whose Armes are in the same Chappell William Smith Bishop of Lincolne was the first Lord President of Wales in Prince Arthurs daies Ieffrey Blythe Bishoppe of Couentrie and Litchfield Lord President Rowland Lée Bishoppe of Couentrie and Litchfield Lord President Ihou Uessie Bishop of Exeter Lord President Richard Sampson Bishop of Couentrie and Litchfield Lord President Iohn Duldley Earle of Warwick after Duke of Northumberland Lord President Sir William Harbert after Earle of Penbroke Lord President Nicholas Heath Bishop of Worcester Lord President Sir William Harbert once againe Lord President Gilbert Browne Bishop of Bathe and Welles Lord President Lord Williams of Tame Lord President Sir Harry Sidney Lord President Sir Andrew Corbret Knight Uicepresident There are two blancks left without Armes Sir Thomas Dynam Knight is mentioned there to doe some great good act Iohn Scory Bishop of Hartford Nicholas Bullingham Bishop of Worcester Nicholas Robinson Bishop of Bangore Richard Dauies Bishop of Saint Dauies Thomas Dauies Bishop of Saint Assaph Sir Iames Crofts Knight Controller Sir Iohn Throgmorton Knight Iustice of Chester and the three Shieres of Eastwales Sir Hugh Cholmley Knight Sir Nicholas Arnold Knight Sir George Bromley Knight and Iustice of the three shieres in Wales William Gerrard Lord Chauncellor of Ireland and Iustice of the three Shieres in Southwales Charles Foxe Esquier and Secretorie Ellice Price Doctor of the Lawe Edward Leighton Esquier Richard Seborne Esquier Richard Pates Esquier Rafe Barton Esquier George Phetyplace Esquier William Leighton Esquier Myles Sands Esquier The Armes of al these afore spoken of are gallantly and cunningly set out in the Chappell Now is to be rehearsed that Sir Harry Sidney being Lord President buylt twelue roumes in the sayd Castle which goodly buildings doth shewe a great beautie to the same He made also a goodly Wardrope vnderneath the new Parlor and repayred an old Tower called Mortymers Tower to kéepe the auncient Records in the same and he repayred a fayre roume vnder the Court house to the same entent and purpose and made a great wall about the woodyard built a most braue Condit within the inner Court and all the newe buildings ouer the Gate Sir Harry Sidney in his daies and gouernement there made and set out to the honour of the Quéene and glorie of the Castle There are in a goodly or stately place set out my Lord Earle of Warwicks Armes the Earle of Darbie the Earle of Worcester the Earle of Penbroke and Sir Harry Sidneys Armes in like maner al these stand on the left hand of the Chamber On the other side are the Armes of Northwales and Southwales two red Lyons and two golden Lyons Prince Arthurs At the end of the dyning Chamber there is a pretie deuice how the Hedgehog brake the chayne and came from Ireland to Ludloe There is in the Hall a great grate of Iron of a huge height so much is written only of the Castle ⧠The Towne of Ludloe and many good gifts graunted to the same KIng Edward fourth for seruice truely done When Henry sixt and he had mortall warre No sooner he by force the victorie wone But with great things the Towne he did prefarre Gaue lands thereto and libertie full large Which royall gifts his bountie did declare And dayly doth mainteyne the Townes great charge Whose people now in as great freedome are As any men vnder this rule and Crowne That liues and dwels in Citie or in Towne Two Bayliefes rules one yéere the Towne throughout Twelue Aldermen they haue there in likewise Who doth beare sway as turne doth come about Who chosen are by oth and auncient guise Good lawes they haue and open place to pleade In ample sort for right and Iustice sake A Preacher too that dayly there doth reade A Schoolemaster that doth good schollers make And for the Queere are boyes brought vp to sing And so serue God and doe none other thing Thrée tymes a day in Church good Saruice is At sixe a clocke at nine and then at three In which due howers a straunger shall not mis But sondrie sorts of people there to see And thirtie thrée poore persons they maintaine Who wéekely haue both money almes and ayde Their lodging free and further to be plaine Still once a weeke the poore are truely payde Which shewes great grace and goodnesse in that Seate Where rich doth see the poore shall want no meate An Hospitall there hath bene long of old And many things pertayning to the same A goodly Guyld the Township did vphold