where he sate which being stayed miraculously so long as he was sitting as soon as he was up immediately fell upon the place where he sate able to have crushed him in pieces Fox Martyrolog Having prepared a great Fleet of Ships for a journey into Flanders and being at Winchelsey where the Ships were to meet it happened that riding about the Harbour his Horse frighted with the noise of a Wind-mill which the wind drove violently about scrambled up and leapt over the mud-wall of the Town so as neither the King nor Horse was to be seen but every one judged the King could not choose but be thrown and killed yet such was the divine providence over him that the Horse lighted upon his feet and the King keeping the Saddle returned safe He was crowned at Westminster together with his wife Queen Elenor by Robert Kilwarthy Archbishop of Canterbury He ingeniously surprized the Welch into subjection proffering them such a Prince as should be 1. The son of a King 2. Born in their own Countrey 3. Whom none could taxe for any fault The Welch accepted the conditions and the King tendered them his son Edward an Infant newly born in the Castle of Carnarvaâ— Wales was united to the Crown of England in the eleventh year of his Raign who thereupon established the Government thereof according to the Lawes of England A wise a just and fortunate Prince who in regard of his Princely vertues deserveth to be ranged among the principall and best Kings that ever were A right noble and worthy Prince to whom God proportioned a most princely presence and personage a right worthy seat to entertain so heroicall a mind For he not only in regard of fortitude and wisdome but also for a beautifull and personall presence was in all points answerable to the height of royall Majesty whom fortune also in the very prime and flower of his age inured to many a Warre and exercised in most dangerous troubles of the State whilest she framed and fitted him for the Empire of Brittain which he being once crowned King managed and governed in such wise that having subdued the Welch and vanquished the Scots he may justly be counted the second ornament of Great Brittain No Realm but did resound first Edwards praise No praise was ever won with more deserts And no deserts though great could counterpoise Much less out-balance his heroick parts Mars taught him Arms the Muses taught him Arts Whereby so great he grew that might there be A love on earth that earthly love was he Sir Francis Huberts History of Edward the second In the long Warres he had with Robert King of Scotland having by triall found how greatly his presence advantaged the success of his affairs and how he was ever victorious in any enterprise he undertook in his own person when he died he bound his son by solemn oath that being dead he should cause his body to be boiled untill the flesh fell from the bones which he should cause to be interred and carefully keeping the bones ever carry them about him whensoever he should happen to have Warres with the Scots as if destiny had fatally annexed the victory unto his limmes Mountaigne his Essayes l. 1. c. 3. Baliol King of Scotland came to Newcastle upon Tine where King Edward then lay and there with many of his Nobles swears fealty and doth homage to him as his Soveraign Lord. Afterward there grew a great dissention between him and the King and the two Nations which consumed much Christian bloud and continued almost three hundred years King Edward entered Scotland with a great Army King Baliol was taken prisoner The marble Chair in which the Kings of Scotland used to be crowned was also brought thence to Westminster and placed there amongst the Monuments where it still continues Ni fallat fatum Scoti quocunque locatum Invenient lapidem regnare tenentur ibidem Except old sawes do fain And Wizards wits be blind The Scots in place shall raign Where they this stone shall find Of his Warres with the Scotch and his victories over them see Ayscâ— his History of the Warres Treaties Marriages and other occurrents between England and Scotland from King William the Conquerour untill the union of them both in King Iames. In his twelfth year the Justices Itinerants began In his time Iohn Baliol King of Scots builded Baliol-Colledge in Oxford Walter Merton Lord Chancellour of England and after Bishop of Rochester founded Merton-Colledge in Oxford One made this Epitaph of him Dum viguit Rex valuit tua magna potestas Frauâ— latuit pax magna fuit regnavit honestas He raigned thirty four yeares seven moneths one and twenty dayes and lived sixty eight years and twenty dayes EDWARD the second He degenerated wholly from his fathers vertues and esteemed not the good advertisements and precepts which he gave him before his death He granted the Charter to London to elect yearly one of the City at their own pleasure to be their Maior He was the first of the King of Englands children which bore the title and quality of the Prince of Wales Since whose time the eldest sons of the Kings of England were called Princes of Wales as the eldest sons of the Kings of Franâ—e are called Dolphins and of Spain Infants He was called Edward of Carnarvan for the Welch men after Leolines death were earnest with the King for a Prince of their own Countrymen the King told them they should have a Prince there born that could speak no English which they being contented with he named his Infant son who was born there the Queen being brought to Carnarvan He divided Wales incorporated into England into Shires and Hundreds His great affection to Pierce Gaveston and Spenser his Favourites was a means of stirring up the Barons against him It is thy sad disaster which I sing Carnarvan Edward second of that name Thy Minions pride thy States ill managing Thy Peers revolt the sequell of the same Thy life thy death I sing thy sin thy shame And how thou wert deprived of thy Crown In highest fortunes cast by fortune down Sir Francis Huberts History of Edward the second Nine Kings had raigned since the conquest here Whom I succeeded in a rightfull line My father all domestick tumults clear Did warre and win in fruitfull Palestine This Northern Sun even to the East did shine The French were fearfull hearing but his name French Scots and Turks aeternized his fame He married Isabel daughter to King Philip sirnamed le Bean the fair and heir to France all her brothers being dead without issue Gourney most barbarously caused the miserable King to sit on a Mole-hill whilest the Barber shaved him and to take cold water out of a ditch to wash him withall which the patient King seeing told them That in despight of them he would have warm water at his Barbing and there withall shed abundance of tears Being deposed from his Kingdome
overlaid Well then said the King return and tell them who sent you That so long at my son is alive they send no more to me whatever happen for I will that the honour of the day be his And so at last the English obtained the greatest victory they ever yet had against the French There were there found the dead bodies of eleven great Princes and of Barons Knights and men of Arms above one thousand and five hundred of the Commons above thirty thousand Not one man of honour or note slain upon the English side King Edward after the Battell aftectionately embracing and kissing his victorious son said Fair son God send you good perseverance to so prosperous beg innings you have nobly acquit your self and are well worthy to have the governance of a Kingdome entrusted to you for your valour Sir Eustace Rihamant in the encounter at Calis-Gate between Sir Walter Manny and the Lord Charney met with King Edward who disguising himself in common armour served under the banner of Sir Walter Manny and fought so stoutly with him that he stroke the King twice down on his knees but in the end the King took him prisoner and then he yeelded his Sword to the King but knowing what he was said thus Sir Knight I yeeld me as your prisoner upon which cause the King came after supper to him and with a merry countenance said thus to the Knight Sir Eustace you are the Knight in the world that I have seen most valiant either in assault of enemies or defence of himself I never â—ound Knight that gave so much ado body to body as ye have done this day wheâ—efore I give you the prize above all the Knights of my Court by right sentence and herewithall the King being bare-headed having a Chaplet of fine pearls that he ware on his head took the same Chaplet from off his head being fair goodly and rich and said to the Knight I give you this Chaplet for the best doer in Arms in this journey past of either party and I desire you to bear it this year for the love of me I know well you be fresh and amorous and oftentimes are among doubty Knights and fair Ladies yet say wheresoever ye come that the King of England did give it you and I quite your prison and ransome depart to morrow if it please you whereupon the Knight did not only wear the same Chaplet in remembrance of so gracious a benevolence of so worthy a Prince but also did bear after in his Arms three Chaplets garnished of pearls Fern his Glory of Generosity p. 210 211. Mr. Wren in his Monarchy asserted p. 125. saith The successes of the English in France alwayes followed the person of the Prince with us Edward the third and Henry the fifth wise and valiant Princes gaining Richard the second and Henry the sixth weak Princes losing with them Iohn and Charles the sixth men of no ability losing Charles the fifth and Charles the seventh brave Princes recovering Edward the black Prince of Wales who so long governed our Countrey of Guienne a man whose conditions and fortune were accompanied with many notable parts of worth and magnanimity having been grievously offended by the Limosins though he by main force took and entered their City could by no means be appeased nor by the wailfull out-cries of all sorts of people as of men women and children be moved to any pitty they prostrating themselves to the common slaughter crying for mercy and humbly submitting themselves at his feet untill such time as in triumphant manner passing through their City he perceived three French Gentlemen who alone with an incredible and undaunted boldness gainstood the enraged violence and made head against the fury of his victorious Army The consideration and respect of so notable a vertue did first abate the dint of his wrath and from these three began he to relent and shew mercy to all the other inhabitants of the Town Michael Lord of Montaigne his Essayes l. 1. c. 1. Having had great victories against the French and other neighbouring Nations he instituted the Order of the Garter and consecrated it to St. George He appointed a Garter to be the Ensign of this Order wrought richly with gold and precious stones which should circle the leg beneath the knee and on it to have these words apparently discerned Honi Soit Qui Mal Y â—ense Shame to him which evil thinks The number of these Knights are twenty six whereof the King himself is the chief These Knights wear the Ensign of Saint George fighting with a Dragon fastened to a rich Chain or Collar which weighed and was worth eighty pounds of English money See Montaigne his Essayes l. 2. c. 7. of the words of honour About this time the famous Dr. Iohn Wicklef a man of sharp wit profound learning and of great judgement did in the University of Oxford publickly maintain sundry Propositions and dogmaticall points against the Church of Rome His followers were in the phrase of those dark dayes called Lollards whereas in truth they endeavoured to extirpate all pernicious weeds which through time sloath and fraud had crept into the field of Gods Church Such was this Kings courtesie friendly behaviour toward the two captive Kings of France and Scotland while they remained together in England as that hereby he won their love and favour for ever after as appeared by their repair hither to visit the King and Queen and to recreate and solace themselves in their company Thus it came to pass that their captivity here turned more to their own advantage and the peaceable enjoying of their estates after the same then if it had never hapned unto them Mr. Thomas May wrote his victorious Raign in Verse in seven Books He raigned almost one and fifty yeares and lived about sixty five who of all the Kings of the Realm saith Mr. Fâ—x unto Henry the eight was the greatest bridler of the Popes usurped power whereby Iohn Wicklef was maintained with aid sufficient CHAP. XVIII RICHARD the second HE descended from four Edwards of which the first three were succeeding Kings the fourth Prince of Wales sirnamed the black Prince who dying before his father Edward the third did not attain the Crown The Civil Warres of England by Sir Francis Bâ—ondi an Italian He was crowned in the eleventh year of his age and sufficiently shewed the miserable condition of such States as are governed by an Infant King He was the goodliest personage of all the Kings that had been since the conquest The beautifull picture of a King sighing crowned in a Chair of Estate at the upper end of the Quire in St. Peters at Westminster is said to be of him which witnesseth how goodly a creature he was ilâ— outward lineaments Speed He had nothing worthy his great fortunes but his great birth When he had with full hand bestowed upon Simâ—â—â— Montford Earl of Leicester
all the benefits he could yea and given his own sister iâ— marriage he raised a most dangerous War and spoiled shamefully a great part of England under pretence of restoring the Commonwealth and maintaining liberty neither left he any thing undone to bring the King under to change the State of a Mâ—â—â—rchy to bring in an Oligarchy But in the 〈◊〉 after that fortune had for a good while favourably smiled upon him he was slain at Eveshâ—m in Worcestershire with many other of the Barons his Complices by the prowess of Prince Edward 〈…〉 〈…〉 Although the Kingdome endured great Crosses in the affairs of State under this King yet some have thought that it found as great a blessing in matters of Religion which in those dayes took so deep root in this our Land by the preaching of Iohn Wickliffe that the branches thereof did spread themselves even over the Seas Speeds Chronicle He was the onely Son of that famous Cheiftain the black Prince of Wales a renowned son of a renowned father but as a plant transplanted into a savage soyl in degree and disposition wholly degenerate retained a tincture of the light inconstancy of his Mother and the luxuriousness of his great Grandfather Edward the second and running his course came to his end He had in his Court a thousand persons in ordinary allowance of diet three hundred servitors in his Kitchin above three hundred Ladies Chamberers and Landerers His Apparel was sumptuous and so was it generally in his time he had one Coat of gold and stone valued at thirty thousand Marks One interview with the French King at Ards when his Wife Isabel was delivered unto him cost three hundred thousand Markâ— Queen Anne his Wife Daughter to the Emperour Charles the fourth first taught English women the manner of sitting on horseback which now is used whereas before-time they rode very unseemly astride like as men do The Civil Wars in England had their beginning from his bad Government Henry the fourth did first commence them and Henry the fifth suspended them but they again brake forth under Henry the sixth Wat Tyler the Master of the Kentish Rebels was slain with a Dagger by William Walworth Mayor of London close by the Kings side in the Kings defence who was therefore Knighted and the City since giveth for Arms the Dagger He was first deposed then slain Men are easily emboldened saith Guicciardine c. 3. of his History of Italy against a Prince that is fallen into contempt The most current report at that time went that he was Princely served every day at the Table with abundance of costly meats according to the order prescribed by Parliament but was not suffered to taste or touch any one of them and so perished of famine Mr. Fox saith he was at Pamfret Castle famished to death Sir Pierce of Extone at last killed him though he with an Axe wrested out of one of their hands first killed four of those which came with him to murther him At the point of his death he groaned forth these words My great Grandfather King Edward the second was in this manner deposed imprisoned and murthered by which means my Grandfather King Edward the third obtained possession of the Crown and now is the punishment of that injury powred upon his next successor Well this is right for me to suffer but not for you to do your King for a time may joy at my death and enjoy his desire but let him qualifie his pleasures with the expectation of the like justice for God who measureth all our actions by the malice of our minds will not suffer this violence unrevenged He lived three and thirty years raigned two and twenty and three moneths Thus far the Plantagenets have continued in an unquestionable right line now follows the division of the houses of Lancaster York three of each succeeding in their order Of Lancaster Henry the fourth sirnamed Bulling brook Henry the fifth of Monmouth Henry the sixth of Windsor Of Yorke three others succeeded upon a better title 1. Edward the fourth 2. Edward the fifth 3. Richard the third HENRY the fourth He was son to Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster from the loynâ— of whom the greatest number of the Kings of England Spain Portugall since his time as also several other persons of eminent dignity are descended Mr. Dugdalâ—s History of St. Pauls Cathedrall He was annointed with an oyl which a certain religious man gave unto Henry the first Duke of Lancaster Grandfather to the King by the mothers side when he served in the Wars of King Edward the third beyond the seas together with this Prophesie that the Kings which should be annointed therewith should be the Champions of the Church There was a great contest then between the white and red Rose the houses of Yorke and Lancaster The red Rose prevailed now he being the first renowned King of the house of Lancaster He first studied a popular party as needing all to support his titles There was in his Raign a Parliament held at Coventry called Parliamentum indoctorum the lack-learning Parliament either for the unlearnedness of the persons or for their malice to learned men During the time of this Kings Raign execution by fire was first put in practice within this Realm for controversies in points of Religion He shed the bloud of Gods Saints and raigned neither long nor hâ—pâ—ily Mr. Foxâ—aith â—aith his time was full of trouble bloud and misery He was the first of the Kings of England saith he that put out his hand to the shedding of the bloud of the Saints since the conquest Humphrey his son was by his brother King Henry the fifth created Duke of Glocester he was Protector of the Kingdome of England for twenty five years in the time of King Henry the sixth He was a man who nobly deserved of the Commonwealth and of learning as being himself very learned and a magnificent Patron and benefactor of the University of Oxford where he had been educated and was generally called the good Duke Speed This Duke Humphrey purchased a wonderfull number of Books in all Sciences whereof he freely gave to a Library in Oxford a hundred and twenty nine fair Volumes Bales Conclusion to Leylands New years gift to King Henry the eight One saith all the Henries of the house of Lancaster even to Henry the seventh were most eminent for great vertues Henry the fourth for his behaviour and courtesie Henry the fifth for his valour and magnanimity Henry the sixth for his justice and piety The renowned Prince King Henry the fifth during the life of his father was noted to be fierce and of wanton courage One of his servants whom he favoured was for felony by him committed arraigned at the Kings Bench whereof the Prince being advertised and incensed by light persons about him in furious rage came hastily to the Barre
whole should have been of had their sounder raigned to have finished them himself At Towton about four miles from Yorke the Armies of Edward the fourth and King Henry the sixth met where was fought the greatest Battell our Stories mention in all these Civil Wars where both the Armies consisted of above a hundred thousand men and all of our own Nation One day when he was washing his hands at a great Feast and cast his eye upon his son Henry then a young youth he said This is the Lad that shall possess quietly that we now strive for This shewed a very propheticall spirit to have been in King Henry that could so long before foretell a thing so unlikely to happen For this was he that was afterward King Henry the seventh before whom at that time there were many lives in being of both the houses of Yorke and Lancaster so some but my Lord Howard in his Defensative against the poyson of supposed Prophesies c. 4. seems not wholly to ascribe it to that King Henry the seventh after laboured his Canonization with the Pope but that succeeded not for however the world was assured of his piety there was much question of his Government So Habington a Papist in his History of King Edward the fourth Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. l. 24. p. 532. saith thus Sed morte post statim obita id officium praestare nequivit Cambden in his Britannia in Surrey saith it was Pope Iulius and that the reason why this took no effect was the Popes covetousness who demanded too great a summe of money for a Kings Canonization as they term it so that he might seem ready to grant those kind of honours not for the Princes holiness sake but for gold Sir Francis Bacon in his History of Henry the seventh relates it thus About this time the King became suitor to Pope Iulius the second to canonize King Henry the sixth for a Saint the rather in respect of that his famous prediction of the Kings own assumption to the Crown The Pope referred the matter as the manner is to certain Cardinals to take the verification of his holy acts and miracles but it died under the reference The generall opinion was that Pope Iulius was too dear and that the King would not come to his rates But it is more probable that the Pope who was extreamly jealous of the dignity of the See of Rome and of the Acts thereof knowing that King Henry the sixth was reputed in the world abroad but for a simple man was afraid it would but diminish the estimation of that kind of honour if there were not a distance kept between Innocents and Saints William Alnwicke Bishop of Lincoln was his Confessor Dr. Litchfield in his Raign preached 3083 Sermons Never any came to be King so soon after his birth nor left to be King so long before his death for he came to be King at eight moneths old and he left to be King twelve years before his death Holy King Henry as they call him was crowned in Paris yet he lost all on that side before he was a man as I remember or soon after and before his unhappy death he lost this land also which loss of both came by striving for both Richard Duke of Glocester killed him that thereby Edward the fourth his brother might be freed from all hostile fear So Polyd. Virg. and others He successively ruled this Land the space of thirty eight years six moneths and four dayes EDWARD the fourth He came unto the Kingdome not by power or justice but by the peoples inclination Biondi He raigned thirty eight yeares six moneths and odde dayes and after his redemption of the Crown six moneths He lived two and fifty years having by his wife one only soâ— called Edward Prince of Wales He was the goodliest Gentleman saith Commines l. 4. c. 10. that ever I set mine eye on and l. 3. c. 5. the beautifullest Prince that lived in his time but after he grew gross and corpulent giving himself wholly to pleasures He was a fortunate Prince in the field for he wan at least nine great Battels fighting himself on foot in every one of them Phil. de Com. in his Hist. Book l. 3. c. 4. and 6. p. 188. saith that King Edward himself told me that in all Battels that he wan so soon as he had obtained victory he used to mount on Horseback and cry to save the people and kill the Nobles for of them few or none escaped Id. l. 3. c. 5. In his fourth Book c. 10. he speaks of an interview between King Edward and Lewis the eleventh King of France the French King after some discourse said pleasantly That he should come to Paris to solace himself there with the Ladies and that he would give him the Cardinall of Bourbon for his Confessor who would easily assoil him of sin if any were committed The King of England took great pleasure in this talk and answered with a merry countenance for he knew the Cardinall to be a good fellow Never lived Prince whom adversity did more harden to action and prosperity more soften to voluptuousness So improvident was his memory that he forgat the greatest injuries and resumed the Archbishop of Yorke into favour not bearing so much as a watchfull eye over a reconciled enemy The so fatall division between the house of Yorke and Lancaster with him in a manner had both their birth and growth I sing the Civil Wars tumultuous broils And bloudy factions of a mighty Land Whose people haughty proud with forraign spoils Upon themselves turn back their conquering hand Whilest kin their kin brother the brother foils Like Ensigns all against like Ensigns band Bowes against Bowes the Crown against the Crown Whilest all pretending right all right 's thrown down Our English Luean Daniel of the Civil Wars The first fortnight of his Raign was died I will not say stained with the bloud of Walter Walker a Grocer who keeping Shop at the Sign of the Crown in Cheapside said He would make his son heir to the Crown a bold jest broke in an evil time yet do I not side with them who taxe the King of severity in this execution unless I could clear this man from being particularly factious for the house of Lancaster or know that those words were uttered in innocent mirth without any scorn to King Edwards title And however perhaps the extraordinary punishment of such saucy language was not then unnecessary to beget authority and make men cautious to dispute the descent of Princes when the question was so nice and arguments not improbable on either side Habingtons History of Edward the fourth Speed saith his words intended no treason the Grocer not once dreaming to touch King Edwards title yet the time being when the Crown lay at stake the Law made them his death He hearing of a certain prophesie that G.
