the great Impoverishment of Italy and the lands of the empire in the fortieth yeare of the King landed in England upon Innocents day in Christmas Richard Earle of Cornwall crowned Emperour weeke divers Princes of the Empyre and did their homage to Richard Earle of Cornwale as King of the Romans and Emperour who upon Ascention day after was crowned in Aquisgrane verifying Abroad the second whelp for prey will rore Beyond the Alps and to * Meaning the Eagle Ioves bird restore Her decai'd plumes In the 41 yeare about Saint Barabas day in the moneth of Iune the king called his high The mad Parliament Court of Parliament at Oxford which was called the mad parliament because in it divers Acts were concluded against the Kings pleasure for the reformation of the state for which after great dissention grew betwixt the King and his Nobles called the Barons Wars which proved the perishing of many of the Peeres and almost the ruine of the whole Realme for in that Session were chosen twelve Peeres whom they called the Douz Peeres who had full Commission to correct and reforme whatsoever was done amisse in the Kings Court the Courts of Iustice and Exchequer throughout Twelve of the Nobilitie chosen and called the Douz Peeres the Land to whose power the King and Prince Edward his sonne signed and assented unto though somewhat against their wills of all which passages such as would be fully satisfied I referre them to our English Chronicles or to Michael Draytons Poem of the Barâ—…ns Warres wherein they are amply discoursed and my narrow limits will not give mee leave to relate them at large yet I borrow permission to insist a little further on one particular All things being in combustion betwixt the The Baroâ—…s Letter to the King King and his Peeres and their Armies assembled on both sides the Barons framed a Letter to the King to this purpose To the most excellent Lord King Henry by the grace of God King of England Lord of Ireland Duke of Guian c. The Barons and other your faithfull servants their fidelity and oath to God and you coveting to keep sending due saluting with all reverence and honour under due obeysance c. Liketh it your Highnesse to understand that many being about you have before time shewed unto your Lordship of us many evill and untrue reports and have found suggestions not onely of us but also of your selfe to bring your Realme to subversion Know your excellency that we intend nothing but health and security to your person to the uttermost of our powers And not onely to our enemies but also yours and all this your Realme wee intend utter grievance and correction beseeching your grace hereafter to give to them little credence for you shall find us your true and faithfull subjects to the uttermost of our powers And wee Simon Mountfort Earle of Leceister and High Steward of England and Gilbert Clare Earle of Glocester at the request of others and for our selves have put to our Seals the 10. of May. To which Letter the King framed this Answer The Kings answer to the Barons Letter Henry by the grace of God King of England Lord of Ireland and Duke of Guian to Simon de Mountfort and Gilbert de Clare and their Complices Whereas by Warre and generall disturbance in this our Realme by you begunne and continued with also burnings and other enormities it evidently appeares that your fidelity to us due you have not kept nor the security of our person litle regarded for so much as our Lords and other our trusty friends which daily abide with us yee vexe and grieve and them pursue to the utmost of your powers and yet daily intend as you by the report of your Letters have us ascertained we the griefe of them admit and take for our owne especially when they for their fidelity which they to us daily impend stand and abide by us to suppresse your infidelity and untroth Wherefore of your favour and assurance we set little store but you as our enemies we utterly defie Witnesse our selfe at our Towne of Lewis the twelfth of May. Moreover Richard his Brother King of the Romans who was come over into England with his wife and son with Prince Edward and other Lords about the King sent them another Letter Richard the Emperour and Prince Edwards Letter to the Barons the tenour whereof was this Richard by the grace of Gâ—…d King of the Romans semper Augustus and Edward the Noble first begotten sonne of the King of England and all other Barons firmly standing and abiding with our Soveraigne Lord the King To Simonde Mountfort and Gilbert de Clare and all other their false fellowes c. By the Letters which yee sent to our Soveraigne Lord wee understand that wee are defied of you neverthelesse this word of defiance appeared to us sufficiently before by the deprivation and burning of our Mannors and carrying away of our goods wherefore we will that yee understand that we defie you as our mortall and publicke enemies and whensoever we may come to the revengement of the injuries that you to us have done wee shall requite it to the utmost of our power and where yee put upon us that neither true nor good counsell to our Soveraigne Lord we give you therein say falsely and untruely and if that saying yee Sir Simon de Mountfort and Sir Gilbert de Clare will testifie in the Court of our Soveraign Lord we are ready to purchase to your surety and safe comming that there wee may prove our true and faithfull innocency and your false and trayterous lying Witnessed with the Seales of Richard King of the Romans and Sir Edward Prince before named Given at Lewes the twelfth of May. The successe of the Battaile followeth in the next Chapter CHAP. 18. The deaths of Henry the third and Richard Earle of Cornwale King of the Romans Prince Edwards victories in the Holy Land his Coronation the prophesie of his Raigne his first reducing of Wales under his dominion for ever the beginning of his warres in Scotland c. WHen the Barons had received these letters they were resolved to try it out by the sword on wednesday being the 24 day of May early in the morning both hoasts met where the Londoners who took part with the Barons gave the first assault but were beaten back some-what to the The battaile betwixt the King and the Barons dismay of the Barons Army but they cheared their fresh and lusty Souldiers in such wise that they valiantly came on by whose brave resolution those before discomfited resumed their former strength and vertue fighting without fear in so much that the Kings vaward gave back left their places in this battaile the father spared not the sonne nor the sonne the father such was the misery of those home bred wars in so much that the field was every where strowed with dead bâ—…dyes for
was surprized in Nottingham Castle though the keyes were day and night in his owne keeping and sent to the Tower who was accused of the Lords of the Parliament of these particulars following first of the bloudy murder of Edward of Carnarvan in Berkley Castle secondly that he had confederated with the Scots against the honour of the King thirdly that hee had received great summes of money from Sir Iames Douglas Captaine of the Scots delivering unto him the Charter called Ragman to the Scots great advantage and impoverishing of England Fourthly that hee had ingrost into his hands much of the Kings treasure which he had riotously wasted to his owne use by which meanes the King was forc't to borrow of his friends fiftly that he was more private and familiar with Queene Isabel the Kings Mother then was to Gods pleasure and the Kings honour of which Articles being convicted hee was by authority of the said Parliament judged to death and upon Saint Andrews Eve following at London drawne and hanged In his fourth yeere about the beginning of August Sir Edward Baliol the sonne of Sir Iohn The death of Mortimer Baliol sometime King of Scots obtained such favour of King Edward that with the aide of Sir Henry Beaumont Sir David Stocley Sir Iefferey Mowbray and two thousand Englishmen they entred Scotland by Sea where drew to them such multitude that in short time Sir Edward was Lord of a great Hoast and kept his way till he came to a place called Gladismore or as some write Crakismore where hee was encountred with the power of Scotland where betwixt them was fought a sharpe and cruell Sr. Edward Balioll crowned K. of Scots battaile in which a great multitude of the Natives was slaine by reason whereof hee was crowned King at the Towne of Stone shortly after and met with the King at New-castle where Edward received of him fealty and homage for the Crowne of Scotland but soone after the Scots laid plots against his life which he narrowly escaped being forc't to flie from place to place and hide himselfe which King Edward hearing with a strong army pierced K. Edward of England besiegeth Barwick the Realme of Scotland and laid siege to the Towne of Barwick Upon the nineteenth of Iuly the Scots with a mighty power made thither with purpose to remove the siege whom King Edward met and encountred on Halidon Hill giving them battaile over whom he had a triumphant victory insomuch that hee slue of them seven Earles nine hundred Knights and Bannerets four hundred The famous battaile at Hallidowne Hill Esquires and of the common people two and thirty thousand in which battail were slain of the English but 15 persons after which glorious victory the Captaine of Barwick the morrow following being Saint Margarets day yielded to the King both the Town and Castle which verifies that mauger the Canicular Tyke Tweed shall he passe and set his foot in Wyke Tyke is that which the Northerne men call a Dogge and by the Canicular Tyke is meant the Dog-starre Tweed is the water which parteth the two Kingdomes of England and Scotland and by Wyke as is before remembred meant the Towne of Barwicke I onely capitulate this one battaile of many against the Scots purposing the like compendiousnesse in his famous victories over the French During the dissention betwixt the two Kings of England and France which by no mediation could be atton'd though there were many meetings English ships taken by the French to that purpose the French King sent a strong Navy to Sea to take our English Merchants and encountred with two good ships of England called the Edward and the Christopher and after nine houres fight in which were slaine of both parties about sixe hundred men the two ships were taken and all the wounded Englishmen alive cast overboard into the Sea after King Edward in his fifteenth yeere in the moneth of Iune tooke shipping and sayled towards Flanders where met him Sir Robert Morley with the North Navy of England so that his Fleet consisted of three hundred sayle and at Midsomer upon Saint Iohns Eve hee met and fought with the French Navy which were foure hundred saile which lay in waite for him â—…eere to the Towne cald Sluce their chiefe Admirals were Sir Hugh Querret Sir Nicholas Buchet and Barbe Nore in English black beard The French Admirals Betwixt these two Royall Fleets was a strong and bloudy fight which continued for the space of eight houres before it could be distinguisht which way the victory was likely to incline yet in the end by Gods mercy and the manhood of the King the French were chaced and many of their ships burned and taken amongst which were the ships of the two Admirals Querret and Buchet who maugre the French were hanged up in their owne Vessels and amongst the rest were recovered the Edward and the Christopher manned with the French in this battaile the King himselfe was sore wounded in the thigh and of the French were slain thirty thousand A glorious Sea-victory in that one Navall conflict soon after or as some write a little time before by the advice of his confederate Princes hee layed claime to the Crowne of France as his rightfull inheritance King Edward lays claime to the Crowne of France and for the more authority to countenauce itâ—… hee quartered the English Lions with the French Flower de Lyces as they remaine to this day so that we see Neptune his Navall Triumphs did advance and He his Coat quarters with the Arms of France I am forc't to intermit many and divers conflicts and skirmishes with winning of Forts and Castles Challenges that past betwixt the two Kings with the particular valours and noble Gests of sundry of our Nation to relate which would aske a voluminous Tractate where my confinement is to a meer epitomy of Chronicle passing over all accidents saving what are most remarkable which brings me to the eighteenth yeere of his Reigne In which at a Parliament King Edwards eldest son created Prince of Wales held at West minster his eldest sonne Edward was created Prince of Wales and he in the yeer following first instituted the famous renowmed Order of the Garter which was solemnized at Windsor as it is continued to this day In his one and twentieth yeere hee landed in Normandy The Order of the Garter first instituted and burnt and spoyled all the Country before him wasting the Province of Constantine Then he laid siege to Caan the chief City and wonne it and amongst other he took there prisoners the Constable of France and the Kings Chamberlaine and all the spoyle of the City which was held to be inestimable and sent to his ships which was conveighed into England He then entred France and coasted towards Paris to Vernon to Poysie to Saint German still wasting as hee went Then hee tooke and made use of all the Kings Royall Mannors
and Palaces and drunke his Wine and occupied all such stuffe and necessaries as he there found and after his departing set them on fire as Saint German Mount-joy Pezzy c. In so much that the French King thinking it a great dishonour both to him and the whole Nation that the English should pierce the heart of his Kingdom unfought with hee therefore assembled all his prime Chevalry and met with the English farre inferiour to them in number neere to a town called Cressie and upon the twentie sixt of August was fought betwixt them a sharpe and The famous field of Cressy wonne by the English bloudy battaile in which at the end King Edward was the triumphant Victor where were at that time slaine of the French party The King of Bohemia sonne to Henry the Emperour the seventh of that name with the Duke of Loraine the Earle of Alonson brother to the King Charles Earle of Bloys the Earles of Flanders Sancer Harcourt and of Fiennes with divers other to the number of eight Bishops and Earls with seventeene Lords of name and of Bannerets Knights and Esquires more then sixteene hundred so that their owne Chroniclers report that the flower of France perisht in that battail besides of the commons above eight thousand and the French King with a small company sore wounded fled to a Towne called Bray and The French King wounded there lay the night following Whom King Edward pursued not being advertised of another great host comming towards him and therefore he kept the field and A second battell set watches and made great fires thorow the host and so continued till the munday following upon which day early in the morning appeared to them a new army of French men of which they slew more in number than the Saturday before and then having given thanks unto God for his great victorie he marches towards Bulloine and thence to Calais to which K. Edward besiegeth Calais he laid siege for the space of a whole yeare then came the French King with a numerous Army to remove him but before his comming it was Calais won by the English yeelded to King Edward so that hee departed thence sad and ashamed But King Edward staied in the towne a month and removed all the old Inhabitants which were French and stored it with English but especially Kentish men and having set all things in order hee sailed with great tâ—…iumph into England and arrived at London the twentie third day of October where he was magnificently received of the Citizens and so conveyed unto Westminster We have hither to spoke only of the father it followes that some thing should be said of the son the unparallel'd Edward Prince of Wales Why Prince Edward was called the Black Prince not for his complexion but for his terrour in battell surnamed the Black Prince who whilst his father rested him in Calais with a puissant host entred Gascoyne and made spoyle at his pleasure through the whole Country and with great riches and many noble prisoners hee retyred himselfe to Burdeaux and though the Earls of Armineck and of Foyz of Poytiers and Cleremont with Iames de Burbon and many other Knights who had double the number to the Prince were in his way yet passed he from Tholous to Nerbon and from Nerbon to Burdeaux without battaile where having reposed himself awhile and rested his army he sent many of his prisoners into England and there entred the province of Berray and therein made sharpe warre which King Iohn