grace it shalbe calde of right Speake what you can a happie Seate it is A trim Shiere towne for Noble Barron or Knight A Cittie sure as free as is the best Where Size is kept and learned Lawyers rest Buylt auncient wise in swéete and wholesome ayre Where the best sort of people oft repayre Not farre from thence a famous Castle fine That Raggland hight stands moted almost round Made of Freestone vpright as straight as line Whose workmanship in beautie doth abound The curious knots wrought all with edged toole The stately Tower that lookes ore Pond and Poole The Fountaine trim that runs both day and night Doth yéeld in showe a rare and noble sight Now Chepstowe comes to mynd as well it may Whose Seate is set some part vpon an hill And through the Towne to Neawport lyes a way That ore a Bridge on Wye you ride at will This Bridge is long the Riuer swift and great The Mountaine bigge about doth shade the Seate The craggie Rocks that ore the Towne doth lye Of force farre of doth hinder viewe of eye The common Port and Hauen is so good It merits praise because Barkes there doe ride To which the Sea comes in with flowing flood And doth foure howers aboue the Bridge abide Beyond the same doth Tyntterne Abbey stand As old a Sell as is within that Land Where diuers things hath bene right worthie note Whereof as yet the troth I haue not gote To Chepstowe yet my pen agayne must passe Where Strongbow once an Earle of rare renowne A long time since the Lord and Maister was In princely sort of Castle and of Towne Then after that to Mowbray it befell Of Norffolke Duke a worthie knowne full well Who sold the samet o William Harbert Knight That was the Earle of Penbrooke then by right His eldest Sonne that did succeede his place Of Huntyngton and Penbrooke Earle likewise Had but one childe a Daughter of great race And she was matcht with pompe and solempne guise To Somerset that was Lord Chamberlaine And made an Earle in Henry seuenths raigne Of him doth come Earle Worster liuing nowe Who buildeth vp the house of Raggland throwe A Creation of an Earle EDward by the grace of God King most imperiall Of France England the Lord of Ireland therwithall To Archbishops Bishops all to Abbotes and to Priors To Dukes to Earles to Barrons to Sheriffes of the shires To Iustices to Maiors and chiefe of Townly gouernment To Baylieffes my lichefolke all haue herewith greeting sent Knowe ye whereas we iudge it is a gracious Prince his parte To yéeld loue fauour and reward to men of great desarte Who of himselfe his Royall house and of the publique state Haue well deseru'd their vertues rare euer to renumerate And to adorne with high reward such vertue cléere and bright Stirs others vp to great attempts and faintnes puts to flight We following on the famous course y e former Kings haue run That worthie approued wight whose déedes most nobly dun Haue greatest things of vs deseru'd we do intend to raise To fame and honors highest type with gifts of Princely praise That truely regall are we meane that valiant worthie Knight That William Herbert hath to name now L. Herbert hight Whose seruice wheÌ„ we first did raigne we did most faithful find When for our royal right we fought which stil we call to mind To which we ad from then till now continuall seruices Which many were whereof each one to vs most pleasing is And chiefly when as lately now his déedes did him declare A worthie Knight wherby he gayn'd both fame and glorie rare When as that Rebell and our foe euen Iasper Tudyrs sonne who said he Earle of Penbroke was did westwales coast oreruÌ„ And there by subtile shifts and force did diuers sondrie waies Anoy our State and therewithall a vyle Sedition raise But there he gaue to him a fielde and with a valiant hand Orethrew him and his forces all that on his part did stand And marching all along those Coasts y e most he flew out right The rest he brake and so disperst they gaue themselues to flight Our Castle then of Hardelach that from our first daies raigne A refuge for all Rebels did against vs still remaine A Fort of wonderous force besiege about did he And tooke it where in most mens mynds it could not taken be He wan it did make them yéeld who there their saftie sought And all the Countrie thereabouts to our obedience brought These therefore his most worthie Acts we calling into minde His seruices and great desarts which we praise worthie finde And for that cause we willing him with honors