length totally subdued by Edmund Monarch of the Saxons aided by Lewelin king of Dimetia or Southwales and giuen by Edmund vnto Malcolme king of the Scots to be held vnder the sief of the kings of England with condition to defend the Northerne frontire of the English against the Danes and forraine invaders After this time Cumberland and Westmoreland or the countrey hereof for aboue the space of one hundred yeares were possessed by the Scottish Nation whose Praefects as the Scottish writers tearme them or immediate Princes were the eldest sons or next Heires of Scotland By king William surnamed the Conquerour they were taken from the Scots and with the rest of England subjected to the Normans King Stephen ingaged in a dangerous war against Maâ—de the Empresse restored Cumberland to the Scots to be held with the old conditions recouered againe not long after by king Henry the second his successour disliking this liberalitie of Stephen and so great a diminution of his kingdome and incorporated with the Crown of England in which vnion the country hath euer since continued the name language and accompt of the Britons thorough their English and Scottish subjection being long since here worne out and extinguished THE VVELSH BRITONS THese in their natiue language call themselues Câ—mro Cymero and Cymbri as their Latihe Authours Cambri and their countrey Cambria which they would haue to be deriued from Camber one of the sonnes of Brutus their progenitour vnto whose share this part of the Iland should fall in the devision hereof with his brethren a fable begunne by Geffrey or Monmouth and yet maintained by all their Historians Commentatours men otherwise learned and skilfull in antiquities but over zealous to preferre the glory of this their Troian descent The name as before we haue shewed was common to the Britons of Cumberland and to the rest of the nation the words Britons Britaine not being British originally but imposed by the Greekes and forreiners The Etymologie hereof we cannot conjecture vnlesse from Gomar the sonne of Iapheth first peopling these VVesterne parts of Europe and from whom after Iosephus and Zonaras the Gaules were aunciently called Gomarenses and Gomares of which nation the first Britons were a colonie Their name of Welsh or Walsh was Dutch and of a later imposition signifying strangers with the Saxons in which accompt the English still held the Britons They were a more great strong remainder of the vanquished Britons vnder their King Careticus before mentioned driuen ouer the Severne by the victorious Saxons and sheltering themselues amongst the Silures Ordovices and the Mountaines of the VVest The name notwithstanding of the Welsh we finde not vntill afterwards and the yeare 708 at what time we first read in Henry of Huntington of one Gerent King of the Welshmen ouercome in so attaile by Ina the VVest-Saxon some 19 yeares after the decease of Cadwallader and end of the British kingdome The more auncient bounds hereof were vpon the South the sea of Severne by which they were diuided from the Cornish Britons vpon the West the Irish Ocean and vpon the North East the rivers Dee Severne from the Mercian Saxons By the raigne of Offa King of the Mercians succeeding in the yeare 758 all the plaine Country beyond the Severne where now is Herefordshire with parts of Glocestershire Shropshire and Worcestershire being subdued and taken in by the Saxons of Mercia they were wholy shut vp within their Mountaines for their better distinction enclosed by Offa and severed from his English with a wide and deep ditch continued from Basingwerk vpon the Dee betwixt Chester Ruthland in Flintshire along the hills vnto the mouth of the river Wye neere Bristoll whose tract in many places is yet seene and named Claudh Offa in their language or Offa's ditch afterwards the common bound of both nations Others notwithstanding as a more known limit make the river Wye to be the bounds of both Their government after Cadwallader was vnder diverse Lords whom their Histories call Kings Amogst these their Chronicle maketh mention of Edwall Roderique and Conan Tindaethwy descended from Cadwallader and following in a direct line the progenitours of the succeeding Princes Afterwards Roderique surnamed the Great grandchild by his mother vnto Conan Tindaethwy attained to a Monarchy of the whole Wales which about the yeare 870 he deuided into three parts or provinces which limited and distinguished with their meeres he left vnto his three sons with the authority name of Kings Guinedh or Northwales bounded with the Dee the Ocean the riuer Dovi the part of Anarawd his eldest sonne Deheubarth or South-wales lying beyond the riuer Dovi Powys extended vpon the East toward England the portions of Codelh and Mervin his two yonger sonnes These likewise subdeviding their estates amongst their numerous issue as did continually their successours after them for such was then the bad custome of the Welsh the countrey againe became shared amongst many petty Lords each sonne hauing a part of his fathers inheritance whereof some notwithstanding the eldest sonne most commonly or who otherwise overtopped the rest in power or favour with the people still bore the titles of their generall divisions knowne in their histories by the names of Kings of North and South-Wales and Lords of Powys continuing those stiles vntill towards their subiection to the English Amongst these likewise one was still accompted soveraigne or chiefe Lord to whom the rest were to pay tribute and to doe seruice which honour by the order of Roderique the great and of Howell Dha their lawgiuer was due vnto the succession of Anarawd before mentioned the Kings of Northwales the first borne or chiefe of the house of Cadwallader These their soueraigne lords are named kings in the Welsh historie vnto Owen surnamed Guyneth succeeding about the yeare 1137 who first is called Prince which title is continued vntill the time of Edward the first King of England to Lâ—evelyn their last prince taken vp since by the heires of the house of England By Egbert the great Saxon Monarch the nation is first made subject to the tribute and homage of the English ruled neuerthelesse after their owne lawes and free from forreine yoake vntill the Kings of England of the Norman race By Bernard de Neumarck a Norman gentleman assisted by the Aubryes and other of the French English nobility in the raigne of William Rufus king of England Brechiniauc now Brecknockshire after a long and hard warre is wrested herefrom and annexed to the English Empire By Robert Fitz-hamon in the same raigne Morganwc now Glomorganshire By Arnulph of Mountgomerie and Girald of Winsore his successour in the warre in the raigne of King Henry the first the Country of Dyvet now Pembrokeshire at what time a colonie of the Flemmings whose countrie had beene drowned by the Ocean by the permission hereof were planted in Ros a part of Dyvet continuing
here euer since their succession and English language and occasioning the name of little England beyond Wales By the Earles of Chester Warren and Mortimer with others about the same times the parts of Flint Denbigh together with Caeretica and the land of Gwent now Cardigan Monmouthshire are likewise taken in and subdued The valour or fortune of King Edward the first put an end to this languishing estate of the Welsh after some yeares warre vanquishing and killing Lhewelyn ap Gruffith their last prince and annexing the whole Wales to the English subiecting the people to his English lawes King Henry the eight of later yeares descended from the Welsh by the fathers side incorporated the country with the kingdome of England investing the Welsh with all the rights and priviledges of his English subjects in which ranke and vnion they now remaine The princes hereof from more certaine cleare times follow with that truth which their Histories will afford Roderique surnamed the Great Monarch of the Welsh sonne to Meruyn Vrych a nobleman of Wales Esylht daughter to Conan Tindaethwy son to Roderique Molwynoc son to Edwal son to Cadwallader the last king of the Britons Parting Wales into the divisions before mentioned he allotted Guynedh or Northwales vnto Anarawde his eldest son and vnto Cadelh Mervyn Deheubarth or Southwales Powys with condition that the two younger brethren their successours should be leigemen acknowledge the soveraignety of Anarawd the kings of Northwales confirmed afterwards by the lawes of Howel Dha He deceased in the yeare 876 slaine by the English Anarawd prince of Guynedh or north-Northwales soveraigne or chiefe King of the VVelsh eldest son to Roderique the Great The order of the kings of Southwales Lords of Powys for thus were they called and of the many inferiour Lords or Princes in each devision for as before euery son after the custome of the present Germans had a share of his fathers possessions I haue omitted in regard of their number Edwal Voel prince of Guynedh chiefe King of VVales sonne to Anarawd succeeding about the yeare 913. In the raigne hereof Athelstan King of England forced a tribute vpon the Welsh of 20 pounds of gold and 300 of silver with 200 head of cattaile remitted afterwards by King Edgar for a tribute of wolues Howel Dha Prince of Deheubarth or Southwales Powys soveraigne King of VVales succeeding in the yeare 940 descended from Cadelh brother to Anarawd the sonnes of Edwal Voel the right heires excluded Hee made lawes for the VVelsh obserued by the nation vntill their