Ch. 877. 1 Amarawd 36. 913. 2 Idwallo 3 Merick 4 Iames or Iago 1067. 5 Conan Sonne of Iames. 1099. 6 Gryssith ap Conan 1120. 7 Owen Guinedth 1178. 8 David ap Owen 1194. 9 LLewellen ap Iarweth 1240. 10 David ap Llewellen 1246. 11 LLewellen II. Sonne of Gryffith the Brother of David ap LLwellen the last Prince of Wales of the British Race Of whom it is said that once consulting with a Wâ—tch he was told by her that it was his destiny to be caried in triumph thorow London with a Crown on his head Hereupon making some excursions on the Englâ—â—h Borders he drew upon himself the whole power of King Edward the first which not being able to withstand and the King as willing on the other side not to sight with Mountains Commissioners were appointed to conclude the differences Robert Lord Tiptoff and some others for the King of England and for the Welch Prince Grono ap Heylyn a great man of that Countrey descended from Brockwell Skythrac one of the Princes of Powys-land from whom if Camdâ—aâ—â—rentiâ—ux be of any credit the Author of these Papers doth derive his Pedegree under whom that Family had the Office of Hereditarie Cup-Bearer and from thence their name Heylyn Promus 〈◊〉 à poculis quae vox â—a proprium â—omen abiit saith the Welch Dictionarie By those Commissioners it was concluded and agreed on that LLewellen should enjoy a part of the Countrey with the Title of Prince during his life the rest in present and the whole after his decease to be surrendred over to the King of England But David the Brother of LLewellen finding himself excluded by this Agreement from the hope of succession incensed his Brother and the Welch to a new Revolt the issue whereof was the taking of David executed by the hand of justice and the death of LLewellen slain in Battail neer the Buelth in Brecknocksâ—ire Whose head being pitched upon a stake and adorned with a Paper-Crown was by a Horseman caried triumphantly thorow London Anno 1282. And so the Prophecie was fulfilled In him ended the Line of the Princes of north-North-Wales after they had for the space of 405 yeers resisted not only the private undertakers and Adventurers of England but the Forces of many puissant Monarchs whose attempts they alwayes made frustrate by retiring into the heart of their Countrey and leaving nothing for the English to encounter with but their Woods and Mountains But now the fatall period of the â—ritish Liberty being come they were constrained to yeeld to the stronger What followed after this we shall see anon The Arms of these Princes was quarterly Gules and Or four Lions Passant gardant counterchanged 2 POWISLAND contained the whole Counties of Montgomery and Radnor all Shropshire beyond the Severn with the Town of Shrewsbury and the rest of Denbigh and Flinâ—shires comprehending by the estimate of those times 15 Cantreds or hundreds of Villages the word Cant signifying an hundred and Tret a Village The principall Cities or Towns of it were S. Asaph Shrewsbury Matravall spoken of before A Countrey more partaking of the nature and fertility of England than the parts belonging unto Guinedth or North-Wales but alwayes lying in harms way by reason of the Neighbourhood of the more potent English and therefore given by Roderick to Merâ—yn his youngest Sonne partly because he was the youngest but chiefly because he was a man of approved valour and so more fit to have his portion upon the Borders In his Line it continued a long time together but much afflicted and dismembred by the â—arks of Chester and Shrewsbury who took from them a good part of Flint and Denbigh and 〈◊〉 and by the Princes of north-North-Wales who cast many a greedy eye upon it Of the Successors of Prince Mervyn I find no good Caâ—taâ— more than of Brockwell Skythrac before remembred The last that held it all entire was Meredyth ap Blethyn who following the ill example of Roderick Mawr divided it betwixt Madoc and Gryffith his two Sonnes Of which Maâ—eâ— died at Wiâ—chestâ—r Anno 1160 in the time of King Henry the 2d his part hereof depending after his decease on the Fortunes of Guinedâ—h and Gryffith was by Henry the first made Lord of 〈◊〉 the stile of Prince left off as too high and lofty In his Race it continued till the time of King Edward the first to whom at a Parliament holden in Shâ—ewsbury Owen ap Gâ—yffiâ—â—h the fifth from Gryâ—â—ith ap Meredith before mentioned surrendred his place and Title and received them of the King again to be holden in Capite and free Baronage according to the Custom of England Avis or Hawis Daughter and Heir of this Owen ap Gryffith was maried unto Iohn Charlâ—ton Valect or Gentleman of the Privie Chamber to King Edward the 2d by whom in right of his Wife he was made Lord Powis Edward the fift also of this Line of the Charleâ—ons was the last of that House his Daughter Jâ—ne conveying the Estate and Title to the House of the Greyes and of them also five enjoyed it the last Lord Powis of the Line or Race of Mervyn being Edward Grey who died in the dayes of our Grand Fathers And so the title lay extinct untill revived again in the person of Sir William Herbert of Red-castle descend from the Herberts Earls of Pembroke created Lord Powys by K. Charles the first Anno 1629. The Arms of the Princes of Powysland were Or a Lyon Rampant Gules 2 south-SOUTH-WALES or Deheubarâ—h conteined the Counties of Monmouth Glamorgan Caermarden Cardigan and Brecknock the greatest and most fruitfull part of all Wales but more exposed to the invasion of forrain Nations English Danes Flemmings and Norwegians by whom the Sea-Coasts were from time to time most grievously plagued Insomuch that the Kings and Princes hereof were inforced to remove their seat from Caermarthen where it was fixt at first unto Dynevour Castle as a place of greater strength and safety where it continued till the Princes of it were quite extinct called from hence Kings of Dynevour as before is said The chief Towns of it Caermarthen Monmouth Landaffe S. Davids spoken of alreadie The Kings and Princes as farre I can find upon any certainty are these that follow The Princes of south-South-Wales A. Ch. 877. 1 Cadel 2 Howel 907. 3 Howel Dha 948. 4 Owen 5 Aeneas 6 Theodore the great 1077. 7 Rhese ap Theodore 1093. 8 Gryffith ap Rhese 9 Rhese II. ap Gryffith 10 Gryffith ap Rhese the last Prince of south-South-Wales of the Line of Cadel after they had with great strugling maintained their liberty for the space of 300 years and upwards but so that though they still preserved the title of Princes they lost a great part of their Countrie to the Norman-English For in the reign of William Rusus Bernard de Newmark a noble Norman seized upon those parts which now make the Countie of Brecknock being then a fair and goodly Lordship and
Robert Fitz-Haymon with some other noble adventures made themselves masters of Glamorgan in which the posteritie of some of them are still remaining Incouraged by their good success Arnulp of Montgomery in the time of King Henry the first won from the Welch a great part of Dyvet which we now call Pembroâ—â—shire as the Earls of Warren and Lord Mortimer about the same times did prevail exceedingly in the conquest of Cardigan and Monmouth So that the poor Princes had no one Countrie left entire but Caermarthen onely too little to maintain them in so high a title And though this last Gryffith in the time of the Warres in England betwixt Maud the Empress and King Stephen had recovered a great part of this lost Estate yet neither he nor his did enjoy it long himself deceasing shortly after and his two Sonnes Cymmerick and Meredith being taken by King Henry the second who most cruelly put out their eyes yet did the Welch as well as possibly they coâ—ld endeavour to preserve the liberty which their Fathers left them till the felicitie and wisdome of King Edward the first put an end unto the warre of Wales and setled them in some degree of peace and quiet But before we come to speak of this we are to shew another Catalogue of the Kings and Princes of Wales different from the succession of them before laid down and made according to the History of Wales writ by Humfrey LLoyd this Catalogue conteining the Succession of the greater and predominant Princes whether of Guynedh Deheuharth or Powysland such as gave law unto the rest and had the honour to be called Kings of Wales though Princes onely of their own proper and particular Countries as formerly we had a Catalogue of the Monarchs of the English Saxons made out of the Predominant Princes of the Saxon Heptarchiâ— Onely we shall find some in the following Catalogue who were not naturally and lineally Princes of any of the three and therefore not expressed in the former Tables but such as by strong hand had intruded into those Estates to the prejudice of the right heirs over-powred by them The Kings and Princes of Wales according to the Welch History A. Ch. 688. 1 Ivor 690. 2 Idwallo or Edwall Sonne of Cadwallader 720. 3 Roderick Molwinnoe 755. 4 Conan â—eudaethwy 820. 5 Mervin Vrich 843. 6 Roderick Mawre who divided Wales into 3 Estates 877. 7 Amarawdh Prince of Guynedth 913. 8 Edwall Voel Prince of Guynedh 940. 9 Howel Dha or the Good Prince of Dehenbarth 948. 10. Ievaf and Iago Sonnes of Edwall Voel to whom King Edgar did release the tribute paid in money for a tribute of Wolves 982. 11. Howel the Sonne of Ievaf succeeded in the Kingdom of Wales his Father being still alive and of right Prince of Guinedh 984. 12 Cadwallan the brother of Howell 986. 13 Meredith ap Owen Prince of Debeâ—barth 992. 14 Edwall Sonne of Merick the Eldest Sonne of Edwall Voel which Merick had been pretermitted as unfit for Government 1003. 15 Aedan ap Blethored an Vsurper 1015. 16 LLewellen ap Sitsylht descended from the house of Dehenbarth 1021. 17 Iago ap Edwall Prince of Guinedh 1037. 18 Gryffith ap LLewellen 1061. 19 Blethyn and Rhywallon Sonnes of Angharad the Daughten of Meredith ap Owen Prince of Debenbarth by a second Husband 1073. 20 Trahaern ap Caradoc Cousin to Blethyn 1078. 21 Gryffith Prince of Guinedh Sonne of Conan the Sonne of Iago ap Edwall one of the Princes of the same did Homage to William the Conquerour and was the last that had the title of King of Wales 1137. 22 Owen Guinedh Prince of Guinedh and Soveraign Prince of Wales 1169. 23 David ap Owen Prince of Guinedh 1194. 24 LLewellen Sonne of Iorweth Eldest Sonne of Owen Guinedh excluded by David his younger Brother 1240. 25 David ap LLewellen Prince of Guinedh 1246. 26 LLewellen Sonne of Gryffith the Brother of David the last Soveraign Prince of Wales of the race of Cadwallader overcome and slain in battell by King Edward the first An. 1282. as before is said by means whereof the Principalitie of Wales was added to the Crown of England When King Edward had thus fortunately effected this great business he gave unto his English Barons and other Gentlemen of note many fair Signeuries and Estates as well to reward them for their service in the conquest as to engage so many able men both in purse and power for the perpetuall defence and subjugation of it As for the Lordship of Flint and the Towns and Estates lying on the sea-coasts he held them into own hands both to keep himself strong and to curb the Welch and wherein he dealt like the politick Emperour Emperour Augustus pretending the ease of such as he had there placed but indeed to have all the Arms and men of employment under himself onely This done he divided Wales into seven Shires viz. 1 Glamorgan 2 Carmarden 3 Pembroke 4 Cardigan 5 Merioneth 6 Carnarvon and 7 Anglesey after the manner of England Over each of these as he placed a particular English Lieutenant so he was very desirous to have one generall English Vicegerent over the whole body of the Welch But this when they mainly withstood he sent for his wife then great with child to Carnarvon where she was delivered of a Sonne Upon the newes whereof the King assembled the British Lords and offered to name them a Governour born in Wales which could speak not one word of English and whose life no man could tax Such a one when they had all sworn to obey he named his young Sonne Edward since which time our Kings Eldest Sonnes are called Princes of Wales Their Investiture is performed by the imposition of a cap of estate and a Coronet on his head that is invested as a toâ—en of his Principality by delivering into his hand a verge being the Emblem of government by putting a ring of gold on his finger to shew him how now he is a Husband to the Countrey and a Father to her Children and by giving him a patent to hold the said Principality to him and his heirs Kings of England By which words the separation of it from the Crown is prohibited and the Kings keep in themselves so excellent an occasion of obliging unto them their eldest Sonne when they please In imitation of this custom more ex Anglia translato saith Mariana Iohn the first of Castile and Leon made his Sonne Henry Prince of the Asturia's which is a countrey so craggie and and mountainous that it may not improperly be called the Wales of Spain And all the Sâ—anish Princes even to these times are honoured with this title of Prince of the Asturia's Notwithstanding this provident care of Edward the first in establishing his Empire here and the extreme rigor of Law here used by Henry the 4th in reducing them to obedience after the rebellion of Owen Glâ—ndower yet till the time of Henry the 8th and his Father
