made their letters patents sealed with their seales and then the king of England made William Warreine earle of Surrie and Southsax lord Warden of Scotland Hugh of Cressingham treasuror and William Ormesbie iustice of Scotland and foorthwith sent king Iohn to the Tower of London and Iohn Comin and the earle Badenauth the earle of Bohan and other lords into England to diuerse places on this side of the Trent And after that in the yeare of our Lord 1297 at the feast of Christmas the king called before him the said Iohn king of Scots although he had committed him to ward and said that he would burne or destroie their castels townes and lands if he were not recompensed for his costs and damages susteined in the warres but king Iohn and the other that were in ward answered that they had nothing sith their liues their deaths and goods were in his hands The king vpon that answer mooued with pitie granted them their liues so that they would doo their homage and make their oth solemnelie at the high altar in the church of the abbeie of Westminster vpon the eucharist that they and euerie of them should hold and keepe true faith obedience and allegiance to the said king Edward and his heires kings of England for euer And where the said king of Scots saw the kings banner of England displaied he and all his power should draw therevnto And that neither he or anie of his from thencefoorth should beare armes against the king of England or anie of his bloud Finallie the king rewarding with great gifts the said king Iohn and his lords suffered them to depart But they went into Scotland alwaie imagining notwithstanding this their submission how they might oppresse king Edward and disturbe his realme The Scots sent also to the king of France for succour and helpe who sent them ships to Berwike furnished with men of armes the king of England then being in Flanders In the yeare of our Lord 1298 the king went into Scotland with a great host and the Scots also assembled in great number but the king fought with them at Fawkirke on S. Marie Magdalens daie where were slaine thréescore thousand Scots Willain Walleis that was their capteine fled who being taken afterward was hanged drawen quartered at London for his trespasses After this the Scots rebelled againe and all the lords of Scotland chose Robert Bruse to be king except onelie Iohn Commin earle of Carrike who would not consent thereto bicause of his oth made to the king of England Wherefore Robert Bruse slue him at Dumfrise and then was crowned at Schone abbeie Herevpon the king of England assembled a great hoast and rode through all Scotland discomfited Robert Bruse slue eight thousand Scots tooke the most part of all the lords of Scotland putting the temporall lords to deth bicause they were forsworne Edward borne at Carnaruan sonne of this Edward was next king of England who from the beginning of his reigne enioied Scotland peaceablie dooing in all things as is aboue said of king Edward his father vntill toward the later end of his reigne about which time this Robert Bruse conspired against him and with the helpe of a few forsworne Scots forswore himselfe king of Scots Herevpon this Edward with Thomas earle of Lancaster and manie other lords made warre vpon him about the feast of Marie Magdalene the said Bruse and his partakers being alreadie accurssed by the pope for breaking the truce that he had established betwixt them But being infortunate in his first warres against him he suffered Edward the sonne of Balioll to proclame himselfe king of Scots and neuerthelesse held foorth his warres against Bruse before the ending of which he died as I read Edward borne at Windsore sonne of Edward the second was next king of England at the age of fifteene yeares in whose minoritie the Scots practised with Isabell mother to this Edward and with Roger Mortimer earle of the March to haue their homages released whose good will therein they obteined so that for the same release they should paie to this king Edward thirtie thousand pounds starling in three yeares next following that is to saie ten thousand pounds starling yeerelie But bicause the nobilitie and commons of this realme would not by parlement consent vnto it their king being within age the same release procéeded not albeit the Scots ceased not their practises with this quéene and earle But before those thrée yeares in which their menie if the bargaine had taken place should haue béene paied were expired our king Edward inuaded Scotland and ceassed not the warre vntill Dauid the sonne of Robert le Bruse then by their election king of Scotland absolutelie submitted himselfe vntohim But for that the said Dauid Bruse had before by practise of the quéene and the earle of March married Iane the sister of this king Edward he mooued by naturall zeale to his sister was contented to giue the realme of Scotland to this Dauid Bruse and to the heires that should be be gotten of the bodie of the said Iane sauing the reuersion and meane homages to this king Edward and to his owne children wherewith the same Dauid Bruse was right well contented and therevpon immediatlie made his homage for all the realme of Scotland to him Howbeit shortlie after causelesse conceiuing cause of displeasure this Dauid procured to dissolue this same estate tailée and therevpon not onelie rebelled in Scotland but also inuaded England whilest king Edward was occupied about his wars in France But this Dauid was not onelie expelled England in the end but also thinking no place a sufficient defense to his vntruth of his owne accord fled out of Scotland whereby the countries of Annandale Gallowaie Mars Teuidale Twedale and Ethrike were seized into the king of Englands hands and new marches set betwéene England and Scotland at Cockbuâ—nes path Sowtrie hedge Which when this Dauid went about to recouer againe his power was discomfited and himselfe by a few Englishmen taken brought into England where he remained prisoner eleuen yeares after his said apprehension During this time king Edward enioied Scotland peaceablie and then at the contemplation and wearie suit of his sorowfull sister wife of this Dauid he was contented once againe to restore him to the kingdome of Scotland Wherevpon it was concluded that for this rebellion Dauid should paie to king Edward the summe of one hundred thousand markes starling and there to destroie all his holdes and fortresses standing against the English borders and further assure the crowne of Scotland to the children of this king Edward for lacke of heire of his owne bodie all which things he did accordinglie And for the better assurance of his obeisance also he afterward deliuered into the hands of king Edward sundrie noble men of Scotland in this behalfe as his pledges This is the effect of the historie of Dauid touching his delings Now let vs sée what was doone
by Edward Balioll wherof our chronicles doo report that in the yéere of our Lord 1326 Edward the third king of England was crowned at Westminster and in the fift yeare of his reigne Edward Balioll right heire to the kingdome of Scotland came in and claimed it as due to him Sundrie lords and gentlemen also which had title to diuerse lands there either by themselues or by their wiues did the like Wherevpon the said Balioll and they went into Scotland by sea and landing at Kinghorns with 3000 Englishmen discomfited 10000 Scots and flue 1200 and then went foorth to Dunfermeline where the Scots assembled against them with 40000 men and in the feast of saint Laurence at a place called Gastmore or otherwise Gladmore were slaine fiue earls thirtéene barons a hundred and thrée score knights two thousand men of armes and manie other in all fortie thousand and there were staine on the English part but thirtéene persons onelie if the number be not corrupted In the eight yeare of the reigne of king Edward he assembled a great hoast and came to Berwike vpon Twéed and laid siege therto To him also came Edward Balioll king of Scots with a great power to strengthen aid him against the Scots who came out of Scotland in foure batels well armed araied Edward king of England and Edward king of Scots apparrelled their people either of them in foure battels and vpon Halidon hill beside Berwike met these two hoasts and there were discomfited of the Scots fiue and twentie thousand and seauen hundred whereof were slaine eight earles a thousand and thrée hundred knights and gentlemen This victorie doone the king returned to Berwike then the towne with the castell were yéelded vp vnto him In the eight yeare of the reigne of king Edward of England Edward Balioll king of Scots came to Newcastell vpon Tine and did homage for all the realme of Scotland In the yeare of our Lord 1346 Dauid Bruse by the prouocation of the king of France rebelled and came into England with a great hoast vnto Neuils crosse but the archbishop of Yorke with diuerse temporall men fought with him and the said king of Scots was taken and William earle of Duglas with Morrise earle of Strathorne were brought to London and manie other lords slaine which with Dauid did homage to Edward king of England And in the thirtith yeare of the kings reigne and the yeare of our Lord 1355 the Scots woone the towne of Berwicke but not the castell Herevpon the king came thither with a great hoast and anon the towne was yéelded vp without anie resistance Edward Balioll considering that God did so manie maruellous and gratious things for king Edward at his owne will gaue vp the crowne and the realme of Scotland to king Edward of England at Rokesborough by his letters patents And anon after the king of England in presence of all his lords spirituall and temporall let crowne himselfe king there of the realme of Scotland ordeined all things to his intent and so came ouer into England Richard the sonne of Edward called the Blacke prince sonne of this king Edward was next king of England who for that the said Iane the wife of the said king Dauid of Scotland was deceassed without issue and being informed how the Scots deuised to their vttermost power to breake the limitation of this inheritance touching the crowne of Scotland made foorthwith war against them wherein he burnt Edenbrough spoiled all their countrie tooke all their holds held continuallie war against them vntill his death which was Anno Dom. 1389. Henrie the fourth of that name was next king of England he continued these warres begun against them by king Richard and ceassed not vntill Robert king of Scots the third of that name resigned his crowne by appointment of this king Henrie and deliuered his sonne Iames being then of the age of nine yeares into his hands to remaine at his custodie wardship and disposition as of his superiour lord according to the old lawes of king Edward the confessor All this was doone Anno Dom. 1404 which was within fiue yeares after the death of king Richard This Henrie the fourth reigned in this estate ouer them fouretéene yeares Henrie the fift of that name sonne to this king Henrie the fourth was next king of England He made warres against the French king in all which this Iames then king of Scots attended vpon him as vpon his superiour lord with a conuenient number of Scots notwithstanding their league with France But this Henrie reigned but nine yeares whereby the homage of this Iames their king hauing not fullie accomplished the age of one twentie yeares was by reason and law respited Finallie the said Iames with diuerse other lords attended vpon the corps of the said Henrie vnto Westminster as to his dutie apperteined Henrie the sixt the sonne of this Henrie the fift was next king of England to whome the seigniorie of Scotland custodie of this Iames by right law and reason descended married the same Iames king of Scots to Iane daughter of Iohn earle of Summerset at saint Marie ouer Ise in Southwarke and tooke for the value of this mariage the summe of one hundred thousand markes starling This Iames king of Scots at his full age did homage to the same king Henrie the sixt for the kingdome of Scotland at Windsore in the moneth of Ianuarie Since which time vntill the daies of king Henrie the seuenth grandfather to our souereigne ladie that now is albeit this realme hath béene molested with diuersitie of titles in which vnmeet time neither law nor reason admit prescription to the preiudice of anie right yet did king Edward the fourth next king of England by preparation of war against the Scots in the latter end of his reigne sufficientlie by all lawes induce to the continuance of his claime to the same superioritie ouer them After whose death vnto the beginning of the reigne of our souereigne lord king Henrie the eight excéeded not the number of seauen and twentie yeares about which time the impediment of our claime of the Scots part chanced by the nonage of Iames their last king which so continued the space of one and twentie yeares And like as his minoritie was by all law and reason an impediment to himselfe to make homage so was the same by like reason an impediment to the king of this realme to demand anie so that the whole time of intermission of our claime in the time of the said king Henrie the eight is deduced vnto the number of thirteene yeares And thus much for this matter Of the wall sometime builded for a partition betweene England and the Picts and Scots Chap. 23. HAuing hitherto discoursed vpon the title of the kings of England vnto the Scotish kingdome I haue now thought good to adde here vnto the description of two walles that were in times past limits vnto both the said regions and therefore to
was first vsed that in fine they gaue it ouer and suffered their whole inuentions to perish and decaie till Edward the third deuised an other order not so much pestered with multitude of knights as the round table but much more honorable for princelie port and countenance as shall appeare hereafter The order of the garter therefore was deuised in the time of king Edward the third and as some write vpon this occasion The quéenes maiestie then liuing being departed from his presence the next waie toward hir lodging he following soone after happened to find hir garter which slacked by chance and so fell from hir leg vnespied in the throng by such as attended vpon hir His groomes gentlemen also passed by it disdaining to stoope and take vp such a trifle but he knowing the owner commanded one of them to staie and reach it vp to him Why and like your grace saieth a gentleman it is but some womans garter that hath fallen from hir as she followed the quéenes maiestie What soeuer it be quoth the king take it vp and giue it me So when he had receiued the garter he said to such as stood about him You my maisters doo make small account of this blue garter here and therewith held it out but if God lend me life for a few moneths I will make the proudest of you all to reuerence the like And euen vpon this slender occasion he gaue himselfe to the deuising of this order Certes I haue not read of anie thing that hauing had so simple a beginning hath growne in the end to so great honour and estimation But to proceed After he had studied awhile about the performance of his deuise and had set downe such orders as he himselfe inuented concerning the same he proclamed a roiall feast to be holden at Windsore whither all his nobilitie resorted with their ladies where he published his institution and foorthwith inuested an apponâ—â—â—d number into the afore said fellowship whose names insue himselfe being the souereigne and principall of that companie Next vnto himselfe also he placed Edward prince of Wales Henrie duke of Lancaster N. earle of Warw. N. capt de Bouche N. earle of Stafford N. earle of Sarum N. lord Mortimer Sir Iohn Lisle Sir Bartholomew Burwash N. sonne of sir Iohn Beauchamp Sir N. de Mahun S. Hugh Courtneie S. Thomas Holland Sir Iohn Graie Sir Rich. Fitzsimon Sir Miles Stapleton Sir Thomas Wale Sir Hugh Wrotesley Sir Neale Lording Sir Iohn Chandos S. Iames Dawdleie Sir Otho Holland Sir Henrie Eme. Sir Sanchet Dambricourt Sir Walter Pannell alià s Paganell What order of election and what estatutes were prescribed vnto the elected at this first institution as yet I can not exactlie vnderstand neither can I learne what euerie prince afterward added therevnto before the six and thirtith yeare of king Henrie the eight and third of king Edward the sixt wherefore of necessitie I must resort vnto the estate of the said order as it is at this present which I will set downe so brieflie as I may When anie man therefore is to be elected vpon a roome found void for his admission into this fellowship the king directeth his letters vnto him notwithstanding that he before hand be nominated to the same to this effect Right trustie and welbeloued we gréete you well asserteining you that in consideration aswell of your approoued truth and fidelitie as also of your couragious and valiant acts of knighthood with other your probable merits knowne by experience in sundrie parties and behalfes we with the companions of the noble order of the Garter assembled at the election holden this daie within our manour of N. haue elected and chosen you amongst other to be one of the companions of the said Order as your deserts doo condignelie require Wherefore we will that with conuenient diligence vpon the sight herof you repaire vnto our presence there to receiue such things as to the said order apperteineth Dated vnder our signet at our maner of N. c. These letters are the exemplification of certeine which as it should séeme were written An. 3. Edwardi fexti at Gréenewich Aprilis 24 vnto the earle of Huntingdon the lord George Cobham your lordships honorable father at such time as they were called vnto the aforesaid companie I find also these names subscribed vnto the same Edward duke of Summerset vncle to the king The marq. of Northhampton Earle of Arundell L. Chamberleine Earle of Shrewesburie L. Russell lord priuie seale L. S. Iohn lord great master Sir Iohn Gage S. Anthonie Wingfield Sir William Paget Being elected preparation is made for his installing at Windsore the place appointed alwaies for this purpose whereat it is required that his banner be set vp of two yardes and a quarter in length and thrée quarters in bredth besidâ—â—â—he fringe Secondlie his sword of whatsoeuer length him séemeth good Thirdlie his helme which from the charnell vpwards ought to be of thrée inches at the least Fourthlie the crest with mantels to the helme belonging of such conuenient stuffe and bignesse as it shall please him to appoint Item a plate of armes at the backe of his staâ—â— and crest with mantels and beasts supportant to be grauen in the mettall Item lodging scutcheons of his armes inuironned with a garter and painted in paper or cloth of buckram which when he trauelleth by the waie are to be fixed in the common Ins where he dooth lodge as a testimonie of his presence and states from time to time as he did trauell Item two mantels one to remaine in the college at Windsore the other to vse at his pleasure with the scutcheon of the armes of S. George in the garter with laces tasselets and knops of blue silke and gold belonging to the same Item a surcote or gowne of red or crimosine veluet with a whood of the same lined with white sarcenet or damaske Item a collar of the garter of thirtie ounces of gold Troie weight Item a tablet of S. George richlie garnished with precious stones or otherwise Item a garter for his left leg hauing the buckle and pendant garnished with gold Item a booke of the statutes of the said order Item a scutcheon of the armes of S. George in the garter to set vpon the mantell And this furniture is to be prouided against his installation When anie knight is to be installed he hath with his former letters a garter sent vnto him and when he commeth to be installed he is brought into the chapter house where incontinentlie his commission is read before the souereigne or his deputie and the assemblie present from hence he is lead by two knights of the said order accompanied with the other of the nobilitie and officers towards the chappell hauing his mantell borne before him either by a knight of the order or else the king at armes to whome it secondarilie apperteineth to beare it This mantell shall be deliuered
therein be side 27. parish-churches of which 15. or 16. haue their Parsons the rest either such poore Uicars or Curats as the liuings left are able to sustaine The names of the parishes in the Wight are these 1 Newport a chap. 2 Cairsbrosie v. 3 Northwood 4 Arriun v. 5 Goddeshill v. 6 Whitwell 7 S. Laurence p. 8 Nighton p. 9 Brading v. 10 Newchurch v. 11 S. Helene v. 12 Yauerland p. 13 Calborne p. 14 Bonechurch p. 15 Mottesson p. 16 Yarmouth p. 17 Thorley v. 18 Shalflete v. 19 Whippingham p. 20 Wootton p. 21 Chale p. 22 Kingston p. 23 Shorwell p. 24 Gatrombe p. 25 Brosie 26 Brixston p. 27 Bensted p. It belongeth for temporall iurisdiction to the countie of Hamshire but in spirituall cases it yéeldeth obedience to the sée of Winchester wherof it is a Deanerie As for the soile of the whole Iland it is verie fruitfull for notwithstanding the shore of it selfe be verie full of rocks and craggie cliffes yet there wanteth no plentie of cattell corne pasture medow ground wild foule fish fresh riuers and pleasant woods whereby the inhabitants may liue in ease and welfare It was first ruled by a seuerall king and afterwards wonne from the Britons by Vespasian the legat at such time as he made a voiage into the west countrie In processe of time also it was gotten from the Romans by the kings of Sussex who held the souereignti◠of the same and kept the king thereof vnder tribute till it was wonne also from them in the time of Athelwold the eight king of the said south region by Ceadwalla who killed Aruald that reigned there and reserued the souereigntie of that I le to himselfe and his successors for euermore At this time also there were 1200. families in that Iland whereof the said Ceadwalla gaue 300 to Wilfride sometime bishop of Yorke exhorting him to erect a church there and preach the gospell also to the inhabitants thereof which he in like maner performed but according to the precriptions of the church of Rome wherevnto he yéelded himselfe vassall and feudarie so that this I le by Wilfride was first conuerted to the faith though the last of all other that hearkened vnto the word After Ceadwalla Woolfride the parricide was the first Saxon prince that aduentured to flie into the Wight for his safegard whither he was driuen by Kenwalch of the Westsaxons who made great warres vpon him and in the end compelled him to go into this place for succour as did also king Iohn in the rebellious stir of his Barons practised by the clergie the said Iland being as then in possession of the Forts as some doo write that haue handled it of purpose The first Earle of this Iland that I doo read of was one Baldwijne de Betoun who married for his second wife the daughter of William le Grosse Earle of Awmarle but he dieng without issue by this ladie she was maried the second time to Earle Maundeuile and thirdlie to William de Fortes who finished Skipton castell which his wiues father had begun about the time of king Richard the first Hereby it came to passe also that the Forts were Earls of Awmarle Wight and Deuonshire a long time till the ladie Elizabeth Fortes sole heire to all those possessions came to age with whom king Edward the third so preuailed through monie faire words that he gat the possession of the Wight wholie into his hands held it to himselfe his successors vntill Henrie the sixt about the twentieth of his reigne crowned Henrie Beauchamp sonne to the lord Richard Earle of Warwike king thereof and of Iardesey and Gardesey with his owne hands and thervnto gaue him a commendation of the Dutchie of Warwike with the titles of Comes comitum Angliae lord Spenser of Aburgauenie and of the castell of Bristow which castell was sometime taken from his ancestors by king Iohn albeit he did not long enioy these great honors sith he died 1446. without issue and seuen yéeres after his father After we be past the Wight we go forward and come vnto Poole hauen wherein is an I le called Brunt Keysy in which was sometime a parish church and but a chapell at this present as I heare There are also two other Iles but as yet I know not their names We haue after we are passed by these another I le or rather Byland also vpon the coast named Portland not far from Waymouth or the Gowy a prettie fertile peece though without wood of ten miles in circuit now well inhabited but much better heretofore and yet are there about foure score housholds in it There is but one street of houses therein the rest are dispersed howbeit they belong all to one parish-church whereas in time past there were two within the compasse of the same There is also a castell of the kings who is lord of the I le although the bishop of Winchester be patrone of the church the parsonage whereof is the fairest house in all the péece The people there are no lesse excellent stingers of stones than were the Baleares who would neuer giue their children their dinners till they had gotten the same with their stings and therefore their parents vsed to hang their meate verie high vpon some bough to the end that he which strake it downe might onlie haue it whereas such as missed were sure to go without it Florus lib. 3. cap. 8. Which feat the Portlands vse for the defense of their Iland and yet otherwise are verie couetous And wheras in time past they liued onlie by fishing now they fall to tillage Their fire bote is brought out of the Wight and other places yet doo they burne much cow doong dried in the sunne for there is I saie no wood in the I le except a few elmes that be about the church There would some grow there no doubt if they were willing to plant it although the soile lie verie bleake and open It is not long since this was vnited to the maine and likelie yer long to be cut off againe Being past this we raise another also in the mouth of the Gowy betweene Colsford and Lime of which for the smalnesse thereof I make no great account Wherefore giuing ouer to intreat any farther of it I cast about to Iardsey and Gardesey which Iles with their appurtenances apperteined in times past to the Dukes of Normandie but now they remaine to our Quéene as parcell of Hamshire and iurisdiction of Winchester belonging to hir crowne by meanes of a composition made betwéene K. Iohn of England and the K. of France when the dominions of the said prince began so fast to decrease as Thomas Sulmo saith Of these two Iardsey is the greatest an Iland hauing thirtie miles in compasse as most men doo coniecture There are likewise in the same twelue parish-churches with a colledge which hath a Deane and Prebends It is distant from