thereby to win the hearts of the people as being conscious to himself that the true obligations of Soveraignty in him failed He put to death Hastings A greater judgement of God then this upon Hastings I have never observed in any Story For the self same day that the Earl Riners Grey and others were without triall of Law or ostence given by Hastings advice executed at Ponfret I say Hastings himself in the same day and as I take it in the same hour in the same Lawless manner had his head stricken off in the Tower of London He had little quiet after the murther of his two Nephews in the Tower of London Sir Iohn Beaumont hath well described Bosworth-field in Verse The night before he was slain he dreamed that he saw divers images of Devils which pulled and haled him not suffering him to take any rest the which vision stroke him into such a troubled mind that he began to doubt what after came to pass Charles the ninth King of France after the massacre in Paris and divers other Cities wherein were slaughtered about thirty thousand never saw good day but his eyes rolled often uncertainly in the day with fear and suspition and his sleep was usually interrupted in the night with dismall dreams and apparitions He being near his end vomited out bloud pittifully by all the conduits of his body as a just judgement for him that barbarously shed it throughout all the Provinces of the Realm He raigned two yeares two moneths and one day CHAP. XIX HENRY the seventh THe fourteen Plantagenets thus expiring with Richard the third five Tudors take their turns in this manner Henry the seventh Henry the eighth Edward the sixth Queen Mary Queen Elizabeth They are called Tudors because Henry the fifth his widow being a French woman married Owen Tudor from whom Henry the seventh did lineally descend In this Nation how hath the Crown walked even since Christs birth from Britains to Saxons Danes Normans Plantagenets Tudors Stuarts Mrs Shawes Tomb-stone This King pretended a six-fold title to the Crown By Conquest Military election of Souldiers in the fields near Bosworth by Parliament by Birth by Donation and Marriage He did never stand upon his marriage with the right heir as the foundation of his right unto the Crown for he knew well enough that if that had been his best and only title though it might make the power good unto his children yet while she was living he must hold the Crown in her right not in his own and if she died before him it was lost Because he was crowned in the field with King Richards Crown found in an Hawthorn-Bush he bare the Hawthorn-Bush with the Crown in it He was crowned the thirtieth day of October in the year of our Lord 1485 by Thomas Bourehier Archbishop of Canterbury and Cardinall At which day he did institute for the better security of his person a Band of fifty Archers under a Captain to attend him by the name of Yeomen of his Guard and yet that it might be thought to be rather a matter of dignity after the imitation of that he had known abroad then any matter of diffidence appropriate to his own case he made it to be understood for an Ordinance not temporary but to hold in succession for ever after Through whose care vigilancy policy and forecasting wisdome for times to come the State and Commonwealth of England hath to this day stood established and invincible Camdens Britannia in Surrey A politick Prince he was if ever there were any who by the engine of his wisdome beat down and overturned as many strong oppositions both before and after he wore the Crown as ever King of England did Whose worthy renown like the Sun in the midst of his sphere shineth and ever shall shine in mens remembrance What incomparable circumspection was in him alwayes found that notwithstanding his long absence out of this Realm the disturbance of the same by sundry seditions among the Nobility Civil Warres and Battels wherein infinite people were slain yet by his most excellent wit he in few years not only brought this Realm in good order and under due obedience revived the Laws advanced justice refurnished his dominions and repaired his mannours but also with such circumspection treated with other Princes and Realms of leagues of alliance and amities that during the most part of his Raign he was little or nothing disquieted with War hostile or martiall business And yet all other Princes either feared him or had him in fatherly reverence He could never endure any mediation in rewarding his servants and therein exceeding wise for whatsoever himself gave he himself received back the thanks and the love on the contrary in whatsoever he grieved his Subjects he wisely put it off on those that he found fit ministers for such actions By his happy marriage being next heir to the house of Lancaster with Elizabeth daughter and heir to Edward the fourth of the house of Yorke the white and red Roses were conjoyned Sir Francis Bacon saith of Iohn Morton Archbishop of Canterbury Chancellor of England and Cardinal He deserveth a most happy memory in that he was the principall means of joyning the two Roses From the twenty eighth year of Henry the sixth unto the fifteenth of Henry the seventh the Civil War between Lancaster and Yâ—â—ke continued wherein as they reckoned there were thirteen fields fought three Kings of England one Prince of Wales twelve Dukes one Mâ—rquesse eighteen Earles with one Vicount and twenty three Barons besides Knights and Gentlemen lost their lives Cambd. Brit. in Warwickeshire The King in honour of the Brittish race of which himself was named his first son Arthur according to the name of that ancient worthy King of the Brittains in whose acts there is truth enough to make him famous besides that which is fabulous King Arthur fought twelve Battels with the Saxons and overthrew them Hollinsh Arthurus belliger illis temporibus dux militum Regum Brittanniae contra Saxones invictissimè pugnabat duodecies dux belli fuit duodecies victor bellatorum Hunting hist. l. 2. That Arthur was one of the nine Worthies There were three Jewes Ioshua David Iudas Maccabaeus three Gentiles Hector of Troy Alexander the Great and Iulius Caesar three Christians Arthur of Britain Charlemain of France and Godfrey of Bullen Arthur ursum significat quasi ursinum diceres Burhillus in MS. The Prince Arthur died before his father and lieth buried in the Quire of the Cathedrall Church at Worcester After was born to the King at Greenwich the Lord Henry his second son which was created Duke of Yorke and after Prince of Wales who succeeded his father in governance of this Realm by the name of Henry the eighth His time did excell for good Common-wealths Laws so as he may justly be celebrated for the best Law-giver to this Nation after
quotidie multiplicentur pareutum verò mors irremediabilis est quia nequeunt restaurari Chronicaâ— Thomae Walsingham Mr. Fullers good thoughts in worst times Occasion Meditat. 9. See Dr. Powâ—is Preface to the History of Wales and his Notes on â—hoyds History of Wales p. 376 377 and Judge Dederidges Principality of Wales p. 4 5 6. Cambdens Britannia in Yorkeshire â—aletudine usus est satis prespâ—ra animo magno cui cunque enim rei operam dabat eam facilâ— imbiâ—â—bat prudentia summa religionis studiosissimus insolentiae sacerdotum inimicus acerrimus quam ex opibus cum primis prosicisci putabatâ— quam obâ—rem legem ad manumortuam perpetuasse fertur at ita corum luxurieâ— coercâ—retur Polyd. Vâ—rg Ang hist l. 18. Cambdens Britannia in Cumberland Fuit prudens in gerendis negotiis ab adolescentia armorum dedâ—us exercitio quo in diversts regionibus eam famam militiae acquifierat quà totius orbis Christiani sui temporis principes singulariter transcendebat Elegantis erat formae staturae procerâ—e qua humero supra communi populo praeâ—minebat Chronica Thomâ—â— Walsingham He was called Edward Long-shankâ— Ne vestigium majestatis regiaâ— desidâ—rii ullum apud populum remaneret sedem lapâ—deam in qua insidentes Reges coronari salebant ex Scotia deferendam Londinum curavit quae etiâ—am nunc ad Westmonast â—rium servatur Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. l. 1â— Initio sui principatus cisi ad lenitatem suaptò natura prâ—pensus â—rat quorundam tamen suorum consiltariorum coâ—rcitus monitis ut bonam indolem ostentaret gravitatem probitatem â—nodestiam praesâ—â—crre caepit veriâ—n baud omnino potuit ita coerceri quin brevi tempore petulantiam ac vanitatem sensim quidem primò occultè velut juvenili errore complexus suerit c. Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. l. 18. Sir Thomas More Cuâ— Isabella Râ—gina Oxoniâ— esset una cum 〈◊〉 magno exercitu stipaâ—â— Episcopas concionem habuit in qua themate assumpto Dolet mihi caput oâ—â—endere conatus est caput insanum nec adhibitis opportunis remediis convalesceâ—s corpori dominari non debere Godw. de praesul Aâ—g Vide plura ibid. Speed Queen Isabel being to repass from Zeland into England with an Army in favour of her son against her husband had utterly been cast away had she come unto the Port intended being there expected by her enemies but fortune against her will brought her to another place where she safely landed Montaigne his Essayes l. 1. c. 33. Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. l. 19. p. 382. commends her Speed Hollinsh Quo genere moriis Edwardus interierit non facile constat fama exit in vulgus illum dum ventrem purgaret fuisse veru transfixum per cluâ—es Polyd Virg. Ang hist l. 18. Fuerat nempè Rex iste inter â—mnes Reges orbis Principes gloriosus benignus clemens magnificus Belliger suit insignis fortunatus qui de cunctis congressibus in terrâ— in mari semper triumphali gloria victoriam reportavit Walsingh Hist. Ang. Edwardus tertius regnum saelicissimum rebus maximis à se gestis gloriofissimum ad annum secundum supra quinquagesimum produâ—it Godw. de praesul Ang. comment p. 119. Huic regi absque caeteris naturae ornamentis cum primis formae dignitas suffragabatur ingenium providum perspicax ac mite nihilporrâ— non sapienter non conâ—ideratè agebat homo permodestus frugi illos summè diligebat honoribusque ornabat ac amplificabat qui probitate modestia atque vitae innocentia allos antecederent Militaris disciplinae apprimè scâ—ens fuit ut res ab co gestae testimonio sunt Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. l. 19. Il gaigna deux memorables batailles en France prist la ville de Calais deux grands Roys prisonniers rendit son nom redoutable à tous ses Voisins Histoire d'Angleterre Par du Chesne Floruere faelicia arma Edovardi tertii Regis qui de Iohanne Gallorum Rege capto speciocissimè triumphavit Ab hoc Edovardo Garcitenii equestris ordinis ceremoniam institutam ferunt Pauli Iovii Britanniae descriptio Hic est ille Edovardus qui Caletum urbem in continenti Galliae plures menses obsessum atque expugnatum Philippâ— Galliae Regi abhinc ducentis ser nè annis ademit Id. ib. Speed Id. ib. It was confirmed by thirty Parliaments in the succession of eight Kings This was the first Parliament we read of Sir Edward Cooks 4th part of Institutes Stow. He quartered the Arms of France with England Speed Gersey and Gernsey parcels of Normandy belong to the King of England Proâ—ssards Chron. c. 130. Daâ— hist. Speed Iohn de Serres The King of Bohemia was there slain whose plume of Ostridge feathers won then by the black Prince hath ever since been the cognizance of the â—rinces of Wales His eldest son sirnamed the Black Prince the mirrour of Chivalry not for his colour but dreaded in Battels He at the Battell of Câ—essy which bare two thirds of 8500 men fought with little less then 90000 and not many years after being fewer by three fourths The Welch his enemies in the Battell of Poicticrs he took King Iohn of France prisoner invironed by all the Princes Nobility of that Kingdome A young Prince twice a Conquerour having vanquished his enemy both by valour and courtesie 〈◊〉 Serres French Hist oâ— Iohn King of France Lhoâ—d in his History of â—â—ales calls him the 〈◊〉 of Chivalry of all Europe a Prince saith he of such excellent demeanour so valiant wise and politick in his doings that a perfect representation of Knighthood appeared most liveâ—â— in his person Seâ— more there p. 384 385. In the year 1â—49 〈◊〉 instituit Garterium ordinem cui â—auius deinde accessit honor 〈◊〉 maximos quosque Reges non penâ—tucâ—rit in id ventre Collegium â—olyd Vng. hist. l. 19. Vide plura ibi◠〈◊〉 hist. Belg. 〈◊〉 24. p. 285 286. In Richardo fuit forme gratia animus non vilis quem consociorum perversitas improbitas insulsitas extiuxitâ— fuit item summa infelicitas qui in talent calâ—â—itatem inâ— cidit ut in maximi beneficii pertenâ— accepeâ—it abdicare se imperio pro quo â—ortaies soleant 〈◊〉 omnia proâ—icere Polyd Virg. Ang. hist. l 21. He may be compared to Lewis the tenth of France called Huâ—â— which signifies mutiny because of his â—arbulent disposition this Montford gave the King 〈◊〉 Dan. hist. fâ—l 172. Cambd. Brit 〈◊〉 Worcestershire Mr. Bacons Uniform Government of England part 2. c. 1. Sir Iohn Arundel had two and fifty new suits of Apparel of cloath â— gold or tissue Hollinsh Chron. in Rich. the second Daniels third Book of Civil Wars â—ambd Briâ—annia in Surâ—ey Bellum Baroniâ—um Haywards life and Raign of Henry the fourth Haywards life and Raign of K. Henry the fourth Inter flores regia dignitas penes Rosam est Apud Anglos regia Rosa
and speech encouraged both Commanders and souldiers saying to them as I have heard If her brother Philip came she would give fire to the first Piece against him I might alledge the testimony of your greatest enemy in confirmation of your Majesties valour at Worcester-battle Kings bear a double image of God as they are men and as they are Magistrates The Scripture saith Those which rule over men should be just ruling in the fear of God One saith They should labour to be more religious and pious toward God than ordinary persons because of the great need they have of his illumination in their counsels of his conduct in their enterprises of his force in their executions and of his provident care in their various occurrents dangers difficulties The Kings seat was so set in the Temple that all might see him there Ezek. 46. 10. 2 Chron. 6. 12 13. 2 King 11. 14. 23. 3. that by his example the devotion of his people might be stirred up God having done such great things both abroad and at home for your Majesty expecteth great things from you I shall humbly implore the Almighty that he would so guide you in all your wayes that you may make his Interest your great interest by reforming what is amiss in Court and Kingdom by promoting his pure worship encouraging the power of godliness and all such as walk according to Scripture-rule are peaceable and hold the Fundamentals by discountenancing Atheisme errour and profaneness the fruits of abused peace and prosperity altering the old speech for the better Exeat aula Qui vult esse pius into impius So shall White-Hall answer its name and your Majesty approve your self to be what your Father desired Charles the Good which is the earnest prayer of Your Majesties most humbly devoted and Loyall subject Edward Leigh TO THE CURTEOUS AND CANDID READER Reader I Here present thee with Choice Observations of all the Kings of England I suppose the Subject will not be unpleasing to an Englishman if the work be answerable to the Title I have excerped my Materials out of the best Latine Writers the Monks to whom we are especially beholding for the History of our Kings of England and chiefest English Chroniclers and Annalists and such as have written of a few or any one of our English Princes Bedes Historia Gentis Anglorum set out by Wheelock of whom Petavius in his History of the world lib. 8. cap. 4. saith thus Bede made his Brittain famous with no lesse Godlinesse and Learning than History who even unto the year 735 hath concluded the Christian beginnings of that Nation Rerum Anglicarum Scriptores post Bedam praecipui in Latine in folio set out by Sr Henry Savill containing the History of Gulielmus Malmesburiensis Henry Huntington Roger Hoveden and others Anglica Normannica Hibernica Cambrica a veteribus Scripta in Latine also in Folio put out by Camden Matthew Paris his Works set out by Dr Watts who is a faithfull Historian and hath written the Reigns of the first seven Kings after the Conquest Of the English Chroniclers Speed Martin and Baker seem to be the best Voluminous Hollingshead Stow and How are not much esteemed by the Learned Sr John Hayward hath written well of the three Norman Kings and Edward the sixth he hath written briefly also of Henry the eourth Godwin of Henry the eighth Edward the sixth and Queen Mary and also of the Bishops of England in Latine and English Sr Robert Cotton of Henry the third Habington of Edward the fourth Sr Thomas More of Richard the third both in Latine and English and Buck my Lord Bacon excellently of Henry the seventh my Lord Herbert of Henry the eighth Camden Annals of Queen Elizabeth and Dr Heylin as is said of King Charles the first History is both pleasing and profitable especially the memorable things of all our own Kings and Governours who have for so many years Raigned amongst us Examples of Superiours especially are very prevalent which of the Rulers believed in him One saith if King Edward the sixth had lived a little longer his only example had bred such a Race of worthy learned Gentlemen as this Realm never yet did afford Here are examples of all sorts good and bad to be followed and eschewed Some loose vain and licentious others learned wise valiant minding the publick welfare of the Nation The Pope could but little prevaile here in England during the Raign of King Edward the third and Richard the second Henry the eighth cast him out then when he had too great power and command over other Princes As he cast out the Pope so did his children Edward the sixth and Queen Elizabeth cast out Popery out of England and so freed us from his spirituall bondage as the other did from his Temporall May their memory be therefore still precious amongst us as the Reformation we enjoy chiefly by their means is a singular blessing Let Him be accounted our English Josias and Her our English Deborah on whom those Verses were made Spains Rod Romes Ruine Netherlands Relief Earths Joy Englands Gem Worlds Wonder Natures chief Prince Henry likewise eldest Son to King James was a virtuous and hopefull Prince had he not been taken away in the flower of his youth he would its thought have much opposed the Pope and Spaniard I have read somewhere of him that he would not swear no not at his Sports and Recreation and being demanded the reason tâ—ereof he said they were not of that weight as to draw an oath from him I hope therefore this Nation having had such worthy Princes and not being ignorant of the slavery they formerly indured when the Pope called England his Ass will never be so foolish as to turn back again into Egypt As long as Mr Foxe his Martyrology is so common to be read eighty eight and the fifth of November are so fresh in our remembrance let us valew the losse of Rome here amongst us no more than that Emperour Honorius did of whom Zonaras writes that he had a Hen called Roma and it being told him Rome was last he was troubled and said She was here even now yea said the other the Hen is here but the City is lost he was then well pleased Our Countriman Beda hath prophetically expounded that Roman S. P. Q. R. of our Englishmen travelling to Rome Stulâ—us Populus Quaerit Roman Though perhaps in some cases one may go too far from Rome yet since some of our Bishops formerly have written well against Antichrist and others have made the Pope to be Antichrist and since also the Iesuites are still busie amongst us I wish there may be no unwarrantable compliance either with the Romish Doctrine or Rites Thomas Lever who Preached before King Edward the sixth and escaped the fury of Queen Maries dayes is commended by Bullinger in his Epistle to Hooper He was the first
