EVROPE.

THe vniversall Globe of the Earth our moderne better experienced times haue found distinguished into fiue greater devisions, whervnto all the rest belong, & are parts: the New-found Lands of America, and Ma­gellanica, detected by late discoue­ries, and those of Asia, Africa, and Europe, lying in one Continent, and onely known vnto ancient ages. Of these the least, but most noble part, is Europe, the seate of Christianity, and of the Church of God, and the nurse of victorious, and famous nations, the glorious Con­querours of the World; wherein, banished from all other coun­tryes, mastered by tyrannie, basenes, ignorance, and barbarisme, religion, civility, arts, knowledge, libertie, and valour, at this day rest confined, the subiect of this discourse. The Etymologie hereof [Page 2] is altogetherEuropa autem, neque an fit mari cir­cumflua, ne (que) vnde hoc no­men acceperit, neque quis no­minis author, ab aliquo mor­talium cōper­tum est: nisi di­cat aliquis ab Europa Tyria nomen acce­pisse regionē, neque ante à si­cut caeteras, no­men habuisse. Tamen illam ex Asia fuisse constat, neque in hanc com­me asse terram, quae à Graecis vocatur Euro­pa, sed è Phoe­nice tantum in Cretam, & è Creta in Afri­cam. He [...]odoti Melpomene. vncertaine. The more exact bounds are vpon the North the Frozen Seas of Lapland, and Norwey; vpon the West the Vergiuian, and Atlantique Oceans; vpon the South the Straights of Gibraltar, and the Sea Mediterranean from Africa; and vpon the East fromIdeo quae in Europâ sunt prius Colloca­vimus, eamque nos à Libya Herculeo devi­simus freto, ab Asia verò pela­go interja­centi, ac palude Moeoti, flumi­neque Tanai, ac eo Meridia­no qui ad ter­ram pretondi­tur incognitam C. Ptolemei Geog. lib. 2. c. 1. vid. etiam Srab. Georg. lib. 2. C. Ptolem. Geog. l. 2. c. 1. Asia the Archi-pelago, the Seas Maggiore, and Za­bache, the riuer Don, and a line continued from thence vnto the White Sea, or Baye of S. Nicholas. It is situated betwixt the 36 and 71 1/2 degrees of Northerne latitude, and the 5, and 59 degrees of Longitude, accompting from the Meridian by the Azores. The longest day at the towne of Gibraltar in Spaine, which is the most Southerne point, containeth about 14 houres, and a quarter. At Wardhuis, the point most Northerly, the greatest continuance of the Sunne aboue the Horizon lasteth 2 whole moneths, 22 dayes, & some 7 houres. It containeth the distinct Provinces, and names of Spaine, France, Germanie, the Low-Countries, Switzerland, Denmarke, Nor­wey, Sweathland, Prussen, Leifland, Poland, Lithuania, Podolia, part of the Tartars, and Russes, Hungarie, Transsylvania, Walachia, Moldavia, Bulgaria, Bosna, Servia, Rascia, Windish-land, Italy, and Greece, seated in the maine land, and of Ilands, lying in the Ocean, beside some les­ser, those of Island, Freisland, Great Brittaine, Ireland, Cadiz, Mallorca, Menorca, Sardinia, Corsica, Sicilie, and Candia, with those many of the Archi-pelago, devided amongst 9 greater Monarchs, the Em­perours of the Romans, or Germans, Russes, and Turkes, and the Kings of Great Brittaine, France, Spaine, Denmarke, Sweathland, & Poland, together with the free Common-wealths, and inferiour Princes of the Netherlands, Italy, the Switzers, and Grisons. Ptolemie in his 2 Booke sorteth these into the (c) more Westerne, and the more Easterne Pro­vinces, whose methode I haue here obserued. In the more We­sterne devision he comprehendeth the Brittish Ilands, Iberia, or Spaine, Celto-galatia, or Gaule, Germany, Rhaetia, Vindelicia, Noricum, Pannonia, Illyris, and Dalmatia, contayning now the Kingdomes of Great Brittaine, and Ireland, Spaine, France, Germany, the Switzers, Netherland, Denmarke, Norwey, Sweathland, Hungary, Windischland, Krabbaten, Bosna, Contado di Zara, Dalmatia, & Albania, with their Ilands, whose descriptions, state, and sundry fortunes follow in or­der.

GREAT BRITAINE.

THE Country hath beene thus distingui­shed from Britaine in France, in regard of the lesser extension thereof named the Lesser Britaine. It is a famous Iland seated in the Ocean to the North-west of the Continent of Europe some 30 I­talian miles (where the passage is the narrowest) from France, or the next maine land, the Great Iland (as Aristi­des Aristides. calleth it) another world afterSolini Poly­hist. c. 25. Solinus, the Worke of sporting Nature af­ter Gerard Mer­cat. in Britan­nia. Mercator, made more gracefully to adorne the Vniverse, the glory of Ilands, the Queene, and mistresse of the seas, and the beauty of the West. The bounds are vpon the West part of the Westerne Ocean, with S. George his Channell from Ireland; vpon the North, the open and spacious Northerne seas; vpon the East, the German Ocean from Den­marke, Germany, and the Netherlands; and vpon the South the English Channell from France.

The figure hereof is Triangular, or Three-square, whose Basis might be the Sea-coast towards France.

It lyeth in the Northern halfe-part of the temperate Zone, extended from the 16⅚ vnto the 21 degree of Longitude, accompted from the first Meridian by the Azores Ilands; and from the 50⅙ degree vnto the 60½ of Northerne Latitude, or from beyond the 18 Paralel, or the beginning of the eight Clime vnto beyond the 27 Paralel, or begin­ning of the 13 Clime. The longest day at the Lizard point in Cornwall (the most Southerly part) contayneth about 16 houres, and a quarter. At Straithy head in Scotland (which is the point lying farthest to the North) the same containeth 18 houres, and 3 quarters. The length of the Iland from South to North after this accompt is some 620 Italian miles. The greatest Breadth betwixt East and West according to a right line is about 250 of the same miles. Camden reckoneth 320 miles, bending with the crookes, and turnings of the Sea-coast. The [Page 4] whole circumference he accompteth at 1836 miles. A Paralel drawne ouer the middle hereof hath (after Ptolemy) almost that proportion to a Meridian, Ptol. Geog. lib. 8. c. 3. or Greater Circle, as hath eleven to twenty. It comprehen­deth two Kingdomes of England, and Scotland, of late yeares vnited vnder one Prince, of which seuerally with their Ilands.

ENGLAND.

The bounds hereof are vpon the South, West, and East the same with those of great Brittaine, & vpon the North frō Scotlād the Tweede, and Solway Frith, with the riuer of Eske, running into the Solway.

It is situated betwixt the 50⅙, and 55 48/60 degrees of Northern Lati­titude, and is subiect to the 8, 9, and 10 Climes. The longest day in the most Southerly point hereof is 16 houres and a quarter. At Berwicke (the point most Northerly) it contayneth 17 houres, and 48 minutes. It hath in length after this computation 340 Italian miles.

The Aire is close, thicke, moyst, and much subiect to winds and stormy weather, yet very healthfull, sweet, and exceedingly tempe­rate, not molested with those vehement, and piercing colds of Win­ter, or scorching heats of Summer, vsuall to regions of the same Clime, or of more Northerly Latitudes. In regard hereof the people ordi­narily here liue very long (if not broken with surfeits, and bad diets) healthie, and not much encombred with diseases. The Country is plaine for the most part, or rising with easie downes, seeming plaines a farre of (Wales, and the English Apennine excepted) pleasant, and most fruitfull, flourishing with a perpetuall greenesse of meadowes, corne-fields, woods, and grassie hills, and stored with all varieties both for necessitie, and ornament, which the colder Clime can bring forth. The cloath, and wools hereof for quantity, and finenesse exceed those of all other parts, much desired abroad, and cloying forreine markets with an ouer great abundance. No Countrey yeeldeth such plenty of beeues, sheepe, and cattell. Corne serueth here for both vses of bread, and drinke; yet not with that superfluity that much can be spared, through the luxurie of the Nation, or their neglect of tillage, and the iniury of the great ones turning arable to green swarths, ouermuch addicted to pasturage and feeding. The hilly, and more barren parts swell with profitable, and rich minerals of silver, copper, iron, sea-coale, & allom, but more especially of tinne, and lead. The seas swarme with fish, but not much regarded by the Natiues through their inexcusable slouth, or glutted with their flesh, and store of land provision.

The Inhabitants most commonly are tall, and bigge of stature (com­pared with Southerne Nations) fayre (especially the women com­mended for their lasting beauties) proper, well proportioned, and surpassing others in a more apt posture, and gracefull carriage of their bodies, graue, witty, pleasant, well spoken, generous, bountifull, or ra­ther prodigall, spending aboue their ranke and meanes, lavish, and vnconstant in their apparrell, and liberall, dainty, and neate feeders. In war they are accompted valiant (but not so hardie) feirce, vndaun­ted, fearelesse of danger, not accustomed to fly, resolute, constant, and quickly disciplined. No nation hath afforded more braue and expert [Page 5] Sea-men, with stout, and swiftships failing in all weathers, Seas and Oce­ans. The Learned in all ages haue beene much deseruing, and no lesse esteemed, Beda, Alensis, Scotus, Occam, the two Bacons, Bradwardine, o­ther auncients, to omit those of latter times. From hence Germany, Poet. Germ. Citat. á Cam­deno (de An­glo: Saxoni­bus) v. etiam Comment. lo­achimi Vadiani in Pompon. Melae lib. 3. (de Hispan. & Sep­tent. I [...]sulis. and the Westerne parts were first recouered from ignorance, and barbarisme, overwhelmed with a deluge of the rude Northerne Nati­tions. From hence more especially France at two severall times, by the Brittish v. Caesaris Com. Bell. Gal. lib. 6. Druides vnder the Gaules, and by Alcuinus v. Trithemi­um de Ecclesi­asticis Scripto­ribus. Annal. Gallicos. &c. vnder Charles the Great, and the French, the first publicke reader at Paris, the occasion, and Authour of that most auncient, and flourishing Vniversi­ty. At this day in the iudgment of vnpartiall relaters amongst other learning they not so much equall as exceed all others in Poetry, Orato­ry, close, deepe, and substantiall penning, and composing of those subiects, which they vndertake, sermons & practique Devinity; but whose most & best writings being English are not so well knowne abroad.

The Vulgar languages here spoken are the Welsh and Cornish, reman­ders (as are the people) of the ancient Brittish; and the English, origi­nally Dutch, brought hither by the Saxons, although now much diffe­ring frō the present Dutch or German, through a long disunion of the 2 nations, & the mixture hereof with the Norman or French, & Latine.

The religion of the Pagan Britons was the same with the auncient Gaules v. Caes. Com. Bell. Gall. lib. 6. & Taciti Iulij Agricolae vitā.. who first planted the Christian, it is vncertaine. The Mag­deburgenses in their 1 Century, and 2 booke and Chapter bring in S. Paule heare preaching the Gospel out of the 9 sermon of Theodoret ad Groecos Infideles▪ Surius S. Peter in his 29 of Iune out of Simeon Me­taphrastes. The second of these their authorities I haue not yet seene. The first of them (in the place recited) relateth no such matter.

An old manuscript in the Vatican remembred by Baronius ma­keth otherwise Ioseph v. Annal. Eccl. Baronij. Anno Christi. 35. of Aramathaea to haue beene the first, con­firmed by Malmesburiensis in his AntiquitiesMalmesbur. de antiq. Glaf­toniae. of the monastery of Glastenbury. Higher proofes in this wee haue none. Of something better authority Nicephorus CallistusNicephori Callisti Eccles. Histor. lib. 2 c. 4., DorotheusDorothei Sy­nops. de vità, & morte prophe­tarum., and the MenologieMenologium Graecorum 10 die Maij. of the Greekes mention Simon Zelotes, who here should suffer martyrdome (the time they set not downe) contradicted by the RomanMartyrologi­um Romanum 28 Octob. Martyrologie, andMartyrologi­um Bedae. S. Ca­lend. Novemb. that of Beda, both which affirme that he dyed in Persia. Besids these, DorotheusDorothei Sy­nopsis, de vita & morte pro­phetarum. nameth Aristobulus (remembred by S. Paule in the last Chapter of his Epistle to the Ro­mans) whom he entitleth Bishop of the Britons. Eusebius, Socrates and all the more approued Ecclesiasticall writers are wholy silent in this argument. In the raigne of the Emperours Antoninus Verus, & Au­relius Commodus Bedae Eccles. Histor. Anglo­rum. lib. 1. c. 4. after Beda (or more rightly of Commodus) vnder king Lucius Eleutherius being then Bishop of Rome, the Gospell in Britaine is first publikly receiued, continuing from that time in full rest, and without molestation vntill the tenth persecution vnder Dioclesian, and the holy Martyrdome of ib. lib. 1 c. 6. & 7. S. Alban, a Citizenv. Geldae Epis­tolam de exci­dio, & conques­tu Brittanniae. of Verolamium, a­mongst others put to death neare vnto that citty in the place where afterwards was built (by great Offa) the famous Monastery of S. Alban, in time occasioning the towne, thus named. In what manner this Luci­us [Page 6] was King of the Britons, Nennius and Beda, who first tell the story mention not. Baroniusv. Annales Eccl. Coes. Ba­ronij Anno Christi 183. in his Annalls seemeth to stand doubtfull betwixt three opinions. I either that he commaunded amongst the Britons beyond the Roman pale. 2, or that he was some substitute king in the Province vnder the Romans. 3, or newly elected by the seditious Roman Britons, rebelling then against Commodus. The second opinion is the most probable (the custome of the Romans quaedam civi­tates Cogidu­no regi donatae vetere, & iam pridem recep­ta populi Ro­mani consue­tudine, vt ha­beret instru­menta servitu­tis & reges. Corn. Tacit vita Iulij Agri­colae. being considered, hauing aunciently kings for their subjects,) and that he ruled ouer on­ly a part of the Roman Province. That about, or before this tyme the Britons had receiued the Christian faith, the words of Tertullian, li­uing in the raigne of Commodus, and Severus, doeBritanorum inaccessa Ro­manis loca Christo sunt subdita. Tertullian. ad­versus Iudaeos cap. 7. vide etiam Theodo­ret. ad Graecos Infideles Serm. 9 & Nicephori Callisti Histor. Eccl. lib. 3. c. 1. sufficiently wit­nesse. Under the Emperour Constantine the Great, borne in this Iland Bedae Ec. His Anglorum lib. 1. c. 8. of Helena a Brittish woman, religion here is first generally authori­zed, as in all other places subiect to the Roman Empire, clouded soone after with a blacke darkenesse of Arian ibidem. infection, begun in the raigne hereof, and condemned by the first Nicene councell, but resu­ming greater strength vnder his son Constantius, who next succeded; and with a generall plague spreading over this Province, together with the whole Christian world. This tempest blowne ouer, the Or­thodox faith is againe endangered in the raigne of Arcadius, & Hono­rius ibidem lib. 1. c. 10. 17. & 21. by the heresie of Pelagius, a natiue of this Country, vndertaking a proud warre (to vse the words of my Author) against the sauing grace of God: in whose refutation S Austine much laboured, who then liued; here routed out by the authority, and religious, and learned endea­vours of S. German, and S. Lupus, Bishops of Auxerre, and Trois in France, at the request of the Britons sent hither by the French Churcb; and lastly after sundry relapses, by S. David v. Balaei Cent. 1. nu. 55 &c. Bishop of Meneva, or Menew (since from hence called S. Davids) in the raigne of Arthur king of the Britons. About those tymes flourished (amongst others of that nature here, and amongst the Scots in Ireland) the famous Monastery of Banchor, erected long before the time of S. Benedict, or of anyknowne order,Bedae eccl. Histor. Anglo­rum lib. 2. 2. and rule of Monkes, consisting after my author of sea­uen parts, or devisions vnder their seuerall heads, each whereof contei­ned at the least 300 persons, maintained by the labour of their hands without salary, or revenue. The ruines hereof are yet seene vpon both sides of the Dee in Flintshire in Wales, the course of the riuer hauing since beene altered.v. infrà In the yeare of Christ 449, Valentinian the third then succeeding in the Westerne Roman Empire, the Saxons, or Dutch, at that time Pagans vnder their Prince Hengist arriue in Kent, followed by fresh Colonies of the same Religion, & Nation, seazing vpon other parts of the Ilands; by which meanes Christianity is here againe almost totally obscured, if not fully extinguished, driuen out with the natiue Britons, and confined onely with in Wales, Cornwall, and the Westerne Mountaines. Their prophane gods (if it be worth the noting) were Tuisto v. Corn. Ta­citum de mo [...]i­bus Germ [...]o­rum. mentioned by Tacitus, and vvoden Malmesbur. de Gestis An­glorum lib. 1. c. 1. &c. and Frea by Malmesbu­riensis, in whose honour the second, third, and fift dayes of the weeke were named Tuesday, VVednesday, and Friday continued since in the flourishing time of the Gospell, and vnto this present. [Page 7] The neighbouring vncharitable Welsh, Sicut è [...]ntrá Britones, qui nolebant An­ [...]lis eam, quam. habebant, fidei Christianae notitiam pan­dere. &c. Bedae Eccl. Histor. lib. 5. c. 23. v. etiam e [...]usdem Ec. Hist. lib 2. c. 2. & 20. et lib. 5. cap 24. or Britons not vouchsafing their aide, and disdaining all commerce herewith, offended with their iniurie, and intrusion, S.Ibidem lib. [...] c. [...]3. c. et lib. 2. c. 1. 5. et 6. Austine, a Monke ofF [...]or. Histor. per Matth [...]um Westmon. Rome, is sent hi­ther from Gregorie the Great, then Bishop of that sea, at whose hands Ethelbert chiefe King of the English, & his Kentish Saxons receiue bap­tisme; the first Archbishop of Durovernia, or Canterburie, arriving here in the raigne of Mauritius, Emperour of the East, and some 150 yeares after the first comming of Hengist. Kent by diuine grace be­ing thus illuminated, the other kingdomes of the English Heptarchy fol­low not long after: The East-Saxons, vnder their KingBedae Eccl. Histor. Anglo­rum, l. 2. c. 3. et 5. et l. 3. c. 22. Sebert through the authority of King Ethelbert, and by the preaching of Mel­litus, first Bishop of London vnder the Saxons, relapsing soone after vnder Selred, Seward, and the first and second Sigeberts, idolatrous princes; and recouered to the faith vnder Sigebert the third, through the perswasions of Oswy king of Northumberland, and the pious la­bours of S. Cedde the second Apostle, and Bishop hereof after S. Mel­litus: the Northumbrians Ibidem l. 2. c. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. et 14. &c. v. eti­am Eiusdem l. 3. c. 1 et 3. vnder their kings Edwin, and Oswald, and by the preachings of Paulinus, and Aidan, the first bishops of Yorke, and Lindisfarne: the East-Angles Ibidem lib. 2 c. 15. et l. 3. c. 18. vnder their King Erpenwald by the instigation of Edwin King of Northumberland, after three yeares apostacy (Erpenwald deceased,) confirmed in the Orthodoxe religion through the industry, and holy raigne of King Sigebert: the West-Sa­xons Ibidem lib. 3. c. 7. vnder their King Kingils by the preaching of S. Birinus, the first bishoppe of Dorchester in Oxford-shire, and through the godly zeale of Oswald, king of Northumberland: The Mercians vnder their kingIbidem lib. 3▪ c. 21. 23. et 24. et lib. 4. c. 3. Penda, and Peada, and Wulsfhere, sonnes to Penda, by the prea­chings amongst othersCedda, Adda, Be [...]ti, et Diuma permittente Rege Penda. Bedae Eccles. Histor. Aug. l. 3. c. 21. et Cellach Trumhere, [...]a­romano, et Ceadda sub P [...]ada, et Wulf­here. ib. l. 3. c. 24. of S. Ceadda, an Apostle of the Mercians, and the firstHabuit au­tem (Ceadda) sedem Episco­palem in loco, qui vocatur Liccid feld, in quo et defun­ctus est, et se­pultus, vbi vs (que) hodiè se quen­tium quoque provinciae illi­us Episcapor [...] sedes est ib. l. 4. c. 3. bishop of Lichfield, brother to Cedde, the second bi­shop of the East-Saxons, and by the meanes of Oswy King of North­umberland: and the South-Saxons Ib: l. 4 [...]. 13. vnder their King Edilwalch by the preaching of S. Wilfrid, Arch-bishoppe of Yorke, liuing then here exiled, thrust out of his bishoppricke by Egfrid, King of the North­umbrians, sonne, and successour to Oswy. The last Countrey conver­ted vnder the English, was the Ile ofIb. l. 4▪ c. 16. Wight, subdued, and forced to the Christian beleife by Ceadwalla, King of the West-Saxons. Great was the heate, and devotion of that first more good, plaine, and sim­ple age, Churches, and Oratories builded, Bishopprickes erected, Monasteries founded; then the onely nurseries of learning, and reli­ligion, and painefull ministers euery-where planted, sincere,Ib. l. 3. c. 26. v etiam Eiusdem l. 3. c. 5 et 28. iust, exemplary, without hypocrisie, faction, pride, ambition, and desire of worldly gaine, couetous only of the glory of God, and the promotion of his Church, by whose holy endeavours (England then being too strait to containe so earnest, and immense a Zeale) the neighbouring Germans not long after tooke flame, and were wonne vnto the faith, in regard thereof, and of their commonBedae Eccl. Histor. Anglorum. l. 5. c. [...]1. et [...]2. Alberti Krantzij Metrop. l. 1. c. 6. 7. et 8▪ Magdeburg. Cent. 8. c▪ 2▪ Baron Annal. Eccles. Anno Christi 697. et 710. language (which then was the same with the Dutch) chiefely aboue others imployed in this sa­cred worke by the Bishops of Rome and the French Kings, to whom the Countrey was then subiect. Amongst these of more honourable me­mory [Page 8] were S. Willebrord the first bishop of Vtreicht, S. Weiro bishop of Deira, S.Pectheimus Bedae Ec. Hist. lib. 5. c. 24. Plechelmus, bishop of Wit-herne, or Candida Casa, S. Swibert bishop of Werden, S. Acca bishop of Hagustald, S. Marcelline, and others, the Apostles of the Thuringians, Frisons, and the Lower Germans in the Regency of Pepin the Fat, Maiour of the Palace of the French kings, S. Willebald the Apostle of East-france, and first bishop of Eystet at the same time, and S. Willehade the Apostle of the Saxons, and first bishop of Bremen, but more especially Saint Boniface, or Winifride, the first Arch-bishoppe of Mentz, and the generall Apostle of the Nation (acknowledged thus by the vnpartiall Dutch, and Popish Relaters) about the yeare 710, and Papacie of Gregorie the second, after many re­lapses the establisher here of religion, and meanes of their more per­fect, and full conuersion. The English we finde not as yet enthralled to the Church of Rome, although not without their errours, and much reverencing the authority of that sea, from whence had proceeded their conuersion, followingquod vt facili­us, & maiore authoritate perficeret▪ Nai­tanus rex Pi­ctorum) quaesi­vit auxilia de gente Anglo­rum, quos iam­dudum ad ex­empium sanctae Romanae, & A­postolicae Ec­clesiae suam re­ligionem insti­tuisse cognovit Bedae Eccles. Histor. Anglo­ [...]um. l. 5. c. 22. their doctrine, & honouring the same with their frequent pilgrimages, their pension of Peter pence Flores Hist. per Mat. West. Monaster. An. 727. & 794. and with the coule, and religious habitsvid. infra. of sundry of their Kings. The Welch then, orv. Bedae Eccl. Hist. l. 2. c. 2. Britons were altogether averse from all acknowledg­ment hereof, neither obeying the Legates of the Popes, neither yeel­ding to their decisions, or conforming to their rule, differing from them in sundry points. A maine controuersie betwixt them was the Ibid. l. 2. c. 2. & l. 5. c. 24. celebration of Easter, of whom the Britons (from whom the Picts, and Scots Ibid. l. 3. c. 29. did not much differ) observed the 14 day after the New­moone in March, or the first Moneth, following the custome of the Church of Asia, and pretending the practice of Saint Iohn the Evange­list, and the Romans with the English, and others, the Sunday after the 14 day, alleadging an Apostolicall tradition, a scruple then much di­sturbing the peace of Christendome, andConcili. R [...]. Palestin. Pon­tic. Gall [...]. Os­roen. et Ephe­sin habit. circa, An D: 198; Vi­ctore Pontifice Rom. & Severo Imperat. et Concil. Nicen: [...]: sub Imperat. Constantino magno: v. Binij Concil: Tom: 1 et Eusebij Ec: Histor: l: 5: c: 22: disputed of in sundry Synods. No lesse was the controversie (but long afterwards, and a­mongst the English themselues, betwixt the married,) & vnmarried v Hoveden: Partem prio­rom in Rege Edgaro: ib: Re­ge Guilielmo Primo: et Hen: Huntingdon: l: 7: Rege Hen­rico Primo: Priests in the raignes of Edwy, Edgar, Edward the Martyr, & Etheldred, Monarches of the English-Saxons; as likewise after the conquest▪ of the Normans (for vntill this time Priests were married,) adiudged a­gainst the married Priests through the pretended miracles of S. Dun­stan (a great vpholder of the Monkish faction,) & the sentence of Pope Hildebrand in the yeare 1074, and raigne of William the Conquerour, and lastly (for yet notwithstanding the Popes interdict the Priests still kept their wiues) by Anselmus Arch-bishoppe of Canterbury, and a Synod then held at London in the raigne of King Henry the first. In the raigne ofvid: infrà. great Egbert, and about the yeare 829 breake in the mer­ciles, and Pagan Danes, through whom, and the many Popish errours, which already had crept in, religion is againe eclypsed. Their Idol was Thur, Adam Bre­mensis: giuing afterwards the name of Thursday to the fourth day of the weeke. By holyvid: Infrà: Alfred, Edward the Seniour, and Athel­stan the second, they are at length subdued, and for the time either ex­pulsed the Country, or brought vnder the English, and Christian yoake. By this time the long aspiring Papacy had gotten the vpper [Page 9] hand ouer the rest of the Churches of the West, and princes, people, di­vine, and humane Lawes here, as in all other places, are made subject to the sole will, and free arbitration hereof. By Pope Alexander v. Infr. the second, the Normans are authorized to vsurpe the Crowne of Eng­land, Edgar, and the Saxon line (the right heires) excluded, and the oppressed English disabled for making resistance, terrified, and kept in by Papall cursings. By Innocent the third King Iohn is made vassall v. Infrà. to the pretended Apostolique sea, surrendring his Crowne, and re­suming the same againe to be held vnder the fee, and tribute of the Popes. The Christian world hauing beene long abused, Iohn Wiclef, Walsingham Hist. Regibus Edvardo Ter­tio, & Richa [...]do secundo. a soecular Diuine of the Vniversity Oxoniensis Borealis. ib. of Oxford, and Rectour of Lut­terworth in Leicester shire in the raignes of Edward the third, and Richard the second first to any effect opposeth against the tyranny hereof, and those errours, and impostures, which antiquity, superstitious, and im­provident zeale, and their ambition, and avarice had obtruded vpon religion, fauoured by Iohn of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, Henry Lord Per­cy, the ChancelourWalsingham Hist. Regibus Edvardo Ter­tio, & Richa [...]do secundo. and body of the Vniuersity, sundry Regulars, and Priests, the Londoners, and multitudes of the Common, and Lay peo­ple, & besides England spreading his opinions ouer the neighbouring Germany, the authour of the reformation of theAenaeae Sylvij Histor. Bohe­micam. Ioachi­mum Camera­rium de Fra­trum Ortho­doxorum Ec­clesijs in Bohe­mia. Hussits amongst the Bohemians, withstood by the Praelates, and Monkes, thundred a­gainst by Bulls, of the Pope sent to the King, the Bishops, and Vniver­sity, and condemned by the Councell of Constance, the liue bodies of Husse, and Hierome of Prage, and the bones of Wicleffe in detestati­on of their pretended heresie being burnt by the order of that Synod. The positions hereof are to be read in the history of Walsingham, but v. supra. mingled with many falsities, and vntruthes, through the malice of that relater a Monke, and of those times no friends to his cause. What more rightly they were, is better seene in the confession of the Hus­sits, or Bohemians, arising from hence, & moulded after his doctrine. Now begun the ancient, holy, and grand-esteeme of the Church to as­swage, and coole, superstition to be vnmasked, the Papall power to grow suspected, his censures to become more vile, the wealth, and great reuenues of the Monks, and Cleargie to be envyed, and their liues, and actions to be scanned, and looked into by a more narrow, & censorious eye. In the raigne of King Richard the second,Parliament: habit. Gloces­triae v. Hist. Walsingham. rege Richard. 2. a petition is exhibited by Parliament for the taking away of all their temporall possessions, not assented vnto, and reiected by that plaine, and well meaning prince. The like is attempted byParliament. habit. apud Westmon. 11. Reg. Henrici 4. & Lecestriae an. 2 Henrici 5. v. Fabia n. Chro. an. D. 1410, & Hen. 4. 11. & an. D. 1414, & 2 [...] Henr. 5. et. 8. two other Parliaments in the raigne of Henry the fourth, and Henry the fift, pretending their abuse, and better imployment in the reliefe of the poore, the mainte­nance of Esquires, Knights, and Lords, and the seruice of the King, lastly diuerted (the suppression of Monasteries excepted, belonging vnto strangers) through the wisedome of Henry Chichlie Arch-bishop of Canterbury, proposing the more honourable French warres, and declaring the vndoubted right of the Prince to that Crowne. By king Henry the eight, provoaked by the excommunication, and rash censures of Pope Clement the seaventh, the Papall An. 28. Hen. [...] authority is aboli­shed [Page 10] through the Realme, and the power, and title of supreame head of the English Church assumed, and entayled vpon his successours, some abuses about images, and the Scriptures, and prayers in an vn­knowne tongue in part reformed, and Monasteries, and religious houses (stiffe abetters of the Romish Hierarchie) to the great astonish­ment of the world vtterly razed, and demolished, and their whole possessions, whether Temporalties, or tithes, & offerings (the vndoub­ted rights of the Church) escheated to the Crowne, and fold, or giuen to lay persons through passion, avarice, or his zeale against the many vices, and enormities of the Monkes, or to engage the laity (without which possibly he could not haue withstood so great a danger) in his warre against the Papacy, and Cleargie, partakers with him of their spoyles. Vnder Edward the sixt, religion is more fullyAn. 5 & 6 Edvardi. 6. established, and the Church purged from errours, and superstition, the Masse, and the rest of the 6 bloudy articles of his father abrogated, images pul­led downe, the holy Eucharist administred vnder both kinds, and the Scripture, and deuine seruice read in the vulgar language, yet done not without much rapine, and iniurie, committed vnder pretence of reformation, the sacred monuments of the dead in Churches defaced, and Bishoppricks, Collegiate Churches, Hospitalls, and Almes-hou­ses being robbed of their reuenewes by sacrilegious greatnes during the licentious raigne of that most hopefull, but young, & pupill king, By Queene Mary (a great strength, to whose title was the dispensati­tion, and authority hereof) Religion is againe made vassall to the sea of Rome, andAn. 1 & 2. Phil. & Mariae, the power and iurisdiction of the Pope restored, with condition notwithstanding that the lands, and goods lately taken from the Cleargy, should remaine to their lay possessours; without which caution, the Nobility, and Commons in Parliament, (whose ioynt interest this was) would not giue their consent, persecution ra­ging soone after with fresh furie, and the whole kingdome flaming with fires, and gashly sights of burning Martyrs. Queene Elizabeth of famous memory gaue an end to theseAn. 1. Eliza­bethae. long afflictions and vnsetled state of the Church, the Gospell reestblished with mature and graue aduice, and confirmed by her many victories, and long and prospe­rous raigne, continued since by her glorious successour King Iames, maintained by the authority of his royall pen, the faiths vndoubted defender, the Churches patron, and the true Cleargies friend; & with no lesse zeale, and constancie by Charles, our gracious soueraigne now raigning, heire of his Fathers Crowne, and Prin [...]ly vertues.

