beene married vnto Iohn Gray Esquier knighted and slaine at the battell of S. Albans vpon King Henries part who now was a suiter vnto the King for something taken away in the extremity of that time to bee restored towards the maintenance of her 〈◊〉 But howsoeuer her suit pierced his eare her sweetly composed feature strangely affected his heart more formall shee was and louely in countenance then either tall or exceedingly faire yet both sufficient to meete in one person of an excellent witte a sober demeanour a modest looke a 〈◊〉 smile and her speech vttered in such a â—…turall eloquence as her answeres euer set on edge King Edwards desires which howsoeuer diâ—…full to the appetite of his wanton bed affâ—…ming with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ee accounted herselfe most vnworthy of the name of his Queene so shee held her selfe of mort worth her chast honour dearer then to bee his Câ—…bine yet held they him in chase till shee had 〈◊〉 â—…im in the snares of her loue 22 Their many meetings and 〈◊〉 complements made the old Dutchesse of Yorke the Kings mother much to suspect it would bee a match to hinder which with a parâ—… authority shee entred discourse alleadging it honourable 〈◊〉 and of much profite to linke with some great Princesse in â—…raine 〈◊〉 both for the 〈◊〉 of poâ—…ions abroad and as the â—…se stood to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at home that 〈◊〉 had gone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suite in Frâ—… as if in himselfe nâ—…w 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their displâ—…res would 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To marry his Subiect 〈◊〉 held 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…cially one without 〈◊〉 alliance or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 other thing mouing but a wanton doâ—…ge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and although that in Lady 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 yet was there nothing so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incorpâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moâ—… 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 tought of a 〈◊〉 A 〈◊〉 quoth she is most 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 side whose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 23 owne desires and knew himselfe to bee out of his mothers rule partly in earnest and partly in pleasance made her this reply That marriage being a spirituall type ought rather to be conioyned where God had framed the parties to consent as this of his was then in regard of any temporall respect whatsoeuer That his choice was pleasing to himselfe and would be to his subiects he certainly knew whose amity before all other Nations hee most preferred and desired neither could he giue them better occasion of loue then in this that being their Soueraigne hee disdained not to marry into their Tribes and so likewise for his Issue there could not any Prince be better beloued then he that was their naturall Prince so borne of both parents That if forraine alliances were so needfull hee had many of his kin to contract them and that with content of all parties but for himselfe to marry for possessions or to please others with displeasing his own affections hee saw it no wisdome hauing already sufficient of the one and the other offended euen sweet pleasure would seeme sowre pils especially the choice that is made by another mans eye That there are many comparable to her said hee I make no question and am the more glad let them haue them that like them I will not repine neither I hope will any abridge mee of that which I allow vnto others the Prouerbe is Mother that marriage goes by Destiny but to be wiued against a mans own liking is an earthly Purgatâ—…ry And therefore my Cosen Warwicke I am sure neither loueth me so little to grudge at that I loue nor is so vnreasonable to looke that I should in choise of a wife rather be ruled by his eye then by mine owne as though I were a Wâ—…rd that were bound to marry by the appointment of a Gardian I would not bee a King with that condition to forbeare mine owne libertie in choise of mine owne marriage As for poâ—…ty of more inheritance by new affinity in 〈◊〉 land it proues oftner the occasion of more trouble then profite and wee haue already title by that meanes to so much as sufficeth to get and keep well in one mans dayes That she is a widdow and hath already children by Gods blessed Lady I am a Bachelour yet haue some too and so each of vs hath a proofe that neither of vs is like to bee barren And therefore Madam I pray you bee content I trust in God shee shall bring a young Prince that shall play on your lappe to your â—…eat pleasure and your selfe shall blesse the wombe that bare such a â—…be and as for your obiection of 〈◊〉 let the Bishop hardly lay it in my way when I come to take Orders for I vnderstand it is forbidden a Priâ—… but I neuer wist that it was forbidden a Prince 24 The Dutchesse seeing the King so set on his owne choice that she could not pull hiâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such 〈◊〉 that vnder 〈◊〉 oâ—… her for which act vnder 〈◊〉 of a contract with 〈◊〉 owne coâ—…ce which was the 〈◊〉 oâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stacle as either the Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the 〈◊〉 proceed to the solemnizâ—… of this wedding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were clearely purged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 King tooke to wife this later beloued Lady Elizabeth Grey who had beene formerly married vnto his enemy and many times prayed full heartily for his losse in which God loued her better then to grant her her boone reseruing greater honour for her selfe and her posterity 25 She was honourably descended especially by the surer side whose mother was Iaquellin daughter to Peter of Lucemburg Earle of S. Paul and Dutchesse to Iohn Duke of Bedford Regent of France after whose death shee married Sir Richard Wooduile knight and among others bare vnto him this Elizabeth Englands faire Queene who being priuately married at the Manour of Grafton was afterwardes crowned Queen at Westminster with all due celebrations vpon the sixe and twentieth of May Anno 1465. Her father then by this new made sonne in law and Soueraigne Lord was created Lord Riuers and made high Constable of England her brother Lord Anthony married to the sole heire of the Lord Scales and her sonne Thomas Grey borne to her first husband was created Marquesse Dorset and married to the heire of the Lord Bonuile 26 But when Warwicke had knowledge the wanton King had got a new wife and his courting of Lady Bona to bee but a ball to make Edwards play hee stormed not a little whose credite hee tooke to be crackt in the French Court and himselfe rather thought to haue dallyed in this motion then to deale by commission from his King for which cause hee conceiued so inward an indignation that his affection was withdrawne from King Edward and thenceforth ranne vpon Henrie retained in prison to which end he temporized with the present king applauded the Queene and bare countenance in Court with no
likelyhoods to induce that she was his lawfull Queene 11 Elfleda the second wife of King Edward was the daughter as Mathew of Westminster reporteth of an Earle named Ethelhelme and Asser the Bishop of Sherborne maketh mention of an Earle in Wiltshire among the West-Saxons of the same name who was in great fauour with King Elfred the father of this King by whom hee was sent Ambassador to carry his Almes to Stephen the sixt of that name Bishop of Rome in the yeare of our Lord 887 and by all probable conference of name time and place hee seemeth to bee the man that was father to this Queene 12 Edgina the third wife of King Edward was the daughter and heire of Earle Sigeline Lord of Meapham Culings and Leanham in Kent who was there slaine in battaile against the Danes Anno 927. She was married vnto King Edward about the fourteenth yeare of his raigne being the yeare of Grace 916. She was his wife ten yeares and after his death she liued a widdow all the times of the raignes of King Ethelstan her sonne in law of King Edmund and King Edred her owne sonnes of King Edwy her Grand-child and was liuing in the Raigne of King Edward another of her Grand-children almost fortie yeares after the death of her husband It is writ of her that in the yeare of Grace 959. Shee offered her lands and euidences to Christ vpon his Altar at Canterbury She deceased the twenty fift of August in the fourth yeare of the said King Edgar and of Christ 963. His Children 13 Ethelstan the eldest sonne of King Edward and the Lady Eguina was borne and growne to good yeeres in the time of the raigne of his Grandfather King Elfred who with his owne hands gaue him the order of Knighthood after a very honourable manner of creation as William the Monke of Malmsbury a great obseruer of such things hath left in writing who reporteth that he put vpon him a Purple Robe and girt him with a girdle wrought with pearle and a Saxon sword in a scabard of gold hanging at the same He was the Successor of his Father in the West-Saxons dominions and the English Monarchy 14 Elfred the second sonne of King Edward and the Lady Eguina is warranted by the testimony of the story of Hyde to haue been loued of his Father aboue all his other children that he caused him in his owne lifetime to bee crowned King and to sit with him in his Seat of Estate as his Partner in the Kingdome and that he enioyed that great honour but for a small time deceasing shortly after his creation and long before his fathers death and was buried in the New Monastery at Winchester which afterwards was remoued to Hyde 15 Editha whom the Scotish Writers call Beatrite the daughter of King Edward and the Lady Eguma with great honour was maried to Sythrick the Danish King of Northumberland in the first yeere of the raigne of her brother King Ethelstane being the yeere of grace 915. Within one yeere after her mariage her husband deceased and his sonne Guthfrid succeeded him in his Kingdome Wherefore she forsaking that Country obtained of her brothers gift the Castell of Tamworth in the County of Warwicke where she began a Monastery of Nunnes and therein liued died and was interred and both the Monastery and Body afterwards was remoued from thence vnto Pollesworth 16 Elsward the third son of King Edward the first of Queen Elfleda his second wife was born as it seemeth about the beginning of his Fathers raigne He was carefully brought vp in the study of Liberall Arts and in all other princely qualities so that it was expected he should haue succeeded his Father in the Kingdome but presently vpon his fathers decease he deceased himselfe in Oxford and was buried at one time and in one place with him in the New Monastery at Winchester in the yeere of Christ Iesus 924. 17 Edwine the fourth sonne of King Edward and the second of Queene Elfleda his second Wife was very young when his father was buried and his brother Ethelstane crowned Notwithstanding a deep ielosie possessing the King that his title was too neere the Crowne he caused him to be put into a little Pinnesse without either Tackle or Oares one only page accompanying him that his death might be imputed to the waues whence the young Prince ouercome with griefe and not able to master his owne passions cast himselfe headlong into the sea and his dead body being driuen vpon the coasts of Flanders was taken vp by Adulphe Earle of Boloine his cosen-germane and honourably buried in the Monastery of Saint Bertin in the Towne of S. Omers Which fact was much lamented by King Ethelstan who greeuously punished the suggestions of his owne ielosie and the procurers of his brothers death sending great thanks to the Earle that buried him and rich presents to the Monastery which entombed him and to appease the ghost of his innocent brother built the Abbey of Mialeton in the County of Dorset 18 Elfleda the second daughter of King Edward and the first of Queene Elfleda his second Wife entred into the orders of Religion and tooke vpon her the profession and vow of Virginity in the Monastery of Rumsey situated vpon the Riuer Test in the County of Southampton In which Monastery she was first a Nunne and afterward Abbesse during the whole time of her life which was there spent and ended and her body in the said Abbey buried 19 Eguina the third daughter of King Edward and the second of Queene Elfleda his second Wife was the second Wife to Charles the third surnamed the Simple King of France son to King Lews the brother of Iudith Queene of England before mentioned She had issue by him Lewis the third surnamed Beyond-sea because he was brought vp here in England with his Vnkle King Ethelstan and Gillet Duchesse of Normandy maried to Rollo the Dane who in regard of his marriage was allowed to bee the first Duke of that Country This Queene suruiued King Charles her Husband and afterwards was remaried to Herbert the younger Earle of Vermandoys which marriage was taken for so great an indignity because Earle Herbert the elder father to this Earle had caused the King her Husband to die in prison that King Lewis her sonne presently pursued her apprehended and committed her to the strait custody of Queene Gerberge his wife so as shee had no recourse vnto him nor issue by him 20 Ethelhild the fourth daughter of King Edward and the third of Queene Elfleda his second Wife followed the example of her elder sister Elfleda and became a Nunne in the Monastery of Wilton which was sometime the head Towne giuing name to the whole County of Wiltshire and antiently called Ellandon 21 Edhild the fifth daughter of King Edward and the fourth of Queene Elfleda
Tikhill Marlborow and Ludgarfall with many other great Seigniories and aboue them all was also Lord of Ireland and at the last succeeded his brother Richard in all his-Dominions and was King of England 108 Maud the eldest daughter of King Henry and Queene Eleanor borne in the third yeere of her fathers raigne married to Henrie surnamed the Lion Duke of Saxonie Lothar that died yong Otho the fourth German Emperour and William borne at Winchester progenitor of the Dukes of Brunswicke who bare for their Armes the Coat of England with the two Lions as King Henrie his Grandfather bare before the match with Queene Eleanor and Maud married to Geffrey Earle of Perch Shee suruiued him and died in the first yeere of the raigne of her brother King Richard and was buried by her husband in the Church of S. Blase at Brunswicke 109 Eleanor the second daughter of King Henrie and Queene Eleanor was borne at Roan in Normandy in the eight yeere of her fathers raigne 1162. She was married to Alfâ—…se the ninth of that name surnamed the Good King of Castile in Spaine and had issue by him Saâ—…ches that died in his infancie Ferdinando that died in his youth Henry King of Castile after his Father Blaunch Queene of France wife to King Lewis the 8. and mother of Saint Lewis Berengar married to Alfonso king of Lion Vrraca Queene of Portugall and Eleanor wife of Iames king of Arragon 110 Ioane the third and yongest daughter of king Henry and Queene Eleanor his wife was born at the City of Angiers in France in the moneth of October the 13. yeare of her Fathers raigne which was the yeere of our Lord 1166. when shee was eleuen yeeres of age shee was with great honour conueied to the City of Palermo and there married to William the second of that name king of Sicil Duke of Apulia and Prince of Capua vpon Sunday the 13. day of Februarie 1177. and was crowned Queene the same day at the same place Shee had a sonne by him named Boamund whom his Father when hee was returned from his Christning created Duke of Apulia but the child died first and the Father after leauing no issue And she suruiuing married againe and was the third wife of Raimund the fourth of that name Earle of Tholouz by him shee had Issue Raimund the last Earle of that house Bertrand Lord of Branquell Montelore and Saluiac and a daughter married to Berald of Elbeine Prince of Orenge His Naturall Issue 111 William the Naturall sonne of king Henry born of Rosamund the daughter of Walter Lord Clifford which Lady for her incomparable beauty was reputed with allusion to her name Rosa-mundi the Rose of the world the deare affection the king bare her caused both burning iealousie in the Queene and fatall ruine to her selfe albeit the amorous king for her secresie and security but what walles will not a iealous eye pierce through had built for her a most artificiall Labyrinth at Woodstocke in Oxfordshire with such cunning windings and intricate passages as had not Fate and Heauens reuenge on Adultery shewed the way the enraged Queen had not so soone beene rid of her Riuall nor that wanton Dame of her life Shee was buried in the Nunnery of Godstow by Oxford with this Epitaph Hac iacet in Tumba Rosa 〈◊〉 non Rosa munda Non redolet sed olet quaredolere solet Rose This Tombe doth here enclose the Worlds most beâ—…teous Rose passing sweet ere while Now â—…ght but edour vile But Hugh called the Saint Bishop of Lincolne thought the Hearse of a Harlot no fit spectacle for a Quire of Virgins to contemplate therefore himselfe in person caused her bones to be cast foorth of the Church which yet those chast sisters afterward recollected and placed there againe with much honour â—…cting a goodly Crosse thus inscribed to the honour of her memory Qui meat hac oret Signumque salutis adoret Vtque tibi detur requies Rosamunda precetur All you which passe this way This Crosse adore and pray That Rosamunas Soule may True rest possesse for â—…ye The first Sonne which by her King Henry had was the said William surnamed in French Longespee in English Long-Sword He was Earle of Salisburie in right of Ela his Wife Daughter and hâ—…ire of William Earle of that County son of Earle Patrick by whom hee had Issue William Earle of Salisbury Stephen Earle of Vlster Ela Countesse of Warwicke Ida Lady Beucham of Bedford and Isabell Lady Vescie his sonne Earle William the second had Earle William the third Father of Margaret Wife of Henry Lacie Earle of Lincolne hee died in the Castle of old Salisbury and was buried in the Cathedrall Church of the New City in the ninth yeare of the raigne of king Henry the third 112 Geffrey an other Naturall sonne of king Henry was borne of the Lady Rosamund aforesaid This man in his tender youth was by his Fathers procurement made Archdeacon of Lincolne and after Bishop of that See which hee held aboue seauen yeeres without consecration and then resigning it in the yeare 1181. into the hands of Richard Archbishop of Canterbury and his Father hee was made Chancellour of England and afterward by his brother king Richard hee was aduanced to the Archbishopricke of Yorke being consecrated at Tours in France An. 1191. which See he gouerned with good approbation But in the time of his Brother King Iohn hee vnderwent many difficulties by opposing the Kings purposes who therefore made seisure of his whole state and An. 1207. he left the Land and after fiue yeeres banishment died viz. Ann. 1213. 113 Morgan an other Naturall sonne of King Henry is thought by some because so small mention is made of him to haue beene of no long life after his birth and to haue beene borne of some woman in Wales where this Christian name is most commonly vsed and whither this King vpon many occasions sometimes resorted But some others whose studious paines deserue much thankes of posteritie report that hee was gotten on the wife of one Rodulph Bloeth or Blewet a knight and liued both to bee Prouost of Beuerley and to be elected to the Bishopricke of Durham when comming to Rome for a dispensation because his Bastardie made him otherwise vncapable the Pope willed him to professe himselfe Blewets lawfull son and not the Kings Naturall promising to consecrate him on that condition but he vsing the aduise of one William Lane his Clerke told the Pope that for no worldly promotion he would renounce his father or deny himselfe to bee of roiall bloud so blind were some Prelats of those times who esteemed spirituall functions to be but worldly promotions RICHARD THE FIRST DVKE OF NORMANDY GVYEN AND AQVITAINE c. THE FORTIE FOVRTH MONARCH OF THE ENGLISH-MEN HIS RAIGNE ACTS AND ISSVE CHAPTER VI. RICHARD succeeding to his deceased Father Henrie brought forth that wonder which a Writer ofthat age
