The consent of time disciphering the errors of the Grecians in their Olympiads, the vncertaine computation of the Romanes in their penteterydes and building of Rome, of the Persians in their accompt of Cyrus, and of the vanities of the Gentiles in fables of antiquities, disagreeing with the Hebrewes, and with the sacred histories in consent of time. VVherein is also set downe the beginning, continuance, succession, and ouerthrowes of kings, kingdomes, states, and gouernments. By Lodovvik Lloid Esquire.

OF THE OLDE GAVLES CALLED now Frenchmen of their first arriuall and continuance in warres before they were seated in France, by the name first of Newmagi, secondly, by the name of Marcomanni, thirdly Sicambri. And first from Marcomirus vnto Francus time: during which time, they were called Sicambri for 400 and odde yeeres.

I Need not long stand in Fraunce, neither in de∣scribing the coūtrey, neither much trouble my * 1.1 selfe with the late histories, which are knowen to the most part: this only as I haue done of o∣ther countreyes, set downe their antiquitie of their first comming into Fraunce, of their continuaunce vnder diuers names, and of succession of their kinges. Lea∣uing Gomer the eldest sonne of Iaphet with his posterities a∣mong * 1.2 them by the name of Cimbri, Sicambrians and others, I wil speak briefly of their first arriuall frō Scythia, of their com∣ming to Germany, of their first habitations about the riuer of Rhene, and of their continual warres & victories in enlarging * 1.3 the territories of their first possession which was but little, by many sharpe battels, & continuall long warres at home, and brought all Gallia subiect vnder them, which now is the one∣ly flourishing kingdome of the worlde, that earst contained many nations by the name of Gallia, Cisaphina, Transalpina, Bel∣gica, * 1.4 as now Germania doth, & is situated betweene the riuer of Rhene & the mountains Pyrenaei, a fertile & a rich coūtrey re∣plenished with plenty of al things, wel watred with riuers & fountains. Solinus writeth, that out of Gallia you may trauel to any part of the world: the most part of this countrey is nowe * 1.5 called Fraunce, of whose description, situation, & other com∣mendations due to that soile, of the length, bredth, and ma∣ners of Frenchmen, Reade Srabo, Pomporius Mela, and Solinus.

As for the originall antiquitie of the people, I reade that * 1.6 they are little beholden to them selues, either in finding out their antiquities, or recording of the same: but such fables as their parents yeelded from time to time, as the Egyptians did and others, which for want of true Histories,

fill their bookes with fables. And for that they were first strangers and foreiners in Gallia, comming from Scythia into Germanie, where their king named Marcomirus with the most part of his armie was slaine by the Gothes, Marcomirus his * 1.7 •…•…onne gouerning the rest of the Scythian armie, brought his people to the confines of Germanie, ad ostia Rheni, seeking out voyde places to inhabite: to whome in the seuenth yeere of his raigne, came 489. thousande moe Scythians, and there Marcomirus sonne began a new kingdome, & possessed many places by force about Rhene: and they were called of the Ger∣manes, Neumagi, at their first dwelling: after they were called Sicambri, and lastly they were called Franci.

The Frenchmen were in their first comming to Gallia, so * 1.8 tossed and so afflicted, for want of dwellings (their nomber and multitude was such) that of necessitie they were forced to seeke seates to dwell in by the sworde, and wonne diuers places about the riuer of Rhene, & possessed many fertill pla∣ces in Germanie about Hercinia: for Iulius Caesar in his Historie of Fraunce saith, Fuit tempus &c. There was a time, that the Gauls, which afterward were called Frenchmen, did vanquish * 1.9 the Germanes in warre, and for the multitude of their armie wanting places to inhabite, they in spite of the Germanes pos∣sessed about the riuer of Rhene & other places, about Witen∣berge and Boemia. And so Liuy affirmeth, that the people na∣med then Celtae, (which are Frenchmen nowe) were scattered ouer all Europe, and dwelt in Panonia, before the Romanes had any being there. And so Iustine seemeth to affirme, when he had said that 300000 Galatae sought new countries to dwell in, naming them Gens aspera & bellicosa, and the first nation * 1.10 after Hercules that ledde an armie ouer the Alpes, at what time they went to Illirica, and from thence to Panonia, where like∣wise Appianus doth verifie their comming, when Camillus had driuen them and their captaine Brennus from Rome. Herodot * 1.11 also doth remember these Scythians, how they came to dwell among the Cymbrians, and howe their nomber increased. It is euident in Polibius, Strabo, and in Appianus, that the

inhabitants about Rheni and other places of Germanie cal∣led * 1.12 Boios Brenici Tenani and Senoues were Frenchmen: but for that nothing is certaine before Augustus time in Germanie, as Strabo saith who liued in Augustus time, but controuersies are such about the antiquitie which in truth is very ancient, and * 1.13 about their names which are many and diuers, as Neumagi, Marcomanni, Franci, Salii, Cimbri, Celtae, Galli, before they were called Frenchmē, that it would be both tedious & vnpleasant, and also vncertaine, for the variety of opinions. Leauing ther∣fore the dissension of these writers and the vncertaintie of kingdomes beginning, I will briefly speake of Marcomirus the first king of the Frenchmen named yet Neumagi, in whose time the countrey of Gallia was sore afflicted for Marcomirus made sharpe warres, and died after he had reigned eight and twentie yeres. After whom succeeded his sonne Antenor, who hauing maried a wife, learned and a modest Queene borne in Britaine named Cambra daughter to Bellinus the great, after whose name they were called Sicambri, which cōtinued vntill * 1.14 Francus time which was the sixtenth king after this Queene Cambra & her husband Antenor who reigned in the 91. olym∣piade: * 1.15 at what time the Egyptians reuolted from the Persians in the time of Darius Nothus the sixt king of Persia, they were called Sicambri: for Galli, at that time were not called French, but Gaules.

Of these Pau. Aemylius taketh no notice, neither doth Ar∣noldus Ferronus make any mention, two of the chiefe Frnech writers, neither the French chronicles: but Tritemius is recited by Functius, who setteth down what Tritemius thought of the originall of the Frenchmen: yet Aemylius affirmeth in that * 1.16 the antiquitie of the Frenchmem is from the Troians. At what time Aeneas came from Ilion to Laurentum after the destructi∣on of the Citie, one Francus a Captaine of some nomber of Troians came with his companie ad paludem Meotim: after * 1.17 whose name they were named Frenchmen: but let Tritemius and Paul. Aemylius dispute of that matter. I will set downe the names of the kings, from Marcomirus vntill Francus.

I will briefly runne ouer the Historie: for at the first arri∣uall ouer of these Scythians into Germanie, they inuaded many places, and grewe so strong in so many places, that they pos∣sessed many Cities, Townes, and Castles, that for the space of foure hundred yeeres and more (during which time * 1.18 reigned sixteene kings ouer the Sicambrians) they had conti∣nuall warres one after another, vntill Francus time, and from Francus againe vntill Faramundus time, another foure hundred yeeres and more still in warres: of whom Tritemius writeth seuerally, and obserueth the like order in his historie of the Kings of France, as Suetonius doth for the Emperours * 1.19 of Rome.

Marcomirus waxed so great, that the Romanes had much a doe in his time, not onely to keepe those holds which they had, but also were constrained to answere these fellowes in Italie: for the Sycambrians were so fleshed with diuers victo∣ries which they had ouer the Gauls, and ouer the Germanes, * 1.20 that they were determined to stay no where, before they had first destroyed Rome, and sacked all Italie.

The Romanes had thought to see the hardinesse & strength of these people to curbe them: but perceiuing the multitude to bee such as terrified all Europe, and doubting that they should haue the like warres with the Sicambrians as they had a litle before that time with the Affricans, so much the Romanes * 1.21 were fearefull of these people, that they appoynted Caius Ma∣rius Consul against the lawe being absent, which was neuer seene before in Rome but once in the time of Cornelius Scipio in the warres of Affrike. * 1.22

But to benefite a common weale, lawes may well be in∣fringed, and specially when necessitie forceth the same: as at that time, Marius was appoynted against these stoute and strong people whom the Romanes called Cimbri: but I referre you to Tritemius, who onely wrote of these sixteene kings and of the people called Sicambri. Likewise reade Plutarch in Marius, and you shall knowe what strong warres, what sharpe battels, and with what inuincible courage they fought a∣gainst

the Romans.

Caius Marius, Catulus Luctatius, and other Romane captaines can well witnesse of the hardinesse of this nation: for since * 1.23 the first time that this people came out of Scythia, which was 400. and odde yeeres before our Sauiour Christ was borne, they gaped alwayes for the Countrey of France being then inhabited with Gauls & the people Celtae, and the countrey it selfe called Gallia. They held the warres with the Gaules nine hundred yeeres, sometimes conquerours, and sometime conquered: they ceased not, vntill they wearied all the Countrie about them, and diuers places of Germanie and of Gallia waxed weake and feeble: so the Frenchmen began to * 1.24 bee strong, and to winne that which the Romanes had lost.

After that this Marcomirus had expulsed and vanquished the people that dwelt about Rhene, and had committed to his brother Sunno the possession of that countrey, hee went and passed ouer the riuer of Rhene, in the foure and twentieth yeere of his raigne, with a very huge armie of Sicambrians and Saxons, wasted and spoyled with sworde and fire many townes and countreys in the West Gallia: and after hee had made a great slaughter of the Gauls, he entred in league with Britaines, and returned a conqueror to see how the Germanes behaued and vsed Sunno, where he died after he had reigned eight and twentie yeeres. * 1.25

This Marcomirus was so famous, & had done such worthie feats in armes, that thē his people after his death were called Marcomanni: for so Plinie doth name them, lib. 12. cap. 4. While this Marcomirus helde warres with the Gaules, ciuill warres began in Greece which continued seuen and twentie yeeres. * 1.26 Darius Nothus gouerned the Persians, at what time in Rome a law was made, that it should be lawfull for the Patricians and Senators to ioyne in marriage with the common people.

This time florished in Greece Pericles the Athenian, and Socrates the Philosopher. After Marcomirus his sonne builded townes and cities, and made strong holdes and castles: hee taught the vse of many things to his noble men, and hee

also taught the women which earst were rude and ignorant in Scythia to sowe flaxe and hempe, and to weaue silke and o∣ther like things. He made lawes to his people which neuer be∣fore * 1.27 heard of any law in Scythia, & brought them from rude and wild men to knowledge & ciuilitie: for this Antenor was taught by his wife Cambra Bellinus daughter king of Britaine. She was wise, modest and vertuous, & brought vp her sonne Priamus in ciuill knowledge, and made him acquainted with orders and lawes insomuch that when his father Antenor died, hee was able to gouerne his people with lawes: for in the eight yeere of his reigne, he & his mother Cambra builded about the riuer of Rhene two great townes, the one he named Neopagus where long the kings palace stoode, and the other * 1.28 Neomagus in memorie of his name. * 1.29

The Sicambrians this time beganne to speake the Saxons tongue: for the maner and order of this people at that time whersoeuer they were scattred in any place of Europe or Asia, they were named after the name of the place as I tolde you. At their first comming into Germanie from Scythia, they were of the Germanes named Neumagi: after, they were called * 1.30 Marcomani after the name of Marcomirus. Then Sicambri after the name of Cambra Bellinus daughter: for so long as they ta∣ried * 1.31 in Scythia they were named Scythians, in Armenia they were called Armenians, in Gallia they were called Gaules, who when they had sacked Rome and taken it for seuen mo∣neths, they were constrained by Camillus to goe from thence to Galatia, Macedonia, or to any part of Greece: they were called Gaulgreekes, and so bare they as many names as those coun∣treys * 1.32 had where they dwelt, vntil Francus time by whom they were called Franci which to this day they holde. Nowe after that Antenor had reigned thirtie yeeres, and his sonne Pria∣mus after him 27. succeeded Helenus the 4. king of Sicambria, * 1.33 which reigned 19. yeeres. This king had the Gaules in hand, and plagued them: he gaue them diuers repulses, and in bat∣tell slue of them sixteene thousand, wasted and subdued Gal∣lia vnto the riuer Mosa: for this was the countrey that they ga∣ped

and thirsted for.

During which time of 16. kings which gouerned after Cā∣bra Bellinus daughter, they persecuted the countrey of Gallia one king after another successiuely, vntill Francus time. In the time of this Helenus & his father Priamus, raigned in Per∣sia, Artaxerxes Mnemon surnamed the great, and in Caria raig∣ned * 1.34 king Mausolus a countrey in Greece. In Macedonia raigned nowe king Philip. king Alexander the great his father, the sonne of Amyntas: this time Marcus Manlius conspired against Camillus, and moued sedition in Rome, and therfore he was ad∣iudged to be throwen headlong downe from the rocke Tar∣peia.

In the time of this Helenus Plato died, in whose place suc∣ceeded Speusippus the Philosopher, Aristotle the Philosopher, and Demosthenes the Orator flourished, and Iaddua was high priest in Iudea, and continued 27. yeeres vntill Alexander the great his time. Diocles the eldest sonne of Helenus succeeded the fourth king, and raigned 39. yeres, a seuere man, bold and much giuen by nature to warres: hee followed his predeces∣sors in commencing warre in Gallia, hauing like affection to * 1.35 the kingdome of Fraunce, as his father and grandfather had * 1.36 before him: he raigned king amongest the Cicambrians when king Alexander the great was in warre against Darius king of Persia, and after Alexanders death 30. yeeres: for in Diocles time the kingdomes of Egypt, Asia and Syria began to flouri•…•…h * 1.37 againe vnder new kings, which were souldiers and captaines vnder Alexander the great, of whose ciuill warres you may reade in the histories of their kingdoms: for Darius surnamed Codomanus the last king of Persia was slaine, and his kingdome subdued, & the monarchie taken into Greece vnder the kings of Macedonia.

About this time the Romans begā their great wars with the Samnites, when Pyrrhus king of Epirus had sailed with great na∣uie * 1.38 and entred Italie, of whose warre there at that time Liui speaketh of, and called it Bellum Ausonium, when Pyrrhus was driuen out of Italie, and Lu. Papirius Cursor trium∣phed

ouer the Samnites, at what time he was Dictator in Rome: after whome Quintu•…•… Fabius being Dictator ouerthrewe the Samnites in a great battell. Tritemius writeth that the Gothes commenced warre this time against the Saxons, wasted and * 1.39 spoyled manie townes in the confines of the Saxons: for at that time fiue kinges ioyned in a league of amitie with the Sa∣xons, and gaue a great ouerthrow to the Gothes, to the number * 1.40 of a 100000. Gothes. After this victorie, Diocles was all the dayes of his life in fighting and wasting of Gallia, and did much harme vnto them, and when he had raigned 39. yeres, died: after whō succeeded his eldest sonne named Helenus the 2. of that name, and the 6. king of Sicambria, who was neither * 1.41 beloued of his people, nor profitable to the kingdome: for he was foolish in time of peace, and peeuish in warre: and therfore he was remoued from his kingdome, for that he was not found sufficient to gouerne, and his younger brother Bas∣sanus was crowned king in Sicambria, a man of great stout∣nesse, * 1.42 wisedome and iustice: in so much hee spared neither friend, kinne, brother, or sonne that violated his lawes: where∣soeuer he would trauell, he commanded two things to be ca∣ried before him, the booke of the lawe, and the sworde of punishment.

