was not altogether vain saith Polyd. Virgil in regard they were all afterward drowned He reduced Normandy to England He built therein many Castles and planted Garrisons and with no less wisdome assured that State then with valour he had won it He brought with him his Brother Robert into England and committed him to safe custody in the Castle of Cardiffe He striving to escape was taken again committed to close prison his eyes put out and a sure guard set upon him Thus he remained in desolate darkness neither reverenced by any for his former greatness nor pitied for his present distress Thus he continued about twenty seven years in a life far more grievous then death even untill the year before the death of King Henry So long was he a suitor in wooing of death So long did the one Brother overlive his good fortune the other his good nature and disposition esteeming it a fair favour that the uttermost extremity was not inflicted He gave his daughter Maud the Empress in second marriage to the Earl of Anjou and his Sister Elix as some Chronicles call her to Steven Earl of Bloys Thence sprang the loss of this Kingdome to Maud during her life by being so far out of the land in another Countrey when she should have accepted it here Therof sprang the perjuries of Steven King of England enticed to a Kingdome through the commodity of his near place And thence came the Civill miseries to the people who through the incertainty of a Governour were in field and Arms one against another His daughter Maud as well as that Lacedemonian Lady Lampedo whom Pliny maketh mention of was a Kings daughter a Kings wife and a Kings mother Daughter of this Henry the first King of England wife of Henry the fourth Emperour of Germany and mother to Henry the second King of England Concerning which matter there is this Distick engraven on her Tomb. Magna ortu majórque viro sed maxima partu Hîc jacet Henrici filia sponsa parens The daughter wife the mother eke of Henry lieth here Much blest by birth by marriage more but most by issue dear He was a great administrer of justice and the first that ordained that theeves should be hanged He ordained that counterfeiters of money should lose both their eyes and be deprived of their privy parts He took away the deceit which had been occasioned by variety of measures and made measure by the length of his own arm which hath been commonly used ever since by the name of a yard He is yet alive in his Laws See his Laws in Lambard de priscis Anglorum legibus His expences were chiefly in his Warres and his many and great fortifications in Normandy His buildings were the Abbey of Reading the Castle of Warwicke of Bristoll the Mannour of Woodstocke and the great inclosure of that Park with a stone Wall seven miles about There was a singular and most remarkable example of Gods justice upon his children For when the King both by force crast and cruelty had dispossest over-reacht and lastly made blind and destroyed his elder Brother Duke of Normandy to make his own sons Lords of his Land God cast them all male and female Nephews and Neeces Maud excepted into the bottome of the Sea with above a hundred and fifty others that attended them whereof a great many were noble and of the King dearly beloved Evasit unus ille agrestis qui tota nocte malo supernatans mane totius tragediae actum expressit Malmesb. de Henrico primo l. 5. Vide Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. l. 11. p. 191. Nulla unquam navis fuit Anglâ—ae tantae miseriae nulla toto orbi tam patulae famae His usuall Oath was By our Lords death and so was Queen Elizabeths He first instituted the form of the High-Court of Parliament as now it is in use The first Parliament was held at Salisbury upon the nineteenth day of April in the sixteenth year of his Raign See Lamberts Archeion p. 240 241 242 243. When Matilde his daughter was given in marriage to Henry the fifth Emperour he took three shillings of every Hide of land throughout the Realm which being followed by succeeding Kings did grow to a custome of receiving aid whensoever they gave their daughters in marriage About this time the marriage of Priests was forbidden in England but the King for money permitted them to retain their wives and in the end set an imposition in that respect upon every Church throughout the Realm It availed not any man
overlaid Well then said the King return and tell them who sent you That so long at my son is alive they send no more to me whatever happen for I will that the honour of the day be his And so at last the English obtained the greatest victory they ever yet had against the French There were there found the dead bodies of eleven great Princes and of Barons Knights and men of Arms above one thousand and five hundred of the Commons above thirty thousand Not one man of honour or note slain upon the English side King Edward after the Battell aftectionately embracing and kissing his victorious son said Fair son God send you good perseverance to so prosperous beg innings you have nobly acquit your self and are well worthy to have the governance of a Kingdome entrusted to you for your valour Sir Eustace Rihamant in the encounter at Calis-Gate between Sir Walter Manny and the Lord Charney met with King Edward who disguising himself in common armour served under the banner of Sir Walter Manny and fought so stoutly with him that he stroke the King twice down on his knees but in the end the King took him prisoner and then he yeelded his Sword to the King but knowing what he was said thus Sir Knight I yeeld me as your prisoner upon which cause the King came after supper to him and with a merry countenance said thus to the Knight Sir Eustace you are the Knight in the world that I have seen most valiant either in assault of enemies or defence of himself I never â—ound Knight that gave so much ado body to body as ye have done this day wheâ—efore I give you the prize above all the Knights of my Court by right sentence and herewithall the King being bare-headed having a Chaplet of fine pearls that he ware on his head took the same Chaplet from off his head being fair goodly and rich and said to the Knight I give you this Chaplet for the best doer in Arms in this journey past of either party and I desire you to bear it this year for the love of me I know well you be fresh and amorous and oftentimes are among doubty Knights and fair Ladies yet say wheresoever ye come that the King of England did give it you and I quite your prison and ransome depart to morrow if it please you whereupon the Knight did not only wear the same Chaplet in remembrance of so gracious a benevolence of so worthy a Prince but also did bear after in his Arms three Chaplets garnished of pearls Fern his Glory of Generosity p. 210 211. Mr. Wren in his Monarchy asserted p. 125. saith The successes of the English in France alwayes followed the person of the Prince with us Edward the third and Henry the fifth wise and valiant Princes gaining Richard the second and Henry the sixth weak Princes losing with them Iohn and Charles the sixth men of no ability losing Charles the fifth and Charles the seventh brave Princes recovering Edward the black Prince of Wales who so long governed our Countrey of Guienne a man whose conditions and fortune were accompanied with many notable parts of worth and magnanimity having been grievously offended by the Limosins though he by main force took and entered their City could by no means be appeased nor by the wailfull out-cries of all sorts of people as of men women and children be moved to any pitty they prostrating themselves to the common slaughter crying for mercy and humbly submitting themselves at his feet untill such time as in triumphant manner passing through their City he perceived three French Gentlemen who alone with an incredible and undaunted boldness gainstood the enraged violence and made head against the fury of his victorious Army The consideration and respect of so notable a vertue did first abate the dint of his wrath and from these three began he to relent and shew mercy to all the other inhabitants of the Town Michael Lord of Montaigne his Essayes l. 1. c. 1. Having had great victories against the French and other neighbouring Nations he instituted the Order of the Garter and consecrated it to St. George He appointed a Garter to be the Ensign of this Order wrought richly with gold and precious stones which should circle the leg beneath the knee and on it to have these words apparently discerned Honi Soit Qui Mal Y â—ense Shame to him which evil thinks The number of these Knights are twenty six whereof the King himself is the chief These Knights wear the Ensign of Saint George fighting with a Dragon fastened to a rich Chain or Collar which weighed and was worth eighty pounds of English money See Montaigne his Essayes l. 2. c. 7. of the words of honour About this time the famous Dr. Iohn Wicklef a man of sharp wit profound learning and of great judgement did in the University of Oxford publickly maintain sundry Propositions and dogmaticall points against the Church of Rome His followers were in the phrase of those dark dayes called Lollards whereas in truth they endeavoured to extirpate all pernicious weeds which through time sloath and fraud had crept into the field of Gods Church Such was this Kings courtesie friendly behaviour toward the two captive Kings of France and Scotland while they remained together in England as that hereby he won their love and favour for ever after as appeared by their repair hither to visit the King and Queen and to recreate and solace themselves in their company Thus it came to pass that their captivity here turned more to their own advantage and the peaceable enjoying of their estates after the same then if it had never hapned unto them Mr. Thomas May wrote his victorious Raign in Verse in seven Books He raigned almost one and fifty yeares and lived about sixty five who of all the Kings of the Realm saith Mr. Fâ—x unto Henry the eight was the greatest bridler of the Popes usurped power whereby Iohn Wicklef was maintained with aid sufficient CHAP. XVIII RICHARD the second HE descended from four Edwards of which the first three were succeeding Kings the fourth Prince of Wales sirnamed the black Prince who dying before his father Edward the third did not attain the Crown The Civil Warres of England by Sir Francis Bâ—ondi an Italian He was crowned in the eleventh year of his age and sufficiently shewed the miserable condition of such States as are governed by an Infant King He was the goodliest personage of all the Kings that had been since the conquest The beautifull picture of a King sighing crowned in a Chair of Estate at the upper end of the Quire in St. Peters at Westminster is said to be of him which witnesseth how goodly a creature he was ilâ— outward lineaments Speed He had nothing worthy his great fortunes but his great birth When he had with full hand bestowed upon Simâ—â—â— Montford Earl of Leicester
King Edward the first For his Laws who so marks them well are deep and not vulgar not made upon the Spur of a particular occasion for the present but out of providence of the future to make the estate of his people still more and more happy after the manner of the Legislators in ancient and heroicall times The Tax called Benevolence was devised by Edward the fourth for which he sustained much envy It was abolished by Richard the third by Act of Parliament to ingratiate himself with the people and it was revived by this King but with consent of Parliament for so it was not in the time of King Edward the fourth It is observed as a rule in Politicks that Dominium sequitur terram those that are the greatest proprietaries have the chief power as in Turkie because none there holds any land but during his life therefore the great Turk hath such unlimited power and so the Barons were able they say to maâ—e War with their Prince because the land was most in their and their Tenants possession Henry the seventh therefore being raised by the Nobles conceiving that those which exalted him might cast him down did abate their power and made Statutes against Retainers But Henry the eighth demolishing the Abbies distributed the lands among the people and so they again gained great power by that meanes He made a composition with Philip father to the Emperour Charles the fifth being here in England that he should deliver into his hands the Duke of Suffolke his mortall enemy who was fled out of England and saved himself in the Low Countries alwayes provided that the King should attempt nothing against the Dukes life which promise notwithstanding being ner his end he expresly by will and testament commanded his succeeding son that immediately after his decease he should cause him to be put to death Montaigne his Essayes l. 1. c. 7. There scarce passed any Parliament in this time without a Law against Riot and Retainers the King having an eye to might and multitude The King was on a time entertained by the Earl of Oxford that was his principall servant both for war and peace nobly and sumptuously at his Castle at Henninghom At the Kings going away the Earls servants stood in a seemly manner in their Livery Coats with cognizances ranged on both sides and made the King a Lane The King called the Earl to him and said My Lord I have heard much of your hospitality but I see it is greater then the speech These handsome Gentlemen and Yeomen which I see on both sides of me are sure your meniall servants The Earl smiled and said It may please your Grace that were not for mine ease They are most of them my Retainers they are come to do me service at such time as this and chiefly to see your Grace The King started a little and said By my faith my Lord I thanke you for my good chear but I may not endure to have my Lawes broken in my sight My Atturney must speake with you The Earl after compounded for a thousand marks His disposition to crush treasure out of his Subjects purses by forfeitures upon penall Lawes proved the blot of his time When among many Articles exhibited by the Irish against the Earl of Kildare the last was All Ireland cannot rule this Earl Then quoth the King shall this Earl rule all Ireland and shortly after he made him Deputy thereof Iames the fourth King of Scotland married with the Lady Margaret the Kings eldest daughter During the Treaty it is reported that the King remitted the matter to his Counsell And that some of the Table in the Freedome of Counsellors the King being present did put the case that if God should take the Kings two sons without issue that then the Kingdome of England would fall to the King of Scotland which might prejudice the Monarchy of England Whereunto the King himself replied That if that should be Scotland would be but an accession to England and not England to Scotland for that the greater would draw the less and that it was a safer union for England then that of France This was the ninth time that since the Conquest the Scottish Kings have married with the English Nation Ayscu He left at his death most of it in secret places under his own Key and keeping at Richmond the summe of near eighteen hundred thousand pounds sterling a huge mass of money even for these times His son Henry the eight by his pleasures by unprofitable Wars exhausted all that treasure in a few of the first years of his Raign He died at his Palace at Richmond which himself had built having lived two and fifty years and raigned three and twenty years and eight moneths He died and in memoriall of his name Built that fair Chappell where he now takes rest A rich foundation of a curious frame The fairest monument lest unsupprest Passing all temples of the gorgeous East O strew his Hearse with Roses red white For he both stemmes did in one unite Storâ—rs Wolseius aspirans HENRY the eighth Seven is a number fatall from the heavens But eight King Henry passing all the sevens Storers Wolseius aspirans Of personage he was tall and mighty and in his latter years somewhat gross in wit and memory excellent such majesty and humanity as was comely in such a Prince Cui natura fortunaque supra Regium nomen incomparabilis formae maxime praestantis ingenii accumulata dona contulerunt nemo enim è tota Anglica juventute vel staturae dignitate vel venustate oris vel nervorum firmitate Regem aequavit Paul Jov. Britanniae descript Huic erat à teneris annis ars bellica cordis Ut reliquas dotes condignas principe tanto Corporis atque animi non sit memor are necesse Quod fortis clemens humeris quod alitor ibat Omnibus egregia facie vultuque decoro Oclandi Anglorum praelia It hath been observed by Historians of Tiberius Emperour of Rome of Mahomet the Great Emperour of the Turks and of Henry the eight King of England that there was no security in their love but that such as were highest in their favour were nearest to ruine He brought unto the block two Queens two noble Ladies one Cardinall declared of Dukes Marquesses Earls and the sons of Earls no fewer then twelve Lords and Knights eighteen of Abbots and Priors thirteen Monks and religious persons about seventy seven and many more of both Religions to a very great number Dr. Heylins Ecclesia Restaurata That is a tart expression of Sir Walter Rauleigh in his Preface to his History of the world If all the pictures and patterns of a merciless Prince were lost in the world they might all again be painted to life out of the Story of this King How many wives did he cut off and cast off as his fancy and affection changed When he was
