his Brother Walter Devereux a brave young Gentleman slain with a Musket Bullet before Roâ—n the last succors was to the number of 2000 and put under the command of that excellent Soldier Sir Rogâ—r Williams who was always forward for the greatest attempts and did here excellent service He beat the leaguers that blockt up the Passes about Diep upon such unequal terms that Henry IV. could not but take notice and highly extoll his valour in his letter to the Queen this Queen after a glorious Reign of 44 Years 5 Months and odd days at the Age of 70 Years Anno 1602. and lived longer then any of the Kings of England since the Conquest dyed at Richmond and lies buried at Westminster The causes of the War in this Queen's time were not direct but collateral in behalf of the King and Reformists of France JAMES I. THen the sixth King of Scotland of that name t was immediately upon the death of Queen Elizabeth proclaimed King of England Scotland France and Ireland c. as being descended from the united Roses of Lancaster and York King Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth his Wife whose issue by the Male failing in the late deceased Queen Elizabeth the off-spring of Margaret their eldest Daughter was next heir which Lady was married to James IV. King of Scotland by him had issue James V. whose only daughter Queen Mary was Mother to this our Monarch This King was of a timorous Nature and peaceable Disposition so that Beati Pacifici was his Motto and was so far from making any pretensions to the Crown of France or any part of its Dominions notwithstanding his great power and the flourishing state of the Nation that he suffered his Son-in-Law the Palsgrave and his own Daughter Elizabeth his Wife with their numerous issue not only to be beaten out of Bohemia but even from their just Patrimony the Palatinate and to live many years in great want and Penury to the Kings great dishonour who was nothing but a bluster of Words and ever and anon sending Embassadors till all was quite lost and unretriveable this King died at Theobalds March 27th in 1625. in the 59 year of his Age having reigned 22 years compleat CHARLES I. THe only surviving Son of King James for that noble Prince Henry died before his Father succeeded to the Imperial Crown of England the reformed in France in the beginning of this King's Reign lay under great oppressions from their King Lewis XIII and his prime minister of state Cardinal Richieu in so much that they were forced for their fafty to have recourse to Arms under the command of that ever famous Cap. the Duke of Roan by Land and Monsieur Sobiez his Brother who rid Admiral at Sea and by that means Rochel besieged by the French King's Arms was relieved upon all occasions hereupon thro' the contrivance of the Duke of Buckingham an English Fleet was sent to join that of the French under the Duke of Momerancy the Dutch then basely concurring with some Ships of their alsos with which united force Momerancy fights and utterly defeats the Fleet of the Rochellers under Monsieur Sobiez and then reduced the Isles of Rhee and Oleron under the French Power but Buckingham soon after changing his Sentiments the grounds whereof we 'll assign in the causes of this War there is a Declaration of War published against France and 〈◊〉 the Prosecution of the same with Vigor the Duke is commissioned Admiral and General of a Navy of an 100 Sail and 6 or 7000 land Soldiers with which he came before Rochel still besieged by the French where Sobiez came on Board of him and for several reasons it was agreed to land the Army on the Island of Oleâ—on and not on the Isle of Rhee But Sobiez going to perswade the Rochellers to join with the English the Duke before his return lands on the Isle of Rhee in spight of the opposition made by the French but instead of pursuing the blow not only neglects to take the Fort la Prie to secure his retreat and prevent the French from landing supplies but staies five days whereby Toiras the French Governour incouraged his Men and also got more Force and Provisions into the Cittadel of St. Martins the French were so allarmed at this invasion that the King offered the Duke of Roan and the Rochellers any terms to join against the English which both refusing caused both their Ruins The Enemies retreat upon the landing of the English was so hasty that they quitted a Well about 20 paces from the Counterscarp which supplied the Cittadeâ— with Water which not being possest by the English upon their first approach the French drew a work about it which ouâ— Men could not force and without which Well the besieged could not have subsisted however the Duke resolves to take the Fort by Famine buâ— instead of pressing it with a strait Siege he entertains a Treaty of surrender with Toiras and several complements past between them subscribed your Humble Servant Buckingham and you Humble Servant Toiras till the latter got relief 〈◊〉 Men Victuals and Ammunition and then brokâ— off the Treaty with the Duke soon after thâ— the French landed Forces on the Island by thâ— neglect of the English to oppose them and ordeâ— were given to draw the English out of the Trenches which the French possess whereupoâ— the English were forced to Retreat at last the Duâ—â— makes a vain storm upon the Castle but 〈◊〉 beaten off and two days after retreats