The history of Great Britaine under the conquests of ye Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans Their originals, manners, warres, coines & seales: with ye successions, lives, acts & issues of the English monarchs from Iulius Cæsar, to our most gracious soueraigne King Iames. by Iohn Speed.

THE PROEME. TO THE LEARNED AND LOVERS OF GREAT BRITAINES GLORY.

HAuing thus farre trauelled in the protract, and description of this famous Empire of GREAT BRITAINE, I might here haue rested, and claimed the priuiledge that yeeres and imbecillitie haue brought me vnto: had not a further desire in others •…•…ged it a mat∣ter incident, historically to lay downe the originals of those Nations and successions of those Monarchs, which either by birth or conquest haue aspired to the Imperiall Crowne. And albeit I finde my selfe both tired in the former, and most vnfit to prosecute this latter, yet will I endeuour to giue herein my best assayes; though as my labours, so my wants also, thereby will be made more vulgar to the world.

For if those men were blame-worthy against whom Heraclite exclaimeth, who * 1.1 with long toile and great trouble finde a little pure substance in a great deale of base earth: how shall I then free me from the like imputatio•…•…, that from so many mines of pure met∣tals, haue gotten so little Oare, and the same neither well tried in my defectiue for∣nace, nor yet artificially cast off through the default of the mould, wanting both skil for to fashion, and measure to performe, the true proportions that in such a proiect is to be required; and how often these my defects haue disswaded my proceedings, is best knowne to him that is the searcher of the heart.

But by what fate I am inforced still to goe forward, I know not, vnlesse it be the ardent affection and loue to my natiue Countrey; wherein I must confesse that Na∣ture in those gifts hath bene both liberall, yea and prodigall, though Fortune as spa∣ring & fast-handed against me, euer checking the Bit with the Raines of necessity, and curbing the meanes that should illustrate my labours: which moues me some∣times to thinke that if the great Philosopher Theophrastus, had cause on his death∣bed * 1.2 to accuse Nature, for giuing man so long a lesson, and so short a life; then I against Fortune may as iustly exclaime, that hath assigned me so great a labour and so little meanes. And therefore let it not seeme offensiue that I draw my waters from the Ce∣sterns of others, who am not able to fetch them at the spring-head my selfe: Neither that I strike vpon the same Anuile vnto their sound, though nothing so loud, nor with the like strength; wherein yet this fruit at least wil (I hope) redound of my en∣deuours

that I shall incite the more learned: if not otherwise, yet in emulation of me, to free the face drawne by Apelles, from the censure of the fault or defect in the foot, and not onely to amend, but euen to new-mould the whole. Which thing though my dayes are neere spent; and with Barzillai I may say that musicke to me is now vnplea∣sing: * 1.3 yet doth my eare thirst after the set of that straine, as Socrates thoughts ranne euer * 1.4 on his Booke: who the night before he was to suffer death, was desirous to learne musicke, because he would die learning still something. Moses when he foresaw the de∣struction of his Common-wealth, which whilst it stood, was the glory of the earth, and a paterne to all kingdomes succeeding, left this for a Law among the rest, and euen to re∣maine * 1.5 for euer, that the fathers should teach their children, and should commit vnto wri∣ting those things which the Lord in their dayes had done, and enioyned the children; Like∣wise to enquire of the times that were past, euen from the first creation of man: For when as * 1.6 Empires and Kingdomes, Common weales and Cities, do end and perish, yet the Histories thereof do remaine and liue; And that made Cicero to say as he did, that Salamina should be vtterly forgotten, before the things that were done in Salamina should perish: And therefore as among the wise answeres of Thales, the Histories of Countreis are to be * 1.7 accounted for principals, either as Cicero calleth them the Mistres of life, and expositions * 1.8 of Times; so likewise let vs from the lyricall Poet Simonides learne this further, That he * 1.9 is perfectly happy which knowes his natiue countrey to be truly glorious. And as Cassidor•…•… calls * 1.10 him a worthy Citizen that seeketh the commodity of his countrey: So contrariwise he is by Bale esteemed but a fruitles clod of earth, that sucks the sappe of his soile onely to himselfe, * 1.11 whose memoriall shall perish as the dispersed smoake in the clouds, though for a time he mount aloft in his swelling pride. This naturall loue and true affection to our na∣tiue Countrey, we may further learne from the ancient Patriarks and Fathers them∣selues, who besides a desire that they had to theirs, continually to liue therein during life, commanded their bodies to be buried therein after death: from whose Bowels they * 1.12 first had assumed their breathes, and in whose bosome they layd their bones, as in their last bed of rest. Yea, of the vnreasonable creatures, the Birds and Beasts, we may learne this loue, that alwayes are willing towards their home. And if it happen that Countreys grow vnkinde as Homers did, that in his old age and blind, suffred him to beg his bread; or that a Prophet in his owne countrey is not esteemed, as Ieremy felt it, * 1.13 and CHRIST IESVS taught, yet did the one for his peoples captiuity, wish his eyes a * 1.14 fountaine of teares, and the other for his countreys destruction lamented and wept, holding * 1.15 it vnlawfull to take the childrens bread, and to giue it vnto others. * 1.16