gloria gentis erat Dignus Apollineis lachrymis c. It is to this day a question both how this King died and where he was â—â—ried Queen IANE The Lady Iane Gray whom King Edward had declared for his next Successour was eldest daughter of Henry Lord Gray Duke of Suffolke Her mother was the Lady France's daughter and in fine one of the co-heirs of Charles Brandon the late Duke of Suffolke by Mary his wife Queen Dowager to Lewis the twelfth of France and youngest daughter of King Henry the seventh Grandfather to King Edward now deceased She spake the Latin and Greek tongues with as sweet a fluency as if they had been naturall and native to her exactly skilled in the liberall Sciences and perfectly well studied both kinds of Philosophy She was most zealously affected to the true Protestant Religion then by Law established She was urged by her near friends to accept of the Crown Her Raign was but nine dayes her life not twice so many years as she raigned dayes Ascham Annâ— Maria Schurman Master Fox and others speak of her rare accomplishments Queen MARY It is a question much agitated of the rule of women 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An licita Bodius on Ephes. 5. 22. dislikes it Bodin de Republica l. 6. c. 5. method Hist. c. 6. much opposeth it He lames us for suffering Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth to raign and saith we violated therein not only the Law of God but the law of nature and Nations knoxe also writes against it Danaeus a French man in his Book de Hâ—mine c. 33. saith It is lawfull He quotes Aâ—â— 8. 27. 1 King 10. and commends the Raign of Zenâ—bâ—ia Queen of the Arabians aâ—d Elizabeth Queen of England and Ioan Queen of Navarr as happy and lasting There is a choice Manuscript in Arch. in Oxford Library stiled A dutifull defence of the lawfull regiment of women written by my Lord Howard The Suffolk men first resorted to her promising her their aid and help so that she would not attempt the alteration of Religion established by her brother which she agreed unto but broke her promise and that Diocess tasted the sharpest persecution under her Raign So well inclined was she of her self that had not the zeal of her Religion and the authority of Church men overswayed her own disposition the flames of their consuming fires had not mounted so high She was crowned by Steven Gardiner Bishop of Winchester the Archbishops of Canterbury and Yorke being then prisoners in the Tower Within the compasse of less then four years continuance there died for the testimoniall of their conscience in this case two hundred seventy and seven persons without regard of degree sex or age In the heat of whose flames were consumed five Bishops one and twenty Divines eight Gentlemen eighty four Artificers one hundred Husbandmen servants and labourers twenty six wives twenty widdowes nine virgins two boyes and two Infants There being consultation at the Counsel-board what to do with the Lady Elizabeth Gardiner said My Lords we have but all thâ— while been 〈◊〉 ripping off the leaves and now and then lopped a branch but till such time as we strike at the root of heresie meaning the Lady Elizabeth nothing to purpose can be effected God forbid replied the Spaniards that our King and Master should once conceive a thought to consent unto such a mischief They thence solicited the King on her behalf and he favoured her and set her free at last The worst that can be said of her is this that she was ill principled and the best that she acted according to her principles Judge Morgan who in her Raign gave sentence of death against the Lady Iane Gray presently after her death fell mad and in his ravings continually cried Take away the Lady Jane from me and in that horrour shortly ended his life She was learned Ludovicus Vives A Spaniard was sometimes her Teacher He came to England with Queen Kahterine her mother She lost Calais which had been a long time before in the possession of the Engllish and said if she were opened they would find that next her heart pray it was that a paltry Town should lye where Christ should should have lain At the loss of Calai when a proud French man tauntingly demanded When will ye fetch Calais again An English Captain gravely answered Quâ—ndo peccata vestra erunt nostris gâ—â—viorâ— When your sins shall weigh down ours The Lord Corâ—â—s Governour of Picardy under the French King said That he would be content to lie in Hell seven years so he might win Calais from the English The keeping of it indeed was chargeable to the English but yet it was very advantagious to them While they kept it they had a door open into France upon all occasions and therefore it is commonly said That they carried the keyes of France at their Girdles Of all since the Conquest her Raign was the shortest only excepting that of Richard the Tyrant but much more bloudy then was his She raigned five years and four moneths wanting two dayes only She lieth buried in Westminster without any Monument or remembrance at all Queen ELIZABETH She was born at Greenwich on the seventh of September 15â—3 Her father was Henry the eighth King of England her mother Anne Bulloin whose love to the pure Religion cost her her life Amabat Regina puram verà mque Religionem haec illi res odium nox necem peperit Adolphi à Dans vita Elizabethae The Archbishop Cranmer her Godfather was every where chary and tender over her as one that at the Font had took charge upon him to see her educated in all vertue and piety What Prince was ever more sage in her Counsell or more solemn in her Government or more advised in her favours and fâ—owns Dr. Gaudens Eccles. Anglie Suspiria l. 4. c. 22. Before the age of seventeen years she was skilled in Latine French Italian and in the Greek indifferent well Neither did she neglect musick both singing and playing on instruments very sweetly and artificially for so much as became a Prince With Roger Ascham who governed her studies she read over Melancthons common places Cicero entire a great part of Livies History some select Orations of Isocrates whereof two she translated into Latine Sophocles Tragedies and the New Testament in Greeke by which means she both furnished her speech with elegant language and her mind with wholsome precepts referring her learning rather to practice and conversation then ostentation and pomp yet was she in a manner for learning a miracle among the Princes of her age In one and the same day she answered three Embassadors of great Princes the one in Latine the other in French and the third in Italian I have seen a Book which is in Sion-Colledge wherein divers sentences were turned out of English into Latine and Italian and some translated
learned himself and was a great Benefactor to the Vniversity of Oxford p. 123 I Queen Jane p. 178 179 Jests witty and merry speeches p. 21 29 35 81 92 158 163 165 166 167 175 176 185 188 207 211 King John p. 93 94 Ironside why so called p. 40 A stout Judge p. 124 125 126 K Kings-Evil when first cured in England p. 51 King of Heralds ordained by whom p. 132 L Laws the best made in the time of Richard the second and Henry the seventh p. 148 155 956 M Queen Mary p. 179 to 183 Murder punished remarkably p. 149 150 N Neote me of the first Divinity-Readers in Oxford p. 17 Normans what p. 53. We re-received our Laws and names of sports from them ib. p. 54 O Offa first gave the Peter-pence to Rome p. 12 Offas Church aud Offas Ditch ib. Oswald p. 9 Oswy ib. p. 9 10 P Parliament the first in the raign of Edward the third p. 111 Parliamentum bonum ib. Parliamentum indoctorum p. 122. Insanum Parliamentum p. 96 Plantagenet whence p. 84 Q Vertuous Queens p. 98 178 179 183 to 200 R Richard the first p. 89. 90 91 92 Richard the second p. 117 to 122 Richard the third p. 146 to 150 Rosamand what it signifies p. 86 87 The comely riding of women when it began in England p. 120 S Saxons a warlike people p. 12. They gave names to many Cities Towns Rivers Woods Fields in Engl. ib. Why Saxon Princes had their Name from a Horse and gave a Horse for their Escucheon p. 4 5 Schola Salernitana dedicated to Robert Son to William the Conqueror p. 67 68 Stephen p. 82 83 Stuart whence p. 200 T Thong Castle why so called p. 4 Tudors why so called p. 150 151 V Great Victory of the English over the French p 112 113 University Colledge in Oxford founded by King Alfred p. 22. There are his Armes in the Hall p. 25 W Earle of Warwick a person of great power in Edward the fourths reign p. 200 Women whether the Rule of Women be lawfull p 179 William the first p. 54 to 66 William the second p. 66 to 73 Wolves how destroyed in England p. 34. Wicklef in the Reign of Edw. the third p. 116 Y Yeomen of the Guard instituted by Henry the seventh p. 151 FINIS Beda to King Ceolwolph Speed his History of Greatbrittain to King Iames. Howe his Annals or Continuation of Stow and Bacons Henry the 7th to your Father when Prince * It was illustrious both in respect of the bright Star which then appeared at high-noon in the presence and sight of all See Stella meridiana also in respect of your near alliance to the greatest â—rinces of Christendom Doway Notes on Iosh. 3. 8. a See Dr Basire of Sacriledge b Montacuâ—ii Antidiatribae ad Diat 1. Bulengeri C Hookers Ecclesiasticall Policy l. 8. It is by divers Charters granted to the Church of Westminster to be locus Coronationis Regis repositorium Regalium Liber Regalis The Sword presents the Princes power the Crown their glory B. Bilson in his Sermon before K. Iames at his Coronation See the 〈◊〉 of Worcester 〈◊〉 Sermon at the Coronation King Iames commâ—ndeth Caesar above all proâ—â—e Writers both for the sweet slowing of thâ— style and the worthiness of the maner it self * Henry the first the fifth the seventh the eighth Edward the first the third the sixth especially who first began our happy Reformation in Religion At the Coronation of King Ioash the High-Priest delivered him the Testimony not only that he might know and do it himself but take care as much as lie in him that it might be known and observed by the people Dr Hardy his Apostolicall Lyturgy revived on 2 King 11. 12. Read the Scriptures diligently and with an humble spirit and in it observe what is plain and believe live accordingly Dr Ier. Taylors Letter to a person newly converted to the Church 2 Sam. 23. 3. a Molinier in his Essayâ—â— All that we beg at the hands of our Superiors is a liberty to worship God according to his word that we may have no thing imposed upon us but what we may be directed in our compliance with by the rule of Scripture we desire that men may not command where God is silent The Examinat of Dr Heylins History of the Reformar of the Church of England Those of the Presbyterian judgement that out of a reall tenderness cannot comply in all particulars will beyond doubt receive from his Majesty such savour and indulgence as may abundantly suffice to their relief Mr L'estrange his Holy Cheat. p. 78. of the 2d Edition See Mr Wheare De Methodâ— legendi Historias pag. 52. Daniel doth very well so far as he goes He is continued by Trussell Historia est testis temporum lux veritatis vita memoriae magistra vitae nuncia vetustatis Cicero l. 2. De Oratore * Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis a Aschams Schoolemaster l. 1. p. 20. * It was a very pious care and of singular example in so young a Prince to intend endeavour the reformation of Religion and the Church within his Realms For which even at this day we have cause to acknowledge the good providence of Almighty God in â—aising him up to become so blessed an instrument of his glory and our good BP Sandersons Episcopacy not prejudicial to Regall Power In the time of King Edward there was more I suppose than what one calls it a wambling toward the Genevah Discipline but neither very earnest nor very popular a Annal Tom◠〈◊〉 p. 33. b Whereas the Papists unjustly charge the Protestant Churches with Schism for departing from their Communion it could not but be a great scandall to them to confirm them in that their uncharitable opinion of us if we should utterly condemn any thing as unlawfull because it had been used in the times of Popery or abused by the Papists B. Sanders Epise not prejudiciall to Regall Power c As Father Gilpin and Father Latimer Annal. Rerum Anglicarum parte prima p. 101 102. Mr Lyfords Conscience Informed touching our late Thanksgivings Fox his Acts and Monumenâ— vol. 1. Cambd Brit. Englâ—sh Saxons Saxons eâ—oient tous extremeâ—ent belli queux comme esâ—rit Zosine lâ— plus vaillants renommez de tous les Germanis en grandeur de Courage en forces de â—â—â—ps en patience au â—ravail Histoire Dâ— Angleterre Par Andre Da Chesne l. 6. p. 1â—6 Verstigans Antiq 〈◊〉 tamen in 〈…〉 dominium Hexaâ—châ— ab 〈◊〉 Anglorum 〈◊〉 primordiis 〈…〉 dictum coâ—rcebantur Sold. Analect Angloâ—bris l. 2. â— 4. The first King of Kent became the first Monarch of the English men Camâ—â— Bâ—it English Saxons Histoire 〈◊〉 Angâ—â—t re lar 〈◊〉 â—â—Chesâ—e l 6. p. 1◠〈◊〉 Brit English Saxons Hengist signifieth â— stoned Horse Equus bellicosorum Saxoniae principum antiquissimum insigne pugnaâ—itâ—â—is celeretatis
it is reported that a Virgin * might travell alone in his dayes through all his Dominions without any violence offered and that Bracelets of gold were hanged in the high wayes and no man so hardy as to take them away William the first so well provided for execution of Justice upon offenders that a young maiden well charged with gold might travell in any part of the Realm without any offer of injury unto her Hayw. He permitted none in office in Court or elsewhere unless he were learned which incited his Nobles to the earnest pursuit of learned Arts and to train up their children in good letters He caused all former Lawes to be surveyed and made choice of the best which he translated into the English tongue He begins his Lawes with a religious Majesty Loquutus est Dominus ad Mosem hos sermones c. and cites all the Decalogue Abbot Ethelred gives this encomium of his Lawes Leges Christianissimas scripsit promulgavit in quibus fides ejus devotio in Deum sollicitudo in subditos misericordia in pauperes justitia circa omnes cunctis legentiâ—us patet He had so great a love to learning that he made a Law that all Freemen of the Kingdome possessing two Hides of Land should bring up their sons in learning till they were fifteen years of age at least that so they might be trained to know God to be men of understanding and to live happily He bestowed the sixth part of his riches and Rents upon the poor strangers of the Countrey and sent every year little less to forraign Churches without the Realm Dalechamps Christian hospitality c. 3. He was very learned a quality rare in his time and as Solomon Alexander the Great Iulius Caesar Augustus and our Charlemagne saith Andre Du Chesne he joyned learning and valour and was clement liberall pious and devout and adorned with all royall vertues and endowments I may in some respects compare him with Almansor the learned and victorious King that conquered Spain He was at fifteen years so skilfull in the seven liberall Sciences that they who were the most learned in them spake of them in his presence with much fear and bashfulness for at every other word he corrected the imperfections which proceeded out of their ignorance At the five and twentieth year of his age he spake eleven languages reading and writing them as perfectly as the very Naturals themselves He divided the dayes of the week after this manner The Friday for matters of his Religion in which he was very devout The Saturday for matters of Justice The Sunday for matters of Warre The Munday for the government of his Kingdomes The Tuesday and Wednesday for his recreations and private affairs And the Thursday for matters of learning He chastised theeves so severely that none durst take any thing from other neither in City nor in Countrey as well in deserts as in peopled placeâ— And in so great awe they were of him that if any one had lost ought in the street or Market-place none durst meddle therewith otherwise than to leave it at the next Shop and cause it to be cryed till the owner were found to whom it was to be restored None ever â—ought for alms or succour at his hands whether he were Moor Christian or Jew that went away unrelieved He was worthily called the Conquerour being never overcome He won eighty six Battels by Sea and by Land and took five Kings subdued three parts of the world Asia Africke and Europe His life and death by Ashley Alfred's Arms are to be seen in the publike Hall of University-Colledge in Oxford The Archdeacon of Huntington speaking of the continuall travail he had during his Raign relates these Verses of him Nobilitas innata tibi probitatis honorem Armipotens Aelfrede dedit probitasque laborem Perpetuumque labor nomen cui mixta dolori Gaudia semper erant spes semper mixta timori Si modo victor eras ad crastina bella pavebas Si modo victus eras ad crastinâ— bella parabas Cui veâ—tes sudore jugi cui â—â—eca cruore Tincla jugi quâ—â—ntum sâ—t onus regnare probarunt Non fuit immensi quisquam per climata mundi Cui tot in adversis vel respirare liceret Nec tamen aut ferro contritus poncre ferrum Aut gladio potuit vitae finisse labores Iam post transactos vitae regnique dolores Christus ei sit vera quies sceptrumque perenne He raigned twenty seven years say some twenty eight saith Powell the writer of his life Ingulphus saith he died in the twenty ninth year of his Raign CHAP. VI. EDWARD the elder THe twenty fourth King of the West-Saxons and twenty fifth Monarch of the English men Fuit Edwardus forma eximia ac per omnes aetatis gradus decentissima Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. l. 6. Before the conquest of the Normans there were in England three Edwards 1. This Edward the elder 2. Edward the Martyr 3. Edward the Confessor We have had more Kings of England of this name than of any other nine in all three before the conquest and six after it Verstegans Etymology of our Saxon proper names Henry the name of seven Emperours of Germany eight Kings of England four Kings of France four Kings of Castile Phillips his new world of English words He was heir apparent to his Father Alfreds valour and vertues as well as to his Crown Some say he was the great Iustinian of our Nation Our Laws being suppressed by the Danish Kings were revived and reinforced in the time of Edward the Confessor whence they had the name of Edward the Confessors Laws He raigned in great Warres and honour the space of twenty four years So Henricus Huntingdoniensis saith Paternum regnum tenuit 24. annis Ethelstan or Adelstan The twenty fifth King of the West Saxons and the twenty sixth Monarch of the English men He was crowned at that Kingly Town Kingston In Regia villa in Regem levatur Rog. de Hoveden He began his Kingdome with War and ended in peace and tranquillity He was the worthiest Prince saith Lhoyd of Saxon bloud that ever raigned Being seduced by the bad Counsell and false suggestions of one of his favourites he banished his Brother Edwin unjustly commanding him to be sent to Sea with only one servant and in a Boat without Oar or Sail wherein he perished His Cup-bearer after in his service upon festivall stumbled with the one foot and recovering himself with the other pleasantly said You see how one Brother helpeth another upon which speech the King with grief and touch of heart called to mind the death of his innocent Brother occasioned by his wicked Counsell and forthwith commanded execution to be done on him the procurer and himself was ever after more tender and carefull toward his other Brethren Leyland in his new years gift to King Henry