excuses to auoid so manifest a title all men may see that read their bookes indifferentlie wherevnto I referre them For my part there is little or nothing of mine herein more than onelie the collection and abridgement of a number of fragments togither wherein chéeflie I haue vsed the helpe of Nicholas Adams a lawier who wrote thereof of set purpose to king Edward the sixt as Leland did the like to king Henrie the eight Iohn Harding vnto Edward the fourth beside thrée other whereof the first dedicated his treatise to Henrie the fourth the second to Edward the third and the third to Edward the first as their writings yet extant doo abundantlie beare witnesse The title also that Leland giueth his booke which I haue had written with his owne hand beginneth in this maner These remembrances following are found in chronicles authorised remaining in diuerse monasteries both in England and Scotland by which it is euidentlie knowne and shewed that the kings of England haue had and now ought to haue the souereigntie ouer all Scotland with the homage and fealtie of the kings there reigning from time to time c. Herevnto you haue heard alreadie what diuision Brute made of this Iland not long before his death wherof ech of his children so soone as he was interred tooke seisure and possession Howbeit after two yeares it happened that Albanact was slaine wherevpon Locrinus and Camber raising their powers reuenged his death and finallie the said Locrinus made an entrance vpon Albania seized it into his owne hands as excheated wholie vnto himselfe without yéelding anie part thereof vnto his brother Camber who made no claime nor title vnto anie portion of the same Hereby then saith Adams it euidentlie appeareth that the entire seigniorie ouer Albania consisted in Locrinus according to which example like law among brethren euer since hath continued in preferring the eldest brother to the onelie benefit of the collaterall ascension from the youngest as well in Scotland as in England vnto this daie Ebranke the lineall heire from the bodie of this Locrine that is to saie the sonne of Mempris sonne of Madan sonne of the same Locrine builded in Albania the castell of Maidens now called Edenborough so called of Aldan somtime king of Scotland but at the first named Cair Minid Agnes 1. the castell on mount Agnes and the castell of virgins and the castell of Alcluith or Alclude now called Dunbriton as the Scotish Hector Boetius confesseth whereby it most euidentlie appeareth that our Ebranke was then thereof seized This Ebranke reigned in the said state ouer them a long time after whose death Albania as annexed to the empire of Britaine descended to the onelie king of Britons vntill the time of the two sisters sonnes Morgan and Conedage lineall heires from the said Ebranke who brotherlie at the first diuided the realme betwéen them so that Morgan had Lhoegres and Conedage had Albania But shortlie after Morgan the elder brother pondering in his head the loue of his brother with the affection to a kingdome excluded nature and gaue place to ambition and therevpon denouncing warre death miserablie ended his life as the reward of his vntruth whereby Conedage obteined the whole empire of all Britaine in which state he remained during his naturall life From him the same lineallie descended to the onelie king of Britons vntill and after the reigne of Gorbodian who had issue two sonnes Ferrex and Porrex This Porrex requiring like diuision of the land affirming the former partitions to be rather of law than fauor was by the hands of his elder brother best loued of queene mother both of his life and hoped kingdome beereaâ—ed at once Wherevpon their vnnaturall mother vsing hir naturall malice for the death of hir one sonne without regard of the loosing of both miserablie slue the other in his bed mistrusting no such treason Cloten by all writers as well Scotish as other was the next inheritour to the whole empire but lacking power the onelie meane in those daies to obteine right he was contented to diuide the same among foure of his kinsmen so that Scater had Albania But after the death of this Cloten his sonne Dunwallo Mulmutius made warre vpon these foure kings and at last overcame them and so recouered the whole dominion In token of which victorie he caused himselfe to be crowned with a crowne of gold the verie first of that mettall if anie at all were before in vse that was worne among the kings of this nation This Dunwallo erected temples wherein the people should assemble for praier to which temples he gaue benefit of sanctuarie He made the law for wager of battell in cases of murder and felonie whereby a théefe that liued and made his art of fighting should for his purgation fight with the true man whom he had robbed beléeuing assuredlie that the gods for then they supposed manie would by miracle assigne victorie to none but the innocent partie Certes the priuileges of this law and benefit of the latter as well in Scotland as in England be inioied to this daie few causes by late positiue laws among vs excepted wherin the benefit of wager of battell is restreined By which obedience to his lawes it dooth manifestlie appéere that this Dunwallo was then seized of Albania now called Scotland This Dunwallo reigned in this estate ouer them manie yeares Beline and Brenne the sonnes also of Dunwallo did after their fathers death fauourablie diuide the land betweene them so that Beline had Lhoegres Brenne had Albania but for that this Brenne a subiect without the consent of his elder brother and lord aduentured to marrie with the daughter of the king of Denmarke Beline seized Albania into his owne hands and thervpon caused the notable waies priuileged by Dunwallons lawes to be newlie wrought by mens hands which for the length extended from the further part of Cornewall vnto the sea by north Cathnesse in Scotland In like sort to and for the better maintenance of religion in those daies he constituted ministers called archflamines in sundrie places of this Iland who in their seuerall functions resembled the bishops of our times the one of which remained at Ebranke now called Yorke and the whole region Caerbrantonica whereof Ptolomie also speaketh but not without wresting of the name whose power extended to the vttermost bounds of Albania wherby likewise appeareth that it was then within his owne dominion After his death the whole Ile was inioied by the onelie kings of Britaine vntill the time of Uigenius Peridurus lineall heires from the said Beline who fauourablie made partition so that Uigenius had all the land from Humber by south and Peridurus from thence northwards all Albania c. This Uigenius died and Peridurus suruiued and thereby obteined the whole from whom the same quietlie descended and was by his posteritie accordinglie inioied vntill the reigne of Coell the first of that name In his time an obscure nation by most
dominion Coell the sonne of this Marius had issue Lucius counted the first christian king of this nation he conuerted the three archflamines of this land into bishopriks and ordeined bishops vnto ech of them The first remained at London and his power extended from the furthest part of Cornewall to Humber water The second dwelled at Yorke and his power stretched from Humber to the furthest part of all Scotland The third aboded at Caerleon vpon the riuer of Wiske in Glamorgan in Wales his power extended from Seuerne through all Wales Some write that he made but two and turned their names to archbishops the one to remaine at Canturburie the other at Yorke yet they confesse that he of Yorke had iurisdiction through all Scotland either of which is sufficient to prooue Scotland to be then vnder his dominion Seuerus by birth a Romane but in bloud a Briton as some thinke and the lineall heire of the bodie of Androgeâ—s sonne of Lud nephue of Cassibelane was shortlie after emperour king of Britons in whose time the people to whom his ancester Marius gaue the land of Cathnesse in Scotland conspired with the Scots receiued them from the Iles into Scotland But herevpon this Seuerus came into Scotland and méeting with their faith and false harts togither droue them all out of the maine land into Iles the vttermost bounds of all great Britaine But notwithstanding this glorious victorie the Britons considering their seruitude to the Romans imposed by treason of Androgeus ancestor to this Seuerus began to hate him whome yet they had no time to loue and who in their defense and suertie had slaine of the Scots and their confederats in one battell thirtie thousand but such was the consideration of the common sort in those daies whose malice no time could diminish nor iust desert appease Antoninus Bassianus borne of a Briton woman and Geta borne by a Romane woman were the sonnes of this Seuerus who after the death of their father by the contrarie voices of their people contended for the crowne Few Britons held with Bassianus fewer Romans with Geta but the greater number with neither of both In the end Geta was slaine and Bassianus remained emperour against whom Carautius rebelled who gaue vnto the Scots Picts and Scithians the countrie of Cathnesse in Scotland which they afterward inhabited whereby his seison thereof appeareth Coill descended of the bloud of the ancient kings of this land was shortlie after king of the Britons whose onelie daughter and heire called Helen was married vnto Constantius a Romane who daunted the rebellion of all parts of great Britaine and after the death of this Coill was in the right of his wife king thereof and reigned in his state ouer them thirtéene or fouretéene yeares Constantine the sonne of this Constance and Helen was next king of Britons by the right of his mother who passing to Rome to receiue the empire thereof deputed one Octauius king of Wales and duke of the Gewisses which some expound to be afterward called west Saxons to haue the gouernment of this dominion But abusing the kings innocent goodnesse this Octauius defrauded this trust and tooke vpon him the crowne For which traitorie albeit he was once vanquished by Leonine Traheron great vncle to Constantine yet after the death of this Traheron he preuailed againe and vsurped ouer all Britaine Constantine being now emperor sent Marimius his kinsman hither in processe of time to destroie the same Octauius who in singular battell discomfited him Wherevpon this Maximius as well by the consent of great Constantine as by the election of all the Britons for that he was a Briton in bloud was made king or rather vicegerent of Britaine This Maximius made warre vpon the Scots and Scithians within Britaine and ceassed not vntill he had slaine Eugenius their king and expelled and driuen them out of the whole limits and bounds of Britaine Finallie he inhabited all Scotland with Britons no man woman nor child of the Scotish nation suffered to remaine within it which as their Hector Boetius saith was for their rebellion and rebellion properlie could it not be except they had béene subiects He suffered the Picts also to remaine his subiects who made solemne othes to him neuer after to erect anie peculiar king of their owne nation but to remaine vnder the old empire of the onelie king of Britaine I had once an epistle by Leland exemplified as he saith out of a verie ancient record which beareth title of Helena vnto hir sonne Constantine and entreth after this manner Domino semper Augusto filio Constantino mater Helena semper Augusta c. And now it repenteth me that I did not exemplifie and conueigh it into this treatise whilest I had his books For thereby I might haue had great light for the estate of this present discourse but as then I had no mind to haue trauelled in this matter neuerthelesse if hereafter it come againe to light I would wish it were reserued It followeth on also in this maner as it is translated out of the Gréeke Veritatem sapientis animus non recusat nec fides recta aliquando patitur quamcunque iacturam c. About fiue and fourtie yeares after this which was long time after the death of this Maximius with the helpe of Gouan or Gonan and Helga the Scots newlie arriued in Albania and there created one Fergus the second of that name to be there king But bicause they were before banished the continent land they crowned him king on their aduenture in Argile in the fatall chaire of marble the yéere of our Lord foure hundred and two and twentie as they themselues doo write Maximian sonne of Leonine Traheron brother to king Coill and vncle to Helene was by lineall succession next king of Britons but to appease the malice of Dionothus king of Wales who also claimed the kingdome he maried Othilia eldest daughter of Dionothus and afterwards assembled a great power of Britons and entered Albania inuading Gallowaie Mers Annandale Pentland Carrike Kill and Cuningham and in battell slue both this Fergus then king of Scots and Durstus the king of Picts and exiled all their people out of the continent land wherevpon the few number of Scots then remaining a liue went to Argile and there made Eugenius their king When this Maximian had thus obteined quietnesse in Britaine he departed with his cousine Conan Meridocke into Armorica where they subdued the king and depopulated the countrie which he gaue to Conan his cousine to be afterward inhabited by Britons by the name of Britaine the lesse and hereof this realme tooke name of Britaine the great which name by consent of forren writers it keepeth vnto this daie After the death of Maximian dissention being mooued betweene the nobles of Britaine the Scots swarmed togither againe and came to the wall of Adrian where this realme being diuided in manie factions they ouercame one
spred in this behalfe the report of their demeanor was quicklie brought to Harald who caused a companie foorthwith of Danes priuilie to laie wait for them as they roade toward Gilford where Alfred was slaine and whence Edward with much difficultie escaped to his ships and so returned into Normandie But to proceed This affirmation of the archbishop being greatlie soothed out with his craftie vtterance for he was lerned confirmed by his French fréends for they had all conspired against the erle and therevnto the king being desirous to reuenge the death of his brother bred such a grudge in his mind against Goodwine that he banished him and his sons cleane out of the land He sent also his wife the erles daughter prisoner to Wilton with one onelie maiden attending vpon hir where she laie almost a yeare before she was released In the meane season the rest of the peeres as Siward earle of Northumberland surnamed Digara or Fortis Leofrijc earle of Chester and other went to the king before the departure of Goodwine indeuouring to perfuade him vnto the reuocation of his sentence and desiring that his cause might he heard and discussed by order of law But the king incensed by the archbishop and his Normans would not heare on that side saieng plainelie and swearing by saint Iohn the euangelist for that was his common oth that earle Goodwine should not haue his peace till he restored his brother Alfred aliue againe vnto his presence With which answer the peeres departed in choler from the court and Goodwine toward the coast Comming also vnto the shore and readie to take shipping he knéeled downe in presence of his conduct to wit at Bosenham in the moneth of September from whence he intended to saile into Flanders vnto Baldwine the earle and there praied openlie before them all that if euer he attempted anie thing against the kings person of England or his roiall estate that he might neuer come safe vnto his cousine nor sée his countrie any more but perish in this voiage And herewith he went aboord the ship that was prouided for him and so from the coast into the open sea But sée what followed He was not yet gone a mile waie from the land before he saw the shore full of armed souldiers sent after by the archbishop and his freends to kill him yer he should depart and go out of the countrie which yet more incensed the harts of the English against them Being come also to Flanders he caused the earle the French king and other of his fréends among whome also the emperour was one to write vnto the king in his behalfe but all in vaine for nothing could be obteined from him of which the Normans had no liking wherevpon the earle and his sonnes changed their minds obteined aid and inuaded the land in sundry places Finallie ioining their powers they came by the Thames into Southwarke néere London where they lodged and looked for the king to incounter with them in the field The king séeing what was doone commanded the Londoners not to aid nor vittell them But the citizens made answer how the quarrell of Goodwine was the cause of the whose realme which he had in maner giuen ouer vnto the spoile of the French and therevpon they not onelie vittelled them aboundantlie but also receiued the earle and his chiefe fréends into the citie where they lodged them at their ease till the kings power was readie to ioine with them in battell Great resort also was made vnto them from all places of the realme so that the earles armie was woonderfullie increased and the daie and place chosen wherein the battell should be fought But when the armies met the kings side began some to flée to the earle other to laie downe their weapons and not a few to run awaie out right the rest telling him plainelie that they would neuer fight against their owne countriemen to mainteine Frenchmens quarrels The Normans also seeing the sequele fled awaie so fast as they might gallop leauing the king in the field to shift for himselfe as he best might whilest they did saue themselues elsewhere In the meane season the earles power would haue set vpon the king either to his slaughter or apprehension but he staied them saieng after this maner The king is my sonne as you all know and it is not for a father to deale so hardlie with his child neither a subiect with his souereigne it is not he that hath hurt or doone me this iniurie but the proud Normans that are about him wherefore to gaine a kingdome I will doo him no violence And therewithall casting aside his battell ax he ran to the king that stood altogither amazed and falling at his féet he craued his peace accused the archbishop required that his cause might be heard in open assemlie of his péeres and finallie determined as truth and equitie should deserue The king after he had paused a pretie while seeing his old father in law to lie groueling at his féet and conceiuing with himselfe that his sute was not vnreasonable seeing also his children and the rest of the greatest barons of the land to knéele before him and make the like request he lifted vp the earle by the hand had him be of good comfort pardoned all that was past and freendlie hauing kissed him and his sonnes vpon the chéekes he lead them to his palace called home the quéene and summoned all his lords vnto a councell Wherein it is much to read how manie billes were presented against the bishop his Normans some conteining matter of rape other of robberie extortion murder manslaughter high treason adulterie and not a few of batterie Wherwith the king as a man now awaked out of sléepe was so offended that vpon consultation had of these things he banished all the Normans out of the land onelie thrée or foure excepted whome he reteined for sundrie necessarie causes albeit they came neuer more so néere him afterward as to be of his pritie councell After this also the earle liued almost two yeares and then falling into an apoplexie as he sat with the king at the table he was taken vp and carried into the kings bedchamber where after a few daies he made an end of his life And thus much of our first broile raised by the cleargie and practise of the archbishop I would intreat of all the like examples of tyrannie practised by the prelats of this sée against their lords and souereignes but then I should rather write an historie than a description of this Iland Wherefore I refer you to those reports of Anselme and Becket sufficientlie penned by other the which Anselme also making a shew as if he had bin verie vnwilling to be placed in the sée of Canturburie gaue this answer to the letters of such his fréends as did make request vnto him to take the charge vpon him Secularia negotia nescio quia seire nolo eorum námque occupationes horreo
