A THEATRE OF WARS, BETWEEN England & France,
In all the Kings Reigns, from the time of William the Conqueror to the Conclusion of the Peace, on the 10th. of September 1697. in the Eighth Year of the Reign of our Gracious Sovereign K. William III.
Containing
The Causes of the War, the Battels, Sieges, State Policies, Naval Fights, Treaties, and the several Truces, Peaces Concluded. Leagues made and broken, &c. With a large Discourse of the Salique Law; by which to prevent the Right of other Princes, the French pretend to Exclude Females from Enjoying the Crown of France, and many other Transactions between the two Nations, both Publick and Private. With a Map of England and France on a Copper Plate.
By D. Jones.
London, Printed for W. Whitwood at the Rose and Crown in Little-Britain. 1698.
To the Right Honourable ROBERT Lord Viscount LISLE, &c.
THe Topicks usually insisted upon to engage the Favours of the Great, are those of Honour and Goodness, of both which your Lordship has no common share; and if upon others they have been so powerfully influential in Addresses of this kind, Your Lordship will Pardon me, if being carried with the same current I presume to commit this little Treatise to Your Patronage, as to a safe Azilum, sufficient to skreen it from all the assaults of Male-volence; and if it be an Argument of Imprudence [Page] to range far abroad for that Good which is attainable nigh at hand, my Vicinity to your Lordship will not only justifie this my Practise, but should I have neglected the improvement of it upon this occasion, as I would hardly be brought to forgive my self for being guilty of the grossest Folly, so would it bear a Semblance of the highest indignity offered to Your Honour, and of the basest diffidence of Your Goodness.
The Subject, My Lord, must be acknowledged to be of an Heroical Nature, and therefore a fit entertainment to Heroick Minds, and consequently cannot but be so to Your Lordship; however the structure may have suffered through the debility of the Architect, who yet has this humbly to offer to your Lordship, and under Your Patronage to the [Page] World, that Truth is the great standard I have endeavoured to fix my Eye continually upon, having strenuously avoided all false Idea's of the actions of my Country, and herein have done both the Enemy that justice due to them in their various conflicts with us, and made it appear there was no need of any such prevarication, in that True Glory has been no stranger to the English Arms through the series of many hundred years together, and though things may not here be exposed in their Native Lustre and Excellency, yet I cannot otherwise then perswade my self, but they retain still their Native and Original verity.
But to dwell no longer upon the Products of my own Teeming Fancy, I submit all to Your Lordships adequate Judgment, and if in this my [Page] studied Brevity you meet with any thing grateful or divertive, so as that it may conciliate Your Lordship's Good Opinion of me, his highest ambition is gratified who begs leave to subscribe himself
TO THE READER.
GReat and Various have the Actions been between England and France, since the Invasion of the Normans, Anno Dom. 1066. which makes September next just 629 Years, but that the French Nation should make a Conquest of England hereby, nothing is more manifestly untrue, that People being a distinct Nation from the French, who conquering that Province by main force, from Neustria, call'd it Normandia in the Reign of Charles le Simple; whence by the way 'tis worth the remarking what kind of Kings France hath often had, and what sort of Epithetts their own Cronicles give them, which stand upon publick Record to all posterity, as Charles le Simple, Charles le Chauve, Charles le Gros, Charles le Gras, Charles le Phrenetique, Philip le Long, Lovis le Begue, &c. Now tho there have been many and mighty Quarrels, War-like Encounters, and Feuds betwixt England and France, [Page] yet in the reign of the Saxon Kings the Historians make little mention of any; but since England was joined as it were to the Continent by addition of Normandy, there have been as frequent traverses of War as have happen'd between any two Nations; for of those 28 Kings and Queens which have reigned here from William the First to William the Third now Regnant, there have been but a very few of them free from actual Wars with France; yet in so long a tract of time, when the French were at their highest pitch of Power, they never did nor had any adequate power to invade England; 'tis true that they took footing once or twice in the Isle of Wight, but it quickly grew too hot for them. And touching Lewis the French King's Son who did stay and sway the Scepter here about two Years (whereof they so much vaunt:) That was no Invasion, but an Invitation, being brought in by the discontented Barons in England; so that in a manner France was the Theater of the War between the two Nations down from William I. to the present time.
As for the great Battles which were fought from time to time, 'tis confessed by the French Historians themselves, that the English were at most but half in number to them in almost all Engagements; [Page] insomuch that by pure prowess and point of the Sword, the English possess'd two parts in three of that populous Kingdom, and how all came to be lost again, will appear by the sequel of the Story, but here I cannot omit one remarkable accident, that was concomitant with the English Arms in France, and that is, that when the English were at the height of their conquests in that Kingdom, the Pope came to reside at Avignon in France, and there was a common saying which continues still in memory among the Vulgar, Ores le pape est devenu Francois, & Christ est devenu Anglois i. e. Lo! the Pope is become a Frenchman and Christ an Englishman, which related to the marvelous Exploits and Successes the English had in that Kingdom, which were such that Sir Walter Rawleigh speaking of the famous Punick Wars, puts this Quaere. If one should ask which was the valiantest, the Roman or the Carthaginian, one might answer the Englishman who performed greater feats of Arms then either of them; insomuch that some foreign Authors give this Character of France, that it was the stage whereon the English acted their valour so often.
'Tis true that in canvassing of Treaties, in subtleties or shuffling the Cards, and mental reservations [Page] they were mostly too hard for the English, who naturally use down right dealing, and real integrity; but in point of performance of what was stipulated, especially if the Article related to Money (whereof we drew from them vast summs) they seldom exactly performed the Capitulation of any Treaty, as Foreign Writers observe; so that part of King John's ransom is yet behind, besides the Mony which was to be paid for Tournay in Henry VIII. time, the 500000 Crowns which Edward VI. was to have for Bolloign, and those great expences which Queen Elizabeth was to have for sending her Armies to aid Henry IV. and the French Reformists, two parts of three are not paid to this day; but of these and other things more hereafter in their proper place.
THE WARS BETWEEN England and France.
ENGLAND, exclusive of Scotland which had but very little share in the Wars we are to treat off, is the greatest, most Southern and best part of the Island of Great Britain, heretofore called Albion and Britannia; it lies together with Wales in the form of a great Triangle, whereof the Southern Shoar is the base, and Berwick the opposite Angle; it was divided by the Romans into five parts, by the Saxons into seven Kingdoms, and now (Wales included) into fifty two Shires or Counties; its a fruitful Country full of valiant and industrious Inhabitants, but in regard of its boundaries bears no proportion to France even considered in its narrowest Limits, over which [Page 2] notwithstanding it has so often and so gloriously triumphed, as will manifestly appear in the Series of the ensuing History.
But because, the Wars with France in the time of the Saxons are very obscurely Recorded as to their Time, Causes and Effects we will therefore begin with,
WILLIAM I.
WHo was invidiously termed the Conqueror by the Monks of those times, (as the learned Sir William Temple has well observed) though its as true, he could not claim in right of Succession, himself being illegitimate and Edgar Atheline of the Saxon Blood Royal to take place before him, but must therefore reign by vertue either of a compact or previous choise of the people of England; (the Sword which he had then in his Hand, no doubt, powerfully disposing of them also to such an Election) he proved to be a Warlike King of England, as he had been a successfull Duke of Normandy. But tho he had wonderful Success in the Battle of Hastings, which was fought October 14. Anno 1066. and got the day with the Slaughter of above 60000 of his English Enemies, yet things did not succeed so well with him in his Kentish expedition; for directing his March towards Dover [Page 3] with a design to reduce Kent first under his Obedience, as considering this Country to be the Key of England, and that what he had already done would be of little account, if this were not accomplished: The Kentish Men upon report hereof, assembled to Archbishop Stigand at Canterbury, and after serious Consultation, resolved to arm and to force the Conqueror either to confirm their ancient Liberties, or to die valiantly in the Field in defence of them, and so under the command of the Archbishop and the Abbot Eglesine rendevouz'd at Swanescomb, where it was agreed all the Passages should be stopped, and that they should make use of the adjacent Woods for a covert from the discovery of the Enemy, till he were fast within their Net: the Duke next day (expecting no such ambuscade) in his March, finds himself with part of his Army surrounded all of a sudden, with numerous squadrons of Horse, and Battalions of Foot, which seemed the more surprizing to him, because that every Man for a Signal as it was before agreed upon, carrying a green Bough in his Hand, they appeared unto him like a moving Wood, wherein he was in danger quickly to lose himself. Stigand approaches to the Duke, tells him, the occasion of such an assembly, what their Demands where, and what their Resolves, if refused, the Duke wisely considering the danger, grants all their request, and upon that was admitted into Rochester, had the Earldom of Kent and Dover Castle yielded to him.
[Page 4] The former part of this Kings Reign (as may be well imagined) was taken up in making provision for his Adventurers, and in subduing, settling and modelling of his new English Subjects, amongst whom were frequent Tumults and Insurrections occasioned mostly through the insults of the Normans, that but too readily provoked them upon every occasion, presuming no doubt very much upon the favour of the King their Countryman, who on times shewed too much partiality in that regard. 'Tis true, he had not been a year inthron'd, before he was obliged upon some commotions there to pass over into Normandy, but we do not find till about ten years after, that he had any foreign Wars, when passing over into Bretaign he laid Siege to the Castle of Dolence, belonging to Earl Ralph, which engaged Phillip King of France into the quarrel, and so with a mighty Army marches against King William, who finding himself hereby much streightned for Provision broke up his Siege not without loss both of Men and Horses, and of some of his Baggage, and hereupon ensued an accommodation; but not a year after, Robert the Kings eldest Son, to whom upon his assuming of the English Crown, he had assigned the Dukedom of Normandy in the presence of King Phillip of France, because now his Father (as he pretended) would not suffer him to enjoy the said Dukedom in quiet, went into France, and being by the said King Phillip assisted with Forces, committed great Ravages in Normandy, burning many [Page 5] Towns, and at length engaged with the King his Father in a Battel, near the Castle of Garberie in France, the King according to his usual manner charged with great Resolution, and spared not to expose his Person to all dangers, insomuch that he had in this Action, first the misfortune to be unhorsed himself, his Son William wounded and many of his Family slain, and as an addition hereunto, through imtemperate anger to curse his Son Robert, who it was observed never prospered after: Things after this, continued in a tollerable State of amity between Phillip and this King till the last year of his Reign, when residing in Normandy and being grown very corpulent, the French King was pleased to speak reproachfully of him, saying, The King of England lyeth at Roan and keeps his Chamber as Women lying in do, and there nourisheth his fat Belly, which so offended King William, that he said, Well, when after my delivery I go to Church, I shall offer a Thousand Candles to him, and sware to the same by God's Resurrection and his Brightness; and this he made good the latter end of August the same year, when he entred France with Fire and Sword, and burnt down the City of Meaux, together with the Church of St. Maries, and two Fires inclosed therein, who superstitiously perswaded themselves they ought not to forsake their Cell in such extremity, tho to the apparent hazard of their lives. This King died at Roan Anno Dom. 1087. when he had reigned 20 Years 8 Months and 16 days and lived threescore [Page 6] and four Years, and was buried at Caen in Normandy.
The Causes of his Wars were, 1. An Irruption made by the French into Normandy, contrary to the Articles of Peace, and 2, The contumelious Language used by King Phillip concerning his Person.
WILLIAM II.
SUrnamed Rufus, or the Red during his 12 Years, and about 8 Months Reign had no Wars with France, neither do we read of any just cause given to engage him thereto, but he unjustly invaded Normandy then subject to his Brother Robert, and disposest him of the County of Owe, many Castles, and some Monasteries; but was in the mean time, by divine Justice, assaulted by his younger Brother Henry in his own Dominions, and it had like to have cost him his Life, for he was bore down in fight from his Horse by a valiant Knight, who taking his Sword for to kill him, was stop'd by the Kings crying out, Hold thy hand, Knave, I am the King of England; which words so struck the Knight with Reverence, that he mounted him on another Horse, and the King to recompence his Valour and Submission, swore by St. Luke's Face he should be his Knight, and be written in his White Book: He was accidentally killed by Sir Walter [Page 7] Tyrell, as he was Hunting in the New Forrest, Anno, 1100. buried at Winchester, and died unlamented.
HENRY I.
WHo for his learning was called Beauclerke, was youngest Son to William the Conqueror; he passing over into Normandy, made War against the Earl of Anjou, who kept Main, against his will, and this engaged Lewis the French King to take part with the latter, whereupon ensued many sore Battles both in France and Normandy between them with various success; at length taking Anjou's Daughter for Wife to his Son William, Peace was concluded: But it will not be amiss to give the Reader a tast of the high Spirit and Resolution of this King, in a personal quarrel he had in France. In his fathers life time, he accompanying his eldest Brother Robert into that Kingdom, while the latter associated himself with the then French King, Henry according to the suitableness of their years took up with the company and divertisements of the Dauphine, and being one Evening at Chess together, the Dauphine happened to lose a considerable summ of Money to the Prince at that Game, whereat the former grew so enraged, that after some reproachful Language, he struck the Prince, who [Page 8] not brooking the high affront, with the Chessboard, knocks the Dauphine fairly down to the ground, and being intent to pursue his Revenge, his Brother Robert fortunately came in, and minding him of the danger, away they both fled, and with great hast and difficulty recovered the next part of Normandy before their pursuers could reach them. This King made his Exit (as his Father before him) in Normandy in the Year 1135. after he had reigned 35 Years and 4 Months.
The cause of this War we have before assigned, to wit, the King of France's taking part with Anjou against Henry.
STEVEN.
KIng of England was Son to Adella a Daughter of William the Conqueror, and Nephew to the two last Kings, he laid claim to the Kingdom of England in the year 1135, notwithstanding his Oath to Mawd the Empress and Daughter to Henry the First to the contrary, wherefore without looking abroad into France for any Wars, his whole Reign (which was Eighteen Years and about ten Months) was in a manner taken up in intestine Broils and Contests about his right to the English Crown wherein he was stiffly opposed by several Nobles, and by the said Empress [Page 9] Mawd and her Son Henry, (afterwards Henry the 2d.) whom she bare to Geoffrey Plantagenet Earl of Anjou and Duke of Normandy, from whence sprang the Noble Family of the Plantagenets that so long governed England, he was once made Prisoner at Bristol, and at last notwithstanding he had Children of his own, was forced to adopt Henry for his Son and Heir, and the Nobles sware fealty to him accordingly.
HENRY II.