the 〈◊〉 being now equal to him in Foot and superior Horse when the English were intangled in thâ— Retreat the Duke having neglected to take la Prie or build a Fort upon a narrow Lane or Causey to secure their Retreat the French charged the English Horse in the Rear and rout them who rout the foot in the narrow passages between the Salt-pits and Ditch but in this confusion and adversity the bravery of the English appear'd for a few having past the Bridge the French following the English rallied and faced about gallantly to charge the French who cowardly retreated over the Bridge and of this a Forraign Author speaking saith The English were magis audaces quam fortunati and withall taxeth them for want of secrecy in their Counsels and Conduct of so great an affair the Duke of Buckingham upon his retreat from the Isle of Rhee promised the Rochellers to send them speedy relief now close besieged by the French King and upon return sent away the Earl of Denbigh his Brother-in-law with a Fleet to that purpose who on the first of May 1628. arrives before Rochell where he found the French Fleet consisting of 20 Sail had blockt it up by Sea upon the Earls approach the French retire towards their Fortification and anchored within two cannon shot of our Fleet and so continued till the 8th of May. The Earl promised the Rochellers to sink the French Fleet when the Waters increased and the
contrary to the Articles of Peace and 2 The contumelious Language used by King Phillip concerning his Person WILLIAM II. SUrnamed Rufus or the Red during his 12 Years and about 8 Months Reign had no Wars with France neither do we read of any just cause given to engage him thereto but he unjustly invaded Normandy then subject to his Brother Robert and disposest him of the County of Owe many Castles and some Monasteries but was in the mean time by divine Justice assaulted by his younger Brother Henry in his own Dominions and it had like to have cost him his Life for he was bore down in fight from his Horse by a valiant Knight who taking his Sword for to kill him was stop'd by the Kings crying out Hold thy hand Knave I am the King of England which words so struck the Knight with Reverence that he mounted him on another Horse and the King to recompence his Valour and Submission swore by St. Luke's Face he should be his Knight and be written in his White Book He was accidentally killed by Sir Walter Tyrell as he was Hunting in the New Forrest Anno 1100. buried at Winchester and died unlamented HENRY I. WHo for his learning was called Beauclerke was youngest Son to William the Conqueror he passing over into Normandy made War against the Earl of Anjou who kept Main against his will and this engaged Lewis the French King to take part with the latter whereupon ensued many sore Battles both in France and Normandy between them with various success at length taking Anjou's Daughter for Wife to his Son William Peace was concluded But it will not be amiss to give the Reader a tast of the high Spirit and Resolution of this King in a personal quarrel he had in France In his fathers life time he accompanying his eldest Brother Robert into that Kingdom while the latter associated himself with the then French King Henry according to the suitableness of their years took up with the company and divertisements of the Dauphine and being one Evening at Chess together the Dauphine happened to lose a considerable summ of Money to the Prince at that Game whereat the former grew so enraged that after some reproachful Language he struck the Prince who not brooking the high affront with the Chess-board knocks the Dauphine fairly down to the ground and being intent to pursue his Revenge his Brother Robert fortunately came in and minding him of the danger away they both fled and with great hast and difficulty recovered the next part of Normandy before their pursuers could reach them This King made his Exit as his Father before him in Normandy in the Year 1135. after he had reigned 35 Years and 4 Months The cause of this War we have before assigned to wit the King of France's taking part with Anjou against Henry STEVEN KIng of England was Son to Adella a Daughter of William the Conqueror and Nephew to the two last Kings he laid claim to the Kingdom of England in the year 1135 notwithstanding his Oath to Mawd the Empress and Daughter to Henry the First to the contrary wherefore without looking abroad into France for any Wars his whole Reign which was Eighteen Years and about ten Months was in a manner taken up in intestine Broils and Contests about his right to the English Crown wherein he was stiffly opposed by several Nobles and by the said Empress Mawd and her Son Henry afterwards Henry the 2d whom she bare to Geoffrey Plantagenet Earl of Anjou and Duke of Normandy from whence sprang the Noble Family of the Plantagenets that so long governed England he was once made Prisoner at Bristol and at last notwithstanding he had Children of his own was forced to adopt Henry for his Son and Heir and the Nobles sware fealty to him accordingly HENRY II. SOn of Mawd and Geoffrey Plantagenet as aforesaid at the Age of Three and Twenty Years and even in the life time of his Mother under whom he claimed began his Reign over England in the Year 1154. This Prince notwithstanding his Domestick Troubles and famous