royally For to adorne decke and aduaunce and to sublime on hye The eight day of September in the eight yéere of our Raigne We by this Charter that for ours shall firme for euer remaine Of speciall grace and knowledge sure sound and determinate And motioÌ„ méere him William doe of Penbroke Count create Erect preferre and vnto him the Title stile and state And name thereof and dignitie foreuer appropriate As Earle of Penbroke and withall we giue all rights that do All honors and preheminence that state perteyne vnto With which estate stile honor great and worthie dignitie By cincture of a Sword we him ennoble reallie For that the sence and worthie words were great The seruice such as merites noble fame The forme thereof in verse I doe repeate And shewe likewise the Lattin of the same He seru'd a King that could him well reward And of his house and race tooke great regard And recompenst his manly doing right With honor due to such a noble Knight Where loyall mynd doth offer life and all For to preserue the Prince and publique state There doth great hap and thankfull Fortune fall As guerdon sent by destnie and good fate No Soueraine can forget a Subiects troeth With whose good grace great loue and fauour goeth Great gifts and place great glorie and renowne They get and gayne that truely serues a Crowne And thou my Knight that art his heire in blood Though Lordship land and Ragglands stately towers A female heire and force of fortunes flood Haue thée bereft yet bearst his fruits and flowers His armes his name his faith and mynd are thyne By nature nurture arte and grace deuyne Ore Seas and Lands these moue thée paynes to take For God for fame for thy swéete Soueraines sake ⧠Here followeth the Creation of an Earle of Penbroke in Latin EDwardus Dei gracia Rex Angliae Fraunciae Dominus Hiberniç Archiepiscopis Episcopis Abbatibê° Prioribus Ducibus Comitibus Baronibus Iusticiarijs Vicecomitibus Prepositis Ministris omnibus Balliuis fidelibus suis saluteÌ„ Sciatis quod cum felicis grati admodum Regis munus censeamus de se de Regia domo deque Republica regno bene meritas personas coÌ„gruis
of and yet deserueth most greatest lawdation And in deede the more honorable it is for that your Highnesse princely Auncestors sprong forth of the noble braunches of that Nation Thus duetifully praying for your Maiesties long preseruation by whose bountie and goodnesse I a long while haue liued I wish your Highnesse all the hap honour victorie and harts ease that can be desired or imagined Your Highnesse humble Seruant and Subiect Thomas Churchyard ⧠To euery louing and friendly Reader IT may seeme straunge good Reader that I haue chosen in the end of my daies to trauaile and make discription of Countries whereas the beginning of my youth and a long while after I haue hauÌ„ted the warres and written somewhat of Martiall Discipline but as euery season breedeth a seuerall humour and the humours of men are diuers drawing the mynd to sondrie dispositions so common occasion that commands the iudgement hath set me a worke and the warme good will affection borne in breast towards the worthie Countrey of Wales hath haled me often forward to take this labour in hand which many before haue learnedly handled But yet to shewe a difference in writing and a playnnesse in speech because playne people affects no florishing phrase I haue now in as ample a maner without borrowed termes as I could declared my opinion of that sweete Soyle and good Subiects therof euen at that very instant when Wales was almost forgotten or scarce remembred with any great lawdation when it hath merited to be written of for sondrie famous causes most meete to be honored and necessary to be touched in First the world will confesse or els it shall do wrong that some of our greatest Kings that haue conquered much were borne bred in that Countrey which Kings in their times to the glory of England haue wrought wonders brought great benefites to our weale publicke Among the same Princes I pray you giue me leaue to place our good Queene Elizabeth and pardoÌ„ me withall to commit you to the Chronicles for the seeking out of her Auncestors noble actions and suffer me to shewe a little of the goodnesse gathered by vs from her Maiesties well doing and possessed a long season from her princely and iust dealings An act so noble notorious that neither can escape immortall fame nor shall not passe my pen vnresited Now weigh in what plight was