helpe at the hands of the almightie said If the pagan refuse to receiue the gifts which we offer let vs make offer vnto him that knoweth how to accept them and so binding himselfe by vow promised that if he might obtein victorie he would offer his daughter to be dedicate to the Lord in perpetuall virginitie and further would giue twelue manors lordships or farmes to the building of monasteries and so with a small armie he put himselfe in hazard of battell It is said that Penda had thirtie companies of men of warre furnished with thirtie noble capteins or coronels against whome came Oswie with his sonne Alchfrid hauing but a small armie but confirmed yet with hope in Christ Iesus His other son Ecgfrid remained in hostage at that time with quéene Cinnise Edilwald the sonne of Oswald that gouerned Deira ought to haue aided Oswie was on the part of Penda against his countrie and against his vncle but in time of the fight he withdrew himselfe aside to behold what chance would follow The battell being begun the thirtie pagan capteins were ouerthrowne and put to flight and those that came to aid Penda were almost all slaine among whome was Edilhere king of the Eastangles that reigned after his brother Anna and was the procurer of this warre This battell was fought néere to the water of Inwet the which being risen as then by reason of great raine drowned more of the enimies than died of the Northumbers swoords After that Oswie had obteined this victorie he performed promise in bestowing his daughter to the profession of virginitie and also gaue the twelue manors whereof six were in Deira and six in Bernicia conteining euerie of them ten housholds a péece Elfled also king Oswies daughter was professed in the monasterie of Herthew where one Hilda was abbesse which Hilda purchasing a lordship of ten housholds in Streanshall now called Whitbie builded a monasterie there in the which first the said Elfled was a nouice and after a ruler till at length being of the age of fortie yéeres she departed this life and was buried there and so likewise was hir mother Eufled and hir grandfather Edwin with manie other high estates within the church of saint Peter the apostle The victorie aboue mentioned got by king Oswie in the countrie of Loides on the 17 kalends of December in the thirtenth yéere of his reigne happened to the great commoditie and gaine of both the people for by the same he deliuered his countrie of Northumberland from the cruell destruction made in the same by the pagan people of Mercia and conuerted those pagans themselues and the countries néere adioining to them wholie vnto the faith of Iesus Christ. The first bishop in the prouince of Mercia and also of Lindesferne and the Middleangles was one Diuma who died amongst the Middleangles The second was Cellach the which leauing his bishoprike returned into Scotland for they were both of the nation of the Scots The third was an Englishman named Trumhere but instructed and ordeined of the Scots He was abbat of the monasterie of Ingethlingum being builded in that place where king Oswin was slaine as before is mentioned For quéene Eufled that was his kinswoman got of hir husband king Oswie a place there for the foresaid Trumhere to build that abbeie vpon King Oswie hauing slaine king Penda gouerned the people of Mercia and also other of the south prouinces subdued a great part of the Pictish nation to the English dominion About the same time king Oswie gaue vnto Peada the son of king Penda bicause he was his kinsman the countrie of the Southmercies conteining 5000 housholds and separated from the Northmercies by the riuer Trent The countrie of the Northmercies conteined in those daies 7000 housholds But Peada in the next spring was wickedlie murthered though the treason of his wicked wife as was said in the feast of Easter The dukes of Mercia rebell against Oswie recouer their owne bounds and create Wulfhere their king Cenwald king of the Westsaxons fighteth with the Britaines and preuaileth he is vanquished by Wulfhere Adelwold king of Sussex hath the I le of Wight giuen him and why succession of Edelher Edelwal and Aldulfe in the kingdome of Eastangles Colman a Scot first made bishop of Northumberland controuersie about the obseruation of Easter about bald crownes or shauing the haire superstition punished by God Ceadda bishop of Yorke his course of life and diligence in his office commended Egbert king of Kent the see of Canturburie void the preferment thereto refused Theodore a moonke supplieth the roome at the popes appointment all the English clergie obey him as their head his visitation and reformation singing vsed in churches Theodore and Adrian woorthilie praised English men happie glasiers first brought into this Iland The xxxiij Chapter AFter three yeeres were complet next ensuing the death of king Penda the dukes of the countrie of Mercia Immin Eaba and Eadbert rebelled against king Oswie aduancing one Wulfhere a yoong gentleman man the sonne of Peda and brother to Peada whom they had kept in secret to be their king and expelling the lieutenants of king Oswie they recouered both their owne confines and libertie withall and so liuing in fréedome with their owne naturall king the foresaid Uulfhere they also continued with glad hearts in seruice of the celestiall king our God and Sauior THis Uulfhere gouerned the Mercies seuentéene yeares the which Mercies during the reigne of the said Uulfhere had foure bishops successiuelie gouerning the church of that prouince one after another as the aboue mentioned Trumhere Iaroman Ceadda and Winfrid as hereafter shall more at large appeare About the beginning of king Uulfhers reigne that is to say in the seuentéenth yeare of the reigne of Chenwald king of the Westsaxons the same Chenwald fought with the Britains at Pennum where the Britains being assembled in great number proudlie incountred with the Englishmen and at the first put them to the woorst but when the Englishmen would in no wise giue ouer but did sticke to their tackle at length the Britains were put to flight so that the posteritie of Brute receiued that day an incurable wound But within thrée yeares after that is in the ninetéenth yeare of the reigne of the said Chenwald he had not the like lucke in battell against the foresaid Uulfhere king of Mercia as he had before against the Britains for the said Uulfhere vanquishing him in the field passed through his countrie with a great armie vnto the I le of Wight which he conquered and deliuered it vnto Adelwold king of Sussex as a gift at that time when he receiued him at the fontstone after he had conuerted him to the faith He gaue vnto Adelwold that I le to the end he should cause the people there to receiue the faith and religon of Christ. Now after that
their capacities and moulds It shall not be amisse therefore to begin at the nauie of Xerxes of which ech meane vessell as appéereth by Herodot was able to receiue two hundred and thirtie souldiers and some of them thrée hundred These were called triremes and were indéede gallies that had thrée rowes of ores on euerie side for the word Nauis is indifferentlie applied so well to the gallies as ship as to the conuersant in histories is easie to be found In old time also they had gallies of foure rowes fiue rowes six seauen eight nine twelue yea fifteene rowes of ores on a side iudge you then of what quantitie those vessels were Plinie lib. 7. noteth one Damasthenes to be the first maker of the gallies with two rowes called biremes Thucidides referreth the triremes to Ammocles of Corinthum the quadriremes were deuised by Aristotle of Carthage the quinquiremes by Nestchthon of Salamina the gallie of six rowes by Xenagoras of Syracusa from this to the tenth Nesigiton brought vp Alexander the great caused one to be made of twelue Ptolomeus Soter of fiftéene Demetrius the sonne of Antigonus of thirtie Ptolom Philad of fortie Ptol. Triphon of fiftie all which aboue foure were none other in mine opinion than vnweldie carts and more seruing for pleasure and to gaze vpon than anie vse in the wars for which they should be deuised But of all other I note one of fortie rowes which Ptolo. Philopater builded conteining 200 and eightie cubits in length and eight and fortie cubits in breadth it held also foure thousand ores foure hundred mariners and three thousand souldiers so that in the said vessell were seauen thousand and foure hundred persons a report incredible if truth and good testimonie did not confirme the same I must needs confesse therefore that the ancient vessels far exceeded ours for capacitie neuerthelesse if you regard the forme and the assurance from perill of the sea and therewithall the strength and nimblenesse of such as are made in our time you shall easilie find that ours are of more value than theirs for as the greatest vessell is not alwaies the safest so that of most huge capacitie is not alwaies the aptest to shift and brooke the seas as might be seene by the great Henrie the hugest vessell that euer England framed in our times Neither were the ships of old like vnto ours in mould and maner of building aboue the water for of low gallies in our seas we make small account nor so full of ease within sith time hath ingendred more skill in the wrights and brought all things to more perfection than they had in the beginning And now to come vnto our purpose at the first intended The nauie of England may be diuided into three sortes of which the one serueth for the warres the other for burden and the third for fishermen which get their liuing by fishing on the sea How manie of the first order are mainteined within the realme it passeth my cunning to expresse yet sith it may be parted into the nauie roiall and common fleete I thinke good to speake of those that belong vnto the prince and so much the rather for that their number is certeine well knowne to verie manie Certes there is no prince in Europe that hath a more beautifull or gallant sort of ships than the quéenes maiestie of England at this present and those generallie are of such exceeding force that two of them being well appointed and furnished as they ought will not let to encounter with thrée or foure of those of other countries and either bowge them or put them to flight if they may not bring them home Neither are the moulds of anie forren barkes so conuenientlie made to brooke so well one sea as another lieng vpon the shore in anie part of the continent as those of England And therefore the common report that strangers make of our ships amongst themselues is dailie confirmed to be true which is that for strength assurance nimblenesse and swiftnesse of sailing there are no vessels in the world to be compared with ours And all these are committed to the regiment and safe custodie of the admerall who is so called as some imagine of the Gréeke word Almiras a capiteine on the sea for so saith Zonaras in Basilio Macedone Basilio Porphyriogenito though other fetch it from Ad mare the Latine words another sort from Amyras the Saracen magistrate or from some French deriuation but these things are not for this place and therefore I passe them ouer The quéenes highnesse hath at this present which is the foure and twentith of hir reigne alreadie made and furnished to the number of foure or fiue and twentie great ships which lie for the most part in Gillingham rode beside thrée gallies of whose particular names and furnitures so far foorth as I can come by them it shall not be amisse to make report at this time The names of so manie ships belonging to hir maiestie as I could come by at this present The Bonaduenture Elizabeth Ionas White Beare Philip and Marie Triumph Bull. Tiger Antlope Hope Lion Victorie Marie Rose Foresight Swift sute Aid Handmaid Dread nought Swallow Genet Barke of Bullen Achates Falcon. George Reuenge It is said that as kings and princes haue in the yoong daies of the world and long since framed themselues to erect euerie yeare a citie in some one place or other of their kingdoms and no small woonder that Sardanapalus should begin finish two to wit Anchialus and Tharsus in one daie so hir grace dooth yearelie build one ship or other to the better defense of hir frontiers from the enimie But as of this report I haue no assured certeintie so it shall suffice to haue said so much of these things yet this I thinke worthie further to be added that if they should all be driuen to seruice at one instant which God forbid she should haue a power by sea of about nine or ten thousand men which were a notable companie beside the supplie of other vessels apperteining to hir subiects to furnish vp hir voiage Beside these hir grace hath other in hand also of whom hereafter as their turnes doo come about I will not let to leaue some further remembrance She hath likewise thrée notable gallies the Spéed well the Trie right and the Blacke gallie with the fight whereof and rest of the nauie roiall it is incredible to saie how greatlie hir grace is delighted and not without great cause I saie sith by their meanes hir coasts are kept in quiet and sundrie forren enimies put backe which otherwise would inuade vs. The number of those that serue for burden with the other whereof I haue made mention alreadie and whose vse is dailie séene as occasion serueth in time of the warres is to mée vtterlie vnknowne Yet if the report of one record be anie thing at all to be credited there are 135 ships that exceed 500 tun topmen vnder 100
Ludgate builded The xxviij Chapter CAdwallo or Cadwalline for we find him so named began his reigne ouer the Britains in the yéere of our Lord 635 in the yéere of the reigne of the emperour Heracleus 35 and in the 13 yere of Dagobert K. of France Of this man ye haue heard partlie before touching his dealings and warres against the Northumbers and other of the English nation but forsomuch as diuers other things are reported of him by the British writers we haue thought good in his place to rehearse the same in part as in Gal. Mon. we find writen leauing the credit still with the author sith the truth thereof may be the more suspected bicause other authors of good authoritie as Beda Henrie Huntington William Malmesburie and others séeme greatlie to disagrée from him herein But thus it is written This Cadwallo and Edwin the sonne of Ethelfred as Galfride saith were brought vp in France being sent thither vnto Salomon king of Britaine by king Cadwane when they were verie yoong Now after their returne into this land when they were made kings Cadwallo of the Britains Edwin of the Northumbers there continued for the space of two yéeres great friendship betwixt them till at length Edwin required of Cadwallo that he might weare a crowne and celebrate appointed solemnities within his dominion of Northumberland as well as Cadwallo did in his countrie Cadwallo taking aduice in this matter at length by persuasion of his nephue Brian denied to grant vnto Edwin his request wherewith Edwin tooke such displeasure that he sent woord vnto Cadwallo that he would be crowned without his leaue or licence sith he would not willinglie grant it Wherto Cadwallo answered that if he so did he would cut off his head vnder his diademe if he presumed to weare anie within the confines of Britaine Hereof discord arising betwixt these two princes they began to make fierce and cruell warre either of them against the other and at length ioining in batell with their maine forces Cadwallo lost the field with many thousands of his men and being chased fled into Scotland and from thence got ouer into Ireland and finally passed the seas into Britaine Armorike where of his coosin king Salomon he was courteouslie receiued and at length obteined of him 10000 men to go with him backe into his countrie to assist him in recouerie of his lands dominions the which in the meane time were cruellie spoiled wasted and haried by king Edwin At the same time Brian the nephue of Cadwallo whom he had sent into Britaine a little before to slea a certeine wizard or southsaier whom king Edwin had gotten out of Spaine named Pelitus that by disclosing the purpose of Cadwallo vnto Edwin greatlie hindered Cadwallos enterprises had fortified the citie of Excester mening to defend it till the comming of Cadwallo wherevpon Penda king of Mercia besieged that citie with a mightie army purposing to take it and Brian within it Cadwallo then aduertised hereof immediatlie after his arriuall hasted to Excester and diuiding his people in 4 parts set vpon his enimies tooke Penda and ouerthrew his whole armie Penda hauing no other shift to escape submitted himselfe wholie vnto Cadwallo promising to become his liegeman to fight against the Saxons in his quarrell Penda being thus subdued Cadwallo called his nobles togither which had bene dispersed abroad a long season with all spéed went against Edwin king of Northumberland and slue him in battell at Hatfield as before is mentioned with his son Osfride and Eodbold king of the Iles of Orknie which was come thither to his aid ¶ By this it should appeare that Fabian hath gathered amisse in the account of the reignes of the British kings for it appeareth by Beda and others that Edwin was slaine in the yéere of our Lord 634. And where Fabian as before is said attributeth that act diuers other vnto Cadwan the father of this Cadwallo yet both Gal. Mon. and Beda with the most part of all other writers signifie that it was done by Cadwallo Harding assigneth but 13 yéeres to the reigne of Cadwan and declareth that he died in the yéere of our Lord 616 in the which as he saith Cadwallo began his reigne which opinion of his séemeth best to agrée with that which is written by other authors But to returne to the other dooings of Cadwallo as we find them recorded in the British storie After he had got this victorie against the Northumbers he cruellie pursued the Saxons as though he ment so farre as in him lay to destroie the whole race of them out of the coasts of all Britaine and sending Penda against king Oswald that succéeded Edwin though at the first Penda receiued the ouerthrow at Heauenfield yet afterwards Cadwallo himselfe highly displeased with that chance pursued Oswald and fought with him at a place called Bourne where Penda slue the said Oswald Wherevpon his brother Osunus succéeding in gouernment of the Northumbers sought the fauour of Cadwallo now ruling as king ouer all Britaine and at length by great gifts of gold and siluer and vpon his humble submission obteined peace till at length vpon spite Penda king of Mercia obteined licence of Cadwallo to make warres against the said Osunus in the which as it hapned Penda himselfe was slaine Then Cadwallo after two yéeres granted that Ulfridus the sonne of Penda should succeed in Mercia Thus Cadwallo ruled things at his appointment within this land And finallie when he had reigned 48 yéeres he departed this life the 22 of Nouember His bodie being embalmed and dressed with swéet confections was put into a brasen image by maruelous art melted and cast which image being set on a brazen horsse of excellent beautie the Britains set vp aloft vpon the west gate of London called Ludgate in signe of his conquests and for a terror to the Saxons Moreouer the church of S. Martin vnderneath the same gate was by the Britains then builded Thus haue the Britains made mention of their valiant prince Cadwallo but diuerse thinke that much of this historie is but fables bicause of the manifest varieng both from Beda and other antentike writers as before I haue said The true storie of the forenamed king Oswald his desire to restore christian religion Cormans preaching taking small effect among the Northumbers persuadeth him to depart into his owne countrie he slandereth them before the Scotish clergie Aidan a godlie man telleth the cause of the people 's not profiting by Cormans preaching Aidan commeth into England to instruct the people in the faith he varieth in the obseruation of Easter from the English churches custome the Northumbers haue him his doctrine in reuerence Oswalds earnest zeale to further religion by Aidans preaching and ministerie 15000 baptised within 7 daies Oswald hath the Britains Scots Picts English at his commandement his commendable deed of christian charitie the Westsaxons conuerted to
not about to practise anie deceitfull traines nor fraudulent deuises against the Englishmen The Britains otherwise called Welshmen though for the more part of a peculiar hatred they did impugne the English nation the obseruance of the feast of Ester appointed by the whole catholike church yet both diuine and humane force vtterlie resisting them they were not able in neither behalfe to atteine to their wished intentions as they which though they were partlie free yet in some point remained still as thrall and mancipate to the subiection of the Englishmen who saith Beda now in the acceptable time of peace and quietnesse manie amongst them of Northumberland laieng armour and weapon aside applied themselues to the reading of holie scriptures more desirous to be professed in religious houses then to exercise feates of warre but what will come therof saith he the age that followeth shall sée and behold With these words dooth Beda and his historie continued till the yéere of our Lord 731 which was from the comming of the Englishmen into this land about 285 yéeres according to his account In the yéere following that is to say 732 in place of Wilfrid the second Egbert was ordeined bishop of Yorke Ths Egbert was brother vnto an other Egbert who as then was king of Northumberland by whose helpe he greatlie aduanced the see of Yorke and recouered the pall so that where all the other bishops that held the same sée before him sith Paulins daies wanted the pall and so were counted simplie but particular bishops now was he intituled by the name of archbishop He also got togither a great number of good books which he bestowed in a librarie at Yorke ¶ In the yéere 733 on the 18 kalends of September the sunne suffered a great eclipse about three of the clocke in the after noone in somuch that the earth seemed to be couered with a blacke and horrible penthouse In the yéere 735 tht reuerend and profound learned man Beda departed this life being 82 yéeres of age vpon Ascension day which was the 7 kalends of Iune and 26 of Maie as Matt. Westm. hath diligentlie obserued W. Harison addeth hitherto that it is to be read in an old epistle of Cutbert moonke of the same house vnto Cuthwine that the said Beda lieng in his death-bed translated the gospell of saint Iohn into English and commanded his brethren to be diligent in reading and contemplation of good bookes and not to exercise themselues with fables and friuolous matters Finallie he was buried in the abbeie of Geruie distant fiue miles from Wiremouth and abbeie also in the north parts not far from Newcastell as is before remembred He was brought vp in those two abbeies and was scholer to Iohn of Beuerley How throughlie he was séene in all kinds of good literature the bookes which hée wrote doo manifestlie beare witnesse His iudgement also was so much estéemed ouer all that Sergius the bishop of Rome wrote vnto Celfride the abbat of Wiremouth requiring him to send Beda vnto the court of Rome for the deciding of certein questions mooued there which without his opinion might séeme to rest doubtfull But whether he went thither or not we can not affirme but as it is thought by men worthie of credit he neuer went out of this land but continued for the most part of his life in the abbeies of Geruie and Wiremouth first vnder Benet the first abbat and founder of the same abbeies and after vnder the said Celfride in whose time he receiued orders of priesthood at the hands of bishop Iohn surnamed of Beuerley so that it may be maruelled that a man borne in the vttermost corner of the world should proue so excellent in all knowledge and learning that his fame should so spread ouer the whole earth and went neuer out of his natiue contrie to séeke it But who that marketh in reading old histories the state of abbeies and monasteries in those daies shall well perceiue that they were ordered after the maner of our schooles or colleges hauing in them diuerse learned men that attended onelie to teach bring vp youth in knowledge of good learning or else to go abroad and preach the word of God in townes and villages adioining The same yéere died archbishop Tacuine and in the yéere following that is to say 735 Nothelmus was ordeined archbishop of Canturburie in his place and Egbert the archbishop of Yorke the same yéere got his pall from Rome and so was confirmed archbishop and ordeined two bishops Fruidberd and Fruidwald But some refer it to the yéere 744. Cuthred king of the Westsaxons he is greatlie troubled by Ethelbald king of Mercia they are pacified Kenric king Cuthreds sonne slaine earle Adelme rebelleth against him whom the king pardoneth Cuthred fighteth with Ethelbald at Hereford he hath the victorie he falleth sicke and dieth Sigebert succedeth him in the kingdome he is cruell to his people he is expelled from his roiall estate murther reuenged with murther succession in the kingdome of Eastangles kings change their crownes for moonks cowles the Britaines subiect to the king of Northumberland and the king of Picts the moone eclipsed The third Chapter AFter the decease of Ethelard king of Westsaxons his coosine Cuthred was made king and gouernour of those people reigning the tearme of 16 yéeres He began his reigne in the yeere of our Lord 740 in the twentie fourth yere of the emperour Leo Isaurus in the 14 yéere of the reigne of the second Theodorus Cala K. of France and about the 6 yéere of Ethfine king of Scots This Cuthred had much to doo against Edilbald king of Mercia who one while with stirrin◠his owne subiects the Westsaxons to rebellion an other while with open warre and sometime by secret craft and subtill practises sought to disquiet him Howbeit in the fourth yeere of his reigne a peace as concluded betwixt them and then ioining their powers togither they went against the Welshmen gaue them a great ouerthrow as before is partlie touched In the 9 yeere of this Cuthreds reigne his sonne Kenric was slaine in a seditious tumult amongst his men of warre a gentleman yoong in yeeres but of a stout courage and verie forward wherby as was thought he came the sooner to his wofull end In the 11 yeere of his reigne Cuthred had wars against one of his earls called Adelme who raising a commotion against him aduentured to giue battell though he had the smaller number of men and yet was at point to haue gone away with victorie if by a wound at that instant receiued his periurie had not béene punished and the kings iust cause aduanced to triumph ouer his aduersarie whom yet by way of reconciliation he pardoned In the 13 yeere of his reigne king Cuthred being not well able to susteine the proud exactions and hard dooings of Edilbald king of Mercia raised his power and encountered with the
