Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	king_n	lord_n	treasurer_n	6,502	5	10.8931	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16282	The manners, lauues, and customes of all nations collected out of the best vvriters by Ioannes Boemus ... ; with many other things of the same argument, gathered out of the historie of Nicholas Damascen ; the like also out of the history of America, or Brasill, written by Iohn Lerius ; the faith, religion and manners of the Aethiopians, and the deploration of the people of Lappia, compiled by Damianus a ̀Goes ; with a short discourse of the Aethiopians, taken out of Ioseph Scaliger his seuenth booke de emendatione temporum ; written in Latin, and now newly translated into English, by Ed. Aston.; Omnium gentium mores, leges, et ritus. English. 1611	Boemus, Joannes, ca. 1485-1535.; Góis, Damião de, 1502-1574.; Nicolaus, of Damascus.; Léry, Jean de, 1534-1611. Histoire d'un voyage fait en la terre du Brésil.; Scaliger, Joseph Juste, 1540-1609. De emendatione temporum.; Aston, Edward, b. 1573 or 4.	1611 (1611)	STC 3198.5; ESTC S102777	343,933	572

Queene Margaret in the yeare of our Lord God 1506. 14 Magdalin Colledge founded by the Lord Audley in the yeare of our Lord 1509. and enlarged by Sir Christopher Wrey Lord chiefe Iustice of England 15 Trinity Colledge founded by k. Henry the 8. for the inlarging whereof he added thereunto Michael house and Kings hall and made therof one Colledge in the yeare of our Lord 1546. so as now the names of Michaell house and kings hall is almost worne out of memorie 16 Gonvel and Caius Colledge first founded by one Gonvell about the yeare of our Lord 1348. and perfected by Iohn Caius Doctor of Phisicke and by him called Gonuell and Caius Colledge in the yeare of our Lord 1557. 17 Emanuell Colledge founded by Sir Walter Mildmay in the yeare of our Lord 1588. 18 Sidney-Sussex Colledge founded by Francis Sidney Countesse of Sussex for the erecting whereof she bequeathed at her death fiue thousand pounds it was begun in the yeare of our Lord 1597. Now hauing thus farre spoken of the Country in particular it resteth to say something with like breuity of the seuerall sorts of people that inhabite the same their proceedings in courses of law as well spirituall as temporall and their seuerall Courts The whole number of English men may therefore be diuided into these foure ranckes or degrees of people that is to say Gentlemen or Noblemen Cittizens Yeomen and artificers or labourers Of Gentlemen or Nobility there be two sorts to wit the king himselfe the Prince Dukes Marquesses Earles Vicounts and Barons And this sort of Gentlemen are called Nobilitas maior and the second sort of Gentlemen or Nobility which are also called nobilitas minor consisteth of Knights Esquires and priuat Gentlemen into which ranke of gentry are added Students of the lawes and schollers in the Vniuersities next vnto the Gentry are cittizens whose fame and authority for the most part extendeth no further than their owne citties and boroughes wherin they liue and beare rule sauing that some few of them haue voices in our high Senate of Parlament The third order or degree are the Yeomanrie which are men that liue in the country vppon competent liuings of their owne haue seruants to do their businesse for them serue vpon Iuries and Inquests and haue generally more employment in the gouernement of the common-wealth then citizens haue And the last and lowest sort of our people are artificers or labourers which though they be rude and base in respect of our gentry yet are they much improoued and bettered by conuersing with Gentlemen cittizens and yeomen so as if those authors were now liuing that haue written so contemptuously of all estates of our people vnder the degree of gentry and saw the ciuilitie now generally practised amongst most of vs they would not for some few of the rascalitie censure and condemne all as base and ignoble All these seuerall sorts and degrees of people in our kingdome may more briefly bee deuided into two Orders or ranckes that is to say the Nobilitie and the Commons vnder the title of Nobilitie are comprehended all the Nobilitas maior together with the Bishops that haue place in the vpper house of Parlament and by the commons are meant the nobilitas minor cittizens yeomen and labourers who by common consent elect from amongst them Knights and Burgesses to possesse the lower house of Parlament who haue their voices there in the name of the whole multitude of commons for the making and establishing of lawes ordonances and statutes The Parlament therfore is the highest most absolute Sessions or iudiciall Senate in the whole kingdome consisting of the King himselfe and the Lords spirituall and temporall in their own persons which is the higher house and the whole body of the commons represented by the Knights and Burgesses lawfully elected and those are called the lower house In this high Court of Parlament are such new lawes made and ordained and such old statutes abrogated and annihilated in part or in all as are agre●● vppon by consent of both houses and confirmed by the King so as whatsoeuer is there decreed and constituted is inuiolably to be obserued as established by the generall assembly of the whole kingdome There