ra Bel i»mm 1 >*, THE LIFE OF 4* 6 11 £ 3T & SURNAMED 9Lwkxosimi HIS ^topi)ene0 aim $retotctton0 INTERPRETED, AND THEIR TRUTH MADE GOOD BY OUR ENGLISH ANNALS : SEIKO A CHRONOGRAPHICAL HISTORY ' .1%, OFiALL THE , KINGS AND MEMORABLE PASSAGES OF THIS KINGDOM, FROM BRUTE TO THE REIGN OF KING CHARLES, A SUBJECT NEVER PUBLISHED IN THIS KIND BEFORE, AND DESERVES TO BE OBSERVED AND KNOWN BY ALL MEN. Quotque aderant vates, Rebar adesse Deos. JLoxami PRINTED FOR LACKINGTON, ALLEN, AND CO. FINSBURY SQUARE. 1813. V> I* v. % \ HARDING AND WRIGHT, Printers, St John's Square, London, / - / v/ TO THE READER. Courteous Sp Considerate Reader, I have here exposed to thy especial perusal, The Life and Prophecies of our famous Predictor, Merlinus, surnamed Ambrosius ; who, though he lived in the time of profane paganism, was a professed Christian, and therefore, his auguries the better to be approved and allowed, which thou hast, with all their exposition and explanation, expressly and punctually, making plain and evident how genuinely and properly they comply with the truth of our chronology. In which you shall find (adding the supplement of the history from Brute, who laid the first foundation of our British Colony, to the time of king Vortigernus, or Vortigern, the usurper of the crown, under whose reign Merlin first flourished) a true catalogue of all the kings of this island, with a summary of all passages of state, ecclesiastical or temporal, of any remark or moment, during their principalities and dominions, insomuch that scarce any thing shall be here wanting to thy best wishes, if thou art desirous to be instructed and faithfully informed in the knowledge of our English annals. For in the stead of a large study book, and huge voluminous tractate, able IV to take up a whole year in reading, and to load and tire a porter in carrying, thou hast here a small manuel, con- taining all the pith and marrow of the greater, made port- able for thee (if thou so please) to bear in thy pocket, so that thou may'st say, that in this small compendium or abstract, thou hast Hollinshed, Polychronicon, Fabian, Speed, or any of the rest of more giantlike bulk or binding. To which, my short abbreviary, I strive to make this my prologue or preface, to thee alike suitable, being as succinct and briefly contrived as the former summarily compre- hended, desiring thee to read considerately, and withal to censure charitably, and so (without further compliment) wishing thy care in the one, and courtesy in the other, with a favourable pardon of some few errors committed in the Press, 1 bid thee farewell. THOMAS HE YWOOD. SUBSCRIBERS' NAMES. Mr. Adam Adams, Shoemaker, Brecon. 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Miss Mary Jones Walter, Neath. Mr. Robert Ward, Pen-y-darren, Merthyr. Mr. Thomas Watkins, Cardiff. Mr. John White, Bookseller, Carmarthen. Miss Anne Wilks, Cardiff. Mr. Willet, do. Mr. Williams, Printer, Merthyr. Mr. Thomas Williams, Swansea. Mr. Bethuel Williams, Cowbridge. Mrs. Anne Williams, Currier, Cardiff. Mr. Thomas Williams, Finer, do. Mr. Williams & Son, Stationer's Court, London. Miss Mary Williams, Six-Bells, Carmarthen. Mr. H. C. Williams, Grocer, do. Mr. John Williams, Dy goedydd. Mr. J. Williams, Aberdulais, near Neath. Mr. J. Williams, Bridge-Street, Kidwelly. 'Mr. E. Williams, No. 11, Strand, London. Mr. W. Williams, Bookseller, Swansea, 50 copies. Mr. Franciss Wood, Dowlais Shop, Mertbyr. * • CfjronosrapiKtal gtgto^ OF THE KIMGS OF BMlTvAIA 1 FROM THE FIRST PLANTATION OF THIS ISLAND BY BRUTE AND HIS COUSIN CORIN.EUS, To the Reign of King Vortigern; IN WHOSE TIME AMBROSIUS MERLINUS, BEGAN TO UTTER HIS PREDICTIONS. yiTW CONTENTS OF CHAPTER FIRST. Brute's first plantation in this island — How he divided it amongst his three sons — Of several famous cities built here by sundry kings, and how divers rivers took Iheir first names — Of ail the- Temarkable passages that happened in their reigns — A catalogue of the kings continued from Brute, to the end of his line and offspring. F lOR the better illustration of this present work intend- ed, it would not be amiss to shew you a brief progress of all the memorable passagess of the time, before we come to the prophecy, with a catalogue of the kings of this island, and what remarkable things happened in their reigns. To begin with the first, Brute, who was of the ancient and noble blood of the Trojans, descended from ./Eneas and Crusa, the daughter of king Priam. These had a son called Ascanius, after his father, king of Italy. Brute was the son of Sylvius, /Eneas, the son ofxlscanius. This Brute, at fifteen years of age, when hunting, by the unfortunate glancing of an arrow, slew his father, and had been also in his birth the deaih of his mother : but for the last disastrous act, he willingly exiled himsjelf, and taking with him a choice company of adventurers, thought to A 2 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, discover some new plantation. To omit his many troubles both by land and sea, in which he was still most victor- iously prosperous; at length he encountered with a small fleet, of which a Trojan, and his near kinsman was captain, whose name was Corinaeus, who, joining their forces together, and after divers and sundry perils, landed in this island, (of white and chalky cliffs) called Albion, where finding none but giants of mighty stature, he destroyed the most part of them: of whom the greatest, both in bulk and command, was called Gogmagog, with whom Cori- na?us wrestling to prove their trial of strength, Gogmagog, in his gripe, broke a rib in the side of Corinaeus; at which, he being enraged, gathering all his spirit about him, cast him down the high rock of Dover, (the place where they proved the mastery) which is called the fall of Gogmagog unto this day: for which, and other valiant actions before achieved by him, he gave him that entire province; which, from his name beareth the title of Cornwall. Brute, then, taking full view of the island, and searching up the river Thames, built upon it a City; which, in remem- brance of the late subverted Troy, he called Troynovant, or new Troy, now London. This done, he put his sold- iers to tilling of the earth, and governed the realm peacably for the space of twenty-four years. He had by his wife lgnogen, the danghter of Pandrusus, three sons, between whom, in his life-time, he divided his kingdom: to JLocrine, the eldest, he gave all that is called England, but then, Logria, after his name. To the second, Cambrius, or Carnbre, he left the country of Wales, (at first) from him called Cambria. To the third, Albanact, he gave the north part of the land, then titled from him Albania, now Scotland. That done, he expired, and was buried at Troy- novant. This happened in the year of the world, four thousand fourscore and seven. Locrine, being king of Britain, hearing that king of Scythia, had invaded his brother Albanact's dominions,, and having slain him in a battle, governed in his stead, lie, with his brother Cambre, assembled a mighty host to avenge his death ; and in a sharp conflict, dis-comfited his whole army ; and so hotly pursued him in his flight, that this Scythian, (which was called H umber) was drowned in that river which runneth up from Kavenspurn "WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 3 to Hull, which hath since borne his name, even to this day. Alter which victory, Locrine, who had espoused Guendolina, daughter to Corinaeus, duke of Coniwal, grew enamoured of fistrild a beauteous lady, and daughter to the aforesaid H umber, by whom he had a daughter named Sabrina: of which his queen having intelligence, she accited her father and friends to make war upon her husband, and slew him in the fight, after he had governed the realm for the space of twenty years. Then the mas- culine spirited lady took his concubine, Estriid, with her beautiful young daughter Sabrina, and caused them both to be drowned in that river which partelh England and Wales; and from Sabrina is called Severn to all posterity. Then, Gwendolina, took upon her the government of the land, till her young son, Madan, came to mature age, and then resigned it up entirely unto his own hands, after she had governed fifteen years. Madan began his reign in the year of the world, four thousand one hundred and twenty-two, of whom is little left worthy of memory, but that he tyrannized over his subjects, and in the fortieth year of his reign, being at his disport of hunting, and lost by his train, he was devoured of wolves, which were then plenteous in the land; leav- ing two sons, Memprisius and Manlius. These two bro- thers were at mortal enmity; till, in the end, Memprisius, the elder, caused the other to be traiterously slain ; after which he fell into all kind of vices, and abandoning the bed of his lawful wife, used the company of many prosti- tutes and concubines, and then into the brutish sin of sodomy; for which he grew hated both of God and man ; whose body, also, was (in hunting) torn to pieces by wild beasts, leaving behind him one son begotten in lawful wedlock, named Ebrank. ' He began his reign in the year of the world, four thou- sand one hundred fourscore and two; he had one and twenty wives, of whom he received twenty sons and thirty daughters. The eldest of them was Gualeu. All of them he sent to Alba Sylvius, (the eleventh king of Italy, and the sixth of the LatinsJ to have them married to the i}lood of the Trojans. He was a great warrior, and conquered in Germany and elsewhere. He builded Caerbrank, now a 2 <§ THE LIFE OF MERLIN, wards chaced him unto Wales ; where, in a second field, Morgan was slain, which place, is to this day called Glamorgan, or Morgan's land. After whose death, the victor possessed the sovereignty ; of whom, nothing is left worthy of memory ; but, that after he had reigned three and thirty years, he was buried at Troynovant, leaving to succeed him a son, called Rivallo. He governed the realm honourably for the space of forty-six years; in which time, the greatest thing of remark is, that in the two and thirtieth year of his reign, Rome was first builded, in the year of the world four thousand, four hundred, threescore and ten ; after the first erecting of Troynovant, or London, four hundred and seven solar years. After Rivallo, reigned his son Sisilius, forty-nine years, and was buried at Caerbaddon, or Bath, leaving no heir of his body lawfully begotten. Him, Jago, his nephew, succeeded; he reigned five and twenty years, died without issue, and lieth buried by his uncle Rivallo, at Caerbrank, or York. Kinimachus, his brother, govern- ed the land after him for the space of fifty-four years, and lieth buried by the two before-named kings, he left behind him a son called Garboduck ; in whose time, as in the reign of the four last kings, nothing happened, deser- ving the remembrance of a chronicle, but that he govern- ed the realm threescore and three years; died, and was buried at London, and left behind him two sons, called Ferrex and Porrex. These two brothers were made joint sovereigns of this kingdom, in the year of the world, four thousand seven hundred and eleven, and continued in great fraternal amity for a certain time, which expired. Porrex, being ambitious after the sole and entire sovereignty, gathered a strong power, (unknown to his brother) purposing to supplant him from all regal dignity, so that being unpro- vided of an army, he was forced to fly into France, where he implored the aid and assistance of a potent duke, named Gunhardus, or Swardus, who furnished him with soldiers sufficient, so that he re-entered the land with his host of Gauls, of which, Porrex, hearing, met him with his Britons, and gave him battle; in which, Ferrex was unfortunately slain. After which victory, retiring himself to his palace, where Widen, or as some authors WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 7 name her Judon, his mother, remained, she setting aside all motherly pity, entered his chamber, and by the help of her women, in the dead of night, when he was fast sleeping, most cruelly slew him, and afterwards, not sated with his death, she cut his body into small pieces. Thus died the two brothers, when they had ruled the land in war and peace five years ; and in them ended the genealogical line of Brute, with whom also 1 conclude this first chapter. CONTENTS OF CHAPTER SECOND. A continuation of the History of the British king's, to the time that Julius Caesar made conquest of the island — The building of divers cities and towns — Two things especially remarkable in aa indulgreut mother, and a most unnatural brother — Sundry other passages worthy of observation — The city of Troynovant, how called London. AFTER the death of these two princes, the nobles of the land fell into great dissention amongst them- selves, all hating the memory of Gorbodue and his issue, in regard that one brother slew the other, and the most unna- tural mother was the death of the survivor, and because none of Brute's line was left alive, the land was divided in four parts ; so that in Albania was one Waler, called Staterius: Pinnor governed Loegria, or Middle Britain : Rudaulus guided Wales, and Clotenns, Cornwall; whom the Britains held to be the most rightful heir : all these called themselves kings; to which, some add a fifth, Yevan, king of Northumberland. Briefly, Munmutius Donwallo, son to Clotenus, duke of Cornwall, by vanquishing the rest, became sole sovereign of this island, in the year of the world 4748. He was in all his action$ very noble, and built within London a famous structure, which he called the Temple of Peace, which som^ hold to be the same now called Blackwell-Hall. He instituted many good and wholesome laws. He gave great privileges to 8 THE LIFE OP MERLIN, the maintaining of temples, cities, ploughs, &c. He began the four highways of Britain, which were perfected by his son Belinus. He built the two towns of Malmsbury and the Vies, and was the first that made for himself a diadem of gold, with which he was crowned with great solemnity. Insomuch, that some writers name him the first king of Britain ; stiiing all his predecessors only dukes, rulers, and governors. He, when he had well and honourably- governed the land for the term of forty years, died, and was buried in the aforesaid Temple of Peace, within London, leaving to succeed him two sons ; Belinus and Brennus. These two brothers divided the land betwixt them, and continued in great fraternal unity for the space of five years : after which term, Brennus, ambitious to have more land, or all, made mortal war against his brother, who vanquished him in battle, so that he was forced to forsake the land, and arrived in Armorica, now called Little Britain, some write into Norway. Howsoever, by the supply and assistance oi foreign princes, he made many ia- roads into the land, (too long here to relate) to the great disturbance of his brother. At length, he assembled a strong and puissant army ; against whom, Belinus came with a mighty host, as his manifest and mortal enemy. But as their enemies w 7 ere ready to join battle, their mother, "whose name was Cornway, (of a more indulgent and pene- trable nature, than the cruel and savage Widen, before* named) exposed herself in person between the two hosts; and in a discreet manner and motherly demeanor, using all such passionate and moving oratory to her two sons; that at length she settled a stedfast unity and peace between them. After which accord made, they joined Loth their hosts, and with them, conquered a great part of Gallia, Italy, and Germany : which done, Belinus return- ed into Britain. Where, when he came, he repaired old and decayed cities, and also built a new one on the river Usk, near to Severn, called Caerusk, and afterwards the city of Legions; because in the time of Claudius Caesar, divers Roman legions, were there billeted and lodged, now called Caerlleon. He biiiit Iso an harbour or small haven for ships to ride in 3 in Troynovant; in the summit or top WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 9 whereof stood a vessel of brass, in which, after his death, his burnt ashes were inclosed ; which still retains the name of Belingsgate. In which interim, Brennus desirous to win fame and honour abroad, with an host of Senonen- sian Gauls, (so called, because they dwelt about the city of Sena) built in Italy and Gallia, these cities following, Mediolanum or Milieine, Papi i or Pavie, Burganum, Sena, Comum, Brixia, Verona, Vialonza, Cremona, Man- tua, &e. He overcame the Romans at the river Albia, eleven miles from Rome, and took the city all save the capital, to which they laid siege, and one night whilst the guardians were asleep, they undermined the earth, and were likely to have won it, but a noble Roman named Manlius Torquatus, waking by the cry of geese and gan- ders, prevented the Gauls, and saved the capital. For which cause, the Romans for a long time after, on the first day of June, did annually celebrate the feast of ganders. But Brennus and his people held the Romans so short, that they slew many of the senators, and compelled the sur- vivors to lay him down a thousand pounds weight in gold; besides, they took the spoil of the city, so that they were enforced to call back Furius Camilius, whom the v had before most ungratefully banished from Ardea, and created h im the second time dictator, who gave strong battle to the Gauls, and won from them all the gold and jewels which they had taken from the Romans, Therefore, Bren turned his army towards Greece, entering Macedonia, and dividing his people into two hosts, the one he retained with him- self, and sent the other into Galatia, which afterwards w r as called Gallograecia, and lastly, from GallograccLans, the nation were termed GaSathians. Then Bren conquered Macedonia, and overcame their duke or king Sosthenes, and after spoiled the gods of their temples, and said in sport, Rich gods ought to contribute towards men some part of their wealth. Thence he came to Uelphos, where the oracle was, and robbed the temple of Apollo, upon which there was a great earth-quake, and hail-stones of mighty weight and bigness, which destroyed some part of his host, and upon the rest, an huge part of the rocky mountain fell, aud buried them in the earth ; and Bren . 10 L THE LIFE OF MERLIX, - being wounded, and despairing of safety, drew his sworcf, and killed himself. And his brother, Belinus, after he had honourably governed the kingdom of Britain, with his brother and alone, for the space of 26 years, expired, and was buried at Belingsgate, leaving a son behind hint called Gurguintus Barbarosse, or Gurguint with the red beard. He began his reign in the year of the world 4834, he conquered Denmark, and forced from them an annual tribute of ^1000. After which victory he sailed towards England in great triumph ; but, in his course upon the sea, he met with a fleet of thirty sail : who, hauling them, and demanding of what country they were, and the purpose of their .navigation, they answered him, Their people were called Ba lenses, and that they were exiled from Spain, and with their wives and children had long sailed upon the sea, beseeching the king to have compassion on them, and to grant them within his large dominions some place to Inhabit, and they would be his true and faithful sub- jects. The king commisserating their state, by the advice of his barons, granted them a wide and vast country, which is the farthest-of the western islands; which, from their captain, Irlomall, was called Ireland, and that was the first plantation of that country. And after this, Gurguintus had established the laws of his fore-fathers, and exercised justice among his subjects for the space of 19 years, he died, and was buried at Troynovant, leaving a son called Guintolinus. He, with great honour and clemency guided the land, taking to wife an honourable and learned lady, called Marcia, who added to the former laws of the land, other wholesome statutes and decrees, which were greatly embraced and continued long in efficacy and force ; which Alurcd, long after, king of England, caused to be trans- lated out of the British into the Saxon tongue, and called them Marthe he lege, or the Marcian laws : to this wo- man, for her great wisdom, the government of the kingdom was committed, with the guardianship of his son Cecilius for the space of 26 years ; after winch time, the king expired, and was buried at London. Of this Cecilius, there is little or nothing remembered, but that he govern- ed the realm 15 years, leaving to succeed him his son WITH HIS STRANGE PROFHECIES. 11 Kimarus, who was a wild young man, and irregular both in his private lifey and public government ; who, when he ■ had reigned three years, being in his disport of hunting, was traitorously slain by his servants. He was succeeded by his son Elan i us, who expired in the s ond year of his reign, who was succeeded by his bastard so.i, called Mo- rindus, begotten of his concubine Faugrestela. He was made king in the year of the world 4^90, who was a prince of great valo r and courage, but given to wrath and cruelty, of goodly presence and comely person* age, but of a marvellous strength above all the nobles of the realm. In his time came the king of Mauritania, and invaded his realm, whom he encountered with a puissant army, and chased to sea, taking many of his soldiers prisoners, whom he caused in his own view to be put to many cruel and tormenting deaths : at length, riding upon the sea strand, he spied an huge monster, which the waters cast up alive, which, out of his great courage, and ambition of glory, purposing" to slay it with his own hands, he was by it devoured, after he had governed the kingdom eight years, leaving behind him five sons, Gorbomannus, Archigallo, Elidurus, Vigenius, and Pe- ridurus. Gorbomannus, being the first begotten son of Mo- ^ rindus, succeeded his father, being a just prince, in whose time was more riches and plenty than in any of the days of his predecessors; who, to the great sorrow both of Ills peers and people, died without issue, after he had reigned 11 years. After whom, his second brother, Archigaiio, was instated in the sovereignty: this prince was of a contrary condition to the former, who gave himself to dissention and strife, imao-ining 1 causes against his nobfes. 1 ■ 1 c "... to deprive them of their possessions and dignities^ and raising men of base and sordid birth and quality to office and honour; and so he could enrich himself', not caring how impoverished his subjects. For which, by one assent of the nobility and commons, he was deposed from all regal dignity, after he had tyrannized five years. In whose stead was instated the third brother, Elidurus, in the year of the world 4915, who was so mild and gentle to his subjects, that they added to him a surname, and called him Elidure the Meek. To express the goodness of his* B 2 10 _ THE LIFE OF MERLIX, - being wounded, and despairing of safety, drew his sword, and killed himself. And bis brother, Bel in us-, after he had honourably governed the kingdom of Britain, with his brother and alone, for the space of 26 years, expired, and was buried at Belingsgate, leaving a son behind him called Gurguintus Barbarosse, or Gurguint with the red beard. He began his reign in the year of the world 4834, he conquered Denmark, and forced from them an annual tribute of *€\0Q0. After which victory he sailed towards England in great triumph ; but, in his course upon the sea, lie met with a fleet of thirty sail : who, hauling them, and demanding of what country they were, and the purpose of their .navigation, they answered him. Their people were called Ba lenses, and that they were exiled from Spain, and with their wives and children had long sailed upon the sea, beseeching the king to have compassion on them, and to grant them within his large dominions some place to inhabit, and they would be his true and faithful sub- jects. The king commisserating their state, by the advice of his barons, granted them a wide and vast country, which is the farthest-of the western islands; which, from their captain, Irlomall, was called Ireland, and that was the iirst plantation of that country. And after this, Gurguintus had established the laws of his fore-fathers, and exercised justice among his subjects for the space of 19 years, he died, and was buried at Troynovant, leaving a son called Guintolinus. He, with great honour and clemency guided the land, taking to wife an honourable and learned lady, called Marcia, who added to the former laws of the land, other wholesome statutes and decrees, which were greatly embraced and continued long in efficacy and force ; which Alurcd, long after, king of England, caused to be trans- lated out of the British into the Saxon tongue, and called them Marthe he lege, or the Marciau laws : to this wo- man, for her great wisdom, the government of the kingdom was committed, with the guardianship of his son Cecilius for the space of 25 years ; after which time, the king expired, and was buried at London. Of this Cecilius, there is little or nothing remembered, but that he govern- ed the realm 15 years, leaving to succeed him his son WITH HIS STRANGE PROFHECIES. 11 Kitnarus, who was a wild young man, and irregular both in his private life^ and public government ; who, when he bad reigned three years, being in his disport of hunting, was traiterously slain by his servants. He was succeeded by his son Elanius, who expired in the s< ond year of his reign, who was succeeded by his bastard soa, called Mo- rindus, begotten of his concubine Faugrestela. He was made king in the year of the world 4^90, wlio was a prince of great yalo r and courage, but given to wrath and cruelty, of goodly presence and comely person- age, but of a marvellous strength above all the nobles of the realm. In his time came the king of Mauritania, and invaded his realm, whom he encountered with a puissant army, and chased to sea, taking many of his soldiers prisoners, whom he caused hi his own view to be put to many cruel and tormenting deaths : at length, riding upon the sea strand, he spied an huge monster, which the waters cast up alive, which, out of his great courage, and ambition of glory, purposing* to slay it with his own hands, he was by it devoured, after he had governed ihe kingdom eight years, leaving behind him five sons, Gorbomannus, Archigalio, Elidurus, Vigenius, and Pe- ridurus. Gorbomannus, being the first begotten son of Mo- rindus, succeeded his father, being a just prince, in whose time was more riches and plenty than in any of the days of his predecessors: who, to the great sorrow both of his peers and people, died without issue, after he had reigned 11 years. After whom, his second brother, Archigalio, was instated in the sovereignty: this prince was of a contrary condition to the former, who gave himself to dissention and strife, imagining causes against his ndbfes, to deprive them of their possessions and dignities, and raising men of base and sordid birth and quality to office and honour; and so he could enrich himself, not caring how impoverished his subjects. For which, by one assent of the nobility and commons, he was deposed from all regal dignity, after he had tyrannized five years. In whose stead was instated the third brother, Elidurus, in the year of the world 4915, who was so mild and gentle to his subjects, that they added to him a surname, and called him Elidure the Meek. To express the goodness of his* b 2 »^ 15 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, condition, it happened while hunting in a wood called Ca later, near York, he found his banished brother wander- ing in the thick of the forcst ? whom he no sooner saw, bu£ dismounted from his steed, and embraced him in his arms, and so-conveyed him into the city privately, where he concealed him for a time, and at length, feigning himself sick, he so wrought with his nobility severally and apart, that lie had won them to re-instate his brother Archisrallo on the throne, after he himself had governed for the term oi five years, who, being again advanced to the supreme po- wer and majesty, he changed his former conditions, order- ing all things according to equity and justice during his natural lire, and then died, after he had lastly reigned ten years, and lieth buried at York. Then was Elidurus again made king, against whom, his two younger bro- thers, Vigenius and Peridurus, had great indignation, because for his virtue and piety he was so much beloved of the B.itons, therefore they conspired again t him, and took him prisoner in battle, when the second time lie had reigned two years, committing him into safe custody* These two brothers were then jointly made kings, and divided the land between them. Vigenius died, after he had governed his part of the kingdom seven years: after whose death, Peridurus seized the whole under his domi- nion, who ruled with great temperance and prudence; in- so nuch, that he was praised above his other brethren, and Eiiclurus quite forgot; who, after he had reigned with his brother and alone for the term of nine years, expired : afier whom, Elidurus was fetched from prison, and the third time instated on the throne, who continued in his former sincerity and integrity; and lastly, being of a good age, ended his life, when he had this last time governed four years, and was buried at Carlisle, leaving a son called Gorbomannus, who began his reign in the year of the world 4945, after whom succeeded Margan, and after Margan, his brother Emerianus, who was deposed for his cruelty and tyranny. After whom, successively reigned 20 kings ; of whom, little or no mention is made by any approved author : the last of which was called Jilegabri- dus, a cunning musician, who, for his excellency in that faculty was called of the Britains, The God of Glee-men or Minstrels. After whom succeeded nine kings, of whom there is left neither name nor memory, saving that the last of With his strange prophecies. IS tliem was named Hely, who governed the kingdom 40 years, wanting 7 months, which time, of 33 successive kings, that is, from Elidure to the last year of Hely, amounted to 186 years. This Hely left behind him three sons, Lud, Cassibeline,and Nennius. Lud, the eldest son of king Hely, began his reign in the year of the world 5131; who, in all his actions, shewed himself honourable, repaired old temples, and built new, and so of cities and towns : but, especially in Troynovant, he caused sundry structures to be made, both for the en- larging and beautifying of the city, walling it around, and ditching it about, and in the west part of the wall made a strong gate, and commanded it to be called after his name Ludgate,and because he much affected the city, as the place where he most frequented, he changed the name thereof from Troynovant to Caerlud, or Lud's-town, now London. He was strong and mighty in subduing his enemies, liberal, given to hospitality, and much loved and feared of the Britains ; who, reigning in great peace and prosperity 11 years, then died, and was buried in Porthlud, or Ludgate, leaving two sons, Androgens and Tenantius. In regard of the pupilage and minority of the two young princes, Cassibellan, their uncle, and brother to king Lud, was made king in the year of the world 5142. This man was of great wisdom and courage, exercising justice mixed with mercy amongst his subjects, insomuch, that they favoured him greatly above his nephews: yet^ he provided that they were royally educated according to their births, and when they came to years of disgretion, he gave to Androgeus the city of London, and the earldom of Kent, and to Tenantius the dukedom of Cornwall, &c. 14 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, CONTENTS OF CHAPTER THIRD. The first conquest of this island by Julius Caesar — Britain made tributary to the Romans — The birth of our fcaviour, under Cim- beline, king* of Britain — How Southampton came to be so called, and the cities of Giocester and Colchester — Vespatian's conquest of the isle of Wight — Of Caithness in Scotland — Of Lucius, the first christian king of the Britains, and of other Roman governors. G AILS Julius Caesar, being employed by the senate I" of the famous city of Rome, with Lucius Publius \us colleague in the wars of Gailia, now called France, being on the sea side, at Callis, beholding the white cliffs and rocks of Britain, demanded of the natives what man- ner of people inhabited this island, and being fully satis- fied concerning the people and commodities thereof, he was ambitious to add it to the Roman empire; and to that purpose sent messengers to Cassibelan, then King, to make him and his land tributary to Rome: at which he being highly moved, sent him back a peremptory answer, that every sovereign was bound to keep his subjects from sla- very and servitude, and maintain them in their franchises and liberties, and that he would do to his utmost ability and power/ A\ ith this answer Caasar, who was of an invincible courage, much incensed, instantly made ready his navy, and sailed towards Britain, purposing to add this kingdom to his conquest of France, but the Britains had pitched stakes on the shore, which much hindered their landing, whilst Cassibelan gathering a strong host gave the Romans battle, and beat them back unto their ships : but after he had new rigged and repaired his navy, and fur- nished himself with a sufficient army, he returned again the second time, and was likewise beaten back to his great dishonour. For which victory twice obtained by the Britains, Cassibelan assembled all his lords, and made a great triumph at London, where were sundry martial exercises perform- ed : in the performance of which, one of Androgeus's knights having slain one of the king's kinsmen, whom he much loved, he sent to have him stand to the trial of the cause; but Androgens denied to give up to the censure of the law, and departed in secret, (without taking leave) from the court, which gave Cassibelan great cause of in- censment against him Whose indignation Androgeus justly fearing, sent let- WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 15 ters unto Caesar, that if he would make a third attempt upon this country, he with all his power would be ready to assist him against his uncle, pretending that he not only usurped his right in the crown, but had done to him di- vers other affronts and injuries. Caesar glad of so good an opportunity, after hostages given for his fidelity, (which were his son Sceva with thhty others of the sons of his nobility and gentlemen) a third time invaded the land, which Cassibelan bearing, gave him a strong battle in a valley near Canterbury, in which he had the bet- ter of the day, till Androgeus coming in with his fresh forces turned the die of war, so that Cassibelan with his Britains, were forced to forsake the field, and after a great slaughter of the Britains, retired himself to a place of safe- ty, where Caesar kept him so strictly in, that he was forced to submit himself, paying to the Romans an annual tribute of j£3000. After which, Caesar would have made Andro- gens king; but not daring to trust Ins nation which he had so lately betrayed, he went with Caesar to Rome^ where he ended his life. Cassibelan reigned after this conquest of the Romans seven years, in all sixteen: and dying, left the sceptre to the younger son Tenantius, who governed the realm with all diligence and justice for the space of twenty three years, leaving the sovereignty to his son Cimbelinus. He was made king in the year of the world 5180, in the nineteenth of whose reign, our blessed Saviour was born of the virgin Mary, which maketh the year of thp world from the creation of Adam, to the incarnation of our Redeemer,(by the compulation of Isidore, Bede and others) 5129 years: so that Christ was incarnate from Noah's flood, or the general deluge 2957, after Abraham^ 2017, after David king of Israel, 1075, from the transmigration or the captivity of the Jews to Babylon 520, after Brute's plantation in this island, 1136, after Alexander the great about 325, after the building of Rome, 729, and i » the be- ginning of the 42nd year of Qetavius Augustus Caesar then emperor of Rome, &c. But to come back to the history, Cimbeline alter he had worthily governed the land 35 years, yielded his due to nature, and was interred in Caer-Lud, or London, leaving two sons, Guiderius and Arviragus. Guiderius, the eldest son of Cimbelinus, began his reiga 16 THB LIFR OP MERLIN, in the seventeenth year of our blessed Saviour's incarna- tion, who having a great confidence in his riches and strength, denied to pay any tribute to the Romans, which had been tendered annually, from the time of Julius Caesar to his days. For which, Claudius, then emperor of Home, came over with a mighty host, and recovered it again : in the host of the Romans was a great captain called Hamo, who, in the battle, put upon bim the ar- mour and habit of a Britain ; by which means, having access to the place where the king fought in person, he slew him and escaped : of which disastrous accident, his brother, Arviragus, having intelligence, armed himself with the cognizance of the dead king, and continued the battle with such valour and courage, that in the end he put the Romans to flight. Guiderius, bein^ thus slain by Hamo, after he had ruled the kingdom 28 years, leaving no issue to succeed him, his brother, Arviragus, by the general suffrage both of the peers and people, was invested in his stead. This martial and magnanimous prince took upon him the goverment of the land, in the year of our Saviour 44. He was, also, for his great valour, by some authors called Armager, who strongly made war upon the Romans, and afterwards in a battle slew Hamo, (who had formerly cowardly killed his brother) near to an haven or port of the sea, and afterwards caused his body to be piecemeal cut, and cast into the ocean, for which it was called Harao's- Haven, and since Southampton. Claudius, much admir- ing the courage of Arviragus, sent to Rome for his daughter Gessima, and gave her to him in marriage upon conditions of peace ; and to make the solemnities of the nuptials more famous, he called the city where they were kept, Claudio Cestria, which before was stiied Caerleori, and afterwards Glovernia, from a duke called Glovio, but now Glocester. After which, Claudius sent a certain number of his legions to govern Ireland, and departed towards Rome: Arviragus then repaired decayed cities and castles, and ruled with such justice and integrity that he enticed to him all the hearts of his subjects ; and as his riches, so also increased his pride, so that he denied the tribute to Rome, before granted; therefore a great duke called Yespatian, was sent from the senate, who overcame him in battle, and forced him te WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 17 become tributary, which some writers affirm was merely at the intercession and entreaty of the queen Genissa ; and no coaction or constraint from Vespatian, who, after he had won the isle of Wight, returned with honor to Rome; after which, Arviragus grew more tractable towards the Komans, and continued in their great grace and favor: who, after he had nobly governed the Brilains for the space of SO years, expired, and was interred at Claudio- cestria, or Glocester, leaving to succeed him a son ; called Marius. He was crowned king in the year of our blessed Saviour 74, a wise and just man, and flourished in great prosperity and wealth : in whose time one Loudricus (whom, some writers call Rodicus) with a mighty army of Pictg, or Scythians, whom some also call Goths, and Huns, land- ed in a part of Scotland, wasting and spoiling, whereso- ever he came, with iron and fire, whom Marius met in battle, and gave him a great overthrow, in which, their duke Loudricus was slain: in remembrance of which, victory in Stanismore, a place of Westmaria, or West- morland, where this battle was fought, he caused a great stone or pillar to be erected, upon which was inscribed in capital letters, MAR1I VICTORIA. The remnant of the army that survived the battle, humbly besought the king to allow them some place under his dominions, in which to inhabit, who commiserating their case, granted them a place in Scotland, called Cathnesse, to whom the Britains disdaining to give their daughters in marriage; they -allied themselves with the Irish, and were after called Pictavi- ans. Marius having thus subdued his enemies, gave him- self to study the weal of his subjects, and lived peacea- bly his whole life-time after: and lastly, payed his natural tribute, and was buried at Carlisle, leaving a son named Colius, or Coill. Coill was inaugurated in the year of the incarnation 126. This Prince had his breeding in Italy amongst the Ro- mans, for which reason, there grew great affinity and friendship betwixt the two nations, for he became their willing tributary : he was very bountiful to all men, by which he purchased great love, both from the lords and •ommons. He built the town in Essex, called Coilcheiter ? 18 THE LIFE OF ME*LI2f, and when lie had peaceably governed the realm 5i years, he died, and was buried at York, leaving a son call- ed Lucius, who was inaugurated in the year of grace 180, who had the honour to be called the first christian king of this island, who being a man devoutly given, sent to Eleutherius, then bishop of Rome, to be instructed in the true faith, who to that purpose, employed two learn- ed men, called Fuganus, and Dimianus, who were honorably received by this king Lucius, and by whom he and a great part of the Britains were converted from Pa- ganism and Idolatry to the true Christian belief, which happened in the 8th j r ear of his reign, who > after his con- version, ordained that all the idolatrous Arch-Flamins, and Flamins, should be made arch-bishops and bishops, to the number of 3 arch-bishops, and 28 bishops, and should have the government of the church lately established. These being confirmed by the fore-named bishop of Rome, he endowed them with lands and possessions, and conse- crated all the Pagan temples to the worship of Christ* and when he had peaceably governed the land for the space of 12 years, he left this earthly tabernacle for a better, and was buried at Glocester : after which, because he died without heir, the land grew into great combustion, for the term of 50 years, in which none had the absolute nomination of king or sovereign. Then Severus, the Roman emperor, took upon him thfe government of the realm, in the year of grace 208, and ruled the kingdom five years; in which time he caused a ditch and wall to be made of turfs and stakes, of 122 miles in length, from Durham to the Scotch sea, during which, the Picts with their duke or leader Fulgenius, came out of Scotland with a strong army, and destroyed much of the country beyond Durham, against whom Se- verus (for his conquest of Parthia) sirnamed Parthieus, assembled a great host of Romans and Britains, and gave them a battle near York, in which he was slain, and his army discomfited: and in that city he iyeth interred, leaving behind him two sons, namely, Geta and Bassianns. This Bassianus was the son of Severus, by aBritish woman, and he had Geta by a Roman lady; the Britains there- fore made the son of their country-woman their sovereign, in the year of grace 212, but the Romans held for Geta; for which a mortal war grew betwixt the two Brothers, in WITH HIS STKAtfGB PROPHECIES. 19 which Geta was slain, and Bassianus, was afterwards made emperor, having incestuously married his step-mother ; for which, and many other tyrannies exercised by him on the natives, he grew into great hatred of the people, and was slain at a place called Edessa, after he had been empe- ror for the space of 7 years. In this interim of his reign, one Carassius, a Britain of low Ipirth, but eminent in arms, and in the practice of martial exercises, obtained of the senate the keeping of the coasts and frontiers of the land, and to oppose the invasion of all strangers, so that he drew to him many hardy knights of the Britains, promising unto them many donatives, with honour and office, if they would make him king of the land; which so far prevailed with them, that they with an unanimous consent proclaimed him their sovereign and king, against whom, Bassianus moving battle, and to suppress them as rebels, was slain by this Carassius, who took upon him the re^al dignity in the the year of the incarnation of Christ 218. When the Romans had notice of (he death of their emperor Bassianus, they sent unto Britain a great captain called Alectus/with three legions, to punish the pride and rebellion of Carassius, to which captain fortune was so favorable, that he chaced him from place to place, and in the end slew him in battle, after he had usurped 8 years. This Alectus, for his good service done, was made consul of Rome, and governor of the land, who hotly pursued divers British lords, who had taken part with Carassius against the Romans, and exercised great tyranny amongst them, so that he grew into hatred and contempt of the natives. And therefore they accited one Asclepiodotus, duke of Cornwall, who gathered a great host of the Bri- tains, and made war against the Romans, chasing them from place to place, and country to country ; so that at last Alectus was glad to retire himself within the fortifi- cations of London, whither Asclepiodotus pursued him, and laid siege about the city, provoking him to battle, who, at length, issuing out with his forces, many were slain on both sides, but in the end, Alectus was slain, after k$ had 6 years governed the land, € 2 20 THE LIFE OF MERLItf, When Livius Gallus, a Roman captain, understood the death of their general, he, with the survivors of the army, retired into the city for his best security, where, for a whil« 5 I leave him. CONTENTS OF CHAPTER FOURTH. The duke of Cornwall made king- of Britain — How Walbrook too\ its first name — Constantius the Roman marrieth with Helena, daughter to king: Coill, and is made king: — His reign and burial— His son Constantius made king after him, who was called the Great, aDd was the first Christian emperor — His great devotion, and after falling into heresy — Octavian his deputj in Britain, usurpeth, and afterwards made king: — Maximinus, a Roman, bj marriage with his daughter, succeeds him, &c. ASCLEPIODOTUS, duke of Cornwall, began his dominion over the Britains, in the year of grace 232, who entered the city of London, before by him besieged ; where he slew this Livius Gallus, near unto a brook which ran then through a part of the city, from whom it was called Gallus, or Wailusbrook, and the street Wall- brook, even unto these times. Thus havingquite vanquished the Romans, he governed the realm in great peace, exer- cising justice, exalting meriting and good men, and pu- nishing the refractory, and evilly disposed, till at length, a great discontent (stirred up by wicked and seditious persons) was raised between him and Coillus or Coill, who was then earl or duke of Kaircollin, or Colchester, so that they assembled their several forces, and met in battle, in which conflict Asclepiodotus was slain, after he had governed the realm (according to the most writers) 30 years. Then Coill began his dominion over the land in the year of the incarnation 262, who governed peaceably for a time, for the senate of Rome was glad of the death of the former king, who had been a great enemy and persecu- tor of their nation, and being then in great trouble among themselves, could not conveniently send over fresh forces intothe land., but at length their domestick discords being WITH fflfl STRAlfGS PROPHECIES. 21 •empounded, and the state settled in peace, hearing that this Coill also denied them the tribute, they sent hither a noble and prudent prince, called Constantius, with a puissant army, against whom, Coill assembled his Britains, but greatly dreading the power of this Roman president, he sent to him to commune and treat of peace, with the acknowledgment of the tribute due unto the senate, of which assurance being given and taken on both sides, Coill died within a month after, having governed the Britains for the term of 27 years. Constantius, at the intercession of the nobles of the land, took to wife Helena, daughter to the late king, with the entire possession of the realm, and was inaugurated in the year 289. This Helena was held to be t lie fairest lady in the whole land, and withal very well versed in literature and language, by whom he received a son called Constan- tine— This Constantine, being of great courage and valour, ambitious to add into his dominion, subdued the Almains or Germans, and slew of them in battle tiOQOO, and after many other victories, the two emperors, Dioclesianus and Maximinianus, resigned their imperial dignity to Constantius, making one Galerius a partner with him in the empire; which these two Caesars divided between them. Galerius governed the east, that is, liliricum and all Graecia, with the islands; and Constantius Italy, and the western kingdoms: afterwards, he subdued Spain, and a great part of Gallia or France; of which two kingdoms, he made his son Constantine president and governor. In the time that Constantius was king of Britain, under the two foresaid emperors, St. Alban was martyred at Verulam, in the 10th persecution of the church, which began in the 18th year of Dioclesian, and endured for the space of 10 years, which was so violent and cruel, that in the space of one month were martyred 17000 holy men and women for the faith of Christ. This noble prince, Constantius, after he had governed Britain and the western part of the empire, for the term of 30 years, leaving his successor Constant tine, his son, by the famous queen Helena. Wko began his reign in the year of grace 319, and at the decease of his father was busied in the wars of Gallia, but hearing the report of his death, came over into Bri- tain, and was made king. He was of a noble and affablt fS JHB LIFE OF MERLIHT, condition, who, though he was a pagan and disbeliercr, yet, he used no tyranny over his subjects, neither com- pelled them to the worship of idols, but to use their owft laws, with liberty and freedom of conscience: whilst he thus governed Britain, with the western part of the empire^ one Maxentius, son to Herculeus Maximianus, who way partner with Dioclesian in the imperial purple, was, by assent of the senate chosen Caesar; who, first insinuated with all cunning affabillity into the hearts of the plebeian multitude ; but when he found himself strong in their opin- ions, he exercised all tyranny that could possibly be devi- sed, especially against the christians. He likewise expelled his father Maximianus from Rome, who sought to be again emperor, with other great oppressions used against the senate and prime nobility ; of which, Constantine having intelli- gence, he assembled a strong host of Britains and Gauls to suppress his great pride and insolence : leaving, in his absence, a great duke called Octavius, or Octavian, to govern the land of Britain, as his vicegerent or deputy, Constantine, having settled the state here, being on his journey, he saw, (as in a vision) being on his bed, a cross shining in the firmament, held by an angel, who said into him, Constantine in hoc signo vinces, that is, O Constan- tine, under this sign or banner thou shalt have victory. After which, awaking, and considering well of his vision or dream, he called his chief captains about him, and acquainted them therewith, presently giving order to all his ensigns, escutcheons, and banners: being thus accom- modated, he marched against the tyrant Maxentius, and met him at a bridge, called ^Pont Milvium, where, after a long fight, he chased him and his whole army, where a great part of them were drowned in the river, with himself also, when he had ruled, as Caesar, about 5 years. After which victory, Constantine marched to Rome, where he was received of the senate and people, with great honour and triumph. Soon after, he received the christian faith, and was baptized by Sylvester, the first of that name, bish- op of Rome ; which done, he opened the prisons, and destroyed the temples of the false gods, and dedicated others to the true and everliving God, pulling down their idols, and opening those christian oratories that had been shut, commanding divine service to be said in them. H* WITH HIS 8TRANGE PROPHECIES S3 was the first also, that gave any possessions to the church of Rome, and ordained that the bishop of Rome should be chief Bishop, and all others should be obedient unto him, (which was before any superstition crept into the church) he also bore clay and stones upon his shoul- ders to the foundation of the great Church dedica- ted to St. Peter. , Whilst Constantine thus laboured to plant the Christian faith, his mother Helena being then in Britain, sent unto him commendatory letters, gratulating his great victories, in which, she seemed that he had suppressed idols, and demolished their temples; but wondered that he had chosen for his God, a man who had been nailed to a cross, &c. to which, he returned her answer, that he would sufficiently prove the God whom he had honoured and worshipped, was the Creator of mankind and Maker of the world and all creatures therein, and not man only, but God and man, &c. For proof of which, after she had assem- bled a synod of Jews to the number of 140, Sylvester, with other Christian clerks, were appointed to dispute with them concerning the faith and gospel; in which arguing the Jews were confounded, and she converted, and was a constant professor of the true faith and religion all her life-time after. I leave what the Legend relates concerning her seeking and finding the true cross, and the nails with which our blessed Saviour was fastened thereto, and re- turned to her son the emperor, who greatly enlarged the famous city Byzantium, and beautified it with stately and sumptuous buildings, and for the pleasure which he took in the situation thereof, made it his royal seat, and caused it to be called after his name Constantinople, which is the city of Constantine. He was also of such power and might in arms, that he purchased to himself the title of Constantine the Great. He was, moreover, stiled the first Christian emperor, and did many things for the upholding of the faith ; of which, seven, by a learned author, are especially noted. 1st, That Christ, our blessed Saviour, should be worship- ped as God, throughout his whole dominions. 2ndly f That what man or woman soever spake any. blasphemy against him, should most severely punished. 