and Emma Brother of Hardiknut on the Mother's-side who had sought Sanctuary in Normandy was called in to be king of England He was crowned in the Year 1042 and to gain the Affection of the People he remitted a Tax called Danegeld which had been constantly paid for forty Years last past He reigned very peaceably except that he was now and then pester'd with the Irish and Danish Pirates whom nevertheless he quickly overcame He was the first to whom was attributed that Virtue which even to this day the Kings of England are said to have to heal by touching that Disease which in England is called the King 's Evil. He died without Children He intended to have left the Kingdom to his Cousin Edgar Atheling Grandson of King Edmund Ironside but he being very young Harald Son of Goodwin Earl of Kent who had the Tuition of Edgar put the Crown upon his own Head but did not enjoy it above nine Months being slain in a Battel by William Duke of Normandy whereby the Crown of England was transferr'd to the Norman Family § 5. This William sirnamed the Conquerour was Son of Robert Duke of Normandy who was descended from Rollo a Dane who about the Year 900 with a great number of his Country-men and Norwegians fell into France and ravaging the Country without resistance Charles the Simple the then King of France thought it the best way to set him at quiet by putting him into possession of the Province of Neustria which afterwards was called Normandy and giving to him in Marriage his Daughter Geisa under condition that he should become a Christian Rollo had a Son whose Name was William sirnamed Long-sword whose Son was Richard sirnamed the Hardy who was the Father of Richard II. sirnamed the Good who was succeeded by his son Richard III. as he was by his Son Richard IV. But he dying without Issue after him Robert became Duke of Normandy This Robert was Father to William the Conquerour whom he had by one Arlotte a Furrier's Daughter with whom 't is said he fell in love seeing her dance among other Maids in the Country and afterwards married her And notwithstanding this William was a Bastard yet his Father made him his Successour and got the Nobility to acknowledge him as such when he was but nine Years of Age and died soon after This William met with great Troubles and Dangers in his younger Years which he had the good fortune to overcome by his Valour and acquired thereby great Reputation After the death of Edward the Confessour William understanding that Harald had made himself King resolv'd to demand the Crown of England as belonging to him by virtue of the last Will of King Edward who he pretended had left the same to him as an acknowledgment for the great Favours he had received from his Father Robert There are others who say That Edward did only promise this by word of mouth and that Harald being then in Normandy was forc'd to engage by Oath to help him in obtaining the Crown of England It is possible this was only made use of as a pretence But however it be William landed without resistance with a great Army compos'd of Normans French and Netherlanders whilst the Fleet of Harald was sailed to the Northern Coast of England to oppose his Brother and Harald Harfager King of Norway who were enter'd England on that side and both vanquish'd by him but thereby he left open the Door to William to enter into the Kingdom and brought his Souldiers back much weakened and fatigued by their great Marches Yet having reinforc'd his Army as well as he could he offer'd Battel to William near Hastings in Sussex which Battel was fought on both sides with great obstinacy till Harald being mortally wounded by an Arrow the Victory and Crown of England remain'd to William England without any further resistance acknowledging him for a King The English were at first extreamly well satisfy'd with his Government he leaving each in possession of what was his own and only giving the vacant Lands to his Normans partly also because he was related to the former Kings of England partly because he was greatly recommended to them by the Pope He was also very strenuous in securing himself commanding all the Arms to be taken from the People and to prevent Nocturnal Assemblies and Commotions he ordered That after the Bell had rung at eight in the Evening no Fire nor Candle should be seen in their Houses Besides this he built several Forts in the most commodious places Notwithstanding all this Edgar Atheling being with some of the Nobility retir'd into Scotland and being assisted by the Danish Pirates continually ravag'd the Northern Parts of England burning the City of York it self wherein all the Normans were put to the Sword but he forced them afterwards thence There was also a dangerous Conspiracy set on foot against him which was happily suppress'd by him before the Conspirators could join their Forces His Son Robert also endeavoured to take from him Normandy against whom his Father led a great Army out of England and the Father and Son encountring one another in the Battel the first was dismounted by the latter but he discovering him to be his Father by his voice immediately dismounted embraced him and begg'd his pardon and was reconcil'd to his Father who freely pardon'd all past Injuries This King also forc'd Wales to pay him Tribute and King Malcolm of Scotland to swear Fealty to him But perceiving that this new-conquer'd People would not be govern'd altogether by Mildness he began to act more severely taking away out of the Convents what Gold and Silver he could meet with of which there was great store convey'd thither as into Sanctuaries He also imposed heavy Taxes he appropriated to himself a great part of the Lands of England which he gave unto others reserving to himself out of them a yearly Revenue He took upon him the Administration of the Goods and Possessions of all Minors till they came to the 21st Year of Age allowing them only so much as was requisite for their Maintenance He revised all their Privileges introduced new Laws in the Norman Tongue whereby a great many that did not understand that Language fell under severe Penalties He erected new Courts of Judicature and employed great tracts of Ground for the conveniency of his Hunting This King introduced first the use of the long Bow in England whereby he had chiefly obtained the Victory against Harald and whereby afterwards the English did great mischief to the French and gained many Battels from them At last Philip I. King of France by stirring up his Son Robert against him endeavouring to raise Disturbances in Normandy he went in person over into Normandy where the Son was quickly reconcil'd to the Father But being obliged to keep his Bed at Roan by reason of an Indisposition in his Belly which was very
possession of the Territories belonging to his Brothers but was slain in the Siege of Camora which City he endeavour'd to take from his Sister Then Alfonso his Brother who had hitherto dwelt with the Moorish King of Toledo made himself Master of Castile and Leon. And took from the Moors besides some other Places the City of Toledo which was in those days esteemed impregnable But the Moors in Spain having received fresh Re-inforcements out of Africa got new Courage and falling upon the Christians defeated them in two Battles till Alfonso got an entire Victory over them obliging the Moorish King of Corduba to pay him a yearly Tribute Nevertheless he was afterwards again over-thrown in a Battle fought with the Moors where he lost his only Son Sanctius whose Death he revenged soon after upon them He died in the Year 1109. Vrraca his Daughter was Heiress to the Kingdom she being Married to Alfonso King of Arragon Which Marriage under pretence of too near a Consanguinity and Adultery committed by the Queen was afterwards dissolved again But because Alfonso would nevertheless keep Castile as the Dowry of the Queen it caused great Intestine Wars and Divisions For Alfonso VIII Son of Vrraca by Raymond of Burgundy her first Husband who was come out of France to assist her Father in the Wars against the Moors was proclaimed King of Castile in the mean while that Alfonso of Arragon was busied in taking besides some other Places the City of Saragossa from the Moors At last a Peace was concluded betwixt Arragon and Castile Afterwards Alfonso of Castile made War against the Moors with great Success taking from them divers Places of Note But Alfonso of Arragon being slain in a Battle fought with the Moors and leaving no Children behind him those of Navarre chose for their King Garsias who was of the Race of their former Kings But the Arragonians conferr'd the Crown upon Ramirus Brother to the deceased King who had been a Monk Alfonso of Castile in Opposition to both pretending to have a Right to these Kingdoms conquered a great part of them causing himself with consent of Pope Innocent II. who was supposed to do it in spite to the German Emperours to be proclaimed Emperour of Spain But this difference was also at last composed it being agreed that Ramirus should give his only Daughter together with the Kingdom to Raymond Earl of Barcelona by which means Catalonia and Arragon were United then Alfonso entring into a Confederacy with the Kings of Navarre and Arragon Attack'd again the Moors taking from them the City of Almeria which in those days was a great Sea-port and Harbour for Privateers Raymond took from the Moors Tortosa Lerida and other strong Holds Alfonso died in the Year 1157. § 6. The same Alfonso though Spain had suffered sufficiently by its being divided into so many Governments left to his Son Sanctius Castile to Ferdinand Leon and Gallicia Sanctius who did nothing that is remarkable except that he beat twice those of Navarre died in the Year 1158 leaving his Son Alfonso IX a Child of four years of Age. During the time of his Minority there were great Disturbances in Castile occasioned partly by the Divisions among the Nobility partly by the Wars with Ferdinando of Leon and Sanctius of Navarre who took several Places from the Castilians But coming to his riper years he did extricate himself though not without great difficulty out of those Troubles In the War against the Moors who always kept the Spanish Kings in Exercise he suffered extreamly so that he was obliged to make a Truce with them because the Kings of Navarre and Leon at the same time fell upon him At last there was a Confederacy made betwixt these Kings with a certain agreement how such Places should be disposed of as should be taken from the Moors In the Year 1210 a most Memorable Expedition was undertaken against the Moors where presented themselves a great many Foreigners who came to Signalize themselves but a great many of them being soon tired out returned home At that time was fought the famous Battle of Lasa where 200000 Moors being slain they lost all their Strength In this Battle Sanctius King of Navarre breaking first through a Chain which surrounded the Moorish Army he afterwards bore a Chain with an Emerald in his Shield In this War was taken from the Moors besides other Places the City of Calatrava The King of Leon took Alcantara Alfonso died in the Year 1214 leaving behind him his Son Henry whose Minority occasioned great disturbances in the Kingdom he died without Issue in the Year 1217. He had two Sisters the Eldest Blanch was Married to Lewis VIII Son of Philip Augustus King of France The second Berengaria was Married to Alfonso King of Leon. The Crown by Right of Succession did belong to the Eldest and her Heirs But out of a hatred the States bore to Strangers they conferr'd the Kingdom upon Ferdinand Sir-named the Holy Son of Berengaria who with all speed imaginable possess'd himself of it before he could be prevented by his Father surmounting all the difficulties which were rais'd against him partly by his Father partly by some of the Nobility It is related by some That Blanch was not the eldest Sister but that some of the Castilian Noblemen did dispute the right of Berengaria to the Crown because the Pope had declar'd her marriage with Alfonso void and their Children illegitimate as being too near in Bloud By the death of Alfonso Leon and Castile were reunited under Ferdinand at what time the Moors suffer'd extreamly in their Affairs King James of Arragon took from them Majorca in the Year 1232. Minorca in the Year 1234. Yvica in the Year 1238. The City and Kingdom of Valencia Ferdinand took from them besides other places in the Year 1230 Merida and Badajoz In the Year 1236 the City and Kingdom of Corduba Murcia surrender'd it self to the protection of Castile In the Year 1243 Jaen Sevile and the greatest part of Andalusia But whilst he was making Preparations to carry the War into Africa he died in the Year 1252. § 7. The History of the next following Years is full of Troubles and Divisions Alfonso 't is true was famous in foreign Countries for his Wisdom and great skill in Astronomy so that it is reported of him that he used to say That if God would have advised with him at the time of the Creation of the World the World should have been made more uniform yet he was unfortunate at home and hated by his Subjects The first occasion of which was that he being desirous to fill his Treasury which was exhausted he caus'd the current Coin to be diminish'd which enhanc'd the price of every thing and whilst to prevent this he set certain rates on all Commodities which occasion'd a general scarcity of all things the
people not being willing to sell at his rates He was by some of the Electors chosen Roman Emperour but because his Children were then very young and great Divisions arose among his Nobles he delay'd for a great many Years to go thither and to receive the Imperial Crown till in the Year 1275 a fancy took him all on a sudden to go and take possession of the Empire though Rudolf of Habsburgh was already got into the Imperial Throne But his Journey was ended in Provence he returning from thence home by the persuasion of the Pope who afterwards excommunicated him and obliged him also to renounce the Title of Emperour After the death of Ferdinand his eldest Son Sanctius the younger Brother did aim at the Succession tho Ferdinand had left Children behind him This rais'd a Jealousie betwixt the Father and Son who rose in open Rebellion against his Father being assisted by the major part of the States which Commotion however ceas'd with the death of Alfonso Under the Reign of this King many Battels were fought against the Moors with various success In the Year also 1282 happened the Sicilian Vespers by which means Peter King of Arragon obtain'd the Kingdom of Sicily he having before a pretence to it as having married Constantia the Daughter of Manfred Against this Sanctius the Son of Ferdinand his elder Brother rais'd several disturbances which he overcame all by his Wisdom he dyed in the Year 1295. During the time of the Minority of his Son Ferdinand IV. the Kingdom of Castile was overwhelm'd with trouble After he came to Age he undertook an Expedition against the Moors taking from them Gibraltar and died in the flower of his Age. Under the Reign of this King James King of Arragon was presented with the Kingdom of Sardinia by the Pope who pretended to have a right of disposing of it and those of Pisa being then in possession of the same were afterwards beaten out by the Arragonians The Minority also of Alfonso XI was full of troubles At that time the Moors had again received a great Reinforcement out of Africa the Castilians nevertheless obtain'd a most signal Victory over them in the Year 1340 in which Battel 't is said 200000 were slain on the side of the Moors and but only 25000 Spaniards At that time Alzira was taken and a Peace concluded with the King of Granada under condition that he should be tributary to Castile This King died in the Siege of Gibraltar which he had lost before His Son Pieter sirnamed The Cruel reigned very tyrannically He drew the hatred of most of his Subjects upon himself by parting from his Queen Blanch whom he afterwards tho Innocent for the sake of a Concubine caus'd to be murther'd This occasion'd a Plot against him which he suppress'd with a great deal of Bloudshed In the mean while a War arose betwixt him and Pieter IV. King of Arragon who assisted the Rebels in Castile who had set up for their King Henry the King's Brother begotten on a Concubine call'd Eleonora Gusman With him also join'd a great many French Voluntiers so that falling upon Pieter of Castile he forc'd him to flee into Aquitain But he having rais'd there a considerable Army return'd into Spain defeated Henry and obliged him to flee into France but did not desist from his Tyranny whereby he quite lost the Affection of his Subjects And Henry having gather'd another Army in France return'd into Castile where being assisted by the Castilians he vanquish'd Pieter and in the flight kill'd him with his own Hands § 8. Out of the Race of this Henry II. sirnam'd The Bastard sprang afterwards Princes who prov'd very mischievous to Spain Henry himself did at first labour under great difficulties the neighbouring Nations attacking him every where yet he surmounted them and at last made Peace with them all But the Favour of his Nobles he bought with Money He died in the year 1379. His Son John endeavour'd to obtain the Crown of Portugal of Ferdinand its King whose Daughter he had married But the Portugueses out of a hatred against the Castilians set up for their King John natural Son to Pieter King of Portugal who maintained himself against the Castilians routing them near to Aliunbaret which Victory the Portugueses mightily boast of in their Histories Castile was at that time in great danger the English siding with the Portugueses under the Duke of Lancaster who having married Constantia the Daughter of Pieter sirnamed The Cruel pretended to the right of that Crown bearing also the Title and Arms But the business was at last compos'd by marrying the Daughter of the English Duke to the Prince of Castile after which also a Peace was concluded with Portugal John died by a fall from his Horse His Son Henry III. was a sickly Prince under whose Minority great Divisions arose in the Kingdom During the time of his Reign he did nothing remarkable except that he restor'd the Revenues which the Nobles had alienated from the Crown He died in the Year 1407 leaving behind him John II. a Child of two Months old The tuition of this Prince was besides his Mother committed to Ferdinand his Uncle to whom the States did offer the Kingdom which he generously refusing to accept of he obtain'd afterwards the Crown of Arragon This King being under the tuition of his Mother grown very Effeminate only addicted to Voluptuousness having no Genius nor inclination for publick Business committed the whole management to his Favourite Alvarez de Luna an ambitious Man which occasion'd great Jealousies in his Nobles against him This King taking his Favourite's part against the Nobility an open War ensu'd betwixt them the Rebels being headed by his own Son and the City of Toledo declar'd against the King At last the King being tir'd with the many Inconveniencies cut this Favourite's Head off but died himself in the Year next following Under the Reign of this King a War broke out betwixt the Spaniards and those of Granada wherein the first signaliz'd themselves to their advantage In the Year 1420 King Alfonso of Arragon was adopted by Joan Queen of Naples but a difference arising betwixt Joan and Alfonso she declar'd the said Adoption void and null receiving in his stead Lewis Duke of Anjou which afterwards occasion'd bloody Wars betwixt France and Spain Yet Alfonso at last kept the upper hand making himself Master of Naples and leaving the same to his natural Son Ferdinand In the Kingdom of Castile succeeded John his Son Henry IV. the scandal to the Spanish Nation He being incapable of begetting Children to take away this suspicion hired one Bertrand Corva who for this service was made Earl of Ledesma to lie with the Queen who having brought forth a Daughter call'd Joan Henry caus'd her to be proclaim'd Heiress to the Crown What confirm'd this the more was that
gross the King of France ridicul'd him asking How long he intended to lie in to whom William sent this Answer That as soon as he could go to Church after his lying in he had vow'd to sacrifice a thousand Candles in France and he was as good as his word for he was no sooner recover'd but he invaded France and burnt all where-ever he came But he having overheated himself he fell ill and died leaving by his last Will to his eldest Son Normandy but to the second called William the Crown of England § 6. William II. sirnamed Rufus met at first with some Disturbances occasioned by his Brother Robert who pretending to the Crown was back'd by a great many of the Nobility but he appeased him by promising to pay him yearly the Summ of 3000 Marks and that he should succeed him after his death But the Nobles who had dispersed themselves up and down in the Country he partly by fair means partly by force reduced to Obedience This Rebellion proved very beneficial to the English the Rebels being most of them Normans wherefore the King afterwards rely'd more upon the English as the most faithfull He waged War twice with Malcolm King of Scotland whom he forced in the first to swear him Fealty but in the last he killed both him and his eldest Son He also subdued the Province of Wales Among other Inventions to get Money one was remarkable for he summon'd together 20000 Men under pretence to go with them into Normandy but when they were just agoing to be shipp'd off he caused Proclamation to be made that every one who was willing to pay ten Shillings should have leave to stay at home unto which every one of them readily consented He was kill'd by a random shot in hunting Him succeeded his younger Brother Henry who being present when the King died seized upon his Treasures whereby he procured himself a great many Friends so that he was preferr'd before Robert his elder Brother who at that time assisted in the taking of Jerusalem which proved no less than the loss of a Crown to him For Henry the better to establish himself in the Throne remitted not only several Taxes which were laid upon the People by the former Kings but also secured unto his Interest the King of Scotland Edgar his most dangerous Neighbour by marrying his Sister Maud. 'T is reported that this Maud had vow'd Castity and that when her Brother forced her to marry she wish'd that such Children as should be born out of this Marriage might never prove fortunate which wish was afterwards sufficiently fulfilled in her Children and a great many of their Posterity Notwithstanding this Robert landed a great Army in England but Henry and Robert by the mediation of some Friends and a Promise of a yearly Pension to be paid to Robert from Henry were reconcil'd which Pension also afterwards Robert remitted to Henry But afterwards repenting of what he had done Henry was so exasperated against him that he made a Descent in Normandy with a great Army and vanquish'd him in a bloody Battel wherein he took him Prisoner He kept him not only a Prisoner all his life time but also at last put his Eyes out uniting Normandy to the Crown of England But King Lewis of France sirnamed Crassus being very jealous of the Greatness of Henry undertook with the assistance of Fulco Earl of Anjou and Baldwin Earl of Flanders to restore unto William Son of Robert the Dukedom of Normandy whereupon a bloody War ensued which was at last composed under this condition That William Son of Henry should swear Fealty to France for this Dukedom of Normandy And it obtained afterwards as a Custom That the King 's eldest Son was called Duke of Normandy as long as this Province was united to England The new Duke of Normandy did also marry the Daughter of the Earl of Anjou And William Son of Robert being then made Earl of Flanders and endeavouring a second time to regain Normandy was slain in that War It is related by some tho' others contradict it That this King was the first who admitted the Commons unto the Grand Council of the Kingdom unto which the Nobility and Bishops only were admitted before it came to be divided into the Higher and Lower House His Son William being by the carelessness of a drunken Master of a Ship drowned at Sea with a great many other persons of Quality of both Sexes as they were coming back from Normandy to England he endeavoured to settle the Crown upon his Daughter Maud and her Heirs she being at first married to the Emperour Henry IV. by whom she had no Children and afterwards to Geoffrey Plantagenet Son to Fulk Earl of Anjou Her Father made the States of England take Oaths of Fealty to her in his life time He died in the Year 1135 and with him ended the Male Race of the Norman Royal Family in England § 7. After the death of Henry Stephen Earl of Boulogne Henry's Sister's Son did by great Promises obtain the Crown of England notwithstanding that both he and the States had taken the Oaths to acknowledge Maud for their Sovereign which they endeavoured by a great many frivolous pretences to prove to be of no force The better to establish himself in the Throne he gained the Affection of the States with Presents and discharged the People of several Taxes giving Authority to the Nobility to build fortify'd Castles which afterwards proved very mischievous to him He also married his Son Eustace to Constantia the Daughter of Ludovicus Crassus King of France This King's Reign was overwhelmed with continual Troubles For the Scots at first and afterwards a great many of his Nobles trusting in their strong Castles raised great Disturbances yet he bridled the Insolence of the Scots giving them a signal overthrow But his greatest Contest was with the Empress Maud for she landing in England was received by a great many and King Stephen in a Battel fought near Chester was taken Prisoner But she refusing to restore to the Londoners King Edward''s Laws they sided with her Enemies and besieged her very closely in the City of Oxford from whence she narrowly escaped and King Stephen also got an opportunity to get out of Prison These Troubles continued till Henry Son of Maud came to the nineteenth Year of his age who being Lord of four large Dominions as having inherited Anjou by his Father's Normandy by his Mother's side Guienne and Poictou by his Wife Eleonora Daughter and Heiress of William the last Duke of Guienne he also endeavoured to obtain the Crown of England for which purpose he landed with an Army in England But he obtained his End without any great opposition for Eustace King Stephen's Son dying suddenly an Agreement was made betwixt them whereby Stephen adopted him and constituted him his Heir and Successour and died not long after in the Year 1124.
