invaded the Land which Cassibelan hearing gave him a strong battaile in a valley neare unto Canterbury in which he had the better Caesars third attempt upon this Island of the day till Androgeus comming in with his fresh forces turned the Dy of warre so that Cassibelan with his Britaines were forced to forsake the field and after a great slaughter of the Britaines retyred himselfe to a place of safety where Caesar kept him so strictly in that hee was forced to submit himselfe paying to the Romans an annuall tribute of 3000 pounds After which Caesar would have made Androgeus King but not daring to trust his Nation Britaine made Tributary to Rome which he had so lately betrayed hee went with Caesar to Rome where he ended his life Cassibelan reigned after this conquest of the Romans seven yeares in all sixteene and dying left the Scepter to the younger sonne Tenantius who governed the Realme with all diligence Tenantius and Iustice for the space of twenty three yeares leaving the Soveraignty to his sonne Cimbelinus He was made King in the yeare of the world five thousand one hundred and fourscore in the nineteenth of whose Reigne our blessed Saviour was borne of the Virgin Mary which maketh the yeare of the world from the Creation The birth of our Saviour of Adam to the Incarnation of our Redeemer by the computation of Isidore Bede and others five thousand one hundred and twenty nine yeares so that Christ was Incarnate from Noahs flood or the generall Deluge two thousand nine hundred and fifty seven after Abraham two thousand and seventeene after David King of Israel one thousand threescore and fifteene from the Transmigration or the Captivity of the Iewes to Babylon five hundred A computation of the times and twenty After Brutes plantation in this Island eleven hundred thirty sixe After Alexander the great about three hundred twenty five After the building of Rome seven hundred twenty nine and in the beginning of the two and fortieth yeare of Octavius Augustus Caesar then Emperour of Rome c. But to come backe to the History Cimbeline after hee had worthily governed the Land thirty five yeares yeelded his due to nature and was interred in Caer-Lud or London leaving two sonnes Guiderius and Arviragus Guiderius the eldest sonne of Cimbelinus began Guiderius K. of Britaine his Raigne in the yeare after our Blessed Saviours Incarnation seventeene who having a great confidence in his riches and strength denyed to pay any tribute to the Romans which had beene tendred annually from the time of Iulius Caesar to his dayes For which Claudius then Emperour of Rome came over with a mighty Hoast and recovered it againe in the Hoast of the Romans was a great Captain called Hamo a great Captain of the Romans Hamo who in the Battaile pur upon him the Armour and habit of a Britaine By which meanes having accesse to the place where the King fought in person he slew him and escaped Of which disastrous accident his brother Arviragus having intelligence armed himselfe with the Cognizance of the dead King and continued the battaile with such valour and courage that in the end hee put the Romans to slight Guiderius being thus slaine by Hamo after hee had ruled the Kingdome twenty eight yeares leaving no issue to succeed him his brother Arviragus by the generall suffrage both of the Peeres and people was invested in his stead This Martiall and magnanimous Prince Arviragus made King tooke upon him the government of the Land in the yeare of our Saviour forty foure He was also for his great valour by some Authors called * Orbearing Armes Armager who strongly made warre upon the Romans and after in a battaile slue Hamo who had formerly cowardly kild his brother neare to an Haven or Port of the Sea and after causing his body to be peecemeale cut cast it into the Ocean for which it was called Hamoes From whence Southampton tooke its name Haven and since Southampton Claudius much admiring the courage of Arviragus sent to Rome for his daughter Gemissa and gave her in marriage to him upon conditions of peace and to make the solemnities of the Nuptialls more famous hee called the City where they were kept Claudio Cestria w ch before was stiled Carleon and after Glovernia of a Duke called Claudio Cestria or Glocester Glovio but now Glocester after which Claudius sent certaine of his Legions to governe Ireland and departed towards Rome Arviragus then repayred decayed Cities and Castles and ruled with such justice integrity that hee intyred to him all the hearts of his Subjects and as his riches so also increased his pride so that he denyed the Tribute to Rome before granted therefore a great Duke called Vespatian was sent from the Senate who overcame him in battaile and forced him to become tributary which some writers affirme was meerely at the intercession and intreaty of the Queene Genissa and no coaction or constraint from Vespatian who after he had wonne the Isle of Wight returned The Isle of Wight conquered by Vespatian with honour to Rome After which Arviragus grew more tractable towards the Romans and continued in their great grace and favour who after he had nobly governed the Britaines for the space of 30 yeares expired and was interred at Claudiocestria or Glocester leaving to succeed him a sonne called Marius Hee was crowned King in the yeare of our blessed Saviour threescore and foureteene a Marius King of Britaine wise and just man and flourished in great prosperity and wealth in whose time one Loudricus whom some writers call Rodicus with a mighty Army of Picts or Scythians whom some also call Gothes and Huns landed in a part of Scotland wasting and spoyling wheresoever he came with Iron and fire whom Marius met in Battaile and gave him a great overthrow in which their Duke Loudricus was slaine in remembrance of which victory in Stanismore a place of Westmaria or Westmerland where this battaile was fought he caused a great stone or pillar to be erected upon which was inscribed in capitall Letters Marii victoria The remnant of the Army that survived the battaile humbly besought the King to allow them some place under his dominions in which to inhabite who commiserating their case granted them a place Cathnesse in Scotland when inhabited and by whom in Scotland called Cathnesse to whom the Britaines disdaining to give their daughters in marriage they allyed themselves with the Irish and were after called Pictavians Marius having thus subdued his enemies gave him soly to study the weale of his Subjects and lived peaceably his whole life time after and lastly payed his naturall Tribute and was buried at When he had reigned 52 yeares Carleil leaving a sonne named Coillus or Coill Coill was inaugurated in the yeare of the Incarnation one hundred twenty sixe This Prince had his breeding in Italy amongst
and potency fled to Lyons where hee was Maximian breaketh his oath which was to be true to the Empire slaine and Valentinian compelled to forsake Rome and flie to Constantinople Then Maximian made his sonne Victor fellow with him in the Empire During whose warres in Italy Conon Meriadock not willing that hee or his people should marry with any of the French Nation sent Messengers to Dionotus Duke of Cornwall and governour of the Kingdome under Maximian to send him his daughter Vrsula with a certaine number of Virgins to bee coupled to him and his Knights in marriage who according to his request sent his daughter with eleven thousand maids towards Britaine to that purpose who by the way were taken at Sea and piâ—…eously Urfula with eleven thousand Virgins murdered who so will know the manner thereof I referre them to the Legend of Saints Maximian thus tyrannizing in Italy to great Commanders called Guanus and Melga were sent into Britaine to chastise all such as favoured the party of Maximian who did here much outrage upon the Natives afflicting them with great strage and massacre Against whom the Emperour sent a great Captaine called Gracianus or Gracian with two Legions who so knightly behaved himselfe that hee chaced them in short space into Ireland holding the land in peace for Maximian In this interim Maximinian continuing wars against the Empire to be absolute Caesar Theodosius sirnamed the elder then Emperour of the east part of the world hearing the death of the first Gracian and the chacing of Valentinian he with a mighty hoast sped himselfe to meete with Maximian and gave him battaile at Aquilea a great City in Italy in which Maximians forces were utterly discomfited and himselfe tooke prisoner whose head Theodosius commanded to be cut off of whose death Gracian his deputy in Britain The death of the tyrant Maximian having knowledge he seized the Land to his owne use after that Maximian had governed the same by the terme of eight yeares Gracian who of some writers is called Gracian King of Britaine Municeps which word may bee diversly taken either for an hired or waged Knight or for a keeper of Presents and Gifts or bearing chiefe rule in a City or Province beganne his dominion over the Britaine 's in the yeare of grace three hundred fourescore and ten Hee exercised great exaction and tyranny on his subjects for which hee was very much hated and despised amongst them so that they sundry wayes laboured his supplantation and hourely insidiated his life but after many dangers escaped they with a common assent invaded his Palace and slew him when he had reigned or rather usurped for the space of The death of Gracian foure yeares Of whose death Guanus and Melga having Guanus and Melga knowledge they returned out of Ireland and with fire and sword made great havocke in the Land of which the Romans understanding because the Realme was then under their Tribute and tuition they sent one Constantine to have the rule of the Land and the Regions about Constantine but being found to bee an enemy to the Empire for divers outrages done by him during his Regency in France therefore by the commandement of Honorius then Caesar they sent against him a valiant Captaine named Constantius who slew him neare to a Towne called Constantius Arelat after which the Britaines were much distressed by the Picts the Scots and other strange Nations by reason whereof they were againe constrained to send to Rome for aide with a covenant that they would all continue subjects and servants to the Senate Upon which request and promise the Emperour Honorius The 〈◊〉 Honorius himselfe came hither in person and chaced hence all their forraigne enemies and leaving the Land in peace returned to his greater affaires in Italy Who was no sooner departed but the same enemies againe invaded them to whom Honorius sent a second deliverance exhorting them withall to be manly and couragious But in regard of the remotenesse of the place and the great troubles the Empire was then in to trust to their owne valour and fortune but to expect no more supplyes either from Caesar or Senate The Britaine 's for saken of the Romans the Roman supplyes being then took out of the Land to maintaine the Imperiall warres the Natives were worse distressed than before for the Picts and Scots came out of their Dens and Caves where they had concealed themselves and invaded them by multitudes insomuch that by the enemies spoyles and robberies they were brought to that extremity of poverty and misery that they were inforced to pilfer and steale one from another in which sundry murthers were also committed so that The great distâ—…esse of the Britaines the ground lay unsowed or manured upon which great Dearth and hunger immediatly insued Which to prevent and withall to rid them from these great extremities the best amongst them petitioned unto Aetius who was Master of the Chivalry of Honorius the Emperour Aetius denies them succour and at that time governed France