of France hearing he gathered a mighty number of people and made towards the Prince who in the mean season was passed the River of Loyer and encountred by divers of the Nobility of France betwixt whom was a sharp conflict but the fortune of the day fell to the Prince who slue many of his enemies P. Edward victorious against the French and took divers prisoners as the Lord of Craou and others of note to the number of fifty foure whom he had sent to safe custody in Burdeaux and himselfe sped to Towres whither also K. Iohn came against the prince who took his way to Poytiers where we for a while leave him upon his march c. CHAP. 22. The famous Battaile of Poytiers fought by Edward sirnamed the Black Prince in which he tooke Iohn the French King prisoner His other victories in France His conquest in Spaine The death of the victorious Prince Edward King Edward the Thirds death and Epitaph Richard the second made King a prediction of his Reigne The insurrection of the Commons The memorable Act of William Walworth Lord Major c. WE left Prince Edward upon his march toward Poytiers in keeping which way a French Army encountred A second battail against the French him but he chaced their multitude and besides many slaine took of them forty prisoners amongst which were the Earle of Sancer the Earle of Iurigny the Lord Chasterlin Master of the Kings palace and a Knight called Sir Guilliam de Daneham whom hee also sent to his rendevouz at Burdeaux and soone after hee lodged him and his Hoast neer Poytiers so that the Fronts of both Hoasts lay within a quarter of a mile each of other betwixt whom the Cardinall of Pernigvort sent from pope Innocent the sixt laboured to make a peace but finding his endevour frustrate hee retyred himselfe to Poityers to attend the successe of the battaile which was fought upon Monday the nineteenth of September in the yeere of Grace one thousand The famous battail of Poytiers three hundred fifty six and the sixt yeer of Ring Iohn the manner followeth The Duke of Athenes with such of the Nobility as were in the Kings Vaward about two aclocke in the afternoone set upon the English Hoast which was strongly munified with wood and trees in the manner of a Barricadoe so that the French Cavalry could not approch them but the shot of the English Archers was so violent that it overturned horse and man and whilest the Duke of Athenes with Sir Iohn Cleremont Marshall of France and others assaulted the prince and his people on one side The Duke of Normandy King Iohns eldest son and the Duke of Orleance the Kings brother set upon him on another part which two Dukes were Leaders of two strong Armies But these The manner of the battaile three battails did little harme to the English for by reason of their arrows the French were so gauled and wounded that they fled to the great dismay and discomfort of the King and the rest of his people Who then in person came on with his mayn Hoast but the English kept themselves whole without scartering and received them on the points of their weapons with such dexterity and courage that the French were forc't to give back of which the English taking the advantage rowted their whole Army in which battaile Noble men of France slaine in the battaile were
sundry of the Nobility then made their residence who hearing thereof assembled also a sufficient Army and sped towards Saint Albons of which the Duke of Yorke being advertised hee also made thither and was at one end of the Town whilst the King and his people were at the other and this was on the three and twentieth day of May the Thursday before Whitsonday Now whilst a Treaty of peace was communed upon the one part the Earle of Warwicke with the Marchmen The battail at S. Albons entred the Towne upon the other end and fought eagerly against the Kings people so that both the battails joyn'd and continued the fight for many houres but in the end the victory fell to the Duke of Yorke and of the Kings side were slaine the Duke of Somerset the Earle of The King taken Northumberland and the Lord Clifford with many honourable Knights and Gentlemen The morrow after the Duke with great honour and reverence conveighed the King backe to London and lodged him in the Bishops Palace then called a parliament at Westminster by authority whereof the Duke of Yorke was Yorke made Protector made protector of the Realme the Earle of Salisbury Chancelour and the Earle of Warwick Captaine of Callis and all such as were in authority about the king removed and the Queeene and her Counsaile who before swayed all vilified and set at nought But shee out of her great policy insinuated with divers Lords who were of her faction and disdaining the rule the Duke bore in the Realme by the name of protector as if the King were insufficient to governe A sodaine change the state which as shee thought was great dishonour to him and disparagement to her she made such friends of the Lords both spirituall and temporall that the Duke was shortly discharged of his protectorship and the Earle of Salisbury of his Chancellourship which was the cause of much combustion after So that it appeares A Tigresse then in title onely proud In the Lambes bosome seeks her selfe to shroud A seeming Saint at first meeke and devout But in small time her fiercenesse will break out Nor can her rav'nous fury be withstood Vntill through sated with best English blood Which will manifestly appeare in the sequell for she causing the king to remove from The Queens practise against the Lords London to Coventry the Duke of Yorke was sent for thither by a privy Seale with the Earles of Warwicke and Salisbury whose lives were ambusht in the way of which they having notice escaped the danger After a day of meeting was appoynted at London whither the Lords came with great traines at their heeles and the Earle of Warwicke with a strong band of men from Callis in red Iackets and white ragged sleeves upon them but by reason of the strength the Lords had nothing was attempted against them but a dissembled peace was made betwixt the two factions which being tyed with Against the Earle of Warwicke a small and slender thred it happened that in a private quarrell a servant of the Earle of Warwicks hurt one of the kings servants upon which the Earle comming from the Counsaile to take his barge the kings family rudely set upon him and the blacke guard assaulted him with their spits where divers of his followers were sore hurt and hee himselfe dangerously wounded with great difficulty escaped but hee got into London and from thence sailed to Callis He thus secured the Queen then aymed at the life of his Father the Earle of Salisbury who set upon him the Lord Audley with a Against the Earle of Salisbury strong Company to way-lay him in his comming towards the City who mending his traine kept on his journey and upon Blore-heath they met both and after a bloody conflict the Lord Audley with many of his followers were slaine and two of the Earles sonnes wounded who in their way home were surprized by some of the Queenes faction and sent prisoners to Chester Vpon which the Duke with the Lords assembled themselves for their owne security and the Earle of Warwick came with a band of men Andrew Trollop persidious to the Lords from Callis of which he made one Andrew Trollop Captaine against whom the King gathered a strong hoast and came to Ludlow where the Lords were incampt but the night before the battaile this Andrew with his Callis souldiers left the Lords and joyned with the Kings Army At which the Lords were much discouraged because hee was privy to all their purposes wherefore they left their Tents standing and fled The Duke of Yorke tooke The Lords flie and leave the King Master of the field shipping for Ireland the rest escaped into Gernsay by the meanes of one Iohn Dinham an Esquire who brought them a ship which Dinham was after made Treasurer of England so that the King was made Master of the field the Dutchesse of York with her Children taken prisoners in Ludlow and sent to her sister the Dutchesse of Buckingham where she remained long after and the Lords proclaimed Traytors and their goods and Lands forfeited and seised into the Kings hands but at length the tide turned For the Lords being favoured by the Commons who much murmured at the proceeding of the Q. her counsaile again entred the land upon the ninth of Iuly encountred the Kings hoast at Northampton where after long fight the victory fell to the Earle of Salisbury and the Lords of his party where the Kings Hoast was discomfitted and hee taken in the field after The battaile at Northampton many of his Nobility were slaine amongst whom were the Duke of Buckingham the Earle of Shrewsbury the Vicount Beaumont the Lord Tiremond c. After which victory they returned to London and brought with them the King keeping his estate then sent for the Duke of York out of Ireland In the mean time they called a parliament during which the Duke of Yorke came to Westminster and lodged in the Kings palace upon which grew a rumour that Henry should be deposed and the Duke of York made King one day the Duke came into the parliament Chamber and in the presence of all the Lords sate him downe in the kings seat and claimed the Crowne as his rightfull inheritance The pride of the Duke of Yorke at which there was great murmuring amongst the Lords but after divers Counsailes held it was concluded that Henry should continue king during his naturall life and after his death his sonne Prince Edward to bee set apart and the Duke of Yorke and his Heires to bee kings and he to bee admitted protector of the king and Regent of the Realme and upon saturday following being the ninth of November and thirty ninth of king Henry the Duke was The Duke proclaimed heire apparant to the Crowne proclaymed through the City Heire apparant to the Crowne and his Progeny after him And because Queen Margaret with her Son Prince
lodging at Westminster and soon after was King Henry brought riding in a long gown of Blue Velvet and conveyed through Cheape unto Westminster and thence to King Henry again committed to the tower the Tower where he remayned all his life time after thus we find by the premisses The Beare who th'exil'd Tigresse meets in France Vowes the suppressed Lambe againe to advance And from the Coop where he hath long bin pent To raise him to his former government All which hapned according to the former prediction as also the sequell The Lion the land flying with a small And slender train the ragged Staffe sways all But the Bears fiereenesse shall be soon all aid As one that is halfe conquered halfe betraid That is half conquered by the prowesse of King Edward and betraid by his perfidious brother the D. of Clarence Edward thus having repossest the Kingdome provided against the landing of Queen Margaret and her sonne who notwithstanding with an army of Frenchmen entred the Land as farre as Teuxbury where the King met her and chaced her house and slue The battaile at Teuxbury many of them in which battaile was taken her sonne Edward and brought to the King who demanding some questions and he not answering him to his minde the King strook him over the face with his Gauntlet upon which hee was drag'd into a withdrawing room and there slaine by the Duke of Glocester In the same The murder of P. Edward yeere upon Ascension eve was the corps of Henry the sixt late King brought unreverently from the Tower through the high streets of the City unto Pauls and there left for that night and on the morrow conveyed with bils and staves and King Henry stabd to death in the tower the like weapons unto Chelsey and there without any solemne ceremony enterred who was stabd with a Dagger in the Tower by the hands of the foresaid Richard Duke of Glocester So that the Lambe the Beare did late restore Again coopt up was murdred by a Bore For the Bore was the Cognizance belonging to the said Duke when King Edward had thus subdued his enemies He sent over the miserable and distressed Queene Margaret into her owne Countrey whence shee never returned into this Kingdome after In the seventeenth yeere of the King the Duke of Clarence his second brother The murder of the Duke of Clarence was for some displeasure taken against him committed to the Tower where hee not remayned long but hee was secretly drowned in a But of Malmsey as it was commonly voic'd by the instigation of the Duke of Glocester I let passe the rest of this Kings Reigne in which hapned no great matter of remarke or consequence so that after his many victories for hee was never The death of K. Edward the Fourth conquered in any battaile hee governed the Realme in great tranquillity and quietnesse and expired the eleventh of Aprill in the yeere of the Incarnation of our Lord one thousand foure hundred fourscore and three after he had raigned full two and twenty yeeres and as much as from the fourth of March to the eleventh of Aprill whose corps was conveyed to VVindsor and there with all due and solemne Ceremony interred leaving two sonnes Prince Edward the eldest and Richard Duke of Yorke the younger with three Daughters Elizabeth after Queene Sicily and Katharine Edward the fift of that name and sonne to Edward the Fourth at eleven yeeres of age began his Reigne the eleventh of Aprill in the beginning of the yeer of our Lord God one thousand foure hundred fourescore and then of whom and his Uncle Richard Duke of Glocester the prediction followeth The Prophesie From the Herculean Lion lately sphear'd And in his Orbe to Iove himself indear'd Shall shine two stars without eclipse or cloud But they as to some sacred offering vow'd Shall perish on the Altar ere they grow To that full splendor which the world they owe A bunch-back'd monster who with teeth is born The mockery of art and natures scorn Who from the wombe preposterously is hurld And with feet forward thrust into the world Shall from the lower earth on which he stood Wade every step he mounts here deep in blood He shall to th' height of all his hopes aspire And cloth'd in state his ugly shape admire But when he thinks himself most safe to stand From forreigne parts a native Whelpshal land Who shall the long divided blood unite By joyning of the Red Rose with the white Edward the Fourth yielding his due to nature Hatred betwixt the King and Queenes kindred the long concealed grudge betwixt the King and the Queenes Allies began to vent it self for the Marquesse Dorset brother to the widowed Queene with others of her proximity had then the Guardianship of the young King who being in the Marches of VVales conveyed him towards London to make provision for his Coronation but the Duke of Glocester who intended otherwise attended with a company of Northern Gentlemen all in mourning met with the King at Stony-stratford and after a dissembled greeting betwixt him and the Marquesse dischardged him of his Office and Marquesse Dorset discharged of his Guardianship tooke upon himselfe the government of the king and thence accompanied with the Duke of Buckingham who was in great favour with the people brought him with all honour toward London whereof hearing Queene Elizabeth mother to the King and fearing the sequel she with her younger sonne the Duke of Yorke and her daughter Elisabeth tooke Sanctuary at VVestminster meane time the king was royally met by the Citizens of London and through The Queene taketh Sanctuary the City brought to the Bishop of Londons palace and there lodged Then the Duke of Glocester so wrought with Bouchier Archbishop of Canterbury that hee went with him to the Queene who upon the Archbishops faith and promise of his safety delivered The young Duke of York delivered to the Archbishop and Duke of Glocester to them the D. of Yorke then the Duke caused the king and his brother to be removed to the Tower and the Duke lodged himselfe in Crosby House in Bishopsgate street and great preparation was made for the yong kings Coronation in which time the Duke of Glocester being made Protector caused Sir Anthony VVoodvile Lord Scales the Queenes brother the Lord Richard the Queenes son Sir Richard Hawt and Sir Thomas to be beheaded at Pomfret more out of his owne tyranny then any The protectors tyranny trespasse by them committed next to further his aspiring purpose Hee covertly sounded the hearts of the Nobility how they stood affected and to that end cold many counsailes and amongst others he found the Lord Hastings then Lord Chamberlaine constant to the supporture of king Edward the Fourths Issue Upon the thirteenth of Iune being in the Counsel Chamber at the Tower with the Duke of Buckingham the Earle of Derby the Lord A
