obeisance to this Cadwallo during eight and twentie yeares Thus Cadwallo reigned in the whole monarchie of great Britaine hauing all the seuen kings thereof as well Saxons as others his subiects for albeit the number of Saxons from time to time greatlie increased yet were they alwaies either at the first expelled or else made tributarie to the onelie kings of Britons for the time being as all their owne writers doo confesse Cadwallader was next king of the whole great Britaine he reigned twelue yeares ouer all the kings thereof in great peace and tranquillitie and then vpon the lamentable death of his subiects which died of sundrie diseases innumerablie he departed into little Britaine His sonne and cousine Iuor and Iue being expelled out of England also by the Saxons went into Wales where among the Britons they and their posteritie remained princes Upon this great alteration and warres being through the whole dominion betwéene the Britons and Saxons the Scots thought time to slip the collar of obedience and therevpon entred in league with Charles then king of France establishing it in this wise 1 The iniurie of Englishmen doone to anie of these people shall be perpetuallie holden common to them both 2 When Frenchmen be inuaded by Englishmen the Scots shall send their armie in defense of France so that they be supported with monie and vittels by the French 3 When Scots be inuaded by Englishmen the Frenchmen shall come vpon their owne expenses to their support and succour 4 None of the people shall take peace or truce with Englishmen without the aduise of other c. Manie disputable opinions may be had of warre without the praising of it as onlie admittable by inforced necessitie and to be vsed for peace sake onelie where here the Scots sought warre for the loue of warre onelie For their league giueth no benefit to themselues either in frée traffike of their owne commodities or benefit of the French or other priuilege to the people of both What discommoditie riseth by loosing the intercourse and exchange of our commodities being in necessaries more aboundant than France the Scots féele and we perfectlie know What ruine of their townes destruction of countries slaughter of both peoples haue by reason of this bloudie league chanced the histories be lamentable to read and horrible among christian men to be remembred but God gaue the increase according to their séed for as they did hereby sowe dissention so did they shortlie after reape a bloudie slaughter and confusion For Alpine their king possessing a light mind that would be lost with a little wind hoped by this league shortlie to subdue all great Britaine and to that end not onelie rebelled in his owne kingdome but also vsurped vpon the kingdome of Picts Whervpon Edwine king of England made one Brudeus king of Picts whom he sent into Scotland with a great power where in battell he tooke this Alpine king of Scots prisoner and discomfited his people And this Alpine being their king found subiect and rebell his head was striken off at a place in Scotland which thereof is to this daie called Pasalpine that is to saie the head of Alpine And this was the first effect of their French league Osbright king of England with Ella his subiect and a great number of Britons and Saxons shortlie after for that the Scots had of themselues elected a new king entered Scotland and ceassed not his war against them vntill their king and people fled into the Iles with whome at the last vpon their submission peace was made in this wise The water of Frith shall be march betwéene Scots and Englishmen in the east parts and shall be named the Scotish sea The water of Cluide to Dunbriton shall be march in the west parts betwéene the Scots and Britons This castell was before called Alcluide but now Dunbriton that is to say the castle of Britons and sometimes it was destroied by the Danes So the Britons had all the lands from Sterling to the Ireland seas and from the water of Frith Cluide to Cumber with all the strengths and commodities thereof and the Englishmen had the lands betwéene Sterling and Northumberland Thus was Cluide march betwéene the Scots and the Britons on the one side and the water of Frith named the Scotish sea march betwéene them and Englishmen on the other side and Sterling common march to thrée people Britons Englishmen and Scots howbeit king Osbright had the castle of Sterling where first he caused to be coined Sterling monie The Englishmen also builded a bridge of stone for passage ouer the water of Frith in the middest whereof they made a crosse vnder which were written these verses I am free march as passengers may ken To Scots to Britons and Englishmen Not manie yeares after this Hinguar and Hubba two Danes with a great number of people arriued in Scotland and slue Constantine whom Osbright had before made king wherevpon Edulfe or Ethelwulfe then king of England assembled his power against Hinguar and Hubba and in one battell slue them both but such of their people as would remaine and become christians he suffered to tarie the rest he banished or put to death c. This Ethelwulfe granted the Peter pence of which albeit Peter Paule had little need and lesse right yet the paiment thereof continued in this realme euer after vntill now of late yeares But the Scots euer since vnto this daie haue and yet doo paie it by reason of that grant which prooueth them to be then vnder his obeisance Alured or Alfred succéeded in the kingdome of England and reigned noblie ouer the whole monarchie of great Britaine he made lawes that persons excommunicated should be disabled to sue or claime anie propertie which law Gregour whome this Alured had made king of Scots obeied and the same law as well in Scotland as in England is holden to this daie which also prooueth him to be high lord of Scotland This Alured constreined Gregour king of Scots also to breake the league with France for generallie he concluded with him and serued him in all his warres as well against Danes as others not reseruing or making anie exception of the former league with France The said Alured after the death of Gregour had the like seruice and obeisance of Donald king of Scots with fiue thousand horssemen against one Gurmond a Dane that then infested the realme and this Donald died in this faith and obeisance with Alured Edward the first of that name called Chifod sonne of this Alured succéeded his father and was the next king of England against whome Sithrtic a Dane and the Scots conspired but they were subdued and Constantine their king brought to obeisance He held the realme of Scotland also of king Edward and this dooth Marian their owne countrieman a Scot confesse beside Roger Houeden and William of Malmesberie In the yeare of our Lord 923 the same king Edward was president and gouernour of
being nine yeares of age was by the lawes of Edgar in ward to king Henrie the third by the nobles of Scotland brought to Yorke and there deliuered vnto him During whose minoritie king Henrie gouerned Scotland and to subdue a commotion in this realme vsed the aid of fiue thousand Scotishmen But king Henrie died during the nonage of this Alexander whereby he receiued not his homage which by reason and law was respited vntill his full age of one and twentie yeares Edward the first after the conquest sonne of this Henrie was next king of England immediatlie after whose coronation Alexander king of Scots being then of full age did homage to him for Scotland at Westminster swearing as all the rest did after this maner I. D. N. king of Scots shall be true and faithfull vnto you lord E. by the grace of God king of England the noble and superior lord of the kingdome of Scotland and vnto you I make my fidelitie for the same kingdome the which I hold and claime to hold of you And I shall beare you my faith and fidelitie of life and lim and worldlie honour against all men faithfullie I shall knowlege and shall doo you seruice due vnto you of the kingdome of Scotland aforesaid as God me so helpe and these holie euangelies This Alexander king of Scots died leauing one onelie daughter called Margaret for his heire who before had maried Hanigo sonne to Magnus king of Norwaie which daughter also shortlie after died leauing one onelie daughter hir heire of the age of two yeares whose custodie and mariage by the lawes of king Edgar and Edward the confessor belonged to Edward the first whervpon the nobles of Scotland were commanded by our king Edward to send into Norwaie to conueie this yoong queene into England to him whome he intended to haue maried to his sonne Edward and so to haue made a perfect vnion long wished for betwéene both realmes Herevpon their nobles at that time considering the same tranquillitie that manie of them haue since refused stood not vpon shifts and delaies of minoritie nor contempt but most gladlie consented and therevpon sent two noble men of Scotland into Norwaie for hir to be brought to this king Edward but she died before their comming thither and therefore they required nothing but to inioie the lawfull liberties that they had quietlie possessed in the last king Alexanders time After the death of this Margaret the Scots were destitute of anie heire to the crowne from this Alexander their last king at which time this Edward descended from the bodie of Mawd daughter of Malcolme sometime king of Scots being then in the greatest broile of his warres with France minded not to take the possession of that kingdome in his owne right but was contented to establish Balioll to be king thereof the weake title betwéene him Bruse Hastings being by the humble petition of all the realme of Scotland cōmitted to the determination of king Edward wherein by autentike writing they confessed the superioritie of the realme to remaine in king Edward sealed with the seales of foure bishops seuen earles and twelue barons of Scotland and which shortlie after was by the whole assent of the three estates of Scotland in their solemne parlement confessed and enacted accordinglie as most euidentlie dooth appeare The Balioll in this wise made king of Scotland did immediatlie make his homage and fealtie at Newcastell vpon saint Stéeuens daie as did likewise all the lords of Scotland each one setting his hand to the composition in writing to king Edward of England for the kingdome of Scotland but shortlie after defrauding the benigne goodnesse of his superiour he rebelled and did verie much hurt in England Herevpon king Edward inuaded Scotland seized into his hands the greater part of the countrie and tooke all the strengths thereof Whervpon Balioll king of Scots came vnto him to Mauntrosse in Scotland with a white wand in his hand and there resigned the crowne of Scotland with all his right title and interest to the same into the hands of king Edward and thereof made his charter in writing dated and sealed the fourth yeare of his reigne All the nobles and gentlemen of Scotland also repaired to Berwike and did homage and fealtie to king Edward there becomming his subiects For the better assurance of whose oths also king Edward kept all the strengths and holdes of Scotland in his owne hands and herevpon all their lawes processes all iudgements gifts of assises and others passed vnder the name and authoritie of king Edward Leland touching the same rehearsall writeth thereof in this maner In the yeare of our Lord 1295 the same Iohn king of Scots contrarie to his faith and allegiance rebelled against king Edward and came into England and burnt and siue without all modestie and mercie Wherevpon king Edward with a great host went to Newcastell vpon Tine passed the water of Twéed besieged Berwike and got it Also he wan the castell of Dunbar and there were slaine at this brunt 15700 Scots Then he proceeded further and gat the castell of Rokesborow and the castell of Edenborow Striuelin and Gedworth and his people harried all the land In the meane season the said king Iohn of Scots considering that he was not of power to withstand king Edward sent his letters and besought him of treatie and peace which our prince benignlie granted and sent to him againe that he should come to the towre of Brechin and bring thither the great lords of Scotland with him The king of England sent thither Antonie Becke bishop of Durham with his roiall power to conclude the said treatise And there it was agreed that the said Iohn and all the Scots should vtterlie submit themselues to the kings will And to the end the submission should be performed accordinglie the king of Scots laid his sonne in hostage and pledge vnto him There also he made his letters sealed with the common scale of Scotland by the which he knowledging his simplenes and great offense doone to his lord king Edward of England by his full power and frée will yeelded vp all the land of Scotland with all the people and homage of the same Then our king went foorth to sée the mounteins and vnderstanding that all was in quiet and peace he turned to the abbeie of Scone which was of chanons regular where he tooke the stone called the Regall of Scotland vpon which the kings of that nation were woont to sit at the time of their coronations for a throne sent it to the abbeie of Westminster commanding to make a chaire therof for the priests that should sing masse at the high altar which chaire was made and standeth yet there at this daie to be séene In the yeare of our Lord 1296 the king held his parlement at Berwike and there he tooke homage singularlie of diuerse of the lords nobles of Scotland And for a perpetuall memorie of the same they
report that he builded thrée temples one to Mars at Perth in Scotland another to Mercurie at Bangor and the third to Apollo in Cornewall Of Riuallus Gurgustius Sysillius Iago and Kinimacus rulers of Britaine by succession and of the accidents coincident with their times The seuenth Chapter RIuallus the sonne of Cunedag began to reigne ouer the Britaines in the yeare of the world 3203 before the building of Rome 15 Ioathan as then being king of Iuda and Phacea king of Israel This Riuall gouerned the Iland in great welth and prosperitie In his time it rained bloud by the space of thrée daies togither after which raine ensued such an excéeding number and multitude of flies so noisome and contagious that much people died by reason thereof When he had reigned 46 yeares he died and was buried at Caerbranke now called Yorke In the time of this Riuals reigne was the citie of Rome builded after concordance of most part of writers Perdix also a wizard and a learned astrologian florished and writ his prophesies and Herene also GUrgustius the son of the before named Riuall began to gouerne the Britaines in the yeare after the creation of the world 3249 and after the first foundation of Rome 33 Ezechias reigning in Iuda This Gurgustius in the chronicle of England is called Gorbodian the sonne of Reignold he reigned 37 yeares then departing this life was buried at Caerbranke now called Yorke by his father SYsillius or after some writers Syluius the brother of Gurgustius was chosen to haue the gouernance of Britaine in the yere of the world 3287 and after the building of Rome 71 Manasses still reigning in Iuda This Sysillius in the English chronicle is named Secill He reigned 49 yeares and then died and was buried at Carbadon now called Bath IAgo or Lago the cousin of Gurgustius as next inheritor to Sysillius tooke vpon him the gouernement of Britaine in the yeare of the world 3336 and after the building of Rome 120 in whose time the citie of Ierusalem was taken by Nabuchodonozar and the king of Iuda Mathania otherwise called Zedechias being slaine This Iago or Lago died without issue when he had reigned 28 yeares and was buried at Yorke KInimacus or Kinmarus the sonne of Sysillius as some write or rather the brother of Iago began to gouerne the land of Britain in the yere of the world 3364 and after the building of Rome 148 the Iewes as then being in the third yeare of their captiuitie of Babylon This Kinimacus departed this life after he had reigned 54 yeares and was buried at Yorke Of Gorbodug and his two sonnes Ferrex and Porrex one brother killeth another the mother slaieth hir sonne and how Britaine by ciuill warres for lacke of issue legitimate to the gouernment of a monarchie became a pentarchie the end of Brutes line The eight Chapter GOrbodug the sonne of Kinimacus began his reigne ouer the Britains in the yeare after the creation of the world 3418 from the building of the citie of Rome 202 the 58 of the Iews captiuitie at Babylon This Gorbodug by most likelihood to bring histories to accord should reigne about the tearme of 62 yeares and then departing this world was buried at London leauing after him two sonnes Ferrex and Porrex or after some writers Ferreus and Porreus FErrex with Porrex his brother began iointlie to rule ouer the Britaines in the yeare of the world 3476 after the building of Rome 260 at which time the people of Rome forsooke their citie in their rebellious mood These two brethren continued for a time in good friendship and amitie till at length through couetousnesse and desire of greater dominion prouoked by flatterers they fell at variance and discord whereby Ferrex was constreined to flée into Gallia and there purchased aid of a great duke called Gunhardus or Suardus and so returned into Britaine thinking to preuaile and obteine the dominion of the whole Iland But his brother Porrex was readie to receiue him with battell after he was landed in the which battell Ferrex was slaine with the more part of his people The English chronicle saith that Porrex was he that fled into France at his returne was slaine and that Ferrex suruiued But Geffrey of Monmouth Polychronicon are of a contrarie opinion Matthew Westmonasteriensis writeth that Porrex deuising waies to kill Ferrex atchiued his purpose and slue him But whether of them so euer suruiued the mother of them was so highlie offended for the death of him that was slaine whom the most intierlie loued that setting apart all motherlie affection she found the meanes to enter the chamber 〈◊〉 him that suruiued in the night season and as he slept the with the helpe of his maidens slue him and cut him into small péeces as the writers doo affirme Such was the end of these two brethren after they had reigned by the space of foure to fiue yeares After this followed a troublous season full of cruell warre and seditious discord wherby and in the end 〈◊〉 for the space of fiftie yeares the monarchie or sole gouernement of the Iland became 〈…〉 that is it was diuided betwixt fiue kings or rulers till Dunwallon of Cornewall ouercame them all Thus the line of Brute according to the report of most writers tooke an end for after the death of the two foresaid brethren no rightfull inheritor was left aliue to succéed them in the kingdome The names of these fiue kings are found in certeine old pedegrées and although the same be much corrupted in diuers copies yet these vnder named are the most agréeable But of these fiue kings or dukes the English chronicle alloweth Cloton king of Cornewall for most rightfull heires There appeareth noâ— any 〈◊〉 certeine by report of ancient author how long this variance continue 〈◊〉 amongst the Britains 〈◊〉 but as some say it lasted for the space of 51 yeres coniectyring so much by 〈…〉 recorded in Polychron who saith 〈…〉 till the beginning of the reigne of Dunwallon Mulmucius who began to gouerne 〈◊〉 the time that Brute first entred Britaine about the space of 703 thrée yeares ¶ Here ye must note that there is difference amongst writers about the suppâ—tation and account of these yeares Insomuch that some making their reckoning after certeine writers and finding the same to varie aboue thrée C. yeares are brought into further doubt of the truth at the whole historie but whereas other haue by â—aligent search tried out the continuance of euerie gouernors reigne and reduced the same to a likelihood of some conformitie I haue thought best to follow the same leauing the credit thereof with the first authors The pentarchie 1 Rudacus 2 Clotenus 3 Pinnor 4 Staterus 5 Yewan king of Wales Cornewall Loegria Albania Northumberland The end of the second Booke THE THIRD BOOKE of the Historie of England Of Mulmucius the first king of Britaine who was crowned with
The Danes followed them vnto Wilton which towne they rifled and ouercame From thence they went to Salisburie and so taking their pleasure there returned to their ships because as some write they were aduertised that the king was comming towards them with an huge armie In the yeare next insuing that is to saie 1004 which was about the 24 yeare of K. Egelreds reigne Sweine or Swanus king of Denmarke with a mightie nauie of ships came on the coast of Northfolke and there landing with his people made toward Norwich and comming thither tooke that citie and spoiled it Then went he vnto Thetford and when he had taken and rified that towne he burnt it notwithstanding a truce taken by Uikillus or Wilfketell gouernor of those parties with the same king Swaine after the taking of Norwich In reuenge therefore of such breach of truce the same Uikillus or Wilfeketell with such power as he could raise assaulted the host of Danes as they returned to their ships and slue a great number of them but was not able to mainteine the fight for his enimies ouermatched him in number of men And so he was constrained in the end to giue backe and the enimies kept on their waies to their ships In the yeare following king Swaine returned into Denmarke with all his fléet partlie constrained so to doo as some write by reason of the great famin want of necessarie sustenance which in that yeare sore oppressed this land In the yeare of our Lord 1006 king Swaine returned againe into England with a mightie huge nauie arriuing at Sandwich and spoiled all the countrie néere vnto the sea side King Egelred raised all his power against him and all the haruest time laie abroad in the field to resist the Danes which according to their woonted maner spared not to exercise their vnmercifull crueltie in wasting and spoiling the land with fire and sword pilfering and taking of preies in euerie part where they came Neither could king Egelred remedie the matter because the enimies still conueied themselues with their ships into some contrarie quarter from the place where they knew him to be so that his trauell was in vaine About the beginning of winter they remained in the I le of Wight in the time of Christmasse they landed in Hampshire and passing through that countrie into Barkeshire they came to Reading and from thence to Wallingford and so to Coleseie and then approching to Essington came to Achikelmeslawe and in euerie place wheresoeuer they came they made cleane worke For that which they could not carie with them they consumed with fire burning vp their innes and sleaing their hoasts In returning backe the people of the west countrie gaue them battell but preuailed not so that they did but inrich their enimies with the spoile of their bodies They came by the gates of Winchester as it were in maner of triumph with vittels and spoiles which they had fetched fiftie miles from the sea side In the meane time king Egelred lay about Shrewsburie sore troubled with the newes hereof and in the yeare next insuing by the aduise of his councell he gaue to king Swaine for the redeeming of peace 30000 pounds In the same yeare K. Egelred created the traitor Edrike earle of Mercia who although he had maried Edgiua the kings daughter was yet noted to be one of those which disclosed the secrets of the realme and the determinations of the councell vnto the enimies But he was such a craftie dissembler so greatlie prouided of sleight to dissemble and cloake his falshood that the king being too much abused by him had him in singular fauour whereas he vpon a malicious purpose studied dailie how to bring the realme into vtter destruction aduertising the enimies from time to time how the state of things stood whereby they came to knowledge when they should giue place and when they might safelie come forward Moreouer being sent vnto them oftentimes as a commissioner to treat to peace he persuaded them to warre But such was the pleasure of God to haue him and such other of like sort aduanced to honor in this season when by his diuine prouidence he meant to punish the people of this realme for their wickednesse and sinnes whereby they had iustlie prouoked his wrath and high displeasure In the 30 yeare of king Egelreds reigne which fell in the yeare of our Lord 1008 he tooke order that of euerie thrée hundred and ten hides of land within this realme there should one ship be builded and of euerie eight hides a complet armor furnished In the yeare following the kings whole fléet was brought togither at Sandwich and such souldiers came thither as were appointed to go to sea in the same fléet There had not béene seene the like number of ships so trimlie rigged and furnished in all points in anie kings daies before But no great profitable péece of seruice was wrought by them for the king had about that time banished a noble yoong man of Sussex called Wilnot who getting togither twentie sailes laie vpon the coasts taking prices where he could get them Brithrike the brother of earle Edrike being desirous to win honor tooke forth foure score of the said ships and promised to bring in the enimie dead or aliue But as he was sailing forward on the seas a sore tempest with an outragious wind rose with such violence that his ships were cast vpon the shore and Wilnot comming vpon them set them on fire and so burned them euerie one The residue of the ships when newes came to them of this mishap returned backe to London and then was the armie dispersed and so all the cost and trauell of the Englishmen proued in vaine After this in the haruest time a new armie of Danes vnder the conduct of thrée capteines Turkill Henning and Aulafe landed at Sandwich and from thence passed forth to Canturburie and had taken the citie but that the citizens gaue them a 1000 pounds to depart from thence and to leaue the countrie in peace Then went the Danes to the I le of Wight and afterwards landed and spoiled the countrie of Sussex and Hampshire King Egelred assembled the whole power of all his subiects and comming to giue them battell had made and end of their cruell harieng the countrie with the slaughter of them all if earle Edrike with forged tales deuised onelie to put him in feare had not dissuaded him from giuing battell The Danes by that meanes returning in safetie immediatlie after the feast of saint Martine returned into Kent and ladged with their nauie in the winter following in the Thames and oftentimes assaulting the citie of London were still beaten backe to their losse After the feast of Christmasse they passed through the countrie and woods of Chilterne vnto Oxford which towne they
