Athelstan had for his share the countries of Kent and of the South East-Saxons and Ethelwolf the rest of England with the praerogatiue and title of Monarch or chiefe king of the whole At the same time likewise Burdred commaunded Mercia but substituted and vnder the right of Ethelwolf and the English Monarches Ethelbald and Ethelbert kings of England sons to Ethelwolf Hereof Ethelbert inherited Kent with the East and South-Saxons the portion of his vncle Athelstan The rest with the right of chiefe king or Monarch of the English fell to the lot of Ethelbald the elder brother This last tooke to his incestious bed his stepmother Iudith daughter to Charles surnamed the Bauld king of West-France widdow to his father Ethelwolf married after his death which hapned shortly after to Bauldwin the first Earle of Flanders He deceasing his brother Ethelbert remained sole king of the English Ethelbert sonne to Ethelwolf after the decease of Ethelbald sole Monarch of England Ethelred the first king of England brother to Ethelbald and Ethelbert During the troublesome raigne hereof through the advantage of the warres of the Danes the East-Angles shake off the yoake of the English Monarches creating holy Edmund their king martyred by Hungar Hubba two Danish Captaines and succeeded vnto by princes of this merciles Pagan Nation After stout resistance and many battails fought he was at last slaine against the Danes Alfrid king of England fourth sonne to Ethelwolf brother to the three preceding Kings Great was the valour amongst other vertues of this vnparaleld and matchles princes if not altogether vanquishing yet repressing the furie of the raging and vnconquerable Danes threatning now an vtter destruction of the English nation brought to a low ebbe through their long restles invasions frequent victories depopulations tyranny He founded or rather renewed the most auncient aud renowned Vniversity of Oxford and first parted the land into shires tithings and hundreds deceasing in the yeares 901. Edward surnamed the Elder king of England son to Alfred He made subject the East-Angles and all other parts possessed by the now languishing and droping Danes excepting Northumberland held yet by princes of that natiō Athelstan king of Englād son to Edward He twise vanquished in fight Constantine king of the Scots assisted with the Irish subdued the Britons of Cumberland with the remainder of the Danes inhabiting Northumberland made the Welsh tributary and confined the Cornish within the River Tamar their present bounds the greatest and most victorious of the English Monarches before his time deceasing in the yeare 940. Edmund the first king of England son to Edward and brother to Athelstan The Danes of Northumberland revolting he againe brought vnder annexed that province to his immediate government He also quite ouerthrew the kingdome of the Britons of Cumberland killing the two sons of Dummailus their last king whose country hee gaue vnto Malcolme the first king of Scotland with condition of homage to the English Crowne and of his defence of those Northerne parts against the Danish intruders Edred King of England son to Edward and brother to Athelstan He the third time tamed and brought vnder the ever restles rebellious Danes of Northumberland Edwy King of England son to Edmund the first Against this prince nothing gratious with his subjects Edgar his brother next successour vsurped the dominion of the still vnquiet Northumbrians Mercians Edgar King of England surnamed the peaceable in regard of his quiet raigne not molested with forraigne or domestique warres nor ordinarie in those tumultuous stirring times son to Edmund brother to Edwy He remitted the taxe of money imposed by Athelstan vpon the Welshmen for a tribute of wolues Edward the second king of England son to Edgar surnamed the Martyr from the manner of his death murthered by the treachery of his stepmother Elfrida coveting the kingdome for her son Ethelred Ethelred the second king of England son to Edgar Elfrida halfe brother to Edward In his time the Danes who had laine still during the late raigne of his victorious praedecessours subdued or beaten home through the high valour of Alfred Athelstan and other succeeding English Monarches renew their wonted outrages on all sides with furie vnresistable pillaging spoyling the countrie encouraged by the quarrells factions and bad affection of his disloyall subjects withdrawing or forslowing their aides or betraying his armies after much calamity and affliction compounded withall by Ethelred and not long after vpon Saint Brice his festivall and in the yeare 1002 massacred in one day by the commaund hereof and a joint conspiracy of the English drawing on a more sharpe revenge dreadfull warre of the nation vnder Sueno Canutus their potent much incensed kings not ending but with the English Monarchy of the West-Saxons and the finall conquest hereof by Canutus After a long but miserable raigne he deceased in the yeare 1016. Edmund the second from his hardie valour surnamed the Iron-side son to Ethelred the second succeeding his father in the kingdome of England in his vnfortunate warre with the Danes Having fought sundry stout battailes and one single combate with Canutus in the I le of Alney by Glocester comming to an agreement with the Dane he parted with him the kingdome of England contenting himselfe with the more Southern moity hereof deceasing after a seaven moneths raigne a short time for so many braue acts which in that space he atchieued in the yeare 1016 about 567 yeares after the first arrivall of the Dutch vnder Hengist some 197 yeares since the name beginning of the kingdome by Egbert Edmund Iron-side thus removed out of the way the whole kingdome of the English tyred out with long miseries of war yeelded to Canutus and the Danes whose estate and succession followeth during their rule government over the English THE KINGDOME OF ENGLAND VNDER THE DANES COncerning this Nation wee haue more fully related in the discourse of Germany They were a Dutch people for thus their Dutch dialect or language doth manifest Their name we conjecture from the bay Codanus Iland Codanonia of Mela now the Sundt Iland of Zelandt where and in the adjacent countries the Nation since their first mention hath alwayes continued When they begun we finde not Iornandes is the first of auncient authours by whom they are named living in the time of the Emperour Iustinian the first Their Countrey then he maketh to be the neighbouring Scanzia or Scandia most probably now Hallandt Schonen and Bleking or the part in that Continent of the present Denmarke We adde the Ilands of Zeland Funen with others lying in the straights of the Sundt Afterwards the exact time we know not they spread into the bordering Cimbrain Chersonese in the maine land of Germany taking vp the left roomes of the Iutes English departing into the Iland of Britaine vnder Hengist By the raigne of Charles
an end to these long afflictions and vnsetled state of the Church the Gospell reestblished with mature and graue aduice and confirmed by her many victories and long and prosperous raigne continued since by her glorious successour King Iames maintained by the authority of his royall pen the faiths vndoubted defender the Churches patron and the true Cleargies friend with no lesse zeale and constancie by Charles our gracious soueraigne now raigning heire of his Fathers Crowne and Prinâ—ly vertues The Religion then here publiquely allowed is the Reformed or Protestant whose briefe summe is set downe in the 39 Articles agreed vpon in a Convocation holden at London in the yeare 1562 and confirmed by the Cleargie of both Provinces The supreame head hereof is the prince by a common right and prerogatiue of Kings and by decree of Parliament enacted in the yeare 1534 26 of the raign of King Henry the eight The Cleargie are Arch-bishops Bishops and inferiour ranks all Regulars or Monks excluded The Arch-bishops or Metropolitane seas follow Canterbury whose Diocesse with that of Rochester is Kent and whose Province in a manner is the whole South-part of England on this side Trent and Humber begunne about the yeare 596 by Ethelbert the first Christian King of the Kentish Saxons in the person of Saint Austine the first Apostle of the English The Bishops hereof are named Primates and Metropolitans of all England by order of Convocation in the yeare 1534. Formerly during the Romish Hierarchy they assumed the title of Legats of the Popes and Primates of all Britaine Yorke whose Diocesse is Nottinghamshire and Yorkeshire and Province the part of England vpon the North of Humber Dee and Trent founded about the yeare 652 by Edwin King of Northumberland in the person of Paulinus Chaplaine to his Queene Ethelburga and the Apostle of these Northerne parts of the English The Bishopricks may thus be ranked vnder their seas Metropolitane vnder Canterbury London whose Diocesse is Essex Middlesex and part of Hartfordshire founded about the yeare 606 by Sebert and Ethelbert Kings of the East and Kentish Saxons in the person of Mellâ—â—us the Apostle of the East-Saxons and continued after a long apostacy by Sigebert the second Christian king hereof in the person of S. Cedde the second Apostle and Bishop brother to Saint Ceadda for thus are the names distinguished the Apostle and Bishop of Lichfield and the Mercians The Bishops hereof are otherwise in Beda named of the East-Saxons The extent of their iurisdiction hath not any thing beene altered since the time of their institution Winchester founded by Kenwald king of the VVest-Saxons in the person of VVina a Frenchman taken out of the large Diocesse of Dorcester by Oxford in the time of Agilbert the second Bishop of that sea founded by King Kingills father to Kenwald in the person of Berinus an Italian the Apostle of the West-Saxons Agilbert forsaking England discontented with this division and the promotion of VVina the voyde Bishopricke of Dorcester became vnited to VVina to the sea hereof By king Ina the South-Saxons are likewise herevnto added vpon his conquest of that Countrey The great Bishoprick of VVinchester contained then by this meanes both kingdomes of the South and West-Saxons By Ina about the yeare 704 the Bishopricke of Sherborne is taken out Not long after in the yeare 711 the Bishopricke of Selsey for the South-Saxons The Diocesse after so many loppings comprehendeth now the countries onely of Surrey and Hantshire with the Iles of VVight Iersay Garnsay and Alderney In the yeare 733 Dorcester was againe made a Bishops see but for the Province of the Mercians takeÌ„ out of the Diocesse of Lichfield Out of Sherborne by Edward surnamed the Elder were devided the Bishoprickes of VVells for Sommersetshire of Ramesbury for Wiltshire and of Kirton and Bodman for Devonshire and Cornwall Of these Ramesbury became vnited againe with Sherborne in bishop Herman and the raigne of Edward the Confessour Bodman during the Danish warres was translated to S. Germans and lastly vnited with Kirton by the authority of king Canutus Of Kirton and VVells hereafter The Bishops of Winchester were otherwise in Beda named of the West-Saxons Lincolne begunne at Dorcester by Oxford in the yeares aforesaid brought hither by Bishop Remigius in the raigne of the Conquerâ—ur according to the order of a Synod at London that the Sees of bishops in obscure and decayed townes should be remoued to the chiefe citties of each Diocesse It conteined then the middle of England betwixt the riuer of Thames and Humber By king Henry the first the bishoppricke of Elie is taken out By Henry the eight those of Oxford and Peterborough It extendeth yet over Lincolneshire Leicestershire Huntingdonshire Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire with part of Hartfordshire the largest of all the English bishopricks Sarisburie begunne at Sherborne by Ina king of the West-Saxons in the person of Adelmus about the yeare 704 and remoued hither by bishop Hâ—man in the raigne of the Conquerour It conteineth now VViltshire and Barkshire Excester begunne at Kirton in Devonshire in the person of Adulfus by Edward surnamed the Elder Monarch of the English and remoued hither vnder bishop Leofricus in the raigne of Edward the Confessour VVells tooke out of the Diocesse of Sherborne and founded in the person of Athelmus by Edward the Elder Monarch of the English-Saxons By Iohn de Villula vnder king VVilliam Rufus the See was remoued to Bath Vnder bishop Robert in the raigne of king Stephen the two Churches of Bath and VVells after much contention are agreed and the Bishoppes are to assume the title of both places continuing euer since The Diocesse hereof is onely Somersetshire Chichester begun in Selsey by Edilwalch the first Christian king of the South-saxons in the person of S. VVilfride the exiled bishop of Yorke or of Northumberland the Apostle hereof after VVilfride and the conquest of the country by the West-Saxons vnited to Winchester about the yeare 711 in bishop Edbrith devided againe from Winchester and restored to Selsey and lastly from Selsey remoued hither the chiefe towne of the Diocesse by bishop Stigand in the time of William the Conquerour It conteineth onely Sussex Elye tooke of Lincolne and conteyning only Cambridgeshire founded by king Henry the first in the person of Harvaeus sometime Bishop of Bangor in Wales Norwich begun at Dunwich about the yeare 630 by Sigebert king of the East-Angles in the person of Faelix a Burgundian vnder Bisus the fourth bishop diuided into two Bishopricks of Dunwich and North-Elmham in the yeare 955 after a long vacancy during the Danish tyranny and vsurpation in the person of Athulfus restored and vnited in one bishoppricke of North-Elmham by Edwy king of the English-Saxons by bishop Herfast remoued from North-Elmham
length totally subdued by Edmund Monarch of the Saxons aided by Lewelin king of Dimetia or Southwales and giuen by Edmund vnto Malcolme king of the Scots to be held vnder the sief of the kings of England with condition to defend the Northerne frontire of the English against the Danes and forraine invaders After this time Cumberland and Westmoreland or the countrey hereof for aboue the space of one hundred yeares were possessed by the Scottish Nation whose Praefects as the Scottish writers tearme them or immediate Princes were the eldest sons or next Heires of Scotland By king William surnamed the Conquerour they were taken from the Scots and with the rest of England subjected to the Normans King Stephen ingaged in a dangerous war against Maâ—de the Empresse restored Cumberland to the Scots to be held with the old conditions recouered againe not long after by king Henry the second his successour disliking this liberalitie of Stephen and so great a diminution of his kingdome and incorporated with the Crown of England in which vnion the country hath euer since continued the name language and accompt of the Britons thorough their English and Scottish subjection being long since here worne out and extinguished THE VVELSH BRITONS THese in their natiue language call themselues Câ—mro Cymero and Cymbri as their Latihe Authours Cambri and their countrey Cambria which they would haue to be deriued from Camber one of the sonnes of Brutus their progenitour vnto whose share this part of the Iland should fall in the devision hereof with his brethren a fable begunne by Geffrey or Monmouth and yet maintained by all their Historians Commentatours men otherwise learned and skilfull in antiquities but over zealous to preferre the glory of this their Troian descent The name as before we haue shewed was common to the Britons of Cumberland and to the rest of the nation the words Britons Britaine not being British originally but imposed by the Greekes and forreiners The Etymologie hereof we cannot conjecture vnlesse from Gomar the sonne of Iapheth first peopling these VVesterne parts of Europe and from whom after Iosephus and Zonaras the Gaules were aunciently called Gomarenses and Gomares of which nation the first Britons were a colonie Their name of Welsh or Walsh was Dutch and of a later imposition signifying strangers with the Saxons in which accompt the English still held the Britons They were a more great strong remainder of the vanquished Britons vnder their King Careticus before mentioned driuen ouer the Severne by the victorious Saxons and sheltering themselues amongst the Silures Ordovices and the Mountaines of the VVest The name notwithstanding of the Welsh we finde not