To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
BRITAIN in the general and more comprehensive signification contains all those Islands both great and small,* 1.1 which lye a∣bout Albion, or Britain properly so called. Ex adverso hujus (saith Ptolomey, speaking of France) Britannia Insula, Albion ipsi nomen fuit, cum Britanniae omnes vocarentur. The whole Dominion of which Islands is at present united under the Com∣mand of the King of Great Britain.
* 1.2They are distinguished into the Greater and Lesser: The Greater are Great Britain and Ireland; The Lesser are, 1 The Orcades, 2 The Hebrides, 3 Man, 4 Anglesey, 5 The Islands of the Severn Sea, 6 The Sorlinges or Isles of Scilly, 7 Wight, 8 Thanet, 9 Sunderland, 10 Holy Island.
* 1.3GREAT BRITAIN, or Britain properly so called, without comparison the best and most flou∣rishing Island of the whole World, is said to have been first named Sa∣mothea from Samothes, supposed to have reigned here Anno Mundi 1910. It was afterwards called Albion, either from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Happy, or ab albis ru∣pibus from its White Cliffs, or (more probably) from King Albion. By de∣grees the Name Britain was appropri∣ated to this Island, the rest having
their particular Names. It was called Britain either from two British Words Pryd and Cain, signifying Beauty and White, or from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Metals, or from the British Word Brith Painted, the Greeks adding 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a Region, or from the Phoenician Word Barat-Anac A Land of Tynne, in which sense the British Islands were by the Greeks called Cassiterides, or from King Bru∣tus, reigning here (as is alledged) Anno Mundi 2855.
It is situated from fifty Degrees six Minutes in the sixteenth Parallel and eighth Climate to sixty Degrees thirty Minutes in the twenty sixth Pa∣rallel, and thirteenth Climate;* 1.4 Lying thus under the eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth Cli∣mates: Insomuch that the longest Day in the most Northern parts is eighteen Hours and three quarters, and the shortest Day in the most Southern neer eight Hours long.
It is in Length from the Lyzard-Point Southward in Cornwal to the Straithy-head in the North of Scotland,* 1.5 six hundred twenty four Miles; in
Breadth from the Lands-end in Corn∣wal in the West to Dover in the East two hundred and eighty; the whole compass thereof (allowing for the Turnings and Windings of the Shores) is eighteen hundred thirty six Miles, thus reckoned: From Dunsby-Heate to the Lands-end eight hundred and twelve; from the Lands-end to the Foreland of Kent, three hundred and twenty; from the Foreland of Kent to Dunsby-Heate seven hundred and four. It is the greatest Island of the whole World, except Java, Bor∣neo, Sumatra, Madagascar, and Groen∣land, and was therefore by the Anti∣ents (to whom these were unknown) called The other World. It is bounded on the East with the German Ocean, dividing it from Belgium, Germany, and Denmark; on the West with St. Georges Chanel, separating it from Ireland; on the Northwest with the Vergivian or Western Ocean, of which the Antients knew no Shore; on the North with the Deucalidon Seas; and on the South with the English Chanel, parting it from France. It is in form triangular; but by some said to have the Resemblance of a great Snake,
the Head whereof with a wide-gap∣ing Mouth, looks toward Norway, and part of Denmark, his Tail extending to the West.
It is said to have been divided by Brutus into Loegria,* 1.6 now called Eng∣land, Cambria Wales, and Albania Scotland. But it was found by Ju∣lius Caesar divided into several petty Provinces or Kingdomes, the Names whereof follow.
After Britain was conquered by the Romans, it was by them divided into Britannia Prima, Britannia Secunda, and Maxima Caesariensis: The first of these containing the South parts, the second all that Western part, now called Wales, and the third the Northern parts beyond Trent. It was afterward divided into Britannia Major, now cal∣led England, and Minor, which is Scotland.
The Britains, having received the Christian Faith, did (for the better Government Ecclesiastical) divide the same into three Provinces or Archbi∣shopricks: viz. the Archbishoprick of London, containing Britannia Prima; the Archbishoprick of York, compre∣hending Maxima Caesariensis; and the Archbishoprick of Caerleon upon Ʋsk, under which was Britannia Secunda. The Heathen Saxons afterward over-running the South part of this Island, and dividing it into seven Kingdoms, the King of Kent being first converted to the Christian Faith by St. Austin, the Archiepiscopal See of London was removed to Canterbury; that of Caerleon was translated to St. Davids in Pembrokeshire, and at last subjected to the See of Canterbury; the Archbi∣shoprick of York, under which was the North of England, and all Scotland, keep∣ing still its first place.
The Britains being by the prevail∣ing Saxons forced to retire into the Western parts beyond the River Severn, that part of the Island was by the said Saxons called Walishland, since Wales; the Southern part, by them inhabited, named England; and the Northern
part Scotland: and the Name of Bri∣tain seemed in a manner lost, till such time as, the Crown of England by indubitable Hereditary Right des∣cending on the Royal House of Scot∣land, King James of happy memory, Grandfather to our present Dread Sove∣raign, reuniting the Kingdoms, restored also the ancient Name of Britain, ad∣ding thereto the Epithet Great, the bet∣ter to distinguish it from Britannia Armorica, a Province in the Realm of France.
The Air,* 1.7 tho different accor∣ding to the many Climates, through which it runs, is generally milde and temperate: the continual Breezes, and gentle Winds from the Sea, the ve∣ry often Interposition of Clouds be∣tween the Sun and Earth, and the frequent Showers of Rain qualifying the Heats and Droughts in Summer; and the warm Vapors of the inviro∣ning Seas mitigating the Cold in Win∣ter, whose Frosts serve only to meli∣orate the cultivated Soil, and its Snow to keep warm the tender Plants. And tho in the most Northern parts of Scotland the Cold is much sharper in
Winter, than in any other place of the Island, yet the great Plenty of Wood, and other Fewel hinders the Inhabi∣tants from suffering much thereby. In a word the Cold is neither so pier∣cing, nor the Heat so scorching, as that there should be need of Stoves in Winter, or Grottaes in Summer.
* 1.8As the Ayr is kind and temperate, so the Soyl is fertil and wholsom, abundantly watered with Springs and Streams, and in many places with great Navigable Rivers, the most e∣minent whereof are the Thames, Se∣vern and Humber. There are (especi∣ally in the South part thereof, called England) few barren Hills, or craggy Rocks; and tho the Northern parts of Scotland are somewhat mountainous, yet there want not (even there) fruit∣ful Valleys, apt for Grain, Grass or Wood. Nay, that very Ground, which lies wast and neglected in Eng∣land, is (by men of no small Judg∣ment) thought far to exceed the Soyl of many Provinces on the Continent. The excellency of the Soyl is mani∣fested by the Complexion of the In∣habitants, who therein exceed all other
Nations of the Universe. It is at∣tested also by those transcendent E∣logies, given her by Antient and Mo∣dern Writers. O happy Britain (said an antient Panegyrist in the time of Constantine the Great) and blessed above all other Regions: Nature hath enriched thee with all the Benefits both of Heaven and Earth, wherein there is neither extreme Cold in Winter, nor scorching Heat in Summer; wherein there is such abundant Plenty of Corn, as may suffice both for Bread and Wine; wherein are Woods without Wild Beasts, and Fields with∣out noysom Serpents, but infinite numbers of Milch-Cattle, and Sheep weighed down with rich Fleeces: And that, which is most comfortable, long Dayes, and lightsome Nights. And long before that, it was called by Orpheus The Seat of Queen Ceres; as since by Charles the Great The Storehouse and Granary of the whole Western World. So that not undeservedly does our English Lucan sing.
The fairest Land, that from her thrusts the rest, As if she car'd not for the World beside; A World within her self with wonders blest.
* 1.9As this our Island is separated from the rest of the habitable World: so Nature, like an indulgent Mother, has furnished it with so great abundance of all things, necessary for the life of Man, that it may easily subsist with∣out the Contribution of any other part of the World.
Insula praedives, quae toto vix eget orbe, Et cujus totus indiget orbis ope: Insula praedives, cujus miretur, & optet Delicias Salomon, Octavianus opes,said old Alfred of Beverly, speaking of Britain. And should I here go a∣bout to enumerate the several sorts of Grain, it bears, its vast abundance of Cattel, yielding wholsom and substan∣tial Food, its great Plenty and Vari∣ety of Fish, Fowl, Fruit, edible Roots and Herbs, I might be thought by Strangers rather to reckon up the Works of Nature, than to describe the Plenty of an Island. It hath indeed such a constant continuance of all sorts of necessary Food, that the Fa∣min, which so often ravages other Countreys, has scarce been felt here these four hundred years. The usual and natural drink of the People is Beer, Ale, Syder, Perry, and in some places Metheglin or Mede.
As this Island affords its Inhabitants all necessary Food for the support of their Life: so it yields them plenty of Rayment for their defence against the Injuries of the Weather. For it pro∣duceth (especially in the South part called England) not only very fine Wooll, making excellently lasting, and well-conditioned Cloth; but also such great abundance thereof, as serves not only for the Cloathing of all sorts of People from the highest to the lowest; but being manufactured into Cloth and Stuffs, is dispersed all over the World, but especially into High-Ger∣many, Muscovia, Turky, and Persia, to the great benefit of its Inhabi∣tants.
And as it thus abounds with Wool: so hath it Linen made therein, inferi∣our to none for its Goodness; nor would it need supply thereof from elsewhere for any use whatever, were the people but so industrious, as they might be, in sowing Flax and Hemp, for the producing whereof they want not fitting Ground, tho there be at present (through their Sloth in neg∣lecting to improve it) much Linen im∣ported to the shame and damage of the Nation.
The Abundance of Cattel here slain furnishes the People with great store of excellent Leather for all sorts of Uses; insomuch that the poorest of them were good Leathern Shooes, whereas in the neighboring Countries they either wear Wooden Shooes, or none at all.
For building it wants not any re∣quisite Materials, being well stored with Timber, Iron, Brick, Tiles, Slate, Lime, Lead, Glass, and Stone, of which our fine Portland Stone is not much in∣ferior to Marble.
For fewel there is either Wood, Sea-Coal, or Pit-Coal, almost everywhere to be had at reasonable rates; and where this is wanting, they burn Turfs or Peats.
For Shipping there is no where better Oak, no where such Knee-timber, as the Shipwrights call it; or Iron to make serviceable Guns.
For War, Journeys, and Hunting; for Plow, Cart, and Carriages, there is such abundant plenty of Horses, that Asses and Mules, so frequently made use of in France, Italy, and Spain, are here utterly despised.
Dogs it hath of all sorts, sizes and
uses: amongst which the English Mast∣iff deservedly has the first Place from all others in the World, a Dog, bold and stout as a Lyon; and yet (when well bred) gentle and manage∣able, as a Lamb: and therefore of singular use for the Defence of Fami∣lies against the Attempts of Thieves and House-breakers.
It produceth likewise, besides a mighty quantity of Tynn, Lead and Iron, some Brass and Copper, and hath also Quicksilver, Antimony, Sulphur, Black-Lead, Orpiment red and yellow, Allom, Salt, Hops, Saff∣ron, Liquoris, and divers other bene∣ficial Commodities: and has several Silver-Mines, richer than those of Po∣tosi in the West-Indies, whence the King of Spain has most of his Silver: those yielding usually but an Ounce and an half of Silver in an hundred Ounces of Oar; and these ordinarily six or eight Ounces per Cent. But these Mines, lying deep, are hard to come unto, which in Potosi is otherwise.
And (as if all this were not sufficient) it yieldeth Physick likewise to the In∣habitants, having in it Hot Baths for the ease of Maims, Bruises, inward
Aches and Paines, and abounding in Medicinal Springs.
And altho there be not much Wine made here at present, yet, if we shall consider, that Vineyards were heretofore common in most of the Southern and middle parts of England, we shall easily be induced to attribute this Defect (if it be any) to the bet∣ter improvement of our Ground, and the cheap and easy Importation of that and other forreign Commodities, the Advantages, it hath from all parts of the World to take in Trade and Merchandize, being so great, as abundantly verifies that of the Old Poet:
Quicquid amat Luxus, quicquid desiderat Ʋsus, Ex te proveniet, vel aliunde tibi.
In a word, tho this Island is by some Countries in some things excel∣led, yet if we consider the Salubrity of the Air, free (in a manner) from violent Thunder and Lightning, un∣wholsom Serenes, and tempestuous Hur∣ricanes, and well-stored with Birds and Fowls; the Fertility of the Soil, rarely subjected to Droughts, Inunda∣tions, or destructive Earthquakes, the
Fields being laden with Corn, the Pastures stockt with Cattel, the For∣rests, Parks (of which in England a∣lone there are more, than in all Eu∣rope besides) Warrens, and Woods stored with wild Beasts only for Re∣creation and Food; the Amoenity and Utility of its Seas, Rivers and Ponds, covered with Ships and Boats, and abounding with all sorts of Fish; its Plenty of Metals and Minerals; the strength of its Situation, being so walled and guarded with the Oce∣an, so well furnished with excellent Shipping and Sailors, and so abound∣ing with commodious Ports and Ha∣vens, that it is rightly termed The Lady of the Sea, we may well be per∣mitted to affirm, that for necessary Food and Raiment, for pleasant and wholsom Living, for Safety and Secu∣rity, it is hardly to be equalled by any Kingdom in the World, and needs not fear the Force of any Neighbor∣ing Nation, but that, which over∣powering us at Sea, shall thereby de∣prive us of our strongest Bulwark, and of an Island make us a Continent. Not without reason therefore did an Antient Writer thus cry out: Britain,
Thou art a glorious Isle, extolled and re∣nowned among all Nations; the Navies of Tharsis cannot be compared with thy Shipping, bringing in all precious Com∣modities of the World: The Sea is thy Wall, and strong Fortifications do secure thy Ports: Chivalry, Clergy, and Mer∣chandize do flourish in thee. The Pisans, Genoveses, and Venetians do bring thee Saphires and Carbuncles from the East: Asia serveth thee with Silk and Purple, Africa with Cinamon and Balm, Spain with Gold, and Germany with Silver: Thy Weaver Flanders doth drape Cloth for thee of thine own Wool;* 1.10 Thy Gas∣coign doth send thee Wine: Buck and Doe are plentiful in thy Forests: Droves of Cattle, and Flocks of Sheep are upon thy Hills: All the Perfection of the goodliest Land is in thee: Thou hast all the Fowl of the Air. In plenty of Fish thou dost surpass all Regions. And albeit thou art not stretched out with large Limits, yet bordering Nations, cloa∣thed with thy Fleeces, do wonder at thee for thy blessed Plenty. Thy Swords have been turned into Plow-shares: Peace and Religion flourisheth in thee; so that thou art a Mirror to all Christian Kingdoms.
BRITAIN, being a Country,* 1.11 so rich in Commodities, so beauti∣ful in situation, and so well stored with every thing, necessary for the support of Human Life, that, if the World had been by its omnipotent Creator fashioned like a Ring, as it is like a Globe, she might well have been esteemed the only Gemme there∣in: it is no wonder, that she has been possest by many Nations, and coveted by many more; and that, whereas some Countries are still held by their Aborigines, or the first, that laid claim to them, it should be a matter of no small difficulty to find out the first In∣habitants of this Island.
The first Inhabitants of the Island,
now called Great Britain, had their Original (as may be reasonably con∣jectured from their calling themselves Kumero, Cymro, and Kumeri, which Name was so ancient amongst them, that Cymro and Cymri doth now signifie as much as Aborigines) from the Cimbri of the Continent, who are supposed to be the Relicks of the ancient Cimmerii, that, proceed∣ing from Scythia into the Countries, afterwards called Sarmatia and Germa∣ny, and establishing themselves upon the Sea-coasts of Gaul, passed over into this Island likewise, and here seated themselves. But in process of time, and before the Dayes of Caesar, the Germans Valor decreasing, the Gauls, increasing in Number and Power, re∣covered their antient Seats, and pro∣ceeded into Britain also, and invaded part of the Cimbri, who had long be∣fore placed themselves in this Island; and altho they obtained the Sea-coasts, and entred far into the Inland parts, and so by long possession came to be called Britains, yet they were by the more antient Inhabitants, who esteemed themselves the only Aborigi∣nes of the Island, looked upon only as Incroachers.
Soon after (if not contemporary with the Cimbri) are the Phaenicians supposed to have been in this Island, who, being in the first Ages of the World the best, if not only Naviga∣tors, passing through the Straits to discover the Western Seas, first of all the Inhabitants of the Mediterranean found out these Islands, arriving first at the Isles of Scilly, which finding to abound with Tynn, they called in their Language Bratanac, which the Greeks by a Word of like signification ren∣dred Cassiterides. The Phaenicians, af∣terwards discovering the Western parts of this Island, now called Corn∣wall and Devonshire, the same name was communicated thereunto, and by Degrees to all the Islands, situated in the Western Ocean.
The Usefulness of those excellent Commodities, brought by the Phaenici∣ans from Britain, rendred the Greeks very curious in search of the Place, from whence they came, which the Phaenicians as studiously concealed from them: Yet Colaeus having discovered the Western Seas, the Greeks found out these Islands, where they setled vast Colonies, landing first at Man
and Anglesey, and introduced into the whole Island a great number of their Religious Ceremonies, and other Cust∣oms.
In the Year of the World 3913. Julius Caesar, being offended with the Britains for having under-hand assisted his Enemies the Gauls, invaded this Nation, but may be said rather to have discovered it, than conquered it: from which he was so far, that Lucan sayes positively of him,
Territa quaesitis ostendit terga Britannis. But afterwards in the Time of Clau∣dius the Southern Parts of it were made a Roman Province.
The Britains being thus partly sub∣dued by the Romans, some of them, impatient of subjection, sheltring themselves behind the Cheviot Hills, and Mount Grampius, infested the Ro∣man Colonies, and retaining the an∣cient Custom of painting themselves, when the other Britains, now civili∣zed, had left it off, were distinguished by the Name of Picts, those only being called Britains, who were under the Romans Jurisdiction. These Picts inhabited the more Southern Parts of so much of the Island, as was left un∣conquered
by the Romans, the more Northern parts being long before pos∣sest by the Scots, who Anno mundi 3641. coming out of Ireland, seated them∣selves there, and called it Scotland.
In the Decay of the Roman Empire the Britains, deserted by the Romans, and weakned by the many Armies, they had drawn from them, and in∣fested by the Scots and Picts, did in the Reign of King Vortigern call in the Saxons to their Assistance, who by de∣grees possest themselves of all the flourishing parts of the Island, driving the Britains into the mountainous Parts of Wales and Cornwal.
Of the Laws,* 1.12 whereby the Antient Britains were governed, the most re∣markable, that have come to our knowledg, are seven, said to have been made by Molmutius Dunwallo, translated out of the British speech in∣to the Latin by Gildas, and after∣wards into the English Saxon by King Alfred. They are these that fol∣low:
1. That the Temples of the Gods should enjoy such Priviledges, that whatever Malefactor should fly thi∣ther
for Sanctuary, should not be forced from thence, till he had obtained Par∣don for his Crime.
2. That the Wayes, leading to the Temples, and the Roads of great Cities, should have like Priviledges.
3. That Plows, Oxen, and other la∣boring Cattle should enjoy the like Immunities, lest, the Ground being un∣tilled, the People might perish for want of Bread.
4. That a certain number of Plows should be used in every County of the Land, with severe Penalties to be inflicted upon those, that should lessen the Number.
5. That no Oxen or laboring Beasts should be seized for Debt.
6. That Buying and Selling should be by certain set Weights and Mea∣sures.
7. That Thieves and Robbers should be severely punished.
* 1.13The great Goodness and Wisdom of GOD having created Man for the Enjoyment of himself, and all other things for the use and service of Man in order to his attaining of this sublime End, it is but just, that
Man should pay a Soveraign Adora∣tion and Respect to this bounteous Creator, and a punctual Obedience to all his Commands. The true Manner of performing this Adoration was by Adam, who received it of GOD him∣self, taught his Posterity; but they deviating from his Precepts, and be∣coming guilty of all sorts of Impieties, the Almighty sent an universal Deluge, which washt away all Mankind (eight Persons only excepted) from off the Face of the Earth.
The Posterity of Noah, who with his Wife, his three Sons, and their Wives, alone escaped this common Calamity, too soon forgetting the se∣vere Punishment, inflicted upon the former Generation of Men for their Irreligion, left the Service of the true Deity, adoring the Inventions of their own Heads, and the Works of their own Hands: so that amongst all the Inhabitants of the Earth there were antiently none but the Jews, who Worshipt the true GOD in the true manner.
No wonder then, that the Religion of the antient Britains was Paganish Superstition, they having many Idol-Gods,
the chief whereof were these, that follow.
1. Taramis, or the Thunderer, the same with Jupiter, to whom, as to many other of their Gods, they of∣fered human Sacrifices.
2. Tutates, or Mercury, who was esteemed the Inventor of all Arts and Sciences, and particularly of Letters, and the Sickle; as also the Leader in in all Journeys, and Guide in all Wayes; and whose Patronage was esteemed to be of a wonderful Efficacy for promoting Gain in Mony, or any kind of Merchandize. To his Ho∣nour there were Mounts cast up, and consecrated, especially where many Wayes met, and his Statue erected upon them, pointing to the Wayes.
3. Hesus, the same with Mars, the God of War and Peace, called also Camulus: from whom came Camu∣lodunum or Mars-Hill, now Maldon in Essex. To him also were Men sa∣crificed.
4. Hues, or Bacchus, whose Priests were called Eubages. Of the Feasts of this God Pliny is supposed to speak, where he saies, That the Bri∣tains died themselves like Aethiopians
at some solemn Sacrifices, and performed their Worship with Men and Women go∣ing naked.
5. Belenus, who was the same with Apollo, represented by the Bri∣tains with an Harp. His Priests were called Paterae.
6. Belisama, or the Moon, The Queen of Heaven, viz. Diana, the Sister of Apollo, called also Ardurena and Ardoena, the Goddess of Woods and Mountains. She had somtime a Temple in London, where now stands the Cathedral of St. Paul.
7. Onvana, or Minerva, to whose Honour there was a Temple erected, where is now the Cathedral of Bath.
8. Adraste, or the Goddess of Victory, supposed to be the same with the Venus armata of the Cytheraei and Lacedaemonians, and the Venus Victrix of the Romans. In Temples, and in Groves, called by her Name the Groves of Adraste, they sacrificed to her Pri∣soners alive.
They are thought also to have wor∣shipped Ceres and Proserpina, to whom and other Infernal Deities were per∣formed Nocturnal Sacrifices, where
many abominable Lusts, and horrid Villanies were committed.
In these parts likewise was Wor∣shipped Ogmius or the Phoenician Hercules, who was represented an Old and decrepit Man, bald-pated, white-haired, wrincle-skinned, and Sun-burnt, having a Globe in one hand, and a pair of Compasses in the other.
Besides these they had also for Gods Portenta (saith Gildas) ipsa dia∣bolica paene numero Aegyptiaca vincen∣tia Many ugly Spectres, meerly Dia∣bolical, exceeding in number even those of Aegypt. Some of which Re∣presentations were remaining even to his dayes in the Ruines of their Ci∣ties, having deformed Lineaments, and stern and grim Countenances.