Atchievements against the Welch and his conquest of a great part of the Kingdom of Ireland so as he was the first of our English Kings that was stiled the Lord of that Country yet found opportunity to make War in France upon several occasions the Allyance he had made with the French Court by the Marriage of his Son Henry to King Lewis his Daughter Margaret proving rather an incitative to Contention and Discord then a bond of Peace and Amity The famous city of Tholouse was chiefly the seat of this War which was once and again bravely Assaulted by King Henry and as vigorously defended by Lewis In his first Expedition against this Place he was accompanied with Malcolm King of Scots a Welch King and with others of highest Rank and Dignity in England Normandy Aquitain Anjou and Gascoigny during his second expedition in France the Earls of Bulloign and Flanders with 600 sail of Ships attempted to make a Descent into England but their undertaking proved frustrate and abortive through the vigilance Courage and Prudence of Richard Lacy who then Governed England This King is famous or rather infamous in History for the many base Children he had being no less then 19 in Number for his fair Concubine Rosamond for whom he built that celebrated Labyrinth at Woodstock the recesses whereof could not be penetrated into but by insuperable jealousie the Queen as it was said by the help of a clew of Thread finding of her out at last and so used her that she lived not long after and no less to be mentioned for the troubles he met with from that proud Prelate Thomas a Becket to whose shire after his Murder much blind Devotion has been paid even by the greatest Potentates Tho his Son Henry who was crowned King in his life time and dyed before him gave him much disturbance yet when he found after his death that others and particularly his Son John conspired against him he was so strucken with grief that cursing his Son and the day of his own Birth he died July 6. 1189. Aged 61 having reigned 34 Years and almost seven Months The causes of the War were That King Lewis did incite the Prince his Son against the laws of Nature to oppose Henry his Father in the war time Lewis had promis'd upon the word of a King to meet him in order to a Treaty but he failed for his own Advantage whereupon Henry being sensible of the Fraud sought him out with his Army and made him give ground thereupon another interview being appointed betwixt Terwyn and Arras Histories relate that as the two Kings were busie in Conference there fell a clap of Thunder between them and meeting the next day the like accident happen'd which struck a Consternation in both Armies and inclined the Kings the more to an accommodation RICHARD I. WHo for his Valour was
Crown which is held to be meerly without Tenure therefore saith a later Lawyer Ego scio legem salicam agere de privato Patrimonio tantum I know the Salique Law intends only private Possessions Again there are some who pretend to give us the names of the Compilers of this Law and not this alone but of many others as they say viz. Wisogast Bodogast Salogast and Windogast wise Councellors about that Pharamonds Reign the text of it in this part is offered us by Claude de Seissell Bishop of Marseilles Bodin and other French Writers as if it were as ancient as the original of the name in these words De Terra Salica nulla Portio Haereditatis Mulieri veniat sed ad virilem sexum tota terrae Hereditas perveniat No part of the Salique Land can descend to the Daughter but all to the Male and in substance as if referr'd to the person of the Kings Heir Female so much if remembred by that great Civilian Baldus and divers others but rather as a custom then any particular Law as an Author of that Kingdom hath expresly Written Ce n' est point vne loye ecritte mais nee auec nous que nous n' avons point inventer mais l' avons puisse de la nature meme qui le nous a ainsi apris donne cet instinct that is this is no Law Written but learned of Nature But why the same Author dares affirm that King Edward yielded upon this point to the French Phillip de Valois I wonder seeing all storie and carriage of state in those times is so manifestly opposite Becanus undertakes a conjecture of the first cause which excluded Gynaecocracie among them guessing it to be upon their observation of the misfortune in War which their Neighbours the Bructerans a people about the now over Issel in the Netherlands from near whom he as many others first derive the Franks endur'd in the time of Vespasian under the Conduct and Empire of one Velleda a Lady even of Divine Esteem amongst them The learned Drayton who has particularly treated of this Subject leaves it at last in suspence and concludes thus But howsoever the Law be in Truth or Interpretable for it might ill beseem me to offer determination in a matter of this kind it is certain that to this day they have an usage of ancient time which commits to the care of some of the greatest Peers that they when the Queen is in Child-birth be present and warily observe left the Ladies privily should counterfeit the inheritable Sex by supposing some other made when the true Birth is Female or by any such means wrong their ancient Custom Royal. But by his favour this is a custom in England as well as in France where the Females do notwithstanding inherit the