vntill afterwards and the yeare 708 at what time we first read in Henry of Huntington of one Gerent King of the Welshmen ouercome in so attaile by Ina the VVest-Saxon some 19 yeares after the decease of Cadwallader and end of the British kingdome The more auncient bounds hereof were vpon the South the sea of Severne by which they were diuided from the Cornish Britons vpon the West the Irish Ocean and vpon the North East the rivers Dee Severne from the Mercian Saxons By the raigne of Offa King of the Mercians succeeding in the yeare 758 all the plaine Country beyond the Severne where now is Herefordshire with parts of Glocestershire Shropshire and Worcestershire being subdued and taken in by the Saxons of Mercia they were wholy shut vp within their Mountaines for their better distinction enclosed by Offa and severed from his English with a wide and deep ditch continued from Basingwerk vpon the Dee betwixt Chester Ruthland in Flintshire along the hills vnto the mouth of the river Wye neere Bristoll whose tract in many places is yet seene and named Claudh Offa in their language or Offa's ditch afterwards the common bound of both nations Others notwithstanding as a more known limit make the river Wye to be the bounds of both Their government after Cadwallader was vnder diverse Lords whom their Histories call Kings Amogst these their Chronicle maketh mention of Edwall Roderique and Conan Tindaethwy descended from Cadwallader and following in a direct line the progenitours of the succeeding Princes Afterwards Roderique surnamed the Great grandchild by his mother vnto Conan Tindaethwy attained to a Monarchy of the whole Wales which about the yeare 870 he deuided into three parts or provinces which limited and distinguished with their meeres he left vnto his three sons with the authority name of Kings Guinedh or Northwales bounded with the Dee the Ocean the riuer Dovi the part of Anarawd his eldest sonne Deheubarth or South-wales lying beyond the riuer Dovi Powys extended vpon the East toward England the portions of Codelh and Mervin his two yonger sonnes These likewise subdeviding their estates amongst their numerous issue as did continually their successours after them for such was then the bad custome of the Welsh the countrey againe became shared amongst many petty Lords each sonne hauing a part of his fathers inheritance whereof some notwithstanding the eldest sonne most commonly or who otherwise overtopped the rest in power or favour with the people still bore the titles of their generall divisions knowne in their histories by the names of Kings of North and South-Wales and Lords of Powys continuing those stiles vntill towards their subiection to the English Amongst these likewise one was still accompted soveraigne or chiefe Lord to whom the rest were to pay tribute and to doe seruice which honour by the order of Roderique the great and of Howell Dha their lawgiuer was due vnto the succession of Anarawd before mentioned the Kings of Northwales the first borne or chiefe of the house of Cadwallader These their soueraigne lords are named kings in the Welsh historie vnto Owen surnamed Guyneth succeeding about the yeare 1137 who first is called Prince which title is continued vntill the time of Edward the first King of England to Lâ—evelyn their last prince taken vp since by the heires of the house of England By Egbert the great Saxon Monarch the nation is first made subject to the tribute and homage of the English ruled neuerthelesse after their owne lawes and free from forreine yoake vntill the Kings of England of the Norman race By Bernard de Neumarck a Norman gentleman assisted by the Aubryes and other of the French English nobility in the raigne of William Rufus king of England Brechiniauc now Brecknockshire after a long and hard warre is wrested herefrom and annexed to the English Empire By Robert Fitz-hamon in the same raigne Morganwc now Glomorganshire By Arnulph of Mountgomerie and Girald of Winsore his successour in the warre in the raigne of King Henry the first the Country of Dyvet now Pembrokeshire at what time a colonie of the Flemmings whose countrie had beene drowned by the Ocean by the permission hereof were planted in Ros a part of Dyvet continuing
eldest daughter to Edward surnamed the Outlaw eldest son to Edmund Ironside King of England by which meanes the right of the house of the Saxons Edgar Atheling the only son of Edward deceasing vnmarried and without issue descended vpon the Kings of Scotland the posterity hereof and Margaret continued herein vnto our times and the vnion of the two kingdomes in Iames our late Soveraigne of happy memory He first as is thought brought into Scotland the titles of Earles Barons with others borrowed from the neighbouring English with whom vnder Edward the Confessour during the vsurpation of Macbeth he had for a long time remained He was slaine at the taking of Anwick Castle in Northumberland after some yeares warre maintained against William the Conquerour and the Normans occasioned through his protection and ayde of the banished English Donaldus the fourth son to Duncanus yonger brother to Milcolumbus the third vsurping the kingdome by the aide of Magnus king of Norwey He was driven out by Duncanus naturall son to Milcolumbus the third Duncanus the second naturall son to Milcolumbus the third slaine by the treason of Macpendirus Earle of Merne corrupted by Donaldus the fourth liuing then exiled amongst the Westerne Ilands He thus murthered Donardus the fourth resumed the kingdome vanquished and taken prisoner not long after by Edgar the right heire son to Milcolumbus the third and Margaret ayded by his vncle Edgar and the English Edgar son to Milcolumbus the third and Margaret daughter to Edward surnamed the Outlaw His sister Maude was marryed vnto Henrie the first king of England yongest son to the Conquerour vniting hereby the royall blood of the Saxons with that of the Normans Hee deceased without issue Alexander the first son to Milcolumbus and Margaret and brother to Edgar He also deceased sans issue David the first brother to Edgar and Alexander and son to Milcolumbus and Margaret succeeding in the yeare 1124. He annexed to the Crowne of Scotland the Earledomes of Northumberland and Huntingdon acruing through his marriage with Maude daughter to Earle Waldeofus He recouered likewise Cumberland and Westmoreland from the English taken from his predecessours by William the Conquerour restored vnto him by the liberality of king Stephen Milcolumbus the fourth son to Henrie prince of Scotland son to king David Vnable to withstand the ambition and greater power hereof he quitted Northumberland Westmoreland and Cumberland vnto Henry the second king of England retaining onely the Earledome of Huntingdon of all his English possessions left for a time vnto his successours He deceased without issue vnmarried VVilliam brother to Malcolme the fourth Taken prisoner at the battaill of Anwijck to procure his libertie peace with the English he did homage and sweare fealty vnto king Henry the second for the Crowne of Scotland Alexander the second son to William Alexander the third son to Alexander the second He deceased in the yeare 1285 without heires of his body or not long surviving The whole issue hereof and of king Alexander the second and William extinguished their contended for the soveraignety Iohn Balliol Lord of Galloway son to Iohn Balliol and Dornagilla daughter to Alan Lord of Galloway and Margaret eldest daughter to David Earle of Huntingdon brother to king William great vncle to Alexander the third and Robert Bruce Lord of Annandale son to Robert Bruce and Isabell second daughter to David Earle of Huntingdon and sister to Margaret both parties challenging a chiefer right and interest before the other Balliol as descended from the elder sister and Bruce as nearer by one degree to Earle David The Scots not able to determine the controversie or without armes Edward the first king of England is chosen vmpire After 6 yeares vacancy the right is adiudged on the behalfe of Balliol by king Edward with condition of his acknowledgment and homage to the English Crowne Iohn Balliol Lord of Galloway king of Scotland by the arbitration of king Edward the first He did homage to king Edward at the towne of Newcastle vpon Tine according to the agreement made betwixt them Discontenting his subjects through this his English subjection to regaine their lost loues or after my Scottish Authours provoked with some disgrace iniuries receiued from Edward he renounced not long after his homage and fealty sworne to the English warred vpon by Edward and after some ouerthrowes vnable to withstand so valiant and great a Monarcke forced to resigne into the hands hereof the whole right and interest he had or might claime to the Crowne of Scotland imprisoned afterwards in the towre of London and set at liberty by the mediation of Pope Boniface the eight and sent ouer to his inheritance and possessions in France where in a private fortune he dyed After this king Edward the first of England made a full conquest of the Scots whō he kept vnder hard subjection during his whole raigne although not without sundry defections and rebellions of this fierce stirring nation moued by William Walleys Robert Bruce and others most commonly to their losse He deceasing through their great victorie at Banocks-bourne neare Striueling obtained against Edward the second and the English and the tumults disorders hapning in England during the raigne of this weake and vnfortunate prince the Scots againe recouer their libertie Robet Bruce formerly crowned in the raigne of Edward the first is confirmed king Robert the first son to Robert Bruce lord of Anandale competitour of the kingdome with Iohn Balliol king of Scotland by right of warre his birth and the voluntary cession of Balliol the restorer of the Scottish name and liberty after a victorious and happy raigne deceasing in the yeare 1329. David the second king of Scotland son to Robert the first In the minority hereof Edward Balliol son to Iohn Balliol invadeth and by the helpe of the English obtayneth the Scottish Crowne to be held by him vnder the homage and protection of Edward the third king of England opposed by the faction of David Balliol and his Enhlish after long miserie and war being thrust out king David recovereth his almost lost kindgome taken prisoner shortly after at the battaill of Nevills crosse neere Durham invading England in favour of his auncient friends the French distressed through the many victories of Edward the third and the English He deceased without issue in the yeare 1370 the second and last king of Scotland of the house and name of Bruce Robert the second the first of the familie name of the Stewarts descended from Walter created Stewart of Scotland by Malcolme the third which name of office grew afterwards a surname to his house and ofspring king of Scotland in right from his mother eldest daughter to Robert the first and sister to Dauid the second Since this time the name and house of Stewarts haue still worne the regall Crowne of the Scottish dominions Iohn the second called Robert after his inauguration the name of Iohn as
ominous cast off by a decree of the states vnluckie to the Scottish French and English Monarchs son to Robert the second Iames the first son to Iohn or Robert the third murthered in his bed at Perth by Walter Earle of Athol Iames the second sonne to Iames the first slaine at the siege of the Castle of Rosburg against the English Iames the third son to Iames the second slaine in battaill against his seditious and rebellious subjects neere the towne of Sterling Iames the fourth son to Iames the third He married the Lady Margaret eldest daughter to Henry the seaventh king of England He was slaine at the field of Floddon by Thomas Howard Earle of Surrey and the English Iames the fift son to Iames the fourth and Margaret daughter to king Henry the seaventh He deceased without male issue Mary daughter to Iames the fift Iames of happy memory son to Henry Stewart Lord Darly and Mary Queene of Scotland The famous and victorious Queene Elizabeth in the yeare 1602 deceasing vnmarryed the last descended from the male issue of Henry the seaventh and Elizabeth he succeeded in the English dominions descended from Lady Margaret aforesaid the right and vndoubted heire of the three princely houses of the Saxon Scottish and Norman Kings and the first sole Monarke of Great Britaine Ireland and the neighbouring Ilands Charles king of great Britaine France and Ireland son to Iames of happy memory whom God long preserue THE ENGLISH THey were a German people mentioned by Tacitus and Ptolemy contayning part of the great and populous nation of the Suevi Ptolemy placeth them in this time about the middle of that vast continent and the riuer Albis with which riuer they were bounded vpon the North having towards the West the people of the Longobards They inhabited then most probably according to his discription the parts where now lie the Bishopricke of Hall and the Higher Saxony about Wittenberg Their interpretations seeme absurd who in regard of the affinity of the names would haue them seated about Engerne in Westphalen or Angloen in Pomerania places farre distant from the river Elb or the heart of Germany Afterwards towards the waine of the Romane Empire they flitted to the German Ocean more Westwards Beda before their invasion of this Iland placed them there betwixt the Iutes lying vpon the North of them and the Saxons vpon the South Ethelwerd an auncient Authour liuing not long after Beda more distinctly maketh Sleswiick then to be their chiefe citie situated in the Cimbrian Chersonese betwixt the two nations now mentioned The name of Angelen in the present Dukedome of Schleswiick together with these authorities manifestly proue that to haue beene their country in Dutchland immediatly before their English arriuall THE IVTES THe Iutes doubtles were the Gutae of Ptolemy inhabiting the Southerne part of Scandia which he mistaketh to be an Iland and attributeth vnto Germany In the declining age of the Westerne Empire the exact time we finde not sayling ouer the Bay Codanus or the Straights of the Sundt they flitted into the neighbouring Cimbrian Chersonese subdued or made viode which is the more likely vpon the departure of the Cimbri and other Dutch people drawing more Southwards towards the Romane frontier vniting into the common names of Saxons French or Almans Beda placeth them in this Chersonese vpon the North of the English or of Sleswiick their chiefe towne Their memorie is here yet preserued in the name of Iutlandt the part of the Chersonese or of Denmarke lying vpon the North of the Dukedome of Schleswiick THE SAXONS OF this nation we haue spoken more fully in the relation of Germany They were likewise a Dutch people mentioned by Ptolemy inhabiting then the necke of the Cimbrian Chersonese now Holstein Afterwards passing the riuer Elbe and sundry other German names joyning into this common they spread Southwards as farre as the French These conquering and remouing into Gaule they enlarged vnto the right shore of the riuer Rhijn By the raigne of the Emperour Charles the great they extended along the German Ocean from the river Eydore deviding them from the Danes vnto the Rhijn from the fall of that river vpwards as high as Colen parting them from the French These three German nations since their affaire with the Britons are onely by Beda thus particularly named and distinguished By Ammianus Marcellinus Gildas and other Authours before his time the Dutch infesting Britaine are all called by one generall name of the Saxons After Beda and the more ancient English historians they are sometimes named the English by others the Saxons and English-Saxons That they were the different parts of one generall Dutch name or people it is by all agreed In the yeare 449 according to Beda if his accompt be right Valentinian the third and Theodosius the second then governing the Roman Empire after long pyracies vpon the sea-coasts hereof they first to any any purpose enter and inhabit Britaine called in by Vortigerne and the Britons to their aide against the Scots and Picts and vnder Hengist and Horsa their Captaines planted in the Iland of Thanet in Kent given vnto them by Vortigerne The Scots Picts being vanquished and overthrowne through their valour neere Stamford after Henry of Huntingdon and the weakenesse of the Ilanders discouered new supplies from Germany are sent for by Hengist with his faire daughter Rowena marryed shortly after to the lustfull prince Vortigerne bewitched with her beauty by whom for his consent and more firme friendship with the Saxons Kent is allotted to Hengist about the yeare 455 by him erected into a kingdome the first dominion of the Saxons in Britaine This forreine friendship and alliance with the daily intrusion of the Dutch growing suspected by the Britons Vortigerne deposed and Vortimer his son by a former wife elected king hot warres ensue betwixt the two nations continued with deadly hate furie for many hundred yeares betwixt them whose effect was the finall expulsion of the Britons beyond the Severne amongst the Welsh Mountaines which happened by the raigne of their King Caereticus about the yeare 586 and the conquest of the plaine and Easterne countrey by the Saxons with fresh companies continually invading the Iland vpon occasion of those warres or allured with the happy successe of those first adventurers and beginning sundry small kingdomes in the parts where they arrived or tooke vp to inhabite whereof some one notwithstanding still bore a sway over the rest whose King was accōpted soveraigne or Monarch the kingdomes of Kent the South-Saxons East-Saxons East-Angles Northumberland Mercia and of the West-Saxons whose originall continuance and fortunes vntill their vnion into the kingdome of the West-Saxons name of England come next in place THE KINGDOME OF THE KENTISH SAXONS THis contained onely Kent It was begunne by Hengist aforesaid the first Saxon Captaine that invaded Britaine vnto whom the countrey was