SOn of Mawd, and Geoffrey Plantagenet as aforesaid, at the Age of Three and Twenty Years, and even in the life time of his Mother, under whom he claimed, began his Reign over England, in the Year 1154. This Prince notwithstanding his Domestick Troubles, and famous Atchievements against the Welch and his conquest of a great part of the Kingdom of Ireland, so as he was the first of our English Kings that was stiled the Lord of that Country, yet found opportunity to make War in France upon several occasions; the Allyance he had made with the French Court by the Marriage of his Son Henry to King Lewis his Daughter Margaret, proving rather an incitative to Contention and Discord, then a bond of Peace and Amity: The famous city of Tholouse was chiefly the seat of this [Page 10] War, which was once and again bravely Assaulted by King Henry, and as vigorously defended by Lewis. In his first Expedition against this Place, he was accompanied with Malcolm King of Scots, a Welch King, and with others of highest Rank and Dignity in England, Normandy, Aquitain, Anjou and Gascoigny; during his second expedition in France, the Earls of Bulloign and Flanders with 600 sail of Ships attempted to make a Descent into England▪ but their undertaking proved frustrate and abortive through the vigilance, Courage and Prudence of Richard Lacy, who then Governed England: This King is famous, or rather infamous in History, for the many base Children he had (being no less then 19 in Number) for his fair Concubine Rosamond, for whom he built that celebrated Labyrinth at Woodstock, the recesses whereof could not be penetrated into, but by insuperable jealousie, the Queen, as it was said, by the help of a clew of Thread, finding of her out at last, and so used her that she lived not long after: and no less to be mentioned for the troubles he met with from that proud Prelate Thomas a Becket; to whose shire after his Murder, much blind Devotion has been paid even by the greatest Potentates. Tho his Son Henry who was crowned King in his life time and dyed before him, gave him much disturbance, yet when he found after his death that others and particularly his Son John conspired against him, he was so strucken with grief that cursing his Son and the day of his own Birth he [Page 11] died, July, 6. 1189. Aged 61, having reigned 34 Years and almost seven Months.
The causes of the War were, That King Lewis did incite the Prince his Son against the laws of Nature to oppose Henry his Father; in the war time Lewis had promis'd upon the word of a King to meet him in order to a Treaty, but he failed for his own Advantage, whereupon Henry being sensible of the Fraud, sought him out with his Army, and made him give ground; thereupon another interview being appointed betwixt Terwyn and Arras, Histories relate that as the two Kings were busie in Conference, there fell a clap of Thunder between them, and meeting the next day, the like accident happen'd which struck a Consternation in both Armies, and inclined the Kings the more to an accommodation.
RICHARD I.
WHo for his Valour was surnamed Ceur de Lion was the third Son of Henry the II. but the Eldest when his Father died, aged 35 years when he began his Reign, the former part whereof was spent by him in the Wars in the Holy-Land. William Longshamp Bishop of Ely, and Chancellor of England, governing the Kingdom during his absence; in this War he signalized his Valour to a wonder, having first taken Cyprus in his way thither, and at Acon in Syria, so behaved himself, that he became an object of Envy to other Christian Princes, especially to King [Page 12] Phillip of France, as you shall see hereafter; where ever he went Terror was his forerunner, insomuch that it grew common amongst those Eastern People, to terrifie their Children with the apprehension of King Richard's coming; in his return, being driven upon the Coast of Dalmatia, and thinking to pass home by Land incognito, he was made Prisoner by the Duke of Austria, who brought him to the Emperor Henry, and was detained by him in Custody for a Year and five Months, till he paid a great Ransom; his unparallell'd Valour and Bravery was the occasion of this misfortune; these and other Princes bearing him Envy, especially the French King who invades Normandy during his absence, which obliged Richard to make a Peace with Saladine for Three Years, much to the disadvantage of the cause they fought for. Phillip attacked Gisors and had it surrendred to him and many other Places, and then hasted to lay Siege to Roan, but found such a vigorous defence made by the Valiant and Noble Earl of Leicester, that he was forced to quit his Enterprize and so returned into France. On the 12th. of March, 1194. King Richard landed at Sandwich, was recrowned again, reduced the Kingdom entirely to his Obedience, which was much divided because of his Brother John's pretentions in his absence, and hearing the King of France had besieged Vernail, he passed over into Normandy and arrived at Harfleur with 100 Ships full of Horsemen, Armour, &c. the noise whereof so frighted the Monsieur, [Page 13] that he left the Siege and went his ways, whereupon Richard enters the French Dominions, takes in several strong Places, but the Noble Leicester had the misfortune to be taken Prisoner, who afterward paid a great summ of Money for his Ransom, and soon after ensued a Truce for a short time; which was no sooner ended, but Richard takes the Field, possesses himself of the Castle of Brisen, Novencourt, &c. the French King in the mean time besieging Albermarl, whither Richard hastening to succour the Place, a sharp Battle was fought between both Armies, wherein the French prevailed, chiefly upon the account of the English being wearied with their hard March. But Richard had no sooner recruited and refreshed his Soldiers, but he laid Siege to Miligio, took it, and burnt it down to the Ground, whereupon ensued some overtures of Peace; Albemarl in the mean time falling into the French hands and ran the same fate with Miligio: Some three Years after Richard turned his Arms against the Barons of Poictiers that rebelled against him, with prosperous success, till at last besieging the Castle of Chaluz, and having brought it to that extremity, that he would grant no other Conditions but a surrender at Discretion, he was shot in the left Arm out of a Crossbow with an invenomed Dart by one Bartram de Gordon, of which wound he died the 6th. of April 1199. after he had reigned Nine Years and Nine Months, and was buried at Fonteverard at his Fathers Feet.
[Page 14] The Causes were, that while Richard went on so prosperously in the Holy Land, the French King out of Envy, and contrary to his Sacramental Oath invaded Normandy, which forc'd King Richard to make peace with Saladine so much disadvantagious to all Christendom.
JOHN
THe Brother of Richard who died without issue, and youngest Son of Henry the II. succeeded his Brother to the prejudice of Arthur, Geoffrey his Elder Brothers Son, who was the real heir of Course: This Arthur in right of his Mother was Earl of Bretagne in France, so that by this exclusion, England lost one of the best Provinces in that Kingdom, and by advancing John to the Throne, we not only lost almost all our Possessions in France, but England it self became vassal to the Pope; the Clergy of those times growing strangely bigotted to Rome, and perverse to the King: King John was in Normandy when his Brother dyed, and though he wasted over into England with all possible speed to take Possession of the Crown, and that his presence was so necessary here for to keep his new Subjects in their Obedience to him, yet he could make no long stay, for before a Year came about, he was forced to return into Normandy again, upon information that Phillip King of France had [Page 15] with a powerful Army made an irruption into Normandy, who took the Country of Main, and several other places from the English; the Britons at the same time possessing themselves of the City of Angiers, the Towns of Gorney, Butenant and Gensoline. Arthur doing also Homage to King Phillip for Anjou, Poictiers, Turain, Main, Bretaign and Normandy; but soon after a Peace was concluded between the Kings, and thereby many places confirmed to the French King that he had taken, and others yielded up by John upon the account of his neece Blanch's Marriage with Lewis heir of France, besides 30000 Marks in Silver paid to Phillip, and all this to the great dishonour as well as detriment of the English Nation. About two Years after this, to wit, the third of the Kings Reign, one Hugo Brune a Noble Man of Aquitain raised a Rebellion against King John in that Province, but he and his Adherents being unable to withstand John's Forces, made complaint of him to Phillip of France, whereupon he was summoned by the Nobles of France, as Duke or Earl of Aquitain and Anjou, to appear before the French King, and to stand to the Judgment of his Peers, which he refused; upon which the Court adjudged him to be deprived of all his Lands which he or his Predecessors held of the King of France.
King Phillip forthwith raises a great Army, invades Normandy, takes in many Castles, and a great part of the Country without resistance; but Arthur Duke of Bretaign besieging the Castle [Page 16] of Mirable, with Queen Eleanor then in it, King John fell upon him there with such Force and Fury, that he routed his Army, and took Arthur and many others of Note Prisoners; Arthur sometime after was sent Prisoner to the Tower of Roan, and was there barbarously Murdered, some said, by King John's own hands; but in all this time Phillip prospered; in so much that in a very short space King John was in a manner despoiled of all the Lands he held in Fee of the Crown of France. King John once and again made great preparations to recover his lost Dominions, and had the good success to destroy the French Fleet, and recover the Province of Poictou, but his Domestick troubles, both from his Barons and Clergy prevented his further designs; yet about the 15th. Year of his Reign, having entred into a strong confederacy with other Foreign Princes, he set sail for Bretaign, and laid Siege to Nantes, where a bloody Battle was fought, the French King being once in great danger of his Life, but at length proved victorious and took many Prisoners, whereof of Note were the Earls of Brabant, Holland, Flanders and Bolloign, the Emperor who was also at the Battle being driven out of the Field; and 6000 marks on the King of Englands part was the purchase of a Truce for Five Years. Commotions in England soon followed upon the neck of this, and for male-Administration, in so much that a [...] length Lewis the Dauphine was invited over by the Barons to take upon him the Crown of England, [Page 17] who came accordingly with little opposition, but being soon after displeased with their new King they resolved to cast him off, and so he was fain at last to depart from whence he came. This was an unhappy Reign, but memorable for Magna Charta, and for building of London Bridge of Stone. This King dyed at Lyn as he was marching with his Army to Fight the Dauphine, when he had reigned Seventeen Years and about five Months, and was Aged 51 Years, Anno. 1216.
The first ground of this War was, That Phillip of France did infringe the Truce made with England for 5 Years, and invaded Normandy. Then another Truce being made he violated that also, and still fomented the Barons Wars.
HENRY III.
COmmonly called Henry of Winchester from his Birth Place, succeeded his Father King John at the Age of Nine Years as next heir, maugre all the attempts of Lewis the Dauphine of France, whose Forces were defeated at Lincoln by the Kings Guardian and Brother-in-Law the famous Earl of Pembrook, and so from that time forward things went worse and worse with him, most places yielding by Land, and his Fleet utterly destroyed by Sea by Hubert de Burg, Eustace a [Page 18] Monk that commanded it, being slain by Richard a Bastard Son of King John; he yielded up his claim to the Crown, and so returned with a glimmering of it into France: Henry about the 14th. Year of his Reign, determined to make War upon France; and to that purpose, he assembled at Portsmouth all his Nobility, Knights, and such a vast number both of Horse and Foot, as never was done by any of his predecessors, designing to have recovered all those Territories his Father had lost; but when they came to be Shipped, they had not Carriages enough for half the Army, which he imputed to the Treachery of Hugo de Burg, his chief Justice; and in a rage drawing his Sword would have killed him, had it not been for the Earl of Chester that interposed; the Earl of Bretaign, who was present, and bound by an Oath to conduct the King to his Country, and others, perswaded him to defer his Expedition for that Season, and so his mighty Preparations for the present vanished: But the Year following, King Henry, with a mighty Army sailed into Bretaign, and after he had ravaged, and committed great Spoil in the Country, laid Siege to the City of Nantes; but after the Consumption of a vast Treasure, and the loss of many Men by sickness, and otherwise, returned into England the same Year, but set all things first in order for the Conservation of the Country of Bretaign. The French making use of the Opportunity of the King's absence, took the City of Rochel, and so pushing on their Conquest, reduced [Page 19] the whole Province of Poictiers to their obedience, which King John, his Father had Conquered; whereat Henry being nettled, prepared for another mighty Expedition, but with the same fatal success as before: For after several Bickerings, wherein were lost many of his Men, he made a Peace, and returned re infecta, but recovered at last the Province of Aquitain. The later part of his Reign was so taken up with intestine Broils in the Barons Wars, wherein sometimes he was worsted and imprisoned, sometimes prevailed against his Enemies, that he had no leasure to look after his Territories abroad, and call the French to an Account for them, till at last, after he had lived 65 Years, and of them Reigned 56, and odd Days, and lavished away an immense Treasure, he resigned his Breath to him that gave it, at Edmundsbury in Suffolk, was buried at Westminster, Anno. 1272, and was happy in nothing so much as in the hopes of his eldest son Edward.
- 1. One Cause of his Wars with France was, that the French assisted the Scots against him.
- 2. Another was, the Recovery of those Towns and Provinces the French unjustly took from him, and his Ancestors.
EDWARD I.
SUrnamed [...]ong-shanks, the Son of Henry, was in the Holy Land with Eleanor his Wife, when the Crown fell to him, being then about 33 Years old. He began his Reign the 16th. o [...] November, and arrived with his Queen in England the 15 of Aug. following, being in the Year 1273, He proved a warlike, wise and victorious Prince, and may justly be stiled The best Law-giver. He made several Expeditions against Wales and Scotland; the latter became Tributary to him, and the former he reduced entirely, under the Obedience of the Crown of England, and has so continued to this day; but the Stratagem he used for to satisfy those unruly Spirits, and keep the [...] in Subjection, may be worthy of observation.
Having about the 12th. Year of his Reign reduced all Wales, and by a Statute made at Ruthyn, incorporated and annext it to the Crown of England, but finding he could not win the good will of the People, unless he would engage to reside amongst them, or allow them a Prince of their own Nation to govern them, and that after several Conferences, no English Deputies would do, but that they were content to submit to any Man he should name, provided he were a Welchman, at length he privily sends for [Page 21] his Queen, then big with Child, and caused her to remain at Carnarva [...] Castle, where she was brought to bed of a Son, at which time he sends for the Barons and chief Men of Wales to come to him to Ruthyn, to deliberate about the affairs of the Country, and when they came, he told them, he had now occasion to go out of that Country, but before he went he was determined to name them a Prince, if they promised to obey him; they replyed, They would, provi [...]d he were one of their own Nation, wherefore [...] King rejoined, he would name one born in [...]m and that could speak never a word of [...]glish, and who was of unspotted Life and Con [...] Csation, and when all was agreed to, he nam [...]d his Son Edward born as aforesaid.
But notwithstanding this King had so much to do with Wales and Scotland, yet he was no ways [...]egligent of his Affairs and Interest in France; [...] as soon as he had any leasure which was [...] the 22d. Year of his Reign, first like a wise [...], takes care to have sufficient Treasure for such an undertaking, and therefore in a Parliamentary way, raised a vast Summ of Money, and so provides an Army and Fleet of Ships suitable to such an Expedition; the Army rendevouz'd at Portsmouth, the command whereof he gave to his Nephew John de Brytain Earl of Richmond, with whom he joined in Commission John St. John and Robert Tripot two prudent Knights, from whence they set Sail and Landed at St. Matthews in Bretaign (and in the mean time set out [Page 22] three Fleets for the guard of the Seas, and to prevent the Depredations of the Enemy) they entred the Mouth of the Garonne towards Burdeaux, and took two good walled Towns, Burgo and Bleya, from whence they marched to Lyons, and had the town delivered to them; about four years after he generously goes over in Person into Flanders for the relief of Guy Earl of that Country, who was grievously assaulted by the French King, and after many Noble atchievments performed, a Peace was concluded; Edward taking to Wife Margaret sister to Phillip the fair then King of France. This King dyed in 1307 when he had reigned 34 Years 7 Months and odd days, Aged 68, and was buried at Westminster.
- 1. One cause of this Breach with France was the Depredations that were committed at Sea.
- 2. The Relief of Guy Earl of Flanders who was in danger of losing his Country.
EDWARD II.