the one side of me Semblably my cosin the Earle of Richmond his aides and kinsfolkes will surely attempt either to bite or to pierce me on the other side so that my life and rule should euer hang vnquiet in doubt of death or deposition And if the said two linages of Yorke and Lancaster should ioine in one against me then were I surely matched Wherfore I haue clecrelie determined vtterly to relinquish all imaginations concerning the obtaining of the Crown For as I told you the Countesse of Richmond in my returne from the new named King meeting me in the high way praied me first for kindreds sake secondly for the loue I bare to my Grandfather Duke Humfrey who was sworne brother to her father to moue the King to be good to her sonne Henry Earle of Richmond and to licence him with his fauour to returne againe into England and if it were his pleasure so to doe shee promised that the Earle her sonne should marry one of the Kings daughters at the appointment of the King without any thing demanded for the said espousals but only the Kings fauour which request I soone ouerpassed and departed But after in my lodging I called to memory more of that matter and now am bent that the Earle of Richmond heire of the house of Lancaster shall take to wife Lady Elizabeth eldest daughter to King Edward by the which marriage both the houses of Yorke and Lancaster may be vnited in one 28 When the Duke had said Bishop Morton who euer fauoured the house of Lancaster was wondrous ioyfull for all his imagination tended to this effect and lest the Dukes courage should asswage or his minde alter he said to the Duke My Lord of Buckingham sith by Gods prouision and your incomparable wisdome this noble coniunction is first moued it is necessary to consider what persons we shall first make priuie of this politicke conclusion By my troth quoth the Duke we will begin with my Ladie of Richmond the Earles mother which knoweth where he is in Britaine sith you will begin that way said the Bishop I haue an old friend with the Countesse called Reinald Bray for whom I shall send if it be your pleasure so the Bishop wrote for him to come to Brechnock who straite came backe with the messenger where the Duke and Bishop declared what they had deuised for the preferment of the Earle of Richmond sonne to his Lady and Mistresse willing her first to compasse how to obtaine the goodwill of Queene Elizabeth and also of her eldest daughter and after secretly to send to her sonne in Britaine to declare what high honour was prepared for him if he would sweare to marrie the Ladie Elizabeth assoone as hee was King of the Realme With which conclusion Reinold Bray with a glad heart returned to the Countesse his Lady Bray thus departed the Bishop told the Duke that if he were in his Isle of Ely he could make many friends to further their enterprise The Duke knew this to bee true but yet loth to loose the society of such a Counsellor gaue him faire words saying he should shortly depart well accompanied for feare of enemies but the Bishop ere the Dukes company were assembled secretly disguised in a night departed and came to Ely where he found money and friends and then sailed into Flaunders where he did the Earle of Ricchmond good seruice 29 When Reinold Bray had declared his message to the Countesse no meruaile if shee were glad wherefore shee deuised a means how to breake this matter to Queen Elizabeth being then in Sanctuary at Westminster and hauing in her family a certaine Welshman called Lewis learned in Phisicke now hauing oportunity to breake her minde vnto him declared that the time was come that her sonne should be ioined in marriage with Lady Elizabeth daughter and heire to King Edward and that King Richard should out of all honour and estate be deiected and required him to goe to Queene Elizabeth not as a messenger but as one that came friendlie to visite her and as time and place should serue to make her priuy of this deuise This Phisitian with good diligence repaired to the Queene and when he saw time conuenient said vnto her Madame although my imagination be very simple yet for the entire affection I beare to you and to your children I am so bolde to vtter vnto you a secret conceit which I haue compassed in my braine When I remember the great losse which you haue sustained by the death of your louing husband and the great sorrow that you haue suffered by the cruell murder of your innocent children I can no lesse doe then daily study how to bring your heart to comfort and also to reuenge the quarrell of you and your children on that cruell tyrant King Richard And first consider what battel and what mischiefe haue risen by the dissention betweene the two houses of Yorke and Lancaster which two families if they may be ioined in one I doubt not but that your line shall be again restored to your great ioy comfort you know Madam that of the house of Lancaster the Earle of Richmond is next of bloud to the house of York your daughters now are heirs If you could deuise the means how to couple your eldest daughter with the Earle of Richmund in matrimony no doubt but that the vsurper should shortly bee deposed and your heire againe to her right restored 30 When the Queene had heard this friendly Motion shee instantly besought him that as he had beene the first inuentor of so good an enterprise that now hee would not desist to follow the same requiring him further that he would resort to the Countesse of Richmund mother to the Earle Henrie and to declare to her on the Queenes behalfe that all the friends of King Edward her husband should assist and take part with the Earle of Richmund her sonne so that hee would take an oath that after the Kingdome obtained to espouse the Lady Elizabeth her daughter c. M. Lewis so sped his busines that he made a finall end of this businesse betweene the two mothers so the Lady Margaret Countesse of Richmund brought to a good hope of the preferment of her son made Reinold Bray chiefe soliciter of this conspiracy giuing him in charge secretly to inueagle such persons of Nobility to ioyne with her take her part as he knew to be faithfull 31 This Reinold Bray within few dayes brought to his luer Sir Giles Daubeny Sir Iohn Cheinie Knights Richard Guilford and Thomas Ramney Esquiers and others In the meane while the Countesse of Richmund sent one Christopher Vrsewicke a Priest into Britaine to the Earle of Richmund her sonne to declare to him all the agreements between her and the Queene agreede and with all to shew him that the Duke of Buckingham was one of the first
is to be seene an apparant conformitie The Language differeth not much like boldnesse to challenge and set into dangers when dangers come like feare in refusing sauing that the Britaine 's make shew of great courage as being not mollified yet by long peace 8 Whereby wee see that these Cimbrians of whom as Appian Alexandrinus saith came the Celts and of them the Gaules as Plutarch in the life of Camillus affirmeth with whom both Plato and Aristotle agree were the ancient progenitors of these our Britaines and them with the Gaules to be both one and the same people is allowed by Pliny that placeth them both in the continent of France for so Eustathius in his Commentarie vnderstandeth Dionysius Afar that these Britaine 's in Gaule gaue name to the Iland now called GREAT BRITAINE as Pomponius Laetus and Beda before him had done These things considered with the neerenesse of their sites for ready entercourse made both Cesar and Tacitus to conceiue as they did Neither were these things following small motiues vnto them for their religion was alike saith Lucan and Tacitus their boldnesse in warres and maner of armes alike saith Strabo Tacitus Dion Pliny Herodian and Mela Their building alike saith Cesar and Strabo their ornaments and manners alike saith Pliny and Cesar their wits alike saith Strabo and Tacitus their language alike saith learned Bodine and in all things the vnconquered Britaines to the ancient Gaules alike saith Tacitus And all these doe warrant vs me thinkes to come from the Cimbrians whose sonnes and our fathers were the Celts and Gaules the bands of whose amities were so linked together that the Britaine 's gaue aid and assisted the Gaules against Cesar which was no small cause of his quarrell against them 9 Not to deriue the truth of our historie from the fained inuentions of a forged Berosus that bringeth Samothes to people this Iland about one hundred fiftie two yeeres after the Flood to giue lawes to the Land and to leaue it to his posteritie for three hundred thirty fiue yeeres continuance although hee be countenanced by Amandus Zirixaeus in the annotations of White of Basingstocke and magnified vnto vs by the names of Dis and Meshech the sixt sonne of Iapheth from whom this Iland with a Sect of Philosophers tooke their names saith Textor Bale Holinshead and Caius yet seeing this building hath no better a foundation but Berosus and he not only iustly suspected but long since fully conuicted for a counterfeit we leaue it as better fitting the pens of vulgar Chroniclers then the relish or liking of iudicious Readers whilest with Laertius wee iudge rather that those Sophes were termed Semnothoes and they not from Samothea as Villichus would haue vs beleeue 10 Neither soundeth the musicke of Albions legion tunable in our eares whom Berosus with full note and Annius alloweth to be the fourth sonne of Neptune and him the same that Moses calleth Napthtahim the fourth sonne of Mizraim the second sonne of Cham the third sonne of Noah because his fictions should be countenanced with the first who being put into this Iland by Neptune his father accounted forsooth the god of the Seas about the yeere after the flood three hundred thirty and fiue ouercame the Samotheans as easily he might being a man of so great strength in bodie and largenesse of limmes that hee is accounted among the Giants of the earth Him Hercules surnamed Lybicus in battle assailed for the death of Osiris his father and after forty foure yeeres tyrannie saith Bale slew him with his brother Bergion in the continent of Gallia neere to the mouth of the riuer Rhodanus whence Hercules trauelled into this Iland as Giraldus from Gildas the ancient Briton Poet coniectureth whose fifth dialogue of Poetrie hee had seene and the rather beleeued because Ptolemy calleth that head of Land in Cornwall Promontorium Herculis and left the possession of the Iland vnto them of Cham contrarie to the meaning of the Scriptures that made him a Captiue but neuer a Conquerour ouer his brethren whiles their first Policies were standing 11 The last but much applauded opinion for the possessing and peopling of this Iland is that of Brute generally held for the space of these last foure hundred yeeres some few mens exceptions reserued who with his dispersed Troians came into and made conquest of this Iland the yeere of the worlds creation 2887. and after the vniuersall flood 1231. in the eighteenth yeere of Heli his Priesthood in the land of Israel and before the incarnation of Christ our Sauiour one thousand fifty nine This Brute is brought from the ancient Troians by descent yea and from the persons of the heathen deified Gods as that he was the sonne of Syluius who was the sonne of Ascanius the sonne of AEneas the sonne of Anchises by Venus the Goddesse and daughter to Iupiter their greatest in account And if Pliny and Varro hold it praise worthy to challenge descents though falsly from famous personages wherby as they say appeareth an inclination to vertue and a valorous conceit to perswade vnto honor as sprung from a race diuine and powerfull then by all meanes let vs listen to him of Monmouth who hath brought his Nation to ranke in degree with the rest of the Gentiles which claime themselues to be the Generation of the Gods 12 But why do I attribute the worke to him as the Author sith he professeth himselfe to be but the translator of that history out of the British tongue which Walter the Archdeacon of Oxford brought out of Normandie and deliuered vnto him For the further confirmation thereof and more credit to his story Henry of Huntington who liued in the time of king Stephen and wrote likewise the history of this land bringeth the line of Brute from AEneas the Troiane and his arriuage and conquest to happen in the time of Heli his Priesthood in the land of Israel as Geffrey ap Arthur hath also done not taking as some thinke any thing thereof from him but rather out of an ancient booke intituled De Origine Regum Britannorum found by himselfe in the library of the Abbey of Bec as he trauelled towards Rome which history began at the arriuall of Brute and ended with the acts of Cadwalader as by a treatise of his owne inditing bearing the same title hath been compared and found in all things agreeing with our vulgar history as industrious Lamberd affirmeth himselfe to haue seen And Ninius is said by the writer of the reformed history to bring these Britaines from the race of the Troians foure hundred yeeres before that Geffrey wrote yea and long before Ninius also Taliesin a Briton Poet in an Ode called Hanes of Taiess his course of life in these words Mia deythymyma at Wedillion Troia that is I came hither to the Remnants
Saint Augustine 5351. Isidore 5210. Orosius 5190. Beda 3952. Alphonsus 5984. And yet doe these disagreements helpe little the Obiectors if this be considered that the maine foundation of these diuersities consisteth chiefly in the first world before the Flood wherein it is manifest that the reputed Septuagint addeth to the Hebrew Originall fiue hundred eighty and six yeeres And from the Flood to Abrahams birth is accounted two hundred and fiue yeeres more then Moses hath As likewise the like is done in the latter times for from the Captiuitie of Babylon to the death of Christ one hundred thirty and seuen yeeres are added more then the Sunnes course hath measured so that it seemeth the differences were not great for the times of Heli Salomon nor Iudahs Kings in whose raignes Brute is brought to people and possesse this Iland But leauing these diuersities and to come to a certaintie let vs calculate the yeeres of the holy historie according as Functius Beroaldus and sundry other Theologicke Chronologers haue done who from the Scriptures most sure account so tie the stories of times together that like to a golden chaine the linkes are fastned each to other and the whole so compleat that a yeere is not missing from the fall of man vnto the full time of his redemption 24 First then from the Creation to the Flood are reckoned yeeres 1656. gathered by a triple account from the ages begettings and deaths of the fathers The like is thence obserued for foure hundred twentie and seuen yeeres that is to the seuentie fifth of Abrahams life wherein God began to tie the times accounts in holier summes for Terah the first recorded Idolater was the last in honour that had the Sunnes course measured by mans life And now the bounds of time tie the Promise to Abraham to bee before the Law foure hundred and thirty yeeres as the Apostle to the Galathians affirmeth From the Law to the building of Salomons Temple and that in the fourth yeere of his raigne were yeeres foure hundred and eightie and from that foundation to his death were thirtie six yeeres for his whole raigne was fortie From his death and Kingdomes diuision vnto the burning of that Temple which was executed in the nineteenth of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel were yeeres three hundred and ninetie as by the daies of Ezekiels siege and sleepe appeareth in the second and fifth verses of his fourth Chapter From the burning of the Temple to the end of Iudahs captiuitie were yeeres fiftie and one for the whole time of Babels bondage contained seuenty yeeres as Ieremy 25. 11. whereof nineteene were expired and fifty one remaining vnto the first yeere of Cyrus their deliuerer whom the Lord in that regard calleth his annointed Isay. 45. 1. In the first yeere of whose Monarchie he published an Edict for the returne of the Iewes and new building of their Temple as in the books of Chronicles and of Ezra is seene And from this first yeere and proclamation of King Cyrus vnto the last yeere and death of Christ our Sauiour the great yeere of Iubilie the acceptable time wherein he troad the winepresse alone to the finishing of the ceremonies the taking away of sinne the reconciling of iniquity the bringing in of euerlasting righteousnesse to the sealing vp of vision and prophecie and to the anointing of the most holy were yeeres foure hundred and ninety as the Prophet Daniel from the Angell Gabriel receiued and vnto vs hath deliuered Dan. 9. 24. all which added together make the number to be three thousand nine hundred and threescore yeeres And by this said computation I haue accounted Brutes story as all others wherein I shall bee occasioned to speake 25 Lastly if from among these misty cloudes of ignorance no light can be gotten and that we will needs haue our descents from the Troians may wee not then more truly deriue our blood from them through the Romanes who for the space of foure hundred threescore and six yeeres were planted amongst vs in which continuance it is most certaine they tooke of our women to be their wiues and gaue their women to be wiues vnto vs seeing that some of their Emperors did the like themselues and from whose blood saith Beda the Britaines Ambrosius lineally descended And if beauty and parts be the instigaters vnto loue as in the first world we see it was no doubt then the features of the Britains were mouing Angels vnto the Romanes whose faces euen in those times were accounted to be angelicall and whose personages as yet are respected as the best if not better then any other in the world But that the Romans themselues descended from the Troians or AEneas should be the roote of the Iulian family howsoeuer the fictions of Poets as a spring tide haue flowed from the fulnesse of their pennes yet Tacitus their best writer accounteth those things not far vnlike to old fables wherein he iudgeth that Nero to win credit before the Consuls and to get reputation in the glory of eloquence vndertooke the pleading of the Ilienses cause declaring the Romanes descent from Troy and the Iulij from the loines of AEneas which notwithstanding he censureth as is said And Iosephus in the dispersion of Noahs sonnes and families affirmeth that Romus was the Originall of the old Romanes and he of Chus and Cham if he meane as he speaketh To conclude by what destiny I know not nations desire their originals from the Troians yet certaine it is that no honor from them can be brought whose city and fame stood but for six descents as vnder the raignes of Dardanus Erithonius Troos Ilion Laomedon and Priamus during which time they were thrice vanquished twice by Hercules in the daies of Laomedon and the third time rased by the rage of the Grecians in the raigne of King Priamus and the Troians themselues made as it were the scum of a conquered people And therefore as France hath cast off their Francio King Priamus his sonne Scotland their Scotia King Pharaoes daughter Denmarke their Danus Ireland their Hiberus and other Countries their Demi-gods so let BRITAINES likewise with them disclaime their BRVTE that bringeth no honour to so renowned a Nation but rather cloudeth their glorie in the murders of his parents and imbaseth their descents as sprung from Venus that lasciuious Adulteresse THE MANNERS AND CVSTOMES OF THE ANCIENT BRITAINES CHAPTER IV. HAuing thus farre spoken of the ancient Names of this famous Iland and of the Nations acknowledged to bee the first Planters and Possessors thereof it remaineth that somewhat be mentioned of the Manners and Customes of those people and times though not so pleasing or acceptable as were to be wished for that the clouds of ignorance and barbarous inciuilitie did then shadow and ouer-spread almost all the Nations of the earth wherein I desire to lay imputation no further then is sufficiently warranted by most