Egbert and through their owne intestine broyles and in the yeare 819 by the decree of Egbert at an assembly of the states at VVinchester joyned into one entire state or common name of England continued through many successions of princes vnto our times The order of the kings of the VVest-Saxons followeth vntill the Heptarchy determined and the vnion and name of England Cerdic before mentioned the first king of the West-Saxons about the yeare 502 and 43 yeares after the first arrivall of Hengist After Ella of the South-Saxons he attayned to the chiefe rule or soueraignety amongst the Saxon princes the third Monarch of the English continued in his successours for two descents Kenrik king of the West-Saxons and Monarch or chiefe king of the English son to Cerdic Cheulin king of the West-Saxons chiefe king or Monarch of the English son to Kenrik After sundry conquests and great victories against the Britons and Kentish Saxons he was lastly ouerthrowne and driuen out by a joynt warre of the Welsh and his seditious subjects discontented with his insolent government drawne on through the treason and ambition of his nephew Cealic Cealic king of the West-Saxons son to Cuthwolf brother to Cheulin and son to Kenric He lost the Monarchy or chiefe rule of the English vnto Ethelbert king of the Kentish men Chelwolf king of the VVest-Saxons son to Cuth brother to Cheulin Kingils son to Chel brother to Chelwolfe king of the VVest-Saxons succeeding in the yeare 612. He first of the VVest-Saxon princes embraced the Christian Religion won to the faith by the preaching of Berinus an Italian the first Bishop of Dorchester in Oxfordshire and through the holy zeale and endeavours of Oswald king of Northumberland He tooke for his companion in the government his son Quincheline who deceased before him Kenwald king of the VVest-Saxons son to Kengils he founded the rich abbey of Malmesburie and the great Church of VVinchester He deceasing without issue his wife Segburg a manly woman for a time mannaged the affaires of the kingdome succeeded vnto by Eskwin Eskwin king of the VVest-Saxons descended from Cerdic Kenwin king of the VVest-Saxons brother to Kenwald and son to Kingils He much enlarged the kingdome of the VVest-Saxons vpon the Bordering Britons or VVelsh Ceadwalla king of the VVest-Saxons descended from Kenric He slew in fight Edilwalch the last king of the South-Saxons After much cruelty and outrage committed against the neighbouring South and Kentish-Saxons to expiate his sinnes following the manner of those superstitious times he departed on holy pilgrimage to Rome baptized there by Sergius Bishop of that sea where shortly after he dyed Ina king of the West-Saxons descended from Cheulin He annexed to his dominions the Countrie of the South-Saxons and founded the Colledge of Wels and the great Monastery of Glastenbury Ambitious of the honour of his predecessour hee went to Rome and put on the habit of religion deceasing in a private fortune hauing first subjected his kingdome to the payment of Peter-pence to that sea Ethelard king of the West-Saxons descended from Cheulin Cuthred king of the West-Saxons brother to Ethelard About this time after Beda the dead corps of the deceased begun first to bee enterred within townes and cities formerly after the manner of the Turkes at this day buried in the fields Sigebert of vnknowne parentage king of the West-Saxons driven out by his seditious subjects pretending his tyrannie and many vices Kenwulf king of the West-Saxons descended from Cerdic He was slaine by Kineard brother to Sigebert Brithric descended from Cerdic king of the West-Saxons succeeding in the yeare 784. In the time hereof and yeare 787 the Danes first arriue and discover the Westerne coasts of the Iland followed with greater forces in the raigne of Egbert and the succeeding English Monarches He was poysoned by his Queene Ethelburga daughter to Offa the great king of the Mercians In regard of this treason the wiues of the succeeding West-Saxon Monarches were by law afterwards excluded from all state place and title of princes Egbert king of the VVest-Saxons descended from Cheulin and succeeding in the yeare 800. He subdued the Cornish Britons and the Kentish and East-Saxons with those of Mercia east-East-England and Northumberland Of these Kent and the East-Saxons with the Cornish Britons he immediatly incorporated with his kingdome of the West-Saxons The rest which were Northumberland with the East-Angles and Mercians he commaunded by his substitutes or Vice-royes All notwithstanding he vnited into one entire Monarchie which he named of England from the Angli or English of whom himselfe was descended or in regard of the greater extent of that people contayning after Beda the Mercians Northumbrians and Mercians or some two thirds of the whole Dutch Nation whereof he was Crowned king in the yeare 819 some 370 yeares after the arrivall of Hengist In this sort the Heptarchy extinguished the whole Southerne part of the Iland tooke the name of England Wales the Britons of Cumberland excepted whose fortunes vntill the returne hereof into the vnion of Britaine vnder Lames out late Soveraigne of happy memory remaine in the next place to bee related THE KINGDOME OF ENGLAND THis was begun by Egbert aforesaid The manner and yeare wee haue even now shewed It was bounded more aunciently with the German Ocean vpon the East vpon the South with the English channell from France vpon the West with the Welsh and Britons of Cumberland with part of the Westerne or Irish Ocean from Ireland and vpon the North with the river Tweede from the Picts or Scotland King William surnamed the Conquerour added Cumberland and VVestmoreland parts of the auncient kingdome of the Cumbri wrested from the Scots His son Rufus and the succeeding princes of the Norman bloud added VVales By the raigne of king Edward the first VVales then being totally subdued the accompt and name of England enlarged ouer all the part of the Iland lying vpon the South of the river Tweede and Solway Frith the present extent of the kingdome It hath suffered sundry changes since this its first name and erection being twise conquered by forreine power and made subject to three different successions of Monarches 1 Of the race of the VVest-Saxons 2. Of the Danes 3 and of the Normans THE KINGDOME OF ENGLAND VNDER THE VVEST-SAXONS THe Kings of England follow of the house of the West-Saxons and vntill the Danish subiection Egbert king of the West-Saxons the Heptarchy destroyed crowned king of England at a Parliament of the states held at Winchester in the yeare 819. In the raigne of this prince the Danes begin their fierce invasions of the English continued with variable successe during the whole time of Englands Monarches of the race of the West-Saxons and vntill the yeare 1016 and conquest of the whole by Canutus He deceased in the yeare 836. Ethelwolf and Athelstan sons to Egbert succeeding to their father in the kingdome of England and the Danish warres Of these
the Great king of the Frenchmen vnder their king Godfrey wee finde them in Aymonius extended Southwards in the Chersonesse as far as the riuer Eydore dividing them from the Saxons beyond the Elb the present bounds now of Denmark from the land of Holstein and the German Empire In the yeare 787 and raigne of Brithric king of the West-Saxons agreeing with the 20 yeare of Charles the Great we first heare of them in England with three ships landing in the South-West parts hereof not so much attempting a conquest as making a discouery of the country In the next raigne of Great Egbert they first to any purpose invaded the Iland arriuing at seuerall times in the Iland of Lindisferne in the North in Wales and in the I le of Shepeye in Kent not without much difficulty driuen out by Egbert He deceasing they fell on with greater power and rage in the raignes of his sons Ethelwolf and Athelstan and of the succeeding English Monarches sons to Ethelwolf laying waste and beating downe all before them and subduing the Provinces of the Mercians East-Angles and Northumbrians where the English Governours or Princes being either slaine or beaten out they erected petty tyrannies of their owne Nation omitting no kinde of barbarous cruelty vpon the miserable and distressed inhabitants By the wisdome patience and great valour of learned Alfred this violent torrent is somewhat asswaged and the edge of their fury abated By Edward surnamed the Elder the East-Angles are recovered and vnited againe to the English Empire By Athelstan Northumberland or the rest of England the Danes being either wholy expulsed by him or made subject to his government mixing amongst and ioyning in alliance with the English By Edmund the first and Edred the Danes rebelling in Northumberland are againe vanquished and reduced into the English obedience after whom we heere read no more of them during the more peaceable raignes of Edwy Edgar and Edward surnamed the Martyr and vntil Ethelred the second In the vnfortunate raigne of this Prince they begin afresh their intermitted pyracies war which after the treacherous massacre of the Nation by Etheldred they maintained with a more eager pursuit and bloudie revenge managed in person by Swaine and Canutus their powerfull kings In the yeare 1016 both sides wearied with their continuall fights and mutuall butcheries they come to a composition with the English and the kingdome is divided betwixt the reconciled kings Canutus son to Swaine and Edmund Ironside son to Etheldred The death of the Iron-side hapning in the same yeare put shortly an end to this division and a beginning to the Monarchie of the Danes after whom the English loath as before any more to hazard submitted voluntarily to Canutus and the Danish government The time from the first arrivall of the Danes in the raigne of Brithricus king of the West-Saxons vnto the conquest of England by Canutus was 229 yeares The male issue of Canutus fayling in his son Hardi-canute the English in the person of Edward surnamed the Confessour resume the soveraignty the Danes thrust out The kings of England follow of the Danish descent off-spring Canutus surnamed the Great king of England Denmarke Norweye and Sweden son to Swaine He tooke to wife Emme sister to Richard the third Duke of Normandy widow to king Ethelred mother to Edward the Confessour Peace his kingdome established hee vnburthened the land of the multitudes of his Danish souldiers contented with a large salary at the request of Emme sent back into their Country Hauing governed with much piety iustice moderation for the space of 19 yeares hee deceased in the yeare 1035 buried at Winchester Harold king of England naturall son to Canutus intruding in the absence of his brother Hardi-canute to whom England with Denmarke had beene allotted by the will of Canutus He deceased without issue in the yeare 1040. Hardi-canute king of England son to Canutus Emma He deceased likewise sans issue in the yeare 1042 the last prince of the Danish bloud The house of Canutus being thus extinguished the Crowne of England all Danish forraine bloud by a present Decree of the States excluded returneth againe vpon the English Edward for his Saint-like life surnamed the Coufessour son to Ethelred Emma is sent for out of France where with Richard William Dukes of Normandy he had soiourned during the Danish vsurpation by a generall consent succeedeth in the kingdome to whom besides his nearenesse in regard of his English descent the right of the Danes did seeme in a manner to appertaine being halfe brother to the late deceased king THE KINGDOME OF ENGLAND recovered by the English or VVest-Saxons EDward surnamed the Confessour king of England son to king Ethelred the second Emma Daughter to Richard the second Duke of Normandy succeeding in the yeare 1042 Edward surnamed the out-law eldest son to Edmund Ironside the right heire remaining then in Hungarie passed ouer by the practise of Queene Emma very gracious in the subjects eyes or for that liuing in too forreine remote parts He deceased in the yeare 1066 marryed but hauing neuer vsed the company of his wife reputed in those blind times amongst his many true noble vertues deserving his accompt and name of Saint the last in the line masculine of the house of the West-Saxons Edward deceased Edgar Ethelinge the true heire son to Edward surnamed the out-law neglected as too young a forreiner borne in Hungary Harold son to Goodwin Earle of Kent Duke of the West-Saxons without either choyse or dislike of the irresolute English intrudeth into the Gouernment well approved for his great valour other Princely vertues befitting a king Harold king of England son to Goodwin Duke of the West-Saxons Earle of Kent succeeding in the yeare 1066 opposed by Harold Haardread king of Denmarke challenging the Crowne in the right of his Danish succession and by William surnamed the Bastard Duke of Normandy pretending the donation of Edward the Confessour The Dane vanquished slaine at Stamfordbridge in Yorkeshire with his torne and wearied troupes adventuring shortly after his person and the fortunes of the English against the Norman at the great battaile neare Hasting in Sussex he there most vnfortunately within the first yeare of his raigne lost both his kingdome and life the last English or Saxon king succeeded vnto by William the Conquerour and the Normans whose turne now falleth in the last place THE KINGDOME OF ENGLAND vnder the Normans THe word Normans or Nortmans signified Northerne men with the Dutch of which Nation and language they were The name was common to the Danes Norvegians and Swethlanders or to whatsoeuer German people inhabiting towards the Pole Artique and the North taken vp or giuen vnto them from such their more Northerly situation An ancient Frencb Historian liuing in the raigne of the Emperour Lewis the Godly about which time we finde them
