Vortigern to establish the Kingdome in his own Line and as he thought to strengthen himself with these Strangers took to Wife Renix the daughter of Hengist his own Wife living and by his dotage on her being a beautiful Lady who knew to take the advantage of his love gave the Saxons those Preferments in the State as the Brittons neglected by him soon became a prey unto them This Alliance and the Fertility of the Land letting in so many of this populous and Warlike Nation that e're Men scarce perceived their danger they were undone And notwithstanding the Combination of the British Nobility with the deposing of Vortigern and Electing King his Son Vortimer a valiant Prince who gave them many stout Battles yet could they not prevail against the Saxons thus established but were forced to quit their Country and betake themselves to remote Mountains and Deserts leaving All to the Invaders Who after many Fortunes dividing the Land into seven Kingdomes extinguished both the Religion Language and even the Name thereof And in this Heptarchy it continued till Egbert K. of the West-Saxons An. 828. being three hundred fifty years after their Entrance subduing the other Kings obtained the whole Dominion to himself And to raze out the Memory of a Division Caused by an Edict the whole Kingdome to be called England of the Angles a people that possest the middle part of this Island § 6. But neither he nor his Successors quietly enjoyed it For the Danes having been first called in to aid the King of Northumberland against the other Kings sorely infested the Land and combining themselves with the Welch and Scots prevailed so much that from the raign of King Britric Anno 387. they continued to afflict the same the space of two hundred fifty five years and in the End by the negligent and ill Government of King Ethelred whose Luxury and Oppression had made way for Division they got the absolute Dominion of the Kingdom and held it twenty six years by three of their Kings successively Canutus governed it twenty years and left it to Harold who raigned two years Canutus the second succeeded his Brother Harold and at a Banquet at Lambeth either by Surfeit or Poison died in the Second year of his Reign When streight the People of the Land by a sudden and general Massacre redeemed themselves from that odious Yoke of a Foreign Subjection which was held to be the Third Dissolution of this State But I cannot see how it should be so accounted seeing that this Canutus never altered the Government but embraced the same Religion maintained the Laws he found and added many Constitutions for the good of the Kingdom And to get into the People's affections he married Emma sometimes Wife to King Ethelred and daughter to Richard Duke of Normandy to whom for his better strength he had likewise given his Sister to Wife And then the short Time of the Government in the Succession of his two Sons seems not to have bred any great Alteration in the state of the Kingdome but onely in the Change of the person of the Prince and the preferment of his Nation before ours which by reason of the long foregoing wars were made incompatible of each other § 7. But yet this gave the Cause to that great and last Mutation of State effected by the Norman For King Etheldred to make his party good against the Invasion of the Danes combined himself with Richard Duke of Normandy married his Sister Emma and by her had Issue Edward after King of England intitled the Confessor who with his Brother were there brought up out of the dangers of the Wars and by the assistance of the Duke reconveyed over after the death of the last Canutus and here invested in the Kingdom For which Offices of Kindness divers Preferments were in way of Gratification bestowed on the Normans as the Archbishoprick of Canterbury and other especial Places and Dignities Ecclesiastical in a manner throughout the whole Land which prepared an easier passage for the Invasion following when the death of this good King Edward without Issue to inherit left the Succession doubtful or else by the Iniquity of times made it seem so For Edgar surnamed Atheling sonne of Edward the Son of King Edmond Ironside had his Claim neglected Either in respect of his Youth which yet was no Barr to his Right or for want of Means and power to oppose against the ambition of others who having swaied the Fortune of the time under an easie-natured Prince had Opportunity enough to work for themselves Although the Worthiness of his Grandfather shewed in the Defence of his Country might seem to deserve to have his Issue remembred in their Right § 8. But the Earl Godwin what in respect that King Edward had matched with his Daughter and what with his own Greatness and popularity having long managed the State of the Kingdome made the Ascent easie for Harold his Son to get up to the Crown and by Crossing the right Line of Succession called up Destruction and Misery both upon his own Race and the whole Kingdome For though Harold had a shew of Title as being the Son of Thira sister to Canutus King of England yet seeing all the Land had received an Oath upon the Massacre