Henry II. therefore succeeded him who among other memorable Actions demolish'd such fortify'd Castles of the Nobility and Bishops as were built with the consent of King Stephen After he had reigned near eighteen Years in Peace and Quietness he had a mind to have his Son Henry crowned the better to secure the Succession he received him as his Copartner in the Government but he being married to Margaret the Daughter of Lewis the younger King of France this proved the cause of great Disturbances afterwards For some persuaded young Henry That his Father having abdicated himself from the Government had committed thereby the same to his management France envy'd that a King of England should have such vast Possessions in France The Scots wish'd for nothing more than to have an opportunity of committing Depredations in England Wherefore the French and Scots joining with young Henry fell upon Henry II. all at one time but were as vigorously repulsed by him the Scots especially suffered the most in this War and lost all Huntingtonshire A Peace was also concluded with France Adela Daughter of Lewis King of France being promised in marriage to Richard second Son of Henry But the old King as 't is reported falling in love with her privately kept her company and therefore opposed the consummation of the marriage betwixt her and his Son Richard This so exasperated Richard who after the death of his eldest Brother Henry was now the next Heir to the Crown that he made Head against his Father and Philip Augustus King of France taking hold of this opportunity took the City of Muns King Henry seeing himself besides this deserted by his Friends Wife and Children died in few days of Grief This Henry also conquer'd Ireland and united it to England which he and his Successours govern'd under the Title of Lords of Ireland till the time of Henry VIII who after he had withdrawn himself from the Obedience of the Pope to nettle him the more assumed the Title of King of Ireland because the Pope pretends to the sole right to bestow the Title of King in Christendom and that none ought to take it upon him without his consent wherefore the Pope afterwards to make his Pretence the more plausible freely gave the same Title to Mary Queen of England Henry also had some differences with Thomas Backet Archbishop of Canterbury who pretended it was derogatory to the Glory of God that the Priests according to the King's Commands should be subject to the Civil Judicatures There is a fabulous Relation concerning this Archbishop Thomas That he riding a Horse-back one time through a Village the Country Fellows cut off the Tail of his Horse and that their Children afterwards were born with such Tails § 8. Richard I. who succeeded his Father Henry in the Kingdom did out of a preposterous Zeal undertake an Expedition into the Holy Land with 35000 Men being accompained by Philip Augustus King of France In this War he took the Island of Cyprus which he gave to Guido Lusignanus who in consideration thereof resigned his Right to Jerusalem and in the Year 1192 he was present at the taking of Ptolemais where the Standard of Duke Leopold of Austria being set up first he pull'd it down again putting his own in the place But when they were in great hopes of gaining Jerusalem Philip returned home engaging himself by a solemn Oath that he would not injure Richard in any of his Dominions Hugo Duke of Burgundy afterwards followed his example which greatly encouraged Saladin And Richard understanding that the French were fallen into Normandy he also made a Peace with Saladin and taking his way by Land incognito was discovered in his Journey through Austria where Duke Leopold remembring the affront done to him near Ptolemais took him Prisoner and delivered him to the Emperour who after fifteen Months Imprisonment made him pay 100000 Pounds for his Ransom After his return home he found every thing in confusion the French having not only ravaged Normandy and other Provinces belonging to him but also his Brother had made a Pretension to the Crown but he obliged the latter to implore his Pardon and beat the French back into their own Country He died not long after of a wound which he received in a Siege of some inconsiderable place in France After his death his Brother John took upon him the Crown of England who was opposed by Arthur Earl of the lesser Britainy his elder Brother's Son who finding himself alone not strong enough sought for Aid of the King of France who was ready upon all occasions to create Troubles in England He took a great many Cities in Normandy and Anjou Wherefore King John was obliged to make a dishonourable Peace with him giving in marriage to Lewis King Philip's Son Blanch Daughter of Alfonsus King of Castile and of his Sister Eleonora to whom he gave as a Dowry all the Cities which Philip had taken from him except Angiers Then he married Isabella Daughter and Heiress of the Earl of Angoulesme who was promised before to Hugh Earl of Marche He to revenge this affront join'd his Forces with the King of France and Prince Arthur of Britainy and fell into Touraine and Anjou But King John falling upon them unawares routed the Enemy and took Prince Arthur Prisoner who died not long after a Prisoner in Roan But Constantia the Mother of Arthur made her Complaints to Philip King of France whose Vassal King John was on the score of such Provinces as he was possess'd of in France and the King of France summon'd King John to appear before him and to answer for the death of Arthur But he not appearing it was declar'd that King John had forfeited what Fiefs he was possess'd of in France and King Philip took from him Normandy 316 Years after Rollo the Norman had conquered the same But the French afterwards attack'd also Angiers where they were repulsed with great loss by King John whereupon a Truce was concluded betwixt them for two Years During which time he routed the Scots and suppressed the Rebels in Ireland and Wales The Truce being expired the War began afresh with France and King John's Army being routed he made another Truce with France But this ill success had much diminished his Authority among his Nobles who also hated him because he had imposed heavy Taxes upon them wherefore they with joint consent demanded from him the restitution of their ancient Privileges but perceiving that he only intended to give them fair Words for Deeds they called to their aid Lewis Son of Philip King of France who landing with a great Army in England was received with a general applause and whilst King John endeavoured to make Head against him he died overwhelm'd with Troubles § 9. Him succeeded his Son Henry III. whose tender Age wrought Compassion on most and extinguish'd the Hatred which had been
conceiv'd against his Father And the Earl of Pembroke to whose Tuition he was committed having totally routed the French near Lincoln and destroyed the French Forces at Sea that were sent to their assistance Lewis did renounce all his Pretensions upon the Crown of England and retir'd into France This King's Reign was very long but also very troublesom occasion'd chiefly by the great concourse of Foreigners into England who crept into all places of profit For the Pope sent at one time 300 Italians who being admitted into Church Benefices did so lay about them that their yearly Rents amounted to 60000 Marks of Silver which was a greater Revenue than the Crown had at that time And by reason of the Prodigality of the King tho' constantly burthening the People with Taxes he was always in great want of Money He married besides this the Daughter of the Earl of Provence who having abundance of poor Kindred they enrich'd themselves out of the Treasury of the King This caused at last an open War betwixt the King and the principal Men of the Kingdom in which Henry resign'd to the King of France all his Pretensions upon Normandy Anjou Poictou Touraine and Mans in consideration of the Summ of 300000 pounds paid him by the French King and he was himself taken Prisoner in the first Battel But his Son Prince Edward gathered another Army and killed the General of the Rebels Simon of Monfort Earl of Leicester delivering thereby his Father and suppressing the whole Rebellion He did nothing worth mentioning abroad except that he undertook two Expeditions into France both which prov'd fruitless He died in the Year 1272. Him succeed his Son Edward who was at that time in the Holy Land and tho' he did not come into England till a Year after his Father's death yet took quiet possession of the Crown This King entirely united the Principality of Wales to the Crown of England the last Prince Lyonel being slain in a Battel Under his Reign also began a bloody War and an implacable hatred was raised betwixt the English and Scotch Nations which for 300 Years after caused abundance of bloodshed betwixt both Nations The occasion was thus After the death of Alexander III. King of Scotland who died without Heirs there were several that pretended to the Crown of Scotland wherefore King Edward took upon him the Arbitration of this matter that Crown having depended on his Predecessours and the Scots being still obliged to do Homage to the King of England The matter being examined it so proved that John Baliol Earl of Galloway and Robert Bruce were found to have the best Title to that Crown But these two having contested for the same during the space of six whole Years Edward sent under hand to Bruce telling him That he would decide the difference concerning the Crown of Scotland in favour of him if he would swear Fealty to England which Bruce refused answering That he was not so fond of the Crown as to purchase the same with the prejudice of the Liberty of his Native Country But John Baliol receiving the same offer was made King of Scotland There was about that time a capital Quarrel in Scotland betwixt the Earl of Fife and the Family of Alberneth who had kill'd the Earl's Brother and the King of Scotland had by his Sentence absolv'd the latter The Earl therefore appeal'd to the English Court whither King Baliol was called to appear and to sit with the King in Parliament But as soon as this matter came under debate he was admonished to rise from his Seat and to give an account concerning his Sentence He pretended to answer by his Advocate which being denied him he was obliged to answer in person from the same place where others used to plead their Causes Which both he and the Scots resented as so signal an affront that no sooner was he returned home but he renounced his Oath to King Edward pretending the same to have been unjust and that it was not in his power to make such a promise and renewing the ancient Aliance with France he denounced War against England King Edward therefore enter'd Scotland with an Army took the best strong Holds and forced the Scots and their King to swear fealty to him their King he sent a Prisoner into England leaving considerable Forces in Scotland which were nevertheless soon after beaten out of Scotland by the Scots under the Conduct of a Gentleman of a mean Fortune whose name was William Wallis But King Edward soon returned kill'd 40000 Scots in a Battel near Torkirke and forced them to swear Fealty to him a third time Notwithstanding all these Oaths Robert Bruce who had been John Baliol's Competitour took upon him the Crown who was several times worsted but also beat the English at other times particularly when King Edward going with an Army against Robert in person fell sick and died This King Edward had also had some Differences before with France For some of his Subjects in Aquitain having done considerable mischief by Privateering on the Coast of Normandy King Philip sirnam'd the Handsome summon'd Edward to appear at his Court as his Vassal and to answer the same which Edward refusing to do he declared all his Possessions which he held from the Crown of France to be forfeited taking from him by force of Arms Bourdeaux and some other places against whom Edward enter'd into a Confederacy with the Earl of Flanders and the Emperour Adolphus But coming into Flanders with an Army and finding every thing in confusion and disorder he made a Truce with King Philip promising That his Son Edward should marry Isabella Philip's Daughter This King caused likewise all the Jews to be banished out of England not allowing them to carry away any thing more than what they could carry themselves § 10. Him succeeded his Son Edward II. who at the very beginning of his Reign married Isabella Daughter of Philip sirnamed the Handsom with whom he had for a Dowry Guienne and the County of Ponthieu the greatest part whereof had been taken from his Father by the French This King was very unfortunate in his Wars against the Scots who in the Battel fought near Bannoksborough with an Army of 30000 Men defeated 100000 English which struck such a terrour among them that 100 English durst scarce face three Scotchmen And the English were continually beaten by the Scots except in Ireland where they beat the Scots out who had enter'd that Kingdom so that Edward was at last obliged to make a Truce with them He met also with great Disturbances at home the great Men of the Kingdom pressing him without intermission to leave to their Mercy his Favourites Gaveston and after him the Spencers which he refusing to consent to they fell into open Rebellion in which they proving unsuccessfull several of the Nobility paid with their lives for it But the Queen
him a Prisoner to the Tower but he having twice made an attempt to escape was at last hang'd according to his demerits In the Year 1501 a Marriage was concluded betwixt James IV. King of Scotland and Margaret the Daughter of Henry which afterwards united England and Scotland under one King Arthur also eldest Son of Henry married Catharine Daughter of Ferdinand the Catholick But the Prince dying a few Weeks after the Wedding in the sixteenth Year of his Age and Henry being unwilling to give back the Dowry and desirous to maintain the new Alliance with Ferdinand married the said Catharine to his second Son Henry who was then but twelve Years of Age having obtained a Dispensation from Pope Julius II. under pretence that there had been no carnal knowledge betwixt them which afterwards proved the cause of great Alterations This King is reckoned among the wisest of his Age and the only thing which is reprehended in him is That he had a way by false Accusations against the rich to squeeze out of them great Summs of Money from them He died in the Year 1509. § 19. Henry VIII immediately upon his first accession to the Throne celebrated the Nuptials with his Brother's Widow more to fulfill his Father's Will than out of his own Inclination yet as long as he lived with her in Wedlock he govern'd the Realm very laudably and in the Court nothing was seen but Plays and Diversions As to his Transactions abroad upon the persuasions of Pope Julius II. and Ferdinand the Catholick he enter'd into a Consederacy with them against France which Confederacy was pretended to be made for the defence of the Holy See Ferdinand also put him in hopes of recovering Guienne wherefore Henry sent an Army into Biscay to fall in conjunction with the Spaniards into Guienne But Ferdinand having rather his Eye upon Navarre and being negligent in sending timely Succours to the English they returned home without doing any thing In the Year 1513 Henry enter'd France with a great Army where he lost his time in the taking of Terovane and Tournay which was wholly destroyed in spight of all the Attempts of the French to relieve it tho' Tournay was redeemed by Francis I. with a good Summ of Money But at that time Henry did not pursue his Advantage partly out of carelessness incident to young Men partly because he had carried on this War not so much for his own Interest as in favour of the Pope and so returned into England During the absence of Henry James IV. King of Scotland upon instigation of the French invaded England but received a great overthrow himself being killed in the Battel In the Year next following Henry perceiving that his Father-in-law Ferdinand did only impose upon him concluded a Peace with France giving his Sister Mary in marriage to King Lewis XII In the Year 1522 Henry again denounced War against Francis I. and sent considerable Forces into France which nevertheless both in the same and next following Year did nothing of moment and the Scots on the other side obtained not any advantages against the English But after Francis was taken Prisoner near Pavia it seem'd that Henry had met with a fair opportunity to give a great blow to France more especially since he had before prepared a Fleet which lay ready to make a Descent in Normandy yet he left Charles and made Peace with France And Charles after he thought he had obtained his aim did not make any great account of England leaving the Princess Mary Daughter of Henry to whom he had promised Marriage for the Princess of Portugal whom he married And whereas he used formerly to write to the King with his own Hand and subscribe himself Your Son and trusty Friend he now caused his Letters to be writ by his Secretary subscribing only his Name Charles And truly it seemed very necessary for Henry to keep a little the Ballance Tho' a great many are of opinion That Cardinal Woolsey had a great hand in this business who was no great Friend of Charles V. because he had not promoted him to the Papal Dignity and had denied him the Archbishoprick of Toledo of which he had put him in hopes at first neither did he subscribe himself any more Your Son and Cousin as he used to do But however it be Henry at that time saved France from an imminent danger After he had lived very peaceably and well with his Queen for the space of twenty Years he began to have a scruple of Conscience Whether he could lawfully live in Wedlock with his Brother's Widow which scruple he pretended was raised in him first by the President of Paris who was sent to treat concerning a Marriage betwixt Mary Daughter of Henry and the second Son of Francis Some say that he being weary of her was fallen in love with Anna Bullen and found out this way to be rid of her Yet this seems not so probable to some since he did not marry the said Anna Bullen till three Years after he pretended to the scruple of Conscience whereas the heat of Love does not usually admit of such delays Some will have it that Cardinal Woolsey raised this scruple first in him on purpose to nettle Charles V. and to please Francis I. in hopes after this Divorce to make up a Match betwixt Henry and the Dutchess of Alenson Sister of Francis But however it be the business was brought before the Pope who gave a Commission to the Cardinal Campegius to enquire in conjunction with Woolsey into the matter 'T is said That the Pope was willing to gratify Henry and for that purpose had sent a Bull to Campegius yet with this caution to keep it by him till further order But when he afterwards saw Charles V. to prove so successfull he durst not venture to do any thing that might displease him wherefore he ordered Campegius to burn the Bull and to delay the business to the utmost The Queen also refused to answer to their Commission but appealed to the Pope in person besides Charles V. and his Brother Ferdinand had protested against this Commission Woolsey did also perceive that the King was fallen in love with Anna Bullen which being likely to prove prejudicial to his Authority he persuaded the Pope underhand not to give his consent unto this Divorce Henry being informed what Intrigues the Cardinal was carrying on against him humbled the greatness of this haughty Prelate who died in the Year next following in great misery And Henry being made sensible that the Pope regarded more his own Interest than the merits of the Cause he forbid that any body should hence forward appeal to Rome or send thither any Money for Church Benefices He therefore sent to several Universities in France and Italy to desire their Opinions in this matter who all unanimously agreed in this That such a Marriage was against the Laws of
her Reign the English Trade was first established in Turkey and the East Indies the finest Coin as also the Manufactury of Serges and Bays was settled in England about the same time This Queen also brought first into Reputation the English Naval Strength which she was so jealous of that tho' she supported the Netherlanders against the Spaniards yet would she never consent that the Netherlanders should so augment their Sea Forces as that thereby they might be able to contest with England at Sea This Maxim which seem'd so necessary for England was not regarded by King James he being a lover of Peace And King Charles I. having always his Hands full with his Rebellious Subjects was not in a capacity to observe it wherefore the Dutch Power at Sea could neither by Cromwel nor by Charles II. be brought down again This most glorious and by her Subjects extreamly beloved Queen died in the Year 1602 having before appointed James VI. King of Scotland for her Successour § 23. After the death of Elizabeth James VI. King of Scotland was with an unanimous applause proclaimed King of England His Title to this Crown was derived from Margaret Daughter of Henry VII who was married to James IV. King of Scotland whose Son James V. left one only Daughter who was Mother of James VI. He at first shewed himself pretty favourable to the Papists fearing lest they might in the beginning of his Reign raise some Commotions against him Notwithstanding which immediately after his Coronation the Lord Cobham Gray and others enter'd into a Conspiracy against him Their main design was to root out the Line of James and to put in his place the Marchioness d' Arbelle she being also descended from the abovesaid Margaret Daughter of Henry VII This Lady was after the death of her Father married to Archibald Douglass by whom she had Margaret who was married to Maâ—thias Earl of Lenox and this Arbella being the Daughter of Charles Lenox the third Son of this Earl was by the intercession of Spain to have been married to the Duke of Savoy and by this means the Popish Religion was again to be introduced into England But the whole Plot being discover'd the Ring-leaders were punish'd yet not with that Severity as the hainousness of their Crime did deserve tho' in the Year next following all the Jesuits and Popish Priests were by a severe Proclamation banish'd out of England In the Year 1605 some Popish Villains had hir'd a Vault under the Parliament House which being fill'd up with a great many Barrels of Gunpowder they intended to have blown the King the Prince and the whole Parliament into the Air. But this devilish Design was discover'd for one of the Accomplices by a Letter that was obscurely written and deliver'd by an unknown person to a Footman of the Lord Mounteagle did intreat him not to come the next day into the Parliament House Which causing a suspicion in the King all the Vaults were search'd and the Powder found Hereupon the Parliament made an Act That all Subjects by a solemn Oath should acknowledge James for their lawfull Sovereign neither that the Pope had any Authority to Dethrone Sovereigns or to absolve Subjects from their Allegiance He concluded a Peace with Spain and was afterwards one of the Mediators of the Truce made betwixt Spain and Holland His Son-in-law the Elector Palatine being banish'd out of his Territories he assisted only with sending of Ambassadours and proposing of an Agreement all which the Spaniards render'd ineffectual His Son Prince Charles was sent into Spain to marry the Infanta where the Marriage Contract was concluded and confirmed by Oath but the Nuptials were deferred till the next year the Spaniards being willing to gain time and to see how things would be carried on in Germany for the House of Austria But when after the Prince's return into England the English would needs have the Restitution of the Elector Palatine inserted in the Articles the Match was broke off and tho' the Parliament voted a Subsidie to be employed towards the restoring of the Elector Palatine yet the Design came to nothing Under this King there was a period put to the Differences and Wars betwixt England and Scotland which hitherto had created abundance of Troubles to this Island And that nothing of jealousie might remain betwixt these two Nations about Preference in the Royal Title he introduced the Name of Great Britain which comprehends both the Kingdoms There was also set on foot a Treaty to unite both Kingdoms into one Body but it did not succeed because the Scots would not be Inferiour to the English Under this King's Reign Colonies were established in Virginia Bermudos and Ireland by which means the English have extended their Dominions but there are some who believe that this has weakened the English at home and that in all probability it would have been more profitable for England to have employed those people in Manufactury and Fishing of Herrings which produce such vast Riches to the Dutch in the very sight of the English Yet some are also of Opinion That it is good for the publick repose that the unruly Multitude do not grow too numerous in England The East India Trade was also greatly promoted at that time but the English could not come there in competition with the Dutch these having been before hand with them This King died in the Year 1625. § 24. His Son Charles I. succeeded him who after the Spanish Match was broke off married Henrietta Daughter of Henry IV. He equipp'd out a great Fleet against the Spaniards the English landed near Cadiz but being repulsed with loss returned without doing any thing and all Commerce was prohibited betwixt Spain and England He also broke with France and because the French Merchants had been ill treated by the English all Commerce was also prohibited betwixt these two Nations The English thereupon endeavoured to send Aid unto the City of Rochelle and landing in the Isle of Rhee besieged the Fort of St. Martin which being valiantly defended by one Toyras the English were repulsed with great loss In the Year next following they undertook to relieve Rochelle but in vain Whereupon Charles concluded a Peace with France in the Year 1629 and in the Year next following with Spain having by this War waged against these two Nations which were not so easie to be attack'd by one at the same time gained no Reputation to the dissatisfy'd Subjects and vast Debts Under this King arose very violent Divisions betwixt him and the Parliament which produced a most strange Revolution in that Kingdom It will be very well worth our while to enquire a little more narrowly into the true causes thereof That wife Queen Elizabeth held it for a constant maxim to oppose the growing power of Spain with all her might whereby she weaken'd Spain and not only enrich'd her Subjects but