But none without their faults since Adams fal He shall have many vertues but not all Who never spares for who can fraeilty trust Man in his rage or woman in his lust CHAP. 32. Prince Henry married to his brothers wife Hee winneth Turwin and Turney in France Floden-Field with the famous victory against the Scots Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke marrieth the French Queene the Kings sister The Emperour Charles the fift made Knight of the Garter Peace with France Both Kings defie the Emperour The death of Cardinall Wolsey Henry divorced from his first wife Marrieth the Lady Anne Bulloigne Her death He marrieth the Lady Iane Seimour He revolteth from Rome The Earle of Hartfords victories in Scotland Bulloigne besieged and wonne HEnry the Seventh who was loth to part with the Dower of the Spanish princesse wrought so by a Dispensation from the pope that his sonne prince Henry was married to the late Widdow of his own brother prince Arthur deceased who comming to the Crown some say by the counsell of his Father on his death-bed put to death Empson and Dudley who had gathered a great masse of money into the Kings treasury by exacting and extorting from the Commons of whom they were extreamly hated for which piece of justice he wonne the hearts of the people and soone after was borne at Richmond upon New yeares The birth and death of prince Henry day prince Henry the Kings sonne who died upon S. Matthews day the yeere following and soon after was the Lord Dacres sent into Spaine to aide the King against the Moores and Sir Edward Poynings into Gelderland to aide the prince of Castile And in his fourth yeere the King in person invaded France and tooke Turwin and Turney having discomfited the French King Henry aydeth Spaine invadeth France Floden Field in which the K. of Scots was slain Hoast at a place called Blewmy during which time the Scotch King raised against England an hundred thousand men whom the Earle of Surry the Kings Lievtenant encountred at a place called Flodden in which battaile the King himselfe was slaine with eight Bishops and eleven Earles besides of the common souldiers innumerable for which service by him done King Henry created him Duke of Norfolke and his sonne Earle of Surrey In his sixt yeere a peace was concluded betwixt England and France and in the seventh Peace betwixt England and France yeere the French King espoused the Lady Mary the Kings sister in the moneth of Iune and died upon New yeares day next ensuing wherefore The birth of the Lady Mary Charles Brandon married to the French Queen Mary the kings sister the King sent for her againe by Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke In February was borne the Lady Mary the Kings Daughter at Greenwich and in Aprill the French Queene came over into England and was married to the foresaid Duke of Suffolke in which yeere also Margaret Queene of Scots the Kings sister fled into England and lay at a place called Hare-bottle where she was delivered of a daughter called Margaret and came to London in May and tarried here a whole yeer and upon the eighth of May following returned again into her Country In October the tenth yeer of the King the Admirall An enteâ—… view betwixt the Kings of England and France of France came into England and Tournay was delivered againe to the French King whom after Henry met between Arde and Guiens where were great Triumphs after there was a solemne meeting betwixt the Emperour and Charles the fift and the King of England who went with him to Graveling and after hee went to Calice with the King where hee was royally entertained and feasted who in the thirteenth of the King the sixt of Iune was honourably received Charles the fift Emperor made Knight of the Garter into the City of London by the Lord Major the Aldermen and the Communalty who from London went to meet the King at Windsore where he was made Knight of the Garter which was done with great solemnity and then from Southampton hee sailed into Spain soone after Christian King of Denmarke came into England and had Royall entertainment from the King During these passages the Earle of Surrey Lord Admirall who before had appeased the tumults and manifold combustions stirred up in Britain Picardy France invaded by the English Ireland burnt divers Townes in Britaine and Picardy and the Duke of Suffolke invaded France with 10000 men and passing the River of Some spoyled many Towns and Villages and returned without opposition and the Duke of Albany in Scotland who before had made a vain e attempr against England besieged the Castle of Wark but hearing of the Earle of Surreys marching towards him he fled into his Countrey In the eighteenth yeere of the King Cardinall Cardinall Wolsey Embassadour into France Wolsey went over into France pompously attended where he concluded a league betwixt the King of England and the French King who both defied the Emperour and sent an Army into Italy to make war against him and upon the nineteenth of October the great Master of England and France defied the Emperour France came over to England to ratifie the League made betwixt the two Kings all which verifie that part of the prediction Rouze him shall this fierce Lion in his den Be favoured of the gods and fear'd of men Gallia shall quake Albania stand in awe And Caesars stoop when he but shews his paw To league with him Hesperia shall take pride Those whom the Africke Moores halfe blacke have dyde By Albania is meant Seotland so called from Albanactus the second sonne of Brute the first King thereof and by Hesperia Spaine who after the African Moores had long possessed the greatest part of the Land by enterchangable merceage betwixt them and the Natives the Spaniards are black and tawny even to this day In the one and twentieth yeare the King having cast his eye upon a new Mistris pretending A divorce sought by the King betwixt him and Queen Katherine a matter of conscience hee began to consider with himselfe that hee had long incestucusly lived with his brothers wife for which cause the Legats of Rome met with the King at Black Fryers about the lawfulnesse or unlawfulnesse of that marriage Amongst the rest Cardinall Wolsey standing stiffe against a Divorce in October following was discharged of his Chancellourship and presently after was a peace concluded betwixt the Emperour and the King and in the yeere after the great Cardinall who had been arrested of high Treason and by that meanes forfeited his infinite estate to the The death of Card. Wolsey King died on Saint Andrews in a poore Fryery not without suspition of poyson After by a legall course and due processe of Law the king was divorced from the Lady Katherine his brothers wife and soone after married to the Lady Anne Bulloigne who upon The King married
fifty five yeeres And from the Reigne of Severus to the first yeere of Gratian one huadred fourscore and three and from the first of Gratian to the last yeare of their great misery before expressed forty three yeeres so that from the time that Iulius Caesar made this Isle of Britaine first tributary to the Roman Empire to the comming in of Constantine amounteth to foure hundred and one and thirty yeares after this small digression and yet worthy observation I returne to the passages and proceeding in this Land of An exact computation of the times Britaine and how it was governed The Archbishop with the Lords of this Realme having sealed to the Covenants before named they returned with a sufficient army under the conduct and command of Duke Constantius and safely arrived at Totnesse in Devonshire the place where Brute landed the first Prince and Planter of this Island whither assembled all the flower of the Nation who before were compeld to hide themselves in Dens and Caves and to seeke shelter amongst Rocks and Mountaines by whose power and martiall prowesse all the enemies of the Land were rowted and chaced not one daring to shew his head After which victory the Land being againe setled in peace and quietnesse they conveighed their Captain Constantine to the tower of Kaercegent now called Cicester and according to their former Covenants made with Aldroenus saluted him as their Chiefe Lord Sovereigne and there crowned him King in the Constantine King of the Britaines yeare of our blessed Saviours Incarnation foure hundred and three and thirty This Constantine governed the Realme with great manhood and policie so that he was not more beloved at home then dreaded abroad notwithstanding of any forreign atchievement done by Him the English Annals make no mention neither of any memorable thing performed by Him in His owne Kingdome save that He kept it in great tranquillity and rest and that He received by His Wife three sonnes the eldest named Constant or Constantius the second Constantines Royall Issue Aurelius Ambrofius the third Vterpendragon all which in processe succeeded Him in the Sovereignty But for Constance the eldest being somwhat heavy and dull witted thinking Him not able to take upon Him any Regall Soveraignty especially to govern so noble a Nation He caused Him to be shorne a Monke and put him into the Monastery of Saint Amphiable after cald Saint Swithins at Winchester and the other two How he disposed of his children being then but yong children Hee committed to Guardianship of the before-remembred Gosselin Archbishop of London In the Court of this Constantine was a certain Pict or Scot much favoured by the King and on whom hee had conferd many graces and Honours making him of His Closet Counsell and a partaker with Him in all his secrets which perfidious and ingratefull traitour watching his opportunity slue Him in his Chamber when he had ten years ruled the Land The death of K. Constantine There lived at that time in the Land a potent Duke called Vortigerus or Vortigernus who Vortiger or Vortigern was a man wondrously politick and exceedingly ambitious who taking the advantage of the time knowing the stupidity of the eldest sonne and the inability of the two yonger in regard of their minority to reigne He coloured his aspiring to the Crown by a notable project for hee pretending the right of the eldest brother had it as a matter of conscience to make Him King and therefore tooke him out of the former Monastery and invested him in the Throne in the year of Grace foure hundred forty three by which means he had the sole management of Constantius made K. of Britain the whole Kingdome and Constantine the name only whom after hee in short time supplanted and reigned in his stead in whose dayes Ambrosius Merlinus the subject of our discourse was born and uttered his predictions c. CHAP. 6. A necessary digression shewing the lives and reigns of 33 Kings of Britain scarce mentioned by any of our English remembrancers with an exact computation of the times c. TO make the former passages the more plain to the Reader it is fit to keep a true computation of the Times and looking back into our former historicall narration perfect those things which were left doubtfull especially in the Inter-regnum before spoken of In which the names of many Kings Princes and Governours of the Kingdome were conceald Divers Historiographers who write the passages of those times reck on from the last yeer of Eliodure to the first of Hely the father of K. Lud 186 yeers during Of three and thirty Kings before scarce remembred which times here raigned 33 Kings according to Galfridus and others whose names thus follow Gorbovinian whom Lanquet the Chronicler calleth Reygay son to Garbomanus reignned Gorbovinian for the term of ten yeers after him Morgan 14 yeers whom succeeded Emerianus or Emerian Morgan Emerianus who held the pincipaliâ—…y seven Iuall called also Ivall followed him and swayed the Scepter Ivall twenty after whom came Rimo and held the Dominion over the Britains 16 after whose expiration Rimo Geruntius was by the generall suffrage Geruntius of the peers and people admitted to the throne and governed in greatpeace and prosperity 20 compleat yeers who uo sooner expired but they made election of Catellus or Catel who ruled without any great molestation or disturbance Catellus ten and then left the Dominion to Coill who Coil ruled with great humanity and gentlenes for the space of 20 yeeres and dying in a mature age yielded up the crown and Scepter into the hands of Porrex who kept and maintained them Porrex though with some difficulty five yeers resigning the principality to Cherimus who tyrannizing Cherimus over the people was supplanted being compeld to yield up al his power and authority after he had governed but 12 months into the hands of Fulgen or Fulgentius who kept it peaceably Fulgentius and to the great liking and applause both of the Nobles and Commons three yeeres and some odde moneths who had no sooner yielded to the common fate due to all mortality but Eliud by some writers cald Eldred stept into his room Eliud or Eldred but enjoyed it but for a short season for he died within the compasse of one yeer after hee came to take upon him the Sovereignty Then Androgeus aspired unto the Regall dignitie Androgeus but bore him so proudly and haughtily in his Soveraignty that his subjects unanimous consented and made an insurrection against him surprizing him in his palace and forcing him to give up his Sword Scepter after he had tyrannized one whole yeer to his sonne Vrian who Vrian sate in the Throne but three yeers and then yielded up his due to Nature after whom Eliud was invested in the state who as the rest of his predecessors
Eliud left little or nothing behind him worthy memory and when he had been King five yeers departed this life Galfridus reckoneth 3 other Kings Three Kings by some Authors not admitted successively to follow Eliud namely Dedacus Cloterus and Gurginetus but Lanquet an Author well approved will not admit them into his Chronicle I therefore proceed with the rest It is agreed by all that Merianus was King and two yeares enjoyed the principality but of what condition Merianus hee was there is left no memory to posteritie Four yeers also reigned his successor Bledinus whom some call Bladunus a man raised to that honor by his Bledinus valor but being discended from obscure parentage therefore not knowing himself wel in his greatnes as is commonly seene by many it was the cause of shortning both of his life sovereignty for he was slain by the treason of his owne servants of whose treacherous murder Capenus taking advantage being Capenus a potent Lord and in great opinion with the people hee so far insinuated into their affections that with an unanimous suffrage they proclaimed him King for his predecessor died and left no heire behind him in which authority hee demeaned himself like a royall and worthy Prince and when hee had swayed the Scepter thâ—… years he died being very aged and much lamented Him succeeded one Owen a Cambrian Britain who Owen though hee could neither claime the priviledge of bloud birth or title yet being valiant prosperous in all his martiall employments as managing the wars under Capenus by whom he was greatly honoured being also politick and wise and a good souldiouâ—… so a discreet statesman he was thought the worthiest then in the Kingdome to take upon him the Dominion of the Realm and so ended some troubles raised in his predecessors days by his valor and wisdom he brought to a happy issue and so died a single man after he had two years governed the Kingdome next him was inaugurated Sisillius otherwise called Cecilius Cecilius who bore himselfe with great humanity and affability during the time of his living a subject studying popularity and by sundry ways insinuating himself into the hearts of the people but when hee came to the Regall Title and that the power and soveraignty was wholly in his owne dispose he then began to expresse his naturall avaritious conditions by exacting on the Commons imposing divers taxes and tributes upon them by which they were sore vexed and grieved in so much that a rumour was raised amongst them which they first only whispered but at length animated by their intolerable impositions they feared not to clamour aloud that their former King died not without suspition of poyson of which they spaâ—…ed not to accuse him not only as an accessary but the prime causer and procurer thereof and therefore rising in armes against him they drove him to that â—…rrow exigent that he was forc't to fly fâ—…om one place of refuge to another who at length gathering some few forces about him gave them battail in which he was slain after he had governed the Kingdom two yeers after whom Blegabredus 〈◊〉 reigned in his stead this man had in him more musicke then majesty for he was held most excellent both in minstrelsie and poesie so that hee seemed to be son or at least minion of Apollo for hee not only composed his own Hymnes and Dities but set them and then sung and playd to them and because it was an art rarein those times practised by few especially by