COmmonly called Edward of Caernarvan (the first Prince of England, that bore in his Fathers life time the Title of Prince of Wales) proved an unworthy Successor to so brave a Father; for he was a dissolute Prince, and wholly guided by his favourites, the first whereof was Pierce Gaveston, who was bred up with him, and on whom he conferred two and thirty Towns and [Page 23] as many Castles in Gascoigny, besides great Summs of Money out of the Earldom of Cornwall during his life; which together with his arrogance, the Barons being not able to brook, combined to force the King to banish him, and so little did this Prince understand his true interest herein, that instead of parting with such a pernicious Man, and thereby securing his Interest at Home, and taking measures for the same in France and elsewhere, he intended to give up Gascoigny to the French King, Scotland to Robert Bruce, and Ireland and Wales to others, as hoping thereby to obtain such aid as might secure him his favourite against all the just attempts of his Barons to the Contrary; but no sooner was this Man removed, but he had two others, the Spencers Father and Son that were as pernicious as he, and proved more fatal to Edward every way, for though they received at length condign Punishment; yet it was through their advice chiefly that Edward refused to go to the French King to do Homage for Aquitain and other lands he held of him, and thereby lost Anjou and the Country of Poictiers; and 'twas his adherence to them that raised his Barons and Queen against him, which ended in a sad Catastrophe, first in his being deposed, next in making a formal Resignation of the Crown, and lastly in being soon after barbarously Murdered at Berkley Castle by the procurement of Roger Mortimer Earl of March the Queens favourite: He reigned 19 Years 6 Months and odd days, and died in 1327.
EDWARD III.
COmmonly called Edward of Windsor, the eldest Son of Edward the Second succeeded his Father, upon his Resignation of the Crown, being then about the Age of 14, his Reign commencing from the 25 of January in the year of our Lord, 1326. he proved a blessing to England, and was a Prince of great Wisdom, and very successful in his enterprises, the younger part of his Reign was much ecclipsed by Roger Mortimer Earl of March, the Queen his Mothers paramour, but he got quickly rid of him, for he was seised at Notingham by the Kings order and concurrence, just as he was going to bed to the Queen, and for all the Queens crying out to him Bel Fils, Bel Fils ayes pitie de gentil Mortimer, i.e. Good Son, Good Son, take pitty upon gentle Mortimer, he was forthwith carryed away to London, committed to the Tower, condemned by his Peers in Parliament at Westminster, hanged at Elmes, and left hanging upon the Gallows two [...]ays and Nights, and all this unheard, because he had done so by others before; this King made several successful expeditions into Scotland and made the King thereof do him homage, but the feat of his Wars was in France, for Charles King of France dying, the Masculine line of Hugh Capet [Page 25] failed, and the Crown descended to Edward the Third (as he alledged) in right of his Mother Isabel, who was Sister to the said Charles; but Phillip de Valois, Uncle to Charles, intruded himself by force of Arms and took Possession, and was not only Aggressor in this respect, but grew so confident of his power, that nothing would serve him, but he must have all our King had left in France, and therefore bends his Force against all the King's Castles and Towns in Aquitain and Poictiers, and exercises abominable cruelties upon the English Inhabitants, and all this under pretence of taking revenge for his Friends the Scots. The King in the mean time holds a Parliament, obtains considerable supplies, and writes Letters to the French King, exhorting him to continue his old amity, but neither this nor the Pope's Mediation for a Peace would do, so King Edward makes mighty preparation both by Sea and Land, and the first Action happened to be by Sea, and as memorable an one as any in the records of time; for he took and sunk 200 Sail of French ships, which Phillip de Valois had prepared in the Haven of Sluce for the Invasion of England, which Fleet like that of 88 was held invincible; but King Edward had equipp'd another as formidable a Fleet, in opposition whereof he was Generalissimo, and Admiral himself. It was one of the most glorious Victories that ever was got at Sea, for the Chronicles mention that the whole French Navy perished, and 30000 Men Wounded, Slain, and Taken: This great [Page 26] Naval Battel was fought upon Midsummer Eve, and Heaven appeared much for the English, for they had Wind and Sun favourable to them in the Fight; and to make it more glorious, King Edward himself was wounded in the Thigh with an Arrow, whereof he was quickly cured. He then goes in Person to France with 8000 common Soldiers, 15000 Archers, but he raised most of his Horse in France; he took over with him his Son the Prince of Wales, then but 15 years Old, called afterwards the Black Prince. He enters Normandy like a Whirle-wind, and carries all the Countrey before him as far as Poissy about 10 miles from Paris, and after divers hot Skirmishes a main Battel is appointed. The English Army encamped near a Village called Cressy, where it was divided into 3 Battallions; the first was led by the Prince of Wales, the second by the Earls of Arundel, and Northampton, and in the third, was the King himself. The Field being thus ordered the King mounted upon a white Hobby, and rode from rank to rank encouraging every one to the performance of his Duty.
The French Army was at least twice more in number, consisting of above 60000 Combatants, with the flower of all the French Chivalry, whereof the chief was the Duke of Alanzon the King's Brother, there were besides the Dukes of Lorain and Luxemburg, the Earls of Flanders, and Artois with other Foreign Princes: The French King was so fierce in Confidence of Victory, that he would scarce admit of any previous time for [Page 27] Counsel; the old King of Bohemia advis'd that the Army should receive some refreshment before the Fight, and that the [...]rigade of Gen [...]ua whereof there were about 15000 Balestiers or Cross-bo [...]s should make the first Front, and the Cavalry to follow next, which being agreed upon, the Duke of Alanz [...] did stomack that the Genouese should have the Honour of the first Rank. This bred such a discontent that they seem'd to be more incens'd against their Leaders, then against the Enemy; but in the interim there fell such a huge shower of Rain that wetted their Bow-st [...]ings, which they had not the wit to cover all the while as the English did, insomuch that for the limmerness thereof, when they came to Engage they grew useless; at the ceasing of the Shower, Heaven appear'd in the Action for the English, for the Sun did shine full in the faces of the French, thereby dazling their Eyes, but on the Back of the English. King Edward being got into a Wind-mill all the while, whence as from a Watch-tower he might explore and behold the face of the Enemy, and discerning the disturbance that happen'd, because the Genouese were put to change their post, instantly gave order to charge that part, which made the Genouese recoil; Alanzon perceiving this, rides about in a rage, crying out, Sa, Sa, lets make way over the bellies of these Italians, for they do but hinder us, so riding thorow them, he came up to the English wing where the Prince of Wales was, the fight grew furious, and doubtful, [Page 28] insomuch that the Commanders about the Prince sent up to the King for a recruit of Power, the King asking the messenger, whether his Son was wounded or slain, and being answered no, he replied, Then tell them who sent you, that as long as my Son is alive, they send no more to me, for my will is, that he win his Spurs, and have the honour of this day; so the combattings on both sides being wonderfully eager, the French King had his Horse killed under him, and so with-drew, which being known by the English, it added much to their Courage, so that soon after they became masters of the Field, and being in heat of Blood, they made no Prisoners but put all to the Sword, so that the number of the French slain surmounted the whole Army of the English, for there fell about 30000 of the Enemy, the chief whereof was the Duke of Alanzon, the Dukes of Bourbon and Lorain, the Earl of Flanders, the Dauphine de Viennois Son to Imbert, who afterwards gave the Province of Dauphiny to the French King, provided his first Son should be called Dauphine in perpetuum, and as a Corollary to this mighty Victory, the next day sending Scouts abroad, there was another French Army discovered under the conduct of the Arch-bishop of Roan, whom the English encounter'd also and utterly defeated. There was one passage very remarkable in this Battle, whereof Sir Walter Rawleigh makes mention: That a day before the Engagement, the King sent one Captain David Gam a Welshman to explore [Page 29] and view the French Army, which he did with no less danger than Fidelity, and brought word that there were in the Enemies Army men enough to Kill, enough to take Prisoners, and enough to run away, which proved true, and so the Welsh Captain was knighted in the Field.
This mighty Victory was seconded a few years after by another more memorable, for the Black Prince having now wun his Spurs, and being taper'd up to his full growth was sent to Gascoigny, where the truce being expir'd, he overruns all the Country as far as Tourain, thereupon John the then French King rais'd a potent Army, more numerous then that at Cressy, and going to find out the Prince of Wales, he heard of him about Poictiers, having not above 10000 effective Men in his whole Army, and they also having been tir'd with long Marches, whereas the French were fresh, and were 6 times as many; whereupon the Prince being advised to turn, falls about towards Bourdeaux, when he was suddenly surrounded by the French Army, upon which a Battle being intended, there came two Cardinals to mediate an Accommodation, but the French King would hearken to none unless the Prince, as a vanquish'd man would render up himself, and his whole Army to discretion; this was of hard digestion at a Prince of such a Courage, therefore he answered: That at the Mediation of the Holy Father he was willing to restore such places which he had taken en bonne Guerre, provided this might be done without prejudice [Page 30] to his Honour, whereof he was accountable to the King his Father, &c. the French King not hearkning to this, resolved to fight, thereupon the Prince also resolv'd for his part to part with his life at as high a rate as he could in such a strait, wherefore making a vertue of necessity by a happy providence, he makes choice of an advantagious ground; for finding that the French Army consisted most in Cavalry, he entrench'd among the adjacent Vineyards, where when the French Horse furiously entred, being wrap'd and entangled amongst the Vines, the English Archers did so ply, pelt and gall them, that being thereby disordered, unrank'd and routed; the whole Army in a short time was totally defeated. But it seems that this Battel was not so fierc [...] as that of Cressy where no quarter was given▪ for in this a great number of Prisoners were made, among whom was King John himself and Phillip his youngest Son, whom the Princ [...] brought to England; and as the French Historian themselves confess, he was so civil unto him a [...] the while, that he knew not whither he was i [...] quality of a free King or of a Captive.
And here a fair occasion is given to discover [...] and vindicate a great truth touching the individual person who first took King John, and h [...] was a Welsh Gentleman, one Howel of the Life-guard to the Prince, which Guard used to carry a kind of battle Axes or Partisans; th [...] Howel it seems being one of them, in the confus'd medley, and fury of the Fight, did fortunately [Page 31] meet with the King, and seis'd upon him, but suddenly in the hurly burly, there were some Frenchmen of the Prince's Army rush'd in, and the King knowing one of them, call'd to him, whose name was Myrobrecht de Artois, who going on with others to present the Prisoner to the Prince, there was a contest who took him first, and the King, was desired to point at him, so he pointed at Howel, and said, this is the Man who took me. There are authentick Records in some Welsh Manuscripts that confirm this; Moreover, they have a general Tradition, and some Songs which continue fresh to this day, how Howel did put a Bridle in the French King's Mouth, with many other Expressions touching this great Act. Now, for that signal exploit the Prince knighted him in the Field, and he was ever after call'd Sir Howel y Fuyall, Sir Howel with the Axe; he had the Constableship of Crikyth Castle given him, with the farms of Chester mills, and other considerable things conferr'd upon him, which surely would not have been but for the merit of some high signal Service. The British Records (besides Tradition and common Report) that mention this, were to be found in Sir John Winn's Library, an honourable knowing Knight, who was a curious collector of Antiquities.
These and many other glorious exploits were done by this King in France, who ceased not his pursuits till he had got the Key of it hanging at his Girdle, to wit, the Town of Calais, that [Page 32] in those days was looked upon to be impregnable, which he carried after a long Siege. This Kings Reign is also memorable upon many other accounts; as for the Institution of the noble Order of the Garter, for removing the staple of Wool from Flanders into England, for that great Champion against Rome the famous Wickliff, and for his own numerous issue by his Heroick Queen Phillipa, being no less then seven Sons and five Daughters, his Sons were these, Edward the Black Prince the hopes of England, and who died before his Father, William of Hatfield, Lione [...] Duke of Clarence, John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster, Edmund of Langley Duke of York, William of Windsor, and Thomas of Woodstock Duke of Glocester, he died at Richmond in 1377. when he had Reigned 50 Years and odd Months.
The cause of the War twixt the English and French in Edward the III. time, was a claim to the Crown and Kingdom of France, in right of his Mother Isabel, which they would make invalid by their Salique (or dista [...] Law) to which the greatest Civilians do allow [...] essence at all, and Du Haillan the great French Historian hath no better Opinion of it, but to be a me [...] Chymera, or Imaginary thing, but of this more presently.
OF THE Salique Law.
HERE I judge it no ways impertinent to be a little more particular yet, touching the claim of this King Edward to the Crown of France, and what grounds the French had by vertue of this Salique Law, for the exclusion of him claiming from a Female; and first, we will briefly state his claim as it then stood, and then come to the Law it self, and it was thus. Phillip the IV. surnamed the Fair had three Sons, Lewis the Contentious, Phillip the Long, and Charles the Fair (all these successively reigned after him, and died without issue inheritable) he had likewise a Daughter named Isabel (I purposely omit the other, being foreign to the present affair) married to Edward the II. King of England, and so was Mother to Edward the III. The issue male of Phillip the Fair thus failing, Phillip Son and Heir of Charles Earl of Valois [Page 34] Beaumont, &c. (who was Brother to Phillip the Fair) laid claim to the Crown as next heir male against King Edward, who made answer to the objection of the Salique Law, that (admitting it was as they asserted) yet he was heir-male, though descended of a Daughter, and this in a publick assembly of the States of France, first about the Protectorship of the Womb (for Queen Joan Dowager of Charles the Fair, was left with Child and delivered of a Daughter named Blanch, afterwards Dutchess of Orleans) was had in solemn dispute by Lawyers on both sides, and applied at length also to the direct point of inheriting the Crown, and so adjudged against King Edward. What followed hereupon we have in some measure traced in the Preceding History of his Wars, and are more at large recorded in Walsingham, Froissart, Aemilius, and a multitude of more modern Writers, whereby it appears, and will in the Wars of this King's Successors in France, how the denial of this Soveraignty to him by the French, cost the lives of many thousands of their Men and involved that Country into long and miserable Calamities.