our state when she came first to the Crowne and see how soone Religion was reformed a matter of great moment peace planted and warres vtterly extinguished as the sequell yet falleth out Then behold how she succoured the afflicted in Fraunce let the going to Newhauen beare witnesse and chargeably without breaking of League mainteyned her friends and amazed her enemies Then looke into the seruice and preseruation of Scotland at the siege of Leeth and see how finely the French were al shipped away they being a great power and sent home in such sort that neuer since they had mynd to returne thether againe in that fashion and forme that they sayled towards Scotland at the first Then consider how bace our money was in what short tyme with little losse to our Countrey the bad coyne was conuerted to good siluer and so is like to continue to the end of the world Then in the aduancing of Gods word and good people regard how Rochell was relieued and Rone and other places fouÌ„d cause to pray for her life who sought to purchase their peace and see them in safetie Then thinke on the care she tooke for Flaunders during the first troubles and how that Countrey had bene vtterly destroyed if her Highnes helping hand had not propped vp that tottering State Then Christianly coÌ„ceiue how many mulâ—itudes of strangers she hath giuen gracious countenance vnto and hath freely licensed them to liue here in peace and rest Then paise in an equall ballance the daungerous estate of Scotland once againe when the Kings owne Subiects kept the Castle of Edenbrough against their owne naturall Lord Maister which presumptuous part of Subiects her Highnesse could not abide to behold wherevpon she sent a sufficient power to ayde the Kings Maiestie which power valiantly wonne the Castle and freely deliuered the same to the right owner thereof with all the treasure and prisoners therein Then regard how honourably she hath dealt with diuers Princes that came to see her or needed her magnificeÌ„t supportation and countenance Then looke throughly into the mightinesse managing of all matters gone about and put in exercise princely and yet peaceably since the day of her Highnesse Coronation and you shalbe forced to confesse that she surmounts a great number of her Predecessors and she is not at this day no whit inferiour to the greatest Monarke of the world Is not such a peereles Queene then a comfort to Wales a glorie to England and a great reioysing to all her good neighbours And doth not she daily deserue to haue bookes dedicated in the highest degree of honor to her Highnesse Yes vndoubtedly or els my sences and iudgement fayleth me So good Reader do iudge of my labours my pen is procured by a band of causes to write as farre as my knowledge may leade and my duetie hath no end of seruice nor no limits are set to a loyall Subiect but to wish and worke to the vttermost of power Within this worke are seuerall discourses some of the beautie blessednes of the Countrey some of the strength and statelynesse of their inpregnable Castles some of their trim Townes and fine situation some of their antiquitie shewing from what Kings and Princes they tooke their first name and prerogatiue So generally of all maner of matters belonging to that Soyle as Churches Monuments Mountaynes Valleys Waters Bridges fayre Gentlemens houses and the rest of things whatsoeuer may become a writers pen to touch or a readers iudgement to knowe I write not contenciously to find fault with any or confute the former writers and tyme but to aduaunce and winne credite to the present trueth agreeing and yeelding to all former tymes and ages that hath iustly giuen euery Nation their due and truely without affection hath set downe in plaine words the worthines of plaine people for I honor and loue as much a true Author as I hate and detest a reporter of trifeling fables A true Historie is called the Mistresse of life and yet all Historyographers in writing of one thing agree not well one with another because the writers were not present in the tymes in the places nor saw the persons they make meÌ„tion of but rather haue leaned and listned on the common report than stayed or trusted to their owne experience Strabo a most famous writer findes fault for the like occasion with Erstaotheus Metrodorus Septius Possidonius and Patrocles the Geographer And such discord did arise amoÌ„g writers in tyme past as Iosephus saith against Appio that they reprooued one another by bookes and all men in
