blush and tremble as often as they shall dare to insinâ—…ate any thing against Gods wisdome in the Fabrick of the world as if the Craggy and desert places thereof had no vse in nature when omitting all other reasons of their being the conseruation of kingdomes and nations was thus by them effected We had an Herward in the Conquerours time as well as the Scots had a Walleys in this and we might perhaps at this houre haue beene without French mixtures if God had prouided our Country of such Wastes and deserts as either they or the Welshmen did enioy who for manie hundreths of yeeres after the ruine in Saint Peters Church at Westminster the twentieth day of Nouember in the first year of his Fathers raign Ann. Dom. 1272. in the same place and vnder the same Tombe where his brother Iohn lies with his picture also in the Arch aboue it 60 Alphons the third sonne of Edward and Queene Elenor was borne at the Towne of Maine in Gascoigne as his father and mother were in their returne towards England from Ierusalem Nouember 23. in the second yeare of his fathers raigne 1273. hee deceased at Windsor August 4. in the twelfth yeere of his age 1285. and was buried at Westminster in Saint Peters Church by Saint Bennets Chappell where his body lieth vnder the Tombe of his Brothers Iohn and Henry his Image also there portraied with theirs 61 Edward the fourth sonne of King Edward and Queene Elenor was borne April 25. in the thirteenth yeere of his fathers raigne 1284. at Caernaruan in Northwales and after the death of Lewelin ap Griffith in regard of the place of his Natiuity was by his fathers Creation with the consent of the Welsh made Prince of Wales the first of the sonnes and heires apparant of the Kings of England that bare that Title which afterward became ordinary to most of the rest hee was also Earle of Ponthieu and Chester and being made Knight by his father at London on Whitsunday in the thirty fourth yeere of his Raigne 1306. succeeded him the same yeer in the Kingdome of VVales 62 Elenor the eldest daughter of King Edward and Queene Elenor was borne at Windsor in the fiftieth yeare of King Henry her Grandfather shee was married with all Ceremonies of Proxie to a Deputy for Alphons King of Arragon sonne of King Peter who deceased A. Do. 1292. before the solemnization of marriage leauing his Kingdom to his brother Iames and his new wife to another husband who was married at Bristow in the two and twentieth yeere of her fathers raigne 1293. to Henry the 3. Earle of Barrie whose Earledome lay in the East-borders of Champaigne in France Shee had Issue by him Edward Earle of Barrie from whom descended the Earles and Dukes of that Country whose inheritance by Heires generall deuolued to the Kings of Arragon and from them again to the Dukes of Aniou that were Kings of Sicill Henrie another sonne of hers was Bishoppe of Troys in Champagny Helen her Daughter was marrird to Henry Earle of Bloys and Ioan to Iohn Warren Earle of Surrey she was his wife fiue yeeres and deceased 27. of her fathers raigne A. D. 1298. 63 Ioan the second daughter of King Edward and Queene Eleanor was borne in the first yeere of her fathers raigne 1272. at a City in the holy land sometime named Ptolomais commonly called Acon and Aker where her mother remained during the warres that her father had with the Saracens Shee was at eighteene yeeres of age married to Gilbert Clare called the Red Earle of Glocester and Hereford by whom shee had issue Earle Gilbert slaine in Scotland without issue Eleanor married first to Hugh Spencer in her right Earle of Glocester and after to William Zouch of Ricards castle Margaret first maried to Peter Gaueston Earle of Cornwal after to Hugh Audeley Earle also of Glocester and Elizabeth Lady of Clare married first to Iohn son and heire to Richard Burgh Earle of Vlster in Ireland mother of William Burgh Earle of Vlster and Grandmother of Elizabeth Dutchesse of Clarence secondly to Theobald Lord Verdon and lastly to Sir Roger Damary This Ioan suruiued her husband and was remarried to Sir Ralph Monthermere a Baron father to Margaret the mother of Thomas Mountacute Earle of Salisbury of whom the now Vicount Mountacute is descended shee liued thirty eight yeeres and deceased in the first yeere of her brother King Edwards raigne and is buried at the Fryer Austines in Clare 64 Margaret the third daughter of King Edward and Queene Elenor was borne at the Castle of Windsor in the third yeare of her fathers raigne and of our Lord 1275. When shee was fifteene yeeres of age shee was married at Westminster Iuly 9. in the eighteenth yeere of herfathers raign A D. 1290. to Iohn the second Duke of Brabant by whom shee had issue Duke Iohn the third father of Margaret wife of Lewis of Mechlin Earle of Flanders and mother of the Lady Margaret the heire of Brabant and Flanders who was married to Philip Duke of Burgundie 65 Berenger the fourth Daughter of King Edward Queen Elenor was born the 4. of her fathers raigne An. 1276. as Iohn Eueresden the Monke of S. Edmundsburie in Suffolke hath recorded in his booke of English Annales but other mention there is none but onely from him whereby it is likely that shee did not liue to be married but that shee died in her childhood 66 Alice the fifth Daughter of king Edward and Queene Elenor is by Thomas Pickering of the Monastery of Whitby who wrote the large Genealogie of the Kings of England and their issue reported to haue deceased without Issue 67 Marie the sixt daughter of king Edward and Queene Elenor was borne at Windsor April 22. in the eight yeare of her fathers raigne 1279. and at ten yeeres of age A. D. 1289. September 8. shee was made a Nunne in the Monastery of Ambresberie in Wiltshire at the instance of Queen Elenor her Grandmother who at that time liued there in the habite of the same profession although her Parents were hardly enduced to yeeld their consents to that course 68 Elizabeth the seuenth Daughter of king Edward and Queene Elenor was borne at the Castle of Ruthland in Flintshire in the thirteenth yeere of her fathers raigne An. 1284. When she was foureteen yeeres of age shee was married at London to Iohn the first of that name Earle of Holland Zeland and Lord of Freezeland who died within two yeeres after without Issue and shee was remarried to Humfrey Bohun Earle of Hereford and Essex Lord of Breknoke and high Constable of England by whom shee had Issue Iohn and Humfrey both Earles successiuely after their Father Edward that died in Scotland without issue and William who being created Earle of Northampton while his Brothers liued after their deceases was also Earle of Hereford and Essex Lord of Breknok and high Constable of England and father of Earle Humfrey the tenth of
that name and last of that house who died without Issue male she had also by him two daughters Elenor married to Iames Butler Earle of Ormond and Margaret to Hugh Courtney the first Earle of Deuonshire Shee was this Earles wife foureteene yeers liued thirty three deceased in the ninth yeere of the raigne of king Edward her brother A. D. 1316. and was buried in the Church of S. Iames at the Abbey of Saffron VValden in Essex 69 Beatrice the eight daughter of King Edward and Queene Elenor bare the name of Beatrice Dutchesse of Britannie her fathers sister she is by some Genealogists mentioned to haue liued till she was marriageable but yet no mention being made of her match it seemeth she died vnmarried 70 Blanch the ninth daughter of king Edward and the last of Queene Elenor is so mentioned by Thomas Pickering and some others but not at all by Thomas Ebraham a Monke who made a Pedegree of the Kings of England but shee is by the rest reported to haue died in her childhood 71 Thomas the fifth sonne of king Edward and the first of Queene Margaret his second wife was borne at a little village in Yorkshire called Brotherton Iune 1. in the nine and twenteth yeere of his fathers raigne Ann. 1300. hee was created Earle of Norfolke and Earle Marshal of England which Earledomes the last Earle Roger Bigod leauing no Issue left to the disposition of the King his father He had two wiues of which the first was Alice the daughter of Sir Roger Hayles of Harwich in Suffolk by whom hee had issue Edward who married Beatrice the daughter of Roger Mortimer the first Earle of March but hee died before his father without Issue and two daughters Margaret twice married first to Iohn Lord Segraue by whom shee had Elizabeth Dutchesse of Norfolke wife of Iohn Lord Mowbray from whom the Mowbrayes Howards Dukes of Norffolke and Earles Marshall descended secondly to Sir VValter Manny a Knight of Cambray and by him had Anne wife of Iohn Hastings the elder Earle of Pembroke and mother of Earle Iohn the yonger that died without Issue his yongest daughter Alice was married to Sir Edward Montacute and had by him three daughters Elizabeth and Ioan married to VValter and VVilliam two of the Vffords and Maud that died vnmarried The second wife of this Earle Thomas was Mary the daughter of VVilliam Lord Ros and widow of Sir Ralph Cobham who suruiuing him without Issue by him shee was married the third time to VVilliam Lord Brerose of Brember 72 Edmund his sixt sonne by Queene Margaret was borne at Woodstocke in Oxfordshire August 5 in the thirtieth yeare of the raigne of his Father A. 1301. Hee was created Earle of Kent and married Margaret daughter of Iohn and sister and sole heire of Thomas Lord VVakes of Lydel in the County of Northampton by her he had Issue two sonnes and one daughter Edmund his eldest sonne was Earle of Kent after his father and died vnder age without wife or issue Iohn the yonger was Earle also after his brother he maried Elizabeth the daughter of the Duke of Gulike and died like vise without Issue His daughter was Ioan for her beauty called the faire Maid of Kent first maried to William Mountacute Earle of Salisbury and from him diuorced and remarried to Sir Thomas Holland in her right Earle of Kent and by her father of Thomas and Iohn Holland Duke of Surrey and Earle of Huntington and lastly shee was the wife of Edward of Woodstocke the Blacke Prince of Wales and by him mother of King Richard the second This Earle Edmund was beheaded at Winchester the 1â—… of March in the fourth yeere of King Edward his Nephew 73 Eleanor the tenth daughter fifteenth child of King Edward and the last child of Queene Margaret his second wife was borne at Winchester the sixt day of May in the fiue and thirtieth and last yeere of her fathers Raign being the yeere of our Lord 1306. shee deceased in her Child-hood and was buried in S. Peters Church at Westminster by her brother Iohn Henry and Alfons vnder the monument before named with her picture ouer it EDVVARD THE SECOND LORD OF IRELAND AND DVKE OF AQVITAINE c. THE FORTIE-EIGHTH MONARCH OF ENGLAND HIS RAIGNE ACTS AND ISSVE CHAPTER XI THat the Mind is not deriued from Parents certainely the second Edward called of Caeernaruon might if nothing else abundantlie shew being of a most valiant wise and fortunate father an vnlike sonne yet not to beginne our description of his courses with preiudice of his person we will so temper our stile that by his owne actions sincerely related rather then by any verball censures the man may bee iudged This cannot be denied that whereas from the Conquest till his time England though it endured by Gods iust iudgements many bitter sad and heauy stormes through some headinesse ambition or other sicknesses of mind in the Princes thereof yet had she Men to sway and gouerne her and those distempers were as the perturbations incident to vigorous dispositions whereas vnder this Edward who could neither get nor keepe it seemed to endure the leuities of a Child though his yeeres being about twenty and three might haue exempted him from so great infancie of iudgement as his raigne discouered 2 Neuer came Prince to the crowne with more generall applause then he so great hopes of doing well his Victorious father Edward of VVinchester had left vpon him besides the right of succession whose last warning and terrible adiurations you haue heard with the vtter contempt and breach whereof to the destruction of himselfe and his friends hee in a manner auspicated his gouernement 3 After that Edward had in his best maner prouided for the affaires of Scotland where at Domfrees many of the Scottish Lords did their homage to him as they had to his Father the first taske which hee gaue of his future behauiours at home was a rigorous reuenge taken by him vpon Walter de Langton Bishoppe of Chester Treasurer of England and principall Executor of the last Will of the deceased King whose body was not as yet interred but by the care of the Executors conueied with funerall pompe to VValtham and after sixteen weekes to VVestminster where vnder a plaine monument the same at this present rests The Bishoppes crime was a kind of good freedome which hee vsed in the late Kings daies in grauely reprouing the Prince for his misdemeanors and shortning his waste of coine by a frugall moderation and particularly for that he had complained of Peirs Gaueston wherupon ensued Prince Edwards imprisonment and the others banishment and therefore comming now to the Crowne hee arrested the Bishoppe by Sir Iohn Felton Constable of the Tower and imprisoned him in VVallingford Castle seising vpon all his temporall goods and credites there being not a man in the Realme who durst speake a word on his behalfe so
of England whose glorious life and acts next insue 56 Thomas Duke of Clarence President of the Councell to King Henry the first his brother and Steward of England He was slaine at Beaufort in Anion without any issue He married Margaret daughter to Thomas Holland Earle of Kent the widow of Iohn Beauford Earle of Somerset 57 Iohn Duke of Bedford Regent of France in the time of King Henry the sixt Duke also of Anion and Alanson Earle of Cenomannia Harecourt of Kendall and Dreux Viscount Beaumont He married first with Anne daughter to Iohn Duke of Burgundy Secondly with Iacoba daughter to Peter de Luxemburgh Earle of Saint Paul And died without any issue 58 Humfrey was by his brother King Henry the fifth created Duke of Glocester was Protectour of the Kingdome of England for 25. yeeres in the time of King Henry the sixt in whose first yeere hee styled himselfe in his Charters thus Humfrey by the grace of God sonne brother and vncle to Kings Duke of Glocester Earle of 〈◊〉 Holland Zeland and Pembroke Lord of Friestand Great Chamberlaine of the Kingdome of England Protector and Defendor of the same Kingdome and Church of England Hee was a man who nobly deserued of the common wealth and of learning as being himselfe very learned and a magnificent Patron and benefactor of the Vniuersity of Oxford where hee had beene educated and was generally called the Good Duke Hee married first Iacoba heire to William Duke of Bauaria Earle of Holland who as after was knowne had first beene lawfully troth-plighted to Iohn Duke of Brabant and therefore was afterward diuorced from the said Humfrey His second wife was Elianor daughter to Reginald Baron Cobham de Scarborough Queene Margaret wife to King Henry the sixt repining at his great power in swaying the King state socretly wrought his ruine hee being murthered in his bed at Burie dying without any issue 1446. His body was buried at Saint Albans yet the vulgar error is that he lyes buried in Saint Pauls 59 Blaunch married to William Duke of Bauaria and Emperour 60 Philip married to Iohn King of Denmarke and Norway HENRIE THE FIFTH KING OF ENGLAND AND FRANCE LORD OF IRELAND THE TWO AND FIFTIETH MONARCH OF ENGLAND HIS RAIGNE ACTS AND ISSVE CHAPTER XV. AMongst the many Monarchs of this most famous Empire none is found more complete with all heroicall vertues then is this King of whose life by order and successe of story wee are now to write which is Henry of that name the fifth the renowne of England and glory of Wales Of whom what was spoken of Titus in the flourishing times of the Romans may for the time of his raigne be truly verified in him both of them being the-louely darlings and delightfull ioy of Mankind But as Titus is taxed by his story-Writers in youth to haue been riotous profuse wastfull and wanton for which as he saith with the dislikes of men he stept into the throne so if wee will beleeue what others haue writ Henry was wilde whiles hee was a Prince whose youthfull prankes as they passed with his yeers let vs haue leaue here to rehearse and leaue them motiues to our owne vse as hee made them for his 2 His birth was at Monmouth in the Marches of Wales the yeer of Christs assuming our flesh 1388 and the eleuenth of King Richards raigne his father then a Subiect and Earle of Derbie Leicester Lincolne afterwards created Duke of Hereford in riâ—…ht of his wife then of Lancaster by the death of his father and lastly by election made the Soueraigne of England that vnfortunate Richard being deposed the Crowne His mother was Mary second daughter and coheire of Humfrey Bohun Earle of Hereford and Northampton high Constable of England as we haue said 3 His young yeeres were spent in literature in the Academie of Oxford where in Queenes Colledge he was a Student vnder the tuition of his vncle Henry Beauford Chancellour of that Vniuersity afterwards Bishoppe of Lincolne and Winchester and lastly made Cardinall by the title of Eusebius But his Father obtayning the Crowne and himselfe come to the age of twelue yeeres had the succession thereof entailed on him by Parliament and accordingly was created Prince of Wales Duke of Cornwall and Earle of Chester and presently had the Title of the Dukedome of Aquitaine conferred vpon him the better to effect the thing then intended which was to haue obtained in marriage young Queene Isabel late wife to the murthered King Richard daughter of Charles the sixt King of France 4 From Oxford Prince Henry was called to Court and the Lord Thomas Perey then Earle of Worcester made his Gouernour but being himselfe false to the Father could giue no good example vnto the sonne whose hostile attempts in the field of Shrewsburie cost that disloyall Earle his head and almost had done Prince Henry his life who in battell against him was wounded in the face with an arrow This marke of his manhood with the ouerthrow of Hotspur in that bloody conflict were hopefull signes of his following successe which presently were seconded with as fortunate proceedings against Owen Glendowr that scourge of his Country and Arch-rebell vnto Englands peace whom this Prince so pursued through the vast mountaines of Wales that from the Dennes of those deserts hee durst not shew his face but therein perished by famine natures other wants though the Prince had then scarcely attained vnto sixeteene 5 But growne from his tutors command or controll and come to the yeers for dispose of himselfe as his youth stood affected so were his consorts and those many times whose conditions were none of the best whether led by an inclination of youth which commonly lets the raine loose vnto Will or to know that by proofe which other Princes doe by report I will not determine yet vnto the latter doe I rather incline knowing that Salomon the wisest of Kings did so himselfe and rather by Rosse I am lead who writeth that Prince Henry in Oxford had in great veneration such as excelled in vertue or learning and among many two hee nameth Thomas Rodban of Merton Colledge a great Astronomer by him preferred to the Bishopricke of S. Dauids in Wales and Iohn Carpenter of Oriel Colledge a learned Doctor of Theologie whom hee aduanced to the See of Worcester But let vs heare how his wilde oates were spent and with what increase the haruest was got The translater of Liuie who wrote the storie of this worthy Prince and dedicated his paines to King Henry his sonne affirmeth for truth that many actions he did farre vnfitting his greatnesse of birth and among other doth taxe him with no better then theft who in the raigne of his Father accompanied with such as spent their wits vpon other mens spoiles laide waite in the way for his Rents receiuers and robd them of that which
for the loue that our Lord beareth to vs all from this time forward all griefes forgotten each of you loue others which I verily trust you will if you any thing regard either God or your King affinitie or kindred this Realme your owne countrey or your owne surety 115 And therewithall the King no longer induring to sit vp layd him downe on his right side his face towards them who with weeping eyes words as fitted the time recomfited the sicke dying King ioyning their hands and outwardly forgiuing that which inwardly they meant not to forget The King ouer-ioyed to see their willing reconcilements spake not many wordes after but commending his soule vnto God in their presence departed this life at his Pallace of Westminster vpō the 9. day of April and yeere of Christs appearance 1483. at the age of forty one when he had worne the royal Diademe two and twenty yeeres one moneth and fiue dayes and was buried at Windsor in the newe Chappell whose foundation himselfe had layd 116 Of personage hee was the goodliest Gentleman saith Commines that euer ◅ine eyes beheld faire of complexion and of most princely presence couragious of heart pol◅ke in counsell in aduersitie nothing abashed in prosperitie rather ioyous then proud in peace iust and mercifull in warre sharpe and fierce and in field bold and venturous yet no further then wisedome would and is no lesse commended where he auoided then is his manhood when he vanquished eight or nine battels he won wherein to his greater renowne he fought on foote and was euer victor ouer his enemies much giuen hee was to the lusts of youth and in his latter time growne somewhat corpulent which rather adorned his grauer yeeres then any waies disliked the eies of his beholders His Wife 117 Elizabeth the daughter of Richard Wooduill Earle Riuers by his wife ◅aquelana Dutchesse of Bedford who was the daughter of Peter Earle of S. Paul and he the sonne of Peter de Luxembourg was first married vnto Sir Iohn Grey slaine at S. Albans where he was knighted the day before his death by King Henry the sixt vnto whom shee bare two sonnes and a daughter after whose death shee was priuately remarried vnto K. Edward the fourth the first day of May at his mannor of Grafton in Northamptonshire Anno 1464. and in the next yeere following vpon the sixe and twentith of May was crowned Queen at Westminster with al due solemnities Shee was his wife eighteene yeeres eleuen moneths and nine daies no more fortunate in attaining to the height of all worldly dignity then vnfortunate in the murther of her sonnes and losse of her owne liberty For in the beginning of K. Edwards raigne shee was forced to take Sanctuary at Westminster wherein her first sonne Prince Edward was borne and at his death did the like in feare of the Protector and lastly hauing all her lands and possessions seized vpon by K. Henrie the seauenth liued in meane estate in the Monastery of Bermondsey in Southwarke where not long after shee left the troubles of her life and inioied a quiet portion or burying place by her last husband King Edward at Windsore 118 Elianor Butler as we find it recorded vpon the Parliament Role was contracted vnto King Edward but how true considering the occasion and time of the Act we leaue for others to iudge onely this is most certaine that this Lady Elianor was the daughter of Iohn Talbot Earle of Shrewsbury and the wife of Sir Thomas Butler Knight sonne and heire to Ralph Butler Baron of Sudley which Elianor died the thirtieth of Iune the yeere of Christ Iesus 1466. and the eight of King Edward the fourth his raigne His Issue 119 Edward the eldest sonne of K. Edward the fourth by Queene Elizabeth his wife was borne in the Sanctuary at Westminster the fourth of Nouember and yeere of grace 1471. being the tenth of his fathers raigne at that time expulsed the Realme by the powerfull Earle Warwicke but fortune changed and the father restored the sonne the first of Iuly and yeere of Christ was ◅eated Prince of Wales Duke of Cornwall and Earle of Chester and had not the ambitious hand of his vncle beene defiled in his innocent blood he might haue worne the Diademe manie yeeres whereas he bare the Title of King not many daies 120 Richard the second sonne of K. Edward the fourth by Elizabeth his Queen was borne at Shrewsbury and in his infancy was created Duke of Yorke he was affianced vnto Anne daughter and heire to Iohn Mowbray Duke of Norfolke by which he was intituled Duke of Norfolke Earle-Marshall Warren and Nottingham but inioying neither Title wife or his owne life long was with his brother murthered in the Tower of London and in the prison of that Tower which vpon that most sinfull deed is euer since called the bloody Tower their bodies as yet vnknowne where to haue buriall 121 George the third sonne of K. Edward the fourth by Queene Elizabeth his wife was also borne in Shrewsburie and being a yong Child was created Duke of Bedford but liued not long after and lieth buried at Windsore 122 Elizabeth the first daughter of K. Edward the fourth by Elizabeth his Queene was borne at Westminster the eleuenth of Februarie and fifth of her fathers raigne being the yere of Saluation 14◅6 Shee was promised in marriage to Charles Daulphin of France woed and Courted by her vncle Crouchbacke when he had murdered her brothers and vsurped the Crowne but better destiny attending her shee was reserued to ioine the vnion and marriage with the onely heire of Lancaster which was Henrie of Richmond afterward King of England from whom is branched the roiall stemme that spreadeth his beauty in this North-West world euen Iames our dread Soueraigne and great Brittaines Monarch 123 Cicely the second daughter of K. Edward the fourth by Queene Elizabeth his wife was sought vnto by Iames the third of that name to be ioined in marriage with Iames his sonne Prince of Scotland and Duke of Rothsay which match was promised vpon conditions and choise of K. Edward who lastly brake off from further proceeding and the Lady married vnto Iohn Vicount Wels whom shee out-liued and was againe remarried but by neither husband had any issue and therefore lesse noted her body lieth buried at Quarrena in the Isle of Wight 124 Anne the third daughter of K. Edward the fourth by Queene Elizabeth his wife was married vnto Lord Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolke Earle Marshall and high Treasurer of England vnto whom shee bare two sonnes both dying without issue and her selfe without more fruit of wombe left her life and lieth buried at Fra◅ingham in Norfolke 125 Bridget the fourth daughter of K. Edward the fourth by his wife Queene Elizabeth was borne at Eltham in Kent the tenth of Nouember and yeere of Grace 1480. being the twentieth of her fathers Raigne Shee tooke the habite of Religion and became a
1540. shee was his wife sixe moneths after which time certaine Lords of the vpper House of Parliament came into the nether and alleaged cause for which that marriage was vnlawfull whereunpon shee was diuorced and by Statute enacted that shee should no more be taken for Queene but should be called the Lady Anne of Cleâ—…e See remained in England long after the Kings death though small mention is made of her by any of our Writers only we finde that she accompanied the Lady Elizabeth through London at the solemnizing of Queene Maries Coronation 140 Katherine the fifth wife of King Henry the eight was the daughter of 〈◊〉 and Neece vnto Thomas Howard his brother Duke of Norfolke Shee was married vnto him the eight of August and yeere of â—…race 1540. being the thirtie two of his Raigne at Hampton Court and continued his Queene the space of one yeere sixe moneths and foure daies and for her vnchaste life was attainted by Parliament and for the same beheaded within the Tower of London the twelfth of February and her body buried in the Chauncell of the Chappell by Queene Anne Bullen 141 Katherine the sixth and last wife of King Henry was the daughter of Sir Thomas Parre of Kendall and sister to Lord William Parre Marquesse of Northampton shee was first married to Iohn Neuill Lord Latimer and after his decease vpon the twelfth of Iuly maried vnto the King at Hampton Court the yeere of Saluation 1543. and thirtie fiue of his Raigne Shee was his wife three yeeres sixe months and fiue daies and suruiuing him was againe married vnto Thomas Seimer Lord Admirall of England vnto whom she bare a daughter but died in the same Child-bed the yeere of Grace 1548. His Issue 142 Henrie the first sonne of King Henry by Queene Katherine his first wife was borne at Richâ—…d in Surrey vpon the first of Ianuary and the first of his fathers Raigne whose Godfathers at Font were the Lord Cranmer Archbishop of Canterburie and the Earle of Surrey his Godmother Lady Katherine Countesse of Deuonshire daughter to King Edward the fourth This Prince liued not fully two months but died in the same place wherein he was borne vpon the two and twentieth of February and his body with all due obsequies buried in Westminster 143 A sonne not named was borne vnto King Henrie by Lady Katherine his first Queene in the month of Nouember and the sixth yeere of his Raigne who liued not long and therefore no further mention of him can bee made the deathes of these Princes King Henrie tooke as a punishment from God for so he alleaged it in the publike Court held in Blacke-friers London they being begot on his owne brothers wife 144 Marie the third childe and first daughter of King Henrie by Queene Katherine his first wife was born at Greenewich in Kent the eighteenth of Februarâ—… in the yeere of Christs humanity 1518 and the eighth of his Raigne Shee was by the direction of her mother brought vp in her Childe-hood by the Countesse of Salisbury her neere kinswoman for that as some thought the Queene wished a marriage betwixt some of her sons and the Princesse to strengthen her Title by that Aliance into Yorke if the King should die without issue Male. In her yong yeeres shee was sued to be married with the Emperour the King of Scots and the Duke of Orleance in France but all these failing and shee succeeding her brother K Edward in the Crowne at the age of thirtie sixe yeeres matched with Phillip King of Spaine to the great dislike of many and small content to her selfe hee being imploied for the most part beyond the Seas for griefe whereof and the losse of Calice shee lastly fell into a burning feauer that cost her her life 145 Elizabeth the second daughter of King Henrie and first childe by Queene Anne his second wife was borne at Greenwich vpon Sunday the seuenth of September the yeere of Christ Iesus 1534 and twenty fiue of her Fathers Raigne who with due solemnities was baptized the Wednesday following Archbishop Cranmer the old Dutches of Norfolke and the old Marchionesse of Dorset being the witnesses at the Font and the Marchionesse of Excester at the confirmation Shee succeeded her sister Queene Marie in the Monarchy of England and was for wisdome vertue piety and Iustice not onelie the Mirrour of her Sexe but a patterne for Gouernment to al the princes in Christendome whose name I may not mention without al dutiful remembrance and whose memory vnto me is most deare amongst the many thousands that receiued extraordinary fauours at her gracious and most liberall hand 146 Another man childe Queene Anne bare vnto King Henry though without life vpon the nine and twentieth of Ianuary and twenty seuen of his Raigne to the no little griefe of the mother some dislike of the King as the sequel of her accusation and death did shortly confirme 147 Edward the last childe of King Henry and first of Queene Iane his third wife was borne at Hampton Court the twelfth of October the yeere of Grace 1537. and twenty nine of the Kings Raigne being cut out of his mothers wombe as is constantly affirmed like as Iulius Caesar is said to haue been his Godfathers at the Font was Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury and the Duke of Norfolk his sister Lady Mary being Godmother saith Grafton Sixe daies after his birth he was created Prince of Wales and at the death of his Father succeeded him in all his Dominions of whom more followeth heereafter His Naturall Issue 148 Henrie Fitz-Râ—…ie the naturall sonne of King Henrie the eight was begotten of the Lady 〈◊〉 called Elizabeth Blunt and borne in the Mannor of Blackâ—…moore in Essex about the tenth yeere of his Raigne at the age of sixe yeeres he was created Earle of Nottingham and in the fiue and twentieth of his Fathers Raigne vpon the eighteenth of Iune in the Kings Pallace of Bridewell was made Duke of Richmond and Sommerset Lord Warden of the East West and Middle-Marches against Scotland and Lieutenant Generall of all the parts of England Northward he was a Prince very forward in Marshal Actiuities of Good literature and knowledge in the tongues vnto whom the learned Antiquary Leland dedicated a Booke He married Marie daughter of Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolke Earle Marshall and Lord high Treasurer of England with whom he liued not long but died at Saint Iames by Westminster the two and twentieth of Iuly in the yeere of Christ Iesus 1536. and was buried at Framingham in Suffolke THe tempestuous 〈◊〉 in the Raigne of this King Henrie the eight and the violent deluge raised against the Church-state of his times bare downe so many religious strong foundations and were the destruction of so many beautifull Monasteries as the onely relation of their numbers and names would haue much interrupted the narration of his history Wherfore to reteinâ—… their memorials though their walles are laid
The French inuade the I le of Wight and the coasts of Sussex A Roade made into Scotland Lord 〈◊〉 slaine A. D. 1546. A great losse of English in France 〈◊〉 Serres 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 7. Peace concluded betwixt England and France Holinshed Chastiâ—… raiseth a fort neere â—…nto Bolloigne King Henries comand against his own writing The Lord Grey flaâ—…teth Chatillâ—… â—…ort A. D. 1547. King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 〈◊〉 in Suruey London 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of December and 〈◊〉 of his raigne King Henries death A. D. 1533 A. D. 1532 A. D. 1536. A. D. 1540. 〈◊〉 p. 183. Iohn Stow. A. D. 1519. Iohn Stow. 〈◊〉 Thomas Milleâ—… Holinshed saith 〈◊〉 Thetford in Norfolke p. 1237. Monarch 59 Edward VI. A. D. 1547. R. Graston Edward created Prince of Wales presently after his birth Alluding to the Crest of her father a Phoenix in flames within a Crowne By his will dated the 30. of December A. D. 1546. Salomon and Henry compared in their sinnes and in their Issue Articles of the Rebels Sacrament of Baptisme Confirmation Consectation of the Lords body Holinshed Reseruation of the Lords Body consecrated Holy Bread and Holy water Priests ' not to be married The sixe Articles The Kings answere and generall pardon The first article answered The second article answered The third article answered Their other obiections answered Answere to the sixe articles King Edwards lawes written in miâ—…ke and not in blood Spoken like a King Forces sent against the rebels Iohn Hooker in description of Excester The rebels make toward the Lord generall The valiant attempt of the Lord Russell The rebels put to flight The rebels returne and maintaine the fight And againe put to flight The Rebels againe ouer-throwne M. Fox in Act. and â—…on The Crucifixe brought in a cart into the field The Rebels againe ouer-throwne The Captaines of the Rebels executed The Maior of Bodmin hanged A Millers man hanged for his master Commotions for Inclosures A. D. 1549. Commotions in Norfolke Grene. Iohn Flowerdew and Robert Ket the caulers of the commotions Ket made Captains of the Commotion Sir Edmund Windam in danger Monshold the place of the randeuoâ—… The inhumanities of the Commotioners Supplies of the commotioners Many good subiects forced to attend vpon the Rebels The tree of Reformation The Kings pardon contemned Norwich 〈◊〉 by the Rebels * George Stradlon George Stradlon his Oration Iohn Stow The L. Protector committed to the Tower M. 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Articles drâ—…wne against the Lord Protector The Protector released from the Tower Vlpian Fulwell A combate fought betweene two Scottishmen before the Lord Grey The English forced out of Scotland The French intend to surprise Bulloignoberge The good seruico of Carter an English souldier A great slaughter of the French The French assault the Isles of Garnesey and Iersâ—…e 〈◊〉 vpon composition deâ—… liuered to the French Iohn Caixâ—… A. D. 1550. The sweating sickenes A sained reconcilement Iohn Stâ—… The Duke of Sommerset priusly armed Rich. Grafton The Duke of Sommerset sent to the Tower Stow. A. D. 1551. * Sâ—…w saith the first The Duke of Sommersets inditement * Of 〈◊〉 William Herbert The Duke condemned of 〈◊〉 Rich. Graf Iohn Stow. Holinsh. The Duke of Sommersets speech at his death A great feare without any cause Ioh. Stow in Annales The Duke entirely beloued of the Commons The Dukes second speech vpon the Scaffold Duke of SoÌ„merset soone mist and sore lamented King Edward falleth sicke Rich. Grafton Three marriages entended to reuert the succession Lady Iane made successor by sicke King Edward Vide Stat. in an 35. de R. â—… â—… M. Fox in all Mâ—… Sir Iames Halles refused to subscribe to K. Edwords Will. K. Edwards prayer The vertues of King Edward The report of Hieronymus Cardanus ex Fox His learning His Memory His Care His Mercy K. Edwards zeale to Christs Gospell K. Edwards letter to Lady Mary D. Ridleies sermon before King Edward The conference betwixt the King and Bishoppe Ridlay K. Edwards great care for the poor King Edwards 〈◊〉 deliuered to the L. Maior The Kings great liberality for the poore in London
by the King For doubtlesse at that time the Bishops of Rome had not deuested our Kings of that prerogatiue His Wife 28 Elswith the wife of King Elfred was the daughter of Ethelred surnamed Mâ—…hel that is the Great an Earle of the Mercians who inhabited about Gainesborough in Lincolnshire her mother was Edburg a Lady borne of the Bloud-roiall of Mercia She was married vnto this King in the twentieth yeare of his age being the second of the raigne of his brother King Ethelred and was his wife twenty eight yeares and liuing after him foure died in the year of grace nine hundred and foure and was buried in the Monastery of Nunnes which shee had founded at Winchester out of which afterwards King Henry the first took to his wife Maâ—…d the daughter of Malcolme King of Scots by whom the roiall bloud of the ancient Kings of England became vnited to the Normans whereby he wanne much loue of the English nation His Issue Edward the eldest sonne and second child of King Elfred and Queene Elsewith was borne about the beginning of his Fathers raigne in the yeare of our Lord eight hundred seuenty one hee was brought vp in his Fathers Court and carefully attended and instructed by men of great vertue and knowledge in learning and in all other qualities and exercises conuenient for Princes He was maried and had diuers children hee was thirty yeeres of age before his Father deceased and then he succeeded him in his Kingdome and Monarchy Ethelward the second son fift and last child of King Elfred and Queene Elswith was borne about the midst of his Fathers raigne and about the yeare of our Lord eight hundred and eighty Hee was in his youth by his Fathers appointment and for the example of other young Nobles brought vp in the study of good Arts at the vniuersity of Oxford where saith Th. Rudburne and the Annales of Winchester he became a man very learned and a great Philosopher he had of his Fathers gift by his last Wil great liuings in the Counties of Deuon Sommerset South-Hampton â—…he proued a man of great iudgement and wisedome and liuing vntill he was aboue forty yeres old hee died the sixteenth day of October in the two and twenty yeare of his brother King Edwards raign Anno nine hundred twenty two and was buried at Winchester Elfleda the eldest daughter and first child of King Elfred and Queene Elswith his wife was married to Ethelred Duke of Mercia who in respect of this mariage was suffered to haue all roiall iurisdiction ouer that Country in as ample maner as the Kings thereof had enioied and after the decease of her husband which happened in the yeare of our Lord nine hundred and twelue shee continued the gouernement in the same sort eight yeares with such resolution and valiant resistance of the common enemy the Danes that she stood her brother Edward in great stead as in the relation of his life shall be further shewed She died the fifteenth of Iune nine hundred and nineteene and was buried in S. Peters Church at Gloucester leauing issue a daughter named Elswin whom King Edward her brother depriued of that Duchy which her owne mother enioied and he his crowne by her assistance Ethelgeda the second daughter and fourth child of King Elfred and Queene Elswith was neuer married but tooke vpon her the profession and vow of Virginity and was by her fathers appointment made a Nunne of Shaftsbury in the County of Dorset in the Monastery there founded by him who is also accounted the first of the Towne it selfe Shee was afterward Abbesse of the house and therein spent and ended her life and was there also buried Elfride the yongest daughter and child of King Elfred and Queene Elswith his wife was married to Baldwin the second surnamed the Bald Earle of Flanders sonne of Earle Baldwin the first and Queene Iudith his wife the widdow of King Ethelwolfe her Grandfather Shee was his wife thirty yeares and more shee suruiued him and was a widdow eleuen yeeres she died the seuenth of Iune in the yeere of our Lord nine hundred twenty nine being the fift of the raigne of King Ethelstan her Nephew She is buried by her husband in the Chappell of our Lady within the Monastery of S. Peter at the City of Gaunt She had issue Arnulfe the third Earle of Flanders progenitor of all the Earles of Flanders since his time Adâ—…lfe Earle of Bolâ—…igne and Terwiâ—… EDVVARD SVRNAMED THE ELDER THE TWENTIE FOVRTH KING OF THE WEST SAXONS AND TWENTY FIFT MONARCH OF THE ENGLISH-MEN HIS RAIGNE ACTS AND ISSVE CHAPTER XXXVII NO greater were the griefes conceiued for the death of worthy Elfred then were the hopes of the people in his sonne Prince Edward whose valour had beene often approued against the raging Danes whose vertues were both many and princely not so learned as his Father neither so patient to vndergoe his chance but as glorious in martiall prowesse and as fortunate in al his fights vnder whose hand the Danes euery where fell and vnder his Monarchy all the English did stoope excepting the Northumbrians 2 He entred his raigne the yeare of Christs natiuity nine hundred and one and at Kingston vpon Thames was crowned and annointed with holy oyle The Danish warres continuing in a successiue maner fell as it were hereditaryly from the Father vnto the Sonne and ripened dayly towards their wished haruest Besides Ethelwald the sonne of Ethelbert the vncle to this King Edward young at his fathers decease and therefore perhappes held vncapable of gouernment shewed now the blossoms of vnder-sucking plants whose fruits are neither plenteous nor pleasant in tast for his humours euer working vpon discontents drew his thought onely how to make the possessor fall 3 He then entring action of rebellion tooke the towne of Winborne neere vnto Bathe and besides the allegiance due to his Prince in sacrilegious manner brake the hests of holy Church in deflowring and taking a Votarist to wife Edward the elder so called it may be in regard of this his Opposite with a selected Army repaired to Bathe and thence prepared for the field whose sight was so cockatrice-like to his cosen-Germans eye that in the night he bade his Nun and Winborne adew posting to Northumberland and proffering his seruice to the Danes that lay for aduantage of rapine and spoile 4 Him as a fitte instrument they created their King and forward in hope of some prosperous successe passed through the East-Saxons the East-Angles and the Mercians Countries and laden with robberies came to Crikelade in Wilt-shire whence they departed ouer Thamesis to Basingstoke and harrying the land before them with triumph returned vnto East-Anglia Edward thus endangered by these dreadfull enemies gaue them no aduantage by lingering delaies but followed their tract vnto Saint Edmunds Ditch whence in his returne the Danes gaue