at Joppa or some other Port of the Mediterranean and from thence set forwards thorow the Streits of Gibraltar and so plainly Westward 7. Finally in the History of Wales writ by David Powel it is reported that Madoc the son of Owen Gwinedth Prince of Wales of purpose to decline ingaging in a Civil war raised in that Estate in the year 1170. put himself to Sea and after a long course of Navigation came into this Country where after he had left his men and fortified some places of advantage in it he returned home for more supplies which he carried with him in ten Barks but neither he nor they looked after by the rest of that Nation To which some adde that here is still some smattering of the Welch or British tongue to be found amongst them as that a Bird with a white head is called Pengwin and the like in which regard some sorry Statesmen went about to entitle Queen Elizabeth unto the soveraignty of these Countries Others more wise disswaded from that vain Ambition considering that Welch men as well as others might be cast upon those parts by force of tempest and easily implant some few words of their own among the people there inhabiting And though I needs must say for the honour of Wales that they have more grounds for what they say then those which look for this New World in the Atlantis of Plato the Atlantick Ilands of Aristotle and Plutarch or the Discoveries of Hanno the Carthaginian yet am I not so far convinced of the truth thereof the use of the Mariners Compass being not so antient without which such a Voyage could not be performed but that I may conclude with more satisfaction that this Country was unknown to the former Ages But now as Mela the Geographer said once of Britain then newly conquered by the Romans Britannia qualis sit qualesque progeneret mox certiora magis explorata dicentur quippe jam diu clausam aperit ecce Principum maximus he means Claudius Caesar nec indomitarum modo sed incognitarum ante se Gentium Victor so may we say of America on these late discoveries What kind of Country it is and what men it produceth we do and shall know more certainly then in former times since those puissant Kings of Spain have laid open all the parts thereof inhabited not only by unvanquished but even unknown Nations For God remembring the promise of his Son that his Gospel should before the end of the World be preached to all Nations stirred up one Christopher Colon or Columbus born at Nervy in the Signeury of Genoa to be the instrument for finding out those parts of the World to which the sound of the Gospel had not yet arived Who being a man of great abilities and born to undertake great matters could not perswade himself the motion of the Sun considered but that there was another World to which that glorious Planet did impart both his light and heat when he went from us This World he purposed to seek after and opening his Design to the State of Genoa An. 1486 was by them rejected On this repulse he sent his brother Bartholomew to King Henry the seventh of England who in his way hapned unfortunately into the hands of Pirats by whom detained a long while but at last inlarged Assoon as he was set at liberty he repaired to the Court of England where his Proposition sound such chearfull entertainment at the hands of the King that Christopher Columbus was sent for to come thither also But God had otherwise disposed of this rich purchase For Christopher not knowing of his Brothers imprisonment not hearing any tidings from him conceived the offer of his service to have been neglected and thereupon made his Desires known at the Court of Castile where after many delayes and six yeers attendance on the business be was at last furnished with three ships only and those not for Conquest but Discovery With this small strength he sailed on the main Ocean more then 60 days yet could see no Land so that the discontented Spaniards began to mutinie and partly out of scorn to be under the command of a Stranger partly desirous to return would not go a foot forwards Just at that time it hapned that Columbus did discern the clouds to carry a cleerer colour then they did before and probably conceiving that this clearness proceeded from some nigh habitable place restrained the time of their expectation within the compass of three days passing his word to return again if they did not see the Land within that time Toward the end of the third day one of the Company called Rodrigo de Triane he deserves to have his name recorded being no otherwise rewarded for such joyful news descried Fire an evident Argument that they drew neer unto some shore The place discovered was an Iland on the Coast of Florida by the Natives called Guhanani by Columbus S. Saviours now counted one of the Lucaios Landing his men and causing a Tree to be cut down he made a Cross thereof which he eâ—ected neer the place where he came on Land and by that Ceremony took possession of this NEW WORLD for the Kings of Spain Octob. 11. An. 1492. Afterwards he discovered Cuba and Hispaniola and with much treasure and content returned towards Spain and after three other great Voyages fortunately finished he died in the year 1506. and lieth buried at Sevil. Preferred for this good service by the Fings themselves first to be Admiral of the Indies and next unto the title of Duke De la Vega in the Isle of Jamaica but so maligned by most part of the Spaniards that Bobadilla being 〈◊〉 into those parts for redress of grievances loaded him with Irons and returned him 〈◊〉 into Spain Nor did they only stick after his death to deprive him of the honour of this Discovery attribuâ—ing it to I 〈◊〉 not what Spaniard whose Cards and Descriptions he had seen but iâ— his life would often say that it was a mitter of no such difficulty to have sound these Countries and that if he had not done it when he did some body else might have done it for him VVhose peevishriess he consuted by this modest artifice desiring some of then who insolently enough had contended with him couching this Discovery to make an Egg stand firmly upon one of its ends Which when they could not do upon many Trials he gently bruizing one end of it made it stand upright letting them see without any further reprehension how easie it was to do that thing which we see another do before us But to proceed Columbus having thus led the way was seconded by Americus Vâ—spusius an old venturous Florentine imploied therein by Emanuel King of Portugal from whom the Continent or Main land of this Country hath the name of Americas by which still known and 〈◊〉 commonly called To him succeeded John Cabot a Venetian the Father of Sebastian Cabot in
their several Blazons I know not on how good autoritie we find in Bara the French Herald The principall of them were Sir Lancelot Sir Tristrum Sir Lamorock Sir Gawin c. all placed at one Round Table to avoid quarrels about priority and place The Round Table hanging in the great Hall at Winchester is falsely called Arthurs Round-Table it being not of sufficient Antiquity and containing but 24 Seats Of these Knights there are reported many fabulous Stories They ended with their Founder and are feigned by that Lucian of France Rablates to be the Ferry-men of Hell and that their pay is a piece of mouldy bread and a phillop on the nose 2 Of S. George called commonly the Garter instituted by King Edward the third to increase vertue and valour in the hearts of his Nobility or as some will in honour of the Countess of Salisburies Garter of which Lady the King formerly had been inamoured But this I take to be a vain and idle Romance derogatory both to the Founder and the Order first published by Polidore Virgil a stranger to the Affairs of England and by him taken up on no better ground than fama vulgi the tradition of the common people too trifling a Foundation for so great a building Common bruit being so infamous an Historian that wise men neither report after it nor give credit to any thing they receive from it But for this fame or common bruit the vanity and improbabilities thereof have been elsewhere canvassed Suffice it to observe in this time and place that the Garter was given unto this Order in testimony of that Bond of Love and Affection wherewith the Knights or Fellowes of it were to be bound severally unto one another and all of them joyntly to the King as the Soveraign of it So saith the Register of the Order in which occurreth not one word of the Ladies Garter affirming that King Edward did so fit the habit into that design Vt omnia ad amcitiam concordiam tendere nemo non intelligat But to return unto the Order there are of it 26. Knights of which the Kings of England are Soveraignes and is so much desired for its excellencie that 8 Emperors 21 forein Kings 22 forein Dukes and Princes besides divers Noble-men of other Countries have been Fellowes of it The Ensign is a blew Garter buckled on the left leg on which these words are imbroydered viz. Honi soit qui mal y pense About their necks they wear a blew Ribband at the end of which hangeth the Image of S. George upon whose day the Installations of the new Knights are commonly celebrated 3 Of the Bath brought first into England 1399 by Henry the fourth They are created at the Coronation of Kings and Queens and the Installation of the Princes of Wales their duty to defend true Religion Widows Maids Orphans and to maintain the Kings Rights The Knights hereof distinguished by a Red Ribband which they wear ordinarily about their necks to difference them from Knights Batchelors of whom they have in all places the Precedencie unless they be also the Sonnes of Noble-men to whom their birth gives it before all Orders 4 Of Baronets an Order instituted by King Iames in the 9th yeer of his Reign for the furtherance of the Plantation of Vister They have Precedency of the Knights of the Baâ—h but not of those of the Garter nor of the younger Sonnes of the Nobility But this being Hereditarie not personall and rather civill than militarie is not so properly to be rancked amongst Orders of Knight-hood There were in England at and since the time of the Reformation Arch-Bishops 2. Bishops 20. WALES WALES is bounded on all sides with the Sea except towards England on the East from which separated by the River Dee and a Line drawn to the River Wie Antiently it extended Eastwards to the River Severn till by the puissance of Offâ— the great King of the Mercians the Welch or Britans were driven out the plain Countries beyond that River and forced to betake themselves to the Mountains where he caused them to be shut up and divided from England by an huge Dich called in Welch Claudh Offa i. e. Offa's Dâ—ke which beginning at the influx of the Wie into the Severn not far from Châ—pstow extendeth 84 miles in length even as far as Chester where the Dee is mingled with the Sea Concerning which Ditch there was a Law made by Harald That if any Welchman was sound with a Weapon on this side of it he should have his right hand cut off by the Kings Officers The name of Wales some derive from Idwallo the Sonne of Cadwallader who with the small remainder of his British Subjects made good the fastnesses of this Countrie and was the first who had the title of King of Wales Others conceive that the name of Welch and Wales was given them by the Saxons who having possessed themselves of all the rest of the Countrie called the Britans who lived here by the name of Walsh which in their Language signifieth as much as Aliens because they differed from them both in Lawes and Language which is the generall Opinion Most probable it is that as the Britans derive their Pedigree from the Galls as before was proved so they might still retain the name and were called Wallish by the Saxons instead of Gallish the Saxons using in most words W. for G. as Warre for Guerre Warden for Guardian and the like And this to be believed the rather because the Frenchmen to this day call the Countrey Galles and the Eldest Sonne of England Le Prince de Galles as also that the Dutch or Germans of whom the Saxons are a part doe call such Nations as inhabit on the skirts of France by the name of Wallons The antient Inhabitants hereof in the time of the Romans before it had the name of Wales were the Siluâ—es possessing the Counties of Hereford Brecknock Radnor Monmouth and Glamorgan all Glocestershire beyond the Severn and the South parts of Worcestershire on the same side also their chief Towns Ariconium now Hereford not reckoned since the time of Offa as a part of Wales Balleum now Buelih in Brecknock Gobannium now Abargevenny in Monmouth Magni now New Radnor in the Countie so named and Bovium now Boverton in Glamorgan 2 The Dimetâ— possessing Cardigan Caermarthen and Pembrokeshires whose chief Towns were Loventium now New Castle in Caermarthen Maridunum or Caermarthen it self and Octopitae where now stands S. Davids by the Welch called Menew whence that Bishop hath the name of Menevensis in Latine 3 The Ordovices inhabiting the Counties of Merioneth Carnarvon Anglesey Denbigh Flint and Montgomery with the North part of Worcestershire beyond the Severn and all Shropshire on the same side of the River Their chief Towns were Segontium now Caer Seont in Carnarvonshire Cononium now Conwey in the same County Bonium where after stood the famous Monastery of Banchor in Flintshire and