to king Edward the third by Anna his wife daughter to Roger Mortimer Earle of March son to Edmund Mortimer Philippa daughter and sole heire of Lionel Duke of Clarence third son to king Edward king of England and France Lord of Ireland by conquest and the right of his house Edward the fift king of England and France and Lord of Ireland son to Edward the fourth deposed and afterwards murthered by his vnnaturall vncle Richard the third deceasing without issue Richard the third son to Richard Duke of Yorke and yonger brother to Edward the fourth He was slaine at Bosworth field against Henry the seaventh the last king of the name of Plantagenet Henry the seaventh king of England France and Lord of Ireland son to Edmund Earle of Richmund and Margaret his wife daughter to Iohn Duke of Somerset sonne to Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster by Catherine Swinford the next and almost onely surviuing person of the house of Lancaster butchered in the late warres The better to assure the kingdome to his posterity and to prevent all future quarrells he tooke to wife Elizabeth eldest daughter to king Edward the fourth vniting in his issue the vndoubted rights of both factions of Lancaster Yorke Henry the eight son to Henry the seaventh He made Ireland a kingdome and first assumed the title of Defendour of the faith Edward the sixt king of England France and Ireland son to Henry the eight Mary Queene of England France and Ireland daughter to Henry the eight sister to Edward Elizabeth of famous memory Queene of England France Ireland sister to Edward Mary Iames of happie memory the sixt of that name king of Scotland in the yeare 1602 the whole issue of king Henry the eight being extinguished in Elizabeth succeeding in the kingdome of England and the dominions therevnto belonging son to Henry Stuart Lord Darly and Mary Queene of the Scots daughter to Iames the fift son to Iames the fourth Margaret eldest daughter to king Henry the seaventh the first sole Monarch of Great Britaine and of the neighbouring Ilands Charles king of Great Britaine France Ireland whom God long preserue sonne to Iames of happie memorie In this sort the Iland of Great Britaine having suffered so many alterations is at length now become devided into two onely kingdomes governed by one Monarch but not any wise depending or subordinate to another the kingdome of England lying vpon the South of the river Tweede Solwey Frith and the kingdome of Scotland lying beyond The kingdome of England our present subject hath beene formerly devided into 52 Shires or Counties Kent Sussex Surrey Barkeshire Hantshire Wiltshire Somersetshire Dorsetshire Devonshire Cornwall Glocestershire Oxfordshire Buckinghamshire Bedfordshire Hartfordshire Middlesex Essex Suffolke Norfolke Cambridgeshire Huntingdonshire Northamptonshire Rutlandshire Leicestershire Lincolneshire Nottinghamshire Darbyshire Cheshire Staffordshire Warwickshire Worcestershire Shropshire Herefordshire Monmouthshire Glamorganshire Brecknockshire Radnorshire Caermardenshire Penbrokeshire Cardiganshire Merioneihshire Caernarvonshire Anglesey Denbighshire Flintshire Lancashire Yorkeshire the Bishopricke of Durham Westmoreland Cumberland Northumberland Of these Kent retayneth yet the auncient name Essex Sussex haue bin thus called from the East South-Saxons Midlesex from the situation of the English or Dutch inhabitants planted betwixt the West South East Mercian Saxons Devonshire or Denshire from the Danmonij the auncient British inhabitants Westmoreland from the more Westerne position and quality of the countrey being hilly and full of fruitles wasts named Mores by the Northerne English Northumberland from the English kingdome of Northumberland whereof it was a part Rutlandshire most probably from the ruddie colour of the soile Barkeshire from the wood Berroc after Asser Menevensis Glamorganshire from the word Mor signifying the sea with the Britons or Welsh vpon which it lyeth Wiltshire and Somersetshire from Wilton and Somerton decayed townes sometimes the chiefe of the Shires Anglesey from the English since the possession hereof by the Nation Suth-rey or Surrey signifyeth with the English the Southerne kingdome a part of the kingdome of the South-Saxons Suffolke Norfolke the more Southerne and Northerne people compared thus together the parts sometimes of the kingdome of the East-Angles The occasion of the names of Cornwall and Cumberland we euen now related Merioneth was the auncient name given by the Welsh The reason hereof we finde not The rest haue beene named from the chiefe townes of each devision Their descriptions follow L. D. THE THIRD BOOKE Contayning the Chorographicall description of England KENT BOunded vpon the South and East with the English channell and the German Ocean vpon the North with the river Thames from Essex and vpon the West with Surrey and Sussex The country is hilly shaded with hedge-rowes woods populous and fruitfull planted with a frugall and industrious inhabitant The aire is thick and in many places agueish and vnholsome for this cause or in regard of some bad vapours from a wet cold and vnhealthfull ground Places of better note are Canterbury vpon the river Stour Darvernum of Ptolemy Durovernum of Antoninus Durovernia of Beda the chiefe towne and an Archbishops sea the Primate of the kingdome founded by Ethelbert the first Christian king of Kent in the person of S. Austine the Apostle of the English Vpon the Ocean Reculver a country village Regulbium of the Notitia the Station of the 1 Cohort named of the Vetasii Sandwich a Cinque Port. In the neighbouring fields stood the towne Rhutupiae of Ptolemy and Rhitupae of Antoninus the tract of whose streets are yet discovered by a more thin growth of corne in those places named S. Augustines crosse by the vulgar people a famous port of the Romans and the Mansion of their 2 d Legion surnamed Augusta drawne hither in the waine of that Empire from Isca Silurum now Caer Leon in South-Wales to defend the coast against the pyracies and incursions of the Saxons North hereof lyeth the I le of Tenet Thanatos of Ptolemy made by the river Stour here dividing and falling into the Ocean with two branches or channels The foreland a promontory of the Iland is named Cantium by Ptolemy in some editions corruptly Nucantium and Acantium Dover vnder the cliffs and where they divide Dubris of Antoninus and Dubrae of the the Notitia the Station of a foot company of the Tungricani a noted passage into France and one of the Cinque ports defended with a spacious and strong castle mounted vpon a high and praecipitous rocke commaunding the subject Ocean The Constable hereof is Warden of the Cinque ports The straight of the sea betwixt this and the Continent named by the French Le Pas de Calais by the Latines Fretum Caletanum containeth about 30 miles in breadth At the castle of Deale a low shore in the way towards Sandwich Caesar is thought to haue landed when he first invaded Britaine Along the cliffs Folkeston Hide a cinque port
name and accompt they at this day continue Henry the first king of Castile son to Alfonsus the eight He dyed without issue Ferdinand the third son to Alfonsus the ninth king of Leon and of Berengaria yonger sister to Henry the first deceased in right from his mother king of Castile Blanche elder sister to Berengaria then wife to Lewes son to Philip the French King refused His father deceasing hee succeeded likewise in the Kingdome of Leon. After this last vnion the two Kingdomes were neuer againe seuered incorporated into one entire state knowne now by the name of Castille Leon. He recouered from the Moores the countries of Andaluzia and Murcia contayning then the petty Kingdomes of Murcia and Sivillia with part of the Kingdome of Cordova In the raigne hereof and yeare 1239 began the famous kingdome of Granado by Mahomet Aben-Alhamar King of Cordova vpon the surprisall of that city by Ferdinand remouing hither his royall seate Alfonsus the tenth King of Castile and Leon son to Ferdinand the third He was that famous Astronomer whose workes are now extant with vs the framer of the Tables of Alfonsus named from him The German Electours diuided he was chosen by his factiō Emperour of the Romans against Richard Earle of Cornwall brother to Henry the third King of England detained notwithstanding at home during his whole raigne with civill warres against his vnnaturall son Sanctius much more happy in the loue of the Muses then of his subiects Sanctius the third king of Castile and Leon the rebellious son of Alfonsus the tenth Ferdinand the fourth son to Sanctius the third Alfonsus the eleauenth son to Ferdinand the fourth Peter the first son to Alfonsus the eleauenth He was driuen out for his cruelty and was restored againe by Edward named the Blacke Prince son to Edward the third king of England Destitute of the English succours not long after he lost both his kingdome life overcome and slaine by his brother Henry Henry the second brother to Peter the first and naturall son to Alfonsus the eleaventh Iohn the first king of Castille Leon son to Henry the second opposed by Iohn of Gaunt duke of Lancaster pretending the right of Constance his wife daughter to Peter the first In this prince by his marriage of D. Maria Diaz de Haro daughter and inheretresse to Don Lopez Diaz de Haro last prince of Biscaia and Guipuscoa these seigneuries were annexed to the crowne of Castille Comming to composition with Iohn duke of Lancaster hee marryed his sonne Henry vnto Catherine daughter to the other by agreement created vpon the marriage prince of Asturia which title occasioned from the English whose eldest sons are named princes of Wales hath ever since bin continued in the heires of Castille or Spaine Henry the third son to Iohn the first He married vnto Catherine daughter to Iohn of Gaunt duke of Lancaster Iohn the second son to Henry the third Henry the fourth son to Iohn the second He deceased without heires of his body Elizabeth queene of Castille Leon sister to Henry the fourth She married vnto Ferdinand the fift king of Aragon Sicily In the raigne hereof the countreyes of Granado Navarra the French Moores being expulsed became annexed to the house hereof and incorporated with Castille and the whole Spaine the kingdome of Portugall excepted vnited vnder one Monarch Naples likewise was then conquered from the French and the house of Ferdinand the bastard and the rich new-found world first discovered added to the dominion hereof Philip the first Arch-duke of Austria and Duke of Bungundie son to the Emperour Maximilian the first Mary Dutchesse of Burgundie king of Castille Leon in right of his wife Ioane eldest daughter to Ferdinand the fift and Elizabeth kings of Castille Aragon Philip deceasing and Ioane of Aragon his Queene in regard of her frenzy and indisposition being vnfit to governe Ferdinand the fift in the minority of Charles the fift reassumed againe the kingdome of Castille Charles the fift son to Philip the first and Ioane of Aragon after the decease of his grandfathers Maximilian the first Emperour and king Ferdinand the fift elected Emperour of the Romans and succeeding in the kingdomes of Castille Leon Aragon Naples Sicily Hierusalem and of the Indyes the Dukedomes of Austria Burgundy and the dominions of the low-countries He added vnto these in Italy the great Dukedome of Milan after the decease of Francis Sforcia without heires according to the composition made betwixt them and in the Netherlands the Provinces of Vtreicht Over-Ysel Zutphen Gelderland Wearyed with long sicknes and the burthen of so great an Empire he voluntarily surrendred all his estates vnto his younger brother Ferdinand and his son Philip the second cloistering himselfe vp in the monastery of S t Iustus in Estremadura where in a private fortune he dyed Philip the second son vnto the Emperour Charles the fift lord of all the kingdomes and possessions belonging to the house of Burgundy Spaine The German Empire and the dominions of Austria were left vnto his vncle Ferdinand Sebastian king of Portugal being slaine in Afrique by the Moores at the battaile of Alcacar and his vncle Cardinall Henry not long after surviuing by the great captain Don Ferdin̄d Alvares de Toledo in the yeare 1580 he cōquered that kingdome the first Monarch of Spaine since king Rodericus and the Gothes To giue a checke vnto this sudden and over-great prosperity the Low-countries in his time revolted eight of whose richest provinces Holland Zealand Vtreicht Over-Ysel Gelderland Zutphen West-Freisland Groninghen haue now by armes freed themselues from the Spanish yoake and subjection Philip the Third son to Philip the second succeeding in the dominions conquests of Spaine The Netherlands were assigned by his father vnto his sister Isabella marryed vnto Albert Arch-duke of Austria Philip the fourth son to Philip the third now king of Castille Spaine and of the many provinces subject to the great Empire hereof THE KINGDOME OF NAVARRA THe Kingdome hereof was first begun amongst the Pyrenean Mountaines in the parts whereabout now standeth the towne of Suprarbe by the Vascones the naturall inhabitants or rather by certaine remnants of the shipwrack'd and flying Christians in that great invndation of the Moores retreating amongst the safer rocks and shelters hereof The exact time when it begun is not set downe Onely thus much is agreed vpon that Garcias Ximinius the first king dyed in the yeare 758 some 42 yeares after the first erection of the kingdome of the Asturians or Leon. It was first entituled the kingdome of Suprarbe then the chiefe towne of those mountainous parts Afterwards it tooke the name of Navarra most probably vnder Innicus Garcias at what time first descending from the mountaines where the former kings had kept themselues immur'd they tooke in Pampelona and the plaine countrey from the Moores By the raigne of Sanctius the Great
Die Valence and Viviers vnder Arles Marseilles Tolon Aurange and S. Paul and vnder Avignon Carpentras Cavaillon and Tarascon Heere are likewise the Bishops of Metz Toul and Verdun but subordinate to the Arch-bishop and Electour of Triers in Germany The yearely revenues hereof of other Ecclesiasticall livings before the ciuill wars as an inventory takē thereof in the yeare 1543 related by Chappuys amounted to 12 millions 300 thousand pounds besides other casuall yet ordinary commings in or as by another estimate of Monsieur Allemant President of Accōpts at Paris to 712 parts of the whole revenues of France They are yet litle diminished the Cleargie possessing in a maner whatsoever they formerly enjoyed Concerning the ciuill statc the whole as governed by one king so is incorporated into one only kingdome The Lawes whereby it is governed are partly the French or Municipall and partly where these are defectiue the civill or Roman and partly customes which in some parts almost onely are in vse yet which the king may alter at his pleasure if hee see them to be prejudiciall to the state The Professours hereof are only Civilians brought vp in their Vniversities of which there are many in this kingdome especially for this profession in regard of the multiplicity of suites thorough the quarelsome nature of the people For the more due administration of justice the realme is divided into many shires or Balliages and Seneschausees as they terme them besides almost infinite subordinate courts where by their Baillifs and Seneschaux and their assistants which two Magistrates after Pasquier are all one and differ but in name all matters are adjudged both civill and criminall but with reference to the high Courts of Parliament wherevnto they are subject and whither appeales may be made according to every ones resort These Bailliages and Seneschaussees are thus ranked vnder their severall Parliaments In Bretaigne the Bailliages of Renes and Nantes vnder the Parliament of Renes In Normandy of Roan Caux Gisors Eureux Alençon Caen and Constances vnder the Parliament of Roan Vnder the Parliament of Paris in Picardy the Bailliages of Amiens Laon Boulogne and Abbeville in Champaigne of Rheims Troy Sens Vitry Chaumont and Auxerre in Brie of Chasteau-Thierry Provins and Meaux in France Speciall of Senlis and Melun with the Vicounte or Prevoste of Paris in Beausse the Seneschaussee of Angiers with the Bailliages of Orleans Chartres Mans Montfort l' Amaulry Tours and Blois in Berry the Bailliage of Bourges in Rochelois of Rochelle in Poictou the Seneschaussee of Poictiers in Bourbonois of Moulins in Lionnois of Lions in Limaigne or le Basse Auvergne of Rions and in Engoulmois of Engoulesme Vnder the Parliament of Bourdeaux in Limousin the Seneschausees of Limoges and Brive in Perigort of Perigueux in Guienne of Sainctes Bourdeaux Basats and Lapourd in Agennois and Condomois parts of Gascoigne at Agen and Condom Vnder the Parliament of Tholouse for the rest of Gascoigne the Seneschaussees of Lactoure and Tarbe in high Auvergne the Seneschaussee of Orillac in Quercy of Cahors in Rovergne of Rhodes in Languedoc of Tholouse Carcassone and Beaucaire In Provence vnder the Parliament of Aix the Seneschaussees of Aix and Cisteron In Daulphinie vnder the Parliament of Grenoble the Seneschaussees of Grenoble Vienne Valençe and in la Bourgoigne vnder the Parliament of Diion the Bailliages of Diion Austun Chalon vpon Soasne Semur and la Montagne Of these 8 Parliaments the chiefe is that of Paris whether appeale may be made from the other seaven The Bailliages likewise and