Tritemius writeth this historie of Bassanus, that hee had a sonne named: Sedanus, who committed adulterie against the law, & was of his own father thus punished: although his nobles and great men made much meanes to the king for * 1.43 his life, yet Bassanus executed the lawe, saying to his noble men in this sorte: I haue made a lawe with your consent, and to your contentation: will you bee against your selues, and against me in per•…•…urming of the same? and turning his speech to his sonne, he said, My sonne, I doe not kill thee, but the lawes of the countrey, which thou hast willingly violated, and therewithall tooke him by the haires of his head, & with * 1.44 his owne hand beheaded him. So iust a king was this Bassa∣nus, so seuere to wicked men, so gentle to good men, and so well esteemed of his people, that as Amerodacus a Philo∣sopher

of their owne nation sayeth, he was Appetentissimus diuinitatis. Reade more of this king in Tritemius: he raigned sixe & thirtie yeeres, and builded in memorie of his victory * 1.45 had ouer Taborinus king of the Tegurans, a strong castle, and named it Montabur. While this Bassanus flourished in Sicam∣bria, * 1.46 Demetrius the sonne of Antigonus gouerned in Macedo∣nia, Lysimachus in Thracia, and Philadelphus in Egypt: at what time the Hebrew Bible was translated from Hebrew into Greek by the means of Philadelphus. In the time of king Bassanus be∣gan the first warre betweene the Romanes and the Affricanes. Zeno the Stoike Philosopher died this time, and Eustratus the phisition flourished.

Nowe when Bassanus died, his countreymen can onized * 1.47 him amongst the number of the gods, and did of long time worshippe him after his death, calling him Basangor: after whom followed his owne sonne named Clodomirus, & raigned * 1.48 18. yeeres, in whose daies the feastes called Floralia, were cele∣brated in Rome: at what time the Romanes had peace with the Affricanes, but were occupied in Bello Lygustico. The Parthi∣ans which before were obscure and base people, & banished out of their countrey, began to stablish a new kingdome, and became so strōg that their kings were named Arsaces, a name of dignitie, as the Egyptians by their Pharoes and the Romanes by Caesars. I see I shoulde bee long to speake seuerally of the * 1.49 rest of the kinges of Sicambria, which are yet nine to write of, therefore I will onely lay downe the names of these kinges from Marcomirus the first king of the Sicambrians vntil Francus the last king, to auoyd tediousnes.

• 1 Marcomirus the first king raigned 28. yeeres: he made the first warres in Fraunce & subdued vnto the riuer of Mosa.
• 2 Antenor who maried Cambria the Brittaine Belinus daugh∣ter, raigned 27. yeeres.
• 3 Priamus the sonne of Antenor by Cambria raigned 27. yeere: in this Kinges raigne the Sicambrians began to vse the Saxons tongue.
• 4 Helenus the fourth king raigned 19. yeeres.
• ...

• 5 Diocles the sonne of Helenus reigned 39. this king liued in the time of Alexander the great.
• 6 Helenus the seconde of that name, and the sonne of Diocles raigned 14. yeeres: this king was abstracted, and therefore he was forced to forsake his kingdome.
• 7 Basanus the brother of Helenus reigned 36. yeeres, at what time Philadelphus raigned in Egypt, and Antiochus Soter in Syria. This Bessanus builded a famous strong castle, in me∣mory of his victory had ouer Taborinus king of the Tega∣renes: and he named the castle Montabur. At what time He∣ligastus a Priest, and a Prophet amongst the Sicambrians flou∣rished. * 1.50
• 8 Clodomirus the sonne of Basanus raigned in Sicambria 18. yeeres.
• 9 His sonne Nicanor raigned 34. yeeres, in what time the se∣cond warres of the Romanes began against the Affricanes.
• 10 Marcomirus the second of that name, and the 9. king, raig∣ned 28. yeeres.
• 11 Clodius the tenth king of Sicambria raigned 10. yeeres.
• 12 Antenor the eleuenth king raigned sixteene yeeres: in the time of this king and his predecessor, Terentius made his Co∣medies.
• 13 Clodomirus the 2. of that name, and the 12. king, raigned 20. yeeres: in whose time beganne the thirde and last warre be∣tweene the Romanes and the Affricanes.
• 14 Merodacus the 13. king raigned 28. yeeres: this king inua∣ded Italie, with 3000000. reade more in Plutarch of this people in the life of Marius.
• 15 Cassander the 15. king of Sicambria raigned 21. yeeres: this king ioyned with Arathius king of the Saxons, and Borbista king of the Gothes entered into Germany, and made a great slaughter of the Teutones.
• 16 Antharius the sixteenth king, he raigned fiue and thirty yeeres: this king also played his part with the Romanes, and wan Moguntia, and made it euen to the grounde. In whose time Iulius Caesar made his voyage to Britaine.

CHAP. II.

From Francus the sixteenth king of Fraunce then called Sicambri, vntill the time of Farabertus the 12. in number after Francus: of the warres, inuasions, and victories, of the enlargement of their kingdome from one king to another, vntill Farabertus gouerne∣ment: during which time, they were called Franci, after the name of Francus.

IN the yeere before the birth of Christ * 1.51 245. Francus the eldest sonne of An∣tharius, after that his father was slaine by the Gaules by the aide of the Romans, suc∣ceeded in the kingdome of Sicambria, & became such an enemie to the Gaules, that hee destroyed their townes and ci∣ties, wasted their territories, and spoy∣led the people, not only the Gaules, but also the Gothes and o∣ther nations: insomuch that the Romanes hearing of this Fran∣cus courage and stoutnesse, sent Lollius with a Romane armie, * 1.52 who in the first battel that he gaue in Germany, slue of thē 18. thousand. Francus sent his sonne Clogio to aide his neighbors, by whom the Romanes were put to flight, with a great slaugh∣ter * 1.53 of Lollius souldiers. In the mean time Francus when he had driuen out the Gothes from Germany, after he had plagued the Gaules, and had most miserably wasted and spoyled the coun∣trey, vnto the riuer Mosa, & as histories affirme, slue 200000. Gaules. which newes frighted much the Romanes. In the 24. * 1.54 yeere of his raigne, after he had concluded peace with diuers nations in Germany, he made a decree that Sicambria shoulde be called Francia, after the name of Francus, which to this day * 1.55 continueth a strong and a stoute nation, and the onely king∣dome of the world for all commodities.

During which time, ciuill warres waxed hoate betweene Iulius Caesar & Pompeius the great, which being soon extingui∣shed both by the murthering of Pompey in Egypt, and by the like murther of Caesar at Rome in the Senate: after which

began another new ciuil warre betweene Augustus Caesar and Marcus Antoninus, which endured 12. yeeres: at what time Ianus Temple was shut the third time, and peace was then * 1.56 graunted to all nations by Augustus. But the antiquitie of the name of Fraunce, beginning from Francus time in the 190. O∣lympiade, and in the beginning of the 29. Iubilee, at what time Augustus Caesar subdued all Spayne, and brought them vnder the Romane Empire. Nowe the names before named Neumagi, Marcomani, Cimbri, Celtae, Sicambri, and Sa∣mothei, are now changed, to be called Franci: after this Fran∣cus succeeded his sonne Clogio the seconde king of Fraunce, which raigned 30. yeeres, a wise man, and a great Astrologer, * 1.57 a Southsayer, and for skill and knowledge in many thinges he was named Magus.

In the fourth yeere of Clogios raigne, Tiberius was sent by Augustus to Germanie with a very high hoste of Romanes, who destroyed all places where they came into. Clogio with an ar∣mie gaue vnto Tiberius a battell, in the which Tiberius wanne no great conquest but rather losse, and at that time departed * 1.58 from field without victorie: yet the name of Fraunce was skant knowen a farre off, for the newnesse and late change of the name: and therefore the nations rounde about called Clogio a Germane, and not a Frenchman. Notwithstanding, Clogio beyng growen to so great a name, that he was feared as his father was before him of the verie Romanes: he made his sonne named Phrisus a king, and named the region where * 1.59 he gouerned Phrysia, which at this day is called Frizeland: this was made subiect to Fraunce at that very time, paying yeerely tribute vnto Fraunce 260. oxen: this was done by consent of all Fraunce, for this Phrysus was the second sonne of Clogio.

Nowe Fraunce beganne to bee knowen by the name of * 1.60 Fraunce: for Clogio hauing some ayde of the Saxons ouerthrew the Romanes armie, and slue Marcus Lollius their generall in the fielde, and after vanquished still the Gaules, vntill hee be∣came so mightie, that hee left behinde him his second sonne

king of Phrysia, and his eldest sonne and heyre king of France named Herimerus, who raigned after his father twelue yeres: whose successe was neyther like to his father Clogio, nor to * 1.61 his brother Phrysus: who flourished in his newe kingdome, and gaue diuers expulses to the Romane force: insomuch that Friselande beganne to be spoken of through the prow∣esse and martiall feates of Phrisus their first king. For Heri∣merus the elder brother fighting against his enemies, very vn∣fortunately * 1.62 was slayne when he had raigned twelue yeres: he died in the 32. yeere after Christes birth: at what time gouer∣ned in India, Pontius Pilatus President to the Romane Empire. About this time, Herodes builded a citie in the honour of Ti∣berius * 1.63 Caesar the Emperor of Rome, and named it Caesarea, which was before called Turris Stratonis.

In the time of this Herimerus in the citie of Fidena, a Thea∣ter fell downe at the play of an enterlude, which the Romane Attilius builded for sword players, where fiftie thousand were sore bruised, maimed, and slaine. The fourth king of Fraunce * 1.64 was Marcomirus, which raigned eighteene yeeres, and had the like dealings within Gallia, as his predecessors had. In the seuenth yeere of Marcomirus raigne was Caius Caesar Caligula made Emperour in Rome. Reade Tritemius of this Marcomi∣rus, and of his sonne Clodomirus, who helde sharpe warre with the Romanes in Maguntia, and manie sore battels * 1.65 within Gallia. This time Guidericus king Bellinus sonne raig∣ned king in Brytaine: after whome succeeded by force of armes in Britayne Armiracus, whome Claudius Caesar van∣quished and triumphed ouer: but let vs returne to the kings of Fraunce.

After Clodomirus succeeded his sonne Antenor the 2. of that name, & raigned 6. yeres, who in the last yere of his raigne ha∣uing occasiō to passe ouer the riuer of Mosa, the bridge there∣of being broken with the weight of the kinges companie, hee * 1.66 & more of his Princes, were at this instant drowned, & three∣score noble men more of Fraunce, beside other Gentlemen and Captaines, after whom followed Rhaterus the eldest

sonne of Antenor, who raigned in Fraunce 21. yeeres, hee al∣so did handle the Gaules in like sorte, for before his predeces∣sors had won that countrey, which lay beyond the riuer Mosa, * 1.67 & had brought the Gaules most miserably vnder foote, yet stil they held long wars, and many sharpe battels with the French men vntill Faramondus time, who was the first king named of Gallia: which was 400. yeeres and odde.

After Francus time, this Rhaterus after he had bestowed 21. yeeres in warres against the Gaules, they renued the league * 1.68 which his predecessors had made with the Germanes, Saxons, and an other nation called the Dorings: he builded a towne, and named it Rhaterodamum and died. This kings life and do∣ings is set forth by Arebaldus in verse, and after augmented by Hunibaldus. In the second yeere of this Rhaterus raigne, Nero then Emperour of Rome played his bloody tragedies against the Christians, persecuted and tormented them, and slue them with diuers kindes of death: this time Alani a people of * 1.69 Scythia inuaded Media, and made hauocke vnto the confines of Armenia, at what time all the Philosophers and Mathe∣maticians * 1.70 were banished from Rome and Italie: in this kinges later time was Quintilianus brought to Rome by the Emperor Galba from Spaine.

After Rhaterus succeeded his sonne Richimerus, which raigned 24. yeeres, and had great warres both against the * 1.71 Gaules, and against the Romanes, and beyng ayded by the Ger∣manes gaue a sharpe battell both to the Romanes, and to the Gaules, not farre from the citie of Basana. Tritemius affirmeth * 1.72 that in that very yeere the Gothes had inuaded the coastes and confines of Germanie, and were by this Richimerus king of Fraunce, and Fernefrides kinges of the Dorings, Turings, and by Vidikindo king of the Saxons ouercome. But in trueth the crie of Chronicles is against it, and sayeth that these kinges of the Saxons, and the king of Turings were long after Richi∣merus time: but it is most certayne that at that time the Ger∣manes, the Saxons, the Turinges and Frenchmen tooke pos∣session in that Countrey which is nowe called Marchia

Bradenburgensis, where Sunno the sonne of Richimer did first and before any man inhabite there, and was the first prince * 1.73 that gouerned the Countrie and ruled the people, and as Tri∣temius sayeth, hee was set there by his father and the other kings before named, to withstand and resist the forreigne ar∣mies, and other people comming from the East into Ger∣manie. * 1.74 This Richimer was a very notable stoute captaine, a boulde man and a seuere king, who during the whole reigne of twentie foure yeeres which hee gouerned in Fraunce, the Gaules and the Romanes were by him sore plagued and sore afflicted, sometime with slaughter and victorie ouer them, and sometime with repulse.

This time Traiane the Emperour had warres in the East part, and subdued the Sauromaties, the Arabians, the Agarens, * 1.75 the Bospherans, and was ready to make his voyage to the redde sea, and so to conquer India. The fourth persecution fell in the time of Richimer, after whom succeeded his sonne Odema∣rus the ninth king of Fraunce: hee reigned fourteene yeeres, * 1.76 and began to gouerne Fraunce in the yeere after Christ a hun∣dred fourtie foure. This king Odemarus was much giuen to seeke peace, and by all meanes studied to maintaine the same: * 1.77 for after hee had concluded peace with the Romanes and with the Gaules, which peace during his life he kept inuiolated: for he thought himselfe contented and fully satisfied to defende that coast of Gallia, which his predecessours had with long and sharpe warres gotten:

Neither Tritemius, Lazius, nor Functius do write any thing of this king worth the memorie, but his care and diligence of peace keeping: for since Francus time the first king of the name of Fraunce, vntill Odemarus the ninth king, not one of them sought peace but warres: and therefore they succeeded * 1.78 one after another, with othes vowing to come & to possesse all Gallia by the sword. And hauing now subdued diuers parts in Gallia being a large kingdome, euen frō the riuer of Rhene, vnto the mountaines called Pirenaei, and naming them kings * 1.79 of Fraunce, for that they coulde not yet conquer all Gallia,

though (as I sayde before) one king after another shotte at it for nine hundred yeeres space, vntill all the realme of Gal∣lia became the kingdome of Fraunce.