forward courage hasted to incounter his enimies the which receiued him so sharplie and with so cruell fight that at length the Englishmen were at point to haue turned their backs But herewith came king Ethelred and manfullie ended the battell staied his people from running away and so encouraged them and discouraged the enimies that by the power of God whom as was thought in the morning he had serued the Danes finallie were chased and put to flight losing one of their kings that is to say Basreeg or Osréeg and 5 earles Sidroc the elder and Sidroc the yoonger Osberne Freine and Harold This battell was sore foughten and conâ—inued till night with the slaughter of manie thousands of Danes About 14 daies after king Ethelred and his brother Alured fought eftsoones with the Danish armie at Basing where the Danes had the victorie Also two moneths after this they likewise fought with the Danes at Merton And there the Danes after they had béene put to the woorse pursued in chase a long time yet at length they also got the victorie in which battell Edmund bishop of Shireborne was slaine and manie other that were men of woorthie fame and good account In the summer following a mightie host of the Danes came to Reading and there soiourned for a time ¶ These things agrée not with that which Polydor Virgil hath written of these warres which king Ethelred had with the Danes for he maketh mention of one Iuarus a king of the Danes who landed as he writeth at the mouth of Humber and like a stout enimie inuaded the countrie adioining Against whome Ethelred with his brother Alured came with an armie and incountring the Danes fought with them by the space of a whole day togither and was in danger to haue béene put to the woorse but that the night seuered them asunder In the morning they ioined againe but the death of Iuarus who chanced to be slaine in the beginning of the battell discouraged the Danes so that they were easilie put to flight of whome before they could get out of danger a great number were slaine But after that they had recouered themselues togither and found out a conuenient place where to pitch their campe they chose to their capteines Agnerus and Hubba two brethren which indeuored themselues by all meanes possible to repaire their armie so that within 15 daies after the Danes eftsoones fought with the Englishmen and gaue them such an ouerthrow that little wanted of making an end of all incounters to be attempted after by the Englishmen But yet within a few daies after this as the Danes attended their market to spoile the countrie and range somewhat licentiouslie abroad they fell within â—he danger of such ambushes as were laid for them by king Ethelred that no small slaughter was made of them but yet not without some losse of the Englishmen Amongest others Ethelred himselfe receiued a wound whereof he shortlie after died Thus saith Polydor touching the warres which king Ethelred had with the Danes who yet confesseth as the trueth is that such authors as he herein followed varie much from that which the Danish writers doo record of these matters and namelie touching the dooings of Iuarus as in the Danish historie you may sée more at large But now to our purpose touching the death of king Ethelred whether by reason of hurt receiued in fight against the Danes as Polydor saith or otherwise certeine it is that Ethelred anon after Easter departed this life in the sixt yeare of his reigne and was buried at Winborne abbey In the daies of this Ethelred the foresaid Danish capteins Hungar otherwise called Agnerus and Hubba returning from the north parts into the countrie of the Eastangles came vnto Thetford whereof Edmund who reigned as king in that season ouer the Eastangles being aduertised raised an armie of men and went foorth to giue battell vnto this armie of the Danes But he with his people was chased out of the field and fled to the castell of Framingham where being enuironed with a siege by his enimies he yéelded himselfe vnto them And because he would not renounce the christian faith they bound him to a trée and shot arrowes at him till he died and afterwards cut off his head from his bodie and threw the same into a thicke groue of bushes But afterwards his friends tooke the bodie with the head and â—uried the same at Egleseon where afterward also a faire monasterie was builded by one bishop Aswin and changing the name of the place it was after caâ—â—ed saint Edmundfburie Thus was king Edmund put to death by the cruell Danes for his constant confessing the name of Christ in the 16 yeare of his reigne and so ceased the kingdome of Eastangles For after that the Danes had thus slaine that blessed man they conquered all the countrie wasted it so that through their tyrannie it remained without anie gouernor by the space of nine yeares and then they appointed a king to rule ouer it whose name was Guthrun one of their owne nation who gouerned both the Eastangles and the Eastsaxons Ye haue heard how the Danes slue Osrike and Ella kings of Northumberland After which victorie by them obteined they did much hurt in the north parts of this land and amongest other cruell deeds they destroied the citie of Aâ—â—uid which was a famous citie in the time of the old Saxons as by Beda and other writers dooth manifestlie appeare Here is to be remembred that some writers rehearse the cause to be this Osbright or Osrike king of Northumberland rauished the wife of one Berne that was a noble man of the countrie about Yorke who tooke such great despight thereat that he fled out of the land and went into Denmarke and there complained vnto the king of Denmarke his coosin of the iniurie doone to him by king Osbright Wherevpon the king of Denmarke glad to haue so iust a quarell against them of Northumberland furnished foorth an armie and sent the same by sea vnder the leading of his two brethren Hungar and Hubba into Northumberland where they slue first the said king Osbright and after king Ella at a place besides Yorke which vnto this day is called Ellas croft taking that name of the said Ella being there slaine in defense of his countrie against the Danes Which Ella as we find registred by writers was elected king by such of the Northumbers as in fauour of Berne had refused to be subiect vnto Osbright Alfred ruleth ouer the Westsaxons and the greatest part of England the Danes afflict him with sore warre and cruellie make wast of his kingdome they lie at London a whole winter they inuade Mercia the king whereof Burthred by name forsaketh his countrie and goeth to Rome his death and buriall Halden king of the Danes diuideth Northumberland among his people Alfred incountreth with the
Edward vnderstanding that Sithrike went about some mischiefe toward him persuaded his daughter to poison hir husband the said Sithrike Then Aulafe or Aualassus and Godfrie the sonnes of Sithrike finding out by diligent examination that Beatrice was of counsell in poisoning hir husband they caused hir to be apprehended and put to death on this wife She was set naked vpon a smithes cold anuill or stithie and there with hard rosted egs being taken out of the hot imbers were put vnder hir armepits and hir armes fast bound to hir bodie with a cord and so in that state she remained till hir life passed from hir King Edward in reuenge of his daughters death mooued warre against the two brethren Aulafe and Godfrie and in battell finallie vanquished them but was slaine in the same battell himselfe Thus haue the Scotish chronicles recorded of these matters as an induction to the warres which followed betwixt the Scots and Danes as confederates against king Adelstane but the truth thereof we leaue to the readers owne iudgement For in our English writers we find no such matter but that a daughter of king Edward named Edgitha or Editha after hir fathers deceasse was by hir brother king Adelstane about the first yéere of his reigne giuen in mariage as before ye haue heard vnto the foresaid Sithrike king of Northumberland that was descended of the Danish bloud who for the loue of the yoong ladie renounced his heathenish religion and became a christian but shortlie after forsaking both his wife and the christian faith he set vp againe the worshipping of idols and within a while after as an apostata miserablie ended his life Whervpon the yoong ladie hir virginitie being preserued and hir bodie vndefiled as they write passed the residue of hir daies at Polle swoorth in Warwikeshire spending hir time as the same writers affirme in fasting watching praieng and dooing of almesdéedes and so at length departed out of this world Thus our writers differ from the Scotish historie both in name and maner of end as concerning the daughter of king Edward that was coupled in mariage with Sithrike Adelstane subdueth Constantine king of Scots Howell king of Wales and Wulferth king of Northwales the Scots possesse a great part of the north countries Adelstane conquereth the Scots for aiding Godfrie his enimie a miracle declaring that the Scots ought to obey the king of England king Adelstane banisheth his brother Edwin he is for a conspiracie drowned in the sea Adelstane repenteth him of his rigour in respect of that misfortune against his brother Aulafe sometimes king of Northumberland inuadeth England he disguiseth himselfe like a minstrell and surueieth the English campe vnsuspected he is discouered after his departure he assaileth the English campe Adelstane being comforted with a miracle discomfiteth his enimies he maketh them of Northwales his tributaries he subdueth the Cornishmen his death the description of his person his vertues of what abbeis monasteries he was founder his estimation in forren realmes what pretious presents were sent him from other princes and how he bestowed them a remembrance of Guy the erle of Warwike The xx Chapter AFter that king Adelstane had subdued them of Northumberland he was aduertised that not onelie Constantine king of Scots but also Huduale or Howell K. of Wales went about a priuie conspiracie against him Herevpon with all conuenient spéed assembling his power he went against them and with like good fortune subdued them both and also Uimer or Wulferth R. of Northwales so that they were constreined to submit themselues vnto him who shortlie after moued with pitie in considering their sudden fall restored them all three to their former estates but so as they should acknowledge themselues to gouerne vnder him pronouncing withall this notable saieng that More honorable it was to make a king than to be a king Ye must vnderstand that as it appeareth in the Scotish chronicles the Scotishmen in time of wars that the Danes gaue the English nation got a part of Cumberland and other the north countries into their possession and so by reason of their néere adioining vnto the confines of the English kings there chanced occasions of warre betwixt them as well in the daies of king Edward as of this Adelstane his sonne although in déed the Danes held the more part of the north countries till that this Adelstane conquered the same out of their hands and ioined it vnto other of his dominions constreining as well the Danes of whome the more part of the inhabitants then consisted as also the Englishmen to obey him as their king and gouernour Godfrie as is said being fled to the Scots did so much preuaile there by earnest sute made to king Constantine that he got a power of men and entring with the same into Northumberland besiged the citie of Duresme soliciting the citizens to receiue him which they would gladlie haue doone if they had not perceiued how he was not of power able to resist the puissance of king Adelstane and therefore doubting to be punished for their offenses if they reuolted they kept the enimies out King Adelstane being sore moued against the king of Scots that thus aided his enimies raised an armie and went northward purposing to reuenge that iniurie At his comming into Yorkshire he turned out of the way to visit the place where saint Iohn of Beuerlie was buried and there offered his knife promising that if he returned with victorie he would redéeme the same with a woorthie price and so proceeded and went forwards on his iournie and entring Scotland wasted the countrie by land vnto Dunfoader and Wertermore and his nauie by sea destroied the coasts alongst the shore euen to Catnosse and so he brought the king of Scots and other his enimies to subiection at his pleasure constreining the same K. of Scots to deliuer him his son in hostage It is said that being in his iournie néere vnto the towne of Dunbar he praied vnto God that at the instance of saint Iohn of Beuerlie it would please him to grant that he might shew some open token whereby it should appeare to all them that then liued and should he 〈◊〉 succéed that the Scots ought to 〈◊〉 subiect vnto the kings of England Herewith the king with his sword sâ—ote vpon a great stone standing néere to the castle of Dunbar and with the stroke there appeared a clift in the saine stone to the length of 〈◊〉 which remained to be shewed as a 〈◊〉 backe to 〈◊〉 he redeemedes es year after At his 〈…〉 his knife with a large price as before he had promised After this was Edwin the kings brother a coused of some conspiracie by him begiâ—â— against the king wherevpon he was banished the land and sent out in an old rotten vessell without rower or mariner onelie accompanied with one esquier so that beingstanding néere to the castle of Dunbar and with
stranger should come and remoue an old inhabitant for such maner of dooing could not please God not yet be allowed of anie good man which ought of reason to doubt least the same should hap to him which he might sée to haue béene an other mans vndooing About this matter was hard hold for manie of the temporall lords and namelie the same Alfer iudged that the priests had wrong In so much that they remoued the moonks out of their places and brought into the monasteries secular priests with their wiues But Edelwin duke of the Eastangles Alfred his brother with Brightnoth or Brighnode earle of Essex withstood this dooing gathering an armie with great valiancie mainteined the moonks in their houses within the countrie of Eastangles Herevpon were councels holden as at Winchester at Kirthling in Eastangle and at Calne At Winchester when the matter was brought to that passe that the priests were like to haue had their purpose an image of the rood that stood there in the refectorie where they sat in councell vttered certeine woords in this wise God forbid it should be so God forbid it should be so ye iudged well once but ye may not change well againe As though saith Polydor Virgil the moonks had more right which had berest other men of their possessions than the priests which required restitution of their owne But saith he bicause the image of Christ hanging on the crosse was thought to speake these words such credit was giuen thereto as it had béene an oracle that the priests had their sute dashed and all the trouble was ceassed So the moonks held those possessions howsoeuer they came to them by the helpe of God or rather as saith the same Polydor by the helpe of man For there were euen then diuers that thought this to be rather an oracle of Phebus than of God that is to say not published by Gods power but by the fraud and craftie deceit of men The matter therefore was not so quieted but that vpon new trouble an other councell was had at a manour house belonging to the king called Calne where they that were appointed to haue the hearing of the matter sat in an vpper lost The king by reason of his yoong yéeres do was spared so that he came not there Héere as they were busied in arguing the matter either part laieng for himselfe what could be said Dunstane was sore reuiled and had sundrie reproches laid against him but suddenlie euen in the verie heat of their communication the ioists of the loft failed and downe came all the companie so that manie were slaine and hurt but Dunstane alone standing vpon one of the ioists that fell not escaped safe and sound And so this miracle with the other made an end of the controuersie betwéene the priests and moonks all the English people following the mind of the archbishop Dunstane who by meanes thereof had his will In this meane while king Edward ruling himselfe by good counsell of such as were thought discréet and sage persons gaue great hope to the world that he would walke in his fathers vertuous steps as alreadie be well began and bearing alwaie a reuerence to his mother in law and a brotherlie loue to hir sonne Egelred vsed himselfe as became him towards them both Afterward by chance as he was hunting in a forrest néere the castell of Corfe where his mother in law and his brother the said Egelred then soiourned when all his companie were spred abroad in following the game so that he was left alone he tooke the waie streight vnto his mother in lawes house to visit hir and his brother The quéene hearing that he was come was verie glad thereof for that she had occasion offered to woorke that which she had of long time before imagined that was to slea the king hir sonne in law that hir owne sonne might inioy the garland Wherefore she required him to alight which he in no wise would yéeld vnto but said that he had stolne from his companie and was onelie come to see hir and his brother and to drinke with them and therefore would returne to the forrest againe to sée some more sport The queene perceiuing that he would not alight caused drinke to be fetched and as he had the cup at his mouth by hir appointment one of hir seruants stroke him into the bodie with a knife wherevpon féeling himselfe wounded he set sprres to the horsse thinking to gallop awaie and so to get to his companie But being hurt to the death he fell from his horsse so as one of his féet was fastened in the stirrup by reason whereof his horsse drew him foorth through woods and launds the bloud which gushed out of the wound shewed token of his death to such as followed him and the waie to the place where the horsse had left him That place was called Corphes gate or Corfes gate His bodie being found was buried without anie solemne funeralls at Warham For they which enuied that he should inioy the crowne enuied also the buriall of his bodie within the church but the memorie of his fame could not so secretlie be buried with the bodie as they imagined For sundrie miracles shewed at the place where his bodie was interred made the same famous as diuerse haue reported for there was sight restored to the blind health to the sicke and hearing to the deafe which are easilier to be told than beléeued Quéene Alfred also would haue ridden to the place where he laie mooued with repentance as hath béene said but the horsse wherevpon she rode would not come neere the graue for anie thing that could be doone to him Neither by changing the said horsse could the matter be holpen for euen the same thing happened to the other horsses Heerevpon the woman perceiued hir great offense towards God for murthering the innocent and did so repent hir afterward for the same that besides the chastising of hir bodie in fasting and other kind of penance she imploied all hir substance and patrimonie on the poorâ— and in building and reparing of churches and monasteries She founded two houses of nuns as is said the one at Warwell the other at Ambresburie and finallie professed hirselfe a nun in one of them that is to say at Warwell which house she builded as some affirme in remembrance of hir first husband that was slaine there by king Edgar for hir sake as before is mentioned The bodie of this Edward the second and surnamed the martyr after that it had remained thrée yeeres at Warham where it was first buried was remooued vnto Shaftesburie and with great reuerence buried there by the forenamed Alâ—er or Elfer duke of Mercia who also did sore repent himselfe in that he had beene against the aduancement of the said king Edward as ye haue heard But yet did not he escape
Going by Portland and the point thereof called the Rase we sailed along by the Shingle till we came by saint Katharins chappell where we saw the fall of a water that came downe from Blackdéene Beaconward by Portsham and Abbatsburie Thence we went to another that fell into the sea neere Birton and descended from Litton by Chilcombe then vnto the Bride or Brute port a pretie hauen and the riuer it selfe serued with sundrie waters It riseth halfe a mile or more aboue Bemister and so goeth from Bemister to Netherburie by Parneham then to Melplash and so to Briteport where it taketh in two waters from by east in one chanell of which one riseth east of Nettlecourt and goeth by Porestoke and Milton the other at Askerwell and runneth by Longlether From hence also our Bride going toward the sea taketh the Simen on the west that commeth by Simensburge into the same the whole streame soone after falling into the sea and leauing a pretie haue not The next port is the Chare serued with two rits in one confluence beneath Charemouth The cheefe head of this riuer is as Leland saith in Marshwood parke and commeth downe by Whitechurch the other runneth by west of Wootton and méeting beneath Charemouth towne as I said dooth fall into the sea Then came we to the Cobbe and beheld the Lime water which the townesmen call the Buddle which commeth about thrée miles by north of Lime from the hils fleting vpon Rockie soile and so falleth into the sea Certes there is no hauen héere that I could sée but a quarter of a mile by west southwest of the towne is a great and costlie iuttie in the sea for succour of ships The towne is distant from Coliton about fiue miles And heere we ended our voiage from the Auon which conteineth the whole coast of Dorcester or Dorcetshire so that next we must enter into Summerset countie and see what waters are there The first water that we méet withall in Summersetshire is the Axe which riseth in a place called Are knoll longing to sir Giles Strangwaie néere vnto Cheddington in Dorsetshire from whence it runneth to Mosterne Feborow Claxton Weiford bridge Winsham foord and receiuing one rill from the east by Hawkechurch and soone after another comming from northwest by Churchstoke from Wainbroke it goeth to Axeminster beneath which it crosseth the Yare that commeth from about Buckland by Whitstaunton Yarecombe Long bridge Stockeland Kilmington bridge where it receiueth a brooke from by south that runneth by Dalwood and so into the Axe From hence our Axe goeth to Drake Musburie Culliford but yer it come altogither at Culliford it méeteth with a water that riseth aboue Cotleie and goeth from thence by Widworthie Culliton and there receiuing a rill also procéedeth on after the confluence aboue Culliford bridge into the Axe and from thence hold on togither into the maine sea whereinto they fall vnder the roots of the winter cliffes the points of them being almost a mile in sunder The most westerlie of them called Berewood lieth within halfe a mile of Seton But the other toward the east is named White-cliffe of which I saie no more but that in the time of Athelstane the greatest nauie that euer aduentured into this Iland arriued at Seton in Deuonshire being replenished with aliens that sought the conquest of this Iland but Athelstane met and incountered with them in the field where he ouerthrew six thousand of his aforesaid enimies Not one of them also that remained aliue escaped from the battell without some deadlie or verie gréeuous wound In this conflict moreouer were slaine fiue kings which were interred in the churchyard of Axe minster and of the part of the king of England were killed eight earles of the chéefe of his nobilitie and they also buried in the churchyard aforesaid Héervnto it addeth how the bishop of Shireburne was in like sort slaine in this battell that began at Brunedune neere to Coliton and indured euen to Axe minster which then was called Brunberie or Brunburg The same daie that this thing happened the sunne lost his light and so continued without anie brightnesse vntill the setting of that planet though otherwise the season was cléere and nothing cloudie As for the hauen which in times past as I haue heard hath béene at Sidmouth so called of Sidde a rillet that runneth thereto and likewise at Seton I passe it ouer sith now there is none at all Yet hath there béene sometime a notable one albeit that at this present betweene the two points of the old hauen there lieth a mightie bar of pibble stones in the verie mouth of it and the riuer Axe is driuen to the verie east point of the hauen called White cliffe Thereat also a verie little gull goeth into the sea whither small fisherbotes doo oft resort for succour The men of Seton began of late to stake and make a maine wall within the hauen to haue changed the course of the Axe and almost in the middle of the old hauen to haue trenched through the Chesill thereby to haue let out the Axe to haue taken in the maine sea but I heare of none effect that this attempt did come vnto From Seton westward lieth Coliton about two miles by west northwest whereof riseth the riuer Colie which going by the aforesaid towne passeth by Colecombe parke and afterward falleth betweene Axe bridge and Axe mouth towne into the Axe riuer By west of Bereworth point lieth a créeke serued so farre as I remember with a fresh water that commeth from the hilles south of Soutleie or Branscombe Sidmouth hauen is the next and thither commeth a fresh water by S. Maries from the said hils that goeth from S. Maries aforesaid to Sidburie betweene Saltcombe Sidmouth into the maine sea By west of Auterton point also lieth another hauen and thither commeth a pretie riueret whose head is in the Hackpendon hilles and commeth downe first by Upauter then by a parke side to Mohuns Auter Munketon Honniton Buckewell and north of Autrie receiueth a rill called Tale that riseth northwest of Brodemburie in a wood and from whence it commeth by Pehemburie Uinniton and making a confluence with the other they go as one betwéene Cadde and Autrie to Herford Luton Collaton Auterton Budeleie and so into the sea On the west side of this hauen is Budeleie almost directly against Otterton It is easie to be seene also that within lesse space than one hundred yeers ships did vse this hauen but now it is barred vp Some call it Budeleie hauen of Budeleie towne others Salterne port of a little créeke comming out of the maine hauen vnto Salterne village that hath in time past béene a towne of great estimation The Exe riseth in Exemore in Summersetshire néere vnto Exe crosse and goeth from thence vnto Exeford Winsford and Extun where it receiueth a water comming from Cutcombe