passing between the Counties of Cardigan Pembroke and Carmarthen runneth into the Sea a little below Cardigan 5 Chedlaydy which running quite thorow Pembrokeshire emptieth it self into Milford Haven one of the most capacious and safest havens not of England onely but of all the world The men are of a faithfull carriage towards all men especially towards one another in a strange Countrie and towards strangers in their own Of a temper questionless much inclining to choler as being subject to the passion by Aristotle called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which men are quickly moved to anger and as soon appeased of all angers the best and noblest Their Language the old British hath the least commixture of forein words of any in Europe and by reason of its many Consonants and gutturall Letters is not so pleasing as some others in the Pronunciation A Language not much studied by those of other Nations in regard that such of the Inhabitants who have addicted themselves to learning have rather chose to express themselves in the Latine or English tongues than that of their own Native Countrie The principall of which not to say any thing of Merlin the Tages of the Welch or British were 1 Gildas for his great knowledge surnamed Sapiens 2 Geofry of Monmouth and 3 Giraldus Cambrensis the Historians and of later times 4 William Morgan the Translator of the Bible into Welch for which performance most deservedly made Bishop of Landâ—ff 5 Sir Iohn Price the Antiquary 6 Owen the Epigrammatist c. The whole Countrey not taking the Counties of Shropshire and Monmouth into the reckoning containing in it 12 Shires onely of which seven were set out by King Edward the first that is to Pembroke Carmarden Cardigan Merioneth Angleser and Carnarvon The other five viz the Counties of Denbigh Flint Montgomery Radnâ—r and Bâ—ccâ—nock were after added out of the Marchlands by King Henry the 8th These 12 Shires are again contracted or subdivided into 4 Circuits for the administration of Iustice Of which the first containeth the Countâ—â— of Montgomery Flint and Denbigh the second those of Carnarvon Anglesey and Merieâ—â—â—â— the third those of Carwarden Cardigan and Pembroke and the fourth those of Glamorgan Brâ—câ—nock and 〈◊〉 In these 12 Shires are reckoned one Chase 13 Forests 36 Parks 230 Rivers and an hundred Bridges They contain also 1016 Parishes amongst which four Cities 55 Market-Towns and â—â— Castles on the old erection The Câ—ties small poor and inconsiderable The Market Towns the especially on the Marches and outparts of the Countrie very fair and strong as being not only built for commerce and trade but fortified with Walls and Castles to keep in the Welch and so employed till the incorporating Wales with England took away all occasion of the old hostilities And for the Castles in the In-lands partly by the iniquity of time which is Edax rerum but chiesly by the policie of the Kings of England who would not suffer any places of strength to remain in a Countrie almost inaccessible and amongst men apt to take the advantage offered the very ruines of them are now brought to ruine But to proceed more particularly the four Cities or Episcopall Sees are 1 S. Davids formerly the 〈◊〉 of Wales situate on the Promontorie in Pembrokeshire by the Antients called Octopitae in a safe place and far enough from the Saxons whom the Welch most feared but incommodious enough for all the rest of the Clergie to repair unto it and not so safe neither unto the Inhabitants of it in respect of sundry other nations who have often spoyled and defaced it For standing neer the Sea it hath been frequently visited and spoyled by the Danes Norwegians and other Boats insomuch that the Bishops were inforced to remove their dwelling to Caermarthen which brought the City small enough before when it was at the biggest to the condition of a Village 2 LLâ—â—ndâ—â—â—â— upon the River Taffe whence it took the name LLan in the Welch or British signifying a Church LLandaffe the Church upon the Taffe the Bishops whereof derive their Lineall succession from those of Caer-Leon upon Vsk though the Primacie or Archbishops See were removed to Menew A small Town now it is God wot nothing to rank it for a City but the Cathedrall Church and the Prebends houses 3 St Asaph a small Town in Flintshire so called from St. Asoph the second Bishop hereof left here by Kentigern a Scot by whom the Cathedrall Church was founded about the year 560. Situate on the banks of the River Elwy thence called LLan-Elwe by the Welch the Bishop Elwyensis in some Latine Writers 4 Bangor upon the Menai a branch of the Irish Sea of no more beauty and renown than the other three but onely for the Cathedrall founded here by the first Bishops defaced by Owen Glendower and afterwards reedified by Henry Dean Bishop hereof An. 1496. Towns of chief note for these Cities have not much in them which is worth the nothing are 1 Slrewsbury counted now in England but heretofore the seat of the Princes of Ponysland who had here their Palace which being burnt in some of their broyls with England is now converted into Gardens for the use of the Townsmen The Town well traded and frequented by the Welch and English the common Emporie of both well built and strongly situate on a rising ground almost encompassed with the Severn that part thereof which is not senced with the River being fortified with a very strong Castle the work of Roger de Montgomery the first Earl hereof An. 1067. Over the River for convenience of passage it hath two Bridges and but two the one towards England and the other called the Welch-bridge which is towards Wales built by Leoline or LLewellen the first one of the Princes of north-Northwales whose they conceive to be that Statua which is there standing on the Gate Remarkable since the times of King Henry the sixt for giving the title of Earl to the Noble Family of the Talbots a Family of great honour and as great an Estate till the parcelling 〈◊〉 the Lands betwixt the Daughters and Co-heirs of Gilbert Talbot late Earl hereof according to the ill custom of England where many times the Estate goes to the Females and the Honour with nothing to mainiain it to the next Heir Male. 2 Banchor by Beda called 〈◊〉 a famous Monastery of the Britans conteining above 2000 Monks attending their devotions at the times appointed at other times labouring for their livelihood most cruelly and unmercifully slaughtered by the Saxons at the instigation of Austin the first Archbishop of Canterbury offended that they would not yeeld unto his autoritie 3 Carnarvon on the Menaâ— before-mentioned not far from Bangor the Monastery of Banchor being in Flintshire well walled and fortified with a strong Castle by King Edward the first after his conquest of the Countrie formerly much resorted to for the Chancery and Exchequer of the Princes of north-North-Wales 4 Denâ—â—â—h
well seated on the banks of the River Istrad which from thence runnes into the Cluyd the fairest River of all those parts A Town well traded and frequented especially since it was made by King Henry the 8th the head-Town of a Countie before which time of great resort as being the head-Town of the Baronie of Denbigh conceived to be one of the goodliest territories in England having more Gentlemen holding of it than any other 5 Mathravall not far from Montgomery heretofore a fair and capacious Town honoured with the Palace and made the chief Seat of the Princes of Powys-land thence called Kings of Matraâ—asâ— now a poor village 6 Cacrmar then Maridunum antiently whence the modern name the Britans adding Caer unto it not called so from Caer-Merlin or the Citie of Meâ—lin inchanted by the Lady of the Lake in a deep Cave hereabouts as old Fablers and Romances tels ns A fair large Town beautified with a Collegiate Church to which there was a purpose in the time of King Edward the â—th of removing the Episcopall See from S. Davids Not far off on the top of an Hill stands Dinâ—vour Castle the chief Seat of the Princes of south-South-Wales thence called Kings of Dinevour who had their Chancery and Exchequer in the Town of Caermarthen 7 Haverford Wâ—st situate in the Chersonese or Demy-Iland of Pembrâ—ke-shire by the Welch called Ross by the English Little England beyond Wales by reason of the English tongue there spoken a Town the best traded and frequented of all South Wales 8 Milford in the same County of Pembroke famous for giving name to the most safe and capacious Haven in all the Iland consisting of sundry ' Creeks Bavs and Roads for Ships which makes it capable of entertaining the greatest Navie the landing place of Henry the 7th when he came for England 9 Monmâ—â—th situate at the mouth or influx of the River Munow where it falleth into the Wie whence it had the name A Town belonging antiently to the House of Lancaster the birth place of King Henry the â—ift called Henry of Monmouth That one particular enough to renown the place and therefore we shall add no more 10 Ludlow a Town of great resort by reason of the Court and Councell of the Marches kept here for the most part ever since the incorporating of Wales with England for the ease of the Welch and bordering Subjects in their sutes at Law Situate on the confluence of the â—emd and Corve and beautified with a very strong Castle the Palace heretofore of some of the Princes of Wales of the blood Royal of England at such times as they resided in this Countrey of which more anon and of late times the ordinary Seat of the Lord President of Wales now reckoned as all Shrop-shire on that side the Severn as a part of England Of Anglesey and the Towns thereof we shall speak hereafter now taking notice only of Aberfâ—aw the Royall Seat sometimes of the Princes of north-North-wales called thence Kings of Aberfâ—aw The Storie of the Britans till the time of Cadwallader their last King we have had before After whose retirement unto Rome the whole name and Nation became divided into three bodies that is to say the Cornish-Britans the Britans of Cumberland and the Britans of Walâ—s The Cornish-Britans governed by their own Dukes till the time of Egbert the first Monarch of England by whom subdued Anno 809 and made a Province of that kingdom The Britans of Cumberland had their own Kings also some of whose names occur in Storie till the yeer 946. when conquered by Edmund K. of England the Son of Athelstaâ— But the main body of them getting into the mountainous parts beyond the Severn did there preserve the name and reputation of their Countrey although their Princes were no longer called Kings of Britain but of the Wallish-men or Welch and much adoe they had to make good that Title all the plain Countrey beyond Severn being taken from them by Offa King of the Mercâ—â—anâ— and themselves made Tributaries for the rest by Egbert before mentioned by Athelstan afterwards Which last imposed a tribute on them of 20 pounds of Gold 300 pounds of Silver and 200 head of Cattel yeerly exchanged in following times for a tribute of Wolves But howsoever they continued for a time the Title of Kings whose names are thus set down by Glover in his Catalogue of Honour published by Milles. The Kings of Wales A. Ch. 690. 1 Idwallo Sonne of Cadwallader 720. 2 Rodorick 25. 755. 3 Conan 63. 818. 4 Mervin 25. 843. 5 Rodorick II. surnamed the Great who divided his Kingdom small enough before amongst his Sonnes giving Guinedâ—h or North-Wales to Amarawdh his eldest Sonne to Cadel his second Sonne Deheubarth or Souh-Wales and Powis-land to his youngest Sonne Mervin conditioned that the two younger Sonnes and their Successors should hold their Estates in Fee of the Kings of North-Wales and acknowledge the Soveraignty thereof as Leigemen and Homâ—gers According unto which appointment it was ordained in the Constitutions of Howell Dha the Legislator of Wales that as the Kings to Abersraw were bound to pay 63 pounds in way of tribute to the Kings of London â—o the Kings of Dynevour and Matravall should pay in way of tribute the like summe to the Kings of Abersraw But notwithstanding the Reservation of the Soveraignty to the Kings of North-Wales Roderick committed a great Soloecism in point of State by this dismembâ—ing of his Kingdom especially at a time when all the kingdoms of the Saxons were brought into one and that one apt enough upon all occasions to work upon the weakness of the neighbouring Welch which had they been continued under one sole Prince might have preserved their Liberty and themselves a Kingdom as well as those of Scotland for so long a time against the power and puissance of the Kings of England Yet was not this the worst of the mischier neither his Successors subdividing by his example their small Estates into many insomuch that of the eight tributary Kings which rowed King Edgar on the Dee five of them were the Kings or Princes of Wales But Roderick did not think of that which was to come whom we must follow in our Storie according to the Division of the Countrey made by him into three Estates of North-Wales South-Wules and Powys-land 1. NORTH-WALES or Guinedth contained the Counties of Merioneth and Carnarvon the Isle of Aaglesey and the greatest parts of Denbigh and Flint-shires The chief Towns whereof are Bangor Denbigh Carnarvon Abersraw spoken of before and some in Anglesey whereof we shall speak more hereafter The Countrey Anglesey excepted the most barren and unfruitfull part of all Wales but withall the safest and furthest from the danger of the incroaching English which possibly might be the reason why it was set out for the portion of the Eldest Sonne in whom the Soveraignty of the Welch was to be preserved by the Kings or Princes of north-North-wales A.