Romans at the command of Didius their Deputie and these striking battell won the day yet so as the war continued to the Romans the kingdome to Venutius and the infamy with Cartismandua both for betraying the pledge of her trust reposed by Caractacus in his distresse and her truth to Venutius her noble Lord and husband preferring the licentious pleasures of a vassall before the bed of chast mariage or the nuptiall imbracements of a worthy King and hath to ages following left her name noted with the scarres of infamy that time nor continuance shall euer weare away His ancient coyne is thought to be as thou seest here aboue described 13 Prasutagus Boduo King and Queene of the Icenians a people vnshaken by war and themselues rich as Tacitus reporteth the only cause of their ruines for which the Romans then warred were brought to destruction vpon this insuing occasion King Prasutagus dying by will left Nero his heire supposing by this meanes to leaue his state the safer together with the protection of his two daughters These contrary to trust were abused and defloured the mother Boduo turned out of all and against all manly ciuility or womanly much lesse princely respect contumeliously and despitefully whipped In the reuenge of which vnsufferable wrongs she so opposed and oppressed the Romans that at one battell seuenty thousand or as Dion Cassius saith 80000. of their slaughtered bodies she sacrificed to her dead husbands ghost and hath left the fame of her proceedings registred euen by her enemies themselues to her immortall and neuer dying memory The strong Cities Camalodunum and Verolanium she sacked with the rage of mercilesse war Petilius Lieutenant of the ninth Legion she discomfited Catus the Procurator droue ouer the seas Posthumus the Campe-master durst not resist her and all indeed feared the valour of this heroick Lady whose lawes were not martiall to saue vpon ransome whose reuenge was not pacified with yeeldings or submission nor did she thinke there was blood enough in the Romans to imbrue the altars of her assisting gods or to wash off the staine of their vnnoble and vnmanly iniuries But when successe altered after losse and valorous resistance she made an end of her life by poison lest liuing she should see either her owne miseries in their triumphs or leaue her remembrance in the records of their lauish and selfe-pleasing historians Her Coyne of gold we haue here expressed the forme shield-like and vpon the embossement thus inscribed BODVO 14 Aruiragus the valiant British King whom Humfrey Lhuyd confidently affirmeth to be the same man that is called Meurigus and is said to withstand Claudius in his enterprises for Britaine vntill a composition of mariage was concluded betwixt the Emperors daughter and himselfe Notwithstanding by Iuuenal it is plaine that this Aruiragus was in his fame in the daies of Domitian vnto whom the Poet as a Prophet would foredoome his happy successe in the dispossession of his gouernment ouer the Britaines as in these his verses are seene It bodes great honor to thy selfe some King thâ—… shalt depriue Or els Aruiragus from the rule of Britains waine shalt driue An ancient British Coyne of siluer is here inserted and a mans head thereon instamped which is supposed to be his the letters alluding so neere to his name 15 Galgacus a worthy and most valiant prince of the Caledonians for vertue and birth preferred before any other in the Northern parts of this Iland and made their Generall against the inuasions of Iulius Agricola was the last Britaine that against the Romans stood out accounting those only happy which were free from the contagion of that Roman tyranny and themselues the flower of all the British nobility that yet had not subiected their necks to their yoke The resistance which he made was great and warlike but against the decree of God no man can stand for the Romans risen to their greatnesse bare downe all that withstood them and in a bloody battaile subdued him and his forces making all silent before them where they came and leauing desolation in the places where they had been Thus then was the whole Iland subiected to the Roman Emperors about one hundred thirty and six yeeres after Caesars first entrance and the land that had been ruled by many petty kings was brought now as most parts of the world besides were vnder the gouernment of one absolute Monarch Grieuous no doubt was the losse of their liberties but a greater gaine was gotten not many yeeres after for from the rude and sauage manners of the barbarous they were reclaimed and became most ciuill And he that had giuen their Iland to his Christ prepared their hearts to receiue him their King vnto whose subiection also they were motiues to the Romans themselues Two ancient British Coynes stamped in siluer we haue here set downe attributing them both to this Galgacus of Caledonia Notwithstanding in these as in the rest I must submit my selfe to the more experienced and the censures of these ancient things to the learned and more iudicious 16 These then were the resisters of the Romans proceedings that rather yeelded their brests to the sword then their necks to the yoke of a forrein subiection and made their assaulters more famous in their conquests and themselues more renowned to following posterities neither in these relations haue we followed the records of our owne but the approued testimony of their best writers who haue deliuered what we haue said and no doubt felt the like repugnancy of many others both in the South and North of this Iland though their names died with their valiant resistance And as these Britains held the Romans at euen hand the space of one hundred thirty and six yeeres neither yet then were subdued without themselues that euer sided with the enemy against themselues and whose factions made way for the feet of their conquerors as from Tacitus we haue declared So their successors the Saxons found as warlike withstanders till God for Britains sinnes had cast downe their strength whereof more shall follow Christ assisting in the due place of their stories that from the raigne of Vortigerne the scourge of his country to Cadwallader the last prince of the Britains spent their liues in the quarrell of liberty and hath left their memorials famous for their countries defence 17 But the state of kingdomes how largely so euer extended or by what humane wisedome strengthned with defence do find their periods not to exceed much the number of six hundred yeeres as by common experience among most nations is seene In these times therefore when the world was shaken with wars first by the Romans that stroue to mount hie the spires of their intended glory and were by Gods decree appointed to ouerrun and afflict the earth when Kings of people I say were enforced to lay the Crownes from their heads at their conquering feet and free nations loaded with the yokes of their bondage then was fulfilled
in Britaine besides the honour and renowne of that voiage and sight of that Country vntill then vnknown to the Romans And againe saith hee Caesar departed thence hauing done no memorable act which caused the Britaines to be secure and carelesse to prouide themselues against his second arriuage Whereby is apparant euen by Romane Writers both the bold resistance that the Britaine 's made and the deare subiection that the Romans bought But in matters so farre past it is hard for mee to auouch any thing resoluedly vnlesse I could meet with that aged Britaine whom M. Aper conferred with heere in Britanny as Quintilian writeth who auowed that hee was in the British Campe when they did beat Caesar from the shoare 13 Neither will I vrge that for truth which Authours haue left vs in their reports concerning the many prodigies before going and forewarning his death things rather to be accounted the superfluities of their owne pens and vaine imageries euer working vpon accidentall euents and ascribing issued successe to a supernaturall cause Such conceit had Caesar of himselfe that for his fortunes hee would bee stiled amongst the Gods and his deitie to that credulous generation was further strengthned by the appearance of a blazing starre which mooued no doubt an ouer-large opinion of his humane power and caused his glorie much to surmount it selfe And therefore lest ignorance should any way blemish his immortalitie they haue fained the manner of his dying best pleasing to himselfe and many ominous signes to foreshew the same all which he either lightly despised or carelesly neglected as they would haue their Readers beleeue 14 Such was that of Spurina his diuiner that forewarned him of great danger which should not passe the Ides of March. And Suetonius out of Cornelius Balbus reporteth that in the ancient Monuments of Capuae discouered but few moneths before was found a Table of brasse wherein was written the manner of his murder and the reuenge that should follow his owne dreames the night before wherein he seemed to flie in the clouds and to shake hands with Iupiter as also his wiues that thought him stabbed in her armes and to lie all bloody in her bosome Besides many other obseruances both of beasts and birds and that in such plentie that it yeelded sufficient matter for Ouid the Poet to furnish and fill vp the latter part of his last booke of Metamorphosis His feature qualities and fortunes are by them thus described Of personage to be tall strong and well limmed faire and full faced with blacke eies and bald headed to couer which he vsually wore the Triumphant Lawrell Garland He was well learned and therewithall very eloquent and although so great a warriour thirsting after fame yet would he be easily reconciled to his enemies yea and often times seeke the meanes first himselfe And hee held it no lesse valour to subdue his wrath then his enemie as likewise in his disasters hee was of great temper and moderation insomuch that Seneca writeth of him that whiles he was in Britaine hearing newes of his daughters death which was lamented as a great losse to the whole State hee conquered that sorrow as easily and as quickly as hee subdued all things where euer he came And of his other moderatenesse Cotas who then held the second place of honour and command in the Armie writeth that though Caesar was then so great and glorious a Commander yet he was so farre from outward pompe as that when he came into Britannie hee had onely three seruants to attend him 15 In his enterprises hee was both valiant and fortunate and is therefore singled out for an Idea or Paterne of an absolute Generall especially for foure militaric properties very resplendent in him first laboriousnesse in his affaires secondly courage in his dangers thirdly industrious contriuing of what he vndertooke fourthly quicke dispatch in accomplishing what hee had once begun In all which he proceeded with such successe that in fiftie seuerall battles by him fought he alwaies preuailed one only excepted as both Pliny Solinus and others haue recorded Foure times hee was created Consul and fiue times entred Rome in triumph bearing still the stile of Perpetuall Dictator And therfore with lesse dishonour did nations subiect themselues vnto him and this of Britaine with them whose lot being cast among the hazards of the world was drawen with an equall chance as the rest and yeelded their freedomes with as hard conditions as did Countries of more extent and Kingdomes of greater account But most especially the decree of God could not bee gaine-stood who had foreshewed by his Prophets the rising of these Chittims and them a meanes to make the metalline image dust OCTAVIVS AVGVSTVS CHAPTER III. AFter the death of Caesar thus slaine in the Senate Octauian the grand-childe of Iulia Cesars sister whom hee had adopted and declared his heire returned vnto Rome from Apollonia where he studied Philosophie intending to prosecute the reuenge of Caesars death where falling at oddes with Marcus Antonius a man of great spirit and power and setting himselfe against Brutus and Cassius with their Complices for the murder of his vncle secretly wrought the friendship of the Citizens before whose eies also Caesars wounds seemed yet to bleed 2 These factions thus begun grew to such height that in the Senate-house their causes were pleaded and by the instigation and eloquence of Marcus Tullius Cicero Antonius was proclaimed enemie to the State against whom Octauian was sent with Ensignes of Consul and title Propraetor being yet not twentie yeeres of age which duty and office he so well discharged in the parts of a valiant Captaine that Antony was forced out of the field albeit in this battle the one Consul was slaine and the other deadly wounded For which seruice so effected he entred Rome in Triumph though the glory thereof was much blemished being obtained but in an intestine and ciuill warre Marcus Antonius to recouer himselfe and make good his cause ioined friendship with Marcus Aemilius Lepidus Captaine of the horse who together interposed themselues against Octauians proceedings but by mediation of friends all three were reconciled and iointly erected that forme of gouernment which thence was named the Triumuirat for the establishment whereof they had seuerall iurisdictions assigned them to Lepidus Africa whereof he was present Gouernour to Antony the Countries as well of Greece as Asia that lay betwixt the Ionian Sea entring at the gulfe of Venice vnto the riuer Euphrates and vnto Octanian all these West parts of Europe amongst which this our Britaine was one 3 In these ciuill broiles and bandings of great men as Tacitus termeth it the State of Britaine lay long forgotten and stood in peaceable termes Augustus thinking it wisdome saith he to restraine the infinite desire of inlarging the Romane Empire whose extent was growen to that vast
amazed firmly thought that nothing could bee inuincible to them who came with such resolutions to Warre and therefore they humbly desired Peace and yeelded the Iland vnto Agricolaes deuotion 12 Who now in these prosperous proceedings of his fortunes sought not with any glorious relations or letters of aduertisements to improoue and augment the greatnesse of his honour but rather in seeking to suppresse his fame made it shine more bright and addressing himselfe for ciuill gouernment reformed many abuses in his House his Campe and in the whole Prouince and those especially that most touched the poorer sort as by moderating the increase of Tribute and Corne wherewith the Britains were daily burdened by the suppressing of which enormities and the like an honourable opinion of him was euery where entertained and a generall inclination vnto Peace which partly by the negligence partly by the auarice of former Gouernours had beene no lesse feared then Warre it selfe 13 And whereas the Britaines hitherto still harried with Oppressions and Warres had little leisure or will to apply themselues to things which accompany Peace and are the ornaments of Ciuil and settled Societies and therefore were prone vpon euery occasion to reuolt and stirre to induce them by pleasures to quietnesse and rest he exhorted them in priuate and helpt them in publike to build Temples Houses and Places of Assemblies and common resort and likewise prouided that the sonnes of their Nobles should be instructed in the liberall Arts and Sciences commending the industrie and preferring the wits of the Britaine 's before the Students of France as being now growen curious to attaine the Eloquence of the Roman Gentrie yea euen the Gowne the habit of peace and peaceable Arts and to delight in gorgeous Buildings Banquets and Baths 14 And thus farre had Agricola proceeded before the death of Vespasian whose managing of the Imperiall dignitie was euery way answerable to so high a place and whose death was as much lamented as his Vertues did surmount his Predecessours But as touching his miraculous cures of the Blind and the Lame as they serue not either to bee vrged or inserted in this our present Historie so yet may they conuince the indurate Atheist whose conscience is seared with the sinne of incredulitie of the Miracles wrought by our blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ. For if the wisest Historians of those times haue beleeued themselues and left Records vpon their credit to following posterities that by his touch onely hee cured a Lame-man and with his spittle opened the eies of the Blinde being a mortalland sinfull man shall it then bee doubted that hee which knew no sinne neither receiued the gift by measure either in power could not or in act did not worke such Miracles as were the witnesses of his God-head and for such are recorded to confirme our faith But to our purpose 15 When Vespasian had liued threescore and nine yeeres seuen moneths and seuen daies and had raigned ten yeeres as Eusebius saith he died peaceably in his Bed which no Emperour since Augustus euer did hauing beene a great Scourge and Instrument of God against the miserable Iewes whose kingly race from Dauids line he sought by all meanes to extirpate that so all their hopes and expectations might for euer be cut off 16 Hee was of a middle stature well set and strongly compact his countenance not altogether amiable neither any waies deformed a great fauourer of Learning very Liberall a Iust Wise and Most Valiant Prince TITVS FLAVIVS VESPASIAN CHAPTER XIII PResently vpon the death of this Emperour Titus his eldest sonne sirnamed Flauius Vespasian without al contradiction was receiued and obeyed for his rightfull successor aswell for that his Father in his life-time had made him his Partner in the Empire and at his death by Testament declared him his Heire as also for the generall opinion conceiued of him for his inbred goodnes and noble conditions called esteemed the louely darling and delight of mankinde Indeed of a most comely presence he was fitted thereunto with all heroicall vertues a great Souldier learned in the Arts a good Oratour a skilfull Musitian and could by artificiall characters write both very fast and very faire 2 His youth he spent in Militarie qualities and serued in Germanie and Britaine with exceeding commendations and in Iurie warred with the like glorie which is nothing impaired by the learned stile of his Recorder Iosephus vnto whom againe for these affaires I must referre the curious Reader 3 Ierusalem with the slaughter of eleuen thousand Iewes euen on the birth day of his daughter with such honour he wonne that thereupon presently he was saluted Emperour euen in the life time of Vespasian his Father and from that day carried himselfe as his Associate in the Empire for with him hee Triumphed and with him he iointly administred the Censorship his Colleague he was in the Tribunes authoritie and his Companion also in seuen Consulships In all which though the Edicts went forth in his fathers name yet were they penned by himselfe Of this his victorie ouer the Iewes hee left the remembrance to posteritie by stamping vpon the reuerse of his coines IVD CAP. with pictures expressing his Triumph and the Iewes ouerthrow which in the front of this Chapter we haue also placed 4 Somewhat he was blemished with the loue of Berenice the beautifull Queene of Iewrie and much more with the murther of Aulus Cinna only through iealousie conceiued of her and whether that was the sinne whereof at his death he repented is vncertain when lifting vp his eies to Heauen hee complained why his Life should be taken from him that excepting one offence deserued not to die As himselfe in glorie wielded the Emperiall Scepter so did his Substitutes gouerne the Prouinces at which time in Britaine Agricola was President and therein had spent almost two yeares vnder the raigne of Vespasian in such maner as wee haue declared 5 In his third yeare he discouered new Countries and parts of this Iland yet vntouched or at leastwise not thoroughly subdued as altogether vnsatiate of that which was gotten sought to draw the confines of the Empire with a larger compasse therefore marching Northward to the Frith of * Taus wasted all as he went and without any resistance fortified the places with Castles and Bulwarkes which hee stored with sufficient prouision where euerie Garrison wintring garded it selfe and with the Summers seruice euer repaired the Winters euents whereby euermore the Enemie went to the worse and his designes prospered as himselfe wished 6 The fourth Summer was spent in perusing and ordering that which he had ouer-runne And if the glory of the Romane name could haue permitted or so beene satisfied it needed not to haue sought other limits of Britaine for Glota and Bodotria two armes of two opposite Seas shooting farre into the