the eighth reckons him amongst other learned men of the Kings Progenitors The chiefest of his works for the service of God and good of his Subjects was the translation of the Bible into the Saxon tongue which was then the mother-tongue of the Land out of the Hebrew Of this work Leyland also speaks in the work before-mentioned His Laws are mentioned by Lambard in his Saxon Laws He raigned in great honour the space of fifteen years and odd moneths Edmund The twenty sixth King of the West Saxons and twenty seventh Monarch of the English men The good Laws he made are extant in Saxon and Latine by the industry of Mr William Lambard He had by his Queen Elgina two sons Edwin and Edgarus sirnamed Pacificus which both raigned after him By him were expelled the Danes Scots Normans and all forraign enemies out of the Land He raigned six years and a half At his Mannor of Puclekerkes in the County of Glocester whilest he interposed himself between his Sewer and one Leof to part a fray he was with a thrust through the body wounded to death when he had prosperously raigned the space of five years and seven moneths Rogerus de Hoveden annal part 1. Malmesbury l. 2. c. 7. and others say this Leof was a thief which the King espying at a festivall he pulled him by the hair and cast him to the ground but he drawing out his weapon stabbed the King Vide Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. l. 6. Edred The twenty seventh King of the West Saxons and twenty eighth Monarch of the English men He suffered his body to be chastised at the will and direction of Dunstan Abbot of Glassenbury unto whose custody he also committed the greatest part of his treasure and richest Jewels to be lockt in his chests and under the keys of this Monastery where it remained till the King fell sick of his last sickness at which time it was demanded but never restored for Dunstan being on his journey with the same to the King a voice from heaven spake unto him and said Behold King Edred is now departed in peace at the hearing of which words his horse immediately fell down and died Whereupon he returned again to his Monastery and though he lost his horse yet was he recompenced thereby with the gain of the Kings treasure and Jewels He raigned in great honour nine years and odd moneths Edwin or Edwy The twenty eighth King of the West Saxons and twenty ninth Monarch of the English men He was but thirteen years old when he began to raign He was Nephew to Edred He favoured not the Monkes which made them write so scandalously of him He thrust them out of Malmesbury and Glassenbury placing married Priests in their room and banished Dunstan their great Champion into Flanders The true causes of his banishing him ejecting the Monkes and seizing their lands and treasures was that Dunstan had so bewitched Edmund Edward Aethelstan and Aedred his predecessours with the love of Monkery as they not only took violently from married Priests their livings to erect Monasteries but also lavishly wasted much of their own royall treasures lands and revenues upon them which they should rather have imployed in resisting the common enemies of God and their Countrey the Danes Ioscelin the Author of Antiq. Brit. Bishop Godwin Speed and others conceive that the true cause why the Mercians and Northumbrians and those only not the rest of his Subjects and Kingdome rejected him and set up his Brother Edgar whose vices were more exorbitant in some degrees than Edwins was the malice of Dunstan and Odo the pillars and Oracles of the Monkish Clergy who stirred up the Mercians and seditious rebellious Northumbrians against him to set up Edgar in his stead who was totally devoted to them and Dunstan by whose counsels he was afterwards wholly guided and built no less than forty seven new Monasteries for the Monks besides all those he repaired intending to build three more had he lived to make them fifty compleat He raigned but four years CHAP. VII EDGAR THe thirtieth Monarch of the English men The Raign of this King is said to have been altogether in a calm tranquillity and therefore he was sirnamed Pacificus the Peaceable His vertues were many and vices not a few the one gloriously augmented and the other fairly excused by those Monkish writers unto whose professions he was most favourable Tunc ordo Monasticus jamjudum lapsus pâ—acipuè caput erexit Malmesb. l. 2. c. 8. He unravelling the web his Brother had weaved recalled Dunstan out of banishment and made him Archbishop of Canterbury His Summer progresses and yearly chief pastimes were the sayling round abouâ— this whole Isle of Albion guarded with his grand Navy of four thousand sail at the least parted into four equall parts of petty Navies each being of a thousand Ships Dee's Brittish Monarchy p. 56 57. he calls him there that Saxonicall Alexander See more there and p. 55 58 59 60. He appointed the Prince of North Wales to bring him yearly three hundred skins of Wolves for a tribute which continued for three years space but in the fourth was not a Wolf to be found and so the tribute ceased Upon the River Dee he had seven petty Kings to row his Barge to shew his greatness He was very lascivious Leges apprimè utiles tulit quas vetustas in oblivionem fermè adduxit Of his Laws vide Lambardum de prisâ—is Anglorum legibus It is sure enough there have not been more famous men than some of no great stature as the instance of King Pipin in the French History and this King in our own will make manifest In the time that the Saxons had this Realm in subjection he had subdued all the other Kings Saxons and made them his Tributaries On a time he had tâ—all all with him at dinner and after it was shewed him that Rynaud King of Scots had said that he wondered how it should happen that he and other Kings that were tall and great personages would suffer themselves to be subdued by so little a body as Edgar was Edgar dissembled and answered nothing but faining to go on hunting took with him the Scottish King in his company and purposely withdrew him from them that were with him causing by a secret servant two swords to be conveyed into a place in the forrest by him appointed As soon as he came thither he took the one sword and delivered the other to Rynaud bidding him to prove his strength and to essay whether his deeds would ratifie his words Turpe est enim Regi in convivio esse dicaculum nec esse in praelio promptulum Whereat the Scottish King being abashed beholding the noble conrage of Edgâ—r with an horrible fear confessed his errour desiring pardon which he with most humble submission at the last obtained For his excellent vertues and prosperouâ— Raign he was called
Honor deliciae Anglorum Malmesbury Or as Ingulphus ter meth him Honor Rosa Regum In his time all Ecclesiasticall Orders flourished learned and vertuous men were highly esteemed all Civil and forrign Warres ceased and he was called the King of Albion being no less powerfull by Sea than by Land Mexia's Treasury of time vol. 2. l. 7. c. 1. He was Angliciorbis flos decus nâ—â—n minus memâ—rabilis â—â—nglis quam Cyrus Persis Romulus Romanis Alexander Macedonibus Arsaces Parthis Carolus Magnus Francis as Malmesbury Abbot Ethelred Florentius Wigorniensis Simeon Dunelmensis Henry Huntingdon Matthew Westminster Râ—ger de Hoveden and others record of him Immediately after his death Res spes Anglorum retro sublapsae sunt totius Regni status est perâ—urbatus post tempus laetitiae quod illius tempore vigebat pacified caepit tribulatio undique advenire as Malmesbury Wigorniensis Hoveden Simeon Dunelmensis and Bromton observe Such an incomparable loss was the death of so just pious and prudent a King to the whole Nation Qui 〈◊〉 vitiâ— posâ—e◠〈◊〉 virtutibus deleviâ— when most others do quite contrary He raigned sixteen yeares and two moneths in great tranquillity and honour and died in the 37th year of his age After Edgar's death the Danes so plagued this Realm that there was nothing setled in it either in Church or State till finally they obtained the Kingdome The Danes raigned in England 25. years But Speed saith they molested England for two hundred eighteen years See Ayscu his Declaration of the first Inhabitants of this Island The Danes by strength caused Husbandmen to ear and sow the land and to do all other vile labour that belonged unto Husbandry and the Dane held his wise at pleasure with daughter and servant When the Husbandman came home he should scantly have of his own as his servants had so that the Dane had all at his commandement and did eat and drink his fill of the best when the owner had scant his fill of the worst Besides this the common people were so oppressed by them that for fear and dread they called them in every such house as they had rule of Lâ—rd Dane But in process of time after the Danes were voided the Land this word Lord Dane was in derision and despight of the Danes turned by English men into a name of reproach called Lurdane which yet is not forgotten for if one English man will rebuke another he will say Thou art but a Lurdane Grafton Edward sirnamed the Martyr The thirty first Monarch of the English men He began his Raign at twelve years of age Adolescens summae sanctitatis frugi ea modestia regnare caepit ut omnibus charissimus esseâ— quippe qui paternas virtutes gnaviter imitabatur Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. l. 6. The end of this young King was lamentable being stabbed by his Stepmothers treachery when he was drinking a cup of wine on Horseback when he in kindness came to visit her through which wound fainting and falling from his Horse he was dragged to death by his foot intangled in the stirrop He raigned three years and six some say eight moneths CHAP. VIII ETHELRED FOx calls him Egelred or Elred The two and thirtieth Monarch of the English men He was a man neither for ward in action nor fortunate in proceedings and therefore commonly called the unready He defiled the Font at his Baptism with his ordure whereupon Dunstan being troubled in his mind by the Lord said he and his blessed mother this childe shall prove a sloathfull person He was half Brother to King Edward who was treacherously murdered and so much lamented his Brothers murder saith Malmesbury l. 2. c. 10. being then but a childe of ten years old and so detested it that his Mother Elfrida falling therewith in a rage took wax Candles having nothing else at hand wherewith she scourged him so sore well near till he swouned that after the same he could never abide any wax Candles to butâ— befor him Of his Laws vide Lambardum de priscis Anglorum legibus The Danes grew upon him so fiercely that he was forced to purchase his peace from them with great summes of money to the undoing of his poor Kingdome To put a period to this insufferable vassâ—lage a bloudy massacre was executed upon them by the Kings secret Commission on St Brices day but such bruitish courses never find a wished close He most unfortunately raigned thirty seven years and nine dayes Edmund sirnamed Ironside The thirty third Monarch of the English men and the third son to Ethelred He was of personage tall for courage hardy strong of limmes and well could endure the travels of Warre whence some conceive that sirname was given him not for that he used to go alwayes in armour as some would have it He fought with Cnute a royall single duâ—ll first on horseback then on â—oot in the Isle of Olerenge or Olney near Glocester in the midst of Severn in the view of both their Armies with extraordinary courage and equall success till they were both quite tired but neither of them vanquished At last upon Cnuâ—es motion they began to parly in a friendly manner and divided the Realm between them Edmund enjoying that part which lay coasted upon France and Canutus entred upon the rest But Ironside enjoyed not long his part for Duke Edrick a very compound of treasons contrived the end of renowned Edmund who being retired to a place for natures necessity he thrust from under the draught a sharp spear into his body and having thus murthered him he cut off his head presenting it to Canutus with this â—awning salutation All hail thou now sole Monarch of England for herâ— behold the head of thy Co-partner which for thy sake I have adventured to cut off Canutus though ambitious enough of Soveraignty yet abhorring in his heart so detestable a murther and knowing that he who was faithless to his naturall Soveraign would never be faithfull to him a stranger commanded his head to be divided from his shoulders and placed upon the highest gate in London Mors hujus Principis sanè miserabilis fuit tum quod florem ejus aetatis rapuerit tum quod totum regnum in praeceps dederit His Raign continued only seven moneths in which time he fought seven or eight Battels in defence of his Countrey People and their Liberties By his untimely death the Saxonâ—Monarchy â—Monarchy was devolved to the Danes CHAP. IX The Danes Monarchs CANUTUS THe first Danish King raigning in England and the thirty fourth Monarch of the English men He is more truly called Cnute Cui ex magnitudine rerum gestarum magni nomen accessit Krantzii hist. Daniae l. 4. A valiant and prudent Prince This Invader of Ironside's Kingdome the better to secure his Empire against Prince Alfred and Edward Edmunds Brothers married Emma his Queen After this marriage to
establish his Monarchy over England he endeavoured by all means to reconcile the English to him 1. By advancing some of the English Nobility to places of honour and trust 2. By granting to the English equall rights and priviledges with his Danes in consessu in consilio in praelio and advancing them both alike 3. By favouring and inriching the English Clergy and Church-men and manifesting extraordinary piety devotion bounty in repairing building endowing Monasteries and Churches throughout the Realm 4. By easing them of his Danish Forces 5. By ratifying all their former good old fundamentall Laws rights liberties priviledges which they used enjoyed under their Saxon Kings by enacting other good wholsome Laws repealing all unjust Laws and redressing all exactions and grievances A company of flatterers which extolled his greatness and power to be unmatchable he caused to place him in a chair where the Sea ebbs and flowes at South-hampton that by the disobedience of the Tide that would not stop at his command but presumed to dash his royall garments they might learn how low man is at the highest and not to applaud his fortune but fear his fall He acknowledged God alone to be King of this great Element because the Sea is his and he made it The flatterers of Alexander the great made him believe that he was the son of Iupiter but being one day sore hurt and seeing the blood gush out of his wounds What think you of this said he unto them Is not this blood of a lively red hew and meerly humane He was the greatest Prince of power that ever before him raigned over the English people England Denmarke Norway some adde also part of Sweden together with Scotland were wholly subject unto him Filiam suam Imperatori Romano cum ineffabilibus divitiis maritavit Hunting hist. l. 6. In a Parliament at Oxford he made good Laws whereof these were some that concern Religion First For the celebration of divine service it was ordained that all Ceremonies tending to the increase of reverence and devotion should be used as need required Secondly That upon the Sabbath day all publick Fairs Markets Synods Huntings and all secular actions should be forborn unless some urgent necessity should require it Thirdly That every Christian should thrice in the year receive the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper Fourthly That a married woman convict of adultery should have her nose and ears cut off Krantzius much extols him as the most famous of the Kings of Denmarke He was a just Prince in all saving his tyranny against the two young Princes the sons of Edmond The lustre of this new erected Monarchy had no sooner displayed its beams in Canutus but like an unthrifty Taper it began to glimmer in Harold and absolutely expired in Hard knute who dying issueless the current of royalty ran back again into the channell of the Saxon bloud which flowed in the veinsâ— of Edward sirnamed the Conâ—essor Philpot's Preface to his Villare Cantianum After he had in great glory reigned about nineteen years he deceased at Shafiesbury in the County of Dorset and was buried in the Church of the old Monastery at Winchester where Queen Emma made her abode ever after Harold The second Danish King raigning in England and the thirty fifth Monarch of the Land He was called Hare-foot by reason of his swiftness Canutus had him by a Concubine a Shoomakers daughter This base son of Cnute dispossessed his legitimate son Harde-Cnute of the Crown of England contrary to Cnutes will and contract banished and spoiled Queen Emma of her treasure and Jewels oppressed the people with taxes and was soon cut off by death without any issue He was an oppresser of his people and vitious He raigned four years and four moneths He was neither in Warres so hardy nor in Government so prosperous as his Father Canutus before him had been Harde-Canute The third Danish King that raigned in England and the thirty sixth Monarch of the English men For his noble courage he was called Harde-Canutus The first great Prince of the house of Burgundy was Philip sirnamed the Hardy His recalling his Mother Emma and half Brother Edward and entertaining them respectively deserves commendation His Epicurism left an ill custome to all posterity Four times a day his Table must be covered to invite men to intemperancy through which at a marriage he is thought to have choaked himself at Lambeth most rejoycing to be rid of him in memory whereof Hock-tide a Feast of scorning or triumphing was a long time continued after The English men learned of him their excessive gormandizing and unmeasurable filling of themselves with meates and drinkes At the death of this King died all rule of the Danes in this Land after they had miserably afflicted the Kingdome for the space of two hundred and forty yeares though in Regall government but only six and twenty under these three last Kings He raigned two yeares lacking ten dayes The Danes ruled in this Land almost thirty yeares and raged without all rule about three hundred and fifty Lamberts Perambulation of Kent CHAP. X. Edward the Confessor THe son of King Ethelred the thirty seventh Monarch of the English men He was born at Islip near unto Oxford and tenderly educated by Queen Emma his Mother and after his Fathers death for safety sent into France He was the last King of the Saxon race Such was the opinion conceived of his holiness of life as that shortly after his decease he was canonized amongst the Saints and named Edward the Confessour To gain the more love of his Subjects at his first entrance he remitted the taxe of forty thousand pounds yearly gathered by the name of Dane-gilt so grevous to the Commons Fertur Edwardus Confessor teste Ingulpho cùm se daemonem vidisse super dcervo Daingeldi exultantem protestatus esset aspectunique exhorruisset collecium illico restitui jussâ—sse retento ne iota uno feram exactionem perpetuum relaxasse Spelmanni Glossarium Danegaldi redditio propter pyratas primitus statuta est Hoved. dnnal pars posrerior p. 603. vide plura ibid. He collected the Laws of his predecessors into a body for the administration of justice which some say are the ground of our Common-Law though the pleading be altered since the Norman conquest He found the Realm governed by three different Laws the West-Saxon Law the Mereian Law and the Dane Law Out of these three Lawes partly moderated and partly supplied he composed one body of Law commonly called St Edwards Laws which were of so great equity that when they were abrogated by the Conquerour and the Crown fell into controversie between Maud the Empress and King Stephen the people alwayes inclined to favour that part who put them in fairest hope of restitution of those Laws And afterwards in many Civil dissensions the greatest demand of the people appeareth to have been the restitution of King