both being extract from the Welch blood they seldom or never contained themselves within the bounds of true Allegeance For whereas before they were reputed as Aliens this Henry made them by Act of Parliament one Nation with the English subject to the same Laws capable of the same preferments and privileged with the same immunities He added 6 Shires to the former number out of those Countries which were before reputed as the Borders and Marches of Wales and enabled them to send Knights and Burgesses unto the English Parliaments so that the name and language only excepted there is now no difference between the English and Welch an happy Vnion The same King Henry established for the ease of his Welch Subjects a Court at Ludlow like unto the ordinary Parliaments in France wherein the Laws are ministred according to the fashion of the Kings Courts of Westmâ—nster The Court consisteth of one President who is for the most part of the Nobility and is generally called the Lord President of Wales of as many Counsellors as it shall please the King to appoint one Attourney one Sollicitor one Secretary and the Iustices of the Counties of Wâ—les The Town it self for this must not be omitted adorned with a very fair Castle which hath been the Palace of such Princes of Wales of the English blood as have come into this Countrie to solace themselves among their people Here was young â—dward the 5th at the death of his Father and here dyed Prince Arthur Eldest Sonne to Henry the 7th both being sent hither by their Fathers to the same end viz by their presence to satisfie and keep in Order the unquiet Welchmen And certainly as the presence of the Prince was then a terror to the rebellious so would it now be as great a comfort to this peaceable people What the Revenues of this Principalâ—ty are I cannot say yet we may boldly affirm that they are not very small by these reasons following viz. 1 By the Composition which LLewellen the last Prince of Wales made with Edward the first who being Prince of north-North-Wales onely and dispossessed of most of that was fain to redeem the rest of the said King Edward at the price of 50000 Marks which comes to 100000 pounds of our present mony to be paid down in ready Coin and for the residue to pay 1000 l. per Annum And 2dly by those two circumstances in the mariage of the Lady Katharine of Spain to the above named Prince Arthur For first her Father Ferdinando being one of the wariest Princes that ever were in Europe giving with her in Dowry 200000 Ducats required for her loynture the third part only of this Principality and of the Earldom of Chester And secondly After the death of Prince Arthur the Nobles of the Realm perswaded Prince Henry to take her to Wise that so great a Treasure as the yeerly Revenne of her lonyture might not be carried out of the Kingdom The Arms of the Princes of Wales differ from those of England only by the addition of a Labell of three points But the proper and peculiar device and which we commonly though corruptly call the Princes Arms is a Coronet beautified with thee Ostrich Feathers and inseimbed round with ICH DIEN that is I serve alluding to that of the Apostle The Heir while he is a Child differeth not from a Servant This Coronet was won by that valiant Prince Edward the black Prince at the battell of Cressie from Iohn King of Bohemia who there wore it and whom he there slew Since which time it hath been the Cognizance of all our Princes I will now shut up my discourse of Wales with that testimony of the people which Henry the 2d used in a Letter to Emanuel Emperour of Constantinople The Welch Nation is so adventurous that they dare encounter naked with armea men ready to spend their blood for their Countrey and pawn their life for praise and adding onely this that since their incorporating with the English they have shewed themselves most loyall hearty and affectionate Subjects of the State cordially devoted to their King and zealous in defence of their Laws Liberties and Religion as well as any of the best of their fellow-subjects whereof they have given good proof in these later times There are in Wales Arch-Bishops 0. Bishops 4. THE BORDERS BEfore we come into Scotland we must of necessity passe thorough that Battable ground lying betwixt both Kingdoms called THE BORDERS the Inhabitants whereof are a kind of military men subtile nimble and by reason of their often skirmishes well experienced and adventurous Once the English Border extended as far as unto the Fryth or Strait of Edenburgh on the East and that of Dunbritton on the West the first Fryth by the Latines called Bodotria and the later Glotta betwixt which where now standeth the Town of Sterling was an atient Bridge built over the River which falleth into the Fryth of Edenburgh on a Cross standing whereupon was writ this Pasport I am Free march as passengers may kenne To Scots to Britans and to Englsh-men But when England groaned under the burden of the Danish oppression the Scots well husbanded that advantage and not onely enlarged their Borders to the Tweed but also took into their hands Cumberland Northumberland and Westmorland The Norman Kings again recovered these Provinces making the Borders of both Kingdomes to be Tweed East the Solway West and the Cheviot hills in the midst Of any great wars made on these Borders or any particular Officers appointed for the defence of them I find no mention till the time of Edward the first who taking advantage of the Scots disagreements about the successor of Alexander the 3d hoped to bring the Countrie under the obedience of England This Quarrell betwixt the two Nations he began but could not end the Wars surviving the Author so that what Vellcius saith of the Romans and Carthaginians I may as well say of the Scots and English for almost 300 yeers together aut bellum inter eos populos aut bâ—lli praeparatio aut infidâ— pax fuit In most of these conflicts the Scots had the worst So that Daniel in his History seemeth to marvail how this Corner of the Isle could breed so many had it bred nothing but men as were slain in these wars Yet in the Reign of Edward the 2d the Scots having twice defeated that unhappy Prince became so terrible to the English Borderers that an hundred of them would fly from three Scots It is a custom among the Turks not to beleeve a Christian or a Iew complayning against a Turk except their accusation be confirmed by the Testimony of some Turk also which seldom hapning is not the least cause why so little Iustice is there done the Christians In like manner it is the Law of these Borderers never to beleeve any Scots complaining against an English-man unless some other English-man will witness for him and so on the
the Crown of England by the power of the Sword from the true Heirs of Edmund the 2d surnamed Ironside and that his Successors had enjoyed it by no other Title till Queen Elizabâ—ths death yet Iames the first Monarch of Great Britain succeeded by a right descent from the Saxon Line without relation to the Conquest of the Norman Bastard 8 William the Brother of Malcolm the 4th and Nephew of David before mentioned by his Sonne Prince Henry who died in the life of his Father being taken Prisoner at the Battail of Alnwick did Homage to King Henry the 2d for the Crown of Scotland and was thereupon restored to his Liberty and his Realm to peace What doth occur concerning the succeeding Kings when their Affairs with England and the World abroad became more considerable we shall see anon In the mean time proceed we to the Storie of Machbâ—th than which for variety of Action and strangeness of events I never met with any more pleasing The Storie in brief is thus Duncan King of the Scots had two principall men whom he employed in all matters of importance Machbeth and Banquho These two travelling together through a Forrest were met by three Fairâ—es Witches Weirds the Scots call them whereof the first making obeysance unto Machbeth saluted him Thane a Title unto which that of Earl afterward succeeded of Glammis the second Thane of Cawder and the third King of Scotland This is unequall dealing saith Banquho to give my Friend all the Honours and none unto me to whom one of the Weirds made answer That he indeed should not be King but out of his loyns should come a Race of Kings that should for ever rule the Scots And having thus said they all suddenly vanished Vpon their arrivall to the Court Machbeth was immediatly created Thane of Glammis not long after some new service of his requiring new recompence he was honoured with the title of Thane of Cawder Seeing then how happily the prediction of the three Weirds fell out in the two former he resolved not to be wanting to himself in fulfilling the third and therefore first he killed the King and after by reason of his command among the Souldiers and common people he succeeded in his Throne Being scarce warm in his seat he called to mind the prediction given to his Companion Banqubo whom hereupon suspecting as his supplanter he caused him to be killed together with his whole Posterity Fleance one of his Sonnes escaping only with no small difficulty into Wales Freed as he thought from all fear of Banquho and his issue he built Dunsinan Castle and made it his ordinary seat and afterwards on some new fears consulting with certain of his Wizards about his future Estate was told by one of them that he should never be overcome till Bernane Wood being some miles distant came to Dunsinan Castle and by another that he should never be slain by any man which was born of a woman Secure then as he thought from all future dangers he omitted no kind of libidinous cruelty for the space of 18 yeers for so long he tyrannized over Scotland But having then made up the measure of his Iniquities Mac-duffe the Governor of Fife associating to himself some few Patriots equally hated by the Tyrant and abhorring the Tyrannie privily met one Evening at Bernane Wood and taking every one of them a Bough in his hand the better to keep them from Discovery marched early in the morning towards Dunsinan Castle which they took by Scalado Macbeth escaping was pursued by Mac-duffe who having overtaken him urged him to the combat to whom the Tyrant half in scorn returned this Answer That he did in vain attempt to kill him it being his destinie never to be slain by any that was born of a Woman Now then said Mac-duffe is thy fatall end drawing fast upon thee for I was never born of Woman but violently cut out of my Mothers belly which words so daunted the cruell Tyrant though otherwise a valiant man and of great performances that he was very easily slain and Malcolm Conmor the true Heir of the Crown seated in the Throne In the mean time Fleance so prospered in Wales that he gained the affection of the Princes Daughter of that Countrey and on her begat a Sonne called Walter who flying out of Wales returned into Scotland and his descent once known he was not only restored to the Honours and Estates of his Ancestors but preferred to be Steward of the House of Edgar the Sonne of Malcolm the third surnamed Conmor the name of Stewart growing hence hereditary unto his Posterity From this Walter descended that Robert Stewart who succeeded David Bruce in the kingdom of Scotland the Progenitor of nine Kings of the name of Stewart which have Reigned successively in that kingdom But it is now time to leave off particulars and look into the generall Succession of The Kings of the Scots before the Conquest of the Picts 424. 1 Fergus 2 Eugenius 449. 3 Dongal 4 Constantine 5 Congall 6 Goran 7 Eugenius II. 8 Congall II. 9 Kinnatel 10 Aidan 604 11 Kenneth 12 Eugenius III. 622 13 Ferchard 14 Donald 15 Ferchard II. 16 Malduine 17 Eugenius IV. 18 Eugenius V. 19 Amberkeleth 20 Eugenius VI. 21 Mordac 730 22 Etfinus 23 Eugenius VII 24 Fergus II. 25 Solvathius 26 Achaius 809 27 Congall III. 28 Dongall II. 29 Alpine slain in a Battail by the Picts in pursuit of his quarrell for that kingdom pretended to belong unto him in Right of his Mother Sister and Heir of Hungius the last King thereof 30 Kenneth II. Sonne of Alpine who utterly subdued and destroyed the Picts extending extending thereby the Scotish Kingdom from one Sea to the other over all the bounds of modern Scotland of which deservedly accounted the first Monarch the Founder of the new Succession of The Kings of the Scots after the Conquest of the Picts A. Ch. 839. 1 Kenneth II. the first sole King of all Scotland 17. 856. 2 Donald II. Brother of Kenneth the 2d 862. 3 Constantin II. Sonne of Kenneth the 2d 875. 4 Ethus Brother of Constantin the 2d 890. 5 Donald III. Sonne of Constantin the 2d 903. 6 Constantin III. 30. 933. 7 Malcolm Sonne of Donald the 3d. 949. 8 Iâ—gulph an Intrnder 12. 961. 9 Duffe Sonne of Malcolm 1. 961. 10 Kenneth III. Brother of Duffe 994. 11 Constantin IV. an Intruder against the Law and Line of Kenneth the 3d. 1004. 12 Malcolm II. Sonne of Kenneth the 3d. opposed by Gâ—ime the Nephew of Duffe 1035. 13 Duncan Sonne of Grime succeeded Malcolm the 2d dying without issue 1040. 14 Macbeth the Tyrant and Vsurper 1057. 15 Malcolm III. Sonne of Duncan 2096. 16 Donald IV. surnamed Ban Brother of Malcolm the 3d. 1098. 17 Edgar Sonne of Malcolm the 3d. 1107. 18 Alexander Brother of Edgar 1124. 19 David Brother of Alexander 1133. 20 Malcolm Sonne of David 1166. 21 William Brother of Malcolm the 4th