to commiserate their estate which to him they most passionatly expressed but all was to no purpose for hee slightly put them off with a peremptory denyall to lend them any succour at all still their calamities augmented and the famine increased so that lastly the noblest and discreetest amongst them especially the Arch-bishop Guethelinus Arch-bishop of London of London whose name was Guethelinus whom our English Chronicles call Gosseline concluded to send an Embassy to the King of little Britaine whose name was Aldroenus which this Arch-bishop beeing learned and well spoken in person undertooke who delivered their calamities and distresses with such passionate efficacy that it wrought great commiseration and compassion in the King who after advice taken of his Lords granted them a supply of sufficient forces to recover their Franchises and liberties upon condition that if God who is Aldroenus commiserates the Britaines the Lord of Hoasis gave them victory they should Crown his brother Constantine King of Great Britaine acknowledging him their Liege and Soveraigne which conditions they gladly accepted and swore to performe with all truth and fidelity Now it appeareth from the time of Gratian the last Roman that was King of the Lâ—…nd the How loâ—…g Britain wâ—…s without a Kâ—…ng Nation of the Britaine 's during their multiplicity of miseries were without a Monarch or sole Soveraigne for the space of thirty nine yeares till the comming in of the forenamed Constantine brother to Aldroenus King of Litle Britain It is further to bee observed that here ended The end of the tribute and government of the Romans the Tribute and Dominion of the Romans neither had any of that Nation any rule over the Land after that time which Tribute lasted and was paid to Rome from the ninth yeare of King Cassibelan to the dayes of the Emperour Severus amounting to two hundred and
slaine of men of note the Duke of Athenes the Duke of Burbon Sir Iohn Cleremont Marshall of France Sir Henry Camian Banneret who bore that day the Oriflambe a special relick that the French Kings used in all battailes to have borne before them the Bishop of Chabous with divers others to the number of fifty foure Bannerets Knights and others And of prisoners taken in that battaile were Iohn King of France Philip his fourth sonne Iohn King of France tooke prisoner Sir Iaques of Burbon Earle of Poitou and brother to the Duke of Burbon Sir Iohn of Artoys Earle of Ewe Sir Charles his brother Earle of Noble men took prisoners Longevile Sir Giffard Cousin German to the French King Sir Iohn his sonne and heire William Archbishop of Sence Sir Simon Melen brother to the Earle Canlarvive and Earle of Vandature The Earles of Dampmartin of Vendosme of Salisbruch of Moyson the Martiall Denham with others as Bannerets Knights and men of name according to their owne Writers fifteene hundred and above from which battaile escaped Charles eldest son of King Iohn and Duke of Normandy with the Duke of Anjoy and few others of name And King Edward after due thanks given to Almighty God for his Charles Duke of Normandy escapeth from the battaile triumphant victory retyred himselfe to Burdeaux with his Royall prisoners where the King and the rest were kept till Easter following In the one and thirtieth yeere of the King the sixteenth of April Prince Edward being eight and twenty yeeres of age tooke shipping with his prisoners at Burdeaux and the foure and twentieth of May was received with great joy by the Citizens of London and thence conveyed to the Kings palace at Westminster where the King sitting in his estate Royall in Westminster Hall after hee had indulgently entertained the Prince he was conveyed to his lodging and the French King royally conducted to the Savoy where he lay long after and in the Winter following were royall Iusts held in Smithfield at which were present the King of Three Kings present at the Iusts in Smithfield England the French King the Scotch King then prisoners with many noble persons of all the three Kingdoms the most part of the strangers being then prisoners Whilst K. Iohn remayned in England which was for the space of 4 yeers and odde days The king of England and the blacke Prince his son with their Armies over-run the greatest part of France during the time of Charles his Regency over the kingdome who was king Iohns eldest son against whom they had many memorable victories spoyling where they list and sparing what they pleased in so much that king Edward The Father and sonne victorious in â—…rance made his owne conditions ere any peace could be granted at length the king was delivered and royally conveyed into his country who so well approved of and liked his entertainment here that in the thirty seventh yeere of king Edward he returned into England and at Eltham besides Greenwich dined with the king and in the same afternoon was royally received by the Citizens and conveyed through London to the Savoy which was upon the twenty fourth of Ianuary but about the beginning of March following a grievous sicknesse tooke him of which he dyed the eight of Aprill following King Iohn dyeth at the Savoy whose body was after solemnly conveyedto St. Denis in France and there royally interred In the fortieth yeere of the king one Barthran de Cluicon a Norman with an Army of Frenchmen entred the land of Castile and warred upon Peter king of that Country and within foure moneths chaced him out of his kingdome and crowned Henry his bastard brother in his stead wherefore hee was constrained to flie to Burdeaux and to demand aide of Prince Edward who commiserating his case as being lawfull king howsoever of a tyrannous and bloudy disposition he granted his request so that hee assisted Peter with his English Archers against the bastard Henry with his French Spear-men whose two Armies mâ—…t neere unto a town called Doming where betwixt them was a lâ—…ng P. Edwards victoryia Spaine and cruell fight but in the end the victory fell to the Prince and Henry with his whole army were rowted In which battail were taken Barthran de Claicon and Arnold Dodenham Marshall of France with divers others as well French as Britons and Spaniards and slain to the number of five thousand of the enemies and of the princes Army sixteen hundred after which hee enstated Peter in his kingdome who after perfidiously denyed to pay the princes army For which he was after divinely punished as also for killing his owne wife the daughter to the Duke of Burbon for his Bastard brother Henry knowing how hee was justly abandoned by the English having gathered new forces gave him battaile in which being taken his brother commanded his head to be strooke off which was immediately done after which Iohn of The death of Don Peter Gaunt Duke of Lancaster the Kings sonne and Edward his brother Earle of Cambridge married the two daughters of this Peter late King of Castile Iohn espoused Constance the elder and Iohn a Gaunts title to Spain Edward Isabel the younger by which marriages the two brethren claimed to be inheritours to the Kingdome of Castile or Spaine In the one and fiftieth yeare of the King upon the eighth of Iune being Trinity Sonday dyed that renowned souldier Edward the black Prince in the palace of Westminster whose body The death of the blacke Prince was after carried to Canterbury and there solemnly interred who in his life time was much beloved both of the Commons and the whole kingdome especially for removing from the kings person all such as had misled him in his age by which the Common Weale was much oppressed amongst others was the Lord Latimer noted for principall and Alice Pierce the Kings Concubine with Sir Richard Skory Alice Pierce the Kings Conâ—…ine all which were according to the Commons just complaint by the Prince removed but hee was no sooner dead but the king contrary to his promise before made called them again admitting them to their former Offices and Honours and Alice his prostitute to his wonted grace and favour In the two and fiftieth yeer the two and twentieth day of Iune dyed at his Mannor of Sheen The death of K. Edward the third now called Richmond the royall and most victorious Prince king Edward the third of that name of whom it was truly predicted The spirits of many Lions shall conspire To make one by infusion so entire He by his mighty courage shall restore What his sire lost and grandsire wonne before As also that of the unparalleld blacke Prince his sonne who died before his Father A numerous issue shall his Lionesse bring Black shall the first be and though never King Yet shall he Kings captive but ere mature Die shall this brave Whelp of a
aside in an obscure grave The manner of King Richards buriall and there buried when he had reigned or rather usurped the Kingdome by the space of two yeares two months and two daies It is said of this Prince that he came into the world with his feet forward which being taunted with being a youth by a yong Noble man and one of his Peeres hee made answer 't is true and was it not time for mee to make haste into the world there being such a bustling and trouble in the Land which hee seemed to allude unto those times when his Father laid claime to the Crowne Hee was borne also with teeth in his Head which was somewhat prodigious too and crooke backt he was but whether so borne or that it came to him by any sinister accident I am altogether ignorant King Richards character onely of this I am sure that all these with the processe of his bloudy practises punctually comply with the prophesie which saith A bunch-back'd monster who with teeth is born The mockery of art and natures scorn Who from the wombe preposterously is hurld And with feet forward thrust into the world Shall from the lower earth on which he stood Wade every step he mounts knee deep in blood He shall to th' height of all his hopes aspire And cloth'd in state his ugly shape admire But when he thinks himself most safe to stand From forreigne parts a native Whelp shal land c. After the Battaile thus wonne prince Henry was received as King and there instantly so proclaimed Prince Henry victor who thence hasted to London so that upon the twenty eighth day of August he was by the Major and Citizens met in good array at Harnsie park and thence conveighed through the City and lodged in the Bishop of Londons palace for a time and then he removed to Westminster This Henry the seventh of that name sonne to the Earle of Richmond began his dominion Prince Henries Coronation over the Realme of England the two and twentieth of August in the yeare of grace one thousand foure hundred fourescore and five and the thirtieth day of October following at Westminster was crowned and in the second yeare of his reigne he espoused Elizabeth the eldest daughter to King Edward the fourth who the yeare after upon St. Katherines day was crowned The Coronation of the Queene at Westminster And this Henry is that native Lions whelpe before spoken of Who shall the long divided blood unite By joyning of the Red Rose with the white For by this marriage the long divided houses of Yorke who gave the white and Lancaster who gave the red Rose were happily combin'd and from that even to this present day never disparted or sundred of him it was also thus predicted The spirit that was meerely Saturnine The prophesie of his reigne Being supprest upon the landshall shine Planets of a more glad aspect and make Peace from their Orbs sixt in the Zodiacke Yet from the cold Septentrion Mars shall threat And war me their frigid pulses with his heat And Mercury shall though it may seem rare Consult with Cassiopeia in her Chaire To fashion strange impostures but warres god By sword nor Hermes with his charming rod Shall ought prevaile where power with Princes meete