Aquitain and Poictou was immediately after married to Henry Duke of Normandy afterwards King of England the second of that Name who by this Match annexed these fair Countries to the Crown of England In fine having been kept in a continual alarm by his petty Vassals but especially by Henry II. King of England He died in the Year 1180. § 7. His Son Philip II. sirnamed Augustus or the Conquerour was at first engaged in a War against Henry II. King of England from whom he took several considerable places which however he restored afterwards to his Son Richard with whom he enter'd into a League to retake Jerusalem from the Saracens pursuant to which both the Kings went thither in Person with a considerable Force But a Jealousie arising betwixt these two Kings nothing was done worth mentioning for Richard accused Philip that he had an ill design against him in Sicily in their Voyage besides that he had refused to consummate the before intended Match betwixt his Sister and Richard Wherefore as soon as Ptolemais had been taken by their joint Forces Philip under pretence of Sickness returned into France leaving only with Richard Hugh III. Duke of Burgundy with some Troops who envying Richard hinder'd the taking of the City of Jerusalem After his return from that unfortunate Expedition to the Holy Land he undertook a War against Richard which he also carried on against his Brother John wherein Philip had much the better of the English for he took from them Normandy the Counties of Anjou Maine Touraine Berry and Poictou He was very instrumental in deposing the Earl of Tholouse who because he had taken into his Protection the Albigenses was excommunicated by the Pope Philip also obtained a great Victory near Bouvines betwixt Lisle and Tournay against the Emperour Otho IV. who being joined with the Earl of Flanders attack'd him with an Army of 150000 Men whilst the King of England was to fall into France on the side of Aquitain This King was so successfull in his Wars against England that his Son Lewis was very near obtaining the Crown of England And tho' he was chased again out of England yet did he after his Father's Death pursue his Victories against the English in France taking from them among others the City of Rochelle But this Lewis VIII did not reign long for he died in the Year 1226 leaving for Successour his Son Lewis IX sirnamed the Holy during whose Minority his Mother Blanch of Castile had the Supream Administration of Affairs and tho' some of the Nobility raised great Troubles against her she subdued them all by her singular Prudence In the Year 1244 the City of Jerusalem was ransack'd by some Persians who called themselves Chorasmii Lewis being about the same time dangerously ill made a Vow That if he recovered he would undertake an Expedition against those Infidels which he afterwards perform'd But before his departure he issued out his Proclamation throughout the Kingdom intimating that whoever had received any damage by his Souldiers should have Restitution made him which was performed accordingly In this Expedition he took the strong City of Damiata but the overflowing of the River Nile hindered him from taking Grand Cairo After the River was returned to its usual Bounds he vanquish'd the Enemy in two Battels but they having receiv'd new Reinforcements cut off the Provisions from the French who were also extreamly pester'd with the Scurvy The King then resolv'd to retreat towards Damiata but in his March thither they attack'd him gave him a terrible overthrow and took him Prisoner yet released him again for a Ransom of 400000 Livres he being obliged to restore also to them the City of Damiata Thus he marched with the Remainders of his Army which from 30000 Men was moulder'd away to 6000 to Ptolemais where after he had given what Assistance he could to the Christians he at last returned home Under the Reign of this King France got first an Opportunity to intermeddle in the Affairs of Italy from whence yet this Kingdom never reapt any great Benefit Manfred natural Son of the Emperour Frederick II. having first kill'd King Conrad his Brother made himself King of Naples and Sicily But the Pope on whom this Kingdom depended as a Fief being dissatisfy'd with Manfred offer'd the same to Charles Earl of Anjou Brother of Lewis IV. King of France which he having accepted of was crowned at Rome with Conditon that he should pay to the Pope 8000 Ounces of Gold make a yearly Present of a White Horse as an acknowledgment and if he was chosen Emperour that he should not unite that Kingdom with the Empire the Pope being unwilling to have any one more powerfull than himself in Italy Charles thereupon vanquish'd Manfred and having murthered him and his Children took possession of the Kingdom The young Conradin Duke of Swabia came with an Army to recover the Kingdom which was his Inheritance from his Grandfather but having been overthrown in a Battel near the Lake of Celano was made a Prisoner and in the Year next following had his Head cut off at Naples upon the Instigation of the Pope who being ask'd by Charles What he had best to do with his Prisoner answer'd Vita Conradini mors Caroli Mors Conradini vita Caroli i. e. The Life of Conradin is the Death of Charles The Death of Conradin the Life of Charles And as by the Death of this young Prince was extinguish'd the Noble Race of the Dukes of Swabia so this Charles laid the first Pretensions of France to the Kingdom of Naples In the mean while King Lewis being not satisfy'd with his former unfortunate Expedition against the Infidels resolved to try again his Fortune against Tunis either because he found that this place lay very convenient for his Brother's Kingdom of Sicily or because he hoped thereby to open a way for the Conquest of Egypt without which all the Expeditions into the Holy Land were likely to prove ineffectual But in this Siege he lost a great part of his Army by Sickness and he died himself there in the Year 1270. From a younger Son of this Lewis IV. viz. from Robert Earl of Clairmont sprang the Bourbon Family which now sways the Scepter of France § 8. His Son Philip sirnamed the Hardy succeeded him under whose Reign that considerable Earldom of Tholouse was united to the Crown of France Alfonsus Son of Lewis IX who had married the only Heiress of this Country happening to die without Issue in an Expedition into Africa Under the Reign also of this King fell out the so much celebrated Sicilian Vespers whereby all the French were at one blow extirpated out of Sicily The Business was thus Some Frenchmen had ravish'd the Wife of John of Porchyta born at Salerno who enflam'd with Revenge did seek for Aid of Pieter King of Arragon hoping by his Assistance to drive Charles
John Galeas the true Heir of this Dukedom but a weak Prince had under that Pretence made himself Master of the same This Duke fearing that he might be put out of possession by Ferdinand King of Naples whose Son Alfonsus's Daughter Isabella was married to John Galeas endeavour'd to give Ferdinand his Hands full of Work that he might not be at leisure to think of him knowing also that Ferdinand and his Son Alfonsus were much hated by their Subjects for their Tyranny and Impiety An Expedition was therefore undertaken against Naples which proved the occasion of continual Miseries to Italy for the space of forty Years for so long it was the Cock-pit for the French Germans and Spaniards and at last lost a great part of its ancient Liberty It seem'd to be fatal to Italy that the wise Italians either could or would not prevent this Expedition which was design'd two Years before Charles had at the beginning all the Success imaginable for the Italian Troops were in a very ill condition and there being no body who durst oppose him Florence and the Pope sided with him the latter declaring Charles King of Naples King Alfonsus stirr'd up by his own Conscience abdicated himself transferring all his Right and Title upon his Son Ferdinand But his Forces being soon beaten and dispers'd Charles made his solemn Entry into Naples with loud Acclamations Immediately the whole Kingdom submitted to him except the Isle of Iseria and the Cities of Brundisi and Gallipoli The Conquest of so fair a Kingdom and that within five Months time struck a Terrour into the Turkish Emperour himself being in fear at constantinople and Greece being ready to rebell as soon as the French should land on that side But the Face of Affairs was quickly changed for the French by their ill behaviour quickly lost the Favour of the Neapolitans the King minded nothing but Gaming and the rest following his Example were careless in maintaining their Conquest Besides this it was look'd upon as a thing of such Consequence by the rest of the Princes of Europe that the Emperour the Pope King Ferdinand of Arragon Venice and Milan enter'd into a Confederacy to drive the French out of Italy Charles therefore fearing lest his Retreat might be cut off took his Way by Land into France having left things but in an indifferent state of Defence in Naples In his March he was met by the Confederate Army near the River of Taro where a Battel was fought in which tho' there were more kill'd on the Confederate side than of the French yet he marched forward with such Precipitation as if he had lost the Battel Charles was no sooner returned into France but Ferdinand soon retook without great trouble the Kingdom of Naples to the great Dishonour of the French who were not able to maintain themselves there a whole Year of whom very few return'd alive into France Not long after Charles died without Issue § 16. Him succeeded Lewis XII formerly Duke of Orleans who not to lose Britainy married Anna Widow of the late King He made War soon after on Milan pretending a Right to that Dukedom by his Grandmother's side and having conquer'd the same within 21 days Lewis the Black was forc'd to fly with his Children and all his Treasure into Germany But the Inhabitants of Milan grew quickly weary of the French their free Conversation with the Women being especially intolerable to them and therefore recall'd their Duke who having got together an Army of Swiss was joyfully receiv'd and regain'd the whole Country except the Castle of Milan and the City of Novara But Lewis sending timely Relief the Duke ' s Swiss Souldiers refused to fight against the French so that the Duke endeavouring to save himself by flight in a common Souldiers Habit was taken Prisoner and kept ten Years in Prison at Loches where he died Thus the French got Milan and the City of Genoua again After so great Success Lewis began to think of the Kingdom of Naples To obtain which he made a League with Ferdinand the Catholick wherein it was agreed that they should divide the Kingdom betwixt them so that the French should have for their share Naples Terre de Labour and Abruzze and the Spaniards Poville and Calabria Each of them got his share without any great trouble Frederick King of Naples surrendring himself to King Lewis who allowed him a yearly Pension of 30000 Crowns But soon after new Differences arose betwixt these two haughty Nations concerning the Limits for the French pretended that the Country of Capitanate which is very considerable for its Taxes paid for Sheep which are there in great numbers did belong to Abruzze whereas the Spaniards would have it belong to Poville and from Words they came to Blows The French at first had somewhat the better but as soon as Gonsalvus de Cordoua that cunning Spaniard had broke their first Fury and Lewis did not send sufficient Relief they were as shamefully beaten again out of the Kingdom as they had been before Lewis endeavoured to revenge himself upon the Spaniards in the Year next following but tho' he attack'd them with four several Armies yet could he not gain any thing upon them Wherefore he made a Peace with Ferdinand and enter'd into an Alliance with him against Philip Son-in-law to Ferdinand who having after the death of Isabella taken from him the Kingdom of Castile was upheld by his Father Maximilian and back'd by Henry King of England whose Son had married his Wife's Sister In the Year 1507 the City of Genoua rebell'd against Lewis but was soon reduced to her former Obedience Then the War began afresh in Italy with the Venetians who being too much addicted to self-interest had drawn upon themselves the hatred of all their Neighbours having encroached upon every one of them and Lewis especially attributed to them his loss of the Kingdom of Naples To humble this proud State a League was concluded at Cambray betwixt the Emperour the Pope the Kings of France and Spain Lewis by entring into a Confederacy with his mortal Enemies had more regard to his Passion than his Interest it being certain that he might upon all occasions have trusted to the Friendship of the Venetians But now he was the first that fell upon them and defeated them in a great Battel near Giera d' Addua which caused such a Terror among them that they left all what they had on the Continent within twenty days and if Lewis had pursued his Victory whilst they were under this first Consternation he might doubtless have put a period to their Greatness But in the mean time that he marched back towards Milan not making the best of his Victory they got leisure to recover themselves especially since the Emperour Maximilian was not in earnest against them and Pope Julius II. was reconciled to them Nay in
Haldan Sivand Erick Haldan Vngrin Regnald About the year 588. Rodolf was King of the Gothes but being vanquished by the English whom he left in the possession of that Kingdom he himself fled into Italy where he sought Sanctuary of Dicterick the King of the Gothes In the mean while Frotho either the Son or else a Kinsman of Regnald was King of Sweden whom succeeded these following Kings Fiolmus Swercher Valander Vislur who was burnt by his own Sons Damalder who was Sacrificed by his own Subjects to their Idol at Vpsal Domar Digner Dager Agnius who was hanged by his own Wife Alrick and Erick who flew one another in a single Combat Ingo Hugler Haco Jerundar Hacquin surnamed Ring under whose Reign that most memorable Battel at Brovalla was fought betwixt the Swedes and Danes where thirty thousand Men were killed on the Danish and twelve thousand on the Swedish side This King Sacrificed nine of his Sons to the Idol at Vpsal and would have done the same with the tenth who was the only Heir left to the Kingdom if he had not been prevented by the Swedes Him succeeded his Son Egillus whom followed in the Kingdom of Sweden Othar Adel Ostan Ingvard Amund Sivard Hirot or Herolt who married his Daughter Thera to Regnerthethen King of Denmark Ingellus the Son of Amund succeeded Hirot in the Kingdom of Sweden who the night after his Coronation caused seven of those petty Princes that were Vassals of the Crown of Sweden to be burnt in their Lodgings and afterwards exercised the same Cruelty against five more of the same Rank His Daughter Asa that was married to Gudrot a Prince of Schonen exceeded her Father in Cruelty for having murthered her Husband and his Brother she betrayed the Country to the Enemies which so exasperated Ivan the Son of Regner King of Denmark that he fell with great fury upon Ingellus who had taken his Daughter into his Protection destroying all with Fire and Sword Ingellus being reduced to the utmost extremity by the advice of his Daughter burnt himself his Daughter and the whole Family in his own Palace except his Son Olaus who sheltered himself in Wermeland After the death of Ingellus a certain Nobleman of an antient Family in Sweden whose name was Charles assumed the Royal Title and Power but Regner King of Denmark who pretended that it belonged to his Son did send a challenge to the said Charles and having killed him in the Combat transferred the Kingdom of Sweden to his Son Bero or Biorn who was Hirots Daughters Son § 3. Under the Reign of this Bero or Biorn Ansgarius a Monk of Corvey and afterwards Bishop of Bremen was sent into Sweden by the Emperour Lewis the Pious to Preach the Gospel in that Kingdom But the King refusing to hearken to his Doctrine was by the Swedes banished the Kingdom together with his Father Regner His Successor Amund did also Rule but a very few years and having raised a most horrible Persecution against the Christians was also banished the Kingdom The Swedes being quite tired out with Amund's tyrannical Government did call in Olaus out of Wermeland to be their King who to establish himself in the Throne married the Daughter of Regner to his Son Ingo and thereby obtained the quiet possession of the two Kingdoms of the Swedes and Gothes Not many years after Ansgarius rerurned into Sweden and Converted Olaus who then resided at Birca a most populous City to the Christian Faith Olaus then marched with a Potent Army into Denmark and having committed the Administration of that Kingdom to his Son Ennigruus returned into Sweden where he was by his Heathen Subjects Sacrificed to their Idol at Vpsal His Son Ingo the better to Establish himself in the Throne married the King of Denmark's Daughter and afterwards was killed in the War against the Russians Him Succeeded his Son Erick surnamed Weatherhat famous for his skill in Witchcraft who was succeeded by his Son Erick surnamed Seghersell who Conquered Finland Curland Livonia and Ehestland From Denmark he retook Halland and Schonen and at last drove the Danish King Swen out of Denmark who could not recover his Kingdom till after his death His Son Stenchill surnamed the Mild was Baptized at Sigtuna a great City at that time and having destroyed the Idol at Vpsal and forbid his Subjects upon pain of death to Sacrifice to the Idols the Pagans were so enraged thereat that they slew and burnt him near Vpsal and with him the two Christian Priests that were sent to him by the Bishop of Hamburgh His Brother Olaus nevertheless obtained from King Etheldred of England several Christain Priests who not only preached the Gospel in Sweden but also the King and a great number of People were Baptized by one of these called Sigfried in a Fountain called Husbye which is called St. Sigfrieds Kalla Wel to this day This Olaus was surnamed Skotkonung because upon the persuasion of the English Priests he granted to the Pope a yearly Tax against the Saracens which was called Romskot This Olaus took from Oluf Tryggeso the Kingdom of Norway which he however recovered afterwards This Olaus Skotkonung was also the first who made a perfect union betwixt the two Kingdoms of the Swedes and Gothes who had hitherto been often at great enmity with one another To Olaus succeeded his Son Amund under whose Reign the Christian Religion increased very succesfully in Sweden after whom Reigned his Brother Amund surnamed Slemme a Man very negligent both in maintaining Religion and Justice He was slain with the greatest part of his Army by Cnut King of Denmark near a Bridge called Strangepelle After his death the Gothes and Swedes disagreed about the Election of a new King the first choosing Haquin surnamed the Red. the latter Stenchill the younger At last it was agreed betwixt them that Haquin being pretty well in years should remain King during his life and should be succeeded by Stenchill After the death of Haquin who Reigned thirteen years Stenchill the younger Olaus Skotkonung's Sisters Son began his Reign who vanquished the Danes in three great Battels Him succeeded Ingo surnamed the Pious This King utterly destroyed the Idol at Vpsal which so enraged his Pagan Subjects that they Banished him the Kingdom and afterwards murthered him in Schonen he was buried in a Convent called Waâ—heiâ—â— in West-Gothland After him reigned with great applause his Brother Halstan whom succeeded his Son Philip Ingo Philip's Son and his Queen Ragoild were also very famous for their Piety and other Vertues she was after her death honoured as a Saint and her Tomb frequently visited at Talge This King left no Sons but two Daughters Christina and Margret the first was married to St. Erick the second to Magntis King of Norway He was poisoned by the East Gothes
who were grown weary of the Swedish Government Under the Reign of these five last Kings there were golden times in Sweden the Christian Faith was then Established and the Subjects lived in Peace and Plenty § 4. After the death of Inge the East Gothes without the consent of the other Provinces made one Ragwald Knaphofde a Man of great bodily Strength but of no great Wisdom their King who was slain by the West Gothes In his stead the East Gothes chose Swercher II. a very good King who nevertheless was murthered by one of his Servants After the death of Swercher the East Gothes chose his Son Charles for their King but the Swâ—des at their General Assembly at Vpsal Elected Erick the Son Josward he having married Christina the Daughter of Ingo surnamed the Pious But both the Swedes and Gothes considering afterwards how necessary it was to keep up the Union betwixt these two Kingdoms made an agreement that Erick should remain King over both Kingdoms but that Charles should succeed him and that afterwards their Heirs should Rule the Kingdom in the same manner in their several turns This Erick having reduced the Finns to their former Obedience obliged them to receive the Christian Doctrine He also ordered the antient Constitutions of the Kingdom to be Collected into one Book which was called after his name St. Erick's Law He was slain in the Meadows near Vpsal by Magnus the King of Denmark's Son who having first defeated his Army was proclaimed King But the Swedes and Gothes under the Conduct of Charles the Son of Swercher fell again with such fury upon the Danes that they kill'd all the Danes with their King and his Son upon the spot and out of the spoil built a Church near Vpsal which they called Denmark Charles therefore the Son of Swercher became King of Denmark who Reigned with a general applause till Cnut the Son of Erick returned out of Norway and under pretence that he had abetted his Father's death surprised and killed him His Lady and Children fled into Denmark where having got some assistance they joined with the Gothes under the Conduct of Kell the Brother of Charles to recover the Kingdom but their General was killed upon the spot and their Forces dispersed by Cnus Erickson After which he Reigned very peaceably for the space of twenty three years After the death of Cnut Swercher the Son of Charles was made King of Swedeland but had for his Rival Erick the Son of the last deceased King At last the difference was thus Composed that Swercher should remain King during his life but should be succeeded by Erick But Swercher who notwithstanding this agreement was for settling the Crown upon his Family did barbarously murther all the Sons of Cnut except Erick who escaped into Norway from whence he returned with some Forces and being assisted by the Swedes vanquished Swercher who fled into West Gothland Having obtained Succours of sixteen thousand Men from Weldemar the King of Denmark he attempted to recover his Kingdom but was miserably beaten by Erick's Army he himself narrowly escaping into Denmark from whence he not long after again fell into West Gothland but was again defeated and slain in the Battel Leaving Erick Cnutson in the quiet possession of the Throne who renewed the former agreement made betwixt those two Families and Constituted John the Son of Swercher his Successour in the Kingdom He married Ricnet the Sister of Waldemar King of Denmark and dyed in Wisingsoe Him succeeded according to agreement John the Son of Swercher who Reigned but three years and dyed also in the Isle of Wisingsoe which was the general place of residence of the Swedish Kings in those days § 5. After the death of John Erick the Son of the former King Erick became King of Sweden who being lame and besides this lisping was surnamed the Lisper There was about that time a very Potent Family in Sweden called the Tolekungers who aimed at the Crown To bring these over to his Party the King had married three of his Sisters to three of the Chiefest among them he himself having married Catharine the Daughter of Sweno Tolekunger But these being grown more Potent by this Alliance Cnut Tolekunger rebelled against the King and having worsted him obliged him to fly into Denmark from whence he soon returned with a strong Army and vanquished Tolekunger and having caused him and Halingar his Son to be slain restored the Peace of the Kingdom Under the Reign of this King it was that Gulielmus Sabinensis the Pope's Legat did first forbid the Priests in Sweden to Marry whereas before that time it had been a common Custom among the Priests there to Marry as well as Laymen This Erick under the Conduct of his Brother in Law Birger Yerl forced the Finnes to return to Obedience and to receive the Christian Faith and built several Fortresses upon their Frontiers He dyed without Issue in Wisingsoe Whilst Birger Yerl was absent in Finland the States made Waldemar the eldest Son of Birger Yerl their King as being the deceased King's Sisters Son Who being Crowned in the year next following the Administration of the Kingdom was committed during his minority to his Father Birger who augmented the antient Law Book and deserved so well of the Publick that upon the request of the Estates he was created a Duke whereas before he had been only an Earl or as it is in their antient Language Yerl He met with great opposition from the Tolekungers who had not quite laid aside their pretensions to the Crown so that their jealousie at last broke out into open War But the Duke under pretence of making an agreement with them after having granted them a safe Conduct persuaded them to give him a meeting where having made them all Prisoners caused them to be Executed except Charles Tolekunger who fled into Prussia and remained there all his life time Things being thus settled he gave to his Son in Marriage Sophia the Daughter of Erick King of Denmark and laid the first foundation of the Castle and City of Stockholm and tho his Son was become of Age yet did he never surrender the Government to him as long as he lived He died after he had been Regent fifteen years leaving four Sons Waldemar King of Sweden Magnus Duke of Sudermanland Erick of Smaland and Benedict of Finland who afterwards raised great Disturbances for Waldemar having during his Pilgrimage to Rome and Jerusalem left the Administration of the Kingdom to his Brother Magnus at his return accused him of having aimed at the Crown The States of Sweden held an Assembly at Strengness to compose these differences if possible but met with so much difficulty that it was impossible to be effected Wherefore Magnus and Erick being retired into Denmark soon returned from thence with a