the right side of King Edward the Confessor 61 Ad◅licia or Alice the second wife of King Henry was the daughter of Godfrey the first Duke of Louaine by the daughter of the Emperour Henrie the fourth and sister to Duke Godfrey and Iocelin of Louain Shee was married vnto him the nine and twentieth of Ianuary in the twentie one of his raigne and yeere of Christ 1121. and was crowned the morrow after being Sunday Shee was his wife fifteene yeeres but euer childlesse and suruiuing him was remarried to William Daubeny Earle of Arundel and was mother of Earle William the second Rayner Godfrey and Ioan married to Iohn Earle of Augi c. His Issue 62 William the sonne of King Henry and Queen Maud his first wife was born the secōd of his Fathers Raigne and of Christ 1102. When he came to age of foureteene yeeres the Nobility of England did him homage and sware their fealties vnto him at Shrewsburie The third yeere after hee married the daughter of Foulk Earle of Aniou and the same yeere hee was made Duke of Normandy doing his homage for the same to Lewes the Grosse King of France and receiued the homage and oathes of the Nobility of that Country but in his returne for England hee was vnfortunately drowned neere vnto Barbfleet vpon the twenty sixt of Nouember the yeere of Grace 1120. and eighteenth of his owne age without any issue to the great griefe of his Father 63 Maud the daughter of King Henry and of Queene Maud his first wife was borne the fourth yeere of her Fathers raigne She was the second wife of the Emperour Henrie the fourth espoused at sixe yeeres of age and at eleuen with great solemnity was married and crowned his Empresse at Mentz in Germany 6. Ianuary Anno 1114. the ninth of her husbands and foureteenth of her Fathers Raignes Shee was his wife twelue yeeres and suruiued him without any issue of him comming into England a widdowe she had fealty sworne vnto her by the Nobility and was remaried to Geffrey Plantaginet Earle of Aniou sonne of Foulke King of Ierusalem vpon the third of Aprill and yeere of Grace 1127. by whom shee had issue Henry the Second King of England Geffery Earle of Nantes in Britanie and William who was called Earle of Poyto she was his wife twenty three yeeres and suruiuing him also continued a widdowe the last seuenteene yeeres of her life which she ended in the City of Roan the tenth of September 1167. the foureteenth of the raigne of King Henry her sonne and was buried in the Abbey of Bee in Normandy 64 Richard a second sonne to King Henry and Queene Maud by the testimony of Geruasius the Monke of Canterbury who maketh Maud their eldest Child William the second and lastly Richard and then saith he she left bearing but Malmsbury saith she had but two Children one of each sexe 65 Eufem also another daughter and fourth Child by Hector Boetius the Scottish Historian is said to be borne vnto the Beauclearke by Queene Maud the credite of the two last I leaue to the reporters who onely thus name them without any further relation His Naturall Issue 66 Robert the naturall sonne of King Henry was Earle of Gloucester and married Ma◅l daughter and heire of Robert Fitzhamon Lord of Glamorgan by whom hee had issue William Earle of Gloucester Richard Bishop of Bayon Roger Bishop of Worcester and Maud the wife of Randolph Gernon the mother of Hugh Keueliot Earle of Chester and Richard his brother Earle William married Auis daughter of Robert Bossu Earle of Leicester and had issue three daughters and heires of that Earledome which by Au◅s the second of them in the end descended to Clare Earle of Hertford This Earle Robert died the last of October in the twelfth yeare of King Stephen and was buried at Bristow in the Church of S. Iames which hee had founded and his body laide in the midst of the Quire vnto him William Malmsbury dedicated his Booke called Historia Nouella 67 Richard another naturall sonne of King Henry was as it seemeth by an ancient Register of the Monastery at Abington borne in the raigne of King William Rufus of the widow of Anskill a Nobleman of the Country adioining to the said Monastery and it seemeth hee is that Richard that was drowned in the Norman Seas neere Barbfleet among the rest of King Henries children 68 Raynold the naturall sonne of King Henry was borne of a daughter vnto Sir Robert Corbet Lord of Alcester in Warwickeshire by the gift of the King in fauour of her who was after married to Henry Fitz-herbert his Chamberlaine This Raynold was created Earle of Cornwall and Baron of Castle comb with consent of King Stephen and had issue foure Daughters of whom haue sprung many faire branches 69 Robert another of that name was borne of Edith the sister of Iue sonne and daughter of Forne the sonne of Sigewolfe both of them great Barons in the North which Edith afterwards King Henry gaue in marriage to Robert D◅lie Baron of Hook-Norton in Oxfordshire and with her gaue him the Mannor of Eleydon in the County of Buckingham by whom he had issue Henry Doylie Baron of Hook-Norton who oftentimes mentioneth this Robert in his Charters euer calling him Robert his brother the Kings sonne 70 Gilbert another naturall sonne of King Henry is named in the additions to the story of William Gemeticensis the Norman Monke in the Chronicle of that country written by Iohn Taylor being a Translator of that worke out of Latine into French and lastly in the Treaties betwixt England and France written in the French tongue by Iohn Tillet Secretarie to their late King Henry the second and yet in them not any other mention is made but only of his name 71 William also a narurall sonne of Henry the King had giuen vnto him the Towne of Tracie in Normandy of which hee tooke his surname and was called William of Tracie But whether he were the Progenitot of the Tracies sometime Barons in Deuonshire or of them that now be of the same surname or whether Sir William Tracie one of the foure Knights that slew Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury were any of his posterity is not certainely reported nor any thing else of him more then that hee died a little after his Father which was in the yeere of Christ 1135. 72 Henry another naturall sonne of King Henry was borne of the Lady Nesta daughter of Rees ap Tewdor Prince of South-Wales who was the Wife of Sir Gerald Windsor and of Stephen Constables of the Castles of Pembrooke and Abertinie in Wales and Progenitors of the Families of the Fitz-geralds and the Fitz-Stephens in Ireland he was borne and breed and liued and married in Wales hauing issue two sonnes namely Meiler and Robert of which Meiler the elder married the daughter of Hugh Lacie Lord of Methe in Ireland
Tikhill Marlborow and Ludgarfall with many other great Seigniories and aboue them all was also Lord of Ireland and at the last succeeded his brother Richard in all his-Dominions and was King of England 108 Maud the eldest daughter of King Henry and Queene Eleanor borne in the third yeere of her fathers raigne married to Henrie surnamed the Lion Duke of Saxonie Lothar that died yong Otho the fourth German Emperour and William borne at Winchester progenitor of the Dukes of Brunswicke who bare for their Armes the Coat of England with the two Lions as King Henrie his Grandfather bare before the match with Queene Eleanor and Maud married to Geffrey Earle of Perch Shee suruiued him and died in the first yeere of the raigne of her brother King Richard and was buried by her husband in the Church of S. Blase at Brunswicke 109 Eleanor the second daughter of King Henrie and Queene Eleanor was borne at Roan in Normandy in the eight yeere of her fathers raigne 1162. She was married to Alfâ—…se the ninth of that name surnamed the Good King of Castile in Spaine and had issue by him Saâ—…ches that died in his infancie Ferdinando that died in his youth Henry King of Castile after his Father Blaunch Queene of France wife to King Lewis the 8. and mother of Saint Lewis Berengar married to Alfonso king of Lion Vrraca Queene of Portugall and Eleanor wife of Iames king of Arragon 110 Ioane the third and yongest daughter of king Henry and Queene Eleanor his wife was born at the City of Angiers in France in the moneth of October the 13. yeare of her Fathers raigne which was the yeere of our Lord 1166. when shee was eleuen yeeres of age shee was with great honour conueied to the City of Palermo and there married to William the second of that name king of Sicil Duke of Apulia and Prince of Capua vpon Sunday the 13. day of Februarie 1177. and was crowned Queene the same day at the same place Shee had a sonne by him named Boamund whom his Father when hee was returned from his Christning created Duke of Apulia but the child died first and the Father after leauing no issue And she suruiuing married againe and was the third wife of Raimund the fourth of that name Earle of Tholouz by him shee had Issue Raimund the last Earle of that house Bertrand Lord of Branquell Montelore and Saluiac and a daughter married to Berald of Elbeine Prince of Orenge His Naturall Issue 111 William the Naturall sonne of king Henry born of Rosamund the daughter of Walter Lord Clifford which Lady for her incomparable beauty was reputed with allusion to her name Rosa-mundi the Rose of the world the deare affection the king bare her caused both burning iealousie in the Queene and fatall ruine to her selfe albeit the amorous king for her secresie and security but what walles will not a iealous eye pierce through had built for her a most artificiall Labyrinth at Woodstocke in Oxfordshire with such cunning windings and intricate passages as had not Fate and Heauens reuenge on Adultery shewed the way the enraged Queen had not so soone beene rid of her Riuall nor that wanton Dame of her life Shee was buried in the Nunnery of Godstow by Oxford with this Epitaph Hac iacet in Tumba Rosa 〈◊〉 non Rosa munda Non redolet sed olet quaredolere solet Rose This Tombe doth here enclose the Worlds most beâ—…teous Rose passing sweet ere while Now â—…ght but edour vile But Hugh called the Saint Bishop of Lincolne thought the Hearse of a Harlot no fit spectacle for a Quire of Virgins to contemplate therefore himselfe in person caused her bones to be cast foorth of the Church which yet those chast sisters afterward recollected and placed there againe with much honour â—…cting a goodly Crosse thus inscribed to the honour of her memory Qui meat hac oret Signumque salutis adoret Vtque tibi detur requies Rosamunda precetur All you which passe this way This Crosse adore and pray That Rosamunas Soule may True rest possesse for â—…ye The first Sonne which by her King Henry had was the said William surnamed in French Longespee in English Long-Sword He was Earle of Salisburie in right of Ela his Wife Daughter and hâ—…ire of William Earle of that County son of Earle Patrick by whom hee had Issue William Earle of Salisbury Stephen Earle of Vlster Ela Countesse of Warwicke Ida Lady Beucham of Bedford and Isabell Lady Vescie his sonne Earle William the second had Earle William the third Father of Margaret Wife of Henry Lacie Earle of Lincolne hee died in the Castle of old Salisbury and was buried in the Cathedrall Church of the New City in the ninth yeare of the raigne of king Henry the third 112 Geffrey an other Naturall sonne of king Henry was borne of the Lady Rosamund aforesaid This man in his tender youth was by his Fathers procurement made Archdeacon of Lincolne and after Bishop of that See which hee held aboue seauen yeeres without consecration and then resigning it in the yeare 1181. into the hands of Richard Archbishop of Canterbury and his Father hee was made Chancellour of England and afterward by his brother king Richard hee was aduanced to the Archbishopricke of Yorke being consecrated at Tours in France An. 1191. which See he gouerned with good approbation But in the time of his Brother King Iohn hee vnderwent many difficulties by opposing the Kings purposes who therefore made seisure of his whole state and An. 1207. he left the Land and after fiue yeeres banishment died viz. Ann. 1213. 113 Morgan an other Naturall sonne of King Henry is thought by some because so small mention is made of him to haue beene of no long life after his birth and to haue beene borne of some woman in Wales where this Christian name is most commonly vsed and whither this King vpon many occasions sometimes resorted But some others whose studious paines deserue much thankes of posteritie report that hee was gotten on the wife of one Rodulph Bloeth or Blewet a knight and liued both to bee Prouost of Beuerley and to be elected to the Bishopricke of Durham when comming to Rome for a dispensation because his Bastardie made him otherwise vncapable the Pope willed him to professe himselfe Blewets lawfull son and not the Kings Naturall promising to consecrate him on that condition but he vsing the aduise of one William Lane his Clerke told the Pope that for no worldly promotion he would renounce his father or deny himselfe to bee of roiall bloud so blind were some Prelats of those times who esteemed spirituall functions to be but worldly promotions RICHARD THE FIRST DVKE OF NORMANDY GVYEN AND AQVITAINE c. THE FORTIE FOVRTH MONARCH OF THE ENGLISH-MEN HIS RAIGNE ACTS AND ISSVE CHAPTER VI. RICHARD succeeding to his deceased Father Henrie brought forth that wonder which a Writer ofthat age
King Henry to whom he had beene sometime disobedient and God affording him gracious leasure till hee had thus disposed of all the venemous vapour ascended to his heart and draue the spirite forth with whom say * Authors the glory and honor of Militarie skill exspired 70 There hath been an opinion or fancy that this King was called Cordelyon because hee encountred a Lyon in prison at the Emperours Court but saith one very truly these are fables imagined by English tale-tellers to aduance their King Richard as the Britaines by the like aduanced their King Arthur The like deuice though more lofty and Mathematicall may theirs seeme who coniecture hee was called so of the famous Starre called Cor Leonis But how the conceite of killing of a Lion should come vp as iâ—… is not worth the while to enquire so certainely Hugo de Neuile one of King Richards speciall familiars is recorded to haue slain a Lion in the holy-Land driuing first an arrow into his breast and then running him through with his sword whence perhaps that atchieuement is transferred from the man to the master and the story applide to the by-name of King Richard whereof the true reason is that which * Thomas Walsingham mentioneth saying That for the magnanimity of his heart grossitudinem praestans saith an other meaning as it seemes that his materiall heart it self was bigge and massiue which another also saith was inexpugnable this King was both by the English Normans stiled Caeur de Lion His Wiues Alice the daughter of Lewis the seuenth King of France by Queene Alice daughter of Earle Thibald of Champaigne is by some reputed the first wife of King Richard though indeede she were onely contracted to him being both children and committed to his Father but when he demanded her his father refused to deliuer her or she to com to him or both Wherefore being King conceiuing displeasure against King Philip her brother and more then suspecting her continency with his owne father by whom he alledged she had a child he refused to take her yet gaue a hundreth thousand pounds to Philip pro quieta clamantia to be quite freed from her She became the wife of William Earl of Ponthieu and had issue Queene Ioan of Castile the mother of Queene Eleanor wife to King Edward the first Berengaria the second wife of King Richard was the daughter of Sanches the fourth of that name King of Nauarre sonne of King Garcie the fourth her mother was Beatrice daughter of Alphonso the seuenth King of Castile called the Emperour of Spaine She was conueied by Eleanor the kings mother vnto the king in Sicily and married to him in Cyprus whence she accompanied him to the Holy land The king vpon what cause we find not neglected her company for a while but vpon more setled thoughts he resumed her againe to his loue and society but had no issue by her His naturall Issue Philip the naturall son of king Richard seemeth to haue been begotten while he was Earle of Poytou of a Gentlewoman Poytouin and to haue had of his fathers gift a towne in Poytou named Sumac to haue taken also his surname and title of the same towne and to haue beene the Progenitour of a familie of Gentlemen of the same surname title in the same Country Isabel by * some who mention not Philip at all is reputed the Naturall Daughter of king Richard whose mother the Author nameth not and that she was married to Leoline Prince of Wales Three other Daughters Bastards no doubt he is said to haue of whose names and matches wee will report as we finde recorded Whiles hee was in France imployed in his warres against king Philip Fulco a French Priest came vnto him telling him he had three very bad Daughters which he wished him to bestow away from him in marriage or else Gods wrath would attend him when the king denied he had any daughter yes quoth the Priest thou cherisest three daughters Pride Couetousnesse and Lecherie The king apprehensiue of his meaning called his Lords there attending and saide My Lords this Hypocrit hath found that I haue three Daughters which I maintaine viz. Pride Couetousnes and Lecherie which he would haue me bestow forth in mariage and therfore if any such I haue I haue found out most fit husbands for them all My Pride I bequeath to the haughty Templars Hospitallers who are as proud as Lucifer himselfe My Couetousnesse I giue to the white Monks of the Cisteaux Order for they couet the Diuell and all But for my Lechery I can bestow it no where better then on the Priests and Prelates of our times for therein haue they their most felicity Doubtlesse these mariages proued so fruitfull that their issue hath now ouerflowed all kingdomes of the earth IOHN DVKE OF NORMANDIE GVYEN AND AQVITAINE c. THE FIRST STILED LORD OF IRELAND THE FORTIE-FIFTH MONARCH OF ENGLAND HIS RAIGNE ACTS AND ISSVE CHAPTER VIII THe lustre of Diadems and Soueraignety so dazeleth the eyes and bewitcheth the hearts of ambitious beholders that whiles they fondlie deeme the greatest content to bee in highest Titles running after a seeming Happines they often cast themselues headlong and whole Kingdoms into irrepairable ruine as the calamities which after the death of the noble Ceur-de-Lyon lighted on the Pretenders to his Crowne and on this miserably distracted State will yeeld vs too ruful a President To the full acting of which Tragedy for such it was and so we must now present it in this our Theatre concurred as principall Actors the two though these Patients rather as the issue proued vnfortunate Corriuals for the Crowne Iohn Earle of Moreton Brother to the late King and his Nephew Arthur the Posthumous sonne of Geoffry Duke of Britaine the Earles eldest Brother their two Female and therefore more emulous and restlesse Solicitors Queen Eleanor and Lady Constance each ambitious of their owne in their Sonnes aduancements their two reuengefull Abettors Otho the Emperour for Iohn and Philip King of France for Arthur thereupon the two vniust Intruders on the Crowne Lewis the French Kings Sonne and Innocentius the Pope the one by vnprincely forces the other by vnpriestlie fraud and lastly their two sorts of treacherous Instruments of the Laitie for the one and Clergie for the other all which like so many Tragicke fire-breathing Furies set this State in so horrible combustion as that the smoake is not as yet so many ages after quite allayed 2 Earle Iohn the very Centre in which those calamities met had from his infancy beene fedde with high and royall hopes as being his Fathers onely darling from whome hee had the possession of the Irish and intendment also of the English Kingdom and in his brothers time whose return from the holy warres all men despaired had by gracious deportment
Christs faith and therefore such should come to subdue them and take their possessions when he said a Stag which hee kild had neuer the lesse fatte though he neuer heard a Masse they charged him hee doubted of the Resurrection of the dead and in saying hee neuer sped well after his yeelding to the Pope that hee said hee was vnfortunate since hee was reconciled vnto God that when hee gaue leaue to a seruant of his owne to enter any religious Order he gaue him leaue to bee of what Religion and Faith hee list That moreouer hee offered his Kingdome to a Sarazen and would embrace the Turkish faith though this tale were told by one Robert of London a wicked Masse-Priest or rather a Monster hauing a face like a Iew with one arme long and another short his fingers deformedly growing together two and two with such senseles improbabilities as that hee found that Moorish King reading of Saint Paules Epistles and that hee refused the Kingdom of England being offered him with the like That lastly it was reuealed to a Monke King Iohn was in Hell though a Poet for so saying is by M. P. who ◅de no doubt of King Iohns saluation censured for a Reprobate These all are demonstrations of so incredible hatred as should rather alleuiate their Authors credite then the Kings whose Raigne had it not fallen in the time of so turbulent a Pope so ambitious Neighbour Princes so disloyall Subiects nor his Story into the handes of exasperated Writers hee had appeared a King of as great renowne as misfortunes His works of deuotion inferiour to none as his Foundations declare at Beauley Farrington Malmsbury and Dublin and that other for Nunnes at Godstow by Oxford for which some haue interpreted that Prophesie of Merlin as meant of him Sith Virgin giftes to Maids he gaue Mongstblessed Saints God will him saue His Acts and Orders for the Weale-publike were beyond most hee being eyther the first or the chiefest who appointed those noble Formes of Ciuill gouernment in London and most Cities and Incorporate Townes of England endowing them also with their greatest Franchises The first who caused Sterling money to bee h◅re coyned The first who ordayned the Honourable Ceremonies in Creation of Earles The first who setled the Rates and Measures for Wine Bread Cloth and such like Necessaries of Commerce The first who planted English Lawes and Officers in Ireland and both annexed that Kingdome and fastned Wales to the Crowne of England therby making amends for his losses in France Whose whole course of life and actions wee cannot shut vp with any truer E◅loge then that which an ancient Author hath conferred on him Princeps quidem Magnus erat sed minus foelix atque vt Marius vtramque fortunam expertus Doubtlesse he was a Prince more Great then happy and one who like Marius had tried both sides of Fortunes wheele His Wiues 64 Alice the first wife of King Iohn was the eldest of the two daughters and heires apparant at that time of Humbert the second Earle of Maurien now called Sauoy her Mother was Clemence daughter of Berthold the fourth Duke of Leringen who had been the diuorced wife of Henry the Lyon Duke of Saxonie This marriage was in their childhoode cōcluded by their Parents at Mountferrant in Auerne in February Anno 1173 he should haue had with her her Fathers Earledome but all altered by her vntimely death and after ensued the death of her Mother the new marriage of her Father and issue male of the same whereof the Dukes of Saxonie are descended 65 Isabel his second wife by some called Hawisia or Auis though the youngest of the three Sisters yet was in regard of this marriage the sole Heire of William Earle of Gloucester sonne of Earle Robert the Naturall sonne of King Henry the first her Mother was Hawis the daughter of Robert Bossu Earle of Leicester Shee was married vnto him when hee was Earle of Mortaine in the first yeere of his brother Richards raigne and after ten yeeres hauing no issue by him was the first yeere of his Raigne diuorced from him vnder pretence of Consanguinity and married to Geffrey Mandeuill Earle of Essex and lastly to Hubert de Burgo Earle of Kent but died without any Issue by them 66 Isabel also his last wife was daughter and heire of Aymer Earle of Angolesme her Mother was Alice daughter of Peter Lord of Courteney fifth son of Lewis the Grosse King of France Shee was married vnto him in the first yeere of his Raigne crowned by Hubert Archbishoppe of Canterbury 8. Id. Octob. Anno 1200. and suruiuing him was married to Hugh Brun Earle of March and Lord of Lusignian and Valence in Poytou to whom first she should haue beene married but yet as seemeth continued her affection to him till now By him shee had diuers Children greatly aduanced by the King Henry 3. their halfe brother and as greatly maligned by his Subiects Hugh Earle of March and Angolesme Guy of Lusignian slain in the battell at Lewise William of Valence Earle of Pembroke Aymer of Valence Bishoppe of Winchester Geffrey of Lusignian L. of Hastings His Issue 67 Henry the eldest Sonne of King Iohn and Isabell his last wife was borne at Winchester 1. October 10. of his Fathers Raigne Anno 1208. K. Iohn dying at Newarke whither hee was broughtina Horselitter from Swynshead the Barons malice was ended their offence amended Lewis of France reiected and the yong Prince seated on his Fathers throne 68 Richard his second son by the same Queene was borne the next yeere after Henry by whom afterward hee was made Knight created Earle of Cornwall and appointed Earle of Poytou After the death of William Earle of Holland Emperour of the West hee was by the Electours chosen to succeed him in the Empire and crowned King of Romanes of Almayn at the City of Acon in Germany by Conrade Archbishoppe of Coleyne Maij 27. being the Ascention day Anno 1257. deceasing at the Castle of Berkhamsted April 20. Ann. 1271. the 13. yeere of his Empire his body was buried in his Monastery of Hayles in Gloucestershire but his Heart at Oxford in Reuly Abbey founded by him vnder a Pyramis of admirable worke Hee had three wiues the first was Isabel daughter of William Marshall Earle of Pembroke widdow of Gilbert Clare Earle of Gloucester by whom hee had issue Henry slaine at Viterbo in Italy and Iohn both dying without Issue His second wife was Senches daughter of Raimond Earle of Prouince sister to Queene Eleanor his brothers wife who was crowned with him at Acon and had issue by him Edmund Earle of Cornwall and others His last wife was Beatrice Niece to the Archbishoppe of Coleyne who seemeth to haue suruiued him and to haue no Issue by him 69 Ioane the
Glequin makes his vse of all occasions and workes much harme to the English party in Guien and Britaine But in Britaine Sir Robert Knols did so nobly acquit him selfe on the behalfe of his Souereignes sonne in law the Duke that he only seemed a fit parallel to Glequin like as hee stopt the current of his fortune was borne at Gaunt the chiefe Towne of Flaunders Anno 1340. and 14. of his fathers raigne In his Childhood he was created Earle of Richmond which title was afterward recalled in and bestowed vpon Iohn Duke of Britanny who married his sister to whose Dutchy it had formerly belonged Hee had three wiues the first Blanch daughter and Coheire and in the end the sole heire of Henry Duke of Lancaster sonne of Edmund surnamed Crooch-back in whose right he was at the first Earle and after Duke of the same and with that Dutchy also Earle of Leicester Derby and Lincolne and high Steward of England He had issue by her Henry of Bullingbrooke Earle of Derbie after Duke of Hereford and lastly King of England named Henry the fourth who first placed the Crowne in the house of Lancaster Philip wife of Iohn the first King of Portugall and Elizabeth married first to Iohn Holland Earle of Huntingdon brother of Thomas Duke of Surrey and after him to Sir Iohn Cornwall Baron of Fanhope His second wife was Consiance the eldest daughter of Peter King of Castile and Leon in whose right for the time he entituled himself King of both these realmes by her he had issue one onely daughter named Katherine married to Henry the third sonne of King Iohn in possession before and in her right after King of both the said realmes His third wife was Katherine the widow of Sir Hugh Swinford a Knight of Lincolnshire eldest daughter and Coheire of Payn Roet a Gascoigne called Guien King of Armes for that Countrey his yonger daughter being married to Sir Geoffrey Chaâ—…cer our Laureat Poet. By her hee had issue borne before matrimony and made legitimate afterward by Parliament holden in the twentieth yeere of King Richard the second Iohn Earle of Sommerset Thomas Duke of Excester Henry Bishop of Winchester and Cardinall and Ioane who was first married to Robert Ferrers Baron of Wemme and Ouesley in the Counties of Salop and VVarwicke and secondly to Raph Neuil the first Earle of Westmerland Shee and all her brethren were surnamed Beaufort of a Castle which the Duke had in France where they were all borne in regard thereof bearing the Porculleys of a Castle for the cognizance of their family This Duke in the thirteenth yeere of his Nephew King Richard at a parliament holden at London was created Duke of Aquitaine but in the sixt yeere after hee was called home and this Title recalled in and in the third yeere after the sixtieth of his age Anno 1399. he dyed at Ely house in Holborne and lyeth honourably entombed in the Quire of Saint Paul Edmond their 5. sonne surnamed of Langley was created Earle of Cambridge Anno 1362. in the same Parliament wherein Lionel was created Duke of Clarence Hee was afterward made Duke of Yorke Anno 1386. and married Isabel daughter and Coheire to Peter King of Castile and Leon. His sonne Richard Plantagenet Duke of Yorke took to wife Anne Mortiâ—…er heire of the foresaid Lionel elder brother to Edmund Langley William another of their sonnes surnamed of Wynsore where he was borne dyed yong and is buried at Westminster Thomas the youngest sonne of King Edward and Queene Philip surnamed of Woodstocke where hee was borne was first Earle of Buckingham created by his Nephew King Richard the second on his Coronation day An. 1377. by whom after also he was made Duke of Glocester 1385. The Earledomes also of Essex and Northampton and the Constableshippe of England fell to him by right of his wife Eleanor the only daughter and heire of Humfrey de Bohun Earle of Hereford and Essex Hee was a man of valour wisdome and vigilancy for the behoofe of the King his Nephew and the State but those noble vertues distempered with too much wilfulnesse froward obstinacy bred him first Enuy and afterruine For the King surmising him to bee a too seuere obseruer of his doings consulted with Thomas Mowbray Duke of Norfolke how to make him away whom Mowbray vnawares surprizing conuaied secretly to Callis where he was strangled 1397. 20. of his Nephewes raigne Himselfe in his life had prouided a goodlie tombe at Playsie in Essex his owne Towne and the vsuall seat of the great Constables of England where hee founded a Colledge whither his body was brought and laid with all funerall pompe but afterward it was translated to Westminster where also lyeth Eleanor his wife who dyed 1399. Their issue was Humfrey Earle of Buckingham who dyed at Chester of the pestilence An. 1400. Anne married first to Edmund Earle of Stafford by whom shee had Humfrey Duke of Buckingham secondly to William Bourchier Earle of Eue by whom she had Henry Earle of Essex Philippa Ioane Isabell who died all issulesse Isabel the eldest daughter and second childe of K. Edward and Queene Philip was married at Windsore with great pompe to Ingelram of Guisnes Lord of Coucy Earle of Sâ—…ysons and after Arch-Duke of Austria whom K. Edward his father in law created also Earle of Bedford 1365. by whom shee was mother of two daughters Mary married to Henry of Barre to whom shee bare Robert de Barre and Ioane the wife of Lewis of Luxemburg Earle of S. Paul and Philip the wife of Robert de Veere Earle of Oxford Duke of Ireland and Marquesse of Dublyn this Robert in the heigth of his fortunes forsooke his noble Ladie and married one Lancerona a Ioyners daughter by report which came with King Richard the seconds wife out of Boheme and being for his pride and abusing the Kings eare to the hurt of the State driuen out of the land by the nobles hee dyed at Louain in great vexation of mind and extreme penury An. 1392. Isabel his wiues mother was buried in the Church of Fryars Minorites neer Algate in London Ioane their second daughter and third child was borne 9. of her fathers raigne An. 1335. Bâ—…ng 14. yeres of age shee was desired in marriage by solemne Embassage from Alphons the eleuenth King of Castile and Leon sonne of King Ferdinando the 4 was espoused by Proxie intituled Queene of Spaine and conueyed into that Countrey where shee presentlie deceased of a great plague that then raigned so as the King comming to meete her to solemnize the espousals with great griefe accompanyed her to Church only at her funerall 22. of her fathers raigne An. 1348. Blanch the 3. daughter died yong and lieth buried at Westminster Mary their 4. daughter was married to Iohn Montford Duke of Britaine Margaret their youngest daughter was the first wife of Iohn de Hastings Earle of Pembroke but shee dyed without
reuenge was not without wonder prohibited so to doe by letters from the King that is from such as were about the King 16 But how coldly soeuer the publike affaires were followed the want of money for supplies was still pretended And therefore in a Parliament holden at Northampton was granted to the King a generall supplie of money the pretended occasion of monstrous mischiefe which followed by reason of a clause in that grant of Subsidie that euery one of ech sexe being aboue a certain age should pay by the head or per Pol as they call it twelue pence 17 The English Cheualry began now againe to display it selfe farre off to gratifie the priuate ends of Iohn Duke of Lancaster who claimed the Crown of Castile and Leon in right of Constance his wife For Iohn King of Portugal had a defensiue warre against Iohn then King of Castile who challenged the Crowne of Portugall in right of Beatrix his wife by whom hee had no issue the onely daughter of Ferdinand king of Portugall which this other Iohn a bastard sonne of Ferdinands had by faction vsurped There were sent to his aide the Lord Edmund de Langley Earle of Cambridge the Kings vncle and sundry Knights and others of good experience with an Armie These arriuing in Portugall valiantly defended the same for about two yeeres and were the chiefe cause of giuing the Spaniards an ouerthrow in battell where they lost ten thousand men At last the two Kings agreeing together bare the charges of conueighing home the English in common that their Countries might bee freed from them being both alike iealous of their puissance In this time Edward sonne to the Earle of Cambridge vncle to Richard king of England married the daughter of the king of Portugall but afterward neither would the Earle leaue his sonne behind as suspecting the Portugeses faith nor the other entrust his daughter to the Earle so as they remained disioined in body howsoeuer vnited by Ceremonie 18 Not long after the time of that Earles imployment into Spaine there fell out accidents which doe plainely conuince their error to bee great who thinke that any madnesse is like that of an armed vngouerned multitude whereof these times by a kind of Fate proper to childrens raigne gaue a most dangerous document The extreme hatred borne by the people to Iohn Duke of Lancaster calling himselfe king of Castile and Leon and the discontentment taken at an extraordinary taxe leuied per Pol vpon all sorts of people who were aboue sixteene yeers of age which as all other the euils of the time they imputed to the Duke the maner being to count them the authors of euils who are supposed to haue the greatest power of doing them moued the enraged multitudes vpon slight and small beginnings to runne together in so fearefull a Torrent that it seemed the King and kingdome were sodainely falne vnder their most wicked fury There were in this most rebellious insurrection the Commons and Bondmen who aspiring by force to a free manumission principally those of Kent and Essex whose example was followed in the Neighbour Shires of Surrey Suffolke Norfolke Cambridge and other places by incredible heards and droues of like qualified people who specially in Norfolke forced sundry principall Gentlemen to attend them in their madding 19 They of Kent embattelled themselues vnder two Banners of Saint George and about threescore and tenne Penons vpon Blacke-heath by Greenewich and from thence came to London where the generality of people inclining to them they are masters The Priory of S. Iohns without Smithfield they kept burning for about seuen dayes and the goodlie Palace of the Sauoy belonging to the Duke with all the riches therein they consumed by fire in a kind of holy outrage for they threw one of their fellowes into the flame who had thrust a peece of stolne plate into his bosome The Rebels of Essex came to Lambeth burnt all the Archbishops goods and defaced all the Writings Rowls Records and Monuments of the Chancerie as hauing a speciall hatred to the Lawyers little to their disgrace for that they shared herein with good men also whom they hated But their desperate wickednesse extended it selfe beyond the spoile of houses and substance laying bloudy hands vpon the most eminent and worthy men in the kingdome for that they had disswaded the King to put himselfe into their hands at Greenwich where hee talked with them out of his Barge and thereby had their maine designe disappointed Simon Tibald Archbishoppe of Canterburie and Chancellour of England a right worthy Prelate and Sir Robert Hales a Knight of high courage Lord Prior of Saint Iohns and Treasurer of England with others they without respect to the Maiestie of the King or priuiledge of their most honourable dignities most barbarously murthered by beheading them vpon Tower-Hill among infernall showtes diuelish yels For the Tower it selfe from whence they had haled them the young King being there in person was open to their execrable insolencies Neither doth the authority of Polyd. Vergil affirming that they were not haled forth but onely stayed by the Rebels to whom hee saith they were sent induce vs rather to credite him then Authors liuing about those very times There was no little store of other innocent bloud shed by them in these tumults Nor was the Kings own person without manifest perill against whose life they had damnably conspired It were long to reckon vppe the kinds of such villanies as they wrought but endlesse to recount the particulars The common Annals set forth this whole Tragicall businesse very diligently 20 They had many Captaines of mischiefe but two principall Wat Tyler of Maidstone in Kent whom Walsingham pretily cals the Idoll of Clownes and Iacke Straw who together had followers to the number as they were estimated of about one hundreth thousand and at one Sermon made to them by Iohn Ball Walsingham saith there were about twise as many Their Petitions were full of pride and malice but easily granted by the King the necessity of the times extorting them They had a Chaplaine as gracelesse as themselues one Iohn Ball an excommunicated Priest who with his wicked doctrine nourished in them their seditious furies to his own iust destructiō in the end but when a great multitude accepting the Kings mercy were gone Wat Tyler and his Campe departed not but vpon pretence of disliking the Articles of peace sought to winne time till he might put into full execution his incredible Treasons which as Iacke ◅traw at the time of his execution confessed were vpon that very night of the day wherein Wat Tyler was slain to murder the King and chiefe men and to erect petty Tyrannies to themselues in euery shire and already one Iohn Littistar a Dyer in Norwi◅h had taken vpon him at Northwalsham in Norfolke the name of the King of the Commons and Robert Westbroome in Suffolke to whom Iohn
odious to the English died at Paris in exile bequeathing such goods as hee had there to Robert Duke of Ireland who also breathed out his griefes in banishment and died at last in Brabant 83 The Duke of Lancaster the meane while returnes into Gascoigne out of Spaine and not long after into England The successe of that voyage being made to claime the Crowne of Castile and Leon was briefly this Iohn King of Castile alledged that Constance the Dukes wife was not right heire but he For albeit the Lady Constance was eldest daughter and heire to Peter sonne of Alfonse whose father Fernand the fourth was sonne of Sanchez the fourth and he sonne of Alfonse the tenth all Kings of Spaine successiuely yet that neither Constance Peter Alfonse Ferdinand nor Sanchez had the right His reason was for that Alfonse the tenth chosen Emperour of Almaine had before he begat the said Sanchez an elder sonne called Ferdinand de la Cerda who married Blanch the daughter of Saint Lewis King of France from whom descended Alfonse de la Cerda who entituled himselfe King but died without issue and Fernand who had a daughter married to Iohn sonne of the Infant of Portugall Emmanuel mother to the Lady Ioane wife of King Henry the second father of Iohn King of Castile defendant 84 This Apologie made by the Castilian would not serue for kingdomes are not vsed to be pleaded for by Bil and Answere The English and Portugals ioine their forces To the Duke by reason of his wiues presence manie did voluntarily submit themselues all did not for Don Aluarez de Perez on the behalfe of his Lord the King of Spaine offred to stop the Duke in his march to Burgos and was ouerthrowne Other aduentures that warre afforded but sicknesse hapning in the English Armie consumed many of the principall and among them the Lord Fitzwalter with other Lords Knights Esquires and men of armes almost three hundreth Moreouer the penurie was such that sundrie reuolted to the enemy to get reliefe which being seene of the King of Portugal he told the Duke he would set vpon them as Enemies but hee said no for that he knew they did it onely for lacke of foode Thus hauing said he held downe his head as he sate on horsebacke and wept most bitterly secretly powring forth his praiers to almighty God and most humbly beseeching mercy From which time forward his affaires in Spaine succeeded happily 85 The warres had beene â—…harpe and tedious but the end acceptable For Don Iuan king of Castile a Prince of no euill conscience seeing the right which the Duke of Lancaster vrged and foreseeing what calamities might happen hereafter if as was feared the French should match with him sought and obtained a firme peace The Principall conditions were That the Lord Henry his sonne and heire should marry the Lady Katherine daughter and heire to the Duke and Constance his wife That the Lord Henry during his fathers life should be called Prince of Asturia and Katherine his wife Princesse That for default of issue betweene the young Princely couple the Crowne should come to the Lord Edward Duke of Yorke who had married the other daughter of King Peter That the king of Spaine should lade eight Cars with wedges of gold for the Duke or as some write pay two hundreth thousand nobles toward the defrayment of the Dukes huge charges That finallie he should giue sufficient Caution for an Annuitie of ten thousand pounds during the liues of the said Duke and Dutchesse to be duly paid to their vses at the City of Bayon in Gascoigne 86 The King at such time as the Duke of Lancaster returned was at Reading whither he had commanded the Peeres to repaire To that meeting the Duke makes hast aswell to present his dutie to his Soueraigue as to be an authour of loue and peace betweene the king and Lords against some of whom the King was not thought to be verie fauourably disposed Which he gratiously effected as seeming to addict his mind to offices of piety and publike benefit Certainely the wisdome and moderation of the Duke of Yorke his brother were such in all the late and other tumults that he is not so much as once named among the factious which Christian spirit if it had raigned in all the rest England had neuer beene polluted with such infinite bloodshed of her noblest Children neither had the goodlie fabricke of state laden with innumerable trophees falne vnder that most hideous Chaos which succeeding ages saw and sighed for 87 The King vpon the Duke of Lancasters returne whether hee felt the keeping of Aquitaine an vnprofitable burthen or the absence of his vncle the Duke a thing worthie to be purchased at anie rate certaine it is that in a Parliament held at London he vested in him that famous Dutchy by deliuering the Cap of State and Ducal Rod whither hee shortly went to take possession His sonne Henrie of Bullingbroke Earle of Derbie loath to spend his houres in sloath but desirous to pursue renowne by martiall Acts in forreine parts sailed ouer to the warres in Prussia where in sundry enterprizes against the Lithuanians he wan great honor which by comparison of King Richards Calmnes prepared a way for him in the Englishes affections to points more eminent 88 The Pope now vnderstood that the English State began againe to be sensible of Romish encroachments and as in a former Parliament they had enacted against all Collations of Bishoprickes and dignities by the Pope with banishment to all which did accept such Collations and death to al that brought in any excommunications from the Pope to hinder the execution of that Act so in this last Parliament another seuere Act was made against such as went to the Pope to procure any such prouisions A Proclamation also was made at London * that all beneficed men then being in the Court of Rome should returne by a day prefixed or loose all their liuings The Pope himselfe saith Walsingham troubled with so great a thunder-clap sent with all speed into England to perswade the King that such Statutes as had beene thus made in their preiudice who followed the Court of Rome and such other clauses as tended to the dammage of that See should be made void whereto the Kings answere was that the Popes Nuntio must expect till the next Parliament At which Parliament the King as also the Duke of Lancaster seemed to haue some respect to the Pope whose messenger was their Present but the Knights of the house would not in any wise giue their consents that such Rome-gadders should without due punishment pursue their wonted course longer then till the next Parliament To furnish the Duke of Lancaster into France to treat of a peace and vpon condition that the King should that yere inuade Scotland large contributions were there made