his Father At a time upon the repulse of a certain suit the Archbishop brake forth into discontentment expostulated sharply against the King and in a humorous heat offered to depart But the King stayed him fell down at his feet desired pardon and promised satisfaction in the best manner that he could The Nobility which were present put the Archbishop in minde that he should cause the King to arise nay answered the Archbishop let him alone let him still abide at St. Peters feet So with much ado he was appeased and entreated to accept his suit By reason of sickness he kept his chamber a long time whereat the French King scoffing said The King of England lyeth long in Childbed Which when it was reported unto King William he answered When I am Churched there shall be a thousand lights in France alluding to the lights that Women used to bear when they were Churched and that he performed within few dayes after wasting the French Frontiers with fire and sword Malmesb. de Wilielmo primo l. 4. Some of the Earls conspiring against him he perceiving his estate to be now brought into no small danger and loath to put all upon the hazard and fortune of a Battell against men so well provided and with desperation armed as a man perplexed entred into consultation with Lâ—nfrancke then Archbishop of Canterbury what course were now best for him to take for the appeasing of these so great and dangerous troubles By whose advice he came to a parl with the English Nobility where after much reasoning and debating of the matter a peace was at length concluded and agreed upon so that the English men laying down their Arms the Conquerour in the presence of the Archbishop Lanfrancke and others took a solemn Oath upon the holy Evangelists and all the reliques of the Churches of St. Albans from thence forth to observe and keep the good and ancient Laws of the Realm which the noble Kings of England his Predecessors had before made and ordained but especially those of St. Edwarâ— of all others supposed to be most equall and indifferent for the geneâ—all good of the people He courteously received and honourably maintained Edgar Etheling in his Court allowing him a pound weight of silver every day to spend a rare example of a victorious Conqueror shewed upon a man so unconstant who twice had broken his Oath of fidelity and dangerous to be so near unto his person being as he was a competitor of his Crown During all his Raign either the sword was not put up into the scabbard or if it were the hand was alwayes upon the hilt ready to draw it So unwilling on the one part were the English men to bear the yoke and so haughty on the other part were the Norman Conquerors that to be called an English man was in their eyes a great concumely insomuch as it made some of the more light-conceited of the English to seek to better their esteem by imitating the Normans both in apparrell and language which among the graver sort bred the Proverb that Jack would be a Gentleman if he could speak French He favoured learned men and drew out of Italy Lanfrancke Anselme Durand Trahern and divers others famous at that time for learning and piety 'T is better with William Hunter than with William the Conqueror 'T is better to have a name in the Book of Martyrs than in the Book of Chronicles Mr. Nortons life of Mr. Iohn Cotton Perceiving his own defects in some points for want of learning he did exhort his children oftentimes to learning with this saying An unlearned Prince is a crowned Ass which speech took great impression in his son Henry This is one speciall honour attributed unto him that from him we begin the Computation of our Kings of England From the Normans bearing of Armes began amongst us Ab eo posteriores series Regum inchoavere perinde acsi de integro ille regnum ipsum instituâ—isset Regesque qui seâ—uti sunt usi similiter sunt ut nunc utuntur insignibus Regiis quae dedisset Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. l. 9. Nostrates priusquam in Angliam penetrasset Wilielmus primus hunc armorum cultum à Normannis videntur accepisse Spelmanni Aspilegia p. 40. Vide etiam p. 44. He ended his life upon the ninth day of September full both of honour and of age when he had raigned twenty years eight moneths and sixteen dayes in the threescore and fourth year of his age His dead body was not only abandoned but left almost naked upon the ground Being conveyed from Roan where he died to Cane one Fitz Arthur denied the King buriall in the Abbey-Church as ground which was wrongfully taken by the King from his Father till he had a hundred pounds paid him for it Mr. Ienkyn in his Exposition of the Epistle of Iude vers 4. p. 351. saith Of our twenty five Monarchs since the Conquest thirteen taking in three who are thought to be poysoned are said to have had violent and untimely deaths CHAP. XII K. William the second sirnamed Rufus or the Red. KIng William the first took to wife Matilde daughter to Baldwin Earl of Flanders a man for his wisdome and power both reverenced and feared even of Kings but because she was his Cousin-germane he was for his marriage excommunicate by his own Uncle Mauger Archbishop of Roan Hereupon he sued to Pope Victor and obtained of him a dispensation and afterwards so wrought that by a provinciall Counsell his Uncle Mauger was deprived of his dignity This King had by his Wife four sons Robert Richard William and Henry Robert his eldest son sirnamed Courtcuise by reason of the shortness of his thighs succeeded him in the Duchy of Normandy He was a man of exceeding honourable courage and spirit for which cause he was so esteemed by the Christian Princes in the great Warre against the Saracens that when they had subdued the City and Territory of Hierusalem they offered the Kingdome thereof first unto him The King of England to whom the Schola Salernitana was dedicated was this Robert eldest son of the Duke of Normandy which begins thus Anglorum Regi scribit Schola tota Salerni and it seems to be written when this Robert returned out of Palestina into Apulia and by reason of a Fistula from his poysoned wound he had consulted with the School of Salerne concerning it and preserving his health Neither doth that hinder that this Book is written to the King of England but Robert never raigned here for the Kingdome of right belonged to him which his younger Brother William Rufus possessed in his absence and for recovering of that he warred with his Brother but was overcome by him Richard had raised the good expectation of many as well by his comely countenance and behaviour as by his lively and generous spirit But he died young by misadventure
to say that he had no purpose to keep a wife he must pay for a faculty to keep a wife if he would Quymund his Chaplain observing that unworthy men for the most part were advanced to the best dignities of the Church as he celebrated divine service before him and was to read these words out of St Iames 5. 17. It rained not upon the earth three years and six moneths he did read it thus It rained not upon the earth one one years and five one moneths The King observed this reading and afterwards rebuked his Chaplain for it But Quymund answered that he did it of purpose because such readers were soonest preferred by the King The King smiled and in short time after preferred him to the government of St. Frideswides in Oxford He died in the sixty seventh year of his age when he had raigned thirty five years and four moneths wanting one day He was buried at Reading which he had founded In him ended the line of the Norman Kings as concerning their heirs males after whom came in the French men by the title of the heirs generall CHAP. XIV King STEPHEN VIr solertis ingenii militaris artis peritissimus Polyd. Virg. He was of a comely stature of a good complexion and of body strong very skilfull in martiall affairs gentle courteous and exceeding bountifull not noted for any speciall vice but that upon an ambitious desire to raign he brake his Oath which he had made with Maud the Empress He was a most worthy Souldier and wanted nothing to have made him an excellent King but a just title And therefore hee was driven perforce to defend his usurped Authority by the sword which must needs procure him the hatred of many He was crowned at Westminster upon Saint Stephens day in presence of but three Bishops few of the Nobility and not one Abbot by William Archbishop of Canterbury with great solemnity Having his sword continually out and so many defections and rebellions against him he never put any great man to death Of Roger Bishop of Salisbury in this Kings Raign it is reported that he was so pressed with the miseries of a long imprisonment Vt vivere nolâ—â—erit mori nesciâ—rit That live he would not die he could not In his dayes flourished divers famous learned men but especially Historiographers viz. William of Malmesbury Henry Huntington Simon of Durham Gessrey of Munmouth and others Though his Raign were rough and tempestuous by reason of his perpetuall debates and contests with Maud the Empress and her Son concerning the title yet were there more religious Convents erected in his time then either before or after Although he had continuall Warres yet he required few or no tributes from the people He raigned almost nineteen years lived forty nine and was buried in the Abbey of Feversham in Kent which he had founded The Normans thus expiring give way to the Dynasty of the Plantagenets Before the division of the Houses of Yorke and Lancaster there run on evenly in an unquestionable line eight Kings in this manner 1. Henry the second 2. Richard the first 3. Iohn 4. Henry the third 5. Edward the first 6. Edward the second 7. Edward the third 8. Richard the second Henry the second The first King of this Island sirnamed Plantagenet from Plantagenista so called as some say for wearing a slip or stalk of Broom in his Cap or Hat toward his latter dayes in penance and contrition for his past sins He undertook to go to the holy Sepulchre in the poor and despised habit of a Broom-man and to signifie himself so bore a Broom-stalk in his Cap. Others say it was because he scourged himself with the stalks of Broom which grew upon the Plains where once the holy City stood Bucks Preface to his great Plantagenet Henry Duke of Anjou by his Father Geffery Plantagenet succeeded Stephen in the Kingdome of England by agreement whom he preceded by right as being son and heir of Maud sole daughter and heir of King Henry the first and was crowned at Westminster by Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury and was a greater Prince then any of his Ancestors He was sirnamed Court-mantle because he was the first that brought short Cloaks out of Anjou into England He was wise and learned He never ware Glove except he bare a Hawk on his fist and never sate but at his meat and delighted in hawking hunting riding and in all honest exercises Our English Chronicles do blame him for refusing to take the protection and defence of the distressed Christians in Ierusalem offered unto him by Heraclins the Patriark the troubles that befell him at home are ascribed to that cause In his time there were eleven hundred and fifteen Castles in England He caused them to be demolished He first kept Lions and made of the Arms of Normandy viz. the two Leopards and of the single Lion Aquitain one Coat so Arms for England as it is yet worn He associated his son Henry in the Government an act without example in this Kingdome The young King shewed shortly after That a Crown was no State to be made over in trust At the Feast of his solemnity the King to honour his son would needs carry up the first dish to his Table Roger Archbishop of Yorke standing by and saying merrily to the new King Gaude optime filio non est enim alter in toto orbe Princeps qui talem habeat in mensa administrum What an honour is this to you to have such a waiter at your Table Why saith he what great matter is it for him that was but the son of a Duke to do service to me that am the son of a King and Queen Which the old King hearing began to repent him now it was too late of that he had done He loved women too much especially one Rosamond the fair daughter of Walter Lord Clifford This his Concubine was a very beautifull young Lady of unparalleld wit He usually termed her the Rose of the world his Rose The true Etymology of her name is Rosemouth and seemeth to have been given in regard of her sweetness or colour of the lips or it may have been in recommendation of sweetness and eloquence of speech King Henry had made for her a Labyrinth at Woodstocâ— so that no man or woman might come to her but he that was instructed by the King or such as were right secret with him It was commonly said that at last Queen Elenor came to her by a Clew of Thread or Silk and so dealt with her that she lived not long after But when she was dead she was buried at Godstow in an house of Nunnes beside Oxford In whose Epitaph a Latin Poet not understanding the true Etymology of the name makes Mund which here is mouth to be Mundus and so calls her the Rose of the world Hic jacet in tumba Rosa mundi non
go saith the King for he hath slain mine enemy Seeing one cut up a very fat Stag in his presence said he How easily and happily hath this creature lived yet he never heard Mass. Mr. Fox seems to approve of this speech as deriding the Mass though others say it was an Atheisticall speech In his Raign the Citizens of London first obtained of the King to choose yearly a Maior In whose time also the Bridge of London was first builded of stone which before was of wood Most Writers testifie that he was poysoned by a Monk of Swinsted-Abbey in Lincolnshire who to poyson him wittingly and willingly poysoned himself He died in the year of his age fifty and one and after he had raigned seventeen years six moneths and twenty seven dayes He lieth buried at Worcester-Colledge in the Quire there King HENRY the third He was happy in his Uncle the Earl of Pembroke the guide of his infancy and no less for thirty years whilest De Burgo the last servant of his Fathers against the French both in Normandy and England with Bigot Earl of Norfolke and others of like gravity and experience did manage the affairs The Author of the troublesome life and Raign of King Henry the third He was of a middle stature Robustus viribus sed praeceps in factis Matthew Paris He was crowned at Glocester by Peter Bishop of Winchester and Iosceline Bishop of Bath in the presence of Walo the Popes Legate Octob. 28. 1216. And after peace concluded with the Barons by Stephen Langton Archbishop of Canterbury at Westminster on Whitsunday an 1219. In his Raign the Popes authority in England was at the highest He heard three Masses a day In a solemn conference between him and St. Lewis King of France the only devout Kings of that age when the French King said he had rather hear Sermons then Masses our King replied that he had rather see his loving friend meaning Christs reall presence in the Sacraments then to hear never so much good of him by others in Sermons He had a son by Elenor his wife whom he named Edward for the memory of Edward the Confessor who raigned a little before that the Normans vanquished England At whose birth appeared a Star of great magnitude for some dayes before the Sun rising which moved swiftly one while making a shew of fire another while leaving smoak behind it by which prodigy saith Polydore Virgil the future amplitude of Edward the father and the smalness and vanity of his son which he begat afterwards was declared as it were by an Oracle He had another son Edmund Crouchbacke so called not because he was crooked or deformed but because he wore the Cross upon his back or on his Buckler which he wore constantly at his back to shew that he had vowed to go to Ierusalem to recover the holy Sepulchre In the year 41 of his Raign the King held a Parliament at Oxford which was called Insanum Parliamentum that is to say the mad Parliament For in this Parliament were made many Acts against the Kings prerogative and pleasure for the reformation of the state of the Land which after turned to the confusion and hurt of the Land and the death and destruction of many noble men so that by occasion thereof began that hatefull strife called at this day the Barons War whereof ensued much trouble and mischief He was pressed by his Nobles Bishops and others to pass the great Charter in the ninth year of his Raign His son Edward the first in the twenty fifth of his Raign confirmed the great Charter The great Charter of England passed from this King for which the English men had no less striven than the Trojans for their Helena Lambard saith he may call that great Charter of the Liberties of England the first Letters of manumission of the people of this Realm out of the Norman servitude Matthew Paris the learned Monk of Saint Albans lived in his time and was highly esteemed by him Et cum esset cum ipso continue in mensa in palatio in thalamo qui haec scripsit direxit scribentis calamum satis diligenter amicahiliter In another place he speaks of his bold reproving the King Verstegan sayes the Sidneys are of a French extraction that they came over into England in Henry the thirds dayes Arms as honourary dignities and generous distinctions between family and family and person and person have been undoubtedly born from his time since which there is sufficient proof of them and though long before that many Families might be rich potent and noble yet some of them either had no Arms as many yet in Ireland have not or else kept no constant Coat but gave sometimes their paternall otherwhiles their maternall or aadopted Coats Mr. Waterhouse his discourse of Arms and Armory He raigned fifty six yeares and twenty dayes the longest number of years that ever any King of England raigned CHAP. XVII King EDWARD the first HE was absent in the holy Land when his father died At his first coming to the holy Land he rescued the great City of Acon from being surrendred to the Sultan after which out of envy to his valour one Anzazim a desperate Saracen who had often been employed to him from their Generall being one time upon pretence of some secret message admitted alone into his chamber with a poysoned knife gave him three wounds in the body two in the arm and one in the armpit which had been mortall if out of unspeakable love the Lady Elenor his wife had not suckt out the poison of his wounds with her mouth and licked them with her tongue and thereby effected a cure which otherwise had been incurable So soveraign a medicine saith Speed is a womans tongue annointed with the vertue of loving affection Leaving Garrisons in fit places for defence of the Countrey he with his wife Elenor takes his journey homewards and first passing by Sicilie was there most kindly received by Charles King of that Island where he first heard of his fathers death which he took more heavily far then he had taken the death of his young son Henry whereof he had heard a little before at which when King Charles marvelled he answered that other sons might be had but another father could never be had He was protected by the divine hand from his Childhood being young and playing one time at Chess with a friend in the midst of his game without any apparent occasion he removed himself from the place where he sate when suddenly there fell from the roof of the house a great stone which if he had stayed in the place but never so little had beaten out his brains The like is recorded of Luther that as he was sitting in a certain place upon his stool a great stone there was in the Vault over his head