Moreouer fortie of their ships or rather as some write 45 were reteined to serue the king promising to defend the realme with condition that the souldiers and mariners should haue prouision of meate and drinke with apparell found them at the kings charges As one autor hath gathered Swaine king of Denmarke was in England at the concluding of this peace which being confirmed with solemne othes and sufficient hostages he departed into Denmarke The same author bringeth the generall slaughter of Danes vpon S. Brices day to haue chanced in the yéere after the conclusion of this agréement that is to say in the yéere 1012 at what time Gunthildis the sister of king Swaine was slaine with hir husband hir sonne by the commandement of the false traitor Edrike But bicause all other authors agrée that the same murther of Danes was executed about ten yéeres before this supposed time we haue made rehearsall thereof in that place Howbeit for the death of Gunthildis it maie be that she became hostage either in the yéere 1007 at what time king Egelred paied thirtie thousand pounds vnto king Swaine to haue peace as before you haue heard or else might she be deliuered in hostage in the yéere 1011 when the last agréement was made with the Danes as aboue is mentioned But when or at what time soeuer she became hostage this we find of hir that she came hither into England with hir husband Palingus a mightie earle and receiued baptisme héere Wherevpon she earnestlie trauelled in treatie of a peace betwixt hir brother and king Egelred which being brought to passe chieflie by hir sute she was contented to become an hostage for performance thereof as before is recited And after by the commandement of earle Edrike she was put to death pronouncing that the shedding of hir bloud would cause all England one day sore to rue She was a verie beautifull ladie and tooke hir death without all feare not once changing countenance though she saw hir husband and hir onelie sonne a yoong gentleman of much towardnesse first murthered before hir face Turkillus the Danish capteine telleth king Swaine the faults of the king nobles commons of this realme he inuadeth England the Northumbers and others submit themselues to him Danes receiued into seruice vnder Egelred London assalted by Swaine the citizens behaue themselues stoutlie and giue the Danish host a shamefull repulse Ethelmere earle of Deuonshire and his people submit themselues to Swaine he returneth into Denmarke commeth back againe into England with a fresh power is incountred withall of the Englishmen whose king Egelred is discomfited his oration to his souldiers touching the present reliefe of their distressed land their resolution and full purpose in this their perplexitie king Egrlred is minded to giue place to Swaine lie sendeth his wife and children ouer into Normandie the Londoners yeeld vp their state to Swaine Egelred saileth ouer into Normandie leauing his land to the enimie The sixt Chapter NOw had Turkillus in the meane time aduertised king Swaine in what state things stood here within the realme how king Egelred was negligent onlie attending to the lusts pleasures of the flesh how the noble men were vnfaithfull and the commons weake and féeble through want to good and trustie leaders Howbeit some write that Turkillus as well as other of the Danes which remained héere in England was in league with king Egelred in somuch that he was with him in London to helpe and defend the citie against Swaine when he came to assalt it as after shall appéere Which if it be true a doubt may rise whether Swaine receiued anie aduertisement from Turkillus to mooue him to rather to inuade the realme but such aduertisements might come from him before that he was accorded with Egelred Swaine therefore as a valiant prince desirous both to reuenge his sisters death and win honor prepared an huge armie and a great number of ships with the which he made towards England and first comming to Sandwich taried there a small while and taking eftsoones the sea compassed about the coasts of the Eastangles and arriuing in the mouth of Humber sailed vp the water and entering into the riuer of Trent he landed at Gainesbourgh purposing to inuade the Northumbers But as men brought into great feare for that they had béene subiect to the Danes in times past and thinking therefore not to reuolt to the enimie but rather to their old acquaintance if they should submit themselues to the Danes streightwaies offered to become subiect vnto Swaine togither with their duke named Wighthred Also the people of Lindsey and all those of the northside of Watlingstreet yéelded themselues vnto him and deliuered pledges Then he appointed his sonne Cnutus to haue the kéeping of those pledges and to remaine vpon the saâ—egard of his ships whiles he himselfe passed forward into the countrie Then marched he forward to subdue them of south Mercia and so came to Oxford to Winchester making the countries subiect to him through out wheresoeuer he came With this prosperous successe Swaine being greatlie incouraged prepared to go vnto London where king Egelred as then remained hauing with him Turkillus the Dane which was reteined in wages with other of the Danes as by report of some authors it maie appeare and were now readie to defend the citie against their countriemen in support of king Egelred togither with the citizens Swaine bicause he would not step so farre out of the way as to go to the next bridge lost a great number of his men as he passed through the Thames At his comming to London he bagan to assault the citie verie fiercelie in hope either to put his enimie in such feare that he should despaire of all reliefe and comfort or at the least trie what he was able to doo The Londoners on the other part although they were brought in some feare by this sudden attempt of the enimies yet considering with themselues that the hazard of all the whole state of the realme was annexed to theirs sith their citie was the chiefe and metropolitane of all the kingdome they valiantlie stood in defense of themselues and of their king that was present there with them beating backe the enimies chasing them from the walles and otherwise dooing their best to kéepe them off At length although the Danes did most valiantlie assault the citie yet the Englishmen to defend their prince from all iniurie of enimies did not shrinke but boldlie sallied foorth at the gates in heapes togither and incountered with their aduersaries and began to fight with them verie fiercelie Swaine whilest he went about to kéepe his men in order as one most desirous to reteine the victorie now almost gotten was compassed so about with the Londoners on each side that after he had lost a great number of his men he was constreined for his safegard to breake out through the
of the Danish race And from thence vntill we came vnto the coast of Norffolke I saw no more Ilands Being therfore past S. Edmunds point we found a litle I le ouer against the fall of the water that commeth from Holkham likewise another ouer against the Claie before we came at Waburne hope the third also in Yarmouth riuer ouer against Bradwell a towne in low or little England whereof also I must néeds saie somewhat bicause it is in maner an Iland and as I gesse either hath béene or may be one for the brodest place of the strict land that leadeth to the same is little aboue a quarter of a mile which against the raging waues of the sea can make but small resistance Little England or low England therefore is about eight miles in length and foure in bredth verie well replenished with townes as Fristan Burgh castell Olton Flixton Lestoft Gunton Blundston Corton Lownd Ashebie Hoxton Belton Bradwell and Gorleston and beside this it is verie fruitfull and indued with all commodities Going forward from hence by the Estonnesse almost an Iland I saw a small parcell cut from the maine in Oxford hauen the Langerstone in Orwell mouth two péeces or Islets at Cattiwade bridge and then casting about vnto the Colne we beheld Merseie which is a pretie Iland well furnished with wood It was sometime a great receptacle for the Danes when they inuaded England howbeit at this present it hath beside two decaied blockehouses two parish churches of which one is called east Merseie the other west Merseie and both vnder the archdeacon of Colchester as parcell of his iurisdiction Foulenesse is an I le void of wood and yet well replenished with verie good grasse for neat and sheepe whereof the inhabitants haue great plentie there is also a parish church and albeit that it stand somewhat distant from the shore yet at a dead low water a man may as they saie ride thereto if he be skilfull of the causie it is vnder the iurisdiction of London And at this present master William Tabor bacheler of diuinitie and archdeacon of Essex hath it vnder his iurisdiction regiment by the surrender of maister Iohn Walker doctor also of diuinitie who liued at such time as I first attempted to commit this booke to the impression In Maldon water are in like sort thrée Ilands inuironed all with salt streames as saint Osithes Northeie and another after a mersh that beareth no name so far as I remember On the right hand also as we went toward the sea againe we saw Ramseie I le or rather a Peninsula or Biland likewise the Reie in which is a chappell of saint Peter And then coasting vpon the mouth of the Bourne we saw the Wallot Ile and his mates whereof two lie by east Wallot and the fourth is Foulnesse except I be deceiued for here my memorie faileth me on the one side and information on the other I meane concerning the placing of Foulenesse But to procéed After this and being entered into the Thames mouth I find no Iland of anie name except you accompt Rochford hundred for one whereof I haue no mind to intreat more than of Crowland Mersland Elie and the rest that are framed by the ouze Andredeseie in Trent so called of a church there dedicated to saint Andrew and Auon two noble riuers hereafter to be described sith I touch onelie those that are inuironed with the sea or salt water round about as we may see in the Canwaie Iles which some call marshes onelie and liken them to an ipocras bag some to a vice scrue or wide sléeue bicause they are verie small at the east end and large at west The salt rilles also that crosse the same doo so separat the one of them from the other that they resemble the slope course of the cutting part of a scrue or gimlet in verie perfect maner if a man doo imagine himselfe to looke downe from the top of the mast vpon them Betwéene these moreouer and the Leigh towne lieth another litle Ile or Holme whose name is to me vnknowne Certes I would haue gone to land and viewed these parcels as they laie or at the least haue sailed round about them by the whole hauen which may easilie be doone at an high water but for as much as a perrie of wind scarse comparable to the makerell gale whereof Iohn Anele of Calis one of the best seamen that England euer bred for his skill in the narow seas was woont to talke caught hold of our sailes caried vs forth the right waie toward London I could not tarie to sée what things were hereabouts Thus much therefore of our Ilands so much may well suffice where more cannot be had The description of the Thames and such riuers as fall into the same Cap. 11. HAuing as you haue séene attempted to set downe a full discourse of all the Ilands that are situat vpon the coast of Britaine and finding the successe not correspondent to mine intent it hath caused me somewhat to restreine my purpose in this description also of our riuers For whereas I intended at the first to haue written at large of the number situation names quantities townes villages castels mounteines fresh waters plashes or lakes salt waters and other commodities of the aforesaid Iles mine expectation of information from all parts of England was so deceiued in the end that I was fame at last onelie to leane to that which I knew my selfe either by reading or such other helpe as I had alreadie purchased and gotten of the same And euen so it happeneth in this my tractation of waters of whose heads courses length bredth depth of chanell for burden ebs flowings and falles I had thought to haue made a perfect description vnder the report also of an imagined course taken by them all But now for want of instruction which hath béene largelie promised slacklie perfourmed and other sudden and iniurious deniall of helpe voluntarilie offered without occasion giuen on my part I must needs content my selfe with such obseruations as I haue either obteined by mine owne experience or gathered from time to time out of other mens writings whereby the full discourse of the whole is vtterlie cut off and in steed of the same a mangled rehearsall of the residue set downe and left in memorie Wherefore I beséech your honour to pardon this imperfection and rudenesse of my labour which notwithstanding is not altogither in vaine sith my errors maie prooue a spurre vnto the better skilled either to correct or inlarge where occasion serueth or at the leastwise to take in hand a more absolute péece of worke as better direction shall incourage them thereto The entrance and beginning of euerie thing is the hardest and he that beginneth well hath atchiued halfe his purpose The ice my lord is broken and from hencefoorth it will be more easie for
riuer both in one chanell as experience hath confirmed From hence then our Hull goeth to to Ratseie to Goodale-house and then taking in a water from Hornesie mere it goeth on through Beuerleie medowes by Warron Stoneferrie Hull and finallie into the Humber Of the rill that falleth into this water from south Netherwijc by Skirlow and the two rilles that come from Cottingham and Woluerton I saie no more sith it is enough to name them in their order The description of the Humber or Isis and such water-courses as doo increase hir chanell Chap. 15. THere is no riuer called Humber from the hed Wherfore that which we now call Humber Ptolomie Abie Leland Aber as he gesseth hath the same denomination no higher than the confluence of Trent with the Ouze as beside Leland sundrie ancient writers haue noted before vs both Certes it is a noble arme of the sea and although it be properlie to be called Ouze or Ocellus euen to the Nuke beneath Ancolme yet are we contented to call it Humber of Humbrus or Umar a king of the Scithians who inuaded this I le in the time of Locrinus thinking to make himselfe monarch of the same But as God hath from time to time singularlie prouided for the benefit of Britaine so in this businesse it came to passe that Humber was put to flight his men slaine and furthermore whilest he attempted to saue himselfe by hasting to his ships such was the prease of his nobilitie that followed him into his owne vessell and the rage of weather which hastened on his fatall daie that both he and they were drowned togither in that arme And this is the onelie cause wherefore it hath béene called Humber as our writers saie and wherof I find these verses Dum fugit obstat ei flumen submergitur illic Déque suo tribuit nomine nomen aquae This riuer in old time parted Lhoegres or England from Albania which was the portion of Albanactus the yongest sonne of Brute But since that time the limits of Lhoegres haue béene so inlarged first by the prowesse of the Romans then by the conquests of the English that at this present daie the Twede on the one side the Solue on the other be taken for the principall bounds betweene vs and those of Scotland In describing therefore the Humber I must néeds begin with the Ouze whose water bringeth foorth a verie sweet fat and delicat samon as I haue beene informed beside sundrie other kinds of fish which we want here on the south and southwest coasts riuers of our land whereof I may take occasion to speake more at large heerafter The Ure therfore riseth in the furthest parts of all Richmondshire among the Coterine hilles in a mosse toward the west fourtéene miles beyond Midleham Being therefore issued out of the ground it goeth to Holbecke Hardraw Hawshouse Butterside Askebridge which Leland calleth the Askaran and saith thereof and the Bainham that they are but obscure bridges then to Askarth through Wanlesse parke Wenseleie bridge made two hundred yeares since by Alwin parson of Winslaw New parke Spennithorne Danbie Geruise abbeie Clifton and Masham When it is come to Masham it receiueth the Burne by south west as it did the Wile from verie déepe scarrie rockes before at Askaran and diuerse other wild rilles not worthie to be remembred From Masham it hasteth vnto Tanfield taking in by the waie a rill by southwest then to another Tanfield to Newton hall and Northbridge at the hither end of Rippon and so to Huickes bridge But yer it come there it meeteth with the Skell which being incorporat with the same they run as one to Thorpe then to Alborow and soone after receiue the Swale Here saith Leland I am brought into no little streict what to coniecture of the méeting of Isis and Ure for some saie that the Isis and the Ure doo méet at Borowbridge which to me dooth séeme to be verie vnlikelie sith Isurium taketh his denomination of Isis and Vro for it is often séene that the lesse riuers doo mingle their names with the greater as in the Thamesis and other is easie to be found Neither is there any more mention of the Ure after his passage vnder Borowbridge but onelie of Isis or the Ouze in these daies although in old time it held vnto Yorke it selfe which of the Ure is truelie called Urewtjc or Yorke short or else my persuasion dooth faile me I haue red also Ewerwtjc and Yorwtjc But to procéed and leaue this superfluous discourse From Borowbridge the Ouze goeth to Aldborough and receiuing the Swale by the waie to Aldworke taking in Usburne water from the southwest then to Linton vpon Ouze to Newton vpon Ouze and to Munketun méeting with the Nid yer long and so going withall to the Redhouses to Popleton Clifton Yorke where it crosseth the Fosse to Foulfoorth Middlethorpe Acaster Acaster Kelfléet Welehall Barelebie Selbie Turmonhall Skurthall Hokelath Hoke Sandhall Rednesse Whitegift Uslet Blacketoff Foxfléet Brownfléet and so into Humber The course of the Ouze being thus described and as it were simplie without his influences now will I touch such riuers as fall into the same also by themselues contrarie to my former proceeding imagining a voiage from the Rauenspurne vntill I come néere to the head of These so southwards about againe by the bottome of the hillie soile vntill I get to Buxston Sheffeld Scrobie the verie south point of Humber mouth whereby I shall crosse them all that are to be found in this walke leaue I doubt some especiall notice of their seuerall heads and courses The course of the Hull a streame abounding with sturgeon and lampreie as also the riuers which haue their issue into the same being as I say alreadie described I thinke it not amisse as by the waie to set downe what Leland saith thereof to the end that his trauell shall not altogither be lost in this behalfe and for that it is short and hath one or two things worthie to be remembred conteined in the same The Hulne saith he riseth of thrée seuerall heads whereof the greatest is not far from Oriefield now a small village sixtéene miles from Hull Certes it hath beene a goodlie towne and therein was the palace of Egbright king of the Northumbers and place of sepulture of Alfred the noble king sometime of that nation who died there 727 the ninetéene Cal. of Iulie the twentith of his reigne and whose toombe or monument dooth yet remaine for ought that I doo know to the contrarie with an inscription vpon the same written in Latine letters Néere vnto this towne also is the Danefield wherein great numbers of Danes were slaine and buried in those hils which yet remaine there to be séene ouer their dones and carcasses The second head saith he is at Estburne and the third at Emmeswell and méeting all togither not farre from Orifield
neither regarding either maners or obedience doo oftentimes come to confusion which if anie correction or discipline had béene vsed toward them in youth might haue prooued good members of their common-wealth countrie by their good seruice and industrie I could make report likewise of the naturall vices and vertues of all those that are borne within this Iland but as the full tractation herof craueth a better head than mine to set foorth the same so will I giue place to other men that list to take it in hand Thus much therefore of the constitutions of our bodies and so much may suffice How Britaine at the first grew to be diuided into three portions Cap. 21. AFter the comming of Brutus into this Iland which was as you haue read in the foresaid treatise about the yeare of the world 2850 or 1217 before the incarnation of Christ although Goropius after his maner doo vtterlie denie our historie in this behalfe he made a generall surueis of the whole Iland from side to side by such means to view and search out not onelie the limits and bounds of his dominions but also what commodities this new atchiued conquest might yéeld vnto his people Ferthermore finding out at the last also a conuenable place wherin to erect a citie he began there euen the verie same which at this daie is called London naming it Trenouanton in remembrance of old Troie from whence his ancestors proceeded and for which the Romans pronounced afterward Trinobantum although the Welshmen doo call it still Trenewith This citie was builded as some write much about the tenth yeare of his reigne so that he liued not aboue fiftéene yeares after he had finished the same But of the rest of his other acts attempted and doone before or after the erection of this citie I find no certeine report more than that when he had reigned in this Iland after his arriuall by the space of foure and twentie yeares he finished his daies at Trenouanton aforesaid being in his yoong and florishing age where his carcase was honourablie interred As for the maner of his death I find as yet no mention thereof among such writers as are extant I meane whether it grew vnto him by defect of nature or force of gréeuous wounds receiued in his warres against such as withstood him from time to time in this Iland and therefore I can saie nothing of that matter Herein onelie all agree that during the time of his languishing paines he made a disposition of his whole kingdome diuiding it into three parts or portions according to the number of his sonnes then liuing whereof the eldest excéeded not eight and twentie yeares of age as my coniecturs giueth me To the eldest therefore whose name was Locrine he gaue the greatest and best region of all the rest which of him to this daie is called Lhoegres among the Britons but in our language England of such English Saxons as made conquest of the same This portion also is included on the south with the British sea on the est with the Germane Ocean on the north with the Humber and on the west with the Irish sea and the riuers Dee and Sauerne whereof in the generall description of this Iland I haue spoken more at large To Camber his second sonne he assigned all that lieth beyond the Sauerne and Dee toward the west which parcell in these daies conteineth Southwales and Northwales with sundrie Ilands adiacent to the same the whole being in maner cut off and separated from England or Lhoegria by the said streams wherby it séemeth also a peninsula or by-land if you respect the small hillie portion of ground that lieth indifferentlie betweene their maine courses or such branches at the least as run and fall into them The Welshmen or Britons call it by the ancient name still vnto this day but we Englishmen terme it Wales which denomination we haue from the Saxons who in time past did vse the word Walsh in such sort as we doo Strange for as we call all those strangers that are not of our nation so did they name them Walsh which were not of their countrie The third and last part of the Iland he allotted vnto Albanact his yoongest sonne for he had but three ill all as I haue said before whose portion séemed for circuit to be more large than that of Camber and in maner equall in greatnesse with the dominions of Locrinus But if you haue regard to the seuerall commodities that are to be reaped by each you shall find them to be not much discrepant or differing one from another for what soeuer the first second haue in plentie of corne fine grasse and large cattell this latter wanteth not in excéeding store of fish rich mettall quarries of stone and abundance of wild foule so that in mine opinion there could not be a more equall partition then this made by Brute and after the aforesaid maner This later parcell at the first tooke the name of Albanactus who called it Albania But now a small portion onelie of the region being vnder the regiment of a duke reteineth the said denomination the rest being called Scotland of certeine Scots that came ouer from Ireland to inhabit in those quarters It is diuided from Lhoegres also by the Solue and the Firth yet some doo note the Humber so that Albania as Brute left it conteined all the north part of the Iland that is to be found beyond the aforesaid streame vnto the point of Cathnesse To conclude Brute hauing diuided his kingdome after this maner and therein contenting himselfe as it were with the generall title of the whole it was not long after yer he ended his life and being solemnelie interred at his new citie by his thrée children they parted each from other and tooke possession of their prouinces But Scotland after two yeares fell againe into the hands of Locrinus as to the chiefe lord by the death of his brother Albanact who was slaine by Humber king of the Scithians and left none issue behind him to succéed him in that kingdome After what maner the souereigntie of this I le dooth remaine to the princes of Lhoegres or kings of England Chap. 22. IT is possible that some of the Scotish nation reading the former chapter will take offense with me for meaning that the principalitie of the north parts of this I le hath alwais belonged to the kings of Lhoegres For whose more ample satisfaction in this behalfe I will here set downe a discourse thereof at large written by diuerse and now finallie brought into one treatise sufficient as I thinke to satisfie the reasonable although not halfe enough peraduenture to content a wrangling mind sith there is or at the leastwise hath beene nothing more odious among some than to heare that the king of England hath ought to doo in Scotland How their historiographers haue attempted to shape manie coloured