any of generous condition quality being excellent and eminent in a Prince he was therefore by it the more honored and admired who having swayd the Scepter 20 yeers departed this life leaving to succeed him his brother Archemail who was of a more stern robustuous nature a man unlettered Archemail and therefore a contemner of all Arts and Sciences who after he had governed the Realm two yeeres but with more austerity and rigouâ—… then his brother before him had done in a full age expired After him reigned Eldon or Eldol no sonne but a kinsman for the two brothers died issuless who was Eldol a man of peace and therfore the more indeered unto the hearts of his subjects under whose Reigne they lived in great rest prosperity gathering great store of wealth about them during the foure yeers of his Reigne after which season he changed this life for a new being much lamenâ—…d of his people after whose death stept up into the â—…hrone Rodrech or Rodian Rodrech alias Rodian a man not like his predecessor beloved as being litigious and alwayes in contention with the Commons as holding them in contempt only favouring the Nobility and Genâ—…ry and to prefer and advance them greatly oppressed the other extorting from them by sundry exactions for which hee grew into great hatred amongst them of which having intelligence he thought severely to punish them by arms but was prevented by death after hee had governed the kingdome not fully 4 yeers In his place reigned Samuel Pennisel Samuel Pennisel whom some Writers would make two men but their judgments are not altogether approved this man with great care industry sought and laboured to pacifie the tumults and combustions before raised to that purpose kept the Nobility and Gentry more short so that he suffered them not as before to insult and tyrannize over the Country but granted to them sundry immunities and privileges for which he was greatly beloved by them but left the world after he had 5 yeers swayd the Scepter whom Pyrpyrhus next succeeds a man much affected Pyrpyrhus by the people and fortunate in all things saving his short Reigne who died after two yeers sovereignty Capoyr came next to the Crown governed an equall Capoyr time with them of whom no memorable thing is recorded for in two yeeres Reigne a Prince hath scarcely time to express himself what maner of King he would be whether a tyrant or father of his people whether addicted to peace or war he left one to succeed him named Gligurt Divill who was a Prince very sober and discreet in all his actions and was an upright Iusticer maintaining good Laws in his Dominions but reigned four yeers only his son Hely succeeded him before spoken of so that all the time of Hâ—…ly the father of King Lud. these severall Kings Reigns â—…y those who writ contemporaries of the passages of seasons and sought to reconcile them by their computation amounteth to 124 yeers Thus desiring the Reader to excuse this necessary digression without which there must needs be a great maym in the Chronicle I now fall punctually upon Merlin's Prophesies continuing them and confirming their truth by Chronologie from the time in which he uttered them to the Reign of King Charles our royall Lord and Sovereigne c. A true Historie of the strange Birth of Ambrosius
servant that wayted of him in his Chamber and they three thus disguised would in the twilight of the evening whilst the Duke in one place was busied in the defence of his Castle against the assaylants command their entrance into the other Fort in the name and person of the Duke where they should be undoubtedly received This prestigious plot much pleased the King who impatient of delay gave order to his chiefe Captaines and Commanders concerning the siege excusing to them his absence for some certain houres he in the mean time the same night committed himselfe to the charge and art of Merlin who disguised as aforesaid knockt at the gates of Tindagoll to whom the Porter thinking he had heard his Lords voice demanding entrance Instantly opened the gate and The King Merlin and Vrsin enter the Fort of Tindâ—…gol meeting him with Vrsin and Merlin taking them for Iordan and Bricot so that the King was presently conducted to the Chamber of Igerna who gladly and lovingly received him as her Lord and Husband where he was bountifully feasted and bedding with her hee freely enjoyed her most loving embraces to the full saâ—…iating of his amorous desires where betwixt them that night was begot the Noble Prince Arthur who for his brave facinorous and high and Heroicall Atchievements made his name glorious and venerable through the face of the whole earth of whom Merlin long before his begetting or birth thus prophesied The Cornish Bore shall fill with his devotion The Christian World the Islands of the Ocean He shall subdue the Flowre de Lyces plant In his own Garden and prove Paramant The two-neckt Roman Eagle hee shall make To flag her plumes and her faint feathers quake Pagans shal strive in vain to bend or break him Who shall be meat to all the mouthes that speake him Yet shall his end be doubtfull Him six Kings Shall orderly succeed but when their wings Are clipt by death a German Worme shall rise Who shall the British State anatomise Him shall a Sea-wolfe waited on by Woods From Africke brought to passe Saint Georges floods Advance on high then shall Religion faile And then shall Londons Clergie honour vaile To Dorobernia he that seventy shall sit In th' Eboracensick Sea be forc'd to flit Into Armorica Menevia sad Shall with the Legion Cities Pall be clad And they that in thilk days shall live may see That all these changes in the Kirke shall bee But before I come to the opening of this Prophesie which to the ignorant may appeare rather a ryming Riddle then to be grounded on truth or reason it is necessary that I looke back to where I late left and proceed with the History which thus followeth the King more extasied in the embraces of his sweet and desired Bedfellow his souldiers without any commission by him granted make a strange and terrible assault upon the other Fort in which Gothlois was besieged who being of an high and haughty spirit scorning to be long immured and coapt up without making some expression of his magnanimity and valour issued out of the Castle and with great rage and resolution sate upon the Campe in hope with his handful of men to have dislodged and rowted a multitude but it fell out farre contrarie to his expectation for in the hottest brunt of the first encounter hee The death of Gothlois Duke of Cornwall himselfe was slaine and all his souldiers without mercy offered or quarter given most cruelly put to the sword the Castle entred and seised and the spoyle divided amongst the souldiers Early in the morning before the King or the Countesse were ready in their wearing Habits and ornaments some of the besieged who had escapt the Maslacre bounced at the gates of Tindagoll and being known to be of the Dukes party were received who told the Porter and the rest that they brought heavy news along which they must first deliver to their Lady of which shee having notice and knowing they came from that Castle caused them to bee admitted into her presence and demanding of News of the Dukes death brought to the Dutchesse them what news They made answer The tydings they brought was sad and disastrous that the Fort was the precedent night robustuously assaulted by the Enemy whom the Duke her Husband valiantly encountred without the gates that all their fellow souldiers were put to the sword the Castle taken and rifled and that the Generall her Lord and Husband by his over hardinesse was the first man slain in the conflict at the relation of the first part of their news she seem'd wondrously disconsolate and dejected but casting her eyes upon the King shee was again somewhat solaced in the safety of her Husband They also when they saw the King taking A just cause of their doubt him for the Duke their Generall began to blush at their report of his death being wondrously astonisht that him whom to their thinking they had left wounded and breathlesse in the field they now see living and in health musing withall that they posting thither with so much speed should arrive thither before them being altogether ignorant of the admirable transformation that Merlins art had wrought upon them In this anxiety and diversity of thoughts the King more glad of the Dukes fate then the rifling of his fort thus bespoke the Duchesse most beautifull and my best belov'd Igernan I am not as The Kings speech to the Duchesse these report dead but as thou seest yet alive but much greived both for the surprisall of my castle and the slaughter of my souldiers upon which victory it may be feared that the King animated by his late successe may raise his Army thence and indanger us heere in our Fort of Tindagol therfore my best and safest course is to leave this place for the present and to submit my selfe to the King in his Campe of whose acceptance and grace I make no question as knowing him to be of a disposition flexible and merciful then bee you of comfort for not after many howers expect to heare from mee with all things answerable to your desires and wishes with which words Igerna was much pleased and fully satisfied So with a loving kisse they parted shee to her Chamber and hee with his two followers towards the Campe who no sooner from the sight of the Citadell but Merlin began to uncharme and dissolve his former incantations and spels so that the King was no more Gothlois but Vter-Pendragon and his friend ceased to be Iordan of Tindagol but Vrsin of Ricaradoch and the Mage who had made this Transformation Their retransformation left the shape of Bricot and turned againe to be Merlin and the King being now arrived at his Army first caused the body of Gothlois to bee searcht for amongst the slaine souldiers after to be embalmed and honourably interred and first acquainting Igerna by letters with al the former passages how they stood and how much
Henry the Third by reason of his tall stature sirnamed Long-shanks began his Reign Novem. 17. the yeere of Grace one thousand two hundred threescore and twelve who came to London the second day of August and was crowned at Westminster the fourteenth of December following The Cororati of P. Edward sirnamed Loâ—…gshanks being the second yeere of his Reigne at whose Coronation was present Alexander King of Scots who the morrow following did homage to him for the Kingdome of Scotland but Lewellin prince of Wales refused to come to that solemnitie for which King Edward gathered a strong power and subdued him in his Lewellin P. of Wales rebeileth owne borders and in the yeere after hee called his high Court of Parlament to which also Lewellin presumptuously denied to come therefore after Easter he assembled new forces and entring Wales hee constrained him to submit himselfe to his mercy which with great difficulty Lewellin took to mercy hee obtained then the King built the Castle of Flint and strengthened the Castle of Rutland to keepe the Welsh in due obedience He gave also uuto David brother of Lewellin David brother to Lewellin the Castle of Froddesham who remayned in his Court and with his seeming service much delighted the King but David did it only as a spie to give his brother secret intelligence of whatsoever the King or his Counsell said of him or against him who tooke his opportunity and privatly left the Court stirring up his broâ—…her to a new Rebellion of which the King being informed hee could hardly thinke that hee could prove so ingratefull but being better ascertained of the truth he made fierce warre upon them at length Lewellin was strictly besieged in Swandon Castle from which when hee thought early in a morning to escape with ten Knights only hee was met by Sir Roger Mortimer upon whose Lands hee had before done great out-rage who surprized him and cut off his head and sent it to the King being then at The death of Lewellin P. of Wales Rutland who commanded it to bee pitcht on a pole and set upon the Tower of London and further that all his heires should be disherited and their claime to the Soveraignty of Wales to be deprived the right thereof solely remayning in the Kings of England and their Successours So one after was his brother David taken and after doomed to be drawn hanged and quartered The death of David his brother and his head sent to the Tower and placed by his brother Lewellins in which the prophesie is verified The Cambrian Wolves he through their woods shall chace Nor cease till he have quite extirpt their Race Of this Lewellin a Welsh Metrician writ this Epitaph Hic jacet Anglorum tortor tutor Venedorum Princeps Wallorum Lewelinus regula morum A Welsh poet upon the death of Lewellin Gemma Coaevorum flos regum praeteritorum Forma futurorum Dux Laus Lex Lux populorum Thus anciently Englisht Of Englishmen the scourge of Welsh the protector Lewellin the Prince rule of all vertue Gemme of Livers and of all others the flower Who unto death hath paid his debt due Of Kings a mirrour that after him ensue Duke and Priest and of the Law the right Here in this grave of people lyeth the light To which an English Poet of those times made this answer Hic jacet errorum princeps ac praedo virorum An English poets answer to the former Proditor Anglorum fax livida sectareorum Numen Wallorum Trux Dux Homicida piorum Fex Trojanorum stirps mendax causa malorum Here lyeth of Errour the Prince if yee will ken Thiefe and Robber and traytor to Englishmen A dimme brood a Sect of doers evill God of Welshmen cruell without skill In slaying the good and Leader of the bad Lastly rewarded as he deserved had Of Trojans bloud the dregs and not the seed A root of falshood and cause of many evill deed In the twentieth yeere of the King upon Saint Andrews Eve being the twentie ninth of November died Queene Eleanor sister to the The death of Q. Eleanor King of Spaine by whom the King had foure sonnes Iohn Henry Alphons and Edward the three first died and Edward the youngest succeeded his Father and five Daughters Eleanor who was married to William of Bar Ioan of The Kings Râ—…yall Issue Acris to the Earle of Glocester Gilbert de Clare Margaret to the Dukes sonne of Brabant Mary who was made a Nun at Ambrisbury and Elisabeth espoused to the Earle of Holland and after his death to Humphrey Bokun Earle of Hereford This yeere also died old Queene Eleanor wife The death of K. Edwards mother to Henry the third and mother to King Edward I come now to the twenty fourth yeare of his Reigne in which Alexander King of Scotland being dead hee left three Daughters the first was married to Sir Iohn Baliol the second to Sir Robert le Bruise the third to one Hastings Amongst which there fell dissention about the Title to the Crown as shall appeare in the next Chapter CHAP. 19. The right that the Kings of England have anciently had to the Crowne of Scotland for which they did them homage King Edwards victorious wars in Scotland The Prophesie fulfilled His death And Coronation of his sonne c. The death of Gaveston with a Prophesie of King Edward the Second THese three before-named Baliol Bruse and Hastings came to King Edward as chiefe Lord and Sovereigne Authority by which England claimed homage from the Scotch Kings of that Land to dispose of the right of their Titles to his pleasure and they to abide his censure who to the intent that they might know hee was the sole competent Iudge in that case caused old Evidences and Chronicles to be searcht amongst which was Marianus the Scot William of Malmsbury Roger of Hungtington and others in which were found and read before them that in the yeere of Grace nine hundred and twenty King Edward the elder made subject unto him the two Kings of Cambria and Scotland In the yeere nine hundred twenty one the said Kings of Wales and Scotland chose the same Edward to bee their Lord and Patron In the yeere nine hundred twenty six Ethelstane King of England subdued Constantine King of Scots who did him fealty and homage And Edredus brother and successor to Ethelstane subdued the Scots againe with the Northumbers who reigned under him It was also found in the said Chronicles that King Edgar overcame Alpinus the sonne of Kinudus King of Scots and received of him homage as hee had done of his father before time And that Canutus in the sixteenth yeere of his Reign overcame Malcolm K. of Scots and received of him oath and homage that William the Conquerour in the sixt yeere of his Reigne was victorious over Malcolme who before received the Kingdome of the gift of Edward the Confessor who did him fealty the