1213. 22 Alexander II. Sonne of William 1250. 23 Alexander III Sonne of Alexander the 2d after whose death dying without any issue An. 1285. began that tedious and bloody Quarrell about the succession of this Kingdom occasioned by sundry Titles and Pretendants to it the principall whereof were Brucâ— and Baliol descended from the Daughters of David Earl of Huntingdon younger Sonne of William and Great Vncle of Alexander the 3d the last of the Male issue of Kenneth the 3d those of neerer Kindred being quite extinct And when the Scots could not compose the difference among themselves it was taken into consideration by King Edward the first of England as the Lord Paramount of that Kingdom who selecting 12 English and as many of the Scots to advise about it with the consent of all adjudged it to Iohn Baliol Lord of Galloway Sonne of Iohn Baliol and Dervorguilla his Wife Daughter of Alan Lord of Galloway and of the Lady Margaret the Eldest Daughter of the said David who having done his homage to the said King Edward was admitted King 1300. 24 Iohn Baliol an English-man but forgetfull both of English birth and English Favours invaded the Realm of England in Hostile manner and was taken Prisoner by King Edward Who following his blow made himself Master of all Scotland which he held during the rest of his life and had here his Chancery and other Courts 6. 1306. 25 Robert Bruce Sonne of Robert Bruce Lord of Annandale Competitor with Baliol for the Crown of Scotland in Right of Isabel his Mother the second Daughter of David Earl of Hunâ—ingdâ—n and consequently a degree neerer to the King deceased than Baliol was though descended from the Elder Sister was crowned King in the life-time of King Edward the first but not fully possessed thereof untill after his death confirmed therein by the great defeat given to Edward the 2d at the fight of Banocksbourn not far from Sterling spoken of before But he being dead Anno 1332. Edward the 3d confirmed the Kingdom onâ— 1332. 26 Edward Baliol Sonne of Iohn Baliol rejected by the Scots for adhering so firmly to the English who thereupon harried Scotland with fire and Sword 10. 27 David Bruce the Sonne of Robert restored unto his Fathers throne by the power of the Scots and a great enemy to the English Invading England when King Edward was at the siege of Calice he was taken Prisoner by Qu. Philip the Wife of that King and brought to Windsor where he was Prisoner for a while with King Iohn of France Released at last on such conditions as best pleased the Conquerour 29. 1371. 28 Robert II. surnamed Stewart King of the Scots by descent from the eldest Sister of David Bâ—uce was extracted also from the antient Princes of Wales as was said before restoring thereby the British blood to the throne of Scotland 1390. 29 Râ—bert III Sonne of Robert the 2d called Iohn before he came to the Crown in which much over-awed by his own brother the Duke of Albanie who had an aim at it for himself 16. 1406. 30 Iames Sonne of Râ—bert the 3d taken prisoner by King Henry the 4th of England as he was crossing the Seas for France to avoid the practices of his Vncle. Restored unto his Country by King â—enry the 5th after 18 years absence he was at last most miserably murdered by the Earl of Athol claiming a right unto that Crown 42. 1448. 31 Iames II. slain by the English at the Siege of Rexborough Castle 24. 1462. 32 Iames III. slain by his own rebellious Subjects 29. 1491. 33 Iames IV. maried Margaret the eldest Daughter of King Henry the 7th but at the soliciting of the French against the Peace between the Nations he invaded England in the absence of King Henry the 8th with 100000 men but was met with by the Earl of Suâ—rey having 26000 men in his Army nigh unto Flodden where he was slain together with two Bishops twelve Earles fourteen Lords and his whole Army routed 23. 1514. 34 James V. Sonne of Iames the 4th and the Lady Margaret kept for a time so good correspondencie with the English that in the year 1536. he was created Knight of the Order of the Garter But afterwards inheriting his Fathers hatred against them he invaded their Borders in the year 1542 and was met by the Lord Wharton then Warden of the West Marches The battells being ready to joyn one S. Oliver Sincleer the Kings favorite though otherwise of no great parentage was by the Kings directions proclamed Generall which the Scotish Nobil ty took with such indignation that they threw down their weapons and suffered themselves to be taken prisoners there being not one man slain one either side The principall prisoners were the Earls of Glencarn and Cassiles the Barons Maxwell Oli hant Somerwell Flemming with divers others besides many of the principall Gentry 28. 1542. 35 Mary the Daughter and onely Lawfully-begotten Child of James the fift succeeded in her Cradle unto the Throne promised in mariage to King Edward the sixt of England but by the power of the Hamiltons carried into France where maried to Francis then Dolphin afterwards King of the French of that name the 2d After whose death she maried Henry Lord Darnly eldest Sonne of Matthâ—w Earl of Lennox Outed of her Dominions by a potent Faction she was compelled to flie into England where after a tedious imprisonment she was put to death in Fothâ—ringhay Castle in Northamâ—tonshire and interred at Peterburg Anno 1586. 1567. 36 JAMES VI. the Sonne of Mary Queen of Scots and of Henry Lord Darnly was crowned King in his Cradle also He maried 〈◊〉 the Daughter of Câ—ristian the 3d King of Deâ—mark was chose of the Order of the Garter Anno 1590. and succeeded Queen Elizabeth in the Realm of England March 24 Anno 1602. And here I cannot omit the prudent foresight of King Henry the 7th who having two Daughters bestowed the Eldest contrary to the mind of his Counsell on the King of Scots and the Younger on the King of the French that so if his own Issue mâ—le should fail and that a Prince of another Nation must inherit England then Scotland as the lesser Kingdom would depend upon England and not England wait on France as upon the greater In which succession of the Scots to the Crown of England the Prophecie of the fatall 〈◊〉 spoken oâ— before did receive accomplishment And so perhaps might that ascribed in the 〈…〉 to an holy Anchoret living in King Egelreds time which is this Englishmen foâ— that they 〈◊〉 them to drunkenness to treason and to rechlessness of Gods house fiâ—st by Danes and theâ— by Normans and the third time by Scots whom they holden least worth of all they shall be overcomâ— Then the World shall be unstable and so diverse and variable that the unstableness of thoughts shall be betokned by many manner diversitie of Clothing For on this union of the kingdoms this
passage thorough their countrey but also to have certain places of strength put into his hands for his better assurance These unjust demands the Naâ—arrâ—â—y denied Whereupon Ferdinand with all expedition invadeth the kingdom the greatest part of which he took without a blow given the French King being as backward in affording due assistance as the other was unprovided of means for defence The French netled with this loss divers times attempted the recovery of it but in vain for the Spaniard still keepeth those parts of it which lie on that side of the â—yrenees leaving the rest which lieth on the French side of those Mountains being about a sixt part of the whole to the Descendants of those Princes whom he had disseized The Arms of Navarre are Gales a Carbuncle nowed Or. Which Carbuncle having a resemblance unto 〈◊〉 of Gold is said to have been first taken by Sancho the 8th in memorie that he and his Forces had first broken the Fortification made with chaines about the Pavilion of Mahomet Enaser the Meramomolin of Morocco at the great fight in Sierra Morena before which time the Armes of this Kingdom had been Azure a Cross Argent The chief order of Knighthood was of the Lilly begun by Garcia the sixth their Blazen a pot of Lillies with the Portraiture of our Lady ingraved upon it their duty to defend the Faith and daily to repeat certain Ave-Maries 4. LEON and OVIEDO THe Kingdom of LEON and OVIEDO hath on the East the Countrie of Biscay on the North the main Cantabrian Ocean on the South Castile on the West Gallicia So called from Leon and Oviedo the chief Cities of it and first seat of their Kings the antientest Kingdom in all Spain By a more antient name it was called Asturia from the Astures who possessed it in the time of the Romans divided into the two generall names of Augustani and Transmontani but comprehending the particular Tribes or Nations of the Pesici Gigari Zoclae and Lancienses The Countrey mountainous and woodie but formerly of some esteem for those small though swift Horses which the Romans from hence called Asturcones we may read it Hobbies which afterwards became a common name for all Nags or Gueldings Asturco Macedoniâ—us being used for a Macedonian Nag by Petronius Arbiter It is divided commonly into two parts that is to say Asturia de Oviedo bordering on Gallicia towards the West and 2 Asturia Santillana confining on Biscay towards the â—ast From which division of the Countrey the eldest Son of Castile is called Prince of the Asturias in the plural number which Title some suppose to be given unto them because it was the first Countrey which held up against the Moores But indeed the true Original hereof is referred by the best Spanish Writers to the time of the mariage of Catharine Daughter of Iohn of Gaunt and in right of her Mother Constance the right Heir of Castile unto Henry Sonne of Iohn the first then in possession of that Kingdom For to this new maried Couple it was granted saith Mariana that after the manner of England where the Heir Apparant is called Prince of Wales they should be called Princes of the Asturias In times succeeding the Towns of Iaen Vbeda Biatia and Anduiar were added to this Principate and so continued to this day Places of most importance in it 1. Avales on the Sea side not far from the Promontorie called of old Promontorium Scythicum but now Cabo de Pinas 2. Sublanco now a small vâ—llage but once a Town of so great strength that it was destroyed by the command of the Emperour Nerva lest it might animate these Mountainers unto a revolt 3. LEON situate at the foot of the Mountains not far from the place of the old Sublancia as it was then called The town but mean were it not beautified by a fair and large Cathedral the Bishop whereof acknowledgeth no Metropolitan but the Pope alone Recovered from the Moores Anno 722. Afterwards made the Regal Seat of the Kings of Leon by some called Legio because the 7th Legion was here lodged by Ptolomie called Legio Germanica and by others Gemina 4. S. Andera so named from a Church there built to the honour of S. Andrew by Ptolomie called Flavionavie now a wel-traded