same place Gentleman That hee and his complices did imagine the Kings death at his Coronation The combat was granted and in Smithfield the Duke of Yorke exercising the office of high Constable they fought in lists In the end the Kings name was vsed to part and forgiue them It is a vice to suspect too farre The Duke of Yorke a most subtle man seemes neuer in heart to haue beene a true subiect to King Henry yet no man saith hee was any author in this Henrie the common wealth hauing yeelded to liber all grants of money is now ready to enter Paris England remained vnder the gouernment of the Duke of Glocester 20 There is no doubt that the English there at their Kings presence set forth their greatnes to the full shew The yong King attended vpon with two English Cardinals Yorke and Winchester and great Princes of his blood Dukes Earles Barons Prelates and the flower of our nation with many aswel French and Burgonians as Normans and others excellentlie well appointed makes a triumphant entry into the head City of that most noble Monarchy There was no signe in the People but of ioy and welcome the showes were many and magnificent Vpon the seuenth day of December he was solemnely Crowned King of France by the Cardinall of Winchester his great vncle in the Chiefe Church of Paris called of our Lady The Duke of Bedford entertained the minds of the Assembly with a set speech wherein he declared King Henrie his Nephewes vndoubted title to that Crowne and commended the same to their fidelities adding ample promises of honour and emolument Such of the French Nobilitie as were present did their homage The people had good and gratious words giuen vnto them and certaine quantities of money Corne and wine in the nature of a donatiue liberally distributed among them Proclamations were made that all Frenchmen who came in by a day there named should be protected The Kings Patents and grants touching French matters passed vnder the seale and stile of Henry King of the Frenchmen and of England which Seale for variety we haue prefixed as we found it annexed * to a writing directed by the King to his Court of Requests in his Pallace at Paris but for English affaires he vsed another Seale being in euery point like vnto that of King Henry the fourth and as some thinke the very same stamp which therefore we haue here omitted as likewise some Charters of his there are whereunto he affixed the seale of his father Charles of France esteemed not himselfe the lesse a King for all this but pursues his affaire His people tooke the City of Chartres by a stratagem the Bishop whereof because a Burgundian they also put to the sword with others Neither were the English idle Iohn Duke of Norfolke Thomas Earle of Arundel Richard Beauchamp Earle of Warwicke the Earle of Suffolke and others made vp this losse with aduantage Their actions are placed by some as done before the Coronation which is likely The King hauing thus taken possession of France not long after tooke his farewell thereof His returne was by Roan and so ouer land to Callais from whence vpon the eleuenth day of February hee arriued safe at Douer His vncle the Duke of Glocester was able to giue an honest and good account of the Gouernment during the kings absence The suppressiō of an insurrection beginning at Abingdon in Oxfordshire was not the least seruice A weauer the Baliffe of the Towne was the vlcerous head to which that corruption gathered who had changed his own name and called himselfe Iacke Sharpe of Wigmores land in Wales The speciall colour of his attempt was to haue massacred Priests whose heads he said hee would make as cheape as Sheepes-heads that is two or three or ten for a penny But the mention of Wigmores lands the ancient inheritance of Mortimer then the possession of the fatall Duke of Yorke who afterward in the right of that name challenged the Crowne of England from King Henry insinuates somewhat further The varlet forfeited his head and foure quarters for his attempt It is to be wondred that the Councell of Estate vnder King Henry hearing that title so often glanced at prouided not better against the mischiefe But the eies and hearts of the wise are blinded when God hath a purpose to reserue a scourge or to hide the fire which shall afterward be vsed to consume a nation Vnquiet humors were aswell abroad as at home The souldiers of Callais discontented with their wages as to little began to be mutinously troublesome The Regent comes thither in person in Easter weeke where he exerciseth necessary discipline seuerely Foure the most faulty lost their heads one hundred and ten are cashered and banisht from the Towne as sixe score others had formerly beene Why dwell we vpon so petty accidents The losse of the Kingdome of France is imminent Let vs diligently note the degrees which God found out to depriue our Nation of that honor In this iourney of the Regent King Henries interest was not aduanced The Regent a widdower roade from thence to Turwin where without the Burgundians priuity he married the Lady Iaquet aged about seuenteene yeeres daughter to Peter of Lutzembourg Earle of S. Paul no friend to the Burgundian This was nothing prosperous to the English affaires For Anne the Regents former wife sister to the Duke of Burgundy being while shee liued a strong reason and assurance of amitie weakened the same by her death and this second marriage not pleasing the Burgundian did yet more diminish it These were but degrees In the meane space the accidents of warre between the English and French were manifold and perplext now wee now they leesing or gaining as opportunity serued which vncertainties brought forth their ordinary progenies fearefull outrages and s◅rcitie of all things needfull for the vse of man It would be wearisome and not much necessary to recount the particular lesser actions neitheir indeed is it easie for who can readily tell the sieges surprises skirmishes and the like being so confusedly set down by Authors wherein diuers of both Nations wanne to themselues much honour and serued the vses of those times and their owne The vttermost effect of those great labours was that the English Regency fell not forthwith into nothing Permanent leaders in those publike seruices were the Regent himselfe their maine Pillar and Chiefe life Thomas Earle of Arundel Richard Earle of Warwicke Henry his Sonne the Lord Willoughby the thrice noble Iohn Lord Talbot who was now at liberty the Lord Scales besides Knights Esquires and other valiant Captaines a multitude 21 The fortune of Renate Duke of Barre is not to be omitted for that afterward our King vnluckely married into his house He had to wife Isabell the daughter and heire of Charles Duke of Lorraine by whom he had issue two sonnes
Needle both of them very short to supply her great wants This vnmercifull and almost vnhumane vsage was the more extremely followed for that Oxford himselfe his father and brother had euer sided with the Lancastrians And her selfe being sister vnto Richard Duke of Warwicke the Capitall obstacle against king Edwards proceedings was held either dangerous if her wealth ballanced her birth and estate or else vnworthy of his fauour whose good fortunes as was suggested shee euer maligned 86 But much more miserable was the estate of Lord Henry Holland Duke of Excester and Earle of Huntington who flourished so long as king Henries pillar stood crowned on his base and the Lancastrians of whose house himselfe was ouerswaid the times he being the sonne of Lady Elizabeth the second daughter of Iohn of Gaunt and hauing married the sister of Edward the then raigning King was notwithstanding driuen to such want as he may serue an example to all how vncertaine Adams sons are of any continuing greatnes For saith Philip Comines I once saw the Duke of Excester runne on foote bare legged after the Duke of Eurgundies traine begging his bread for Gods sake but he vttered not his name he being the neerest of the house of Lancaster and brother in law vnto King Edward and being knowne what he was Burgundy gaue him a small pension to maintaine his estate 87 But when King Henrie was againe restored the Title of the Crowne laid vpon the successe of Barnet-field this man Lord Henrie bare himselfe most brauely against king Edward and in fight was strucke downe and left for dead where in his bleeding woundes he lay most part of the day but yet recouering and got to Westminster he there tooke Sanctuary to saue his life for which he became Suiter vnto the king but his wife Lady Anne sister vnto king Edward sued as earnestly for a diuorce which with great instancy shee lastly obtained against him How he released himselfe from the wrath of the king is vncertaine and how he came by his death no man can tell for his body was found cast vpon the shoare of Kent as though he had perished by shipwracke vpon the Sea 88 Now Edward to finish all factions thought best to lop off both bough and branch that gaue any shadow to the Lancastrians designes to which end he rather picked then found occasion of treason in George Neuill Archbishop of Yorke whose goods lands and Lordships he seized vpon got possession of his rich plate and Iewels whereof one in his Miter was of such valew as the King caused it to be set in his Imperiall Crowne and the Archbishop to be sent ouer Sea to the Castle of Hames where he remained a Prisoner a long time after with no such curteous intertainement as himselfe had vsed to Edward when he was Prisoner 89 But the escape of Pembrooke and Earle Richmond troubled the King not a little the onely men now left to bandy against them and therefore were most followed with a suspicious eye In somuch as Edward wrote vnto the Duke of Britaine their receiuer with promises of heapes of gold to haue them sent backe and deliuered vnto his hands but the Duke that had giuen them his safetie before answered the English Ambassadors that it stood not with honour so to betray these distressed Princes fled to him for relief yet he faithfully vndertook that they should be so followed as King Edward should sleepe quiet from their molestations which being no better Edward notwithstanding made the best of it 90 All now in quiet and Edward raigning without any Competitor or malignant disturber caused a high Court of Parliament to be assembled at Westminster wherein he reestablished those Acts which Henrie had abrogated and abrogated those that were made against his fauourites at which season the Duke of Burgundie sent his Ambassadors vnto Edward crauing his aide against the French King which was the more willingly heard and granted as well for his fauors receiued of the Duke in time of his necessitie as for spleene against Lewis who had aided Warwicke 〈◊〉 dispossesse him of his Crowne And indeed this â—…s a sparke that was likely to set the hearts of the English on fire to recouer France lost by Henrie the last King 91 All things in a readinesse King Edward repaired to Douer and there embarked himselfe for Callis â—…with the greatest Army that euer from England set sailes into France for he had in his Companie fifteen hundred Noble-men and men at Armes all of them mounted and most of them barbed who with the Archers on horsebacke also made vp the number of fifteene thousand besides a great number of footemen and others to pitch Tents to attend the Artillerie and inclose their Campes Before the Kings departure from England he had sent Gartar King at Armes vnto King Lewis with a letter of defiance whose contents demanded no lesse then the whole Realme of France which if he refused â—…ee threatned to inuade his dominions with 〈◊〉 and sword 92 The letter receiued and read in secret by Lewis himselfe he priuately sent for and conferred with the Herald telling him that it was not Edward but Burgundy that raked abroad these dying sinders who as a man discomfited vnfurnished for warre would draw in the English by his slie dealings to their inestimable Charges to supply his defects that Burgundy being of the house of Lancaster hated most deadly the family of Yorke and more for feare then loue married Edwards sister As touching the Constable he told him though Edward had married his Neece yet hee would deceiue him as he had done his owne Master of France who had heaped manie and extraordinary benefits vpon him And lastly with the gift of three hundred Crownes and the promise of a thousand more he instigated the Herald to worke a peace Gartar very thankefullie tooke the French gold and counselled Lewis to send a Herault vnto his Master King Edward to demand a safe-conduct for conference and so openly rewarded with thirtie Elles of Crimson-veluet he departed 93 King Lewis nothing so pompous as other Princes are nor attended with Heraulds continually in his Court was therefore inforced vnto this present shift he caused a seruant of the Lord Hales to be arraied like an herauld in a trumpets banner and sent him in hast into King Edwards Camp where hauing audience he shewed the great desire the King his Master had of peace whose amity with England he had euer held excusing his receit of Warwicke with the necessity of time whom he aided not against Edward but against Burgundy who as he instantly alleaged had now drawne the English to this excessiue charges that he might thereby conclude a better composition for himselfe and to amend the broken state of his owne affaires lastly he desired that the King of England would grant a safe-conduct vnto the Ambassadors
yeeres were yet added to her life but whether in conceit for sorrow or of poison I cannot say she died shortlie after and was solemnely buried in the Abbey of Westminster 43 The King thus deliuered from the bands of Matrimony and now a widower at liberty to choose where he would cast glances of loue towards the Lady Elizabeth his owne brothers daughter and began to court her for his second Queene but the thing was so offensiue to the law of nature and so directly against the Law of God as all men abhorred the motion and most of all the maiden her selfe which Richard perceiuing hee forbare ouer earnest pursuite to gaine his time and all fit occasions but most especially hauing no leasure to woo his subiects on al sides daily reuolting and his Nobles more and more had in suspect among whom one was Lord Thomas Stanley Earle of Darby who had married Lady Margaret Countesse of Richâ—…nd Earle Henries owne mother him therefore hee most mistrusted and before he would admit his departure from Court he commanded him to leaue his sonne and heire George Stanley the Lord Strange for his hostage which he did though it little auailed to binde Darbies affection vnto his side 44 In this while King Richard hearing that Oxford had escaped out of the Castle of Hammes and that he with the Captaine thereof Iames Blunt were fled into France and ioined with Richmund thought it high time to quench the sparkes in those parts before they should rise to a higher flame and therefore hee appointed which was presently accomplished the Garrison at Callis to strait the said Castle with a hard siege being well assured that many welwillers to the Earles proceedings lay there harboured who vpon the least aduantage would be ready to play But Henry not vnmindfull of his distressed friends nor Oxford forgetting his kinde Hostesse Captaine Blunts wife made vnto the Peece and on the sudden put Thomas Brandon with thirty approued Souldiers into the Castle who from the walles plaied vpon the beseigers whiles Oxford annoied them vpon their backes so that presently they offered and came to a composition which was that they within should safely depart but the Castle to remaine in Subiection to the King 45 Hammes thus restored in danger to be lost and nothing had thence besides a woman and a few suspected persons King Richard thought himselfe now sure of all and fearing no inuasion at home imagined that much harme could not bee done abroad for Henry in France as he thought found very few friends and was fully perswaded that the French Kings assistance stood more of words then in deedes And indeed some occasion of such suspition was ministred for King Charles but young and the Princes at variance Earle Henry was enforced to make suite vnto them man by man Besides Thomas Marquesse Dorset sent for by his mother the Queene suddenly in the night made an escape from Paris with purpose for England which stroke great feare among Earle Henries part chiefely for that all their Counsels were knowne vnto the Marquesse which if he should reueale their designes were made desperate To preuent which hee was posted after and brought backe againe though much against his will These things considered King Richard to lessen his great charges discharged his Nauy at seas commanding the Welsh to watch the shoare Beacons to be built and armour to bee ready at euery call then giuing his affections leaue to entertaine more security saw not the sword that hung ouer his head 46 But Earle Henrie deliuered from the feare of the Marquesse thought it not best to prolong time lest others vpon like purposes should bewray his intents and thereupon obtaining a small aide of the French with a certaine summe of money for which the Lord Marquesse whom he much mistrusted and Sir Iohn Bourchier were left in pledge hee set forward to Roâ—…n and prepared his shipping in the mouth of Seyn whither tidings was brought him of Queene Annes death that King Richard purposed to marry Lady Elizabeth a feare indeed farre exceeding the former shee being the Princesse by whom hee must claime whereupon much distemperature arose euery mans braine working vpon the newes But after much consultation it was held the best to make ouer into England to interpose the proceedings ere the match was fully made whereupon Earle Richmund with two thousand men onely and a small number of ships set sayle from Harflent the fifteenth of August and the seuenth day following arriued at Milford hauen in Wales where taking land hee came vnto Dale and thence the next day marched to Hereford west ten miles into the Maine from thence he marched to Cardigan where he had newes that the Countrey was forelaid against him but finding that vntrue he made still forward beating downe such Houlds as held against him then sending secretly to Lady Margaret his mother to the Lord Stanley Talbot and others signified vnto them he meant to passe Seuerne at Shrewesbury and thence to march directly towards London In his way to Shrewesbury there mette him Sir Rice ap Thomas a man of great command in Wales with a number of men to side in his quarrell which Henry afterwards requited in making this his first aider the Gouernour of Wales 47 The Earle more boldly from Shrewsburie held on his march to the Towne of Newport whither Sir Gilbert Talbot with two thousand strong from the young Earle of Shrewsbury gaue him his aide Then passed he forward to Stafford and had conference there with Sir William Stanley and proceeding forward was honourably receiued into the City Lichfield where Thomas Earle of Darby with fiue thousand armed men had beene some few daies before but hearing of Earle Henries approach remoued to Anderson to auoide suspition of the jealous King that kept his sonne Hostage for his further truth 48 King Richard at this time helde his Court at Notingham where being informed that Earle Henrie with a small company was landed in Wales made small account of what he could doe altogether relying vpon the Lord Walter Herbert and Sir Rice ap Thomas two principall men in whom hee conceiued no little trust yet lest this new risen spring might gather in more heads he sent to Iohn Duke of Norfolk Henry Earle of Northumberland and Thomas Earle of Surrey willing them with a selected power to represse the insolency of this head-strong Earle moreouer he sent for Sir Robert Brakenburie Lieutenant of the Tower Sir Thomas Bourchier and Sir Walter Hungerford Knights all of them in great iealousie and mistrust commanding them with their forces to come and attend vpon his person which accordingly they set forward to doe meane while sending his Spials to know the way Henrie went had intelligence that hee was past Shrewsbury without any impeachment whereat storming in choller and cursing their vntruthes whom hee had
Ouer the Deirans Osrik was made king and of Bernicia Eanfrid assumed the raigne but Gods iustice ouer taking their Apostasie neither their liues nor this diuision lasted long For Cadwall the Christian and Penda the Pagan were Gods instruments that with worthy vengeance in the first yeere of their gouernment cut the one off in battell and the other by trechery whose names and yeere of raigne as vnhappy and of hatefull remembrance the Historiographers of those times would haue to be omitted 3 But religious Oswald lamenting the effusion of his Countries bloud long slept not their reuenge For assembling his power which was not great hee suddenly and vnlooked for came vpon Cadwâ—… and at Deniseburne pitched downe his tents The place saith Beda stood neere the wall that Seuerus had made where Oswald for the first day forbare to fight and among his Souldiers for his Standerd set vp a Crosse of wood wherunto it seemeth those dawning daies of Christianity were ouermuch addicted Here Oswald making first intercession to God the onely preseruer of his people in sore long fight obtained great victory with the slaughter of Cadwallo and of all his British Army which so accomplished many haue attributed the vertue of that Crosse to bee no small cause of that great ouerthrow This Crosse so set vp was the first we read of to haue been erected in England and the first Altar vnto Christ among the Bernicians whose pretended miraculous cures not onely in the wood it selfe but in the mosse and in the earth wherein it was set let Beda report them and Stapleton vrge them yet for my part I hold them no Article of our canonicall Creed 4 But certaine it is that Oswald himselfe was a most religious and godly king and tooke such care for the conuersion and saluation of his subiects that he sent into Scotland for Aidan a Christian Bishop to instruct his Northumbrians in the Gospell of truth And whereas the Bishops could not speake their language the king himselfe was interpreter at his Sermons and gaue his words in the English as hee spake and pronounced them in the Scotish which language Oswald perfectly spake hauing beene there the space of eighteene yeeres Thus the godly proceedings of the king and Bishop produced such increase of their heauenly seed that it is reported in seuen daies space fifteene thousand Christians receiued Baptisme and many of theâ—…forsaking the pleasures of the world to haue betake themselues to a religious and solitarie life 5 At this time the whole Iland flourished both with peace and plentie and acknowledged their subiection vnto king Oswald For as Beda reporteth all the Nations of Britannie which spake foure languages that is to say Britaines Redshanks Scots and Englishmen Became subiect vnto him And yet being aduanced to so royall Maiestie he was notwithstanding which is maruellâ—… to be reported lowly to all gracious to the poore and beautifull to strangers The fruits whereof the same Author exemplifieth in his bounty and humilitie towards the poore who vpon a solemne feast day seeing many such at his gates sent them both the delicates for himselfe prepared commanded the charger of siluer to be broken and diuided among them The Bishop much reioycing thereat tooke the king by the right hand and praied that it might neuer consume as after his death it did not but was shrined in siluer and in S. Peters Church at Bebba now Bambrough with worthy honor was worshipped for the many miracles in cures that it did as likewise the earth wherein his bloud was spilt with such lauish enlargements haue those writers interlined the deeds of Gods Saints 6 But as the Sunne hath his shadow and the highest tide her ebbe so Oswald how holy soeuer or gouernment how good had emulators that sought his life and his Countries ruine for wicked Penda the Pagan Mercian enuying the greatnesse that king Oswald bare raised warres against him and at a place then called Maserfeild in Shrop-shire in a bloudie and sore fought battle slew him and not therewith satisfied in barbarous and brutish immanitie did teare him in peeces the first day of August and yeere of Christ Iesus six hundred forty two being the ninth of his raigne and the thirty eighth of his age whereupon the said place of his death is called to this day Oswaldstree a faire Market Towne in the same Countie 7 The dismembred limmes of his body were first buried in the Monastery of Bradney in Lincolnshire shrined with his standard of Gold and Purple erected ouer his Tombe at the industry and cost of his neece Offryd Queene of Mercia wife vnto king Ethelred and daughter to Oswyn that succeeded him From hence his bones were afterwards remooued to Glocester and there in the north side of the vpper end of the Quire in the Cathedrall Church continueth a faire Monument of him with a Chapell set betwixt two pillers in the same Church His Wife 8 Kineburg a most vertuous Lady and daughter to Kingils the sixth and first Christian king of the West-Saxons was the wife of king Oswald who became both his father and sonne in the day of her mariage by receiuing him at the Font and her of his gift She was maried vnto him in the second yeere of his raign which was the yeere of Christs Incarnation six hundred thirty six no other relation made of her besides the birth of his sonne His Issue 9 Ethelwald the only childe of king Oswald and Queene Kineburg his wife was borne in the yeere of our Lord six hundred thirty seuen being the third yeere of his fathers raigne and but an infant at his fathers death was disappointed of the Northumbrian Kingdome by the fraud of his vncle Oswyn Notwithstanding at the death of Oswin king of Deira and then not aboue sixteene yeeres of age hee tooke the same kingdome and by strong hand held it against his vncle so long as he liued and at his death left it to his cosen Alkefryd the naturall sonne of king Osuyne as in the ninth Chapter we haue said OSVVY KING OF NORTHVMBERLAND AND THE TENTH MONARCH OF THE ENGLISHMEN HIS ACTS WIFE AND CHILDREN CHAPTER XXII OSwye the illegitimate sonne of King Ethelfrid surnamed the Wilde at thirty yeeres of age succeeded Oswald his halfe brother in his Dominions being the fourth King of Northumberland and the tenth Monarch of the Englishmen entring his gouernment the thirteenth day of October and yeere of Christs Incarnation six hundred forty three His first beginnings were much disquieted by Penda the Heathen Mercian by the rebellions of his base sonne Alkfrid and by the oppositions of Ethelwold the son of King Oswald but none sate more neere his heart then Oswyn king of the Deirians did whose vertuous gouernment did much darken as hee tooke it his owne and the free loue of those subiects daily to lessen his among the Bernicians 2 This Oswyn of Deira was the sonne
of Osrike who did apostate from his faith and ruling his Prouince in plentie and peace the space of seuen yeeres was therefore greatly enuied by Oswy of Bernicia and lastly by him prouoked into the field Their hosts met at the place then called Wilfares Downe ten miles West from the village Cataracton and there attended to hazard the day But Oswyn finding himselfe too weake for Oswy and to saue the effusion of Christian bloud forsooke the field accompanied onely with one Souldier and went to Earle Hunwald his friend as he thought to secure his life But contrary to trust hee deliuered him vnto King Oswy who cruelly slew him the twentieth of August and ninth of his raigne at the place called Ingethling where afterwards for satisfaction of so hainous an offence a Monasterie was built as vpon like occasions many the like foundations were laid whose stones were thus ioyned with the morter of bloud 3 Of this Oswine thus slaine Beda reporteth the Story following Among his other rare vertues and princely qualities his humility saith he and passing lowlinesse excelled whereof he thus exemplifieth The reuerend Christian Bishop Aidan vsing much trauell to preach the Gospell thorowout that Prouince the King for his more ease gaue him a goodly Gelding with rich and costly trapping It chanced one day as the Bishop rode to minister the word of life that a poore man demanded his almes but hee not hauing wherewith to releeue him and pitying his distressed poore estate presently alighted and gaue vnto him his horse and rich furniture whereof when the King heard he blamed him and said What meant you my Lord to giue to the begger the horse that I gaueyou with my saddle and trappings Had we horses of no lower price to giue away to the poore To whom the Bishop replied And is the brood of a beast dearer in your sight then this poore man the childe of God The King 〈◊〉 reprooued turned himselfe towards the fire and there â—…dly pausing vpon this answer presently gaue from him his sword and in haste fell at the Bishops feet desiring forgiuenesse in that he had said The Bishop much astonied suddenly lift vp the King desiring him to sit to meat and to be mery which the King immediately did but the Bishop contrariwise began to bee pensiue and sadde and the teares to trickle downe his cheekes in which passion hee burst out into these speeches and said to his Chaplaine in an vnknowne tongue I neuer till this time haue seene an humble King and surely his life cannot bee long for this people are not worthy to haue such a Prince to gouern them But to returne to King Oswy 4 Who after many cruell inuasions of the mercilesse Penda was forced to sue vnto him for peace with proffers of infinite treasure and most precious iewels all which reiected and the Tyrant comming on Oswy sought his helpe by supplication to God and with such zeale as then was embraced vowed his young daughter Elfled to be consecrated in perpetuall virginitie vnto him with twelue Farmers and their lands to the erection and maintenance of a Monasterie and thereupon prepared himselfe for battle 5 The Armie of this enemie is reported to redouble thirty times his all well appointed and old tried souldiers against whom Oswy with his sonne Alkfryd boldly marched Egfryd his other sonne then being an hostage with Cinwise an vnder Queene of the Mercians Ethelwald the sonne of Oswald tooke part with Penda against his naturall Vncle and natiue Country so did Ethelherd the brother of Christian Anna side with this heathenish and cruell Mercian 6 The battle was fought neere to the riuer Iunet which at that time did ouer-flow his bankes so that the victorie falling with Oswy more were drowned in the water then slaine with the sword And heerein proud Penda lost his life with the discomfiture of all his Mercian power Heerein also died Ethelherd the East-Angles King who was the only motiue to these warres and Ethelwald escaping returned with dishonour vnto Deira The day was thus gotten the thirteenth yeere of King Oswy his raigne the fifteenth day of Nouember and yeere of Christ his Incarnation six hundred fifty fiue 7 After this victorie king Oswy raigned in great glory the space of three yeeres subduing the Mercians the south parts of the English and made the northerne parts likewise subiect vnto him He it was that decided the long controuersy for Easters celebration and founded the Cathedrall Church in Lichfeild for a Bishops See which Citie with all South-Mercia diuided from the north by the riuer Trent hee gaue to Peada the sonne of king Penda in mariage with his naturall daughter Alkfled on condition that he should become a Christian all which the said king not long enioied but was murdered in his owne Court. And the Mercians erecting Vulfhere his brother and their natiue country-man for king rebelled against Oswy and freed themselues from a forraine subiection 8 Thus Oswy ending in troubles as he began in warres raigned the space of twenty eight yeeres and then falling sicke was so strucke with remorse for the death of good Oswyn and bloud which hee had spilt that hee vowed a pilgrimage to Rome in which reputed holy place hee purposed to haue ended his life and to haue left his bones therein to rest but his disease increasing and that purpose failing he left this life the fifteenth of Februarie and his body to remaine in S. Peters Church at Streanshach the yeere after Christs birth six hundred seuentie and of his own age fifty eight His Wife 9 Eanfled the wife of this king was the daughter of Edwin and Ethelburg king Queene of Northumberland She was the first Christian that was baptized in that Prouince and after her fathers death was brought vp in Kent vnder her mother and thence maried vnto this Oswy whom she suruiued and spent the whole time of her widow-hood in the Monastery of Steanshalch where her daughter Elfred was Abbesse wherein she deceased and was interred in the Church of S. Peter hard by her husband king Edwin His Issue 10 Egfryd the eldest sonne of king Oswy and of Queene Eanfled was borne in the third yeere of his fathers raigne being the yeere of grace six hundred forty fiue In the twenty fifth yeere of his age and of our Lord God six hundred seuenty one he succeeded his father in Northumberland but not in his Monarchie of whose life and acts wee haue further spoken in the seuenth Chapter of this Booke 11 Elswine the second sonne of king Oswy and of Queene Eanfled was borne in the yeere of our Lord six hundred sixty one being the ninth of his fathers raigne at whose death he was nine yeeres old and in the ninth yeere after being the eighteenth of his age was vnfortunately slaine in a battell wherein he
serued his brother Egfrid against Ethelred king of the Mercians to the great griefe of them both the yeere of Christs natiuity six hundred seuentie nine 12 Elfled the eldest daughter of king Oswy and queene Eanfled was borne in the month of September the yeere of grace six hundred fiftie foure being the twelfth of her fathers raigne and when she was a yeer old by him committed to the custodie bringing vp of the renowned Lady Hilda Abbesse of Streanshall wherein she liued vnder her a Nun and after her death did succeed her Abbesse of the place and in great holinesse and vertue spent therein her life vnto the day of her death which was the yeere of Christ Iesus seuen hundred fourteene and of her owne age sixtie being interred in S. Peters Church within the same Monasterie 13 Offrid the younger daughter of king Oswy and queene Eanfled was borne about the fifteenth yeere of her fathers raigne which was the yeere of our Lord six hundred sixtie seuen and when she was fully twenty was married vnto Ethelred king of Mercia the twelfth Monarch of the Englishmen in the third yeere of his raigne and of Christ six hundred seuenty seuen 14 Alkfrid the naturall sonne of king Oswy did first succeed his cosen Ethelwald sonne of king Oswald his Vncle in part of Northumberland and held the same by force against his Father which afterwards he peaceably inioyed both with him and his halfe brother King Egfrid whom lastly hee succeeded in the whole kingdome of Northumberland as more at large in the same story we haue declared 15 Alâ—…fled the naturall daughter of king Oswy borne before her father was king in the yeere of Christs incarnation six hundred fiftie three and the eleuenth of her fathers raigne was married to Peâ—…d the sonne of Penda that by his permission had gouerned some part of Mercia and by Oswy his gift with this Alfled all the South of that Prouince She was his wife three yeers and is of most writers taxed to be the actor of his death being wickedly murthered in the feast of Easter the yeere of grace six hundred fiftie sixe and the fourteenth of her Fathers raigne VVLFHERE THE SIXTH KING OF THE MERCIANS AND THE ELEVENTH MONARCH OF THE ENGLISHMEN HIS RAIGNE ACTS WIFE AND ISSVE CHAPTER XXIII VVulfhere after the murther of his brother Peada aduanced against Oswy by the Nobles of Mercia maintained his title and kingdome for twelue yeeres continuance in the life time of that Northumbrian Monarch and after his death translated the Monarchy from those Kings and Country vnto himself and his successors the Mercians who now wore the Imperiall Diademe without reuersement vntill such time as great Egbert set it vpon the West-Saxons head He was the second sonne of Penda King of Mercia and the sixth in succession of that kingdome beginning his raigne the yeere of Christ his Incarnation six hundred fiftie nine and twelue yeeres after Anno six hundred seuenty one entred his Monarchy ouer the Englishmen and was in number accounted the eleuenth Monarch of the Land 2 His entrance was with trouble against the Northumbrians for vnto Egfrid their King he had lost the possession of the Iland Linsey and was expelled the Country yet three yeeres after he fought against the West-Saxons with better successe whose Country with conquest he passed thorow and wan from Redwald their King the I le of Wight which Iland he gaue to Edilwach the South-Saxons King whom he receiued his God-sonne at the font-stone notwithstanding himselfe had lately been a prophane Idolater and most cruell Heathen as by the Liger booke of the Monastery of Peterborow appeareth whose story is this 3 King Vulfhere of Mercia remaining at his Castell in Vlferchester in Stafford-shire and vnderstanding that Vulfald and Rufin his two sonnes vnder pretence and colour of hunting vsually resorted to reuerend Chad to bee instructed in the fruitfull faith of Christ Iesus and had at his hands receiued the Sacrament of Baptisme at the perswasion of one Werebod suddenly followed and finding them in the Oratory of that holy man in deuout contemplations slew them there with his owne hands Whose martyred bodies Queene Ermenehild their mother caused to be buried in a Sepulchre of stone and thereupon a faire Church to be erected which by reason of the many stones thither brought for that foundation was euer after called Stones and now is a Market Towne in the same County But King Vulfhere repenting this his most vnhumane murther became himselfe a Christian and destroied all those Temples wherein his heathen Gods had been worshipped conuerting them all into Christian Churches and religious Monasteries and to redeeme so hainous an offence vnderwent the finishing of Medisâ—…am his brothers foundation enriching it largely with lands and possessions notwithstanding hee is taxed by William of Malmesbury with the foule sinne of Symony for selling vnto Wyna the Bishopricke of London 4 He raigned King ouer the Mercians the space of seuenteene yeeres and Monarch of the English fully foure leauing his life in the yeere of our Lord six hundred seuentie foure and his body to be buried in the Monastery of Peterborow which was of his brothers and his owne foundation His Wife 5 Ermenhild the Wife of King Vulfhere was the daughter of Ercombert the seuenth King of Kent and sister to Egbert and Lothair both Kings of that Countie Her mother was Sexburg daughter to Anna the seuenth King of the East-Angles whose sisters were many and most of them Saints She was married vnto him in the third yeere of his raigne and was his wife fourteene yeeres After his decease she went to her mother Queene Sexburg being then Abbesse of Ely where she continued all the rest of her life and therein deceased and was buried His Issue 6 Kenred the son of King Vulfhere and of Queen Ermenhild being the heire apparant of his fathers possessions was vnder age at his fathers decease and by reason of his minority was withheld from the gouernment which Ethelred his Vncle entred into without any contradiction of this Kenred who held himselfe contented to liue a priuate life notwithstanding Ethelred taking the habit of a Monke left the Crowne to him who was the right heire 7 Vulfald a young Gentleman conuerted to the Christian faith by Bishop Chad and martyred for profession of the same by King Vulfhere is reported by Water of Wittlesey a Monke of Peterborow in a Register which he wrote of that Monastery to bee the supposed son of King Vulfhere himselfe and to haue been slaine by him in his extreme fury before he was a Christian or could indure to heare of the Christian faith He was buried in Stone as we haue said where his father built a Colledge of Canons regular which was afterwards called S. Vulfaldes 8 Rufine the fellow martyr of Vulfald
likelyhoods to induce that she was his lawfull Queene 11 Elfleda the second wife of King Edward was the daughter as Mathew of Westminster reporteth of an Earle named Ethelhelme and Asser the Bishop of Sherborne maketh mention of an Earle in Wiltshire among the West-Saxons of the same name who was in great fauour with King Elfred the father of this King by whom hee was sent Ambassador to carry his Almes to Stephen the sixt of that name Bishop of Rome in the yeare of our Lord 887 and by all probable conference of name time and place hee seemeth to bee the man that was father to this Queene 12 Edgina the third wife of King Edward was the daughter and heire of Earle Sigeline Lord of Meapham Culings and Leanham in Kent who was there slaine in battaile against the Danes Anno 927. She was married vnto King Edward about the fourteenth yeare of his raigne being the yeare of Grace 916. She was his wife ten yeares and after his death she liued a widdow all the times of the raignes of King Ethelstan her sonne in law of King Edmund and King Edred her owne sonnes of King Edwy her Grand-child and was liuing in the Raigne of King Edward another of her Grand-children almost fortie yeares after the death of her husband It is writ of her that in the yeare of Grace 959. Shee offered her lands and euidences to Christ vpon his Altar at Canterbury She deceased the twenty fift of August in the fourth yeare of the said King Edgar and of Christ 963. His Children 13 Ethelstan the eldest sonne of King Edward and the Lady Eguina was borne and growne to good yeeres in the time of the raigne of his Grandfather King Elfred who with his owne hands gaue him the order of Knighthood after a very honourable manner of creation as William the Monke of Malmsbury a great obseruer of such things hath left in writing who reporteth that he put vpon him a Purple Robe and girt him with a girdle wrought with pearle and a Saxon sword in a scabard of gold hanging at the same He was the Successor of his Father in the West-Saxons dominions and the English Monarchy 14 Elfred the second sonne of King Edward and the Lady Eguina is warranted by the testimony of the story of Hyde to haue been loued of his Father aboue all his other children that he caused him in his owne lifetime to bee crowned King and to sit with him in his Seat of Estate as his Partner in the Kingdome and that he enioyed that great honour but for a small time deceasing shortly after his creation and long before his fathers death and was buried in the New Monastery at Winchester which afterwards was remoued to Hyde 15 Editha whom the Scotish Writers call Beatrite the daughter of King Edward and the Lady Eguma with great honour was maried to Sythrick the Danish King of Northumberland in the first yeere of the raigne of her brother King Ethelstane being the yeere of grace 915. Within one yeere after her mariage her husband deceased and his sonne Guthfrid succeeded him in his Kingdome Wherefore she forsaking that Country obtained of her brothers gift the Castell of Tamworth in the County of Warwicke where she began a Monastery of Nunnes and therein liued died and was interred and both the Monastery and Body afterwards was remoued from thence vnto Pollesworth 16 Elsward the third son of King Edward the first of Queen Elfleda his second wife was born as it seemeth about the beginning of his Fathers raigne He was carefully brought vp in the study of Liberall Arts and in all other princely qualities so that it was expected he should haue succeeded his Father in the Kingdome but presently vpon his fathers decease he deceased himselfe in Oxford and was buried at one time and in one place with him in the New Monastery at Winchester in the yeere of Christ Iesus 924. 17 Edwine the fourth sonne of King Edward and the second of Queene Elfleda his second Wife was very young when his father was buried and his brother Ethelstane crowned Notwithstanding a deep ielosie possessing the King that his title was too neere the Crowne he caused him to be put into a little Pinnesse without either Tackle or Oares one only page accompanying him that his death might be imputed to the waues whence the young Prince ouercome with griefe and not able to master his owne passions cast himselfe headlong into the sea and his dead body being driuen vpon the coasts of Flanders was taken vp by Adulphe Earle of Boloine his cosen-germane and honourably buried in the Monastery of Saint Bertin in the Towne of S. Omers Which fact was much lamented by King Ethelstan who greeuously punished the suggestions of his owne ielosie and the procurers of his brothers death sending great thanks to the Earle that buried him and rich presents to the Monastery which entombed him and to appease the ghost of his innocent brother built the Abbey of Mialeton in the County of Dorset 18 Elfleda the second daughter of King Edward and the first of Queene Elfleda his second Wife entred into the orders of Religion and tooke vpon her the profession and vow of Virginity in the Monastery of Rumsey situated vpon the Riuer Test in the County of Southampton In which Monastery she was first a Nunne and afterward Abbesse during the whole time of her life which was there spent and ended and her body in the said Abbey buried 19 Eguina the third daughter of King Edward and the second of Queene Elfleda his second Wife was the second Wife to Charles the third surnamed the Simple King of France son to King Lews the brother of Iudith Queene of England before mentioned She had issue by him Lewis the third surnamed Beyond-sea because he was brought vp here in England with his Vnkle King Ethelstan and Gillet Duchesse of Normandy maried to Rollo the Dane who in regard of his marriage was allowed to bee the first Duke of that Country This Queene suruiued King Charles her Husband and afterwards was remaried to Herbert the younger Earle of Vermandoys which marriage was taken for so great an indignity because Earle Herbert the elder father to this Earle had caused the King her Husband to die in prison that King Lewis her sonne presently pursued her apprehended and committed her to the strait custody of Queene Gerberge his wife so as shee had no recourse vnto him nor issue by him 20 Ethelhild the fourth daughter of King Edward and the third of Queene Elfleda his second Wife followed the example of her elder sister Elfleda and became a Nunne in the Monastery of Wilton which was sometime the head Towne giuing name to the whole County of Wiltshire and antiently called Ellandon 21 Edhild the fifth daughter of King Edward and the fourth of Queene Elfleda