all the benefits he could yea and given his own sister iâ— marriage he raised a most dangerous War and spoiled shamefully a great part of England under pretence of restoring the Commonwealth and maintaining liberty neither left he any thing undone to bring the King under to change the State of a Mâ—â—â—rchy to bring in an Oligarchy But in the 〈◊〉 after that fortune had for a good while favourably smiled upon him he was slain at Eveshâ—m in Worcestershire with many other of the Barons his Complices by the prowess of Prince Edward 〈…〉 〈…〉 Although the Kingdome endured great Crosses in the affairs of State under this King yet some have thought that it found as great a blessing in matters of Religion which in those dayes took so deep root in this our Land by the preaching of Iohn Wickliffe that the branches thereof did spread themselves even over the Seas Speeds Chronicle He was the onely Son of that famous Cheiftain the black Prince of Wales a renowned son of a renowned father but as a plant transplanted into a savage soyl in degree and disposition wholly degenerate retained a tincture of the light inconstancy of his Mother and the luxuriousness of his great Grandfather Edward the second and running his course came to his end He had in his Court a thousand persons in ordinary allowance of diet three hundred servitors in his Kitchin above three hundred Ladies Chamberers and Landerers His Apparel was sumptuous and so was it generally in his time he had one Coat of gold and stone valued at thirty thousand Marks One interview with the French King at Ards when his Wife Isabel was delivered unto him cost three hundred thousand Markâ— Queen Anne his Wife Daughter to the Emperour Charles the fourth first taught English women the manner of sitting on horseback which now is used whereas before-time they rode very unseemly astride like as men do The Civil Wars in England had their beginning from his bad Government Henry the fourth did first commence them and Henry the fifth suspended them but they again brake forth under Henry the sixth Wat Tyler the Master of the Kentish Rebels was slain with a Dagger by William Walworth Mayor of London close by the Kings side in the Kings defence who was therefore Knighted and the City since giveth for Arms the Dagger He was first deposed then slain Men are easily emboldened saith Guicciardine c. 3. of his History of Italy against a Prince that is fallen into contempt The most current report at that time went that he was Princely served every day at the Table with abundance of costly meats according to the order prescribed by Parliament but was not suffered to taste or touch any one of them and so perished of famine Mr. Fox saith he was at Pamfret Castle famished to death Sir Pierce of Extone at last killed him though he with an Axe wrested out of one of their hands first killed four of those which came with him to murther him At the point of his death he groaned forth these words My great Grandfather King Edward the second was in this manner deposed imprisoned and murthered by which means my Grandfather King Edward the third obtained possession of the Crown and now is the punishment of that injury powred upon his next successor Well this is right for me to suffer but not for you to do your King for a time may joy at my death and enjoy his desire but let him qualifie his pleasures with the expectation of the like justice for God who measureth all our actions by the malice of our minds will not suffer this violence unrevenged He lived three and thirty years raigned two and twenty and three moneths Thus far the Plantagenets have continued in an unquestionable right line now follows the division of the houses of Lancaster York three of each succeeding in their order Of Lancaster Henry the fourth sirnamed Bulling brook Henry the fifth of Monmouth Henry the sixth of Windsor Of Yorke three others succeeded upon a better title 1. Edward the fourth 2. Edward the fifth 3. Richard the third HENRY the fourth He was son to Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster from the loynâ— of whom the greatest number of the Kings of England Spain Portugall since his time as also several other persons of eminent dignity are descended Mr. Dugdalâ—s History of St. Pauls Cathedrall He was annointed with an oyl which a certain religious man gave unto Henry the first Duke of Lancaster Grandfather to the King by the mothers side when he served in the Wars of King Edward the third beyond the seas together with this Prophesie that the Kings which should be annointed therewith should be the Champions of the Church There was a great contest then between the white and red Rose the houses of Yorke and Lancaster The red Rose prevailed now he being the first renowned King of the house of Lancaster He first studied a popular party as needing all to support his titles There was in his Raign a Parliament held at Coventry called Parliamentum indoctorum the lack-learning Parliament either for the unlearnedness of the persons or for their malice to learned men During the time of this Kings Raign execution by fire was first put in practice within this Realm for controversies in points of Religion He shed the bloud of Gods Saints and raigned neither long nor hâ—pâ—ily Mr. Foxâ—aith â—aith his time was full of trouble bloud and misery He was the first of the Kings of England saith he that put out his hand to the shedding of the bloud of the Saints since the conquest Humphrey his son was by his brother King Henry the fifth created Duke of Glocester he was Protector of the Kingdome of England for twenty five years in the time of King Henry the sixth He was a man who nobly deserved of the Commonwealth and of learning as being himself very learned and a magnificent Patron and benefactor of the University of Oxford where he had been educated and was generally called the good Duke Speed This Duke Humphrey purchased a wonderfull number of Books in all Sciences whereof he freely gave to a Library in Oxford a hundred and twenty nine fair Volumes Bales Conclusion to Leylands New years gift to King Henry the eight One saith all the Henries of the house of Lancaster even to Henry the seventh were most eminent for great vertues Henry the fourth for his behaviour and courtesie Henry the fifth for his valour and magnanimity Henry the sixth for his justice and piety The renowned Prince King Henry the fifth during the life of his father was noted to be fierce and of wanton courage One of his servants whom he favoured was for felony by him committed arraigned at the Kings Bench whereof the Prince being advertised and incensed by light persons about him in furious rage came hastily to the Barre
where his servant stood as prisoner and commanded him to be ungived and set at liberty William Gascoigne the chief Justice of the Kings Bench exhorted the Prince to be ordered according to the ancient Laws of the Realm or if he would have him saved from the rigour of the Laws that he should obtain if he might of the King his father his gracious pardon whereby no Law or justice should be impeached With which answer the Prince being more inflamed endeavoured himself to take away his servant The Judge considering the perillous example and inconvenience that might thereby ensue with a valiant courage and spirit commanded the Prince upon his allegiance to leave the prisoner and to depart his way with which commandement the Prince being set all in a fury in a terrible manner came up to the place of judgement some thinking that he would have slain the Judge or have done him some hurt but the Judge sitting still without moving declaring the majesty of the Kings place of judgement and with an assured bold countenance spake thus to the Prince Sir remember your self I keep here the place of the King your soveraign Lord and Father to whom you owe double obeysance wherefore in his name I charge you desist from your wilfulness and unlawfull enterprise and from henceforth give good example to those which after shall be your proper Subjects 〈◊〉 and now for your contempt and disobedience go you to the prison of the Kings Bench whereto I commit you and remaine you there prisoner untill the pleasure of the King your Father be further known With which wordes being abashed and also wondering at the marvellous gravity of that worshipfull Justice the Prince laying his weapon apart doing reverence departed and went to the Kings Bench as he was commanded whereat his servants disdaining came and shewed to the King all the whole affair He a while studying after as a man all ravished with gladness holding his hands and eyes towards heaven cried out with a loud voice O mercifull God how much am I bound to thy infinite goodness â—ffâ—ecially for that thou hast given me a Iudge who feareth not to minister justice and also a sin who can suffer semblably and obey justice Sir Thomas Eliot in his Governour saith here a man may behold three persons worthy memory First a Judge who being a Subject feared not to execute justice on the eldest son of his soveraign Lord and by order of nature his successor Also a Prince son and heir of the King in the midst of his folly more considered his evil example and the Judges conscience in justice then his own estate and wilfull appetito Thirdly a noble King and wise father who contrary to the custome of parents rejoyced to see his son and the heir of his Crown to be for his disobedience by his Subject corrected The Oath ex officio it should rather be called in officiosum was brought into the Church under him The Prelates requiring it to discover those which that age esteemed Hereticks and especially those which they called Lollards which Master Fox in his Acts and Monuments calls a bloudy Law In his admonition to his son at his death he said Of English men so long as they have wealth and riches so long shalt thou have obeysance but when they be poor they are alwayes ready to make insurrection at every motion All the time of his sickness his will was to have his Crown set upon his Bolster by him and one of his fits being so strong upon him that all men thought him directly dead the Prince coming in took away the Crown when suddenly the King recovering his senses missed his Crown and asking for it was told the Prince had taken it whereupon the Prince being called came back with the Crown and kneeling down said Sir to all our judgements and to all our griefs you seemed directly dead and therefore I took the Crown as being my right but seeing to all our comforts you live I here deliver it much more joyfully then I took it and pray God you may long live to wear it your self In his time were the two famous Poets Chaucer and Gower None of the sons of Henry the fourth did degenerate a thing not usuall in so large a family Henry the fifth died gloriously in the pursuit of his conquests the Duke of Clarence valiantly fighting and though of a naturall death and Glocester of a violent yet died they not with less fame then did the others Biondi his History of the Civil Warres of England l. 5. in Henry the sixth The Duke of Bedfords death is to be numbred among the chiefest causes of the loss of France He was a prudent Prince of long experience in Arms and Government obeyed by his own feared by his enemies Id. ibid. Fourth Henry was by some blind Bard foretold That he should never die till he had seen Ierusalem fourth Henry will be old Ierusalem for him shall be unseen No he shall see it when he least doth ween He swouns at prayers and by religious men Is straight convey'd unto Ierusalem Sir Francis Huberts History of Edward the second The like Prophesie we read of Pope Sylvester the second to whom being inquisitive for the time and place where he should die it was answered that he should die in Ierusalem who then saying Mass in a Chappell called likewise Ierusalem perceived his end there to be near and died In this Kings time Guild-Hall in London was built Gower being very gracious with him carried the name of the only Poet in his time He and Chaucer were Knights The King died in Ierusalem-Chamber in minster in the year of his age forty six He raigned thirteen years and a half wanting five dayes Fourteen years say others CHAP. XIX HENRY the fifth HE was just wise magnanimous valiant To this noble Prince by an assent of the Parliament all the Estates of the Realm after three dayes offered to do fealty before he was crowned or had solemnized his Oath well and justly to govern the Commonweal which offer before was never found to be made to any Prince of England Stowes Chron. His young years were spent in literature in the Academy of Oxford where in Queens-Colledge he was a Student under the tuition of his Uncle Henry Beauford Chancellour of that University When he came to be King he made Thomas Rodban a famous Astronomer in those dayes Bishop of St. Davids and Iohn Carpenter a learned Divine Bishop of Worcester having known them both whilest he lived in the University The Civil Wars of England by Sir Francis Biondi Presently after his Coronation he called before him all his old companions who had been disorderly with him strictly charging them not to presume to come within ten miles of his Court untill such time as they had given good proof of their amendment in manners and left any of them should pretend want of maintenance
to be any cause of their taking ill courses he gave to every one of them a competent means whereby to subsist and in stead of them he received the gravest men into his familiarity in whom he conceived there was the greatest prudence to take counsell and faith to give it that he might be helped by their counsels admonitions and prudence He kept his Lent in the Castle of Kenelworth and whilest he lay there messengers came to him from the Dolphin of France named Charles with a present of Paris-Balls for him to play withall but the King wrote to him that he should shortly send to him London-Balls with which he would throw down Paris Walls And to make good his promise he raised a great Army and hastened to France and landed at Caen in Normandy Charles the sixth then King of France raised also a mighty Army and sent a King of Arms to defie him King Henry desirous to know the numbers of the French sent forth Captain Game for discovery who brought word that there were of them enough to kill and enough to take and enough to run away The French were so confident of victory that they sent to King Henry to know what ransome he would give but he obtained a great victory over them He was sirnamed commonly the Alexander of England because as Alexander the Great conquered the most part of Asia in the space of nine or ten years so did this Henry conquer France in less then the like time The second ornament of the English Nation By force of Arms and military prowess maugre the French he conquered France and brought Charles the sixth King of France to that extremity that after a sort he surrendred up his Crown unto him Fuit statura corporis quae justam excederet corpore gracili membris aequalibus ac validis facie decorâ collo oblongo artis militaris peritissimus ac ejus gloriâ illustrissimus Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. 22. Within the term of five or six years he brought the better part of France under his obedience Avaunt proud Rome and brag not of thy men Nor thy aetheriall Caesars Wars declare Cease peerless Plutarch with thy sacred pen The worlds arch-Monarchs aptly to compare Reason doth urge and this alleadge I dare That Englands Homer pourtrayd hath his War Which doth excell the worthiest Caesars Star William Herberts Prophesie of Cadwallader He was of marvellous great strength and passing swift in running insomuch that he with two other of his Lords without Hound Bow or other engine would take a wild Buck or Doe in a large Park He ordained the King of Heralds over the English which is called Garter Never lived English King with more true glory nor ever died any in a more unseasonable time nor more lamented It was said of him that he had something in him of Caesar which Alexander the Great had not that he would not be drunk and something of Alexander the Great which Caesar had not that he would not be flattered The King being certified of his son Henries birth gave God thanks for sending him a son which might succeed in his Crown and Scepter But when he heard reported the place of his nativity he said unto the Lord Fitz Hugh his trusty Chamberlain these words My Lord I Henry born at Monmouth shall reign a while and much get and Henry born at Windsor shall long raign and all lose but as God will so be it The burthen of those Wars lay upon the English mens shoulders who were at that time rich and mighty and had a wise goodly and valiant King called Henry accompanied with sage hardy and expert Captains viz. the Earl of Salisbury Talbot and others When God meant to withdraw his goodness from the English men this wise King died at Bois de Vincennes and his son who proved but a simple man was crowned King of France and England and at Paris Phil. de Commines The Duke of Bedford third son to King Henry the fourth Regent for the English in France fourteen years having crowned his master Henry the sixth in Paris died leaving behind him an honourable witness even from his enemies That he was a brave Commander a true Patriot and a faithfull servant to his Lord and brother Henry the fifth and to his son Henry the sixth He was Regent of France Duke of Bedford Alanson and Anâ—â—u Earl of Main Richmond and Kendall and Constable of England King Henry died in France in the ninth year of his Raign 1422. He left to succeed him his only child Prince Henry about as many moneths old as his father had raigned years HENRY the sixth He was proclaimed King when he was about eight moneths old his mother brought him to the Parliament in London in her bosome He was crowned on the ninth year of his age His infancy was mightily supported by the notable valour and policy of his two Uncles Humphrey Duke of Glocester and Iohn Duke of Bedford to the one was committed the protection of his person and Kingdome to the other the managing of the War continued in France He was a very simple man and almost an innocent Philde Commines l. 3. c. 7. He was of a seemly stature of a slender body and of a beautifull face in whose best of fortune it was never to prossess more then the name of a King What Prophet could have picked out of Mars and Saturn the manifold mishaps which befell that Prince of blessed memory King Henry the sixth sometimes sleeping in a port of honour sometime floting in the surges of mishap sometime possessing forraign Crowns sometimes spoiled and deprived of his own sometime a Prince sometime a prisoner sometime in plight to give succour to the miserable sometime a fugitive among the desperate Howards Defensative against the poyson of supposed Prophesies c. 14. History shews us not an example of a Prince who in so many vicissitudes never met with one fully to his advantage He was four times taken prisoner and in the end despoiled both of his Kingdome and life He was crowned King of France in Nostre Dame in Paris receiving the homage and fealty of all the Nobility of France present and all the Citizens and Inhabitants of that City and the places adjacent He was so continent that at Christide having a shew of young women presented to him bare breasted he immediately departed with these words Fie fie fie for shame Forsooth you be too blame He willingly pardoned many great offences A Ruffian striking him on the face he only said Forsooth you are too blame to strike me your annointed King He was never observed dejected upon the report of any sad accident but entertained all afflictions as sent from the Almighty and absolutely resigned his will to that of heaven He founded Eaton-School and Kings Colledge the Chappell of which last shewed the magnificence that the