being nine yeares of age was by the lawes of Edgar in ward to king Henrie the third by the nobles of Scotland brought to Yorke and there deliuered vnto him During whose minoritie king Henrie gouerned Scotland and to subdue a commotion in this realme vsed the aid of fiue thousand Scotishmen But king Henrie died during the nonage of this Alexander whereby he receiued not his homage which by reason and law was respited vntill his full age of one and twentie yeares Edward the first after the conquest sonne of this Henrie was next king of England immediatlie after whose coronation Alexander king of Scots being then of full age did homage to him for Scotland at Westminster swearing as all the rest did after this maner I. D. N. king of Scots shall be true and faithfull vnto you lord E. by the grace of God king of England the noble and superior lord of the kingdome of Scotland and vnto you I make my fidelitie for the same kingdome the which I hold and claime to hold of you And I shall beare you my faith and fidelitie of life and lim and worldlie honour against all men faithfullie I shall knowlege and shall doo you seruice due vnto you of the kingdome of Scotland aforesaid as God me so helpe and these holie euangelies This Alexander king of Scots died leauing one onelie daughter called Margaret for his heire who before had maried Hanigo sonne to Magnus king of Norwaie which daughter also shortlie after died leauing one onelie daughter hir heire of the age of two yeares whose custodie and mariage by the lawes of king Edgar and Edward the confessor belonged to Edward the first whervpon the nobles of Scotland were commanded by our king Edward to send into Norwaie to conueie this yoong queene into England to him whome he intended to haue maried to his sonne Edward and so to haue made a perfect vnion long wished for betwéene both realmes Herevpon their nobles at that time considering the same tranquillitie that manie of them haue since refused stood not vpon shifts and delaies of minoritie nor contempt but most gladlie consented and therevpon sent two noble men of Scotland into Norwaie for hir to be brought to this king Edward but she died before their comming thither and therefore they required nothing but to inioie the lawfull liberties that they had quietlie possessed in the last king Alexanders time After the death of this Margaret the Scots were destitute of anie heire to the crowne from this Alexander their last king at which time this Edward descended from the bodie of Mawd daughter of Malcolme sometime king of Scots being then in the greatest broile of his warres with France minded not to take the possession of that kingdome in his owne right but was contented to establish Balioll to be king thereof the weake title betwéene him Bruse Hastings being by the humble petition of all the realme of Scotland cōmitted to the determination of king Edward wherein by autentike writing they confessed the superioritie of the realme to remaine in king Edward sealed with the seales of foure bishops seuen earles and twelue barons of Scotland and which shortlie after was by the whole assent of the three estates of Scotland in their solemne parlement confessed and enacted accordinglie as most euidentlie dooth appeare The Balioll in this wise made king of Scotland did immediatlie make his homage and fealtie at Newcastell vpon saint Stéeuens daie as did likewise all the lords of Scotland each one setting his hand to the composition in writing to king Edward of England for the kingdome of Scotland but shortlie after defrauding the benigne goodnesse of his superiour he rebelled and did verie much hurt in England Herevpon king Edward inuaded Scotland seized into his hands the greater part of the countrie and tooke all the strengths thereof Whervpon Balioll king of Scots came vnto him to Mauntrosse in Scotland with a white wand in his hand and there resigned the crowne of Scotland with all his right title and interest to the same into the hands of king Edward and thereof made his charter in writing dated and sealed the fourth yeare of his reigne All the nobles and gentlemen of Scotland also repaired to Berwike and did homage and fealtie to king Edward there becomming his subiects For the better assurance of whose oths also king Edward kept all the strengths and holdes of Scotland in his owne hands and herevpon all their lawes processes all iudgements gifts of assises and others passed vnder the name and authoritie of king Edward Leland touching the same rehearsall writeth thereof in this maner In the yeare of our Lord 1295 the same Iohn king of Scots contrarie to his faith and allegiance rebelled against king Edward and came into England and burnt and siue without all modestie and mercie Wherevpon king Edward with a great host went to Newcastell vpon Tine passed the water of Twéed besieged Berwike and got it Also he wan the castell of Dunbar and there were slaine at this brunt 15700 Scots Then he proceeded further and gat the castell of Rokesborow and the castell of Edenborow Striuelin and Gedworth and his people harried all the land In the meane season the said king Iohn of Scots considering that he was not of power to withstand king Edward sent his letters and besought him of treatie and peace which our prince benignlie granted and sent to him againe that he should come to the towre of Brechin and bring thither the great lords of Scotland with him The king of England sent thither Antonie Becke bishop of Durham with his roiall power to conclude the said treatise And there it was agreed that the said Iohn and all the Scots should vtterlie submit themselues to the kings will And to the end the submission should be performed accordinglie the king of Scots laid his sonne in hostage and pledge vnto him There also he made his letters sealed with the common scale of Scotland by the which he knowledging his simplenes and great offense doone to his lord king Edward of England by his full power and frée will yeelded vp all the land of Scotland with all the people and homage of the same Then our king went foorth to sée the mounteins and vnderstanding that all was in quiet and peace he turned to the abbeie of Scone which was of chanons regular where he tooke the stone called the Regall of Scotland vpon which the kings of that nation were woont to sit at the time of their coronations for a throne sent it to the abbeie of Westminster commanding to make a chaire therof for the priests that should sing masse at the high altar which chaire was made and standeth yet there at this daie to be séene In the yeare of our Lord 1296 the king held his parlement at Berwike and there he tooke homage singularlie of diuerse of the lords nobles of Scotland And for a perpetuall memorie of the same they
liberum affectans animum Voluntati sacrarum intendo scripturarum vos dissonantiam facitis verendúmque est nè aratrum sanctae ecclesiae quod in Anglia duo boues validi pari fortitudine ad bonum certantes id est rex archiepiscopus debeant trahere nunc oue vetula cum tauro indomito iugata distorqueatur à recto Ego ouis vetula qui siquietus essem verbi Dei lacte operimento lanae aliquibus possem fortassis non ingratus esse sed sime cum hoc tauro coniungitis videbitis pro disparilitate trahentium aratrum non rectè procedere c. Which is in English thus Of secular affaires I haue no skill bicause I will not know them for I euen abhor the troubles that rise about them as one that desireth to haue his mind at libertie I applie my whole indeuor to the rule of the scriptures you lead me to the contrarie And it is to be feared least the plough of holie church which two strong oxen to equall force and both like earnest to contend vnto that which is good that is the king and the archbishop ought to draw should thereby now swarue from the right forrow by matching of an old shéepe with a wild vntamed bull I am that old shéepe who if I might be quiet could peraduenture shew my selfe not altogither vngratfull to some by féeding them with the milke of the word of God and couering them with wooll but if you match me with this bull you shall sée that thorough want of equalitie in draught the plough will not go to right c as foloweth in the processe of his letters The said Thomas Becket was so proud that he wrote to king Henrie the second as to his lord to his king and to his sonne offering him his counsell his reuerence and due correction c. Others in like sort haue protested that they owght nothing to the kings of this land but their counsell onelie reseruing all obedience vnto the sée of Rome And as the old cocke of Canturburie did crew in this behalfe so the yoong cockerels of other sees did imitate his demeanor as may be séene by this one example also in king Stephans time worthie to be remembred vnto whome the bishop of London would not so much as sweare to be true subiect wherein also he was mainteined by the pope as appeareth by these letters Eugenius episcopus seruus seruorum Dei dilecto in Christo filio Stephano illustri regi Anglorū salutē apostolic ā benedictionē Adhaec superna prouidētia in ecclesiapontifices ordinauit vt Christianus populus ab eis pascua vitae reciperet tam principes seculares quà m inferioris conditionis homines ipsis pontificibus tanquam Christi vicarijs reuerentiam exhiberent Venerabilis siquidem frater noster Robertus London episcopus tanquam vir sapiens honestus relligionis amator à nobilitate tua benignè tractandus est pro collata à Deo prudentia propensiùs honorandus Quia ergò sicut in veritate comperimus cum animae suae salute ac snae ordinis periculo fidelitate quae ab eo requiritur astringi non potest volumus ex paterno tibi affectu consulimus quatenus praedictum fratrem nostrum super hoc nullatenus inquietes immò pro beati Petri nostra reuerentia eum in amorem gratiam tuam recipias Cùm autem illud iuramentum praestare non possit sufficiat discretioni tuae vt simplici veraci verbo promittat quòd laesionem tibi velterrae tuae non inferat Vale. Dat. Meldis 6. cal Iulij Thus we sée that kings were to rule no further than it pleased the pope to like of neither to chalenge more obedience of their subiects than stood also with their good will and pleasure He wrote in like sort vnto quéene Mawd about the same matter making hir Samsons calfe the better to bring his purpose to passe as appeareth by the same letter here insuing Solomone attestante didicimus quòd mulier sapiens aedificat domum insipiens autem constructam destruet manibus Gaudemus pro te deuotionis studium in Domino collaudamus quoniam sicut relligiosorum relatione accepimus timorem Deiprae oculis habens operibus pietatis intēdis personas ecclesiasticas diligis honoras Vt ergo de bono in melius inspirante Domino proficere valeas nobilitatē tuam in Domino rogamus rogando monemus exhortamur in Domino quatenus bonis initijs exitus meliores iniungas venerabilem fratrem nostrum Robertum London episcopū pro illius reuerentia qui cùm olim diues esset pro nobis pauper fieri voluit attentiùs diligas honores Apud virum tuum dilectum filium nostrum Stephanum in signem regem Anglorum efficere studeas vt monitis hortatu cōsilio tuo ipsum in benignitatem dilectionem suam suscipiat pro beati Petri nostra reuerentia propensiùs habeat commendatum Et quia sicut veritate teste attendimus eum sine salute sui ordinis periculo praefato filio nostro astringi non posse volumus paterno sibi tibi affectu consulimus vt vobis sufficiat veraci simplici verbo promissionē ab eo suscipere quòd laesionem vel detrimentum ei velterrae suae nō inferat Dat. vt supra Is it not strange that a peeuish order of religion deuised by man should breake the expresse law of God who commandeth all men to honour and obeie their kings and princes in whome some part of the power of God is manifest and laid open vnto vs And euen vnto this end the cardinall of Hostia also wrote to the canons of Paules after this maner couertlie incoraging them to stand to their election of the said Robert who was no more willing to giue ouer his new bishoprike than they carefull to offend the king but rather imagined which waie to kéepe it still maugre his displeasure yet not to sweare obedience vnto him for all that he should be able to do or performe vnto the contrarie Humilis Dei gratia Hostiensis episcopus Londinensis ecclesiae canoniois spiritū consilij in Domino Sicut rationi contraria prorsus est abijcienda petitio ita in hijs quae iustè desyderantur effectum negare omninò non conuenit Sanè nuper accepimus quòd Londinensis ecclesia diuproprio destituta pastore communi voto pari assensu cleri populi venerabilem filium nostrum Robertum eiusdem ecclesiae archidiaconum in pastorem episcopum animarum suarum susceperit elegerit Nouimus quidem eum esse personam quam sapientia desuper ei attributa honestas conuersationis morum reuerentia plurimùm commēdabilem reddidit Inde est quòd fraternitati vestrae mandando consulimus vt proposito vestro bono quod vt credimus ex Deo est vt ex literis
whereby they may be set on worke a man should not haue heard at one assise of more than two or thrée Nisi priùs but verie seldome of an atteinct wheras now an hundred more of the first and one or two of the later are verie often perceiued and some of them for a cause arising of six pence or tweluepence Which declareth that men are growen to be farre more contentious than they haue béene in time past and readier to reuenge their quarels of small importance whereof the lawiers complaine not But to my purpose from whence I haue now digressed Beside these officers afore mentioned there are sundrie other in euerie countie as crowners whose dutie is to inquire of such as come to their death by violence to attach present the plées of the crowne to make inquirie of treasure found c. There are diuerse also of the best learned of the law beside sundrie gentlemen where the number of lawiers will not suffice and whose reuenues doo amount to aboue twentie pounds by the yeare appointed by especiall commission from the prince to looke vnto the good gouernement of hir subiects in the counties where they dwell And of these the least skilfull in the law are of the peace the other both of the peace and quorum otherwise called of Oier and Determiner so that the first haue authoritie onelie to heare the other to heare and determine such matters as are brought vnto their presence These also doo direct their warrants to the kéepers of the gailes within their limitations for the safe kéeping of such offendors as they shall iudge worthie to commit vnto their custodie there to be kept vnder ward vntill the great assises to the end their causes may be further examined before the residue of the countie these officers were first deuised about the eightéene yeare of Edward the third as I haue béene informed They méeting also togither with the shiriffes doo hold their aforesaid sessions at foure times in the yeare whereof they are called quarter sessions and herein they inquire of sundrie trespasses and the common annoiances of the kings liege people and diuerse other things determining vpon them as iustice dooth require There are also a third kind of sessions holden by the high constables and bailiffes afore mentioned called petie sessions wherein the weights and measures are perused by the clarke of the market for the countie who sitteth with them At these méetings also vittellers and in like sort seruants labourers roges and tunnagates are often reformed for their excesses although the burning of vagabounds through their eare be referred to the quarter sessions or higher courts of assise where they are iudged either to death if they be taken the third time haue not since their second apprehension applied themselues to labour or else to be set perpetuallie to worke in an house erected in euerie shire for that purpose of which punishment they stand in greatest feare I might here deliuer a discourse of sundrie rare customes and courts surnamed barons yet mainteined and holden in England but for somuch as some of the first are beastlie and therefore by the lords of the soiles now liuing conuerted into monie being for the most part deuised in the beginning either by malicious or licentious women in méere contempt and slauish abuse of their tenants vnder pretense of some punishment due for their excesses I passe ouer to bring them vnto light as also the remembrance of sundrie courts baron likewise holden in strange maner yet none more absurd and far from law than are kept yearlie at Kings hill in Rochford and therfore may well be called a lawlesse court as most are that were deuised vpon such occasions This court is kept vpon wednesdaie insuing after Michaelmasse daie after midnight so that it is begun and ended before the rising of the sunne When the tenants also are altogither in an alehouse the steward secretlie stealeth from them with a lanterne vnder his cloke and goeth to the Kings hill where sitting on a mole-hill he calleth them with a verie soft voice writing their appéerance vpon a péece of paper with a cole hauing none other light than that which is inclosed in the lanterne so soone as the tenants also doo misse the steward they runne to the hill with all their might and there answer all at once Here here wherby they escape their amercements which they should not doo if he could haue called ouer his bill of names before they had missed him in the alehouse And this is the verie forme of the court deuised at the first as the voice goeth vpon a rebellion made by the tenants of the honour of Raibie against their lord in perpetuall memorie of their disobedience shewed I could beside this speake also of some other but sith one hath taken vpon him to collect a number of them into a particular treatise I thinke it sufficient for me to haue said so much of both And thus much haue I thought good to set downe generallie of the said counties and their maner of gouernance although not in so perfect order as the cause requireth bicause that of all the rest there is nothing wherewith I am lesse acquainted than with our temporall regiment which to saie truth smallie concerneth my calling What else is to be added after the seuerall shires of England with their ancient limits as they agreed with the diuision of the land in the time of Ptolomie and the Romans and commodities yet extant I reserue vnto that excellent treatise of my fréend W. Cambden who hath trauelled therein verie farre whose worke written in Latine shall in short time I hope he published to the no small benefit of such as will read and peruse the same Of degrees of people in the common-wealth of England Chap. 5. WE in England diuide our people commonlie into foure sorts as gentlemen citizens or burgesses yeomen which are artificers or laborers Of gentlemen the first and chéefe next the king be the prince dukes marquesses earls viscounts and barons and these are called gentlemen of the greater sort or as our common vsage of spéech is lords and noblemen and next vnto them be knights esquiers and last of all they that are simplie called gentlemen so that in effect our gentlemen are diuided into their conditions whereof in this chapiter I will make particular rehearsall The title of prince dooth peculiarlie belong with vs to the kings eldest sonne who is called prince of Wales and is the heire apparant to the crowne as in France the kings eldest sonne hath the title of Dolphine and is named peculiarlie Monsieur So that the prince is so termed of the Latine word Princeps sith he is as I may call him the cheefe or principall next the king The kings yoonger sonnes be but gentlemen by birth till they haue receiued creation or donation from their father of higher estate as to be either visconts earles or dukes
Britaine successiuelie after Brute The fift Chapter LOcrinus or Locrine the first begotten sonne of Brute began to reigne ouer the countrie called Logiers in the yeare of the world 1874 and held to his part the countrie that reached from the souht sea vnto the riuer of Humber While this Locrinus gouerned Logiers his brother Albanact ruled in Albania where in fine he was slaine in a battell by a king of the Hunnes or Scythians called Humber who inuaded that part of Britaine and got possession thereof till Locrinus with his brother Camber in reuenge of their other brothers death and for the recouerie of the kingdome gathered their powers togither and comming against the said king of the Hunnes by the valiancie of their people they discomfited him in battell and chased him so egerlie that he himselfe and a great number of his men were drowned in the gulfe that then parted Loegria and Albania which after tooke name of the said king and was called Humber and so continueth vnto this daie Moreouer in this battell against the Hunnes were thrée yong damsels taken of excellent beautie specially one of them whose name was Estrild daughter to a certeine king of Scythia With this Estrild king Locrine fell so farre in loue notwithstanding a former contract made betwixt him and the ladie Guendoloena daughter to Corineus duke of Cornwall that he meant yet with all spéed to marie the same Estrild But being earnestlie called vpon and in manner forced thereto by Corineus hée changed his purpose and married Guendoloena keeping neuertheles the aforesaid Estrild as paramour still after a secret sort during the life of Corineus his father in law Now after that Corineus was departed this world Locrine forsooke Guendoloena and maried Estrild Guendoloena therefore being cast off by hir husband got hir into Cornewall to hir friends and kinred and there procured them to make warre against the said Locrine hir husband in the which warres hée was slaine and a battell fought néere to the riuer of Sture after he had reigned as writers affirme twentie yeares was buried by his father in the Citie of Troinouant leauing behind him a yoong sonne begotten of his wife Guendoloena named Madan as yet vnméete to gouerne Guendoloena or Guendoline the wife of Locrinus and daughter of Corineus duke of Cornewall for so much as hir sonne Madan was not of yeeres sufficient to gouerne was by common consent of the Britons made ruler of the I le in the yéere of the world 2894 and so hauing the administration in hir hands she did right discreetlie vse hir selfe therein to the comfort of all hir subiects till hir sonne Madan came to lawfull age and then she gaue ouer the rule and dominion to him after she had gouerned by the space of fifteene yeares MAdan the sonne of Locrine and Guendoline entred into the gouernement of Britaine in the 2909 of the world There is little left in writing of his doings sauing that he vsed great tyrannie amongst his Britons and therefore after he had ruled this land the tearme of 40. yeares he was deuoured of wild beastes as he was abroad in hunting He left behind him two sonnes Mempricius and Manlius He builded as is reported Madancaistre now Dancastre which reteineth still the later part of his name MEmpricius the eldest sonne of Madan began his reigne ouer the Britons in the yeare of the world 2949 he continued not long in peace For his brother Manlius vpon an ambitious mind prouoked the Britons to rebell against him so that sore and deadly warre continued long betweene them But finallie vnder colour of a treatie Manlius was slaine by his brother Mempricius so that then he liued in more tranquillitie and rest Howbeit being deliuered thus from trouble of warres he fell into slouth and so into vnlawfull lust of lecherie and thereby into the hatred of his people by forcing of their wines and daughters and finallie became so beastlie that he forsooke his lawfull wife and all his concubines and fell into the abhominable sinne of Sodomie And thus from one vice he fell into another till he became odious to God and man and at length going on hunting was lost of his people and destroied of wild beastes when he had reigned twentie yeares leauing behind him a noble yoong sonne named Ebranke begotten of his lawfull wife EBranke the sonne of Mempricius began to rule ouer the Britons in the yeare of the world 2969 He had as writers doo of him record one and twentie wiues on whom he begot 20. sonnes and 30. daughters of the which the eldest hight Guales or Gualea These daughters he sent to Alba Syluius which was the eleuenth king of Italie or the sixt king of the Latines to the end they might be married to his noble men of the bloud of Troians because the Sabines refused to ioine their daughters with them in marriage Furthermore he was the first prince of his land that euer inuaded France after Bute and is commended as author and originall builder of many cities both in his owne kingdome and else where His sonnes also vnder the conduct of Assaracus one of their eldest brethren returning out of Italie after they had conducted their sisters thither inuaded Germanie being first molested by the people of that countrie in their rage and by the helpe of the said Alba subdued a great part of that countrie there planted themselues Our histories say that Ebracus their father married them in their returne and aided them in their conquests and that he builded the citie of Caerbranke now called Yorke about the 14 yeare of his reigne He builded also in Albania now called Scotland the castle of Maidens afterward called Edenburgh of Adian one of their kings The citie of Alclud was builded likewise by him as some write now decaied After which cities thus builded he sailed ouer into Gallia now called France with a great armie and subduing the Galles as is aforesaid he returned home with great riches and triumph Now when he had guided the land of Britaine in noble wise by the tearme of fortie yeares he died and was buried at Yorke BRute Greeneshield the sonne of Ebranke was made gouernor of this land in the yeare of the world 3009 Asa reigning in Iuda and Baasa in Israell This prince bare alwaies in the field a gréene shield whereof he tooke his surname and of him some forraine authors affirme that he made an attempt to bring the whole realme of France vnder his subiection which he performed because his father susteined some dishonor and losse in his last voiage into that countrie Howbeit they say that when he came into Henaud Brinchild a prince of that quarter gaue him also a great ouerthrow and compelled him to retire home againe into his countrie This I borrow out of William Harison who in his chronologie toucheth the same
a golden crowne his lawes his foundations with other his acts and deeds The first Chapter NOw to proceede with the aforesaid authors Mulmucius Dunwallō or as other saie Dunuallo Mulmucius the sonne of Cloton as testifieth th' english chronicle and also Geffrey of Monmouth got the vpper hand of the other dukes or rulers and after his fathers deceasse began his reigne ouer the whole monarchie of Britaine in the yéere of the world 3529 after the building of Rome 314 and after the deliuerance of the Israelites out of captiuitie 97 and about the 26 yéere of Darius Artaxerxes Longimanus the fift king of the Persians This Mulmucius Dunuallo is named in the english chronicle Donebant and prooued a right worthie prince He builded within the citie of London then called Troinouant a temple and named it the temple of peace the which as some hold opinion I wote not vpon what ground was the same which now is called Blackwell hall where the market for buieng and selling of cloths is kept The chronicle of England affirmeth that Mulmucius whome the old booke nameth Molle builded the two townes Malmesburie and the Uies He also made manie good lawes which were long after vsed called Mulmucius lawes turned out of the British spéech into the Latine by Gildas Priscus and long time after translated out of latine into english by Alfred king of England and mingled in his statutes He moreouer gaue priuileges to temples to plowes to cities and to high waies leading to the same so that whosoeuer fled to them should be in safegard from bodilie harme and from thence he might depart into what countrie he would with indemnitie of his person Some authors write that he began to make the foure great high waies of Britaine the which were finished by his sonne Blinus as after shall be declared After he had established his land and set his Britains in good and conuenient order he ordeined him by the aduise of his lords a crowne of gold caused himselfe with great solemnitie to be crowned according to the custome of 〈◊〉 lawes then in vse bicause he was the first that bare a crowne héere in Britaine after the opinion of some writers he is named the first king of Britaine and all the other before rehearsed are named rulers dukes or gouernors Amongst other of his ordinances he appointed weights and measures with the which men should buy and sell. And further he deuised sore and streight orders for the punishing of theft Finallie after he had guided the land by the space of fortie yéeres he died and was buried in the foresaid temple of peace which he had erected within the citie of Troinouant now called London as before ye haue heard appointing in his life time that his kingdome should be diuided betwixt his two sonnes Brennus and Belinus as some men doo coniecture The ioint-gouernment of Belinus and Brennus the two sonnes of Mulmucius their discontentment the stratagems of the one against the other the expulsion of Brennus out of Britaine The second Chapter BRennus and Belinus began to reigne iointlie as kings in Britaine in the yéere of the world 3574 after the building of the citie of Rome 355 and after the deliuerance of the Israelites out of captiuitie 142 which was about the seuenth yéere of Artaxerxes surnamed Mnenon the seuenth king of the Persians Belinus held vnder his gouernment Loegria Wales and Cornwall and Brennus all those countries ouer and beyond Humber And with this partition were they contented by the tearme of six or seuen yéeres after which time expired Brennus coueting to haue more than his portion came to first thought to purchase himselfe aid in forreine parties therefore by the prouocation and counsell of yong vnquiet heads sailed ouer into Norway and there married the daughter of Elsung or Elsing as then duke or ruler of that countrie Beline offended with his brother that he should thus without his aduice marrie with a stranger now in his absence seized all his lands townes and fortresses into his owne hands placing garisons of men of warre where he thought conuenient In the meane time Brenne aduertised hereof assembled a great nauie of ships well furnished with people and souldiers of the Norwegians with the which he tooke his course homewards but in the waie he was encountred by Guilthdacus king of Denmarke the which had laid long in wait for him bicause of the yoong ladie which Brenne had maried for whome he had béene a sutor to hir father Elsing of long time When these two fléetes of the Danes and Norwegians met there was a sore battell betwixt them but finallie the Danes ouercame them of Norway and tooke the ship wherein the new bride was conueied and then was she brought aboord the ship of Guilthdacus Brenne escaped by flight as well as he might But when Guilthdacus had thus obtained the victorie and prey suddenlie therevpon arose a sore tempest of wind and weather which scattered the Danish fleete and put the king in dangers to haue béene lost◠but finallie within fiue daies after being driuen by force of wind he landed in Northumberland with a few such ships as kept togither with him Beline being then in that countrie prouiding for defense against his brother vpon knowledge of the king of Denmarks arriuall caused him to be staied Shortlie after Brenne hauing recouered and gotten togither the most part of his ships that were dispersed by the discomfiture and then newlie rigged and furnished of all things necessarie sent word to his brother Beline both to restore vnto him his wife wrongfullie rauished by Guilthdacus and also his lands iniuriouslie by him seized and his possession These requests being plainlie and shortlie denied Brenne made no long delaie but spéedilie made toward Albania and landing with his armie in a part thereof incountred with his brother Beline néere vnto a wood named as then Calater where after cruell fight and mortall battell betwixt them at length the victorie abode with the Britains and the discomfiture did light so on the Norwegians that the most of them were wounded slaine and left dead vpon the ground Hereby Brenne being forced to flée made shift and got ouer into Gallia where after he had sued to this prince at length he abode and was well receiued of one Seguinus or Seginus duke of the people called then Allobrogs as Galfrid of Monmouth saith or rather Armorica which now is called Britaine as Polychronicon and the english historie printed by Caxton more trulie maie seeme to affirme But Beline hauing got the vpper hand of his enimies assembling his councell at Caerbranke now called York tooke aduise what he should doo with the king of Denmarke where it was ordeined that he should be set at libertie with condition and vnder couenant to acknowledge himselfe by dooing homage to hold his land of the king of