slaine of men of note the Duke of Athenes the Duke of Burbon Sir Iohn Cleremont Marshall of France Sir Henry Camian Banneret who bore that day the Oriflambe a special relick that the French Kings used in all battailes to have borne before them the Bishop of Chabous with divers others to the number of fifty foure Bannerets Knights and others And of prisoners taken in that battaile were Iohn King of France Philip his fourth sonne Iohn King of France tooke prisoner Sir Iaques of Burbon Earle of Poitou and brother to the Duke of Burbon Sir Iohn of Artoys Earle of Ewe Sir Charles his brother Earle of Noble men took prisoners Longevile Sir Giffard Cousin German to the French King Sir Iohn his sonne and heire William Archbishop of Sence Sir Simon Melen brother to the Earle Canlarvive and Earle of Vandature The Earles of Dampmartin of Vendosme of Salisbruch of Moyson the Martiall Denham with others as Bannerets Knights and men of name according to their owne Writers fifteene hundred and above from which battaile escaped Charles eldest son of King Iohn and Duke of Normandy with the Duke of Anjoy and few others of name And King Edward after due thanks given to Almighty God for his Charles Duke of Normandy escapeth from the battaile triumphant victory retyred himselfe to Burdeaux with his Royall prisoners where the King and the rest were kept till Easter following In the one and thirtieth yeere of the King the sixteenth of April Prince Edward being eight and twenty yeeres of age tooke shipping with his prisoners at Burdeaux and the foure and twentieth of May was received with great joy by the Citizens of London and thence conveyed to the Kings palace at Westminster where the King sitting in his estate Royall in Westminster Hall after hee had indulgently entertained the Prince he was conveyed to his lodging and the French King royally conducted to the Savoy where he lay long after and in the Winter following were royall Iusts held in Smithfield at which were present the King of Three Kings present at the Iusts in Smithfield England the French King the Scotch King then prisoners with many noble persons of all the three Kingdoms the most part of the strangers being then prisoners Whilst K. Iohn remayned in England which was for the space of 4 yeers and odde days The king of England and the blacke Prince his son with their Armies over-run the greatest part of France during the time of Charles his Regency over the kingdome who was king Iohns eldest son against whom they had many memorable victories spoyling where they list and sparing what they pleased in so much that king Edward The Father and sonne victorious in â—…rance made his owne conditions ere any peace could be granted at length the king was delivered and royally conveyed into his country who so well approved of and liked his entertainment here that in the thirty seventh yeere of king Edward he returned into England and at Eltham besides Greenwich dined with the king and in the same afternoon was royally received by the Citizens and conveyed through London to the Savoy which was upon the twenty fourth of Ianuary but about the beginning of March following a grievous sicknesse tooke him of which he dyed the eight of Aprill following King Iohn dyeth at the Savoy whose body was after solemnly conveyedto St. Denis in France and there royally interred In the fortieth yeere of the king one Barthran de Cluicon a Norman with an Army of Frenchmen entred the land of Castile and warred upon Peter king of that Country and within foure moneths chaced him out of his kingdome and crowned Henry his bastard brother in his stead wherefore hee was constrained to flie to Burdeaux and to demand aide of Prince Edward who commiserating his case as being lawfull king howsoever of a tyrannous and bloudy disposition he granted his request so that hee assisted Peter with his English Archers against the bastard Henry with his French Spear-men whose two Armies mâ—…t neere unto a town called Doming where betwixt them was a lâ—…ng P. Edwards victoryia Spaine and cruell fight but in the end the victory fell to the Prince and Henry with his whole army were rowted In which battail were taken Barthran de Claicon and Arnold Dodenham Marshall of France with divers others as well French as Britons and Spaniards and slain to the number of five thousand of the enemies and of the princes Army sixteen hundred after which hee enstated Peter in his kingdome who after perfidiously denyed to pay the princes army For which he was after divinely punished as also for killing his owne wife the daughter to the Duke of Burbon for his Bastard brother Henry knowing how hee was justly abandoned by the English having gathered new forces gave him battaile in which being taken his brother commanded his head to be strooke off which was immediately done after which Iohn of The death of Don Peter Gaunt Duke of Lancaster the Kings sonne and Edward his brother Earle of Cambridge married the two daughters of this Peter late King of Castile Iohn espoused Constance the elder and Iohn a Gaunts title to Spain Edward Isabel the younger by which marriages the two brethren claimed to be inheritours to the Kingdome of Castile or Spaine In the one and fiftieth yeare of the King upon the eighth of Iune being Trinity Sonday dyed that renowned souldier Edward the black Prince in the palace of Westminster whose body The death of the blacke Prince was after carried to Canterbury and there solemnly interred who in his life time was much beloved both of the Commons and the whole kingdome especially for removing from the kings person all such as had misled him in his age by which the Common Weale was much oppressed amongst others was the Lord Latimer noted for principall and Alice Pierce the Kings Concubine with Sir Richard Skory Alice Pierce the Kings Conâ—…ine all which were according to the Commons just complaint by the Prince removed but hee was no sooner dead but the king contrary to his promise before made called them again admitting them to their former Offices and Honours and Alice his prostitute to his wonted grace and favour In the two and fiftieth yeer the two and twentieth day of Iune dyed at his Mannor of Sheen The death of K. Edward the third now called Richmond the royall and most victorious Prince king Edward the third of that name of whom it was truly predicted The spirits of many Lions shall conspire To make one by infusion so entire He by his mighty courage shall restore What his sire lost and grandsire wonne before As also that of the unparalleld blacke Prince his sonne who died before his Father A numerous issue shall his Lionesse bring Black shall the first be and though never King Yet shall he Kings captive but ere mature Die shall this brave Whelp of a
all things were in readinesse for the performance thereof But that day in the Morning A conspiracy of the Lords against King Henry came secretly unto the King the Duke of Aumerle and discovered unto him that he with the foresaid Lords gentlemen had made a solemne conjuration to kill him in the said Mask therefore advised him to provide for his safety upon which notice given the King departed privately from Windsor and came that night to London upon which the Lords finding their plot to be discovered they fled westward but the King caused speedy pursuit after them so that the Duke of Surry and the Earle of Salisbury were taken at Ciceter Sir Thomas Blunt Sir Benet Saly and Thomas Wintercell at Oxford Sir Iohn Holland Duke of Exeter at Pitwell in Essex and divers others in severall places the Noble men were beheaded the rest drawne and quartered but all of their Heads set upon the Bridge gate at London approving the premises Meane time shall study many a forrest beast By a new way to kill the Foxe in jest But crafty Rainold shall the plot prevent And turne it all to their owne detriment The King having well considered of this great conspiracy and that they intended by his death to restore the imprisoned King to his diadem The Foxes policy he bethought himselfe that he could live in no safety whilst the other was breathing and therefore he determined of his death and to that purpose called unto him one Sir Pierce of Exton to see his will executed who presently poasted to Pomphret and with eight more well armed entred the Castle and violently assaulted him with their Polaxes and Halberds in his Chamber who apprehending their purpose and seeing his owne present danger most valiantly wrested one of their weapons from him with which he manfully acquitted himselfe and slew foure of the eight before he himselfe fell but at the last he was basely wounded to death by the hand of Sir Pierce of Exton whose body was after laid in the Minster at Pomphret to the publicke view that all men might be satisfied of his The Death of K. Râ—…chard death and was after brought up to London and exposed to all eyes in Pauls least any man should after pretend to lay any plots for his liberty And now King Henry being in peaceable and quiet possession of the Kingdomes thought it time to rifle his predecessors Coffers in whose Treasury he found in ready Coyne three hundred thousand pound sterling besides Plate What King Richards treasure amounted to at his death Iewels and rich Vessels as much if not more in value Besides in his Treasurers hands hee found so many gold Noble and other summes that all of them put together amounted to seven hundred thousand pounds sterling yet could not all this summe afford him a better funerall than in the poore Friery of Langley which after by Henry the Kings sonne in the first yeare of his reigne was removed thence and with great solemnity interred amongst the Kings in the Chappell of Westminster All this processe verifying the former prediction The Foxe being earth't according to his mind In the Kids den a Magazin shall find Yet all that treasure can his life not save But rather bring him to a timelesse grave Over his Tombe in the Chappell the King caused these Verses following to be inscribed Prudens mundus Ricardus jure secundus K. Richards Epitaph Perfatum victus jacet hic sub marmore pictus Verus sermone suit plenus ratione Corpore procerus animo prudens ut Homerus Ecclesiam favit elatos suppeditavit Quemvis prostravit regalia qui violavit Thus Englished Wise and cleane Richard second of that name Conquered by fate lyes in this Marble frame True in his speech whose reason did surpasse Of feature tall and wise as Homer was The Church he favoured he the proudsubdude Quelling all such as Majesty pursude Concerning which Epitaph one of our English Chronologers seeing how it savoured more of flattery then truth thus exprest himself But yet alas though this meeter or rime Thus death embelisht this Noble Princes fame And that some Clerk which favoured him sometime List by his comming thus to enhance his name Yet by his story appeareth in him much blame Wherefore to Princes is surest memory Their lives to expresse in vertuous constancie In the second yeere of King Henries Reigne The rebellion of Owen Glendour Owen Glendour rebelled in Wales against whom the King entred the Countrey with a strong army but at the Kings comming hee fled up to the Mountaines whom the King for the endangering his Hoast durst not follow but returned without deeming any thing worthy note In the yeere following Sir Thomas Percy Earle of Worcester and Sir Henry Piercy sonne and heire to the Earle of Northumberland gathered The battaile at Shrewsbury a great power and upon the one and twentieth day of Iuly met with the King and his army neere unto Shrewsbury betwixt whom was fought a cruell and bloudy battail but at length the King was victor in which fight Thomas Percy Earle of Worcester was taken and his Nephew Sir Henry with many a brave Northerne man was slaine And upon the Kings part the Prince was wounded in the head and the Earle of Stafford with many others slaine It was observed that in this battail father fought against sonne sonne the father brother the brother and uncle the nephew the twenty fift of Iuly following was Sir Thomas Percy beheaded at Shrewsbury and in August after the Duchesse of Britain landeth at Flamoth in Cornwall K. Henries second mariage with the Duchesse of Britain and from thence conveyed to Winchester where shee was solemnely espoused to King Henry Soone after Richard Scroop Archbishop of Yorke with the Lord Mowbray Marshall of England with others to them allyed made a new insurrection against the King with purpose A nâ—… insurrection to supplant them to whom the King gave battaile on this side Yorke where after some losse on both sides the King had the better of the day the Archbishop and the Martiall being both taken in the field and soone after beheaded in that Kings Reigne was the Conduit builded in Cornwall as it now standeth The Market of the Stocks at the lower end of Cheapside and the Guild hall of London new edified and of a Sumptuous buildings during this kings Reigne small cottage and ruinous and decayed house made such a goodly structure as it appeares to this day Moreover the famous and stately Bridge of Rochester with the Chappell at the foot of the said Bridge was fully perfited and finished at the sole charge and cost of Sir Robert Knolls who in the time of Edward the third Sir Robert Knolls had atchieved many brave and memorable victories in France and Britain who also re-edified the body of the White Friers Church in Fleetstreet to which place hee left many good Legacies and
Edward with the Dukes of Somerset and Exeter were in the North and would not come up at the kings sending it was agreed by the Lords that the Duke of Yorke and Earle of Salisbury should raise an Army and fetch them up by force and to that purpose sped them Northward of which the Queene with her people having notice with a great power of Northern men met with them upon the thirtieth of December at a Towne called Wake-field betwixt whom was fought a bloody Battaile in The battaile of Wakefield which was slaine the Duke of York with his son the earle of Rutland Thomas Nevill sonne to The Duke of Yorke slaine the earle of Salisbury and the earle himself took prisoner whom shee caused to be with others soone after beheaded at Pomphret then shee made haste towards London and the earle of Warwicke with the Duke of Norfolke who were appoynted by Yorke to attend the king gathered an Army and upon a Shrove-tuesday in the The Queen againe victorious morning gave her battaile at Saint Albons in which Warwicke and Norfolke were chaced and the king againe taken and presented to the Queen then He the same afternoone made his sonne Edward knight who was eight yeares of age with thirty persons more The Queene having thus gotten the upper hand of her Enemies thought all things safe expressing more pride than she before had done in the height of which newes was brought her that Edward earle of March eldest sonne to the Duke of Yorke with the earle of Warwicke and others with a great strength of March men were met at Cottiswald in their way to London wherefore the King and Queen returned with their Hoast Northward but before her departing from Saint Albons shee caused the Lord Bonsfield and others to bee beheaded who had beene taken in the former field Then came the Earles of March and Warwicke to London to whom resorted all the Gentlemen of the East and South parts of England Then was a Counsaile called of the Lords spirituall and temporall by whom after much debating of the matter it was concluded that forasmuch as King Henry contrary to his honour and oath at the last parliament had done and also that he was reputed unable and insufficient to governe the Realme hee was by their assents discharged of all kingly honour and Royalty and Henry deposed and Edward Earle of March made King by the authority of the said Counsell and agreement of the Commons Edward eldest sonne to the Duke of Yorke was elected King who presently with his Army followed Henry and met with his Hoast at a place called Towton or Shyrbourne and upon Palm-sunday gave them The battaile at Shyrbourne battaile which was so cruelly fought that there were slaine thirty thousand besides those of note and quality as the Earle of Northumberland the Earle of Westmerland the Lord Clifford Sir Andrew Trollop and others In the Henry and Qu. Margaret flie into Scotland same Field was taken the Earle of Devonshiere and sent to Yorke and there beheaded But Henry the Queene prince Edward the Duke of Somerset the Lord Rosse and others fled into Scotland and King Edward entered Yorke and there kept his Easter Thus Henry lost the Crowne after hee had reigned full thirty eight yeares sixe Moneths and odde dayes and the factious and ambitious Queen forfeited all her right in the kingdome verifying what was predicted But a young Lion hee at length shall tame And send her empty back from whence she came Much trouble shall be made about the Crowne And Kings soone raised and as soon put downe This Edward the