deceased in the very prime of his youth before the death of his father or of his elder brother and before hee had done any thing in his life worthy of remembrance after his death 44 Edmund the third sonne of King Ethelred Queene Elgiua his first wife was borne in the eleuenth yeare of his fathers raigne and of Grace 989 and of all his fathers Children proued to be the only man that set his helping hand to the redresse of the estate of his Country distressed by the miserable oppressions of the Danes which hee pursued with such exceeding toile and restlesse hazards of his body as he was therefore surnamed Iron-side and when hee had followed those warres with great courage the space of seuenteene yeeres vnder his Father being come to twenty seuen of his owne age hee succeeded him in his Kingdome and troubles as presently shall be shewed 45 Edred the fourth sonne of King Ethelred and of Queene Elgiua his first wife was born about the foureteenth yeare of his fathers raigne being the yeare of Grace 992. His name is continually set downe as a witnesse in the testees of his fathers Charters vntill the thirtie fift yeare of his raigne by which it appeareth that hee liued vnto the two and twentieth yeere of his owne age although I find no mention of him or of any thing done by him in any of our histories and it seemeth he died at that time because his name is left out of the Charters after that yeare 46 Edwy the fift sonne of King Ethelred and Queene Elgiua his first wife suruiued his father and all his brethren and liued in the raigne of Canute the Dane who being iealous of his new-gotten estate and fearefull of the dangers that might accrew vnto him by this Edwy and such others of the English bloud roiall practised to haue him murthered which was accordingly done by them whom hee most fauoured and least suspected the yeare of our saluation 1017. 47 Edgar the sixt sonne of King Ethelred and of Queene Elgiua his first wife was borne about the twentieth yeere of his fathers raigne beeing the yere of our Lord God nine hundred ninetie and eight He seemeth by the Testees of his fathers Charters to haue beene liuing in the one and twentieth of his raigne but beeing no more found in any of them after may be supposed by all coniectures to haue died in or about the same yeere beeing but the eleuenth after his owne birth and the seuenth before his fathers death 48 The eldest daughter of King Ethelred and Queene Elgiua his first wife although her name bee not to bee found in any writer of those times appeareth notwithstanding to be married to one Ethelstan a Noble man of England who was the principall Commander of Cambridge-shire men at the great battle fought betweene them and the Danes wherein the English-men had the ouerthrow and this sonne in law of King Ethelred with the rest of the chiefe Leaders were slaine in the yeere of Christs Natiuity 1010. being the two and thirtieth of his father in lawes raigne 49 Edgith the second daughter of King Ethelred and Queene Elgiua his first wife was married to Edrik Duke of Mercia who for his couetousnesse in getting was surnamed Streattone This Edrik was the sonne of one Egelrik surnamed Leofwin an elder brother to Egelmere the grandfather of Goodwin Duke of the West-Saxons and beeing but meanely borne was thus highly aduanced by this King notwithstanding he was euer a traitor to his Countrie and a fauourer of the Danes betraying both him and King Edmund his sonne to King Canut that he thereby might gette new preferments by him who worthily rewarded him as a traitor and put him to death 50 Elfgine the third daughter of King Ethelred and of Queene Elgiua his first wife was the second wife of Vtred surnamed the Bold sonne of Earle Waldefe the elder Earle of Northumberland by whom shee had one onely child a daughter named Aldgith married to a Noble-man called Maldred the sonne of Crinan shee was mother of Cospatricke who was Earle of Northumberland in the time of William the Conquerour and forced by his displeasure to fly into Scotland where hee abode and was ancestor to the Earles of Dunbar and of March in that Countrie 51 Gode the fourth and youngest daughter of King Ethelred and Queene Elgiua his first wife was first married to one Walter de Maigne a Noble-man of Normandy greatly fauoured by King Edward her brother who liued not long after the marriage and left issue by her a sonne named Rodulfe whom King Edward his vncle created Earle of Hereford This Earle Rodulfe died the one and twentieth of December in the thirteenth yeere of his vncles raigne and was buried at Peterborough leauing issue a young sonne named Harrald created afterwards by King William the Conqueror Baron of Sudeley in the Countie of Gloucester and Ancestor to the Barons of that place succeeding and of the Lord Chandois of Sudeley now being This Lady Gode after the decease of the said Water de Maigne was remarried to Eustace the elder Earle of Bulloigne in Picardy a man of great valour in those parts of France and a most faithfull friend to King Edward her brother which Earle was grand-father to Godfrey of Bulloigne King of Ierusalem albeit it seemeth he had no issue by this Lady 52 Edward the seuenth sonne of King Ethdred and his first by Queene Emme his second wife was borne at Islipe in the County of Oxford and brought vp in France all the time of his youth with his vncle Richard the third of that name Duke of Normandy mistrusting his safety in England vnder King Canute the Dane although he had married his mother but hee found the time more dangerous by the vsage of his brother Elfred at his beeing heere in the raigne of King Harrald sonne of the Dane Notwithstanding hee returned home when Hardiknut the other sonne beeing his halfe brother was King and was honourably receiued and entertained by him and after his death succeeded him in the Kingdom of England 53 Elfred the eight sonne of King Ethelred and his second by Queene Emme his second wife was conueied into Normandie for feare of King Conute with his eldest brother Edward and with him returned into England to see his mother then beeing at Winchester in the second yeere of King Harrald surnamed Harefoote by whose practize hee was trained towards London apprehended by the way at Guilford in Surrey depriued of his eie-sight and committed prisoner to the Monastery of Elie his Normans that came with him most cruelly murthered and hee himselfe soone after deceasing was buried in the Church of the said Monasterie EDMVND SVRNAMED IRONSIDE THE THIRTIE THREE MONARCH OF THE ENGLISH-MEN HIS WARRES ACTS RAIGNE WIFE AND ISSVE CHAPTER XLV EDmund the third sonne of King Ethelred and the eldest liuing at his Fathers death
all secular actions should not bee exercised vnlesse some weighty and vrgent necessity required it That euery Christian should thrice in the yeere addresse himselfe to the receiuing of the blessed sacrament of the Lords Supper That if a Minister of the Altar killed a man or else committed any notorious crime hee should be depriued both from his order and dignity That the married woman conuicted for adultery should haue her nose and eares cut off That a widow marying within the space of twelue moneths after her husbands decease should lose her iointer 8 These many other were made wherby sinne was much restrained and this realme peaceably and iustly gouerned As likewise sundry other Countries were by his godly and roiall care as in especiall is recorded of a yong Gentleman of the Danish roiall bloud named Odiâ—… whom King Canute brought ouer with him into England to be here trained vp in learning where he profited so well as also by his trauaile through France whereby hee much encreased both his knowledge and experience that he attained the surname of Sapient and the Philosopher and therefore was called Odin-char for the deere esteeme wherein all men held him This man by his preaching in Finland Zeland Scandia and Sweuland conuerted great multitudes to the faith of Christ. 9 But in Denmarke things proceeded not so wel for in the absence of Canutus and yeer of Christs humanity 1019. the Vandals sore annoied his subiects hee therefore in the third of his raigne with a great host of the English passed ouer the seas and bad his enemies battaile which as Mathew of Westminster writeth went sore against him the first day and preparing againe for the next Earle Goodwine who was Generall of the English attempted a great enterprize for in the dead of the night hee with his souldiers set vpon the Campe of the Vandals and with a great slaughter of their souldiers made the two Princes Vlfus and Anlaâ—…e to flie the field Canute ignorant of this acted enterprise had notice in the morning that the English were fled for that their station was left and not a man found wherfore following the tract euen to the enemies campe by streames of bloud and dead bodies of the Vandals hee saw the great ouerthrow that the English had giuen them for which he euer after held them in great estimation 10 Albertus Krantius the Danish historian reporteth that Olanus King of Sweyden hauing assisted Canute against Edmund the Ironside and seeing himselfe to be neglected in the composition betwixt them moued such stirres in Denmarke that Canutus was forced thither againe where by the prowesse of his English hee repulsed Olanus who lastly was slaine by his owne subiects 11 William of Malmesbury and Mathew of Westminster record that in the yeere 1032. he vndertooke an expedition into Scotland with prosperous successe against Malcolme the King thereof with two other Princes called Melbeath and Ieohmare But being at length ouerburdened as it were with his own greatnesse and surfeited with glory which somtimes he had so greedily desired as euen the greatest earthly delights haue their fulnes hee resolued on a more placable course of life and to affect a higher and heauenly glory which hath neuer satiety or end And therefore his deuotion being great vnto God-ward on a zealous intent such a zeale as S. Paul commended in the deuout Israelites hee tooke a iourney to Rome to visite the sepulchres of S. Peter and Paul in the fifteenth yeere of his raign thence sent his letters to his English Bishops and Nobility beginning thus 12 Canute King of all England Denmarke Norway and Sweyden to Ailnothus Metropolitan c. Wherein hauing first set downe the reason of his pilgrimage to Rome which was especially to honour S. Peter as hee had beene taught by Wisemen that S. Peter had receiued from Christ the great power of binding and loosing and was also the Key-bearer of heauen-gates for which cause left S. Peter should not open the same vnto him when hee should come thither he held it most behouefull for him to procure his Patronage more then all the rest of Saints then making relation of his honourable entertainement with the Emperour Pope and other forreine Princes sheweth what complaint hee had made against the excessiue exactions and huge summes of money extorted by the Pope from the English Arch-Bishops at such time as they receiued their Palles from Rome for redresse whereof and of other abuses the Pope in a solemn assembly of foure Arch-Bishops twenty Bishops and an innumerable multitude of Princes and Nobles obliged himselfe And thence proceedeth in vowing the whole remainder of his life and reigne to the onely seruice of God and due administration of Iustice to his people to which end hee first giues command to his Counsellours that thence forward they dare not for whatsoeuer respect to giue way or conniuence to any the least iniustice in his Kingdom and next to his Officers of Iustice that as they tender his roiall fauour and their own liues they swerue not from Equity in execution of their places in respect of any man whosoeuer no not for the enriching of the Kings owne Cophers because saith hee I hold it not needefull that treasure should bee heaped together for mee by any vniust exactions and so concludeth with a strict charge to all his Bishops and Iustices vpon their allegiance both to God and himselfe to take order in his absence that Gods Church and his Ministers bee not defrauded of their Tithes and rights whereof he vowes at his returne to take a most seuere account 13 By this his great care of his owne saluation and his peoples tranquillity we may see the zeale of those darke daies to haue beene accompanied with the workes of true pietie whose carnall applications of the spirituall texts may well condemne these cleerer times and daies of more brightnes wherein wee know that this Key-keeper of heauen is no other but the verie Christ who hath the Key of Dauid which openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth And that this Kings zeale might bee further seene by his magnificke workes he beganne to manifest it euen at Rome where giuing many large gifts vnto S. Peters Church hee also made free the Saxons Schoole from all tributes 14 In Essex hee built the Church of Ashdon where hee had the victory against King Edmund In Norfolke the Abbey of S. Benets which Saint he greatly reuerenced and in Suffolke with an especiall deuotion built and endowed the Monastery of S. Edmund which Saint he most dreadly feared for it is reported that the seeming-ghost of Edmund often affrighted him for which cause as also to expiate the sinnes of his father who had done great dammage to his possession hee inuerged the same with a deepe ditch and offered vp his Crowne vpon the
this King 5 But his vices were more and concerned more personnes for a great Epicure hee was and giuen much vnto Cuppes whereby he trained the body to belly cheere and sense to bee subiect to sloth and drunkennesse foure times euery day were his tables spred and plenteously with all Cates furnished euer commanding that his courtiers guests and seruants should rather leaue for superfluity then call for lack which howsoeuer it was in him accounted for Roiall bounty yet it caused in the people who vse to praise the Soueraignes vertues but imitate his vices a riotous loosenesse and the Common-weale to lie sicke of consumptions bred by such excesse of those grosse humours in her body 6 This wrought in him a carelesse neglect of gouernment in State so that â—…he whole managing thereof was committed to his mother Queene Emma a woman extreamely couetous and to Goodwin the rich and politicke Earle of Kent who seeing the present state carried wholy away with present pleasures thought that a fitte subiect for him to worke vpon for the King not married vnlesse it were to his lewd will and Edward likely to succeede of an ouer soft temperature hee thought these both might proue aduantageous to his ambition and therfore bethought him how the crowne might bee worne by him or his 7 Therefore to separate the hearts of the subiects from the Prince then which there can bee no greater a wound vnto both hee caused the King to impose heauy tributes vpon the English onely to pay the Danes in his Fleete appointing euerie common Souldier and Mariner to receiue eight markes in money euery officer and Master twelue which amounted to the summe of thirty two thousand one hundred forty seuen pounds for the payment whereof there was so great a grudge that two of the Collectors Thurstane and Feader were slaine by the Citizens of Worcester which caused their City to be burnt and part of the country spoiled by the Kings commaund and their Bishop Alfred expulsed the See till with money hee had purchased his peace This Bishops hands as was said were deepe in the murther of Prince Alfred the Kings half brother whom we spake of yea and Goodwin himselfe was put to his purgation by oath for the clearing of his suspitions in that treacherous and brutish fact which oath was the lighter vrged and the easier receiued for his rich and bounteous gifts immediately before presented to the King and that was a shippe whose sterne was of gold with fourescore souldiers therein placed all vniformely and richlie suited On their heads they al wore guilt Burgenets and on their bodies a triple guilt habergion a sword with guilt hilts girded to their wastes a battaile-axe after the manner of the Danes on their left shoulders a target with guilt bosses borne in their left hands a dart in the right their armes bound about with two bracelets of gold containing sixeteene ounces in weight 8 Aimundus Bremensis writing the Stories of those times sheweth that the three sonnes of Canute were possessed of the three Kingdomes England Denmarke and Norway though the father by Will had disposed of the first otherwise which moued Hardi-Canute much to maligne the roialtie of Harold whose Crowne by birth and couenant belonged to him and therfore with great preparation intending to recouer his right hee entred the Sea and came into Flanders where hauing notice of the vsurpers death his rage was staied and he peaceably came in and receiued the Crowne 9 And that Swein called the Younger King of Denmarke to assist his vncle Hardi-Canute against Harold the vsurper of Englands Crowne with a great Armie prepared thitherward and taking the Seas were by tempest driuen vpon the coasts of Hadelâ—… where his Armie doing some hurt was set vpon and discomfited by the souldiers of the Arch-bishoppe himselfe amongst them beeing taken prisoner and brought into the presence of the Arch-bishop was by him most honourably receiued and conueied vnto Breme who there entered a league with him and with gifts and other complements after a few daies suffered him to depart who likewise hearing of the death of King Harold returned backe to his owne Countrey where shortly after he was much molested by Magnus the sonne of Olaf then raigning King ouer the Norwegians 10 Hardi-Canute in England hearing of those stirres thought it his part to aid his Nephew King Sweyn against the inuasions of Magnus and therefore hee sent one Sueno his kinsman with an Armie of the English to reestablish King Sweyn in his Throne These entred Norway and the Field against the Norwegians but by them were so ouerlaied that hee left Magnus the vanquisher and returned againe for England but before hee could arriue the Shore King Hardi-Canute was dead with whom dyed the issue of that warre whose death was suddaine and after this manner 11 At the celebration of a great marriage contracted betwixt a Daenish Lord called Canut-Prudan and Lady Githa the daughter of a Noble-man whose name was Osgot Clappa in a solemne assembly banquet at Lambeth the eight of Iune reuelling and carousing amidst his cups hee suddainly feldown without speech or breath whose losse was the lesse lamented for his excesse riotousnesse and vnwonted exactions but chiefly because a much better was then to succeede him hauing himselfe had neither wife nor child that is read off Yea so farre were all sorts from bewailing him that in regard of the freedome from the Danish yoke which they attained by his decease euer since among the common people the day of his death is annually celebrated with open pastimes in the streetes as the old Romanes kept their fugalia for chasing out of their Kings which time is now called Hoctide or Hucxtide signifying a time of scorning or contempt which fell vpon the Danes by his death His body with all due obsequies was interred at Winehester by his fathers after hee had voluptuously raigned two yeeres lacking ten daies and departed his life and kingdome the yeere of Christ Iesus 1042. 12 With the death of this King died all rule of the Danes in this land and the sacred sparke of the Saxons fire through three of their successions buried in their owne ashes beganne now to take flame and to burne most bright which was Prince Edward now commonly called the Confessor the sonne of King Ethelred and albeit there were others betwixt him and the crowne as namely Edward and Edmund the sonnes of the Iron-side yet the one dying in Hungarâ—… without issue of body the other there liuing as a banished man by surname the Out-law was neither so well regarded nor thought so worthy of gouernement as this other Edward was whom therfore they sent for and with so great applause and acclamations proclaimed that the present ioy seemed to prognosticate a perpetuall happinesse to the English who had beene most miserably afflicted by the Daenes for the space of two hundred forty
signified to Rollo choosing out the tallest and goodliest persons of his company and such as were of greatest wisedom with them he very ioyfully meeteth the King is entertained presents him with great gifts but receiueth greater Then sitting downe to talke and commune 12 I am saith King Alstenus right gladde most worthy Duke Rollo to see you in this my Court. The renowne of your Nation hath beene related to mee a Martiall kind of Peopleyee are and infight vnconquerable And you your selfe also for your prowesse are not vnnoted among the rest of your famous Worthies your valiant exploits are well knowne vnto vs It is right pleasing vnto vs to enter with such men into amitie Behold our whole kingdome is before you choose out a seate for your selfe and your people wheresoeur you best like for wee will haue an euerlasting league between vs. 13 Rollo glad of so faire promises replied Most worthy and renowmed King I highly esteem of your bountifull and most liberall proffers God grant a happy successe of our affaires I doe thinke myselfe most bounden deuoted to your worthines and if destinie euer answer to our desires we will not be vnthankfull for this your so great benignity To seate ourselues in your kingdome though indeede we are very willing and your Royall proffers do much more incite vs yet Fate doth not permit it I haue determined and will certainly performe to goe into France For your gifts bestowed on me I esteeme them in the highest degree and right well content I am to haue a perpetuall League with you that the like Fortune may betide vs both the one to be a safeguard to the other This I both offer and accept of I his League God grant may to vs both proue happy and fortunate 14 With such like interchanges the time much spent and night drawing on they were brought to banquet And early the next morning comming forth of their lodgings most louingly embraced each other when each gaue receiued presents best suting with their estates and occasions Neither doth Krantzius stay his penne there but proceedeth to particular affaires betwixt these two Princes without the concurrence of any of our owne writers 15 As how the English rose in Armes against Alstenus their King taking oportunity of the time for that Rollo whom they knew to bee ioined in a most strait confederacy with their Soueraigne beeing then imployed in the warres of France could not come or send to his aide Alstenus therefore oppressed with a tumultuous kingdome remembred Rollo his faithful friend and sending Ambassadors declared vnto him what distresse he was in who not vnmindfull of the firme league betwixt them left his French wars and prepared for England with all his Forces where entring the Iland he easily quieted the tumultuous rebels ransacking their Cities curbing their wildenes and so reducing them at last to an orderly subiection For which his great loue care pains the King not vnthankful resolued to requite him with the halfe of his kingdom appointing the Cities and limiting the bounds which each of them should rule and gouerne as their owne possessions 16 Rollo in the meane time as carefull of the peaces continuance as regardlesse of so great remunerations taketh pledges of the Rebels for securing their loialtie to the King and peaceable bearing towards himselfe vpon accomplishment whereof repairing to Alstenus he thus bespake him 17 Seeing King Alstenus you haue so highly rewarded me both with princely entertainment and bountifull presents I can doe no lesse then willingly bestow vpon you these my paines for your safetie it iâ—… no more then your deserts doe challenge neither will I accept or seeme so vncourteous as to expect for my paines any part of your dominion Your selfe now may well gouerne it for France calles for my presence keepe therefore those your Pledges brought to you by your Subiects and there is no doubt but you shall hence-forward gouerne your Kingdome in a setled and contentfull quietnesse 18 The King could not containe those his eies which now beheld in a stranger so strange and vnexempled kindnes from resoluing into teares giuing him both hearty thanks and rich gifts seeing hee could not fasten on him any portion of his Kingdome of whom all that Rollo desired was this that he would giue licence to such voluntary Souldiers as would goe with him into France whereto Alsten ready in all things to gratifie his desire gladly condescended and furnished him with attendants 19 But leauing Krantius the Dane as likewise Gemeticensis the Norman to fauour their Country these their reports to the best liking of the iudicious most certaine it is that the French King Charles commonly called the Simple gaue the Duchie of Normandy with his daughter Gilla whose mother was Aeguina the daughter of Edward the Elder King of England vnto Rollo the Dane as is recorded in an old manuscript belonging to the Monastery of Angiers And when Rollo was baptized Charles receiuing him for his God-sonne at the Font he was there required to doe homage for his Dukedome receiued and inioined therein to kisse the Kings foot which hee did but with some disgrace to King Charles and bound it with an oath that hee did not receiue it vpon courtesie 20 This Rollo by his second wife Popee for Gilla died childlesse daughter to the Earle of Bessin and Baileulx had a sonne named William surnamed Longespee and a daughter called Girlâ—…ta who was afterwards married to the Duke of Guyan 21 William Long-espee so called of the Long Sword he vsually wore the second Danish Duke of Normandy took vnto wife Spâ—…rta the daughter of Hubert Earle of Seâ—…tlis by whom hee had onely Richard his sonne this William receiuing baptisme receiued therewith a new name and was thenceforth called Robert who hauing gouerned his Dukedome with great moderation the space of twenty yeeres was guilefully murthered by the working of Lewes King of France to the great griefe of his people who so far followed the reuenge that they intercepted Lewes in the Citie Rothâ—…mage and deteined him their prisoner till he agreed to these Articles That young Richard should succeed his slaine Father in the foresaid Dukedome and that thenceforth when the King Duke should conferre together the Duke should bee girt with his Sword and the King disabled either of Sword or knife to which Lewes yeelded vpon his corporall oth 22 Richard thus established gouerned his Dukedome the space of fifty two yeeres Hee was a man of an admirable fortitude and therefore was called Richard the Hardy His first wife was Agnes daughter to Hughle Grand Earle of Paris Lord Abbat of Germans and Father to Hugh Capet of France but she dying issuelesse he secondly married Gâ—…or a Gentlewoman of the Danish bloud whom he had kept his Concubine before by whom he had three sonnes and three daughters the first was Richard that succeeded in his dominions the second
of the Cathedrall Church where there remaineth a monument of him with an inscription entitling him a Duke and some suppose of Bologne 70 William the third Son of King William and Queene Maud was borne in Normandy in the 21. yere of his Fathers Dukedom ten yeeres before he was King 1159. hee was surnamed of the Red colour of his haire in French Rows in Latine Rufus he was brought vp vnder Lanefranke the learned Lumbard who was Archbishoppe of Canterbury of whom he receiued both instructions of knowledge and the order of Knighthood he serued vnder his Father at the battaile of Gerbereth in Normandy 1079 wherein hee was wounded and hee alwaies framed his actions so pleasing to his Fathers humor as that hee thought him much worthier then his elder brother to succeed in his Kingdome 71 Henry the fourth and yongest sonne of King William and Queene Maud his wife was borne in England at Selby in Yorkeshire the third yeere of his Fathers raigne and of our Lord God 1070 his childhood was trained vp in learning at Cambridge saith Caius but the ancient Annales of Saint Austins in Canterbury say he was Philosophiâ peregrè informatus instructed beyond Sea in Philosophy where for his notable knowledge in the Liberall Sciences he was surnamed by the French Beauclerk that is the fine Scholler Vpon his return he was made Knight being 16. yeers old by his Father at Westminster in Whitsontide the nineteenth yeer of his Raign Anno 1086. and thogh at his Fathers death he had nothing bequeathed him but Treasure yet afterward he succeeded his Brothers both in the Kingdome of England and Dutchie of Normandy 72 Cecilie the Eldest daughter of King William and Queene Maude his wife was borne in Normandy brought vp in England and carried againe into Normandy where in the ninth yeere of the Kings Raigne and the yeere of our Lord 1075. shee was by her Father on Ester day with great Solemnity offered vp in the Church of Feschampe vailed to be a Nunne in the Monastery there but was afterward elected by the Nunnes of our Lady at Cane to be Abbesse of their Monasterie founded by her Mother which she gouerned and where she died and was enterred 73 Constance the second daughter of King William and Queene Maud was the first wife of Allayne Earle of little Britaigne surnamed in the British Fergent in English Red. In regard of which marriage and his seruice done at the conquest of England his Father in law gaue him all the lands of Earle Edwine whereon he built the Castle and wherof he made the Earledome of Richmond which long after belonged to the Earles and Dukes of Britaigne his Successors although he had his children by an other wife for she died very yong and without issue and was buried in the Abbey of Saint Edmundsbury in Suffolke 74 Alice the third daughter of King William Queen Maud was married to Stephen Earle of Bloys in France and had issue by him William an Innocent Thibaud surnamed the Great Earle of Blois and Champain Stephen Earle of Mortain and Boleine who was King of England Henry a Monke of Cluny after Abbot of Glastenbury and Bishop of Winchester Mary married to Richard Earle of Chester and Emme wife of one Harbert an Earle of France and mother of Saint William Archbishop of Yorke Shee suruiued Earle Stephen her husband and in her widowhood tooke vpon her the profession of Religion in the Priorie of Nunnes at Marciguy in France where she ended her life 75 Gundred the fourth daughter of King William and of Queene Maud was married to William of Warrein a Nobleman of Normandy who was the first Earle of Surrey in England by whom shee had issue William the second Earle Progenitors of the Earles that followed and Rainold of Warren her second sonne who had also Issue Shee died in Child-bed three yeeres before her husband at Castleaker in Norfolke the 27. of May in the 20. yere of her fathers raigne being the yeere of our Lord 1085. and is buried in the Chapter-house of Saint Pancrase Church within the Priory at the town of Lews in the County of Sussex 76 Ela the fifth daughter of King William and his Queen Maud in her Child-hood was contracted in marriage to Duke Harald when he was in Normandy being then a yong Widower Notwithstanding hee refusing her tooke an other wife and vsurped the Kingdom of England after the death of King Edward whereby hee occasioned his owne ruine and Conquest of his Country which afterward ensued when her Father sought reuenge so much as some write to the discontentment of this Lady that for griefe of these mischances shee euer after refused marriage and led a single and solitarie life though others vpon better warrant collect that shee died yong and before William her Father set forth for England Harald himselfe pleading that hee was free from all couenants and promises to Duke William by reason of the death of this his daughter 77 Margaret the sixth and yongest daughter of King William and Queene Maud was in her childhood giuen in marriage to Alphonso King of Gallicia in Spaine that afterward was so renowned for the Conquest of the City Lysbon for his victories against the Mores and for the slaughter of their fiue Kings and was the founder of the Kingdome of Portugall the first King thereof and the first bearer of the fiue Shields of the said fiue Kinges which are to this day the Armes of the same But this Lady being thus contracted deceased before those things hapned and before shee came to yeeres of lawfull consent to the marriage VVILLIAM THE SECOND SVRNAMED R VFVS THE FORTIETH MONARCH OF THE ENGLISH HIS ACTS RAIGNE AND VNTIMELY DEATH CHAPTER III. WIlliam posting for England Archbishop Lanfrank his earnest soliciter by liberall gifts giuen and promises made to abrogate the ouer hard lawes of his Father had the readier passage into the opinions of them that could doe most and the more to notifie his intended mild gouernment with other his noble inclinations to princely vertues as eye-witnesses of his fauours towards the English hee brought with him from Normandy Morcar the stout Earle of Chester and Wilnoth the sonne of King Harold both of them released out of prison and then held in especiall fauour with him But most of the States standing for Robert Curtoise his elder Brother a man deemed of a more liberall disposition and better temperature towards the Subiects their titles had beene tried by swords had not Lanfrank and Wulstan both wise reuerend Prelates by their Counsels and Mediations staied their hands 2 Consent thus gotten and all voices giuen for William he was crowned their King at Westminster vpon Sunday the twenty sixt day of September and yeere of Saluation 1087. by the hands of Lanfrank Archbishop of Canterbury vnder whom he had beene educated
hee was at the conflict in the I le of Anglesey betweene Magnus the sonne of Harold Harfager King of Norway and Hugh of Mountgomery Earle of Arundell and Shrewsbury wherein hee was slain as some say with the said Earle Anno 1197. 73 Maude the Naturall daughter of King Henry was Countesse of Perche and the first wife of Earle Rotroke the first of that name sonne of Arnolfe de Hesding the first Earle of that County Shee had issue by him one onely daughter named Magdalen wife to Garcy the fourth King of Nauarre mother of King Sanches surnamed the wise from whom all the Kings of Nauarre are descended Shee died vpon Friday the twenty sixth of Nouember in the twentith of her Fathers raign and yeere of Grace 1120. being drowned in the Sea with her brother Duke William 74 Maude another of that name and naturall daughter of King Henrie was married to Conan the first of that name surnamed the Grosse Earle of little Britaine in France sonne of Earle Alan by Ermengard his second wife by Alan shee had issue Howell pronounced illegitimate and disherited by his supposed father Constance that died without issue and Bertha the wife of Eudes Earle of Pâ—…rohet mother of Earle Conan the yonger who by Margaret sister of William King of Scots had issue Constance maried to Geffrey sonne of King Henry the second 75 Iulian likewise an other naturall daughter of King Henry was married to Eustace the illegitimate sonne of William Lord of Breteâ—…il in Normandy who was the sonne and heire of William Fitz-Osborne and elder brother of Roger both Earles of Hereford in England and this Eustace had hee beene lawfully borne in wedlocke had been heire to the Earledomes of Hereford and Iuerie notwithstanding he had as small a part in that inheritance of the Town of Pacie from which he tooke his surname being commonly called Eustace of Pacy and had issue by this Iulian his wife William and Roger of Pacy his sonnes 76 A naturall daughter of King Henry recounted by the continuer of the History of William Gemeticensis and by Iohn Tillet his follower is reported by them to haue beene married to one William Goet a Norman but in neither of these writers is any mention made of her name or of his estate issue or other relation 77 Another naturall daughter of King Henrie is without name recited by the said Authors and by them reported to be married to the Vicount of Beaumont which is a Towne within the County of Maygne Shee had issue by him as Roger of Houeden writeth Richard Vicount Beaumont Father of Queen Ermengard the wife of King William of Scotland and Robert the Abbot of Mount-Saint Michael mentioneth another of her sonnes named Ralphe who as he saith was Bishop of Angiers 78 Another naturall daughter also of King Henry is recited by the Normane and French writers before auouched and reported by them to be married to Mathew of Mountmorancy the sonne of Bouchard of Mountmarancy from whom perhaps descended the House of Mountmorancy who after came to be Earles and Dukes being growne to be one of the greatest houses in France next to the Princes of the bloud for possessions alliances and honour 79 Elizabeth the last naturall daughter of King Henry recounted by the former Authors was vnmarried in the time of the one and her husband vnknowne to the other but both of them agree that she was borne of Elizabeth the sister of Walleran Earle of Meulan who was sister also of Robert Bossue Earle of Leicester wife of Gilbert Earle of Pembrooke and mother of Earle Richard Strangbow the Conquerour of Ireland STEPHEN THE TVVO AND FORTIETH MONARCH OF THE ENGLISH-MEN HIS RAIGNE ACTS AND ISSVE CHAPTER V. THough the Empresse Maud had fealty sworne vnto her in the life time of her Father and againe both her selfe and issue ordained to be his successors in Englands Throne as hath beene said yet so powerfull is Ambition where the obiect is a Diademe and so weake are all assurances which are built on the wauering Multitude that King Henries prouidence was soon defeated and with his death al fealties reuersed and that by him onely who had * contended to bee the formost of the Laitie in taking that oath euen Stephen Earle of Mortaine and Bolloine a man whose descent was very Noble being the third sonne of Stephen Earle of Bloys and Champaigne who was the sonne of Earle Eudes and he of Earle Theobald the sonne of Gerlon the Dane the companion of Rollo Duke of Normandy his mother was Adelicia the third daughter of William the Conqueror by Queen Maude his wife And himselfe was aduanced to bee Earle of Mortaigne by King Henry his vncle whose Crown he now endeauoured to vsurpe being otherwise for his many princely parts worthy to weild a Scepter if his claime thereto had beene iust and warrantable 2 For as soone as Natures course had brought King Henry where Princes and poorest Subiects are all equall forthwith hee was working to dispossesse his Issue which onely now rested in Maud and her Children in which attempt it hapned fortunately for him if any thing may bee counted fortunate which is ioined with impietie that his yonger Brother Henry was then Bishop of Winchester a very potent man in the State who had industriously stirred himselfe in making way to his entrance and vpon assurance of all liberties to the Church and Common-wealth had drawne on also William Archbishop of Canterbury the very first man that had sworne vnto Maude the Empresse by whose example many others were winded into the like periurie * traiterously auowing that it was basenesse for so many and so great Pâ—…eers to be subiect vnto a Woman And to helpe forward those audacious beginnings Roger Bishoppe of Salisbury the late Kings Treasurer protested Malmsburie who reports it himselfe heard it from him that they were free from the oath made to the Empresse for that without con sent of the Barons she had married out of the Realm but that which wrought most was the testimony of Hugh Bigot Senescall vnto King Henry departed who comming ouer with Stephen tooke his corporall oath that the King on his death-bed vpon some offence taken against his daughter Maude disinherited her and appointed this Stephen his nephew to be his successour These colourable instigations so moued the too credulous Archbishop and the Peeres that they all swore fealty vnto him and became his Leigemen 3 His first landing in England being at Whitsand-bay by a tempest of thunder so wonderfull terrible that the people thought verily the ende of all was at hand did prognosticke the storms of troubles which his periurie brought with him for euen then both Douer Canterbury fortified themselues against him though London gaue better leaue to his entrance whose Person and presence drew euer the affections of the beholder being in all
eldest Daughter and Child of K. Iohn and Queene Isabel his last wife was the first wife of Alexander the second King of Scots married vnto him in Yorke Iunij 25. Anno 1221. who returning into England to visite her Brother deceased at London and was buried in the Nunnery at Tarent in Dorsetshire 4. Martij in the 21. yeare of her Brother king Henries raigne in England and the 23. of king Alexander her husbands in Scotland Anno 1236. 70 Eleanor their second daughter was first married to William Marshall the yonger Earle of Pembroke and after his decease without issue and seuen yeeres Widow-hood remarried to Simon Montfort Earle of Leicester sonne of Simon Earle Montfort in France by Amice Daughter of Robert Blanchman Earle of Leicester who maintaining the Barons warres against King Henry her brother was slaine at the battaile of Euesham in the 19. yeere of her brothers raigne 1265 after whose death shee and ◅er Children were forced to forsake England she died in the Nunnery at Montarges in France Henry her eldest sonne was slaine with his father at Eueshan Simon the second was Earle of Bigorre and ancestor to a Family of Mountfords in those parts of France Almaricke her third sonne was first a Priest and Treasurer of the Cathedrall Church in Yorke and after a Knight and a valiant seruitour in sundrie warres beyond the Seas Guy the fourth Sonne was Earle of Angleria in Italy and Progenitour of the Mountfords in Tuscaine and of the Earles of Campo bachi in the Kingdome of Naples Richard the fift sonne remained priuily in England and changing his name from Mountford to Wellesborne was ancestor of the family of Wellesbornes in England She had also a daughter named Eleanor borne in England brought vp in France and married into Wales to Prince Lewellen ap Griffith 71 Isabel their yongest daughter was born An. 1214 when shee was 21. yeeres of age shee was married being the 6. and last wife to the Emperour Frederick the second at the City of Wormes in Germany 20. of Iuly 1235. Shee had issue by him Henry appointed to bee King of Sicily and Margaret wife of Albert Landgraue Thurin shee was Empresse 6. yeeres and died in Childbed Decemb. 1. of her husbands Empire 31. of her brothers raign 38. Anno 1241. 72 Iane or Ione the daughter naturall of King Iohn by Agatha Daughter of Robert Ferrers Earle of Darby marryed to Lewin Prince of Wales Anno 1204. her Father gaue with her the Castle Lordshippe of Elinsmore in the Marches of Southwales she like a most louing Child gaue her Father secret intelligence of the Treasons intended against him by the Welsh and English 73 Geoffrey Fitz-Roy a base son who transported some Souldiers into France when Archbishoppe Hubert forbad the King his father to goe thither 74 Richard who married the daughter heire of Fulbert de Douer who built Chilham Castle in Kent which Castle hee had with her and had Issue by her of which som families of good esteem are descended stant Lords at Newarke where the Generall assembly for that seruice was appointed The whole Army after the Musters rested there some dayes which they spent not in vanities but in deuotions receit of the Sacrament humbling themselues before the offended Maiestie of God and so all of them saith Paris being prepared resolue eyther to return victorious or to die in defence of their country their Soueraignes right and their owne Liberties and possessions all which seemed now to lie at stake To giue them the greater edge and spirite Wallo with great solemnity accurseth Lewis and his Coadiutors and thus the Army marcheth towards Lincolne and the Lewisians there in siege of the Castle the King himselfe being left with a strong guard at Stow about eight miles short of Lincolne accompanied with Wallo and others there without perill of his person to attend Gods pleasure in the euent of the enterprise Vpon their approch if the Counsell of some English Lords had beene followed the Lewisian Army had issued forth of the City giuen them battle in the opē field but the Earle of Perch the French Generall thinking the Kings party to bee greater then it was for that the Noblemen and Bannerets thereof had each of them two Ensignes the one born with themselues the other aduanced among the Carriages which doubled the shew of their numbers they did thereupon change that course closed the Gates of the City and plyed their endeauours against the Castle more fiercely then before The Earle of Pembroke therefore lets Falcasius slip in at the Castle-posterne with his Arbalasters whiles others breake vp the South-gate of the City at which the Kings Army most couragiously entring and they of the Castle sallying out in Flancke of the Enemy scattered and vtterly defeated the Lewisians The Earle of Perch their Generall being enuironed with the Royalists and willed to render himselfe sware that hee would neuer become Prisoner to any English vpon which refusall he was run through the sight of his helmet into the braines and so dyed without speaking any word In this conflict being on Saturday in Whitson-weeke the force of naturall propension was apparent for notwithstanding the fierie resolutions of the Kings People yet when they saw the faces of their kinsmen friends countrimen on the other side that fury relented so strōgly that the most part of the reuenge fell vpon the Horses and not vpon the Horsemen whom onelie they laboured to make their Captiues The whole riches of the Lewisian Campe of the City of Lincolne became the booty and spoile of the Kings Armie whereupon this discomfiture was called Lewis Fair Neither did the Clergy of the place escape for the Popes Legate had commaunded that they also should be rifled to a penny as persons excommunicated in partaking with Lewis The Chase was but coldly fainedly followed vpon the flying Barons otherwise not a man could haue escaped wherein yet the chiefest Barons were taken with about 400. Knights besides Esquiers and of other sorts without note or number though some say that this number of Knights were slaine matrons and women of the towne flying by boate which they had no skill to gouerne were drowned Such as escaped the fight were not therefore past the danger for the Country people fell vpon them as they fledde killing great numbers so that almost all the footmen tooke vp their last lodgings before they could reach to London where Lewis was The Marshal of France the Chastellan of Arras and about two hundreth Knights came safely thither but were not otherwise then sowerly welcome of the Prince who laid vpon their cowardise the losse of all the rest His feare of being taken Prisoner iustly encreasing hee fortifies London by the best meanes hee can and dispatcheth Posts into France for more reliefe This great victory was much the stranger if as some write the fame