excuses to auoid so manifest a title all men may see that read their bookes indifferentlie wherevnto I referre them For my part there is little or nothing of mine herein more than onelie the collection and abridgement of a number of fragments togither wherein chéeflie I haue vsed the helpe of Nicholas Adams a lawier who wrote thereof of set purpose to king Edward the sixt as Leland did the like to king Henrie the eight Iohn Harding vnto Edward the fourth beside thrée other whereof the first dedicated his treatise to Henrie the fourth the second to Edward the third and the third to Edward the first as their writings yet extant doo abundantlie beare witnesse The title also that Leland giueth his booke which I haue had written with his owne hand beginneth in this maner These remembrances following are found in chronicles authorised remaining in diuerse monasteries both in England and Scotland by which it is euidentlie knowne and shewed that the kings of England haue had and now ought to haue the souereigntie ouer all Scotland with the homage and fealtie of the kings there reigning from time to time c. Herevnto you haue heard alreadie what diuision Brute made of this Iland not long before his death wherof ech of his children so soone as he was interred tooke seisure and possession Howbeit after two yeares it happened that Albanact was slaine wherevpon Locrinus and Camber raising their powers reuenged his death and finallie the said Locrinus made an entrance vpon Albania seized it into his owne hands as excheated wholie vnto himselfe without yéelding anie part thereof vnto his brother Camber who made no claime nor title vnto anie portion of the same Hereby then saith Adams it euidentlie appeareth that the entire seigniorie ouer Albania consisted in Locrinus according to which example like law among brethren euer since hath continued in preferring the eldest brother to the onelie benefit of the collaterall ascension from the youngest as well in Scotland as in England vnto this daie Ebranke the lineall heire from the bodie of this Locrine that is to saie the sonne of Mempris sonne of Madan sonne of the same Locrine builded in Albania the castell of Maidens now called Edenborough so called of Aldan somtime king of Scotland but at the first named Cair Minid Agnes 1. the castell on mount Agnes and the castell of virgins and the castell of Alcluith or Alclude now called Dunbriton as the Scotish Hector Boetius confesseth whereby it most euidentlie appeareth that our Ebranke was then thereof seized This Ebranke reigned in the said state ouer them a long time after whose death Albania as annexed to the empire of Britaine descended to the onelie king of Britons vntill the time of the two sisters sonnes Morgan and Conedage lineall heires from the said Ebranke who brotherlie at the first diuided the realme betwéen them so that Morgan had Lhoegres and Conedage had Albania But shortlie after Morgan the elder brother pondering in his head the loue of his brother with the affection to a kingdome excluded nature and gaue place to ambition and therevpon denouncing warre death miserablie ended his life as the reward of his vntruth whereby Conedage obteined the whole empire of all Britaine in which state he remained during his naturall life From him the same lineallie descended to the onelie king of Britons vntill and after the reigne of Gorbodian who had issue two sonnes Ferrex and Porrex This Porrex requiring like diuision of the land affirming the former partitions to be rather of law than fauor was by the hands of his elder brother best loued of queene mother both of his life and hoped kingdome beereaâ—ed at once Wherevpon their vnnaturall mother vsing hir naturall malice for the death of hir one sonne without regard of the loosing of both miserablie slue the other in his bed mistrusting no such treason Cloten by all writers as well Scotish as other was the next inheritour to the whole empire but lacking power the onelie meane in those daies to obteine right he was contented to diuide the same among foure of his kinsmen so that Scater had Albania But after the death of this Cloten his sonne Dunwallo Mulmutius made warre vpon these foure kings and at last overcame them and so recouered the whole dominion In token of which victorie he caused himselfe to be crowned with a crowne of gold the verie first of that mettall if anie at all were before in vse that was worne among the kings of this nation This Dunwallo erected temples wherein the people should assemble for praier to which temples he gaue benefit of sanctuarie He made the law for wager of battell in cases of murder and felonie whereby a théefe that liued and made his art of fighting should for his purgation fight with the true man whom he had robbed beléeuing assuredlie that the gods for then they supposed manie would by miracle assigne victorie to none but the innocent partie Certes the priuileges of this law and benefit of the latter as well in Scotland as in England be inioied to this daie few causes by late positiue laws among vs excepted wherin the benefit of wager of battell is restreined By which obedience to his lawes it dooth manifestlie appéere that this Dunwallo was then seized of Albania now called Scotland This Dunwallo reigned in this estate ouer them manie yeares Beline and Brenne the sonnes also of Dunwallo did after their fathers death fauourablie diuide the land betweene them so that Beline had Lhoegres Brenne had Albania but for that this Brenne a subiect without the consent of his elder brother and lord aduentured to marrie with the daughter of the king of Denmarke Beline seized Albania into his owne hands and thervpon caused the notable waies priuileged by Dunwallons lawes to be newlie wrought by mens hands which for the length extended from the further part of Cornewall vnto the sea by north Cathnesse in Scotland In like sort to and for the better maintenance of religion in those daies he constituted ministers called archflamines in sundrie places of this Iland who in their seuerall functions resembled the bishops of our times the one of which remained at Ebranke now called Yorke and the whole region Caerbrantonica whereof Ptolomie also speaketh but not without wresting of the name whose power extended to the vttermost bounds of Albania wherby likewise appeareth that it was then within his owne dominion After his death the whole Ile was inioied by the onelie kings of Britaine vntill the time of Uigenius Peridurus lineall heires from the said Beline who fauourablie made partition so that Uigenius had all the land from Humber by south and Peridurus from thence northwards all Albania c. This Uigenius died and Peridurus suruiued and thereby obteined the whole from whom the same quietlie descended and was by his posteritie accordinglie inioied vntill the reigne of Coell the first of that name In his time an obscure nation by most
Scotland which could not be now for anie earledome did homage to the sonne of Henrie the second with a reseruation of the dutie to king Henrie the second his father Also the earledome of Huntingdon was as ye haue heard before this forfeited by Malcolme his brother and neuer after restored to the crowne of Scotland This William did afterward attend vpon the same Henrie the second in his warres in Normandie against the French king notwithstanding their French league and then being licenced to depart home in the tenth of this prince and vpon the fiftéenth of Februarie he returned and vpon the sixtéenth of October did homage to him for the realme of Scotland In token also of his perpetuall subiection to the crowne of England he offered vp his cloake his faddle and his speare at the high altar in Yorke wherevpon he was permitted to depart home into Scotland where immediatlie he mooued cruell warre in Northumberland against the same king Henrie being as yet in Normandie But God tooke the defense of king Henries part and deliuered the same William king of Scots into the hands of a few Englishmen who brought him prisoner to king Henrie into Normandie in the twentith yeere of his reigne But at the last at the sute of Dauid his brother Richard bishop of saint Andrews and other bishops and lords he was put to this fine for the amendment of his trespasse to wit to paie ten thousand pounds sterling and to surrender all his title to the earldome of Huntingdon Cumberland Northumberland into the hands of king Henrie which he did in all things accordinglie sealing his charters thereof with the great seale of Scotland and signets of his nobilitie yet to be seene wherein it was also comprised that he and his successours should hold the realme of Scotland of the king of England and his successours for euer And herevpon he once againe did homage to the same king Henrie which now could not be for the earledome of Huntingdon the right whereof was alreadie by him surrendred And for the better assurance of this faith also the strengths of Berwike Edenborough Roxborough and Striueling were deliuered into the hands of our king Henrie of England which their owne writers confesse But Hector Boetius saith that this trespasse was amended by fine of twentie thousand pounds sterling and that the erledome of Huntingdon Cumberland and Northumberland were deliuered as morgage into the hands of king Henrie vntill other ten thousand pounds sterling should be to him paid which is so farre from truth as Hector was while he liued from well meaning to our countrie But if we grant that it is true yet prooueth he not that the monie was paid nor the land otherwise redéemed or euer after came to anie Scotish kings hands And thus it appeareth that the earledome of Huntingdon was neuer occasion of the homages of the Scotish kings to the kings of England either before this time or after This was doone 1175. Moreouer I read this note hereof gathered out of Robertus Montanus or Montensis that liued in those daies and was as I take it confessor to king Henrie The king of Scots dooth homage to king Henrie for the kingdome of Scotland and is sent home againe his bishops also did promise to doo the like to the archbishop of Yorke and to acknowledge themselues to be of his prouince and iurisdiction By vertue also of this composition the said Robert saith that Rex Angliae dabat honores episcopatus abbatias alias dignitates in Scotia vel saltem eius consilio dabantur that is The king of England gaue honors bishopriks abbatships and other dignities in Scotland or at the leastwise they were not giuen without his aduise and counsell At this time Alexander bishop of Rome supposed to haue generall iurisdiction ecclesiasticall through christendome established the whole cleargie of Scotland according to the old lawes vnder the iurisdiction of the archbishop of Yorke In the yeare of our Lord 1185 in the moneth of August at Cairleill Rouland Talmant lord of Galwaie did homage and fealtie to the said king Henrie with all that held of him In the two and twentith yeare of the reigne of king Henrie the second Gilbert sonne of Ferguse prince of Galwaie did homage and fealtie to the said king Henrie and left Dunecan his sonne in hostage for conseruation of his peace Richard surnamed Coeur de Lion because of his stoutnesse and sonne of this Henrie was next king of England to whome the same William king of Scots did homage at Canturburie for the whole kingdome of Scotland This king Richard was taken prisoner by the duke of Ostrich for whose redemption the whole realme was taxed at great summes of monie vnto the which this William king of Scots as a subiect was contributorie and paied two thousand markes sterling In the yeare of our Lord 1199 Iohn king of England sent to William king of Scots to come and doo his homage which William came to Lincolne in the moneth of December the same yeare and did his homage vpon an hill in the presence of Hubert archbishop of Canturburie and of all the people there assembled and therevnto tooke his oth and was sworne vpon the crosse of the said Hubert also he granted by his charter confirmed that he should haue the mariage of Alexander his sonne as his liegeman alwaies to hold of the king of England promising moreouer that he the said king William and his sonne Alexander should keepe and hold faith and allegiance to Henrie sonne of the said king Iohn as to their chiefe lord against all maner of men that might liue and die Also whereas William king of Scots had put Iohn bishop of saint Andrew out of his bishoprike pope Clement wrote to Henrie king of England that he should mooue and induce the same William and if néed required by his roiall power and prerogatiue ouer that nation to compell him to leaue his rancor against the said bishop and suffer him to haue and occupie his said bishoprike againe In the yeare of our Lord 1216 and fiue twentith of the reigne of Henrie sonne to king Iohn the same Henrie and the quéene were at Yorke at the feast of Christmasse for the solemnization of a marriage made in the feast of saint Stephan the martyr the same yeare betwéene Alexander king of Scots and Margaret the kings daughter and there the said Alexander did homage to Henrie king of England for all the realme of Scotland In buls of diuerse popes were admonitions giuen to the kings of Scots as appeareth by that of Gregorie the fift and Clement his successor that they should obserue and trulie kéepe all such appointments as had béene made betwéene the kings of England and Scotland And that the kings of Scotland should still hold the realme of Scotland of the kings of England vpon paine of cursse and interdiction After the death of Alexander king of Scots Alexander his sonne
epistles where he saith Modò mihi date Britanniam quam pingam coloribus tuis penicillo meo c. But sithence that was not performed and the treatise of Demetrius and other of the same argument are perished which were of some value let this trifle I beseech you not be reiected till some other man of better skill shall haue drawne a more absolute péece of workemanship wherevnto my vnskilfulnesse I hope shall prooue no hinderance Of the maruels of England Chap. 24. SUch as haue written of the woonders of our countrie in old time haue spoken no doubt of manie things which deserue no credit at all and therefore in séeking thankes of their posteritie by thier trauell in this behalfe they haue reaped the reward of iust reproch and in stéed of fame purchased vnto themselues nought else but méere discredit in their better and more learned treatises The like commonlie happeneth also to such as in respect of lucre doo publish vnprofitable and pernicious volumes wherby they doo consume their times in vaine and in manifold wise become preiudiciall vnto their common wealths For my part I will not touch anie man herein particularlie no not our Demetrius of whom Plutarch speaketh in his oracles if those bookes were written by him for some thinke that Plutarch neuer wrote them although Eusebius lib. 4. cap. 8. dooth acknowledge them to be his which Demetrius left sundrie treatises behind him conteining woonderfull things collected of our Iland But sith that in my time they are found to be false it should be far vnmeet to remember them anie more for who is he which will beléeue that infernall spirits can die and giue vp their ghosts like mortall men though Saxo séeme to consent vnto him in this behalfe In speaking also of the out Iles he saith thus Beyond Britaine are manie desolate Ilands whereof some are dedicated to the Gods some to the noble Heroes I sailed saith he by the helpe of the king vnto one that laie néere hand onelie to see and view the same in which I found few inhabitants and yet such as were there were reputed and taken for men of great pietie and holinesse During the time also that I remained in the same it was vexed with great storme and tempest which caused me not a little to doubt of my safe returne In the end demanding of the inhabitants what the cause should be of this so great and sudden mutation of the aire they answered that either some of the Gods or at the least of the Heroes were latelie deceased for as a candle said they hurteth none whilest it burneth but being stenderlie put out annoieth manie with the filthie sauour so these Gods whilest they liued were either not hurtfull or verie beneficiall to mankind but being once deceassed they so mooue the heauens and aire that much mischéefe dooth insue eftsoones vpon the same Being also inquisitiue of the state of other Iles not farre off they told him further how there was one hard by wherin Saturne being ouertaken with a dead sléepe was watched by Briarous as he laie which Saturne also had manie spirits attending vpon him in sundrie functions and offices By which reports it is easie to conceiue with what vaine stuffe that volume of Demetrius is interlaced But of such writers as we haue too too manie so among the said rable Geruase of Tilberie is not the least famous a man as it were euen sold to vtter matters of more admiration than credit to the world For what a tale telleth he in his De otio imperiali of Wandleburie hilles that lie within sight by south of Cambridge where the Uandals incamped sometime when they entered into this Iland and of a spirit that would of custome in a moone shine night if he were chalenged and called therevnto run at tilt and turneie in complet armor with anie knight or gentleman whomsoeuer in that place and how one Osbert of Barnewell hearing the report thereof armed himselfe and being well mounted rode thither alone with one esquier and called for him who foorthwith appeared in rich armour and answered his chalenge so that running togither verie fiercelie they met with such rigor that the answerer was ouerthrowne and borne downe to the ground After this they bickered on foot so long till Osbert ouercame and draue him to flight who departed leauing his horsse behind him which was of huge stature blacke as he saith of colour with his furniture of the same hue and wherevpon he seized giuing him vnto his page who caried him home and there kept him till it was néere daie during which space he was seene of manie But when the daie light began to shew it selfe somewhat cléere the beast stamped and snorted and foorthwith breaking his raine he ran awaie and was no more heard of to his knowledge in that countrie In the meane season Osbert being verie faint and waxing wearie for he was sore wounded in the thigh which either he knew not of or at the leastwise dissembled to know it caused his leg-harnesse or stéelebootes to be pulled off which his fréends saw to be full of bloud spilled in the voiage But let who so list beléeue it sith it is either a fable deuised or some diuelish illusion if anie such thing were doone And on mine owne behalfe hauing I hope the feare of God before my eies I purpose here to set downe no more than either I know my selfe to be true or am crediblie informed to be so by such godly men as to whom nothing is more deare than to speake the truth and not anie thing more odious than to discredit themselues by lieng In writing therefore of the woonders of England I find that there are foure notable things which for their rarenesse amongst the common sort are taken for the foure miracles and woonders of the land The first of these is a vehement and strong wind which issueth out of the hilles called the Peke so violent and strong that at certeine times if a man doo cast his cote or cloake into the caue from whence it issueth it driueth the same backe againe hoising it aloft into the open aire with great force and vehemencie Of this also Giraldus speaketh The second is the miraculous standing or rather hanging of certeine stones vpon the plaine of Salisburie whereof the place is called Stonehenge And to saie the truth they may well be woondered at not onelie for the manner of position whereby they become verie difficult to be numbred but also for their greatnesse strange maner of lieng of some of them one vpon another which séemeth to be with so tickle hold that few men go vnder them without feare of their present ruine How and when these stones were brought thither as yet I can not read howbeit it is most likelie that they were raised there by the Britons after the slaughter of their nobilitie at the deadlie banket which Hengist and his Saxons prouided for them where
of England 2 Of the number of bishoprikes and their seuerall circuits 3 Of vniuersities 4 Of the partition of England into shires and counties 5 Of degrees of people in the common-wealth of England 6 Of the food and diet of the English 7 Of their apparell and attire 8 Of the high court of parlement authoritie of the same 9 Of the lawes of England since hir first inhabitation 10 Of prouision made for the poore 11 Of fundrie kinds of punishment appointed for malefactors 12 Of the maner of building and furniture of our houses 13 Of cities and townes in England 14 Of castels and holds 15 Of palaces belonging to the prince 16 Of armour and munition 17 Of the nauie of England 18 Of faires and markets 19 Of parkes and warrens 20 Of gardens and orchards 21 Of waters generallie 22 Of woods and marishes 23 Of baths and hot welles 24 Of antiquities found 25 Of the coines of England Of the ancient and present estate of the church of England Chap. 1. THere are now two prouinces onelie in England of which the first and greatest is subiect to the sée of Canturburie comprehending a parte of Lhoegres whole Cambria also Ireland which in time past were seuerall brought into one by the archbishop of the said sée assistance of the pope who in respect of méed did yéeld vnto the ambitious desires of sundrie archbishops of Canturburie as I haue elsewhere declared The second prouince is vnder the sée of Yorke and of these either hath hir archbishop resident commonlie within hir owne limits who hath not onelie the cheefe dealing in matters apperteining to the hierarchie and iurisdiction of the church but also great authoritie in ciuill affaires touching the gouernement of the common wealth so far foorth as their commissions and seuerall circuits doo extend In old time there were thrée archbishops and so manie prouinces in this Ile of which one kept at London another at Yorke and the third at Caerlheon vpon Uske But as that of London was translated to Canturburie by Augustine and that of Yorke remaineth notwithstanding that the greatest part of his iurisdiction is now bereft him and giuen to the Scotish archbishop so that of Caerlheon is vtterlie extinguished and the gouernement of the countrie vnited to that of Canturburie in spirituall cases after it was once before remoued to S. Dauids in Wales by Dauid successor to Dubritius and vncle to king Arthur in the 519 of Grace to the end that he and his clearkes might be further off from the crueltie of the Saxons where it remained till the time of the Bastard and for a season after before it was annexed vnto the sée of Canturburie The archbishop of Canturburie is commonlie called primat of all England and in the coronations of the kings of this land and all other times wherein it shall please the prince to weare and put on his crowne his office is to set it vpon their heads They beare also the name of their high chapleins continuallie although not a few of them haue presumed in time past to be their equals and void of subiection vnto them That this is true it may easilie appéere by their owne acts yet kept in record beside their epistles answers written or in print wherein they haue sought not onelie to match but also to mate them with great rigor and more than open tyrannie Our aduersaries will peraduenture denie this absolutelie as they doo manie other things apparant though not without shamelesse impudencie or at the leastwise defend it as iust and not swaruing from common equitie bicause they imagine euerie archbishop to be the kings equall in his owne prouince But how well their dooing herein agreeth with the saieng of Peter examples of the primitiue church it may easilie appéere Some examples also of their demeanor I meane in the time of poperie I will not let to remember least they should saie I speake of malice and without all ground of likelihood Of their practises with meane persons I speake not neither will I begin at Dunstane the author of all their pride and presumption here in England But for somuch as the dealing of Robert the Norman against earle Goodwine is a rare historie and deserueth to be remembred I will touch it in this place protesting to deale withall in more faithfull maner than it hath heretofore beene deliuered vnto vs by the Norman writers or French English who of set purpose haue so defaced earle Goodwine that were it not for the testimonie of one or two méere Englishmen liuing in those daies it should be impossible for me or anie other at this present to declare the truth of that matter according to hir circumstances Marke therefore what I saie For the truth is that such Normans as came in with Emma in the time of Ethelred and Canutus and the Confessor did fall by sundrie means into such fauor with those princes that the gentlemen did grow to beare great rule in the court and their clearkes to be possessors of the best benefices in the land Hervpon therefore one Robert a iolie ambitious préest gat first to be bishop of London and after the death of Eadsius to be archbishop of Canturburie by the gift of king Edward leauing his former sée to William his countrieman Ulfo also a Norman was preferred to Lincolne and other to other places as the king did thinke conuenient These Norman clerkes and their freends being thus exalted it was not long yer they began to mocke abuse and despise the English and so much the more as they dailie saw themselues to increase in fauour with king Edward who also called diuerse of them to be of his secret councell which did not a litle incense the harts of the English against them A fraie also was made at Douer betwéene the seruants of earle Goodwine and the French whose maisters came ouer to see and salute the king whereof I haue spoken in my Chronologie which so inflamed the minds of the French cleargie and courtiers against the English nobilitie that each part sought for opportunitie of reuenge which yer long tooke hold betwéene them For the said Robert being called to be archbishop of Canturburie was no sooner in possession of his sée than he began to quarrell with earle Goodwine the kings father in law by the mariage of his daughter who also was readie to acquit his demeanor with like malice and so the mischiefe begun Herevpon therefore the archbishop charged the earle with the murther of Alfred the kings brother whom not he but Harald the sonne of Canutus and the Danes had cruellie made awaie For Alfred and his brother comming into the land with fiue and twentie saile vpon the death of Canutus and being landed the Normans that arriued with them giuing out how they came to recouer their right to wit the crowne of England therevnto the vnskilfull yoong gentlemen shewing themselues to like of the rumour that was