That this our Countrey and subiect of History deserueth the loue of her inhabitants, is witnessed euen by forraine writers themselues, who haue termed it the Court of Queene Ceres, the Granary of the Westerne world, the fortunate Island, the Paradise of pleasure and Garden of God; whose Typographicall descriptions for the whole Iland, and Geographical surueyes for the seuerall parts, exceed any other kingdome vnder the cope of Heauen; that onely excepted which was conquered and diuided by Iosuah; And for fruitfulnes and temperature may be accounted another Canaan; watered with riuers that doe cleaue * 1.17 the earth, as the Prophet speaketh, and make the land as rich and beautiful, as was that of Aegypt. Our Kings for valour and Sanctity, ranked with the worthiest in the world, * 1.18 and our Nations originals, conquests, and continuance, tried by the touch of the best hu∣mane testimonies, leaue as faire a Lustre vpon the same stone, as doeth any other, and with any nation may easily contend (saith Lanquet) both for antiquity, and continuall * 1.19 inhabitants, from the first time that any of them can claime their originals.

And although our many Records are perished by the inuasions of strangers, through their couetous Conquest of so faire a Land; or in the ciuill dissensions of homebred aspi∣rers that haue sought the possession of so rich a Crowne, yet Truth hath left vs no lesse beholding vnto her, then mightier Nations, and them that would be far more famous.

Neither is it to be wondred at, that the Records of GREAT BRITAINE are eaten vp with Times teeth, as Ouid speakes, when as in Times ruines lye buried their Registers, * 1.20 that haue bene kept with a stronger guard, as Titus Liuy in the entrance of his Hi∣story affirmeth of the Romanes. As for those things (saith he) as are reported either before, or at the foundation of the City more beautified and set out with Poets fables, then grounded vpon pure and faithfull reports, I meane neither to auerre nor disproue. Of whose vncer∣tainties, let vs a while heare the reporters themselues speake, before we proceed to the certaine successions of our British Monarchs: vntill which time the credit of our Hi∣story may wel be said to waigh with (if not downe peize) many others. Uarro (that lear∣ned Romane writer, who liued an hundred yeeres before the birth of our Sauiour Christ) * 1.21 calleth the first world to the Flood vncertaine; and thence to the first Olympias fabu∣lous: Because in that time (saith he) there is nothing related (for the most part) but fables among the Greekes, Latines, and other learned Nations. And therefore Plutarch begin∣neth the liues of his worthy men, no higher then Theseus: because (saith he) what hath bene written before, was but of strange things, and sayings full of monstrous-fables imagined and deuised by Poets, which are altogether vncertaine and most vntrue. And Diodorus Si∣culus * 1.22 (that liued in Augustus Caesars time, a great searcher after Antiquities, and for thirty yeeres continuance a traueller into many Countreys, for information and fur∣ther satisfaction) writing his History called Bibliotheca, conteyning forty Bookes, and yeeres of continuance one thousand, one hundred thirty and eight, of his first sixe him∣selfe giueth this censure in his Proeme. These Bookes (saith he) contayning the Acts of ancient men, before the destruction of Troy, with the ancient Histories aswell of Grecians as Barbarians, are called fabulous: Which mooued Lucretius the Poet to demaund this question.