But while this Odemarus reigned in Fraunce, the Romanes * 1.80 whose force more & more grew in the Countries of Germa∣nie: vntil the Gaules, Saxons, Gothes, Vandales, Hungarians, and diuers others waxed very strong in the West Countries, that the Romanes were constrained to neglect the East parte, and to looke about home: for it is in all histories knowen, that the kingdome of Fraunce beganne to florish when the Empire of Rome beganne to decay.

But to my French historie againe, first setting downe the names here vnder of those kings that reigned in Fraunce from Francus vntill Farabertus time, as foloweth.

• 1 Francus the first king after the name of Si∣cambri was finished, and after whose name Sicambri were called Franci, he reigned 28. yeeres.
• 2 Clogio the sonne of Francus reigned after * 1.81 his father 30. yeeres.
• 3 Herimerus the sonne of Clogio reigned 22. yeeres.
• 4 Marcomirue reigned 18. yeeres.
• 5 Clodomirus the sonne of Marcomirus reig∣ned 12. yeeres.
• 6 Antenor reigned af∣ter his father Clodo∣mirus 6. yeeres.
• 7 Ratherus succeeded his father Antenor, and reigned 21. yeeres.
• 8 Richimerus his sonne reigned 24. yeeres.
• 9 Odemarus reigned after his father Richi∣merus 14. yeeres.
• 10 Marcomirus the se∣cond of that name, and sōne to Odemarus reig∣ned 21. yeeres.
• 11 After Marcomirus succeeded Clodamirus, and reigned 17. yeeres.
• 12 After Clodomirus succeeded Farabertus his sonne, and reigned 20. yeeres.

CHAP. III.

Of the continuall warres which the Frenchmen had still in seeking for the quiet possession and the whole gouernment of all Fraunce, from the time of Farabertus, vntil the time of Pharamundus, during which time they were called Franci: for as they were before called Sicambri from Mar∣comirus vnto Francus, foure hundred and odde yeeres, so nowe from Francus to Faramundus they were called Fran∣ci for foure hundred and odde yeeres, that well nigh nine hundred yeres they were before they could possesse the king∣dome of Fraunce.

WHen Odomarus dyed, his sonne Marcomi∣rus the tenth king succeeded him, who * 1.82 reigned twentie one yeeres, after whome succeeded Clodomirus the eleuenth king, * 1.83 and reigned seuenteene yeres. After Clo∣domirus succeeded Farabartus the twelfth * 1.84 king of Fraunce, which reigned twentie yeeres: during which time of these three kings, which was fiftie eight yeeres, the Romanes being yet in full strength and * 1.85 courage, kept their Empire on foote, and kept other king∣doms vnder foote, that the French kings were forced to make peace at home with their neighbours to keepe warres with the Romanes.

So Farabartus did confirme the first league which Francus the first of their name had in his time agreed vpon with the Germanes, Saxons, Dorings, Tretones, Marcomans, and Cimbrians. They ioyned their forces together for to resist the Romanes, * 1.86 who were alwayes so greedy of countries and kingdoms, and so desirous of Territories, that they sought to make them∣selues lords ouer all the West kingdome of the worlde, as in trueth they were at that time kings & emperors ouer the East countries, vntill they had lost both their soueraigntie & dig∣nitie in the East and in the West, & at last lost the Empire it self. The Romanes hearing of this strong league confirmed be∣twene these Frēchmen & the Germans, Mar. Aurelius Antoninus,

surnamed the Philosopher, prepared a great armie vnder the conuoy of his fonne Aurelius Commodus, being at that time ap∣pointed Caesar, and commaunded by his father the Emperor * 1.87 to passe into Germany, and to commence warre against the Daces, the Saxons, Marcomanes, the Frenchmen, and other in Germany, in the which voyage Commodus gained but litle cre∣dite: for he was with shame forced to forsake the fielde with great losse of his men. This battell is mencioned in many hi∣stories: for it was so great and so terrible, that Functius and * 1.88 Orosius affirme, that bellum Marcomannicum, the like is skant read of.

Againe in the next yeere being the 11. yeere of Farabertus * 1.89 reigne, an armie of Romanes was sent into Germany, of whom the like almost is read, sauing that of the parties the slaughter was great. This warre continued vntill the good Emperour Antoninus dyed, yet hee and his sonne Commodus had trium∣phed ouer the Marcomanes, which are thought to be Boremi∣ans, before hee dyed: but while these warres endured of these three last named French kings, Marcomirus and his sonne Clo∣domirus, and his sonne Farabertus: the Britaines made some insurrections for their former libertie, and were in armes vn∣till by Lollius Vrbicius the Romane Embassadour, they were a∣gaine repressed.

Sunno by this the sonne of Clodomirus florished in that go∣uernment * 1.90 which he had in Marchia, and builded a great Ci∣tie in memorie of the Frenchmen, and named it Francofordia, and builded another Towne hard by the riuer Suenus, and na∣med * 1.91 it after his owne name Sunnia, which is nowe called Sun∣da. About the twelfth yeere of Farabertus king of Fraunce, reig∣ned in Britaine Lucius the sōne of Coilus, who in the thirteenth yeere of his reigne, as both Beda and Gildas affirme, receiued the Christian faith from Eleutherius then twelfth byshop of Rome: for Lucius king of Britaine sent to Rome for that pur∣pose Embassadors, with whom Eleutherius sent two bishops, the one named Faganus, the other Diuianus, in the 239. Olym∣piad, and in the 179. yeere after our Sauiour Christ.

Tritemius and Hunibaldus, two French writers at large doe * 1.92 handle the historie of Farabertus, and therefore I will passe to Sunno his sōne, who succeeded him in the kingdome, & reig∣ned twentie eight yeeres. This king reigned in Fraunce when Lucius Septimius Seuerus held warres in Britaine: for after the death of Lucius the Barons of Britaine fel to ciuil wars, at what time hee caused a trench to be cast from sea to sea along the length of 22. miles, (as Eutropius saith) but Functius affirmeth it was in length 131. miles: but here Polydor criethin his chro∣nicle * 1.93 and saith, that this was done 200. yeres after.

The next king that succeeded Sunno, was Heldericus his sonne, of whom Tritemius writeth much and saith, that the Frenchmen before his time were not so ciuil, neither in beha∣uiour nor in clothing: before Heldericus time they were rude * 1.94 and barbarous, and at that time they had no sumptuous buil∣dings, no braue dwellings, being brought to ciuill order by Hildegastus, a man of great fame amongst the Frenchmen. In the time of this Hildericus the kingdome of Persia beganne a∣gaine vnder Artaxerxes, who slue at that time Artabanus king of the Parthians, and hee was the first king in Persia since the conquest of Darius Codomanus by Alexander the great, which was sixe hundred yeeres.

In Rome this time reigned Emperour Alexander Seuerus, in whose dayes the Citie of Rome florished with wise men and learned in all knowledge. This Hildericus had a sonne named * 1.95 Batherus, who reigned eighteene yeeres, at what time reigned in Rome that idle and lasciuious Emperour Gallienus: hee was so carelesse of his Empire, that thereby oportunitie was gi∣uen to Batherus, who euer lay in watch as his predecessours did before him to annoy the Romanes, and to subdue the Gaules: hee (I say) brought an armie of souldiers into Italie, being ayded by the Germanes, who beganne to thirst for the Empire of Rome, which dayly fell at that time to a decli∣ning state.

Batherus spoyled and wasted all the Countrie of Italie * 1.96 with sworde and fire vntill Rauenna, and hauing done much

harme, hee returned backe to his Countrie with great spoyle: who after his returne from Italie, leauied an armie of Saxons and of Germanes, and passed the riuers of Rhene and Mosa, and * 1.97 entred into Gallia, where hee made great slaughter of the Gaules, and subdued Gallia vnto the riuer of Sequana, which is called Sene, and from thence to the confines of Spaine.

This ouerthrowe both of the Romanes and the Gaules, was in the thirteenth yeere of Batherus reigne, who liued after fiue yeeres and dyed. After whome succeeded Clodius, the eldest * 1.98 sonne of Batherus: he reigned king ouer the Frenchmen twen∣tie seuen yeres, during which time reigned in Rome thus ma∣ny Emperors: Aurelianus, which reigned 6. yeeres, Annius Ta∣citus, and Florianus his brother, and Aurelius Probus: these foure Emperours reigned in Rome, while this Clodius reigned in Fraunce.

For in the thirde yeere of this Clodius, the Romanes being mindfull of their late iniuries by Farabertus and Batherus, they sent a Romane armie into Almania, where Tritemius sayth, that many a Romane lost his life: for at that time the Frenchmen in∣uaded the countrie of Gallia, and subdued a great part there∣of, and possessed the same for the space of seuen yeeres. For Gallia was the onely Countrie that the Frenchmen shotte at: * 1.99 for all this while their Territories about the riuer of Rhene, and from thence to the riuer of Mosa, and had some part of Gallia gotten.

A little before this time reigned king of the Saxons Marbo∣dus, whose two sonnes named Antharius and Luterus were in that voyage made into Gallia, in the time of Batherus this Clo∣dius father. Now this king Clodius after he had reigned twen∣tie * 1.100 seuen yeeres, hee dyed: during which time many Coun∣tries were in an vprore, as Archileus in Egypt, Narseus in the East part rebelled, the Quingentians molested Affrike, aed Caransius detained Britaine with the sworde, neglecting the charge of Maximianus the Emperour, and his duetie and * 1.101 allegiance to the Romane state, fledde to Britaine to auoide the Emperours wrath, where hee was slaine by his compa∣nion

Alectus, after he had gouerned Britaine seuen yeres with * 1.102 force. Alectus after hee had slaine Carausius, tooke vpon him the gouernment of the Britaines for three yeeres, vntill he againe was slaine by Asclepiadotus a Romane, who gouerned the Britaines tenne yeeres peaceably.

After this succeeded in Fraunce Gualterus: he reigned eight yeres, after whom succeeded Dagobertus, or as Functius sayth, * 1.103 Degenbertus, who reigned 11. yeres: after him reigned his sōne Clogio two yeeres, in whose time the Romanes and they of Gal∣lia inuaded that part of Fraunce, where Clogio and his aunce∣stours did possesse, and made great spoile & waste of townes and people. Many sharpe battels were commenced by the * 1.104 Romanes, at what time this Clogio the 19. king of Fraunce was slaine in the field, whose body being dead, his owne brother Clodomirus withdrew out of the field, and armed himselfe with * 1.105 Clogio his armour, lest he might be knowen to be kild, & came to the field armed in all points like vnto the king his brother, and was taken both of his owne souldiers, and also of the Ro∣manes & Gaules to be Clogio, entred into the midst of his armie, encouraged them with his person māfully fighting as though he had bin a cōmon souldier, whereby he kindled the hearts of the Frenchmen againe, that they recouered their courage, and put both the Romanes and the Gaules to flight, and got the second victorie by Clodomirus, though they lost the first, and their king Clogio: and though Clogio had two sonnes, the elder * 1.106 called Helinus of twentie yeeres of age, the yonger Richimerus of eighteene, yet for that it was enacted that none should be king in Fraunce vntill hee were twentie foure yeeres of age as Tritemius affirmeth:

This Clodomirus their vncle and brother vnto Clogio succee∣ded in the gouernment of Fraunce, and reigned 18. yeeres: * 1.107 during whose reigne the Switzers called Sueni, and the Dorings had such hote ciuil wars betweene them, that no peace by no meanes could be had of neither parts: & therfore the Dorings to auoide these continuall sharpe wars, offeredthis large ter∣ritorie & coūtrie, for the which this strife grew to Clodomirus.

The Frenchmen being most glad thereof, accepted the offer, and remooued from the riuer of Rhene where they first dwel∣led after they came out of Scythia, vnto the number of 30000 armed men, 2686. husbandmen, with their wiues and chil∣dren, * 1.108 ouer whom Clodomirus appointed his brother called Ge∣nebaldus gouernour, vnder the lawe and condicion that Gene∣baldus and his successours for euer shoulde be subiect to the kings of Fraunce, paying yeerely tribute vnto Fraunce, and to be readie in any seruice of warre.

This Countrie was called Menigauia, and lyeth about the riuer Meanum, and after East Fraunce, which in time grewe to * 1.109 be one of the strongest dukedomes in all Fraunce. Here Gene∣baldus reigned quietly 20. yeeres: of this king, Hunibaldus and Tritemius write at large: for I finde that 20. dukes successiue∣ly of one stocke reigned in the dukedome, vntill the time of Pipinus, which was 414. this is called nowe Franconia. Nowe while Genebaldus ruled this part of Fraunce, his brother Clodo∣mirus died, after whom succeeded his sonne Richimerus, and reigned thirteene yeeres: at what time Constantinus the great was Emperour of Rome.

Gebrich king of the Gotes, and Visumoar king of the Vandales, he in the fourth yeere of his reigne entred into Gallia, with an * 1.110 armie of 200000 souldiers, wasted, spoyled, and subdued ma∣ny places in Gallia: hee gaue battell to Tiberiunus the Romane lieutenant and gaue him the ouerthrowe, and in the sixth * 1.111 yeere of his reigne Richimerus againe came in armes against the Gaules and Romanes, in the which battell in the first time the Romanes were victors, but in the seconde time were con∣quered: but in the thirteenth yeere of this kings reigne, at what time Constans the eldest sonne of Constantine the great reigned Emperour of Rome, Richimerus was slaine in the fielde fighting valiantly against the Gaules and the Romanes. After * 1.112 whom Theodomirus came to the gouernment of Fraunce, and reigned tenne yeeres: during which time he had sundry con∣flictes * 1.113 with the Romanes, but in the tenth yere of his reigne, he and his mother Hastila was takē by the Romans & put to death.

After the death of Theodomirus, Clogio tooke the gouernment of Fraunce, who raigned 18. yeeres, and left three sonnes be∣hinde him: but I will write of him who succeeded his father which was named Hector, sirnamed Degenbart, of whom line∣ally * 1.114 discended king Pipine and Charles the great, as Tritemius affirmeth. For Marcomirus the sonne of this Degenbart, was a very notable souldier and a valiant man, and bridled the Ro∣manes 4 yeeres with continuall warres: ouer whom hee had diuers victories. But one great victorie hee had at Agripina, with incredible spoile & riches: for this Marcomirus was both a luckie name, and a great name amongst the Frenchmen. * 1.115

In Degenbarts time the Hunnes inuaded the Gothes, at what time the Gothes had passed the riuer of Ister, & inuaded Thra∣cia. And the Saxons also inuaded that time the Romane con∣fines: * 1.116 for by this time these kingdomes beganne to be migh∣tie and strong in Germanie: the kingdom of the Vandols, of the Gothes, of the Hunnes, and of the Longobards. At what time Rome beganne to shrinke, and to be much defaced of her former dignitie: for nowe by litle and litle the Empire yeelded to these West kingdomes, vntill the whole Empire was trans∣posed into Germanie.

