The chronicle of Iohn Hardyng. Containing an account of public transactions from the earliest period of English history to the beginning of the reign of King Edward the Fourth. Together with the continuation by Richard Grafton, to the thirty fourth year of King Henry the Eighth. The former part collated with two manuscripts of the author's own time; the last, with Grafton's duplicate edition. To which are added a biographical and literary preface, and an index, by Henry Ellis.

THE PROHEME [Fol. i.] OF IOHN HARDYNGE INTO THIS HIS CHRONYCLE.

THe moste substaunce of power and of myght, Through age distilled into debilitee Of me y^t am this time an aged wight, And greate faute haue of habilitee, This labour now shuld haue w^thold fro me, But that my witte would haue some diligence, My ghoost to kepe from synne and insolence.

¶ This werke is great, and lōge to bryng to fyne, So doeth it euer fro tyme to tyme encrease, And long hath dooen, afore Christ dyd enclyne In Marie mother and mayden without lease, To chronicle, so men haue theim put in prease; Some in meetre, and some also in prose, Some in Latyn, full wysely dyd it close.

¶ And some in Frenche they made, for intellecte Of men that could no Latyn vnderstande, More sufficiently endited and protecte, By ferre, then I can it nowe take in hande; And some in lynes two, theyr ryme ay bande: But though my witte be not so curious, As theirs, by ferre, to make it glorious.

¶ Yet wyll I vse the symple witte I haue To your pleasaunce and consolacion, Moste noble lorde and prince, so God me saue, That in chronycles hath delectacion. Though it be farre aboue myne estimacion, Into balade I wyll it nowe translate, Ryght in this forme with all myne estymate.

My lorde of Yorke, vnto your sapience I wyll remember a notabilyte Of your elders rule and regymence, That had this lande of olde prioryte, Which ruled were, after their dignitee, In vertue digne by roiall gouernaunce, And in vyce rulyd and misgouernaunce.

By whiche knowledge your discrete sapience, All vyce euermore destroye maye and reproue, By vertuous and blessedfull dilygence, And vertue loue, that maye not ought greue, Howe ye shall rule your subiectes, while ye lyue, In lawe, and peace, and all tranquyllite, Whiche been the floures of all regalyte.

¶ Edward the thyrde that was king of this land By ryght title and very iuste discent, And kyng of Fraunce, as I can vnderstande, By his mother quene Isabell the gent, Sister and heyre of Charles by hole entent; For Charles dyed without any chylde, The ryght discent vnto his mother mylde.

Why shulde y^e French forbarre you of your right, [Numeri. xxvii.] Sith God of Heauen, in libro Numeri, Gaue to Moises this lawe that nowe is lyght, In the chapiter seuen and twenty, By these wordes, the doughter ryghtfully Of Salphaat aske the fathers heritage, [Salphaat.] Geue them in possessyon amonge the cosynage.

¶ This kyng Edward, reignyng in his dayes, [Fol. ii.] In mercyall actes, tryumphe and victorie, Aboue all princes famed was alwayes,

Fyue sonnes had; the worlde out to crye Ther wer no mo suche of one patrymonye: Edwarde the prince and eldest sonne of age, Who gat Richarde, that had the heritage:

¶ Leonell next borne after in Antwerpe, In Brabant lande, that wedded vnto his wyfe The erles doughter of Vlster, as men do karpe, And begatte on her Philip, his doughter ryue, (And also his heire,) whome he loued as his lyue; Whome erle Edmonde of Marche the Mortimer, Wedded to his wyfe, and begatte the erle Roger.

Edwarde the thyrd had fyue sonnes.

• Edwarde prince.
• Leonell.
• Iohn duke of Lancastre.
• Edmounde duke of Yorke.
• Thomas of Woodstocke duke of Gloucester.