3rdly, That person who did any violence or injury to a Christian *4r .4TW5 LIFE OF MEBLllT; man, because he was of that belief, should forfeit half hi* goods and possessions. 4thly, That as the emperor of Rome is head of all temporal princes, so the bishop of Rome should be chief of all ecclesiastical prelates. 5thly, That who so fled to a church for refuge, and made it hi* sanctuary, should be free from molestation and danger. 6thly, That go man should offer to erect any church or temple without the leave and licence of thebishop of that diocese. 7thly, That every prince should give the tenth part of his revenues towards the maintenance of churches and temples, which law, for example sake, he confirmed by contributing unto them from his own possessions. After all which care of his, to establish the true faith and gospel, he fell into the detestable heresy of the Arians, and banished bishop Sylvester beforenamed ; and prosecuted many zealous and godly professors, and after which, (as mine author amrmeth) he was struck with an incurable leprosy. But now 1 return to Octavian, whom he left his substitute in Britain. Who, during the long absence of the emperor, ruled the land to the great content of the natives ; but, when he had thoroughly invested himself into the hearts of the people, and thinking his lord so far remote, and could not easily be drawn from so great a charge as the government of both the eastern and western empires, he thought to usurp the title of king, and to that purpose distressed such Ro- mans as Constantine left here in the land, and so took upon him the sole sovereignty ; of which, when the em- peror had notice, he sent hither in all haste, a princs called Treharne, who was uncle to his mother Helena, with three legions of Romans, every legion consisting of 6600 and six knights, waom Octavian met in battle near unto Port Chester, or as some authors write, near Winches- ter, and compelled Treharne to forsake the field, aad flj towards Scotland, whither Octavian pursued him, and gave him a second battle, where he and the Britains were discomfited, and himself with some few, took shipping, and sailed to Norway, but not long after, he returned into England, with a strong army of Britains and Norways, in which interim, a British earl who greatly loved Octa- vian, slew Treharn, so that with little difficulty he sub- dued the rest of the commons, whe ware left without * i WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 25 commander, and repossessed the land, which was from the time that Constantine made him governor or protector of the Jand ; 10 years. Octavian thus re-instated, gathered great riches and treasure, insomuch that he feared not the power of ao y foreign prince, and ruled the nation in great peace and quietness, who, being grown aged and full of years, by the counsel of some of his British noblemen, lie sent one Mauritius, son to Caradock,'duke of Cornwall, into Rome, for an hopeful young gentleman called Maximian, who w n$ near allied to Helena the mother of Constantine, that he would come into this laud, and bv manrying his on! 7 daughter, might enjoy the kingdom of iiritain after him. Though divers persuaded him to confer that honour up >u Conon Meriadock his near cousin, but the former motion prevailed. And Maximian the son of Leonine, brother to Helen, and uncle to Constantine the Great, was sent over with the before-named Mauritius', and with a sufficient guard of Romans, landed safely at the port of Southamp- ton : which Conon Meriadock hearing, he gathered a company of his friends and kinsmen, and because the other came to dispossess him of that which he held to be his right, he purposed to ambush him in the way, and give him battle; which being told to the king, he, by his wisdom and power, prevented it, so that Maximian came peaceably to court, unto whom the king gave his daughter, and the land with her for her dower, and died sdon after, when he had nobly and peaceably governed the kingdom for the space of 54 years. CONTENTS OF CHAPTER FIFTH. Maximian made king of Britain, and after Emperor — How Armo- rica came to be calied little Britain, and this, Britain the great ■■ — Of Ursula, and the eleven thousand Virgins — Gratian the last Homan that was king of the land — The great distresses of the kingdom — the cessation of their tribute paid to Rome — Constan- tine, brother to Aidroenus, made king of the realm, his death and issue. M AXIMIAN the son of Leonine, and. cousin ger- raan to Constantine the Great, was made king of I ^ §6 r THE LIFE OF MERLIK, Britain, in the year of ^race 382, who proved a valiant anc! victorious prince, but somewhat proud, and withal a persecutor of the Christians. And first there was great strife betwixt him and Conon, with sundry conflicts, in which they spread diversly, but at length they were recon-? ciled and made friends. So that he reigned for a time in great peace; in which interim, he gathered together much treasure and riches: at last he was accited to move war against the Gauls, and landed with a great host in Armorica, now called littie Britain, which, after he had subdued by the sword, he gave it to Conon Meriadock to hold of him, and of the kings of great Britain forever; commanding from that time Armorica to be called lii- tle Britain, and this land Britain the great ; for which victory and others, his knights proclaimed him emperor, which increased both his pride and tyranny, so that he invaded the lands of the empire, and conquered a great part both of France and Germany, which was contrary to his oath before sworn to the two emperors, Gratian and Valentinian; to whom when tidings was brought of this his invasion, Gratian prepared to resist him, but fearing his power and potency, fledk to Lyons, where he was slain, and Valentinian compelled to forsake Rome, and fly to Constantinople; then Maximian made his son Victor-fellow with him in the empire. During whose wars in Italy, Conon Meriadock not wil- ling that he, or his people, should marry with any of the French Nation, sent messengers to Dionotus duke of Cornwall, and governor of the kingdom under Maximian, to send him his daughter Ursula, with a certain number of Virgins to be coupled to him and his knights in marriage; who,* according to his request, sent his daughter with ] 1000 maids towards Britain to that purpose, who, by the way, were taken at sea, and pkeously murdered; who so will know the manner thereof, I refer them to the le- gend of saints. Maximian thus tyrannizing in Italy, two great commanders, called Guanus and Melga, were sent into Britain to chastise all such as favoured the party of Maximian, who did here much outrage upon the natives, afflicting them with great strage and massacre. Against whom the emperor sent a great captain called Gracianus gr Gracian 5 with two legions, who so knightly behaved WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 87 himself, that he chaced them in a short space into Ireland, holding the land in peace for Maximian. In this interim, Maximian continuing wars against (he empire to be ab- solute Caesar. Theodosius, surnamed the elder, then em- peror of the east part of the world, hearing the death of the first Gracian, and the chacing of Wlcnfinian; he with a mighty host sped himself to meet will) Maximian, and gave him a battle at Aquilea, a great city in Italy, in which Maximian's forces were utterly discomfited, and himself taken prisoner, whose head Theodosius commanded to be cut off; of whose death Gracian his deputy in Britain having knowledge, seized the land to his own use; after that Maximian had governed the same for the term of 8 years. Gracian, who of some writers is called Municeps (which word may be diversly taken, either for an hired or waged knight, or for a keeper of presents and gifts, or bearing chief rule in a city or province) began his domi- nion over the Britairis, in the year of grace 390. He exercised great exaction and tyranny on his subjects, for which he was very much hated and despised amongst them, so that they sundry ways laboured his supplanta- tion, and hourly insidiated his life; but after many dan- gers escaped, they with a common assent invaded his pa- lace, and slew him, when he had reigned, or rather usur- ped, for the space of 4 years. Of whose death Gusfnus and 'Vlelga having knowledge, they returned out of Ireland, and with fire and sword made great havock in the land, of which the Romans un- derstanding, because the realm was then under their tri- bute and tuition, they sent one Constantine to have the rule of the land^and the regions about. But being found to be an enemy to the empire, for divers outrages done by him, during his regency in France, therefore, by tfce commandment of Honorius (then Caesar) they sent against bim a valiant captain, named Constantius, who slew him near to a town, called Arelat. After which, the Britain^ were much distressed by the Picts, the Scots, and other strange nations; by reason whereof, they were again con- strained to send to Rome for aid, with a covenant that they would all continue subjects and servants to the senate. Upon which request and promise, the emperor Honorius himself came hither in person, and chaced hence all theif d * 28 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, foreign enemies, and leaving, the land in peace 3 returned to his greater affairs in Italy. Who no sooner departed, than the same enemies a- g^in invaded them, to whom Honorius sent a second deliverance, exhorting" them withal to be manly and cou- rageous, but in regard of the remoteness of the place and the great troubles the empire was then in, to trust to their owi\ valour and fortune, but to expect no more supplies either from Caesar or senate; the Roman supplies being then took out of the land, to maintain the imperial wars, the nativies were worse distressed than before, for the Picts and Scots came out of their dens and caves, where they had concealed themselves, and invaded them by multi- tudes; insomuch, that by the enemies spoils and robbe- ries, they were brought to that extremity of poverty and misery, that they were inforced to pilfer and steal one from another; in which sundry murders were also com- mitted, so that the ground lay u mowed, or manured, up- on which great dearth and hunger immediately ensued. Which to prevent, and withal to rid them from these great extremities, the best amongst them petitioned unto Aetius, (who was master of the chivalry of Honorius the emperor, and at that time governed France) to commisse- rate their estate, which to him, they most passionately ex- pressed; but all was to no purpose, for he slightly put them off with & peremptory denial to lend them any succour at all; still iheir calamities augmented, and their famine increased, so that lastly the noblest and discreetest among them, es- pecially the arch-bishop of London, whose name was Guethelinus, whom our English chronicle call Gosseline, concluded to send an embassy to the king of little Bri- tain, whose name was Aldroenus, which this arch-bishop, being learned and well spoken in person, undertook, who delivered their calamities and distresses with such passion- ate efficacy that it wrought great commiseration and com- passion in the king; who, after advice taken of his lords, granted them a supply of sufficient forces to recover their franchises and liberties upon condition, that if God, who is the Lord of hosts, gave them victory, they should crown his brother Constantine kins; of great Britain, ac- knowledffing him their lie^e and sovereign; which con- WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 29 ditions they gladly accepted, and swore to perform with all truth and fidelity. Now it appeareth from the time of Gratian, the last Roman that was king of the land, the nation of the JBri- tains during their multiplicity of miseries, were without a monarch or sole sovereign for the space of 39 years, till the coming in of the forenamed Constantine, brother to Aldroenus, king of Little Britain. It is further to be observed, that here ended the tribute and dominion of the Romans; neither had any of that nation any rule over the land after that time; which tri- bute lasted, and was paid to Rome from the ninth year of king Cassibelan, to the days of the emperor Severus, amounting to 255 years. And from the reign of Severus to the first year of Gratian 183; and from the first of Gratian to the last year of their great misery (before expressed) 43 years; so that from the time that Julius Caesar made this isle first tributary to the Roman empire, to the coming in of Constantine, amounted to4Sl years. Af- ter this small digression, and yet worthy observation, I return to the passages and proceeding in this land of Bri- tain, and how it w as governed. The arch-bishops, with lords of the realm, having sealed to the covenants before-named, they returned with a sufficient army , under the conduct and command of duke Constantine, and safely arrived at Totness, in Devonshire, (the place where Brute landed, the first prince and plant- er of this island) whither assembled all the flower of the nation, who, before were compelled to hide themselves in dens and caves, and to seek shelter among rocks and mountains ; by whose power and martial progress, all the enemies of the land were routed and chaced, not one daring to shew his head. After which victory, theland being again settled in peace and quietness, they conveyed their captain, Constantine, to the tow r er of Xaercegent, now called Cicester, and according to their former covenants made with Aldroenus, saluted him as their chief lord and sove- reign, and there crowned him king in the year of our blessed Saviour's incarnation 433. This Constantine governed the realm with great man- SO THE LIFR OP MERLIN, hood and police, so that Ire was not more beloved at home than dreaded abroad. Notwithstanding, of any foreign a- chievementdoneby him, the English Annals make no men- tion, neither of any memorable thing performed by him in his own kingdom, save that he kept it in great tranquillity and rest, and that he received by his wife three sons, the eldest named Constant or Constantius, the second Aurelius Ambrosins, the third Uterpendragon, all which in process succeeded him in the sovereignty : but for Constant the el- dest, being somewhat heavy and dullwitted, thinking him not able to take upon him any regal sovereignty, especially to g'-vern so noble a nation, lie caused him to be shorne a monk, and put him into the monastery of saint Amphiable, afterwards called saint Swithins at Winchester, and the other two being then but young children, he committed to guard- ianship of the before-remembered Gosselin, arch-bishop of London. In the court of this Constantine was a certain Pict or Scot, much favoured by the king, and on whom he had conferred many graces and honours, making him of his closet counsel, and a partaker with him in all his secrets, which perfidious and ungrateful traitor, watching his opportunity, slew him in his chamber when he had ruled the land ten years. There lived at that time in the land a potent duke called Vortigerus, or Vortigernus, who was a man wonderously politick, and exceedingly ambitious; who taking the ad- vantage of the time, knowing the stupidity of the eldest son and the inability of the two younger, (in regard of their minority) to reign, he coloured his aspiring to the crown by a notable project, for he pretending the right of the el- dest brother, had it as a matter of conscience to make him king; and therefore took him out of the former monastery, and invested him in the throne, in the year of grace 443; by which means he had the sole management of the whole king- dom and Constantine, the name only, whom, after, he, in a short time, supplanted, and reigned in his stead; in whose days Ambrosius Merlinus, the subject of our discourse, was born and uttered his predictions, &c« WITH HIS STRANGE PROPIIECIEI. 31 CONTENTS OF CHAPTER SIXTH. A necessary digression shewing- the lives and reigns of 33 kings of Britain, scarcely mentioued by any of our English remeinbran* cers, with an exact computation of the times, &c. TO make the former passages the more plain to th« reader, it is fit to keep a true computation of thetimes, and looking back into our former historical narration, per- fect those things which were left doubtful, especially in the Inter- regnum before spoken of; in which the names of ma- ny kings, princes, and governors of the kingdom were con- cealed. Divers historiographers, who write the passageg of those times, reckon from the last year of Eliodure, to the first of Hely, the father of king hud, 186 years; due- ling which times, here reigned 33 kings, (according to Galfridus and others) whose names thus follow, Gorbo* vi (whom Lanqnet the chronicler calleth Reniangay) son to Gorbomanus, reigned fa* the term of 10 years, after him, Morgan, M years, whom succeeded Einerianus,orEmerian f "who held the principality seven years, lual, called also Ival, followed him, and swayed the sceptre 20 years; after whom came Rimo, and held (he dominion over the Briiains 16 years; after whose expiration, Geruntius, was, by the general suffrage of the peers and people, admitted to the throne, and governed in great peace and prosperity 20 complete years i who, no sooner expired, but they fnade election of Catellus or Catel, who ruled without any great molestation or disturbance 10 years, and then left the dominion to Coill, who ruled with great humanity and gentleness for the space of 20 years, and dying in a mature age, yielded up the crown and sceptre into the hands of Porrex, who kept and maintained them, though with some difficulty, five years, resigned the principality to Cherimus, who tyrannizing over the people, was supplanted, being compelled to yield up all his power and authority, after he had governed but 12 months, into the hands of Fulgen, or Fulgentius, who kept it peaceably, and, to the great liking and applause both of the peers and commons, three years and some odd months, who had no sooner yielded to the common fate, due to all mortality, but Eliud, by some writers called Eldred, stepped info his room, but enjoyed it but for a season, for be died within the compass 32 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, of one year, after he came to take upon him the sove- reignty. Then Androgeus aspired into the regal dignity, but* bore him so proudly and haughtily in his sovereignty, that his subjects unanimously consented and made an insur- rection against him, surprizing him in his palace, and forcing him to give up his sword and sceptre, after he had tyrannized one whole year, to his son Urian, who sat on the throne but three years, and then yielded up his due to nature, after whom Eliud was invested in the state, who (as the rest of his predecessors) left little or nothing behind him worthy of memory, and when he had been king five years, departed this life; Galfrid us reckoneth three other kings successively to follow Eliud, namely, Dedacus, Cloterus, and Gurguintus, but Lanquet (an author well approved) will not admit them into his chronicle, I, there- fore, proceed with the rest. It is agreed by all, that Merianus was king, and two years enjoyed the principality, but of what condition he was, there is left no memory to posterity. Four years also reigned his successor JSledinus, whom some call Eladunus, a man raised to that honour by his valour, but being descended from obscure parents, and therefore not knowing himself well in his greatness, (as is commonly seen by many) it was the cause of shortening both of his life and sovereignty, for he was slain by the treason of his own servants; of whose treacherous murder, Capenus taking advantage, being a potent lord, and in great opinion with the people, he so far insinuated into their affections, that, with an unanimous suffrage, they pro- claimed him king, (for his predecessor died, and left no heir behind him) in which authority he demeaned him- self like a royal and worthy prince, and when he had swayed the sceptre three years, he died, being very aged, and much lamented. Him succeeded one Owen, a Cambrian Briton, who, though he could neither claim the privilege of blood, birth, or title, yet being valiant, prosperous in all his martial employments, as managing the wars under Cape- rius, by whom he was greatly honoured, being also WITH HIS STHANGB PROPHECIES. 33 politic and wise, and a good soldier, so a discreet states- man, he was thought the worthiest then in the kingdom to take upon him the dominion of the realm, and so ended some troubles raised in his predecessor's days, by his valour and wisdom he brought to a happy issue, and so died a single man, after he had two years governed the kingdom. Next to him was inaugurated Sisilius, other- wise called Cecilius, who bore himself with great humanity and affability during the time of his living, a subject study- ing popularity, and by sundry ways insinuating himself into the hearts of the people, but when he came to the regal title, and that the power and sovereignty was wholly at his own disposal, he then began to express his natural ava- riatious conditions, by exacting on the commons, impo- sing divers taxes and tributes upon them, by which they were sore vexed and grieved, insomuch that a rumour was raised amongst them, whicli they first only whispered, but at length, animated by their intolerable impositions, they feared not to clamour aloud that their former king died, not without suspicion of poison, of which they spared not to accuse him, not only as an accessary, but the prime causer and procurer thereof: and therefore, rising in arms against him, they drove him to that narrow exigent, that he was forced to fly from one place of refuge to another ; who, at length, gathering some few forces about him, gave them battle, in which he was slain, after he had governed the kingdom two years; after whom, Blegabredus reigned in his stead ; this man had in him more music than majesty, for he was held most excellent both in minstrelsey and poesy, so that^he seemed to be a son, or at least minion of Apollo, for he not only composed his own hymns and ditties, but set them, and then sung aud played to them, and because it was an art rare in those times, and prac- tised by few, especially by any of generous condition and quality, being excellent and eminent in a prince, he was therefore by it the more honoured and admired, who, having swayed the sceptre 20 years, departed this life, leaving to succeed him his brother Archemail, who was of a more stern and robustuous nature, a man unlettered, and therefore a contemner of all arts and sciences, who, after he had governed the realm two years, (but witk E ' 34 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, more austerity and rigour than his brother before him had done) in a full age expired. After him reigned Eldon, or Eldol, no son, but a kinsman (for the two brothers died issueless) who was a man of peace, therefore the more endeered into the hearts of his subjects, under whose reign they lived in great rest and prosperity, gathering great store of wealth about them, during the four years of his reign, after which season, he changed this life for a new, being much lamented of his people, after whose death, stept up into the throne, Rodrech, or Rodian, a man not (like his predecessor) beloved, as being litigious, and always in contention with the commons, as holding them in con- tempt, only favouring the nobility and gentry, and to prefer and advance them, greatly oppressed the other, extorting from them by sundry exactions, for which he grew into great hatred amongst them : of which, having intelligence, he thought severely to punish them by arms, but was prevented by death, after he had governed the kingdom not fully four years. In his place reigned Samuel Pennisel, whom some writers would make two men, (but their judgments are not altogether approved) this man, with great care and industry, sought and laboured to pacify the tumults and combustions before raised, and to that purpose, kept the nobility and gentry more short, so that he suffered them not, as before, to insult and tyrannize over the country, but granted to them sundry immunities and privileges, for which, he was greatly beloved by them, but left the world, after he had five years swayed the sceptre ; whom Pyrphyrus next suceeecls, a man much affected by the people, and fortunate iu all things, saving his short reign, who died after two years sovereignty. ' Capoyr came next to the crown, and governed an equal time with them, of whom no memorable thing is recorded, for in two years reign, a prince hath scarcely time to express himself, what manner of king he would be, whether a tyrant, or father of his people, whether addicted to peace or war; he left one to succeed him named Gligurt Di- lillj who was a prince very sober and discreet in all his actions, and was an upright justicer, maintaining good WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 35 laws in his dominions, but reigned four years only. His son Hely succeeded him, before spoken of, so that all the time of these several kings' reigns, by those, who write contemporaries of the passages of seasons, and sought to reconcile them, by their computation, amounteth to 121 years. Thus, desiring the reader to excuse this necessary digression, without which, there must needs be a great maim in the chronicle. 1 now fall punctually upon Mer- lin's prophecies, continuing them, and confirming their truth by chronology, from the time in which he uttereth them, to the reign of king Charles, our royal lord and sovereign, &c. e 2 TRUE HISTORY or THE STRANGE BIRTH OF AMBHOSIUS MERIIN, AND HIS a A TRUE HISTORY, &c. CONTENTS OF CHAPTER FIRST. Of the birth of Merlin, sur- aamed Ambrosius, whether he was a Christian or no, and bj what spirit he prophecied. TO prophets there be several attributes given, some are called prophetae, some vates, others videntes; that is, prophets, predictors and seers, and these have been from all antiquity. The name of prophets was, and ought to be peculiar to those that dealt only in divine mysteries, and spake to the people the words which the Almighty did dictate unto them concerning those things which should futurely happen, and such also are called in the holy text seers ; but vates was a title promiscuously conferred on prophets and poets, as belonging to them both : of the first were Moses, Samuel, David, Isaiah, Je- remiah, Daniel, and the rest, whose divine oracles were extant in the old Testament, others there were in the time of the gospel, as John the Baptist, of whom our Sa- viour himself witnesseth, that he was not only a prophet, but more than a prophet ; and we read in the Acts of the Apostles, Chap. 1 1, 27. And in those days also came prophets from Jerusalem to Antiochia. And there stood up one of them called Agabus, andt signified by the spirit, that there should be great famine in all the world, which came to pass under Claudius Ccesar. Of the vati- cal or prophetical poets among the Greeks, were Orpheus, Linus, Homer, Hesiod, &c. and amongst the Latins, Publius, Virgiiius, Maro, with others. a But, before 1 come to enquire in which of those lists, this, our countryman, Merlin, whose surname was Ambro- sias, ought to be filed. It is needful thatl speak something 40 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, of his birth and parents. Kis mother being certain, but his father doubtful, (for so our most ancient Chronologers have left them) that is, whether lie were, according to na- ture, begot by a man and a woman, or according to his mo- ther's confession, that he was conceived by the compres- sion of a fantastical spiritual creature, without a body, which may be easily believed to be a mere fiction, or ex- cuse to mitigate her fault, (being a royal Virgin, the daughter of king Demetius) or to conceal the person of her sweetheart, by disclosing of whose name she had undoubt- edly exposed him to imminent danger; and this is most probable, And yet we read that the other fantastical congression is not impossible: for Speusippus, the son of Plato's sister, and Elearchus the Sophist, and Amaxilides, in the secoEd book of his philosophy, affirm in the honour of Plato, that his mother, Perictione, having congression with the imaginary shadow of Apollo, conceived, and brought into the world him who proved to be the prince of philosophers. Apuleius also, in his book, intitled, De Socratis Dcemo- nio, of Socrates his Damon, or Genius, w rites at large, that betwixt the moon and the earth spirits inhabit, called In- ciibi, of which opinion Plato was also, who saith, That their harbour was between the moon and the earth, in the moist part of the air. A kind of Daemons which he thus defines; a living creature, moist, rational, immortal and passible, whose property is to envy men; because to that place from whence they were precipitated, by their pride, man by his humility is preferred: and of these, some are so libidinous and luxurious, that sometimes taking humane shape upon them, they will commix themselves with wo- men, and generate children, from whence they have the name of InOubi, whom the Komans called Fauni, and Si- carii: and of such St. Augustine, in his book, De civitate Dei, makes mention. It further may be questioned, Whether he was a Christ- ian or a Gentile? as also by what spirit he prophesied? a Pythonick or Divine; that is, by the devil, who spake de- lusively in the oracle of Apollo; or by holy and celestial revelation ? For the first, it is not to be doubted but he was a Christian, as being of the British nation. This kingdom Laving for ihe space of 200 and odd years before his birth, WITH HIS STRANGE FHOPHECIES* 41 received the Gospel under king Lucius, the first king of this land, by the substitutes of Pope Eleutherius, by whose preaching, the king, and a great part of his people, quite renounced all pagan idolatry, and were baptized into the Christian faith. But by what spirit he so truly predicted, is only known to the God of all spirits, whn, in every na- tion and language, pick'd out some choice persons, by whose mouths he would have uttered things which should tutu re- ly happen to posterity, according to his divine will and pleasure; and amongst these was this our Merlin. To prove the former, Holy Job was but a Gentile, a man of the land of Chus, v yet none of the holy prophets of the Lord did more plainly, more faithfully, and more pathetically cic- knowledged Christ and the resurrection than himself, when he saith in a most raptured emphasis: Job 19 v. 23. O that my words were now written! O that they were printed in a book! thai they were graven with an iron pen and lead, in the rock for ever! For I know that my Redeemer I'rceth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall J see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not ano' ther; though my reins be consumed within me. Neither was this any wonder in blessed Job, whose like for holiness and uprightness of life, was not to be found upon the face of the whole earth ; when even ail the Sibils w ho were Prophetesses and Virgins, and Gentiles of several na- tions, (for so Varro affirms) predicted not only of the in- carnation, passion, and death of our blessed Saviour, but of his second corning to judgment, of the consummation and dissolution of the world, the resurrection of nil flesh, the glory of the saints, and the condemnation of the re- probates; especially Sibylla Cumana, whom the renowned doctors of the church, and more especially saint Augus- tine, quoted in her prophecies, and not thought them alto- gether unworthy to be remembered in their works; of which also, Virgil makes mention in his 4th Eclogue: in which saint Augustine himself witnesseth that be (though an heathen) predicted the incarnation of our blessed Sa- F 4$ THE LIFE OF MERLIN, viour; for he insinuates, that he is to speak of a great mys- tery in his first words, which are these: Sicelides Musce, paulo majora canamus. As speaking to the Muses, or invocating their assistance, that he is now to sing of more stupendious and high things: and a little after, it followed],, Ultima jam xenit Cumcei carminis cetas: That is, now is fulfiled the prophesy ofSibylla Cumana (so called fromCuma, once a famous city in Greece, where she was born) he further proceedeth, Magnus ab integro seclorum xohkur ordo, Jam redit 8? xirgc, redeunt Saturnia regna^ Jam noxa progenies coelo demittiiur alto. Intimating in those words, that by revolution, the great order and course of the world should feel a change, which was not from the beginning, and that now the celestial maid (which figured justice) or the mother of the most righteous should return, and that we should see again those innocent and blessed days, which were in the reign of Saturn, (which was called the golden world) and that a new birth should be sent down to the earth from the highest heaven, meaning our blessed Saviour, God and man, born of the immaculate virgin Mary : nay, further in the two subsequent verses, he implies, that he came to take away the sins of the world, which are these: Quo duce^ si qua manent sceleris vestigia nostn\ Irritaperpetua sohent formidine terras. So much for Virgil. There are divers other prophets of the Gentiles, both men and women, as Cassandra, Chrysis, Phiomaene, &c. And what shall we think of Balaam ? whose oracles Moses inserted in the sacred text y and w hose prophecies the great clerks and doctors of the church, have expounded in large voluminous works ; yet for his person, some have held him for no better than a soothsayer or a wisard. and hired for a reward to curse the children of Israel, God's selected people : and they WITH HIS 1TRANGB PROPHECIES. 43 by his counsel after inticed to fornication and idolatry, of whom the blessed apostle saint Peter, in the second Chap- ter of his second Epistle, and fourteenth verse, gives him this character (speaking of such whose hearts were exer- cised in covetousness, and children of the curse) who,for- saking the right way have gone astray, following the way of Balaam , the son of Bosor^ who loved the wages of unrighteousness^ but he was rebuked for his iniquity: for the dumb beast speaking with man's voice, forbade the foolishness of the prophet. These former examples may beget an hesitation or doubt, by which of the two spirits, the good or bad, our countryman, Merlin, uttered his prediction. But whosoever shall make question of the true events of his prophecies, 1 shall refer him to the reading of that most excellent orator, Polyhistor, and theologist of his time, Al- anus de Insulis, a German doctor, for his admirable and multifarious learning, sirnamed Universalis, and rector of the Parisian academy, in his explanation or comment up- on Merlin's Prophecies; the original being extracted out of JefFery of Monmouth, part of his words are these: " In all his prophecies I find nothing dissonant, incongruous^ or absurd, nor any thing foreign, or averse from truth. And those who shall live in ages to come, shall find those his pre- dictions as constantly to happen in their days (according to the limit of time) as we have hitherto found them certain and infallible, even to the age in which we now live." And for these signs and tokens which before the consummation of the world skall appear, he divineth and foretelleth of them in the sun and moons, and the other five planets; Juno, Mars, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, and ofher stars, how they shall confound and alter their courses which they had in the creation, according to that in the holy evan- gelist saint Luke, chap. 21. v. 25. I4 Then there shall be signs in the sun and the moon, and in the stars ; and upon the earth trouble amongst the nations with perplexity, the sea and the waters shall roar, and men's hearts shall fail them for fear, and for looking after those things which shall come in the world, for the powers of heaven shall be shaken, &c." But of the new heaven and the new earth, and the resurrection of the dead to new life, how truly he f 2 44 fH« LIFE OF MERLIN, &C. spake according to the prophetical, evangelical, and apos- tolical traditions ; it is manifest, that he no way deviated or erred from the orthodoxal Christian faith; and so much doctor Alarms concerning the truth of his prophecies, with whom I conclude this first chapter. - »l ■■■IN ■■■«! mm 1 1. 1^1 CONTENTS OF CHAPTER SECOND. In whose reign Merlin was born. How the state of Bri- tain stood in those days, with dirers necessary Occurrences pertinent to the Story, THE better to illustrate this our history of Merlin, (the subject now in agitation) it is necessary that I shew you in what king's reign he was born; in what state the kingdom stood at that time; aid how our prophet came to be first known in court. He was born in the reign of king Vortigern, who, by usurpation, aspired to the crown; who, being a potent duke of the Britains after the death of Constantius, took his son Constantine out of a monastery (being a simple man and uncapable of so great a charge, and made him king) so that duke Vortigern, being a popular man, had the whole government of the land, and Constantine only the name of king, who, taking advan- tage of his sovereign's easy nature and mild disposition, cast in histhoughts how, by the death of his lord and master, to compass the crown to himself; and to accomplish his ambitious design, he placed as a guard about him an hun- dred Picts and Scots, whom he so bribed with continual gifts and rewards, that they feared not openly to say that Vortigern better deserved the emperial dignity than Con- stantine; in which interim, he got into his possession all the treasure, howsoever divers thereat grudged; and the strangers in hope to purchase his greater favour, took their opportunity to lay violent hands upon the king, and pre- sented his head to Yortigern, being then at London. Who, in his crocodile coming, and to blind the eyes of the Britains, to make them think he had no hand in his death, wept exceedingly, and made great shew of sorrow; and to express his great justice, caused all those honour- ed knights to be beheaded according to the laws of the kingdom, by which he was held both by the peers and 46 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, people innocent of the treason ; but those that had the guard- ianship of the king's two younger brothers, Aurelius and liter, the one sirnamed Ambrosius, the other Pendragon, fearing the power and potency of Vortigern, fled with them into little Britain, where they continued: yet it pleased God otherwise to dispose of them. Then was Vortigern, by a general and unanimous consent crowned king in the year of the incarnation of our blessed Saviour 44S ; but it was not long ere the Picts and Scots, having knowledge of tile death of their countrymen, invaded the land with great hostility, in so much that he was no way able to withstand their ma- lice and fury: in this great distress, retiring himself to Canterbury; news was brought him of their great ships, full of ammunition and armed men, landed in the isle of Tenet. At first he feared that they were the late king's brothers, Ambrose and Uter, who came to lay claim to the kingdom, but finding them to be strangers, he sent to know of what nation they were, and the purpose of their landing? who returned him answer, that they were Saxons, so called of a province in Germany; who came to seek adventures abroad ; and, since fortune had brought them into this land, they besought him to receive them into service, as being both ready and able to be his faithful soldiers, and to fight for him in the defence of his country against all foreign invaders, and their captains were two brothers, Hengist and Horsus. The king, in regard of his present necessity, which, much moved him to correspondency, was exceedingly glad of their liberal proffer, and accepted of them ; yet, sorry that they were miscreants, and of the pagan belief; for, as the Reverend JBede bath left recorded, with Gulielmus de Regibus. They, at that time, worshipped an idol or false god, called Woden, and a goddess named Fria, in the honour ot which god, they called one day of the week Woden's-day, which we term Wednesday; and another, in honour of the goddess Fria, Frisday, by us still continuing the name Friday. But, it followeth in the story, Vortimer, by the aid of these Saxons, having freed his land from all foreign enemies. Hengist, in reward for his former service, demanded of the king so much ground as the hide of a bull would compass; which request appeared to the king so reasonable, that he easily granted WITH HIS ITRANGB PROPHECIES, 47 it ; which skin, he caused to be cut into small and slender thongs, with which he measured a large circuit of earth, upon which he built a great and strong tort, which he called Thonge Castle, which standeth in the county of Linsey. When news arrived in Germany of the plenty and good- ness of this land, with all the commodities thereto belong- ing, they came hither in multitudes, covenanting with the Britains, that they should only intend : eir tillage and husbandry, and themselves would, as their soldiers, defend the land from all incursions and invasions, demanding for that service only competent means and wages ; in which interim, Hengist sent for sixteen sail more, well furnished with men, and all necessary provision. In which fleet came also his daughter Rowen, a beautiful lady ; concern- ing 1 whom, to cut off all circumstances, Hengist invited the king to his new castle, where his fair daughter gave him entertainment, with whose beauty he became so surprised, and perditely enamoured, that for her sake, he repudiated his lawful wife, by whom he had three noble sons, Vortimerus, Catagrinus, and Pascentius, to marry with this young Saxon lady ; and that he might enjoy her, gave to her father the dukedom or province of Kent, though Garagonus, then lord thereof, with divers other* ©f the British peers, thereat much grudged. For which, and many other honours and revenues conferred upon the Saxons, as also, that he left his own Christian consort, to many with an infidel, and that Hengist had sent for his son Octa to come over with a fresh supply of his countrymen. The lords of Britain, considering what dangers were likely to fall upon the land, assembled themselves, and coming to the king, laid open to him the inconvenience and peril which was likely to fall both upon himself and the kingdom, by the multitude and strength of these strangers, humblv beseech- ing him for their general security, to banish them all, or the greatest part of them, from the land. But the king was deaf of that ear, for the Saxons were in such favour with him, by reason of his beautiful young queen, that he preferred them before the love of his own wife, sons, sub- jects, kinsmen, and friends; wheretore, the Britains, witn one will and assent,* crowned his eldest son, Vortimer, king; depriving him of all regal dignity, when he had fully reigned (after the consent of the best historians) 16 years. 48 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, i A word or fwo by the way of our new king Vortimer, who, assisted by the resolute Brifains, in all haste, pursued the Saxons, and gave them a great battle upon the river Der- went, in which the Saxon's host was quite discomfited. He fought with them a second upon the ford called Epiford, or Aglisthorpe, in which fight Catrignus, the brother of Voriimer, and Horsus, the brother of Hengist, meeting in the battle, iought together a brave isombat, and slew each other, in which the Britains also were victors ; he gave them a third, near untothe sea-side, in which the Saxons were chaeed, and forced them to take the isle of Wight for their refuge ; and likewise, a fourth main battle upon Colemore, which was long and courageously maintained by the Saxons, by reason that they now closed a great part of their host so defensively, that the Britains could but with much difficulty approach them, for the danger of their shot; yet, in the end, they were routed, and many of them drowned and swallowed in the moor. And besides these four principal and main battles, he had divers other conflicts with them, one in Kent, another at Thetford in .Norfolk, a third in Essex, near unto Colchester, from all which fields, he departed a glorious victor; neither did he leave their pursuit, till he had deprived them of all their possessions in the land, save the isle of Tenet, which he continually assaulted with his navy by sea; which, when his step-mother, Rowen, saw, and how much her father, Hengist, with his Saxons, by his martial powers were distressed, she used such means that he was poisoned, after he had victoriously governed the kingdom for the space of seven years. All which time Yortigern, the father of the late dead Vor- timer, lived privately in Chester, where he so well demean- ed him towards the king, his son, by aiding him with his counsel and otherwise, that by the Britains' general as- sent, he was again restored to the kingdom. Hengist again pierced Hie land with a mighty host of his countrymen, which Vortigern, hearing, made towards him with his army of Britains. But Hengist, who had before tasted of their hardness and courage, made means of a treaty for peace, whence, lastly, it v»as concluded, that a certain number of Britains, arid as many Saxons should meet upon a May- day, weaponless, upon the plain oi Salisbury, on which pre- WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 49 fixed day, Hengist bethought him of a strange and per- fidious treason, charging all his Saxons, that every one should put a long knife in his hose, and when he gave this watch-word, Out with your Saxes, they should suddenly fall upon the unarmed Britains, and kill thern to one man; briefly, they met at the time and place appointed, where Hengist and his Saxons received him and his power with a countenance of peace and love; but they had not long spoken together when Hengist giving the watch- word. The Britains were basely and barbarously butchered, unless any by his manhood and strength wrest the knife from his ene- my, and defend himself: amongst the British lords was one Edolf earl of Chester, who (as Gunfride affirms) seeing his friends and fellows thus murdered, he found a stake by a. hedge lying on the ground, with which he not only saved his own life, but slew seventeen of the opposite side, and got safely into the city of Salisbury; after which treason executed, the king remained with Hengist as prisoner. Hengist by his treason, having thus gotten the upper hand, and retaining the king in his power and custody, he compelled him to give him three provinces in the east part of Britain, Kent, Sussex, Norfolk, and Suffolk, to which some add Essex, &c. of which being safely possessed, he suffered the king to go at large, sending for some other of his kinsmen to take possession of other provinces in the kingdom, crowning himself king of Kent, and from his own name, caused th : s realm to be called Hengist's land, or (as we now pronounce it) England. And the Saxons now spreading and quartering themselves in the best and most fertile soils of the land, as having the sovereignty over London, York, Lincoln, Winchester, with most of the principal cities in the realm. The Saxons still in- creasing in multitude and power, and the Britains daily decreasing, both in number and strength, Vortigern was forced to fly or retire himself into Wales, where {after some writers) thinking to fortify himself, he began to lay the foundation of a castle, calied Generon, or Gwayneren, on the west side of the river Grana, upon an hill called Cloaricus. But what success lie had in the building thereof, and how Merlin came first to be known to UMBER 11. G 50 THB LIFE OF MERLIN, &C. the king, with part of his prophecies, I will refer to thft subsequent chapter; giving withal, the intelligent peruser of this story, to better his knowledge, this item ; that without the laying open of the true passage of those times, (which I have as briefly as possible 1 could in the pre- mises) these our prophet's predictions, which now seem plain and easy, would have been much more intricate^ and hard to be understood. IBS CONTENTS OF CHAPTEit THIRD. By what miraculous acci- dent young Merlin came to be known to king Vortigern: of the combat betwixt the red and the white dragon, and his pro*, phecy thereof. WHEN Vortigern's architectures had caused the hill to be digged, and the foundation to be laid, on which, to erect this new structure, after the weak men had digged the circuit of the place, where the great stones were to be set in order, they were no sooner laid in the hollow of the earth, but they instantly sunk down, and wereswaU lowed lip, and no more seen. At which the workmen won- dered, and the king himself was much astonished, and the more proofs they made, the greater cause of admiration they had; especially the situation being upon an hill, and no moorish or uncertain ground. Therefore the king com- manded a cessation from the work for the present, and sent to the bards and wisards (of which that age afforded plen- ty) to know a reason of that prodigy, or at least what it might portend ; who, being gathered together, and long consulted amongst themselves, and not finding by any na- tural or supernatural reason, what the cause thereof might be, concluded in the end, to save their credit, and to excuse their ignorance, to put the king off with an impos- sibility ; and when he came to demand of them what they had done in the matter, they returned him this answer, that those stones could never be laid together, or the place built upon, till they were cemented with the blood of a man-child, who was born of a mother, but had no man to his father. With this answer the king was satisfied, the soothsayers departed from him (not meanly glad that they had put g 2 5S THE LIFE OF MERLIK, him off, according to our English word, with a flam or de*» liremen!) without any disparagement to their art and cun- ning, who no sooner left his presence, but the king called his servants about him, commanding them to ride and search into, and through all provinces and countries till they could find such a one as the wisards had spoken of, anti by fair or foul means to bring the party unto him, but not acquainting him with the cause, but that the king seeing such a one, would send him back richly and bountifully rewarded, Having received this commission (or rather im- position) from the king their master, we leave them to their several adventures, every one of them being sufficiently accommodated for so uncertain a journey. One of them amongst the rest happened to come to a town or city called Caer- Merlin, which implies Merlin's town or Merlin's borough, which there is no doubt the same which we call to this day Caermarthen, but my author terms it a city; at whose gates the messenger of the king' arriving, it happened that a great many young lads were sporting themselves without the walls; and of the company, two of them in earning fell out, the one young Merlin, the other called Dinabutius, who, amongst other breathing words, cast into Merlin's teeth, that he was but some moon- calf, as born of a mother, who knew not his father: the. servant taking notice of this language, presently demanded what he was, and who were his parents? who returned him answer, that for any father he had, they knew r none, but his mother was daughter to king Demetius, and lived a votaress in that city, in a nunnery belonging to the church of St. Peter: who presently went to the chief magistrates, and shewed his commission from the king, which they obeying, sent both the mother and son under his conduct,, to attend the pleasure of his Majesty. Of w hose coming the king was exceeding joyful, and when they appeared before him (both ignorant of the occa- sion why they were sent for) the king first asked her, if that were her natural son? who replyed that he was, and born of her own body; he then desired to know by what father he was begot ? to which she likewise answered, that she never had the society of any one mortal or human, only a spirit assuming the shape of a beautiful young man, had many times appeared unto her, seeming to court her with WITH MIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 53 no common affection, but when any of her fellow-virgins came in, he would suddenly disappear and vanish, by whose many and urgent importunities, befog at last over- come, I yielded, saith she, to his pleasure, an 1 was com- prest by him, ami when my full tune ofteeriifing came, I was delivered of this son (now in your presence) whom I caused to be called Merlin. Which words were uttered with such modesty and constancy, Considering withal the royalty of her birth, arid the strictness of the order (in which she now lived) that the king might the more easily be in- duced to believe that whatsoever she spoke was truth. When, casting his eye upon Merlin, he began to appre* hend strange promising things in his aspect, as having a quick and piercing eye, an ingenious and gracious coun- tenance, and in his youthful face a kind of austerity and supercilious gravity, which took in him such a deep im- presssion,that he thought his blood too noble to be mingled with the dust and rubbish of the earth, and therefore instead of sentencing him to death, and .commanding him to be slain, he opened unto htm the purpose he ha I to build this castle, and the strange and prodigious impediments, which hind red the work, then his assembly of the bards and wisards, and what answer they returned him of his de- mand, but bade him withal be of comfort, for he prized his life (being a christian ) above ten such citadels, though erected and perfected with all the cost and magnificence that human art or fancy could devise. To which words, Merlin (who had all this while stood silent and spoke not a word) thus replied, Royal Sir, blind were your bards, witless your wi sards, and silly and simple your soothsayers; who shewed themselves averse to art, and altogether unacquainted with the secrets of nature, as altogether ignorant, that in the breast of this hill lies a vast moat, or deep pool, which hath ingurgitated and swallowed all these materials thrown into the trenches. Therefore command them to be digged deeper, and you shall disco- ver the water in which your squared stones have been washed, and in the bottom of the lake you shall find two hollow rocks of stone, and in them two horrible dragons fast asleep: which having uttered, he with a low obeisance made to the king, left speaking. 