themselves also sit at the Helm of the Common-wealth On the contrary if the meaner sort had been employed as Priests they might easily out of Ambition have with the assistance of the People raised a Faction contrary to the Governours since the Multitude commonly depends on those of whose Sanctity they have an Opinion or else out of ignorance of the publick Affairs and the present Exigencies they might chance to influence the People in another manner than was consistent with the present state of Affairs They prevented also by this way that the Priests could not form a particular Estate in the Common-wealth and thereby either cause a mischievous Division or else strive to get the Power into their own hands § 15. After Rome had been governed for Two hundred forty and two Years by Kings another Form of Government was introduced Sextus Tarquin having at that time ravish'd Lucretia Whether Junius Brutus had sufficient reason upon this account to expell the King may very well admit of Dispute For on one side the Fact was most abominable and of such a nature that a brave Man would rather venture at any thing than bear such an affront And there are a great many Examples that Princes who to satisfie their brutish Lusts have Violated the Chastity of their Subject's Wives and Daughters and thereby lost both their Lives and Crowns But on the other hand it is to be considered that a Fact though never so Criminal committed by a Son without the Knowledge and Consent of his Father ought not to be prejudicial to the Father and Family much less could it be a pretence to depose a King from a Throne which he lawfully possessed Especially since to take Vengeance of Criminals does belong only to the King and not the Subjects And Brutus and Collatinus would have had reason to complain after the King had denied them just satisfaction for the Fact committed by his Son or if he had in any ways approved of the same But it is commonly observed that in Revolutions things are seldom carried according to the New form of the Rules of Justice And as there is commonly some injustice committed at the first Settlement of a new Form of Government so Ambition and Envy covered with Pretences of the Faults and Male-Administration of the Prince are the true Motives of Dethroning the same But not to insist further upon this it is certain that Kingly Government could not be durable at Rome For such States as are comprehended in one great City are more fit for an Aristocratical or Democratical Form of Government whereas a Monarchy is fittest to be erected in Kingdoms where the Subjects are dispersed in a considerable Tract and Extent of Land The true Reason of this is That Mankind in general politically considered is like wild unruly Creatures ready upon all occasions to shake off the Bridle of Civil Obedience as often as Matters do not suit with its humours Besides this Man cannot be kept in Obedience without the assistance of Men. From whence it may rationally be concluded why a King who Commands only over one great populous City is immediately in danger of losing all as soon as his Subjects are disgusted at him or another can insinuate himself into their favour except he is fortified with a strong Guard of Foreigners and a considerable Fort though these Remedies are very odious and oftentimes very uncertain For when in such a Government the Prince comes to be odious the Hatred is quickly communicated to all his Subjects as living close together and having consequently an opportunity of uniting themselves easily against him But where the Subjects of a Prince live at a distance from one another it is easie for him to keep so many of them inclined to his side as are sufficient to suppress the mutinous Party Wherefore also they are not so much to be feared as being not able to meet so soon and to unite themselves in one Body But it is more especially very dangerous to Command over Subjects living in one place of a fiery Temper and exercised in Arms. For Common sense tells us that he who will controul another ought to have more force than him In the mean while this is most certain that this Alteration of the Government mainly contributed towards the Encrease of Rome it being not credible that under the Monarchical Government it could have arrived to that Greatness partly because the Kings would have been obliged for their own security to suppress in some measure the Martial Spirit of their Citizens partly because the Negligence or Unskilfulness of some Kings must needs have proved disadvantageous to the Common-wealth § 16. Above all it is worth our Consideration by what means the Roman Empire which extended it self over so considerable a part of the World was destroyed and became a prey to the Northern Nations after it had been broken by its own Intestine Troubles The Causes of which we will enquire into from their first beginning The People of Rome then being naturally of a fierce and martial Spirit and enclosed together within the Walls of one City their Kings had no way left to secure their Obedience but by gaining their Affections with the gentleness and moderation of their Government since they had not sufficient Power to balance the Forces of so vast a City Wherefore the six first Kings kept the People in Obedience rather by their good Inclinations than Fear But as soon as Tarquin the Proud began to oppress the People with new Impositions whereby he had so alienated the Hearts of his Subjects from him it was easie for Brutus under pretext of the Fact committed upon Lucretia to stir up the discontented People and to shut the City-gates against the King But as all sudden Changes of Government that are carried on before things have been maturely considered and all Emergencies provided against are commonly accompanied with great Defects So also was this at Rome where some things were admitted and others left undone not so much because they conduced to the advantage and safety of the State but because the present Juncture of Affairs would not suffer them to be otherwise There were also many Over-sights committed in the beginning which left a Gap open for future Evils and Troubles It seems to be evident that Brutus and his Associates after they had expell'd Tarquin did intend to introduce an Aristocratical Form of Government For it is scarce credible that they being Noble-men with the peril of their Lives should have expelled Tarquin on purpose to subject themselves to the Government of the Common people but because no Wise man is willing to exchange his present condition with another without hopes of amending the same Therefore the chief Authors of this Revolution were obliged not only to render the Kingly Government odious to the People but also by Mildness and Concessions to make the People in love with the New Government For if the Common people had
and Aznar Son of Eudo Duke of Aquitain having taken several Places from the Moors took upon himself with consent of the before-mentioned Garsias the Title of Earl of Arragon Lewis also Son of Charles the Great taking Barcelona constituted a Governour there whose Name was Bernard a Frenchman from whom descended the Earls of Barcelona About the time also of the above-mentioned Kings there were several Earls or Governours of Old Castile who acknowledged the foresaid Kings for their Soveraigns These Earls being once suspected by King Ordonius he call'd them together who appearing were all kill'd by his Order Wherefore the Old Castilians under the Reign of his Son Favila a cruel Tyrant with-drawing themselves from the Kingdom of Leon chose two Governours under the Name of Judges who were to administer all Civil and Military Affairs But this Form of Government did not last long among them § 4. After Favila Alphonso the IVth obtained the Kingdom under whose Reign Ferdinand Gonsalvo Earl of Castile perform'd great things both against the Moors and Sanctius Abareus and his Son Garsias Kings of Navarre whom he vanquish'd But Alfonso himself being unfit to Govern the Kingdom surrendred it to his Brother Ramirus who with the assistance of the before-mentioned Ferdinand beat the Moors in several Places He died in the Year 950 and was succeeded by his Son Ordonius a Valiant Prince but did not Reign long leaving the Kingdom to his Brother Sanctius Crassus He was Banish'd by Ordonius Sir-named the Wicked but soon restored by the help of the Moors It is said that by certain Articles made betwixt Sanctius and Ferdinand Earl of Castile it was agreed that Castile after that time should not be obliged to acknowledge any dependance on the Kings of Leon. He was succeeded by Ramirus who in his Minority was under Womens tuition and when grown up proved very useless to the Publick For under his Reign partly by civil Commotions partly by the In-roads made by the Moors the Kingdom was considerably weakened and in great danger of losing more several Places being taken from the Christians Under Veremund II. also the Moors did considerable mischief in those Parts taking and plundering besides a great many others the City of Leon to which Misfortunes the civil Commotions did greatly contribute But at last Veremund entring into a Confederacy with the King of Navarre and Garsias Earl of Castile forced the Moors out of his Kingdom Him succeeded his Son Alfonso V. under whose Reign there were great Intestine Commotions in Castile whereby the Moors were encouraged to attack it with such vigour that they over-threw Garsias and took him Prisoner whose Son Sanctius revenged himself afterwards upon the Moors After this great Dissentions being arisen among the Moors their Empire was divided into several Parts each Governour of its Province assuming the Name of King Alfonso succeeded his Son Veremund III. under whose Reign there happened a great Revolution in Spain For Garsias Earl of Castile being upon the point of being married to the King's Sister at Leon was there barbarously murthered by some of his Vassals Castile therefore falling to Sanctius King of Navarre who had married the Sister of Garsias he took upon him the Title of King of Castile This Sanctius Sir-named Major also waged War against Veremund who had no Children taking from him by force of Arms a considerable part of the Kingdom Whereupon a Peace was concluded whereby it was agreed that Sanctius should keep what he had taken before but that his Son Ferdinand should Marry Sanctia the Sister of Veremund she being Heiress to her Brother and to succeed him in the Kingdom of Leon. In this manner was Leon Navarre and Castile United in one House But in the mean while that Sanctius Major was in the Field against the Moors a great Misfortune happened at Home He had particularly recommended to the Care of his Queen a very fine Horse which Garsias her Eldest Son had a mind to have and would have obtained it from the Mother if the Master of the Horse had not opposed it telling them that his Father would be greatly displeased at it This denial wrought so upon the Son that he accused his Mother of committing Adultery with the Master of the Horse The Matter being examined the King 's Natural Son Ramirus profered to justifie the Innocency of the Queen in a Duel with Garsias and the King being uncertain what to do a Priest did at last enforce the Confession of the Calumny cast upon the Queen from Garsias whereupon Garsias being declared incapable of succeeding his Father in Castile which did belong to him by his Mother's side and Ramirus obtained the Succession in the Kingdom of Arragon as a recompence of his Fidelity This Sanctius Major died in the Year 1035. § 5. Thus all the Provinces of Spain which were possess'd by the Christians being joined in one House it seem'd an easie matter to root out the Moors divided among themselves and to restore Spain to its former state if the same had remained under one Head But the division made by Sanctius Major occasion'd most bloody and pernicious Wars This before-mentioned Sanctius had four Sons To the Eldest Garsias he left Navarre and Biscay to Ferdinand Castile to Gonsalvo Suprarbe and Ripagorsa and to Ramirus his Natural Son Arragon giving to each of them the Title of King These being all ambitious to be equal in Power and Greatness to their Father and thinking their Bounds too narrow fell quickly together by the Ears For whilest Garsias was gone in Pilgrimage to Rome Ramirus endeavoured to make himself Master of Navarre but the other returning home â—hased him out of Arragon There arose also a War betwixt Ferdinand of Castile and his Brother-in-law Veremund King of Leon wherein the latter being slain in Battle Ferdinand became Master of Leon which did by Right of Succession belong to him He also took from the Moors a great part of Portugal After the Death of Gonsalvo the Third Son of Sanctius Major Ramirus made himself Master of his Territories and endeavoured also to recover by force of Arms Arragon from the King of Navarre Not long after Ferdinand of Castile and Garsias of Navarre waged War together about a certain Tract of Ground wherein Garsias was slain in a Battle By his Death Ramirus got an opportunity of recovering Arragon Ferdinand Sir-named the Great died in the Year 1065 dividing the Empire to the great detriment of Spain among his three Sons The Eldest Sanctius had Castile Alfonso Leon Garsias Gallicia and a part of Portugal with the Titles of Kings Sanctius waged War with Ramirus of Arragon whom he slew in a Battle but was beaten back again by Sanctius Son of Ramirus and the King of Navarre Afterward having driven Alfonso out of his Territories and taken Garsias Prisoner he took
and especially to withdraw the Pope from the Confederacy the Emperour's Generals marched directly against Rome which they took by Storm where Charles of Bourbon was slain and for several days together plunder'd the City and committed great Out-rages The Pope himself was besieged in the Castle of St. Angelo and Charles at the same time that the Pope was enclosed his own Forces caused Prayers to be made for 40 days together for his deliverance at last forced by Famine he was forced to Surrender and to renounce the above-mention'd League The Conditions on which Francis had obtain'd his Liberty were That Francis should surrender the Dukedom of Burgundy to renounce the Sovereignty over Flanders and Artois quit all his pretences upon Naples and Milan to marry the Emperour's Sister Eleonora and to give his two Sons as Pledges for the performance of these Articles But as soon as he got into his own Kingdom he protested against the Treaty which was extorted from him during his Imprisonment And making a League with the Pope England Venice the Suiss and Florence sent an Army into Italy under the Command of Odet de Foix Lord of Lautree This occasion'd not only that very gross words pass'd betwixt these two Princes but they also gave one another the lye and a Challenge pass'd betwixt them But Lautree who had at first great success being destroy'd with his Army by Sickness in the Siege of Naples a Peace was at last concluded at Cambray in the Year 1529 by virtue of which Francis paid for his Sons 2550000 Rixdollars renounc'd his Pretensions to Flanders Artois Milan and Nalpes and marry'd Eleonora Sister to the Emperour out of which Marriage if a Son should be born he was to be put into the possession of the Dukedom of Burgundy In the Year 1530 Charles was Crowned by Pope Clement VIII at Bononia whereby he obtained from the Emperour that the Common-wealth of Florence should be made a Principality and the said City was by force obliged to admit this Change Alexander de Medicis being constituted Duke to whom the Emperour married his natural Daughter Margaret In the same Year the Bishop of Vtrecht resign'd the Soveraignty of that City and the Province of Over-yssel into the Hands of Charles and the Provinces of Geldren Zutphen Groningen the Twente and Drente also fell into his Hands In the Year 1535 he went with a puissant Army into Africa took Tunis and Goletta restoring the Kingdom of Tunis to Muleassa who was banished before by Haradin Barbarossa but in Goletta he left a Garrison In the Year 1537 another War broke out betwixt Charles and Francis For the latter could not digest the loss of Milan and being advised by the Pope that when-ever he intended to Attack Milan he should first make himself Master of Savoy and Francis Sforzia dying at the same time he fell upon Charles Duke of Savoy and under pretence that he defrauded his Mother of her Dowry drove him quite out of Savoy and conquered a great part of Piedmont But the Emperour who was resolved to annex the Dutchy of Milan to his Family came to the assistance of the Duke of Savoy and at the Head of his Army entring Provence took Aix and some other Places but his Army being much weakned with Sickness for want of Provisions he was forced to retire again In the Netherlands the Imperialists took St. Paul and Monstrevil Killing great Numbers of the French Through Mediation of the Pope Paul III. a Truce of 10 Years was concluded at Nissa in Provence after which these two Princes had a friendly Interview at Aigues Mortes And in the next following Year the Emperour against the advice of his friends ventured to take his way through the very heart of France being desirous with all possible speed to compose the Disorders which were arisen at Ghent Yet had he before by the Connestable Anna Montmorancy cajolled Francis into a belief that he would restore to him the Dutchy of Milan which however he never intended to perform In the Year 1541 he undertook an Expedition against Algiers in Africa at the latter end of the Year against the advice of the Pope and others of his friends who persuaded him to stay till next Spring He there Landed his Army with good success but a few days after such prodigious Storms and Rains did fall which dispersed his Ships and spoiled the Fire-locks of the Souldiers that the Emperour was obliged with the loss of one half of his Army to return into Spain In the Year next following Francis broke with him again under pretence that his Ambassadours Caesar Fregosus and Anthony Rinco which he had sent through the Milanese by the way of Venice to go to the Ottoman Port were upon the River Po Murthered by Orders of the Governour of Milan Wherefore William Duke of Cleves entring Brabant on one side the Duke of Orleans on the other side took Luxemburgh and some other places The Dauphin besieg'd Perpignan but was oblig'd to raise the Siege The famous Pirate Barbarossa did by the instigation of Francis great mischief on the Sea-coasts of Calabria destroying Nissa in Provence by Fire Charles seeing himself at once attack'd in so many places setting aside the Differences which were arisen about the Divorce betwixt Henry and his Aunt Catherine made a League with Henry King of England wherein it was agreed That the Emperour should force his way through Champaigne whilst Henry enter'd into Picardy that so they might by joining their Forces ruine the whole Power of France The Emperour therefore with an Army of 50000 men beat the Duke of Cleves in the Netherlands forcing him to surrender Guelderland and after having recover'd the places in Luxemburgh taken before by the French enter'd into Campaigne taking by force Lygny and Disier Francis kept with his Army on the other side of the River Marne and not daring to fight the Imperialists contented himself to ravage the Country which they were to march through to endeavour to cut off their Provisions Nevertheless the Imperial Army found a sufficient quantity at Espernay and Chasteau Thierry This occasion'd such a Terrour and Confusion in Paris that the Citizens were for leaving the City if the King by his Presence had not encourag'd them to stay And if on the other side King Henry had acted according to the Agreement they might easily have got the French Army betwixt them and in all likelyhood would have put a period to the French Greatness But Henry being detain'd at the Sieges of Bologne and Monstrevil sent word to the Emperour That he would not stir further till he had made himself Master of these two places Charles then began to suspect the King of England whom he perceived meerly to be for his own Interest and did not think fit to trust any longer considering also with himself what vast charges he was at in this War and how thereby his Designs were retarded which he
gainer by it since the English have a vast Trade with the Spanish Sea-ports and their Trade in the Levant would suffer extreamly from the Spanish Privateers but also Holland could not look with a good Eye upon these Conquests of the English Portugal by it self cannot much hurt Spain but in conjunction with another Enemy it is capable of making a considerable Diversion at home But the Portugueses could not propose any considerable Advantages to themselves thereby and it might easily happen that Holland siding with Spain might take from hence an opportunity to drive the Portugueses quite out of the East Indies The King of France therefore is the capital and most formidable Enemy to Spain who wanting not Power not only longs to devour the rest of the Netherlands but also aims at the Conquest of other parts of Spain But if the old Maxims of Policy are not grown quite out of date it is to be hoped that all who have any Interest in the preservation of Spain will with all their power endeavour to prevent that the ruin of Spain the Liberty and Possessions of all the States in Europe may not depend on the Pleasure and Will of one single person But what Revolution may happen in Spain if the present Royal Family which has no Heirs yet should fail is beyond Human Understanding to determine or foresee because it is to be feared that upon such an occasion not only France would do its utmost to obtain it but also because several States which were annexed to Spain by the Royal Family might take an opportunity to withdraw themselves from the same CHAP. III. Of Portugal § 1. POrtugal which comprehends the greatest part of that Province which the Romans called Lusitania fell with the rest of Spain under the last Gothick King Roderick into the Hands of the Moors who were in possession of it for a long time but in the Year 1093 Alfonsus VI. King of Castile and Leâ—n arming himself with all his Power to attack the Moors and craving also the Assistance of Foreign Princes among others also came one Henry to signalize himself in this War whose Pedigree is variously related by the Historians For some will have him descended out of the House of Burgundy and have made him a younger Son of Robert Duke of Burgundy whose Father was Robert King of France Son of Hugh Capet Others derive his Pedigree from the House of Loraine alledging That the reason of his being called a Burgundian was because he was born at Besanson To this Henry King Alfonsus VI. gave in marriage his natural Daughter Theresia as a reward of his Valour giving unto him for a Dowry under the Title of an Earldom all that part of Portugal which was then in the possession of the Christians which comprehended that part of the Country where are the Cities of Braga Coimbria Visco Lamego and Porto as also that tract of Ground which is now called Tralos Montes granting to him also a power to conquer the rest of that Country as far as to the River of Guadiana and to keep it under his Jurisdiction yet with these conditions That he should be a Vassal of Spain repair to the Dyets of that Kingdom and in case of a War be obliged to serve with 300 Horse Henry died in the Year 1112 leaving a Son whose name was Alfonsus being then very young His Inheritance was during his Minority usurp'd by Ferdinand Potz Count of Trastamara his Father-in-law he having married his Mother But as soon as he was grown up he took up Arms against his Father-in-law beat him out of Portugal but his Mother he put in Prison who calling to her aid Alfonsus VII he promised to dis-inherit her Son and to give him all Portugal But Alfonsus of Portugal defeated the Castilians in a Battel by which Victory he pretended to have freed himself from the Spanish Subjection This Alfonsus undertook an Expedition against King Ismar who had his Kingdom on the other side of the River Tajo who being joined by the Forces of four other petty Moorish Kings drew out against him Alfonsus was then in his Camp near Cabebas des Reyes proclaimed King thereby to animate his Souldiers and get a most signal Victory taking the five Standards of those Kings whence he put five Shields in the Arms of Portugal and retained ever after the Title of King He took afterwards a great many Cities from the Moors and among the rest with the assistance of the Netherland Fleet the City of Lisbon in the Year 1147. This Alfonsus was taken Prisoner near Badajoz by Ferdinand King of Egypt who gave him his Freedom without any other Ransom than that he was to restore to him some Cities which he had taken from him in Gallicia After he had reigned very gloriously and greatly enlarged the Limits of his Kingdom he died in the 91st Year of his Age. § 2. Him succeeded his Son Sanctius who built a great many Cities and fill'd them with Inhabitants He took from the Moors the City of Selva being assisted in that Expedition by a Fleet sent out of the Netherlands to the Holy Land He was during his whole Reign always in action with the Moors and died in the Year 1212. After him reigned his Son Alfonsus sirnamed Crassus who did nothing worth mentioning but that with the help of the Netherlanders who went to the Holy Land he took from the Moors the City of Alcassar He died in the Year 1223. His Son Sanctius sirnamed Capellus succeeded him who being very careless and ruled by his Wife was excluded from the Administration of the Government by the Portugueses who conferr'd it on Alfonsus his Brother Sanctius died an Exile in Toledo The Portugueses have made this observation concerning him that he was the only Portuguese King who died without leaving either Legitimate Children or Bastards behind him Alfonsus the Brother of Sanctius parted from his Lady Mathildis Countess of Boulogne she being somewhat Ancient and Barren and married Beatrice Daughter to Alfonsus X. King of Castile with whom he had for a Dowry the County of Algarbia but the Pope being dissatisfy'd with this Divorce excommunicated both him and the whole Kingdom He reigned very laudably and united a great many Cities to his Kingdom and died in the Year 1279. The extraordinary Virtues of his Son Dionysius especially Justice Liberality and Constancy are highly extoll'd by the Portugueses He having also adorn'd the Kingdom with a great many publick Buildings among which is the Academy of Conimbria first founded by him There is an old Proverb concerning him used among the Portugueses El Rey D. Denys qui fiz quanto quin King Dionysius who did whatsoever he pleased He died in the Year 1325 his Son Alfonsus IV. sirnamed the Brave was very glorious for his Atchievements both in Peace and War but he banished his Bastard Brother who was
