The chronicle of Ihon Hardyng in metre, fro[m] the first begynnyng of Engla[n]de, vnto ye reigne of Edwarde ye fourth where he made an end of his chronicle. And from yt time is added with a co[n]tinuacion of the storie in prose to this our tyme, now first emprinted, gathered out of diuerse and sondrie autours of moste certain knowelage [et] substanciall credit, yt either in latin orels in our mother toungue haue writen of ye affaires of Englande.

The .xxxix. Chapiter.

¶ Eledour kyng of Brytein thrise crouned, for his good rule and good condicions.

ELedour was kyng all newe made againe * 1.1 Thrise crouned y^t kepte his olde cōdicion Of whome the lordes & cōmons wer full faine And sory for his wrongfull deposicion He reigned so fro losse and all perdicion Reignyng after full peacebly tenne yere Buried full faire, at Alclude his citee clere,

¶ Gorbonian that was Gorbonian his soonne * 1.2 The croune after his vncle in all thynges That ruled well fro tyme that he begonne Full well beloued with olde and also with young He reigned tenne yere of Brytein kyng And dyed then with worship whole enterred As to suche a prince of right should bee required

¶ Morgan y^t was the soonne of kyng Arthegall, * 1.3 Was crowned then and held the royalte Full fourten yere he ruled the realme ouer all The lawe and peace with all tranquillite He kepte full well in all prosperite For whiche he was full greately magnified

In all his realme with people landefyed

¶ Emnan his brother so was crouned kyng * 1.4 Seuen yere reigned in all kynd ofe tiranny For whiche he was deposed as an vnderlyng When he had reigned seuen yere fully That to god and manne was euer contrarie Till all his lordes and commons euerione Whiche wer full glad awaye that he was gonne,

¶ Iuall the soonne of kyng Ingen did reigne * 1.5 Louyng alwaye to kepe all rightwesnese Hatyng all vices, and of good menne was faine All vicious menne, he helde in sore distres Helpyng poore menne fallyng in feblenes When he had reigned full well by twenty yere He dyed awaye as saieth the chronicler

¶ Rymo the soonne that of kyng Paradour * 1.6 Crouned was then, louyng all gentilnes All vertue euer he louid and all honour And in his tyme was plenty and larges Of his people full well belouid I gese And dyed so in all felicite on hye Sixten yere whole reigned when he ganne dye

¶ Gerennes then the soonne of Eledour * 1.7 To reigne beganne and ruled well this daye And sone the deathe hym toke and dyd deuour If I the treuth of hym shall saye That twenty yere he reigned all menne to paye The lawe and peace full well aye conserued Of his commons the loue aye deserued, * 1.8

Catellus his soonne then ganne succede * 1.9 Kepyng the lawe and peace as he had hight Oppressours all, that poore menne did ouer lede He hanged euer on trees full hie to sight That ensample of theim euery manne take might Tenne yere reigned full of felicite And dyed so vnder his vnsure deite

¶ Coile his soonue after hym succede * 1.10 And crouned was, reignyng so twenty yere In lawe and peace as to his worthihede Accordyng was for lawe and peace cōserued clere As euery manne maye se bothe farre and nere The floures been of royall dignyte In whiche he reigned twenty yere ere he did dye

¶ Porrex his soonne was crouned in his astate * 1.11 Esye of porte to speake with euery wight Their comonnyng to hym was delicate Who reson spake he fauoured as was right Who viceous spake or did in his sight He chasticed theim after the cause required Reignyng fiue yere, of no lande had he fered

¶ Cheryn his soonne norished in dronkennes * 1.12 Customably, to whiche folowed all kynde of vyce It exiled witte out of his brayn doubteles And reason after that, made hym full vnwyse He was of all his gouernaunce so nyce And reigned so in Brytein but one yere When he dyed laied, was on the bere

¶ His soonne Fulgen reigned but one yere * 1.13

Eldred his brother and Androge hight the thirde Kynges after hym echeone were synguler * 1.14 A yere reignyng whose good rules are hid For why, vnto no manne was it kyde Thei dyed sone, for long that might not dure In suche drōkennes, full weake was their nature

¶ Vryan the soonne of kyng Androge * 1.15 Three yere reigned, that was full lecherous A mayden young, wher he did ride or goo He had euery daye, he was so vicyous But yet he was gentill and bounteous All if he had maydens in suche charte Wedowes and wifes, he had in greate plentie

¶ Elynde was kyng, & fiue yere bare the croune, * 1.16 Full well ruled the realme in all kynd of thyng In Astronomye, full redy aye and bowne Dedancius also reigned fiue yere full young * 1.17 Who the realme ruled in all maner thyng Full peseably frome that Elynde was dedde, Bothe twoo dyed in their floreshed youthede * 1.18

¶ Detonus then was kyng reignyng twoo yere, Gurguncius so twoo yere bare also the croune And Meryan twoo yere by wrytyng clere Bledudo then full ready bowne Twoo yere also bare the croune Cappe and Owen and then Sicilyus Eche after other by twoo yere reigned thus

¶ Bledud Gabred reigned, expert in song And in all musike instrumentes

Farre passyng was all other and had been long Suche was his cunnyng and his sentementes That for a god in all folkes ententes In myrth and ioye and maner of melodye * 1.19 Thei honoured hym tenne yere onely

¶ Archiuall, then his brother reigned so And Eldoll after his soonne, succeded anone And Redon then his soonne, came nexte hym thoo Redrike his soonne, when his father was gonne Croune and septer receiued, hath anone Samuell, Pirre, Peneysell and Capre Seuerally echeone reigned twoo yere

Notes

• * 1.1

  Eledour reigned. .x. yeres.
• * 1.2

  Gorbo∣niā kyng of Bry∣taine.
• * 1.3

  Morgan reigned .xiiii. yere
• * 1.4

  Emnan kyng rei¦gned .vii. yere.
• * 1.5

  Kyng Iuall rei¦gned .xx. yere.
• * 1.6

  Kyng Rymo reigned xvi. yere.
• * 1.7

  Kyng Gerēnes reigned, xx. yere.
• * 1.8

  Kyng Catellus
• * 1.9

  reigned, x. yere.
• * 1.10

  Kyng Coile rei¦gned, xx yere.
• * 1.11

  Kyng Porrex,
• * 1.12

  Kyng Cheryn.
• * 1.13

  Fulgen,
• * 1.14

  Fulgēce, Eldred & Androge
• * 1.15

  Vryan.
• * 1.16

  Elynde.
• * 1.17

  Dedan∣cius.
• * 1.18

  Deto••••. Gurgū∣cius. Merian Bledudo Cappe. Owen & Sicilius all these reigned eche of theim .ii. yeres. Bledud. Gabred. cantor.
• * 1.19

  Archi∣uall. Eldoll. Redon Redrike, Samuel Pirry. Penisell & Capre. eche of these reig¦ned two yeres.