be three manner of wayes by one custome of England whereby definitiue iudgements are giuen by act of Parlament by battell and by great assise The manner of giuing Iudgement in the Parlament in matters depending betwixt Prince and subiect or partie and party concerning lands and inheritances is by preferring of billes into the houses of Parlament and by the allowance or disallowance thereof but such billes are seldome receiued for that the Parlament is chiefly summoned and assembled for the setling and establishing of matters for the good of the King and common-wealth not to busie themselues in priuate quarrels The triall by battell likewise though it bee not vtterly abrogated and altogether annihilated yet is it quite growne out of vse at this day So as the most vsuall manner of Iudgement is by the verdict of twelue men lawfully impaneled and sworne to giue a true verdict concerning the matter in question be it for life or land or any thing tending to the hurt or good of any subiect whatsoeuer These twelue men ought to be Legales homines as wee terme them that is men of good quality fame and abilitie and they are to giue their verdict according to their euidence before a lawfull Iudge in their Sessions at termes and times vsually appointed for those purposes And for that there be many suites of diuers natures therefore bee the trials therof in diuers courts and before diuers Iudges whereof the chiefest bench or tribunall seate of Iudgement is the Kings bench so called for that the Kings of England haue sat there thēselues in person and this Court is chiefly for pleas of the Crowne the Iudges whereof bee called Iustices of the Kings bench and they be commonly foure or fiue in number whereof one is head and therfore called the Lord chiefe Iustice of the Kings bench and by that place he is also Lord Chiefe Iustice of England Next vnto the Kings bench is the Court of Common pleas which is for all matters touching lands and contracts betwixt partie and partie and of this Court be likewise foure or fiue Iudges the chiefest whereof is called the Lord chiefe Iustice of the Common-pleas and this court may well be called the Common-pleas as being the chiefest place for the exercise of the Common law And there may none plead at the Common pleas barre but Sergegeants at the law onely wheras in all other Courts councellors that be called to the barre may plead their Clyents causes as well as Sergeants The third Court for practise of the common law is the Exchequer where all causes are heard that belong to the Kings Treasury The Iudges of this Court are the Lord high Treasurer of England the Chancelor of the Exchequer the Lord chiefe Baron and

be inferior houses to the Innes of Court furnished with Atturneys Solicitors and young Gentlemen and Clerkes that are to liue and study there for a space as probationers before they be thought fit to be admitted to the Innes of Court which eight houses be called the Innes of Chancery This citty and suburbes is diuided into sixe and twenty wards and about an hundred and twenty Parishes The chiefest Magistrate there vnder the King is the Lord Maior vnder whome are diuers inferior Officers ouer euery seuerall company and ward who do all of them attend the Maior when he takes his oath in such seemely maner as he that beholds their stately Pageants and deuises their passage by water to Westminster and backe againe their going to Paules the infinit number of attendants of Aldermen and all sorts of people their rare and costly banquets and all their forme of gouernement surely I suppose he will hold opinion that no citty of the world hath the like This superficiall commendation of this renowned citty of London shall suffice for all and therefore I will passe ouer the rest in silence for that there is no one thing worthy memorie in any cittie or towne of the whole Realme that the like or better is not to bee found in the citty of London the Vniuersities onely excepted which are the nurse-gardens and Seminaries of all good arts and sciences And of these there be two Oxford and Cambridge which consisting of sundry Colledges and Hals erected and founded by godly and deuout founders and benefactors and endowed with large rents and reuenewes for the maintenance of poore schollers who are there maintained and instructed in learning of all sorts and beeing next vnto London the two VVorthies of our kingdome and in truth the most famous Vniuersities in Christendome I thinke it not amisse omitting to speake any thing of the cittizens and towns-men or the diuided gouernement betwixt them the Vniuersities to recite in particular the names of the Colledges and Hals in both Vniuersities their founders benefactors and the times of their seuerall foundations First therfore of Oxford without addition of superiority for that as the Prouerbe is As proud goes behind as before there be contained in that Vniuersitie besides nine hals viz. Glocester hall Broad-gate S. Mary hall Albaine hall VVhite hall New Inne Edmund hall Hart hall and Magdalin hall which differ from the Colledges for that the Colledges haue lands to maintaine their Societies which the hals in Oxford do want and therefore though al scholer-like exercises bee there practised as well as in the Colledges yet in respect of the want of maintainance they do in part resemble the Ins in court sixteene Colledges that is to say 1 Vniuersitie Colledge founded by Alured king of the Saxons in the yeare of our Lord 872. 