subjection to the English Iames and Ievaf sonnes to King Edwal Voel joynt princes of Guynedh and chiefe Kings of VVales succeeding after the decease of Howel Dha Owen with other the sonnes of Howel Lords of Southwales and Powys contending with them for the soueraignety being overthrowne by them in battaile and their elder brother Meyric omitted as vnfit for government Vnto these princes Edgar the King of England forgaue the tribute of money imposed by Athelstan exchanged for a certaine number of wolues constantly brought in by the VVelsh after my Authour vntill they were all destroyed The relation I leaue to the censure of the reader These afterwards falling out Ievaf is taken prisoner and Iames remaineth sole king overcome not long after and chased out by Howel sonne to Ievaf Howel Prince of Guynedh chiefe King of Wales sonne to Ievaf succeeding about the yeare 973 his father freed by him and set at liberty but not restored to the soveraignty He was slaine fighting against the English without any male issue Cadwalhon Prince of Guynedh soveraigne King of Wales son to Ievaf and brother to Howel succeeding about the yeare 984. He was slaine in battaile with Meiryc his brother by Meredith son to Owen king of Southwales Meredith Prince of Guynedh and chiefe king of Wales having slaine Cadwalhon Meyric son to Owen king of Deheubarth or south-South-wales After the decease of his father he likewise got seized of Southwales He afterwards lost Guynedh or north-Northwales vnto Edwal son to Meyric the eldest son of Edwal Voel the right heire in his absence set vp by the inhabitants Edwal prince of Guynedh chiefe King of Wales son to Meyric eldest son to Edwal Voel succeeding in the yeare 992. He was slaine in fight by the Danes leaving behind him a young son named Iames. In the yeare 998 died also Meredith aforesaid King of Southwales leaving one onely daughter named Angharat marryed to Llewelin ap Sitsylht By meanes hereof for want of heires or fit to goyerne Conan ap Howel Aedan ap Blegored contended for the gouernment when comming to battail Conan is slaine and Aedan vsurpeth the kingdome Aedan ap Blegored prince of Guynedh and soveraigne king of Wales succeeding in the yeare 1003. He was slaine with his foure sons in the yeare 1015 by Llewelin ap Sitsylht husband to Angharad Llewelin ap Sitsylht descended from king Anarawd and Angharad his wife daughter to Meredith king of Southwales after the decease of Aedan the vsurper soveraigne kings of Wales Hee was slaine in the yeare 1021 by Howel Meredith sons to Edwin son to Eneon brother to king Meredith leauing a son named Gruffith ap Llewelin After the death of Llewelin ap Sitsylht Iames son to King Edwal tooke vpon him the gouernment of Northwales as right heire Iames the second prince of Guynedh chiefe king of Wales son to king Edwal He was ouerthrowne slaine in the yeare 1037 by Gruffith son to Llewelin Angharad Gruffith prince of Guynedh chiefe king of Wales son to Llewelin ap Sitsylht Angharad He also subdued Southwales slaine by treason Blethyn Rywalhon sons to Angharad aforesaid Conwyn ap Gueristan her second husband princes of Guynedh and chiefe kings of Wales after the decease of king Gruffith Rywalhon being slaine in the yeare 1068 in a battaile fought betwixt these Meredith and Idel sonnes to king Gruffith Blethyn by this meanes remaineth sole King of north-Northwales He was slaine in the yeare 1073 by the treason of Rees ap Owen ap Edwyn Trahern ap Caradoc prince of Guynedh or north-Northwales and chiefe king of Wales cosen german to king Blethyn Hee was slaine in battaile by Gruffith son to Conan son to king Iames the second Gruffith ap Conan prince of north-Northwales chiefe king of Wales In the yeare 1079 after my Authour and the raignes of Gruffith ap Conan Rhees ap Theodor king of Southwales William the Conquerour king of England tooke the homages of the Welsh princes Not long after vnder William Rufus by the good leaue hereof Morganwc Brechiniauc and the Countrie where now is Cardiganshire parts of Deheubarth or Southwales with some part of north-Northwales neighbouring vnto Chester are subdued by Robert Fitzhamon Bernard de Neumarck other valiant Norman adventurers and added to the English government In regard hereof Matthew Paris maketh William Rufus the
Conquerour of Wales Gruffith ap Conan in a full age deceased about the yeare 1137 the last whom the Welsh history nameth king of Wales THE PRINCIPALITIE OF VVALES Owen Guyneth prince of Guynedh and Wales eldest son to king Gruffith ap Conan succeeding about the yeare 1137. At this time Rhees ap Gruffith descended from Howel Dha was chiefe Lord of Southwales named King by the English by the Welsh the Lord Rhees David prince of Guynedh and Wales younger son to Owen surnamed Guyneth succeeding in the yeare 1169 his elder brother Iorwerth in regard of some deformity excluded Hee was deposed in the yeare 1194 by Llewelin the son of Iorwerth Llewelin prince of Guynedh and Wales son to Iorwerth eldest son to Owen Guyneth He tooke the oathes and acknowledgements of the many inferiour Welsh princes which duety for some yeares had beene omitted through their civill dissentions and other defects David prince of Guynedh Wales succeeding in the yeare 1240 son to Lhewelin ap Iorwerth He did homage at Glocester for the principality of Wales to Henry the third King of England He deceased without issue Lhewelin prince of Guynedh Wales son to Gruffith son to prince Lhewelyn ap Iorwerth the last prince of VVales of the British of-spring and race of Cadwallader By this time through the daily encroachings of the English in a manner the part onely of Guynedh or Northwales contayning now Merionith and Caernarvonshire with Anglesey were left vnto the Welsh princes better defended by their inaccessable mountaines bogs Refusing or rather deferring the accustomed homage due from the Welsh he was pursued with hot war by king Edward the first and forced to a composition amongst other hard conditions concluding after his decease a surrendry to the English of the principality of Wales and the parts he now enjoyed Not long after as it seemeth repenting himselfe of his act and the more incensed through the instigation of his brother David excluded from all hope of succession by this agreement pretending the English tyranny iniustice he againe fatally tooke armes the successe whereof was his owne death hapning shortly after slaine in the prosecution of the warre nere the towne of Buelth as the Welshmen say betraied the execution of David his brother by the hand of iustice the finall abolition of the Welsh government and the conquest of the whole country by the English The Welsh line extinguished the king of England invested with this title and honour their eldest sons or who were next to succeede them in the English Monarchy Their order and names we haue inserted vnto our times Edward of Caernarvon son to Edward the first prince of Wales and afterwards king of England by the name of Edward the second Edward of VVinsore sonne of Edward the second king of England by the name of Edward the third Edward surnamed the blacke prince eldest son to Edward the third Richard of Bourdeaux son to Edward the blacke prince king of England by the name of Richard the second Henry of Monmouth son to Henry the fourth king of England by the name of Henry the fift His sonne Henry the sixt is not accompted amongst the princes of Wales his father deceasing onely some few moneths after his birth Edward son to Henry the sixt slaine by the faction of Yorke after the battaill at Tewkesbury Edward sonne to Edward the fourth king of England by the name of Edward the fift Edward son to Richard the third Arthur eldest son to Henry the seventh Henry younger sonne to Henry the seventh king of England by the name of Henry the eight Edward son to Henry the eight king of England by the name of Edward the sixt Henry eldest son to Iames king of great Britaine of happy memorie Charles son to King Iames and brother to prince Henry now King of great Britaine whom God long preserue THE PICT'S THe name hereof signifyeth painted in the Latine tongue which was first giuen vnto them by the Romans in regard of their paintings That the Picts were accustomed to paint themselues the authorities of Claudian and Isidore make manifest Pompoinus Laetus Buchanan and others would haue them to haue beene a Colonie of the opposite and neighbouring Germans But which nation wee reade not in Tacitus or in any classique authour ever to haue beene painted Beda of much better authority fetcheth their pedegree further of from the Scythians who should arriue in the Northerne parts of the Iland in the yeare 78 after Christ yet which he doth not constantly affirme but delivereth onely as receiued by tradition The errour hereof and of the like forreine derivations the generall consent of auncient Geographers and Historians doth plainely evince placing here the Caledonii and other names of the Britons but not mentioning the Picts vntill two hundred yeares afterwards The most probable assertion is that they were no other then the natiue Britons inhabiting the wilde parts of Caledonia who after Herodian vsing to paint their bodies with sundry shapes of birds and beasts and going naked to haue their braverie seene became at length thus named by the Romans from such their straunge habit and for their better distinction from the civill Britons of the Province wearing cloathes and attired after the Roman manner Some