11 The King gouerned after Marshals death by Peter Bishoppe of Winchester and such other whom the Bishoppe had procured to ioyne in administration of publik affairs seeming now to haue a setled and calme estate resolues for good hopes sake to bee crowned againe which was performed by Stephen Archbishoppe of Canterbury at Westminster with the attendance and confluence of all the Prelates Peeres and People Vpon the* Saturday before his Coronation the new worke of the Abbey Church at Westminster Paris calles it the Chappell of our Lady was begunne whereof the King himselfe in person laid the first stone as if hee ment the world should know his intention was to consecrate his future actions to raise the glory of God This calme but new beginning was almost as speedily distempered and disturbed by sodaine stormes by reason that while the King kept his Christmas with great royalty at Oxford in the company of the Prelates and Peeres of England William de Fortibus Earle of Aumarl incited by Falcasius de Brent and the like riotous Gentlemen sodainely departed frō the Court without leaue whither it were vpon discontentment because the King had against the Earles will the last yeere taken some Castles into his hands or out of an euill ignorance how to liue in quiet he mannes the Castle of Biham victuals it with the Corne of the Chanons of Bridlington spoiles the Towne of Deeping and vnder shew of repayring to the Parliament seiseth on the Castle of Fotheringhay committing many other furious riots in contempt of the King and breach of his peace many others in other places following his lewd example Yet at length the Earle comming in vnder the conduct of Walter Archbishop of Yorke was at the suite of Pandulph who succeeded Wallo in the place of Legate pardoned and the like hurtfull clemency was extended toward his Complices and Retinue whom the King in regard belike of some former better deserts set free without punishment or ransome And to preuent any further disturbances of that nature Hubert de Burgh Earle of Kent for his rare integrity and fidelity approued in all King Iohns troubles was also made gouernour of the Kings Person and Chiefe Iustitiar of England with the generall allowance of all the States What need the land then had of a seuere proceeding wee may iudge by this that Foulk de Brent held the Earledomes of Northampton Oxford Bedford and Buckingham with the Castles and Holds Philip de Marc the Castles of Peke and Nottingham Nottinghamshire and Darbishire and others detained other portions without any other right then that which the iniquity of the late tumults gaue 12 It was no small addition to the troublesomnesse of this time that certaine Lords of Wales and as some say Prince Lewelin himselfe desirous to ridde their Marches of the English rose in Armes laide siege to the Castle of Buelt which inuited king Henry to draw thither with an Armie but the worke was made easie by the voluntary departure of the Welsh vpon the fame of the Kings approch which appearances of some ensuing stirres moued the king to thinke of strengthning himselfe with faithfull alliances and not long after Alexander King of Scots came to Yorke who in the yeere before had met King Henry at the same place and there tooke to wife the Lady Ioan King Henries sister and Hubert de Burgh in presence of both the Kings married the Lady Margaret sister to Alexander Boetius saith that two great Lords of England married two sisters of King Alexander at that place About which time Isabel Queen Dowager of Englād without the leaue of her sonne the King or of his Councell crost the seas and tooke to husband the Earle of March in France The young King supposing his estate at home now somewhat setled and his eyes beginning to grow cleare-sighted by the benefite of experience forgets not to looke about his affaires abroad and first sends Sauarie de Malleon to bee his Lieutenant in Aquitaine where yet the English held the greater part and dispatcheth Ambassadors to Philip King of France for restitution according to the Articles with Lewis whereunto answere was made that nothing ought to bee restored which by right of warre had beene atchieued but as it seemes there was a Truce for fowre yeeres agreed vpon betweene the two Monarches concerning the County of Poictou 13 The State both of Church and Common-wealth in those troubled daies seeme to haue much resemblance euery man daring to attempt in either what his own audaciousnes would suggest or others conniuency permit But Stephen Archbishop of Canterbury who himselfe was lately the ring-leader of disorders both in State and Church is now beecome very diligent in his Prouinciall Synode at Ox to in rage of this vnexpected reuocation like a braue Romane threw the Popes letters into the fire yet durst not disobey the Contents And whereas the message it selfe had beene scanned and sifted to the very branne both here and in France and iudged to sauour of so vniuersall an oppression as might cause a generall discession from the Church of Rome the King in presence of his Prelates and Peeres turned off the Popes couetous demaund with this thrifty answere The things which the Pope would perswade vs vnto doe stretch themselues as farre as the Christian world is wide and because England is but an Out-Angle thereof therefore when we see other Kingdomes giue vs an example hee shall then finde vs the more forward to obey 21 That difficultie so auoided the King was earnestly bent to make a voyage in person to the aide of his brother Earle Richard who pursued the affaires of Gascoigne which though by the late Earle of Sarisburies death it receiued some maime yet by the fortitude and counsell of other noble persons it did still prosper This intention and desire was staide by the receit of letters out of France which declared the Earle his brothers health and the good successe of affaires The King some say among his Counsellors of State had one William de Perepound a great Astrologer who fortold that Lewis King of France should not preuaile and this affirmation did the rather withhold him at that present There is who writes that King Henry vpon the Popes letters forbare to attempt any thing in France at that time lest he should hinder Lewis who was then vpon an enterprise against the remaines of the Albigenses in Languedoc Prouince and the parts about These men were traduced for Heretikes and so condemned by the See of Rome but what their Heresie was a * Fryer who writes against them reports saying they were of all other the most pernicious Sect for antiquity some holding they were from the Apostles time for generality there scarse being any Nation where they are not and lastly for shew of piety in that they liue iustly before men and
Berwicke hauing with him the said twenty foure Assessors as it were a iury of either nation and with the good will and assent of the Scottish Lords gaue solemne iudgement with Baliol as being descended of the eldest daughter of Dauid Earle of Huntington a yonger sonne of Scotland whose issue the line of the elder brother being extinct was to inherite without question But the strife being betweene the descendents of the said Dauid of which the Lord Robert Bruce was also a principall reasons of importance were produced which drew many mens iudgements to incline to him as hauing a neerer interest to that Crowne But according to the sentence Baliol was solemnly crowned King of Scotland vpon S. Andrews day and in Christmas following repaired to King Edward at Newcastle vpon Tyne and there against the minds of many Scots did homage vnto him for the whole Kingdome of Scotland 24 Meanetime the French King pursued the reuenge of the Normans demanding restitution and citing King Edward iudicially to appeare to answere such wrongs as were done in Aquitaine who desirous to settle his owne affaires at home or as some write eager vpon a match for himselfe in France while he discouered either his vnwillingnes to appeare in that kind or to warre suffered himselfe by a French deuise to be meerely deceiued and put out of his possession of Gascoigne to the great mischeife and disaduantage of the English whereupon K. Edward highly incensed called a Parliament at London where Iohn king of Scotland was present and had the full consent of the whole Realme to regaine that honestlie by the sword which was craftilie gotten away by a cunning trick renouncing to the French his homage for Aquitain Wales also was at the same time full of troubles but the fires of rebellion there rashly kindled were not long after quencht with the blood of the Actors and thousands of their Complices 25 Baliol hauing thus obtained the Crowne of Scotland and finding his party by the homage which he had made to King Edward much empaired among the Scots who greatly repined thereat for regaining their loues attempted a secret combination with the French against the English which Edward ignorant of and requiring him by vertue of his homage to aid him with all his powers against the King of France discouered by Baliols delaies and trauerses the said conspiracie Whereupon he aduanced forward against the Scots with a puissant armie to Newcastle vpon Tyne The first blood which was drawne was of the English of whom the Scots slew almost one thousand in a village vnder the leading of one Robert de Ros who had fled from King Edward The City of Carlile likewise was assaulted and the County of Cumberland spoiled by seuen Earles of Scotland and their companies which to Edward was not greatly displeasing as was said for that the first hostile acts were done by them whom he had a full purpose to subdue that at last he might bee sole in Albion which had not God reserued for other times we might wonder he effected not 26 King Edward therefore presented himselfe before the strong Towne of Berwick with a mighty host there to auspicate his entrance to a conquest of Scotland and after summons sent to the Towne abode one whole day without offer of violence The Townesmen refusing to render had a victory of the English Marriners who rashly entring with twentie and foure Ships into the harbour were repelled with the losse of foure of their vessels which was soone reuenged by the forceuble taking of Berwick where Hector Boetius saith there was exercised great cruelty by the English In the Towne the Flemish Merchants who were smothered by the English with fire had a very strong house in the maner of a Tower from whence they leueld at the entring of the English with darts and iauelins one of which casually slew Richard of Cornewal a gallant Gentleman brother to the Earle of Cornwal which in an army heated with former contumelies for the Scots vpon the slaughter and repulse which they had made of the English marriners published certaine rimes in derision as VVhat wenys King Edward with his Longshancks To haue wonne Berwicke all our vnthancks c. together with the remembrance of many fresh shrewd turnes might stirre vp bloody effects After the Towne was thus taken the Castle after stood not long out but rendred it selfe Sir William Dowglas captaine therof was detained prisoner and as some write Sir Robert Bruce others were suffered to depart vpon oath to beare no armes from thenceforth against the King of England The losse of this important Towne and Castle was very great for it was the key and common Bulwarke of Scotland 27 While the English at this place were busie to cast a very deepe ditch to hinder the sodeine inroades of their enemies Iohn King of Scotland sent two religious men to the King of England with letters in which alledging that he was by Oath bound to defend his owne kingdome and people he renounced his homage and fealtie as extorted by violence and void in it selfe being made without assent of the three estates of his Realme The resignation was admitted King Edward commanding his Chancellor to record the same for perpetuall memorie as a iustification of his proceedings 28 The Scots hereupon vnder the conduct of the Earles of Bucquhan Menteth Strathern Ros Athol Marr and other of their nobility made an incursion into England whence with the spoiles of two religious houses and other booties they returned But Patrick Earle of Dunbarre came to King Edwara submitting himselfe and the Castle of Dunbarre by this submission being vnder King Edwards protection was regained by Scots For recouerie or surregaining whereof the King sent Iohn Earle of Surrey and Sussex and William Earle of Warwick who were entertained with battel by the Scottish nation of whom the English after cruell fight obtained a victory of great importance the chase holding about eight miles in which the slaughter was not small The siege of Dunbarre being reinforced King Edward had it yeelded vnto him at his comming wherein were taken three Earles sixe or seuen Barons besides many knights and Esquires which were all sent prisoners to diuerse Castles of England and if some say true not put to the sword as Hector transported perhaps with hatred to Edward writes contrary to his word and faith giuen 29 King Edward knowing as well how to vse a victorie as to get it hauing a present spirit vpon all aduantages and turnes of fortune takes the Castle of Rocksbrough and for a finall end to this affaire marcheth to Edenburgh it selfe the chiefe Towne of Scotland which was shortly rendred Then tooke they Striueling also and draue Baliol to the Castle of Forfar where Iohn Comin Lord of Strabogie submitted himselfe to King Edward About this time there came
not without the Bishoppe of Herefords secret approuement as was said tooke him violently away and though he were a Priest thrust him into Newgate where they vsed him so vnhandsomly that albeit they had no accusation but onely for being faithfull to his Soueraigne wherewith to charge him he not long after died in prison to whom saith De la Moore might be applied that of Quintilian Torquentem vincit quisquis occiditur 69 The mournefull King being at Kenelworth Castle there repaired thither the Bishops of Winchester Hereford and Lincolne two Earles two Abbots foure Barons two Iustices three Knights for euery County and for London and other principall places chiefly for the fiue Ports a certaine chosen number selected by the Parliament which then the Queene and her Sonne held at London The Bishops of Winchester and Lincolne as it was agreede vpon came thither before any of the rest aswell to giue the King to vnderstand what kind of Embassage was approaching as to prepare him by the best Arguments they could to satisfie the desire and expectation of their new moulded common-weale which could onely be by resignation of the Crowne that his Sonne whom the body of the then confused State had elected might raigne in his stead 70 When they were admitted to his presence the Earle of Leicester being by they together so wrought him partly with shewing a necessity partly with other reasons drawne out of common places throughly studied for that purpose that though not without many sobs and teares hee finally did not dissent if his answere were truely reported which som doubt of vnto the Parliament For they tolde him that the Common-weale had conceiued so irreconciliable dislikes of his gouernment the particulars whereof had beene opened in the generall assembly at London that it was resolued neuer to endure him as King any longer That notwithstanding those dislikes had not extended themselues so farre as for his sake to exclude his issue but that with vniuersall applause and ioy the Common-weale had in Parliament elected his eldest sonne the Lord Edward for King That it would be a very acceptable thing to God willingly to giue ouer an earthly Kingdome for the common-good and quiet of his Country which they said could not otherwise bee secured That yet his honour should be no lesse after the resignation then it was before onely him the common-weale would neuer suffer to raigne any longer They finally durst tell him that vnlesse hee did of himselfe renounce his Crowne and Scepter the people would neither endure him nor any of his Children as their Soueraigne but disclaiming all homage and fealty would elect some other for King who should not bee of the bloud 71 The whole Company sent by the body of State if it may bee called a Body which then had no Head there from London where it attended their returne being placed by the Bishoppe of Hereford according to their degrees in the Presence Chamber at Kenelworth Castle the King gowned in blacke came forth at last out of an inward roome and presented himselfe to his vassals where as being Priuie to their errand sorrow stroke such a chilnesse into him that hee fell to the earth lying stretched forth in a deadly swown The Earle of Leicester and the Bishoppe of Winchester beholding this ranne vnto him and with much labour recouered the half-dead king setting him vpon his feet As rufull heauy as this sight was we read not yet of any acts or effects of compassion expressed towards him at this present so setled as it seemed was the hatred and auersion The King being now we cannot say come to himselfe but to the sense of his misery the Bishoppe of Hereford declares the cause of their present Embassie and running ouer the former points concludes as before saying as in the person of the common-wealth That the King must resigne his Diademe to his eldest sonne or after the refusall suffer them to elect such a person as themselues should iudge to be most fit and able to defend the Kingdome 72 The dolorous King hauing heard this speech brake forth into sighes and teares and being saith his most fauourable reporter more ready to sacrifice his body for Christs cause then once to behold the disinherison of his sonnes or through his occasion the perpetuall disturbance of the Kingdome as knowing saith he that a good shepheard should giue his life for his flocke made at the last his answere to this effect That hee knew that for his many sinnes hee was falne into this calamity and therefore had the lesse cause to take it grieuously That much he sorrowed for this that the people of the Kingdome were so exasperated against him as that they should vtterly abhorre his any longer rule and soueraignety and therefore he besought all that were there present to forgiue and spare him being so afflicted That neuerthelesse it was greatly to his good pleasure and liking seeing it could none other be on his behalfe that his eldest sonne was so gracious in their sight and therefore hee gaue them thanks for choosing him to be their King 73 This being said there was forthwith a proceeding to the short ceremonies of his resignation which principally consisted in the surrender of his Diadem and Ensignes of Maiesty to the vse of his son the new King Thereupon Sir William Trussel as being a Iudge who could fit them with quirks of law to colour so lawlesse and treasonable a fact on the behalfe of the whole Realme renounced all homage and alleagiance to the Lord Edward of Caernaruon late King 74 The forme of that renunciation as being obsolete you shall haue in the like obsolete words of Treuisa which was this I William Trussel in name of all men of the land of England and of all the Parliament Procurator resigne to thee Edward the homage that was made to thee sometime and from this time forward now following I defie thee and prine thee of all royall power I shall neuer be tendant to thee as for King after this time Which being done Sir Thomas Blunt Knight Steward of the houshold by breaking his staffe resigned his office and declared that the late Kings family was discharged 75 Edward being thus dekinged the Embassie rode ioyfully backe to London to the Parliament with the resigned Ensignes and dispatch of their employment Here for that this seems the last houre of his raigne and kingly state wee will make a stop referring you for the rest to the next Kings life vnder whose name and abused authority they were acted 76 Notwithstanding wee may not forget in all these doings to call to mind who it was that sate at the helme of State ouerlooking and ouerswaying Queene Prince and all to wit the most ambitious and vindicatiue man liuing Roger Lord Mortimer of Wigmor for as for the Queene when
shee was God knowes how farre guilty aduertised of her husbands dethronization shee outwardly expressed so great extremity of passion notwithstanding that at the same time shee was tolde of her sonnes surrogation as if shee had beene distraught in her wittes which the Prince her sonne then about fifteen yeers of age beholding hee made an oath neuer to accept of the Crowne against his fathers good will and thereupon it was saith Walsingham a Writer worthie of beliefe that the said Embassie was sent to Kenelworth Castle where the now no more a King remained to worke his assent whose answere thereunto saith another was by those Messengers related at full and fuller then in truth it was sent by the King but the Peeres then in Parliament made their vse thereof in procuring such a Prince to take the rule of thē whom they hoped by reason of his tender yeeres themselues should be able to rule and ouermaster His Wife 77 Isabel daughter to Philip the Faire King of France sister to Lodowicke Hutin Philip the Long and Charles the Faire all Kings of France was married to Edward the second at twelue yeeres of age in our Lady Church of Bulloigne the 22. of Ianuary 1308. Shee was his wife twenty yeers and his widow thirty and liued threescore and three yeeres Shee died at Risings neer London the two twētieth of August 1357. and was buried in the middest of the Gray-Fryers Quire in London the 27. of September following His Issue 78 Edward surnamed of VVindsor the eldest son of K. Edward and Queene Isabel his wife was born at the Castle of VVindsor the thirteenth of October the yeere of Christ 1312. and the sixt of his fathers raigne hee was created Prince of Wales and Duke of Aquitane in a Parliament holden at Yorke Anno 1322. and in the troubles of the Realme and absence of his Father in an assembly of Lords met at Hereford and in presence of the Queen was made L. VVarden of England by a common decree vnto whom all the Lords made their fealty in receiuing an Oath of Allegiance to be faithfull and loyall vnto him as to the Lord Warden of the Realm and shortly after the Father deposed hee was crowned King of England by the name of Edward the third 79 Iohn surnamed of Eltham the second sonne of King Edward and Queene Isabel his wife was borne at Eltham in Kent the 15. of August and yeere of Christ 1315. and at twelue yeeres of age was created Earle of Cornwall in a Parliament Anno 1327. and third yeere of the raign of King Edward his brother hee died in Scotland vnmarried in the flower of his youth the tenth of his brothers raigne and yeere of Christ 1334. 80 Ioan the eldest daughter and third child of King Edward and Queene Isabel was borne in the Tower of London shee was maried being a child at Barwicke the eighteenth day of Iuly in the fourth yeere of the Raign of King Edward her brother 1329 to Dauid Prince of Scotland sonne and heire apparent of King Robert Bruce whom he succeeded within one yeere after in the kingdome being but seuen yeares of age and was the second King of Scotland of the name of Dauid shee was his wife twenty and eight yeeres and being come into England to visite her brother shee deceased here without Issue in the two and thirtieth yeere of his Raigne 1357. and was buried at the Gray-Fryers in London 81 Elenor the second and yongest daughter fourth child of King Edward and Queene Isabel was the second wife of Reynald the second Earle of Gelder married vnto him with a portion of fifteen thousand pounds 1332. being the sixt yeere of the raign of king Edward her brother who being the Vicar generall of the Empire to the Emperour Lewis of Ban◅r created him first Duke of Golder shee had issue by him Reinald and Edward both Dukes successiuelie after their Father without Issue the later of them leauing his Dutchie and his wife to his Nephew William Duke of Gulik his halfe sisters Sonne EDVVARD THE THIRD KING OF ENGLAND AND FRANCE LORD OF IRELAND c THE FORTIE-NINTH MONARCH OF ENGLAND HIS RAIGNE ACTS AND ISSVE CHAPTER XII THe sicknesse and wounds which the commonwelth sustained by the raigne of the late deposed king vpon the change of her Leach and Physitian recouered not onely health and strength but beautie also and ornament and the elements themselues which in the former times seemed to suffer and sympathize with the publike grieuances of the English grew gratious and propitious to the vse of man the Aire becomming more healthfull the earth more fruitfull as if Nature herself were priuie to the worth of the succeeding Prince But this his worth did not display it selfe vntill hee had plucked the sway of things out of the hands of the Queene his mother and of that aspiring danger and tempest of England Roger Mortimer who wholy possessed her 2 This Edward of Windsor being not fifteene yeeres of age when without any guilty thought in him his throne was thus established vpon his Fathers ruine tooke the beginning of his raign by publike sanction at the twentith day of Ianuarie and by direction of such as sought to colour their treasons against their deposed Soueraigne proclaimed his peace in these words Edward by the grace of God King of England Lord of Ireland and Duke of Aquitaine to N. N. our Sheriffe of S. Greeting Because the Lord Edward our Father late King of England by the common Councell and Assent of the Prelates Earles Barons and other the chiefe men and the whole Comminaltie of the Kingdome did voluntarily remoue himselfe from the gouernment thereof willing and granting that we as his eldest sonne and heire should take vpon vs the rule and regiment of the same and we with the counsel aduise of the Prelates Earls Barons before said yeelding therin to our fathers good pleasure and will haue taken vpon vs the gouernance of the saide Kingdome and as the manner is haue receiued the Fealties and Homages of the said Prelates and Peeres Wee therfore desirous that our peace for the quiet and calme estate of our people should bee inuiolablie obserued do will and commaund you that presently vpon sight of these presents you cause our Peace to bee openly proclaimed through your whole Bailywicke forbidding all and euery one on our behalfe vnder paine and perill of disinherison and losse of life and limmes not to presume to violate or infringe our said peace but that euery one pursue or follow his actions and complaints without any manner of outrage according to the lawes customes of our Kingdome for wee are ready alwaies wil be to administer full right to all singular cōplainants aswel poor as rich in our Courts of Iustice. Witnes our selfe c. in the Calends of February vpon sunday being Candlemas Eue. 3 Vpon the Candlemas day it selfe the young King
King that many more went voluntary then constrained All which puissance was notwithstanding thus eluded 12 About this time died strucken with leprie Robert Bruce King and recouerer of Scotland and the most approued Warriour of the world in that age by whose losse it was soone found how much the vertue and fortune of one man are worth in any Nation But before hee died that peace was made with the Scots by the meanes of the Queene and the Lord Mortimer which is so much dispraised by our Writers and in the end proued capitall to the principall Actor Mortimer 13 For at this treaty it was that the King then in his Minority sealed Charters to the Scots at Northampton whose contents were contriued by the Queene the said Lord Mortimer and Sir Iames Dowglasse without the priuity of the English There was also deliuered to them that famous Euidence called the Ragman Roll and the King acquited them of all claime and pretence of right to the Superiority of Scotland rendring backe sundrie Iewels taken by the English from the Scots among the which was one speciall called the Blacke Crosse of Scotland There was it also granted that all Englishmen should leese their lands in Scotland vnlesse they would inhabite vpon them and becom Liege-men to the King therof besides many other things to the high discontentation as was the humor of those times of the English Subiects Moreouer vnder the specious colour of restitution of dammages King Robert was to pay to King Edward thirty thousand Marks sterling with which as the meed of treason the Lord Mortimer was afterward publikely charged and for the same and other his crimes was executed as a Traitour Finally vpon the seuenth of Iuly Dauid Bruce Prince of Scotland a child of seuen or eight yeeres old and sonne and heire to King Robert married Ioan sister to K. Edward at Berwicke by which peace the English were made-obnoxious to some reproaches the Scottish Nation in scorne calling the said Lady Iane Make-Peace 14 And therefore saith one of this part of King Edwards raigne that drawne aside with euill aduise by reason of his age hee committed many foule errors in State at the beginning of his Gouernment which is also the generall opinion of all our Writers whereunto this verse is by some applied Vae pueri terrae saepissimè sunt ibi guerra Where Children Rulers are There oft is woe and war 15 There died likewise about this time Charles the Faire King of France to whom King Edward had not long before done homage for his Dutchie of Gascoigne the third and last sonne of Philip the Faire King of France by whose decease the Crown of that noble Kingdome deuolued to this our Edward King of England in right of his mother Queene Isabel And because vpon this Title king Edward did afterward claime the said Crowne wee will here once for all instruct you in the iustice thereof 16 Three sonnes there were of King Philip the Faire to wit Lewis Hutin Philip le long and Charles the Faire who all successiuely raigned in France one after the other and none of them leauing any Issue at such time as king Edward made his claime the whole right seemed to be in Isabel the onely Child of the said Philip which had any issue for an other sister which shee had died an Infant 17 The case thus seeming plaine was not for such accepted by the French who receiued to the Crowne Philip of Valoys whose father Charles of Valois was yonger Brother to Philip the Faire aduancing the Brothers sonne before the daughters son not following the propinquity or descent of blood but the meliority of sexe vpon which ground they had also freshly put by Ioan daughter of Lewis Hutin preferring Philip le long her vncle The French in barre to her interest pretended a fundamentall law or entaile by which no woman was inheritable to the Crown of France and in defence of that opinion withstood King Edward afterward with so much losse and calamity though that very law made Edwards title the stronger as himselfe truely pleaded hee being the Male albeit his right descended by the Female 18 This Title to so glorious a Monarchy though it accrewed to the English by this match with Queen Isabel yet doth Walsingham freely pronounce That neither that affinity nor any other contracts with the French was euer auaileable or brought any benefite to England which opinion as it may seeme strange so will it answere a wise Readers paine in the fruit to obserue through the course of our stories whether the said graue Writer had iust occasion so to speake or no. Another conceit there was of this Edwards marriage with Philippa the Earle of Henaults daughter which about this time was consūmated though Philip de Valoys king of France by intrusion as our Annales repute him was her vncle her mother being his owne sister 19 There stood now at home against the stream of the Queene and her Lord Mortimers absolute sway some great personages who did not wholy allow their doings among which was the Kings vncle Edmund Earle of Kent whose death they shortly procured Meane-while the more to despite and dare their ouerlookers Roger Mortimer was created Earle of the Marches of Wales at a Parliament holden at Salisburie at which time also Iohn of Eltham the Kings Brother was made Earle of Cornwall and the Lord Butler of Ireland Earle of Ormond From whence the Lord Henry Earle of Lancaster and sundry other of the Peeres seeing the King troden as it seemed to them vnder foot did absent themselues meditating ciuill armes for redresse who notwithstanding by the labour of Simon de Mepham Archbishop of Canterbury was reconciled This Archbishoppe very worthily also excommunicated all such as had any hand in the sacrilegious parricide of that noble and loiall Prelate Walter Bishoppe of Excester or any waies violated him their aiders complices or abettors whosoeuer But after the Coronation of Philip the yong Queene in another Parliament at Winchester the said Earle Edmund was condemned for conspiring to deliuer his brother late King of England whom likely inough by Mortimers practise he was drawne into an absurd beliefe to bee still aliue Thus for deuising to set a dead man at liberty this noble Earle Edmund the kings half vncle had his head strucken off though from Noone till fiue at night hee stood at the place of death without the Castle-gates none being found to behead him till a base wretch of the Marshal-sea was sent and did it so little conscience did the malice and ambition of his potent aduersaries make of shedding the Roiall bloud which by Gods iuster iudgement was not long vnreuenged 20 To supply which losse to the regal stemme with a very large amends the young Queene Philip at Woodstocke in Oxfordshire vpon 15. Iune being Friday brought forth her first begotten
The Sea-Force wherof spoyled the Coasts on both sides of the Forth or Scottish Sea and putting on land in Saint Colms they spoyled the Abbey which Sacrilege Hector notes was seuerely punished the whole Fleete being battered with tempest and some of the ships perishing At another time also the like sacrilege being perpetrated there hee saith that the shippe wherein the vnlawfull prize was sunke sodainely to the Sea-ground without any tempest The King himselfe comming to Perth to order the Scottish affaires whiles hee abode there the Earle of Murray one of the Gouernors was taken Prisoner who was after deliuered vpon Exchange for the Earle of Namur whō the Scots by like Art had taken or as Hector wil haue it for the Earle of Salisbury 35 By the mediation of the French the Scots had a short truce granted them But about the end of May the King sent his cosen the Lord Henry sonne to Henry Earle of Lancaster with a great Army to the aid and seruice of the Lord Edward Balliol King of Scotland which wasted all the Countries about Perth where while they lay the King with a very small Company came sodainely vnto them and from thence pierced farther one way then euer his Grandfather Edward had done suffering fire death the common furies of warre to worke vpon all that might suffer destruction to establish a Conquest Hee marcht vp as farre as Elgin and Buquhan and in his return to Marre burnt the Towne of Aberden in reuenge for Sir Thomas Rosselin a Knight whom the Townes-men thereof had slaine The Lord Robert Steward had great landes in those parts for Murrey and Buquhan were his which also the young Prince Edward many Earles and great Captaines with a gallant Company of men of war sailed to Antwerpe whom Lewis the Emperour met at the City of Colein where amity was confirmed and King Edward was constituted his Lieutenant with full authority to gouerne in his name on this side Colein By reason of which Vicegerencie King Edward made out his commandements and did many things to his aduantage and profit Howsoeuer it neither lasted long for Lewis within a while dishonourably reuoked it and did vndoubtedlie scarce quit the cost for the brauery of that meeting was so exceeding great as Edward easily wan the general opiniō of a very noble puissant king Polydor writes that Edward refused not the office yet would not exercise the same because he would not displease Pope Benedict whose enemy the Bauarian was 49 This Emperour whom belike the Pope hated for being as proud as himselfe tooke it ill as report went that the King of England humbled not himselfe at their meeting to the kisse of his foot But it was answered that the King of England was a King annointed and had life and member in his power and therefore ought not to submit himselfe so much as an other King that was not annointed After his returne to Antwerpe with his new power hee seriously prosecuted his affaire of confederation with the Lords and people of Dutchland among whom with great loue and fauour he and his royall family abode aboue an whole yeere The principall Nobles which entred into this league against the French were these The Archbishoppe of Colein Prince Elector The Duke of Brabant The Duke of Gelderland who had married the Lady Isabel King Edwards owne sister and about this season was of an Earle created a Duke The Marquesse of Gulick c. And finally the Hanse townes 50 The Flemings being the most necessary part of this association in regard of their neerenes to the French would not engage themselues in an offensiue warre against the Crowne of France vnlesse King Edward would first assume the Title and Armories of that Realme as the onely lawfull King therof This Proposition was throughly debated and the law of Armes allowing it hee with the common assent of the Flemings and others tooke the Stile and quartered the Flower de Lize with the Leopards or Lions of England as here we see annexed albeit wee see his former Seale also adorned with two Lize or Lillies whether in token of his mothers French descent or as a couert note of his own right to the Frenchcrown it is vncertaine 51 Polydor Virgil must haue a warie and fauourable Reader or hee will bee thought to bee of opinion that William the Conqueror bare his Leopards quartered then which nothing is more vntrue nor more vnlikely Others againe may suppose that we haue not here described them according to their right bearing as certainly according to their present bearing wee haue not but the truth is the golden Lillies of France which now are borne in triangle were in those dayes born and aduanced Semi 52 And whereas the Armories of France are placed here in the dexter and more honorable quarter yet there are probabilities that it was not so at this their first coniunction For in the* Seale of Queen Isabel this King Edwards mother the Armories of England as being the Armories of the husbands line and therefore to haue precedence were marshalled where now the Flower de Luces shine But whether to gratifie the French or because that was the more ancient and greater Monarchie they were in this Kings raigne disposed as here we see 53 When King Edward had thus assumed the Title and Armes of that Realme hee published the same vnder his seale setting the name of England first and sent his Letters Patents to the frontiers of the enemies Dominions fixing them vpon the dores of Churches aswell to declare the right and reason of his doings as to exempt such from the danger of the comming storme who vpon this notice would acknowledge him their Lord and rightfull Soueraigne These proclamations or admonishments thus diuulged he burnt and spoiled the North parts of France vp as farre as Turwin though the time of the yeere were very vnseasonable and contenting himselfe therewith for a beginning gaue place to the sharpenesse of Winter returning to the Queen his wife at Antwerpe where hee kept a roiall Christmas In which City this yeere was Lionel afterward Duke of Clarence borne 54 His affaires growing ripe in those parts he leaues his Queene and Children in Brabant as an assured pledge of his returne and about Candlemas shippes himselfe for England where in a Parliament at Westminster he obtained liberall aids for supportation of his intended Conquest In lieu of which louing assistances hee granted a generall large pardon both for trespasses and of all Aides for making his sonne Knight and for marriage of his daughter during all his time forgiuing also all arrerages of Farmers and Accountants till the tenth yeer of his Raigne and all old debts due to any of his Predecessors Finally hee confirmed that famous Magna Charta and of the Forest with some other 55 There was no talke now but of conquering France
issue RICHARD THE SECOND KING OF ENGLAND AND FRANCE LORD OF IRELAND THE FIFTIETH MONARCH OF ENGLAND HIS RAIGNE ACTS AND TROVBLES CHAPTER XIII RIchard of Burdeaux sonne to that Great Star of English Cheualrie Edward by-named the Blacke Prince and grand-child to the most renowned Edward the third both of them lately deceased was crowned in the eleuenth yeare of his age and vpon the sixteenth day of Iuly Seldome hath been seen so magnificent a Coronation as that of this young King but the thing which gaue a better lustre of hope at his beginning then the shine and maiesty of that publike Act was the wise course which in this his childhood was taken to wit the reconciliation of the Lord Iohn Duke of Lancaster and the Citizens of London with the restitution of Sir Peter de la Mare Knight Speaker in the late Parliament whom King Edward had committed to prison at the instigation of Dame Alice Peeres now banisht and confiscated not onely to former liberty but likewise to fauour and honor extraordinary 2 At this Coronation which as matters not vnworthie to bee kept aliue wee following the immethodicall order of the Record haue here for perpetuall memory thought good to abridge out of authentike Monuments Iohn the Kings eldest vncle vnder the stile of Iohn King of Castile and Leâ—… and Duke of Lancaster by humble petition to the King claimed to bee now Steward of England in right of his Earledome of Leicester and as he was Duke of Lancaster to beare the Kings chiefe sword called Curtana and as Earle of Lincolne to cutte and carue at the royall Table before the King His petitions being found iust were confirmed to him and to his Assignes the two Earles of Derby and Stafford the first to beare the Sword while the Duke should be busied about other offices as Steward and the other to cut and carue The Duke then in great estate held this the Kings high Court of Stewardship in the VVhite-hall of the Kings Pallace at Westminster Knight the Constable thereof which yet the Earle of Northumberland vpon the ninth day after recouered by force putting those who had surprized it to the sword 9 Neither was the spirit of the English after it began to requicken idle elsewhere for as Sir Robert Rous had diuers wayes vexed the French and taken Olâ—…uer the brother of that renowned Bertrand de Glequin prisoner so Sir Iohn de Harleston Captaine of Cherbrough after him slew and took diuers French in a skirmish These the few foregoing drops of greater approaching showers For Sir Hugh Caluerlee and Sir Thomas Percy made admirals of the narrow Seas tooke many rich prizes and exploited sundry other things very praise worthily bringing home the acceptable newes of the dislike which the Britons had conceiued against the French Kings Gouernment for he commanded them to render vp to him all their strengths Castles and walled Townes and many of them who refused to obey hee put to death 10 These emploiments and fresh designes for other like found need of pecuniary supplies whereupon in a Parliament holden at London it was agreed that for supply of the Kings wants the Commons should be spared and the burthen be wholie vndergone by the able The rates then of that taxe were these Dukes Archbishops Earles and Bishops at ten marks each mitred Abbots at as much besides fortie pence for euery Monke vnder their subiection Briefly saith Thomas Walsingham there was no religious person man or woman Iustitiar Sheriffe Knight Esquire Parson Vicar or Chauntry Priest free from this taxâ—… rated according to the value of their yeerely receiptâ—… 11 We formerlie mentioned how Iohn Shakell the other companion of Robert Haulee so execrablie murdered in Gods-house was taken He now vpon condition that the King besides 500. markes in money should giue him lands to the yeerely value of one hundreth markes and should also found and sufficiently endow at the Kings costs a Chantrie with fiue Priests for their soules whom the kings Officers had wickedly murthered he rendred vp his Hostage the eldest but naturall sonne of the said Earle of Dean At the discouery and bringing-forth of whom all men were stroken with wonderfull loue and admiration for the yong Gentleman hauing giuen his faith not to disclose himselfe appeared in the shape of a base groome in which vnknowne to all the world but his Master hee had of his owne accord lurked An example of such a point of perfect honestie as cannot be forgotten without iniurie 12 The same yeere the Lord Iohn Mountford whom the French had driuen out being inuited home by his Barons returned into his Dutchy of Britaine accompanied with the valiant Knights Caluerley and Percy aforesaid where he his friends and followers were receiued with singular honor Soone after Sir Iohn of Arundell brother to the Earle of Arundell being sent into Britaine to aid the Duke was with many other valiant Knights and Esquires drowned It is imputed by our Author to a iust effect of Gods anger against the said Sir Iohn and his houshold for their manifold vices and outrages practised by him and them before they set out from England for which they had the bitter curses of the people and the Angell of destruction to execute those imprecations vpon the delinquents 13 But the action of â—…iding did more deepely import then that it should bee abandoned for the losse of that vnfortunate fellowship and the exceeding riches which were with them therefore the Lord Thomas of Woodstock Earle of Buckingham with Caluerlee Percy Knols Windleshores or Windsor verie valiant knights other competent forces was sent to assist the Duke of Britaine But because the French Galleys houered vpon the narrow Seas they landed at Calleys and from thence march through France spoiling Countries burning townes the French not daring to empeach them and killing people till they and their whole equipage came safe into Britaine 14 There were about these times ciuill diuisions in France for the Duke of Burgundie younger brother of King Charles lately dead being made Guardian of the person and dominions of his Nephew Charles then in minority had the Duke of Aniou being an elder brother to the Duke of Burgundie a mortall enemie Their bloudy quarrels fell out luckily for the English aides in the Dutchie of Britaine out of which as Duke Iohn had beene driuen for adhering to his father in law the late king Edward so the English did their best to vphold him in it as there was cause 15 The French in these extremes are releeued by their ancient diuersion for the Scots entring about that time with fire and sword into Cumberland and Westmerland and the forrest of Inglewood draue away much Cattle slew the Inhabitants rifled the booths and houses of Perith in the Faire time killing and taking many and driuing away the rest The Earle of Northumberland preparing a bloudy
