the Prince there was a contest who took him first and the King was desired to point at him so he pointed at Howel and said this is the Man who took me There are authentick Records in some Welsh Manuscripts that confirm this Moreover they have a general Tradition and some Songs which continue fresh to this day how Howel did put a Bridle in the French King's Mouth with many other Expressions touching this great Act. Now for that signal exploit the Prince knighted him in the Field and he was ever after call'd Sir Howel y Fuyall Sir Howel with the Axe he had the Constableship of Crikyth Castle given him with the farms of Chester mills and other considerable things conferr'd upon him which surely would not have been but for the merit of some high signal Service The British Records besides Tradition and common Report that mention this were to be found in Sir John Winn's Library an honourable knowing Knight who was a curious collector of Antiquities These and many other glorious exploits were done by this King in France who ceased not his pursuits till he had got the Key of it hanging at his Girdle to wit the Town of Calais that in those days was looked upon to be impregnable which he carried after a long Siege This Kings Reign is also memorable upon many other accounts as for the Institution of the noble Order of the Garter for removing the staple of Wool from Flanders into England for that great Champion against Rome the famous Wickliff and for his own numerous issue by his Heroick Queen Phillipa being no less then seven Sons and five Daughters his Sons were these Edward the Black Prince the hopes of England and who died before his Father William of Hatfield Lioneâ— Duke of Clarence John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster Edmund of Langley Duke of York William of Windsor and Thomas of Woodstock Duke of Glocester he died at Richmond in 1377. when he had Reigned 50 Years and odd Months The cause of the War twixt the English and French in Edward the III. time was a claim to the Crown and Kingdom of France in right of his Mother Isabel which they would make invalid by their Salique or distaâ—â— Law to which the greatest Civilians do allow 〈◊〉 essence at all and Du Haillan the great French Historian hath no better Opinion of it but to be a meâ— Chymera or Imaginary thing but of this more presently OF THE Salique Law HERE I judge it no ways impertinent to be a little more particular yet touching the claim of this King Edward to the Crown of France and what grounds the French had by vertue of this Salique Law for the exclusion of him claiming from a Female and first we will briefly state his claim as it then stood and then come to the Law it self and it was thus Phillip the IV. surnamed the Fair had three Sons Lewis the Contentious Phillip the Long and Charles the Fair all these successively reigned after him and died without issue inheritable he had likewise a Daughter named Isabel I purposely omit the other being foreign to the present affair married to Edward the II. King of England and so was Mother to Edward the III. The issue male of Phillip the Fair thus failing Phillip Son and Heir of Charles Earl of Valois Beaumont c. who was Brother to Phillip the Fair laid claim to the Crown as next heir male against King Edward who made answer to the objection of the Salique Law that admitting it was as they asserted yet he was heir-male though descended of a Daughter and this in a publick assembly of the States of France first about the Protectorship of the Womb for Queen Joan Dowager of Charles the Fair was left with Child and delivered of a Daughter named Blanch afterwards Dutchess of Orleans was had in solemn dispute by Lawyers on both sides and applied at length also to the direct point of inheriting the Crown and so adjudged against King Edward What followed hereupon we have in some measure traced in the Preceding History of his Wars and are more at large recorded in Walsingham Froissart Aemilius and a multitude of more modern Writers whereby it appears and will in the Wars of this King's Successors in France how the denial of this Soveraignty to him by the French cost the lives of many thousands of their Men and involved that Country into long and miserable Calamities But as for the Law it self whereby they pretended such an exclusion of him it may well be said with Drayton in his Poly-Albion that every mouth speaks of it but few understand the thing it self or so much as the Etymology of its name and therefore to clear this point as well as we can we are necessitated to ascend a little higher then these times wherein it was made use of in prejudice to the English claim and to begin with the Original of the Francks with whom they affirm it was brought into France The Francks therefore according to many modern Historians came originally from Asia into Germany though others and perhaps upon better grounds make their original to be in Germany it self but this is certain that upon the decline of the Roman Empire they inhabited Franconia a Province of Germany and about the year 413 or according to Davila 119 invaded France under Pharamond whom they chose to be their King and Leader which Pharamond they make to be Son to Marcovir a Prince that governed them in Franconia but first before they began their Expedition they held a general