But as for the Law it self whereby they pretended such an exclusion of him, it may well be said with Drayton in his Poly-Albion, that every mouth speaks of it, but few understand the thing it self, or so much as the Etymology of its name, and therefore to clear this point as well as we can, we are necessitated to ascend a little [Page 35] higher then these times, wherein it was made use of in prejudice to the English claim, and to begin with the Original of the Francks, with whom they affirm it was brought into France. The Francks therefore (according to many modern Historians) came originally from Asia into Germany, though others, and perhaps upon better grounds, make their original to be in Germany it self, but this is certain that upon the decline of the Roman Empire, they inhabited Franconia, a Province of Germany, and about the year 413, or according to Davila 119, invaded France under Pharamond, whom they chose to be their King and Leader (which Pharamond they make to be Son to Marcovir a Prince that governed them in Franconia) but first, before they began their Expedition, they held a general Assembly near unto a River named Sala, and there by the advice of the Salij their Priests, or as others of the Salians whom they make to be the same with Francks, enacted Laws for Government, and amongst the rest, one for the Exclusion of Females from inheriting the Crown, which from the aforesaid appellations (whether one or all, it matters not) came to be denominated the Salique Law. But Goropius that fetches all our of Dutch, and this perhaps more tollerably then many of his other Etymologies (deriving the Salians name from Sal, which in contraction he makes to be from Sadel inventors whereof, says he, the Salians were) interprets them to be as much as Horse-men, [Page 36] a name fitly applied to the War-like and most noble Persons of any Nation, as Equites in Latin, Chevaliers in French, and Marchog in Welch, do very well agree to, so that upon the whole, the Salique Law is made by him to be as much as a Chivalrous Law, and Salique Land; Quae ad equestris ordinis dignitatem & in capite summo & in caeteris membris conservandam pertinebat, which very well agrees with a sentence given in the Parliament at Bourdeaux, upon an ancient Will, devising all the Testator's Salique Lands, which was in point of Judgment interpreted to be a Fief; and who knows not but that Fiefs were originally military Gifts, but if things be so, how then comes Salique to extend to the Crown, which is held to be meerly without Tenure, therefore (saith a later Lawyer,) Ego scio legem salicam agere de privato Patrimonio tantum, I know the Salique Law intends only private Possessions. Again, there are some who pretend to give us the names of the Compilers of this Law (and not this alone, but of many others, as they say,) viz. Wisogast, Bodogast, Salogast and Windogast, wise Councellors about that Pharamonds Reign; the text of it in this part is offered us by Claude de Seissell, Bishop of Marseilles, Bodin and other French Writers, as if it were as ancient as the original of the name, in these words; De Terra Salica nulla Portio Haereditatis Mulieri veniat, sed ad virilem sexum tota terrae Hereditas perveniat. No part of the Salique Land can descend to the [Page 37] Daughter, but all to the Male, and in substance, as if referr'd to the person of the Kings Heir Female; so much if remembred by that great Civilian Baldus and divers others, but rather as a custom then any particular Law, as an Author of that Kingdom hath expresly Written; Ce n' est point vne loye ecritte, mais nee auec nous, que nous n' avons point inventer, mais l' avons puisse de la nature meme, qui le nous a ainsi apris & donne cet instinct, that is, this is no Law Written, but learned of Nature. But why the same Author dares affirm that King Edward yielded upon this point to the French Phillip de Valois, I wonder, seeing all storie and carriage of state in those times is so manifestly opposite. Becanus undertakes a conjecture of the first cause, which excluded Gynaecocracie among them, guessing it to be upon their observation of the misfortune in War, which their Neighbours the Bructerans (a people about the now over Issel in the Netherlands, from near whom he as many others first, derive the Franks) endur'd in the time of Vespasian, under the Conduct and Empire of one Velleda, a Lady even of Divine Esteem amongst them. The learned Drayton who has particularly treated of this Subject, leaves it at last in suspence and concludes thus.
But howsoever the Law be in Truth, or Interpretable (for it might ill beseem me to offer determination in a matter of this kind) it is certain, that to this day, they have an usage of ancient [Page 38] time which commits to the care of some of the greatest Peers, that they, when the Queen is in Child-birth be present, and warily observe left the Ladies privily should counterfeit the inheritable Sex, by supposing some other made when the true Birth is Female, or by any such means wrong their ancient Custom Royal.
RICHARD II.
SOn to Edward the Black Prince by Joan his Wife, Daughter to Edmund Earl of Kent, the youngest Son of King Edward I. succeeded his Grand-Father King Edward III. being but eleven years old, but had neither his Wisdom nor good Fortune; from Bourdeaux his Birth-place, where his Father kept his residence as Duke of Aquitai [...], he was called Richard of Bourdeaux; in his Minority he was governed by his Unkles, the Dukes of Lancaster and Glocester, his Reign was first much disturbed with the Scots, and there were also divers traverses of War especially by Sea with France; for the French began to improve in Navigation, and did us much mischief, for they burnt a good part of Rye, Hastings, and Portsmouth advancing into the River as far as Gravesend, where they likewise took booties, and burnt almost all the place, they also took footing in the Isle of Wight, but were soon repell'd: Sir John Arundel being sent with a considerable Fleet to Bretaign, was disastrously cast away with above 1000 Persons more, whereof some were of Rank and Gallantry; but a little after Sir Hugh Caverley, and Sir Thomas Percy being made Admirals, they so [Page 40] scowr'd and secur'd the Seas, and they took such a World of Prises, that French Wines were sold in London for a Mark a Tunn; and 'tis a passage of some remark, how one John Philpot a Citizen of London, mann'd out a Fleet at his own charge, took Prises and did many exploits against the French, yet at his return he was questioned for setting forth Men of War without a Warrant from King and Council.
This Reign is also remarkable for the famous Rebellion of Wat. Tyler and Jack Straw, for the expeditions of the Duke of Lancaster into Spain, but especially for that famous interview between the Kings of England and France, between Calais and St. Omers, manag'd with all the Ceremony, Pomp and Grandeur that could be imagined, and where a knot of Friendship was tied by King Richards taking the Lady Isabel to Wife, the King of France's Daughter, he being then a Widdoer, as having buried Queen Anne, the King of Bohemia's Daughter about two Years before; this King after much male-administration was at length deposed, when he had reigned 22 Years and about 3 Months, and was soon after murder'd in Pomfret Castle in Yorkshire.
HENRY IV.
COmmonly called Henry of Bullingbrook, the first King of this line, was Son to John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster, 4th. Son of Edward III. he came to the Crown by the power of the Sword, but with the consent of the People, the issue of Lionel Duke of Clarence 3 Son to the said King Edward being laid aside, that had a precedent right; he was a Prince of singular Prowess, but most part of his time was taken up in suppressing of Rebellions at home, and in the old trade of warring with Scotland, whereat the French grew insolent, fitted out divers Fleets, and attempted the Coasts of England, first under the count of St. Paul, who landed at the Isle of Wight with 7000 Men, where he burnt some Villages, but the Island grew quickly too hot for him; Plymouth also was plundered, and divers Houses burnt, whereupon the Western men were permitted to set out Ships of War, whereby they sufficiently revenged themselves of the French, and at one time took 40 Sail. The French take footing again in the Isle of Wight with 1000 Men, but they were repelled with the slaughter of many hundreds; afterwards the Admiral of Britany with the Lord of Castile, and 30 sail attempt Dartmouth, where at a fierce assault du Castile was slain with his two Brothers.
The English during this Reign, had occasion also to signalize themselves by Land in France upon two several occasions; for a great Feud happening between the Duke of Burgundy (whom the French King and his eldest Son favoured [...] and the Duke of Orleans, whose Father had been put to death by the procurement of the former it came at last to open Wars between them; but Burgundy finding his adversary had powerful assistance from the Kings of Navarre and Arragon the Dukes of Bituria, Bretaign and others, makes his application to King Henry for aid, who a [...] first gave him good Counsel, and afterwards se [...] him good force under the command of Thomas Earl of Arundel, the famous Sir John Old-cast [...] Lord Cobham, and others, with which reinforcement he prevailed powerfully against his Enemy▪ insomuch that about a year after, Orleans also becomes a Suiter to the same King Henry for assistance against Burgundy, which the King also granted and dispatched away under the command of Thomas Duke of Clarence, Edward Duke of York, &c. many valiant Men who landed in Normandy where Orleans was to meet them, but did not at the time appointed; however they prosecuted their design, and took many strong places, and at length Orleans and Clarence me [...] and having settled their Affairs, the English departed to their Winter Quarters in Aquitain Henry like a wise Prince designed to make use o [...] these Dissentions in France, and exprest as much to the Archbishop of Canterbury, saying, Behold [Page 43] now is the acceptable time, let us go into France and win with small ad [...] that which is our right; but being then labouring under a great Sickness, he was by his Lords with much difficulty perswaded to the contrary; and thus ended his Wars in France, he himself dying soon after this last expedition under Clarence, to wit, on the 20th. of March, Anno 1412. Aged 46. when he had Reigned 13 Years and about 6 Months, and was buried at Canterbury by his first Wife the Lady Mary, Daughter to Bohun▪ Earl of Essex; he had issue four Sons, Henry that succeded him, Thomas Duke of Clarence, John Duke of Bedford, and Humphry Duke of Glocester, of whom it was said they could not be distinguished for their excellency, save that Henry was the Eldest: He had also 2 Daughters, Blanch Dutchess of Bavaria, and Phillipa Queen of Denmark.
The causes of this War was first self-preservation, and that the French assisted the Scots against England, and had also sent 12000 Men to Owen Glendower a Brittish Prince who was up in Arms against the King, but a few daies after they landed at Milford Haven, they ran again back to their Ships.
HENRY V.
COmmonly called Henry of Monmouth the eldest Son of Henry IV. proved a great Prince, was a mirror of Magnanimity, and stands to this day one of the greatest Ornaments of our English Chronicles, he no sooner mounted the Throne, but he had his Eye presently upon France for recovering his Royal Right to that Crown, in order whereunto he alter'd in his Arms the bearing of Semy Deluces, and quarter'd the 3 full Flower Deluces as France her self did bear them; thereupon he sent the Duke of Exeter in a magnificent Embassy attended with 500 Horse to Paris to demand the Crown, and receiving no satisfactory answer, but rather a jeer, the Dauphine sending King Henry a sackful of Racket Court-balls to employ his time, he replied that for every one of those Balls, he had so many fiery Bullets to bandy at the proudest Towers of France as he should quickly find; and so he presently got over, and encounter'd the French Army at Agen-Court, the French King himself being at the head of it, which he utterly overthrew, and took more Prisoners then he had common Soldiers; the battel was fought upon a Sunday Morning about the time of high Mass, for having sent notice to England before, that extraordinary [Page 45] prayers should be made in all Churches about ten a Clock in the Morning, he stood upon the defensive part all the while till then, but then making a moving oration to his whole Army, and among other strains telling them how all England was praying for them at that very hour, he obtained a most glorious and compleat Victory. Besides that great Act of Piety, another of Policy was us'd, for the King to prevent the fury of the French Cavalry, appointed divers stakes studded with Iron at both ends of about 6 foot long to be pitch'd behind the Archers, and ordered that Pioners should attend to remove them as they should be directed, which invention conduc'd much to the good success of the Action. The King himself charged the Duke of Alanzon, who being beaten off his Horse was slain; there was also a great slaughter of all kind of French Prisoners, because the number was so great, that nothing could give assurance of safety but by making them away.
At length after many wonderful Feats and Successes, performed especially by himself and noble Brothers the Dukes of Clarence, Bedford and Glocester, he was upon Articles agreed between him and Charles VI. then King of France, made Regent of that Kingdom, and proclaimed both there and in England Heir Apparent to the French Crown, and did thereupon take Katherine the said Kings Daughter to Wife; but the Dauphin (afterwards Charles VII.) who judged himself much aggrieved hereby, made a strong Party in [Page 46] the Kingdom, and with a great Army laid Siege to the Town of Cosney, which King Henry was so concerned at, that he resolved to go in person to the raising of it, but he was so eager and overhasty in his March, that he could reach no further then Senlis, (trusting to his Brother the Duke of Bedford's care in the prosecuting of that design, who relieved the Town, and obliged the Dauphine to retreat) and there his Fever so increased upon him, that he made his last Will, and appointed his Jewels to be sold for the payment of his Debts, and ordained his Brother the Duke of Bedford to be Regent of France and Normandy, and so died at Vincennes, leaving no issue but a young Son, whose Education he left to the Cardinal of Winchester, and the Government of England during his Minority to Humphrey Duke of Glocester, being the year of our Lord, 1422. Aged 38, and having Reigned 9 Years and odd Months; he had the mortification to have his Brother Clarence slain with many fine Soldiers at the Siege of Bauge in Anjou before he died, but was otherwise in all his attempts successful, and is renown'd upon all accounts but in nothing so much as in his Piety to God, to whom he gave all the Glory of his Victories.
The ground of this War was the former claim to the Crown and Kingdom of [...].
HENRY VI.
COmmonly called Henry of Windsor, proved a Religious Prince, but weak and unfortunate, he began his Reign when he was but 8 years old, and was crowned King of France at Paris, Anno 1431. to whom the Nobles, Provost and chief Burgesses sware fealty, but lost it five Years after to Charles VII. and the loss of that drew on the loss of the whole, but it was not without much strugling. The beginning of his Reign, which all Persons feared would have been the worst, proved quite contrary, and was the most prosperous; which is to be attributed to the Wisdom, Care and Resolution of those brave Men that his Father appointed to guard Him and his Dominions. Things prospered in France whilst the Heroick Bedford lived, who won many Towns and Forts, and proved Victor in several Encounters and Battles, especially that great Battle of Vernole, where (as a French Author confesseth) Bedford, Salisbury and Suffolk, did mighty exploits, and defeated the whole French Power about which time Bedford as Regent was obeyed in all places through Vimen, Poictiers and Picardy, and from Paris to Rheims, Chalons and Troyes up to the River of Loyre, but when this brave Prince died, which was about the 14th. [Page 48] Year of Henry's Reign, and that the Duke of York was made Regent, things went very much to wrack in France. Guienne was the last Province of France that held out for the English, where we lost that brave Captain John Lord Talbot, the first Earl of Shrewsbury of that Family, and ancestor to the now illustrious Duke of Shrewsbury, and called by the French Historians the Glory of the English Nation, as we had done some years before at the Siege of Orleans the valiant Earl of Salisbury, a Siege which first raised the fame of the French Amazon, Joan the sheaperdess commonly called the Maid of Orleans, whose wonderful Courage and Success prov'd very fatal to the English, (though she was afterward burnt at Roan for a Witch,) and which did not a little contribute to hasten our Expulsion out of that Kingdom, all places at length being reduced except Calais, and the Norman Isles of Guernsey, Jersey, &c. and thus was the old Prophecy made good, that Henry of Monmouth should win all, and Henry of Windsor should lose all, which was verified to some Purpose in this King, for to the former losses was added that of the Crown of England, he being deposed after he had Reigned 39 Years but lived eleven Years after, and was Murdered by Crookback Richard in the Tower of London. He was a King pious in an intense degree, which made Henry VII. send to the Pope to have Henry VI. canoniz'd for a Saint, but answer was given that he would canonize him for an Innocent, but not for a Saint.
[Page 49] The Causes of this War in this Kings time was the revolt of the French from their obedience to their true King.
EDWARD IV.
ELdest Son of Richard Duke of York, and first of this line came to the Crown by right of descent from King Edward III. for Anne his Grandmother was Daughter of Roger Mortimer; Son of Edmund Mortimer Earl of March, and of Phillip his Wife sole Daughter of Lionel Duke of Clarence third Son of Edward III. and Elder Brother of John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster, so that 'tis plain in course of succession he had a precedent Right to the House of Lancaster, he was fain to maintain his Right as he had got it by the Sword, for to get it, no less than six battles had been fought by his Father and himself, and six more to secure it, were sought in this Reign, but when his affairs began to receive any settlement, he revolves upon his old Right to the Kingdom of France, wherefore upon the request of the Duke of Burgundy his Brother in Law, who was already actually in War with the French King, he enters into an alliance with him for to carry it on with united Forces, and was the more easily induced hereunto, because of the assistance France had lately given the Earl of Warwick, Queen Margaret her Son, Prince Edward and their accomplic [...]s [Page 50] against him: King Edward makes very great preparations for this Expedition, and having got all things in a readiness, rendevouzes at Dover, and so from thence sails in a Fleet, consisting of 500 sail of all burdens, (whereof the Duke of Burgundy furnished many) and lands at Calais with a greater force then ever at any one time came into France, for he had with him 1500 Gen d' Arms, being all Nobles and Gentlemen, 15000 Archers on Horseback, 8000 common Soldiers with 3000 Pioneers (3000 English being at the same time appointed to land in Bretaign for to make a diversion on that side.)