Cur supra bellum Thebanum & funera Troia, * 1.23 Non alias qu•…•…dam veteres cecinere Poeta?

Why haue not Poets in their workes of fained stories brought, Things done before the Warres of Thebes, or Troyes destruction wrought?

Yea and of Troyes story it selfe, if we may beleeue Thucydides (whom Bodine * 1.24 commendeth for an absolute Historian) though it be ancient (saith he) yet a great part thereof is fabulous. And Tully out of Plato complayneth of as much: For you Grecians * 1.25 (saith he) as children in learning, deliuer onely things vncertaine, and haue mingled fables with the Warres of Thebes, and of Troy, things (perhaps) which neuer were, but gathered out of the scattered Uerses of Homer and others, not digested by Aristarchus, and are yet vn∣certaine and obscure. And that the Greekes indeed were but babes in Antiquity, Iose∣phus * 1.26 in his Nations defence against Appion, sufficiently doth proue, where he affir∣meth, That the inuention of their Letters was not so old as the siege of Troy, insomuch that the Poesie of Homer (then the which there is none more ancient among them) was not committed to writing, but sung by roate. And the Latine tongue it selfe by M. Cato is * 1.27 said, not to haue beene in vse foure hundred and fifty yeeres before the building of Rome. And Titus Liuy their famous Historian, freely confesseth, That the vse of Letters and * 1.28 learning among the Romanes, was rare and hard to be found before the taking of Rome by the Gaules. Yea, and of the vncertainty of Romes foundation, how lauish so euer Histori∣ans haue written, not onely Fenestella hath continued whole Pages, but Plutarch * 1.29 likewise in the life of Romulus, hath many sayings, whereof this is one. The Historio∣graphers (saith he) do not agree in their writings, by whom, nor for what cause the great name of Rome (the glory whereof is blowne abroad through the world) wasfirst giuen vnto it; some affirming, that the Pelagians after they had runne ouer a great part of the world, lastly stayed themselues in that place where Rome was new built, and for their great strength in Armes, gaue name to that City Rome, which signifyeth power in the Greeke tongue. Other say, that certaine Troians after their siege, in certaine vessels sa∣ued

