appeare by his many battailes and victories yet the Chronologers of those times gave him the Characters of Iust and Peaceable for that is the true end of Warre to prepare and confirme a constant and setled peace He was first crowned at Kingstone upon Thames by Otho Arch-bishop of Canterbury in the yeere of our Redemption according to Fabian and others 940. in the fift yeere of Lotharius King of France and yet not admitted for absolute King till twelve yeeres after when he was againe crowned and annointed in the Citty of Bath by Dunstane Arch-bishop of Canterbury and Oswald Arch-bishop of Yorke The cause why his annointing was so long delay'd as the most write was by reason the King grew much inamored of a beauteous Virgin call'd Wilfryd who to avoyd his many temptations put on her selfe the habite of a Nunne who notwithstanding was at length brought to the Kings Bed for which act he was by Bishop Dunstane enioyned seven yeeres pennance c. Concerning those Kings whom you may perceive to lye prostrate under his Horses hoofes they were Kynadus King of the Scots Malcolme King of Cumberland and of the petry Kings of Wales Dufnall Grifith Huval Iacob Iudithil He moreover surprised by Sea a Prince of the Romans whose name was Maxentius who had done many out-rageâ— upon the Ocean and was the greatest Arch-pirate that those times afforded He also compelled Ludwallus prime Prince and King of Cambria which is Wales because he would have all the ravenous and dammageous beasts to be destroyed through his Land to pay unto him yearely by way of Tribute three hundred Wolves skinnes by reason whereof within the space of foure yeares after in England or Wales both which but especially Wales who before were miserably infested with that kind of beast there was scarcely to be found one Woolfe alive and so much for the Princes over which he had sâ—le dominion His Navy Royall consisted of three thousand and six hundred Ships such as they used in those dayes yet not any of them but serviceable either for Fight or bearing victuall and munition to furnish the Navy which hee divided into three parts appointing to every of them a severall Squadron and this hee did to secure Navigators from Enemies and Sea-Rovers as also from all other neighbour Princes who might challenge any interest in these our foure Seas And therefore every Spring and Summer he in person sayled with those in the East-parts to them that lay hovering in the West And sending them backe againe with their charge would with the West quadrant saile into the North and after with the Northerne fleete compasse into the East by which the Maine Ocean rounding those Ilands of which he was sole Prince and Monarch being at his only charge both quieted and secured he did as iustly he might write himselfe Lord of the Foure Seas And therefore his sacred Maiesty claiming this unquestionable Title from Him and being his true and undoubted Successour and this claime being this thousand and odd yeares not any way controversied I do not see but this Motto Ab Edgaro quatuor Maria vindico may genuinly to Him be approbriated and to Him alone But if any man shal either maliciously or peevishly make the least scruple of this His Maiesties iust and undoubted challenge Let them but read Polâ—dore Virgill Guido Ranulphus Hidgim in his Polycronicon Guliâ—lmus Malmsbury Florentius Landulphus Marianus Hovedaine Harding Mathew Paris Mathew of Westminster Froysart Fabian Holinshed Speed c. all of them Authentick and approved Chronologers and hee shall finde that they all agree and consent in this Musicall Harmonie And as they comply in the premisses whosoever shall truely examine them shall finde also that they differ not at all in the subsequence which as in the former I study brevity namely That being at Chester he provided him selfe of a most Princely Barge which was to be rowed with Oares which were silvered all over with whâ—ch hee entred into the River Dee and sitting at the Sterne tooke the charge of the Helme and caused eight of the before-named Contributary Kings to rowe him up and downe the River unto the Chuâ—ch of Saint Iohns from and unto hâ—s Pallace distant three miles to let the World know that Hee was Lord and Kingâ—f â—f so many provinces For his Religion he favoured Church-men above all the Princes before him and gave to them great immunities and priviledges building and reparing no lesâ—e than threescore decayed Churches and Monasteries within the compasse of sixteene yeeres for hee reigned not longer For his Iustice he used such rigor yet intermixed with mercy that never before his dayes was used lesâ—e oppression and robbery For his Temperance hee was of such contiuency that when the Danes who were then frequent in the Land had brought in drunken healths to â—he evill example and hurt of his Commons and Subiects he made a Law and or dayned certaine Cups of severall sizes with pinnes and nayles driven into them and whosoever drank past that marke or pin was to forfeit a certaine peece of money whereof one halfe fell to the Accuser and the other halfe to the Bayliffe or