For the performance of their Sa∣crifices, and other Superstitious Ce∣remonies of their Idolatrous Religion, they had many Priests and Instructers, the chief whereof were the Bards and the Druids. The Bards, who are justly esteemed the most ancient Order in Britain, and were long be∣fore the Druids, being supposed to have their Original from the Phoeni∣cians, were made use of in the Deify∣ing
of Great Men, composing in Verse the Praises of the Gods and Heroes, and the whole Body of their Divinity: till that, the Druids, who were brought in by the Greeks, get∣ing the upper hand, they degenera∣ted by degrees into common Ballad-singers, and those, that before sang of the Immortality and Essence of the Soul, the Praises of the Gods, and the Encomiums and Vertues of Great Men, gave themselves up now to the composing of Mystical Rimes, Charms, Spels, and Incantations: to which, as the Britains of old, so the Welsh are even at this day prodigiously addicted.
The Druids, succeeding, did not totally abolish the Customs and Opi∣nions of the Bards, but retained the most useful of them, particularly the Doctrine of the Immortality of the Soul, to which they added that of its Transmigration, first taught by Pytha∣goras, about whose Time, or not long after, the Greeks are supposed to have entred this Island. These grew so powerful, that they not only became the sole Interpreters of Religion, ne∣cessarily present in the exercise there∣of,
without whom neither publick nor private Sacrifices could be performed; but were made Judges also of all Con∣troversies and Crimes, and absolute Determiners of all Disputes about Inhe∣ritances and Bounds of Lands, issuing out their Excommunications for Non∣performance of their Decrees even upon the Temporal Magistrates themselves, and making themselves feared by ha∣ving it in their power to determin, whose Blood would be the most ac∣ceptable Sacrifice to the Gods. No wonder therefore, that they were ex∣empted from War, and Taxes, and enjoyed many other great Priviledges and Immunities.
Their Jurisdiction extended over the whole Island and some part of Gallia, and they were subject to two Primates: one of which, under whom were the Northern Druids, had his Residence in the Isle of Man; the other, under whom were the Southern, in An∣glesey. Yet Caesar writes, that they were subject but to one Chief, who was constituted by Election. This being a Place of Great Repute, there were in its vacancy many Competitors, in∣somuch that the Secular Power was
sometimes engaged in the Quarrel, each Prince endeavouring to strength∣en his Authority by advancing a Fa∣vourite of his own to that Seat. They had once a year a solemn Meet∣ing at Chartres in France, but their chief Residences were in the Isles of Man and Anglesey, whither resorted both from Britain and Gaul those, who desired to be initiated in their Ceremonies, where they continued sometimes near twenty years to be instructed in the Mysteries of their Religion, which they were not per∣mitted to carry away any otherwise, than in their Memories. When Bri∣tain was invaded by the Romans, the the Southern Druids retired to Angle∣sey, and the Northern to Man: at length those of Anglesey, being driven out of their Seat, repaired likewise to Man, where they continued till such time, as King Cratilinth Anno Domini 277. with great difficulty expelled them.
They taught among other things, that the Life of a Man, either in a desperate Sickness, or in the Perils of War, could not be secured, un∣less another suffered in his stead:
wherefore in such Cases they either sacrificed Men, or vowed so do after their delivery. The most acceptable Sacrifice to their Gods were esteemed Murtherers, Robbers, and such like Criminals, but where those were wan∣ting, Innocents often suffered. They made in some places the Image or Statue of a Man, the Limbs whereof were made of Osier Twigs, woven together like Basket-ware: this they filled with live Men, and setting it on fire, caused the poor Creatures to perish in the Flames and Smoak.
The first Occasion of erecting these Wicker Images is supposed to have been in Detestation of the Slavery, they suffered under the Phoenicians, who, being Men of a vast and ex∣ceeding Stature, had for a long time subdued, and kept them under, and were (no doubt) those Giants, whom the British Histories say to have so long infested the Land. The Tra∣dition of whose being in Cornwall was preserved to the dayes of Ha∣villan the Poet, who lived about four hundred years since. Whose Verses concerning Cornwall are these.
—Titanibus illa Sed paucis famulosa Domus, quibus uda Ferarum Terga dabant Vestes, Cruor Haustus, Pocula Trunci, Antra Lares, Dumeta Thoros, Caenacula Rupes, Praeda Cibos, Raptus Venerem, Spectacula Caedes, Imperium Vires, Animos Furor, Impetus Arma, Mortem Pugna, Sepulchra Rubus: Monstrisque gemebat Monticolis tellus: sed eorum plurima Tractûs Pars erat occidui, Terror, majorque premebat Te Furor, extremum Zephyri, Cornubia, Limen.
—Here lodgd of Old A Race of Titans, impious and bold: Their Bodies with raw Hides they clad, allaid With Blood their Thirst, of hollow Trees they made Their Cups, their Beds were Mosse Bushes, Dens Their Houses were, their Chambers craggy Pens: Their Hunger Prey, Rape did their Lust supply:
The Sport of slaughtring men did please their Eye: Force gat them Rule, Fury them Courage gave, Rage Arms, a Battle Death, a Grove a Grave: These Monsters dwelt on Hills, and did molest Each Quarter of the Land, but most the West, Thou, Frighted Cornwall, never having Rest.
The Druids officiated only in Groves of Oak, planting for that purpose very many up and down the whole Island: for they highly venerated this Tree, and more especially the Missle∣toe growing thereon, without a Branch whereof they performed no Sacrifice, and which, being found on a Tree, was esteemed a sure Sign, that the GOD, whom they were then about to serve, had made choise of it. This was by them gathered with many Su∣perstitious Ceremonies and great De∣votion. 1. They observed, that at the time of gathering it the Moon was to be neither more nor less than six dayes old. 2. Having prepared their Sacrifices under the Tree,
they brought thither two young Bul∣locks milk-white, whose Horns were then, and not before, bound up. 3. The Priest, cloathed in white, climbed the Tree, and with a golden Bill cut down the Missletoe, which was recei∣ved below in a Souldiers white Cas∣sock. 4. They blessed the Gift, mum∣bling over many Orisons. The Mis∣sletoe, thus gathered, was reputed a Soveraign Antidote against Poyson and Barrenness.
Caesar, at his coming into Britain,* 1.14 found it Inhabited by two sorts of People: The more inland parts by such, as esteemed themselves 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or to have had their Original out of the very Soil, they lived in, quos natos in Insula ipsa memoria prodi∣tum dicunt, as he has it; The Mari∣time parts being possest by such, as re∣sorted thither from Gaul and Belgi∣um, for the sake either of Traffick or Conquest. The want of observing this Distinction is the Cause of the seeming Contradictions, that are found in such Writers, as discourse of the Manners and Customs of the ancient Britains.
Those on the Sea-coasts were more civilized, had Houses, Orchards, Gardens, tilled and manured their Grounds, and agreed very much in manners with the Gauls; but the Inlan∣ders for want of Converse, and living in a perpetual State of War, were more rude and barbarous, symbolizing with the Germans, from whom they are thought to have had their Ori∣ginal.
The Britains are generally repre∣sented by most Authors to be of a kind and gentle Disposition, not hav∣ing the Craft and Subtilty of other Nations, but a fair-conditioned Peo∣ple, of a plain and upright Dea∣ling.
That they were valorous, none can doubt, who considers, with what dif∣ficulty, notwithstanding the many Di∣visions and Quarrels amongst their own petty Princes, they were subject∣ed to the Romans; how serviceable they were to them afterwards in their Wars; how vigorously, tho then ve∣ry few, their Land having been dis∣peopled by the Romans, they with∣stood the numerous Forces of the Saxons, whom their own Invitation
first gave footing amongst them; and, when over-powered by them, they were forced to retire into the more Western Parts of this Island, how stoutly they maintained their Liber∣ties against the English Kings both of the Saxon and Norman Race; and how by a voluntary Submission, rather than Force, they were brought under Subjection to the Crown of England: Since which time they have been out∣gone by none in Loyalty and Fidelity to their Prince.
The Inlanders had all things amongst them in common, and would not ad∣mit of any Propriety, insomuch that ten or twelve of them promiscuously made use of the same Women, Bre∣thren with Brethren, and Parents with their own Children, the Issue, which was bred up by a common Stock, being more particularly reputed his, who had the first Enjoyment of the Mothers Virgin Embraces.
They inured themselves to all Hard∣ship, being able to undergo any Cold, Hunger, and Labor whatever: so that they would stick themselves in Boggs up to their very Heads, con∣tinuing there many dayes together
without any Sustenance.
The Britains were generally very much addicted to Magick, as are their Descendents the Welsh even to this very day.
* 1.15It was the Custom of the antient Britains, that, when any great man died, his Relations made Enquiry (if there were Suspicion) amongst his Wives concerning his Death, who, if they were found guilty, were puni∣shed with Fire and other Torments: From whence Sir Edward Cook de∣rives the Law of England at this day for burning those Women, who kill their Husbands.
Thieves and Murderers were reser∣ved by them to be offered in Sacrifice to the Gods: and so were Captives, taken in their Wars.
The greatest Punishment, not ca∣pital, amongst them was Excommuni∣cation, which was issued out by the Druids not only against private, but also against publick persons. Those, upon whom this Censure was inflicted, were accounted impious and profane, unca∣pable of any Honorable Office, and excluded the Benefit of the Law,
none daring to approach them, or converse in talk with them, tho at a distance, for fear of being in∣fected by them.
The old Language of the Britains,* 1.16 who have been above all other Nati∣ons curious to preserve it entire with∣out any mixture, was the same (set∣ting aside some small Variations) that is spoken at this day not only by the Britains of England, but also by those of Armorica in France. Which altho it has in it many Phoenician, and more Greek Words, yet the Idiom of it, as to the main, appears to be Teutonick, and the Words, which they received either by Trading with the former Nations, or the Invasion of the Gauls, seem much to be modelled to that Dialect.
Besides this generall Language of the Country, the Greek, or at least a Dialect thereof, was preserved en∣tire amongst the Druids, who not on∣ly therein concealed the Mysteries of their Religion, which they commit∣ted not to Writing, but delivered down by a Traditionary Conveyance to those only, who admitted them∣selves
of that Order, and under∣went the Severities of a long and te∣dious Discipline: But their Records also were preserved in the Greek Tongue and Characters, which, unin∣telligible by the Vulgar, none could have Recourse unto, but Persons of Repute and Learning: Nor were they permitted to take any thing a∣way in Writing, but by Memory on∣ly, the Trust of keeping these things being reposed in some persons, who for their singular Fidelity, Integrity, and Learning were chosen for that purpose.
* 1.17The antient Britains were of Sta∣ture taller than the Gauls (whose Ex∣pression concerning them to Caesar was, that other Nations seemed as Nothing in their Eyes) their Hair not so yellow, nor their Bodies so com∣pact, knit, and firm, having but bad Feet to support them; but the other Lineaments of their Body were well made, and their Features excellent. The Goodness of their Constitution was such, that they are said to have lived to the Age of an hundred and
twenty Years. Strabo saies, that he saw very Youths amongst them taller by half a foot than the tallest men. Nor were the Women less remarkable for Beauty, than the Men for Stature. Yet were not the Complexions of the People every where the same: the North Britains being fair, having large Limbs, and long yellow Hair, as the Ger∣mans; the South Britains swarthy, and having curled Hair like the Spaniards; the Coast, lying upon France, agree∣ing in Language, Customs, and every thing with the Gauls.
They were so exceeding swift of Foot, that, laying their Hands on the Manes of their Horses, they could e∣qual them in their Race.
Their Diet was simple, not dainty;* 1.18 and that of the inland Britains very spare and mean: for living continu∣ally in War, and frequently shifting the Places of their Abode, not much unlike the Cossacks in the Ʋkraine, they tilled not any Ground, kept no Sheep, nor made any Cheese; but satisfied their Hunger with any sort of Prey, as Venison, Natural Fruits, and Milk, and many times with Roots and Barks
of Trees. They esteemed it unlawful to eat either Hare, Hen, or Goose. The Sea-coast or Gaulish Britains had Gardens and Orchards, manured their Grounds with Marl, howed their Corn, and brought it in by Sheaves; but never threshed more than for pre∣sent use only. These were daintier in their Diet than the former, having particular Dishes in great Request, the most delicate whereof was the Chenerotes, a Fowl somwhat less than Wild-Geese. The Britains had also a kind of Food, of which eating but the Quantity of a Bean, they did for a considerable time after neither hun∣ger nor thirst. Their usual drink was made of Barley, a thing in for∣mer Ages unknown to any Nation of Europe, the Britains only excepted: to whom this Custom is (not impro∣bably) conjectured to have been brought by the Phoenicians from Aegypt.
* 1.19Man, being created in a State of perfect Integrity, had before his fall no other Cloathing, but his own Innocency. But no sooner had he transgressed the Command of GOD by eating the
forbidden Fruit, but being divested of that Robe of Purity, wherewith he was clad in his Creation, he grew ashamed likewise of his external Na∣kedness, which he sought to cover with Figleaves. Soon after he recei∣ved from GOD himself a Coat of Skins, and this was the first Original of Apparel, which Pride, playing upon conceited Opinions of Decency, has since infinitely varied in matter, form, and fashion, still continuing to do the same.
Of the Old Britains, the Inlanders were for the most part cloathed with Skins, some few only going naked. The Sea-coast or Gaulish Britains had the same sort of Habits, as the Gauls: The most remarkable whereof were Gaunacum, whence our Word Gown, which was a thick Covering, made of course Wool, having a Nap on both sides like Freez, worn by the Gauls and better sort of Britains to keep out the Cold; and Bardiacus, a Garment of divers Colours woven to∣gether, the gaudy Shew whereof was no doubt very pleasing in the eyes of the Britains; to which may be added Brachae, a Garment common both to
the Gauls and Britains, descending be∣low, and covering the knees: of which Martial saith,
Quam veteres Brachae Britonis pau∣peris.—
The Hair of their Heads, and up∣per Lips they wore long, but shaved it off in all other parts.
In Caesars Dayes the Britains pain∣ted their Faces, Hands, and such o∣ther parts of their Bodies, as were commonly exposed to sight, with Woad, that they might appear more terrible in Battel. But in after Ages amongst those Britains, who, being by the Romans driven out of their pos∣sessions, betook themselves both Men and Women to their Arms, and were reduced to a Savage Life, this use of Painting, practiced before only in Time of War, and that by none but men, grew into such Request, partly, because it was (as they fancied) ter∣rible to their Enemies, and partly, because wanting Cloaths, they had no other distinction of their Dignities, that the Women, as well as the Men, painted all their Bodies with terrible Creatures, and because by their being exposed naked in the Fields, and of∣ten
subject to wet weather, their Painting was apt to wash off, they made Incisions into their Flesh, where∣by to keep it in. From hence in pro∣cess of time, these painted Britains were called Picts.
About the same Time also, as it is not improbably conjectured, was the Custom taken up of wearing Iron Rings about their Necks and Bellies, which being first begun by a necessity of Carriage, was afterward esteemed an Ornament.
The chiefest Recreation of the Bri∣tains,* 1.20 whose Habitations were most in the Woods, was Hunting, they hav∣ing excellent Dogs for that purpose: insomuch that Strabo witnesseth, that the Dogs, called Agasaei, so much estee∣med by the Greeks, were of British Race, which Dogs are by us to this day called Gase-hounds.
The Trading of the antient Bri∣tains,* 1.21 tho not to be compared with that of After-times, was not yet so inconsiderable, as they would per∣swade us, who affirm, that it con∣sisted chiefly in Ivory Boxes, Sheers,
Onches, Bits and Bridles, Wreaths and Chains, with other Conceits made of Glass and Amber: For Strabo, relating their Traffick, sayes, that, in exchange for Tynne and Lead, Skins and Furrs, they received Earthen Vessels, Salt and Brazen Ware of the Phaenicians, who were the first, that traded hither, and so industriously concealed this Navi∣gation from others, that a certain Master of a Ship, being jealous of a Roman Vessel, that followed him, for to learn this Traffick, purpose∣ly ran his Ship upon the Sands, and having brought those, by whom he was followed, into the same Destructi∣on, himself escaped Shipwrack, and re∣ceived Satisfaction for his Losses out of the publick Treasury.
* 1.22Their Shipping indeed was very mean: for they had only certain lit∣tle Skiffs, the Keels and Footstocks whereof were made of slight Tim∣ber, but the Bodies were wound and wrought with Osiers, and covered with Leather.
* 1.23For the better supply of the mutu∣al
Necessities of Mankind, People at first bartered or exchanged (according as occasions required) one Commodity for another; but that being found troublesom, some one or other Com∣modity was every where found out to be the Standard of Commerce and Traffick. This amongst all civilized Nations terminated in Gold and Sil∣ver, which, as most beautiful, pliable, portable, and least Subject to rust, were (even in the Dayes of Abraham) chosen to be the Instruments of Ex∣change, and the Measure of all other things, and were at first paid only by weight, till the Romans about three hundred years before CHRIST first invented the Art of Coyning.
Yet have not these two Me∣tals so far prevailed, but that other matter hath been, and in divers pla∣ces still is used for Money. The an∣tient Britains particularly instead of Money made use of Iron Rings, sized at a certain Weight, and besides these of brazen Pieces, some of which had a figure of a Shield embost, and on that side a certain Image, the De∣vice being within: which kind of Coin was in use in no other part of
the World, except in some places, be∣longing to Greece.
* 1.24The Buildings of the Sea-coast Bri∣tains were many, and like to those of the old Gauls: The Inlanders had no Houses but certain cumbersome Woods stood them instead of Cities and Towns: for when they had by felling of Trees en∣compast a spacious round plat o•• Ground, and fortified it with Rampires and Ditches, they built there for them∣selves Huts and Cottages, and for their Cattel set up Stalls and Folds, making thither their Retreat and Resort, to eschew the Invasions of their Enemies
* 1.25The Britains, (being as we have ob∣served) a People very swift of foot never burdened themselves with an Armor, which they could not a their pleasure fling off. Their Defen∣sive Arms were only Shields; for Of¦fensive Weapons they had short Spears at the lower end of which was fastne•• a round Bell of Brass, which at th•• beginning of a fight they shook with great Courage, conceiting, that such a ratling Noise did dismay the Ene¦my. They had also Daggers, and
Swords, which those, who went na∣ked, girt about their Bodies with Iron Chains.
The different Interests of the many petty Princes,* 1.26 amongst whom this Island was divided, keeping them in continual Wars, the Britains must of necessity be well-experienced Souldi∣ers: But their Manner of fighting was so peculiar to themselves, that Caesar related it for a Wonder in the Western Parts. They fought in a Body, cal∣led Caterva, or Caturfa, as the Ro∣mans had their Legion, and the Ma∣cedonians their Phalanx.
Their usual manner of fighting was in Chariots, of which they had se∣veral sorts, the most remarkable whereof were the Covinus and the Essedum.
The Covinus was a sort of Chariot, carrying no men at all, but only him, that guided it. It was exceedingly well harnassed and armed, having at both Ends of the Axletrees Hooks and and Scyths fastned, so that driving furiously into the Enemies Battel, they made whole Lanes of slaughtered men, the Scyths cutting off those in the
middle, who did not speedily make way, and the Hooks catching up those, that had escaped the Scyths.
The Essedum carried many persons, who, as the Charioteer rode through all the parts of the Battle, bestowed their Darts, which, with the terrible appearance of the Horses, and the ratling Noise of the Wheels, usually brake the Ranks of their Enemies. When they had wound themselves in amongst their Enemies, they leapt out of their Chariots, and fought on foot, the Charioteers in the mean time dri∣ving out of the Battle, and drawing up their Chariots, whither they re∣tired, when over-powered by the Ene∣my. In the managing their Chariot-Horses daily Practice had rendred them so expert, that driving forci∣bly down a steep Hill, they could stop, and turn short in the midst of their Career, run upon the Beam, stand up∣on the Harness, and skip presently back into their Chariots.
The Horses, used by the Britains in their Chariots, were small and swift: their Harness was not only substantial, but also curiously wrought & engraven, as may be gathered from these Words of Propertius,
Esseda caelatis siste Britanna jugis.
The Britains began their day at Sun-set,* 1.27 which Custom they are sup∣posed to have learnt from the Phaeni∣cians, who, as all other Eastern Nati∣ons, used the same manner of Com∣putation, which they received from the Jews, who were taught by Moses, that the Evening and the Morning were the first Day. Thus, what the Romans called Septimana, is in the British Tongue to this day called With-nos. and in English a Sennight, the Ab∣breviation of Seven Nights.
From the same Original also was their Observation of the New Moon, in whose first Quarter they began not only their Months, and New Years, but their several Ages likewise, which were comprehended in a Cycle of thir∣ty Years.
* 1.28OF Government there neither are, nor can be more than three Spe∣cies: For the Soveraign Command of a State must either reside in one, which is Monarchy; or in some prin∣cipal persons, which is Aristocracy; or in the whole Body of the People, which is Democracy.
* 1.29Of these the best and only perfect (not to say, only lawful) kind of Go∣vernment is the Monarchical, not only as having the nearest Resemblance of the Divinity, but as being the first, and only Natural Government of Mankind, and under which the Sub∣ject has ever found the greatest Hap∣piness, and suffered ••he fewest Incon∣veniences.
* 1.30The Original and first Institution of this most excellent Government was from GOD himself; who, having
created Adam, commanded him to mul∣tiply, and replenish the Earth, and sub∣due it, and to have Dominion over all Creatures, constituting him thereby Monarch of the Universe.
The Posterity of Adam had no Right to possess any thing, but by Grant or Permission from him, or Succession to him, who, when his Chil∣dren grew up, and came to have Children of their own, over whom they also had a Command and Power, assigned them their distinct Territo∣ries by Right of private Dominion, yet still with Subordination to him∣self, who was Lord-paramount over his Childrens Children to all Gene∣rations. Absurd therefore is the Fan∣cy of those, who imagin an indepen∣dent Multitude, having a natural Right to Community: A thing, which never had any Being, but in the Chi∣maerical Brains of the Assertors. An Opinion this is, which cannot be maintained without the great Scan∣dal of Christianity, and opening a Door to Atheisme by denying the Creation of Adam.
Adam then was Father, King, and Lord over his Family; a Son, a Sub∣ject,
a Servant, a Slave, were then one and the same thing. Nor was he tied to govern by any Laws, but that, which was by his Creator im∣planted in his Breast, called there∣fore the Law of Nature, which if he transgressed, he (as all succeed∣ing Monarchs) was accountable to GOD alone, from whom he received it.
From Adam this Right of Sove∣raignty was to descend to his eldest Son, to whom GOD himself (even in his Fathers Life-time) speaking of his younger Brother, said: Ʋnto thee shall his Desires be subject, and thou shalt rule over him.
This was the Foundation of Go∣vernment before the Universal Deluge: which (washing away all the rest of Mankind from the face of the Earth) left this Universal Soveraignty to Noah, who with his Wife, his Sons, and their Wives, only remained alive. By Noah was the whole World divided amongst his three Sons: From one of which, their Sons, or Nephews, scattered abroad after the Confusion of Babel, do most of the civilest Nations of the Earth labour to deduce their Original.