philosophicall doctrine But by whome or in what time soeuer it was built certeine it is that there was a citie or towne walled in that place before the comming of the Saxons called by the Britaines Caergrant and by the Saxons Granchester This towne fell so to ruine by the inuasion of the Saxons that at length it was in maner left desolate and at this day remaineth as a village But néere therevnto vnder the Saxon kings an other towne was built now called Cambridge where by the fauour of king Sigebert and 〈◊〉 Burgundian that was bishop of Dunwich 〈◊〉 schoole was erected as in place conuenient shall appeare ARchigallus the second sonne of Morindus and brother vnto Gorliomanus was admitted king of Britaine in the yeare 3686 after the building of the citie of Rome 470 after the deliuerance of the Israelites out of captiuitie 25◠and in the first yeare of Softhenes king of Macedonia This Archigalius in the English chronicle called Artogaill followed not the steppes of his brother but giuing himselfe to dissention and strise imagined causos against his nobles that he might displace them and set such in their roomes as were men of base birth and of euill conditions Also he sought by vnlawfull meanes to bereaue his wealthie subiects of their goods and riches so to inrich himselfe and impouerish his people For the which his inordinate dooings his nobles conspired against him and finallie depriued him of all his honor and kinglie dignitie after he had reigned about the space of one yeare ELidurus the third sonne of Morindus and brother to Archigallus was by one consent of the Britains chosen to reigne ouer them in his brothers stead after the creation of the world 3687 and after the building of the citie of Rome 471 after the deliuerance of the Israelites 256 in the first yeare of Sosthenes king of Macedonia This Elidurus in the English chronicle named Hesider or Esoder prooued a most righteous prince and doubting least he should doo otherwise than became him if he did not take care for his brother Archigallus estate a man might woonder what diligence he shewed in trauelling with the nobles of the realme to haue his brother restored to the crowne againe Now as it chanced one dahy being abroad on hunting in the wood called Calater neare vnto Yorke he found his brother Archigall wandering there in the thickest of that wildernesse whom in most louing maner he secretlie conneied home to his house being as then in the citie of Aldud otherwise called Acliud Shortlie after he feined himselfe sicke and in all hast sent messengers about to assemble his barons who being come at the day appointed he called them one after another into his priuie chamber and there handled them in such effectuous sort with wise and discréet words that he got their good wils to further him to their powers for the reducing of the kingdome eftsoones into the hands of his brother Archigallus After this he assembled a councell at Yorke where he so vsed the matter with the commons that in conclusion when the said Elidurus had gouerned the land well and honourablie the space of thrée yeares he resigned wholie his crowne and kinglie title vnto his brother Archigallo who was receiued of the Britaine 's againe as king by mediation of his brother in manner as before is said ¶ A rare example of brotherlie loue if a man shall reuolue in his mind what an inordinate desire remaineth amongst mortall men to atteine to the supreme souereintie of ruling and to kéepe the same when they haue it once in possession He had well learned this lesson as may appeare by his contentation and resignation namelie that Nec abnuendum si dat imperium Deus Nec appetendum otherwise he would not haue béene led with such an equabilitie of mind For this great good will and brotherlie loue by him shewed thus toward his brother he was surnamed the godlie and vertuous WHen Archigallus was thus restored to the kingedome and hauing learned by due correction that he must turne the leafe and take out a new lesson by changing his former trade of liuing into better if he would reigne in suertie he became a new man vsing himselfe vprightlie in the administration of iustice and behauing himselfe so woorihilie in all his doings both toward the nobles commons of his realme that he was both beloued and dread of all his subiects And so continuing the whole tearme of his life finallie departed out of this world after he had reigned this second time the space of ten yeares and was buried at Yorke ELidurus brother to this Archigallus was then againe admitted king by consent of all the Britaines 3700 of the world But his two yonger brethren Uigenius and Peredurus enuieng the happie state of this woorthie prince so highlie for his vertue and good gouernance esteemed of the Britains of a grounded malice conspired against him and assembling an armie leuied warre against him and in a pitcht field tooke him prisoner and put him in the tower of London there to be kept close prisoner after he had reigned now this last time the space of one yeare VIgenius and Peredurus the yoongest sonnes of Morindus and brethren to Elidurus began to reigne iointlie as kings of Britaine in the yeare of the world 3701 after the building of Rome 485 after the deliuerance of the Israelites 266 complet and in the 12 yeare of Antigonus Gonaias the sonne of Demetrius king of the Macedonians These two brethren in the English chronicles are named Higanius and Petitur who as Gal. Mon. testifieth diuided the realme betwixt them so that all the land from Humber westward fell to Uigenius or Higanius the other part beyond Humber northward Peredure held But other affirme that Peredurus onelie reigned and held his brother Elidurus in prison by his owne consent forsomuch as he was not willing to gouerne But Gal. Mon. saith that Uigenius died after he had reigned 7 yeares and then Peredurus seized all the land into his owne rule and gouerned it with such sobrietie and wisedome that he was praised aboue all his brethren so that Elidurus was quite forgotten of the Britains But others write that he was a verie tyrant and vsed himselfe verie cruellie towards the lords of his land wherevpon they rebelled and slue him But whether by violent hand or by naturall sicknesse he finallie departed this life after the consent of most writers when he had reigned eight yeares leauing no issue behind him to succéed in the gouernance of the kingdome He builded the towne of Pikering where his bodie was buried ELidurus then as soone as his brother Peredurus was dead for as much as he was next heire to the crowne was deliuered out of prison and now the third time admitted king of Britaine who vsed himselfe as before verie orderlie in ministring to
Rome and Italie and was so busied in the affaires of the empire iu those parts that as was thought he could not returne backe into Britaine seized into his hands the whole dominion of Britaine and held himselfe for king THis Octauius then beginning his reigne ouer the Britains in the yéere of our Lord 329 prouoked Constantine to send against him one of his mothers vncles the foresaid Traherne This Trahernus or as some name him Traherne entred this land with three legions of souldiers in a field néere vnto Winchester was incountered by Octauius and his Britains by whome after a sore battell there striken betwixt them in the end Traherne was put to flight anâ—â—chased insomuch that he was constreined to forsake that part of the land and to draw towards Scotland Octauius hauing knowledge of his passage followed him in the countrie of Westmerland eftsoones gaue him battell but in that battell Octauius was put to the woorsse and constreined to forsake the land fled into Norway there to purchase aid and being readie with such power as he there gathered what of Britains and Norwegians to returne into Britaine Before his landing he was aduertised that an earle of Britaine which bare him heartie good will had by treason slaine Traherne Octauius then comming to land eftsoones got possession of Britaine which should be as Fabian gathereth about the yéere of our Lord 329 in the 20 yéere of the reigne of the emperour Constantine and about two yéeres after that the said Octauius first tooke vpon him to rule as king After this as the British chronicle affirmeth Octauius gouerned the land right noblie and greatlie to the contentation of the Britains At length when he was fallen in age and had no issue but one daughter he was counselled to send vnto Rome for one Maximianus a noble yoong man coosine to the emperour Constantine on the part of his mother Helena to come into Britaine and to take to his wife the said daughter of Octauius and so with hir to haue the kingdome Octauius at the first meant to haue giuen hir in mariage vnto one Conan Meridoc duke of Cornewall which was his nephue but wen the lords would not thereto agrée at the length he appointed one Maurice sonne to the said Câ—â—an to go to Rome to fetch the forenamed Maximianus Maurice according to his commission and instruction in that behalfe receiued came to rome and declared his message in such effectuall sort that Maximianus consented to go with him into Britaine and so taking with him a conuenient number set forward and did so much by his iournies that finallie he landed here in Britaine And notwithstanding that Conan Meridoc past not so much to haue béene dooing with him for malice that he conceiued towards him because he saw that by his meanes he should be put beside the crowne yet at length was Maximianus safelie brought to the kings presence and of him honorablie receiued and finallie the mariage was knit vp and solemnized in all princelie maner Shortlie after Octauius departed out of this life after he had reigned the terme of fiftie and foure yeares as Fabian gathereth by that which diuers authors doo write how he reigned till the daies that Gratian and Ualentinian ruled the Roman empire which began to gouerne in the yeare of our Lord as he saith 382 which is to be vnderstood of Gratian his reigne after the deceasse his vncle Ualens for otherwise a doubt maie rise because Ualentine the father of Gratian admitted the said Gratian to the title of Augustus in the yeare of our Lord 351. But to leaue the credit of the long reigne of Octauius with all his and others gouernement and rule ouer the Britains since the time of Constantius vnto our British and Scotish writers let vs make an end with the gouernement of that noble emperour Constantine an assured branch of the Britains race as borne of that worthie ladie the empresse Helen daughter to Coell earle of Colchester and after king of Britaine as our histories doo witnesse Unto the which empresse Constantine bare such dutifull reuerence that he did not onelie honour hir with the name of empresse but also made hir as it were partaker with him of all his wealth and in manie things was led and ruled by hir vertuous and godlie admonitions to the aduancement of Gods honour and maintenance of those that professed the true christian religion For the loue that she bare vnto Colchester and London she walled them about and caused great bricke and huge tiles to be made for the performance of the same whereof there is great store to be séene eyuen yet to this present both in the walls of the towne and castell of Colchester as a testimonie of the woorkemanship of those daies She liued 79 yeares and then departed this life about the 21 yeare of hir sonnes reigne First she was buried at Rome without the walls of the citie with all funerall pompe as to hir estate apperteined but after his corps was remoued and brought to Constantinople where it was eftsoones interred Hir sonne the emperour Constantine liued till about the yeare of Christ 340 and then deceassed at Nicomedia in Asia after he had ruled the empire 32 yeares and od moneths We find not in the Romane writers of anie great stur here in Britaine during his reigne more than the British and Scotish writers haue recorded so that after Traherne had reduced this land to quietnesse it maie be supposed that the Britains liued in rest vnder his gouernement and likewise after vnder his sonnes that succéeded him in the empire till about the yeare 360 at what time the Picts and Scots inuaded the south parts of the land But now to end with Octauius that the christian faith remained still in Britaine during the supposed time of this pretended kings reigne it maie appeare in that amongst the 36 prouinces out of the which there were assembled aboue 300 bishops in the citie of Sardica in Dacia at a synod held there against the Eusebians Britaine is numbred by Athanasius in his second apologie to be one And againe the said Athanasius in an epistle which he writeth to the emperour Iouinianus reciteth that the churches in Britaine did consent with the churches of other nations in the confession of faith articuled in the Nicene councell Also mention is made by writers of certeine godlie learned men which liued in offices in the church in those daies as Restitutus bishop of London which went ouer to the synod held at Arles in France and also one Kibius Corinnius sonne to Salomon duke of Cornewall and bishop of Anglesey who instructed the people that inhabited the parts now called Northwales and them of Anglesey aforesaid verie diligentlie But now to speake somewhat of things chancing in Britaine about this season as we find recorded by the Romane writers some trouble was likelie to
the same daies tooke name of them the one being called Wodensdaie and the other Freadaie which woords after in continuance of time by corruption of spéech were somewhat altered though not much as from Wodensdaie to Wednesdaie and from Freadaie to Fridaie The foresaid Woden was father to Uecta the father of Westgistus that was father to the foresaid Hengistus and Horsus But now to rehearse further touching those thrée people which at this time came ouer into Britaine out of Germanie Of the Uites or Iutes as Beda recordeth are the Kentishmen descended and the people of the I le of Wight with those also that inhabit ouer against the same I le Of the Saxons came the east the south the west Saxons Moreouer of the Angles procéeded the east Angles the middle Angles or Mercies and the Northerne men That these Angles were a people of Germanie it appeareth also by Cornelius Tacitus who called them Anglij which word is of thrée syllables as Polydor saith but some write it Angli with two syllables And that these Angli or Anglij were of no small force and authoritie in Germanie before their comming into this land maie appeare in that they are numbred amongst the twelue nations there which had lawes and ancient ordinances apart by themselues according to the which the state of their common wealth was gouerned they being the same and one people with the Thuringers as in the title of the old Thuringers lawes we find recorded which is thus Lex Angliorum Werinorum hoc est Thuringorum The law of the Angles and Werinians that is to saie the Thuringers which Thuringers are a people in Saxonie as in the description of that countrie it maie appeare But now to the matter Hengist perceiuing that his people were highlie in Uortigernes fauour began to handle him craftilie deuising by what means he might bring him in loue with his daughter Ronix or Rowen or Ronowen as some write which he beléeued well would easilie be brought to passe bicause he vnderstood that the king was much giuen to sensuall lust which is the thing that often blindeth wise mens vnderstanding and maketh them to dote and to lose their perfect wits yea and oftentimes bringeth them to destruction though by such pleasant poison they féele no bitter taste till they be brought to the extreame point of confusion in déed A great supper therefore was prepared by Hengist at the which it pleased the king to be present and appointed his daughter when euerie man began to be somewhat merrie with drinke to bring in a cup of gold full of good and pleasant wine and to present it to the kingâ—â— saieng Wassail Which she did in such comelie and decent maner as she that knew how to doo it well inough so as the king maruelled greatlie thereat and not vnderstanding what she ment by that salutation demanded what it signified To whom it was answered by Hengist that she wished him well and the meaning of it was that he should drinke after hir ioining thereto this answer Drinke haile Wherevpon the king as he was informed tooke the cup at the damsels hand and dranke Finallie this yoong ladie behaued hir selfe with such pleasant woords comelie countenance and amiable grace that the king beheld hir so long till he felt himselfe so farre in loue with hir person that he burned in continuall desire to inioy the same insomuch that shortlie after he forsooke his owne wife by the which he had thrée sonnes named Uortimerus Catagrinus and Pascentius and required of Hengist to haue his daughter the said Rowen or Ronowen in mariage Hengist at the first séemed strange to grant to his request and excused the matter for that his daughter was not of estate and dignitie méet to be matched with his maiestie But at length as it had béene halfe against his will he consented and so the mariage was concluded solemnized all Kent being assigned vnto Hengist in reward the which countrie was before that time gouerned by one Guorongus though not with most equall iustice which Guorongus was subiect vnto Uortigerne as all other the potentats of the I le were This mariage and liberalitie of the king towards the strangers much offended the minds of his subiects and hastened the finall destruction of the land For the Saxons now vnderstanding the affinitie had betwixt the king and Hengist came so fast ouer to inhabit héere that it was woonder to consider in how short a time such a multitude could come togither so that bicause of their great number and approoued puissance in warres they began to be a terrour to the former inhabitants the Britains But Hengist being no lesse politike in counsell than valiant in armes abusing the kings lacke of discretion to serue his owne turne persuaded him to call out of Germanie his brother Occa and his sonne named Ebusa being men of great valure to the end that as Hengist defended the land in the south part so might they keepe backe the Scots in the north Héerevpon by the kings consent they came with a power out of Germanie and coasting about the land they sailed to the Iles of Orknie and sore vexed the people there and likewise the Scots and Picts also and finallie arriued in the north parts of the realme now called Northumberland where they setled themselues at that present and so continued there euer after but none of them taking vpon him the title of king till about 99 yéeres after their first comming into that countrie but in the meane time remaining as subiects vnto the Saxon kings of Kent After their arriuall in that prouince they oftentimes fought with the old inhabitants there and ouercame them chasing away such as made resistance and appeased the residue by receiuing them vnder allegiance When the nobles of Britaine saw and perceiued in what danger the land stood by the dailie repaire of the huge number of Saxons into the same they first consulted togither and after resorting to the king mooued him that some order might be taken for the auoiding of them or the more part of them least they should with their power and great multitude vtterlie oppresse the British nation But all was in vaine for Uortigerne so estéemed and highlie fauoured the Saxons and namelie by reason of the great loue which he bare to his wife that he little regarded his owne nation no nor yet anie thing estéemed his owne naturall kinsmen and chiefe friends by reason whereof the Britains in fine depriued him of all kinglie honour after that he had reigned 16 yéeres and in his steed crowned his sonne Uortimer Gyldas and Beda make no mention of Uortimer but declare that after the Saxons were receiued into this land there was a couenant made betwixt them and the Britains that the Saxons should defend the countrie from the inuasion of enimies by their knightlie force and that in
same churches Also for a perpetuall memorie of those Britains that were slaine on the plaine of Salisburie by the treason of Hengist he caused stones to be fetched out of Ireland and to be set vp in the same place where that slaughter was committed and called the place Stoneheng which name continueth vnto this day Fiftéene thousand men as Galfrid ◠saith were sent for those stones vnder the leading of Uter Pendragon the kings brother who giuing battell vnto Gillomanus king of Ireland that went about to resist the Britains and would not permit them to fetch away the same stones out of his countrie discomfited him and his people and so maugre his hart brought the stones away with him Shortlie after Pascentius that was Uortigerns yoongest sonne and had escaped into Ireland when Aurelius Ambrosius came into Britaine returned with a great power of strange nations and tooke the citie of Meneuia in Wales afterwards called saint Dauids and did much hurt in the countrie with fire and swoord At which time the same Aurelius Ambrosius lay sicke at Winchester and being not able to go foorth himselfe desired his brother Uter Pendragon to assemble an armie of Britains and to go against Pascentius and his adherents Uter according to his brothers request gathering his people went foorth and incountering with the enimies gaue them the ouerthrow slue Pascentius and Gillomare or Gilloman king of Ireland that was come ouer with him in aid against the Britains In the meane while a Saxon or some other stranger whose name was Eopa or Copa not long before procured thereto by Pascentius fained himselfe to be a Britaine and for a colour counterfeiting himselfe a moonke and to haue great knowledge in physicke was admitted to minister as it were medicins to Aurelius but in stead of that which should haue brought him health he gaue him poison wherof he died shortlie after at Winchester aforesaid when he had reigned after most accord of writers nintéene yeeres his bodie was conueied to Stoneheng and there buried ¶ Thus find we in the British and common English histories of the dooings of Aurelius Ambrosius who as ye haue hard makes him a Britaine borne and descended of the bloud of the ancient Britains But Gyldas and Beda report him to be a Romane by descent as before is mentioned Polydor Virgil writeth in this sort of the victorious acts atchiued by the foresaid Aurelius Ambrosius Then saith he the Saxons hauing alreadie gotten the whole rule of the I le practised their outragious cruelties speciallie against the princes of the Britains to the end that the said princes being ouercome and destroied they might with more ease obteine possession of the whole I le which thing they on-like sought But the fauour of almightie God was not wanting to the miserable Britains in that great necessitie For behold Aurelius Ambrosius was at hand who had no sooner caused the trumpet to sound to armor but euerie man for himselfe prepared and repaired vnto him praieng beseeching him to helpe to defend them and that it might stand with his pleasure to go foorth with them against the enimies in all speed Thus an armie being assembled Aurelius Ambrosius went against them and valiantlie assailed them so that within the space of a few daies they fought thrée battels with great fiercenesse on both sides in triall of their high displeasures and vttermost forces in which at length the Britains put the Saxons to flight Horsus the brother of Hengist being slaine with a great number of his people But yet notwithstanding the enimies rage was little abated hereby for within a few daies after receiuing out of Germanie a new supplie of men they brake foorth vpon the Britains with great confidence of victorie Aurelius Ambrosius was no sooner aduertised thereof but that without delaie he set forward towards Yorke from whence the enimies should come and hearing by the way that Hengist was incamped about seuen twentie miles distant from that citie néere to the banke of a riuer at this day called Dune in the place where Doncaster now standeth he returned out of his waie and marched towards that place and the next day set on the enimie and vanquished him Hengist at the first méeting of the battell being slaine with a 〈◊〉 number of the Germans The fame of this 〈◊〉 saith Polydor is had in memorie with the inhabitants of those parties euen vnto this day which victorie did sore diminish the power of the Saxons insomuch that they began now to thinke it should be more for their profit to sit in rest with that dishonour than to make anie new warres to their great disaduantage and likelihood of present losse Hengist left behind him two sonnes Osca and and Occa which as men most sorowfull for the ouerthrow of fate receiued assembled such power as they could togither and remooued therewith towards the west part of the I le supposing it to be better for them to draw that way foorth than to returne into Kent where they thought was alreadie a sufficient number of their people to resist the Britains on that side Now therefore when they came into the west parts of the land they wasted the countrie burnt villages and absteined from no maner of crueltie that might be shewed These things being reported vnto Aurelius Ambrosius he straightwaies hasted thither to resist those enimies and so giuing them battell eftsoones discomfited them but he himselfe receiuing a wound died thereof within a few daies after The English Saxons hauing thus susteined so manie losses within a few moneths togither were contented to be quiet now that the Britains stirred nothing against them by reason they were brought into some trouble by the death of such a noble capteine as they had now lost In the meane time Uortimer died whome Uier surnamed Pendragon succéeded Thus hath Polydor written of the forsaid Aurelius Ambrosius not naming him to be king of Britaine and differing in déed in sundrie points in this behalfe from diuerse ancient writers of the English histories for where he attributeth the victorie to the Britains in the battell fought wherein Horsus the brother of Hengist was slaine by the report of Polychronicon and others the Saxons had the victorie in that reincounter and William of Malmesburie saith that they departed from that batell with equall fortune the Saxons losing their capteine Horsus and the Britains their capteine Katigerne as before ye haue heard But there is such contrarietie in writers touching the dooings betwixt the Britains and Saxons in those daies as well in account of yéeres as in report of things doone that setting affection aside hard it is to iudge to which part a man should giue credit For Fabian and other authors write that Aurelius Ambrosius began his reigne ouer the Britains about the yéere of our Lord 481 and Horsus was slaine about the yéere 458 during the reigne of Uortimer as aboue is