54 TJSB LIFJE OF MERLIN, Who instantly commanded pioneers with pickaxes, mattocks, and shovels, to be sent for ; who were presently employed to dig the earth deep, where the pond was found, and all the water drained, so that the bottom thereof was left dry, then were discovered the two hollow rocks, which being opened, out of them issued two fierce and cruel dra- gons, the one red, the other white, and made betwixt them a violent and terrible conflict : but in the end the white dragon prevailed over the red. At which sight the king being greatly stupified and amazed, demanded of Merlin what this their combat might portend ? Who fetching a great sigh, and tears in abundance issuing from his eyes, with a prophetical spirit, made him this following answer: eir host, which was no small encouragement to the two brothers, Ambrosius Aurelius and Uter-Pendra- gon, who now finding their forces to be sufficiently able both in strength and number, made their speedy expedi- tion towards Wales, with purpose to distress Vortigern the usurper. Who having notice of their coming, and not able in regard of the paucity of his followers to give them battle, he made what provision he could for the strengthening of his castle, to endure a long siege, and to oppose the rage of any violent battery, till he might send for supply else- where. But «uch was the fury of the assailants, that after many fierce and dangerous attemps finding the walls and gates to be impregnable; casting into the castle balls of wild fire, with other incendiaries, they burnt him and his people alive, amongst whom not one escaped. Of him it is reported, that he should have carnal society with his own daughter, in hope that kings should issue from them; thus died he most miserably when he had reigned, since his last inauguration, nine years and some odd months. The explanation of the rest of his prophecy, I will leave to the chapter following, CONTENTS OF CHAPTER FOURTH, Merlin's former prophecy explained; with sundiy pro- digious acts done by hira to delight the king — His pro- phecy of the king's death, and bringing Stonehenge from Ire- land. OH have heard what the red and white dragons figured, namely, the British and Saxon people, we will now punctually examine the truth of his predictions in (he rest. The caverns, corners, mountains, and moor- ish places, express into what sundry distresses the natives w r ere driven into, by the merciless cruelty of the strangers; by the hills and valleys, shifting places, that there was no difference amongst the poor Britains, between the courtier and the cottager, the peer and the peasant; by the rivers flowing with blood, the many battles fought be- tween the two nations; and that in those days religion and the true worship of God **as supprest, happened under Hengist and Horsus, and their posterity. Octa the son of Hengist, who succeeded his father in the kingdom of Kent, Tosa, Pascentius, and (Jolgrinus, all pagans and \ princes of the Saxons. For when the Britains, from the time of Eleutherius, whom the Romists write was the fourteenth pope after the blessed St. Peter had received the Christian Faith under king Lucius, of glorious me- mory, and had continued it for many years unto that time. The Saxons, after coming into the land, being then miscreants, laboured by all means to suppress the same, and in the stead thereof, to plant their pagan idolatry, which they accomplished even to the coming of St. Augusting, sent hither by pope Gregory; in whose time again it began to flourish and get the upper hand, in the reign of An re! J us Ambrose, and his brother Uter-pendragon, (which is by interpretation the head of the dragon) wh@ WITH HI8 BTRANG18 PROPHECIES. 57 succeeded him. By the boar, which should come out of Cornwall, and tread upon the neck of the white dragon, is meant the invincible king Arthur, who vanquished the Saxons, and subdued them in many battles, and was a great maintainer and exalter of the true Christian religion. Of whose begetting and birth, in this our History of Merlin, we shall have occasion to speak hereafter. As Merlin was plentifully endued with the spirit of di- vination ; so, by some authors, it is affirmed of him, that he was skilful in dark and hidden arts, as magic, necroman- cy, and the like; and relate of him, that when king Vortigern lived solitary in his late erected castle, forsaken of the greatest part of his followers and friends, and quite sequestered from all kingly honours, he grew into a deep and dumpish melancholy, delighting only (if any delight can be taken therein) in solitude and want of company. To expel which sad fits from him, which might be dan- gerous to impair his health, he would devise for his recreation and disport, many pleasant fancies to beget mirth, and sometimes laughter, by solacing his ear with several strains of music, both courtly and rural; the sound heard, but the persons not seen, as with the harp, bag- pipes, cymbal, andtabret; and sometimes again with the lute, orphorian, viol, sackbut, cornet and organs. Then, to recreate his eyes, he would present him with stately masks and anti-masks; and again, for variety sake, with rustick dances, presented by s wines and shepherdesses. And when these grew stale or tedious to his eye or ear, he would take him up into the top of one of his turrets, whereon he should see eagles and hawks fly after sundry games, and what fowl the king liked, they would strike it into his lap, to add to his slender provision for dinner and supper, which gave the king no small contentment. Sometimes he would have an hare or hart, huntedand cha- sed by a pack of dogs in the air, the game flying, the hounds, with open and audible mouths, pursuing, with huntsmen winding their horns, and following the chase with all theftindents and turnings, losses and recoveries; the cham- paign plains, the woods, and coverts, appearing as visible and natural as if the sport had been upou tlie firm and solid earth. H 58 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, Upon a lime, being in the king's Summer parlour, who was desirous to be partaker of some novelty which he had never seen; there instantly appeared upon the table a pair of buts and whites in the middle to shoot at, where sudden- ly came in six dapper, and pert fellows like archers, in stature not above a toot high, and all other members ac- cordingly proportioned, their bows were of the side bones of an overgrown pike ; their strings of a small slivy silk, no bigger than the thread of a cobweb, their arrows less than pick-tooths, feathered with the wings of small ilies, and headed with the points of Spanish needles, who made a show as if they were to shoot a match three to three, and roundly they went about it. In the middle of their game, there was a shot which rested doubtful ; which, as it appeared, the gamesters could not well decide. Then, Merlin called to one of the servants (who had somewhat a big nose) and stood by, and bade him measure to the mark, and give it to the best; to which, while he stooped, and inclined his face, the better to impire the matter, one of the pigmy archers, who had an arrow to shoot, delivered it from his bow, and shot him quite through the nose, at which he started, and the king- heartily laughed ; (for there was no room to be seen) and the buts with the archers together disappeared. But when Merlin knew the king's fate to draw flight and not willing to partake in his disaster, he fained occasions abroad, and though, with much difficulty, had at length leave to depart, leaving behind him a paper which he put into the king's closet, where, upon occassicn, he might easily find, and read this ensuing prophecy. u Fly from these fatall severall fires o King, ^Yhish from less Britain the two exiles bring : Now are their ships a rigging, now forsake, Th' Armoricke shoares, and towards J/6/ow make, To avenge their murdered brothers bloud on thee, In Tofnesse road to morrow they will bee, The Saxon Princes shall contend in vain, % For young AureLius having fjengi&t slain, Shall peaceably possesse the British throne, Striving the opposite Nations to attone. lie the true faith shall seek to advance on higb^ WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 59 t But in the quest thereof, by poyson die, The Dragons head, his brother shall succeed, And after many a brave heroick deed, By him perform'd, the fates shall strive to waft, llissoule ore Styx, by a like poysnoUs draught, But those who sent them to th' EUzian bower, His sonne the Bore of Qornvcalt shall devourc."* This history needs no comment, being so plain in it- self by the success thereof; only this much, let me intrcat the reader to bear in memory, that that Arthur, figured under the name of Aper Cornubiae, that is, the Boar of Cornwall, was son to Uter-pendragon, here called the head of the Dragon. Amongst many brave heroical acts done by this Anre!- ius Ambrose; after the death of Vortigern, he maintained the middle part of the kingdom of Britain, with all Cam- bria and Wales, endeavouring to repair all the ruined places in the land, as forts, castles, and citadels, but especially the temples which were much defaced by the pagan idolaters, and caused divine service to be every where said in them, and after that, encountered the Saxons in the hill of Baden or Badove, where he slew many of them, and utterly routed their whole army. After which de- feat, another Saxon prince named Porthe, with his two sons, landed at an Haven in Sussex, after whom, as some authors affirms, the place is called Portsmouth unto this day, others landed also in s< veral parts of the kingdom, so that Aurelius had with them many conflicts and battles, in which he sped diversly, being for the most part conqueror, and yet } at some times, repulsed and over- set. Our English chronicles, and others say, that he, by the help of Llerlin, caused the great stones which stand till this day on the plain of Salisbury, to be brought in a whirl-wind one night out of Ireland, and caused them to be placed where they now stand in remembrance of the British lords there slain, and after buried in the time of the h 2 Observe. All the prophecies are here inserted in their original orthography. 60 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, &C. pretended treaty and communication had betwixt Vortigern and Hengist, as it formerly touched, but Polychronicon and others, ascribe the honour of their transportage to his brother, Uter-pendragon, at whose request to Merlin, that miraculous conveyance was performed; which, if by art he was able to do, no question to be made of the truth of those former prestigious feats, in this chapter before remem- bered. •BE ■ ■ ■ H i ■ CONTENTS OF CHAPTER FIFTH. Uter-pendragon succeedeth his brother Aurelius, he is ena- moured of Igerna, wife of the duke of Cornwall, whom, by the art of Merlin, he enjoys; of whom he begot king Arthur the Worthy — Merlin's pro- phecy of him before his birth. AURELIUS AMBROSE, in the prime of his age and honour, being taken away by poison, his brother, Uter-pendragon, by the general suffrage both of the clergy, peers, and people, was made king; who, pursuing his brother's former victories, gave the Saxons many battles, in which he came off with great honour and victory, as awing them so far that they durst not once approach his confines and territories. Afterwards he began to repair the decayed and ruinated churches, and to provide that God should be carefully worshipped, re- storing to his people all those goods and possessions, which by the enemy had been extorted from them. And after- wards, having slain Pascentius the son of Hengist in battle, with Guiilamorc king of Ireland, who came to his assistance, who had with great tyranny afflicted his subjects of the north with fire, sword, and sundry direp- tions and spoils ; and having taken Octa, (who was also the son of Hengist) and Cosa his nephew, and put them in prison. He made a great solemnity at the feast of easter, to which he invited all his nobility and gentry with their wives and daughters, to gratulate with him his former victories. Among the rest of his peers, was then present Gorlais, duke of Cornwall, with his most beau- tiful Igerna, who was held to be the prime paramont of the whole English nation. With whose beauty and demeanor, the king was so infinitely taken, that all other his most necessary affairs neglected, he could not restrain or bridle his extraordinary 62 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, affection, but he must needs court and kiss her openly in the presence of her husband, at which he incensed with the rage of jealousy, presently, without any leave taken of the king, or the rest of his fellow peers, rose from the table, and taking his wife with him along, by no persua- sion could be moved to stay, but instantly posted with her into his country, which the king (being perditely ena- moured of his lady) took in such ill part, that he sent for them back, pretending they must use his council in matters of state, to make his speedy return* But he more prizing his lady than all his other fortunes (whether favourable or disastrous) which way soever they should happen, dis- obeyed the king's command, with a peremptorily answer, That he would not come. At which, the king more in- raged, serit him word, that if he persisted in his obsti- nacy, he would invade his dukedom and beat his towers and turrets (to which he trusted) about his ears, but vain were his, menaces, for loath to loose so sweet a bed-fellow, he set the king at public defiance. To chastise whose pride, (as he pretended) Uter-pen- dragon gathered a strong army, and invaded his country with fire and sword, but Gorlais, perceiving himself unable to oppose so potent a prince, attended with such multitudes of experienced and tried soldiers, he betook himself to a strong castle, then called Dimilioch; and there fortified himself, daily expecting forces from Ire- land ; but because he would not hazard all his estate in one bottom; he, like a wise merchant, sent his wife to another impregnable fort called Tindagol, being round environed with the sea; and one way leading into it, which, three men elbowing one another, could not pass at once. A few days being past in the besieging of that former castle, which the duke maintained against him, he grew still the more besotted with the love of the lady, insomuch that he could neither enter nor escape. At length he uttered the impatience of his affection to one, whom he had amongst many others, chosen for his familiar friend, whose name was Ulphin of Caer-Caradoc; who, when he had truly pondered the whole that the king had delivered unto him, he returned him answer, that he could perceive small hope for the king to attain his amourous ends, in regard that the fort in which she resided, by reason of the WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIBS. 63 situation of the place (munified both by art and nature) was altogether inaccessible. For three armed men(so straight was the passage) might keep out his whole army ; one refuge only remained, that if the prophet Merlin, who was then in the army, would undertake the business, it might be accomplished, but otherwise not. The king, being attentive to his language, presently- caused Merlin to be sent for, and told him, how ardently he was atfected to the countess, without enjoying whoso person he was not able to subsist alive ; aggravating the trouble and perplexity of his mind, with much paleness in his face, many deep suspires and extraordinary passion; which Merlin commiserating, he told his majesty, that to compass a thing so difficult as that was, being but a little degree from impossibility, he must make proof of art mystical and unknown, by which he would undertake by such unctions and medicaments as he would apply, to meta- morphose his highness into the true figure and resemblance of duke Gorlais; his friend Ulphia into Jordan of Tinte- gell, his familiar companion and counsellor; and himself would make the third in the adventure, changing himself into Bricel, a servant that waited of him in his chamber; and they three, thus disguised, would in the twilight of the evening, whilst the duke in one place was busied in the defence of his castle against the assailants, command their entrance into the other fort in the name and person of thedake, where they should be undoubtedly received. This prestigious plot much pleased the king, who, impatient of delay, gave order to his chief captains and commanders concerning the siege, excusing to them his absence for some certain hours. He, in the mean time, the same night, committed himself to the charge and art of Merlin ; who, disguised as aforesaid, knocked at the gates of Tindagol, to whom the porter (thinking he had heard his lord's voice demanding entrance) instantly opened the gate, and meeting him with Ulphin and Merlin, taking them for Jordan and Bricel ; so that the king was pre- sently conducted to the chamber of Igerna ; who gladly and lovingly received him as her lord and husband, where he was bountifully feasted, and bedding with her, he ireely enjoyed her most loving embraces to the lull sa- 64 TIIE LIFE OF MERLIN, tiating of his amorous desires, where betwixt them, that night, was begot the noble prince Arthur; who, for his brave facinorous, and high and heroical achievements, made his name glorious and venerable through the face of the whole earth. Of whom, Merlin, long before his begetting or birlh, thus prophesied. M The Cornish Bore shall fill with his devotion, The Christian World: the Islands of the Ocean, He shall subdue: the Flower de Lyces plant, In his own Garden, and prove Paramant, The two-neekt Roman Eagle bee shall make To flag her plumes, and her faint feathers quake. Pagans shal strive in vain to bend or break him, Who shall be meat to all the mouths that speake him, Yet shall his end be doubtfull: Him six Kings Shall orderly succeed, but when their wings Are dipt by death, a German Worme shall rise Who shall the British State anatomise. Him, shall a Sea- Wolfe waited on by Woods From Ajricke brought to passe Saint Georges floods Advance on high: then shall Religion faile, And then shall Londorts Clergie honour vaile To Dorobcrnia: he that seventy shall sit In th' Eboracensick Sea; he fore'd to Hit Into Armor ica: filenevia sad Shall with the Legion Cities Pall be clad, And they that in thilk days shall live, may see That all these changes in the Kirke shall bee." But before I come to the opening of this prophecy, which to the ignorant may appear rather a rhyming riddle. Then, to be grounded on truth or reason, it is necessary that 1 look back to where 1 late left, and proceed with the history which thus followeth : The king more ecstasied in the embraces of his sweet and desired bedfellow, his soldiers, without any commission by him granted, made a strange and terrible assault upon the other fort, in which Gortats was besieged; who, being of a high and haughty spirit, scorning to be long immured, and coped up without making some expression of his magnanimity and valour, issued out of the castle, and with great rage and resolution sat upon the camp, in hopes, with his handful of men, to have dibiodged and routed a multitude, but it fell out far WITH HIS STIIANCE PROPHECIES. 65 contrary to Iris expectation, for in the hctest brunt of the first encounter, he himself was slain, and all his soldiers without mercy offered, or quarter given, most cruelly put to the sword; the castle entered and seized; and the spoil divided amongst the soldiers. Early in the morning before the king or the countess were ready in their wearing habits and ornaments, some of the besieged who had escaped the massacre, bounced at the gates of Tindagol, and, being known io be of the duke's party, were received ; who told the porter and the rest, that they brought heavy news along, which they must first deliver to their lady; of which, she having notice, and knowing they came from that castle, caused them to be admitted into her presence, and demanding of them what news ; they made answer : the tidings they brought wa* sad and disastrous, That the fort was, the preceding night, robustuously assaulted by ihe enemy, whom the duke, her husband, valiantly encountered without the gates, that all their fellow-soldiers were put to the sword, the castle taken and rifled, and that the general, her lord and husband, by his over hardness, was the first man slain in the conflict. At the relation of the first part of their news she seemed wonderously disconsolate and dejected, but, casting -her eyes upon the king, she was again somewhat solaced in the safety of her husband* They, also, when they saw the king, taking him for the duke, their general, began to blush at their report of his death, being wonderously astonished, that him, whom, to their thinking, they had left wounded and breathless in the field, they now sec living and in health, amusing withal that they posting thither with so much speed would arrive thither before them, being altogether ignorant of the admirable transformation that Merlin's art had wrought upon them. In this anxiety and diversity of thoughts, the king more glad of the duke's fate than the rifling of his fort; thus bespoke to the duchess, Most beautiful, and my best beloved Igerna, I am not as these report dead, but as thou seest, yet alive; but much grieved both for the sur- prisal of my castle, and the slaughter of my soldiers; upon which victory, it may be feared, that the king, animated by his late success, may raise his army thence., and en- i THE LIFE OF MERLIN, &C. r danger us here in our fort of Tindagol; therefore, my best and safest course is to leave this place for the present, and to submit myself to the king in his camp; of whose acceptance and grace I make no question, as knowing him to be of a disposition flexible and merciful; then be you of comfort, for in a few hours you may expect to hear from me, "with aii things answerable to your desires and wishes. With which words, Igerna was much pleased and fully satisfied. So, with a loving kiss, they parted, she to her chamber, and he, with his two followers, towards the camp ; who, no sooner from the sight of the citadel, but Merlin began to uncharm and dissolve his former incantations and spells, so that the king was no more Gorlais, but Uter-pendragon, and his friend ceased to be Jordan of Tindagol, but Ulphia of Caer-Caradoc; and the mage who bad made this transformation, left the shape of Bricel, and turned again to be Merlin. And the king being now arrived at his army, first caused the body of Gorlais to be searched for amongst the slain soldiers; afterwards to be em- balmed and honourably interred; and first, acquaint- ing Igerna by letters, with all the former passages, how thev stood, and how much he had hazarded his person for the fruition of hei love, he invited her to her lord's funeral, at which the king and she both mourned j but after the celebration thereof ended, he, the second time, courted her, and in a few days made her his queen of a duchess ; by whom he had Arthur and Anna; by which match, the fame of Merlin spread far abroad ; the expia- tion of whose former prophecy, I leave to the following chapter* aas sc tnaii Ti i '-rnit- i ■"* i f*»" " in < m ''■:■'-•' n ■ I I I wajti^W' « Til '■ -7W *J** CONTENTS OF CHAPTER SIXTH. Merlin's former prophecy laiade plain concerning king Arthur, with sundry other oc- currences pertinent to the English history. ARTHUR, the son of Uther-pendragon and Igerna, succeeded his father in the principality; therefore, called the Boar of Cornwall, because begot and born in. that country, and of a Cornish duchess. He was'a great planter and supporter of religion and the Christian faith, for so all our British chronologers report of him. His con- guests were many, and some of thern miraculous. By the Islands of the Ocean are meant Ireland, Iceland, Scotland, and the Orcades, Goatland, Norway, and Dacia, all which are called Provincial Islands, which he brought under the obedience of his sceptre. By the planting of the Flower de JLyces in his own garden, is likewise intended his con- quest of France, with sundry other appendant provinces, as Flanders, Poland, Burgundy, Aquitaine, Andegavia, and Normandy; all which, with divers others, paid him an annual tribute, and of which countries, for their Ion^ and faithful services, he gave the earldom of Andegavia to Gaius his taster, and the dukedom of Normandy to Bed- verus his cup-bearer ; in memory of whose regal bounty, it grew to a custom for the kings of France to make their tasters and cup-bearers, earls and dukes of Andegavia and Normandy. By his pluming and shaking off the eagle's feat her s 9 was his great victories over the Romans foretold ; who, when their prince Lucius with ten other kings, in- vaded this his land of Britain, with a numberless army of i 2 68 THE LIFE OF MEItLIN, soldiers, the most of them he slew, acquitting the tribute paid to Rome since the time of Julius Csesar, and those who survived, he made hisfeodaries and vassals, by which he got the sovereignty over many provinces before subju- gate to tlie Roman empire, sending the dead body of their emperor back to Rome, to be interred there. Next, where it is said, His name shall be as meat to all those mouths that shall speak of his noble and notable achievements, by which nootherthing is meant, but that the very relation cf his brave guests shall be a refreshing; and delight to all such as shall either read them or hear them with much pleasure by others reported, whose very begetting, conception, and birth, carry with them the novelty of a miracle. And where it is further said, that his end shall be doubtful ; he that shall make question of the truth of Merlin's prophecy in that point (let him to this day) but travel into Armorica or Little Britain, and in many of their cities, proclaim in their streets, That Arthur expired after the common and ordinary manner of men ; most sure, he shall have a bitter and railing language aspert upon him, if he escape a tempestuous shower of stones and brick-bats, 1 he six Icings that succeeded him in order, were Conslan- tinus, the eldest son of Cador duke of Cornwall, (and Ar- thur's cousin-german) the second was Constantinus 5 bro- ther; the third Conanus Aurelius their nephew; the fourth Vorliporius: the fifth Malgo; the sixth Caretius; for, when Arthur in that great battle which he fought against his cousin the arch-traitor Mordred, whom he slew, being himself mortally wounded, and therefore had retired him- self unto the vale of Avalan, in hope to be cured of his hurts; before his death, (and the manner of which is un- certain) he sent for his cousin Constantine, before-named, {a man of approved virtue, and expert in all martial dis- cipline) and made him king, against whom, the Saxons, assisted by the two sons of Mordred, assembled them- selves, who, having defeated them in sundry battles, the elder son of Mordred, who had for his refuge fortified Winchester, he took in the church of St, Amphibalus, (whither he had fled for sanctuary) and slew him before the altar: the younger he fouud hid in a monastery in Lon- don, whom he likewise caused to be slain; this happened in the 543rd year of the incarnation of our blessed Saviour; WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 69 but in the third year after he was perfidiously betrayed to death by the practice of his nephew; Conanus Aurelius, and his body was royally interred in mount Ambria near unto Uter-pendragon. Then reigned his brother, whom Conanus suffered not to rest one hour in peace, till he had incarcerated him, and in the same year usurped the diadem ; a young man of excellent parts and noble carriage, had he not been tainted with ambition, the love of civil wars and parrici- dial impiety, having slain one of his uncles, imprisoned the other, and killed his two sons to attain to the regal sovereignty, which not long he enjoyed, for in the next year he expired. Whom succeeded ^ortiporius, against whom the Saxons made a new insurrection, and by whom they were utterly subverted, by which he became ab- solute monarch of this island ; but, after four years, yielded his body to the earth, and left his crown to Malgo, who was invested in the year of grace, after some authors, 581. This prince was strong in body, fortunate in arms, and of larger size and stature than any of his predecessors, who was a great suppressor of usurpers and tyrants, for he not only enjoyed this kingdom entire, but conquered by his sword all the six provincial islands. Of w 7 hom it is reported, that he was the fairest of all the British nation, but those excellent gifts of nature he shamefully abused, as being much addicted to sodomy £ and as he was a proditor of other's chastities, he was also prodigal of his own ; after whose death, in the year 586, Garetius was instituted on the throne, a prince hateful to good men, and incendiary of civil and domestic combustions, an exiier of his nobles, a slayer of his citizens, a robber of the rich, a suppressor of the poor, and indeed, subject to all the vices can be named. By the German Worm and the Sea Wolf waited on by Woods, brought from Africa , through St. George's channel^ which shall support him; our prophet would have us to know, that the Saxons are comprehended in the Worm; and in the Wolf, Gormundus king of Africa, who, in the time of this Garetius, came with a mighty navy upon the British seas; first, with 360,000 soldiers, who 70 TTCR LIFE 6* MBRLW, ' i first invaded Ireland, and made great spoil of the country, and from thence he was invited by the Saxons to assist them against the British nation; to which, he Assented, invaded the kingdom with fire and sword, committing many direptions and outrages, chasing the king from place to place, and from city to city, till he was in the end forced to fly to Wales, wherethey shut him up; and by this means, the German Worm, by the means of this Sea Wolf, had the upper hand on the red Dragon. Whilst these things were thus in agitation, there came to this great general of the Africans, from the transmarine parts of Gallia, one Isimbardus, nephew to Lewis the French king, who com- plained unto him that his uncle, against all justice, kept his rights from him, imploring his aid for the recovery thereof, promising him great rewards, in pledge w Here- of, like a wretched Apostata, he renounced his faith and Christianity, of which proffer Gormundus accepted, and made his speedy expedition towards France. But the miscreant Isimbardus, failed of his purpose, and was justly punished by the hand of God for his apos- tacj; for attheir landing at the port of St. Waleric, a young gentleman called Hugo, son to Robert, earl of the Mount, having received an affront from this Isimbard, challenged him to a single duel, who entertaining the challenge, was, by the aforesaid king, left dead in the field, and the French setting upon the host of the pagans, gave them a great discomfiture, insomuch that of all that infinite number, scarce any were left to bear the tidings of their disaster into their country, but either perished by the sword, or were drowned in the ocean. In which time, saith the prophet, religion shall fail, which happened when this Gormundus with the Saxons rioted and made havock in this island, suppressing religious houses, and ruinating churches, so that scarce a christian native durst shew his head, but he was subject to persecution and torture. But it follows in the prophecy, that the honour of Lon* don's clergy shall give place to Dorobernia or Canterbury, that the seventh who sat in the Eboracensian see, which is the arch-bishoprick of York, shall be compelled to fit/ into Armorica or Little Britain, and that Menevia shall be adorned with the pall that belonged to the city of Le* WITM Kit STRAHGl PltOPHBCIE*. fl gions. Give me leave to use a little circumstance in th* explaining of these, that finding the truth of his predic- tions by the success, the reader may be more easily indu- ced to give credit unto the rest, in which I shall strive (though plain) to be brief; The three prime seats or sees, were the three arch- bishopricks, which were London, Y'ork, and the city of Legions. Now, note, how punctually he comes to the purpose; the dignity of London's metropoiitanship was transferred to Canterbury by St. Augustine, whom pope Gregory sent hither with others to preach the gospel, who also gave the primacy of the city of Legions to Menevia, a city of Wales, situate near to the Demetical see, but the city of Legions stands upon the river Osca, not far from the Severn sea, which was first erected by king Belinus, whose valiant brother Brennus, being general of the Senon Galls, after many honourable exploits and glorious victo- ries by him achieved, assaul «\d the famous city of Rome, took, sacked, and spoiled it in the days of Ahasuerus and Esther; Gabinus and Porsenna, being consuls, the first of whom he slew in battle, and the other took prisoner, &€• By the arch-bishop of York, the seventh inaugurated into that see, who should be compelled to seek shelter in Little Britain, is intimated Samson, then resident ; who, in that great prosecution made by the Africans and Saxons, with six of his brothers, all clergymen, and of great sanc- tity of life, fled into Little Britain, and there established his metropolitan chathedral. The rest of his six brothers, whose names were Melanius, Matutus, Maclovius, Pabu- taus, Paternus and Waslovius, being all divines, were made the rectors of other churches, and became, in a short time, to be capable of episcopal dignities ; which seven bro- thers, not only the natives of the country, but all the bordering provinces, call the seven saints of Britain (meaning the less Britain) even to this day, now let it be held any deviation or digression from the subject now in hand. If I borrow so much patience of the reader to ac- quaint him with a strange and almost miraculous story or legend, by what accident, or rather divine providence these seven holy and devout brothers, were by the mutual congress of two noble parents, (the father and mother) 72 THE LIFE OP MERLIN, &C. begot and conceived in one womb, and after mature time of teeming, delivered into the world at one day. Bat because 1 am loath to swell the pages of this chapter beyond the limits of the former, I will refer the relati- on thereof unto that next ensuing. ■ y »» w *O I .M l " I* ■qB CONTENTS OF CHAPTER SEVENTH. Of the conception and birth of these seven pious and religi- gious brothers ; and being sent to death, how preserved, edu- cated, and doctrinated. — With a continuance of Merlin's prophecies and their explana- tion. THE Legend reports, that their mother being a noble and chaste matron; but in herfeminine ignorance, not acquainted with the ^accidents belonging to other women, conceived a strange opinion; from which she could not be removed, that it was not possible for any of that sex to conceive more than one at once, unless she had the con- society of so many several men as she brought forth chil- dren, insomuch that she vilified and disreputed; holding all those no better than adulteresses and prostitutes, who were delivered of twins, or a more numerous issue. But the God of all flesh, and the Creator of nature, being also the searcher of hearts, and a justifier of all innocence, (to convert this lady from her erroneous belief, and to clear these unjust aspersions with which she had branded other chaste and fruitful wombs) so, by his providence ordained, that by her sole lord and husband, she, at one congression, was conceived of seven sons, and delivered of them at one time, being within the compass of one day. Which she seing, and much amazed at the prodigious novelty of such an unexpected issue, and now favouring by a reciprocal retribution these accusations and suspi- cions, which she had so often cast upon other good women, might be thrown upon her in a desperate way. Thereby, thinking to save her reputation (which she thought hazar- ded at least, if not quite lost) she consulted with the mid- 74 THE LITE OF MERLIN, wife and one of her most trusty maids, (having hired them for that purpose) to take the young sprawling infants, and either to kill them or cast them into the next river; for which purpose, as they were hastening, and carrying them in Utile baskets, it pleased the higher powers, that a grave and reverend bishop met them upon the way ; and, as he passed by the women, he heard the infants crying and moaning, winch he imagined was to implore his help and aid; therefore, he stopped them, and would needs see what they carried In their laps concealed, which they (as loath to betray their lady's secrets) unwilling to shew, he grew the more suspicious, and compelled them, having some servants then about him, to dissover what was hid in their baskets; which, being opened, the babes all living, seemed to rejoice at his sight, and smile in his face, with which he was much delighted. Then, more strictly examining them, for what purpose they carried them in that manner, and threatening them with the severity of the law, if they told him not the truth ; they, knowing the power and authority of the church, and danger of ecclesiastical censure, and that their attempt de- served (if not execution) yet excommunication at the le st, concealed no part of the truth, but earnestly solicited him, whatsoever became of them, to have care of their lady's honour. The pious and charitable prelate, having been before himself of her perverse opinion; and now, seeing how justly the Creator of all things had dealt with her, and to what desperation she was brought, by think- ing to save a poor credit in this life, by the murder of so hopeful an issue, to forfeit all the hopes she had in the world to come; he dismissed the bearers without any furiher trouble, adjuring them to tell their lady, that they had drowned the young infants according to her com- mandment (of which, he himself would take charge, and adopt them tor his own) and causing them to be borne to his palace, and aff.r to the church; he him- self baptized them, and gave them their names as aforesaid, then sent for nurses, and commanded that they should be carefully educated ; and when they came to any under- standing', he sent them to school, and caused them to be instructed in all the seven liberal arts, (for he tound them to be of pregnant and capable apprehensions) who afterward* WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 75 by his means, came to be preferred to church promotions, and afterwards to episcopal dignities. I now proceed to Merlin's next prophecy, which thus followeth : " The Heavens in stead of water, bloud shall showre, And famine shall both young and old devoure: Droop and be sad shall the red Dragon then, But after mickle time be blithe agon, And now the Serpent that was white before, Shall have his silver scales, all drencht in gore. Seven scepter-bearing Kings in field shall die, One of whose Sainted soules shall pierce the skie, Kept shall the babes bee from their Mothers wombes: And soone as climbe on earth, grope from their Tombes. All by a brazen man shall come to passe, Who likewise mounted on his Steed of brasse, Both night and day will Londons prime Gate keep, Whether the carlesse people wake or sleep." Whosoever shall read Matthew of Westminster, our ancient English chronologer, page 29, shall tind that in the days of Cadwallo, king of this island, the 13th after Brute; that for three days together, blood dropped from the clouds, after which, came a great swarm of infectious flies, by whose bitings or stingings, there was great mortality in this land, and by the shower of bloody is further intimated, the great effusion of British blood, sometimes by public hos- tility, sometimes by civil and domestic enmity, profusely wasted; insomuch, that the earth appeared, as if blood had been poured down from the heavens; after which, by the barrenness of the earth, followed so great a famine, that nothing was found for the people to feed on, but the roots of m ithered herbs and grass, and such flesh as they could catch by hunting. No wonder then, if this made the British nation (figured under the red dragon) greatly to droop; which, after much sufferance and labour, was restored to his pristine state and dignity. For Cadwallo, who was kin^ anno salutis 633, after many horrid crosses and disasters, exile, expulsion from this kingdom, and the loss of his whole inheritance, was forced, with a few of his followers that remained of his many legions, to retire into Little k 2 ,76 SHE LIFE OF MERLIN, Britain, io his cousin, king Salomon, who courteously received him, where he wintered; and in the spring, when kings go customably out to war, he furnished him with an army of 10,000 able men, when, having ship- ped them safely, and prosperously arrived in this his own native and hereditary provinces. And, hearing that Paeanda king of Mercia (or middle England) had besieged in Exeter his cousin Briant, with those poor remainder of the Britons which he had left behind, dividing his sol- diers into several squadrons, not only removed the siege, but took the king prisoner, who, having given him suffi- cient hostages for his truth and fidelity, gave him also his only daughter to wife, so that he became the father in law 3 who made him general of his army. After which, Cadwallo, calling all his exiled subjects (dispersed abroad in several provinces) into the kingdom, lie raised a competent army, and invaded Northumberland with fire and sword, of which, Edwinus was then king ; who, assembling to his aid all the Reguli, (or less kings) gave him a strong encounter, in which his whole army was discomfited, and himself slain in the field; whom succeeded is son Affricus, assisted by Chaldodus, duke of the Orcades, (whom Matthew of Westminster, calls Off-- ridus and Gothaldus) now Cadwallo, not contented with his former victories, gathered his whole forces together against Offricus, whom he also slew in battle, with his two nephews, and Cadamus the Scot's king, who came to take part with the Northumbers. Which done, he past through all the kingdom, being so maliciously and cruelly bent against the Saxons, that he neither spared age nor ssx, killing the old, and young infants new born, and those that never saw the sun in their mother's wombs, purposing utterly to extirpate and root out all the Saxson nation : thus you see, tlie red Dragon, (namely, the British nation) after much dejection exalted, and the scales of the white Serpent (the Saxons) stained in sanguine tincture y by so general a massacre. It folio wetli, seven sceptre-bearing kings shall be slain in the field, of which one of them shall be sainted: now, these seven kings slain by Cadwallo and his father-in-law Piieanda, were Edwinus, his son Offricus, and Oswaldus, WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 77 (the saint spoken of) which were the three kings of Northumberland; Segebartus, Egricus , and Anna, who reigned over the orientalBritons, and Cadamus the Scotch king: concerning which Oswaldus, his sanctity and other pious virtues, the ancient chronicles write largely, (as also the lords of those times) many panegyricks in his praise, which would be too tedious hereto insert, yet some particu- lars of him, howsoever credible or no, 1 thought fit to re- member: it was said of him, that when Aldanus, bishop of Scotland (whose language neither he nor any of his Saxons understood) did at any time preach before him and his people, he would put upon him a royal garment, worn only on solemn festival days, and whether by virtue of that, or by divine rapture, he would deliver all that ser- mon, word for word, to his countrymen, in their proper and modern language. He was also so temperate in his own diet, and withal, so liberal to the poor, that when he had guests at his table, he would not only spare from his own stomach, but if he saw any of them gormandize, or feed more than became them, he would bid them eat more sparingly, and to remember those hungry bellies at the gate, which attended the reversion and fragments from his board and bounty. This reverend bishop Aldanus, being feasted by him on an Easter day, the king commanded a great silver charger filled with the best meats at his table, to be carried to the beggars at his gate; and, when they had eaten the meat, and sold the dish, and equally divided it amongst them, which the bishop seing,said aloud, Live that liberal hand ! O ! may it always live and never taste of corruption, which (if we will believe the .Roman Legend) proved ac- cording to his prophetical acclamation; for many years after his death, when his tomb was searched, and all the rest of his body, according to the common course of na- ture, was putrified and turned to dust, that hand and arm alone were preserved from corruption and rottenness, and remained as entire flesh, blood, veins, and arteries, as when he was interred. It followeth in the history, six of these before-named kings, being slain in several conflicts, Cadwallo, whose high spirit was irreconcileable towards the Saxons, pursued this Oswald from province to province, chasing him even 78 *HE LIFE OF MERLIN, &C. to the wall which Severus the Roman emperor built, to part and divide the two kingdoms of Britain and Scotland, and then sent his general and father-in-law, Paeana, to give him battle at a place called Hed-field, or Holy-camps, in which, by the prayers of this Oswaldus, the Britons' host was quite discomfited; of which defeat, when king Cadwallo understood, he gathered a fresh army, and gave him a second battle at a place called Bourne, in which Oswaldus and his army were wholly routed, and himself died la- mented in his own pious blood, for whose charity and sanctity, he was afterwards canonized, and remaineth to this day one of the saints blessed in our Calendar, whose death happened in the year of our Saviour 644, which im- proved that part of Merlin's prophecies, Seven kings shall hi slain, one of which shall be sainted. By the brazen man, mounted upon a steed of brass, who is said to do all these, is antonomastiee meant king Cadwallo; to honour whom, after his death, for bis many brave victories, and expelling the Saxons out of the land, the peers and people caused his statue, at his full size and proportion to be cast in brass, sitting- also upon an horse of brass, in whose buckler they intombed his embalmed body, and after set it upon the prime gate of the city of London, (it being a piece of admirable art and pulchri- tude) and near the same, in further memory of him, built a church, dedicated to St. Martin, therefore saith the prophet, The brazen horse and man shall watch the gate whether the people wake or sleep, which continued for many years afterwards. CONTENTS OF CHAPTER EIGHTH. He prophesieth of the civil wars that shall be in Britain in the time of Cadwallo, and of the great dearth and desolation in the reign of Cadwallader.