presence told him how he had doone he wist not what in preferring so vnméet a man vnto so high a calling With which speach the king was so offended that he commanded him out of hand to auoid out of his presence In like sort the ladie Wake then duchesse of Lancaster standing by and hearing the king hir cousine to gather vp the bishop so roundlie and thereto an old grudge against him for some other matter dooth presentlie picke a quarrell against him about certeine lands then in his possession which he defended in the end obteined against hir by plée and course of law yer long also afore hapned in a part of hir house for which she accused the bishop and in the end by verdict of twelue men found that he was priuie vnto the fact of his men in the said fact wherfore he was condemned in nine hundred pounds damages which he paid euerie penie Neuerthelesse being sore grieued that she had as he said wrested out such a verdict against him and therein packed vp a quest at hir owne choise he taketh his horsse goeth to the court and there complaineth to the king of his great iniurie receiued at hir hands But in the deliuerie of his tale his speech was so blockish termes so euill fauoredlie though maliciouslie placed that the king tooke yet more offense with him than before insomuch that he led him with him into the parlement house for then was that court holden and there before the lords accused him of no small misdemeanor toward his person by his rude and threatening speeches But the bishop egerlie denieth the kings obiections which he still auoucheth vpon his honor and in the end confirmeth his allegations by witnesse wherevpon he is banished from the kings presence during his naturall life by verdict of that house In the meane time the duchesse hearing what was doone she beginneth a new to be dealing with him and in a brabling fraie betweene their seruants one of hir men was slaine for which he was called before the magistrat as chiefe accessarie vnto the fact But he fearing the sequele of his third cause by his successe had in the two first hideth himselfe after he had sold all his moouables and committed the monie vnto his trustie friends And being found giltie by the inquest the king seizeth vpon his possessions and calleth vp the bishop to answer vnto the trespasse To be short vpon safe-conduct the bishop commeth to the kings presence where he denieth that he was accessarie to the fact either before at or after the deed committed and therevpon craueth to be tried by his péeres But this petition was in vaine for sentence passeth against him also by the kings owne mouth Wherevpon he craueth helpe of the archbishop of Canturburie and priuileges of the church hoping by such meanes to be solemnlie rescued But they fearing the kings displeasure who bare small fauour to the clergie of his time gaue ouer to vse anie such meanes but rather willed him to submit himselfe vnto the kings mercie which he refused standing vpon his innocencie from the first vnto the last Finallie growing into choler that the malice of a woman should so preuaile against him he writeth to Rome requiring that his case might be heard there as a place wherein greater iustice saith he is to be looked for than to be found in England Upon the perusall of these his letters also his accusers were called thither But for so much as they appéered not at their peremptorie times they were excommunicated Such of them also as died before their reconciliations were taken out of the churchyards and buried in the fields and doong-hilles Vnde timor turba saith my note in Anglia For the king inhibited the bringing in and receipt of all processes billes and whatsoeuer instruments should come from Rome such also as aduentured contrarie to this prohibition to bring them in were either dismembred of some ioint or hanged by the necks Which rage so incensed the pope that he wrote in verie vehement maner to the king of England threatening far greater cursses except he did the sooner staie the furie of the lady reconcile himself vnto the bishop and finallie making him amends for all his losses susteined in these broiles Long it was yer the king would be brought to peace Neuerthelesse in the end he wrote to Rome about a reconciliation to be had betwéene them but yer all things were concluded God himselfe did end the quarrell by taking awaie the bishop And thus much out of an old pamphlet in effect word for word but I haue somewhat framed the forme of the report after the order that Stephan Birchington dooth deliuer it who also hath the same in manner as I deliuer it The see of Norwich called in old time Episcopatus Donnicensis Dononiae or Eastanglorum was erected at Felstow or Felixstow where Felix of Burgundie sometime schoolemaster to Sigebert of the east-Angles by whose persuasion also the said Sigebert erected the vniuersitie at Cambridge being made bishop of the east-Angles first placed his sée afterward it was remooued from thence to Donwich thence to Helmham Anno 870 about the death of Celnothus of Canturburie thirdlie to Theodford or Thetford finallie after the time of the Bastard to Norwich For iurisdiction it conteineth in our daies Norffolke and Suffolke onelie whereas at the first it included Cambridgeshire also and so much as laie within the kingdome of the east-Angles It began about the yéere 632 vnder Cerpenwald king of the east-Saxons who bestowed it vpon Felix whome pope Honorius also confirmed and after which he held it by the space of seauenteene yéeres It paid sometimes at euerie alienation 5000 ducats to Rome But in my time hir maiestie hath 899 pounds 8 shillings 7 pence farthing as I haue been informed In the same iurisdiction also there were once 1563 parish churches and 88 religious houses but in our daies I can not heare of more churches than 1200 and yet of these I know one conuerted into a barne whilest the people heare seruice further off vpon a greene their bell also when I heard a sermon there preached in the gréene hanged in an oke for want of a stéeple But now I vnderstand that the oke likewise is gone There is neuerthelesse a litle chappellet hard by on that common but nothing capable of the multitude of Ashlie towne that should come to the same in such wise if they did repaire thither as they ought Peterborow sometimes a notable monasterie hath Northampton and Rutland shires vnder hir iurisdiction a diocesse erected also by king Henrie the eight It neuer paid first fruits to the pope before queene maries daies if it were then deliuered wherof I doubt because it was not recorded in his ancient register of tenths and fruits although peraduenture the collectors left it not vngathered I wot not for what purpose it yéeldeth now foure hundred and fiftie pounds one penie abated
learning or of good and vpright life as bishop Fox sometime noted who thought it sacrilege for a man to tarrie anie longer at Oxford than he had a desire to profit A man may if he will begin his studie with the law or physike of which this giueth wealth the other honor so soone as he commeth to the vniuersitie if his knowledge in the toongs and ripenesse of iudgement serue therefore which if he doo then his first degrée is bacheler of law or physicke and for the same he must performe such acts in his owne science as the bachelers or doctors of diuinitie doo for their parts the onelie sermons except which belong not to his calling Finallie this will I saie that the professors of either of those faculties come to such perfection in both vniuersities as the best students beyond the sea doo in their owne or else where One thing onlie I mislike in them and that is their vsuall going into Italie from whense verie few without speciall grace doo returne good men whatsoeuer they pretend of conference or practise chiefelie the physicians who vnder pretense of séeking of forreine simples doo oftentimes learne the framing of such compositions as were better vnknowen than practised as I haue heard oft alledged and therefore it is most true that doctor Turner said Italie is not to be séene without a guide that is without speciall grace giuen from God bicause of the licentious and corrupt behauiour of the people There is moreouer in euerie house a maister or prouost who hath vnder him a president certeine censors or deanes appointed to looke to the behauior and maners of the students there whom they punish verie seuerelié if they make anie default according to the quantitie and qualitie of their trespasses And these are the vsuall names of gouernours in Cambridge Howbeit in Oxford the heads of houses are now and then called presidents in respect of such bishops as are their visitors founders In ech of these also they haue one or moe thresurers whom they call Bursarios or Bursers beside other officers whose charge is to sée vnto the welfare and maintenance of these houses Ouer each vniuersitie also there is a seuerall chancelor whose offices are perpetuall howbeit their substitutes whom we call vicechancelors are changed euerie yeare as are also the proctors taskers maisters of the streates and other officers for the better maintenance of their policie and estate And thus much al this time of our two vniuersities in each of which I haue receiued such degree as they haue vouchsafed rather of their fauour than my desert to yeeld and bestow vpon me and vnto whose students I wish one thing the execution whereof cannot be preiudiciall to anie that meaneth well as I am resolutelie persuaded and the case now standeth in these our daies When anie benefice therefore becommeth void it were good that the patrone did signifie the vacation therof to the bishop and the bishop the act of the patrone to one of the vniuersities with request that the vicechancellor with his assistents might prouide some such able man to succeed in the place as should by their iudgement be méet to take the charge vpon him Certes if this order were taken then should the church be prouided of good pastors by whome God should be glorified the vniuersities better stored the simoniacall practises of a number of patrons vtterlie abolished and the people better trained to liue in obedience toward God and their prince which were an happie estate To these two also we may in like sort ad the third which is at London seruing onelie for such as studie the lawes of the realme where there are sundrie famous houses of which thrée are called by the name of Ins of the court the rest of the chancerie and all builded before time for the furtherance and commoditie of such as applie their minds to our common lawes Out of these also come manie scholers of great fame whereof the most part haue heretofore béene brought vp in one of the aforesaid vniuersities and prooue such commonlie as in processe of time rise vp onelie through their profound skill to great honor in the common-wealth of England They haue also degrées of learning among themselues and rules of discipline vnder which they liue most ciuilie in their houses albeit that the yoonger sort of them abroad in the streats are scarse able to be bridled by anie good order at all Certes this errour was woont also greatlie to reigne in Cambridge and Oxford â—etweene the students and the burgesses but as it is well left in these two places so in forreine counteies it cannot yet be suppressed Besides these vniuersities also there are great number of Grammer schooles through out the realme and those verie liberallie indued for the better reliefe of poore scholers so that there are not manie corporat townes now vnder the quéenes dominion that hain not one Gramar schoole at the least with a sufficient liuing for a maister and vsher appointed to the same There are in like maner diuerse collegiat churches as Windsor Wincester Eaton Westminster in which I was sometime an vnprofitable Grammarian vnder the reuerend father master Nowell now deane of Paules and in those a great number of poore scholers dailie mainteened by the liberalitie of the founders with meat bookes and apparell from whence after they haue béene well entered in the knowledge of the Latine and Gréeke toongs and rules of versifieng the triall whereof is made by certeine apposers yearelie appointed to examine them they are sent to certeine especiall houses in each vniuersitie where they are receiued the trained vp in the points of higher knowledge in their priuat hals till they be adiudged meet to shew their faces in the schooles as I haue said alreadie And thus much haue I thought good to note of our vniuersities and likewise of colleges in the same whose names I will also set downe here with those of their founders to the end the zeale which they bare vnto learning may appeare and their remembrance neuer perish from among the wise and learned Of the colleges in Cambridge with their founders Yeares of the foundations Colleges  Founders 1546 1 Trinitie college by King Henrie 8. 1441 2 The kings college K. Henrie 6. Edward 4. Henrie 7. and Henrie 8. 1511 3 S. Iohns L. Margaret grandmother to Henrie 8. 1505 4 Christes college K. Henrie 6. and the ladie Margaret aforesaid 1446 5 The queenes college Ladie Margaret wife to king Hentie 6. 1496 6 Iesus college Iohn Alcocke bishop of Elie. 1342 7 Bennet college The brethren of a popish guild called Corporis Christi 1343 8 Pembroke hall Maria de Valentia countesse of Pembroke 1256 9 Peter college Hugh Balsham bishop of Elie. 1348 1557 10 Gundeuill and Cauius college Edmund Gundeuill parson of Terrington and Iohn Caius doctor of physicke 1354 11 Trinitie hall William Bateman bishop of Norwich 1326 12
whereby they may be set on worke a man should not haue heard at one assise of more than two or thrée Nisi priùs but verie seldome of an atteinct wheras now an hundred more of the first and one or two of the later are verie often perceiued and some of them for a cause arising of six pence or tweluepence Which declareth that men are growen to be farre more contentious than they haue béene in time past and readier to reuenge their quarels of small importance whereof the lawiers complaine not But to my purpose from whence I haue now digressed Beside these officers afore mentioned there are sundrie other in euerie countie as crowners whose dutie is to inquire of such as come to their death by violence to attach present the plées of the crowne to make inquirie of treasure found c. There are diuerse also of the best learned of the law beside sundrie gentlemen where the number of lawiers will not suffice and whose reuenues doo amount to aboue twentie pounds by the yeare appointed by especiall commission from the prince to looke vnto the good gouernement of hir subiects in the counties where they dwell And of these the least skilfull in the law are of the peace the other both of the peace and quorum otherwise called of Oier and Determiner so that the first haue authoritie onelie to heare the other to heare and determine such matters as are brought vnto their presence These also doo direct their warrants to the kéepers of the gailes within their limitations for the safe kéeping of such offendors as they shall iudge worthie to commit vnto their custodie there to be kept vnder ward vntill the great assises to the end their causes may be further examined before the residue of the countie these officers were first deuised about the eightéene yeare of Edward the third as I haue béene informed They méeting also togither with the shiriffes doo hold their aforesaid sessions at foure times in the yeare whereof they are called quarter sessions and herein they inquire of sundrie trespasses and the common annoiances of the kings liege people and diuerse other things determining vpon them as iustice dooth require There are also a third kind of sessions holden by the high constables and bailiffes afore mentioned called petie sessions wherein the weights and measures are perused by the clarke of the market for the countie who sitteth with them At these méetings also vittellers and in like sort seruants labourers roges and tunnagates are often reformed for their excesses although the burning of vagabounds through their eare be referred to the quarter sessions or higher courts of assise where they are iudged either to death if they be taken the third time haue not since their second apprehension applied themselues to labour or else to be set perpetuallie to worke in an house erected in euerie shire for that purpose of which punishment they stand in greatest feare I might here deliuer a discourse of sundrie rare customes and courts surnamed barons yet mainteined and holden in England but for somuch as some of the first are beastlie and therefore by the lords of the soiles now liuing conuerted into monie being for the most part deuised in the beginning either by malicious or licentious women in méere contempt and slauish abuse of their tenants vnder pretense of some punishment due for their excesses I passe ouer to bring them vnto light as also the remembrance of sundrie courts baron likewise holden in strange maner yet none more absurd and far from law than are kept yearlie at Kings hill in Rochford and therfore may well be called a lawlesse court as most are that were deuised vpon such occasions This court is kept vpon wednesdaie insuing after Michaelmasse daie after midnight so that it is begun and ended before the rising of the sunne When the tenants also are altogither in an alehouse the steward secretlie stealeth from them with a lanterne vnder his cloke and goeth to the Kings hill where sitting on a mole-hill he calleth them with a verie soft voice writing their appéerance vpon a péece of paper with a cole hauing none other light than that which is inclosed in the lanterne so soone as the tenants also doo misse the steward they runne to the hill with all their might and there answer all at once Here here wherby they escape their amercements which they should not doo if he could haue called ouer his bill of names before they had missed him in the alehouse And this is the verie forme of the court deuised at the first as the voice goeth vpon a rebellion made by the tenants of the honour of Raibie against their lord in perpetuall memorie of their disobedience shewed I could beside this speake also of some other but sith one hath taken vpon him to collect a number of them into a particular treatise I thinke it sufficient for me to haue said so much of both And thus much haue I thought good to set downe generallie of the said counties and their maner of gouernance although not in so perfect order as the cause requireth bicause that of all the rest there is nothing wherewith I am lesse acquainted than with our temporall regiment which to saie truth smallie concerneth my calling What else is to be added after the seuerall shires of England with their ancient limits as they agreed with the diuision of the land in the time of Ptolomie and the Romans and commodities yet extant I reserue vnto that excellent treatise of my fréend W. Cambden who hath trauelled therein verie farre whose worke written in Latine shall in short time I hope he published to the no small benefit of such as will read and peruse the same Of degrees of people in the common-wealth of England Chap. 5. WE in England diuide our people commonlie into foure sorts as gentlemen citizens or burgesses yeomen which are artificers or laborers Of gentlemen the first and chéefe next the king be the prince dukes marquesses earls viscounts and barons and these are called gentlemen of the greater sort or as our common vsage of spéech is lords and noblemen and next vnto them be knights esquiers and last of all they that are simplie called gentlemen so that in effect our gentlemen are diuided into their conditions whereof in this chapiter I will make particular rehearsall The title of prince dooth peculiarlie belong with vs to the kings eldest sonne who is called prince of Wales and is the heire apparant to the crowne as in France the kings eldest sonne hath the title of Dolphine and is named peculiarlie Monsieur So that the prince is so termed of the Latine word Princeps sith he is as I may call him the cheefe or principall next the king The kings yoonger sonnes be but gentlemen by birth till they haue receiued creation or donation from their father of higher estate as to be either visconts earles or dukes
this kind of words or the like to the speaker as sir Thomas Smith dooth deliuer and set them downe whose onelie direction I vse and almost word for word in this chapter requiting him with the like borowage as he hath vsed toward me in his discourse of the sundrie degrées of estates in the common-wealth of England which as I hope shall be no discredit to his trauell Master speaker my lords of the vpper house haue passed amongst them and thinke good that there should be enacted by parlement such an act and such an act reading their titles in such sort as he receiued them they praie you therefore to consider shew your aduise vpon them Which doone they go their waie and the doore being shut after them the speaker declareth what message was sent vnto them and if they be then void of consultation vpon anie other bill he presentlie demandeth what their pleasures are first of one then of another c which are solemnelie read or their contents bréeflie shewed and then debated vpon among them The speaker sitteth in a chair erected somewhat higher than the rest that he may see and be séene of all men and before him on a lower seat sitteth his clerke who readeth such bils as be first propounded in the lower house or sent downe from the lords for in that point each house hath equall authoritie to propound what they thinke méet either for the abrogation of old or making of new lawes All bils be thrise and on diuerse daies read and disputed vpon before they come to the question which is whether they shall be enacted or not and in discourse vpon them verie good order is vsed in the lower house wherein he that will speake giueth notice thereof by standing vp bare headed If manie stand vp at once as now then it happeneth he speaketh first that was first seene to moue out of his place and telleth his tale vnto the speaker without rehersall of his name whose speches he meaneth to confute so that with a perpetuall oration not with altercation these discourses are continued But as the partie confuted may not replie on that daie so one man can not speake twise to one bill in one daie though he would change his opinion but on the next he may speake againe yet but once as afore No vile seditious vnreuerent or biting words are vsed in this assemblie yet if anie happen to escape and be vttered the partie is punished according to the censure of the assemblie and custome in that behalfe In the afternoone they sit not except vpon some vrgent occasion neither hath the speaker anie voice in that house wherewith to moue or dissuade the furtherance or staie of anie bill but his office is vpon the reading thereof breeflie to declare the contents If anie bill passe which commeth vnto them from the lords it is thus subscribed Le commons ont assentus so if the lords agree vpon anie bill sent vnto them from the commons it is subscribed after this maner Les seigniours ont assentus If it be not agreed on after thrise reading there is conference required and had betwéene the vpper and nether houses by certeine appointed for that purpose vpon the points in question wherevpon if no finall agréement by the more part can be obteined the bill is dashed and reiected or as the saieng is cleane cast out of the doores None of the nether house can giue his voice by proxie but in his owne person and after he bill twise read then ingrossed and the third time read againe discoursed vpon the speaker asketh if they will go to the question whervnto if they agree he holdeth vp the bill saith So manie as will haue this bill go forward saie Yea hervpon so manie as allow of the thing crie Yea the other No as the crie is more or lesse on either side so is the bill to staie or else go forward If the number of negatiue and affirmatiue voices seeme to be equall so manie as allow of the bill go downe withall the rest sit still and being told by the poll the greater par doo carrie away the matter If something be allowed and in some part reiected the bill is put to certeine committées to be amended then being brought in againe it is read and passeth or staieth as the voices yéeld therto This is the order of the passage of our lawes which are not ratified till both houses haue agréed vnto them and yet not holden for law till the prince haue giuen his assent Upon the last daie therfore of the parlement or session the prince commeth in person againe into the house in his robes as at the first Where after thanks giuen to the prince first in the name of the lords by the lord chancellor then in the name of the commons by the speaker for his great care of the welfare of his realme c the lord chancellor in the princes name giueth thanks to the lords commons likewise for their paines with promise of recompense as opportunitie occasion shall serue therefore This doone one readeth the title of euerie act passed in that session and then it is noted vpon them what the prince doth allow of with these words Le roy veult If the prince like not of them it is written vpon them Le roy aduisera And so those acts are dashed as the other from thenceforoth are taken and holden for law and all imprinted except such as concerne some priuat persons which are onelie exemplified vnder the seale of the parlement as priuileges to his vse And this is the summe of the maner after which our parlements in England are holden without which no forfaiture of life member or lands of anie Englishman where no law is ordeined for the same before hand is auailable or can take place amongst vs. And so much in maner out of the third chapiter of the second booke of the common-wealth of England written by sir Thomas Smith whervnto I will annex a table of the counties cities boroughs and ports which send knights burgesses and barons to the parlement house and dooth insue as followeth The names of counties cities boroughs and ports sending knights citizens burgesses and barons to the parlement of England Bedford KNights 2 The borough of Bedford 2 Buckingham Knights 2 The borough of Buckingham 2 The borough of Wickombe 2 The borough of Ailesburie 2 Barckeshire Knights 2 The borough of New Windsore 2 The borough of Reading 2 The borough of Wallingford 2 The borough of Abington 2 Cornewall Knights 2 The borough of Launceston aliàs Newport 2 The borough of Leskerd 2 The borough of Lostwithiell 2 The borough of Dunheuet 2 The borough of Truro 2 The borough of Bodmin 2 The borough of Helston 2 The borough of Saltash 2 The borough of Camelford 2 The borough of Portighsam aliàs Portlow 2 The borough of Graunpount The borough of Eastlow 2 The borough of