at a certain interview between the King and Pope Innocent the second the sons of Robert Earl of Mellent maintained open disputations against divers Cardinals and Chaplains of the Pope Sir Iohn Hayward To purchase the favour of the Clergy he called Anselme out of exile and restored him both to the dignity and revenues of the See of Canterbury He committed Radulph alias Ranulph Bishop of Durham to prison who had been both author and agent to King William in most of his distrustfull actions against the Clergy To make the Clergy the more assured the King renounced the right which his Ancestours used in giving Investitures and acknowledged the same to appertain to the Pope The Clergy did much favour him by reason of his liberall leave either to erect or to enlarge or else to enrich religious buildings For to these works the King was so ready to give not only way but encouragement and help that in no Princes time they did more within this Realm either flourish or encrease Sir Iohn Hayward numbers twenty five religious buildings either done or helped forward or permitted and allowed by the King This King being born in England and the Queen of English bloud-royall raised the depressed English Nation again unto honour and credit He restored them to the use of fire and candle after eight of the Clock at night which his Father had most straitly forbidden He being a wise Prince and well knowing that an Empire gotten by force could no longer remain then that force continued sent into Scotland and took to Wife Maud the daughter of Queen Margaret sister to Edgar Etheling who was now dead and left no issue whereby this Maud was the heir of the Saxon line and in her brought back again to us the ancient English blood-royall before it had descended beyond one generation from the Conquerour in whose line it continueth unto this day She was adorned with all royall vertues principally with piety and humility These Verses were made in her commendation Prospera non laetam fecere nec aspera tristem Aspera risus ei prospera terror erant Non decor effecit fragilem non sceptra superbam Sola potens humilis sola pudica decens She being married against her will seeing she must violate the vow of her virginity she cursed her of-spring if any came of her which was not altogether vain saith Polyd. Virgil in regard they were all afterward drowned He reduced Normandy to England He built therein many Castles and planted Garrisons and with no less wisdome assured that State then with valour he had won it He brought with him his Brother Robert into England and committed him to safe custody in the Castle of Cardiffe He striving to escape was taken again committed to close prison his eyes put out and a sure guard set upon him Thus he remained in desolate darkness neither reverenced by any for his former greatness nor pitied for his present distress Thus he continued about twenty seven years in a life far more grievous then death even untill the year before the death of King Henry So long was he a suitor in wooing of death So long did the one Brother overlive his good fortune the other his good nature and disposition esteeming it a fair favour that the uttermost extremity was not inflicted He gave his daughter Maud the Empress in second marriage to the Earl of Anjou and his Sister Elix as some Chronicles call her to Steven Earl of Bloys Thence sprang the loss of this Kingdome to Maud during her life by being so far out of the land in another Countrey when she should have accepted it here Therof sprang the perjuries of Steven King of England enticed to a Kingdome through the commodity of his near place And thence came the Civill miseries to the people who through the incertainty of a Governour were in field and Arms one against another His daughter Maud as well as that Lacedemonian Lady Lampedo whom Pliny maketh mention of was a Kings daughter a Kings wife and a Kings mother Daughter of this Henry the first King of England wife of Henry the fourth Emperour of Germany and mother to Henry the second King of England Concerning which matter there is this Distick engraven on her Tomb. Magna ortu majórque viro sed maxima partu Hîc jacet Henrici filia sponsa parens The daughter wife the mother eke of Henry lieth here Much blest by birth by marriage more but most by issue dear He was a great administrer of justice and the first that ordained that theeves should be hanged He ordained that counterfeiters of money should lose both their eyes and be deprived of their privy parts He took away the deceit which had been occasioned by variety of measures and made measure by the length of his own arm which hath been commonly used ever since by the name of a yard He is yet alive in his Laws See his Laws in Lambard de priscis Anglorum legibus His expences were chiefly in his Warres and his many and great fortifications in Normandy His buildings were the Abbey of Reading the Castle of Warwicke of Bristoll the Mannour of Woodstocke and the great inclosure of that Park with a stone Wall seven miles about There was a singular and most remarkable example of Gods justice upon his children For when the King both by force crast and cruelty had dispossest over-reacht and lastly made blind and destroyed his elder Brother Duke of Normandy to make his own sons Lords of his Land God cast them all male and female Nephews and Neeces Maud excepted into the bottome of the Sea with above a hundred and fifty others that attended them whereof a great many were noble and of the King dearly beloved Evasit unus ille agrestis qui tota nocte malo supernatans mane totius tragediae actum expressit Malmesb. de Henrico primo l. 5. Vide Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. l. 11. p. 191. Nulla unquam navis fuit Anglâ—ae tantae miseriae nulla toto orbi tam patulae famae His usuall Oath was By our Lords death and so was Queen Elizabeths He first instituted the form of the High-Court of Parliament as now it is in use The first Parliament was held at Salisbury upon the nineteenth day of April in the sixteenth year of his Raign See Lamberts Archeion p. 240 241 242 243. When Matilde his daughter was given in marriage to Henry the fifth Emperour he took three shillings of every Hide of land throughout the Realm which being followed by succeeding Kings did grow to a custome of receiving aid whensoever they gave their daughters in marriage About this time the marriage of Priests was forbidden in England but the King for money permitted them to retain their wives and in the end set an imposition in that respect upon every Church throughout the Realm It availed not any man
to say that he had no purpose to keep a wife he must pay for a faculty to keep a wife if he would Quymund his Chaplain observing that unworthy men for the most part were advanced to the best dignities of the Church as he celebrated divine service before him and was to read these words out of St Iames 5. 17. It rained not upon the earth three years and six moneths he did read it thus It rained not upon the earth one one years and five one moneths The King observed this reading and afterwards rebuked his Chaplain for it But Quymund answered that he did it of purpose because such readers were soonest preferred by the King The King smiled and in short time after preferred him to the government of St. Frideswides in Oxford He died in the sixty seventh year of his age when he had raigned thirty five years and four moneths wanting one day He was buried at Reading which he had founded In him ended the line of the Norman Kings as concerning their heirs males after whom came in the French men by the title of the heirs generall CHAP. XIV King STEPHEN VIr solertis ingenii militaris artis peritissimus Polyd. Virg. He was of a comely stature of a good complexion and of body strong very skilfull in martiall affairs gentle courteous and exceeding bountifull not noted for any speciall vice but that upon an ambitious desire to raign he brake his Oath which he had made with Maud the Empress He was a most worthy Souldier and wanted nothing to have made him an excellent King but a just title And therefore hee was driven perforce to defend his usurped Authority by the sword which must needs procure him the hatred of many He was crowned at Westminster upon Saint Stephens day in presence of but three Bishops few of the Nobility and not one Abbot by William Archbishop of Canterbury with great solemnity Having his sword continually out and so many defections and rebellions against him he never put any great man to death Of Roger Bishop of Salisbury in this Kings Raign it is reported that he was so pressed with the miseries of a long imprisonment Vt vivere nolâ—â—erit mori nesciâ—rit That live he would not die he could not In his dayes flourished divers famous learned men but especially Historiographers viz. William of Malmesbury Henry Huntington Simon of Durham Gessrey of Munmouth and others Though his Raign were rough and tempestuous by reason of his perpetuall debates and contests with Maud the Empress and her Son concerning the title yet were there more religious Convents erected in his time then either before or after Although he had continuall Warres yet he required few or no tributes from the people He raigned almost nineteen years lived forty nine and was buried in the Abbey of Feversham in Kent which he had founded The Normans thus expiring give way to the Dynasty of the Plantagenets Before the division of the Houses of Yorke and Lancaster there run on evenly in an unquestionable line eight Kings in this manner 1. Henry the second 2. Richard the first 3. Iohn 4. Henry the third 5. Edward the first 6. Edward the second 7. Edward the third 8. Richard the second Henry the second The first King of this Island sirnamed Plantagenet from Plantagenista so called as some say for wearing a slip or stalk of Broom in his Cap or Hat toward his latter dayes in penance and contrition for his past sins He undertook to go to the holy Sepulchre in the poor and despised habit of a Broom-man and to signifie himself so bore a Broom-stalk in his Cap. Others say it was because he scourged himself with the stalks of Broom which grew upon the Plains where once the holy City stood Bucks Preface to his great Plantagenet Henry Duke of Anjou by his Father Geffery Plantagenet succeeded Stephen in the Kingdome of England by agreement whom he preceded by right as being son and heir of Maud sole daughter and heir of King Henry the first and was crowned at Westminster by Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury and was a greater Prince then any of his Ancestors He was sirnamed Court-mantle because he was the first that brought short Cloaks out of Anjou into England He was wise and learned He never ware Glove except he bare a Hawk on his fist and never sate but at his meat and delighted in hawking hunting riding and in all honest exercises Our English Chronicles do blame him for refusing to take the protection and defence of the distressed Christians in Ierusalem offered unto him by Heraclins the Patriark the troubles that befell him at home are ascribed to that cause In his time there were eleven hundred and fifteen Castles in England He caused them to be demolished He first kept Lions and made of the Arms of Normandy viz. the two Leopards and of the single Lion Aquitain one Coat so Arms for England as it is yet worn He associated his son Henry in the Government an act without example in this Kingdome The young King shewed shortly after That a Crown was no State to be made over in trust At the Feast of his solemnity the King to honour his son would needs carry up the first dish to his Table Roger Archbishop of Yorke standing by and saying merrily to the new King Gaude optime filio non est enim alter in toto orbe Princeps qui talem habeat in mensa administrum What an honour is this to you to have such a waiter at your Table Why saith he what great matter is it for him that was but the son of a Duke to do service to me that am the son of a King and Queen Which the old King hearing began to repent him now it was too late of that he had done He loved women too much especially one Rosamond the fair daughter of Walter Lord Clifford This his Concubine was a very beautifull young Lady of unparalleld wit He usually termed her the Rose of the world his Rose The true Etymology of her name is Rosemouth and seemeth to have been given in regard of her sweetness or colour of the lips or it may have been in recommendation of sweetness and eloquence of speech King Henry had made for her a Labyrinth at Woodstocâ— so that no man or woman might come to her but he that was instructed by the King or such as were right secret with him It was commonly said that at last Queen Elenor came to her by a Clew of Thread or Silk and so dealt with her that she lived not long after But when she was dead she was buried at Godstow in an house of Nunnes beside Oxford In whose Epitaph a Latin Poet not understanding the true Etymology of the name makes Mund which here is mouth to be Mundus and so calls her the Rose of the world Hic jacet in tumba Rosa mundi non
through the crafty complotting and practising of his wife he was made away in Bâ—rkley-Castle in Glocestershire by the wicked subtilty of the Bishop of Hereford who wrote unto his Keepers these few words without points between them Edwardum occidere nolite timere bonum est that by reason of the divers sense and construction both they might commit the murder and he also cleanly excuse himself Cambdens Britannia in Glocestershire Vide Gatakeri Adversaria miscel c. 16. Never was the fallacy of pointings or ambiguity of phrase more mischievously used to the destruction of a King or the defence of the contrivers then in this hainous parricide To shed King Edwards bloud Refuse to fear I count it good Where the Comma or pause being put after nolite bid them not to make him away but after timere insinuates a plain encouragement to the fact The Sphinx who is said to be the Author of this ambiguous riddle sent by the Lord Mortimer was Adam de Tarleton who utterly denied any such intention when the murderers for their own justification produced the writing it self under Queen Isabels Seal and the Seals of the other conspirators To which effect came Letters from the Court written by Tarleton at the Queens command In such a cloudy and ambiguous sort That divers wayes one might them understand By pointing them that if they should be scann'd He and his Letters might be free from blame And they Delinquents that abus'd the same The words were these Kill Edward do not feare 'T is good which being comma'd diversly As pleas'd the Reader double sense may bear O Art Thou art the earths chief treasury But being imploy'd to practise villany What monstrous births from thy fair womb do spring So Grammar here is made to kill a King Sir Francis Huberts History of Edward the second There was such a terrible famine in his reign that horse dogs yea men and children were stolen for food and which is horrible to think the theeves newly brought into the Gaol were torn in pieces and eaten presently half alive by such as had been longer there There was in the Castle of Nottingham and at this day is a certain secret way or mine cut through a rock upon which the said Castle is built an issue whereof openeth toward the River of Trent which runs under it and the other venteth it self far within upon the surface and is at this present called Mortimers hole through this the young King Edward the third well armed and strongly seconded was conducted with drawn swords by some of his trusty and sworn servants up to the Queens chamber whose door so fearless is blinde affection was unshut and with her was Mortimer the Kings master as the rumour spread him ready to go to bed whom with the slaughter of a Knight and one or two that resisted they laid hold upon This was not reputed a slender enterprise in regard that in Mortimers retinue were not fewer they say then one hundred and fourscore Knights besides Esquires and Gentlemen He was after hanged at Tyburn K. Edward the second favoured learning as by the erection of Orial-Colledge in Oxford and St. Maries Hall which were of his foundation it may well be gathered He was stifled in his bed and a red hot iron thrust up into his Fundament He lived forty three years and raigned nineteen EDWARD the third He was upon his fathers resignation proclaimed King of England He was not fifteen years old when he began to raign He was of an exceeding comely personage of a pregnant wit courteous gentle of great temperance If we respect either valour prowess length of Raign acts of Chivalry or the multitude of famous Princes his children left behind him he was one of the noblest Kings that ever England had Dolemans Conference touching Succession to the Crown part 1. c. 3. Cambden in his Britannia in Northumberland calls him our Hector He was the greatest scourge to the Nation of Scotland of any King of England either before or after him Ayscu He saith there also that if this King had a while longer pursued the conquest of Scotland he had easily brought the same under his soveraignty and that he esteemed in regard of the difficulty of holding long his possessions within the French dominions the Realm of Scotland a more convenient and fit member of the Crown of England then the one half of France how farre soever exceeding the other in wealth and magnificence He brought Cloathing first into this Island transporting some families of Artificers from Gaunt hither Upon the grievances of his people pestered with the doublings of Lawyers he commanded that Pleas should from thenceforth be made in English not in French He placed Richard his Grandchild and next heir apparent in his solemn feast at Christmas at his Table next unto himself above all his Uncles being the sons of that King and men much renowned for their prowess and vertue Judge Dâ—dridges Epist. Dedicat. to the Principality of Wales The Law of Magna Charta was about a dozen severall times confirmed by this King during the years of his Raign In the fiftieth year of Edward the third all the Lords appeared in Parliament in person and not one by Proxy At which Parliament as appears in the Parliament-Roll so many excellent things were done as it was called bonum Parliamentum the good Parliament He disposed of Ecclesiasticall dignities received homage and fealty from his Prelates who writ that so much admired Letter to the Pope for the Liberties of the English Church Cui pro tunc Papa aut Cardinales rationabiliter respondere nescicbant Walsing an 1343. The house of Valois triumphantly raigned in France ever since the Raign of Edward the third at which time it was then but an Earldome and descended from a second brother was of meer purpose by the French advanced to the throne under pretences of the â—alique Law made by Pharamond only to suppress the immediate right and title of King Edward the third who was descended of the French Kings eldest daughter and heir whereby he justly claimed the Crown of France though that very Law made King Edwards title the stronger as himself truly pleaded he being the male albeit his right descended by the female Rex sum regnorum bina ratiâ—ne duorum Anglorum regno sum Rex ego jure paterno Matris jure quidem Francorum nuncupor idem Hinc est armorum variatio facta meorum The date of this title of France was in the year 1337 the which Enlgand holds to this day and our Kings the Realm in effect saith Iohn de Serres At the great battell of Cressy in France the Commanders about the Prince sent to King Edward to come up with his power to aid them the King asked the messenger whether his son were slain or hurt the messenger answered no but he was like to be