The Posterity of Noah, to secure themselves (as they thought) from be∣ing destroyed by another Flood, went about to erect a Tower, the Top whereof, they intended, should reach up to Heaven. But to shew, how vain all humane Designments are, which think to contest with the Dis∣pensations of Divine Providence, the Almighty sent amongst them a Con∣fusion of Tongues, and dispersed those, who were congregated into one place, over the Face of the whole Earth.
By this Dispersion there were (according to the generally-received Opinion) seventy two distinct Nations erected, all which were not confused Multitudes, left at Liberty to choose what Governors or Government they listed; but so careful was GOD even in that Confusion to preserve the Pater∣nal and Monarchical Authority, that he distributed the Diversity of Lan∣guages according to the Diversity of Families, having Fathers for Rulers over them. This appears plainly in the sacred Text, where, after the Enumeration of the Sons and Grand∣sons of Japheth, immediately follow
these Words: By these were the Isles of the Gentiles divided in their Lands: every one after his Tongue, after their Families, in their Nations. So again of the Children of Ham it is said: These are the Sons of Ham, after their Families, after their Tongues, in their Countreys, and in their Nations. And again of the Children of Shem: These are the Sons of Shem, after their Fa∣milies, after their Tongues, in their Lands, after their Nations. The Conclusion of the whole being thus: These are the Families of the Sons of Noah, af∣ter their Generations, in their Nations: and by these were the Nations divided in the Earth, after the Flood.
However therefore the Manner, used by Noah in the Distribution of the Earth amongst his Posterity, be un∣certain; yet most certain it is, that the Division it self was by Families from Noah and his Children, over which the Fathers were Rulers, en∣joying as absolute an Authority and Dominion, as ever any Monarch since the Creation pretended to.
Agreeably to this Account of the Original of Monarchy, delivered in in holy Scripture, doth Plato in his
third Book of Laws affirm, that the true and first Reason of Authority is, that the Father and Mother, and sim∣ply those, that beget and ingender, do command and rule over all their Chil∣dren.
Groundless therefore is that Di∣stinction, which some men make of Monarchy into Despotical and Paternal: since no Master has Right to exact a more absolute and unlimited Obedi∣ence from his Slave, than is due from the Child to the Father.
Of the Absoluteness of this Pater∣nal Jurisdiction Examples are fre∣quent in Holy Writ. Thus we find, that Abraham commanded an Army of three hundred and eighteen Souldiers of his own Family; and that Esau met his Brother Jacob with four hundred Men at Arms. Thus Abraham concluded a Peace with Abi∣melech, and ratified the Articles by Oath. Thus Judah sentenced Thamar, his Daughter-in-Law, to be burnt for playing the Harlot. Which three Acts of making War, concluding Peace, and giving Judgment of Life or Death, are the chief marks of Soveraignty, that can be found in any Monarch.
As the Original therefore of Mo∣narchy was of Divine Institution: so its Power was uncontrollable; nor can it be otherwise without the De∣struction of the Government it self. Rightly then (whatever Milton in his Justification of the blackest Treason, that ever Eye beheld, sayes to the contrary) is a King defined by Salma∣sius He, who has the Supreme Power in the Kingdom, accountable to none but GOD, who may do, what he plea∣ses, and is free from the Laws.
Ridiculous then (if not Malicious) are the clamors of those, who daily fill the World with Outcries against Arbitrary Power: For there never was, nor ever can be any People go∣verned without a Power of Legisla∣tion, which Power must of necessity be Arbitrary, and is an inseparable Concomitant of the Supreme Gover∣nor or Governors, and must therefore in a Monarchy reside in one.
The Question then is not, whe∣ther there shall be an Arbitrary Pow∣er, without which not any Govern∣ment can one Moment subsist; but who shall have this Arbitrary Power, whether one man, or many: that is
in effect, whether the Government shall be Monarchical, or not?
Nay it has been seen, that those very Persons, who clamored so much (and with so little reason) against an Arbitrary Power in their Prince, have themselves exercised the Height of Arbitrary Power over their fellow Subjects, punishing them by Imprison∣ment, and other Penalties, not for the Breach of any known and cer∣tain Laws; but of unknown and un∣certain Priviledges: and ascending to that Excess of Insolence, as (even against all Law, Reason, and Equity) to declare it Criminal for any one to lend Money to his King.
It is an antient Tradition, which has every where obtained Reputation, that Noah, as Lord of all, was Au∣thor of the Distribution of the World, and of private Dominion, and that by the appointment of GOD himself he confirmed this Distribution by his last Will and Testament, left at his Death in the Hands of his El∣dest Son Shem, by which he warned all his Sons, that none of them should in∣vade any of their Brothers Dominions, because Discord and Civil War, would thence necessarily follow.
Thus we find, that in all Nations the Princes were at first Lords of the whole Lands, as well as of the whole In∣habitants, amongst whom they divided such part thereof, to be held by such Tenures and Services, as they judged most convenient. Instead then of Em∣pires being founded in Property (as some men love to speak) the Natural dominion of the Prince was the O∣riginal of all Propriety.
Monarchs at first governed by no sta∣ted Rule or Law, but by immediate Edicts or commands of their own Wills, as they in their own Judgments thought fit. But when Kings came to be so busied with Wars, and di∣stracted with publick Cares, that pri∣vate persons could not have access to them, to learn their Pleasure upon every occasion, then did they both for the Ease of themselves, and their peo∣ple, set down Laws, by which they would ordinarily govern, reserving to themselves nevertheless Liberty to vary from them, as oft as they in their Discretion should think fit. Af∣terwards Princes graciously conde∣scended to call to their Councels seve∣ral of the Chief men of their King∣doms,
and in time to admit likewise of Deputies from their People, with∣out whose Advice and Consent they would neither make new, nor abro∣gate old Laws. Thus all those Rights and Priviledges, which licentious peo∣ple make their pretence of contesting with their Soveraigns, had no other Original but the Gracious Concessions of Princes, which tho they are so far bound to keep, as that, when in a setled Kingdom the Prince leaves to govern according to Law, he is guilty of very great Injustice; yet where he sees the Laws rigorous or doubtful, he may (to the Peoples great Happiness, lest otherwise Summum jus should prove Summa injuria) mitigate and interpret them. And whenever any powerful Faction shall, by ma∣king ill use of the Grace and Bounty of the Prince, endanger the Subver∣sion of his Government, the Safety of the People, whom GOD has com∣mitted to his Care, being the Law-paramount over all others, obliges him to make use of that Arbitrary Power; whereof (tho in the exercise of it he may restrain himself, yet) he can never be divested, to secure
himself and people from the Contri∣vances of malicious and ill-designing Persons.
Those therefore, that argue for Limited or Mixed Monarchies, do in effect only plead for Anarchy and Confusion. For either these Limits must be such Laws and Bounds, as the Monarch has set himself to Govern by, to the Observance whereof tho he may by Promise so far engage himself, that he cannot (as has been said) ordinarily transgress them with∣out the Sin of Injustice; yet this Pro∣mise of his, which is but an After-act of Grace, not dissolving that ab∣solute Subjection, which preceded it, his Power (if he will sinfully put it forth to act) is no less Arbitrary, than it was before the making of the Promise.
Or if you will imagin these Bounds of the Monarchs Power to be ab ex∣terno, and not from the free Deter∣mination of his own Will, then (the Subject, as they say, not being legal∣ly bound to subjection, in case the Prince commands beyond the Law) if there arise a Dispute between the Monarch and the meanest of his Sub∣jects
about the Legality or Illegality of his Commands, either the Monarch himself must be Judge, and then fare∣wel Limitation; or else the whole people, or some part of them, and then farewel Monarchy; or else there must be no Judge at all, and then fare∣well Government.
So likewise in that, which they call a mixed Monarchy, or a Government, composed of Monarchy, Aristocracy, and Democracy, either the Soveraign Power must be Originally in the Mo∣narch, and derivatively only in the others, and then farewel the Mix∣ture; or else it must (tho acknow∣ledged to be an indivisible Beam of Divine Perfection) be originally shared amongst them all, and then farewel the Monarchy. So also in this Mix∣ture (as they call it) of Power, if a Difference arise between the Prince and the States, there being (according to their Principles) no Authoritative judge to determin it, the Government is dissolved, and every man left at li∣berty to side with that Part, which in his Reason and Judgment stands most for publick Good, more than which the Wit of Man cannot say for Anarchy.
The unlimited Jurisdiction of Kings is so strongly asserted in Scripture, that it occasioned one, who writ in justification of the late Rebellion, to affirm, That to make a King by the Standard of GOD's Word, is to make the Subjects Slaves for Conscience sake. Than which, I know not, whether any thing can be said more impious.
The Paternal Empire, as it was in it self hereditary, so was it, as other Goods are, alienable by Patent, and seizable by an Usurper. Thus amongst the first Fathers of Families, dispersed by the Confusion of Babel, was Nim∣rod, who, being (no doubt) by good Right Lord or King over his own Family, and not contented therewith did against Right enlarge his Empire by violently seizing on the Rights of other Fathers of Families, and laid the Foundation of the first of those great Kingdoms, which for the vast Extent of their Dominions were called the four Monarchies of the World. Yet this Power he got by Usurpation, and not by any Election of, or Faction with the People or Multitude.
The Dominions indeed of Princes anciently were but small, consisting
generally but of Cities apiece, with the adjacent Teritories. Thus in a little Corner of Asia nine Kings met at once in Battle: In the small Cir∣cuit of the Land of Canaan Joshuah destroyed one and thirty Kings: Ado∣nibezek made seventy Kings, whose Thumbs and Toes he had cut off, to feed under his Table: Two and thirty Kings came to Benhadad King of Syria: and seventy Kings of Greece went to the Wars of Troy.
But in process of Time, partly by Conquest, partly by Lineal Succession, and partly by the Cession of many lit∣tle Princes, these Petty Kingdoms were united, and greater Monarchies erected. Whence, tho Kings are not now the Natural Parents of their Sub∣jects, yet they all either are, or are to be reputed, the next Heirs to those Progenitors, who were at first the Natural Parents of the whole people, and, as such, succeed to the Exercise of Soveraign Jurisdiction, not only o∣ver their own Children, but over their Brethren, and all that were subject to their Fathers.
As long as the first Fathers lived, they were properly called Patriarchs;
but when the Fatherhood it self was extinct, and the Right only descended to the next Heir, they were more significantly styled Kings and Prin∣ces.
If through Negligence the Know∣ledge of the true Heir to any King∣dom be lost (for the Right it self ne∣ver can) yet does not the Supremacy devolve to the multitude, who never yet had right to Rule, or choose their Rulers; but to the Princes and inde∣pendent Heads of Families, and (be∣cause the Dependency of ancient Fa∣milies is frequently obscure, and worn out of Knowledge) to such persons, as the Wisdom of the precedent Mo∣narchs thought fit to adopt for Heads of Families, and Princes of Provinces These, and none but these, have it such Case alone Power to consent in uniting or conferring their Fatherly Right of Soveraign Authority, o•• whom they please. Nor does the person, thus elected, hold his Power as a Donative from the People, but from GOD, from whom alone he receives his Royal Charter of Uni∣versal Father, tho testified by the Ministry of the Heads of the Peo∣ple.
And altho I do not say, that all popular Governments are so far unlaw∣ful, as to oblige them (things being, as they are) to subject themselves to Mo∣narchy; yet this I must aver, as a most undoubted Truth, that no other Go∣vernment, but Monarchy, had ever any lawful Original, there never hav∣ing been any Nation, which was not for many years governed by Kings, untill Wantonness, Ambition, or Faction of the People made them at∣tempt new wayes of Regiment: which Mutations alwayes proved bloody, and miserable to their Authors, and hap∣py in nothing, but the short time of their Duration.
The Excellency of Monarchy is not only manifest by the Divineness of its Originall,* 1.31 but also by the singular Advantages, it has over any other Form of Government.
The chief End of Government is, that the People may (according to the Apostle) Lead a quiet and peacea∣ble Life in all Godliness and Honesty. Consequently whereunto we find, that in all Monarchies, both before the Law of Moses, under it, and ever
since, whether Grecian, or Barbarian, Jewish, or Pagan, Christian, or Turkish, a singular Care has been taken for Religion, the Priests whereof have been alwayes had in such Respect and Veneration, as to have an eminent Share in the Administration of the Government. But in all popular States, their main Devotion being exercised only in opposing and suppressing Mo∣narchy, their next is to exclude the Clergy from medling with Govern∣ment, wherein the Ʋnited Netherlands and Venice (of which it is common∣ly said, that the one hath all Reli∣gions, and the other none) do at this day agree.
As for Peace, it is well known, that no people ever enjoyed it without Monarchy. The Lacedaemonians preser∣ved themselves by warring, and when they had gotten the Empire, were presently undone: for they could not live at rest, knowing no better Exer∣cise than that of War: And where∣as the main Preservatives of Peace are the Durability and Order of the Government, if we examine the most flourishing Democracy, that ever was in the World, viz. that of Rome,
we shall find, that the Duration there∣of from the expulsion of Tarquin to Julius Caesar was but four hundred and eighty years, whereas both the Assyrian Monarchy lasted without in∣terruption at least twelve hundred, and the Empire of the East fourteen hundred ninety five.
And from Order they were so far, that, during these four hundred and eighty years, there was not any set∣led Form of Government in Rome: for having once lost the Natural Pow∣er of Kings, they could not find whereon to rest. They first chose out of the Senators annual Consuls, who had, during the short Time of their Government, full Regal Power: About sixteen years after the first Creation of Consuls, the Commons by Sedi∣tion prevailed, and chose among themselves Tribunes of the People to preserve their Liberty: About fourty years after they left Tribunes and Consuls, and chose ten Men to make them Laws: These after three years they displaced, and set up Tribunes and Consuls again: Not long after they demanded, that one of the Con∣suls might be chosen out of the Com∣monalty,
which after a Dispute of threescore and eighteen years they carried by the stubbornness of the Tribunes, who, for five years toge∣ther hindring the Election of the greater Magistrates, forced the No∣bles to yeild to their Request, lest an Anarchy should destroy them all: Sometimes they chose Dictators, who were Temporary Kings, sometimes Military Tribunes with Consulary Power: One while the Senate made Laws, another while the People: In fine such and so frequent were their Alterations in Government, that the best Historians are not able to find any perfect Form of Regiment in so much Confusion. And if the Go∣vernment of Rome may be said to have been for some time popular; yet it was so to the City of Rome alone, all the rest of the Dominions being shared into Provinces, over which their Proconsuls, Propraetors, and Le∣gates exercised Regal Authority: so impossible it is to govern a King∣dom, much more many Kingdoms by the whole or greatest part of the People.
And tho Rome in the time of her Popularity bred many admired Com∣manders (several of which were but very ill requited by the People) by whose Conduct she gained such Victo∣ries abroad, as amazed the World; yet even then did the Tragical Slaugh∣ter of her Citizens at home deserve Commiseration from her vanquished Enemies. Nor were all of them able to support her in times of danger; but in her greatest Troubles she was forced to create a Dictator, whose Authority was absolute and unappeal∣able, testifying thereby, that the last Refuge in Perils of State is to have recourse to Regal Autho∣rity.
And whatever may be pretended to be the Inconveniences of Monarchy, yet cannot it be denied, but that they are all outweighed by the Sedi∣tion, which necessarily attends Popu∣larity: There not having been a quarter of the Blood shed in Rome by the Cruelty of all her Tyrannical Em∣perors, as was by Seditions in the last hundred years of her glorious Common-wealth, when the Blood was suckt up in the Market-places with
Spunges, the Current of the River Tyber stopt with the slaughtered Bo∣dies of Citizens, and the Common Privies stuffed full of them. For the Cruelty of Tyrants rarely extends any farther, than to some particu∣lar persons, that offend them: so that a King can never be so notoriously vitious, but he will generally favour Justice, and maintain Order, except in the particulars, where he is sway∣ed by his inordinate Passion. For the Multitude of People, and the abun∣dance of their Riches, whose Bodies do him service in War, and whose Goods supply his present Wants, be∣ing the only Strength and Glory of every Prince, Natural Love to him∣self, if not Affection to his People will make him desirous to preserve the Lives, and protect the Goods of his Subjects, which, as it cannot be done without Justice, so if it be not done, the Princes Loss is thereby the grea∣test. But in a popular State, every man knowing, that the Publick Good does not depend wholly upon his Care, they all mind chiefly their pri∣vate Benefit, none taking the Publick to be his own Business: whence it
follows, that every man (as it is said of Israel, when they had no King) does that, which is right in his own Eyes. And this is the Original of that un∣natural State of War, which some are pleased to miscal the Natural Liberty of Mankind, where every man pretending a Right to every thing, there is none, that can have the least Security of any thing, he enjoyes, nor yet of his very Life: since he may be deprived thereof by any one, that shall prove stronger than hinself.
The Island of Great Britain has alwayes had that happiness,* 1.32 as never to be subject to any other Govern∣ment, but the Monarchical. Not that the whole Island was always under the Command of one Monarch, (which as some say) it never was till since the Uniting of the Crowns of England and Scotland by King James, there being at Caesars Arrival here no few∣er than four Kings found in Kent alone. But that these were so many Soveraign Princes, reigning absolutely over their own small Dominions, who, at the Invasion of the Romans,
joyned together in a Confederacy for their mutual Defence, of which they made by common Consent Cassibelan their Head. The Words of Caesar are Summa imperii bellique administrandi communi consilio permissa est Cassivellau∣no: from whence some would infer, that the Britains had no King in time of Peace, but that Cassibelan was by Consent of a great Common Councel chosen King and General against his Landing: Contracting herein Caesar himself, who not only affirms, that there were four Kings within the County of Kent, whose Names he likewise gives us; but also describes Cassibelans Territory to have been bounded by the River Thames, which divided it from the Maritime Provin∣ces, and to have extended eighty Miles from the Sea, telling us withal, that, whereas before his Arrival Cassibelan was in continual Wars with the Neighbouring States, the British Prin∣ces, in this common danger of forreign Invasion, united in a defensive League, and unanimously chose him for their Leader.
Nor was Britain brought under the Power of the Romans, till that, the
Popular State of Rome being after manifold Alterations ruined by its own Strength, Civil Contentions had at last resetled the Government into a Monarchy.
And altho the Invasions of Forreig∣ners, the ill Conduct of our Kings, the Ambition of the Princes of the Blood, the Faction of the Nobility, and the Sedition of the Vulgar have sometimes caused Disturbance in the State; yet never was there any At∣tempt to abolish Monarchical Govern∣ment in this Island, till such time as, a certain hot-headed Frenchman, having invented a new fangled Ecclesiastical Government, agreeing (said King James) with Monarchy, as GOD with the Devil, which by animating the People to Rebellion against, and Expulsion of their Lawful Prince, he introduced into Geneva, his Fanatical Disciples here in Great Britain, la∣boring to establish their Diana of the Presbyterian Discipline, and combining with certain Gentlemen, who by reading the Books of such ancient Historians, as, living under Popular States, decried Regal Authority by the Name of Tyranny, and extolled
the Popular by the Name of Liberty (tho never any Tyrant was half so cruel as a Popular State) had imbi∣bed Democratical Principles, raised a formidable Rebellion against the Fa∣ther of his present Sacred Majesty, who, being by the Presbyterians outed of all his Regal Prerogatives, made a private man and a Prisoner, and char∣ged with the Guilt of all the Blood, shed in the Rebellion, was by their younger Brethren the Independents (consequently thereunto) under a pre∣tended Form of Justice barbarously beheaded on a Scaffold, erected for that purpose before the Gates of his own Royal Palace: Giving occasion to that (no less true, than) witty Saying, That the Independents mur∣thered Charles Stuart, but the Pres∣byterians killed the King.
But tho, after this horrid Murther of the best of Kings, all the Art•• that the Malice of Men or Devil•• could imagin, was made use of t•• change this Kingdom into a Common-Wealth; yet so naturally are the Peo∣ple of this Island inclined to submi•• to nothing but Monarchy, that the•• could find no settlement (having in th••
space of twelve years tried no fewer, than five several sorts of Regiment) till the universal Genius of the Isle by mighty, tho invisible, Influence con∣curred to recall their exil'd Soveraign, and reestablish their ancient Govern∣ment.
ABout the Year of the World 3913,* 1.33 and fifty three years be∣fore the Birth of CHRIST, the Britains, having notice, that Julius Caesar, the Roman General in Gallia, displeased with them for having as∣sisted the rebellious Gauls, intended to invade their Country, and fearing the Consequence of his Ambition, and usual Success, to avert his Design, sent Ambassadours to him with pro∣mise of Hostages and Obedience to the Roman Empire. These, after Au∣dience given, he sent back, promising them fair, and exhorting them to continue firm in these Resolutions:
and with them his Confident Comius, on whom he had bestowed the King∣dom of Arras to signifie to them his Intentions of coming speedily over in person, giving him private Instructions to manage his Interest secretly with the Princes and States of Britain, and to gain a Roman Party in the Island.
Gaesar in the mean time, having sent Caius Volusenus to spy out the Coasts, drew down his Forces into the Countrey of the Morini about Bulloign, from whence was the shor∣test Passage into Britain. Here he commands a general Rendezvouz of all his Naval Forces, summoning from all parts his Shipping.
Volusenus after five dayes Sail be∣ing returned with such small Discove∣ries, as, not daring to land for fear of the Britains, he had been able to make from abord his Ship, Caesar, who had with him two Legions, ordi∣rily amounting to five and twenty thousand Foot, and four thousand five hundred Horse of Romans and their Allies, having embarkt the Foot in eighty Ships of Burthen, besides the Gallies distributed amongst the Commanders, and commanding the
Horse, whom he sent eight Miles up∣ward to another Haven, where eigh∣teen Ships, appointed for them lay wind-bound, to follow him with speed, about the third Watch of the Night with a good Gale set off for Britain: In sight whereof coming by Ten in the Morning, and finding that Place, which was a narrow Bay, close environed with Hills, upon every one whereof he beheld Multitudes of armed men, no way commodious for Landing, hav∣ing called a Councel of War, to whom he imparted the Discoveries, made by Volusenus, and gave necessary Or∣ders, his whole Fleet being now come up, about three in the Afternoon he weighed Anchor, and with a favou∣rable Wind and Tide removed eight Miles thence to a plain and open Shore, commonly supposed to be about Deal in Kent.
The Britains, who watched his Motions, sending their Horse and Cha∣riots before, their Infantry speeding after, undauntedly assaulted the Romans under their very Ships, and gave them so smart a Welcome, that Caesar him∣self, tho endeavoring by all means to excuse it, could not yet deny, but that
the resolute Opposition of the Bri∣tains made his Souldiers forget their wonted Valour.
By the help nevertheless of his Gallies, which, as more apt for Mo∣tion, he commanded to row up a∣gainst the open side of the Enemy, the unusual strangeness whereof, toge∣ther with the Ratling of their Oars, and the fierce Battery of the Engines set up in them, made the amazed Bri∣tains stand a little at a Bay; and by the great Courage of the Standard-bearer of the tenth Legion, who, seeing, that the Romans, fearing the Depth of the Sea, or (more probably) the Readvancement of the Enemy, durst not quit their Ships, having first invocated the Gods, leapt over board and with his Eagle advanced, marched boldly against the Britains, the Foot were with much difficulty disembarkt, and the wearied Islanders after a sharp dispute forced to retire, whom Caesar for want of his Horse, that were yet kept back by the wind, was not able to pursue.