The Religion then here publiquely allowed, is the Reformed, or Protestant, whose briefeThe booke of Articles. summe is set downe in the 39 Articles, agreed vpon in a Convocation holden at London in the yeare 1562, and con­firmed by the Cleargie of both Provinces. The supreame head here­of is the prince by a common right, and prerogatiue of Kings, and by decreeAn. 26. Henr. 8. & 1 Elizabeth of Parliament enacted in the yeare 1534, & 26 of the raign of King Henry the eight. The Cleargie are Arch-bishops, Bishops, and inferiour ranks, all Regulars, or Monks excluded.

The Arch-bishops, v Bedae Histor. Eccl. Anglorum Malmesbur. de Gestis Pontifi. Anglorum. Francis. God­vvin Epis. Lan­daven. de Prae­sul [...]bus Angliae. or Metropolitane seas follow. Canterbury Cantuatiensis idem Dorover­nonsis. Bed. whose [Page 11] Diocesse with that of Rochester is Kent, and whose Province in a man­ner is the whole South-part of England, on this side Trent, and Humber, begunne about the yeare 596 by Ethelbert, the first Christian King of the Kentish Saxons in the person of Saint Austine, the first Apostle of the English. The Bishops hereof are named Primates, and Metropo­litans of all England by order of Convocation in the yeare 1534. For­merly during the Romish Hierarchy, Redit. 2816l. 17s. 9d. they assumed the title of Legats of the Popes, and Primates of all Britaine.

Yorke, Eboracensis. i­dem Nordan­humbrorum. Bed. whose Diocesse is Nottinghamshire, and Yorkeshire, and Pro­vince the part of England vpon the North of Humber, Dee, and Trent, founded about the yeare 652 by Edwin King of Northumberland in the person of Paulinus, Redit. 1609l. 19s. 2d. Chaplaine to his Queene Ethelburga, and the Apostle of these Northerne parts of the English.

The Bishopricks may thus be ranked vnder their seas Metropolitane. Londinensis. i­dem Orienta­lium Saxonum. Bed. vnder Canterbury, London, whose Diocesse is Essex, Middlesex, and part of Hartfordshire, founded about the yeare 606 by Sebert, and Ethelbert, Kings of the East, and Kentish Saxons in the person of Mell [...]us, the Apostle of the East-Saxons, and continued after a long apostacy by Sigebert, the second Christian king hereof in the person of S. Cedde the second Apostle, and Bishop, brother to Saint Ceadda, (for thus are the names distinguished,) the Apostle, and Bishop of Lichfield, and the Mercians. The Bishops hereof are otherwise in Beda named of the East-Saxons. Redit. 1119l. 8s. 4d. The extent of their iurisdiction hath not any thing beene altered since the time of their institution.

Winchester, Wintoniensis. idem Occiden­talium Saxo­num. Bed. Dorcestrensis. founded by Kenwald king of the VVest-Saxons in the per­son of VVina a Frenchman, taken out of the large Diocesse of Dorce­ster by Oxford in the time of Agilbert, the second Bishop of that sea, founded by King Kingills, father to Kenwald in the person of Be­rinus an Italian, the Apostle of the West-Saxons. Agilbert forsa­king England, discontented with this division, and the promotion of VVina, the voyde Bishopricke of Dorcester became vnited to VVina, & to the sea hereof. By king Ina the South-Saxons are likewise herevn­to added vpon his conquest of that Countrey. The great Bishoprick of VVinchester contained then by this meanes both kingdomes of the South, and West-Saxons. By Ina about the yeare 704▪ the Bishop­ricke of Sherborne is taken out.Sherburnensis. Selseiensis. i­dem Australi­um Saxonum. Bed. Not long after, in the yeare 711, the Bishopricke of Selsey for the South-Saxons. The Diocesse af­ter so many loppings, comprehendeth now the countries onely of Surrey, and Hantshire, with the Iles of VVight, Iersay, Garnsay, and Al­derney. In the yeare 733, Dorcester was againe made a Bishops see, but for the Province of the Mercians, takē out of the Diocesse of Lich­field. Out of Sherborne by Edward, surnamed the Elder, were devided the Bishoprickes of VVells for Sommersetshire, of Ramesbury for Wilt­shire,Ramesburien­sis. and of Kirton, and Bodman for Devonshire, and Cornwall. Of these Ramesbury became vnited againe with Sherborne in bishop Her­man, Cridiensis. Bodmin. and the raigne of Edward the Confessour. Bodman during the Danish warres, was translated to S. Germans, and lastly vnited with [Page 12] Kirton by the authority of king Canutus. Of Kirton, and VVells here­after.Red. 249 [...]l. 9s. 8d. ob. The Bishops of Winchester were otherwise in Beda named of the West-Saxons.

Lincolne, Lincolniensis. begunne at Dorcester by Oxford in the yeares aforesaid, & brought hither by Bishop Remigius in the raigne of the Conquer [...]ur, ac­cording to the order of a Synod at London, that the Sees of bishops in obscure and decayed townes should be remoued to the chiefe citties of each Diocesse. It conteined then the middle of England betwixt the riuer of Thames, and Humber. By king Henry the first, the bishop­pricke of Elie is taken out. By Henry the eight those of Oxford, and Peterborough. Red. 894l. 18s. 1d. ob. It extendeth yet over Lincolneshire, Leicestershire, Hun­tingdonshire, Bedfordshire, and Buckinghamshire, with part of Hartford­shire, the largest of all the English bishopricks.

Sarisburie, Sarisburiensis. begunne at Sherborne by Ina king of the West-Saxons in the person of Adelmus about the yeare 704, and remoued hither by bishop H [...]man in the raigne of the Conquerour. Red. 1385l. 5s. ob. It conteineth now VViltshire, and Barkshire.

Excester, Exoniensis. begunne at Kirton in Devonshire in the person of Adulfus, by Edward, surnamed the Elder, Monarch of the English, and remoued hither vnder bishop Leofricus in the raigne of Edward the Confessour. Red. 500l.

VVells, Bath. & Wel­lensis. tooke out of the Diocesse of Sherborne, and founded in the person of Athelmus by Edward the Elder, Monarch of the English-Sa­xons. By Iohn de Villula vnder king VVilliam Rufus the See was remo­ued to Bath. Vnder bishop Robert in the raigne of king Stephen the two Churches (of Bath, and VVells) after much contention are agreed, and the Bishoppes are to assume the title of both places,Redit. 533l. 1s. 3d. continuing euer since. The Diocesse hereof is onely Somersetshire.

Chichester, Cicestrensis, i­dem Australi­um Saxonum. Bed. begun in Selsey by Edilwalch the first Christian king of the South-saxons, in the person of S. VVilfride, the exiled bishop of Yorke, or of Northumberland: the Apostle hereof; after VVil­fride, and the conquest of the country by the West-Saxons, vnited to Winchester; about the yeare 711 in bishop Edbrith devided againe from Winchester, and restored to Selsey; and lastly from Selsey re­moued hither,Red. 677l. 1s. 3d. the chiefe towne of the Diocesse, by bishop Stigand in the time of William the Conquerour.Eliensis. It conteineth onely Sussex.

Elye tooke of Lincolne, and conteyning only Cambridgeshire, foun­ded by king Henry the first in the person of Harvaeus, Red. 2134l. 18s. 5d. q. 31 qa. sometime Bi­shop of Bangor in Wales.

Norwich, Norvvicensis. idem Orienta­lium Anglo­rum Bed. begun at Dunwich about the yeare 630, by Sigebert king of the East-Angles, in the person of Faelix a Burgundian; vnder Bisus the fourth bishop diuided into two Bishopricks, of Dunwich, and North-Elmham; Domuc. Bed. Elmanensis. in the yeare 955 after a long vacancy during the Da­nish tyranny, and vsurpation in the person of Athulfus restored, and vnited in one bishoppricke of North-Elmham by Edwy king of the En­glish-Saxons, by bishop Herfast remoued from North-Elmham to Thetford in the time of the Conquerour; and lastly hither from Thetford by bishop Herebert, about the yeare 1086 toward the latter end of the same raigne, or the beginning of William Rufus. The bishops [Page 13] hereof are otherwise by Beda named of the East-Angles. Their Diocese is extended ouer the Countreyes of Norfolke, Red. 899l. 8s. 7d. qa. and Suffolke.

Lichfield, Coventrensis, & Lichfelden­sis idem Mer­ciorum. Bed. begun amongst the Mercians about the yeare 656, in the person of Diuma a Scottishman, by Oswy king of Northumberland, and Monarch of the English, after his great victory obtained against Penda; and in the yeare 669, fixed here by holy Ceadda, or Chad, in the raigne of VVulferus king of the Mercians. In Adulphus about the yeare 793, it was raised to an Arch-bishoprick by king Offa, but which dignity la­sted not beyond his time. By bishop Peter in the yeare 1075, and time of the Conquerour, the sea is remoued to Chester; by Robert de Limesey in the yeare 1095, to Coventry, the residence of many of the succeeding Bishops. In regard hereof these now vse the title of both cities of Co­ventry, and Lichfield. Their Diocese contained more anciently the whole Kingdome of the Mercians, whereof they are otherwise named by Beda. Sidnacestrensis By King Ethelred, brother and successour to VVulferus, the Bi­shopricks of VVorcester, Leicestrensis. and Sidnacester, are taken out; not [...]ng after a­bout the yeare 733, those of Leicester, and Dorcester; and lastly by Hen­ry the eight, the Bishoprick of Chester, whereof VVorcester, and Chester remaine at this present; Dorchester was (as before) translated to Lin­colne; and Sidnacester, and Leicester, became vnited with Dorcester. Vnto the jurisdiction hereof appertaineth at this day all Staffordshire, Red. 550l. 17s. 2d, ob. qa. and Darbyshire, with parts of VVarwickshire, and Shropshire.

VVorcester, Vigorniensis. i­dem Wiccio­rum. Bed. containing VVorcestershire, and part of Warwickshire, ta­ken out of Lichfied, and founded about the yeare 679, in the person of Boselus, by Ethelred King of the Mercians, brother to Wulferus. The Bi­shop hereof is otherwise named of the Wiccij by Beda, the more pro­per name of the inhabitants of the countrey in the time of my Au­thour.Red 1049l. 17s. 3d. ob. qa.

Hereford, Herefordensis. containing Herefordshire, and part of Shropshire, foun­ded in Bishop Putta about the yeare 680.Red. 768l. 10s. 10d. ob. qa.

Rochester, Rhosfensis, & Castelli Can­tuariorum Bed. containing part of Kent, founded in the yeare 606 by E­thelbert, the first Christian king of Kent, in the person of Saint Iu­stus. Red. 358l. 3s. 7d. qa.

Oxford, Oxoniensis. containing Oxfordshire, taken out of Lincolne in the yeare 1541, by Henry the eight, whose first bishop was Robert King, the last Abbot of the Monastery of Ousney. Red. 354l. 16s. 3d. qa.

Peterborough, Petroburgensis containing Northamptonshire, and Rutlandshire, taken out of Lincolne by Henry the eight, whose first bishop was Iohn Cham­bers, Red. 414l. 19s. 1 [...]d. the last Abbot of that Monastery.

Glocester, Glocestrensis. containing Glocestershire, founded by Henry the eight, and taken out of Worcester, Red. 315l. 17s. 2d. whose first bishop was Iohn Wakeman Abbot of Teuxbury.

Bristoll, Bristoliensis, containing that City, and Dorsetshire, founded by Henry the eight, Red. 383l. 8s. 4d. whose first bishop was Paul Bush, a Batchelour of Divinity of the Vniversity of Oxford.

S. Davids, Menevensis. begun at Isca Silurum, now Caer-Leon in Monmouthshire by Dubritius, formerly bishop of Landaff, in the time of Aurelius Am­brosius King of the Britons, and remoued hether to Meneva, or Menew, [Page 14] named afterwards S. Davids, in the raigne of King Arthur by David, next successour to Dubritius, renowned amongst the Welsh for his stout opposition against the Pelagian heresie, returning with fresh rage after the departure of S. German, and S. Lupus, and lastly in those parts extin­guished through the great industry, and authority hereof, canonized a Saint long afterwards by Pope Calixtus. In S. Dauid, or Dubritius it was made a sea Metropolitane for the Britons, accompted thus vntill the Norman conquest of Wales, although the Paule lost, carryed to Dole in France, during a fierce pestilence by bishop Sampson. Vnder King Hen­ry the first, it became subject to the sea of Canterbury. It containeth now Pembrokeshire, Redit. 426l. 22s. 2d ob. Cardiganshire, and Caermardenshire in VVales.

Landaff, Landauensis. containing Glamorganshire, Monmouthshire, Brecknockshire, and Radnorshire, whose first bishop (whereof we read in approued au­thours) was Dubritius, before-mentioned, a great oppugner of the Pe­lagians, Redit. 145l. 14s. 1d. consecrated by S. German bishop of Auxerre, and after his re­moue to Caer Leon, here succeeded vnto by Teliaus, continuing the sea.

Bangor, Bangorensis. containing Caernarvonshire, Merionethshire, Denbighshire, & Anglesey. When the sea begun, we finde not. The first knowne bishop was Hervaeus, afterwards bishop of Elye, appointed by king Henry the first.

S. Asaph, Asaphensis. containing Denbighshire, & Flintshire, named thus from S. Asaph, the second bishop, and called otherwise Lhan-Elwy by the VVelsh, founded by Malgo king of the Britons about the yeare 560. in the person of Kentigerne, Redit. 131l. 16s. 4d. a Scottish bishop of Glasco, liuing exiled in those parts, and beginning the Church, and Monasterie thus named.

Vnder Yorke Durham, Dunelmensis. Lindisfarnen­sis. Bed. begun at Lindisfarne, or the Holy Iland, by Os­wald king of the Northumbrian Saxons in the person of Aidan a Scot­tishman, the Apostle of those parts after Paulinus, and remoued hither with the body of S Cutbert, sometimes likewise bishop of Lindisfarne, by bishop Edmund in the raigne of Ethelred, Monarch of the English Saxons. The three first bishops of Lindisfarne, Aidan, Finnan, and Col­man, all three Scottishmen, are otherwise by Malmesburiensis accomp­ted amongst the bishops of Yorke, governing the Ecclesiastical affaires of the Northumbrians after Paulinus during the invasions and cruelty of the Mercians, and Welsh vnder Penda, and Cadwallo their kings, but not vsing the Paule, Redit. 1821l. 17d. qa. or assuming the title of Metropolitans, or of Yorke. The Diocese hereof is now onely Durham and Northumberland. Carleolensis.

Carlile, containing Westmoreland, with part of Cumberland, foun­ded in the person of Athaulphus by king Henry the first, Redit. 531l. 4s. 11d. ob. taken out of Durham. Cestrensis.

Chester, taken out of Lichfield and Coventry, founded by king Henry the eight. The first bishop was Iohn Bird, Provinciall of the Frier Carme­lites. It containeth Cheshire, Lancashire, and Richmondshire in Yorkeshire, with parts of Cumberland, Redit. 420l. 1s. 8d. and Flintshire.

Man, Sodorensis. containing that Iland, appointed by Pope Gregory the fourth. The bishop hereof hath no place, or suffrage in the English Parlia­ments.

Besides these there were Hagustald, Hagustaldensis. whose first bishop after Mal­mesburiensis [Page 15] was S. VVilfrid before-mentioned, or Eata, or Tumbert, ac­cording to Beda after the expulsion of S. VVilfrid, and the division of the sea of Yorke by king Ecgfrid, extinguished in the time of the Da­nish warres.

Lindissi, Lindisfarorum. v. Bed. Eccl. Histor. Anglo­rum lib. 4. c 12. videtur hic i­dem esse cum Sidnacestrensi. taken out of the great Diocese of Lichfield, and founded af­ter Beda by Ecgfrid King of Northumberland, vpon his conquest of that country from VVulferus of the Mercians, vnder bishop Leouinus after Malmesburiensis, vnited with the sea of Leicester in the raigne of Edgar Monarch of the English Saxons; & VVit-herne Candidae Ca­sae. begun vnder Pecthel­mus in the time of Beda; and continuing certaine yeares after. The towne yet standeth in Galloway, a part then of the English kingdome of Northumberland, since belonging to the Scots. Amongst the bishops next vnto the Arch-bishops, the first placeAct. Parl, an. 3 [...]. Henrici 8. v. Pulton. c. [...]0. hath London, next to whom are Durham and VVinchester. The others are ranked according to the time of their consecration. What were the seats of the bishops before S. Austine, v. Malmesbur. de gestis Pont. Angl. Prolog. lib. 1. and the conversion of the English, we cannot certainely deter­mine. Geffrey of Monmouth mentioneth three Archbishops (of London, Yorke, and Isca Silurum, or Caer Leon,) and 28 bishops, founded in the place of so many Arch-Flamins, Galfrid. Monu­meth. Hist. lib. 4. c. 19. and Flamins (gentilisme abolished) in the raigne of King Lucius, by Faganus, and Duvanus, Legates of Pope Eleutherius, and the Apostles of the Britons. The authority, and truth of the author hath alwayes bin suspected. MoreBed. Hist. Eccl. Angloru [...] lib. [...] c. 2. certainly Beda in a con­ference of the VVelsh with S. Austine the first Arch-bishop of Canterbu­ry maketh mention of 7 bishops of the Britons, but without naming them or their seates.Ex provinciâ Britanniae, ci­vitate Londi­nensi, Restitu­tus Episcopus. The first Councell of Arles, held in the yeare 326, and the raigne of the Emperour Constantine the Great, nameth one Re­stitutus, a Brittish bishop of London, amongst the Fathers assisting in that Synod. Other names during these more primatiue times wee haue not yet found in the subscriptions of Councels,v. Binij Conci­liorum Tom. t. or any ancient and good authority Vnder Honorius, v. Binium. the 4 Arch-bishop of Canterbury, the English are divided into Parishes, encreased through continuall sub­divisions, and additions of new Churches. The number hereof are at this day 9284 in both Prouinces. Hereof 3845. are Churches impropri­ate, by Papall authority, annexed aunciently vnto Monasteries, and places of Religion, and at the fall of Monasteries for the greatest part of their revenues escheated to the Crowne, and made Lay possessions. These againe are of two forts. 1 with Vicarages, 2 & without, all whose rights as well tithes, as offerings are detained by their Lay purchasers without any allotment to the Priest by the Parliament, or the King in their sale, and conveyances (which hapned to such whose immediate Pastours had beene the Monkes) maintained now by miserable, yet arbitrary pensions. My selfe haue heard foure pound by the yeare offe­red to a Minister for seruing together two pastorall cures of this na­ture. The number of the Episcopall and Collegiate Churches (including VVestminster, and VVinsore) are 26, besides some others restored of late yeares through the favour, and bounty of King Iames of happy memory. They containe together almost so many Deanes, 60 Arch-Deacons, and 544 Dignities, or Prebendaries. The suppressed Monasteries, [Page 16] (let it be lawfull to remember those dead ruines, sad spectacles of hu­mane mutability) amounted to 645, besides 96 Colledges, 110 Hospi­tals, and 2374 Chanteries, and Free Chappels. Such hath been the affaires of the Church, and Religion.

The State is Monarchicall, commaunded by a King.

The Law whereby it is governed, is the Municipall, or Common, a Law proper to the Nation.

The Prince is Haereditary, and independent, not euer invested by, or ac­knowledging the Roman Emperours, or any superiour earthly power, holding immediatly of God, absolute, and supreame ouer all persons, in all causes both Civill and Ecclesiasticall. King Iohn distressed by a three­fold warre against the Pope, the French, and his rebellious subjects, to appease the first, enthralled the kingdome to the tribute, and vassalage hereof: butThe Common-wealth of Eng­land by S^t Tho­mas Smith knight. lib. 1. c. 9. which art being forced, neither euer approued by the Parliament, or people, was euer held as voide. He is stiled the Defendour of the faith, which titlev. Polydor. Virgilij Angl. Hist. lib. 27. &c. was first giuen to king Henry the eight, by Pope Leo the tenth, zealous in his cause against the pretended haeresie of Luther, opposed by the authority of his kingly Pen, maintained since vpon better right by his noble successours, the chiefe patrons, and de­fendours of the Orthodoxe, and truely Catholique Religion.

The body, or Common-wealth subject to this Head, may be distingui­shed The Common-wealth of Eng­land by S Tho­mas Smith knight lib. 1. c. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 22. 23. 24. into a twofold order. 1 Artificers, tradesmen, daylabourers, and poore husbandmen without land, who haue no rule, and whose part is onely to obey, 2. and those who in the right, and vnder the authority of the Prince haue their parts in the gouernment, judging, and determi­ning causes, punishing faults, electing officers, granting subsidies, and making Lawes, of whom, and their delegates assembled together, with the King, and Bishops, representing the Cleargie, the Parliament, or grand Councell of the Realme consisteth. These likewise are of two different rankes. 1 The Nobility, 2 and those vnder the degree hereof. The Nobility are divided into the greater Nobility, containing the Baro­ny, or estate of Lords, and the Lesser Nobility, consisting of Knights, Es­quires, and Gentlemen, (the first whereof are not borne thus, but made by the especiall grace of the Prince for their good demerits, or hopes) whose Deputies, and of the Burgesses, and Yeomen, (the rankes vnder the Nobility) compose the house of Commons. These last, the Yeomen, or Free-holders (the auncient wealth, andib. chap. 23. support of the kingdome, the strength, and substance of our warres, our sometimes victorious infantery, the Conquerours of the French) are now much decayed since the fal of Monasteries, whose tenants they were vpon easie rents, but more especially through the present depopulations, rackings, and injuries of the Gentry, pulling downe Townes, and farme-houses, and converting all to pasturage, or their proper demaine, to the much im­pairing of the Princes subsidies, and revenues, the wonted store of people, and riches of the Land, the most important grievance of the times.

The Nation hath alwayes beene much dreaded, and powerfull in Armes, whilest vnited, and in peace at home. King Henry the second by [Page 17] marriage, and warre, enlarged the English dominions ouer Ireland, and Aquitaine, and Guienne in France. Richard the first advanced their glori­ous ensignes in Syria, Palestine, and the East, and conquered Cyprus, ex­chaunged for the title of Hierusalem. By Edward the first all Wales, and Scotland for the time are subdued. By Edward the third the Scots and French in sundry memorable battailes, holding captiue at the same time the persons of both their kings. Under the same Prince the hautie Spaniards, through the high courage, and adventures of his son Prince Edward, forced to the obedience of Don Peter their naturall Lord. By Henry the fift all France on this side the Loire, left to his successour Henry the sixt, crowned French king at Paris. Queene Elizabeth of fa­mous memory, relieued all her distressed neighbours, the Scots, France, and the Netherlands, oppressed by forraine power, or through dome­stique broyles, got the dominion of the sea, and by continuall victories gaue first check to the greatnes, and aspiring ambition of the house of Austria, and Spaine. But as their happy atchieuements, and victories haue beene many, so their errours, and misfortunes no lesse, most com­monly loosing that through ciuill broyles, and contentions (a mis­chiefe incident to all flourishing estates, but most fatall to ours) what by true valour, and honour they haue gotten.

King Iohn lost Normandy, and other English conquests, and possessions in France, through the onely malice, and treason of his disloyall Ba­rons, vnseasonably quarrelling about their liberties, forsaking him in his warres, and siding with his enemies.

Edward the second, Scotland (wonne by his victorious father) through a like despight, and wilfulnes of his seditious Nobles, opposing against his gouernment, and withdrawing their service, and ayde, too eager revengers of his childish, and weake raigne. Henry the sixt irrecovera­bly France, through the faction of the house of Yorke, abusing the peo­ple with pretenses for their private ends, and lastly challenging the Kingdome, and turning our conquering swords into our owne bo­somes.

The Land is divided into Shires, Hundreds, (which are the divisions of Shires, and are in some places otherwise called Weapontakes, and Lathes) and Tithings, the divisions of Hundreds. Kingquos cupiens compescere, & de huiusmodi excessibus co­hibere, totius Angliae pagos, & provincia [...] in Comitatus primusomni­um commuta­vit (Alfredus;) comitatus in Centurias, i. Hundredas, & in Decimas, i. Trithingas de­visit. Praefectos vero Provinci­arum (qui ante vice-domini) in duo officia divisit, i. in in­dices, quos nunc Iusticia­rios voca­mus, & in Vice-Comites qui adhuc i­idem nomen retinent. Ingul­phi Abbat. Crovvland. hi­stor. v. etiam Malmesb. de Gestis. Regum Anglorum lib. 2. c. 4. Alfred was the Author of these divisions, as likewise of the name, and office of the Vice-Comites, or Sheriffs, ordained for the more peaceable gouernment of the Countrey, and the more easie restraint of theeues, and robbers, much encreasing then through the occasion of the Danish warres. The word (Shire) signifieth with the auncient Saxons, a part, or division; as doth the word (Share) with the present English. What number hereof were first instituted by Alfred, we finde not. Malmesburiensis accomp­teth 32 of them in the raigne of Etheldred, Monarch of the English-Saxons, succeeding not long after: Kent, Essex, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex, Hantshire, Dorsetshire, Wiltshire, Somersetshire, Devonshire, Cornwall, Hart­fordshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Barkeshire, Glocestershire, Suffolke, Norfolke, Northamptonshire, Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridge­shire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire, [Page 18] Herefordshire, Lincolneshire, Nottinghamshire, Darbyshire, and Cheshire. Doomesday Booke addeth Yorkeshire, in the raigne of William the Con­querour. Afterwards were added Lancashire, and the Bishoprick of Dur­ham (most probably sometimes parts of Yorkeshire;) and Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Northumberland beyond the Tine, (the part now one­ly retaining the name of the ancient Kingdome thus called,) after their revnion to the English Crowne, formerly possessed by the Scots. The last were the 13 Welsh Shires, added by Edward the first, and Henry the eight. Their whole number are at this present 52 in both Countreyes of England, and Wales. 1 Surrey, Kent, Sussex, Hantshire, Barkeshire, Wilt­shire, Somersetshire, Dorsetshire, Devonshire, and Cornewall, lying vpon the South of the riuer Thames, along the shore of the English Channel. 2 Glocestershire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Middlesex, Essex, Hartford­shire, Norfolke, Suffolke, Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Rutlandshire, Warwickeshire, Worcestershire, Hereford­shire, Shropshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Darbyshire, Nottingham­shire, Lei-cestershire, and Lincolneshire, containing the middle part of the Kingdome, and included within the riuers Thames, Trent, Merseye, Dee, and Wye, Humber, Offaes Ditch, and the German Oce­an. 3 Yorkeshire, the Bishopricke of Durham, Northumberland, Cumber­land, Westmoreland, and Lancashire, the parts vpon the North of Hum­ber, Trent, and Mersey. 4. and Monmouthshire, Glamorganshire, Radnor­shire, Brecknockeshire, Cardiganshire, Caermarthenshire, Penbrokshire, Mont­gomeryshire, Merionethshire, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Caernarvonshire, and the Ile of Anglesey, containing Wales, or the westerne parts within the Dee, VVye, and the sea of Severne. Their descriptions follow after that I haue first related the auncient estate of the Country, with the ma­ny chaunges, and successions of people, and Kingdomes in their turnes com­ming vpon the stage hereof, and occasioning the present names, state, and divisions.