Assembly near unto a River named Sala and there by the advice of the Salij their Priests or as others of the Salians whom they make to be the same with Francks enacted Laws for Government and amongst the rest one for the Exclusion of Females from inheriting the Crown which from the aforesaid appellations whether one or all it matters not came to be denominated the Salique Law But Goropius that fetches all our of Dutch and this perhaps more tollerably then many of his other Etymologies deriving the Salians name from Sal which in contraction he makes to be from Sadel inventors whereof says he the Salians were interprets them to be as much as Horse-men a name fitly applied to the War-like and most noble Persons of any Nation as Equites in Latin Chevaliers in French and Marchog in Welch do very well agree to so that upon the whole the Salique Law is made by him to be as much as a Chivalrous Law and Salique Land Quae ad equestris ordinis dignitatem in capite summo in caeteris membris conservandam pertinebat which very well agrees with a sentence given in the Parliament at Bourdeaux upon an ancient Will devising all the Testator's Salique Lands which was in point of Judgment interpreted to be a Fief and who knows not but that Fiefs were originally military Gifts but if things be so how then comes Salique to extend to the
〈◊〉 takes care to have sufficient Treasure for such an undertaking and therefore in a Parliamentary way raised a vast Summ of Money and so provides an Army and Fleet of Ships suitable to such an Expedition the Army rendevouz'd at Portsmouth the command whereof he gave to his Nephew John de Brytain Earl of Richmond with whom he joined in Commission John St. John and Robert Tripot two prudent Knights from whence they set Sail and Landed at St. Matthews in Bretaign and in the mean time set out three Fleets for the guard of the Seas and to prevent the Depredations of the Enemy they entred the Mouth of the Garonne towards Burdeaux and took two good walled Towns Burgo and Bleya from whence they marched to Lyons and had the town delivered to them about four years after he generously goes over in Person into Flanders for the relief of Guy Earl of that Country who was grievously assaulted by the French King and after many Noble atchievments performed a Peace was concluded Edward taking to Wife Margaret sister to Phillip the fair then King of France This King dyed in 1307 when he had reigned 34 Years 7 Months and odd days Aged 68 and was buried at Westminster 1. One cause of this Breach with France was the Depredations that were committed at Sea 2. The Relief of Guy Earl of Flanders who was in danger of losing his Country EDWARD II. COmmonly called Edward of Caernarvan the first Prince of England that bore in his Fathers life time the Title of Prince of Wales proved an unworthy Successor to so brave a Father for he was a dissolute Prince and wholly guided by his favourites the first whereof was Pierce Gaveston who was bred up with him and on whom he conferred two and thirty Towns and as many Castles in Gascoigny besides great Summs of Money out of the Earldom of Cornwall during his life which together with his arrogance the Barons being not able to brook combined to force the King to banish him and so little did this Prince understand his true interest herein that instead of parting with such a pernicious Man and thereby securing his Interest at Home and taking measures for the same in France and elsewhere he intended to give up Gascoigny to the French King Scotland to Robert Bruce and Ireland and Wales to others as hoping thereby to obtain such aid as might secure him his favourite against all the just attempts of his Barons to the Contrary but no sooner was this Man removed but he had two others the Spencers Father and Son that were as pernicious as he and proved more fatal to Edward every way for though they received at length condign Punishment yet it was through their advice chiefly that Edward refused to go to the French King to do Homage for Aquitain and other lands he held of him and thereby lost Anjou and the Country of Poictiers and 't was his adherence to them that raised his Barons and Queen against him which ended in a sad Catastrophe first in his being deposed next in making a formal Resignation of the Crown and lastly in being soon after barbarously Murdered at Berkley Castle by the procurement of Roger Mortimer Earl of March the Queens favourite He reigned 19 Years 6 Months and odd days and died in 1327. EDWARD III. COmmonly called Edward of Windsor the eldest Son of Edward the Second succeeded his Father upon his Resignation of the Crown being then about the Age of 14 his Reign commencing from the 25 of January in the year of our Lord 1326. he proved a blessing to England and was a Prince of great Wisdom and very successful in his enterprises the younger part of his Reign was much ecclipsed by Roger Mortimer Earl of March the Queen his Mothers paramour but he got quickly rid of him for he was seised at Notingham by the Kings order and concurrence just as he was going to bed to the Queen and for all the Queens crying out to him Bel Fils Bel Fils ayes pitie de gentil Mortimer i.e. Good Son Good Son take pitty upon gentle Mortimer he was forthwith carryed away to London committed to the Tower condemned by his Peers in Parliament