and expulsion of the Danes never to have any King of that Nation to raign over them it might seem no lawful Claim But yet the Favour of the people which both his person and Valour had gotten with the Necessity of the Time that required a Man of Spirit and Courage to undertake the burden of war and the Trouble which the World they saw was like to grow into cast it upon him with hope to keep out the Misery of a foreign Subjection and the Insolency of Strangers § 8. But the whole Course of things being overcast and set for Storms and Alteration could not by any providence of Men be prevented Though this new King who is said to have crowned himself used all the Means that a wife and valiant Prince could do both for the well ordering of the State and all provisions for defence yet the disjointed Affections of Men tending to their private Ends and working several Wayes to get up to their Hopes either left the Ship of the State which contained them all to the mercy of the Waves and every Man cast to save himself where the greatest likelyhood of Mastery appeared or else distracted with the â—error of the approaching Mischief failed in their Spirits and courage to withstand it For the Diligence of Men becomes often dasht with their Fear in publick Tumults and with the very Cogitation of the Evil to come § 9. And the first Man which began to afflict his new Government was his own younger Brother Tosty who for a former conceived Hatred was easily set on by the Duke of Normandy and Baldwin Earle of Flanders whose Daughter he had married to assail the Isle of Wight and
defraud him of it § 22. Most of the Lords after this great Defeat in the North came in upon Publick Faith given them and were conducted to Barkamstead by the Abbot Frederick Where some write that the King again took a personal Oath before the Archbishop Lanfranc and the Lords to observe the Antient Laws of the Realm Established by his Noble Predecessors the Kings of England and especially those of Saint Edward And all the Lords upon their Oath and submission were then reconciled unto him and thereupon held themselves quiet for a Time But whether it were that they found not their Entertainment such as they expected or that they had received Intelligence of new Hopes from abroad or that Edgar who was still in Scotland had sollicited them upon Promise of fresh Succours to aid him or howsoever it was many of them again Conspired contrary to their Oaths and went out The Earl Edwin making towards Scotland was Murthered by his own People by the way The Earls Morcar and Hereward betook them to the Isle of Ely meaning to make good that Place for that Winter whither also came the Earl Siward and the Bishop of Durham out of Scotland But the King who was no Time giver to growing Dangers beset all the Isle with flat Boats on the East and made a Bridge of a Mile long on the West and safely brought in his People upon the Enemy who seeing themselves surprised yielded them all to the King's Mercy Except Hereward a man of great Valour and Courage who with his Souldiers made a Retreat through the Fenns and Escaped into Scotland The Rest were sent to divers Prisons where they died or remayned during the King's Life § 23. We find that those Lords who remained Loyal upon their last Submission were all imployed and well graced by the King As Edric the Forrester that was the first Revolter in his Reign was held in especial Favour and Trust near about him Gospatric was made Earl of Northumberland and sent against Malcolm who in this time takes Advantage of subdue the Countries of Tisdall Cleveland and Cumberland Waltheof the Son of the Earl Siward he so highly Estemeed as he Married him to his Niece Iudith Though he were a Principal Actor in this last Commotion and in the Defence of the City of York against him and is said to have stricken off the Heads of divers Normans one by one as they entred upon a Breach to the great Admiration of all Men By which Valour of his he ransomed the Offence he had made and grew to that great Grace with the King who therein shewed a Noble and Magnanimous Nature to honour Vertue even in his Enemies § 24. And now there rested nothing for the general Quieting of the Kingdom but only the Suppression of Malcolm King of Scots the greatest Kindlefire of all these Conspiracies in the North parts and the only Fefuge for all that were discontented and mutinous in this State Against him the King led such mighty Forces both by Sea and Land as Malcolm rather then to adventure Battle was content to make his Peace and not only to give up Hostages for securing the same but also to do him Homage for the Kingdom of Scotland And so all his Home-Wars were ended Regni Anno 6. Saving only in Anno 15. he levied a Puissant Army and subdued Wales which Business held him not long For the Rest of his Government here he had no more to do here with the Sword though he had it always abroad during his whole Reign § 25. Now for the Doubt he might have of the great Men of the Kingdom who by Power or Love were aptest to disturb his Government it was in this sort taken away First by the Submission of Edgar