fourth of that name and sonne to Richard Duke of Yorke beganne His The Coronation of Edward the fourth Reigne over the Realme of England the fourth of March in the yeare of grace to reckon after the English computation one thousand foure hundred and forty and upon Sunday being the feast day of Saint Peters day was solemnly crowned at Westminster before which time He made sixe and thirty Knights of the Bathe and soone after hee created his brother George Duke of Clarence and his brother Richard Duke of Gloster Of this Kings reigne thus runs the Prophesie The fiercest Beare who by his power alone A prophesie of his reigne Had planted the young Lion in his throne Is sent abroad a Lionesse to finde To be his phear who having chang'd his mind Doats on a Badger whom some terme a Gray And that shall cause much blood on Easter day The Beare who th'exil'd Tygresse meetes in France Vowes the suppressed Lambe againe t' advance And from the Coop where he hath long bin pent To raise him to his former government The Lion the Land flying with a small And slender traine the ragged staffe swayes all But the Beares fiercenesse shall be soone allaid As one that is halfe conquered halfe betraid Then shall the Lambe whom he did late restore Againe coopt up be slaughtered by the Boare After the King had visited the greatest part of the best Townes and Cities in the Kingdom Queen Margaret invadeth England in the second yeare of his reigne Margaret late Queene of England with an army of French and Scotch invaded the North part of England which King Edward hearing sped him thither at whose approach the Queene with the rest affrighted she disbanded her troopes and in a Carick would have sailed into France but such a Tempest fell that she was forced to take a Fisher-boat and landed at Barwicke and roade thence to the Scotch King where newes was brought her that the Carveil in which the greatest of her treasure was was swallowed up in the Sea And in his third yeare the Lord Iohn of Montacute brother to the Earle of Warwicke having chiefe command in the North was warned of King Henries comming with a great power out of Scotland against whom hee assembled the Northern men and met with him about Exham who routed the Scotch Army The battaile at Exham and chaced Henry so neare that hee tooke certaine of his Traine apparrelled in blue velvet garnished with two Crownes and fret with pearle and rich stones He took also the Duke of Somerset the Lord Hungerford the Lord Rosse and others which Duke with the rest were soon after beheaded some at Exham others at New Castle And the same yeare was King King Henry taken and sent to the Tower Henry taken in a Wood in the North Countrey by one Cantlow and presented unto King Edward who forthwith sent him to the Tower where hee remained for a long time after Now Richard of Warwicke who for his many Victoryes and potency in the Realme was called VVarwicke the great was imployed by the king into France to treat a marriage The King married to the Lady Elizabeth Gray betwixt him and the Lady Bona which whilst hee was earnestly soliciting the first of May the king espoused Elizabeth late wife to Sir Iohn Gray who
married to the youthfull French King shee I say observing his provident and cautelous proceeding in all things for the security of his State and Kingdome with a false stampe coyned a new Duke of Yorke a stripling called Perkin Warbeck who being Christned by Edward the Perkin Warbeck a new impostor 4 th it might be suspected that being as hee was warlike so also much addicted to the love of women by too much familiarity with the mother the child might have some of the Yorkists blood in him Edward being both Father and Godfather But so or no most sure it was Edward the fourth Godfather to Perkin that the Dutchesse exposed him to the world for the young Duke of Yorke who was spared from death which his brother suffered in the Tower for so it was given out But after shee had fully tutor'd and instructed him to take upon him the Majesty and deportment of a Prince least he should be found to be her creature shee cunningly sent him from her The subtilty of the Dutchesse of Burgundy Court over into Ireland where hee was received for no lesse then he nam'd himselfe Thence King Charles sent for him into France where he had Princely entertainment and service suiting with his stile but a peace being concluded betwixt England and France finding no safety there hee came as a distressed stranger to shelter himselfe under the wings of the Dutchesse of Burgundy whom she cunningly at first lookt upon as strangely till she had questioned him about all things in which shee had before instructed him and then as a Prince whose injuries were much to bee pittied shee received him to her protection The newes of a surviving Duke of Yorke was greedily swallowed by the discontented Commons of England The chiefe of note A new conspiracy against the King who were drawne to this beliefe were the Lord Fitzwater Mountfort and Thwaytes with the Lord Standley who was Father in law to the King and then Lord Chamberlaine Ratcliffe and others But Henry then understanding the danger likely to ensue first made it manifest to the world how both the Princes were together murdered with the manner of their deaths by which he did infallibly evince that hee could not be Yorke then the politicke King thought there was no surer way to disable the Impostors claime then by taking away his abettours and whilst these things were thus in agitation Sir Robert Clifford who had undermined all the Dutchesse proceedings came over to the King Sir Robert Clifford chalengeth the L. Standly of treason and disclosed them unto him who challenged the Lord Standley of Treason as to bee a prime incourager of Perkins Faction for which the King notwithstanding the neere affinity as the name of Father and Sonne interchanged betwixt them and forgetting also that hee was the prime man who set the Crowne upon his head hee caused him the fifteenth of February following to bee beheaded on a Scaffold upon the Tower-hill not without a great aspersion The L. Standly beheaded of ingratitude which severity of Iustice was also executed upon Mountford and Stafford Then Perkin who had wintered with the Dutchesse in the spring made an attempt for England his forces subsisting meerely of male-contents banquerupts and fugitives and hearing the King was in the North landed to the number of sixescore and odde in Kent thinking Perkin landeth in Kent they would have adhered to his Faction but he himself kept a ship boord But the Kentish apprehending the danger of a Rebellion seeing no more would come a shore set upon them whom they found slew some and took the rest prisoners all which were put to death and not one amongst them spared Thence he sailed to Flanders to fetch more ayd and from thence to Ireland where he found small comfort after to Scotland whose arrivall there being by commendatory Letters prepared by Charles the The French K. an abetter of Perkin French King he was royally entertained and to the Scotch King and his Nobility hee delivered so smooth and passionate a Tale before dictated by the Dutchesse that they tooke not onely great commiseration of his former disasters but promised withall not onely to raise him but to establish him in the height at which hee aimed causing him to bee espoused to a beautifull Virgin the Lady Gordon and after with a potent Army entred Northumberland Perkin married to the Lady Gordon making Proclamation in the name of Richard Duke of Yorke with sugered promises of severall enfranchisements and immunities to the Commons if they would acknowledge him their King and Soveraigne all which nothing prevailed with the people so that King Iames hearing of Henries marching towards him with a puissant Hoast he retreated his Army into his owne Countrey After which there was a marriagâ—… concluded A match concluded betwixt Iames of Scotland and the Lady Margaret betwixt King Iames and the Lady Margaret the eldest daughter to King Henry from whom our King Iames of blessed memory descended as immediate and undoubted Heire to the Crown of England which match was consummate in the seventh yeare of King Henry and in the same year landed at Plimmouth Katherine daughter to the King of Spaine who upon St. Erkenwalds day was espoused to Prince Arthur eldest sonne to the King who in Aprill following Prince Arthur married to Katherine of Spaine The death of Prince Arthur expired in the Towne of Ludlow The yeare after began the famous and most glorious worke of the Kings Chappell ' at Westminster and upon the eleventh of February dyed Queen Elizabeth wife to King Henry in the Tower The death of Queen Elizab. lying then in Child bed c. There was also a commotion in Devonshire and Cornwall about the collection of sixescore A commotion in Devonshire and Cornwall thousand pound which the King had demanded in parliament the first raisers thereof were a Lawyer and a Blacke-smith who comming as farre as Wells the Lord Audley tooke upon him to be their Generall who passing through Kent came as farre as Black-Heath in the sight of London but were then encountred by the Kings forces the Lord Audley was taken and The chiefe of the Rebells executed beheaded the Lawyer Smith drawn hanged and quartered the rest by the King ' pardoned But after that fortunate match betwixt the Scotch King and the Lady Margaret there was no longer residence there for Perkin who exposed him to his further fortune yet would not his faire Bride Katherine Gordon leave him though he were forced to forsake the Land but associated him into Ireland from whence hee was presently sent for by a new company of Cornish and Devonshire Rebells who began first to assemble themselves at a Towne called Bodwin in Cornwall To whom Perkin was no sooner come but they made him their Captain and Prince who called him selfe no more Richard Duke of Yorke but Richard King of England
Perkin proclaims himselfe K. of England under which title they marched as farre as Exeter and laid siege to the City making against it many violent assaults to rescue which and to remove the siege the King came with a strong Army at whose approach the multitude submitted themselves for their Captaine Perkin had forsooke them and tooke Sanctuary at Bewdley and of the Kings free grace were pardoned King Henry loath to violate the priviledge of Sanctuary would not take him thence perforce but upon promise of life he yeelded Perkin taken by the K. himselfe to the king who after he had confessed unto him all the manner of his jugling and from whence it came he brought him up with him towards London where by the way hee was made a scorne and mockery of the people upon the eight and twentieth of November he was committed to the Tower and after set at large and was at free liberty in the Court From Again sent to the Tower whence he made a second escape and being againe taken his life was againe pardoned and he sent to the Tower But for that delicate Lady Katherine Gordon the wife of this counterfeit his Majesty much The Kings bounty to the Lady commiserating that the noblenesse of her blood should be so much abused heega◅e unto her the meanes of a Marchionesse a yearely revenue answerable to so noble a birth and rare a beauty Whilest the Dutchesse of Burgundies creature was thus in the Tower hee plotted with the young Earle of Warwicke who had beene there a prisoner from his infancy who had so farre prevailed with the Lievtenants servants that upon promise of reward they had plotted by killing of their Master to make themselves keepers of the keyes and set the two prisoners at liberty which plot being discovered before it came to proofe upon the sixteenth of November in White-hall at West minster for the former predictory practice were arraigned Perkin Warbeck and three others and being convicted of capitall Treason Perkin and one Iohn Awater were soone after hanged at Tyburne and Perkin hanged at Tyburne soone after the young Earle of Warwick sonne to the Duke of Clarence was beheaded at Tower Hill and the same day one Blewet and another The young Earle of Warwick beheaded on Tower-hil Astwood executed at Tyburne Thus you see how the Dutchesse of Burgundies plots were confounded in the death of this Perkin Concerning whom it was thus long before predicted That Mercury should though it might seeme rare Consult with Cassiopeia in her Chaire To fashion new impostures c. And then the former discoursed of never were any that carryed such countenance to the deluding of so many forraigne Princes the Prophet in Cassiopeia with whom Mercury consulted meaning the factious Dutchesse who by all her endevours studied to disturbe the peace of that prudent prince King Henry who was able to over-match her in policy and therefore Merlin fore seeing her future jugling by impostures and adulteration yet seeming Heires to the Crowne as also his sundry Troubles in the North raised by Scots and qualified againe by the valour of the noble Earle of Surrey the Kings Lievtenant and others the sequell is verified But warres god By sword nor Hermes by his charming rod Shall ought prevail where power and prudence And when Religion shall devotion greet meet Where all these foure at once predominant are Vain are th' attempts of stratagem or warre But he who of the former is possest Shall be abroad renowm'd and at home blest This Cassiopeia was the daughter of Aeolus the Cassiopeia and where the allusion grew wife of Cepheus and mother of Andromeda who in her pride of beauty comparing with the Nereides was after translated amongst the Stars in whom the prophet allegorically compreheuds the Burgundian Dutchesse I am loth to enter into a further discourse of the passages in this Kings Reigne being excellently and judicially exprest by Sir Francis Bacon Lord Chancellor in prose and in an accurate and ingenious poeme by Master Charles Allein Briefly this worthy and wise Prince expired the Saturday before Saint Georges day being the one and twentieth of Aprill at his Mannour of Richmond The death of Henry the seventh when hee had raigned three and twenty yeeres and eight moneths wanting but one day in whose prayse no pen can bee too prodigall who studied rather to end his warres by policy then the profuse effusion of Christian bloud In so much that all his Neighbour Princes laboured to have with him peace and alliance and because in all Temporall policies he farre exceeded all the Christian Princes in his time reigning Three sundry Popes Alexander the sixt Pius the Third and Iulius the second every of them during the time they held their Ecclesiasticall Soveraignty by the unanimous consent of their spirituall Counsels admitted him for a chiefe K. Henry much favoured by the Bishops of Rome Defender of the Church above all others and for a confirmation of the same sent unto him by three severall famous Embassadours three rich Swords and three Caps of Maintenance who notwithstanding his many costly buildings and infinite expences as well in forreigne parts as to pacifie the domestick Tumults and Seditions in his owne Kingdome left behind him a mighty His great riches at his death magazin of Treasure with riches innum◅rable complying with the prophesie Fame afar off his glorious acts shall tell And Plutus neere hand make his coffers swell Him succeeded his sole son after the decease of Prince Arthur Henry the Eighth of that name the true and rightfull inheritour to the two Crownes of England and France Who began his Soveraignty of this Realme the two and twentieth day of Aprill in the yeere of the Incarnation of our blessed Lord and Saviour one thousand five hundred and nine and was crowned at Westminster on the day of the Feast of Saint Iohn Baptist or Decollations This Royall Prince was joyfully received as the successour The Coronation of K. Henry the eighth to so worthy a Prince as his Father who was both famous and fortunate from the beginning to the end of his Reigne of whom it was thus predicted Rouze him shall this fierce Lion in his den The prophesic of Henry the Eighth Be favoured of the gods and fear'd of men Gallia shall quake Albania stand in aw And Caesars stoop when he but shews his paw To league with him Hesperia shall take pride Those whom the Africke Moores halfe blacke had dyde He by his art shall fashion Musicall grounds From th' untun'd Harp that discords only soūds And further from the sceptarchy of Hils That Europe aws and triple-crown that fils The Christian world with terror take the power And bring it home unto his British bower Blunting the horns of all the Bashan Buls And rooting from the Land the razord skuls O're Glastenbury for the eye that 's dim May at that day behold a Whiting swim