By Edwards gift a King of worthie fame This Towne doth choose two Burgesses alwaies For Parliament the custome still is so Two Fayres a yéere they haue on seuerall daies Three Markets kept but monday chiefe I troe And two great Parkes there are full néere the Towne But those of right pertaine vnto the Crowne These things rehearst makes Ludloe honord mitch And world to thinke it is an auncient Seate Where many men both worthie wise and ritch Were borne and bred and came to credit great Our auncient Kings and Princes there did rest Where now full oft the Presdent dwels a space It stands for Wales most apt most fit and best And néerest to at hand of any place Wherefore I thought it good before I end Within this booke this matter should be pend The rest of Townes that in Shropshiere you haue I néede not touch they are so throughly knowne And further more I knowe they cannot craue To be of Wales how euer brute be blowne So wishing well as duetie doth me binde To one and all as farre as power may goe I knit vp here as one that doth not minde Of natiue Soyle no further now to showe So cease my muse let pen and paper pause Till thou art calde to write of other cause ⧠An Introduction to remember Shropshiere HOw hath thy muse so long bene luld a sléepe What deadly drinke hath sence in slumber brought Doth poyson cold through blood and bosome créepe Or is of spite some charme by witchcraft wrought That vitall spréetes hath lost their feeling quite Or is the hand so weake it cannot write Come ydle man and shewe some honest cause Why writers pen makes now so great a pause Can Wales be nam'de and Shropshiere be forgote The marshes must make muster with the rest Shall Sallop say their countreyman doth dote To treate of things and write what thinks him best No sure such fault were dubble error plaine If in thy pen be any Poets vayne Or gifts of grace from Skyes did drop on thée Than Shrewsebrie Towne thereof first cause must bée Both borne and bred in that same Seate thou wast Of race right good or els Records do lye From whence to schoole where euer Churchyard past To natiue Soyle he ought to haue an eye Speake well of all and write what world may proue Let nothing goe beyond thy Countries loue Wales once it
grace it shalbe calde of right Speake what you can a happie Seate it is A trim Shiere towne for Noble Barron or Knight A Cittie sure as free as is the best Where Size is kept and learned Lawyers rest Buylt auncient wise in swéete and wholesome ayre Where the best sort of people oft repayre Not farre from thence a famous Castle fine That Raggland hight stands moted almost round Made of Freestone vpright as straight as line Whose workmanship in beautie doth abound The curious knots wrought all with edged toole The stately Tower that lookes ore Pond and Poole The Fountaine trim that runs both day and night Doth yéeld in showe a rare and noble sight Now Chepstowe comes to mynd as well it may Whose Seate is set some part vpon an hill And through the Towne to Neawport lyes a way That ore a Bridge on Wye you ride at will This Bridge is long the Riuer swift and great The Mountaine bigge about doth shade the Seate The craggie Rocks that ore the Towne doth lye Of force farre of doth hinder viewe of eye The common Port and Hauen is so good It merits praise because Barkes there doe ride To which the Sea comes in with flowing flood And doth foure howers aboue the Bridge abide Beyond the same doth Tyntterne Abbey stand As old a Sell as is within that Land Where diuers things hath bene right worthie note Whereof as yet the troth I haue not gote To Chepstowe yet my pen agayne must passe Where Strongbow once an Earle of rare renowne A long time since the Lord and Maister was In princely sort of Castle and of Towne Then after that to Mowbray it befell Of Norffolke Duke a worthie knowne full well Who sold the samet o William Harbert Knight That was the Earle of Penbrooke then by right His eldest Sonne that did succeede his place Of Huntyngton and Penbrooke Earle likewise Had but one childe a Daughter of great race And she was matcht with pompe and solempne guise To Somerset that was Lord Chamberlaine And made an Earle in Henry seuenths raigne Of him doth come Earle Worster liuing nowe Who buildeth vp the house of Raggland throwe A Creation of an Earle EDward by the grace of God King most imperiall Of France England the Lord of Ireland therwithall To Archbishops Bishops all to