Atheling who Anno 7. was restored into Grace and had a fair Maintenance which held him ever after quiet Then by those whom the Prisons kept from Attempting any more And lastly by the Revealing of a new Conspiracy contrived at a Marriage between Ralph de Waher Earl of Norfolk and Suffolk and his new Kinswoman the Sister of Roger the Young Earl of Hereford At which Solemnization in their Banquetting and Jollity the two Earls Normans with Waltheof and divers English Plotted to call in the Danes again and to make away the King Upon which Discovery they were all apprehended except the Earl of Norfolk who fled the Land and died some in Prison and some on the Scaffold § 26. The The Danes being on the Coasts with 200 Sail hearing how their Confederates had sped and the great Preparations the King had made after some spoils taken on the Coast of England and Flanders returned home and never after infested this Kingdom Though in Anno 20 of this King there was a great Rumour of their fresh Preparations for a new Invasion which made him entertain a great number of Frenchmen besides Normans which he brought into England about Harvest and held the most part of them all the Winter to the great Charge of the Kingdom But it came to nothing For the Wind held so long against the Danish Navy consisting of about 1000 Sail as it overthrew their intended Action and freed both the King and his Successors from future Fears that way for ever after § 27. The Forein Wars he had were all about his Dominions in France and raised by his own Son Robert whom he had left his Leiutenant Governour of the Dutchy of Normandy and the County of Maine Where by his Fathers Absence tasteing the Glory of Command he grew to assume into his own Power the Soveraign Rule of the Province caused the Barons there to do him Homage as Duke not as Leiutenant and put himself wholly under the Protection of the King of France who was not a little pleased to apprehend so good an Occasion to foster a Division in the House of so great and near a Neighbour who was now grown fearful and dangerous to all the Princes about him and therefore spared for uo Cost to set forward this Work The King understanding the Fire thus Kindled in his own House whilest he laboured to quench that himself had made in Others hasts with his Forces into Normandy to have surprised his Son Who advertised of his Coming furnished with 2000. Men at Arms by the King of France put himself in Ambush where his Father should pass and set upon him so Fiercely as he Defeited most of his People and in the Press happened to encounter with himself whom he unhorsed and wounded in the Arms with his Lance. But perceiving by his Voice it was his Father he hasted to lift him up again to his Horse craving most humble Pardon for his Offence which the King seeing in what Case he was easily granted and received him into Grace with whom and with his Son William who was likewise hurt in the Skirmish he retired to Roan and after being there cured of his Hurt returned again into England §
Normandy that brake his Neck His eldest Daughter Cicilia became a Nun. Constance Married to the Earl of Brittain Adela to Stephen Earle of Bloys who likewise became a Nun in her Age such was their great Devotion and so much were these Solitary Retirements affected in those times by the greatest Ladies Another was Affianced to Alfonsus King of Galicia who with the other Sister promised to Harold Died before Marriage § 41. What he was in the Circle of himself in his own continent we find him of an even or middle Stature comely Personage of good presence Riding Sitting or Standing till his Corpulency gathering upon him in his latter Age made him somewhat unwieldy of so strong a Constitution that he was never Sickly till a few Months before his Death His Strength such as few Men could draw his Bow and being about Fifty One of his Age when he subdued this Kingdom it seems by his continual Actions he felt not the Weight of Years upon him till his last Year § 42. His Mind was no less excellently composed and we see it the fairest drawn in his Actions wherein his Mercy and Clemency the brightest Stars in the Sphere of Majesty appeared next to his great Devotion above all his other Virtues by the often pardoning and receiving into Grace those who had forfeited their Loyalty and most dangerously Rebelled against him Seeming to hold Submission satisfactory for the greatest Offence and that he sought to extinguish Mens Eenterprises but not themselves For we find but one great Nobleman executed in all his Reign and that was the Earl Waltheof who had twice falsified his Faith before And those whom he had held Prisoners in Normandy as the Earls Morcar and Siward with Wolfnothus the Brother of Harold and divers others upon Compassion of their Endurance he released a little before his Death § 43. Besides he was as far from Suspicion as from Cowardize and of that Confidence an especial Note of his Magnanimity has he gave Edgar his Competitor in the Crown the Liberty of this Court and upon his suit sent him well furnished to the Holy War where he so Nobly behaved himself as he