And when Religion shall Devotion greet Where all these foure at once predominant are Vaine are the attempts of stratagem or warre But he who of the former is possest Shall be abroad renown'd and at home blest Fame afarre off his glorious name shall tell And Plutus neare hand make his Coffers swell By the Saturnine Spirit is intended the bloody and malitious condition of Richard the third which was now supprest by death for as Saturne was said to devoure his owne Children so he hungred and thirsted after the bloud of his owne brother and Nephewes and therefore not altogether unproperly alluded the rest you shall find made apparent in the sequell This religious and wise King being thus The Dutchesse of Burgundy an enemy to the King peaceably instated in the Throne his old inveterate enemy the Dutchesse of Burgundy raised a new Impostor whom she called Richard Duke of Yorke the younger brother to Edward the fift but hearing the King intended to make away young Warwicke who was sonne to the Duke of Clarence and then prisoner in the Tower they changed his name from Yorke to Warwicke who was no other than the sonne of a Baker this youth shee put to the tutoring of A new Conspiracy a Priest who so well improved him that hee could now to the life personate a Prince and for no lesse he was received first into Ireland to whom the Earle of Lincoln came who also made a pretended right to the Crowne To whose aide the Dutchesse sent two thousand Almaines under the command of one Martin Swart an old Souldier and of approved Discipline these with the Lord Lovel and Kildare landed in Lancashire and made towards York with whom the King met at a place called Stoak in which fight the army of the Rebels Stoak field was routed Swart and Lincoln slaine and the Lord Lovell thinking to swim the Trent was drowned and Simnel the mocke King taken whom the King would not put to death but made him a Turn-broach in his Kitchen where hee continued long after CAP. 31. The Earle of Northumberland slaine by the Commons The Matchevilian plots of the Dutchesse of Burgundy to disturbe the peace of King Henry Perkin Warbeck her Creature He is nobly married in Scotland and taken for the Duke of Yorke the death of the Lord Standley and others Divers insurrections about Perkin his death with the young Earle of Warwicke The death of the King A prophesie of the reigne of Henry the eighth IN the fourth yeare of this Kings Reigne the Earle of Northumberland sent to gather some Taxes which were to bee levied in the North was slain by the commons The Earle of Northumberland slaine by the Commons who still favoured the party of the Yorkists And further to countenance the act they made an insurrection and chused for the Captaines one Chambers and another Egremond to suppresse whom was sent the Noble and valiant Earle of Surrey who having discomfited their Army and tooke Chambers with divers others of the chiefe Rebells who were led to Yorke The Rebells slaine and taken and there executed as Traytors But Egremond fled the field and escaped to the Dutchesse of Burgundy whose Court was a Sanctuary for all Male-contents and Fugitives threat Thus from the cold Septentrion Mars did And warme their frigid pulses with his heat This subtile Mercurialist knowing how wisely and politickly the King had borne him betwixt the Emperour and the King of France who had beene at mortall enmity about the marriage of the young Dutchesse of Britaine she being first contracted by a Proxie to the old Emperor but from him divorced before enjoy'd and
which time the greatest thing of remark is that in the two and thirtieth yeare of his Reigne Rome was first The first building of Rome builded in the yeare of the World foure thousand foure hundred threescore and ten after the first erecting of Troynovant or London foure hundred and seven Solary yeares After Sisilius Rivallo reigned his sonne Sisilius forty nine yeares and was buried at Caerbadon or Bath leaving no heire of his body lawfully begotten Him Iago his Nephew succeeded hee Reigned Iago five and twenty yeares died without issue and lyeth buried by his Uncle Rivallo at Caerbrank or Yorke Kinimachus his brother governed the Land after him for the space of fifty foure yeares and lyeth buried by the two fore-named Kings hee left behind him a sonne called Gorboduc in whose time as in the Reigne of the foure last Kings nothing hapned deserving the remembrance of a Chronicle but that hee governed Gorboduc the Realme threescore and three yeeres dyed and was buried at London and left behind him two sonnes called Ferrex and Porrex These two brothers were made joynt Sovereignes Ferrex and Porrex of this Kingdome in the yeere of the world foure thousand seven hundred and eleven and continued in great fraternallamity for a certain time which expired Porrex being ambitious after the sole and entire sovereignty gathered a strong power unknowne to his brother purposing to supplant him from all Regall dignity so that being unprovided of an army he was forced to flye into France where hee implored the aid and assistance of a potent The death of Ferrex Duke named Gunhardus or Swardus who furnished him with souldiers sufficient so that hee re-entred the Land with his Host of Gauls of which Porrex hearing met him with his Britans and gave him battaile in which Ferrex was unfortunately slaine after which victory retyring himselfe to his palace where Widen or as some Authors name her Iudon his mother remayned she setting aside all motherly pity entred his chamber and by the helpe of her women in the dead of night when hee was fast sleeping A crueâ—…t mother The death of Porrex most cruelly slue him and after not sated with his death shee cut his body into small pieces Thus died the two brothers when they had ruled the Land in war and peace five yeers and in them ended the Genealogicall Line of Brute with whom also I conclude this first Chapter CHAP. 2. A Continuation of the History of the British Kings unto the time that Iulius Caesar made conquest of the Island The building of divers Cities and Townes Two things especially remarkable in an indulgent mother and a most naturall brother sundry other passages worthy observation The City of Troynovant how called London AFter the deaths of these two Princes the Nobles of the Land fell into great dissention amongst them selves all hating the memory of Gorbodue and his issue in regard that one brother slue the other and the most unnatural mother was the death of the surviver and because none of Brutus Line was left alive the Land was divided in foure parts so that in Albania Britain goverred by foure Dukes was one Waler called Staterius Pinnor governed Loegria or middle Britain Rudanlus guided Wales and Clotenus Cornwall whom the Britains held to be the most rightfull Heire and all these called themselves Kings to which some adde a fift Yevan King of Northumberland Briefely Munmutius Donwallo Dunwallo re duceth it into a Monerchy sonne to Clotenus Duke of Cornwall by vanquishing the rest became sole Soveraigne of this Island in the yeare of the World foure thousand seven hundred forty eight Hee was in all his actions very noble and built within London a famous structure which he cald the Temple of Peace which some hold to bee the same now called Blackwell Hall He instituted many good and wholsome Lawes Hee gave great priviledges to the maintaining of Temples Cities Ploughes c. He began the foure high waies of Britaine which were perfected by his sonne Belinus Hee built the two Townes of Malmsbury and the Vies and was the first that made for himselfe a Diadem of Gold with which hee was crowned with great solemnity Insomuch that some Writers name him the first King of Donwâ—…llo the first crowned King of Brit. Britaine stiling all his predecessors only Dukes Rulers and Governours Hee when hee had well and honourably governed the Land for the terme of forty yeares dyed and was buried in the foresaid Temple of Peace within London leaving to succed him two sonnes Belinus and Brennus These two brothers divided the land betwixt them and continued in great fraternall unity for the space of five yeares after which terme Beliuns and Brennus Brennus ambitious to have more Land or all made mortall warre against his Brother who vanquished him in battaile so that hee was forced to forsake the land and arrived in Armorica now called Little Britaine some write into Norway Howsoever by the supply and assistance of forraigne Princes he made many inroads into the Land too long here to relate to the great disturbance of his brother At length he assembled a strong and puissant Army against whom Belinus came with a mighty hoast as his manifest and mortall enemy But as their armies were ready to joyne battaile their Mother whose name was * or Corniven na Corneway of An indulgent mother a more indulgent and penetrable nature than the cruell and savage Widen before named exposed her selfe in person betweene the two Hoasts and in a discreet manner and motherly demeanour using withall such passionate and moving Oratory to her two sonnes that at length shee setled a steadfast unity and peace betwixt them After which accord made they joyned both their hoasts and with them Conquered a great part of Gallia Italy and Germany which done Belinus returned into Britaine Where when he came hee repaired old and decaied Cities and also built a new one upon The City of Legions Carleon the River of Vske neare unto Severne called Careuske and after the City of Legions because in the time of Claudius Caesar divers Roman Legions were there billited and lodged now called Carleon Hee built also an harbour or small Haven for ships to ride in in Troynovant in the Summet or top whereof stood a vessell of Brasse in which after his death his burnt ashes were inclosed which still retaines the name of Belingsgate In which interim The building of Belliâ—…sgate Brennus desirous to win fame and honour abroad with an hoast of Senonensian Galls so called because they dwelt about the City of Sena built in Italy and Gallia these Cities following Cities builded by Brennus Mediolanum or Milleine Papia or Pavie Burganum Sena Comum Brixia Verona Vialcnza Cremona Mautua c. Hee overcame the Romans at the River Albia eleven miles from Rome and tooke the City all save the Capitoll to which they layd