of the rest in the Saxons Heptarchie for in the middest of the Iland this Kingdome was seated and from the verge of Northumberland touched some part of Middlesex which was the possession of the East-Saxons the North thereof was bounded with Humber and Mersey the East was inclosed with the German Ocean the West extended to Seuerne and Dee and the South part neerely touched the Riuer of Thames containing the Counties now known by these names of Cheshire Darby-shire Nottingham Stafford and Shrop-shire Northampton Leicester Lincolne Huntington and Rutland-shires Warwicke Worcester Oxford and Glocester-shires Buckingham Bedford and part of Hertford-shire The first raiser of that Title and name of a Kingdome was Crida the sonne of Kenwald who was the sonne of Cnebba the sonne of Ichell the sonne of Eomer the sonne of Engengeate the sonne of Offa the sonne of Weremund the sonne of Withleg the sonne of Waga the sonne of Wethelgeate the third of the fiue sonnes of Prince Woden This man without more fame of his further acts is said to haue raigned the space of ten yeeres and to haue died Anno 594. His issue was Wibba that succeeded him in his Kingdome and a daughter named Quenburge matched in mariage with Edwin afterwards King of Northumberland with whom she liued in the Court of King Redwald in the time of his troubles and died before him in that his banishment She bore him two sonnes Osfrid and Edfride as in the succession of Edwins Monarchy shall be shewed notwithstanding Beda reporteth this Quenburge to be daughter of Ceorle the third King of Mercia and grand-child to this first Crida VVIbba the sonne of King Crida not onely held what his Father had gotten but also inlarged his dominions by intrusion vpon the weake Britaines His issue was Penda Kenwalk and Eoppa all three Progenitors of Kings afterwards in that kingdome with a daughter named Sexburg married to Kenwald King of the West-Saxons whom he without iust cause diuorced from him for which cause great troubles afterwards ensued as in the raignes of those Kings wee haue said He in great honour raigned twenty yeeres and giuing place vnto nature left his kingdome to be inioied by another CEorl not the son but the Nephew of King Wibba succeeded in the dominions of the Mercians about the yeere of grace six hundreth and fourteenth He was sonne to Kinemund the brother of Wibba the younger sonne of King Crida who was the first King of that kingdome His raigne is set to be ten yeeres without mention either of Act or Issue PEnda the sonne of Wibba beganne his raigne ouer the Mercians the yeere of Christs Incarnation six hundred twenty six continued the same the space of thirty yeeres He was a man violent in action and mercilesse in condition cruell and vnsatiate of blood he shooke the Cities and disturbed the borders of the Saxon-Kings more then any other in that Heptarchy before him had done Against Kingils and Quincheline Kings together of the West-Saxons he ioined battell neere vnto the Citie Cirenchester where both the parties fought it out to the vtmost with the effusion of much Saxons bloud but those comming to concord he with Cadwallo King of the Britaines slew in battell Edwine and O◅wald Kings of Northumberland Sigebert Egfrid and Anna Kings of the East-Angles and forced Kenwald King of the West-Saxons out of his Country in quarrell of his Sister Of these his prosperities he became so proud that hee thought nothing impossible for his atchieuement and therefore threatning the destruction of the Northumbers prepared his Army for that expedition Oswy then raigning King of that Country proffered great summes of mony and most precious Iewels to purchase his peace which being refused and the battell ioined more by the hand of God then power of man this Tyrant was slaine and his whole Army discomfited His Wife was Kinswith and issue by her Peada who after him was King Vulfere and Ethelred both Monarchs of the English Merkthel a man famous for his great holinesse and Merwald that gouerned some part of Mercia whose Wife was Edburga the foundresse of Minster in Tanet and daughter to Egbert King of Kent by whom he had issue Meresin a man of noted deuotion Milbury and Mildgith both holy Virgins and Mildrith also Abbesse of Tanet all foure canonized for Saints The daughters of King Penda were Kineburg the Wife of Alkfrid King of Northumberland afterward a Votaresse in Kinesburg Abby and Kineswith who maried Offa King of the East-Angles and became also a Nunne with her sister Kineburgh PEada the sonne of King Penda in the daies of his father and with his permission had gouerned the middle part of Mercia and after his death by the gift of Oswy of Northumberland all the South of that kingdome from the Riuer Trent vpon cōposition to marrie his daughter and to imbrace Christianity which thing this Peada performed and was the first Christian King of the Mercians His Baptisme receiued to witnesse the first fruits of his profession hee laid the foundation of a faire Church at Medeshamsled now called Peterborrow but liued not to finish the same for that he was slaine by the treason of Alkfled his wife in the celebration of Easter as Beda saith hauing had no issue by her But Robert de Swapham an Author of good antiquity who saw the stones of that foundation to be so huge as that eight yoke of Oxen could hardly draw one of them saith that Peada was brought to his end by the practise of his Mother and not of his Wife as in these his words is manifest Peada saith he laid the foundation of a Monastery at Medeshamsted in the Giruians or Fen-Country which he could not finish for that by the wicked practise of his Mother hee was made away Whereby this blot is taken from this Christian Lady and brands the face of her that most deserueth it This King raigning as substitute to King Oswy of Northumberland aforesaid by some is not accounted for a Mercian King his regiment resting vnder the command of another VVlfhere the Brother of murthered Peada set vp by the Mercians against King Oswy prooued a Prince most valiant and fortunate For hee expelled the Northumbrians Lieutenants forth of those dominions fought victoriously against Kenwald King of the West-Saxons conquered the I le of Wight and attained to be sole Monarch of the Englishmen whereof more shall be said when wee come to the times and successions of their raignes This Vulfhere is said to raigne in great honour for seuenteene yeeres and his body to bee buried in the Monasterie of Peterborow which he had founded His Queene Ermenheld after his death became a Nunne at Ely vnder her Mother Sexburg and there died His children were Kenred Vulfald and Rufin with a daughter named Wereburg a Nunne in the Monastery of Ely EThelred
NINTEENTH KING OF THE VVEST-SAXONS AND THE TWENTIETH MONARCH OF THE ENGLISHMEN HIS WARRES ACTS WIVES AND CHILDREN CHAPTER XXXII EThelwolfe the eldest sonne of King Egbert committed in his youth to the care of Helmestan Bishop of Winchester and by him vnto Swithun a famous learned Monke of that time tooke such a liking vnto the quiet and solitarie life onely enioyed by men of Religion all other degrees molested to withstand the intruding Danes that he vndertooke the Monkish vow and profession and was made Deacon shortly after which degree taken Helmestan died in whose place Prince Ethelwolfe was consecrated as Roger Houeden affirmeth or at least elected as Iohn Brampton Abbat of Iaruaux writeth Bishop of Winchester But the death of his Father King Egbert immediately following by great intreaty of the Nobles and partly by constraint of the Clergy hee was made King and was by the authority of Pope Gregory the fourth whose creature in both professions he was absolued and discharged of his vowes 2 He entered his Monarchy the fourth day of February in the yeare of Christs Incarnation eight hundred thirty seuen and was the nineteenth King of the West-Saxons and the twentieth Monarch of the Englishmen His Bishopricke he gaue vnto Swithun his Tutor and according to his place combined all his powers to withstand the dangerous Danes that attempted the vtter subuersion of his faire land whos 's fift inuasion in his first yeare happened which drew the Saxons ciuill warres vnto a constrained peace hauing more then they could well doe to defend their liues from their slaughtering swords or to saue their vniustly gotten land from the spoiles of those common enemies who not like Conquerors but destroying Caterpillers left nothing vndeuoured wheresoeuer they came and had now begunne their mercilesse depopulations in diuers places at once so that the distracted English were to seeke where was most need first to withstand 3 At Hampton Portesmouth many of these Norway Pirates had entred at Hampton with their ouerthrow at Portesmouth with victory and the same time at Carrum a Troupe of these Danes discomfited King Ethelwolfes power The next yeare at Merseware Lindsey in East-Angle and Kent they did much mischiefe and harried all the Country before them yet in his tenth yeare at Pedredesmouth the Sommerset and Dorsetshire men gaue them a memorable ouerthrow vnder the conduct of Earle Enwulfe Bishop Adelstan and Osred their captaines 4 But in the sixteenth yeare of this King the great Planet Mars seemed to praedominate continually and Fortune to cast the chance of victory euer on his side for two hundred and fifty ships some reckon a hundred more entred into Thamesis mouth and set on shore an infinite number of these destroying Danes London and Canterbury they had sacked and left wast had pierced into Mercia and chased Berthulfe their King out of his Country and now in Southery had pitched their battle as able and resolute to abide all the power of the English whither King Ethelwolfe with his sonne prince Ethelbald repaired and tooke the field at the place called Ocley wherein after a long and sore fight the victory fell to the English with such slaughter of these Norway inuaders as is incredible to report and the same held as great and famous as euer had hapned in the land before 5 With the like successe his Brother Athelstan King of Kent fought with the Danes at Sandwich where chasing them to sea tooke nine of their ships and in Deuonshire Earle Ceorle at Winleshore so ouerthrew their whole power that in despaire they withdrew themselues into the I le of Thanet where they made their abode all the winter season and if destiny had not withstood the English the Danes had beene expulsed for euer But the Saxons seeming cleared of this common enemy fell to their wonted quarrels with the euer depressed Britaines against whom Burthred the M◅rcian obtained the assistance of King Ethelwolfe in his eighteenth yeare whose daughter Ethelswith hee had obtained in mariage whereby for a while was encreased the fame and power of that valiant but vnfortunate King 6 In this State the affaires of the land stood vnto the nineteenth yeare of King Ethelwolfes raigne who now remembring his former Ecclesiasticke profession ordained that Tithes and Lands due to holy Church should bee free from all Tributes or Regall seruices and in great deuotion went himselfe to Rome where hee was both honourably receiued and entertained the space of a whole yeare in which time hee new built the English Schoole that Offa the Mercian before had there founded and lately was fired bearing the name of Thomas the Holy confirming also his Grant of Peter pence and further couenanting in lieu of his kind entertainement to pay yeerely three hundred markes to Rome thus to bee emploied one hundred to Saint Peters Church an other hundred to Saint Pauls Light and the third to the Pope the Bride that euermore must be kissed and largely paid 7 His returne from Rome was through France and being a Widower hee there married Iudith the most beautifull daughter of Charles the Bald then Emperour in honour of whom in his owne Court he euer placed her in a Chaire of Estate with all other maiesticall complements of a Queene contrary to the law of the West-Saxons for Ethelburgaes offence formerly made Which his doing so disliked the Nobles that Prince Ethelbald his eldest Sonne Adelstan Bishop of Shirborne and Enwulfe Earle of Somerset rose vp rebelliously in Armes and sought to depose him yet by mediation of friends the matter came to a comprimize and the land to be diuided betwixt the Father and Sonne but with such partiality that the better part west-ward was allotted to Ethelbald which vnequality gaue great suspition that this reuolt was rather grounded vpon ambition then any inclination they had for the defence of their lawes which commonly is the pretence and vaile for all disloiall attempts of seditious subiects against their soueraigne Lords 8 Howsoeuer it was long after this he liued not but left his Monarchy vnto his eldest sonne Ethelbald and by will appointed Ethelbert his second to be King of Kent and Essex which countries he had conquered He raigned twenty yeares one moneth and nine dayes and deceased at a place called Stamrige the thirteenth day of Ianuary in the yeare of our Lord eight hundred fifty seauen being the twenty one of his Raign His body was first buried at the place of his decease and afterwards remoued into the Cathedrall Church at Winchester His wiues 9 Osburg the first wife of King Ethelwolfe was the daughter of a Nobleman named Oslake who had the office of Great Butler of England and was descended of the stocke of Stuffe and Withgar two brethren being noblemē of the people called Iutes who were the first Princes of the I le of Wight and Nephewes to Cherdik and cosen germans to Kenrik
against excessiue drinking ordaining a size by certaine pinnes set in the pot with penalties to any that should presume to drinke deeper then the marke 5 His policie was no lesse prudent but much more successefull for the destruction of Wolues that in his daies did great annoiance to the land for the tribute imposed vpō the Princes of Wales by the English King Ethelstan as we haue said he wholy remitted and in lieu thereof appointed certaine numbers of Wolues yeerely to bee paid and Ieuaf or Iage Prince of North-Wales did for his part pay him yeerely three hundred which continued for three yeeres space but in the fourth was not a Wolfe to bee found and so the tribute ceased 6 His Nauie roiall containing three thousand and sixe hundred ships he diuided into three parts appointing euery of them to a seuerall quarter to waffe the Seas and secure the coasts from Pirats and forraine enemies wherein himselfe euery summer would saile with those in the East parts vnto those in the West and sending them backe to their charge would with the West saile into the North and with the northerne fleete compasse againe into the East whereby the seas were scowred and his Kingdom exceedingly strengthned 7 The like custome vsed he in the winter season in his ieysts and circuits throughout his Country so to take account of the administration of his lawes and the demeanour of his great men especially of his Iudges whom seuerely he punished so often as he found the execution of their places ballanced either with bribery or partiality so that there was neuer lesse robbery deceit or oppressions thē in the raigne of this worthy King 8 His state thus flourishing in peace and prosperity he caused diuers Princes to bind themselues vnto his allegiance but perchanceit may iustly be doubted whether in such performance of homage and seruice as Malmsbury Florentius Randulphus Marianus Houeden and other writers affirme to haue beene at the City Chester where they say Kennadie King of Scots Malcolme of Cumberland Maxentius an Arch-Pirate with the petty King of Wales Duffnall Griffith Hunal Iacob and Indithil did with oares row his Barge vpon the riuer Dee from his Pallace to Saint Iohns Church and thence againe backe to his Pallace himselfe the while steering the helme and saying in his glory that then his successors might trulie account themselues Soueraigne Kings of England when they enioyed such a Prerogatiue of sublimity and supreme honour although saith M. Fox he might much better and more Christianlike haue said God forbid that I should reioice but in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ. 