Seneschaussees haue vnder them many subordinate places of Iustice called by the French les Seiges Royaux les Chastellenies and les Bailliages Subalternes resortable herevnto as those are to the Parliaments Heere are also some peculiar and exempted places suiting no superiour courts such as are the litle Principality of Dombes with the countries of Avignon and Aurenge which two howsoeuer that they are seated within the maine land of Provençe acknowledge notwithstanding onely their owne lawes and Lords the Pope Princes of Aurenge The King is hereditary but where no women by a pretended Salique law as neither their issue thorough their right doe inherite This law as the tradition goeth was first made by Pharamond was so named of the Salij a French people called thus from the Ysel one of the three maine channels of the Rhijn where they inhabited before their comming into Gaule The words thereof are as my authour reciteth them that no women shall haue any portion in the Salique lād which although not restrayned to any sort of inheritance meant onely of the countrey of the Salij lying without the limits of moderne France they vnderstand notwithstanding of the present France and interpret onely of the kingdome forced heevnto for that custome and examples are manifest of women inheretrices in their Dukedomes and private possessions But that this hath beene a meere imposture of the French Sieur du Haillan a natiue Frenchman is plaine in his History of France and in the life of Pharamond freely acknowledging that the words cannot bee vnderstood of the kingdome that Pharamond never made such a law and that their perpetuall male succession they haue not so much by law as by custome begun in the first and barbarous race of their Kings reverenced as a law by the second and by the third race for the better authority thereof falsely called by the name of Salique and attributed vnto Pharamond Hee addeth that neither Aimonius Gregory of Tours nor any of the more auncient and more approved French Historians ever make any mention of this law which so remarkeable a thing if it had beene they would not haue omitted It is manifest then this law to haue bin fained either as in du Haillan by Philip le Long to put a barre vnto the title of his Neice Ioane of France daughter to Lewis Hutin them making claime vnto the kingdome for before that time as in Pasquier the kingdome never fell in Quenoville or vnto the right of women or otherwise by Philip de Valois to exclude the title of Edward the third king of England his competitour for the kingdome descended from Isabel daughter to Philip the fourth father to Lewis Hutin and Philip le Long and if ever since it hath been observed that this hath bin rather to avoide the exceptions of the English then that they haue any just reason or authority for it The Prince is stiled by the name of the most Christian King a title saith du Haillan continued in the succession hereof ever since the Regency of Charles Martel father to king Pepin and grand-father to Charles the great to whom it was given for his valiant and stout defence of the Christian Religion against the Infidels His Dominions are now nothing so large as in times past In the race of Merovee he lorded over all Gaule and the better part of Germany Charles
of the Estates incorporated this great Dukedome with the Crowne of France never from thence to be severed which the male issue hereof extinct in Henry the third Lewis the thirteenth of the house of Bourbon and Navarre now raigning Isabella of Austria Princesse of the Lowe Countries the heire generall rejected by the vertue hereof at this day enjoyeth Their religion was alwayes Christian and Catholique instructed in this faith vnder the Romans before their comming into this Province Their government vntill their vnion with the crowne of France was Monarchicall first vnder kings then vnder dukes Their Princes follow Conan an English Briton placed here by Maximus in the yeare and raigne aforesaid Grallon after some son to Conan Salomon the first son to Grallon Auldran son to Salomon the first Budic the first son to Auldran Hoel the first son to Budic the first Hoel the second son to Hoel the first Alain the first son to Hoel the second Hoel the third son to Alain the first Salomon the second son to Hoel the third In this prince Iudicael the last K. of Basse Bretaigne dying without heires for since the last disbourdments hither of the Britons vntill this time the estate hereof was divided into two kingdomes the whole became vnited vnder one Prince Alain the second grandchild to Salomon the second He deceased without heires the last king of Bretaigne of the house of Conan Daniel Dremruz Budic the second Maxence Iohn Reith and David Wa chiefes of their factions the kingdome being then rent into many petty tyrannies the occasion of the after conquest hereof by Charles the Great After that the kingdome became againe recouered from the French Neomene formerly Lieftenant here Gouernour of the Province for the Emperour Lewes the godly chosen about the yeare 841. Heruspee son to Neomene slaine by Salomon his successour Salomon the third the murtherer of Heruspee son to Rivaillon brother to King Heruspee Hee was likewise slaine by Pastenethen Gurvant brothers to Heruspee and sons to Neomene in the yeare 874 the last king of Bretaigne Alain surnamed le Rebre son to Pastenethen after long misery and contention for the kingdome succeeding in the gouerment hereof the Normans who had invaded the province being vanquished and his competitours slaine and subdued THE DVKEDOME OF BRETAIGNE REfusing the more envious name of king he tooke vpon him onely the title and stile of Duke since followed by all the succeeding Princes Iuhael and Collodoch sons to Alain le Rebre An Inter-regnum for certaine yeares by meanes of the Norman or Danish invasion and tyranny miserably wasting and subduing the Country Alain surnamed Barbetorte son to Mathuede Earle of Porrhoet and of the daughter of Alain le Rebre the Normans being driuen out Drogon â—on to Alain Barbetorte slaine yong by the treason of Fouques Earle of Aniou in whom ended the house of Alain le Rebre Conan Earle of Renes descended from king Salomon the third his Competitours Hoel and Guerâ—ch naturall sons to Alain Barbetorte successiuely contending being vanquished and slaine Geffrey sonne to Conan the first Alain the third sonne to Geffrey the first Conan the second son to Alain the third He dyed sans issue Hoel the fourth son to Alain Earle of Cournovaille in the right of his wife Havoise sister to Conan the second Alain the fourth surnamed Fergent son to Hoel the fourth Conan the third son to Alain the fourth Eudon Earle of Ponthieure in the right of his wife Berthe daughter to Conan the third Conan the fourth sonne to Eudon and Berthe aforesaid Geffrey the second third son to Henry the second king of England in the right of his wife Constance daughter to Conan the fourth Arthur the first son to Geffrey and Constance He dyed young and vnmarried after the French relation murthered by his vnnaturall Vncle Iohn King of England jealous of his better right to that kingdome Peter de Dreux in the right of his wife Alis daughter by a second marriage to Constance aforesaid He first made the Dukedome subject vnto the soveraignty and homage of the French kings Iohn the first son to Peter de Dreux and Alis Iohn the second son to Iohn the first Arthur the second son to Iohn the second Iohn the third son to Arthur the second He dyed without heires After the decease hereof the right was controversed betwixt Iohn Earle of Montfort yonger son to Arthur the second aided by Edward the third King of England and Charles de Blois husband to Ioan la Boiteuse daughter to Guye second son to Duke Arthur the 2 d assisted by Philip de Valois French king neither side yet prevailing Iohn the fourth surnamed the Valiant son to Iohn Earle of Montfort aforesaid sole Duke of Bretaigne after the decease of Charles de Blois his competitour thorough the aide and valour of the English ouerthrowne and slaine at the battaile of Auray Iohn the fift son to Iohn the fourth Francis the first son to Iohn the fift He deceased without heire male Peter brother to Francis the first He dyed sans heires Arthur the third Earle of Richmond and Constable of France second sonne to Iohn the fourth He also deceased without issue Francis the second son to Richard Earle of Clisson third son to Iohn the fourth He deceased in the yeare 1488. Charles the eight French king in the right of his wife Anne heire of Bretaigne daughter to Francis the second He dyed without issue Lewes the twelfth French king in the right of Anne of Bretaigne aforesaid daughter to Duke Francis the second marryed vnto him after the decease of King Charles the Eight He deceased without male issue Francis the first French king and the third of that name Duke of Bretaigne in the right of his wife Claude eldest daughter to king Lewes the twelfth and Anne aforesaid With consent of the estates of Bretaigne in the yeare 1532 he inseparably vnited the Dukedome to the crown of France Francis Daulphin of Vienne eldest son to king Francis the first and of Claude crowned Duke of Bretaigne in the yeare 1539. He dyed yong before his father Henry the second French king son to King Francis the first and Claude Francis the second French king son to Henry the second Charles the ninth French king brother to Francis the second and son to Henry the second Henry the third French king brother to Francis the second and Charles the ninth and sonne to Henry the second the last French king of the house of Valois and in whom ended the line succession of the Dukes of Bretaigne After his decease the line masculine of the house of Valois and Bretaigne being extinguished the right hereof was questioned betwixt Henry the fourth King of France and Navarre and Philip the second king of Spaine pretending the title of his daughter Isabella now Princesse of the Low countreyes descended of Elizabeth daughter to King Henry the second By the aide of the English the Spaniards
surnamed the Stammerer joynt Kings created in the minority of Charles the Simple Lewis the second deceasing Carloman raigned alone who dyed not long after Lewis the third surnamed le Fay-neant sonne to Carloman His raigne was but short deposed for his slought many vices and shorne Monke of Saint Denys Charles surnamed the Fat son to Lewis the Auncient King of Germany and Emperour of the Romans called in by his faction elected King of West-France in the minority of Charles the Simple Hee was deposed not long after and deprived of all his estates dying in great misery and want nere vnto Constance in Germany in the yeare 889. Eudon guardian to Charles the Simple son to Robert Earle of Aniou son to Witichind prince of the Saxons in the raigne of the Emperour Charles the Great in the minority of his pupill after the Emperour Charles the Fat created French King After some two yeares raigne he was likewise deposed by this factious vnconstant nation succeeded vnto by Charles the Simple By meanes notwithstanding of this election there followed afterwards long quarrels and contention for the kingdome betwixt his kindred the house of Aniou and Charles the Simple and his issue during the whole Caroline line a chiefe pretence of Capets vsurpation Charles the Simple the legitimate son of the Emperour Lewis surnamed the Stammerer He had warres with Robert Earle of Aniou brother to King Eudon in regard of the election of Eudon pretending right to the kingdome and slaine by him in a battaill After a short and troublesome raigne caught imprisoned at Peronne by Hebert Earle of Vermandois and forsaken by the nobility hee resigned the kingdome to Rodulph Duke of Burgundy Transiuraine Rodulph Duke of Burgundy Transiuraine son to Conrade Earle of Burgundy Transiuraine brother to Robert the first Earle of Aniou vncle to King Eudon vpon the imprisonment and forced resignation of Charles the Simple elected French King Lewis the fourth son to Charles the Simple and Elgina daughter to Edward surnamed the Elder and sister to Athelstan Kings of England surnamed the Forreiner for that during the captivity of his father and the vsurpation of Rodulph he lived exiled with his vncle Athelstan in England after the death of the vsurper called home and restored to the kingdome Hee had wars with Hugh surnamed the Great Earle of Paris Majour of the Palace son to Robert the second jealous of the popularity greatnes and the ambition of that house Lothaire son to Lewis the fourth In the raigne hereof Hugh Capet heire of the house of Aniou son to Hugh the Great begun againe to renew the auncient quarell of his family touching the kingdome the which not long after he obtayned Lewis the fift son to Lothaire He dyed young without issue the last French King of the house of Charles the Great Hugh Capet son to Hugh the Great Earle of Paris and Majour of the Palace after much quarrell betwixt the houses of Aniou and of Charles the Great thorough a long basenes slougth and pusillanimity of the degenerate princes of that line the present dislike of Charles Duke of Lorraine the next heire the long greatnes and still growing popularity of his house his flattery and crafty insinuations with the nobility and people and religious pretences and of his right and succession to King Eudo and Rodulph in the yeare 965 elected king by this wavering nation Charles Duke of Lorraine excluded caught afterwards by him and imprisoned during life Robert son to Hugh Capet Henry the first younger son to Robert preferred by his father before Robert his elder brother succeeding in the Dukedome of Burgundy Philip the first son to Henry the first Lewis the sixt son to Philip the first Lewis the seaventh son to Lewis the sixt About the raigne of this prince dyed Iohn de Temporibus by the stiffe consent of the French and German writers reported to haue lived from the Emperour Charles the Great vnto this time for aboue the space of 300 yeares Philip the second surnamed Augustus sonne to Lewis the seaventh Lewis the eight son to Philip the second Lewis the ninth surnamed the Saint son to Lewis the eight Philip the third son to Lewis the ninth Philip the fourth surnamed the Faire son to Philip the third Lewis the tenth surnamed Hutin son to Philip the Faire Hee deceased without male issue Philip the fift surnamed the Tall brother to Lewis the tenth Hee also dyed without issue male Charles the fourth brother to Lewis Hutin and Philip the Tall. He also deceased without male issue Philip the sixt surnamed of Valois the next prince of the blood of the line masculine succeeding by the pretence of a Salique Law In the raigne hereof began those long and fierce wars betwixt the French Edward the third King of England descended of Isabel daughter to Philip the fourth pretending in this right for the kingdomes the issue whereof was the great overthrowes of the French at the battails of Crecy and Poictiers the captivity of Iohn French King and the restitution of Normandy and other parts of France taken from the English by King Philip Augustus lost notwithstanding not long after to King Charles the fift with Aquitaine Guienne vntill that time still held by the English nation Iohn French King sonne to Philip the sixt taken prisoner in the English warres by Edward Prince of Wales son to Edward the third at the battaile of Poictiers Charles the fift son to Iohn He recovered againe the countries of Normandy Aquitaine and Guienne and whatsoever else the English held in the continent of France the towne and forts about Calis onely excepted Charles the sixt son to Charles the fift In the raigne hereof fell out that fatall discord betwixt the houses of Orleans and Burgundy by the advantage whereof the weakenes of this phrenetique king and their victory at Agincourt Charles the Dolphin disinherited and Henry the fift King of England having married Catherinne his daughter made Regent of France the English again got seazed of the chiefest parts of the kingdome hereof Henry the sixt King of England being afterwards crowned king of France at Paris Charles the seaventh son to Charles the sixt After long trouble warres Philip the Good and the faction of Burgundy reconciled hee againe cleered France of the English the towne countrey of Calis excepted Lewis the eleaventh son to Charles the seaventh Charles the eight son to Lewis the eleaventh He dyed sans issue Lewis the twelth Duke of Orleans and Valois the next prince of the blood of the line masculine Hee marryed vnto Anne Dutchesse of Bretaigne and deceased without heire male Francis the first Duke of Engoulesme the next prince of the blood of the race masculine He marryed vnto Claude Dutchesse of Bretaigne daughter to Lewis the twelth Anne and incorporated Bretaigne to the crowne of France Henry the second son to Francis the first He wonne the towne countrey of