Abbotes and to Priors To Dukes to Earles to Barrons to Sheriffes of the shires To Iustices to Maiors and chiefe of Townly gouernment To Baylieffes my lichefolke all haue herewith greeting sent Knowe ye whereas we iudge it is a gracious Prince his parte To yéeld loue fauour and reward to men of great desarte Who of himselfe his Royall house and of the publique state Haue well deseru'd their vertues rare euer to renumerate And to adorne with high reward such vertue cléere and bright Stirs others vp to great attempts and faintnes puts to flight We following on the famous course y e former Kings haue run That worthie approued wight whose déedes most nobly dun Haue greatest things of vs deseru'd we do intend to raise To fame and honors highest type with gifts of Princely praise That truely regall are we meane that valiant worthie Knight That William Herbert hath to name now L. Herbert hight Whose seruice wheÌ„ we first did raigne we did most faithful find When for our royal right we fought which stil we call to mind To which we ad from then till now continuall seruices Which many were whereof each one to vs most pleasing is And chiefly when as lately now his déedes did him declare A worthie Knight wherby he gayn'd both fame and glorie rare When as that Rebell and our foe euen Iasper Tudyrs sonne who said he Earle of Penbroke was did westwales coast oreruÌ„ And there by subtile shifts and force did diuers sondrie waies Anoy our State and therewithall a vyle Sedition raise But there he gaue to him a fielde and with a valiant hand Orethrew him and his forces all that on his part did stand And marching all along those Coasts y e most he flew out right The rest he brake and so disperst they gaue themselues to flight Our Castle then of Hardelach that from our first daies raigne A refuge for all Rebels did against vs still remaine A Fort of wonderous force besiege about did he And tooke it where in most mens mynds it could not taken be He wan it did make them yéeld who there their saftie sought And all the Countrie thereabouts to our obedience brought These therefore his most worthie Acts we calling into minde His seruices and great desarts which we praise worthie finde And for that cause we willing him with honors royally For to adorne decke and aduaunce and to sublime on hye The eight day of September in the eight yéere of our Raigne We by this Charter that for ours shall firme for euer remaine Of speciall grace and knowledge sure sound and determinate And motioÌ„ méere him William doe of Penbroke Count create Erect preferre and vnto him the Title stile and state And name thereof and dignitie foreuer appropriate As Earle of Penbroke and withall we giue all rights that do All honors and preheminence that state perteyne vnto With which estate stile honor great and worthie dignitie By cincture of a Sword we him ennoble reallie For that the sence and worthie words were great The seruice such as merites noble fame The forme thereof in verse I doe repeate And shewe likewise the Lattin of the same He seru'd a King that could him well reward And of his house and race tooke great regard And recompenst his manly doing right With honor due to such a noble Knight Where loyall mynd doth offer life and all For to preserue the Prince and publique state There doth great hap and thankfull Fortune fall As guerdon sent by destnie and good fate No Soueraine can forget a Subiects troeth With whose good grace great loue and fauour goeth Great gifts and place great glorie and renowne They get and gayne that truely serues a Crowne And thou my Knight that art his heire in blood Though Lordship land and Ragglands stately towers A female heire and force of fortunes flood Haue thée bereft yet bearst his fruits and flowers His armes his name his faith and mynd are thyne By nature nurture arte and grace deuyne Ore Seas and Lands these moue thée paynes to take For God for fame for thy swéete Soueraines sake ⧠Here followeth the Creation of an Earle of Penbroke in Latin EDwardus Dei gracia Rex Angliae Fraunciae Dominus Hiberniç Archiepiscopis Episcopis Abbatibê° Prioribus Ducibus Comitibus Baronibus Iusticiarijs Vicecomitibus Prepositis Ministris omnibus Balliuis fidelibus suis saluteÌ„ Sciatis quod cum felicis grati admodum Regis munus censeamus de se de Regia domo deque Republica regno bene meritas personas coÌ„gruis