THE MOVNTAINES OF GREAT BRITAINE

THE bounders, or land-markes, whereof I shall haue occasion to make vse in the discourse following, are the Mountaines and Riuers hereof, with the more no­ted Promontories, and Creekes of the O­cean, whereinto the Rivers are disbur­dened.

The onely Mountaine, noted by an­cient authours, was Grampius Grampius mons Taciti in vita lulij Agri­colae. Mons, mentioned by Tacitus, containing now Braid-Albin, with other hilly regions beyond the Frith of Dunbriton in Scotland. The woods, sometimes co­vering this Mountainous tract, were namedSaltus Cale­donius. Saltus Caledonius by Lucius Florus, and Sylva Sylva Cale­donia Pli. Nat. Hist. lib. 4. c. 16. Caledonia by Pliny, inaccessable thorough their intricate, and darke thickets, bogs, lakes, and marishes, safe shel­ters of the Northerne Britons, invaded byv. Corn Ta­cit. in vita Iulij Agricolae. Iulius Agricola, the vid. Ioan. Xi­philini Epito­tomen Dionis, Severo Impe­ratore. Emperour Severus, and the Romans.

In the part subject to the Crowne of England, rise the Mountaines of Wales, taking vp the Westerne devision of the kingdome betwixt the Irish Ocean, the Sea of Severne, and the Riuers Wye, and Dee; strong fastnesses of the warlike Silures, and Ordovices, with great ob­stinacy for a long time resisting the Roman yoake, and not fully sub­dued vntill Iulius v. Corn. Ta­citi Annalium lib. 12 Eius­dem Iulij Agri­lae vitam. &c. Agricola, and the raigne of the Emperour Domi­tian, and afterwards the Rendez-vous of the distressed Britons, shun­ning the rage of the Saxons, or English.

Beyond the riuer Trent beginneth another long Mountainous ridge, which continued through the North of Staffordshire, then by the West of Darbye-shire, afterwards betwixt Yorkeshire, and Lan­cashire, lastly by Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Northumber­land, doth end at Cheviot, or the Scottish borders. This is not known by any one name ancient, or moderne. In Staffordshire, it is named Moreland; in Darbieshire, the Peake; betwixt Lancashire, and Yorke­shire, Blackestone-edge, Pendle, Craven; betwixt Richmondshire, and Westmoreland, Stane-more, in Cumberland, Copland, and at the bor­ders of Scotland, Cheviot.

The other hills of the South (Blackamore, Yorkes-would, the Chil­terne, Cots-wold, Malvern, those of Sussex, Devonshire, and Cornwall, with others) are rather to be accompted Downs then Mountaines. Those many of Scotland seeme all branches of the Grampius.

THE RIVERS, CREEKES, AND PROMONTORIES.

THe Rivers issue from the Mountaines, and hils. The more great, and famous are the Thames, Severne, Trent, Yeure, or Ouse, and the Taye.

The Thames (Tamesis of Caesar,) Tamesis Cae­sar. Com. Bell. Gall. lib. 5. &c. ariseth amongst the hils of Cots­wold in Glocestershire, neere vnto a village, named Torlton. Passing by the Townes of Creekelade, Lechlade, and Einsham, then by Ox­ford, Reading, and London betwixt Kent and Essex it is disburde­ned into the German Ocean. The part from the head vnto the con­fluence hereof and the Tame is more properly named the Isis, Isis flu. or Ouse. The whole notwithstanding is vulgarly called the Thames. Lesser ri­vers emptyed hereinto,Corinus flu. are the Churne, springing in Cotswold neere Birdlip, and by Cirencester tooke in at Creekelade. The Wind­rush out of Cotswold, by Burford, and Whitney, tooke in at Newbridge. The Evenlode out of Cots-wold, by Shipton vnder Whichwood tooke in below Einsham. The Cherwell from the hils by Daintrey in North­amptonshire, Tam [...] flu. tooke in at Oxford. The Tame out of Buckinghamshire, tooke in neere Dorchester below Oxford. Here beginneth the name of Thames. The Colne betwixt Buckinghamshire, and Middlesex, tooke in neere Stanes. The Lea out of Hartfordshire, betwixt Middlesex, and Essex tooke in below Blackwall. The Roding out of Essex, tooke in at Barking. Vpon the other side of the Riuer, the Kennet out of Wilt­shire beyond Marleborow, Cunetio. tooke in at Reading. The Wey out of Hantshire, by Farnham, and Guildford tooke in at Otlands. The Mole out of Surrey, at the White-hill diuing vnder ground, afterward breaking out, and tooke in neere Molesey. And the Medway, out of the weald of Kent, below Rochester devided into the East, and West-Swale with the Thames enclosing the Ile of Shepey.

The Severne, Sabrina Corn. Taciti Annal. lib. 12, &c. (Sabrina of Tacitus,) issueth out of the hill Plinlimon in Montgomerie-shire in Wales. Hauing visited the townes of Shrewes­bury, Worcester, and Glocester, below Bristow it falleth into the Westerne Ocean. Chiefer riuers flowing into the wider channell hereof, are the Terne out of Staffordshire, thorough Shropshire tooke in at Wroxce­ster. The Avon, Avona. by Warwicke and Eveshom, tooke in at Teuxbury. The Avon (another river thus named) out of Wiltshire beyond Malmes­bury, tooke in belowe Bristow. From the side of Wales, the Temd thorough Shropshire, and VVorcester-shire, tooke in belowe VVorcester. The VVye out of the Mountaine Plimlimon, Vaga. betwixt Radnorshire & Brecknockshire, afterwards thorough Herefordshire; lastly betwixt the Forest of Deane in Glocestershire, & Monmouthshire tooke in below Chep­stow. The Lug out of Radnorshire, tooke into the VVye below Here­ford. And the Munow betwixt Herefordshire and Monmouthshire tooke into the VVye at Monmouth.

The Trent (Treanta of Beda) ariseth in Staffordshire beyond the town of Newcastle, Trenta. by Stone, Burton, Nottingham, Newarcke, & Gainsborough, [Page 4] receiued into Humber (Abus of Ptolemy) at Aukbarow below Burton Stather. Abus Cl Ptol. Geog. lib. 2. c. 3. Rivers falling hereinto are in Staffordshire, the Sow tooke in below Stafford. The Tame tooke in below Tamworth. The Doue out of the Peake, betwixt Staffordshire, and Darbieshire tooke in belowe Burton. Derventio. The Darwent out of the high Peake, thorough Darbyshire tooke in belowe Darbye. The Soare, thorough Leicestershire tooke in below Loughborough. And the Idel out of the Forest of Shire-wood in Nottinghamshire, below Bautree, deviding into the Hekdike, falling in at Stockwith, and another streame, below Santoft-ferrie, meeting with Thurne-dike, a part of the Dun, and tooke in at Fokerbie.

The Yeure sourceth out of the English Apennine amongst solitary Mountaines in the Westerne part of Richmondshire. Vrus. Continued tho­rough VVentsdale, below Burrow-bridge, and the meeting of the Swale after the receipt of a small rivulet, thus named, out of the West-Ri­ding of Yorkeshire, Ousa. it taketh the name of Ouse, from whence by Yorke, and Selbie at Blacktoft below Howden, it falleth into Humber. Greater riuers disburdened herein, are the Derwent from Blackamore hills, be­twixt the East, and the West-ridings tooke in at Langrike ferie below Selbie.Svvala. The Swale, out of Mountaines in the VVesterne part of Rich­mondshire neere vnto the head of the Yeure, thorough Swaledale, and by Richmond, and Catarick tooke in belowe Topcliffe at Mitton. The Nid from Craven hils, Nidus. thorough Nidherdale took in below Knarsborow. The Wharfe out of the same Mountaines, thorough VVharledale, and by Wetherby tooke in at Cawood below Tadcaster. Arus. The Are from the Mountaine Pennigent in Craven, thorough the West-Riding, and by Leedes, and Snath tooke in at Armin aboue Howden. The Calder from the Westerne Mountaines, receiued into the Are below Wakefield at Castle-ford. Danus. And the Dan, or Dun, below Sheafield, Rotheram, and Dan­caster at Thurne devided into Turnebridge-dike, falling into the Are be­twixt Turnebridge and Rawcliffe; & Thurnedike, at the Ile of Axeye mee­ting with the Idell, and tooke into the Trent at Fokerby neere to Bur­ton Stather.

The Taye, Taus, seu Ta­um aestuarium Corn. Tacit. in vita lulij Agri­colae. the fairest of the Scottish riuers (Taus of Tacitus, and Ta­va of Ptolemy) springeth amongst the Mountaines of Braid-Albin, be­low Dunkelden, and Perth, or S. Iohns-towne at Dundee carryed into the German Ocean.

Other better rivers, Cenio Ptolem. Geogr. lib. 2. c. 3. Damnonium, & Ocrinum Prom. ib. An­taevestaeum, & Bolerium Prom. ib. Tamara. Ta­marus Ptol. ib. rectius Isca. Alaunius ib. or mentioned by auncient authours, and having immediate entercourse with the Ocean, are in Cornwall the Vale (Cenio of Ptolemie,) emptyed into the Baye of Falmouth. More Westward lye the Lizard point (the Promontorie Damnonium, and Ocrinum of Ptolemy,) and the Lands-end (Antaevestaeum, and Bolerium of the same authour.) The Tamar (Tamarus of Ptolemie,) betwixt Cornwall, and Devonshire receiued into the English Channell at Plimmouth. The Ex (Isaca of Ptolemie,) thorough Devonshire, tooke in at Exmouth, below Excester. The Avon (Alaunius of Ptolemy,) with the Stoure, tooke in at Christ-Church in Hantshire. The Test, and Alre, at Southanton falling into the great Baye hereof (Trisantonis Ostium of Ptolemie.) Trisantonis os­tium. ib. Magnus por­tus. ibidem. Beyond is the Baye of Portsmouth (Magnus Portus of Ptolemie.) The Stoure, below [Page 5] Canterbury falling into the German Ocean with two branches, or chan­nells, encompassing the Ile of Tenet, and the North Forland, a promon­torie of the Iland (Cantium, Cantium Prom. ib. Idumanius, ib. Garienus. ib. Extensio Prom. ib. Metaris aestua ib. and Nucantium of Ptolemie.) The Blacke­water (Idumanius of Ptolemie,) thorough Essex, tooke in below Mal­don. The Yare (Garrienus of Ptolemy,) out of Norfolk tooke in at Yar­mouth. In Suffolke betwixt this and Harwich lyeth Easton-Nesse, (Exten­sio of Ptolemy.) Into the Washes (Metaris of Ptolemy) the Ouse ari­sing at Brakeley in Northamptonshire, and by Buckingham, Bedford, Huntingdon,Antona Corn. Tac. An. lib. 12. and Elye tooke in at Linne. The Nen (Antona of Taci­tus) from the hils by Daintrey, thorough Northamptonshire, and the Fens of Cambridgeshire tooke in below Peterborough, & Wisbich. The Welland, by Stamford, and betwixt Cambridgeshire, and Lincolneshire, tooke in below Crowland. Withama. The Witham out of Lincolneshire, below Lin­colne, and Boston flowing into the same Arme of the sea. Into Humber the Ankam in Lincolneshire, by Glamford-bridge, and Saxbye (my birth­place) tooke in at South-Feriby. The Hull, tooke in at the town of Hull in Yorkeshire, and with the sea, and Humber encompassing Holdernes (the Promontory Ocellum of Ptolemy.) Beyond,Ocellum Pro. Ptol. lib. 2. c. 3. ib. vnder Flamborough head, quart of Bridlington was the Bay, named of the Gabrantovici by Ptolemy. More Northwards against Whitby in Blackamore is the Bay Dunum of the same Authour.Gabrantovico­rum Sinus ib. Dunum Sinus. Teisis, & Teisa. Tuesis aestuar. Ptolem. ib. Vedra Ptol. ib. Tina. ib. The Tees (Tuesis of Ptolemy) out of Stanemore, betwixt Yorke­shire, and the bishopricke of Durham falling into the Ocean below Ya­rum. The Were (Vedra of Ptolemy) accruing from two little rivulets, named Kell-hop, and Burn-hop, in the Westerne part of the bishopricke, tooke in at Monkwermouth below Durham. The Tine (Tina of Ptolemy,) distinguished into the South Tine, arising in Cumberland nere Alstenmore; and the North Tine, from Mountaines in the Scottish borders, through Tindale, and the Picts wall after the receipt of the Riuer Rheade from Rheadesquire-hill in the same borders (naming the valley of Rheadesdale) aboue Hexham meeting with the South-Tine, and together betwixt the bishopricke of Durham, and Northumberland disburdened into the Ocean at Tinmouth below New-castle. Alaunus. ib. The Alne (Alaunus of Ptolemy) in Northumberland, Tvveda. tooke in below Anwicke. The Tweede from Moun­taines in Scotland, thorough Tweedale, afterwards betwixt the two king­domes tooke in at Berwicke. Into the Sea of Seuerne, and in Devonshire the Taw, and Towridge, Prom. Herculis arising neere to Herty-point (Promontorium Her­culis of Ptolemy,) Ptolem. ibid. meeting together, and in one channell tooke in below Barstaple. The Parret in Sommersetshire, below Bridgewater, and Hunt­spill falling into the Baye, Vexalla, et V­zella aestuar. ib. Isca. named Vexalla, or Vzella by Ptolemy. The Vske out of the blacke Mountaine in Brecknockeshire, thorough this country, and Monmouth-shire tooke in below Newport. Ratostabius, et Ratostibius. ib. The Taffe (Ratostabi­us, and Ratostibius of Ptolemy,) thorough Glamorganshire, tooke in below Cardiffe. The Tovy (Tobius of Ptolemy,) thorough Caermardenshire, tooke in below the towne of Caermarden. Tobius. ib. Beyond, in Penbrokeshire ly­eth Saint Davids head, Prom. Octo­pitarum. ib. Tuerobis, et Tuerobius. ib. Stuccia. ib. or S. Davids land (the Promontorie of the Octopitae of Ptolemy.) Into the Irish Ocean the Tivy (Tuerobis, or Tuerobius of Pto­lemy,) out of Lhin-Tivy, betwixt Cardiganshire, and Penbrokeshire tooke in below Cardigan. The Ystwith (Stuccia of Ptolemy,) tooke in at Aber-Ystwith [Page 6] in Cardiganshire. Canganum, et Langanum Prom. ib. Tisobis, & Toi­sovius. ib. Deva. Seteia aestuar. Ptol. ib. Belisamum, et Bellisama Ptol. ib. Beyond in Caernarvonshire lyeth the great Promontory named Lhein by the Welsh, and Canganum, or Langanum by Ptolemy. The Conwey (Tisobis, or Toisovius of Ptolemy,) betwixt Caer­narvonshire, and Denbighshire, tooke in at Aber-conwey. The Dee (Seteia of Ptolemy) arising with two heades from the Mountaines beyond Lhin-tegid, or Pimble-meere in Merioneth-shire, thorough Denbighshire, afterwards betwixt Wales, and Cheshire, tooke in below Chester. The Mersey, Lonus. Setantiorum Portus, seu la­cus Setantio­rum. Ptol. ib. Ituna. aestuar. ib. betwixt Cheshire, and Lancashire tooke in below Lirpoole. The Ribble, (Belisamum, and Bellisama of Ptolemy) out of Craven in Yorkeshire neere the Mountaine Ingleborough, thorough Lancashire tooke in below Preston. The Lune from the hills of Westmoreland, tooke in below Lan­caster, Beyond, betwixt Fournesse, and Westmoreland is the great Lake Winander-mere, Moricambe aestuar. ib. Novius, et No­bius. ib. not vnprobably Setantiorum [...], or the Lake of the Setan­tij of Ptolemy. The Eden (Ituna of Ptolemy) out of Richmondshire, through Westmoreland, and Cumberland, by Kirkby-Steven, Appleby, and Carlile tooke into the Frith of Solway. Deva, et Dea. ib. The Leven, Eske, & Sark (bounders here of the English, Iena aestuar. ib. Auravannus ib. Novantum Chersonesus. ib. and Scottish kingdomes) emptyed into the Solway. The great Bay by Holme Cultrain on this side of the Frith seemeth to be Mo­ricambe of Ptolemy. In Scotland the Annan, by Annandale tooke into the Solway below the towne of Annand. The Nid (Novius, or Nobius of Ptolemy) out of Logh-Cure, Rherigonius Sinus. ib. Glota Corn. Taciti in vita Iul. Agric. Clo­ta aestua. Ptol. ib. lib. 2. c. 3. Lelaannonius, et Lelanonius. ib. tooke into the Solway neere to Dunfreys. In Galloway the Dee (Deva, and Dea of Ptolemy.) The Ken (Iena of Ptolemy.) The Rian (Auravannus, and Abravanus of Ptolemy) out of Logh-Rian. Betwixt the two last lyeth the Mul of Galloway, the Chersonese, or Pro­montoric of the Novantes of Ptolemy. Beyond, quart of Carict, lyeth the Bay Rherigonius of the same authour. The Cluid, at the castle of Dunbri­ton falling into Dunbriton Frith, the Glota of Tacitus, and Clota of Ptole­my. Epidium. Pto ib. The Levin (Lelaannonius, and Lelanonius of Ptolemy) out of the Lake Lomond, falling into the Cluid at Dunbriton. Beyond the Frith is Cantire, a long,Longus. ib. and narrow Chersonese, the Promontory Epidium, or of the Epi­dij of Ptolemy. Bodotria Taci­ti in vita Agri­colae. Boderia aestuar. Ptol. ib, lib. 2. c. 3. In Rosse Lough Longas (Longus of Ptolemy.) Into the Ger­man, or Easterne sea the Banoc, emptyed in the Forth, or Frith of Eden­borough, the Bodotria of Tacitus, and Boderia of Ptolemy, with the Glota or the Frith of Dunbriton the furthest limits Northwards of the Roman conquests in Britaine.Diva Ptol. ib. The Dee (Diva of Ptolemy) out of Marre, Loxa. ib. tooke in neere to Aberdon. Celnius. ib. In Murray the Spey. In the same country the Losse (the Loxa of Ptolemy.) Vara, et vararis aestuar. ib. In Rosse the Cillian (the Celnius of Ptolemy.) Betwixt this,Ila. ib. and Murray lyeth the Bay named Vara, Viruedrum Prom. ib. and Vararis by Ptolemy.) In Catnesse the Wifle (probably Ila of Ptolemy). Veruvium Pro. ib. Beyond in Strath-Navern are the Promontories Dunsby (Viruedrum of Ptolemy.) Vrde-head (Veruvi­um of Ptolemy.) Orcas, et Tar­vedrum. Prom. ib. And Howburne-head (Orcas, and Tarvedrum, or Tarvisi­um of the same Authour,) the extreame parts of the Iland to the North. Many of the riues haue the same names. How this hapned wee knowe not.

THE ANCIENT NAMES OF ENGLAND

THev. Aristot [...]lis de Mundo c. 3. Athenaei. lib. 5. Lucretij de Re­rum Naturâ lib. 6. Caesaris Comment. Bel­li Gallici lib. 5. Strabonis Ge­ogra. lib 4. Pto­lomaei Geogra: lib. 2. c. 3. & lib. 8. c. 3. Plinij Na­tur. Hist. lib. 4. c. 16. Festum de verborum Sig­nificatione: Herodiani His­tor. lib. 3. Guli­elmi Camde­ni Britanniam. more ancient names hereof in approued Authours were onely those of Albion Albion Ari­stotilis de Mun­do c. 3. Ptole­maei Geog. lib. 2. c. 3. & lib. 8. c. 3. Plin. Natu­ralis Histor. lib. 4. c. 16. andBritannia Cae­saris Commen. Belli Gallici lib. 5. Corn. Tac. in Iulij Agrico­lae vita &c. [...] Ath [...] ­naei lib. 5. Britannia. Vnder the common name of the Brittish Ilands Aristotle quo in mari duae insulae Bri­tannicae sitae sunt, quam ma­ximae, Albion, et Ierna Arist. de Mundo c. 3. in his booke de mundo, and 3 Chapter com­prehendeth both the Ilands of Albion, and Ierna, or Ibernia. The like doth Ptolemy in the 8 booke of his GeographiePrima Tabu­la continet in­sulas Brit [...]nicas (Albion: & I­berniam) cum insulis adiacentibus. Ptol. Geogr. lib. 8. c. 3. and 3 chapter. Pliny in his 4 booke and 16 chapter, observeth all those Ilands, situated in the Ocean betwixt Germany, and Spaine, before this times, to haue beene all called by the generall name of Britaine. The common name then of the Countrie, and of all the neighbouring Iles first, and more aunciently was Britaine, or the Brittish Ilands. The particular name he­reof was Albion, devised first by the Graecians, sayling towards those parts, (for the discoveries of the Latines, or Romans, at what time that we first heare of the name reached not so farre, being then a meane and obscure state, and confined onely within Italy,) either (as some conie­cture) from Albion, a supposed sonne of their Sea-god,De Albione, & Bergione Neptuni filijs vide Pomp. Mel. lib. 2. Neptune, an E­tymologie not altogether absurd, the situation hereof being considered, and the vsuall vanity of the Greekes in giuing names to Countryes from their profane gods; or (which is more probable) from the word [...], after Festus signifying White in the Greekish language, imposed in re­gard of the white chalky cliffs of the high sea-coast hereof, seene by the Mariners a farre of, trading in those Seas. Afterwards (as inEx ad­verso huius situs Britannia insusla. Albion ipsi nomen fuit, cum Britanniae omnes vocarentur. Plin. Natura: Histor. lib. 4. c. 16. Pli­ny) the name of Albion left of, it tooke the proper name of Britannia, or Britaine. The first of Greeke Authours, who expressely nameth it Britannia was Athenaeus v. Athenaei lib. 5. in descriptione Na [...]is Hieronis. in his fift booke. The first of the Latines were Lucretius, and Caesar, followed by Strabo, Pliny, and all other succeeding Historians, & Geographers, Ptolemy excepted, who in his second and eight bookes reviueth againe the long forgotten name of Albion. The word Britannia, or Britaine learned Camden deriueth from the word Brith, signifying Painted with the ancient Britons, & the Greeke word [...], signifying a Countrey, expressing together a Countrey of painted men, giuen by the Greekes, the first discouerers, from the manner of the inhabitants, who, after Herodian and others, went naked, and had their bodies painted. Other Etymologies are absurd, and more vnlikely. The best (antiquity being herein silent) can be only coniecturall, and very vncertaine.

THE BOVNDS OF ANCI­ENT BRITAINE.

THe bounds of the ancient (since of an Iland) were the same with those of the moderne Britaine, vpon the North theDuecalidoni­us Oceanus Ptol. Geogra­phiae lib. 2. c. 3. Northerne sea; vpon the West the Irish, Ibernicus ib. and theVergivus ib. Westerne; vpon the South the English, orBritannicus ib. British; and vpon the East theGermani­cus ib. German Ocean.

BRITAINE VNDER THE FIRST NATIVES.Britanni Ta­citi An. l. 2. &c. Britones Bedae Eccl. Hist. gent Anglorum lib. 1. cap: 12. &c.

THevid. Caesaris Commen: Bel­li Gallici lib 5. Corn. Tacit. in vita Iulii Agri­colae. Dionis Cassii Ro: Hist. lib. 20: lan [...]s Xiphilini Epi­tomen Dionis in imp. Severo. first dominion hereof, was vnder the natiue Britons (for more an­cient inhabitants we finde not.) Of these the Caledonij Tacitus con­iectureth originally to haue beene Germans from their yellow haire, & the Silures Spaniards from their curled lockes, and more swarthy coun­tenances. The generality of the Nation he otherwise thinketh to haue beene descended from the neighbouring Gaules in regard of their same religion, and like manners, and language. Their descent from the Gaules is more probable as for the reasons here set downe, so for the si­tuation hereof, being the next part of the Continent vnto them, & their way from Asia, and the East, from whence the world was first peopled. Their originall from Brute, and the Troians is altogether absurd, and fa­bulous, since not any more ancient Greeke, or Latine Authours, or bar­barous monuments make mention hereof, from whom the compilers of that story, might gather their relation; neither were the ruder na­tiues then so learned, or carefull, that they preserued any memorie of things doneCaeterum Bri­tanniam qui mortales initio coluerunt, in­digenae, an ad­vecti, (vt inter Barbaros) parū compertum. Corn. Tacit. in Iul. Agric. vita. vnto after ages. Their government (while they were free) was vnder Kings, commaunded by many after the fashion of barbarous Nations. Amongst these, Caesar maketh mention of Cassivellanus in his 5 Commentary of the warres of Gaule vpon occasion of his warres herewith; Dion of Cataratacus, and Togodumnus, sonnes to Cynobellinus in the raigne of Claudian; Tacitus of Cartismandua, Queene of the Bri­gantes, in the time of the same Emperour. The Caledonioj for a great part were a free state afterApud Caledo­nios populus magna ex par­te principatum tenent. Xiphili­ni Epit. Dionis in Severo im­peratore. Xiphilinus in his Epitome of Dion, and life of the Emperour Severus, gouerned by the people. What was their estate be­fore Caesar, ancient Authours relate not, neither (excepting onely Lu­cretius) doe so much as put downe, and remember the name of Bri­tons.

BRITAINE CONQVERED BY THE ROMANES.