The Britains, finding themselves over-mastered, had now made their Peace, sent in some Hostages, and
promised more, and several of their Princes had submitted themselves and States to Caesar, lying encamped, as 'tis thought, upon Barham-Down, when an unlookt-for Accident put them uppon new Counsels. For the eigh∣teen Ships, which had been left be∣hind to transport the Roman Horse, being four dayes after Caesars Arrival come within sight of the Camp, were by a sudden Tempest dispersed, and that Night most of them lost: Their Gallies also, which had been haled ashore, being the same Night cove∣red with a Spring-tide, and their Ships, that lay off at Anchor, sorely shattered.
This the British Princes perceiving, and from the Compass of their Camp, which without Baggage was the smal∣ler, guessing at the Number of the Roman Forces, consulted together, and, secretly one by one withdrawing from the Camp, resolved to stop all Provi∣sions, and to protract the Business un∣to Winter: judging, that if they could now destroy their Enemies, or intercept their Return, none would ever after dare to invade them.
Caesar from his own Condition, and the Britains neglecting to send their
Hostages, suspecting, what was like to happen, got up, what Corn he could, and with Materials fetcht from the Continent, and the Remains of such Ships, as were quite spoiled, re∣paired the rest: so that by the indefa∣tigable Industry of his Souldiers all of them, but twelve, were in a short time made serviceable.
While this was doing, Caesar adver∣tized by the Sentinels at the Camp-Gates, that an unusual Dust was seen to arise from that part of the Coun∣trey, whither the seventh Legion was gone forth to forrage, taking with him the Cohorts of his Guards, and commanding all the rest, but two, who were to keep the Camp, to speed after him, came very opportunely, to assist his Legion, that was now o∣ver-born by the Britains, who, not doubting but their Enemies would on the morrow return to that Place, which they had only left unreapt of all their Harvest, had laid themselves in Ambush, and, whilst the Romans were disperst, and busy at their Labor, set upon them, killed some, and rou∣ted the rest, and had now enclosed them with their Horse and Chariots,
when Caesars Arrival caused the Bri∣tains to retire, and he, not thinking it convenient to offer them Battel, drew off his Legions to the Camp.
Foul weather for many dayes after hindring all Action on both sides, the Britains by dispatching Messengers into all parts, signifying to what small number their Enemies were reduced, the great Hopes, there was of Spoil, and of free∣ing their Country from future Invasion, if they could now make the Romans a severe Example, had got together great Multitudes both of Horse and Foot, whom Caesar having after a fierce Encounter put to flight, pursued, as far as he could, and in his return burnt and laid wast all about him. The Britains the same day sent Am∣bassadours to him to treat of Peace, who, glad no doubt, that he could return with some Shew of Honour, whereas, if they had delayed but a little he must either have forsaken the Island, or else perished for want of Provisions, enjoyned only (for so great a Breach of Faith) a double number of Hostages, to be sent him into Gallia, and about Midnight set Sail for the Continent, whence send∣ing
to Rome an account of his At∣tempt, the Senate for this Discovery decreed twenty dayes of Thanksgiving to the Gods.
* 1.34The Britains not sending their Hostages, Caesar, at his Departure (ac∣cording to annual Custom) for Rome, commanded his Legats to provide, what possible Shipping they could, ordering them to be low-built for the easier Fraughtage, and better haling ashore, and flat-bottom'd for the more convenient Transporting of Horse.
Finding at his Return six hundred such in readiness, with twenty eight Gallies, and above two hundred Ad∣venturers, and other Hulks, in all a thousand, about Sun-set with sive Le∣gions and two thousand Horse hoy∣••ing Sail from Port Iccius, he was at Midnight becalmed: so that at Day-break descrying the Island to bear left of him, he turned about with the Tide, and by the unwearied Labor of his Souldiers, who cheerfully tug∣ged at the Oar, came up about Noon near the same Place, which the year before he had found so convenient for Landing.
At his Arrival no Enemy was seen, the Britains, who had been there in great Numbers, being withdrawn into the higher Countries, terrified with the Sight of so vast a Fleet.
Having landed his Army, encam∣ped to the best advantage, and learnt of some Fugitives, where to find the Britains, leaving Quintus Atrius with ten Cohorts and three hundred Horse to guard his Ships, about the third Watch of the Night he advanced with his main Body twelve Miles into the Country, where upon the Banks of a River, commonly thought to be the Stowr in Kent, he sees embattelled the British Forces, who with their Horse and Chariots, having possest them∣selves of the upper Ground, smartly opposed the Romans March; but re∣pulst by their Enemies Cavalry, reti∣red into the Woods to a Place, for∣tified both by Art and Nature, cast up, as it seemed, in time of Wars amongst themselves, the Passages whereto were on all sides blockt up with huge Trees, felled and laid over∣thwart one another, within which they did their utmost to keep out the Romans, till the seventh Legion, hav∣ing
raised a Mount, and lockt their Shields close over their Heads like a Roof, without much loss of Blood took the Place, and drave the Bri∣tains from their Holds, whom yet Caesar would not pursue through un∣known wayes; but, Evening drawing on, more wisely employed the Time in fortifying another Camp, and re∣freshing his Souldiers.
Next Morning early three Bodies of Roman Horse and Foot, sent to seek the Enemy, were not yet got out of sight, when News, coming Post from Q. Atrius, that most of the Fleet, wrackt that Night by a sudden Tem∣pest, lay split on the Shore, made Caesar call back his Forces, and return to his Ships: of which finding about forty▪ utterly lost, and the rest so shattered, as not to be new rigged without much Labour, he assembled, what Shipwrights he could, both from his own Legions, and the Continent, send∣ing Orders to Labienus, whom he had left to make good the Port in Gallia, to fall a Building more; and in ten dayes time, not respiting his Souldiers either Night or Day, drew up all his Ships, and entrencht them within his Camp.
This done, leaving there the for∣mer Guard, he marcht up to the same Wood, where he had defeated the Britains, whom he finds now re∣possest of that Place with far grea∣ter Numbers, under the Command of Cassibelan, chosen by the British Prin∣ces, whom common Danger had now united, for their chief Leader: who with his Horse and Chariots stoutly fought the Roman Cavalry in their March, but being somewhat overmacht, retreated to the Woods and Hills, whi∣ther the Romans too eagerly pursuing them, the Britains, rallying again, cut off the forwardest, and after a while, when Caesar, who thought all over, was busied about the entrenching of his Camp, of a sudding breaking out of their Coverts, fiercely assaulted the very Stations of his Guards and Sen∣tries, and whilst two of the choicest Cohorts, drawn out of two Legions, and sent to the Alarm, stood at small distance from each other, amazed at the Novelty and Fierceness of the Fight, charged back again through the midst without Loss of a Man.
Next Morning the Britains shew∣ed themselves upon the Hills, and,
tho not so boldly as before, skirmi∣shed with the Roman Horse; but a∣bout Noon, Caesar having sent forth three Legions, and all his Horse to seek Fodder, they suddenly set upon the Forragers, and charged up after them to the very Legions and their Standards, where they were couragi∣ously repelled by the Romans, whose Horse, well seconded by their Foot, so closely pursued them, that the Bri∣tains, not having leisure to rally, stand, or descend from their Chariots, were many of them slain, and the rest ge∣nerally routed.
Cassibelan, after this Overthrow, resolving in a manner to change the whole Nature of the War, disbanded many Auxiliary Forces, that had from all parts been sent him, and with the choicest of his Men, and four thou∣sand Chariots, which he judged suf∣ficient to hinder the Enemies Incur∣sions, set himself to attend Caesars March: Who, advertized thereof, drew his Army toward the Frontiers of Cassibelans Kingdom, which was bounded by the Thames, fordable on∣ly in one Place, conjectured to be about Coway Stakes neer Oatlands,
where Cassibelan, having caused the Bank to be set with sharp Stakes, and the Ford knockt full of them, cover∣ed with Water, had drawn up his men in great numbers to oppose the Passage of the Romans, who, having notice of this Stratagem by their Captives, with greater Circumspecti∣on entred the River, first the Horse, then the Foot, wading up to the Neck in Water, so resolutely, and so fast, that the Britains, having be∣stowed a few Darts upon them, reti•…•… into Woods and secret Coverts, where lining with their Horse and Chariots the Roads, through which Caesar was to pass, and driving the Inhabitants and their Cattel into places of secu∣rity within the Woods, with conti∣nual and unexpected Sallies upon the Roman Horse, cutting off some, and terrifying others, they compel'd them so close together, that they could not fetch in Prey or Booty without ill suc∣cess.
The Affairs of Caesar, who had nothing left in his way but empty Fields and Houses, had now but a bad Aspect, his Army, whose Horse durst not stir out of the Protection of
their Foot, being almost starved, when a Dissention, arising among the Bri∣tains, brought them joyful News of a Supply. The Trinobantes, one of the most potent States amongst the Bri∣tains, out of an old Grudge against Cassibelan, who had slain their King Immanuentius, and forced his Son Mandubratius, called also Androgori•…•… and Androgius, to secure his Life b•• Flight into Gallia, sent Ambassadour to Caesar, imploring his Protection•• promising Obedience to the Roman State, and desiring Mandubratius, who was then with Caesar, to be sent to take Possession of his Fathers Crown. Caesar granted their Request, having first demanded fourty Hostages, and Provisions for his Army, which they sent in, and had their Confines pro∣tected from the Souldier.
By their Example did several othe•• States also submit themselves, from whom Caesar having learnt, that Cassi∣belians chief Seat, supposed to be Veru¦lam (near the now St. Albans) was not far off, fenc't about with Woods and Marshes, and full of Men and Cattel went thither, assaulted it in two Pla¦ces, and after some Dispute forced
the Britains to fly out at a Postern Gate, and leave the Plunder of the Town to the Enemy, by whom ma∣ny of them were cut off in their Flight.
Yet did not Cassibelan desert him∣self, but sending into Kent, directed Cingetorix, Carvilius, Taximagulus, and Segonax, four Kings, reigning in those Countryes, who still kept faith∣ful to the Union, to raise, what For∣ces they could, and assault the Camp, where the Roman Shipping was en∣trencht; but these Kentish Souldiers being raw and unskild, not able to endure one Sally, were totally routed, and Cingetorix made Prisonor.
Cassibelan, informed of this Defeat, and seeing the treacherous Defection of so many States, for the Preserva∣tion of himself and Country, by the Mediation of Comius of Arras sent Ambassadours to Caesar, who, having enjoyned him not to Molest Mandu∣bratius and the Trinobantes, setled the Annual Tribute to be paid by the Britains to Rome, and received Hosta∣ges, with a great number of Cap∣tives put off to Sea, having at twice embarkt his whole Army. Returning
to Rome, he offered to Venus Genitrix, the Patroness of his Family, a Corslet of British Pearles, as a Testimony of his Glorious Enterprize.
Julius Caesar having now taken his last Farewell of Britain, the Romans, hindred partly by Civil Dissensions, and partly by other more urgent Af∣fairs, had not the least Thoughts of making any farther Attempt against it for twenty Years together, when Octavius Augustus, now setled in the possession of the Roman Empire, hav∣ing advanced as far as Gallia, in order to the reducing of Britain, was di∣verted by a Revolt in Pannonia: as he was seven Years after by the unset∣ledness of Gallia, and the coming of the British Ambassadours thither to him; and the Year following by new Commotions, arising in Spain. Being so often crost in his Designs upon Britain, he no more bent his thoughts that way, being satisfied with the Respects, paid him by the British Princes, who courted his Friendship with Gifts offered in the Capitol, and other obsequious Addresses. The like amicable. Correspondence they held also with his Successor Tiberius, whom
more highly to oblige, they courte∣ously entertained, and sent home the Souldiers of Germanicus, cast by Tem∣pest on their Shore. Caligula indeed, to whose Protection, Adminius, Son of Cunobelyn, banished by his Father, had betaken himself, making sem∣blance to invade Britain, brought down all his Army to the Belgick Shore, where being informed, that the Britains, having levyed the Strength of their Nation, stood rea∣dy to oppose his Landing, if he should make any attempt upon them, he com∣manded his Souldiers, whom he sup∣posed to have Lyncean Eyes, to take a full view of the British Forces, and having encouraged them not to fear their great Numbers, with unmatch∣able Valor rowed a Stones cast or two from the Shore, where resolutely defying the Britains, he caused the Engines of Battery to be set up, the Trumpets to sound a Charge, and the Souldiers to fall on, but no Enemy appearing, he ordered them to plun∣der the Ocean of its Shells, and there∣with fill their Helmets and Laps; and that the Memory of so Heroick an Enterprize might not be lost, he
erected in the same place an high Tow∣er, wherein Lights were set to direct Mariners in their Courses by Night, the Ruins whereof, sometimes seen at Low-Water on the Coast of Hol∣land, are to this day by the Inhabitants ealled Briten-huis.
* 1.35The Britains, for well-near an hun∣dred Years after the departure of Ju∣lius Caesar, had been governed by their own Princes, unmolested by the Ro∣mans, to whom after the first break∣ing out of the Civil War they paid not any Tribute, except such easy Customs, as were levied on the Com∣modities, wherewith they traded into Gallia, when, intestin Divisions a∣mong themselves making way for a Roman Conquest, Claudius Drusus, now the third time Consul, instigated by the perswasions of Bericus (of whom there is no farther knowledge) and other Fugitives, whom the Britains demanding, he had refused to deliver up, and they for that cause had de∣nied farther Amity with Rome, resol∣ved upon an Invasion of Britain, send∣ing Orders to Aulus Plautius the Prae∣tor to transport thither the Legions,
lying in Gallia, who, complaining, that they must now be put to make War beyond the Worlds end, were at last with much difficulty prevailed upon, and from three several Ports set sail for Britain; but meeting with cross Winds, were driven back and disheartned, till in the Night a Meteor darting Flames from the East, and directing, as they fancied, their Course for this Island, they again put to Sea, and landed without oppositi∣on, the Britains, who had heard of their Unwillingness, having neglected to provide against them, and now re∣tiring into the Woods, where they intended to wear them out with De∣layes, as their Predecessors had for∣merly done Caesar.
The British Armies were command∣ed by two young Sons of the decea∣sed Cunobelyn, who, keeping their For∣ces separate, were by Plautius, after he had with much difficulty found them out, easily overcome, first Ca∣ractacus, then Togodumnus: Whereup∣on the Dobuni, formerly subject to the Catieuchlani, submitted themselves to the Conqueror, who, leaving a Garrison there, marched on to a cer∣tain
River, where finding the Enemy, who thought, the Romans without a Bridge could not possibly get over, lying on the farther side careless and secure, he sent first the Germans, that were in his Army, whose Custom it was armed to swim with ease the strongest Current: These, having got foot∣ing on the other side, spent, as they were commanded, all their Darts on the Britains Horses, which, falling dead in their Harness, rendred the Chari∣ots, wherein consisted their chief Art of fighting, not only unserviceable, but cumbersom, when Vespasian with his Brother Sabinus, sent by Plautius to second them, unexpectedly assail∣ing those, who were least aware, with great slaughter forced the Enemy to retire: Who, yet the next day re∣uniting, with such Courage fought the Romans, that the Victory hung in sus∣pence, till Caius Sidius Geta, in dan∣ger of being taken, valiantly recover∣ing himself, turned the Scales on the Romans side, for which he afterwards at Rome received high Honours.
The Britains, after this, drew back to the Mouth of the Thames, which acquainted with the Shallows and
Flats, they easily crossed, whom, their Enemies, unadvisedly following, were in great hazard of being lost; yet the Germans getting over by swimming, and others by a Bridge a little high∣er, so encompast the Britains, that they did great Execution upon them; but too eagerly pursuing them into Bogs and Marshes, lost as many of their own.
Plautius, who in these Engagements had lost many of his Souldiers, per∣ceiving the Courage of the Britains rather inflamed, than cooled, by their Defeats, and their Rage exasperated by the Death of Togodumnus, slain in one of the former Encounters, durst not proceed any farther; but having been commanded by Claudius on any great Emergencies of Affairs to give him speedy Intelligence, accordingly sent to him, who, waiting ready with a vast Preparation, marched through Gallia, leading with him (so appre∣hensive was he of the Difficulty of this Enterprize) besides his Roman Le∣gions, and the Auxiliaries of Germans and Gauls, many armed Elephants, to meet the naked Valor of the undaun∣ted Britains.
Having with this Equipage crossed the Channel, he directly joyned Plau∣tius, who with the Residue of his Men lay encamped at the Mouth of the Thames to secure his Landing, and having past the River, discovered the Britains, who, having the Courage, but wanting the Conduct of old Cassi∣belan, scrupled not with daring Man∣hood to combat in open Field almost the whole Power of the Roman Em∣pire, whereby being overcome, Cama∣lodunum (now Maldon) the Royal Seat of Cunobelyn, with many other im∣portant Places, some by Force, o∣thers by Treaty, were yielded up to Claudius, who for these Successes was often by his Army saluted Im∣perator, a Title before this time ne∣ver given above once to any in the same War, as if there could not Honor enough be given to so great Atchiev∣ments.
Claudius, having disarmed the Bri∣tains, but remitted the Confiscations of their Goods, for which they, who (by their former long acquaintance with the Romans) were well-skild in all the Arts of Flattery, erected Tem∣ples, and offered Sacrifices to him,
as to a God, leaving Plautius to sub∣due, what remained, returned to Rome, whence he had been absent on∣ly six Months, and in Britain but six∣teen Dayes, sending before him the News of his Victories to the Senate, who for such transcendent Merits de∣creed excessive Honours: Arches, Triumphs, annual Solemnities, and the Sir-name of Britannicus both to himself and Son.
From this Time Britain may be reckoned amongst the Provinces of the Roman Empire, whereunto it now began to be subjected, tho not with∣out great Resistance of the Inhabitants, who after the departure of Claudius gave Plautius Work enough to de∣serve at his Return to Rome a petty Triumph, riding on the Emperours Right hand into the Capitol, Trium∣phal Ornaments and other Honors being given also to Vespasian, who in these Wars had subdued two power∣ful Nations, above twenty Towns, and the Isle of Wight. Nor was Osto∣rius Scapula, the Successor of Plautius, less busied, the Britains, who were not yet subdued, at his very first Coming making Incursions upon those, who
had submitted to the Romans; but he, by an unexpected Assault over∣coming them, and disarming all those, of whom he had any Suspicion, pla∣ced many Garrisons upon the Rivers Sabrina and Antona. Then having van∣quished the Iceni, and spoiled the Coun∣trey of the Cangi, supposed to be a small Territory in Cheshire, he was come to the Irish Sea, when he was recalled by Commotions amongst the Brigantes, whom, by punishing some, and pardoning the rest, he soon quieted, and having planted Camal••∣dunum with a Colony of Veteran Soul∣diers, he marched forth against the Silures, who under the Command of Caractacus, upon whose Courage and Conduct they very much relied, were at a place (supposed to be Caer Ca∣radoc on the West Edge of Shropshire) not without great Slaughter of the Ro∣mans, whom, not able to endure the Galling of the British Darts, they for∣ced to make a Testudo of their Shields at length overcome, the Wife and Daughter of Caractacus taken Priso∣ners, his Brethren reduced, and I himself by Cartismandua, Queen o•• the Brigantes, to whom he fled fo••
Protection, treacherously delivered up to the Romans, against whom he had held out nine years, and by them sent to Rome, where the Gallantry of his Deportment in his Afflictions pro∣cured Pardon for himself and all the rest. To Ostorius, whose Actions were esteemed equal to theirs, that had brought in Bonds to Rome the great∣est Princes, was a Triumph decreed by the Senate.
After this, tho those Britains, that were yet unsubjected, did with per∣petual Skirmishes and Excursions so infest the Roman Province, that the very Vexation of it cost Ostorius his Life, yet did the Romans still keep their Hold, and by Degrees extend their Conquests: till about the third year of Nero, Boadicea, Widow to Prasutagus, King of the Iceni, who at his death had made the Emperor Co-heir with his two Daughters, ta∣king advantage of the Absence of Paulinus Suetonius the Governour, who, having subdued many British Nations, was busied in conquering the Isle of Mona (now called Anglesey) to revenge the barbarous Usage, her self and Daughters had received from
the Romans, sollicited the Britains, already by the Oppressions of Catus Decianus the Procurator, Seneca the Philosopher, and others deeply dis∣contented, and by the intolerable Li∣centiousness of the Souldiery highly exasperated, to a Revolt; and having sacked Camalodunum, routed Petilius Crealis, and cut his Legion to Pie∣ces, destroyed London and Verulam, and slain seventy thousand Romans and their Allies, she endangered the utter Extirpation of the Roman Goverment in this Island, when Suetonius, who was opportunely returned out of Anglesey, having got together about ten thousand men, at one Battel overthrew her Army of two hundred and thirty thousand, fourscore thousand whereof he slew, with the loss only of four hun∣dred Romans, and as many more woun∣ded: the Grief of which Defeat, as∣sisted (as some say) by Poyson, put a Period to the Life of Boadicea.
Britain, which was wel-nigh lost, being thus by one Battel recovered, the vindicative Nature of Suetonius, who, tho otherwise a very worthy person, over-proud of his Victory, gave too much way to his Anger a∣gainst
the Britains, caused those, that were yet untamed, to stand out, encouraged the rather thereunto by the Differences between him and the new Procurator Julius Classicianus. But Suetonius being recalled, his Successor Petronius Turpilianus, set himself whol∣ly to quiet the Province, without making any new Attempts, so that thenceforward the Britains, who liv∣ed unmolested, beginning to suck in the Pleasures of Vice, were more en∣slaved by the Roman Luxuries, than ever they had been by their Arms.
In this posture Affairs continued here, till that Vespasian, having ta∣ken possession of the Empire, sent hi∣ther Petilius Crealis, who had many Battels with the Brigantes, over whom tho he obtained some Victories, yet he had alwayes enough of War. His Successor Julius Frontinus subdued the stout and warlike Nation of the Silu∣res. But Julius Agricola, sent into Britain in the last year of Vespasian, extended the Roman Limits beyond all his Predecessors: For at his very entrance into this Government he o∣verthrew, and almost extirpated the whole Nation of the Ordovices, and
gained the Isle of Mona, from the Pos∣session whereof the Rebellion of the Britains had called back Suetonius. After which by proportionating with Equality the imposed Tribute, remov∣ing the Exactions and exorbitant Fees of Officers, and bridling the Ex∣travagance and Licentiousness of his Domesticks and Souldiers, he brought the People to be in love with Peace, which before seemed no less formida∣ble to them, than War it self: So that having first by many Inrodes ter∣rified the Enemy, and then by his gentle Demeanor allured them, several Cities, which hitherto had refused to bend, voluntarily submitted to him, gave Hostages, and received Garisons, for which he providently chose Places of such advantage, that never any of them was either forced, yielded up, or quitted. Then encouraging the Britains, who before lived rude and scattered, to build Houses, Temples, and Places for Publick Resort, he taught them the Institutes and Cust∣oms of a Civil Life, causing their Noblemens Sons to be instructed in the Liberal Sciences, and by prefer∣ring the Wits of Britain before those
of Gallia, bringing them, who before hated the Roman Language, to be in love with the Latin Eloquence. Now likewise came in the Gown, and other Fashions of the Romans, and by De∣grees all those Incitements of Vice, and Voluptuous Living, which the Luxurious miscall Civility.