whereby they may be set on worke a man should not haue heard at one assise of more than two or thrée Nisi priùs but verie seldome of an atteinct wheras now an hundred more of the first and one or two of the later are verie often perceiued and some of them for a cause arising of six pence or tweluepence Which declareth that men are growen to be farre more contentious than they haue béene in time past and readier to reuenge their quarels of small importance whereof the lawiers complaine not But to my purpose from whence I haue now digressed Beside these officers afore mentioned there are sundrie other in euerie countie as crowners whose dutie is to inquire of such as come to their death by violence to attach present the plées of the crowne to make inquirie of treasure found c. There are diuerse also of the best learned of the law beside sundrie gentlemen where the number of lawiers will not suffice and whose reuenues doo amount to aboue twentie pounds by the yeare appointed by especiall commission from the prince to looke vnto the good gouernement of hir subiects in the counties where they dwell And of these the least skilfull in the law are of the peace the other both of the peace and quorum otherwise called of Oier and Determiner so that the first haue authoritie onelie to heare the other to heare and determine such matters as are brought vnto their presence These also doo direct their warrants to the kéepers of the gailes within their limitations for the safe kéeping of such offendors as they shall iudge worthie to commit vnto their custodie there to be kept vnder ward vntill the great assises to the end their causes may be further examined before the residue of the countie these officers were first deuised about the eightéene yeare of Edward the third as I haue béene informed They méeting also togither with the shiriffes doo hold their aforesaid sessions at foure times in the yeare whereof they are called quarter sessions and herein they inquire of sundrie trespasses and the common annoiances of the kings liege people and diuerse other things determining vpon them as iustice dooth require There are also a third kind of sessions holden by the high constables and bailiffes afore mentioned called petie sessions wherein the weights and measures are perused by the clarke of the market for the countie who sitteth with them At these méetings also vittellers and in like sort seruants labourers roges and tunnagates are often reformed for their excesses although the burning of vagabounds through their eare be referred to the quarter sessions or higher courts of assise where they are iudged either to death if they be taken the third time haue not since their second apprehension applied themselues to labour or else to be set perpetuallie to worke in an house erected in euerie shire for that purpose of which punishment they stand in greatest feare I might here deliuer a discourse of sundrie rare customes and courts surnamed barons yet mainteined and holden in England but for somuch as some of the first are beastlie and therefore by the lords of the soiles now liuing conuerted into monie being for the most part deuised in the beginning either by malicious or licentious women in méere contempt and slauish abuse of their tenants vnder pretense of some punishment due for their excesses I passe ouer to bring them vnto light as also the remembrance of sundrie courts baron likewise holden in strange maner yet none more absurd and far from law than are kept yearlie at Kings hill in Rochford and therfore may well be called a lawlesse court as most are that were deuised vpon such occasions This court is kept vpon wednesdaie insuing after Michaelmasse daie after midnight so that it is begun and ended before the rising of the sunne When the tenants also are altogither in an alehouse the steward secretlie stealeth from them with a lanterne vnder his cloke and goeth to the Kings hill where sitting on a mole-hill he calleth them with a verie soft voice writing their appéerance vpon a péece of paper with a cole hauing none other light than that which is inclosed in the lanterne so soone as the tenants also doo misse the steward they runne to the hill with all their might and there answer all at once Here here wherby they escape their amercements which they should not doo if he could haue called ouer his bill of names before they had missed him in the alehouse And this is the verie forme of the court deuised at the first as the voice goeth vpon a rebellion made by the tenants of the honour of Raibie against their lord in perpetuall memorie of their disobedience shewed I could beside this speake also of some other but sith one hath taken vpon him to collect a number of them into a particular treatise I thinke it sufficient for me to haue said so much of both And thus much haue I thought good to set downe generallie of the said counties and their maner of gouernance although not in so perfect order as the cause requireth bicause that of all the rest there is nothing wherewith I am lesse acquainted than with our temporall regiment which to saie truth smallie concerneth my calling What else is to be added after the seuerall shires of England with their ancient limits as they agreed with the diuision of the land in the time of Ptolomie and the Romans and commodities yet extant I reserue vnto that excellent treatise of my fréend W. Cambden who hath trauelled therein verie farre whose worke written in Latine shall in short time I hope he published to the no small benefit of such as will read and peruse the same Of degrees of people in the common-wealth of England Chap. 5. WE in England diuide our people commonlie into foure sorts as gentlemen citizens or burgesses yeomen which are artificers or laborers Of gentlemen the first and chéefe next the king be the prince dukes marquesses earls viscounts and barons and these are called gentlemen of the greater sort or as our common vsage of spéech is lords and noblemen and next vnto them be knights esquiers and last of all they that are simplie called gentlemen so that in effect our gentlemen are diuided into their conditions whereof in this chapiter I will make particular rehearsall The title of prince dooth peculiarlie belong with vs to the kings eldest sonne who is called prince of Wales and is the heire apparant to the crowne as in France the kings eldest sonne hath the title of Dolphine and is named peculiarlie Monsieur So that the prince is so termed of the Latine word Princeps sith he is as I may call him the cheefe or principall next the king The kings yoonger sonnes be but gentlemen by birth till they haue receiued creation or donation from their father of higher estate as to be either visconts earles or dukes
few of them doo agrée vpon forme of discipline and gouernement of the church succedent wherein they reâ—enable the Capuans of whome Liuic dooth speake in the slaughter of their senat Neither is it possible to frame a whole monarchie after the patterne of one towne or citie or to stirre vp such an exquisite face of the church as we imagine or desire sith our corruption is such that it will neuer yéeld to so great perfection for that which is not able to be performed in a priuat house will much lesse be brought to passe in a common-wealth and kingdome before such a prince be found as Xenophon describeth or such an orator as Tullie hath deuised But whither am I digressed from my discourse of bishops whose estates doo daily decaie suffer some diminution Herein neuerthelesse their case is growne to be much better than before for whereas in times past the cleargie men were feared bicause of their authoritie and seuere gouernment vnder the prince now are they beloued generallie for their painefull diligence dailie shewed in their functions and callings except peraduenture of some hungrie wombes that couet to plucke snatch at the loose ends of their best commodities with whom it is as the report goeth a common guise when a man is to be preferred to an ecclesiasticall liuing what part thereof he will first forgo and part with to their vse Finallie how it standeth with the rest of the clergie for their places of estate I neither can tell nor greatlie care to know Neuerthelesse with what degrées of honour and worship they haue béene matched in times past Iohannes Bohemus in his De omnium gentium moribus and others doo expresse and this also found beside their reports that in time past euerie bishop abbat and pelting prior were placed before the earles and barons in most statutes charters and records made by the prince as maie also appeare in the great charter and sundrie yeares of Henrie the third wherein no duke was heard of But as a number of their odious comparisons and ambitious titles are now decaied and worthilie shroonke in the wetting so giuing ouer in these daies to mainteine such pompous vanitie they doo thinke it sufficient for them to preach the word hold their liuings to their sées so long as they shall be able from the hands of such as indeuour for their owne preferrement to fléece and diminish the same This furthermore will I adde generallie in commendation of the cleargie of England that they are for their knowledge reputed in France Portingale Spaine Germanie and Polonia to be the most learned diuines although they like not anie thing at all of their religion and thereto they are in deed so skilfull in the two principall toongs that it is accounted a maime in anie one of them not to be exactlie seene in the Greeke and Hebrue much more then to be vtterlie ignorant or nothing conuersant in them As for the Latine toong it is not wanting in anie of the ministerie especiallie in such as haue beene made within this twelue or fourtéene yeares whereas before there was small choise and manie cures were left vnserued bicause they had none at all And to saie truth our aduersaries were the onelie causers hereof For whilest they made no further accompt of their priesthood than to construe sing read their seruice and their portesse it came to passe that vpon examination had few made in quéene Maries daies and the later end of king Henrie were able to to doo anie more and verie hardlie so much so void were they of further skill and so vnapt to serue at all Dukes marquesses earles visconts and barons either be created of the prince or come to that honor by being the eldest sonnes or highest in succession to their parents For the eldest sonne of a duke during his fathers life is an erle the eldest sonne of an erle is a baron or sometimes a viscont according as the creation is The creation I call the originall donation and condition of the honour giuen by the prince for good seruice doone by the first ancestor with some aduancement which with the title of that honour is alwaies giuen to him and his heires males onelie The rest of the sonnes of the nobilitie by the rigor of the law be but esquiers yet in common spéech all dukes and marquesses sonnes and earles eldest sonnes be called lords the which name commonlie dooth agrée to none of lower degrée than barons yet by law and vse these be not esteemed barons The baronie or degrée of lords dooth answer to the degree of senators of Rome as I said and the title of nobilitie as we vse to call it in England to the Romane Patricij Also in England no man is commonlie created baron except he maie dispend of yearelie reuenues a thousand pounds or so much as maie fullie mainteine beare out his countenance and port But visconts erles marquesses and dukes excéed them according to the proportion of their degrée honour But though by chance he or his sonne haue lesse yet he kéepeth this degrée but if the decaie be excessiue and not able to mainteine the honour as Senatores Romani were amoti à senatu so sometimes they are not admitted to the vpper house in the parlement although they keepe the name of lord still which can not be taken from them vpon anie such occasion The most of these names haue descended from the French inuention in whose histories we shall read of them eight hundred yeares passed This also is worthie the remembrance that Otto the first emperour of that name indeuouring to restore the decaied estate of Italie vnto some part of hir pristinate magnificence did after the French example giue Di gnitates praedia to such knights and souldiers as had serued him in the warres whom he also adorned with the names of dukes marquesses earles valuasors or capteins and valuasines His Praedia in like maner were tributes tolles portage bankage stackage coinage profits by salt-pits milles water-courses and whatsoeuer emoluments grew by them such like But at that present I read not that the word Baro was brought into those parts And as for the valuasors it was a denomination applied vnto all degrées of honor vnder the first three which are properlie named the kings capteins so that they are called Maiores minores minimi valuasores This also is to be noted that the word capteine hath two relations either as the possessor therof hath it from the prince or from some duke marquesse or earle for each had capteins vnder them If from the prince then are they called Maiores valuasores if from anie of his thrée péeres then were they Minores valuasores but if anie of these Valuasors doo substitute a deputie those are called Minimi valuasores and their deputies also Valuasini without regard vnto which degrée the valuasor dooth apperteine but the word
and yet may with farre more ease and lesse cost be prouided from other countries if we could vse the meanes I will not speake of iron glasse and such like which spoile much wood and yet are brought from other countries better chéepe than we can make them here at home I could exemplifie also in manie other But to leaue these things and procéed with our purpose and herein as occasion serueth generallie by waie of conclusion to speake of the common-wealth of England I find that it is gouerned and mainteined by thrée sorts of persons 1 The prince monarch and head gouernour which is called the king or if the crowne fall to the woman the quéene in whose name and by whose authoritie all things are administred 2 The gentlemen which be diuided into two sorts as the baronie or estate of lords which conteineth barons and all aboue that degree and also those that be no lords as knights esquiers simple gentlemen as I haue noted alreadie Out of these also are the great deputies and high presidents chosen of which one serueth in Ireland as another did sometime in Calis and the capteine now at Berwike as one lord president dooth gouerne in Wales and the other the north parts of this Iland which later with certeine councellors and iudges were erected by king Henrie the eight But forsomuch as I haue touched their conditions elsewhere it shall be mough to haue remembred them at this time 3 The third and last sort is named the yeomanrie of whom their sequele the labourers and artificers I haue said somewhat euen now Whereto I ad that they be not called masters and gentlemen but goodmen as goodman Smith goodman Coot goodman Cornell goodman Mascall goodman Cockswet c in matters of law these and the like are called thus Giles Iewd yeoman Edward Mountford yeoman Iames Cocke yeoman Herrie Butcher yeoman c by which addition they are exempt from the vulgar and common sorts Cato calleth them Aratores optimos ciues rei publicae of whom also you may read more in the booke of common wealth which sir Thomas Smith sometime penned of this land Of gentlemen also some are by the prince chosen and called to great offices in the common wealth of which said offices diuerse concerne the whole realme some be more priuat and peculiar to the kings house And they haue their places and degrées prescribed by an act of parlement made An. 31 Henr. octaui after this maner insuing These foure the lord Chancellor the lord Treasuror who is Supremus aerarij Anglici quaestor or Tribunus aerarius maximus the lord President of the councell and the lord Priuie seale being persons of the degrée of a baron or aboue are in the same act appointed to sit in the parlement and in all assemblies or councell aboue all dukes not being of the bloud roiall Videlicet the kings brother vncle or nephue And these six the lord great Chamberleine of England the lord high Constable of England the lord Marshall of England the lord Admirall of England the lord great master or Steward of the kings house and the lord Chamberleine by that act are to be placed in all assemblies of councell after the lord priuie seale according to their degrées and estats so that if he be a baron then he is to sit aboue all barons or an earle aboue all earles And so likewise the kings secretarie being a baron of the parlement hath place aboue all barons and if he be a man of higher degrée he shall sit and be placed according therevnto The rehearsall of the temporall nobilitie of England according to the anciencie of their creations or first calling to their degrees as they are to be found at this present The Marquise of Winchester The earle of Arundell The earle of Oxford The earle of Northumberland The earle of Shrewesburie The earle of Kent The earle of Derbi◠The earle of Worcester The earle of Rutland The earle of Cumberland The earle of Sussex The earle of Huntingdon The earle of Bath The earle of Warwike The earle of Southampton The earle of Bedford The earle of Penbrooke The earle of Hertford The earle of Leicester The earle of Essex The earle of Lincolne The viscont Montague The viscont Bindon The lord of Abergeuennie The lord Awdeleie The lord Zouch The lord Barkeleie The lord Morleie The lord Dacres of the south The lord Cobham The lord Stafford The lord Greie of Wilton The lord Scroope The lord Dudleie The lord Latimer The lord Stourton The lord Lumleie The lord Mountioie The lord Ogle The lord Darcie of the north The lord Mountegle The lord Sands The lord Uaulx The lord Windsore The lord Wentwoorth The lord Borough The lord Mordaunt The lord Cromwell The lord Euers The lord Wharton The lord Rich. The lord Willowbie The lord Sheffeld The lord Paget The lord Darcie of Chichester The lord Howard of Effingham The lord North. The lord Chaundos The lord of Hunsdon The lord saint Iohn of Bletso The lord of Buckhirst The lord Delaware The lord Burghleie The lord Compton The lord Cheineie The lord Norreis Bishops in their anciencie as they sat in parlement in the fift of the Queenes maiesties reigne that now is The archbishop of Canturburie The archbishop of Yorke London Durham Winchester The rest had their places in senioritie of consecration Chichester Landaffe Hereford Elie. Worcester Bangor Lincolne Salisburie S. Dauids Rochester Bath and Welles Couentrie and Lichfield Excester Norwich Peterborough Carleill Chester S. Assaph Glocester And this for their placing in the parlement house Howbeit when the archbishop of Canturburie siteth in his prouinciall assemblie he hath on his right hand the archbishop of Yorke and next vnto him the bishop of Winchester on the left hand the bishop of London but if it fall out that the archbishop of Canturburie be not there by the vacation of his see then the archbishop of Yorke is to take his place who admitteth the bishop of London to his right hand and the prelat of Winchester to his left the rest sitting alwaies as afore that is to saie as they are elders by consecration which I thought good also to note out of an ancient president Of the food and diet of the English Chap. 6. THe situation of our region lieng néere vnto the north dooth cause the heate of our stomaches to be of somewhat greater force therefore our bodies doo craue a little more ample nourishment than the inhabitants of the hotter regions are accustomed withall whose digestiue force is not altogither so vehement bicause their internall heat is not so strong as ours which is kept in by the coldnesse of the aire that from time to time speciallie in winter dooth enuiron our bodies It is no maruell therefore that our tables are oftentimes more plentifullie garnished than those of other nations and this trade hath continued with vs euen since the verie beginning For before the
rigging them in sundrie places tooke order for thier setting forward to his most aduantage for the easie atchiuing of his enterprise He appointed to passe himselfe from the coasts of Flanders at what time other of capteines with their fleets from other parts should likewise make saile towards Britaine By this meanes Alectus that had vsurped the title dignitie of king or rather emperour ouer the Britains knew not where to take héed but yet vnderstanding of the nauie that was made readie in the mouth of Saine he ment by that which maie be coniectured to intercept that fléet as it should come foorth and make saile forwards and so for that purpose he laie with a great number of ships about the I le of Wight But whether Asclepiodotus came ouer with that nauie which was rigged on the coasts of Flanders or with some other I will not presume to affirme either to or for because in déed Mamertinus maketh no expresse mention either of Alectus or Asclepiodotus but notwithstanding it is euident by that which is conteined in his oration that not Maximian but some other of his capteins gouerned the armie which slue Alectus so that we maie suppose that Asclepiodotus was chiefteine ouer some number of ships directed by Maximians appointment to passe ouer into this I le against the same Alectus and so maie this which Mamertinus writeth agrée with the truth of that which we doo find in Eutropius Héere is to be remembred that after Maximians had thus recouered Britaine out of their hands that vsurped the rule thereof from the Romans it should séeme that not onelie great numbers of artificers other people were conueied ouer into Gallia there to inhabit and furnish such cities as were run into decaie but also a power of warlike youths was transported thither to defend the countrie from the inuasion of barbarous nations For we find that in the daies of this Maximian the Britains expelling the Neruians out of the citie of Mons in Henaud held a castell there which was called Bretaimons after them wherevpon the citie was afterward called Mons reteining the last syllable onlie as in such cases it hath often happened Moreouer this is not to be forgotten that as Humfrey Lhoyd hath very well noted in his booke intituled Fragmenta historiae Britannicae Mamertinus in this parcell of his panegyrike oration dooth make first mention of the nation of Picts of all other the ancient Romane writers so that not one before his time once nameth Picts or Scots But now to returne where we left The state of this Iland vnder bloudie Dioclesian the persecuting tyrant of Alban the first that suffered martyrdome in Britaine what miracles were wrought at his death whereof Lichfield tooke the name of Coilus earle of Colchester whose daughter Helen was maried to Constantius the emperour as some authours suppose The xxvj Chapter AFter that Britaine was thus recouered by the Romans Dioclesian and Maximian ruling the empire the Iland tasted of the crueltie that Dioclesian exercised against the christians in presecuting them with all extremities continuallie for the space of ten yéeres Amongst other one Alban a citizen of Werlamchester a towne now bearing his name was the first that suffered here in Britaine in this persecution being conuerted to the faith by the zealous christian Amphibalus whom he receiued into his house insomuch that when there came sergeants to séeke for the same Amphibalus the foresaid Alban to preserue Amphibalus out of danger presented himselfe in the apparell of the said Amphibalus so being apprehended in his stead was brought before the iudge and examined and for that he refused to doo sacrifice to the false gods he was beheaded on the top of an hill ouer against the towne of Werlamchester aforesaid where afterwards was builded a church and monasterie in remembrance of his martyrdome insomuch that the towne there restored after that Werlamchester was destroied tooke name of him and so is vnto this day called saint Albons It is reported by writers that diuers miracles were wrought at the time of his death insomuch that one which was appointed to doo the execution was conuerted and refusing to doo that office suffered also with him but he that tooke vpon him to doo it reioised nothing thereat for his eies fell out of his head downe to the ground togither with the head of that holie man which he had then cut off There were also martyred about the same time two constant witnesses of Christ his religion Aaron and Iulius citizens of Caerleon Arwiske Moreouer a great number of Christians which were assembled togither to heare the word of life preached by that vertuous man Amphibalus were slaine by the wicked pagans at Lichfield whereof that towne tooke name as you would say The field of dead corpses To be briefe this persecution was so great and greeuous and thereto so vniuersall that in maner the Christian religion was thereby destroied The faithfull people were slaine their bookes burnt and churches ouerthrowne It is recorded that in one moneths space in diuers places of the world there were 17000 godlie men and women put to death for professing the christian faith in the daies of that tyrant Dioclesian and his fellow Maximian COelus earle of Colchester began his dominion ouer the Britains in the yeere of our Lord 262. This Coelus or Coell ruled the land for a certeine time so as the Britains were well content with his gouernement and liued the longer in rest from inuasion of the Romans bicause they were occupied in other places but finallie they finding time for their purpose appointed one Constantius to passe ouer into this I le with an armie the which Constantius put Coelus in such dread that immediatlie vpon his arriuall Coelus sent to him an ambassage and concluded a peace with him couenanting to pay the accustomed tribute gaue to Constantius his daughter in mariage called Helen a noble ladie and a learned Shortlie after king Coell died when he had reigned as some write 27 yéeres or as other haue but 13 yeeres ¶ But by the way touching this Coelus I will not denie but assuredly such a prince there was howbeit that he had a daughter named Helen whom he maried vnto Constantius the Romane lieutenant that was after emperor I leaue that to be decided of the learned For if the whole course of the liues as well of the father and the sonne Constantius and Constantine as likewise of the mother Helen be consideratelie marked from time to time and yeere to yéere as out of authors both Greeke and Latin the same may be gathered I feare least such doubt maie rise in this matter that it will be harder to prooue Helen a Britaine than Constantine to be borne in Bithynia as Nicephorus auoucheth But forsomuch as I meane not to step from the course of our countrie writers in such points where the receiued