Crown and never any Law pretended to the contrary I shall therefore conclude upon the whole with this one Remark that notwithstanding the many Volumes that have been writ to justifie King Edward and his Successors Title to France tho' its true the English in that age were better skilled in the Sword then in the Pen and the great dust that has been raised by the French under pretence of this Salique Law to impede his way to their Crown Yet after all it appears clearly to me that the aforesaid Dutchess of Orleans had a better Title then either King Edward or Phillip de Valois for she was Daughter to Charles the Fair the last King of the Caputian line whereas Edward was descended only from Isabel Sister to this same King And as for Phillip de Valois his pretentions had little of reality in them when'tis plain Hugh Capet descended from a Female of the Carolovinian line yet succeeded to the Crown of France and where was their Salique Law then whereof they afterwards so much boasted that it was born with them and never Writ but taught by Nature RICHARD II. SOn to Edward the Black Prince by Joan his Wife Daughter to Edmund Earl of Kent the youngest Son of King Edward I. succeeded his Grand-Father King Edward III. being but eleven years old but had neither his Wisdom nor good Fortune from Bourdeaux his Birth-place where his Father kept his residence as Duke of Aquitaiâ— he was called Richard of Bourdeaux in his Minority he was governed by his Unkles the Dukes of Lancaster and Glocester his Reign was first much disturbed with the Scots and there were also divers traverses of War especially by Sea with France for the French began to improve in Navigation and did us much mischief for they burnt a good part of Rye Hastings and Portsmouth advancing into the River as far as Gravesend where they likewise took booties and burnt almost all the place they also took footing in the Isle of Wight but were soon repell'd Sir John Arundel being sent with a considerable Fleet to Bretaign was disastrously cast away with above 1000 Persons more whereof some were of Rank and Gallantry but a little after Sir Hugh Caverley and Sir Thomas Percy being made Admirals they so scowr'd and secur'd the Seas and they took such a World of Prises that French Wines were sold in London for a Mark a Tunn and 't is a passage of some remark how one John Philpot a Citizen of London mann'd out a Fleet at his own charge took Prises and did many exploits against the French yet at his return he was questioned for setting forth Men of War without a Warrant from King and Council This Reign is also remarkable for the famous Rebellion of Wat. Tyler and Jack Straw for the expeditions of the Duke of Lancaster into Spain but especially for that famous interview between the Kings of England and France between Calais and St. Omers manag'd with all the Ceremony Pomp and Grandeur that could be imagined and where a knot of Friendship was tied by King Richards taking the Lady Isabel to Wife the King of France's Daughter he being then a Widdoer as having buried Queen Anne the King of Bohemia's Daughter about two Years before this King after much male-administration was at length deposed when he had reigned 22 Years and about 3 Months and was soon after murder'd in Pomfret Castle in Yorkshire HENRY IV. COmmonly called Henry of Bullingbrook the first King of this line was Son to John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster 4th Son of Edward III. he came to the Crown by the power of the Sword but with the consent of the People the issue of Lionel Duke of Clarence 3 Son to the said King Edward being laid aside that had a precedent right he was a Prince of singular Prowess but most part of his time was taken up in suppressing of Rebellions at home and in the old trade of warring with Scotland whereat the French grew insolent fitted out divers Fleets and attempted the Coasts of England first under the count of St. Paul who landed at the Isle of Wight with 7000 Men where he burnt some Villages
Winds became Westerly it being then neap Tide but two days after the Waters increasing and the Wind becoming Westerly the Earl was intreated to fight the French Fleet but did not and weighed Anchor and sailed away The Duke to redeem this miscarriage of his Brother-in-Law in August following goes to Portsmouth to command the Fleet there for the relief of Rochel but on the 23 of the said Month was stabbed by Felton on whom by the way hanging in Chains at Portsmouth was made this ingenious Coppy of Verses There uninterr'd suspends though not to save Surviving Friends the expences of a Grave Felton's dead Earth whom to it self must be His own sad Monument his Elegy As large as Fame but whether bad or good I say not by himself 't was wrought in blood For which his Body is entomb'd in air Arch'd o're with Heaven and ten thousand fair And glorious Diamond Stars a Sepulcre Which time can never ruinate and where Th' impartial Worms not being brib'd to spare Princes wrapt up in Marble do not share His Dust which oft the charitable skies Embalm with Tears doing those obsequies Belonging unto Men while pittying fowl Contend to reach his body to his Soul yet the design was pursued under the command of the Earl of Linsey who attempted several times to force the Barricadoes of the River before Rochel but all in vain or