Port on the Cantabrian Ocean 5. Santillana which gives name to the Eastern part of Asturia 6. Lâ—anes where the two Asturias meet together 7. Civid id Reâ—l in the Western part of Asturia called Asturia de Oviedo 8. Villa Viciosa the only noted Port in this part of the Countrie 9. OVIEDO called for a time the Citie of Bishops because many of the Bishops of Spain dispossessed of their Churches by the Moores had retired thither and there preserved the line of Episcopal Succession till their Sees were filled again with Bishops in more happy times Antiently it was called Lucus Asturum and was of old a Bishops See reedified by King Froila the first in the yeer 757. Famous enough in giving the title of a Kingdom to the first Christian Princes after the Conquest by the Moores called from hence Kings of Oviedo Afterwards Anno 896. they began to be stiled Kings of Oviedo and Leon and at last Kings of Leon only Oviedo being quite leâ—t out of the Regal stile by Raymir the 2d Anno 904. More toward the Inlands of this Kingdom now reckoned part of old Castile are 10. Palenza the Pallantia of Ptolomie and Antoninus seated on the River â—â—arrion once a small Vniversitie till the translation of it unto Salamanca by King Ferdinand the third This Town first felt the furie of the Suâ—vians when they mastered these parts of Spaiâ— 11. Astorga antiently called Augusta Asturica whence the Astures of this tract were called Augustani a Bishops See frontiring on Gallicia happy in this that it felt not the fury of the lustfull King Vitiza who to secure himself in his unlawfull pleasures and to weaken his subjects if they should attempt any thing against him dismantelled all the Towns in his Dominions except Leon Toledo and this Astorga Who were the old Inhabitants of this Countrie hath been shewn already When conquered by â—ugustus Caesar they were under part of the Province of Tarragonensis part afterwards of the Prâ—vince of Gallicia by the Emp Constant Won from the Romans by the Gothes from them by the Moâ—res though long they did not lye under their command For as the lust of Roderick the last King of the Gothes in Spain occasioned the coming in of the Moores so the lust of Magnuâ—zâ— a Moorâ—◠〈◊〉 Roy occasioned though in long course of time their expulsion thence For Magnutzâ— having employed Pelagius a young Prince of the â—sturias on an Embassy to Musa the Leiutenant General 〈◊〉 the Moores then residing at Corduba in his absence ravished his Sister and at his return died by 〈◊〉 edge of his sword Dispairing of pardon for this Act he was fain to stand upon his guard and for
of their Husbands Estates and there equall share in all Lands yea even such as are holden in Knights service privileges wherewith other Women are not acquainted Of high esteem in former times amongst forrein Nations for the modestie and gravitie of their conversation but of late times so much addicted to the light garb of the French that they have lost much of their antient honour and reputation amongst knowing and more sober men of forrein Countries who before admired them 6 The Wooll of Enâ—land is of exceeding fineness especially that of Cotswold in Glocestershire that of Lemster in Herefordshire and of the Isle of Wight Of this Wooll are made excellent broad-clothes dispersed all over the world especially High Germany Muscovy Turkie and Persia to the great benefit of the Realm as well in return of so much money which is made of them as in setting to work so many poor people who from it receive sustenance Before the time of King Edward the 3d English men had not the art or neglected the use of making cloth till whose time our Wooll was transported unwrought And as his Successors have laid Impositions on every cloth sold out of the Realm so his Predecessors had as their occasions required some certain Customes granted on every sack of Wooll In the beginning of this Edwards Warres with France the Cities and Towns of Flanders being then even to admiration rich combined with him and ayded him in his Warres against that King And he for his part by the composition then made was to give them 140000 l. ready money to ayd them by Sea and Land if need required and to make Bâ—uges then one of the great Mart Towns of Christendome the Staple for his Woolls Here the Staple continued 15 yeers at which time the Flemmings having broke off from the King and he having by experience seen what the benefit of these Staples were removed them from Bruges into England And for the ease as well of his Subjects in bringing their Woolls unto the Ports as of such Forrein Merchants as came to buy he placed his Staples at Excester Bristoll Winchester Westminster Chichester Canterbury Norwich Lincoln York and Newcastle for England at Caermarden for Wales and at Dublin Waterford Cork and Tredah for Ireland He further Enacted that no English Irish or Welch men should transport this Stapled commodity no not by License if any such should be granted on pain of Confiscation and Imprisonment during the Kings pleasure Lastly he allured over hither divers Flâ—mmings which taught our men the making of clothes who are now grown the best Clothworkers in the World and to encourage men in that Art it was by a Statute of the 27th of Edward the 3d enacted to be Felony to carry any Woolls unwrought When England had some short time enjoyed the benefit of these Staples the King removed them to Callice which he had Conquered and desired to make wealthy From hence they were at severall times and occasions translated now to one now to another Town in Belgium and still happy was that Town in what Country soever where the English kept a house for this Traffick the confluence of all people thither to buy infinitely inriching it Antwerp in Brabant long enjoyed the English Merchants till upon some discontents between King Henry the 7th and Maximilian Archduke and Lord of Belgium they removed but at their return again were received by the Antwerpians with solemn Procession Princely Triumph sumptuous Feasts rare Banquettings and expressions of much Love but more Ioy. And the giving of some Cotswold Sheep by Edward the 4th to Henry of Castile and John of Aragon Anno 1465. is counted one of the greatest prejudices that ever hapned to this Kingdom The Wooll transported bringeth into the Kingdom no less than 1500000 l. and the Lead half the summe so that Lewis Guicciardine reporteth that before the Warres of the Low-Countries the Flemmings and the English bartered wares yeerly for 12 Millions of Crowns The next commodity to the Wooll though not mentioned in the verse fore-going are the rich and inexhaustible Mines of Cole Lead and Tinne to say nothing of the Mines of Iron as bringing more damage to the publick by the spoil of Woods than profit to particular persons in the increase of their Estates The mines of Cole chiefly enrich Newcastle in Northumberland and by that the great City of London and many other good Towns besides which could not possibly subsist in this generall decay of Woods and neglect of planting but by this commoditie The Mines of Lead are most considerable in the Peak of Darbishire those of Tinne in Cornwall where they digge Tinne not much inferior to Silver in fineness A commodity which brought great wealth to England in former times the art of making it not being elsewhere known in Europe till one of the Tinne-workers flying out of England for a murder passed into Germany Anno 1240. and there discovered some Tinne Mines in Misnia not known before and set on Foot that trade amongst them to the great prejudice saith my Author of the Earls of Cornwall who had before the sole Monopolie of that usefull metall To these particulars being matters of profit and necessity If I would add such things as are for delight and pleasure I might subjoyn the Bells and Parks for which this Kingdom is as eminent among forein Nations as for any of those mentioned in the said old Verse The Bells so many tunable and of such excellent Melody to a Musicall eare brought more to the command of the skilfull ringer than in former times that it is thought there are more good Rings of Bells in this part of the Iland than in half Christendom besides Parkes more in England than in all Europe The first of which kind for the inclosing of Venison being that of Woodstock made by King Henry the first whose example being followed by his Successors and the Lords and great men of the Realm the number so increased in a little time that at the last besides 55 Forrests and 300 Chases there were reckoned 745 Parkes in England all well replenished either with Red or Fallow Deere And that the Deere might graze with pleasure and the Sheep with safety great care was taken by our progenitors for the destruction of Wolves I know it hath been a tradition of old Writers that England never had any Wolves at all and that they would not live here brought from other places but it is not so here being store of them till Edgar King of England commuted the 20 l. of Gold 300 l. of Silver and 300 head of Cattell imposed as an yearly tribute by King Athelstane upon Idwallo Prince of Wales for the like yearly tribute of 300 Wolves by which means they were quite rooted out in time the Welch protesting at the last they could find no more The Air of this Country is very temperate neither so hot as France and Spain in the Summer because of its
its own as each Diocese had residing in the same Citie with the Vicar or Lieutenant Generall which was then at York of as great power and jurisdiction in the Isle of Britain as any Patriarch of Alexandria Rome or Antioch in their severall Patriarchates The Metropolitans were no more than before they were It being ordered by a Canon of the Councill of Chalcedon that their number should not be augmented by any alteration made of the Roman Provinces As for the Forces which the Romans kept here in continuall pay as well to keep their Coasts and Frontires against the Enemy as for retayning of the Natives in their due obedience they came in all if Panciroll be not mistaken in his reckoning to 23000 Foot and 2000 Horse three Legions keeping here their constant and continuall Residence that is to say the sixt Legion surnamed Victrix at York the 20th Legion surnamed also Victrix at West-Chester and the second Legion sometimes at Isca Danmoniorum which we now call Exeter sometimes at Isca Siluâ—um which is now Caer-Leon upon Usk Which Legions with their Aides and Cohorts may well make up the number spoken of before Of so high estimaton was this Iland in the State of Rome Yet could not all these Forces so preserve the Countrie from forrein Enemies but that in the declining of the Roman Empire the Saxons made great spoyles on the coasts thereof as did the Scots and Picts on the Northern borders against all which the Romans held out well enough and made good their ground till the recalling of the Legions out of Britain for defence of Italy it self then wasted and destroyed by the barbarous nations Which hapned in or about the yeer of Christ 407 and some 470 yeers from the first invasion Honorius being at that time the Roman Emperour and Victorinuâ— the last Governour for the Empire in the Isle of Britain For though the noble Aetiuâ— on the Petition and complaint of the slaughtered people unmercifully butchered by the Scots and Picts sent some small forces to assist them against those Enemies yet were they presently called back for defence of Gaul against the Hunnes breaking in upon it out of Italie And then the wretched Britains hopeless of all help from Rome and being unable by their own strength to repell the Enemy by reason of their long ease and disuse of Arms applied themselves to Aldroenus King of Armorica in France called Little Britain a Prince extracted from the same stock for relief and succour whose Brother Constantine according to the British storie passing over with a competent Army and having valiantly repulsed the barbarous people was crowned King of Britain the first of a new race of Kings which swayed the Scepter with much trouble and continual conflicts either against the Scots or Saxons till they