2 Baylyoll Colledge founded by Iohn Baylyoll king of the Scots in the yeare of our Lord 1263. 3 Martin Colledge founded by Walter Martin bish of Rochester in the yeare of our Lord 1273. 4 Excester Colledge and Hart hall founded by Staphel●n bishop of Excester in the yeare of our Lord 1316. which said Colledge was much augmented by Sir VVilliā Peeter Secretary to king Henry the eight in the yeare of our Lord 1566. 5 Oriall Colledge founded by Adam Browne brought vp in the Vniuersity of Oxford by king Edward the second in the yeare of our Lord 1323. 6 Queenes Colledge founded by Robert Eglesfield Chaplin to Philippe king Edward the thirds wife in the yeare of our Lord 1349. 7 New Colledge founded by Willyam VVicham bishop of VVinchester in the yeare of our Lord 1375. 8 Lincolne Colledge founded by Richard Flemming Bishop of Lincolne and increased by Thomas Rotheram Bishop of the same Diocesse in the yeare of our Lord 1420. 9 All Soules Colledge founded by Henry Chechelsey Archbishop of Canterbury in the yere of our Lord 1437. 10 Magdalin Colledge and Magdalin Hall founded by VVillyam VVainflet Bishop of Winchester and Chancelor of England in the yeare of our Lord 1456. 11 Brazen-nose Colledge founded by VVillyam Smith Bishop of Lincolne in the yeare of our Lord 1513 and lately increased by Doctor Nowell Deane of Paules 12 Corpus Christi Colledge founded by Richard Fox Bishop of Winchester in the yeare of our Lord 1516. 13 Christs Church founded by Cardinall Wolsey in the yeare of our Lord 1526. and indowed with lands by king Henry the eight 14 S. Iohns Colledge founded by Sir Thomas White Maior of London in the yeare of our Lord 1557. 15 Trinity Colledge founded by Sir Thomas Pope Knight in the yeare of our Lord 1566. 16 Iesus Colledge founded by Hugh Price Doctor of the ciuill Law There is another Colledge now in building the foundation wherof is alreadie laid by M. Waddam of Merryfield in Somersetshire CAmbridge was first a common schoole founded by Sigebert king of the East English in the yeare of our Lord God 637. since which time it hath beene so increased and augmented that at this day it is equall to Oxford it consisteth reckoning Michaell house and Kings hall for two which haue beene since added to Trinity Colledge of eighteene Halles Colledges the Halls hauing lands belonging to them as well as the Colledges for there is no difference there betwixt Halles and Colledges but in name onely sauing that the Colledges haue more lands then the Hals and therefore maintaine more Schollers then the hals do the names of the houses and by whome and when they were founded and augmented is as followeth 1 Peter-house founded by Hugh Bishop of Ely in the yeare of our Lord 1280. 2 Michaell house founded by Sir Henry Stanton Knight one of the Iudges of the common Bench in the yeare of our Lord 1324. 3 Trinity hall founded by William Bateman in the yeare of our Lord 1354. 4 Corpus Christi Colledge founded by Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster in the yeare of our Lord God 1344. 5 Clare hall was first called Scholer hall and afterwards the Vniuersitie hall and being burnt with fire was afterwards re-edified by Elizabeth daughter of Gilbert Clare Earle of Leicester in the yeare of our Lord God 1326. and by her called Clare hall 6 Pembroke hal founded by Mary Countesse of Pembroke in the yeare of our Lord 1343. 7 Kings hall repaired by king Edward the third in the yeare of our Lord 1376. 8 Kings Colledge founded by king Henry the sixt in the yeare of our Lord 1441. 9 Queenes Colledge founded by Margaret wife to king Henry the sixt and finished by Elizabeth wife to K. Edward the fourth in the yeare of our Lord God 1448. 10 Katherine hall founded by Doctor Woodlabe Prouost of Kings Colledge in Cambridge in the yeare of our Lord 1459. 11 Iesus Colledge founded by Iohn Alcocke Bishop of Ely in the yeare of our Lord 1504. 12 Christs Colledge founded by Queene Margaret Grandmother to King Henry the eight 13 Saint Iohns Colledge founded by the sayd

cal Ale and Beare and they haue much wines brought them out of other countries There bee many villages borrowes and cities whereof London is the chiefest of the nation the Kings seat and the most famous for trafficke and trading These are their customes and manners they vse in this age which are much differing from their customes they vsed the time of Iulius Caesar for at that time it was not lawfull for them to eate Hare Hen or Goose and yet would they norish and keepe them for their pleasures The people that inhabited the middle part of the country liued for the most part vpon milke and flesh beeing vtterly destitute of corne and cloathed themselues with skinnes Their faces they would die with woad to the end that in battaile they might breed a great terror to their enemies They wore long haire hanging downe about their shoulders and shaued all parts of their bodies but their heads one woman would haue tenne or more husbands at one time and it was lawfull for the brother to enioy his brothers wife the father the sonnes and the sonne the fathers and the children were