governour of that Burrough to distribute to the use of the poore but nothing to his owne private use or benefit Concerning his particular valour it is further thus reported of him One of those subiected Kings whom the History calleth Kinadus a very personable and proper Gentleman and of a strong and able constitution rowing upon the River when King Edgar himselfe being but of a low stature and as wee phrase it a middle-siz'd man steered the Barge whispered to him who sate next him and sayd Observe you not the insolence and pride of this Dwarfe whom Fortune not Valour hath raised to this Eminence I vow if I had him singly and alone in the field I would cut him into peeces and eate him after This being told the King he seemed to take no further notice thereof than to say That losers had liberty to speake freely and no question but hee was able to performe as much as he had boasted neither did hee once change his countenance upon him who had thus threatned him but calling one of his owne servants unto him whom he most trusted commanded him to provide two swords of equall size and fashion suitable to his strength and such as hee was well able to weild which done he layd them aside and the next day he invited Kinadus to a Feast and gave him more than ordinary welcome Much familiar discourse past betwixt them and more than custome Dinner being ended the King desired him to walke abroad and take the ayre to which the other willingly assented neither of them having more than one servant to attend them All the way they enterchanged pleasant discourse till at length comming to a Grove King Edgar commanded those who then waited upon them to retire and leave them When entring
no discourse offered but it either began or ended with Pugnandum non dormiendum that is Now is a time to fight not to sleepe to be famous for our couâ—age not branded for our cowardise which was almost no sooner spoken than suddenly put in action But I must ingeniously confesse that for many yeeres together there hath beene a long cesâ—ation of Armes neither hath iust occasion beene ministred wherein our noble Nation might give any full expression of the hereditary valour and virtue of their Ancestors till of late And now me thinks I heare all our brave Heroick spirits as our High-Admirall Vice-admirall Captaines Commanders and oâ—her Nautick Officers as being so long kept from their wished imployments with a loud unanimous voice acclaime and say Steriles transmissimus annos Nunc ô nunc tempus in hostes Neither have I exposed those before named invincible Generals to their view that they might Admirando desperare but Imitando superare Not by admiring them despaire to arrive unto their height but rather by imitating them â—antecell them in their honour Of which there is no doubt or diffidence to be made considering how forward and indulgent his sacred Maiesty hath beene and still is not onely in the repairing but increasing his Royall Navy above all the Princes that have preceded him But in this last incomparable structure hee hath made an inimitable president for all the Kings and Potentates of the Christian World or else where No River no Flood no Sea whether Mare Fretum Aequor Caeruleum Pontus Salum Altum Hadria Pelagus Oceanus that could ever boast of the bearing so glorious a Vessell which considering and withall his Royall Maiesty at whose great and almost infinite charge and expence her building is undertaken it put into my thoughts this fortunate and auspicious presage Quicquid habitabile tellus Sustinet hujus erit pontus quoque serviet illâ— And concerning the Ship it selfe at my first view of her bulke onely being yet unperfected it compelled me to breake out suddenly into this Epigrammaticall rapture which followeth An Epigram upon his Majesties Great Ship lying in the Docke at Wooll-witch WHat Artist tooke in hand this Ship to frame Or who can guesse from whence these tall Oâ—â—s came Vnlesse from the ful grown Dodonean grove A Wildernesse sole sacred unto Jove What Eye such brave Materials hath beheld Or by what Axes were these Timbers feld Sure Vulcan with his three Cyclopean Swaines Have forg'd new Metalls from their active braines Or else that Hatchet he hath grinded new With which he cleft Joves skull what time out flew The arm'd Virago Pallas who inspires With Art with Science and all high desires Shee hath no doubt raptur'd our Vndertaker This Machine to devise first and then make her How else could such a mighty Mole be rais'd To which Troyes horse by Virgil so much prais'd Whose bulke a thousand armed men contein'd Was but a toy compar'd and that too feign'd For she beares thrice his burden hath roome where Euceladus might rowe and Tition steere But no such Vessell could for them be made Had they intent by Sea the gods to invade The Argoe stellified because 't was rare With this Ships long Boat scarcely might compare Yet sixty Greeke Heroes even in that With Oares in hand upoâ— their Transtrae sate Her Anchors beyond weight expanst and wide Able to wrestle against Winde and Tyde Her big-wrought Cable like that massie Chaine