that gaue authoritie to the cleargie to punish whoredome who at that time found fault with the former lawes as being too seuere in this behalfe For before the time of the said Canutus the adulterer forfeited all his goods to the king and his bodie to be at his pleasure and the adulteresse was to lose hir eies or nose or both if the case were more than common whereby it appéereth of what estimation mariage was amongst them sith the breakers of that holie estate were so gréeuouslie rewarded But afterward the cleargie dealt more fauourablie with them shooting rather at the punishments of such priests and clearkes as were maried than the reformation of adulterie and fornication wherein you shall find no example that anie seueritie was shewed except vpon such laie men as had defiled their nuns As in theft therfore so in adulterie and whoredome I would wish the parties trespassant to be made bond or slaues vnto those that receiued the iniurie to sell and giue where they listed or to be condemned to the gallies for that punishment would proue more bitter to them than halfe an houres hanging or than standing in a shéet though the weather be neuer so cold Manslaughter in time past was punished by the pursse wherin the quantitie or qualitie of the punishment was rated after the state and calling of the partie killed so that one was valued sometime at 1200 another at 600 or 200 shillings And by an estatute made vnder Henrie the first a citizen of London at 100 whereof else-where I haue spoken more at large Such as kill themselues are buried in the field with a stake driuen through their bodies Witches are hanged or sometimes burned but théeues are hanged as I said before generallie on the gibbet or gallowes sauing in Halifax where they are beheaded after a strange maner and whereof I find this report There is and hath beene of ancient time a law or rather a custome at Halifax that who soeuer dooth commit anie fellonie and is taken with the same or confesse the fact vpon examination if it be valued by foure constables to amount to the sum of thirtéene pence halfe penie he is foorthwith beheaded vpon one of the next market daies which fall vsuallie vpon the tuesdaies thursdaies saturdaies or else vpon the same daie that he is so conuicted if market be then holden The engine wherewith the execution is doone is a square blocke of wood of the length of foure foot and an halfe which dooth ride vp and downe in a slot rabet or regall betwéene two péeces of timber that are framed and set vpright of fiue yardes in height In the neather end of the sliding blocke is an ax keied or fastened with an iron into the wood which being drawne vp to the top of the frame is there fastned by a woodden pin with a notch made into the same after the maner of a Samsons post vnto the middest of which pin also there is a long rope fastened that commeth downe among the people so that when the offendor hath made his confession and hath laid his necke ouer the neathermost blocke euerie man there present dooth either take hold of the rope or putteth foorth his arme so neere to the same as he can get in token that he is willing to sée true iustice executed and pulling out the pin in this maner the head blocke wherein the ax is fastened dooth fall downe with such a violence that if the necke of the transgressor were so big as that of a bull it should be cut in sunder at a stroke and roll from the bodie by an huge distance If it be so that the offendor be apprehended for an ox oxen shéepe kine horsse or anie such cattell the selfe beast or other of the same kind shall haue the end of the rope tied somewhere vnto them so that they being driuen doo draw out the pin wherby the offendor is executed Thus much of Halifax law which I set downe onelie to shew the custome of that countrie in this behalfe Roges and vagabonds are often stocked and whipped scolds are ducked vpon cuckingstooles in the water Such fellons as stand mute and speake not at their arraignement are pressed to death by huge weights laid vpon a boord that lieth ouer their brest and a sharpe stone vnder their backs and these commonlie hold their peace thereby to saue their goods vnto their wiues and children which if they were condemned should be confiscated to the prince Théeues that are saued by their bookes and cleargie for the first offense if they haue stollen nothing else but oxen sheepe monie or such like which be no open robberies as by the high waie side or assailing of anie mans house in the night without putting him in feare of his life or breaking vp of his wals or doores are burned in the left hand vpon the brawne of the thombe with an hot iron so that if they be apprehended againe that marke bewraieth them to haue beene arraigned of fellonie before whereby they are sure at that time to haue no mercie I doo not read that this custome of sauing by the booke is vsed anie where else than in England neither doo I find after much diligent inquirie what Saxon prince ordeined that lawe Howbeit this I generallie gather thereof that it was deuised to traine the inhabiters of this land to the loue of learning which before contemned letters and all good knowledge as men onelie giuing themselues to husbandrie and the warres the like whereof I read to haue beene amongst the Gothes and Uandals who for a time would not suffer euen their princes to be lerned for weakening of their courages nor anie learned men to remaine in the counsell house but by open proclamation would command them to auoid whensoeuer anie thing touching the state of the land was to be consulted vpon Pirats and robbers by sea are condemned in the court of the admeraltie and hanged on the shore at lowe water marke where they are left till three tides haue ouer washed them Finallie such as hauing wals and banks néere vnto the sea and doo suffer the same to decaie after conuenient admonition whereby the water entereth and drowneth vp the countrie are by a certeine ancient custome apprehended condemned and staked in the breach where they remaine for euer as parcell of the foundation of the new wall that is to be made vpon them as I haue heard reported And thus much in part of the administration of instice vsed in our countrie wherein notwithstanding that we doo not often heare of horrible merciles and wilfull murthers such I meane asiare not sildome séene in the countries of the maine yet now and then some manslaughter and bloudie robberies are perpetrated and committed contrarie to the lawes which be seuerelie punished and in such wise as I before reported Certes there is no greater mischéefe doone in England than by robberies the first by yoong shifting
soiles dispersed here and there each one vpon the seuerall grounds of their owners are builded in such sort generallie as that they haue neither dairie stable nor bruehouse annexed vnto them vnder the same roofe as in manie places beyond the sea some of the north parts of our countrie but all separate from the first and one of them from another And yet for all this they are not so farre distant in sunder but that the goodman lieng in his bed may lightlie heare what is doone in each of them with ease and call quicklie vnto his meinie if anie danger should attach him The ancient manours and houses of our gentlemen are yet and for the most part of strong timber in framing whereof our carpenters haue beene and are worthilie preferred before those of like science among all other nations Howbeit such as be latelie builded are cōmonlie either of bricke or hard stone or both their roomes large and comelie and houses of office further distant from their lodgings Those of the nobilitie are likewise wrought with bricke and hard stone as prouision may best be made but so magnificent and statelie as the basest house of a baron dooth often match in our daies with some honours of princes in old time So that if euer curious building did florish in England it is in these our yeares wherin our workemen excell and are in maner comparable in skill with old Vitruuius Leo Baptista and Serlo Neuerthelesse their estimation more than their gréedie and seruile couetousnesse ioined with a lingering humour causeth them often to be reiected strangers preferred to greater bargaines who are more reasonable in their takings and lesse wasters of time by a great deale than our owne The furniture of our houses also exceedeth and is growne in maner euen to passing delicacie and herein I doo not speake of the nobilitie and gentrie onelie but likewise of the lowest sort in most places of our south countrie that haue anie thing at all to take to Certes in noble mens houses it is not rare to sée abundance of Arras rich haugings of tapistrie siluer vessell and so much other plate as may furnish sundrie cupbords to the summe oftentimes of a thousand or two thousand pounds at the least whereby the value of this and the rest of their stuffe dooth grow to be almost inestimable Likewise in the houses of knights gentlemen merchantmen and some other wealthie citizens it is not geson to behold generallie their great prouision of tapistrie Turkie worke pewter brasse fine linen and thereto costlie cupbords of plate worth fiue or six hundred or a thousand pounds to be deemed by estimation But as herein all these sorts doo far excéed their elders and predecessors and in neatnesse and curiositie the merchant all other so in time past the costlie furniture staied there whereas now it is descended yet lower euen vnto the inferiour artificers and manie farmers who by vertue of their old and not of their new leases haue for the most part learned also to garnish their cupbords with plate their ioined beds with tapistrie and silke hangings and their tables with carpets fine naperie whereby the wealth of our countrie God be praised therefore and giue vs grace to imploie it well dooth infinitelie appeare Neither doo I speake this in reproch of anie man God is my iudge but to shew that I do reioise rather to sée how God hath blessed vs with his good gifts and whilest I behold how that in a time wherein all things are growne to most excessiue prices what commoditie so euer is to be had is dailie plucked from the communaltie by such as looke into euerie trade we doo yet find the means to obtein atchiue such furniture as heretofore hath beene vnpossible There are old men yet dwelling in the village where I remaine which haue noted three things to be maruellouslie altred in England within their sound remembrance other three things too too much increased One is the multitude of chimnies latelie exected wheras in their yoong daies there were not about two or thrée if so manie in most vplandish townes of the realme the religious houses manour places of their lords alwaies excepted and peraduenture some great personages but ech one made his fire against a reredosse in the hall where he dined and dressed his meat The second is the great although not generall amendment of lodging for said they our fathers yea and we our selues also haue lien full oft vpon straw pallets on rough mats couered onelie with a shéet vnder couerlets made of dagswain or hopharlots I vse their owne termes and a good round log vnder their heads in steed of a bolster or pillow If it were so that our fathers or the good man of the house had within seuen yeares after his mariage purchased a matteres or flockebed and thereto a sacke of chaffe to rest his head vpon he thought himselfe to be as well lodged as the lord of the towne that peraduenture laie seldome in a bed of downe or whole fethers so well were they contented and with such base kind of furniture which also is not verie much amended as yet in some parts of Bedfordshire and elsewhere further off from our southerne parts Pillowes said they were thought méet onelie for women in child-bed As for seruants if they had anie shéet aboue them it was well for seldome had they anie vnder their bodies to kéepe them from the pricking straws that ran oft through the canuas of the pallet and rased their hardened hides The third thing they tell of is the exchange of vessell as of treene platters into pewter and woodden spoones into siluer or tin For so common were all sorts of tréene stuffe in old time that a man should hardlie find foure péeces of pewter of which one was peraduenture a salt in a good farmers house and yet for all this frugalitie if it may so be iustly called they were scarse able to liue and paie their rents at their daies without selling of a cow or an horsse or more although they paid but foure pounds at the vttermost by the yeare Such also was their pouertie that if some one od farmer or husbandman had béene at the alehouse a thing greatlie vsed in those daies amongst six or seuen of his neighbours and there in a brauerie to shew what store he had did cast downe his pursse and therein a noble or six shillings in siluer vnto them for few such men then cared for gold bicause it was not so readie paiment and they were oft inforced to giue a penie for the exchange of an angell it was verie likelie that all the rest could not laie downe so much against it whereas in my time although peraduenture foure pounds of old rent be improued to fortie fiftie or an hundred pounds yet will the farmer as another palme or date trée thinke his gaines verie small toward the end of
their capacities and moulds It shall not be amisse therefore to begin at the nauie of Xerxes of which ech meane vessell as appéereth by Herodot was able to receiue two hundred and thirtie souldiers and some of them thrée hundred These were called triremes and were indéede gallies that had thrée rowes of ores on euerie side for the word Nauis is indifferentlie applied so well to the gallies as ship as to the conuersant in histories is easie to be found In old time also they had gallies of foure rowes fiue rowes six seauen eight nine twelue yea fifteene rowes of ores on a side iudge you then of what quantitie those vessels were Plinie lib. 7. noteth one Damasthenes to be the first maker of the gallies with two rowes called biremes Thucidides referreth the triremes to Ammocles of Corinthum the quadriremes were deuised by Aristotle of Carthage the quinquiremes by Nestchthon of Salamina the gallie of six rowes by Xenagoras of Syracusa from this to the tenth Nesigiton brought vp Alexander the great caused one to be made of twelue Ptolomeus Soter of fiftéene Demetrius the sonne of Antigonus of thirtie Ptolom Philad of fortie Ptol. Triphon of fiftie all which aboue foure were none other in mine opinion than vnweldie carts and more seruing for pleasure and to gaze vpon than anie vse in the wars for which they should be deuised But of all other I note one of fortie rowes which Ptolo. Philopater builded conteining 200 and eightie cubits in length and eight and fortie cubits in breadth it held also foure thousand ores foure hundred mariners and three thousand souldiers so that in the said vessell were seauen thousand and foure hundred persons a report incredible if truth and good testimonie did not confirme the same I must needs confesse therefore that the ancient vessels far exceeded ours for capacitie neuerthelesse if you regard the forme and the assurance from perill of the sea and therewithall the strength and nimblenesse of such as are made in our time you shall easilie find that ours are of more value than theirs for as the greatest vessell is not alwaies the safest so that of most huge capacitie is not alwaies the aptest to shift and brooke the seas as might be seene by the great Henrie the hugest vessell that euer England framed in our times Neither were the ships of old like vnto ours in mould and maner of building aboue the water for of low gallies in our seas we make small account nor so full of ease within sith time hath ingendred more skill in the wrights and brought all things to more perfection than they had in the beginning And now to come vnto our purpose at the first intended The nauie of England may be diuided into three sortes of which the one serueth for the warres the other for burden and the third for fishermen which get their liuing by fishing on the sea How manie of the first order are mainteined within the realme it passeth my cunning to expresse yet sith it may be parted into the nauie roiall and common fleete I thinke good to speake of those that belong vnto the prince and so much the rather for that their number is certeine well knowne to verie manie Certes there is no prince in Europe that hath a more beautifull or gallant sort of ships than the quéenes maiestie of England at this present and those generallie are of such exceeding force that two of them being well appointed and furnished as they ought will not let to encounter with thrée or foure of those of other countries and either bowge them or put them to flight if they may not bring them home Neither are the moulds of anie forren barkes so conuenientlie made to brooke so well one sea as another lieng vpon the shore in anie part of the continent as those of England And therefore the common report that strangers make of our ships amongst themselues is dailie confirmed to be true which is that for strength assurance nimblenesse and swiftnesse of sailing there are no vessels in the world to be compared with ours And all these are committed to the regiment and safe custodie of the admerall who is so called as some imagine of the Gréeke word Almiras a capiteine on the sea for so saith Zonaras in Basilio Macedone Basilio Porphyriogenito though other fetch it from Ad mare the Latine words another sort from Amyras the Saracen magistrate or from some French deriuation but these things are not for this place and therefore I passe them ouer The quéenes highnesse hath at this present which is the foure and twentith of hir reigne alreadie made and furnished to the number of foure or fiue and twentie great ships which lie for the most part in Gillingham rode beside thrée gallies of whose particular names and furnitures so far foorth as I can come by them it shall not be amisse to make report at this time The names of so manie ships belonging to hir maiestie as I could come by at this present The Bonaduenture Elizabeth Ionas White Beare Philip and Marie Triumph Bull. Tiger Antlope Hope Lion Victorie Marie Rose Foresight Swift sute Aid Handmaid Dread nought Swallow Genet Barke of Bullen Achates Falcon. George Reuenge It is said that as kings and princes haue in the yoong daies of the world and long since framed themselues to erect euerie yeare a citie in some one place or other of their kingdoms and no small woonder that Sardanapalus should begin finish two to wit Anchialus and Tharsus in one daie so hir grace dooth yearelie build one ship or other to the better defense of hir frontiers from the enimie But as of this report I haue no assured certeintie so it shall suffice to haue said so much of these things yet this I thinke worthie further to be added that if they should all be driuen to seruice at one instant which God forbid she should haue a power by sea of about nine or ten thousand men which were a notable companie beside the supplie of other vessels apperteining to hir subiects to furnish vp hir voiage Beside these hir grace hath other in hand also of whom hereafter as their turnes doo come about I will not let to leaue some further remembrance She hath likewise thrée notable gallies the Spéed well the Trie right and the Blacke gallie with the fight whereof and rest of the nauie roiall it is incredible to saie how greatlie hir grace is delighted and not without great cause I saie sith by their meanes hir coasts are kept in quiet and sundrie forren enimies put backe which otherwise would inuade vs. The number of those that serue for burden with the other whereof I haue made mention alreadie and whose vse is dailie séene as occasion serueth in time of the warres is to mée vtterlie vnknowne Yet if the report of one record be anie thing at all to be credited there are 135 ships that exceed 500 tun topmen vnder 100
to supplie those turnes with no lesse skill than their husbands which is an hard worke for the poore butcher sith he through this means can seldome be rich or wealthie by his trade In like sort the flesh of our oxen and kine is sold both by hand and by weight as the buier will but in yoong ware rather by weight especiallie for the stéere and heighfer sith the finer béefe is the lightest wheras the flesh of buls and old kine is of sadder substance and therefore much heauier as it lieth in the scale Their hornes also are knowne to be more faire and large in England than in anie other places except those which are to be séene among the Paeones which quantitie albeit that it be giuen to our bréed generallie by nature yet it is now and then helped also by art For when they be verie yoong manie grasiers will oftentimes annoint their budding hornes or tender tips with honie which mollifieth the naturall hardnesse of that substance and thereby maketh them to grow vnto a notable greatnesse Certes it is not strange in England to sée oxen whose hornes haue the length of a yard or thrée foot betweene the tips and they themselues thereto so tall as the heigth of a man of meane and indifferent stature is scarse equall vnto them Neuerthelesse it is much to be lamented that our generall bréed of catell is not better looked vnto for the greatest occupiers weane least store bicause they can buie them as they saie far better cheape than to raise and bring them vp In my time a cow hath risen from foure nobles to foure marks by this means which notwithstanding were no great price if they did yearelie bring foorth more than one calfe a péece as I heare they doo in other countries Our horsses moreouer are high and although not commonlie of such huge greatnesse as in other places of the maine yet if you respect the easinesse of their pase it is hard to saie where their like are to be had Our land dooth yéeld no asses and therefore we want the generation also of mules and somers and therefore the most part of our cariage is made by these which remaining stoned are either reserued for the cart or appointed to beare such burdens as are conuenient for them Our cart or plough horsses for we vse them indifferentlie are commonlie so strong that fiue or six of them at the most will draw thrée thousand weight of the greatest tale with ease for a long iourneie although it be not a load of common vsage which consisteth onelie of two thousand or fiftie foot of timber fortie bushels of white salt or six and thirtie of baie or fiue quarters of wheat experience dailie teacheth and I haue elsewhere remembred Such as are kept also for burden will carie foure hundred weight commonlie without anie hurt or hinderance This furthermore is to be noted that our princes and the nobilitie haue their cariage commonlie made by carts wherby it commeth to passe that when the quéenes maiestie dooth remooue from anie one place to another there are vsuallie 400 carewares which amount to the summe of 2400 horsses appointed out of the countries adioining whereby hir cariage is conueied safelie vnto the appointed place Hereby also the ancient vse of somers and sumpter horsses is in maner vtterlie relinquished which causeth the traines of our princes in their progresses to shew far lesse than those of the kings of other nations Such as serue for the saddle are commonlie gelded and now growne to be verie déere among vs especiallie if they be well coloured iustlie limmed and haue thereto an easie ambling pase For our countriemen séeking their ease in euerie corner where it is to be had delight verie much in these qualities but chieflie in their excellent pases which besides that it is in maner peculiar vnto horsses of our soile and not hurtfull to the rider or owner sitting on their backes it is moreouer verie pleasant and delectable in his eares in that the noise of their well proportioned pase dooth yéeld comfortable sound as he trauelleth by the waie Yet is there no greater deceipt vsed anie where than among our horssekeepers horssecorsers and hostelers for such is the subtill knauerie of a great sort of them without exception of anie of them be it spoken which deale for priuat gaine that an honest meaning man shall haue verie good lucke among them if he be not deceiued by some false tricke or other There are certeine notable markets wherein great plentie of horsses and colts is bought and sold and wherevnto such as haue néed resort yearelie to buie and make their necessarie prouision of them as Rippon Newport pond Wolfpit Harborow and diuerse other But as most drouers are verie diligent to bring great store of these vnto those places so manie of them are too too lewd in abusing such as buie them For they haue a custome to make them looke faire to the eie when they come within two daies iourneie of the market to driue them till they sweat for the space of eight or twelue houres which being doone they turne them all ouer the backs into some water where they stand for a season and then go forward with them to the place appointed where they make sale of their infected ware and such as by this meanes doo fall into manie diseases and maladies Of such outlandish horsses as are dailie brought ouer vnto vs I speake not as the genet of Spaine the courser of Naples the hobbie of Ireland the Flemish roile and Scotish nag bicause that further spéech of them commeth not within the compasse of this treatise and for whose breed and maintenance especiallie of the greatest sort king Henrie the eight erected a noble studderie and for a time had verie good successe with them till the officers waxing wearie procured a mixed brood of bastard races whereby his good purpose came to little effect Sir Nicholas Arnold of late hath bred the best horsses in England and written of the maner of their production would to God his compasse of ground were like to that of Pella in Syria wherin the king of that nation had vsuallie a studderie of 30000 mares and 300 stallions as Strabo dooth remember Lib. 16. But to leaue this let vs sée what may be said of sheepe Our shéepe are verie excellent sith for sweetnesse of flesh they passe all other And so much are our woolles to be preferred before those of Milesia and other places that if Iason had knowne the value of them that are bred and to be had in Britaine he would neuer haue gone to Colchis to looke for anie there For as Dionysius Alexandrinus saith in his De situ orbis it may by spinning be made comparable to the spiders web What fooles then are our countrimen in that they séeke to bereue themselues of this commoditie by practising dailie how to transfer the same to other nations in