euery one of you should neuer so diligently consider and debate with himselfe neuer so aduisedly in his mynd yet doe I not thinke that he could possiblie deuise any better counsell then this which thy most graue wisedome hath now remembred Thy eloquent and Tullie like aduise therefore hath furnished vs with that skill whereby wee ought incessantly to commende in you the affect of a constant man the effect of a wise mynd and the benefite of prudent counsell For if ye will take your voyage and expedition to Rome according to the reason afore alledged I doubt not but wee should winne tryumph sir◠wee doe but defend our libertie and iustly demaund of our enemies that which they haue vniustly begun to demaunde of vs. For whosoeuer goeth about to defeate or dispossesse an other of his right and to take from him that which is his owne worthylie and deseruedlie may bee put from that which is his owne by him to whom he hath offered and done such wrong and violence Séeing therefore the Romaines would so gladly take from vs that which is our owne we will without doubt take from them that which they haue if we may once come to buckle with them Behold this is the conflict that al true hearted Britaines so long haue wished for Behold these be the Prophesies of Sybilla now fulfilled which so plainly and truely foretolde that of the third stock of the Britaines there should one be borne that should obtaine and possesse the Romain Empyre Now for two of these the Prophesies bee alreadie fulfilled sithence it is manifest as thou hast alreadie declared that those two most noble and excellent Princes Belinus and Constantine ouercame and gaue the Armes of the Romaine Empyre And now haue we you being the third vnto whom such high exployt and honour is promised Make haste therefore to receiue that which God is readie to bestowe on thée Hasten I say to subdue that which he is willing should be subdued Hasten to aduaunce all vs that are here readie for thyne aduauncement honour neither to refuse wounds nor to lose life and limme And for thy better atchieuing hereof I my selfe will accompanie thée with tenne thousand well armed Souldiours ANgusell King of Albania when Howell had made an ende of his Oration began to declare his lyking and opinion of the matter in this sort following Since the tyme that I heard my Lord vtter his mynd touching this case I haue conceiued such inwarde ioye as I am not able here afore you to expresse For in all our victorious Conquests alreadie passed and in so many Kings and Regions as wee haue subdued wee may well seeme to haue done nothing at all if wee suffer the Romaines and Germaines still to remaine and doe not manfully wrecke vpon them those bloodie slaughters which heretofore they inflicted vpon our Auncestors and Countreymen And now sith wee haue occasion and libertie to trye the matter with them by force of armes I reioyce excéedingly and haue a longing thirst to see that day wherein we may méete together yea I thirst euen as if I had bene drye and kept three daies thirstie from a Fountaine of water Oh that I might see that day how swéete and pleasant should those wounds be that I should either giue or take when we coape together yea death it self shall be sweete and welcome so that I may suffer the same in reuenging our fathers in defending our libertie and in aduauncing our King Let vs therefore giue the charge and oncet vpon yonder effeminate and meycoclie people and let vs stand to our tackle like men that after we haue banquished them we may enioye their honors and offices with ioyfull victorie And for my parte I will augment our Armie with two thousand Horsemen well appoynted and armed beside Footemen FINIS Here followeth the Latin of the English going before OMnibus in vrbe legionum congregatio solemnitate instante Archipraesules Londinensis Eboracensis necnon in vrbe legionum Archiepiscopus Dubricius ad pallatium ducuntur vt regem Arthurum diademate regali coronarent Dubricius ergo quoniam in sua duecesi curia tenebatur paratus ad celebrandum huius rei curam suscepit Rege tandem insignito ad templum metropolitanae sedis ornatè conducitur à dextro à laeuo latere duo Archipontifices ipsum tenebant Quatuor autem reges viz. Anguselus rex Albaniae Caduallus Venedociae rex Cador rex Cornubiae Sater rex Demetiae quatuor aureos gladios ante ipsum ferentes praeibant Conuentus quoque multimodocum ordinatorum