With which great Xerxes boundâ—d in the Maine 'Tweene Sestos and Abidos to make one Europe and Asia by that Lyne alone Her five bright Lanthorns luster round the Seas Shining like five of the seven Hyades Whose cleare eyes should they by oft weeping fayle By these our Sea men might finde Art to sayle In one of which which beares the greatest light Ten of the Guard at once may stand upright What a coâ—spicuous Ray did is dart then What more than a Tiâ—anian Luster when Our Phoebus and bright Cinthia joyntly sphear'd In that one Orbe together both appear'd With whom seven other Stars had then their station All luminous but lower Constellation That Lampe the great Colosse held who bestrid The spacious Rhodian Sea-arme never did Cast such a beame yâ—t Ships of tallest size Past with their â—asts erect betweene his thighes Her maine Mast like a Pyramis appeares Such as the Aegâ—pâ—ian Kings were many yeeres To their great charge erecting whilst their pleasure To mount them hie did quite exhaust theâ—r treasure Whose brave Top top-top Royall nothing barres By day to brush the Sun by night the Staâ—res Her Mâ—ine-sayle if I doe not much mistake For Amphitrite might a Kirtle make Or in the heate of Summer be a Fanne To coole the face of the great Ocean Shee being angry if she stretch her lungs Can rayle upon her enemy with more Tongues Loâ—der than Steâ—tors as her spleene shall rise Than ever Junoes Aâ—gus saw with eyes I should but loose my selfe and craâ—ze my braine Striving to give this glory of the Maine A full description though the Muses nine Should quaffe to me in rich Mendaeum Wine Then O you Marine gods who with amaze On this stupendious worke emergent gaze Take charge of her as being a choise Jemme That much out-valews Neptunes Diadem Semper bona causa triumphat Before I come to give you a true and exact dimension of her Bulke burden c. it is necessary that I make some satisfaction to the world concerning those Decorements which beautifie and adorne her and to râ—nder a faire account of mine owne invention and fanâ—y concerning the carving worke the figures and Mottoes upon them which some perhaps have too liberally taxed Thus therefore to any who have formerly either doubted of their property or are at this present desirous to understand their imagined obscurity I thus freely deliver my sâ—lfe Vpon the Beak-head sitteth royall King Edgar on horse-backe trampâ—ing upon seven Kings now what hee was and who they were I shall brieâ—ly relate unto you rendring withall a full satisfactory reason to any unpartiall reader why they are there and in that manner placed This Edgar was the second sonne of King Edmund who having reigned two yeeres over the Mercians and Northumbers in the dayes of Edwin his elder Brother at sixteene yeeres of age was by an unanimos consent elected to succeed in all his Dominions being indeed the first that could truely write himselfe an absolute Monarch of this Island for there were divers Reguli in those times who were small Kings and had absolute Dominion over divers Provinces I shall not need to tell you how or into what parts this Land was divided let it suffice to know so much onely That hee by his valour made himselfe sole Soveraigne and all the rest were his Liegemen and Tributaries The entire Monarchy and all the royall Titles of the Kingdome falling under his Scepter Hee was the Thirteenth King from Brute and though a great Souldier as may
the Thicket and finding a convenient place fit for a single Duell Edgar drew from under his garment those two Swords and desired Kinadus to take the choice of them saying unto him Wee are now single and alone now proove thy courage with mine and let us try which of us is most worthy to be subiect to the other It becommeth not any generous spirit to boast that in private which hee will not make good in the Field Here I am according to thy wishes first cut me into peeces if thou canst and then I will give thee leave to eate me at thy pleasure Which having spoken hee distanc'd himselfe from him and bravely stood upon his guard which the other perceiving and knowing that hee was guilty of that language withall seeing the very fire of Anger sparkling in his eyes he also out of an enterchangeable brave humour began to meditate and consider with himselfe both how unadvisedly he had spoken and how contrary to the condition of so great and heroick a spirit therefore casting his sword away he desired to imbrace him and sayd Now I perceive O Royall King Edgar it is thy true valour and not thy foâ—tuâ—e hath made us thy Tributaries and thou art not onely worthy to Empire over us onely but all the Kings of the Earth I will alwayes weare a Sword to draw on thy party but against thee or those who love thee never Which unexpected Answer King Edgar so accepted that betweene them two there was an indissoluble League of Love confiâ—med after My purpose is not to enter into a large discourse of his noble Acts and Atcheivements what I have done is onely to give the World a true and authentick expression that whatsoever his sacred Maiesty challengeth