if he had it had been to no purpose for the Victuals wherewith the Rochellers should have been relieved were all tainted and 't was well the French had no Fleet there for the English Tackle and other matterials were all defective and so Rochel fell and with it in a manner all the Glory and Interest of the reformed in France but 't is remarkable what counsel concurred to the reducing of this important place and what accidents followed after The French Army had been before it a long time and had made no considerable Progress in the Siege when the Marquess Spinola returning from Flanders into Spain directed his course through France and hearing the King and Cardinal were at the Siege of Rochel waited upon both and going to view the Works one day asked the Cardinal what they meant to do there and continuing his Discourse said That as they managed matters there was no possibility of taking the place what must we do then saies the Cardinal Push replies the Marquess do as we have done at Antwerp make a Dyke at the Mouth of the Harbour and yo 'll by that means starve them out the Cardinal immediately takes up the project sets all hands on work and with Immense Labour and Celerity finishes the Dyke which in a short time reduced the place to that starving Condition that they were at length forced to surrender at Discretion and it is note-worthy that as Leyden about 54 years before was miraculously preserved from the hands of the Spaniards for being reduced to the last extremity they let loose the Waters upon them which the Dams restrained before and upon that the Army march'd away whereas had they staid but two or three days longer in the Neighbourhood they might have had an open passage to the Town for the Walls of it fell down to the Ground and a strong Northerly Wind had clear'd the Country of the Water so Rochel by a quite contrary fate had been surrendered but a very few days when the Dyke so far broke as that they might have been relieved by Sea had there been a Fleet ready for that purpose But when Spinola came to the Council in Spain he was so brow-beaten and snubb'd for his Advise to the Cardinal by the Duke of Medina then prime Minister of State and other Grandees that he never after could get his Money paid that was owing him and dyed a Begger and in utmost disgrace so well did the Spaniards then understand their true Interest that as long as the Reformed could make head in France the Arms of that Kingdom would be confined within its own limits and they and other Princes be less molested by those aspiring and restless Neighbours and this was the unhappy end of this War between England and France and the dreadful Presages of the Duke of Roan hereupon to give his Words the mildest terms I can had but too fatal effects upon the Person of that Prince to whose perfidy he attributed the loss of this Fortress and the Protestant interest in France for after this Dissention grew daily more and more in England which drew on an unnatural Civil War that ended with a sad Catastrophe in the Kings dying by the Ax for he was beheaded January 30th 1648. after he had Reigned 23 Years 10 Months and odd days and in the 49th Year of his Age. 1. The causes pretended for this War were that the French King had imployed the Eight Men of War which the King of England had lent him to be made use of against Genua against the Rochellers 2. That the King's Mediation in behalf of the Reformists was slighted 3. That the English Merchant Ships and their effects were seized before there was any breach between both Kingdoms though its certain that the Duke of Buckingham as Lord High Admiral of England by an extraordinary Commission first seized the St. Peter of New-haven the whole Cargo computed to amount to 40000 l. and tho the King ordered the releasment of the Ship Decemb. 7th 1625. yet the Duke upon the 6th of February following caused the said Ship to be again arrested and detained as you may see in Rushworth f. 313. 4. A fourth cause of this War we have assigned in the noble Baptista Nani that the Duke of Bucks having while in France contracted love in that Court and desiring leave to go thither under pretence of composing the Feuds that brake forth in the Queen's Family in England was by Richlieu's advice denied entrance into that Kingdom and grew thereupon so enraged that he sware since he was forbidden entrance in a peaceable manner into France he would make his passage with an Army CHARLES II. AFter about Twelve years Exile during which interval we had no Wars with France was restored to the Throne of his Ancestors Anno 1660. This Prince had not been above Five Years setled in his Dominions when a War broke out with the Dutch by Sea the French joining with them in it at that time against us so that there was a Declaration of War set forth against France but the Dutch found no great assistance from them in this Confederacy for while the Dutch in all the Engagements we had with them but one and that was when the Fleet was foolishly divided were beaten by us the French instead of uniting their force with the other dispatch away a Fleet to subdue the English in their Plantations in the Leeward Islands almost totally expelled the English out of St. Christophers interrupted them in their Trade to their other Islands and assumed a Sovereignty in those Seas but upon the