season at sundrie times diuers great companies of the Saxons came ouer into Britaine out of Germanie and got possession of the countries of Mercia and Eastangle but as yet those of Mercia had no one king that gouerned them but were vnder certeine noble men that got possession of diuers parts in that countrie by means wherof great warres and manie incounters insued with a common waste of land both arable and habitable whiles each one being ambitiouslie minded heaping to themselues such powers as they were able to make by swoord and bloudshed chose rather to haue their fortune decided than by reason to suppresse the rage of their vnrulie affections For such is the nature of men in gouernement whether they be interessed to it by succession or possessed of it by vsurpation or placed in it by lawfull constitution vnlesse they be guided by some supernaturall influence of diuine conceit if they be more than one they cannot away with equalitie for regiment admitteth no companion but euerie one séeketh to aduance himselfe to a singularitie of honour wherein he will not to die for it participate with another which maie easilie be obserued in this our historicall discourse The beginning of the kingdome of the Eastsaxons what it conteined of Arthur king of Britaine his twelue victories ouer the Saxons against whome he mainteined continuall warre why the Scots and Picts enuied him his roialtie and empire a league betwixt Arthur and Loth king of the Picts Howell king of little Britaine aideth Arthur against Cheldrike king of Germanie who taking the ouerthrow is slaine by the duke of Cornewall the Picts are discomfited the Irishmen with their king put to slight and the Scots subdued Arthurs sundrie conquests against diuers people the vanitie of the British writers noted The twelfe Chapter IN those daies also the kingdome of the Eastsaxons began the chéefe citie whereof was London It conteined in effect so much as at this present belongeth to the diocesse of London One Erchenwin a Saxon was the first king thereof the which was sonne to one Offa the sixt in lineall descent from one Saxnot from whom the kings of that countrie fetched their originall Harison noteth the exact yéere of the erection of the kingdome of the Eastsaxons to begin with the end of the eight of Cerdicus king of the Westsaxons that is the 527 of Christ and 78 after the comming of the Saxons In the 13 yéere of the reigne of Cerdicus he with his sonne Kenrike and other of the Saxon capteins fought with the Britains in the I le of Wight at Witgarsbridge where they slue a great number of Britains and so conquered the Ile the which about foure yéeres after was giuen by Cerdicus vnto his nephues Stuffe and Witgar AFter the deceasse of Uter Pendragon as we doo find in the British histories his sonne Arthur a yoong towardlie gentleman of the age of 15 yéeres or thereabouts began his reigne ouer the Britains in the yéere of our Lord 516 or as Matt. Westmin saith 517 in the 28 yéere of the emperour Anastasius and in the third yéere of the reignes of Childebert Clothare Clodamire and Theodorike brethren that were kings of the Frenchmen Of this Arthur manie things are written beyond credit for that there is no ancient author of authoritie that confirmeth the same but surelie as may be thought he was some woorthie man and by all likelihood a great enimie to the Saxons by reason whereof the Welshmen which are the verie Britains in déed haue him in famous remembrance He fought as the common report goeth of him 12 notable battels against the Saxons in euerie of them went away with the victorie but yet he could not driue them quite out of the land but that they kept still the countries which they had in possession as Kent Sutherie Norfolke and others howbeit some writers testifie that they held these countries as tributaries to Arthur But truth it is as diuers authors agrée that he held continuall warre against them and also against the Picts the which were allied with the Saxons for as in the Scotish histories is conteined euen at the first beginning of his reigne the two kings of the Scots and Picts séemed to enuie his aduancement to the crowne of Britaine bicause they had maried the two sisters of the two brethren Aurelius Ambrosius and Uter Pendragon that is to say Loth king of Picts had married Anne their eldest sister and Conran king of Scots had in mariage Alda their yoonger sister so that bicause Arthur was be gotten out of wedlocke they thought it stood with more reason that the kingdome of the Britains should haue descended vnto the sisters sonnes rather than to a bastard namelie Loth the Pictish king which had issue by his wife Anna sore repined at the matter Wherefore at the first when he saw that by suit he could not preuaile he ioined in league with the Saxons and aiding them against Arthur lost many of his men of warre being ouerthrowne in battell which he had sent vnto the succours of Colgerne the Saxon prince that ruled as then in the north parts But finallie a league was concluded betwixt Arthur and the foresaid Loth king of Picts vpon certeine conditions as in the Scotish historie is expressed where ye may read the same with many other things touching the acts of Arthur somewhat in other order than our writers haue recorded ¶ The British authors declare that Arthur immediatlie after he had receiued the crowne of Dubright bishop of Caerleon went with his power of Britains against the Saxons of Northumberland which had to their capteine as before is said one Colgrime or Colgerne whome Arthur discomfited and chased into the citie of Yorke within which place Arthur besieged him till at length the same Colgrime escaped out of the citie leauing it in charge with his brother called Bladulfe passed ouer into Germanie vnto Cheldrike king of that countrie of whom he obteined succor so that the said Cheldrike made prouision of men and ships and came himselfe ouer into Scotland hauing in his companie fiftéene hundred sailes one with an other When Arthur was aduertised thereof he raised his siege and withdrew to London sending letters with all speed vnto Howell king of little Britaine in France that was his sisters sonne requiring of him in most earnest wise his aid Howell incontinentlie assembled his people to the number of fifteene thousand men and taking the sea landed with them at Southampton where Arthur was readie to receiue him with great ioy and gladnesse From thence they drew northwards where both the hosts of Arthur and Howell being assembled togither marched forward to Lincolne which citie Cheldrike did as then besiege Here Arthur and Howell assailed the Saxons with great force no lesse manhood and at length after great slaughter made of the enimies they obteined the victorie and chased Cheldrike with the residue
of the Saxons that were left aliue vnto a wood where they compassed them about within the same in such wise that in the ende they were constreined to yéeld themselues with condition that they might be suffered to depart on foot to their ships and so auoid the land leauing their horsse armour and other furniture vnto the Britains Héerevpon the Britains taking good hostages for assurance permitted the Saxons to go their waies and so Cheldrike and his people got them to their ships in purpose to returne into their countrie but being on the sea they were forced by wind to change their course and comming on the coasts of the west parts of Britaine they arriued at Totnesse and contrarie to the couenanted articles of their last composition with Arthur inuaded the countrie anew and taking such armour as they could find marched foorth in robbing and spoiling the people till they came to Bath which towne the Britains kept and defended against them not suffering them by anie meanes to enter there wherevpon the Saxons inuironed it with a strong siege Arthur informed heereof with all spéed hasted thither and giuing the enimies battell slue the most part of Cheldrikes men There were slaine both Colgrime and Bladulfe howbeit Cheldrike himselfe fled out of the field towards his ships but being pursued by Cador earle of Cornwall that had with him ten thousand men by Arthurs appointment he was ouertaken and in fight slaine with all his people Arthur himselfe returned from this battell foughten at Bath with all speed towards the marshes of Scotland for that he had receiued aduertisement how the Scots had besieged Howell K. of Britaine there as he lay sicke Also when Cador had accomplished his enterprise and slaine Cheldrike he returned with as much spéed as was possible towards Arthur found him in Scotland where he rescued Howell and afterwards pursued the Scots which fled before him by heaps About the same time one Guillomer king of Ireland arriued in Scotland with a mightie power of Irishmen neere the place where Arthur lodged to helpe the Scots against the Britains wherevpon Arthur turning his forces towards the same Guillomer vanquished him and chafed him into Ireland This doone he continued in pursute of the Scots till he caused them to sue for pardon and to submit them selues wholie to him and so receiuing them to mercie taking homage of them he returned to Yorke and shortlie after tooke to wife one Guenhera a right beautifull ladie that was néere kinswoman to Cador earle of Cornwall In the yeere following which some note to be 525 he went into Ireland and discomfiting king Guillomer in battell he constreined him to yéeld and to acknowledge by dooing his fealtie to hold the realme of Ireland of him It is further remembred in those British histories that he subdued Gothland and Ileland with all the Iles in and about those seas Also that he ouercame the Romans in the countrie about Paris with their capteine Lucius and wasted the most part of all France and slue in singular combats certeine giants that were of passing force and hugenesse of stature And if he had not béene reuoked and called home to resist his coosen Mordred that was sonne to Loth king of Pightland that rebelled in his countrie he had passed to Rome intending to make himselfe emperor and afterward to vanquish the other emperor who then ruled the empire ¶ But for so much as there is not anie approoued author who dooth speake of anie such dooings the Britains are thought to haue registred méere fables in sted of true matters vpon a vaine desire to aduance more than reason would this Arthur their noble champion as the Frenchmen haue doone their Rouland and diuerse others Arthur is resisted by Mordred the vsurper from arriuing in his owne land they ioine battell Gawaine is slaine and his death lamented by Arthur Mordred taketh flight he is slaine and Arthur mortallie wounded his death the place of his buriall his bodie digged vp his bignesse coniecturable by his bones a crosse found in his toome with an inscription therevpon his wife Guenhera buried with him a rare report of hir haire Iohn Lelands epitaph in memorie of prince Arthur The xiij Chapter KIng Arthur at his returne into Britaine found that Mordred had caused himselfe to be made king hauing alied himselfe with Cheldrike a Saxon not him whome Galfride as ye haue heard supposeth to haue béene wounded slaine before was readie to resist his landing so that before he could come on land he lost manie of his men but yet at length he repelled the enimies and so tooke land at Sandwich where he first arriued and ioining in battell with his enimies he discomfited them but not without great losse of his people speciallie he sore lamented the death of Gawaine the brother of Mordred which like a faithfull gentleman regarding more his honour and loiall truth than néerenesse of bloud and coosenage chose rather to fight in the quarrell of his liege king and louing maister than to take part with his naturall brother in an vniust cause and so there in the battell wa slaine togither also with Angussell to whom Arthur afore time had committed the gouernment of Scotland Mordred fled from this battell and getting ships sailed westward and finallie landed in Cornwall King Arthur caused the corps of Gawaine to be buried at Douer as some hold opinion but William Malmesburie supposeth he was buried in Wales as after shall be shewed The dead bodie of Angussell was conueied into Scotland and was there buried When that Arthur had put his enimies to flight and had knowledge into what parts Mordred was withdrawne with all spéed he reinforced his armie with new supplies of souldiers called out of diuerse parties and with his whole puissance hasted forward not resting till he came néere to the place where Mordred was incamped with such an armie as he could assemble togither out of all parties where he had anie friends ¶ Héere as it appéereth by Iohn Leland in his booke intituled The assertion of Arthur it may be douted in what place Mordred was incamped but Geffrey of Monmouth sheweth that after Arthur had discomfited Mordred in Kent at the first landing it chanced so that Mordred escaped and fled to Winchester whither Arthur followed him and there giuing him battell the second time did also put him to flight And following him from thence fought eftsoones with him act a place called Camblane or Kemelene in Cornwall or as some authors haue néere vnto Glastenburie This battell was fought to such proofe that finallie Mordred was slaine with the more part of his whole armie and Arthur receiuing diuers mortall wounds died of the same shortlie after when he had reigned ouer the Britains by the tearme of 26 yéeres His corps was buried at Glastenburie aforesaid in the churchyard betwixt two pillers where it was found in the
daies of king Henrie the second about the yeere of our Lord 1191 which was in the last yéere of the reigne of the same Henrie more than six hundred yéeres after the buriall thereof He was laid 16 foot déepe vnder ground for doubt that his enimies the Saxons should haue found him But those that digged the ground there to find his bodie after they had entered about seuen foot déepe into the earth they found a mightie broad stone with a leaden crosse fastened to that part which laid downewards toward the corps conteining this inscription Hîc iacet sepultus inclytus rex Arthurius in insula Aualoniae This inscription was grauen on that side of the crosse which was next to the stone so that till the crosse was taken from the stone it was vnseene His bodie was found not inclosed within a toome of marble or other stone curiouslie wrought but within a great trée made hollowe for the nonce like a trunke the which being found and digged vp was opened and therein were found the kings bones of such maruellous bignesse that the shinbone of his leg being set on the ground reached vp to the middle thigh of a verie tall man as a moonke of that abbeie hath written which did liue in those daies and saw it ¶ But Gyraldus Cambrensis who also liued in those daies and spake with the abbat of the place by whom the bones of this Arthur were then found affirmeth that by report of the same abbat he learned that the shinbone of the said Arthur being set vp by the leg of a verie tall man the which the abbat shewed to the same Gyraldus came about the knée of the same man the length of three fingers breadth which is a great deale more likelie than the other Furthermore the skull of his head was of a woonderfull largenesse so that the space of his forehead betwixt his two eies was a span broad There appéered in his head the signes and prints of ten wounds or more all the which were growne into one wem except onelie that whereof it should séeme he died which being greater than the residue appéered verie plaine Also in opening the toome of his wife quéene Gueneuer that was buried with him they found the tresses of hir haire whole and perfect and finelie platted of colour like to the burnished gold which being touched immediatlie fell to dust The abbat which then was gouernour of the house was named Stephan or Henrie de Blois otherwise de Sullie nephue to king Henrie the second by whose commandement he had serched for the graue of Arthur translated the bones as well of him as of quéene Gueneuer being so found into the great church and there buried them in a faire double toome of marble laieng the bodie of the king at the head of the toome and the bodie of the quéene at his féet towards the west part ¶ The writer of the historie of Cambria now called Wales saith that the bones of the said Arthur and Gueneuer his wife were found in the I le of Aualon that is the I le of Alpes without the abbeie of Glastenbury fiftéene féet within the ground that his graue was found by the meanes of a Bardh whome the king heard at Penbroke singing the acts of prince Arthur and the place of his buriall Iohn Leland in his booke intituled Assertio Arthuri hath for the woorthie memorie of so noble a prince honored him with a learned epitaph as heere followeth SAxonicas toties qui fudit Marte cruento Who vanquisht Saxon troops so oft with battels bloudie broiles Turmas peperit spolijs sibi nomen opimis And purchast to himselfe a name with warlike wealthie spoiles Fulmineo toties Pictos qui contudit ense Who hath with shiuering shining swoord the Picts so oft dismaid ImposuÃtque iugum Scoti ceruicibus ingens And eke vnweldie seruile yoke on necke of Scots hath laid Qui tumidos Gallos Germanos quÃque feroces Who Frenchmen puft with pride and who the Germans fierce in fight Perculit Dacos bello confregit aperto Discomfited and danted Danes with maine and martiall might Denique Mordredum è medio qui sustulit illud Who of that murdring Mordred did the vitall breath expell Monstrum horrendum ingens dirum saeuúm que tyrannum That monster grislie lothsome huge that diresome tyrant fell Hoc iacet extinctus monumento Arthurius alto Heere liuelesse Arthur lies intoomd within this statelie hearse Militiae clarum decus virtutis alumnus Of chiuairie the bright renowme and vertues nursling fearse Gloria nunc cuius terram circumuolat omnem Whose glorie great now ouer all the world dooth compasse flie Aetherijque petit sublimia tecta Tonantis And of the airie thunder skales the loftie building hie Vos igitur gentis proles generosa Britannae Therefore you noble progenie of Britaine line and race Induperatoriter magno assurgite vestro Arise vnto your emperour great of thrice renowmed grace Et tumulo sacro roseas inferte corollas And cast vpon his sacred toome the roseall garlands gaie Officij testes redolentia munera vestri That fragrant smell may witnesse well your duties you displaie ¶ These verses I haue the more willinglie inserted for that I had the same deliuered to me turned into English by maister Nicholas Roscarocke both right aptlie yeelding the sense and also properlie answering the Latine verse for verse Vpon what occasion the graue of king Arthur was sought for the follie of such discouered as beleeued that he should returne and reigne againe as king in Britaine whether it be a fiction or a veritie that there was such an Arthur or no discordance among writers about the place of Gawains buriall and Arthurs death of queene Gueneuer the wife of king Arthur hir beautie and dishonest life great disagreement among writers touching Arthur and his wiues to the impeachment of the historie of his life and death The xiiij Chapter THe occasion that mooued king Henrie the second to cause his nephue the foresaid abbat to search for the graue of king Arthur was for that he vnderstood by a Welsh minstrell or Bardh as they call him that could sing manie histories in the Welsh language of the acts of the ancient Britains that in the forsaid churchyard at Glastenburie betwixt the said two pillers the bodie of Arthur was to be found sixtéene foot déepe vnder the ground Gyraldus Cambrensis affirmeth that the trée in the which Arthurs bodie was found so inclosed was an oke but other suppose that it was an alder trée bicause that in the same place a great number of that kind of trées doo grow and also for that it is not vnknowne that an alder lieng vnder ground where moisture is will long continue without rotting ¶ By the finding thus of the bodie of Arthur buried as before ye haue heard such as hitherto beleeued that he was not dead but conueied awaie by the fairies into some pleasant place
that king Edelferd had made slaughter of the Britains as before is rehearsed he entred the citie of Chester and from thence marched towards Bangor The Britains in the meane time had assembled their power vnder thrée capteins that is to say Blederike duke of Cornewall Margadud king of Southwales and Cadwane king of Northwales These ioining in battell with Edelferd flue 10066 of his souldiers and constreined him to flée out of the field for safegard of his life after he had receiued manie wounds On the part of the Britains the forsaid Blederike which was chiefe capteine of the field in that battell chanced to be slaine Thus saith Gal. Mon. But the ancient writers of the English kings as Beda William Malmesburie and Henrie Huntington make no mention of this last battell and victorie obteined by the Britains in maner as aboue is expressed in Galfrids booke But contrarilie we find that Edelferd hauing such good successe in his businesse abroad as he could wish vpon purpose to auoid danger at home banished Edwine the sonne of Alla or Elle a yoong gentleman of great towardnesse latelie come to the kingdome of the Northumbers by the death of his father But this Edwine in time of his exile being long tossed from place to place and finding no stedfast friendship now in time of his aduersitie at length came to Redwald that was king at that time of the Eastangles the third from Uffa and successor to Titullus which Titullus did succéed next after the said Uffa the first king of Eastangles as before is mentioned This Redwald did verie honourablie interteine Edwine insomuch that Edelferd being informed thereof was highlie displeased and sent ambassadors vnto Redwald to require him either to deliuer Edwine into his hands or else if he refused so to doo to declare and denounce vnto him open warres Redwald incouraged by his wife that counselled him in no wise to betraie his friend to whome he had giuen his faith for the menaces of his enimie assembled foorthwith an armie and at the sudden comming vpon Edelferd assaulted him yer he could haue time to assemble his people togither But yet the said Edelferd though he was beset and brought in danger at vnwares died not vnreuenged for putting himselfe in defense with such power as he could then get togither he boldlie incountred the enimies and giuing battell slue Remerius the sonne of Redwald and after was slaine himselfe hauing reigned ouer the Northumbers about 22 yéeres This battell was fought néere to the water of Idle The said Edelferd had issue by his wife Acca the daughter of Alla and sister to Edwine two sonnes Oswald being about two yéeres of age and Oswin about foure yéeres the which their father being thus slaine were by helpe of their gouernours conueied awaie into Scotland with all spéed that might be made Ceowlfe king of the Westsaxons after he had reigned the space of 12 yeeres departed this life who in his time had mainteined great warre against manie of his neighbours the which for briefenesse I passe ouer One great battell he fought against them of Sussex in which the armies on both sides susteined great damage but the greater losse fell to the South saxons Cinegiscus and his sonne Richelinus reigne iointlie ouer the Westsaxons they fight with the Britains the indeuour of Laurence archbishop of Canturburie in setting religion at large and seeking a vniformitie in catholike orders he and his fellow-bishops write to the cleargie of Britaine and Scotland for a reformation Melitus bishop of London goeth to Rome the cause why and what he brought at his returne from pope Boniface The xxiij Chapter AFter the foresaid Ceowlfe reigned Cinegiscus or Kingils which was the sonne of Ceola which was the sonne of Cutha or Cutwin which was the sonne of Kenricke which was the sonne of king Certicke In the fourth yéere of his reigne he receiued into fellowship with him in gouernance of the kingdome his sonne Richelinus or Onichelinus and so they reigned iointlie togither in great loue and concord a thing seldome séene or heard of They fought with the Britains at Beandune where at the first approch of the battels togither the Britains fled but too late for there died of them that were ouertaken 2062. In this meane time Laurence archbishop of Canturburie who succéeded next after Augustine admitted thereto by him in his life time as before is said did his iudeuour to augment and bring to perfection the church of England the foundation whereof was latelie laid by his predecessor the foresaid Augustine who studied not onelie for the increase of this new church which was gathered of the English people but also he was busie to imploie his pastorlike cure vpon the people that were of the old inhabitants of Britaine and likewise of the Scots that remained in Ireland For when he had learned that the Scots there in semblable wise as the Britains in their countrie led not their liues in manie points according to the ecclesiasticall rules aswell in obseruing the feast of Easter contrarie to the vse of the Romane church as in other things he wrote vnto those Scots letters exhortatorie requiring them most instantlie to an vnitie of catholike orders as might be agréeable with the church of Christ spred and dispersed through the world These letters were not written onelie in his owne name but iointlie togither in the name of the bishops Melitus and Iustus as followeth To our deare brethren the bishops and abbats through all Scotland Laurence Melitus and Iustus bishops the seruants of the seruants of God wish health WHereas the apostolike see according to hir maner had sent vs to preach vnto the heathen people in these west parts as otherwise throgh the world and that it chanced to vs to enter into this Ile which is called Britaine before we knew vnderstood the state of things we had in great reuerence both the Scots Britains which beleeued bicause as we tooke the matter they walked according to the custome of the vniuersall church but after we had knowledge of the Britains we iudged the Scots to be better But we haue learned by bishop Daganus comming into this I le and by Columbanus the abbat comming into France that the Scots nothing differ in their conuersation from the Britains for bishop Daganus comming vnto vs would neither eat with vs no nor yet come within the house where we did eat The said Laurence also with his fellow-bishops did write to the Britains other letters woorthie of his degree dooing what he could to confirme them in the vnitie of the Romane church but it profited litle as appeareth by that which Beda writeth About the same time Melitus the bishop of London went to Rome to common with pope Boniface for necessarie causes touching the church of England and was present at a synod holden by the same pope at that season for ordinances to