But before King Edward imbarked, he sent an Herald from Dover to the King of France, with a letter of Defiance, written in such Language that mine Author is perswaded could never be of an English Man's Penning. (So little esteem had the English Nation at that time for their learning in the World) the contents of the Letter were, That the King should yield unto him the Kingdom of France, that so he might restore the Clergy and Nobility to their ancient Liberty, and ease them of those great oppressions they laboured under, &c. which if he refused to do, he concluded full of Menaces according to the usual form in that kind. The French King read the Letter softly to himself, and then withdrawing to another Room, sent for the Herald to come before him, and told him, he was not ignorant of the confederacy between the King his Master and the Duke of Burgundy, and how that the [Page 51] [...]onstable of France held intelligence also with [...] King of England, the King having married [...] Niece, but adds he, he will deceive the King [...]ur Master as he has done me; and as for Bur [...]ndy, 'tis manifest he foully prevaricates, for he already retired f [...]om before Nunz, and at last includes with a present of 300 Crowns to the [...]erald, and a promise of a Thousand more, if Peace were concluded, and got him to engage [...] further it with all his might; King Edward [...] no sooner landed at Calais, but the Duke of B [...]gundy retires from before Nunz, and with a [...]all retinue rides to the King at Calais, leaving [...] Army in the mean time to plunder the Coun [...]y of Lorr [...]in and Barr; from Calais they both [...]arted, and passing through Bolloign marched Perronne, where the English were but coldly [...]tertained by the Duke, for he would suffer but very few of them to come within the Gates, [...] that they were obliged to take up their quar [...]s in the Fields; there it was the Duke received Message from the Constable of France, whereby [...] excused himself for not delivering of St. Quin [...], alleadging that if he had done it, he could [...]ve done him no further service in the King [...]om of France; but added, that seeing the King [...] England was come over in Person, he would [...] the future do whatever the Duke should com [...]and him, and gave him his Faith in Writing he [...]ould serve him and his Confederates to the ut [...]ost of his Power against all Opponents whatso [...]er; the Duke delivers the Constables Letter to [Page 52] the King, adding some things thereto of his own head, as that the Constable would certainly d [...] liver up St. Quintin, and all other places in [...] Power as soon as ever he came before them which the King willing to believe, marches t [...] gether with the Duke forthwith from Peronne t [...] wards St. Quintin; the English expecting to be [...] ceived with ringing of Bells, approached th [...] Town in a careless manner, but had a quite contrary entertainment, for they from the Tow [...] fired their Cannon upon them, and with [...] made a Sally both with Horse and Foot, wher [...] in some English were slain and others taken Pr [...] soners.
This double dealing both of the Constable an [...] Duke made the King the more readily heark [...] to the Overtures of Peace that the French Kin [...] offered him; wherefore in a Village near Ami [...] Commissioners for both Kings met, whereof [...] France were the Bastard of Bourbon Admiral, [...] Lord St. Peter and Bishop of Eureux, and for E [...] land the Lord Howard, one Chalanger and Doct [...] Morton, where it was agreed the French Ki [...] should pay the King of England presently befo [...] his departure out of France, Seventy Two Tho [...] sand Crowns towards the expence of the Eng [...] Army, and 50000 Crowns a year for ever, [...] that the Dauphine should marry King Edwards [...] dest Daughter and have the Dutchy of Guien [...] her maintenance; but at the King's return, [...] English Barons held it to be an inglorious Pe [...] though 'twas said to be made by the Holy Gh [...] [Page 53] [...]or a Dove was seen to be often on King Edward's [...]ent during the Treaty. But the last Article was never performed, for the Dauphine was afterward married to Margaret Daughter to Maximi [...]an Archduke of Austria, so much to the disappointment and sorrow of King Edward, that he [...]ell sick upon it (as Comines saies) and departed [...]his life at Westminster the 9th. of April, at the Age of 41. when he had Reigned 22 Years and [...]bout one Month, Anno 1483. and was buried at Windsor, where before he had provided him a [...]esting place; this King had three Concubines, whereof Jane Shoar was one, of whom he would say one was the Merriest, another the Wiliest, and the third the Holyest Harlot in his Realm.
The cause of this War was a defection of the French from their Loyalty to England, in Conjuction with the assistances they gave Queen Margaret and the Earl of Warwick against King Edward.
EDWARD V.
ELdest Son of King Edward IV. was not above 12 years of Age when his Father died; during this Kings short Reign (if it may be called [...]) there was neither, nor well could be any war [...] act of Hostility that we read, between Eng [...]nd and France, for it was but three Months that [Page 54] he reigned, for Richard Duke of Glocester his Unkle knowing how easie a step it was from the place of a Protector and first Prince of the Blood to the Crown, turned every stone to get the the Protectorship from the Lord Rivers, the King's Unkle by the Mother side; and having compassed it, his next business was to get Prince Richard the King's Brother into his Clutches also, whom the Queen Mother was fain to part with in great arfliction and struggling of Nature, for she delivered him up as it were for Execution; and the Protector who was resolved to make both him and the King a victim to his ambition, looks upon the two young Princes from that very time as two Birds in a Cage that should not be long-lived, but to blind the People, he forthwith gave orders for the King's Coronation, whilst he secretly contrived with the Duke of Buckingham (his great Coajutor in his cursed designs) to fix the Crown upon his own head▪ Buckingham with his Artifices forced in a manner the City to a compliance, which nolens volens was at last forced to proclaim Richard King of England, the Duke pretending that all the late Kings issue were Bastards, and the Protector only true heir to the Crown, who when it was offered unto him by the Duke in the name of the City, refused it with a counterfeit angry Countenance, but when his Privado making himself the mouth of the Assembly, said that if his Grace would not accept of the Crown, they would find one that should, then he was pleased to take it upon him as his right.
RICHARD III.
WAs youngest Brother to Edward IV. of whom 'twas said he was born with Teeth in his Head, and Hair on his Shoulders: At his first coming to the Crown he took his Seat in the Court of King's Bench, where like a gracious Prince he pronounced Pardon of all offences committed against him, to insinuate thereby to the People what a blessed Reign this was like to be, but he spared not the two young Princes then in the Tower, but they were by his Order stiffled in their Beds; this reign was so troublesom at home, that Richard though a warlike Prince in himself, had not leasure to mind his affairs abroad; for the Duke of Buckingham the great instrument of all his Villanies, whether through the horrour of the said Murder, or some other resentment did most certainly from that time project his ruine, who had been the chief instrument of his elevation; there was then at the Court of the Duke of Bretaign in France, Henry Earl of Richmond, the next heir to the House of Lancaster, whose advancement to the Crown Buckingham and others resolved upon, with proviso that Henry should consent to marry the Lady Elizabeth, eldest daughter to Edward IV. whereby the Houses of York and Lancaster should be united into one, but before [Page 56] the Plot took effect, the Duke was taken and lost his Head without any form of Tryal, or any regard had to his former Service. Richmond lands at Milford Haven in Wales but with 200 men, from whence advancing forwards by dayly reinforcements, made up a body of 5000 men with whom he incountred K. Richard at Bosworth in Leicestershire, being Aug. 12. 1485. The fight was very sharp, but successful to Henry who carried the day, and with it the Crown of England, for there Richard was slain after he had acted the part of a great Captain and most valiant Soldier, and so ended his bloody and short Reign, which was but two years two Months and odd days, but however to his praise it must be said, that during his Reign he procured many good Laws for the ease of his People, and omitted nothing that might tend to the honour of the English Nation.
HENRY VII.
BOrn in Pembrocke Castle in Wales succeeded next to Richard upon Bosworth Battle, and assumed the Crown as heir of the House of Lancaster by his Mother side Margaret Countess of Richmond then alive and lived many years after, daughter and heir of John de Beauford Duke of Sommerset, Son of John Earl of Summerset, Son of John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster by Jane Swinford (but [Page 57] born before Wedlock though afterward legitimated by Act of Parliament, yet with a Proviso of not being capable to inherit the Crown) his Father was Edmund Tewdor Son of Owen Tewdor descended (as 'twas said) from Cadwallader the last Brittish King; so that here was but a very slender Title, in so much that Henry, according to a former compact, was necessitated for the strengthning of it, to take Elizabeth eldest daughter to Edward the IV. to Wife and Heir to the House of York, to whom he proved no very indulgent Husband, tho she wanted no attractive accomplishments, but his aversion to the house of York was so predominant, that it found place not only in his Wars and Council, but in his Chamber and Bed; but his assuming of the Crown first in his own name, and afterwards never making use of hers, either in his Coins, Proclamations or any Administrations, spun him out a Thread of many Seditions and Troubles at home, and might perhaps divert him from great undertakings abroad, for he was a Prince that wanted neither Wisdom nor Courage; however, it was in his time that the Dutchy or Bretaign was annext to the Crown of France, which it was in his power to have prevented, and indeed herein he seemed to be outwitted by Charles the French King, who by his Artifices engaged King Henry to be a mediator between him and the Duke of Bretaign, while he with his Forces besieges Nantes, and routs the Dukes whole Army; 'tis true the Lord Woodville the Queen's Uncle, secretly stole [Page 58] over into Bretaign with a small band of Men from the Isle of Wight, which action exposed the English Ambassadors who then mediated a Peace, to no small Danger, but the reinforcement was so inconsiderable, as to do the Britons no great service. But the Battle of St. Alban aforementioned, wherein the Britons were overthrown with the loss of 6000 or their Men, and the Duke of Orleans who sided with them with the Prince of Orange taken Prisoners, allarmed King Henry in such sort, that he forthwith dispatcht succors into Bretaign, under the command of Robert Lord Brook, to the number of Eight Thousand choise Men, who quickly joined the remainder of the Britons Forces, and marched towards the Enemy, who though flush'd with their late Victory, well knowing the English Courage, kept themselves within their Trenches and declined Battle, but in the mean time took all advantages upon our Men with their light Horse, though they commonly came off with loss, especially by means of the English Archers. But while these things were thus transacting, Francis Duke of Bretaign dies, whereupon the principal Persons of that Dutchy partly bought, and partly through faction, put all things into such confusion, that the English finding no Head nor Body to join forces with, and being jealous of their Friends as well as in danger of their Enemies, upon the approach of Winter, returned home five Months after their landing.
[Page 59] At this time Archduke Maximilian Son to the Emperor Frederick was Gov [...]nor of Flanders, and in treaty of Marriage with Anne Heiress of Bretaign, when [...] happened a Rebellion at Bruges, which was carryed on by the Lord Ravenstein who seized upon Ipre and Sluce, and sent to the Lord Corde's French Governor of Picardy, infamous in History for that saying (he could be content to lie in Hell Seven Years, so he might win Calais from the English) for aid, who (as being before provided, immediately besieges Dixmude, whereat the King of England being displeased, sends forthwith the Lord Morley with a 1000 Men to the Governour of Calais, and with an addition of a 1000 more from thence had order, but under pretence of securing the English Pale about that City, to put themselves into Dixmude, which in conjunction with some German [...] they effected undiscovered, and so with the Garrison attacked the Enemies Camp with that Resolution and Bravery, that after a bloody and obstinate Fight they beat them out of it with the loss of about 8000 Men; but on the English par [...]not above an 100 Men, and among them the Lord Morley. The Cannon and Baggage fell also into their hands, with which they marche [...] to Newport, from whence the Lord Daubigny returned to his Government of Calais, leaving th [...] Wounded, and some other Voluntiers there, Cordes having intelligence hereof, departs immediately from Ipre with a great force, and attack Newport, and had carried the principal fort [...] [Page 60] the Town, when fortunately there arrived in the Haven a reinforcement of English Archers, who beat him out of it again, whereat he became so discouraged that he raised his Siege, which accidents tended to an open Rupture between the two Crowns.
Hereupon King Henry advises Maximilian to press on his Marriage with Anne of Bretaign, which he did accordingly, insomuch that the marriage was consummate by Proxy, the Lady put to Bed, and Maximilian's Embassador with Letters of Procuration in the presence of many noble Personages, putting his naked Legg between the Espousall sheets. Maximilian thinking all things now sure, neglected for a time his further proceeding and intended his Wars; in the mean while the French King consulting his Divines, got them to declare this way of consum [...]ation invalid, so as they made sport of it in France, saying, That it was an argument Maximilian was a Widower and a cold Wooer, that could content himself to be a Bride-groom by a Deputie, and would not make a little Journey [...] put all out of question, and easily by Emissa [...]ies whereof he had store about her, prevailed [...]pon the young Lady to consent to become his [...]ife, who was a young King and a Batchellor▪ Which procedure and artifice of France distasted [...] Henry, that he caused his Cancellor to tell [...] French Embassadors (who were sent to sooth [...] up upon this occasion) that he was resol [...]ed to recover his right to Normandy, Gutien, Anjou [Page 61] and to the Kingdom of France it self, unless the French King were content to have King Henry's Title to France (at least tribute for the same) handled in a Treaty: Maximilian, and with good reason, storms more then any body at this perfidious dealing of France, sends forthwith Embassadors both to England and Spain, to incite them to enter into an offensive League against France promising to concur with considerable forces o [...] his own, hereupon Henry calls a Parliament, gets plentiful supplies and raises a puissant Army in which were many noble personages, and over whom he makes Jasper Duke of Bedford and John Earl of Oxford Generals under his own person, and on the 9th. of September in the 8th year of his Reign, departs towards the Sea Coast October 6th. he imbarked at Sandwich, and the same day landed at Calais: some overtures of a [...] accommodation were made him from France before he took Shipping, but he was no sooner arrived at Calais, but the calm Winds of Peace began to blow, for he found Maximilian was unprovided of the assistance promised for lack of Money, which soon spread through the Army and upon the neck of this he received news also that Ferdinand and Isabel had made peace with Charles King of France, upon his restoring unto them the Counties of Rousillion and Perpignan formerly mortgaged unto France by John King o [...] Arragon; however October 15th. he left Calais and directed his march towards Bulloigne, where h [...] arrived in four days, and so sat down before it [...] [Page 62] the Siege continued for near a Month, but without any memorable action or accident of War, only Sir John Savage a valiant Commander was slain as he was riding about to view the Walls; the Town was well fortified, and had a good Garrison, yet it was much distressed and ready for an assault (which if it had been given 'twas believed it would have been carried) when the Commissioners appointed for that purpose concluded a Peace which was to continue for both the Kings lives, wherein there was no Article of importance, being in effect rather a bargain then a treaty, (as my Lord Bacon observes) for all things remained as they were, save that there should be paid to the King Seven Hundred Forty Five Thousand Duckats at present, for his charges in that Expedition, and Five and Twenty Thousand Crowns yearly, for his expenses sustained in the aids of the Britons; and besides, this was left indefinitely when it should determine or expire, which made the English esteem it as a tribute carried under fair terms; and the truth is, it was paid both to this King, and to his Son King Henry VIII. longer then it could continue upon a [...]y computation of charges, but this Peace gave no great contentment to the Nobility, and principal Officers of the Army, who had many of them sold or engaged their Estates upon the [...]opes of the War, and they stuck not to say that the King cared not to plume his Nobility and [...]nd People to feather himself, and others made themselves merry with what the King had said in [Page 63] Parliament; that after the War was once begun, he doubted not to make it pay it self, saying, he had kept his Promise: However, Charles was by this peace assured of the Possession of Bretaign, and free to prosecute his designs upon Naples, which Kingdom he won, though he lost it afterward in a kind of felicity of a Dream, after he had passed [...]he whole length of Italy, without resistance, so that it was true what Pope Alexander was wont to say, That the Frenchmen came into Italy with Chalk in their hands, to mark up their Lodgings, rather then with Swords to Fight. However, Henry in the 11th. year of his Reign upon this occasion, entred into a League with the Italian Potentates for the defence of Italy. He had many intestine broils and insurrections, and his Reign is noted for Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck's impostures, and no less remarkable for the immense treasure he left behind him, a testimony of his avaritious nature, and after above 23 years reign and having lived 52 he died, April the 22d. at his Palace of Richmond which himself had built, Anno. 1508.