were finally subdued and shut up in Wales Those of most observation in the course of storie were 1 Constantine the first King and the restorer of the Countrie to Peace and quiet traiterously murdered by a Pict 2 Vortiger E. of the Gevilles now Cornwall Protector of Constantius the Sonne of Constantine taken out of a Monastery after whose death wherein he was conceived to have had an hand he got the Kingdom to himself but being unable to defend it against the Enemy and make his title also good against the other children of Constantine first called in the Saxons 3 Vortimer eldest Sonne of Vâ—rtiger who overthrew the Saâ—ons in many battels but in the midst of his successes was poysoned by Rowena a Saxon Lady second Wife of Vortiger 4 Arthur one of the Worlds nine Worthies of whom the Moâ—kish writers and other Lâ—gendaries report so many idle and impossible actions Doubtless he was a Prince of most perfect vertue a great Preserver of his Countrie from approaching ruine and worthy of the pen of an able Panegyrist by whom his brave atchievements might have come entire unto us without the intermixture of those feats of Chivalry affabulated to him and his Kuights of the Round-table For by the overstraining of some Monkish Writers Geofry of Monmouth and the rest they have given too just occasion to posterity to suspect that vertue which they intended to advance and filled us with as much ignorance of the story as admiration of the persons But this hath not been the ill hap of King Arthur and his Nobles onely Charlemagne and the Twelve Peers of France men of great vertue and renown suffering as deeply in the same kind by the solly of the French Romances It is affirmed of this Arthur but how true I know not that he began the custome of celebrating the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour for the twelve dayes following with such pastimes and sports as are or have been used of late by the Lords of Misrule in some Gentlemens houses an Institution which the Scotish Writers of those times much blame perhaps not unjustly it being a time more sit for our devotions than such rude disports But to proceed King Arthur dying left the Crown to 5 Constantine the Sonne of Cador Duke of Cornwall his neerest kinsman slain by Aâ—relius Conanuâ— his own Nephew who succeeded after him which fraction did so weaken the distressed Britans that they were forced to withdraw themselves beyond the Severn as 6 Careticus or Caradoc by the joynt forces of the Saxons to charge the plain Countries beyond the Severn for the safer but more fruitless Mountains Of the rest till Cadwaâ—lader there is little left of any certainty but their names only which are thus ranked in the second race of The Kings of Britain after the withdrawing of the Romans A. C. 433. 1 Constantine 10. 443. 2 Constantius 3. 446. 3 Vortiger 18. 464. 4 Vortimer his Sonne 7. 471. 5 Vortiger again 10. 481. 6 Aurelius Ambrosius 19. 500. 7 Uter Pendragon 6. 506. 8 Arthur 36. 542. 9 Constantine II. 4. 546. 10 Aurel. Conanus 30. 576. 11 Vortipor 4. 580. 12 Malgo. 6. 586. 13 Caneticus or Caradoc 27. 613. 14 Cadwan 22. 635. 15 Cadwallan 43. 687. 16 Cadwallader the last King of the Briâ—ans who on a superstitious zeal travelled in pilgrimage to Rome there to receive the habit of a Religious Order from the hands of Pope Sergius where he died not long after Anno 689. After whose death his Successors were no longer called Kings of Britain but Kings or Princes of Wales And there we shall be sure to find them And so the Britans leave the Stage and the Saxons enter a great and potent Nation amongst the Germans but greater by the aggregation of many people under their name and service than in themselves the Jutes and Angles joyning with them and passing in Accompt as the same one Nation Their Countries different as their names untill this Conjunction but neighbouring neer enough to unite together the Angles dwelling at the first in that part of the Cimbrian Chersonese which we now call Sleswick where still the Town called Angoleâ— doth preserve
Mediolanium now Llanvillin in the County of Montgomerie By these three Nations was all that tract possessed which lyeth on the other side of the Severn a very stout and hardie people and so impatient of the yoke that two of the three Legions which the Romans kept constantly in Britain as before is said were planted in and neer these people the better to contein them in due obedience that is to say the second Legion at Caer Leon upon Usk of which more anon and the twentieth at Deuvana where now stands West-Chester So difficult a thing it was to make this Nation subject to the power of Rome and no less difficult to bring them under the command of the Saxons whom they withstood when all the rest of Britain had been conquered by them and lived to see their Victors overcome by the Normans before themselves had yielded to a forrain yoke The Christian Faith planted amongst the Britans in the time of Lucius they still retained when all the residue of the Iland had replapsed to Paganism and they retained it not in secret as afraid to own it but in a well-constituted Church Insomuch that Angustine the Monk when he first preached the Gospell to the English Saxons found here no fewer than seven Bishops that is to say Herefordensis Tavensis Paternensis Banchorensis Elwiensis Wicciensis and Morganensis or rather Menevensis all which excepting onely Paternensis doe still remain amongst us though in other names Hereford and Worcester Wicciensis reckoned now in England S. Davids or Menevensis Tavensis or Landaff Bangor and Elwyensis or S. Asaph in Wales according to the present boundaries and limits of it And as they did retain the Faith so they retained it after the tradition of their Predecessors neither submitting unto Augustine as Archbishop of Canterbury nor to the Pope from whom he came as Occumenicall or châ—ef Pastor of the Church of Christ nor receiving any new doctrines or traditions from them but standing on those principles of Liberty and Religion which they were possessed of till all the world almost had yeelded to that powerfull See Not manumitted from the vassalage and thraldom to it till they embraced the Reformation of the Church of England in Doctrine Discipline and Worship the Liturgie whereof was by the command of Queen Elizabeth translated into the Welch or 〈◊〉 as the Bible also was by vertue of an Act of Parliament in the fift of that Queen the care thereof committed to the Bishop of Hereford and the four Bishops of Wales But because the Bible then set forth was onely in the large Church volume it was in the beginning of the Reign of King Charles reduced to a more portable Bulk at the cost and charge of my Cousin Mr. Rowland 〈◊〉 one oâ— the Aldermen of London who also caused the book called The Practice of Pieâ—ie to be printed in that Language for the instruction of the People and a Welch or British Dictionarie to be made and published for the understanding of the Language But to return unto the Church and affairs thereof for the better ordering of the same it hath been long agoe divided into four Dioceses besides that of Herefora for the exercise of â—ccleâ—acall Discipline those Dioceses subdivided into 9 Archdcaconries as before in England all subject heretofore to their own Pâ—â—mate or Archbishop residing in the City of Isca Silurum the â—eâ—repolis of the Province of Britannia Secunda called by the â—â—elch or Britans Caâ—-â—eon or the Citie of the Legion from the second Legion fixt there for defence of the Province and Caâ—-Leon upon â—sk because situate on the River so named But this City being too much exposed to the sury of the Saxons the Archiepiscopall See was translated to Menew standing on a Promontoâ—â—e in the extreme Angle of Pembrokeshire by David then Archbishop thereof and neer of â—in to Arthur that renowned King of the Britans from whom in tract of time the name of Menew being left off the See and Citie came to be called S. Davids From David unto Samson the 26 Archbishop of the VVelch being above 400 yeers did they hold this dignity but then the Pestilence extremely raging in these parts Archbish Samson carried with him the Episcopall Pall and therewith the dignity it self to Dole in Bretagne After which time we hear of no Archbishops in Wales in name and title though the power proper thereunto still remained amongst them the VVelch Bishops acknowledging no other Primate nor receiving consecratioâ— from any other hands than their own Bishop of S. Davids till Bishop Bernard was compelled to submit himself to the power and jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury in the time of King Henry the first But its time to look upon the face of the Country as it stands at the present which we find mountainous and barren not able to maintain its people but by helps elsewhere To make amends for which defect there were some Silver mines discovered in it not long since by Sir Hugh Middlâ—ton Knight and Baronet not onely to the great honour of his own Countrie but to the profit and renown of the whole Iland of Great Britain Their chief commodities are course Clothes entituled commonly by the name of Welch Freeze and Cottons which Merchandise was heretofore brought to Oswestâ—e the furthest Town of Shropshire as the common Emporie and there bought by the Merchants of Shrewsbury But the Welch coveting to draw the Staple more into their own Countrey occasioned the Merchant to hold off from buying their commodities till in the end the Merchant got the better of them and inforced them to settle the whole trade at Shrewshury where it still continueth To speak of Mountains in a Country which is wholly mountainous were a thing unnecessary yet of most note are those of 1 Snowdon 2 Brechâ—n 3 Rarduvaure and 4 Plinlimmon Not much observable but for their vast height and those many notable Rivers which issue from them The principall whereof are 1 Dee in Latine called Deva arising out of Rarduvaure hils in Merionethshire and running into the Sea not far from Chester Over this River Edgar King of England was rowed triumphantly in his Barge by eight inferiour Kings Vassals and Tributaries to him that is to say Kenneth King of the Scots Malcolm King of Cumberland Mac-cuâ—s King of the Isles Dufwall Gryffith Howel lago and Indethel Princes or Kings of Wales using these words to such as attended on him that then his Successors might call themselves Kings of England when they did the like This was in the yeer 973 and the last of his reigne 2 Wie in Latine called Vaga arising from Plinlimmon hils and emptying it self into the Severn at Chepstow More in the heart of the Countrie for these are but borderers for the greatest part of their course 3 Câ—nwy which rising in Merionethshire and dividing the Counties of Denbigh and Caâ—narvon mingleth with the Sea at Abur Conwey 4 Tyvie which rising in Montgomeryshire and