— . Of the Saxons exalting them- selves, and of the first coming ib of the Danes into this land. AS Merlin, in all his prophecies, aimeth at a continued history of the main passages in this isle of Britain. So, 1 also desire to observe a concordance of times, least the neglect of either, might breed a confusion in both, as shall be made good in the sequel. His prophecy follow- eth; 4i The crimson Dragon with his own fierce pawes Shall teare his proper bowels Against the Laws: Of wholesome Nature, plague, and famine then Shall fill the barren earth with shrowds of men. After, the Dragon whose smooth scales are white, Hither the Almans daughter shall invite, And crown themselves: Against whom shall rise An Eagle from the Rock, and both surprise, Two Lions shall a dreadful combat make, Having their Lists encompast by a Lake. At length be atton'd, and after shall divide, The glorious prey: aspeckled scale, whose pryde, Shall ay me at high things; will his Lord betray Poysoning the Royal nest in which he lay Of the white Dragon, so the Fates agree, At length a Decemvirum there shall be: What time the Red shall to his joy behold The roofs of all his Temples deckt with gold, &c." By the Crimson Dragon is still meant England, which after the death of Cad\vallo ; being impatient of peace, for 80 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, want of foreign enemies shall beat civil dissention in itself, of which shall ensue much rage and mortality, such dearth, famine, and desolation which shall happen by the plague that destroy eth the men, and the murrain that kiileth the cat- tle^that the natives shall be forced to leave the kingdom as a wilderness unpeopled; the remainder of the living being scarce sufficient in number to bury the dead; which strange depopulation fell in the third and last year of Cadwalader the son of Cadwallo, which was in the year of grace 686, which maketh up the year of the world, by the account of Polychronicon, and other of our English chronologers 5885; so that it appeareth, the native Britains had the title and sovereignty of this kingdom from Brute's first landing, by the space of 18?2 years, Cadwallader being the last king of the Britains, alter whom the Saxons or Angles had the full dominion thereof, which maketh good that in the prophecy, The white Dragon shall invite the Alman's daughter, which implieth a great supply of the German nation, and crown themselves. For, from that time they bear the sceptre, and had the absolute jurisdiction over the whole land, which they continued for a long season. To pass over all the Saxon kings to the time of Ethel- redus, in whose days, An Eagle from the rock (which was Swanus, king of Denmark) shall rise, 8?c. The better to explain our prophet, and to carry the history along, this Etheldred, the son of the most royal king Edward, by his second wife, Alfrida, by some called Estrild, when he came to be crowned by Dunstan, arch-bishop of Canter- bury, he could not contain himself, but with a prophetical spirit uttered those words : " Because, by the bloody slaughter of thy brother, thou hast aspired to the kingdom, the sin of thy most wicked and mischievious mother shall never be expiated, nor any who were of her diabolical counsel, but, by the greatest effusion of the Saxon blood, that ever was shed since their first coming into Britain, and further the beginning of thy reign shall be cruel, the middle thereof miserable, and the end shameful." All which accordingly happened. His father, king Edgar, of ever surviving memory, had by his first wife called Egelfleda, a noble son named Ed- ward, and by his second Alfrida. This Etheldred, Edgar being dead, the barons assembled, and made Edward king tflTH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 81 in the year of grace 875, at which his step-mother greatly repined, using all the means both of power, proof, and friends, to have inaugurated her son Ethelred, being then a lad but of seven years old; which, in the end, she. most traiterously accomplished, for the king, hunting in the forest, near unto the castle of Corffe, in the west country, who having lost ail his company, bethought himself that his step-mother with her son, lived in that castle, to whom, he would give a friendly visit; who, spying from her win- dow afar off, called to a villain that amended her, and whispered in his ear what he should do. By this, the king was come to the gate, and she descended to meet him, saluting him with a Judaic kiss, and intreaied him to alight and sojourn with her for that night; which he mo- destly refusing, said he would only drink a horseback and so be gone, which being brought, as the cup was at his mouth, her traiterous servant, with a long dagger, stroke him quite through the body, at which, he put spurs to his horse, thinking to have recovered his servants, but through. his great loss of blood, he fainted, and falling from hig horse, one of his feet was fastened to the stirrup, and so hurried to a place called Corrisgate, where his miserably- mangled body was found, and not being known at that present to be the king, without ceremony buried ; whom, as you have heard, his brother by the father's side suc- ceeded. In whose reign happened divers prodigies, pretending great disasaster, among which was the sterility of the earth, the burning of London by an accidental fire, but the most ominous and terrible was the invasion of the Danes, and their many massacres and inhuman butcheries committed through all the shires and provinces of the kingdom, as more amply hereafter, but by the way is to be noted, that in the eighth year of his reign, he was espoused to Ithelgina, whom some call Elgina, daughter to earl Edgebertus, by whom, in process of time, he received a son called Edmund, (afterwards for his notable valour, surnamed Ironside) and two others, Edwin and Ethelstane, with a daughter named Egina. About the eleventh year of his reign, the Danes pieroeel SS MS L7JB OP MERLHr, the land in sundry places, against whom, the king being wholly addicted to effeminacy and cowardice, durst make no hostile opposure, but for the present, appeased them with great sums of money, which being spent, they fell to new robberies. Then, the king bribed them with more, notwithstanding which, they spoiled Northumberland, and at last, laid siege to London, and to increase his sorrow and trouble, earl Elphricus, who was admiral of the navy, fled like a traitor to the Danes, and took part with them against his natural liege, for which, the king commanded that his son Algarus, should have his eyes torn out of his head. During which time, burning leavers, and the bloody flux destroyed many of the natives, to which was added scarcity and penury among the commons, insomuch that they were forced to rob and steal from one another, so that what by their own pilfering and pillage of the Danes, the land was brought to extreme misery, by whose continual invasions, and the king's pusillanimity, the tribute paid to them was raised from 10,000 to 40,000 pounds, (named for the continuance thereof Dane-gelt) they yet not satis- fied ; to add to the former, the British peers were so hollow breasted among themselves, that when they were at any time assembled, and had determined any thing to the im- peachment of the Danes, they were warned thereof by some of the falsehearted counsel, of whom were most suspected Elphricus and Edricus, the Snake formerly mentioned in the prophecy. The land, besides other distresses, continuing under this grievous tribute, the king, by the advice of those familiars who were about him, married Emma, the daughter of Hi chard the third, duke of Normandy, and the first of that name, who was for his boldness and valour, surnamed Richard the Hardy, or without fear; and she (by the French chronicles, Emma the Flower of Normandy, by which match, he was greatly animated and encouraged, so that presuming on the power of his father-in-law, he sent into all the towns, cities, and villages of this land, secret and straight commissions, charging the rulers and magis- trates, upon the night succeeding the day of St. Brice, that all the Danes should be murdered in their beds; the execution whereof they committed to their wives and wo- xnen,<«Yhich was also accordingly performed, (a strange WITH HIS JTRAICGM PROPHECIEf. * 83 wonde*", fliat so great a secret should pass generally through (hat sex without discovery.) This general massacre of the Danes, (as fame reports) began at a little town in Hertfordshire, 24 miles from Lon- don, called Wealwin, from which act it took first name, as if there the weal of their country was first warm; and the day of St, Brice happened that year upon the Monday, which to this day is called Hoc or Hop-Monday, but wherefore 1 know not; unless by Hoc, this day as a re- markable note to posterity, or by Hop, as that day the Danes (according to a proverb we retain from antiquity) hopped without their heads. Now, concerning the pride of the Danes, and their in- credible tyranny excercised throughout the whole king- dom, which was the occasion of this their universal slauffh- ter, our English historians have thus recorded of them, they caused the farmers and husbandmen to plow, sow and eare the ground, and to do all the servile labour that belonged to agriculture and husbandry, whilst they kept their wives, and commanded their daughters and ser- vants at their pleasure ; and when the master of the house came home, he was forced to salute his superintendant Dane as his lord, and whilst the usurper eat and fed on the best, the poor oppressed owner could scarcely have his fill of the worst; besides, for fear and dread, they called them in every house where they had rule lord Dane; which, afterwards, when the English had attained to their former honour, grew to a title of great opprobry and contempt; for, when any one would rebuke or revile another, he would nrnscorn call him Lurdan, a word in the country in use even to this day. But now comes in the Eagle, by which is intended Swanus king of Denmark, who surpriseth both, that is, subdueth the Saxons and the other Alraans or Germans, whom they had admitted into the land; and after infinite devastations, depopulations, and spoils, with his broad wings soared over the whole kingdom, and made prey in every province thereof, (the particulars would ask much time and paper) who, in conclusion, took from the white Dragon, (the Saxons) after they had held the sovereignty x 2 8t THE LIFE OF MERLIN, &C. by many successive kings, both crown and sceptre. But, before this happened, the unfortunate king, whose only fight was frith money, to impoverish his own people, and enrich the enemy, (for he often bought bis peace, v, Inch proved to no purpose) he made Edricus, whom Merlin calleththe Snake, duke of Mercia, who was of low and base birth and parentage, yet had attained to great wealth and rich possessions, false of tongue, subtle of brain, and eloquent in speech, and perfidious in purpose and promise, which will more at large appear hereafter. In this interim. Swanus so far prevailed, that the king, fearing the continual prosecution of the Danes, first sent Emma his queen, with his two youngest sons, which were Alfred and Edward, to Richard, the second of that name, and fourth duke of Normandy, who was her natural bro- ther, and afterwards, was compelled to fly thither in person, with a slander train of followers; of which, when Swanus had notice, he grew inflamed with greater pride and insolence ; and amongst other of his tyrannies, he fired the city of Canterbury, and slew 900 religious persons, tithing them, as killing nine and saving the tenth, with 8^000 women and children; and because the reverend bishop would not, and could not pay him down 3,000 pounds, he kept him prisoner seven months, and caused him afterwards, at Greenwich, four miles from London, to be stoned to death. And wheresoever he came, he reserved ail the women, to be vitiated and deflowered, as well the religious as ethers, robbing the shrine of St. Ed- mund, not leaving any cruelty which could find a name, unperformed. At length, upon the day of the purification of the blessed virgin, in the year 1014, he died miserably, howling and crying three days and three nights together before his death ; whom succeeded his son (Janutus. And two years after, in 1016, expired at London, king Edelfred, and was buried in the church of St. Paul ; whom succeed- ed his son Edmund, surnamed Ironside ; and these two princes were the two Uons spoken of in the former pro- phecy, of whom you shall hear more in the ensuing chap- ter. CONTENTS OF CHAPTER NINTH, Of divers bloody battles fought betwixt Canutus and Edmund. — Their great oppo- sition ended in a single duel. — They make peace, and e- qually divide the kingdom be- tween them. — The traiterous death of Edmund. — Canutus revengeth it upon the murder, er, with other occurences per- tinent to the story, &c. EDMUND, surnamed Ironside, the son of Esrelredus, and Canutus the son of Swanus king of Denmark, began to rule over the English nation, anno 1016, and in the 29th year of Robert king of France, the Londoners, with some of the English nobles, favouring Edmund, but the greatest part of the nobility and clergy adhering to Canutus, between which young and valiant princes were fought sundry cruel and bloody battles, too long here to rehearse. In which, infinite both of the natives and strang- ers fell by the sword. Oneof which wasfoughtin Dorsetshire, besides a town called Gillingham ; another in Worcester- shire, which continued from morning till night, when they surceased fighting, either for great weariness or for want of light, when both hosts joined the next morrow early and eagerly; itt which battle, the traitor Edricus perceiving the fortune of the day to incline towards Edmund, pitched a dead man's head upon a spear, and calling to his conntry- men, cried out with this acclamation, Fly you Englishmen, and preserve your lives, for, behold, this is the head of Edmund your king. Of which, the prince being warned, hasted to that part of the field, and plucking off his helmet to shew that he was living, so comfortably and courage- ously demeaned himself among his soldiers, that in the end he had the better of the day, 86 THB LIFE OP MERLIN, In the preparation of another field, when both the hosts were ready to join battle, upstarted one of the commanders, and appearing between the two armies, in the front of either, spake aloud as followcth: " Von princes, both, to you 1 declare myself, you see how we daly perish, for neither of you gain an absolute victory; Edmund cannot be overcome because of his great strength and courage, and Canutus cannot be subdued, being also much favoured by fortune ; What then shall be the final success of this in- veterate malice and contention, when all vour knights and soldiers are slain, shall you not be then enforced either to compound your enmity, or to fight hand to hand between, yourselves; If this must be the end, Why do you not one of these two ? For first, Is not the kingdom now sufficient for two, which before contented seven? or, if your spleen be so great, that it cannot be reconciled by an equal division of the land, why do not you two fight alone, that strive to be lords alone? For, if we all perish, who shall be left either to serve you, or to keep foreign invaders out of the land ?" Which words were so emphatically delivered, and took such impression in both the princes themselves and their armies, that a truce being made, they agreed to end the war between them in a single duel, for which was assigned and isle called Olkney, near Glocester, encom- passed wiih the water of the Severn, which makes good the prophecy. " Two Lions shall a dreadfull combat make, And hare their Lists iucompast by a Lake*" In which place, at the day prefixed, the two worthy and warlike champions, completely armed, singly met, the two hosts standing without the isle ; where first they encoun- tered with sharp lances on horseback, breaking them even to the very truncheons ; then, they alighted, and fought long on foot with their keen swords, till their armours were broken in divers places, and they both were dangerously wounded, when retiring for breath, by the first motion of Canutus, they made an accord between themselves, em- bracing one another as brothers, to the great rejoicing of both armies. WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 87 After which, they made an equal partition of the land, and Canutus married Emma the mother of Edmund. But the Snake, Edricus, whom his lord had not only pardoned for Ids former treason; but promoted unto further dignity, by creating him earl of Kent: notwithstanding which, he corrupted his son then attending the king, who waited his opportunity, and as he was doing the necessities of nature, struck him with a spear into the fundament, of which mortal wound he died soon afterwards at Oxford* Then Edricus posted in haste to Canutus, and saluted him by the title of sole sovereign of the kingdom, insinuating, that for his love and honour, he had removed his competitor, and told him the manner how; which Canutus having truly understood, and that the treason was uttered from his own mouth, and in his personal hearing, like a just and wise prince, he replied unto him, Forasmuch, O Edricus, as for my love, thou hast slain thy natural lord whom 1 entirely affected, I shall exalt thy head above all the lords of England ; and presently commanded his head to be struck off, and pitched upon a pole, and set upon the highest gate of London, and his body to be thrown into the river Thames; yet Marianus and others write otherwise concerning the manner of his death, which makes good what is formerly spoken, That a speckled Snake u Ayming athi^ri things shall his Lord betray, Poysoaiogthe Royall Nest in which he lay.'' Meaning the king's treason, in which the traitor was closeted, as one whom he most favoured and honoured. Canutus being now sole monarch, the white Dragon was forced to stoop to the Eagle, that is, the Saxons were compelled to be under the subjection of the Danes, by whom they were so miserably oppressed, that scarce the tenth part of them were left in the land, and those that remained were forced to tithe their goods, and pay it as a tribute to the Danes. Therefore saith the prophet, €< Of the white Dragon (so the fates agree) A Decimation in the end shall be." It followeth in the history, in a great assembly made of 88 SHE LIFB O* MERUIT, the king and his barons, a question was propounded, whether in the composition made between Edmund and Canutus 3 there was any mention made of Edmund's chil- dren to have the inheritance of their father after his death, that was, in half part of the kingdom, to which a great part of them, thinking to insinuate to the king's favour, answered nay; but it happened unto them contrary to their expectation, for knowing them to be natural English- men, and before sworn to king Edmund and his heirs, he hated them for their perjury, never trusting them after- wards, but some he exiled, and some were slain, and others, being struck by the hand of God, died suddenly. It was likewise ordered by the foresaid counsel, that the two sons of Ironside, Edmund and Edward , should be sent to Swanus, (the eider brother of Canutus) king of Denmark ; the purpose is diversly reported, some say to be slain, and that Swanus abhorring the act, sent them to Salomon, then king of Hungary, where Edmund died of a natural death; but his brother Edward in the process of time, married Agatha, the daughter of Henry, the fourth of that name, emperor, and by her (besides daughters) had a son sur- named Ethelinge. This Edward, of our English chrono- logers is named the Out-law, because he never returned into England, his native country. In this interim, died Swanus, king of Denmark, and (he crown fell to Canutus, so that he was sole sovereign of both nations, the English and the Danes. Canutus landed in Denmark with a strong army, to possess himself of his lawful inheritance, and to oppose the Vandals, who had pierced that land, and while the king was otherwise negotiated, earl Goodwin, with a band of Englishmen, set upon the invaders by night, and routed their whole army, for which noble act, the king had him in great favour, and the English nation ever afterwards. This king was greatly" beloved of his subjects for many of his virtues, as being very charitable and devout, a great repairer and decorator of churches, especially of divers cathedrals, which he caused to be richly beautified with gilt, their altars and roofs more glorious than in former ages; thereby, confirming that part of the prophecy: tc What time the red shall to his joy behold The rooffs of all the Temples shine with gold." WITH HIS STRANGK^PEOPHECIES." 8S Some attribute the cause of his devotion to a noble care he had to repair what his tyrannical father had before ruined, that the memory of his atheistical crucify might be quite forgot; others that it was at the altar of Emma his queen, the widow Dowager of Egelredus, and mother of Ironside, who was a lady of great religious sanctity. He made also a voyage to Kome, where he was pontifically received by Bennet VIII. and demeaned himself with great magnificence and honour. It is further reported of him, that after his great entertainment there, and return from thence, he was so tumored with pride, that stand- ing by the side of the Thames at a flowing tide, he charged the water that it should presume no further, nor dare to touch his feet, which was so far from obeying his command, that he still keeping his ground, from his ankles'it came up to his knees, at which, suddenly, steeping back out of the river, he blushed, and said ; " By this, all earthly kings may know that their powers are vain and transitory, and that none is worthy of that name but he who created the elements, and whom they only obey." This Canutus married his eldest daughter by his wife Elgina, daughter of the earl of Hampton, to Henry, son of theemperor Conadus II. and soon after died at Shaftbury, and was buried at Winchester, when he had reigned 19 years, leaving two sons, Harold, surnamed, for his swift- ness in running, Harefoot, and Hardy Canutus, whom in his life time, he caused to be crowned king of Denmark,, Harold succeeded his father in the crown of England. In the beginning of whose reign there was great doubt made of the legitimacy of his birth, or whether he was the king's son cr no ; but, more especially by earl Goodwin, who was a man of a turbulent spirit, who, to the utmost of his power, would have disinherited him, and conferred the kingdom to his brother. But Leoffricus, whom the king much loved and trusted, by the assistance of the Danes, opposed Goodwin and his son mightily, so that they were utterly disappointed of their purpose. Harold was no sooner settled in the kingdom, but he robbed his step-mother Emma, (that good and devout lady) of her jewels and treasure, and then banished her from the land; wherefore, she sailed to Baldwin, earl of 1 dO THE LIFE OF MERLIX, &«< — ,~ — HMN CONTENTS OF CHAPTER TWELFTH. The prediction of the two Dragons made good by the subsequent history in Robert and William,the two sons of the Conqueror. — Who the Lion of Justice was, and what was meant by his alchymy t &c. WILLIAM, the second of that name, sumamed Rufus or the Red, began his reign in the month of July, in the year of grace 1089, but Rainolf, monk of Chester, in his polychronicon, affirms that Robert was absent at the death of his father, and having heard that he had preferred his younger brother to the crown of England, he was greatly enraged, and laid his dukedom to pawn to his brother Henry for certain sums of money, with which be had hired an army, and landed at Hamp- ton ; of which, his brother having intelligence, sent unto him with this submission following, Thy brother Wil- liam intreateth thee to be no way incensed at what he hath done, for he calleth himself not absolutely king, but viceroy and thy substitute, and to reign under tbee, being greater, and therein better, because before him born, who hath taken upon him this charge, only because of thine absence; yet since he is now in place and authority by thy sufferance, he humbly prayeth thee, that he may under thee still so continue, paying unto thee annually 3,000 marks, with condition, that the survivor of the two may peaceably enjoy the kingdom. Duke Robert, who was not unacquainted with the politic proceedings of his brother, shaked his head, and began to pause about an answer, and being of a loving and gentle disposition, bountiful withal, and still, preferring his 106 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, honour before his profit, (as in all his after proceedings he made manifest) condescended to his brother's request, and returned into Normandy; but William was of a more subtle and crafty condition, and yet, withal, ambitious after vain -glory ; to maintain which, he extorted both from the spiritualty and temporalty. He builded West- minster hall, and by reason that his brother Robert was then in the holy wars, to redeem Jerusalem from the pagans, he spent some time in Normandy, about his brother's affairs. But, at his return, the building of the hall being finished, he seemed much discontented with the littleness thereof, saying, it was more fit for a dining chamber than a king's half, purposing, if he had lived, to have made a far greater. In the beginning of the 13th year of his reign, the third day of August, being hunting in the new forest, by the glancing of an arrow shot by the hand of one Sir Walter Tyrrel, the king was wounded to death, in the 44th year of his age; who escaped and saved himself, for none pur- sued him, and few (in regard of his former tyranny) were sorrowful for his death. Some think that this arrow was purposely aimed at him, to fulfil the prophecy of the two brothers : (C One aimes at, but attains not his desire, \ By envies dart the other shall expire. Now r , Robert, though he still aimed at the kingdom, yet never attained unto it, and the other died, according to Merlin's words, spkulio invidce, (by the dart of envy.) The king, thus wounded, was laid in a horse-litter, and conveyed to Winchester, where he died, and was buried. In his life time, he took upon him great things; the day before he died, one asked him, where he purposed to keep his Christmas, to which he answered, at Poictiers, for the e arl intendeth a voyage for Jerusalem, meaning to seize upon his earldom. Henry of Huntington reporteth of him, that though he was generally reported avaricious and gripple-handed, yet he was in his own condition, bountiful and liberal, as may appear by the narration following: The abbot of a great WITH HIS STRAN6E PROPHECIES. 107 ■ monastery being dead, two well-monied monks of the same place, made friends to the king, offering large sums to be promoted to that dignity ; there was, also, a third monk, who, out of his meekness and humility, had ac- companied them to the court, and to give attendance on him, whom the king should admit to be abbot; who called to the monks severally, and either of them out-bid the other ; the king casting his eye upon the third, (who came as their servant) thinking his business had been to the same purpose, demanded of him, if he would give more than his brethren had proffered ; who answered him again that he would neither offer nor give to the value of one penny, neither would he take any such charge upon him, which came unlawfully by simony. Whose words, when the king had duly considered, he said, that he of the three was best worthy to take so holy a charge upon hirn, and gave it him freely. Duke Robert, being at this time in the holy wars, the youngest brother, Henry, third son to the Conqueror, and first of that name, began his reign the fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord 1101, and this was he, whom Merlin calls Leo Justitice^ the Lion of Justice; who banish- ed from his court all flattering and effeminate sycophants. He was also abstinent, and abhorring gormandizing and the excess offcasts; he was, further, well studied in the seven liberal arts, and used to fight more with council than the sword ; and yet, upon just occasion, he would shew himself as valiant as he proved fortunate. In the second year of whose reign, Robert, his brother, being then employed in the wars of Palastine, against the miscreants and infidels, receiving news that his brother vv illiam was dead, and that his brother Henry had usur- ped the crown of England, notwithstanding that the Chris- tian princes offered to make him king of Jerusalem, yet he refused that honour, but with great speed returned into Normandy, and there raised forces, to claim his right into the crown of England, and landed at Portsmouth, butamedi- tation of peace was made between them, and that he should have the yearly revenue of 3,000 marks, which he had in the days of king William ; with which he returned fully satisfied, at which his lords and peers were much discon- o 2 1C8 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, * tented, as also, for other things, which in his easy nature he had yielded to, both against his honour and profit; for which, he was by them less regarded, and at the end, quite neglected. This Robert, in his father's days, was in all his enter- prizes victorious, and afterwards, did many brave exploits at the siege of Acan, against the Turks ; and (as is before said) was, by the great suffrage of the Christian host, chosen king of Jerusalem; but whether he thought it to be an honour with too much trouble, or for the covetonsness of the crown of England, he made refusal thereof, for which it hath been thought, that he sped the worse in all his endeavours afterwards; for a dissention fell between him and his nobles, so that they sent to king Henry, his brother, that if he would come over into Normandy, they would deliver up the whole country into his hands, and acknowledge him their sole lord and governor, of which proffer, it is said, Henry accepted ; but before any hostility was threatened, Robert came into England, to visit his brother and new sister, (for the king was lately married to Maud, the daughter of Malcomb, king of Scotland) at whose request, he released to his brother the tribute of 3,000 marks a year, and so departed. Notwithstanding which, by the instigation of bad and wicked counsellors, this seeming brotherly love was quite abrogated and dissolved, so that the king, with a strong army, invaded Normandy, and by reason that Robert's peers and nobles fell from him, he chaced him from place to place, and won his cities. Cane, Roan, and Faloys, with all other places defencible, so that Robert was forced to desire aid of Philip, the French king, and afterwards of the earl of Flanders, but they both failed him, so that with those few forces which he could make, he gave battle to his brother, in which he was surprised, and taken pri- soner, and seat over into England, and put into the castle of Cardiff in Wales, where he remained his whole life time, and being dead, was buried at Glocester ; and thus, he who might have been king of Jerusalem, and twice king of England, (had he taken the opportunity offered him) died with no greater title than the bare duke of Normandy. Wars then grew between the king of England and the WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 109 French king, in which they sped diversly, -but at the end, Henry beat him in his own country, and hid of him a glorious victory, to the great terror and astonishment of all the French nation, and those lesser princes of his confe- deracy, making good that part of the prophecy: " The Lion next of Justice, shall appeare* Who 'gainst the CeUicke Towers shall ladders reare, And cause the Lily like the Aspen shake, Whose rore shall all the Island Serpents quake." By the Lilt/ is meant the Flower de Lyce, which the French king bears in his scutcheon, which was said to quake like an aspen, (whose leaf, of all others, is soonest moved by the wind) by reason of the great affright and terror he put the French into at the noise of his drums, the thundering of his horses' hoofs, and the loudness of his warlike instruments. About the 30th year of this king's reign, when he had been three years together in Normandy, the king took shipping atHarflute, (a part of that duchy) the 24th day of November, and arrived safe in England not many hours after. And soon afterwards, his two sons, William, who was duke of Normandy, with Richard his brother, with Notha the countess of Parsy, Richard, earl of Chester, with his wife, the king's niece, the arch-deacon of Hereford, with knights, gentlemen, and others, to the number of 140 persons, took shipping at the same port, to follow the king, but in their passage, the ship sunk under them, and they were all drowned to one man, saving a butcher, who reported that this disastrous misfortune fell by the negli- gence of the master and sailors ; who, in the night, being at dissention among themselves, ran the vessel upon a rock, and split her. From which danger, the young duke, William, was escaped, by getting into a boat near the shore; but, when he heard the lamentable out-cry of the countess Notha, he commanded the rowers to row back, and if it was possible, to save her life ; who, having reco- vered her into the boat, they were, by a tempestous gust, so over-charged, that it was violently overturned, and they were all swallowed by the sea; of which strange ac- cident, Merlin also prophesied in these words : 113 the life of merlin, " The Liens whelps their nature shall forsake^ And upon them, the shape of iishes take." The king, to maintain his former wars, which proved so terrible to the French and others, was forced to exact money from all manner of people, not sparing the clergy nor the laity, and therefore, Merlin calls him, t6 A cunning Alcumist, who hath the skill Gold, both from flowers, and nettles to distill. " By the flowers , meaning the spiritualty; by the nettles, the temporally. In the 27th year of this king's reign, died Henry, the fourth emperor of that name, who had before married Maud, the daughter of Henry, king of England ; after whose death, she came to her father in Normandy, who, because he had no male heir left of his body, he caused all the bishops and barons, to swear in his presence, that they should keep the crown of England to., the use of this Maud the empress, if he died without male issue, and she surviving. In the 28th year of his sovereignty, Jeffrey Plantaginet, earl of Anjou, was espoused unto Maud the empress, from whom descended Henry the second, surnamed Short- mantle, who after Stephen was king of England. King William being in Normandy, (as some write) fell either with his horse or from his horse, which, afterwards, was the cause of his death. But Ranolph saith, that he took a surfeit by eating a lamprey, and died of that, when he had reigned 35 years, and some odd months, whose body, when it was embowelied, before it could be embalmed, cast such a stench, that none could abide the place where it was dissected, and though it was wrapped in a bull's skin, yet it little abated the smell, insomuch that divers were infected therewith, and the surgeon who cleansed the head, died of the unwholsome scent which proceeded from the brain, which some conjectured to be a just judgment, laid upon him for his merciless cruelty shewed upon his brother Robert, whose eyes (as some have repor- ted) he caused to be torn out of his head during his im- prisonment. His body was brought into England, and was afterwards buried in the abbey of Readings which WITH HIS STRANGE PHOPHECIES. Hi he before had founded. After whose death, fame spoke of him as of all other princes, both In the better and worse part. Divers said of him, that he passed his predecessor kings, in three things, in wit, in eloquence, and good success in battle; and others spared not to say that he was pestilently infected with three notorious vices; covetous- ness, cruelty, and leachery. CONTENTS OF CHAPTER THIRTEENTH. A brief relation of the trou- blesome reign of king Stephen, and his opposition against Mand the empress. — Of Hen- ry Short-mantle and hi§ pro- ceedings, with a continuance of our English history, in ere- ry circumstance making good Merlin's prophecy. STEPHEN, earl of Bulloigne, and son to the earl of JBloys, and Maud, sister to the wife of Henry, lately deceased, began his reign over the realm of England, in the year of grace 1136, who was valiant and hardy, but as some affirm, contrary to the oath made to king Henry concerning Maud the empress, he usurped the crown, and was inaugurated by the arch-bishop of Canterbury, at Westminster, upon the day of St. Stephen, in Christmas week, which arch-bishop (who had taken the same oath) died shortly afterwards, with divers other lords guilty of the same perjury ; which, as some write, was animated and encouraged by one Hugh Bigot, who was steward to king Henry, and presently, after his death, came over into England, and came before the said arch-bishop, other lords took an oath, and swore that he was present a little before his death, when he heard him disinheriting his daughter Maud, for some distaste that he had taken against 1J2 THE LIFE OF MEHIN, her, and had adopted for his lawful heir, Stephen, his nephew; to which, the arch-bishop, with the rest, gave too hasty a battle: neither did this Hugh, for his wilful perjury, escape unpunished, who soon afterwards, with great trouble of conscience, most miserably expired. But before I proceed further in the story, I will deliver unto you Merlin's prophecy of those times, which followeth: <4 Drop must a Sagittary from the Skies, But against him an Eglet will arise, (That in the Marian Mountains built her nest) And against that Celestial signe contest. She fayling, will a Lions whelpe appeare, Whose rore shall make the Centaure quake with feare, But when the two shap't Monster shall be tam'd, By gentle means, the whelpe will be reclaim'd: And when the Iron brood in the Land shal fail, The bloud of the white Dragon must prevail." By the sagittary, which is one of the 12 celestial signs, and is the same which he calleth the two shaped centaure, is figured king Stephen, who gave not the lions, as his former predecessors had done, but emblazed the before- named sngitlary in his scutcheons, and therefore, he is by the prophet so stiled. By the Eglet, is also intended Maud the empress ; and by the Morian mountains, a place in Italy so called, figurateivly, including all Italy, by a part thereof. Now let us see, how this, with the rest, is made good by the event. In the beginning of his reign, king Stephen used great rigour against the clergy, as fining some bishops, and imprisoning others; besides, he seized on all the strong fons and castles within the realm, as still fearing the coming in of Maud the empress. In which time, Ro- bert earl cf Glocester, the base son of king Henry, took displeasure against the king 1 , for seizing the strong holds of Glocester, Hereford, Webly, Bristol, Dudley, and others, part of which belonged to his inheritance; and therefore, he sent letters to his sister Maud, promising to assist her in the claim of her inheritance. In the month of July, and sixth year of king Stephen, WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 113 Maud (ho empress landed at Portsmouth, and made towards Bristol ; at which time, Stephen laid siege to the castle of Wallingford; who, hearing of her arrival, gathe- red all the forces he could make, and drew towards the enemy : in which time, Robert earl of Glocester, and Ra- nulph earl of Chester, were joined to the empress, and when both their hosts were in the field, ready to give the alarm, Ranulph, earl of Chester, thus spoke to his soldiers, and said : I require you, friends and countrymen, that I, who am the cause to bring you here to hazard your lives, in ly be the first man to put mine own in danger ; whom earl Ro- bert interrupted, and said, it is not unworthy to thee, who demandest the first stroke and hazard of this battle ; who, both for thy nobleness of blood, and thy known magnanimi- ty and courage, far surpassest other men, but the king's false oath hath levied men to this unjust war, in which we must either strive bravely to win the mastery, or else, be basely overcome; and now, we hare run into that hazard, that none of ns is safe, which shall not acquit himself by his knightly boldness, therefore, shew your valour, and be assured of victory. Then earl Baldwin, standing in the front of the kind's army, began to encourage his soldiers in this manner: To men that shall fight, three things are to be by them observed : First, the justice of the cause, lest they endan- ger their souls, which is clear on our part, who fight for our king and country. Second, the number of men, and the accommodation of arms, for few are not to oppose a multitude, nor naked men against armed, and w ; e parallel, if not exceed them, both in ammunution and number. Third, boldness and courage, not for defence only, but offence, which raethinks 1 spy in your faces ; and therefore, of all these three, our army is sufficiently furnished. Now, what be our enemies? A weak and distressed woman, assisted by two weak supporters ; Robert, earl of Gloces- ter, a man daring without deed, and accustomed to words, with words, not weapons; and Ranulph, earl of Chester, haughty, but withal fool-hardy, constant in nothing, and conscious only of conspiracies, who proposeth great en- terprizes, but never brings any to good effect* and for p 114 TIfcB LIFE OF MERLIN, many legions conducted by such leaders ; the more they be iu company, the sooner they be overcome. Ai which word, he was cut off by the violent coming on of the enemy : and now began a cruel battle, resolutely and bravely fought on both sides, the violence whereof lasted long uncertain who should be victors; but, in the end, the king's host was utterly routed ; but he, being of a more heroic spirit, (as scorning to fly) maintained the fight with some few of his knights, and was taken prisoner; and being brought before the empress, she commanded him to be conveyed under safe custody to the castle of Bristol, where he remained from Candlemas to Holy road day next ensuing. After which victory, she was so ex- abed in thought, and puffed up with pri e, that she thought now she had the whole kingdom in her own possession, and came triumphantly to Winchester, after- wards to Wilton, Oxford, Heading, St Albans, and lastly to London; in all which plates, she was royally received; and during her abode there, the queen made assiduate labour for the delivery of the king, her husband, promising he would surrender the whole land into her possession, and either betake himself to some religious order, or to become a banished pilgrim to the end of his life: but all was in vain, she could receive no comfort from the empress upon any conditions. The citizens of London likewise petitioned unto her, that they might use the laws of Edward the Confessor, as they were confirmed by the Conqueror, and that she would be pleased to disannul the strict innovations imposed on the land by her father Henry ; to which, she nor her council would not in the least wise consent. But the tide soon turned, for Kent took part with the king, and the Londoners being discontented at the denial of their suit, and being assured that the Kentish men would in all their enterprizes assist them, they purposed to have surprised her person ; of which, she having secret intelligence, left a great part of her jewels and household stuff, and fled to Oxford; in which flight, many of her adherents were disheartened, and a great part of her forces dispersed and scattered. Then the queen before so mi#h despised, by the aid of WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 113 her friends, the Kentish men, Londoners, and others, gathered a strong host, under the conduct of one William de Pre, to pursue the empress; who, understanding the queen's forces daily to increase, and her's assid'uately to diminish, she left Oxford, and secretly escaped to GIo- ces-er, whither the queen's host followed her. In defence of 'which city, Robert, brother to the empress, making an excursion from the town, was surprised and taken. Brief- ly, a communication was held between the two opposite parties, in which, after much debating, the business on both sides was conclude 1, that there should be one exchange made of the two prisoners, so that the kin«r, upon Holyroad day, in the harvest, was released, and delivered up to the queen and her army; and Robert of Gloccster ; was surrendered to his sister Maud the em- press. The land, in this time, was much distressed by these two armies r who were in continual agitation; sometimes the king having the better, and sometimes the empress; to relate which at large, would ask too long circumstance: but, in the end, the king had the better. In the 17th year of whose reign, died Ranulph earl of Chester, and Jeffrey Plantaginet, husband to Maud the empress; after whose death, their son Henry, surnamed Short-mantle, (because he used to go in a short cloak) was created duke of Anjou and Normandy ; who, some few years after, married Eleanor, daughter to the earl of Poyctow, who had before been married to Lewis the French king, but for the too nearness of blood divorced, after he had received two daughters from her, Mary and Alice: so that this Henry was the earl of Anjou by his father, duke of Normandy by his mother, and earl of Poyctow by his wife. This king, Stephen, had a son named Eustace, who, by aid of the French king, warred upon the forenamed Henry; in which the duke so knightly demeaned himself, that it proved to their great disadvantage. Some say that king Stephen would have crowned his son in his life time, but the clergy would not agree thereto, having a command from the bishop of Rome to the contrary, and therefore his purpose took no effect. Then the king laid siege to p 2 11G THE LIFE OF MERLIN, the castles of Newbury, Wallingford, Warbyck, and WarwelJ, which bad been kept by the friends of the empress to her use, in hope of the coming over of her son, duke of Normandy, &c. who, the same year, with a great host entered England, and first won the city of Malms- bury, and afterwards came to London, and possessed him- self both of the city and the tower, which more by his policy and promise, than by his potency and power performed. Then king Stephen with his host, drew near to duke Henry, but by the meditation of Theobald, arch-bishop of Canterbury, and others of the clergy and nobility, (who met at a place called the Water of Urme) they were kept from present hostility ; some endeavouring peace, others labouring war, as their humours and affections guided them. After which the king took his way towards IpswUh in Suffolk, and the duke towards Shrews- bury. In which interim, drowned Eustace the son of king Stephen, and was buried at Feversham in Kent, in the abbey which his father before had founded. After which, Theobald, with others, ceased not to bring these two princes to an atonement, which was so earnestly laboured, that a peace was concluded, upon the conditions following; namely, that the king (having now no heir) should continue in the sole sovereignty during his life, and immediately after the conclusion and establishing of that edict, Henry should be proclaimed heir apparent in all the chief cities and boroughs of England, and that the king should take him for his son by adoption, as immediate heir to the crown and kingdom, wherein that part of the prophecy is fulfilled, which saith : cc She failing, will a Lions whelpe appeare, Whose rore should make the Centaur e quake with fear; But wheu the two shap't Monster shall be tam'd By gentle means the whelpe shall be reclaimed. " By the Cent an re and the two shaped Monster, or the Sagittaiy, which are all one, meaning the king; and by the Lion's Whelp y Henry, duke of Normandy, &c. and afterwards king of England. In the end of this year tiled king Stephen, when he had reigned 18 years and odd months, and was buried by his son Eustace at Fever- sham, WITH HrS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 117 This king spent his whole reign in great vexation and trouble, which (as some conjecture) happened because he usurped the crown contrary to his oath made to Henry the first, that he should maintain the rights of his daughter Maud the empress. This Stephen was the son of Eustace, earl of Bulloigne, and of Mary, sister to Maud, who was married to his predecessor Henry. These two are the daughters of Margaret, the wife of Malcolm, king of Scot- land, which Margaret was the sister of Edgar Etheling, and daughter of Edward the out-law, who was son to Edmund Ironside. Maud the empress, daughter to Henry Beauckrk, had by her second husband, Jeffrey Plantaginet, this Henry, the second of that name, by whom the blood of the Saxons again returned to the crown, partly by king Stephen, but more fully by him, so that, consequently, the blood of the Normans continued but 70 years, * accounting from the first year of William the Conqueror, to the last year of the reign of Henry the first, completing those words of the prophecy : tC And when the iron brood in the land shall failj The bloud of the red Dragon must preYail," CONTEXTS OF CHAPTER FOURTEENTH. Divers remarkable passages during the reign of Henry the second. — His numerous issue, towards him. — His vices and virtues, his good and bad for- tune; all which were by this and how they were affected \ our prophet predicted. ENRY the second, son of Jeffrey Plantaginet and __ Maud the empress, began his reign over England in the month of October, in the year of our Lord 1155; of whom before it was thus prophesied : is The Egletof the Flawde league shall behold, The Feathers of her prime bird thine in gold, And in her third nest shall rejoyce: but nee Who from the height of the great Rocke may see The Countries round (both neer and far away) Shall search amongst them, where he best can prey : Some of whose numerous ayrie shall retaine The nature of the Desert Pelican, The all commanding keys shall strive to wrest, And force the locke, that opens to his nest, But break their own wards: of all flowers that grow The Rose shall most delight his smell, and so That least it any strangers eyes should daze, Ilee'l plant it close in a Dedalian Maze, Fortune at first will on his glories smile, But fail him in the end; alack the while. The first words of this prophecy seem to reflect upon the empress his mother, by rejoicing her third nest, may be intended, that having three sons, Henry, Jeffrey, and William; the two latter failing, (as dying in their youth) she might rejoice in him, whose father being king, she saw to shine in gold; or else, being first espoused to Henry THE LIFE OP MERLIN, $CC. 119 the emperor, and next to Jeffrey Plantaginct, she might in her death, rejoice in her third espousal with her Saviour. But again, where he stiles her the Eglet of the Flawde, or the Borbon League, it may be conferred upon the queen, who being first married to the king of France, and through nearness of blood, divorced from him, and sent to her father, and after married to this king, being then duke of Normandy, she may be said first to have built her nest in France, second in Normandy, aud the third and last in England. This prince (as the chronicle describes him to us) was somewhat high-coloured, but of a good aspect, and plea.- sant countenance, fat, full chested, and of low. stature. And because lie grew somewhat corpulent, he used a sparing and abstinent diet, and much exercised hunting. He was well spoken, and indifferently learned, noble in knighthood, and wise in council, bountiful to strangers, but to his familiars and servants gripple handed, and where he loved once or hated, constant, and hardly to be remo- ved. He had by his wife Eleanor, six sons and three daughters; the names of five of them were William, Henry, Richard, Godfery, and John, of whom two came to succeed him in the throne, Richard and John, of the sixth there is small or no mention. The eldest of his daughters was Maud, and was married to the duke of Saxony; the second, Eleanor, to the king of Spain; and the third, named Jane, to William king of Sicily. This king was prosperous in the beginning of his reign, but unfortunate in the end, as the sequel will make appa- rent. He was of such magnanimity and courage, that he was often heard to say, that to a valiant heart, not a whole world sufficeth, and according to his words, he greatly augmented his heritage, and much added to his dominions. For he won Ireland by strength, and in the seventh year of his reign, (for divers affronts offered him by William, king of Scotland) he made such cruel war upon him, that in the end he took him prisoner, and compelled him to surrender into his hands, the city of Carlisle, the castle of Bamburch, New-castle upon Tyne, with divers other holds, and a great part of Northumberland, which William before had won from the borderers. He likewise added the' whole kingdom to his own, and from the south ocean 120 SHE LIFE OF MERLIN, to the north islands of the Orcades ; he closed all those lands as under one principal : which done, and receiving fealty and homage of the said king, having a certain sum of money promised to be paid into him within nine months following, he suffered him to go at liberty. He spread his empire so far, that none of all his prede- cessors had so many countries and provinces under their dominion and rule: for, besides the realm of England, he had at once in his possession, Normandy, Gascoine, and Guien, Anjou, and Chinou, with Alverne, and others ; and by his wife, as her rightful inheritance, the Pyrenean mountains, with part of France and Spain ; which proves that he Who from the height of the great rock may see The Countries round (both neer and far away) Shall seaich amongst them, where he best can prey. In the seventh year of his reign died Theobald, arch- bishop of Canterbury, and Thomas Becket, who was then chancellor of England, was translated unto that see. la the ninth year, the king called a parliament at Northamp- ton, where he intended to abolish some privileges which the clergy had usurped, amongst which, one was, that no priest or clergyman, though he had committed felony, murder, or treason against the king's own person, yet had he not power to put him to death, which he purposed to have reformed, w hich Thomas Becket, then arch-bishop, violently opposed him, and gave him very peremptory and unseemly language, vilifying the king's prerogative and authority to his face; but when he saw he had not power to prevail against the king, he in great heat and haste, sped it unto Alexander, then bishop of Rome, grievously complaining on the king, and suggesting what injuries and innovations he would put upon die holy church, continuing there, partly in Italy, and partly in France, for the space of six years together. After which time, Lewis king of France, reconciled the king and the arch-bishop, (the king being then in Nor- mandy) and Becket returned to his see at Canterbury, whither he summoned all such persons as in his absence WITH HIS STRANGE PROFHECIE*. 