at Westminster hanged at Elmes and left hanging upon the Gallows two â—ays and Nights and all this unheard because he had done so by others before this King made several successful expeditions into Scotland and made the King thereof do him homage but the feat of his Wars was in France for Charles King of France dying the Masculine line of Hugh Capet failed and the Crown descended to Edward the Third as he alledged in right of his Mother Isabel who was Sister to the said Charles but Phillip de Valois Uncle to Charles intruded himself by force of Arms and took Possession and was not only Aggressor in this respect but grew so confident of his power that nothing would serve him but he must have all our King had left in France and therefore bends his Force against all the King's Castles and Towns in Aquitain and Poictiers and exercises abominable cruelties upon the English Inhabitants and all this under pretence of taking revenge for his Friends the Scots The King in the mean time holds a Parliament obtains considerable supplies and writes Letters to the French King exhorting him to continue his old amity but neither this nor the Pope's Mediation for a Peace would do so King Edward makes mighty preparation both by Sea and Land and the first Action happened to be by Sea and as memorable an one as any in the records of time for he took and sunk 200 Sail of French ships which Phillip de Valois had prepared in the Haven of Sluce for the Invasion of England which Fleet like that of 88 was held invincible but King Edward had equipp'd another as formidable a Fleet in opposition whereof he was Generalissimo and Admiral himself It was one of the most glorious Victories that ever was got at Sea for the Chronicles mention that the whole French Navy perished and 30000 Men Wounded Slain and Taken This great Naval Battel was fought upon Midsummer Eve and Heaven appeared much for the English for they had Wind and Sun favourable to them in the Fight and to make it more glorious King Edward himself was wounded in the Thigh with an Arrow whereof he was quickly cured He then goes in Person to France with 8000 common Soldiers 15000 Archers but he raised most of his Horse in France he took over with him his Son the Prince of Wales then but 15 years Old called afterwards the Black Prince He enters Normandy like a Whirle-wind and carries all the Countrey before him as far as Poissy about 10 miles from Paris and after divers hot Skirmishes a main Battel is appointed The English Army encamped near a Village called Cressy where it was divided into 3 Battallions the first was led by the Prince of Wales the second by the Earls of Arundel and
was otherwise in all his attempts successful and is renown'd upon all accounts but in nothing so much as in his Piety to God to whom he gave all the Glory of his Victories The ground of this War was the former claim to the Crown and Kingdom of 〈◊〉 HENRY VI. COmmonly called Henry of Windsor proved a Religious Prince but weak and unfortunate he began his Reign when he was but 8 years old and was crowned King of France at Paris Anno 1431. to whom the Nobles Provost and chief Burgesses sware fealty but lost it five Years after to Charles VII and the loss of that drew on the loss of the whole but it was not without much strugling The beginning of his Reign which all Persons feared would have been the worst proved quite contrary and was the most prosperous which is to be attributed to the Wisdom Care and Resolution of those brave Men that his Father appointed to guard Him and his Dominions Things prospered in France whilst the Heroick Bedford lived who won many Towns and Forts and proved Victor in several Encounters and Battles especially that great Battle of Vernole where as a French Author confesseth Bedford Salisbury and Suffolk did mighty exploits and defeated the whole French Power about which time Bedford as Regent was obeyed in all places through Vimen Poictiers and Picardy and from Paris to Rheims Chalons and Troyes up to the River of Loyre but when this brave Prince died which was about the 14th Year of Henry's Reign and that the Duke of York was made Regent things went very much to wrack in France Guienne was the last Province of France that held out for the English where we lost that brave Captain John Lord Talbot the first Earl of Shrewsbury of that Family and ancestor to the now illustrious Duke of Shrewsbury and called by the French Historians the Glory of the English Nation as we had done some years before at the Siege of Orleans the valiant Earl of Salisbury a Siege which first raised the fame of the French Amazon Joan the sheaperdess commonly called the Maid of Orleans whose wonderful Courage and Success prov'd very fatal to the English though she was afterward burnt at Roan for a Witch and which did not a little contribute to hasten our Expulsion out of that Kingdom all places at length being reduced except Calais and the Norman Isles of Guernsey Jersey c. and thus was the old Prophecy made good that Henry of Monmouth should win all and Henry of Windsor should lose all which was verified to some Purpose in this King for to the former losses was added that of the Crown of England he being deposed after he had Reigned 39 Years but lived eleven Years after and was Murdered by Crook-back Richard in the Tower of London He was