greatly beloved both by his Father and the People and caused D. Agnes de Castro a very beautiful Lady who was without his consent married to his Son Pieter barbarously to be murthered which so exasperated Pieter that he taking up Arms against the Father did considerable mischief till at last the business was composed He died in the Year 1357. His Son Pieter was commonly called the Cruel tho' some will have this rather to have been spoken to his praise as having been an exact observer of Justice never sparing any Offender He died in the Year 1368. His Son Ferdinand contended with Henry the Bastard who had murthered his Brother Pieter sirnamed the Cruel King of Castile about the Kingdom of Castile because his Mother Beatrice had been Daughter of Sanctius IV. King of Castile and a great many of the Nobility and some Cities of that Kingdom declaring for him he waged War against the forementioned Henry But he being too strong for him he could not maintain his Pretensions but was obliged to make Peace However the War broke out afresh again betwixt them because Ferdinand had protected some who were banished out of Castile for High Treason neither would upon demand surrender them To revenge this Henry made an inrode into Portugal and finding no resistance over-ran the greatest part of the Country After the death of Henry Ferdinand made a Peace with his Son John but the same was soon violated again by the Portugueses who encouraged the Duke of Lancaster that married Constantia Daughter of Pieter King of Castile to pretend to the Crown of Castile He came with a good Army into Portugal but the English being quickly grown weary of the War in Spain and living very disorderly in Portugal a Peace was concluded on both sides At last Ferdinand married his Daughter Beatrice to John of Castile under condition that such Children as were born of their Bodies should succeed in the Kingdom of Portugal which was afterwards the occasion of bloody Wars This Ferdinand who by his frequent Wars had proved very pernicious to Portugal died in the Year 1383 being the last of the true Race of the Kings of Portugal § 3. After the death of Ferdinand great Troubles arose in Portugal most of the Portugueses not being able to brook living under the Subjection of the Castilians whom they mortally hated It was 't is true agreed on in the Articles of Marriage made betwixt the King of Castile and Beatrice Daughter of Ferdinand That her Mother Eleonora should have the Administration of the Government in Portugal till such Children as should be born of this Marriage should be of age But this Eleonora leaving all to the management of the Count of Ancira her much suspected Favourite she drew upon her self the hatred of the Portugueses John therefore natural Son of Pieter King of Portugal privately murther'd him whereby he got both the Favour of the People and encreased the hatred against the Queen Dowager But some of the Portugueses being much dissatisfy'd at these proceedings begg'd the King of Castile to take upon him the Crown of Portugal which he might in all likelyhood have obtained if he had been quick enough either by fair means or by force to have put himself into full possession of the same But he being uncertain in his Resolutions gave by his delays time and opportunity to the adverse Party to strengthen it self Wherefore he coming without an Army into Portugal his Mother-in-law resign'd to him the Government but he found but an indifferent Reception among the Portugueses they being very averse to him because he used very rarely to speak or converse with them Nevertheless a great many of the Nobility and some Cities did side with him but most out of a hatred to the Castilians chose for their Leader John the Bastard a wise and brave Man and much belov'd by the People The Castilians thereupon besieged Lisbon but their Army being for the most part destroyed by the Plague they were obliged to leave it without having got any advantage In the Year next following the Portugueses declar'd this John their King who very courageously attack'd those places which had declared for the Castilians and subdued the greatest part of them The Castilians then entred with an Army into Portugal but were entirely routed by this new King near Aliubarotta which Victory is yearly celebrated to this day among the Portugueses After this Battel all the rest of the Cities did without more adoe surrender themselves to the new King The Portugueses also calling unto their aid the Duke of Lancaster unto whom they had promised the Crown of Castile they enter'd into that Kingdom with an Army But the English having suffer'd extreamly by Sickness the Duke of Lancaster thought it most convenient to conclude a Peace with the Castilians whereupon it was agreed That the Son of the King of Castile should marry his only Daughter Catharine which he had by Constantia Daughter to Pieter King of Castile A Truce was also made betwixt Portugal and Castile at that time but the War soon breaking out again at last an everlasting Peace was concluded betwixt both Kingdoms so that John had the good fortune to maintain himself in the possession of the Crown of Portugal and reign'd with great applause After he was quietly settled in the Throne he undertook an Expedition into Africa and took the City Ceuta whose Son also first found out the Isle of Madera This King died in the Year 1433 and left a Memory that is to this day dear to the Portugueses § 4. His Son Edward was a very Virtuous Prince but did not reign long for at that time Portugal being over-run with the Plague he got the Infection by a Letter and died in the Year 1438. During his Reign his Brothers undertook a most unfortunate Expedition into Africa where being themselves taken Prisoners before Tangier they promised to restore to the Moors Ceuta for a Ransom leaving Don Ferdinand as a Hostage behind them But the States of Portugal refusing to stand to the Contract the Hostage was forc'd to end his days in Prison Alfonsus Son to this Edward was but six years old when his Father died whose Tuition was committed by his Father's last Will to his Mother But the States refusing to submit themselves to the Government of a Foreign Woman conferr'd the Administration of the Kingdom on Don Pedro Duke of Conimbria Brother to King Edward but he received a very slender Recompence for his Services for being falsely accused before the new King he was slain as he was going with some Troops to the King to justifie himself Alfonsus V. was else a very good Souldier and a brave Prince under whose Reign the Portugueses took several places on the Coast of Africa viz. Tangier Arcilla Alcassar and some others Good store of Gold was also transported out of Guinea into Portugal which he employ'd
perceived what their Intention was they endeavour'd to drive them out of the Island but these taking up Arms and calling in a great many thousands of their Country-men to their assistance first took from the Britains the Eastern parts of the Island And the Western parts which were yet in the possession of the Britains being afterwards extreamly wasted by Plague and Famine so that the British King Cadwalladar retired into the lesser Britainy The Saxons took hold of this opportunity conquering all the rest of Britainy except the Province of Wales which being surrounded with Mountains they were not able to subdue This abovementioned Cadwalladar was the last King of the ancient British Race who perceiving that he was no ways able any longer to resist the Power of the Saxons retired to Rome into a Convent But Britainy received the Name of Anglia or England from the Angles § 3. These Saxons erected seven Kingdoms which however had not their beginning all at one time but according as they had taken one part after another from the Inhabitants At last they fell together by the ears among themselves till one having swallowed up another all were united into one Kingdom which how it happened we will briefly relate The first Kingdom then was that of Kent which began in the Year 455 and during the Reigns of seventeen Kings lasted till the Year 827 when it was subdued by the West Saxons The second was the Kingdom of Sussex which began in the Year 488 and under five Kings lasted till the Year 601 when it was likewise made a Province by the West Saxons The third was that of the West Saxons which began in the Year 519 and lasted under nineteen Kings 561 Years The Eleventh of these Kings named Ino did order That each Subject that was worth ten Pence should yearly give one Penny to the Pope of Rome which Tax was first called the King's Alms and afterwards Peter's Pence The fourth Kingdom was that of Essex which began in the Year 527 and lasted under fourteen Kings till the Year 808 when it was also conquered by the West Saxons The fifth was that of Northumberland which began in the Year 547 and lasted under three and twenty Kings till the Year 926 when it also was brought under subjection by the West Saxons The sixth Kingdom was that of the Mercians which had its beginning in the Year 522 and lasted under twenty Kings till the Year 724 when it also fell into the Hands of the West Saxons The seventh was that of the East Angles which began in the Year 575 and lasted under fifteen Kings till the Year 928 when under its King Athelstan it was united with the rest But after Egbert King of the West Saxons had either subdued the rest or forced their Kings to acknowledge him for their Supream Head he and his Successours were henceforward called no more Kings of the Saxons but of England Under his Reign the Danes first enter'd England as they continued to do under the following Kings tho' in the beginning they were at several times bravely repuls'd Nevertheless they got footing at last in the Northern parts of England where they lived for a while pretty quietly under the Protection of the Kings of England But in the time of King Ethelred who began his Reign in the Year 979 the Danes made Inrodes into the Southern parts of England forced the English to pay them great Summs of Money ravish'd their Women and committed such outrages that they got the Name of Lord Danes And tho' the English conspir'd against the Danes and cut them all off yet the Danish King return'd the next Year and made prodigious havock among the English their great Preparations which were made against the Danes being by the Craft of the Traitor Edrick notwithstanding Ethelred had made him Duke of Mercia giving him his Daughter for a Wife render'd ineflectual so that Ethelred was obliged to leave his desolate Kingdom and to retire into Normandy Sueno while he was busie in plundering the Nunnery of St. Edmund having been kill'd by a Sword which no body knew from whence it came Ethelred return'd out of Normandy into England and forced Canute Sueno's Son to retire out of England into Denmark but he return'd quickly with a much greater Force and Ethelred making all imaginable Preparations against him died in the Year 1016 whose Son Edmund sirnamed Ironside did defend himself with great Bravery against the Danes and might have obtained several Victories over them if he had not been therein prevented by that Traitor Edrick At last it was agreed That both Kings should make an end of the War by a single Combat in which tho' Edmund had the advantage of giving Canute a dangerous stroke yet was he persuaded to finish the Combat by dividing the Kingdom with the Danes and was afterwards as he retired privately to ease Nature treacherously murther'd by Edrick § 4. After the death of Edmund Canute called together the English Lords and asked them Whether at the time when the Kingdom was divided there was any thing mentioned concerning the right of Succession of the Brothers and Sons of Edmund and the English out of fear answering there was not he received Homage from them and was crowned King of England After he had rid himself of all that were left of the Royal Race he to curry favour with the People married Emma the Widow of King Ethelred sent most of his Danes home and reigned with great applause Some of his Parasites who pretended to attribute to him something above a Humane Power he ridicul'd by causing a Chair to be set near the Sea-side commanding the Seas not to wet his Feet but the Tide rolling on the Waves as usually he told them That from thence they might judge of what extent was the Power of all worldly Kings He died in the Year 1035. His Son Harald succeeded by reason of his nimbleness sirnamed Harefoot He did nothing worth mentioning but that he caused his Stepmother Emma and her Sons whom he had with fair words persuaded to come over out of Normandy to be miserably murther'd He died in the Year 1039 leaving no Children behind him After his death the great Men of the kingdom called out of Denmark Hardiknut his Brother born of Emma and Canute who was famous for nothing but his greedy Appetite he being used to keep Table four times a day His Subjects were so averse to him that when he happened to die at a Feast after he had reign'd but two Years the English made publick Rejoicings in the Streets which they called Hocks-tide the Danes after his death growing so despicable to the English that the Danish Government in England expired after they had ravag'd England for the space of 240 tho' they possessed the Throne but 26 Years After the death of Hardiknut Edward sirnamed the Confessor Son of King Ethelred
pretending that the Spencers had diverted the King's Love from her retir'd first into France and from thence into Hainault and returning with an Army took the King Prisoner and caused the Spencers to be executed The King was carried from place to place and greatly abused during his Imprisonment having been forced before by the Parliament to resign the Kingdom to his Son Edward At last about six Months after his Deposition he was miserably murther'd § 11. Edward III. was very young when the Crown was conferr'd upon him wherefore the Administration of the Government was during his Minority committed to his Mother and managed under her chiefly by her Favourite Roger Mortimer She immediately at the beginning made a dishonourable Peace with Scotland whereby Edward renounced the Sovereignty and all other Pretensions upon that Kingdom and the Scots renounced their Title to Cumberland and Northumberland This and some other matters laid to their charge was the reason why some Years after the Queen was condemned to a perpetual Imprisonment and Mortimer was hanged Afterwards a most cruel War broke out betwixt England and France for Lewis Philip and Charles all three Sons of Philip sirnamed the Handsom dying without Issue Edward did pretend a right to the French Crown as being the late King 's Sister's Son alledging That if his Mother as being a Woman might be thought incapable of governing the Realm the same ought not to be prejudicial to him as being a Man But Philip de Valois notwithstanding he was a degree farther of as being the late King's Father 's Brother's Son yet prevailed with the States who under pretence of the Salick Law and the hatred they bore to a Foreign Sovereign being besides this encouraged thereunto by the Earl of Artois set him upon the Throne Edward being afterwards summon'd by Philip to come in person and to do Homage for the Dukedom of Aquitain went thither in person he being then but young and England full of intestine Commotions notwithstanding this seemed to be very prejudicial to his Pretensions And King Edward appearing in the Church at Amiens with the Crown upon his Head his Sword and Spurs on was ordered to lay them aside and to take the Oath upon his Knees which so exasperated Edward that France afterwards felt the effects of it Not long after Edward Baliol Son of John Baliol made pretensions to the Crown of Scotland against the young King being assisted by King Edward notwithstanding King David of Scotland had married his Sister During which Commotions the English recovered Barwick upon Tweed and in one Battel killed 30000 Scots whereupon Edward Baliol did do Homage to the King of England for the Crown of Scotland By this time King Edward being come to his riper years upon the instigation of Robert Earl of Artois undertook an Expedition into France and taking upon him the Title and Arms of France renewed his Pretensions to that Crown In this Expedition he entirely routed the French Fleet near Sluys which was sent to hinder his landing and defeated 30000 Men. and after he had besieged Tournay he made a Truce with them for twelve Months In the mean while the English were engaged in a War with the Scots who under the Conduct of their former King David had driven out Edward Baliol. The time of the Truce being expir'd the War began afresh in France where among other places the English took Angoulesme King Edward himself came with a great Army into Normandy and took both there and in Picardy a great many places from the French At last a bloody Battel was fought betwixt them near Crecy in Picardy wherein the English tho' but 30000 strong fought against 60000 French killing 30000 upon the spot among whom were 1500 persons of Quality The next day after 7000 French were cut to pieces by the English who not knowing what had happened the day before were upon their march to the French Camp In this Battel no Quarter was given on either side Much about the same time King David of Scotland enter'd England with an Army of 60000 Men to make a Diversion in behalf of France but he was defeated in a great Battel and himself taken Prisoner The English had no less success the same Year in Britainy and Guienne In the Year next following King Edward took the City of Calais which he fill'd with English Inhabitants Prince Edward Son to Edward III. whom his Father had sent with an Army into Guienne behaved himself very valiantly making great havock where-ever he came John King of France drew out an Army against him of 60000 Men tho' the Prince was not above 8000 strong upon this the King thinking he had catch'd the Bird in the Net would not accept of any Conditions tho' never so advantageous But Prince Edward having posted his Men betwixt the Bushes and Vineyards from thence so gall'd the French Horse with his long Bows that they being repulsed put all the rest in confusion King John himself was taken Prisoner as also his youngest Son and above 1700 persons of Quality were slain This Battel was fought about two Leagues from Poictiers At last after King Edward had with three Armies over-run the greatest part of France a Peace was concluded by the Mediation of the Pope at Bretaigny not far from Chartres The Conditions of this Peace were That England besides what it had before in France should be put in possession of Poictou Zaintogne Rochelle Pais d' Aulnis Angoumois Perigord Limoisin Quercy Agenois and Bigorre with an absolute Sovereignty over the same besides this the City of Calais the Counties of Oye Guisnes and Ponthieu and three Millions of Crowns were to be given as a Ransom for the King and that King John should give his three younger Sons his Brother and thirty other persons of Quality as Hostages for the payment of the said Summs But that on the other side the English should restore all the other places which they had taken from the French and renounce their Right and Title to the Crown of France The Peace being thus concluded Prince Edward to whom his Father had given the Dukedom of Aquitain restored Peter King of Castile to his Kingdom But in his Journey the Souldiers being very mutinous for want of Pay he levyed an extraordinary Tax upon his Subjects which they complaining of to the King of France he summon'd the Prince to appear before him who answer'd He would suddenly appear with an Army of 60000 Men therefore Charles V. King of France denounced War against the English pretending that the promised Sovereignty at the last Peace was void because the Prince had not fulfilled the Articles of the same and had committed Hostilities against France But whilst Prince Edward was busie in making great Preparations against France he died suddenly and with him the English good Fortune for the French took from them all the Dukedom of
Minister of France who was more intent to maintain his private Interest and Greatness against the Dauphin than to make Head against the English A Congress was proposed to be held betwixt the two Kings but this Design was frustrated by the cunning of the Dauphin who gave the Duke hopes of an entire Reconciliation to be made betwixt them both And Monterau being named for the place where they should meet the Duke of Burgundy was there questionless by instigation of the Dauphin miserably murther'd For this reason his Son Duke Philip being resolved to revenge his Father's death declared openly for the English and by his Mediation obtain'd That King Henry should marry the Princess Catharine and during the life of his Wife's Father administer the Government in his name but after his death should succeed him in the Throne The Nuptials were afterwards celebrated at Troyes in Champaigne After the Treaty had been confirmed by solemn Oaths on both sides which was also ratify'd by the three Estates assembled in Paris where the Dauphin was summon'd to appear to answer concerning the death of the Duke of Burgundy But he not appearing Sentence was given against him That he should for ever be banish'd out of France There were also some who design'd to make him away and he was forced to go from place to place but his common place of Residence was Bourges wherefore they used to call him by way of ridiculing The King of Bourges In the mean time the English took one place after another from him At last King Henry being upon his March to raise the Siege of the City of Cosne on the Loire which was besieged by the Dauphin he fell sick in his Journey thither and being carried to Bois de Vicennes there died in the flower of his Age and Felicity leaving the Administration of France to his Brother the Duke of Bedford and the Administration of England to his second Brother the Duke of Gloucester § 15. Him succeeded his Son Henry VI. a Child of eight Months old who after he was grown up degenerated from his Father's Martial Valour and by his ill management lost what his Father had got eclipsing thereby the English Glory He was after the death of Charles VI. who died not long after Henry V. proclaimed King of France in Paris In opposition to him the Dauphin Charles VII also declared himself King of France with whom sided the Bravest among the French and a great many Scots were sent to his assistance But Philip Duke of Burgundy and John Duke of Britainy held to the Confederacy with the English which was renewed at that time And then they began to fall upon one another with great fury For the French received a great Defeat near Crevant in Burgundy and were soundly beaten near Verneuil In the Year 1425 the French had besieged St. Jaques de Beuveron with Forty thousand Men the Garrison being reduc'd to great extremity prayed with a loud voice to St. George of Salisbury The Besiegers hearing the name of Salisbury very frequently among the Besieged supposed that the Earl of Salisbury was coming to raise the Siege whereat the French were so terrify'd that they run away for fear of his Name This is certain that the English for a while were Masters where-ever they came but before Orleans the carreer of their Fortune was first stopt For tho during that Siege they beat the French who came to cut off their Provisions which Battel is commonly called the Battel of the Flemmings and the City would have surrender'd it self to the Duke of Burgundy which the English would not accept of yet did they not only lose in that Siege the brave Earl of Salisbury but also the French being encouraged by a Maid called Joan that was born in Lorraine beat the English from before Orleans This Maid did several great exploits against the English and led her self in person King Charles to his Coronation in Rheims At last she was taken Prisoner by the English in an Encounter who carried her to Roan where they burnt her for a Witch But because the English perceived that after the Coronation of Charles a great many Cities sided with him they also called over their King Henry out of England and crowned him King of France in Paris About the same time a Truce was concluded by Mediation of the Pope for six Years but it lasted not long for the French during the time of the Truce possess'd themselves of several places which they had brought over to their side by cunning Insinuations pretending That any thing gained without open violence did not violate the Truce And King Charles's Maxim was Not to fight with the English but to strive to get Advantages over them rather by Policy than open force But that which gave a great blow to the English was That the Duke of Burgundy having taken a distaste at the English upon some slight occasion was reconciled to King Charles There were some small Differences arisen betwixt the Duke of Bedford and the Duke of Burgundy to compose which a meeting was appointed at St. Omer But the time being near at hand a Dispute arose which of them should appear there first it being supposed that he who should come first did thereby yield the Precedency to the other wherefore the Duke of Bedford refused to come first alledging That he being Regent of France ought not in that Quality to give preference to a Vassal of France But the Duke of Burgundy stood upon his right of being Sovereign of the place where they were to meet so that the meeting being set aside the Duke of Burgundy broke quite off with the English and afterwards assisted King Charles against them The death of the Duke of Bedford proved another Misfortune to the English For the Duke of Somerset and the Duke of York both pretended to his place and tho' the latter did obtain it yet did the first always oppose his Designs so that before the new Regent arrived Paris which had been seventeen Years in the possession of the English and a great many other Cities did surrender themselves to King Charles Yet did the Duke of Gloucester beat the Duke of Burgundy before Calais making great havock in Flanders Artois and Hainault and the brave Talbot did considerable mischief to the French But when afterwards by a Truce made with France the fury of the War ceased for a little time there was a Foundation laid in England for intestine Commotions The King had promised marriage to the Daughter of the Earl of Armagnac to prevent which the French King had made both the Earl and his Daughter Prisoners The Earl of Suffolk who was then Ambassadour in France did propose thereupon without having received any Instructions to that purpose from the King a Match betwixt the King and Margaret Daughter of Renè Duke of Anjou and King of Naples and Sicily