Caesar part of the Edui Bourbon-Lancy vpon the top of an high mountaine defended with a strong castle At the foot of the hill lyeth the lesser towne of S. Ligier affording medicinable Bathes both of hot and cold waters preferred by king Henry the Third before all others of the kingdome La Bourgongne with Lionnois anciently were the Hedui of Caesar Strabo and Mela the Aedui of Ptolemie and the Edui of Antoninus honoured by the Romans with the title of their Allies and Confederates the chiefe people of the nation of the Celtae contending for a long time with the Arverni and Sequani for the principalitie of the Gaules whose quarrells occasioned afterwards the conquest of Gaule Comata or of the further Gaule lying North of the Mountaines Cemmeni by Caesar the Romans Auxerre Antissiodorum of Antoninus in his Itinerary then the Mansion of the 22 Legion of the Romans and civitas Antisiodorum in his Catalogue of the citties of Gaule now a Bishops sea and Bailliage naming Le Pais Auxerrois Nevers Noviodunum of Caesar and Nivernium of Antoninus in his Itinerary and the way betwixt Augustodunum and Paris a strong towne vpon the Loire neere vnto the confluence thereof and of the river Allier the seat of the Dukes of Nevers and naming the particular country now called Nivernois These two townes are accounted in La Bourgongne but belong vnto the Resort of the Parliament of Paris Auxerre is numbred otherwise by Andre du Chesne amongst the townes of Champaigne CHARROLOIS THe country is little named thus from the towne of Charroles It is situated betwixt the rivers of the Loire and the Soasne having vpon the North the Dukedome of Burgundy vpon the West Bourbonois and Forest vpon the South Beau-jolois and Lionnois and vpon the East La Bresse It belonged anciently to the Dukes of Burgundie whose eldest sons were still named Earles of Charrolois With La Bourgongne surprised and detained by Lewis the Eleuenth and the succeeding French kings it was for a long time controversed betwixt them and the kings of Spaine heires of the house of Burgundy after long warres by king Henry the second following the agreement of the League of Cambraye restored to Philip the second king of Spaine It is now held by the house of Burgundy and Austria but vnder the fief of the French kings subiect in matters of iudicature to the Parliament of Dole in the County of Burgundy whither the inhabitants make their appeale BEARN LYing at the foot of the Pyrenaean Mountaines betwixt these and the countries of Begorre and Baionne named thus from the towne Benearnum of Antoninus now Orthes The soile is fat and rich as well amongst the mountaines as in the plaine country affording good pasturages and plenty of cattaile corne flaxe hempe butter cheese and in some parts perfect wines not yeelding to the best in France Here are likewise sundry springs of hot medicinable waters Chiefer townes are Pau the Parliament or supreame Court of iudicature of the country and the seate of the Princes before their vnion with France beautified with a stately Palace built by Henery d' Albret K. of Nauarre Lord of Bearn Lescar a Bishops sea the more auncient seat of the Princes remoued afterwards to Pau. Oleron â—uro of Antoninus in his Itinerary and way betwixt Caesar-Augusta and Benearnum now a Bishops sea mounted on the toppe of an high hill in the more high and mountainous part of Bearn Orthes after Ios. Scaliger Benearnnm of Antoninus in his Itinerary and the way before mentioned and Ciuitas Beranensium and Benainas in his Catalogue of the citties and Provinces of Gaule and Benarnum of Gregory of Tours in his 9 booke giuing the name to the country Navarrins at the foot of the Pyrenaean Mountaines a well fortified towne The country of Bearn was part of the Province Nouem-populonia of Ant. Novempopulana of Rufus Festus and Novem-populi of Ammianus Marcellinus The Princes hereof are absolute Lords not subiect to the checke fief of others with the right of Nauarre not long since by Henry the fourth vnited in the house and succession of the French kings THE ILANDS OF FRANCE THe Ilands belonging to this continent and subiect to the Crowne of France are neither many or of any great note or worth In the sea Mediterranean lye the Iles d' Ere 's the Staechades of Ptolemy against Provenâ—ce betwixt Friuls and Toulon Les Pomegues against Marseilles L' Anguillade against the mouth of the riuer Rhosne probably Blascon of Ptolemy Maguelone against the province of Languedoc Without the Straights in the Westerne Ocean the Ilands d' Oleron and de Re against Xaintogne and Rochelle Belle-Isle against Bretaigne and the towne of Vannes Here are likewise the Ilands of Iersay Garnsay and Alderney lying against Le Pais Constantin in Normandy appertaining to this account but subiect to the kings of Great Bretaigne being part of their ancient and hereditary Dutchy of Normandy and incorporated now with the Crowne of of England belonging to the relation and description of that kingdome OF THE STATE OF EVROPE The XI Booke COntaining the present bounds situation and qualitie of Germany The inhabitants Their Character or description languages religion Bishops and Cleargie The sacrilegious vsurpation and iniuries done to the Church by the Lay Princes The manner of the civill goverment The Prince His authority titles and maner of succession The King of the Romans The generall Diets and States of the Empire Their authority and power The Imperiall Courts and Circles A short survey of the imperfections and disorders of the vast vnweildie and ill-vnited body of the German Empire The parts or provinces subiect or more properly belonging to the Empire GERMANIE THE name of the Germans to omit other more vnlikely Etymologies Strabo deriveth from the Latin word Germani which signifieth brethren or men of the same kindred or of a like nature and disposition first giuen vnto them by the Romans in regard of their similitude with the neighbouring Gaules as in colour and shape of body so in maners and custome of living For the name otherwise in the time of Tacitus was but new and lately invented being anciently called only by the appellations of the many nations inhabiting the countrey The Land is bounded vpon the West with Switzerlandt France the Lowe Countries and with the part of the German Ocean intercepted betwixt the falls of the rivers Eems and Eydore vpon the North with Denmarke and the Sea Baltique vpon the East with Poland Prussen and Hungarie and vpon the South with the Alpes and Italie Chappuys accompteth the length hereof to bee 840. Italian miles measuring onely betwixt the Rhijn and the Wixel and the breadth from the towne of Brixen in Tirol vnto the Ocean at 745 of the same miles It lieth betwixt the 22 and 45 degrees of Longitude accompting from the Meridian by the Açores and the 45 20 60 and 54 48 60 degrees
gouernment and withdrawing their service and ayde too eager revengers of his childish and weake raigne Henry the sixt irrecoverably France through the faction of the house of Yorke abusing the people with pretenses for their private ends and lastly challenging the Kingdome and turning our conquering swords into our owne bosomes The Land is divided into Shires Hundreds which are the divisions of Shires and are in some places otherwise called Weapontakes and Lathes and Tithings the divisions of Hundreds King Alfred was the Author of these divisions as likewise of the name and office of the Vice-Comites or Sheriffs ordained for the more peaceable gouernment of the Countrey and the more easie restraint of theeues and robbers much encreasing then through the occasion of the Danish warres The word Shire signifieth with the auncient Saxons a part or division as doth the word Share with the present English What number hereof were first instituted by Alfred we finde not Malmesburiensis accompteth 32 of them in the raigne of Etheldred Monarch of the English-Saxons succeeding not long after Kent Essex Middlesex Surrey Sussex Hantshire Dorsetshire Wiltshire Somersetshire Devonshire Cornwall Hartfordshire Oxfordshire Buckinghamshire Barkeshire Glocestershire Suffolke Norfolke Northamptonshire Huntingdonshire Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire Warwickshire Leicestershire Staffordshire Worcestershire Shropshire Herefordshire Lincolneshire Nottinghamshire Darbyshire and Cheshire Doomesday Booke addeth Yorkeshire in the raigne of William the Conquerour Afterwards were added Lancashire and the Bishoprick of Durham most probably sometimes parts of Yorkeshire and Cumberland Westmoreland and Northumberland beyond the Tine the part now onely retaining the name of the ancient Kingdome thus called after their revnion to the English Crowne formerly possessed by the Scots The last were the 13 Welsh Shires added by Edward the first and Henry the eight Their whole number are at this present 52 in both Countreyes of England and Wales 1 Surrey Kent Sussex Hantshire Barkeshire Wiltshire Somersetshire Dorsetshire Devonshire and Cornewall lying vpon the South of the riuer Thames along the shore of the English Channel 2 Glocestershire Oxfordshire Buckinghamshire Middlesex Essex Hartfordshire Norfolke Suffolke Cambridgeshire Huntingdonshire Bedfordshire Northamptonshire Rutlandshire Warwickeshire Worcestershire Herefordshire Shropshire Cheshire Staffordshire Darbyshire Nottinghamshire Lei-cestershire and Lincolneshire containing the middle part of the Kingdome and included within the riuers Thames Trent Merseye Dee and Wye Humber Offaes Ditch and the German Ocean 3 Yorkeshire the Bishopricke of Durham Northumberland Cumberland Westmoreland and Lancashire the parts vpon the North of Humber Trent and Mersey 4. and Monmouthshire Glamorganshire Radnorshire Brecknockeshire Cardiganshire Caermarthenshire Penbrokshire Montgomeryshire Merionethshire Denbighshire Flintshire Caernarvonshire and the I le of Anglesey containing Wales or the westerne parts within the Dee VVye and the sea of Severne Their descriptions follow after that I haue first related the auncient estate of the Country with the many chaunges and successions of people and Kingdomes in their turnes comming vpon the stage hereof and occasioning the present names state and divisions THE SECOND BOOKE COntayning the Description of the more great and famous Mountaines and Rivers of Great Britaine The more noted Creekes and Promontories Their ancient and present names The Etymologyes and names of Britaine and Albion The ancient limits and extent of Britaine The first Inhabitants The conquest of the more Southerne part by the Romans The estate and description of Britaine during the Roman government out of Tacitus Dion Ptolemye Antoninus and the Authour of the Notitia with others The period and conclusion of the Roman Empire in Britaine The estate and kingdome of the Britons after the departure of the Romans The estate hereof after Cadwallader and the conclusion of the Brittish Monarchie The originall and history of the Cornish VVesh and Britons of Cumberland Their Conquests by the Saxons and Normans and vnion into the kingdome and name of England The history of the Scots and Picts The Conquest of the Picts by the Scots and Vnion of the Northerne part of the Iland into the name and kingdome of Scotland The invasion of the Germans or Dutch The Iutes Saxons and English The Saxon or English Heptarchye The originall and fortunes of the kingdomes of Kent the South-Saxons VVest-Saxons East-Saxons East-Angles Mercia and Northumberland The vnion of the rest into the Monarchie of the VVest-Saxons The originall of the name and kingdome of England The kingdome of England 1 vnder the VVest-Saxons 2 vnder the Danes 3 and vnder the Normans The vnion of the blood and rights of the Saxons or English Scots and Normans and of the whole Great Britaine vnder one Prince in Iames our late Soveraigne of happie memorye The present estate of the Iland occasioned through so manie mutations The kingdomes of England and Scotland The names and Etymologie of the Shires of England THE MOVNTAINES OF GREAT BRITAINE THE bounders or land-markes whereof I shall haue occasion to make vse in the discourse following are the Mountaines and Riuers hereof with the more noted Promontories and Creekes of the Ocean whereinto the Rivers are disburdened The onely Mountaine noted by ancient authours was Grampius Mons mentioned by Tacitus containing now Braid-Albin with other hilly regions beyond the Frith of Dunbriton in Scotland The woods sometimes covering this Mountainous tract were named Saltus Caledonius by Lucius Florus and Sylva Caledonia by Pliny inaccessable thorough their intricate and darke thickets bogs lakes and marishes safe shelters of the Northerne Britons invaded by Iulius Agricola the Emperour Severus and the Romans In the part subject to the Crowne of England rise the Mountaines of Wales taking vp the Westerne devision of the kingdome betwixt the Irish Ocean the Sea of Severne and the Riuers Wye and d ee strong fastnesses of the warlike Silures and Ordovices with great obstinacy for a long time resisting the Roman yoake and not fully subdued vntill Iulius Agricola and the raigne of the Emperour Domitian and afterwards the Rendez-vous of the distressed Britons shunning the rage of the Saxons or English Beyond the riuer Trent beginneth another long Mountainous ridge which continued through the North of Staffordshire then by the West of Darbye-shire afterwards betwixt Yorkeshire and Lancashire lastly by Cumberland Westmoreland and Northumberland doth end at Cheviot or the Scottish borders This is not known by any one name ancient or moderne In Staffordshire it is named Moreland in Darbieshire the Peake betwixt Lancashire and Yorkeshire Blackestone-edge Pendle Craven betwixt Richmondshire and Westmoreland Stane-more in Cumberland Copland and at the borders of Scotland Cheviot The other hills of the South Blackamore Yorkes-would the Chilterne Cots-wold Malvern those of Sussex Devonshire and Cornwall with others are rather to be accompted Downs then Mountaines Those many of Scotland seeme all branches of the Grampius THE RIVERS CREEKES AND PROMONTORIES THe Rivers issue from the Mountaines and hils The more great and famous are the Thames Severne Trent Yeure or