miris modulationibus praecinebat Ex alia parte reginam suis insignibus laureatam Archipraesules atque pontifices ad templum dicatarum puellarum conducebant Quatuor quoque praedictorum regum reginae quatuor albas columbas de more praeferebant Ecce enim duodecim viri maturae etatis reuerendi vultus tamos oliuae in signum legationis in dextris ferentes moderatis passibus ad regem ingrediuntur eo salutato literas ipsi ex parte Lucij Tiberij in haec verba obtulerunt Lucij Romani Procuratoris ad Arthurum Britonum regem epistola LVcius reipublicae procurator Arthuro regi Britāniae quid meruit Admirans vehementer admiror super tuae tyrannidis proternia Admiror inquam iniuriam quam Romae intulisti recolligens indignor quod extra te egressus eam cognoscere diffugias nec animaduertere festines quid sit iniustis actibus senatum offendisse cui totum orbem famulatum debere non ignoras Etenim tributū Britanniae quod tibi senatus reddere precaeperat quia Caius Iulius ceterique romanae dignitatis viti illud multis temporibus habuerunt neglecto tanti ordinis imperio detinere praesumpsisti Eripuisti quoque illi Galliam eripuisti Allobrogum prouinciā eripuisti omnes oceani insulas quarum reges dum romana potestas in illis partibus perualuit vectigal maioribus nostris reddiderūt Quia ergo de tantis iniuriarum tuarum cumulis senatus reparationem petere decreuit mediantē Augustum proximi anni terminum perfigens Romam te venire iubeo vt dominis tuis satisfaciens sententie quam eorum dictatori iusticia acquiescas Sin aliter ipse partes tuas adibo quicquid vesania tua reipublicae erripuit eidem mediantibus gladijs restituere conabor Cadoris ducis Cornubiae ad regem HVcusque in timore fueram ne Britones longa pace quietos ocium quod ducunt ignauos faceret famamque militiae qua ceteris gentibus clariores censentur in eis omnino deleret Quippe vbi vsus armorum videtur abesse alearum vero mulierum inflamationes ceteraque oblectamenta adesse dubitandum non est quin quod erat virtutis quod honoris quod audaciae quod famae ignauia commaculet Fere namque transacti sunt quinque anni ex quo predictis delitijs dediti exercitio Martis caruimus Deus igitur vt nos segnitia liberaret Romanos
Sibilla a deuine Prophesiar writer Merilinus Ambrosius a man of hye knowledge spirit A description of Oske Two Riuers nere together of seuerall natures shewes a strange thing King Edward the fourth and his children as some affirme and King Richard the third were borne here Castle StrogeÌ„ doth yet remaine three myle from Oske but the Castle is almost cleane downe In the Duchie of Lancaster these three Castles are but not in good plight any way The Duke of Yorke once lay here and now the Castell is in Maister Roger Willyams hands A description of Carleon Maister Morgan of Lanternam in a fayre house dwelles two mile from Carleon A plaine and true rehearsall of matter of great antiquitie A fayre Fountaine now begun A free Schoole now erected by Maister Morgan of Lanternam A gird to the flatterers and fauners of present tyme. A house of reformatioÌ„ newly begun likewise The Bishop of Landaffe still lying in the Towne We praise and extoll strange Nations and forget or abase our owne Countries In Arons the Martyrs Church King Arthur was crowned Three Archbishops Yorke London and CarleoÌ„ crowning King Arthur Arthur was great that coÌ„manded such solemnitie The true Authors are in the beginning of this booke for profe of this Another notable solemnitie at a Coronation In Iulius Church the Martyr the Queene was crowned An honor rare and great yet seldome seene A deepe and large round peece of grouÌ„d shewes yet where Arthur sate A Church on a hil a mile of Saint Gillyans is a faire house where Sir William Harbert dwelles Wonderfull huge and long pauements The notablest seate to behold being on the top that may be seene The Castle almost downe The flowing water may easily be brought about both Towne and Castle A great beautie of grounds waters groues other pleasures for the eye to be seene from the old Castle of Carleon I haue seene Caues vnder ground at this day that goe I know not how farre all made of excellent work and goodly great stones both ouer head and vnder foote close and fine round about the whole Caue The name so mightie argues it was a mightie and noble towne Two hundred Philosophers were norished in Carleon Yeeld right as well to our elders daies as to our present age Allobroges Allobroges Sybilla her