121 had spoiled and rifled his moveables and goods, advising them, first, by fair weans to restore them; but, when he saw that course prevailed not, he took a more severe and compulsory way, excommunicating and denouncing all such accursed in his anathema, (not sparing the king's royal person) at which the parties here in England, who n it particularly concerned, s ailed over unto the king in Normandy, and made a grievous complaint against the said arch-bishop; at which, he being extraordinary in- censed, said in the open audience of those then about him, Had 1 any friend that tendered mine honour and safety, 2 should ere this time be revenged of that traitorous arch- bishop. At which time were present, and heard those words, Sir William Breton, Sir Hugh Morvill, Sir David Fitz- vile, and Sir William Tracy, which four knights, having communed and considered among themselves, with an unanimous resolution, took shipping, and landed at Do- ver, and rode from thence to Canterbury, where, the fifth day in Christmas week, they slew the said bishop in the church as he was going to the altar, who had before, in the open pulpi*, denounced the king, and divers others of his subjects accursed ; which answers to the former pro- phecy : u The All-commanding keys shall strive to wresf, And force the iork that opens to his nest: But breake their own wards 3 &c." By the all 'commanding Ice us y is meant the power of the keys of Rome, who striving to force the lock opening to his nest i that is, his principality and prerogative, broke their own zcards^ which proved true in this Thomas was slain in the was inscribed : 13ecket, primate and metropolitan, who w< r year 1170, over whose tomb 5 this distich w; Anno miVeno, centeno sep'uageno^ Anglorum primus corruit ease thronus. Which with small alteration may thus be paraphrased: Anno, one thousand one hundred sexenly dt/ y d, Thomas the Primate in his height of pride. Q ■ 122 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, Henry, in the fourteenth year of his reign, caused his eldest son Henry, to be crowned king of England, at "Westminster, giving him full power over the realm, •whilst he himself was negotiated in Normandy, and his many other provinces, which after proved to his great disadvantage and trouble. In which interim, he had cast his eye upon a most beautiful lady, called Rosamond, on whom he was so greatly enamoured, that it grew even to a dotage, so that he neglected the queen's compa- ny, insomuch, that she incensed all his sons, who took up arms against their lather in the quarrel of their mother, by which, the peace of the land was turned to hostility and uproar; yet, the king so far prevailed, that he surprised the queen, and kept her in close prison, and withal, was so indulgent over his new mistress, that he built for her a rare and wonderous fabrick, so curiously devised, and intricated with so many turning meanders and winding indents, that none, upon any occasion, might have access unto her, unless directed by the king, or such as in that businesss he most trusted. And this edifice he erected at Wood- stock, not far from Oxford, and made a labyrinth which was wrought like a knot in a garden, called a maze, in which any one might loose himself, unless guided by a line or thread, which, as it guided him in, so it directed him the way out. But, in process, it so happened, that the sons having the better of their father, set at liberty their mother, who, when the king was absent, came se- cretly to Woodstock with her train, at such a time, when the knight, her guardian, being out of the way, not dream- ing of any such accident, had left the clue carelessly and visible in the entrance of the labyrinth. Which the queen espying, slipped not that advantage, but wound herself by that silken thread even to the very place where she found her sitting, and presenting her with a bowl of poison, she compelled her to drink it off in her presence, after which draught, she within few minutes expired, and the queen departed from thence in her re- venge fully satisfied, for which cruel act, the king could never be drawn to reconcile himself unto her afterwards, and this makes good that of Merlin : -of all the flowers that grow, The Rose shall most delight his scent: and so WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 123 That lest it any ttran £ers eyes hould daze, He plants it close in a Dedalian Maze. Rosamond being dead, was buried in the monastery of . Godstow, near unto Oxford, upon whose tomb was in- scribed : Hie jacent intumba, Rosamundinon Roscmund: Non redolent, sed olet, quoe redelere solet. Which, by an ancient writer was thus paraphrased into English : The Rose of the World, but not the clean flower Is graven here, to whom beauty was lent In this grave full darke, now is her bower That in her life was sweet and redolent: But now that she is from this life blent, Though she were sweet, now foul y doth she stink, A mirrour good for all that on her think. Such was their English poetry in those days. Long after the death of Rosamond, was shewed in that abbey, a rare coffer or casket of hers, about two feet in length, in which was a strange artificial motion, where were to be seen giants fighting, beasts in motion, fowls flying, and fishes swimming. This Henry was troubled by the queen's < animating of his sons against him ; betwixt whom were divers conflicts, which would appear tedious here to be rehearsed. It is written of this king, that in his chamber at Windsor, he had painted an eagle with four young ones, whereof, three of them pulled and picked the body of the old eagle, and the fourth picked at his eyes: and being asked what that picture should signify, he made answer, This old eagle figureth myself, and the four birds my four sons, whom cease not to pursue my life, but most of all, my son John, whom I most have loved, and there- fore M Some ©f his numerous ayrie will retain The nature of the Desert Pelican." The nature of the pelican in the desert being to pierce Q 2 124 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, her brensf with ber bill, and feed her young ones with her cwn biood. In the 28th year of this Henry, died his eldest sou, Henry, whom he had before crowned, much rejentino; on his death-bed, for his unnatural rebellion against his father. Rainold, monk of Chester, relates, that soon after the death of lady Rosamond, Lewis the French king, and the eighth of that name, sent to king Henry one of hi? daugh- ters, to be kept for his second son Richard, whom the king vitiated, and laboured to Hagiintia, a cardinal then in the land, for a divorce betwixt him and his wife, in- tending to have married that French lady; but he failed of his purpose, (for he meant by that match to have dis- inherited his unnatural sons.) It is further recorded, that when William, king of the Scots, was taken by the king of England, he did him homage at the city of York, and in witness of subjection, he offered his hat and saddle upon St. Peter's altar, which were kept there many years after- wards. This king had many strange ^admonitions for the amend- ment of his life: one was, that in his return from Ireland, as he was taking his horse, there appeared unto him a man of a pale and meager aspect, bare-foot, and in a white mantle, who spoke unto him, and said, I am sent to thee from the Lord of theSabbaoth, whocommandeth thee to take order, that no markets be kept, nor any servile work be done on the Lord's day, (dressing of meat accepted only) which if thou seest performed, whatsoever thou purposest, thou shalt bring to a good and happy end. Which speech the king seemed to distaste, and said unto him that held his bridle, Ask of this churl, if he hath dreamed what he speaketh : to which the apparition answered again, Whether I have dreamed or not, take thou heed to my words, and amend thy life, or what thou now mockest, shall return to thy great misery; which having said, he vanished suddenly. The strangeness whereof, though he seriously apprehended, yet of the former there was nothing amended. He had a second admonition by an Irishman, who told him all things which he had done in secret, which he had WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES, 125 thought none had known but himself, and withal, advised him to repentance and amendment of life; but he regard- ed it as the former. About which lime, being the 24th year of his reign, were taken up the bones of king Arthur, and his queen Guenever, in the valley of Avalon; the hair of her head seeming white, and of a fresh colour, but as soon as touched, they turned to powder. Their bones were afterwards translated to the church in Glastonbury, and there the second time buried. They were found by a bird or singer of rhyt limes, under the root of an oak, 15 feet within the ground. His third admonition I leave to the next chapter. ">fl LiMw ■■ r> CONTENTS OF CHAPTER FIFTEENTH. The inauguration of Rich- ard the first, surnamed Corde- Jion. — A prediction of his reign. — His wars in the Holy Land. — His imprisonment by the duke of Austria. — Hil brother John's usurpation. — His second coronation, with his unfortunate death, &€. A KNIGHT called Sir William Chesterly, alias Lindsey, told him boldly, that there were seven things by him especially and suddenly to be reformed : First, to see better to the defence of the church, and provide for the maintenance thereof. Secondly, to see his laws better executed, and Justice jnore exercised. Thirdly, not to rob the rich, nor extort from them their goods by violence. Fourthly, to make restitution of all those lands and goods which he had so wrested. Fifthly, to make no demeanour or delay in just sentence, but suffer the right to have a lawfui ( process. Sixthly, to see his subjects satis- fied for such things as had been taken np to his use, and to pay his servants and soldiers which fell to robbery for that \ default. Seventhly, that he should speedily cause the Jews to quit the land. But this advise prevailed with him as the former. In his 13th year, Heraclius, patriarch of Jerusalem, came into England, to solicit his aid against the Saracens, ( who had invaded the christian territories) and to defend the holy city, which by Saladine, king of Surry, was won soon after ; for by the relation of Peter Desroy, a French chronicler, Jerusalem was won by Godfrey of Bulloigne, in the year of grace 1099, and continued under nine THE LIFE OF M1RL1N, &C. 127 christian kings, of which, Guy of Resingham was the last. This Heraclius farther proferred the king the keys of the Holy city* and of our Lord's grave, presenting him letters from pope Lucius, the third of that name, which charged him to take upon him the journey, according to an oath by him formerly made : to which the king an- swered, he could not leave his land in trouble as a prey to the French and his own aspiring son, but he would give largely out of his own coffers to such as would take that voyage in hand. To which the patriarch replied, we seek a man, not money; every christian prince sendeth us money, but none sendeth us a prince, therefore, we demand a prince that needeth money, and not money that needeth a prince; who, finding no other comfort from the king, departed his presence much discontented : but the king thinking to sooth him up with fair words, followed him to the sea side; but the more the king laboured to hamour him, the more hardened and harsh he grew against the king, and said unto him, Hitherto thou hjast reigned glo- riously, but hereafter, thou shalt be abandoned of him whom thou forsakest ; think what he hath given unto thee, and what thou, in gratitude, hast returned untojiim again ; who, at first, wast false tcj the French king, and v afterwards, slewest Thomas Becket, and now, lastly, for- sakest the protection of Christ's faith. At which words the king was much moved, and said to the patriarch, though all the people of the land were one body, and spoke with one mouth, they durst not say to me as thou hast done; true saith the patriarch, for they love thine and not thee; the safety of thy goods temporal, but not the safety of thy soul. Then he offered his head to the king, saying, now do me that right which thou didst to thine arch-bishop, for 1 had rather be slain by thee than by the Saracens. The king kept his patience, and replied, should 1 de- part out of the land, mine own sons would seize upon my crown and sceptre in mine absence. No wonder (answered the patriarch) for of the devil they come, and to the devil they shall go, and so he departed from the king in great anger. After which, all things went averse and against him. Giraldus Cambrensis writes of him, that he nf 12S THE LIFE OF MERLIN, cherished strife among his own children, thinking thereby to live, himself, in the more rest: and farther saith, that he was peerless for three things, wit, war, and wanton- ness. He reigned 26 years victoriously and gloriously, four years distractedly and doubtfully, and his last five years unfortunately and miserably, and in the end, bv mere vexation and anger, he fell into a fever, and died thereof in the castle of Chinon in Normandy, in the month of July, when he had reigned 54 years, eight months, aad odd days, and was buried at Fountblew, fulfilling- that of the former prediction : * c Fortunate at first, shall on his glories smile, But fail him in the end, &c. Richard, the first of that name, and second son of Hen- ry, surnamed Short-mantle, succeeded his father, and began his reign over England in the month of July, 1189, who, upon the day of his coronation, commanded that all the prisoners, in or about London, which lay in for the king's debt or otherwise (murder and treason excepted) should be set at large, of whose future reign it was thus predicted : i: The Lions heart weel gainst the sarazen rise, And purchase from him many a glorious prise. The Rose and Lilly shali at first unite, But parting of the prey prove opposite. Jebus and Salem will be much opprest, As by the lame and blind again posscst. The Lion-hearted amongs Wolves shall range, And by his art, Iron into silver change. But whilst abroad, these great acts shall be done, All things at home shall to disorder run, Coopt up and cag'd, then shall the Lion bee, But after sufferance ransom'd and set free. Then doubly crowned: two mighty ones whose prides Transcend; twixt whom a seas arme only glides, (Ambitious both shall many conflicts try; Last, by a poysonous shaft the Lion dye." This king, soon after his coronation, conferred upon his brother three great dignities and honours, as the earldom of Nottingham, Cornwall, Chester, and Lancaster, and WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 129 married him to the daughter of the earl of Glocesfer, who was his only child, by which he was heir to that earldom also; all which he afterwards, but cruelly, requittcd: then the king sought to be absolved for his rebellion against his father, which he easily purchased, upon promise to pursue the wars in Palestina, which his father had refused, and to expedite that voyage, he gave over the two castles of Barwick and Roehburgh to the Scotch king, for 10,000 pounds, towards the charges of his journey: moreover, he sold to the old bishop of Durham, that 'province, for a great sum of money, and (as he had covenanted) made him earl thereof. Which done, the king laughed, and said to the standers by, observe what art and cunning is in me, who can make a young earl of an old bishop. By such means he emptied many of the clergy's bags, and filled his own coffers; granting large fees and annuities out of the crown ; for which, some (as far as they durst) bla- ming him, he replied unto them, that it was good for a man to aid himself with his own; adding, that if the city of London was his, at that time of his need, he would sell that also, if he could meet with a merchant able to buy it. In the second year of his reign, he made William Longshamp, bishop of Ely, chancellor of England, leav- ing the whole land to his guiding, then sailed he into Normandy, and thence into France, to Philip the second, and after covenants drawn between them, for the continuance of so great and hazardous a j ourney , in the spring of the year they set forward, Richard by sea, and Philip by land, appointing their rendezvous in Sicily : where meeting, (as it was agreed) a difference grew between the two kings, insomuch that king Philip left Richard in Sicily, and departed towards Aeon or Acris. In which time, the king of Cyprus took two of king Richard's ships, and peremptorily denied their delivery. For which he invaded the kingdom of Cyprus, making sharp war therein, chacing the king from city to city, insomuch that he was compelled to yield, upon condition that he should not be laid in bonds of iron ; whereof the king accepted, and kept his promise, causing him to be fettered in chains of silver, verifying that part of the pro- phecy : R ISO THE LIFE OF ME-RLIN, " The jLwz-hearted amongst Wolves shall range, _ And by his art iron into silver change." When he had remained there for the space of two months, taking his pleasure of the country, and victualled his navy; he steered his course towards Aeon, and by the way he encountered a great ship of the Soldans, furnished with store of amrnunution and treasure, which he surprised and seized, after which, he safely arived at the foresaid city, and met with the king of France, of whom he was joyfully received; for not long before, 2,000 of his army were cut off by the Saracens : then king Richard caused the city to be violently assaulted on every side, so that they were forced to yield it up upon these covenants following: To deprat the place, leaving behind them horse, armour, victuals, and all things belonging to war; and further, to restore and set at liberty all such Christian prisoners, as were then under their yoke and bondage, with divers other conditions, hut these the chiefest : and this was done in the month of August, and in the year of our Lord 119f. But in dividing the spoil of the city, which was great and rich, there fell out also a division between the two kings, which kindled a fire that never was quenched ; the motives inducing thereto were (as Polychronicon reports) because Richard denied to Philip half of the spoil and booty taken in Cyprus, alledging that their covenants stretched to no further than to those purchased in the Holy Land ; ano- ther was, that king Richard being in Sicily, married the daughter of the king ofJNavar, where before he had promised to espouse the sister of the king; for which, and other causes, the French king, with a small number of ships, departed from Aeon, thence to Puis, afterwards to Rome, and so into his own country, leaving the duke of Burgundy general of the French in his stead, which fulfils that part of the prophecy : *' The Rose and Lily shall at first unite, But parting of the prey prove opposite." During king Richard's stay there, he sold the kingdom of Cyprus to the knight tempters for 30,000 marks, and WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 151 (as the French chronicle reports) forced it from them again by strength, and gave it to Guy of Resingham, the last king of Jerusalem; and further, for an affront offered him, he took the duke of Austria's banner, and stamped it under his foot, for which, the duke sought all advantages to be revenged on him, (as shall be related hereafter) he then, because the Turks had not delivered to him the Holy Cross, according to their agreement at the taking of Aeon, slew all that were in the city with their pledges and hos- tages, the whole number, as some write, amounting to 5,000 persons ; then he provided for the present siege of Jerusalem, which as he was given to understand, was at that time much distressed. For it followeth : " Jebus, and Salem shall be much oppresfc, As by the lame and biirtde again possest." OfJebus and-Salem, the Holy City, had the denomina- tion of Jerusalem ; and by the lame and biind^ is intended the idols of the infidels, who have feet and walk not, eyes and see not, &c. King Richard, marching within five miles of the place, purposed to environ it around, that no supply or succour might be brought into it, daily expect- ing the duke of Burgundy with the French to follow him : who, perfidiously against his oath and promise, made an oration to his soldiers as followeth : It is known unto you all, noble friends and countrymen, that though our sovereign lord the king be absent, yet all the flower and chivalry of France are here present, and whatsoever is done to the dignity of the Christians, and disgrace of the infi- dels, is most likely by us to be achieved, the English being cowards and meacocks, and we courageously and manly ; yet, whatsoever noble act shall be attempted by us, the honour thereof shall be attributed to them, their king being resident here, and ours so far remote from hence : my counsel is, therefore, that we march back to Aeon, and leave them to the hazard that aim at the ho- nour: which speech so prevailed with his people, that Richard was prevented in his former purpose, and the duke of Burgundy died soon afterwards. Yet this lion-hearted leader was no way daunted with the French delirements : but raising his siege, he pursued r 2 132 THE LIFE OF MERLN, &C. the Soldans, who then begird the town and castle of Ja- phath, and won it, taking there many Christian prisoners, and then manned it with his own men, sending them whom he surprised to be elswhere imprisoned, whom king Rich- ard coming too late to the siege, most fortunately met and rescued. \V Inch done, he set upon the town and castle, and took them, setting there a strong garrison of Christians. Af- ter which victory, he won Dacon and Garles,two great cities, and repaired the castle of Askelon, with many others, which the pagans had much defaced and ruined. After which, he commanded all his prisoners to be slain, which others sold to their profit and advantage, by which he grew to be the greater terror of the Turks. But victuals daily diminishing, and sickness increasing in his army, and the French failing him, having set things there in the best order that necessity would permit him, he took ship- ping at Aeon, (called also Tholomida) and from thence he sailed iwto Cyprus : then he sent his wife and her sister, with the greatest part of his people into Sicily, and because he could not well brook the sea, he thought to make a short cut into Histria, but by force of weather was driven, ashore between Venice and Acquilea, where landing, with that small train which followed him, he was espied by some of the duke of Austria's knights, (whose standard he had trod under foot) who after laid wait for him, and took him, the manner whereof I leave to the ensuing chapter. «*"■"" ' ■ ■■—■■' "* CONTENTS OF CHAPTER SIXTEENTH. The rest of the prophecy made good in the subsequence. — The troublesome reign of king; John. — His loss of Nor- mandy. — His land interdicted | by the pope, to whom he is compelled to resign his crown, and afterwards to hold it as from him.— «His death. N the absence of the king, whilst he was busy in his wars abroad, the bishop of Ely, chancellor, and pro- rex at home, opposed the lords, abused the commons, and oppressed the clergy : he rode not abroad attended with less than 1000 horses ; to maintain which pomp and Lucifer ian pride, he extorted from the poor, from the peers, but especially from the prelates; holding in his hands at once, besides Ely, the two arch-bisbopricks of Canterbury aud York, imprisoning whom he pleased, and releasing where he liked ; nor was the king more earnest in vexing the pagans and infidels in the 1 mds of Palestine, than he was eager and extreme against his Christian brethren, whose patronage and protection were committed to his charge, so that it verifies, tc Whilst that abroad such great acts shal be done, All things at home will to disorder run. " In which interim, the king being on all sides ambushed by the Austrians, for between Venice and Aquilea, in a province belonging to the duke, he was beset by one Mainart de Goiesen, but with the loss of some of his train, he by his manhood escaped. Afterwards., at a town named Frisach, one Frederick de Saint Soon, made a 134 the life of merlix, second attempt upon him, and toook six of his knights, but he by his noble valour made his way through the ambush of the enemy without surprisal, and struck up towards Germany ; but spies being sent, to know what course he took, he was at length betrayed into the hands of the duke of Lemple, cousin to the emperor, who sent him to the duke of Austria. He presently rifled him of all the treasure and jewels he had about him, and com- mitted him for a month to straight and close prison. During which time (as some write) the duke put him to cope singly with sL great and mighty lion, weaponless and unarmed ; who having conquered the beast, ripped his heart, and flung it in the duke's face, and afterwards, with a blow under the ear, he slew the duke's son, and further, that his daughter being enamoured both of his person and great valour, he left her vitiated and deflower- ed. But howsoever, in this all witnesses agree, that when the month was expired, he sent him to the emperor, who was Henry, the first of that name, and son to Frederick the first, who put him into a dark and obscure dungeon, covenanting with the duke, that he should have the third part of his ransom. There he remained for the space ofu year and three months, at length, upon a palm Sunday, he caused him to be brought before his princes and lords, to answer what could be objected against him, where he appeared with such a manly and majestic aspect, and with- al, answered so directly and discreetly to whatsoever was laid to his charge, that they generally commiserated his injust durance. Then his ransom was set at 100,000 pounds sterling, and hostages given for the payment by such a time: which done, he was set at liberty. Which verifies : * c Coopt up, aad cag'd then shall the Lion be, But after sufferance ransom'd and set free," The king in the eighth year of his reign, about the latter end of March, "landed at Sandwich, and came straight to London, where he was joyfully received, and then, calling a council of his lords, he first took order to pay his ransom; and because his brother John, in his absence, had usurped the diadem, and was at that time in France, he deprived him of all honour and title, and took WITH HIS STHAXGE PROPHECIES. 135 from him those earldoms and revenues that he had conferred upon him, and caused himselfat Winchester to be the second time crowned, and then began the an ient grudge to revive between the two kings of England and France, which was the more aggravated, because the French king supported John, against the king his brother: but prince John seing how much his fame was magnified in the mouths of all men, and that all the parts, both of Christendom and Pa- ganism, resounded with his praise, he made means to his mother, queen Eleanor, by whose mediation, peace was made between her two sons, whilst the wars in Normandy and France went still forward. Many wearied the battles fought betwixt the two kings, and much effusion of blood on both sides, where some- times the one, and sometimes the other had the better, but for the most part Richard the best, during which com- bustion, before the last 20,000 pounds for his ransom was paid, his two hostages, the bishops of Bath in England, and Roan in Normandy, came unto him, and told him that they were set at liberty by the emperor, and further shewed, that his great enemy, the duke of Austria, was accused of Innocent the third, then pope, for the injuries before offered him, and that upon St. Stephen's day, he pricked his foot with a thorn, which gangrened, and. should have been cut off, and being told he must die, he sent to his bishops to be absolved, which they had denied to do, till he had shown himself repentant, for the foresaid wrongs, and released his hostages, which being according- ly done, the duke died, and they were delivered. In the process of the wars before spoken of, king Rich- ard, in the 10th year of his reign, after Christmas, besieged a castle in France near Lymoges, called Gaylyard, the cause was, that a rich treasure being found within the seigniory of the king of England, by one Widomer, vis- count of Lemurke, he had denied to render it up, and fled thither for his refuge, and defended it manfully till the fifth day of April, upon which day, the king walking un- advisedly, to take view of the fort, and where it might be best entered, one named Bertrand Genedow (whom some writers call Pater Basale) marked the king and wounded him in the head (some say in the arm) with a poisoned arrow ; after which hurt received, he caused a violent and 136 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, desperate assault to be made, in which he won the castle, then he made inquiry, who he was that wounded him, who being found, and brought before hirn, the king de- manded of him, why he should rather aim at his person than any of those who were then about him; who boldly made answer, because thou hast slain my father and my brethren, for which 1 have vowed thy death, whatsoever became of me : the king after some pausing leisure, for that answer gave him his pardon and liberty, but the rest of his soldiers he put to the sword, and caused the castle to be razed to the earth, and died the third day after, whose body was buried at Fountblew, at the feet of his father, which no way errs from the prophecy : (( ■For potent Kings, whose prides Transcend: 'twixt whom, a sea-arm only glides, (Ambitious truth) shall many conflicts, try Last, by a poysonous shaft the King shall die." John, the youngest son of Henry the second, and bro- ther to the late deceased Richard, was proclaimed king the 10th day of April, in the year of grace 1199, and was crowned at Westminster, upon Holy Thursday next en- suing, of whom it was thus predicted: €s The subtle Fox into the Throne shall creep, Thinking the Lion dead who did but sleepe, But frighted with his waking rore, finds cau§e To file the terrour of his teeth and paws, After this Leopard, stain'd with many a spot, Shall loose all Rollo by his Gilla got, Then shall those keyes whose power awe the fates For a long time, lock up his Temple gates, Unburthen him of all the charge he beares, And wrest from him the Lawreli that he wears. Woes me, that from one Leopard should be tome What many Lions in their pride have worne. Hither the French Flower would it self transpose Where must spring after, many a glorious rose. He that did (all he might) the Kirk despise, Against his life shall a base Kirk-man rise." The former part of this prediction is apparent in the premises, where John sought, like a fo* ; subtly and WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 137 craftily to insinuate into the people's hearts, and rob him of his kingdom, thinking his brother all that time as dead, when he was utterly despairing of his liberty, but finding him awake, as being enfranchised and set at large, he then was frighted by the least frown of his brows, being glad to mediate his peace by his mother; the rest shall follow in order. He was of a disposition coarse and retrograde, self-willed and proud, in all, or most, of his undertakings very unfortunate. In the first year of his reign, he divorced himself from his first wife, daugh- ter of the earl of Glocester, pretending too near propin- quity in blood, and soon afterwards, married Isabel, daughter to the earl of Angolesme in France, by whom he had issue, two sons, Henry and Richard, and three daugh- ters, Isabel, Eleanor, and Jane. He was, before his coronation, girt with the sword of the dukedom of Bri- tany, and suffered it to be taken from him by his young nephew Arthur, son to Jeffrey Plantaginet, to his great derogation and dishonour, he afterwards left all Norman- dy, which the French king won from him, even to one town arid village, approving that of the prophet: u After this Leopard, stain'd with many a spot, Shall lose all Rollo, by his Gilla got." The prophet, for his stained and contaminated life and go- vernment, would not vouchsafe him the name of a Lion, but a Leopard^ alluding as well to his spotted fame as his skin, by whose cowardly and unkingly proceedings, Philip the French king, seized all Normandy, and took it into his absolute possession, annexing it into his crown, which no French monarch ever had, since the time of Charles the Simple, who gave that dutchy to Rollo, as a dowry, with Guilla his daughter, which had successively continued under the sovereignty of the dukes of Normandy and the kings of England, 300 years and upwards. In the first year of his reign, Stephen Langtoa being chosen archbishop of Canterbury by the monks, the election was opposed by the king, for which, he complain- ed on him to the pope, who sent unto him loving and kind letters, to admit of the said Stephen, to which his lords advi- sed hiraj but the more he was importuned, the more impla- 138 THE MFE OF MERLIN, cable he grew, returning the pope's messengers back with pe- remptory denial. The next year came a strict commandment from Rome, that unless the king would peaceably suffer the said archbishop to enjoy his see, that the whole land should be interdicted, charging these four bishops, William of Lon- don, Eustace of Ely, Walter of Winchester, and Giles of Hereford, to denounce the king, and his land accursed, unless his command was punctually obeyed. But though these prelates, with the rest of his peers, were urgent with him to eschew the rigorous censure of the church, all was to no purpose, for which, upon the 26th day of March, they began in London, and first shut up the doors of all temples, churches, and chapels, with all other places where divine service was used; and as in London, so they did through the whole land; for which the king was so inraged, ihat he seized all their temporalities into his hands, putting them into such fear, that they were forced to fly to the banished archbishop: some write, that this interdiction was of such power and validity, that during the time thereof, which was six years, three months, and odd days, no service was said, no sacraments administer- ed, no child christened, none married, and not any suffer- ed to come to confess. In this interim, the king from anger grew to rage, proclaiming that all persons, spiritual or temporal, that held any lands or other livelihood here, should by the next Michaelmas return into the land, or failing therein, for- feit their whole estates: besides, that diligent search should be made, what letters should be brought from Rome, which should be delivered to the king : then, he extorted from all the monasteries, not sparing any reli- gious house that had dependance on the clergy : for which, a new commission was sent from Rome, by virtue whereof, the curse of interdiction was again denounced, to which, by the authority of the pope, was added, that this his JBull acquitted, and absolved all the lords of England, as well spiritual as temporal, from all duty and allegiance before sworn to the king, and that they might lawiujiy ribe in arms against him, to depose and deprive him ot all regal honour and dignity: but all these took no more impression on him, than if they had been cla- r. oured in the ears of a deaf man, or proclaimed to a sta- tue of marble* WITH HM STRANGE PROPHECIES. 139 But, by the way, (which I cannot let pass) this king, John, in the 10th year of his rrign, and of giace 1210, granted to the city of London, by his letters patent, that instead of two bailiffs, by which their magistracy was held, they should yearlj r choose themselves a mayor and two sheriffs, which mayor was Henry Fitzallvvin, and Peter Duke and Thomas Neale, Sheriffs. The same year, London bridge, which before was of timber, was begun to be built of stone, and St. Mary Overy's church to be erected in South wark. mtrnm CONTENTS OF CHAPTER SEVENTEENTH. A continuance of some pas- sages in king John's reign — Heniy the third succeedcth his father.— A prediction of his reign. — His brother Richard made king of the Romans. — Henry's long reign. — The mad parliament. — The barons' war. I PROCEED where I left. In the same year, th* pope sent oyer his legate, Pandolphus, with another A'Latere to accompany him to solicit the same business, who were sent back with a like frivolous answer : yet, he sent again, the year following, the same Pandolphus, threatening wonders if he did not receive Stephen Lang- ton into his archbishoprick, and make restitution of all such moneys and other moveables, of which he had robbed the monasteries, &c. Then, at last, the king considering into what dangers he had intricated himself by his peremptory denials; how he had lost Normandy abroad, and then, in what desperate state his kingdom stood at home ; that his lords were acquitted of their allegiance, and in what danger his soul, and his people's were, he and his whole nation standing accursed, he, at length, condescended to submit himself to whatsoever the court of Rome should determine. The articles proposed by the pope, and by him to be performed, were these following : Peaceably to suffer Stephen Langton to enter into the land, and to enjoy the primacy and profits of his archbishoprick, and that those whom he had banished should be repealed, and their goods whom he had rifled should be to them THE LIFE OP MERLIN, &C. 141 restored. And that he should yield up his absolute right and title to the crown of England, and he and his heirs thenceforward, to hold it of the pope and his successors. To which having granted, he and his lords being sworn to observe the same; he kneeling, took the legate to to him, and took the crown from his head, and delivered it to the pope's use, saying these words, I here resign up the crown of the realms of England and Ireland, into the hands of pope Innocent the third, and put myself wholly into his power and mercy. Then Pandolphus, as deputy for the pope, took the crown, and kept it five days in his possession, and then the king received it from him again. First, having sealed and delivered up an instrument or -writing; the effect was, that he could challenge no pow- er but by permission of the pope ; and further, to pay to the apostolic see yearly 1,000 marks of silver, 700 for the crown of England, and 300 for the kingdom of Ireland ; for the payment of which tribute, the Peter- pence were afterwards gathered, and this confirms the pre- mises expressed in the prophecy : " Then shall those keyes whose power would awe the fates^ For a long time lock up his Temple gates, Unburthen him of all the charge he beares, And wrest from him the Lawreil that he wears. Woes me, that from one Leopard should be torne What many Lions in their pride have worne." It is made so plain, that it needs no further interpreter, In those days, lived one called Peter of Pomfret, a bard (and such then were held as soothsayers and prophets, who predicted divers of the king's disaters, whichfell out accordingly. Amongst which, one was, that he should reign but 14 years. But, when the king had entered the 15, he called him into question for a false prophecy, to which he answered, that whatsoever he had foretold was justifiable and true ; for, in the fourteenth year, he gave up his crowa to the pope, and he paying him an annual tribute, the pope reigned and not he. Notwithstanding which apolo- gy, he caused him, as a traitor, to be hanged and quar- tered. After which he bore himself so aversly towards his ba- rons, that the greatest part of them fell from his allegiance, 142 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, and called in Lewis (son to the French king) into the land, covenanting to make hitn king, who was received with h.s whole army, and possessed of London, the tower, and many other strong holds in the kingdom ; between whom and the king were fought sundry conflicts and skirmishes, in which they sped diversly. During which dissention, in the I7(h year of his reign, he expired (as the author of Polychronicon saith) at Newark, of a bloody flux. But, by the relation of our English chronicle, to which we give more credit, as also, by the authority of Mr. Fox, in his Martyrology, he was poisoned by a monk, (having been a great riiler of their monasteries) and died at Swinsted abbey, in Lincolnshire, (this monk being of the same house) and his body was afterwards buried in the cathedral church at Winchester; which fatal accident happened unto him the day after St. Luke, being the 18th of October, after he had reigned 16 years, six months, and odd d;)ys, leaving behind him two sons, Henry and Richard. In his death verifying : es He that did (all he might) the Kirke despise, Against his life, shall a base kirkinan rise." Not forgetting the former, which was predicted of Lewis coming into the land : u Hither the French flower would it self transpose Where must spriug after man y a glorious Rose." Henry, the third of that name, and eldest son to king John, at the age of nine years, began his reign over the realm of England, the 30th day of October, in the year of grace 1216; Philip the second being then king of France. This king reigned the longest, and did the least (of remar- kable memory) of any of his predecessors, of whom it waa thus predicted: " Dreame shall the Leopards issue in the throne, (Crudled in rest) carefull to keep his owne : Nor forcing ought from others: changing then His Leopards spots, a Lion turn ageH, Abroad the second whelpe for prey will rore Beyond the Alps, & to Joves bird restore:. WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 143 Her decayde plumes: the King of beasts whose rage His youth conceal'd, shall rowse him in his age, Against the /3oare, the Talbot, and the Beare, The Mountain Cat, & Goat: with whom cohere Of fowls, the Falcon, Hearn, the Peacock, Swan, With Fishes too, prest from the Ocean, With whose mixt blouds the Forest shal be dyde, , Till Ioyc unite, what discord did divide." Presently upon the young king's coronation, the great- est part of the English peers revolted from the French party, and acknowledged him their sole king and sove- reign, so that within a short season, they quitted both him and all the aliens and strangers out of the land. In the eighth year of his reign, was held a parliament, in which was granted to the king, and his successor kings, the wardship and marriage of all the heirs; which act was called by the wise men of that age, Initium malorum. In the 13th year of his reign, died Frederick the empe- ror, who had before married Isabel, the king's sister; who, for his contempt of the church of Rome was accursed, of whom was made this epitaph : Fre : f remit in Mundo, Ue : deprimitalia prof undo. Hi: res rimaiur, cus: cuspide cuncta minatur. Which, though it cannot sound so well in our English tongue, yet is thus paraphrased : Free: frets the world: De: Height, which depth confounds. Ri : searcheth all things, Cus with the weapon wounds. After whose death, the electors could not agree in the choice of a successor; some nominated the duke of Tho- ring, others the earl of Holland, and some again stood for Richard, earl of Cornwall, the king's brother ; but, in the end, Rodulphus, duke of Kabspurg, was inaugurated by- pope Gregory the ninth, so that great variance and strife continued for the space of 27 years, to the great impo- verishment of Italy and the lands of the empire In the 40th year of the king, landed in England, upon Innocent's 144 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, day, in Christmas week, divers princes of the empire, and did their homage to Richard, earl of Cornwall, as the king f the Romans, and emperor, who, upan ascension day, afterwards was crowned in Aquisgrane, verifying : 6i Abroad the second whelp, for prey will rore Beyond the Alps and to Joves bird restore Her decai'd plumes. " In the 41st year, about St. Barrabas's day, in the month of June, the king called his high court of parliament at Oxford, which was called the mad parliament, because in it divers acts were concluded against the king's plea- sure, for the reformation of the state. For which, after- wards, great dissention grew betwixt the king and his nobles, called the barons' wars, which proved the perish- ing of many of the peers, and almost the ruin of the whole realm : for, in that session, were chosen 12 peers, whom they called the Douz Peers, who had full commission to correct and reform whatsoever was done amiss in the king's court, the Exchequer, and courts of justice throughout the land ; to whose power, the king, and prince Edward, his son, signed and assented unto, though somewhat against their wills. Of all which passages, such as would be fully satisfied, I refer them to our English chronicles, or to Michael Drayton's poem of the Barons' Wars, wherein they are amply discoursed, and my narrow limits will not give me leave to relate them at large, yet 1 borrow per- mission to insist a little further on one particular. All things being in combustion between the king and his peers, and their armies assembled on both sides, the barons framed a letter to the king to this purpose: c f To the most excellent lord king Henry, by the grace of God king of Eng- land, lord of Ireland, duke of Guian, &c. The barons and others your faithful servants, their fidelity and oath to God and to you, coveting to keep, sending due saluting, with all reverence and honour tinder due obeysance, &c. Liketh it your highness to understand, that many being about you, have before this time shewed to your lordship of us many evil and untrue reports, and have found suggestions, not only tor us, but also ot yourself, to bring your realm to subversion. Know your excellency, that we intend no- WITH HIS 8TRANGE PROPHECIES. 145 thing but health and security to your person, to the utter- most of our powers. And not only to our enemies, but also yours, and all this your realm, Ave intend utter griev- ance and correction, beseeching your grace hereafter to give to them little credence, for you shall find us your true and faithful subjects to the uttermost of our powers. And we, Simon Mounttort, earl of Leicester, and high steward of England, and Gilbert Clare, earl of Glocester, at the request of others, and for ourselves, have put to our teals, the 10th of May." To which letter the king framed this answer: cc Henry, by the grace of God king of England, lord of Ireland, and duke of Gnian, to Simon de Mountfort, and Gilbert de Clare, and th ir accomplices. Whereas by war and general disturbance in this our realm, by you begun and continued ; with burnings and other enormities, it evidently appears, that your fidelity to us due, you have not kept, nor the security of our person little regarded. For so much as our lords, and others, our trusty friends, which daily abide with us, ye vex and grieve, and them pursue to the utmost of your powers, and yet daily intend, as you, by the report of your letters have us ascertained, we, the grief of them admit, and take for our own, especially when they for their fidelity, which they to us daily impend, stand and abide by us, to suppress your infidelity and untroth. Wherefore, of your favour and. assurance we set little store, but you, as our enemies, we utterly defy. Witness our self at our town of Lewes, the 12th of May.",; Moreover, Richard his brother, king of the Romans, (who was come over into England with his wife and son) with prince Edward, and other lords about the king, sent them another letter, the tenour whereof was this: 44 Richard, by the grace of God, king of the Romans, semper Augustus, and Edward, the noble first begotten son of the king of England, and ail other barons firmly stand- ing and abiding with our sovereign lord the king, to Simon de Mounliort, and Gilbert de Clare, and ail other their false fellows, &c. By the letters which you sent to our soven -i^-n lord, we understand that we are defied of you, nevertheless, this word of defiance appeared to us suffici- ently before, by the d< privation and burning of our ma- IS UMBER IV. T 145 THE LIFE OP MERLIN, &C* nors, and carrying away of our goods, wherefore we will that ye understand, that we defy you, as our mortal and public enemies, and whensoever we may come to the revengement of the injuries that you to us have done, we shall requit it to the utmost of our power; and where ye put upon us, that neither true nor good counsel to our sovereign lord we give, you therein say falsely and untruly, and if that saying, ye Sir Simon de Mountfort, and Sir Gilbert de Clare, will testify in the court of our sovereign lord, we are ready to purchase to your surety and safe coming, that there we may prove our true and faithful innocency, and your false and traiterous lying. Witness- ed with the seals of Richard, king of the Romans, and Sir Edward, the prince before named. Given at Lewes the 12th of May." The success of the battle followeth in the next chapter. " » J ' ■ ■■'■ P . '■ . . >■■ I ■■' ■ ■■■■'■' . ■■ J -"-*—■- — — — - f * - - ^ • HMJ.ii.J <« CONTENTS OF CHAPTER EIGHTEENTH. The deaths of Henry the third, and Richard, earl of Cornwall, king of the Romans. —Prince Edward's victories in the Holy Land. — His coro- nation. — The prophecy of hi* reign. — Bis first reducing of Wales under his dominion for ever. Tr e beginning of his ' wars in Scotland, &c. WHEN the barons had received these letters, they were resolved to try it out by the sword, and on "Wednesday, being the 24th day of May, early in the mor- ning, both hosts met, where the Londoners, who took part with the barons, gave the first assault, bat were beaten back, somewhat to the dismay of the barons' army ; but, they cheared their fresh and lusty soldiers in such wise, that they valiantly came on ; by whose brave resolution, those before discomfited resumed their former strength and Tirtue, fighting without fear, insomuch that the king's Vaward gave back and left their places. In this battle the father spared not the son, nor the son the father, (such was the misery of those home-bred wars) insomuch that the field was every where strewed with dead bodies, for tha fight continued the greatest part of the day; at last the victory fell to the barons, so that were taken the king, the king of the Romans, and prince Edward, with 25 barons and banerets, and the people slain on both sides amount* ed to above 20,000. These royal prisoners being put in safe keeping* a peace was afterwards debated, and at length concluded* ^jmA the/ T % 148 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, released, but it proved to small purpose, for many battles were afterwards fought between them, in which, some- times the king, and sometimes the barons had the better, (the circumstances are too long to relate) in which prince Edward bore himself bravely. In process, the 55th year of this king's reign, the king of the Romans made atonement between the king his brother, and Gilbert de Clare, earl of Glocester, who had continued the wars of the barons, upon condition that he should take a voyage into the Holy Land for the king, for which he should have, towards his charge, 8,000 marks in hand, and when he was on ship board, 4,000 more, and to be ready the first of May next following : but this failing in him, prince Edward undertook it in his stead. And the year after- wards, about the end of March, died Richard, emperor of Ahnain, king of the Romans, and earl of Cornwall, being the king's brother, after he had governed the empire between 15 and 16 Painted bodies witlesse: Gay coats gracelesse, Maketh England thriftlesse. But these merry and jigging tunes, were turned to their most lamentable ay mee*s within few months afterwards. During the king's minority, all the affairs of the realm were managed by Sir Roger Mortimerand the mother queen, and the great persons appointed to that purpose were vilified and not set by. Which Sir Roger, in imitation of king Arthur, was said to keep a round table, to which many noble knights belonged, to his infinite cost and expence. But howsoever, in the third year of the king, the said Sir Roger was surprised in Nottingham castle, though the keys were day and night in his own keeping, and sent to the tower, who was accused of the lords of the parliament, y 2 \ 172 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, of these particulars following : First, of the bloody mur- der of Edward of Carnarvon in Berkeley castle. Secondly, that he had confederated with the Scots against the honour of the kino*. Thirdly, that he had received great sums of money from Sir James Douglas, captain of the Scots, de- livering unto him the charter called Ragman, to the Scots' gvc:t f advantage, and impoverishing of England. Fourthly, thai he had ingrossed into his hands much of the king's tre.sme, which he had riotously wasted to his own use; by which means the king was forced to borrow of his friends. Fifthly, that he was more private and familiar with queen Isabel, the king's mother, than was to God's pleasure and the king's honour. Of which articles being convicted, he was, by authority of the said parliament, judged to death, and upon St. Andrew's eve following, at London, drawn and hanged. In his fourth year, about the beginning of August, Sir Ed\fcard Balio!, the son of Sir John JBaliol, sometime king of Scots, obtained such favour of king Edward, that with the aid of Sir Henry Beaumont, Sir David Stoekley, Sir Jeffrey Mowbray, and 2,000 Englishmen, they entered Scotland by sea, where drew 7 to them such multitude, that in a short time, Sir Edward was a lord of a great host, and kept his way till he came to a place called Gladismore, (or as some write) Crakismore, where he was encountered with the power of Scotland, where between them was fought a sharp and cruel battle, in which a great number of the natives were slain, by reason whereof he was crowned king at the town of Stone shortly afterwards, and met with the king at New-castle^ where Edward received of him fealty and homage for the crown of Scotland. But soon afterwards* the Scots laid plots against his life, which he narrowly escaped, being forced to fly from place to place, and hide himself; which king Edward hearing, with a strong army pierced the realm of Scotland, and laid siege to the town of Berwick. Upon the 19th of July, the Scots with a mighty power made thither, -with purpose to remove the siege: whom king Edward met, and encountered on Halidon hi!!, giv- i g them battle, over whom he had a triumphant victory, i esomuch that lie slew of them seven earls, 900 knights and bannerets, 400 esquires, and of the common people WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 173 32,000 ; in which battle were slain of the English bat 15 persons. After which glorious victory, the captain of Berwick, the morrow following, being 5ft. Margaret's day, yielded to the king both town and castle; which verifies that " — .. ->in auger the Canicular Tyke, Tweed shall he passe, and set his foot in Wyke." Ti/Ve is that which the northern men call a dog, and by the Canicular Tyke, is meant the dog-star; Tizeedis the water which parted the two kingdoms of England and Scotland ; and by the Wi/Ice, (as is before mentioned) meant the town of Berwick. 1 only capitulate this one battle (of many) against the Scots, purposing the like compendiousness in his famous victories over the French. During the disseniion between the two kings of England and France, which by no mediation could be atoned, though there were many meetings to that purpose. The French king sent a strong navy to sea to take our English merchants, and encountered with two good ships of Eng- land, called the Edward and the Christopher, and after nine hours fight, in which were slain of both sides about 600 men, the two ships were taken, and all the wounded Englishmen, alive, cast over board into the sea. After- wards, king Edward, in his 15th year, in the month of June, took shipping, and sailed / towards Flanders, where met him Sir Robert Morley, with the north navy of Eng- land, so that his fleet consisted of 300 sail, and at mid- summer, upon St. John's eve, he met and fought with the French navy, which were 400 sail, which laid in wait for him near unto a town called Sluce; their chief admirals were Sir Hugh Querret, Sir Nicholas Buchet, and Barhe Nore, in English black-beard. Between these two royal fleets, was a strong and bloody fight, which continued for the space of eight hours, before it could be distinguished which way the victory was likely to incline, yet, in the end, by God's mercy, and the manhood of the king, the French were chaced, and many of their ships burned and taken, amongst which were the ships of the two admirals, Querret and Buchet, who maugre the French w r ere hanged up in their own vessels, and among the rest were recovered the Edward and the Cristopher, manned with the French. 174 she life or merlih, In this battle, the king himself, was sore wounded in the thigh, and of the French were slain 30,000 in that one naval conflict. Soon afterwards, (or as some write) a little time before, by the advice of his confederate princes, be laid claim to the crown of France, as his rightful inhe* ritance, and tor the more authority to countenance itj Jae quartered the English lions with the French flower de lyce, as they remain to this day ; so that we see 14 Neptune his Navall Triumphs did advance, (and) He his Coat quarters with the Arms of France. I am forced to intermit many and divers conflicts and skirmishes, with winning of forts and castles, challenges, that past between the two kings, with the particular valour and noble gests of some of our nation, to relate which would ask a voluminous tractate, where my confinement is to a mere epitomy of chronicle, passing over all accidents, saving what are most remarkable, which brings me to the ]8th year of his reign, in which at a parliament held at Westminster, his eldest son, Edward, was created prince of Wales, and he, in the year following, first instituted the famous and renowned Order of the Garter, which was solemnized at Windsor, and is continued to this day. In his 21st year, he landed in Normandy, and burnt and spoiled all the country before him, wasting the province of Constantine. Then he laid siege to Caan the chief city, and won it, and amongst others, he took there prisoners, the constable of France, the king's chamberlain, and all the spoil of the city, which was held to be inestimable, and sent to his ships, which was conveyed into England. He then entered France, and coasted towards Paris, to Vernon, to Poysie, to St. German, still wasting as he went. Then, he took and made use of all the king's royal manors and palaces, and drank his wine and occupied all such stuff and necessaries as he there found, and after his departing set them on fire, as St. German, Mountjoy, Pezzy, &c. insomuch that the French king, thinking it a great dis- honour, both to him and the whole nation, that the Eng- lish should pierce the heart of his kingdom unfought with; he therefore assembled all his prime chivalry, and met with the English (far inferior to them in number) near to a towa WITH HIS STRANGE PltOFHKCIBf. 17| •ailed Cressy, and upon the 26th of August, was fought between them a sharp and bloody battle, in which, at the end, king Edward was the triumphant victor ; where were •lain at that time, of the French party, the king of Bohe- mia, son to Henry the emperor, the seventh of that name, with the duke of Loraine, the earl of Alonson, brother to the king, Charles, earl of Bioys, the earls of Flanders, Sancer, Harcourt, and of Fiennes, with divers others, to the number of eight bishops and earls, with 17 lords of name, and of bannerets, knights, and esquires more than 1,690 ; so that their own chronicles report, that the flower of t ranee perished in that battle; besides, of the commons above 8,000, and the French king, with a small company, sore wounded, fled to a town called Bray, and there lay the night following. Whom king Edward pursued not, being advertised of another great host coming towards him, and therefore he kept the field, and made great fires through the host, and so continued till the Monday following, upon which day, early in the morning, appeared to them a new army of Frenchmen, of which they slew more in number than the Saturday before ; and then, having given thanks to God for his victory, he marched towards Bulloine, and thence to Calais, to which he laid siege for the space of a whole year ; then came the French king, with a numerous army, to remove him, but, before his coming, it was yielded to king Edward, so that he departed thence sad and ashamed. But king Edward stayed in the town a month, and removed all the old inhabitants, which were French, and stored it with English, but, especially, Kentish men, and having set all things in order, he sailed with great triumph into England, and arrived at London the 23rd day of October, where he was magnificently received of the citizens, and so conveyed unto Westmister. We have hitherto spoke only of the father. It follows, that something should be said of the son, the unparallelled Edward, prince of Wales, not for his complexion, but for his terror in battle, surnamed the Black Prince, who, whilst hs father rested himself in Calais, with a puissant host enter- ed Gascoine, and made spoil, at his pleasure, through the whole country, and with great riches and many noble prisoners, he retired himself to Burdeaux. And though 176 THE 1\IFE OF MERLIN, &C. the earls of Arraineck and of Foyz, of Poy tiers and Clcre- mont, with James de Burbon, with many oilier knights, who had double the number to the prince, were in his way, yet passed he from Tholous to Nerbon, and from Nerbon to Bordeaux, without battle ; where, having reposed him- self a while, and rested his army, he sent many of his prisoners into England, and there entered the province of Berray, and therein made sharp war, which 'king John, of France, hearing, gathered a mighty number of people, and made tow aids the prince, who, in the mean time, had passed the river of Lover, and encountered by divers of the nobility of France, between whom was a sharp conflict, but the fortune of the <\rj fell to the prince, who slew many of his enemies, and took divers prisoners, as the lord of Craou, and others of note, to the number of 54, whom he sent to safe custody in Bordeaux, and himself sped to Towres, whither, also, king John came against the prince, who took his way to Poytiers, where we, for a while, leave hi in upon his march. &c. «fc am CONTENTS OF CHAPTER TWENTY-SECOND. The famous battle of Poic- tiers, fought by Edward, sur- named the Black Prince, in which he took John, the French king prisoner. — His other yictories in France. — His conquests in Spain. — The death of the Tictorious prince Edward. — King Edward -the third's death and epitaph.