The firste [laste] volume of the chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande conteyning the description and chronicles of England, from the first inhabiting vnto the conquest : the description and chronicles of Scotland, from the first original of the Scottes nation till the yeare of our Lorde 1571 : the description and chronicles of Yrelande, likewise from the first originall of that nation untill the yeare 1571 / faithfully gathered and set forth by Raphaell Holinshed.

Of Castelles and holdes. Cap. 8.

THere haue béene in tymes past great store of Castelles and places of defence within the realme of Englande, of which some were buylded by the Brytons, many by the Romaynes, Saxons, and Danes, but most of all by the Barons of the realme, in & about the tyme of king Stephen, who licen∣sed eache of them to buylde so many as they would vpon their owne demeasnes, hoping therby that they would haue employed their

vse to his aduauntage and commoditie, but finally when he sawe that they were rather fortified against hymselfe in the ende, then vsed in his defence,* 1.1 he repented all to la•…•…e of his inconsiderate dealing, sith now there was no remedie but by force for to subdue them. After his decease king Henry the seconde came no sooner to the crowne, but he called to minde the inconuenience which his pre∣dessour had suffred and he himselfe might in time sustaine by those fortifications. There∣fore one of the first things he dyd was an at∣tempt to race and deface the most parte of these holdes. Certes he thought it better to hazarde the méeting of the enimie nowe and then in the playne field, then to liue in perpe∣tuall feare of those houses, and the rebellion of his Lordes vpon euery light occasion con∣ceyued, who then were full so strong as he, if not more strong, and that made them the re∣dier to withstande & gainesay many of those procéedinges, which he and his successours from time to tyme intended. Hereupon ther∣fore he caused more then aleauen hundred of their castelles to be raced and ouerthrowne, whereby the power of his nobilitie was not a litle restrained. Sithence that time also not a few of those which remained, haue decayed of themselues: so that at this present, there are very few or no castels at all maintayned within England, sauing only vpō the coasts and marches of the countrie for the better kéeping backe of the forrein enemie, when∣soeuer he shall attempt to enter and annoye vs.

The moste prouident Prince that euer reigned in this lande for the fortificatiō ther∣of agaynst all outwarde enemies, was the late Prince of famous memory king Henry the eyght: sith beside that he repaired most of such as were alreadie standing, he buylded sundrie out of the grounde. For hauing sha∣ken of the more then seruile yoke of the Po∣pish tyrannie, and espying that the Empe∣rour was offended for hys dyuorce from Quéene Catherine his aunt: and therto that the Frenche king had coupled the Dolphin his sonne with the Popes nece: and maryed his daughter to the king of Scottes, (where∣by he had cause more iustly to suspect then safely to trust any one of the all as Lambert saith) he determined to stand vpon his owne defence,* 1.2 and therefore with no small spéede, and like charge, he buylded sundrie Blocke∣houses, Castelles, and Platformes vpon dy∣uers frontiers of his realme, but chiefely the east and southeast partes of England, wher∣by no doubt he dyd very much qualifie the conceyued grudges of his aduersaries and vtterly put of their hasty purpose of 〈◊〉〈◊〉. And thusmuch briefly for my purpose at this present. For I néede not to make any 〈◊〉〈◊〉 discourse of castels, sith it is not the nature of a good Englishman to regarde to be caged vp in a c••••pe, & hedged in with stone walles, but rather to méete wyth hys enemie in the playne field•…•… at handstrokes, where he may trauaise his grounde, choose his plot, and vse the benefite of sunne shine, winde & wether, to his best aduauntage and commoditie. As for those tales that go of B•…•…ston castell, how it shall saue all England on a day, & likewise the brag of a rebellious Barron in olde time that sayde in contempt (of king Henry the thirde, as I gesse)

If I were in my Castell of Bungey Vpon the water of Waueney, I woulde not set a button by the king of Cockney.

I repute them but as toyes, the first méere vaine, the seconde fo•…•…dly vttered if any such thing were sayde, as many other wordes are and haue béene spoken of lyke holdes, (as Wallingforde. &c.) but nowe growen out of memorie, and with small losse not hearde of among the common sort.

Notes

• * 1.1

  •…•…ry the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 also 〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.2

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 these •…•…es the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of •…•…rfolke •…•…e wea 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as •…•…ye ap∣•…•…re by •…•…burne•…•… •…•…e and •…•…er pla•••• of the •…•…e.