The Causes of his Wars were partly for the relief of Bretaign, partly on behalf of the Arch-Duke Maximilian, and partly for the recovery of his own right in France.
HENRY VIII.
HEir to both Houses of York and Lancaster, and the only surviving Son of Henry VII. succeeded his Father at the Age of 18, and proved a Prince of great Vertues as well as Vices: Towards the fourth year of his Reign, the French King making war upon Pope Julius, King Henry wrote him monitory Letters to desist, as being his Friend and Confederate, which letters being little regarded, Henry sent to demand his Dutchies of Normandy, Guien, Anjou and Main, and the Crown of France it self, but this had the same effect with the former, the French King continuing his war in Italy, which provoked King Henry so, that entring into Confederacy with the Emperor Maximilian, Ferdinando King of Spain and other Potentates, he determined by the advise of his Council to make War upon France, and made preparations both by Sea and Land accordingly, and in concert with Ferdinando sends over into Biscay an Army of 10000 Men all foot, under the command of the Marquess of Dorset, with a design to invade France on that side, first for the recovery of the Dutchy of Aquitain, but Ferdinand failing in the promises he had made of Horse, Ordinance, Carriages, &c. the English after they had waited from May till December for performance, returned [Page 65] into England without any memorable action performed; their number being considerably diminished through sickness: Henry nothing discouraged hereat, calls a Parliament who gave him a plentiful supply for carrying on the War, wherefore with a Puissant Army wherein were many noble Persons, and over which as Captain General was constituted the Earl of Shrewsbury, under the King's Person, he lands at Calais on the last day of June, being the fifth Year of his Reign, and the day following lands the Admiral of England at Whitsand Bay, entred the Town and burnt it, and then returned: From Calais about the 21st. of July the King marches in great state and good order of Battle towards Turwin, where he arrives on the fourth of August, and laies close siege to it; the French attempting to impede his march, but without success: Seven daies after came the Emperor Maximilian, whom the King received with great Triumph between Aire and the Camp, where he enters into the King's Pay, and as a Testimony thereof, wore St. George's Cross with a Rose, the Town made no extraordinary defence, for notwithstanding the Garrison consisted of 4000, whereof were 600 good Horse, yet they capitulated the 23d. and marched away the day following; but the King did not think fit to keep the place, and therefore rased all the Works, and burnt the Town, removing first the Ordinance that was in it to Aire; from hence he directs his march towards the City of Turnay, and about the 21st. of September sets down before it, it was [Page 66] but weakly Garrisoned, but full of Inhabitants, and so on the 29th. of the same Month, was by Capitulation surrendred; the Citizens which were to the number of 60000 swearing Allegiance to him. Here Sir Edward Poinings was made Governour, and of this City Wolsey then the Kings Almoner was made Bishop, and so by the way of Calais, Henry returns for England, and on the 24th. of October lands at Dover, the Earl of Surrey during his absence, having fought the Scots, slain their King James IV. and defeated their whole Army. The King's Arms thus prevailing by Land in France it self, and against the Scots its confederates, proved no less successful by Sea, for Sir John Wallop had landed on the Coast of Normandy and burnt to the number of 21 Towns and Villages, together with many Ships in the Haven of Trapart, Staples, and other places. The French King by the means of Pope Leo, with whom he was now accorded sues for a Peace, which was at length concluded, the Lady Mary the King's Sister for the tying of the knot, being given to the French King in Marriage, whom however she did not long enjoy Lewis XII. dying 82 days after. The remainder of this King's Reign was in a manner spent in Domestick Affairs, which is not our Province to treat off, till about the 35th. Year, when in conjunction with the Emperor he again makes war upon France, the Emperor took the Field in Person, and the English joining him under the command of Sir John Wallop, laid siege to Landarsey, the French King hasted with a [Page 67] great Army to succour the Town, which was brought to great extremity, upon whose approach the Emperor expecting to give Battle, raised his Siege, the Town being by this means relieved, that was all the French cared for, declining to hazard a Battle, and so upon the approach of Winter, both Camps broke up.
The Year following, the King raised a mighty Army, the Front led by the Duke of Norfolk, the main Battle by the Duke of Suffolk, where the King intended to be present himself also, and the Rear by the Lord Russel, attended with many other Nobles as the Earls of Surrey, Oxford, &c. which about Whitsuntide landed at Calais, and from thence leaving Bolloign to the right, directed their march towards Muterell, and were as they passed joined by the Emperors Forces under the Count of Buren, but finding the foresaid place extraordinarily well fortified and provided for its defence, the Duke of Suffolk with the King's Army wheels off towards Bolloign, where he arrives July 19th. and pitched his Camp to the East of the Town upon the Hill, but thence removing into a Valley after many sharp skirmishes, entred the lower Town deserted by the Inhabitants, who under the covert of the Smoak, got into the high Town undiscovered; soon after the Tower called, the Old Man was yielded up by sixteen Soldiers that kept it, which notwithstanding discouraged not the Garrison, who continued to make a vigorous Defence; on the 26th. of July the King arrives in Person, orders a Mount [Page 68] to be raised upon the East-side planted with diverse pieces of Cannon and Mortars, which incommoded the Town very much, so that few Houses were left whole within it; in this distress 200 French and Italians under the conduct of Joncurtio attempted to get into the Town in the Night, and succeeded so well by the means of a Priest that spoke English, that most of them were got over the Trenches before discovered, and a matter of 120 got in, the rest being either slain or taken; at length a peice of the Castle being blown up, the King stormed the place, but did not carry it; however the Cannon continuing playing, and the Garrison having lost the best of their Commanders and men in this Action, and fearing as well as concluding that such another assault must carry the Town, thought it time to Capitulate before things came to the last extremity, and so Articles were agreed upon, and the Garrison marched our with Bag and Baggage to the number of 67 Horse, 1563 Foot, 87 wounded, and 1927 Women and Children. On the 25th. of September the King with the Sword bore before him by the Marquess of Dorset, enters Bolloign in Triumph, the Trumpets all the while sounding on the Walls, and two days after viewing of the Place, caused St. Maries Church to be pull'd down, and a mount to be made in the Room of it for the strengthning the Town, and at his departure made Sir John Dudley Governor, and on the first of October lands in England, next year September 9th. Sir John Dudley then Admiral [Page 69] lands with 6000 Men at Trey Port in Normandy, burns the Town and Abby, and 30 Ships in the Haven, with the loss of 14 Men only. The French attempted the recovery of Bulloign again and again, but to little purpose, so that at length a Peace was concluded, wherein it was agreed, the French King should pay King Henry 800000 Crowns within the term of Eight Years, and then to have Bulloign restored to him; but whilst the Oath for Confirmation hereof was taken by both Kings, Monsieur Chatillon began to make a new Bastillion at the very mouth of the Haven of Bulloign, calling it Chatillon's Garden; the Lord Grey of Wilton then Governor of Bulloign, advertised the King hereof by Sir Thomas Palmour, requiring to know his pleasure therein, the King advises with his Councel, who all agree the Conditions of Peace ought by no means to be infringed, and therefore to let the Bastilion stand, whereupon the King ordered his Secretary to write to the Lord Grey to that purpose, but then called to Sir Thomas privily, and told him, that notwithstanding the Contents of that Letter, he should from him command the Lord Grey to rase the Fortification to the ground with all speed, Sir Thomas replyed, That a message by Word of Mouth contrary to a Letter, would never be believed; well (saies the King) tell him as I bid you, and leave the doing of it to him. Sir Thomas upon his arrival at Bulloign, delivered the Governor the Letter, and withall the Message, who hereupon calls a Council what to do, wherein they all agreed the [Page 70] Letter should be obey'd, to which the Lord Grey himself said nothing, but caused the Message to be written down verbatim from Sir Thomas Mouth, and those of the Council to set their hands to it, and when this was done, the very next Night he issues out and rases the Fort to the ground, and then sent Sir Thomas back to the King with Letters to acquaint him with what he had done, who as soon as he saw him, asked aloud, What will he do it or no? Sir Thomas delivering the Letter, said, Your Majesty shall know by these, but the King half angry, said, Nay, Tell me has he done it or no? and being told it was done, he turn'd about to his Lords and said, what say you, my Lords, to this? Chatillon's Garden is rased down to the ground? whereunto one presently answered, that he that had done it deserved to lose his Head, to which the King immediately replies, That he would rather lose a dozen such heads as his was, then one such servant that had done it, and therewith commanded presently the Lord Grey's Pardon to be drawn, which he sent to him with Letters full of thanks and promises of Reward. The cause why the King took this course was this, lest if he had given order in writing for the rasing of the Fort, it might have come to the knowledge of the French before it was done, and so have been prevented. This may be taken as an instance of King Henry's great Capacity; and was the concluding act of his Life as to Forreign Affairs, for he died not long after, to wit, in the Year 1547. the Fifty [Page 71] Sixth of his Life, and of his Reign the Eight and Thirtieth.
The causes of this War with France were partly reasons of State, and partly the League which King Henry had made with the Emperor.
EDWARD VI.
BOrn at Hampton Court, succeeded his Father King Henry VIII. at the Age of nine Years, a most excellent Prince, and the wonder of the the Age both for Learning and Piety, but England did not long enjoy the fruit of the Blessings coutched in his Person, his Reign being shortned by an immature Death, as it had been in a great measure rendred uneasie through the Feuds of the Nobles during his Life; this together with the Reformation carried on at home, made the Enemy insult abroad, insomuch that the French assumed the boldness in Conjunction with the Scots, to attack us in our own Borders; for in the second year of this King's Reign on St. Peter's Eve, Monsieur Dassey the French General with 10000 French and Germans besides Scots, laid siege to Haddington, a Town in Scotland, but then in the hands of the English; the Town made a most vigorous defence, and at length came 1300 Horse from Berwick with intent to relieve it, but failed in the [Page 72] attempt, for most of the Horse being surrounded by the Enemy, were either slain or made Prisoners, together with Sir Robert Bowes and Sir Thomas Palmer their Commanders; but for all this great discouragement and misfortune, the Garrison would not flinch, but continued making frequent and successfull Sallies upon the Enemy till Aug. 20. when the Earl of Shrewsbury with 16000 Men, 4000 whereof were Germans came to succour the Place; the Enemy had no sooner intelligence thereof, but they marched away with all speed, but first highly applauded the bravery of the Garrison, the Earl revictualled the place for that time and then returned, tho it was thought afterwards convenient to demolish it, which was accordingly performed the 20th. of September following by the Earl of Rutland.
The Year following, i.e. the 3d. of the Kings reign it came to an open rupture between England and France, the French thinking to surprise Jersey and Guernsey came suddenly with many Gallies upon our Fleet there, but were received with that Resolution and Bravery, that they were forced to flee with great loss both of Men and Shipping. News came to the King and Protector, Aug. 28th. that the French had taken Blackness, Hamiltoun and Newhaven near Bulloign, by the means of one Sturton (as 'twas said) a natural Son of the Lord Sturton, who betrayed this last place into the Hands of the Enemy, and took service himself in the French Army, hereupon the [Page 73] Captain of Bulloign Bark, fearing the consequence after he had conveyed the Stores and Ordinance to the High Town blew up the Fort; the French made all possible preparations to attack the Place, and for the more vigorous carrying on of the Siege, and encouragement of the Soldiers, the French King comes before Bulloign in Person, where were many famous exploits done both by the Assailants and Defendants, but the brave Sir Nicholas Arnold who was Governor, began and continued to make so prudent as well as brave resistance, that the French were constrained at last to quit their Enterprize, and hereupon were made some overtures of Peace, which at last was concluded, and wherein it was agreed, that Bolloign should be delivered up to the French, upon condition there should be a reservation of King Edward's Title to the Crown of France, and due payment made unto him of 500000 Crowns. This King being about Sixteen Years Old died at Greenwich, July 6th. having reigned Six Years and about Five Months.
The cause of this War was the King's Minority and Feuds at home, whereof the French thought to take advantage.
MARY.