Glota and Bodotria (called at this day Dunbritton and Edinborough Friths) two opposite Arms of the Sea, disjoined only by a Neck of Land, with all the Creeks and Inlets on this Side, being now held by the Romans, and the Enemy shut up (as it were) in another Island, Agricola passed o∣ver into, and subdued Nations, till then unknown, supposed to be the Orcades, and other Scotch Isles, and placed Garrisons likewise in that part of Britain, which faced Ireland, at the Conquest whereof he also aimed, cour∣teously entertaining for that purpose one of the Irish Kings, driven out of his Country by Civil Wars, whom he kept with him for a fit Occasion.
But an Apprehension of a general Rising of the Nations beyond Bodotria called him away from this design: for understanding, that they had
forelaid the Passages by land, he com∣manded his Fleet to bear along the Shores, and up the Friths and Harbors, himself with even Marches keeping up close to it, so that both Land and Sea Forces joined commonly at night with Shouts and loud Greetings: Which much daunted the Britains, not ac∣customed to see their Sea so ridden.
Yet the Caledonians, generally taking Arms, and attacking sundry Castles, strook no small Terror into several of the Roman Commanders, who, con∣cealing their Fears under the Name of cautious Counsel, advised the Ge∣neral to retreat on this side Bodotria. But he, whose Resolutions were o∣therwise, having Intelligence, that the Enemy would fall on in many Bodies, divided also his Army into three parts: Which the Britains learning, changed Counsels, and with all their Forces assailed by night that part of the Roman Army, which they knew to be the weakest, whom surprizing between Sleep and Fear, they had now begun some Execution, when Agricola, who was informed of their March, following them at the Heels, com∣manded the lightest of his Horse and
Foot to charge on their Backs, the whole Army soon seconding them with a Shout: So that by approach of Day the Caledonians, finding themselves encom∣past with the glittering Roman Ensigns, after a sharp Fight betook themselves to their old Refuge, the Woods and Boggs, or else that day had probably made a total End of the War. The Romans, reencouraged with this Suc∣cess, and now boasting, who but ere while trembled, with one voice cried out to be led on, as far as there was any British Ground. Nor did the Britains, who imputed that Dayes Victory not to the Valor of their Enemies, but to the Policy of their General, abate any thing of their Stoutness; but arming their Youth, and conveying their Wives and Chil∣dren to places of Safety, with solemn and sacred vows bound themselves to mutual assistance against the com∣mon Adversary.
In the mean time a Cohort of Ʋsi∣pians, here in Britain, having slain their Centurion, and other Officers in a Mutiny, fearing Punishment, fled to Sea without any Pilot in three Pinnaces, and being driven at random
about the Coast, used Piracy, where they landed, till, after various For∣tunes, taken first by the Suevians, af∣terwards by the Frisians, they were sold into Britain, where being known, they first discovered to the Romans, that Britain was an Island.
The Summer following Agricola, having gained this Knowledge, sending forth his Navy to scour the Coasts, and by various and uncertain Land∣ings to divert and disunite the Enemy, with a flying Army, wherein were many Britains, whose Courage and Fidelity he had long experienced, came as far as the Mountain Gram∣pius, where the Caledonians to the number of thirty thousand were as∣sembled under the command of Gal∣gacus, whom both his Birth and Me∣rit made their chief Leader. He by his rough Oratory in detestation of Servitude and the Roman Yoke having augmented the Eagerness of his Follow∣ers, and Agricola having incited his by exhorting them to Glory and Victory, the Armies joyned Battle, where after a vehement and various Contest the Romans clearly wan the Day, ten thousand of their Enemies
being slain, and the rest so totally dis∣comfited, that the next day there was not a Man of them to be seen, all be∣ing fled, none knew whither.
Agricola, informed hereof by his Scouts, Summer being far spent, and it being now no fit Time to divide his Forces, leads his Army amongst the Horesti, thought to be the Inha∣bitants of Eskdale in Scotland, from whom having received Hostages, he commanded his Navy to sail round Britain, whilst himself with slow Mar∣ches, that he might aw the new-con∣quered Nations by his Delay in pas∣sing, placed his Men in their Winter Quarters. His Fleet, having prospe∣rously and speedily compast the Isle, put in at the Port Trutulensis, now Richborough, neer Sandwich, from whence it first set out.
Agricola, envied by the Emperour Domitian, in the fourth year of whose Reign, Anno CHRISTI 86. this Victory was gotten, was soon after recalled, leaving his Province to his Successor quiet and secure.
The Roman Province in Britain, ex∣tended thus by Agricola as far as Glota & Bodotria, or the Friths of Dunbritton
and Edenborough, was by the Emperour Hadrian, following the Advice of Au∣gustus and Tiberius to gird the Em∣pire within moderate Bounds, redu∣ced to a narrower Compass. For he, giving the Northern Nations, no lon∣ger now called Britains, but hence∣forth first Caledonians, afterward Picts & Scots, more Room to Inhabit, quitted the colder and more barren Soils, reser∣ving only the most delicate Part of the Island, which, to hinder the Caledonian Boars from breaking in and rooting it up, he inclosed (like a precious Garden-Plot) with a mighty Wall of fourscore Miles in length from the Bay of Itun (or Solway-Frith) on the Irish Sea to Tinmouth on the German Ocean: Which Wall, decay∣ed by the Injuries of Time, and the Incursions of the Enemy, was reedi∣fied by the Emperor Septimius Severus, who fortified it with a deep Trench, and many Turrets, erected at such convenient Distances, that the Sound of a Trumpet, tho against the Wind, might be heard from one to another. In the same Wall also is said to have been artificially set a Brazen Trunk, which, running from Tower to Tow∣er,
served upon the Invasion of the Enemy to give speedy and secret In∣telligence. But this Wall now lying along, and no Pipe remaining, many Tenants at this day hold Farms of the King in Cornage, whereby they are obliged by winding of an Horn to give Notice to their Neighbours of the Enemies Approach.
Agricola, having thus conquered all the Southern Part of this Island, abro∣gated most of the antient Rites and Customes of the Britains, in the Room whereof the Roman Laws, Usages, and Learning began here to Flourish. Their humble Cottages he changed into fair Houses and stately Palaces, superb Porticoes, and sumptuous Baths: Their Diet was now more curious, and their Apparel more magnificent: Their cumbersome Chariots were turned in∣to the Coaches and delicate Litters of Rome, and for the Convenience of Tra∣vel Roads and Causies began to be made through the whole Island, and paved with Stone.
BRITAIN, not being annexed to the Roman Empire till after the Division of Provinces made by Au∣gustus, had this Priviledge above other Nations, that it was never subject to any Consular or Proconsular Deputy after the manner of other Provinces; but was alwayes esteemed to be Praesidialis, or under the immediate Protection of the Emperor, held by his Garrisons, and governed by Lieutenants, sent and re∣called at his sole Will and Pleasure.
The Britains had also (even within the Roman Pale) for a time Kings of their own, the last of which was Lu∣cius, surnamed Lever-maur, who flourished in the time of the Emperour Commodus Antoninus. This, tho it carried with it a certain shew of Li∣berty, was yet only the usual Method of the Roman State, first practiced in the Time of their Democratick Go∣vernment, when their Insolence was such, as to make Kings the Instru∣ments
of their Ambition, whom they first drew up with Plumes of Majesty, and seemed even to adore; but, when their Turns were once served, with as great Contempt and Ingratitude (ac∣cording to the constant Humor of Com∣monwealths) they trampled upon them.
For the governing of Britain one Legat was thought sufficient, till the Emperor Septimius Severus, finding by experience, that it was a Province too great and powerful to be trusted in the hands of one Man, first divided it into two Governments, committing the North part thereof to Virius Lu∣pus, and the South to Heraclytus.
From the Time of Constantin the Great there were no more Propraetors or Lieutenants in Britain: For he, having ordained four Prefects of the Praetorium, viz. of the East, of Illyri∣cum, of Italy, and of Gaul, and two Leaders or Commanders of the For∣ces, the one of the Foot, the other of the Horse, in the West, whom they termed Praesentales, ordered the Go∣vernment of Britain in this manner.
For Civil Government there ruled over Britain the Prefect of the Praeto∣rium
in Gaul, whose Vice-gerent was the Vicar General of Britain, ho∣nored with the Title Spectabilis, and having under him (according to the number of the Provinces) two Con∣sular Deputies, and three Presidents, who had the hearing of Civil and Criminal Causes.
For Military Affairs, there ruled the Leader or Commander of the Foot in the West, under whom were the Count of Britain, the Count of the Saxon Coast along Britain, and the Duke of Britain, every one of which was likewise stiled Spectabilis.
The Count of Britain seemeth to have ruled the Inland parts of the Island, having with him seven Com∣panies of Foot, and nine Troops of Horse.
The Count of the Saxon Coast a∣long Britain, who defended the Ma∣ritime parts against the Saxons, and is by Ammianus called Comes tractûs Ma∣ritimi, had for Defence of the Sea-coasts seven Companies of Foot, two Gui∣dons of Horse, the second Legion, and one Cohort.
The Duke of Britain, who defen∣ded the Frontiers against the Barbari∣ans,
had the Command of thirty eight Garrison-Forts, wherein fourteen thousand Foot and nine hundred Horse kept their Stations: so that in those dayes (according to the Computation of Pancirolus) Britain maintained a∣bout nineteen thousand two hundred Foot, and seventeen hundred Horse in ordinary.
Besides these, the Comes sacrarum largitionum, who managed the Empe∣rors Finances, had under him in Bri∣tain the Rationalis or Auditor of the Sums or Revenues of Britain, the Pro∣vost of the Augustian Treasures in Britain, and the Procurator of the Gynegium in Britain, where the Cloaths of the Emperor and his Souldiers were woven.
The Comes rerum Privatarum had also his Rational of private State in Britain, to say nothing of other in∣ferior Officers.
AS the rude and barbarous Man∣ners of the Britains gave place to the Roman Civility: so the Bloody Cruelties of their Idolatrous Super∣stitions were abrogated by the Intro∣duction of Christian Religion, for the admittance whereof a Passage was o∣pened by means of the Correspon∣dence between Britain and the rest of the Roman Empire.
It was in the Year of the World 3966. the two and fortieth of the Emperour Augustus, fifty three Years after the first Arrival of Julius Caesar in Britain, and the third Year of the British King Cunobelyn, the whole World then enjoying a generall Peace, that the Prince of Peace, our ever-blessed Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST, the only eternal Son of GOD, was miraculously born of a
pure Virgin in Bethlehem, the City of David.
This our glorious Redeemer, hav∣ing for the space of three and thirty years led a Life, no less poor and painful, than holy and exemplary, offered himself upon a Cross to his eternal Father for to expiate the Sins of Mankind in the eighteenth year of the Emperour Tiberius, who, having received an Account of the Death of this Saint of Saints, as also of his great Vertue, and stupendious Mira∣cles, from Pilat, then Governor of Judea, published it in the Senat, by whom he would have had CHRIST admitted into the number of the Ro∣man Gods; but they, displeased, that Pilat wrote only to the Emperour, and not to them, would by no means consent thereunto.
The Emperour however forbidding upon pain of Death all persons to persecute the Disciples of JESUS,* 1.36 the glorious Gospel, preacht by his Apostles, upon whom, the better to enable them thereunto, he had fifty dayes after his Resurrection confer∣red the Gift of speaking unknown
Languages by the Descending of the Holy Ghost, did even in the Dayes of this same Tiberius so far extend it self, as to spread its bright Beams upon this remote and frozen Island of Britain.
* 1.37In the Year of CHRIST 41. being the third of Caligula, the holy Apostle St. James, returning out of Spain, visited amongst other Countreys this our Island, and here preached the Gospel, the effects whereof were so prevalent, that many stiff-necked Bri∣tains submitted themselves to the ea∣sy Yoke of our Redeemer. Amongst these there is recorded one Suetonius, born of noble Parentage, who, being converted to the Christian Faith here in Britain, undertook a Voyage to Rome, that he might be more perfect∣ly instructed by St. Peter, by whom being baptized, and named Beatus, he was after sufficient Instruction employ∣ed in the Apostolical Office of teach∣ing others, and became the first Plan∣ter of Christianity amongst the Hel∣vetians.
* 1.38The great hope of happy Success
is supposed chiefly to have induced St. Peter, when the Jews were banished Rome by the Fmperor Claudius, in whose second year he came thither, to repair into Britain, where he con∣tinued a long time, converting seve∣ral Nations, and erecting many Churches, till warned by Angels, af∣ter he had constituted and ordained Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, he re∣turned to Rome, and was there soon after crowned with Martyrdom.
A tedious impatience to see the horrible Actions of Nero forced St. Paul also to quit Rome,* 1.39 and disperse the precious Seed of the Gospel even as far as Britain. This is expresly testified by Venantius Fortunatus, who, in his Poem upon the Life of St. Martin, speaking of St. Paul, saith.
Transit & Oceanum, vel quâ facit Insula Portum, Quasque Britannus habet Terras, atque ultima Thule.
With St. Peter or St. Paul,* 1.40 one of whose Disciples he was, is St. Aristo∣bulus supposed to have come into Bri∣tain, where being made a Bishop, he
preached the Gospel of CHRIST, and having constituted Churches, and Ordained Priests and Deacons, here happily ended his Life.
* 1.41About the latter End of Nero's Reign and before the blessed Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul were consumma∣ted by a glorious Martyrdom, Suetonius Paulinus being Roman Lieutenant in Britain, St. Joseph of Arimathea, sent hither (as some say) by St. Peter, or (as others) by St. Philip the Apostle, with eleven Companions, entring in∣to this Island, addressed himself to the British King Arviragus, who not only gave them permission freely to convert his Subjects, but extended al∣so his Liberality to them, affording them a place of Retreat in an Island, called at that time Avalon, or the Isle of Apples, afterwards by the Bri∣tains Iniswytrin, or the Glassy Island, by the Saxons in the same sense Gla∣stney, and by the Latins Glasconia. Here the Holy Men made it their first Work to build for the Wor∣ship of the only true GOD a Tem∣ple or Church, which they dedicated to the Memory of the Holy Mother
of GOD, and perpetual Virgin Mary, the Walls whereof were on all sides made of Rods, watled or interwoven. In this the Fervor and Piety of our primitive Christians was so great, that it was deservedly called the Mother of Saints. The Memory of this Build∣ing was preserved by an Inscription cut in Brass, and heretofore fastned to a Pillar in Glastenbury Church, which, being rehearsed by Bishop Godwyn, Sir Henry Spelman caused to be entirely transcribed, and put into his Collecti∣on of British and English Councels. To this their Solitude did St. Joseph and his Companions frequently re∣pair, both to repose themseves after their Labors, and by undistracted Prayers to renew their Courage and Patience in their Apostolical Employ∣ment, laying thus the Foundation, and giving Example both of Active and Contemplative Life. Here did St. Joseph after neer twenty years painful Labors change this mortal Life for an immortal one in the Year of our Lord 82. With him are said to have been buried two Silver Ves∣sels, which he had brought along with him, filled with the precious
Blood of our Saviour JESUS CHRIST.
The Faith, thus planted by these Holy Apostles, daily here encreasing, the British Christians are said in the Year of our Lord 100. to have sent an Ambassadour to St. Clement, then Bishop of Rome, desiring him to com∣municate to them the Rites and Order of celebrating Divine Service.
About the latter end of Trajans Reign, the Roman Bishop St. Evaristus, sending a Message to the Britains, exhorted them to the Christian Faith: The verities whereof the better to propagate, his Successor St. Alexan∣der sent hither certain Apostolical Preachers, amongst whom are thought to have been St. Marcellus, afterwards Bishop of Triers, and St. Timotheus, Son of Pudens a Roman Senator, and Brother to the Holy Virgins St. Pra∣xedes and St. Pudentiana, whose Mo∣ther is by many supposed to have been the Famous British Lady St. Claudia. These gathered into a Flock the Remainders of those, who had been converted by St. Joseph of Ari∣mathea and his Companions, confirm∣ing them in the same Faith, which,
thus watered, spread so far, that Anno Domini 141. there are said to have been Baptized in Granta (since called Cambridge) nine Do∣ctors and Scholars.
About the Year of the Lord 181. the British King Lucius,* 1.42 who had hi∣therto been kept by its Poverty and want of Worldly Splendor from em∣bracing the Christian Religion, to a Liking whereof an Account of the con∣stant Perseverance of the Christians at Rome amidst their great and horrible Persecutions had induced him, being now by the Emperors Lieutenants Per∣tinax and Trebellius informed of the Fa∣vor, shewn to the Professors of Christi∣anity by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who, having obtained a famous Victo∣ry by the Christians Prayers, set forth an Edict in their behalf, as also of the Increase of their Number by the Conversion of many of the chiefest Roman Senators, began to hearken to the Admonitions of such, as taught that Religion here in Britain, the Fountain whereof understanding to be at Rome, and not knowing of any Ecclesiastical persons in Britain of Au∣thority
sufficient to establish here a New Church, sent Elvanus of Aval∣lonia, and Medwinus of the Province of the Belgae with Letters to St. Eleu∣therius, then sitting in St. Peters Chair, desiring from him more perfect In∣struction, and a greater Authority for setling the common Affairs of Christianity. St. Eleutherius, together with the same Messengers, one of which (to wit Elvanus) he is said to have consecrated a Bishop, sent over to him two Reverend Prelates, whose Names were Phaganus and Diruvia∣nus, commissionating them not only to instruct and Baptize the King, and such others, as should embrace the Christian Faith, but also to order and establish all Ecclesiastical Affairs in the Kingdom. But whereas the King de∣sired, that his Messengers might bring with them the Roman Laws, according to which he would order the Civil State of his Kingdom, the holy Bishop sent him word, that those Laws were not necessary for the Con∣stitution of a Christian Common-Weal, since that in them many things were established, that ought not to be observed by the Professors of Christianity.
These Messengers being arrived, the King, his Queen, his Sister St. Eme∣rita, and his whole Family were washt in the Laver of Baptism, whose good Example a great number of his Peo∣ple soon followed. A Testimonial of this Conversion is yet remaining in the Library of Sir John Cotton, be∣ing a Coin of this King, bearing his Image, his Name LƲC, and the Sacred Sign of the Cross, the common Badge of Christianity.
This done, these four holy Men employd themselves in Preaching the Gospel of CHRIST through all the Provinces of the Kingdom, dis∣puting daily with the Druids, and by the help of the Kings Authority and Zeal abrogating their abominable Su∣perstitions, whose horrid Sacrifices of humane Blood had caused the Romans long since to prohibit them in Gaul, and consecrating Priests and Bishops, and designing for Episcopal Sees those Places, where formerly the chief of the Druids, whom by a Title, bor∣rowed from the Romans, our Histori∣ans, writing in Latin, frequently term Flamines and Archiflamines, had their Residence. The Names of the
Cities, that were then in Britain, compassed with Walls, and fortified with Towers and Gates, for each of which a Bishop was intended, are as followeth.
Three of these were designed to be Metropolitical Cities, the Title of Archbishops not being then in use, viz. London, York, and Cairleon upon Ʋsk: the first whereof was York, be∣ing at that time not only a Colony of the Romans, but the Place, where the Emperours Palace and Courts of Judicature were kept. The first Me∣tropolitan of London was St. Theanus, for whom the King built a Church in the place called Cornhil, which was consecrated to St. Peter.
In the Year of CHRIST 186. the holy Prelates Phaganus and Diru∣vianus, going to Rome, obtained a Confirmation of all, they had done in Britain, from St. Eleutherius, from whom at their Return hither they presented the King with an hallowed Crown.
These Holy men being now come back, there were more Churches built,
particularly that of Westminster, which which was even from its first Foun∣dation deputed for the Burial of our Kings, and that of Winchester, to which the King granted great Immu∣nities, setling on it ample Revenues, and placing therein Monks, living ac∣cording to the Rule, delivered by St. Mark the Evangelist.
Nor was the Devotion of King Lucius content only to build Churches and Monasteries, but he erected also Seminaries of Learning, of which that of Bangor was most remarkable, wherein at the coming of St. Augustin into England there were more than two thousand Monks.
Christian Religion being thus set∣led in Britain, King Lucius, out of his Zeal to propagate the Gospel, is said to have relinquished his Crown, and passed over into Bavaria and Rhaetia, together with his Sister St. Emerita, where being Crowned with Martyr∣dom, he was buried at Curia or Chur: after whose Death the Romans suf∣fered no more British Kings within their Province.
St. Phaganus and Diruvianus, travel∣ling over the whole Island, teaching
and baptizing the Inhabitants, visi∣ted the Isle of Avallonia, where they built another Oratory, dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, and having establi∣shed there a Succession of twelve persons in memory of St. Joseph and his Com∣panions, are supposed there to have ended their Dayes, Anno Domini 191.
* 1.43The Christian Faith, thus setled in Britain, flourished here, unmolested by any Persecution till the Year of our Lord 286. when Dioclesian, being now in the third year of his Reign, took for his Companion in the Em∣pire Marcus Valerius Maximianus. These two Emperors, the former whereof▪ assumed the Surname Jovius, as the other did Herculius, designing wholly to extirpate Christianity out of the World, raised a more dismal Persecution against the Professors thereof, than ever any of their Pre∣decessors had done, and this their supereminent Cruelty they extended so far, that the Isle of Britain, which in former persecuting Emperors times had been exempted from participa∣ting with the Sufferings of other Na∣tions,
was now made a Scene of Blood, and the very first Theatre, whereon these bloody Emperours began to Act those Tragedies, whereat Mankind stood amazed.
The first, that suffered under their cruel Edicts, was our glorious Proto∣martyr St. Albanus, who, being an Inha∣bitant of Verulam, descended of an il∣lustrious Roman Family, and the Empe∣rors Procurator in Britain, courteously (tho himself yet a Pagan) entertained a certain reverend Christian Priest, na∣med Amphibalus, then newly come from Rome into Britain, by whom being con∣verted to the true Faith, he lent him at his departure his own Military Cas∣sock, woven with Gold, that he might the better escape: for which being accused before the Judge, con∣stituted for that purpose, and owning himself a Christian, he was after va∣rious Torments beheaded, the Execu∣tioners Eyes falling to the Ground with the Martyrs Head. To his Honour after the ceasing of the Per∣secution were several Churches erect∣ed, one particularly in the Place, where by shedding his Blood he had triumphed: Which St: Germanus Bi∣shop
of Auxerre in France, visiting, that he might here pay his thanks to GOD, for his Victory over the Pelagian Heresy, took from the Place, where the Martyrs Blood had been shed, a Lump of Earth, which he car∣ried with him into France. This no doubt occasioned the Mistake of those, who affirmed the Body of St. Alban to have been carried hence into France by St. Germanus.
Not long after St. Amphibalus, ta∣ken among the Cornabii, where a great Multitude of People were, as they attended to his Preaching, slain by the Pagans, was brought to Rudburn, a Village three Miles from Verulam, where his Belly being ript open, and his Guts fastned to a Stake, set in the Ground, he was by cruel whipping forced to walk about it, enwrapping it with his Bowels, his Body like∣wise being torn with Knives and Lances, till at last he yielded up his Soul to GOD: After which his Body was by a certain Christian privately taken away, and buried.