carieng ouer their rams ewes to breed increase among them The first example hereof was giuen vnder Edward the fourth who not vnderstanding the botome of the sute of sundrie traitorous merchants that sought a present gaine with the perpetuall hinderance of their countrie licenced them to carie ouer certeine numbers of them into Spaine who hauing licence but for a few shipped veris manie a thing commonlie practised in other commodities also whereby the prince and hir land are not seldome times defrauded But such is our nature and so blind are we in déed that we sée no inconuenience before we féele it and for a present gaine we regard not what damage may insue to our posteritie Hereto some other man would ad also the desire that we haue to benefit other countries and to impech our owne And it is so sure as God liueth that euerie trifle which commeth from beyond the sea though it be not woorth thrée pence is more estéemed than a continuall commoditie at home with vs which far excéedeth that value In time past the vse of this commoditie consisted for the most part in cloth and woolsteds but now by meanes of strangers succoured here from domesticall persecution the same hath béene imploied vnto sundrie other vses as mockados baies vellures grograines c whereby the makers haue reaped no small commoditie It is furthermore to be noted for the low countries of Belgie know it and dailie experience notwithstanding the sharpenesse of our lawes to the contrarie dooth yet confirme it that although our rams weathers doo go thither from vs neuer so well headed according to their kind yet after they haue remained there a while they cast there their heads and from thencefoorth they remaine polled without any hornes at all Certes this kind of cattell is more cherished in England than standeth well with the commoditie of the commons or prosperitie of diuerse townes whereof some are wholie conuerted to their féeding yet such a profitable sweetnesse is their fléece such necessitie in their flesh and so great a benefit in the manuring of barren soile with their doong and pisse that their superfluous numbers are the better borne withall And there is neuer an husbandman for now I speake not of our great shéepemasters of whom some one man hath 20000 but hath more or lesse of this cattell séeding on his fallowes and short grounds which yéeld the siner fléece as Virgil following Varro well espied Georg. 3. where he saith Si tibi lanicium curae primùm aspera sylua Lappaequae tribulique absint fuge pabula laeta Neuerthelesse the sheepe of our countrie are often troubled with the rot as are our swine with the measels though neuer so generallie and manie men are now and then great losers by the same but after the calamitie is ouer if they can recouer and kéepe their new stocks sound for seauen yeares togither the former losse will easilie be recompensed with double commoditie Cardan writeth that our waters are hurtfull to our shéepe howbeit this is but his coniecture for we know that our shéepe are infected by going to the water and take the same as a sure and certeine token that a rot hath gotten hold of them their liuers and lights being alredie distempered through excessiue heat which inforceth them the rather to séeke vnto the water Certes there is no parcell of the maine wherin a man shall generallie find more fine and wholesome water than in England and therfore it is impossible that our shéepe should decaie by tasting of the same Wherfore the hinderance by rot is rather to be ascribed to the vnseasonablenes moisture of the weather in summer also their licking in of mildewes gossamire rowtie fogs ranke grasse full of superfluous iuice but speciallie I saie to ouer moist wether whereby the continuall raine pearsing into their hollow felles soketh foorthwith into their flesh which bringeth them to their baines Being also infected their first shew of sickenesse is their desire to drinke so that our waters are not vnto them Causa aegritudinis but Signum morbi what so euer Cardan doo mainteine to the contrarie There are peraduenture no small babes which are growne to be so good husbands that they can make account of euerie ten kine to be cléerelie woorth twentie pounds in coÌ„mon and indifferent yeares if the milke of fiue shéepe be dailie added to the same But as I wote not how true this surmise is bicause it is no part of my trade so I am sure hereof that some housewiues can and doo ad dailie a lesse proportion of ewes milke vnto the chéese of so manie kine whereby their cheese dooth the longer abide moist and eateth more brickle and mellow than otherwise it would Goats we haue pâ—ntie and of sundrie colours in the west parts of England especiallie in and towards Wales and amongst the rockie hilles by whome the owners doo reape no small aduantage some also are cherished elsewhere in diuerse stéeds for the benefit of such as are diseased with sundrie maladies vnto whom as I heare their milke chéese and bodies of their yoong kids are iudged verie profitable and therefore inquired for of manie farre and néere Certes I find among the writers that the milke of a goat is next in estimation to that of the woman for that it helpeth the stomach remooueth oppilations and stoppings of the liuer and looseth the bellie Some place also next vnto it the milke of the ew and thirdlie that of the cow But hereof I can shew no reason onelie this I know that ewes milke is fulsome sweet and such in tast as except such as are vsed vnto it no man will gladlie yéeld to liue and féed withall As for swine there is no place that hath greater store nor more wholesome in eating than are these here in England which neuerthelesse doo neuer anie good till they come to the table Of these some we eat greene for porke and other dried vp into bakon to haue it of more continuance Lard we make some though verie little because it is chargeable neither haue we such vse thereof as is to be séene in France and other countries sith we doo either bake our meat with swéet suet of beefe or mutton and bast all our meat with sweet or salt butter or suffer the fattest to bast it selfe by leisure In champaine countries they are kept by herds and an hogherd appointed to attend and wait vpon them who commonlie gathereth them togither by his noise and crie and leadeth them foorth to féed abroad in the fields In some places also women doo scowre and wet their cloths with their doong as other doo with hemlocks and netles but such is the sauor of the cloths touched withall that I cannot abide to weare them on my bodie more than such as are scowred with the reffuse sope than the which in mine opinion there is none more vnkindlie fauor Of our tame bores we make
wind and weather for his purpose got himselfe aboord with his people and returned into Gallia ¶ Thus writeth Cesar touching his first iournie made into Britaine But the British historie which Polydor calleth the new historie declareth that Cesar in a pitcht field was vanquished at the firt encounter and so withdrew backe into France Beda also writeth that Cesar comming into the countrie of Gallia where the people then called Morini inhabited which are at this day the same that inhabit the diocesse of Terwine from whence lieth the shortest passage ouer into Britaine now called England got togither 80 saile of great ships and row gallies wherewith he passed ouer into Britaine there at the first being wearied with sharpe and sore fight and after taken with a grieuous tempest he lost the greater part of his nauie with no small number of his souldiers and almost all his horssemen and therwith being returned into Gallia placed his souldiors in stéeds to soiourne there for the winter season Thus saith Bede The British historie moreouer maketh mention of thrée vnder-kings that aided Cassibellane in this first battell fought with Cesar as Cridiorus alias Ederus king of Albania now called Scotland Guitethus king of Uenedocia that is Northwales and Britaell king of Demetia at this day called Southwales The same historie also maketh mention of one Belinus that was generall of Cassibellanes armie and likewise of Nenius brother to Cassibellane who in fight happened to get Cesars swoord fastened in his shield by a blow which Cesar stroke at him Androgeus also and Tenancius were at the battell in aid iof Cassibellane But Nenius died within 15 daies after the battell of the hurt receiued at Cesars hand although after he was so hurt he slue Labienus one of the Romane tribunes all which may well be true sith Cesar either maketh the best of things for his owne honour or else coueting to write but commentaries maketh no account to declare the néedeles circumstances or anie more of the matter than the chiefe points of his dealing Againe the Scotish historiographers write that when it was first knowne to the Britains that Cesar would inuade them there came from Cassibellane king of Britaine an ambassador vnto Ederus king of Scots who in the name of king Cassibellane required aid against the common enimies the Romains which request was granted and 10 thousand Scots sent to the aid of Cassibellane At their comming to London they were most ioifullie receiued of Cassibellane who at the same time had knowledge that the Romans were come on land and had beaten such Britains backe as were appointed to resist their landing Wherevpon Cassibellane with all his whole puissance mightilie augmented not onlie with the succours of the Scots but also of the Picts which in that common cause had sent also of their people to aid the Britains set forward towards the place where he vnderstood the enimies to be At their first approch togither Cassibellane sent foorth his horssemen and charets called Esseda by the which he thought to disorder the araie of the enimies Twice they incountred togither with doubtfull victorie At length they ioined puissance against puissance and fought a verie sore and cruell battell till finally at the sudden comming of the Welshmen and Cornishmen so huge a noise was raised by the sound of bels hanging at their trappers and charets that the Romans astonied therewith were more easilie put to flight The Britains Scots and Picts following the chase without order or araie so that by reason the Romans kept themselues close togither the Britains Scots Picts did scarse so much harme to the enimies as they themselues receiued But yet they followed on still vpon the Romans till it was darke night Cesar after he had perceiued them once withdrawne did what he could to assemble his companies togither minding the next morning to séeke his reuenge of the former daies disaduantage But forsomuch as knowledge was giuen him that his ships by reason of a sore tempest were so beaten and rent that manie of them were past seruice he doubted least such newes would incourage his enimies and bring his people into despaire Wherfore he determined not to fight till time more conuenient sending all his wounded folks vnto the ships which he commanded to be newlie rigged and trimmed After this kéeping his armie for a time within the place where he was incamped without issuing foorth he shortlie drew to the sea side where his ships laie at anchor and there within a strong place fortified for the purpose he lodged his host and finallie without hope to atchieue anie other exploit auaileable for that time he tooke the sea with such ships as were apt for sailing and so repassed into Gallia leauing behind him all the spoile and baggage for want of vessels and leisure to conueie it ouer ¶ Thus haue the Scots in their chronicles framed the matter more to the conformitie of the Romane histories than according to the report of our British and English writers and therefore we haue thought good to shew it héere that the diuersitie of writers and their affections may the better appéere Of this sudden departing also or rather fléeing of Iulius Cesar out of Britaine Lucanus the poet maketh mention reciting the saieng of Pompeius in an oration made by him vnto this souldiers wherin he reprochfullie and disdainfullie reprooued the dooings of Cesar in Britaine saieng Territa quaesitis ostendit terga Britannis Caesar taketh a new occasion to make warre against the Britains he arriueth on the coast without resistance the number of his ships both armies incounter why Caesar forbad the Romans to pursue the discomfited Britains he repaireth his nauie the Britains choose Cassibellane their cheefe gouernour and skirmish afresh with their enimies but haue the repulse in the end The xiiij Chapter NOw will we returne to the sequele of the matter as Cesar himselfe reporteth After his comming into Gallia there were but two cities of all Britaine that sent ouer their hostages according to their couenant which gaue occasion to Cesar to picke a new quarrel against them which if it had wanted he would yet I doubt not haue found some other for his full meaning was to make a more full conquest of that I le Therefore purposing to passe againe thither as he that had a great desire to bring the Britains vnder the obedience of the Romane estate he caused a great number of ships to be prouided in the winter season and put in a readinesse so that against the next spring there were found to be readie rigged six hundred ships beside 28 gallies Héerevpon hauing taken order for the gouernance of Gallia in his absence about the beginning of the spring he came to the hauen of Calice whither according to order by him prescribed all his ships were come except 40 which by tempest were driuen backe and could not as yet come to him After he had staied at Calice
tuus ira tua à ciuitate ista de domo sancta tua quoniam peccauimus Alleluia That is to say We beseech thee ò Lord in all thy mercie that thy furie and wrath may be taken from this citie and from thy holie house for we haue sinned Praise be to thee ô Lord. After they were receiued into Canturburie they began to follow the trade of life which the apostles vsed in the primitiue church that is to say exercising themselues in continuall praier watching and preaching to as manie as they could despising all worldlie things as not belonging to them receiuing onelie of them whome they taught things necessarie for the sustenance of their life liuing in all points according to the doctrine which they set forth hauing their minds readie to suffer in patience all aduersities what so euer yea and death it selfe for the confirming of that which they now preached Herevpon manie of the English people beléeued and were baptised hauing in great reuerence the simplicitie of those men and the swéetenesse of their heauenlie doctrine There was a church néeree to the citie on the east part thereof dedicated to the honor of saint Martine and builded of old time whilest the Romans as yet inhabited Britaine in the which the quéene being as we haue said a christian vsed to make hir praiers To this church Austine and his fellowes at their first comming accustomed to resort and there to sing to praie to saie masse to preach and to baptise till at length the king being conuerted granted them licence to preach in euerie place and to build and restore churches where they thought good After that the king being persuaded by their doctrine good examples giuing and diuers miracles shewed was once baptised the people in great numbers began to giue eare vnto the preaching of the gospell and renouncing their heathenish beléefe became christians in so much that as Gregorie remembreth there were baptised ten thousand persons in one day being the feast of the natiuitie of our Sauiour 597 and the first indiction ¶ Some write how this should chance toward the latter end of Augustines daies after he was admitted to preach the gospell amongst them that inhabited about Yorke as some write which affirme that the said number of ten thousand was baptised in the riuer of Suale which as W. Harison saith cannot be verified because of the indiction and death of Gregorie But to procéed Religion is not to be inforced but perswaded and preached Augustine is made archbishop of England Gregorie informeth Augustine of certeine ordinances to be made and obserued in the new English church as the reuenewes of the church to be diuided into foure parts of liturgie of mariage of ecclesiasticall discipline and ordeining of bishops trifling questions obiected by Augustine to Gregorie fellow helpers are sent ouer to assist Augustine in his ministerie he receiueth his pall reformation must be doone by little and little not to glorie in miracles the effect of Gregories letters to K. Ethelbert after his conuersion to christianitie The xx Chapter KIng Ethelbert reioised at the conuersion of his people howbeit he would not force anie man to be baptised but onelie shewed by his behauiour that he fauored those that beléeued more than other as fellow citizens with him of the heauenlie kingdome for he learned of them that had instructed him in the faith that the obedience due to Christ ought not to be inforced but to come of good will Moreouer he prouided for Augustine and his fellowes a conuenient place for their habitation within the citie of Canturburie and further gaue them necessarie reuenewes in possession for their maintenance After that the faith of Christ was thus receiued of the English men Augustine went into France and there of the archbishop of Arles named Etherius was ordeined archbishop of the English nation according to the order prescribed by Gregorie before the departure of the said Augustine from Rome After his returne into Britaine he sent Laurence a priest and Péeter a moonke vnto Rome to giue knowledge vnto Gregorie the bishop how the Englishmen had receiued the faith and that he was ordeined archbishop of the land according to that he had commanded if the woorke prospered vnder his hand as it had doone He also required to haue Gregories aduice touching certeine ordinances to be made and obserued in the new church of England Wherevpon Gregorie sending backe the messengers wrote an answere vnto all his demands And first touching the conuersation of archbishops with the clergie and in what sort the church goods ought to be imploied he declared that the ancient custome of the apostolike see was to giue commandement vnto bishops ordeined that the profits and reuenewes of their benefices ought to be diuided into foure parts whereof the first should be appointed to the bishop and his familie for the maintenance of hospitalitie the second should be assigned to the clergie the third giuen to the poore and the fourth imploied vpon repairing of temples And whereas in the church of Rome one custome in saieng masse or the liturgie was obserued and another custome in France concerning such church seruice Gregorie aduised Austine that if he found anie thing either in the church of Rome either in the church of France or in anie other church which might most please the almightie God he should diligentlie choose it out and instruct the church of England now being new according to that forme which he should gather foorth of the said churches for the things are not loued for the places sake but the places for the things sake Also for punishing of such as had stolen things out of churches so néere as might be the offendor should be chastised in charitie so as he might know his fault and if it were possible restore the thing taken away And touching degrées in mariage Englishmen might take to their wiues women that touched them in the third and fourth degrée without reprehension and if any vnlawfull mariages were found amongst the Englishmen as if the sonne had maried the fathers wife or the brother the brothers wife they ought to be warned in anie wise to absteine and vnderstand it to be a gréeuous sinne yet should they not for that thing be depriued of the communion of the bodie and bloud of our Lord least those things might séeme to be punished in them wherein they had offended before their conuersion to the christian faith by ignorance for at this season the church saith he correcteth some things of a feruent earnestnesse suffreth some things of a gentle mildnes and dissembleth some things of a prudent consideration and so beareth and winketh at the same that oftentimes the euill which she abhorreth by such bearing and dissembling is restreined and reformed Moreouer touching the ordeining of bishops he would they should be so placed that the distance of place might not
be a let but that when a bishop should be consecrated there might be thrée or foure present Also touching the bishops of France he willed Augustine in no wise to intermeddle with them otherwise than by exhortation and good admonition to be giuen but not to presume anie thing by authoritie sith the archbishop of Arles had receiued the pall in times past whose authoritie he might not diminish least he should séeme to put his sickle into another mans haruest But as for the bishops of Britaine he committed them vnto him that the vnlearned might be taught the weake with wholesome persuasions strengthened and the froward by authoritie reformed Moreouer that a woman with child might be baptised and she that was deliuered after 33 daies of a manchild and after 46 daies of a woman-child should be purified but yet might she enter the church before if she would The residue of Augustines demands consisted in these points to wit 1 Within what space a child should be christened after it was borne for doubt to be preuented by death 2 Within what time a man might companie with his wife after she was brought to bed 3 Whether a woman hauing hir floures might enter the church or receiue the communion 4 Whether a man hauing had companie with his wife might enter the church or receiue the communion before he was washed with water 5 Whether after pollusion by night in dreames a man might receiue the communion or if he were a priest whether he might say masse To these questions Gregorie maketh answere at full in the booke and place before cited which for bréefenesse we passe ouer He sent also at that time with the messengers aforesaid at their returne into England diuers learned men to helpe Augustine in the haruest of the Lord. The names of the chiefest were these Melitus Iustus Paulinus and Ruffinianus He sent also the pall which is the ornament of an archbishop with vessels and apparell which should be vsed in churches by the archbishop and other ministers He sent also with the pall other letters to Augustine to let him vnderstand what number of bishops he would haue him to ordeine within this land Also after that Melitus and the other before mentioned persons were departed from Rome he sent a letter vnto the same Melitus being yet on his way toward Britaine touching further matter concerning the churches of England wherein he confesseth that manie things are permitted to be vsed of the people latelie brought from the errors of gentilitie in keeping feasts on the dedication daies which haue resemblance with the old superstitious rites of the Pagan religion For to hard and obstinate minds saith he it is not possible to cut away all things at once for he that coueteth to the highest place goeth vp by steps and not by leaps At the same time Gregorie did send letters vnto Augustine touching the miracles which by report he vnderstood were shewed by the fame Augustine counselling him in no wise to glorie in the same but rather in reioising to feare and consider that God gaue him the gift to worke such signes for the wealth of them to whom he was sent to preach the gospell he aduised him therefore to beware of vaine-glorie and presumption for the disciples of the truth faith he haue no ioy but onlie that which is common with all men of which there is no end for not euerie one that is elect worketh miracles but euerie of the elect haue their names written in heauen These letters with the other which Gregorie sent at this time vnto Augustine were dated the tenth day of the kalends of Iulie in the yéere of our Lord 602 which was the 19 yeere of the emperour Mauricius Moreouer he sent most courteous letters by these messengers to king Ethelbert in the which he greatlie commended him in that he had receiued the christian faith and exhorted him to continue in that most holie state of life whereby he might worthilie looke for reward at the hands of almightie God What reparations and foundations Augustine finished for clergimen to the supportation of the church the building of Paules in London and saint Peters in Westminster vncerteine a prouinciall councell called by Augustine he restoreth a blind man to his sight the Britains are hardlie weaned from their old custome of beliefe an heremits opinion of Augustine he requireth three things to be obserued of the Britains he ordeineth bishops at London and Rochester Sabert reigneth ouer the Eastsaxons Augustine dieth and is buried The xxj Chapter THus farre we haue waded in the forme and maner of conuerting the English nation to christianitie by the labours of Augustine and his coadiutors now therefore that we may orderlie procéed it remaineth that we say somewhat of the acts and déeds of the said Augustine of whom we read that after he was established archbishop and had his sée appointed him at Canturburie he restored another church in that citie which had béene erected there in times past by certeine of the Romans that were christians and did dedicate the same now to the honour of Christ our Sauiour He also began the foundation of a monasterie without that citie standing toward the east in the which by his exhortation king Ethelbert built a church euen from the ground which was dedicated vnto the holie apostles Peter and Paule in the which the bodie of the said Augustine was buried and likewise the bodies of all the archbishops of Canturburie and kings of Kent a long time after This abbie was called saint Austins after his name one Peter being the first abbat thereof The church there was not consecrated by Augustine but by his successor Laurence after he was dead Moreouer king Ethelbert at the motion of Augustine built a church in the citie of London which he latelie had conquered and dedicated it vnto saint Paule but whether he builded or restored this church of saint Paule it may be doubted for there be diuers opinions of the building thereof Some haue written that it was first builded by king Lud as before is mentioned Other againe write that it was builded afterward by Sigebert king of the Eastsaxons Also king Ethelbert builded the church of saint Andrews in Rochester It is likewise remembred by writers that the same king Ethelbert procured a citizens of London to build a church to S. Peter without the citie of London toward the west in a place then called Thorney that is to say the I le of thorns and now called Westminster though others haue written that it was built by Lucius king of Britaine or rather by Sibert king of the Eastsaxons This church was either newlie built or greatlie inlarged by king Edward surnamed the Confessor and after that the third Henrie king of England did make there a beautifull monasterie and verie richlie indowed the same with great possessions and sumptuous iewels The place was ouergrowne with vnderwoods