Rome and Italie and was so busied in the affaires of the empire iu those parts that as was thought he could not returne backe into Britaine seized into his hands the whole dominion of Britaine and held himselfe for king THis Octauius then beginning his reigne ouer the Britains in the yéere of our Lord 329 prouoked Constantine to send against him one of his mothers vncles the foresaid Traherne This Trahernus or as some name him Traherne entred this land with three legions of souldiers in a field néere vnto Winchester was incountered by Octauius and his Britains by whome after a sore battell there striken betwixt them in the end Traherne was put to flight anâ—â—chased insomuch that he was constreined to forsake that part of the land and to draw towards Scotland Octauius hauing knowledge of his passage followed him in the countrie of Westmerland eftsoones gaue him battell but in that battell Octauius was put to the woorsse and constreined to forsake the land fled into Norway there to purchase aid and being readie with such power as he there gathered what of Britains and Norwegians to returne into Britaine Before his landing he was aduertised that an earle of Britaine which bare him heartie good will had by treason slaine Traherne Octauius then comming to land eftsoones got possession of Britaine which should be as Fabian gathereth about the yéere of our Lord 329 in the 20 yéere of the reigne of the emperour Constantine and about two yéeres after that the said Octauius first tooke vpon him to rule as king After this as the British chronicle affirmeth Octauius gouerned the land right noblie and greatlie to the contentation of the Britains At length when he was fallen in age and had no issue but one daughter he was counselled to send vnto Rome for one Maximianus a noble yoong man coosine to the emperour Constantine on the part of his mother Helena to come into Britaine and to take to his wife the said daughter of Octauius and so with hir to haue the kingdome Octauius at the first meant to haue giuen hir in mariage vnto one Conan Meridoc duke of Cornewall which was his nephue but wen the lords would not thereto agrée at the length he appointed one Maurice sonne to the said Câ—â—an to go to Rome to fetch the forenamed Maximianus Maurice according to his commission and instruction in that behalfe receiued came to rome and declared his message in such effectuall sort that Maximianus consented to go with him into Britaine and so taking with him a conuenient number set forward and did so much by his iournies that finallie he landed here in Britaine And notwithstanding that Conan Meridoc past not so much to haue béene dooing with him for malice that he conceiued towards him because he saw that by his meanes he should be put beside the crowne yet at length was Maximianus safelie brought to the kings presence and of him honorablie receiued and finallie the mariage was knit vp and solemnized in all princelie maner Shortlie after Octauius departed out of this life after he had reigned the terme of fiftie and foure yeares as Fabian gathereth by that which diuers authors doo write how he reigned till the daies that Gratian and Ualentinian ruled the Roman empire which began to gouerne in the yeare of our Lord as he saith 382 which is to be vnderstood of Gratian his reigne after the deceasse his vncle Ualens for otherwise a doubt maie rise because Ualentine the father of Gratian admitted the said Gratian to the title of Augustus in the yeare of our Lord 351. But to leaue the credit of the long reigne of Octauius with all his and others gouernement and rule ouer the Britains since the time of Constantius vnto our British and Scotish writers let vs make an end with the gouernement of that noble emperour Constantine an assured branch of the Britains race as borne of that worthie ladie the empresse Helen daughter to Coell earle of Colchester and after king of Britaine as our histories doo witnesse Unto the which empresse Constantine bare such dutifull reuerence that he did not onelie honour hir with the name of empresse but also made hir as it were partaker with him of all his wealth and in manie things was led and ruled by hir vertuous and godlie admonitions to the aduancement of Gods honour and maintenance of those that professed the true christian religion For the loue that she bare vnto Colchester and London she walled them about and caused great bricke and huge tiles to be made for the performance of the same whereof there is great store to be séene eyuen yet to this present both in the walls of the towne and castell of Colchester as a testimonie of the woorkemanship of those daies She liued 79 yeares and then departed this life about the 21 yeare of hir sonnes reigne First she was buried at Rome without the walls of the citie with all funerall pompe as to hir estate apperteined but after his corps was remoued and brought to Constantinople where it was eftsoones interred Hir sonne the emperour Constantine liued till about the yeare of Christ 340 and then deceassed at Nicomedia in Asia after he had ruled the empire 32 yeares and od moneths We find not in the Romane writers of anie great stur here in Britaine during his reigne more than the British and Scotish writers haue recorded so that after Traherne had reduced this land to quietnesse it maie be supposed that the Britains liued in rest vnder his gouernement and likewise after vnder his sonnes that succéeded him in the empire till about the yeare 360 at what time the Picts and Scots inuaded the south parts of the land But now to end with Octauius that the christian faith remained still in Britaine during the supposed time of this pretended kings reigne it maie appeare in that amongst the 36 prouinces out of the which there were assembled aboue 300 bishops in the citie of Sardica in Dacia at a synod held there against the Eusebians Britaine is numbred by Athanasius in his second apologie to be one And againe the said Athanasius in an epistle which he writeth to the emperour Iouinianus reciteth that the churches in Britaine did consent with the churches of other nations in the confession of faith articuled in the Nicene councell Also mention is made by writers of certeine godlie learned men which liued in offices in the church in those daies as Restitutus bishop of London which went ouer to the synod held at Arles in France and also one Kibius Corinnius sonne to Salomon duke of Cornewall and bishop of Anglesey who instructed the people that inhabited the parts now called Northwales and them of Anglesey aforesaid verie diligentlie But now to speake somewhat of things chancing in Britaine about this season as we find recorded by the Romane writers some trouble was likelie to
trumpets had blowne the sound to battell through out the whole Romane empire most cruell nations being stirred vp inuaded the borders next adioining the Almans wasted and destroied the parts of Gallia and Rhetia as the Sarmatians and Quadi did Pannonia the Picts the Saxons the Scots and the Attacots vexed the Britains with continuall troubles and gréeuous damages the Austorians and the people of the Moores ouerran the countrie of Affrike more sharpelie than in time past they had done the pilfring troops of the Goths spoiled Thracia the king of Persia set in hand to subdue the Armenians and sought to bring them vnder his obeisance hasting with all spéed toward Numonia pretending though vniustlie that now after the deceasse of Iouinius with whome he had contracted a league and bond of peace there was no cause of let what he ought not to recouer those things which as he alledged did belong to his ancestors and so foorth Moreouer the same Marcellinus in another place writeth in this wise where he speaketh of the said Ualentinianus Departing therefore from Amiens and hasting to Trier he was troubled with gréeuous newes that were brought him giuing him to vnderstand that Britaine by a conspiracie of the barbarous nations was brought to vtter pouertie that Nectaridus one of the emperours house earle of the sea coast hauing charge of the parties towards the sea was slaine and that the generall Bulchobaudes was circumuented by traines of the enimies These things with great horrour being knowne he sent Seuerus as then erle or as I may call him lord steward of his houshold to reforme things that were amisse if hap would so permit who being shortlie called backe Iouinius going thither and with spéed hasting forward sent for more aid and a great power of men as the instant necessitie then required At length for manie causes and the same greatlie to be feared the which were reported and aduertised out of that I le Theodosius was elected and appointed to go thither a man of approoued skill in warlike affaires and calling togither an hardie youthfull number of the legions and cohorts of men of warre he went foorth no small hope being conceiued of his good spéed the fame wherof spred and went afore him A litle after Marcellinus adding what people they were that troubled the Britains in this wise saith thus This shall suffice to be said that in this season the Picts diuided into two nations Dicalidones and Victuriones and in like maner the Attacotti a right warlike nation and the Scots wandering here and there made fowle woorke in places where they came The confines of France were disquieted by the Frankeners and Saxons borderers vnto them euerie one as they could breaking foorth dooing great harme by cruell spoile fire and taking of prisoners To withstand those dooings if good fortune would giue him leaue that most able capteine going vnto the vttermost bounds of the earth when he came to the coast of Bullen which is seuered from the contrarie coast on the other side by the sea with a narrow streight where sometime the water goeth verie high and rough shortlie after becommeth calme pleasant without hurt to those that passe the same transporting ouer at leasure he arriued at Sandwich or rather Richburrow where there is a quiet road for vessels to lie at anchor Wherevpon the Bataui and Heruli with the souldiers of the legions called Iouij and Victores being companies that trusted well to their owne strength marched foorth drew towards London an ancient citie which now of late hath bin called Augusta Herewith diuiding his armie into sundrie parts he set vpon the troops of his enimies as they were abroad to forrey the countrie pestered with burdens of their spoiles and pillage and spéedilie putting them to flight as they were leading away those prisoners which they had taken with their booties of cattell he bereft them of their preie the which the poore Britains that were tributaries had lost To be briefe restoring the whole except a small portion bestowed amongst the wearie souldiers he entred the citie which before was opprest with troubles but now suddenlie refreshed bicause there was hope of reliefe and assured preseruation After this when Theodosius was comforted with prosperous successe to attempt things of greater importance and searching waies how with good aduise to woorke suerlie whilest he remained doubtfull what would insue he learned as well by the confession of prisoners taken as also by the information of such as were fled from the enimies that the scattered people of sundrie nations which with practise of great crueltie were become fierce and vndanted could not be subdued but by policie secretlie practised and sudden inuasions At length therefore setting foorth his proclamations and promising pardon to those that were gone awaie from their capteins or charge he called them backe againe to serue and also those that by licence were departed and laie scattered here and there in places abroad By this meanes when manie were returned he being on the one side earnestlie prouoked and on the other holden backe with thoughtfull cares required to haue one Ciuilis by name sent to him to haue the rule of the prouinces in Britaine in steed of the other gouernours a man of sharpe wit and an earnest mainteiner of iustice He likewise required that one Dulcitius a capteine renowmed in knowledge of warlike affaires might be sent ouer to him for his better assistance These things were doone in Britaine Againe in his eight and twentith booke the same Marcellinus reciting further what the same Theodosius atchiued in Britaine hath in effect these words Thedosius verelie a capteine of woorthie fame taking a valiant courage to him and departing from Augusta which men of old time called London with souldiers assembled by great diligence did succour and reléeue greatlie the decaied and troubled state of the Britains preuenting euerie conuenient place where the barbarous people might lie in wait to doo mischiefe and nothing he commanded the meane souldiers to doo but that whereof he with a chéerefull mind would first take in hand to shew them in example By this meanes accomplishing the roome of a valiant souldier and fulfilling the charge of a noble capteine he discomfited and put to flight sundrie nations whome presumption nourished by securitie emboldened to inuade the Romane prouinces and so the cities and castels that had béene sore endamaged by manifold losses and displeasures were restored to their former state of wealth the foundation of rest and quietnesse being laid for a long season after to insue But as these things were a dooing one wicked practise was in hand like to haue burst foorth to the gréeuous danger of setting things in broile if it had not béene staied euen in the beginning of the first attempt For there was one Ualentinus borne in the parties of Ualeria adioining to Pannonia
had attempted to inuade the Britains before anie mention is made of the same their attempts by the British and English writers But whether the Scots had anie habitation within the bounds of Britaine till the time supposed by the Britaine writers we leaue that point to the iudgement of others that be trauelled in the search of such antiquities onelie admonishing you that in the Scotish chronicle you shall find the opinion which their writers haue conceiued of this matter and also manie things touching the acts of the Romans doone against diuerse of the Britains which they presume to be doone against their nation though shadowed vnder the generall name of Britains or of other particular names at this daie to most men vnknowne But whensoeuer the Scots came into this I le they made the third nation that inhabited the same comming first out of Scithia or rather out of Spaine as some suppose into Ireland and from thence into Britaine next after the Picts though their writers fetch a farre more ancient beginning as in their chronicles at large appéereth referring them to the reading thereof that desire to vnderstand that matter as they set it foorth Thus farre the dominion and tribute of the Romans ouer this land of Britaine which had continued by the collection of some chronographers the space of 483. yeeres And heere we thinke it conuenient to end this fourth booke THE FIFT BOOKE of the Historie of England Constantinus at the generall sute of the Britains vndertaketh to gouerne this Iland he is crowned king his three sonnes he is traitorouslie slaine of a Pict Constantius the eldest sonne of Constantine hauing bene a monke is created king the ambitious slie practises of duke Vortigerne to aspire to the gouernment he procureth certeine Picts and Scots to kill the king who had reteined them for the gard of his person his craftie deuises and deepe dissimulation vnder the pretense of innocencie he winneth the peoples harts and is chosen their king The first Chapter HAuing ended our former booke with the end of the Romane power ouer this Iland wherein the state of the Iland vnder them is at full described it remaineth now that we procéed to declare in what state they were after the Romans had refused to gouerne them anie longer Wherefore we will addresse our selues to saie somewhat touching the succession of the British kings as their histories make mention Constantinus the brother of Aldroenus king of little Britaine at the sute and earnest request of the archbishop of London made in name of all the Britains in the I le of great Britaine was sent into the same I le by his said brother Aldroenus vpon couenants ratified in manner as before is recited and brought with him a conuenient power landing with the same at Totnesse in Deuonshire Immediatlie after his coÌ„ming on land he gathered to him a great power of Britains which before his landing were hid in diuerse places of the I le Then went he foorth with them and gaue battell to the enimies whom he vanquished slue that tyrannicall king Guanius there in the field as some bookes haue Howbeit this agréeth not with the Scotish writers which affirme that they got the field but yet lost their king named Dongard as in their historie ye maie read But to procéed as our writers report the matter When the Britains had thus ouercome their enimies they conueied their capteine the said Constantine vnto Cicester and there in fullfilling their promise and couenant made to his brother crowned him king of great Britaine in the yéere of our Lord 433 which was about the fift yéere of the emperour Ualentinianus the second and third yéere of Clodius king of the Frankners after called Frenchmen which then began to settle themselues in Gallia whereby the name of that countrie was afterwards changed and called France Constantine being thus established king ruled the land well and noblie and defended it from all inuasion of enimie during his life He begat of his wife thrée sonnes as the British historie affirmeth Constantius Aurelius Ambrosius and Uter surnamed Pendragon The eldest bicause he perceiued him to be but dull of wit and not verie toward he made a moonke placing him within the abbie of Amphibalus in Winchester Finallie this Constantine after he had reigned ten yéeres was traitoroustie staine one day in his owne chamber as some write by a Pict who was in such fauor with him that he might at all times haue frée accesse to him at his pleasure Neither the Romane writers nor Beda make anie mention of this Constantine but of the other Constantine they write which immediatlie after the vsurper Gratian was dispatched out of the way as before ye haue heard was aduanced to the rule of this land and title of emperour onelie in hope of his name and for no other respect of towardnesse in him afore time being but a meane souldier without anie degrée of honour The same Constantine as writers record going ouer into Gallia adorned his sonne Constantius with the title and dignitie of Cesar the which before was a moonke and finallie as well the one as the other were slaine the father ar Arles by earls Constantius that was sent against him by the emperour Honorius and the sonne at Uienna as before ye haue heard by one of his owne court called Gerontius as in the Italian historie ye may sée more at large This chanced about the yeere of our Lord 415. ¶ This haue we thought good to repeat in this place for that some may suppose that this Constantine is the same that our wrâ—ters take to be the brother of Aldroenus king of little Britaine as the circumstance of the time and other things to be considered may giue them occasion to thinke for that there is not so much credit to be yéelded to them that haue written the British histories but that in some part men may with iust cause doubt of sundrie matters conteined in the same and therfore haue we in this booke béene the more diligent to shew what the Romans and other forreine writers haue registred in their bookes of histories touching the affaires of Britaine that the reader may be the better satisfied in the truth But now to returne to the sequele of the historie as we find the same written by the British chroniclers After that Constantine was murthered as before ye haue heard one Uortigerus or Uortigernus a man of great authoritie amongst the Britains wrought so with the residue of the British nobilitie that Constantius the eldest sonne of their king the fore-remembred Constantine was taken out of the abbie of Winchester where he remained and was streightwaies created king as lawfull inheritour to his father Ye haue heard how Constantius was made a moonke in his fathers life time bicause he was thought to be too soft and childish in wit to haue anie publike rule committed to his hands
the warres which he had against the Saxons varieth in a maner altogither from Geffrey of Monmouth as by his words here following ye maie perceiue Guortimer the sonne of Uortimer saith he thinking not good long to dissemble the matter for that he saw himselfe and his countriemen the Britains preuented by the craft of the English Saxons set his full purpose to driue them out of the realme and kindled his father to the like attempt He therefore being the author and procurer seuen yeares after their first comming into this land the league was broken and by the space of 20 yeares they fought oftentimes togither in manie light incounters but foure times they fought puissance against puissance in open field in the first battell they departed with like fortune whilest the one part that is to meane the Saxons lost their capteine Horse that was brother to Hengist and the Britains lost Catigerne an other of Uortigerns sonnes In the other battels when the Englishmen went euer awaie with the vpper hand at length a peace was concluded Guortimer being taken out of this world by course of fatall death the which much differing from the soft and milde nature of his father right noblie would haue gouerned the realme if God had suffered him to haue liued But these battels which Uortimer gaue to the Saxons as before is mentioned should appeare by that which some writers haue recorded to haue chanced before the supposed time of Uortimers or Guortimers atteining to the crowne about the 6 or 7 yeare after the first comming of the Saxons into this realme with Hengist And hereto W. Harison giueth his consent referring the mutuall slaughter of Horsus and Catigerne to the 6 years of Martianus 455 of Christ. Howbeit Polydor Virgil saith that Uortimer succéeded his father and that after his fathers deceasse the English Saxons of whome there was a great number then in the I le comming ouer dailie like swarmes of bées and hauing in possession not onelie Kent but also the north parts of the realme towards Scotland togither with a great part of the west countrie thought it now a fit time to attempt the fortune of warre and first therefore concluding a league with the Scots and Picts vpon the sudden they turned their weapons points against the Britains and most cruellie pursued them as though they had receiued some great iniurie at their hands and no benefit at all The Britains were maruelouslie abashed herewith perceiuing that they should haue to doo with Hengist a capteine of so high renowme and also with their ancient enimies the Scots and Picts thus all at one time and that there was no remedie but either they must fight or else become slaues Wherefore at length dread of bondage stirred vp manhood in them so that they assembled togither and boldlie began to resist their enimies on ech side but being too weake they were easilie discomfited and put to flight so that all hope of defense by force of armes being vtterlie taken awaie as men in despaire to preuaile against their enimies they fled as shéepe scattered abroad some following one capteine and some another getting them into desart places woods and maresh grounds and moreouer left such townes and fortresses as were of no notable strength as a preie vnto their enimies Thus saith Polydor Virgil of the first breaking of the warres betwixt the Saxons and the Britains which chanced not as should appeare by that which he writeth thereof till after the death of Uortigerne Howbeit he denieth not that Hengist at his first comming got seates for him and his people within the countie of Kent and there began to inhabit This ought not to be forgotten that king Uortimer as Sigebertus hath written restored the christian religion after he had vanquished the Saxons in such places where the same was decaied by the enimies inuasion whose drift was not onelie to ouerrun the land with violence but also to erect their owne laws and liberties with out regard of clemencie Vortigerne is restored to his regiment in what place he abode during the time of his sonnes reigne Hengist with his Saxons re-enter the land the Saxons and Britains are appointed to meet on Salisburie plaine the priuie treason of Hengist and his power whereby the Britains were slaine like sheepe the manhood of Edol earle of Glocester Vortigerne i◠taken prisoner Hengist is in possession of three prouinces of this land a description of Kent The fift Chapter AFter all these bloudie broiles and tempestuous tumults ended Uortigerne was restored and set againe into the kingdome of Britaine in the yeare of our Lord 471. All the time of his sonnes reigne he had remained in the parties now called Wales where as some write in that meane time he builded a strong castle called Generon or Guaneren in the west side of Wales nere to the riuer of Guana vpon a mounteine called Cloaricus which some referre to be builded in his second returne into Wales as shall be shewed hereafter And it is so much the more likelie for that an old chronicle which Fabian had sight of affirmeth that Uortigerne was kept vnder the rule of certeine gouernors to him appointed in the towne of Caerlegion and behaued himselfe in such commendable sort towards his sonne in aiding him with his counsell and otherwise in the meane season whilest his sonne reigned that the Britains by reason thereof began so to fauour him that after the death of Uortimer they made him king againe Shortlie after that Uortigerne was restored to the rule of the kingdom Hengist aduertised therof returned into the land with a mightie armie of Saxons whereof Uortigerne being admonished assembled his Britains and with all speed made towards him When Hengist had knowledge of the huge host of the Britains that was comming against him he required to come to a communication with Uortigerne which request was granted so that it was concluded that on Maie day a certeine number of Britains and as manie of the Saxons should meet togither vpon the plaine of Salisburie Hengist hauing deuised a new kind of treason when the day of their appointed méeting was come caused euerie one of his allowed number secretlie to put into his hose a long knife where it was ordeined that no man should bring anie weapon with him at all and that at the verie instant when this watchword should be vttered by him Nempt your sexes then should euerie of them plucke out his knife and slea the Britaine that chanced to be next to him except the same should be Uortigerne whom he willed to be apprehended but not slaine At the day assigned the king with his appointed number or traine of the Britains mistrusting nothing lesse than anie such maner of vnhaithfull dealing came vnto the place in order before prescribed without armor or weapon where he found Hengist readie with his Saxons the which receiued the king with amiable countenance