to the Lady Anne Bolloigne Whitsunday was crowned Queene and on Midsommer day following dyed the French Queene Mary the kings sister and wife to Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke And on the Eve of the Nativity of the blessed Virgin following was born the Lady Elizabeth at Greenwich in which The birth of the Lady Elizabe◅h yeere as an happy presage of her future love unto the Gospell it was enacted that no man should sue any appeale to Rome In Ianuary the seven and twentieth of the King died the Lady Katherine princesse Dowager The death of Q. Katherine late wife to the King and in the 28 of his Reigne Queene Anne Bolloigne with her brother the Lord Rochford Noris Weston Breerton and Marks were attainted of high Treason and The King married to the Lady Iane Seymour beheaded and soone after the King married the Lady Iane Seymour in the yeere one thousand five hundred thirty seven on Saint Edwards eve in Iune Prince Edward was borne at Hampton The birth of Pr. Edward Court and the three and twentieth of October following died Queene Iane and lyeth buried at Windsore then was the Bishop of Rome with all his usurped power quite abolished out of the Realme and the King assumed to himselfe the supremacy over the Church in England and Ireland to whom were granted the first-fruits before The death of Sir Thomas Moore c. paid to the pope with the Tenths of all spirituall possessions For denying of whose Supremacy that famous and learned Gentleman Sir Thomas Moore Lord Chancellour of England with the Bishop of Rochester were beheaded and presently after three Monks of the Charterhouse for the some offence Then followed the dissolution of all the Abbeys Fryeries and Nunneries through the whole Realme when the Masse and all Romish Superstitions were forbidden and divers Images that had Engines to make their eyes open and shut and their other limbes to move and stirre were broken to pieces and defaced and all Fryers Monks Canons and Nuns were forced to change their Habits and forsake their Cloysters A proclamation also was made which hath beene since establisht as a Law that the English Bible should bee read in every Church The English Bible commanded to bee read in Churches throughout the Realme and that no Holydayes should be solemnized and observed except our Ladydayes the Apostles the Evangelists Saint George and Saint Mary Magdalen and that Saint Marks Eve and Saint Lawrence Eve should not be kept as fasting days And that children should not goe decked and garnished as they doe on Feasting dayes upon Saint Nicholas Saint Katherine Saint Clements and the holy Innocents and the like all which comply with the prophesie He from the sceptarchy of Hils That Europe aws and triple-crown that fils The Christiā world with terror takes the power And brings it home unto his British bower Blunting the horns of all the Bashan Buls And rooting from the Land the razord skuls By the Sceptarchy of Hils meaning the seven Hils on which the City Rome standeth and further The prophefie explained taking on himselfe to be the supreme Head of the Church within his own Dominions he takes away that power from the Popes Triple-crowne to which all the Christian Kingdomes else were in vassallage By blunting the hornes of the Bashan Buls meaning the Popes Writs of Excommunications Interdictions Anathemaes or Cursings which are called his Buls the terrour whereof hee now vilifies and sets at nought by rooting the rozard sculs from the Land is meant the suppression of Fryers Divers who suffered for denying the Kings Supremacie and Monks who had the upper part of their heads alwayes shaven c. Many were those who suffered for denying the Supremacie as Fryer Forrest who was hanged and burnt in Smith-field with the Image of Darvell Gathren in Wales and for the same offence suffered the Abbots of Reading of Colchester and the great rich Abbot of Glastenbury whose name was Whiting whom the King commanded to be hanged upon the top of the Tower an eminent place and visibly afarre for which way soever a man travels towards that Towne it may be seene twenty miles distant now it seem'd a thing impossible that the Sea with his greatest inundation should swell so high that any Fish should float over or upon it yet so saith the prophesie and all such are mystically delivered parabolically or in allegoricall figures O're Glastenbury for the eye that 's dim May at that day behold a Whiting swim The place being so conspicuous and apparant that one with halfe an eye might see his body waving betwixt the two Elements of Earth and Aire After diverse rebellions in Ireland for which Rebellions in Ireland the Earle of Kildare was committed and died a naturall death during his imprisonment in the Tower and that his sonne made a new insurrection and slew the Bishop of Develin and that for another Rebellion Thomas Fitzgarret with five of his Vncles were drawne hanged and quartered and that the Lord Leonard Gray was beheaded on the Tower-hill for divers Treasons done in Ireland during the time hee was there Deputy for the King yet the King so wisely and discreetly demeaned himselfe towards that Nation that in the thirtieth third yeare of his reigne the Earle of Desmond and the great Oneile submitted themselves to his mercy and grace after which the great Oneile The great Oneile made Earle of Tyron was created Earle of Tyron and his son Baron of Doncannon Thus you see He by his Art could fashion Musicall grounds From th' untun'd harp that discords only sounds By the Harpe which is the Armes of the kingdome meaning Ireland it selfe c. For Treason also were beheaded at the Tower-Hill Thomas Cromwell Earle of Essex and Vicar generall The death of Cromwel Earle of Essex of England who had beene once a faithfull servant to Cardinall Woolsey and after entertained and raised by the King who as it is commonly voyc't put it first into the kings head to pull downe the Abbyes and make a dissolution of the Monasteries and with him dyed the Lord Hungerford In the thirty fift yeare of the king the Earle of Hartford being made Livetenant Generall for his warres in Scotland in regard of divers affronts given him the fourth of May he landed at Leith burning and destroying the Countrey sparing neither Castle Towne Pile nor The Earle of Hartfords voy age into Scotland village for hee ransacked and laid waste the Borrough and towne of Edenborrow with the Abbey called Holy rood house and the Kings Palace neare adjoyning the Towne of Leith also with the Haven and Pire the Castle and Village of Cragmiller the Abbey of New Bottell with part of Muskelborrough Towne the Chappell of the Lady of Lauret Preston Town the Castle of Harinton Towne with the Friers and Nunnery a Castle of Oliver Sanckers the Towne of Dundbarre Laureston with the Grange Vrilaw
Merlin came to be known to King Vortiger of the combat betwixt the red and the white Dragon and his prophesie thereof c. p. 18 Chap. 4. Merlins former prophesie explained sundry prestigious acts done by him to delight the King His prophesie of the Kings death c. p. 25 Chap. 5. Uterpendragon succeedeth his brother Aurelius He is enamoured of Igerna wife to the Duke of Cornwall whom by the art of Merlin he enjoyes of whom he begot King Arthur pag. 32 Chap. 6. Merlins former prophesie made plain concerning king Arthur with sundry other occurrences pertinent to the English History pag. 41. Chap. 7. Of the conception and birth of these 7 pious and religious brothers And being sent to death how preserved educated and doctrinated Merlins prophesies and their explanation p. 49 Chap. 8. He prophesieth of the civill wars that shall be in Britain in the time of Cadwallo And of the great dearth and desolation in the Reigne of Cadwallader c. p. 58 Chap. 9. Of divers bloudy battails fought betwixt Canutus and Edmund Their great opposition ended in a single Duell They make peace and equally divide the kingdome betwixt them p. 68 Chap. 10. Merlins prophesie of Hardy Canutus and Earle Goodwin which accordingly hapned his many Tyrannies amongst other his tithing of the Norman Gentlemen c. p. 76. Chap. 11. The landing of Duke William with the Normans The battaile betwixt him and Harold in which Harold is slain being the last King of the Saxon bloud Wil. conquereth c. p. 87 Chap. 12. The prediction of the two Dragons made good by the subsequent History in Robert and William the two sons of the Conquerour who the Lion of Iustice was and what was meant by his Alchymy c. p. 96. Chap. 13. A briefe relation of the troublesome Reign of King Stephen and his opposition against Mawd the Empresse of Henry Short Mantle and his proceedings with a continuance of our English History c. p. 106 Chap. 14. Divers remarkable passages during the Reigne of Henry the second his numerous Issue and how they were affected towards him his vic◅ and vertues his good and bad fortune all which were by this our Prophet predicted p. 116 Chap. 15. The Inauguration of Richard the first sirnamed Cordelion a prediction of his Reigne His wars in the Holy Land his imprisonment by the Duke of Austria his brother Iohns usurpation his second Coronation with his unfortunate death c. p. 127 Chap. 16. The rest of the prophesie made good in the subsequence the troublesome Reign of K. Iohn his losse of Normandy his Land interdicted by the Pope to whom hee is compeld to resigne his Crown his death c. p. 137 Chap. 17. A continuance of some passages in King Iohns Reign Henry the third succeedeth his Father a prediction of his Reign his brother Richard made king of the Romans Henries long Reign the mad Parlament p. 147 Chap. 18. The death of Henry the third and Richard Earle of Cornwall king of the Romans Prince Edwards victories in the Holy Land His Coronation the prophesie of his reign c. p. 157 Chap. 19. The right that the Kings of England have anciently had to the Crown of Scotland for which they did them homage K. Edwards victorious wars in Scotland The prophesie fulfilled His death And coronation of his son c. p. 167 Chap. 20. The Kings unfortunate wars in Scotland The battail of Banno◅urn c. Barwick betrayed to the Scots The pride and insolencie of the Spencers Their misleading the K c. p. 178 Chap. 21. The deposing of Edward 2d his repentance his death his son Edward made K◅g A prophesie of his reign His great victory over the Scots with the taking of Barwick His famous victory at Sea over the French c. p. 189 Chap. 22. The famous battaile of Poytyers fought by Edward the Black Prince in which hee took Iohn the French King prisoner His conquest in Spaine The memorable act of William VVal worth Lord Major c. p. 201 Chap. 23. The Duke of Glocester by a Parlament reformeth the Common-wealth Iohn of Gaunt claims his title in Spain King Richard marrieth the French Kings daughter Difference betwixt the King and Glocester His murder in Calice The murmur of the Commons c. p. 213 Chap. 24. The coronation of Henry the 4 with his great Feast held in VVestminster Hall A great conspiracy intended against him but prevented the lamentable murder of King Richard the second in Pomfret Castle by Sir Pierce of Exto◅ His valour at his death His Epitaph The great riches found in his treasury c. p. 224 Chap. 25. The Coronation of Henry the fift A prophesie of his reign His victorious battail over the French at Agencourt His second Voyage into France His victories by Sea and Land He is made heir by the marriage of his wife to the Crowne of France His third Voyage into France The birth of Pr. Henry The death of Henry the fift p. 236. Chap. 27. The Duke of Glocester made Protector The Duke of Bedford Regent of France of Ioan de pasil a Sorceresse Henry the sixt crowned in Pa◅is A prophesie of his reign the death of the D. of Gloster The death of the Marquis of Suffolk The insurrection of the Commons under Iacke Cade His proceedings and death the Duke of Somerset gives up Normandy The Duke of Yorke taketh arms his person seised against the Kings promise and for feareset at liberty p. 248. Chap. 28. The ambition of Queen Margaret The battail at Saint Albons Yorke made Protector The Queens practice against the Lords The battail at Northampton York proclaimed heire to the Crowne York slain in the battail at Wakefield Henry deposed and Edward Earle of March made king A prophesie of his Reigne The battaile at Exham King Henry taken and sent to the Tower The marriage of Edward Hee flies the Land Henry again made king p. 259. Chap. 29. Edward proclaimed usurper of the Crown and Glocester traytor his landing at Ravēsport the battail at Barnet the battail at Teuxbury king Henry murdered in the Tower and after him the Duke of Clarence The death of Edward the fourth Gloster takes upon him to bee Protector of the young king c. p. 272. Chap. 30. Dissention betwixt the King and the Duke of Buckingham Richard insidiateth the life of Richmond Buckingham takes armes against the King and is beheaded Banister perfidious to his Lord Queene Annes policy and tyranny His Lawes Richmond landeth at Milford Haven The battaile at Bosworth The death of Richard Richmond made King A prophesie of his Reigne c. p. 283 Chap. 31. The Earle of Northumberland slain by the Commons The Matchevilian plots of the Dutchesse of Burgundy to disturbe the peace of king Henry Perkin Warbeck her Creature hee is nobly marryed in Scotland and taken for the Duke of Yorke the death of the Lord Standley and others Divers insurrections about Perkin his
death with the yong Earle of Warwicke the death of the king A prophesie of the reigne of Henry the eighth p. 293 Chap. 32. Prince Henry married to his brothers wife hee winneth Turwin and Turney in France Floden-field with the famous victory against the Scots Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke marrieth the French Queen the kings sister The Emperour Charles the fift made knight of the Garter c. p. 304. Chap. 33. The death of Henry the eighth Edward the sixt crowned a calculation of his reigne Musse Iborow field won by the Lord Protector c. p. 315. Chap. 34. The Lady Iane proclaimed Q. Northumberlands Commission to suppresse the Lady Mary He is arrested of high treason The Coronation of Q. Mary A prediction of her Reigne The Romish Religion restored The death of Northumberland Of Suffolke Of Guilford Dudley Of the Lady Iane Gray her character The death of Cranmer Ridley and Latimer The life of Cardinall Poole twice elected Pope c. p. 326 Chap. 36. King Philips entertainment into the Land presented with the Garter Hee is made K. of Naples and Hierusalem the great solemnity of the King and Queens Marriage at Winchester Their titles their riding through London The Queen rumoured to be with Child King Philips cautelous proceedings hee favoureth the Lady Elisabet He leaveth the Land Queen Maries discontent at his departure The losse of Callis p. 336 Chap. 37. A brief nomination of her troubles wrought by the Popish Clergie Her passage through London to her coronation with the speeches spoke in the pageants A short remembrance of the prime passages in her reign The former prediction fulfild her death other predictions fathered upon Merlin explained c. p. 347 Chap. 38. The title of King Iames to the Crown His comming into England A prophesie of his Reigne The first treason attempted against him The Gunpowder treason and what the conspirators were The king of Denmarke twice commeth into England King Charles proclaimed King his Fathers Funerals c. p. 361 A Chronographical History of the Kings of Britaine from the first plantation of this Island by Brute and his Cousin Corinaeus to the Reigne of King Vortiger In whose time Ambrosius Merlinus began to utter his Predictions CHAP. 1. Brutes first plantation in this Island How hee divided it amongst his three sonnes of several famous Cities builded here by sundry Kings and how divers Rivers took their first name of all the remarkable passages that hapened in their reignes A Catologue of the Kings continued from Brute to the end of his Line and off-spring FOr the better illustration of this present worke intended it shall not be amisse to shew you a briefe progresse of all the memorable passages of the time before wee come to the Prophesie with a Catalogue of the Kings of this Island and what Remarkable things happened in their reigne To begin with the first Brute who was of the ancient and noble bloud of the Trojans discended from Aeneas and Creusa the How Brute was discended daughter of King Priam These had a sâ—…nne called Ascanius after his Father King of Italy Brute was the sonne of Sylvius Aenaeas the son of Ascanius This Brute at fifteene yeares of age being hunting by the unfortunate glanceing of an Arrow slue his father and had beene also in his birth the death of his mother but for the last disasterous act hee willingly exiled himselfe and taking with him a choice company of adventurers thought to discover some new plantation To omit his