reasons inducing herevnto might be their like fashions and manner of liuing with the more auncient Britons and the many British words yet left in the townes and parts of Scotland which they sometimes inhabited arguing as the same language so the same nation of both We adde the great silence of the Romans who neighbouring close vnto them and possessing the Southerne part of the Iland long before their supposed arrivall by Beda yet make no mention of their descent hither from forreine parts We adde likewise the testimony of Eumenius in his Panegyrique vnto the Emperour Constantine the Great who maketh the Caledonij to be a part of the Picts intimating hereby as the Picts to be Britons for such were the Caledonij so this not so much then to haue beene the name of a people as some agnomination or by-name given to all the wild barbarous Britons in regard of their disfiguring or painting They are first mentioned by Eumenius in his Panegyrique aforsaid liuing in the time of Constantine the great The part of Britaine they then possessed was the whole Northerne part hereof not yet conquered or brought into a Province by the Romans for by this name all the barbarous Britons begun now to bee called neither were the Irish Scots at this time arriued had setled here their habitation The Westerne part of Caledonia being overwhelmed by a deluge of the Scots which hapned about the raigne of the Emperour Honorius they withdrew wholy into the Easterne part hereof bordering vpon the German Ocean bounding vpon the South with the Bodotria now Edenborough Frith for thus farre Northwards extended the Roman or civill Britons as did afterward the Saxons
wherein his father with the Normans had conquered the English annexing Normandy to his English Crowne his borther Robert being surprised in battaile and detayned prisoner during life He deceased in the yeare 1135 the first English-Norman king Stephen Earle of Mortaigne yonger son to Stephen Earle of Blois and Champaigne by Adcla daughter to the Conquerour king of England by the power of his faction the advantage of his sexe and the pretended will of king Henry vpon his death-bed opposed by Maude the onely legitimate daughter surviuing issue of Henry formerly wife to Henry the fourth Emperour of the Romans After long trouble warres betwixt the two sides a peace at length is concluded Stephen is continued in the possession of the Crowne to returne after his decease vpon Henry Fitz-Empresse son to Mande and to the heires of the first Henry Henry the second son to Geffrey Plantaginet Earle of Aniou in France Maude the Empresse daughter to Henry the first and Maude daughter to Malcolme king of Scotland and S t Margaret descended from king Edmund surnamed the Iron-side In this prince the surname of Plantaginet was first deriued vpon the house of England continued vnto Edward sonne to George Duke of Clarence the last Plantaginet or of the male issue hereof the rest extinguished during the ciuill warres betwixt the houses of Yorke and Lancaster put to death by king Henry the seaventh He marryed vnto Eleanor daughter and sole heire to William Duke of Aquitaine Guienne and by armes voluntary submission made first subiect the factious and devided Irish king of England Duke of Normandy Aquitaine Guienne Earle of Aniou The dominion title of Ireland he had given vnto his yongest son Iohn Maude his eldest daughter was married vnto Henrie surnamed the Lyon Duke of Saxony and Bavaria from whom are descended the present Dukes of Brunswyck and Lunenburg in Germany bearing the same armes with the more auncient kings of England Richard the first king of England Duke of Normandy Aquitaine Guienne Earle of Aniou son to Henrie the second He accompanied Philip surnamed Augusts king of France with other Latine princes towards the East for the recoverie of the Holy Land renowned for his victories against Saladine Sultan of Aegypt and the Infidels Not the least in that journey amongst his other conquest was that of the Cyprioâ—s whom occasioned by some hostile and churlish carriages of Cursar their king against his distressed and weather-beaten Fleete he in few daies subdued exchanging that Iland with Guy of Lusignan for the kingdome or title of Hierusalem remaining in the house of Guy for many descents vntill the vsurpation thereof by the Venetians He deceased without issue Iohn king of England Duke of Normandie Aquitaine and Guienne Earle of Aniou and Lord of Ireland which last title he first added yongest son to Henry the second opposed by Arthur Duke of Britaine son to Geffrey his elder brother and Constance inheretresse of that house He lost Normandy Aniou Touraine and Maine with Poictou part of the Dukedome of Aquitaine to Philip the second surnamed Augustus French king pretending their forfeiture holding of the French kings in fee vpon the decease of Arthur whom he surmised to haue beene murthered by Iohn forsaken in those troubles by his disloyall Nobility refusing their aydes and betrayed by the natiues of those countries better effected to the French Ingaged at once in three dangerous warres against the Pope Cleargie the French king and his rebellious subjects to make his peace with the Pope his more potent adversary and the chiefe authour of those evils Innocentius the third then succeeding in the Papacy he enthralled his Crowne to the tribute and vassallage of the sea of Rome Henry the third son to Iohn succeeding in the left dominions of his father and in his warres against the French and his traiterous English Barons Edward the first son to Henry the third He subdued the Scots and annexed the Welsh to his English kingdome Edward the second son to Edward the first He marryed vnto Isabel daughter to Philip the fourth French king deposed by a joint conspiracy of his disloyall Queene subjects pretending his bad government and vices Edward the third son to Edward the second Isabel of France The male issue of Philip the fourth extinguished in Charles surnamed the Faire in right from his mother daughter to Philip the next heire generall he made claime to the rich kingdome of France assuming the title hereof and quartering his English armoryes with the French Lillies continued still in his successours Hauing vanquished the French in two memorable battailes at Crecy and Poictiers taken Iohn their king prisoner he in the end nothwithstanding fortune changing lost to that enimy all Aquitaine and Guienne the remainder of the English possessions in that Continent Calais excepted yeelded vp by the treacherous inhabitants ill affecting the English government and coveting a revnion with France He deceased in the yeare 1378. Richard the second king of England France and Lord of Ireland son to Edward prince of Wales eldest son to Edward the third deposed by Henry the fourth without issue Henry the fourth king of England France Lord of Ireland son to Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster fourth son to Edward the third the first prince of the Lancastrian family whose vsurpation and vniust title gaue occasion afterwards to those long and miserable warres betwixt his house Yorke Henry the fift king of England France and Lord of Ireland eldest son to Henrie the fourth The field of Azincourt won and the vnfortunate French vnder a lunatike and weake king being devided into two great factions of Burgundie and Orleans by the aide of Burgundie hauing married Catharine the French kings daughter he is made Regent of France during the malady and indisposition hereof and declared his next successour to the Crowne Charles the Dolphin his son disinherited Henrie the sixt king of England France and Lord of Ireland son to Henry the fift Catherine of France Crowned French king at Paris in the yeare 1431. In the raigne hereof Richard Duke of Yorke layd claime to the Crowne of England in the right of the house of Clarence elder brother to Iohn of Gaunt father to king Henry the fourth ayded by Richard Nevile Earle of Warwick and other potent nobility the effect whereof was a bloody civill warre continued with variable fortune for the space of 25 yeares betwixt the two houses of Lancaster and Yorke the slaughter of the greatest part of the blood royall of both factions the deposing murder of this holy and just prince the irrecoverable losse of France by these tumults the establishing of the kingdome in Edward the fourth his succession the house of Yorke Edward the fourth son to Richard Plantaginet Duke of Yorke which Richard was son to Richard Earle of Cambridge sonne to Edmund Duke of Yorke fift son