a grounded truth that such a prince there was and among all other a late writer who falling into necessarie mention of prince Arthur frameth a spéech apologeticall in his and their behalfe that were princes of the British bloud discharging a short but yet a sharpe inuectiue against William Paruus Polydor Virgil and their complices whom he accuseth of lieng toongs enuious detraction malicious slander reprochfull and venemous language wilfull ignorance dogged enuie and cankerd minds for that they speake vnreuerentlie and contrarie to the knowne truth concerning those thrisenoble princes Which defensitiue he would not haue deposed but that he takes the monuments of their memories for vndoubted verities The British histories and also the Scotish chronicles doo agrée that he liued in the daies of the emperour Iustinian about the fiftéenth yeere of whose reigne he died which was in the yéere of our Lord 542 as diuerse doo affirme Howbeit some write farther from all likelihood that he was about the time of the emperor Zeno who began his reigne about the yéere of our Lord 474. The writer of the booke intituled Aurea historia affirmeth that in the tenth yéere of Cerdicus king of Westsaxons Arthur the warriour rose against the Britains Also Diouionensis writeth that Cerdicus fighting oftentimes with Arthur if he were ouercome in one moneth he arose in an other moneth more fierce and strong to giue battell than before At length Arthur wearied with irkesomnes after the twelfth yéere of the comming of Cerdicus gaue vnto him vpon his homage doone and fealtie receiued the shires of Southampton and Somerset the which countries Cerdicius named Westsaxon This Cerdicius or Cerdicus came into Britaine about the yéere of your Lord 495. In the 24 yere after his comming hither that is to say about the yéere of our Lord 519 he began his reigne ouer the Westsaxons and gouerned them as king by the space of 15 yéeres as before ye haue heard But to follow the course of our chronicles accordinglie as we haue began we must allow of their accounts herein as in other places and so procéed The decaie of christian religion and receiuing of the Pelagian heresie in Britaine by what meanes they were procured and by whom redressed Constantine succeedeth Arthur in the kingdome ciuill warre about succession to the crowne the chalengers are pursued and slaine Constantine is vnkindlie killed of his kinsman a bitter and reprochfull inuectiue of Gyldas against the British rulers of his time and namelie against Constantine Conan that slue Constantine reigneth in Britaine his vertues and vices his two yeeres regiment the seuere reprehensions of Gyldas vttered against Conan discouering the course of his life and a secret prophesie of his death The xv Chapter IN this meane while that the realme was disquieted with sore continuall warres betwixt the Britains and Saxons as before ye haue heard the christian religion was not onelie abolished in places where the Saxons got habitations but also among the Britains the right faith was brought into danger by the remnant of the Pelagian heresie which began againe to be broched by diuers naughtie persons But Dubritius that was first bishop of Landaffe and after archbishop of Caerleon Arwiske and his successour Dauid with other learned men earnestlie both by preaching and writing defended the contrarie cause to the confuting of those errors and restablishing of the truth AFter the death of Arthur his coosine Constantine the sonne of Cador duke or earle of Cornewall began his reigne ouer the Britains in the yere of our Lord 542 which was about the 15 yéere of the emperour Iustinianus almost ended the 29 of Childebert king of France and the first yéere well néere complet of the reigne of Totilas king of the Goths in Italie Arthur when he perceiued that he shuld die ordeined this Constantine to succéed him and so by the consent of the more part of the Britains he was crowned king but the sonnes of Mordred sore repined thereat as they that claimed the rule of the land by iust title and claime of inheritance to them from their father descended Herevpon followed ciuill warre so that diuers battels were striken betwéene them and in the end the two brethren were constreined to withdraw for refuge the one to London and the other to Winchester but Constantine pursuing them first came to Winchester and by force entered the citie and slue the one brother that was fled thither within the church of saint Amphibalus and after comming to London entered that citie also and finding the other brother within a church there slue him in like maner as he had doone the other And so hauing dispatched his aduersaries he thought to haue purchased to himselfe safetie but shortlie after his owne kinsman one Aurelius Conanus arrered warre against him who ioining with him in battell slue him in the field after he had reigned foure yéeres His bodie was conueied to Stonheng and there buried beside his ancestour Uter Pendragon Of this Constantine that seemeth to be ment which Gyldas writeth in his booke intituled De excidio Britanniae where inueieng against the rulers of the Britains in his time he writeth thus Britaine hath kings but the same be tyrants iudges it hath but they be wicked oftentines péeling and harming the innocent people reuenging and defending but whom such as be guâ—ltie persons and robbers hauing manie wiues but yet breaking wedlocke oftentimes swearing and yet for swearing themselues vowing and for the more part lieng warring but mainteining ciuill vniust warres pursuing indéed théeues that are abroad in the countrie and yet not onelie cherishing those that sit euen at table with them but also highlie rewarding them giuing almesse largelie but on the other part heaping vp a mightie mount of sinnes sitting in the seat of sentence but seldome séeking the rule of righteous iudgement despising the innocent and humble persons and exalting so farre as in them lieth euen vp to the heauens most bloudie and proud murtherers théeues and adulterers yea the verie professed enimies of God if he would so permit kéeping manie in prison whome they oppresse in loding them with irons through craft rather to serue their owne purpose than for anie gilt of the persons so imprisoned taking solemne oths before the altars and shortlie after despising the same altars as vile and filthie stones Of this hainous and wicked offense Constantine the tyrannicall whelpe of the lionesse of Deuonshire is not ignorant who this yeare after the receiuing of his dreadfull oth whereby he bound himselfe that in no wise he should hurt his subiects God first and then his oth with the companie of saints and his mother being there present did notwithstanding in the reuerent laps of the two mothers as the church and their carnall mother vnder the coule of the holie abbat deuoure with sword and speare in stead of téeth the tender sides yea and the entrailes
bishop of Chester Eadulfus bishop of Dorcester Wilnardus bishop of Hereford Halard bishop of Elsham and Cedferth bishop of Donwich There remained onelie to the archbishop of Canturburie the bishops of London Winchester Rochester and Shireburne This separation continued all the life time of the archbishop Lambert although he trauelled earnestlie to mainteine his prerogatiue Now for that he still defended his cause and would not reuolt from his will Offa depriued him of all his possessions reuenues that he held or inioied within anie part of his dominions Neither was Offa satisfied herewith but he also tooke into his hands the possessions of manie other churches and fléeced the house of Malmesburie of a part of hir reuenues Because of these other his hard dooings doubting the malice of his enimies he procured the friendship of forren princes Unto Brightricke king of the Westsaxons he gaue his daugther Ethelburga in mariage And sending diuers ambassadours ouer vnto Charles the great that was both emperor king of France he purchased his friendship at length athough before there had depended a péece of displeasure betwixt them insomuch that the intercourse for trade of merchandize was staied for a time One of the ambassadours that was sent vnto the said Charles as is reported was that famous clearke Albine or Alcwine by whose persuasion the same Charles erected two vniuersities as in place due and conuenient may more largelie appeare Finallie king Offa as it were for a meane to appease Gods wrath which he doubted to be iustlie conceiued towards him for his sinnes and wickednesse granted the tenth part of all his goods vnto churchmen and to poore people He also indowed the church of Hereford with great reuenues and as some write he builded the abbeie of Bath placing moonkes in the same of the order of saint Benet as before he had doone at saint Albons Moreouer he went vnto Rome about the yeare of our Lord 775 and there following the example of Inas kign of the Westsaxons made his realme subiect by way of tribute vnto the church of Rome appointing that euerie house within the limits of his dominions should yearelie pay vnto the apostolike see one pennie which paiment was after named Rome Scot and Peter pence After his returne from Rome perceiâ—ing himselfe to draw into yeares he caused his sonne Egfrid to be ordeined king in his life time and shortlie after departing out of this world left the kingdome vnto him after he had gouerned it by the space of 39 yeares Amongst other the dooings of this Offa which suerlie were great and maruellous this may not passe with silence that he caused a mightie great ditch tâ— be cast betwixt the marshes of his countrie and the Welsh confines to diuide thereby the bounds of their dominions This ditch was called Offditch euer after and stretched from the south side by Bristow vnder the mountaines of Wales running northward ouer the riuers of Seuerne and Dée vnto the verie mouth of Dee where that riuer falleth into the sea He likewise builded a church in Warwikeshire whereof the towne there taketh name and is called Offchurch euen to this day Egfrid taking vpon him rule began to follow the approoued good dooings of his father and first restored vnto the churches their ancient priuileges which his father sometimes had taken from them Great hope was conceiued of his further good procéeding but death cut off the same taking him out of this life after he had reigned the space of foure moneths not for his owne offenses as was thought but rather for that his father had caused so much bloud to be spilt for the confirming of him in the kingdome which so small a time he new inioied Osulph king of Northumberland traitorouslie murthered Edilwald succeedeth him the reward of rebellion a great mortalitie of foules fishes and fruits moonkes licenced to drinke wine great wast by fire Edelred king of Northumberland is driuen out of his countrie by two dukes of the same Ethelbert king of the Eastangles commended for his vertues Alfred the daughter of king Mercia is affianced to him tokens of missehaps towards him his destruction intended by queene Quendred hir platforme of the pactise to kill him Offa inuadeth Ethelberts kingdome Alfred his betrothed wife taketh his death greuouslie and becommeth a nun the decaie of the kingdome of Eastangles succession in the regiment of the Westsaxons the end of the gouernement of the Eastsaxons prince Algar is smitten blind for seeking to rauish virgine Friswide and at hir praiers restored to his sight The fift Chapter WHen Eadbert or Egbert K. of Northumberland was become a moonke his sonne Osulphus succéeded him but after he had reigned onelie one yeare he was traitorouslie murthered by his owne seruants at Mikilwongton on the 9 kalends of August Then succéeded one Moll otherwise called Edilwold or Edilwald but not immediatlie for he began not his reigne till the nones of August in the yeare following which was after the birth of our sauiour 759. This man prooued right valiant in gouernement of his subiects He slue in battell an earle of his countrie named Oswin who arrearing warre against him fought with him in a pitcht field at Eadwines Cliue and receiued the worthie reward of rebellion This chanced in the third yeare of his reigne and shortlie after that is to say in the yeare of our Lord 764 there fell such a maruellous great snow and therwith so extreame a frost as the like had not béene heard of continuing from the beginning of the wintes almost till the middest of the spring with the rigour whereof trees and fruits withered awaie and lost their liuelie shape and growth and not onelie feathered foules but also beasts on the land fishes in the sea died in great numbers The same yeare died Cedlwulf then king of Northumberland vnto whome Beda did dedicate his booke of histories of the English nation After that he was become a moonke in the monasterie of Lindesferne the moonks of that house had licence to drinke wine or ale whereas before they might not drinke anie other thing than milke or water by the ancient rule prescribed them of the bishop of Aidan first founder of the place The same yeare sundrie cities townes and monasteries were defaced and sore wasted with fier chancing on the sudden as Stretehu Giwento Anwicke London Yorke Doncaster c. After that Moll had reigned 6 yeares he resigned his kingdome But other write that he reigned 11 yeares and was in the end slaine by treason of his successor Altred This Altred reigned ten years ouer the Northumbers and was then expelled out of his kingdome by his owne subiects Then was Ethelbert named also Edelred the sonne of the foresaid Moll made king of Northumberland and in the fift yeare of his reigne he was driuen out of his kingdome by two dukes of his
emperor Constantinus surnamed Copronimos in the 6 yéere of the reigne of Pipin king of France and about the 22 yéere of Ethfine king of Scots This Kinewulfe prooued a right woorthie and valiant prince and was descended of the right line of Cerdicus He obteined great victories against the Britains or Welshmen but at Bensington or Benton he lost a battell against Offa king of Mercia in the 24 yéere of his reigne and from that time forward tasting manie displeasures at length through his owne follie came vnto a shamefull end For whereas he had reigned a long time neither slouthfullie nor presumptuouslie yet now as it were aduanced with the glorie of things passed he either thought that nothing could go against him or else doubted the suertie of their state whom he should leaue behind him and therefore he confined one Kineard the brother of Sigibert whose fame he perceiued to increase more than he would haue wished This Kineard dissembling the matter as he that could giue place to time got him out of the countrie and after by a secret conspiracie assembled togither a knot of vngratious companie and returning priuilie into the countrie againe watched his time till he espied that the king with a small number of his seruants was come vnto the house of a noble woman whome he kept as paramour at Merton wherevpon the said Kineard vpon the sudden beset the house round about The king perceiuing himselfe thus besieged of his enimies at the first caused the doores to be shut supposing either by curteous woords to appease his enimies or with his princelie authoritie to put them in feare But when he saw that by neither meane he could doo good in a great chafe he brake foorth of the house vpon Kineard and went verie néere to haue killed him but being compassed about with multitude of enimies whilest he stood at defense thinking it a dishonour for him to flée he was beaten downe and slaine togither with those few of his seruants which he had there with him who chose rather to die in séeking reuenge of their maisters death than by cowardise to yeeld themselues into the murtherers hands There escaped none except one Welshman or Britaine an hostage who was neuerthelesse sore wounded and hurt The brute of such an heinous act was streightwaies blowne ouer all and brought with speed to the eares of the noble men and peeres of the realme which were not farre off the place where this slaughter had béene committed Amongst other one Oâ—rike for his age and wisedome accounted of 〈◊〉 authoritie 〈◊〉 ted the residue that in no wife they should suffor the death of their souereigne lord to passe vnpunished vnto their perpetuall shame and reproofe Wherevpon in all hast they ran to the place where they knew to find Kineard who at the first began to plead his cause to make large promises to pretend coosenage and so foorth but when he perceiued all that he could say or doo might not preuaile he incouraged his companie to shew themselues valiant and to resist their enimies to the vttermost of their powers Heerevpon followed a doubtfull fight the one part striuing to saue their liues and the other to atteine honour and punish the slaughter of their souereigne lord At length the victorie rested on the side where the right was so that the wicked murtherer after he had fought a while at length was slaine togither with fourescore and eight of his mates The kings bodie was buried at Winchester the murtherers at Repingdon Such was the end of king Kinewulfe after he had reigned the tearme of 31 yéeres In the yeere of our Lord 786 pope Adrian sent two legats into England Gregorie or as some copies haue George bishop of Ostia and Theophylactus bishop of Tuderto with letters commendatorie vnto Offa king of Mercia Alfwold king of Northumberland Ieanbright or Lambert archbishop of Canturburie and Eaubald archbishop of Yorke These legats were gladlie receiued not onlie by the foresaid kings and archbishops but also of all other the high estates aswell spirituall as temporall of the land namelie of Kinewulfe king of the Westsaxons which repaired vnto king Offa to take counsell with him for reformation of such articles as were conteined in the popes letters There were twentie seuerall articles which they had to propone on the popes behalfe as touching the receiuing of the faith or articles established by the Nicene councell and obeieng of the other generall councels with instructions concerning baptisme and kéeping of synods yéerelie for the examination of priests and ministers and reforming of naugthie liuers Moreouer touching discretion to be vsed in admitting of gouernors in monasteries and curats or priests to the ministerie in churches and further for the behauior of priests in wearing their apparell namelie that they should not presume to come to the altar bare legged lest their dishonestlie might be discouered And that in no wise the chalice or paten were made of the horne of an oxe bicause the same is bloudie of nature nor the host of a crust but of pure bread Also whereas bishops vsed to sit in councels to iudge in secular causes they were now forbidden so to doo Manie other things were as meanes of reformation articled both for spirituall causes and also concerning ciuill ordinances as disabling children to be heirs to the parents whch by them were not begot in lawfull matrimonie but on concubines whether they were nunnes or secular women Also of paiment of tithes performing of vowes auoiding of vndecent apparell and abolishing of all maner of heathenish vsages and customes that sounded contrarie to the order of christianitie as curtailing of horsses and eating of horsses flesh These things with manie other expressed in 20 principall articles as we haue said were first concluded to be receiued by the church of the Northumbers in a councell holden there and subscribed by Alfwold king of the Northumbers by Delberike bishop of Hexham by Eubald archbishop of Yorke Higwald bishop of Lindisferne Edelbert bishop of Whiterne Aldulfe bishop of Mieth Ethelwine also another bishop by his deputies with a number of other of the clergie and lords also of the temporaltie as duke Alrike duke Segwulfe abbat Alebericke and abbat Erhard After this confirmation had of the Northumbers there was also a councell holden in Mercia at Cealtide in the which these persons subscribed Iambert or Lambert archbishop of Canturburie Offa king of Mercia Hughbright bishop of Lichfield Edeulfe bishop of Faron with Unwone bishop of Ligor and nine other bishops besides abbats and thrée dukes as Brorda Farwald and Bercoald with earle Othbald But now to returne backe to speake of other dooings as in other parts of this land they fell out About the yéere of our Lord 764 the sée of Canturburie being void one Iambert or Lambert was elected archbishop there and the yéere 766 the archbishop of Yorke Egbert departed this