attained to great Estimation with the Emperours of Greece and Almain Which might have been held dangerous in respect of his Alliances that way being Grand-Child to Henry the third Emperour But these may be as well Virtues of the Time as of Men and so the Age must have part of this Commendation FINIS Books Printed for SAMUEL KEBLE at the Turk Head in Fleestreet EPICTETI Enchiridion Or the most Excellent Morals of Epictetus made English in a Poetical Paraphrase History of the Bible Lively described in 120 Cuts or Figures 120.120 The Innocent Lady Degrees of Marriage that which is Ordered to be had in all Churches Preparation to a Holy Life or Devotion for Families and Private Persons by the Author of the Weeks Preparatin ation A Collection of Private Form of Prayers out of the Common Prayer Book for Morning Noon and Night and other special Occasions being in a different Method from any former By the Author of the Weeks Preparation to the Sacrement Together with the Holy Feast and Fasts as they are observed in the Church of England Explained and the Reasons why they are yearly Celebrated A Table to all the Epistles and Gospels in the Book of Common Prayer so that you may Find any Text of Scripture being contained in them This Table may be put in your Common Prayer Book without new binding Rules for our more Devout Behaviour in the time of Divine Service in the Church of England An Explanation of the Terms Order and Usefullness of the Liturgy of the Church of England By way of Question and Answer recommanded to be learned after the Church Catechisme A Perswasive to the stricter Observation of the Lords Day in pursuance of his Majesty Order and Direction to Preachers By Matthew Bryan LL. D. Books Printed for and Sold by D. Brown at the Black Swan and Bible without Temple-Bar A New Method and Extraordinary Invention to Dress Horses and work them according to Nature as also to Perfect Nature by the Subtilty of Art which was never found out But by His Grace the Duke of Newcastle Novae Hypotheseos ad Explicands Febrium Intermittentium Symptomata typos Excogitatae hypotyposis una cum AEtiologia Remediorum Speciatim vero de Curatione per Curticem Peruvianum Accessiti Dissertatiuncula de Intestinorum motu Periscaltico Authore Gulielmo Cole M. D. Epistolae Medinciales variis Occasionibus Conscriptae Authore Richardo Carr. M. D. The Reading of the Famous and Learned Robert Callis Esq on the Statute of the 23 of Henry the Eight Cap. 5. Of Sewers as it was delivered by him at Gray's Inn in August 1622. The Second Edition Inlarged with the several Judgments and Resolutions of the Reverend Judges upon the Laws of Sewers and other Remarques not before Published with a new Table to the whole Rules for Explaining and Decyphering all manner of Secret Writing plain and Demonstrative with Exact Methods for Understanding Intimation by Signs Gestures or Speech Also an Account of the Secret ways of Conveying Written Messages Discovered by Tritbenrius Schottus Lord Fran Bacon Bishop Wilkings c. with Exact Tables and Examples By I. F. ADVERTISSEMENT THE Slaughter of the Innocents by Herod A Poem Written in Italian by the Famous Italian Poet the Cavalier Marino Translated by T. R. Printed for S. M. And to be Sold by Sam. Keble at the Turk Heads in Fleestreet and D. Brown at the Blak-Swan without Temple Bar. * Cornwall Bede 1. 14. * Rowena Githa sister to Swain Dan. Toustain D. Anno 2. Anno 3. Anno. 6. Anno 7. Roger Fitz-Osborn the Son of William Cousin and especial Councellor to the King Anno. 20. Gervasins
the same maner and took none but from such as after his Possession of the Crown Rebelled against him or were slain in the Wars § 34. He imposed no new Taxations on the State and used those he found very moderately As Danegelt being a Tax raised by the former Kings of two Shillings upon every Hilde-Land to maintain the Wars against the Danes he would not have it made an Annual payment but only taken upon urgent Occasion And it was seldom gathered in his Time or his Successors Scutagium or Escuage which was also then an Imposition of Mony upon every Knight's Fee afterwards only imployed for the Service in Scotland was never Levied but in Like Occasions for Stipends and Donatives to Souldiers § 35. Only one Exaction he he was forced to raise to cure a Mischief which arose by his Means In the begining of this Reign the Rancor of the English towards the New-come Normans was such as finding them single in Woods and remote Places they secretly murthered them and the Deed doers for any the severest Courses taken could never be discovered Whereupon it was ordained that the Hundred wherein a Norman was found slain and the Murther not taken should be condemned to pay the King some thirty-six pounds and some twenty eight pounds according to the Quantity of the Hundred And this was done to the End the Punishment being generally inflicted it might particularly deter them and hasten the Discovery of the Malefactor by whom so many must otherwise be interessed This Mulct and the seizing into his Hands the Church Treasure before-noted though both were done by the especial commanding