a King pious in an intense degree which made Henry VII send to the Pope to have Henry VI. canoniz'd for a Saint but answer was given that he would canonize him for an Innocent but not for a Saint The Causes of this War in this Kings time was the revolt of the French from their obedience to their true King EDWARD IV. ELdest Son of Richard Duke of York and first of this line came to the Crown by right of descent from King Edward III. for Anne his Grandmother was Daughter of Roger Mortimer Son of Edmund Mortimer Earl of March and of Phillip his Wife sole Daughter of Lionel Duke of Clarence third Son of Edward III. and Elder Brother of John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster so that 't is plain in course of succession he had a precedent Right to the House of Lancaster he was fain to maintain his Right as he had got it by the Sword for to get it no less than six battles had been fought by his Father and himself and six more to secure it were sought in this Reign but when his affairs began to receive any settlement he revolves upon his old Right to the Kingdom of France wherefore upon the request of the Duke of Burgundy his Brother in Law who was already actually in War with the French King he enters into an alliance with him for to carry it on with united Forces and was the more easily induced hereunto because of the assistance France had lately given the Earl of Warwick Queen Margaret her Son Prince Edward and their accomplicâ—s against him King Edward makes very great preparations for this Expedition and having got all things in a readiness rendevouzes at Dover and so from thence sails in a Fleet consisting of 500 sail of all burdens whereof the Duke of Burgundy furnished many and lands at Calais with a greater force then ever at any one time came into France for he had with him 1500 Gen d' Arms being all Nobles and Gentlemen 15000 Archers on Horseback 8000 common Soldiers with 3000 Pioneers 3000 English being at the same time appointed to land in Bretaign for to make a diversion on that side But before King Edward imbarked he sent an Herald from Dover to the King of France with a letter of Defiance written in such Language that mine Author is perswaded could never be of an English Man's Penning So little esteem had the English Nation at that time for their learning in the World the contents of the Letter were That the King should yield unto him the Kingdom of France that so he might restore the Clergy and Nobility to their ancient Liberty and ease them of those great oppressions they laboured under c. which if he refused to do he concluded full of Menaces according to the usual form in that kind The French King read the Letter softly to himself and then withdrawing to another Room sent for the Herald to come before him and told him he was not ignorant of the confederacy between the King his Master and the Duke of Burgundy and how that the â—onstable of France held intelligence also with 〈◊〉 King of England the King having married 〈◊〉 Niece but adds he he will deceive the King â—ur Master as he has done me and as for Burâ—â—ndy 't is manifest he foully prevaricates for he already retired fâ—om before Nunz and at last includes with a present of 300 Crowns to the â—erald and a promise of a Thousand more if Peace were concluded and got him to engage 〈◊〉 further it with all his might King Edward 〈◊〉 no sooner landed at Calais but the Duke of Bâ—â—gundy retires from before Nunz and with a â—all retinue rides to the King at Calais leaving 〈◊〉 Army in the mean time to plunder the Counâ—â—y of Lorrâ—in and Barr from Calais they both â—arted and passing through Bolloign marched Perronne where the English were but coldly â—â—tertained by the Duke for he would suffer but very few of them to come within the Gates 〈◊〉 that they were obliged to take up their quarâ—â—â—s in the Fields there it was the Duke received Message from the Constable of France whereby 〈◊〉 excused
his Brother Walter Devereux a brave young Gentleman slain with a Musket Bullet before Roâ—n the last succors was to the number of 2000 and put under the command of that excellent Soldier Sir Rogâ—r Williams who was always forward for the greatest attempts and did here excellent service He beat the leaguers that blockt up the Passes about Diep upon such unequal terms that Henry IV. could not but take notice and highly extoll his valour in his letter to the Queen this Queen after a glorious Reign of 44 Years 5 Months and odd days at the Age of 70 Years Anno 1602. and lived longer then any of the Kings of England since the Conquest dyed at Richmond and lies buried at Westminster The causes of the War in this Queen's time were not direct but collateral in behalf of the King and Reformists of France JAMES I. THen the sixth King of Scotland of that name t was immediately upon the death of Queen Elizabeth proclaimed King of England Scotland France and Ireland c. as being descended from the united Roses of Lancaster and York King Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth his Wife whose issue by the Male failing in the late deceased Queen Elizabeth the off-spring of Margaret their eldest Daughter was next heir which Lady was married to James IV. King of Scotland by him had issue James V. whose only daughter Queen Mary was Mother to this our Monarch This King was of