of Northumberland vpon the West with the Scots and vpon the East and North with the German and Northerne Oceans The kingdome of the Northumbrians after their last Ethelred and the yeare 794 becomming extinct or miserably languishing through a 33 yeares ciuill dissention and the invasion of the Danes by the advantage hereof they enlarged their bounds Southwards as farre as the river Tweed gotten from the English The contayned a little before their finall ouerthrow by the Scots the Countryes now of Tividale Tweedale Merch Lauden Fife Cuningham Merne Anguish Straith-ern and Marre with others or the whole Easterne part of the present Scotland from the Tweede Northwards By the Scots vnder their King Kenneth after a fierce and bloody warre about the yeare 830 they were totally subdued and their name and memory quite rooted out their countrey hauing beene since added to the accompt and name of Scotland Their language most probably was the British Beda maketh it distinct herefrom and one of the fower generall of the Iland But whom the more iudicious interpret not of languages but of Dialects That the Dialect and many words hereof should in Beda his time be much different from those of the Cornish or Welsh Britons their long disvnion through the comming betwixt of the Northumbrian Saxons and the ancient subiection and commerce of the other with the Romans must necessarily enforce Their government was vnder Kings Their order and succession we finde not Their last was Druskenus slaine with the extirpation of the whole Nation by Kenneth and the Scots THE SCOTS THE Scots after Giraldus Cambrensis were a Colony of the neighbouring Irish. Orosius liuing in the raigne of the Emperour Honorius calleth the many people in his time inhabiting Ireland by the generall name of the Scots The like doth Beda in the first booke of his Ecclesiasticall story of the English and first Chapter Eginhartus in his life of the Emperour Charles the Great nameth Ireland an Iland of the Scots Isidore more plainly maketh Ireland and Scotland onely to be two different names of one and the same Iland distinct from Britaine Gildas more to our purpose tearmeth the Scots then inhabiting Britaine and infesting the Natiues with their dayly forragings Irish grassatores or free-booters That the Scots originally were Irish besides these authorities the present language habit and barbarous manners of the High-landers or Westerne Scots agreeing with the present Irish doe plainly demonstrate The Scots in Ireland Ptolemy and the auncient Geographers mention not The name doubtlesse was new affected vpon some accident which we know not giuen vnto or taken vp by the Irish towards the waine of the Romane Empire in that manner as were about the same times those of the Picts Almans French Sclaues with others by the Britons Germans Sarmatians leauing their former old names and vniting into these common Concerning the Etymologie hereof learned Camden after much search professeth himselfe to be ignorant Porphyrius is the first of ancient Authours in whom we finde the Scots mentioned liuing in the time of the Emperour Aurelian and as he is cited vpon an other occasion by S. Hierome in his Tract against the Pelagians ad Ctesiphontem In auncient and approued Histories we first reade of them with the Picts with whom they are still joyned in the raignes of the Emperours Constantius the second Honorius and the first and third Valentinians Their mention after this is common vnto this present The time of their first plantation in Britaine is vncertaine In the 20 26 and 27 bookes of Ammianus Marcellinus wee heare of them ransacking and spoyling the Roman Province but from what parts my Authour setteth not downe whether from Caledonia and the Northerne parts of Britaine or rather from Ireland which is more probable Claudian in his second booke de laudibus Stiliconis relateth of them attempting vpon the Continent hereof from Ireland and stopped and driuen home by Stilico where also hee accompteth them amongst the neighbouring Nations infesting Britaine which maketh it almost manifest that in the beginning of the raigne of Honorius vnder whom Stilico then serued they had not yet arriued here or set firme footing Shortly afterward notwithstanding before the intrusion of the Saxons we find them in Beda with the Picts possessing the Northerne part of Britaine invading from hence the Province and the Britons being vnable to withstand them twice ouercome and beaten off by fresh Roman supplies sent from Honorius and Valentinian the third From these proofes wee strongly conjecture their first descent hither and fixed dwelling to haue hapned towards the latter end of the raigne of the Emperour Honorius The part here they first tooke vp was the Westerne moity of Caledonia formerly inhabited by the Picts bounding vpon the East with this Nation and vpon the South with the Roman Province from the which they were diuided by the Glota now the Frith of Dunbriton which they held without any sensible addition till after the time of Beda After the yeare 794 and the decease of King Ethelred before mentioned through the advantage of a long ciuill dissention amongst the Saxons of Northumberland of the Danish wars which together hapned they got seazed of the parts lying betwixt the Friths of Solway Dunbriton belonging aunciently to the Northumbrian kingdome of Bernicia They contained by that time the present Countries of Carict Galloway Cantire Argile Braid-Albin Lorn Rosse with others or the whole Westerne part of the present Scotland from Solway Frith coasting Northwards along the Irish Ocean King Kenneth the second about the yeare 830 the Picts being subdued enlarged the Dominion hereof and the name and accompt of Scotland Eastward vnto the German Ocean extended by this meanes ouer the whole Northerne part of the Iland and seuered from England by the Frith of Solway and the River Tweede the more certaine bounds euer after betwixt the two kingdomes Malcolme the first about the yeare 946 added Cumberland and Westmoreland parts of England to the Dominion of the Scottish Kings by the gift of Edmund King of England to bee held vnder the fief of the English Monarches recouered by Henry the second and incorporated with the English Crowne Their government was Monarchicall yet where more aunciently not alwayes the next of bloud but the ripest in yeares and the most fit to rule of the kingly Race succeeded Kenneth the third succeeding about the yeare 976 by the consent of the States made the Kingdome first haereditary and to descend vnto the next ofkin confirmed by his son Malcolme the second and continued vnto our times Their first King after the Scottish Historians was Fergusius the son of Ferchard an Irish Scot chosen by the Nation shortly after their arrivall in Britaine about the yeare 330 before Christs Incarnation succeeded vnto by Ferithariâ— Mainus Dornadilla Nothatus Reutherus Reutha Thereus Iosina Finnanus Durstus Evenus the first Gillus Evenus the second Ederus Evenus the third
and rich Monasterie of S t Alban in honour of that first British Martyr a Citizen of the neighbouring Verulamium put to death here by the Emperour Dioclesian and now canonized at his cost He deceased in the yeare 796. Egfri◠son to great Offa king of Mercia and Monarch of the English deceasing within the yeare Kenwolf descended from Wibba king of Mercia and Monarch or chiefe king of the English deceasing in the yeare 819. After this prince the Mercians lost the sovernignety or chiefe rule of the English to Egbert and the West-Saxons hapning through the feeble vnripe yeares of Kenelme his next successour the quarrels and devisions hereof for the Crowne and the power of Egbert growne mighty through the accesse of the East and South-Saxons and Kentish kingdome Kenelme son to Kenwolf at the age of seaven yeares succeeding in the kingdome of Mercia murthered by his sister Quendrid ambitious of the gouernment Ceolwulf king of Mercia Vncle to Kenelme and brother to Kenwolf after one yeares troublesome raigne driuen out by his seditious subiects and thorough the treason and faction of Bernulf Bernulf King of the Mercians vsurping the kingdome against Ceolwulfe Hee contended with great Egbert for the chiefe rule or soveraignty of the English by whom he was ouercome in fight was lastly slaine against the East-Angles Ludecan King of Mercia intruding the Bernulf overcome slaine by Egbert the East-Angles Withlafe King of Mercia vsurping after Ludecan subdued afterwards made tributary substituted by Egbert Berthulf king of Mercia after Withlafe substituted by the West-Saxons He was driuen out by the bloudy all-conquering Danes Burdred appointed by Ethelwolf the West-Saxon or English Monarch After two and twenty yeares raigne wearied out with continuall warres fresh invasions of the Danes leaving England vnto fortune about the yeare 886 he tooke sanctuary in Rome where in a private state he dyed the last Prince of the long languishing Mercian kingdome after whom some few yeares revelling of the Danes the countreyes hereof by Alfred the Danes brought vnder were vnited to the English or VVest-Saxon Monarchy THE KINGDOME OF NORTHVMBERLAND IT was thus called from the more famous river or creeke of Humber vpon whose North it lay It contained the Brigantes of Ptolemy with other parts of North Britaine extended from hence vnto the Bodotria Glota of the same Authour now the Friths of Edinburgh and Dunbriton on after Malmes buriensis the present countryes of Yorkeshire Lancashire Durham Westmoreland Cumberland Northumberland Wee adde Tweedale Merch Lauden Carict Galloway with other parts of moderne Scotland vnto the Glota and Bodotria for thus farre after Malmesburiensis the Empire of the English whose North this was shortly vpon their invasion conquest extended It had vpon the South the riuers of Mersey and Humber from the kingdome of the Mercians vpon the East the German Ocean vpon the West the Irish sea and vpon the North the two Friths before mentioned parting it from the Scots and Picts It was divided into two Provinces more aunciently commaunded a part by their kings of Deira which was the part intercepted betwixt Humber and the river of Tees and Bernicia lying betwixt the Tees and Frith of Edinburgh The kingdome was occasioned by Otha and Ebusa the brother and son of Hengist shortly after the comming of the first Saxons the better to strengthen their party sent for out of Germany by Hengist and by the good leaue of Vortigern king of the Britons arriuing and planting in those Northerne parts pretending their guard against the injurious and ill neighbouring Picts and Scots whose successours the truce and amity betwixt the two Nations quickly broken in continuance of time subduing the Country thus limited and governing the same with the title of Dukes vnder the right and soveraigne commaund of the kings of Kent about the 60 and 72 yeares after the death of Hengist chaunged their stile into the name of kings of Bernicia and Deira for thus the parts hereof as before then were called vniting againe not long after into one onely kingdome and common name of Northumberland called thus in regard of the Northerne situation thereof vnto that famous river The Northumbrians after Ethelred and the yeare 794 being much distressed through their ciuill dissentions and the invasions of the Danes by the advantage hereof the Scots and Picts got seazed of the parts of Bernicia situated vpon the North of the river Tweede and Solway Frith the ordinary bounder afterward of the English and Scottish kingdomes The Britons before this inhabiting the parts where now lye Cumberland and Westmoreland with Fournesse Fels in Lancashire subiect aunciently to the Saxon kings of Northumberland about the yeare 685 revoulting from vnder the government hereof begun the kingdome of the Cumbri or Cumberland continuing after the Heptarchy of the English expired In this māner the kingdome of Northumberland stinted towards the North with the Frith of Solway and the river Tweede about the yeare 827 and some 33 years after the decease of Ethelred before mentioned ouer-charged with forreine and domestique wars submitted to the protection of great Egbert and his West-Saxons by whom it was lastly vnited to the West-Saxon or English Monarchy The princes hereof were Ida the first king of Northumberland after Mat. of Westminster elected by the victorious Dutch or English of these Northerly parts in the yeare 548 and about the 60 yeare after the death of Hengist By Floretinus Monke of Worcester he is stiled only king of Bernicia Ida deceasing the Northumbrians in the yeare 560 after Mat. of VVestminster first became divided into the two kingdomes of Deira vsurped with this title by Ella son to Duke Iffus and Bernicia the portion remaining vnto Adda son and successour vnto Ida succeeded vnto in Bernicia during the long raigne of Ella by Clappa Theodulphus Freothulfus Theodoricus and Ethelricus all sons to Ida and brethren to Adda Adda Clappa Theodulphus Freothulfus Theodoricus and Ethelricus kings of Bernicia and sons to Ida successiuely raigning one after another Ella king of Deira son to Duke Iffus After the decease of Ella king Ethelricus Edwin thrust out son to Ella obtaineth the soueraignty of the whole Northumberland Ethelricus son to Ida Edwin son to Ella excluded king of Northumberland or of both Provinces of Deira and Bernicia Ethelfrid king of Northumberland son to Ethelricus He confirmed and much enlarged the kingdome of the Northumbrians through his conquests and victories against the Scots and weake remainders of the Britons He was slaine in battaile by Redwald king of the East-Angles and Monarch of the English in the quarrell of Edwyn king of Deira expulsed by Ethelricus Edwyn king of Deira son to Ella after Ethelfrid succeeding in both Provinces of Deira and Bernicia the first Christian king of the Northumbrians converted by the meanes of his Queene Ethelburga daughter to Ethelbert the first
fruitfull more especially towards the Ocean or d ee Places of more note are S t Asaph or Llan-Elwy of the VVelsh at the confluence of the riuer Elwy and the Cluid a Bishops See named thus from S t Asaph the second Bishop Not farre off where is Bod-vary in the confines of this and Denbighshire stood Varis of Antoninus Ruthlan vpon the Cluid Basingwerk at the mouth of the Dee Here begun the Ditch of Offa before mentioned Close by is Haly-well or the famous well of S t VVinnifrid Flint vpon the Dee naming the Countye In the English Mailor a part of the Shire severed from the rest by the comming betwixt of Cheshire and Denbigh-shire are seene yet some ruines of Bonium of Antoninus turned afterwards to a Monastery and named Bancornaburg by Beda and Banchor by Malmesburiensis the first of the Britons flourishing before the English invasion containing 7 greater divisions whereof each had at the least 300 persons liuing without revenue with the labour of their hands Some fragments hereof now remaining are named Port Hoghan and Port Cleis by the Welsh lying vpon both sides of the Dee and some mile asunder The inhabitants are part of the Ordovices of Tacitus It containeth 5 Hundreds and onely 1 market towne and 28 parishes These 13 Shires with Herefordshire and the parts of Shropshire Worcestershire and Glocestershire within the Severne more aunciently seeme to haue contained the Roman Provence named Britannia secunda by Rufus Festus and the Authour of the Notitia diuided amongst three stout and renowned British people the Silures Demetae and Ordovices vnconquerable through their valour or the advantage of their mountaines and kept in awe by two Roman Legions continually attending their motions the Second Legion surnamed Augusta residing at Isca Silurum now Caer Leon in Monmouthshire and the Twentieth Legion surnamed Victrix at Deva or Chester The Romans being with-drawn into the Continent and the Monarchy of the Britons lastly extinguished in Cadwallader about the yeare 870 vnder Roderique the Great they broke into 3 greater names or divisions which the Welshmen call kingdomes 1 of Guynedh bounded with the Ocean the Dee and the Dovy and comprehending now Anglesey Merionithshire and Caernarvonshire with parts of Denbighshire and Flintshire 2 Powysland divided into Powys Vadoc and Powys Wenwynwin and containing Shropshire within the Severne Montgomery-shire and Radnor-shire with the rest of Merionithshire Flintshire and Denbighshire 3 and of Deheubarth bounded with the Ocean the sea of Severne and the riuers of Dovy and Wye from Guynedh and Powys and containing Glamorganshire Monmouthshire Caermardenshire Penbrokeshire Brecknockshire and Cardiganshire after long warres subdued by William Rufus the succeeding English Monarchs these distinctions abolished incorporated into the vnion name of England They now take vp all the Westerne part of the kingdome and make the third Quart or Division which we call Wales distinguished into South-Wales containing the 7 first Shires whereof Caermardenshire Penbrokeshire and Cardiganshire are otherwise named accompted West-Wales North-Wales containing the six last shires bounded with the Irish Ocean and with the sea of Severne the Dee Wye and Offaes-Ditch from the rest of England and extended about 100 miles in length betwixt North and South and some 60 in breadth LANCASHIRE BOunded vpon the South with the riuer of Mersee from Cheshires vpon the VVest with the Irish Ocean vpon the North with the river Duden from Cumberland and vpon the East with VVinander-meere from VVestmoreland and with Mountaines from Yorkeshire The country is large populous and well woodded the aire healthy but sharpe and moists the soile fruitfull where are not hils and mosses much helped by marle and the great industry of the inhabitants yet more commendable for pasturage a large and kindly breed of beeves oxen Townes here are VVarrington vpon the Mersee Further downe Letherpoole or Lirpole a noted passage into Ireland Ormeskirk neighbouring whereunto is Latham a large magnificent house of the Earles of Darbye VViggin Bolton Vpon the riuer Irwell Bury Manchester Mancunium of Antoninus Rochdale vnder Blackstone-edge the mountaines of Yorkeshire Blakeborne vpon the riuer Darwen Vpon the Ribble VVhaley vnder Pendle-hill the highest of the English Apennine Preston Betwixt these vpon the same river is Ribble-chester Rhigodunum or Ribodunum of Ptolemy a city of the Brigantes Lancaster vpon