De laudibus legum Angliæ writen by Sir Iohn Fortescue L. Ch. Iustice, and after L. Chancellor to K. Henry VI. Hereto are ioind the two Summes of Sir Ralph de Hengham L. Ch. Iustice to K. Edward I. commonly calld Hengham magna, and Hengham parua. Neuer before publisht. Notes both on Fortescue and Hengham are added

To the right Worship∣full Iohn Walshe, Esquire, one of the Queene her learned Iusticers of her Highnesse Court of common Plees, Robert Mulcaster, wi∣sheth life and health.

IT hapned me of late (Right Worship∣full sir) to light vpon this little Treatise, which I incontinent desired to runne ouer, because it seemed to discourse vpon some points of the Lawes of our Countrie, wher∣of I my selfe then was and am now a Stu∣dent. When I had ouer-runne it, my de∣sire to reade it, became nothing counter∣uailable with the gladnesse that I had read it, for my desire to read it came vpon hope, to finde some profitable lessons for my studie, but my gladnesse after reading sprang of the excellencie of the argument, whereon I did not dreame, neither to finde so rich a treasure in so simple an habit. And

because I wished al men to haue part of my delight, me thought it good to translate it into English forth of Latin, in which tong it was first writen. The author of the book was one master Fortescue Knight, Serieant at the Law, and for his skil and vertues pre∣ferred by king Henrie the sixt, to be Chan∣cellor of this Realm. The entry of the book it self sheweth, where, and vpon what occa∣sion, it was writen. It was writen in Berrie in France, where Prince Edward, sonne to Henrie the sixt, afterward slain at Tewkes∣burie by Edward the fourth, did then re∣maine with his mother Queen Margaret in the house of Renate her father Duke of An∣gew & king of Cicile, during the time that Edward the fourth reigned in the Realme, and Henrie the sixt was fled into Scotland. The occasion was this: The Chancellor being fled into Frāce with the yong prince, and perceiuing his delight to be all bent to Chiualrie as a thing of greatest need, con∣sidering he meant by force the restitution of his father, and thereby his owne, to the kingdome of England, tooke occasion (for that his hope was to see the Prince raigne

here) to moue him to a diuisiō of his affairs, and as he armed himself against the enemy, so to adorne himself against his being king, with skill of Lawes, which doe preserue each state so in peace, that it may, if need be, warre; and so gard it in warre, that it may haue peace in it. The argument is this, that the skill of the Countrie lawes is need∣full for the Prince, although not so deepe as for purposed professours, yet so full as to their honor may and ought to fall in Prin∣ces. And for that the Prince should think the thing to be a princely knowledge, hee taketh occasion (by comparing the gouern∣ment of this realm with others, & the lawes of this land with the Ciuill, with whom it is of all men lightly compared, and the bet∣ternesse of points wherein they both trauel, and prouisions by the one wiselier fore∣seene then by the other) to proue the sin∣gularitie of this state which it behooued the Prince to learne, seeing hee was like to succeed his father, and to vnderstand the Lawes, which maketh the state to bee sin∣guler. The particulars I refer to the booke, whereof thus much I doe and no lesse

could wel say, Why I did choose your wor∣ship to be protector of my labours, I shall not need tediously to touch, it shall bee suf∣ficient to say that in choise of many, I pic∣ked you alone, not doubting your liking in allowing, seeing mine election in dedica∣ting: And so committing to the Al∣mightie the good preseruation of your worship, I hum∣bly take my leaue,

Robert Mulcaster.