Lieutenant of Ireland hauing in the yeere before while he too much trusted to his owne Forces been slaine with very many others by O-Brin and the Irish of Leinster at a place called Kenlis King Richard determines in person to reuenge the bloud of his Noble kinsman being the man to whom hee meant the Crowne of England if issue failed to himselfe Hee remembred not how broken an estate hee had in England where the peoples hearts were strongly alienated not onely for the death of the late great Lords and banishment of the Duke of Hereford whose calamitie encreased his popularity or for the like passed exasperations but for that to furnish his Irish voyage he had extorted money on al hands taking vp carriages victuals and other necessaries without any recompence whereby the hatred of his gouernment grew vniuersall 106 But the euill fortune which hung ouer his head laid forth an alluring baite to haste his destruction by occasion of the Duke of Lancasters decease which hapned about Candlemas and the absence of his banished sonne and heire Lord Henry The king most vniustly seizeth vpon the goods of that mighty Prince his vncle as if all things now were lawfull which but liked him he determines to banish the new rightfull Duke of Lancaster Henrie not for a few yeeres but for euer for which cause hee reuoked his Letters Patents granted to the said Henry by which his Atturnyes were authorised to sue his Liuerie and to compound for the respite of his homage at a reasonable rate whereby he made it seem plaine to the world that hee had not banished him to auoid dissentions but as many said to fill vp the breaches which his riote had made in the roiall treasures with plentifull though an vndue Escheate as that of his deceased vncles fortune 107 The one stedfast base and buttresse of all lawfull Empire is Iustice that supports the kinglie throne This he ouerthrew and how then could himselfe hope to stand long He lands at Waterford in Ireland with a Nauie of two hundreth ships hauing with him the sonne of the late Duke of Glocester and of the now Duke of Lancaster to secure himselfe the rather His forces consisted much of Cheshire men But that king is deceiued who reposeth his safetie in violence It was no great matter hee did there that which fell out to bee done elsewhere was great indeed His warre in Ireland was more dammagefull then fishing with an hooke of gold for here the baite and hooke was not onely lost but the line rod and himselfe were drawne altogether into the depthes of irrecouerable ruine Duke Henry sees the aduantage which King Richards absence gaue him and vseth it In his Companie were Thomas Arundel the banished Archbishoppe of Canterbury and his Nephew the sonne and heire of the late Earle of Arundel and not aboue fifteen Lanciers His strength was where the Kings should haue beene in the peoples hearts Neuerthelesse the Duke did not sodainely take land but houered vpon the Seas shewing himselfe to the Country people in one place now and then in another pretending nothing but the recouery of his rightfull Heritage 108 Edmund Duke of Yorke whom King Richard had left behind him to gouerne England hearing this cals vnto him Edmund Stafford Bishoppe of Chichester Lord Chancellor the Earle of Wiltshire Lord Treasurer and the Knights of the Kings Councell Bushie Bagot Greene and Russell Their conclusion was to leuie a force to impeach Duke Henries entrance The assembly was appointed to bee at S. Albans which came to worse then nothing for the protestation that they would not hurt the Duke whom they knew to bee wronged was generall This made the Treasurer Sir Iohn Bushie and Sir Henrie Greene flie to the Castle of Bristoll Sir William Bagot to Chester from whence he got shipping into Ireland Meane while Duke Henry lands at a village heretofore called Rauenshire to whom repaired Henry Earle of Northumberland his sonne Henry Lord Percie lands at Neuill Earle of Westmerland and many others who saith Walsingham greatly feared King Richards tyrannie With an Armie of about threescore thousand multitudes offering their seruice they come to Bristoll besiege the Castell take it and in the same the foresaid Treasurer Bushie and Greene whose heades at the cries of the Commons were the next day after their surrender seuered from their bodies 109 King Richard was in the City of Dublin when these most heauie newes arriued His courage which at no time seemed great was shortly none at all Somewhat must bee done hee leaues the sons of Duke Henry of his late vncle of Glocester which hee retained as pledges for his owne indemnity in the Castell of Trim and returnes himselfe into England entending to encounter the Duke before his force should bee too much established The great names which accompanied him were his late noble Creatures the young Dukes of Aumarle Excester and Surrey the Bishops of London Lincolne and Carleol and many others There had beene some more hope for vpholding his right if hee had not made the worlde know that tenne yeers space was not able to burie in him the appetite of reuenge which made many forget their owne loyalty to him and the Crowne Princes see in him the vse of obliuion but some conscience of euill deserts seeming to haue taken from him all confidence he dismisseth his Armie bidding his Steward Sir Thomas Percy others to reserue themselues for better dayes 110 His last refuge is in Parlea For that cause there repaired to him at the Castell of Conway in Northwales for thither he was now come the late Archbishoppe of Canterbury and the Earle of Northumberland at the Kings appointment The sum of his demaundes were that if hee and eight whome he would name might haue honourable allowance with the assurance of a quiet priuate life he would resigne his Crowne This Northumberland did sweare should be whereupon he forthwith departs to the Castle of Flint in their company After a short conference there had with the Duke they all ride that night to the Castell of Chester being attended by the Lancastrian Armie If to spare his peoples bloud he was contented so tamely to quit his royall right his fact doth not onely not seeme excusable but glorious but men rather thinke that it was sloth and a vaine trust in dissimulation which his enemies had long since discouered in him and for that cause both held his amendment desperate and ran themselues into these desperate Treasons 111 The King did put himselfe into the Dukes hands vpon the twentieth day of August beeing but the forty and seuenth from the Dukes first landing From thence they trauell to London where the King lodged in the Tower Meane while writs of Summons are sent out in King Richards name for a Parliament to bee holden at Westminster Crastino Michaelis The tragicall forme of Resignation you haue had already in Edward the second of whom this
regalia qui violauit Fabians English of them The Church he fauoured casting the proud to ground And all that would his roiall State confound The said Author therefore Robert Fabian obseruing the scope of those lines to dampe their force doth vnderwrite and annex this Stanza with much greater discretion then elegancie But yet alas though that this meeter or rime Thus doth embellish this noble Princes fame And that some Clerke which fauoured him sometime List by his cunning thus to enhance his name Yet by his Story appeareth in him some blame Wherefore to Princes is surest memory Their liues to exercise in vertuous constancie More tart and seuere is the censure of Gower vpon this Prince one of whose verses Stow giues vs thus So God doth hate such rulers as here viciously do liue That beautifull picture of a King sighing crowned in a chaire of estate at the vpper end of the Quier in Saint Peters at Westminster is said to be of him which witnesseth how goodly a creature he was in outward lineaments 20 King Henry to diuert the humors and eyes of the people from the remembrance of this Tragedie prepareth now a puissance therewith to inuade Scotland some subiects whereof together with their Admirall Sir Robert Logon a Scotish Knight were taken at Sea by certaine English ships But K. Henry may seeme to haue done any thing rather then to haue made a warre for albeit hee did some hurt by wasting the Country yet did not the Scots offer battel and the rest will wel appear in these words of Boetius He did small iniuries to the people thereof for he desired nought but his banner to bee erected on their wals He was euer a pleasant enemy and did great humanity to the people in all places of Scotland where he was lodged Finally hee shewed to the Lords of Scotland that hee came into their Realme rather by counsell of his Nobles then for any hatred he bare to Scots Soone after hee returned into England Whether the remembrance of the curtesies shewed to his Father Duke Iohn or the feare of his owne great state so neere to an ouerthrow by the late furious conspiracy wrought these gentle effects it was not long before the euent shewed that his prouidence in not creating new acerbities was therein needfull 21 For albeit the face of England seemed smooth yet God thrust a thorne into King Henries side when and where he little expected for the Welsh whom former Kings of England had so yoaked and subiected did contrary to all mens expectation breake forth into open acts of hostility vnder the conduct of a Gentleman of that Nation surnamed Glendowr of the Lordship of Glendowr in Merionithshire whose owner he was the wrath and iustice of heauen is alwayes so well furnished with meanes to exercise the mightiest those chiefly at whose amendment God aimes by chastisement The originall of so great an euill was in the seed but little as but this Owen Glendowr whom the Welsh call the sonne of Gruffith Vachan descended of a yonger son of Gruffith ap Madoc Lord of Bromfield was at first a Student of the common laws and an Vtter Barister but not therefore an apprentise of law as Doctor Powell mistakes for an apprentise of the law is hee that hath been a double Reader did afterward serue the late King Richard in place of an Esquier was well beloued of him but in King Henries time retiring himselfe as it seemes to his Mannour of Glendourdwy the L. Gray of Ruthen entred vpon a peece of common which lay betweene Ruthen and Glendowr which Owen despite the Lord Gray while Richard continued King had formerly holden though not without contention Owen a man of high courage and impatient of force armes hereupon and encounters the Lord Gray in the field where he scattered the said Lords people and tooke him prisoner as hereafter will else-where bee touched 22 It seemes herein that hee had forgotten the lawes which he had formerly studied and wherin hee had been a licentiate for shortly after as hee had troden law vnder foot so did he also cast off loyaltie burning destroying the Lord Grays inheritances and killing sundry his seruants The King aduertised hereof passeth with an Army into Wales burnes kils and takes such reuenge as that time would permit Meanewhile Owen whom pride folly armed to the farther ruine of his Country with his trustiest friends which were not few withdrawes into the inexpugnable fastnesses of Snowdon where during this tempest he kept his head safe Shortly after the King with such riches and spoiles as those Parts had afforded returnes His next most noted action was peaceable For one of the house of Paâ—…logus and Emperour of Constantinople came into England to pray some succour against the Turke and vpon the day of S. Thomas the Apostle was met at Blackeheath by King Henry highly feasted richly presented and his charges borne till departure But as Tilius saith of his successe in France verbis promissis tantum adiutus est so here his speed was not much better the point of armed aides being only therein assisted with words and promises 23 In a Parliament held the next yeere by reason of the numbers of Lolards so called encreasing the punishment for them enacted was burning And in the same yeere also the Articles of peace beeing first agreed vpon betweene the two Nations English and French notwithstanding that they had denied to match with the young Prince of Wales because the former marriage with Richard thriued so badly the Lady Isabel who had beene crowned Queene of England as Spouse of the late King was now sent backe into France after a most princely maner shee being not as yet twelue yeeres old had no dowrie allowed her in England for that the marriage was neuer consummated Before shee was restored to her friends the Lord Henry Percie before the Ambassadors of both the Nations where they were met betweene Caleis and Boloigne protested That the King of England his Master had sent her to be deliuered to her Father cleare of all bonds of marriage or otherwise and that hee would take it vpon his soule that shee was sound and entire euen as shee was the same day shee was deliuered to King Richard and if any would say to the contrary hee was ready to proue it against him by combat But the Earle of Saint Paul saying hee beleeued it to be true the Lord Percie tooke her by the hand and deliuered her vnto the Earle and then the Commissioners of France deliuered certaine letters of receipt and acquitall She was afterward married to Charles Duke of Orleance 24 Owen Glendowr persisting in his pride and disobedience made incursions vpon the English doing them great harme and returning himselfe without any but K. Henries danger was greater at home for treason had crept into his most secret Chamber In his
bed there lay hidden a Galtrop or Engine with three small yron pikes long slender and passing sharpe all of them with their points set vpward but God so disposing it the King before hee laid himselfe downe perceiued them and thereby auoided that hidden mischiefe but who was actor therein it doth not appeare 25 This appeares that the splendors of his new regality had drawne vp many thicke and poisonous cloudes of enuie and practise to darken if it were possible the farther brightnesse thereof Neither was it long before it grew to some extremity For Owen Glendowr vpon the causes beforesaid wasting the Lord Reynald Grayes lands was encountred by him as presuming that Owen and his friendes might easily be ouercome but the contrary hapned for there in fight hee lost very many of his companie and was himselfe taken Prisoner This fortune made the swelling mind of Owen ouerflow in vaine hopes who compelling the said Lord to marry his daughter yet obtained hee not his liberty the sooner but died say some in the power of Owen if perhaps our Author mistake not the Lord Gray for Edmund Lord Mortimer Earle of March who indeed did marrie so after hee was also ouerthrowne by the said Owen with the slaughter of aboue a thousand principall persons of Herefordshire assembled vnder his conduct to resist the Welsh inuasions and there also himselfe was by trecherie taken prisoner 26 Walsingham doth write that about this time sundrie conspiracies were discouered in the yolke as it were or embrion the whole hopes whereof rested vpon calumniations and forgery for by the first they traduced in libels Henries actions so to make him hatefull and by the second they diuulged that Richard was still aliue thereby to raise an head of separation Henry thus galled in his honour and endangered in the main resolued to spare none vpon whom the crime or concealement was found The first of them that fell vnder his iustice was a Priest of Ware with whom was taken a list or roll of names which hee had gathered supposing them such as in regard of benefites receiued would liue and die for King Richard which vanitie of his created trouble to many till it appeared that he had therein wronged them as persons who were vtterlie ignorant both of the man and matter Whereupon hee was drawne and hanged The like fate had Walter Baldocke Prior of Lawnd who confest that he had concealed others counsels against the King though himselfe had acted nothing A Frier Minor also being taken with some other of his Order for like intendments was asked What hee would doe if King Richard were aliue and present hee confidently answered that hee would fight for him till death against any whosoeuer which cost him his life being drawn and hanged in his Fryars weeds Neither did this hard fortune fall onely vpon the Clergy for Sir Roger Claringdon Knight reputed the base sonne of Edward late Prince of Wales together with an Esquier and seruant of his finished the affection which they bare to the deceased Richard by hanging Not long after eight Franciscan Fryars or Minorites were taken conuicted hanged and headed for the like causes which made the King an heauy Lord to that whole Order It is said that somewhat before this knot was discouered the diuell appeared in the habit of a Minorite at Danbury Church in Essex to the incredible astonishment of the parishioners for at the same time there was such a Tempest thunder with great fire-bals of lightning that the vault of the church brake and halfe the Chancell was carried away 27 But howsoeuer these out-branches were pared away the rootes of all the practise lay deeper out of sight for the Percies Henry Earle of Northumberland Thomas Earle of Worcester and Henrie Hotspur Lord Percy because perhaps they thought they had done wickedly in helping to set vp Henry beganne to imagine that bloudy mischiefe which afterward was prosecuted This malice the late successe of Owen Glendowr against the Lord Mortimer Earle of March taken prisoner as is said with no little slaughter of his Herefordshire men did perhaps nourish for that hee saw an enemie appeare who was not vnlikely to proue an able member of a greater rebellion Certainely the King hauing in September led an Armie into Wales to take reuenge vpon his Rebels was in great danger to haue perished with sodaine stormes and raines the like whereof none of his people had euer felt or seene so that after he had done some wasts vpon the Country hee returned The common fame went that Owen was a Coniurer and had raised those hideous tempests by hellish arts they seemed so excessiue which whether true or false did yet impart no little strength to the Welsh faction 28 The Kings fortune was happier in the North where his Lieutenants had two faire victories the one at Nisbet and the other at Halidowne-hill neere to a village called Woller And although the first was not a small one yet the other deserued the name of a iust battell and garland To the Scots hauing with aboue ten thousand men vnder conduct of Archibald Earle of Dowglas whom the Scots nick-named Tyne-man because he neuer wanne field though no sort of true manhood was wanting in his person made great spoiles in England as farre as to Newcastle and were now vpon returne Henrie Percie Earle of Northumberland the noble Henry Hotspur Lord Percie his sonne and George Earle of Dunbar who fled as you haue heard out of Scotland with the forces of the Countries there about not meaning to let them to passe in so slight a sort opposed themselues The chiefe feare was wrought by the English Archers who first with their stiffe close and cruell stormes of arrowes made their enemies footmen breake and when the noble Dowglasse descended to the charge with his choisest bands himselfe being in a most rich and excellently tempered armour and the rest singularly well appointed the Lord Percies Archers making a retreat did withall deliuer their deadly arrowes tam viuidè tam animosè tam grauitèr saith our Monke so liuely so couragiously so grieuously that they ranne through the men of Armes bored the helmets pierced their very swords beate their lances to the earth and easily shot those who were more slightly armed through and through There were taken prisoners the Earle of Dowglas himselfe who notwithstanding his armour of the best proofe had fiue wounds and lost an eye Murdake Stewart Earle of Fife eldest sonne to Robert Duke of Albanie George Earle of Angus the Earles of Murrey and Orkney the Lords Montgomerie Erskin and Grane with about fourscore Knights besides Esquiers and Gentlemen There were slaine the Lords Gourdon and Swyntonn Belindens Boetius cals them Knights with sundrie other men of honour and marke beside store of common souldiers The riuer Tweed to shew it selfe meere English did likewise fight for them by
swallowing about fiue hundreth in his vnknowne depthes as they who fled from the battell sought to passe This victory hapned vpon Holyrood in haruest The troubles which afterward hapned did not onely hinder the Lord Percie from farther prosecution of such a victorie but eclypsed the honour hee had gotten now and gaue his dayes a bloudy foule Catastrophe 29 The Lord Edmund Mortimer Earle of March next generall heire in bloud to the Crowne of England after the death of Richard the second hauing through feare of Owen whose prisoner hee was or hope of recouering his right or for reuenge because the King did not ransom him married Owens daughter by which hee must necessarily declare himselfe an enemie to King Henrie entertained intelligence with his neere kinsmen the Percies and sundry other his friends in Cheshire and elsewhere to what purpose will shortly appeare The night in which this Lord Mortimer though some referre it to Owens birth was born all the horses in his fathers stable are said to haue bin found standing Belly-deep in bloud A fearefull prodigie as euen then it seemed but verified afterward in the farre more fearefull euents when vpon the quarrell of Mortimers title by which the house of Yorke claimed the horses of warre did not onely stand belly-deepe in bloud but also swam therein The mischiefe was already begun for Henry Earle of Northumberland when now his owne and his houses strengths were mightily encreased by this late victory against the Scots which he vnder-hand seemes to haue conuerted to his secret priuate ends closely animated his brother the Earle of Worcester and his fiery spirited son against the King to both their confusions 30 The King tooke to wife the Lady Iane of Nauarre widdow of Iohn de Montfort Duke of Britaine named the Conquerour who died the yeere before by whom she had issue both sons and daughters but by the King none He met and married her at Winchester and crowned her Queene at Westminster The King was not trusted with the custody of any her three sonnes Iohn Richard Arthur who remained in France 31 Euents are the best interpreters of prophesies and prodigies Strange was that which Walsingham hath written of a fatall Spectrum or Apparitions in the summer time betweene Bedford and Bickleswade where sundry monsters of diuers colours in the shapes of armed men were often seene to issue out of the woods at morning and at noone which to such as stood farre off seemed to encounter one the other in most terrible manner but when they drew neer nothing was to be found Of another nature were the fiery attempts of the Percies The first of them who discouered in armes his mortall hatred was the noble Hotspur who vnder colour of the Scottish warre made head about Chester and the marches of Wales To him by the priuitie of Hotspurs father repaires the naughtie old man the Earle of Worcester leauing the young Prince of Wales and the Princes houshold ouer both which for their better Gouernment the King had placed him Now was the torch of warre lighted vp and began to blaze for though the chiefe plot-master the Earle of Northumberland was not ioined to them as hee did intend yet were their numbers growne mightily with which they meant to enter the Towne of Shrewsbury to make thereof a Seat of warre 32 Colourable causes of their armes were the ordinarie paintings of the like attempts Care of common-wealths reformation and their owne safeties for hauing first protested their intentions not to be the breach of loyaltie they pretend and by letters sent about doe signifie 1. That the publike monie was not employed vpon the pretended defence of the kingdome but vnduly wasted 2. That by reason of bad tongues about the King they durst not approach him to declare their innocency vnlesse the Prelates and Peeres of the Realme did first intercede for them 3. That they tooke armes onely to guard their owne heads and to see the Kingdome better gouerned These Articles had the place of the Huske but the kernell of the enterprize had principallie these 1. To thrust King Henry out of his seat and consequently to depriue him of life 2. To aduance the title of the Lord Mortimer Earle of Mâ—…ch their neerest Allie for the Earle of Northumberland had married Elizabeth the daughter of the Lord Edmund Mortimer the elder Earle of March by Philip daughter to Lionel Duke of Clarence 3. To take reuenge of King Henry for seeking to drawe the chiefe benefit to himselfe of the victory at Halidowâ—… hill whose principall prisoners he required and for such other priuate grudges 4. To share the Kingdome betweene Mortimer Percy and Owen Glendower Concerning which partition it is in some found written that Indentures tripartite were sealed showing that South-England should remaine to Mortimer North-England to Percy and Wales beyond Seuern to Glendower But Archembald Earle of Dowglas who did his Countrey good seruice by making one in our Combustions by common consent was allowed for his share to be free from ransome and to haue Berwicke 33 This in our English Adages is called to reckon without our host or to count our chickens before they are hatched But though at this time God would haue it so yet who doth not easily see what a wild horse a kingdome so gotten is and how hard to sit and not to manage onlie Yet it seemeth that if Mortimer hauing so iust a title to the Crowne had openlie professed the cause of his attempt against King Henry it might iustlie haue beene exempted from all staine of disabilitie But this partition is said to haue beene wisely built vpon a sound Welsh prophesie of Merlins as if King Henry were the Mowldwarp cursed of Gods owne mouth and Mortimer Percy and Glendower the Dragon Lyon and Wolfe which should diuide this Realme betweene them Surely the Welsh hauing any hand in such a partition it is not likelie they could thinke it had the right feete if it stood not vpon the supposed Merlins his ridiculous cosenages and riddles The English not to be behind in leasings doe in the meanetime euery where spread that Richard was safe aliue and in the Castle of Chester Who can wonder that this name should be so gratious as if alone it were enough to haue shaken Henry out of his State when Nero himselfe had so many fauorites that twenty yeeres after his death an obscure fellow faining himselfe Nero was so backt and countenanced by the Parthians and others that not without much difficulty the Romans could get him into their hands 34 On the other side King Henry assailed with so vnexpected ieopardies defends his cause by letters and strongly puts the blame vpon the accusers saying That he maruelled exceedingly seeing the Earle of Northumberland and Henry his Sonne had the greatest part of the publike moneys deliuered to them for defence of the borders against
said he hath made it meere wrong which with better regard of the Sex alloweth the woman to inherite her fathers possession as we see in the practise of that state whereof Christ himselfe is called king where the fiue daughters of Zelophehad for want of heires males were admitted to succeed in their fathers inheritance allotted them in the Tribe of Manasses and a law made by the Lord himselfe that if a man died and had no sonnes then his inheritance should be transferred vpon his daughters Neither is it to be doubted but that the daughter of Shesham was the sole heire vnto her fathers patrimony he dying without issue male though shee married an Egyptian whose posterity had their possessions among the Tribe of Iudah euen to the Captiuity of Babilon so that if such a law were as in truth there was no such better were the breach by the warrant of diuine direction then the continuance by colour of such prescription seeing God hath ordained aswell for the daughter as for the sonne 20 The Archbishops vnexpected but not vnpremeditated Oration thus ended so stirred the blood of the young Couragious King that his heart was all on a flame and so tickled the eares of his Auditory as they presently conceiued that France was their owne the Title whereof descending from Isabell the mother of the famous third Edward and shee the daughter and suruiuing heire vnto Philip the faire his right was lineally deriued thence as followeth first Philip by Ioane his first wife intituled Queene of Nauarre had three sonnes and one daughter namely Lewis Philip and Charles all three successiuely Kings and this Lady Isabell by whom the English claime his second wife was Constance the daughter of the King of Sicil who bare him a sonne after his owne decease which liued not many daies after his father Lewis his eldest sonne and tenth of that name succeeded Philip in the Kingdome of France and by Margaret his wife the daughter of Burgundy had his daughter Iane intituled Queene of Nauarre who made claime also vnto the French Crowne but neuer attained it so that her Title fell with her death Lewis by his second wife Clemence of Sicil had a sonne named Iohn borne vnto him but presently both father and sonne departing this life left the Scepter to his second brother who by the name of Philip the fift a while wore the Emperiall Crowne of France his wife was Iane the daughter of Burgoine who bare vnto him only foure daughters 21 Vnto King Philip succeeded his brother Charles the faire the fourth of that name whose first wife was Blanch detected of incontinency and brought him no fruite his second wife was Marie daughter to Henry Luxenbourg the Emperour who bare him a sonne that dyed soone after birth and the mother likewise shortly came to her graue Margaret the daughter to the Earle of Eureux was his third and last wife who at his death hee left with Child and thus the three sonnes of Philip were branched raigned and died whom Queene Isabell their sister suruiued and in that right her sonne King Edward the third by his royall consanguinity whilst the Crowne stood thus at suspence till a Prince should be borne claimed to be Regent in the Interregnum and in the nonage of the looked for issue against which Philip de Valois sonne of Charles the hardy who was brother to Philip the faire being a second branch from Hugh Capet and first Prince of the blood of France maintained that the Regency of the male if so he were borne as also of the Realme if a daughter or the sonne dyed belonged onely vnto him as the next in blood The state thus standing and a daughter borne Philip was saluted and proclaimed King no other right alleaged then this foisted and falsely termed fundamentall law Salique for no otherwise doth Ottoman the French famous Lawyer esteeme of that vngodly and vniust Ordinance if any such had beene ordained 22 The Kings right thus apparant and sufficient possessions to be had in France the Bill of complaint against the Clergies excesse was quite dasht and all mindes addicted for the affaires that way thinking it vnreasonable to pull the Prouisions from their natiues and brethren when as the Circuit of their inheritanee extended more large in compasse and therefore with the Danites they determined no longer to sit so pent with increase seeing God had giuen them another Kingdome but would free their own straitnesse by dint of sword and spread their Tents wider in the Continent of France Neither was there any motiue more forceable in conference then was the successe of those intruding Princes who assaied the Crowne by that vniust claime of law Salique 23 For did not the sword of God rather then man in the hand of King Edward the claimer cut downe the flower of France in the Battell of Crecie with the slaughter of Lewis King of Bohemia of Charles the French Kings brother of Iames Dolphin of Viennois the Dukes of Lorrayne and Burbon the Earles of Aumarle Sauoy Montbilliard Flanders Niuers and Harecourt the Grand Priour of France the Archbishop and Zanxinus and Noyone of Lords Barons and Gentlemen to the number of 1500 with 30. thousand of the French Souldiers and Philip not able of himselfe to defend himselfe inciting Dauid of Scotland to inuade and weaken England therein did but only vexe his owne spirit for in that attempt the Scottish King was taken prisoner and brought so to London leauing Philip to struggle with his hard fortunes in France which with bad successe hee did to the day of his death 24 Iohn his sonne by the same title and claime felt the same stroake of iustice from the hand of that thunderbolt in warre Edward surnamed the blacke Prince the sonne of Englands Mars who farre inferiour to the French in number farre exceeded them in marshall power when at the battell of Poitiers the French royall Standard was stroke downe an hundred Ensignes wonne by the English the Constable Marshall and great Chamberlaine of France with fifty two Lords and seuenteen hundred Gentlemen slaine in the field King Iohn himselfe his sonne Philip two Bishops thirteene Earles and one and thirty Lords taken prisoners by the Prince to his great praise and confirmation of his iust cause 25 Nor was the punishment of the father any whit lessened in King Charles the sonne then raigning who besides the intestine warres in his own dominions was by Gods iust iudgement strucke into a Lunacy being vnable to gouerne himselfe much lesse his Kingdome vpon which aduantage as the French would haue it King Henry now plaied though it be most certaine he sought his right farre otherwise for so it standeth vpon record dated the ninth of February and first of Henry the fift his raigne that he sent his Ambassadors vnto the French King who could not bee admitted to his presence and him whom they imployed to procure
13. of Richard 2. which disabled the Alien Religious to enioy any Benefices within England and now fearing to nourish a snake in his bosome King Henry forbad the French from all preferments Ecclesiasticall and those Priors Aliens conuentual who had institution and induction to put in security not to disclose or cause to be disclosed the counsell nor secrets of the Realme and that the French might hold his dealings honourable and open hee sent Antilop his purseuant at Armes vnto King Charles with letters of defiances next making Queene Ioan his mother in Law the Regent of the land he drew his forces vnto Southampton commaunding his followers there to attend him in readinesse by the feast of Saint Iohn Baptist ensuing 30 Charles the French King expecting present inuasion sent his Ambassadors vnto Iohn the sixt Duke of Britain who had married his daughter with an hundred thousand Crowns to leuie forces for his aide and a Iewell worth fiue thousand Crownes more to himselfe which the Duke promised to come in person to performe And as it is reported King Charles sent to Scrope Grey and Cambridge all three in especiall fauour with the King a million of gold to betray Henry into his hands or to murther him before hee should arriue in Normandy These to make their faction stronger though Scroope was Lord Treasurer Grey a Priuie Councellour Cambridge the sonne of Edmund Duke of Yorke meant to draw in Edmund Earle of March the sonne of Roger Mortimer and lineally the heire vnto Lionell Duke of Clarence the next in succession for the house of Yorke and reuealing their intended purpose forced him to sweare to their secresie which if hee refused they threatned his death whereupon he required but an howres respite which hardly granted he went to the King and reuealed the conspiracie euen the night before the day that hee meant to put to sea 31 The parties apprehended and brought before him in presence of many nobles King Henry thus spake With what horrour O Lord may anie true English heart consider that you for pleasing of a forreine enemy should imbrue your hands in our blood as also in the blood of our brethren to the ruine of your owne natiue soile reuenge herein touching my person though I seeke not yet for the safegard of you my deare friends and for due preseruation of the Realme I am by place and office to minister remedy against these Offenders Get you hence therefore you miserable wretches to receiue the iust reward of your deserts wherein God giue you repentance for your so foule sinnes 32 Notwithstanding this their offence their inditement as it standeth in the Record includes matter of other quality that Richard Earle of Cambridge of Conesburgh in the County of Yorke and Thomas Grey of Heton in the Countie of Northumberland Knight for that they in the twentieth of Iuly and third of King Henry the fifts raigne at Southampton had conspired together with a power of men to haue lead away the Lord Edmund Earle of March into Wales and to haue procured him to take the Gouernment of the Realme in case that King Richard the second were dead with a purpose to haue put forth a Proclamation in the name of the said Earle as heire to the Crowne against King Henry by the name of Lancaster vsurper and further to haue conuayed a Banner of the Armes of England and a certaine Crowne of Spaine set vpon a Pallet layd in gage to the sayd Earle of Cambridge into Wales As also that the said conspirators had appointed certaine into Scotland to bring thence one Trumpington and another resembling in shape fauour and countenance King Richard And Henrie Scroope of Masham in the Countie of Yorke was likewise indited as consenting to the Premisses Thus well appeared their purpose though Richard Earle of Cambridge considering the possibility of his owne issue had secretly carried that businesse whose sorrowfull letter of his owne hand writing as it came to ours we thinke not amisse here to insert Most dreadfull and Soueraigne Liege Lord I Richard Yorke your humble subiect and very Leigeman beseech you of grace of all manner of offences which I haue 〈◊〉 or assented vnto in any kind by stirring of other folke egging me vnto wherein I wot well I haue highly offended to your Highnesse beseeching you at the reuerence of God that you like to take mee into the hands of your mercifull and piteous grace thinking yee will of your 〈◊〉 goodnes my Leige Lord my full trust is that you will hauâ—… consideration though that my person be of none valew your high goodnesse where God hath set you in sâ—… high estate to euery Leigeman that you longeth plent 〈◊〉 to â—…ue that you like to accept this my simple request for the loue of our Lady and the blessed holy Ghost to whom I pray that they moue your heart euer to all pittie and grace for their high goodnes Notwithstanding this his humble petition vpon the sixt of August following hee with Scroope and Grey were beheaded and his body with head enterred in the Chappell of Gods-house in South-hampton whose apprehensions arraignements and deaths were so followed each after others as the French knew not but that the treason had successe and their returned Ambassadours told it for certaine that King Henry had either dismissed his Army or which was thought more true himselfe was slaine by the Conspirators so easie an entrance hath babling report into the wide eares of credulous desire 33 But King Henrie now ready to embarke his men vpon Wednesday the seauenth of August with fifteene hundred Saile tooke to Seas attended with sixe thousand speares and twenty foure thousand footmen besides Gunners Enginers Artificers and Labourers a great number and the fifteenth of the same month cast Anchor in the mouth of Seyne at a place called Kideaux about three miles from Harflew where he landed his men and falling deuoutly vpon his knees desired Gods assistance to recouer his right making Proclamation vpon paine of death that Churches should be spared from all violence of spoile that Churchmen women and Children should not be hurt abused or wronged then giuing the order of Knighthood to many of his followers hee assigned his Standards to men of most strength and courage which done he tooke the hill neere adioyning and thence sent his spiall to the Towne of Harflew making that the first assay of his fortunes in France But before we enter any further discourse in the affaires of that Kingdome it shall not be amisse to speake of things commenced in England before that King Henry tooke to the Seas 34 The Churches throughout Christendome hauing beene disquieted the space of twentie nine yeers and now growne intollerable through the schismaticall ambitions maintained by three Papall Monarchs mounted into Saint Peters seate each of them grasping the Chaire with so fast a fist that the ioints thereof
is the greatest it may be also the happiest Monarchie of Europe For the cleere accomplishment of which worke there rests now nothing but the depressing of the Daulphin who is by your doome already not only depriued of that dignity but of succession to the Crowne and prosecuted as a Traitor to the State and of whom this we must be assured that while he liues France cannot but be in a perpetuall combustion For preuenting whereof I both need and intreate both your Counsels and aide nothing doubting of your readines in either for how can we expect any safety or you any goodnes at his hand who in his young yeeres did so perfidiously murder the Duke of Burgundy his vncle I am now you see your Regent in present and Successour to the Crowne in hope Let it not therefore sticke in your hearts that I am an Englishman borne for you know I haue much French blood in my veines which warmes my affections as well to French as English but looke on me as the lawfull heire to the Diademe both by iust Title and your owne consents who therefore am and ought to be wholly yours and your kindnes and iust dealing bind me so to be Yours also am I now by fresh alliance as sonne in Law to your King vnto whom I will performe all offices of loue and honor as to mine owne father and you his subiects shall I loue and cherish as mine owne children and will defend France and the French so long as you defend my right with your louing aide and will deserue my loue with your loiall affection 55 These affaires thus accomplished at Troyes the Kings the Queenes and the rest of the Peeres in great estate rode vnto Paris where all faire countenances were shewed and great entertainement giuen to the English But the Daulphin and his followers neither feared nor fainted though the present courses pleased not their palat Their first Counsell therefore was how to preserue themselues in so eminent danger to sit still and doe nothing they knew it was but to increase and aduance the successes of the English and to rise without strength was to fall into further misfortunes hauing no meanes to hold warre with so potent an Enemy In this distraction their voice was best heard that spake most for the safety of the Daulphin whose only life gaue breath vnto the after-hopes of France and for the strengthening of those places which might be of most aduantage to themselues and offence to the Enemie This then past by decree in that Counsell of warre that the Daulphin should at no time hazard his person in field and that a leuy of Souldiers should be had to lie in Garrison in places conuenient for Time which neuer stands still they well hoped might yet turne the rice for them fortune being said they as subiect to fawne as to frowne in which resolution each man tooke to his charge and all to withstand the doings of Henry 56 As these consulted for the state of the French so in Paris a Parliament of the three estates was assembled wherein such as were guilty of the death of Burgundy were iusticed the disherizing of the Daulphin confirmed and warres prepared against these Townes which held for him Against Sens the two Kings with their Queens Clarence and Burgundy marched which after 12. daies was rendered vpon composition of life those excepted as were guilty of the Duke of Burgundies death Monstreau was the next which by force was entred where the body of the Duke of Burgundy vndecently buried by the Daulphinois was taken vp and by his sonne Philip sent in great pompe to Diion in his Dutchy and there honorably interred The Towne being taken the Castle held out vnto whose Captaine twenty Captiue Gentlemen were sent whose liues from King Henries mouth say the French were sentenced to death vnlesse they could perswade the Castellan to surrender but those men say our English to mollifie that seuere doome were all especiall friends of that Captaine and such as had giuen opprobrious words to the Kings Herauld being sent vnto them in the siege of Monstreau Howsoeuer in this extremity they sollicited Guiluy vpon their knees vrging their owne deaths and his great danger if he held out but Guiluy a true Frenchman and friend to the Daulphin withstood the assault and thereupon these Gentlemen Petitioners were presently hanged in the sight of the defendants so bloody is Mars to maintaine his owne Lawes and so eager was Henry of his full Conquest of France whose thirsting sword had hereto fore beene some what ouerlauish in blood but neuer more perhaps then in this bloody act which I wish might be obliterated from the number of his other glorious actions Yet at length was that Castle enforced to surrender vpon composition of life excepting the guilties of Burgundies death 57 Then was the siege remoued to Melun a Towne of great strength and made more strong by the valours of her commanders who were Seigneur Barbafon an absolute souldier Pierre de Bourbon a Prince of the blood Preaux and Bourgeois whose Garrison was seuen hundred Daulphinois and indeed no default in defence could anie wise be imputed but the Canon opening a breach the English and Burgundians made an entry into the Bulwarke and ouer the Riuer Seine built a bridge with Boates so that from either quarter they had passage one to the other without impediments and encamped themselues for their best aduantage vpon whom the enemie neuerthelesse made diuers sallies with the losse of either parties King Henry inforced his siege to the vtmost and made a myne vnderneath the wals which being perceiued the defendants countermined against him where the King too forward as the very first man entring his myne and Barbason likewise his within the Towne met each other at point of sword where they performed nobly the parts of priuate souldiers nobly indeed if priuate souldiers they had been but Princes should remember they are not such till lastly they agreed to discouer themselues and first Barbason made known his name then King Henry did his whereupon the French Lord suddainely getting backe caused the Barriers to be closed and Henry returned to his Campe. 58 This enterprize failing King Charles himselfe came into the Campe to induce the defendants to render at the presence of their naturall Lord which neuerthelesse was little respected for answere was made that if their King were at liberty and free from King Henries power they would doe him the duty of naturall subiects and yeeld him their charge as their Liege Lord but being as he was they desired to be excused for to the mortall enemy of France they would not yeeld 59 Whilest King Henry lay at the siege of Melun the Duke of Bauier who was Palsegraue of Rhyne Elector came to King Henry hauing married his sister and thence sent a defiance vnto the Daulphin his kinseman by Queene