themselues by flight, and being put into the Thuscan Sea, anchored neere to the Ri∣uer Tyber: whose wiues being extremely Sea-sicke, through the counsell of Roma a Lady, the wisest and worthiest among them, set fire on the whole Fleete; whereupon their husbands (though sore offended) were inforced to make vse of their present necessity, and neere vnto Palantium planted this City, whose fame presently grew great, and in honour of Lady Roma named it Rome; and from hence they say the custome of kissing in salutations came, after the example of these wiues, who to appease the husbands wraths with smiles and imbracings kissed their mouths. Some will haue the name from Roma the daughter of Italus and of Lucaria, or els of Telephus the sonne of Hercules, and of the wife of Aeneas. Others of Ascanius the sonne of Aeneas. Some againe from Romanus the sonne of Ulysses and of Cyrce, wil haue it named Rome. Others from Romus the sonne of Emathion, whom Diomedes sent thither from Troy. There are that bring the name thereof from one Romus a tyrant of the Latines, who droue the Thuscans out of those parts. And they who thinke that Romulus (as that is most generall, and carieth the most likelihood to be Romes founder,) do not agree about his auncestours, as more at large in Plutarch appeareth. And therefore with Thucydides we may well say, It is a hard and difficult matter to keepe a meane in speaking of * 1.30 things, wherein scarsly can be had a certaine opinion of trueth. And the rather, for that the writers themselues haue blamed each others of affectation & falshood, as in Iosephus we * 1.31 may see; who affirmeth, That Hellanicus dissented from Acusilaus, Acusilaus with Diodorus correcting Herodotus; Epherus accused Hellanicus of vntrueths; so did Ti∣maeus reproue Ephorus of as much; Philistus and Callias dissented from Timaeus in his History of Sicily, and Thucydides accounted a lyar by some. Caesar is taxed by Asi∣nius Pollio (saith Suetonius) to be partiall in his Commentaries; And Tacitus by Tertul∣lian is blamed for vntruths; Fabius Maximus is reprehended by Polybius for defe∣ctiuely writing the Punicke warres; and himselfe againe with Silenus, Timaeus, An∣tigonus, & Hierom, as much found fault with by Dionysius Halicarnassaeus, for writing the Romane histories so vnperfectly. And a man may vse the very same speech against Dionysius, saith Bodine. These things thus standing, let vs giue leaue to Antiquitie, who sometimes mingleth falshoods with truth, to make the beginnings of Policies seeme more honourable: And whose power is farre scrued into the worlds conceit, that with Hierome we may say, Antiquity is allowed with such generall applause, that knowne vn∣truthes * 1.32 many times are pleasing vnto many. Yet with better regard to reuerend Anti∣quity, whom Iobs opposer wills vs inquire after, and to our owne relations in deliuering * 1.33 their censures, let this be considered; That more things are let slippe, then are comprehen∣ded in any mans writings, and yet more therein written, then any mans life (though it be long) will admit him to reade. Neither let vs be forestalled with any preiudicate opini∣ons of the reporters; that in somethings may iustly be suspected, or in affection, which by nature we owe to our naturall Countrey; nor consent (as Liuie speaketh) to stand * 1.34 to the ancientnesse of reports, when it seemeth to take away the certainty of truth. To keepe a meane betwixt both, my selfe with Bildad doe confesse, that I am but of yesterday, and know nothing, and therefore wil relate the originall names and Nations of this famous Iland, with the successions of her Monarches and Historicall actions, so farre only as is most approued by the best Writers, and will leaue other clouds of obscurity to be cleared by the labours of a more learned penne.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Heraclite.
• * 1.2

  Theophrastu
• * 1.3

  2. Sam. 19. 35.
• * 1.4

  Socrates.
• * 1.5

  Deut. 6. 6. 7.
• * 1.6

  Deut. 4. 32.
• * 1.7

  Thales.
• * 1.8

  Cicero.
• * 1.9

  Simonides.
• * 1.10

  Cassidore.
• * 1.11

  Bale in Ley∣lands New∣yeeres gift.
• * 1.12

  Gen. 49. 29.
• * 1.13

  Ierem. 37. 1.
• * 1.14

  Matt. 13. 57.
• * 1.15

  Ierem. 9. 1. Luke 19. 41.
• * 1.16

  Matt. 15. 26.
• * 1.17

  Habak. 2. 9.
• * 1.18

  Gene. 13. 10.
• * 1.19

  Tho. Lanquet.
• * 1.20

  Ouid. Metam▪ lib. 15.
• * 1.21

  Histories vn∣certaine to the Flood, and from the Flood to the first Olympias fabulous. Plutarch.
• * 1.22

  Diodorus Si∣culus.
• * 1.23

  Lucretius.
• * 1.24

  Thucydides.
• * 1.25

  Tully.
• * 1.26

  Iosephus contra Appion. lib. 1.
• * 1.27

  M. Cato in a fragment of his.
• * 1.28

  Titus Liui.
• * 1.29

  Fenestella. Plutarch in the life of Romulus.
• * 1.30

  Thucydides lib. 2. cap. 7.
• * 1.31

  Iosephus contra Appion li. 1. Hellanicus. Acusilaus. Diodorus. Herodotus. Ephorus. Timaeus. Philistus. Callias. Thucydides. Suetonius in vi∣ta Caesar. Sect. 55. Tacitus. F. Maximus. Silenus. Antigonus. Hierome. Dionysius Hai. Bodine.
• * 1.32

  Hierom in his Prolog. in Iob.
• * 1.33

  Iob. 8. 8.
• * 1.34

  Titus Liui. lib. 8.