Many more were here likewise Crowned with Martyrdom, two of the most remarkable whereof were
St. Aaron and St. Julius, considerable Citizens of Caer-Leon upon Ʋsk.
Besides those, who suffered Martyr∣dom, many persecuted Christians, which were left, hid themselves in Woods, Desarts, and Caves of Rocks, expecting from GOD, the just Judge of all, when he would please to exe∣cute his Judgments on their Persecu∣tors, and restore Safety and Liberty to their own Souls.
The British Christians thus abscond∣ing, the Rage of their Enemies ex∣tended it self upon their Churches, all which by this Tempest were ei∣ther utterly destroyed, or turned in∣to places for the Idolatrous Worship of the Gentiles, as that of Westminster was into a Temple of Apollo, so that in several Provinces of this Island there remained no Marks at all of Christian Religion.
Tho the Britains for about nine years groaned under this Persecution, yet it was sooner mitigated here, than in any other part of the Em∣pire. For Constantius Chlorus, who by the vertuous demeanor of his Wife Helena, a Christian Lady, Daughter to Coilus a British Prince, had been
brought to a secret Liking of their Religion, being by Maximian, who, constraining him to divorce Helena, had given him his Daughter to Wife, chosen Caesar, as Galerius was by Di∣oclesian, came into Britain to subdue the Usurper Alectus, where he put a stop to this Issue of Blood, so that, the British Church enjoying Peace, whilst in all other Provinces of the Empire Cruelty and Slaughter were Triumphant, the Christians here be∣gan to repair their demolished Church∣es, to build new ones in honour of their late Martyrs, and Publickly to celebrate Divine Mysteries and solemn Festivals.
Maximian and Dioclesian after twen∣ty years fruitless Cruelty voluntarily deposing themselves from the Empire, the Western Provinces fell to Constan∣tius, who, choosing rather to govern well, than much, resigned Italy and Africk to Galerius, esteeming them too remote from the Seat of his Resi∣dence, which he held in Britain: In∣to the Northern parts whereof he was drawn by some Commotions a∣mongst the Picts, whom having re∣moved beyond the Limits prescribed
them, he fell sick at York, where, hav∣ing embraced the true Faith, he piously ended his dayes, Anno CHRISTI 306. leaving his Empire to his eldest Son Constantin, born in Britain of his beloved Wife Helena, by whom he was solemnly buried.
Constantin,* 1.44 who (tho flying from it) was forced to yield to the Soul∣diers, saluting him Emperor, altho not yet a Christian, yet having from his Infancy been bred up to the Love of Christians, and imbued by his Mother with the Principles of their Religion in his tender Youth, indulged them the same Peace and Security through all his Dominions, and particulary in Britain, as they had enjoyed un∣der his Father Constantius. Hence several Churches were rebuilt and replenished within this Island: whereof two of the most famous were those of Winchester and Abingdon, to the latter of which belonged no fewer than five hundred Monks living by the Labour of their Hands in Woods and Desarts, and resorting every Sunday and Holy∣day to the Monastery to perform their Devotions: besides whom there
constantly remained there sixty, daily attending to celebrate Divine Service.
In the Year of our Lord 311. Ga∣lerius being dead, there remained in the Empire four Persons, by whom the respective Provinces were su∣premely and independently admini∣stred: Gaul and Britain by Constantin; Italy and Africk by Maxentius; the East by Maximinus; Pannonia, Greece, Illyri∣cum and Thrace by Licinius. Whereof Maxentius, under whose Tyranny all Italy (especially Rome) groaned, refusing Conditions of Peace, offered him by Con∣stantin, whom he would not admit in∣to fellowship in the Empire, Constantin, concluding a War against him to be both just and necessary, and sensible, that his Adversary was superior to him in strength, had recourse to Di∣vine Assistance, and uncertain amongst such a Multitude of Gods, to which he should address himself, calling to mind, how former Emperors had to their own Ruine been abused by the deceitful Oracles of their false Gods, resolved to put his Trust in the only true GOD, worshipped by his Mother Helena all her Life-time, and by his Father Constantius towards
his latter end, to whom when he had offered up his Prayers, the Almighty was pleased by a stupendious Mira∣cle in the sight of his whole Army to declare, how acceptable this was to him. For the Emperor saw ma∣nifestly in the Heavens over the Sun, which had now passed his Meridian, and began to decline, the Sign of the the Cross, figured by a resplendent Light, together with these Words in∣scribed, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: Which Specta∣cle caused great Admiration in himself, and his whole Army, then attending.
To Constantin, distracted with great Doubts about the Portent of this Vi∣sion, did our Lord, bearing the same sign, which had been shewn him from Heaven, appear in his sleep, commanding him to cause a Repre∣sentation thereof to be framed, which he should make use of, as a firm Guard, whensoever he was to joyn Battle with his Enemies.
The Day appearing, the Emperor, having declared this Vision to his Friends, called together the most skil∣ful Jewellers, that could be found, to whom having described the Pattern of the Sign, which he had seen, he
commanded them to make the Resem∣blance thereof in Gold and Precious Stones, which he alwayes made use of, as a sure Defence against all hostil Violence.
Constantin, encouraged with this glorious Testimony of Divine Assist∣ance, armed with the Cross both on his Helmet and Forehead, and having this Triumphant Banner (to which the Roman Eagle now gave place) born before his Army, passed the Alps, and coming into Italy, fought Maxentius before the Walls of Rome, whose Army being discomfited, the Tyrant, having cast off his Marks of Authori∣ty, adventured himself to the River Tyber, where he was drowned.
Soon after Constantin met Licinius at Milan, to whom giving his Sister Constantia for Wife, he prevailed with him not only to subscribe to an Edict for giving free Liberty to Christians, and restoring to them all their Churches, that had been seised on, but also to joyn with him in a Letter to Maximinus, Emperor of the Eastern Provinces, to grant the same Freedom within his Dominions, to which Maximinus, tho with some un∣willingness, consented.
In the Year 314. Constantin, then residing in Gaul, was much distracted by the Factions of Schismaticks a∣mongst the Christians. For the re∣pressing therefore of the Seditions, raised by the Donatists, he was neces∣sitated to command a General Assem∣bly or Synod of the Western Empire to meet at Arles, where there were present above two hundred Bishops: amongst whom were these three from Britain, Eborius Bishop of York, Resti∣tutus Bishop of London, and Adelfius Bishop of Colonia Londinensium or Colchester, which some, affirming Colon: Londinens: to have been mista∣kingly written by the Transcribers for Colon: Camalodun: interpret Mal∣don in Essex.
In the Year 317. Licinius, contra∣ry to his Covenant with Constantin, beginning to presecute the Christians, was by him in two Battles overthrown. After which tho there was a new League made, and all the Eastern Pro∣vinces together with Thrace assigned to Licinius; yet he, renewing the War, was slain the next year, and a firm Peace given to the Christian Churches all the World over.
Now began Constantin to publish Laws for the advantage of Christia∣nity, ordaining, that Clergymen should be excused from all manner of Civil Offices and Duties, to the end they might not by the envious Malice of any be withdrawn from the Service of GOD. For to encourage like∣wise the Love of Virginity and Sin∣gle Life, he abrogated the Roman Laws against Celibacy, and appoin∣ted a certain Measure of Wheat year∣ly to be given to all Widows, and those, who observed a Virgin Life. He ordained also, that all Judges, In∣habitants of Cities, and Tradesmen should rest on the Venerable Day of our Lord; but Countrymen were per∣mitted to employ themselves in cultiva∣ting their Grounds, because that, ma∣ny times no Day being more com∣modious for plowing or digging the Vines, a common Good, granted by Divine Povidence, ought not to be lost. He prescribed likewise a Form of Prayer, to be used upon all Sun∣dayes both by Citizens and others.
In the Year of our Lord 324. Con∣stantin, who, according to a Custom, frequently practiced by the Christian
Converts of those primitive Times, had hitherto delayed his Baptism, to cleanse his Conscience, stained with the Blood of many Innocents, amongst whom was his own Son Crispus, put to Death upon the false Accusations of his Stepmother Fausta, was washt in the Laver of Regeneration, being Baptized at Rome by the Holy Bishop Sylvester, and while he was yet in his white Robes, then usually worn for seven Dayes after Baptism, made se∣veral Laws for the advancement of true Religion.
1. He declared that CHRIST was the only true Lord, and com∣manded, that he should be adored throughout the whole Empire.
2. He appointed severe Punishments to be inflicted on those, who by word or deed should dishonor him.
3. He ordained likewise Penalties for those, who should persecute or molest any Christians. He gave also Imperial Priviledges to the Roman, and great Immunities to all other Churches, and conferred many Gifts upon several Ecclesiastical Persons.
The year following, to suppress the Heresy of Arius, he caused a Council
to be assembled at Nice of three hun∣dred and eighteen Bishops, where a Decree was likewise made for an Uniformity in the Observation of Ea∣ster, about which the Church had been much disquieted. Hereunto agreed those of the Church 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
In the Year 326. died St. Helena, Mother to the Emperor, who, with great Care and Industry having found out the Cross, whereon our Blessed Saviour suffered, and the Manger, wherein he was born, built in the same place a Church, dedicated to Christian Devotion, for which she was by the Jews, Enemies to all, that own any thing sacred in Memory of our Saviour, despitefully called Stabu∣laria. About the same time Constan∣tin, returning into the East, exprest his Zeal against Idolatry, shutting up the Temples of the Heathens, and making severe Laws against their Sa∣crifices.
IN this Island did the Roman Govern∣ment continue till the time of the Emperor Honorius,* 1.45 in the fifteenth year of whose Reign, being the Yeer of our Lord 410. and four hundred sixty and two yeers after the first Arrival of Ju∣lius Caesar on the British shore, the Bri∣tains, the Flower of whose Youth had been from time to time drawn out by the Romans, whose Forces also were now called from hence for the defence of Italy against the Goths, not ha∣ving Power sufficient to defend them∣selves from the Incursions of their Nor∣thern Enemies, sent their Messengers to the Emperor, humbly craving his Protection. But he, not able to afford them any Assistance, Rome it self being then besieged by Alaric, by whom it was the same year taken, sent them Letters, exhorting them to stand on their own Guard, and acquitting them of the Roman Jurisdiction.
* 1.46The Romans thus relinquishing all Care and Protection of Britain, the Government devolved on its own pet∣ty Princes, who independently ruled the several Provinces thereof. But they, unable to support themselves a∣gainst the daily Inroads of the Picts and Scots, again sent Letters to Ho∣norius, who, compassionating their Miseries, the Fear of Alaric being now over, sent a Legion to their Assistance, who, having with great Slaughter driven back the Picts be∣yond the Marches, and cleared the Frontiers, caused a Rampire to be built cross the Island from the Frith of Edenborough to the City Alcluith on Dunbritton, as Agricola formerly had done.
No sooner were the Romans depar∣ted to the defence of France, but the Picts, breaking down this Wall, slight∣ly cast up of Turfs only, and pour∣ing into the Province like a Torrent, laid all waste, whereever they came, the Scots likewise out of their Carroghs or Leather vessels, wherein they used to pass the Scitick Vale, landing in whole Swarms, and making havock of what∣ever came in their way.
The Britains, thus bandied between two merciless and insolent Enemies, yet once more sent Ambassadors to Rome, who with rent Garments, and Sand on their Heads, mournfully sup∣plicating Valentinian the third, then Emperor, that he would not suffer a Province, which had been so servicea∣ble to the Romans, to be the Subject of Barbarian Scorn and Insolence, excited in him such Pity of their Complaints, that to succor them he sent certain Regiments, who, coming unexpected∣ly upon those ravenous Spoilers, sur∣prised them with terrible Slaughter.
The Britains thus rescued, and the Province cleared of the Enemies, the Romans gave them their help to build another Wall of Stone, twelve foot high, and eight broad, traversing the Island in a direct Line from East to West, where Severus had walled be∣fore, between certain Cities, placed as Frontiers to keep off the Enemy, and along the South Shore, from whence Hostility was also feared, they erected Towers at certain distances for safety of the Coast.
This done, having instructed the Britains in the Art of War, leaving
them Patterns of their Arms and Wea∣pons, and exhorting them manfully to resist the Invaders of their Countrey, they took their last Farewel, never purposing to return.
The Romans being finally departed, and their Resolution of not returning known, the Scots and Picts, more confidently than ever issuing out of their Holes, seized upon all the North part of the Island even as far as the Wall, which, not fearing to be dis∣possest, they, as natural Inhabitants, planted and manured: Not content herewith, they assaulted the Garrison on the Wall, whence with their Hooks and Engines pulling down some, they put the rest to flight, themselves ta∣king possession of the Frontier Cities, and having with such ease broken in∣to the Province, pursued the Britains into the Inland Countreys, bringing destruction still along with them.
The better to withstand the fre∣quent Inroads of these cruel Enemies, the Princes, after the example of their Ancestors in the dayes of Julius Caesar, resolved to choose a General Captain of the whole Nation, and to establish the Kingdom in his Line.
For this high Dignity there were two considerable Competitors: Aure∣lius Ambrosius, descended of a noble Roman Family, and (as it is supposed) Son of Constantin, who in the dayes of Honorius pretended to the Roman Empire; and Vortigern, Prince of the Damnonii, or, as some write, Consul of the Gevissei, Inhabitants of the South-Western parts about Cornwal or South-Wales: Which Principality, it seems, he had governed well enough to be esteemed not unworthy to be preferred above his formerly Fellow-Princes.
Ambrosius therefore, with his Bro∣ther Ʋter Pendragon, retiring into les∣ser Britain in Gaul, quitted both his Pretence and Country to Vortigern, who, the Choice thus falling on him, was in the Year 438 anointed King: For, that in those ancient times of British Government the solemn Cere∣mony of anointing their Kings was in use in this Island, is clear from the Testimony of Gildas.
Vortigern, thus advanced to the Throne, governed a while his Prin∣cipality with Moderation. In the eighth year of his Reign the Picts,
who after their miraculous Discomfi∣ture by St. Germanus had for the most part kept within their own Territories, now breaking in afresh, miserably wasted all those Provinces of Britain, which had formerly been subject to the Romans: and this Invasion they continued the year following with such violence, that after much Blood∣shed, and horrible Devastation of the Countrey, the Britains, having no o∣ther Refuge, wrote to Aetius, then President of Gallia, this short, but lamentable, Epistle, recorded by Gil∣das.
To Aetius, the third time Con∣sul, the Groans of the Britains.
The Barbarians drive us to the Sea, the Sea beats us back upon the Barba∣rians. Between these two we are expos∣ed either to be slain with the Sword, or drowned: and to avoid both we find no Remedy.
But in vain were these Supplications, the Romans, who could scarce secure the heart of their Empire, infested with the Huns and Vandals, not be∣ing able to afford them any assistance. Many therefore of the Britains, see∣ing themselves thus rejected, wearied
with flying from place to place, and spent with the terrible Famin, which had long afflicted them, yielded them∣selves Slaves to their Savage Enemies; but others, more resolute, taught by their Miseries to seek aid from Hea∣ven, retired to inaccessible Mountains and Caves, whence with Courage and Success they often assaulted these rave∣nous Spoilers, recovering from them their Booty, and driving them back to their own Quarters.
These hostil Invasions therefore a while ceasing, the Britains set them∣selves to cultivate their Ground, which with scarce credible Plenty a∣bundantly recompenced their Labors.
No sooner were their Enemies de∣parted, and their pinching Hunger allaid, but their Piety likewise vani∣shed, in the room whereof succeeded excessive Luxury, accompanied with all sorts of Vices, infecting not the Laity only, but the Clergy also, who ought to have been Guides to others. And altho GOD sought to reclaim them by his Scourge of Pestilence, by which such Multitudes perished, that the Living were not sufficient to bury the Dead; yet were they with this
Severity nothing at all amended, but like Solomons Fool, tho scourged, yet they felt it not.
GODs Patience therefore being spent towards a People, which grew worse both by Prosperity and Adver∣sity, he so far infatuated their Coun∣sels, that they themselves invited from a remote Country Enemies, far more savage and barbarous than either the Picts or Scots.
The Northern Spoilers, whom fear of the Contagion had kept within their own Borders, the Infection now beginning to cease, readvanced into the Inland Countrey, against whose Incursions the better to provide, King Vortigern summoned a general Coun∣cel, where by common Advice it was resolved, that Ambassadors should be sent into Germany to hire the Saxons to their assistance: an Army of which in the year 449 landing in Britain under the Conduct of Hengist and Horsa, the Britains, by their Help overcoming their Enemies, who were come as far as Stamford in Lincoln∣shire, gave them great Possesions in that part of the same County, now called Lindsey, where they built Thong-Castle.
King Vortigern, falling in love with Rowena, Daughter to Hengist, divor∣ced his Queen, a vertuous Lady, by whom he had three Sons, named Vor∣timer, Catigern, and Pascentius, to make his Bed vacant for this Pagan, whom he bought of her Father with the Kingdom of Kent: who soon af∣ter, taking advantage at the Discon∣tent of the Britains for this Act of their King, pickt a Quarrel, and ma∣king a League with the Picts, laid wast the Countrey.
The Saxons Power increasing by the coming over of fresh Supplies, the British Laity first, and afterwards the Clergy represented their Danger to the King, whom, either not be∣lieving, or not regarding their Com∣plaints, they in the sixteenth year of his Reign deserted, and followed his Son Vortimer (choosing him, as some say, for their General, or, as others, for an Associate to his Father in the Kingdom) under whose Conduct they had many Conflicts with the Saxons, and that with various Success: in one of which, the Vant-guard being led by Aurelius Ambrosius, newly come out of Little Britain to assist Prince
Vortimer, the main Body by Vortimer himself, and the Rere by his Bro∣ther Catigern, Catigern was slain, and buried at Alestrew, now called Ayles∣ford in Kent, where a Monument erected for him, is at this day cor∣ruptly called Keith-Coty-House.
This Proceeding of the Britains (tho the more excuseable, in that they did not presume to depose their King, which yet Parker in his Antiquities of the British Church not only affirms they did, but (like a true Calvinist) commends them for so doing; but only without, or (perhaps) against his Consent chose themselves a Lea∣der against their Enemies) as it was not justifiable, nor yet approved by all the Britains, many of which took not well this advancing of the Son a∣gainst the good Liking of the Father: so was it fatal to Vortimer himself, who, having six years enjoyed this Dignity, lost both that and his Life, being poysoned by the Procurement of Rowena. After his Death Ambro∣sius returned again into Britain in France.
Hengist and his Saxons, who under Pretence of a Treaty of Peace had
slain three hundred of the British Nobility, and by detaining Vortigern Prisoner had extorted from him the Counties of Essex, Sussex, Surrey, Nor∣folk, and Suffolk for his Ransom, growing daily more and more pow∣erful, whilst Vortigern lurkt inglori∣ously in his Castle Gener•• amidst the inaccessible Mountains of the Coun∣trey, now called Cambria or Wales, and the middle Provinces of the Realm, left without any Defender, being exposed to the fury of the Ene∣my, the Britains, deserted by their King, were forced to seek one a∣broad.
They directed therefore Messengers into Little Britain to Ambrosius and his Brother Ʋter Pendragon, beseech∣ing them with all speed to quit that Country, and repair into their own, to the end that expelling both the Saxons, and their hated King Vorti∣gern, they might receive the Crown of Britain.
The Princes upon this Invitation returned, attended with Ships, and armed Souldiers, and being arrived here, had a great Battel with Hen∣gist, wherein tho the Britains were
worsted, yet the Saxons received such Loss, that they both gladly continu∣ed quiet. The Fury of the Saxons thus allayed, Ambrosius marched into Wales, where setting fire to the Castle of King Vortigern, he consumed both him and his to Ashes: After whose Death by Consent of the Nobles he assumed the Crown Anno CHRISTI 481.
In the Year of our Lord 496. Pas∣centius, the Son of Vortigern, with an Army of Germans came against Ambro∣sius, by whom being discomfited, he fled into Scotland: Whence about five years after returning with an Army, and understanding, that Ambrosius lay sick, he hired a certain Saxon, named Copa, who, feigning himself to be a British Monk and a Physician, poysoned the King, Pascentius in the mean time and all his Captaines being slain by Ʋter Pendragon, who in the head of the Kings Forces marched out against him.
The Line of Vortigern being thus extinct, and Ambrosius now dead, the Realm was without any Competitor governed by Ʋter Pendragon, under whom and his Successors the Britains
had continual Struglings with the Saxons, by whom being at last outed of the best part of their Country, they retired beyond the River Severn, and in those parts fortified themselves, a Period being put to the British Kingdom in the Year of our Lord, 688. about two hundred seventy eight years after that Honorius had by Letters of Discharge quitted the Bri∣tains of the Roman Jurisdiction, two hundred and fifty from the Reesta∣blishing of the British Monarchy by the Election of King Vortigern, two hundred thirty nine after the first Arrival of Hengist and his Saxon Auxiliaries, and in the third Year of Cadwalladar, who was the last, that was dignified with the Title of King of Britain, his Successors being stiled Kings and Princes of Wales.
* 1.47THe conquering Saxons, having possest themselves of all the Sou∣thern parts of the Isle, except what lies beyond the Severn, and the moun∣tainous Countrey of Cornwall, whither they had forced the Britains to retire, gave to the Countrey, held by them∣selves, first the Name of East Saxony beyond Sea, and afterwards that of England: That Part of the Island, which was still enjoyed by the Britains, they called Wales, the Inhabitants Walsh or Welsh-men, and their chief Governours Kings and Princes of Wales. Hereby was the Name of Britain banished as it were the Island for above nine hundred years, till such time as, the Line of Henry the VIIIth. (whose three Children, Reign∣ing successively, died Issueless) being extinct, the Crown of England by in∣dubitable Hereditary Right fell to James the VIth. King of Scotland,
whose Great Grandmother was Mar∣garet, eldest Daughter to Henry the VIIth. King of England. This fa∣mous Monarch (as is manifest by his Genealogy hereunto annext) lineally descending from Cadwalladar, the last King of the Britains, not only re∣stored the British Line to the Throne, but the Name of Britain also to the Island, causing himself immediately upon his Coming to this Crown to be stiled King of Great Britain.
This was the Rise and Original of the Royal Family of the Stuarts, which has now for above three hund∣red years been in possession of the Crown of Scotland, and about four∣score the sole Monarchs of Great Bri∣tain. But tho this Descent be of the Younger House, as coming from Elise, second Son of Anarawd, the first King of Northwales; yet that his present Majesty of Great Britain is by Right of Primogeniture the next and un∣doubted Heir to Cadwalladar, will ma∣nifestly appear by the following Table, representing
OF Monarchies some are Heredi∣tary, the Crown descending ei∣ther only to the Heirs Male, as has long been practiced in France; or to the next of Blood without Distinction of Sex, as in Great Britain and Spain. Others are Elective, where, upon the Death of every Prince, another is chosen to succeed, without any res∣pect to the Heirs of the Predecessor, as is used in Poland.
Of Hereditary Monarchies some are dependent, holden of earthly Poten∣tates, to whom the Princes are obli∣ged to do Homage for the same, as is the Kingdom of Naples, holden at this day of the Pope by the King of Spain: Others are independent, whose Princes acknowledge no Superior upon Earth, but hold only of GOD and by their Sword.