9 Warres he had none in all his raigne onely towards the end the Welshmen moued some rebellion which to preuent hee assembled a mighty Army and therewith entred into the County of Glamorgan sharply punishing the ringleaders thereof but his souldiers doing great harms in the country laden with spoiles for the returne the King out of his bounty commanded all to be againe restored whereby hee purchased singular loue and honour of the inhabitants 10 To his magnanimity was ioined much deuotion but most especially towards the Monks for whom and for Nunnes hee built and repaired forty seuen Monasteries intending to haue continued their number vnto fifty as himselfe testifieth in these words of his Charter The Monasteries aswell of Monks as of Virgins haue beene destroied and quite neglected throughout England which I haue now determined to repaire to the glory of God for my soules health and so to multiply the number of Gods seruants and handmaides and now already I haue set vp forty seuen Monasteries with Monks and Nunnes in them and if Christ spare me life so long I am determined in offering my deuout munificence to God to proceed to fifty euen to the iust number of a Iubilee And by this his Charter did not onely approue the enlargement of S. Maries Monasterie in Worcester and the restoring of Votaries in stead of married Priests but himselfe either new founded or repaired many others as the house of Ely Glasenbury Abington Burgh Thorney Ramsey Wilton Wenton Winchorne and Thumstocke with great cost and large endowments hauing the Clergie in an high and reuerent esteeme and most of all his Confessor Dunstan but with this wheate there were tares growing though the late Monkish Writers bind them vp for good corne for some men tell saith Randulphus Higden that Edgar in his beginning was cruell to Citizens and lecherous to maidens whereof these his actions ensuing beare sufficient witnes 11 The first was committed against the virgine Wolfhild a sacred Nunne as some affirme though others somwhat mitigating that sacrilegious offence haue reported that she to auoid his fleshly and lasciuious lust was forced to take the habite of a Menchion vpon her and in the same brought to his bed wherein the chast S. Edith was begot and for whom say they he vnderwent his seuen yeeres penance without the wearing of his Crowne 12 A like offence hee committed against the virgine Ethelfleda the daughter of Ordmar a Duke among the East-Angles who for her surpassing beauty was surnamed the White on whom he begat his eldest sonne Edward for which fact as M. Fox affirmeth hee did his seuen yeeres penance inioined by Dunstan and indeed by Osberne it appeareth that Edward was not legitimate where he writeth that the child begotten of the harlot he baptized in the holy fountaine of regeneration and so giuing his name to bee called Edward did adopt him to bee his sonne With whom agree Nicholas Trinet in his English story written in French Iohannes Paris in his French story written in Latine both of them calling Edward a sonne illegitimate as also doth Vincentius and Antoninus howbeit William of Malmsbury Mathew Paris Mathew of Westminster Randulphus and others will haue her his first and lawfull wife and Edward in true matrimony to haue descended from them 13 An other instance of his lasciuious life is produced by the forenamed Writers and thus both occasioned and acted It chanced Edgar to heare a Virgine and daughter to a Westerne Duke exceedingly praised for her incomparable beauty the touch of which string from his care resounded to his heart and as a bait it drew him presently into those parts where comming to Andeuer commanded the damsell to his bed The mother tender of the Virgins honour brought in the darke her maid but not her daughter who all as well pleased the King in his sinnefull dalliance the day approching this late laid maid made hast to arise but the King loth to part yet with his supposed faire Lady demanded why she made such hast who answered him that her taske was great and hardly would her worke be done if day should preuent her ere she rose but yet being staied aboue her howre vpon her knees she made this humble request that shee might be freed from her
Grandfather King Edgar 19 He was of personage tall for courage hardy strong of limmes and well could endure the trauels of warre insomuch that some deeme the surname Ironside giuen him onely vpon that occasion◅ With him fell the glory of the English and the aged body of their sore bruised Monarchy seemed to bee buried with him in the same Sepulchre His Wife 20 Algith the wife of King Edmund was the widow of Sigeferth the sonne of E◅grin a Danish Nobleman of Northumberland which Sigeferth with his brother Morcar was murthered at Oxford by the treason of the neuer-faithfull Edrick this Lady being of great beauty and noble parentage after the death of her husband and the seisure of his lands was by King Ethelred cōmitted in charge to the Monastery of Malmesbury where Edmund seeing her grew in great loue and there married her against the liking of his father in Anno 1015. His Issue 21 Edward the eldest son of King Edmund and Queen Algith his wife was surnamed the Outlaw because he liued out of England in Hungary as a banished man through the raigne of C◅t and of his sonnes the Danes But when his vncle King Edward the Confessor had obtained the English crown he was by him recalled and most honourably in his Court enterained till lastly hee was taken away by death in the City of London the yeere of Christ 1057. He married Agatha sister to Queene Sophia wife to Salomon King of Hungary and daughter to the Emperour Henrie the second by whom hee had Edgar surnamed Etheling confirmed heire apparant by Edward Confessor his great Vncle which title notwithstanding proceeded no further for that hee was depriued thereof by Harold his Protector The daughters of this Edward as after shall be said were Margaret and Christian the younger of which became a valed Nunne at Ramsey in Hampshire where shee in that deuotion spent her life and was there interred Margaret the elder and afterward sole heire vnto the Saxon Monarchy married Malcolme the third of that name King of Scotland and commonly called Canmore from which princely bed in a lineall descent our high and mighty Monarch King IAMES the first doth in his most roiall person vnite the Britaines Saxons English Normans and Scotish imperiall Crownes in one 22 Edmund the second and yongest sonne of King Edmund and of Queene Algith his wife after his fathers decease being a Child was with his brothe Edward sent by Canute to Olaue King of Swedon his halfe brother to the intent that he by murther should make them both away but this King taking pitty on the innocent Childrens estate sent them to Salomon King of Hungarie to the intent to haue them saued where they were receiued with great fauour and honour and Mathew of Westminster reporteth that this Prince married the daughter of the same King and other Writers of these times that he died in the same Country without any issue of his body 23 These two sonnes of the Ironside thus posted away and the crowne already set vpon the Danes head had not the meanes of themselues to displace it nor the English hearts to assist them to their right so that they rather secured themselues from violent deaths in this their exile then made claime to that which was vnrecouerable and left the Danes quietly to possesse the land which so long they had molested with their sturdy Armes The End of the Seuenth Booke THE ORIGINALL OF THE DANES THEIR MANNERS RELIGION AND INVASIONS OF ENGLAND THE RAIGNES OF THEIR KINGS HERE UNTILL THE CROWNE REVERTED AGAINE TO THE SAXONS WORNE BY KING EDWARD THE CONFESSOR AND AFTER HIM BY HAROLD THE LAST KING OF THEIR RACE CHAPTER I. THe Spirite of God in his sacred writings to shew his all-commanding power ouer Kingdomes and Nations compareth the transmigrations of people from country to country vnto the transfusion of wine from vessel to vessell and those that are at rest with sinne to the setling vpon their lees as Moab did against whom hee cursed that hand that was negligent in his worke of reuenge and the sword that was not sheathed in their bloud Euen so the sinnes of the Saxons growne now to the full and their dregs as it were suncke vnto the bottome they were emptied by the Danes from their owne vessels and their bottles broken that had vented their red bloody wines in lieu whereof the Lord then gaue them the cuppe of his wrath whose dregs hee had formerly by their own hands wrung out vpon other nations 2 For these Saxons that had enlarged their kingdomes by the bloud of the Britaines and built their nests high vpon the Cedars of others as the Prophet speaketh committed an euill couetousnesse vnto their owne habitations and were stricken by the same measure that they had measured vnto others When as the Danes often attempting the lands inuasion and the subuersion of the English estate made way with their swords through all the Prouinces in the realme and lastly aduanced the crowne vpon their owne helmets which whiles it so stood was worne with great honour especially of Canutus the first and their greatest 3 As touching this Nations originall and first place of residing seeing themselues know nothing at all we cannot determine but supposing them with Franciscus Irenicus to be a branch of the ancient Germans and knowing them by the testimonies of al others to inhabite◅ in the same Country among them we need not to doubt but that their conditions and customes were much alike Of the former what we haue obserued is already set downe where we spake of our Saxons now of these later what is supposed for truth shall be produced 4 These Danes so often mentioned by our historians for the great afflicters of the English state and peace were a people descended from the Scythians as Andrew Velley a learned Danish Writer reporteth but Dudo of S. Quintin an ancient Author will haue them to come from Scandia an Iland situated north-ward not farre from the continent of Denmarke which his opinion seemeth vnto some to be strengthned by Ptolemie the Alexandrian who in his Geography placeth the people Da◅ciones the supposed Ancestors of those Danes in this Iland Scandia at such time as himselfe wrote which was in the raigne of Hadrian the Emperour and about the yeere of Christs natiuity 133. But wheresoeuer the root had beginning the branches did farre spread themselues into the vpper Germany and parts of Norway and Sweyden whose faire fruit more particularly filled that promontory which tongue-like lieth into the Ocean on the north being anciently called of the learned Cimbrica Chersonessus where as Tacitus saith was the vttermost end of Nature and of the world a strange conceit indeed and yet more strange was their opinion who were perswaded that the sound and noise of the Sunne was there heard at his dailie rising and setting in those seas But from
Robert whose power daily encreased tortured with cruelties all those that stood for the King and to augment a more mischiefe the Flemings left their owne Country and came ouer by multitudes like vnto a Company of hunger-starued Wolues seeking to bring the Lands felicity vnto nothing 22 Stephen whose head was now ful of troubles delaid no time to forward his Fortunes but straightwaies besieged Maud and her brother in Wallingford Castle notwithstanding wearied with long labour and profiting little hee caused a Tower of wood to be there erected which he strongly fortified with mē and munition and then remooued to the siege of Malmesbury His brother also of Winchester a stout and politicke Prelate indeede bestirred all his wilie wittes in Stephens behalfe for inuiting certaine Noble-men to his Palace at Winchester retained them prisoners till hee had compelled them there to resigne their Castles to the King In the meane while Earle Robert subdued and spoiled Worcester Ralph Painell in the Empresses fauour burned Nottingham and Ranulph Earle of Chester ioining in wishes with Robert whose daughter hee maried shewed himselfe not vnwilling to annoy King Stephen though he had receiued great honours at his hands The Empresse her selfe the better to secure her owne person and to giue accesse vnto her fauourites tooke into Lincolne where she meant to make her abode storing the City with all prouisions necessarie 23 King Stephen as vigilant as the other was politick made straight-waies thitherward and begirt the Citie with a straite siege where hee had surprised his greatest Enemie had shee not found meanes thence to escape so possessing himself of the City setled it the whole Countrey in verie good quiet Soone after whose departure Ranulph Earle of Chester with his Countesse and Brother comming to Lincolne to keepe their Christmas the Citizenes knowing the Kings iealousies and desirous to currie fauour with him sent secret intelligence that if he would surprize both those Brethren he had now the fittest aduantage whereto the King giuing eare came thither with great expedition and whiles they thus circumuented stood on their guard in the Castle the Earle escaped foorth and went to craue aid of the Empresse for rescue of his wife and brother whom hee left besieged Earle Robert hearing the newes and glad of so faire an opportunity ioined with Ranulph and they both gathered all their powers both of Welsh and English for the releefe of their friends in Lincolne where resolutelie first wading through the Riuer which parted them from the Kings Armie and was then deepe vpon Candlemas day and yeere of Christ Iesus one thousand one hundred fortie one they pitched their Tents and in the Kings sight ordered their Battaile One Squadrone whereof was lead by Earle Ranulph the Disherited were the Guiders of another in the third was Earle Robert himselfe and the Welsh-men serued for the Wing Their troopes thus marshalled Ranulph appointed in rich Armor and full of braue resolution spake thus to his followers in the presence of Robert of Glocester 24 I yeeld you vnfained thanks Inuincible Captaine and you our companions in Armes which heere so resolutelie witnesse your loues vnto mee vpon my sole request euen to the hazard of your owne liues Sith then I am the chiefe cause of this your perill it well befits me that I my selfe be formost in the hazard and giue the first onsette of battaile against this faithlesse King who made vs a shew of truce onelie to take aduantage for our ruines and therefore both mine owne courage and the Kings vniust dealing giue mee cause to hope that I shall foorthwith breake asunder the strongest array of his Armie and make my way through their midst by dint of this my sword It shall be argument of your prowesse to follow me leading you the way and to imitate mee giuing you example My thoughts alreadie tell mee that euen now I am breaking through his Battles trampling on the neckes of his Chieftaines and piercing with this my sword the very sides of the King himselfe His speech though short and headdie as more fitting a Souldier then an Orator yet well suited with the time and was seconded with great applause of the Souldiers Whereupon Robert Earle of Glocester stept foorth and said 25 It is not against right most Noble Earle that the honor of this daies seruice and first assault should bee permitted vnto you in regard of the greatnes both of your descent and your martiall achieuement but yet if Descent bee stood on I my selfe am both the sonne and nephew of a Mightie King if Valour heere now are many of choisest worth of whom none liuing can challenge precedence for prowesse But other reason ought now to sway For sith the King contrarie to his Oath made to my Sister impiously vsurped the Kingdome he hath made a confusion of all things both in causing the bloud of many thousands to bee spilt and in making many Owners as himselfe was of that which was not their owne by depriuing other of their rightfull inheritance These therefore thus disherized ought of right in assurance of helpe from their righteous Iudge and reuenger giue first assault on their vnrighteous oppressor and God who iustly iudgeth his people will doubtlesse looke downe from his heauenly habitation and will not leaue vs succourlesse whiles in a iust cause wee impugne a most vniust Intruder But one thing most resolued Captaines and souldiers I would haue you through lie to consider that through these Fennes which with so much a doe you haue passed there is no way fit for escape heere must wee either vanquish or leaue our liues for hope of flight is none at all nor is there any other way left vs now to goe but by our swords into the Citie and if I gesse aright euen this that wee haue no meanes to flie will bee to vs the meanes by diuine assistance to get the Victorie because they must needes trust to their Manhood who see no hope to thriue by their Cowardize Indeed the Citizenes of Lincolne keepe nigh to their houses and in the brunt of the Battle there will their mindes bee and thither will their heeles follow whiles you victoriouslie shall keepe the field And consider farther with mee what kinde of Captaines they haue First Alaine Duke of Britaine he comes armed not against you but God himselfe a furious person spotted with all filth of sinne in malice vnmatchable who thinks it his greatest dishonour to see any man excell him in crueltie with him commeth the treacherous Earle Robert Mellent the very craftes-master of fraud in whose heart dwells impiety guile in his mouth cowardize in his actions high of minde vaineglorious in words degenerous in performance last in the fight first in the flight Next comes Hugh By-god his name neerelie sounding his periurie who thought it not sufficient to breake his oath with the Empresse but that hee