concerning his absolute dominion over the foure Seas hee iustly and with an unquestionable Title claimeth from this King Edgar being his true and lawfull hereditary Successor but if any be desirous to be more fully informed concerning his Maiesties Title I referre him to learned Mr. Seldon in that exquisite and absolute worke of his called Mare Clausum c. I have met with an Epitaph writ upon this King Edgars Tombe By one Henricus Historiographus in old English which I thus deliver unto you Ayder of the poore and punisher of trespasse The giver of worship King Edgar is now gone To the kingdom of Heaveâ— which like to praâ—se was As Salomon that for wisdom above all shone A father of peace a Lyon to his Fone Founder of Temples and of Monks strong Patron Oppressor of all wrong and of Justice Guardon I began at the Beak-head where I desire you to take notice that upon the stemme-head there is Cupid or a Child resembling him bestriding and bridling a Lyon which importeth that sufferance may curbe Insolence and Innocence restraine violence which alludeth to the great mercy of the King whose Type is a proper Embleme of that great Maiesty whose Mercy is above all his Workes On the Bulk-head right forward stand six severall Statues in sundry postures their Figures representing Consilium that is Counsell Cura that is Care Conamen that is Industry and unanimous indeavour in one compartment Counsell holding in her hand a closed or folded Scrole Care a Sea-compasse Conamen or Industry a Lint-stock fired Vpon the other to correspond with the former Vis which implyeth force or strength handing a Sword Virtus or Vertue a sphearicall Globe and Victoria or Victory a wreath of Lawrell The Morall is that in all high Enterprizes there ought to be first Counsell to undertake then Care to manage and Industry to performe and in the next place where there is ability and strength to oppose and Vertue to direct Victory consequently is alwayes at hand ready to crowne the undertaking Upon the Hances of the waste are foure Figures with their severall properties Iupiter riding upon his Eagle with his Trisulk from which hee darteth Thunder in his hand Mars with his Sword and Target a Foxe being his Embleme Neptune with his Sea-horse Dolphin and Trident and lastly Aeolus upon a Camelion a beast that liveth onely by the Ayre with the foure Windes his Ministers or Agents the Fast call'd Eurus Subsolanus and Apeliotes the North-winde Septemtrio Aquilo or Boreas the West Zephyrus Favonius Lybs and Africus the South Auster or Notus I come now to the Stearne where you may peâ—ceive upon the upright of the upper Counter staâ—deth Victory in the middle of a Frontispiece with this generall Motto Validis incumbite remis It is so plaine that I shall not need to give it any English interpretation Her wings are equally display'd on one Arme she weareth a Crowne on the other a Laurell which imply Riches and Honour in her two hands she holdeth two Mottoes her right hand which pointeth to Iason beares this Inscription Nava which word howsoever by some and those not the least opinionated of themselves mistaken was absolutely extermiâ—'d and excommunicated from all Grammaticall Construction nay Iurisdiction for they would not allow it to be Verbe or Adverbe Substantive nor Adiective and for this I have not onely behind my back bin challenged but even Viva voce taxed as one that had writ at randum and that which I understood not But to give the world a plenary satisfaction and that it was rathâ—r their Criticisme then my ignorance I intreate thee Reader but to examine Riders last Edition of his Dictionary corrected and greatly augmented by Mr. Francis Holy-oke and he shall there read Navo navas and therefore consequently nave in the Imperative Mood ex navus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to imploy with all ones power to act to ayde to helpe to indeavour with all diligence and industry and therefore not unproperly may Victory point to Iason being figured with his Oare in his hand as being the prime Argonaut and say Nava or more plainely Operam nava for in those Emblematicall Mottoes quod subintelligitur non deest Shee pointeth to Hercules on the sinister side with his club in his hand with this Mottto Clava as if she should say O Hercules be thou as valiant with thy Club upon the Land as Iason is industrious with his Oare upon the Water Hercules againe pointing to Aeolus the god of Windes saith Flato who answereth him againe Flo Iason pointing to Neptune the god of the Seas riding upon a Sea-horse saith Faveto to whom Neptune answereth No These words Flo and No were also much excepted at as if there had beene no such Latine words till some better examining their Grammar Rules found out Flo flas flavi proper to Aeolus and No nas navi to Neptune c. In the lower Counter of the Sterne on either side of the Helme is this Inscription Qui mare qui fluctus ventâ—s navesque gubernat Sospitet hanc Arcâ—â— Carole magne tuam Thus Englishâ— He who Seas Windes and Navies doth protect Great Charles thy great Ship in her course direct There are other