THe Iſle of Great Britain is Bounded on the South with Normandy and France, upon the Eaſt with Germany and Denmark, upon the Weſt with Ireland and the Atlantick Ocean, and upon the North with the vaſt Deucalidon Seas.

The ancient Government of Great Britain was at firſt rather after the manner of an Ariſtocratie, that is by certain great Nobles and potent men, or Petty Kings, ſo Caeſar himſelfe found the ſtate of Britain.

The Glorious Romans that were become Lords of the world, were the firſt that ſet foot with diſplayed Enſign for the Conqueſt of Britain, and the firſt that Aſſayed this was Julius Caeſar from the coaſts of Gallia. But this Jewel which was ſo much deſired and had been kept with as great Care, after 500. years claim was now laid at ſtake to the that could win it, and thus was Britain abandoned by the Romans.

The next Actors upon Britains ſtage were the Saxons, a People of Germany fierce, bold, and irreligious, theſe infeſted the coaſts of Britain by Piracies.

But Britain being through Tumultuous uprores much waſted by the Scots and Picts Ancient Enemies, and albeit the ſtone wall that was raiſed athwart the whole continent to impeach their inroads, yet that availed little, their aſſaults were ſo great whereupon the Saxons were ſent for, and in their firſt ſervice freed the Britains from thoſe raging Picts, and undertook the Lands defence, and the inhabitants conſented to maintaine the charge which was received thankfully whilſt it was giving onely; for they emptied faſter then the Britains could fill, and ever complained they had not enough, till at laſt by ſurprize they got the whole poſſeſſion, and then was the Britiſh Iſle devided into an Heptarchie, or of one Imperial Crown they had ſeven Diadems to adorne their own heads; which were not long worne, without inteſtine warrs, each ſtriving to in large his own.

But Egbert forbad the Iſlands old name, and commanded theſe Provinces to be called Anglia. Yet almoſt as ſoon as this was accompliſhed, a ſavage Nation the Danes ſucceed, which endeavoured all they could to impoveriſh where they had poſſeſſion for five and twenty years. Theſe Danes were a People deſcended from the Scythians, as Andrew Velley a Daniſh Writer reporteth but Dudo of Saint Quintin wil have them come from Scandia an Iſland ſcituate Northward, not far from the continent of Denmark.

The Normans a people fierce and valorous; William the Baſtard, won the Engliſh Crown from King Harold, that held it in a bloody field at battail in Suſſex. And by changing laws, diſinheriting of Nobles, and beſtowing the Lands revenues upon his, he laid the foundation of a glorious Monarchy; His two younger ſucceſſively wearing it, to the prejudice of their elder; Stephen having no right, but ſuch as intruders pretend.

But Henry Plantagenet placed on the Throne. 331 years taken up in the Reigns of 14 Kings of his line; but theſe branches were torn down by home-bred broyls, till Teuder of Lancaſter with Plantagenet of Yorke, gave them ſap by marriage, whereby the long dead ſtem began to bud forth, and five renowned Princes of that name ſucceeded.

The firſt of them, the richeſt and wiſeſt King of this Weſtern world; viz. Henry 7.

The ſecond, the wonder of the Papal Authority; Henry 8.

The third, the hopefulleſt in pious actions; Edward 6.

The fourth, fervent for Romes Religion; Queen Mary.

The fifth renowned, Queen Elizabeth; under whoſe Reigns one hundred and ſixteen years did compleatly run.

And from her in the perſon of one Soveraign, Britain returned again to the old Britains, and to her old name, viz. King James.

Brief obſervitions upon the untimely ends of the Roman Emperours.

SOme ſlew themſelves, as did Nero and Othe; ſome were ſmothered to death, as was Tiberius; ſome poyſoned by their Wives, as Claudius and Commodus; ſome torn in pieces by their own Subjects and Souldiers, as Vitellius, Heliogabalus, Pupienus and Balbinous; ſome ſtabbed by them they moſt truſted, as Caligula, Domitian, Didius, Gallienus, and many others; ſome tumultuouſly murthered, as Pertinax, Severus, Maximius, Aemilius, and Probus; ſome ſlain in battail and defence of their titles, as Macrinus and Gallus; ſome hanged themſelves, as Gordianus and Maximianus did; ſome drowned and ſwallowed up, as Decius and Maxentius were, ſome ſlain by a Thunder boult from Heaven, as Carus was; ſome died in moſt miſerable captivity, as Valerianus did, whoſe ſkin was fleaed off, he yet alive; ſome cut their own veins and bled to death, as Quiutillius and Florianus did; ſome dying mad, as Diocleſian did; ſome few (and them favouring Chriſtians) died in their beds.

Severall memorable paſſages worthy obſervation.

THe continuance of the Roman Monarchies was but little above five hundred years.

And the ſtate of Gods own peculiar people, from the promiſe to Abraham and giving of the Law, was four hundred and thirty years, Gal. 3. 17.

And from Iſraels departure out of Egypt until the building of Solomons Temple, were four hundred and eighty years.

And from the anointing of David the firſt King ſet upon Judahs Throne, unto the death of Zedekiah the laſt King thereof, ſlain by Nebuchadnezzar, and the holy Tem • le conſumed by fire, were four hundred and ſeventy years.

And other Politique States have ſtood much upon the like ſpace of time. The Kingdom of Athens, ſet up by Cecrops the firſt King thereof, unto Codrus the laſt, is ſaid to continue four hundred and ninety years.

The Lacedemonians ſtate from Lycurgus their law giver, untill Alexander the great, that overthrew it, flouriſhed four hundred ninety one years.

From the expulſion of Romes Kings under Tarquinius unto the affected Empire in Julius Caeſar, were four hundred ninety and nine years.

And from Caeſars firſt Invaſion of Britain, unto the dayes of Valentinian the third, wherein the Romans did quite abandon it, were five hundred years.

From the Saxons Intruſions and diviſion of this Realm, into an Heptarchy under their government, until the united Monarchy made by King Egbert, were four hundred ſixty nine years.

And from the Norm • n • Conqueſt, unto the death of Queen Elizabeth, when began again the nam • of great Britain, and the union of the whole Iſland to be brought into one ent • re Monarchy by the entrance of King James, are five hundred thirty ſix years, which ſo continued until the 25. year of the Reign of Charles where that line is • xtinct.