THev. C. Iulij Cae­saris Coment. Bel. Gall. lib. 5. Suetonij Tran­quilli Iulium Caesarem, Ne­ronem, & Vespa­sianum; Corn. Taciti Iulium Agricolam: e­jusdem Anna­lium lib. 12. & 14, & Histor. lib. 3: Dion. Cas­sij Histor: lib. 55. & 60. Ioan­nis Xiphilini Epitomen Di­onis Caesare Augusto, Seve­ro, et Commo­do Imper: He­rodiani Histor. Sever. Imp: Lu. Flor. Hist. Rom. lib. 3. c. 10. Aelij Spartiani Adri­anum, & Seve­rum Imper: Iu­lij Capitolini Antoninum Pium: Zosimi Hist. lib. t, & 6. Ammiani Mar­cellini Hist. lib. 27, & 28. Aure­lij victori [...] Iuli­um Caesarem, & Imperatores Claudium, Se­verum, & Aure­lium Alexan­drum: Eiusdem Epitomen Imp. Severo, Con­stantino, et Gratiano: M. Aurelij Cassio­dori Chronicon Imp. Claudio, & Severo: Eu­tropij Hist. Ro­manae lib. 6. 7. 8. 9. et 10. Imp. Iulio Caesare, Claudio, Vespa­siano, Severo, Dioclesiano, et Constantino Magno: Ruf [...] Festi Breviari­um: Antonini Augusti Itine­rarium: provinciarum Rom. Libellum: Ptol. Geog lib 2. c. 3. Notitiam Imperij Occidentise Guidonis P [...]irolli in Notitiam Imperij Occidentis c. 72. 73. [...]t 89. Gulielmi Cambdeni Britanniam. Romans were the first of certaine, and knowne forreiners, & of these C▪ Iulius Caesar, who invaded Britaine in the yeare of Rome 699, Cn. Pompeìus, and M. Crassus being Consulls, invited according to Sue­tonìus through a couetous desire of the fairer pearles hereof, and pre­tending (as himselfe witnesseth in his Commentaries) the continuall supplies and aides of the Nation sent vnto the Gaules in their great warres hereagainst. After two iourneyes made, and some victories gained, hostages taken, & a tribute imposed, he returned into the Con­tinent, rather (after Tacitus) affrighting the Ilanders by those inroades, and discouering them to posterity, then making any conquest of them. The Romans afterwards being detained at home by civill warres, and the succeeding Emperours Octavius Augustus, and Tiberius being care­full rather to preserue what they had gotten, then vncertainely to graspe at more; Britaine is a long time forgotten, and the conquest he­reof intermitted. Caius Caligula had a purpose to invade the Iland, but being giddy-headed, and his minde soone changing, this project is left of. In the yeare of Rome 797 Aulus Plautius is sent hither from Claudius, sollicited by Bericus, a Britaine, through sedition expulsed the Coun­trie, accompanied by the two brethren Sabinus, and Vespasianus, who afterwards was Emperour, followed not long after by the Emperour Claudius in person, the successe of whose warre was after Dion the ta­king of Camalodunum, a chiefe seate of the Kings, the death of King Togodumnus, the subjection of the part hereof lying next to Gaule, and the disarming of the Inhabitants; the first hereof that set firme footing, and fixed a conquest in the Countrie. By Aulus Plautius left by Claudius to end the warre, and his successour Publius Ostorius Scapula, the Silures, and Iceni being vanquished in severall fights, King Caractacus taken pri­soner, and a Roman Colonie planted at Camalodunum; their conquests here are confirmed, and enlarged, and the higher part of Britaine reduced into the forme of a Roman Province. In the raigne of Domitius Nero, the Britons provoked with injuries, vnder Voadica, Queene to Pratasa­gus, the late deceased King of the Iceni, take armes, and rebell, sacking the townes of Camalodunum, and Verulamium, and killing no lesse then 70 thousand Roman Citizens, and their confederates, overthrowne shortly after, & slaine in a great battaile to the number of 80 thousand, and forced to a greater servitude by Paulinus Suetonius then Leifete­nant for the Emperour. By Petilius Cerealis, in the raigne of Vespasian, the great and populous Nation of the Brigantes are warred vpon, and in part overcome. By Iulius Frontinus, his Successour, the warlike Si­lures after stiffe, and long resistance are subdued. Iulius Agricola Pro­praetor in the raigne of Domitian set limits here to the Roman greatnes, by armes, iustice, and better moderation, making a full conquest of the Southerne part of the Iland, extended Northwards vnto the seas Glota, and Bodotria, now the Friths of Dunbriton, and Edenborough in Scot­land, [Page 10] the furthest bounds this way of their Empire, ordering the whole into a province, and civilizing the inhabitants, teaching them letters, and the Roman habit, and manners. Hee also after Dion first discoue­red the Countrie to be an Iland, which vntill then was doubted of, and not certainely knowne. The further parts beyond the Bodotria and Glo­ta, as more could, and vnfruitfull, and inaccessable in regard of their great mountaines, and woods, he left free to the more fierce, & barba­rous Northerne Britons, whom he paled in, and shut out from the more ciuill and Roman by sundry forts, & garrisons of souldiers, planted in the narrow necke of land betwixt the two Friths. The Emperour A­drian not long after remoued the pale more Southwards, and the better to keepe out the enimy drew a trench, or wall of turfes of 80 miles crosse the Iland betwixt the two seas. The place Aelius Spartianus, my Au­thour, setteth not downe. Camden coniectureth it to haue beene, where afterwards stood the wall of Severus, extended betwixt the river Tina, & Ituna, now the Tine & Solway Frith neare Carlile. Lollius Vrbicus in the raigne of Antoninus Pius, who next succeeded, beating backe the barbarous people, againe enlarged the province beyond the wall of A­drian, (as thinketh Camden) vnto the two Friths before mentioned, and the limits of the Empire in the time of Agricola, and Domitian, which after Capitolinus, he likewise entrenched with another new wall of sodds, ouerthrowne not long after, and broken downe by the Caledonij in the raigne of the Emperour Commodus. The Roman Britons, continually molested by the barbarous incursions of the Highlanders, or North­erne; the Emperour Septimius Severus attempted the conquest of the whole Iland, which yet (the enimies keeping within their fastnesses, & not offering battaill) after much toyle, and the losse of 50 thousand men he could not effect, withdrawing within the pale of Adrian, & more firmely to secure the province vpon, or neere vnto the wall hereof, raising a third wall, or trench, strengthning the same with broad ditches, and towers reared along the wall. Afterwards notwithstanding in the raignes of the Emperours Dioclesian, and of Valentian the first, we finde the Romans possessed of the Countrey betwixt this wall, and the Bodo­tria; whence neuerthelesse they were alwaies beaten out, vseing it onely as a counterscharf, by their velitations there to keepe the eni­mie from invading the more inland part of the province. In this man­ner the Iland in time came diuided betwixt the Romans, and the Nor­therne vntamed Britons, bounded, and kept asunder by forts, ditches, and walls, continued, when the Romans prevailed, betwixt the Bodo­tria, and Glota, when the Northerne side had the better hand, betwixt the Ituna, and Tina. The Northern Britons are all called in the Histories v. Ioan. Xi­philini Epito­men Dionis Severo Impe­ratore. of those times by the generall names of the Maeatae, and Caledonii. We after doe heare succeeding in their roomes the Picts, and Scots in the raigne of Constantius, and Iulianus, of whom we are to speake hereafter. The province subject to the Romans was governed by their Propraetours, and other names of Magistrates. In Xiphilinus we finde it distinguished into the higher and the lower Britaine, whereof this contayned the Nor­therne part, and the other the more Southerne. The Emperour Severus [Page 11] most probably was the author of this division, whom after his victory against Albinus, we reade in the third booke of Herodian, parting the I­land into two Praefectureships, or jurisdictions. The authour of the Noti­tia, after the times of Constantine the great (who altering euery-where the gouernment of the Empire, first thus divided it) nameth here fiue juridicall resorts, or Provinces, Valentia a Roman Province of Britaine in the raigne of Con­stantine the Great, but not named thus vn­til the Emperours Theodosius, & Valentinian the first: intimated by Ammianus Marcellinus in his 28 booke. Recuperatam­que provinci­am, quae in di­tionem con­cesserat hosti­um, ita (Theo­dosius) reddi­derat statu [...] pristino, vt, e [...] ­dem referente, et rectorem haberet legiti­mum, et Valen­tia deinde vo­caretur arbitrio principis. ib, Valentia (the part after Camden inclu­ded within the two walls, and containing now the parts of Northumber­land & Cumberland, together with Scotland, vnto the Friths of Edinburgh & Dunbriton,) Maxima Caesariensis, Britannia prima, Britannia secunda, & Flavia Caesariensis, wherof the two first were consulary, & governed by Procōsuls, the 3 last Praesidial, cōmanded by Roman Praesides, subject to the Vicar generall of Britaine, vnder the Praetorio-praefectus of Gaule. The same number, & almost names are put by the author of the booke of the Roman Provinces, Britannia prima, Britannia secunda, Flavia, Ma­xima, and Valentiana, Rufus Festus mentioneth onely foure Provinces, Maxima Caesariensis, Britannia prima, Britannia secunda, and Flavia Cae­sariensis, omitting Valentia, which probably at that time was lost vnto the Northerne Britons. What parts these now containe, we cannot cer­tainely define, since their Authors doe not bound them, either place any Cities in them, whereby they might be distinguished. Not vnpro­bably with Pancirollus Britannia prima comprehended at this day the South-East part of England; Flavia Caesariensis, Cornwall, or the South-west part; Maxima Caesariensis, Wales, or the countreyes within the riuer of Severne; and Britannia secunda, the Northerne parts vnto the wall of Severus. After others Britannia v. Guil. Cam­deni Britanni­am. prima, contained the South part of the Iland, included within the riuer Thames, the British Ocean, and the sea of Severne, Britannia secunda, Wales; Flavia Caesariensis the parts exten­ded betwixt the Thames and Humber; and Maxima Caesariensis, the part lying betwixt the wall of Severus and Humber. The military affaires hereof were ordered by aDux Britan­niarum Notit. Duke of the Britains, guarding the Nor­therne and Westerne borders against the incursions of the barbarous Nations; a Comes, orcōmes Bri­tanniarum ib. Earle of the Britaines, commaunding in the In­land parts; and ancomes Litto­ris Saxonici. ib. Earle Littoris Saxonici, or of the Easterne coasts, quarting the Saxons in Germany, with whose pyracies the Iland was then continually infested. Vnder the first hereof the Authour of the Notitia, placeth the 6. Legion, 16 Cohorts, and ten Numerus idē qui cohors. Zo­somen. Hist. Tripart. lib. 1. Numerorum nomen gene­rale divisionū militarium com. God. Ste­vvichij in l. 2. c. 1. Vegetij de re Militari. Horū meminit Zolo­men. loco cita­to. Vegetius de re militari l. 2. c. 1. et. l. 3. c. 9. et 15. et Am. Mar­cellinus. lib. Numerus hic videtur pars minor cohorte Numeri of foote, with 9 troupes of horse, containing together after Pancirolus his accompt about 900 horse, and 14000 foote, distributed into 34 garrisons vpon the frontires, and along the Wall before mentioned. The Earle of the Ea­sterne, or Saxon Shore, had commaund ouer the Second Legion, one Co­hort, and 5 Numeri of foote, & 2 troupes of horse. The Earle of the Britaines had 3 Numeri of foote, and 6 troupes of horse. The two last contained together after Pancirolus about 9000 foote, and some 1000 horse. The whole number of Roman souldiers aweing the Province towards the pe­riod of the Westerne Empire, and about the raigne of the Emperour Theodosius the second, (for of those times especially the Notitia is to be vnderstood) were (if Pancirolus mistake not in his accompt) some 23000 foote, and 2000 horse. The ordinary Legions attending here, were [Page 12] in the Itinerarium ascribed to Antoninus, Legio secun­da August. Itin. Antonin. Ptol. Geog. l. 2. c. 3. er Dionis l. 55. the Second Legion surna­med Augusta, keeping their station at Isca Silurum, now Caer-Leon in the county of Monmouth; theLegio Sexta Victrix ib. 6 Legion surnamed Victrix at Eboracū, now Yorke; and the Twentieth Legio Vige­sima Victrix Antonini, et Ptolem. ibid. Legio Vigesi­ma Valentia­na. et Victrix Dionis. ib. Legion, in like manner surnamed Vi­ctrix, at Deva, now West-Chester. Ptolemy long before this, liuing in the raigne of the Emperour Antoninus Pius, mentioneth the Sixt Legion surnamed Victrix at Eboracum; the twentieth Legion surnamed Victrix at Deva; and the Second Legion surnamed Augusta at Isca Damnoniorum, now Excester. Dion Cassius (vnderstanding this of his owne time, which was the raigne of the Emperour Maximinus) remembreth the Sixt Le­gion, named Victrix, in the Lower Britaine; and the Second Legion, surna­med Augusta, and the twentieth Legion surnamed Valentiana, and Victrix wintring in the higher Britaine. The Roman souldiers then ordinarily guarding the Province, were the Second, the Sixt, and the Twentieth Le­gions. Tacitus in the raigne of Domitius Nero, besides the Second, and the Twentieth, nameth here the Ninth, and the Fourteenth Legions. But which were no ordinary guards, brought hither vpon the occasion of the great warre hereof with the Britons.

From the wintering campes hereof, and of their wings, and aydes ma­ny Cityes, and townes arose heere, and were occasioned (as the like happened in other parts of the Roman Empire,) whereof parte flou­rish at this time, others through age are now extinguished, or decayed, and reduced vnto the estate of meane villages, knowne only by their Roman coynes, and other markes of antiquity, digged forth of their ruines. Their more true place, and names, with the estate of the whole Iland during those first times, will better appeare in the following description hereof, gathered out of Ptolomye, the Itinerary of Antoni­nus, and the Authour of the Notitia, with reference to Tacitus, and o­ther approued Authours, beginning with Ptolomy.

THE DESCRIPTION OF BRITAINE VNDER THE ROMANE EMPIRE.

THE PRINCIPALITIE OF VVALES.

Owen Guyneth prince of Guynedh, and Wales, eldest son to king Gruf­fith ap Conan succeeding about the yeare 1137. At this time Rhees ap Gruffith descended from Howel Dha was chiefe Lord of Southwales, named King by the English, by the Welsh the Lord Rhees.

David prince of Guynedh, and Wales, younger son to Owen surna­med Guyneth, succeeding in the yeare 1169; his elder brother Iorwerth in regard of some deformity excluded. Hee was deposed in the yeare 1194 by Llewelin the son of Iorwerth.

Llewelin prince of Guynedh, and Wales, son to Iorwerth, eldest son to Owen Guyneth. He tooke the oathes, and acknowledgements of the ma­ny inferiour Welsh princes, which duety for some yeares had beene o­mitted through their civill dissentions, and other defects.

David prince of Guynedh, & Wales, succeeding in the yeare 1240, son to Lhewelin ap Iorwerth. He did homage at Glocester for the principality of Wales to Henry the third King of England. He deceased without issue.

Lhewelin prince of Guynedh, & Wales, son to Gruffith, son to prince Lhe­welyn ap Iorwerth, the last prince of VVales of the British of-spring, and race of Cadwallader. By this time through the daily encroachings of the English, in a manner the part onely of Guynedh, or Northwales, contay­ning now Merionith, and Caernarvonshire, with Anglesey were left vnto the Welsh princes, better defended by their inaccessable mountaines, & bogs. Refusing, or rather deferring the accustomed homage due from the Welsh, he was pursued with hot war by king Edward the first, and forced to a composition, amongst other hard conditions conclu­ding after his decease a surrendry to the English of the principality of Wales, and the parts he now enjoyed. Not long after (as it seemeth) repenting himselfe of his act, and the more incensed through the insti­gation of his brother David (excluded from all hope of succession by this agreement) pretending the English tyranny, & iniustice, he againe fatally tooke armes; the successe whereof was his owne death, hapning shortly after, slaine in the prosecution of the warre, nere the towne of Buelth, (as the Welshmen say) betraied, the execution of David his bro­ther by the hand of iustice, the finall abolition of the Welsh govern­ment, [Page 32] and the conquest of the whole country by the English. The Welsh line extinguished, the king of England invested with this title and honour their eldest sons, or who were next to succeede them in the English Monarchy. Their order, and names we haue inserted vnto our times. Edward of Caernarvon, son to Edward the first, prince of Wales, and afterwards king of England by the name of Edward the second. Ed­ward of VVinsore, sonne of Edward the second, king of England by the name of Edward the third. Edward surnamed the blacke prince, eldest son to Edward the third. Richard of Bourdeaux, son to Edward the blacke prince, king of England by the name of Richard the second. Henry of Monmouth, son to Henry the fourth, king of England by the name of Henry the fift. His sonne Henry the sixt is not accompted amongst the princes of Wales, his father deceasing onely some few moneths after his birth. Edward son to Henry the sixt, slaine by the faction of Yorke af­ter the battaill at Tewkesbury. Edward sonne to Edward the fourth, king of England by the name of Edward the fift. Edward, son to Richard the third. Arthur, eldest son to Henry the seventh. Henry younger sonne to Henry the seventh, king of England by the name of Henry the eight. Ed­ward, son to Henry the eight, king of England by the name of Edward the sixt. Henry eldest son to Iames king of great Britaine of happy me­morie. Charles, son to King Iames, and brother to prince Henry, now King of great Britaine, whom God long preserue..

THE PICT'S.Picti Claudi­ani de. 4. Con­sulatu Honorij Panegyris, et Am. Marcelli­ni Hist. l 20. &c.

THevid. Eumenij Panegeti­cum Constan­tino. Am. Mar­cellini Hist. lib. 20. 26, & 27. Claudiani l. de Bello Getico. Eiusdem▪ Pa­negyrin de 4. Consulatu Ho­norij Augusti. Eiusdem lib. 2. de laudibus Sti­liconis. Herodi­ani lib. 3. Hist. Severo Impe­ratore. Gildae Epistolam de Excidio, & Con­questu Britan­niae. Bedae Ec­clesiasticae Hist. Gentis Anglo­rum. lib. 1. c. 1. & 5. &c. Isidori Hispalensis E­piscopi Origi­num l. 9 Pom­ponij Loeti Ro. Hist. Compen­dium Impera­tore Valentini­ [...]no primo. Malmesburien­sem de Gestis Regum Anglo­rum. Henr. Huntingd. Hist. lib. 8. Hectoris Boethij Histor. Scotorum. Ge­orgij Buchana­ni Rerum Sco­ticarum Hist. Camdeni Bri­tanniam (de Pictis. name hereof signifyeth painted in the Latine tongue, which was first giuen vnto them by the Romans, in regard of their pain­tings. That the Picts were accustomed to paint themselues, the authori­ties of Claudian Quae Scoto dat fraena tru­ci, ferro (que) no­tatas Perlegit exan­gues, Picto mo­riente, figura [...]. Claudia. de Bel­lo Getico., andScoti (intellige Pictos) nomen habent à picto corpore, eò quod aculeis ferr [...]is cum atramento varia­rum figurarum stigmate annotentur. Isidori Hispal. Episc. Orig. lib. 9. Isidore make manifest. Pompoinus Laetus, Buchanan, and others, would haue them to haue beene a Colonie of the opposite, and neighbouring Germans. But which nation wee reade not in Tacitus or in any classique authour ever to haue beene painted. Beda of much better authority fetcheth their pedegree further of from the Scythians, who should arriue in the Northerne parts of the Iland in the yeare 78 after Christ, yet which he doth not constantly affirme, but delivereth onely as receiued by tradition. The errour hereof, and of the like for­reine derivations, the generall consent of auncient Geographers, and Historians doth plainely evince, placing here the Caledonii, and other names of the Britons, but not mentioning the Picts vntill two hundred yeares afterwards. The most probable assertion is that they were no other then the natiue Britons, inhabiting the wilde parts of Caledonia, who afterNeque vestis vsum (Britanni) cognô­runt, sed ventrem, atque cervicem ferro incingunt, ornamentum id esse, ac diuitiarum argumentum existimantes, perinde vt aurum caeteri Barbari. Quin ipsa notant corpora picturâ variâ, & omnifariam formis animalium. Quo­circa nè induuntus quid em, vide licet picturamcorporis nè adopeirunt. Herodian. lib. 3. Severo Imperatore. v. etiam Caesaris Com. Bel. Gal. lib. 5. & Plinij Nat. Histor. lib. 33. c. 1. &c. Herodian, vsing to paint their bodies with sundry shapes of birds and beasts, and going naked to haue their braverie seene, be­came at length thus named by the Romans from such their straunge habit, and for their better distinction from the civill Britons of the Pro­vince wearing cloathes, and attired after the Roman manner. Some [Page 33] reasons inducing herevnto might be their like fashions, and manner of liuing with the more auncient Britons, and the many British words yet left in the townesAber-neith, Aber-den. Aberdore. Aber-Lotneth. &c., and parts of Scotland, which they sometimes inhabited, arguing as the same language, so the same nation of both. We adde the great silence of the Romans, who neighbouring close vn­to them, and possessing the Southerne part of the Iland long before their supposed arrivall by Beda, yet make no mention of their descent hither from forreine parts. We adde likewise the testimony of Eume­nius in his Panegyrique vnto the Emperour Constantine the Great, who ma­keth the Caledonij to be a part of the Picts, intimating hereby as the Picts to be Britons (for such were the Caledonij,) so this not so much then to haue beene the name of a people, as some agnomination, or by-name given to all the wild, & barbarous Britons in regard of their disfiguring, or painting. They are first mentioned by Eumenius in his Panegyrique a­forsaid, liuing in the time of Constantine the great. The part of Bri­taine they then possessed, was the whole Northerne part hereof not yet conquered, or brought into a Province by the Romans; for by this name all the barbarous Britons begun now to bee called, neither were the Irish Scots at this time arriued, & had setled here their habitation. The Westerne part of Caledonia being overwhelmed by a deluge of the Scots, (which hapned about the raigne of the Emperour Honorius) they withdrew wholy into the Easterne part hereof bordering vpon the German Ocean, bounding vpon the South with the Bodotria, now Edenbo­rough Frith; (for thus farre Northwards extended the Roman, or civill Britons, as did afterward the Saxons of Northumberland;) vpon the West, with the Scots; and vpon the East, and North, with the German, and Nor­therne Oceans. The kingdome of the Northumbrians after their last Ethel­red, and the yeare 794 becomming extinct, or miserably languishing through a 33 yeares ciuill dissention, and the invasion of the Danes, by the advantage hereof they enlarged their bounds Southwards as farre as the river Tweed gotten from the English. The contayned a little be­fore their finall ouerthrow by the Scots the Countryes now of Tividale, Tweedale, Merch, Lauden, Fife, Cuningham, Merne, Anguish, Straith-ern, and Marre with others, or the whole Easterne part of the present Scot­land from the Tweede Northwards. By the Scots vnder their King Ken­neth after a fierce, and bloody warre about the yeare 830, they were to­tally subdued, and their name, and memory quite rooted out, their countrey hauing beene since added to the accompt, and name of Scot­land. Their language most probably was the British. Beda maketh it di­stinct herefrom, and one of the fower generall of the Iland: But whom the more iudicious interpret not of languages, but of Dialects. That the Dialect, and many words hereof should in Beda his time be much diffe­rent from those of the Cornish, or Welsh Britons, their long disvnion through the comming betwixt of the Northumbrian Saxons, and the an­cient subiection, and commerce of the other with the Romans must ne­cessarily enforce. Their government was vnder Kings. Their order, and succession we finde not. Their last was Druskenus slaine with the ex­tirpation of the whole Nation by Kenneth, and the Scots.

THE SCOTS.Scoti Am. Marcellini Hist. lib. 20. & Clau­dian. de 4 Con­sulatu Honorij Paneg. &c.

THEv. Am. Mar­cellini Hist. lib. 20, 26. & 27. Imperat. Con­stantio. 2. & Va­lentimano pri­mo. D. Hiero­nymum contra Pelagianos ad Ctesiphontem. Pauli Orosij Hist. lib. 1. c. 1. Latini Pacati Drepani Pane­gyricum Theo­dosio Augusto. Claudian l. de Bello Getico. Eiusdem de 4. Consulatu Ho­norij Panegy­rin. Eiusdem de laudibus Stili­conis lib. 2. Ep. Gildae de Exci­dio, & Conqu. Britanniae. Be­dae Eccl. Hist. Gentis Anglo­rum. l. 1. c. 1. 9. 11. 12. 13. 14. 34. &c. Eginhartum de Vitâ, & Rebus Gestis Caroli Magni. Isidori Hispal. Episcopi Originum l. 14. Giraldi Cam­brensis Topo­graph. Hiber­niae Distinct. 3. c. 7. Flores. Hi­stor. per Mat. Westmonast. p. 366 Hectoris Boethij Histor. Scotorum. Ge­orgij Buchana­ni Rerum Sco­ticarum Histor. Guil. Camdeni Britanniam (de Scotis. The En­glish Annalls. Scots after Giraldus Cambrensis, were a Colony of the neighbouring Irish. Orosius liuing in the raigne of the Emperour Honorius, calleth the many people in his time inhabiting Ireland by the generall name of the Scots. The like doth Beda in the first booke of his Ecclesiasticall story of the English, and first Chapter. Eginhartus in his life of the Emperour Charles the Great, nameth Ireland, an Iland of the Scots. Isidore more plainly maketh Ireland, and Scotland onely to be two different names of one, and the same Iland, distinct from Bri­taine. Gildas more to our purpose tearmeth the Scots then inhabi­ting Britaine, and infesting the Natiues with their dayly forragings Irish grassatores, or free-booters. That the Scots originally were Irish, besides these authorities the present language, habit, and barbarous manners of the High-landers, or Westerne Scots, agreeing with the pre­sent Irish, doe plainly demonstrate. The Scots in Ireland, Ptolemy and the auncient Geographers mention not. The name doubtlesse was new, & affected, vpon some accident (which we know not) giuen vn­to, or taken vp by the Irish towards the waine of the Romane Empire, in that manner, as were about the same times those of the Picts, Almans, French, & Sclaues, with others by the Britons, Germans, & Sar­matians, leauing their former old names, and vniting into these com­mon. Concerning the Etymologie hereof, learned Camden after much search professeth himselfe to be ignorant. Porphyrius is the first of an­cient Authours, in whom we finde the Scots mentioned, liuing in the time of the Emperour Aurelian, and as he is cited vpon an other occa­sion by S. Hierome, in his Tract against the Pelagians ad Ctesiphontem. In auncient and approued Histories we first reade of them with the Picts (with whom they are still joyned) in the raignes of the Emperours Con­stantius the second, Honorius, and the first, and third Valentinians. Their mention after this is common vnto this present. The time of their first plantation in Britaine is vncertaine. In the 20, 26, and 27 bookes of Ammianus Marcellinus, wee heare of them ransacking, and spoyling the Roman Province, but from what parts my Authour setteth not downe, whether from Caledonia, and the Northerne parts of Britaine, or rather from Ireland, which is more probable. Claudian in his second booke de laudibus Stiliconis relateth of them attempting vpon the Con­tinent hereof from Ireland, and stopped, and driuen home by Stilico where also hee accompteth them amongst the neighbouring Nations infesting Britaine; which maketh it almost manifest, that in the begin­ning of the raigne of Honorius, vnder whom Stilico then serued, they had not yet arriued here, or set firme footing. Shortly afterward not­withstanding, & before the intrusion of the Saxons, we find them in Be­da with the Picts possessing the Northerne part of Britaine, invading from hence the Province, and (the Britons being vnable to withstand them) twice ouercome, and beaten off by fresh Roman supplies sent [Page 35] from Honorius, and Valentinian the third. From these proofes wee strongly conjecture their first descent hither, and fixed dwelling to haue hapned towards the latter end of the raigne of the Emperour Ho­norius. The part here they first tooke vp was the Westerne moity of Caledonia, formerly inhabited by the Picts, bounding vpon the East with this Nation, and vpon the South with the Roman Province, from the which they were diuided by the Glota, now the Frith of Dunbriton, which they held without any sensible addition, till after the time of Beda. After the yeare 794, and the decease of King Ethelred before mentioned, through the advantage of a long ciuill dissention amongst the Saxons of Northumberland, & of the Danish wars which together hapned, they got seazed of the parts lying betwixt the Friths of Sol­way, & Dunbriton, belonging aunciently to the Northumbrian kingdome of Bernicia. They contained by that time the present Countries of Ca­rict, Galloway, Cantire, Argile, Braid-Albin, Lorn, & Rosse, with others, or the whole Westerne part of the present Scotland, from Solway Frith coasting Northwards along the Irish Ocean. King Kenneth the second a­bout the yeare 830 (the Picts being subdued) enlarged the Dominion hereof, and the name, and accompt of Scotland Eastward vnto the Ger­man Ocean, extended by this meanes ouer the whole Northerne part of the Iland, and seuered from England by the Frith of Solway, and the Ri­ver Tweede, the more certaine bounds euer after betwixt the two king­domes. Malcolme the first about the yeare 946 added Cumberland, and Westmoreland, parts of England, to the Dominion of the Scottish Kings by the gift of Edmund King of England, to bee held vnder the fief of the English Monarches, recouered by Henry the second, and incorpo­rated with the English Crowne. Their government was Monarchicall, yet where more aunciently, not alwayes the next of bloud, but the ri­pest in yeares, and the most fit to rule of the kingly Race, succeeded. Kenneth the third, succeeding about the yeare 976, by the consent of the States made the Kingdome first haereditary, and to descend vnto the next ofkin, confirmed by his son Malcolme the second, and continued vnto our times.

Their first King (after the Scottish Historians) was Fergusius, the son of Ferchard, an Irish Scot, chosen by the Nation shortly after their arrivall in Britaine, & about the yeare 330 before Christs Incarnati­on, succeeded vnto by Ferithari [...]. Mainus. Dornadilla. Nothatus. Reutherus. Reutha. Thereus. Iosina, Finnanus. Durstus. Evenus the first. Gillus. Evenus the second. Ederus. Evenus the third. Metellanus. Caratacus. Corbredus. Dardannus. Corbredus the second. Luctacus. Mogaldus. Conarus. Ethodius. Satrael. Donaldus the first. Ethodius the second. Athirco. Nathalocus. Findochus. Donaldus the second. Donaldus the third. Crathilinthus. Fincormachus. Romachus. Angusianus. Fethelmachus. and Eugenius slaine with the whole strength and flowre of the Nation by the joint armes of the Picts and Romans vnder Maximus, Lieftenant of the Pro­vince for the Emperour Gratian, after whom (the remainder of the van­quished Scots being banished their Countrey by an edict of the Ro­mans) should follow a vacancie, or Interregnum of 27 yeares. The vn­truth, [Page 36] and absurditie of this whole narration, the consent of auncient, and approued Authours doth sufficiently manifest, placing here the Novantae, Caledonij, and other names of the Britons without mentioning the Scots, vntill the raigne of the Emperour Honorius. Wee adde that the Roman Historians (as neither the more auncient Brittish, or English) relate not any such conquest of the Scots, or Northerne part of Britaine vnder Gratian, and Maximus, of which more great, and remarkeable vi­ctory they would not doubtlesse haue beene silent, if any such had beene.