Warrant of Necessity were much taken to heart in the Kingdom both by the Clergy and Common People § 36. And yet otherwise was he to both very gratious and beneficial For upon petition made unto him he relieved the Oppression of such as were Tenants at will of their Lords which were a very great Number and began after this manner All those who were discovered to have had a Hand in any Rebellion and were pardoned only to injoy the Benefit of Life having all their Lively-hood taken from them became Vassails unto those Lords to whom the Possessions were given of all such Lands as were forfeited by Attainders And if by their diligent Service they could attain any Portion of Ground they held it but only so long as it pleased their Lords without having any Estate for themselves or their Children and were oftentimes miserably cast out upon the sudden contrary to Promise upon any small Displeasure Whereupon it was ordained that whatsoever they had obtained of their Lords by any obsequious Service or agreed for upon any Lawful Pact they should hold by an inviolable Law during their own Lives § 37. And for the Clergy other than in this one Act he maintained all their Immunities and Priviledges and they grew very much under him But this it seems was the Cause that made them so much disfigure his Worthiness and leave his Memory in so black Colours to Posterity as they did in delineating his Tyranny Rigor and Oppression when the Nature and Necessary Disposition of his Affairs do much excuse him therein and shew that he was a Prince of a most active Virtue whose Abilities of Nature were equal to his Undertakings of Fortune as preordained for so great a Work And though he might have some Advantage of the Time wherein we often see Men prevail more by the Imbecilities of others than their own Worth Yet let those Times be well examined his Strength and Eminency if we take his just Measure where of an exceeding Proportion Neither wanted he those Encounters and Concurrences of sufficient able Princes his Neighbours to put him to the Trial thereof having on one side the French to grapple withal on the other the Dane far mightier in People and Shipping than himself strongly sided in the Kingdom as greedy to recover their former Footing here as ever and as well or better prepared § 38. But this name of Conquest which ever imports Violience and Misery is of so harsh a found and so odious in nature as a people subdued seldom gives the Conquerour his due tho' never so worthy And especially to a Stranger whom only time must naturalize and let in by degrees into their Liking and good Opinion Wherein also this King was greatly advantaged by reason of his twenty years Government which had much impaired the Memory of former Customs in the younger sort and well inured the elder to the present Usances and Form of State Whereby the Rule was made more easy to his Sons who tho' they were far inferiour to him in Worth were a little better beloved then he and the rather for that they were content somewhat to unwrest the Sovereignty from the Height whereunto he had strained it which brought the State to a better proportion of Harmony § 39. Of those who were the especial Men of Employment in his Reign time has shut us out from the knowledge of many it being in the Fortune of Kings to have the Names and Memory of their Counsellors like Rivers in the Ocean Buried in their Glory Yet these we find principally mentioned in Stories First William Fitz-Osborne Earl of Hereford the especial Mover and Counsellor of this Voiage of England reported also to have furnished forty Ships at his own Charge for the Enterprise Odo Bishop of Bayeux and Earl of Kent sometimes his Viceroy in England and seems also to have managed the Finances but of such excessive Avarice that he gathered so much Treasure as he went about to buy the Papacy and attempting to go to Rome about the same the King staid him at Home in a fair Prison and excused the matter upon Exclamation made in this sort that he only Imprisoned the Earl of Kent not the Bishop of Bayeux Beside he had Lanfranc a Man of universal Learning and an excellent Lawyer Born in Lumbardy who peradventure might introduce something of the Constitutions of that Province to the making up our Laws which in many things seem to participate with theirs And no doubt he had many others else For being of a strong Constitution of Judgment he could not but be strongly furnished in that kind seeing ever weak Princes have weak Sides and our most renowed Kings have been best underset with Counsel and happily served with the ablest Officers § 40. He had a fair issue by Maud his Wife Four Sons and Five Daughters To Robert his Eldest Son he left the Dutchy of Normandy to William the Kingdom of England and to Henry his Treasure with an Annual Pension of 8000. pounds to be paid him by his two Brothers Richard that was his Second Son Died in his Youth of a surfeit taken by Hunting in the New Forrest and began the fatal Misfortune that followed of that place by the Death of King William the Second there slain with an Arrow and of Richard the Son of Robert Duke of