Emperour as likewise the Empresse stooping low receiued on his head the Diadem from the Popes feet and presently againe the Pope strake the Emperors crowne with his foot and dasht* it to the ground signifying that hee had power to throw him vpon his demerites out of his Empire but the Cardinals catching vp the crowne put it againe on the Emperours head 25 The same day in which Philip his French Forces set saile out of the Hauen of Messana arriued Alienor King Richards mother accompanied with Berengaria his new intended Spouse daughter to* Sanctius King of Nauaire whome afterward he tooke to wife in Cyprus but his Mother after a short stay returned by Rome into England leauing the young Lady with Ioan Queene Dowager of Sicilie both which accompanied the King toward the holy Land his whole Nauie being one hundred and fifty great ships and fifty three Gallies well appointed for the warre and many other Sailes and Vessels and not to omit the same because it is recorded as a singularity he had among all these * thirteen Buces or Buscies which had each of them three course of Sailes to saile with but no Writer so farre as we yet find declares what numbers of Souldiers were in the English Armie 26 This Nauie roiall betweene the Isles of Rhodes and Cyprus for the honor and good of King Richard was scatterd by God with a terrible tempest some one or two of which suffered wreack vpon the Isle of Cyprus whom Cursac or as other call him Isakius Emperour of the Griffons being a tyrant did spoile and contrary to Christian Religion which was his profession though some mistake and all honour and humanity he would not among other his vnprincely or rather barbarous behauiours suffer the Kings sister and Lady Berengaria with other of that tender societie to come into harbour to their great discontentment and perill a Shippe or two sinking there but neither would God nor King Richard forgiue it him 27 For the said vnworthy Prince hauing thrice refused to make restitution of his vnlawfull seisures and prisoners was entred vpon by the English driuen from the shoares with great dishonour and slaughter the City Limeszun left for a prey to the victors and himselfe beaten againe out of his Campe and taken and after an escape made by him his onelie daughter and heire yeelding her selfe and her Father lastly comming againe of his owne accord as despairing to lie hid vnder custodie and thrust into fetters of gold and siluer the whole Iland with all the people strength and riches thereof became subiect to the King of England and both Father and Daughter led away into captiuity 28 There arriued at Limeszun to salute and honour King Richard within three dayes after his first victory Guido King of Ierusalem Geofrey de Lenizant his brother Raimund Prince of Antioch Earle Boemond his sonne c. offering their seruices and swearing to bee his against all men with whose priuity King Richard seised the flourishing and spatious Iland of Cyprus by antiquity celebrated as the very seate of Venus which that it might so proue to himselfe in the ioyous moneth he solemnly took to wife his beloued Lady Berengaria 29 The person of the Emperour for by that lofty title Writers call him was sent to Tripolis in Syria vnder the custody of Ralph Fitz Godfrey Lord Chamberlaine to King Richard his daughter was committed to the two Queenes Berengaria and Ioan the Iland it selfe was entrusted to Richard de Camuile and Robert de Turnham his Viceroyes with competent force and prouisions and the Ilanders suffered to enioy all such lawes and liberties as they held in the time of Manuel the Emperour of Constantinople or as now they call it of Sâ—…mboli 30 This fame of Richard was much enlarged by his conquering a mighty Argosey called a Dromond wherein were aboord one thousand and fiue hundreth Sarazens though disguised vnder French Flagges furnished besides all other prouisions with fire-workes barrelles or cages of venemous serpents and the like for the vse of the Sarazens at Acon anciently called Ptolomais to the siege whereof he was then sailing thirteene hundreth of which Miscreants he sacrificed to Mars Neptune keeping the rest for ransome 31 Philip King of France in hope perhaps to conquere Acon before the English could arriue and to winne thereby that glory intire came safe before that City in Easter weeke but as yet had not forced the same at which time that the Reader may obserue the generall disposition of the western Christians in those dayes there engirded Accon omitting the many great Prelates Princes Earles and Honourable Cheifes these Nations following the Genowayes and Florentines the English vnder Hubert Bishop of Salisbury afterward Archbishop of Canterbury Flemings Almaines Danes Dutch Friselanders Pisans Lombardes besides the Knights Templars collected out of all Nations and beside the aides of the Asians all which lay quartered at the Seige in order as here they are placed at that time in which the King of France arriued But Richard King of England with his victorious and triumphant Nauie which when it went out of Cyprus being much belike augmented* did containe 254. tall shippes and aboue 60. Galliots brought terrour dismay to the besieged and comfort to the Christians * vpon the Sunday after Pentecost being about the middest of Iune 32 The siege was so vehemently plied that notwithstanding sundry dissentions between Philip and Richard the two competitors of glorie in this voiage after seuerall breaches and assaults the last whereof was made by the Pisans and English vpon the twelfth of Iuly following many offers of composition made by the Saladine being vtterly refused the City of Accon was rendred to the Christians vpon these conditions 1 That Saladine Prince of Miscreants should by a certaine day restore the holy Crosse. 2 That he should set at liberty fifteen hundreth Christian Captiues 3. That the City with all the things contained therein should remain and be to the Christians 4. That the Turks or Sarazens should haue their liues onely saued if these conditions were performed 5. That they should pay twenty thousand Bizants peeces of gold toward the charges of the Kings * To take possession for the French there was sent in Drogou de Merlou and one hundreth men of Armes and for the English Hugo de Gurnay with the like number who equally parted the City goods and people betweene them 33 And euen now Philip King of France aswell because the Earle of Flanders died at the siege without issue whose countries hee long had coueted as for euill will to Richard whose noble Acts so farre outwent his and because as some * write hee had taken bribes of Saladine meditates nothing but return asking licence of King Richard to depart being then but the tenth day after the Cities surrender so badly his enuious eyes could as
Iohn Mensterworth the yong Lords Grandsonne and Fitzwalter and other vainelie scorning to be vnder Knols for that they held themselues his betters and thereupon diuiding themselues after they had done sundry exploits marching vp euen to Paris were beaten and foild by the French vnder Glequins conduct but Knols wintred safe in Britaine Mensterworth comes into England and knowing accusers haue the vantage complaines to King Edward of Knols but not altogether beleeued he ads treason to vntruth and turning French becomes a wicked enemy to his King and Countrey promising the French to procure the Castilian Nauie to inuade England for which being in the last yeere of King Edwards raigne taken hee by due course was condemned and cut in pieces dying the death he had deserued He was laid hould vpon in the City of Pampeline in Nauarre and from thence conueighed to London vpon whose bridge his wicked head stood Sentinell 141 Pope Vrban the fifth comming from Rome to Auinion with purpose to vnite these two mighty Kings their wils and mights against the common enemy of Christendome put off mortality at Marsils and so that holy intention ceased for the present but the same being continued by his next successor Gregory 11. yet tooke no effect no more then that which the Emperour to like cause would haue vndergone which the French impute to King Edward who confident by reason of his former atchieuements would trie it out by the sword Wherein he seemed to forget the mutable condition of warre the searnesse of his bodie and the greennesse of his Grand-Child yong Richard who was to succeed if the Prince of Wales died as shortly after he did Neither did God seeme to approue his opinion herein for that crosses came fast vpon him both at home and abroad There is no greater wisdome nor happinesse then to know when we are well and then to preserue without hazard or empairment that honour wealth or quiet which we already haue 142 Among the States and Townes assigned to the English by vertue of the treatie at Bretigny which had reuolted to the French was the Citie of Limoges in Limosin whither the Prince marcheth sits down with his armie before it Thither came vnto him out of England his brethren the D. of Lancaster the Earle of Cambridge with a fresh supplie of valiant Chiefs and Souldiers The City stood it out to the vttermost and was forceably entred where mercy had nothing to saue nor spare the sword and fire for terror to other killing and defacing in a manner all Hee who writes that the Prince flew vp neere to Paris and scarsely by reason of Glequins valour got backe to Burdeaux seemes to haue mistaken therein as in many other things concerning vs of great importance After this seruice the Prince health failing him more more leaues his Brethren in Aquitaine and sailes into England 143 The French in the meane time wonne towns and places in Aquitaine gathering new hopes after so long and perpetuall infelicities The losse of that expert Captaine Sir Iohn Chandoys vnfortunately slaine was a great aduantage to their desires whose whole care for warre rested vpon Glequin not long before aduanced for his military vertue from low estate to so great eminencie as to bee Constable of France the chiefest officer for warre which that Kingdome hath and he a man of much proofe in good and euill fortune so tempered his courage with discretion that he onely first bad his Country rise againe and endeauor in despite of euill fortune to reflourish 144 The Prince of Wales wanting health vpon comming to his fathers sight rendred vp the Dutchie of Aquitaine to bee disposed of as to his roiall pleasure seemed good While King Edward was at Clarendon there repaired to him the factious king of Nauarre whose errand was to make an ouerture of association against the French but as his offers were acceptable so his cautions not seeming sufficient hee returned after great entertainement without concluding 145 Iohn Duke of Lancaster and his brother the Earle of Cambridge doe now returne out of Aquitaine with the Ladies Constance and Isabel daughters of Don Pedro late King of Spaine whom they married The Duke thereupon instiling himselfe King and his wife Queene of Castile and Leon. Nor was the English name onely encreased in titularie honors for about this time the Flemings who had prouoked vs were vanquisht by the Earle of Hereford at sea in a sharpe fight about twentie and fiue of their shippes being taken and all the men slain The sweete of this victory was sowred not long after with a grieuous losse for the French hauing besieged the strong Citie of Rochel in Santoin with the aide by sea of Henry King of Castile to relieue the English Iohn Earle of Pembroke was sent with about forty shippes men victuals munition and mony to the value of twenty thousand marks forthe vses of the warre but being sodainely assailed with the Spanish Armado which consisted of many great shippes vnder the command of Ambrose Buccanigra and others the English after a long and cruell conflict were vtterly distressed the Earle taken prisoner and almost all the rest either taken or put to the sword Rochel held out notwithstanding to whose reliefe while King Edward himselfe in person with an extraordinary force set saile the wind alwayes till that time fauourable to his voyages for France came Easterly and draue him backe into England with great griefe and the waste they write of nine hundred thousand pounds sterling Neither did hee so giue ouer the care of that strong Peece which the English most manfully made good against the enemie 146 Rochel thus persisting in loyall resolution Iohn Duke of Britaine who had married the Lady Marie daughter of King Edward a Gentleman of much gratitude toward the English the authors of his fortunes resolues to aduenture his state in their quarrell ships away for England hath aide ministred vnto him hee returnes and warres with various euent But Iohn Duke of Lancaster with a very great Armie comes to Callis and from thence marcheth ouer the whole face of France and though with losse of many thousand horse in the desert countries of Aâ—…ergn throgh famin came safe but with an almost-hunger-starued Army to Burdeaux Not long after hee drew into the field and a day was appointed betweene him and the Duke of Anion the French Kings brother to haue tried the quarrell of their Nations by set battell before the City of Tholouz in Languedoc but by an vntimely a pernitious short truce to which K. Edward yeelded because his son the Prince lay dangerously sick the hoped victory not onlie slipt out of the English mens hands but almost all aduantage also of doing any thing else seasonably The French boasted themselues as of a Conquest who notwithstanding did helpe out their valiancy with policie
made by the English are notwithstanding obserued at this day But the Dukes eye could not looke so farre into the times to come Neuerthelesse wee that see these things must confesse that the best kingdome vnder heauen is not so worth the getting as that with the wilfull contempt of God and conscience any man should seeke to purchase it 94 But while the Duke was thus busied in Courting the Gascoignes good will who had sent into England to shew causes why they should not atturne to the Duke and yet were wrought at last to the point of yeelding he receiues a commandement from King Richard to returne that he might goe with him into France which he obayed The King keeping his at Langley in Hartfordshire the Duke was there entertained with more honour as it was thought then loue Being licenced to depart for a time he repaired to Lincolne where he a widdower married his old loue the Lady Katherine Swinford now a widdow Men did wonder at it but hee therein obeyed the remorse of a Christian conscience without respect to his owne vnequall greatnes for hauing had sundry Children by her in his former wiues time he made her and them now the only sufficient amends which the law of God or man enioineth And further in a Parliament held the yeere following the Duke procured an Act to passe by which such children as he formerly had by his new Dutchesse were legitimated and surnamed them Beufot being foure of them Iohn Thomas Henrie Ioane the second of which was by the Kings bounty created Earle of Sommerset 95 The King being specially accompanied with those his vncles of Lancaster and Glocester at a most sumptuous and chargefull enteruiew between him and Charles King of France in the parts of Calis and Gynes espoused the Lady Isabell daughter of the said Charles At the deliuery of her King Richard in the presence of all the greatest Princes Peeres and Ladies of either nation gaue the King his father in law great thanks for a gift so noble and acceptable adding he tooke her vpon the conditions made betweene the two nations to the intent that liuing in peace and rest they might attaine to the establishment of a perpetuall amitie for auoyding the effusion of Christian blood which would in likelyhood haue followed had not at that time affinitie beene contracted betweene them The young Lady was not aboue seuen or eight yeeres old but the truce was taken for thirty yeeres Her person therefore was committed to the Dutchesses of Lancaster and Glocester and other great Ladies who conducted her to Callis From whence after a short stay the King his young Queene with whom he had great riches and all the glorious companie came ouer into England Their persons arriued safe but the Kings gorgeous Pauilions and a great part of his stuffe was cast away by tempest in the transportation This iourney besides his losses at Sea cost the King aboue forty thousand markes 96 The outward felicitie of England seemed at this time verie great and the rather seemed so because it was likelie to continue In the Duke of Glocesters persō that bright prosperity was first ouershadowed He Vir ferocissimus pracipitis ingenij as Polydor censures him a most fierce man and of an headlong wit thinking those times wherein he had mastred the King were nothing changed though the King was aboue thirty yeres old forbare not roughly not so much to admonish as to checke and schoole his Souereigne The peace with France displeased him that therefore he calumniates The King had restored Brest in Britaine to the Duke vpon reembursements of the money lent he tels the King that hee should first conquer a Towne before he parted with any yet the King answeres that he could not in conscience detaine the same now that the Duke had repaid his loane There were other things which could not so well be answered For a vaine rumor that he should be chosen Emperour put him belike into such a vaine of spending as carried a proportion with that maiesty his coffers in a short time sounding like empty Caske there was no great monied man in whose debt he was not nor any in a manner so meane to whome hee was not burthenous 97 The King had heretofore complained of this vncle to the Earle of Saint Paul a French-man then in England whose iudgement was that such insolency was to be reuenged but complaining to his other vncles of Lancaster and Yorke they wisely aduised the King not to regard his words but his heart which he and they knew sincere vnto him Neuerthelesse partly to weaken the intollerable humor of their brother who like a constant Admirer of his owne waies thought nothing well done but what himselfe either did or directed and partlie to auoid the scandall of the Kings bad courses they withdraw their presences from the Court The King notwithstanding is the same man still as the Duke of Glocester thinks wherefore he breakes his minde to such as he durst trust Arundell in Sussex is appointed the Consultation-place where he the Archbishop of Canterbury the Earles of Arundell Warwicke Marshall and others take an Oath of Secrecy and conclude to raise a power to remoue the Dukes of Lancaster and Yorke and such other as they thought best from about the King so to enact a reformation 98 They are charged by some to haue plotted the imprisonment of the King and Dukes and the death of all other Councellours which howsoeuer it was perhaps no part of their intention might yet haue beene a necessarie consequent The blustring Duke had breathed out dangerous words as that he would put the King of whose courage he spake contemptiblie into some prison there to spend his daies in ease and peace as himselfe thought best His brethren hearing hereof brotherlie admonish him to beware but as it seemes they found him deafe on that side This though some of the late Authors write yet there are both old and new who mention no such matter but the contrary not obscurely teaching vs that the Dukes ruine was but an effect of old malignities 99 Thomas Mowbray Earle of Nottingham and Marshall a party in the reported plot though sonne in law to the Earle of Arundel reueileth the same to the King * The Duke of Glocester is hereuppon surprized by Mowbray lying in wait in the woods where hee was to passe sent to Callis where Nottingham was Captaine and there imprisoned the Earles of Arundel and Warwicke the Lord Iohn Cobham and Sir Iohn Cheiney are arrested Proclamation is then made that they were not committed for anie old matters but for hainous things newly contriued as in the next Parliament should be made manifest though the euent as Walfingham truly saith declared the contrarie But the Duke of Glocester and the two said Earles are endited at Nottingham The King to maintaine the accusation of treason obiected