of that countrie ruled all things at his owne will and pleasure Neither was there anie prouince within Britaine that did not obeie him or was not readie to doo him seruice the kingdome of Kent onelie excepted for he suffered the Kentishmen to liue in quiet because he began to haue a liking to the sister of king Eadbald namelie the ladie Ethelburga otherwise called Tate or Tace He made request therefore by sending ambassadours to hir brother to haue the said ladie in marriage and at length obteined hir with condition that she being a christian woman might not onelie vse the christian religion but also that all those whether men or women priests or ministers which came with hir might haue licence to doo the same without trouble or impeachment of anie maner of person Herevpon she being sent vnto him there was appointed to go with hir besides manie other one Pauline which was consecrated bishop by the archbishop Iustus the 21 of Iulie in the yeare of our Lord 625 who at his comming into Northumberland thus in companie with Ethelburga trauelled earnestlie in his office both to preserue hir and such christians in the faith of Christ as were appointed to giue their attendance on hir least they should chance to fall and also sought to win some of the Pagans if it were possible vnto the same faith though at the first he little profited in that matter In the yeare following there came a murtherer vnto the court of king Edwin as then soiourning in a palace which stood vpon the side of the riuer of Dorwent being sent from Quichelme king of the Westsaxons to the intent to murther Edwin because he had of late sore damnified the countries of the Westsaxons This murtherer was called Eumerus caried vnder his coate a short double edged woodknife inuenomed of purpose that if the king being but a little hurt therewith should not die of the wound yet he should not escape the danger of the poison This Eumerus on Easter mondaie came to the king and making foorth to him as it had béene to haue declared some message from his maister when he had espied his time drew his weapon and offered to strike the king But one of the kings seruants named Lilla perceiuing this slept betwixt the king and the blow Howbeit the murtherer set the stripe forward with such force that the knife running through the bodie of Lilla wounded also the king a little and before this murtherer could be beaten downe he slue another of the kings seruants a knight that attended vpon him called Fordher The same night Ethelburga was deliuered of a daughter named Eanfled for the which when king Edwin gaue thanks vnto his gods in the presence of bishop Pauline the bishop did admonish him rather to giue thanks vnto the true and onelie God by whose goodnesse it came to passe that the queene was safelie and without danger deliuered The king giuing good eare vnto the bishops wholesome admonition promised at that present to become a christian if he might reuenge his iniuries receiued at the hands of the Westsaxons And to assure Pauline that his promise should take place he gaue vnto him his new borne daughter to be made holie to the Lord that is to say baptised The bishop receiuing hir on Whitsundaie next following baptised hir with twelue other of the kings houshold she being the first of the English Northumbers that was so washed in the founteine of regeneration In the meane time K. Edwin being recouered of his hurt assembled an armie and went against the Westsaxons with whome incountring in battell he either slue or brought to his subiection all them that had conspired his death and so returned as a conquerour into his countrie But yet he delaied time in performance of his promise to become a christian howbeit he had left his dooing of sacrifice to idols euer since he made promise to be baptised He was a sage prince and before he would alter his religion he politikelie thought good to heare matters touching both his old religion and the christian religion throughlie examined Now whilest he thus hoong in doubt vnto whether part he should incline there came letters to him from pope Boniface the fift of that name exhorting him by sundrie kinds of gentle perswasions to turne to the worshipping of the true and liuing God and to renounce the worshipping of mawmets and idols The pope wrote also to quéene Ethelburga praieng hir to continue in hir good purpose and by all meanes possible to doo what might be doone for the conuerting of hir husband vnto the faith of Christ. But the thing that most mooued the king was a vision which sometime he had while he remained as a banished man in the court of Redwald king of the Eastangles as thus After that king Ethelfred was informed that the foresaid Redwald had receiued Edwin he ceased not by his ambassadours to moue Redwald either to deliuer Edwin into his hands or to make him awaie At length by often sending promises made of large summes of monie mixed with threatnings he obteined a grant of his sute so that it was determined that Edwin should either be murthered or else deliuered into his enimies hands One of Edwins friends hauing intelligence hereof in the night season came to Edwins chamber and leading him abroad told him the whole practise and what was purposed against him offering to helpe him out of the countrie if he would so aduenture to escape Edwin being woonderouslie amazed thanked his friend but refused to depart the countrie sith he had no iust cause outwardlie giuen to play such a slipper part choosing rather to ieopard his life with honour than to giue men cause to thinke that he had first broken promise with such a prince as Redwald was to whome he had giuen his faith Herevpon his friend departing from him left him sitting without the doores where after he had reuolued manie things in his mind and thought long vpon this matter at length he perceiued one to come towards him vnknowne and in strange apparell séeming to him in euerie point a stranger at which sight for that he could not imagine who it should be Edwin was much afraid but the man comming to him saluted him and asked of him what he made there at that time of the night when other were at rest Edwin on the other part asked what he had to doo therewith and whether he vsed to lie abroad in the night or within house Who answering said Thinke not Edwin that I am ignorant of thy heauinesse of thy watchings and this thy solitarie sitting here without doores For I know who thou art wherefore thou art thus pensiue and what euils thou fearest to be towards thée at hand But tell me what wouldest thou giue him that could deliuer thée out of this heauinesse and perswade Redwald that he should neither doo thée hurt nor deliuer thée to
liue from thencefoorth a priuat kind of life and so resigning the administration vnto his kinsman Egricus he became a moonke and led the rest of his life in a certeine abbeie Shortlie after it so came to passe that Penda king of Mercia that cruell ethnike tyrant made sore warres vpon Egricus wherevpon the people of Eastangles compelled Sigibert to come foorth of his monasterie to go with them into the field against Penda Sigibert being thus constreined against his will would not put on armour or beare anie other kind of weapon than onelie a wand in his hand in steed of a scepter and so the armie of the Eastangles in hope of good spéed by the presence of Sigibert ioined in battell with their enimies but the Eastangles were finallie vanquished and the more part of them slaine togither with Sigibert and his coosen Egricus their king This happened in the yere after the birth of our Sauiour as some haue noted 652. In the daies whilest Sigibert as yet ruled the Eastangles there came out of Ireland a deuout person named Furseus who comming into the countrie of the Eastangles was gladlie receiued of king Sigibert by whose helpe afterwards he builded the abbeie of Cumbreburge in the which Sigibert as some haue written when he renounced his kingdome was professed a moonke Of this Furseus manie things are written the which for briefenesse we ouerpasse After that Felix the bishop of the Eastangles was dead one Thomas was ordeined in his place who after he had béene bishop fiue yéeres died and then one Beretgils was ordeined in his roome by Honorius the archbishop of Canturburie The said Honorius himselfe when he had run the race of his naturall life deceassed also the last of September in the yéere of our Lord 653. Anna king of Eastangles is slaine by Penda king of Mercia his brother succeeding him is slaine also by Oswie king of Northumberland the Mercians or Middle angles receiue the faith vnder vertuous Peda their prince he requesteth Alchfled the king of Northumberlands daughter in mariage he is baptised by bishop Finnan by whose meanes the Eastsaxons imbraced christian religion vnder Sigibert their king he is murthered of two brethren that were his kinsmen vpon a conceiued hatred against him for his good and christian life how dangerous it is to keepe companie with an excommunicate person the authoritie of a bishop The xxxj Chapter AFter Egricus succeeded Anna the sonne of Enus in the kingdome of Eastangle and was likewise slaine by Penda king of Mercia with the most part of his armie as he gaue battell vnto the said Penda that inuaded his countrie He left behind him manie children but his brother Edelhere succéeded him in gouernment of the kingdome who was slaine by Oswie the king of Northumberland togither with the foresaid Penda and woorthilie sith he would aid that tyrant which had slaine his kinsman and his brother that were predecessors with him in his kingdome After this when the sée of Canturburie had béene vacant by the space of one whole yeere and six moneths one Deus dedit of the countrie of the Westsaxons was elected and consecrated by Ithamar the bishop of Rochester on the 7 kalends of Aprill He gouerned the church of Canturburie by the tearme of nine yéeres foure moneths and two daies When he was departed this life the foresaid Ithamar consecrated for him one Damianus of the countrie of Sussex ABout this time the people of Mercia commonlie called Middleangles receiued the christian faith vnder their king named Peda or Peada the sonne of Penda king of Mercia who being a towardlie yoong gentleman and woorthie to haue the guiding of a kingdome his father Penda aduanced him to the rule of that kingdome of the Middleangles during his owne life ¶ Héere maie you note that the kingdome of the Middleangles was one and the kingdome of Mercia another though most commonlie the same were gouerned by one king This yoong Peda came to Oswie king of Northumberland requiring of him to haue his daughter Alchfled in mariage but when he was informed that he might not haue hir except he would become a christian then vpon hearing the gospell preached with the promise of the celestiall ioies and immortalitie by the resurrection of the flesh in the life to come he said that whether he had king Oswies daughter to wife or not he would suerlie be baptised and chieflie he was persuaded therevnto by his kinsman Alchfrid who had in mariage his sister the daughter of Penda named Cimburgh Wherefore he was baptised by bishop Finnan with all those which came thither with him at a place called At the wall and taking with him foure priests which were thought méete to teach and baptise his people he returned with great ioy into his owne countrie The names of those priests were as followeth Cedda Adda Betti and Diuna of the which the last was a Scot by nation and the other were Englishmen These priests comming into the prouince of the Middleangles preached the woord and were well heard so that dailie a great number of the nobilitie communaltie renouncing the filthie dregs of idolatrie were christned Neither did king Penda forbid the preaching of the gospell within his prouince of Mercia but rather hated and despised those whome he knew to haue professed themselues christians and yet shewed not the woorks of faith saieng that Those were wretches and not to be regarded which would not obeie their God in whome they beléeued This alteration of things began about two yéeres before the death of king Penda ABout the same time the Eastsaxons at the instance of Oswie king of Northumberland receiued eftsoones the faith which they had renounced when they banished their bishop Melitus Ye haue heard that Serred Siward and Sigibert brethren and the sonnes of king Sabert which brethren occasioned the reuolting of that prouince from the faith of Christ were slaine in battell by the kings of Westsaxon after whome succéeded Sigibert surnamed the little sonne to the middlemost brother Siward as some write This Sigibert the litle left the kingdome to an other Sigibert that was sonne to one Sigebald the brother of king Sabert which second Sigibert reigned as king in that prouince of the Eastsaxons being a most especiall friend of king Oswie so that oftentimes he repaired into Northumberland to visit him whervpon king Oswie ceassed not most earnestlie at times conuenient to exhort him to receiue the faith of Iesus Christ and in the end by such effectuall persuasions as he vsed Sigibert gaue credit to his woords and so being conuerted receiued the sacrament of baptisme by the hands of bishop Finnan at the kings house called At the wall so named bicause it was built néere to the wall which the Romans had made ouerthwart the I le as is often before remembred being twelue miles distant from the east sea King Sigibert hauing
Kent departed this life in Iulie and left the kingdome to his brother Lothaire which held the same eleuen yéeres seuen moneths Some haue written that king Egbert by the suggestion of one Thunnir who had the chiefe rule of the kingdome vnder him suffered the same Thunnir in lamentable maner to kill the two innocent sonnes of Ermenredus the brother of king Ercombert that was father vnto king Egbert for doubt least they being towardlie yoong gentlemen might in time grow so into fauour with the people that it should be easie for them to depriue both Egbert and his issue of the kingdome Also that they were priuilie put to death and secretlie buried at the first but the place of their buriall immediatlie being shewed after a miraculous maner their bodies long after in the daies of king Egilred the sonne of king Edgar were taken vp conueied vnto Ramsey and there buried And although Egbert being giltie of the death of those his coosens did sore repent him for that he vnderstood they died giltlesse yet his brother Lothaire was thought to be punished for that offense as after shall be shewed Winfrid bishop of the Mercies for his disobedience in some point was depriued by archbishop Theodore and one Sexvulfe that was the builder and also the abbat of the monasterie of Meidhamsted otherwise called Peterborough was ordeined and consecrated in his place About the same time Erkenwald was ordeined bishop of the Eastsaxons and appointed to hold his sée in the citie of London This Erkenwald was reputed to be a man of great holinesse and vertue Before he was made bishop he builded two abbeies the one of moonks at Chertsey in Southerie where he himselfe was abbat and the other of nuns at Berking within the prouince of the Eastsaxons where he placed his sister Ethelburga a woman also highlie estéemed for hir deuout kind of life She was first brought vp and instructed in the rules of hir profession by one Hildelitha a nun of the parties beyond the seas whome Erkenwald procured to come ouer for that purpose After Erkenwald one Waldhere was made bishop of London in whose daies Sebbie king of the Eastsaxons after he had reigned thirtie yéeres being now vexed with a gréeuous sicknesse professed himselfe a moonke which thing he would haue doone long before if his wife had not kept him backe He died shortlie after within the citie of London and was buried in the church of saint Paule King Sighere which in the beginning reigned with him and gouerned a part of the Eastsaxons was departed this life before so that in his latter time the foresaid Sebbie had the gouernment of the whole prouince of the Eastsaxons and left the same to his sonnes Sighard and Sewfred About the yéere of our Lord 675 Uulfhere king of Mercia departed this life after he had reigned as some say 19 yéeres but as other affirme he reigned but 17 yéeres Howbeit they which reckon 19 include the time that passed after the slaughter of Penda wherein Oswie and Peada held the aforesaid kingdome Edilred king of Mercia inuadeth the kingdome of Kent and maketh great waste without resistance of Lothaire the king thereof Putta of a bishop becommeth a poore curat and teacheth musicke Wilfred deposed from his bishoprike by king Egfrid vpon displeasure he preacheth the gospell in Sussex by the licence of king Edilwalke no raine in Sussex for the space of three yeeres the woord and sacraments bring blessings with them bishop Wilfrid the first teacher to catch fish with nets the people haue him in great reuerence a great and bloudie battell betweene Egfrid king Edilred they are reconciled by the meanes of archbishop Theodore a synod holden at Hatfield the clergie subscribe to certeine articles of Hilda the famous abbesse of Whitbie The xxxv Chapter AFter Uulfhere his brother Edilred or Ethelred succéeded in gouernment of the kingdome of Mercia This Edilred inuaded the kingdome of Kent with a mightie armie in the yéere of our Lord 677 destroieng the countrie afore him not sparing churches nor abbeies but spoiling the same without respect as well as other common places King Lothaire durst not appéere in the field to giue him battell so that Edilred went thorough the countrie destroied the citie of Rochester and with great riches gotten by the spoile he returned home Putta the bishop of Rochester after that his church was spoiled and defaced by the enimies went to Sexvulfe bishop of Mercia and there obteining of him a small cure and a portion of ground remained in that countrie not once labouring to restore his church of his church of Rochester to the former state but went about in Mercia to teach song and instruct such as would learne musicke wheresoeuer he was required or could get intertainment Heerevpon the archbishop Theodore consecrated one William bishop of Rochester in place of Putta and after when the said William constreined by pouertie left that church Theodore placed one Gebmound in his stéed In the yéere of our Lord 678 in the moneth of August a blasing starre appéered with a long bright beame like to a piller It was séene euerie morning for the space of thrée moneths togither The same Egfrid king of Northumberland banished bishop Wilfrid vpon displeasure taken with him out of his sée and then were two bishops ordeined in his place to gouerne the church of the Northumbers the one named Bosa at Yorke and the other called Eata at Hagustald or Lindesferne Also one Eadhidus was ordeined about the same time bishop of Lindsey the which prouince king Egfrid had of late conquered and taken from Uulfhere the late king of Mercia whome he ouercame in battell and droue him out of that countrie The said thrée bishops were consecrated at Yorke by the archbishop of Canturburie Theodorus the which within thrée yéeres after ordeined two bishops more in that prouince of the Northumbers that is to say Tumbert at Hagustald Eata that was appointed to remaine at Lindesferne Trumuine was ordeined to haue the cure of the prouince of those Picts which as then were vnder the English dominion Also bicause Edilred king of Mercia recouered the countrie of Lindsey and ioined it to his dominion bishop Eadhedus comming from thence was appointed to gouerne the church of Rippon After that bishop Wilfrid was expelled out of his diocesse and prouince of the Northumbers he went to Rome and returning from thence came into the kingdome of the Southsaxons the which conteining seuen thousand housholds or families as yet was not conuerted to the christian faith Wherefore the said Wilfrid began there to preach the gospell with licence of king Edilwalke who as before is mentioned was conuerted and baptised in Mercia by the procurement of king Wolfher that then became his godfather and gaue him at the same time the I le of Wight and the prouince of the
died and was buried there within the church of saint Peter in the yeere of our Lord 689. In the meane while that is to say in the yeere of our Lord 684 Egfride king of Northumberland sent an armie vnder the guiding of a capteine named Bertus into Ireland the which wasted that countrie sparing neither church nor monasterie sore indamaging the people of that countrie which had euer beene friends vnto the English nation and deserued nothing lesse than so to be inuaded and spoiled at their hands The Irish men defended themselues to their power beséeching God with manie a salt teare that he would reuenge their cause in punishing of such extreme iniuries And though cursers may not inherit the kingdome of heauen yet they ceased not to curse hoping the sooner that those which with good cause were thus accursed should woorthilie be punished for their offenses by God so peraduenture it fell out For in the yeere following the said Egfride had lead an armie into Pictland against Brudeus king of the Picts and being trained into straits within hils and craggie mounteins he was slaine with the most part of all his armie in the yeere of his age 40 and of his reigne 15 vpon the 13 kalends of Iune There were diuers of Egfrides friends and namelie Cutberd whome he had aduanced the same yéere vnto the bishops sée of Lindesferne that aduised him in no wise either to haue taken this warre in hand against the Picts or the other against them of Ireland but he would not be counselled the punishment appointed for his sinnes being such that he might not giue eare to his faithfull friends that aduised him for the best From that time foorth the hope and power of the English people began to decaie For not onelie the Picts recouered that part of their countrie which the Englishmen had held before in their possession but also the Scots that inhabited within this I le and likewise some part of the Britains tooke vpon them libertie which they kept and mainteined a long time after as Beda confesseth Egfride died without issue left no children behind him He had to wife one Ethelreda or Etheldrida daughter vnto Anna king of the Eastangles which liued with hir husband the forsaid Egfride twelue yéeres in perfect virginitie as is supposed contrarie to the purpose of hir husband if he might haue persuaded hir to the contrarie but finallie he was contented that she should kéepe hir first vow of chastitie which she had made She was both widow and virgine when he maried hir being first coupled in wedlocke with one Eunbert a noble man and a ruler in the south parts of the countrie where the people called Giruij inhabited which is the same where the fennes lie in the confines of Lincolnshire Norffolke Huntingtonshire Cambridgeshire howbeit be liued with hir but a small while After she had obteined licence to depart from the court she got hir first into Coldingham abbeie and there was professed a nun Then she went to Elie and there restored the monasterie and was made abbesse of the place in the which after she had gouerned seuen yeeres she departed this life and was there buried This same was she which commonlie is called saint Audrie of Elie had in great reuerence for the opinion conceiued of hir great vertue aand puritie of life Alfride the bastard king of Northumberland his life and death Iohn archbishop of Canturburie reigneth his see Lother king of Kent dieth of a wound Edrike getteth the regiment thereof but not without bloudshed Ceadwalla wasteth Kent being at strife in it selfe his brother Mollo burned to death Withred made king of Kent he vanquisheth his enimies Inas king of Westsaxons is made his friend Suebhard and Nidred vsurpers of the Kentish kingdome the age and death of Theodore archbishop of Canturburie Brightwald the first archbishop of the English nation the end of the British regiment and how long the greatest part of this Iland was vnder their gouernement The xxxvij Chapter AFter that king Egfride was slaine as before is mentioned his brother Alfride was made king of Northumberland This Alfride was the bastard sonne of king Oswie and in his brothers daies either willinglie or by violent means constreined he liued as a banished man in Ireland where applieng himselfe to studie he became an excellent philosopher And therfore being iudged to be better able to haue the rule of a kingdome he was receiued by the Northumbers and made king gouerning his subiects the space of 20 yeares and more with great wisedome and policie but not with such large bounds as his ancestors had doone for the Picts as before is mentioned had cut off one péece of the north part of the ancient limits of that kingdome About the 13 yeare of his reigne that is to say in the yeare of our Lord 698 one of his capteins named earle Berthred or Bertus was slaine in battell by the Picts whose confins he had as then inuaded The curse of the Irish men whose countrie in the daies of king Egfrid he had cruellie wasted as before is mentioned was thought at this time to take place Finallie king Alfride after he had reigned 20 yeares od months departed this life in the yeare of our Lord 705. In the beginning of king Alfrids daies Eata the bishop of Hexham being dead one Iohn a man of great holinesse was admitted bishop and after that bishop Wilfrid was restored when he had remained a long time in exile The said Iohn was remoued to the church of Yorke the same being then void by the death of the archbishop Bosa At length the foresaid Iohn wearied with the cares of publike affaires resigned his sée and got him to Beuerley where he liued a solitarie life for the space of foure yeares and then died about the yeare of our Lord 721 king Osâ—ike as then reigning in Northumberland He continued bishop for the space of 24 yeares and builded a church and founded a colledge of priests at Beuerley aforsaid in which church he lieth buried The same yeare or in the yeare after that king Egfrid was slaine Lother king of Kent departed this life the 8 Ides of Februarie of a wound by him receiued in a battell which he fought against the Southsaxons the which came in aid of Edrike that was sonne vnto his brother Egbert and had mainteined warre against his vncle the said Lother euen from the beginning of his reigne till finallie he was now in the said battell striken thorough the bodie with a dart and so died thereof after he had reigned 11 yeares and seuen moneths It was thought that he was disquieted with continuall warres and troubles and finallie brought to his end before the naturall course of his time for a punishment of his wicked consent giuen to the putting to death of his cousins Ethelbert Ethelbrit as appeared in that when they were
life in whose place one Adelbert succéeded About the 25 yéere of Kenwulf king of Westsaxons the Northumbers hauing to their capteine two noble men Osbald and Ethelherard burned one of their iudges named Bearne bicause he was more cruell in iudgement as they tooke the matter than reason required In which vengeance executed vpon the cruell iudge if he were so seuere as this attempt of the two noble men dooth offer the readers to suspect all such of his liuerie calling are taught lenitie mildnes wherwith they should leuen the rigor of the lawe For capit indulgentia mentes Asperitas odium saeuáeque bella mouet Odimus accipitrem quia viuit semper in armis Et pauidum solitos in pecus ire lupos At caret insidijs hominum quia mitis hirundo est Quásque colat turres Chaonîs ales habet At the same time one Aswald or Alfewald reigned ouer the Northumbers being admitted K. after that Ethelbert was expelled and when the same Alfwald had reigned 10 or as some say 11 yéeres he was traitorouslie and without all guilt made away the chéefe conspirator was named Siga The same Alfwald was a iust prince and woorthilie gouerned the Northumbers to his high praise and commendation He was murthered by his owne people as before ye haue heard the 23 of September in the yéere of our Lord 788 and was buried at Hexham In the yéere 792 Charles king of France sent a booke into Britaine which was sent vnto him from Constantinople conteining certeine articles agreed vpon in a synod wherein were present aboue the number of thrée hundred bishops quite contrarie and disagréeing from the true faith namelie in this that images ought to be worshipped which the church of God vtterlie abhorreth Against this booke Albinus that famous clearke wrote a treatise confirmed with places taken out of holie scripture which treatise with the booke in name of all the bishops and princes of Britaine he presented vnto the king of France ¶ In the yéere 800 on Christmasse éeuen chanced a maruellous tempest of wind which ouerthrew whole cities and townes in diuerse places and trees in great number beside other harmes which it did as by death of cattell c. Int the yeere following a great part of London was consumed by fire Britricus K. of the Westsaxons his inclination Egbert being of the bloud roiall is banished the land why crosses of bloudie colour and drops of bloud fell from heauen what they did prognosticate the first Danes that arriued on the English coasts and the cause of their comming firie dragons flieng in the aire foretokens of famine and warre Britricus is poisoned of his wife Ethelburga hir ill qualities why the kings of the Westsaxons decreed that their wiues should not be called queenes the miserable end of Ethelburga Kenulfe king of Mercia his vertues he restoreth the archbishops see to Canturburie which was translated to Lichfield he inuadeth Kent taketh the king prisoner in the field and bountifullie setteth him at libertie the great ioy of the people therevpon his rare liberalitie to churchmen his death and buriall The seuenth Chapter AFter Kenwulfe Britricus or Brightrike was ordeined king of Westsaxons and began his reigne in the yéere of our Lord 787 which was about the 8 yéere of the gouernment of the empresse Eirene with hir son Constantinus and about the second yeere of the reigne of Achaius K. of Scots This Brightrike was descended of the line of Cerdicus the first king of Westsaxons the 16 in number from him He was a man of nature quiet temperate more desirous of peace than of warre and therefore he stood in doubt of the noble valiancie of one Egbert which after succéeded him in the kingdome The linage of Cerdicus was in that season so confounded and mingled that euerie one as he grew in greatest power stroue to be king and supreame gouernour But speciallie Egbertus was knowne to be one that coueted that place as he that was of the bloud roiall and a man of great power and lustie courage King Brightrike therefore to liue in more safetie banished him the land and appointed him to go into France Egbert vnderstanding certeinlie that this his departure into a forreine countrie should aduance him in time obeied the kings pleasure About the third yéere of Brightrikes reigne there fell vpon mens garments as they walked abroad crosses of bloudie colour and bloud fell from heauen as drops of raine Some tooke this woonder for a signification of the persecution that followed by the Danes for shortlie after in the yeere insuing there arriued thrée Danish ships vpon the English coasts against whome the lieutenant of the parties adioining made foorth to apprehend those that were come on land howbeit aduenturing himselfe ouer rashlie amongst them he was slaine but afterwards when the Danes perceiued that the people of the countries about began to assemble and were comming against them they fled to their ships and left their prey and spoile behind them for that time These were the first Danes that arriued here in this land being onelie sent as was perceiued after to view the countrie and coasts of the same to vnderstand how with a greater power they might be able to inuade it as shortlie after they did and warred so with the Englishmen that they got a great part of the land and held it in their owne possession In the tenth yéere of king Brightrikes reigne there were séene in the aire firie dragons flieng which betokened as was thought two grieuous plagues that followed First a great dearth and famine and secondlie a cruell war of the Danes which shortlie followed as ye shall heare Finallie after that Brightrike had reigned the space of 16 yéeres he departed this life and was buried at Warham Some write that he was poisoned by his wife Ethelburga daughter vnto Offa king of Mercia as before ye haue heard and he maried hir in the fourth yere of his reigne She is noted by writers to haue bin a verie euill woman proud and high-minded as Lucifer and therewith disdainfull She bare hir the more statelie by reason of hir fathers great fame and magnificence whome she hated she would accuse to hir husband and so put them in danger of their liues And if she might not so wreake hir rancour she would not sticke to poison them It happened one day as she meant to haue poisoned a yoong gentleman against whome she had a quarell the king chanced to tast of that cup and died thereof as before ye haue heard Hir purpose indeed was not to haue poisoned the king but onelie the yoong gentleman the which drinking after the king died also the poison was so strong and vehement For hir heinous crime it is said that the kings of the Westsaxons would not suffer their wiues to be called quéenes nor permit them to sit with them in open places