name and accompt they at this day continue Henry the first king of Castile son to Alfonsus the eight He dyed without issue Ferdinand the third son to Alfonsus the ninth king of Leon and of Berengaria yonger sister to Henry the first deceased in right from his mother king of Castile Blanche elder sister to Berengaria then wife to Lewes son to Philip the French King refused His father deceasing hee succeeded likewise in the Kingdome of Leon. After this last vnion the two Kingdomes were neuer againe seuered incorporated into one entire state knowne now by the name of Castille Leon. He recouered from the Moores the countries of Andaluzia and Murcia contayning then the petty Kingdomes of Murcia and Sivillia with part of the Kingdome of Cordova In the raigne hereof and yeare 1239 began the famous kingdome of Granado by Mahomet Aben-Alhamar King of Cordova vpon the surprisall of that city by Ferdinand remouing hither his royall seate Alfonsus the tenth King of Castile and Leon son to Ferdinand the third He was that famous Astronomer whose workes are now extant with vs the framer of the Tables of Alfonsus named from him The German Electours diuided he was chosen by his factiō Emperour of the Romans against Richard Earle of Cornwall brother to Henry the third King of England detained notwithstanding at home during his whole raigne with civill warres against his vnnaturall son Sanctius much more happy in the loue of the Muses then of his subiects Sanctius the third king of Castile and Leon the rebellious son of Alfonsus the tenth Ferdinand the fourth son to Sanctius the third Alfonsus the eleauenth son to Ferdinand the fourth Peter the first son to Alfonsus the eleauenth He was driuen out for his cruelty and was restored againe by Edward named the Blacke Prince son to Edward the third king of England Destitute of the English succours not long after he lost both his kingdome life overcome and slaine by his brother Henry Henry the second brother to Peter the first and naturall son to Alfonsus the eleaventh Iohn the first king of Castille Leon son to Henry the second opposed by Iohn of Gaunt duke of Lancaster pretending the right of Constance his wife daughter to Peter the first In this prince by his marriage of D. Maria Diaz de Haro daughter and inheretresse to Don Lopez Diaz de Haro last prince of Biscaia and Guipuscoa these seigneuries were annexed to the crowne of Castille Comming to composition with Iohn duke of Lancaster hee marryed his sonne Henry vnto Catherine daughter to the other by agreement created vpon the marriage prince of Asturia which title occasioned from the English whose eldest sons are named princes of Wales hath ever since bin continued in the heires of Castille or Spaine Henry the third son to Iohn the first He married vnto Catherine daughter to Iohn of Gaunt duke of Lancaster Iohn the second son to Henry the third Henry the fourth son to Iohn the second He deceased without heires of his body Elizabeth queene of Castille Leon sister to Henry the fourth She married vnto Ferdinand the fift king of Aragon Sicily In the raigne hereof the countreyes of Granado Navarra the French Moores being expulsed became annexed to the house hereof and incorporated with Castille and the whole Spaine the kingdome of Portugall excepted vnited vnder one Monarch Naples likewise was then conquered from the French and the house of Ferdinand the bastard and the rich new-found world first discovered added to the dominion hereof Philip the first Arch-duke of Austria and Duke of Bungundie son to the Emperour Maximilian the first Mary Dutchesse of Burgundie king of Castille Leon in right of his wife Ioane eldest daughter to Ferdinand the fift and Elizabeth kings of Castille Aragon Philip deceasing and Ioane of Aragon his Queene in regard of her frenzy and indisposition being vnfit to governe Ferdinand the fift in the minority of Charles the fift reassumed againe the kingdome of Castille Charles the fift son to Philip the first and Ioane of Aragon after the decease of his grandfathers Maximilian the first Emperour and king Ferdinand the fift elected Emperour of the Romans and succeeding in the kingdomes of Castille Leon Aragon Naples Sicily Hierusalem and of the Indyes the Dukedomes of Austria Burgundy and the dominions of the low-countries He added vnto these in Italy the great Dukedome of Milan after the decease of Francis Sforcia without heires according to the composition made betwixt them and in the Netherlands the Provinces of Vtreicht Over-Ysel Zutphen Gelderland Wearyed with long sicknes and the burthen of so great an Empire he voluntarily surrendred all his estates vnto his younger brother Ferdinand and his son Philip the second cloistering himselfe vp in the monastery of S t Iustus in Estremadura where in a private fortune he dyed Philip the second son vnto the Emperour Charles the fift lord of all the kingdomes and possessions belonging to the house of Burgundy Spaine The German Empire and the dominions of Austria were left vnto his vncle Ferdinand Sebastian king of Portugal being slaine in Afrique by the Moores at the battaile of Alcacar and his vncle Cardinall Henry not long after surviuing by the great captain Don Ferdin̄d Alvares de Toledo in the yeare 1580 he cōquered that kingdome the first Monarch of Spaine since king Rodericus and the Gothes To giue a checke vnto this sudden and over-great prosperity the Low-countries in his time revolted eight of whose richest provinces Holland Zealand Vtreicht Over-Ysel Gelderland Zutphen West-Freisland Groninghen haue now by armes freed themselues from the Spanish yoake and subjection Philip the Third son to Philip the second succeeding in the dominions conquests of Spaine The Netherlands were assigned by his father vnto his sister Isabella marryed vnto Albert Arch-duke of Austria Philip the fourth son to Philip the third now king of Castille Spaine and of the many provinces subject to the great Empire hereof THE KINGDOME OF NAVARRA THe Kingdome hereof was first begun amongst the Pyrenean Mountaines in the parts whereabout now standeth the towne of Suprarbe by the Vascones the naturall inhabitants or rather by certaine remnants of the shipwrack'd and flying Christians in that great invndation of the Moores retreating amongst the safer rocks and shelters hereof The exact time when it begun is not set downe Onely thus much is agreed vpon that Garcias Ximinius the first king dyed in the yeare 758 some 42 yeares after the first erection of the kingdome of the Asturians or Leon. It was first entituled the kingdome of Suprarbe then the chiefe towne of those mountainous parts Afterwards it tooke the name of Navarra most probably vnder Innicus Garcias at what time first descending from the mountaines where the former kings had kept themselues immur'd they tooke in Pampelona and the plaine countrey from the Moores By the raigne of Sanctius the Great
Cabo Finisterre and the riuer Minio The auncient inhabitants hereof Tui excepted were the Callaici Lucenses of Ptolemy parts whereof were the Capori Cilini Lemavi Bedyi and Seuri mentioned in the same Authour ASTVRIA BOunded vpon the North with the Sea Cantabrian extended betwixt the river Mearo and Castro de Ordiales vpon the West with Galitia vpon the South with the country of Leon and vpon the East with Biscaia It is wholy possessed with wilde and desert mountaines the shelter of the distressed Christians after their disaster ouerthrow giuen by the Moores at the battaile of Xeres vnder Roderigo the last king of the Gothes It is divided into Asturia de Oviedo and Asturia Santillana ASTVRIA de OVIEDO IT is the more Westerne moity extended along the Ocean from the riuer Mearo and confines of Galitia vnto the towne of Llanes Chiefer townes are Oviedo after Birtius Lucus Asturum of Ptolemy a Bishops Sea founded or rather reaedified by King Froila the first in the yeare 757 remaining afterwards for certaine descents the chiefe residence of the Kings of Leon. Villa-viciosa the only port of note in these parts ASTVRIA SANTILLANA COntinued Eastward along the Sea Cantabrian from LLanes and Asturia d' Oviedo vnto Castro d' Ordiales and the country of Biscaia Chiefer townes are Santillana from whence it hath beene thus surnamed S t Anderos after Birtius Flavionavia of Ptolemy the city of the Paesici now a rich and noted port seated vpon the maine Ocean The particular inhabitants of Asturia Santillana were the Paesici of Ptolemy and Pliny part of the Astures The generall inhabitants of both the Asturiaes were the Astures Transmontani of Pliny renowned with the first birth of the kingdome of Castille and Leon the rest of Spaine then in a manner being subdued by the Moores begun by Pelagius some remainders of the vanquished Gothes in the yeare 716. The heires of Castille amongst other titles are called Princes of Asturia a custome borrowed from the Kings of England whose eldest sonnes are borne Princes of Wales brought hither by meanes of the marriage of Catharine daughter of Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster vnto Henry son to Iohn the first vpon this occasion entitled thus by his father continued since in his successours BISCAIA BOunded vpon the North with the Sea Cantabrian extended betwixt Castro d' Ordiales and the towne of Montrico vpon the West with Asturia vpon the South with Castillia la Veia and vpon the East with Guipuscoa The country is like vnto Asturia wholy ouer-spread with the rough and craggy Cantabrian Alpes yet better peopled and something more fruitfull yeelding plenty of Oranges Chesnuts and the like fruits but litle store of corne as neither by reason of the coldnes thereof any wines at all in regard whereof the inhabitants drinke sider enriched chiefly with minerals especially of yron Chiefe townes are Bilbao a wealthy and populous Empory well knowne vnto the English Dutch and French merchants seated in a plaine towards the Land surrounded with mountaines some two Spanish miles from the maine Ocean vpon a riuer or creeke of the Sea frō the great depth thereof called by the Inhabitants in their barbarous language Ibaisabellum founded or rather reedified out of the ruines of the auncient Flaviobriga of Ptolemy by Diego de Haro prince of Biscaia in the yeere 1300. Laredo a Sea-coast towne vpon a spacious bay West of Bilbao Here and at Bilbao great numbers of ships are made both for warre and burthen the neighbouring woody mountaines affording plenty