Anglorum speculum, or The worthies of England, in church and state Alphabetically digested into the several shires and counties therein contained; wherein are illustrated the lives and characters of the most eminent persons since the conquest to this present age. Also an account of the commodities and trade of each respective county, and the most flourishing cities and towns therein.

Statesmen.

Sir Edward. Poynings, a Brave Souldier, ferreted Perkin Warbeck out of Ireland, [monarch H. 7.] and being a great Politician, he passed an Act

of Parl. in that Kingdom, whereby All the Sta∣tutes made in England before that time, were made of Force in Ireland; and that no Act should be propounded in any Parl. in Ireland, till first it be transmitted to England, approved there by the King, and returned thence under the broad Seal. After his Return into Engl. he was created Ba∣ron, and died in the beginning of H. 8.

Sir Anth. St. Leger, was properly the first Vice-Roy in Ireland, seeing, during, his Deputy-ship, H. 8. (An. 33.) assumed the Title of King of Ireland. To him all the Irish made their Solemn Sub∣mission, yet they obtained from him some re∣laxation of the Laws of England. He seised all the Abbey-Lands in Ireland for the King's use. He made a Law that no Children should be ad∣mitted to Church-Livings. He Perswaded O Neil and O Brian to come over to England and do Homage to the King, and procure the Title of Earls. He died in the Reign of E. 6.

Sir Hen. Sidney Son to Sir Will. of Penherst, was by Q. Eliz. made Knight of the Garter, Lord Pres. of Wales and Dep. of Ireland, where he made Annaly a Shire by the Name of the County of Longford. In a Parl. 11 Eliz. he a∣bolished the Usurped Captain-ships, &c. He cau∣sed an Act to pass, whereby the Lord Deputy was authorized to accept the surrenders of the Irish Seigniories, with power of regranting the same, &c. He provided that 5 of the best per∣sons of every Sept should bring in all the per∣sons of their surname to be justified by Law. A Law was made that there should be a Free-School in every Diocess. He vested in the Crown more then half of the Province of Ʋl∣ster, upon the Attainder of Shane O Nale.

He raised Customs upon the principal Com∣modities, and reformed the Abuses of the Exche∣quer in that Kingdom. He also established the Composition of the Pale in lieu of Purveyance and sesse of Souldiery, and caused the Statutes in his own time to be printed. He died at Worcester 1586. Having sought the Weal-Public more then his own private Advantage. Whose Son

Sir Phil. Sidney, born at Pensherst, Sisters Son to Rob. E. of Leicester, bred in Christ-Church in Oxf. was a Gentleman of great Accomplishments and a sweet Nature. Being in Election to be K. of Po∣land, he chose rather to be a Subject to Q. Eliz. than a Soveraign beyond the Seas. He was so es∣sential to the English Court, that it seemed maimed without his Company, being a compleat Master of Matter and Language, as his Arcadia doth evidence. At last leaving the Court he followed the Camp, being made Governour of Flushing, under the E. of Leic. But the Walls of that City could not con∣fine the Activity of his Mind, which must into the Field, where, (before Zutphen) he was slain with a Shot, in a small Skirmish, which we may sadly term a Great-Battel, considering our heavy loss there∣in. His Corps being brought over into Engl. was buried in the Quire of St. Pauls.

Sir Fr. Walsingham, Knight, originally descended from the Walsinghams in Norf. was bred in K. Coll. in Camb. and gave the K. of Spain's Bible to the Library thereof; after he had attained to great Experience by many Years travel beyond the Seas, he was made Secretary of State; Marvellous his Sagacity in examining suspected persons, ei∣ther to make them confess the Truth, or confound them by denying it to their detection; Cunning his Hands, who could unpick the Cabinets in the

Popes Conclave; quick his Ears who could hear at London what was whispered at Rome. And numerous the Spies and Eyes of this Argus, dispersed into all places. The Jesuites being out-shot in their own Bow, complained that he out-equivocated their Equivocation having a mental Reservation deeper than theirs. They tax him for making Heaven bow too much to Earth, oftentimes borrowing a point of Conscience with full intent never to pay it again; whom others ex∣cused by Reasons of State and dangers of the Times. He thought that Intelligence could not be bought too dear, the Cause that so great a Statesman left so small an Estate, and that so Publick a Person was so privately buried in St. Pauls, An. 1590. His only Daughter Frances was successively matched to three matchless Men, Sir Philip Sid∣ney, Rob. E. of Essex, and Richard Earl of Clanri∣card.