But to Marcomirus againe, who after he had good successe * 1.117 in many and sundrie battels with the Romanes, hee turned his force into Gallia, hauing Antenor, Priamus, Sunno, and Genebal∣dus, foure worthie captaines to leade his armie, committing seuerall charge to either of them, whose prowesse and ex∣ploits were such, that at that time they wanne and subdued much of the countrey, and ioyned the same to the kingdome: so that Gallia was daily weakened & diminished of her power, and Fraunce was strengthened and encreased in greatnesse and force. For (as I said before) the fall of Rome was the rising * 1.118 of Fraunce.

Nowe after Marcomirus had recouered these townes and countreys, which were by his predecessours lost to Maximus and to the Romanes, and after hee had done great harme and spoile to the Romanes, he was slaine in the fielde valiantly by

Valentinianus and his armie, after whose death the kingdome of Fraunce was gouerned for the space of 26. yeeres without a * 1.119 king by the states of Fraunce, which is called Interregnum.

During which time Valentinianus the Emperor, seeing great oportunitie, demaunded of the Frenchmen tribute being due to the Romanes, which the Frenchmen denied: affirming be∣side, that they would lose both liues and liuings, before they would lose their libertie: And also boldly againe affirming, that they were neuer conquered by the sworde, but with de∣ceite. * 1.120 By this meanes new warres freshly beganne betweene the Romanes and the Frenchmen.

This time in Fraunce were appointed two chiefe gouer∣nours called Interreges, the one named Dagobertus, the other Genebaldus, who gouerned discreetely and soberly, with the rest of the nobles and Barons of Fraunce for 21. yeeres, vntill Faramundus time, who then gouerned East Fraunce vnder the kings of Fraunce: this was by common consent of the States of Fraunce taken from his dukedome, and made king of France in the 299. Olympiad. At what time raigned in Rome the Emperour Honorius, and Arcadius Emperour at Constan∣tinople: and in Persia gouerned Vararanes the fourth of that name and 14. king, with whome the Romanes this time had * 1.121 great warres. About this time certaine Iewes were banished foorth of Alexandria: likewise this time S. Hierome died, and Augustine his scholer florished, and was made bishop of Hip∣po in Affrike.

Thus farre the kings of Fraunce from Francus time, conti∣nued successiuely after Francus name, vntill this Faramundus which was foure hundreth yeeres: during which time raig∣ned foure and twenie kings. And from Marcomirus the first of them that came out of Scythia, vntill Francus time, another * 1.122 foure hundreth yeeres: so that from the beginning of this na∣tion, being by so many names called, as the names of the countreys were, where they dwelt, where eight hundreth yeeres passed before they coulde be called kings of Gallia, for all their long warres and continuall battels. And for that it

may be with more ease knowen how, when and where, they raigned, I will set downe all the names of those kings that raigned from Francus time (which was in the time of Pompey the great) vntill Faramundus, in like sort as I haue layd downe the 16. kings of Sicambria.

For lineally did 24. kings raigne from the father to the sonne, for the space of 404. yeeres, euen from Francus vnto Farabertus 12. and from Farabertus to Faramundus 12. which was the first king of all Gallia: for as the first name continued after the name of Cambra, by the name of Sicambri, or Cimbri, as the Romans called them, vntill Francus time: so frō Francus * 1.123 time vnto this Faramūdus time, the name of Franci cōtinued: so now from Faramundus forward, they were named Galli, and became the greatest kingdome of Europe, especially since the Romane Empire decayed. For as the Romanes were streng∣thened by the subduing of the Latines and Albanes, (Crescit Roma Albae ruinis,) euen so Fraunce became strong by the ruine of Rome.

• 1 After Farabertus suc∣ceeded his sonne Sunno, and raigned 28. yeeres.
• 2 Hildericus the sonne of Sunno. 40. yeeres.
• 3 Batherius the sonne of Hildericus. 18. yeeres.
• 4 Clodius the sonne of Ba∣therius. 27. yeeres.
• 5 After Clodius succee∣ded his sonne Walterius and raigned 8. yeeres.
• 6 After Walterius raig∣ned his sonne Dagober∣tus or Degenbertus. 11. yeeres.
• 7 After him his sonne Clo∣gio. 2. yeeres.
• 8 After Clogio, his bro∣ther Clodomirus raigned after him 18. yeeres.
• 9 After Clodomirus, his sonne Richimerus raig∣ned * 1.124 13. yeeres.
• 10 After him raigned Theo∣domirus. 10. yeeres.
• 11 After him raigned Clo∣gio. 18. yeeres.
• 11 After Clogio Marcomi∣rus the thirde of that name.

CHAP. IIII.

From Faramundus the first king that had all Fraunce in his hand, and from whom all Historians and Chronographers beginne the historie of Fraunce: who beganne his raigne in Fraunce, in the yeere of our Lord and Sauiour 420: of the lawes, gouernment and warres from that time, vnto Clodouaeus the first Christian king of Fraunce, and so vntill Clodouaeus the second of that name, and the 12. king after Faramundus.

NOw this Faramundus the sonne of Mar∣comirus the great, when hee was made * 1.125 king of Fraunce, he cōmitted the charge of his former gouernment which hee had in the East Fraunce, to his brother Marcomirus, & he gouerned the French∣men in Gallia 7. yeeres: and he augmen∣ted the crowne of Fraunce with more territories, as Mosellana, Augusta, and other places. He instru∣cted the rude people, and brought them from rudenesse to ciuilitie, taught them to liue vnder a lawe, made decrees and statutes to gouerne his countrey.

Here the crie of Chronicles: for Pau. Aemilius, writeth this historie farre otherwise: so doeth Langaeus, and hee saith that * 1.126 the Frenchmen were named Franci, of one Francio the sonne of Hector. But the trueth of this historie is found rather in Tri∣temius and Hunebaldus, with whom both Functius and Lazius doe agree. In this they agree all, that from Faramundus time * 1.127 the kings of Gallia were nombred.

Iulius Caesar, (who long serued vnder the Romans in France) deuided Gallia into three countreys: from the riuer of Rhein, vnto the riuer Sequana, and that countrey is called Gallia Bel∣gica: from the riuer of Sein vnto Garumna, that countrey is cal∣led Celtica: and from Garumna vnto the mountaines Pyrenei, which is called Aquitania, which was before called Amorica. With this Plini doeth accord. All these people were in anci∣ent time called Celtae. Reade Strabo and Plini in the description of Gallia: from mount Pyrenei to the riuer Garumna, lieth Aqui∣tania, * 1.128

from thence to Sequana dwelt the Celtes, and frō thence to the riuer Rhein, the Belgians.

I will passe to the kings, who beginne in this Faramundus time to be kings of Gallia, after 870. yeeres warres by his pre∣decessors before: he raigned seuen yeeres, and others affirme 11. yeeres. In this Faramundus time the Lawe called Salica * 1.129 was made. After whome succeeded Clodius his sonne, sirna∣med Crinitus, or Comatus, the second king of all France, which was called then Gallia: he raigned 28. yeeres, and plagued the remnant of the Gaules which dwelt in Gallia vnconquered. He gaue diuers sharpe battels to the Romanes, and commaun∣ded by an Edict, that the Frenchmen should let their beards, and the haires of their head grow, and so to combe & keepe it without cutting: because they might bee knowen hereby to be the Frenchmen, and to make a difference betwene them and others that dwelled within Gallia: wherefore he was sir∣named Clodius Crinitus. * 1.130

In the sixt yeere of his raigne, he ouercame those people called Senouenses and Aurelionenses, which dwelt about Lute∣tia, and ioyned them to the kingdome of Fraunce. He likewise in the ninth yeere of his raigne subdued the Saxons, the Tren∣tones, the Doringes, and brought all that part of Fraunce bor∣dering * 1.131 vpon the sea into subiection: and in the thirtieth yere of his raigne, he also brought Bataui, Tungri, Menaxij, and di∣uers other people that were cōmorant in the edge of France: at what time the Gothes had done great harme in that part of Fraunce called Aquitania, and also the Burgundians subdued much in Lugdunum. This time the Scots and the Pictes inua∣ded * 1.132 Britaine, and spoiled the countrey and did much harme. About this time Atala king of that nation called Hunni in Germanie had much to doe with the Romanes, and both gaue and tooke diuers repulses.

This Clodius when hee had enlarged the kingdome of Fraunce with the most part of Gallia, and had raigned twentie yeeres, some say 17. yeeres, hee died: in whose time Valenti∣nianus * 1.133 had married Eudoxia the daughter of Theodosius the

Emperour, by whom Valentinianus was made Augustus. This time Theodosius waged warres against the Vandols, who had a * 1.134 king named Giezirichus, who had license by Valentinianus to dwel in Affrica: who had dwelt there in despite of the Romans for the space of 95. yeeres, vntil by Iustinianus the Emperour, they were thence expelled and driuen out: and at that very time the Hunnes entered and spoiled Thracia and Illyrica, and subdued with sword and fire, vntill they came to Thermopila. Likewise in the foureteenth yeere of this Clodius, the Gothes brake their league against Spaine, and possessed with the sworde the next territories to Spaine, and besieged the citie of Narbon.

This time Patricius was sent from Celestinus then bishop of Rome to Ireland, to instruct the Irishmen in the Christian faith: of this Patricke the Irishmen bragge much. In the time of * 1.135 this Clodius, Vortigerus with the Saxons by deceit and craft in∣uaded Britaine: for hitherto the Britaines kept tacke with the Romanes, sometime in warre with them, and sometime in * 1.136 peace. Reade more of this in Beda. This was in the yere after Christ 446: at what time great persecution was in Affrike vn∣der king Giezirichus the Vandole, and the heresie called Euti∣chiana beganne to rise in Constantinople. This time raigned in Persia, Vararanes the fift of that name, and fifteenth king of Persia.

After this time we reade of no mention made of any Olym∣piad, though long before they were little vsed: for the Olym∣piads flourished vntill the time of Lucius Silla the Dictator: yet * 1.137 vsed for computation sake, (but with most absurd and grosse errours,) both of Zenophon and Thucydides, who little vsed them, and yet erred in them, though they liued and wrote then when the Olympiads most flourished: and it made me al∣so oftentimes to auoyd the Olympiads in my histories, for that I found great errors in them.

But I will come to the thirde king of Fraunce Meroueus the sonne of Clodius, who succeeded his father and raigned * 1.138 12. yeeres, others say but 10: and so the errour which was in

the yeeres of Faramundus, is corrected and amended. This king lost nothing which his father got. He did not onely de∣fend and maintaine all those countreys and territories which were ioyned to the kingdome of Fraunce by his father, but also enlarged the same with the vanquishing and subduing of the Romanes in many places.

These French people by this time became so strong and so mightie, that they were feared of all Northren nations, and therefore certaine countreys conspired against them, and commenced warre against them, as Attila king of the Hunnes, * 1.139 who slew his owne brother called Bleda, (which ioyntly raig∣ned in the kingdome) for to haue the sole gouernment: with him that time ioyned Vualaricus king of the East Gothes, Arda∣ricus king of Gepida, and other nations of the North. These commenced warre vpon Meroueus with fiue hundreth thou∣sand souldiers: but he was ayded with Theodoricus king of the Vestgothes, and with Aetius the Romane lieutenant. And the battaile was terrible and great, and endured from Sunne ri∣sing to Suune setting, where 188. thousande were slaine, but * 1.140 the victorie fell to the Frenchmen, with great slaughter on ei∣ther side: for in that battaile was slaine Theodoricus king of the * 1.141 Vestgothes, whose bodie was brought with great pompe and solemnitie to Tolosa to be buried.

In the next yeere after this great battaile, Attila king of the Hunnes (being of the mightiest power, and of the greatest * 1.142 force of all Germanie,) inuaded Italy, ouerthrowing and vt∣terly spoyling all partes and places of Italy where hee came into: the harme and spoyle he did was such, that Leo the first of that name, then Bishop of Rome, came in his pontificall robes and met him, (to whom Attila vsed great reuerence,) * 1.143 and obtained peace. The like is written of the great Alex∣ander, who with the like honour reuerenced the high Priest at Hierusalem, by whom Alexander was pacified, and his warre turned to peace.

Now after in the eleuenth yere of Meroueus, he besieged * 1.144 Augusta the chiefest citie of Treueres which Attila a litle before

tooke with the sword, and possessed it, but recouered into Fraunce againe: so that the Frenchmen by this time grewe so great & so strong, since the time they came first from Scythia * 1.145 into Germanie, when they dwelt about the riuer of Rein, in those places which are now called Holland, Gilderland, Cliue∣land, and Frizland, that they beganne to aduance themselues, and to extol their kingdom aboue the Empire: for with con∣tinual warres of almost 870. yeeres, with the slaughter of ma∣ny of their kings, dukes, and barons, when they were yet cal∣led Sicambri, and after Franci, and now Galli, they became at length so strong, that rather the empire was subiect to France, * 1.146 then France to the empire. For this French nation (as I said before) behaued themselues so in all places where they dwelt, that they would both vse their maners and speach, and there∣fore were they called by so many names, as Neumagi, Marco∣mani, Sicambri, Germani, Franci, and Galli. But this word France was encreased more and more, and what victorie or conquest * 1.147 soeuer these kings obtained, stil they ioyned it to that part of Fraunce where they first inhabited, vntill they had conque∣red all other names within Gallia to be France, and that euen from Francus which raigned but fewe yeeres before our Sa∣uiour Christ.

Now after that Merouaeus had raigned 12. yeres he died, after * 1.148 whom succeeded his sonne Childericus, who after he had raig∣ned king for one yeere, hee vsed such an inordinate filthie life and insolencie, that he was dispossessed of his kingdome: in whose place Egidius a Romane was elected, who raigned eight * 1.149 yeeres, some say but 3. yeres after. But before he went he re∣posed all his trust in Virodomarus his friend, an excellent soul∣dier, to whom he gaue halfe a piece of gold, & kept the other halfe himselfe, willing him to beleeue no message without he sawe that halfe piece of golde. But reade this historie in Aemilius and you shall finde howe Childericus was by Virodo∣marus * 1.150 restored to his kingdome againe, and how Virodomarus was brought from Turingia with all the nobles of France into his kingdome: where Childericus was placed againe in his

kingdome, being then gone to Bisinus king of Turingia for re∣fuge and succour, and with him came from thence Basana the kings daughter: some say, that she was Bissinus wife the king. * 1.151 The histories say, that she came and followed after Childeri∣cus from her father, whom Childericus married, and by whom * 1.152 hee got Clodoueus, which was the first king that receiued the Christian faith.