of materialls for this vse The common inhabitants hereof are more simple and rude then the rest of the Spanish nation acknowledging Christ and a God but not being able to giue an account of their faith They thinke their country much prophaned if any Bishop doe but set footing in it as hapned to the Bishop of Pampelona in the raign of King Ferdinand the fift when vnawares following the Court towards Bilbao much superstition was vsed by them to hallow the steps wherein his horse had trod Vnmarryed Priests they allow not without their concubines thinking it otherwise impossible for these to abstaine from their wiues They vse a barbarous language proper vnto them and the Guipuscoans thought to be the auncient Spanish spoken by the nation before the conquest of the Romans They were a part of the stout valiant Cantabri renowned in auncient authours whose stubborne vndanted resolution they still retaine couragious fierce impatient of servitude and not easily to be constrayned Since the expiration of the Westerne Roman Empire by the intrusion amongst them of the neighbouring Vascones most probably they haue tooke the name of Biscains GVIPVSCOA COntayning the rest of these Northern Sea-coasts continued from the towne of Montrico vnto the mouth of the riuer Vidosa and beginning of France It hath vpon the West Biscaia vpon the East the Pyrenaean Mountaines Guienne in France and vpon the South Navarra It differeth litle in quality from Biscaia alike mountainous rocky barren rich onely in the neuer decaying mines of iron and steele then which no country yeeldeth either better or more plenty From hence as out of Vulcans shop forged out of these materials great store of all sorts of instruments both for warre and common vse are carryed into the countries adjoyning the publique armory of Spaine Chiefer townes here are Tolosa at the confluence of the rivers Oria Duarzo Placenza vpon the river Denia inhabited almost altogether by blacke-smiths S. Sebastian a much frequented and noted port at the mouth of the river Gurvinea Fuentarabia at the foote of the Pyrenaean mountaines and mouth of the river Vidosa the furthest towne in Spaine On the other side of the river beginneth the province of Guienne in France The auncient inhabitants hereof were part of the generall name of the Cantabri with part of the Vascones Their Language is the Basquish OLAVA THe country is litle situated vpon the top of the Cantabrian Alpes betwixt Guipuscoa Biscaia Castillia la Veia and Navarra The chiefe towne is Victoria first built or rather reedified out of the ruines of the auncient Vellica of Ptolemy in the yeare 1180 by Sanctius king of Navarra The auncient inhabitants were part of the Cantabri NAVARRA BOunded vpon the North with the Cantabrian Mountaines countries of Olava Guipuscoa vpon the East with France and the Mountaines Pyrenaean vpon the South with the river Aragon or Arga parting it from Aragonia and vpon the West first with the Ebro then an obscure river falling thereinto a litle below Calahora dividing it from Castillia la Veia The country is plaine for the greatest part yet on all sides environed with mighty mountaines well watered with riuers and fruitfull but not very populous contayning after the accompt of Mariana some 40000 housholds or families Chiefer townes are Tudela vpon the Ebro a litle Vniversity instituted by
surnamed the Stammerer joynt Kings created in the minority of Charles the Simple Lewis the second deceasing Carloman raigned alone who dyed not long after Lewis the third surnamed le Fay-neant sonne to Carloman His raigne was but short deposed for his slought many vices and shorne Monke of Saint Denys Charles surnamed the Fat son to Lewis the Auncient King of Germany and Emperour of the Romans called in by his faction elected King of West-France in the minority of Charles the Simple Hee was deposed not long after and deprived of all his estates dying in great misery and want nere vnto Constance in Germany in the yeare 889. Eudon guardian to Charles the Simple son to Robert Earle of Aniou son to Witichind prince of the Saxons in the raigne of the Emperour Charles the Great in the minority of his pupill after the Emperour Charles the Fat created French King After some two yeares raigne he was likewise deposed by this factious vnconstant nation succeeded vnto by Charles the Simple By meanes notwithstanding of this election there followed afterwards long quarrels and contention for the kingdome betwixt his kindred the house of Aniou and Charles the Simple and his issue during the whole Caroline line a chiefe pretence of Capets vsurpation Charles the Simple the legitimate son of the Emperour Lewis surnamed the Stammerer He had warres with Robert Earle of Aniou brother to King Eudon in regard of the election of Eudon pretending right to the kingdome and slaine by him in a battaill After a short and troublesome raigne caught imprisoned at Peronne by Hebert Earle of Vermandois and forsaken by the nobility hee resigned the kingdome to Rodulph Duke of Burgundy Transiuraine Rodulph Duke of Burgundy Transiuraine son to Conrade Earle of Burgundy Transiuraine brother to Robert the first Earle of Aniou vncle to King Eudon vpon the imprisonment and forced resignation of Charles the Simple elected French King Lewis the fourth son to Charles the Simple and Elgina daughter to Edward surnamed the Elder and sister to Athelstan Kings of England surnamed the Forreiner for that during the captivity of his father and the vsurpation of Rodulph he lived exiled with his vncle Athelstan in England after the death of the vsurper called home and restored to the kingdome Hee had wars with Hugh surnamed the Great Earle of Paris Majour of the Palace son to Robert the second jealous of the popularity greatnes and the ambition of that house Lothaire son to Lewis the fourth In the raigne hereof Hugh Capet heire of the house of Aniou son to Hugh the Great begun againe to renew the auncient quarell of his family touching the kingdome the which not long after he obtayned Lewis the fift son to Lothaire He dyed young without issue the last French King of the house of Charles the Great Hugh Capet son to Hugh the Great Earle of Paris and Majour of the Palace after much quarrell betwixt the houses of Aniou and of Charles the Great thorough a long basenes slougth and pusillanimity of the degenerate princes of that line the present dislike of Charles Duke of Lorraine the next heire the long greatnes and still growing popularity of his house his flattery and crafty insinuations with the nobility and people and religious pretences and of his right and succession to King Eudo and Rodulph in the yeare 965 elected king by this wavering nation Charles Duke of Lorraine excluded caught afterwards by him and imprisoned during life Robert son to Hugh Capet Henry the first younger son to Robert preferred by his father before Robert his elder brother succeeding in the Dukedome of Burgundy Philip the first son to Henry the first Lewis the sixt son to Philip the first Lewis the seaventh son to Lewis the sixt About the raigne of this prince dyed Iohn de Temporibus by the stiffe consent of the French and German writers reported to haue lived from the Emperour Charles the Great vnto this time for aboue the space of 300 yeares Philip the second surnamed Augustus sonne to Lewis the seaventh Lewis the eight son to Philip the second Lewis the ninth surnamed the Saint son to Lewis the eight Philip the third son to Lewis the ninth Philip the fourth surnamed the Faire son to Philip the third Lewis the tenth surnamed Hutin son to Philip the Faire Hee deceased without male issue Philip the fift surnamed the Tall brother to Lewis the tenth Hee also dyed without issue male Charles the fourth brother to Lewis Hutin and Philip the Tall. He also deceased without male issue Philip the sixt surnamed of Valois the next prince of the blood of the line masculine succeeding by the pretence of a Salique Law In the raigne hereof began those long and fierce wars betwixt the French Edward the third King of England descended of Isabel daughter to Philip the fourth pretending in this right for the kingdomes the issue whereof was the great overthrowes of the French at the battails of Crecy and Poictiers the captivity of Iohn French King and the restitution of Normandy and other parts of France taken from the English by King Philip Augustus lost notwithstanding not long after to King Charles the fift with Aquitaine Guienne vntill that time still held by the English nation Iohn French King sonne to Philip the sixt taken prisoner in the English warres by Edward Prince of Wales son to Edward the third at the battaile of Poictiers Charles the fift son to Iohn He recovered againe the countries of Normandy Aquitaine and Guienne and whatsoever else the English held in the continent of France the towne and forts about Calis onely excepted Charles the sixt son to Charles the fift In the raigne hereof fell out that fatall discord betwixt the houses of Orleans and Burgundy by the advantage whereof the weakenes of this phrenetique king and their victory at Agincourt Charles the Dolphin disinherited and Henry the fift King of England having married Catherinne his daughter made Regent of France the English again got seazed of the chiefest parts of the kingdome hereof Henry the sixt King of England being afterwards crowned king of France at Paris Charles the seaventh son to Charles the sixt After long trouble warres Philip the Good and the faction of Burgundy reconciled hee againe cleered France of the English the towne countrey of Calis excepted Lewis the eleaventh son to Charles the seaventh Charles the eight son to Lewis the eleaventh He dyed sans issue Lewis the twelth Duke of Orleans and Valois the next prince of the blood of the line masculine Hee marryed vnto Anne Dutchesse of Bretaigne and deceased without heire male Francis the first Duke of Engoulesme the next prince of the blood of the race masculine He marryed vnto Claude Dutchesse of Bretaigne daughter to Lewis the twelth Anne and incorporated Bretaigne to the crowne of France Henry the second son to Francis the first He wonne the towne countrey of