where his servant stood as prisoner and commanded him to be ungived and set at liberty William Gascoigne the chief Justice of the Kings Bench exhorted the Prince to be ordered according to the ancient Laws of the Realm or if he would have him saved from the rigour of the Laws that he should obtain if he might of the King his father his gracious pardon whereby no Law or justice should be impeached With which answer the Prince being more inflamed endeavoured himself to take away his servant The Judge considering the perillous example and inconvenience that might thereby ensue with a valiant courage and spirit commanded the Prince upon his allegiance to leave the prisoner and to depart his way with which commandement the Prince being set all in a fury in a terrible manner came up to the place of judgement some thinking that he would have slain the Judge or have done him some hurt but the Judge sitting still without moving declaring the majesty of the Kings place of judgement and with an assured bold countenance spake thus to the Prince Sir remember your self I keep here the place of the King your soveraign Lord and Father to whom you owe double obeysance wherefore in his name I charge you desist from your wilfulness and unlawfull enterprise and from henceforth give good example to those which after shall be your proper Subjects 〈◊〉 and now for your contempt and disobedience go you to the prison of the Kings Bench whereto I commit you and remaine you there prisoner untill the pleasure of the King your Father be further known With which wordes being abashed and also wondering at the marvellous gravity of that worshipfull Justice the Prince laying his weapon apart doing reverence departed and went to the Kings Bench as he was commanded whereat his servants disdaining came and shewed to the King all the whole affair He a while studying after as a man all ravished with gladness holding his hands and eyes towards heaven cried out with a loud voice O mercifull God how much am I bound to thy infinite goodness â—ffâ—ecially for that thou hast given me a Iudge who feareth not to minister justice and also a sin who can suffer semblably and obey justice Sir Thomas Eliot in his Governour saith here a man may behold three persons worthy memory First a Judge who being a Subject feared not to execute justice on the eldest son of his soveraign Lord and by order of nature his successor Also a Prince son and heir of the King in the midst of his folly more considered his evil example and the Judges conscience in justice then his own estate and wilfull appetito Thirdly a noble King and wise father who contrary to the custome of parents rejoyced to see his son and the heir of his Crown to be for his disobedience by his Subject corrected The Oath ex officio it should rather be called in officiosum was brought into the Church under him The Prelates requiring it to discover those which that age esteemed Hereticks and especially those which they called Lollards which Master Fox in his Acts and Monuments calls a bloudy Law In his admonition to his son at his death he said Of English men so long as they have wealth and riches so long shalt thou have obeysance but when they be poor they are alwayes ready to make insurrection at every motion All the time of his sickness his will was to have his Crown set upon his Bolster by him and one of his fits being so strong upon him that all men thought him directly dead the Prince coming in took away the Crown when suddenly the King recovering his senses missed his Crown and asking for it was told the Prince had taken it whereupon the Prince being called came back with the Crown and kneeling down said Sir to all our judgements and to all our griefs you seemed directly dead and therefore I took the Crown as being my right but seeing to all our comforts you live I here deliver it much more joyfully then I took it and pray God you may long live to wear it your self In his time were the two famous Poets Chaucer and Gower None of the sons of Henry the fourth did degenerate a thing not usuall in so large a family Henry the fifth died gloriously in the pursuit of his conquests the Duke of Clarence valiantly fighting and though of a naturall death and Glocester of a violent yet died they not with less fame then did the others Biondi his History of the Civil Warres of England l. 5. in Henry the sixth The Duke of Bedfords death is to be numbred among the chiefest causes of the loss of France He was a prudent Prince of long experience in Arms and Government obeyed by his own feared by his enemies Id. ibid. Fourth Henry was by some blind Bard foretold That he should never die till he had seen Ierusalem fourth Henry will be old Ierusalem for him shall be unseen No he shall see it when he least doth ween He swouns at prayers and by religious men Is straight convey'd unto Ierusalem Sir Francis Huberts History of Edward the second The like Prophesie we read of Pope Sylvester the second to whom being inquisitive for the time and place where he should die it was answered that he should die in Ierusalem who then saying Mass in a Chappell called likewise Ierusalem perceived his end there to be near and died In this Kings time Guild-Hall in London was built Gower being very gracious with him carried the name of the only Poet in his time He and Chaucer were Knights The King died in Ierusalem-Chamber in minster in the year of his age forty six He raigned thirteen years and a half wanting five dayes Fourteen years say others CHAP. XIX HENRY the fifth HE was just wise magnanimous valiant To this noble Prince by an assent of the Parliament all the Estates of the Realm after three dayes offered to do fealty before he was crowned or had solemnized his Oath well and justly to govern the Commonweal which offer before was never found to be made to any Prince of England Stowes Chron. His young years were spent in literature in the Academy of Oxford where in Queens-Colledge he was a Student under the tuition of his Uncle Henry Beauford Chancellour of that University When he came to be King he made Thomas Rodban a famous Astronomer in those dayes Bishop of St. Davids and Iohn Carpenter a learned Divine Bishop of Worcester having known them both whilest he lived in the University The Civil Wars of England by Sir Francis Biondi Presently after his Coronation he called before him all his old companions who had been disorderly with him strictly charging them not to presume to come within ten miles of his Court untill such time as they had given good proof of their amendment in manners and left any of them should pretend want of maintenance
to be any cause of their taking ill courses he gave to every one of them a competent means whereby to subsist and in stead of them he received the gravest men into his familiarity in whom he conceived there was the greatest prudence to take counsell and faith to give it that he might be helped by their counsels admonitions and prudence He kept his Lent in the Castle of Kenelworth and whilest he lay there messengers came to him from the Dolphin of France named Charles with a present of Paris-Balls for him to play withall but the King wrote to him that he should shortly send to him London-Balls with which he would throw down Paris Walls And to make good his promise he raised a great Army and hastened to France and landed at Caen in Normandy Charles the sixth then King of France raised also a mighty Army and sent a King of Arms to defie him King Henry desirous to know the numbers of the French sent forth Captain Game for discovery who brought word that there were of them enough to kill and enough to take and enough to run away The French were so confident of victory that they sent to King Henry to know what ransome he would give but he obtained a great victory over them He was sirnamed commonly the Alexander of England because as Alexander the Great conquered the most part of Asia in the space of nine or ten years so did this Henry conquer France in less then the like time The second ornament of the English Nation By force of Arms and military prowess maugre the French he conquered France and brought Charles the sixth King of France to that extremity that after a sort he surrendred up his Crown unto him Fuit statura corporis quae justam excederet corpore gracili membris aequalibus ac validis facie decorâ collo oblongo artis militaris peritissimus ac ejus gloriâ illustrissimus Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. 22. Within the term of five or six years he brought the better part of France under his obedience Avaunt proud Rome and brag not of thy men Nor thy aetheriall Caesars Wars declare Cease peerless Plutarch with thy sacred pen The worlds arch-Monarchs aptly to compare Reason doth urge and this alleadge I dare That Englands Homer pourtrayd hath his War Which doth excell the worthiest Caesars Star William Herberts Prophesie of Cadwallader He was of marvellous great strength and passing swift in running insomuch that he with two other of his Lords without Hound Bow or other engine would take a wild Buck or Doe in a large Park He ordained the King of Heralds over the English which is called Garter Never lived English King with more true glory nor ever died any in a more unseasonable time nor more lamented It was said of him that he had something in him of Caesar which Alexander the Great had not that he would not be drunk and something of Alexander the Great which Caesar had not that he would not be flattered The King being certified of his son Henries birth gave God thanks for sending him a son which might succeed in his Crown and Scepter But when he heard reported the place of his nativity he said unto the Lord Fitz Hugh his trusty Chamberlain these words My Lord I Henry born at Monmouth shall reign a while and much get and Henry born at Windsor shall long raign and all lose but as God will so be it The burthen of those Wars lay upon the English mens shoulders who were at that time rich and mighty and had a wise goodly and valiant King called Henry accompanied with sage hardy and expert Captains viz. the Earl of Salisbury Talbot and others When God meant to withdraw his goodness from the English men this wise King died at Bois de Vincennes and his son who proved but a simple man was crowned King of France and England and at Paris Phil. de Commines The Duke of Bedford third son to King Henry the fourth Regent for the English in France fourteen years having crowned his master Henry the sixth in Paris died leaving behind him an honourable witness even from his enemies That he was a brave Commander a true Patriot and a faithfull servant to his Lord and brother Henry the fifth and to his son Henry the sixth He was Regent of France Duke of Bedford Alanson and Anâ—â—u Earl of Main Richmond and Kendall and Constable of England King Henry died in France in the ninth year of his Raign 1422. He left to succeed him his only child Prince Henry about as many moneths old as his father had raigned years HENRY the sixth He was proclaimed King when he was about eight moneths old his mother brought him to the Parliament in London in her bosome He was crowned on the ninth year of his age His infancy was mightily supported by the notable valour and policy of his two Uncles Humphrey Duke of Glocester and Iohn Duke of Bedford to the one was committed the protection of his person and Kingdome to the other the managing of the War continued in France He was a very simple man and almost an innocent Philde Commines l. 3. c. 7. He was of a seemly stature of a slender body and of a beautifull face in whose best of fortune it was never to prossess more then the name of a King What Prophet could have picked out of Mars and Saturn the manifold mishaps which befell that Prince of blessed memory King Henry the sixth sometimes sleeping in a port of honour sometime floting in the surges of mishap sometime possessing forraign Crowns sometimes spoiled and deprived of his own sometime a Prince sometime a prisoner sometime in plight to give succour to the miserable sometime a fugitive among the desperate Howards Defensative against the poyson of supposed Prophesies c. 14. History shews us not an example of a Prince who in so many vicissitudes never met with one fully to his advantage He was four times taken prisoner and in the end despoiled both of his Kingdome and life He was crowned King of France in Nostre Dame in Paris receiving the homage and fealty of all the Nobility of France present and all the Citizens and Inhabitants of that City and the places adjacent He was so continent that at Christide having a shew of young women presented to him bare breasted he immediately departed with these words Fie fie fie for shame Forsooth you be too blame He willingly pardoned many great offences A Ruffian striking him on the face he only said Forsooth you are too blame to strike me your annointed King He was never observed dejected upon the report of any sad accident but entertained all afflictions as sent from the Almighty and absolutely resigned his will to that of heaven He founded Eaton-School and Kings Colledge the Chappell of which last shewed the magnificence that the
pay yearly upon Lammas day one peny to the Pope which at first was contributed under the name of the Kings alms but afterwards was paid by the name of Peter-pence The Pope of Rome had out of every Chimney of England Ireland and Scotland Wales and Cornwall a penny a year for five hundred years together Omnis qui habet triginta denariatas vivae pecuniae in domo sua de proprio suo Anglorum lege dabit denarium sancti Petri. Hoved. Annal pars posterior p. 603. King Henry first forbad this to be paid to the Pope There preached one before him whose Sermon the King liked not as there was reason the King willed Sir Thomas More then being Lord Chancellor to give the Preacher thanks worthy such a Sermon He being a man of a pleasant wit spake aloud to the Preacher that the King might hear and said The Kings Majesty thanketh you for your notable Sermon which when the King heard he called Sir Thomas to him and said What mean you my Lord to give such thanks in our name If it like you quoth he there be some things notable evil It is a note worthy to be remembred that Thursday hath been a fatall day to King Henry the eight and all his posterity for himself died on Thursday the twenty eighth of Ianuary King Edward on Thursday the sixth of Iuly Queen Mary on Thursday the seventeenth of November and Queen Elizabeth on Thursday the twenty fourth of March. After Dr. Collets Sermon preached to him and long communication with him by occasion thereof he dismissed him with these words Lot every one have his Doctor as he liketh this shall be my Doctor Being necessitous he was offered by the House of Commons in a Parliament toward his latter end all the lands and houses of the two famous Universities to be confiscated to his Exchequer by a most mechanick prostitution of the learning the honour and the piety of the Nation but he told them not without a just scorn that he had too much of a Scholar in him to destroy two such Universities as the world had not the like His purpose was if he had lived to have made a perfect Reformation of Religion saith Mr. Fox in his second Volume of his Acts and Monuments oâ— the Church p. 647. and he gives there two reasons of his opinion But the secret working saith he of Gods holy providence which disposeth all things after his own wisdome and purpose thought it good rather by taking the King away to reserve the accomplishment of this Reformation of his Church to the peaceable time of his son Edward and Elizabeth his daughter whose hands were yet undefiled with any bloud and life unspotted with any violence or cruelty Cardinal Woolsey and after him Archbishop Cranmer were in great favour with him Sir Thomas Moor and the Lord Cromwell were also highly esteemed by him Francis King of France after the death of King Henry the eight was much disposed to melancholy whether for that he being some years the younger was by his death admonished of the like approaching fate They were also of so conspiring a similitude of disposition and nature that you shall hardly find the like between any two Princes of whatever different times He celebrated the Funerals of King Henry in the Cathedrall at Paris though excommunicated by the Pope Many learned men lived in his dayes Iohn Collet Dean of Pauls and founder of the School there William Lilly the first Schoolmaster of Pauls School after it was erected Thomas Linacer or rather Linaker a learned Physician and well seen in the tongues Richard Pace a good Linguist Iohn Fisher Bishop of Rochester Sir Thomas More an excellent Scholar Iohn Frith and William Tindall Robert Barnes Martyrs Robert Wakefield a good Linguist Sir Thomas Eliot Edward Lee Archbishop of Yorke Iohn Leland a great Antiquary William Grocin very expert in Greek and Latine Hugh Latimer Bishop and Martyr who hath put out an elegant Oration in Latine thus entituled Hugonis Latimeri Anglicani pontificis Oratio apud totum Ecclesiasticum Conventum antequam consultatio publica iniretur de Regni statu per Evangelium reformando Regni invictissimi Regis Henrici 8â— 6â— anno vigessimo octavo habita where he speaks of many things fit then to be reformed and well concludes Si nihil est emendandum in communi saltem emendemus nos ipsos singuli He raigned thirty seven years and nine moneths and died in the six and fiftieth year of his life leaving behind him three children Edward Mary and Elizabeth all which also raigned after him EDWARD the sixth Next after the death of King Henry succeeded King Edward his son being of the age of nine years A Prince although but tender in years yet for his sage and mature ripeness in wit and all Princely ornaments as I see but few to whom he may not be equall so again I see not many to whom he may not justly be preferred Fox his Acts Monuments of the Church vol. 2. p. 65 2. He fitly compares him there to good Iosias Favour and love saith he of Religion was in him from his childhood such an Organ given of God to the Church of England he was as England had never better Id. ib. All King Henries issue for themselves in their severall kinds were Princes of eminent vertue As Henry the eighth with Solomon was blame-worthy for women so he left but one son and two daughters Solomon had Rehoboam a fool and unfortunate his daughters but obscure and both of them Subjects But Henry was more happy in Edward his son another Iosiah and his sisters both Soveraignes of an Imperiall Crown Speed Lever compares him to Iosiah in severall respects He was born at Hampton-Court on the twelfth day of October anno 1537 being the only surviving son of King Henry the eight by Iane his third wife daughter to Sir Iohn Seymer Knight It hath been commonly reported and no less generally believed that Prince Edward being come unto the birth and there wanting naturall strength to be delivered his mothers body was ripped open to give him a passage into the world and that she died of the Incision in a short time after Whence this Epitaph was made upon her Phoenix Jana jacet nato Phoenice dolendum Saecula Phaenices nulla tulisse duos Alluding to the Crest of her father a Phenix in flames within a Crown Yet Dr. Heylin in his Ecclesia restaurata saith there are many reasons to evince the contrary that he was not so born The other was not more poetically then truely written he being considering his years an admirable President for all ages of piety learning clemency magnanimity wisdome and care in governing his people As Iulius Caesar in the midst of his greatest actions wrote an exact and curious Commentary of his notable enterprises by Arms so King Edward during all the time of his Raign but most especially towards the