where their maiesties should bée shewed manie yéeres after Ethelburga fearing punishment fled into France with gâ—eat riches and treasure was well cherished in the court of king Charles at the first but after she was thrust into an abbeie and demeaned hirselfe so lewdlie there in keeping companie with one of hir owne countriemen that she was banished the house and after died in great miserie Egbert king of Mercia departing this life after he had reigned foure moneths ordeined his coosine Kenulfe to succeed in his place which Kenulfe was come of the line of Penda king of Mercia as rightlie descended from his brother Kenwalke This Kenulfe for his noble courage wisedome and vpright dealing was woorthie to be compared with the best princes that haue reigned His vertues passed his fame nothing he did that enuie could with iust cause reprooue At home he shewed himselfe godlie and religious in warre he became victorious he restored the archbishops sée againe to Canturburie wherein his humblenes was to be praised that made no account of worldlie honour in his prouince so that the order of the ancient canons might be obserued He had wars left him as it were by succession from his predecessour Offa against them of Kent and thervpon entring that countrie with a mightie armie wasted and spoiled the same and encountering in battell with king Edbert or Ethelbert otherwise called Prenne ouerthrew his armie and tooke him prisoner in the field but afterwards he released him to his great praise and commendation For whereas he builded a church at Winchcombe vpon the day of the dedication thereof he led the Kentish king as then his prisoner vp to the high altar and there set him at libertie declaring thereby a great proofe of of his good nature There were present at that sight Cuthred whom he had made king of Kent in place of Ethelbert or Edbert with 13 bishops and 10 dukes The noise that was made of the people in reioising at the kings bountious liberalitie was maruellous For not onelie he thus restored the Kentish king to libertie but also bestowed great rewards vpon all the prelates and noble men that were come to the feast euerie priest had a peece of gold and euerie moonke a shilling Also he dealt and gaue away great gifts amongst the people and founded in that place an abbeie indowing the same with great possessions Finallie after he had reigned 4 yéeres he departed this life and appointed his buriall to be in the same abbeie of Winchcombe leauing behind him a sonne named Kenelme who succeeded his father in the kingdome but was soone murthered by his vnnaturall sister Quendred the 17 of Iulie as hereafter shall be shewed Osrike king of Northumberland leaueth the kingdome to Edelbert reuoked out of exile king Alfwalds sons miserablie slaine Osred is put to death Ethelbert putteth away his wife and marieth another his people rise against him therefore and kill him Oswald succeeding him is driuen out of the land Ardulfe king of Northumberland duke Wade raiseth warre against him and is discomfited duke Aldred is slaine a sore battell fought in Northumberland the English men aflict one another with ciuill warres king Ardulfe deposed from his estate the regiment of the Northumbers refused as dangerous and deadlie by destinie what befell them in lieu of their disloialtie the Danes inuade their land and are vanquished the roiall race of the Kentish kings decaâ—eth the state of that kingdome the primasie restored to the see of Canturburie Egbert after the death of Britricus is sent for to vndertake the gouernement of the Westsaxons his linage The eight Chapter WHen Aswald king of Northumberland was made away his brother Osred the sonne of Alred tooke vpon him the rule of that kingdom anno 788 and within one yeere was expelled and left the kingdome to Ethelbert or Edelred as then reuoked out of exile in which he had remained for the space of 1 yéeres and now being restored he continued in gouernement of the Northumbers 4 yéeres or as some say 7 yéeres in the second yéere whereof duke Eardulfe was taken and led to Ripon and there without the gate of the monasterie wounded as was thought to death by the said king but the moonks taking his bodie and laieng it in a tent without the church after midnight he was found aliue in the church Moreouer about the same time the sonnes of king Alfwald were by force drawne out of the citie of Yorke but first by a wile they were trained out of the head church where they had taken sanctuarie and so at length miserablie slaine by king Ethelbert in Wonwaldremere one of them was named Alfus the other Alfwin In the yéere of our Lord 792 Osred vpon trust of the othes and promises of diuerse noble men secretly returned into Northumberland but his owne souldiers for sooke him and so was he taken and by king Ethelberts commandement put to death at Cunburge on the 14 day of September The same yéere king Ethelbert maried the ladie Alfled the daughter of Offa king of Mercia forsaking his former wife which he had hauing no iust cause of diuorce giuen on hir part whereby his people tooke such displeasure against him that finallie after he had reigned now this second time 4 yéeres or as other say seuen yéeres he could not auoid the destinie of his predecessors but was miserablie killed by his owne subiects at Cobre the 18 day of Aprill After whome one Oswald a noble man was ordeined king and within 27 or 28 daies after was expelled and constreined to flie first into the I le of Lindisferne and from thence vnto the king of Picts Then Ardulfe that was a duke and sonne to one Arnulfe was reuoked out of exile made king consecrated also at Yorke by the archbishop Cumbald and thrée other bishops the 25 of Iune in the yéere 396. About two yeeres after to wit in the yéere 798 one duke Wade and other conspirators which had beene also partakers in the murthering of king Ethelbert raised warre against king Ardulfe and fought a batteâ—l with him at Walleg but king Ardulfe got the vpper hand and chased Wade and other his enimies out of the field In the yéere 799. duke Aldred that had murthered Ethelbert or Athelred king of Northumberland was slaine by another duke called Chorthmond in reuenge of the death of his maister the said Ethelbert Shortlie after about the same time that Brightrike king of Westsaâ—ons departed this life there was a sore battell foughtten in Northumberland at Wellehare in the which Alricke the sonne of Herbert and manie other with him were slaine but to rehearse all the battels with their successes and issues it should be too tedious and irkesome to the readers for the English people being naturallie hard and high-minded continuallie scourged each other with intestine warres About six or seuen yéeres after this
in their roomes by authoritie of pope Iohn the 13. This reformation or rather deformation was vsed by king Edgar in many other places of the realme He was as appeareth by diuers writers namelie in his beginning cruell against his owne people and wanton in lusting after yoong women as you haue heard before Of stature proportion of bodie he was but small and low but yet nature had inclosed within so little a personage such strength that he durst incounter and combat with him that was thought most strong onelie doubting this least he which should haue to doo with him should stand in feare of him And as it chanced at a great feast where oftentimes men vse their toongs more liberrallie than néedeth Kenneth the king of Scots cast out certeine words in this maner It may saith hée séeme a maruell that so manie countries and prouinces should be subiect to such a little silliehe was but small and low but yet nature had inclosed bodie as Edgar is These words being borne awaie by a â—ester or minstrell and afterwards vttered to Edgar with great reproch he wiselie dissembled the matter for a time although he kept the remembrance thereof inclosed within his breast and vpon occasion at length feigned to go on hunting taking the king of Scots forth with him and hauing caused one of his seruants to conuey two swords into a place within the forrest by him appointed in secret wise of purpose he withdrew from the residue of his companie and there accompanied onelie with the Scotish king came to the place where the swords were laid and there taking the one of them deliuered the other to the Scotish king willing him now to assaie his strength that they might shew by proofe whether of them ought to be subiect to the other Start not but trie it with me saith he for it is a shame for a king to be full of brags at bankets and not to be readie to fight when triall should be made abroad The Scotish king herewith being astonied and maruellouslie abashed fell downe at his féet and with much humilitie confessed his fault desired pardon for the same which vpon such his humble submission king Edward easilie granted This noble prince had two wiues Egelfrida or Elfrida surnamed the white the daughter of a mightie duke named Ordiner by whome he had issue a sonne named Edward that succéeded him His second wife was called Alfreda the daughter of Orgar duke of Deuon or Cornewall as some saie by whome he had issue Edmund that died before his father and Egelred which afterwards was king Also he had issue a base daughter named Editha begotten of his concubine Wilfrid as before ye haue heard The state of the realme in king Edgars daies was in good point for both the earth gaue hir increase verie plentiouslie the elements shewed themselues verie sauorable according to the course of times peace was mainteined and no inuasion by forraine enimies attempted For Edgar had not onelie all the whole I le of Britaine in subiection but also was ruler souereigne lord ouer all the kings of the out Iles that lie within the seas about all the coasts of the same Britaine euen vnto the realme of Norwaie He brought also a great part of Ireland vnder his subiection with the citie of Dublin as by authentike records it dooth and may appeare Contention amongest the peeres and states about succession to the crowne the monkes remoued and the canons and secular priests restored by Alfer duke of Mercia and his adherents a blasing starre with the euents insuing the same the rood of Winchester speaketh a prettie shift of moonks to defeat the priests of their possessions the controuersie betweene the moonks and the priests ended by a miracle of archbishop Dunstane great hope that Edward would tread his fathers steps the reuerent loue he bare his stepmother queene Alfred and hir sonne Egelred hir diuelish purpose to murther Edward hir stepsonne accomplished his obscure funerall in respect of pompe but famous by meanes of miracles wrought by and about his sepulture queene Alfred repenting hir of the said prepensed murther dooth penance and imploieth hir substance in good woorkes as satisfactorie for hir sinnes king Edwards bodie remoued and solemnlie buried by Alfer duke of Mercia who was eaten vp with lice for being against the said Edwards aduancement to the crowne queene Alfreds offense by no meanes excusable The xxv Chapter AFter the deceasse of king Edgar there was some strife and contention amongst the lords péeres of the realme about the succession of the crowne for Alfred the mother of Egelredus or Ethelredus and diuers other of hir opinion would gladlie haue aduanced the same Egelredus to the rule but the archbishop Dunstan taking in his hands the baner of the crucifix presented his elder brother Edward vnto the lords as they were assembled togither and there pronounced him king notwithstanding that both queene Alfred and hir friends namelie Alfer the duke of Mercia were sore against him especiallie for that he was begot in vnlawfull bed of Elfleda the nun for which offense he did seuen yeares pâ—nance and not for lieng with Wilfrid as maister Fox thinketh But Dunstane iudging as is to be thought that Edward was more fit for their behoofe to continue the world in the former course as Edgar had left it than his brother Egelred whose mother and such as tooke part with hir vnder hir sonnes authoritie were likelie inough to turne all vpside downe vsed the matter so that with helpe of Oswald the archbishop of Yorke and other bishops abbats and certeine of the nobilitie as the earle of Essex and such like he preuailed in his purpose so that as before is said the said Edward being the second of that name which gouerned this land before the conquest was admitted king and began his reigne ouer England in the yeare of our Lord 975 in the third yeare of the emperour Otho the second in the 20 yeare of the reigne of Lothar king of France and about the fourth yeare of Cumelerne king of Scotland He was consecrated by archb Dunstane at Kingston vpon Thames to the great griefe of his mother in law Alfred and hir friends ¶ About the beginning of his reigne a blasing starre was seene signifieng as was thought the miserable haps that followed And first there insued barrennesse of ground and thereby famine amongest the people and morraine of cattell Also duke Alfer or Elfer of Mercia and other noble men destroied the abbies which king Edgar and bishop Adelwold had builded within the limits of Mercia The priests or canons which had beene expelled in Edgars time out of the prebends and benefices began to complaine of the wrongs that were doone to them in that they had beene put out of possession from their liuings alleging it to be a great offense and miserable case that a
maner then was on the 24 day of Aprill assisted by Oswald archbishop of Yorke and ten other bishops But as hath béene reported Dunstane then said that the English people should suffer condigne punishment generallie with losse of ancient liberties which before that time they had inioied Dunstane also long before prophesied of the slouthfulnesse that should remaine in this Egelred For at what time he ministred the sacrament of baptisme to him shortlie after he came into this world he defiled the font with the ordure of his wombe as hath beene said whervpon Dunstane being troubled in mind By the Lord saith he and his blessed mother this child shall prooue to be a slouthfull person It hath beene written also that when he was but ten yeeres of age and heard that his brother Edward was slaine he so offended his mother with wéeping bicause she could not still him that hauing no rod at hand she tooke tapers or sizes that stood before hir and beat him so sore with them that she had almost killed him whereby he could neuer after abide to haue anie such candels lighted before him This Egelred as writers say was nothing giuen to warlike enterprises but was slouthfull a louer of idlenesse and delighting in riotous lusts which being knowne to all men caused him to be euill spoken of amongst his owne people and nothing feared amongst strangers Heerevpon the Danes that exercised rouing on the seas began to conceiue a boldnesse of courage to disquiet and molest the sea-coasts of the realme in so much that in the second yéere of this Egelreds reigne they came with seuen ships on the English coasts of Kent and spoiled the I le of Tenet the towne of Southampton and in the yeere following they destroied S. Petroks abbeie in Cornwall Porthland in Deuonshire and diuerse other places by the sea side speciallie in Deuonshire Cornwall Also a great part of Cheshire was destroied by pirats of Norway The same yéere by casualtie of fire a great part of the citie of London was burnt In the yeere of our Lord 983 Alfer duke of Mercia departed this life who was coosen to king Edgar his sonne Alfrike tooke vpon him the rule of that dukedome and within thrée yéeres after was banished the land About the eight yéere of his reigne Egelred maried one Elgina or Ethelgina daughter of earle Egbert In the ninth yeere of his reigne vpon occasion of strife betwéene him and the bishop of Rochester he made warre against the same bishop wasted his lordships and besieged the citie of Rochester till Dunstan procured the bishops peace with paiment of an hundred pounds in gold And bicause the K. would not agrée with the bishop without moneie at the onelie request of Dunstane the said Dunstane did send him woord that sithens he made more account of gold than of God more of monie than of S. Andrew patrone of the church of Rochester and more of couetousnesse than of him being the archbishop the mischiefs which the Lord had threatned would shortlâ—e fall and come to passe but the same should not chance whilest he was aliue who died in the yéere following on the 25 of Maie being saturdaie Of this Dunstane manie things are recorded by writers that he should be of such holinesse and vertue that God wrought manie miracles by him both whilest he liued heere on earth and also after his deceasse He was borne in Westsaxon his father was named Heorstan and his mother Cinifride who in his youth set him to schoole where he so profited that he excelled all his equals in age Afterward he fell sicke of an ague which vexed him so sore that it draue him into a frensie and therefore his parents appointed him to the cure the charge of a certeine woman where his disease grew so on him that he fell in a trance as though he had béene dead and after that he suddenlie arose by chance caught a staffe in his hand and ran vp and downe through hils and dales and laid about him as though he had béene afraid of mad dogs The next night as it is said he gat him to the top of the church by the helpe of certeine ladders that stood there for woorkemen to mend the roofe and there ran vp and downe verie dangerouslie but in the end came safelie downe and laid him to sléepe betwéene two men that watched the church that night when he awaked he maruelled how he came there Finallie recouering his disease his parents made him a priest and placed him in the abbeie of Glastenburie where he gaue himselfe to the reading of scriptures and knowledge of vertue But as well his kinsmen as certeine other did raise a report of him that he gaue not himselfe so much to the reading of scriptures as to charming coniuring and sorcerie which he vtterlie denied howbeit learned he was in déed could doo manie pretie things both in handie woorke and other deuises he had good skill in musicke and delighted much therein At length he grew in such fauour that he was aduanced into the seruice of king Adelstane Upon a time as he came to a gentlewomans house with his harpe and hoong the same on the wall while he shaped a priests stole the harpe suddenlie began to plaie a psalme which draue the whole houshold in such feare that they ran out and said he was too cunning and knew more than was expedient wherevpon he was accused of necromancie and so banished out of the court After this he began to haue a liking to women and when Elfeagus then bishop of Winchester and his coosen persuaded him to become a moonke he refused it for he rather wished to haue maried a yoong damosell whose pleasant companie he dailie inioied But being soone after striken with such a swelling disease in his bellie that all his bodie was brought into such state as though he had béene infected with a foule leprosie he bethought him selfe and vpon his recouerie sent to the bishop who immediatlie shore him a moonke in which life he liued in so great opinion of holinesse as he in time became abbat of Glastenburie where on a time as he was in his praiers before the altar of S. George he fell asléepe and imagining in his dreame that an vglie rough beare came towards him with open mouth and set his forefeet vpon his shoulders readie to deuoure him he suddenlie wakening for feare caught his walking staffe which he commonlie went with and laid about him that all the church rang thereof to the great woonder of such as stood by The common tale of his plucking the diuell by the nose with a paire of pinsors for tempting him with women while he was making a chalice the great loue that the ladie Elfleda néere kinswoman to king Adelstane bare him to hir dieng day with a great manie of other such like matters I leaue as
kinds of sicknesses vexed the people also as the bloodie flix and hot burning agues which then raged through the land so that manie died thereof By such manner of meanes therefore what through the misgouernance of the king the treason and disloialtie of the nobilitie the lacke of good order and due correction amongst the people and by such other scourges and mishaps as afflicted the English nation in that season the land was brought into great ruine so that where by strength the enimie could not be kept off there was now no helpe but to appease them with monie By reason hereof from time of the first agréement with the Danes for 10 thousand pounds tribute it was inhanced to 16000 pounds as you haue heard after that at 20000 pounds then to 24000 pounds so to 30000 pounds lastlie to 40000 pounds till at length the relme was emptied in maner of all that monie and coine that could be found in it In this meane time died Elgina or Ethelgina the quéene Shortlie after it was deuised that the king should be a suter vnto Richard duke of Normandie for his sister Emma a ladie of such excellent beautie that she was named the floure of Normandie This sute was begun and tooke such good successe that the king obteined his purpose And so in the yeare of our Lord 1002 which was about the 24 yeare of king Egelreds reigne he maried the said Emma with great solemnitie This mariage was thought to be right necessarie honorable and profitable for the realme of England because of the great puissance of the Norman princes in those daies but as things afterward came to passe it turned to the subuersion of the whole English state for by such affinitie and dealing as hapned hereby betwixt the Normans and Englishmen occasion in the end was ministred to the same Normans to pretend a title to the crowne of England in prosecuting of which title they obteined and made the whole conquest of the land as after shall appeare Egelred being greatlie aduanced as he thought by reason of his mariage deuised vpon presumption thereof to cause all the Danes within the land to be murthered in one day Herevpon he sent priuie commissioners to all cities burrowes and townes within his dominions commanding the rulers and officers in the same to kill all such Danes as remained within their liberties at a certeine day prefixed being saint Brices day in the yeare 1012 and in the 34 yeare of king Egelreds reigne Herevpon as sundrie writers agree in one day houre this murther began and was according to the commission and iniunction executed But where it first began the same is vncerteine some say at Wellowin in Herefordshire some at a place in Staffordshire called Hownhill others in other places but whersoeuer it began the dooers repented it after But now yer we procéed anie further we will shew what rule the Danes kept here in this realme before they were thus murthered as in some bookes we find recorded Whereas it is shewed that the Danes compelled the husbandmen to til the ground doo all maner of labour and toile to be doone about husbandrie the Danes liued vpon the fruit and gaines that came thereof and kept the husbandmens wiues their daughters maids and seruants vsing and abusing them at their pleasures And when the husbandmen came home then could they scarse haue such sustenance of meats and drinkes as fell for seruants to haue so that the Danes had all at their commandements eating and drinking of the best where the sillie man that was the owner could hardlie come to his fill of the worst Besids this the common people were so oppressed by the Danes that for feare and dread they called them in euerie such house where anie of them soiourned Lord Dane And if an Englishman and a Dane chanced to méet at anie bridge or streight passage the Englishman must staie till the Lord Dane were passed But in processe of time after the Danes were voided the land this word Lord Dane was in derision and despight of the Danes turned by Englishmen into a name of reproch as Lordane which till these our daies is not forgotten For when the people in manie parts of this realme will note and signifie anie great idle lubber that will not labour nor take paine for his liuing they will call him Lordane Thus did the Danes vse the Englishmen in most vile manner and kept them in such seruile thraldome as cannot be sufficientlie vttered A fresh power of Danes inuade England to reuenge the slaughter of their countrimen that inhabited this Ile the west parts betraied into their hands by the conspiracie of a Norman that was in gouernement earle Edrike feined himselfe sicke when king Egelred sent vnto him to leuie a power against the Danes and betraieth his people to the enimies Sweine king of Denmarke arriueth on the coast of Northfolke and maketh pitifull spoile by fire and sword the truce taken betweene him and Vikillus is violated and what reuengement followeth king Sweine forced by famine returneth into his owne countrie he arriueth againe at Sandwich why king Egelred was vnable to preuaile against him the Danes ouerrun all places where they come and make cruell waste king Egelred paieth him great summes of monie for peace the mischiefes that light vpon a land by placing a traitorous stranger in gouernement how manie acres a hide of land conteineth Egelreds order taken for ships and armour why his great fleet did him little pleasure a fresh host of Danes vnder three capteines arriue at Sandwich the citizens of Canturburie for monie purchase safetie the faithlesse dealing of Edrike against king Egelred for the enimies aduantage what places the Danes ouerran and wasted The fourth Chapter VPon knowledge giuen into Denmarke of the cruell murder of the Danes here in England truth it is that the people of the countrie were greatlie kindled in malice and set in such a furious rage against the Englishmen that with all spéed they made foorth a nauie full fraught with men of warre the which in the yeare following came swarming about the coasts of England and landing in the west countrie tooke the citie of Excester and gat there a rich spoile One Hugh a Norman borne whome queene Emma had placed in those parties as gouernour or shirife there conspired with the Danes so that all the countrie was ouerrun and wasted The king hearing that the Danes were thus landed and spoiled the west parts of the realme he sent vnto Edricus to assemble a power to withstand the enimies Herevpon the people of Hampshire and Wiltshire rose and got togither but when the armies should ioine earle Edricus surnamed de Streona feigned himselfe sicke and so betraied his people of whome he had the conduct for they perceiuing the want in their leader were discouraged and so fled