ELdest Daughter to King Henry VIII. by Q. Katherine of Spain succeeded her Brother Edward, Anno 1553. pursuant to their Father's Will, though contrary to her Brothers, who left the Lady Jane Grey his Successor, and after some small opposition by the foresaid Lady's Party, more especially the Duke of Northumberland her Husbands Father got peaceable possession of the Throne, and was crowned at Westminster the last of April in great State and Magnificence, the former part of her Reign which in all was but short, was much taken up in restoring Popery, and the papal Power in her Dominions, which she effected in a great measure through the shedding of much innocent Blood, which has left a bitter stain upon her Memory in the Records of time, as well for her Cruelty as Superstition, tho Authors generally represent her to be a Princes of her self Compassionate and good natur'd; she was married to Phillip King of Spain, on St. James day, in the second year of her Reign, and this marriage engaged her about the fifth year of her Reign in a War with France; for King Phillip passing over to Calais and so to Flanders, made great preparations against the French King, and was assisted therein with a Thousand English Horse, Four Thousand [Page 75] Foot and 2000 Pioneers, whereof the Earl of Pembrock was General; with this reinforcement King Phillip directs his March to St. Quintin, and after a sharp Siege takes the place, the English (of whom the Lord Henry Dudley who first advanced the Standard upon the Wall was here slain) doing him mighty service herein, which the King generously rewarded with the spoils of the Town, but this Action may be truly said to have been fatal to England, in regard 'twas the principal cause of the loss of Calais; for while the greatest part of that Garrison was imployed in the foresaid Siege, and before Calais was reinforced, having then but 500 men in it, the Duke of Guise with a Powerful Army advances towards it, entrenches himself at Sand-gate; sent one detatchment along the Downs towards Risebank, and anotherb to Newnem-Bridge, he soon possesses himself of oth, for the few Soldiers that guarded them had fled secretly into the Town: the next day they raised a Battery from the Hills of Rise-Bank against the Walls of Calais between the Water-gate and the Prison, and continuing the same for three days, made a small breach, by which they could not well enter, neither was it so designed; for while the English were busie in the defence of this place, the French making their way through the Ditch (which was full of Water) entred the Castle designing thence to pass into the Town, but here the brave Sir Anthony Hagar withstood them, and stopped their further progress, though to the loss of his own life; For [Page 76] there was not a man besides killed during the Siege; till the Governour the Lord Wenthworth that same Evening which was the fifth of January considering succours far, the Enemies nigh approach, and the weakness of the Garrison thought fit to capitulate, and so it was agreed the Town with the Ammunition and Artillery should be delivered to the French, the lives of the Inhabitants saved, and all to depart where they pleased excepting the Governour and fifty more, such as the Duke of Guise should appoint to remain Prisoners and be put to ransom; thus the good Town of Calais after it had been in the hands of the English for the space of 200 and 10 Years (for it was taken by Edward III. after a Siege of Eleven Months in 1347.) was lost in less then a Fortnight, till which time we had the Keys of France at our Girdles, and so 'twas believed Queen Mary resented the loss accordingly, for she died soon after, having said not long before, that if she were opened they should find Calais at her heart; some feints were made for the repairing of this loss, for the Queen equipped out a Fleet with a design to surprise Brest, they landed in Conquet Road, and in a short time became Masters of the Town, with the great Abbey which they sacked and burnt, together with diverse adjacent Villages, where they found good Plunder; from hence (having now allarmed the Country) the Admiral judged it not convenient to pursue their enterprise and so returned; King Phillip in the mean time went on with his Wars, and could [Page 77] not conclude a Peace (though both sides seemed to desire it) because he insisted stifly upon the rendition of Calais to the English, which the French would by no means yield to; which together with the King's absence, hastned the Queens death, for she departed this life at St. James's, November 17th. 1558. when she had reigned five Years, four Months and odd days.
The chief ground of this War with France was the conjugal tye whereby the Queen was bound to adhere to King Phillip her Husband.
ELIZABETH.
SEecond Daughter to Henry VIII. by Queen Ann Bullen succeeded her Sister Mary to the Imperial Crown of England, a Princess whose vertues its impossible for me to celebrate (if it were my design) having advanced the glory of the English Nation both at home and abroad, beyond any of her predecessors, and how far short her successors have been from improving, or so much as maintaining of it is evident in History, but no where so well as in that celebrated piece the Detection of the 4 last Reigns, &c. in War she was involved almost all her Reign and had not only to do with, but triumphed over the proudest Monarchy then in Europe, (I might say in the World,) I mean that of Spain, [Page 78] which however being forreign from the present design, I shall not meddle with: The first occasion of quarrel she had with France, was in the second year of Her Reign, when the French having upon the suit of the Queen Dowager of Scotland, sent great numbers of Soldiers to aid and assist her against the reforming Lords, Queen Elizabeth disliking such Neighbours, and knowing the Queen of Scots was married and govern'd in France, and began to assume the English Arms, upon the humble suit of the said Lords, sent them a strong reinforcement by land under the command of the Lord Grey of Wilton, and at the same time dispatch'd Sir Will. Winter Vice Admiral with a Fleet of Ships for to block up Lieth; the Army after some stay at Berwick pursued their March, and after some usual pickering by the way and overtures of a cessation arrived before Leith, which was chiefly garrisoned by French Soldiers; the Place was bravely attack'd several times, and wonders done by the English both by Sea and Land against it; and the French omitted nothing that could be done for its defence, and this continued from about the beginning of April till the latter end of June, at what time the Place being very much streightned and must have yielded, the Commissioners appointed for that purpose made a Peace at Edenburg, which July 7th. was proclaimed in the Town of Leith, by vertue of which treaty the French were to depart out of Scotland except 120, and the Scottish Queen to put our o [...] her Title the Arms of England and Ireland, &c [Page 79] About two years after, that horrid Massacre was perpetrated in France upon the poor Protestants, that is so infamous in History, the Popish party having leagued themselves against them; which barbarity powerfully induced the Queen to assist the reformists in order to prevent their final destruction, and to that purpose sent over a good band of Soldiers to New Haven in France, which the Townsmen joyfully received, over whom and other Forces that did arrive, was constituted General, the Earl of Warwick who landed here 29th. of October Anno 1562. This place is remarkable in History for the long Siege it susteined through the valour of the English; first came the Rhinegrave before it, then the Constable of France, and last of all the Prince of Conde, whose united forces had in all probability been baffled, had it not been for a violent Pestilence that raged within and swept away its defendants in great numbers; but notwithstanding this, and that the Enemies Cannon were within 26 Paces of the Town, and many breaches made, yet the noble Warwick with his respective Officers and Soldiers stood at the breaches to receive the Enemy if they offered to make an assault; which the Constable perceiving, caused a Trumpeter to sound a Parley, which being accepted of, the Town was surrendred upon honourable Articles, after the Earl had held it Eleven Months, the Perfidy of the Reformists giving also an helping hand to these misfortunes, to which may be added another disadvantage, in that the French had a pretence [Page 80] by this our aiding the Protestants to withold the surrendring of Calais after the term of 8 years, whereof some were already expired.
About the 32th. year of the Queens Reign, Henry III. King of France was murdered, whereupon the leaguers armed under the Duke of Main to keep Henry King of Navar then a Protestant from the Crown, whom they pressed so hard upon, that he was forced to flee into Diep designing from thence to get over into England, but first sends to the Queen an account of his circumstances, who commiserating his Condition, forthwith sends him Sixty Thousand brave Soldiers, under the command of the Lord Willoughby; the report of whose arrivall coming to Main's Ears, he suddenly raises the Siege, which so animated the King, that he marched out, encountred and defeated his Enemy, and so by degrees prevailed through the Queens good assistance from time to time both of Men and Money, the Spaniards having also about this time by means of the leaguers got footing in Bretaign, the Queen dispatches thither 3000 Men under the command of that thrice famous General Sir John Norris, who beat them quite out of that Country; about a year after my Lord Willoughby's succors arrives in France the renowned Earl of Essex with 4000 foot more, some Horse and Pioneers, as a further reinforcment to the King, and did honourable service, challenging Monsieur Villerse Governour of Roan to a single combat which he refuses and then return'd, but had the mortification [Page 81] to have his Brother Walter Devereux a brave young Gentleman slain with a Musket Bullet before Ro [...]n; the last succors was to the number of 2000 and put under the command of that excellent Soldier Sir Rog [...]r Williams, who was always forward for the greatest attempts, and did here excellent service. He beat the leaguers that blockt up the Passes about Diep upon such unequal terms, that Henry IV. could not but take notice and highly extoll his valour in his letter to the Queen: this Queen after a glorious Reign of 44 Years 5 Months and odd days, at the Age of 70 Years Anno 1602. and lived longer then any of the Kings of England since the Conquest, dyed at Richmond and lies buried at Westminster.
The causes of the War in this Queen's time were not direct, but collateral in behalf of the King and Reformists of France.
JAMES I.
THen the sixth King of Scotland of that name, twas immediately upon the death of Queen Elizabeth proclaimed King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, &c. as being descended from the united Roses of Lancaster and York, King Henry VII. and Queen Elizabeth his Wife, whose issue by the Male failing in the late deceased Queen Elizabeth, the off-spring of Margaret their eldest Daughter was next heir, which Lady was married [Page 82] to James IV. King of Scotland, by him had issue James V. whose only daughter Queen Mary was, Mother to this our Monarch. This King was of a timorous Nature and peaceable Disposition; so that Beati Pacifici was his Motto, and was so far from making any pretensions to the Crown of France or any part of its Dominions, notwithstanding his great power and the flourishing state of the Nation, that he suffered his Son-in-Law the Palsgrave and his own Daughter Elizabeth his Wife with their numerous issue, not only to be beaten out of Bohemia, but even from their just Patrimony the Palatinate, and to live many years in great want and Penury to the Kings great dishonour, who was nothing but a bluster of Words and ever and anon sending Embassadors till all was quite lost and unretriveable; this King died at Theobalds, March 27th. in 1625. in the 59 year of his Age, having reigned 22 years compleat.
CHARLES I.
THe only surviving Son of King James (for that noble Prince Henry died before his Father) succeeded to the Imperial Crown of England; the reformed in France in the beginning of this King's Reign, lay under great oppressions from their King Lewis XIII. and his prime minister of state Cardinal Richieu, in so much that [Page 83] they were forced for their fafty to have recourse to Arms, under the command of that ever famous Cap. the Duke of Roan by Land, and Monsieur Sobiez his Brother, who rid Admiral at Sea, and by that means Rochel besieged by the French King's Arms was relieved upon all occasions; hereupon thro' the contrivance of the Duke of Buckingham, an English Fleet was sent to join that of the French under the Duke of Momerancy, the Dutch then basely concurring with some Ships of their alsos, with which united force Momerancy fights and utterly defeats the Fleet of the Rochellers under Monsieur Sobiez, and then reduced the Isles of Rhee and Oleron under the French Power; but Buckingham soon after changing his Sentiments (the grounds whereof we'll assign in the causes of this War) there is a Declaration of War published against France, and [...] the Prosecution of the same with Vigor, the Duke is commissioned Admiral and General of a Navy of an 100 Sail, and 6 or 7000 land Soldiers, with which he came before Rochel, still besieged by the French, where Sobiez came on Board of him, and for several reasons it was agreed to land the Army on the Island of Ole [...]on, and not on the Isle of Rhee: But Sobiez going to perswade the Rochellers to join with the English, the Duke before his return lands on the Isle of Rhee in spight of the opposition made by the French, but instead of pursuing the blow not only neglects to take the Fort la Prie to secure his retreat and prevent the French from landing supplies, but staies five days, whereby Toiras the [Page 84] French Governour incouraged his Men, and also got more Force and Provisions into the Cittadel of St. Martins; the French were so allarmed at this invasion, that the King offered the Duke of Roan and the Rochellers any terms to join against the English, which both refusing, caused both their Ruins.
The Enemies retreat upon the landing of the English was so hasty, that they quitted a Well about 20 paces from the Counterscarp, which supplied the Cittade [...] with Water, which not being possest by the English upon their first approach the French drew a work about it, which ou [...] Men could not force, and without which Well the besieged could not have subsisted, however the Duke resolves to take the Fort by Famine, bu [...] instead of pressing it with a strait Siege, he entertains a Treaty of surrender with Toiras, and several complements past between them, subscribed your Humble Servant Buckingham, and you Humble Servant Toiras, till the latter got relief [...] Men, Victuals and Ammunition, and then brok [...] off the Treaty with the Duke; soon after th [...] the French landed Forces on the Island by th [...] neglect of the English to oppose them, and orde [...] were given to draw the English out of the Trenches which the French possess, whereupo [...] the English were forced to Retreat, at last the Du [...] makes a vain storm upon the Castle, but [...] beaten off, and two days after retreats, the [...] being now equal to him in Foot and superior Horse; when the English were intangled in th [...] [Page 85] Retreat, the Duke having neglected to take la Prie, or build a Fort upon a narrow Lane or Causey to secure their Retreat, the French charged the English Horse in the Rear and rout them, who rout the foot in the narrow passages between the Salt-pits and Ditch; but in this confusion and adversity, the bravery of the English appear'd for a few having past the Bridge, the French following, the English rallied and faced about gallantly to charge the French, who cowardly retreated over the Bridge, and of this a Forraign Author speaking, saith, The English were magis audaces quam fortunati, and withall taxeth them for want of secrecy in their Counsels and Conduct of so great an affair; the Duke of Buckingham upon his retreat from the Isle of Rhee, promised the Rochellers to send them speedy relief, now close besieged by the French King, and upon return sent away the Earl of Denbigh his Brother-in-law with a Fleet to that purpose, who on the first of May, 1628. arrives before Rochell, where he found the French Fleet consisting of 20 Sail had blockt it up by Sea, upon the Earls approach the French retire towards their Fortification, and anchored within two cannon shot of our Fleet, and so continued till the 8th. of May. The Earl promised the Rochellers to sink the French Fleet when the Waters increased, and the Winds became Westerly, it being then neap Tide; but two days after the Waters increasing, and the Wind becoming Westerly, the Earl was intreated to fight the French Fleet but did not, and weighed Anchor [Page 86] and sailed away. The Duke to redeem this miscarriage of his Brother-in-Law, in August following goes to Portsmouth to command the Fleet there for the relief of Rochel, but on the 23 of the said Month was stabbed by Felton, on whom by the way, hanging in Chains at Portsmouth was made this ingenious Coppy of Verses,
yet the design was pursued under the command of the Earl of Linsey, who attempted several times to force the Barricadoes of the River before Rochel, but all in vain, or if he had, it had been to no purpose, for the Victuals wherewith the Rochellers should have been relieved were all tainted, and 'twas well the French had no Fleet [Page 87] there, for the English Tackle and other matterials were all defective and so Rochel fell, and with it in a manner all the Glory and Interest of the reformed in France, but 'tis remarkable what counsel concurred to the reducing of this important place, and what accidents followed after; The French Army had been before it a long time, and had made no considerable Progress in the Siege when the Marquess Spinola returning from Flanders into Spain, directed his course through France, and hearing the King and Cardinal were at the Siege of Rochel, waited upon both, and going to view the Works one day, asked the Cardinal what they meant to do there, and continuing his Discourse, said, That as they managed matters, there was no possibility of taking the place, what must we do then saies the Cardinal, Push! replies the Marquess, do as we have done at Antwerp, make a Dyke at the Mouth of the Harbour, and yo'll by that means starve them out; the Cardinal immediately takes up the project, sets all hands on work, and with Immense Labour and Celerity finishes the Dyke, which in a short time reduced the place to that starving Condition, that they were at length forced to surrender at Discretion, and it is note-worthy that as Leyden about 54 years before was miraculously preserved from the hands of the Spaniards, for being reduced to the last extremity, they let loose the Waters upon them, which the Dams restrained before, and upon that the Army march'd away, whereas had they staid but two [Page 88] or three days longer in the Neighbourhood, they might have had an open passage to the Town, for the Walls of it fell down to the Ground, and a strong Northerly Wind had clear'd the Country of the Water, so Rochel by a quite contrary fate had been surrendered but a very few days, when the Dyke so far broke as that they might have been relieved by Sea, had there been a Fleet ready for that purpose. But when Spinola came to the Council in Spain, he was so browbeaten and snubb'd for his Advise to the Cardinal, by the Duke of Medina then prime Minister of State and other Grandees, that he never after could get his Money paid that was owing him, and dyed a Begger and in utmost disgrace; so well did the Spaniards then understand their true Interest, that as long as the Reformed could make head in France, the Arms of that Kingdom would be confined within its own limits, and they and other Princes be less molested by those aspiring and restless Neighbours, and this was the unhappy end of this War between England and France, and the dreadful Presages of the Duke of Roan, hereupon (to give his Words the mildest terms I can) had but too fatal effects upon the Person of that Prince, to whose perfidy he attributed the loss of this Fortress, and the Protestant interest in France; for after this, Dissention grew daily more and more in England, which drew on an unnatural Civil War that ended with a sad Catastrophe in the Kings dying by the Ax, for he was beheaded January 30th. 1648. after [Page 89] he had Reigned 23 Years 10 Months and odd days, and in the 49th. Year of his Age.