the English King with fair words and to render the Duke of Burgundy suspected to him which had the design'd effect with Edward who considered with himself That Charles Duke of Burgundy having besieged Nuys did not send him the promised Succours so that the Peace was easily concluded the French having been very liberal to the English To confirm this Peace King Lewis proposed a Congress to be held betwixt him and Edward at a certain place where he without making any further difficulty appeared first in person and bestowed a good quantity of Wine upon the English Souldiers who soon after returned with their King who had got but little Honour in this Expedition into England But he behaved himself better against the Scots to whom he did considerable mischief In the mean time the Duke of Gloucester had rid himself of his elder Brother the Duke of Clarence thereby to advance himself one step nearer to the Crown At last King Edward being now resolved to enter again into a War with France since King Lewis made a very slight account of what he had promised in the last Peace after he was once rid of his Enemy he fell sick and died in the Year 1483. § 17. After the death of Edward IV. his Son Edward V. a Child of eleven Years of Age was proclaimed King but scarce enjoyed this Title ten Weeks For his Uncle Richard Duke of Gloucester the most bloody and wicked Man that ever the World beheld immediately made it his business to set the Crown upon his own Head Wherefore he first of all secured to himself the Tuition of the King 's and his Brother's Persons by making away their most trusty Friends Afterwards by the help of some Impudent Priests he got it spread abroad That Edward IV. was born in Adultery and that consequently the Crown did of right belong to himself as being the most like his Father At last the Duke of Buckingham did insinuate into the Lord Mayor of London That the Crown ought to be offered to Richard and his Proposal being approved by the Acclamations of a few Villains set on for that purpose it was divulged That the People had conferr'd the Crown upon Richard Having by these Intrigues obtain'd the Crown Richard III. got himself proclaimed King and having been crowned he caused the innocent King Edward V. and his Brother miserably to be murthered But soon after his Coronation a difference arose betwixt him and the Duke of Buckingham who had been chiefly instrumental in helping him to the Crown He therefore leaving the Court began to make a Party against the King with an intention to set the Crown upon the Head of Henry Earl of Richmond who was then an Exile in Britainy And tho' the Duke of Buckingham's Plot was discovered and he beheaded yet was not the Design stopt For the Earl of Richmond set fail with a great Fleet out of Britainy but being driven by contrary Winds on the Coast of Normandy he sought Aid of Charles VIII King of France which he readily granted him A great many English also went over to him who swore Allegiance to him he promising them upon Oath That he would marry the Princess Elizabeth Daughter of Edward IV. But Henry was within an ace of having been delivered up to Richard by the Treachery of one Pieter Landois Treasurer of the Duke of Britainy who had received a great Summ of Money from Richard for undertaking it for which reason he was afterwards hang'd by his Master's order Richard also had an Intention of marrying the Princess Elizabeth and therefore had privately made away his former Lady but was obliged to delay the consummation of the Match by reason of the approaching danger from Henry Who to prevent this intended Match did in all haste sail out of France and landing in Wales was kindly received by most Not long after he gave Battel to Richard where William Stanley with some thousands of Men went over to Henry and besides this a great many of Richard's Souldiers refusing to fight Richard himself was slain in the Field and the Crown being immediately there put upon Henry's Head he was proclaimed King § 18. Hitherto England had been miserably torn to pieces by the bloody Wars betwixt the Houses of York and Lancaster the first whereof bore a White the latter a Red Rose in their Shields For Henry IV. of the House of Lancaster had driven Richard II. from the Throne Edward IV. of the House of York dethroned again his Grandson Henry VI. And Henry VII of the House of Lancaster took from Edward the IV th's Brother Richard III. both his Crown and Life This King Henry marrying the Daughter of Edward IV. united the Red and White Roses and by his singular Wisdom did again settle the State of the Kingdom Yet was he not altogether free from Disturbances at home For first of all one Lambert Symnel Son to a Baker taking upon him the Name and Person of Edward Earl of Warwick caused himself to be proclaimed King in Ireland This Comedy was first invented by a Priest and encouraged by Margaret the Widow of Charles Duke of Burgundy Sister to Edward IV. who to spite Henry gave them all the Assistance she could This Symnel transported an Army out of Ireland into England but was routed by Henry and being taken Prisoner was made a Turnspit in the King's Kitchin In the Year 1491 Henry undertook an Expedition against France and besieged Bologne But the Emperour Maximilian failing in his promises of giving him Assistance he in consideration of a good Summ of Money made a Peace with France In the mean time Margaret Dutchess Dowager of Burgundy had set up another Impostor whose Name was Perkin Warbeck He pretended to be Richard a younger Son of King Edward IV. and knew so well how to act his part that he got a considerable Party in Ireland From thence he went to Paris where he was very well received France being then engaged in a War with England But a Peace being concluded betwixt them he retir'd to the Dutchess Margaret's Court. From thence he returned into Ireland and afterwards came into Scotland where being splendidly received by that King he was married to one of his Kinswomen and enter'd England with a confiderable Army This business might have proved very dangerous to England since there were at the same time great Tumults in England arisen about some new Taxes But the Rebels were beaten and the Scots obliged to retire with great loss into Scotland The Scots made thereupon a Peace with England promising among other things not to uphold by any ways the Impostor Perkin who fled from thence into Ireland and so came into Cornwall where he caused himself to be proclaimed King But perceiving that few came over to his side and the King's Forces coming upon him he took sanctuary in a Church and surrender'd himself to the King who committed
God and having once more by his Ambassadours sollicited the Pope but in vain to decide the matter the King had the same adjudged in Parliament and divorced himself from her yet conversed with her in a very friendly manner ever after till her death except that he did not bed with her since the time when this scruple first arose Some Months after he was married to Anna Bullen by whom he had Elizabeth who was afterwards Queen Anno 1535 the King caused himself to be declared Supream Head of the Church of England abrogating thereby all the Pope's Authority in that kingdom and John Fisher Bishop of Rochester and Thomas Moor the Lord Chancellour refusing to acknowledge him as such it cost them their Heads Yet would Henry never receive the Doctrine of Luther or Zwinglius but continued in the Roman Communion because he was mightily exasperated against Luther For Henry had formerly got a Book to be published under his Name against Luther in favour of the Pope for which he acquired the Title of Defender of the Faith which Title the Kings of England retain to this day But Luther setting aside all the Respect due to a King writ an Answer to the same full of Heat and bitter Reflections Yet because he esteemed the Monks as a sort of people that were not only useless but also such as depending on the Pope might prove very pernicious to him at home he gave free leave to all Monks and Nuns to go out of the Convents and Nunneries and by degrees converted unto his own use the Revenues of all Nunneries and Convents Colleges and Chappels as also those of the Order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem nevertheless he employed some part of them in erecting six new Episcopal Sees and Cathedral Churches and to the advancing of Learning in the Universities A great part also he gave away or sold for a little Money to great Families intending thereby to oblige them for the future to maintain the alterations he had made It is reported that these Church Revenues which were so reduced did amount yearly to 186512 l. or as some others will have it to 500752 l. He also abolished the superstitious worship of Images and made some other alterations in Religious Worship so that in effect he laid the Foundation of the Reformation Nevertheless England was at that time in a miserable condition for a great many Roman Catholicks that would not acknowledge the King for the Supream Head of the English Church were executed And a great many more Protestants received the same punishment because they would not own the Corporal presence of the Body of Christ in the Sacrament tho' this effusion of blood was not so much caused by the King as by the Bishops who had first brought in use such rigorous Laws and now executed them with as much severity In the Year 1543 another War happened with the Scots who making an Inrode into England were beaten by a few English which did grieve King James V. to that degree that he died for trouble leaving behind him one only Daughter Mary whom Henry would have engaged to his Son Edward thereby by to unite these two Kingdoms and the business was like to have succeeded very well if the Archbishop of St. Andrews had not opposed it Henry also enter'd into a League with the Emperour against France wherein it was agreed to join their Armies of 80000 Foot and 22000 Horse near Paris to plunder that City and to ravage the whole Country as far as the Loire But neither of them acted according to the Agreement for Henry wasted his time in the Siege and taking of Boulogne which he afterwards by the Peace concluded in the Year 1546 promised to restore to France within the space of eight Years in consideration of the Summ of 800000 Crowns to be paid him for the same which was performed accordingly under Edward VI. Neither do I believe that Henry was in good earnest by ruining the French to give such great advantages to Charles V. After his Divorce with Catharine of Arragon he was very unfortunate in his Marriages for Anna Bullen was beheaded for Adultery and Incest tho' some are of opinion that it was more the Protestant Religion than the Crime which proved fatal to her It is certain that the Protestant Princes of Germany did so resent this matter that whereas they intended to have made Henry the Head of their League they afterwards would hold no correspondency with him After Anna Bullen he married Jane Seymour Mother to Edward VI. who died in Child-bed Then he married Anna of Cleves whom he also pretending I know not what bodily infirmity in her quickly dismiss'd The fifth was Catharine Howard who was beheaded for Adultery The sixth Catharine Parre Widow of the Lord Latimer who outlived him Henry died in the Year 1547. § 20. Edward VI. was nine Years of age when he came to the Crown during whose Minority his Uncle the Duke of Somerset had the Administration of Affairs His first design was to force the Scots to agree to a Match betwixt Edward and their young Queen Mary wherefore he fell into Scotland and overthrew them near Muskelborough in a great Battel Nevertheless he miss'd his aim for the Scots sent their Queen into France who was there married to the Dauphin afterwards King of France by the Name of Francis II. Under this King Edward the Reformed Religion was publickly established in England and the Mass quite abolished which occasioned great disturbances in the Kingdom which were nevertheless happily suppress'd In the Year 1550 there was a Peace concluded betwixt England France and Scotland when also Boulogne was restor'd to the French But King Edward falling sick the Duke of Northumberland who had before destroyed the Duke of Somerset persuaded King Edward under pretence of settling the Protestant Religion to exclude by his last Will and Testament his two Sisters Mary and Elizabeth for of the Queen of the Scots they made but little account at that time from the Succession of the Crown and to settle it upon Jane Grey Daughter of the Duke of Suffolk whom he had by Mary Daughter of Henry VII which afterwards proved fatal both to Jane and the Author For after the death of Edward the Duke of Northumberland caused Jane to be proclaimed Queen in the City of London but Mary eldest Sister of Edward did immediately lay claim to the Crown in her Letters to the Privy Council And Letters proving ineffectual they began to come to blows but most of the Nobility unto whom Mary promis'd not to make any alteration in Religion did side with her and a part of the Army and Fleet most of the Privy Counsellors and the City of London taking her part proclaimed her Queen Northumberland himself being now willing to go with the tide did proclaim Mary Queen in Cambridge notwithstanding which he
Constitutions yet most are of Opinion that not this Pharamond but his Son Clodion sirnamed Long-hair invaded Gaul who after he had been several times repulsed by Aetius the Roman General at last took Artois Cambray Tournay and some other places as far as the River Somme making Amiens his place of Residence He died in the Year 447 but his Successour and Kinsman Merovaeus in conjunction with the Roman General Aetius and Theodorick the King of the West Goths having beaten Attila the King of the Hans out of France extended his Dominions as far as Mentz on one side and on the other side conquer'd Picardy Normandy and the greatest part of the Isle of France The Romans themselves contributed to this loss for that not only in the Battel fought against Attila they had lost a great many of their best Forces but Aetius also being fallen into disgrace with the Emperour Valentinian was by him murthered which Aetius may be justly said to have been the last great Captain the Romans had there being after his death no body left who could resist Merovaeus From this King sprang the first Race of the French Kings which is called the Merovigian Family He died in the Year 458. His Son Childerick for his Lasciviousness was banish'd in whose stead one Aegidius of the ancient Race of the Gauls was set up for King But Childerick through the faithfulness of his Friend Guyeman was after an Exile of eight Years recall'd out of Thuringia whither he fled and restor'd to his Throne who drove back the Britains and Saxons that made at that time great havock in France He also conquer'd that part which is now call'd Lorrain and took Beauvais Paris and some other places near the Rivers of the Oise and the Seyne He died in the Year 481. His Son Clouis or Lewis having kill'd Syagrius the Son of Aegidius establish'd the French Monarchy and added great Territories to the Kingdom This King fell in love with Clotildis of the Royal Race of Burgundy who promised to marry him if he would turn Christian Which however he afterwards delayed to perform till the Alemans who would have got a footing in France enter'd that Kingdom whom he meeting with his Army near Zulick a bloody Battel was fought where when he saw the French began to fall in disorder he vow'd That if he obtain'd the Victory he would be baptiz'd which Vow after the Victory he perform'd being baptiz'd at Reims by St. Reim whose example the whole Nation of the French followed This King also overturn'd the Kingdom of the Goths which they had establish'd in Languedock uniting that Country with his Kingdom He also conquer'd several petty Principalities and a part of the Higher Germany He died in the Year 511. § 3. After the death of Clouis France received a signal blow the Kingdom being divided among his four Sons who tho' they annexed the Kingdom of Burgundy to it yet this division weaken'd this Kingdom and administred Fuel to the following intestine Dissentions Nay this impolitick dividing the Kingdom went further still for they subdivided the Kingdom again among their Sons which occasioned most horrible civil Commotions in France these Kings endeavouring as it were to out-do one another in Iniquity And among the rest the two Queens Brunechildis and Fredegundis are infamous for their monstrous Crimes At last after a great many intestine Divisions Clotarius II. re-uniting the divided Kingdom did somewhat restore its ancient State He died in the Year 628. But his Son Dagobert fell into the same Madness for he not only gave part of the Kingdom to his Brother Albert but also divided his own share among his two Sons neither did he do any thing for the Benefit of the Publick during his Reign From this time the French Kings quite degenerated from their ancient Valour giving themselves over to Laziness and Debauchery Wherefore the Grand Mareschals of the Kingdom did by degrees assume the Power and Administratinon of Publick Affairs Among these Pipin was famous descended of a Noble Family in Austrasia who had the Administration of Affairs during the space of twenty eight Years under several Kings His Son Charles Martell succeeded his Father in his Power and Office which he rather augmented after he was grown famous by his Martial Exploits having chas'd away the Saracens who about that time conquering Spain fell also into France of whom he kill'd a vast number This Man took upoâ— himself the Title of a Prince and Duke of France so that nothing remain'd with the Kings but the bare Title and an empty Name they being kept in the Country and once a Year carried for a Show through the City to expose them to the view of the People like strange Creatures At last Pipin the Younger Son of this Charles Martell who died in the Year 741 having brought the great Men of the Kingdom over to his Party depos'd King Childerick II. and having sent him into a Convent got himself proclaim'd King of France This was approv'd easily enough by Pope Zachary because he being in fear of the growing Power of the Longobards in Italy did endeavour by all means to oblige the King of France to come to his Assistance And thus the Merovignian Family loses the Crown of France § 4. Pipin to convince the World that he was not unworthy of the Crown or else to furnish the People with other Matters than to talk of the deposing of Childerick undertook an Expedition against the Saxons whom he vanquish'd in a great Battel And he had likewise under the Reign of the former Kings undertaken several Expeditions into Germany with great Success and subdu'd some of the Nations bordering upon the Rhine Not long after an Opportunity presented it self to make himself famous in Italy For Aistulphus the King of the Lombards had propos'd to himself the Conquest of all Italy after he had chas'd the Governours of the Grecian Emperours which were then call'd Exarches out of Ravenna and all other places which were under their Jurisdiction and was ready to march directly against Rome The Pope Stephen III. being in great fear of this Enemy and not knowing where to find Assistance crav'd Aid of Pipin whom he at last persuaded to take his part against Aistulphus In this War Pipin recover'd from Aistulphus all what he had before taken from the Grecian Emperours in Italy the Revenue of which he as 't is pretended gave to the Roman See reserving to himself as it is very probable the Sovereignty over these places He gained by this Action the Reputation of being very Zealous and by bestowing these Revenues upon the Holy Chair got a firm footing in Italy and the advantage of swaying Matters there according to his Pleasure He made also Tassilo Duke of Baâ—aria his Vassal and beat the Duke of Aquitain This Pipin died in the Year 768 leaving behind him
out of Sicily the Sicilians also being very averse to the French who had committed great Outrages in that Kingdom Pope Nicholus V. lent a helping hand who stood in fear of the Power of Charles as did also Michael Paleologus the Constantinopolitan Emperour because Charles had made some Pretensions to that Empire John therefore disguis'd in a Monks Habit travell'd about from place to place till he had brought his Design to Perfection It was next to a Miracle that the Design was not betray'd in three years time it having been so long a forming in several places At last it was put in Execution it being agreed upon that in the second Holyday in Easter at that very time when the Bells rung in to the Vespers all the French throughout the whole Kingdom of Sicily should be massacred at once which was done accordingly within two Hours time with great Barbarity no person having been spared in the Massacre Which being done Pieter King of Arragon possess'd himself of the Kingdom of Sicily And tho' the Pope order'd the Croisade to be preached up against Pieter and declared Charles the second Son of Philip King of Arragon and this Philip marched with a great Army to put his Son into possession yet it did prove labour in vain and Philip died in the Year 1285. His Son and Successour Philip sirnamed the Handsom upon some frivolous Pretences began a War with the English taking from of them the City of Bourdeaux and the greatest part of Aquitain which however they soon after recover'd by vertue of a Peace concluded betwixt them Not long after he attack'd the Earl of Flanders who by the Instigation of the English had enter'd into a Consederacy with a great many neighbouring Lords against him from whom he took most of his strong Holds But the Flemings being soon tired with the Insolencies committed by the French cut in pieces the French Garrisons whereupon the King sent an Army under the Command of Robert Earl of Artois to reduce them to Obedience but he was defeated near Courtray there being 20000 French slain upon the Spot which happened chiefly by a Misfortune that the Cavalry was misled into a moorish Ground It is related that the Flemings got above 8000 gilt Spurs as a Booty from the French And tho' afterwards there were 25000 killed of the Flemings yet they quickly recollecting themselves raised another Army of 60000 Men and obliged the King by a Peace made betwixt them to restore them to their ancient State This King Philip also with consent of the Pope suppress'd the rich Order of the Knights Templers and died in the Year 1314. Whom succeeded his three Sons each in his turn who all died without Issue and without doing any thing of moment The eldest Lewis X. sirnamed Hutin died in the Year 1316 whose Brother Philip sirnamed the Tall had a Contest for the Crown with his deceased Brother's Daughter Joan she being supported by her Mother's Brother the Duke of Burgundy but it was determined in favour of Philip by vertue of the Salick Law Under this King the Jews were banish'd out of France they having been accused of poisoning the Fountains He died in the Year 1322. Him succeeded the third Brother Charles IV. sirnamed the Handsom under whose Reign all the Italians and Lombards who being Usurers did exact upon the People were banished the Kingdom A War also was begun in Aquitain against the English but these Differences were quickly composed by the Intercession of Queen Isabella Sister of Charles He died in the Year 1328. § 9. After the Death of this King France was for a great many years together torn in pieces by very unfortunate and bloody Wars which had almost prov'd fatal to this Kingdom For a Contest arose about the Succession betwixt Philip of Valois Philip the Handsom's Brother's Son and Edward III. King of England the above-mention'd Philip the Handsom's Daughter 's Son The former pretended a right by vertue of the Salick Law which excludes the Females from the Succession But the latter tho' he did not deny the Salick Law yet did he alledge That this Law did not barr from the Succession the Sons born of the King's Daughters And it was certain that he was nearer a kin to the deceased King than Philip neither could any Precedent be brought where a Son of the King's Daughter had been excluded from the Succession to admit his Brother's Son Yet the Estates of France declared for Philip partly upon the persuasion of Robert Earl of Artois partly because they were unwilling to depend on England And tho' King Edward did dissemble at first this Affront and came in person to do homage to Philip for his Provinces which he was possess'd of in France yet not long after he began to show his Resentment the French having obliged him at the time when he performed the Ceremony of Homage to lay aside his Crown Scepter and Spurs Besides the States of England did persuade him not so easily to let fall his Pretensions and Robert Earl of Artois being fallen out with Philip about some Pretensions concerning the County of Artois did stir up King Edward to undertake a War against France In the mean time while Philip had defeated the Flemings who were risen in Rebellion against that Earl to that degree that of 16000 Men not one escaped the Sword In the Year 1336 the English began to make War against France which was carried on for some Years with equal Advantage on both sides and was interrupted by several Truces till at last Edward landed with an Army in Normandy and outbraving the French approach'd to the very Gates of Paris But Edward making soon after his Retreat through Picardy towards Flanders was overtaken by Philip near Albeville where a bloody Battel was fought betwixt them The French Forces being extreamly tir'd by a long March gave the English an easier Victory Besides this some Genoese Foot retreated immediately their Bows having been render'd useless by the rainy Weather which the Duke d' Alenzon perceiving and thinking it to have been done by Treachery fell with a Body of Horse in among them which caused the first Confusion The English also made use of four or five pieces of great Cannon against the French which being never seen before in France caused a great terrour in the French Army Several French Lords also being not well satisfy'd with the King were glad to see him defeated This Victory is the more remarkable because according to the French Historians the English were not above 24000 strong whereas the French were above 100000. Out of which number 30000 Foot Souldiers were slain and 1200 Horsemen among whom was the King of Bohemia This King tho' he was blind yet charg'd the Enemy on Horseback betwixt two of his Friends who had ty'd his Horse to theirs and they were all three found dead together The next day