shortlie after erle Turkill with 9 of those ships sailed into Denmarke submitted himselfe vnto Cnute counselled him to returne into England and promised him the assistance of the residue of those Danish ships which yet remained in England being to the number of thirtie with all the souldiers and mariners that to them belonged To conclude he did so much by his earnest persuasions that Cnute through aid of his brother Harrold king of Denmarke got togither a nauie of two hundred ships so roially decked furnished and appointed both for braue shew and necessarie furniture of all maner of weapons armor munition as it is strange to consider that which is written by them that liued in those daies and tooke in hand to register the dooings of that time Howbeit to let this pompe of Cnutes fléete passe which no doubt was right roiall consider a little and looke backe to Turkill though a sworne seruant to king Egelred how he did direct all his drift to the aduancement of Cnute and his owne commoditie cloking his purposed treacherie with pretended amitie as shall appeare hereafter by his deadlie hostilitie A great waste by an inundation or in-breaking of the sea a tribute of 30000 pounds to the Danes king Egelred holdeth a councell at Oxford where he causeth two noble men of the Danes to be murdered by treason Edmund the king eldest sonne marieth one of their wiues and seizeth vpon his 〈◊〉 lands Cnute the Damsn king returneth into England the Damsn and English armies encounter both 〈…〉 Cnute maketh waste of certeine 〈◊〉 Edmund preuenteth 〈◊〉 purposed treason Edrike de Streona 〈◊〉 to the Danes the Westernemen yeeld to Cnute Mercia refuseth to be subiect vnto him Warwikeshire wasted by the Danes Egelred assembleth an armie against them in vaine Edmund Vtred with ioined forces lay waste such countries and people as became subiect to Cnute his policie to preuent their purpose through what countries he passed Vtred submitteth himselfe to Cnute and deliuereth pledges he 〈◊〉 put to death and his lands alienated Cnute pursueth Edmund to London and prepareth to besiege the citie the death and buriall of Egelred his wiues what issue he had by them his infortunatenesse and to what affections and vices he was inclined his too late and bootlesse seeking to releeue his decaied kingdome The eight Chapter BUt now to returne to our purpose and to shew what chanced in England after the departure of Cnute In the same yeare to the forsaid accustomed mischiefes an vnwoonted misaduenture happened for the sea rose with such high spring-tides that ouerflowing the countries next adioining diuers villages with the inhabitants were drowned and destroied Also to increase the peoples miserie king Egelred commanded that 30000 pounds should be leuied to paie the tribute due to the Danes which lay at Gréenewich This yeare also king Egelred held a councell at Oxford at the which a great number of noble men were present both Danes and Englishmen and there did the king cause Sigeferd and Morcad two noble personages of the Danes to be murdered within his owne chamber by the traitorous practise of Edrike de Streona which accused them of some conspiracie But the quarell was onelie as men supposed for that the king had a desire to their goods and possessions Their seruants tooke in hand to haue reuenged the death of their maisters but were beaten backe wherevpon they fled into the steeple of saint Friswids church and kept the same till fire was set vpon the place and so they were burned to death The wife of Sigeferd was taken sent to Malmsburie being a woman of high fame and great worthinesse wherevpon the kings eldest sonne named Edmund tooke occasion vpon pretense of other businesse to go thither and there to sée hir with whome he fell so far in loue that he tooke and maried hir That doone he required to haue hir husbands lands and possessions which were an earles liuing and lay in Northumberland And when the king refused to graunt his request he went thither and seized the same possessions and lands into his hands without hauing anie commission so to doo finding the farmers and tenants there readie to receiue him for their lord Whilest these things were a dooing Cnute hauing made his prouision of ships and men with all necessarie furniture as before ye haue heard for his returne into England set forward with full purpose either to recouer the realme out of Egelreds hands or to die in the quarrell Herevpon he landed at Sandwich and first earle Turkill obteined licence to go against the Englishmen that were assembled to resist the Danes and finding them at a place called Scoraâ—tan he gaue them the ouerthrow got a great bootie and returned therewith to the ships After this Edrike gouernor of Norwaie made a rode likewise into an other part of the countrie with a rich spoile and manie prisoners returned vnto the nauie After this iournie atchiued thus by Edrike Cnute commanded that they should not waste the countrie anie more but gaue order to prepare all things readie to besiege London but before he attempted that enterprise as others write he marched foorth into Kent or rather sailing round about that countrie tooke his iournie westward came to Fromundham and after departing from thence wasted Dorsetshire Summersetshire Wiltshire King Egelred in this meane time lay sicke at Cossam and his sonne Edmund had got togither a mightie hoast howbeit yer he came to ioine battell with his enimies he was aduertised that earle Edrike went about the betraie him and therefore he withdrew with the armie into a place of suertie But Edrike to make his tratorous purpose manifest to the whole world fled to the enimies with fortie of the kings ships fraught with Danish souldiers Herevpon all the west countrie submitted it selfe vnto Cnute who receiued pledges of the chiefe lords and nobles and then set forward to subdue them of Mercia The people of that countrie would not yéeld but determined to defend the quarrell and title of king Egelred so long as they might haue anie capteine that would stand with them and helpe to order them In the yeare 1016 in Christmas Cnute and earle Edrike passed the Thames at Kirkelade entring into Mercia cruellie began with fire and sword to waste and destroie the countrie and namelie Warwikeshire In the meane time was king Egelred recouered of his sicknesse and sent summons forth to raise all his power appointing euerie man to resort vnto him that he might incounter the enimies and giue them battell But yet when his people were assembled he was warned to take héed vnto himselfe and in anie wise to beware how he gaue battell for his owne subiects were purposed to betraie him Herevpon the armie brake vp king Egelred withdrew to London there to abide his enimies within the walles with whom in the field he doubted
vp vnto his legs and knees Wherewith the king started suddenlie vp and withdrew from it saieng withall to his nobles that were about him Behold you noble men you call me king which can not so much as staie by my commandement this small portion of water But know ye for certeine that there is no king but the father onelie of our Lord Iesus Christ with whome he reigneth at whose becke all things are gouerned Let vs therefore honor him let vs confesse and professe him to be the ruler of heauen earth and sea and besides him none other From thence he went to Winchester and there with his owne hands set his crowne vpon the head of the image of the crucifix which stood there in the church of the apostles Peter and Paule and from thenceforth he would neuer weare that crowne nor anie other Some write that he spake not the former words to the sea vpon anie presumptuousnesse of mind but onelie vpon occasion of the vaine title which in his commendation on of his gentlemen gaue him by way of flatterie as he rightlie tooke it for he called him the most mightiest king of all kings which ruled most at large both men sea and land Therefore to reprooue the fond flatterie of such vaine persons he deuised and practised the déed before mentioned thereby both to reprooue such flatterers and also that men might be admonished to consider the omnipotencie of almightie God He had issue by his wife quéene Emma a sonne named by the English chronicles Hardiknought but by the Danish writers Canute or Knute also a daughter named Gonilda that was after maried to Henrie the sonne of Conrad which also was afterwards emperour and named Henrie the third By his concubine Alwine that was daughter to Alselme whome some name earle of Hampton he had two bastard sonnes Harold and Sweno He was much giuen in his latter daies to vertue as he that considered how perfect felicitie rested onelie in godlines and true deuotion to serue the heauenlie king and gouernour of all things He repared in his time manie churches abbeies and houses of religion which by occasion of warres had béene fore defaced by him and his father but speciallie he did great cost vpon the abbeie of saint Edmund in the towne of Burie as partlie before is mentioned He also built two abbeies from the foundation as saint Benets in Norffolke seuen miles distant from Norwich and an other in Norwaie He did also build a church at Ashdone in Essex where he obteined the victorie of king Edmund and was present at the hallowing or consecration therof with a great multitude of the lords and nobles of the realme both English and Danes He also holpe with his owne hands to remooue the bodie of the holie archbishop Elphegus when the same was translated from London to Canturburie The roiall and most rich iewels which he his wife quéene Emma gaue vnto the church of Winchester might make the beholders to woonder at such their exceeding and bountifull munificence Thus did Cnute striue to reforme all such things as he and his ancestors had doone amisse and to wipe awaie the spot of euil dooing as suerlie to the outward sight of the world he did in deed he had the archbishop of Canturburie Achelnotus in singular reputation and vsed his counsell in matters of importance He also highlie fauoured Leofrike earle of Chester so that the same Leofrike bare great rule in ordering of things touching the state of the common wealth vnder him as one of his chiefe councellors Diuerse lawes and statutes he made for the gouernment fo the common wealth partlie agréeable with the lawes of king Edgar and other the kings that were his predecessors and partlie tempered according to his owne liking and as was thought to him most expedient among the which there be diuerse that concerne causes as well ecclesiasticall as temporall Whereby as maister Fox hath noted it maie be gathered that the gouernment of spirituall matters did depend then not vpon the bishop of Rome but rather apperteined vnto the lawfull authoritie of the temporall prince no lesse than matters and causes temporall But of these lawes statutes enacted by king Cnute ye may read more as ye find them set foorth in the before remembred booke of maister Willliam Lambert which for briefenesse we héere omit Variance amongest the peeres of the realme about the roiall succession the kingdome is diuided betwixt Harold the bastard sonne and Hardicnute the lawfullie begotten son of king Cnute late deceassed Harold hath the totall regiment the authoritie of earle Goodwine gardian to the queenes sonnes Harold is proclaimed king why Elnothus did stoutlie refuse to consecrate him why Harold was surnamed Harefoot he is supposed to be a shoomakers sonne and how it came to passe that he was counted king Cnutes bastard Alfred challengeth the crowne from Harold Goodwine vnder colour of friendlie interteinment procureth his retinues vtter vndooing a tithing of the Normans by the poll whether Alfred was interessed in the crowne the trecherous letter of Harold written in the name of queene Emma to hir two sons in Normandie wherevpon Alfred commeth ouer into England the vnfaithfull dealing of Goodwine with Alfred and his people teaching that in trust is treason a reseruation of euerie tenth norman the remanent slaine the lamentable end of Alfred and with what torments he was put to death Harold banisheth queene Emma out of England he degenerateth from his father the short time of his reigne his death and buriall The xiiij Chapter AFter that Cnute was departed this life there arose much variance amongst the peeres and great lords of the realme about the succession The Danes and Londoners which through continuall familiaritie with the Danes were become like vnto them elected Harold the base sonne of king Cnute to succéed in his fathers roome hauing earle Leofrike and diuerse other of the noble men of the north parts on their side But other of the Englishmen and namelie earle Goodwine earle of Kent with the chiefest lords of the west parts coueted rather to haue one of king Egelreds sonnes which were in Normandie or else Hardicnute the sonne of king Cnute by his wife quéene Emma which remained in Denmarke aduanced to the place This controuersie held in such wise that the realme was diuided as some write by lot betwixt the two brethren Harold and Hardicnute The north part as Mercia and Northumberland fell to Harold and the south part vnto Hardicnute but at length the whole remained vnto Harold bicause his brother Hardicnute refused to come out of Denmarke to take the gouernment vpon him But yet the authoritie of earle Goodwine who had the queene and the treasure of the realme in his kéeping staied the matter a certeine time professing himselfe as it were gardian to the yoong men the sonnes of the quéene
till at length he was constreined to giue ouer his hold and conforme himselfe to the stronger part and greater number And so at Oxford where the assemblie was holden about the eelction Harold was proclaimed king and consecrated according to the maner as some write But it should appeere by other that Elnothus the archbishop of Canturburie a man indued with all vertue and wisedome refused to crowne him for when king Harold being elected of the nobles and péeres required the said archbishop that he might be of him consecrated and receiue at his hands the regall scepter with the crowne which the archbishop had in his custodie and to whome it onelie did apperteine to inuest him therewith the archbishop flatlie refused and with an oth protested that he would not consecrate anie other for king so long as the quéenes children liued for saith he Cnute committed them to my trust and assurance and to them will I kéepe my faith and loiall obedience The scepter and crowne I héere lay downe vpon the altar and neither doo I denie nor deliuer them vnto you but I forbid by the apostolike authoritie all the bishops that none of them presume to take the same awaie and deliuer them to you or consecrate you for king As for your selfe if you dare you maie vsurpe that which I haue committed vnto God and his table But whether afterwards the king by one meane or other caused the archbishop to crowne him king or that he was consecrated of some other he was admitted king of all the English people beginning his reigne in the yéere of our Lord a thousand thirtie and six in the fouretenth yéere of the emperor Conrad the second in the sixt yéere of Henrie the first king of France and about the seuen and twentith yéere of Malcolme the second king of Scots This Harold for his great swiftnesse was surnamed Harefoot of whome little is written touching his dooings sauing that he is noted to haue béene an oppressor of his people and spotted with manie notable vices It was spoken of diuerse in those daies that this Harold was not the sonne of Cnute but of a shoomaker and that his supposed mother Elgina king Cnutes concubine to bring the king further in loue with hir feined that she was with child and about the time that she should be brought to bed as she made hir account caused the said shoomakers son to be secretlie brought into hir chamber and then vntrulie caused it to be reported that she was deliuered and the child so reputed to be the kings sonne Immediatlie vpon aduertisement had of Cnutes death Alfred the sonne of king Egelred with fiftie saile landed at Sandwich meaning to challenge the crowne and to obteine it by lawfull claime with quietnesse if he might if not then to vse force by aid of his friends and to assaie that waie foorth to win it if he might not otherwise obteine it From Sandwich he came to Canturburie and shortlie after earle Goodwine feining to receiue him as a friend came to meet him and at Gilford in the night season appointed a number of armed men to fall vpon the Normans as they were asléepe and so tooke them togither with Alfred slue the Normans by the poll in such wise that nine were slaine tenth reserued But yet when those that were reserued seemed to him a greater number than he wished to escape he fell to and againe tithed them as before Alfred had his eies put out and was concueied to the I le of Elie where shortlie after he died ¶ How Alfred should claime the crowne to himselfe I sée not for verelie I can not be persuaded that he was the elder brother though diuers authors haue so written sith Gemeticensis the author of the booke called Encomium Emmae plainlie affirme that Edward was the elder but it might be that Alfred being a man of a stouter stomach than his brother Edward made this attempt either for himselfe or in the behalfe of is brother Edward being as then absent and gone into Hungarie as some write but other say that as well Edward as Alfred ame ouer at this time with a number of Norman knights and men of warre imbarked in a few ships onelie to speake with their mother who as then lay at Winchester whether to take aduise with hir how to recouer their right heere in this land or to aduance their brother Hardicnute or for some other purpose our authors doo not declare But the lords of the realme that bare their good wils vnto Harold and though contrarie to right ment to mainteine him in the estate seemed to be much offended with the comming of these two brethren in such order for earle Goodwine persuaded them that it was great danger to suffer so manie strangers to the enter the realme as they had brought with them Wherevpon earle Goodwine with the assent of the other lords or rather by commandement of Harold went foorth and at Gilford met with Alfred that was comming towards king Harold to speake with him accordinglie as he was of Harold required to doo But now being taken and his companie miserablie murthered as before ye haue heard to the number of six hundred Normans Alfred himselfe was sent into the I le of Elie there to remaine in the abbeie in custodie of the moonks hauing his eies put out as soone as he entered first into the same I le William Malmesburie saith that Alfred came ouer and was thus handeled betwixt the time of Harolds death the comming in of Hardicnute Others write that this chanced in his brother Hardicnuts daies which séemeth not to be true for Hardicnute was knowne to loue his brethren by his mothers side too dearelie to haue suffered anie such iniurie to be wrought against either of them in his time ¶ Thus ye sée how writers dissent in this matter but for the better clearing of the truth touching the time I haue thought good to shew also what the author of the said booke intituled Encomium Emmae writeth hereof which is as followeth When Harold was once established king he sought meanes how to rid quéene Emma out of the way and that secretlie for that openlie as yet he durst not attempt anie thing against hir She in silence kept hir selfe quiet looking for the end o these things But Harold remembring himselfe of a malicious purpose by wicked aduise tooke counsell how he might get into his hands and make away the sons of quéene Emma 〈◊〉 â—e out of danger of all annoiance that by them might be procured against him Wherefore he caused a letter to be written in the name of their mother Emma which he sent by certeine messengers suborned for the same purpose into Normandie where Edward and Alfred as then remained The tenour of which letter here insueth The tenour of a letter forged and sent in queene Emmas name to hir two sonnes EMmatantùm nomine regina