¶ That erle was after of Marche & of Vlster, With wylde Irishe that slayne wer in Irelande, Who had a sonne erle Edmonde Mortymer, That dyed without yssue I vnderstande; To whom dame Anne his syster, vnto his land Was veraye heyre, whō the erle of Cābridge wed, And gatte of her your selfe as I haue red.

¶ Why should ye not then be her veraye heyre Of all her lande, and eke of all her right, Sith Iesu Christe, of Iude lande so feire, By veray meane of his mother Mary bryght [Light.] To be kyng claymed tytle and [be.] right? And so dyd name hym selfe kyng of Iewes: So by your mother the right to you acrewes.

¶ After Lyonell that was duke of Clarence, And of Vlster the erle was by his wyfe, And of Italie, for his greate excellence, Kyng should haue been without any stryfe Of all Europe, without comparatyfe

The royall lande, and to his espousaile [Espouse.] , The dukes doughter of Melayn without faile.

¶ Iohn borne in Gaunt, of Flaūders chief cytee, [Ihō duke of Lācaster, born in Gaūt.] The thyrde sonne was, of good [this.] kyng Edwarde, That wedded dame Blaunch, ful of feminytee, Duke Henryes doughter, and heire afterwarde Of Lancastre, by lawe of kynde [churche.] and forwarde; [Henry y^e fourth.] Who gat and bare the fourth kyng Henry, That kyng Rycharde deposed wrongfully:

¶ Who gatte Henry the fyfth, lyke [the.] conqueroure [Henrye y^e fyfth.] Of Normandy, and mykill parte of Fraunce, That excelled bothe kyng and emperoure, In marcyall actes by his gouernaunce; Who gatte Henry the sixte at Gods pleasaunce, [Henrye y^e syxte.] Of suche symplenesse and disposicion As menne maye se by his discrecion:

¶ For when Henry the fourth first was crouned, Many a wyseman sayd then full commenly, The third heyre shuld not ioyse, but be vncrouned, And [and be.] deposed of all regalitee. To this reason they dyd there wittes applye, [Fol. iii.] Of euill gotten good the third should not enioyse, [Of longe agone it hath bene a commen voyse.] [As who saith thus, who right hath shall rejose.]

¶ Howe the maker of this booke saieth his aduyse in briefe for the duke of Yorke.

¶ O my lorde of Yorke, God hath prouyde In this for you, as men sayen commenly, So that no slouth you from his grace deuyde, But take it as he hath it sent manly, And rule well nowe ye haue the remedye; But neretheles let euery man haue the [his.] right, Both frende and foo, it may encrease your might.

¶ Treate well Percy, of Marchys lyne discended, To helpe your right with might, and fortifye By tender meanes, to [holde hym well] [make theym.] contented;

Remembryng hym by wyttie [wytte and. edit. alt.] polycye, Howe by processe of tyme and destenye, Your right might all bene his, as nowe is yours: Through Gods might, [make thē your] [maketh heirs and.] successours.

¶ Edmoūde was then the. iiii. sonne, at Langlay [Edmoūd duke of Yorke.] Borne, as knowen was well in the lande; A noble prince after, as men might say [see.] , At battayle of Orray y^t fought sore with his hāde, And [As.] Iohn of Gaunt his brother, I vnderstande, That [Ther.] fought ful sore, for Ihō of Mountfort right, Agayne Charles of Bloys a manly knight.

¶ This Edmoūde was after [the.] duke of Yorke creat, And had a sonne that Edward had to name, Whom kyng Richarde made to be denominate, In all his writtes exaltyng his [so his.] fame, Kyng of Portyngale; his father yet at hame Lyuyng in age I trawe of. lxxx. yere, A fayre person, [as a man might se any where.] [I sawe hym with yen clere.]

¶ Thomas Woodstoke, the. v. sonne was in dede, [Thomas of Woodstoke, duke of Glou∣cester.] Duke of Gloucester that tyme made and create, By kyng Richarde murdered, whom, for his mede Kyng Henry quyt with death preordinate. By Goddes dome and sentence approbate, Who sleeth, so shall he be slayne, by his sentence, Well more murder whiche asketh ay vengeaunce. [Mat. xxvii.]