himselfe accordingly to perfourme and solemnize this charge in his owne person The King being crowned was royally brought to the Cathedrall Church of that Metropoliticall See On either hand of him both the right and the left did two Archbishoppes support him And fower Kings to wit Angusell King of Albania Caduall King of Venedocia Cador King of Cornewall Sater King of Demetia went before him carying iiii golden Swords The companies also and concourse of sondrie sorts of officers played afore him most melodious heauenly harmonie On the other parte the Quéene was brought to the Church of professed Nunnes being cōducted and accompanied with Archbishops and Bishops with her Armes and titles royally garnished And the Quéenes being wiues vnto the fower Kings aforesayd caryed before her as the order and custome was fower white Doues or Pigeons For behold twelue discréete personages of reuerend countenance came to the King in stately maner carying in their right hands in token and signe of Ambassage Oliue boughes And after they had saluted him they deliuered vnto him on the behalfe of Lucius Tyberius Letters contayning this effect ¶ The Epistle of Lucius the Romaine Lieutenant to Arthur King of Britaine LVcius Gouerner of the Commonwealth to Arthur King of Britaine as he hath deserued I haue excéedingly wondered to thinke of thy malepert and tyrannicall dealing I doe meruaile I say and in considering the matter I am angrie and take in ill part the iniurie that thou hast offered to Rome and that thou no better aduising thy self refusest to acknowledge her Neither hast thou any care speedelie to redresse thyne ouersight thus by vniust dealings to offend the Senate vnto whom thou art not ignorant that the whole world oweth homage and seruice For the Tribute done for Britaine which the Senate commaunded thée to pay for that Iulius Caesar and other worthie Romaines long and many yéeres enioyed the same thou to the contempt of such an honorable Estate hast presumed to detaine and kéepe backe Thou hast also taken from them Gallia thou hast wonne from them the Prouinces of Sauoy and Daulphinie thou hast gotten the possession of all the Ilands of the Ocean the Kings whereof so long as the Romaine authoritie was there obeyed payed Tribute to our Auncestors Sith therfore the Senate hath decréed to redemaund amends and restitution at thy hands for these thy so great wrongs I enioyne and commaund thée to come to Rome in the middest of August the next yéere thexe to answere vnto thy Lords and to abyde such sentence and order as they by iustice shall lay vpon thée Which thing if thou refuse to doe I will inuade thy Countries and whatsoeuer thy wilfull rashnes hath disloyally taken away from their Commonwealth that will I by dint of sword assay to recouer and to them restore ¶ Cador the Duke of Cornewall his Oration to the King I Haue hitherto bene in feare least the Britaines through much ease and long peace should growe to flouth and cowardize and lose that honorable reputation of Cheualrie and martiall prowesse wherein they are generally accoumpted to surmount all other Nations For where the vse of Armes is not estéemed but in stéede therof Dyeing Carding dalying with women and other vayne delites frequented it cannot choose but there cowardize and sluggardie must néedes dimme and deface all vertue honour valiaunce and fame There bee now almost fiue yéeres passed since we hauing lacked Martial exercise haue effeminately bene nuzzeled in these foresayd delites God therefore not willing to see vs any longer marred and stayned with sluggardie hath stirred vp the Romaines that they should be the meanes to reduce our auncient valour vnto the former state and dignitie While hée vsed these and such like wordes confirmed by those that were there at that tyme in presence they came at length to their Benches or Seates where after that euery person was set and placed Arthur vsed this spéech vnto them ⧠The Oration of Arthur to his Lords and people MY fellowes sayth he and companyons both of aduersitie and prosperitie whose fidelities I haue heretofore both in your sound counsels and in exployting militare seruices had good tryall and experience of listen now and affoord vnto me your aduise and wisely foresee what you thinke conuenient for vs touching such demaunds and commaundements to be done For when a thing is wisely aforehand deliberated and carefully foreseene when it commeth to the pinch it is more easilie auoyded and tolerated We shall therefore the easier bee