the Romans Coil King of Britaine by which reason there grew great affinity and friendship betwixt the two Nations for he became their willing Tributary Hee was very bountifull to all men by which hee purchased great love both from the Lords and Commons Hâ—…e built the Towne in Essex called Coilchester and when he had peaceably governed the Realme for the space of foure and fifty yeares he dyed and was buried at Yorke leaving a sonne called Lucius who was inaugurated in the yeare of grace one hundred and foure Lucius the first Christian King in Britaâ—…ne score who had the honour to be called the first Christian King of this Island who being a man devoutly given sent to Eleutherius then Bishop of Rome to be instructed in the true faith who to that purpose imployed two learned men called Fuganus and Dimianus who were honourably received by this King Lucius and by whom hee and a great part of the Britaine 's were converted from Paganisme and Idolatry to the true Christian beliefe which hapned in the eighth yeare of his Raigne who after his conversion ordained that all the Idolatrous Arch-Flamins and Flamins should bee made Arch-bishops and Bishops to the number of three Archbishops and twenty eight Bishops and should have the government of the Church lately establisht These being confirmed by the fore-named Bishop of Rome he indowed them with lands and possessions and consecrated all the Pagan Temples to the worship of Christ and when hee had peaceably governed the Land for the space of twelve yeares hee left this earthly Tabernacle for a better and was buryed at Glocester who because hee dyed without Heire the Land grew into great combustion for Lucius dyeth without issue the terme of fifty yeares in which none had the absolute nomination of King or Soveraigne Then Severus the Roman Emperour tooke upon him the government of the Realme in the Severus named himselfe King of Britaine yeare of grace two hundred and eight and ruled the Kingdome five yeares in which time he caused a Ditch and Wall to bee made of Turves and stakes of an hundred and two and twenty Miles in length from Durham to the Scotch Sea during which the Picts with their Duke or Leader Fulgenius came out of Scotland with a strong army and destroyed much of the Countrey beyond Durham against whom Severus for his Conquest of Parthia sirnamed Parthicus assembled a great Hoast of Romans and Britaines and gave them battaile neare unto York in which he was slain and his army discomfited and in that City lyeth interred leaving behinde him two sons namely Geta and Bassianus This Bassianus was the sonne of Severus a British woman Bassianus made King of Britaine and he had Geta by a Roman Lady the Britaine 's therefore made the son of their Country-woman their Soveraigne in the yeare of Grace two hundred and twelve But the Romans held for Geta For which mortall war grew betwixt the two brothers in which Geta was slain and Bassianus who was after made Emperor having incestuously married his stepmother for which many other tyrannies exercised by him on the natives he grew into great hatred of the people and was slaine at a place called Edessa after hee had beene Emperour for the space of seven yeares Carassius aspireth to the Crowne In this interim of his Reigne one Carassius 〈◊〉 Britain of low birth but eminent in armes and the practice of Martiall Exercises obtained of the Senate the keeping of the Coasts and Frontiers of the Land and to oppose the invasion of all strangers so that he drew to him many hardy Knights of the Britans promising unto them many donatives with honour and office if they would make him King of the Land which so far prevailed with them that they with an unanimous consent proclaimed him their Sovereigne and King against whom Bassianus moving battaile and to suppresse them as rebels was slaine by this Carassius who tooke upon him the Regall Dignitie in the yeare of the Incarnation of Christ two hundred and eighteene When the Romans had notice of the death of Alectus made Ruler of Britain their Emperour Bassianus they sent into Britain a great Captain cald Alectus with three Legions to punish the pride and rebellion of Carassius to which Captain Fortune was so favorable that he chaced him from place to place and in the end slue him in battaile after he had eight years usurped This Alectus for his good service done was made Consul of Rome and Governour of the Land who hotly pursued divers British Lords who had tooke part with Carassius against the Romans and exercised great tyranny amongst them so that hee grew into great hatred and contempt of the Natives And therefore they accited one Asclepiodotus Duke of Cornwall who gathered a great hoast of the Britains and made warre against the Romans chasing them from place to place and Country to Country so that at the last Alectus was glad to retire himselfe within the fortifications of London whither Asclepiodotus pursued him and laid siege about the City provoking him to battaile who at length issuing out with his forces many were slaine on both sides but in the end Alectus was slaine after hee had sixe yeares The death of the Roman Alectus governed the Land When Livius Gallus a Roman Captain understood the death of their Generall hee with the survivours of the Army retyred into the Citie for his best security where for a while I leave him CHAP. 4. The Duke of Cornwall made King of Britaine how Walbrook took first name Constantius the Roman marrieth with Helena daughter to King Coill and is made King His Reigne and buriall His sonne Constantine made King after him who was cald the Great and was the first Christian Emperour His great Devotion and after falling into Heresie Octavian his Deputy in Britain usurpeth and after made King Maximinus a Roman by Marriage with his daughter succeeds him c. ASclepiodotus Duke of Cornwall began Asclepiodorus King of the Britains his Dominion over the Britans in the yeare of Grace two hundred thirty two who entred the City of London before by him besieged where he slue this Livius Gallus neere unto a Brook which ran then through a part of the City from Whence Walbrook took the name whom it was called Gallus or Wallus brook and the street VVal-brooke even unto these times Thus having quite vanquished the Romans hee governed the Realme in great peace exercising Iustice exalting meriting and good men and punishing the refractory and evilly disposed till at length a great discontent sâ—…rred up by wicked and seditious persons was raised betwixt him and Coillus or Coil who was then Earle or Duke of Kaircollin or Colchester so that they assembled their severall forces and met in battaile in which conflict Asclepiodotus was slaiâ—…e after hee had governed the Realme according to the most Writers thirty yeares Then Coil
began his Dominion over the Land in the yeare of the Incarnation two hundred Coil made 〈◊〉 Britains threescore and two who governed peaceably for a time for the Senate of Rome were glad of the death of the former King who had beene a great enemy and persecutour of theiâ—… Nation being then in great trouble amongst themselves could not conveniently send over fresh forces in the Land but at length their domestick discords being compounded and the State setled in peace Hearing that this Coil also denied them tribute they sent hither a Noble Constantius first comming into Britain prudent Prince cald Constantius with a puissant army against whom Coil assembled his Britains but greatly dreading the power of this Roman President he sent to him to commune and treat of peace with the acknowledgment of the Tribute due unto the Senate of which assurance being given and taken on both sides Coil died within a moneth after having governed the Britains for the tearme of twenty seven yeares Constantius at the intercession of the Nobles of the Land tooke to wife Helena the daughter Constantius married to Helena of the late King with the entire possession of the Realme and was inaugurated in the yeare two hundred fourscore and nine This Helena was held to be the fairest Lady in the whole land withall very well verst in literature and language by whom hee received a sonne called Constantine This Constantius being of great courage and valour ambitious to adde unto his Dominion subdued the Almains or Germans and slue of them in one battail threescore thousand and after many other victories the two Emperours Dioclesianus and Maximinianus resigned up their Imperiall Dignitie to Constantius Constantius made Emperor making one Galerius a partner with him in the Empire which these two Caesars divided betwixt them Galerius governed in the East that is Illiricum and all Graecia with the Ilands and Constantius Italy and the Westerne Kingdomes after he subdued Spain and a great part of Gallia or France of which two Kingdomes he made his son Constantine President and Governour in the time that Constantius was King of Britaine under the two foresaid Emperours S. Albon was martyred at Verâ—…m in the tenth persecution of the Church which began in the eighteenth yeer of Dioclesian and endured for the space of ten yeares which was so violent and cruell that in the space of one moneth were martyred seventeene thousand holy men and women for the faith of Christ This Noble Prince Constantius after he had governed Britaine and the West part of the Empire for This Constan tius lyeth buried at York the terme of thirty yeares leaving his Successor Constantine his sonne by the famous Queene Helena Who began his Reigne in the yeare of Grace three hundred and nineteen and at the decease Constantine made King of Britain of his Father was busied in the wars of Gallia but hearing the report of his death came over into Britain and was made King Hee was off a noble and affable condition who though hee â—…ere a Pagan and misbeliever yet hee used no â—…yrannie towards his subjects neither compeld them to the worship of Idols but to use their own laws with the liberty and freedome of conscience whilst he thus governed Britain with the Westerne part of the Empire one Maxentius sonne to Herculeus Maximianus who was parrner with Dioclesian in the Imperiall purple Maxâ—…s was by assent of the Senate chosen Caesar who first insinuated with all cunning affability into the hearts of the plebeian multitude but when he found himselfe strong in their opinions hee exercised all tyranny that could be possibly devised especially against the Christians He likewise expelled hâ—… Father Maximianns from Rome who sought to be again Emperour with other great oppressions used against the Senate and Prime Nobility of which Constantine having intelligence he assembled a strong hoast of Brâ—…tains and Galls to suppresse his great pride and insolence leaving in his absence a great Duke called Octavius or Octavian to governe Octavian made Dâ—…puty Governour of Britain the Land of Britain as his Vicegerent or Deputy Constantine having setled the State here being on his journy he saw as in a Vision being upon his bed a Crosse shining in the firmament held by an Angell who said unto him Constantine iâ—… hoc signo vinces that is of Constantine under this signe or banner thou shalt have victory After which awaking and considering well of his vision or dream hee called his chiefe Captains about him and acquainted them therewith presently giving order that the Crosse should be The Crosse first used in any Imperiaâ—… Ensigne portrayed in all his Ensignes Escutcheons and Banners being thus accommodated he marched against the Tyrant Maxentius and met him at a bridg called Pont Milvium where after long fight he chaced him and his whole army where Maxentius drowned a great part of them were drowned in the River with himselfe also when hee had ruled as Caesar about five yeares after which victory Constantine marched to Rome where hee was received of the Senate and people with great honour and triumph soone after he received the Christian Faith and was baptized by Sylvester the first of that name Bishop of Rome which done he opened the prisons destroyed the Temples of the false gods and dedicated others to the true everliving God pulling down their idols and opening those Christian Oratories as had beene shut commanding divine service to bee said in them He was the first also that gave any possessions to the Church of Rome and ordained that the Bishop of Rome should be a chiefe Bishop Constantinus great devot on and zeale and all others to be obedient unto him which was before any superstition crept into the Church hee also bore clay and stones upon his shoulders to the foundation of the great Church dedicated to Saint Peter Whilst Constantine thus laboured to plant the Christian Faith his mother Hellen being then Hellen the mother of Constantine in Britain sent unto him commendatory Letters gratulating his great victories in which shee seemed to rejoyce that hee had suppressed Idols and demolisâ—… their Temples but wondred that hee had chosen for his God a man who had been nayled to a Crosse c. to which hee returned her answer that hee would sufficiently prove the God whom hee honoured and worshipped was the Creatour of Mankind and Maker of the World and all the creatures therein and not man only but God and Man c. For proof of which after she had assembled a Synod of Iews to the number of sevenscore Sylvester with other Christian Clerks were appointed to dispute with them concerning the Faith and Gospel in which arguing the Iews were confounded and she converted and was a constant professour of the true Faith and Religion all her life time after I leave what the Legend relates concerning her seeking and