¶ Who laye afore Paris amoneth daye, With hoste royall, without any batell; Of all enemyes moste dred he was alwaye, And Scottes moste hym dred without any fayle: For as [aye.] they trowed, by theyr owne rehersaile Of prophecyes, he shulde theyr lane conquere, And make the [their.] kyng to Englande homegere.

¶ Nowe haue I made vnto your owne [clere.] knowlege [Edward prince of Walys, the eldest sonne of kynge Edward the. iii.] A remembraunce of Edwardes sonnes fyue, Your exampler, to geue you a corage,

[So noble princes, I trowe, were none alyue] After my wytte as I can [can it.] discryue: The eldest sonne, whose lyfe [actes.] I haue lefte oute, Who y^t in Fraunce & all landes was moste doute.

¶ Of the ryghte and tytles that my lorde of Yorke hath to Fraunce and Spayne, with Portingale, & other landes by yonde the sea; Ierusalem, and other landes.

¶ At batell of Poytiers tooke [he toke.] kynge Iohn, With greate honoure triumphe and vyctory, By merciall actes, and verteous life aloone. [Fol. iiii.] And in Spayne, as made is memorie, The kyng Petro, by knightly victorie, To his kyngdome he did restore again, By his brother putte out with muche pain.

¶ The appoinctement bytwixt duke Iohn & duke Emund, who should bee kyng of Castle and Lyon; and what the maker of this booke sawe and red at Londō, to syr Robert Vmfrewill, then lorde Vmfrewill.

¶ This kyng Petro, to giue hym to his mede, Had nothyng els but doughters twoo full faire, Whiche he betooke to that prince in deede For his wages, for cause thei where his heire, With whome he did to Englande so repaire, And Constaunce wedde vnto his brother Iohn; Emund [Edmunde, edit. alt.] , his brother, the younger had anone:

¶ Dame Isabell, the younger hight by name. Bytwene these brethren was appoinctment, The first heire male whiche of the [the two.] sisters came The kyng should been, and haue the regiment. To you, my lorde of Yorke, this dooeth appent, [Duke of Yorke.] For your vncle Edwarde was first heire male, To whome your father was heire with out faile.

¶ So kyng of Spayne and also of Portyngall, Ye should nowe bee, by lyne of bloodde discent, By couenaunt also [als.] and appoinctement whole [all.] ,

As I haue seen of it the muniment, Vnder seale wryten in all entent Whiche your vncle to my lorde Vmfrewill At London shewed, whiche I red that while.

¶ For Spayne & Portyngale beare the renoume And commen name, as I haue herde expressed, Both to the realmes of Castyll and Lyon, And so [So to.] the kynge of Spayne hath aye adressed His royall style, in wrytyng well impressed, Kyng of Castill, and also [and also.] of Lyon, Accompted both so for his region.

¶ Nowe be ye knowe, of your title to Englande, [The tytle of the kinges of Eng∣lāde to Scotland and Ireland.] By consequens to Wales and Scotlande, For they perteyne, as ye maye vnderstande, Of auncient tyme, to the [your.] crowne of Englande. By papall bull, ye haue the right to Irelande, Gascowe, Paitowe and Normandye, Pountyf, Bebuile [Beluyle.] , Saunxie and Sauntignye,

¶ And all the lande beyonde the Charente; Of Dangolesme, Dangolismoys & Luyrezyne, Of Caoure, Caourenō, Pyridor & Pirygūt coūtre, Of Rodis, Ronegeauis, Dagō, Dagenoyse y^e fine, Tharbe, Wigor [Boigre.] & Gaure shoulde to you enclyne, With all the fraunchyses and all souerayntie, As hath [hade.] the kyng of Fraunce in his degre.