same place Gentleman That hee and his complices did imagine the Kings death at his Coronation The combat was granted and in Smithfield the Duke of Yorke exercising the office of high Constable they fought in lists In the end the Kings name was vsed to part and forgiue them It is a vice to suspect too farre The Duke of Yorke a most subtle man seemes neuer in heart to haue beene a true subiect to King Henry yet no man saith hee was any author in this Henrie the common wealth hauing yeelded to liber all grants of money is now ready to enter Paris England remained vnder the gouernment of the Duke of Glocester 20 There is no doubt that the English there at their Kings presence set forth their greatnes to the full shew The yong King attended vpon with two English Cardinals Yorke and Winchester and great Princes of his blood Dukes Earles Barons Prelates and the flower of our nation with many aswel French and Burgonians as Normans and others excellentlie well appointed makes a triumphant entry into the head City of that most noble Monarchy There was no signe in the People but of ioy and welcome the showes were many and magnificent Vpon the seuenth day of December he was solemnely Crowned King of France by the Cardinall of Winchester his great vncle in the Chiefe Church of Paris called of our Lady The Duke of Bedford entertained the minds of the Assembly with a set speech wherein he declared King Henrie his Nephewes vndoubted title to that Crowne and commended the same to their fidelities adding ample promises of honour and emolument Such of the French Nobilitie as were present did their homage The people had good and gratious words giuen vnto them and certaine quantities of money Corne and wine in the nature of a donatiue liberally distributed among them Proclamations were made that all Frenchmen who came in by a day there named should be protected The Kings Patents and grants touching French matters passed vnder the seale and stile of Henry King of the Frenchmen and of England which Seale for variety we haue prefixed as we found it annexed * to a writing directed by the King to his Court of Requests in his Pallace at Paris but for English affaires he vsed another Seale being in euery point like vnto that of King Henry the fourth and as some thinke the very same stamp which therefore we haue here omitted as likewise some Charters of his there are whereunto he affixed the seale of his father Charles of France esteemed not himselfe the lesse a King for all this but pursues his affaire His people tooke the City of Chartres by a stratagem the Bishop whereof because a Burgundian they also put to the sword with others Neither were the English idle Iohn Duke of Norfolke Thomas Earle of Arundel Richard Beauchamp Earle of Warwicke the Earle of Suffolke and others made vp this losse with aduantage Their actions are placed by some as done before the Coronation which is likely The King hauing thus taken possession of France not long after tooke his farewell thereof His returne was by Roan and so ouer land to Callais from whence vpon the eleuenth day of February hee arriued safe at Douer His vncle the Duke of Glocester was able to giue an honest and good account of the Gouernment during the kings absence The suppressiō of an insurrection beginning at Abingdon in Oxfordshire was not the least seruice A weauer the Baliffe of the Towne was the vlcerous head to which that corruption gathered who had changed his own name and called himselfe Iacke Sharpe of Wigmores land in Wales The speciall colour of his attempt was to haue massacred Priests whose heads he said hee would make as cheape as Sheepes-heads that is two or three or ten for a penny But the mention of Wigmores lands the ancient inheritance of Mortimer then the possession of the fatall Duke of Yorke who afterward in the right of that name challenged the Crowne of England from King Henry insinuates somewhat further The varlet forfeited his head and foure quarters for his attempt It is to be wondred that the Councell of Estate vnder King Henry hearing that title so often glanced at prouided not better against the mischiefe But the eies and hearts of the wise are blinded when God hath a purpose to reserue a scourge or to hide the fire which shall afterward be vsed to consume a nation Vnquiet humors were aswell abroad as at home The souldiers of Callais discontented with their wages as to little began to be mutinously troublesome The Regent comes thither in person in Easter weeke where he exerciseth necessary discipline seuerely Foure the most faulty lost their heads one hundred and ten are cashered and banisht from the Towne as sixe score others had formerly beene Why dwell we vpon so petty accidents The losse of the Kingdome of France is imminent Let vs diligently note the degrees which God found out to depriue our Nation of that honor In this iourney of the Regent King Henries interest was not aduanced The Regent a widdower roade from thence to Turwin where without the Burgundians priuity he married the Lady Iaquet aged about seuenteene yeeres daughter to Peter of Lutzembourg Earle of S. Paul no friend to the Burgundian This was nothing prosperous to the English affaires For Anne the Regents former wife sister to the Duke of Burgundy being while shee liued a strong reason and assurance of amitie weakened the same by her death and this second marriage not pleasing the Burgundian did yet more diminish it These were but degrees In the meane space the accidents of warre between the English and French were manifold and perplext now wee now they leesing or gaining as opportunity serued which vncertainties brought forth their ordinary progenies fearefull outrages and s◅rcitie of all things needfull for the vse of man It would be wearisome and not much necessary to recount the particular lesser actions neitheir indeed is it easie for who can readily tell the sieges surprises skirmishes and the like being so confusedly set down by Authors wherein diuers of both Nations wanne to themselues much honour and serued the vses of those times and their owne The vttermost effect of those great labours was that the English Regency fell not forthwith into nothing Permanent leaders in those publike seruices were the Regent himselfe their maine Pillar and Chiefe life Thomas Earle of Arundel Richard Earle of Warwicke Henry his Sonne the Lord Willoughby the thrice noble Iohn Lord Talbot who was now at liberty the Lord Scales besides Knights Esquires and other valiant Captaines a multitude 21 The fortune of Renate Duke of Barre is not to be omitted for that afterward our King vnluckely married into his house He had to wife Isabell the daughter and heire of Charles Duke of Lorraine by whom he had issue two sonnes
though the rather stirred therunto by the desire of priuate reuenge The English vpon his forsaking their alliance had attempted to kindle the Gauntois and other of the Flemish townes Subiects to the Duke to rise in rebellion but the opinion that K. Henries fortunes in France were desperately stooping made their wils too dank to take fire The notice notwithstanding of this attempt came to the Duke which sharpened him to reuenge whereof as the former passages abundantly declare hee was not ordinarily thirsty He brings his Armie before Calais Chiefe commanders there for King Henry were the L. Dudley who had charge of the Castell and Sir Iohn Ratcliffe of the Towne The Dukes purpose was to haue cloyed the harbour by sinking shippes laden with stones and such like choaking materials but vpon the â—…bbe-water the Calisians deliuered the hauen from that perill The King of England aduertised that his precious Fort and Towne of Calais were thus emperilled Humfrey Duke of Glocester the Protector comes in person with a very great Fleete some write fiue hundreth saile to the rescue and in it a great puissance with full purpose to giue battell glad perhaps that hee might now reuenge old grudges It is able to moue choler to consider how Writers torture vs with the diuersities of reports but the generall agreement is that the Duke of Burgundy did raise his siege before he was fought with Some say the very rumor of the Protectors approch draue him away and that the Protector came the next day after the Burgundians flight Others excuse him probably enough in saying that the Flemings grew vnweildie to his commandements and would needes home 31 The Protector was master of the Dukes Camp and spent eleuen dayes in his Dominions burning Poppering and Bell and greatly damnified him about â—…Grauelin and Bolognois then setleth hee the state of Calis and returnes with great honour to his charge into England But the English were thought to haue created store of worke for this busie Duke at home where many great tumults rose in one of which his owne person was endangered at Bruges Lisle-Adam the Captaine of his guard being there presently slaine Hence it came perhaps that a meane was found by contracts made with Isabel the Dutchesse his third wife a most witty woman a Portugesse to hold a league with England and yet no breach with France 32 These haue hith erto beene the actions of Men let vs not neglect two great Ladies because much concerning our historie depend on their courses Queene Katherine the widdow of King Henrie the fifth and mother by him of this sixth Henrie about this time departed out of the world This most noble Lady when her husband the King was dead being not of iudgement by reason of her tender yeeres to vnderstand what became her greatnes or hauing found perhaps that greatnes was no part of happinesse secretly marrieth one Owen ap Theodore or Teder the most noble and most goodlie gentleman of all the Welsh nation and endued with admirable vertues who drew his descent from holie Cadwallader last King of the Britaines This husband had by her sundry children two of which Edmund and Gasper doe beare a part in the royall history and King Henry the sixth their halfe brother created the first of them Earle of Richmond the other of Pembroke This Edmund is he who by Margaret the daughter of Iohn Duke of Somerset grandechilde to Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster had Henry the 7. the most famous and prudent King of England 33 In that yeare in which this excellent Queen died the young Dutchesse Dowager of Bedford widdow to the late Regent of France married also below her degree a vigorous English Knight one Sir Richard Wooduile of which match yet Serres needed not to haue spoken so contemptibly calling him an English aduenturer of small account shee thereby saith he giuing cause to laugh at her which censure tasteth perhaps of the French leuen and preiudice because the Lady was sister to the Earle of S. Paul who would not make one in the peace of Arras but held with the English 34 But let vs see the sequell Out of this Matrimony also sprung Queenes for her husband afterward made Earle of Riuers had sundry children by her whereof Elizabeth being one had the honour to marry Edward the fourth King of England and hereby was both herselfe a Queene and a Progenitresse of those glorious Kinges and Queenes which followed for from her and this match sprang another Elizabeth the renowned wife of King Henry the seauenth as King Henry himselfe did of the former both those marriages proued most fortunate to England but another marriage which then threatned present danger to King Henry was that which Iames the first King of Scots made with France who gaue his daughter the Lady Margaret to Lewis the Daulphin for wife and sent new supplies of men against the English hee meant also to haue attempted some personall hostility but that hee was most wickedly murthered by certaine bloudy Traitors in Perth suborned thereunto by Walter Earle of Athol his owne neere kinsman in hope to attaine the Crowne crowned indeed he was but not as his Withces Sorcerers had ambiguously insinuated with the Crowne of that Realm but with a Crown of red-hote yron which was clapt vpon his head being one of the tortures wherewith he ended at once his wicked dayes and desires 35 Let vs now cast our eye to the doings of our new Regent the Duke of Yorke that we may be witnesses how farre by his endeauors the affaires of King Henry were aduanced in France The silence at this time is euery where very great yet had he opportunitie to haue atchieued somwhat Two thousand French horsemen were mutined and roued vp and downe in great disorder Paris was fearefully punished with famine and the attendants of famine pestilentiall maladies The Countries about lay open the Courtiers were discontented and diuided Nothing is yet done by our Regent which some impute to Edmund Duke of Somersets opposition who out of enuy and disdaine hindred his dispatch Wee must in the meane time find out them that did somewhat The Duke of Sommerset himselfe accompanied with the Lords Talbot and Fanconbridge with other Gallants and a competent force of the English besiege Harflew which the Normans in the late rebellion tooke from them and still maintained against them vnder French Captaines King Charles sends some of his principall Commanders with foure thousand men to rescue the Towne who did their best but not able to effect any thing Harflew was rendred to the Duke 36 In Nouember Richard Earle of Warwicke came as Regent into France being surrogated in that office to the Duke of Yorke who returned into England Hee carried with him a thousand fresh Souldiers and arriued at Harflew from whence he repaired to Roan the chiefe
imposterous wretch and withall a Priest neither vnlearned the sacred shadow of which name the rather countenanced his practises in hope to make himselfe the principall Bishop of England plotted the aduancement of Lambert Symnell being his pupill in the Vniuersitie of Oxford to the Crown of England instigated thereto by the diuell and suborned by such as fauoured the White-rose faction vpon this occasion There went a rumour that Edward Earle of Warwicke sonne and heire to George the late vnfortunate Duke of Clarence second brother of King Edward was either already murthered or should shortly be This Architect of guile Simon hauing this Symnel in tuition the * sonne of a Baker or Shoomaker but a wel-faced and Princely-shaped youth of no * very euill nature but as it was corrupted by his Tutor meanes out of this rumors aerie substance to produce an apparition and prodigie which in Title behauiour and artificiall answers infused by his Tutors practises should resemble one of King Edwards children Here we must confesse that our authors leade vs into a perplexitie Some * affirming that this counterfet was exhibited to the world vnder the name of Edward Earle of Warwick sonne of the Duke of Clarence by the most turbulent and fatall Earle of Warwicke slaine at Barnet-field But hereunto reason seemes repugnant For what ground of claime could that Gentleman haue not onely for that his Father was attainted but much more for that the Queene of England then in being was the indubitate eldest daughter and heire of King Edward the fourth and sister and next heire to Edward the fifth Neither wants there ancienter authority then any of the others affirming that this Idoll did vsurpe the name of one of King Edwards sonnes many arguments concurring to buttresse this affirmation For if at the same time as Polydor writeth it was bruted that the sonnes of King Edward the fourth had not been murthered vnder their vsurping Vncle Richard but were escaped and liued in obscurity beyond the Sea how can that be true which Stow and the rest who follow Polydore therein affirm that Lambert was crowned King of England at Dublin in Ireland as heire to George Duke of Clarence For with what iniurie to the roiall brethren fained to be aliue was that Verily there seemes no coherence in the circumstances nor apparence of truth in the substance And how much stronger to the purpose of the Conspirators was the fiction of an Edward the Kings sonne and himselfe once proclaimed King then of an Edward who was but an Earle and a Duke of Clarences heire But you will aske what was the poore Earles part in this tragedie what other then that by rumoring his murther they might bring the person of King Henry into common detestation for his crueltie for clearing whereof the King publikelie afterward shewed the Earle to the view of all And albeit the vulgar fame is that Lambert was called Edward yet one who then liued saith directly that this Cypher was dubbed mounted from his owne meane ranke to the title of a King vnder the name of the second brother who for certaine was called Richard but what Record there is to the contrary is to vs as yet vnknowne for our vulgar Bookes extant can hardly passe with a Iury of ordinary Criticks and Censors for vnchallengeable euidence 14 This aery Typhon which grasped at the embracement of the two Kingdomes of England and Ireland thus throughly schooled and instructed is secretly conueighed by his Sinonian Tutor to Dublin the chiefe City of the Irish where he was confident of partakers as amongst the hereditary Clients and adherents of the house of Yorke which affection was first breathed into them by the cunning popularities of the Lord Richard Duke of Yorke the first of that line who publikely claimed the English Crowne His hopes deceiued him not for the Lord Chancellor of Ireland Thomas Fitz-Gerald of the noble Familie of the Geraldiâ—…s presently professed himselfe for the plot and by his authority and perswasions drew the generality of the Irish after him into it Messengers are hereupon dispatched vpon all hands both into England to such as they had hope of and into low Germany to the Lady Margaret sister of King Edward the fourth Dutchesse Dowager of Burgundy a most mortall enemy of the Lancastrian family In both places the lighted matches of sedition found powdry spirits and wonderfull correspondence There is flocking from all parts to support the quarrell and the Irish to haue the glory of giuing England a King proclaim reuerence this painted puffe flying bubble with royall Style and honors 15 Henrie seeing the fire so strangely kindled round about the wals of his best hopes strengths fals seriously to counsell at the Monastery of Carthusian Monkes neere Richmond where after exact deliberation it was decreed 1. That general pardon to stay the minds of as many as it was possible should without any exception bee proclaimed to such as from thenceforth should continue dutifull Which was principally done to temper and assure some priuate persons as Sir Thomas Broughton and others whose forces willes and wealth were held most in suspition 2. That Elizabeth late wife to Edward the fourth and mother in law to Henry now King of England should forfeit all her lands and goods for that contrary to her faith giuen to them who were in the plot for bringing in King Henry she had yeelded vp her daughters to the hands of the Tyrant Richard 3. That Edward Earle of Warwicke then Prisoner in the Tower should bee openly shewed aline in London All which was accordingly executed but without any great fruit for still â—…he plot went on 16 The condemnation of Elizabeth Queene Dowager rather moued enuy towards Henry then relieued his cause for to many the iustice of that sentence was doubtful the circumstance of a mother in law inferred a breach of pietie and the iudgement it selfe did also want example The iustice was doubtfull both in regard of the cause and of the proceeding Of the cause for how could shee haue defended her daughters by the priuiledge of sanctuary from such a Wolfe and Tyger as would haue infringed it for her sons had they not been quietly deliuered to his bloudie hands The same Tyrant doth now demand her daughters as to honour not to slaughter but if it had beene to slaughter what helpe she terrified with the motion after much deliberation yeelds them to him when shee neither could nor durst detain them But you say she violated her faith and hazarded thereby the liues and hopes of all that were in the plot for her cause A great crime certainely But Richard was in title and power a King and hung ouer her head with ineuitable terrors when Henry of Richmund was but an Earle and he farre off and in banishment and without any apparence of preuailing and her selfe a friendlesse widdow The manner