— Richard the second made king. — A prediction of his reign.— The insurrection of the com- mons — The memorable act of William Walworth, lord may* or, &c. WE left prince Edward on his march towards Poictiers* In keeping which way, a French array encoun- tered him, but he chaced their multitude, and besides many slain, took of them 40 prisoners, amongst which, •were the earl of Sancer, the earlof Iurigny, the lord Chas- terlin, master of the king's palace, ai»d a knight called Sir Guillam de Daneham, whom he also sent to his rendez- vous at Burdeaux ; and soon afterwards, he lodged him and his host near Poictiers, so that the fronts of both hosts lay within a quarter of a mile of each other; between "whom the cardinal of Pernigvort, sent from pope Innocent the sixth, laboured to make a peace, but finding his endea- vour frustrate, he retired himself to Poictiers, to attend the success of the battle, which was fought upon Monday the 19th of September, in the year of grace 1356, and the sixth year of king John, the manner followeth : The duke of Athenes, with such of the nobility as were in the king's vaward, about two o'clock in the afternoon, setup- onthe Englishhost which was strongly munified with wood 1*8 THE LIFE OF MERLIX, and trees in the manner of a barricado, so that the French cavalry could not approach them, but the shot of the English archers was so violent, that it overturned horse and man. And whilst the duke of Athenes, with Sir John Cleremont, marshal of France, and others, assaulted the prince and his people on one side; the duke of Normandy, king John's eldest son, and the duke of Orleance, the king's brother, set upon him on another part, which two dukes were leaders of two strong armies. But these three battles did little harm to the English, for, by reason of their arrows, the French were so gauled and wounded, |hfit they fled to the great dismay and discomfort of the king and the rest of his people. "Who then in pesson came on with Ills main host, but the English kept themselves whole without scattering, and received them on the points of their weapons, with such dexterity and courage, that the French were forced to give back ; of which the English taking advantage, routed their whole army. In which battle were slain, of men of note, the duke of Athenes, the duke of Burbon*, Sir John Cleremont, marshal of France, Sir Henry Camian, ban- neret, who bore that day the oriflambe, (a special relick that the French kin a a2 188 THE Ll*E OF MERLItfj of A rim del, and of Nottingham, who was marshal! of England; and of the clergy, the arch bishop of Canter- bury, with the two abbots of St. Albans and Westminster, and these were solemnly sworn to supplant from their autho- rity the duke of Lancaster, the duke ot York, with others prejudicial to the good of the kingdom. But Nottingham, contrary to his oath, revealed all to the king, who, pre- sently, whilst the others thought themselves secure, called another council, in which it was decreed, that the earls of Arundel and Warwick, should be censured and brought to the king, who in person arrested his uncle, Sir Thomas of Woodstock, (some say at Plashy in Essex, others at Greenwich) in the night time, and taking hirn in his bed, first sent him to the tower, and thence had him secretly- conveyed to Calais, where he was piteously murdered. Afterwards, the two earls of Arundel and Warwick were judged and executed. Afterwards was called a parlia- ment, in which divers of the nobility had more honourable titles conferred upon them ; and other upstarts, neither of birth nor quality, were advanced to office and honour; in which parliament, also, many true heirs were dis- inherit- ed, &c. For which the people greatly murmured against the king and his council, pretending that the revenues of the crown were wasted upon unworthy persons ; for which, divers exactions were put upon the commons, that the chief rulers about the king were of low birth, and little reputation, and men of honour kept out of office and favour; that the duke of Glocester was secretly murdered without process of law ; and the earls of Arundel and Warwick put to death, contrary to the king's own procla- mation, with divers others, to t lie number of 38 several articles, all which, at his deposing, were publickly pro- tested against hirn. Harding the chronologer reports, that king Richard was prodigal, ambitious, and luxurious, to whose court resorted, at their pleasure, 10,000 persons, pretending business there; that in his kitchen were S00 serviters, and in everv office to the tike number. Or ladies, chamberers, and landresses SCO, who exceeded in costly and sumptuous apparel, and far above their degrees. The very grooms and yeomen were clothed in silk, satin, and damask, scarlet, embroidery, gold WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 189 chains and goldsmiths' work were then common ; such was the pride then in the court. It was also commonly voiced, that he had let to farm the revenues of the crown to Bushy, Baggot, and Green; which caused the nobility also, and the commons to grudge against the king and his govern- ment. And this year, being the 21st of his reign, died John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, at the bishop of Ely's palace in liolborne, and was buried on the north side of the choir in Paul's, where his tomb remaineth to this day. This year also fell a great difference between the two dukes cf Hereford (who was son to John of Gaunt) and the duke of Norfolk; the cause was (after some writers) that the two dukes riding from parliament, the duke of Norfolk said unto the other, Sir, you see how unstedfast the king is in his word, and how shamefully he putteth his kins- men to death, exiling some, and imprisoning others, and no doubt, what hath happened to them, may, in time, fall upon us, &c. Of which words, the duke of Hereford accused him to the king, which the one affirming, the other denying, a day of battle was appointed them at Coventry, upon the 11th of September, where the king and the greatest part of the nobility were present. Where both appearing in the lists, and ready for the combat, the king threw down his warder, and stayed the fight, and forthwith banished the duke of Hereford for 10 years, and the duke of Norfolk for ever. Upon which sentence, Hereford sailed into Britain ; and Norfolk, after passing divers countries, lastly, came to Venice, and there ended his life. In his 22nd year, the common fame ran, that he had farmed the realm of England, to Sir William Scroop, earl of Wiltshire, and treasurer, and to Sir John Bushy, Sir John Bagot, and Sir Henry Green. And in the month of April, the king, with a potent host sailed into Ireland, leaving for his pro-rex in England, his uncle, Edmund JLangley, duke of York. In which voyage, he prospered well, and quieted the realm to his pleasure. And whether it was for some noble act done, or out of his grace and bounty, (1 cannot say) he there knighted Henry, son to the duke of Hereford, (then in exile) which Henry, after his father's death, was crowned king of England, by the name of Henry the fifth. ISO ME LIFE OP MERLIN, Whilst king Richard was thus busied in Ireland, the duke of Hereford, late banished, with the arch-bishop of Canterbury, who had before left the realm, and Thomas, son to the earl of Arundel, lately beheaded, these, with others, being a small company in number, landed at Ravenspur, in the North, and under pretence of laying claim to the dukedom of Lancaster, due to him by John of Gaunt, his father, deceased, he raised the people as he went; to whom multitudes assembled, being weary with the misgovernment of king Richard ; who, hearing how the state in England then stood, made speedy return from Ireland, and in the begining of September, landed in Milford Haven, and sped him thence to Flint castle, in "Wales, intending thither to gather more strength to oppose the duke's proceedings. Who, in the interim, proclaiming himself duke of Lancaster, in the right of his father, John of Gaunt, came to Bristol, where, without resistance, he seized upon Sir William Scroop, earl of Wiltshire, and treasurer of England, Sir John Bushy, and Sir Henry Green, with Sir John Bagot, who escaped, and fled into Ireland, but the other three were judged and put to execution. Which the king (being then in Flint castle) hearing, he much doubted his own safety, and so did all these who were then about him. Therefore, Sir Thomas Percy, earl of Worcester, and steward of the king's household, contrary to his allegiance, broke his white staff openly in the hall, willing every one to shift for himself, by reason of which, the king was forsaken of all his people, and soon afterwards, surprised, and presented to the duke, who put him under safe keeping, and himself hasted towards London. Who, coming near to the city, sent the king secretly te the tower, of which some evil disposed persons ambushed him in the way, and would have slain him because of his former misgovernment, but the citizens, informed of their malicious purpose, rescued him from their fury. Then, the duke coming to London, (by consent of the king) a parliament was begun the ISth of September, in which many accusations and articles concerning his misruling the realm, to the number of 38, the king was charged With; and for whicU the king subscribing, (willing as it WITH HIS STRANGE PJtOPHECIK*. 191 was then given to his own deposement, he was deprived from all kingly majesty, the manner of the proceedings therein, were too long to relate) which sentence being Sublished, and openly read in parliament, Henry, duke of iereford, and now of Lancaster, rising from the place where he before sat, and standing where all might behold him. First, making the sign of the cross upon his forehead, and afterwards upon his breast, (silence being commanded) he spake as followeth: " In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, 1, Henry of Lancaster, claim the realm of England, with the crown t and all the appurtenances thereto belonging, as I am rightly descended from the right line of the blood, coming from that good lord king Henry the third, and through the right that God of his grace hath sent me, with the help of my kindred and friends to recover the same, which was in point to be undone, for default of good governance and justice, &c." Which having spoken, he sat down in his place. Then, every one hearing his claim, spake what he thought, and after some distance of time, the arch-bishop of Canterbury, knowing the minds of the lords, stood up, and asked the commons, if they would assent with the nobility in their election, which they thought to be needful, and for the good of the kingdom; to \vhich, with an unanimous voice, they said, yea, yea. After which, the arch-bishop aproaching the duke, uttered some words to him in private. W hich done, he arose, and taking him by the hand, led him to the king's seat, and placed him therein; afterwards made a long oration to that noble assembly, the effect whereof was to prove the duke's title to the crowa, and to justify the deposing of the king, verifying what was before predicted of him : *f Foure Princely Lions were to him allide, Gall shall he with his horns in his great pride. At length a Fox clad in skin of gold, Shall snatch the Kid, from midst of all his fold." By the four Lions, are figured his four princely uncles, sons to Edward the third, whom he se/erally injured, prefering men raised from nothing, to fce eminent above I9g rHE LITIS OF MERLIN, &€. them, both in honour and office ; and by the Fox, Henry of Balwark, who clothed himself with all the golden ornament of regal majesty, and snatched him from the midst of all the fold, that was, from amongst his own subjects and people, and afterwards, caused him to be put to a violent and cruel death. mem CONTENTS OF CHAPTER TWENTY-FOURTH. The coronation of Henry I ton.— His valour at his death, the fourth, with his great feast — His epitaph.— Thegreat rich- held in Westminster hall.— A es found in his treasury. — A great conspiracy intended a- J prosecution of sundry passages in the reign of king Henry — gainst him, but prevented. The lamentable murder of kin^ Richard the second, in Ponte- fract castle by Sir Pierce Ex- J by death. He prepares a journey for the Holy Land, but is prevented HENRY, the fourth of that name, and son to John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, took possession of the whole dominion of England, upon the last day of Septem- ber, in the year of grace 1399. After which, he made new officers clean through the kingdom, and then gave order for his coronation, and the eve before, he, in the tower, made 41 knights of the Bath, of which, three were his own sons, and three earls, and five lords, &c. Then, the morrow after, being Monday, the 13th of October, he was crowned at Westminster, by the arch-bishop of Can- terbury; after which solemnity ended, a great and sump- tuous feast was held in the great Hall, where the king being sat in the midst of the table, the arch-bishop of Can- terbury, with three other prelates, were placed at the right hand of the said table, and on the left hand the arch-bishop of York, with four other of the clergy. Henry, the king's eldest son, stood by his father, on his right hand, with a sword pointless; and the earl of Northumberland, new made lord constable, with a pointed sword on his left band, both swords being held upright. Before the kin^, Number V. B U 191 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, stood, all dinner time, the dnkes of Aumerl, of Surry, and of Exeter, with two other earls, and the earl of Westmor- land, late made marshal, roved about the hall, with many tip staves to make room, that the officers, with more ease, might serve the tables. Of which, the chief upon the right side of the hall, was begun by the barons of the cinque ports; and at the table next the cupboard, upon the left hand, sat the lord mayor and the aldermen of London, which mayor being Drewe Barendine, goldsmith, was presented (according to the custom) with a cup of gold. After the second course came in, Sir Thomas Dimmocke, armed at all points, and sitting upon a good steed, rode to the high part of the hall, and before the king, caused a herald to make a procla- mation, that whosoever would affirm, king Henry was not lawful inheritor to the crown and kingdom of England, he was there ready to wage battle against him; which pro- clamation he caused to be made, afterwards, in three other parts of the hall, in French and English, with many more observances, at such solemnities exercised and done. Which feast being ended, the morrow after, being Tuesday, the parliament was again begun. Of this kino- and his reign, it was thus predicted : u The Foxe being earth'd according to his mind, In his Rids den, a Magazine shall finde, Yet all that treasure can his life not save, But rather bring him to a timelesse grave : Mean time shall study many a forrest beast, By a new -way to kill the King in jest : But crafty Rainold shall the plot prevent, And turne it all to their own detriment. , Wales and the north against him both shall rise, But he, who still was politicke and wise, Shal quell their rage: much trouble he'll indure, And after, when he thinks himseife secure, Hoping to wash the Kids bloud from his hand, Purpose a voyage to the Holy Land, Butfaiie: Yet in Hierusalem shall dye, Deluded by a doubtful! augury." In the former parliament were many challenges of the peers, one against the other, which came to none effect, WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 195 but one thing was there confirmed, that whosoever had hand in the good duke of Glocester's death, should die as traitors. For which, divers found ldiers. Then was Tooke with the castle delivered up to king Henry, which lie gave to his brother, the duke of Cla- rence, with ail the signiory thereto belonging; heafterwards took the strong city of Caen in Normandy, with 14 other strong holds and castles. And whilst he was thus busied, the earl of March, the earl of Warwick, with others, won Laveers, Falois, Newlin, Cherburg, Argentine, and Rayons, &c. where the king kept St. George's feast, and made 15 knights of the Bath. Then king Henry divided his people into three parts, whereof, one he reserved to himself, the second he com- mitted to the duke of Clarence, the third to the earl of AVarwick, which duke and earl so well employed their forces, that in a short time they won many strong towns and \ ( £06 THE LIFE OF MERL1V, castles, whilst the king laid siege to Rouen, of whichone Sir Guy de Boucier was captain, which was also delivered up into his hands, so that having subdued all Normandy, he then entered France, and conquered the cities and towns as he marched, and upon the 20th of May, came to Troies in Champaign, where he was honourably received ; for the duke of Burgoin, being slain in the presence of the Dol- phin, Phillip, his son, who succeeded in the dukedom, refused the Dolphin's part, and leagueing himself with king Henry; delivered unto him the possession both of the French king, and Dame Catherine, his sole daughter. Then was such an unity laboured by the lords on both sides, to be had betwixt the two nations, that by the urgence of the said Philip, duke of Burgoin, king Henry, at Troies, in Champaign, was solemnly married to Kathe- rine, heir to the kingdom of France, upon the third day of June, being Irinity Sunday. Before the solemnization of which marriage, certain articles were agreed upon by the two kings, the effect whereof followeth: That Charles should remain king during the term of his life, and king Henry should be made regent and governor of the king* dom, in the ri^ht of his queen and wife; and that after the death of Charles, the crown or France, with all the rights thereto belonging, to remain to king Henry, and his heirs, kings, &c. And because Charles was then visited with sickness, king Henry, as regent, should have the whole and entire government of the realm ; and that the lords of France, as well spiritual as temporal, should make oath to king Henry, to be obedient unto him in all things, and after the death of Charles, to become his true liege* men and subjects, &c. Further, the dutchy of Normandy, and all other lord- ships thereto belonging, to be as one monarchy under the crown of France; and that during the life of Char- les, Henry should not name or write himself king of France, but Charles in all his writings should name king Henry his dearest son, and immediate heir to the crown. And that by the advice of both councils of the realms of England and France, such ordinances should be establish- ed, that when the crown of France fell to king Henry or his heirs, that it might with such unity join the realm of England, that our king might rule both the realms as one WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 207 monarchy, &c. that king Charles, nor Philip, duke of Burgoin, should make any peace with the Dolphin of Vien, without the consent of king Henry, nor he make any accord with him, without the agreement of Charles and Philip, &c. thus you see : 66 His Caducceus to a Sword did change, And grim Orion, though it might seem strange, Sit in Astrceas Orbe, and from her teare The three leav'd Flower she in her hand did beare. And turn it to a Lawrell to adorne The Lions brows, whom late the Toad did scorn." By the Caducceus turning into a sword, is meant that Mercury was now turned Mars, and peace into war. The same is allegorieally intended by Orion, who is called Lucifer, for the terribleness of his aspect, said by the astronomical poets to bear a sword. He removeth Astrced, that is Justice, out of her orbe, for in the time of war, force and might sway all, who rends from her bosom the peaceable three leaved flpwer, which is the flower delyce, with which he crowns the Lion, king Henry, whom the Toad did scorn, (thus demonstrated.) Some write that the arms of France, were at first the three toads, which after- wards they changed to the three lilies, as they are now quartered with the English arms, &c. But to continue with the history, these former articles, baing by consent of both the princes and their peers ratified, king Henry, with his new queen were honourably received into Paris, where, when they had rested a season, he, with the duke of Burgoin, laid siege to divers towns, which held with the Dolphin of Vien, as the strong city of Meldane, or Melian, to Melden, and others, and took them. And hav- ing done all his pleasure in France, he and the queen, took leave of Charles, the French king, and sailed into Eng- land, and at Westminster, with great solemnity, she was crowned. In the beginning of his 10th year, was born at Windsor, the sixth day of December, Henry, the sixth of that name. At Easter afterwards, the queen took shipping at South- ampton, and sailed into France, where she was royally received of her father and mother. And king Henry being §08 THE LIFE 0¥ MERLIN, &C. still busied in his wars of France, and still gaining from them cities and towns, on the ninth of August, he fell grieviously sick, at -Boys, in Vincent, and died the last day of the month, when he had reigned nine years, five months, and 10 days, leaving no issue behind him, only Henrjr, aged eight months and odd days. Then the king's body was embalmed, and afterwards brought to West- minster, and there buried, verifying : * Thus after many a famous victory, At length invested shall the Lion be In a new throne; to which his claime is faire, As being matcht unto thekingdomes heir. Living this royall beast shall lose no time, But bee at length from earth snatcht in his prime*'* CONTENTS OF CHAPTER TWENTV-SIXTH. The duke of Glocester made protector. — The duke of Bed ford regent of France. — Of Joan of Arc— Henry the sixth crowned in Paris. — A. prophe- cy of his reign. — The death of the duke of Glocester. — The death of the marquis of Suf- folk. — The insurrection of the commons under Jack Cade — His proceedings and death. — The duKe of Somerset gives up Normandy. — The duke of York taketh arms, his person seized against the king's pro- mise, and for fear set at liberty. HENRY, the sixth of that name, and sole son of Henry the fifth, and queen Katherine, began his reign over the realm of England, the first day of Septem- ber, in the year of grace 1422, who, during his minority, was committed to the guardianship of his two uncles, the dukes of Glocester and Bedford; the duke of Glocester being protector of England, and the duke of Bedford re- gent of France. In the first year of this king's reign, died Charles the seventh, king of France, by whose death, the crown and the realm, with the rights of them, fell to the young king, Henry; the possession ©f which, was by the lords of France, in general, (excepting some few, who took part with the Dolphin) delivered to the duke of Bedford, as regent, during the nonage of the king, who, in the the second year of his reign, won from the Dolphin more JD D 210 THE LIFE OF MERLI2C, than 24 strong holds and castles, to the great honour of the English nation, and with whom all attempts succeeded prosperously and victoriously till the fifth year, that the earl of Salisbury, (who was called the good earl) with the earl of Suffolk, the lord Talbot, and others, laying strong siege to the city of Orleance, the earl was slain by a shot from the town ; after whose death, the English still lost rather than won, so that by little and little, they were compelled from all their possession in France, for where they prevailed in any battle, in three they were discom- fitted. In the eighth year of his reign, and upon the ninth of his age, king Henry was crowned in St. Peter's church at Westminster, where were made 36 knights of the Bath. His coronation, with all honour and joy being finished, provision was made for his journey into France, and upon St. George's day following, being the 23rd of April, he took shipping, and landed at Calais, with a great train of the English nobility. During whose abode there, many battles were fought in divers parts of the kingdom, between the English and French, in which, the French, for the most part prevailed, some said, by the help of a woman, called Joan of Arc, whom they stiled, The maiden of God, who was victorious in many conflicts, and, at length, came to a town called Compeine, with intention to remove the siege laid unto it by the duke of Burgoin, and the English, but, by the valour of a Burgonian knight, called Sir John Luxemburg!], her company was distressed, and she took alive, and afterwards carried to Roan, and there kept a season, because she feigned herself with child, but the contrary being found, she was adjudged to death, and her body burnt to ashes. In his IGth year, and upon the seventh of December, king Henry VI. was crowned king of France, in Paris, by the cardinal of Winchester. At whose coronation were present the regent, the duke of Burgoin, with others of theJFrench nobility. After the solemnity of which royal feast ended, ihe king left Paris, and kept his Christmas at Roan, and thence returned into England, where he was joyfully re- ceived. And of whom it was thus predicted : 6i How comes the Sun to rise where he should set? Or how Lambs Lions, Lions Lambs beget? WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 211 Yet so't must be. The Lambe though doubly crown'd, And thinking his large empire hath no bound, Yet shall a Daulphin at a low ebbe land, And snatch one powerful scepter from his hand. Thus it falls out twixt father and the sonne. Windsore shall lose, what ever Monmouth wonne, A Tigresse then, in title only proud, In the Lambs bosome seeks herself to shroud, A seeming Saint: at firt meek and devout, But in small time her fiercenesse will break out, Nor can her ravenous fury be withstood, Until], through satrd, with best English blood, But a young Lion he at length shall tame, And send her empty back from whence she came. Much troubleshall be made about the crown, And Kings soon raised, and as soone put downe, &c." After sundry conflicts between the English and the French, in which they diversly sped, at length, Charles, the Dolphin, who took upon him to be king of France, by the proffer of many towns, castles, cities, provinces, and lordships, so wrought upon the duke of Burgoin, that, notwithstanding he had before slain his father, adhered to his party, and proclaimed himself utter enemy to the English, which was in the 13th of Henry, In which year, died the noble and valorous John, duke of Bed- ford, and regent of France, and was buried with great solemnity at Roan, in the church of our lady. After whose death, notwithstanding the incomparable valour of .Lord Talbot, whose name was so terrible in France, that {with it women frighted their children, to still and quiet them) the earl of Arundel and others, yet fortune, for the most part, was averse to the English, &c. And, though there were many treaties of peace to be made between the two kingdoms, yet they came to no effect, and thus for divers years it continued. During which passages, divers murmurs and grud^ings began to break out between the duke of Glocester, lord protector, and uncle to the kin^, and divers persons near about the court, amongst whom was chief the earl of Suffolk, which, in the end, was the confusion of them both. For, in the 21st year, the said earl of Suffolk, who had dd2 g!2 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, broke off a marriage concluded by the English ambassa- dors, between king Henry, and the daughter to the earl of Arminacke, went over into France, and made a match between him and the king's daughter of Hierusalem and Cicily, who had the bare titles thereof, and was indeed a king without a country. To compass which marriage, he delivered (o the said king, the dutchy of Anjou,and earldom of Main, which were called the keys of Normandy, to the great prejudice and dishonour of the English nation. For which set vice done, he was created marquis of Suffolk; and s o.i afterwards, with his wife and others, pompously accom- modated^ brought her into England, where she was es- poused to the king, at a place called Southwiek, in Hampshire; whence, afterwards* she was conveyed to London, an:? thence to Westminster, and there, upon the SOih of May, being Trinity Sunday, solemnly crowned. With which match, itseems, God was not well pleased; for aft' r ha! day, fortune began to forsake the king, who lost his friends in England, and his revenues in France, for soon afterwards, the whole state was swayed by the queen and her counsel, to the dishonour of the king, the realm's detriment, and her own disgrace, for thereby fell the loss of Normandy, the division of the lords, _ the rebellion of the commons, the king deposed, her son slain, and she banished the land for ever; all which miseries fell (as some have conjectured) (or the breach of that lawful contract, first made between the king and the daughter to the earl of Armma^ke. In his 25th year, was a parliament called at St. Ed- mnndsbury, in Suffolk, which was no sooner begun, and the lords assembled, but Humphrey, duke of Glocester, ■was arrfcsted by viscount Ueumond, thru high constable of En^tetftd, the dttke ot Buckingham, and others, and the sixfh day afterwards, found dead (some say murdered) in his bed. Of whose -eath, the marquis of Suffolk was most s specfed. Whose body, after it was publickly sh* wn, was conveyed to St. Albans, and there honourably in* rred, ami soon afterwards five of the principal of his household hanged, but by the king's mercy not quartered. In I s ?fcth year, was called another parliament, in Tvhich ihe marquis 01 Suffolk was arrested and sent to the WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 213 tower, where he lived a month at his pleasure, and was afterwards set at large, to the discontent of some lords, but all the commons ; for he was charged with the delive- ry of Amiens and Maine, and the murder of duke Hum- phrey, called the good duke of Glocester. Upon which, ensued a rebellion of the commons, of which, one Blew- beard called himself captain, but they were soon suppresed, and the chief of theni put to death. The parliament was then adjourned to Leicester, whither cametheking, and'with him the queen's great favourite, the duke of Suffolk. Then the commons made a petition to the king, that all such as had hahcl in the delivery of Anjou and Maine, and the death of the protector, might be severely punished. "Of which they accused as guilty, the marquis of Suffolk, the lord Say, the bishop of Salisbury, one Damial, a gentleman, and one Trivillian, with others, to appease whom, Suffolk was exiled for five years,' and the lord Say, treasurer of England, with the rest, were put apart for a while, and promised that they should be imprisoned. And Suffolk, taking shipping in Norfolk to have sailed into France, was met by a ship of war, callad the Nicho- las of the tower, and being known by the captain, he took him into his own vessel, and brought him back to the port of Dover, where, on the side of the boat, he caused his head to be struck off, and cast it with the body on the sands, and so went again to sea. In this year, also, being the jubilee, the commons of Kent assembled themselves in great multitudes, under a captain called Jack Cade, who named himself Mortimer, and cousin to the duke of York. Against him the king raised a strong host, aud sent Sir Humphrey Stafford, and William, his brother, with certain forces, to subdue them, but the rebels prevailed against them, and left the two noble brothers dead in the field. After which victory, the captain put upon him knight's apparel, with briganders set with gilt nails, and helmet, with gilt spurs. To whom was sent the archbishop of Canterbury, and the duke of Buckingham, who had conference with him, and found him very discreet in his answers, but not to be won to lay by his arms, and to blind the eyes of the people the more, he used great justice in his camp ; at length, he came to Southwark, (at which time the commons of Essex, lay with an army at Mile-end) and when he aproached the 214 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, draw-bridge, he hewed the ropes and chains asunder with his sword , and so entered London 3 where he made proclamations in the king's name, that no man, on pain of death, should rob, spoil, or take from any man, but to pay for whatso- ever he called for, which drew unto him the hearts of many of the citizens ; and when he came to London stone, he struck upon it with his sword, and said, Now is Mor- timer lord of this city. Afterwards, he caused lord Say to be fetched from the tower, and without any just pro- cess, at the standard in Cheap, commanded his head to be cut off, and another called Cromer, who had been high sheriff of Kent, he also commanded to be beheaded, then pitched their heads upon two poles, and as they passed the streets in divers places, caused the poles to join, so that the dead mouths kissed each other. Thus he had free recourse into the city by day, and at night returned to lodge with his host in Southwark, but at length his malicious purpose broke out, for, dining one day with Phillip Malpas, draper and alderman, he robbed and spoiled his house, and took from thence a great quantity of plate or money, which hacThe not done, it was supposed, he might have attained his own ends, (for so he served another in the same kind) therefore the mayor, his bre- thren, and commons, consulted amongst themselves, (having the assistance of the tower) the next day to shuttheir gates a- gainst him, and keep him out of the city, which they did. Then the captain assaulted the bridge, which was valiantly defended, and many slain on both sides, but, at length, they were enforced to keep still in Southwark, whither the arch-bishob of Canterbury, sent a general pardon from the king, so they would disband themselves; of whicht he mul- titude took the advantage, every one sped himself home to his country. Then proclamation was made, that he who could take the captain alive or dead, should have 1,000 marks. At length, a gentleman of Kent, called Alexander lden, found him in a garden in Sussex, and in taking, slew him, whose body was brought through the high streets of the city, to Newgate, there headed and quarter- ed, his head set upon the bridge, and the quarters sent to four sundry towns in Kent, to the terror of like offenders. In the 29th year, by reason of the duke of Somerset's giving up the dukedom of Normandy, displeasure grew WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. gl5 from some of the lords against the queen and her council, so that the duke of York, father to king Edward the fourth, with many lords to him allied, opposed them- selves against her, and in the 30th year, the king, with the duke of Somerset, and other nobles, journeyed towards the marches of Wales, because they were informed, that the duke of York, with divers of the barons, both of note and name, had gathered a great strength. Who hearing the king made towards them, swarved from the king's host, and took their way towards London ; but when they knew they could not be received there, they passed over Kingston bridge, so into Kent, and pitched their field on Urentheath. Of which the king being informed, followed them, and pitched his field on Blackheath. Both their hosts being thus embattled, mediation of peace was made between the two hosts ; and to the duke were sent the bishops of Winchester and Ely, with the earls of Salisbury and Warwick, who answered them, that neither he, nor any of his company, intended any hurt to the king's person, or any of his own council; but his purpose was to remove some evil disposed persons about the queen, by whom the land was oppressed, and the commons impoverished, of whom it was finally agreed, that he should be committed to prison, and to answer what the duke of York should object against him. Upon which promise made by the king, the duke, the first of March, being Tuesday, disbanded his army, and came to the king's tent, where, contrary to the promise made, he found the duke of Somerset waiting next the king, and the duke of York was sent (like a prisoner) to London, and now streightly had been kept, but that news was brought, that Sir Edward, his son, earl of March, was coming thither with a strong power of Welshmen and Marchrnen, which so affrighted the queen and her council, that the duke was set at liberty, to go whither it pleased him, and so peace for a while, with feigned love was dissembled. Thus hitherto the prediction hath not failed in any parti- cular, which saith : *'■ The Lambe though doubly crown'd, And thinking his large Empire hath no bound. Yet shall a Daulphin at a lobbe land, And snatch one powerful seepter from his hand. 216 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, &C. Thus it falls out twixt father and the sonne. Windsor e shall lose, what ever Monmouth wonne." Henry, for his meekness, was compared to a Lamb, being doubly crowned, in London and Paris. The Dolphin of V^en, being at the lowest ebb of state, yet, in time, by the perfidionsness of the duke of Burgoin, afterwards recovered the whole realm of France, with the dukedom of Normandy, so that he snatched one sceptre from his hand. So that Henry the sixth, born in Wind- sor, no way participating 1 the noble and heroic spirst of his father, lost all by his pusillanimity, that Henry, the first born in Monmouth, had achieved, by his unmatchable prowess. • CONTENTS OF CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVENTH* The ambition of queen Margaret.— The battle at St. Albans. — York made protect- or. — The queen's practice a : gainst the lords. — The battle of Northampton. — York pro™ claimed heir to the crown. — York slain in the battle at Wakefield. — Henry deposed, and Edward, earl of March , made king.^-A prophecy of his reign* — The battle at Hexham. — King Henry taken and sent to the tower. — The marriage of Edward. — He flies the land. — Henry again made king. PROCEED with the history. In his 31st year, the king held a solemn feast at Westminster, upon the 12th day in Christmas, where he created two earls, who were his brothers by the mother's side. Queen Katherine, who, after the death of Henry the fifth, was married to a knight of Wales, called Owen, who had by her two sons, the eldest, named Edmund, who was made earl of Rich- mond, the youngest, Jasper, earl of Pembroke, who was afterwards, by Henry the seventh, made duke of Bed- ford, and so died. And in the 32nd year, the 13th of October, queen Margaret was delivered, at Westminster, of a princely son, named Edward, who, afterwards, grew to be of fair personage and great hope, but was afterwards slain by Edward the fourth, when he had won the battle fought at Tewksbury ; whom the people, for the great hate they bore to bis mother, would not acknowledge to be the natural son of king Henry, but rather a bastard or changling, to her great sorrow and dishonour. During these passages, great dissention grew between the king and divers of his lords, but especially between the queen's council and the duke of York." And his bloody and main cause was, because the duke of Somerset E E 218 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, (now her prime favourite) lived at large, was made cap- tain of Calais, and was in greater power about the queen than before, for the queen governed all, and the king was only so in name, but no more than a cypher to fill up a number, for which both the nobles and commons much grudged. At length, the duke of York being in the marches of Wales, called to him the earls of Warwick and Salisbury, with other knights and gentlemen ; and in the month of April, gathered a strong host, and marched towards London, where the king, queen, and sundry of the nobility, then made their residence ; who hearing thereof, assembled also a sufficient army, and sped towards St. Albans, of *Vhich the duke of York being advertised, he also made thither, and was at one end of the town, whilst the king and his people were at the other, and this was on the 25rd of May, the Thursday before Whitsun- day. JNow, whilst a treaty of peace was communed upon the one gait, the earl of Warwick, with the Marchmen, entered the town upon the other end, and fought eagerly against the king's people, so that both the battles joined, and continued the fight for many hours, but, in the end, the victory fell to the duke of York; and of the king's side, were slain, the duke of Somerset, the earl of North- umberland, and lord Clifford, with many honourable knights and gentlemen. The morrow after, the duke with great honour and re- verence conveyed the king back to London, and lodged him in the bishop's palace, then called a parliament at Westminster, by authority whereof, the duke of York was made protector of the realm, the earl of Salisbury, chancellor, and the earl of Warwick, captain of Calais, and all such as were in authority about the king removed, and the queen and her council, who before swayed all, vilified and set at nought; but she, out of her great policy insinuated with divers lords, who were of her faction, and disdaining the rule the duke bore in the realm, by the name of protector, as if the king was insufficient to govern the state, which, as she thought, was a great dishonour to him, and disparagement to her. She made such friends of the lords, both spiritual and temporal, that the duke was sliortly discharged of his protectorship, and the earl of Salisbury of his chancellorship; which was the cause of much combustion afterwards. So that it appears : WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 219 " ATigresse then, in title onely proud, In the Lambes bosom seeks herself to shroud; A seeming Saint, at first meek and devout. But in small time, her fiercenesse will break out: Nor can her rav'nous fury be withstood, s Untill through sated with best English blood, " Which will manifestly appear in the sequel, for she causing the king to remove from London to Coventry, the duke of York was sent for thither by a privy seal, with the earls of Warwick and Salisbury, whose lives were am- bushed in the way; of which they having notice, escaped the danger. Afterwards, a day of meeting was appointed at London, whither the lords came, with great trains at their heels ; and the earl of Warwick, with a strong band of men from Calais, in red jackets, and white ragged sleeves upon them. But, by reason of the strength the lords had, nothing was attempted against them, but a dissembled peace was made between the two factions; which being tied with a small and slender thread, it happened that in a private quarrel, a servant to the earl of Warwick, hurt one of the king's servants, upon which the earl coming from the council to take his barge, the king's family rudely set upon him, and the blackguard assaulted him with their spits, where divers of his followers were sore hurt, and he himself dangerously wounded, with great difficulty escaped, but got to London, and from thence sailed to Calais. He thus secured, the queen then aimed at the life of his father, the earl of Salisbury, who set upon him lord Audley, with a strong company, to way-lay him in his coming towards the city; who mending his train, kept on his journey, and upon Bloreheath, they met both, and after a bloody conflict, lord Audley, with many of his followers were slain, and two of the earl's sons wounded, who, in their way home, were surprised by some of the queen's faction, and sent prisoners to Ches- ter. Upon which, the duke with the lords assembled them- selves for their own security, and the earl of Warwick came with a band of men from Calais, of which he made one Andrew Trollop, captain ; against whom the king gathered a strong host, and came to Ludlow, where the e e 2 220 *HE LIFE OF MERLIN, lords were encamped ; but, the night before the battle, this Andrew, with his Calais soldiers, left the lords, and joined ■with the king's army. At which, the lords were much discouraged, because he was privy to all their purposes, wherefore they left their tents standing, and fled. The duke of York took shipping for Ireland, the rest escaped into Guernsey, by the means of one John Dinham, an esquire, who brought them a ship; which Dinham was afterwards made treasurer of England, so that the king w r as made master of the field, the dutchess of York with her chil- dren 4aken prisoners in Ludlow, and sent to her sister, the dutchess of Buckingham, where she remained long after- wards; and the lords proclaimed traitors, and their goods and lands forfeited, and seized into the king's hand; but, at length, the tide turned. For the lords (being favoured by the commons, who much murmured at the proceedings of the queen and her council) again entered the land, and upon the ninth of July encountered the king's host at Northampton, where, after a long fight, the victory fell to the earl of Salisbury, and the lords of his party, where the king's host was dis- comfited, and he taken in the field; afterwards many of his nobility were slain, amongst whom were the duke of Buckingham, the earl of Shrewsbury, the viscount Beau- mont, the lord Tiremond, &c. After which victory they returned to London, and brought with them the king, keeping his estate; then sent for the duke of York out of Ireland. In the mean time they called a parliament, during which the duke of York came to Westminster, and lodged in the king's palace; upon which grew a rumour that Henry should be deposed, and the duke of York made king. One day, the duke came in to the parliament chamber, and in tire presence of all the lords, sat down in the king's seat, and claimed the crown as his rightful inheritance. At which there was great murmuring a- mongst the lords, but after divers councils held, it was concluded, that Henry should continue king during his natural life, and after his death, his son, prince Edward, to be set apart, and the duke of York and his heirs to be kings, and he to be admitted protector of the king, and regent of the realm, and upon Saturday following, being the ninth of November, and 39th of king Henry, the duke was proclaimed through the city heir apparent to the crown, and his progeny after him. WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 221 And because queen Margaret, with her son, prince Ed- ward, with the dukes of Somerset and Exeter were in the north, and would not come up at the king's sending. It was agreed by the lords, that the duke of York and earl of Salisbury, should rise an army, and fetch them up by force, and to that purpose sped them northward. Of which the queen with her people having notice, with a great power of northern men, met with them upon the 30th of Decem- ber at a town called Wakefield, between whom was fought a bloody battle, in which was slain the duke of York, with his son, the earl of Rutland, Thomas Nevill, son to the earl of Salisbury, and the earl himself taken prisoner, whom she caused to be, with others, soon afterwards be- headed at Pontefract; then she made haste towards Lon- don, and the earl of Warwick, with the duke of Norfolk, who were appointed by York to attend the king, gathered an army, and upon Shrove-Tuesday, in the morning, gave her battle at St Alban's, in which Warwick and Norfolk were chaced, and the king again taken, and presented to the queen. Then, he, the same afternoon, made his son Edward knight, (who was eight years of age) with- 30 persons more. The queen having thus gotten the upper hand on her enemies, thought all things safe, expressing more pride than she before had done ; in the height of which, news was brought her, that Edward, earl of March, eldest son to the duke of York, with the earl of Warwick, and others, with a great strength of Marchmen, were met at Cottiswald, in their way to London, wherefore the king and queen returned with their host northward, but before her departing from St, Alban's, she caused the lord Bons- field, and others, to be beheaded ; who had been taken in the former field. Then came the earls of March and Warwick to London, to whom resorted all the gentlemen of the east and south parts of England. Then was a council called of the lords spiritual and temporal, by whom, after much debating of the matter, it was concluded, that, forasmuch as king Henry, contrary to his honour and oath at the last parliament had done, and also that he was reputed unable and insufficient to govern the realm, he was, by their assents, discharged of all kingly honour and royalty, and by the authority of the said council, and agreement of the commons, Edward, eldest son to the duke of York, was elected king, who presently, with his army, 222 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, followed Henry, and met with his host at a place called Towton, or Sherbourne, and upon Palm-Sunday gave them battle, which was so cruelly fought, that there were slain 50,000, besides those of note and quality, as the earl of Northumberland, the earl of Westmorland, the lord Clifford, Sir Andrew Trollop, and others. In the same field was taken the earl of Devonshire, and sent to York, and there beheaded. But Henry, the queen, prince Ed- ward, the duke of Somerset, the lord Ross, and others, fled into Scotland, and king Edward entered York, and there kept his easter. Thus Henry lost the crown after he had reigned full 38 years, six months, and odd days, and the factious and ambitious queen forfeited all her right in the kingdom, verifying what was predicted : " But a young Lion hee at length shall tame, And send her empty back from whence she came. Much trouble shall be made about the Crowne, And Kings soone raised, and as soon put down." This Edward, the fourth of that name, and son to Rich- ard, duke of York, began his reign over the realm of England the fourth of March, in the year of grace (to reckon after the English computation) 1440, and upon Sunday being the feast day of St. Peter, was solemnly crown- ed at Westminster ; before which time he made 36 knights of the Bath, and soon afterwards he created his brother George, duke of Clarence, and his brother, Richard, duke of Glocester. Of this king's reign thus runs the prophecy: " The fiercest Beare, who by his power alone, Had planted the young Lion in his throne, Is sent abroad a Lionesse to finde, To be his phear: who having chang'd his mind, Doats on a Badger, whom some terme a Gray, And that shall cause much blood on Easter day. The Beare, who th' exil'd Tygresse meetes in France, Vowes the suppressed Lambe again t' advance. And from the Coop where he hath long bin pent, To raise him to his former government. The Lion the Land flying, with a small And slender traine, the ragged staffe swayesall. But the Beares fiercenesse shall be soon allaid, As one that is half conquered^ halfe betraid; WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 223 Then shall the Lambe, whom he did late restore, (Again coopt up) be slaughtered by the Boare." After the king had visited the greatest part of the best towns and cities in the kingdom, in the second year of his reign, Margaret, late queen of England, with an army of French and Scotch, invaded the north part of England; v "lieu king Edward hearing, sped him thither. At whose aproach, the queen with the rest affrighted, she disbanded her troops, and in a carick would have sailed into France, but such a tempest fell, that she was forced to take a fish- ing-boat, and landed at Berwick, and rode thence to the Scotch king, where news was brought her that the carveil, in which the greatest part of her treasure was, was swallowed up in the sea. And in his third year, the lord John of Montacute, brother to the earl of War- wick, having chief command in the north, was warned of king Henry's coming, with a great power, out of Scot- land; against whom he assembled the northern men, and met -with him about Hexham, who routed the Scotch army, and chaced Henry so near, that he took certain of his train apparelled in blue velvet, garnished with two crowns, and fret with pearl and rich stones. He took also the duke of Somerset, the lord Hungerford, the lord Ross, and others; which duke, with the rest, were soon afterwards beheaded, some at Hexham, others at Newcastle. And the same year was king Henry taken in a wood, in the northern country 7 , by one Cantlow, and presented unto king Edward, who forthwith sent him to the tower, where he remained for a long time afterwards. Now Richard of Warwick, who, for his many victories and potency in the realm, was called Warwick the Great, was employed by the king into France, to treat a marriage between him and the lady Bona; which, whilst he was earnestly soliciting, the first of May, the king espoused Elizabeth, late wife to Sir Jojin Gray, who was slain at Towton, in the great battle fought against Henry ; which espousals were solemnized early in the morning at Grasten, near Stony Stratford, where were present none but the spouse, the spousess, the dutchess of Bedford, her mother, the priest, two gentle- womerr, and a young man who helped the priest at mass. \V hich marriage was for a time kept secret, but afterwards she was with great solemnity 224 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, &C, crowned queen at Westminster. Which the earl of Warwick taking as a great affront, as being fooled in his ^embassy, and queen Margaret being then, with her son Edward, in the court of France, he, with the earl of Ox- ford, who had stood always against the Yorkists, secretly made promise to the queen to wait their time to remove king Edward, and place the diadem upon the head of king Henry, which makes good : ic The Forest Beare, who by his power alone, Had planted the young Lion in his throne, Is sent abroad a Lionesse to fin do, To be his phere, who having changed his mind, Doats on a Badger, whom some doe terme a Gray, &c." By the Bear is figured Warwick, who gave the bear and the ragged staff, who supported the cause of Edward, earl of March, till he had crowned him kinir; who being sent into France to negociate a match between him and the lady .Bona, whom he calls the Lioness: in the interim he mar- ried with a Badger or Gray, by which is intimated Eliza- beth, the lady Gray, &c. And now, about the eighth year, broke out the long dis- sembled hate between the king and the earl of Warwick, who confedered unto him the duke of Clarence, who had before married his daughter. In which season, by their instigations Were divers rebellions in Lincolnshire, likewise in the North, by a captain who called himself Robin of Ridisdale; in Lincolnshire by the lord Wells, &c. Mean time the duke of Clarence, with the earl of Warwick and others, solicited Lewis XL king of France, to assist them in the restoring of king Henry to his rightful inherit- ance, who gladly granted their request. Which lords af- ter their departure from England, were proclaimed rebels and traitors ; who in September, the 10th year of the king, landed at Dartmouth, making their proclamations in the name of Henry the sixth, to whom multitudes from all parts resorted, so that the king being in the corth, with great danger passed the washes in Lincolnshire, and fled into Flanders ; and Warwick brought the king from the tower, and conducted him in all state through London to West- minster, and once more set the crown upon his head. ■ ■■■■ 1 »... ■ ..