there was a great slaughter made among some French Troops who not knowing what had pass'd the day before were on their March to join the French Camp After this Battel the English took Calais Philip having in vain attempted its relief with 15000 Men. This unfortunate King however received this one Comfort That the Dukedom of Dauphine was annexed to the Crown of France by a Gift of Hubert the last Duke with Condition that the eldest Son of the Kings of France should bear the Title of Dauphin This Hubert having conceived a mortal hatred against the then Earl of Savoy had before put himself under the Protection of France but when afterwards by an unfortunate Accident he kill'd his only Son he retir'd into a Monastery giving to the King of France the Possession of his Country This King Philip also bought Roussilion and Montpelier and was the first who imposed that so much abominated Tax in France upon Salt called the Gabell whereby the Subjects are obliged to pay for the Sun and Sea Water at so dear a rate Wherefore King Edward used to call him in jest The Author of the Salick Law He died in the Year 1356. § 10. His Son and Successour John was more unfortunate in his Wars against the English than his Father For the Truce being expir'd the War began afresh wherein Prince Edward made an Inrode with 12000 Men out of Aquitain destroying all roundabout him King John intending to cut off his Retreat overtook him with all his Forces near Maupertuis two Leagues from Poictiers The Prince offered the King Satisfaction for the Damage sustained which he refusing to accept of attack'd Prince Edward in his advantageous Post he being surrounded with Hedges and Vineyards but the English by the help of their Bows soon broke through his Van-guard and afterwards the whole Army which consisted of 50000 Men put them in Disorder killing upon the Spot as it is related by the French Historians 6000 French among whom were 1200 Gentlemen the King and his youngest Son were both made Prisoners The three eldest had the good Fortune to escape During the Father's Imprisonment Charles the Dauphin took upon him the Administration of Affairs but the People which had been sorely oppress'd hitherto being unwilling to obey it caused great Disorders in the Kingdom The Peasants rise up against the Nobility and the Citizens of Paris made heavy Complaints The Souldiers for want of Pay lived at Discretion and made a miserable havock in the Country Charles of Navarre added Fuel to the Fire in hopes to make his own Advantage by these Troublesome times and did not stick to make Pretensions to the Crown yet Matters were composed with him at last And the Estates of France refusing to accept of such Conditions as were proposed by the English the King of England enter'd France with a great Army and over-run the greatest part of it yet could not make himself Master of any fortify'd place Then a Peace was concluded at Bretigny a League from Chartres by vertue of which the French were to surrender to the English besides what they were possess'd of before Poictou Xaintonge Rochelle Pais d'Aulnis Angoumois Perigord Limosin Quercy Agenois and Bigorre with the Sovereignty over them besides this Calais and the Counties d'Oye Guisnes and Ponthieu and three Millions of Livers as a Ransom for the King's person This Peace was very hard for France and continued not long King John forced by Necessity was oblig'd to do another thing little becoming his Grandeur for he sold his Daughter to Galeas Viscount of Milan for 600000 Crowns giving her in Marriage to the said Viscount This King presented his youngest Son Philip sirnamed the Hardy with the Dukedom of Burgundy it being vacant by the Death of the last Duke From this Philip descended the famous Dukes of Burgundy whose Territories at last devolved to the House of Austria This King died in England whither he was gone to make satisfaction for his Son who being a Hostage there had made his escape Some say that he went to see a Lady there with whom he was much in love § 11. King John was succeeded by his Son Charles V. sirnamed the Wise who prudently made amends for the Rashness of his Grandfather and Father never engaging himself in Battels with the English but by protracting the War and secret Intrigues endeavoured to tire out their Courage The disbanded Souldiers had mutineer'd and were become so Insolent that no body durst oppose them These he sent into Spain where Pieter sirnamed the Cruel and Henry I. fought for the Crown of Castile These Forces had put the Pope in such a fear that in their March he presented them with 200000 Livers and a good store of Indulgences to divert them thereby form taking their way near Avignon Prince Edward also engaged himself in this War but got nothing by it but a sickly Body and great want of Money Wherefore he pretendâ—ng to lay a Tax upon his Subjects in Guienne to pay off his Souldiers they complained thereof to the King of France who having well prepared himself and being informed that the Prince languished under a mortal Disease summon'd him to appear in Paris pretending that the Peace made at Bretigny was of no force since the English had not performed the Conditions and had since that time committed Hostilities wherefore he insisted upon his former right of Sovereignty over Aquitain And Prince Edward having sent him a disdainfull Answer King Charles denounced War against the English A great many Fast-days and Processions were kept by the King's Order in France and the Priests made it their business to represent the Justice of the King's Cause and the Injustice of the English to the People By this way he insinuated himself into the Favour of the French that lived under the English Jurisdiction and persuaded his own Subjects to be more free in paying their Taxes The Archbishop of Tholouse alone did by his cunning Persuasions bring over to his Party above fifty Cities and strong Castles The Constable Bertrand du Guesolin did also great mischief to the English with small Parties and worsted them not only in several Rencounters but also beat them out of Perigord and Limosin But in Guienne especially the English Affairs were in a bad condition after the Spanish Fleet which was sent to the Assistance of the French by Henry King of Castile had ruin'd the English near Rochelle After which exploit Poictiers was taken from them and Rochelle upon very advantageous Conditions surrender'd it self to the King of France And King Edward being detained by contrary Winds not being able to bring over timely Relief Xaintonge Angoumois and some other places followed the Example of the former The English not long after with an Army of 30000 Men marched from Calais cross the Country as far as Guienne ravaging and plundering by the way where-ever they
Which so incensed the Queen that she having conceiv'd an implacable Hatred against her Son sided with the Duke of Burgundy whose Party was thereby greatly strengthen'd Thus commenced the intestine Wars wherein both Parties were so exasperated against one another that they had little regard to the great Success of the English who in the mean time conquer'd all Normandy and Roan it self The Dauphin intending at one blow to root out the Evil of these intestine Commotions cunningly invited the Duke of Burgundy to come to an Agreement with him when at their second meeting at Monterau he caused him to be kill'd But this stroke had a quite contrary effect For the generality of the Nation abominated the fact and the Queen took from hence an Opportunity totally to ruin her Son and to exclude him from the Succession Wherefore entring into a League with the murther'd Duke's Son Philip a Peace was concluded with Henry V. King of England by vertue of which he was to marry Catharine the Daughter of Charles VI. and during his Life to be Regent of France and after his Death to be put into the full possession of the Crown of France That both the Crowns of France and England should be united yet that each Kingdom should be ruled according to its own Laws Besides this a Sentence was pronounc'd against the Dauphin in Paris That by reason of the Murther committed by him upon the Duke of Bargundy he was declared incapable of the Crown and that he for ever should be banish'd the Kingdom He appeal'd from this Sentence to God and his Sword and set his Court up at Poictiers so that at that time there was in France two Governments and two Courts But the Affairs of the Dauphin were in a very ill condition very few of the Provinces siding with him those that did were Anjou Poictou Tours Auvergne Berry and Languedock but all of them mightily exhausted of Money But it was happy for him that the brave King Henry V. died in the very Flower of his Age and good Fortune as likewise did not long after Charles VI. whose Life by the Infirmities of his Mind being incapable of governing the Kingdom had greatly obstructed the Welfare of the Kingdom § 13. Charles VII whom we hitherto have call'd the Dauphin caused himself immediately after his Father's Death to be proclaim'd King with the Assistance of the Bravest among the French nevertheless his Affairs at the beginning were under very ill Circumstances For the Duke of Bedford who was constituted Regent in France having caused young Henry VI. of England to be proclaimed King of France in Paris in conjunction with the Dukes of Burgundy and Britainy try'd all ways to expell him quite out of France His Forces were several times miserably beaten by the English the greatest part of the Cities abandon'd him so that the English used to call him in derision the King of Bourges because he used commonly to reside there He was at last become so poor that he rarely could dine in Publick and it was observ'd that one time he had nothing for his Dinner but a piece of roasted Mutton and a couple of Fowls Besides this most of the great Men about him being dissatisfy'd with the ambitious Proceedings of the Constable Richmond had left the Court and were driving on their own Intrigues The only Comfort left to Charles was that there was a misunderstanding betwixt the English and the Duke of Burgundy else if they had with their joint Forces vigorously attack'd Charles he in all probability could not have held out long against them The occasion happen'd thus Jaqueline Countess of Hennegau Holland Zealand and Friesland being divorced from her Husband John Duke of Brabant a Cousin of the Duke of Burgundy was married again to the Duke of Gloucester Brother of Henry V. The Duke of Burgundy taking his Cousin's part it caused great Heart-burning betwixt him and the Duke of Gloucester The Duke of Bedford endeavour'd to appease them yet did the Duke of Burgundy from that time entertain a Grudge against the English which encreased afterwards when the English refused to put the City of Orleans into the Hands of the Duke of Burgundy This City being besieged by the English was reduc'd to the utmost Extremity the French which attack'd a Convoy which was going to the English Camp having been entirely beaten Which Engagement is called la journée des Haranes or the Battel of the Herrings Charles's Affairs were then become so desperate that he had resolv'd to retire into Dauphine when upon a sudden an unlook'd for help was sent him For a Country Maid born in Lorraine whose Name was Joan did pretend that she was sent from God to relieve Orleans and to see the King crowned at Rheims Both which she effected striking thereby great terrour into the English whereas on the other side the French being greatly encouraged by this Success saw their Affairs from henceforward mend every day But this poor Wench following the Wars longer as it seems than she had in Commission was taken Prisoner making a Sally out of Compeigne and being deliver'd to the English was with great dishonour burnt as a Witch at Roan The English perceiving their Affairs not to go so forward as formerly resolv'd to give them new Life and Vigour by bringing over the young King Henry and having him crowned in Paris And to keep fair with the Duke of Burgundy they gave him the Counties of Brie and Champaigne yet all this proved insufficient The War therefore having been thus carried on for several Years only with light Skirmishes both Parties being tir'd out a Treaty was at last propos'd by Mediation of the Pope at Arras but the English rigorously insisting upon their Pretensions which were very hard they were deserted by the Duke of Burgundy who made a separate Peace with Charles upon very advantageous Conditions There befell also the English another Misfortune by the Death of the Duke of Bedford who hitherto had administred the Affairs in France with great Prudence After this the Cities of France surrender'd themselves one after another to Charles among which was Paris which submitted it self to its natural Lord. But because the English had made miserable havock throughout France and the French Souldiers themselves being ill paid had committed great Depredations without any Order or Discipline a great Famine ensu'd and afterwards a great Plague It is related that the Wolves did snatch the Children out of the Streets of the Suburbs of St. Anthony in Paris The War having been thus protracted for a considerable time a Truce was concluded for some Years The King to be rid of the Souldiers sent them into Alsace under pretence to disturb the Council at Basil They killed at once 4000 Swiss but having lost double the number soon after returned home again In the mean time the English were degenerated from their former Valour their
Forces were extreamly diminish'd in France and the Souldiers for want of Pay had given themselves over to Plunder They wanted good Officers their Places were not well provided and their Subjects weary of the Government England at home was divided within it self and the English weakened by two Overthrows which they had received from the Scots Charles therefore having met with this Opportunity resolv'd to beat the English at once out of France He took for a Pretence of the War that they had broken the Truce in Britainy and with the Scots and attacking them with great Vigour in several places at once he drove them within the space of thirteen Months out of Normandy The next Year after he took from them Aquitain Bayonne being the last which surrender'd it self so that the English had nothing left on the Continent of France but Calais and the County of Guines Bourdeaux soon after revolted from the French and sought for Aid of the English but the brave Talbot having been kill'd in an Engagement it was retaken and re-united to the French Crown after it had been 300 Years in the possession of the English Thus did this King re-unite the mangled Kingdom having expell'd the English out of its Bowels Nevertheless he did not entirely enjoy the Fruits of his good Fortune living at variance with his Son who for the space of thirteen Years came not to Court. And being at last persuaded that a Design was formed against his Life it so disturb'd him that for fear of being poisoned he starved himself § 14. Him succeeded his Son Lewis XI a cunning resolute and malicious Prince who laid the first Foundation of the absolute Power since exercised by the Kings of France whereas formerly the Royal Power was kept under by the Authority of the great Men of the Kingdom He began with reforming his Court and Ministers according to his Pleasure Of which the great Men of the kingdom foreseeing the Consequence they enter'd into a League which they called La Ligue du bien public the League for the publick good wherewith they pretended to defend the Publick against the King's arbitrary Proceedings Among these were the Dukes of Burgundy and Britainy who were willing to keep the King within bounds In the Year 1465 Charles the young Duke of Burgundy enter'd France with an Army and fought a Battel with the King near Montlehery wherein the Advantage was near equal but because the King retreated a little backwards the Night following the Duke of Burgundy pretended to have gained the Victory which put him upon those Enterprizes which afterwards cost him his Life The King extricated himself with a great deal of Cunning out of this danger for he released the Taxes and with great Promises and fine Words appeased the People all which as soon as the danger was pass'd he revok'd at pleasure To dissolve the knot of this Faction he made Divisions betwixt the most powerfull the bravest he brought over to his side by giving them particular Advantages the rest he ruined by his Policy especially by bribing their Friends and Servants And being in great want of Money he borrow'd great Summs of his Servants and such as refused to lend were put out of their Employments Which 't is said gave the first occasion that the Offices were afterwards sold in France But the Duke of Burgundy persisted in his Opposition who had in the Year 1468 hem'd him in at Peronne which danger he however escaped At last Lewis was rid of this his troublesome Enemy who had laid so many Designs against him he being kill'd by the Swiss near Nancy Lewis taking advantage of the great Confusion which was occasioned by the Death of the Duke in that Country took possession of the Dukedom of Burgundy under pretext that the same was an Appanage and brought over to his side the Cities situated on the River Some which had been under the Jurisdiction of Charles It was generally believ'd That Lewis by way of Marriage might easily have annexed the whole Inheritance of this Duke unto France if he had not conceived such an implacable hatred against this House that he was resolved to ruin it Two Years before the Death of the Duke of Burgundy King Edward IV. landed with a great Army in France whom Lewis with Presents and fair Promises persuaded to return home again He united to the Crown Provence Anjou and Muns having obtained the same by the last Will and Testament of Charles d' Anjou Count de Maine who was the last Male Heir of the House of Anjou notwithstanding that Rene Duke of Lorraine Son of Ygland d' Anjou pretended a Right to the same by his Mother's side In his latter days he lived miserably and grew ridiculous being in continual fear of death He died in the Year 1483. § 15. His Son Charles VIII had at the beginning of his Reign his Hands full with the Duke of Britainy and was marching with an Army to unite that Province by main force to the Crown But understanding that Maximilian of Austria had concluded a Match betwixt Anna the only Heiress of this Dukedom and himself the French King did think it no ways adviseable to let such a delicious Morsel fall to the share of the House of Austria but obliged the Bride partly by force partly by fair words to renounce Maximilian and to be married to himself whereby this Country was united to France And tho' Henry VII King of England did not look with a good Eye upon the growing Power of France and therefore with a great Army besieged Boulogne yet in consideration of a good Summ of Money he was prevailed upon to return home again especially since Maximilian who had received a double affront from Charles who had not only taken his Bride from him but also had sent back his Daughter Margaret which was promised to him in Marriage did not join his Forces with him according to Agreement Maximilian took Arras and St. Omer but being not able to go further he consented that his Son Philip Lord of the Netherlands might make a Truce with Charles On the other side Charles gave to Ferdinand the Catholick the Counties of Russilion and Cerdagne some say to engage him thereby not to oppose his intended Expedition against Naples Others say that Ferdinand corrupted Charles's Confessour to persuade him that he should restore that Country to its lawfull Sovereign France being thus by the Union with Britainy become an entire Kingdom it began to contrive how to obtain the Sovereignty over Italy Charles had a Pretension because the Right and Title of the Family of Anjo and Naples was by the Death of the last Duke of Anjou and Earl of Provence devolv'd to Lewis XI and consequently to himself But this young King received the greatest Encouragement from Lewis sirnamed Morus or the Black Duke of Milan who having Tuition of his Nephew
After his death there was an Interregnum in Denmark during the space of seven years In the mean time the Holsteiners had brought the greatest part of Denmark under their Subjection till the Danes making an Insurrection against them endeavour'd to chase them out of Denmark and for this purpose call'd Waldemar the Son of Christopher II. who had been Educated at the Court of the Emperour Lewis the Bavarian into the Kingdom § 4. Waldemar III. did somwhat restore the decay'd State of the Kingdom having partly forc'd and partly bought the Holsteiners out of Denmark He sold Hisponia and Reval to the Knights of the Cross for 28000 Marks fine silver which sum he bestow'd most upon a Journey which he undertook into the Holy Land But he got Schonen again from Magnus Sameck the then King of Sweden by fair promises and by an agreement made betwixt him and Albert King of Swedeland Gotland was also surrendred to him and some other places belonging at that time to Sweden He was frequently at Wars with the Hanse Towns and died in the year 1375. After him Reign'd his Grandson Olaus VI. born of his Daughter Margaret and Hacquin King of Norway During his Minority the Mother had the supreme Administration of Affairs Having after his Fathers death obtained the Crown of Norway he laid also claim to the Kingdom of Sweden because his Father was Son of Magnus Sameck King of Sweden but he died young In his stead the Danes and Norwegians received for their Queen Margaret his Mother and she having declar'd Erick Pomeran her Sisters Daughters Son her Associate in the Government enter'd into a War against Albert King of Sweden But the Swedes being in general dissatisfied with their King deserted him acknowledging Margaret for their Queen Albert fought a Battel against Margaret but was defeated and taken Prisoner with his Son whom Margaret did not release till after seven years Imprisonment under condition that he should either pay 60000 Marks fine silver for his Ransom or else resign his Pretensions to the Kingdom of Sweden and he having perform'd the last Margaret caused Eric Pomeran to be Crowned King of Sweden In the year next following the Estates of all the three Northern Kingdoms assembled at Calmar where Erick having been declared their King an agreement was made among them that these three Kingdoms for the future should be Rul'd by one King Margaret who had been an extraordinary good Queen to Denmark died in the year 1412. After whose death Erick was sole King over these three Kingdoms but he was in continual broils with the Holsteiners who were assisted by the Hanse Towns concerning the Dutchy of Sleswick which differences were at last composed He surrendred to his Cousins the Dukes of Pomerania the Island of Rugen which had been a considerable time under Danish Subjection In the mean time the Swedes were grown very discontented because Erick did not Govern them according to his Coronation Oath and oppress'd them by his Foreign Officers which oblig'd them to stand up for the Defence of their Liberty The Danes also seeing that he was very careless of the Affairs of the Kingdom and did always live in Gotland did withdraw themselves from his Obedience alledging among other matters that because he had been endeavouring to Establish his Cousin Bogislaus Duke of Pomerania in his Throne in his life time he had thereby violated their Right of a Free Election And having chosen in his stead Christopher Duke of Bavaria Erick's Sisters Son he was Deposed and retired into Pomerania where he ended his life Christopher Reigned till the year 1448. with whose Reign the Danes were very well satisfied § 5. After his Death the Danes made an offer of that Crown to Adolf Duke of Sleswick and Earl of Holstein But he being very antient and infirm refused to accept of it and recommended to them Christian Earl of Oldenburgh his Sisters Son whom both the Danes and Norwegians declared their King and in this Family these two Crowns have remained ever since by a continual succession This King soon after began a War with the Swedes who had made one Charles Cnutson their King because they would have driven the deposed King Erick out of Gotland but King Christian coming to his assistance made himself Master of that Island Besides this some of the Swedish Nobility who were dissatisfied with Charles Cnutson having sided with Christian the War began to be carried on very vigorously betwixt these two Nations In this War the Archbishop of Vpsal did attack Charles with such Success that he obliged him to retire into Prussia and Christian was crowned King of Sweden But the Swedes being again dissatisfied with Christian recalled Charles Cnutson when the War began afresh and notwithstanding Charles Cnutson died in the year 1470 and Christian came with a great Army into Swedeland yet could he not maintain himself in the Throne his Forces having been defeated near Stockholm In the year 1471 the Emperor Frederick III. gave to him in Fief Ditmarsen as also to the Country of Holstein the Title of a Dukedom He married his Daughter Margaret to James III. King of Scotland giving her for a Dowry the Orkney Islands and Hetland which had hitherto been dependent on the Kingdom of Norway He died in the year 1481. In whose stead the Danes and Norwegians chose his Son John their King who divided the Dukedom of Holstein with his Brother Frederick This King John after he had reigned in peace for a conâ—iderable time did at last enter into a War against Sweden and having defeated the Dalekarls forced Steenure the Governour to surrender himself and the City of Stockholm and was crowned King of Sweden But in the year 1501 he was miserably and shamefully beaten by the Ditmarsians whom he would have brought under his Subjection and afterwards Steen Sture also drove him out of Sweden He was in continual broils with him and his Successor Suant Sture who were assisted by the Lubeckers till these Differences were at last composed soon after which he died § 6. Him succeeded his Son Christian II who drew upon him the Hatred of the Danes partly because he entertained a Woman of mean birth in the Netherlands whose name was Duivecke to be his Mistress and was strangely led by the Nose by her Mother Sigibirta a crafty old Woman partly because he had caused Torber Oxe the Governour of the Castle of Copenhagen to be as 't is thought unjustly executed In the mean time great Differences were arisen in Sweden betwixt Steen Sture the younger and Gustave Trolle the Archbishop of Vpsal the first having destroyed the Castle of Steka which belonged to the latter King Christian coming to the Assistance of the Archbishop took him along with him into Denmark where they laid the Design against Swedeland A Decree therefore was obtained from the Pope wherein he having condemned the Swedes to