Childericus after his returne to his kingdome, remembring the victories and cōquests of his father, began valiantly to re∣couer those places and townes frō the Romans, which Egidius while he gouerned Fraunce had willingly lost. He layd siege to * 1.153 Coloni•…•… and ouerthrew it, he remoued Odoacer from Fraunce which hee inuaded with a huge armie, and put him to flight: and when he had recouered all Fraunce from the Romanes sub∣iection, hee appointed lieutenants and generals in euery pro∣uince of Fraunce, and left all Fraunce free from the Romanes to * 1.154 his sonne Clodoueus, and died when he had raigned 26. yeeres: others say 23. yeeres, Paul. Aemilius affirmeth 30.

In the time of this king came Ambrosius Aurelius the Romane, and tooke the gouernment of Britaine, after 20. conflicts hee * 1.155 was slaine by the English Saxons: at what time certaine Britaines sailed ouer and came & possessed Aquitania. For now raigned in Italy Odoacer (Hercules being driuen before out of Fraunce as you heard by Hildericus) this Hercules hauing setled him selfe in Italy, and assuming there the name of a king, the Empire was remoued at that very time into Germany, and Rome and all Italy were gouerned by strangers. All the West kingdomes were much molested and sore vexed this time, for (as you * 1.156 heard) Vortiger, and after Hengistus scattered the Britaines to seeke new dwellings, so me into Cambria (which is now called Wales, where they euer dwelt since that time) and some to France, which is called in France to this day litle Britaine. A∣gaine * 1.157 the Longobards setled themselues about the riuer Danu∣bius, and diuers other nations in Germanie, and in the West countreys were placed and againe displaced by warre.

But to Clodoueus the son of Childericus by Basana, who came * 1.158

to the kingdome of Fraunce at the age of 21. yeeres, and raig∣ned 30. yeeres: he liued 15. of them a Pagane vnchristened: in the other 15. he was christened, and was the first that receiued the Christian faith into Fraunce, and also the first king that possessed all Gallia vnder the crowne of Fraunce: for in foure great battailes he had these victories.

The first against the Romanes, whose lieutenant was called * 1.159 Siagrius, who was taken in the bat•…•…aile and slaine, and the ar∣mie of the Romanes put to flight and slaine.

The second warre was against Gothemarus and Gotegiseleus, who before had slaine in warre Chilpericus his wiues father, and Sigismundus his wiues vncle: this warre Clodoueus tooke in hande at the suite and earnest request of his wife Clotil∣dis, for shee was a Christian, who laboured much with the king her husband to become a Christian, and with as great care shee dayly solicited the king to reuenge her father and vncles death.

The thirde warre was against the Almanes, at what time * 1.160 he vowed if God would giue him the victorie, hee would be∣come a Christian, which he performed, and obtained the vi∣ctory, and was baptized by Remigius bishop of Rheme.

The fourth warre was against Alaricus king of the Gothes, whom he slew in the fielde, and discomfited all his armie.

By these foure great victories Clodoueus had brought all Gallia to be all Fraunce: for during his bastards sonnes time, he subdued Turingia, and enlarged his countrey from the riuer of Rhein, vnto the riuer Sequana. Theodoricus being by his father Clodoueus sent as President to Aquitania, at what time he brought diuers people (by the sworde) vnder his fathers subiection, as Albios, Rhatenes, Tolasates, and the people called Auerni: He subdued Vastonia and other places. Reade more of the warres of Clodoueus, of his vowes, and conuersion to the faith, and of his victories, in Paul. Aemilius, and in Tilius: who after he had raigned thirtie yeeres he died, and was bu∣ried in Paris. * 1.161

Hitherto reacheth Hunibaldus historie of the antiquitie of

Fraunce, which he wrote and deuided into 18. bookes, con∣teyning the history of all the kings, from the first Marcomirus which came from Scythia, vntill the time of Clodoueus death, which were 47. kings which raigned by sundry names for the space of 950. yeeres.

While this Clodoueus raigned, the Saracens inuaded Phoeni∣cia, Syria, and Thracia, and did great harme. This time raigned * 1.162 in Persia Lambases, whom Procopius named Blasen: and about this time Anastatius the Emperour builded a most strong ci∣tie in Mesopotamia, and named it after his owne name Anasta∣sia: and walled the citie of Theodocia in Armenia, which the Emperour Theodosius had builded.

In the time of this Clodoueus Arthur raigned in Britaine, who did much annoy the Saxons, and had if he had long liued, re∣stored the Britaines againe to their former libertie. But to returne to the successors of Clodoueus, who left behinde him foure sonnes, Theodoricus, Clodomirus, Childebertus, and Lotha∣rius, * 1.163 amongst whom the kingdome of Fraunce was deuided, the whole kingdome made a Tetrarchia: and so in processe of time the whole kingdome fell to Childebertus hand, frō whom the lines of the kings of Fraunce descende vntill Hildericus, though some say it doth descend from Lotharius: yet raigned these 4. brethren in seueral Prouinces of Fraunce, as foure Te∣trarches for a time. During which time, reade Procopius and Paul. Aemilius and see the euents of fortune, the vncertaintie * 1.164 of states, and change of earthly dignitie, and how Theodoricus, and Clodomirus two of the brethren, with all their children died: then Childebertus deuided the whole kingdome be∣tweene him and his brother Clotarius.

In the meane season let vs see what was done in other coun∣treys: for while these foure brethren gouerned Fraunce, Rome * 1.165 was taken being besieged by the Gothes, and destroyed and left desolate by Totila king of the Gothes: he also vanquished the Brutians and the Lucans, hee tooke Apulia and Calabria, and besieged Placentia. This warre of the Gothes cōtinued 18. yeeres, during which warre raigned 3. kings ouer the Gothes:

the first Vitiges, who destroyed Rome in his time, but reedified and builded againe by Belisarius: the second king Alaricus, who was slaine within few moneths: so that the most time of this 18. yeeres were continued vnder Totila, who plagued so sore * 1.166 Italy and Rome, that after that time Rome was so decayed and possessed with strangers, that sooner you should finde in Italy a Germane then a Romane: and in Rome it selfe, tenne Van∣dols, tenne Gothes, or tenne Longobards, for one citizen, in so * 1.167 much that they were not able to appoint a Consul to go∣uerne them, who had gouerned them for the space of 447. yeres: so long the Consuls of Rome gouerned the citie, which was vntill the Emperours time, and then they gouerned the whole worlde. But now, not onely the dignitie of Con∣suls was lost, (which were of long time languishing and de∣caying, since ciuil warres betwene themselues, with persecu∣tion of the godly, and tyrannie of the wicked Emperors) but the name it selfe vtterly perished and quite abolished by those nations of Germanie, who were scant knowen in Augustus Caesars time: and therefore valeat Roma cum Papa, who entred into Rome, and tooke possession thereof within 40. yeeres of Clotarius gouernment. At what time he erected vp his Papa∣cie * 1.168 in Rome, when Mahomet aduaunced vp the kingdome of the Saracens. The Pope beganne his Papacie in Rome 14. yeres before Mahomet beganne his kingdome ouer the Saracens in Arabia.

Nowe a Pope for an Emperour gouerned Rome, a prophet for a king raigned in Arabia: of whome I spake in the historie of the Church, and in the historie of the Saracens. And now I will make mention of Iustinianus, who gouerned then as Emperour: vnder whome Bellisarius annoyed Italy, subdued Siracusa, and tooke Catina, and in the last yeere of his Consul∣ship subdued Sicilia.

After that, he passed into Affrica, and deliuered Carthage from the siege of Stoze, and appointed one Salomon gouer∣nour ouer the towne. This Bellisarius prooued so excellent a * 1.169 captaine vnder Iustinianus the Emperor, that he aduanced the

name of the empire through his victories gotten in diuers bat∣tels, that some write that Bellisarius had a triumph graunted him at Rome, appointed by the Emp. Iustinian: much is writtē of this Bellisarius in the wars called Persicum, which Iustinianus * 1.170 begā, but Bellisarius ended. This Bellisarius toke Catina, Siracusa, and subdued al Sicilie, Rauenna, & Naples, and was made gene∣rall vnder Iustinian in the East empire, where he merited the name of a good souldier. Iustinianus made the 4. bookes of the Institutes and other 50. bookes of ciuill lawe, called the Pan∣dects, * 1.171 which Tribonianus ended, and brought to perfection.

This time Cosroes king of Persia inuaded Cilicia, and Syria, he tooke Antiochia, and now againe the fourth time, after he had concluded peace with Iustinianus, he inuaded the territories of the Romanes, but he was now driuen thence by Bellisarius: at what time Arethus king of the Saracens came, and yeelded to Iustinianus both his kingdome and his children. Totila king of the Gothes this time gaue an ouerthrow to Demetrius vpon the sea, and tooke Neapolis. During these 45. yeres, Hunni in∣uaded * 1.172 Europe, spoyled and wasted into Bizantium, which is Constantinople: in Britaine died Arthur the sonne of Vter Pen∣dragon, after whome succeeded Constantius a wicked lewde Prince, about which time, Narses a Persian with a great ar∣mie entred into Italie, vanquished the Gothes at Tagira, and a∣gaine the Gothes ouerthrowen by Narses at Necerium, and at * 1.173 last driuen out of Italie, and their king Totila slayne. Thus farre Procopius writeth of the warres of the Gothes. Nowe to Clotharius, which raigned in Fraunce 5. yeeres after the death of his three brethren and their children, and died, as Blondus saieth, at Tridentum: after whose death, Fraunce was againe deuided betweene the sonnes of Lotharius, who is called in Be∣roaldus, * 1.174 Clotarius, which raigned 5. yeres after Childebertus, and died & was buried in the church of S. Medardis in Suetia, which Church he began to builde a litle before he died.

After whom succeeded Cherebertus the sonne of Clotarius, * 1.175 a wicked vicious king, who after he raigned 9. yeeres, died in the armes of his concubine at Paris: after him Chilpericus raig∣ued

14. yeres, as vitious and wicked as his brother, yet of him lineally do discend the line of the kings of France vntil Childe∣ricus time, he was caused to be slaine betweene Landricus and * 1.176 his strumpet Fredegunda, and was also buried in Paris. Now Iustinus the yonger, a daughters sonne of Iustinianus, gouerned in the empire: warrre was proclaimed by the Romanes against the Persians, at what time Hormisda raigned king of Persia, who was vanquished by Tiberius Constantius: and againe the Per∣sians lost those townes which they had gotten during the go∣uernment of Iustinianus.

This time Chilpericus left a childe of the age of 4. moneths, called Clotarius the second of that name, and the 10. king of Fraunce, who raigned 44. yeeres: this king being yet an infant * 1.177 vnder the protectiō of Landricus, whom Guntrandus the kings vncle had made master of the horse, Childebertus king of Medi∣omatrices sought to attempt through force to gouerne France, but in vaine, for he mist of his purpose: for he & his wife died within a while after vpon one day, supected to be poysoned. Howbeit, when Clotarius came to any estate ciuill, warres be∣gan * 1.178 in France betwene the king, and Theodobertus and Theodo∣ricus two sonnes of Hildebertus: these two brethren plagued sore the king, vntill they were deuided one against another, and then al France was afflicted. But during these ciuil vex∣ations in France, the Persians wasted Palestine, tooke Ierusalem and their patriarch Zacharias, they raged against the Egyptians, and they subdued Alexandria and Libya, vntill Aethiope, tooke Carthage, and proudly denied the Emperour Heraclius peace: but the Persians and their king Cosroes repented their denial, for * 1.179 Heraclius prepared warre, and leuied an armie, and entred into Persia, & flew in that voyage 50000. Heraclius the second time persecuted the Persiās with sword and fire so hard, that Cosroes their king was slaine. By this time the Persians were on euery side so assaulted & so weakned, that they were most miserably * 1.180 slaine and destroyed, & their kingdom taken by the Saracens.

About this time Caddwalader the last king of the Britaines, * 1.181 was by a dreame admonished to leaue his kingdome, and to

passe ouer sea to Rome, at what time the English Saxons pos∣sessed the whole Isle of Britaine, sauing Scotland and the Picts.

Let vs leaue France for a while in their ciuil dissentions be∣tweene Clotarius and the two sonnes of Childebertus, named Theodoricus & Theobertus, who after they constrained the king * 1.182 to accept what cōditions of peace they lusted, these two bre∣thren fell out, that againe all France was in armes, & for a time France was most miserablie afflicted. Now Persia being de∣stroied the third time by the Saracēs, we wil passe ouerthe Pope in Rome, & Mahomet in Arabia, and returne to Germanie, a coū∣trey so famous of late, that the Monarchie & sole empire flou∣rished there: though the Romans in Iulius Caesars time made no * 1.183 accompt of them, calling all those nations which are called Vandols, Gothes, Hunnes, Hungarians, Danes, Sueuians, Russians, and others by one name Germanes. These coūtreis and kingdoms flourished when the East kingdoms decaied, and that within 500. yeres of Augustus time, when Rome was in her most glory & dignitie: and for that the names of their kings may be read in Functius, I wil not set them down: for those that were of any great renowme in histories, chiefly the Gothes and Vādols, who hitherto had 24. kings, and the Longobards who had 17. kings. Diaconus writes of them, & Functius in his table records them: and therfore I wil returne to Clotarius, who when he had raig∣ned 41. yeeres, he assigned Dagobertus his eldest sonne king of * 1.184 Austratia, ioyntly to gouerne France with him for three yeeres more, and then Clotarius died in the 44. yere of his raigne.

This Dagobertus was the 11. king frō Faramundus, and had a * 1.185 brother named Aribertus, to whom he gaue Aquitania in pos∣session, and gouerned himselfe after his father in Fraunce 14. yeres: he was very vitious and so giuen to women, that when he would trauaile he would haue his womē caried with him, Agmina Scortorum, a whole armie of concubines, who went * 1.186 in habits of Queenes, and dwelt in pallaces made vnto them by the king Dagobertus. And with this vice there was ioy∣ned an other vertue, which was to banish all those Iewes out of Fraunce, that would not become Christians: for nowe

Fraunce hath their vines and grapes, and all the countrey of Fraunce flourished since Probus the Emperours time, who first * 1.187 suffered them to haue the vse and benefites of all vines.