over against the Southern part of Cumberland and from which it is distant 25 miles and was judged to belong to Britain rather than to Ireland because it fostered venemous Serpents brought hither out of Britain By Ptolomie it is called Monoeda or the further Mona to difference it from that which we now call Anglesey by Plinie Monabia Menavia by Orosius and Beda Eubonia by Gildas an old British Writer The Welch at this day call it Menaw the Inhabitants Maning and the English Man It is in length 30 miles in bredth 15 and 8 in some places The people hate theft and begging and use a Language mixt of the Norwegian and Irish tongues The soyl is abundant in Flax Hemp Oates Barley and Wheat with which they use to supply the defects of Scotland if not the Continent it self yet questionless the Western Iles which are a Member of it For thus writeth the Reverend Father in God Iohn Moricke late Bishop of this Iland in a letter to Mr. Camden at such time as he was composing his most excellent Britannia Our Iland saith he for cattell for fish and for corn hath not only sufficient for it self but sendeth also good store into other Countries now what Countries should need this supply England and Ireland being aforehand with such provision except Scotland or some members thereof I see not Venerable Bede numbred in it 300 Families and now it is furnished with 17 Parish Churches The chief Towns are 1 Balâ—curi and 2 Russin or Castle-Town the seat of a Bishop who though he be under the Archbishop of York yet never had any voice in the English Parliament In this Iland is the hill Sceafull where on a clear day one may see England Scotland and Ireland here also are bred the Soland Geese of rotten wood falling into the water This Iland was taken from the Britans by the Scots and from them regained by Edwin King of Northumberland Afterwards the Norwegians seized on it and made it a Kingdom the Kings hereof ruling over the Hebrides and some part of Ireland From them taken by Alexander the 3d of Scotland by a mixt title of Arms and purchase after which time it was sometimes English sometimes Scotish as their fortunes varied till in the end and about the year 1340. William Montacute Earl of Salisbury descended from the Norwegian Kings of Man won it from the Scots and sold it to the Lord Scrope who being condemned of Treason Henry the fourth gave it to Henry Piercy Earl of Northumberland but he also proving false to his Soveraign it was given to the Stanleys now Earls of Darby The Kings of Man of the Danish or Norwegian Race 1065. 1 Godred the Sonne of Syrric 1066. 2 Fingall Sonne of Godred 1066. 3 Godred II. Sonne of Harald 1082. 4 Lagnan Eldest Sonne of Godred the 2d 1089. 5 Donnald Sonne of Tado 1098. 6 Magnus King of Norwey 1102. 7 Olave the 3d Sonne of Godred 1144. 8 Godred III. Sonne of Olave 1187. 9 Reginald base Sonne of Godred the 3d. 1226. 10 Olâ—ve the lawfull Sonne of Godred the 3d. 1237. 11 Harald Sonne of Olave 1243. 12 Reginald II. Brother of Harald 1252. 13 Magnus II. Brother of Reginald 1266. 14 Magnus III. King of Norway the last King of Man of the Danish or Norwegian Race The Kings and Lords of Man of the English Blood 1340. 1 William Montacute Earl of Salisbury King of Man 1395. 2 William Lord Scrope King of Man 1399. 3 Henry Earl of Northumberland King of Man 1403. 4 William Lord Stanley Lord of the Isle of Man 5 Iohn Lord Stanley 6 Thomas Lord Stanley 7 Thomas Lord Stanley Earl of Darby 1503. 8 Thomas Lord Stanley Early of Darby 1521. 9 Edward Lord Stanley Earl of Darby 1572. 10 Henry Lord Stanley Earl of Darby 1593. 11 Ferdmando Lord Stanley Earl of Darby 12 William Lord Stanley Early of Darby 13 Iames Lord Stanley Earl of Darby Lord of the Isle of Man now living Anno 1648. King in effect though but Lord in title as having here all kind of Civill power and jurisdiction over the Inhabitants under the Feife and Sovereignty of the Crown of England together with the nomination of the Bâ—shop whom he presents unto the King for his Royall assent then to the Arch-Bishop of York for his consecration And this I take to be the reason why the Bishop of Man was no Lord of Parliament none being admitted to that honour but such as held immediately of the King himself nor was it reason that they should V. ANGLESEY is an Iland situate in the Irish Sea over against Carnarvonshire in North-Wales from which it is divided by a narrow streight which they call the Menai By the Britans themselves as by the Welch at this day it was called Mon from whence the Romans had their Mona but being Conquered by the English it obtained the name of Anglesey as one would say the Iland of the English Men eye in the Saxon language signifying an Iland A place of such a fair Revenue to the Princes of it that LLewellen the last Prince of Wales being stripped of almost all the rest of his Estates by King Edward the first paid to that King a tribute of 1000 per An. for this Iland only And to say truth the Iland is exceeding fruitfull both in Corn and Cattle from whence the Welch are liberally stored with both and therefore it is said proverbially Mon Mam Cymri that Anglâ—sey is the Mother of Wales In length from East to West about 20 miles and 17 in bredth Containing in that Compasse 74 Parishes divided into six hundreds and hath in it only two Market Towns that is to say 1 Beanmaris seated on a flat or marish ground neer the Menai built by King Edward the first to secure his Conquest by whom well walled and fortified as the times then were 2 Newburg a Town of no great antiquity as the name doth intimate by the Welch called Rossur in former times it had an Haven of some good receipt but now choaked with sand The other places of most note are 3 Aberfraw a small village now but heretofore the Royall seat of the Kings of Wales and 4ly Holy-head seated on an head-land or Promontory thrusting into the Sea made holy or thought so at least by the religious retirement of Saint Kuby or Kibius one of the Disciples of St. Hilarie of Poictiers from whence by the Welchmen called Caer-Cuby of most note for the ordinary passage betwixt Wules and Ireland Antiently this Iland was the seat of the Druides and brought with no small difficulty under the power of the Romans by Suctonius Paulinus the People fighting in other parts of Britain for their liberty only but here pro Arts focis too for their Religion Liberty and their Gods to boot Being deserted by the Romans with the rest of Britain it remained in the possession of its own natural Princes till the fatal period of that State when added
to the Crown of England by the puissance of King Edward the first by whom made one of the shires of Wales as it still continues Not far from Anglesey some what inclining to the South is the Isle of Bardsey by Ptolomie called Edri by Plinie Adros by the Welch Eulby extending towards the East with a rockie Promontory but rich and fruitfull towards the West the retiring place of many godly and devout Hermits in the former times Southwards from hence and over against St. Davids are two other Ilands the one called Selame plentifull of wild honey the other named by the Welch Lymen by the English Ramsey thought to be the Limni of Ptolomie the Silimnum of Plinie but not else remarkeable VI THE ILANDS OF THE SEVERN SEA are four in number of no great note but I must take them in my passage to the Isles of Silly Of those the first is Flat-Holm from the flat and levell the 2d Stepholm from the steep and craggie disposition of it both by the Welch called Echni and both situate over against the County of Somerset More towards the opening of the Channel lieth the Isle of 3 Chaldey called by the Welchmen Inis Pâ—r of as small note as the other and at the very mouth thereof the Isle of 4 Lundey over against Devonshire the principall Iland of this Sea extending two miles every way of excellent pasturage well stored with Conies and great plenty of â—igeons Situate a good distance from any part of the land in the middest of the Salt and Brackish Ocean and yet yieldeth many Springs of Fresh-Water for the use of the people inhabiting for the most part in a Town of the same name with the Iland A place of very great strength and safety begirt about with dangerous unapproachable Rocks and having but one way of access into it and that so narrow that two men cannot go a brest VII The Isles of SILLY in number 145 are situate over against the most Western Promontorie of Cornwall from which distant 24 miles and lie round together in the manner of a ring or Circle Discovered first by the Silures a Phoenician Colonie in Spain opposite against which they lie thence called Silures by Solinus much traded and resorted to by the said Phoenicians from the Isle of Gades invited thereunto by the unexhaustible Mines of Tinne which they found amongst them A Trade so great and gainfull to them that they held it a great point of State 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keep it as a secret from all the World as we find in Strabo who addes the story of a Carthagâ—nian or Phoenician Merchant incountred in his voyage hither by some Roman Vessels and splitting his ship on the next shore where he knew the Romans would not follow him rather than let them know to what place he was bound Rewarded for his honest care and recompenced for the loss of his ship and goods out of the publick Treasurie From this abundance of Tinne the Graecians when they came to know them called them Cassitâ—rideâ— Cassiteres in that language signifying Tynne accordingly Herodotus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 affirming that he knew not those Ilands called Cassiterides from whence Tynne was brought The richness of this Commodity the pleasures of the place and the Western Situation of them make many of the Grecians call them the Hâ—sperides mistaking them for the Fortunate Ilands By Solinus they are called Silures as before is said Sigdeles in the corrupt Copies of Antoninus insulae Sillinae by Severus Sulpitius from whence we have the name of the Isles of Silly The Flemings I know not why call them the Sorlings All of them very fruitfull in Corn and Herbage besides the treasures hid within well stored with Conies Cranes Swans and most sorts of Wild Fowl Ten of them more esteemed than the rest are called by the names of 1 Aâ—math 2 Agnes 3 Sampson 4 Silly 5 Bresar 6 Rusco 7 S. Helens 8 Arthur 9 S. Maurice and 10 St. Maries Of which the most famous in the accompt of former times was that of Silly as giving name unto the rest but in the present estimate St. Maries is accompted the chief of all 8 miles in compass fruitfull of all necessaries and fortified with a very strong Castle built by Queen Elizabeth well manned and Garrisoned for defence of a large and goodly Harbour made amongst these Ilands capable of the greatest Navies These Ilands first discovered by Himilco a Carthaginian sent by that State to search into the West Coasts of Europe became of great same afterwards both in Greece and Italy by reason of the Mines of Tynne spoken of before So beneficiall to the Romans that they used to send hither their condemned Prisoners to work in the Mines as the best service to be done by their forfeited lives And hither amongst others Iustantius a fierce Priscillianist for his factious and seditious cariage was â—ent by Maxâ—mus ad Sulliman 〈◊〉 ultra Britanniam deportatus as Sulpitius hath it After the Romans had forsaken their hold in Britain they returned again into the power and possession of the Naâ—ives from whom subdued and added unto the English Crown by Atheâ—stan the eighth King of England now ordered for Civill matters as a part of Cornwall for military by their own Captain subordinate to the Lord Lieutenant of that Countie and for the Tâ—â—-trade by the Lord Warden and Court of Stanneries An Officer and Court erected for the benefit and regulating of the Tinners of Cornwall who by reason of their employment in there Mines have many privileges and exemptions more than other Subjects but of late limited and restrained by Act of Parliament VII The Isle of WIGHT lieth over against Hampshire from which it seemeth to have been divided the passage betwixt it and Huâ—st-Castle on the opposite shore being very narrow and the name of it intimating some such division For by the Bâ—itans it was antiently called Guith which signifieth a breach or separation from whence the English have their Wight the turning of Gu. to W. being familiar with the Saxons and all other Dutch people and from the same Root probably the Romans had the name of Vectis Vecht Wight and Guith being words of such neer resemblance that we need not travell further for an Etymologie The Iland of an Ovall form 20 miles in length and 12 miles broad about the middest from thence growing narrower towards each end to the North and South Naturally fenced about on all sides on the South especially where it looks towards France on which side inaccessible by reason of the steep and craggie Rocks the whole length thereof and not much less safe on the North-west where the remainder of the Rocks which they call the Shingles and the Needles not worn away either at or since the first separation from the other shore make the passage dangerous except to single ships and those not unacquainted with the course of the Channell Towards the North-East