In the beginning of this War Charles IX King of Sweden took a great many places from the Poles in Livonia which were however most of them afterwards retaken by the Polish General and Chancellour Zamoiski Besides this the King of Sweden was vanquished in a great Battel fought near Kirckholm and Riga where he narrowly escaped himself But some intestine Divisions being arisen betwixt the King and the Nobility of Poland King Charles got an opportunity to recover himself In the mean time there was a War kindled betwixt the Muscovites and Poles by the following occasion There was a certain Person in Poland who pretended that he was Demetrius the Son of John Basilowitz Grand Duke of Muscovy and that he was to have been murthered by the Order of Boris Gudenow who hoped thereby to obtain the Succession in the Empire after the Death of Theodore the eldest Son of the said John Basilowitz but that another had been killed in his stead This Man having found great Encouragement from George Mniszeck the Vayvod of Sendemir promised to marry his Daughter Wherefore this Vayvod with the Assistance of some other Polish Lords having gathered an Army that marched with Demetrius into Muscovy And the Grand Duke Boris Gudenow happening to die suddenly soon after Demetrius was well received by the Russians and having vanquished such as pretended to oppose him he came up to the City of Muscovy where he was proclaimed Grand Duke But he quickly made himself odious to the Muscovites they suspecting him to be an Impostor but did however hide their resentments till the arrival of the Polish Bride In the mean while the Muscovites under the Conduct of those of Suski who were by their Mother's side descended from the Family of the Grand Dukes had under-hand got together about 20000 Men. These at the time when the Nuptials were celebrating with great Pomp raised a Tumult attacked the Castle and cut to pieces Demetrius and a great many Poles who were come along with the Bride tho' some of the chiefest defended themselves bravely and escaped their Fury Then Basilius Suski was proclaimed Great Duke in the publick Market place who caused there the Body of Demetrius to be exposed to publick view but he being extreamly defaced by his Wounds his Face could not be discerned by the multitude Immediatly after a rumor was spread abroad that Demetrius was escaped and another appeared soon after who pretended to be the same Demetrius Whether it was the same or not is not yet determined this is certain that the Poles did acknowledge him as such they being very desirous to revenge the former Affront and the Death of their Friends This Old or New Demetrius did march with a great Army composed of Poles and Cosacks into Muscovy where he several times beat Suski whom he obliged to set at Liberty the captive Bride and to beg the King of Poland to recal his Subjects But the Bride having acknowledged this Demetrius for her Husband he got a great part both in Muscovy and Poland that sided with him and would quickly have ruined Suski if he had not been succoured by the King of Sweden who sent Pontus de la Gardie with some Forces to his Assistance Sigismund also took hold of this Opportunity to try whether he could at least recover Smolensko and Severia from the Muscovites Wherefore he besieged Smolensko in the Year 1609. which however he could not make himself Master of till the Year 1611. when he took it by Storm In the mean time the Poles which had hitherto sided with Demetrius were recalled by Sigismund who did think it not convenient that so considerable a part of his Forces should be under the Command of another By the removal of these Forces Suski had leisure given him to recollect himself and with the Auxilaries sent him out of Swedeland he marched against the Poles who had besieged Smolensko but was defeated by the Poles near Clusin By this overthrow the Affairs of the Muscovites were again put into a very dangerous Condition Wherefore they took this Resolution to avoid the Danger which threatened them from the Polish side They deposed Suski who by his Misfortunes was become odious to them and offered the Crown of Muscovy to Vladislaus the Prince of Poland By this means they hoped at one stroak to ruin Demetrius and to be reconciled to the Poles in hopes that they might easily meet with an Opportunity hereafter when they had once rid themselves of the present Danger to rid themselves also of the Prince of Poland And this Project succeeed very well for the Polish Troops immediatly left the Party of Demetrius Suski was surrendred to the Poles who promised to the Muscovites what had sworn before Allegiance to Vladislaus that he should appear in Person in Muscovy in the Year 1610. But King Sigismund by the perswasions of some of his Friends refused this offer thinking it more for his purpose to Conquer Muscovy by Force of Arms which Opportunity however he missed of since he did not immediatly march towards the City of Muscovy which he might have taken at the first Assault But the Muscovites having discovered the Design of the Poles did unanimously revolt from Vladislaus especially since they had in the mean while been rid of Demetrius who had been murthered by the Tartars that were his Gaurds They therefore attacked the Polish Garrison in the City of Muscovy which consisted of Seven Thousand Men but these defended themselves bravely and besides this set Fire to the whole City which before had 180000 Houses where abundance of People were burned Nevertheless the Muscovites recovered themselves and besieged the Polish Garrison in the Castle of Muscovy If King Sigismund immediatly after the taking of Smolensko had sent them Relief as he easily might have done he questionless might have established his Affairs in Muscovy But he marching back with his Army into Poland and sending to their Relief neither Men nor Money the Garrison who had before plundered the Treasury of the Great Duke to the number of 7000. leaving some to Guard the Castle fought their way through the Muscovites and came to King Sigismund to demand their Pay And tho' Sigismund began to apply himself in good earnest to re-establish his Affairs in Muscovy yet all his Designs were by the jealousie which reigned betwixt the Generals so long delayed till the Poles who had the Gaurd of the Castle of the City of Muscovy were forced by Famine to surrender it Thus all was lost in Muscovy for Sigismund who was the more troubled at it because he had made an account by the Conquest of Muscovy to open his way into Swedeland Besides this the Poles sustained in the same Year a considerable Loss in Moldavia Prince Vladislaus did undertake an Expedition into Muscovy but to no great purpose wherefore he made a Truce with them for fourteen Years wherein it was agreed
the Turkish subjection The Cosacks also used to be very serviceable against the Tartars as living near the Isthmus of the Taurick Chersonese and therefore were conveniently situated to cut of their retreat in their return Home But the Poles by their ill entertainment have so exasperated the Cosacks that since they have done as much mischief to them as formerly they used to do good And if the Poles should not be able by fair means to bring over the Cosacks again to their side and these should either submit themselves to the Moscovites or the Turks or that these should quite root them out then Poland has got an incurable Ulcer on that side which may prove fatal to all the Neighbouring Provinces of the Vkrain Lastly the Turk is a dangerous Neighbour to Poland whose strength is much superior to that of Poland especially if the Poles are not assisted by the Cosacks or by some Foreign State For tho the Polish Cavalry may not be inferiour to the Turks yet cannot I see which way they can bring into the Field such Forces as may be equal to the Janisaries Tho the negligence and domestick divisions of the Poles have lately been the chief inducements which have drawn the Turks so deep into Poland There is not any thing which would more conveniently secure the Poles against the Turks than if the Princes of Moldavia Wallachia and Transylvania did belong to Poland they being able to hinder the passage of the Turks into Poland But because the Poles have long ago lost this advantage or rather neglected it it is their business now to take care that the Turks do not advance deeper into the Country And to take away all pretensions of a War from the Turks it seems very necessary that the Poles as much as in them lies do take care that the Cosacks do not in time of Peace commit depredations upon the Turkish Subjects For else the Turks are not to be blamed if endeavouring to root out these rapacious Birds they destroy their Nest and make the Vkrain a vast Wilderness When Poland is engaged in a War with the Turks it may expect some Subsides from the Pope The House of Austria is able by making a diversion to the Turks to give relief to Poland but this House hitherto has not been forward to attack the Turks if these have not been the first aggressors The Moscovites also might contribute somthing this way if there were any hopes of a true understanding betwixt these two Nations but as the case now stands the Poles must chiefly rely upon their own strength and by the circumstances of their own affairs be able to judg how far they ought to engage themselves against the Turk CHAP. XI Of MOSCOVT § 1. THE first origin of this Empire and the atchievements of their antient Princes are very uncertain and obscure since what is to be found of this nature among an ignorant people is all very confused So much is certain that this great Empire was formerly divided into a great many petty Lordships which afterwards were united in one body We will only relate in a few words that the Russians in the year 989. first embraced the Christian Religion at which time their Prince Wolodomir married Anne the Sister of the Grecian Emperour Basilius Porphyrogenitus In the year 1237. their Prince George was slain by Battus the King of the Tartars whereby the Russians being brought under the subjection of the Tartars their Princes were dependent on them After a long time they at last freed themselves from this slavery under their Prince John Son of Basilius the Blind who began his Reign in the year 1450. Under his Reign Russia was first united into one considerable Body he having subdued most of these petty Princes which had divided Russia among them especially the Dukes of Tiver and of Great Novogrod in which City 't is said he got a booty of three hundred Cart loads of Gold and Silver This Prince built Juanogrod a Castle near Narva § 2. Him succeeded his Son Basilius who took Pleskeu which was formerly a free City From the Poles he also took Smolensko but was soundly beaten by the Astracan Tartars who at the same time ransack'd the City of Moscovy Him succeeded his Son John Basilowitz a cruel Tyrant who conquer'd the two Kingdoms of the Tartars of Casan and Astracan and united them to Muscovy He used the Livonians very â—atharously having killed one Furstenbergh the Master of the Order of Knighthood there which was the occasion that the City of Reval and whole Tethland surrender'd themselves to Swedeland and all the rest of Livonia to Poland He was at first victorious against the Poles but afterwards Stephen Batori took from him Plotzko and several other places He died in the Year 1584. and unto him succeeded his Son Theodore Iuanowitz a very simple Prince against whom the Swedes waged War about Ingermanland § 3. This Theodore dying without Issue his Brother in Law Boris Guidenow did by his Intrigues obtain the Empire but with very indifferent Success especially after the supposed Demetrius began to contend with him for it during which Troubles he died His Son Theodore Borissowitz was proclaimed Great Duke of Muscovy but the Muscovites having afterwards for the most part sided with the supposed Demetrius he was taken Prisoner and murthered after he had but Six Months enjoyed the Title of Grand Duke What became of the supposed Demetrius and how Basilius Zuski took upon him the Imperial Dignity we have related before To this Zuski Charles IX King of Swedeland offered his Assistance against the second supposed Demetrius which he at first refused to accept of But afterwards when the other began to be too strong for him he earnestly desired the same promising to surrender to Charles as an acknowledgement Kekholm The King sent to his Assistance Pontus de la Gardie with some Thousand Men who were very serviceable to the Muscovites nevertheless they made a great many Evasions refusing to deliver up these places which they had promised before wherefore the Swedes took them by Force and thereby united Carelia and the rest of Ingermanland with the Kingdom of Sweden How this Basilius Zuski was delivered up to the Poles how the supposed Demetrius was slain and Vladislaus Prince of Poland made Duke of Muscovy had been related before § 4. At last Michael Fadorowitz Son of the Patriarch Theodore Mikitowitz born of the Daughter of John Basilowitz maintained himself in the Empire who having concluded a Peace with Sweden and Poland restored tranquillity to the Muscovites Him succeeded his Son Alexius Michaelowitz who in the Year 1653. falling upon the Poles took from them Smolensko and Kiovia and committed great depredations in Lithuania And having entred Livonia took Dorpt Koenhusen and several other places of less Note but was obliged to raise the Siege of Riga with great Loss
considerable Force and having routed the Vanguard of King Waldemar made him their Prisoner Whereupon Magnus called together the Estates of the Kingdom who being most of them of his Party did assign the whole Kingdom to Duke Magnus except only East and West Gothland Smaland and Daht which the King was to have for his share But this Agreement lasted not long for the Danes who had not received their Subsidies promised by Magnus siding with Waldemar the War was renewed which was carried on with various Success till at last the Danes having received satisfaction for the Money due to them left Waldemar in the lurch who in the presence of the Estates resigned the Kingdom to Magnus § 6. Waldemar having resigned the Kingdom Magnus was crowned at Vpsal who resumed the Title of King of the Swedes and Goths which had not been used by his Predecessors ever since the time of Olaus Skotkanung but is since retained by the Kings of Sweden to this day Under this King's reign the Family of the Tolekungers began to raise new Commotions and being assisted by some of the Nobilty murthered Ingemar Danschkep the King's Favourite and took Gerhard the E. of Holstein and Father-in-law to the K. Prisoner laying also close Siege to the Castle of Joncoring which oblig'd the K. to appeaâ—e them for that time by fair Promises but not long after the E. was released the K. accused them before the Assembly of the Nobility of High Treason and caused them all to be executed at Stockholm except Philip of Runby who was fain to redeem his Life at a very dear Rate And with this Stroke the Greatness of the Family of the Tolekungers was quite laid in the dust Having thus settled his Affairs he got his Lady Hederig crowned at Suderasping and with the advice of the Senators made King Waldemar a Prisoner in the Castle of Nicoping where he died four years after Magnus died in Wisignioc but was buried at Stockholm in the Church of the Grey Friars having left the Tuition of his Son Birger who was but eleven years of age and the Care of the Kingdom to Torckell Câ—utson the RixMarshal Torckell Cnutson was Regent for the space of thirteen years during which time he also imprisoned King Waldemar's Son but after their decease he sent an Army into Carâ—lia and having subdued this Nation and induced them to receive the Christian Faith he built on their Frontiers the Fortress of Wibourg and took from the Russians Kekhelm King Birger being by this time come to his riper Years married Mereta the Daughter of Erick King of Denmark and having sent new forces into Carelia and Ingermania built the Fortress of Norburgh on the Frontiers of Russia which however a few years after was retaken and demolished by the Russians Soon after he declared his Son Magnus who was but three years old his Successor in the Kingdom which was confirmed by the chief Men of the Kingdom and especially by his Brothers But this solemn Transaction was of no long continuance for the Brothers quickly fell into divisions among themselves and the two younger growing mistrustful of the King the Marshal retired first into Denmark and from thence into Norway to make use of that King's Intercession to recover their Inheritance which King Birger had seised upon but all this proving ineffectual they made several Inroads into West-Gothland and killed and dispersed the Swedish Troops that were sent to oppose them The King went at last in person with an Army and was met by his Brothers with some Forces which they had obtained of the King of Norway when by the Intercession of some Senators the Differences betwixt the Brothers were composed and the two younger restored to their Estates in Sweden This Agreement cost the old Torcell his Head who under pretence of having upheld the Ammosities betwixt the Brothers and some other matters laid to his charge was beheaded at Stockhelm But no sooner was this Wise Man dead but the two younger Brothers began to aim again at the Crown and having surprised the K. and Q. at their Country Seat called Hatuna forced him to resign the Kingdom and to surrender the Crown and City of Stockholm to his Brother Erick who made the King a Prisoner in the Castle of Nicoping but his Son Magnus was during this Tumult carried into Denmark The King of Denmark undertook 3 several Expeditions to relieve his Brother-in-law and Sister but to no great purpose only that at last it was agreed that the King Queen and their Children should be set at liberty and the matter decided in the Assembly of the Senate of the Kingdom The Senate therefore having been called together at Arâ—oga it was there concluded That in case King Birger would pardon all past Injuries and be contented with what part of the Kingdom should be assigned to him he should be set at liberty which was performed accordingly the Senate and his Brothers having again sworn fealty to him Thus matters seemed to be composed for the present when not long after a greater Storm broke out Erick the King of Denmark having made an Alliance with Haquin King of Norway came with an Army of 60000 Men into Sweden to assist King Birger in bringing his Brothers under his Subjection their first Success was answerable to their great Preparations having taken Joncoping and forced the Duke's Forces to fly before them but the Danes who began to be in want of Provision being most of them gone home there was a Meeting appointed betwixt the Brothers to be held at Helsinburgh where the former Agreement made at Aâ—bega was renewed by virtue of which Duke Erick was to have West Gothland Daht Halland Wermeland and Smalâ—nd Duke Waldemar was to have for his share Vpland Oeland and part of Finland the rest was to remain under the King and the Dukes to hold their Possessions in Fief from him Thus all Animosities seemed to be laid aside and the three Brothers lived in great splendor striving to out-do one another in Magnificence which occasioning some new Taxes proved also the occasion of some Insurrections in the Kingdom which were nevertheless happily appeased and Peace restored to the whole Kingdom In the mean while Duke Waldemar in his journey from Calmar to Stockholm gave a visit to the King at Nycoping who not only treated him with extraordinary Civility but also desired him to return and bring his Brother along with him by which means he hoped that the very seeds of their former Animosities betwixt them might be rooted out Waldemar being overcome by these fair Promises over-persuaded his Brother Erick who was very averse to it at first but at last consented Being arrived in the Castle where the King was they were kindly received and splendidly entertained at Supper but they had not been long in bed and most of their Servants dispersed into several Quarters of the Town till they were made Prisoners beaten
had been given to them since the year 1454. but also several other Church Lands and precious moveables all which he annexed to the Crown In the mean while the Bishops and their party were not idle but were contriving all manner of mischief against the King though with small success For the Dalekerls who had made an Insurrection were frightened by the King to comply with his commands and to send away their Leader the supposititious Sâ—ure and Sigismund King of Poland unto whom the dissatisfied party had proffered the Crown did not think fit to accept of it so that Bishop Brask despairing at last of the Roman Catholick Cause under pretence of a Journey retired to Dantzick The King having surmounted all these difficulties thought convenient not to defer any longer his Coronation which having been solemnized at Vpsal with the usual Solemnity he summoned the Rebellious Dalekerls to appear before him at Thuana threatning them with Fire and Sword if they did not appear at the appointed time The Rebels being throughly frightened by the King's severity appeared without Arms at the appointed place where he caused several of the Ringleaders to be Executed and dismissed the rest after having promised to be obedient for the future In Helsingland he appeased the tumultuous multitude with threats and fined their Leaders and having called together a Synod of the Clergy at Orebro where the King's Chancellour was President the chiefest Points of the Popish Doctrine were there abolished and in their stead the Protestant Religion introduced where it was also ordered that a Protestant Professor of Divinity should be Constituted in each Cathedral This wrought in a manner Miracles among the Inferiour Clergy and Monks who left their Monasteries were married and became Ministers in the Protestant Churches But the Bishops and their party entred into an Association with some of the dissatisfied Lords in West Gothland who accused the King of Heresie and other Crimes renouncing their Allegiance to him These were Headed by Thuro Johanson the Rix Marshal who raised an Insurrection among the Dalekerls and endeavoured also to stir up the West and East Gothes whom he persuaded to make Magnus Brynteson a Man in great Authority among them their King But the King having again appeased this tumult by granting his Pardon to them Magnus the Bishop of Skara and Thuro Johnson fled into Denmark but Magnus Bayteson Nils Olofson and Thuro Erickson having been Convicted of High Treason at the Dyet held at Strâ—ngness the two first were Executed and the third paid a considerable Fine The King then to settle the minds of his Subjects having renewed his Pardon caused the superfluous Bells to be taken out of the Steeples the same being granted to him by the Estates towards the payment of a Debt due to the Lubeckers Which proved a new Subject for an Insurrection for the Dalekerls not only seised upon some of these Bells but also pretended to hold an Assembly at Arboga to consult about the Deposing of King Gustave which obliged the King to call together the Estates at Vpsal whither he came in person with a good Army and meeting with great opposition from the mutinous People ordered his Soldiers to fire among them which so terrified them that upon their Knees they begged his Pardon promising to be more Obedient for the future Things being thus pretty well settled the King married Catharine the Daughter of Magnus Duke of Saxen Lauenburgh and having received intelligence that King Christian was landed in Norway with a considerable Force he sent some Troops under the Command of Lars Sigeson the Rix Marshal to the Frontiers of Norway who having been joined by some Danes forced King Christian to raise the Siege of Banus who at last surrendring himself to the Danes was by Frederick King of Denmark committed to Prison where he died after twenty seven years imprisonment But no sooner was this storm over but the Lubeckers raised another against Sweden For they having demanded from the King to grant them the whole Trade on his Northern Sea Coasts which he refused to consent to peremptorily demanded their Debt and having joyned with a great many Refugies of King Christian's party and made John Earl of Hoya who had married King Gustave's Sister their Head did propose to themselves no less than the Conquest of the Northern Kingdoms having inticed some Citizens of Stockholm under pretext of making that City a free Hanse Town to lay violent hands on the King And after the death of Frederick King of Denmark when that Kingdom was divided into several Factions persuaded the Senate of Copenhagen and Malmoe to enter into the Confederacy of the Hanse Towns Being thus strengthened by a considerable party within that Kingdom they had great success against the Danes till these having declared Christian III. their King and being assisted with Mony Ships and Forces by King Gustave beat the Lubeckers near Heâ—sinburgh and afterwards in a Sea-Fight defeated their whole Fleet and carried a great many of their Ships into Denmark Soon after King Gustave to strengthen himself the better at Home married Margaret the Daughter of Abraham Erickson Governor of West Gothland which Alliance stood afterwards his Son Duke John in great stead against King Erick King Gustave having also conceived a jealousie against the Emperour Charles V. whom he suspected to be for making Palls Grave Frederick Son in Law of the imprisoned King Christian King over the Northern Kingdoms took a resolution to strengthen himself with the Alliance of France To put this design in execution he sent his Secretary into France who having first made a Treaty of Commerce betwixt these two Crowns did also afterwards conclude a defensive Alliance betwixt them Gustave having thus settled his Affairs called a Dyet to be held at Westeraas where the Estates of the Kingdom declared the Succession Hereditary for the future Constituting Erick Gustaveson who was then but eleven years old his Father's Successor At the same Dyet the Popish Religion was quite abolished and the Lutheran Religion Established in Sweden the King and the Estates having obliged themselves by a Solemn Oath to maintain the same with all their power In the year 1551. King Gustave after the death of his Queen Margaret married Catharine the Daughter of Gustave Olufson and ruled the Kingdom of Sweden with great Tranquility except that the Russians had faln into Livonia and Finland with whom having made a Peace and being now grown very old he by his Testament gave to John his second Son the Dukedom of Finland to the third Son Magnus the Dukedom of East Gothland and to Charles the youngest of all the Dukedom of Sudermanland Nericke and Wermeland which Countries they were to hold in Fief from the Crown But his eldest Son Erick who was â—o succeed him in the Kingdom having been persuaded by his Tutor Dionysius Burraeus a Frenchman to make his Addresses to Elizabeth Queen of