Of this latter sort is the Empire of Great Britain, being an Hereditary Monarchy, consisting of two Provinces
or Kingdoms, governed by one Su∣preme, Absolute, Independent, Unde∣posable, and Unaccountable Head, ac∣cording to the known Laws and Cust∣oms of each Kingdom.
It is a Free Monarchy, challenging, above many other Europaean Kingdoms, an Exemption from all Subjection to the Emperor, or Laws of the Empi- to which as the Northern Part of the Island, or Kingdom of Scotland was never subject; so the Southern part, since called the Kingdom of England, being abandoned by the Ro∣mans, who had by force obtained the Dominion thereof, the Right of Go∣vernment by all manner of Laws re∣verted to the ancient Inhabitants, to the last of whose Kings, viz. Cadwal∣ladar our present Sovereign is (as ap∣pears by the precedent Genealogy) by Lineal and Legitimate Descent the true and unquestionable Heir.
And as it is exempt from all for∣reign Jurisdiction and Dominion, so likewise is it free from all Interregnum, and many other Domestick Mischiefs, whereunto Elective Kingdoms are or∣dinarily subject.
It is a Monarchy, wherein the Grace and Bounty of its Princes, rendring the subordinate Concurrence of the three Estates necessary to the making and repealing of all Statutes or Acts of Parliament in either Realm, have afforded so much to the Industry, Li∣berty, and Happiness of the Subject, and made the Yoak of Government so easy, and its Burden so light, that, were it not for those malevolent and Fanatical Spirits, which by sowing Jealousies amongst the People, and raising Animosities in their Minds a∣gainst their Prince, endeavor to de∣prive us of the benefit of our Parlia∣ments by rendring their Meetings un∣practicable, our Condition might well be envied by all other Nations of the Universe.
TO the Monarch of Great Britain is given in English, which is the Language most generally spoken through his whole Dominions, the Name King, which hath its Original from the Saxon Word Koning, and intimateth that Power and Knowledge, wherewith every Soveraign should e∣specially be invested.
The Modern Title, used by the Monarch in all Treaties with for∣reign Princes, and in all publick Af∣fairs, relating to his whole Domi∣nions, and stamped upon his Coin, is By the Grace of GOD King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith; but in all Writs and other publick Instruments, referring to the particular Concerns of either Kingdom of England or Scot∣land, the two Kingdoms are distinct∣ly,
named that Kingdom having the Pre∣cedency in such Instrument, which is therein particularly concerned.
To the King alone belongs Dei Gratiâ, taken simply and in the strict∣est sense, as holding his Regal Dig∣nity by the Favour of none but GOD; the Archbishops and Bishops, to whom that Title is also sometimes given, must understand Dei Gratiâ & Regis: For tho their Character and Spiritu∣al Function be from GOD alone; yet their Baronies, Dignity, and In∣terest in the State, and even that external Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, which they exercise (and that legal∣ly in their own Names) within his Majesties Dominions, are from the Grace and Bounty of the Prince.
Defender of the Faith was (as ap∣pears by a Charter of King Richard the IId. to the University of Oxford) anciently given to the Kings of Eng∣land, and therefore not so much con∣ferred upon, as confirmed unto King Henry the VIIIth. by Pope Leo the Xth. for a Book written against Lu∣ther in Defence of some Points of the Roman Faith, and since the ejection of that Religion continued in the Crown by Act of Parliament.
The Title of Grace, since appropri∣ated to Archbishops and Dukes, was first given to the King about the Time of Henry the IVth. as about the Time of Edward the IVth. that of High and Mighty Prince, since also given to Dukes. To Henry the VIIIth. was given first Highness, since the Stile of all the Princes of the Blood, then Majesty, and now Most Excellent and Sacred Majesty.
The King of Great Britain in his publick Instruments and Letters uses, as his Predecessors have ever done since the Time of King John, Nos We in the Plural Number; but be∣fore his Time Kings used the Sin∣gular: Which Custom is still practi∣ced in the Ends of Writs and Pa∣tents Teste meipso.
The Word Syr, answering to the Latine Dominus, and supposedly the same with Cyr, an Abbreviation of the Greek Word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which, prefixt before the Christian Name, is given only to Baronets, Knights of the Bath, and Knights Batchelors, is the ordinary Appellation, used in speak∣ing to all persons of the better Rank from the King to the Gentleman;
tho in France the Word Syr or Syre is reserved only for the King, as is with us, Great Syr.
* 1.49Arms are Ensigns of Honor, born in a Shield for Distinction of Families, and descending, as Hereditary, to Posterity; yet not generally fixt, un∣less in the Kings of Europe, in Great Britain or France, till after the Time of the Holy War about four hundred years ago.
Our first Christian King, and the first Christian King of the whole World, Lucius bare Argent, a Crosse Gules, in the first Quarter a Crosse Pa∣tee Azure.
After the Desertion of this Island by the Romans King Vortigern bare Gules, a Crosse Or. Aurelius Ambrosius bare Gules, a Griffin Sergreant Or. Ʋter Pendragon bare Or, two Dragons endor∣sed Vert, crowned Gules. King Arthur bare Vert, a Crosse Argent, on the first Quarter Our Lady with her Son in her Arms. Cadwalladar, the last King of the Britains, bare Azure, a Crosse Patee on three parts, and fitched on the fourth, Or.
The Soveraign Ensigns Armorial of the King of Great Britain, since the Uniting of the two Crowns of Eng∣land and Scotland, are as followeth.
In the first place, Azure, three Flo∣wer-de-Lys Or, for the Regal Arms of France, quartered with the Impe∣rial Ensigns of England, which are Gules, three Lyons Passant Guardant in pale Or; in the second place, Or, within a double Tressure counter-flowe∣red de Lys, a Lyon Rampant Gules for the Royal Arms of Scotland; In the third place, Azure, an Irish Harp Or, stringed Argent, for the Royal Ensigns of Ireland. All within the Garter, the chief Ensign of that most Hono∣rable Order; above the same an Hel∣met, answerable to his Majesties Sove∣raign Jurisdiction; upon the same a rich Mantle of Cloth of Gold, doubled Ermin, adorned with an Imperi∣al Crown, and surmounted for a Crest by a Lion Passant Gardant, Crowned with the like. Upon a Compartment, placed underneath, in the Table where∣of is his Majesties Royal Motto Dieu & mon Droet, stand the Supporters, be∣ing a Lion Rampant Gardant Or, Crowned as the former, and an Ʋni∣corn
Argent, Gorged with a Crown, having thereto a Chain affixt, passing between his Fore-legs, and reflext over his Back, Or.
The Arms of France are placed first, because France is the greater Kingdom; and also for that those Arms from their first Bearing have alwayes been the Ensign of a Kingdom, whereas the Arms of England were originally of Dukedoms, having been brought to England from Normandy, and Aquitain by William the Conque∣ror, and Henry the IId. and proba∣bly likewise, that the French might be thereby more easily induced to ac∣knowledge the English Title.
The Motto Dieu & mon Droit, GOD and my Right, first given by King Richard the Ist. to intimate, that he held not his Empire of any, but of GOD alone, was afterwards ta∣ken up by Edward the IIId. when he first laid Claim to the Crown of France.
* 1.50The Dominions of the King of Great Britain are at this day in pos∣session the Islands of Great Britain and Ireland, containing three Kingdoms
of large Extent, with all the other Isles lying in the British Sea, being a∣bove four hundred in all, great and small, some whereof are very considera∣ble, together with all the adjacent Seas even to the Shores of the Neighbor∣ing Nations. As a Mark whereof all Ships of Forreigners have anciently demanded leave to fish and pass in these Seas, and do at this day lower their Topsails to all the Kings Ships of War. And therefore Children, born upon those Seas (as it sometimes happens) are esteemed natural born Subjects to the King of Great Bri∣tain, and therefore need no Natu∣ralization, as do those, that are born out of his Dominions. He hath like∣wise in possession the Isles of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark, being Parcel of the ancient Dutchy of Nor∣mandy; besides the profitable Plan∣tations of New England, Virginia, Bar∣bados, Jamaica, Maryland, Bermudos, Carolina, New-York, and other places in America, with some in the East Indies, and upon the Coast of Af∣rica.
The Strength of the Monarch of* 1.51
Great Britain since the Union of the two Kingdoms has never yet been fully tried, the Parliaments of the two last Kings, infected with the pesti∣lential Principles of Presbyterianism and Democratism, having upon all oc∣casions proved refractory to their De∣signs, and rather catching at all Op∣portunities of diminishing the Royal Prerogative, and augmenting the (fals∣ly so called) Liberty of the People, being (to speak truly) only a Privi∣ledge to Tyrannize more uncontrol∣lably over their Fellow-Subjects; than any wayes endeavoring to support and maintain the Grandeur and Glory of the King and Kingdom: insomuch that there was invented a most un∣natural Distinction of Subjects into Royalists, and Patriots, as if any man could shew himself a Lover of his Country by braving and opposing the Father of it; whereas the Relation between King and Kingdom is so great, that their Wel-being is reciprocal. And tho for some time after his Ma∣jesties Return the Parliaments of all his three Kingdoms seemed to vy, which of them should most readily comply with their Soveraigns De∣sires
and Designs; yet the Fanati∣cal and Antimonarchical Faction (who ever since his Majesties happy Restau∣ration have been secretly blowing the Coals of Rebellion, and by their sly and false Insinuations have continu∣ally labored to disquiet the Minds of the People with pretended Fears of Popery, and ungrounded Jealousies of (I know not what) Arbitrary Power) have so far of late prevailed, that the Loyalty of many unthinking per∣sons has been strangely staggered, and their Spirits so exasperated, that se∣veral of the English Commonalty have by the Artifices of these Seditious Boutefeus been brought to such a for∣getfulness of the Duty, which by all Divine and Humane Laws they ow unto their Prince; that some Parlia∣ments have of late seemed perfect States of War, wherein a prevalent Faction in the House of Commons, instead of readily affording their As∣sistance to their Soveraign for the strengthning and supporting of his Government against Forreign and Do∣mestick Enemies, have (under Pretence of securing the Priviledges and Li∣berty of the People) been tugging
and contending to ravish away the Regal Prerogatives from the Crown, and, by importuning his Majesty (contrary to his often-declared Reso∣lutions of never consenting to so great an Injustice) to alter the Suc∣cession of the Crown from its lineal and legal Descent, to subvert this an∣cient and hereditary Monarchy by ruining its firmest Foundation.
But the Intrigues of the Faction having been laid open by his Majesties Gracious Declaration of the Reasons, inducing him to dissolve the two last Parliaments, and by the seasona∣ble Publication of that Horrid Asso∣ciation, a Copy whereof was produ∣ced at the late Proceedings against the Earl of Shaftsbury, in whose Clo∣set it was proved to have been found, the Mists, which these Religious Jug∣lers, for the better concealing their damnable Designs, had cast before the Eyes of the People, are so far dissipa∣ted, that whenever his Majesty shall in his Princely Wisdom think fit to call another Parliament, it may well be hoped, that the People, from whose Eyes the Scales, which have so long blinded them, begin now to
drop off, will choose themselves such Representatives, as in their Testimo∣nies of Loyalty and Submission to their Soveraign will eagerly strive to outgo the very best of their Prede∣cessors; such, as will by their unani∣mous Acknowledgment of the unal∣terableness of the Succession (as has been lately done in Scotland) assert the Sacredness of the British Monar∣chy; by their Care to put a Stop to the Debauchery of the Press, whose prolifick Womb, daily teeming with new Monsters, fills every Corner of the Nation with Seditious Pamphlets, will take away those continual Incen∣tives to Rebellion; by undeceiving the deluded Vulgar will free us from that Charm, under which we have now almost these four years lain (as it were) bewitched; and by readily complying with all his Majesties just and honorable Desires and Designes, will enable him to vindicate his own and the Nations Honor against all ex∣ternal Oppositions or internal Rebel∣lions: And then it will not be easy to comprehend, what great things his Majesty, so Loyally assisted, may attempt and effect, especially if we
shall but consider, how the mighty Power of the King of England, before the Conjunction of Scotland, and total Subjection of Ireland, both which were usually at enmity with him, has been notoriously known to the World, and sufficiently felt by our Neighbor-Na∣tions.
The Island of Great Britain is (by a present learned Writer, to whose Collections I am not a little indeb∣ted) not unfitly said to resemble a great Garrison-Town, not only fenced with strong Works her Port-Towns, and environed with a vast and deep Ditch the Sea, but guarded with ex∣cellent Outworks, the strongest and best built Ships of War in the World, and so abundantly furnished within with Men and Horses, with Victuals and Ammunition, with Cloaths and Money, that, if all the Potentates of Europe should (which GOD for∣bid) conspire against it, they could hardly distress it: Insomuch that we may well be permitted to affirm, that, as her own Natural Commodi∣ties are sufficient to maintain her, so nothing, but her own unnatural Sedi∣tions,
is capable to destroy her.
Thus admirable is the Defensive Strength of the Monarch of Great Britain; nor can his Offensive Puis∣sance but be formidable to the World, when it shall be considered, that be∣ing Master of the Sea (as, if he be not wanting to himself, or his Sub∣jects to him, he must be) he may in some sort be said to be Master of e∣very Countrey, bordering thereupon, and is at liberty, where, when, and upon what Terms he pleaseth, to be∣gin or end a War, for the carrying on of which he is well able, when∣ever he shall think fit so to do, to raise of Englishmen (besides Auxiliaries of valiant Scots and Irish) two hundred thousand Foot, and fifty thousand Horse (so many having been compu∣ted, during the late Rebellion, to have been in Arms on both sides, and that without any considerable miss of them in any City, Town, or Village) whose natural Agility of Body, Patience, Hardiness, and Resolution is so great, and their fear of Death so little, that scarce any Nation of the World, up∣on equal Terms, and Number, has ever been able to stand before them
either at Sea or Land. For the trans∣porting of an Army his Majesty hath at command neer two hundred Ships of War, and can hire as many, or more stout English Merchant Ships, not much inferior to Ships of War, all which he can soon Man with the best Sea Souldiers (if not the best Ma∣riners) in the World. And for the maintaining so vast a Fleet sufficient Money may for a competent Time be raised by a Moderate Land-Tax, and for a long time by an easy Ex∣cise, to be laid only upon such Com∣modities, as naturally tend to the oc∣casioning of Pride, Idleness, Luxury, Wantonness, and the Corruption of good Mann••r••s.
* 1.52That the Persons of Monarchs have in all Ages of the World been estee∣med sacred, and (as such) received a more than ordinary Respect and Ve∣neration from their Subjects, is so manifest from the concurrent Practice of ancient and present Times, that it cannot with any shew of Truth be contradicted.
The Patriarchs of the old World were not only Kings, but Priests, hav∣ing
in themselves all Fulness of Jurisdicti∣on, and taking no less Care for the instructing of those, whom GOD had subjected to them, in the manner of performing their Adorations to their Creator, than in teaching them the Laws and Institutes of a Civil Life. And tho the Almighty was pleased amongst his own peculiar People the Israelites, after their Departure out of the Land of Aegypt, to separate the Spiritual and Temporal Functions, entailing the Priesthood upon Aaron and his Posterity, into whose Office it was not lawful for their Kings them∣selves to intrude, yet were they in all Civil matters subject to the Kings Authority, who was (as were also the Priests) anointed with Oyl, to inti∣mate the Sacredness of his Person.
When the Kings and Princes of the World began to submit their Crowns and Scepters to the Cross of our Redeemer, and instead of Persecutors to become Protectors of the Church, this sacred Ceremony of Anointing was again restored, and Monarchs thereby admonished, that, as their Persons were sacred and Spiri∣tual, so it was no less a part of their
Duty to take care of the external Regulation and peace of the Church, than of the Civil Government of their States. Yet were there antiently none anointed, but the two Emperors of the East and West, the Kings of France, England, Sicily, and Hierusalem: amongst whom the Monarch of Great Britain may lay as ancient a Claim to this Holy Unction, as any other Prince of Europe, the very first Kings of this Island, after it was freed from the Jurisdiction of the Romans, hav∣ing been anointed. By reason of which Unction, it was in the Reign of Ed∣ward the IIId. declared, that the Kings of England were capable of Spi∣ritual Jurisdiction.
Of this Sacred Person of the King, of his Life and Safety so singular a Care is taken, that the Laws of both the Realms, whereinto this Island is divided, do herein agree, that it is High Treason, only to imagin or in∣tend the Death of the King: And because likewise by imagining or con∣spiring the Death of the Kings Coun∣cellors, or Great Officers of his Houshold, the Death of the Sovereign may ensue, and is usually aimed at,
all such Conspiracies, tho never ta∣king effect, are punished with Death, tho in all other Capital Cases no man is put to Death, unless the Act follow the Intent.
Nay in so high an esteem is the Kings Person had, that to offend against those Persons and Things, whereby he is represented, as to kill some of the Crown Officers, or any of the Kings Judges, executing their Office, to counterfeit the Kings Seals, or his Moneys, is made High Treason, be∣cause by all these his Sacred Person is represented. And so horrid is this Crime of High Treason, that be∣sides the Loss of Life and Honour, the Criminal forfeits all his Estate Real and Personal, his Wife loses her Dower, his Children their Nobility, and all their Right of Inheritance to him or any other Ancestor, and are to be ranked amongst the Peasantry and Ignoble, till the King shall please to restore them. For so heinous is this Offence, that the Law can hard∣ly endure to see the Posterity of the Offender survive him.
And rather than Treason against the Kings Person shall go unpunished,
the Innocent shall in some cases suffer: for if an Ideot or Lunatick (who, ha∣ving no Will, cannot possibly be said to offend) shall, during his Ideocy, or Lunacy, kill or go about to kill the King, he shall be punished as a Tray∣tor; tho not being Compos mentis, he can neither commit Felony, Petit Treason, or any other sort of High Treason,
So tender a Regard is moreover had of this most precious Person of the King, that no Physick ought to be administred to him, but what his Physicians prepare with their own Hands, and not by the Hands of any Apothecary; nor are they to use the Assistance of any Chirurgeons, but such, as are sworn Chirurgeons to his Person.
This Person of the King in his Natural as well as Politick Capacity is every Subject to defend with his own Life and Limbs. For, the King being Father of his Country, it should seem a pleasant thing to every Loyal-hearted Subject to lose Life or Limb in defending him from Conspiracies, Re∣bellions, or Invasions, or assisting him in the Execution of his Laws.
The Office of the Monarch of Great Britain (and indeed of every Christian Prince)* 1.53 was by the Holy Roman Bishop St. Eleutherius described to our first Christian King Lucius: Which De∣scription, recorded in the Laws of St. Edward the Confessor, King of Eng∣land, is, as followeth. A King, being the Minister and Delegate of the Su∣preme King, is appointed by GOD for this end, that He govern this Earth∣ly Kingdom and People of our Lord, and above all that he govern and venerate his Church, defending it from all, who would injure it: That he root out of it, and utterly destroy all Evil-Doers.
For the better enabling themselves to discharge this great and weighty Office (to the just and upright Perfor∣mance whereof every King at his Coronation obliges himself by solemn Oath)* 1.54 the Monarchs of Great Britain have reserved, as inherent in their Crown, certain extraordinary Powers, Preeminences, and Priviledges, com∣monly called Royal Prerogatives, some of the most remarkable whereof, in which, as being necessary for the Pre∣servation of the Government, and
the Safety and Interest of the People, the Laws of both Kingdoms agree, do here follow.
The King solely and alone has by his Royal Prerogative, without any Act of Parliament, the absolute Pow∣er of declaring War, making Peace, sending and receiving Ambassadours, entring into and concluding Leagues and Treaties with any Forreign Prince or State. He has the sole Disposing and Ordering of the Militia by Sea and Land, raising Forces, Garrison∣ing and Fortifying Places, setting out Ships of War, and Pressing Men, if need require. He alone disposes of all Magazins, Ammunition, Castles, Fortresses, Ports and Havens, and has the laying out and employing, as he pleases, of all Publick Monies or the Revenues of the Crown and Kingdom. He appoints the Metal, Weight, Pu∣rity, and Value of Money, and may by his Proclamation make any For∣reign Coin to be lawful and Current Money within his Dominions.
By his Royal Prerogative, he may of his meer Will and Pleasure con∣voke, adjourn, prorogue, remove, and dissolve Parliaments, and may to any
Act, passed by them, give or refuse (without rendring any Reason) his Royal Assent, without which a Bill is but a meer Cadaver, a lifeless and inanimate Lump. He may at his plea∣sure increase the number of the Mem∣bers of Parliament by creating new Barons, and bestowing Priviledges up∣on other Towns to send Burgesses to Parliament: Yea, he may call to Par∣liament by Writ any one, whether Alien or Native, whom he in his Princely Wisdom shall think fit, and may refuse to send his Writ to some others, that have sat in former Par∣liaments.
His Majesty alone hath the Choice and Nomination of all Magistrates, Councellors, and Officers of State, of all Bishops, and other high Dignities in the Church, of all Commanders, and other Officers at Sea and Land; the bestowing of all Honors of the higher and lower Nobility; the Pow∣er of determining Rewards for Servi∣ces, and Punishments for Misdemeanors.
He may by his Letters Patents e∣rect new Counties, Bishopricks, Universities, Cities, Burroughs, Hos∣pitals, Schools, Fairs, Markets, Courts
of Justice, Forrests, Chases and Free-Warrens.
He hath by his Prerogative Power to enfranchise an Alien, and thereby to enable him to purchase Houses and Lands, and to bear some Offices. He hath Power to grant Letters of Mart or Reprisal, Safe Conducts, &c.
No Proclamation can be made, but by the King: Between which and a Statute as the Difference originally was not great, the King making the lat∣ter by the Common Councel of the Kingdom, whereas in the former he had but the Advice of his great Coun∣cel of the Peers, or of his Privy Coun∣cel only: So what Judgment Parlia∣ments have formerly had of Procla∣mations, appears by these Words of a Statute, made in the one and thir∣tieth year of King Henry the VIIIth. Forasmuch as the King, by the Advice of his Councel, hath set forth Procla∣mations, which obstinate Persons have contemned; not considering what a King by his Royal Power may do: Considering that sudden Causes and Occasions fortune many times, which do require speedy Remedies, and tha•• by abiding for a Parliament, in the
mean time might happen great preju∣dice to ensue to the Realm: And weighing also, that his Majesty, which by the Kingly and Regal Power, giv∣en him by GOD, may do many things in such Cases, should not be driven to extend the Liberties, and Supremity of his Regal Power, and Dignity, by wilfulness of froward Sub∣jects: It is therefore thought fit, that the King with the Advice of his Hono∣rable Councel should set forth Procla∣mations for the good of the People, and Defence of his Royal Dignity, as neces∣sity shall require.
The King only can give Patents in case of Losses by Fire, or otherwise, to receive the charitable Benevolences of the People, without which none may ask it publickly.
The King by his Prerogative is Ʋl∣timus Haeres Regni, and the Recepta∣cle of all Estates, when no Heir ap∣pears: For this cause all Estates for want of Heirs, or by Forfeiture, es∣cheat to the King. All Spiritual Bene∣fices, for want of Presentation by the Bishop, are lapsed at last to the King. All Money, Gold, Silver, Plate or Bullion, found (and the Owners there∣of
not known) belong to the King: and so do all Wayfs, Strays, Wrecks, not granted away by him, or any of his Predecessors. All Wast Ground, or Land, recovered from the Sea; all Land of Aliens, dying before Na∣turalization; all things, the property whereof is not known; and all Gold or Silver Mines, in whose Ground so∣ever they are found, belong to the King.