time that the Angles and Saxons got possession thereof Now was king Egbert setled in good quiet and his dominions reduced out of the troubles of warre when suddenlie newes came that the Danes with a nauie of 35 ships were arriued on the English coasts and began to make sore warre in the land K. Egbert being thereof aduertised with all conuenient spéed got togither an armie and went foorth to giue battell to the enimies Heerevpon incountring with them there was a sore foughten field betwixt them which continued with great slaughter on both sides till the night came on and then by chance of warre the Englishmen which before were at point to haue gone awaie with victorie were vanquished and put to flight yet king Egbert by couert of the night escaped his enimies hands but two of his chiefe capteins Dudda and Osmond with two bishops to wit Herferd of Winchester and Uigferd of Shireborne were slaine in that battell which was foughten at Carrum about the 834 of Christ and 34 yéere of king Egberts reigne In the yeere following the Danes with their nauie came into Westwales and there the Welshmen ioining with them rose against king Egbert but he with prosperous fortune vanquished and slue both the Danes and Welshmen and that in great number at a place called Hengistenton The next yéere after also which was 836 he ouerthrew another armie of Danes which came against him as one autor writeth Finallie when king Egbert had reigned the tearme of 36 yéeres and seuen moneths with great glorie for the inlarging of his kingdome with wide bounds which when he receiued was but of small compasse he departed this life leauing to his issue matter of woorthie praise to mainteine that with order which he with painefull diligence had ioined togither His bodie was buried at Winchester and he left behind him two sonnes Ethelwuffe otherwise named Athaulfe and Adelstan The first he appointed to succéed him in the kingdome of Westsaxons and Adelstan he ordeined to haue the gouernment of Kent Sussex and Essex ¶ Héere we sée the paterne of a fortunate prines in all his affaires as well forren as domesticall wherein is first to be obserued the order of his education in his tender yéeres which agréeing well with a princes nature could not but in the progresse of his age bring great matters to passe his manifold victories are an argument that as he lacked no policie so he had prowesse inough to incounter with his enimies to whome he gaue manie a fâ—wle discomfiture But among all other notes of his skill and hope of happie successe in his martiall affaires was the good choise that he made of seruiceable souldiers being such as knew how to get the victorie and hauing gotten it were not vntaught to vse it to their benefit by their warinesse and héed taking for Saepiùs incautae nocuit victoria turbâ—â— The kingdome of Kent annexed to the kingdome of the Westsaxons the end of the kingdome of Kent and Essex Kenelme king of Mercia murthered by the meanes of his owne sister Quendred the order of hir wicked practise his death prophesied or foreshewed by a signe the kings of Mercia put by their roialtie one after another the kingdome of Britaine beginneth to be a monarchie Ethelwulfe king of the Westsaxons he marrieth his butlers daughter his disposition the fourth destruction of this land by forren enimies the Danes sought the ruine of this I le how long they afflicted and troubled the same two notable bishops and verie seruiceable to king Ethelwulfe in warre the Danes discomfited the Englishmen chased Ethelwufs great victorie ouer the Danes a great slaughter of them at Tenet king Ethelwulfs deuotion and liberalitie to churches Peter pence paid to Rome he marieth the ladie Iudith his two sonnes conspire vpon occasion of breaking a law to depose him king Ethelwulfe dieth his foure sonnes by his first wife Osburga how he bequeathed his kingdoms The tenth Chapter WHen Cuthred K. of Kent had reigned 8 yeeres as before is mentioned he was constreined to giue place vnto one Baldred that tooke vpon him the gouernment reigned the space of 18 yéeres without anie great authoritie for his subiects regarded him but sorilie so that in the end when his countrie was inuaded by the Westsaxons he was easilie constreined to depart into exile And thus was the kingdome of Kent annexed to the kingdome of the Westsaxons after the same kingdome had continued in gouernment of kings created of the same nation for the space of 382 yéers that is to say from the yéere of our Lord 464 vnto the yéere 827. Suithred or Suthred king of Essex was vanquished and expelled out of his kingdome by Egbert king of Westsaxons as before ye maie read in the same yéere that the Kentishmen were subdued by the said Egbert or else verie shortlie after This kingdome continued 281 yeeres from the yéere 614 vnto the yeere 795 as by the table of the Heptarchie set foorth by Alexander Neuill appeereth After the deceasse of Kenwulfe king of Mercia his sonne Kenelme a child of the age of seuen yéeres was admitted king about the yeere of our Lord 821. He had two sisters Quendred and Burgenild of the which the one that is to say Quendred of a malicious mind mooued through ambition enuied hir brothers aduancement and sought to make him awaie so that in the end she corrupted the gouernour of his person one Ashbert with great rewards and high promises persuading him to dispatch hir innocent brother out of life that she might reigne in his place Ashbert one day vnder a colour to haue the yoong king foorth on hunting led him into a thicke wood and there cut off the head from his bodie an impe by reason of his tender yéeres and innocent age vnto the world void of gilt and yet thus traiterouslie murthered without cause or crime he was afterward reputed for a maryr There hath gone a tale that his death should be signified at Rome and the place where the murther was committed by a strange manner for as they say a white â—oue came and sighted vpon the altar of saint Peter bearing a scroll in hir bill which she let fall on the same altar in which scroll among other things this was conteined In clenc liou bath Kenelme kinbarsie â—eth vnder thorne heaued beâ—eaued that is at Clene in a 〈…〉 Keneline the kings child lieth beheaded vnder a thorne This tale I â—ehearse not for anie credit I thinke it woorthie of but onelie for that it séemeth to note the place where the yoong prince innocentlie lost his life After that Kenelme was thus made awaie his vncle Ceolwulfe the brother of king Kenulfe was created king of Mercia and in the second yéere of his reigne was expelled by Bernwulfe Bernwulfe in the third yéere of his reigne was vanquished and put to flight in battell by Egbert king of
Danes vpon the sea they sweare to him that they will depart out of his kingdome they breake the truce which was made betwixt him and them he giueth them battell and besides a great discomfiture killeth manie of their capteines the Danes and English fight neere Abington the victorie vncerteine seuen foughten fieldes betwixt them in one yeare the Danes soiourne at London The xiij Chapter AFter the decease of king Ethelred his brother Alured or Alfred succéeded him and began his reigne ouer the Westsaxons and other the more part of the people of England in the yeare of our Lord 872 which was in the 19 yeare of the emperour Lewes the second and 32 yeare of the reigne of Charles the bald king of France and about the eleuenth yeare of Constantine the second king of Scotland Although this Alured was consecrated king in his fathers life time by pope Leo as before ye haue heard yet was he not admitted king at home till after the decease of his thrée elder brethren for he being the yoongest was kept backe from the gouernement though he were for his wisdome and policie most highlie estéemed and had in all honour In the beginning of his reigne he was wrapped in manie great troubles and miseries speciallie by the persecution of the Danes which made sore and greeuous wars in sundrie parts of this land destroieng the same in most cruell wise About a moneth after he was made king he gaue battell to the Danes of Wilton hauing with him no great number of people so that although in the beginning the Danes that day were put to the woorse yet in the end they obteined the victorie Shortlie after a truce was taken betwixt the Danes and the Westsaxons And the Danes that had lien at Reading remoued from thence vnto London where they lay all the winter season In the second yeare of Alured his reigne the Danish king Halden led the same armie from London into Lindseie and there lodged all that winter at Torkseie In the yeare following the same Halden inuaded Mercia and wintered at Ripindon There were come to him thrée other leaders of Danes which our writers name to be kings Godrun Esketell Ammond so that their power was greatlie increased Burthred king of Mercia which had gouerned that countrie by the space of 22 yéeres was not able to withstand the puissance of those enimies wherevpon he was constreined to auoid the countrie and went to Rome where he departed this life and was buried in the church of our ladie néere to the English schoole In the fourth yeare of king Alured the armie of the Danes diuided it selfe into two parts so that king Halden with one part thereof went into Northumberland and lay in the winter season néere to the riuer of Tine where hee diuided the countrie amongest his men and remained there for the space of two yeares and oftentimes fetched thither booties and preies out of the countrie of the Picts The other part of the Danish armie with the thrée foresaid kings or leaders came vnto Cambridge and remained there a whole yeare In the same yeare king Alured fought by sea with 7 ships of Danes tooke one of them chased the residue In the yeare next insuing the Danes came into the countrie of the Westsaxons and king Alured tooke truce with them againe and they sware to him which they had not vsed to doo to anie afore that time that they would depart the countrie Their armie by sea sailing from Warham toward Excester susteined great losse by tempest for there perished 120 ships at Swanewicke Moreouer the armie of the Danes by land went to Excester in breach of the truce and king Alured followed them but could not ouertake them till they came to Excester and there he approched them in such wise that they were glad to deliuer pledges for performance of such couenants as were accorded betwixt him and them And so then they departed out of the countrie and drew into Mercia But shortlie after when they had the whole gouernment of the land from Thames northward they thought it not good to suffer king Alured to continue in rest with the residue of the countries beyond Thames And therefore the thrée foresaid rulers of Danes Godrun Esketell and Ammond inuading the countrie of Westsaxons came to Chipnam distant 17 miles from Bristow there pitched their tents King Alured aduertised hereof hasted thither and lodging with his armie néere to the enimies prouoked them to battell The Danes perceiuing that either they must fight for their liues or die with shame boldlie came foorth and gaue battell The Englishmen rashlie incountered with them and though they were ouermatched in number yet with such violence they gaue the onset that the enimies at the first were abashed at their hardie assaults But when as it was perceiued that their slender ranks were not able to resist the thicke leghers of the enimies they began to shrinke looke backe one vpon an other and so of force were constreined to retire and therewithall did cast themselues into a ring which though it séemed to be the best way that could be deuised for their safetie yet by the great force and number of their enimies on each side assailing them they were so thronged togither on heaps that they had no roome to stir their weapons Which disaduantage notwithstanding they â—lue a great number of the Danes and amongest other Hubba the brother of Agner with manie other of the Danish capteins At length the Englishmen hauing valiantlie foughten a long time with the enimies which had compassed them about at last brake out and got them to their campe To be briefe this battell was foughten with so equall fortune that no man knew to whether part the victorie ought to be ascribed But after they were once seuered they tooke care to cure their hurt men and to burie the dead bodies namelie the Danes interred the bodie of their capteine Hubba with great funerall pompe and solemnitie which doone they held out their iournie till they came to Abington whither the English armie shortlie after came also and incamped fast by the enimies In this meane while the rumor was spread abroad that king Alured had béene discomfited by the Danes bicause that in the last battell he withdrew to his campe This turned greatlie to his aduantage for thereby a great number of Englishmen hasted to come to his succour On the morrow after his comming to Abington he brought his armie readie to fight into the field neither were the enimies slacke on their parts to receiue the battell and so the two armies ioined and fought verie sore on both sides so that it séemed by Englishmen had not to doo with those Danes which had béene diuerse times before discomfited and put to flight but rather with some new people fresh and lustie But neither
and vnprofitable manners of strangers Dunstance was made bishop of Worcester and had also the administration of the see of London committed vnto him He was in such fauor with thescarse was anie stréet in England but Danes had king that he ruled most things at his pleasure Ethelwold which being first a moonke of Glastenburie and after abbat of Abington was likewise made bishop of Winchester and might doo verie much with the king Also Oswald which had béene a moonke in the abbeie of Florie in France and after was made bishop of Worcester and from thence remooued to the sée of Yorke was highlie in fauor with this king so that by these thrée prelates he was most counselled Iustice in his daies was strictlie obserued for although he were courteous and gentle towards his friends yet was he sharpe and hard to offendors so that no person of what estate or degree soeuer he was escaped worthie punishment if he did transgresse the lawes and ordinances of the realme There was no priuie theefe nor common robber that durst lay hands vpon other mens goods but he might looke to make amends with losse of his life if he were knowne to be giltie For how might men that did offend thinke to escape his hands which deuised waies how to ridIustice in his daies was strictlie obserued for the countrie of all wild rauening beasts that liued vpon sucking the bloud of others For as it is said he appointed Iudweall or Ludweall king of Wales to present him with thrée hundred woolues yéerelie in name of a tribute but after thrée yéeres space there was not a woolfe to be found and so that tribute ceased in the fourth yéere after it began to be paid The death of Alfred king Edgars wife or concubine causeth him to fall into a fowle offense an example teaching men to take heed how they put others in trust to woo for them earle Ethelwold cooseneth the king of his wife the danger of beholding a womans beautie with lustfull eies king Edgar killeth earle Ethelwold to marrie faire Alfred his wife the bloudie and vnnaturall speach of Ethelwolds base sonne examples of king Edgars great incontinencie and lewd life Dunstane putteth the king of penance for his vnchastitie the Welshmen rebell against him and are corrected king Edgars vision before his death of what religious or concubine causeth him to fall into a buildings he was founder his example a spur to others to doo the like moonks esteemed and secular priests little regarded king Edgars deformed reformation his vices stature and bodilie qualities he offereth to fight hand to hand with Kinadius king of Scots vpon occasion of words euill taken Kinadius submitteth himselfe and is pardoned his wiues and children the good state of the realme in king Edgars time the amplenesse of his dominions The xxiiij Chapter IN this meane time Alfred the wife of king Edgar as some say or rather as others write his concubine died of whome he had begot a sonne named Edward The death of this woman caused the king to commit an heinous offense For albeit at the same time the same went that Horgerius duke of Cornewall or rather Deuonshire had a daughter named Alfred a damosell of excellent beautie whome Edgar minding to haue in mariage appointed one of his noble men called earle Ethelwold to go with all speed into Cornewall or Deuonshire to sée if the yoong ladies beautie answered the report that went of hir and so to breake the matter to hir father in his behalfe yet Ethelwold being a yong ioslie gentleman tooke his iournie into Cornewall and comming to the duke offense For albeit at the same time the same was well receiued and had a sight of his daughter with whose beautie he was streight rauished so far in loue that not regarding the kings pleasure who had sent him thither he began to purchase the good will of both father and daughter for himselfe and did so much that he obteined the same in déed Herevpon returning to the king he informed him that the damosell was not of such beautie and comelie personage as might he thought woorthie to match in marige with his maiestie Shortlie after perceiuing the kings mind by his wrongfull misreport to be turned and nothing bent that way he began to sue to him that he might with his fauour marie the same damosell which the king granted as one that cared not for hir bicause of the credit which he gaue to Ethelwolds words And so by this meanes Ethelwold obteined Alfred in mariage which was to his owne destruction as the case fell out For when the same of hir passing beautie did spread ouer all the realme now that she was mariedwith his maiestie and came more abroad in sight of the people the king chanced to heare thereof and desirous to sée hir deuised vnder colour of hunting to come vnto the house of Ethelwold and so did where he had no sooner set his eie vpon hir but he was so farre wrapped in the chaine of burning concupiscence that to obteine his purpose he shortlie after contriued Ethelwolds death and maried his wife Some say that the woman kindled the brand of purpose for when it was knowne that the king would sée hir Ethelwold willed hir in no wise to trim vp hir selfe but rather to disfigure hir in fowle garments and some euill fauored attire that hir natiue beautie should not appeare but she perceiuing how the matter went of spite set out hir selfe to the vttermost so that the king vpon the first sight of hix beacame so farre inamored of hir beautie that taking hir husband foorth with him on hunting into a forrest or wood then called Warlewood after Horewood not shewing that he meant him anie hurt till at length he had got him within the thicke of the wood where he suddenlie stroke him through with his dart Now as his bastard son came to the place the king asked him how he liked the maner of hunting wherto he answered Uerie well if it like your grace for that that liketh you ought not to displease me With which answer the king was so pacified that he indeuored by pretending his fauor towards the sonne to extenuat the tyrannicall murther of the father Then did the king marie the countesse Alfred and of hir begat two sonnes Edmund which died yoong and Etheldred or Egelred Besides this cruell act wrought by king Edgar for the satisfieng of his fleshlie lust he also plaied another part greatlie to the staine of his honor mooued also by wanton loue with yoong damosell named Wilfrid for after that she had to auoid the danger of him either professed hir selfe a nun or else for colour as the most part of writers agrée got hirselfe into a nunrie and clad hir in a nuns wéed he tooke hir foorth of hir cloister and lay by hir sundrie times and begat on hir a daughter named Edith who comming to
in their roomes by authoritie of pope Iohn the 13. This reformation or rather deformation was vsed by king Edgar in many other places of the realme He was as appeareth by diuers writers namelie in his beginning cruell against his owne people and wanton in lusting after yoong women as you haue heard before Of stature proportion of bodie he was but small and low but yet nature had inclosed within so little a personage such strength that he durst incounter and combat with him that was thought most strong onelie doubting this least he which should haue to doo with him should stand in feare of him And as it chanced at a great feast where oftentimes men vse their toongs more liberrallie than néedeth Kenneth the king of Scots cast out certeine words in this maner It may saith hée séeme a maruell that so manie countries and prouinces should be subiect to such a little silliehe was but small and low but yet nature had inclosed bodie as Edgar is These words being borne awaie by a â—ester or minstrell and afterwards vttered to Edgar with great reproch he wiselie dissembled the matter for a time although he kept the remembrance thereof inclosed within his breast and vpon occasion at length feigned to go on hunting taking the king of Scots forth with him and hauing caused one of his seruants to conuey two swords into a place within the forrest by him appointed in secret wise of purpose he withdrew from the residue of his companie and there accompanied onelie with the Scotish king came to the place where the swords were laid and there taking the one of them deliuered the other to the Scotish king willing him now to assaie his strength that they might shew by proofe whether of them ought to be subiect to the other Start not but trie it with me saith he for it is a shame for a king to be full of brags at bankets and not to be readie to fight when triall should be made abroad The Scotish king herewith being astonied and maruellouslie abashed fell downe at his féet and with much humilitie confessed his fault desired pardon for the same which vpon such his humble submission king Edward easilie granted This noble prince had two wiues Egelfrida or Elfrida surnamed the white the daughter of a mightie duke named Ordiner by whome he had issue a sonne named Edward that succéeded him His second wife was called Alfreda the daughter of Orgar duke of Deuon or Cornewall as some saie by whome he had issue Edmund that died before his father and Egelred which afterwards was king Also he had issue a base daughter named Editha begotten of his concubine Wilfrid as before ye haue heard The state of the realme in king Edgars daies was in good point for both the earth gaue hir increase verie plentiouslie the elements shewed themselues verie sauorable according to the course of times peace was mainteined and no inuasion by forraine enimies attempted For Edgar had not onelie all the whole I le of Britaine in subiection but also was ruler souereigne lord ouer all the kings of the out Iles that lie within the seas about all the coasts of the same Britaine euen vnto the realme of Norwaie He brought also a great part of Ireland vnder his subiection with the citie of Dublin as by authentike records it dooth and may appeare Contention amongest the peeres and states about succession to the crowne the monkes remoued and the canons and secular priests restored by Alfer duke of Mercia and his adherents a blasing starre with the euents insuing the same the rood of Winchester speaketh a prettie shift of moonks to defeat the priests of their possessions the controuersie betweene the moonks and the priests ended by a miracle of archbishop Dunstane great hope that Edward would tread his fathers steps the reuerent loue he bare his stepmother queene Alfred and hir sonne Egelred hir diuelish purpose to murther Edward hir stepsonne accomplished his obscure funerall in respect of pompe but famous by meanes of miracles wrought by and about his sepulture queene Alfred repenting hir of the said prepensed murther dooth penance and imploieth hir substance in good woorkes as satisfactorie for hir sinnes king Edwards bodie remoued and solemnlie buried by Alfer duke of Mercia who was eaten vp with lice for being against the said Edwards aduancement to the crowne queene Alfreds offense by no meanes excusable The xxv Chapter AFter the deceasse of king Edgar there was some strife and contention amongst the lords péeres of the realme about the succession of the crowne for Alfred the mother of Egelredus or Ethelredus and diuers other of hir opinion would gladlie haue aduanced the same Egelredus to the rule but the archbishop Dunstan taking in his hands the baner of the crucifix presented his elder brother Edward vnto the lords as they were assembled togither and there pronounced him king notwithstanding that both queene Alfred and hir friends namelie Alfer the duke of Mercia were sore against him especiallie for that he was begot in vnlawfull bed of Elfleda the nun for which offense he did seuen yeares pâ—nance and not for lieng with Wilfrid as maister Fox thinketh But Dunstane iudging as is to be thought that Edward was more fit for their behoofe to continue the world in the former course as Edgar had left it than his brother Egelred whose mother and such as tooke part with hir vnder hir sonnes authoritie were likelie inough to turne all vpside downe vsed the matter so that with helpe of Oswald the archbishop of Yorke and other bishops abbats and certeine of the nobilitie as the earle of Essex and such like he preuailed in his purpose so that as before is said the said Edward being the second of that name which gouerned this land before the conquest was admitted king and began his reigne ouer England in the yeare of our Lord 975 in the third yeare of the emperour Otho the second in the 20 yeare of the reigne of Lothar king of France and about the fourth yeare of Cumelerne king of Scotland He was consecrated by archb Dunstane at Kingston vpon Thames to the great griefe of his mother in law Alfred and hir friends ¶ About the beginning of his reigne a blasing starre was seene signifieng as was thought the miserable haps that followed And first there insued barrennesse of ground and thereby famine amongest the people and morraine of cattell Also duke Alfer or Elfer of Mercia and other noble men destroied the abbies which king Edgar and bishop Adelwold had builded within the limits of Mercia The priests or canons which had beene expelled in Edgars time out of the prebends and benefices began to complaine of the wrongs that were doone to them in that they had beene put out of possession from their liuings alleging it to be a great offense and miserable case that a