By this time his brother Aribertus died in Aquitaina, and left a sonne behind him, named Hilpericus, who likewise died after his father shortly, and all Fraunce fell to Dagobertus: who at that time placed his eldest sonne Sigebertus king of Austrasia, where sometimes Dagobertus gouerned during three yeeres of his fathers raigne. Dagobertus had warres with the Vuindos whom he vanquished by the ayde of the Saxons, and also hee * 1.188 had warres against the Vascons, who though they reuolted as Tritemius affirmeth, yet receiued them into fauour. In Rome now had raigned 9. seueral popes, whose names are set down in the history of the church, and ouer the Saracens (who quite had subdued all Persia before) raigned already foure Amyras of Mahomets sects. Thus in Rome a silly priest became a great Pope, and in Arabia a false Prophet of one age with the pope * 1.189 became a mighty king, which by his greatnes attained a sur∣name called Amyras: of whom likewise I haue spoken in the historie of the Saracens.

• 1 Pharamundus reigned 8. yeeres, Beroaldus saith 11. yeeres.
• 2 Clodius Faramundus sonne surnamed Criui∣tus reigned 18. yeeres.
• 3 Meroueus succeeded his father Clodius, and reigned 10. yeeres.
• 4 Hildericus the first reigned 26. this is cal∣led of many Childericus.
• 5 Clodoueus reigned 30.
• 6 Childebertus reigned 45. yeeres.
• 7 Lotarius or Cotarius 5. yeeres.
• 8 Heribertus reigned 9.
• 9 Hilpericus or Chilperi∣cus 23. for marke whō Beroaldus, Ruffinus, and others doe name Chilpe∣ricus, that same doeth Functius name Hilpe∣ricus, & so of Cheriber∣tus Functius he nameth Heribertus.
• 10 Lotarius 2. the sōne of Hilpericus 14. yeeres.
• 11 Dagobertus succeeded his father, and reigned 14. yeeres.

CHAP. V.

From Clodoueus the 2. who began his raigne 645. vnto the raigne and gouernment of Charles the great, the patrone & only mirror of Fraunce, by whom chiefly the French men flourished, in famous renowne, and in whom all the lawes, relikes and monuments are established.

NOwe I will goe forward with the histories of Fraunce, and speake of Dagobertus, who when he had raigned 14. yeeres died, Aemilius saith, 16. yeres: for he raigned 2. yeres in Austrasia, & is buried in S. Denis which he himself had buil∣ded the seconde of that name, and the twelfth king, after Pharamundus succeeded. This was called Lewis, the first * 1.190 of that name. This time raygned king of the Gothes Sisenan∣dus, who was by them and of Dagobertus aduaunced to gouerne the Gothes. The Emperour Constantinus surnamed Iunior was by his stepmother Martina poysoned after hee had reigned foure moneths, for that shee practised to haue her sonne Emperour, who reigned with his mother two yeeres: and then the treason of Martina was founde, which * 1.191 was in this sort reuenged: his nostrels were cutte, and his mothers tongue was taken out: and so were both, least againe they might bee forgotten and bee receiued to the Empire, banished from Constantinople.

By this time died Sigibertus king Clodouaens brother, who adopted before his death Ildebertus the sonne of Grimoaldus, supposing that he should haue no heire of his bodie: but his wife being with childe when he died, had a sonne named Da∣gobertus, who was sent to a Monasterie in Scotland secretly to be brought by Grimoaldus: for which cause Clodouaeus waged * 1.192 warre with Ildebertus the king, and with his father. Ildebertus was slaine in the field in battell, and his father taken and put in prison in Paris, where he died: at what time Clodouaeus ap∣poynted his owne sonne Childericus king in Austrasia. This * 1.193 time in Fraunce the famine was such, that the king Clodouaeus ooke all the gold and siluer which his father Dagobertus had

set vp in Saint Dennis and other places, and all the trea∣sures * 1.194 out of the Temples in Fraunce, to helpe the poore of Fraunce.

After Clodoueus had reigned seuenteene yeeres, succeeded Clotarius the third of that name (hee died and is buried with his father in S. Dennis) and in Beroaldus table named Dagober∣tus * 1.195 the second, who reigned foure yeeres. After whome suc∣ceeded his brother Theodoricus, who was in the first yeere of his raigne banished out of his kingdome for his incontinen∣cie. After him Hildericus, Theodoricus brother was elected king * 1.196 of all Fraunce, he reigned 12. yeres: Beroaldus saith fiue, he was slaine in hunting, by one Bodillus, whome the king had before most cruelly caused to be bound to a stake, and to bee whipt with rods: which he requited to the king with death. * 1.197 Which newes being heard of, Theodoricus the kings brother being before as you heard banished, returned from a Mona∣sterie, and tooke againe the kingdome of Fraunce, and reig∣ned fourteene yeeres. The kingdome of the Saracens had not onely vexed and molested the East kingdomes, but also af∣flicted * 1.198 and persecuted the West countries, and had diuers and sundry battels with the Emperours, the Gothes, and the Longobards, and are nowe become nations most mightie and strong in all the West, of whom reade Diaconus de gestis Longabardorum.

After these thinges reigned Clodouaeus the thirde of that name, who reigned foure yeeres, after whom Hildebertus Clo∣douaeus * 1.199 his brother succeeded, and reigned eighteene yeeres: but here some of the good and the best writers doe disa∣gree * 1.200 for the state of Fraunce, aswell for the names of their kings, as also for the historie it selfe, as some following * 1.201 Tritemius, and some imitating Paulus Aemilius, that one Chronicle cries against another.

During the reigne of Hildebertus, Muhamad the Saracen inuaded Armenia, and entred into Affrica: for nowe the kingdome of the Saracens grewe so mightie and so strong, that they troubled all the Nations of the worlde, as you

may reade in their histories.

This time reigned ouer the Longobardes Chimibertus, and ouer the Gothes Vitiza: for these two kingdomes florished nowe in Germanie, and beganne to match the Empire. Af∣ter this reigned king in Fraunce Dagobertus the seconde of that name, foure yeeres after whome, Lotharius Dagober∣tus his brother reigned two yeeres: some say seuen yeeres. * 1.202 Beroaldus in his table affirmeth, that for these two yeeres Fraunce had no king therein crowned, but Interreges were appointed: after which Chilpericus surnamed Daniel, by the ayde of Carolus Martellus was crowned king of Fraunce, and reigned fiue yeeres. After him gouerned Theodori∣cus, * 1.203 surnamed Cala, the sonne of Dagobertus the seconde, hee reigned fifteene yeeres.

Anastasius the seconde, surnamed Artemius, helde the Empire for two yeeres: and after, Theodosius the thirde of * 1.204 that name other two yeeres. This time Gizid the twelfth A∣miras, who reigned foure yeeres, and his sonne Euelid after him, played their partes in Asia and in Europe, as sometime the Scythians were wont to doe: they laide siege to Constan∣tinople, * 1.205 but were thence expelled by hunger and colde, and with all their whole nauies were burned and destroyed vp∣on the seas.

In the time of this Theodoricus, the Cities of Italie beganne a newe regiment vnder Dukes: euery Citie elected and made a choise of one gouernour, vnder whom, and to whom they * 1.206 liued as to their king, laying aside the last kinde of gouern∣ment, called magistratus exarchatus. This time the Scots and the Picts quieted themselues within their limittes, and spared their often inuasions into Englande: at what time Ceolulphus reigned in that part of Englaud called Northumberland. With * 1.207 this king Beda a learned man amōgst the Britaines, was in great reuerence and honour, and dedicated to him the historie of the Church in English, and by Bedas meanes, Ceolulphus deli∣uered * 1.208 the gouernment to his vncle Egbertus, and became a Moncke.

In the time of this king the Saracens which inhabited in di∣uers partes of Affrike and Spaine, were driuen thence foorth to the number of foure hundred thousand by Edo, at what time they inuaded Fraunce, and were so miserably persecuted eue∣ry * 1.209 way, that they lost Abdimarus their king, with a great num∣ber of the Saracens: but more is written of this in their owne historie.

Now to Hildericus the third of that name, surnamed Stupi∣dus, the sonne of Theodoricus Cala, who reigned nine yeres, and after was by consent of all the princes of Fraunce deposed * 1.210 from his kingdome, and in his place gouerned eighteene yeeres Pipinus: during which time Hildericus liued priuately and secretely in an Abbie.

By this time died Carolus Martellus a great Prince of France, and lieth buried among the kings at S. Denis. Of whose va∣lure, fame and courage not onely in Fraunce, but euery where, Reade of this Noble Martellus, and of his diuers worthy and * 1.211 renowmed victories ouer the Saracens in Paul. Aemilius in the beginning of his 2. booke: after whom succeeded Carolomanus which then yeelded all his signories and titles of dignities vnto Pipinus: who presently thereupon called a Parliament of all the Princes and Barons of France, to stablish lawes and * 1.212 decrees for the receyuing of the Romane religion, and allow∣ing of the dignitie of the Pope into Fraunce, for the which Pope Steuen created king Pipine one of the Romane Patricians: this king grewe so great in Fraunce, that the Saxons sought his friendship, promisig to ayde him at all times with three hundred horsemen to any exploite. In the time of king Pi∣pine Salim a great Prince of the Saracens with eight hundred * 1.213 thousand Saracens inuaded Cappadocia without any great ex∣ployt done: this time the Turkes issued foorth of their Ca∣spian holdes and inuaded Armenia, and after commenced warre with the Arabians in Fraunce. * 1.214

After that Pipinus had quieted the state of Fraunce, and was confirmed by the Pope to his kingdome: for he was the first that allowed the authoritie of the Pope in Fraunce: and

after that Thassillo king of Bauaria had yeelded himselfe to the crowne of Fraunce, and that the warres of Aquitania was ended, when Nauserius their gouernour was slaine by his * 1.215 owne souldiers: then Pipinus died, after whom succeeded Carolus the great, who raigned in Fraunce sixe and fourtie yeeres.

It is read that in euery countrie or kingdome, some men are noted chiefe one excelling another, and among these fewe gallant and famous, one is euer preferred in all coun∣tries, of whome they holde and bragge of, their antiquitie, their lawes, kingdoms, their chiefe conquests, and victories generally they doe attribute to one aboue another: as for example here I set downe.

Among the old Assyrians.

• Nymrodes.
• Belus.
• But specially Ninus.

Among the old Egyptiās.

• Vexores.
• But specially Sesostris, the Hercules of Egypt.

Among the old Persians.

• Darius Histaspis.
• Artaxerxes Mnemon:
• But especially Cyrus.

Among the Greekes.

• Miltiades, Phocion, biades, Pelopidas,
• Pericles, and diuers others: aboue all, Themistocles.

Among the Romanes.

• Titus Manlius.
• Val. Coruinus.
• Coriolanus, and Camillus with others, yet one Iulius Caesar aboue them all.

In Spaine.

• Amongst all other iolly fel∣lowes Viriatius most com∣mended, & of late, Charles the fift.

And so in Fraunce.

• Francus.
• Marcomirus, and Phara∣mundus.
• Yet Charles the great, the onely man that aduaun∣ced the name of Fraunce.

This king after his first entrie into Fraunce, tooke Aquita∣nia and Vastonia vnder his hand, and after went into Italie, be∣ing * 1.216 thereto requested by Hadrian then Pope of Rome, where he waged sharpe warres with the Longobardes, whom he van∣quished

and quite destroyed both them and their gouern∣ment out of Italie, where they reigned 204. yeeres after their * 1.217 first entring into Italie: in the which voyage he not only con∣firmed that which king Pipinus his predecessor had before graunted to the Pope Stephen, but also chargeth and cōman∣deth that all the rites and ceremonies of the Romane religion shoulde bee vsed and solemnized within all the kingdome of Fraunce.

After this he returned into Fraunce, & made a voiage with an army into Spaine, and tooke many townes and cities of the Saracens, wasted and spoiled, and did great harme in Spaine, and did the like annoyance after his cōming home into Ger∣manie: for he subdued the Saxons, and brought the Bohemians vnder the crowne of Fraunce. After this, hee made warres a∣gainst the Hunnes, which endured well nigh eight yeres. This king ended many broiles and quarrels in diuers coūtries, and withall hee had so enlarged the kingdome of Fraunce, and brought all places and all nations subiect to Fraunce, that hee was by his good successe and great victories had ouer diuers regions, called Carolus the great: and for that the gouernment of Carolus the great was such, that almost all the Northwest kingdomes were eyther made fearefull of Fraunce, or paying tribute, or some seruice to Fraūce: so that Carolus by his great∣nesse euery where, and by his fauour with Pope Leo, was by the meanes of Leo created Augustus and made Emperor, and the Empire brought from Rome into Fraunce, from thence in∣to Germany, where it remaineth by the name of the Emperour * 1.218 of Almania, the third remoue of the Empire: for first frō Rome to Constantinople, where it continued for a long time, and frō thence remoued to Germany, and last into Fraunce.

I wil set downe the names of all the kings of Fraunce, from Clodouaeus the 2. & the 12. after Faramundus, vntill this Charles the great, the 12. king of Gallia, as I founde them in Fun∣ctius and in Beroaldus table: for Pharamundus began his reigne in Fraunce in the 299. Olympiad, and in the yere of our Sauiour 420. and reigned as here you may reade in this table.

• ...

• 1 Clodouaeus 2. reigned af∣ter his father 17. yeeres.
• 2 Lotarius 3. succeeded and reigned 4. yeeres.
• 3 Hildericus the 2. reig∣ned 14. yeeres.
• 4 Theodoricus succeeded his brother Lotarius, and reigned 14. yeeres.
• 5 Clodouaeus 3. 4. yeres.
• 6 Hildebertussucceded his brother Clodouaeus, & reig∣ned 18. yeeres.
• 7 Dagobertus the 2. called alsoin Functius Clodouaeus * 1.219 reigned 4. yeeres.
• 8 Lotarius 4. of that name and brother to Dagobertus reigned 7. yeeres
• 9 Theodoricus surnamed Cala, sonne to Dagobertus, the 2. reigned 15. yeeres.
• 10 Hildericus surnamed Stupidus 9. yeeres.
• 11 Pipinus surnamed the short, came after Hilderi∣cus, being deposed from his kingdome and reigned 18.

CHAP. VI.

From Charles the great, the onely king of Fraunce in fame, of whom all the states of Fraunce holde their lawes, monuments, and other ceremonies belonging to their inaugurations, crowning, and their seuerall pompe: of his warres and victories against the Saracens: of his diuers conquests euery where, and of the taking of the Em∣pire into Germany.