many troubles both by Land and Sea in which hee was still most victoriously prosperous at length hee incountred with a small navy of ships of which a Trojane and his neare kinseman was Captain whose name was Corinaeus who joyning their Corinaeus cousin to Brute forces together and after divers and sundry perills landed in this Island of the white and chalky Cliffes called Albion where finding none but Giants of mighty stature he destroyed the most part of them of whom the greatest both in bulke and command was called Gogmagog with whom Corinaeus wrastling to prove their triall of strength Gogmagog in his gripe broke a rib in the side of Corinaeus at which he being inraged gathering all his spirits about him cast him downe the high Rocke of Dover the place where they proved the mastery which is called the fall of Gogmagog unto this day for which and other his valiant acts before The fall of Gogmagog atchieved hee gave him that intire Province which from his name beareth the title of Cornwall Brute then taking full view of the Island The building of Troynovant since called London searching up the River of Thames built upon it a City which in remembrance of the late subverted Troy he called Troynovant or new Troy now London this done he put his Souldiers to tilling of the Earth and governed the Realme peaceably for the space of twenty foure yeares He had by his wife Ignogen the daughter of Pandrusus three sonnes betwixt whom in his life time he divided his Kingdome to How hee divided the Kingdome Locrine the eldest hee gave all that is called England but then Logria after his name To the second Cambrius or Cambre hee left the Countrey of Wales at first from him called Cambria To the third Albanact hee gave the North part of the Land then titled from him Albania now Scotland That done hee expired The death of Brute and was buryed at Troynovant and this happened in the yeare of the world foure thousand fourescore and seven Locrine being King of Britaine hearing that a King of Scythia had invaded his brother Albanacts Dominions and having slaine him in battaile governed in his stead Hee with his brother Cambre assembled a mighty Hoast to avenge his death and in a sharpe conflict discomfited his whole Army and so hotly pursued him in his flight that this Scythian which was called Humber was drowned in that River Plow the River Humber came to be so cald which runneâ—…h up from Ravenspurn up to Hulâ—… which hath since borne his name even to this day After which victory Locrin who had espoused Guendolina daughter to Corinaeus Duke of Cornwall grew inamoured of Estrild a beauteous Lady and Daughter to the aforesaid Humber by whom He had a Daughter named Sabrina of which his Queene having intelligence the accited her Father and friends to make Warre upon her Husband and flew him in fight when hee had governed the Realme for the space of twenty yeares then the Masculine spirited Lady tooke his Concubine Estrild with her beautifull young daughter Sabrina and caused them to bee both drowned in that River which parteth England and Wales and from Sabrina is called Severne to all posterity The River Severne whence called Then Guendolina took upon her the government of the Land till her young Son Madan came to mature age and then resigned it up intirely into his owne hands after shee had
a proverbe wee retaine from Antiquity as that day hopt without their heads Now concerning the pride of the Danes and their incredible tyranny exercised throughout The pride and insolency of the Danes over the Britains the whole Kingdome which was the occasion of this their universall slaughter our English Historians have thus recorded of them they caused the Farmers and Husbandmen to plow sow and eare the ground and to doe all the servile labour that belonged to agriculture and husbandâ—…y whilst they kept their wives and commanded their daughters and servants at their pleasure and when the Master of the house came home hee was forced to salute his superintendent Dane as his Lord and whilst the Usurper eate and fed of the best the poore oppressed owner could scarcely have his fill of the worst besides for feare and dread they called them in every house where they had rule Lord Dane which after when the English had attained to their former honour grew to a title of great opprobry and contempt for when Lord Dane turned into Lurdain any one would rebuke or revile an other hee would in scorne call him Lurdan a word in the Countrey in use euen to this day But now comes in the Eagle by which is intended Swanus K. of Denmark who surpriseth both that is subdueth the Saxons the other Almans or Germans whom they had admitted into the land and after infinite devastations depopulations and spoils with his broad wings soared over the whole Kingdome and made prey in every province thereof the particulars would aske much time and paper who in conclusion tooke from the White Dragon the Saxons after they had held the sovereignty by many successive Kings both Crown and Scepter but before this happened the unfortunate King whose onely fight was with money to impoverish his owne people and inrich the enemy for hee often bought his peace which prov'd to no purpose Edricus crea ted Duke of Mercia hee made Edricus whom Merlin calleth the Snake Duke of Mercia who was of low and base birth and parentage yet had attained to great wealth and rich possessions false of tongue subtle of brain and eloquent in speech and persidious in purpose and promise which will more at large appeare hereafter In this interim Swanus so farre prevailed The King with his Queene forc't to flye the Land that the King fearing the continuall persecution of the Danes first sent Emma his Queene with his two younger sonnes which were Alfred and Edward to Richard the second of that name and fourth Duke of Normandy who was her naturall brother and after was compeld to flie thither in person with a slender traine of followers of which when Swanus had notice he grew inflamed with greater pride and insolence and amongst other of his Tyrannies hee fired the City of Canterbury and slue nine hundred religious persons tithing them as killing nine and saving the tenth with 8000 women children and because the reverend Bishop would not or could not pay him downe three thousand pounds hee kept him prisoner seven moneths The Bishops name was Elphigus and caused him after at Greenwich foure miles from London to be stoned to death and wheresoever hee came hee reserved all the women to be vitiated and defloured aswell the religious as others robbing the Shrine of Saint Edmond not leaving any cruelty which could finde a name unperformed At length upon the day of the Purification of the blessed Virgin in the yeere one thousand and fourteen he died miserably howling and crying three dayes and nights together before his death whom succeeded The death of the Tyrant Swanus his sonne Canutus And two yeeres after at one thousand sixteen expired at London King Edelfred and was buried in the Church of Saint The death of Edelfredus Paul whom succeeded his sonne Edmund sirnamed Ironside and these two Princes were the two Lions spoken of in the former prophesie of whom you shall heare more in the ensuing Chapter CHAP. 9. Of divers bloudy battails fought betwixt Canutus and Edmund their great opposition ended in a single Duel They make peace and equally divide the Kingdome betwixt them the trayterous death of Edmund Canutus revengeth it upon the murderer with other occurences pertinent to the story c. EDmund sirnamed Ironside the sonne of Egelredus and Canutus the sonne of Swanus King of Denmarke began to rule the English Nation Anno 1016 and in the twenty ninth yeere of Robert King of France the Londoners with some of the English Nobles favouring Edmund but the greater part of the Nobility and Clergie adhering to Canutus betwixt which yong and valiant Princes were fought sundry cruell and bloudy battails too long here to reherse In which infinite both of the Natives and Strangers fell by the sword one of which was fought in Dorsetshire besides a Towne called Gillingham another in Worcestershire which continued from morning till night when they surceased In which battail Canutus was overcome by Edmund fight either for great wearinesse or for want of light when both Hoasts joyned the next morrow early and eagerly in which battaile the Traytour Edricus perceiving the fortune of the day to encline towards Edmund pitcht a The treason of Eldricus dead mans head upon a speare and calling to his Countrymen cryed out with this acclamation Fly you Englishmen and preserve your lives for behold this is the head of Edmund your King of which the Prince being warned hasted to that part of the field and plucking off his Helmet to shew that he was living so comfortably and couragiously demeaned himself among his souldiers that in the end hee had the better of the day In the preparation of another field when both the Hoasts were ready to joyne battaile upstarted This Commander was of K. Edmunds party one of the Commanders and appearing betweene the two Armies in the Front of either spake aloud as followeth You Princes both to you I declare my selfe you see how we daily perish for neither of you gaine an absolute victorie Edmund cannot bee overcome because of his great strength and courage and Canutus cannot be subdued being also much favoured by Fortune what then shall be the finall successe of this inveterate malice and contention when all your Knights souldiers are slain shall you not bee then inforced either to compound your enmity or to fight hand to hand betwixt your selves If this must bee the end why do you not one of these two For the first Is not this Kingdome now sufficient for two which before contented seven or if your spleen be so great that it cannot be reconciled by an equall division of the Land why doe not you two fight alone that strive to be Lords alone For if we all perish who shall be left either to serve you or to keepe forreigne invaders out of the Land Which words were so emphatically delivered and tooke such
impression both in the Princes themselves and both their Armies that a Truce being made they agreed to end the warre betwixt them in a single Duell for which was assigned an Isle called Olkney neere Gloster incompast with the water of Severne which makes good the prophesie Two Lions shall a dreadfull combat make And have their Lists incompast by a Lake In which place at the day prefixed the two worthy and warlike Champions compleatly armed singly met the two Hoastsstanding without the Isle where first they encountred with sharpe The combat betwixt Edmund and Canutâ—…s Lances on Horsback breaking them even to the very Truncheons then they alighted and fought long on foote with their keene swords till their armours were broken in divers places and they both were dangerously wounded when retyring for breath by the first motion of Canutus they made an accord betwixt themselves Canutus made the first motion of peace embracing one another as brothers to the great rejoycing of both Armies After which they made an equall partition of the Land and Canutus married Emma the mother of Edmund but the Snake Edricus whom his Lord had not only pardoned for his former Treason but promoted unto further dignity by creating him Earle of Kent notwithstanding which he corrupted his sonne then attending the King who awaited his opportunity and as he was doing the necessiites of nature strooke him with a Speare into the fundament of which mortall wound hee dyed soone after at Oxford Edmund slaine by the traytour Edricus Then Edricus posted in haste to Canutus and saluted him by the Title of sole Sovereigne of the Kingdome insinuating that for his love and honour hee had removed his Competitour and told him the manner how which Canutus having truly understood and that the Treason was uttered from his owne mouth and in his personall hearing like a just and wise Prince he replyed unto him Forasmuch ô Edricus as for my love thou hast slaine thy naturall Lord whom I entirely affected I shall exalt thy head above all the Lords of England and presently commanded his head to be struck off and pitcht A traytours just reward upon a pole and set upon the highest gate of London and his body to bee throwne into the River of Thames yet Marianus and others write otherwise concerning the manner of his death which makes good what is formerly spoken that a speckled Snake Ayming at high things shall his Lord betray Poysoning the Royall Nest in which he lay Meaning the Kings Treason in which the Traitor was closeted as one whom hee most favoured and honoured Canutus being now sole Monarch the white Canutus sole Monarch of England Dragon was forced to stoop to the Eagle that is the Saxons were compeld to bee under the subjection of the Danes by whom they were so miserably opprest that scarce the tenth part of them were left in the Land and these that remayned were forced to tithe their goods and pay it as a tribute to the Danes therefore saith the Prophet Of the white Dragon so the Fates agree A Decimation in the end shall bee It followeth in the History in a great assembly made of the King and his Barons a question was propounded whether in the composition made betwixt Edmund and Canutus there was any mention made of Edmunds children to have the inheritance of their Father after his death that was in halfe part of the Kingdome to which a great part of them thinking thereby to insinuate unto the Kings favour answered Nay but it hapned unto them contrary to their expectation for knowing them to be naturall Englishmen and before sworn to King Edmund and his heires hee hated them for their perjury never trusting them after but some hee exiled The Kings conscionable justice and some were slaine and others being strooke with the hand of God died suddenly It was likewise ordered by the foresaid Counsell that the two sonnes of Ironside Edmund and Edward should be sent to Swanus the elder brother of Canutus King of Denmarke the purpose is diversly reported some say to be slaine What became of the sons of Edmund Ironside and that Swanus abhorring the Act sent them to Salomon then King of Hungary where Edmund died of a naturall death but his brother Edward in the processe of time married Agatha the daughter of Henry the fourth of that name Emperour and by her besides daughters had a sonne sirnamed Ethelinge This Edward of our English Chronologers is named the Out-law because he never returned into England his native Country In this interim died Swanus King of Denmarke and the Crowne fell to Canutus so that he was sole Sovereigne of both Nations the English and the Danes Canutus landed in Denmarke with a strong Army to possesse himselfe of his lawfull Inheritance and to oppose the Vandals who had pierced that Land and when the King was otherwise negotiated Earle Goodwin with a band of Englishmen set upon the Invaders by night and rowted their whole Army for which noble act the King had him in great favour and the English Nation ever after This King was greatly beloved of his subjects for many of his vertues as being very charitable and devout a great repayrer and decorer of Churches especially of divers Cathedrals which hee caused to be richly beautified with gilding their Altars and Roofs more gloriously then in former ages thereby confirming that part of the prophesie What time the red shall to his joy behold The rooffs of all the Temple shine with gold Meaning the red Dragon Some attribute the cause of his devotion to a noble care he had to repaire what his tyrannicall Father had before ruined that the memory of his Atheisticall cruelty might bee quite forgot others that it was at the Altar of Emma his Queen the Widow Dowager of Egelredus and mother of Ironside who was a Lady of great religious sanctity Hee made also a Voyage to Rome where hee was pontifically received by Bennet the eight of that name and demeaned himselfe with great magnificence and honour It is further reported of him that after his great entertainment there and return from rhence he was so tumoured with pride that standing by the Thames side at a flowing tyde hee charged the water that it should presume no further nor dare to touch his feet which was so farre from obeying his command that he stil keeping his ground from his ankles it came up to his knees at which suddenly stepping backe out of Vaine pride soone repented of the River he blushing said By this all earthly Kings may know that their powers are vaine and transitory and that none is worthy of that name but he who created the Elements and to whom they only obey This Canutus married his eldest daughter by his Wife Elgina the daughter to the Earle of Hampton to Henry sonne of the Emperour Conradus The death of Canutus the second of that name