able to abyde the imperious demaund of Lucius if wee lay our heads together and foresee how and which way wee may best defeate and infringe the same And surely for my part I doe not thinke that we haue any cause greatly to feare him sith vpon an vnreasonable cause he seeketh to haue a tribute payed out of Britaine For he alledgeth that the same is due and payable to him because it was payd to Iulius Caesar and others his Successors which being inuited and called hether through the discorde and iarres of the auncient Britaines arriued here in Britaine with numbers of armed Soldiours and with force and vyolence brought vnder their subiection this our Countrey miserably tossed with ciuile garboyles and domesticall discord And because they in this sort got the possession of it they haue since taken and vniustly receiued a Tribute out of it For nothing that is gotten by force and vyolence is iustly possessed by him that offered the vyolence The cause therefore which he pretendeth is vnreasonable whereby he d 〈…〉 eth vs by law and right to be tributarie vnto them Sith therfore he thus presumeth to demaund of vs that which is vniust let vs by the same reason demaund of him tribute at Rome he that is the stronger let him carie away that which he desireth and claymeth For if his reason why he demaundeth tribute now as due to be payed by vs because Caesar and other Romaine Princes sometymes conquered Britaine be good by the like reason I doe thinke that Rome ought to pay tribute to mee because my Predecessors heretofore wanne and subdued it For Belinus that most noble King of Britaines with the helpe and ayde of his brother Brennus Duke of Sauoy tooke by force that Citie and long while possessed it hanging vp in the middest of their chiefe Market place and high streate twentie of the chiefest Nobles among them Constantine also the sonne of Helena and Maximianus likewise being both of them my nere Cosens and either of them successiuely crowned King of Britaine were enthronized in the imperiall Seate of the Romaine Empyre What thinke ye now Iudge you that the Romaines haue any reason or right to demaunde Tribute at our hands As touching Fraunce or other collaterall Ilands of the Ocean it néedeth no answere sith they refused to defend them when we forcibly tooke them out of their cloutches iurisdiction The answere of Howell King of little Britaine THough
must I write to furnish foorth this booke Some Shieres doe part at Waters tryall showes There who so list vpon the same to looke Dulace doth runne along vnto the Hay So Hartford shiere from Breakenoke parteth there Brennick Deelyes Thlauenny as they say At Tawllgath méetes so into Wye they beare From Arthurs Hill Tytarell runnes apace And into Oske and Breakenoke runnes his race Nere Breakenoke Towne there is a Mountaine hye Which shewes so huge it is full hard to clime The Mountaine seemes so monstrous to the eye Yet thousands doe repayre to that sometime And they that stand right on the top shal see A wonder great as people doe report Which common brute and saying true may bee But since in deede I did not there resort I write no more then world will witnesse well Let them that please of those straunge wonders tell What is set downe I haue it surely seene As one that toyld and trauayld for the troth I will not say such things are as I weene And frame a verse as common voyces goeth Nor yet to please the humors of some men I list not stretch nor racke my termes awry My muse will not so farre abuse the pen. That writer shall gayne any blot thereby So he haue thanke in vsing ydle quill He seekes no more for paines and great good will ¶ Ludloe Towne Church and Castle THE Towne doth stand most part vpon an Hill Built well and fayre with streates both large and wide The houses such where straungers lodge at will As long as there the Councell lists abide Both fine and cleane the streates are all throughout With Condits cleere and wholesome water springs And who that lists to walke the Towne about Shall finde therein some rare and pleasant things But chiefly there the ayre so sweete you haue As in no place ye can no better craue The Market house where Corne and Cates are sold Is couered ore and kept in finest sort From which ye shall the Castle well behold And to which walke doe many men resort On euery side thereof fayre houses are That makes a shewe to please both mynd and eye The Church nere that where monuments full rare