¶ Nō. that I, Ihon Hardyng, maker of this booke, delyuered to kyng Henry the syxte, the copie of the treatie of this land, as kyng Edward the thyrd treated and had them after the battayll of Poytours.

¶ Calys [& Marke,] [Andewarpe.] Colne, Hāmys, Oye & Wale, Sandegate & Guysons [Guynes.] , with all the whole coūtre, With all the landes and townes betwene thē all, With all [all the.] fraunchyses and royall souerayntie; All those of right be yours in propertie, [Fol. v.] What by treate an what by veraye right, As kyng Edwarde them had of mykyll might.

¶ To Ierusalem, I saye ye haue great right, For erle Geffraye, that hight Plantagenet, Of Aungeoy erle, a prince of passyng might, The eldest sonne to Fouke and first begette, Kyng of Ierusalem, by his wife dewly sette; Whose sonne Geffray foresaide gatte on his wyfe Henry the seconde, that knowen was full ryfe.

¶ Yet haue ye more fro Bawdewyn Paraliticus, Kyng afterward, to thesame kyng Henry The croune sente, and his banner precious, As veraye heyre of whole auncestrie, Descent of bloode by tytle lynyally [Godfraye Boleyn. Robert Cur∣those.] From Godfray Boleyn and [And from.] Robert Curthose, That kynges were therof and [electe and.] chose.

¶ He sente hym also the Sepulture [Sepulcre.] keyes, Resygnyng wholly vnto hym all his ryght, For to defende the lande from Sarizenes; For he was sicke and had therto no might, And all the lande destroyed was to sight By the Soudyan, to great lamentacion Of Goddes people, and all Christen nacion.

¶ He sente hym also the keyes of Dauids towre, With Heraclye, that of Ierusalem Was Patriarke and greatest of honour, And with Templers, which brought [hym into] [theym to.] this realme, [Besekyng hym y^t he would thē susteine,] [of Engelonde so be his auncien name.] Full humbly askyng supportacion, For the cytiee and Christen consolacion.

¶ All these titles, the Chronicles can recorde [well.] , If they be seen by good deliberacion; Many of theim to these [chese.] full well accorde, As I haue seen with greate delectacion, By clerkes wrytten for our informacion. [Out of old bookes cōmeth newe know∣ledge.] As in olde feldes, cornes freshe and grene grewe, So of olde bookes cōmeth our cunnyng newe.

¶ Of this I wyll nowe cease, and forth procede To my mater, wher fyrst I beganne,

To Chronicles of this lande, for worthihed To remembre in balade as I can, To that entent to please both God and man; [The dukes wyfe named Cecely.] And eke to please good [The goode.] femynitie, Of my lady your wife dame Cecely;

¶ That [Whiche.] in Latyn hath litell intellect To vnderstande the great nobilytie Of this ilke lande of [to.] which she is electe, Tyme commyng like to haue the souerayntie, Vnder your rule, as shulde feminitee, Whiche if it maye please her ladyshippe, My hert will reioyse of [her] inward gladshippe.

¶ For well I wote your great intelligence, That in Latyn hath good inspeccion, Will pleased bee of your hie sapience; My lady that is vnder your proteccion, Your heyre also maye rede at theyr eleccion; Whiche, if it may please your [their.] nobilitee, Of my laboure I would reioysed bee. [Fol. vi.]

¶ Also [als.] for your heyres and for your successours, In tyme commyng, to haue a clere knowlege How of this realme the noble gouernours Haue kept [kept it aye.] , with helpe of baronage, In victorye, tryumphe and surplusage; Sith Brute it wanne in his prioritee, It hath been kept in worthy [myghty.] dignitee.

¶ But howe this ysle, embrased with this [the.] sea, Vnedefied, was knowne first and founde, That Albion was named, of propertee Of dame Albione, that first therein had ground; And after long, how Brute therof was crowned, That of his owne name called it Brytayne, And buylded it, wher all before was playne.

¶ The ende of the Proheme.