Iland of Helena a Brittish woman religion here is first generally authorized as in all other places subiect to the Roman Empire clouded soone after with a blacke darkenesse of Arian infection begun in the raigne hereof and condemned by the first Nicene councell but resuming greater strength vnder his son Constantius who next succeded and with a generall plague spreading over this Province together with the whole Christian world This tempest blowne ouer the Orthodox faith is againe endangered in the raigne of Arcadius Honorius by the heresie of Pelagius a natiue of this Country vndertaking a proud warre to vse the words of my Author against the sauing grace of God in whose refutation S Austine much laboured who then liued here routed out by the authority and religious and learned endeavours of S. German and S. Lupus Bishops of Auxerre and Trois in France at the request of the Britons sent hither by the French Churcb and lastly after sundry relapses by S. David Bishop of Meneva or Menew since from hence called S. Davids in the raigne of Arthur king of the Britons About those tymes flourished amongst others of that nature here and amongst the Scots in Ireland the famous Monastery of Banchor erected long before the time of S. Benedict or of anyknowne order and rule of Monkes consisting after my author of seauen parts or devisions vnder their seuerall heads each whereof conteined at the least 300 persons maintained by the labour of their hands without salary or revenue The ruines hereof are yet seene vpon both sides of the Dee in Flintshire in Wales the course of the riuer hauing since beene altered In the yeare of Christ 449 Valentinian the third then succeeding in the Westerne Roman Empire the Saxons or Dutch at that time Pagans vnder their Prince Hengist arriue in Kent followed by fresh Colonies of the same Religion Nation seazing vpon other parts of the Ilands by which meanes Christianity is here againe almost totally obscured if not fully extinguished driuen out with the natiue Britons and confined onely with in Wales Cornwall and the Westerne Mountaines Their prophane gods if it be worth the noting were Tuisto mentioned by Tacitus and vvoden and Frea by Malmesburiensis in whose honour the second third and fift dayes of the weeke were named Tuesday VVednesday and Friday continued since in the flourishing time of the Gospell and vnto this present The neighbouring vncharitable Welsh or Britons not vouchsafing their aide and disdaining all commerce herewith offended with their iniurie and intrusion S. Austine a Monke of Rome is sent hither from Gregorie the Great then Bishop of that sea at whose hands Ethelbert chiefe King of the English his Kentish Saxons receiue baptisme the first Archbishop of Durovernia or Canterburie arriving here in the raigne of Mauritius Emperour of the East and some 150 yeares after the first comming of Hengist Kent by diuine grace being thus illuminated the other kingdomes of the English Heptarchy follow not long after The East-Saxons vnder their King Sebert through the authority of King Ethelbert and by the preaching of Mellitus first Bishop of London vnder the Saxons relapsing soone after vnder Selred Seward and the first and second Sigeberts idolatrous princes and recouered to the faith vnder Sigebert the third through the perswasions of Oswy king of Northumberland and the pious labours of S. Cedde the second Apostle and Bishop hereof after S. Mellitus the Northumbrians vnder their kings Edwin and Oswald and by the preachings of Paulinus and Aidan the first bishops of Yorke and Lindisfarne the East-Angles vnder their King Erpenwald by the instigation of Edwin King of Northumberland after three yeares apostacy Erpenwald deceased confirmed in the Orthodoxe religion through the industry and holy raigne of King Sigebert the West-Saxons vnder their King Kingils by the preaching of S. Birinus the first bishoppe of Dorchester in Oxford-shire and through the godly zeale of Oswald king of Northumberland The Mercians vnder their king Penda and Peada and Wulsfhere sonnes to Penda by the preachings amongst others of S. Ceadda an Apostle of the Mercians and the first bishop of Lichfield brother to Cedde the second bishop of the East-Saxons and by the meanes of Oswy King of Northumberland and the South-Saxons vnder their King Edilwalch by the preaching of S. Wilfrid Arch-bishoppe of Yorke liuing then here exiled thrust out of his bishoppricke by Egfrid King of the Northumbrians sonne and successour to Oswy The last Countrey converted vnder the English was the I le of Wight subdued and forced to the Christian beleife by Ceadwalla King of the West-Saxons Great was the heate and devotion of that first more good plaine and simple age Churches and Oratories builded Bishopprickes erected Monasteries founded then the onely nurseries of learning and reliligion and painefull ministers euery-where planted sincere iust exemplary without hypocrisie faction pride ambition and desire of worldly gaine couetous only of the glory of God and the promotion of his Church by whose holy endeavours England then being too strait to containe so earnest and immense a Zeale the neighbouring Germans not long after tooke flame and were wonne vnto the faith in regard thereof and of their common language which then was the same with the Dutch chiefely aboue others imployed in this sacred worke by the Bishops of Rome and the French Kings to whom the Countrey was then subiect Amongst these of more honourable memory were S. Willebrord the first bishop of Vtreicht S. Weiro bishop of Deira S. Plechelmus bishop of Wit-herne or Candida Casa S. Swibert bishop of Werden S. Acca bishop of Hagustald S. Marcelline and others the Apostles of the Thuringians Frisons and the Lower Germans in the Regency of Pepin the Fat Maiour of the Palace of the French kings S. Willebald the Apostle of East-france and first bishop of Eystet at the same time and S. Willehade the Apostle of the Saxons and first bishop of Bremen but more especially Saint Boniface or Winifride the first Arch-bishoppe of Mentz and the generall Apostle of the Nation acknowledged thus by the vnpartiall Dutch and Popish Relaters about the yeare 710 and Papacie of Gregorie the second after many relapses the establisher here of religion and meanes of their more perfect and full conuersion The English we finde not as yet enthralled to the Church of Rome although not without their errours and much reverencing the authority of that sea from whence had proceeded their conuersion following their doctrine honouring the same with their frequent pilgrimages their pension of Peter pence and with the coule and religious habits of sundry of their Kings The Welch then or Britons were altogether averse from all acknowledgment hereof neither obeying the Legates of the Popes neither yeelding to their decisions or conforming to their rule differing from them in sundry
Egbert and through their owne intestine broyles and in the yeare 819 by the decree of Egbert at an assembly of the states at VVinchester joyned into one entire state or common name of England continued through many successions of princes vnto our times The order of the kings of the VVest-Saxons followeth vntill the Heptarchy determined and the vnion and name of England Cerdic before mentioned the first king of the West-Saxons about the yeare 502 and 43 yeares after the first arrivall of Hengist After Ella of the South-Saxons he attayned to the chiefe rule or soueraignety amongst the Saxon princes the third Monarch of the English continued in his successours for two descents Kenrik king of the West-Saxons and Monarch or chiefe king of the English son to Cerdic Cheulin king of the West-Saxons chiefe king or Monarch of the English son to Kenrik After sundry conquests and great victories against the Britons and Kentish Saxons he was lastly ouerthrowne and driuen out by a joynt warre of the Welsh and his seditious subjects discontented with his insolent government drawne on through the treason and ambition of his nephew Cealic Cealic king of the West-Saxons son to Cuthwolf brother to Cheulin and son to Kenric He lost the Monarchy or chiefe rule of the English vnto Ethelbert king of the Kentish men Chelwolf king of the VVest-Saxons son to Cuth brother to Cheulin Kingils son to Chel brother to Chelwolfe king of the VVest-Saxons succeeding in the yeare 612. He first of the VVest-Saxon princes embraced the Christian Religion won to the faith by the preaching of Berinus an Italian the first Bishop of Dorchester in Oxfordshire and through the holy zeale and endeavours of Oswald king of Northumberland He tooke for his companion in the government his son Quincheline who deceased before him Kenwald king of the VVest-Saxons son to Kengils he founded the rich abbey of Malmesburie