Their succession from more certaine, and cleare times follow. Fer­gusius, named by the Scottish Historians Fergusius the second, (whom they suppose to be the son of Erthus, son to Echadius, or Ethodius, bro­ther to Eugenius, slaine in battaile by Maximus, and the Romans) in the yeare 404, and raigne of the Emperour Honorius returning from ex­ile, and through the aide and confederacy of the Picts, and the absence of the Roman Legions, drawne out into the Continent against the barbarous Nations by Honorius, with the rest of the banished Scots, recouering their lost countrey, created King in the yeare aforesaid some 27 yeares after the decease of Eugenius. The more vnpartiall and judicious make this Prince to be the first king of the Scots of Britaine. That the Scots were possessed of a part of Britaine in the raigne of Honorius we haue before proued. The manner, we leaue vnto the cre­dit of our Scottish Relaters. Beda otherwise calleth the King, or Cap­taine of the Scots, vnder whom they first inhabited this Iland, by the name of Reuda. The time he setteth not downe. Eugenius eldest son to Fergusius. The kingdome of the Scots contained at this time the part of present Scotland extended along the Westerne Ocean from the Frith of Dunbriton Northwards. He deceased in the yeare 449, slaine in battaile against Hengist, and the Saxons. Dongaldus brother to Euge­nius. Constantinus brother to Dongaldus, and Eugenius. Congallus, son to Dongaldus. Goranus, brother to Congallus. Eugenius the second, son to Congallus. Congallus the second, brother to Eugenius the second. Kinnatellus, brother to Engenius, and Congallus the second. Aidanus, son to Goranus in the time of S. Columbanus, and of Austine the Monke, the Apostle of the English. He deceased in the yeare 604. Ken­nethus the first. Eugenius the third, son to Aidanus. Ferchardus the first, son to Eugenius the third, succeeding in the yeare 622. Donal­dus, brother to Ferchardus the first. Ferchardus the second, son to Fer­chardus the first. Maldvinus, son to Donaldus. Eugenius the fourth, son to Donaldus, and brother to Maldvinus. Eugenius the fift, son to Fer­chardus the second. Amberkelethus, son to Findanus, son to Eugenius the fourth. Eugenius the sixt, brother to Amberkelethus. Mordacus, son to Amberkelethus. Etfinus, son to Eugenius the sixt, succeeding in the yeare 730. Eugenius the seauenth, son to Mordacus. Fergusius the second, son to Etfinus Solvathius, son to Eugenius the seauenth. Achaius, son to Etfinus, he deceased in the yeare 809, Charles the great then com­maunding ouer the French Empire. Vnder these two Princes after my Authours, begun first the auncient league betwixt the French, & Scot­tish [Page 37] Nations. Congallus the third, cosen German to Achaius. Dongallus, son to Solvathius. Alpinus, son to Achaius. His mother was sister vnto Hungus king of the Picts, in whose right (the heires of Hungus being deceased) he made claime to the Pictish kingdome, the occasion of a long, and bloody warre betwixt the two nations, the issue whereof was the death of Alpinus, overcome in battaill, and slaine by the Picts, and the finall ouerthrow, and extirpation of the Picts not long after by king Kenneth, and the Scots. Scotland at this time contayned onely the Westerne moity of the present (extending from Solway Frith North­wards) together with the Redshanks, or Westerne Ilands, hauing the Picts vpon the East; vpon the South, the Britons of Cumberland; and vpon the North, and West, the Ocean from Ireland. Kennethus the se­cond, son to Alpinus. He vtterly subdued, & droue out the Picts, and en­larged the Scottish Empire ouer the whole North part of the Iland, di­vided from the Britons, and English by Solway Frith, and the riuer Tweede. He deceased in the yeare 854. Donaldus the second, brother to Kennethus the second. Constantinus the second, son to Kennethus the second. He was slaine in fight against the Danes in the yeare 874. E­thus, brother to Constantine, and son to Kenneth. Gregorius, son to Dongallus. Donaldus the third, son to Constantine the second. Milco­lumbus the first, son to Donaldus. He added to the Scottish dominions the Countryes of Westmoreland, and Cumberland (part sometimes of Northumberland) given vnto him, and his Successours by Edmund Monarch of the West Saxons, to be held vnder the right, and ho­mage of the English. Indulfus, slaine against the Danes. Duffus, sonne to Milcolumbus the first. Culenus, sonne to Indulfus. Ken­nethus the third, brother to Duffus. By the consent of the states as­sembled in Parliament he made the kingdome haereditary, or to descend vnto the next ofkin to the deceased, which vntill that time had vncer­tainely wandred amonst the princes of the royall blood, the vncles most commonly being preferred before the nephewes, & the elder in yeares before those who were yonger. He was slaine by the malice and trea­son of Fenella, a woman, in the yeare 994. Constantinus the third, son to Culenus, chosen king by his faction against the law of Kenneth the third, opposed by Milcolumbus, son to Kenneth. He was slaine in fight by Kenneth, base brother to Milcolumbus, Grimus, son, or nephew to King Duffus, elected against Milcolumbus, and the law of Kenneth, overthrown in battaill, and slaine by Milcolumbus. Milcolumbus the second, sonne to Kenneth the third, king by right of conquest, and the law of Kenneth. He confirmed by act of Parliament the Law touching the succession, made by his father. After this Prince the eldest sons of the Kings, or the next of their blood ordinarily succeeded in the Scottish kingdome. Hee de­ceased without male issue, slaine by treason. Duncanus, son to Crinus, chiefe Thane of the Westerne Ilands, and Beatresse, eldest daughter to Mil­columbus the second. He was slaine by the treason of Macbethus. Mac­bethus, son to the Thane of Anguis, and Doaca, yonger daughter to King [Page 38] Milcolumbus the second, after seventeene yeares tyranny, and vsurpati­on overcome, and slaine by Milcolumbus son to Duncanus. Milcolumbus the third, son to Duncanus, succeeding in the yeare 1057. He marryed vnto Margaret eldest daughter to Edward surnamed the Outlaw, eldest son to Edmund Ironside King of England, by which meanes the right of the house of the Saxons (Edgar Atheling, the only son of Edward, de­ceasing vnmarried, and without issue) descended vpon the Kings of Scotland, the posterity hereof, and Margaret, continued herein vnto our times, and the vnion of the two kingdomes in Iames our late Soveraigne of happy memory. He first (as is thought) brought into Scotland the ti­tles of Earles, & Barons, with others, borrowed from the neighbou­ring English, with whom vnder Edward the Confessour during the vsur­pation of Macbeth he had for a long time remained. He was slaine at the taking of Anwick Castle in Northumberland after some yeares warre maintained against William the Conquerour, and the Normans, occasi­oned through his protection, and ayde of the banished English. Donal­dus the fourth, son to Duncanus, & yonger brother to Milcolumbus the third, vsurping the kingdome by the aide of Magnus king of Norwey. He was driven out by Duncanus, naturall son to Milcolumbus the third. Duncanus the second, naturall son to Milcolumbus the third, slaine by the treason of Macpendirus Earle of Merne corrupted by Donaldus the fourth, liuing then exiled amongst the Westerne Ilands. He thus murthe­red, Donardus the fourth resumed the kingdome, vanquished▪ and taken prisoner not long after by Edgar, the right heire, son to Milcolumbus the third, and Margaret, ayded by his vncle Edgar, and the English. Edgar son to Milcolumbus the third, and Margaret, daughter to Ed­ward, surnamed the Outlaw. His sister Maude was marryed vnto Hen­rie the first, king of England, yongest son to the Conquerour, vniting hereby the royall blood of the Saxons with that of the Normans. Hee deceased without issue. Alexander the first, son to Milcolumbus, and Margaret, and brother to Edgar. He also deceased sans issue. David the first brother to Edgar, and Alexander, and son to Milcolumbus, and Margaret, succeeding in the yeare 1124. He annexed to the Crowne of Scotland the Earledomes of Northumberland, and Huntingdon, a­cruing through his marriage with Maude, daughter to Earle Waldeo­fus. He recouered likewise Cumberland and Westmoreland, from the English, taken from his predecessours by William the Conquerour; restored vnto him by the liberality of king Stephen. Milcolumbus the fourth, son to Henrie prince of Scotland, son to king David. Vnable to withstand the ambition and greater power hereof, he quitted North­umberland, Westmoreland and Cumberland vnto Henry the second, king of England, retaining onely the Earledome of Huntingdon of all his English possessions, left for a time vnto his successours. He deceased without issue vnmarried. VVilliam brother to Malcolme the fourth. Ta­ken prisoner at the battaill of Anwijck to procure his libertie, & peace with the English he did homage, and sweare fealty vnto king Henry the second for the Crowne of Scotland. Alexander the second, son to William. Alexander the third son to Alexander the second. He de­ceased [Page 39] in the yeare 1285 without heires of his body, or not long survi­ving. The whole issue hereof, and of king Alexander the second, and William extinguished, their contended for the soveraignety▪ Iohn Bal­liol, Lord of Galloway, son to Iohn Balliol, and Dornagilla, daughter to Alan Lord of Galloway, and Margaret eldest daughter to David Earle of Huntingdon, brother to king William, & great vncle to Alex­ander the third; and Robert Bruce Lord of Annandale, son to Robert Bruce, and Isabell, second daughter to David Earle of Huntingdon and sister to Margaret, both parties challenging a chiefer right, and interest before the other, Balliol, as descended from the elder sister; and Bruce as nearer by one degree to Earle David. The Scots not able to de­termine the controversie, or without armes, Edward the first king of England is chosen vmpire. After 6 yeares vacancy the right is adiud­ged on the behalfe of Balliol by king Edward with condition of his acknowledgment, and homage to the English Crowne. Iohn Balliol Lord of Galloway, king of Scotland by the arbitration of king Edward the first. He did homage to king Edward at the towne of Newcastle vpon Tine according to the agreement made betwixt them. Discon­tenting his subjects through this his English subjection to regaine their lost loues, or (after my Scottish Authours) provoked with some disgrace & iniuries receiued from Edward, he renounced not long after his ho­mage and fealty sworne to the English, warred vpon by Edward, and after some ouerthrowes, vnable to withstand so valiant and great a Monarcke, forced to resigne into the hands hereof the whole right, and interest he had, or might claime to the Crowne of Scotland, impriso­ned afterwards in the towre of London, and set at liberty by the medi­ation of Pope Boniface the eight, and sent ouer to his inheritance, and possessions in France, where in a private fortune he dyed. After this, king Edward the first of England made a full conquest of the Scots, whō he kept vnder hard subjection during his whole raigne, although not without sundry defections, and rebellions of this fierce & stirring nation, moued by William Walleys, Robert Bruce, and others, most commonly to their losse. He deceasing, through their great victorie at Banocks-bourne neare Striueling obtained against Edward the second, and the English, and the tumults, & disorders hapning in England du­ring the raigne of this weake, and vnfortunate prince, the Scots againe recouer their libertie, & Robet Bruce formerly crowned in the raigne of Edward the first, is confirmed king. Robert the first, son to Robert Bruce lord of Anandale, competitour of the kingdome with Iohn Bal­liol, king of Scotland by right of warre, his birth, and the voluntary cession of Balliol, the restorer of the Scottish name, and liberty, after a victorious, and happy raigne deceasing in the yeare 1329. David the second king of Scotland, son to Robert the first. In the minority hereof Edward Balliol son to Iohn Balliol invadeth, and by the helpe of the English obtayneth the Scottish Crowne, to be held by him vnder the homage, and protection of Edward the third king of England, opposed by the faction of David. Balliol, and his Enhlish after long miserie, and war being thrust out, king David recovereth his almost lost kindgome, [Page 40] taken prisoner shortly after at the battaill of Nevills crosse neere Dur­ham, invading England in favour of his auncient friends the French, distressed through the many victories of Edward the third, and the English. He deceased without issue in the yeare 1370, the second, and last king of Scotland, of the house, and name of Bruce Robert the second, the first of the familie, & name of the Stewarts, descended from Wal­ter, created Stewart of Scotland by Malcolme the third (which name of office grew afterwards a surname to his house and of­spring) king of Scotland in right from his mother, eldest daughter to Robert the first, and sister to Dauid the second. Since this time the name, and house of Stewarts haue still worne the regall Crowne of the Scottish dominions. Iohn the second, called Robert after his inauguration (the name of Iohn (as ominous) cast off by a decree of the states, vnluc­kie to the Scottish, French, and English Monarchs) son to Robert the second. Iames the first, son to Iohn, or Robert the third, murthered in his bed at Perth by Walter Earle of Athol. Iames the second, sonne to Iames the first, slaine at the siege of the Castle of Rosburg against the English. Iames the third, son to Iames the second, slaine in battaill a­gainst his seditious, and rebellious subjects neere the towne of Sterling. Iames the fourth, son to Iames the third. He married the Lady Marga­ret, eldest daughter to Henry the seaventh king of England. He was slaine at the field of Floddon by Thomas Howard, Earle of Surrey, and the English. Iames the fift, son to Iames the fourth, and Margaret daugh­ter to king Henry the seaventh. He deceased without male issue. Mary daughter to Iames the fift. Iames of happy memory, son to Henry Ste­wart Lord Darly, and Mary Queene of Scotland. The famous, and vi­ctorious Queene Elizabeth in the yeare 1602 deceasing vnmarryed, the last descended from the male issue of Henry the seaventh, and Eli­zabeth, he succeeded in the English dominions, descended from Lady Margaret aforesaid, the right, and vndoubted heire of the three prince­ly houses of the Saxon, Scottish, and Norman Kings, and the first sole Monarke of Great Britaine, Ireland, and the neighbouring Ilands. Charles king of great Britaine, France, and Ireland, son to Iames of happy memo­ry, whom God long preserue.

THE ENGLISH.Angli. Taciti lib. de Moribus Germanorum, Bedae, & recen­tiorum. Suevi Angili Ptolem. Geog: l. 2. c. 11.

THeyv Tacitum de Moribus Ger­manorum; Pto­lem, Geogr. l. 2. c. 11. Bedae Ec­clesiasticae Hi­stor. Gent. An­glorum. lib. 1. c. 15. Ethelvverdi Chron. lib. 1. Guilielmi Cā ­deni Britanni­am de Anglo-Saxonibus. were a German people, mentioned by Tacitus, and Ptolemy, contayning part of the great, and populous nation of the Suevi. Ptolemy placeth them in this time about the middle of that vast Interiores au­tem atque Me­diterrancae gen­tes maximè sunt Angili Sueui, qui ma­gis Orient [...]les sunt, quam Longobardi, protensi ad Sep­tentrionem vs­què ad medi­um Albis fluvij. Ptolem. Geog. lib. 2. c. 11. conti­nent, and the riuer Albis, with which riuer they were bounded vpon the North, having towards the West the people of the Longobards. They in­habited then most probably according to his discription the parts, where now lie the Bishopricke of Hall, and the Higher Saxony about Wit­tenberg. Their interpretations seeme absurd, who in regard of the affini­ty of the names would haue them seated about Engerne in Westphalen, or Angloen in Pomerania, places farre distant from the river Elb, or the heart of Germany. Afterwards towards the waine of the Romane Empire [Page 41] they flitted to the German Ocean more Westwards. Beda before their in­vasion of this Iland placed them there betwixt the Iutes, lying vpon the North of them, and the Saxons vpon the South. EthelwerdPorrò Anglia vetus sita est [...]n­ter Saxones, & Giotas, habens oppidum capi­tale, quod ser­mone Saxoni­ [...]o nun [...]upatur Sl [...]svvic, secun­dum vero Da­nos Haithby. Ethelvverdi Ch. lib. 1. (an auncient Authour liuing not long after Beda) more distinctly maketh Sleswiick then to be their chiefe citie, situated in the Cimbrian Chersonese betwixt the two nations now mentioned. The name of Angelen in the present Dukedome of Schleswiick together with these authorities manifestly proue that to haue beene their country in Dutchland immediatly be­fore their English arriuall.

THE IVTES.Gutae Ptol. Geogra. lib. 2. c. 11. Giotae E­thelvverdi Chr. lib. 1. Iutae. Malmesburien. de Gestis Reg. Anglorum l. 1. c. 1. &c. Vitae Bedae Eccles. Hist. lib. 1. c. 15.

THe Ptol. Geogr. lib 2. c. 11. Be­dae Ecclesiasti­cae Hist. Gent. Anglorum. l. 1. cap. 15. Ethel­vverdi Chron. lib 1. Iutes doubtles were the Gutae of Ptolemy, inhabitingMeridionalia (Scandiae te­nent) Gutae, & Dauciones. Ptolem. Geog. lib. 2. c. 11. the Sou­therne part of Scandia, which he mistaketh to be an Iland, and attri­buteth vnto Germany. In the declining age of the Westerne Empire (the exact time we finde not) sayling ouer the Bay Codanus, or the Straights of the Sundt, they flitted into the neighbouring Cimbrian Chersonese, sub­dued, or made viode (which is the more likely) vpon the departure of the Cimbri, and other Dutch people, drawing more Southwards▪ towards the Romane frontier, & vniting into the common names of Saxons, French, or Almans. Beda placeth them in this Chersonese vpon the North of the English, or of Sleswiick their chiefe towne. Their memorie is here yet preserued in the name of Iutlandt, the part of the Chersonese, or of Den­marke, lying vpon the North of the Dukedome of Schleswiick.

THE SAXONS.Saxones Pto­lemaei Geogr. lib. 2. c. 11. &c.

OF thisv. infrà in Germania. nation we haue spoken more fully in the relation of Germa­ny. They were likewise a Dutch people, mentioned by Ptolemy, in­habiting then the necke of the Cimbrian Chersonese, now Holstein. After­wards passing the riuer Elbe, and sundry other German names joyning in­to this common, they spread Southwards as farre as the French. These conquering, and remouing into Gaule, they enlarged vnto the right shore of the riuer Rhijn. By the raigne of the Emperour Charles the great they extended along the German Ocean from the river Eydore (deviding them from the Danes) vnto the Rhijn, from the fall of that river vpwards as high as Colen, parting them from the French.

Thesev. Am. Mar­cellini Hist. lib 26. 27. 28. & 30. Gildae Epist. de­excidio, & Conq. Britan­niae. Bedae Ec­clesiast. Histor. Gentis Anglo­rum. Malmesb. de Gestis Re­gum Anglo­rum. lib. 1. Hun­tingd. Hist. lib. 2. Flores Hist. per Mat. West­monast▪ &c. three German nations since their affaire with the Britons are onely by Beda thus particularly named, and distinguished. By Ammia­nus Marcellinus, Gildas, and other Authours before his time the Dutch infesting Britaine are all called by one generall name of the Saxons. After Beda, and the more ancient English historians they are sometimes na­med the English; by others, the Saxons, andAnglo Saxo­nes. English-Saxons. That they were the different parts of one generall Dutch name, or people it is by all agreed. In the yeare 449 according to Beda (if his accompt be right,) Valentinian the third, and Theodosius the second then governing the Ro­man Empire, after long pyracies vpon the sea-coasts hereof, they first to a­ny [Page 42] any purpose enter, and inhabit Britaine, called in by Vortigerne, and the Britons to their aide against the Scots, and Picts, and vnder Hengist, and Horsa their Captaines planted in the Iland of Thanet in Kent, given vn­to them by Vortigerne. The Scots, & Picts being vanquished, and over­throwne through their valour (neere Stamford after Henry of Hun­tingdon,) and the weakenesse of the Ilanders discouered, new supplies from Germany are sent for by Hengist with his faire daughter Rowena, marryed shortly after to the lustfull prince Vortigerne, bewitched with her beauty, by whom for his consent, and more firme friendship with the Saxons, Kent is allotted to Hengist, about the yeare 455 by him e­rected into a kingdome, the first dominion of the Saxons in Britaine. This forreine friendship, and alliance, with the daily intrusion of the Dutch growing suspected by the Britons, Vortigerne deposed, and Vortimer his son by a former wife elected king, hot warres ensue betwixt the two nations, continued with deadly hate, & furie for many hundred yeares betwixt them; whose effect was the finall expulsion of the Britons be­yond the Severne amongst the Welsh Mountaines, (which happened by the raigne of their King Caereticus about the yeare 586,) and the con­quest of the plaine, and Easterne countrey by the Saxons, with fresh com­panies continually invading the Iland vpon occasion of those warres, or allured with the happy successe of those first adventurers, and be­ginning sundry small kingdomes in the parts, where they arrived, or tooke vp to inhabite (whereof some one notwithstanding still bore a sway over the rest, whose King was accōpted soveraigne or Monarch;) the kingdomes of Kent, the South-Saxons, East-Saxons, East-Angles, Nor­thumberland, Mercia, and of the West-Saxons, whose originall, continu­ance, and fortunes vntill their vnion into the kingdome of the West-Sa­xons, & name of England come next in place.

THE KINGDOME OF THE KENTISH SAXONS.Cantuarij Bedae Ecclesi­asticae Hist. l. 2. c. 5. Cantuarij Malmesburien­sis de Gestis Regum Anglo­rum. lib. 1. c. 1. Centenses Huntingdon, lib. 2.

THisv. Bedae Eccl. Histor. Gen­tis Anglo­rum. Malmes­buriensis de Gestis Regum Anglorum lib. 1. cap. 1. Henr. Huntingdon. Hist. lib. 2, 3, & 4. Flores Hist, per Mat. West­monast. Floren­tium Wigorni­ensem. contained onely Kent. It was begunne by Hengist aforesaid, the first Saxon Captaine, that invaded Britaine; vnto whom the countrey was given by Vortigerne, King of the Britons, in favour of Rowena, the beautifull daughter of Hengist, marryed vnto Vortigerne, about the yeare 455 from Christs incarnation, and in the seaventh yeare after the arrival of Hengist. It cōtinued for the space of 375 years after Malmesburiensis (accompting from the first entrance of Hengist,) ending in the yeare of Christ 824 in Baldred, the last prince hereof, o­vercome, and driven out by Egbert, king of the West-Saxons; added af­terwards as a Province to the West-Saxons dominion. The Kings hereof were Hengist before mentioned, descended after my authour (as were all the rest of the Kings of the Heptarchie) from Woden, a great prince a­mongst the German Saxons, and his wife Frea, in whose honour the third, & fift dayes of the weeke were namedFlores Histor­per Mat. West­monast. p. 174. iuxta editio­nem Franco­furtensem. Wednesday, & Fryday by the idolatrous English, continued since in the time of the Gospell vnto this [Page 43] present. His brother Otha, & son Ebusa, whom he had sent for out of Germany, by the good liking of Vortigern (to whom they pretended the defence of the country against the neighbouring Scots, & Picts) got seazed of the Northerne parts of Britaine, lying on the further side of Humber; held by them, & their successours with the title of Dukes vn­der the right, & fealty hereof, & of the kings of Kent, chaunged after into the kingdome of Northumberland. In his time likewise Ella, & Cer­dic, (two noble Captaines of the same Nation) invading the South, layed the foundations of the kingdomes of Sussex, & the West-Saxons. He decea­sed in the yeare 488, the first king of Kent, & Monarch or chiefe king of the English Saxons. Eske, son to Hengist. From this Prince the Kentish-Saxons were called Oiscingae Orrich, cog­nomento Oisc, à quo reges Cantuariorum solent Oiscin­gae nominari. Bedae Eccles. Hist. Anglorum l, 2. c. 5. after Beda. Octa, son to Eske. Ermerick, after Malmesburiensis, son to Octa, or Otha. Ethelbert, son to Ermeric, succeeding in the yeare 561. He recovered the Monarchy vnto the Kentish men, after Hengist lost vnto the South and West-Saxons; the sixt soveraigne, or chiefe king of the English. In his raigne the Saxons first receiued the Christian faith, converted by Austine, sent from Gre­gory, Bishop of Rome. He deceased in the yeare 616. Edbald, son to E­thelbert. Ercombert, yonger son to Edbald, King of Kent, during the nonage of Ethelred, and Ethelbert, sons to Ermenred, eldest son to Ed­bald. Egbert, son to Ercombert. He inhumanely murthered Ethelred and Ethelbert, sons to Ermenred aforesaid; jealous of their better right to the kingdome of Kent. Lothaire, yonger son to Ercombert, and bro­ther to Egbert, vsurping the kingdome in the minority of Edric, son to Egbert. He was slaine in fight after 11 yeares raigne by Edric in the yeare 685. Edric son to Egbert, slaine against his rebellious subjects after two yeares tumultuous, and vnquiet raigne. After his decease the Kingdome, torne with ciuill dissentions, became a prey to Cead­walla, which (but without successe) he sought to vnite to his West-Saxon kingdome, miserably wasted through his rage & cruelty. Wi­thred, brother to Edric, & son to Egbert, succeeding after seauen years vacancy in the yeare 693, by the good leaue of Ina king of the West-Saxons, successour to Ceadwalla, whose peace he had purchased with a summe of money. Edbert, son to Withred. Ethelbert the second, son to Withred, and brother to Edbert. Alric, brother to Edbert, and Ethel­bert, ouer-throwne and slaine by Offa, the great king of the Mercians, the last king of Kent descended from Hengist. After this Prince, the Province miserably distressed through the wars, and invasions of the Mercians, became vsurped by such of the Natiues who had power to effect the same, the posterity of Hengist being extinguished or exclu­ded. Ethelbert the third, surnamed Pren, after Alric vsurping the gover­ment. Hee was taken prisoner, and deprived by Kenulf king of the Mercians, set at liberty not long after, and deceasing in a private for­tune. Cuthred succeeding in the yeare 797, set vp by Kenulfe, king of the Mercians after Etheldred. Baldred vsurping the kingdom after Cu­thred in the yeare 824, over-throwne in battaile, and chased out by great Egbert, after whom Kent was annexed to the kingdome of the West-Saxons. The Kentish Dutch, or Saxons, were after Beda a colony of the Iutes.

THE KINGDOME OF THE SOVTH-SAXONS.Australes Saxones. Bed. Eccles. Histor. Anglorum l. 2. c. 5. & Hunting. Hist. l. 3. &c.

ITv. Bedae Eccl. Hist. Anglor. Flores Hist. per Mat. Westmon. Huntingdon. Hist. 1. 2. 3. & 4. contained the Regni of Ptolomy, or the present countreyes of Surrey and Sussex; bounding vpon the South with the Brittish Ocean; vpon the East with the kingdome of Kent; vpon the North with the river Thames from the East-Saxons; and vpon the West with the kingdome of the West-Saxons; named thus from the situation thereof, lying in the most Southerne part of the Iland. It was begun by Ella, a Saxon captaine, arriuing here with new Dutch supplyes in the time of Hengist king of Kent, and first Monarch of the English. Concerning the exact time of Ellaes descent hither, our English authours doe much vary for want of more auncient to direct them. All notwithstanding, or the most part a­gree, that this hapned in the time of Hengist. After about 200 yeares continuance, and long oppression by the more mightie kings of the West-Saxons, this state took end, subdued by king Ina, and incorporated into the vnion of the West-Saxon kingdome. This, as neither the Ken­tish, although the first kingdomes erected by the Saxons, yet came not to any growth through the bad neighbourhood of the West-Saxons, Mer­cians, and other more potent Dutch intruders, comming betwixt them, and the Britons. The kings were Ella aforesaid, arriving here about the yeare 477 (afterFlores Hist. per Mat. West­monast. Zeno­ne Imperatore. Mat. of Westminister,) sent for by Hengist; and some years afterwards hauing vanquished the Britons in sundry fights, and sacked the strong city of Anderida, their chiefe fortresse, about the yeare 488 taking vpon him the name, and authority of king of those parts. After Hengist he attained to the soueraigntie, or chiefe commaund of the rest of the Saxons the second Monarch of the En­glish. Cissa, son to Ella, king of the South-Saxons, the founder of the towne of Chichester in Sussex. He lost the Monarchie, or chiefe rule to Cerdic, king of the West-Saxons. He deceasing aboutAn. D. 590, defuncto Cissa rege, Australi­um Saxonum regnum devo­lutum est ad Ceaulinum re­gem Occiden­talium Saxo­num. ib. the yeare 590, the kingdome fell (by what right we finde not) vpon Cheulin, king of the West-Saxons. After this time we read not of any more kings of the South-Saxons, vntill Adelwold, Edelwach, or E­thelwolf (for by all these names hee is called,) the first Christian King of the South-Saxons. He was invaded, and slaine in battaile in the yeare 687 after Mat. of Westminster by Ceadwal, king of the West-Saxons, the last who is named king of the South-Saxons. Adelwold being slaine, Berthun, & Authun, two Dukes of the country, but with­out the title of kings tooke vpon them the gouernment, by whom for the time Ceadwal is repulsed, and driven home. Not long after the kingdome of the South-Saxons, vnable any longer to with-stand the power of the West-Saxons, is finally subdued by Ina, who succeeded vn­to Ceadwal, added to the West-Saxon kingdome.

THE KINGDOME OF THE EAST-SAXONSOrientales Saxones, Bedae & Malmesbu­riensis de Gest. regum Anglor. l. 1. c. 6. &c.

ITBedae Eccles. Hist. Anglor. Malmesbu [...]. de Gestis Regum Angl. l. 1. c. 6. Hen. Hunting. Hist. l. 2. 3. 4. & 5. Flores Hist. per Mat. West­mon. Florenti­um Vigorni­ensem. contained the countrey of the Trinobantes of Caesar, and Ptole­my, or the present of Middlesex, and Essex, with part of Hartfordshire after Malmesburiensis; or the Diocese of London, hauing vpon the East the Germane Ocean, vpon the South the river Thames, dividing it from the kingdomes of Kent, and of the South-Saxons; vpon the West the King­dome of Mercia, and vpon the North the kingdome of the East-Angles. It was begun about the yeare 527, & raigne of Eisc king of Kent, by Er­chenwyn, descended after Huntingdoniensis from Woden, the common progenitour of all the Saxon Princes. It continued about the space of 300 yeares, and ended in the yeare 827, and Suthred the last king thereof, warred vpon, and chased out by Egbert king of the West-Saxons, by whom it was vnited to the Dominion of the West-Saxons. The Princes hereof were Erchenwin Flores Hist per Mat. West­monast. An. 527. & Henr. Huntingd. hist. l. 2. now mentioned, the first king in the yeare 527, & raigne of Eisc, the second king of Kent. Sledda, Sledda pri­mus rex Ori­entalium Saxo­num. Malmesb. l. 1. c. 6 son to Erchen­win. He had to wife Ricula, daughter to Ermeric king of Kent. Sebert, son to Sledda, and Ricula; the first Christian king of the East-Saxons, converted thorough the pious endeavours of Ethelbert king of Kent, and Monarch of the English, succeeding in the yeare 596. By the god­ly zeale, & aemulation of those two Christian Princes were first foun­ded the auncient, and renowned Churches of S. Pauls in London, and S. Peters of Westminster. Selred, Seward, and Sigebert Pagan, and ido­latrous Princes, sons to Sebert, ioint kings of the East-Saxons; over­throwne, & slain in fight by Kingils, & Quinchelin, kings of the West-Saxons about the yeare 623. Segebert the second, son to Seward, son to king Sebert. Segebert the third, son to Segebald, brother to Sebert, & son to Sledda, & Ricula his Kentish Queene. He restored the forsaken Ca­tholique Religion in the kingdome of the East-Saxons, by the speciall instigation of Oswye, king of Northumberland; assisted in this blessed worke by holy Cedda, brother to S. Ceadda, or Chad, Bishop of the Meircans. Swithelme, brother to Segebert the third, baptized by S. Ced­da, Apostle & Bishop of the East-Saxons. Sighere, & Sebba, whereof the first was son, the other was brother vnto Segebert the second, joinct kings of the East-Saxons after Swithelme. Sighere deceasing, Sebba is sole king; after thirty yeares holy & just raigne, quitting his kingdome, & turning religious in the Monastery of S. Pauls in London. His tomb is yet showne in the walls of the North Ile of the Chancell of that Church. Sigheard, son to holy Sebba, succeeding in the yeare 694. Seo­frid, brother to Sigheard, & son to Sebba. Offa, son to Sigheard. He en­riched with buildings, & large endowments the Church of S. Peter in Westminster. Abandoning the vaine pleasures of this temporary world, he departed vnto Rome with Kenred King of the Mercians, where he tooke vpon him the habit of Religion. Selred the second. Su­thred, son to Selred the second, the last king of the East-Saxons, about [Page 46] the yeare 828 driuen out by Egbert, the potent king of the West-Sax­ons; vniting the countries hereof with his kingdome of the West-Sax­ons. None of the princes hereof attayned to the Monarchy, or chiefe commaund of the English-Saxons.

THE KINGDOME OF THE EAST-ANGLES.Orientales Angli Bedae Eccles. Histor. lib. 3. cap. 16, & Malmesburien. lib. 1. c. 5. &c.