-i...» »— . ap — — ^—^— vrltn CONTENTS OF CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHTH. King Edward proclaimed usurper of the crown, and GIo- cester traitor. — His landing at Ravenspur. — The battle at Barnet. — The battle at Tewksbury.— King Henry murdered in the tower, and after him the duke of Cla- rence.— The death of Edward the fourth.— -Glocester takes upon him to be protector of the young king. — His tyranny, when protector. — He is pro* claimed king. — 'The murder of the two princes in the tower. — A prophecy of them before their deaths. 1NG Henry being thus re-instated, there was daily waiting on the sea-coast for the landing of queen Margaret, and her son, prince Edward, and provision made against the re-entering of the kingdom by king Ed- ward and his company, then was called a parliament, ia which king Edward was proclaimed usurper of the crown, and his brother, duke of Glocester, traitor, and both attained by virtue of the said parliament. Then the earl of Warwick rode into Kent, thinking to meet the queen at Dover, but the wind was so averse to her, that she lay from No- vember to April, and all that while could not put to sea, by reason of which, the earl of Warwick's journey was disappointed. In the beginning of April, Edward landed at Raven- spur, with a small company of Hemings, who in all could not make up the number of a 1000, and so drew towards York, making proclamation in the name of king Henry, that his coming was to no other intent, than to claim the inheritance of the dukedom of York, where- the citizens 226 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, kept him out till he had taken a solemn oath, that he pur- posed no more than he spake; where, having refreshed him and his followers, he departed thence, and held his way towards London, and having paked by favour and fair words the lord marquis Montacute, who lay with an army to stop his way, and finding his strength hourly to increase, he then made proclamation in his own name,, as king of England, and so held on his journey till he came to Lon- don, where he was gladly received into the city, and so made to Paul's and offered at the altar, and thence to the bishop's palace, where he found the king almost alone, for his servants and others had left him, and having put him under safe custody, he there rested himself till Easter eve. Whenhearing of hisbrother Clarence, with the otherlords comingwithastronghosttoSt. Albans, he hasted thitherward, and laid that night in Barnet ; in which season, the duke of Clarence, contrary to his oath made to the French king, renounced the title of king Henry, and came that night with his whole strength to his brother; at whose revolt the lords were somewhat abashed, but, by the earl of Oxford they were again comforted ; by whose persuasion they marched forward to Barnet, whither he came leading the vaward, and on a plain near the town, pitched his field- Upon the morrow, being Easter day, both hosts met. Upon the one party were two kings present, Ed- ward and Henry ; upon the other, the duke of Exeter, the lord marquis Montacute, the earls of Warwick and Oxford, with other men of fame. In their first encounter the earl of Oxford so manfully demeaned himself, that he bore over that part of the field which he set upon, insomuch that news came to London, that Edward's host was discomfited, and it might have happened if his men had kept their army, and not present- ly disordered themselves, by falling to rifle and pillage ; but after a long and cruel fight, king Edward obtained the victory; in which battle, of the lords' party, were slain, marquis Montacute, and hisbrother, the earl of Warwick ; on the king's party, the lord barons ; and of the commons, on both sides, 1,500. The same day, in the afternoon, came king Edward to London, and first offered at Paul's, and rode thence to his lodging at Westminster: and soon WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 227 afterwards was king Henry brought, riding in a long gown of blue velvet, and conveyed through Cheap unto Westminster, and thence to the Tower, where he remain- ed all his life time afterwards. Thus we find by the premises, (C The Beare, who th' exil'd Tigresse meets in France, Vowes the suppressed Lambe again to advance : And from the Coop where he hath long bin pent To raise him to his former government.'' All which happened according to former prediction, as also the sequel : iC The Lion the land flying with a small And slender train, the ragged Staffe sways all : But the Bears hercenesse shall be soon allaid, As one that is halfe conquered, halfe betraid. ,, That is, half conquered by the prowess of king Edward, and betrayed by his perfidious brother, the duke of Cla- rence. Edward, thus having repossessed the kingdom, provided against the landing of queen Margaret and her son, who, notwithstanding, with an army of French- men entered the land as far as Tewksbury, where the king met her, and chaced her house, and slew many of them; in which battle was taken her son Edward, and brought to the king, who, demanding some questions, and he not answering him to his mind, the king struck him over the face with his gauntlet, upon which he was dragged into a "withdrawing room, and there slain by the duke of Gloces- ter. In the same year upon Ascension eve, was the corpse of Henry the sixth, late king, brought unreverently from the Tower through the high streets of the city unto Paul's, and there left for that night ; and on the morrow, conveyed with bils and staves, and the like weapons, unto Chelsea, and there without any solemn ceremony interred, who was stabbed with a dagger, in the Tower, by the hand of the foresaid Richard, duke of Glocester: * c So that the Lambe, the Beare did late restore, (Again coopt up) was murdered by a Bore." For the Boar was the cognizance belonging to the said F f2 228 THE LIFE OF MERLIU, duke. When king Edward had thus subdued his ene- mies, he sent over the miserable and distressed queen Margaret into her own country, whence she never returned to (his kingdom afterwards. In the seventeenth year of the king, the duke of Clarence, his second brother, was, for some displeasure taken against him, committed to the tower, w here he had not remained long, but he was secretly drowned in a butt of Malmsey, as it was commonly voiced, bjr the instigation of the duke of Glocester. 1 let pass the rest of this king's reign, in which happened no great matter of remark or consequence ; so that after his many victories (for he was never conquered in any battle) he governed the realm in great tranquillity and quietness, and expired the 1 1th of April, in the year of theincarnatiou of our Lord 1483, after he had reigned full 22 years, and as much as from the fourth of March to the 1 1th of April, whose corpse was conveyed to Windsor, and there with all due and solemn cerernonj 7, interred, leaving two sons, prince Edward, the eldest, and Richard, duke of York, the younger, with three daughters, Elizabeth, afterwards queen, Sicily, and Katharine. Edward, the fifth of that name, and son to Edward the fourth, at II years of age began his reign the 11th of April, in the beginning of the year of our Lord God 1483. Of whom, and his uncle Richard, duke of Glocester, the prediction foiloweth ; height of all his hopes aspire, And cloth'd in state his ugly shape admire: But when he thinks himselfe most safe to stand, From Forreigne parts^ a native Whelp shal land? WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES, 229 Who shall the long divided blood unite, By joining of the Red Rose with the white. m Edward the fourth yielding his ful claim to the crown, as reputing them no better than bas- tards, had made a match between Guildford Dudley, the fourth son to Northumberland, and the lady Jane Gray, sole daughter to the duke of Suffolk ; and pretending that king Edward, in his last will, nominated her heir apparent to the crown after his death, they caused the said lady Jane, presently upon the king's death, June the 10th, to be pro- claimed queen, and true and immediate heir to the king- dom, in sundry places of the city of London, which proved to her utter ruin. JL lie lady Mary being at that time at Frarningham, in Suffolk, was much troubled at the report of such disastrous news, which the more perplexed her, because she had intelligence that it was done by the nobility and the whole THE LIFE OF MERLIN, &C. 261 body of the council ; to whom the Suffolk men assembling, (as not liking such shuffJing in state) proffered her their assistance to possess her in her lawful anrl inclubitate inhe- ritance. Before which time, the great duke of Northum- berland, having a large commission granted him by the lords of the council, and signed with the great seal of Eng- land, had raised an army with intent both to suppress and surprize the lady Mary; which was no sooner advanced, and the rising of the Suffolk men bruited at court. But the lords in general, either for fear of the commons, or repenting them of the injury done to the rightful inheri- trix, they sent a countermand after the duke to lay by his arms; who, when he thought himself in his greatest power, being abandoned by the nobility, he was also forsaken of the commons, so that at Cambridge, he, with his sons, and some few servants, were left alone. Who thinking thereby to make his peace, in the open market-place, proclaimed the lady Mary, queen of England, France, and Ireland, de- fender of the faith, &c. Notwithstanding which, in King's College, he was arrested of high treason, and from thence brought up to London, and committed to the Toww. Then was the lady Mary generally received as queen, and so proclaimed through the kingdom the 20th of July; and the third of August following, she took possession of the Tower; and during her abode there, released all the Romish bishops there imprisoned. From thence she rode in great state towards her palace of Westminster, where she was solemnly crowned by Stephen Gardiner, bishop of Winchester ; her sister the lady Elizabeth being present at her coronation. Of this queen and her reign, it was thus predicted : * c Then shall the masculine Scepter cease to sway, And to a Spinster, the whole Land obey, Who to the Papall Monarchy shall restore All that thePhaenix had fetcht thence before, Then shaibcome in the faggot and the stake, And they, of Convert bodies bonefires make. • Match shal this Lionesse with Ccesars sonne, From the Pontifick sea a Pool shall runne That wide shall spread it's waters, and to a flood In time shal grow: made red with martyrs blood. Men shall her short unprosperous Reigne deplore By losse at sea, and damage on the shore: 262 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, Whose heart being dissected, you in it May in large characters find Calice writ." Now ceased the heir male to reign, and the sceptre was disposed to the female, which was not seen or known since long before the conquest, when Bouduca, or as some call her Boadicia sovereignized. In the time of Nero Caesar. And Sphtsterwns an ancient British title given to the feminine sex before king Edgar's reign ; by which name, even prin- cesses being convented or summoned to any court are called into this day. But to proceed with the history, in the 10th day of the month, after her coronation, began a parliament, in which, besides the supplanting of the protestant religion, which began to be established in the days of king Edward, were convicted and attainted of high treason, John, duke of Northumberland; Thomas Cranmer, late archbishop of Canterbury; Sir Ambrose Dudley, knight; Guildford Dud- ley, esquire, and husband to the lady Gray; Sir Andrew Dudley, knight, with others, as William, marquis of North- ampton; John, earl of Warwick, &c. And the 12th of August, were beheaded on the Towerhill, John Dudley, duke of Northumberland, Sir John Gates, and Sir Thomas Palmer. Thus you see the end of Northumberland. If any be desirous to know also what became of Suffolk ; I can paral- lel him to none more genuine than to the duke of Bucking- ham ; he had a Banister, this an Underwood, a servant raised by him to a fair revenue, and to whose safeguard he had committed his person, who, in a spacious hollow tree for some months concealed him, whither he brought him meat and drink, with millions of oaths engaged for his truth and fidelity ; but being easily corrupted with some small quantity of gold, and many large and liberal promi- ses, he, like Judas, betrayed his master, and delivered him to the noble earl of Huntington, who, with a strong guard, brought him through London to the Tower. He was afterwards arraigned in the great hall at Westminster, and soon afterwards, on the Towerhill, lost his head. Yet, probable it was, that the queen had pardoned that offence, had he not seconded with another, by confedering with Sir Thomas Wyat, of Kent, to interpose her marriage with Philip of Spain, son to the emperor; and to that WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 263 purpose departed secretly into Warwick and Leicester- shires, where he knew himself to be best affected, and made their open proclamation to keep all strangers from the land ; for which he fell into the queen's irreconcileable displeasure, which, not only hasted his own end, but the deaths of Guilford and the lady Jane, for the statists at that time, especially those that were devoted to the Romish faction, held it no policy to suffer any of the contrary reli- gion to live, especially if they could entrap them in any quiddits of law which might be stretched to be made capital. Therefore, upon the 12th of February, in the year 1551, it being the first day of the week, Guilford Dudley was brought to the scaffold upon the Towerhill, where, when he had, with all Christian devotion, made his peace with heaven, he, with a settled and unmoved constancy, sub- mitted himself to the stroke of death, which was given in the sight of his excellent spouse, who, to that purpose, was placed in a window within (he Tower ; the object striking more cold to her heart than the sight of that fatal axe, by which she was presently to suffer, which she most patiently endured. Never was a lady's death more passionately bewailed, being remarkable in j udge Morgan, who pronounced the sen- tence against her, who presently after fell mad, and in all his distracted ravings, cried, " Takeaway the lady Jane, take her from me." And in that extreme distemperature, with these words in his mouth, ended his life. Some report that she was young with child at the time of her suffering; bu£ though her Romish opposites were many, and the times bloody, Christian charity may persuade they would not use such inhumanity, especially against a person of her royal blood and lineage. She was an excellent lady, en- dued with more virtues and extraordinary endowments than is frequently found in that sex ; being a pattern to others for true religion and piety, of which her godly oration to the people, and holy prayer at her death, extant in Mr. Fox's Martyrology, abundantly witnesseth. She exceeded not 16 years of age, of an excellent feature, and amiable aspect, of learning incredible, in wit incomparable, of inforced honours so unambitious, that she never attired herself in any regal ornaments, but constrainedly and with tears: divers of her Latin verses have been spread to posterity; and of her works in the English tongue, an epislle to a 26^ THE LIFE OF MERLIN, learned man fallen off from the truth, and turned apostate; another epistle to her sister, with a colloquy or reasoning with one Freckman, a Romist, about faith and (he sacra- ments, &c. Soon afterwards followed the deaths of Dr. Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury, (acquitted of treason, and condemned of heresy) Nicholas Ridley, late bishop of London, and Hugh Latimer, with infinite others; inso- much that scarce any city or market-town through the whole kingdom, in which some pious professor or other, had not felt the scorching of the fire and faggot. 1 should fill whole pages to reckon up particulars. (July thus in brief, it is observed, that queen Mary's reign was the shortest of any prince since the conquest, that wore the crown, (Rich* ard the third's only exepted) and that more Christian blood was spilt in her few years, (concerning religion and matter of conscience) than had been shed in any one king's reign since the time of king Lucius, the first estab- lisher of Christianity in this his realm of England, which recollects the memory of the former prophecy, where he speaks of the spinster : " Who to thePapall Monarch shall restore, All that the Phaenix had fetcht thence before. Then shall come in the Faggot and the Stake, And they of convert bodies bonerlres make, &c." By the Phoenix, meaning king Edward, so termed by Hieronymus Gardanus, because he was unparalled in his time. And by the convert bodies, those who were conver- ted to the retormed and protestant religion, for which cause thousands in sundry parts of the kingdom suffered. Now why queen Mary was so zealous to propagate the Popish faith, it folio wet h next to enquire. She was brought tip under her mother's wing, a Spaniard, who being of the Spanish bl od, persisted in the Spanish belief; but when her mother, after three years divorce from the kin\hich ended, they brought him back to his lodging with torch-light, and so left him. The same night, the emperor sent a message to the queen, to give her to understand, that his son was not a prince only, but a king of Jerusalem and Naples, with other dominions after mentioned in his stile. Upon St. James's day, being the 25th of July, about 11 o'clock in the morning, the king and queen came from their lodgings towards the church on foot, both richly attired in gowns of cloth, embroidered with gold, and set with pearl, stones, and gems. He with his guard, and she with her's, both having a sword borne before them, before her by the earl of Derby, before him by the earl of Pembroke. Being come unto the church, he went to one altar, and she to another, hanged with curtains of cloth embroidered with gold, which being afterwards drawn, it was imagined that they were shriven ; afterwards, they come from their places, and meeting, they very lovingly saluted each other, he also being at that time bare headed. Then six bishops went to the place prepared for the nuptial ceremony, the king standing on the left hand, and she on the right; then the lord chancellor asked the banns between them, first in Latin, and then in English. The ring was a plain hoop of gold, without any stone, for she desired to be married as maids used to be of old. The nuptials being ended, the king and queen went on hand in hand under a sumptuous canopy, by six knights borne over them, and two swords carried before them. Coming before the altar, they kneeled down; with both of them a 270 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, lighted tapor in their hands ; then they arose and with- drew, she into a traverse on the right side, he into another on the left. After the gospel read, they again appeared, and kneeled before the altar all the time of mass. Which being ended, the king of heralds openly proclaimed their majesties king and queen, with these titles following: Philip and Mary, by the grace of God, king and queen of England, France, Naples, Jerusalem, and Ireland, defenders of the faith; king and queen of Spain, Sicilia, Leon, and Arragon ; archduke and duchess of Austria ; duke and duchess of Millain, Burgundy, and Brabant; count and countess of Husburgh, Flanders, and Tyroll; lord and lady of the islands of Sardinia, Majorca, Minorca, of the Firm land, and the great Ocean sea; palatines of Hanault,and the Holy Empire; lord and lady of Freezeland and of the isles, and governors of all Asia and Africa. The trumpets ceasing, the king and queen came forth hand in hand, royally attended, and so went on foot to the court, and dined together openly in the ball, at one table. Thus you see u The Lioness hath matcht with Caesars sonne." 1 have been the longer in this relation, to shew the mag- nificient solemnities of princely nuptials used in those times. The 18th of August, the king and queen went to Suffolk place, in Southwark, and there dined; after dinner they rode together over London bridge, and so passed through the city, the streets being hanged sumptuously, and divers pageants and shows presented unto them, having relation to their persons, and the great joy of the people, conceived at their royal marriage, and unity of the nations; being afterwards received by the bishop of London into the cathedral church of St. Paul with procession. Where having done their devotion, they rode on in great state towards their palace at Westminster. Then came divers ambassadors from several countries; from Russia, Poland, Denmark, Hungary, Naples, &c. to congratulate the nup- tials of these two potent princes. Afterwards it was bruited that the queen was with child, for which there was great thanksgiving and prayers WITH HIS STRANG* PROPHCEIES. 271 through all the churches of London, for her safe delivery to come, and king Philip choosen to be protector of the infant, male or temale, (by a decree in parliament) in case the queen should not miscarry in child-birth . But some having whispered in his head that he should be deluded by a suppositious infant, prepared for that purpose ; and loath that a counterfeit should be heir to all his realms and dominions, he would not depart the chamber at the time of her delivery, by which the plot took no eti'ect, and bred some distaste between the king and the queen, Again, to second this, the king greatly favoured the lady Elizabeth ; and observing what tyranny was used against the dejected princess, he began to be somewhat jealous of the English nation, and their proceeding in state, apprehending that if they insidiated the life of a native, being their queen and sovereign's sister; with what small scruple of conscience might they aim to supplant him, or any of his followers, who were aliens and strangers, which made him so sud- denly to forsake the queen and the land ; his excuse being to visit his father, the emperor, and to take possession of the low countries, to the great sorrow of her majesty, of whom he took his leave the fourth day of September. In. her days Calais was lost by the English and taken by the French, by the ill-management of the state, especially the clergy, who in her days swayed all, and were so busied ia the butchery and burning of matyrs at home, that the ho- nour and state of the kingdom was much neglected abroad; which town had 200 and odd years belonged to the crown of England, It was first won by Edward the third, the eleventh king from William the Conqueror, after a siege of eight months, and was lost by Mary, the eleventh from the said Edward, in eight days. Who, when she heard the town was taken, in a great passion uttered these words, c ? The loss of Calais is written in my heart, and may be there read when my body is dissected. " Besides martyr- dom, in her time was great mortality of people, much harm done by lightning and thunder, a great part of her fleet suddenly fired ; king Philip's second return into the land, and his short sojournment here, ere he left it again. These, with other discontents so wrought upon her princely na- ture, that verifying the former prediction, which saith : 272 THE LIFE OF MERLIX, "Men shall her short unprosperous reign deplore, By losse at Sea, and damage on the shore: Her heart when 'tis dissected, you in it May in large Characters read Callis writ*" These cogitable remembrances brought her into a con- sumption, or (as some say) into a burning fever, so that ia the 42nd year, and sixth day of her age, she departed the world at the manor of St. James, near Westminster, the 17th of JNovember, in the year of our blessed Saviour's incarnation 1558, after she had reigned five years, four months, and 11 days, whose body lieth buried in a chapel belonging to the cathedral of St. Peter's church in Westminster, in a bare grave, without either tomb or any inscription ; either of which might have been some memo- rable decorement to adorn her hearse. The same day of her death, was proclaimed queen, the lady Elizabeth, sister to queen Mary, and daughter to Hen- ry the eighth, and the lady Anne Builcn, who was appoint- ed by parliament to succeed her sister, dying without issue; who shortly came to London, where she was joy ^ fully received by all ages, sexes, and degrees; (the Ro- mists only excepted) and passing through the city to the Tower, she shewed to all her people and subjects, the deportment of so sweet and a gracious lady; and they so mutual and alternate a joy for her happy and properous Inauguration, that it almost wanted precedent. And of whom it was thus predicted : " Frora th' others ashes shall a Phenix rise, Whose birth is thus predicted by the wise, Her chief predominant star is Mercury, Jove shall with Venus in conjunction be. And Sol with them shine in his best aspect: With Ariadnes Crown, Astroea deckt, Shall then descend upon this terrene stage: (Not seen before, since the first golden age) Against whom all the Latian Buls shall rore, But at Joves aw full summons shall give ore* Through many forges shall this metall glide Like gold, by fire repur'd, and seven times tryde Her bright and glorious Sun-beams shall expel! The vain clouds of the Candle, Booke, and Bell* WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 273 Domestick plots, and stratagems abroad, French machins, and the Italianated god, The Spanish Engine, Porteguized Jew: The Jesuitick mine, and politick crew Of home-bred Vipers, let their menaces come By private pistoll, or by hostile Drum, Though all these Dogs chace her with open cry, Lire shall she Iov'd, and fear'd, then Sainted die." Concerning the astrological calculation of her birth, in her it proved most infallibly true; for where Mercury's star is predominant, it portends a rare acuteness and sharp- ness of wit, a volubility in speech and retentiveness of me- mory, with a natural inclination to acquire learning and knowledge. Jupiter's star infuseth honour, state, power, and majesty. And Venus feature, beauty, affability, and clemency ; both of which being at that time in conjunction, conferred their general gifts upon her in particular; and Sol shining at the same hour, with a favourable aspect ratified the former, of which part of the prophecy there needs no further explanation. To write largely of her troubles, being a princess, or of her rare and remarkable reign after she was queen, 1 should butfeast you with diettwice dressed, having myself publish- ed adiscourse of the first, from her cradle to her crown; and in another bearing title of the Nine Worthy Women, she being the last of them in time and place, though equal to any of the former, both in religious virtue, and all mascu- line magnanimity. And yei^ because the present occasion enforceth it, I will give you only a recapitulation in brief of those passages which were at large related in the former, which I refer to the following chapter. M M MnanaennMai ■ 9UWJH''. JJ" ' II U ■ >.H CONTENTS OF CHAPTER THIHTY-FIFTH. A brief nomination of her I remembrance of the prime pas. troubles, wrought by the po- sages in her reign. — -The former pish clergy. — Her passage prediction fulfilled. —Her death through London to her coro- ! — Other predictions, fathered nation, with the speeches spo- upon Merlin, explained, &c. kea in the pageants.— A short H£ was was born the seventh of September, and bap- tized the third day following; in the friars church at Greenwich; her god-father' was Thomas Cranmer, arch- bishop of Canterbury; her god-mothers, the dutchess of Norfolk, and marchioness of Pembroke, both widows. At her birth, Mary, the eldest daughter to the king, by queen {Catherine, was disabled of any claim to the crown, and his heirs bv queen Anne Bulicn admitted, during" her childhood, she came not near her sister, but was brought up in the Protestant faith, and to her brother Edward much endeared. Her uncle, the protector, brought her suitors of honourable quality in her minority, whom she refused with great modesty. At queen Mary's coronation, she graced her with her company, but soon afterwards confi- ned her at the instigation of the clergy; no insurrection in her sister's time, to which they would not have made her accessary, as that of Wiat's in Kent, the Carowes in De- vonshire, TbrogmorUm's, &c. for which she was by them THE LIFE OF MERLINj &C 9 275 maliciously questioned, but, by the power of heaven, mira* curously acquitted; from Ashrege she was sent for to London — from thence committed to the Tower — her barge grating on the arches by the way — her landing at the traitors 7 stairs— her close imprisonment there— her dangers in being conveyed thence — her train untutored soldiers — her bond- age under Benningfield— his fury at Woodstock, and the firing of her lodgings — a private warrant for her death accidentally discovered, and by king Philip prevented . Bat these with infinite others appear, ix That against her the Laiian Buls did rore, But hy Joves awfull power at length, give o're. 5 ' This hath not only reference to her pupilage, but the time of her principality, in which the Latian Bulls, mean- ing the bulls of pope Pius Quintus, so raged in the land, that they deposed her from the crown as an heretic, and released her subjects from their allegiance. All which, by the power of God, her chief and only supporter, proved no other than flashing false fires, and words vainly uttered against the wind. But now Astrcea decked in Ariadnes* crown 11 Discends again upon tins terrene stage, Not seen before since the first golden age." Astrcea, in whom is figured justice, (and here queen. Elizabeth is personated) borrowing Ariadnes's crown, which is one of the celestial constellations, who left the world in Saturn's reign, called the golden age, when the seven deadly sins began first to peep into the world, and claim chief predominance on earth. Who now, at this restoration of true religion, is said to descend from her place in the Zodiac, where she sat constelled by the name of Virgo, and be tarrassed over this blessed queen's tribu- nal, in which all justice (with mer$ mixed) was continu- ally exercised. I come now to her passing through the city. At her first coming forth from her lodging in the Tower, before she would suffer herself to be mounted in her chariot, she m m 2 276 THE LIFE OF MERLIST, devoutly lifted up her eyes and hands towards heaven, speaking these words : " My God, I thank thee, who hast been so merciful as to spare me to see this joyful and bless- ed day ; and 1 confess that thou hast dealt as mercifully and miraculously with me, as thou didst with thy faithful servant Daniel, whom thou didst save from the lion's den; for so was 1 distressed, and by thee so delivered; to thee therefore, and the® only, be thanks, honour, and praise for evermore. Amen." The first pageant to entertain her was at Fanchurch, near unto which was placed a stately scaffold, with a curious consort of sweet sounding instruments, upon which stood a young man of good aspect, and gorgeously apparelled, ready with a speech in Latin, in the city's behalf, to give her welcome; who seeing him preparing for that purpose, commanded her chariot to stay, and beckoning with her hand to the people for silence, he spake to her in Latin, as followeth : Urbs tua, quce ingressu dederit tibi munera prima. O Regina, 6?c. Which, for the more general understanding, I deliver you thus interpreted into our vulgar tongue* Behold, O queen, what to thy great renown. Thy city doth present thee, two things are, Instead of gifts, to guide thee to thy crown: JLoud tongues, and loyal hearts without compare. Their tongues thy welcome in loud tones proclaim Their hearts' rejoice when they but hear thy name* Then welcome gracious sovereign: happy we % And above hope blessed to behold this day, As our tongues speake, our hearts with them agree, And what save welcome can we think or say? Rich, poor, young, old, who all these places fill, Have both in tongue and heart your welcome still. y At the conclusion of this speech, the people made a loud acclamation, evary one crying, " God save queen Eliza- beth," with other zealous wishes, as their fancies led them. Here was observed her constant attention to what was deli- WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 277 vered, with a change of countenance when any phrase re- flected upon her own private person, and thereby her great courtesy and clemency in giving the people public thanks for their so hearty votes and wishes. Thence she removed forward to Gracious-Street, where was erected a very sumptuous structure, extended from one side of the street to another, curiously vaulted below, and decorated with battlements above; it had three ports, over the middlemost were advanced three several stages, one degree above each other. On the lowest was a seat roy- al, in which were placed two persons in rich robes of state, the one representing Henry the seventh, the other thelady Elizabeth, his wife. He (being of the house of Lancaster) invironed with a branch of red roses, and she, being of the house of York, inclosed with a branch of white roses. Out of these two, being of divers colours, sprung two branches of damask, or white intermingled with red, which were directed upwards to the second stage, where sat environed, one with a diadem upon his head, personating king Henry the eighth, (her father) and a second person- ating queen Anne JBullen, (her mother) In a third degree surmounting their heads, to which the former branch reached, ^at one resembling her majesty's person. The motto inscribed was " The uniting of the two houses of Lancaster and York." The speech directed to her being to this purpose : Uii quos jungit idem solium, quos annnhts idem Hcec albente nitens, ille rubente rosa, 3?c. Those princes that upon this state are seen, One with the red rose, th y other with the white, Are the seventh Henry and his royal Queen, One mariage Ring, one throne doth them unite* Heir to the house of Lancaster, the King: The Queen to York: both in one blood combined. From these king Henry (st.Wd the eighth) did springy The seat aloft is to your place assigned. (O royal Queen) and as all civill rears Ijong reigning, did in their uniting cease, So may you live free from domestickjars, Amongst us stiVdihe Queen of prosperous peace. 278 THE LIFE OP MERLIN, There were, moreover, divers Latin sentences inscribed upon several labels, persuading to unity and concord, which foi brevity's sake I here omit. Thence she passed to Cornhill, where stood another pageant composed with three open gates; over the middle part thereof sat one magnificiently enthroned, figuring her royal person. In the frontispiece was written in large characters, u The seat of worthy government;" which seafc was so artificially framed, that it seemed to have no prop or stay, on which to subsist. In four several comport- ments, stood four reverend persons; one figuring true religion, treading upon ignorance and superstition; the se- cond stood for the love of subjects to their prince, spurn- ing at insolence and rebellion; the third, wisdom tvran- nizing over folly and vain-giory; the fourth, justice having dominion over flattery and bribery. Divers other ingenious fancies there were of virtues and vices, with moral sentences inserted and interlaced to adorn the fabric. Her royal arms being richly garnished, and set in the apex, or top thereof, supported by a lion and a dragon* Th6 speech being to this effect : Qua subnixa alti solio regina superba est, ' ^iffiS^ tm sanctai principis Alma refert. Behold* O queen, thy picture in this frame. Richly htthrond to celebrate thy name. Whilst true Religion in thy Reign shall tread On ignorance and superstition's head, Whilst subjects /ore, rebellion shall distress, And ovtrtumour* d insolence make less; Whilst justice keeps an incorrupted place, To have all flattery and bribes in chace, Whilst zcisdom, ana d with vowes devout and holy, Shall haze a power above o stent and folly; Whilst these continue (which we much desire) So long thy people shall thy Reign admire. To this she answered., that site had taken notice of their good meaning towards her, and most graciously promised her best endeavour for the continuance and encouragement of those virtues, and suppressing of the said vices* Passing WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 27$ from tbence to Soper-iane end, where stood another sump- tuous and goodly pageant, spreading from one side of the street to the other, being raised three degrees or stories high; in the upper sat one child, in the second three, and in the third and lowest four, representing the eight beatitudes. The following speech was delivered to her in Latin : We that thy great afflictions late have seen. Acknowledge thou art blessed eight times (O Queen) Blest hast thou beefy because so poor in spirit. And therefore thou a kingdom dost inherit. Bless' d, for thou mourned hast, and therefore see Great comforts are prepared now for thee. Bless' d, for thy meekness next with thoughts dhine $ Therefore this earth from henceforth shall be thine. Hunger and thirst for godlinesse thou hast Suffered, now all good things shall please thy taste. Bless' d, since to allth' art merciful and kind. Therefore thou mercy shall hereafter find. Blessed, because pure in heart, therefore thy grace Shall be to look thy Maker in the face, Bless'd, as contentions having reconciled, All peace- makers, God's children shall be stil'd* Bless' dart thou, since for righteousness' s sake y Thou persecution suffered hast, to make Thy patience greater, thy reward more strong, For to all such salvation doth belong. At the conclusion of this speech, the people wished all together, with one general vote, these blessings abun- dantly tcf fall upon her, whom she much thanked, and past on to the standard in Cheap, which was garnished with divers banners, penons, and streamers, and upon it placed a noise of trumpets, the cro?^ being very beautifully trim- med : upon the porch of St. Peter's church door, stood the waits of the city, with cornets and hautboys, and play- ed loud music. Moving onward, she espied another pa- geant erected at the Little Conduit in the upper end of Cheap, and demanded what it might signify; one told her majesty, that there Time was placed. Time, replied she, and Time, I thank my God, haih brought me hither ; and being further informed that the English Bible was there to be delivered unto her by Truth, the daughter of Time, she 280 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, answered, she was beholding to the city for that present above all others, which she would maintain with the best blood that ran in her royal veins, and commanded Sir John Parrot, one of the knights that held the canopy, to fetch it from the child ; but, understanding that it was to be let down by a silken string, she caused him to stay, and proceed no further. Then met her the lord mayor and the aldermen. There the recorder made a learned speech, and delivered unto her withal a purse of crimson satin, richly embroidered, and in it a 1,000 marks in gold, which she received with her own hands; and to his speech she made answer as follow eth : *. ■-!_ . i — fr CONTENTS OF CHAPTER THIRTY-SIXTH, The title of king James to the crown.— -His coming into Eng- larui. — A prophecy of his reign epitaph on prince Henry.-— One on the duke of Richmond and Lenox.' — Another on queen -The gun-powder treason, j Anne. — An epitaph upon king and who the conspirators were, James. — Charles proclaimed — The king of Denmark twice j king — His father's funeral, cometh into England. — An { &c. &c. |~ TPON Thursday, being the 24th of March, about two %^J o'clock in the morning, died queen Elizabeth, of bless- ed memory, at her palace of Richmond, aged 70 years, and having reigned 44 years, five months, and odd days; and the same day, about 11 o'clock in the forenoon, was proclaim- ed James, the sixth king of Scotland, king of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, at the high cross in Cheap- side, with the title of Defender of the Faith, being lineally descended from Margaret, eldest daughter to king Henry the seventh, by Elizabeth his wife, who was the eldest daughter to king Henry the fourth; the same Margaret was married to James, the fourth of that name, king of Scotland, iri the year of grace 1503, who had issue James the fifth, who was father to Mary, queen of Scotland, mother to James the sixth, monarch of Great-Britain, and king of France and Ireland. Of whom, ere I further N*N 2 284 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, proceed to speak any more, let me acquaint you with o»e ihing most remarkable, namely, how ominous the Thurs- day hath been to Henry the eighth, and to all his posteri- ty, for he himself died upon Thursday the 28th of Janua- ry; his son, king Edward the sixth, on Thursday the sixth of July; queen Mary, on Thursday the 17th of November, and qu^en Elizabeth on Thursday the 24th of March. But 1 return to king James, and the prediction made of him and his prosperous reign : Ci On Boreas wings then hither shall be borne, Through Week, o're Tweed a Princely Unicorn Who brought into the world, his own fair crest, A rampant Lion figured on his brest, And to his Armes six Lions more shall quarter With six French Flowers inviron'd with the Garter, Joyning {by fates unchangable dispose) The Northern Thistle to the Southerne Rose, He shall the true Apostolike Faith mayntain, With pious zeale: During the blessed Reigne Of this faire sprig deriv'd from Richmond's stock, No Noble head shall stoop unto the block. \et shall from th' old Lupanar Wolves be sent To undermine both Crown and Government, Striving in HeH to register their names, By blowing up the State in powder flames. Ah (wo the while) Rebellion, and prestigion. Should masque themselves in visors of religion. All which the holy book meerly gain says, But man's corrupt, God, Just in all his wayes* Witnesse the wretched ends, but happy they Who keep for that, an annua]] holiday That King shall be a second Salomon, W T hom all Kings else with wonder gaze upon: Who, as to an Oracle to him shall come, And when he speaks, be silent all and dumbe, Peace shail he keep within him and without him, Whilst all lands else combustions are about him. Him shall a second issue male succeed, Gracious in word, victorious in his deed." Though clivers adulterate copies, something alluding to this purpose, have been frequent in the mouths of many, yet this best agreeing with the author's meaning, ought to be first received, which, though it need no explanation at aD, yet thus much briefly, for the satisfaction of the vulgar* ffXTH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 28S Hy Boreas is meant the north-wind, upon whose wings the Unicornis borne, is implied king James, who gives the Unicorn in heraldry. Through Week over Tweedy that is, he came through Berwick, over the river Tweed, which parteth England and Scotland. He was also borne with the exact portraiture of a Lion upon his breast, pas- saging thatthe White Lion of Scotland, should have a prox- imity and alliance with the three lied Lions of England, quartered with the three Flower de Lyces of France, (the noble remembrance of Edward, surnamed the Black Prince, son to Edward the third, who, by taking the king prisoner in battle, added them to the arms of England) which are encompassed by the Garter, an order first made by the said Edward the third. These came into the peaceable possession of king James, who also brought the Thistle, (part of the arms of Scotland) to join with the two united Koses, (the white and red) figuring the two divided houses ©f York and Lancaster, to make one perfect damask. I omit the manner of his majesty's coming out of Scot- land, and his royal entertainment unto this kingdom, with joyful acclamations of the people, and the unanimous suffrage cf the whole nation, with his inauguration, coro- nation, and solemn and pompous passing from the Tower through the city of London to Westminster, with the seve- ral pageants and shows; his creating of barons, viscounts, and earls, and making of knights and knights baronets ia great number, &c. the several ambassadors that came from all parts of Christendom, to congratulate his coming to the crown ; his peace established with all Christian princes, especially with Spain, consisting of 37 articles; the calling of his first parliament, and his excellent delivery of his mind therein, &c. which would ask too long circumstance. I come to the first treason attempted against him, for which were arraigned at Winchester, the J5th of November, George Brook, brother to lord Cobham, Sir Griffin Mark- ham, and Sir Edward Parham, knights; Watson and Clarke, Romish priests; Bartholomew Brooksby, esquire^ and one Anthony Copley, gentleman, indicted. To conspire to kill the Kingy To raise Rebellion 9 To alter Religion, §86 TKE LIFE OF MERLIN, To subvert the State, To procure invasion by Strangers. And this was in the first year of his majesty's reign* For which were afterwards, also, arraigned and convicted, Henry Brook, lord Cobham, late lord warden of the Cinque Ports; Thomas, lord Grey, of Wilton, and Sir Walter Raleigh, late lord warden of the Swanneries. For which, the two priests, Watson and Clarke were executed at Winchester, the 29th of November, and George Brook was beheaded the fifth of December, but all the rest, by the king's gracious clemency had their jives pardoned, though some of them were brought to the block, expecting no other mercy but what the sharp axe of justice could afford them. The second treason (of the like to which there was never a precedent) was the attempt to blow up the parliament house, in which, because it was so long predicted, I could desire to be the larger, but that it is of such late memory, and new in (lie mouths of all men, and so shall (no doubt) continue to ail posterity. The fatal day appointed for that horrid and most execrable fact, was the fifth of No- vember, in the third year of his majesty's reign. The names of the conspirators were Henry Garnet, a principal Jesuit resident in England; Robert Catesby, gentleman; Francis Tresham, esquire; Thomas Winter, gentleman ; Thomas Percy ; John Wright: Guy Vaux, who went by the name of John Johnson ; master Percy's man; John Grant; Ambrose Rookwood ; Sir Everarcl Digby, &c. The discovery thereof was as folio wet h : about ten davs before the parliament should begin, the lord fvionteagle, son and heir to lord Morley, living in the Strand, a stranger met his man in She street, and delivered him a letter to give to his lord, the contents were as foiloweth : " My lord, out of the love I have to some of your friends, I haye care of your preservation ; therefore 1 would advise you, as you tender your life, to devise some excuse to shift off your attendance on the parliament, for God and man have conspired to punish the wickedness of this time; and think not slight of this advertisement, but retire yourself into your counntry, w here you may expect the event in safety; for, though there be no appearance of any stir, yet, I say, they shall receive a terrible blow this WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 287 parliament, and yet they shall not see who hurt them. This counsel is not to be contemned and can do you no harm,, for the danger is past so soon as you have burnt the letter; and I hope God will give you grace to make good use of it, to whose holy protection I commend you." And this came to him without either date or name, in a counterfeit and imperfect hand. Which letter coming to the king's hand, when none of the council could sound the depth thereof, (though they were men of great wisdom and experience) his majesty was the first that took notice of these words in the letter, " They shall receive a terrible blow," which he conjectured to be by a blast of powder, and therefore commanded all the places under the parliament house to be searched the night before their first sitting; which charge was given to Sir Thomas .Knevet, gentleman of the king's privy chamber, who, attended with a small number, came to the place at midnight, where, at the entry, he found Vaux, (Percy's pretended servant) booted and spurred, and apprehended him; and having removed certain billets and coals laid there under a colour, he first discovered one small barrel of powder, and after- wards all the rest, being in number 36, with other engines fit for that bloody purpose; there was also found in Vaux's pockets, a piece of touchwood, and a tinderbox to light it, and amatch, which Percy and he had bought the day before to try conclusions for the long or short burning of the touch- wood, prepared to give fire to the train of powder. Then they carried him bound, to be examined before the council, who would acknowledge no other name but John Johnson, Percy's man, stiffly denying that he knew any complotters in that horrible treason, justifying the act good and warrant- able by religion, denying the king to be his liege lord, or God's annointed, because he held him for an heretic; only repenting that the deed was not done, saying that good would have concealed it, but the Devil himself only discovered it. This treason afterwards broke into a practice of rebellion, of which the circumstances are too long to stand upon. Divers of them being besieged in an house together, as they were drying of wet powder, a blunt miller let a coal fall amongst it, by which most of them were cruelly scorched; tasting themselves, in some measure of that fire-plot prepa* 288 THE LIFE OP MERLIN, red for others. Catesby and Percy, issuing out of the house, were shot to death, and their heads afte wards set upon the parliament house, and their quarters upon the gates of Warwick; after them issued both the Wrights, who were slain also; Thomas Winter, hoping the same fate, was taken alive. These following were by an ho- nourable trial arraigned at Westminster, Thomas Winter, late of Hardington in Warwickshire, gentleman ; Guy Vaux, late. of London, gentleman; Robert Keyes, late of London, gentleman; Thomas Bates, late of London, yeo- man ; these were first called to the bar, and alledged against them for plotting to blow up the parliament house with gun-powder, for taking oath and sacrament for secrecy, for hiring an house near unto it, for digging a mine, and finding the mine faulty, hiring a cellar for lodging of powder, match, and touchwood, into the cellar, to eifect their treason, Robert Winter, late of Hardington, esquire, eldest bro- ther to the aforesaid Thomas ; John Grant, late of Yarth- brook, in Warwickshire, esquire; Robert Rook wood, late of Sunningfield, in Suffolk, esquire; these were indicted for being acquainted with the treason afterwards, for giving their full consents thereto, for taking the sacrament for secresy, Sir Lverard Digby, late of Galhurst, in Bucking- hamshire, knight, for being acquainted with the treason, for giving assent, for taking an oath ; all which were con- victed, condemned, drawn, hanged, and quartered. Also, upon Friday the 28th ot March, in the fourth year of the king, Henry Garnet, the provincial or principal of the English Jesuits, was arraigned at guildhall, in London, upon the same treason, and condemned, and afterwards drawn from the Tower to the west end of Paul's; and executed like the former traitors. Thus we see: i6 That from the old Lupanar Wolves were sent, To undermine both crown and government; Striving in Hell to register their names, By blowing up the State in powder flames/' &c. The word Ijiipanar comes from Lupa, a she wolf or prostitute, so was the wife of Faustulns, the nurse of the two infants, Romulus and Remus, (the first erectors of WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 289 Rome) called from Lupa, comes also Lupanar, that is a brothel-house; and idolatry is called fornication almost through the whole scripture, and from Rome had these archtraitors their incendiary, &c. -Amongst other royal visitants, Christianas, the fourth of that name, king of Denmark, came into England, royally attended, to see his brother-in-law, king James, and his na- tural sister, queen Anne, whom the king in person met on. shipboard with prince Henry, the duke of Lenox, and divers of the nubility, and dined with him in his cabin: the two kings afterwards rode triumphantly through the city of .London; the ambassadors of France, Spain, and Venice, being spectators of tile solemnity. Here he was royally and magnificently entertained &nd feasted till his return, &c. who liked his welcome so well, that he came hither the second time. And in all the passages of his majesty's reign, there was nothing seen but peace, tranquility and quietness, there is no subject to write on, but of sundry plantations during his reign, as in Virginia, Bermudas, or the Summer Islands, &c. of men raised to office and ho- nour, of his several embassies into foreign countries, to make peace and atonement between divided kingdoms, and his interchangeable entertaining of their ambassa- dors; of the marriage of the lady Elizabeth to the prince Palatine; of the death of that most hopeful plant of honour and royalty, prince Henry, of whom I havo read this epitaph : In nature's law. His a plain case to die ; No cunning lawyer can demur on that) For cruel death and fatal destiny, Serve all men with a final Latitat: So brave prince Henry, when his cause Was tried f Confess a the action, paid the debt, and died. I may also put you in remembrance of \\.