and the great Church of VVinchester He deceasing without issue his wife Segburg a manly woman for a time mannaged the affaires of the kingdome succeeded vnto by Eskwin Eskwin king of the VVest-Saxons descended from Cerdic Kenwin king of the VVest-Saxons brother to Kenwald and son to Kingils He much enlarged the kingdome of the VVest-Saxons vpon the Bordering Britons or VVelsh Ceadwalla king of the VVest-Saxons descended from Kenric He slew in fight Edilwalch the last king of the South-Saxons After much cruelty and outrage committed against the neighbouring South and Kentish-Saxons to expiate his sinnes following the manner of those superstitious times he departed on holy pilgrimage to Rome baptized there by Sergius Bishop of that sea where shortly after he dyed Ina king of the West-Saxons descended from Cheulin He annexed to his dominions the Countrie of the South-Saxons and founded the Colledge of Wels and the great Monastery of Glastenbury Ambitious of the honour of his predecessour hee went to Rome and put on the habit of religion deceasing in a private fortune hauing first subjected his kingdome to the payment of Peter-pence to that sea Ethelard king of the West-Saxons descended from Cheulin Cuthred king of the West-Saxons brother to Ethelard About this time after Beda the dead corps of the deceased begun first to bee enterred within townes and cities formerly after the manner of the Turkes at this day buried in the fields Sigebert of vnknowne parentage king of the West-Saxons driven out by his seditious subjects pretending his tyrannie and many vices Kenwulf king of the West-Saxons descended from Cerdic He was slaine by Kineard brother to Sigebert Brithric descended from Cerdic king of the West-Saxons succeeding in the yeare 784. In the time hereof and yeare 787 the Danes first arriue and discover the Westerne coasts of the Iland followed with greater forces in the raigne of Egbert and the succeeding English Monarches He was poysoned by his Queene Ethelburga daughter to Offa the great king of the Mercians In regard of this treason the wiues of the succeeding West-Saxon Monarches were by law afterwards excluded from all state place and title of princes Egbert king of the VVest-Saxons descended from Cheulin and succeeding in the yeare 800. He subdued the Cornish Britons and the Kentish and East-Saxons with those of Mercia East-England and Northumberland Of these Kent and the East-Saxons with the Cornish Britons he immediatly incorporated with his kingdome of the West-Saxons The rest which were Northumberland with the East-Angles and Mercians he commaunded by his substitutes or Vice-royes All notwithstanding he vnited into one entire Monarchie which he named of England from the Angli or English of whom himselfe was descended or in regard of the greater extent of that people contayning after Beda the Mercians Northumbrians and Mercians or some two thirds of the whole Dutch Nation whereof he was Crowned king in the yeare 819 some 370 yeares after the arrivall of Hengist In this sort the Heptarchy extinguished the whole Southerne part of the Iland tooke the name of England Wales the Britons of Cumberland excepted whose fortunes vntill the returne hereof into the vnion of Britaine vnder Lames out late Soveraigne of happy memory remaine in the next place to bee related THE KINGDOME OF ENGLAND THis was begun by Egbert aforesaid The manner and yeare wee haue even now shewed It was bounded more aunciently with the German Ocean vpon the East vpon the South with the English channell from France vpon the West with the Welsh and Britons of Cumberland with part of the Westerne or Irish Ocean from Ireland and vpon the North with the river Tweede from the Picts or Scotland King William surnamed the Conquerour added Cumberland and VVestmoreland parts of the auncient kingdome of the Cumbri wrested from the Scots His son Rufus and the succeeding princes of the Norman bloud added VVales By the raigne of king Edward the first VVales then being totally subdued the accompt and name of England enlarged ouer all the part of the Iland lying vpon the South of the river Tweede and Solway Frith the present extent of the kingdome It hath suffered sundry changes since this its first name and erection being twise conquered by forreine power and made subject to three different successions of Monarches 1 Of the race of the VVest-Saxons 2. Of the Danes 3 and of the Normans THE KINGDOME OF ENGLAND VNDER THE VVEST-SAXONS THe Kings of England follow of the house of the West-Saxons and vntill the Danish subiection Egbert king of the West-Saxons the Heptarchy destroyed crowned king of England at a Parliament of the states held at Winchester in the yeare 819. In the raigne of this prince the Danes begin their fierce invasions of the English continued with variable successe during the whole time of Englands Monarches of the race of the West-Saxons and vntill the yeare 1016 and conquest of the whole by Canutus He deceased in the yeare 836. Ethelwolf and Athelstan sons to Egbert succeeding to their father in the kingdome of England and the Danish warres Of these
first mentioned more distinctly boundeth Normannia or the Countrey of the first or Dutch Normans with the river Eydore including within this accompt Denmarke and other more Northerly Regions and excluding Saxony and the parts of Germany lying vpon the South of that riuer They were otherwise called the Nord-luidi in Helmoldus and the aforesaid Authour The derivation we know not vnlesse from the words Nord or North and Lieu which last with the French signifieth a place or country The names were begun vpon occasion of the pyracies and warres of certaine mixtures of all those Northerne together or of the Swethlanders Norvegians a part following the tracts of the Danes and invading and preying vpon the French and English towards the declining estate of those nations and called by these generall appellations either because their proper names were not yet so well knowne abroad or because then consisting of many We first read of the expresse name of the Normans in the raigne of Charles the Great by Eginhartus in his life of that Emperour infesting then the sea-coasts of France and Germany Their mentioÌ„ after this is frequent more especially in the French Histories with great cruelty fury vnresistable afflicting the kingdome of France in the raigne of Charles the Bauld vnder their Captaine Hastinge and vnder Godfrey an other of their Leaders in the raigne of Charles the Gros. In the yeare 912 they first fixe fast footing in this rich Continent vnder Rollo another of their Captains to whom king Charles surnamed the Simple vpon composition for his peace herewith gaue the country of Neustria together with his daughter Gista in marriage with condition to hold the same vnder the fief and homage of the French kings and to become Christian. After this time that part of France from the firme residence hereof hath ever since beene called Normandy as the inhabitants hereof Normans victoriously held for a long time by the heires of Rollo with the title of Dukes of Normandie succeeded vnto by William surnamed Long-espee or with the Long-sword son to this first Rollo Richard the first son to William surnamed Long-espee Richard the second son to Richard the first Richard the third son to Richard the second Robert brother to Richard the third and William surnamed the Bastard the seaventh Duke naturall son to Robert Vnder this last prince these French Normans France now growing too narrow for their ambition first attempt vpon invade England Their colour for this war was the pretended right of their Duke William to the Crowne hereof bequeathed vnto him by Edward the Confessour in the time of the Danes during his exile in France confirmed afterwards by Edward being king and now since his decease with-held by Harold Their hopes in so great an enterprise was the vnsetled state of England now vnder an vsurper Edgar Etheling the right heire excluded and the favour of the Bishop of Rome Alexander the second then succeeding in the Papacy siding to their cause of whose countenance in authorizing vniust claimes Pepin and the late kings of France had made profitable vse In the yeare 1066 the Armies of the English Normans assisted with many thousands of French adventurers in Sussex neere Hastings fatally encounter Harold not by valour but through the sins and many vices of the Nation is vanquished and slaine with the losse of aboue 67000 of his valiant and faithfull souldiers and the remainder of the miserable English none then further adventuring factious irresolute without head and terrified with Papall cursings without any more resistance become subiect to the Conquerours William the Norman obtayneth the Crowne with great happines maintained hitherto in his Norman posterity The kingdome of the English the growth hereof hauing beene long hindred by the Danish warres before this last Norman conquest exceeded not the auncient limits of the Saxons Heptarchie bounding vpon the West with Wales and the Countries of Westmoreland Cumberland enjoyed by the Scots Welsh princes vnder the homage of the kings of England By king William the first following his victories Cumberland and Westmoreland as before are taken in and incorporated into the accompt name hereof By William Rufus and the succeeding Monarches Wales In forreine parts by Henry the second Ireland is conquered and Aniou Touraine Maine Aquitaine and Guienne with Normandy their auncient