- 1. The causes pretended for this War were, that the French King had imployed the Eight Men of War, which the King of England had lent him to be made use of against Genua, against the Rochellers.
- 2. That the King's Mediation in behalf of the Reformists was slighted.
- 3. That the English Merchant Ships and their effects were seized before there was any breach between both Kingdoms, though its certain that the Duke of Buckingham as Lord High Admiral of England, by an extraordinary Commission first seized the St. Peter of New-haven, the whole Cargo computed to amount to 40000 l. and tho the King ordered the releasment of the Ship, Decemb. 7th. 1625. yet the Duke upon the 6th. of February following, caused the said Ship to be again arrested and detained as you may see in Rushworth. f. 313.
- 4. A fourth cause of this War we have assigned in the noble Baptista Nani, that the Duke of Bucks having while in France contracted love in that Court, and desiring leave to go thither under pretence of composing the Feuds that brake forth in the Queen's Family in England, was by Richlieu's advice denied entrance into [Page 90] that Kingdom, and grew thereupon so enraged, that he sware since he was forbidden entrance in a peaceable manner into France, he would make his passage with an Army.
CHARLES II.
AFter about Twelve years Exile, during which interval we had no Wars with France, was restored to the Throne of his Ancestors, Anno 1660. This Prince had not been above Five Years setled in his Dominions when a War broke out with the Dutch by Sea, the French joining with them in it at that time against us, so that there was a Declaration of War set forth against France, but the Dutch found no great assistance from them in this Confederacy; for while the Dutch in all the Engagements we had with them, but one (and that was when the Fleet was foolishly divided) were beaten by us; the French instead of uniting their force with the other, dispatch away a Fleet to subdue the English in their Plantations in the Leeward Islands, almost totally expelled the English out of St. Christophers, interrupted them in their Trade to their other Islands, and assumed a Sovereignty in those Seas, but upon the Treaty of Peace, they were [Page 91] forced to restore all to the English again, but they left St. Christophers in so pittiful a plight by destroying all the Plantations, that it seemed in a manner to be as much a Wilderness as when first the English took footing in it. About Seven Years after, things veer'd about the French joining with the English against the Dutch in a second Dutch War during this Reign; and here a late learned Author has observed, that as the English were so succesful in the former War against both, and the Dane to boot, and were never beaten but once and that when the Fleet was divided; so in this the English in all the Fights they had which were Four, came off with more loss then the Dutch; but the truth of it is, the French only came out to learn to fight, both in the one and the other War, for they stood still looking on or firing at a very great distance while the English and Dutch battered one another, and Monsieur de Martel for falling on and engaging bravely was recalled, check'd and dismissed his imploy, in so much that the Parliament who began to smell the French designs, moved November the 4th. 1673. that the Allyance with France was a Grievance, and so a Peace was concluded with the States, and our King sets up for a Mediator at Nimeguen, between the French and Dutch with their Confederates, and in the mean time having got considerable supplies from his Parliament raises Forces; for the French King had during this Navall War possessed himself of a great part of Flanders, and the Territories of the States, but [Page 92] before a Peace was shuffled up, or at leastwise, before the Prince of Orange knew or would know of its being concluded, the Prince not staying for Eight Thousand English that were on their march to join him, did with the assistance only of Ten Thousand English, under the command of the Duke of Monmouth and Earl of Ossery storm the Duke of Luxemburg's Camp, fortified with all Imaginable Art before Monts, with that resolution and bravery, that he beat him out of it and relieved the place; and this was the last act of Hostility between England and France of any kind during this Reign; this King afterwards instead of putting a stop to the growing greatness of that Kingdom, fell in more and more with the interest of it, and the Nation during the latter part of his Reign, was almost rent to pieces with the Parties of Whig and Tory, which are but too much felt to this day, and he himself at last died on the 6th. of February, 168 4-85. in the Fifty Fifth Year of his Age, and the 37th. of his Reign, computing it from his Father's Death.
JAMES II.
ONly Surviving Brother to Charles II. immediately assumed the English Crown, of which notwithstanding the opposition made against him in the preceding Reign he got a peaceable possession, but had not been long invested with the regal Dignity, when the Earl of Argyle landing in Scotland, and the Duke of Monmouth in the West of England put him in no small danger of losing that he had so lately attained, but this storm blew over and ended in the Execution of both the aforesaid Chiefs, with a multitude of their followers, and that in a very barbarous manner, which execution as it drew no small emulation upon his Person, so the success egged him on with so much violence in the pursuits of his designs for the advancing of the Papal Power in these Kingdoms, that it made the Subjects now in danger of the loss both of their Religion and Civil Properties, have recourse for relief to that Prince, who has since so worthily filled the Abdicated Throne, and who then readily embraced their Quarrel, and in the most perillous season of the Year, with an Army from Holland landed at Torbay, Novemb. 5th. 1688. a day and year memorable in the Annals of time for the English deliverance, and having wished success, was the 13th. of February following with his Princess Proclaimed King and Queen of England, &c. King James having sometime before withdrawn himself into France, with whom he was so far from having any Wars during his absent four Years Reign, that he entred into a stricter Alliance with that Crown; but since his present Majesty's ascending of the Throne, what traverses of War there have been between England and France by Sea and Land, and what the Causes of them were consists in the following Pages.
WILLIAM III.
UPon King James's withdrawing himself out of the Kingdom, and retiring into France; in consideration the French had committed many Hostilities in the Palatinate on the Rhine, and on the Frontiers of Flanders and assisted the Irish in Rebellion, with considerable Naval and Land Forces; a War was Proclaimed, and the King of England entered into a strict confederacy against the French King, with Brandenburgh, Spain, and the United Provinces, &c. to hinder the Excessive Power and growing Greatness of France, from Insulting over the Neighbouring Princes, and Forces were sent over under the Command of the Earl of Marlborough and others, who gained considerable advantages over the French Parties.
But as yet the greatest Scene of War on our Part was in Ireland, where the Earl of Tyrconnel had declared for King James, and put most of the Irish Papists, especially in Arms, stopping the Ports, and hindering the Escape of many English, nor was it long e'er King James Landed there with a great many French Officers and Soldiers, so that most of the Principal Places in that Kingdom fell into his Hands: A Party of the Iniskilling Men and London-Derry being almost all the Loyal English held in Ireland, and these two acted wonders, and in fine baffled the Enemies Power, for the former gained in several signal advantages in the Field, and the latter the Town being commanded in chief by one Mr. Walker a Minister a very valiant Man, though enduring the Extremity of Famine, that no unclean thing was left uneaten, held out a Siege of 105 days, Killing a great number of the Enemy in Salleys, and from the Wall whose Army against it was at least 40000; so that the Besieged being relieved with Provisions by the way of the River; the Besiegers despairing of success drew off, and were pursued loosing a great many Men, and some Cannon, Tents and Ammunition in the Retreat.
[Page 95] On the 13th. of August 1689. the Duke of Schomberg with a fair Army from England Landed at Carickfergus, whereupon the Garison of Antrim deserted, and Carickfergus after a short Battery surrendred the Garison, being only allowed to march out without Baggage to the next Garison; and that Winter the Duke Encamped (after reducing some other Places) on the Plains of Dundalk, whose unhealthy Air and Dampness, destroyed abundance of our Men, yet in that Season Parties were daily out, took some Places, and got great Advantage over the Enemies Parties in the Field.
In 1690. The King with a Royal Army set forward and landed the fifteenth of June at Carickfergus, where he was Received with great Joy, and marched to joyn the other Camp: And having put all things in good order, fought with the Irish and French, headed by K. James on the first of July; and having gained the Pass of the River Boyne, utterly Defeated them; so that K. James flying to Dublin, soon after left the Kingdom, where King William Arriving settled the Affairs, appointing Sheriffs and other Officers; and having Reduced many Places, passed to the Siege of Limerick, which was not Successful this Year. However the Important Town of Cork and Kingsale were taken at the Siege of the former: The Noble Duke of Grafton was Slain, as the Valiant Duke of Schomberg, and Dr. Walker had been at the Battle of the Boyne.
The next Year the King preparing for Flanders. The Baron d'Ginkle was appointed to Command the English Forces in Ireland; who had the good Success to take Ballymore, Athlone, Galloway, and give a Total Defeat to French and Irish at Agarhim, where Monsieur St. Ruth the French General was Killed with a Cannon Shot, and then laying a straight Siege to Limerick, after a tedious Battery it was Surrendered on advantageous Articles, and with it all Ireland submitting to its due Obedience.
Whilst these things passed in Ireland, Scotland had been perplexed with War: But the Viscount Dundee who was the Head of the adverse Party, being Slain in a Battel with Major General Mak [...]y, King James's Interest soon [Page 96] declined there; the Castle of Dublin Surrendered, as sometime after did the Bass, and all Scotland was quieted. So that now the Scene of War lay on and beyond the Seas.
For the Earl of Torrington not well prepared, as appears to Engage the French Fleet; a considerable Loss was sustained, particularly on the part of the Dutch, who too eager to gain the Windward, fell on too soon, not staying for the coming up of the English: So that most of their Squadron was either Taken, Burnt or Sunk. Upon this French Insulted our Coast, and burnt Tingmouth a little Fishers Village. But hearing all the Country was in Arms, durst not Advance; so with doing little other Damage they returned home. But this was Revenged in due time by Admiral Russel, with an entire Defeat of their whole Navy, Commanded by Monsieur Tourvil, whereof 36 great and small were Burnt and Sunk, and their Coasts the following Years were hazarded, and Insulted with Fire and Sword. Diep and Haverdegrace mostly layed in Ruins; Calis, Dunkirk, and St. Maloes Bombarded, and a great number of other Ships, Burnt, Sunk, and Taken in the narrow Seas, and in the Mediterranean; where Admiral Russel with the Royal Navy Insulted and Blocked them up in their own Harbours of Marseiles and Toloun; so that we were every where entire Masters of the Sea.
Whilst things passed thus on the watery Empire, War with extended bloody Banners Raged on the Shoar. The King having settled Affairs with the Congress of Princes, Marched into the Field; the Duke of Brandenburg having before taken several Towns from the French, as Bon, &c. And the French layed in Ashes Worms, Spires, Hydelburg, Openheim, &c. They had also taken Mons, and soon after Namur. But the Duke of Savoy coming into the Confederacy Diverted part of their Army into Piedmont, and the Valleys of Lucern, giving free Tolleration to the Vudois, who greatly Assisted him in the War. So that he took Casel, and some other strong Places, but being hardly pressed and overthrown in a Battel by Monsieur Catinat, wherein the Valiant Young Duke of [Page 97] Schomberg, who Commanded the English, being Slain, he was so disheartned that by the French Artifice, Marrying his Daughter to the Dauphin's Eldest Son, he was brought over to make a League with France, contrary to the Mind of the Confederates.
The English being now strong in Flanders, were mainly Instrumental in stopping and forcing the whole French Army to Retreat at Walcourt, where else the Dutch had in all probability been. They shewed no less Courage and Bravery at Enghein, where the French lost a great many of their best Soldiers, and Mentz was taken by the Imperialists. The French in the mean while surprized Newport and Bruges, and afterward Denyse and Dixmude, taken before from them; and several small Places were taken and re-taken on each side, as Hall, Heye, &c.
The King endeavouring to bring the French to a Battel, they strongly Encamped behind a Bullwork, besides narrow Passes, Hedges, and Breastworks before them, but the undaunted English, Danes, and some others Encouraged by His Majesty's Heroick Example, and Lead on by their Brave Commanders, had forced the Pass, and in all probability utterly Routed them, had they been according to expectation Succoured by other Nations. But that neglected a great many Brave Men, Officers, and Soldiers were Slain; as soon after was the Worthy Lieutenant General Talmash, attempting to force his Landing at Cameret Bay near Brest.
The Duke of Bavaria by this time, being made Governour of the Spanish Netherlands: The Duke of Wirtemberg was sent out with about 25000 Horse and Foot to Force the French Lines, which he Successfully did, and entering French Flanders, put it under Contribution, and took great Booty. But the Duke of Luxemburg, General of the French main Army, taking this Advantage, knowing our Camp was weakened by this large Detachment, bore down upon it near Landen to force the Lines, where the Fight at a distance beginning by break of day, and so coming on nearer, continued exceeding hot till near Sun Set: When the French pouring on their great Numbers, being double, ours forced a Passage into [Page 98] the Camp, with the loss of near 20000 of their best Men. The King in this Bloody and long doubtful Fight, Signilizing the Conduct and Courage of an Experienced Commander, and Valiant Soldier, Leading up the Battalions and Squadrons to the Face of the Enemy; but necessity at last constrained him and the Duke of Bavaria to Retire, which they did in good Order, and the Army being Recruited, soon took the Field again, and forced the French to Retreat to their former Camp. And this Year Died the Duke of Luxemburg; after which the French did little of Moment, rather making in Flanders, and on the Rhine a Defensive, than Offensive War. So that Catinat was recalled from Savoy: Namure lost and a great many of their Party's cut off their Plots and Stratagems likewise mostly failing; so that being weary of War they began earnestly to seek for Peace; Imploring the King of Sweden to become a Mediator in it, and all they have since done, as the last faint Stroak was to take Barcelona in Catalonia; though it is thought had the Vice-Roy been diligent in Succouring it, it could not have fallen into their Hands: One part of it lying open, and besides this, Monsieur Ponti Plundered Cartagena, belonging to the Spaniards in the West-Indies, and got much Riches, having the Luck to Escape our Squadron which was in Quest of him.
And now Peace being hearken'd to on all Sides, the Ambassadors Plenipotentiaries met at the Kings Pallace at Ryswick in Holland; and after many Memorials delivered, and Debates passing between them, came to a Friendly and Amicable Agreement. The French King by the Treaty, being obliged to deliver up a great many important Places to the Confederates, and to comply with many other advantageous Things; and particularly to Restore the King of England the Principality of Orange, with its Appendancies and Revenues, since it has been Seized, and unjustly Detained: Also what has been taken during the War in the West-Indies, &c. And so the Articles being Ratified, and Peace Proclaimed, the King returned and passed through the City of London, in a Triumphant manner on the 16th of November. 1697.