IT tooke the namev. Bedae Eccl. Histor. Anglo­rum. Malmesb. de Gestis Re­gum Anglorum lib. 1. c. 9. Hun­tingd. Hist. lib. 2. 3. & 4. Flores Historiarum per Mat. West. monast. Flo­rentium Wi­gorniensem. from its more Easterne situation, and the people of the English; from whom after Beda, with the Mercians, and North­umbrians, the Dutch inhabitants hereof were descended. It contayned the greatest part of the countrie of the Iceni of Tacitus, after Malmes­buriensis Cambridgeshire, Norfolke, and Suffolke, or the two Dioceses of Elie, and Norwijch. It had vpon the South, the kingdome of the East-Saxons; vpon the East, the German Ocean; vpon the North, the sea Meta­ris of Ptolomy, or the Washes; & vpon the West, the kingdome of the Mercians, begun by Vffa, a Saxon Captaine about the yeare 575, and en­ding with the Martyrdome of S^t Edmund about the yeare 886; posses­sed afterward for many yeares by the Danes; and lastly by Edward the first of the name, king of the West-Saxons, or English (the Danes expul­sed) about the yeare 914 incorporated with the English kingdome, & Monarchie. The princes follow. Vffa, the first king of the East-Angles about the yeare 575. From this prince after Hunting doniensis the East-Angles for a long time were namedVffingae Hun­tingd. Hist. l. 2. the Vffingae. Titulus king of the East-Angles, son to Vffa. Redwald, son to Titulus, succeeding in the yeare 593. After the decease of Ethelbert, the first Christian king of Kent, he got the Soveraignety, or chiefe rule of the English-Saxons, the seaventh Monarch of the English. With this princeMalmesbur. lib. 1. c. 5. Malmesbu­riensis beginneth the order of the kings of the East-Angles. Erpen­wald, son to Redwald, the first Christian king of the East-Angles, con­verted thorow the godly zeale, & friendly exhortation of Edwin (re­stored to the kingdome of Northumberland by his father Redwald,) succeeding in the yeare 624. Hee was slaine by a conspiracie of his wicked, & idolatrous subiects, exasperated against him by meanes of his Christian, & Catholique profession. Sigebert, son to the wife of Redwald by a former husband (neither of whose names we find (des­cended of the blood royall of the East-Angles, during the raigne of Redwald (jealous of his ambition to the Crowne,) and of Erpenwald his successour, liuing exiled in forreine countries; after the decease of Erpenwald returning from banishment, and succeeding in the king­dome of the East-Angles about the yeare 636. He restored the Chri­stian Religion amongst the East-Angles, wherein he had beene taught & baptized during his exile in France. For the more firme rooting of Christianity amongst his East-Angles, hee founded after Beda a schoole for the trayning vp of youth, appointing teachers to instruct them in religion, and good literature. The learned of Cambridge de­riue from hence the beginning of their auncient, & famous Vniversi­tie; [Page 47] Beda (from whose authoritie more especially they ground their assertion) mentionethMox ea (Sig­bertus) quae in Gallia bene dis­posita vidit, i­mitari cupiens, scholam insti­tuit, in quâ pu­eti erudiren­tur, iuvanti E­piscopo Foeli­ci, quem de Cantijs acce­perat, ijs (que); pe­dagogos, ac magisiros iuxta morem Cantu­ariorum prae­benti. Bedae Ec­clesi. Hist. An­glorum lib. 3. cap. 18. a schoole, but not the place, where this should be erected, as neither doe any other auncient, and approved authours. Leaving the kingdome to Egrick, he turned Religious in the Mo­nastery of Cumbrebury; forced out of his Cel not long after by his distressed subjects against Penda, the Pagan king of the Mercians, by whom he was slaine, or rather martyred in battaill. Egrick, kinsman to Sigebert; after foure yeares raigne with Sigebert slaine in fight by Penda, & the Mercians. Anna, son to Eny after Malmesburiensis, brother to Redwald, & son to Titulus, succeeding in the yeare 642. He likewise felt the rage of Penda, and the Mercians, slaine by them in a great battaill about the yeare 654. His son Erkenwald with fiue daughters (such was the zeale of that devout age) Ethelrid, Sexburg, Withgith, Ethilburg, and Edelburg, put on the habit of Religion, ob­tayning after their decease the repute, and name of Saints. Ethelherd, brother to king Anna. He was slaine in the quarrell of Penda against the Saxons, or English of Northumberland. Edelwald, brother to E­thelherd. Aldulf, son to Ethelherd Elswolf, son to king Ethelherd, and brother to Aldulfe. Beorn son to Ethelherd, and brother to Aldulfe, and Elswolfe. Ethelred, kinsman to Beorn, and the preceeding kings. Ethelbert, son to Ethelred. He was treacherously murthered by Offa, the great king of the Mercians; invited to his Court vpon pretence of marriage with his daughter Elfrid. After Echelbert the East-Angles for a long time became a prey to the Mercians, West-Saxons, & Ken­tish Saxons, without kings, or mentioned in Authours. By great Eg­bert with the rest of the Heptarchie they became subject to the En­glish name, and Monarchy vnder a substituted king of their owne, not named by Huntingdoniensis my Author; as neither are any o­ther of their princes vntill Edmund descended from Anna, succee­ding about the yeare 780. Saint Edmund, the last Saxon king of the East-Angles, substituted, or governing vnder the West-Saxons; inva­ded by Hungar, and Hubba, two Pagan Danish Captaines, and after sundry torments, with great constancy sustayned for his faith, & pro­fession, tyed to a stake, and shot to death with their arrowes; canoni­zed for a Saint, and Martyr, whose rich, and much honoured shrine gaue occasion of the name of Saint Edmundsbury in Suffolke. Saint Edmund thus martyred, after 9 yeares vacancy, and spoile by the Danes, Guthrum, or Godrun, a Danish Captaine, succeedeth in the kingdome hereof, & of the East-Saxons; to whome Eohric of the same nation succeedeth. By Edward the first, Monarch of the English Saxons, the Danes are lastly driven out, and the countrie is immediatly vnited to the rest of the English Empire.

THE KINGDOME OF MERCIA.Mercij Bedae, & Malmesburi­ensis. lib. 1. cap. 4. &c.

IT was sov. Bedae Eccl. Histor. Anglor. Malmesburien­sis de Gestis Regum Anglo­rum. lib. 1. c. 4. Henr. Hunting. Hist. l. 2. 3. 4. & 5. Flores Hist. per Mat. West­monaster. Flo­rentium Wi­gorniensem. named after our best antiquaries from the word Mearc, sig­nifying with the Dutch, or English, a bounder, called thus since confi­ning [Page 48] in a manner withall the rest of the Saxon kingdomes; lying in the heart, and middle part of the Iland. Better Etymologies we know not. It contayned in its greatest extent the Countries of the Dobuni, Caty­c [...]chlani, Coritani, and Cornavij of Ptolemy, with part of the Iceni, and Silures; or after Malmes buriensis the moderne countries of Lincolne, Not­tingham, Rutland, Leicester, Huntingdon, Bedford, Northampton, Bucking­ham, Oxford, Glocester, Warwijck, Stafford, Darby, Worcester, Hereford, Chester, and Shropshire, with part of Hartfordshire, the largest of all the seaven kingdomes; bounded vpon the East, with the East-Saxons, and East-Angles, with part of the German Ocean betwixt the Metaris, or the Washes of Lincolneshire, and the mouth of Humber; vpon the South, with the riuer Thames from the West-Saxons; vpon the West, with Of­fa's-Ditch from the Welsh, with part of the Irish Ocean betwixt the Dee, and Mersey; and vpon the North, with the riuer Mersey, and Humber from the kingdome of Northumberland. It comprehended the North, & South Mercia, the riuer of Trent parting these two devisions after Mat. of VVestminster. It was begun by Crida Flores Hist. per Mat. West­monast. 585., or Creodda, a Saxon Captaine in the yeare 585, after my authour descended from prince VVoden, enlarged by the victories of Wibba, Penda, and Offa. By great Egbert it was subjected to the vassalage of the West-Saxon Monarchs, about the yeare 886 ending in Burdred, a substitute of the West-Saxons, tyred with long warres, and molestations of the Danes, & departing vnto Rome; after whom (the Danes, who had now vsurped it being expulsed) it was vnited to the West-Saxon kingdome. The Kings were Crida, or Creodda a­foresaid about the yeare 585, the first king of the Mercians. Wibba, son to Crida. Ceorl, son to Kinemund, brother to VVibba. Penda, Penda pri­mus rex Mer­ciorum secun­dum Malmes­buriensem de Gestis Regum Anglorum lib. 1. c. 4. son to VVibba, succeeding in the yeare 626. He slew in battaill Ed­win, and Oswald kings of Northumberland, and Sigebert, Egfrid, and Anna kings of the East-Angles, and droue out of his kingdome Ken­wald of the VVest-Saxons; noted for his bloudy, fierce, and violent raigne, many victories, and much cruelty against the neighbouring Christian English. Himselfe was lastly slaine at a great, & memorable overthrow given by Oswy king of the Northumbrians. After this, the country for a time was made subject to Oswy, and the Northum­brian Saxons. Peada, son to Penda, by Oswy king of Northumberland vpon the marriage of Alkfled, his naturall daughter, set ouer the part of Mercia, lying South of the riuer Trent, with condition that hee should become Christian, the first Christian king of the Mercians. The part of Mercia vpon the North of Trent Oswy joyned to the immediate government of the Northumbrians. He was slaine after Beda by the treason of his wife Alkfled, after others by his mother Kinswith, wife to Penda. After Peada, the Mercians shook off the yoke of the Northumbrians, and Wulfhere is advanced to the kingdome. Wulfhere, son to Penda, and brother to Peada, (Oswy, & the North­umbrians thrust out,) king of the Mercians. By his great valour, & hap­pie exploites after Oswy he obtayned the Soveraignety, or chiefe rule of the Saxons, continued in his successours vntill Kenelme, and the Monarchy of Egbert, and the VVest Saxons; the eleventh Monarch [Page 49] of the English▪ He founded the Church, & Monastery of Medesham, or Peter borough (begun by his brother Peada,) converted to Christia­nity by holy Chad, the Apostle, or first Bishop of Lichfield, and the Mercians. He deceased in the yeare 674. Amongst other issue he had Wereburg, a professed Nun in the Monastery of Elye, appointed af­terwards by king Ethelred visitour of all the Monasteries in the king­dome of Mercia, which charge she vnderwent with great zeale, and o­pinion of sanctity; whose dead corps, or reliques remoued afterwards to the City of Chester occasioned there the Church of Saint VVere­burg, since the Cathedrall of that Diocese, founded by Leofrike Earle of Chester in her honour. Ethelred, brother to Peada, and VVulshere, and son to Penda, king of Mercia, and the twelft Monarke of the En­glish. He founded the Monasterie of Bardney in Lincolneshire, where relinquishing the kingdome, himselfe became Monke, and afterwards Abbat. Kenred, son to Wulfhere (Ethelred resigneing) king of Mer­cia, and Monarch of the English. Having raigned foure yeares he like­wise gaue ouer the kingdome, and with Offa king of the East-Saxons went to Rome, where, Constantine the first being Pope, they together put on the Coule, & habit of religion. Chelred, son to Ethelred, king of Mercia, and Monarch of the English. He had warres with Ina, king of VVest-Saxons (growne great through his late victories ouer the Kentish, and South-Saxons, and aspiring to the Monarchy,) managed with aequall fortunes. Ethelbald, of the blood royall of the kings of Mercia (descended from Crida,) king of the Mercians, & Monarch of the English in the time of S^t Winifrid, or Boniface, the Apostle of the Germans, and Archbishop of Mentz, reprehended by him for his vn­married, yet most lascivious, and vnchast life. He was slaine by his mutinous subjects, stirred vp by Bernred, ayming hereby at the king­dome. Offa descended from Wibba, after some vacancy, & the death of the Tyrant Bernred (whom he slew in battaill), king of Mercia, and Monarch of the English, renowned for his great victories archieved against the bordering Welsh, & Saxons. He drew Offaes Ditch before described, the bounder betwixt him, & the Welsh, and subjected his English to atribute of the sea of Rome called Romscot, and Peter­pence. He likewise founded the great, and rich Monasterie of S^t Al­ban in honour of that first British Martyr, a Citizen of the neighbou­ring Verulamium, put to death here by the Emperour Dioclesian, and now canonized at his cost. He deceased in the yeare 796. Egfri [...], son to great Offa, king of Mercia, and Monarch of the English, deceasing within the yeare. Kenwolf (descended from Wibba) king of Mercia, and Monarch, or chiefe king of the English, deceasing in the yeare 819. After this prince, the Mercians lost the sovernignety, or chiefe rule of the English, to Egbert, and the West-Saxons, hapning through the feeble, & vnripe yeares of Kenelme, his next successour, the quar­rels, and devisions hereof for the Crowne, and the power of Egbert, growne mighty through the accesse of the East, and South-Saxons, and Kentish kingdome. Kenelme, son to Kenwolf, at the age of sea­ven yeares, succeeding in the kingdome of Mercia, murthered by his [Page 50] sister Quendrid, ambitious of the gouernment. Ceolwulf, king of Mer­cia, Vncle to Kenelme, and brother to Kenwolf; after one yeares troublesome raigne, driuen out by his seditious subiects, and tho­rough the treason and faction of Bernulf. Bernulf, King of the Mercians, vsurping the kingdome against Ceolwulfe. Hee con­tended with great Egbert for the chiefe rule, or soveraignty of the English, by whom he was ouercome in fight, & was lastly slaine a­gainst the East-Angles. Ludecan King of Mercia, intruding the Ber­nulf, overcome & slaine by Egbert, & the East-Angles. Withlafe King of Mercia, vsurping after Ludecan, subdued afterwards, & made tribu­tary, & substituted by Egbert. Berthulf king of Mercia, after Withlafe substituted by the West-Saxons. He was driuen out by the bloudy, & all-conquering Danes Burdred, appointed by Ethelwolf the West-Sa­xon or English Monarch. After two and twenty yeares raigne, weari­ed out with continuall warres, & fresh invasions of the Danes, & lea­ving England vnto fortune, about the yeare 886, he tooke sanctuary in Rome, where in a private state he dyed, the last Prince of the long lan­guishing Mercian kingdome; after whom, & some few yeares revel­ling Malmesbur. l. 1. c. 4. of the Danes; the countreyes hereof by Alfred (the Danes brought vnder) were vnited to the English, or VVest-Saxon Monar­chy.

THE KINGDOME OF NORTHVMBERLAND.Nord-Hum­bri Bedae Eccl. hist. l. 3. c. 7. Northanimbri Malmesbur. l. 1 c. 3. Nordan­humbri Mat. Weston.

IT wasv. Bedae Eccles. Histor. Anglorum. Malmesbur. de Gestis Regum Anglor. l. 1. c. 3. Hen. Hunting. hist. l. 2. 3. 4. & 5. Flores hist. per Mat. West­mon, Floren­tium Wigorn. thus called from the more famous river, or creeke of Humber, vpon whose North it lay. It contained the Brigantes of Ptolemy, with other parts of North Britaine, extended from hence vnto the Bo­dotria, & Glota of the same Authour, now the Friths of Edinburgh, and Dunbriton; on after Malmes buriensis the present countryes of Yorke­shire, Lancashire, Durham, Westmoreland, Cumberland, & Northumberland. Wee adde Tweedale, Merch, Lauden, Carict, & Galloway, with other parts of moderne Scotland vnto the Glota, and Bodotria, (for thus farre after Malmesburiensis the Empire of the English (whose North this was) shortly vpon their invasion, & conquest extended.) It had vpon the South, the riuers of Mersey, and Humber from the kingdome of the Mer­cians; vpon the East, the German Ocean; vpon the West, the Irish sea; and vpon the North the two Friths before mentioned, parting it from the Scots and Picts. It was divided into twoDeirorum & Berniciorum Provinciae partes gentis Nordhumbro­rum. Bedae Ec­cles hist. gentis Anglor. l. 3. c. 1. Provinces, more aunciently commaunded a part by their kings; ofDeira Mal­mesbur. l. 1. c. 3. Deira, which was the part in­tercepted betwixt Humber, and the river of Tees; andBernicia ib. Bernicia, lying betwixt the Tees, and Frith of Edinburgh. The kingdome was occasio­ned by Otha, and Ebusa, the brother and son of Hengist, shortly after the comming of the first Saxons, the better to strengthen their party, sent for out of Germany by Hengist, and by the good leaue of Vortigern king of the Britons arriuing, and planting in those Northerne parts, preten­ding their guard against the injurious, and ill neighbouring Picts, and [Page 51] Scots; whose successours (the truce, and amity betwixt the two Nati­ons quickly broken) in continuance of time subduing the Country thus limited, and governing the same with the title of Dukes vnder the right and soveraigne commaund of the kings of Kent, about the 60, and 72 yeares after the death of Hengist chaunged their stile into the name of kings of Bernicia, and Deira, (for thus the parts hereof (as before) then were called,) vniting againe not long after into one onely kingdome, and common name of Northumberland, called thus in regard of the Northerne situation thereof vnto that famous river. The Northumbrians after E­thelred, and the yeare 794, being much distressed through their ciuill dissentions, and the invasions of the Danes, by the advantage hereof the Scots, and Picts got seazed of the parts of Bernicia, situated vpon the North of the river Tweede, and Solway Frith, the ordinary bounder af­terward of the English, and Scottish kingdomes. The Britons before this (inhabiting the parts where now lye Cumberland, and Westmoreland, with Fournesse Fels in Lancashire (subiect aunciently to the Saxon kings of Northumberland,) about the yeare 685 revoultingv. Bedae Ec­cles. Hist. gentis Anglorum l. 4. c. 26. from vnder the government hereof begun the kingdome of the Cumbri, or Cumberland, continuing after the Heptarchy of the English expired. In this māner the kingdome of Northumberland stinted towards the North with the Frith of Solway, and the river Tweede, about the yeare 827, and some 33 years after the decease of Ethelred before mentioned, ouer-charged with forreine, and domestique wars, submitted to the protection of great Eg­bert, and his West-Saxons, by whom it was lastly vnited to the West-Sa­xon, or English Monarchy. The princes hereof were Ida, the first king of Northumberland after Mat. ofFlores histor. per. Mat. West­monast. an. 548 & 560. Westminster, elected by the victori­ous Dutch, or English of these Northerly parts in the yeare 548, and about the 60 yeare after the death of Hengist. By Floretinusv. Florenti­um▪ Wigorni­ensem an. 547. & 559. Monke of Worcester, he is stiled only king of Bernicia. Ida deceasing, the Northumbrians in the yeare 560 after Mat. of VVestminster, first be­came divided into the two kingdomes of Deira, vsurped with this title by Ella, son to Duke Iffus; and Bernicia, the portion remaining vnto Adda, son and successour vnto Ida, succeeded vnto in Bernicia, during the long raigne of Ella, by Clappa Theodulphus, Freothulfus, Theodoricus, and Ethelricus, all sons to Ida, and brethren to Adda. Adda, Clappa, Theodulphus, Freothulfus, Theodoricus, and Ethelricus, kings of Bernicia, and sons to Ida, successiuely raigning one after another; & Ella king of Deira, son to Duke Iffus. After the decease of Ella, king E­thelricus (Edwin thrust out, son to Ella) obtaineth the soueraignty of the whole Northumberland. Ethelricus, son to Ida, (Edwin son to Ella excluded) king of Northumberland, or of both Provinces of Deira, and Bernicia. Ethelfrid, king of Northumberland, son to Ethelricus. He confirmed, and much enlarged the kingdome of the Northumbrians through his conquests, and victories against the Scots, and weake re­mainders of the Britons. He was slaine in battaile by Redwald, king of the East-Angles, and Monarch of the English, in the quarrell of Edwyn king of Deira, expulsed by Ethelricus. Edwyn king of Deira, son to Ella, after Ethelfrid succeeding in both Provinces of Deira, and Bernicia, the [Page 52] first Christian king of the Northumbrians, converted by the meanes of his Queene Ethelburga, daughter to Ethelbert, the first Christian king of Kent, and through the preaching of Paulinus, the Apostle of those Northern parts, & first Archbishop of Yorke. He began at Yorke the Church of S. Peter, appoiting it to bee the Cathedrall of that Metropolitane sea. After Redwald, he got the soveraignty, or chiefe rule amongst the Saxons, the eight Monarch of the English. Hauing a long time raigned victoriously, he was lastly about the yeare 633 slain in battaile by the joint armes of Penda king of the Mercians, and of Cadwallo king of the Britons. Osric, king of Deira, son to Alfrid, bro­ther to Ella; and Eanfrid king of Bernicia, son to Ethelfrid, after the de­cease of Edwin returning out of Scotland (where they had kept du­ring the raigne hereof,) and succeeding in the two kingdomes of Nor­thumberland, noted by Beda & Malmesburiensis for their apostacy from the faith of Christ (wherein with Oswald, who next succeeded, they had been baptized during their exile amongst the Scots,) and the iust reuenge of God for this their impiety; after some one yeares short raigne overcome, and slaine by Cadwallo king of the Britons. Oswald, son to Ethelfrid, and brother to Eanfrid, hauing vanquished Cadwal­lo, & his Britons in a memorable, & bloudy fight, succeeding in both Provinces of Deira and Bernicia. He attained likewise to the chiefe rule of the Saxons, the ninth Monarch of the English. Hee restored in the parts of Northumberland the much decayed Christian Religion by the preachings and especiall industry of Aidan a Scottish man, and the first Bishop of Lindisfarne, to whom in regard of his ignorance of the Saxon tongue, he serued as an interpretour. He was slaine by Pen­da, the cruell king of the Mercians, in a battaile fought at Maserfield, now from hence named Oswaldstree, in Shropshire. Oswy, king of Ber­nicia, naturall son to Ethelfrid; and Oswyn king of Deira, son to Osric, succeeding about the yeare 643 in the two kingdomes of Northum­berland. Emulation, and wars arising betwixt the two Princes, and good Oswyn by the treason of Earle Hunwald being deliuered into the hands of Oswy, by whom he is wickedly murthered, Oswy attai­neth to the Dominion of all Northumberland, and by the strength and advantage hereof, to the chiefe rule and soveraignty of the En­glish, the tenth and last Monarch of the English, of the house of Nor­thumberland. He slew in fight the mercilesse and raging Penda, and subdued the Mercians to his will, rebelling notwithstanding shortly af­ter, and reassuming liberty vnder Vulfhere, son to Penda. He deceased about the yeare 670. After this Prince the two Provinces of Deira and Bernicia, went still vnited vnder one onely king of Northumber­land. Egfrid king of Northumberland, son to Oswy. He lost the Monar­chy or chiefe rule of the English to Vulf here, and the Mercians. He was slaine against the Picts, entrapped amongst their mountaines. En­couraged by this ouerthrowBedae Eccles. Hist. l. 2. c. 6. the remainder of the Britons, inhabiting Cumberland, & the Westerne coasts along the Irish Ocean, cast off the yoake of the Northumbrians, and became a free estate. Alkfryd, king of Northumberlād, naturall son to Oswy. Osred king of Northumberland, [Page 53] son to Alkfrid. He was slaine in fight by Kenred, and Osric, aiming hereby at the Crowne, and through the advantage of his licentious life, and many vices. Kenred, king of Northumberland, the murtherer of Osred, descended from Ida, the first king of Bernicia, by his Con­cubine. Osric king of Northumberland, associate with Kenred in the treason against Osred. Ceolwulph king of Northumberland, brother to Kēred. He voluntarily resigned the kingdome, & took the habit of reli­gion in the Iland of Lindisferne, now Holy Land. Vnto this prince Venerable Bede dedicateth his Ecclesiasticall historie of the English Nation. Egbert king of Northumberlād, son to Eata, brother to Ceolwulf. He also left the kingdome, and turned religious. Oswulph, sonne to Egbert, after a short raigne slaine by treason. Edilwald descended from king Ida, by his Concubine, slaine by Alured. Alured, descen­ded from Ida, and the same Concubine, driven out by his seditious subjects. Ethelred, son to Edilwald, expulsed by the faction of Edel­bald, and Herebert two noblemen of the Countrie. Alswald, brother to king Alured, murthered by his ever wicked, and rebellious sub­jects. Osred, son to Alured, forced out by the same fury. Ethelred, son to Edilwald, restored to the kingdome after Alswald, and Osred, in the yeare 794, slaine by his still bad, and mutinous subjects, long pra­ctised in treason, and the murther of their princes, the last king of Northumberland after Malmesburiensis. Ethelred thus murthered, the Countrie for the space of thirty and three yeares was much tur­moyled with ciuill dissentions, and continuall intrusions of petty ty­rants, contending for, and vsurping the soveraignety, of small power through this disorder, and short continuance, and not deserving the name of kings. In the yeare 827, not able any longer to hold out, or to resist so great a Monarch, the Northumbrians were subdued, or ra­ther voluntarily yeelded vnto Egbert, the most potent king of the VVest-Saxons. After this subjection, they were ruled by Vice-Royes, or substitute kings vnder the VVest-Saxons, of which ranke were Os­brict, and Ella, mentioned by Henry ofHuntingdon. Hist. lib. 5. Huntington, in the raigne of Ethelwolf, son and successour to great Egbert. These two being slaine by the Danes, they were made subject to that nation, whose kings af­ter Huntingdoniensis (if they be worth the naming) were Haldene, Gud­fert, Nigellus, Sidrik, Reginald, and Anlaf, commaunding here in a con­fused, and disorderly manner, sometimes one ruling alone, sometimes two, or many together. By Athelstan these Danish Northumbrians were driven out, or subdued to the English Monarchy, not long after by king Edred after sundry rebellions incorporated into the kingdome, and accompt, and name of the English.

THE KINGDOME OF THE WEST-SAXONS.Occidentales Saxones & Gevissi Bedae Eccl. Hist. lib. 3. cap. 7. West-Sa­xones Malmes. lib. 1. c. 2.

ITv. Bedae Eccl. Hist. Gentis Anglor. Mal­mesb. de Gest. Regum Anglo. lib. 1. c. 2. & l [...]b. 2. c. 1. Hen. Hun­tingd. Hist. lib. 2. 3. & 4. Flo­res Hist. per Mat. Westmo­nast. Florenti­um Wigorni­ensem. contayned more aunciently the Belgae, Attrebatij, and Durotriges of Ptolemy, now Barkeshire, Wiltshire, Somersetshire, Hantshire, & Dor­set-shire, [Page 54] with the Ile of Wight, having vpon the South, the British Ocean; vpon the East, the South-Saxons; vpon the North, the Mercians, and the river Thames; and vpon the West, the sea of Severne, and the Cornish Bri­tons. Malmesburiensis addeth Devonshire, and Cornwall, or the parts belonging sometimes to the Danmonij, or Cornish Britons, subdued, and annexed by Great Egbert, a little before the period of the Heptarchie, and the abolition of the kingdome, and distinction of the West-Saxons. The state was begun after those of Kent, and Sussex, but before the rest of the Heptarchie, by Cerdic, a Saxon Captaine, about the yeare 495, lan­ding with fresh German succours amongst the Iceni, where now is Cer­dic-shore, neere Yarmouth, and (descending from thence towards the VVest, and hauing vanquished and slaine Natanleod, a British Comman­der) fixing, and establishing in the Westerne parts the kingdome named thus from its situation; enlarged by the after conquests hereof, and of his victorious Successours vpon the distressed neighbouring Britons. Into this kingdome, as into a more fresh, & liuely stocke, all the rest of the kingdomes of the Saxons became at length engrafted, mastered by the armes of great Egbert, and through their owne intestine broyles, and in the yeare 819 by the decree of Egbert at an assembly of the states at VVinchester joyned into one entire state, or common name of England, continued through many successions of princes vnto our times. The order of the kings of the VVest-Saxons followeth vntill the Heptarchy de­termined, and the vnion, and name of England. Cerdic before mentio­ned, the first king of the West-Saxons about the yeare 502, and 43 yeares after the first arrivall of Hengist. After Ella of the South-Sax­ons, he attayned to the chiefe rule, or soueraignety amongst the Saxon princes; the third Monarch of the English continued in his succes­sours for two descents. Kenrik king of the West-Saxons, and Monarch, or chiefe king of the English, son to Cerdic Cheulin king of the West-Saxons, chiefe king, or Monarch of the English, son to Kenrik. After sundry conquests, and great victories against the Britons, and Kentish Saxons, he was lastly ouerthrowne, and driuen out by a joynt warre of the Welsh, and his seditious subjects discontented with his inso­lent government, drawne on through the treason, and ambition of his nephew Cealic. Cealic king of the West-Saxons, son to Cuthwolf, brother to Cheulin, and son to Kenric. He lost the Monarchy, or chiefe rule of the English vnto Ethelbert, king of the Kentish men. Chelwolf king of the VVest-Saxons, son to Cuth, brother to Cheu­lin. Kingils, son to Chel, brother to Chelwolfe, king of the VVest-Sax­ons, succeeding in the yeare 612. He first of the VVest-Saxon princes embraced the Christian Religion, won to the faith by the preaching of Berinus an Italian, the first Bishop of Dorchester in Oxfordshire, and through the holy zeale, and endeavours of Oswald king of Northumberland. He tooke for his companion in the government his son Quincheline, who deceased before him. Kenwald king of the VVest-Saxons, son to Kengils, he founded the rich abbey of Malmes­burie, and the great Church of VVinchester. He deceasing without issue, his wife Segburg, a manly woman, for a time mannaged the af­faires [Page 55] of the kingdome, succeeded vnto by Eskwin. Eskwin king of the VVest-Saxons, descended from Cerdic. Kenwin, king of the VVest-Saxons, brother to Kenwald, and son to Kingils. He much enlarged the kingdome of the VVest-Saxons vpon the Bordering Britons, or VVelsh. Ceadwalla, king of the VVest-Saxons, descended from Kenric. He slew in fight Edilwalch, the last king of the South-Saxons. After much cruelty, and outrage committed against the neighbouring South, and Kentish-Saxons, to expiate his sinnes, following the man­ner of those superstitious times, he departed on holy pilgrimage to Rome, baptized there by Sergius Bishop of that sea, where shortly af­ter he dyed. Ina, king of the West-Saxons, descended from Cheu­lin. He annexed to his dominions the Countrie of the South-Saxons, and founded the Colledge of Wels, and the great Monastery of Gla­stenbury. Ambitious of the honour of his predecessour, hee went to Rome, and put on the habit of religion, deceasing in a private fortune, hauing first subjected his kingdome to the payment of Peter-pence to that sea. Ethelard, king of the West-Saxons, descended from Cheu­lin. Cuthred, king of the West-Saxons, brother to Ethelard. About this time after Beda the dead corps of the deceased begun first to bee enterred within townes, and cities, formerly after the manner of the Turkes at this day, buried in the fields. Sigebert of vnknowne paren­tage, king of the West-Saxons, driven out by his seditious subjects pretending his tyrannie, and many vices. Kenwulf, king of the West-Saxons, descended from Cerdic. He was slaine by Kineard, brother to Sigebert. Brithric descended from Cerdic, king of the West-Saxons succeeding in the yeare 784. In the time hereof, and yeare 787, the Danes first arriue, and discover the Westerne coasts of the Iland, fol­lowed with greater forces in the raigne of Egbert, and the succeeding English Monarches. He was poysoned by his Queene Ethelburga, daughter to Offa the great, king of the Mercians. In regard of this treason, the wiues of the succeeding West-Saxon Monarches were by law afterwards excluded from all state, place, and title of princes. Eg­bert, king of the VVest-Saxons, descended from Cheulin, and succee­ding in the yeare 800. He subdued the Cornish Britons, and the Ken­tish, and East-Saxons, with those of Mercia, East-England, and North­umberland. Of these Kent, and the East-Saxons, with the Cornish Bri­tons he immediatly incorporated with his kingdome of the West-Sax­ons. The rest (which were Northumberland, with the East-Angles, and Mercians) he commaunded by his substitutes, or Vice-royes. All not­withstanding he vnited into one entire Monarchie, which he named of England (from the Angli, or English, of whom himselfe was descended, or in regard of the greater extent of that people, contayning after Beda the Mercians, Northumbrians, and Mercians, or some two thirds of the whole Dutch Nation) whereof he was Crowned king in the yeare 819, some 370 yeares after the arrivall of Hengist. In this sort (the Heptarchy extinguished) the whole Southerne part of the Iland tooke the name of England, (Wales, & the Britons of Cumberland excepted) whose fortunes vntill the returne hereof into the vnion of Britaine vnder Lames out late Soveraigne of happy memory remaine in the next place to bee related.