accounted children to them all Strabo dissenting from the opinion of Caesar saith that the English are farre taller then the Frenchmen and of a shorter haire Thicke woods serued them in steed of cities wherein they builded them cabbines and cottages harboring themselues and their cattaile vnder one roofe The country is more subiect to raine then snow and when the weather is faire the earth is couered sometimes with a blacke clowde that for the space of foure houres together you shall see no Sunne at high noone Scotland the vttermost part of Britan towards the North is deuided from the other part of the Island onely with a riuer or small arme of the sea Not farre distant from Scotland lieth Ireland the people whereof vse one kinde of habite in no point differing one from an other They speake all one language and vse the selfe same customes They haue nimble wits and are very apt to reuenge vsing great cruelty in the warres though otherwise they bee sober and can indure all manner of wants with great facility They are naturally faire but nothing curious in their apparel The Scots of whom I spake before as some are of opinion were so called of the paynting of their bodies for it was an vsual and auncient custome there and especially amongst the rudest and barbarous kinde of people to paint and die their bodies armes and legs with varnish or vermillion which custome if all bee true as is written by ancient authors was practised by the Britans especially in time of warre the more to terrifie the enemy as before is said Aeneas Siluius saith that the shortest day in winter there is not aboue three houres long and it is a thing worthy the noting to see how poore folkes there stand about the Temples of their gods begging stones of passengers for them to burne for the country affoordeth but small store of fuell and the stones which they craue and get together in this manner are of a fat and sulphery condition and wil burne like coles Aeneas saith that hee heard there was a tree in Scotland that in Antumne whē the leaues were withered they fell of the tree into a riuer by vertue of the water were turned into birds This tree he saith hee sought for in Scotland but could not find it and that lastly it was told him by some that knew the Country well that this strange miracle was to be seene in one of the Isles of Orcades And thus farre mine Author concerning the estate of this Island by which appeareth the little acquaintance both hee and those writers out of which hee frameth this collection had with it for else would they not so sleightly haue slipt ouer the commendation of so worthy a Country and therefore I thought it not amisse in this place to supply their defects with this short addition of mine owne wherein happely you may perceiue a more liuely description of this our Realme of Great Britany and the condition of the inhabitants then could well bee expected from meere strangers BRITANNIA sometimes called Albion the worthiest and renownedst Island of all the world is in compasse as is said before according to the opinion of the best writers about 1836. English miles It is sytuated in a most milde temperate clymate the ayre beeing neither too hot in Sommer nor too cold in winter through which temperature it aboundeth with all sorts of graine fruits and cattaile that be either necessary or behoueful for mans life for besides that the Country is wholesome pleasant and delightsome there bee such store of ponds riuers and running waters for fish and foule such aboundance of forrests and chases for timber and fuel such large fields champion grounds for corne and graine such pastures and meadowes for sheepe and cattaile such orchards and gardens for pleasure and profit such hunting and hawking in fields fluds and forrests such strong castles such stately buildings such goodly cities and walled townes such beautifull houses of the Nobility disperced in all parts of the country such large territories such renowned vniuersities for the aduancement of learning and good letters such practise of religiō such places for pleading such trafficke and trading such maintainance of Iustice such generous dispositions in the nobles such ciuility amongst citizens such intercourse amongst the commons in a word such is the pompe riches florishing state of this Realme vnder the gouernment of our most gratious Prince King Iames that England at this day is so amply stored with natures richest guifts that she is not onely furnished with things sufficient to serue her selfe but sendeth forth sundry of her superfluous commodities into other countries also and for al things may iustly bee compared if not preferred to any country in Christendome who were the first inhabitants of this Island and why it was so called I finde it so diuersly reported that I rather leaue euery man to his opinion then by setting downe mine owne incurre the censure of ignorance and indiscretion but howsoeuer although it hath bin inhabited by sundry nations and deuided into seuerall Kingdoms yet doe I not finde that euer it admitted any other forme of gouernment but the Kingly authority only no not when it was dismembered into many Kingdomes but that then euery King had a perfect and absolute command ouer his subiects nor that any King of England either then or since it grew into a Monarchy did euer receiue his authority from any other Prince as his supreme but that euery King within the limits of his Kingdome was next vnto God sole and absolute gouernor the idle example of King Iohn onely excepted who without consent of his commons or establishment by act of parliament forced therevnto by the rebellion of his Nobles aided by the Dolphin of France resigned his crowne to the Popes Legate