King on either side whereof was a close Gallery for the King Queen and Prince to be private sutable to the ancient mode Which triall of his if we consider all things the high nature of the Charge against him the pompous Circumstances and stately manner of the triall it self the time that it lasted and lastly of what moment and consequence the success of it must prove I may safely say that no Subject in England and probably in Europe ever had the like Mr. May his History of the Parliament of England l. 1. c. 8. See more there Sir Thomas Roe was Chancellor of the most noble Order of the Garter and of King Charles his Privy Councel and severall years Embassador to the Great Mogor Great Turk King of Sweden and lastly to the Princes of the Protestant Union in Germany Iohn de Montreul a Parisian was he that thinking thereby to do some good office to the King of England negotiated that he might be put into the hands of the Scots This unfortunate Prince of whom he hath since given this testimony that he never saw a man of greater spirit and more vertue delighted often to discourse with him and expressed a great deal of affection to him I learned from a friend of mine to whom he told it himself that he made use of a secret which the King of England had taught him in the long conferences which they sometimes had together 'T was a certain powder very rare which being cast on the paper made that which was before-hand written there with a white liquor to appear which without that was wholly imperceptible His Majesty had a fine stroke with his pen which he practised at all times of leasure By which means he became Master of a pure and elegant stile as both his intercepted Letters and those to Mr. Henderson at Newcastle in the point of Episcopacy and his Book entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Pourtraiture of his Sacred Majesty in his solitudes and sufferings do most clearly evidence Which Book is put into Latine by Dr Earle At King Iames his Funerall he attended the Herse as the chiefest mourner an action laudable and deserving better interpretation than some make of it He shewed great patience in his sufferings It argued a charitable temper in him in pardoning his enemies when he died and praying for them and charging the Prince his eldest son to pardon them also He was the hundred and tenth Monarch of that line that swayed the Scepter of Scotland successively Bishop Bramhall his Answer to Militiere his Epistle His Works are all in two Volumes Reliquiae Carolinae and Bibliotheca Carolina The Arsenals Store-houses and Ship-docks erected by him are so magnificent and universally usefull that they are become a principall pillar of the Nations support so far as they relate to the Navall defence of it and affords variety of imployment by the manufacture of Cordage as also by the carâ—ening and building of Ships The latter end of his life by reason of the Civil broyls was troublesome and painfull as the Book stiled Iter Carolinum shews Lewis the thirteenth the last King of France spoke ofttimes of the troubles of Great Brittain in his sickness and once he was over heard to say that it was a just judgement because his brother of England would have assisted his Subjects once against him Mr. Howels Corollary to the life of Lewis the thirteenth In his March after Essex to the West it happened that one of his Carriages brake in a long narrow Lane which they were to pass and gave his Majesty a stop at a time of a great showr of rain which fell upon him Some of his Courtiers and others which were near about him offered to hew him out a way through the hedges with their swords that he might get shelter in some of the Villages adjoyning but he resolved not to forsake his Canon upon any occasion At which when some about him seemed to admire marvel at the patience which he shewed in that extremity his Majesty lifting up his Hat made answer That as God had given him affliction to exercise his patience so he had given him patience to â—ear his afflictions Mr. Fords Panegyrick on King Charles the first Let his Conference with the Marquess of Worcester the Papers which passed betwixt his Majesty and Master Henderson and those others with the Ministers in the Isle of Weight testifie how great a Master he was of reason how well read in the Fathers the Councels Ecclesiasticall History and the customes of the Church in all ages Id. ib. He made an admirable Anagram of himself the day before his death Carolus Rex Cras ero lux Id. ib. His death saith the Author of the Additions to Bakers Chronicle was strange and unparalleld We may read saith he of many Kings who came to violent ends but never any that was so formally and solemnly first tryed for his life and then judicially executed in publick by his own Subjects Mr. Love in his Vindication of the London-Ministers against Price his Clerico-Classicum pag. 36. gives good reasons against putting the King to death and saith He was the first Protestant King in the world so put to death by his own Subjects pag. 55. he saith He could produce multitudes of Protestant Divines against the cutting off the Head of our King in particular as the Ministers beyond the Seas the Ministers of Scotland the Ministers of Essex and Lancashire and of many other places of the Kingdome besides the London Ministers who unanimously declared their abhorrency of that horrid fact of taking away the life of the King pag. 59. he saith That there is no president in all the Scripture that the Sanhedrim of the Jewes or Rulers of Israel did ever judicially arraign and put to death any of the Kings of Judah or Israel though many of them were most gross Idolaters and tyrannous Princes who shed much innocent blood and oâ—pressed the people sundry wayes This notwithstanding another Divine of our own hath presumed to publish a Defence of the Sentence passed upon the late King He quotes Gen. 9. 6. Exod. 21. 12. Lev. 24. 17. Numb 35. 30 31 33. Prov. 28. 17. and Mat. 26. 52. to prove the lawfulness of it That private person which sheddeth mans bloud wilfully by man that is by the Magistrate whose power is here stablished saith Ainsworth for killing all wilfull murtherers shall his bloud be shed And this saith Ainsworth there accordeth with the Law Numb 35. 29 30. but private men may not use the sword Mat. 26. 52. Rom. 13. 4. I have read that place Matth. 26. 52. strongly urged by some against Subjects taking up Arms against their Princes but never this way before These Scriptures though he think them of so express a tenour of such a pregnant import I conceive make little for the purpose he alleadgeth them When I consider with my self
how many of note this Divine hath written against and what paradoxall if not heterodoxall tenets he hath often laboured to maintain sometimes against the determinations of a Parliament rightly so called I wonder at that passage of his near the conclusion of his Novice-Presbyter instructed The great knower of hearts and searcher of the reins in whose presence I write knoweth that if himself would be pleased to discharge me of the service of contradicting and opposing men and dispose of me in a way of retirement were it never so private and obscure where I might only contest with my own weakness and errors he should give me one of the first-born desires of my soul in the things of this life into my bosome He may do well to weigh those places Exod. 22. 28. 1 Sam. 26. 9. Prov. 24. 21. Eccles. 10. 20. The Greek word for King notes him that is the stay or foundation of the people He is called 1 Pet. 2. 13. the Supreme or Superiour The Greek word signifies one that hath above others in matter of Authority and Supremacy The Generals Commission the Covenant the Parliaments Declarations and Engagements both to the King and Scots were for the preservation of the Kings person Even Mr. Goodwin in his Anticavallierismâ— and Mr. Burroughs in his Lord of Hosts though they justified the Warre yet they shewed their dislike of any injury to the Kings person I may justly vindicate the Parliament of England from having any hand in this abominable action Nunquam in te peccavit Britannia tua sed nec in Parentem sola colluvies illa de formis nefariorum tâ—nebrionum haec cuncta execranda procudit D. Creyghtoni Dedicâ—t hist. Concilii Tridentini Some object that every Monarch hath his power from the consent of the whole body therefore the whole body hath a power above the power of the Monarch and to this purpose they alleadge that Maxime Quicquid efficit tale est magis tale All Government they say is for the good of the governed and Salus populi suprema lex That Maxime even in naturall causes is subject to divers restrictions and it holds not in this particular The Guardian is for his sake that is under age yet he hath power over him Of the right interpretation of the other Maxime Salus populi suprema lex See Dr. Sanderson de Obligat Consc. Praelect 9 10. Not that Prince which is most potent over his Subjects but that Prince which is most potent in his Subjects is truly potent witness that incomparable Princess of happy memory Queen Elizabeth It was also our King Charles his own Golden Maxime The peoples Liberty strengthens the Kings Prerogative and the Kings Prerogative is to defend the peoples Liberty Let us leave the Doctrine of King-killing to Mariana the Iesuite to defend and the perpetration of such a horrid act to Ravilliac and such monsters of men Of Marianas Doctrine and of the Iesuites opinion of the lawfulness of deposing Princes that are hereticall See in Dr. Taylors collection of Polemicall and Morall Discourses his Sermon preached upon the fifth of November on Luke 9. 54. I shall close up all with Davids patheticall speech 2 Sam. 1. 20. Tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Askeloâ— lest the daughters of the Philistims rejoyce lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph As I have severall times in the Parliament so I thought sit here to give in my testimony against that unsound opinion and abominable practice Had I been sooner freed out of the Kings-head in the Strand where I with many other worthy Secluded Members were confined for not going along with the rest of the House in their intended evill designe I had published a Treatise against King-killing which I had formerly composed before that Fatall stroake Finis Errata PAge a line 15. read Hervord p. 3. l. 22. Ethelbald p. 4. margin Histoire d' Angleterre p. 9 l. penult ult r. Aidan p. 10. l. 4. p. 9. l. 9. r. Oswalstre p. 16. marg l. 10. r. nami illi argentei l. 11. r. pontificius quaestor l. 11 12. dele qui publicé bonas artes profiterentur quô multi doctrina clari confluérunt docendi gratta p. 20. marg dele Vid Asser c. p. 29. l. 9. r. sica p. 28. l. penult r. upon a. p. 34. l. e 30. r. this l 31. r. all p. 44. marg l. 20 21. r. ipse suae p. 51. l. 4. r. He refused p. 61. l. 36. r. cotraderet p. 68. marg l. 20. dele non p. 73. marg l. 1. r. plerisqué p. 81 l. 15. r. one one one c. p. 85. l. 29. r. of p. 90. l. 21. r. Cyrus p. 95. marg l. ult r. loquentem p. 106. marg l. 8. r. Episcopus p. 116. m. l. 11. r. Polyd. p. 111. l. 14. r. Civilis p. 129. l. 6. r. Westminster An Alphabeticall Table expressing or pointing to the chief things contained in this Treatise A ALfred his severall Names page 20 The first annointed King of England ibid. His Vertues p. 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Arthur King and Prince p. 154 155 B Bastards many of them famous p. 56 Benevolence by whom that Tax was devised p. 156 Black Prince a valiant person why so called p. 113 115 Bush Why Henry the 7th bore the Hawthorn-Bush with the Crown in it p. 151 C Canutus p. 42 43 44 45 Magna Charta often confirmed p. 111 City of London gives the Dagger for its Arms and why p. 100 D Danes long molested England p. 37 38 47 E Edgar p. 33 34 35 36 37 38 Edward the elder p. 27 More Kings of England of that name than of any other name p. 27 Edward the Confessor p. 48 49 50 51. Edward the first p. 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 Edward the second p. 104 to 109 Edward the third p. 109 to 117 Edward the fourth p. 136 to 146 Edward the fifth p. 146 147 Edward the sixth from p. 170 to 178 Egbert p. 15 16 England five times plagued by other Nations p. 14 Called so first by Ethelbald p. 11 18 Ethelbert p. 7 18 Ethelred p. 10 18 19 Ethelwolfe p. 16 17 Ethelston p. 28 G The order of the Garter instituted by King Edward the third p. 115 116 The King of Heralds called Garter ordained by Henry the fifth p. 132 Guild-Hall in London in what Kings raign erected p. 128 H L. Hastings a speciall judgment on him p. 149 Harlos whence p. 55 Hengist why so called the first Monarch of the English p. 4 5 The Heptarchy of the Saxons p. 2 3 Henry the first p. 73 to 81 Henry the second p. 84 to 86 Henry the third p. 94 to 98 Henry the fourth p. 122 to 129 Henry the fifth p. 129 to 134 Henry the sixth 134 to 139 Henry the seventh p. 150 to 160 Henry the eighth p. 160 to 170 Humble King rare p. 10 Humphrey Duke of Glocester
educatus egregie qui solus omnium filiorum Wilielmi natus esset regiâ— â—i regnum videretur competere Itaque tyrocinium rudimentorum in scholis egiâ— liberalibus literarum mella adeo avidus medullis indidit ut nihil postea bellorum tumultus nulli curarum motâ—s eas excutere illustri animo possent Malmesb de Henrico primo l. 5. Nocturnas faces quas primus Gulielmus vetuerat restituit quippe cui jam firmato regno minus formidaâ—das Seldeni Ianus Anglorum l 2. None of our Kings married with Scotland but he Flemings Stemma sacrum Habitus est crudelis praesâ—râ—im propter Robeâ—tum germanum fratrem quem in carcero sinem vitae facere coegit Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. l. 11. Stubbâ— his discovery of a gaping gulf whereinto England is like to be swallowed by another French marriage He shews there also in Henry the second Richard the first King Iohn Henry the third Edward the second Richard the second the inconveniences to this Nation by their marriages with the French Hinc cognoscere licet priâ—s Aethiopem posse mutare pellem uti dicitur quà m qui terram incolunt Galliam valde multum diligere Anglos Polyd. Virg. Ang hist. l. 23. p. 483. It was said of Charles Earl of Valois that he was the son of a King brother to a King uncle to a King father to a King and yet no King * Cambdens Brittannia in Barkshire Miâ—ses Henrico adscribunt nonnulli legem quam curtoise d' Angleterre dicunt I. C. ti Hac vir suscepta prole coâ—jugis demortuae baeredâ—s sruitur in humanis dum â—gâ—rit Seldeni Ianus Anglorum l. 2. Hayward The antiquity of a yard â—anicls Histâ—ry and Hayward Sir Walter Rawleigh his Preface to his History of the world See Sir Iohn Hayward in the life of King Henry the first p. 267 2â—8 269 270. Prudentum congressus in Anglia vocatur magna comitia Mutuato denium à Gallis Parliamentorum nomine quae ante Henricum perraro scribit Polydorus l. 11. habita Seldeni Ianus Anglorum l. 2. A Hide of land contains 20. Acres saith Hayward in the life of William the first p. 99. A 100. Acres saith Lambert Daniels History The famous Family of Plantagenets which stored the Crown of England well nigh the space of four hundred years from whence have issued one Emperour fifteen Kings and ten Queens twelve Princes twenty four Dukes and sixty Earls took its name of a â—lant Fern. Glor. Generos Galfredus Plantaginettâ— cujus absque dubio à Plantagine herba quemadmodum elim apâ—d Romanos multarum nobilssimorum 〈◊〉 ab herbis frugibus deductum â—omen est Matildam Henrici primi Anglorum regis filiam viduam duxit in uxorem Henricus secundus in regiam familiam nobilissimum illud Plantaginettarum cognomen insinuavit Hoc mirum in modum postea prolis numerositate incrcvit a leo ut exea gente quatuordecim reges quanquam desultoria quadam successionis lege aliquando conâ—inuata tamen seric regnum administrarunt T wini Comment de rebus Britanuicis Prince douè de plusicurs vertus vrayement digne d' un Royâ—mais aussi suict à quelques vices encores plus indignes d' un Princeâ— hrestein Histoire d' Angleterre par Andre Du Chesne l. 12. Fox p 228. Col. 2. Hollinsh in K. Stephen Cambd. Britannia in Northumberland At pater Henricus haec audiens ingenti affectus dolore antistiti submissa voce ait Paenitets inquam paenitet extulisse hominem Polyd. Virg. Montaigne in his second Book of Essayes c 8. commends the Emperour Charles the fifth for resigning his means his greatness and Kingdome to his son at what time he found his former undaunted resolution to decay and force to conduct his affairs to droop in himself together with the glory he had thereby acquired Robert son to Hugh Capet was crowned King in his fathers life time of whom it is sajd He was a son without frowardness a companion without jealousie a King without ambition Du Serres History of France Verstegans Etymology of our Saxon proper names Poysoned her as was thought Verstegan ubisupra Gualterus Mappaeus de nugis Curialium Polyd. Virg. Ang hist. Hollinsh Polyd. Virg. Dan hist. Statura corporis fuit justa lata bonesta facie in qua multum gratiae gravitatuque incrat sed quò pulchrior corpore hoc animi altitudine praestantior undo non immeritò cognomen invenit qui cor Leonis vocatus est Polyd. Virg. Ang hist l. 14. Illud innuere videtur Richardum inter Angliae Reges primum usum fuisse Leonino gestamine quod ei prae caeteris cognomen inderetur Cor Leonis à picturaâ— clypei ni vana conjectura derivatum Nam é clypeis armaturis nomina saepe acceperunt tum antiqui tum recentiores Spelmanâ—i Aspilogia p 46 47. Weevers ancient Funerall-Monuments Cambdens Brittannia in Oxfordshire Id. ib. in Barkshire Histoire d' Angleterre Par Andre Du Chesne l. 1â— Theater of honour Book 5. c. 1â— Sheriffs and Maiors of London first ordained Alluding to that Gen. 37. 33. Hollinsh and Speeds Chron. Speed Câ—ttoni Posthuma Powell on Lhoyds History of Wales p. 261. out of Matthew Paris Hist. d'Angleterre Par Andre Du Chesne l. 12. * Acts and Mo. vol. 1. Fox Foxes Acts and Mon vol. 1. There are various reports of his death See Hollinsh Chron. * Eighteen years five moneths and four dayes saith Matthew Paris One writes that he was poysoned at Swinsted with a dish of Pears Others there in a cup of Wine Some that he died at Newarke of the Flux A fourth by the distemperature of Peaches eaten in his fit of an Ague Browns Britannias Pastorals Contigit aliquando S. Ludovicum Francorum Regem cum eo super hoc conferentem dicere quod non semper missis sed frequentius sermonibus audiendis esse vacandum Cui faceta urbanitate respondens ait se malle amicum suum saepius videre quam deâ—â— oquentem licet bona dicentem audâ—re Matth. Paris Walsingh Gration Hollinsh Magna Charta Lambards Archeion Id. ib. Matth. Paris hist. Ang. Hen. 3. p. 945. p. 783. There will be little reason to be over-confident in matters of Pedigree and Arms much beyond 400 years â—d ibid. Matth. Paris Cooke 2d part of Instit. c. 11. The names of the first Richard the first Edward were as terrible to Infidels as William to the Saxons and as much renowned among all Christian Princes Sir Francis Wâ—rtly his Characters Rodericus Toletanus l. 1. breaks forth into this exclamation Quid igitur hujus mulieris fide rarius audiri quid mirabilius esse potest ut uxoris lingua fide dilectione maritali peruncta vencua à dilecto marito expulerit quae electo medico trahi non valuerunt quod plurima exquistiáque non effecerunt medicamenta una uxoris pietas explevit Iactura filiorum facilis est cùm