the river Lune the shire towne Longovicus of the Notitia the station of a foote company named from the place the Longovicarij Higher vpon the same river Ouer-Burrow a meane village thought to be Bremetonacum of Antoninus Vlverston in Fournesse a rocky and mountainous country betwixt the Sands by Lancaster and Cumberland The more auncient inhabitants were the Brigantes of Ptolemy afterwards the Deiri of Beda part of the Northumbrian Saxons or English Fournesse or the division beyond the Sands seemeth otherwise to haue beene a part of the kingdome of Cumberland inhabited by a remainder of the Britons after the English conquests and invasion The shire containeth 15 market townes and only 6 Hundreds and 36 parishes but those spacious and very populous YORKE-SHIRE BOunded vpon the West with Mountaines from Lancashire and VVest-moreland parts of the English Apennine vpon the South with Cheshire Darbyshire Nottinghamshire and Humber from Lincolneshire vpon the East with the German Ocean and vpon the North with the river Tees from the Bishoprick of Durham The country is large populous and well watered with great and faire riuers the Dun Calder Are VVharfe Nid Ouse Swale and Derwent descending from the hils by the wider channell of the Ouse emptied into Humber The soile is diverse It containeth three greater divisions in extent and number of inhabitants scarse inferiour to the best Shires 1 the VVest-Riding 2 the East-Riding 3 the North-Riding THE WEST-RIDING OF YORKE-SHIRE BOunded vpon the West with the English Apennine Lancashire vpon the South with Cheshire Darbyshire Nottinghamshire and vpon the East North with the riuers Ouse and Derwent from the East and North-Ridings The VVesterne parts are hilly and more barren but which defects are more then recompensed by the great industry of a stout and painefull inhabitant exercising cloathing and other gainefull trades manufactures The soile towards the East is abundantly fruitfull especially Marshland encompassed with the Dun Are Ouse and Trent a deepe fat country but moorish and subiect to invndations defended by bankes from the ouer-flowings of the Ouse and the waters of Dich marsh in Winter Chiefer townes are vpon the Dun Sheafield in Hallom-shire as are sundrie neighbouring villages inhabited by Cutlers Smiths Hard-ware-men Rotheram Dancaster Danum of the Notitia the station of a troupe of horse of the Crispiniani Halifax Wakefeld vpon the Calder rich townes of cloathing Betwixt these vpon the top of a steepe hill neere vnto the towne of Almondburie and the Calder the ruines are yet showne of
beasts wherewith it is infested These two together are called the Pityusae by Strabo from the multitude of Pine trees there growing About them lye Moncolibre Dragonera other lesser Ilands for the most part vninhabited and not worth relation VVITHOVT THE STRAIGHTS CADIZ THe Iland is situated neere vnto the mouth of the riuer Guadalquivir distant about 700 paces from the maine Land of Andaluzia ioyned thereunto with a bridge called Puente de Suaço The Land is fruitfull enriched besides with fishing and making of Salt and by meanes of the West-Indian traffique the bay thereof serving as a roade for the fleetes and ships passing betwixt Sivilla and that Continent Cadiz is the onely towne Gades of Pliny and Strabo Gadira of Ptolemy founded by the Tyrians becomming afterwards a famous municipium of the Romans and one of their foure iuridicall resorts for the Province of Baetica divided in the time of Strabo into the old and new townes the latter of them hauing beene then lately built by Cornelius Balbus seated in the Westerne part of the Iland It is now a Bishops See and a rich and noted port Here some of the auncients haue put the Pillars of Hercules whose opinion is reiected by Strabo in his third booke who would rather haue them to haue beene placed at the mouth of the Straights either with Pliny where were the hils Calpe and Abila or otherwise in two little Ilands neighbouring to those two hills the Columnes then being worne away through antiquity and the places retaining only the accompt and names hereof Other Ilands appertaining to the Continent of Spaine and situated without the Straights in the maine Ocean are Berlinga against Portugal betwixt the falls of the riuers Taio and Mondego those of Baiona lying against that Towne and Galitia and Zaziga with others before the towne of Corunna conjectured by L. Nonius to be the Cassiterides of Strabo THE EIGHT BOOKE COntayning the present bounds situation and quality of the countrey of France The Inhabitants The victorie and great renowne of the auncient Gaules and Frenchmen A description of the moderne French manners Their Languages and Religion Their Bishops The reuenues of the Cleargie The maner of the ciuill gouernment The Courts of Parliament Bailliages and Seneschausses The King His maner of Succession The Salique Law The title of most Christian King His dominion and revenues The countreys or greater divisions of France FRANCE NAmed thus from the victorious and renowned nation of the Frenchmen It is bounded vpon the South with the Sea Mediterranean vpon the West and South-west with the Westerne or Aquitanique Ocean and the Pyrenaean Mountaines from Spaine vpon the North with the English channell vpon the East North-East first with Alpes from Italy then with a line drawn from thence on the hither side of the Rhijn vnto the town of Calis dividing it from the Low-countries and Germany The greatest length hereof is 660 Italian miles or 330 French The breadth 570 the circumference or compasse 2040 of the same miles It is situated betwixt the 20 and 38 degrees of longitude and the 41½ and 52 degrees of Northerne latitude or betwixt the 13 or middle paralel of the 5 clime where the longest day hath 15 houres the 19 or middle paralel of the 8 clime where the same contayneth 16 houres and an halfe The Ayre in regard thereof is very temperate and pleasing not so hot and scorching as Spaine before described nor so cold raw as are the more Northerne parts The countrey is no lesse pleasant then fruitfull stored with all varieties whether for necessity or ornament sporting and prodigall nature can afford plaine for the most part and numerously inhabited not encombred with so many desert and fruitles wasts of woods marishes and mountaines ordinarie to neighbouring regions not vndeservedly accompted the Garden and Paradise of Europe The chiefer commodities sent out from hence are corne wines with the former whereof the wants that way of Spaine are abundantly supplied with the other those of England and more Northerne countries It yeeldeth such plenty of salt as which might seem sufficient to store all Europe a no small part of the riches of the kingdome It likewise bringeth forth great abundance of oliues figs and other sorts of most delicious fruites proper to hotter countries in the Southerne parts where lie Provence Languedoc The more auncient inhabitants were the Gaules renowned in times past for their many great and famous victories atcheived thorough the world From these the warlike nations of the Celtiberi Lusitani and Astures in Spaine were descended These vnder their captaine Segovesus victoriously raunged over all Germany from whom haue sprung the Bohemians and Bavarians with other people of that continent from whence most probably continuing their conquests as far as Scythia they there founded the Celtoscythae These vnder Bellovesus brother to Segovesus about the same time passing ouer the Alpes conquered the next part of Italy vnto them called afterwards from hence Gaule Cisalpina After this by Brennus they tooke and sacked Rome Afterwards by Belgius and another Brennus with vnresistable might they rāsacked Illyricum Pannony Greece Thrace from whence vnder Lomnorius and Lutorius ferrying over the Hellespont they subdued the whole Asia lying on this side of the Mountaine Taurus which together with the neighbouring countrey of Syria they a long time held vnder their tribute seating about the riuer Halys and occasioning there the name of the Gallo-Greekes or Galatae The first who conquered this victorious nation and made them subject to forreine lawes to let passe their private differences with Ariovistus and the Germans were the Romans as in part by former captaines so totally by C Iulius Caesar immediately before his civill wars with Pompey In the raigne of the Emperour Gratian came first hither the Britons from the iland of great Bretaigne placed in Gaule Armorique by the Tyrant Maximus rebelling against Gratian from whom that part hath since beene named Bretaigne Not long after in the raigne of the Emperour Honorius the Burgundians were received in intruding amonst the Hedui Sequani then the Visigots to whom Gaule Narbonensis was allotted Shortly after in the raigne of the third Valentian the Franci or Frenchmen breake in who the Romans beaten out and the other barbarians subdued in a short time make themselues masters of the whole province giving the name of France therevnto Since the French conquest and monarchy the Vascones a Spanish people after Pasquier in the time of king Dagobert the first or as in Chesne in the raigne of Guntran king of Orleans breaking forth of the Pyrenaean mountaines here seazed vpon that part of Aquitania which since from thence hath bin called Gascoigne Afterwards in the raigne of Charles the Simple the Normans by force composition got possession of the countrey called Neustria named since from these Normandy The whole inhabitants by meanes of their
West-Freislandt The wet and moorish ground about it affordeth rich pasturages but is altogither vnfit for corne Franicker a schoole or petty Vniversity Bolswaerdt OOSTER-GOE COntaining the Sea-coast betwixt Wester-goe and the country of Groningen Townes here are Lieward or Leewarden the court presidial chancerie and chiefe towne of the proper West-Freislant rich faire and strongly fortified Doccum neere vnto Groninger-landt ZEVEN-WOLDEN COntaining the woodland part towards the South-East and Ouer-ysel It hath not any towne of note THE TERRITORY OF GRONINGEN THis is the most Easterne part of West-Freislandt contained betwixt Ooster-goe and the river Eems or Oost-Freislandt Townes here are Dam neere vnto the Eems and Oost-Frislandt Groeningen the chiefe towne giving the name to the province The towne is of great state large rich and strongly fortified There are contained in the whole West-Freislandt 12. walled townes and some 490 Villages The more auncient inhabitants were the Frisij Maiores of Ptolemy Of these 8 provinces South-Holland Vtrecht on the hither side of the Rhijn with Bommeler-Weert Maes-Wael and Betuwe in Gelderlandt appertaine vnto Gaule Belgick North-Hollandt Veluwe of Gelderlandt Zutphen Over-ysel West-Freislandt and Groningerlandt belong vnto Germany the midle chanell of the Rhijn aunciently parting those two mighty prouinces In bignes pleasure and goodnes of soile they are inferiour to those of the Princes but in trade populousnes wealth strength and number of shipping they much surpasse the other In a manner all their townes stand vpon the Ocean vpon great nauigable riuers creeks or inlets of the sea or amongst deepe vnpassable marishes waters wherby through their strength of shipping never being able sully to be besieged and victualls munition and men being hereby easily conueyed vnto them they are become invincible against the most potent enimies not easily to be mastered vnlesse by their disvnion and the dominion of the sea taken from them Their gouerment since that they shoake of the Spanish yoake hath beene vnder the particular states of each prouince a third part of Gelderlandt and Zutphen excepted where stand the townes of Ruremond Guelders Venlo Watchtendonc Strale and Grol remaining yet subiect to the Arch-dutchesse not vnited into any one entire body of common-wealth and but onely for their better defence confederate together in a more strict league whose delegates resident for the most part at the Hage in Hollandt are called the States Generall Their lawes are their severall municipall lawes customes and priuiledges together with the ciuill or Roman law Their religion which onely publikely is allowed is the reformed following or allowing the doctrine of Caluin Their language is the Dutch DENMARCK THE bounds hereof are vpon the South the river Eydore parting it from Holstein the kingdome of the Germans vpon the West the German Ocean vpon the East the Sea Balticke or the Ooster-sche and vpon the North the kingdomes of Norwey and Swethen It lyeth betwixt the 55 45 60 and 59 5 60 degrees of Northerne Latitude The length betwixt North and South is 265 Italian miles the breadth some 200 of the same miles The more ancient inhabitants were the Sigulones Subalingij Cobandi Chali Phundusij Charudes and Cimbri of Ptolemie and Tacitus inhabiting the necke of land named by Ptolemy from that more famous nation the Cimbrian Chersonese now the 2 Iutlandts the Teutoni of Mela inhabiting the Iland Codanonia now Zeland and the Sitones or Sueones of Tacitus for we cannot out of his description certainely distinguish whether inhabiting the parts hereof lying in the Continent of Scandia now Hallandt Schonen and Bleking These ancient names towards the waine of the Roman Empire worne out and extinguished we read in Beda of the Angli and Vitae inhabiting the Cimbrian Chersonese whereof these later possessed the more Northern parts the former after the same author were seated betwixt the Vitae and the Saxons From the Vitae the Cimbrian Chersonese now beareth the name of Iutlandt The name of the Angli is yet preserved here in the Dukedome of Scleswijck in the towne or name of Angelen In the raigne of the Emperour Valentinian the third these two nations remouing with the Saxons into the Iland of Great Brittaine not long after in the raignes of Theodoric French King of Austrasia and of Anastasius Emperour of the East we lastly finde here the Danes more certainely named thus as hath beene related from the bay Codanus whose Ilands and neighbouring Continent they inhabited Iornandes who liued in the raigne of the Emperour Iustinian the first placeth these in the Continent of Scanzia or Scandia Vnder their Prince Godfrey in the raigne of the Emperour Charles the Great we finde them enlarged Southwards vnto the river Eydore dividing from them the Saxons or Dutch as they remaine at this present From this nation the country hath since beene called Denmarck famous a long time for armes and their great and many victories atchieved abroad themselues never conquered by foraine power Lords sometimes of England and Swethen and at this day of the large kingdome of Norwey and of all the navigations and Ilands situated towards the Pole Arcticke and the North. The religion hereof which is publikely allowed is only the Protestant or Confession of Augspurg first converted to Christianity by S. Ansgarius Bishop of Bremen the generall Apostle of these Northerne parts in the raignes of king Eric the second and of Lewis the Godly Emperour of the West and reformed to the Orthodox tenent by the authority of king Fredericke the first The Ecclesiasticall affaires are directed by the Arch-bishop of Lunden and six other Bishops of Rotschilt Odensee Ripen Wiborch Arhusen and Sleswijck The state is monarchicall the eldest sonne most commonly succeeding vnto the father yet where the states doe chalenge a right of chusing None of the nobility exceede the dignitie of Knights conferred by the free grace of the Prince The titles of Dukes Marqueses Earles Vicounts and Barons are not heard of vnlesse amongst the issue royall The kingdome for the better distribution of iustice containeth 184 Prefectures or juridicall resorts which they call Herets It lyeth partly in the continent of Germany and partly in the maine land of Scandia and in the Ilands of the Sundt betwixt these containing fiue more generall parts or names of Iutlandt the Ilands of the Sundt Halland Schonen and Bleking IVTLANDT COntaining the neck of land in the continent of Germany called by Ptolemie the Cimbrian Chersonese It hath vpon the West and North the German Ocean vpon the East the Sundt and vpon the South the riuer Eydore parting it from Holstein and the German Empire It is diuided into the North and the South Iutlands South Iutland hath beene otherwise named the Dukedome of Iutlandt likewise the Dukedome of Sleswijck from the towne of Sleswijck about the yeare 1280 in the person of Waldemar severed from the kingdome by Eric to be