Lady Margaret his eldest daughter as a pledge of indissoluble amitie The Bishoppe promised his best diligence and accordingly after his returne laboured therein with King Henry who most gladly hearkened thereunto Whereupon the Scotish King sent the Archbishoppe of Glasco the Earle of Bothwell and others to demand the Lady in marriage Their entertainement was hearty and princely But when the proposition came to scanning at the Councell table it had not currant passage at first for there were who obiected as an inconuenience That by this marriage the Crowne of England might come to the Scotish line by the issue of Lady Margaret Whereunto it is said King Henry made this answere What if it should for if any such thing should happen which Omen God forbid I see it will come to passe that our Kingdome shall leese nothing thereby because there will not bee an accession of England to Scotland but contrarily of Scotland vnto England as to that which is farre away the most noble head of the whole Iland seeing that which is lesse vseth to accrue to the ornament and honour of that which is much the greater as Normandy heretofore carue to be vnder the dominion and power of the English our forefathers When this was said the whole boord of councell receiued it as an Oracle it went cleare about That Margaret should be married to the King of Scotland With this answere and other instructions the Scottish Ambassadors were sent home who afterward returned into England with full authority satisfaction to all Henries propositions whereupon ensued the before said publishment of assurances at Paules Crosse. It was a principall Article in this agreement That no Englishman should enter Scotland nor Scot into England without commendatory letters from their Soueraigne Which Article was reputed a speciall meane to preserue the peace inuiolable 65 But ere the young Lady her selfe was conuaied into Scotland her brother Prince Arthur died and in * February next ensuing their mother also Queene Elizabeth as shee lay in Child-bed within the Tower of London The King to repaire his mind with fresh consolations in aduancing his onely remaining sonne Henry Duke of Yorke created him suddainely Prince of Wales Earle of Chester Flint within few dayes after his mothers decease Thus was Arthurs losse supplied howsoeuer Henry made Prince espoused soone after though with much reluctation the Lady Katherine his elder brothers widdow vpon the fiue and twentieth of Iune at the Bishoppe of Salisburies house in Fleetstreet And in this wise by prouiding so worthy a wife for him though to say truth her great Dowet was the chiefe motiue the king thought that the estate of England was sufficiently setled wherfore conuerting his cares to the accomplishment of affinity with Scotland hee most sūptuously furnished his deerest eldest daughter for her iourney himself in person trauelled frō Richmund as farre with her as C◅leweston beside Northampton where his mother the Countesse lay after certaine dayes spent in solace the King gaue her his blessing with fatherly counsell and exhortation and committed the guard and conduct of her person principally to the Earles of Surrey and Northumberland and to such Ladies and Gentlewomen as were appointed to that seruice a great company of Lords Knights Esquiers men of Marke attending them as farre as Berwicke At S. Lamberts Church in Lamer Moore within Scotland the King attended by the principall of his Nobles receiued her from the hands of the Earle of Northumberland and the next yeere after married her at Edenborough in the presence of all his Nobility The King gaue great entertainement to the English and shewed them iusting and other pastimes after the Scotish fashion The Scotishmen saith the Bishoppe of Rosse were not behind but farre aboue the Englishmen both in apparrell rich Iewels and massie chaines many Ladies hauing their habiliments set with Goldsmith worke garnisht with Pearle and Stone of price with gallant and wel trapped horses Diuerse Ladies also and young Gentlewomen of England attending Queene Margaret remained there and were well married to certaine Noblemen of Scotland whose progenie liues honourably there euen at these dayes The effect of this marriage is grauely described by the same Bishop in these words There was perfect peace and sincere amity betweene the two Realmes of England and Scotland a long time after And verily during the life of King Henry the seuenth no cause of breach was ministred by either of the Princes but they continued in great loue and friendshippe and mutuall societie contracting of marriages continuall enterchange of Merchandize betwixt the Subiects of both the Realmes as they had beene AL vnder the obedience of ONE PRINCE where through Iustice Policy and Riches did flourish and abound throughout the whole Isle of Albion And of this marriage is Iames the sixth descended being that ONE PRINCE vnder whose obedience AL are now gouerned as vnder the sole and lawfull lineall Monarch of great Britaine for this Iames the fourth had Issue Iames the fifth hee had Issue Queene Mary shee had issue our present Soueraigne the great grandchild of the said Queene Margaret eldest daughter of K. Henrie the seuenth 66 Which effects of peace and riches as they could not but bee comfortable to so wise a King as Henry they being the fruit as it were of his owne iust labours so let vs now obserue the last worldly cares of his raigne and vpon what obiects hee fixed his mind freede from the awe of open challenges of the Crowne and from throwes at his maine which with what art valour and felicity hee at first atchieued and with how great hazards troubles and bloudie businesses he brought it to such passe that neighbour Kinges reputed it safe to entermarry with his family wee haue already heard Two principall points tooke vp the last Scenes of his life for the rest of his time hee wholy employed either in the seruice of Almighty God wherin hee was so diligent that euery day he was present after the deuotions of those times at two or three Masses oftentimes hearing godly Sermons or in building wherewith hee kept his senses busied The one of the two chiefe points was to watch ouer the waies of his wiues kindred the remaining branches of the turbulent and vnfortunate house of Yorke whose growth and greatnesse hee supposed might at some time or other ouertoppe his owne the other was vnder opinion of iustice to encrease his treasure out of the common purses wherby he seemed onerous to many somwhat obscured the brightnes of his former glory at leastwise diminished his opinion with the generality Concerning his courses holden with his wiues kindred the laterall issues and staddles of the Plantagenets it fell out thus which by * occasion of the accidentall landing of Philip King of Spain at this time wherby the Earle of Suffolkes taking was procured we thought it best to handle here together
two yeeres though this line againe failed before it was well begunne EDVVARD THE CONFESSOR SONNE OF KING ETHELRED THE THIRTIE SEVENTH MONARCH OF THE ENGLISHMEN HIS RAIGNE VERTVES AND MARRIAGE CHAPTER VI. EDward the Third of that Name before the Conquest halfe-brother to the deceased Hardi-Canute and sonne to King Ethelred by Queene Emma his wife was by the prouident care of a Mothers affection when the variable successe of Warre doubtfully depended betwixt Edmund the English and Canutus the Dane sent into Normandy to Duke Richard her Brother there to bee secured from all domesticall stirres and now before the dead corps could be enterred wi◅ generall consent of the Nobles was elected their King 2 I know well that in the legend of this holy mans life more things are recorded then with safetie of truth may be either beleeued or deliuered as that he was chosen King by consent of Parliament when as yet he was in his mothers wombe Ethelred his Father at the same time hauing many other sonnes aliue as also when the destroying Danes had extinguished by their warres almost the whole Royall issue of the English the holy Monke Brightwold of Glastenbury deploring their losse and the Lands miserable estate had in vision this Edward then an Exile presented vnto him by the Apostle S. Peter himselfe who then annointing him King in his sight telling him that his Raigne should be peaceable and twenty three yeeres for continuance Brightwold yet vnsatisfied who should next succeed demanded the resolution and was answered by Peter that the Kingdome of England was Gods owne Kingdome for whose successors himselfe would prouide With such vaine predictions our otherwise true Stories are ouer-charged which moued Comineus the worthy French Historian to tax the English with ouer much credulitie that way 3 But most true it is that the English Nobilitie disclaiming all Danish subiection presently vpon the death of King Harold enacted That none of their bloud should any more raigne ouer them putting this their decree in execution by cassiering all Danes from the Castles Forts and Garrison Townes throughout all the Land whence some euen of their Bloud Royall were forced to depart Then sending securitie into Normandy with proffer of the Crowne vnto Prince Edward had his consent and assistance of Duke William his cosen germane 4 This Edward as elsewhere hath been said was borne at Islip neere vnto Oxford and tenderly educated by Queene Emma his Mother and after his Fathers death for safety sent into France where by his sweet conuersation hee gained the loue of all and as much himselfe affected those strangers which was some blemish of policie in the face of his gouernment when he had got the Diadem as being of disposition ouer-soft and euer too pliant an imperfection in a Soueraigne to take the impresse of any stampe In which mould the aspiring Goodwin Earle of Kent doth cast the fabrick of his owne designes who had made away Alfred his younger but of a more resolute spirit that so the basis of his owne piller whose top in time he hoped to crowne might be set if not vpon yet with the neerest to the Throne 5 Hee therefore the formost both in will and power vsed both to establish Prince Edward in his right being seconded by Leofrick Earle of Chester and Lyuingus Bishop of Worcester and indeed with the generall assistance of all the English who now were so iealous of all forraine powers that they forbad an ouergreat traine of Normans though comming for his aid to attend their new-chosen King 6 His Coronation was at Winchester with great concourse of people and the celebration performed by Edsine Archbishop of Canterbury vpon the very day of Christ his resurrection being also a new-rising day to the English Nation the yeere of grace 1042. himselfe being aged then towards forty and was in number the thirty seuenth Monarch of England where he raigned with such Iustice Piety that he obtained the venerable name of Saint and vnto posterities is distinguished from the other Edwards by the adiunct Confessor 7 In the entrance of his gouernement to witnes his loue to his people hee sought euery way the furtherance of their wealth and afterwards remitted the most heauy Tribute of forty thousand pounds yearly gathered by the name of Dane-gilt which had bin imposed by his Father and payed for forty years continuance out of the lands of all except only the Clergie because say our ancient lawes the Kings reposed more confidence in the prayers of holy Church then in the power of Armies Then from the diuers Lawes of the Mercians West-Saxons Danes and Northumbrians he selected the best and made of them one body certaine and written in Latin that all men of anie learning might know wheron to rely to be the touch of his Common-wealths Pleas and the squire by which he would haue euery right to be measured being in a sort the fountaine of those which at this day we terme the Common Lawes though the formes of pleading processe therein were afterward brought in by the Conquest 8 The raigne of this King by most writers records was more spent in peace works of true piety thē in warres and bloud though some dissensions happened both domesticall and forreine for about the yeare one thousand forty fiue and third of his Raign a royal Nauy was rigged in Sandwich hauen against Magnus King of Norway who then intended to inuade England and indeed had so done if the wars of Sweyn king of Denmark had not diuerted his purpose 9 This Sweyn was the sonne of Duke Wolfe by Ostryd his Duchesse sister to Hardi-Canut who as I find written in the manuscript of Aimundus Bremensis being in possession of two kingdomes prepared his Nauy for the conquest of England also But saith hee King Edward gouerning that Kingdome with great Iustice and Loue chose rather his peace with proffers of Tribute and promises that after his death the Crowne should be his yea though himselfe should haue children how beit this seemeth not to sound for truth For Sweyn sending his Ambassadors vnto Edward to craue ayde against Magnus his grieuous and mortall Enemy could obtain none and Harold Harfager the successor of Magnus and enemy to Sweyn presently thereupon sent vnto Edward for a league of amity which was ratified firmely betwixt them 10 Neither may wee thinke that euer hee meant his Crowne that way for that besides the decree enacted against all Danish claims his desire to establish it in the English bloud is most manifest by sending for Edward his Nephew the sonne of Edmund Ironside remaining in Hungary and that so long out of England that hee was called the Outlawe who comming ouer brought with him his wife Agatha and children Edgar a sonne and Margaret and Christian his daughters him Edward meant to haue made heire to the Crowne had he not beene preuented by hasty death
whereupon the King designed young Edgar his sonne the heire apparent and gaue him the surname of Adeling a name of great honor appropriated to the Princes of the blood and men capable of the Crowne 11 Besides these former attempts certaine Danish Pirates entred the Port of Sandwich which with all the Sea-Coasts of Essex they spoiled and in Flaunders made Marchandize of their prey The Irish likewise with thirty sixe shippes entred Seuern and with the assistance of Griffith king of South-Wales burnt or flew all that they found against whom Alfred Bishop of Worcester went and fought but with such successe that many of his Souldiers were slaine and the rest put to flight which made the Welshmen far more bold and Rese the brother of Griffith make many incursions to fetch preyes out of England till at length he was slaine at Bulerden and his head presented to king Edward at Gloucester 12 His domesticall molestations were chieflie by Earle Goodwin and his sonnes and those first springing vpon this following occasion Eustace the elder Earle of Bulloigne who had married Gods sister by the fathers side to King Edward came into England to visite him then lying at Gloucester and returning homeward at Canterbury his Herbinger dealing roughlie with a Burgesse for lodgings caused his owne death which when his Lord heard of thirsting for reuenge he slew eighteene Citizens in the heat of his furie the Canterburians in as great a rage gotte them to armour and slew twenty of his retinew wounding many more and made the Earle to recoile whose greeuous complaint comming to the King he commanded Goodwin to see execution done vpon the offenders Earle Goodwin not hastie to follow his commission aduised the King to examine the cause before he massacred his true subiects at the instigation of Strangers whereat King Edward was highly offended and Goodwin thereby gained great loue of the Commons This occasioned Robert Gemeticensis a Norman first made Bishop of London and after Arch-bishop of Canterbury to spred the Curtaine of disfauour betwixt Goodwin and the King vrging his refusall as an Act of Contempt wherein more dangers might lie hid then were to be suffered whereupon Edward called an assembly of Estates appointing a day of meeting at Gloucester 13 The Commons whose common guise is deadly to hate all strangers though many times well deseruing now seeing Earle Goodwin in danger for their good were easily drawne to assist him and his cause and in warlike manner garded his person at Beuerstane not farre from the King The Estates assembled and Goodwin sent for he refused to come pretending seruice against the Welsh then ready to make inroades and that his presence was more needfull there then at Court albeit the Welsh-men cleared themselues by sending their Ambassadors vnto the King The suspitions increasing great preparation on both sides was made to assist the King came Leofricke the worthy Earle of Chester Siward the stoute Earle of Northumberland and Rodulfe Earle of Hereford his sister Godas sonne by her first husband Walter de Maigne 14 To Goodwin repaired his people of Southerie and Kent and to him were brought by Swaine his sonne the men of Oxford Sommerset Hereford Gloucester and Berk-shires vnto whom Harold his other sonne ioined those of Essex Norfolke Suffolke Cambridge and Huntingdon-shires so that his host was exceedingly great and his mind thereby so inflated that from Langton where hee lay hee sent a bold and Traiterous demand to the King to haue Earle Eustace of Bulloigne with all his French and Normans that kept then in the Castle of Douer to bee deliuered vnto him and his sonnes which beeing as good reason was refused the Battle was prepared and brought to the verie point of hazard and ruine of all For in that quarrell were assembled the greatest Peeres and Lords of the Land the Kings loue swaying very much with many but yet the hatred towards Strangers possessing the hearts of more The beginning thus doubtfull and the end like to prooue dangerous the matter both with great foresight and prouidence was referred vnto Parliament to bee holden at London with all conuenient hast whereunto pledges were both giuen and receiued on either parts 15 King Edward strongly guarded with an Army of the Mercians and Northumbrians entred London and Goodwin with his sonnes in warlike manner came into Southwarke to his owne house But his Army wauering and as bad causes consciences make men doe suspecting the worst by little and little shrunke away from him which knowne to the King he presently pronounced sentence of banishment vnto Goodwin and his fiue sonnes without further proceeding by way of Parliament as was determined Goodwin therefore with great riches and his three sonnes Swaine Tostie and Girth sailed into Flanders and Harold with his brother Leofwine from Bristow passed into Ireland who were no sooner gone but the King proclaimed them Out-lawes and gaue the Earldome of Harold vnto Algar the son of Leofrick Earle of Chester This Leofricke is he which at his Countesses request freed the Citie Couentrie of their importable tribute imposed as we haue elsewhere said 16 In the second yeere of Goodwins banishment both himselfe and those his sonnes with him hauing gotten ships conuenient for warre in manner of Pirats came vpon the coasts of Kent and Sussex doing much harme and returning with spoiles the like did Harold and Leofwin from Scotland vpon the westerne coasts of Sommerset and Deuonshires who thence coasting about the point of Cornwall ioined their Fleet with their Fathers in the I le of Wight 17 Against them King Edward prepared himselfe though aged with a Nauie of sixtie ships well furnished for warre meant to haue made an end of that businesse by the destruction of his aduersaries but the Nauies ready to ioine battell God tooke the cause into his owne hand and with a thicke fogge so ouer-spread the seas that one Fleet could not thereby see another in which Goodwin and his complices by contrary windes were driuen to the place from whence they came King Edward still in iealousie of Goodwins returne rigged forth forty tall ships to secure the seas which kept not so strong a watch but that Goodwin got by them solliciting the people of Kent Sussex and Surrey vnto his aid and entring Thamesis did the like vnto them in London who accepted of his arriuage though King Edward lay there so that without disturbance his Nauie fell vp with the tide through the south Arch of the Bridge a mighty army to his aid mustered vpō the same side of the riuer 18 The Nobilitie then seeing side against side and all of them meere English ready to hazard their bloud in the quarrels of strangers wrought so with Edward and Goodwin that they came vnto peace and pledges were againe deliuered for the performance whereof Wilmot the sonne of Earle Goodwin and Hacun the sonne of Swaine his eldest were sent