CHarles the great, the twentie three king of Fraunce, who was made Emperour, and created Augustus by Pope Leo, and the Em∣pire brought thereby to Fraunce, and into Germany: for vntill this time the Empire re∣mained in the East part called imperium Ori∣entale, which was Constantinople, and remoued into Fraunce * 1.220 and Germany, where it is called imperium Occidentale. Hitherto I haue set downe the names of the kings of Fraūce lineally frō Pharamundus the first king of Gallia, which reigned in the yere of Christ our Sauiour 420. vntill Carolus the great the 23. king after Pharamundus, who being both Emperour and king, go∣uerned Fraunce fourtie sixe yeeres. This succession of kings continued 408. yeeres: so that from the first comming of the Frēchmen out of Scythia, which was in the 85. Olympiad, twētie

yeeres before the twentie one Iubilee, vntill this Charles the great, which was in the 814. yeere of Christ, from Marcomirus vnto Francus, 106. Olympiad, whhich is 424. yeeres: during which time they were called Neumagi Marcomanni and af∣ter * 1.221 Sicambri vntill Francus, from Francus vnto Pharamundus 113. Olympiad, which is 452. yeeres, during which time they were called Franci: from Pharamūdus to Charles the great 393. yeeres, at what time they were first called Galli: so that from Antenor, who maried Cambra the daughter of king Beli∣nus the Britaine, vntill Charolus the great are 1270. yeeres. By this time the kingdome of Fraunce waxed so mightie, that Ca∣rolus was made Emperour by Leo the Pope, as I said before. Nowe Fraunce by meanes of his great fortune fauoured so * 1.222 much Pope Leo, that Rome by Fraunce, and Fraunce by Rome became strong.

The Popes of Rome after this time by meanes of their reli∣gion receiued into Fraunce, into Spaine, into Britaine, into di∣uers partes of Germany, and into other kingdomes of Europe, beganne againe to reuiue their Empire vnder the Pope, and brought the Emperour subiect to the Pope, made kings and princes to creepe to the Pope, and entised all Europe vnder * 1.223 his crosse, yeelding homage and paying tribute vnto him, as to their chiefest and onely Monarch of the world: for before the Popes time the Emperour of Rome subdued and conque∣red all nations, and forced all kingdomes to pay tribute vnto Rome.

Nowe the Pope subdued the Emperour, and made him his general lieutenant: after the Emperour he substituted the king of Fraunce, and the king of Spaine martiall of the fielde to fight for him, that he became so great, that though he cal∣led * 1.224 himself seruus seruorū: yet would he be compted and estee∣med lord of lordes: for he would binde, and he would lose, he would curse, and he would blesse, hee would forgiue sinnes, and pardon offences: he kept the keyes of heauen, and of hell. Who ruled like lordes, and commaunded like kings, but the Pope and Mahumet, of equall antiquitie and of like nature?

the one in Arabia the other in Rome, two mōsters of the world, and two enemies of Christianitie, whom wee leaue a while and turne to Fraunce, where the Empire remained this time. * 1.225 And for that the kingdomes of the Danes, of the Sueuians, of the Noruegians, and other nations of the North beginne now to flourish: and also, for that the state of Fraunce are now be∣come acquainted with al writers as diuers Chronicles are ex∣tant thereof, I wil only therefore set downe briefly their kings and their names frō Carolus the great, vntil the time of Lewes the 12. of that name: rather for that the histories of Fraunce are now familiarly knowen by reason of their warres, and of the greatnesse of their kingdome, then while they were yet strangers by the name of Neumagi first, and after Sicambri, and then Franci, and last Galli. Beside other names, as Cimbri with * 1.226 the Romaus, Galatae with the Greekes, after called Gaulgreekes in Asia, Belgae while they dwelt in Germanie, Armeni while they * 1.227 were in Armenia, and Scythae before they came out of Scythia. But how so euer writers vary in their names, they agree that they were called Celtes, Galli, and Franci, which name they helde from Francus time, because they were of long continu∣ance: all other names were giuen to them according to the countreys that they dwelled in.

But let vs returne to Charles the great, who after hee had raigned 46. yeeres he died, after whom his sonne Lewes sirna∣med * 1.228 the Godly, succeeded and gouerned Fraunce 26. yeeres. This was also crowned Emperour after his father, by Pope Steuen the fourth of that name: at what time Michael sirna∣med Curoplates was Emperour of Constantinople, who sent ambassadours to Lewes for conclusion of peace: for the Sara∣cens about this time tooke Creete and possessed it, and van∣quished in two or three battels the Greekes, and subdued ma∣ny townes in Asia. This king Lodouicus now consecrated Au∣gustus, appointed his three sonnes to haue seuerall gouern∣ments: * 1.229 the one called Lotharius whom hee sent into Italy as a king to rule and to order the States of Italy: the second sonne named Pipinus he sent to gouerne in Aquitania: the third after

his owne name Lewes, whom also hee sent as king ouer the Noricanes. After Lewes died, his sonne Lotharius succeeded and held the Empire 15. yeeres, vntill his brethren commen∣ced * 1.230 warre against him, and such terrible and bloodie warres, that all Fraunce was weakened thereby, and all the blood of Carolus extinguished: for in these warres were slaine aboue 100000. of the floures of Fraunce on both sides. But in fine they agreed amongst themselues, that Lotharius should hold the Empire and gouerne ouer Italy, and other nations in the East, and Carolus (sirnamed Caluus) should be king in Fraunce, and the thirde sonne should possesse in Germanie and in Hun∣nia vnder the name of a king.

This Carolus Caluus raigned king in Fraunce 38. yeeres: hee * 1.231 imprisoned close in a monasterie his brothers childrē, which was Pipinus and Lewes. After this, Carolus died in Mantua, be∣ing poisoned by Sedechia a Iew, and his owne Phisition: then succeeded Lewes sirnamed Balbus who raigned two yeres, and * 1.232 was created Emperour by Pope Iohn in Fraunce. He had two sonnes by his concubine, named Lewes and Charlemaine, they both succeeded their father as kings of Fraunce: Lewes died in * 1.233 the fourth yere of his raigne, and Charlemaine in the fift yere. After whose death, the Danes and the Normanes inuaded Fraunce, and filled all Fraunce with blood. Carolus the thirde of that name sirnamed Crassus, after these two brethren, raig∣ned * 1.234 fiue yeeres, Beroaldus saith 7. yeeres.

About this time the Danes gaue sundry battels in England, and were often vanquished, but still they continued their warres vntill they made a conquest of all the East partes of England. This time Odo the sonne of Robert duke of Anioy raig∣ned * 1.235 in Fraunce, and gouerned it 9. yeeres: In whose time the schole in the Vniuersitie of Oxeford was builded by Alfredus king of Northumberland, in the yeere of Christ 895.

By this king the Floure deluce was first appointed in the en∣signe of Fraunce, then Carolus (sirnamed Simplex) raigned 27. * 1.236 yeeres: this was the sonne of Balbus.

But to auoyde tediousnesse, (according to my promise) I

wil passe ouer the rest of the historie, and of the names of the rest of the kings of Fraunce vntill Lewes the 12: for I may not stand long to entreate of euery countrey (for that I write of * 1.237 many countreys,) onely touching the antiquities of king∣domes, their continuance, their beginning and ending, the time of their gouernment, and the names of their gouer∣nours, committing to your view this compendious abstract of all Chronicles, and all their histories, which would make infinite volumes to be read in those Chronographers that * 1.238 largely wrote of them.

• 31 Rodulphus duke of Burgundie, and after king of France, raigned. 2. yeeres.
• 32 Lewes, who fled into England with his mother named O∣ginia, returneth now into Fraunce, and raigned with Rodul∣phus 10. yeres. But he raigned king in the whole. 27. yeeres.
• 33 Lotharius the sonne of Lewes the 4. by Gerberga the sister of Otho the Emperor, he raigned 31. yere. In whose time the kingdome of Polonia began, in the yeere of Christ 963. * 1.239
• 34 Lewes the fift of that name raigned. 1. yeere.

Hitherunto haue raigned from Faramundus 34. kings: now raigned after this Lotarius these many kings, which you see * 1.240 here vnder written in this table, which hitherto continued in the line of Francus: and now I will set downe the first king of * 1.241 those that were naturally borne Galli, the thirde name of the kings of Fraunce.

• 35 Hugo Capetus raigned 9. yeeres. This was the first king borne of those that were called Galli: for hitherunto the lineal sucession of Francus endured.
• 36 After him his sonne Robert raigned 34. yeeres. In the be∣ginning of whose time the kingdome of Hungarie beganne. * 1.242
• 37 Henry the sonne of Robert succeeded and raigned after his father. 30. yeeres.
• 38 Philippe the first of that name, and sonne to Henry raigned 49. yeeres. In whose time beganne the kingdome of Bohemia.

In the time of this Philippe the first, two most famous men and worthie Captaines tooke their voyages, the one named

Godfrey of Bullen, with an armie from Fraunce into the holy Land which was Ierusalem, so called after Christs time on earth: * 1.243 this warre is called bellum Sacrum the sacred warres, against the Saracens. Reade Tilius Chronicles of the French kings, where you shall finde a Catalogue of the nobles, peeres, and gentlemen of France, and of diuers other countreys that went on that voyage with Godfrey of Bullen to Hierusalem: the other Captaine came to England, William the bastarde of Norman∣die, afterward called William Conquerour, of whom our English chronicles can testifie. But I wil briefly passe ouer the kings.

• 39 Lewes sirnamed Crassus raigned 28. yeeres.
• 40 Lewes sirnamed Iunior. 43. yeeres.
• 41 Philippus Augustus sirnamed Deodatus 43. yeeres. In whose time the Iewes were banished out of Fraunce.
• 42 Lewes the eight of that name. 4. yeeres.
• 43 Lewes the ninth, sirnamed Holy. 43. yeeres. * 1.244
• 44 Philip the 3. sirnamed Audax, son to Lewes. 9. 15. yeres.
• 45 Philippus the 4. sirnamed Pulcher the faire, and sonne to Philip the thirde, raigned 28. yeeres. In this kings raigne began the kingdome of Ottoman the Turke.
• 46 Lewes the 10. sirnamed Vtinus, king both of Fraunce and of Nauarre, raigned almost 2. yeeres.
• 47 Philip the 5. sirnamed Longus, raigned 5. yeeres.
• 48 Carolus Pulcher king of Fraunce and Nauarre 7. yeeres.

Now after this, Philip the first of the house of Valois began, in the 1328. yeere of our Sauiour, whose line hath conti∣nued euen frō this Philip of Valois the first king of that house, vntill Frances Valois last king of Fraunce, and the last of that stocke, which continued 263. yeres: whose names successiue∣ly are here set downe in Tilius Chronicles, as followeth.

• 49 Philip of Valots the first king of that name. 22. yeres: * 1.245
• 50 Whose eldest sonne named Iohn was the first Dolphine of Fraunce, which to this day doeth continue. Hee raigned af∣ter his father king of Fraunce. 14. yeeres.
• 51 Carolus the 5. sirnamed the wise, raigned 18. yeeres. Whose brother named also Philip was made duke of Burgūdy. About

• ... this time Iohn Wicleue opened much falshoode yet vn∣known of Papistrie, both disputing & writing against it.
• 52 Carolus the sixt, sirnamed Bene amatus raigned 42. yeeres: this ordeined first the 3. Floure deluce. This time raigned in England Richard the second.
• 53 Charles the seuenth raigned 38. yeeres. This king com∣menced warre against England, at what time Henry the 5. raigned, who subdued all Fraunce, and was crowned king in Paris.
• 54 Lewes the eleuenth raigned 23. yeeres.
• 55 Carolus the eight raigned 14. yeeres.
• 56 Lewes the 12. raigned 17. yeres in France, being the 1500. yeere of our Sauiour Christ: Reade of this king Arnoldus Fer∣ronus all his thirde booke which hee onely wrote of this Lewes the 12. At what time raigned in England Henry the 7.

Thus farre briefly Iranne ouer the state of France, omitting many thinges willingly and wittingly, which I particularly * 1.246 touch in the historie of Spaine: for I tooke not in hand to write at large, or to set foorth great volumes of superfluous histo∣ries, but onely (as I saide before) to note the antiquities and first beginning of kingdomes, and to marke the errours of prophane histories in many things, dissenting from Moses, from Daniel, and from the Propheticall writings, who ope∣ned all Chronicles: for they coulde not agree in the chie∣fest pointes of all true Chronicles, neither the Romanes in the building of Rome, from whence they ground their histo∣ries: neither the Greekes by their Olympiads: neither the Persi∣ans of Cyrus time, neither Spaine in their accompt of A. E R. A: neither the Arabians of their Hegyra. In fine, vnpossible it is to finde the trueth of Antiquities in prophane writers, with∣out conferring of the same with the Sacred histories of the Prophets, who reueiled the trueth of time by their Iubilees.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The first com∣ming of the Frenchmen into Germany.
• * 1.2

  Gomer.
• * 1.3

  Beroal. lib. 4.
• * 1.4

  Strab. lib. 4. 5.
• * 1.5

  Mela lib. 2. 5.
• * 1.6

  Solinus cap. 22.
• * 1.7

  Marcomirus slaine by the Gothes.
• * 1.8

  The French∣men forced to seeke dwel∣lings by the sword.
• * 1.9

  They dwelt about the ri∣uer of Rhene, and after in Bohemia, and about Witen∣berge.
• * 1.10

  Gens aspera & bellicosa.
• * 1.11

  Brennus driuen from Rome by Camillus.
• * 1.12

  Diuers names of the French∣men.
• * 1.13

  Strabo liued in Agustus time.
• * 1.14

  Neumagi cal∣led Sicambri.
• * 1.15

  Cambra Belli∣nus daughter.
• * 1.16

  Aemil. lib. 1.
• * 1.17

  The French∣men challenge to come from the Troians.
• * 1.18

  400. odde yeeres reig∣ned the kings of Sicambri.
• * 1.19

  Tritemius.
• * 1.20

  The victories of Sicambri.
• * 1.21

  The Romanes much affrigh∣ted.
• * 1.22

  Marius the Romane Con∣sul was ap∣poynted Ge∣nerall against these Sicam∣brians, whom the Romanes called Cimbri.
• * 1.23

  The French∣men came from Scythia about 400. yeeres before the birth of Christ.
• * 1.24

  What the Ro∣manes lost, the Frenchmen wanne in time,
• * 1.25

  Reade Iornan∣dus de reb. Get.
• * 1.26

  Marcomanni
• * 1.27

  Cambra a wise woman a Britane taught her husband and her peo∣ple ciuilitie.
• * 1.28

  Neopagus.
• * 1.29

  Neomagus.
• * 1.30

  Neumagi.
• * 1.31

  Marcomani. Sicambri.
• * 1.32

  Gaul Greekes.
• * 1.33

  Helenus the fourth king of Sicambria
• * 1.34

  Consent oft time of kings in other coun∣treyes.
• * 1.35

  Diocles 4. king.
• * 1.36

  These kinges by succession professed armes.
• * 1.37

  Alex. the gre•…•… raigned in the time of this Diocles.
• * 1.38

  Pyrrhus raig∣ned in Helenus time which was Diocles sonne.
• * 1.39

  The victorie of the Sax∣ons ouer the Gothes.
• * 1.40

  Diocles the fift king of Sicam∣bria.
• * 1.41

  Helenus 6. king was remoued from his king∣dome.
• * 1.42

  The booke of the law, and the sword of punishment caried before Bassanus.
• * 1.43