should dispossess his children of the Crown was consenting to his death interpreting G. to be George Duke of Clarence which fell out to be Glocester to whose tyranny he left them by this ungodly means He vanquished in nine Battels himself being present The Scene of his fortune had more changes then any King of England yet except his Competitor Lust was reputed his bosome-sin God severely punisht him in his sons who were both dispossest of their Kingdome and their lives by their unnaturall Uncle there being so much appearance of right by their fathers incontinency that even an Act of Parliament was made to bastardize them He was the first of our Kings since the Conquest that married his Subject His usuall Oath was By Gods blessed Lady He sate on the Kings Bench in open Court three dayes together in Michaelmas Term anno 〈◊〉 of his Raign to understand how his Laws were executed Have we not seen the late King of England Edward the fourth of that name heir of the house of Yorke utterly destroy the house of Lancaster under the which both his father and he had lived many yeares Farther the said King Edward having done homage to King Henry the sixth being of the house of Lancaster did he not afterward hold him prisoner many years in the Tower of London the chief City of the Realm where in the end he was put to death Phil. de Commines hist. l. 5. c. 18. He saith that their King Lewis the eleventh of France in wisdome and sense far surmounted King Edward Lib. 6. c. 2. and l. 5. c. 13. he saith of Lewis undoubtedly he was one of the wisest and subtilest Princes that lived in his time That very day wherein an honourable peace was concluded between Edward the fourth and King Lewis the eleventh upon subscribed Articles it chanced a white Dove as Commines writes to repose her self upon King Edwards pavilion whereupon though many gathered an argument yet since she sate not equally between both the Kings I like much better of a Gascoines observation who having been present at the sight reported unto Philipde Commines as himself records that the Dove repaired to King Edwards Tent only to this intent to refresh and prune her self after a great rain because the Sun was warmest there Howards Defensative c. 24. Richard Nevill Earl of Warwicke was a man of an undaunted courage but wavering and untrusty the very Tennice-Ball in some sort of fortune who although he were no King was above Kings as who deposed King Henry the sixth a most bountifull Price to him from his royall dignity placed Edward the fourth in the royall Throne and afterwards put him down too restored Henry the sixth again to the Kingdome enwrapped England within the most wofull and lamentable flames of Civill War which himself at the length hardly quenched with his own bloud In his spirit birth marriage and revenue he was mighty which raised his thoughts above proportion The greatest and busiest Subject our later age hath brought forth That make-King Warwick having the English Crown Pinn'd on his sleeve to place where he thought best Who set up Princes and did pull them down How did he toyl the Land with his unrest How did his Sword rip up his mothers brests Whose greatness and his popularity Wrought both his own and others tragedy Sir Francis Huberts History of Edward the second Cecil Dutchess of Yorke his mother lived in Henry the sevenths Raign and died at her Castle of Barkhamsted being of extream years who had lived to see three Princes of her body crowned and four murthered He being near his death told his friends that if he could as well have foreseen things as now to his pain he proved them he would never have worn the courtesie of mens knees with the loss of so many heads He raigned two and twenty yeares one moneth and five dayes EDWARD the fifth He was scarce eleven years old when his father died and succeeded him in the Kingdome but not in the Crown for he was proclaimed King but never crowned and indeed it may not so properly be called the Raign of Edward the fifth as the tyranny of Richard the third He hearing that his Uncle had left the name of Protector and taken upon him the title of King and was with full consenting of the Lords to be crowned within a few dayes following with the same Crown and in the like Estate as had been provided for his solemnity the dejected Innocent sighed and said Alass I would my Vncle would let me enjoy my life yet though I lose both my Kingdome and Crown He and his brother Richard were murthered in the Tower Tâ—win brethren in their deaths what had they done O Richard sees a fault that they were in It is not actuall but a mortall one They Princes were 't was their original sin Why should so sweet a pair of Princes lack Their Innocents-day in th' English Almanack Aleyns History of Henry the seventh RICHARD the third He was king in fact only but Tyrant both in title and regiment He was ill featured of limmes crook-backed hard favoured of visage malicious wrathfull envious It is for truth reported that the Dutchess his mother had so much ado in her travail that she could not be delivered of him uncut and that he came into the world with the feet forward and as the same runneth also not untoothed whether men of hatred report above the truth or else that nature changed her course in his beginning which in the course of his life committed many things unnaturally Buck that writes his Raign writes favourably of him but the Chroniclers generally condemn him He was brother to King Edward the fourth and having most wickedly murthered his Nephews usurped the Kingdome by the name of King Richard the third and after two years lost both it and his life in a pitched field He slew with his own hands King Henry the sixth being prisoner in the Tower as men constantly said and that without commandement or knowledge of King Edward the fourth who undoubtedly if he had intended his death would have appointed that Butcherly office to some other then his own brother He slew also that Kings son in the presence of Edward the fourth Was the contriver of the death of the Duke of Clarence his brother He bare a white Bore for his Cognisance The Lord Lovell Sir Richard Ratcliffe and Sir William Catesby were chief rulers under him of the which persons was made a seditious Rime and fastened upon the Cross in Cheapside and other places of the City It was this The Cat the Rat and Lovell the Dog Rule all England under a Hog For which one Colingborne was executed A Prince who deserved to be ranked among the worst men and the best Kings Yet Sir Francis Bacon in his History of Henry the seventh saith that his good Laws were but the brocage of an usurper
thereby to win the hearts of the people as being conscious to himself that the true obligations of Soveraignty in him failed He put to death Hastings A greater judgement of God then this upon Hastings I have never observed in any Story For the self same day that the Earl Riners Grey and others were without triall of Law or ostence given by Hastings advice executed at Ponfret I say Hastings himself in the same day and as I take it in the same hour in the same Lawless manner had his head stricken off in the Tower of London He had little quiet after the murther of his two Nephews in the Tower of London Sir Iohn Beaumont hath well described Bosworth-field in Verse The night before he was slain he dreamed that he saw divers images of Devils which pulled and haled him not suffering him to take any rest the which vision stroke him into such a troubled mind that he began to doubt what after came to pass Charles the ninth King of France after the massacre in Paris and divers other Cities wherein were slaughtered about thirty thousand never saw good day but his eyes rolled often uncertainly in the day with fear and suspition and his sleep was usually interrupted in the night with dismall dreams and apparitions He being near his end vomited out bloud pittifully by all the conduits of his body as a just judgement for him that barbarously shed it throughout all the Provinces of the Realm He raigned two yeares two moneths and one day CHAP. XIX HENRY the seventh THe fourteen Plantagenets thus expiring with Richard the third five Tudors take their turns in this manner Henry the seventh Henry the eighth Edward the sixth Queen Mary Queen Elizabeth They are called Tudors because Henry the fifth his widow being a French woman married Owen Tudor from whom Henry the seventh did lineally descend In this Nation how hath the Crown walked even since Christs birth from Britains to Saxons Danes Normans Plantagenets Tudors Stuarts Mrs Shawes Tomb-stone This King pretended a six-fold title to the Crown By Conquest Military election of Souldiers in the fields near Bosworth by Parliament by Birth by Donation and Marriage He did never stand upon his marriage with the right heir as the foundation of his right unto the Crown for he knew well enough that if that had been his best and only title though it might make the power good unto his children yet while she was living he must hold the Crown in her right not in his own and if she died before him it was lost Because he was crowned in the field with King Richards Crown found in an Hawthorn-Bush he bare the Hawthorn-Bush with the Crown in it He was crowned the thirtieth day of October in the year of our Lord 1485 by Thomas Bourehier Archbishop of Canterbury and Cardinall At which day he did institute for the better security of his person a Band of fifty Archers under a Captain to attend him by the name of Yeomen of his Guard and yet that it might be thought to be rather a matter of dignity after the imitation of that he had known abroad then any matter of diffidence appropriate to his own case he made it to be understood for an Ordinance not temporary but to hold in succession for ever after Through whose care vigilancy policy and forecasting wisdome for times to come the State and Commonwealth of England hath to this day stood established and invincible Camdens Britannia in Surrey A politick Prince he was if ever there were any who by the engine of his wisdome beat down and overturned as many strong oppositions both before and after he wore the Crown as ever King of England did Whose worthy renown like the Sun in the midst of his sphere shineth and ever shall shine in mens remembrance What incomparable circumspection was in him alwayes found that notwithstanding his long absence out of this Realm the disturbance of the same by sundry seditions among the Nobility Civil Warres and Battels wherein infinite people were slain yet by his most excellent wit he in few years not only brought this Realm in good order and under due obedience revived the Laws advanced justice refurnished his dominions and repaired his mannours but also with such circumspection treated with other Princes and Realms of leagues of alliance and amities that during the most part of his Raign he was little or nothing disquieted with War hostile or martiall business And yet all other Princes either feared him or had him in fatherly reverence He could never endure any mediation in rewarding his servants and therein exceeding wise for whatsoever himself gave he himself received back the thanks and the love on the contrary in whatsoever he grieved his Subjects he wisely put it off on those that he found fit ministers for such actions By his happy marriage being next heir to the house of Lancaster with Elizabeth daughter and heir to Edward the fourth of the house of Yorke the white and red Roses were conjoyned Sir Francis Bacon saith of Iohn Morton Archbishop of Canterbury Chancellor of England and Cardinal He deserveth a most happy memory in that he was the principall means of joyning the two Roses From the twenty eighth year of Henry the sixth unto the fifteenth of Henry the seventh the Civil War between Lancaster and Yâ—â—ke continued wherein as they reckoned there were thirteen fields fought three Kings of England one Prince of Wales twelve Dukes one Mâ—rquesse eighteen Earles with one Vicount and twenty three Barons besides Knights and Gentlemen lost their lives Cambd. Brit. in Warwickeshire The King in honour of the Brittish race of which himself was named his first son Arthur according to the name of that ancient worthy King of the Brittains in whose acts there is truth enough to make him famous besides that which is fabulous King Arthur fought twelve Battels with the Saxons and overthrew them Hollinsh Arthurus belliger illis temporibus dux militum Regum Brittanniae contra Saxones invictissimè pugnabat duodecies dux belli fuit duodecies victor bellatorum Hunting hist. l. 2. That Arthur was one of the nine Worthies There were three Jewes Ioshua David Iudas Maccabaeus three Gentiles Hector of Troy Alexander the Great and Iulius Caesar three Christians Arthur of Britain Charlemain of France and Godfrey of Bullen Arthur ursum significat quasi ursinum diceres Burhillus in MS. The Prince Arthur died before his father and lieth buried in the Quire of the Cathedrall Church at Worcester After was born to the King at Greenwich the Lord Henry his second son which was created Duke of Yorke and after Prince of Wales who succeeded his father in governance of this Realm by the name of Henry the eighth His time did excell for good Common-wealths Laws so as he may justly be celebrated for the best Law-giver to this Nation after
ready to give accompt to God for the abunâ—ance of bloud already spilt and knew he was no longer able to live he imprisoned the Duke of Norfolk the father signed a Warrant for the execution of the Earl of Surrey his son within nine dayes after he himself expired Unto a stately great outlandish Dame A messenger from our King Henry came Henry of famous memory the eight To treat with her in matter of great weight As namely how the King did seek her marriage Because of her great vertue and goâ—d carriage She that had heard the King lov'd change of pasture Repli'd I humbly thank the King your master And would such love his same in me hath bred My body venter so but not my head Sir Iohn Harringtons Epigrams Maximilian the Emperour was retained by him as his souldier He not only wore the Cross of St. George but received his pay duely viz. a hundred Crowns per diem L. Herbert in Hen. the 8 ths life Sub Rege Anglorum magnus meret Induperator Germanique truces duro gens strenua bello Oclandi Anglorum praelia The Raign of this King continued with great nobleness and fame the space of thirty eight years During whose time and Raign was great alteration of things as well to the Civil State of the Realm as especially to the State Ecclesiasticall and matters to the Church appertaining For by him was exiled and abolished out of the Realm the usurped power of the Bishop of Rome idolatry and superstition somewhat repressed images defaced Abbeys and Monasteries pulled down sects of Religion rooted out Scriptures reduced to the knowledge of the vulgar tongues and the state of the Church and Religion redressed Fox his Acts and Monuments vol. 2. p. 63. See B. Bedells Examinat of Wadsworths motives c. 10. He was much addicted to the reading of Thomas Aquinas and was therefore as some think called by Luther Thomisticus acerrimus ingeniorum aestimator Had. Jun. Epist. D. Dilso He wrote a volume against Luther in defence of Pardons the Papacy and the supposed seven Sacraments Of this Work the original is yet remaining in the Vatican at Rome and with his own hand thus inscrib'd Anglorum Rex Henricus Leoni 10. mittit hoc opus fidei testem amicitiae Whereupon saith Sleidan Pontifex honorisicum Regi cognomen tribuit Defensorem appellans Ecclesiae which is the same with Defender of the faith This title was given him about the twelfth year of his Raign Vide Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. l. 27. p. 664. His fool coming unto the Court and finding the King transported with an unusuall joy boldly asked him the cause thereof To whom the King answered It was because the Pope honoured him with a stile more eminent then any of his Ancestors Good Harry quoth he let thou and I defend one another and let the faith alone to defend it self Fisher was not the Author of King Henry his Book against Luther as Sanders and Bellarmine will have it nor Sir Thomas More as others say though I doubt not but they might both revise it by the Kings favour and where it was needfull also interpose their judgement Many thought that was compiled by Sir Thomas More some by the Bishop of Rochester and others not without cause suspected it to be the work of some other great Scholar Godwins Annals of England The Pope excommunicating him he fell off from the Pope Luther in an Epistle to the King saith thus Verum etiam quód fide dignis testibue didici libellum sub majestatis tuae nomine in me editum non esse Regis Angliae ut videri volebant subdoli sophistae qui majestatis tuae titulo abusi non senserunt quantum sibi ipsis periculum in Regia ignominia pararent praesertim illud monstrum publicum odium Dei hominum Cardinalis Eboracensis pestis illa regni tui The King in his Answer to this Epistle affirms it to be his Iam quantumviâ— te fingas credere editum à me libellum non esse meum sed meo nomine subornatum à sophistis subdolis tamen meum esse multi majori fide digni quà m sunt tuâ illi fide digni testes cognoscunt ego quanto tibi minus placet tanto magis libenter agnosco He caused to be put into the Liturgy Ab Episcopi Romani tyrannide detestandis enormitatibius libera nos Domine heroica animi magnitudine imbelles pontificum bullas instatas execrationibus buccas despicatui habuit Renigerus de Pii quinti Gregorii decimi tertii Romanorum pontificum furoribus He thrust out the Popes Supremacy that he might be revenged of the Pope who would not allow of his divorce from his first wife but he continued much of the Popish Religion and made six Articles called a whip with six strings which were the death of many godly men being perswaded thereto by Bishop Gardiner There is a story of one who seeing then both Papists hanged for traytors because they opposed the Kings Supremacy and Protestants burned for hereticks in regard they denied the six Articles cried out What Religion is there here in England whereupon one asked him What Religion he was of he answered He was of the Kings Religion Nor was that boysterous King so much to blame in dissolving materiall Temples or houses rather abused then consecrated to superstition as he was after this Reformation if so it may be called in destroying so many living Temples of God which sought not the dissolution of his Kingdome nor any other Reformation of him and his people save only the clearing and purifying of their hearts and brests which had been consecrated unto Gods service from the infection of Romish superstition and idolatry Dr. Iacksons Commentary on the Creed l. 11. c. 38. He was counted the common Umpire of Christendome He exceeded all his Progenitors in setting up sumptuous houses He confirmed Christ-Church in Oxford and erected Trinity-Colledge in Cambridge The professors of the Hebrew and Greek tongues were first instituted by him in both the Universities Sit Rich. Bakers Chron. In running at Tilt and such exercises he overcame the rest Cum lectissimi equites Cataphracti in ludâ—cro spectaculo infestis hastis concurrerent tanta arte id bellici vigoris munus implebat ut ei proposita victoribus prâ—mia integra populi judicio saepissimé deferrentur Paul Jov. Brit. descript He could not only sing his part but of himself compose a Service of four five and six parts Eras. in farrag in Epist. Finding fault with the disagreement of Preachers he would often say Some are too stiffe in their old Mumpsimus and others too busie and curious in their new Sumpsimus King Ine out of his devotion to the See of Rome enjoyned every one of his Subjects that possessed in his house of any one kind of goods to the value of nineteen penes to