inheritance contayning almost one halfe part of France are annexed to the house and right of the Norman-English By Edward the third and the fift sixt Henries the potent kingdomes of France The French hauing long since withdrawn their allegiance divided asunder by spacius seas language and affection the rest remaine subject parts or states appending of the English kingdome In Iames the first of happy memory both kingdomes of England and Scotland or the whole Britaine are vnited vnder one Monarch together with Ireland a Countrie depending vpon England or the dominion of all the British Ilands The Kings of England follow of the Norman blood and vntill this last and blessed vnion William duke of Normandy from this victories surnamed the Conquerour the first king of England of the house of the Normans naturall son to Robert Duke of Normandy by Arlet a Burgers daughter of Falaise in that Countrey Battle-field wonne by conquest and a pretended right from the gift of Edward the Confessour his cosen German by the mothers side succeeding in the yeare 1066. The subdued English stubborne male-contented vnquiet and ill brooking forreine gouernment he oppressed with servitude and hard Lawes dispossessing the nobility of their goods places and revenues which he assigned to his French Normans the root of the present more auncient English gentrie He deceased in the yeare 1087. william the second surnamed Rufus from his more ruddy colour a younger son to the Conquerour king of England by the will of his father his elder brother Robert succeeding in the Dukedome of Normandy He deceased in the yeare 1100 slaine vnawares in New-Forrest in Hamshire as he was following his game vnmarried and without issue Henry the first surnamed Beauclercke or the good Scholler for such he was by meanes of his education borne at Selby in Yorkeshire yongest son to the Conquerour king of England through the advantage of his brother Roberts absence warring then abâ—ad in the Holy Land and by the favour of the people in regard of his English birth and his sugred promises which in part hee performed to remit those heavy lawes taxations wherewith they had beene burthened during the raignes of his father and brother To better his title and the more to insinuate into the English affections he tooke to wife Maude daughter to Malcolme the third king of Scotland and S t Margaret daughter to Edward surnamed the Out-law eldest son to Edmund Iron-side hereby vniting together the Norman and English blood in his issue posterity Warres arising betwixt the two brethren he with his English subdued the Normans vpon the same day after forty yeares
to hospitality Townes are Lemster vpon the river Lug commended for wools the best of the kingdome Brameyard in a bottome vpon the riuer Frome Ledbury vnder Malverne hils vpon the Ledden Hereford in a plaine vpon the Wye a Bishops See and the chiefe towne raised as it is thought out of the ashes and named thus from Ariconium of Antoninus whose ruines are yet seene where are Kenchester wals distant about three miles Westward from the city The Cathedrall Church is dedicated to S. Ethelbert a king of the East-Angles murthered at Sutton vpon the Lug the Court then of Offa king of the Mercians thorough the ambition and treason of Quendreda Queene to Offa honoured afterwards as a Sainct and Martyr Rosse vpon the same riuer The Old Town a small village vpon the Munow Blestium of Antoninus The auncient inhabitants were the Silyres of Ptolemy or the Silures of Antoninus It containeth 8 market townes 11 hundreds and 176 parishes These 23 Shires inclusiuely from Glocestershire seeme to haue contained more aunciently the Roman Province named Flavia Caesariensis by Rufus Festus and the Notitia with part of Britannia secunda of the same Authours divided amongst 6 more great and potent British people the Dobuni Cattieuchlani Trinobantes Iceni Coritani and Cornavij of Ptolemy and others with part of the Silures and Ordovices During the Saxons Heptarchy they comprehended the three kingdomes 1 of the East-Saxons 2 the East Angles 3 and the Mercians They make now the 2 Quart or division formerly mentioned extended about 160 English miles in length betwixt East and West and in breadth betwixt North and South some 130 of the same miles and bounded vpon the East with the German Ocean and from the rest of England vpon the South with the riuer Thames and the Avon by Bristoll vpon the North with Humber and the riuer Mersee and vpon the West with Offaes Ditch and part of the Wye from Wales MONMOVTH-SHIRE BOunded vpon the North with the riuer Munow from Herefordshire vpon the East with the Wye from Glocestershire vpon the South with the Sea of Severne and vpon the West with the Remney from Glamorganshire The parts towards the East and Wye are graffie and full of woods those toward the West stony and somewhat mountainous the Sea-coasts where the Vske falleth into the Severne low moorish and subject to invndations Places of more note are Munmouth at the confluence of the Wye and Munow the chiefe towne honoured with the birth of Henry the fift the glorious Conquerour of France Chepstow vpon the Wye neere vnto the fall thereof into the Severne Westwards from hence is seene Caer Went the carkase of an old Roman city named Venta of the Silures by Antoninus Aber-gevenny or Aber-genny Gobannium of Antoninus at the meetings of the Gevenye and the Vske Vske named thus from the riuer Burrium of Antoninus Caer-Leon vpon the same riuer of Vske Isca Silurum of Antoninus the Mansion of the second Romane Legion surnamed Augusta Newport vpon the same riuer neerer to the Severne The inhabitants are part of the Silyres of Ptolemy the Silures of Tacitus It is divided into 6 Hundreds wherein are contained 6 Market townes and 127 parishes It is not accompted amongst the Welsh shires GLAMORGAN-SHIRE BOunded vpon the East with the river Remneye from Monmouthshire vpon the South with the Sea of Severne vpon the West with the Loghor from Caermarthenshire and vpon the North with Brecknockeshire The North and more inland parts are mountainous hilly the Sea-coasts more plaine fruitful populous and well replenished with townes These of better note are Landaff vpon the riuer Taff a Bishops See Caerdif vpon the same river the chiefe towne Cowbridge Not far from hence vpon the sea-coast is Boverton Bovium of Antoninus Neath vpon the riuer so called Nidum of Antoninus Swansey or Aber-taw at the mouth of the riuer Taw in Gower the part of this country betwixt the rivers Neath and Loghor Further to the West standeth Loghar vpon the riuer thus named Leucarum of Antoninus The inhabitants are the Silures of Tacitus Here are contained 6 Market townes 10 Hundreds and 118 parishes BRECKNOCK-SHIRE BOunded vpon the East with Herefordshire vpon the South with Monmouthshire and Glamorganshire vpon the West with Caermarthen-shire and vpon the North with the riuer of Wye from Radnorshire The countrey is mountainous in the valleyes not vnfruitfull Places of more note are Brecknocke vpon the riuer Vske the chiefe towne Vpon the VVye Buelth Bulleum of Antoninus naming the bordering mountainous region Hay vpon the same riuer The inhabitants are part of the Silures of Tacitus The Shire contayneth 6 Hundreds 3 Market townes and 61 parishes RADNOR-SHIRE BOunded vpon the North with Mongomerieshire vpon the East with Hereford-shire vpon the South with the riuer Wye from Brecknock-shire and vpon the VVest with Cardiganshire The parts towards Cardiganshire the VVest are altogether taken vp with rocky asperous desert mountaines strong refuges of Outlawes and of Vortigerne king of the Britons pursued by the all conquering English and the feare and hate of his owne subiects Those to the South and East are lesse vnfruitfull and better inhabited Townes here are New-Radnor the chiefe towne distinguished thus from the Old not vnprobably Magni of Antoninus and Magi of the Notitia the station of a foote company of the Pacenses Prestaine vpon the riuer Lug. Knighton The inhabitants are part of the Silures It contayneth 6 Hundreds 4. Market-townes and onely 52 Parishes CARMARDEN-SHIRE BOunded vpon the North with the riuer Tyvi from Cardiganshire vpon the East with Brecknockshire and the riuer Loghor from Glamorganshire vpon the South with the Sea of Severne vpon the VVest with Penbrokeshire The country is hilly the soile not vnfruitfull Townes here are Caermarden vpon the riuer Tovy the chiefe towne Maridunum of Ptolemy Higher vpon the top of a hill vnder which runneth the Tovy standeth Dineuour-castle the seate sometimes of the princes of south-South-wales New-castle vpon the Tyui and the edge of Cardiganshire coniecturally Louentinum of Ptolemy Kidwelly vpon the Ocean The inhabitants are part of the Demetae of Ptolemy The whole contayneth 6 Market-towne 6 Hundreds 87 Parishes PENBROKE-SHIRE BOunded vpon the East with Caermardenshire vpon the North with the riuer Tyvi from Cardiganshire and vpon the other sides encompassed with the Ocean The countrey is lesse hilly the soile fruitfull cut and deuided in the middle with the riuers Cledhydhy and Cledhewen Milford haven whereinto these are disburdened distinguished into sundry creekes bayes roades for ships the most safe and spacious harbour of the kingdome Vpon the VVest of the bay lyeth a Promontorie or Chersonese named Ros by the Britons and otherwise from the speech litle England beyond VVales inhabited by a colony of the Dutch or Flemmings planted here by king Henrie the first