and receiued it againe at his hands onely to appease the Pope being then his enemy To passe ouer the seuerall peoples that haue inhabited this Island and the times of their continuance as Britans Romans Danes and Saxons and to come to times more nere vnto vs for that my purpose is not to wade in vncertaine waters but briefly to touch the present state and condition of my country too sleightly slipt ouer by mine author William surnamed the Conqueror bastard sonne to Robert the sixth Duke of Normandy and cousin germaine vnto King Edward the Confessor by the mothers side pretending a title vnto this Kingdome by the guift of Edward his kinseman and also by a couenant confirmed by oth betwixt Harrold and him entred this land slue King Harrold in battaile and obtained the crowne by conquest vpon the fourteenth day of October 1066. Hee alterred the whole state of the country dispossessed the Inhabitants and distributed their lands by portions vnto his people that came in with him he raigned twenty yeeres eight monthes and sixteene daies and left the Kingdome to William his third sonne surnamed William Rufus who was flaine in hunting after hee had raigned twelue yeeres eleuen months and eighteene daies and hauing no issue left the gouernment to Henry his brother and youngest sonne to William the Conqueror Henry the first surnamed Henry Beuclarke raigned fiue and thirty yeeres foure months and eleuen daies and dying without issue male left the crowne vnto Stephen Earle Morton and of Bologne sonne to the Earle of Bloys and Adela William Conquerors daughter and nephew to King Henry the first Stephen raigned eighteene yeeres eleuen months and eighteene daies and Henry sonne to Maude the Empresse whose mother was Maude Queene of England wife to King Henry the first and daughter to Margaret Queene of Scots who was daughter to Edward the sonne of Edmund surnamed Ironsyde by which meanes the Saxon line was againe restored succeeded in his Kingdome Henry the second raigned foure and thirty yeeres nine months and two daies and then departing this life left the managing of the estate vnto his third sonne Richard surnamed Richard Ceur de Lyon Richard the first raigned nine yeeres nine months and two and twenty daies and dying without issue his brother Iohn disinheriting Arthur and Eleanor the right heires to the crowne as being the issue of Ieffrey Duke of Britan his elder brother who was fourth sonne to Henry the second and died before his father tooke vpon him the gouernment Iohn raigned seuenteene yeeres seuen monthes and Henry his eldest sonne raigned in his steed Henry the third raigned sixe and fiftie yeeres and one month and left his sonne Edward surnamed Long-shankes to rule after him Edward the first raigned foure and thirty yeeres eight monthes and nine daies and exchanging his Kingdome for the Kingdome of heauen left the crowne to his sonne Edward of Carnaruon so called because hee was borne there Edward the second raigned nineteene yeeres seuen months and sixe daies and beeing then deposed the gouernment was committed to Edward his sonne Edward the third raigned fifty yeeres foure monthes and seuen daies and left the Kingdome vnto Richard his grand-child the sonne of Edward the Black Prince who died before his father Richard the second was deposed when hee had raigned two and twenty yeeres foureteene weekes and two daies and Henry Plantagenet sonne to Iohn of Gante Duke of Lancaster fourth sonne to Edward the third got possession of the crown rather by force then by lawful succession Henry the fourth raigned thirteene yeeres six months and foure daies and his sonne Henry succeeded him in the Kingdome Henry the fifth whose valor France well knew raigned nine yeeres fiue months and foure and twenty daies and left the gouernment to his sonne Henry likewise Henry the sixth raigned eight and thirty yeeres sixe months and nineteene daies and Edward Earle of March eldest sonne to Richard Duke of Yorke clayming the crowne by liniall discent from Lionel Duke of Clarence third sonne to Edward the third and elder brother to Iohn of Gante Duke of Lancaster succeeded him in the gouernment Edward the fourth raigned two and twenty yeeres fiue weekes one day left the Kingdom to his son Edward Edward the fifth was murthered by Richard Duke of Glocester youngest sonne to Richard Duke of Yorke and youngest brother to Edward the fourth when hee had raigned onely ten weekes and foure daies Richard the third hauing butchered his Nephewes and vsurped the crowne of England was slaine by Henry the Seuenth when hee had raigned two yeeres two monthes and fiue daies and left the Crowne vnto the said Henry who was next heire from the house of Lancaster and married Elizabeth Daughter vnto Edward the Fourth next heire from the house of Yorke by which marriage hee revnited the two long deuided houses