a certain number of Britaines and as many Saxons should meet upon a Mayday weaponlesse upon the Plaine of Salisbury on which prefixed day Hengist bethought him of a strange and persidious Treason charging all his Saxons that every one should put a long Knife in his hose and when hee gave this watch-word Nempnith your Sepis they should suddenly fall upon the A most unkâ—…ngly treason unarmed Britaines and kill them to one man Briefly they met at the time and place appointed where Hengist and his Saxons received him and his power with a countenance of peace and love but they had not long spoken together when Hengist giving the watchword the Britans were basely and barbarously butchered unlesse any by his manhood and strength wrest the Knife from his enemy and defend himselfe amongst the British Lords was one Edolf Earle of Chester who as Gunfride affirmes seeing his friends and fellows thus murdered he found the stake of an hedge by chance their scattered with which he not only saved his owne life but A valiant Britain slue seventeene of the opposite side and got safely into the City of Salisbury after which treason executed the King remained with Hengist as prisoner Hengist by his Treason having thus gotten the upper hand and reteining the King in his Vortiger suppressed by Hengist power and custodie hee compelled him to give him three Provinces in the East part of Britain Kent Suffex Norfolke and Suffolke to which some adde Essex c. of which being safely possessed hee suffered the King to goe at large sending for some other of his Kinsmen to take possession of other Provinces in the Kingdome crowning himselfe King of Kent and from his Britain first called England owne name caused this Realme to bee called Hengists Land or as wee now pronounce it England and the Saxons now spreading and quartering themselves in the best and most fertile soyles of the Land as having the Sovereignty over London Yorke Lincolne Winchester with most of the principall Cities in the Realme The Saxons still increasing in multitude and power and the Britains daily decreasing both in number and strength Vortiger was forced to flie or retire himself into Wales where Vortiger forced to fly into Wales after some writers thinking to fortifie himself he began to lay the foundation of a Castle called Generon or Gwayneren in the West side of the River Grana upon an Hill called Cloaricus But what successe he had in the building thereof and how Merlin came first to be knowne to the King with part of his Prophesies I will referre to the subsequent Chapter giving withall the intelligent peruser of this story to better his knowledge this Item that without the laying open of the true passage ofthose timâ—… which I have as briefly as possibly I could in the premises these our prophets predictions which now seeme plaine and easie would have beene much more intricate and hard to bee understood CHAP. 3. By what miraculous accident young Merlin came to be knowne to King Vortiger of the combat betwixt the red and the white Dragon and his prophesie thereof c. WHen Vortigers Architectors had caused the Hill to be digged and the foundation to bee laid on which to erect this new structure after the weake men had digged the circuit of the place where the great stones were to be set in order they were no sooner laid in the hollow of the earth but they instantly sunke down and were swallowed up and no more seen at which the Workmen wondred and the King himselfe was much astonished and the more proofs they made the greater cause of admiration they had especially the scituation being upon an Hill and no moorish or uncertaine ground therefore the King commanded a cessation from the worke for the present and sent to the Bards and Wisards of which that age afforded plenty Vortiger inquires of the Wizards to know a reason of that prodigie or at least what it might portend who being gathered together and having long consulted amongst themselves and not finding by any naturall or supernaturall reason what the cause thereof might be they concluded in the end to save their credits and to excuse their ignorance to put the King off with an impossiblitie and when hee came to demand of them what they had done in the matter they returned him this answer that those stones could never be laid together or the place built upon till they were cemented with the bloud of a man-childe who was borne of a mother but had no man to A cunning evasion his father With this answere the King satisfied the soothsayers departed from him not meanly glad that they had put him off according to our English word with a flam or delirement without any disparagement to their art and cunning who no sooner left his presence but the King cald his servants about him commanding them to ride and search into and through all Provinces and Countries till they could find such an one as the Wisards had spoken of and by faire or foule meanes to bring the party unto him but not acquainting him with the Cause but that the King seeing such an one would send him back richly and bountifully rewarded having received this commission or rather Imposition from the King their master wee leave them to their severall adventures every of them being sufficiently accommodated for so uncertaine a journey One of them amongst the rest hapned to come to a Towne or Citty called Kaier Merlin Merlins City since from him so called which implyes Merlins Towne or Merlins borrough which is no doubt the same which wee call at this day Marlborrow but my author termes it a City at whose gates the messenger of the king arriving it hapned that a great many young Lads were sporting themselves without the walls and of the company two of them in gaming fall out the one yong Merlin the other called Dinabutius who amongst other breathing words cast into Merlins teeth that hee was but some Moon-calfe as born of a mothsr who knew not his father The servant taking notice of this Language presently demanded what he was and who were his parents who returned him answer that for any father hee Merlin first discovered had they knew none but his mother was daughter to the King Demetius and lived a Votaresse in that Citie in a Nunnery belonging to the Church of Saint Peter which having heard her presently went to the chiefe Magistrates and shewed them his Commission from the King which they obeying sent both the mother and sonne under his conduct to attend the pleasure of his Majesty Of whose comming the King was exceeding joyfull and when they appeared before him Merlin and his mother appeare before the King both ignorant of the occasion why they were sent for the King first asked him if that were his naturall sonne Who reply'd that hee was and borne of her own body hee then
belonging to the Duke he was beset by one Mainart de Goresen but with losse of some of his traine he by his manhood escaped After at a towne named Frisach one Frederick de Saint Soon made a second attempt upon him and tooke six of his Knights but he by his noble valour made his way through the ambush of the enemy without surprizall and strooke up towards Germany but spies being set to know what course he King Richard taken took he was at length betrayed into the hands of the Duke of Lemple cousin to the Emperor who sent him to the Duke of Austria he presently rifled him of all the treasure and iewels hee had about him and committed him for a moneth to strait and close prison During which time as some write the Duke Hence he had the appeâ—…ation of Cur de Lyon put him to cope singly with a great and mighty Lion weaponlesse and unarmed who having conquered the beast ript up his heart and flang it in the Dukes face and after that with a blow under the eare he slew the Dukes sonne and further that his daughter being enamoured both of his person and great valour he left her vitiated and deflowred but howsoever in this all witnesses agree that when the moneth was expired he sent him to the Emperour who was Henry the first of that name and sonne to Frederick the first who put him into a darke and obscure dungeon covenanting with the Duke that he should have the third part of his ransome there he remained for the space of a yeere and three moneths at length upon a palm-sunday he caused him to be brought before his Princes and Lords to answer what could be obiected against him where hee appeared with such a manly and maiestick aspect and withal answered so directly and discreetly to whatsoever was laid to his charge that they generally comiserated his iniust durance then King Richard ransomed at an hundred thousand pound and set at liberty his ransome was set at an hundred thousand pound sterling and hostages given for the payment by such a time which done he was set at liberty which verefies Coopt up and cag'd then shall the Lion be But after sufferance ransomd and set free The King in the eight yeere of his Reigne The Kings arrivall into England about the latter end of March landed at Sandwich and came straight to London where he was ioyfully received and then calling a Counsaile of his Lords he first took order to pay his ransome and because his brother Iohn in his absence had usurped the Diadem was at that time in France he deprived him of all Honour and title and tooke from him all those Earledomes and revenewes that hee before had conferd upon him and caused him selfe at Winchester to be the second time crowned and then began the ancient grudge to revive betweene the two Kings of England and France which was the more aggravated because the French King supported Iohn against the King his Brother But Prince Iohn seeing how much his fame was magnified in the mouths of all men and that all the parts both of Christendome and Paganisme resounded with his praise he made means to his mother Queene Eleanor by whose mediation a Iohn reconciled to the K. his brother peace was made betwixt her two sonnes whilest the wars in Normandy and France went stil forwards Many wery the battailes fought betwixt the two Kings and much effusion of bloud on both sides where sometimes the one sometimes the other had the better but for the most part Richard the best during which combustion before the last 20000 pound for his ransome was payd his two hostages the Bishops of Bath in England and Roan in Normandy came unto him and told him that they were set at liberty by the Emperour and further shewed that his great enemy the Duke of Austria was accused of Innocent the third then Pope for the iniuries before offered him and that upon Saint Stephens day hee prickt his foot with a thorne which gangrend and should have beene cut off and being told hee must die he sent to his Bishops to be absolved which they had denied to doe till hee had showne himselfe repentant for the foresaid wrongs and released his hostages which being The death of the Duke of Austria accordingly done the Duke died and they were delivered In the processe of the wars before spoken of King Richard in the tenth yeere of his Reigne after Christmasse besieged a Castle in France neere Lymoges called Gaylyard the cause was that a rich treasure being found within the Seigniory of the King of England by one Widomer Vicount of Lemruke hee had denyed to render it up and fled thither for his refuge and defended it manfully till the fift day of April upon which day the King walking unadvisedly to The King too unadvised take view of