that king Edelferd had made slaughter of the Britains as before is rehearsed he entred the citie of Chester and from thence marched towards Bangor The Britains in the meane time had assembled their power vnder thrée capteins that is to say Blederike duke of Cornewall Margadud king of Southwales and Cadwane king of Northwales These ioining in battell with Edelferd flue 10066 of his souldiers and constreined him to flée out of the field for safegard of his life after he had receiued manie wounds On the part of the Britains the forsaid Blederike which was chiefe capteine of the field in that battell chanced to be slaine Thus saith Gal. Mon. But the ancient writers of the English kings as Beda William Malmesburie and Henrie Huntington make no mention of this last battell and victorie obteined by the Britains in maner as aboue is expressed in Galfrids booke But contrarilie we find that Edelferd hauing such good successe in his businesse abroad as he could wish vpon purpose to auoid danger at home banished Edwine the sonne of Alla or Elle a yoong gentleman of great towardnesse latelie come to the kingdome of the Northumbers by the death of his father But this Edwine in time of his exile being long tossed from place to place and finding no stedfast friendship now in time of his aduersitie at length came to Redwald that was king at that time of the Eastangles the third from Uffa and successor to Titullus which Titullus did succéed next after the said Uffa the first king of Eastangles as before is mentioned This Redwald did verie honourablie interteine Edwine insomuch that Edelferd being informed thereof was highlie displeased and sent ambassadors vnto Redwald to require him either to deliuer Edwine into his hands or else if he refused so to doo to declare and denounce vnto him open warres Redwald incouraged by his wife that counselled him in no wise to betraie his friend to whome he had giuen his faith for the menaces of his enimie assembled foorthwith an armie and at the sudden comming vpon Edelferd assaulted him yer he could haue time to assemble his people togither But yet the said Edelferd though he was beset and brought in danger at vnwares died not vnreuenged for putting himselfe in defense with such power as he could then get togither he boldlie incountred the enimies and giuing battell slue Remerius the sonne of Redwald and after was slaine himselfe hauing reigned ouer the Northumbers about 22 yéeres This battell was fought néere to the water of Idle The said Edelferd had issue by his wife Acca the daughter of Alla and sister to Edwine two sonnes Oswald being about two yéeres of age and Oswin about foure yéeres the which their father being thus slaine were by helpe of their gouernours conueied awaie into Scotland with all spéed that might be made Ceowlfe king of the Westsaxons after he had reigned the space of 12 yeeres departed this life who in his time had mainteined great warre against manie of his neighbours the which for briefenesse I passe ouer One great battell he fought against them of Sussex in which the armies on both sides susteined great damage but the greater losse fell to the South saxons Cinegiscus and his sonne Richelinus reigne iointlie ouer the Westsaxons they fight with the Britains the indeuour of Laurence archbishop of Canturburie in setting religion at large and seeking a vniformitie in catholike orders he and his fellow-bishops write to the cleargie of Britaine and Scotland for a reformation Melitus bishop of London goeth to Rome the cause why and what he brought at his returne from pope Boniface The xxiij Chapter AFter the foresaid Ceowlfe reigned Cinegiscus or Kingils which was the sonne of Ceola which was the sonne of Cutha or Cutwin which was the sonne of Kenricke which was the sonne of king Certicke In the fourth yéere of his reigne he receiued into fellowship with him in gouernance of the kingdome his sonne Richelinus or Onichelinus and so they reigned iointlie togither in great loue and concord a thing seldome séene or heard of They fought with the Britains at Beandune where at the first approch of the battels togither the Britains fled but too late for there died of them that were ouertaken 2062. In this meane time Laurence archbishop of Canturburie who succéeded next after Augustine admitted thereto by him in his life time as before is said did his iudeuour to augment and bring to perfection the church of England the foundation whereof was latelie laid by his predecessor the foresaid Augustine who studied not onelie for the increase of this new church which was gathered of the English people but also he was busie to imploie his pastorlike cure vpon the people that were of the old inhabitants of Britaine and likewise of the Scots that remained in Ireland For when he had learned that the Scots there in semblable wise as the Britains in their countrie led not their liues in manie points according to the ecclesiasticall rules aswell in obseruing the feast of Easter contrarie to the vse of the Romane church as in other things he wrote vnto those Scots letters exhortatorie requiring them most instantlie to an vnitie of catholike orders as might be agréeable with the church of Christ spred and dispersed through the world These letters were not written onelie in his owne name but iointlie togither in the name of the bishops Melitus and Iustus as followeth To our deare brethren the bishops and abbats through all Scotland Laurence Melitus and Iustus bishops the seruants of the seruants of God wish health WHereas the apostolike see according to hir maner had sent vs to preach vnto the heathen people in these west parts as otherwise throgh the world and that it chanced to vs to enter into this Ile which is called Britaine before we knew vnderstood the state of things we had in great reuerence both the Scots Britains which beleeued bicause as we tooke the matter they walked according to the custome of the vniuersall church but after we had knowledge of the Britains we iudged the Scots to be better But we haue learned by bishop Daganus comming into this I le and by Columbanus the abbat comming into France that the Scots nothing differ in their conuersation from the Britains for bishop Daganus comming vnto vs would neither eat with vs no nor yet come within the house where we did eat The said Laurence also with his fellow-bishops did write to the Britains other letters woorthie of his degree dooing what he could to confirme them in the vnitie of the Romane church but it profited litle as appeareth by that which Beda writeth About the same time Melitus the bishop of London went to Rome to common with pope Boniface for necessarie causes touching the church of England and was present at a synod holden by the same pope at that season for ordinances to
midst of his enimies weapons and was glad that he might so escape and so with the residue of his armie ceassed not to iournie day and night till he came to Bath where Ethelmere an earle of great power in those west parts of the realme submitted himselfe with all his people vnto him who shortlie after neuerthelesse as some write was compelled through want of vittels to release the tribute latelie couenanted to be paied vnto him for a certeine summe of monie which when hée had receiued he returned into Denmarke meaning shortlie to returne againe with a greater power King Egelred supposed that by the paiment of that monie he should haue béene rid out of all troubles of warre with the Danes But the nobles of the realme thought otherwise and therefore willed him to prepare an armie with all spéed that might be made Swaine taried not long to proue to doubt of the noble men to be grounded of foreknowledge but that with swift spéed he returned againe into England and immediatlie vpon his arriuall was an armie of Englishmen assembled and led against him into the field Herevpon they ioined in battell which was sore foughten for a time till at length by reason of diuerse Englishmen that turned to the enimies side the discomfiture fell with such slaughter vpon the English host that king Egelred well perceiued the state of his regall gouernement to bée brought into vtter danger Wherevpon after the losse of this field he assembled the rest of his people that were escaped and spake vnto them after this manner The oration of king Egelred to the remanent of his souldiers I Shuld for euer be put to silence it there wanted in vs the vertue of a fatherlie mind in giuing good aduise counsel for the well ordering and due administration of things in the common wealth or if their lacked courage or might in our souldiers and men of warre to defend our countrie Trulie to die in defense of the countrie where we are borne I confesse it a woorthie thing and I for my part am readie to take vpon me to enter into the midst of the enimies in defense of my kingdome But here I see our countrie and the whole English nation to be at a point to fall into vtter ruine We are ouercome of the Danes not with weapon or force of armes but with treason wrought by our owne people we did at the first prepare a nauie against the enimies the which that false traitour Elfrike betraid into their hands Againe oftentimes haue we giuen battell with euill successe and onelie through the fault of our owne people that haue beene false and disloiall whereby we haue bin constreined to agree with the enimies vpon dishonorable conditions euen as necessitie required which to ouercome resteth onelie in God Such kind of agreement hath beene made in deed in our destruction sith the enimies haue not sticked to breake it they being such a wicked king of people as neither regard God nor man contrarie to right and reason and beside all our hope expectation So that the matter is come now to this passe that we haue not cause onlie to feare the losse of our gouernement but least the name of the whole English nation be destroied for euer Therefore sithens the enimies are at hand and as it were ouer our heads you to whom my commandement hath euer bene had in good regard prouide take counsell and see to succor the state of your countrie now readie to decay and to fall into irrecouerable ruine Herevpon they fell in consultation euerie one alledging and bringing foorth his opinion as seemed to him best but it appeared they had the woolfe by the eare for they wist not which way to turne them If they should giue battell it was to be doubted least through treason among themselues the armie should be batraied into the enimies hands the which would not faile to execute all kind of crueltie in the slaughter of the whole nation And if they stood not valiantlie to shew themselues readie to defend their countrie there was no shift but yeeld themselues Which though it were a thing reprochfull and dishonorable yet should it be lesse euill as they tooke the matter for thereby might manie be preserued from death and in time to come be able to recouer the libertie of their countrie when occasion should be offered This point was allowed of them all and so in the end they rested vpon that resolution King Egelred therefore determined to commit himselfe into the hands of his brother in law Richard duke of Normandie whose sister as ye haue heard he had maried But bicause he would not doo this vnaduisedlie first he sent ouer his wife quéene Emma with his sonnes which he had begotten of hir Alfred and Edward that by their interteinment he might vnderstand how he should be welcome Duke Richard receiued his sister and his nephues verie ioifullie and promised to aid his brother king Egelred in defense of his kingdome But in this meane while had Swaine conquered the more part of all England and brought by little and little that which remained vnder his subiection The people through feare submitting themselues on each hand king Egelred in this meane time for the Londoners had submitted themselues to Swaine was first withdrawne vnto Gréenwich and there remained for a time with the nauie of the Danes which was vnder the gouernement of earle Turkill and from thence sailed into the I le of Wight and there remained a great part of the winter and finallie after Christmas himselfe sailed into Normandie and was of his brother in law ioifullie receiued greatlie comforted in that his time of necessitie Swaine king of Denmarke is reputed king of this land he oppresseth the English people cruellie and spoileth religious houses the strange and miraculous slaughter of Swaine vaunting of his victories the Danish chronicles write parciallie of him and his end Cnute succeedeth his father Swaine in regiment the Englishmen send king Egelred woord of Swaines death Edward king Egelreds eldest sonne commeth ouer into England to know the state of the countrie and people of certeintie Egelred with his power returneth into England what meanes Cnute made to establish himselfe king of this land and to be well thought of among the English people Egelred burneth vp Gainesbrough and killeth the inhabitants therof for their disloialtie Cnutes flight to Sandwich his cruel decree against the English pledges he returneth into Denmarke why Turkillus the Danish capteine with his power compounded with the Englishmen to tarrie in this land his faithlesse seruice to Egelred his drift to make the whole realme subiect to the Danish thraldome The seuenth Chapter SWaine hauing now got the whole rule of the land was reputed full king and so commanded that his armie should be prouided of wages and vittels to be taken vp leuied through the realme In like maner Turkill
vp vnto his legs and knees Wherewith the king started suddenlie vp and withdrew from it saieng withall to his nobles that were about him Behold you noble men you call me king which can not so much as staie by my commandement this small portion of water But know ye for certeine that there is no king but the father onelie of our Lord Iesus Christ with whome he reigneth at whose becke all things are gouerned Let vs therefore honor him let vs confesse and professe him to be the ruler of heauen earth and sea and besides him none other From thence he went to Winchester and there with his owne hands set his crowne vpon the head of the image of the crucifix which stood there in the church of the apostles Peter and Paule and from thenceforth he would neuer weare that crowne nor anie other Some write that he spake not the former words to the sea vpon anie presumptuousnesse of mind but onelie vpon occasion of the vaine title which in his commendation on of his gentlemen gaue him by way of flatterie as he rightlie tooke it for he called him the most mightiest king of all kings which ruled most at large both men sea and land Therefore to reprooue the fond flatterie of such vaine persons he deuised and practised the déed before mentioned thereby both to reprooue such flatterers and also that men might be admonished to consider the omnipotencie of almightie God He had issue by his wife quéene Emma a sonne named by the English chronicles Hardiknought but by the Danish writers Canute or Knute also a daughter named Gonilda that was after maried to Henrie the sonne of Conrad which also was afterwards emperour and named Henrie the third By his concubine Alwine that was daughter to Alselme whome some name earle of Hampton he had two bastard sonnes Harold and Sweno He was much giuen in his latter daies to vertue as he that considered how perfect felicitie rested onelie in godlines and true deuotion to serue the heauenlie king and gouernour of all things He repared in his time manie churches abbeies and houses of religion which by occasion of warres had béene fore defaced by him and his father but speciallie he did great cost vpon the abbeie of saint Edmund in the towne of Burie as partlie before is mentioned He also built two abbeies from the foundation as saint Benets in Norffolke seuen miles distant from Norwich and an other in Norwaie He did also build a church at Ashdone in Essex where he obteined the victorie of king Edmund and was present at the hallowing or consecration therof with a great multitude of the lords and nobles of the realme both English and Danes He also holpe with his owne hands to remooue the bodie of the holie archbishop Elphegus when the same was translated from London to Canturburie The roiall and most rich iewels which he his wife quéene Emma gaue vnto the church of Winchester might make the beholders to woonder at such their exceeding and bountifull munificence Thus did Cnute striue to reforme all such things as he and his ancestors had doone amisse and to wipe awaie the spot of euil dooing as suerlie to the outward sight of the world he did in deed he had the archbishop of Canturburie Achelnotus in singular reputation and vsed his counsell in matters of importance He also highlie fauoured Leofrike earle of Chester so that the same Leofrike bare great rule in ordering of things touching the state of the common wealth vnder him as one of his chiefe councellors Diuerse lawes and statutes he made for the gouernment fo the common wealth partlie agréeable with the lawes of king Edgar and other the kings that were his predecessors and partlie tempered according to his owne liking and as was thought to him most expedient among the which there be diuerse that concerne causes as well ecclesiasticall as temporall Whereby as maister Fox hath noted it maie be gathered that the gouernment of spirituall matters did depend then not vpon the bishop of Rome but rather apperteined vnto the lawfull authoritie of the temporall prince no lesse than matters and causes temporall But of these lawes statutes enacted by king Cnute ye may read more as ye find them set foorth in the before remembred booke of maister Willliam Lambert which for briefenesse we héere omit Variance amongest the peeres of the realme about the roiall succession the kingdome is diuided betwixt Harold the bastard sonne and Hardicnute the lawfullie begotten son of king Cnute late deceassed Harold hath the totall regiment the authoritie of earle Goodwine gardian to the queenes sonnes Harold is proclaimed king why Elnothus did stoutlie refuse to consecrate him why Harold was surnamed Harefoot he is supposed to be a shoomakers sonne and how it came to passe that he was counted king Cnutes bastard Alfred challengeth the crowne from Harold Goodwine vnder colour of friendlie interteinment procureth his retinues vtter vndooing a tithing of the Normans by the poll whether Alfred was interessed in the crowne the trecherous letter of Harold written in the name of queene Emma to hir two sons in Normandie wherevpon Alfred commeth ouer into England the vnfaithfull dealing of Goodwine with Alfred and his people teaching that in trust is treason a reseruation of euerie tenth norman the remanent slaine the lamentable end of Alfred and with what torments he was put to death Harold banisheth queene Emma out of England he degenerateth from his father the short time of his reigne his death and buriall The xiiij Chapter AFter that Cnute was departed this life there arose much variance amongst the peeres and great lords of the realme about the succession The Danes and Londoners which through continuall familiaritie with the Danes were become like vnto them elected Harold the base sonne of king Cnute to succéed in his fathers roome hauing earle Leofrike and diuerse other of the noble men of the north parts on their side But other of the Englishmen and namelie earle Goodwine earle of Kent with the chiefest lords of the west parts coueted rather to haue one of king Egelreds sonnes which were in Normandie or else Hardicnute the sonne of king Cnute by his wife quéene Emma which remained in Denmarke aduanced to the place This controuersie held in such wise that the realme was diuided as some write by lot betwixt the two brethren Harold and Hardicnute The north part as Mercia and Northumberland fell to Harold and the south part vnto Hardicnute but at length the whole remained vnto Harold bicause his brother Hardicnute refused to come out of Denmarke to take the gouernment vpon him But yet the authoritie of earle Goodwine who had the queene and the treasure of the realme in his kéeping staied the matter a certeine time professing himselfe as it were gardian to the yoong men the sonnes of the quéene
a triple habergion guilt on their bodies with guilt burgenets on their heads a swoord with guilt hilts girded to their waâ—â—es a battell are after the maner of the Daues on the left shoulder a target with bosses and mails guilt in their left hand a dart in their right hand and thus to conclude they were furnished at all points with armor and weapon accordinglie It hath beene said that earle Goodwine minded to marie his daughter to one of these brethren and perceiuing that the elder brother Alfred would disdaine to haue hir thought good to dispatch him that the other taking hir to wife hée might be next heire to the crowne and so at length inioy it as afterwards came to passe Also about that time when the linage of the kings of England was in maner extinct the English people were much carefull as hath béene said about the succession of those that should inioie the crowne Wherevpon as one Brightwold a moonke of Glastenburie that was afterward bishop of Wincester or as some haue written of Worcester studied oftentimes thereon it chanced that he dreamed one night as he slept in his bed that he saw saint Peter consecrate annoint Edward the sonne of Egelred as their remaining in exile in Normandie king of England And as he thought he did demand of saint Peter who should succéed the said Edward Wherevnto answer was made by the apostle Haue thou no care for such matters for the kingdome of England is Gods kingdome Which suerlie in good earnest may appeare by manie great arguments to be full true vnto such as shall well consider the state of this realme from time to time how there hath béene euer gouernours raised vp to mainteine the maiestie of the kingdome and to reduce the same to the former dignitie when by anie infortunate mishap it hath beene brought in danger But to returne now to king Hardicnute after he had reigned two yéeres lacking 10 daies as he sat at the table in a great feast holden at Lambeth he fell downe suddenlie with the pot in his hand and so died not without some suspicion of poison This chanced on the 8 of Iune at Lambeth aforesaid where on the same day a mariage was solemnized betwéene the ladie Githa the daughter of a noble man called Osgot Clappa and a Danish lord also called Canute Prudan His bodie was buried at Winchester besides his fathers He was of nature verie curteous gentle and liberall speciallie in keeping good chéere in his house so that he would haue his table couered foure times a day furnished with great plentie of meates and drinks wishing that his seruants and all strangers that came to his palace might rather leaue than want It hath béene commonlie told that Englishmen learned of him their excessiue gourmandizing vnmeasurable filling of their panches with meates and drinkes whereby they forgat the vertuous vse of sobrietie so much necessarie to all estates and degrées so profitable for all common-wealths and so commendable both in the sight of God and all good men In this Hardicnute ceased the rule of the Danes within this land with the persecution which they had executed against the English nation for the space of 250 yeres more that is to say euer since the tenth yeere of Brithrike the king of Westsaxons at what time they first began to inuade the English coasts Howbeit after others they should séeme to haue ruled here but 207 reckoning from their bringing in by the Welshmen in despite of the Saxons at which time they first began to inhabit here which was 835 of Christ 387 after the comming of the Saxons and 35 néere complet of the reigne of Egbert ¶ But to let this peece of curiositie passe this land felt that they had a time of arriuall a time of inuading a time of ouerrunning and a time of ouerrunling the inhabitants of this maine continent Wherof manifest proofes are at this day remaining in sundrie places sundrie ruines I meane and wastes committed by them vpon the which whensoeuer a man of a relenting spirit casteth his eie he can not but enter into a dolefull consideration of former miseries and lamenting the defacements of this I le by the crueltie of the bloudthirstie enimie cannot but wish if he haue but Minimam misericordiae guttam quae maiorest spatioso oceano as one saith and earnestlie desire in his heart that the like may neuer light vpon this land but may be auerted and turned away from all christian kingdomes through his mercie whose wrath by sinne being set on fire is like a consuming flame and the swoord of whose vengeance being sharpened with the whetstone of mens wickednesse shall hew them in péeces as wood for the fornace Thus farre the tumultuous and tyrannicall regiment of the Danes inferring fulnesse of afflictions to the English people wherewith likewise the seuenth booke is shut vp THE EIGHT BOOKE of the Historie of England Edward the third of that name is chosen king of England by a generall consent ambassadours are sent to attend him homewardes to his kingdome and to informe him of his election William duke of Normandie accompanieth him Edward is crowned king the subtill ambition or ambitious subtiltie of earle Goodwine in preferring Edward to the crowne and betraieng Alfred the Danes expelled and rid out of this land by decree whether earle Goodwine was guiltie of Alfreds death king Edward marieth the said earles daughter he forbeareth to haue carnall knowledge with hir and why he vseth his mother queene Emma verie hardlie accusations brought against hir she is dispossessed of hir goods and imprisoned for suffering bishop Alwine to haue the vse of hir bodie she purgeth and cleareth hir selfe after a strange sort hir couetousnesse mothers are taught by hir example to loue their children with equalitie hir liberall deuotion to Winchester church cleared hir from infamie of couetousnesse king Edward loued hir after hir purgation why Robert archbishop of Canturburie fled out of England into Normandie The first Chapter IMmediatlie vpon the deth of Hardiknought and before his corps was committed to buriall his halfe brother Edward sonne of king Egelred begotten of quéene Emma was chosen to be K. of England by the generall consent of all the nobles and commons of the realme Therevpon where ambassadours sent with all spéed into Normandie to signifie vnto him his election and to bring him from thence into England in deliuering pledges for more assurance that no fraud nor deceit was ment of the Englishmen but that vpon his comming thither he should receiue the crowne without all contradiction Edward then aided by his coosine William duke of Normandie tooke the sea with a small companie of Normans came into England where he was receiued with great ioy as king of the realme immediatlie after was crowned at Winâ—hester by Edsinus then archbishop of Canturburie on Easter day in the yeare of our Lord 1043