left nothing unattempted which might advance the glorious Gospel of Christ. He built St. Augustines a goodly Church in Canterbury He built also St. Pauls Church in London and St. Andrews in Rochester He died in the three and twentieth year of his Monarchy and the fifty sixth of his Kingdome of Kent Redwald The third King of the East-Angles and seventh Monarch of the English men Of this Redwald Cambden reporteth out of Bede that he was baptized and that to make sure as he thought of the right way of worship he had in the same Temple one Altar for Christian Religion and another for sacrifice to Devils He raigned eight yeares and was King of the East-Angles thirty one Edwine The Great King of Northumberland and the eighth sole Monarch of the English men He was slain in Battell by Penda and Cadwallo the seventh year of his Monarchy the seventeenth of his Kingdome He lived fourty eight yeares Oswald King of Northumberland and the ninth Monarch of the English men He was a religiouâ— King and took such care for the coâ—version and salvation of his Subjectâ— that he sent into Scotland for aid and a Christian Bishop to instruct his Northumbrians in the Gospel of truth Mira fuit in homine sanctitas mirum pietatis studium nulli unquam malum pro malo reddidit sed Christi regis summi exemplum imitatus ijs etiam bene precabatur beneque volebaâ— Ã quibâ—â—s accepisset injurias Polyd. Virg. Ang. Hist. l. 4. p. 82. He left the name to Oswalster in Shropshire Of this Oswald as also of Stephan King of Hungary it is storied that their right hands though dead never putrified because they had been much exercised in almes-deeds Bed hist. Angl. l. 3. c. 6. Bonsinius Quis suit Alcides quis Caesar Julius aut quit Magnus Alexander Alcides se superasse Fertur Alexander mundum sed Julius hostem Se simul Osuualdus mundum vicit hostem He died in the 23. year of his Monarchy and the 56. of his Kingdome of Kent Oswy King of Northumberland and the tenth Monarch of the English men He was Brother to Edwin and Oswald He founded the Cathedrall Church in Litchfield for a Bishops See Upon an occasion Oswin humble â— himself before the holyman Adrian who upon sight thereof wept and gave this reason of his weeping I know this King will not live long and this reason of his reason for I never before this saw an humble King He lived fifty seven yeares and raigned the space of twenty eiâ—ht yeares Wulphere The sixth King of the Mercians and the eleventh Monarch of the Englâ—â—â— men He becoming a â—hristian destroyed all those Temâ—les wherein his Heathen Gods had been worshipped converting them all into Christian Churches and religious Monasteries He raigned King over the Mercians seventeen yeares and Monarch of the English fuily four Ethelred The seventh King of Mercia and twelfth Monarch of the English A modest Prince which loved better to preserve then to encrease his power by Arms. He raigned above thirty yeares Kenred The eighth King of Mercia and the thirteenth Monarch of the English men He raigned in peace four yeares then weary of Government and desirous of contemplation be sought a more private and religious life and thereupon appointing â—helred his Cosen-germane to rule in his place in the fifth year of his Raign abandoned his Kingdome and Country and departed to Rome and in a Monastery in that City was made Monk Chelred The ninth King of the Mercians and the fourteenth Monarch of the English He had got as great reputation of military valour as any Prince of his time if he had not died so soon He raigned only seven yeares Ethelbald The tenth King of the Mercians and the fifteentth Monarch of the English A peaceable Prince but was over amorous Boniface the Archbishop of Mentz an Englishman by Nation sent an Epistle to him This is one passage in it Quapropter â—â—li charissime paeniteat te memora quam turpe sit ut tu qui multis gentihus dono Dâ—â— dominaris al injuriam ejus sis libidinis servus The Epistle is full of good counsell to be seen in Malmesbury He ruled forty two yeares Offa. The eleventh King of the Mercians and the sixteenth Monarch of the English men He was a warlike Prince and for the most part fortunate He built a Church in Warwickeshire where the adjoyning Town from it and him beareth the name Off-Church and caused a great Ditch to be made large and deep from Sea to Sea betwixt his Kingdome and Wales whereby he might the better defend his Country from the incursions of the Welsh men And this Ditch is to be seen in many places as yet and is called Offas Ditch at this day Lords History of Wales The Ditch began at the River Dee by Bassing-werke between Cheâ—ter and Ruthlan and ran along the hils sides to the South-Sea a little from Bristow reaching above a hundreth miles in length Id. the description of Wales He first gave the Peter-pence to Rome and was himself at the length shorne a Monk He raigned thirty nine yeares Egfrid The twelfth King of the Mercians and the seventeenth Monarch of the English He re-establisht the priviledges and liberties of all the Churches which his Father had supprest He raigned only four moneths he was taken away by sudden death in the hundreth fourty first day after his Fathers decease Kenwolfe The thirteenth King of the Mercians and the eighteenth Monarch of the English men At home he was an example of piety peace justice and Religion abroad temperate humble and courteous without vain ostentation or ambitious conceits In Warres he was stout and victorious in peace studious to enrich his Subjects he carried himself so at all times that envy could not touch him with her tongue Bede dedicateth his Ecclesiasticall History to him He raigned twenty two yeares CHAP. IV. OF the Saxons that reigned sole Kings of this Island 1. Egbert raigned thirty seven years 2. Ethelwulf the son of Egbert twenty years 3. Ethelbald the eldest son of Ethelwulf five years 4. Ethelbert the second son of Ethelwulf five years 5. Ethelred the third son of Ethelwulf five years 6. Alfred the youngest son of Ethelwulf five years 7. Edward sirnamed the elder twenty three years 8. Aethelstane the eldest son of Edward sixteen years 9. Edmund the second son of Edward six years 10. Edred the youngest son of Edward nine years 11. Edwin the elder son of Edmund four years 12. Edgar the younger son of Edmund sixteen years 13. Edward the elder son of Edgar forty years 14. Ethelred the younger son of Edgar thirty seven years 15. Edmund the son of Ethelred in whose time the Danes possessed the greatest part of England Egbert The eighteenth King of the West-Saxons the nineteenth but first sole and absolute Monarch of the English men Upon
should dispossess his children of the Crown was consenting to his death interpreting G. to be George Duke of Clarence which fell out to be Glocester to whose tyranny he left them by this ungodly means He vanquished in nine Battels himself being present The Scene of his fortune had more changes then any King of England yet except his Competitor Lust was reputed his bosome-sin God severely punisht him in his sons who were both dispossest of their Kingdome and their lives by their unnaturall Uncle there being so much appearance of right by their fathers incontinency that even an Act of Parliament was made to bastardize them He was the first of our Kings since the Conquest that married his Subject His usuall Oath was By Gods blessed Lady He sate on the Kings Bench in open Court three dayes together in Michaelmas Term anno 〈◊〉 of his Raign to understand how his Laws were executed Have we not seen the late King of England Edward the fourth of that name heir of the house of Yorke utterly destroy the house of Lancaster under the which both his father and he had lived many yeares Farther the said King Edward having done homage to King Henry the sixth being of the house of Lancaster did he not afterward hold him prisoner many years in the Tower of London the chief City of the Realm where in the end he was put to death Phil. de Commines hist. l. 5. c. 18. He saith that their King Lewis the eleventh of France in wisdome and sense far surmounted King Edward Lib. 6. c. 2. and l. 5. c. 13. he saith of Lewis undoubtedly he was one of the wisest and subtilest Princes that lived in his time That very day wherein an honourable peace was concluded between Edward the fourth and King Lewis the eleventh upon subscribed Articles it chanced a white Dove as Commines writes to repose her self upon King Edwards pavilion whereupon though many gathered an argument yet since she sate not equally between both the Kings I like much better of a Gascoines observation who having been present at the sight reported unto Philipde Commines as himself records that the Dove repaired to King Edwards Tent only to this intent to refresh and prune her self after a great rain because the Sun was warmest there Howards Defensative c. 24. Richard Nevill Earl of Warwicke was a man of an undaunted courage but wavering and untrusty the very Tennice-Ball in some sort of fortune who although he were no King was above Kings as who deposed King Henry the sixth a most bountifull Price to him from his royall dignity placed Edward the fourth in the royall Throne and afterwards put him down too restored Henry the sixth again to the Kingdome enwrapped England within the most wofull and lamentable flames of Civill War which himself at the length hardly quenched with his own bloud In his spirit birth marriage and revenue he was mighty which raised his thoughts above proportion The greatest and busiest Subject our later age hath brought forth That make-King Warwick having the English Crown Pinn'd on his sleeve to place where he thought best Who set up Princes and did pull them down How did he toyl the Land with his unrest How did his Sword rip up his mothers brests Whose greatness and his popularity Wrought both his own and others tragedy Sir Francis Huberts History of Edward the second Cecil Dutchess of Yorke his mother lived in Henry the sevenths Raign and died at her Castle of Barkhamsted being of extream years who had lived to see three Princes of her body crowned and four murthered He being near his death told his friends that if he could as well have foreseen things as now to his pain he proved them he would never have worn the courtesie of mens knees with the loss of so many heads He raigned two and twenty yeares one moneth and five dayes EDWARD the fifth He was scarce eleven years old when his father died and succeeded him in the Kingdome but not in the Crown for he was proclaimed King but never crowned and indeed it may not so properly be called the Raign of Edward the fifth as the tyranny of Richard the third He hearing that his Uncle had left the name of Protector and taken upon him the title of King and was with full consenting of the Lords to be crowned within a few dayes following with the same Crown and in the like Estate as had been provided for his solemnity the dejected Innocent sighed and said Alass I would my Vncle would let me enjoy my life yet though I lose both my Kingdome and Crown He and his brother Richard were murthered in the Tower Tâ—win brethren in their deaths what had they done O Richard sees a fault that they were in It is not actuall but a mortall one They Princes were 't was their original sin Why should so sweet a pair of Princes lack Their Innocents-day in th' English Almanack Aleyns History of Henry the seventh RICHARD the third He was king in fact only but Tyrant both in title and regiment He was ill featured of limmes crook-backed hard favoured of visage malicious wrathfull envious It is for truth reported that the Dutchess his mother had so much ado in her travail that she could not be delivered of him uncut and that he came into the world with the feet forward and as the same runneth also not untoothed whether men of hatred report above the truth or else that nature changed her course in his beginning which in the course of his life committed many things unnaturally Buck that writes his Raign writes favourably of him but the Chroniclers generally condemn him He was brother to King Edward the fourth and having most wickedly murthered his Nephews usurped the Kingdome by the name of King Richard the third and after two years lost both it and his life in a pitched field He slew with his own hands King Henry the sixth being prisoner in the Tower as men constantly said and that without commandement or knowledge of King Edward the fourth who undoubtedly if he had intended his death would have appointed that Butcherly office to some other then his own brother He slew also that Kings son in the presence of Edward the fourth Was the contriver of the death of the Duke of Clarence his brother He bare a white Bore for his Cognisance The Lord Lovell Sir Richard Ratcliffe and Sir William Catesby were chief rulers under him of the which persons was made a seditious Rime and fastened upon the Cross in Cheapside and other places of the City It was this The Cat the Rat and Lovell the Dog Rule all England under a Hog For which one Colingborne was executed A Prince who deserved to be ranked among the worst men and the best Kings Yet Sir Francis Bacon in his History of Henry the seventh saith that his good Laws were but the brocage of an usurper
learned himself and was a great Benefactor to the Vniversity of Oxford p. 123 I Queen Jane p. 178 179 Jests witty and merry speeches p. 21 29 35 81 92 158 163 165 166 167 175 176 185 188 207 211 King John p. 93 94 Ironside why so called p. 40 A stout Judge p. 124 125 126 K Kings-Evil when first cured in England p. 51 King of Heralds ordained by whom p. 132 L Laws the best made in the time of Richard the second and Henry the seventh p. 148 155 956 M Queen Mary p. 179 to 183 Murder punished remarkably p. 149 150 N Neote me of the first Divinity-Readers in Oxford p. 17 Normans what p. 53. We re-received our Laws and names of sports from them ib. p. 54 O Offa first gave the Peter-pence to Rome p. 12 Offas Church aud Offas Ditch ib. Oswald p. 9 Oswy ib. p. 9 10 P Parliament the first in the raign of Edward the third p. 111 Parliamentum bonum ib. Parliamentum indoctorum p. 122. Insanum Parliamentum p. 96 Plantagenet whence p. 84 Q Vertuous Queens p. 98 178 179 183 to 200 R Richard the first p. 89. 90 91 92 Richard the second p. 117 to 122 Richard the third p. 146 to 150 Rosamand what it signifies p. 86 87 The comely riding of women when it began in England p. 120 S Saxons a warlike people p. 12. They gave names to many Cities Towns Rivers Woods Fields in Engl. ib. Why Saxon Princes had their Name from a Horse and gave a Horse for their Escucheon p. 4 5 Schola Salernitana dedicated to Robert Son to William the Conqueror p. 67 68 Stephen p. 82 83 Stuart whence p. 200 T Thong Castle why so called p. 4 Tudors why so called p. 150 151 V Great Victory of the English over the French p 112 113 University Colledge in Oxford founded by King Alfred p. 22. There are his Armes in the Hall p. 25 W Earle of Warwick a person of great power in Edward the fourths reign p. 200 Women whether the Rule of Women be lawfull p 179 William the first p. 54 to 66 William the second p. 66 to 73 Wolves how destroyed in England p. 34. Wicklef in the Reign of Edw. the third p. 116 Y Yeomen of the Guard instituted by Henry the seventh p. 151 FINIS Beda to King Ceolwolph Speed his History of Greatbrittain to King Iames. Howe his Annals or Continuation of Stow and Bacons Henry the 7th to your Father when Prince * It was illustrious both in respect of the bright Star which then appeared at high-noon in the presence and sight of all See Stella meridiana also in respect of your near alliance to the greatest â—rinces of Christendom Doway Notes on Iosh. 3. 8. a See Dr Basire of Sacriledge b Montacuâ—ii Antidiatribae ad Diat 1. Bulengeri C Hookers Ecclesiasticall Policy l. 8. It is by divers Charters granted to the Church of Westminster to be locus Coronationis Regis repositorium Regalium Liber Regalis The Sword presents the Princes power the Crown their glory B. Bilson in his Sermon before K. Iames at his Coronation See the 〈◊〉 of Worcester 〈◊〉 Sermon at the Coronation King Iames commâ—ndeth Caesar above all proâ—â—e Writers both for the sweet slowing of thâ— style and the worthiness of the maner it self * Henry the first the fifth the seventh the eighth Edward the first the third the sixth especially who first began our happy Reformation in Religion At the Coronation of King Ioash the High-Priest delivered him the Testimony not only that he might know and do it himself but take care as much as lie in him that it might be known and observed by the people Dr Hardy his Apostolicall Lyturgy revived on 2 King 11. 12. Read the Scriptures diligently and with an humble spirit and in it observe what is plain and believe live accordingly Dr Ier. Taylors Letter to a person newly converted to the Church 2 Sam. 23. 3. a Molinier in his Essayâ—â— All that we beg at the hands of our Superiors is a liberty to worship God according to his word that we may have no thing imposed upon us but what we may be directed in our compliance with by the rule of Scripture we desire that men may not command where God is silent The Examinat of Dr Heylins History of the Reformar of the Church of England Those of the Presbyterian judgement that out of a reall tenderness cannot comply in all particulars will beyond doubt receive from his Majesty such savour and indulgence as may abundantly suffice to their relief Mr L'estrange his Holy Cheat. p. 78. of the 2d Edition See Mr Wheare De Methodâ— legendi Historias pag. 52. Daniel doth very well so far as he goes He is continued by Trussell Historia est testis temporum lux veritatis vita memoriae magistra vitae nuncia vetustatis Cicero l. 2. De Oratore * Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis a Aschams Schoolemaster l. 1. p. 20. * It was a very pious care and of singular example in so young a Prince to intend endeavour the reformation of Religion and the Church within his Realms For which even at this day we have cause to acknowledge the good providence of Almighty God in â—aising him up to become so blessed an instrument of his glory and our good BP Sandersons Episcopacy not prejudicial to Regall Power In the time of King Edward there was more I suppose than what one calls it a wambling toward the Genevah Discipline but neither very earnest nor very popular a Annal Tom◠〈◊〉 p. 33. b Whereas the Papists unjustly charge the Protestant Churches with Schism for departing from their Communion it could not but be a great scandall to them to confirm them in that their uncharitable opinion of us if we should utterly condemn any thing as unlawfull because it had been used in the times of Popery or abused by the Papists B. Sanders Epise not prejudiciall to Regall Power c As Father Gilpin and Father Latimer Annal. Rerum Anglicarum parte prima p. 101 102. Mr Lyfords Conscience Informed touching our late Thanksgivings Fox his Acts and Monumenâ— vol. 1. Cambd Brit. Englâ—sh Saxons Saxons eâ—oient tous extremeâ—ent belli queux comme esâ—rit Zosine lâ— plus vaillants renommez de tous les Germanis en grandeur de Courage en forces de â—â—â—ps en patience au â—ravail Histoire Dâ— Angleterre Par Andre Da Chesne l. 6. p. 1â—6 Verstigans Antiq 〈◊〉 tamen in 〈…〉 dominium Hexaâ—châ— ab 〈◊〉 Anglorum 〈◊〉 primordiis 〈…〉 dictum coâ—rcebantur Sold. Analect Angloâ—bris l. 2. â— 4. The first King of Kent became the first Monarch of the English men Camâ—â— Bâ—it English Saxons Histoire 〈◊〉 Angâ—â—t re lar 〈◊〉 â—â—Chesâ—e l 6. p. 1◠〈◊〉 Brit English Saxons Hengist signifieth â— stoned Horse Equus bellicosorum Saxoniae principum antiquissimum insigne pugnaâ—itâ—â—is celeretatis