beene married vnto Iohn Gray Esquier knighted and slaine at the battell of S. Albans vpon King Henries part who now was a suiter vnto the King for something taken away in the extremity of that time to bee restored towards the maintenance of her 〈◊〉 But howsoeuer her suit pierced his eare her sweetly composed feature strangely affected his heart more formall shee was and louely in countenance then either tall or exceedingly faire yet both sufficient to meete in one person of an excellent witte a sober demeanour a modest looke a 〈◊〉 smile and her speech vttered in such a â—…turall eloquence as her answeres euer set on edge King Edwards desires which howsoeuer diâ—…full to the appetite of his wanton bed affâ—…ming with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ee accounted herselfe most vnworthy of the name of his Queene so shee held her selfe of mort worth her chast honour dearer then to bee his Câ—…bine yet held they him in chase till shee had 〈◊〉 â—…im in the snares of her loue 22 Their many meetings and 〈◊〉 complements made the old Dutchesse of Yorke the Kings mother much to suspect it would bee a match to hinder which with a parâ—… authority shee entred discourse alleadging it honourable 〈◊〉 and of much profite to linke with some great Princesse in â—…raine 〈◊〉 both for the 〈◊〉 of poâ—…ions abroad and as the â—…se stood to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at home that 〈◊〉 had gone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suite in Frâ—… as if in himselfe nâ—…w 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their displâ—…res would 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To marry his Subiect 〈◊〉 held 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…cially one without 〈◊〉 alliance or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 other thing mouing but a wanton doâ—…ge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and although that in Lady 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 yet was there nothing so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incorpâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moâ—… 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 tought of a 〈◊〉 A 〈◊〉 quoth she is most 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 side whose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 23 owne desires and knew himselfe to bee out of his mothers rule partly in earnest and partly in pleasance made her this reply That marriage being a spirituall type ought rather to be conioyned where God had framed the parties to consent as this of his was then in regard of any temporall respect whatsoeuer That his choice was pleasing to himselfe and would be to his subiects he certainly knew whose amity before all other Nations hee most preferred and desired neither could he giue them better occasion of loue then in this that being their Soueraigne hee disdained not to marry into their Tribes and so likewise for his Issue there could not any Prince be better beloued then he that was their naturall Prince so borne of both parents That if forraine alliances were so needfull hee had many of his kin to contract them and that with content of all parties but for himselfe to marry for possessions or to please others with displeasing his own affections hee saw it no wisdome hauing already sufficient of the one and the other offended euen sweet pleasure would seeme sowre pils especially the choice that is made by another mans eye That there are many comparable to her said hee I make no question and am the more glad let them haue them that like them I will not repine neither I hope will any abridge mee of that which I allow vnto others the Prouerbe is Mother that marriage goes by Destiny but to be wiued against a mans own liking is an earthly Purgatâ—…ry And therefore my Cosen Warwicke I am sure neither loueth me so little to grudge at that I loue nor is so vnreasonable to looke that I should in choise of a wife rather be ruled by his eye then by mine owne as though I were a Wâ—…rd that were bound to marry by the appointment of a Gardian I would not bee a King with that condition to forbeare mine owne libertie in choise of mine owne marriage As for poâ—…ty of more inheritance by new affinity in 〈◊〉 land it proues oftner the occasion of more trouble then profite and wee haue already title by that meanes to so much as sufficeth to get and keep well in one mans dayes That she is a widdow and hath already children by Gods blessed Lady I am a Bachelour yet haue some too and so each of vs hath a proofe that neither of vs is like to bee barren And therefore Madam I pray you bee content I trust in God shee shall bring a young Prince that shall play on your lappe to your â—…eat pleasure and your selfe shall blesse the wombe that bare such a â—…be and as for your obiection of 〈◊〉 let the Bishop hardly lay it in my way when I come to take Orders for I vnderstand it is forbidden a Priâ—… but I neuer wist that it was forbidden a Prince 24 The Dutchesse seeing the King so set on his owne choice that she could not pull hiâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such 〈◊〉 that vnder 〈◊〉 oâ—… her for which act vnder 〈◊〉 of a contract with 〈◊〉 owne coâ—…ce which was the 〈◊〉 oâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stacle as either the Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the 〈◊〉 proceed to the solemnizâ—… of this wedding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were clearely purged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 King tooke to wife this later beloued Lady Elizabeth Grey who had beene formerly married vnto his enemy and many times prayed full heartily for his losse in which God loued her better then to grant her her boone reseruing greater honour for her selfe and her posterity 25 She was honourably descended especially by the surer side whose mother was Iaquellin daughter to Peter of Lucemburg Earle of S. Paul and Dutchesse to Iohn Duke of Bedford Regent of France after whose death shee married Sir Richard Wooduile knight and among others bare vnto him this Elizabeth Englands faire Queene who being priuately married at the Manour of Grafton was afterwardes crowned Queen at Westminster with all due celebrations vpon the sixe and twentieth of May Anno 1465. Her father then by this new made sonne in law and Soueraigne Lord was created Lord Riuers and made high Constable of England her brother Lord Anthony married to the sole heire of the Lord Scales and her sonne Thomas Grey borne to her first husband was created Marquesse Dorset and married to the heire of the Lord Bonuile 26 But when Warwicke had knowledge the wanton King had got a new wife and his courting of Lady Bona to bee but a ball to make Edwards play hee stormed not a little whose credite hee tooke to be crackt in the French Court and himselfe rather thought to haue dallyed in this motion then to deale by commission from his King for which cause hee conceiued so inward an indignation that his affection was withdrawne from King Edward and thenceforth ranne vpon Henrie retained in prison to which end he temporized with the present king applauded the Queene and bare countenance in Court with no
discontented shew The King as wary as Warwicke was cast no eye of dislike or of any suspition gaue him countenance in Court and in familiar conference heard him before others yet lest the stem of his greatnesse should ouertop his crown and his brethren the spreading branches shadow his designes hee tooke the Chancellorshippe from George Neuill the one of them then Bishoppe of Excester afterward Archbishoppe of Yorke and from the other Iohn Neuill Baron Montacute the Earledome of Northumberland bestowing the same at the suite of the Northumbrians set on by himselfe vpon Henry Percy whose father was slaine at Touton and himselfe at that present fled into Scotland for safety Whereupon Montacute was remoued and to auoid suspition was created Marquesse a greater name but farre lesse in power And to haue a stake in store howsoeuer the dice chanced to turne hee sought to ioine friendshippe with forraine Princes hauing offended France for the refusing of his Queenes sister so as hee sought and obtained the amity of Henry King of Castell of Iohn King of Arragon and tooke a truce with his neighbour the Scotish King for fifteen yeers following 27 But these confederates for the more part too farre to be called for by whistle fortune beyond expectatiō set him another euen at his elbow which was Philip Duke of Burgundy Prince of Flanders Brabant and Zealand whose onely sonne legitimate Charles Earle of Charoloys a widdower and without any sonne hee sought to conioine to King Edwards faire sister not so much for any loue hee bare to the house of Yorke himselfe being a Lancastrian by his mothers side as to bandy against Lewis King of France whom he had lately ouercome in a battell at Montleherry and as then stoode vpon his defence as hee was sure King Edward did This motion king Edward and his Councell well liked only Warwicke withstoode it in fauour of the French but the Lady Margaret sent ouer according to her estate and Warwicke left fuming with a discontented mind after some complements of mirth with his brethren the Archbishoppe and Montacute at his Towne of Warwicke brast forth into warlike consultations for the deposing of Edward and restauration of Henry whose wrongs as he alleadged did crie for right at their hands The Bishoppe lightly consented to side for King Henry but the Marquesse would hardly bee drawne from King Edward which Warwicke perceiuing laid his lime twigges yet another way 28 For being à man of a deepe reach and witte hee well saw that George Duke of Clarence the Kings second brother bare not the best liking to the sway of the times him therefore hee sought to allure to his fist which once mand Edward should loose the best Faulcon for his game him therefore by Problemes hee meant first to proue and according to their digest purposed to proceed So falling in familiar conference with Clarence beganne to complaine of some vnkindnes in the King both in breach of some promises and staine of his honour in the French Court The Duke as discontented as Warwicke interrupted his tale before it was told why my Lord quoth Clarence doe you looke that a Leopard should haue no spots in his skinne or a Camelion no colours but one in faith you are deceiued and loose but your labour to wash the naturall Blackamore for will you haue him kind that is by nature vnkind and to be respected of him that respects not his owne bloud or thinke you a Cosen and Allie to be raised by him that seeth if not seeketh his owne brethrens fals For the heire of the Lord Scales you see hee hath married to his wiues brother the heire of the Lord Bonuill and Harington to his wiues sonne and affianced the heire of the Lord Hungerford to the Lord Hastings marriages indeede more meete for his two brethren and kinne then for such new fondlings as hee hath bestowed them vpon But by my George I sweare if my brother of Glocester would ioyne with mee wee would make him know that wee are all three one mans sons and of one and the same mother 29 Earle Warwicke hauing that which hee greedily sought after seconded the resolution with his owne assistance imparting now boldly what confederates he had made and to ioine more faithfully in this his designe hee proffered Clarence his eldest daughter Lady Isabel in marriage faire and well qualified with the one halfe of his wiues inheritance she being sole heire vnto Henry Beauchampe Earle of Warwicke her brother and nothing inferiour to any of those whom Edward had bestowed vpon others which no sooner was spoken but was as presently embraced and the plotte conferred how to proceed which was concluded forthwith to saile vnto Calleis whereof the Earle was Captaine and where the virgine Lady lay aswell to confirme the contract betwixt them as to be absent whē the commotion should beginne as the safer from suspition and the surer to strike when the Ball came to hand to stir which the Archbishoppe and Montacute were appointed for the North. 30 The occasion pickt to make Malecontents was the abuse of Charity vnto an hospitall dedicated to Saint Leonard in the City of Yorke whose reuenew stood most vpon corne yeerly receiued from Farmers in the Country as an oblation of their first graine This the factious made their onely ground vnder a holy pretext forsooth that the poore were defrauded and the Master and Priests onely fed waxen fat To redresse which one Robert Hulderne entred in action and with fifteene thousand strong enterprised for Yorke in which City the Lord Marquesse Montacute was President for King Edward who with a small number but well chosen issued out against the enemy put them backe and stroke off the head of their Captaine before the gates of Yorke but whether hee did it in policie to grow more in trust with the King or else of duety of oblige not moulded throughly to the commotion is vncertain But certaine it is the Rebels were nothing daunted at Huldernes death but rather made resolute to continue what they had begunne 31 To which end they choose them two Chieftaines of greater account and eminent calling which were Henrie sonne and heire to the Lord Fitz-hugh and Sir Henrie Neuill sonne and heire to the Lord Latimer the one of them being Nephew the other Cosen-germane vnto the Earle of Warwicke these but young and not altogether experienced in Armes choose for their Tutor Sir Iohn Conyers a Knight of such courage skill and valiantnes as in the North-parts few were his like who meaning to strike at the head determined to march forthwith to London proclaiming in his way that Edward was neither a iust Prince vnto God nor a profitable King vnto the Common-weale 32 King Edward hearing of these Northern proceedings and that his brother and Warwicke were preparing against him sent for the Lord Herbert whom
were so eminent by these intestine warres that the Natiues lamented the Forrein reioiced and God they saw highly displeased whose sword thus giuen into their hands was to be feared would be the destruction of the English as Nabucaednezzars of Babell was of Iudea and indeed so effectually wrought that the Duke and Earle vpon perfect confidence came to London accompanied with a small number in respect of their great danger where falling into conference with the King he tasked them with disloialtie and they him with ingratitude so that their splenes were nothing appeased but much more increased and with high wordes departed the King vnto Canterbury and they againe to VVarwicke 39 The stout Earle whose stomacke must haue vent otherwise the Caske must needs breake caused new stirres to be raised in Lincolnshire vnder the leading of Sir Robert VVels an expert souldier and sonne of the Lord VVels who with thirtie thousand Commons disturbed the Countrey and in euerie place proclaimed King Henrie setting downe his battel not farre from Stamford meaning to abide the encounter of his opposers which when the King heard of he sent for the Lord VVels his father commanding him to write to his sonne to surcease the warres and so marching toward Stamford tooke VVels in his companie with a good hope that the sonne would not beare armes against his own father in field but howsoeuer he had writ or the King conceiued Sir Robert went on in his former designes which so sore moued Edward that he beheaded Lord VVels with Sir Thomas Dimocke that had married his daughter although he had giuen them promise of safety and life 40 Young VVels then hearing of his fathers death sought the reuenge vpon this vntrusty Prince and not staying for VVarwicke who was in preparing to come set manfully vpon the King and his power where betwixt them was performed a most bloody fight till at last Sir Robert was taken with Sir Thomas Deland and others whereat the Lincolnshire men were so terrified that casting off their Coates they all ranne away in regard whereof this battell to this day is called the battell of Loscoat field wherein were slaine ten thousand men at the least after which victory the King commanded VVels with many other of note to be put to death as the chiefe causers of these dangerous Commotions 41 This vntimely conflict and vnfortunate ouerthrow made Clarence and VVarwicke at their wits end who vnprouided to field against Edward gaue way to necessity and from Dartmouth in Deuonshire embarked themselues and wiues for France both to instigate king Lewis no friend vnto Edward and to secure themselues in Callis whereof VVarwick was captaine till fortune had changed the hand of her play These crossing the Seas cast Anchor before the Towne of Callis and gaue notice they were ready to land but the Lord Vawclere a Gascoigne whom VVarwicke had substituted his deputie discharged diuers peeces of Ordinance against them and sent word flatlie they should not come there meane while the Dutches of Clarence fell in trauell and was there on Shippe-board deliuered of a faire sonne which Child the Earles deputie would scarcely suffer to be baptized in the Towne nor without great entreaty permit two flagons of wine to be conueyd aboard to the Ladies lying in the hauen For which his good seruice King Edward by his letters Patents made Vawclere chiefe Captaine of Callis and discharged the Earle as a Traitor or Rebell against him 42 Charles Duke of Burgundie being then at S. Omers owing Earle Warwicke an old grudge for gainestanding his marriage thought now a fit time to requite the discourtesie and therefore sent many thankes vnto Vawcler with promise of a thousand Crownes pension by yeere if he stood firme for his wiues brother King Edward himselfe laying the Coast to impeach his arriuage But how Mounsieur Vawclere stood affected whatsoeuer shew he made Comines the French Kings Historian doth tell who sent Warwicke word the danger he stood in of the said Duke and of Duras the Kings Admirall so as to land would be his finall confusion His Counsell therefore was that he should make into France vnto whose King he should be most welcome and as for the town of Callis he willed him to take no thought but promised to make him a good reckoning thereof when time should best serue Whereupon the Earle waied anker for Normandy and in his way tooke many rich Ships of the Duke of Burgundies subiects which netled him not a little but yet found no docke to rub out the smart 43 King Lewis hearing of the arriuage of Warwicke and knowing his troubles to arise for his Ambassage to Bona and faith vnto France sent certaine Princes to conduct him to the Castle of Amboys where a supply was made against all necessities and himselfe and traine most honorablie intertained whereat the Duke of Burgundy sore repined and sent Lewis word that he disliked his doings with threats of reuenge if he aided him against his wiues brother This notwithstanding the French King gaue all comforts to these fugitues and prepared his assistance for their restorations and the raising againe of godly King Henrie 44 Queene Margaret hauing fled England and soiourning in France with her Father Reiner a King in name but scarcely able to beare the State of an Earle saw now the Iron hot and ready to be strucke therefore with her sonne Prince Edward Iohn Earle of Oxford and Iasper Earle of Pembrooke who latelie had escaped out of prison in England came vnto Amboyse where by meanes of the French King a combination of Alliance was confirmed betwixt the Prince of Wales young Edward and Anne the second daughter to the Earle of Warwicke then present with her mother and sister in France That King Henry should be againe restored the Duke of Clarence and the Earle tooke a solemne Oath neuer to desist whiles they had power and in the nonage of the Prince they iointly were to be deputed his Protectors and the Lands sole Gouernors 45 Edward in England hearing what Queen Margaret his brother Clarence stout Warwicke in the French Court had done was strucke into a sodaine dumpe being as doubtfull of friends as fearefull of foes and therefore such as were alied to the Lancastrians or fauourits of the down-cast K. Henrie he began somewhat roughly to deale with many therefore that were guilty daily tooke Sanctuarie or yeelded themselues to his mercie among whom Iohn Marques Montacute brother to Warwicke was one who with fairest words of promises was receiued into fauor and vpon whose example many others came in which notwithstanding meant to stand out if occasion should serue But no busier was Edward to keepe the Crowne on his head then these Lords in France were resolute to strike it off in midst of whose consultations behold how it happened 46 There came from England to Calleis
of the French King his Master who should more fully informe his Maiestie and giue his safe-conduct for a further conference in these affaires and so wisely this counterfeit worded his message that the King and Nobles liked well the ouerture and thereupon granting a safe-conduct sent with him an English Herauld to receiue the like and other assignements from the French King 94 But when the Duke of Burgundy vnderstood that a peace was trauersed betwixt Edward Lewis he stormed not a little and with no small hast from Lutzenburgh accompanied with sixteene horse only came to his brother King Edward and in a great rage reproued him of breach of promise and vncourteous requitall of his former kindnes that thus would enter amity with his great foe and in outward semblance more ready to bite then to barke burst into these reproofes Haue you quoth hee brother passed the Seas entred France and without killing of a poore flie or burning of a silly Sheepecote taken a shamefull truce Oh S. George did Edward your noble Ancestor euer make Armie into France and returned without battell or Conquest That victorious Prince King Henry the fifth as neere of kinne vnto you as me whose blood you haue either rightfullie or wrongfully God knoweth extinguished and destroied with a small puissance conquered Normandy kept it and neuer would come to composition till he had the whole kingdome of France offrâ—…d him and was made heire apparant vnto that Crowne Contrariwise you without any thing done proffer of battell or gaine of honor haue now condiscended vnto a pâ—…ce as profitable for Englâ—… â—…s is a poore peascod haue I thinke you for my particular vse drawne the English forces into France which am able of my selfe to defend mine owne cause I tell you plainly no but rather to aid you to recouer your ancient Territories wrongfully withholden and that you shall wel know I need not your aide I will heare of no truce with the French till 〈◊〉 moneths after your arriâ—…ge in England at the least And â—…reupon furiously arising he threw downe the Chaire wherein he had sare and offred to depart 95 Nay stay brother Charles quoth K. Edward sith I with patience haue heard you speake what you would you shall now perforce heare from me what you would not First therefore for my thus entrance into France no man knoweth the occasion better then your selfe for mauger your owne great power you speake of you doe remember I know how the French King tooke from you the faire Towne Amiens and the strong Pile Saint Quintins with diuers other peeces which you neither durst nor were able either to rescue or defend since which time he hath gotten from you your best bosome friends and secret Counsellors so as your selfe stood in doubt determining to besiege Nusse whether the losse would be greater in your absence the French King waiting as a fox for his pray or gaine more in Germany by your power and presence and to keepe this wolfe from your fold was the principall cause why you so earnestly praied me and continually sollicited me to passe ouer the Seas promising mountaines but performing not a Mole-hill bragging a supply both of horse and foote but neuer sent me a hoofe nor a lackie Thinke you brother if wee had entred this enterprize in our owne quarrell we would haue expected your aide I assure you nothing lesse for if we had intended any such Conquest we would with Souldiers fire and sword haue so infected the aire with the flames and slaine of France as should haue annoied your Countreys of Flaunders and Brabant and giuen you leasure to sit still and tell of our euer atchieued great victories nothing doubting but to haue gotten and kept with like manhood and in as great glorie as any of our Ancestors before vs had done But the occasion of warre being yours and you wilfully I will not say cowardly neglecting the same I meane not to prosecute for â—…e French King neuer offended me nor my Subiects except in fauouring Warwicke against me nay I may say against you and now offreth such honorable ouertures of peace which I by Gods grace meane not to forsake but will obserue and keepe God send you ioy thereof quoth the Duke and so abruptly departed from the King 96 The peace thus resolued vpon betwixt the two kings of England and France the place appointed for conference was neere vnto Amiens and the parties assigned for the French were the Bastard of Bourbon Admirall of France the Lord S. Pierre and the Bishop of Eureux For the English were the Lord Howard Sir Thomas St. Leger and Doctor Mâ—…ton Lord Chancellor of England These meeting presentlie fell to a conclusion of peace the conditions whereof were That the French King should forthwith pay to the King of England seuenty two thousand Crownes That the Daulphin should marrie Lady Elizabeth King Edwards eldest daughter and that shee should haue for her maintenance the Dutchy of Guienâ—… or else fifty thousand Crownes yeerely to be paid in the Tower of London for nine yeeres space This peace was so acceptable to King Lewis as he sent sixteene thousand Crownes to bee distributed amongst the English Souldiers with plate and great presents to men of any sort indeed gaue them such entertainment in Amiens as was most bounteous whereof if any desire further to know let him read Comines vpon the same text 97 To graft which peace with a louing beginning the two Kings were desirous to see each others for which end Commissioners were sent to aâ—…gne the place and lastly agreed that the Tow ne 〈◊〉 about three leagues from Amiens seated in a bottome through which the Riâ—… Some ranne was the fittest ouer which a strong bridge was built and in the 〈◊〉 thereof a grate made ouer-thwart with barres no wider asunder then a man might well thrust in his Arme couered with boords ouer head to auoid the raine the bridge so broad that twelue might stand in a rancke on both sides 98 The day approched and the two Kings come to the place hee of France came first to the Grate accompanied with twelue personages as was the appointment wherof Iohn Duke of Bourbon and the Cardinall his brother were the chiefest King Edward entring the bridge on the other end with his brother the Duke of Clarence the Earle of Northumberland the Lord Hastings his Chamberlaine and the Lord Chancellor himselfe apparelled all in cloth of gold with a rich Iewell of precious stones in forme of a Flower de Luce aduanced forward and within fiue foote of the Grate put off his cap and bowed his knee within halfe a foote to the ground King Lewis as readily doing his likely reuerence vnto Edward Where after imbracements through 〈◊〉 Grate the Chancellour of England who was Prelate and Bishop of Ely made an eloquent and learned Oration which done he
his purpose and put himselfe in possession of the Crown ere men could haue time to deuise how to resist But now was all the study by what meanes the matter being of it selfe so hainous might be first broken to the people in such wife as it might bee well taken To this counsell they tooke diuers such as they thought meet to bee trusted likely to bee induced to that part and able to stand them in stead eyther by power or policy Among whom they made of counsell Edmond Shaa Knight then Maior of London who vpon trust of his owne aduancement wherof he was of a proud heart highly desirous should frame the City to their appetite Of Spiritual men they tooke such as had wit and were in authoritie among the people for opinion of their learning and had no scrupulous conscience Among these had they Iohn Shaa Clerke brother to the Maior and Fryer Pinker Prouinciall of the Augustine Friers both of them Doctors in Diuinity both great Preachers both of more learning then vertue and of more fame then learning for they were before greatly esteemed of the common people but after that neuer Of these two the one made a Sermon in prayse of the Protector before the Coronation the other after both so full of tedious flattery as no mans eare could abide them 53 Pinker in his Sermon so lost his voice that he was forced to leaue off and came downe in the middest Doctor Shaa by his sermon lost his honesty and soone after his life for very shame of the world into which he durst neuer after come abroad But the Fryer forced for no shame and so it harmed him the lesse Howbeit some doubt and many thinke that Pinker was not of counsell in the matter before the Coronation but after the common manner fell to flattery after namely sith his sermon was not incontinent vpon it but at S. Maries Hospitall in the Easter weeke following But certaine it is that Doctor Shaa was of counsell in the beginning so farre forth as they determined that he should first breake the matter in a Sermon at Paules Crosse in which hee should by the authority of his preaching incline the people to the Protectors ghostly purpose But now was all the labour and study in the deuise of some conuenient pretext for which the people should bee content to depose the Prince and accept the Protector for King In which diuers things they deuised but the chiefe thing and the weightiest of all the inuention rested in this that they should alleadge bastardy either in K. Edward himself or in his children or both So that hee should seeme disabled to inherite the Crowne by the Duke of Yorke and the Prince by him To lay bastardie in King Edward sounded openly to the rebuke of the Protectors owne mother who was mother to them both for in that point could bee none other colour but to pretend that his own mother was an adultresse which notwithstanding to further the purpose hee letted not but yet hee would that point should bee lesse and more fauourably handled not fully plaine and directly but that the matter should be touched aslope and craftily as though men spared in that point to speake all the truth for feare of his displeasure But the other point concerning the bastardie that they deuised to surmise in K. Edwards children that would hee should bee openly declared and enforced to the vttermost The colour and pretext whereof was a contract pretended to bee made by King Edward vnto the Lady Lucy whereof we haue spoken in the raigne of the said King which inuention how simple soeuer yet it liked them to whom it sufficed to haue somewhat to say while they were sure to be compelled to no larger proof then themselues list to make 54 Now then it was by the Protector and his Councell concluded that Doctor Shaa should signifie in his sermon aforesaid that neither King Edward himselfe nor the Duke of Clarence were lawfully begot nor were the very Children of the Duke of Yorke but begot vnlawfully by other persons by adulterie of the Dutches their mother And also that dame Elizabeth Lucy was verily the wife of K. Edward and so the Prince and all his other children begot by the Queene were all of them bastards And according to this deuise Doctor Shaa vpon Sunday the nineteenth of Iune at Pauls Crosse in a frequent assembly took for the theme of his sermō this saying Spuria vitulamina non agent radices altas Bastard slips shall neuer take deepe root Whereupon when he had shewed the great grace that God giueth and secretly infundeth in right generation after the lawes of Matrimonie then declared he that commonly those children lacked that grace and for the punishment of their parents were for the more part vnhappy which were begot in base but specially in adultery Of which though some by the ignorance of the world and the truth hid from knowledge inherite for the time other mens lands yet God alwaies so prouideth that it continueth not in their blood long but the truth comming to light the rightfull inheritors be restored and the bastards slip pulled vp ere it can take any deepe roote And when he had laid for the proofe and confirmation of this sentence certaine examples taken out of the old testament and other ancient histories then he began to descend into the praise of the Lord Richard late Duke of Yorke calling him the father to the Lord Protector and declared the title of his heires vnto the Crowne to whom it was after the death of King Henry the sixt entailed by authority of Parliament Then shewed he that the verie right heire of his body lawfully begotten was only the Lord Protector For he declared then that King Edward was neuer lawfully married vnto the Queene but was before God husband vnto Dame Elizabeth Lucy and so his children bastards And besides that neither King Edward himselfe nor the Duke of Clarence among those that were secret in the houshould were reckoned very certainly for the children of the Noble Duke as those that by their features resembled other knowne men more then him from whose vertuous conditions he said also that King Edward was farre off But the Lord Protector he said the very Noble Prince the speciall patterne of Knightly prowesse aswell in all Princely behauiour as in the lineaments and fauour of his visage representing the very face of the noble Duke his father This is he quoth he the fathers owne figure this is his owne countenance the verie print of his visage the very vndoubted Image and plaine expresse likenesse of that noble Duke 55 Now it was before deuised that in the speaking of these words the Protector sould haue come in among the people to the sermon ward to the end that those words meeting with his presence might haue beene taken among the hearers as though the holy Ghost had put them
finally in establishing by a solemne Act the Crowne vpon him and his heires for euer 10 After dissolution of which Parliament the King redeemes such pledges as he had left in France for money borrowed and assumes into his Councel those two renowned agents in aduancing his fortunes Iohn Morton and Richard Foxe as the most necessarie parts and supports of his State the former of which not long after Thomas Bourchier dying was elected and enthronized Archbishop of Canterbury the latter was foorthwith aduanced to be Lord Keeper of his Priuy Seale successiuely preferred to the Bishoprickes of Exeter Bath and Welles Durham and Winchester 11 The most wished and most welcome day of marriage betweene King Henry and the Princesse Elizabeth being now come was celebrated by them with all religious and glorious magnificence and by the people with fires of ioy dancings songs and bankets through London all sorts and sexes beseeching Almightie God to send the King and Queene most prosperous successe and an infinite encrease of the common ioy by bestowing vpon them a young Prince and other Issue at his good pleasure Which prayers saith Andreas our Lord Iesus Christ vouchsafed to heare the Queene within a while after prouing with Child of whom shee was happily deliuered in the moneth of September following at Winchester which to the most fortunate King was a new happinesse to the Queene a great reioycement to the Church a soueraigne delight to the Court an exceeding pleasure and in briefe to the whole kingdome an incredible contentment Nor that without reason as it afterward appeared for if God had beene pleased to haue granted longer life not England onely but the whole world should in such a pledge haue had cause of eternall reioycement But God who gouernes all thinges and in whose hand are aswell the Scepters of Princes as dates of their liues disposed otherwise 12 Meanewhile there were not a few who did enuie to King Henry this vnexpected height of felicitie but they who first discouered themselues were certaine remaines of the late ouerthrow at Bosworth whose diffidence or euill will was greater then to relie vpon King Henries clemencie oâ—… to behold the dazeling brightnes of his new atchieued glorie and for that cause refused to forsake the Sanctuarie which they had taken at Colchester These were the Lord Louell Sir Humfrey Stafford and Thomas Stafford his brother Who while the King secure of dangers behind him was in his Progresse at Yorke meaning by affability bountie and other his wisest courses to gaine the good wils of the Northern people with whom the memory of King Richard was very deare and so to weaken the strengths and hopes of all future conspiracies forsooke their refuge and secretly in seuerall places gathered forces therewith to surprize and dethrone the King The Lord Louell raised his forces with such speed that the King who at Lincolne first heard of his escape and lightly regarded the same was no sooner setled in Yorke but certaine intelligence came that he approched fast with an Armie and withall that the Staffords had assembled forces in Worcestershire meaning to assault the City of * Worcester The extremity of the King who neuer dreamt of such a darling was not small for neither had he any sufficient numbers about him of his sure friends nor could iustly repose confidence in the Northern men whose loue to King Richard their late slaine Lord made them still suspected But danger quickeneth noble courages and therefore vpon due recollection of himselfe hee armes about three thousand men if tanned leather whereof the most of their breast-pieces for want of other stuffe were framed may be called armour and sends them vnder the leading of Iasper Duke of Bedford with commission to pardon or to fight The Duke offering pardon the Lord Louell fled by night to Sir Thomas Broughton into Lancashire where hee lurked certaine monthes the headlesse multitude yeeld without stroake and the felicity of King Henry preuailes in euery place for the Staffords hearing what had hapned to their Confederates disperse their Cloude of rebels and speedily take refuge at Colnham a village about two miles from Abingdon in Oxfordshire But the priuiledges of that place * being iuridically scand in the Kings Bench they were found vnable to afford protection to open traitors whereupon they were forceably taken thence and conueighed to the Tower of London from whence Sir Humfrey Stafford was drawne and executed at Tiburne but his brother Thomas by the Kings mercy had his pardon These short dangers and troubles by reason of their suddainty did worthily make the King wakefull euen ouer smaller accidents this blaze being kindled from so neglected sparkles But there followed deuises which in their owne nature were so strangely impudent and in their vent so strongly Bolstered that if Louels enterprise made him suspitious these other might iustly fill him with innumerable iealousies 13 The records are immortall which testifie that the erection of Idols and Counterfeits to dethrone them who are in possession is a verie olde Stratagem What troubles a Pseudo-Nero wrought by support of the Parthians who wonderfully fauoured Nero liuing the Romane writers teach vs. Neither hath the Diuell Father of Impostures any so solemne practise as Personation and Resemblances of true whether men or things Insomuch that some Diuines haue thought that as he can and often doth trans-shape himselfe into the forme of a Celestiall Angell so that he also deceiued our first mother vnder that resplendent but assumed habit And what mischiefs he wrought in this very kind of thrusting out into the world false pretenders the speech of wise Gamaliel testifieth who rehearseth the names of Theudas and Iudas Galilaus but the world hath since had more woefull experience hereof in that execrable Impostor Mahomet pretending to bee the Messiah In England it selfe before the time of this Henry what strange practises and conspiracies were set on foote vnder the title of a Pseudo-Richard in the raigne of Henry the fourth the former Histories haue sufficiently opened so that this Prince encountred nothing new in the Generall howsoeuer pestilent and extraordinarie in the particular Indeed his raigne more perhaps then any other of his predecessors afforded plentifull matter for such deuises to worke vpon there being many then who hauing beene conceaned as it were in the bowels of Sedition and nourished with the bitter and pernicious milke of dissention were not onely apt to embrace but also where they were not offered euen there to beget occasions of confounding all Men who could neither endure warre nor peace long nor any lowes in either as desirous to enioy the licentious violences of ciuill warre a misery which all wordes how wide soeuer want compasse to expresse The strange attempts of which kind of men or rather Monsters wee shall see exemplified in the subsequent tragedies Richard Simon an ambitious and
Lady Margaret his eldest daughter as a pledge of indissoluble amitie The Bishoppe promised his best diligence and accordingly after his returne laboured therein with King Henry who most gladly hearkened thereunto Whereupon the Scotish King sent the Archbishoppe of Glasco the Earle of Bothwell and others to demand the Lady in marriage Their entertainement was hearty and princely But when the proposition came to scanning at the Councell table it had not currant passage at first for there were who obiected as an inconuenience That by this marriage the Crowne of England might come to the Scotish line by the issue of Lady Margaret Whereunto it is said King Henry made this answere What if it should for if any such thing should happen which Omen God forbid I see it will come to passe that our Kingdome shall leese nothing thereby because there will not bee an accession of England to Scotland but contrarily of Scotland vnto England as to that which is farre away the most noble head of the whole Iland seeing that which is lesse vseth to accrue to the ornament and honour of that which is much the greater as Normandy heretofore carue to be vnder the dominion and power of the English our forefathers When this was said the whole boord of councell receiued it as an Oracle it went cleare about That Margaret should be married to the King of Scotland With this answere and other instructions the Scottish Ambassadors were sent home who afterward returned into England with full authority satisfaction to all Henries propositions whereupon ensued the before said publishment of assurances at Paules Crosse. It was a principall Article in this agreement That no Englishman should enter Scotland nor Scot into England without commendatory letters from their Soueraigne Which Article was reputed a speciall meane to preserue the peace inuiolable 65 But ere the young Lady her selfe was conuaied into Scotland her brother Prince Arthur died and in * February next ensuing their mother also Queene Elizabeth as shee lay in Child-bed within the Tower of London The King to repaire his mind with fresh consolations in aduancing his onely remaining sonne Henry Duke of Yorke created him suddainely Prince of Wales Earle of Chester Flint within few dayes after his mothers decease Thus was Arthurs losse supplied howsoeuer Henry made Prince espoused soone after though with much reluctation the Lady Katherine his elder brothers widdow vpon the fiue and twentieth of Iune at the Bishoppe of Salisburies house in Fleetstreet And in this wise by prouiding so worthy a wife for him though to say truth her great Dowet was the chiefe motiue the king thought that the estate of England was sufficiently setled wherfore conuerting his cares to the accomplishment of affinity with Scotland hee most sūptuously furnished his deerest eldest daughter for her iourney himself in person trauelled frō Richmund as farre with her as C◅leweston beside Northampton where his mother the Countesse lay after certaine dayes spent in solace the King gaue her his blessing with fatherly counsell and exhortation and committed the guard and conduct of her person principally to the Earles of Surrey and Northumberland and to such Ladies and Gentlewomen as were appointed to that seruice a great company of Lords Knights Esquiers men of Marke attending them as farre as Berwicke At S. Lamberts Church in Lamer Moore within Scotland the King attended by the principall of his Nobles receiued her from the hands of the Earle of Northumberland and the next yeere after married her at Edenborough in the presence of all his Nobility The King gaue great entertainement to the English and shewed them iusting and other pastimes after the Scotish fashion The Scotishmen saith the Bishoppe of Rosse were not behind but farre aboue the Englishmen both in apparrell rich Iewels and massie chaines many Ladies hauing their habiliments set with Goldsmith worke garnisht with Pearle and Stone of price with gallant and wel trapped horses Diuerse Ladies also and young Gentlewomen of England attending Queene Margaret remained there and were well married to certaine Noblemen of Scotland whose progenie liues honourably there euen at these dayes The effect of this marriage is grauely described by the same Bishop in these words There was perfect peace and sincere amity betweene the two Realmes of England and Scotland a long time after And verily during the life of King Henry the seuenth no cause of breach was ministred by either of the Princes but they continued in great loue and friendshippe and mutuall societie contracting of marriages continuall enterchange of Merchandize betwixt the Subiects of both the Realmes as they had beene AL vnder the obedience of ONE PRINCE where through Iustice Policy and Riches did flourish and abound throughout the whole Isle of Albion And of this marriage is Iames the sixth descended being that ONE PRINCE vnder whose obedience AL are now gouerned as vnder the sole and lawfull lineall Monarch of great Britaine for this Iames the fourth had Issue Iames the fifth hee had Issue Queene Mary shee had issue our present Soueraigne the great grandchild of the said Queene Margaret eldest daughter of K. Henrie the seuenth 66 Which effects of peace and riches as they could not but bee comfortable to so wise a King as Henry they being the fruit as it were of his owne iust labours so let vs now obserue the last worldly cares of his raigne and vpon what obiects hee fixed his mind freede from the awe of open challenges of the Crowne and from throwes at his maine which with what art valour and felicity hee at first atchieued and with how great hazards troubles and bloudie businesses he brought it to such passe that neighbour Kinges reputed it safe to entermarry with his family wee haue already heard Two principall points tooke vp the last Scenes of his life for the rest of his time hee wholy employed either in the seruice of Almighty God wherin hee was so diligent that euery day he was present after the deuotions of those times at two or three Masses oftentimes hearing godly Sermons or in building wherewith hee kept his senses busied The one of the two chiefe points was to watch ouer the waies of his wiues kindred the remaining branches of the turbulent and vnfortunate house of Yorke whose growth and greatnesse hee supposed might at some time or other ouertoppe his owne the other was vnder opinion of iustice to encrease his treasure out of the common purses wherby he seemed onerous to many somwhat obscured the brightnes of his former glory at leastwise diminished his opinion with the generality Concerning his courses holden with his wiues kindred the laterall issues and staddles of the Plantagenets it fell out thus which by * occasion of the accidentall landing of Philip King of Spain at this time wherby the Earle of Suffolkes taking was procured we thought it best to handle here together