of Yorke and Lancaster Henry the Seuenth raigned three and twenty yeeres eight monthes and nineteene daies and left the Kingdome to Henry his Second sonne for his eldest sonne Arthur died before his father without issue Henry the Eight raigned seuen and thirty yeeres ten monthes and one day and left the charge of the gouernment to Edward his sonne Edward the Sixth raigned sixe yeeres fiue monthes and nineteene daies and Queene Mary his eldest sister succeeded him Queene Mary raigned fiue yeeres fiue monthes and two and twenty daies and her sister Queene Elizabeth raigned after her Queene Elizabeth raigned foure and forty yeeres foure monthes and foureteene daies Shee was the mirrour of the world for Gouernment and her sex considered beyond compare admirable religious prudent magnanimous mercifull beloued euill spoken of by none but onely the wicked neuer to bee remembred of any true hearted Englishman but which reioycing for her birth and sorrowing for her death Her Virgine life was such as that for politique respects beeing mooued to marry in the first yeere of her reigne her answere was that that estate liked her best wherein she then liued with all concluding for satisfaction to her subiects with a Deus Prouidebit God shall prouide an heire for this Kingdome which blessed bee God therefore our eyes haue after foure and forty yeeres of her gratious raigne now to our comfort seene But for your better satisfaction I will here set downe her words at large as they are penned by Maister Stow in his Annals of England AS I haue had good cause so doe I giue you all my hearty thankes for the good zeale and louing care you see me to haue as well towardes mee as the whole estate of your Country your petition I perceiue consisteth of three partes and mine answere to the same shall depend of two And to the first part I may say vnto you that from my yeeres of vnderstanding sith I first had consideration of my selfe to bee borne a seruitor of almighty God I happily chose this kinde of life in the which I yet liue which I assure you for

my owne part hath hitherto best contented my selfe and I trust hath beene most acceptable to God From the which if either ambition of high estate offered to mee in marriage by the pleasure and appointment of my Prince whereof I haue some records in this presence as you our Treasurer well knew or if the eschewing the danger of mine enemies or the avoyding of the perrill of death whose messinger or rather a continuall watch-man the Princes indignation was no little time daily before mine eyes by whose meanes although I know or iustly may suspect yet I will not now vtter or if the whole cause were in my sister her selfe I will not now burthen her therewith because I will not charge the dead if any of these I say could haue drawne or diswaded mee from this kinde of life I had not now remained in this estate wherein you see mee but so constant haue I alwaies continued in this determination although my youth and wordes may seeme to some hardly to agree together yet is it most certaine and true that at this day I doe stand free from any other meaning that either I haue had in times past or haue at this present with which trade of life I am so throughly acquainted that I trust in God who hath hitherto therein preserued and led mee by the hand will not of his goodnesse suffer mee to goe alone For the other part the manner of your petition I doe well like and take it in verie good part because that it is simple and contayneth no lymitation of place or person if it had beene otherwise I must needs haue misliked it verie much and thought it in you a verie great presumption beeing vnfitting and altogither vnmeete for you to require them that may commaunde or those to appoint whose partes are to desire or such to binde and limit whose duties are to obey or to take vpon you to drawe my loue to your likings or to frame my will to your fantasie For a guerdon constrained and a guift freely giuen can neuer agree together Neuerthelesse if any one of you bee in suspect that whensoeuer it may please God to incline my heart to another kinde of life you may well assure your selues my meaning or resolution is not to doe or determine any thing wherewith the Realme may or shall haue iust cause to bee discontented or complaine of imposed iniurie And therefore put that cleane out of your heads and remooue such doubtfull thoughts for I doe assure you what credit my assurance may haue with you I cannot tell but what credit it shall deserue to haue the sequell shall declare I will neuer in that matter conclude any thing that shal be preiudiciall to the Realme for the benefit weale good and safetie whereof I will neuer shunne to spend my life And whomsoeuer my chance shal be to light vpon I trust he shal be such as shal be as carefull for the Realme and you I will not say as my selfe because I cannot so certainelie determine of any other but at the leastwise by my good will and desire hee shal be such as shal be as carefull for the preseruation of the Realme and you as my selfe And albeit it might please Almightie GOD to continue mee still in this minde to liue out of the estate of marriage yet is it not to bee feared but hee will so worke in my heart and in your wisdomes as good prouision by his helpe