end kept a most judicious Journall of all the most principall passages of the affairs of his estate Inclytus Edvardus formatus ab ubere matris Confestim doctis à praeceptoribus artes Ingenuas omnes didicit qui Graeca Latinis Adjungens studio paucis profecerat annis Ut foret inferior nulli quem terra Britanna Protulerat claro magnorum ex stemmate Regum Nullus adaequari posset si flexilis â—tas In puero egresso nondum tria lustra duosque Annos ingenii aut praecox spectetur acumen Quantum ad doctrinas virtutesque attinet almas Ille erat Europae Phoenix quem funere acerbo Ut flos vere novo viridanti carpitur horto Sustulit ante diem mors immatura Britannis Invidet haec terris pietatem jura colentes Oclandi Anglorum praelia In his childhood being about to take down something which seemed to be above his reach one of his fellowes offered him a bossed plated Bible to stand upon and heighten him for taking that which he desired But he perceiving it to be a Bible with holy indignation resused it and sharply reproved him that made the offer A strong assurance of that dear esteem and veneration in which he held that sacred Book in his riper years Dr. Heylins History of Edward the sixth He hath this observation in his Diary the originall of which is in the hands of Sir Thomas Cotton At the sixth year of my age I was brought up in learning by Dr. Coxe who was after my Almner and John Cheek Master of Arts two well learned men who sought to bring me up in learning of tongues of the Scripture of Philosophy and all liberall Sciences Also John Belmain French man did teach me the French tongue He was annointed King at Westminster by Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury being of the age of nine years A Prince of great devotion constancy of mind love of the truth and incredibly studious Godwins Annals of England He knew all the principall Ports in England Scotland Ireland France and other Countries not far distant how they lay when the tide served what vessels of burden they could receive and what winds served for entrance He reformed Religion He caused Images and all monuments of Idolatry to be destroyed and a great Bible in English to be set up in every Church He was in body beautifull of a sweet aspect and specially in his eyes which seemed to have a starry liveliness and lustre in them He would answer Embassadors sometime upon the suddain either in French or Latin He could call all Gentlemen of account through his Kingdome by their names When Ioan Butcher a blasphemous Heretick was to be burned all the Counsell could not procure him to set his hand to the Warrant Wherefore they employed Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury to deal privily with him for his subscription But the King remained firm both in reason and resolution affirming that he would not drive her headlong to the Devil but because Hereticks for the most part have a strain of madness he thought it best to apply her with some corporall chastisements which with respite of time might happily reduce her to good order The Archbishop was violent both by perswasions and entreaties and when with meer importunity he had prevailed the King in subscribing his name said that he would lay all the charge thereof upon the Archbishop before God Not many years passed but this Archbishop also felt the smart of the fire and it may be that by his importunity for bloud he did offend for a good thing is not good if it be immoderately desired A Miller who had been busie in rebellion against the King knowing the danger willed his man to take the name of the master if any enquired after him Sir Anthony Kingston Provost Martiall came to the Mill and calling for the master the man in his name presented himself who strait commanded him to the Gallows the servant then seeing the danger of death confessed he was not the master but the man Well said the Knight thou canst never do thy master better service then to hang for him and thereupon trusted him up in the next tree The Lord Protector in his dayes marcht with a powerfull Army into Scotland to demand their Queen Mary in marriage to our King according their promises The Scots refusing to do it were beaten by the English in Musleborough fight One demanding of a Scotch Lord taken prisoner Now Sir how do you like our Kings marriage with your Queen I alwayes quoth he did like the marriage but I do not like the wooing that you should fetch a Bride with fire and sword The Kings Uncles Edward-Duke of Somerset Protector of his person Realms and Dominions and Thomas Lord Seymour Baron of â—udley the younger high Admirall of England were both beheaded Strife between their wives about place and precedency caused the death of their husbands and the death of the young King followed speedily after Sir Thomas Seymour Admirall and the younger brother married the Queen Dowager whose hap it was of all the rest to survive her husband She contested with her sister in law for priority of place both were privately encouraged neither would give way to the other The one claimed it as she had been once Queen the other challenged it as she was the present wife of the Protector The wives set their husbands at oddes and their enemies took hold of this advantage The Admirall was shortly questioned for treason by consent of his brother condemned in Parliament and lost his head In the same moneth was the Protector committed to the Tower by the Lords of the Counsell and after beheaded In this Kings dayes when Bonner was kept in prison reverend Ridley having his Bishoprick of London would â—ever go to dinner at Fulham without the company of Bonners mother and sister the former alwayes sitting in a Chair at the upper end of the Table These guests were as constant as Bread and Salt to the Board no meal could be made without them He died in the seventh year of his Princely Government in the sixth of Iuly anno 1553. Some write that he was poysoned The death of this Prince was lamented of all the godly within Europe for the graces given unto him of God as well of nature as of erudition and godliness passed the measure that accustomably is used to be given to other Princes in their greatest perfection and yet exceeded he not sixteen years of age Knoxe his Ecclesiasticall Hist. of Scotland l. 1. p. 97. I wonder that Doctor Heylin in his Epistle before his Ecclesia Restaurata should say therefore Whose death I cannot reckon for an infelicity to the Church of England Cardan made this Epitaph of him Flete nefas magnum sed toto flebitis orbe Mortales vester corruit omnis honos Nam Regum decus juvenum flos spesque bonorum Deliciae saecli
out of French by Queen Elizabeth and written with her own hand in the life time of her father and sent to her brother Prince Edward for a new years gift she being at that time not above thirteen years of age Abraham Hartwell in his Regina literata written in Verse speaks of Queen Elizabeths coming and doings at Cambridge She was honourably received in Kings Colledge where she lay during her continuance there At the breaking up of the Divinity Act there she made within St. Maries Church a notable Oration in Latine beginning thus Etsi faeminilis iste 〈◊〉 us pudor c. See Dr. Heylins Ecclesia restaurata p. 163 164. Vide Hadriani Juniâ— Epist. Elizabethae Angliae Reginae inter Epistolas suas p. 544. She was of personage tall of hair and complexion fair and therewith well favoured but high nosed of limbs and feature neat and which added to the lustre of those exteriour graces of stately and majestick comâ—ortment She was crowned in St. Peters Church in Westminster by Dr. Oglethorp Bishop of Carlisle according to the Order of the Roman Pontificall There was great speech of a match between her and a French Mounsieur the Duke of Alencon of which he had great hopes being ignorant as Bernardine Mendoza wrote from London to the Prince of Parma Reginam singulis annis sponsam esse nunquam vero nuptam That the Queen was every year a Spouse but never married The silencing and ejection of Ministers in her dayes Reformation being newly begun and the enemies to it many the friends and those that faithfully engaged few was looked upon by the godly prudent of that age as very unseasonable because of the scarcity of preachers at that time Beams of former Light c. 7. She had so great a command over her appetite that her brother Edward usually called her by no other name but his sweet sister Temperance* She was so far from pressing her Subjects with Impositions that when the Parliament once offered her a great summe of money she refused a great part thereof giving them thanks and adding withall that the money was as sure in her Subjects Coâ—â—ers as her own A Prince above her sexe of a manly courage and high conceit who lively resembled as well the royall qualities of her Grandfather as she did his princely presence and countenance the worlds love and joy of Brittain A Virgin for the space of fourty four years so ruled the royall Scepter as that her Subjects loved her enemies feared her and every one with admiration honoured her She was about seventy years old when she died A most gracious and excellent Prince worthy of superlative praise for her most wise and politick government of the Commonwealth and for her heroick vertues far above that sexe In Queen Elizabeth besides her sexe there was nothing woman-like or weak Sclater Yet Sâ—nders calleth her Lupam Anglicanam Rhiston Leaenam nostram omnes Athalias Maachas Jezabeles Herodiades superantem The very Heathen and Mahumetans the Persians and Idolaters the Aethiopians and Muscovites do name her with reverence Balsac in his second Book of Letters Letter 1. to my Lord Cecil saith Even he that excommunicated her spake of herwith honour Some think my Lord of Essex his death and the long concealing of the message he sent to her when discovered occasioned a deep melancholy first and after her death Osborn in his Miscellanies saith No act of hers was registred so contrary to the grain of her own people as the death of the Earl Others say the death of the Queen of Scots In her time the pure interest of England was the protection of Protestants and War with Spain For her mercifull returning home certain Italians which were taken prisoners in the eighty eight Invasion she was termed Saint Elizabeth by some at Venice One told the Lord Carleton being there Embassadour that although he were a Papist yet he would never pray to any other Saint but the Saint Elizabeth Mr. Trap on Ezraâ—c 1. My Lord Howard in his Manuscript in Oxford Library a learned piece worthy to be published stiled A dutifull defence of the lawfull regiment of women dedicated to Queen Elizabeth quotes divers Papists commending her In his Defensative against the poyson of supposed Prophesies c. 16. he saith thus When divers upon greater scrupulosity then cause went about to disswade her Majesty lying then at Richmond from looking on the Comet which appeared last with a courage answerable to the greatness of her state she caused the window to be set open and cast out this word Jacta est alea The Dice are thrown Affirming that her stedfast hope and confidence was too firmly planted in the providence of God to be blasted or affirighted with those beames which either had a ground in nature whereupon to rise or at least no warrant out of Scripture to pretend the miâ—haps of Princes She equalled the best of her Predecessors and in learned endowments excelled them all A wise man that was an eye witness of many of her actions and of those which succeeded her many times hath said That a Courtier might make a better meal of one good looke from her then of a good gift from some other King The Parliament having been a moneth Queen Elizabeth sent for Mr. Popham the Speaker of the House and asked him What past since they sate He answered Iust twenty eight dayes Much might be said of her prosperity 1. She was advanced to the Regall Throne from a private and adverse fortune The more happy was her Government because it ensued upon the stormy times of Queen Mary She came as a fresh Spring after a sharp Winter and brought the Ship of England from a troublous and tempestuous Sea to a safe and quiet harbour Though the Author of Ierusalem and Babel saith she profest her self a Catholick during the Raign of her sister and speaks of the Duke of Feria's Letter to King Philip yet to be seen wherein is certified that the Queen had given him such assurance of her belief and in particular concerning the point of reall presence that for his part he could not believe she intended any great alteration in Religion yet I suppose he wrongs her therein as he doth Dr. Reynolds likewise in saying that he framed that combate which he published between himself and Mr. Hart at his own pleasure Anti-Sanderus in his second Dialogue saith thus Non solum nobilium potentissimos sed Episcopos omnes à quorum aliquo juxta priscam Angliae consuetudinem ungi coronari debuit factio Pontificia sic abripuerat ut cam quod Lutherano dogmate tingi crederetur solennitatibus illis usitatis decorare ad tempus procacissimè recusaverint Vide plura ibid. p. 179. Tot magnatibus in Anglia tempore Reginae Mariae deficientibus animosè perstitere Elizabetha postea Regina Johanna Graia Voet. Sel. Theol. Disputat part 3. Her time produced a world
Laws for acting any thing in opposition unto that Religion which was then established Concerning which there goes a Story that when a Popish Priest had urged her very earnestly to declare her judgement touching the presence of Christ in the blessed Sacrament she very cautelously resolved the point in these following Verses 'T was God the Word that spake it He took the bread and brake it And what the Word did make it That I believe and take it But all this Caution notwithstanding her aversness from the Church of Rome was known sufficiently not to be altered while she lived Dr. Heylins History of Queen Elizabeth At her entrance to her Raign she sent to her Agent in the Court of Spain to represent unto King Philip the second the dear remembrance which she kept of those many humanities received from him in the time of her troubles Yet afterward some of our own and some forraign Wâ—iters taxe her of too much unkindness toward King Philp to whom she had been so much obliged The ground of his Invasion in eighty eight was the divers indignities he received from Queen Elizabeth though ever since the death of Queen Mary he forbore to do any thing that might displease her During his abode in England he had done her such signall and high savours as to preserve her head from the Scaffold to have her allowance enlarged to divert her Sister from a design she had to send her beyond Sea to be a 〈◊〉 and at his departure from England he desired not to carry with him but one Ring of a hundred pound price He shewed no small love also in comprehending the suâ—rendâ—y of Calais to the English in his Treaty of peace with France The Queen assisted Don Antonio the Bastard against him about the title of Portugall fomented his own naturall Subjects against him in the revolt of the confederate Provinces so far as to send a Governour of her own amongst them She gave Commissions to rob him in the Indies She intercepted some of his treasure in her own Seas going to Flanders and wronged some of the Hans Towns who were under his protection These with sundry incitements more caused Philip to prepare this powerfull Fleet to be quit with her at once for all scores Howels History of Naples But it may be said in her defence that thâ—e King of Spain did stir up the Irish against her and did also encourage such Traytors as conspired against her in England Sir Francis Drake who was Captain of the Iudith with Sir Iohn Hawkins in the voyage of Guiny 1567 received together with him considerable dammage and injuries from the Spaniard in the Port of St Iohn D' Vllâ—a of the West Indies contrary to promise and agreement with him and therefore what he did against the Spaniards was to repair himself At the beginning of the Netherlanders troubles she imparted unto the King of Spain sincere advice not to hold a heavy hand over that people which he rejected and contemned Her Majesty nevertheless gave not over her honourable resolution which was if it were possible to reduce and reconcile those Countryes unto the obedience of the King of Spain if not yet to preserve them from alienating themselves to a forraign Lord and so continued to mediate unto the King for some just and honourable capitulations of grace and accord Which course she held untill the death of the Duke of Anjou at which time the enemy pressing them the united Provinces were received into her Majesties protection which was after the King of Spain had discovered himself an unplacable Lord to them and also a professed enemy unto her