they were gone to account to God and his feare for the maine quite banished the king did not let loose the reines to his immoderate desire of hauing which yet was not more sinnefull then the meanes vnder him practised were odious For Empson and Dudley that followed being persons that had no reputation with him otherwise then the seruile following of his owne humors gaue him way and shaped him meanes to those extremities whereby himselfe was touched with remorse at his death and which his successor disauowed And this we take to be a true iudgement To bee particular in the recitall of thinges worthy to die in forgetfulnesse is not onely to recite but in a sort to teach them also as some who by broad inuectiues haue as it were read a lecture of those vices against which they haue pretended to inueigh But publike and shamefull Arts may more safely be deliuered The instruments whome the King set on worke or who pâ—…aps set the King on worke were * two Lawyers Richard Empson afterward knighted and Edmund Dudley Esquier their emploiment was to cal the richer subiect into queon for breach of old penall lawes long before discontinued and forgotten whereby they brake in vpon the people as it were at vnaware like a kind of authorized robbers masked vnder the pretext of seruice for the King and the names of Delators or Promoters a familiar sicknesse in the times of ancient Tyrannies But the courses to execute their employment were voide of all conscience and colour For one of them was to outlaw persons secretly and then to seise their estates driuing them to chargefull compositions with the King and heauy bribes to the Authors of their trouble More detestable was another practise of theirs For there were false Iurors and ring leaders of false Iurors who would neuer giue any verdict against the will of their patrons the said Empson and Dudley so that if any durst stand out vpon triall the destiny of their causes was squared forth by the leaden rule of those fellowes consciences which to bee a truth the expiatory punishment which K. Henry the eight tooke of them in the first yeare of his raigne doth clearely conuince By these meanes many honest and worthy subiects were rigorously fined imprisoned or otherwise afflicted which filled the land with sorrow and repinings Among very many others thus abused Sir William Capell Alderman of London was eminent as from whom in the tenth yeer of the kings raign had beene scruzed vnder the colour of moth-eaten and vnreuiued Lawes aboue sixteene hundreth pounds sterling and was now againe plaide at afresh and another hand drawne vpon him for two thousand pounds which because he would not pay hee was by Dudley commaunded prisoner to the Tower but by the death of the King which ensued all such prisoners were released If any perhaps will slight the hard vsage extended to Citizens and to the like they are vnwise therein neither thinke as Patriots ought For though it may so fall out that the personall vexation of some few merits no great pitty yet the example is pestilent and it is a part of the cunning to choose out at first such for patternes as vpon whose persons least compasâ—…on may fall which examples may afterward bee extended to whomsoeuer These reuels and rages against the wealthier sort continued till it pleased God to sting the Kings heart with iust compunction toward the horror of his death who had the fauour from heauen as to lie sicke of a consuming disease which wasted him by such insensible degrees as gaue him the vse of his whole selfe as it were till the last gaspe whereby hee had meanes to recollect himselfe after those many soule-wounding assaults which attend regall greatnesse and to submit his thoughts to such ghostly admonishments touching another life whereunto in dayes of health the hearts or eares of great Princes are seldome attentiue 71 About the yeere of his death hauing vnderstood that Lewis King of France despairing of issue male had annulled the Contracts made betweene Charles King of Spaine sonne of the late King Philip and afterward elected Emperour by the name of Charles the fifth and the Lady Claudia his eldest daughter whom he newly betrothed to Francis of Valois Dolphin of France and Duke of Angolesme King Henry whose care for preseruation of the common quiet and good of his Country by forrain alliances was euer holy in him and awake thought it a faire occasion for him to match his younger daughter the Lady Marie The French King to haue the aduise of Iames the fourth King of Scots in the bestowing the said Madam Claudia his eldest daughter had before sent Bernard Steward Lord Dobignie and the President of Tholouz Ambassadors for that purpose who finally in effect receiued this answere That the said King Iames thought it best that his eldest daughter should be married within his owne Realme of France for if she were married vpon any forraine Prince it might giue colour to claime title to the said Realme afterward And if he did marrie her at home rather to him the said Francis whom he had appointed to succeed then any other Which resolution was very acceptable to K. Lewis because it iumped with his owne purpose and it was followed accordingly King Henry therefore hearing that King Charles might bee obtained so pursued the poâ—… by the prudent managing of Richard Fox now Bishoppe of Winchester his Ambassadour that King Charles his Ambassadors comming out of Flanders where hâ—… was educated and meeting him at Caleis the affâ—… was opened disputed concluded and the Lady Mary then about ten yeeres of age as King Charles himselfe was by solemne contract assured to him for wife 72 Now therefore his sonne Henrie Prince of Wales being heire of the Crowne and married his eldest daughter the Lady Magaret Queene of Scotland the Lady Mary his youngest prouided for so highly though in the end it came to nothing all likelihood of perill by competitors or busie Factionists buried in the Tower by the emprisonment of Edmund Earle of Suffolke his people tractable and calme his coffers full and the state of things ripe for a successour death the executioner of the Almighties sentence was ready to discharge him of the prison of his flesh Before he departed well disposed persons tendering the health of his soule did both in sermons and otherwise informe him of the exclamations against informers Wherefore he of his blessed disposition granted to all men generall pardons certaine onely excepted In his life time hee founded the goodly Hospitall of the Saudy built sixe religious Houses for Franciscan Friers three of them for Obseruants and the other three for Conuentuals Of his building also was Richmund Pallace and that most beautifull peece the Chappell at Westminster the one the place of his death and the other of his buriall which formes of more
curious and exquisite building he and Bishoppe Foxe first as is reported learned in France and thence brought with them into England He died about the age of fiftie two yeeres vpon the two and twentieth of April hauing raigned twenty three yeeres and eight moneths A right noble wise victorious and renowed King and one whose piety would haue beene farre more eminent then all his other vertues if from the beginning the malignant quality of the times would haue permitted him to liue in quiet He specially honoured the remembrance of that Saint-like Man Henry the sixth the founder of his Family and Propheticall fore-teller of that fortune which now hee died seised of whom also he laboured to haue Canonized for a Saint but that Pope Iulio held that honour at two high a rate It is reckoned by some writers of that age among his principall glories that three Popes Alexander the sixth Pius the third and Iulius the second did in their seuerall times with authority and consent of the Cardinals elect and chose him for chiefe defensor of Christs Church before all other Christian Princes In his last will and Testament after the disposition of his soule and body hee deuised and willed Restitution should bee made of all such moneis as had vniustly beene leuied by his Officers A most pious and truly Christian care wherby also appeareth that hee hoped the wrongs done vnder him were not so enormous nor innumerable but that they might fall within the possibility of redresse The description of his whole man is had in the beginning of his life and the course thereof described in his Actions There remaine of his wisdome many effects and those as his fame likely to continue for euer His Wife 71 Elizabeth the first Childe Legitimate and eldest daughter of King Edward the fourth was at the age of nineteene vpon the eighteenth of Ianuarie and yeere of Christ Iesus 1485. married vnto King Henry the seuenth whereby was vnited the long contending Families of Lancaster and Yorke and the Roses red and White ioined into one to the great ioy of the English Subiects Shee was crowned at Westminster vpon the fiue-and twentieth of Nouember the third of her husbands Raigne and of Grace 1487. Shee was his wife eighteene yeeres and twenty foure daies and died in childe-bed in the Tower of London the eleuenth of February euen the day of her owne Natiuity the eighteenth of her husbands Raigne and yeere of our Saluation 1503. and is buried at Westminster in the most magnificent Chappell and rich Monument of Copper and gilt where shee with her husband lie entombed His Issue 72 Arthur the eldest sonne of King Henrie the seauenth and of Queene Elizabeth his wife was borne at Winchester the twentith day of September the yeere of Grace one thousand foure hundred eighty sixe and the second of his Fathers raigne In whose fifth yeere he was created Prince of Wales Duke of Cornewall and Earle of Chester and at the age of fifteene yeeres one month and twenty fiue daies vpon the foureteenth of Nouember in the yeere of our Lord one thousand fiue hundred and one espoused the Lady Katherine daughter to Ferdinando King of Spaine shee being then about eighteene yeeres of age in the Cathedrall Church of Saint Paul London and presently sent into Wales the better to gouerne that principality by his owne Presence enioyed his marriage bed onely foure moneths and ninteene daies departing this life at Ludlow the second of Aprill the yeere of our Lord one thousand fiue hundred and two of his Fathers raigne seuenteene and of his owne age fifteene yeeres sixe moneths and thirteene daies His body with all due funerall solemnities was buried in the Cathedrall Church of Saint Maries in Worcester where in the South side of the Quire he remaineth entombed in Touch or Iette without any remembrance of him by picture 73 Henrie the second sonne of King Henrie the seuenth and of Queene Elizabeth was borne at Greenwich in the Countie of Kent the two and twentieth of Iune in the yeere of Grace one thousand foure hundred ninety and one being the seuenth of his Fathers raigne In his Infancy he was created Duke of Yorke and Marshall of England and so trained vp in his youth to literature as hee was rightly accounted the best learned Prince in Europe and by the death of his brother succeeded his Father in all his Dominions whose Raigne and Acts are presently to be related 74 Edmund the third sonne of King Henry and of Queene Elizabeth was borne in the yeere of Christ one thousand foure hundred ninetie fiue and in his young yeeres was created Duke of Sommerset which Title hee no long time enioyed being taken away by death at Bishops Hatfield before hee attained fully to fiue yeeres of age the yeere of Grace one thousand foure hundred ninetie and fiue and fifteenth of his Fathers Raigne and his body lieth interred at Saint Peters in Westminster 75 Margaret the eldest daughter of King Henrie and of Lady Elizabeth his Queene was born the nine and twentieth day of Nouember the yeere of Christ 1489. and fifth of her fathers raigne shee at the age of foureteene was married vnto Iames the fourth King of Scotland the yeere of our Lord one thousand fiue hundred and three vnto whom shee bare Iames the fifth Arthur and Alexander and a Daughter which last three died all of them young and after the death of King Iames being slaine at Flodden Field in fight against the Engglish shee was remarried vnto Archibald Douglas Earle of Anguisse in the yeere of our Lord one thousand fiue hundred and foureteene vnto whom shee bare Margaret afterward espoused vnto Mathew Earle of Lennox Father by her of the Lord Henrie who died at the age of nine moneths and lyeth interred in the vpper ende of the Chancell in the Parish Church of Stepney neere London vpon whose Graue is engrauen in brasse as followeth Heere lieth Henry Steward Lord Darle of the age of three quarters of a yeere late Sonne and Heire of Mathew Steward Earle of Lennoux and Lady Margaret his wife which Henrie deceased the XXV III. day of Nouember in the yeere of our Lord God 1545. Whose Soule Iesus perdon Her second sonne was Henrie Lord Dernley a Noble Prince and reputed for person one of the goodliest Gentlemen of Europe who married Marie Queene of Scotland the royall Parents of the most roiall Monarch Iames the first King of great Britaine and of the Britaine World And her third sonne was Charles Earle of Lennox father vnto Lady Arbella 76 Elizabeth the second daughter of King Henry and Lady Elizabeth his Queene was borne the second day of Iuly one thousand foure hundred ninety two and died the foureteenth of September and yeere of Christ one thousand foure hundred ninetie fiue and is interred at Westminster 77 Mary the third blossome of the Imperiall Rose-tree of England was first wife to Lewis King of France who liued not
long after and died without issue by her Her second husband was that Martiall and pompous Gentleman Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke 78 Katharine fourth daughter of this seuenth Henry and of Elizabeth his Queene was borne vpon Candlemas day in the yeere of our Lord one thousand fiue hundred and three and in the eighteenth yeere of her fathers raigne who was called to her part in a far better Kingdome within a short while after HENRIE THE EIGHT OF THAT NAME KING OF ENGLAND FRANCE AND IRELAND DEFENDER OF THE FAITH c. THE FIFTIE EIGHT MONARCH OF THE ENGLISH HIS RAIGNE ACTS WIVES AND ISSVE CHAPTER XXI THe rich and wise King Henry the seuenth gone as is said the way of all flesh his sonne bearing the same name a most magnanimous heroical Prince succeded in his Throne ouer al his dominions as the only true heir vnto the Crowne by both the houses of Lancaster and Yorke His birth was at Greenwich in the yeere of Grace 1491. the twentieth two of Iune and his youth so trained vp in literature that he was accounted the most learned Prince of all Christendome indued with parts most befitting a King both in lineaments of body and liberality of minde besides his ripe knowledge in politicke affaires and was made the more agreeable to the affections of men by the consideration of his flourishing age as hauing not attained vnto nineteen at his fathers death In his infancy hee was created Duke of Yorke at twelue yeeres his brother deceased Prince of Wales and at eighteene became sole Monarch of the land when at Westminster vpon Sunday the twenty fift of Iune euen the festiuall of Saint Iohn Baptist and yeere of Christ Iesus 1509. hee with his beauteous Queene Katherine receiued their Crowns at the hands of William Warham Archbishoppe of Canterbury no Prince giuing better hopes vnto iustice or seeking the wealth of his subiects more then himselfe 2 His Counsellors he chose of the grauest diuines and the wisest Nobility with whom hee not onely often sate to the great encrease of his politicke experience but would also yeeld his authority to their graue and farre inseeing wisdomes Of whom the plaints of Petitioners were so mouingly regarded that Proclamations went forth with promise of restitution to them that had beene wronged by Dudley or Empson two persons that had abused the authority of K. Henrie his Father by enriching their owne coffers with the vrter vndoing of many better subiects These men King Henry the seuenth had made his Instruments for the finding out of offenders in his penall Statutes themselues being learned in the lawes and apt inough to execute their Commissions to the full for by their daily informations and recouering of fines they digged and brought a filuer Mine into the Kings Exchequer some veines whereof by the way ranne also into their owne coffers to the great vexation of all and vtter vndoing of many whereat the Noblemen grudged the Gentility repined the Commons lamented and all of them felt the teeth of these rauening Wolues But the father King departed and his sonneset on his throne the complaintes of the oppressed so oppressed the King and his Councell that Dudley and Empson were sent prisoners to the Tower and both of them by Parliament attainted of Treason 3 Edmund Dudley by descent was a Gentleman and by profession a Lawyer hauing both wit and wordes at will had hee not abused both to his own destruction Richard Empson his inferiour by birth was the sonne of a poore Sieue-maker but yet had hee stepped before him to the degree of a Knight These night-sprung Mushrumps that sucked the earthes fatnesse from far better plants then themselues saw not the many hands ready to plucke vp them by the rootes when the season should serue to cleare the land of such weedes for albeit they had their discharge vnder the Kings owne hand to doe what they did and their seruice knowne Crowne seruice a matter impugnable yet no sooner were they left to stand vpon their owne basis but that they felt the weight of their done wrongs too importunable for them any longer to beare for so importune were all degrees against them that Dudley forthwith in Guild-hall London was arraigned and condemned to die and King Henry in progresse through the cry of the people could take no pleasure til he had sent for Empson into Northamptonshire where among them hee was arraigned and receiued sentence of death which was so desired and followed as to satisfie his Subiects the King sent a speciall writ for their executions which with great ioy of all was performed vpon Tower hill by taking from them their heades when they left their riches to be spent by others and their names to remaine vpon Record for the Caterpillers of those times whose like if any such liue shall leaue their hatefull remembrance to the like staines of reprochfull infamy how pleasing soeuer the promotion so gotten in their owne eyes shall seeme or the employments in their selfe conceites accounted profitable to the State 4 This iustice of King Henry wanne him great praise of his people and his charity extended towards London when that City was sore distressed with famine by sending sixe hundred quarters of corne great loue so that neuer any King entred his raigne with better hopes then himselfe That his person was tall is not to bee doubted though not like vnto Soules as some haue alleadged whose report is that at the siege of Bulloigne he was higher by the head then any in his Campe and euery ioint proportionable to so royall a stature but that hee was strong his many Iusts and Tilts and fights at Turnay most dangerously performed was manifested vpon them that vnderwent his heauy hand for at Tilt hee bare downe a man at Armes both horse and all and threw Sir William Kingston a Knight of great strength to the ground at Barryers with battell-axe he combated against one Giot a Germane very strong and tall and lent him better blowes then he could againe repay 5 His glorie thus mounted the Trophie of fame and young Henry the onely morning starre in this Westerne Orbe Pope Iulius the second fearing the further incroch of the French who then had entred into some part of Italy thought this Prince the strongest pillar whereunto to trust and the fittest Carde to trumpe the French King well knowing the Title that the English Kings had vnto France and the readinesse of his Subiects to forward that way wherupon writing his letters vnto King Henry complained against Lewis the French king and twelfth of that name who neither as hee alleadged esteeming of God good fame nor conscience detained the reuenewes of the Clergy supported the Cardinall William to aspire the Papacy aided in the siege of Bonen Alfonso of Ferrara and the Benteuoly both traitors to the Papal Sea where hee
Church though vnsufficient for so great a worke doe powre forth the cogitations of our heart that the Catholike faith without which no man can attaine to saluation may receiue continuall increase and that those good lawes and constitutions decreed by the wisdome and learning of such as are in authority especially the faithfull in Christ for restraining the attempts of all that labour to oppresse the same or by wicked lyes fictions seeke to peruert and obscure it may prosper with perpetuall increase doe bestow our paines and vtmost endeuour in our office and Ministery And like as the Romane Bishops our Predecessors were wont to shew especiall fauour to Catholike Princes according as the quality of matters and timesrequired especially to them that in troublesome times when the madnesse and perfidious dealing of Schismatikes and heretikes most of all abound did abide constant and vnmoueable not onely in soundnesse of faith and pure denotion to the holy Romane Church but also as the most legitimate sonnes and valiant Champions of the same opposed themselues both with mind and body against the furious madnes of Schismatikes and heretikes so likewise also doe wee desire to extoll your Maiesty with worthy and immortall praises for your high and immortall deserts and labours towards vs and this holy See wherein by Gods permission wee sit to grant vnto it those things for which it ought to watch and driue away the Wolues from the Lords flocke and to cut off with the materiall sword rotten members which infect the mysticall body of Christ and to confirme the hearts of the faithfull in soundnesse of beliefe Now where of late our beloued sonne Iohn Clarke your Maiesties Orator with vs being in our Consistory before our venerable brethren of the holy Romane Church the Cardinals and many other Prelates of the same exhibited a booke vnto vs to bee examined and allowed of vs which booke your Maiesties selfe who doth all things with diligence and nothing amisse enflamed with charity and zeale to the Catholike faith and with ardent deuotion toward vs and this holy See hath composed as a most worthy and soueraigne Antidote against the errors of diuers heretikes often condemned by this holy See and of late stirred vp and brought in by Martin Luther And your said Orator hath also largely declared vnto vs that your Maiesty is ready and purposeth like as you haue confuted the notorious errors of the said Martin by true reason and inuincible authorities of sacred Scripture and Ancient fathers so you will punish to the vttermost of your power all those of your whole Kingdome that shall presume to follow or defend them and we haue diligently and exactly perused and viewed the admirable doctrine of your said booke watered with the dew of heauenly Grace and doe heartily thanke Almighty God from whom euery good and perfect gift doth come who hath vouchsafed to inspire your Noble mind inclined to euery good thing and to endue you with so great Grace from heauen as to write those things whereby you are able to defend his holy faith against such a new Innouator of damned errors and also incite by your example all other Christian Kings and Princes to be willing to fauour and further with all their best aides the Orthodoxall faith and Euangelicall truth whensoeuer it bee brought into danger or doubt And wee thinke it also meete that they who haue vndertaken such godly labours for the defence of the faith of Christ should haue all prayse and honour of vs and wee are desirous that not onely the things themselues which your Maiesty hath written being both of most sound doctrine and no lesse eloquence should bee extolled and magnified with condigne commendations and allowed and confirmed by our authority but also that your Maiesty should bee graced with such an honour and such a Title as that both for our time and euer hereafter all men might perceiue how gratefull and acceptable this gift of your Maiesties hath been vnto vs especially offered vnto vs now at this time Wee who be the true successors of Peter whom Christ at his ascension into heauen left his Vicar on earth and to whom hee committed the care of his flocke We I say who sit in this holy seate from which all dignities and titles doe flow vpon mature deliberation had with our said brethren about these things haue by the generall agreement and consent of them decreed to bestow vpon your Maiestie this title namely THE DEFENDER OF THE FAITH And accordingly by these Presents doe instile you with such a title commaunding all faithfull Christians that they name your Maiesty with this Title and when they write to you that after the Word KING they adioine DEFENDER OF THE FAITH And truely wee diligently considering and weighing your singular merits were not able to bethinke vs of a name more worthy and conuenient for your Maiesty then the excellency and dignity of this Title which so often as you shal heare and reade so often you may call to mind this your singular vertue and great desert nor may you by this Title puffe vp your self in pride but according to your wonted prudence become more humble and bee more valiant and constant in the faith of Christ and in denotion to this holy See by which you haue beene exalted reioycing in the Lord the giuer of all good things leauing this as a perpetuall and immortal monument of your glory to your children shewing them the way vnto the like that if they shall desire to be graced 55 Whilest these things were in working at Rome arose great troubles in Ireland the Kerns casting off all obedience and killing the Kings subiects where they found them against whom Thomas Howard Earle of Surrey Lord Lieutenant of that kingdome made foorth his power and followed them himselfe with such danger of life that the visor of his Helmet was shot off as hee pursued the enemy through the desert woods but these Rebels cut off by his high valour and warres proclaimed at one time against Scotland and France the Lord Lieutenant was recalled into England and Piers Butler Earle of Osorie made Deputie of Ireland in his stead betwixt whom and Girald Fitz-Girald Earle of Kildare whose sister hee had married arose no little strife and debate which grew to that height as King Henry sent Commissioners to trie and examine the differences which was so cleered on Kildares behalfe that Osorie was discharged of his Office and the Lord Fitz-girald sworne deputy in his place whereat Cardinal Wolsey whose hand chiefly steered all states affaires a deadly enemy to the Earle of Kildare was highly offended and to vndermine the foundations of this his new Gouernment gaue eare vnto Osorie who accused the new deputie of many misdemeanors among which these were the principall that he winked at Desmonds escape whom he should haue attached by order from the King that he grew ouer familiar with the natiue Irish
aspired greatnesse who now commanded the Kingdomes of Naples and Sicilie the Dutchie of Millan the Seigniorie of Ioan the Countie of Ast and other possessions in Italie the whole Country of Germany being the greatest part of Christendome already either totally in his Enacted in the Church of Saint Peter in Anion May 7 Anno 1530. The Determination of the Vniuersity of Burges We the Deane and facultie of Diuinity in the Vniuersity of Burges after the example of Saint Paul the Doctor of the Gentiles begin with praier to the quieting of the conscience to whom this our writing shall come the Question moued is whether the brother taking the wife of his dead brother the marriage consummated and perfect be a thing lawfull or no. We by much labour and turning of Bookes euery one of vs a part by himselfe free from corruption the better to obey the truth finde it forbidden by the Leuiticall law which is Gods and that such marriage is an abhominable discouering of his brothers shame which cannot be allowed by the authority of any man which our determination we haue caused to be signed with the seale of our faculty the tenth day of Iune and yeere of our Lord. 1530. The opinions of the Diuines in the Vniuersity of Bonony All wee Doctors of Diuinity in this Vniuersity vnto whom this Question was propounded whether it was forbidden only by the Ordinance of the Church or else by the Law of God that a man might not marry the left wife of his brother departed without children and hauing examined the matter euery one of vs alone lastly came altogether and as it were line by line and rule by rule brought forth the reasons for the contrary part with those of the most Reuerend Father Cardinall Caietaine yea and of the dispensation for raising vp seed to his brother spoken of in Deuteronomie thus we determine giue iudgement and say and confidently doe hold and witnes that such marriage is horrible accursed and to be cried out vppon and vtterly abhominable not only for a Christian man but for an Infidel vnfaithfull or heathen and that it is prohibited vnder greeuous paines and punishments by the Law of God of Nature and of man and that the Pope though he may doe much vnto whom Christ gaue the keies of the Kingdome of Heauen hath no power to a dispensation to anie man to contract such marriage In witnes whereof we confirme this our iudgement both vnder the Seale of our Vniuersity as also with the Seale of our Colledge of Doctors of Diuinity and haue substribed it in the Cathedrall Church of Bonony this tenth of Iune the yeere of our Lord. 1530. The determination of the Vniuersity of Padua Seeing that certaine great Orators and Ambassadors did humbly require of vs that wee would vouchasafe to search out with all diligence this question following whether to marry the wife of our brother departed without children is forbidden onely by the Law of the Church or by the Law of God also and if forbid by both the Lawes whether the Pope may dispence with any man for such Matrimony or no which Question we haue discussed and as farre as we can haue made it cleere both priuate euery man by himselfe and after al together openly we say iudge decree witnesse and for truth affirme that such marriage is no marriage yea and that it is abhorred and cursed of euery Christian man and to be abominate as a greeuous sinne and that it is cleerely forbidden vnder cruell penalty by the Lawes of nature of God and of man and that the Pope vnto whom the keies of the Kingdome of Heauen are committed by Christ the Sonne of God hath no power to dispense by the right of Law for any cause suggestion or excuse that any such Matrâ—…ny should be contracted In witnesse whereof wee 〈◊〉 made this writing and haue authorized it with the accustomed Seale of our Vniuersity dated at Padua in the Church of the Heremites of Saint Augustine the first of Iuly and yeere of our Lord. 1530. The determination of the Vniuersity of Tholouze It was treated in our Vniuersity of Tholouze whether it were lawfull for a brother to marry her which had beene wife to his brother now departed and without children as also whether the Pope which hath the cure of Christs flocke allowing it by his dispensation it be lawful to resolue which the best Doctors of Diuinity and the Laws did sweare that they would obey the sacred Counsels and would follow the holy Decrees of the Fathers and falling to conclusion stucke fast vpon this point that it is lawfull for no man neither by the Law of God nor by the Law of nature to take her to wife that his brother hath left neither can the Pope dispence with this law of God as touching the commandement in Deuteronomy that the brother should marry his wife to raise vp seede vnto him that his name should not perish among the Tribes of Israel we answere that that Law was but a shadow and figure of things to come which vanished away as soon as the substance of the Gospell appeared Thus haue we giuen our sentence which wee haue signed with our Authenticall Seale of this Vniuersity Yeouen at Tholouze the Calends or first day of October the yeere of our Lord 1530. These and many more were read by the Lord Chauncellor vnto the lower house of Parliament that they might report in their countries the Kings iust cause of diuorse To forward which as was thought Cardinall Wolsey the said Lord Chancellor was sent Ambassadour into France laden with Crownes as Guicchardine saith and with surpassing Pompe as London behelde who with 900. Horse passed the Bridge toward Douer and so into France But rumors in England still spreading of the good Queens diuorse about a yeere after K. Henry to satisfie all sent for his Nobles his Councellers Iudges and many wise Commoners vnto whom he made a most pithy Oration shewing them with what care he had ruled almost twenty yeeres with honour and victory which as he said would shortly be clouded if he should die and leaue them a litigious Heire examples he shewed of the wofull experience of Lancaster and Yorke in whose dissentions the Realme was like to haue beene vtterly destroied and although saith he we haue a daughter to the great comfort of her mother and me yet it is told vs by great Clearkes our marriage is not lawful but that she stands in case of illegitimation and we both are said to liue in abominable Adultery thinke you my Lords that these words doe not touch my very soule the perill whereof we venture as you doe also your inheritance for which cause I haue asked counsell of the greatest Clearkes in Christendome and haue likewise heard the opinion of mine owne But as touching the Queene if it bee iudged by the Law of God that she is my lawfull wife there shall be nothing more
an high Basement like a Sepulchre and on the sides whereof shal be made the story of Saint George and ouer height of the Basement shall bee made an Image of the King on Horsebacke liuelie in Armor like a King after the Antique maner shewing in countenance and looking on the said two Images lying on the said Tombes Item on the right hand and left hand of the said two Tombes shall bee foure Pillers of the foresaid Orientall stones that is to say on either side two Pillers and vpon euery Pillar shall bee a like Basement of white Marble with partitions for Scriptures as shall be aboue the other Pillers And on the same foure Basements of the said Pillers shall bee made foure Images two of Saint Iohn Baptist and two of Saint George with foure little children by them casting roses as is aforesaid Item ouer the said Image of the King on Horsebacke shall bee made an Arch triumphall of white Marble wrought within and about it and vpon the same Arch in maner of a Casement of white Marble garnished with like Orientall Stones of diuers colours as the pattern sheweth and on the two sides of the said Casement shall be made and set of brasse guilt the story of the life of Saint Iohn Baptist and one hight of the said Casement shall bee made fiue steps euery one more then other downeward of like Orientall stones as the said Pillers shall shew Item on the foure corners of the said Casement shall be made the Images of the foure Cardinal vertues hauing such Candlestickes in their hands as is aboue said Item on the toppe of the highest step of the said fiue steps on the one side shall be an Image of the Father hauing in his left hand the Soule of the King and blessing with his right hand with two Angels holding abroad the Mantle of the Father on either side Item in like wise shall bee made on the other side the said Image of the Father hauing the soule of the Queene in his left hand blessing with his right hand with like Angels The height of the same worke from the Father vnto the Pauement shall be xxviij foot Item the breadth and largenes of the said worke shall be xv foote and the Pillers of the Church in greatnes v. foote and so the largenes of the said worke from the vttermost part of the two great Pillars shal be xx foote Item euery of the Images of the xiiij Prophets shall containe euery Image V. foote in length and the Angels shall containe two foote and a halfe in length Item euery of the xx Pillers shall containe in length X. foot Item euery of the Images of the Apostles Euangelists and Doctors shall containe in length V. foote and the Angels as is abouesaid Item in likewise euery of the xx Angels of the quire shall containe in length two foot and a halfe and in likewise the Images of the Children two foot and a halfe Item the foure Images of St. Iohn Baptist and St. George and all the figures of the father and Angels on the V. steps shall be V. foote Item the foure Images of the King and the Queen shall be of the Stature of a man and woman and the foure Angels by them of the stature of a man euery one Itē the Image of the King on Horseback with his Horse shall be of the whole stature of a goodly man and large Horse Item there shal be a Cxxxiiij figures Xliiij Stories and all of Brasse guilt as in the patterne appeareth 135 This magnificent Monarch was of presence Maiesticall and of Personage more then ordinarily t◅l faire of Complexion and Corpulent of body very wise and very well learned of a sudden and ready speach in youth very prodigall and in his age very liberall pleasant and affable but not to be dallyed with bolde in attempting and euer thirstie of potent glory an expert Souldier and fauouring such as were actiue or seruiceable according to the then vsuall saying King Henrie loues a man and indeed somewhat too wel the delights with women as by his many wiues heere ensuing may well appeare His Wiues 136 Katherine the first wife to King Henry was the daughter of Ferdinando the sixt King of Spaine and widow dowager of Prince Arth◅r his elder brother as hath beene said she was married vnto this King the third of Iune and first of his Raigne the yeere of saluation 1509. being solemnely crowned with him vpon the twenty fourth day of the same and was his wife aboue twenty yeeres and then diuorced from him by the sentence of the Archbishop of Canterbury liued three yeeres after by the name of Katherine Dowager Shee deceased at Ki◅balton in the County of Huntington the eight of Ianuary and yeere of Christ 1535. and lieth interred on the North-side of the quire in the Cathedrall Church of Peterborow vnder a hearse of Blacke Saye hauing a white Crosse in the middest 137 Anne the second wife of King Henry was the second daughter of Sir Thomas Bullen Earle of Wiltshire and Ormond Shee was solemnly at Windsore created Marchionesse of Pembrooke the first of September and twenty foure of his Raigne hauing one thousand pound giuen her by yeere to maintaine her estate Shee was married vnto king Henry in his Closet at White-Hall vpon the twenty fift day of Ianuary and yeere of Christ Iesus 1533. being the foure and twentith of his Raigne and was Crowned with all due obseruances at Westminster vpon Whitsunday the first of Iune where the Crowne of Saint Edward was set vpon her head the scepter of Gould deliuered into her right hand and the Iuory rodde with the Doue into her left Shee was his wife three yeeres three monthes and twenty fiue daies when being cut off by the sword the nineteenth of May her body was buried in the Quire of the Chappell in the Tower leauing her accused fame to bee censured as affections best pleased the vncharitable minded and her bed to bee possest of a vertuous Lady 138 Iane the third wife of King Henry was the daughter of Iohn Seimer Knight and sister to Lord Edward Seimer Earle of Hertford and Duke of Sommerset Shee was married vnto him the twentieth of May euen the next day after the beheading of Queene Anne and the twenty eight of his Raigne Shee was his wife one yeere fiue monthes and twenty foure daies and died in Child-bed the foureteenth of October to the great griefe of the King who not onely remoued from the place but kept himselfe priuate and wore the Garment of mourning euen in the Festiuall time of Christmas her body was solemnely conueied to Windsore the eight of Nouember following where she was interred in the middest of the Quire of the Church within the Castell 139 Anne the fourth wife of King Henry and sister to William Duke of Cleue was married vnto him the sixth of Ianuary in the thirty one yeere of his Raigne the yeere of Grace
courage Holinshed Hist. of Ireland Kildar receiued into Dublin with procession The French king imprisoned at Madril Gâ—…ard Queene mother soliciteth King Henry Dislikes 〈◊〉 the Emperour and K. Henry Peace betwixt England and France Signed with 〈◊〉 ovvne 〈◊〉 in Ann. 1526. The great Dominions of the Emperour Guicchard Rich. Turpin G. Câ—… A. D. 1528. The Kings Oration to his Nobility Edward Hall The Kings complaint The commendation of Queen Katherine George Couen Learned men assembled to decide the Kings marriage The testimonies of many Vniuersities sent vnto Rome Iohn Stow. pag 9â—…1 Cardinall Campeiu commeth into England The King and Queene summoned to appeare personally in the Court at Blacke Fryers Queene Katherines speech to the King Queene Katherine departed the Court. The Kings report of his Queene The King excuseth the Cardinall King Henries conscience and care The Bishoppe of Rochester contradicteth the Archbishop of Canterbury Cornelius Agrippa yeeldeth to the proposition The Popes vsurpation forbid by Parliament â—…x Parl. 24 H. 〈◊〉 K. Henries marriage dissolued by Parliament Fox Mart. 1197. Katherine Dowager Holinsh. pag 93â—… Pope Clement 7. adiudgeth the marriage lawfull The thunderings of Pope Clement 7. Sleidan com li. 9. The discent of Anne Bullen Sir Godfrey Bullen Lord Maior of London Anne 1457. Sanders in Schis Angl. Anne Bullen religion Sleid. com lib. 9. Anne Bullen Created Marchionesse of Pembrooke A. D. 1532. Octob. 11. K. Henrie complaineth of the dull Pope King Henrie allowed the Pope 60000. Angels monethly Iohn Stow pa. 946 Anne Dom. 1533. Nouâ—…mb 14. Vpon S. Erkenwalds day saith Hollinshd and Groston King Henry maried Anne Bullen * The Pope Elizabeth Barton the false Oracle or the Romanists The assisters of this false Propheâ—…esse Read Statue in Anne 25. of King H. 〈◊〉 The counterfetings of Elizabeth Barton Edward Hall Ioh. Stow. Holinsh. Cranmer Cromwell Latimer * Elizab. Barton Edward Bocking Richard Deering Richard Risby Richard Maister Henry Gould Two Monkes Iohn Stow. Edward Duke of Buckingham beheaded Holinshed The vaine feare of Prior Bolton The Pope inciteth Iames King of Scotland against England Iohn Lesly High treason The Pope giues England to him that could get it Queene Anne crowned Lady Elizabeths birth A. D. 1533. Fox Martyr 1366. Statut. Parl. H. 28. cap. 10. Queene Anne a great louer of the Gospell A. D. 1536. Ian. 29. Queene Anne deliuered of a deaâ—… Child Queene 〈◊〉 sent to the Tower Mâ—…ch Sandt The 〈◊〉 of Queene Anne Cromwels letter to the King vnder his own hand Archbishop Cranmers let 〈◊〉 to the King Sleidans Com. l. 10 L. Rochford Noâ—…is West 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Marks beheaded May 15. Queene Anne condemned and beheaded Robert Greene. Queene Annes speech at her death Ex MS. The audacious dealings of the Rebels Slanderous vntruths against the King The oath of the Pilgrims The Earle of Shrewsbury maketh against the Rebels Ex MS. R. Coe Thomas Duke of Norfolke Lord Lieutenant of the North. Pardon and peace offered to the Rebels Ex Original MS. The demands of the Commons The whole drift was to down with the Gospel An vncharitable and vnchristian motion Holinsh. pag. 944. Aske executed Luk. â—…2 36. Spirituall men Commotioners Monkes hanged for rebellion Idols and Monasteries suppressed by Parliament A. D. 1538. The Roode of Grace broken at Pauls Crosse. Lamb. Peram in Boxeley Our Lady of Walsingham and other Images burnt Cambd. Brit. 645. Monasteries in England 90. Colledges 110. Religious Hospitals 2374. Chaunteries and free Chappels Eras. Dialogue W. Lamb. Peram The state and opinion of Tho. Beckets Shrine Iohn Stow. The great riches of Beckets Shrine The great reuenewes of the Monasteries Supplication of Beggars The great reuenewes of the Friers 2. Cor. 12. 14. Dâ—…ut 25. 4. Apoca. 9. Iere. 13 26. Many suffered death for the Gospell before that Martin Luther wrote Queene Anne Bullen a fauourer of the Gospell staied the rage against the Professours King 〈◊〉 doings displeased many Chriâ—… Princes Camb. Brit. Lord Marquesse and others beheaded A. D. 1539. Ian. 9. Ioh. 〈◊〉 King Henry married Anne of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6. An. 1540. 〈◊〉 Mart. 1296. The sixe Articles deuised 32. H. 8. chap. 10 35. H. 8. cap. 5. Lord Cromwell imprisoned In a letter writâ—… ten by himselfâ—… Ex MS. Anâ—… 32. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. â—…5 Queene 〈◊〉 diuorced by Parliament Cromwell affect his death 〈◊〉 ted by 〈◊〉 ment Ex MS. D. 〈◊〉 No such things as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poseth 〈◊〉 Cromwell Nâ—… 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 well to cause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lady 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A. D. 1540. 〈◊〉 A. D. 1541. May 17. Margaret Coun tesse of Salisbury beheaded Lord Dacres hanged Stat. in 33. of H. 〈◊〉 cap. 21. Since the eight of August 〈◊〉 Queene Katherine and the Lady Iane Rochford beheaded The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cted Sâ—…t H. 8. 28. c. 10. 〈◊〉 H. 8. 3â—… c. 4. The fixe bloody Articles enacted Iohn Fisher. Sir Thomas Moore beheaded Fox Mart. pap 1363. Anne Askew her story Io. Bale Cent. 8. â—…ol 669. Rom. 1. 16. Three conuersions by N. D. pag. 495. Anne accused by no rule of Christianity 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 compared The Counter Newgate and the Tower 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ned in Smithfield 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 suppose Three 〈◊〉 on s pag. 493. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Queene 〈◊〉 rines life laid 〈◊〉 Ibid. coâ—… p 494. 〈◊〉 three conâ—…ersions The Lord Chancellor lost his commission The Queene seeth the sentence of her death Queene Katherine visiteth the King who falleth in conference with her about 〈◊〉 Act. and Mon. Queene Katherines wise answer The Lord Chancellors purpose to apprehand the Queene Henry assumeth the name of King of Ireland A. 154 confirmed by Parl. 35. Hen 〈◊〉 Iohn 〈◊〉 The Kings of England and Scotland appoint to meet at Yorke A. D. 1542. An expedition into Scotland The Scotish noblemen refuse to inuade England The Lord 〈◊〉 of the Weâ—…-Borders yâ—…eld to the Kings perswasions * Williâ—… 〈◊〉 saith Stow. The mistaking of thâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Kings 〈◊〉 Generall The Scotish Noâ—… in 〈◊〉 of their generall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solem-mosse Graâ—…n saith foure and twentie The death of K. 〈◊〉 of Scotland A marriage intended betwixt Prince Edward and the young Queene of Scotland The Scotish prisoners honourably entertained The Scotish Prisoners released without Ran. some Ioâ—… 〈◊〉 The marriage of Prince Edward and Queen Mary concluded by Parliament Cardinill 〈◊〉 against the 〈◊〉 ringe with England The French King setâ—… faction in Scotland The Queene and Queene mother conueyto ed 〈◊〉 Queene Marie of Scotland crowned The Earle of Lennox falleth from the Queene mother King Henry dâ—… mandeth the young Scotish Queene An Army 〈◊〉 into Scotland Ioâ—…n Leslie Iohn Leslie The Pope and French King send aide into Scotland Math. Earle of Lennox marrieth Lady Margaret Earle Lennox proclaimed an enemie to the state The English enâ—… Scotland A. D. 1544. Defiance sent into France Ioâ—… Stow. Bolloigne besieged Ioâ—… Sleidâ—… 〈◊〉 Bolloigne wonne R. Graâ—…con Iohn Serres