a timorous Nature and peaceable Disposition so that Beati Pacifici was his Motto and was so far from making any pretensions to the Crown of France or any part of its Dominions notwithstanding his great power and the flourishing state of the Nation that he suffered his Son-in-Law the Palsgrave and his own Daughter Elizabeth his Wife with their numerous issue not only to be beaten out of Bohemia but even from their just Patrimony the Palatinate and to live many years in great want and Penury to the Kings great dishonour who was nothing but a bluster of Words and ever and anon sending Embassadors till all was quite lost and unretriveable this King died at Theobalds March 27th in 1625. in the 59 year of his Age having reigned 22 years compleat CHARLES I. THe only surviving Son of King James for that noble Prince Henry died before his Father succeeded to the Imperial Crown of England the reformed in France in the beginning of this King's Reign lay under great oppressions from their King Lewis XIII and his prime minister of state Cardinal Richieu in so much that they were forced for their fafty to have recourse to Arms under the command of that ever famous Cap. the Duke of Roan by Land and Monsieur Sobiez his Brother who rid Admiral at Sea and by that means Rochel besieged by the French King's Arms was relieved upon all occasions hereupon thro' the contrivance of the Duke of Buckingham an English Fleet was sent to join that of the French under the Duke of Momerancy the Dutch then basely concurring with some Ships of their alsos with which united force Momerancy fights and utterly defeats the Fleet of the Rochellers under Monsieur Sobiez and then reduced the Isles of Rhee and Oleron under the French Power but Buckingham soon after changing his Sentiments the grounds whereof we 'll assign in the causes of this War there is a Declaration of War published against France and 〈◊〉 the Prosecution of the same with Vigor the Duke is commissioned Admiral and General of a Navy of an 100 Sail and 6 or 7000 land Soldiers with which he came before Rochel still besieged by the French where Sobiez came on Board of him and for several reasons it was agreed to land the Army on the Island of Oleâ—on and not on the Isle of Rhee But Sobiez going to perswade the Rochellers to join with the English the Duke before his return lands on the Isle of Rhee in spight of the opposition made by the French but instead of pursuing the blow not only neglects to take the Fort la Prie to secure his retreat and prevent the French from landing supplies but staies five days whereby Toiras the French Governour incouraged his Men and also got more Force and Provisions into the Cittadel of St. Martins the French were so allarmed at this invasion that the King offered the Duke of Roan and the Rochellers any terms to join against the English which both refusing caused both their Ruins The Enemies retreat upon the landing of the English was so hasty that they quitted a Well about 20 paces from the Counterscarp which supplied the Cittadeâ— with Water which not being possest by the English upon their first approach the French drew a work about it which ouâ— Men could not force and without which Well the besieged could not have subsisted however the Duke resolves to take the Fort by Famine buâ— instead of pressing it with a strait Siege he entertains a Treaty of surrender with Toiras and several complements past between them subscribed your Humble Servant Buckingham and you Humble Servant Toiras till the latter got relief 〈◊〉 Men Victuals and Ammunition and then brokâ— off the Treaty with the Duke soon after thâ— the French landed Forces on the Island by thâ— neglect of the English to oppose them and ordeâ— were given to draw the English out of the Trenches which the French possess whereupoâ— the English were forced to Retreat at last the Duâ—â— makes a vain storm upon the Castle but 〈◊〉 beaten off and two days after retreats the 〈◊〉 being now equal to him in Foot and superior Horse when the English were intangled in thâ— Retreat the Duke having neglected to take la Prie or build a Fort upon a narrow Lane or Causey to secure their Retreat the French charged the English Horse in the Rear and rout them who rout the foot in the narrow passages between the Salt-pits and Ditch but in this confusion and adversity the bravery of the English appear'd for a few having past the Bridge the French following the English rallied and faced about gallantly to charge the French who cowardly retreated over the Bridge and of this a Forraign Author speaking saith The English were magis audaces quam fortunati and withall taxeth them for want of secrecy in their Counsels and Conduct of so great an affair the Duke of Buckingham upon his retreat from the Isle of Rhee promised the Rochellers to send them speedy relief now close besieged by the French King and upon return sent away the Earl of Denbigh his Brother-in-law with a Fleet to that purpose who on the first of May 1628. arrives before Rochell where he found the French Fleet consisting of 20 Sail had blockt it up by Sea upon the Earls approach the French retire towards their Fortification and anchored within two cannon shot of our Fleet and so continued till the 8th of May. The Earl promised the Rochellers to sink the French Fleet when the Waters increased and the