may bee made in conuenient whereby the Realme shall not remaine and stand destitute of an heire to succeed mee that may bee a fit Gouernour and peraduenture more beneficiall to the Realme and generality then such off-spring as may come of mee For though I bee neuer so carefull of your well doings and minde euer so to bee yet may issue growe out of kinde and become perhaps vngratious And in the end this shal be for mee verie sufficient that a marble stone shall declare that a maiden Queene hauing raigned and ruled such a long time liued and died a virgine And heere I end and take your comming vnto mee in good part and giue vnto you all eft-somes my hearty thankes more yet for your zeale and good meaning then for your petition And thus farre Stowe THIS good Queene ELIZABETH was the last of the Royall issue of King Henry the eight shee died without any issue her selfe and left the Kingdome vnto Iames King of Scotland and next heire to the crowne of England King Iames the first of that name since the Conquest by the death of Queene Elizabeth vnited the two famous Kingdomes of England and Scotland which had beene long deuided the crowne of England rightfully and linially descending vnto him from Margueret eldest daughter to Henry the seuenth and Elizabeth wife of the sayd Henry eldest daughter to Edward the fourth which Margueret was maried to Iames the fourth King of Scotland who had issue Iames the fifth father vnto Mary the last Queene of Scots who was mother vnto Iames the sixth King of Scotland and of great Britan France and Ireland the first To omit Ireland an Island vnder our Kings dominion the people wherof of late yeeres haue growne to more ciuility by conuersing with other nations and to speake something more in perticular of this Island as now it is wee may deuide the whole Island of Britanny into three partes that is to say England Wales and Scotland Scotland the North of this Island hauing for a long time beene a Kingdome of it selfe seuered and distinct from England is now by this happy vnion as I said before made one againe with England and both of them gouerned by one King and Monarch This Country in respect of England is very barren and mountanous and the Inhabitants especially the vulgar sort farre more rude and barbarous their language in effect is all one with the English the Northerne Scots excepted which speake and liue after the Irish fashion nor is their any difference in their religion but all causes and controuersies bee there determined by the ciuill law as in most other Countries for with our common lawes of England they are little acquainted Wales an other part of this Island and the proper habitation of the Britans expelled thither out of England by the Englishmen was gouerned by Princes of their owne bloud vntil the raigne of Henry the third who slue Lhewellen ap Griffith the last Prince of the British race vnited that Prouince vnto the Kingdome of England and forced the Inhabitants to sweare fealty and alleagiance vnto Edward of Carnaruan his eldest sonne whom hee made Prince of Wales After the decease of Edward the first this title of Prince of Wales lay dormant during all the raigne of Edward the Second and was againe reuiued by Edward the Third who created his sonne Edward surnamed the Blacke Prince Duke of Cornwall Earle of Chester and Prince of Wales and euer since hath this title beene duely conferred vnto the

eldest sons of the Kings of England for the time being and now lastly and but lately by our dread soueraigne Lord King Iames vnto Henry Fredericke his eldest son the hopefull issue of a happie father borne certes as euidently appeareth in his minority to bee a perfect mirror of chiualry for the aduancement of our country and common wealth and the subuersion of his enemies The Inhabitants of Wales though they bee much improued yet do they not equall the English in ciuility nor their soile in fertility Their whole Country consisteth of twelue shires that is to say Anglesea Brecknocke Cardigan Carmarden Carnaruon Denbigh Flint Glamorgan Merionneth Mongomerry Pembroke and Radnor-shire and foure bishops Seas to wit the Bishopricke of Saint Dauids the Bishoppricke of Landaffe the Bishopprick of Bangor and the Bishoppricke of Saint Asaphe They haue a language peculiar to themselues yet do they liue vnder the self same lawes the Englishmen do but for because that part of the Island is far remote from London the Kings seat and chiefe tribunal of Iudgement where the lawes are executed and pleas heard for all the Realme and by reason of their different language the King by his commission maketh one of his nobles his deputy or lieutenant vnder him to rule in those parts and to see the peace maintained and Iustice ministred indifferently vnto all This gouernor is called the Lord president of Wales who for the ease and good of the country associate with one Iudge and diuers Iustices holdeth there his Tearmes and Sessions for the hearing and determining of causes within VVales and the Marches This Court is called the Court of the councell of the Marches of VVales the proceedings whereof are in a mixt manner betwixt our common law and ciuill law England accounting Cornwall for one though much differing in language is deuided into 41. parts which are called counties or