THE KINGDOME OF ENGLAND.Anglia.

THisv. Malmesb. de Gestis Re­gum Anglor. lib. 2. Hen. Hun­tingd Hist lib. 5. & 6. Rogeri de Houeden Annalium par­tem priorem. Flores Hist. per Mat. Westmo­nast. Florenti­um Wigorni­niensem. Guil. Camdeni Bri­tanniam (de Anglo-Saxo­nibus.) The En­glish Annalls. was begun by Egbert aforesaid. The manner, and yeare wee haue even now shewed. It was bounded more aunciently with the German Ocean vpon the East; vpon the South, with the English chan­nell from France; vpon the West, with the Welsh, and Britons of Cum­berland, with part of the Westerne, or Irish Ocean from Ireland; and vpon the North, with the river Tweede from the Picts, or Scotland. King Wil­liam, surnamed the Conquerour, added Cumberland, and VVestmoreland, parts of the auncient kingdome of the Cumbri, wrested from the Scots. His son Rufus, and the succeeding princes of the Norman bloud added VVales. By the raigne of king Edward the first (VVales then being to­tally subdued) the accompt, and name of England enlarged ouer all the part of the Iland, lying vpon the South of the river Tweede, and Solway Frith; the present extent of the kingdome. It hath suffered sundry changes since this its first name, and erection; being twise conquered by forreine power, and made subject to three different successions of Mo­narches. 1 Of the race of the VVest-Saxons. 2. Of the Danes. 3: and of the Normans.

THE KINGDOME OF ENGLAND VNDER THE VVEST-SAXONS.

THe Kings of England follow, of the house of the West-Saxons, and vntill the Danish subiection. Egbert, king of the West-Saxons, (the Heptarchy destroyed) crowned king of England at a Parliament of the states held at Winchester in the yeare 819. In the raigne of this prince, the Danes begin their fierce invasions of the English, continu­ed with variable successe during the whole time of Englands Mo­narches of the race of the West-Saxons, and vntill the yeare 1016, and conquest of the whole by Canutus. He deceased in the yeare 836. Ethelwolf, and Athelstan, sons to Egbert, succeeding to their father in the kingdome of England, and the Danish warres. Of these, Athelstan had for his share the countries of Kent, and of the South & East-Sax­ons, and Ethelwolf the rest of England, with the praerogatiue, and title of Monarch, or chiefe king of the whole. At the same time likewise Burdred commaunded Mercia, but substituted, and vnder the right of Ethelwolf, and the English Monarches. Ethelbald, and Ethelbert kings of England, sons to Ethelwolf. Hereof Ethelbert inherited Kent, with the East, and South-Saxons, the portion of his vncle Athelstan. The rest with the right of chiefe king, or Monarch of the English fell to the lot of Ethelbald, the elder brother. This last tooke to his in­cestious bed his stepmother Iudith, daughter to Charles surnamed the Bauld, king of West-France, & widdow to his father Ethelwolf, marri­ed after his death (which hapned shortly after) to Bauldwin, the first [Page 57] Earle of Flanders. He deceasing, his brother Ethelbert remained sole king of the English. Ethelbert, sonne to Ethelwolf after the decease of Ethelbald sole Monarch of England. Ethelred the first, king of Eng­land, brother to Ethelbald, and Ethelbert. During the troublesome raigne hereof through the advantage of the warres of the Danes, the East-Angles shake off the yoake of the English Monarches, creating holy Edmund their king; martyred by Hungar, & Hubba two Danish Captaines, and succeeded vnto by princes of this merciles, & Pagan Nation. After stout resistance, and many battails fought, he was at last slaine against the Danes. Alfrid, king of England, fourth sonne to Ethelwolf, & brother to the three preceding Kings. Great was the va­lour amongst other vertues of this vnparaleld, and matchles princes, if not altogether vanquishing, yet repressing the furie of the raging and vnconquerable Danes, threatning now an vtter destruction of the En­glish nation; brought to a low ebbe through their long, & restles inva­sions, frequent victories, depopulations, & tyranny. He founded, or ra­ther renewedv. Asser Me­neven. the most auncient, aud renowned Vniversity of Oxford, and first parted the land into shires, tithings, and hundreds, deceasing in the yeares 901. Edward, surnamed the Elder, king of England, son to Alfred. He made subject the East-Angles, and all other▪ parts pos­sessed by the now languishing, and droping Danes, excepting North­umberland, held yet by princes of that natiō. Athelstan king of Englād, son to Edward. He twise vanquished in fight Constantine king of the Scots assisted with the Irish, subdued the Britons of Cumberland, with the remainder of the Danes inhabiting Northumberland, made the Welsh tributary, and confined the Cornish within the River Tamar, their present bounds; the greatest, and most victorious of the English Monarches before his time, deceasing in the yeare 940. Edmund the first, king of England, son to Edward, and brother to Athelstan. The Danes of Northumberland revolting, he againe brought vnder, & an­nexed that province to his immediate government. He also quite o­uerthrew the kingdome of the Britons of Cumberland, killing the two sons of Dummailus their last king, whose country hee gaue vnto Malcolme the first, king of Scotland, with condition of homage to the English Crowne, and of his defence of those Northerne parts against the Danish intruders. Edred, King of England, son to Edward, and bro­ther to Athelstan. He the third time tamed, and brought vnder the e­ver restles, & rebellious Danes of Northumberland. Edwy, King of England, son to Edmund the first. Against this prince, nothing grati­ous with his subjects, Edgar his brother, & next successour vsurped the dominion of the still vnquiet Northumbrians, & Mercians. Edgar King of England, surnamed the peaceable in regard of his quiet raigne not molested with forraigne or domestique warres, nor ordinarie in those tumultuous, & stirring times, son to Edmund, & brother to Ed­wy. He remitted the taxe of money imposed by Athelstan vpon the Welshmen for a tribute of wolues. Edward the second, king of Eng­land, son to Edgar; surnamed the Martyr from the manner of his death, murthered by the treachery of his stepmother Elfrida, cove­ting [Page 58] the kingdome for her son Ethelred. Ethelred the second, king of England, son to Edgar, & Elfrida, & halfe brother to Edward. In his time the Danes, who had laine still during the late raigne of his victo­rious praedecessours, subdued, or beaten home through the high va­lour of Alfred, Athelstan, and other succeeding English Monarches, renew their wonted outrages, on all sides with furie vnresistable, pil­laging, & spoyling the countrie, encouraged by the quarrells, factions, and bad affection of his disloyall subjects, withdrawing, or forslow­ing their aides, or betraying his armies; after much calamity, and affli­ction compounded withall by Ethelred, and not long after vpon Saint Brice his festivall, and in the yeare 1002 massacred in one day by the commaund hereof, and a joint conspiracy of the English; drawing on a more sharpe revenge, & dreadfull warre of the nation vnder Sue­no, & Canutus their potent, & much incensed kings; not ending but with the English Monarchy of the West-Saxons, and the finall con­quest hereof by Canutus. After a long, but miserable raigne, he de­ceased in the yeare 1016. Edmund the second, from his hardie valour surnamed the Iron-side, son to Ethelred the second, succeeding his fa­ther in the kingdome of England; & in his vnfortunate warre with the Danes. Having fought sundry stout battailes, and one single combate with Canutus in the Ile of Alney by Glocester, comming to an agree­ment with the Dane, he parted with him the kingdome of England, contenting himselfe with the more Southern moity hereof; deceasing after a seaven moneths raigne (a short time for so many braue acts which in that space he atchieued) in the yeare 1016, about 567 yeares after the first arrivall of the Dutch vnder Hengist, & some 197 yeares, since the name & beginning of the kingdome by Egbert. Edmund I­ron-side thus removed out of the way, the whole kingdome of the En­glish, tyred out with long miseries of war, yeelded to Canutus, and the Danes, whose estate, and succession followeth during their rule, & go­vernment over the English.

THE KINGDOME OF ENGLAND VNDER THE DANES.Dani Iornan­dis de Rebus Geticis. &c. Daci vitiosè Henrici Hun­tingd. Hist. lib. 4.

COncerningv. Pomp. Me­lae lib. 3. Ior­nandem de Re­bus Geticis. E­ginhartum de vita, & Gestis Caroli Magni. Aimonij de Re­bus Gestis Francorum. li. 4. c. 9. 92. 96. &c. Malmesb. de Gestis An­glorum lib. 2. Henr. Hunting. Hist. lib. 5. & 6. Rogeri de Ho­veden Annali­um partem pri­orem. Flores Hist. per Mat. Westmonaster. Guil. Camdeni Britanniam (de Danis.) The En­glish. Annals. this Nation wee haue more fully related in the dis­course of Germany. They were a Dutch people (for thus their Dutch dialect, or language doth manifest.) Their name we conjecture from the bay Codanus & Iland Codanonia, of Mela, now the Sundt, & Iland of Zelandt, where, and in the adjacent countries the Nation since their first mention hath alwayes continued. When they begun we finde not. Iornandes is the first of auncient authours by whom they are named, li­ving in the time of the Emperour Iustinian the first. Their Countrey then he maketh to be the neighbouring Scanzia,, or Scandia, most probably now Hallandt, Schonen, and Bleking, or the part in that Continent of the present Denmarke. We adde the Ilands of Zeland, & Funen, with o­thers, lying in the straights of the Sundt. Afterwards (the exact time [Page 59] we know not) they spread into the bordering Cimbrain Chersonese in the maine land of Germany, taking vp the left roomes of the Iutes, & English, departing into the Iland of Britaine vnder Hengist. By the raigne of Charles the Great king of the Frenchmen, vnder their king Godfrey, wee finde them in Aymonius extended Southwards in the Chersonesse as far as the riuer Eydore, dividing them from the Saxons beyond the Elb, the present bounds now of Denmark from the land of Holstein, and the Ger­man Empire. In the yeare 787, and raigne of Brithric king of the West-Saxons, agreeing with the 20 yeare of Charles the Great, we first heare of them in England, with three ships landing in the South-West parts hereof, not so much attempting a conquest, as making a discouery of the country. In the next raigne of Great Egbert, they first to any pur­pose invaded the Iland, arriuing at seuerall times in the Iland of Lindis­ferne in the North, in Wales, and in the Ile of Shepeye in Kent, not with­out much difficulty driuen out by Egbert. He deceasing, they fell on with greater power and rage in the raignes of his sons Ethelwolf, and Athelstan, and of the succeeding English Monarches sons to Ethelwolf, laying waste, and beating downe all before them, and subduing the Provinces of the Mercians, East-Angles, and Northumbrians, where (the English Governours or Princes being either slaine, or beaten out) they erected petty tyrannies of their owne Nation; omitting no kinde of barbarous cruelty vpon the miserable and distressed inhabitants. By the wisdome, patience, and great valour of learned Alfred, this vio­lent torrent is somewhat asswaged, and the edge of their fury abated. By Edward surnamed the Elder, the East-Angles are recovered, and vni­ted againe to the English Empire. By Athelstan Northumberland, or the rest of England, the Danes being either wholy expulsed by him, or made subject to his government, mixing amongst, and ioyning in alli­ance with the English. By Edmund the first, and Edred, the Danes rebel­ling in Northumberland, are againe vanquished, and reduced into the English obedience, after whom we heere read no more of them during the more peaceable raignes of Edwy, Edgar, and Edward surnamed the Martyr, and vntil Ethelred the second. In the vnfortunate raigne of this Prince they begin afresh their intermitted pyracies, & war; which af­ter the treacherous massacre of the Nation by Etheldred, they maintai­ned with a more eager pursuit, and bloudie revenge, managed in per­son by Swaine, and Canutus their powerfull kings. In the yeare 1016, (both sides wearied with their continuall fights, and mutuall butche­ries) they come to a composition with the English, and the kingdome is divided betwixt the reconciled kings, Canutus son to Swaine, and Ed­mund Ironside son to Etheldred. The death of the Iron-side hapning in the same yeare, put shortly an end to this division, and a beginning to the Monarchie of the Danes; after whom the English (loath as before) any more to hazard) submitted voluntarily to Canutus, and the Danish go­vernment. The time from the first arrivall of the Danes in the raigne of Brithricus, king of the West-Saxons, vnto the conquest of England by Canutus was 229 yeares. The male issue of Canutus fayling in his son Hardi-canute, the English in the person of Edward surnamed the Confes­sour, [Page 60] resume the soveraignty, the Danes thrust out. The kings of England follow of the Danish descent, & off-spring. Canutus surnamed the Great, king of England, Denmarke, Norweye, and Sweden, son to Swaine. He tooke to wife Emme, sister to Richard the third, Duke of Norman­dy, widow to king Ethelred, & mother to Edward the Confessour. Peace, & his kingdome established, hee vnburthened the land of the multitudes of his Danish souldiers; contented with a large salary, & at the request of Emme sent back into their Country. Hauing governed with much piety, iustice, & moderation for the space of 19 yeares, hee deceased in the yeare 1035, buried at Winchester. Harold king of Eng­land, naturall son to Canutus, intruding in the absence of his brother Hardi-canute, to whom England with Denmarke had beene allotted by the will of Canutus. He deceased without issue in the yeare 1040. Hardi-canute king of England, son to Canutus, & Emma. He deceased likewise sans issue in the yeare 1042, the last prince of the Danish bloud. The house of Canutus being thus extinguished; the Crowne of England (all Danish, & forraine bloud by a present Decree of the States excluded) returneth againe vpon the English, & Edward, for his Saint-like life surnamed the Coufessour, son to Ethelred, & Emma, is sent for out of France (where with Richard & William, Dukes of Normandy, he had soiourned during the Danish vsurpation) & by a generall con­sent succeedeth in the kingdome; to whom besides his nearenesse in regard of his English descent, the right of the Danes did seeme in a manner to appertaine, being halfe brother to the late deceased king.

THE KINGDOME OF ENGLAND recovered by the English, or VVest-Saxons.

EDward v. Malmesb. de Gestis Reg. Anglor. lib. 2. Henr. Huntin. Hist. l. 6. Flores Hist-per Mat. Westmon. Ro­geri de Hove­den Annal. partem priorē. The English An­nals. surnamed the Confessour, king of England, son to king E­thelred the second, & Emma, Daughter to Richard the second, Duke of Normandy; succeeding in the yeare 1042; Edward surna­med the out-law (eldest son to Edmund Ironside) the right heire, re­maining then in Hungarie, passed ouer by the practise of Queene Em­ma, very gracious in the subjects eyes, or for that liuing in too forreine & remote parts. He deceased in the yeare 1066, marryed, but hauing neuer vsed the company of his wife, reputed in those blind times a­mongst his many true, & noble vertues, deserving his accompt, and name of Saint, the last in the line masculine of the house of▪ the West-Sa­xons. Edward deceased, & Edgar Ethelinge the true heire, son to Ed­ward surnamed the out-law, neglected as too young, & a forreiner, borne in Hungary; Harold, son to Goodwin, Earle of Kent, & Duke of the West-Saxons, without either choyse, or dislike of the irresolute English, intrudeth into the Gouernment, well approved for his great valour, & other Princely vertues befitting a king. Harold, king of Eng­land, son to Goodwin Duke of the West-Saxons, & Earle of Kent, suc­ceeding in the yeare 1066; opposed by Harold Haardread king of [Page 61] Denmarke, challenging the Crowne in the right of his Danish succes­sion; and by William surnamed the Bastard, Duke of Normandy, pre­tending the donation of Edward the Confessour. The Dane vanquish­ed & slaine at Stamfordbridge in Yorkeshire, with his torne, and wearied troupes adventuring shortly after his person, and the fortunes of the English against the Norman at the great battaile neare Hasting in Sussex, he there most vnfortunately within the first yeare of his raigne, lost both his kingdome, and life, the last English, or Saxon king, succeeded vn­to by William the Conquerour, and the Normans, whose turne now fal­leth in the last place.

THE KINGDOME OF ENGLAND vnder the Normans.Nordmanni Eginharti in vitâ Caroli Magni. Nort­manni Aymo­nij de gestis Francorum l. 5 c. 20. &c. Nor­manni Wilhel­mi Gemiticen­sis de Ducum Normannorū Gest. l. 1. c 4. &c & recentiorum

THev. Eginhar­tum in vita Ca­roli Magni. An­nales cujusdam Anonymi do­mestici. Ludov. Pij Francorum Regis, impe­ranti eodem Carolo; Aymo­nij de gestis Francorum l. 5. c. 20. &. 31. Wilhelmi Ge­miticensis de Ducum Nor­mannorum ge­stis. Vpodygma Neustriae per Tho. de Wal­singham. Eius. hist. Malmesb. de gestis Angl. l. 3. Henr. Hunt. hist. l. 6. 7. & 8. Guil. Neubri­gensem. Roge­ri de Ho [...]eden Annal. part [...]m poster. Flo [...]es hist. per Mat. Westmon. Gui­lielmi Camd. Britan. (de Normannis.) The English An­nals. word Normans, or Nortmans, signifiedNormanni autem dicun­tur, quod lin­gua eo [...]um Bo­reas North vo­catur, homo verò Man. inde Northmanni, sid est homines Boreales nun­cu [...]ntur. Wil­helmi Gemiti­censis de Du­cum Norm [...]n­norum gestis l. 1. c. 4. Northerne men with the Dutch, of which Nation, and language they were. The name was common to the Danes, Norvegians, and Swethlanders; or to whatsoe­uer German people, inhabiting towards the Pole Artique, and the North; taken vp, or giuen vnto them from such their more Northerly situati­on. An ancient Frencb Historian, liuing in the raigne of the Emperour Lewis the Godly, (about which time we finde them first mentioned) more distinctly boundeth Normannia, or the Countrey of the first, or Dutch Normans, with the river Eydore; including within this accompt Denmarke, and other more Northerly Regions and excluding Saxony, and the parts of Germany, lying vpon the South of that riuer. They were o­therwise called the Nord-luidi in Helmoldus, and the aforesaid Au­thour. The derivation we know not, vnlesse from the words Nord, or North, and Lieu, which last with the French, signifieth a place, or country. The names were begun vpon occasion of the pyracies, and warres of certaine mixtures of all those Northerne together, or of the Swethlan­ders, & Norvegians a part, following the tracts of the Danes, and inva­ding, and preying vpon the French and English, towards the declining estate of those nations, and called by these generall appellations, either because their proper names were not yet so well knowne abroad, or be­cause then consisting of many. We first read of the expresse name of the Normans in the raigne of Charles the Great by Eginhartus in his life of that Emperour, infesting then the sea-coasts of France, and Germany. Their mentiō after this is frequent, more especially in the French Histories, with great cruelty, & fury vnresistable afflicting the kingdome of France in the raigne of Charles the Bauld vnder their Captaine Hastinge; and vnder Godfrey, an other of their Leaders in the raigne of Charles the Gros. In the yeare 912, they first fixe fast footing in this rich Continent vnder Rollo, another of their Captains, to whom king Charles, surnamed the Simple, vpon composition for his peace herewith, gaue the country of Neustria, together with his daughter Gista in marriage, with condi­tion to hold the same vnder the fief, and homage of the French kings, and to become Christian. After this time, that part of France from [Page 62] the firme residence hereof hath ever since beene called Normandy, as the inhabitants hereof Normans; victoriously held for a long time by the heires of Rollo with the title of Dukes of Normandie; succeeded vnto by William, surnamed Long-espee, or with the Long-sword, son to this first Rollo; Richard the first, son to William surnamed Long-espee; Richard the second son to Richard the first; Richard the third, son to Richard the second; Robert brother to Richard the third; and William surnamed the Bastard, the seaventh Duke, naturall son to Robert. Vnder this last prince these French Normans (France now growing too narrow for their am­bition) first attempt vpon, & invade England. Their colour for this war was the pretended right of their Duke William to the Crowne hereof, bequeathed vnto him by Edward the Confessour in the time of the Danes during his exile in France, confirmed afterwards by Edward be­ing king, and now since his decease with-held by Harold. Their hopes in so great an enterprise was the vnsetled state of England, now vnder an vsurper (Edgar Etheling the right heire excluded,) and the favour of the Bishop of Rome (Alexander the second, then succeeding in the Papacy) siding to their cause, of whose countenance in authorizing vn­iust claimes Pepin, and the late kings of France had made profitable vse. In the yeare 1066 the Armies of the English, & Normans assisted with many thousands of French adventurers in Sussex neere Hastings fatally encounter. Harold, not by valour, but through the sins, and many vi­ces of the Nation, is vanquished, and slaine with the losse of aboue 67000 of his valiant, and faithfull souldiers, and the remainder of the miserable English (none then further adventuring, factious, irresolute; without head, and terrified with Papall cursings) without any more resistance become subiect to the Conquerours, & William the Norman obtayneth the Crowne, with great happines maintained hitherto in his Norman posterity. The kingdome of the English (the growth hereof hauing beene long hindred by the Danish warres,) before this last Norman conquest exceeded not the auncient limits of the Saxons Heptar­chie, bounding vpon the West with Wales, and the Countries of West­moreland, & Cumberland, enjoyed by the Scots, & Welsh princes vnder the homage of the kings of England. By king William the first, follow­ing his victories, Cumberland, and Westmoreland (as before) are taken in, and incorporated into the accompt, & name hereof. By William Ru­fus, and the succeeding Monarches Wales. In forreine parts by Henry the second, Ireland is conquered, and Aniou, Touraine, Maine, Aquitaine, and Guienne, with Normandy their auncient inheritance (contayning almost one halfe part of France) are annexed to the house, and right of the Norman-English. By Edward the third, and the fift, & sixt Henries the potent kingdomes of France. The French hauing long since withdrawn their allegiance, divided asunder by spacius seas, language, and affection, the rest remaine subject; parts, or states appending of the English king­dome. In Iames the first of happy memory both kingdomes of Eng­land, and Scotland, or the whole Britaine, are vnited vnder one Monarch, together with Ireland, a Countrie depending vpon England; or the do­minion of all the British Ilands. The Kings of England follow of the [Page 63] Norman blood, and vntill this last, and blessed vnion. William duke of Normandy, from this victories surnamed the Conquerour, the first king of England of the house of the Normans, naturall son to Robert Duke of Normandy by Arlet, a Burgers daughter of Falaise in that Countrey, (Battle-field wonne) by conquest, and a pretended right from the gift of Edward the Confessour his cosen German by the mothers side, suc­ceeding in the yeare 1066. The subdued English, stubborne, male­contented, vnquiet, and ill brooking forreine gouernment, he oppres­sed with servitude, and hard Lawes, dispossessing the nobility of their goods, places, and revenues, which he assigned to his French, & Nor­mans, the root of the present more auncient English gentrie. He de­ceased in the yeare 1087. william the second surnamed Rufus from his more ruddy colour, a younger son to the Conquerour, king of Eng­land by the will of his father, his elder brother Robert succeeding in the Dukedome of Normandy. He deceased in the yeare 1100, slaine vnawares in New-Forrest in Hamshire, as he was following his game, vnmarried, and without issue. Henry the first, surnamed Beauclercke, or the good Scholler (for such he was by meanes of his education,) borne at Selby in Yorkeshire, yongest son to the Conquerour; king of Eng­land, through the advantage of his brother Roberts absence, warring then ab [...]ad in the Holy Land, and by the favour of the people in re­gard of his English birth, and his sugred promises (which in part hee performed) to remit those heavy lawes, & taxations, wherewith they had beene burthened during the raignes of his father, and brother. To better his title, and the more to insinuate into the English affections, he tooke to wife Maude, daughter to Malcolme the third, king of Scotland, and S^t Margaret daughter to Edward, surnamed the Out-law, eldest son to Edmund Iron-side, hereby vniting together the Norman, and English blood in his issue, & posterity. Warres arising betwixt the two brethren, he with his English subdued the Normans, vpon the same day after forty yeares, wherein his father with the Normans had conquered the English, annexing Normandy to his English Crowne, his borther Robert being surprised in battaile, and detayned prisoner during life. He deceased in the yeare 1135, the first English-Norman king. Stephen Earle of Mortaigne, yonger son to Ste­phen Earle of Blois and Champaigne by Adcla, daughter to the Conque­rour; king of England by the power of his faction, the advantage of his sexe, and the pretended will of king Henry vpon his death-bed, opposed by Maude the onely legitimate daughter, & surviuing issue of Henry, formerly wife to Henry the fourth, Emperour of the Romans. After long trouble, & warres betwixt the two sides a peace at length is concluded, & Stephen is continued in the possession of the Crowne to returne after his decease vpon Henry Fitz-Empresse son to Mande, and to the heires of the first Henry. Henry the second, son to Geffrey Plantaginet Earle of Aniou in France, & Maude the Empresse, daugh­ter to Henry the first, and Maude daughter to Malcolme king of Scot­land, and S^t Margaret descended from king Edmund surnamed the Iron-side. In this prince the surname of Plantaginet was first deri­ued [Page 64] vpon the house of England, continued vnto Edward sonne to George Duke of Clarence, the last Plantaginet, or of the male issue hereof (the rest extinguished during the ciuill warres betwixt the hou­ses of Yorke, and Lancaster) put to death by king Henry the seaventh. He marryed vnto Eleanor, daughter, and sole heire to William Duke of Aquitaine, & Guienne, and by armes, & voluntary submission made first subiect the factious, and devided Irish; king of England, Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine, & Guienne, & Earle of Aniou. The domi­nion & title of Ireland he had given vnto his yongest son Iohn. Maude, his eldest daughter, was married vnto Henrie surnamed the Lyon, Duke of Saxony, and Bavaria, from whom are descended the present Dukes of Brunswyck, and Lunenburg in Germany, bearing the same armes with the more auncient kings of England. Richard the first, king of England, Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine, & Guienne, & Earle of Aniou, son to Henrie the second. He accompanied Philip, surnamed Augusts, king of France, with other Latine princes towards the East for the recoverie of the Holy Land, renowned for his victories against Saladine, Sultan of Aegypt, and the Infidels. Not the least in that journey, amongst his other conquest, was that of the Cyprio [...]s, whom occasioned by some hostile, and churlish carriages of Cursar their king against his distressed, and weather-beaten Fleete, he in few daies subdued; exchanging that Iland with Guy of Lusignan for the king­dome, or title of Hierusalem, remaining in the house of Guy for many descents vntill the vsurpation thereof by the Venetians. He deceased without issue. Iohn king of England, Duke of Normandie, Aquitaine, and Guienne, Earle of Aniou, and Lord of Ireland, (which last title he first added) yongest son to Henry the second, opposed by Arthur, Duke of Britaine, son to Geffrey his elder brother, and Constance in­heretresse of that house. He lost Normandy, Aniou, Touraine, and Maine, with Poictou, part of the Dukedome of Aquitaine, to Philip the second, surnamed Augustus, French king, pretending their forfei­ture (holding of the French kings in fee) vpon the decease of Arthur, whom he surmised to haue beene murthered by Iohn; forsaken in those troubles by his disloyall Nobility, refusing their aydes, and be­trayed by the natiues of those countries, better effected to the French. Ingaged at once in three dangerous warres against the Pope, & Clear­gie, the French king, and his rebellious subjects, to make his peace with the Pope, his more potent adversary, and the chiefe authour of those evils, (Innocentius the third then succeeding in the Papacy) he enthralled his Crowne to the tribute, and vassallage of the sea of Rome. Henry the third, son to Iohn, succeeding in the left dominions of his father, and in his warres against the French, and his traiterous English Barons. Edward the first, son to Henry the third. He subdued the Scots, and annexed the Welsh to his English kingdome. Edward the second, son to Edward the first. He marryed vnto Isabel, daughter to Philip the fourth, French king, deposed by a joint conspiracy of his disloyall Queene, & subjects, pretending his bad government, and vices. Edward the third, son to Edward the second, & Isabel of France. [Page 65] The male issue of Philip the fourth extinguished in Charles surna­med the Faire, in right from his mother daughter to Philip, the next heire generall; he made claime to the rich kingdome of France, assu­ming the title hereof, and quartering his English armoryes with the French Lillies; continued still in his successours. Hauing vanquished the French in two memorable battailes at Crecy, and Poictiers, & ta­ken Iohn their king prisoner, he in the end nothwithstanding (fortune changing) lost to that enimy all Aquitaine, and Guienne, the remain­der of the English possessions in that Continent (Calais excepted,) yeelded vp by the treacherous inhabitants, ill affecting the English government, and coveting a revnion with France. He deceased in the yeare. 1378. Richard the second, king of England, & France, and Lord of Ireland, son to Edward prince of Wales, eldest son to Edward the third; deposed by Henry the fourth without issue. Henry the fourth, king of England, & France, & Lord of Ireland, son to Iohn of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, fourth son to Edward the third, the first prince of the Lancastrian family, whose vsurpation, and vniust title gaue occa­sion afterwards to those long, and miserable warres betwixt his house, & Yorke. Henry the fift, king of England, & France, and Lord of Ireland, eldest son to Henrie the fourth. The field of Azincourt won, and the vnfortunate French vnder a lunatike, and weake king being devided into two great factions of Burgundie, and Orleans; by the aide of Burgundie hauing married Catharine, the French kings daughter, he is made Regent of France during the malady, and indis­position hereof, and declared his next successour to the Crowne, Charles the Dolphin his son disinherited. Henrie the sixt, king of England, & France, and Lord of Ireland, son to Henry the fift, & Ca­therine of France, Crowned French king at Paris in the yeare 1431. In the raigne hereof Richard Duke of Yorke layd claime to the Crowne of England in the right of the house of Clarence, elder bro­ther to Iohn of Gaunt, father to king Henry the fourth, ayded by Ri­chard Nevile Earle of Warwick, and other potent nobility; the effect whereof was a bloody civill warre, continued with variable fortune for the space of 25 yeares betwixt the two houses of Lancaster, and Yorke, the slaughter of the greatest part of the blood royall of both factions, the deposing, & murder of this holy, and just prince, the irre­coverable losse of France by these tumults, & the establishing of the kingdome in Edward the fourth, & his succession the house of Yorke. Edward the fourth, son to Richard Plantaginet, Duke of Yorke, (which Richard was son to Richard Earle of Cambridge, sonne to Edmund Duke of Yorke, fift son to king Edward the third) by Anna his wife, daughter to Roger Mortimer Earle of March, son to Edmund Mor­timer, & Philippa, daughter, and sole heire of Lionel Duke of Cla­rence, third son to king Edward, king of England, and France, & Lord of Ireland by conquest, and the right of his house. Edward the fift, king of England, and France, and Lord of Ireland, son to Edward the fourth, deposed, and afterwards murthered by his vnnaturall vncle Richard the third, deceasing without issue. Richard the third, son to [Page 66] Richard Duke of Yorke, and yonger brother to Edward the fourth. He was slaine at Bosworth field against Henry the seaventh, the last king of the name of Plantagenet, Henry the seaventh, king of England, & France, and Lord of Ireland, son to Edmund Earle of Richmund, and Margaret his wife, daughter to Iohn Duke of Somerset, sonne to Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster by Catherine Swinford; the next and almost onely surviuing person of the house of Lancaster, butche­red in the late warres. The better to assure the kingdome to his po­sterity, and to prevent all future quarrells, he tooke to wife Elizabeth eldest daughter to king Edward the fourth, vniting in his issue the vn­doubted rights of both factions of Lancaster, & Yorke. Henry the eight, son to Henry the seaventh. He made Ireland a kingdome, and first assumed the title of Defendour of the faith. Edward the sixt, king of England, France, and Ireland, son to Henry the eight. Mary Queene of England, France, and Ireland, daughter to Henry the eight, & sister to Edward. Elizabeth of famous memory, Queene of Eng­land, France, & Ireland, sister to Edward, & Mary. Iames of happie memory the sixt of that name king of Scotland, in the yeare 1602 (the whole issue of king Henry the eight being extinguished in Elizabeth) succeeding in the kingdome of England, and the dominions therevn­to belonging, son to Henry Stuart Lord Darly, and Mary Queene of the Scots, daughter to Iames the fift, son to Iames the fourth, & Mar­garet eldest daughter to king Henry the seaventh; the first sole Monarch of Great Britaine, and of the neighbouring Ilands. Charles king of Great Britaine, France, & Ireland, whom God long preserue, sonne to Iames of happie memorie.