the Fort and where it might be best entred one named Bertrand Genedow whom some Writers call Pater Basale marked the King and wounded him in the head but some say in the arme with a poysoned arrow after which hurt received hee caused a violent and desperate assault to be made in which hee wonne the Castle then hee made inquiry who hee was that had wounded him who being found and brought before him the King demanded of him why he should rather ayme at his person than any of those who were then about him who boldly made answer because thou slewest my Father and my brethren for which I vowed thy death whatsoever became of me the King after some pawsing leisure for that answer gave him his pardon and liberty but the rest of the souldiers he put to the sword and caused the Castle to bee razed to the earth The death of King Richard the firâ—… and dyed the third day after whose body was buried at Fount E-a-Bleu at the feet of his Father which no way erres from the prophesie For potent Kings whose prides Transcend 'twixt whom a sea-arm onely glides Ambitious truth shall many conflicts try Last by a poysonous shaft the King shall die Iohn the youngest sonne to Henry the second Iohn made King of England and brother to the late deceased Richard was proclaimed King the tenth day of April in the yeere of Grace one thousand one hundred fourescore and nineteene and was crowned at Westminster upon holy Thursday next ensuing of whom it was thus predicted The subtle Fox into the Throne shall creep Thinking the Lion dead who did but sleepe But frighted with his walking rore finds cause To flie the terrour of his teeth and paws After this Leopard stain'd with many a spot Shall lose all Rollo by his Gilla got Then shall those keyes whose power would awe the fates For a long time lock up his Temple gates Vnburthen him of all the charge he beares And wrest from him the Lawrell that he wears Woes me that from one Leopard should be
that his Lords were acquitted of their allegiance and in what danger his souls and his peoples were hee and his whole Nation standing accursed he at length condiscended to submit himselfe to whatsoever the Court of Rome should determine The Articles proposed by the Pope and by him to be performed were these following Peaceably to suffer Stephen Langton to enter The Articles that hee should yield to into the Land and to enjoy the primacy and profits of his Archbishoprick that these whom hee had banisht should be repeald and their goods whom hee had rifled should be to them restored and that he should yield up his absolute right and title to the Crowne of England and he his heirs thence-forward to hold it of the Pope and his successors to which having granted and he and his Lords being sworne to observe Iohn delivers up his Crowne to the Popes use the same Hee kneeling tooke the Legâ—…te to him the Crowne from his head and delivered it to the Popes use saying these words I here resigne up the Crowne of the Realmes of England and Ireland into the hands of pope Innocent the third and put my selfe wholly into his power and mercy then Pandolph as Deputy for the Pope tooke the Crowne and kept it five dayes in his possession and then the King received it from him againe First having sealed and delivered up an Instrument or writing the effect was that he could challenge no power but by permission of the Pope and further to pay unto the Apostolicke See yeerly a thousand Marks of silver seven hundred for the Crowne of England and three hundred for the Kingdome of Ireland for the payment of which Tribute yeeâ—…ly paid by King Iohn to Rome tribute but the Peter-pence were after gathered and this confirmes the premisses exprest in the prophesie Then shall those keyes whose power would awe the fates For along time lock up his Temple gates Vnburthen him of all the charge he beares And wrest from him the Lawrell that he wears Woes me that from one Leopard should be torne What many Lions in their pride have worne It is made so plaine that it needs no further Interpretor In those days lived one called Peter Peter of Pomfret of Pomfret a Bard and such then were held as Southsayers and prophets who predicted divers of the Kings disasters which fell out accordingly amongst which one was that hee should reigne but fourteene yeeres but when the King had entred the fifteenth hee called him into question for a false prophet to which hee answered that whatsoever hee had foretold was justifiable and true For in the fourteenth yeer hee gave up his Crowne unto the pope and hee paying unto him an annuall tribute the pope raigned and not hee notwithstanding which apology he caused him as a Traytour to be hanged and quartered After which he bore himselfe so aversly towards his Barons that the greatest part of them Lewis sonne to the French King called in to England by thâ—… Barons fell from his Allegiance and called in Lewis son to the French king into the Land covenanting to make him king who was received with his whole Army and possessed of London the Tower and many other strong holds in the kingdome betwixt whom and the king were sundry conflicts and skirmishes in which they diversly sped during which dissention in the seventeenth yeere of his Reigne he expired as the Authour of Polychron saith at Newarke of The death of King Iohn a bloudy flix But by the relation of our English Chronicle to which we give more credit as also by the authority of Master Fox in his Martyrologie he was poysoned by a Monke having been a great Rifler of their Monasteries and dyed at Swinsted Abbey in Lincolnshire this Monke being of the same House and his body was after buried in the Cathedrall Church at Winchester which fatall accident hapned unto him the day after Saint Luke being the eighteenth of October after hee had reigned sixteen yeeres six moneths and odde days leaving behind him two sonnes Henry and Richard In his death verifying He that did all he might the Kirke despise Against his life shall a base Kirkman rise Not forgetting the former which was predicted of Lewis comming into the Land Hither the French flower would it self transpose Where must spring after many a glorious Rose Henry the third of that name and eldest son Henry the third crowned King to King Iohn at the age of nine yeeres beganne his Reigne over the Realme of England the twentieth of October in the yeere of Grace one thousand two hundred and sixteene Philip the second being then king of France this king reigned the longest and did the least of remarkable memory of any of his predecessours Of whom it was thus predicted Dreame shall the Leopards issue in the throne The Prophesie Crudled in rest carefull to keep his owne Nor forcing ought from others changing then His Leopards spots a Lion turn agen Abroad the second whelpe for prey will rore Beyond the Alps to Ioves bird restore rage Her decayde plumes the King of beasts whose His youth conceal'd shall rowse him in his age Against the Boare the Talbot and the Beare The Mountain Cat Goat with whom cohere Of fowls the Falcon Hearn the Peacock Swan With Fishes too prest from the Ocean With whose mixt blouds the Forest shal be dyde Till love unite what discord did divide Presently upon the young Kings Coronation the greatest part of the English peeres revolted The English Lords revolt from Lewis to Henry from the French party and acknowledged him their sole King and Soveraigne so that within a short season they quit both him and all the Aliens and Strangers out of the Land in the eight yeare of his Raigne was held a Parlament The first granting of Wards in which was granted to the King and his successor Kings the Wardship and Mariage of all the Heires which act was called by wise men of that age Initium Malorum In the thirtieth yeare of his Raigne dyed Frederick the Emperour who had before maried Isabell the Kings sister who for his contempt of the church of Rome was accursed of The death of the Emperour Frederick whom was made this Epitaph Fre sremit in Mundo De deprimitalta profundo Ri res rimatur cus cuspide cuncta minatur Which though it cannot sound so well in our English tongue yet is thus paraphrased Free frets the world De Height which depth confounds Ri searcheth all things Cus with the weapen wounds After whose death the Electors could not agree in the choise of a successor some nominated the Duke of Thoring others the Earle of Holland and some againe stood for Richard Earle of Cornwale the Kings brother but in the end Rodulphus Duke of Habspurg was inaugurated by Pope Gregory the ninth so that great variance and strife continued for the space of 27 yeares to
the fight continued the greatest part of the day at last the victory fell to the Barons so that were taken the King the King of the Romans and prince Edward The King taken prisoner with the King of the Romans and P. Edward with five and twenty Barons and Bannerets and the people slaine on both sides amounted to above twentythousand These royall prisoners being put in safe keeping a peace was after debated and at length concluded and they released but it proved to small purpose for many battailes were after fought betwixt them in which sometimes the King sometimes the Barons had the better the circumstances are too long to relate in which Prince Edward bore himselfe bravely in processe the five fiftieth yeer of this Kings Reign the King of the Romans made attonement betwixt the King his brother and Gilbert Clare Earle of Glocester who had continued the wars of the Barons upon condition that hee should take a Voyage into the Holy Land for the King for which hee should have towards his charge eight thousand Marks in hand and when hee was on shipboard foure thousand more and to bee ready the first day of May next following but this failing in him Prince Edward undertooke it in his stead and the yeere after abâ—…ut the end of March dyed Richard Emperour of The death of Richard K. of the Romans Almaine King of the Romans and Earle of Cornwall being the Kings brother after hee had governed the Empire betwixt fifteen and sixteene yeeres and was buried at Hales an Abbey of white Monks which hee had before time founded and the yeere following upon the sixteenth day of November died Henry the Third King of England after he had governed the Realme fifty The death of Henry the third six yeeres and twenty seven days leaving for his Heire Prince Edward who was then in the Holy Land and another sonne called Edmund Crowch-backe His body was buried in the Abbey of Westminster and over him inscribed Tertius Henricus jacet hic pietatis amicus His Epitaph Ecclesiam stravit istam quam post renovavit Reddat ei munus qui regnat trinus unus Thus Englished Third Henry here doth rest Of Piety possest Down first this Church he threw And after did renew O grant him thy immunity Thou Trinity in Vnitie The premisses confirme the prophesie of his Reigne towards the latter end of his time which was turbulent and troublesome to the exhausting of the Kings treasure the deaths of many of his Noble Barons and almost to the destruction and desolation of the whole Realm therefore it was truly said of him The King of beasts whose rage His youth conceal'd shall rouze him in his age Against the Boare the Talbot and the Beare The Mountaine Cat and Goat with whom cohere c. By the Lion the King is personated and by the rest of the beasts and birds named the severall Crests and Emblazons in the Barons Armes and Scutchions by which they were distinguisht Prince Edward his sonne was at the time of his death in the Land of Palaestine Of whom also it was thus predicted An Occident all Dragon bright as noone The Prophesie Shal breathing flames dark the Oriental Moon The Cambrian Wolves he through their Woods shall chace Nor cease till hee have quite extirpt their race Then