Majesty having already actually invaded Ireland and designed also the invasion and conquest of England Gabriel Powell his refutation of an Epistle apologetically written by a Puritan Papist to perswade the permission of the promiscuous use and profession of all sects and heresies c. 9. p. 98. Trading was much promoted in her time By her intercession the Turk gave way to the English trading in Turkie whence the Company of Turkish Merchants The Great Duke of Russia also much respected her and the English for her sake England was much adorned with building in her time Plures nobilium privatorum villae elegantia laxitate cultu conspicuae jam passim in Anglia surgere caepâ—runt quà m alio quovis seculo magno sanè regni ornamento verùm hospitalis gloriae detrimento Camd. Annal. She was very sparing in bestowing Honours for in twelve years she made but four Barons She made Westminster Abbey famous for the Coronation and sepulture of our Kings of England and for the keeping of the Insignia Regalia a Collegiate Church where there is a Dean twelve prebends a Schoolmaster and Usher forty Scholars called Kings Scholars out of which some are chosen yearly to both Universities Servants Choristers and twelve Almes-men as Camden in his Annals shews Being near her end she declared Iames King of Scotland to be her Successor so Camden and Du Chesne and Iohnston in his Historia Britannica Sir Francis Walsingham her Secretary died poor he left only one daughter which married Sir Philip Sidney and after the Earl of Essex When she was near death Whitgift Archbishop of Canterbury came to her and spoke much of the redemption of mankind of the resurrection of the body and immortality of the soul to whom she answered with great tranquility and constancy that she desired to be soon dissolved and to be with Christ. She having setled her Dominions in peace died in the year 1602 the twenty fourth of March the sixty ninth of her age and of her Raign the forty fourth CHAP. XX. IAMES the first King of Great Brittain THe Tudors breathing out their last in excellent Elizabeth Stuarts take their turn by an unquestionable title 1. Iames the first of England but sixth of Scotland 2. Charles the first of England It may seem wonderfull that there was no commotion at all upon the Queens decease that he came to the Crown here so peaceably without any opposition He caused himself to be stiled King of Great Brittain to prevent difference between the two Nations one of which else would have preferred England in his title and the other Scotland The name of Brittain continued to be the name generally of the whole Island but more specially of the parts of England and Wales ever since before the invasion of the Romans King Alfred was entituled Governour of the Christians of all Brittain King Edgar was stiled Monarch of all Brittain King Henry the second was entituled King of all Brittain King Iohn had his Coyn stamped with this Inscription Iohannes Rex Britonum Walter sirnamed Banguho according as his father was returning into Scotland fought valiantly for his King against the Islands Rebels and the Savages of Scotland In recompence of his extraordinary vertue he was made Great Provost and Treasurer of the houshold Royall
how many of note this Divine hath written against and what paradoxall if not heterodoxall tenets he hath often laboured to maintain sometimes against the determinations of a Parliament rightly so called I wonder at that passage of his near the conclusion of his Novice-Presbyter instructed The great knower of hearts and searcher of the reins in whose presence I write knoweth that if himself would be pleased to discharge me of the service of contradicting and opposing men and dispose of me in a way of retirement were it never so private and obscure where I might only contest with my own weakness and errors he should give me one of the first-born desires of my soul in the things of this life into my bosome He may do well to weigh those places Exod. 22. 28. 1 Sam. 26. 9. Prov. 24. 21. Eccles. 10. 20. The Greek word for King notes him that is the stay or foundation of the people He is called 1 Pet. 2. 13. the Supreme or Superiour The Greek word signifies one that hath above others in matter of Authority and Supremacy The Generals Commission the Covenant the Parliaments Declarations and Engagements both to the King and Scots were for the preservation of the Kings person Even Mr. Goodwin in his Anticavallierismâ— and Mr. Burroughs in his Lord of Hosts though they justified the Warre yet they shewed their dislike of any injury to the Kings person I may justly vindicate the Parliament of England from having any hand in this abominable action Nunquam in te peccavit Britannia tua sed nec in Parentem sola colluvies illa de formis nefariorum tâ—nebrionum haec cuncta execranda procudit D. Creyghtoni Dedicâ—t hist. Concilii Tridentini Some object that every Monarch hath his power from the consent of the whole body therefore the whole body hath a power above the power of the Monarch and to this purpose they alleadge that Maxime Quicquid efficit tale est magis tale All Government they say is for the good of the governed and Salus populi suprema lex That Maxime even in naturall causes is subject to divers restrictions and it holds not in this particular The Guardian is for his sake that is under age yet he hath power over him Of the right interpretation of the other Maxime Salus populi suprema lex See Dr. Sanderson de Obligat Consc. Praelect 9 10. Not that Prince which is most potent over his Subjects but that Prince which is most potent in his Subjects is truly potent witness that incomparable Princess of happy memory Queen Elizabeth It was also our King Charles his own Golden Maxime The peoples Liberty strengthens the Kings Prerogative and the Kings Prerogative is to defend the peoples Liberty Let us leave the Doctrine of King-killing to Mariana the Iesuite to defend and the perpetration of such a horrid act to Ravilliac and such monsters of men Of Marianas Doctrine and of the Iesuites opinion of the lawfulness of deposing Princes that are hereticall See in Dr. Taylors collection of Polemicall and Morall Discourses his Sermon preached upon the fifth of November on Luke 9. 54. I shall close up all with Davids patheticall speech 2 Sam. 1. 20. Tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Askeloâ— lest the daughters of the Philistims rejoyce lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph As I have severall times in the Parliament so I thought sit here to give in my testimony against that unsound opinion and abominable practice Had I been sooner freed out of the Kings-head in the Strand where I with many other worthy Secluded Members were confined for not going along with the rest of the House in their intended evill designe I had published a Treatise against King-killing which I had formerly composed before that Fatall stroake Finis Errata PAge a line 15. read Hervord p. 3. l. 22. Ethelbald p. 4. margin Histoire d' Angleterre p. 9 l. penult ult r. Aidan p. 10. l. 4. p. 9. l. 9. r. Oswalstre p. 16. marg l. 10. r. nami illi argentei l. 11. r. pontificius quaestor l. 11 12. dele qui publicé bonas artes profiterentur quô multi doctrina clari confluérunt docendi gratta p. 20. marg dele Vid Asser c. p. 29. l. 9. r. sica p. 28. l. penult r. upon a. p. 34. l. e 30. r. this l 31. r. all p. 44. marg l. 20 21. r. ipse suae p. 51. l. 4. r. He refused p. 61. l. 36. r. cotraderet p. 68. marg l. 20. dele non p. 73. marg l. 1. r. plerisqué p. 81 l. 15. r. one one one c. p. 85. l. 29. r. of p. 90. l. 21. r. Cyrus p. 95. marg l. ult r. loquentem p. 106. marg l. 8. r. Episcopus p. 116. m. l. 11. r. Polyd. p. 111. l. 14. r. Civilis p. 129. l. 6. r. Westminster An Alphabeticall Table expressing or pointing to the chief things contained in this Treatise A ALfred his severall Names page 20 The first annointed King of England ibid. His Vertues p. 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Arthur King and Prince p. 154 155 B Bastards many of them famous p. 56 Benevolence by whom that Tax was devised p. 156 Black Prince a valiant person why so called p. 113 115 Bush Why Henry the 7th bore the Hawthorn-Bush with the Crown in it p. 151 C Canutus p. 42 43 44 45 Magna Charta often confirmed p. 111 City of London gives the Dagger for its Arms and why p. 100 D Danes long molested England p. 37 38 47 E Edgar p. 33 34 35 36 37 38 Edward the elder p. 27 More Kings of England of that name than of any other name p. 27 Edward the Confessor p. 48 49 50 51. Edward the first p. 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 Edward the second p. 104 to 109 Edward the third p. 109 to 117 Edward the fourth p. 136 to 146 Edward the fifth p. 146 147 Edward the sixth from p. 170 to 178 Egbert p. 15 16 England five times plagued by other Nations p. 14 Called so first by Ethelbald p. 11 18 Ethelbert p. 7 18 Ethelred p. 10 18 19 Ethelwolfe p. 16 17 Ethelston p. 28 G The order of the Garter instituted by King Edward the third p. 115 116 The King of Heralds called Garter ordained by Henry the fifth p. 132 Guild-Hall in London in what Kings raign erected p. 128 H L. Hastings a speciall judgment on him p. 149 Harlos whence p. 55 Hengist why so called the first Monarch of the English p. 4 5 The Heptarchy of the Saxons p. 2 3 Henry the first p. 73 to 81 Henry the second p. 84 to 86 Henry the third p. 94 to 98 Henry the fourth p. 122 to 129 Henry the fifth p. 129 to 134 Henry the sixth 134 to 139 Henry the seventh p. 150 to 160 Henry the eighth p. 160 to 170 Humble King rare p. 10 Humphrey Duke of Glocester
educatus egregie qui solus omnium filiorum Wilielmi natus esset regiâ— â—i regnum videretur competere Itaque tyrocinium rudimentorum in scholis egiâ— liberalibus literarum mella adeo avidus medullis indidit ut nihil postea bellorum tumultus nulli curarum motâ—s eas excutere illustri animo possent Malmesb de Henrico primo l. 5. Nocturnas faces quas primus Gulielmus vetuerat restituit quippe cui jam firmato regno minus formidaâ—das Seldeni Ianus Anglorum l 2. None of our Kings married with Scotland but he Flemings Stemma sacrum Habitus est crudelis praesâ—râ—im propter Robeâ—tum germanum fratrem quem in carcero sinem vitae facere coegit Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. l. 11. Stubbâ— his discovery of a gaping gulf whereinto England is like to be swallowed by another French marriage He shews there also in Henry the second Richard the first King Iohn Henry the third Edward the second Richard the second the inconveniences to this Nation by their marriages with the French Hinc cognoscere licet priâ—s Aethiopem posse mutare pellem uti dicitur quà m qui terram incolunt Galliam valde multum diligere Anglos Polyd. Virg. Ang hist. l. 23. p. 483. It was said of Charles Earl of Valois that he was the son of a King brother to a King uncle to a King father to a King and yet no King * Cambdens Brittannia in Barkshire Miâ—ses Henrico adscribunt nonnulli legem quam curtoise d' Angleterre dicunt I. C. ti Hac vir suscepta prole coâ—jugis demortuae baeredâ—s sruitur in humanis dum â—gâ—rit Seldeni Ianus Anglorum l. 2. Hayward The antiquity of a yard â—anicls Histâ—ry and Hayward Sir Walter Rawleigh his Preface to his History of the world See Sir Iohn Hayward in the life of King Henry the first p. 267 2â—8 269 270. Prudentum congressus in Anglia vocatur magna comitia Mutuato denium à Gallis Parliamentorum nomine quae ante Henricum perraro scribit Polydorus l. 11. habita Seldeni Ianus Anglorum l. 2. A Hide of land contains 20. Acres saith Hayward in the life of William the first p. 99. A 100. Acres saith Lambert Daniels History The famous Family of Plantagenets which stored the Crown of England well nigh the space of four hundred years from whence have issued one Emperour fifteen Kings and ten Queens twelve Princes twenty four Dukes and sixty Earls took its name of a â—lant Fern. Glor. Generos Galfredus Plantaginettâ— cujus absque dubio à Plantagine herba quemadmodum elim apâ—d Romanos multarum nobilssimorum 〈◊〉 ab herbis frugibus deductum â—omen est Matildam Henrici primi Anglorum regis filiam viduam duxit in uxorem Henricus secundus in regiam familiam nobilissimum illud Plantaginettarum cognomen insinuavit Hoc mirum in modum postea prolis numerositate incrcvit a leo ut exea gente quatuordecim reges quanquam desultoria quadam successionis lege aliquando conâ—inuata tamen seric regnum administrarunt T wini Comment de rebus Britanuicis Prince douè de plusicurs vertus vrayement digne d' un Royâ—mais aussi suict à quelques vices encores plus indignes d' un Princeâ— hrestein Histoire d' Angleterre par Andre Du Chesne l. 12. Fox p 228. Col. 2. Hollinsh in K. Stephen Cambd. Britannia in Northumberland At pater Henricus haec audiens ingenti affectus dolore antistiti submissa voce ait Paenitets inquam paenitet extulisse hominem Polyd. Virg. Montaigne in his second Book of Essayes c 8. commends the Emperour Charles the fifth for resigning his means his greatness and Kingdome to his son at what time he found his former undaunted resolution to decay and force to conduct his affairs to droop in himself together with the glory he had thereby acquired Robert son to Hugh Capet was crowned King in his fathers life time of whom it is sajd He was a son without frowardness a companion without jealousie a King without ambition Du Serres History of France Verstegans Etymology of our Saxon proper names Poysoned her as was thought Verstegan ubisupra Gualterus Mappaeus de nugis Curialium Polyd. Virg. Ang hist. Hollinsh Polyd. Virg. Dan hist. Statura corporis fuit justa lata bonesta facie in qua multum gratiae gravitatuque incrat sed quò pulchrior corpore hoc animi altitudine praestantior undo non immeritò cognomen invenit qui cor Leonis vocatus est Polyd. Virg. Ang hist l. 14. Illud innuere videtur Richardum inter Angliae Reges primum usum fuisse Leonino gestamine quod ei prae caeteris cognomen inderetur Cor Leonis à picturaâ— clypei ni vana conjectura derivatum Nam é clypeis armaturis nomina saepe acceperunt tum antiqui tum recentiores Spelmanâ—i Aspilogia p 46 47. Weevers ancient Funerall-Monuments Cambdens Brittannia in Oxfordshire Id. ib. in Barkshire Histoire d' Angleterre Par Andre Du Chesne l. 1â— Theater of honour Book 5. c. 1â— Sheriffs and Maiors of London first ordained Alluding to that Gen. 37. 33. Hollinsh and Speeds Chron. Speed Câ—ttoni Posthuma Powell on Lhoyds History of Wales p. 261. out of Matthew Paris Hist. d'Angleterre Par Andre Du Chesne l. 12. * Acts and Mo. vol. 1. Fox Foxes Acts and Mon vol. 1. There are various reports of his death See Hollinsh Chron. * Eighteen years five moneths and four dayes saith Matthew Paris One writes that he was poysoned at Swinsted with a dish of Pears Others there in a cup of Wine Some that he died at Newarke of the Flux A fourth by the distemperature of Peaches eaten in his fit of an Ague Browns Britannias Pastorals Contigit aliquando S. Ludovicum Francorum Regem cum eo super hoc conferentem dicere quod non semper missis sed frequentius sermonibus audiendis esse vacandum Cui faceta urbanitate respondens ait se malle amicum suum saepius videre quam deâ—â— oquentem licet bona dicentem audâ—re Matth. Paris Walsingh Gration Hollinsh Magna Charta Lambards Archeion Id. ib. Matth. Paris hist. Ang. Hen. 3. p. 945. p. 783. There will be little reason to be over-confident in matters of Pedigree and Arms much beyond 400 years â—d ibid. Matth. Paris Cooke 2d part of Instit. c. 11. The names of the first Richard the first Edward were as terrible to Infidels as William to the Saxons and as much renowned among all Christian Princes Sir Francis Wâ—rtly his Characters Rodericus Toletanus l. 1. breaks forth into this exclamation Quid igitur hujus mulieris fide rarius audiri quid mirabilius esse potest ut uxoris lingua fide dilectione maritali peruncta vencua à dilecto marito expulerit quae electo medico trahi non valuerunt quod plurima exquistiáque non effecerunt medicamenta una uxoris pietas explevit Iactura filiorum facilis est cùm
establish his Monarchy over England he endeavoured by all means to reconcile the English to him 1. By advancing some of the English Nobility to places of honour and trust 2. By granting to the English equall rights and priviledges with his Danes in consessu in consilio in praelio and advancing them both alike 3. By favouring and inriching the English Clergy and Church-men and manifesting extraordinary piety devotion bounty in repairing building endowing Monasteries and Churches throughout the Realm 4. By easing them of his Danish Forces 5. By ratifying all their former good old fundamentall Laws rights liberties priviledges which they used enjoyed under their Saxon Kings by enacting other good wholsome Laws repealing all unjust Laws and redressing all exactions and grievances A company of flatterers which extolled his greatness and power to be unmatchable he caused to place him in a chair where the Sea ebbs and flowes at South-hampton that by the disobedience of the Tide that would not stop at his command but presumed to dash his royall garments they might learn how low man is at the highest and not to applaud his fortune but fear his fall He acknowledged God alone to be King of this great Element because the Sea is his and he made it The flatterers of Alexander the great made him believe that he was the son of Iupiter but being one day sore hurt and seeing the blood gush out of his wounds What think you of this said he unto them Is not this blood of a lively red hew and meerly humane He was the greatest Prince of power that ever before him raigned over the English people England Denmarke Norway some adde also part of Sweden together with Scotland were wholly subject unto him Filiam suam Imperatori Romano cum ineffabilibus divitiis maritavit Hunting hist. l. 6. In a Parliament at Oxford he made good Laws whereof these were some that concern Religion First For the celebration of divine service it was ordained that all Ceremonies tending to the increase of reverence and devotion should be used as need required Secondly That upon the Sabbath day all publick Fairs Markets Synods Huntings and all secular actions should be forborn unless some urgent necessity should require it Thirdly That every Christian should thrice in the year receive the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper Fourthly That a married woman convict of adultery should have her nose and ears cut off Krantzius much extols him as the most famous of the Kings of Denmarke He was a just Prince in all saving his tyranny against the two young Princes the sons of Edmond The lustre of this new erected Monarchy had no sooner displayed its beams in Canutus but like an unthrifty Taper it began to glimmer in Harold and absolutely expired in Hard knute who dying issueless the current of royalty ran back again into the channell