prophesies touching the Britaines An exhortatioÌ„ of Howell The sentence and resolution of the King of Albania Vaticinia Sibille de Britonibus Exhortatio Hoeli Sententia regis Albaniae Analles sue gentes A Hill most notable neere CarleoÌ„ a myle froÌ„ the towne A very high Hill of a marueilous streÌ„gth which was a strong Forâ—â—n Arthurs daies Bellinus MaÌ„gnus made this called Bellingstocke A wonderfull high mountaine with the like maner of defence The towne of Neawport On a round hill by the Church there is for Sea and Land the most princely sight that any man liuing at one instant may with perfect eye behold The Towne hath Marchants in it A Castle is at the end of this Towne and full by the Bridges and Riuer Greenefield Castle that was the Duke of Lancasters Eboyth is the Riuers name that runneth here For Riuer wood pasture ayre walke pleasure this place passeth A true iudgement of the commodities in Wales if the people there would be laborous Nychill The people of wales in many places thriues by labour daylie and gets great gayne through tillage I haue knowen many places so barraine that they haue sought for come farre of who now are able to liue without helpe of any other Countrey It stands ouer two little Riuers called Ceybbie and Ceyuennie of which Ceyuenie Aborgeuenie tooke the name The Bridge of stone a eleuen fayre arches and a great bridge of stone to come drylie to that bridge Of the bountie of tyme past and the hardnes of our age A fayre and noble Castle belonging to the auncient house and race of the honorable the Lord of Aborgaynie The bountie of the Castle and Countrie A goodly and stately peece of worke as like to fall as be repayred againe Any heart in the world would pittie the decay of Castles in MoÌ„mouth shiere In this church was a most famous worke in maner of a genealogie of Kings called the roote of Iesse which worke is defaced and pulled downe in peeces On the right hand in a faire Chappell Both the windowe and in other parts about him shewes that he was a stranger Blewe is The labell whereon are nyne Flowerdeluces On the left hand a Lord of Aborgany Sir William Thomas Knight alias Harbert Sir Dauie Gam Knight father to this Knights wife This Knight was slaine at Edgingcourt field His Tombe is of hard and good Allablaster Sir William Thomas was father to the next that followes called Sir Richard Harbert of Colbroke Knight In the Chronicle this is rehearsed On the left hand of the Chappell they lye She was daughter to Thomas ap Griffith father to Sir Rice ap Thomas Knight On the right hand of the Chappell The old Earle of Penbroke one of the priuie Councell In the windowe now he lyes Some say this great Lord was called Bruce and not Hastings but most doe hold opinion he was called Hastings A Ladie of Aborgaynie A Ladie of some noble house whose name I knowe not Doctor Lewis lately Iudge in the Amoraltie Maistre Gams dwelles here Doctor Awberie hath a house here The auncient house of Gams The Armes of the Gams The Armes of one Waters His name was Reynold Debreos Glasseberies Bridge is within two myle of Portthamwel Maister Robert Knowles that maried one of the heires of the Vaughhans hath a fayre house and a Parke at Portthamwell The names of streates there Castle streate Broad streate Old streate And the Mill streate A fayre house by the gate of the making of Iustice Walter Nere this is a fayre house of Maister Sackfords which he lid buyld and a fayre house that Master Secretarie Foxe did bestowe great charges on a house that Maister Berrie dwelles in M. Townesend hath a fayre house at Saint Austins once a Frierie The Lord President Sir Harrie Sidneys Daughter called Ambrosia is entombed here in most brauest maner and great chargeable workmanship on the right hand of the Aulter On the same is my Lord of Warwicks Armes excelleÌ„tly wrought and my Lord Presidents Armes and others are in like sort there richly set out Sir Robert Townes-end Knight lyes in a maruelos fayre Tombe in the Queere here and his wife by him at his feete is a red Rowbuck and a word tout en dieu On the left hand Hozier lyes in the bodie of the Church On the right hand Cookes lyes This man was my mothers father Beawpy was a great ritch and verteous man he made another Chantrie The Castle of Ludloe Sir Harry Sidney built many things here worthie praise and memorie Ouer a Chimney excellently wrought in the best chamber is S. Androwes Crosse ioyned to Prince Arthurs Armes