In this sort the Iland of Great Britaine having suffered so many alte­rations is at length now become devided into two onely kingdomes, go­verned by one Monarch, but not any wise depending, or subordinate to another; the kingdome of England, lying vpon the South of the river Tweede, & Solwey Frith; and the kingdome of Scotland lying beyond.

The kingdome of England (our present subject) hath beene formerly devided into 52 Shires or Counties, Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Barkeshire, Hantshire, Wiltshire, Somersetshire, Dorsetshire, Devonshire, Cornwall, Glo­cestershire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hartfordshire, Mid­dlesex, Essex, Suffolke, Norfolke, Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire, North­amptonshire, Rutlandshire, Leicestershire, Lincolneshire, Nottinghamshire, Darbyshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Shrop­shire, Herefordshire, Monmouthshire, Glamorganshire, Brecknockshire, Rad­norshire, Caermardenshire, Penbrokeshire, Cardiganshire, Merioneihshire, Caernarvonshire, Anglesey, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Lancashire, Yorke­shire, the Bishopricke of Durham, Westmoreland, Cumberland, & North­umberland.

Of these Kent retayneth yet the auncient name. Essex, & Sussex haue bin thus called from the East, & South-Saxons. Midlesex from the situati­on of the English, or Dutch inhabitants, planted betwixt the West, South, East, & Mercian Saxons Devonshire or Denshire from the Danmonij, the auncient British inhabitants. Westmoreland from the more Westerne positi­on, [Page 67] and quality of the countrey, being hilly, and full of fruitles wasts, na­med Mores by the Northerne English. Northumberland, from the English kingdome of Northumberland, whereof it was a part. Rutlandshire, most probably from the ruddie colour of the soile. Barkeshire, from the wood Berroc after Asser Menevensis. Glamorganshire, from the word Mor, sig­nifying the sea with the Britons, or Welsh, vpon which it lyeth. Wilt­shire, and Somersetshire from Wilton, and Somerton, decayed townes, sometimes the chiefe of the Shires. Anglesey from the English, since the possession hereof by the Nation. Suth-rey, or Surrey signifyeth with the English the Southerne kingdome, a part of the kingdome of the South-Saxons. Suffolke, & Norfolke the more Southerne, and Northerne people, compared thus together, the parts sometimes of the kingdome of the East-Angles. The occasion of the names of Cornwall, and Cum­berland we euen now related. Merioneth was the auncient name, given by the Welsh. The reason hereof we finde not. The rest haue beene named from the chiefe townes of each devision. Their descriptions follow. L. D.

KENT.Cantium.

BOunded vpon the South, and East with the English channell, and the German O­cean; vpon the North with the river Thames from Essex, and vpon the West with Surrey, and Sussex. The country is hilly, shaded with hedge-rowes; & woods; populous, and fruitfull, plan­ted with a frugall, and industrious in­habitant. The aire is thick, and in ma­ny places agueish, and vnholsome for this cause, or in regard of some bad vapours from a wet, cold, and vnhealthfull ground. Places of better note are Canterbury vpon the river Stour (Darvernum of Ptolemy,Cantuaria. lon. 24. gr. 51. min. lat. gr. 51. m. 16. Camd. Du­rovernum of Antoninus, & Durovernia of Beda) the chiefe towne, and an Archbishops sea, the Primate of the kingdome, founded by Ethel­bert, the first Christian king of Kent, in the person of S. Austine, the A­postle of the English. Vpon the Ocean Reculver (a country village) Re­gulbium of the Notitia, the Station of the 1 Cohort, named of the Vetasii. Sandwich, a Cinque Port. In the neighbouring fields stood the towne Rhutupiae of Ptolemy, and Rhitupae of Antoninus (the tract of whose streets are yet discovered by a more thin growth of corne in those places, named S. Augustines crosse by the vulgar people) a fa­mous port of the Romans, and the Mansion of their 2^d Legion, surna­med Augusta, drawne hither in the waine of that Empire from Isca Si­lurum, now Caer Leon in South-Wales, to defend the coast against the pyracies, and incursions of the Saxons. North hereof lyeth the Ile of Tenet (Thanatos of Ptolemy) made by the river Stour,Thanatos. here dividing, and falling into the Ocean with two branches, or channels. The fore­land, a promontory of the Iland, is named Cantium by Ptolemy, in some editions corruptly Nucantium, and Acantium. Dover vnder the cliffs,Dubris. lon. 26. gr. 10, m. lat. gr. 51. Hues. and where they divide (Dubris of Antoninus, and Dubrae of the the Notitia, the Station of a foot company of the Tungricani) a noted passage into France, and one of the Cinque ports, defended with a spa­cious and strong castle, mounted vpon a high, and praecipitous rocke, commaunding the subject Ocean. The Constable hereof is Warden of the Cinque ports. The straight of the sea betwixt this, and the Conti­nent [Page 2] (named by the French Le Pas de Calais,Fretum Cale­tanum. by the Latines Fretum Caletanum) containeth about 30 miles in breadth. At the castle of Deale, a low shore in the way towards Sandwich, Caesar is thought to haue landed, when he first invaded Britaine. Along the cliffs Folkeston. Hide, a cinque port, although now remote from the sea by the interve­nings of beeche, and sands. Lime (a small village neere vnto Hide) Le­mannae of Antoninus, and the Notitia, then a noted sea-port, & the sta­tion of a foot company of the Turnacenses. It standeth now within the land. Vpon the West hereof is Rumney marsh, extended along the Ocean for some 14 miles in length, and 7 in breadth, low, fenny, tren­ched with ditches, far, rich, but very vnhealthfull, and ill inhabited. The country hath beene gotten from the sea (from whose violence it is yet defended by bankes) & seemeth more aunciently to haue made the noted roade, or harbour, named Portus Lemannis by Antoninus. Rumney a cinque port,Sylva Anderi­da. and the chiefe towne of the Marsh. It is now on all sides enclosed with the land. In the Weald, or woodlands Newenden vpon the riuer Rother, Anderida, of the Notitia, the station of a foote company of the Abulci, tooke, and sacked by Ella, the first king of the South-Saxons. From hence the Wealds of Kent, and Sussex are named Andreds-wald, & Andreds-flege in the more auncient English Histo­rians. Below is the Ile of Oxney, made by the divided streames of the Rother. Tenterden. Cranbroke, townes of cloathing in the same weald. Vpon the river Medwey Tunbridge. Roffa. Maidston, (Vagniacis of Antoni­nus) a populous, and large towne. Rochester, (Durobrovis of Antoni­nus, & Rotschester, & Castellum Cantuariorum of Beda) a Bishops­sea, founded not long after Canterbury in the person of S. Iustus. Here the Medwey affordeth a deepe, & safe roade for the kings Navy Roy­all. Further downe lyeth the Ile of Shepey (Toliatis of Ptolemy) en­compassed with the Ocean, & the divided channels of the Medwey, named the East, & West Swale, whose chiefe town is Queen borough, defended with a strong castle, commaunding the entrance of the ri­ver, founded, and thus named by Edward the third in honour of his Queene Philippa. Vpon the East of the Medwey Sittingburne. Fever­sham. Lenham, (Durolevum of Antoninus.) Neerer London, Dartford vpon the river Darent. Vpon the Thames Gravesend, a noted roade for ships, & passage to London. Greenwich, honoured with one of the Kings Royall Houses, the happy birth-place of Queene Elizabeth of famous memory.Cantii, Vitae. The ancient Inhabitants were the Cantij of Ptole­my, afterwards the Vitae of Beda, by Hengist erected to a kingdome, the first Christian of the English, converted by S. Austine. It con­taineth 5 Lathes, or great divisions, S. Austine, Sheepway, Scray, Aileford, and Sutton, 64 Hundreds, and 398 parishes.

SVSSEX.Sussexia.

BOunded vpon the South with the English Channell; vpon the East, and West with Kent, and Hantshire; and vpon the North with Surrey. The more Southerne parts swell with chaulkie downes, yet the shore is plaine, and open, but rockie, full of shelues, and yeelding few good harbours. Those towards the North are ouer-spred with forrests, and woods (S. Leonards forrest, Word, Ashdown, with others) part of An­dreads-wald, and continuate with those of Kent, much diminished of late yeares hy meanes of glasse, and iron-workes. Chiefer townes are along the Sea-coast Rhie at the mouth of the river Rother, an hauen towne of good note, and an appendant of the Cinque ports. New Win­chelsey (distinguished thus from the old (Vindelis of Antoninus) now covered with Ocean) vpon a steepe hill over-looking the sea, a mem­ber of the Cinque ports. The hauen is warped vp, and the town by that meanes decayed. Hasting the first of the Cinque ports. Vpon the North hereof standeth Battell, occasioned by the Abbey thus named, founded by the Conquerour in the place where he subdued Harold, and the English. The Monastery suppressed, the towne remaineth. Lewes the best towne of those parts, fatall to king Henry the third, ouercome here, and taken prisoner by his disloyall Barons. Brighthelmsted vpon the Ocean Not farre of is Ederington (a small village) Portus Adurni of the Notitia, the station of a foot company of the Exploratores. Ste­ning. Arundell a faire castle, and towne, whereof the Earles of Arun­dell are entitled; of the most honourable house, and name of the Fitz-Alans,Cicestria, lon. 26. gr. 10. m. lat. g. 51. Hues. now of the Hawards. Chichester, almost encompassed with the river Lavant, the chiefe towne of the country, (builded by Cissa the se­cond king of the South-Saxons) and a Bishops sea, brought hither in the raigne of the Conquerour by Bishop Stigand frō Celsey, a neigh­bouring peninsula vpon the South, whose towne the more auncient seat of the Bishops,Regni. is now worne into the sea. More Northwards Mid­herst. Australes Sa­xones. Petworth. The more ancient inhabitants were part of the Regni of Ptolemy, afterwards of the South-Saxons. It containeth 6 greater divi­sions, which they call Rapes, (Hasting, Pevensey, Lewes, Bramber, Arundell, and Chichester) 57 Hundreds, 18 Market townes, and 312 parishes.

SVTH-REY.Surria.

BOunded vpon the South and East with Sussex, and Kent; vpon the North with the river of Thames from Middlesex; and vpon the West with Barkshire, & Hantshire. The aire is sweet, and pleasant, the soile fruitfull vpon the skirts, in the midst more barren. Places of more note are Farneham; Guildford. lon. 20. gr. 2. m. lat. 51 g 22. m. Speed. and Guildford vpon the river Weye. Croydon, graced with the palace of the Arch-bishops of Canterbury. None-such, a magnifi­cent, and royall palace of the kings. Vpon the Thames Otlands at the fall of the riuer Weye. Richmond, royall houses of the kings. Nere Ot­lands at Coway stakes the Thames is forded, thought to be the place, [Page 4] where Caesar passed the river against Cassivellan king of the Britons. Kingston, the chiefe towne. Here vsually were crowned the auncient Monarchs of the English Saxons. At Woodcote (a forrest, or wood not farre from hence) are seene yet the ruines of some ancient city, conjectured to be Naeomagus of Ptolemy; and Noviomagus of Anto­ninus. Lambeth, the seat or residence of the Arch-bishops of Canter­bury, quart of London. Southwark, quart of the same city. The auncient inhabitants were part of the Regni of Ptolemy, afterwards of the South-Saxons, It conteyneth 13 Hundreds, 8 Market townes, and 140 parishes.

BARKE-SHIRE.Bercheria.

BOunded vpon the East with Surreye, vpon the North with the ri­ver of Thames from Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire; vpon the West with Wiltshire; and vpon the South with Hantshire. The Ea­sterne part is woody, and lesse fertile. Those towards the South rise with grassie downes, apt pasturage for sheepe. Vnder the hills more Northwards lyeth the vaile of White-horse, a deep, and fat soyle, yeel­ding plenty of corne. Chiefer places are vpon the Thames, Windsore, a royall castle, and house of the kings, with a towne adjoyning, the place of creation of the most honourable knights of the Gartar; vpon a steep hill enjoying a large, and pleasant prospect ouer the riuer, and subject country.Reading. long. 19. g. 35, m. lat. 51. g. 40. m. Speede. Maidenhead. Reading, neare vnto the confluence of the Thames and Kennet. Wallengford (Calleva of Ptolemy, and Antoninus, the city of the Attrebatij.) Abingdon. In the great, and vast forrest of Windsore Okingham. Vpon the river of Kennet, Hungerford. Newbery. Close by is Speene, (now a meane village) Spinae of Antoninus. Amongst the downes Lamborne. In the vale Wantage. Faringdon. The ancient inhabi­tants were the Attrebatij of Ptolemy,Attrebatij. Occidentales Saxones. afterwards part of the West-Sa­xons. It conteineth 20 Hundreds, 12 Market townes, and 140 pa­rishes.

HANT-SHIRE.Com. South­antonensis.

BOunded vpon the East with Surrey, and Sussex; vpon the South with the English Channell; vpon the North with Barkeshire; and vpon the West with Wiltshire, and Dorsetshire. The aire is fresh, and most health­full, the soile rich in pasturage, and corne; in the borders shaded with forrests, and woods, in the middest more champian, and open. Chiefer townes are Portesmouth, a noted roade for ships, and a strong towne of warre in Portsey, an Iland close by the Continent; wherevnto it is joi­ned by a bridge. The bay, or harbour hereof is named [...] by Ptolemy, or the Great hauen. Southanton (Clausentum of Antoni­nus) a well traded port vpon a coing of land betwixt the riuers Test, and Alre, ouer-looking a faire, and spacious bay, named by Ptolemy Trisantonis Ostium, or the Mouth of the river Anton, naming the towne, as this doth the country. West of the bay, and for many miles [Page 5] along the Ocean towards Dorsetshire lyeth New-Forrest, wooddy, solitary, and better stored with deere, and wild beast, then men, made thus with the pulling downe of 36 Churches, and townes, by king William the Conquerour through his hatred to the English, or grea­ter loue to his sports, or to giue a more free entrance to his Normans, if any insurrection, or tumult should happen amongst the disconten­ted natiues; fatall to his issue, (not without just revenge) by the vio­lent, and vntimely deaths of William Rufus, & of Henry, son to the Curthose, his eldest son. The sea betwixt this, & the Ile of Wight affor­deth a safe roade for ships, commaunded by Hurst, & Calshot castles, built to defend this empty shore by king Henry the eight vpon the points of two narrow, and long promontories within the Ocean. Christs-Church vpon the sea, and meetings of the river Stoure, & Aven. Ringwood vpon the Aven (Regnum of Antoninus, naming the Regni of Ptolemy.)Cerdici Va­dum. Higher vpon the Aven, and borders of Wiltshire Chardford, named thus from Cerdic the first king of the West-Saxons, and his great victory obtained there against Natanleod, and the Britons. Rum­sey vpon the river Test.Wintonia. lon. g. 22. lat. g. 51. Camd. Andover. Winchester (Venta of Ptolemy, & Anto­ninus) seated in a pleasant bottome amongst hils, a Bishops sea, and the chiefe towne, the royall seat sometimes of the West-Saxon Mo­narchs. Basingstoke. Hard by standeth Basing, a magnificent, and spaci­ous house, the seate of the Marqueses of Winchester. Not far off is Sil­chester, the carkafe of a Roman towne, named Vindonum by Antoni­nus. The walls remaine yet almost entire, and containe some two Ita­lian miles in compasse. The more auncient inhabitants were the Belgae of Ptolemy,Regni, & Belgae with part of the Regni of the same authour, inhabiting the Sea-coast, afterwards the West-Saxons. Here are accompted 40 Hun­dreds, 18 Market townes, and 253 parishes.

VVILT-SHIRE.Wiltonia.

BOunded on the East with Barkeshire, and Hantshire; vpon the North with Glocestershire; and vpon the West, & South with Somersetshire, & Dorsetshire The country is champian, & open; in the middle, and to­wards the South tooke vp with grassie plaines; to the North more hil­ly, & sprinkled with woods; most healthy, pleasant, & stored with all profitable, and vsefull varieties. Towns of more note are Marleborough (Cunetio of Antoninus) vpon the Kennet nere vnto the head of the ri­ver. Ramesbury, (a meane village vpō the same river, nerer Hungerford) sometimes a Bishops sea for VViltshire, erected by Edward surnamed the Elder, Monarch of the English Saxons, vnited afterward with Sher­borne by Bishop Herman in the raigne of Edward the Confessour, & lastly remoued to Sarisbury in the time of the Conquerour. Crekelade vpon the Thames, or Isis. By Breden Forrest Malmesbury, a walled towne mounted vpon a hill Castle-like, and encompassed with the ri­ver Avon (Maildulphi urbs of Beda, named thus from S. Maidulphus an Irish Scottish Monke, and Anchoret.) Chippen-ham vpon the same riuer. Calne, memorable for a famous Synode of the En­glish, [Page 5] and a disputation held vnder Arch-bishop Dunstan in the raigne of Edward surnamed the Martyr betwixt the Monks, and mar­ried Priests, whose cause in the credit, and opinion of the Vulgar fell with the chamber, wherein they were assembled, and thorough the preservation of Saint Dunstan (thought to bee miraculous) who onely sate firme, and vnhurt, the patron, and defendour of the Monks. Bradford. The Devices, or Vices. In the Plaines Ambresburie vpon the Aven. Close by is the monument of Stone-henge, set vp af­ter Mat. of Westminster by Aurelius Ambrosius king of the Britons in memorie of the British nobles, vnder Vortigerne slaine there by Hengist,Sarum. & Saris­buria. long. 18. g. 31. m. lat. 51. g. 10. m. Speed and the Saxons. Sarisburie, encompassed with the plaines, in a pleasant bottome at the meetings of the rivers Aven, and Nadder, running thorough, and watering the many streets thereof, a Bishops See. The towne is not auncient, begun since the raigne of king Ri­chard the first, raysed out of the ashes of old Sarisbury (Sorbiodunum of Antoninus,) the dead ruines of a Roman fort, or towne of some halfe a mile in compasse, seated a mile of vpon the hils, forsaken by the Bishop and inhabitants for want of water, and other defects, remo­uing hither. Wilton, naming the countrie, at the meetings of the riuers Willey, and Nadder, a meane village, yet governed by a Maiour, gra­ced chiefely with a faire house of the Earles of Penbroke. Werminster, (Verlucio of Antoninus.) The whole is diuided into 29 Hundreds, 19 Market townes,Belgae. and 304 Parishes. The auncients inhabitants were part of the Belgae of Ptolemy, afterwards of the West-Saxons.

SOMERSET-SHIRE.Com. Somer­settensis.

BOunded vpon the East, with Wiltshire, and the riuer Avon from Glocestershire; vpon the North, with the sea of Severne from Wales; vpon the West, with Devonshire; and vpon the South, with Dor­setshire. The soyle is fat, deepe, and in some places marishie, and subject to invndations; to the East vpon the edge of Wiltshire woody, over­spread with the great forest of Selwood. Within arise Mendip hills, rich in mines of lead.Bathonia. long. 20. gr. 56 m, la. 51. g. 21. m. Camd. Chiefer townes are Bath (Aquae Calidae of Ptolemy, and Aquae Solis of Antoninus,) named thus from the hot medicinable waters thereof, a walled towne, and the chiefe of the Countrie, sea­ted in a bottome vpon the river Avon. Amongst the hills environing the towne is Bannesdowne (Mons Badonicus of Gildas, and the aun­cient English Historians,) famous for a great victorie of king Arthur, and the Britons obtayned against the Saxons. The trenches are yet seene (although obscurely) where the English lay encamped. Wells vn­der Mendip hils,Glastonia. a Bishops See with Bath. Glastenburie amongst rivers; and waters in the Iland Avallon, or Avallonia of Malmesburiensis; occasioned by the great, and rich Monasterie thus named, the place of buriall of sundrie of the West-Saxon Monarches, founded by king Ina in the place where was thought to haue stood the Cell of Io­seph of Arimathea, the first supposed Apostle of the Britons. Here in the raigne of king Henrie the second was found the graue, and inscrip­tion [Page 6] of Arthur king of the Britons, discovered by the songs of the Welsh Bards. The countrey on all sides is fenny, & Marishy, distin­guished into the names of Gedney Moore, Sedege Moore, Audre Moore, Heth Moore, Queenes Moore, & Brent-Marsh, strong fast­nesses of king Alfred, and his English, distressed by the warres of the all conquering Danes. Ilchester (Iscalis of Ptolemy) vpon the riuer E­vill. Crookehorne vpon the river Parret. Bridge-water vpon the Parret. The arme of the sea below this, & the confluence of the Parret with another river from the fens of Glastenbury is named Vzella of Ptole­my. Taunton vpon the riuer Tone. Vpon the Ocean VVatchet. Dun­ster. The whole contayneth 42 Hundreds, 33 Market-townes, & 385 Parishes. The auncient inhabitants were part of the Belgae of Plolemy, afterwards of the West-Saxons.

DORSET-SHIRE.Com. Dorce­striae.

BOunded vpon the North, with Somerset-shire, aud VViltshire; vpon the East, with Hantshire; vpon the South, with the English Channell; and vpon the VVest, with Devonshire. The soile is fruitefull, especi­ally Moreland, or the valley of white-hart. Townes of better note are Shaftsbury vpon the edge of Wiltshire. Vpon the Stour Blandford. Win­burne (Vindogladia of Antoninus.) Vpon Moreland Shirburne, some­times a Bishops See, remoued to Sarisbury in the raigne of the Con­querour.Dorcestria lon. 18. g. lat. 50. 48. m. Speede. Vpon the Frome Dorchester (Dunium of Ptolemy, and Dur­novaria of Antoninus) the chiefe towne. Along the Sea-coast Poole within a spacious Bay vpon a point of land, almost encompassed with the sea. Beyond the bay lyeth the Ile of Purbecke, a Peninsula envi­roned on three sides with the Ocean.Weimouth. 23. g 50. m. Long. 51. g. lat. Hues. Weymouth, and Melcomb, de­vided with the little riuer of Wey, a noted Port. Vpon the South hereof standeth Portland, sometimes an Iland, now joyned to the Continent, defended with a castle, founded by king Henry the eight, commaunding the entrance of the hauen of Weymouth. Burtport. Lime. It contayneth 34. Hundreds, 18 Market-townes, and 248 Pari­shes.Durotriges. The auncient Inhabitants were the Durotriges of Ptolemy, af­terwards part of the West-Saxons.

DEVON-SHIRE.Devonia.

BOunded vpon the East, with Dorsetshire, and Somersetshire; vpon the South, and North, with the English Channell, and the Sea of Severne; & vpon the VVest, with the riuer Tamar from Cornwall. The countrey is hilly, rich in mines of Tin, especially towards Cornwall, & the West; and well stored with convenient Ports, and harbours for shipping. The soile is leane; yet made fruitfull thorough the great industrie of the inhabi­tants,Exonia. long. g. 19. m. 11. lat. gr. 50. m. 40. Cam. long. gr. 22. m. 10. lat. gr. 51. Hues. enriched by their intermixing of lime, or sands fetched from the sea-caost. Townes of more note are Axminster vpon the Ax. Hon­niton vpon the Otterey. Vpon the Ex Tiverton. Excester (Isca of Pto­lemy, & Isca Dunmoniorū of Antoninus) the chief town, & a bishops [Page 7] See, remoued hither from Kirton in the raigne of Edward the Con­fessour. Columbton upon the riuer Columb. Vpon the Creedy beyond the Ex Kirton, an auncient Bishops See, founded by Edward surna­med the Elder, & remoued afterwards to Excester. Totnes vpon the Dert. Tavestok vpon the Tavy. In Dertmore (a mountainous, & fruitles waste vpon the East hereof) plenty of Tin is gotten. Here also lately haue Loadstones beene found. Vpon the Sea-coast, and the English channell Plimmouth a famous Port at the fall,Plimmouth▪ [...] gr. 10. m lon. 50. g. 50. m. lat. Hues. & meetings of the riuers Plim, & Tamar. The haven is large, and deepe, affording a safe roade for ships in both rivers, defended with the strong Iland of S^t Michael, & other fortifications vpon the land. Dertmouth, a well frequented Port at the mouth of the riuer Dert. Beyond is Torbay a spacious in­let of the sea, and a commodious harbour. At the mouth of the Ax towards Dorsetshire Seton (Moridunum of Antoninus,) memorable onely for the antiquity. Towards the Sea of Severne Bediford vpon the riuer Touridge. West hereof lyeth Hertland point, (Promon­torium Herculis of Ptolemy). Berstaple vpon the Taw, navigable here for great vessels, a well traded, and rich empory. The Shire contayneth 33 Hundreds, 37 Market-townes, and 394 Parishes. The auncient in­habitants were the Danmonii of Ptolemy,Danmonij. named otherwise the Cor­nish after the invasion of the English. These being driuen out by great Athelstan, & confined within the riuer of Tamar, the West-Saxons suc­ceed in their voide places.