from the North shall fiery Meteors threat Ambitious after bloud to quench their heat The Dragons bloud at which his Crest wil rise And his scales flame and where he treads as flyes Fright all shal him oppose the Northern Dyke Passe shall hee then and set his foot in Wyke After which showers of bloud will fall upon And barren the faire fields of Caledon Then having ended what he took in hand Die in the Marches of another Land Hee in the yeere one thousand two hundred Prince Edwards expeditioâ—… to the Holy Land threescore and eleven and in the yeere of his fathers Reigne fifty five upon the twentieth of August tooke shipping at Dover and sailed thence to Burdeaux but because the French Army bâ—…und upon the same adventure was removed thence he sped after and met with them at Tunis and from theâ—…ce he took shipping for the Holy Land and arrived with some French forces joyned with his owne At Acris or Acon what time the Christians possessed that City only and the City of Tyre holding some few Castles to preserve them from the rage of the Soldan There he was honorably received and with great joy after whose being there the Soldan or Saladine who had wonne all the Countrey there about came thither with an Hoast of an hundred threescore thousand Sarazens and besieged the City and made many bold and bloudy assaults But the Prince so Prince Edwards valour in defending Acris valiantly demeaned himselfe that hee defended the City the Castles belonging to it and all the Territories about that notwithstanding the multitude of the Soldans Army hee was compeld to forsake the siege to his great shame and dishonour Even the French Chronicles whose custome The French Chronicles testifie of P. Edwards valour is to write boastingly of themselves and sparingly of others bestow on him a character of invincible courage and that in all his stratagems and martiall exploits hee so honourably behaved himselfe that his very name was a terrour to the Turks for many yeers after who seeing his great boldnesse and that they were not able to stand him in battaile they plotted how to take away his life by Treason and to that purpose when he was resident in Acon they sent to P. Edward traitcrously wounded him a Sarazen in the name of a Secretary who in delivering unto him a counterfeit message wounded him in the arme with an empoysoned Knife which he wresting from the Infidels hand slue with the same weapon so that he died incontinently Then hee cald for a Surgeon and with incomparable sufferance commanded him to cut out all the putrified and corrupted flesh even to the scaling of the bone without the least shrinking or alteration of countenance of which base treachery hee was after revenged upon them to their great detriment and damage and thus The Occidentall Dragon bright as noon Did breathing flames dazle the orienial moon Hee is called Occidentall as being bred in this our Westerne Island and the Soldan is figured in the Orientall Moone being a Prince in the Easterne part of the World and bearing the semicircled Moone in his Banner Prince Edward during his aboad there had by the Princesse his wife a daughter called Ioane who tooke a His wife was Isabell of Spain Ioan of Acris name from the place and was called Ioane of Acris because there born and was after married to the Earle of Glocester After his being there some two yeeres and upward his father dying hee was called home to take possession of the Crowne of England Edward the first of that name and sonne of
two Spencers c. BY the Cornish Eagle in the former Chapter is meant Pierce Gavestone Earle of Cornwall by his plumes of gold his pride and riches borrowed and extorted from others by the Goat the King who was given to all intemperate effeminacie by the Beare Thomas Earle of Lancaster c. This King was of a beautifull aspect King Edwards Character and excellent feature of a strong constitution of body but unstedfast in promise and ignoble in condition as refusing the company of men of honour to associate himselfe with lewd and vile persons he was much addicted to bibacity and apt to discover matters of great counsell and of stupration and adultery perswaded thereto by his familiars the French men for whose death the King vowed an irreconciliable revenge against the Barons which he after performed indeed so unking-like was his misgovernment that a base Villaine called Iohn Tanner named himself the son of Edward the Iohn Tanner an Impostor first and that by the means of a false nurse hee was stoln out of his cradle and this Edward being a Carters son was laid in his place which the people for the former reasons were easily induced to believe but the Impostor was discovered and by his own confession judged to be hanged and quartered In the seventh yeere of his Reigne Robert le Robert le Bruce wars against England Bruce King of Scots whom his Father made flye into Norway hearing of the misguiding of the Kingdome and the dissention betwixt him and his Barons warre strongly against him and his friends in Scotland and wonne from them Castles and Holds howsoever well munified to the great damage of the English who were interessed The Kings power against Scotland in the Land For which affront the King assembled a great power and invaded Scotland by Sea burning and destroying all such Townes and Villages as were in his way which Robert le Bruce hearing he hasted with a strong Army and upon S. Iohn Baptists day both Hoasts met at a place called Estrivelin neere unto a fresh River called Bannoksburne where betwixt them was fought a cruell battaile in which the English were compeld to forsake the field For which in derision of the English the Scots made this Ryme Doggerill Maidens of England sore may you mourn The Scots derision of the English For the Lemans you have lost at Bannocksborn With a heave and hoe What weened the King of England so soone to have wonne Scotland With a Rumby low In his ninth yeere Barwick was betrayed to the Scots by one Peter Spalding whom the King had Barwick betrayed to the Scots made Governour of the Town and Castle and in the eleventh yeâ—…re the Scots entred the borders of Northumberland most cruelly robbing and burning the Country even the houses of women who lay in Childbed not sparing age The cruelty of the Scots nor sex religious nor other therefore the King raised a new Army and laid siege to Barwick in which interim the Scots past the River of Swale and leaving the Coast where the Kings people lay came into the Borders of Yorkeshire to whom the Archbishop with Priests and ploughmen unexercised in armes gave battail but were discomfited in which so many Priors Clerks Canons and other Clergymen were slaine that they called it the white battaile when The white battaile the King heard of this overthrow hee broke up his siege and retyred to Yorke and soone after to London After this nothing was done without the advice of the two Hugh Spencers the father and the sonne and in a Counsell held at Yorke Hugh Spencer the sonne maugre the Lords was made high Chamberlain of England who bore him as haughtily as ever did Gavestone but let The pride of Hugh Spencer the sonne me take the prophesie along A Goat shall then appeare out of a Carr VVith silver hornes not Iron unfit for warre And above other shall delight to feed Vpon the flower that life and death doth breed By the Goat is figured lascivious Edward therefore said to appeare out of a Car as born in Carnarvan his hornes of silver and not of Iron denotes his effeminacie being unserviceable for warre as may appeare in his successe against the Scots by the Flower of life and death is intended his Queene Isabel the Flower of France at first deare to him as life but in the end as most Writers have suspected with Mortimer accessary to his death but to proceed with the History The Barons to a great number seeing how The assembly of the Barons the Spencers misled the King and misgoverned the affaires in the Land assembled themselves and tooke a solemne and unanimous vow to remove them out of the Kingdome and as their first attempt certain of them appointed to that purpose entred upon the Mannors and Castles of the Spencers in the Marches of Wales spoyling and ruining them to the earth of which riot they complained to the King who summoned them to appeare before his Counsell which The petition of the Barons to the King they refused to doe but gathered unto them a stronger Hoast and sent to his Majesty humbly beseeching him to remove from his person the two Spencers which daily did to him great dishonour and to the Common-weale which damage with humble request the King hearing and doubting his owne safety called a Parliament to be held at London to which the Barons came with a great Hoast all suited in demy-parted Iackets of yellow and greene with a list of white cast overthwart for which the common The Parlament of white-bands people called it the Parliament of white-bands in which the two Spencers were banished the Kingdome for ever But the yeere following the King revoked the Acts made in the former Parliament and called them into England contrary to the will of the Barons and set them in greater authority then before to the great disturbance and almost utter subversion of the Realme for now the whole Land was in combustion and the King animated by the Spencers tooke on him the shape of a Lion and ceased not till hee had cut off the chiefe and prime Nobility of the Land For besides those that were slaine none was brought to the Barre but was thence led to the blocke who having got the better of his Barons he called a Parliament at Yorke in which Hugh Spencer the Father was made Earle of Hugh Spencer the father made Earle of Winchester Winchester and soone after was one Robert Baldock a follow of debaucht life and condition made Chancellour of England Then forfeits Robert Baldock made Chancellour and sines were gathered without sparing of priviledged places or other till a mighty summe of money was gathered towards another expedition into Scotland and then his Army consisted according to Caxton and others of an hundred thousand men but hee sped in that as in the former for on Saint Lukes day at a