shires the seuerall names whereof are these following viz. Berck-shire Bedford-shire Buckingham-shire Bishoppricke of Durham Cambridge-shire Cornwall Cumberland Cheshire Devon-shire Dorcet-shire Darby-shire Essex Glocester-shire Huntingdon-shire Hertford-shire Hereford-shire Hampt-shire Kent Lincolne-shire Lecester-shire Lancaster-shire Middle-sex Monmoth-shire Northumberland-shire North-folke Northampton-shire Nottingham-shire Oxford-shire Rutland-shire Richmond-shire Sussex Surrey Suffolke Somerset-shire Stafford-shire Shrop-shire Wilt-shire Westmore-land Worcester-shire Warwicke-shire Yorke-shire Euery shire is diuided either into Hundreds Lathes Rapes or Wapentakes and euery of those into sundry parishes and Constable-weekes and ouer euery shire is one principall gouernor called the Lieutenant of the shire and a Sheriffe to collect money due vnto the King and to account for the same in the Exchequer as also to execute his writs and processes and for the more particular peace of each seuerall part of the country there be ordained in euery Countie certaine of the worthiest and wisest sort of Gentlemen who are called Iustices or conseruators of the peace vnder whom high Constables Coroners petty cōstables headboroughs and tything-men haue euery one their seuerall offices England moreouer is diuided into two ecclesiasticall prouinces which are gouerned by two spirituall persons called Archb. to wit the Archb. of Canterbury who is primate and Metrapolitan of all England and the Archb. of Yorke and vnder these two Archb. are 26. Bishops that is to say 22. vnder the Archb. of Canterbury and 4. vnder the Archbishop of Yorke In the Prouince of Canterbury are these Diocesses bounded as followeth 1 2 The Diocesses of Canterbury and Rochester which haue vnder them all the County of Kent 3 The Diocesse of London which hath Essex Middlesex and a part of Hartford shire 4 The Diocesse of Chitchester which hath Sussex 5 The Diocesse of Winchester which hath Hamptshire Surrey and the Iles of Wight Gernsie and Iersey 6 The Diocesse of Salisbury which hath Wiltshire and Barkshire 7 The Diocesse of Excester which hath Deuonshire and Cornwall 8 The Diocesse of Bath and Wels which hath Somerset shire onely 9 The Diocesse of Glocester which hath Glocestershire 10 The Diocesse of Worcester which hath Worcester shire and a part of Warwicke shire 11 The Diocesse of Hereford which hath Herefordshire and a part of Shropshire 12 The Diocesse of Couentrie and Liechfield which hath Staffordshire Derbyshire and the rest of Warwickeshire with some part of Shropshire 13 The Diocesse of Lincolne which hath Lincolneshire Leicestershire Huntingtonshire Bedfordshire Buckinghamshire and the rest of Hartfordshire 14 The Diocesse of Ely which hath Cambridgeshire and the I le of Ely 15 The Diocesse of Norwich which hath Northfolke and Suffolke 16 The Diocesse of Oxford which hath Oxfordshire 17 The Diocesse of Peterborow which hath Northamptonshire and Rutlandshire 18 The Diocesse of Bristow which hath Dorcetshire And to these are added the foure Bishopprickes of WALES viz. 19 The Bishop of S. Dauids 20 The Bishop of Landaffe 21 The Bishop of Bangor 22 The Bishop of S. Asaph In the Prouince of Yorke are these foure Diocesses comprehended within these limits following viz. 1 The Diocesse of Yorke which hath Yorkeshire and Nottinghamshire 2 The Diocesse of Westchester which hath Chesshire Richmondshire a part of Flintshire and Denbighshire in Wales 3 The Diocesse of Duresme which hath the Bishoppricke of Duresme and Northumberland 4 The Diocesse of Carlile which hath Cumberland and Westmerland And to these are added the Bishoppricke of Sodor in the I le Mona The whole number of Parish Churches and impropriations in all these seueral Diocesses are reckened about 131209. Hauing thus diuided the whole kingdome of England into shires and Bishops seas it resteth to say something of the Citties and Corporations whereof there be so many and that so goodly and so well gouerned by sundry Orders of Officers as I thinke but few countries in Christendome go beyond it of all which London the Metrapolitan citty of the Iland is most famous both for the great concourse of strangers that continually flocke thither from all parts of the world some for merchandize some for manners as also for the conueniencie of the place being situated vpon the famous riuer of Thames beautified with rare sumptuous buildings both of Prince and Peeres who for the most part keepe their resiance in or neare vnto the same as being the only place of Parlament and holding of pleas for the whole Realme And for the great multitude of Students and practitioners in the lawes which there keepe their Termes of pleading foure times in the yeare which set together is about one quarter during which time the Iudges and all other Courts keepe their Courts and Sessions and at other times is vacation and ceasing from execution of the lawes These Iudges Sergeants and other Students and practitioners of all sorts haue their lodgings and dyets in 14. seuerall houses whereof two are only for Iudges and Sergeants and are therefore called the Sergeants Innes the next foure are the foure famous houses of Innes of Court the onely receptacle of Gentlemen students and Councellors the other eight