\e new erecting of the artillery garden, of the new river brought to Lon* don, of the building of the New Exchange in the Strand, and Hick's hall, of censures in the Star-chamber, in the high commission court, the burning of the banqueting® house, &c. of Sir W. Raleigh's execution at Westmins- Number VJL o o 290 THE LITE OF MERLIN, fer, &c. the creating of George Villiers, gentleman, duke, and bis mother, countess of Buckingham, with infinite other peaceable passages, but these are now out of my road. In the year 1818, upon Wednesday, the 18th of Novem- ber, a blazing star appeared, and upon Tuesday, the second of March following, at Hampton Court, died queen Anne, to whom was made this epitaph : Her to invite , the great God sent his star , Whose friends and kindred might?/ princes are, Who though they run the race of men and die, Death seems hut to refine their majesty: So did this queen from hence her court remove, And left the earth to be enthroned above : Then she is changed, not dead, no good prince dies, But like the day-star, only set to rise. Upon Monday, the 16th of February, 1623, the king with the nobility, prepared to go to the parliament house, but that morning, died Lodowick, duke of Richmond and Lenox, at his lodging at the court in White-Hall, who i* worthily remembered in this epitaph following : Are all diseases dead ? or will death say, She could not kill this prince another way ? Yes, it was so, for time and death conspired, To make his death (as was his life) admired, The commons were not summoned, (now 1 see) Merely to mote laws, but to mourn for thee. No less than all the bishops could suffice - To wait upon so great a sacrifice. The court, the altar was ; the waiters, peers. The myrrh and frankincense, great cousin 1 \s tears. A braver offering, with more pomp and state, Nor time, nor death, could ever celebrate. Of king James, his wisdom, integrity, bounty, his study of peace, which he made good in his motto, M Beati Paci- fic i," and for all his other singular virtues. He with a supererogative overplus made good what was before for many years predicted of him, all which may be conclu- ded in this one epitaph made upon him: WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. 291 Can Christendom } s great champion sink away Thus silently into a bed of clay? Can such a monarch die * and not to have An earthquake (at the least) to open his grave? Did there no meteors fright the Universe, Nor comet hold a torch to light his hearse ? Was there no clap of thunder heard to tell All Christendom their loss, and ring his knell ? Impartial fates ; I see all princes then, Though they liv'd gods, yet they inust die like men, And the same passing bell may toll for them. Which rung but now the beggar*s requiem. When such a soul is from the earth bereaven, Methinks there should be triumph made in heaven ; The stars should run at tilt at his decease, To welcome him into the place of peace : Who whilst he liv^d, in peace liv d, and did strive, Being in peace, to keep peace still alive. No widow 9 s curses, and no orphan? s cries, Shall interrupt his hallowed obsequies ; For their slain husbands, or their father's lost In bloody war, to wake thy peaceful ghost. I jet thy great predecessors boast the prize Of glorious (and yet bloody) victories* Let them upon their sepulchres expose, Triumphs of war, and spoil of foreign foes ; And glory to have turned the harvest Held, To a pitched camp, and ploughshare to a shield, So that on bloody furrows there were born As many blades of steel as now of corn ; Yet shall they praise be greater, since thy joy Was to plant nations rather than destroy; And though no mortal trophy speak thy praise, Because no drop of blood hath stained thy days. Yet this sure truth, their greatest fame controls, They subdued bodies, thou hast conquered souls. Truth was thy banner, the thrice sacred word, Thy target and thy pen a two edg'd sword. But lo, when Spanish coast, Rome's canon shot, False Gowry 5 s treason, Catesby's powder-plot, Could not destroy (all these thy fate did brave) A fever would needs bring thee to thy giave. For (being mortal) fate could not invent oo2 ?S2 THE LIFE OF MERLIN, His passage by a nobler instrument Than his 01071 blood; which made him comprehend TJ ithin himself the glory of his end. Like to a circle , this rich diamond must JBe cut by no means else than it's own dust* Thus is our sun set, never to return. Pay therefore tribute to his funeral urn. All peaceful souls, and with true sorrow's sense, Give unto him your hearts' benevolence* Of pious tears, then turn you from the west, To see the new sun rising in the east* Charles, the first of that name, king of England, be* gan his reign on Sunday the 27th of March 1625, and the next day afterwards commanded by proclamation, that all officers and magistrates, of what degree or quality soever, throughout his whole dominions, should still use and exercise all such power and authority as they held from his father, (of blessed memory) until his pleasure was further known. And on Saturday, the seventh of May next ensuing, were performed the funeral rites of his father, king James, and his corpse, with all magnificence and state carried from Denmark-house, in the Strand, to Westmins- ter abbey church ; king Charles being the chief and prin- cipal mourner, attended with all the nobility, clergy, and judges, whh sundry ambassadors, and all his officers and domestic servants, in mourning habits. His hearse being more royally adorned and attended than any of his predecessor kings; in which magnificent solemnity, his corpse was interred in the chapel royal, &c. 1 should now proceed to the reign of the high, mighty, and invincible prince Charles, concerning whose sacred person, my rude pen dare not be so bold, nor with any of his just and royal proceedings, but am rather content to leave them to those of more knowing and better approved judgments, and more frequently versed in state business, and the laws and limits that belong to history and chrono- logy than myself. Yet thus far, according to my weak talent, and crassa minerxa, let me borrow leave to confer on him (though far short of his great meed and merit) a brief character. He is a prince wise and just, crowned with all the espeeial gifts of nature and fortune, but (which far transcends the rest) plenteously endowed with all heavenly WITH HIS STRANGE PROPHECIES. $93 graces. Blest in a royal, chaste, and beautiful consort; blest with a most hopeful and numerous issue, conspicuous in the four cardinal virtues, justice, prudence, temperance, and fortitude; grounded in the three theological graces, faith, hope, and charity; illustrious in all other virtues, which generally adorn men, but make a prince greatly admired and gloriously eminent. Whom, with his in- comparable queen, the unparallelled prince his son, with the rest of his royal issue, God Almighty, in his great providence, and infinite mercy, continue in long life, ijealth, prosperity, and happiness, &c. &c. THE END OF MERLIN AMBROSIUs's PROPHECIES* ,iiil -a^u...*, , u unM-niMnm. ■ ■■ ...in » miA.K. im—T P^ PROPHETICAL CHRONOLOGY of Merlin Silvestris, by way of Questions and Answers between Merlin and his Sister Gwendolina; wherein is laid outmost of the Kings successively that should reign in Great Britain from the Time wherein he lived, till the coming of the British Conqueror; and that such and his Race shall imperially reign for ever, both in Great Britain and elsewhere; copied literally from the Myvyrian ArchaU l°g!/ °f Wales^ and the Translation from Fugb?s British and Outlandish Prophecies. GWENDDYDD CYFARCHAF i'm ehelaeth frawd A wdais i feddfaeth Pwy a wledych oddiynaeth MERDDIN Pan dyvo dylat dylyet uchaf O tot hyt ueryt dylat Diued riein ortfen byt GWENDBYDD Neu eudy dylat dylyat uchaf Puy a vyd drevnaur a vi Llann a rann periglaur JIERDBIN Na rann periglaur na cherdaur Ny byd nac adreidyau'r allaur Yn y diguydo nef ar laur GWENDDYDD Llallauckan am hatebyd Myrdin mab Morvryn gel vyd Truan a chuedyl a duedydd MERBDIN As dyuedaf y Wendy d Kanys duysym kyverchyd Dylat diued riein vyd GWENDDYDD Cyfarchaf i'm ehelaeth frawd A welais i feddfaeth Pwy wledych oddynaeth MERBDIN A rydywedais i hyt hyn Y Wendyd waessaf unbyn Diderbyd kymmeint timmyn GWENDSYDD Llailauc kan am diderbyd Neu yr eneit dy vrodyr Pa bennaeth ynaeth a vyd MERDDIN Gwendyd wenn ben mynogi As dy weduyf yn divri Na byd pennaeth byth uedy Och anuyl or oer escar Guedi dyvotyn trydar Gan unben dewr diarchar Dy olo di y dan dayar Guascaraut auel awyr Puyll drut o duyll ot gerddir Guenassaut hyt vraut ys dir Och leas dy vedvaeth Neut yn ddiammaeth Hoet pa adoet pan dygir clot urno Pwy draetho guir O olochuyt kyvot a thravot llyvreu ▲ FROPHETICAL CHRONOLOGY, &C 595 A wen heb arsuyt A chuedyl Bun a hun breu- duyt Maru Morgeneu marw Kyv- rennin Maru Moryen mur trio Trymmaf oed am dy adoed di Vyrdin Digones Dovyd dicued arnaf Maru Morgeneu maru Mordaf Maru Moryen maru a garau Vy un braut na cheryt arnaf Yr gueith Arderyd uyf klaf Kyvaruydyt a geissyaf Y Duw yth orchmynnaf Ath orchmynaf ditheu Y ben y creaduryeu Guendyd wen atlam Kerdau Y Kerdau rydrigassant O dyvot clot Bodrydant Och Duw huyut a adrant Guendyd nayyd anhylar Neu roet y lluyth ar y dayar Diovryt o baub a gar Ym byu nyth diovrydaf A hyt vraut yth goffaaf Dy ifosaut trallaut tryniraaf Escyt goruyd guynt Amlum ar dy afrddwl gynt Yt a fyn ol a aethynt G VVENDDYDD Amcuyrynaf iy eiryees rraut Y ren ry w goreu Kymer gymun kyn angeu MERDDIX Ny chymmeraf gymun Gan ysgymun veneich Ac eu tuvsjeu ar eu clun Am cyrauno Duw e hun GWENDDYDD Gorchymynaf vy eiryoes vraut Yn y Gaer Werthevin Gogelit Duw o Vyrdin MERDDIN Gorchymynaf inheu vy eiryoe* chwaer Yn y Gaer ni wesgrydd Gogelet Duw o Wendyd THE TRANSLATION. QUEEN Gwendolina, saluting her brother Merlin, demanded who should reign after such as by the rest of the prophecy is expressed ? Merlin. When the wages of the dull people comes to be paid, which will come to pass alter the reign of a virgin, then an end is at hand. Gwen. I demand of my kind and wise brother, after the wages of the dull people comes to be paid, who will be ordained to rule I I will yet fully demand will churchmen share ? Mer. Churchmen will not share, neither will ba?ds, poets, and harpers, be in esteem; but I will not have thee 296 A PROPHETICAL CHRONOLOGY openly to publish that there shall be an ox born, which shall fall to the ground. Gwek. Liberal Merlin, the son of Morvryn, be pleased to yield me an answer to three questions? Mer. I will resolve, Gwendolina, who art very impor- tunate with me for thy request, the wages will be paid when a virgin queen is come and gone. Gwen. 1 will demand of my kind and wise brother, who will rei^n after that? Mer. Thou foolish and naughty Gwendolina, I have told thee already, and yet thou art endless in thy proposals. A powerful and mighty army will come, with a strong* band, who shall bear, rule, and continue, and then para- dise to thy brethren the Britains. Gwen. What kind of ruler will be then ? Mer. Fair Gwendolina, I do shew and tell thee in so- briety, that there shall be no other ruler for ever after ? Gwen. Woe is one my dear of such cold separation, and to be deprived of a valiant and courageous brother, and of his good discourse, when thou art put to banish- ment under earth ? Mer. An impatient storm shall make separation of men, which will prove a dear bargain, and as a sore plague to the strong, but let us betake ourselves away till the judg- ment day under the ground. Gwen. "When thy weakness fails, or thy life gone, which will be sorrowful unto me, then, who shall predict and deliver truth after Ate? Mer. There will arise woe and misery, yet, after a certain world, with suppressing of books, but Gwendolina will be without feeling of these, so likewise thy discourse and revelations for a while without esteem. Gwen. Morgenaf, Kowrenin, Moriab, and Morien the mason, all dead; but to be deprived of my kind brother, Merlin, will be a loss more sorrowful to me than all the rest. Mer. The Lord God was displeased with me, when he took from me my dear Morgenaf, Mordaf, and Morien, most dear unto me. Gwen. My brother, check me not, notwithstanding ijry *■*%. *•'. OF MERLIN SILVESTRIUS, 297 unpleasing humour, for I am very weak and sick, therefore 1 commend thy body and soul to the Lord God. Mer. And 1 commend thee likewise to the head of the creatures, yes, thou fair Gwendolina, which art to leap off from thy songs. Gwen. After thee my brother, wages shall fall, laud and praise shall grow to the vile people, but woe, how straight will their conditions be yet ? Mer. Gwendolina, be not hopeless, but faithful, not sorrowful, but comfortable ; thou that art dust and ashes, take thy farewell from the world, while I live, 1 will not forget thee, I will remember thy tender care and trouble with me, but now, 1 must be gone away after the race of the sons of men, which are gone from hence in peace, and shall be carried away swifter than the race of a horse, or blowing of the wind. Gwen. I commend my kind and and fair brother to be interred in the city of Gwrthenyn, at the north — — -whom God take to his blessed rest. Mer. 1 do commend my kind and fair sister to the tuition of the city, which shall never be scattered; which is the north city, or throne of God. • P F A prophecy of Merlin Silvestris, set forth by way of discourse with a prophet which lived in his days, called by the name of Parchell, in English a Pig, wherein is foretold a conquest of Britain. OIAN a parchellaa roor enrhyfedd Na budd un ennyd y Byd yn unwedd PeUed son saeson saei cywryssedd Ar brithwn haelon hil cymmwyedd A mi ddisgoganaf cyn fy niwedd Br} thon dros saeson brithwyr ai medd Ac yna in dawni ddawn gorfoledd Gwedi bod yn hir yn hwyr frydedd, Oian a parchellan nym daw y cyngyd O glybod llais adar mor ddiergryd Teneu gwalltfy mhen fyllen nyd clyd Dolydd fy esgubawr nid mawr ei hyd Fyngrawn haf a mi nid ymweryd Cyn ysgar aDuw didawi cywyd A mi ddisgoganaf cyn diwedd byd Gwragedd heb wyledd a gwyr heb wrhyd Oian a pharchellan, a phorchell ryni Teneu y w fy Hen nyd llonydd imi Er gwaith Arderydd mi nym dorbi Cyn syrthiai awyr i lawr a Uyr yn Hi. THE TRANSLATION. HOEAN PIG, how strange it is, nay how unconstant the world is, that it will not continue one minute in the same mind or temper ; and how, the subtle foundation of the English be far spread abroad, whose race will rule over the liberal Britons. But I will predict before my end, that the Britons will over-rule the English, and be possessed of Britain, and then shall they come to perfect honour after their long bondage. Hoean Pig, the long expected time will at last come to pass, by the noise of birds, which shall be heard at sea in a A. PROPHECY, &C. 259 sad warlike manner ; by such time, the hair of my head will be thin, and my scull will become cold ; the treasure of my barn is but short, my summer crop of grain cannot save me; but I will predict that, before the end of times, women shall be without feast, and men without graves. Hoe an Pig, and a pig ready to starve for cold, my skull is but thin, and there is no hopes of rest unto me, yet all this shall come to pass before the dissolution of hea- ven and earth. A prophecy grounded upon Taliesin and both the Merlins. WE shall have London divided, with fierceness unto it — we shall have uproar upon the mountains and rich, vallies — we shall find the neighbouring nations bestiring themselves for offensive and defensive wars, and in the end we shall be possessed of a valley abounding with wheat, and before a settlement, we shall find a neighbour that will condole our troubles. Wc shall have uproar and treacherous attempts, with willing prepensed plots and combinations — we shall have sorry tokens of the heaving down of great oaks, and after a white spring, we shall have wars from the woman — for want of patience, we shall have deceitful troubles from the Lily. We shall gain by the loss of one field, strongly armed and fortified cities; and when we begin to carry the con- quest, we shall obtain Brecknock — we shall have heavy troubles and distractions from the man with the white robes crossed in his proceedings and enterprizes, who shall come to his end ; and then the council of a prisoner will be as unconstant as the wind. They will hatch a snare from the open flaming fire, but we shall have a timely separation, as true as the penny is pp2 300 A PROPHECY, &C. round ; and (hen the chief flowers of England will vanish and decay, and also, the cat and weasel will be in havock. The remembrance of old dragons will be disputed by force of sharp pointed weapons; the lion with the strong and sure grapling will bridle the body of the clawned lion by the mawn, then shall we have the bemoaning of a divided race, but we shall have a gift from a mighty po- werful man. We shall have hot constitution with the vanquished Mouldwrap about castles and forts, then the wings of the Scots will appear like a violent burning fire, i have sung & line of prophecy from the ancient prophecies to the dark and cloudy council, and that the hawk shall challenge too far, A Raven and a Swallow will make a brave and valiant chace— there will arise from the south a sword with a golden cloak— we shall have a Stag that will conquer and keep towns and castles with mighty strength— ^-we shall have the golden horns and aged stag. We shall have nine of the same name, and shall have watchful men — we shall have fair weather after a storm, for clouds or the noise of wars will vanish away, and we shall have a renowned king — the noise of trumpets will likewise vanish, and then we shall have a day of corona- tion, which will be in the chastising mouth before the month of May. We shall have a summer overflown with blood, and England in havock, and shall be possessed of the territories and treasures of the unhappy conquered enemy, and shall have an aged and white bearded conqueror that shall bear rule over Jack and John, and shall scatter them to a wandering condition. The poet after his long progress in discovering what shall befall England alter Henry the eighth, pours his hearty prayer to Christ for the British conqueror, as also of the ninth Henry ; and that Christ (for his passion's sake J may preserve, protect, arid exalt them more an4 jxiore irj their glorious conquests. CAM *ryptr* BROPHWYDOLIAETH MYRDDIN. Wedi ei chymmeryd allan o Lyfr y Daroganau Gan Wr Eglwysig. CH Wl fonedd a chyffredin, y Cymry a'r Saeson pur, O dewch yn nes i'r winllan i weithio am eich hur ; Mae'r udgorn wrlh ein drysau, ni wn i ddim pa bryd Y daw ein Prynwr Iesu i farnu hyn o fyd. 2. Ceirgweled byd aflonydd, mewn trefydd ac mewn gwlad, Pob un yn lladd ei gilydd — yn yr&olch yn eu gwa'd ; JNi chredir mo'r gwirionedd na'r sawl y sydd ag e', Y celwydd, dyna'r testun, sy'n cael ei barch a'i le. 3. Ceirclywed cloch heir Arthur yn canu'n fawr ei rhwysc, 1 maes o dre Caerlleon yn yniyl dyffryn Wysc, Yn seinio dan arwyddion yn erbyn Owen draw, Medd Llyfr y D'roganau sy'n war ant yn ein llaw. Fe ddaw y Llew i'r Mwythig yn gwisgo arfau Cent, A'r Hebog bono ynteu ynrowndio casteli Gwent; Fe ddaw y Milgi a'r Llwynog i Aberhonddu fawr, Fe ddaw y Gath a'r Weingci ar hyd glan Towi i la wr. Fe ddaw y Twrc o'r India a nifer mawr eu stwr, A'r fraint bydd coron Lloegr yn ennill ar y dw'r ; Fe ddaw yr holl iuddewon i gyd i gredu yn Nghrist, A'r Highlanders i Loegr, ond dyna newydd trist. 6. Ceir gweled daear grynfaau (a'r coedydd mawrion sy',) Ceir gweled gwaed y Saeson yn Aberhonddu fry, Yn rhedeg hyd heolydd fel tonau'r mor eu swn, Waith brad y cillill hirion ; hwy gant ddialedd trwm„ 302 FROFHWYDOLIAETH MYRDD1». 7. Crii gweled Owen lawgoch yn d'odi Frjdain Fawr, Ceir gweled newyn ceunog yn nhre' Caerlleon Gawr: Ceir gweled Towi'n w-aedFyd, a chlwyf ar Edinwnt gocb, Waith bod yn aber Milffort o blaid i'r Saeson raoch. 8. O cawn ni weled gwaefyd yn He llawenydd clir, A'r Pasg ar fai newidir, a hyny cyn b'o hir ; Ceir gweled laeh yn ddifrad gan Gymry ar y tir, Medd Llyfr y D'roganau, mae'r geiriau yn ddigon gwir. 9. Cewch glywed taro larwm, cewch hefyd ddeigrau drud, Gwylofain mawr gwylofus, cyn diwedd hyn o fyd ; Trwy ryfelhwy ddifethant wrth rodiotua'r dw'r Nes b'o saith o fenywod wrth odre' yr un gwr. 10. Gwae f} T dd i'r Saeson creulon eu geni i'r byd erioed. Can's rhai fydd yn y creigydd ac ereill yn y coed, Fe dorir pen ei cad pen wrth allor bord Llandaf, Waith Uadron fydd yn fwrddrwyr, ond dyna gredit braf. 11. JJaw yno emprwr arall yn fwy ei rwysg yn ihydd, Fe orfydd cilio'n gandrylli gastell tre' Caerdydd; Pan elo gynta' i'r castell, fe roddiff uchel gri, Ac yna lief e' dair-gwaith, gwae fi! gwae fi! gwae fi! 12. O'r castell i'r drwsbychan fe ddiangc hwn i ma's, Ar ben y Rhiwiau Cochion fe leddir brwnt ei ffas, Ac yna fe amwis^ir mewn ty a'i wedd o 'whith, Medd Llyfr y D'roganau, mae'r war ant yn ein plith. 1o Fe godir gwyr Morganwg o gastell tre' Caerdydd, I'r Filldir Aur yn amlwg, ond dyna newydd prudd, I'r fran i gael ei hymborth o gig a gwaed yn llif, Nes delo'r Fran big-felen i gwpla hyn o rif. 14. Pan delo'r Fran i'r canol, ac ynallidia'r Ci, Y goreu o farchogion, fe dorir penau tri, Wrth ffynon Llys-ar-Fronydd, ar foreu llariaidd lion, Medd Llyfr y D'roganau, mae'r war ant gerein bron. 15. Ceir gweled y gad a'r dyrfa yn dwad i Nant-y-glo, Wrth gyfri' rhai'n a'u swmo, ceir gweled beth y f o j FltOPHWYDOLIAETH MYRDDIN. SOS Ceir gweled y crog-brenni a'r croesau raawr yn llyn, A naw mis y cebystrau tu fewn i'r ynys hvn. 16. Cly wir lief yn Abertawe, ac ochain mawr a chri, Cly wir lief yn Abermyrddy n, pan cwrddo deunaw llu ; Ac yno bydd rhyfela, a diwedd rhyfeltyn, Medd Llyfr y D'roganau, os gwyrthiau Duw a'i myn. 17. Bydd penau plant deunaw mlwydd yn ddigon llwyd ea grudd, Bydd disglair arfau gloy won gan Iesu yr hwn a fydd ; Ac yno fe ddaw'r G'lomen, ni bydd hi hanner iach, Nes llosgi nyth y Barcut am ddwyn ei chy wion bach. 18. Ceir gweled yn Ngbaerfyrddin ymrafaelcethin tyn, Cyn delo dial arni, ei chaerau syrth yn syn ; O aehos ymgynghori y'mhlaid y Barcut du, Mae Llyfr y D'roganau yn dweud y geiriau yn by. 19. Ceir gwel'd yn Aber Milffwrd ymladdfafel y tan, A'r milwyr fyddyn cwympotrwy'r cleddyffawr a mSn, Fe saif y Protestaniaid yn ddewr o blaid y fFydd, Hwy gant y fuddugoliaeth yn odiaeth ddiwedd dydd. 20. Daw newid dyddiau ac amser, ceir gweled ger ein broa, Ddiffyg dw'r a ffrwythau tu fewn i'r ynys hon : Ceir clywed llosgi Dublin, mae hynyn ddigon gwir, Medd Llyfr y D'roganau, a hyny cyn bo hir. 21. Ceir gwel'd ymladdfa greulon ar Gefen-cethin fryn, A'r gwaed a fydd yn llifo ar hyd cleddyfau'n llyn ; A'r cyrn a fydd yn canu o gwmpas Abernant, Ac ar Riw-cyrph, ond odid, y lleddir ilawer cant. Ceir gwel'd y dyddiau enwog pan fyddo'r aur yn nghrog^ A'r arian wedi eu colli, yn talu Ilawer Hog, Ceir gweled aur dieithriaid yn reuno yn ein bro, A pliawb fydd yn eu caru, trwy 'u gosod dan y clo. 23. Ceir gweled pobl Cymru cyn hyny ronyn bach, Yn gwerthu eu hyd a'u henllyn i'r cefnfor am aur cracb* Bydd gwasgu ar dlodion, ond ydyw hyn yn chwith, Medd Llyfr y D'roganau, mae'r waraut yn eiu plilh. $04 MOPHWYDOLIAETH MYRDDltf. 24. Cyn delo hyn raewn effaith, ceir gwel'd arwyddion maith. Daw Hong dros Gefen-berwyn, fesryll y Cymry'u hiaith ; Daw tarw i ben y clochdy Caerfyrddin hoy wedd sydd, A'r dw'r a doriff dani, ond dyna newydd prudd. 25. Chwi glywsoch losgi LIundain. cewch wel'd ei mharc o bell, Waith cysgu yn ei pheehod heb ofni Duw na dyn, Er nad yw'n ulw i'w gweled, aid yw hi ronyn gwell; Hi gaiff ei Uwyr ddystrywio, ni welir ond ei llun. 26. Un fil a chwech cant cyfain, a thrugain mlwydd ac wyth, Oedd oedran Crist ein Prynwr pan gwnaethpwyd hyn o fwyth, I gael rhybuddio'r Cymry a chyfFro pawb o'r byd, I alw ar Dduw'n garedig, i attal hyn o lid. f DIWEDD. J. EVANS, PRINTER, PRIORY-STRKKT, CARMARTHEN. 1JVDEX. A Page RCHIG ALLO, the character of 1 1 the death of 12 Arviragus made king 16 Alcctus made ruler of Britain 19 the death of ib. Asclepiodotus king of the Britons 20 Armorica first called Little Britain 26 Actius denies succour to Britain 28 Aklroenus commisserates the Britons ib. Alanus de Insulis (Dr.) ' 43 's predictions from the planets ib. Ambrosius and Uter, the king's younger brothers 46 invade the land at Totness 5^ Aurelius and Uter maintainers of the true religion 56 Arthur (King) meant by the Boar of Cornwall 57 Aurelius Ambrosius's heroical acts against the Saxons 59 Arthur^ (King) a summary of his conquests 67 a custom derived from ib. the death of 68 Apostacy, a just reward for 70 Arthur (King) and his queen's bones found in the vale of A- valon v 125 Aeon (city) taken by the Christians 130 Austria* (Duke) the death of 13- Authority by which England claimed homage from the Scots kings 154 Agincourt, the victorious battle of 203 Articles of peace concluded between England and France 206 Alban, (St.) the battle of 218 Arthur, (Prince) marrieth to Catherine of Spain 24a the death of ib, Astrea, called Virgo — Justice 275 Anne, (Queen) the death and epitaph of 290 BRUTE, how descended 1 cousin to ConnaMis 2 how he divided the kingdom ib, Q Q 1 306 liYDEX, Brute, the death of Bath, by whom built (Hot) the first founder of Bladud, the death of Britain governed by four dukes Belinus and Brennus, the unity of Belingsgate, the building of Brennus, the death of Biegabridus, a cunning musician Britain made tributary to Rome Birth of our Saviour Bassianus made king of Britain Britain forsaken by the Romans the great distress of how long without a kins Balsam the son of Bosor British lords, an assembly of Briton, a valiant Britain first called England much distressed Britons (conquering) fall to dissention, Battle-abbey, in Sussex, the conflict of Bigot (Hugh) the miserable death of Barons, their oration to the soldiers Baldwin (Earl) encourageth the king's soldiers Becket (Thomas) created archbishop of Canterbury oppeseth king Henry reconciled to the king curseth the king slain going to the altar the inscription over his tomb Burgundy j Duke) *s oration to his soldiers the death of Barons, their letter to the king, and the answer Battle between king Henry III. and the baroas Baliol (Sir John) made king of Scotland Bruce (Robert le) warreth against England Berwick betrayed to the Scots Barons, the assembly of their petition Baldock (Robert) made lord chancellor Bristol town and castle taken BaSdock (chancellor) dieth in Newgate Baliol (Sir Edward) crowned king of Scotland Bedford (Duke) regent to Henry VI. *s victories in France Page 2 4 ib. ib. 7 8 9 12 »s ib. 18 28 ib. 2 9 43 47 49 ib. 75 8o 100 112 113 ib. 120 ib. ib. 121 ib. ib. 131 ib. 144 H7 163 ib. 164 ib. 165 16S ib. 172 209 210 INDEX. 307 Page Bedford, (Duke) the death of 211 Blue Beard 213 Buckingham (Duke) 's oration in the guild-hall 230 not accessary to the murder of the two princes in the tower 231 insidiadeth against the king 232 taketh arms 233 the death of ib. Banister's perfidiousness punished ib. Bosworth, the battle of 235 Burgundy (Duchess) an enemy to the king 237 's subtility 240 Brandon (Charles) married to the French queen, Henry VIIl's sister , 247 Britany, Picardy, and France, invaded by the English 248 Bible, commanded to be read in churches 249 Boulogne, the siege of — and taken by Henry VIII. 252 CARLISLE, the building of 4 Canterbury, the building of ib, Cordelia's love to her father 5 the death of ib. Corneway, an indulgent mother 8 Cities built by Brennus 9 Cecilius, the guardianship of 10 Cassibelan made king of Britain 1 3 Computation of the time of our Saviour's birth 15 Cathnesse in Scotland, when and by whom inhabited 17 Coil king of Britain ib. Carassius aspireth to the British crown 19 Coil made king of Britain 20 Constantius's first coming into Britain 21 married to Helena ib. crowned emperor ib. the great devotion and zeal of ib. buried at York ib. Constantine made king of Britain 21 Cross, the first used in any imperial eagle 22 Constantine purchaseth the title of The Great 23 infatuated by the Arian heresy 24 the Roman ruleth Britain and revolteth 27 Constantius sent against him 10 * Constantine (King) 's issue 3° how he disposed of his children ib. the death of ib. Constantius made king of Britain ib. QQ2 sos index. Page Constantine (King) slain by his guard 45 Cruelty changed into piety 53 Cornwall, (Duke) the death of 65 Constantino, (King) the noble victories of 68 Conanus (King) and his conditions 69 Caretius, a most wicked king ib. Cadwailo (King) and his fortune 75 returns to Britain ib. receiveth the Pasanda into league ib. 5 s victories over the North umbers 76 *s pretended miracle ib. kills seven kings 77 the brazen man how m£ant 78 a continuation of the history of 79 Cadwalader, the last king of the Britons 80 Canutus (King) conquered by Edmund 85 Con. bat between Canutus and Edmund 86 Canutus makes the first motion of peace ib, sole monarch of England 87 's conscious justice 88 the death of 89 's son, Harold, king of England . ib. >s step-mother banished ib. Chester. (Bishop) sent to the Tower 160 Catherine (Queen) sent to France, and royally received f 66 Cressy's famous field won by the English and the French king wounded J 75 Calais won by the English ib, Charles, duke of Normandy, escapes from the battle of Poic tiers 178 Commons; an insurrection of 182 cantains of the ib. take the Tower, &c. &c. i $3 defeated and dispersed 184. Charles of France prisoner with Henry V. 206 the Dauiphin, and Philip, duke of Burgoin^ recon- ciled 211 Cade 5 (Jack) the insurrection of 213 the pride of ib. enters London ib. 's cunning to delude the people 214 tf e injustice* robbery, and death of ib. Clarence t Duk.) revolteth from the lords 226 murdered 228 Commotions in Devonshire and Cornwall/ and the chief of the re els executed 242 INDEX. 309 Page Charles V. emperor of Germany made knight of the Garter 247 Catherine, queen of Henry VIII. the death of 249 Cranmer, Latimer, and Ridley, the death of 264 Calais lost by the English 271 Charles (Prince) proclaimed king 291 his reign 292 DONWALLO reduceth Britain to a monarchy 7 the first crowned king of Britain 8 Denmark made tributary to Britain io Difference between Androgens and Cassibelan 1 5 Danish invasion 81 Dane. gelt, a tribute so called 82 Danes, a general massacre of ib. their pride and insolence over Britain 83 called lords, and in contempt lurdans ib» their persecution, and how long it continued 92 Differences between the English and French kings 129 Don Peter, the death of 1 80 Differences between the dukes of Hereford and Norfolk, and both banished 189 Divers turnaments and justs performed in Smithfield, be- tween Englishmen and strangers 198 Dorset (Marquis) discharged of his protectorship 229 Difference between king Richard and the duke of Buck- ingham 232 Divers suffering for denying Henry VIII's supremacy 250 Denabelt (Monsieur) ambassador from the French king 253 's entertainment by prince Edward 254 Dudley, (Guildford) the death of 263 Denmark (King) cometh to England 289 EDINBURGH, the castle of 4 Eianius, the death of 1 1 Elidorius, the mildness of 1 2 the third time made king ib. Ethelred (King) the son of Alfrida 80 Edward edest son of king Edgar made king 81 's wicked step~mother ib. 's base murder ib. Etheldred's marriage and issue ib. Elphricus, (earl and admiral) turns traitor, and his son pu- nished Sz Edricus intended by the snake ib. Etheldredus (King) 's second marriage ib. Edricus created duke of Mercia 84 318 INDEX. Page Etheldredus and his queen forced to fly the land 84 Elphigus (Bishop) 's imprisonment and murder ib. Etheldredus, the death of ib. Edricus, the treason of 85 Edmund (King) fighting a duel with Canutus 5 but are recon- ciled 86 slain by the traitor Edricus 87 Edmund Ironside, what became of his sons $8 Edward, surnamed the Confessor, made king 94 's mother accused of adultery with Alwin, bishop of Winchester ib. English chronicles, what they affirm to be truth ib. Emma, wife to King Canutus, acquitted of the suspicion of incontinency 95 Edward the Confessor, the death of 98 England invaded by the Danes 97 Eustace the son of king Stephen i*5 the death of 116 Ely, (Bishop) made vicegerent 129 the tyranny of 133 English lords revolt from Lewis to king Henry 143 Edward (Prince) 's expedition to the Holy Land 149 's valour — wounded at Acre 1 5° the coronation of — called Long-shanks 15 1 Eleanor, (Queen) the death of 153 Edward, (King) the issue of ib. ? s mother's death ib. taketh Berwick 156 's victory at Dunbar ib. taketh Edinburgh castle, Crown, &c. ib. marrieth the French king's sister 157 Edward II. created 404 knights ib. *s last victory over the Scots 158 swears the barons ib» *s death and epitaph ib. a prophecy of his reign 159 's coronation ib. Edward III. the birth of 1 60 Edward II. the character of 162 *s power against Scotland 163 Edward (Prince) created duke of Guien 166 contracted to the daughter of the earl of Henaud 167 Edward (King) and the Spencers fly to Wales 168 pursued by the queen ib. deposed of all kingly power 169 's great repentance *b. INDEX. 311 Page Edward III. crowned , 70 's father's death 17l besiegeth Berwick i ^ t English ships taken by the French j «* Edward III. lays claim to the French crown s eldest son created prince of Wales 1 7 - instituteth the Order of the Garter ib. besiegeth Calais i^- Edward, (Prince) why called the Black Prince ib. 's victories over the French 175 the death of x g Edward III. the death of I g l 's royal issue and epitaph ib. Edward, (Prince) the birth of 217 Edward IV. (earl of March) made king 22c 's coronation 222 a prophecy of his reign ib # marrieth the lady Elizabeth Gray, who is crowned queen 223 flies the land 224. proclaimed usurper, and the duke of Glocester traitor 22c Iandeth at Ravenspur ib„ brought Henry to the field 226 *s victory ib. Edward (Prince) the murder of 227 Edward IV. the death of 228 a prophecy thereof ib„ godfather to perkin Warbeck 240 Elizabeth, (Queen) the death of 242 England and France defy the emperor 248 Elizabeth, (Lady) the birth of 249 Edward, (Prince) the birth of ib« Essex, (Earl) the death of 251 Edward VI. crowned 254 's naval vietory 25^ proved to be a Caesar by prophetic explanation 258 *s death, character, and zeal to propagate true religion 259 's knowledge of literature ib. Elizabeth (Lady) proclaimed queen 272 prophecy and calculation of her birth and reign ib. brief catalogue of her troubles 274 who were her greatest adversaries ib. 's passage through London to her coronation 275 312 INBEX. Page Elizabeth's deportment at the speeehes of the pageants 276 's construction of 278 's love of the Bible 280 met by the mayor and aldermen ib. cometh to Ludgate ib. 's coronation 281 foreign an domestic attempts against her ib. FERREX and Porrex (Rings) the reign of 6 's death ib. French (Kins;) departs to his country 120 Frederick, (Emperor) the death of 140 Fonkirk, the battle of 1-7 French (King) refuseth to assist his sister 166 Foxes, the policy of 195 Fioden-field, the battle of — the Scots king slain 24.7 Faux, (Guy) an obstinate traitor apprehended 287 GOGMAGOG 5 the fall of 2 Glamorgan, how called 6 Gorbodue, (King) the reign of jb # Ganders, the feast of Q Greece invaded by Brennus Jo Gurguintus with the red beard jj^ Gorbomanus the son of Morindus lt the second I2 Guiderius, king of Britain ,g Glocester called Claudio Cestria jb # Gratian, king of Britain 2 y the death of 55 Guanus and Melga jb # Guethelinus, archbishop of London 28 Gothlois, duke of Cornwal, the death of 64 God the justifier of innocence 72 's prudence in the preservation of children »a Goodwin (Earl) 's sons and daughter o 2 and his six sons meant in the prophecy— the seven heads by their bloody projects 93 the policy and cruelty of ib. and his sons escape from the land g^ restoration of ib. 's remarkable death 96 Gavestone (Pierce) revoked from banishment 159 the marriage of ib. created earl of Cornwal ib. banished to Ireland 160 INDEX. 313 Page Gavestone abuseth the peers 2 6o robs the king's treasury ^ banished to Flanders, and his death ib. GJocester (Duke) murdered 1 88 Glocester (Duke) protector of Henry VI. 2oa arrested and murdered in his bed 21 2 (protector of king Edward) the tyranny of 229 takes upon himself to be king 231 proclaimed by the name of Richard III. ib. Gardner (Bishop) committed to the Tower 255 Gray (Lady Jane) proclaimed queen 260 's death, character, and age 263 Garnet (Henry) provincial of the Jesuits executed 288 HUMBFR, (River) how came to be so called 2 Hely, the government of 12 Hamo, a great Roman captain l<5 Helena, mother of Constantine 23 findeth the cross ib. Honorius, the emperor 28 Hely* the father of king Lud 34. Headfield, the battle of 78 Hoc or Hop Monday 83 Harold, son of Canutus 89 Hardy Canutus (Dane) crowned king of England 91 's barbarity to his brother ib. '$ riot and excess 02 dieth drinking ib. Harold saileth to Normandy 96 crowned king of England 97 victorious in a bloody battle ib. 's ambition thought to be the cause of the loss of another battle 98 's answer to duke William ib. sends spies to the king's host 100 slain by an arrow 101 Henry I. (William the Conqueror's son) usurpeth the crown 107 the death of no how spoken of after his death 1 1 1 Henry, duke of Normandy, the marriage of 1 15 landeth in England, and a peace meditated 1 16 Henry II. the coronation of 118 prophecy of his reign, and partly explained ib. 's character, issue, and dominion 119 takes the Scots king prisoner ib. 311 IKBEX. Page Henry, no king before him of such large empire 1 20 Henry III. crownad king by his father 122 imprisons the queen, and she is released by her sons ib. Henry II. laboureth for a divorce between him and his wife 124 receives sundry admonitions ib. refuseth to be general for the Holy Land 127 the death of 128 Henry IV. crowned king 142 taken prisoner by the barons 147 the death and epitaph of 148 Ha&idown Hill, the famous battle of 172 Hereford (Duke) landeth at Ravenspur 190 claims the crown 191 Henry IV. installeth 41 knights of the Bath 193 the champion of *94 a prophecy of his reign ib. marrieth with the duchess of Britain 198 sumptuous buildings in his reign ib. prepares a voyage to the Holy Land 200 falls sick and dieth *b* Henry V. crowned 201 's reign pro* hecied of 202 prepareth against France *"• iandeth in Normandy 1 b« environed by the French 20 3 ? s rare policy - *k« cometh to England 204 • landeth in Normandy 205 's many conquests — taketh Rouen i°* marrieth the lady Catherine 206 made heir apparent to the French crown ib. 's queen feasted at Paris 20 7 Henry VI. the birth of '&• Henry V. the death of 2 °S Henry VI. made king 20 9 the coronation of 2I0 crowned at Paris 1 & - a prophecy of his reign 211 marrieth the lady Margaret, the cause of many miseries 2l2 prophecy explained 2, 5 creates two earls 2I 7 taken prisoner 2I ° deposed 221 's queen fly to Scotland 222 Hexham, the battle of 22 3 INDEX. 315 Page Henry taken and sent to the Tower 223 again made king 224 's oath to the York citizens 225 again made prisoner 226 sent to the Tower 227 stabbed to death ib. Hastings, (Lord) the death of 230 Henry V 11. landeth at Milford-Haven 234 >s host 235 *s victory 237 's coronation* and his queen's ib. a prophecy of his reign ib. the death of 244 is much favoured by the bishops of Rome 245 's great riches at his death ib. Henry VIII. the coronation of ib. the prophecy about him ib. Henry, (Prince) the birth and death of 246 Henry (King) assisteth Spain — invadeth France 247 seeks a divorce with his wife 248 raarrieth the lady Anne Builen 249 marrieth the lady Jane Seymour ib. Hertford (Earl) 's voyage to Scotland 252 Henry invadeth France ib. the death of 254 Henry (Prince) 's epitaph 289 IRELAND, the first plantation of 1 o Isimbardus, nephew to Lewis king of France 7° JAGO, (King) the reign of 6 Judon, a cruel mother ib. Julius Caesar's ambition to conquer this island 1 4 the first attempt and success of ib. the second attempt of ib. the third attemot of *> ' - It ■* JeofTrey Plantaginet, the death of 115 Jerusalem, nine Christian kings reign over 126 John reconciled to his brother, king Richard 135 made king of England 136 called the Fox — afterwards the Leopard 137 the character of ib. the marriage and issue of ib. looseth Normandy ib. and the arch-bishop quarrel ib. rr2 316 INDEX* Page John, the obstinacy of 1 38 proclamation of ib. extorteth from the clergy ib. submitted to the pope, delivereth up his crown, and pays a yearly tribute 140, 141 the death of 142 John, king of France, taken prisoner in the battle of Poic tiers and many of the nobility killed and wounded 178 dieth at the Savoy 179 John of Gaunt's title to Spain 180 claims his title 186 the death of 189 Joan of Arc, burnt for a witch 210 James, king of Scotland, marrieth the lady Margaret 242 his lineal title to the crown of England, &c. 283 9 s prophecy 284 born with a lion on his breast 285 the first treason attempted against him ib. his wisdom— the discovery of the powder plot 287 the funeral of 291 KIMARUS, the death of 11 Knolls, (Sir Robert) 198 Knights (forty-five) created at Leiih 253 LEICESTER, by whom built 4 Leir, three daughters of ib. Legions, (Caerleon) the city of 8 Lud, (King) repaired old castles, &c. 13 's town, now London ib. Lucius, the first Christian king in Britain 17 dieth without issue 1 8 Lucius, the Roman emperor, slain by king Arthur 68 London's first charter granted by king William 105 Londoners and Kentishmen take king Stephen's part 114 London bridge first built of stone 1 39 the first mayor and sheriffs of ib. Lewis, son to the French king, called to England by the barons 141 Llewelyn, prince of Wales, rebelleth 151 imploreth for mercy ib. the death of 151 's epitaph, by a Welsh poet 152 the answer of by an Englishman ib. London Tower taken by the citizens 168 Lords conspire againit king Henry 195 INDEX. 317 Page Leicester, a parliament held at 202 Lords arrested ib. fly, and leave king Henry master of the field 25c Latian meant Hely 275 Lupanar, called also Acca Laneratia 288 MADAN, the death of 3 Memprisius, the death of ib. the numerous issue of ib. Morindus, the character of 11 Morgan, the reign of 12 Marius, king ©f Britain 17 Maxentius drowned 22 Maximian's first entrance into Britain 25 breaketh his oath 26 the death of 27 Merlin, the birth of 40 the son of a king's daughter ib. and Plato had fathers alike ib. whether a Christian or an heathen ib. ? s prophecies justified by truth 43 born in the reign of king Vortigern 45 city from him so called 52 first discovered, and his mother appearing before the king ib. 's speech to the king 53 's words found true ib. 5 s first prophecy 54 by some held to be a magician 57 deviseth sports to make the king merry ib. leaveth the king 58 *s prophecy of the king's death ib. of Uterpendragon ib. bringeth stones from Ireland 59 sent for by the king 63 's strange metamorphoses ib. Mordred slain by king Arthur 68 Malgo's description and character 69 Mother, a cruel purpose of a 74 Mercia and Northumberland's dukes submitting 101 Maud, (Empress) the lords swearing to her succession 110 's second marriage ib # 's landing in England 113 Margaret (Queen) sent to France, and royally received by her brother 166 landeth in Suffolk, and pursueth the king 167 31% INDEX. Page Mortimer, (Sir Roger) the pride of, and articles exhibited against him by parliament 171 the death of 172 Margaret, queen of Henry V. crowned 207 and her council sway all 2 \i >s practice against the lords 2 f a against the earls of Warwick and Sa- lisbury ib # again victorious a 2I flieth into Scotland 222 invadeth England 220 Montacute (Marquis) 's connivance 226 the death of ib. Mary, (Lady) the birth of z ^ Moore, (Sir Thomas) the death of 249 Magnificent shows 254 Musselborough field, the battle of ib. Mary (Lady) crowned queen a 6! 's reign predicted ib. Morgan, (Judge) the death of 269 Mary, (Queen) the tyranny of 264 why favourable to the Romish religion ib. purposeth to marry cardinal Pole s>6e insurrections in her reign 267 's marriage with prince Philip of Spain 270 rumoured to be with child * 271 's sorrow for the loss of Calais ib, 's death 272 buried without a monument ib. Merlin, a prophecy conferred on 282 Monteagle, (Lord) a letter to 286 NEUSTRIA understood to be Normandy 93 Normandy, the duke of ng Norman blood in 70 years extirpated 1 17 Noblemen of France slain at Poictiers 173 Nottingham, (Earl) the perfidious act of a8g Normandy and France made one monarchy 206 Northampton, the battle of 220 Northumberland and Suffolk, (Dukes) insidiating against the protector and admiral 255 their wives betray them 256 their ambition 260 Northumberland (Duke) 's commission to fetch in the lady Mary 261 arrested of high treason ib. INDEX. Northumberland's death OCT A VI AN made deputy governor of Britain usurpeth the crown made absolute king of Britain Oswaldus, (St.) the story of 's chanty and temperance to the poor the death of Omen, a good Owen Glendour, the rebellion of Oxford (Earl) 's valour Oneile (the Great) made earl of Tyrone 319 Page 262 22 24 2 S 17 ib. 78 99 197 226 251 PROPHETS, predicters, and seers Prophetical poets Prophets and philosophers in all nations Prophecy explained Pretended miracle explained Perjury punished by the hand of God Prophecy — partly explained Patriarch, the answer of to Henry II. proud and peremptory Pope accurseth England the bull of the acquits the lords, &c. of their allegiance the thunderings of Pomfret (Peter of) Prophecy of Henry III. another of the same Parliament of White Bands held at Northampton Poictiers, famous battle and manner of Pierce, (Alice) the king's concubine Parliament, summoned to rectify the common-wealth— persons adjudged to suffer death Peace concluded between England and France 187, 247, Pole (Cardinal) from his minority 's employment to the emperor and to the French king 's mother, the countess of Salisbury, beheaded twice elected pope made archbishop of Canterbury the death of Philip (Prince) of Spain landethat Southampton presented with the Order of the Garter >s demeanor to the people 39 ib. 4i 7* 77 99 II! 112 I27 ib. 158 ib. ib„ 140 141 142 14.9 164 171 l 77 180 186 253 264 265 ib, ib- 266 ib. 267 ib. 268 320 INDEX. Page Philip meeting with the queen 268 the apparel of 260 made king of Naples and Jerusalem ib. married to queen Mary ib, and Mary, their royal titles and entertainments by the city of London 270 favoureth the lady Elizabeth 271 Jeaveth the land ib. Pageants addressing queen Elizabeth at Fenchurch 276 at Gracious Street 277 in CornhiJl 278 at Soperlane 879 People, the votes of ib. Pageant at the Little Conduit ib, in Fleet-Street 280 Powder treason, and conspirators' names 286 Prophetical chronology ot Merlin Silvestrius, being que«« tions and answers between him and his sister Gwendolina 294 R1VALLO 6 Rome, the first building of ib. Roman government in Britain ceased, with a computation of the times 29 Religion (the falling of) made good in Gormundus and the Saxons 70 Red Dragon spoken of ib. Robert, archbishop of Canterbury's speech against queen Emma 94 Robert^ son of William the Conqueror, rebelleth against his father 103 offered to be made king of Jerusalem 107 neglected by his peers ib # ? s easy and liberal disposition 108 taken prisoner by his brother ib, Robert, earl of Glocester^ taken prisoner 115 Rosamond, the fair lady 122 poisoned by the queen ib, the inscription on her tomb 123 Richard I. succeedeth his father . 128 undertaketh the holy voyage 1 29 conquered the isle of Cyprus ib. sells the isle of Cyprus 13 i vilifieth the duke of Austria ib. intends to besiege Jerusalem ib. 's victory 132 leaveth the Holy Land ib. IKD£X. 321 Page Richard I. ambushed in his return — taken prisoner and had the appellation of Cour-de-lion 134 ransomed for *8 100,000 ib. wounded at Lymoges, in France ib. 's arrival in England ib. the death of 136 Richard, earl of Cornwa!, crowned emperor 143 >s letter to the barons 14; the death of 1 48 Richard II. made king 182 the marriage of ib. a prediction of the reign of ib, the second marriage of 1 88 J s court and pride thereof 1 86 's journey to Ireland 189 9 s landing in Wales 190 taken prisoner — presented to the duke of Lancas- ter, and deposed ib. removed to Pontefract 195 J s death, treasure, and epitaph 196 Richard, duke of York, the issue of 205 Rebels shut out of London 214 Robin of Ridisdale „ 224. Richard III. labours to supplant Richmond 233 's queen poisoned ib. 9 s policy ib. *s rashness at Bosworth, and death 235 's burial — the manner of, and character 236 Rebellion in Ireland 251 Romish religion suppressed 257 the prophecy thereof explained 258 restored by parliament 262 Rose (white and red) united 277 joined with the thistle 285 Richmond and Lenox, (Duke) the epitaph of 290 SEVERN, (River) how came to be so called 3 Shaftsbury, the building of 4 Southampton, from whence took its name 16 Severus named himself king of Britain 18 Seven decrees made by Constantine to the honour of his Saviour 23 Spirits between the moon and earth called Incubi 40 Sibyls, their prophecies approved of by Austin and others of the fathers 41 $ s 322 INBEX. Page Sibylla Cumana 42 Saxons, the first landing of— their policy 46, 47 suppress the faith of Christ 56 Samson, archbishop of York, and his six brothers 71 Swanus, the tyrant, the death of 84 Saxons, the end of their royal race 101 Stephen crowned king in extorteth from the clergy and laity 112 and the empress Maud have a battle, and the king taken prisoner 1 14 's queen petition the empress ib. is exchanged for earl Robert 1 1 5 the death of — his pretended right to the crown 1 16,1 17 Scots revolt 155 sworn on the sacrament — break their oath 157 deride the English — their cruelty 163 Spencer (Hugh) the son, the pride of 164 the father made earl of Winchester 165 Spencers, their hatred to the queen which proved their ruin 166 beaten with their own weapons 167 the father and son suffer death 168 Scots taunt the English 171 Straw (Jack) captain of the rebels, the death and pride of 1 $2 Shrewsbury, the battle of J 97 Salisbury, (Earl) the death of 210 Suffolk (Earl) seeketh to supplant the duke of Glocester 21 1 the proceedings of 212 (Marquis) arrested and sent to the tower 21 3 banished for five years — the death of ib. Shaw (Dr.) ? s sermon at St. Paul's cross 23® Surrey (Earl) taken prisoner 235 Stokefield, the battle of 238 Stanley, (Lord) challenged of treason, and beheaded 241 Sorry, (the noble earl) the death of 254 Seymour, (admiral Sir Thomas) the death of 256 Somerset, (Duke) protector, put to death for felony 257 's character, honour, and offices ib. catalogued among the English martyrs ib. Saffolkmen adhere to lady Mary 260 Suffolk, (Duke) the death of 262 TROYNOVANT, the building of, since called London 2 Tenantius, the government of 1 5 Trahern sent into Britain 2 4 Thirty-three kings, before scarce mentioned 33 Thonge-castle, the building of 4" INDEX. 323 Page Tanner, (John) an impostor 162 Three kings present at Smithfield 1 79 Trolop (Andrew) perfidious to the lords 2 1 9 Tewksbury, the battle of 227 Tower, a council held at 230 Temple Bar, the shew at 280 Traitors arraigned at Westminster and executed 287 URSULA with the 11,000 virgins 27 Uterpendragon crowned king 61 victorious over the Saxons and others ib. enamoured of Igerna, wife to the duke of Cornwai 62 invadeth Cornwai ib. Ulphin of Caer-Caradoc ib. Uterpendragon, Merlin, and Ulphin, enter the fortTindagol 63 's speech to the duchess of Cornwai 65 Merlin and Ulphin, the transformation of 66 espouseth the duchess ib. Underwood, a second Banister 262 Unicorn, part of the Scots arms 284 VESPASIAN conquering the isle of Wight 1 7 Vortiger or Vortigern 30 Virgil's prophecy of Christ 41 Vortigern's ambition to the crown 45 crowned king 46 forsaketh his queen, to marry with Ronwen the daughter of Hengist 47 deposed ib. Vortimer (King) 's many brave victories over the Saxons 48 conquered the Saxons in seven several battles ib. poisoned by his step-dame, Ronwen ib. Vortigern restored to the crown ib. suppressed by Hengist 49 's enquiries of the wizards 51 the lamentable death of 55 Vortiporius and his victories 69 WINCHESTER, the building of 4 Walbrook, from whence took its name 20 Wednesday and Friday, whence had their appellation 46 Wizards, their cunning evasion 51 What was meant by the German Worm and Sea Wolf 69 William the Norman landeth in England 99 'g three pretences for invasions ib* 324 ik&ex. Page William makes three profers to king Harold before the battle. — William victorious loo crowned king of England i Q2 's eldest son, Robert, rebels against his father, and is victorious 101 's admonition to his sons, and his death ib. William II. crowned king y % i 's strange submission i r buildeth Westminster hall i 6 murdered by Sir Walter Tyrrel— his character ib. the justice and liberality of 107 's two sons drowned i©o Wards first granted 142 Wallis, (William) the end of 157 White battle 165 Wiltshire (Earl) and others executed lep Westminster hall, and the manner of the great feast there' 193 Wakefield, the battle of 221 Warwick (earl) voweth to remove king Edward 224 the death of 226 Warbeck, (Perkin) a new impostor pretends to be duke of York 240 abetted by the French 241 married to lady Gordon ib. landeth in Rent ib. proclaimed himself king of England 242 sent to the Tower 243 hanged at Tyburn ib. Warwick, (the young earl) beheaded on Towerhill ib. Woolsey (Cardinal) ambassador to France 248 the death of ib. Worthy government, the seat of 278 YORK, the building of 3 (duke) opposeth the queen and her council 215 seized as prisoner ib. set at liberty ib. made protector 218 is changed ib. the pride of the 220 proclaimed heir apparent to the crown ib. slain 221 the young duke of f delivered to the archbishop of Canterbury, and duke of Glocester 229 PW>J^«W BKMKIIH hb EEOb