Calenture And then behind him shall he leave a Kid To undoe all both sire and grandsire did By the Kid is intended the Prince Richard his sonne who succeeded his grandfather in the Throne and therefore so cald because of his condition so suiting with the nature of his predecessour Edward the second whom the prophet for his dissolutenesse of life and inability to manage a State called a Goat not a Lion but to come to the story King Edward left behind him foure sonnes Lionel Duke of K. Edwards Royall Issue Clarence Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster Edward of Langley Duke of Yorke and Thomas of Woodstock Earle of Cambridge taking their sirnames from the places where they had their birth by whom and the rest of the Nobility his body was conveyed from Richmond to Westminster and there solemnly and sumptuously interred over whose Tombe hung this inscription Hic decus Anglorum flos Regum praeteritorum Forma futurorum Rex clemens pax populorum His Epitaph Tertius Edwardus regni complens Inbilaeum Invictus pardus pollens bellis Machabaeum Which for the better understanding of the vulgar I give you thus paraphrased in English Here lyes our honour flower of Kings forepast Pattern to future making peace to last Edward the third who raign'd a jubilee In strength a pard valour a Machabee Richard the second of that name and sonne of Edward sirnamed the blacke prince eldest Richard the second of that â—…ame made King sonne to Edward the third a childe of the age of eleven yeers began his Reign over the Realme of England the two and twentieth of Iune in the yeere of Grace one thousand twenty seven and upon the fifteenth of Iuly being the day of Saint Swithen ensuing he was crowned at Westminster in the first yeer of whose Reigne about Aprill landed in Kent Anne the Daughter of Charles the fourth Emperour of that name late dead and sister to Wenceslaus then Emperour who by the Major and Citizens of London was honourably met upon Black-heath and with great triumph conveyed vnto Westminster and His Royall mariage the eight day of May solemnely espoused to King Richard of whom it is thus predicted Sport shall the young Kid in his youth and play A prediction of his Reigne 'Gainst whom shall rise the Hedg-hog and the Gray And then the hobnayle and the clowted shoone Shall the Kids glory strive to eclipse at noone But by a Daulphin of the City lov'd That black disastrous cloud shall be remov'd And Phoebus in his wonted or be shine cleare Who when he shall in his full strength appeare Foure princely Lions were to him allyde Gall shall he with his horns in his great pride At length a Fox clad in a skin of gold Shall snatch the Kid from midst of all his fold The yeere before which was the fourth of The insurrection of the Commons his Reign was a great insurrection of the Commons throughout the Land especially in Kent and Essex the reason was because in the third yeere at a parliament held at Westminster there was granted to the king a Groat of every person male or female above the age of fourteene yeeres The chiefe Captains and Leaders of the The Captains of the Rebels Rebels Army were Iack Straw William Wawe Wat Tyler Iack Shepherd Tom Miller and Hob Carter these gathered great multitudes of the Commons and assembled themselves upon Blackheath three miles from London and upon the eleventh of Iune entred the Tower of London where the King was then lodged and took Thâ—…y take the Tower thence perforce Doctor Sudbury Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Hales prior of Saint Iohns and a white Frier Confessor to the King whom with a mighty acclamation and voice they drew to the Tower-hill and there cut off their heads Then by boats and barges they returned into Southwarke and robbed all strangers of what Their robberies in Southwarke In Westminster Nation soever thence they went to Westminster and took thence all the Sanctuary men and came unto the Savoy which was the Duke of In the Strand Lancasters house and first pilladge it and after set it on fire and then to the palace of Sr. Iohn neere Clerkenwell and spoyled it After they searched the Temples and Innes of Court making havock of all burning their Law books The Innes of Court and killing as many Lawyers and Questmongers as they might find that done they went to St. Martins le Grand releasing there all that had Their mighty insolencies there took Sanctuary with the prisoners of Newgate Ludgate the two Counters tearing their Registers and Books The like they did to the Kings Bench and Marshalses in Southwarke and moreover they did thorow the whole City of London according to their own wils and pleasures When Iack Straw who was prime Commander above the rest had executed all these The pride of the Captain insolencies and saw no resistance against him he was suddenly so tumoured with pride that he thought no man worthy to be his peere in so much that hee rode againe to the Tower where he found the King but weakly attended and in a manner compeld him to ride through divers parts and streets of the City and so conveyed him into Smithfield where in the Kings presence to whom hee did small or no reverence at all hee caused a proclamation to bee made though using his Majesties name yet to his owne wicked end and purpose which William Walworth Fishmonger and then Lord Major seeing and not able to endure his so great presumption and insolency he stept towards and first with a blow on the head stounded him with his Mace and after with a short Dagger which he wore by his side he wounded him to death then with a Sword strook off his The death of Iack Straw head and lifted it upon the point of a Speare and shewing it to the Rebels Cryed out alowd King Richard God save King Richard who when they saw their chiefe Captaine slaine they fled in great disorder of which many were taken and some slaine and the remnant were chaced so that both City and Suburbs were voided of them that night being the fifteenth The Rebels disperst of Iune making good what was predicted Sport shall the young Kid in his youth and play 'Gainst whom shal rise the Hedghog the gray And then the hobnail and the clowted shcon Shall the suns glory strive to eclipse at noon But by a Daulphin of the City lov'd This black disastrous cloudshall be removd c By the young Kid is intended the wanton King by the Hedghog and the gray beasts frequent in the Country Iack Straw VVat Tyler and the rest of the Captaines and Commons by the Daulphin VVilliam VValworth who was free of the Fishmongers and they give the Daulphin in their Escutchion c. CHAP. 23. The Duke of Glocester by a Parliament reformeth the Common wealth
thence had him secretly conveyghed to Callis where he was pireously murthered After The murder of the Duke of Gloster the 2 Earles of Arundel Warwick were judged and executed After was called a parliament in which divers of the Nobility had more honourable titles conferred upon them And other upstarts neither of birth nor quality were advanced to office and honour in which parliament also many true heires were dis-inherited c. For which the people greatly murmured against the King and his Councell pretending that the revenues of the Crowne were wasted The rumour of the Commons and the causes thereof upon unworthy persons for which divers exactions were put upon the Commons that the chiefe rulers about the King were of low birth and little reputation and men of honour kept out of office and favour that the Duke of Gloster was secretly murdered without processe of Law and the Earles of Arnndel and Warwicke put to death contrary to the Kings owne proclamation with divers others to the number of eight and thirty severall Articles all which at his deposing were publickly protested against him Harding the Chronologer reports that King Richard was prodigall ambitious and luxurious The estate of the Kings Court. to whose Court resorted at their pleasures ten thousand persons pretending businesse there that in his kitchin were three hundred Serviters and in every office to the like number of Ladies Chamberers and Landresses three hundred who exceeded in costly and sumpâ—…uous apparell and farre above their degrees The very groomes and yeomen were cloathed in silke sattin and damaske scarlet imbroydery The great pride of the court gold chaines and Gold smiths worke were then common such was the pride then in the Court It was also commonly voyc'd that hee had let to farme the revenues of the Crowne to Bushy Baggot and Green which caused the Nobility also with the Commons to grudge against the King and his government And this yeare being the one and twentieth of his reign died Iohn a Gaunt the Duke of Lancaster at The death of Iohn a Gaunt Duke of Lancaster the Bishop of Elyes Palace in Holborne and was buried on the North side of the Quire in Paules where his Tombe remaineth to this day This yeare also fell a great difference betwixt Differences betwixt the two Dukes of Hereford and Norffolke the two Dukes of Hereford who was sonne to Iohn a Gaunt and the Duke of Norfolke the cause was after some Writers that the two Dukes riding from the Parliament the Duke Norfolke said unto the other Sir you see how unstedfast the King is in his word and how shamefully hee putteth his Kinsmen to death exiling some and imprisoning others and no doubt what hath hapned to them may in time fall upon us c. of which words the Duke of Hereford accused him unto the King which the one affirming the other denying a day of battaile was appointed them at Coventry upon the eleventh of September where the King and the greatest part of the Nobility were present where both appearing in the Lists and ready for the Combat the King threw down his warder and staid the fight and forthwith banished The two Dukes banished the Realme the Duke of Hereford for ten yeeres and the Duke of Norfolke for ever upon which sentence Hereford sayled into Britaine and Norfolke after passing divers Countries lastly came to Venice and there ended his life In his two and twentieth yeere the common fame ran that he had farmed the Realm of England to Sir VVilliam Scroop Earle of VViltshire and Treasurer and to Sir Iohn Bushy Sir Iohn Bagot and Sir Henry Green and in the moneth of Aprill the King with a potent Host sayled into Ireland leaving for his Pro-rex in England The Kings iourney into Ireland his Uncle Edmund Langley Duke of Yorke In which Voyage he prospered well and quieted the realme to his pleasure and whether it were for some noble act done or out of his grace and bounty I cannot say hee there Knighted Henry sonne to the Duke of Hereford then in exile which Henry after his Fathers death was crowned King of England by the name of Henry the first Whilst King Richard was thus busied in Ireland the Duke of Hereford late banisht with the Archbishop of Canterbury who had before left the Realme and Thomas sonne to the Earle of Arondell late beheaded these with others being a small company in number landed at Ravenspurre in the North and under pretence of The Duke of Hereford lanâ—…s at Ravenspurre laying claime to the Dukedome of Lancaster due to him by Iohn of Gaunt his Father deceased he raised the people as hee went to whom multitudes assembled being weary with the misgovernment of King Richard who hearing how the estate in England then stood made speedy returne from Ireland and in the beginning of September landed in Milford Haven and sped him thence to Flint-castle in VVales intending thither to gather more strength to oppose The King lands in Wales the Dukes proceedings Who in the interim proclayming himselfe Duke of Lancaster in the right of his Father Iohn a Gaunt came to Bristow where without resistance hee seised upon Sir William Scroope Earle of Wiltshire and Treasurer of England Sir Iohn Bushy and Sir Henry Green with Sir The Earle of Wiltshire with others executed Iohn Bagot who escaped and fled into Ireland but the other he there judged and put to execution which the King being then in Flint Castle hearing he much doubted his safety and so did all these who were then about him therefore Sir Thomas Percy Earle of Worcester and Steward of the Kings Houshold contrary to his Allegiance broke his white Staffe openly in the Haâ—…l willing every onâ—… to shift for himselfe by reason of which the King was forsaken of all his people and soone after surprized and presented The King taken and presented to the Duke to the Duke who put him under safe keeping and himselfe hasted towards London Who comming neere to the City sent the The hate of the Commons to the King King secretly to the Tower of which some ill disposed persons ambusht him in the way and would have slain him because of his former misgovernment but the Citizens enformed of their malicious purpose rescued him from their fury then the Duke comming to London by consent of the King a Parliament was begun the thirteenth of September In which many accusations and Articles concerning his misruling the Realme to the number of eight and thirty the King was charged with and for which the King subscribing willing as it was then given out to his owne deposement hee was deprived from all Kingly Majesty the manner of the proceedings therein were too long to relate which sentence being publisht and openly read in Parliament Henry Duke of Hereford and now of King Richard deposed Lancaster rising from the place where hee before sate and