There is wherein doth sondrie people lye My pen shall touch because the notes I finde Therein deserue to be well borne in minde Within the Quere there is a Ladie layd In Tombe most rich the top of fayre Touchstone There was bestow'd in honour of this mayd Great cost and charge the trueth may well be knowne For as the Tombe is built in sumptuous guise So to the same a closet fayre is wrought Where Lords may sit in stately solemne wise As though it were a fine deuice of thought To beautifie both Tombe and euery part Of that fayre worke that there is made by arte Against that Tombe full on the other side A Knight doth lye that Iustice Townesend hight His wife likewise so soone as that she dyed In this rich Tombe was buryed by this Knight And trueth to tell Dame Alice was her name An Heire in deede that brought both wealth and land And as world sayth a worthie vertuous Dame Whose auncient Armes in colours there doth stand And many more whose Armes I doe not knowe Unto this Knight are ioyned all a roe Amid the Church a Chantrie Chappell stands Where Hozier lyes a man that did much good Bestow'd great wealth and gaue thereto some lands And helpt poore soules that in necessitie stood As many men are bent to win good will By some good turne that they may freely showe So Hoziers hands and head were working still For those he did in det or daunger knowe He smyld to see a begger at his doore For all his ioye was to reléeue the poore Another man whose name was Cookes for troth Like Hozier was in all good gifts of grace This Cookes did giue great lands and liuings both For to maintaine a Chauntrie in that place A yéerely dole and monthly almes likewise He ordaynd there which now the poore doe mis His wife and he within that Chappell lyes Where yet full plaine the Chauntrie standing is Some other things of note there may you see Within that Church not touched now by mée Yet Beawpy must be nam'd good reason why For he bestow'd great charge before he dyde To helpe poore men and now his bones doth lye Full nere the Font vpon the formost side Thus in those daies the poore was lookt vnto The rich was glad to fling great wealth away So that their almes the poore some good might do In poore mens boxe who doth his treasure lay Shall finde againe ten fold for one he leaues Or els my hope and knowledge me deceiues THE Castle now I mynd here to set out It stands right well and pleasant to the vewe With sweete prospect yea all the field about An auncient Seate yet many buildings newe Lord Presdent made to giue it greater fame But if I must discourse of things as true There are great works that now doth beare no name Which were of old and yet may pleasure you To see the same for loe in elders daies Was much bestow'd that now is much to praise Prince Arthurs Armes is there well wrought in stone A worthie worke that fewe or none may mend This worke not such that it may passe alone For as the tyme did alwaies people send To world that might excéede in wit and spréete So sondrie sorts of works are in that Seate That for so hye a stately place is méete Which shewes this day the workmanship is greate Looke on my Lords and speak your fancies throw And you will praise fayre Ludloe Castle now In it besides the works are here vnnam'd A Chappell is most trim and costly sure So brauely wrought so fayre and finely fram'd That to worlds end the beautie may endure About the same are Armes in colours sitch As fewe can shewe in any Soyle or place A great deuice a worke most rare and ritch Which truely shewes the Armes the blood and race Of sondrie Kings but chiefly Noble men That here in prose I will set out with pen. Sir Walter Lacie was first owner of Ludloe Castle whose Armes are there and so followes the rest by order as you may reade Ieffrey Genyuile did match with Lacie Roger Mortymer the first Earle of Martchy an Earle of a great house matcht with Genyuile Leonell Duke of Clarence ioyned with Ulster in Armes Edmond Earle of Marchy matched with Clarence Richard Earle of Cambridge matcht with the Earle of Marchy Richard Duke of Yorke matcht with Westmerland Edward the fourth matcht with Woduile of Riuers Henry the seuenth matcht with Elizabeth right heire of England Henry the eight matcht with the Marquese of Penbroke These are the greatest first to be named that are there set out worthely as they were of dignitie and birth Now followes the rest of those that were Lord Presidents and others