Lanibardum de priscis â—nglorum legibus Dum gesta ejus commemoro militaria miror unquam cum cogitasse civilia Dum civilium ejus intueor molestiarum cumulos miror utique quod in aciem prodiit Dum verò religioâ—em pietatem ardorem rerum câ—lestium contemplatus sum vixisse Monachus visus est regularis hoc solo infaelix quòd inter gentes barbares sub faedissimo literarum deliquio fâ—loruit interiit circiter an Dom. 900 Spelmanni Glossarium Vidâ— ejus Epist. Dedicat. ad Lib. de Consil. His Epitaph Anno dominicae incarnationis 872 Elfredus filius Ethelâ— wulphi junior regnum accepit 28. semis annos laboriosissime fortissime â—enuit Malmesb. l. 2. c. 4 Some say above 29. years So Rog. de Hoveden annal part 1. Dictus senior eo quod post illum plures ejusdem nominis regnaverunt quorum omnium ipse primus erat Literarum scientia multum inferior patre sed regni potestate incomparabiliter gloriosior Malmesb. de gestis Reg. Ang. l. 2 c. 5. Idem ferè habet Ingulphus Edwardus Cognomento senior literarum cultu patre inferior sed dignitate potentia pariter gloria superior Nam multo latius quam pater fines regni sui dilataviâ— Rog. de Hoveden Annal. part 1. p. 421-â— 23. saith Malmesb. 24. Polyd Virg. 34. saith Roger de Hoveden Malmesb. de gestis Regum Ang. l. 1. c. 6. A young English Gentleman in a sally forth at Ostend had one of his arms shot off with a Canon which taking up he brought back with him into the Town unto the Chyrurgion and coming into his lodging shewed it saying Behold the arm which but at dinner did help its fellow This he did and endured without the least fainting or so much as reposing upon 〈◊〉 bed Dr. Dillingham Veres Commentaries in the continâ—ation of the siege of Ostend 16. years saith Malmesbury Tenuit regnum anuis 6. semis Malmesb. l. 2. c 6. See Milles his Catalogue of honour and Mr. Prynne his seasonable legall and hystoricall vindication of the fundamentall Liberties Rights and Laws of England p. 106. Anno Dominicae incarâ—ationis 946. Edredus tertius ex filiis Edwardi regnum suscipiens rexit annis 9 dimidio Malmesb. l. 2. c. 7. Anno Dominicâ—e incarâ—ationis 955. Edâ—inus regno potitus tenuit annis quatuor petulans adolesâ—ens qui speciositate corporis iâ— libidinibus abuteretur Malmesb. de gestis Reg. Ang. l 2. c. 7. Ea tempestate facies Monachorum saeda miserabiâ—is â—rat Caeterum longè horret nostra memoria quam immanis fuâ—rit in reliqua caenobia propter aetatis lubricum propter pellicis consilium quaâ— tenerum jugiter obsideâ—at animum Malmesb. de gestis Reg. Ang. l. 2. Vide plura ibid. Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. l. 6. He was sirnamed Etheling after the signification of the Saxon speech Outlaw because he was a banished man in the former time of his life through the cruelty of the Danes Laciâ—s Nobility Although in his younger dayes he was subject to many vices and committed some in urious tyrannicall acts recorded by Malmesbury Fox Speed and others yet repenting of these his youthfull lustfull vices he proved such a just and prudent King that our Historians of elder and later ages give large encomiums of his justice prudence vertues and politick Government worthy perpetuall memory and imitation Mr. â—ryn's seasonable legall and historicall vindication of the fundamentall Liberties Rights Laws of England p. 126 127 Vir animi virtute corporis roâ—ore longè princeps Polyd. Virg. Ang hist. l. 6. Malmesb. l. 2. c. 8. Id. ibid. Polyd Virg. Ang hist. l. â— Dr. Barwick's life of B. Morton Licet ut fertur staturae fuerit corpulentiae perexilis tantas vires in illo corpusculo dignatio naturae incluserat ut ultro ad congrediendum lacesceret quemcunque audacem nosset hoc maxime timeus ne 〈◊〉 tali colludio timeretur Malmesb de gest is Regum Anglorum l. 2. c. 8. Vide plura ibid. Malcome â— King of Scoâ—s hearing of a conspiracy plotted to murther him whereof one was author he dissembled the knowing of it till being abroad one day a hunting he took the fellow apart from the company and being alone said unto him Here is now a fit time and place to do that manfully which you have intended to do treacherously Draw your weapon and if you kill me none being present you can incur no danger With which speech of the King the fellow was so daunted that presently he 〈◊〉 down at his feet confessed his fault humbly asked forgiveness and being granted him was ever after serviceable and faithfull to him Sir Baker's Chronicle of the Kings of England in William the 2d Sir Elyoâ—'s Governâ—ur out of Malmesb. In hâ—norem Christi ejusque divini nominis cultum quadraginâ—a caenâ—bia ve á fundamenâ—is â—xâ—ruxit vel paâ—um sarta tâ—cta 〈…〉 de reb Brit. 〈…〉 pacificus â—aâ—ria Monosticae disciâ—liâ—â— propugnator ardâ—n â—ssimâ—s qui semâ—t â—â—â—achorum caetâ—â— Regâ—nem 〈◊〉 â—â—alium prasâ—â—â—t guberâ—â—â—res Sâ—elm dâ— Concil p 489. 〈…〉 aunorum 16. Regnim adipis â—â—ns câ—dem numâ—ro 〈…〉 de gestis Reg. Aug. l. 2. c. 8. The three conquests of England by the Saxons Danes and Normans proceeded from the sins of the Princes or of the people or both Mexia's Treasury of time vol. 2. l 7. c. 1â— Dani populationibus â—caelibus incenâ—iis miseram Anglianm multos per annos adeo afflâ—xâ—runt ut Clades 〈◊〉 Romanis Scotis â—ictis Saxâ—nibus jam anâ—ca posteaâ— deinde à Normannis huic Insulae illatae si aerumnis calamita ibus quibus isti pâ—triam hanc nostram affecerunt conferantur quasi ludus quidam tragadia scenica possâ—â—t aestimari Nam bellum nobiscum gesserunt temporis long inquitate diuturnum omni crudelitatis genere immanissimum belli geâ—endi ratione difficilimum Godw. de Praesul Ang. Comment p. 67. vide plura ibid. p â—9 Vide Reg de Hoved. part 1. pâ—â—t 2. See Verstâ—gâ—â— of our names of contempt p. 33â— The Danes used when the English drank to stab them or cut their throats to avoid which villany the party then drinking requested some of the next fitters to be his surety or pledge whilest he paid nature her due and hence have we our sâ—all custome of pledging one another Infestabant illius maxime imperium Clericos inter Monachos de sacerdo â—um celibatu schismata Seldeni Analect Anglobrit l. 2. c. 6. Died in the 16â—â— year of his age Tribus annis dimidio potestaâ—e â—otitus est Malmesb de gestâ—s Reg Ang l 2. c. â— Cùm infans primum sâ—cro admotus esset fonti alimonâ—ae excremento Baptisterium unde Constantinum etiam pessimum Imperatorem â—opronymum dictum fuisse scribunt faedeâ— inquinavit exclamavit exinde subito Danstans Per sanctam Mariam puâ—râ—iste ignavuâ— homo â—rit
rubra stirpis Eboracensis alba Lancastâ—ensis Spelm. Aspilogia Speed Trussels life and Raign of Richard the second Humfridus filius Henrici quarit sâ—ater Henrici quinti patruus Henrici sexti Regum Angliae excoluit tum juvenis tum etiam senex virtutem ut qui maximo Hinc clarus domi militiaeque bonis omnibus gratissâ—mus Amavit praeter caetera politas literas quibus etiam impendio invigilavit Vidi ego libellum de rebus astronomicis ab eo non infaeliciter scriptum Mecaenas ille quidem doctorum omnium quos illis temporibus vel Anglia vel Gailâ—a vel Italia protulii Testes exemplaria antiquissima quidem illa numero 1296 quae Academiae ad Isidis viâ—um fitae inchoata ibidem longè pulcherrimâ— operis Bibliotheca liberaliter contulit Lel. comment in Cygn Cant. Vide ejus l. 3. de vtris illustribus He took delight to lie lurking in high wayes to steal from himself for observing the times that his Tenants were to bring home his rents he would set upon them yea sometimes to the danger of his life making them make good in their accounts as much as had been stolen from them neither could they defraud him for he himself knew best how much they had lost And if they chanced to hurt or evil treat him he liked them the better Sir Francis Biondi of the Civil Warres of England The Prince impatient of contradiction and who was naturally given to blows insomuch as he would disguise himself to seek occasion for them gave the Judge such a Cuffe on the ear as would have stunned any one who had been less resolute then he but the Judge neither frighted with the blow nor losing his former gravity said unto him that the injury done unto him sitting on that seat was an offence done unto the King to whom and to whose Laws he the Prince was doubly obliged as a Subject and as a son Sir Francis Biondi of the Civil Warres of England p. 102 103. Sir Francis Biondi of the Civil Wars of England Sir Richard Bakers Chronicle Grasion Hollinsh Quod benevolentiae officium nulli antea priusquam Rex renunciatus esset praestitum constat adeo Henricus ab incuâ—ta aetate spem omnibus optinae indolis fecit Polyd Virg. Ang. hist. Speed Hic vir hic fuit qui à primo docuit honores ut est in Proverbio debere mutare mores c. Polyd Virg ib. Dolem Confer touching Success part 1. c. 3. He was so devout and serviceable to the Pope and his Chaplains that he was called of many the Prince of Priests Fox his Acts and Monum v. l. 1. Cambd. Britannia in Monmouthshire Speed V. debatur Deorum hominiemque consensus conspiratio esse in Anglicam fortnnam cùm ecce subitò in pejus omnia labi cunctà que retrò ferri Henricus ille Regum flos illud belli fulmen suorum delicium in medio victoriae cursu fatis ostensus tantùm moritur infante regni bellìque haerede relicto Forstneri omissorum libeâ— ad l. 1. Annal Taciti Constantius Chlorus father unto the Emperour Constantine the Great having commanded that all such Christians as would not adoâ—â— his Gods should depart from his service did nevertheless is banish all thoâ—e that denied their faith and retained the others in his service and favour whereâ—â— he gave this reason That those who had so little conscience as to be false unto their God could not be true to him Treasury of timeâ— l 9 c. 6. Hollinsh As Henry the fifth prophesieth here of his son Henry so Henry the sixth afterward prophesied likewise of his son Henry Matth. Paris hist. Ang Henr. 1. p 62. mentions also a prophesie of William the Conquerour concerning his son Henry the first Aequanimis esto sili comfortare in Domino pacifiâ—è sustiâ—e ut fratres tui majores te praecedant tu autem tempore tuo honorem totum quem adquisivi habebis fratribus tuis divitiis potcstate praecâ—lles Dux Bedfordiae vir tam pace optimus quam bello for tissimus Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. l 23. Vide plura ibid. Bacons uniform Government of England part 2. c. 13. He lived thirry six years His innocency gave him holiness Sir Francis Bacon Habingtons History of Edw. the fourth Cambd. Brit. in Yorkeshire Biondi Trussells continuat of Dan-Hist Erat Henricus vir miti simplicìque ingenio qui pacem bello qui requietem solicitudini qui honestum utili 〈…〉 curis anteponebat quodemum nihil castius nibil probius nihil sanctius in eo pudor modestia integritas patientia summa qui humanos casus aerumâ—as omnia id genus vitae tormenta perinde aequo animo ferebat ac si ipsius culpa contracta essent continebat se ut facilè quibus praecrat contincret non inhiabat opes firtebat honores at animae tantum saluti studebat qua sola sapienter quidem bona ejùsque amissione mala metiebatur ac desiniebat Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist c. 23 p. 492. In weighty matters his affirmation was forsooth and forsooth Fuit Henricus animo liberali qui bonarum artium studia mirabatur eâ—s diligebat in quibus eas esse videret quare suos ipse quoque juvit ut doctrina crudirentur Condidit euim Scholam magnificam ad Hetonam pagum proximum Vindesoram in quo collocavit Collegium sacerdotum pucrorùmque magno numero qui ibi nâ—â—rirentur docerentque Grammaticam gratuito Idem Cantabridgiae autor fuit Collegiircgii quod bodie ita disciplinarum eultu floret ut facile omnium Collegiorum sitâ— Princeps Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. l. 24. p. 532. Daniels eighth Book of Civil Warres His Propheticall speech Caeterùm illud infortunium apud vulgus predigio creditur esse demonstratum quandoquidem ferunt cùm ipse Henricus paulò antè in Senatu ornatus regio habitu consideret subitò coronam è capite in terram cecidisse Polyd. Virg. Ang. hist. l. 23. Ob pictatem vir babitus sanctissimus ob inertiam tamen inter pessiâ—nos Reges numerandus nam Galliam à patresubactam amisit turpiter ac postea deinde Angliae etiam regno excidit Godw. de Praesul Angl. * Philip the third King of Spain was wholly addicted to exercises of piety alwayes fingering his Beads he sympathized much in nature with this King but was not so unfortunate for he preserved what his father left him whereas Henry the sixth lost France where he had been crowned King in his cradle Howel his History of Naples Gulielmus Alnwick Episcopus Lincolniensis homo propter doctrinam morum sanctitatem tant celebris ut priscorum Regum sanctissimus Henricus sextus in confessionem cum sibi asciverit Godw. de Praes Ang. Stubbs his discourse against Q Eliz. French match Hollinsh Fuit Edwardus corpore proceâ—o ac eminents quippe qui inter omnes exâ—ellcret statura honesta facie laetis oculis patenti pectore
King Edward the first For his Laws who so marks them well are deep and not vulgar not made upon the Spur of a particular occasion for the present but out of providence of the future to make the estate of his people still more and more happy after the manner of the Legislators in ancient and heroicall times The Tax called Benevolence was devised by Edward the fourth for which he sustained much envy It was abolished by Richard the third by Act of Parliament to ingratiate himself with the people and it was revived by this King but with consent of Parliament for so it was not in the time of King Edward the fourth It is observed as a rule in Politicks that Dominium sequitur terram those that are the greatest proprietaries have the chief power as in Turkie because none there holds any land but during his life therefore the great Turk hath such unlimited power and so the Barons were able they say to maâ—e War with their Prince because the land was most in their and their Tenants possession Henry the seventh therefore being raised by the Nobles conceiving that those which exalted him might cast him down did abate their power and made Statutes against Retainers But Henry the eighth demolishing the Abbies distributed the lands among the people and so they again gained great power by that meanes He made a composition with Philip father to the Emperour Charles the fifth being here in England that he should deliver into his hands the Duke of Suffolke his mortall enemy who was fled out of England and saved himself in the Low Countries alwayes provided that the King should attempt nothing against the Dukes life which promise notwithstanding being ner his end he expresly by will and testament commanded his succeeding son that immediately after his decease he should cause him to be put to death Montaigne his Essayes l. 1. c. 7. There scarce passed any Parliament in this time without a Law against Riot and Retainers the King having an eye to might and multitude The King was on a time entertained by the Earl of Oxford that was his principall servant both for war and peace nobly and sumptuously at his Castle at Henninghom At the Kings going away the Earls servants stood in a seemly manner in their Livery Coats with cognizances ranged on both sides and made the King a Lane The King called the Earl to him and said My Lord I have heard much of your hospitality but I see it is greater then the speech These handsome Gentlemen and Yeomen which I see on both sides of me are sure your meniall servants The Earl smiled and said It may please your Grace that were not for mine ease They are most of them my Retainers they are come to do me service at such time as this and chiefly to see your Grace The King started a little and said By my faith my Lord I thanke you for my good chear but I may not endure to have my Lawes broken in my sight My Atturney must speake with you The Earl after compounded for a thousand marks His disposition to crush treasure out of his Subjects purses by forfeitures upon penall Lawes proved the blot of his time When among many Articles exhibited by the Irish against the Earl of Kildare the last was All Ireland cannot rule this Earl Then quoth the King shall this Earl rule all Ireland and shortly after he made him Deputy thereof Iames the fourth King of Scotland married with the Lady Margaret the Kings eldest daughter During the Treaty it is reported that the King remitted the matter to his Counsell And that some of the Table in the Freedome of Counsellors the King being present did put the case that if God should take the Kings two sons without issue that then the Kingdome of England would fall to the King of Scotland which might prejudice the Monarchy of England Whereunto the King himself replied That if that should be Scotland would be but an accession to England and not England to Scotland for that the greater would draw the less and that it was a safer union for England then that of France This was the ninth time that since the Conquest the Scottish Kings have married with the English Nation Ayscu He left at his death most of it in secret places under his own Key and keeping at Richmond the summe of near eighteen hundred thousand pounds sterling a huge mass of money even for these times His son Henry the eight by his pleasures by unprofitable Wars exhausted all that treasure in a few of the first years of his Raign He died at his Palace at Richmond which himself had built having lived two and fifty years and raigned three and twenty years and eight moneths He died and in memoriall of his name Built that fair Chappell where he now takes rest A rich foundation of a curious frame The fairest monument lest unsupprest Passing all temples of the gorgeous East O strew his Hearse with Roses red white For he both stemmes did in one unite Storâ—rs Wolseius aspirans HENRY the eighth Seven is a number fatall from the heavens But eight King Henry passing all the sevens Storers Wolseius aspirans Of personage he was tall and mighty and in his latter years somewhat gross in wit and memory excellent such majesty and humanity as was comely in such a Prince Cui natura fortunaque supra Regium nomen incomparabilis formae maxime praestantis ingenii accumulata dona contulerunt nemo enim è tota Anglica juventute vel staturae dignitate vel venustate oris vel nervorum firmitate Regem aequavit Paul Jov. Britanniae descript Huic erat à teneris annis ars bellica cordis Ut reliquas dotes condignas principe tanto Corporis atque animi non sit memor are necesse Quod fortis clemens humeris quod alitor ibat Omnibus egregia facie vultuque decoro Oclandi Anglorum praelia It hath been observed by Historians of Tiberius Emperour of Rome of Mahomet the Great Emperour of the Turks and of Henry the eight King of England that there was no security in their love but that such as were highest in their favour were nearest to ruine He brought unto the block two Queens two noble Ladies one Cardinall declared of Dukes Marquesses Earls and the sons of Earls no fewer then twelve Lords and Knights eighteen of Abbots and Priors thirteen Monks and religious persons about seventy seven and many more of both Religions to a very great number Dr. Heylins Ecclesia Restaurata That is a tart expression of Sir Walter Rauleigh in his Preface to his History of the world If all the pictures and patterns of a merciless Prince were lost in the world they might all again be painted to life out of the Story of this King How many wives did he cut off and cast off as his fancy and affection changed When he was