so at length by their diligent trauell the matter was taken vp and the armies being dismissed on both parts earle Goodwine was restored to his former dignitie Herevpon were pledges deliuered on his behalfe that is to say Wilnotus one of his sonnes and Hacun the sonne of Swanus the eldest sonne of Goodwine These two pledges were sent vnto William duke of Normandie to be kept with him for more assurance of Goodwines loialtie Some write that Swanus the eldest sonne of Goodwine was not reconciled to the kings fauour at this time but whether he was or not this is reported of him for a truth that after he had attempted sundrie rebellions against king Edward he lastlie also rebelled against his father Goodwine and his brother Harold and became a pirate dishonouring with such manifold robberies as he made on the seas the noble progenie whereof he was descended Finallie vpon remorse of conscience as hath béene thought for murthering of his coosine or as some say his brother erle Bearne he went on pilgrimage to Hierusalem and died by the way of cold which he caught in returning homeward as some write in Licia but others affirme that he fell into the hands of Saracens that were robbers by the high waies and so was murthered of them At what time William duke of Normandie came ouer into England king Edward promiseth to make him his heire to the kingdom and crowne the death of queene Emma earle Goodwine being growne in fauor againe seeketh new reuenges of old grudges causing archbishop Robert and certeine noble Normans his aduersaries to be banished Stigand intrudeth himselfe into archbishop Roberts see his simonie and lacke of learning what maner of men were thought meet to be made bishops in those daies king Edward beginneth to prouide for the good and prosperous state of his kingdome his consideration of lawes made in his predecessours times and abused the lawes of S. Edward vsuallie called the common lawes how whereof and wherevpon institured the death of earle Goodwine being sudden as some say or naturall as others report his vertues and vices his behauiour and his sonnes vpon presumption and will in the time of their authorities his two wiues and children the sudden and dreadfull death of his mother hir selling of the beautifull youth male and female of this land to the Danish people The fourth Chapter THe foresaide William duke of Normandie that after conquered this land during the time of Goodwines outlawrie 〈…〉 to this land with 〈…〉 of men and 〈…〉 receiued of the king 〈…〉 great chéere Now after he had taried a season hereturned into his countrie not without great gifts of iewels and other things which the king most liberallie bestowed vpon him And as some write the king promised him at that time to make him his heire to the realme of England if he chanced to die without issue ¶ Shortlie after or rather somewhat before queene Emma the kings mother died and was buried at Winchester After that earle Goodwine was restored to the kings fauour bicause he knew that Robert the archbishop of Canturburie had beene the chéefe procurer of the kings euill will towards him he found means to weare him out of credit and diuers other specially of the Normans bearing the world in hand that they had sought to trouble the state of the realme to set variance betwixt the king and the lords of the English nation whereas the Normans againe alledged that earle Goodwine and his sonnes abused the kings soft and gentle nature would not sticke to ieast and mocke at his curteous and mild procéedings But howsoeuer the matter went archbishop Robert was glad to depart out of the realme and going to Rome made complaint in the court there of the iniuries that were offred him but in returning through Normandie he died in the abbeie of Gemmeticum where he had bene moonke before his comming into England Diuerse others were compelled to forsake the realme at the same time both spirituall men and temporall as William bishop of London and Ulfe bishop of Lincolne Osberne named Pentecost and his companion Hugh were constreined to surrender their castels and by licence of earle Leosrike withdrew thorough his countrie into Scotland where of king Mackbeth they were honorablie receiued These were Normans for as partlie ye haue heard king Edward brought with him no small number of that nation when he came from thence to receiue the crowne and by them he was altogither ruled to the great offending of his owne naturall subiects the Englishmen namelie earle Goodwine and his sonnes who in those daies for their great possessions and large reuenues were had in no small reputation with the English people After that Robert the archbishop of Canturburie was departed the realme as before ye haue heard Stigand was made archbishop of Canturburie or rather thrust himselfe into that dignitie not being lawfullie called in like manner as he had doone at Winchester for whereas he was first bishop of Shireborne he left that church and tooke vpon him the bishoprike of Winchester by force and now atteining to be archbishop of Canturburie he kept both Winchester and Canturburie in his hand at one instant This Stigand was greatlie infamed for his couetous practises in sale of possessions apperteining to the church He was nothing learned but that want was a common fault amongest the bishops of that age for it was openlie spoken in those daies that he was méet onelie to be a bishop which could vse the pompe of the world voluptuous pleasures rich rament and set himselfe foorth with a iollie retinue of gentlemen and seruants on horssebacke for therein stood the countenance of a bishop as the world then went and not in studie how to haue the people fed with the word of life to the sauing of their soules King Edward now in the twelfth yeare of his reigne hauing brought the state of the realme quite from troubles of warre both by sea and land began to foresée as well for the welth of his subiects as for himselfe being naturallie inclined to wish well to all men He therefore considered how by the manifold lawes which had beene made by Britaines Englishmen and Danes within this land occasion was ministred to manie which measured all things by respect of their owne priuate gaine and profit to peruert iustice and to vse wrongfull dealing in stead of right clouding the same vnder some branch of the lawe naughtilie misconstrued Wherevpon to auoid that mischiefe he picked out a summe of that huge and vnmesurable masse and heape of lawes such as were thought most indifferent and necessarie therewith ordeined a few those most wholesome to be from thenceforth vsed according to whose prescript men might liue in due forme and rightfull order of a ciuill life These lawes were afterwards called the common lawes and also saint Edward his lawes so much esteemed of the
Ella Eastangles Offa à quo Offlingae Mertia Creodda Limits of Mertia Britannia prima Valentia Britannia secunda Flauia Caesariensis Maxima Caesariensis Samothes Sarron Samothei Semnothei Druiyus Corruptors of religion Caesar. Strabo li. 4. Socion lib. success Cicero diuinat 1. Plinius lib. 16. cap. vltimo Metempsuchôssis Oke honored whereon mistle did grow and so doo our sorcerers euen to this daie thinking some spirits to deale about y e same for hidden treasure Logike and Rhetorike out of Gallia Estimation of the Druiydes or Druiysh preests Immunitie of the cleargie greater vnder idolatrie than vnder the gospell Bardus Gen. 4. 21. The Bards degenerate Lucan li. 1. What doctrine Cham and his disciples taught Chemesenua Chem Min. Cham made a god Translation of mortall men into heauen how it began Cyril aduersus Iul. lib. 6. sect 8. Which were properlie called Saturni Ioues Iunones and Hercules Isis Io and Iuno all one Coelum or Coelus Ogyges Sol. Pater deorum * Tydea Terra Vesta Aretia Luna Deorum mater FroÌ„ whence Brute did learne his religion Dis or Samothes made a god Mela. Diodorus Strab. 4. Plin. Caesar. 5. Ptol. Lucensis Monstrous proportions of idols Theodoret. Sophronius Iosephus Philip. Freculphus To. 2. lib. 2. cap. 4. Nennius Nicephorus lib. 2. cap. 40. Isidorus lib. de vita obit dict patrum W. Malmes de antiq Glasconici monast Claudia Rufina a British ladie 2. Tim. 4. Li. 11. Epig. 54. Lib. 10. cap. 17. Taurinus * This is contrarie to the common talke of our Atheists who say Let vs liue here in wealth credit and authoritie vpon earth and let God take heauen and his religion to himselfe to doo withall what he listeth Lucius openeth his ears to good counsell as one desirous to serue God not prefer the world The purpose of Lucius opened vnto the congregation at Rome by Eleutherus A zealous prince maketh feruent subiects Faganus Dinauus Aaron Radulphus de la noir alias Niger 3. Cheefe Bishops in Britaine Theonus Theodosius London Yorke Caerlheon Britaine the first prouince that receiued the Gospell generallie Emerita neece vnto Lucius Lucius sendeth againe to Rome Ro. 8. ver 1 The wisedome of Eleutherus * â—hough most princes cannot heare 〈◊〉 that side Epistle of Eleutherus vnto Lucius Psal. 24. Psal. 45. Psal. 71. Here waâ—teth Psal. 55. Albane Amphibaâ—â—s Iulius Aaron Chlorus had three sons a daughter by Helena Lucion becommeth a christian Lucion a bishop Hermannus Schedelius Bruschius cap. 3. Festum Lucionis Iohn Bouchet Emerita martyred in Rhâ—â—ia Heresie and monastical life brought into Britaine at one time by Pelagius Bangor Anachorites Heremites Cyrillines Benedictines Monkes and Heremites onelie allowed of in Britaine The number of religious houses in England at their dissolution Roger Bakon his saieng of the preachers of his time who were the best lawyers and the worst Diuines More than 2100. monkes in the College or Abbaie of Bangor in whose territories the parish of Ouertoâ— standeth Niceph. lib. 11. cap. 34. Germanus Lupus Palladius Patricius Seâ—â—â—â— Sulpitiâ—s in vita Patrick Augustine the monke Augustine Monks of Canturburie plagued Meates Pictes Caledoniens Scotland conuerted to the faith of Christ. Paladius The first attempt of the bishop of Rome to bring Scotland vnder his obedience Fastidius bishop of London Paladius accompted for the apostle of the Scots 〈…〉 Henrie 8. Marie Nesiadae Insulae Scylurum Silcustrae Syllanae Sorlingae Sylley Hebrides Hebudes Meuaniae Orchades Hoo. Greane Shepey Elmesie Herresie Srureey Thanet * In Lincolneshire the word Hide or hideland was neuer in vse in old time as in other places but for Hide they vsed the word Carucate or â—artware or Teme and these were of no lesse compasse than an Hideland Ex Hugone le blanc Monacho Petrobâ—â—gensi Rutupium The last verse of one couple and first of an other Seolesey of Seles there taken Thorne Haling Port. Wight Guidh P. signifieth parsonages U. vicarages Brunt Keysy Portland Iardsey Gardesey Iardsey Horrible murther Gardsey S. Hilaries Cornet Serke Brehoc Gytho Herme Burhoo alià s the I le of rats Turkie conies Causes of the desolation of sundrie cities and townes Alderney Comment Brit. Iliad 6. Iliad 5. 7. Virgilius Aen. 12. Bruchsey Mount Iland S. Nicholas Iland Greefe Inis Prynin S. Michaels mount S. Clements I le Sylley Iles or Syl. S. Maries I le Agnus I le Annot. Minwisand Smithy sound Suartigan Rousuian Rousuiar Cregwin Moncarthat Inis Welseck Suethiall Rat Iland Anwall Brier Rusco Inis widdoÌ„ Round Iland S. Lides Notho Auing Tyan S. Martines Knolworth Sniuilliuer MenwethaÌ„ Vollis 1. Surwihe Vollis 2. Arthurs Ile Guiniliuer Nenech Gothrois Wild swine in Sylley Helenus Priamus Pendinas Barri Barri is a feight shot from the shore Dunwen Caldee Londy Schalmey Schoncold Limen or Ramsey Mawr Tudfall Penthlin Guelyn Anglesei cut from Wales by working of the sea Anglesei Holie head or Cair kiby Enilsnach holie I le Ancient buriall Adar Moil Rhomaid Ysterisd Adros Lygod Seriall Prestholme Credine Hilberie Eubonia Meuania Chronica Tinemuthi Tall men in Man Riuers Hilles Hauens Calfe of man The pile S. Michels Ile Sheepe Hogs Barnacles Barnacles neither fish nor flesh Bishop of Man Patrone of Man King of Man Wauay Fouldra Fola Roa Rauenglasse Iles in Scotland Hemodes of some called Acmodes sée Plinie Mela Martianus Capella Plutarch de defect orac Scarba Slate I le Ila Round I le Mula Iona. Regum tumuli The I le of Shrewes Mosse I le Skie Bar. Baptisme without preests Wild sheepe Tigers I le of Pigmeies Lewis called Thule by Tacitus with no better authoritie than the Angleseie Mona Tithe whales Suilscraie Colke foule Orchades If he speake all in truth Kirkwa Amber Lindesfarne or Holie Iland Farne Puffins Saint Cuthberts foules Little England Merseie Foulnesse Osithe Northeie Ramseie Reie Canwaie Thamesis Corinium Charwell Some write that the maine streame was brought thither which ranne before betweene Andredeseie and Culenham Pontium Saint Marie ouer Rhee Kenet Thetis Cole Brene Darwent Craie Salmons Carps a fish late brought into England and later into the Thames The iust distaÌ„ce betwéen one tide and another The streame oft checked in hir entrance into the land London bridge 2000 boates vpon the Thames and 3000 pooreineÌ„ mainteined by the same whose gaines come in most plentifullie in the tearme tune Isis. Couus Corinium Rhe. Amneie Colneius Colineus or Colunus Lecus or Leche Winrush Briwerus Comus Rolrich Euis Charwell Bure Culen Come Ocus Tudo Ornus Sotbrooke Souarus Sowar Burus Middest of England whereabouts Ocus Arun. Thame Blauius Cenethus Bedwiine Chalkeburne Lamburne Alburnus Lodâ—nus Ditis vadum Ikelus Elueius Ducus Erin Usâ— Higden Colus aliâ—s Uere and Uertume Gadus Uindeles Ueius Thuresbie Crawleie Abbinger Molis Brane Mariburne Bromis Lée Logus Marran Beane Sturus Alfred Rodon or Rodunus Lauer. Iuelus Darwent Craie Midwaie Frethus Theise Grane alià s Cranus Garunus Cranus Stoure Nailburne water also as I heare neer to Cantwarbirie but I
this daughter of duke William was departed this life before the comming of these ambassadors and that Harold therevpon thought himselfe discharged of the oth and couenants made to duke William and therefore sent them away with such an vntoward answer But howsoeuer it was after the departure of these ambassadors king Harold doubting what would insue caused his ships to be newlie rigged his men of warre to be mustered and spéedilie put in a readinesse to the end that if anie sudden inuasion should be made and attempted by his enimie he might be able to resist them ¶ About the same time also and vpon the 24 of Aprill whilest Harold was making prouision to withstand the Norman force there appeared a blasing starre which was séene not onelie here in England but also in other parts of the world and continued the space of seuen daies This blasing starre might be a prediction of mischéefe imminent hanging ouer Harolds head for they neuer appeare but as prognosticats of afterclaps To be resolutelie instructed herein doo but peruse a treatise intituled A doctrine generall of comets or blasing starres published by a bishop of Mentz in Latine and set foorth in English by Abraham Fleming vpon the apparition of a blasing starre séene in the southwest on the 10 of Nouember 1577 and dedicated to the right worshipfull sir William Cordell knight then maister of hir maiesties rolles c. Earle Tostie afflicteth his brother Harold on sea and land he taketh the repulse and persuadeth Harfager king of Norweâ—e to attempt the conquest of England against Harold Harfager Tostie with their powers arriue at Humber they fight with the Northumbers vnder the conduct of Edwine and Marchar and discomfit them Harold leuieth an armie against them the rare valiantnes of a Norwegian souldior Harfager and Tostie slaine in battell the Norwegians are foiled and flie Harolds vnequall and parciall diuiding of the spoile he goeth to Yorke to reforme things amisse The ninth Chapter WHilest Harold desirous to reteine and verie loth to let go his vsurped roialtie had crackt his credit with the duke of Normandie and by his lewd reuolting from voluntarie promises ratified with solemne othes had also kindled the fire of the dukes furie against him it came to passe that the proud and presumptuous man was to begin withall vexed in his owne flesh I meane his owne kinred For Tostie the brother of king Harold who in the daies of king Edward for his crueltie had béene chased out of the realme by the Northumbers returning out of Flanders assembled a nauie of ships from diuers parts to the number of 60 with the which he arriued in the I le of Wight there spoiled the countrie and afterward sailing about by the coasts of Kent he tooke sundrie preies their also and came at the last to Sandwich so that Harold was now constreined to appoint the nauie which he had prepared against the Normans to go against his brother earle Tostie Whereof the said Tostie being aduertised drew towards Lindsey in Lincolnshire and there taking land did much hurt in the countrie both with sword and fire till at length Edwine earle of Mercia and Marchar earle of Northumberland aided with the kings nauie chased him from thence and caused him to flie into Scotland not without some losse both of his men and ships This trouble was scarse quieted but streightwaies another came in the necke thereof farre more dangerous than the first For Tostie perceiuing that he could get no aid in Scotland to make anie account of sailed forth into Norweie and there persuaded Harold Harfager king of that realme to saile with an armie into England persuading him that by meanes of ciuill dissention latelie kindled betwixt the king and his lords which was not so it should be an easie matter for him to make a conquest of the whole realme and reigne ouer them as his predecessors had done before Some authors affirme that Harold king of Norwey tooke this enterprise in hand of his owne mind and not by procurement of Tostie saieng that Tostie méeting with him in Scotland did persuade him to go forward in his purposed busines and that the said Harold Harfager with all conuenient spéed passed foorth with a nauie of 300 saile entered into the riuer of Tine where after he had rested a few daies to refresh his people earle Tostie came also with his power according to an appointment which should be made betweene them They ad furthermore that they sailed forth alongst the coast till they arriued in the mouth of Humber then drawing vp against the streame of the riuer Owse they landed at length at a place called Richhall from whence they set forward to inuade the countrie néere vnto Yorke on the north-side of the citie they fought with the power of the Northumbers which was led by the earls Edwine and Marchar two brethren and there discomfited and chased them into the citie with great slaughter and bloudshed Harold king of England being aduertised of this chance made the more hast forward for he was alreadie in the field with his armie intending also to come towards his enimies so that vpon the fift day after he came to Stamford bridge finding there the said king Harfager and Tostie readie imbattelled he first assailed those that kept the bridge where as some writers affirme a Norwegian souldier with his axe defended the passage mauger the whole host of the Englishmen and slue fortie of them or more with his axe might not be ouercome till an Englishman went with a boat vnder the said bridge and through and hole thereof thrust him vp into the bodie with his speare yet Matt. West saith that he was slaine with a dart which one of king Harold his seruants threw at him so ended his life Which bridge being woone the whole host of the Englishmen passed ouer and ioined with their enimies and after a verie great and sore battell put them all to flight In this conflict Harold Harfager king of the Norwegians was slaine so was Tostie the king of England his brother besides a great number of other as well in the battell as in the chase neither did the Englishmen escape all frée for the Norwegians fought it out a long time verie stoutlie beating downe and killing great numbers of such as assailed them with great courage and assurance The residue of the Norwegians that were left to keepe their ships vnder the guiding of Olaue sonne to the king of Norwaie and Paule earle of Orkneie after they vnderstood by their fellowes that escaped from the field how the mater went with Harfager and Tostie they hoised vp their sailes and directed their course homewards bearing sorowfull newes with them into their countrie of the losse of their king and ouerthrow of all his people Some write that
the king of England permitted them franklie to depart with 20 ships hauing first caused them to deliuer such hostages as they had receiued of the citizens of Yorke Harold reioising in that he had atteined so glorious a victorie and being now surprised with pride and couetousnesse togither he diuided the spoile of the field nothing equallie but to such as he fauored he distributed liberallie and to other though they had much better deserued he gaue nothing at all reteining still the best part of all to himselfe by reason whereof he lost the fauor of manie of his men who for this his discourtesie did not a little alienate their good willes from him This doone he repaired to Yorke and there staied for a time to reforme the disordered state of the countrie which by reason of those warres was greatlie out of frame ¶ But Harold being more presumptuous and foole-hardie than prouident and wise in his enterprise bending all his force to redresse enormities in those quarters of Yorkeshire much like vnto him whom the Comediographer marketh for a foole Ea tantùm quae ad pedes iacent contemplans non autem ventura praeuidens neglected the kinglie care which he should haue had of other parts of his realme from the which he had withdrawen himselfe and as it is likelie had not left sufficientlie prouided of a conuenient vicegerent to gouerne the same by his warranted authoritie and such fortifications as might expell and withstand the enimie Which want of foresight gaue occasion to the enimie to attempt an inuasion of the English coasts as in the next chapt shall be shewed William duke of Normandie prepareth to inuade England and to conquere it the earle of Flanders and the French king assist him the number of his ships his arriuall at Peuensey in Sussex vpon what occasions he entred this realme the pope liked well duke Williams attempt why king Harold was hated of the whole court of Rome why duke William would not suffer his souldiers to wast the countries where they came Harold goeth towards his enimies why his vnskilfull espials tooke the Normans being old beaten souldiers for priests Girth dissuadeth his brother Harold from present incountering with the duke where note the conscience that is to be had of an oth and that periurie can not scape vnpunished The tenth Chapter WIlliam duke of Normandie hauing knowledge after what maner K. Harold was busied in the north parts of his realme and vnderstanding that the south parts thereof remained destitute of due prouision for necessarie defense hasted with all diligence to make his purueiance of men and ships that he might vpon such a conuenient occasion set forward to inuade his enimie And amongest other of his friends vnto whome he laboured for aid his father in law Baldwine earle of Flanders was one of the chiefest who vpon promise of great summes of monie and other large offers made did aid him with men munition ships and victuals verie freelie The French king also did as much for his part as laie in him to helpe forwards this so high an enterprise Wherefore when all things were now in a readinesse he came to the towne of S. Ualerie where he had assembled tigither an huge nauie of ships to the number as some authors affirme of three hundred saile and when he had taried there a long time for a conuenient wind at length it came about euen as he himselfe desired Then shipping his armie which consisted of Normans Flemings Frenchmen and Britains with all expedition he tooke the sea and directing his course towards England he finallie landed at a place in Sussex ancientlie called Peuensey on the 28 day of September where he did set his men on land prouided all things necessarie to incourage and refresh them At his going out of his ship vnto the shore one of his féet slipped as he stepped forward but the other stacke fast in the sand the which so soone as one of his knights had espied and séeing his hand wherevpon he staied full of earth when he rose he spake alowd and said Now sir duke thou hast the soile of England fast in thy hand shalt of a duke yer long become king The duke hearing this tale laughed merilie thereat and comming on land by and by he made his proclamation declaring vpon what occasions he had thus entered the realme The first and principall cause which he alleged was for the chalenge his right meaning the dominion of the land that to him was giuen and assigned as he said by his nephue king Edward late ruler of the same land The second was to reuenge the death of his nephue Alured or Alfred the brother of the same king Edward whome Goodwine earle of Kent and his adherents had most cruellie murthered The third was to be reuenged of the wrong doone vnto Robert archbishop of Canturburie who as he was informed was exiled by the meanes and labor of Harold in the daies of king Edward Wherein we haue to note that whether it were for displeasure that the pope had sometime conceiued for the wrong doone to the archbishop or at the onlie sute of duke William certeine it is that the pope as then named Alexander the second fauored this enterprise of the duke and in token thereof sent him a white banner which he willed him to set vp in the decke of the ship wherein he himselfe should saile In déed as writers report the pope with his cardinals and all the whole court of Rome had king Harold euer in great hatred and disdaine because he had taken vpon him the crowne without their consent or anie ecclesiasticall solemnitie or agréement of the bishops And although the pope and his brethren the said cardinals dissembled the matter for the time yet now beholding to what end his bold presumption was like to come with frowning fortune they shewed themselues open aduersaries inclining streightwaies to the stronger part after the manner of couetous persons or rather of the réed shaken with a sudden puffe of wind Duke William at his first landing at Peuensey or Pemsey whether you will fortified a péece of ground with strong trenches and leauing therein a competent number of a men of warre to kéepe the same he sped him toward Hastings and comming thither he built an other fortresse there with all spéed possible without suffering his souldiers to rob or harrie the countrie adioining saieng that it should be great follie for him to spoile that people which yer manie daies to come were like to be his subiects K. Harold being as yet in the north parts and hearing the duke William was thus landed in England sped him southward and gathering his people togither out of the countries as he went forwards at length came néere his enimies and sending espials into their campe to vnderstand of what strength they were the vnskilfull messengers regarding smallie