of the Saxon bloud which flowed in the veinsâ— of Edward sirnamed the Conâ—essor Philpot's Preface to his Villare Cantianum After he had in great glory reigned about nineteen years he deceased at Shafiesbury in the County of Dorset and was buried in the Church of the old Monastery at Winchester where Queen Emma made her abode ever after Harold The second Danish King raigning in England and the thirty fifth Monarch of the Land He was called Hare-foot by reason of his swiftness Canutus had him by a Concubine a Shoomakers daughter This base son of Cnute dispossessed his legitimate son Harde-Cnute of the Crown of England contrary to Cnutes will and contract banished and spoiled Queen Emma of her treasure and Jewels oppressed the people with taxes and was soon cut off by death without any issue He was an oppresser of his people and vitious He raigned four years and four moneths He was neither in Warres so hardy nor in Government so prosperous as his Father Canutus before him had been Harde-Canute The third Danish King that raigned in England and the thirty sixth Monarch of the English men For his noble courage he was called Harde-Canutus The first great Prince of the house of Burgundy was Philip sirnamed the Hardy His recalling his Mother Emma and half Brother Edward and entertaining them respectively deserves commendation His Epicurism left an ill custome to all posterity Four times a day his Table must be covered to invite men to intemperancy through which at a marriage he is thought to have choaked himself at Lambeth most rejoycing to be rid of him in memory whereof Hock-tide a Feast of scorning or triumphing was a long time continued after The English men learned of him their excessive gormandizing and unmeasurable filling of themselves with meates and drinkes At the death of this King died all rule of the Danes in this Land after they had miserably afflicted the Kingdome for the space of two hundred and forty yeares though in Regall government but only six and twenty under these three last Kings He raigned two yeares lacking ten dayes The Danes ruled in this Land almost thirty yeares and raged without all rule about three hundred and fifty Lamberts Perambulation of Kent CHAP. X. Edward the Confessor THe son of King Ethelred the thirty seventh Monarch of the English men He was born at Islip near unto Oxford and tenderly educated by Queen Emma his Mother and after his Fathers death for safety sent into France He was the last King of the Saxon race Such was the opinion conceived of his holiness of life as that shortly after his decease he was canonized amongst the Saints and named Edward the Confessour To gain the more love of his Subjects at his first entrance he remitted the taxe of forty thousand pounds yearly gathered by the name of Dane-gilt so grevous to the Commons Fertur Edwardus Confessor teste Ingulpho cùm se daemonem vidisse super dcervo Daingeldi exultantem protestatus esset aspectunique exhorruisset collecium illico restitui jussâ—sse retento ne iota uno feram exactionem perpetuum relaxasse Spelmanni Glossarium Danegaldi redditio propter pyratas primitus statuta est Hoved. dnnal pars posrerior p. 603. vide plura ibid. He collected the Laws of his predecessors into a body for the administration of justice which some say are the ground of our Common-Law though the pleading be altered since the Norman conquest He found the Realm governed by three different Laws the West-Saxon Law the Mereian Law and the Dane Law Out of these three Lawes partly moderated and partly supplied he composed one body of Law commonly called St Edwards Laws which were of so great equity that when they were abrogated by the Conquerour and the Crown fell into controversie between Maud the Empress and King Stephen the people alwayes inclined to favour that part who put them in fairest hope of restitution of those Laws And afterwards in many Civil dissensions the greatest demand of the people appeareth to have been the restitution of King
which the Scots signifie by the name of Stuart or Steward He so faithfully discharged the trust reposed in him without the least reproach or wasting of the Kings Moneys that the sirname of Stuart was imposed on him and given also to his posterity This was the original of the Illustrious Family of Stuart From this Walter descended that Robert Steward who was after in right of his wife King of Scotland since which time there have been successively nine Soveraigns of that name in Scotand Margaret eldest daughter of King Henry the seventh and Elizabeth his Queen was twice married in Scotland first to King Iames the fourth then to Archibald Douglas Earl of Angis her son by the King was King Iames the fifth our King Iames his mothers father her daughter by the Earl was Margaret Countess of Lennox our King Iames his fathers mother David Bruse King of Scotland being dead without issue of his body Robert Steward his sisters son by the generall consent of all the Estates was crowned King of Scotland in the year of our Lord 1370. This family hath ever since born the Crown of Scotland even unto this day King Iames united both the Kingdomes of England and Scotland and testified this conjunction in the Money that was coined both silver and gold with these words Quae Deus conjuxit nemo separet and also Tueatur unita Deus The twenty shillings pieces had this Inscription Faciam eos in gentem unam other golden Coines had these words Henricus rosas regna Iacobus He was born in the Palace of Edinborough on the nineteenth of Iuly anno 1566 and solemnly crowned King of the Scots on the same day of the Moneth anno 1567 and joyfully received to the Crown of England on the fourteenth of March 1602. He had a great dexterity in discovering an imposture and a marvellous sagacity to discuss natural things He detected the forgery of Richard Haydock a Physitian pretending to preach at night in his sleep who acknowledged his forgery to the King It was his custome to discourse during Meals with one or more Divines concerning some point of controversie in Philosophy There was a Conference or Disputation at Hampton Court before him Some of our Divines taxe Dr. Barlow Dean of Chester for a partial Penman of that Conference See Mr. Ley his Discourse of Disputat concerning matters of Religion c. 4. p. 46. Besides the relieving by Pensions all the poorer sort he hath honoured more Martial men than all the Kings of England have done for this hundred years Had his Apothegmes or wise speeches and also Queen Elizabeths been collected by a skilfull hand I suppose they would have been very usefull to the publick There is one that hath written a Book in Latine of Favourites where I think my Lord Car the Earle of Somerset the Duke of Buckingham are reckoned for the English Favourites the later of which was in great favour both with the Father and Son King Iames and King Charles Vossius in his Preface to his Book de Arte Grammatica if I forget not much commends King Iames. Isaac Causabone that famous Schollar was much respected and encouraged by him He was both a wise and learned Prince of disposition merciful and gracious a great seeker of peace according to that Motto which he ever used Beati pacifici In the stile of the Court he went for Great Britains Solomon nor is it any excursion beyond the precincts of verity to say that neither Britain nor any other Kingdome whatsoever could ever since Solomons dayes glory in a King for recondite learning and abstruse knowledge so near a match to Solomon as he Mr. Rushworths Historicall Collections 23. Iacobi p. 161. He was compared to Solomon in severall respects by Bishop Williams in his Funerall Sermon on 1 King 11. 41 42 43. Archbishop Spotswood saith he was the Solomon of this age admired for his knowledge of all manner of learning Hist. of Scotland l. 7. His Works shew his great learning especially his Basilicon Doron or Kingly gift It cannot be said how well it was accepted in England and what admiration it raised in all mens hearts of him and of his piety and wisdome Certain it is that all the Discourses which came forth that time for maintaining his right to the Crown of England prevailed nothing so much as did that Treatise Spotsw Hist. of the Church of Scotland l. 6. Iustinians Institutes Caesars Commentaries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are prized for their Authors as well as matter He had such a promptness in exprâ—ssing his mind that his extemporall sâ—eeches were little inferiour to his premeditated writings His invention was as quick as his first thoughts and his words as ready as his invention I' advouois franchement de n' avoir Iamais veu Prince dont la sincerité la prudence l' equaunimité meritast plus de gloire de louanges Que l' ayant tonsiours trouné d' un courage urayement Royal tout genereux d' un esprit plus intelligent plus vif plus penetrant plus judicieux que nul de son Conseil I' avois aussi tonsiours passionnement desiré de terminer conclurre avec luy les affaires non avec eux Memoires de Mounsier de Rosny Duc de Sully Tom. 2. p. 141. He was a good Poet. A very good Horseman He had such a fashion in riding that it could not so properly be said he rid as that his Horse carried him for he made but little use of his bridle and would say a Horse never stumbled but when he was reined He was a great lover of quiet and much given to hunting and to his Book and wholly fixt in Warring by writings with the Church Bentivoglio his History of Flanders part 3. l. 8. See his Relation of the united Provinces of Flanders c. 3. In his apparrell and civill garb he seemed naturally to affect a majestick carelesness in his pecuniary dispensations to his favourites he was excessive liberall King Iames being invited in a hunting journey to dine with Sir Thomas I. of Barkshire turning short at the corner of a Common happened near to a Countryman sitting by the heels in the stocks who cryed Hosanna unto his Majesty which invited him to ask the reason of his restraint Sir Thomas said It was for stealing a Goose from the Common The fellow replyed I beseech your Majesty be judge who is the greater thief I for stealing Geese from the Common or his Worship for robbing the Common from the Geese By my sale Sir said the King to Sir Thomas I 'le not dine to day on your dishes till you restore the Common for the poor to feed their flocks Which was forthwith granted to them and the witty fellow set free He spake broad in the Scottish tone and dialect Sir Kenelme Digby in his Discourse touching
25 26. Her name filed the Christian Turkish Persian American Indian parts Purchas pâ—â—grimage 1. l. 3. c. 1. Sect. 1. See ibid. c. 3. Sect. 3. If she were a Catholick she might be accounted the mirrour of the world saith a secular Priest Meteranus Rer. Belg. hist. l. 23. much commends her That great Elizabeth of England nurse of God Church God hath established her seat with justice and goodness hath made her the terrour of all enemies of Christ and the beauty of Europe â—olynes of the Civil Wars of France Bacons Uniform Government of England part 2. c. 34. She wrote then Tanquam ovis as a sheep to the slaughter He was a bold Preacher who afterwards told her she was now Tanquam indomita juvenca This was Mr. Deâ—ring They presenting to her the Bible in English at the little Conduit in Cheapâ—ide she answered I thank the City for this gift above all the rest it is a Book which I will often and often read over She delighted much in the love of her people What gentle language would she use to them What cordiall prayers would she make for them Speeds Chron. Surely Surely a Prince so high in the favour of God and so mighty with men so blessed with dayes and prosperous in her Raign so beloved at home and so dread abroad so absolute for blessings and so admired for Government was never seen in England William Leighs Queen Elizabeth paraleld second Sermon He paralels he there in her princely vertues with David Ioshua and Hezekiah 1. With David in her afflictions to build the Church First Serm â— 2. With Ioshua in her puisâ—â—nce to pâ—otect the Church Second Sermon 3. With Hezekiah in her piety to reform the Church Third Sermon Her Motto was Semper eadem It Plutarch were alive to write lives by paralels it would trouble him both for vertue and fortune to find for her a paralel amongst women Sir Francis Bacon the Lord Chancellour Elsmere She was the happy instrment of God to promote the Protestant Religion in all parts May his History of the Parliament of England l. 1. c. 1. See more there Robert Cecil Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester the Lord Howard Admâ—ralâ— Walsingham What famous Captains were Generall â—Norris Captain Williams Morgan the noble Earl of Essex and others in land afâ—airs Who more renowned than Captain Drake Frobisher Hawkins Candish with the â—est in Sea travails Sir Philip Sidney was her great favourite Sir Richard Bakers Chron. Bishop Iewel was the glory of her Raign for learning Grafton in Q. Mary Cette vivacité d' esprit fermetè de jugement generuse resolution aux bauteâ— enterprises esquelles excelloit vostre Royale Loyale soeur là brave Elizabeth d' Angleterre Memoires de Sully Multa Regis Phiâ—â—pi secundi indignationem sâ—â—m 〈◊〉 adversus 〈◊〉 Reginam tantâ— quidem 〈◊〉 sensu â—uanto pro benefiâ—â—is proque viâ—a iâ—sa quam et bis â—â—tque dedisse rev Rex affirmabâ—t dum conspirationum insimulatam è â—arcere capitalique judicio liberaverat pro bâ—s aliis que promâ—ritis alias super alias accepisse se indesinenter injuâ—ias agnoscebat Viderat statim ab initio Principem Orangium as Belgarum populos consilio pecunia milite ad defectionem ab illa concitatoâ— Iâ—diâ—rum provincias à Draco à Conditio ab aliis ejus emissarlis vâ—xatas ac direptas â— regiam pecuniam interversam ac naves in Anglia râ—tâ—â—tas â—lenconâ—am spâ—ruptiarum ia Angliam allectum atque inde in Belgium ad capiendam Brabantiae coronam instructum Stradae de bello Belgico Decas 2. l. 9. Vide Cambdeâ—â—l Annales See Purchas Pilgrim part 3 4 c. 9 â—ct â— Reginam â—um vixit ut sororem diligentissimè observavit Anglosque pariter caeteros eximiâ— dilexit Camd. Annal. An uncharitable Jesuit in a scandalous Libell spread abroad and published some years after Q. Elizabeths death saith that she died without sense or feeling of Gods mercies and that she wished she might after her death hang a while in the air to see what striving there would be for her Kingâ—dome Camd. Eliz. transl Preface * Ita repugnante nâ—â—ine Scotiae Rex Angliae possessionem 〈◊〉 primâ—â—sque intra omnem annalium memoriam Britanniae totam Insulam uno imperio complexus est Groti hist. Belg. One that writes Ruinorum conspiratio saith Quinqus Reges ex honoratissima Sâ—uartorum familia etiam eodem omnes praenomine continuâ—â—aserie invicem succedentes in ipsâ— aetatis ant flore aut vigore extinctos acceperant relictis semper regni haeredibus pueris aut impuneribus qui per atatem gerendis rebus non sufficerent Favins Theater of Honour l. 5. c. â— See Dr. Heylins Geog. of the Brittish Isle See Mr. Wentworths Book before quoted This Margaret was Grandmother to King Iames by his father and mother Grotii â—ist Belg. See Osbornâ— Miscellanies of Esâ—ayes Paradoxes p. 6 7 8 9. Dr. Reynolds at its first coming out being shewed it read it over and bought it saying he was concerned and wronged in it Sir Walter Rauleigh his Hist. of the World part 1. l. 5. c. 6. Sect. 2. See more there Vide Idaeam Rosae sive de Jacobi Regis virtutibus â—â—arrationem Quis hodie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vere amans non optet ex animo magnae Britanniae magnum illuns Regem ob eximias doctrinaâ— dotes quibus tanti neminis Majestaâ—i sempiternam famam circumfudit in universals reformatarum Ecclesiarum Concilio ad modum magni illius Constantini Episcopis Pastoribus non modo ad externi ordinio conservationem veâ—ùm etiam ad controversiarum quae hodieagiantur definitionem aliquando praâ—sidere Gers. Buc. Dissert de Gubernat Eccles. p. 115. * Liber à Rege ad fillum conscriptus in quo optimus Princeps omnibus â—umcris absolutua elegantissimè depingitur â—acre ibtle est quot homiâ—um animos studis inde sibi conciliarit quartum sui expectationem cum admiratione apud omnes concitarit Camdeni Annal. rerum Anglie part 4. p. 171. Sâ—â—vent je l' oioi plaindre que S. M. d' Angleterre trop arreste a quelques petites dissensiones entre les siens â— ' avoitpas asses de soin de la guerison de plus profondes playes qui sont en l' Eglise La vie de M. du Plessis l. 2. The 29 of May is famous for our present Kings birth and return to London * See Mr. Gatakers Vindication of the Annotat. of Ier. 10. 20. against Lilly p. 75. Of a Feavor His birth Being about the age of twenty five years God so loosed his tongue at his triall that he spoke without the least stammering or hesitation Sir Franck Wortley his Character Dr. Gaudâ—n in his Eccles. Aug. Suspiria l. 3. c. 22. saith he was stedfast and able in his judgement against Popery * Letter 20. to the Queen speaking of Religion he saith It is no thank to me to trust thee in any thing else but in this which is the only thing of difference in opinion betwixt 〈◊〉 See M. Gatakers Apologeticall Discourse aginst Lillie Harvei excreit 64. de generat animal He as well as the Countess of Desmond so much spoken of for her great age is said to have lived in the Raign of Edward the fourth H. L'estrange The History of the French Academy p. 220. Id. ib p. 221. Boxhornius in his Metamorphosis Anglorum hath collected Apophthegmata Carolina 1. Theologica 2. Moralia 3. Politica The Author of the Character of him mentions his severall vertues King Iames his Works are all in one volume in Folio both in Latine and English Mr. Philpots Kent surveyed and illustrated See M. S. â—ords Loyall â—ubjects Indignation for his Râ—vall Sâ—veraâ—gnâ— Dâ—col 〈◊〉 Primus Reformatus à Reformatis à suis subjectis Salmaqi ad militorum responsio D. Cornelius Burgess preached against it on Amos 5. 13. Dr. Gauden protested also against it I have heard that four French Divines Bochart Amyraut Vincent and de Laâ—gly have written against the Kings death of which some I have seen The Princess of Tureine Daillé Gachens and Grelinâ—court have also written against it * Effundi volo ejus sanguinem per Magistratum scilicet volo in cum animadverti eum capito plecti lege talionis Mercer Vide Paul Fag col lat Translat in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Grotium de jure belli pacis l. 1. c. 3 4. Cameronem ad Rom. c. 13. v. 3. Imperii sinis unicus populi utilitas Jun. Brut. vind contra Tyranui * Quod asseverant cum à quo aliquis constituitur esse superiorem constituto verum duntaxat est in ea constitutione cujus effectus perpetuò pender à voluntate constituentis non etiam in eâ— quae ab initio est voluntatis postea vero effectum habet necessitatis Grotius de jure belli pacis l. 1. c. 3. Vide plura ibid.