entrance into this countrie dearth by tempests earle Goodwines sonne banished out of this land he returneth in hope of the kings fauour killeth his coosen earle Bearne for his good will and forwardnes to set him in credit againe his flight into Flanders his returne into England the king is pacified with him certeine Danish rouers arriue at Sandwich spoile the coast inrich themselues with the spoiles make sale of their gettings and returne to their countrie the Welshmen with their princes rebelling are subdued king Edward keepeth the seas on Sandwich side in aid of Baldwine earle of Flanders a bloudie fraie in Canturburie betwixt the earle of Bullongne and the townesmen earle Goodwine fauoureth the Kentishmen against the Bullongners why he refuseth to punish the Canturburie men at the kings commandement for breaking the kings peace he setteth the king in a furie his suborned excuse to shift off his comming to the assemblie of lords conuented about the foresaid broile earle Goodwine bandeth himselfe against the king he would haue the strangers deliuered into his hands his request is denied a battell readie to haue bene fought betweene him and the king the tumult is pacified and put to a parlement earle Goodwines retinue forsake him he his sonnes and their wiues take their flight beyond the seas The second Chapter YE must vnderstand that K. Edward brought diuerse Normans ouer with him which in time of his banishment had shewed him great friendship wherefore he now sought to recompense them Amongst other the forenamed Robert of Canturburie was one who before his comming ouer was a moonke in the abbeie of Gemeticum in Normandie and being by the king first aduanced to gouerne the sée of London was after made archbishop of Canturburie and bare great rule vnder the king so that he could not auoid the enuie of diuerse noble man and 〈◊〉 of earle Goodwâ—â—e as shall appeare About the third yeere of king Edwards wigne Osgot Clappa was banished the realme And in the yéere following that is to say in the yeere 1047 there fell a marvellous great snow couering the ground from the beginning of Ianuarâ—e vntill the 17 day of March. Besides this there hapned the same yeere such tempest and lightnings that the corne vpon the earth was burnt vp and blasted by reason whereof there followed a great dearth in England and also death of men cettell About this time Swame the sonne of earle Goodwine was banished the land and fled into Flanders This Swaine kept Edgiua the abbesse of the monasterue of Leoffe and forsaking his wife ment to haue married the foresaid abbesse Within a certeine time after his banishment he returned into England in hope to purchase the kings peace by his fathers meanes and other his friends But vpon some malicious pretense he slue his coosen earle Bearne who was about to labour to the king for his pardon and so then fled againe into Flanders till at length Allered the archbishop of Yorke obteined his pardon and found meanes to reconcile him to the kings fauour In the meane time about the sixt yéere of king Edwards reigne certeine pirats of the Danes arriued in Sandwich hauen and entring the land wasted and spoiled all about the coast There be that write that the Danes had at that time to their leaders two capteins the one named Lother and the other Irling After they had béene at Sandwich and brought from thence great riches of gold and siluer they coasted about vnto the side of Essex and there spoiling the countrie went backe to the sea and sailing into Flanders made sale of their spoiles and booties there and so returned to their countries After this during the reigne of king Edward there chanced no warres neither forren nor ciuill but that the same was either with small slaughter luckilie ended or else without anie notable aduenture changed into peace The Welshmen in déed with their princes Rise and Griffin wrought some trouble but still they were subdued and in the end both the said Rise and Griffin were brought vnto confusion although in the meane time they did much hurt and namelie Griffin who with aid of some Irishmen with whome he was alied about this time entred into the Seuerne sea and tooke preies about the riuer of Wie and after returned without anie battell to him offered About the same time to wit in the yéere 1049 the emperor Henrie the third made warres against Baldwine earle of Flanders and for that he wished to haue the sea stopped that the said earle should not escape by flight that waie foorth he sent to king Edward willing him to kéepe the sea with some number of ships King Edward furnishing a nauie lay with the same at Sandwich and so kept the seas on that side till the emperor had his will of the earle At the same time Swaine sonne of earle Goodwine came into the realme and traitorouslie slue his coosen Bearne as before is said the which trauelled to agrée him with the king Also Gosipat Clappa who had left his wife at Bruges in Flanders comming amongst other of the Danish pirats which had robbed in the coasts of Kent Essex as before ye haue heard receiued his wife and departed backe into Denmarke wiâ—h six ships leauing the residue being 23 behind him About the tenth yéere of king Edwards reigne Eustace earle of Bullongne that was father vnto the valiant Godfrey of Bullongne Baldwin both afterward kings of Hierusalem 〈…〉 England in the moneth of September to 〈◊〉 his brother in law king Edward whose sister named Godâ— he had maried she then being the 〈◊〉 of Guaâ—ter de Maâ—â—â—t He found the king at Glocester and being there 〈◊〉 receiued after he had once dispatched such matters for the which he therefore came he tooke leaue and returned homeward But at Canturburie one of his heâ—â—ngers 〈◊〉 roughlie with one of the citizens about a lodging which he sought to haue rather by force than by in treatance occasioned his owne death Whereof when the erle was aduertised he hasted thither to revenge the slaughter of his seruant and fiue both the citizen which had killed his man and eighteene others The citizens héerewith in a great furie got them to armor and set vpon the earle and his returne of whom they slue twentie persons out of hand wounded a great number of the residue so that the earle scarse might escape with one or two of his men from the fraie with all spéed returned backe to the king presenting gréeuous information against them of Canturburie for their cruell vsing of him not onlie in fleaing of his seruants but also in putting him in danger of his life The king crediting the earle was highlie offended against the citizens and with all spéed sending for earle Goodwine declared vnto him in greeuous wise the rebellious act of them of Canturburie which were
vnder his iurisdiction The earle who was a man of a bold courage and quicke wit did perceiue that the matter was made a great deale woorse at the first in the beginning than of likelihood it would prooue in the end thought it reason therefore that first the answere of the Kentishmen should be heard before anie sentence were giuen against them Héerevpon although the king commanded him foorthwith to go with an armie into Kent and to punish them of Canturburie in most rigorous maner yet he would not be too hastie but refused to execute the kings commandement both for that he bare a péece of grudge in his mind that the king should fauour strangers so highlie as he did and againe bicause héereby he should séeme to doo pleasure to his countriemen in taking vpon him to defend their cause against the rough accusations of such as had accused them Wherefore he declared to the king that it should be conuenient to haue the supposed offendors first called afore him and if they were able to excuse themselues then to be suffered to depart without further vexation and if they were found faultie then to be put to their fine both as well in satisfieng the king whose peace they had broken as also the earle whom they had in damaged Earle Goodwine departed thus from the king leauing him in a great furie howbeit he passed litle thereof supposing it would not long continue But the king called a great assemblie of his lords togither at Glocester that the matter might be more déepelie considered Siward earle of Northumberland and Leofrike earle of Chester with Rafe earle of Hereford the kings nephue by his sister Goda and all other the noble men of the realme onlie earle Goodwine and his sonnes ment not to come there except they might bring with them a great power of armed men and so remained at Beuerstane with such bands as they had leauied vnder a colour to resist the Welshmen whome they bruted abroad to be readie to inuade the marches about Hereford But the Welshmen preuenting that slander signified to the king that no such matter was ment on their parties but that earle Goodwine and his sonnes with their complices went about to mooue a commotion against him Héerevpon a rumor was raised in the court that the kings power should shortlie march foorth to assaile earle Goodwine in that place where he was lodged Wherevpon the same earle prepared himselfe and sent to his friends willing to sticke to this quarrell and if the king should go about to force them then to withstand him rather than to yéeld and suffer themselues to be troden vnder foot by strangers Goodwine in this meane time had got togither a great power of his countries of Kent Southerie and other of the west parts Swaine like wise had assembled much people out of his countries of Barkeshire Orfordshire Summersetshire Herefordshire and Glocestershire And Harold was also come to them with a great multitude which he had leuied in Essex Norffolke Sufforld Cambridgeshire Huntingtonshire On the other part the earles that were with the king Leofrike Siward and Rafe raised all the power which they might make and the same approching to Glocester the king thought himselfe in more suertie than before in so much that whereas earle Goodwine who lay with his armie at Langton there not farre off in Glocestershire had sent vnto the king requiring that the earle of Bullongne with the other Frenchmen and also the Normans which held the castell of Douer might be deliuered vnto him The king though at the first he stood in great doubt what to doo yet hearing now that an armie of his friends was comming made answere to the messingers which Goodwine had sent that he would not deliuer a man of those whome Goodwine required and héerewith the said messengers being departed the kings armie entered into Glocester and such readie good wils appéered in them all to fight with the aduersaries that if the king would haue permitted they would foorth with haue gone out and giuen battell to the enimies Thus the matter was at point to haue put the realme in hazard not onelie of a field but of vtter ruine that might thereof haue insued for what on the one part and the other there were assembled the chiefest lords and most able personages of the land But by the wisedome and good aduise of earle Leofrike and others the matter was pacified for a time and order taken that they should come to a parlement or communication at London vpon pledges giuen and receiued as well on the one part as the other The king with a mightie armie of the Northumbers and them of Mercia came vnto London and earle Goodwine with his sonnes and a great power of the Westsaxons came into Southwarke but perceiuing that manie of his companie stale awaie and slipt from him he durst not abide anie longer to enter talke with the king as it was couenanted but in the night next insuing fled awaie with all spéed possible Some write how an order was prescribed that Swanus the eldest sonne of Goodwine should depart the land as a banished man to qualifie the kings wrath and that Goodwine and one other of his sons that is to say Harold should come to an other assemblie to be holden at London accompanied with 12 seruants onelie to resigne all his force of knights gentlemen and souldiers vnto the kings guiding and gouernment But when this last article pleased nothing earle Goodwine and that he perceiued how his force began to decline so as he should not be able to match the kings power he fled the realme and so likewise did his sonnes He himselfe with his sonnes Swanus Tostie and Girth sailed into Flanders and Harold with his brother Leofwine gat ships at Bristow and passed into Ireland Githa the wife of Goodwine and Iudith the wife of Tostie the daughter of Baldwine earle of Flanders went ouer also with their husbands Goodwine and his sonnes are proclaimed outlawes their lands are giuen from them king Edward putteth awaie the queene his wife who was earle Goodwines daughter she cleareth hir selfe at the houre of hir death from suspicion of incontinencie and lewdnesse of life why king Edward forbare to haue fleshlie pleasure with hir earle Goodwine and his sonnes take preies on the coasts of Kent and Sussex Griffin king of Wales destroieth a great part of Herefordshire and giueth his incounterers the ouerthrow Harold and Leofwine two brethren inuade Dorset and Summerset shires they are resisted but yet preuaile they coast about the point of Cornwall and ioine with their father Goodwine king Edward maketh out threescore armed ships against them a thicke mist separateth both sides being readie to graple and fight a pacification betweene the king and earle Goodwine he is restored to his lands and libertie he was well friended counterpledges of agreement interchangablie deliuered Swanus the eldest sonne of Goodwine
Esgin Uent Gilders beck Knare East Alen. West Alen. Darwent Corue Were Burdop Wallop Kellop Wascrop Bedburne Pidding brooke Pilis Thesis Hude Lune Arnegill Skirkewith Bander Rere crosse Skerne Thorpe alià s Leuand Trawthorne Eske Ibur Hull Humber Ure alià s Ouze or Isis. Burne Wile Skell Swale Fosse Ouze Hull or Hulne Cottingham Fowlncie Skelfléet Darwent Kenford Shirihutton Crambecke Rie Ricoll Seuen Costeie Pickering Pocklington Rie Costeie Seuen Dou or Doue Hodgebecke Ricoll Fesse Holbecke Fosse Kile Swale Barneie Arcleie Holgate Mariske becke Rauenswath Rhe. Bedall alià s Leming Wiske Cawdebec Kebecke Cuckwolds becke Skell Lauer. Nidde Killingale Couer Burne Wharfe alià s Gwerfe Padside Washburne Cockebecke Air. Otterburne Winterburne Glike Lacocke Woorth Moreton Redwell Went. Hebden Chald. Trent Foulebrooke Sow Penke Blith Tame Rhée Cote Blith Burne Rhée Anchor Mese Dou. Manifold Hansleie Churne Dunsmere Yendor Aula Canuti Ashenhirst Teine Uttoxeter or Uncester Darwent Neue Burbroke Wie Hawkeshow Wile Rufford alià s Manbecke Lathkell Bradford Amber Moreton Eglesburne Sora or Surus Eie Leland calleth one of these rilles Croco Warke Urke or Wrâ—ke Erwash Dene Snite A miracle Doue Midhop Cowleie Rother Iber. Brampton Crawleie Gunno Mesebrooke Hampall Budbie Gerberton Girt Idle Manbecke Meding becke Wilie Blith Sandbecke Ancolme Kâ—lis Saltflete Maplethorpe Lindis witham Rhe. Fosse dike Witham Hake Bane Bollingborow Sempringham Wiland Braie Warke Brooke water Whitnell Newdrene South Writhlake Shéepes eie Auon Nene Vedunus Florus â—ugius Kilis Rother Ocleie Corbie Isis 3. Sisa Imelus Erin Garan Verus Cle alià s Claius Saw These rise not far from Michelborow one of them in Higham parke Verus or the Were Stoueus Stoueus Helenus Elmerus Riuelus Granta Babren Rhée Sturus Bulbecke Burne Dale Dunus Bradunus fortè Linus Congunus Rising Ingeli Glouius Wantsume Yocus Hierus Gernâ— Wauen Bure Thurinus Wauen Einus Fritha Cokelus Ford. Orus Fromus Glema Iâ—â—n or Ike Deua Clarus fons Urus Sturus Kettle baston Ocleie Mosa Claco Colunus Gwin or Pant. Froshwell Barus Chelmer Lindâ—s Roxford Lée Burne Northumberland Durham Yorkeshire Lincolneshire Northfolke Suffolke Essex Kent Sussex The aire of Britaine The soile Criacht Marle Plentie of riuers Hilles * Here lacks * Here lacks Winds Building Husbandrie amended Pasture Medowes Corne. Cattell Meall and Disnege Wine Wad Madder Rape Flax. Eleg. 2. Principes longè magis exemplo quà m culpa peccare solent Earths Uallies Fennes Commons Fosse Watling stréet Erming stréet Ikenild Non vi sed virtute non armis sed ingenio vinctâ—nâ—tur Aâ—â—gli Salutations according to our ages Locrine Lhoegria Camber Cambria Albanact Albania Locrine king also of Scotland The Scots alwaies desirous to shake off y e English subiection haue often made cruell odious attempts so to doo but in vaine Out of Hector Boecius lib. 5. Berouicum potiùs à Berubio promontorio Durstus Marius Coelus Seuerus Bassianus Coill Constantine Maximian Some thinke the Seimors to come from this man by lineall descent and I suppose no lesse Nicholas Adams Some referre this to an Edward Lawfull age and wardship of heires To whome the marriage of the ward perteineth Edward the Confessour William Bastard William Rufus Henrie 1. Mawd. Henrie 2. Because they were taken from him before The Scots dreame that this was the stone whereon Iacob slept when he fled into Mesopotamia This was doone vpon the nine twentith of Ianuarie 1306. The first beginner of the Picts wall The finisher of the wall The wall goeth not streict by a line but in and out in manie places The stuffe of the wall Two other wals A rampire The course of the wall from west to east Foure woonders of England Anselme Thomas Becket Forfitan naturalem Twentie one bishoprikes vnder y e see of Canturburie Onelie foure sees vnder the archbishop of Yorke Deanes Canonries Ordinarie sermons Ordinarie expositions of the scriptures The bishops preach diligentlie whose predecessors heretofore haue beene occupied in temporall affairs Archdecons High commissioners A prophesie or conference Ministers deacons Apparell Hospitalitie Mariage Thred-bare gownes from whence they come Number of churches in France Pretie packing Old estate of cathedrall churches Canturburie Rochester London Chichester Winchester Salisburie Excester Bath The bishoprike of Shirburne diuided into thrée Worcester Glocester Hereford Lichfield Elie. Norwich Peterborow Bristow Lincolne Landaffe S. Dauids Bangor S. Asaphes Yorke Chester Durham Caerleill Man Glocester a verie ancient bishoprike Manie vniuersities somtime in England Thrée vniuersities in England When the vniuersities were builded vncerteine Oxford fiftie miles from London Cambridge six and fortie miles from London Longitude latitude of both Cambridge burned not long since Readers in priuat houses Publike readers mainteined by the prince Studie of the quadriuials and perspectiues neglected Sophisters Batchelers of art Masters of art Batcheler of diuinitie Doctor This Fox builded Corpus Christâ— college in Oxford So much also may be inferred of lawiers London Grammar schooles Windsor Winchester Eaton Westminster He founded also a good part of Eaton college and a frée schole at Wainflet where he was borne Erection of colleges in Oxford the ouerthrow of hals Now abbeies be gone our dingthrifts prie after church and college possessions Alfred brought England into shires which the Britons diuided by cantreds and the first Saxons by families Shire and share all one Englishmen noisome to their owne countrie Earle and alderman What a lath is Léetes Hundred or wapentake Denarie or tithing Tithing man in Latine Decurio Borsholder Burrow Twelue men Fortie shires in England thirtéene in Wales Od parcels of shires Lieutenants Shiriffes Undershiriffes Bailiffes High constables Petie constables Motelagh Shiriffes turne Gaile deliuerie or great assises Inquests Atteinct Iustices of peax quorum Quarter sessions Petie sessions Duke Marquesse Earle Uiscont Baron Bishops 1. Sam. b 15. 1. Reg. a 7. De Asia cap. 12 No Gréeke no grace Bene con bene can bene le Duke marquesse earle viscont Barons Of the second degrée of gentlemen Praedia Valuasores Knights Milites Equiteâ— aurati Knights of the bath Knights of the garter Round table Roger Mortimer The occasion of the deuise Peraduenture but a blue ribben Election Admission Installation Mantell Stall A timber conteineth fortie skins peltes or felles Installation Estatutes Gentleman of bloud Degrées of reproch Apparell Sicke or absent Offering Buriall Disgrading * Some think that this was the answer of the quéene when the king asked what men would thinke of hir in losing the garter after such a maner Bannerets Esquire Gentlemen Lawiers students in vniuersities Physicians Capteins Citizens and burgesses Merchants Yeomen Englishmen on foot and Frenchmen on horssebacke best Capite censi or Proletarij No slaues nor bondmen in England No duke in England Earles Uisconts Barons Cleargie Ro. Bacon Béere Artificer I haue dined so well as my lord maior Bread A famine at hand is first séene in the horsse manger when the poore doo fall to horssecorne Primarius panis Cheat bread Rauelled bread The size of
and called after their names as lord Henrie or lord Edward with the addition of the word Grace properlie assigned to the king and prince and now also by custome conueied to dukes archbishops and as some saie to marquesses and their wiues The title of duke commeth also of the Latine word Dux à ducendo bicause of his valor and power ouer the armie in times past a name of office due to the emperour consull or chéefe gouernour of the whole armie in the Romane warres but now a name of honor although perished in England whose ground will not long beare one duke at once but if there were manie as in time past or as there be now earles I doo not thinke but that they would florish and prosper well inough In old time he onelie was called marquesse Qui habuit terram limitaneam a marching prouince vpon the enimies countries and thereby bound to kéepe and defend the frontiers But that also is changed in common vse and reputed for a name of great honor next vnto the duke euen ouer counties and sometimes small cities as the prince is pleased to bestow it The name of earle likewise was among the Romans a name of office who had Comites sacri palatij comites aerarij comites stabuli comites patrimonij largitionum scholarum commerciorum and such like But at the first they were called Comites which were ioined in commission with the proconsull legate or iudges for counsell and aids sake in each of those seuerall charges As Cicero epistola ad Quintum fratrem remembreth where he saith Atque inter hos quos tibi comites adiutores negotiorum publicorum dedit ipsa respublica duntaxat finibus his praestabis quos ante praescripsi c. After this I read also that euerie president in his charge was called Comes but our English Saxons vsed the word Hertoch and earle for Comes and indifferentlie as I gesse sith the name of duke was not in vse before the conquest Goropius saith that Comes and Graue is all one to wit the viscont called either Procomes or Vicecomes and in time past gouerned in the countie vnder the earle but now without anie such seruice or office it is also become a name of dignitie next after the earle and in degrée before the baron His reléefe also by the great charter is one hundred pounds as that of a baronie a hundred marks and of a knight flue at the most for euerie fée The baron whose degrée answered to the dignitie of a senator in Rome is such a frée lord as hath a lordship or baronie whereof he beareth his name hath diuerse knights or fréeholders holding of him who with him did serue the king in his wars and held their tenures in Baronia that is for performance of such seruice These Bracton a learned writer of the lawes of England in king Henrie the thirds time tearmeth Barones quasi robur belli The word Baro indéed is older than that it may easilie be found from whence it came for euen in the oldest histories both of the Germans and Frenchmen written since the conquest we read of barons and those are at this daie called among the Germans Liberi vel Ingenui or Freihers in the Germane toong as some men doo coniecture or as one saith the citizens and burgesses of good townes and cities were called Barones Neuerthelesse by diligent inquisition it is imagined if not absolutelie found that the word Baro and Filius in the old Scithian or Germane language are all one so that the kings children are properlie called Barones from whome also it was first translated to their kindred and then to the nobilitie and officers of greatest honour indifferentlie That Baro and Filius signifieth one thing it yet remaineth to be séene although with some corruption for to this daie euen the common sort doo call their male children barnes here in England especiallie in the north countrie where that word is yet accustomablie in vse And it is also growne into a prouerbe in the south when anie man susteineth a great hinderance to saie I am beggered and all my barnes In the Hebrue toong as some affirme it signifieth Filij solis and what are the nobilitie in euerie kingdome but Filij or serui regum But this is farre fetched wherefore I conclude that from hensefoorth the originall of the word Baro shall not be anie more to seeke and the first time that euer I red thereof in anie English historie is in the reigne of Canutus who called his nobilitie and head officers to a councell holden at Cirnecester by that name 1030 as I haue else-where remembred Howbeit the word Baro dooth not alwaies signifie or is attributed to a noble man by birth or creation for now and then it is a title giuen vnto one or other with his office as the chéefe or high tribune of the excheker is of custome called lord chéefe baron who is as it were the great or principall receiuer of accounts next vnto the lord treasuror as they are vnder him are called Tribuni aerarij rationales Hervnto I may ad so much of the word lord which is an addition going not seldome and in like sort with sundrie offices and to continue so long as he or they doo execute the same and no longer Unto this place I also referre our bishops who are accounted honourable called lords and hold the same roome in the parlement house with the barons albeit for honour sake the right hand of the prince is giuen vnto them and whose countenances in time past were much more glorious than at this present it is bicause those lustie prelats sought after earthlie estimation and authoritie with farre more diligence than after the lost shéepe of Christ of which they had small regard as men being otherwise occupied and void of leisure to attend vpon the same Howbeit in these daies their estate remaineth no lesse reuerend than before and the more vertuous they are that be of this calling the better are they estéemed with high and low They reteine also the ancient name lord still although it be not a littie impugned by such as loue either to heare of change of all things or can abide no superiours For notwithstanding it be true that in respect of function the office of the eldership is equallie distributed betwéene the bishop and the minister yet for ciuill gouernements sake the first haue more authoritie giuen vnto them by kings and princes to the end that the rest maie thereby be with more ease reteined within a limited compasse of vniformitie than otherwise they would be if ech one were suffered to walke in his owne course This also is more to be maruelled at that verie manie call for an alteration of their estate crieng to haue the word lord abolished their ciuill authoritie taken from them and the present condition of the church in other things reformed whereas to saie trulie