  Adulterie pu∣nished by Bas∣sanus.
• * 1.44

  Bassanus a iust king.
• * 1.45

  Tritem. in Bas∣sano.
• * 1.46

  Mōtabur buil∣ded by Bassa∣nus.
• * 1.47

  Basanus after death called Basangor.
• * 1.48

  Clodomirus 7. king of Sicam∣bria.
• * 1.49

  Arsaces the names of the kings of Per∣thia.
• * 1.50

  Al these kings holde their names from Cambra, and were called therby Sycam∣bri from Aute∣nor, who mari∣ed Cambra vn∣to Francus time.
• * 1.51

  Francus the first king by whome the kingdome of Fraunce was so •…•…amed.
• * 1.52

  Tritem. in Franco.
• * 1.53

  Lollius with his Romane ar∣mie put to flight by Clo∣gio.
• * 1.54

  200000. Gaules slaine by Fran∣cus.
• * 1.55

  Sicambria now is called Fraunce.
• * 1.56

  Ianus temple shut in all Au∣gust. time.
• * 1.57

  Clogio 2. king. For his know∣ledge and skill in Astrologie surnamed Magus.
• * 1.58

  A battell be∣tweene Clogio and Tiberius the Emperor.
• * 1.59

  Phrisius the sonne of Clog•…•… made king in Friseland.
• * 1.60

  Tribute of 260. oxen paid out of Friseland in∣to the crowne of Fraunce. Ta∣cis. 4. 5.
• * 1.61

  Herimers 5. king after Francus.
• * 1.62

  Herimerus slaine.
• * 1.63

  Caesarea before called Turris Stratonis. Tacitus lib. 4.
• * 1.64

  Marcomirus 4. king.
• * 1.65

  Clodomirus 5. king. after Francus.
• * 1.66

  This king with 60. of his no∣ble men was drowned in the riuer Mo∣sa.
• * 1.67

  Gallia sore plagued.
• * 1.68

  Raterus 7. king.
• * 1.69

  Alani.
• * 1.70

  Ioseph. lib. 7. cap. 27.
• * 1.71

  Richimerus 8. king.
• * 1.72

  Ioseph wrote his historie de bello Iudaico in Richimerus time.
• * 1.73

  Sunno.
• * 1.74

  The Gaules & the Romanes sore plagued by Richimer.
• * 1.75

  Odemarus 9. king of Fraūce,
• * 1.76

  The 4. perse∣cution in Ri∣chimers time.
• * 1.77

  Odemarus con∣cluded peace with the Ro∣manes.
• * 1.78

  Vowes and othes made the Frenchmen for Gallia.
• * 1.79

  Reade Paul. Aemil. lib. 1.
• * 1.80

  The West kingdoms be∣gan to florish.
• * 1.81

  The names of those kings that reigned in Fraunce frō Francus to Fa∣rabertus.
• * 1.82

  Marcomirs 10. king.
• * 1.83

  Clodomirus 11. king.
• * 1.84

  Farabartus 12. king.
• * 1.85

  The Romanes did stomake the greatnesse of the French∣men.
• * 1.86

  Farabertus con cluded peace with the Ger∣manes, & other nations about them to keepe wars with the Samanes.
• * 1.87

  Commodus the Emperour forced to flie.
• * 1.88

  Bellum Mar∣comannicum.
• * 1.89

  Orosius lib. 7. cap. 15.
• * 1.90

  The Christian faith receiued into Britaine.
• * 1.91

  Franford buil∣ded by Sunno, and also Sun∣nia, which is now called Sunda.
• * 1.92

  Tritemius and Hunibaldus.
• * 1.93

  Varietie of o∣pinion in time
• * 1.94

  The meane state of Fraūce in Heldericus time.
• * 1.95

  Batharus 15. king.
• * 1.96

  Itale spoyled with the sword vnto Rauenna.
• * 1.97

  Mosa.
• * 1.98

  Clodius king after Faraber∣tus.
• * 1.99

  Gallia not yet gotten by the Frenchmen.
• * 1.100

  Vprores in many coun∣tries in Claudi∣us time.
• * 1.101

  Eutrop. lib. 9.
• * 1.102

  Alectas slaine by Asclepiado∣tus.
• * 1.103

  Gualterus 5. king after Fa∣rabartus.
• * 1.104

  Clogio 7. after Farabertus.
• * 1.105

  Clodomirus his valure & cou∣rage to reuēge his brothers death.
• * 1.106

  Clodomirus vi∣ctorie.
• * 1.107

  Clodomirus suc∣ceeded his brother Clogio.
• * 1.108

  2686 husband men with their families.
• * 1.109

  Menigauia when Genebal∣dus reigned, paying tribute vnto his bro∣ther Clodomi∣rus.
• * 1.110

  Gebrich king of the Gothes.
• * 1.111

  The victorie of Richimerus.
• * 1.112

  Richimerus slaine.
• * 1.113

  Theodoricus 38. king.
• * 1.114

  From this Hector Degen•…•…∣bart Charles the great discen∣ded.
• * 1.115

  Marcomirus a great name in Fraunce.
• * 1.116

  The Saxons inuaded the Romanes con∣fines.
• * 1.117

  Foure noble captaines vn∣der Marco∣mirus.
• * 1.118

  The fall of Rome was the rising of Fraumce.
• * 1.119

  The kingdom of Fraunce without a king 26. yeeres. Interregnum.
• * 1.120

  Warres be∣tweene the Romanes and the French∣men.
• * 1.121

  Faramundus by common consent made king of France.
• * 1.122

  The French nations were 800 yeeres and more in getting of Gallia.
• * 1.123

  From Fara∣mundus, I vse P. Aemilius.
• * 1.124

  These kings raigned from Farabertus to Faramundus.
• * 1.125

  Faramundus ap∣pointed his brother Mar∣comirus East Fraunce.
• * 1.126

  P. Aemil. lib. 1.
• * 1.127

  Faramundus the first king of Gallia.
• * 1.128

  Plini lib. 4. cap. 17. 18.
• * 1.129

  Lex Salica made in Fara∣mundus time. Clodius the se∣cond king of Fraunce.
• * 1.130

  Clodius was sir∣named Crini∣tus.
• * 1.131

  The diuers vi∣ctories of this Clodius.
• * 1.132

  Scots and Picts inuaded Bri∣taine.
• * 1.133

  Clodius died.
• * 1.134

  Ruffinus de orig. Francorum.
• * 1.135

  Reade Gildas, Giraldus and Beda in the hi∣storie of Bri∣taine.
• * 1.136

  The antiqui∣tie of English Saxons in Bri∣taine, called before Aru∣brones Roxones.
• * 1.137

  The errors of the Olympiads.
• * 1.138

  Meroueus the thirde king.
• * 1.139

  Attila king of the Hunnes, V∣ualaricus king of the East. Gothes, Ardari∣cus king of Ge∣pida, ioyned together a∣gainst the French.
• * 1.140

  Til. in Cron. Franc. Reg.
• * 1.141

  The great vi∣ctorie of the Frenchmen.
• * 1.142

  Attila a strong king.
• * 1.143

  Ioseph. lib. 71. cap. 8.
• * 1.144

  Augusta besie∣ged by Mero∣neus.
• * 1.145

  These places the Frenchmen fi•…•…st inhabited after they had come from Scythia.
• * 1.146

  Fraunce flou∣rished.
• * 1.147

  The Romane Empire fell to decay.
• * 1.148

  Childericus the fourth king of Fraunce.
• * 1.149

  Egidius raig∣ned 8 yeeres.
• * 1.150

  Aemil. lib. 1.
• * 1.151

  Til Chron. Francor. r•…•…g.
• * 1.152

  Clodoue•…•…s the first of that name recei∣ued first the Christian faith in France.
• * 1.153

  P. Aemil. in Childe•…•…ico.
• * 1.154

  Childericus died.
• * 1.155

  A nomber of B•…•…itaines came ouer sea, and possessed A∣quitania.
• * 1.156

  Vortiger and after him Hengistus.
• * 1.157

  The first time that Armorica was named litle Brita•…•…ne.
• * 1.158

  Clodoueus the fift king.
• * 1.159

  Reade of th•…•…se 4. great victo∣ries Blondus and Procopius.
• * 1.160

  Clodoueus the first perfor∣med his othe and became a Christian, af∣ter his victorie had against the Almanes.
• * 1.161

  Thus farre Hu•…•…ibaldus.
• * 1.162

  In this time of Clodoueus, raig∣ned Emperour Anastatius, and in Britaine raigned Ar∣thur.
• * 1.163

  Cl•…•…doueus 4. sonnes.
• * 1.164

  Procop lib. 1. de bell. Gothor.
• * 1.165

  Reade of theis 18. yere warre Procop. lib. 2 de bello Persico.
• * 1.166

  This king To∣t•…•…la plagued Italy & Rome.
• * 1.167

  More Vandols and Gothes in Rome then Citizens.
• * 1.168

  The kingdom of the Pope, and the king∣dome of Ma∣hom•…•…t, began at one time.
• * 1.169

  Bellisarius much com∣mended.
• * 1.170

  Bellisarius a no∣ble captaine vnder Iustinia∣nus.
• * 1.171

  Pandects made by Iustinianus the Emperor.
• * 1.172

  This time died Arthur i•…•… Britaine.
• * 1.173

  Prccopius of the warres of the Gothes thus farre.
• * 1.174

  De Chron. Fran•…•….
• * 1.175

  Cherebertus a wicked vici∣ous prince.
• * 1.176

  This time be∣ganne warres betweene the Romanes and the Persians.
• * 1.177

  Clotarius the tenth king.
• * 1.178

  Reade Tilius de reg. Franc.
• * 1.179

  The victorie of Heraclius ouer the Per∣sians.
• * 1.180

  Polyb. lib. 4.
• * 1.181

  Caddwalader the last king of the Britaines.
• * 1.182

  Warres be∣tweene Theo∣doricus and Theobertus.
• * 1.183

  Vādoles, Gothes, Hunnes, Danes, Hungarians, and others, were by the olde Romane•…•… called Ger∣manes.
• * 1.184

  Clotarius died.
• * 1.185

  Dagobertus the 11. king.
• * 1.186

  Til Chron. Franc. reg.
• * 1.187

  Fraunce suffred to haue their vines by Pro∣bus the Empe∣rour.
• * 1.188

  Dagobertus di∣ed vpon the 4. kal. of Febru∣arie.
• * 1.189

  Mahomet.
• * 1.190

  Lewes the first.
• * 1.191

  Martinas trea∣son found, & after punished
• * 1.192

  Dagobertus sent to a Monaste∣rie by Grimo∣aldus.
• * 1.193

  Ildebertus slaine.
• * 1.194

  Aemil. l. b. 2.
• * 1.195

  Clotarius the 3. of that name.
• * 1.196

  E•…•…l. de reg. Frāc.
• * 1.197

  Theodoricus by Bodillus slaine in hunting.
• * 1.198

  The Saracens held warres in diuers coun∣tries.
• * 1.199

  Clodouaeus.
• * 1.200

  Hildebertus.
• * 1.201

  Reade Tilius chron. de reg. Franc.
• * 1.202

  Chil•…•…ericus by the aide of Martellu, was crowned king of 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.203

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 Cala. 20.
• * 1.204

  Gizid.
• * 1.205

  The Sarac•…•…ns by cold and hunger driuē from Constan∣tinople.
• * 1.206

  The gouern∣ment of exar∣chie in Italie altered.
• * 1.207

  Beda this time liued.
• * 1.208

  Ceolulphus be∣came a Moncke.
• * 1.209

  Edo and Ab∣dimarus two kings of the Saracens.
• * 1.210

  Hildericus sur∣named Stu∣pidus.
• * 1.211

  Martellus died
• * 1.212

  Pipinus the first anointed.
• * 1.213

  Salim.
• * 1.214

  The Popes authoritie first alowed in Fraunce.
• * 1.215

  Reade Pau. Aemilius lib. 3. of Charles the great.
• * 1.216

  Charles the great aduan∣ced the fame of Fraunce.
• * 1.217

  I folowed in al points Paul. Aen•…•…lius from Pharamūdus, vntil Henry the first, and from thēce I folow∣ed Arnol. Fer∣nonus, vnto Lewes the 12. the two onely best writers of the French.
• * 1.218

  The empire of Rome brought to Fraunce by Charles the great.
• * 1.219

  Though Clodo∣uaeus the 2. of that name be the 12. king in number after Pharamundus, yet because of the diuision of the histo•…•…e I begin frō him as from the first vnto Charles the great.
• * 1.220

  From Phara∣mundus to Clo∣douaeus the 2. and from him to Charles the great.
• * 1.221

  I vse not these Olympiads for any iust nūber of yeeres, for that there was error in them.
• * 1.222

  Charles the great made Emperour of Rome.
• * 1.223

  Popes flori∣shed after the Emperours.
• * 1.224

  The greatnes of the Popes of Rome.
• * 1.225

  The king∣doms of the North began now to flou∣rish.
• * 1.226

  Beroaldus lib. 4.
• * 1.227

  Gaul grekes.
• * 1.228

  Lodouicus pius succeeded his father Charles the great, both in the king∣dome, and in the Empire.
• * 1.229

  Tilius de reg. Francor.
• * 1.230

  The great slaughter in the ciuil warrs of Fraunce be∣tweene bre∣thren were such, that all Carolus stocke was welnigh extinguished
• * 1.231

  Carolus Caluus.
• * 1.232

  Lewes sirna∣med Balbus.
• * 1.233

  Lewes the third, and Ca∣rolomanus the 27.
• * 1.234

  Carolus sirna∣med Crassus the 28.
• * 1.235

  Odo the 29.
• * 1.236

  Carolus Sim∣plex.
• * 1.237

  Lewes the 12.
• * 1.238

  I follow Tilius table chiefly in setting downe the kings of France
• * 1.239

  The kingdom of Polonia.
• * 1.240

  Reade Aemil. lib. 1.
• * 1.241

  Hugo Capetus the first king of those that were natural∣ly borne Galli.
• * 1.242

  10. Tilius de reg. Franc.
• * 1.243

  Hierusalem called the Ho∣ly land.
• * 1.244

  Both Functius, Beroaldus, and Tilius agree in placing these kings in this sort.
• * 1.245

  The house of Valloys began.
• * 1.246

  I haue fol∣lowed Paulus Aemilius, and Al•…•…. Ferranus, since Faramun∣dus vnto Lewes the 12. and haue also cō∣ferred both them with Ti∣lius Chron. Be∣fore Faramun∣dus by Trite∣mius.