The Danes followed them vnto Wilton which towne they rifled and ouercame From thence they went to Salisburie and so taking their pleasure there returned to their ships because as some write they were aduertised that the king was comming towards them with an huge armie In the yeare next insuing that is to saie 1004 which was about the 24 yeare of K. Egelreds reigne Sweine or Swanus king of Denmarke with a mightie nauie of ships came on the coast of Northfolke and there landing with his people made toward Norwich and comming thither tooke that citie and spoiled it Then went he vnto Thetford and when he had taken and rified that towne he burnt it notwithstanding a truce taken by Uikillus or Wilfketell gouernor of those parties with the same king Swaine after the taking of Norwich In reuenge therefore of such breach of truce the same Uikillus or Wilfeketell with such power as he could raise assaulted the host of Danes as they returned to their ships and slue a great number of them but was not able to mainteine the fight for his enimies ouermatched him in number of men And so he was constrained in the end to giue backe and the enimies kept on their waies to their ships In the yeare following king Swaine returned into Denmarke with all his fléet partlie constrained so to doo as some write by reason of the great famin want of necessarie sustenance which in that yeare sore oppressed this land In the yeare of our Lord 1006 king Swaine returned againe into England with a mightie huge nauie arriuing at Sandwich and spoiled all the countrie néere vnto the sea side King Egelred raised all his power against him and all the haruest time laie abroad in the field to resist the Danes which according to their woonted maner spared not to exercise their vnmercifull crueltie in wasting and spoiling the land with fire and sword pilfering and taking of preies in euerie part where they came Neither could king Egelred remedie the matter because the enimies still conueied themselues with their ships into some contrarie quarter from the place where they knew him to be so that his trauell was in vaine About the beginning of winter they remained in the I le of Wight in the time of Christmasse they landed in Hampshire and passing through that countrie into Barkeshire they came to Reading and from thence to Wallingford and so to Coleseie and then approching to Essington came to Achikelmeslawe and in euerie place wheresoeuer they came they made cleane worke For that which they could not carie with them they consumed with fire burning vp their innes and sleaing their hoasts In returning backe the people of the west countrie gaue them battell but preuailed not so that they did but inrich their enimies with the spoile of their bodies They came by the gates of Winchester as it were in maner of triumph with vittels and spoiles which they had fetched fiftie miles from the sea side In the meane time king Egelred lay about Shrewsburie sore troubled with the newes hereof and in the yeare next insuing by the aduise of his councell he gaue to king Swaine for the redeeming of peace 30000 pounds In the same yeare K. Egelred created the traitor Edrike earle of Mercia who although he had maried Edgiua the kings daughter was yet noted to be one of those which disclosed the secrets of the realme and the determinations of the councell vnto the enimies But he was such a craftie dissembler so greatlie prouided of sleight to dissemble and cloake his falshood that the king being too much abused by him had him in singular fauour whereas he vpon a malicious purpose studied dailie how to bring the realme into vtter destruction aduertising the enimies from time to time how the state of things stood whereby they came to knowledge when they should giue place and when they might safelie come forward Moreouer being sent vnto them oftentimes as a commissioner to treat to peace he persuaded them to warre But such was the pleasure of God to haue him and such other of like sort aduanced to honor in this season when by his diuine prouidence he meant to punish the people of this realme for their wickednesse and sinnes whereby they had iustlie prouoked his wrath and high displeasure In the 30 yeare of king Egelreds reigne which fell in the yeare of our Lord 1008 he tooke order that of euerie thrée hundred and ten hides of land within this realme there should one ship be builded and of euerie eight hides a complet armor furnished In the yeare following the kings whole fléet was brought togither at Sandwich and such souldiers came thither as were appointed to go to sea in the same fléet There had not béene seene the like number of ships so trimlie rigged and furnished in all points in anie kings daies before But no great profitable péece of seruice was wrought by them for the king had about that time banished a noble yoong man of Sussex called Wilnot who getting togither twentie sailes laie vpon the coasts taking prices where he could get them Brithrike the brother of earle Edrike being desirous to win honor tooke forth foure score of the said ships and promised to bring in the enimie dead or aliue But as he was sailing forward on the seas a sore tempest with an outragious wind rose with such violence that his ships were cast vpon the shore and Wilnot comming vpon them set them on fire and so burned them euerie one The residue of the ships when newes came to them of this mishap returned backe to London and then was the armie dispersed and so all the cost and trauell of the Englishmen proued in vaine After this in the haruest time a new armie of Danes vnder the conduct of thrée capteines Turkill Henning and Aulafe landed at Sandwich and from thence passed forth to Canturburie and had taken the citie but that the citizens gaue them a 1000 pounds to depart from thence and to leaue the countrie in peace Then went the Danes to the I le of Wight and afterwards landed and spoiled the countrie of Sussex and Hampshire King Egelred assembled the whole power of all his subiects and comming to giue them battell had made and end of their cruell harieng the countrie with the slaughter of them all if earle Edrike with forged tales deuised onelie to put him in feare had not dissuaded him from giuing battell The Danes by that meanes returning in safetie immediatlie after the feast of saint Martine returned into Kent and ladged with their nauie in the winter following in the Thames and oftentimes assaulting the citie of London were still beaten backe to their losse After the feast of Christmasse they passed through the countrie and woods of Chilterne vnto Oxford which towne they
filijs Edwardo Alfredo materna impertit salutamina DuÌ„ domini nostri regis obitum separatim plangimus filij charissimi dúmque dietim magis magisque regno haereditatis vestrae priuamini miror quid captetis consilij dum sciatis intermissionis vestrae dilatione inuasoris vestri imperij fieri quotidiè soliditateÌ„ Is enim incessanter vicos vrbes circuit sibi amicos principes muneribus minis precibus facit sed vnum è vobis super se mallent regnare quà m istius qui nunc ijs imperat teneri ditione Vnde rogo vnus vestrum ad me velociter priuatè veniat vt salubre à me consilium accipiat sciat quo pacto hoc negotium quod volo fieri debeat per praesentem quóque internuncium quid super his facturi estis remandate Valete cordis mei viscera The same in English EMma in name onelie queene to hir sons Edward and Alfred sendeth motherlie greeting Whilest we separatelie bewaile the death of our souereigne lord the king most deare sonnes and whilest you are euerie day more and more depriued from the kingdome of your inheritance I maruell what you doo determine sith you know by the delay of your ceassing to make some enterprise the grounded force of the vsurper of your kingdom is dailie made the stronger For incessantlie he goeth from towne to towne from citie to citie and maketh the lords his friends by rewards threats and praiers but they had rather haue one of you to reigne ouer them than to be kept vnder the rule of this man that now gouerneth them Wherefore my request is that one of you doo come with speed and that priuilie ouer to me that he may vnderstand my wholesome aduise and know in what sort this matter ought to be handled which I would haue to go forward and see that ye send mee word by this present messenger what you meane to doo herein Fare ye well euen the bowels of my heart These letters were deliuered vnto such as were made priuie to the purposed treason who being fullie instructed how to bale went ouer into Normandie and presenting the letters vnto the yoong gentlemen vsed the matter so that they thought verelie that this message had béene sent from their mother and wrote againe by them that brought the letters that one of them would not falle but come ouer vnto hir according to that she had requested and withall appointed the day and time The messengers returning to king Harold informed him how they had sped The yoonger brother Alfred with his brothers consent tooke with him a certeine number of gentlemen and men of warre and first came into Flanders where after he had remained a while with earle Baldwine he increased his retinue with a few Bullognes and passed ouer into England but approching to the shore he was streightwaies descried by his enimies who hasted foorth to set vpon him but perceiuing their drift he had the ships cast about and make againe to the sea then landing at an other place he ment to go the next way to his mother But earle Goodwine hearing of his arriuall met him receiued him into his assurance and binding his credit with a corporall oth became his man and therwith leading him out of the high way that leadeth to London he brought him to Gilford where he lodged all the strangers by a score a doozen and halfe a score togither in innes so as but a few remained about the yoong gentleman Alfred to attend vpon him There was plentie of meat and drinke prepared in euerie lodging for the refreshing of all the companie And Goodwine taking his leaue for that night departed to his lodging promising the next morning to come againe to giue his dutifull attendance on Alfred But behold after they had filled themselues with meats and drinks and were gone to bed in the dead of the night came such as king Harold had appointed and entring into euerie inne first seized vpon the armor and weapons that belonged to the strangers which done they tooke them and chained them fast with fetters and manacles so kéeping them sure till the next morning Which being come they were brought foorth with their hands bound behind their backs and deliuered to most cruell tormentors who were commanded to spare none but euerie tenth man as he came to hand by lot and so they slue nine and left the tenth aliue Of those that were left aliue some they kept to serue as bondmen other for couetousnesse of gaine they sold and some they put in prison of whome yet diuerse afterwards escaped This with more hath the foresaid author written of this matter declaring further that Alfred being conueied into the I le of Elie had not onelie his eies put out in most cruell wise but was also presentlie ther murthered But he speaketh not further of the maner how he was made away sauing that he saith he forbeareth to make long recitall of this matter bicause he will not renew the mothers gréefe in hearing it sith there can be no greater sorrow to the mother than to heare of hir sonnes death ¶ I remember in Caxton we read that cruell tormentors should cause his bellie to be opened taking out one end of his bowels or guts tied the same to a stake wh ich they had set fast in the ground then with néedels of iron pricking his bodie they caused him to run about the stake till he had woond out all his intrailes so ended he his innocent life to the great shame obloquie of his cruel aduersaries But whether he was thus tormented or not or rather died as I thinke of the anguish by putting out his eies no doubt but his death was reuenged by Gods hand in those that procured it But whether erle Goodwine was chéefe causer thereof in betraieng him vnder a cloked colour of pretended fréendship I cannot say but that he tooke him and slue his companie as some haue written I cannot thinker it to be true both as well for that which ye haue he 〈◊〉 recited out of the author that wrote Encomium Emâ—â—â— as also for that it should séeme he might neuer be soâ— directlie charged with it but that he had matter to alledge in his owne excuse But now to other affaires of Harold After he had made away his halfe brother Alfred he spoiled his mother in law quéene Emma of the most part of hir riches and therewith banished hir quite out of the realme so that she sailed ouer to Flanders where she was honourable receiued of earle Baldwine and hauing of him honourable prouision assigned hir she continued there for the space of thrée yeeres till that after the death of Harold she was sent for by hir sonne Hardiknought that succéeded Harold in the kingdome Moreouer Harold made small account of his subiects degenerating from the noble vertues of his father following him in few things except in exacting of
t dict Hum. Lloyd de Mona insula Bale Annius Theophilus Sir Brian Tuke Caesar. Tacitus Bodinus Beda Polydor. Bodinus Pausanias Iohn Bale Bale Annius de Viterbo Diodorus Siculus Pinnesses or gallies Higinus Pictonius Scrip. Bri. cens 1. Ioh. Textor Polydor. Nichol. Perot Rigmanus Philesius Aristotle Hum. Lhoyd Berosus What Gigantes signifie Against the opinion of the Aborigines Bale Bergion 〈◊〉 ther to 〈◊〉 Hercules â—â—â—bicus The cause why Hercules pursâ—â— his coosins Pomp Meâ—â— Hercules 〈◊〉 conifiteâ—h â— enimies Albion is slaine The occâ—â—â— of the fables Iupiters â—â—â—ping his sâ—â— Hercules How this 〈◊〉 was called Albion 〈◊〉 giant Ilbeâ—â— Iohn Bale Diuers opinions why this Ile was called Albion See more hereof in the description Terrae filius what it signifieth Aborigines Indigenae The mistaking of the name of Dioclesianus for Danaus Hugh the Italian Harding Iohn Rous out of Dauid Pencair Nennius Belus priscus Dictionarium poeticum Danaus Aegyprus Higinus Pausanias Higinus Pausanias Harding and Iohn Rous out of Dauid Pencair Higinus The names of the daughters of Danaus See more in the description Ulysses in Britaine Iulius Solinus Humfr. Lhoyd Harding Alex. Neuil W. Har. Brute killeth his father Pausanias Pandrasus prepareth an armie to suppresse the Troian ofspring Sparatinum Peraduenture Achelous Antigonus the brother of Pandrasus He is taken prisoner Brute entreth into Sparatinum Pandrasus taken prisoner The condinons of the agréement betwixt Brute Pandrasus Brute with his companie landed in Affrike The mistaking of those that haue copied the British historie putting Mare Tyrrhenum for Pyrenaenum Brute and Corineus ioin their companies together They arriue on the coasts of Gallia now called France Goffarius surnamed Pictus Les annales d Aquitaine Agathyrsi otherwise called Picts of painting their bodies Marcellus Plinie Herodotus li. 4. Virg. Aeneid 4 Caesar com li. 5 P. Mart. com part 2. sect 60. Pightland or Pictland Goffarius sendeth vnto Brute Corineus answereth the messengers Imbert Imbert is slaine by Corincus Goffarius raiseth an armie Goffarius is discomfited Goffarius séeketh aid against Brute Brute spoileth the countrie Turonium or Tours built by Brute Goffarius hauing renewed his forces fighteth eftsoones with Brute Theuet 3374 Brute in dout what to doo Brute with his remnant of Troians arriue in this I le Anno mundi 2850. 1116 Brute encountred by the giants Corineus wrestleth with Gogmagog Gogmagog is slaine Cornwall giuen to Corineus In the daies of this our Brute Saule and Samuell gouerned Israell Locrine the second ruler of Britain Gal. Mon. Mat. West Fa. out of G. de Co. Gal. Mon. Mar. West It should seeme that he was come ouer the Humber Gal. Mon. Mat. West Shée is not numbred amongst those that reigned as rulers in this land by Mat. West Gal. Mon. Madan the third ruler Mempricius the fourth ruler Fabian Manlius is slaine Gal. Mon. Slouth engendred lecherie Mempricius is deuoured of beastes Ebranke the fift ruler Ebranke had 21. wiues his thirtie daughters sent into Italie Bergomas lib. 6. The citie of Caerbranke builded Matth. West Fortie yeares hath Math. West and Gal. Monuine Brute Greeneshield the sixt ruler Iacobus Lef Strabo lib. 4. Leill the seuenth ruler Carleil builded Chester repaired Lud or Ludhurdibras the eight ruler Kaerking or Canterburie is builded Caerguent is builded Paladour is builded Baldud or Bladud the ninth ruler Gal. Mon. The king was learned Hot bathes Mat. West The prince did flie Leir the 10. ruler Mat. West Leicester is builded Gal. Mon. A triall of loue The answer of the yoongest daughter The two eldest daughters are maried The realme is promised to his two daughters He gouerned the third part of Gallia as Gal. Mon. saith Matth. West Queene Cordeilla Cunedag and Margan Margan inuadeth his cousine Cunedag Margan is slaine Matt. West Cunedagus alone Rïuallus the 13. ruler It rained bloud Matth. West Rome builded Gurgustius the 14. ruler Sysillius the 15. ruler Iago the 16. ruler Kinimacus the 17 ruler Gorbodug the 18. ruler Ferrex the 19. ruler Ferrex fled into Gallia Matth. West The mother killeth hir son Robert Record Fabian Ciuill warras 51. yeares Mulmucius Matth. West Polyd. Fabian See more in the description Malmesburie and the Uies built Matth. West Lawes made Caxton and Polychron The first king that was crowned with a golden crowne Polyd. Weights and measures Theft punished Fabian Belinus and Brennus 3574 Matth. West Polyd. saith 5. Brennus not content with his portion Elsingius Guilthdacus king of Denmarke A tempest Guilthdacus landed in the north Calater wood is in Scotland Seguinus or Seginus duke of the Allobrogs now the Dâ—â—phinat or Sauoy The Danes tributarie to the Britains The foure high waies finished The fosse Watling street Ermingstréet Hiknelstréete Priuileges granted to the waies Brenne marieth the duke of Alobrogs daughter Brenne with an armie returneth into Britaine Brenne and Beline made friends by intercession of their mother They iâ— made Gallia and Italie Now Clusi Ambassadours sent from Rome Brennus answere The treatie of peace breaketh off The Galles make towards Rome The Romans incountring with the Galles are ouerthrowne The Romans in despaire with draw into the capitoll The Galles enter into Rome The reuerend aspect of the senators Marcus Papirius Rome sacked 365 The capitoll defended A composition Camillius â—â—appointeth the Galles of their poimet The Galles ouerthrowne Titus Liâ— Polydor. Matth. West Polyehr Gal. M. Caerleon wiske built by Beline Fabian Iohn Leland The tower of London built by Beline Gurguintus Matth. West Gal. M. Gurguint coÌ„strained the Danes by force to pay their tribute Matth. West Gal. Mon. Basques Sée more hereof in Ireland Polychron Caius Guintolinus Sicilius Queene Martia gouerneth in hir sonnes roome She maketh lawes Matth. West Matt. Westm. Kimarus Fabian Elanius Matth. West Morindus G. Mon. The like may be thought of those Murreis or Morauians of whom H. B. speaketh Fabian Gorbomen or Gorbonianus A righteous and religious prince Cambridge by whome it was built Archigallus He is giuen to nourish dissention Elidurus By this it should séeme that Acliud should not be in Scotland contrarie to the Scotish authors An example of brotherlie loue Sen. in Thiest Archigallus again Elidurus againe Matt. West Brother against brother Elidure committed to prison Vigenius and Peredurus Britaine diuided into two realmes Uarietie in writers Caxton Eth. Bur. Elidurus the third time He is buried at Caerleill Polydor. Fabian Vrianus whereof the I le of Elie tooke name Lud. A worthie prince London inclosed with a wal Iohn Hard. Fabian Gal. Mon. Matt. West The bisshops palace The name of Troinouant changed and called London Cassibellane Gal. Mon. Matt. West Fabian Gal. Mon. Matt. West Polydor. Hector Boetius his fault More certeintie from hence forth appeareth in the historie Iulius Cesar Caesar de bello Gall. lib. 4. Britains vnknowne to the Romans Caesar de bello Gal. lib. 4. Causes of the warre Cesars purpose Caius Uolusenus sent ouer into Britaine Iohn Leland Polydor. Uannes in Britane
or Ele as in other places plâ—â—â—lie apeareth Cadwallo vanquisheâ— by Edwin Cadwallo flieth the 〈◊〉 634. Oswald slaine Oswie Matth. West 654 678 Matt. West saith 676. Oswald meaneth to be thankefull to God for his benefits Beda li. 3. cap. 3. 5. 6. Hector Boet. Corman Aidan S. Paules counsell Aidan commeth into England to preach the gospell Beda li. 3. ca. 3. Hector Boet. Beda Oswald an interpretor to the preacher Hector Boet. Oswalds zeale to aduance religion Beda lib. 5. ca. 6 Oswald had in estimation with his neighbours Beda lib. 3. 〈◊〉 Birinus conuerteth the Westsaxons 〈◊〉 the christian faith Kinigils king of Westsaxon becommeth a christian Polydor. Dorcester ordeined a bishops sée Henr. Hunt This chanceâ— in the yéere 620 as Math West saith 640 Beda lib. 3. cap. 7. Matth. West Lent first ordeined to be kept in England Segburga Aimoinus Penda inuadeth the Northumbers Beda lib. 3. cap. 9. King Oswald slaine Matt. Westm. saith 644. Will. Malmes Oswie king of Northumberland Beda li. 3. ca. 14. 644 Bernicia 651 Cenwalch Hen. Hunt 943 Ran. Higd. Agilbertus a bishop Sigibert Beda lib. 3. cap. 4. The vniuersitie of Cambridge founded by king Sigibert Bale saith 636. Sigibert resigneth his kingdome to Egricus Sigibert and Egricus slaine 652 Baleus Beda lib. 3. cap. 19. Furseus 653 Anna. Will. Malmes Edelhere K. of Eastangle Deus dedit Beda histaeâ—â—â— lib. 3. cap. 21. 653. Peda or Peada king of Middleangles Ad 〈…〉 The saieng of king Penda Beda lib. 3. cap. 22. King Sigibert receiued the faith This was about the yéere 649 as Matth. West hath noted Cedda Ced or Cedda bishop of the Eastsaxons Tilberie The authoritie of a bishop Suidhelme Beda lib. 3. cap. 22. Matt. VVest Beda lib. 3. cap. 23. The maner of the old fast Lindesferne holie Iland Beda lib. 3. cap. 24. War betwéene king Oswie king Penda The victorie of the Northumbers Elfled Herteshey saith Matt. West Hilda Loides The first bishop of Mercia The victorious proceeding of king Oswie Southmercia Northmercia 659 Matt. West Beda lib. 3. cap. 24. Vulfhere Beda lib. 3. cap. 24. 〈◊〉 Hâ—nt Matt. West Tâ— Britains put to slight by Chenwald Chenwald vanquished by Uulfhere Edelwold of Sussex Beda lib. 3. cap. 24. Colman ordeined bishop Beda lib. 3. cap. 25. Controuersie about shauing of crownes Cap. 6. 664 Tuda ordeined bishop Cap. 27. In eclipse Punishment of God for yelding to superstition Wilfrid bishop Cap. 28. Ceadda ordeined archbishop of Yorke Egbert king of Kent Beda lib. 3. cap. 9. Wighart Beda lib. 4. cap. 1. Adrian Theodore ordeined archbishop of Canturburie 668 Ran. Cest. Matth. West Beda Singing in churches brought in vse Putta bishop of Rochester The worthie praise of Theodore and Adrian Englishmen happie and why Beda Benedict or Benet surnamed Biscop 670 Glasiers first brought into England Ran. Cest. Beda lib. 3. cap. 39. Bishop Iaruman or Iaroman 671 Matth. West Egfrid Beda lib. 4. cap. 5. Matth. West 673 A synod holden at Herlord Articles proponed by Theodore Bisi bishop of the Eastangles 872 Matt. West de reg lib. 1. Escuinus Will. Malmes Hen. Hunt Beda lib. ca. supr dict Io. Lothaire Wil. Malm. Beda de reg lib. 1. Thunnir A vile murther Bishop winfrid deposed Sexbulfe ordeined bishop of the Mercies 685 as Matth. VVestm saith Bishop Erkenwald Ethelburga Iohn Cap. graue Waldhere Sebbie king of Eastsaxons Beda lib. 4. cap. 16. Wil. Malm. 675 Will. Malmâ— But other affirme that he reigned 17 yéeres Beda Peada or rather Weada Edilred 677 Hen. Hunt 678 A blasing starre Matth. West Beda lib. 4. ca. 12. Bishop wilfrid banished Hagustald Hexham Eadhidus Lindesferne Holie Iland The church of Rippon Wilfrid by licence of king Edilwalke preacheth the gospel to them of Sussex Lacke of raine Catching of fish with nets Bondmen made trulie free 679 680 A synod at Hatfield Articles subscribed Bale The abbesse Hilda Beda Bale Ran. Cest. Matth. West Beda Henrie Hunt The Britains discomfited Gorop in Goto danica lib. 7. pag. 759. Cadwallader 676 saith Matth. West Galfrid Cadwallader constreined to forsake the land 689 Ceadwalla Wil. Malm. Beda Wil. Malm. Ranulf Cest. Ceadwalla driuen to depart out of the countrie Beda lib. 4. cap. 15. Berthun a duke of Sussex slaine Ceadwalla his vow The I le of Wight conquered The I le of Wight receiueth the saith 689 Beda liâ— 4. cap. 26. Ireland inuaded bâ— the Northumbers King Egfride slain by Brudeus king of the Picts These Britains were those vndouttedlie y t dwelt in the northwest parts of this I le and is not ment onlie by them of Wales Echelreda 〈◊〉 Alfride 685. 698 Beda in Epit. Matt. VVest 705 Beda Iohn archbishop of Yorke He resigneth his sée 721 686 saith Matth. West Lother king of Kent dieth of a wound Wil. Malm. Capgraue faith their sister Edricke Mollo brother to king Ceadwalla burnt to death Withdredis made king â— Kent Hen Hunt Beda lib. 5. Suebhard and Nidred kings by vsurpation and not by succeâ—sion as Heâ—â— Hunt writeth Brightwald the first archbishop of the English nation Inas 689 The Britains ceasse to reigne in this land Fabian H. Hunt Mart. Wastm Wil. Malm. Anno 708 as is noted by Matt. West H. Hunt Matt. VVest saith 718. Matth. West saith 722. The end of the kingdome of the Southsaxons Inas went to Rome and there died Polydor. Ethelburga Will. Malmes The deuise of quéene Ethelburga to persuade hir husband to forsake the world Peter pence King Ethelred becommeth a moonk Ostrida Beda in Epit. 697 King Kenred 711 Nauclerus Egwin bishop of Worcester A fabulous and trifling deuise Bale 712 H. Hunt Ran. Cestreâ— Hen. Hunt Bereford 755 Three miles from Tamwoorth Wil. Malm. 758 Matth. West The historie of Magd. Nuns kept for concubines Pilgrimage of nuns Kings of the Eastsaxons Beda lib. 5. cap. 20. Offa king of Eastsaxons Kâ—ng Sclred 688 705 〈…〉 of Northumberland Henr. Hunt Picts ouerthrowne by the Northumbers King Osred slaine in battell 729 Beda Acca bishop of Hexham 710 Two bishops sees Matth. West Bishop Dâ—niell Bishop Aldhelme The abbeie of Maâ—lmesburie Ethelard 728 Matt. West saith 727. Matth. West 729 Blasing stars Wil. Malm. Beda lib. 5. cap. â—4 731 Bishops what prouinces they gouerned Matth. West Ethelbald K. of Mercia of what puisance he was 732 Wil. Malm. 733 735 Beda departed this 〈◊〉 Craâ—â—â—â—â— 735 Cuthred 740 Matt. West Hen. Hunt Kenric the kings sonne slaine 749 Matth. West 751 752 Matt. West K. Edilbald put to flight Sigibert 755 Ethelred 738 Egbert king of Northumberland 758 Changing of crownes for moonkes cowles 756 Offa. 758 Matth. West Wil. Malm. The victories of king Offa. Matth. West 779 Falsehood in fellowship The archbishops sée remoued from Canturburie to Lichfield 785 Matt. VVest The archbishop Lambert defended his cause Offa alieth himselfe with other princes Matt. Westm. The intercourse of merchants staied Alcwine an Englishman Polydor. 775 Peter pence or Rome Scot. Will. Malmâ— 797 Offa departed this life Ofâ—ditch