In the Church the Kings Preroga∣tive is very great. He only hath the Patronage of all Bishopricks: None can be elected Bishop, but whom he hath first nominated; None can be consecrated, or take possession of the Revenues of any Bishoprick without his special Writ or Assent. He is the Nursing-Father of the Church, and hath Power to call a National or Pro∣vincial Synod, and with the Advice and Consent thereof to make Canons, Orders, Ordinances and Constitutions, relating to the Government and Polity of the Church, wherein (as it was af∣firmed by Christopher Wray, Speaker of the House of Commons in the thir∣teenth year of Queen Elizabeth) the Princes Power is absolute.
The King has Power, upon Causes only known to himself, to dispence by Non Obstantes with General Laws, made in Parliament, and with the Penalties for transgressing them, where such Pe∣nalty is appropriated to himself alone; to mitigate the Rigor of the Laws, where Equity and Conscience require Moderation, to alter or suspend any particular Law, that he judges hurt∣full to the Commonwealth; to pardon a Man, legally condemned; to grant special Priviledges to particular Per∣sons, Colledges, and Corporations, and if any Doubt arises concerning such Priviledges, he only has Right to interpret them. To him, and the Judges, constituted by him, does it belong to interpret all Statutes, and to determin, and pass Sentence in Ca∣ses, not defined by Law.
These are some Branches of that Jus Coronae, of that Regal Preroga∣tive, of the name whereof however some persons are afraid, yet may they assure themselves, that the Case of Sub∣jects would be desperately miserable without it: since the Kings just Rights are the best Preserver of the Peoples Liberties, being an impregnable Bul∣wark
against all popular Invasions and illegal Powers. Nor have there ever been found any greater Oppressors of the People, than those, who under pretence of asserting their Liberties have endeavored to lessen the Royal Authority. Thus in the great Contest between Henry the IIId. King of Eng∣land, and the Barons, about the pre∣tended Liberties of themselves and the People, the King being forced at length to yield, the Lords, instead of that glorious Freedom, which they promised the Nation, ingrossed all Pow∣er into their own Hands under the Name of the twenty four Conservators of the Kingdom, behaving themselves like so many Tyrants, acting all in their own Names, and in Juntoes of their own, wholly neglecting, or else over-ruling Parliaments. But then not agreeing among themselves, four of them (viz. the Earls of Leicester, Glo∣cester, Hereford and Spencer) defeated the other twenty, and drew the entire Management of Affairs into their own hands: Yet it continued so not long, Leicester getting all into his own Pow∣er, who being slain in Battle, the King recovered his Authority, and the People their true Liberty.
Many of these Prerogatives, those especially, that concern Justice, and Peace, are so essential to Royalty, that they cannot be separated from it, but by the destruction of the Monarchy it self. Not without reason therefore did the Estates of England, assembled in Parliament in the Reign of King Edward the IIId. declare, that they could not (tho the King himself should desire it) assent to any thing, which tended to the Disherison of the King and his Crown, whereunto they were sworn. The King therefore, as he is by his Office Debitor Justitiae, oblig∣ed to administer Justice to his People, so is he in Conscience bound to main∣tain the Rights of the Crown in pos∣session, and to endeavour the recovery of those, whereof it has been dispos∣sest. And how dismal the Effects have been, whenever any King, neglect∣ing the religious observance of this part of his Duty, has been prevail∣ed upon to give way to the lesse∣ning of his Royal Prerogative, we have a sad Example in his Majesties Father of Blessed Memory, who par∣ting (tho but only Pro illa vice) with his absolute Power of dissolving Parli∣aments,
and giving it to the two Hou∣ses, they never ceased farther incroach∣ing upon his Prerogatives, till he him∣self was barbarously murthered, the Government wholly subverted, and all the Liberties of the People trampled under foot. To him therefore, that shall seriously consider the many fatal Mischiefs and Inconveniences, which necessarily follow the Diminution of the Kings Prerogative, it will seem no Paradox to affirm, that it is the Sub∣jects great Interest to be far more sol∣licitous, that the King maintain and uphold his own Prerogative and Preemi∣nence, than their Rights and Liber∣ties, which, as they had no other Ori∣ginal but the Grace and Bounty of the Prince, so must they of necessity per∣ish, when he is no longer able to pro∣tect them. It is not thefore to be wondred, that a right Apprehension of such pernicious Consequences made his Sacred Majesty refuse his Royal Assent to a Bill, presented him for the raising of the Militia, tho it was (if passed into an Act) to have continued in force but six Weeks: Because the Tendency of the Bill being to put out of his Possession the Posse Regni, or
absolute command over the Forces of the Realm, he could not answer unto GOD, by whom alone he is intrust∣ed with his Regal Power for the Safe∣ty and Well-Government of his Sub∣jects, the abandoning (tho for so short a time) the Protection and Defence of the People, committed to his Charge.
Whatever things are proper unto Supreme Majesty, Scepters and Crowns,* 1.55 the Purple Robe, the Globe or Gol∣den Ball, and Holy Unction, have as long appertained to the British Mo∣narch, as to any other Prince in Eu∣rope. The Antiquity of anointing Kings in Britain has been already shewn out of Gildas; and as for the other four, they are by Leland, a famous Antiqua∣ry, ascribed unto King Arthur, who began his Reign in the Year of our Lord 506. Which was as soon, as they were ordinarily in use with the Roman Emperors.
The King of Great Britain is an ab∣solute and unaccountable Monarch, a Free Prince of Soveraign Power, not holding his Kingdom in Vassallage nor receiving his Instalment or Investiture
from another; Nor does he acknow∣ledge Superiority to any, but to GOD alone.
He is not only the Supreme, but sole Legislator within his Dominions. The Power of making Laws (whatever some Antimonarchists pretend to the contrary) rests solely in him. And altho the Gracious Condescension of our Kings has been such, as to render the subordinate Concurrence of the Estates of each Realm a Condition, requisite to the making of new, or ab∣rogating of old Laws within the respective Kingdoms; yet are they not thereby admitted to any Share in the Soveraignty, their Power being wholly derivative from the King, who is Caput, Principium, & Finis Parlia∣mentorum, the three Estates, when as∣sembled in Parliament, being as much his Subjects, as every particular Man of them is, when the Meeting is dis∣solved. All Bills, passed by them, are but so much dead matter, till quickned by his Royal Fiat, which alone gives Life and Form to all their Proceedings. Nor is it ex debito Justi∣tiae, but of his Special Grace, that he passes such Acts, as are presented to
him. Thus Henry the IIId. begins his Magna Charta with Know ye, that WE of our meer and free Will have given these Liberties. Thus we hear King Edward the Ist. saying: The King of his special Grace for Re∣dress of the Grievances of His People sustained by his Wars, and for the Amendment of their Estate, and to the intent that they may be the more ready to do him Service, the more willing to assist and aid him in time of need, Grants. 28. E. 1. c. 1. And altho of later times Laws are said to be made by Authority of Parliament, yet if we look into our antient Statutes, we shall find the meaning to be, that The King Ordains, the Lords advise, and the Commons consent.
Those then are much mistaken, who affirm the Parliament to be (at the least) as Essential a Part of the Go∣vernment as the Prince: Which if it were true, whenever the Parliament is dissolved, the Government would be so too. But this with the Pernici∣ous Maxim of Coordinacy, or sharing the Soveraign Power between King, Lords, and Commons, with other treaso∣nable and Antimonarchical Doctrines,
daily dispersed amongst the People, and with the utmost of his Art in∣dustriously asserted by the Author of a late seditious Book, entituled Plato Redivivus, together with his audacious Proposals, aiming to take all the Flow∣ers out of the Imperial Diadem of the British Monarch, are most fitly to be answered in Westminster-Hall, as tend∣ing no less to the subversion of our Go∣vernment (which being purely Monar∣chical, may be without the two Houses, whereas they cannot be without the King) than those traitorous Designs, for which Coleman and his Accompli∣ces paid their forfeited Lives to the Justice of the Laws.
The King of Great Britain is Lord Paramount, supreme Landlord of all the Lands within his Dominions, all landed men being mediately or imme∣diately his Tenants by some Tenure, or other. By the Laws and Ordinances of ancient Kings (saith Sir Edward Cook in the first part of his Institutes) and especially of King Alfred it ap∣peareth, that the first Kings of this Realm had all the Lands of England in De∣mesne; and the great Manors and Roy∣alties they reserved to themselves and
of the Remnant they, for the Defence of the Realm, enfeoffed the Barons of the Realm with such Jurisdiction, as the Court Baron now hath. The King (as it is evident by the Rolls of the Chancellery in Scotland, which contain their eldest and fundamental Laws) is Dominus omnium bonorum, and Dominus directus totius Dominii, the whole Sub∣jects being but his Vassals, and from him holding all their Lands as their Over-lord. Thus none, but the King, hath Allodium and Directum Dominium, the sole and independent Property in any Land. Upon this Ground no doubt it was that Serjeant Heal in the three and fortieth year of Queen Elizabeth said in Parliament, He marvelled, the House stood either at the granting of a Subsidy or time of Payment, when all we have, is her Majesties, and She may lawfully at her pleasure take it from us; and that She had as much Right to all our Lands and Goods, as to any Reve∣nue of the Crown; And he said, he could prove it by Precedents in the time of Henry the IIId. King John and King Stephen. And upon the same Ground was it resolved by the Judges in the beginning of the Reign of King
James, when there was a purpose to have taken away Tenures by Act of Parliament, That such a Statute had been void, because the Tenures were for the Defence of the King and Kingdom. And altho since that the Tenures, which gave a Dependency upon the Crown, and were the grea∣test Safety to the King and People, have been taken away, and thereby a great Blow given to Monarchy; yet let those, who have the Fee, the Jus perpetuum, and the Ʋtile Dominium, have a care, lest by following the mis∣chievous Advice of Plato Redivivus, and abusing the Grace and Bounty of the Prince by endeavoring to draw the Soveraignty to themselves, they neces∣sitate not their King, for the Preser∣vation of himself and People, to have Recourse to his Prerogative, which is a Preheminence, in Cases of Necessity, above and before the Law of Proper∣ty or Inheritance: For the Prevention whereof it is to be wished, that either by an Act of Resumption of the an∣cient Demesns of the Crown (which was a sacred Patrimony, and by Law unalienable) or by such other way, as the Wisdom of the Nation shall think
fit, a Royal Support, adaequate to the Charges of the Crown, be made for the King to defend his Kingdom and protect his People: so that he may not be reduced to the Infelicity of having a precarious Re∣venue out of the Peoples Purse, and to be beholden to a Parliament for his Bread in time of Peace, which is no good Condition for a Mo∣narchy.
As the Legislative Power is solely in the King, so he alone has the Sove∣raign Power in the Administration of Justice and Execution of the Law. He is the Fountain of all Justice, which by his Judges, and other inferior Of∣ficers, as so many Crystal Pipes, he conveyeth to his People. We will (saith Edward the Ist. in his Book of Laws, written at his appoint∣ment by John Briton, Bishop of He∣reford) that our own Jurisdiction be a∣bove all Jurisdictions in our Realm, so that in all manner of Felonies, Trespasses, Con∣tracts, and all other Actions Personal or Real, We have Power to render or cause to be rendred such Judgments as do appertain without other Process, whereever we know the right Truth, as Judges. All Juris∣diction
(say the Scotch Laws) stands and consists in the Kings person by reason of his Royal Authority and Crown, and is competent to no Subject; but flows and proceeds from the King, having Supreme Jurisdiction, and is given and committed by him to his Subjects, as he pleases. The King then is the sole Supreme Judge, all other Judges being his Deputies, to whom whatsoever Power is by him committed, yet is the last Appeal al∣wayes to be made to himself, who may therefore (as his Predecessors formerly have done) sit in any Court, and take Cognizance of any Cause: but in Trea∣sons, Felonies, &c. the King, being Plaintif, sits not personally in Judg∣ment, but doth perform it by his De∣legates.
From the King of Great Britain, who, being the only Supreme Head, is fur∣nished with Plenary Power and Juris∣diction to render Justice to every Mem∣ber within his Dominions, there lies no Appeal in Ecclesiastical Causes to the Bishop of Rome, whose Authority ever since the Reformation has been here wholly abrogated; nor in Civil Matters to the Emperor, who for above twelve hundred years has not had the least
Shadow of Pretence to any Jurisdicti∣on within this Island; nor in either to the people, who both in themselves, and by their Representatives in Parlia∣ment, as well Conjunctim as Divisim, are his Subjects, and ow Obedience to his Commands.
To Legislation and Judicature, which are solely and supremely in the King, is necessary the Power of the Sword (without which all other Power is no∣thing) for forcing Obedience to the Laws, and Judgments given both in Criminal and Civil Causes. This, having in virtue of their Soveraignty been alwayes indisputably enjoyed by the Monarchs of this Nation till the time of the late Rebellion, was since his Majesties Restauration by a Parliament, as truly zealous for the happiness of their King and Coun∣try, as ever this Nation saw, in proper and express Terms declared to be the Right of the King only without either of his Houses of Par∣liament, the contrary Position thereun∣to, asserted by the rebellious Members of the Parliament of 1640. having been the chief Means of overturning our Government, and bringing Confu∣sion
and Misery upon this flourishing Kingdom.
* 1.56So great was the Veneration, shewn to the ancient Christian Emperors by their Subjects, that they gave them (tho imperfectly only and Analogically) the Titles of Your Everlastingness, Your Divinity, and the like, belonging essen∣tially and perfectly to GOD alone: Who, to shew the great Power, by him given to Soveraign Princes, and to beget in the Hearts of their Peo∣ple an higher Esteem, and more reve∣rend Awfulness of them, which failing, all Confusion, Impiety and Calamity break in upon a Nation, is himself pleased, as is manifest in Holy Writ, to bestow upon them the Title of Gods, as being his Vicegerents, and representing his Majesty and Power up∣on Earth.
Nay so excessive was the Respect of the good Christians of those times, that they were wont to swear by the Majesty of their Emperor, as Joseph sometimes did by the Life of Pharaoh. And this Custom seems to be justified by Vegetus, a learned Writer of that Age, being practiced only to create in
the Subjects a greater Reverence for these Earthly Deities.
In like manner the Laws and Con∣stitutions of this Monarchy attribute to the King, whom they regard as GOD upon Earth, divers Excellen∣cies, which belong properly to none but GOD. Thus as GOD is per∣fect, so the Law will have no Imper∣fection found in the King: No Negligence, no Folly, no Infamy, or Corruption of Blood, all former Attainders (tho even made by Act of Parliament) being ipso facto purged by the Accession of the Crown.
To the King is attributed Infallibi∣lity and Justice in the Abstract: The King cannot erre; The King can do no wrong. To the King is likewise ascribed a Kind of Immortality: The King never dies; as being a Corporation in himself, that lives for ever: For all Interregna being unknown in these Kingdoms, the same Moment, that one King dies, the next Heir is fully and absolutely King without any Coronation, Ceremony, or Act to be done.
The King is also in some sort said to be Omnipresent. He is in a man∣ner every where, in all his Courts of Justice, in all his Palaces: Therefore it is, that all his Subjects stand bare in the Presence Chamber, wheresoever the Chair of State is placed, tho the King be many Miles distance from thence.
He hath also a kind of Universal Influence over all his Dominions. His Fatherly Care is extended to preserve, feed, instruct and defend the whole Commonweal. His War, His Peace, His Courts of Justice, and all His Acts of Soveraignty tend only to preserve and distribute to every person within his Territories their particular Rights and Priviledges.
By his Power of creating to the highest Dignity, and annihilating the same at pleasure; and much more by his Prerogative of pardoning those, whom the Law has condemned, he is invested with a kind of Omnipotency, whereby he can restore to life those, that are dead in Law. And this Power of pardoning condemned Cri∣minals is of such Benefit to the Lives and Estates of the People, that with∣out
it many would be exposed to die unjustly.
The King alone in his own Domi∣nions can say with GOD, whose Re∣presentative he is, Vengeance is Mine: For all Punishments proceed from him in some of his Courts of Justice, it not being lawful for any Subject to avenge himself.
The King alone is Judge in his own Cause, tho he delivers his Judgment by the Mouth of his Judges.
But in nothing doth the King more resemble the eternal Deity, than in the Plenitude of his Power to do, what he pleases, without being opposed, resist∣ed, or questioned by his Subjects. Nemo quidem (saith Bracton) de factis ejus prae∣sumat disputare, multo minus contra fact∣um ejus ire. Let none presume to search into his deeds, much less to oppose them. Nor is this a Priviledge, be∣longing only to the King of Great Bri∣tain, but a Prerogative inherent in e∣very Soveraign Prince by vertue of his Soveraignty. Where the word of a King is, there is Power: and who may say unto him, what dost thou? saith the Spirit of God by the mouth of the Royal Prophet Salomon. For
Kingly Power, being by the Law of God, hath no inferior Law to limit it. The Emperor (saith Saint Augustine) is not Subject to Laws, who hath Power to make other Laws. Accordingly it is delivered by the great Lawyer Ʋlpian for a Rule of the Civil Law, Princeps Legibus solutus est, The Prince is not bound by the Laws: Agreeable where∣unto is what is said in the Laws of England, Potestas Principis non est in∣clusa Legibus. The Power of the Prince is not included in the Laws. Hence no doubt it was, that Mr. Grivel in the Thirty first year of Queen Elizabeth said in Parliament, That he wished not the making of many Laws: since the more we make, the less Liberty we have our selves, Her Majesty not being bound by them. Yet is not this so to be understood, that Kings have hereby a right to do Injury; but that it is Right for them to go unpunished by their People, if they do it. The King cannot be impleaded for any Crime. No Action lieth against his Person: For the Writ goeth forth in his Name, and he cannot arrest himself. If he should (which God forbid) violently seiz•• upon the Estate of any Subject, hav¦ing
no Title by Law so to do, the only Remedy is by Petitioning him to amend his Fault, which if he shall refuse to do, it will be Punishment sufficient for him to expect, that GOD, who has given him his Prerogative of being above all Laws for the good only of them, that are un∣der the Laws, and for the Defence of his Peoples Liberties, will severely a∣venge the Cause of oppressed Loyal Subjects.
But altho whatever the King shall do, he is not questionable for it by his Subjects; yet there are divers things, which he cannot do Salvo Jure, Salvo Juramento, & Salva Conscientia sua. For by an Oath, taken at his Coronati∣on, the King obliges himself, and in∣deed without any Oath he is by the Law of Nature and Christianity (as are all other Christian Kings) obliged to procure the Safety and Welfare of his People, to protect and defend them against their Enemies, to maintain and preserve them in their Properties, just Rights, and Liberties, to administer up∣right Justice with Discretion and Mer∣cy, and in order thereunto to consent to the enacting of good Laws and repealing of Bad. Thus the King can do nothing
〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉
〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉
unjustly, nor can he divest himself or his Successors of any part of his Re∣gal Power, Prerogative, and Authori∣ty, inherent in the Crown, and neces∣sary for the Government and Protecti∣on of his People. Two things there are especially, which having somewhat of Odium in them, the King doth not usually do without the Consent of his Parliament, that is, make new Laws, and impose new Taxes: the one whereof seems (and does but seem) to in∣fringe the Peoples Liberties, and the o∣ther to entrench upon their Properties. To take away therefore all Occasions of Disaffection to the Anointed of the Lord (stiled in Holy Scripture the Breath of our Nostrils, and the Light of our Eyes) the Wisdom of our for∣mer Princes, his Majesties Royal An∣cestors, has contrived, that for both these there should Petitions first be made by the People to the King.
Tho these and divers other Preroga∣tives do rightfully belong unto, and are enjoyed by the Monarch of Great Britain; yet doth he ordinarily govern his people by the known Laws and Cust∣oms of his Kingdoms, making use of his Royal Prerogative for the Benefit,
not Damage of his Subjects, in some rare and extraordinary Cases only.
Hereunto may be added a singular and Miraculous Priviledge, enjoyed by the Kings of Great Britain, qua∣tenus Kings, conferred first by the Di∣vine Benignity upon that Blessed King of England, St. Edward the Confessor, and ever since continued to his Succes∣sors, which is, by the Imposition of their Sacred Hands to drive away and cure that stubborn Disease, called the Struma or Scrofula, and by us common∣ly from this supernatural manner of its Cure the Kings Evil.
Upon certain dayes almost every Week, during the cold Seasons, his Majesty graciously permits all, that are afflicted with that Disease, having been first carefully viewed, and allowed by his Chirurgeons, to be brought into his Royal Presence: Where an ap∣pointed Form of Divine Service (con∣sisting of some short Prayers, perti∣nent to the Occasion, and two Portions of Holy Scripture, taken out of the Gospel) being read, the King at the pronouncing of these Words (They shall lay their hands upon the Sick, and
they shall recover) gently draws both his Hands over the Sore of the sick per∣son, the same words being repeated at every Touch.
And at these Words (This was the true Light, which enlightneth every Man, that cometh into this World) he put∣teth about the Neck of each Sick person a piece of Gold, called (from the Im∣pression) an Angel, being in value a∣bout eleven Shillings Sterling.
This evident Cure is by many malig∣nant Nonconformists, those true Sons of Belial, daily despising, and speak∣ing evil of Dignities, ascribed to the Strength of Fancy and exalted Imagina∣tion; but little do they reflect, upon how many tender Infants, no way capa∣ble of such Transports, this stupendious Cure is effectually performed.
* 1.57In consideration of these and many other transcendent Excellencies, to no Prince, or other Potentate in Christen∣dom is done more Honour, Reverence, or Respect, than to the Monarch of Great Britain: All his Subjects at their first Addresses kneel unto him; At Ta∣ble he is served on the knee; All per∣sons (the Prince or other Heir appa∣rent
not excepted) are bare-headed in his Presence; In the Presence Chamber (tho the King be not there) all men are not only uncovered, but do, or ought to do Reverence to the Chair of State.
The Kings only Testimony of any thing, done in his presence, is of as high a Nature and Credit, as any Re∣cord: And in all Writs, sent forth for the Dispatch of Justice, hee useth no other Witness but himself, viz. Teste meipso.
As the King of Great Britain is thus reverenced and respected at home, so is he no less honored and esteemed a∣broad. For if he be regarded solely as King of England, we shall find, that the Emperor was accounted Filius major Ecclesiae; the King of France Filius mi∣nor; and the King of England Filius adoptivus: That in General Councels the King of France took place on the Emperors Right Hand; the King of England on his Left; the King of Scots having Precedency next before Castile: And that, tho since the time of the Emperor Charles the Vth. the Kings of Spain have challenged the Precedency of all Christian Princes, (which neverthe∣less
they have within this twenty years yielded to France) yet in the time of our King Henry the VIIth. Pope Julius gave it to the English before the Spa∣niard.
But if looking upon him, as succeed∣ing to the ancient British Kings (whose true and undoubted Heir he is by Li∣neal and unquestionable Descent) we shall consider the Antiquity of his Pre∣decessors, either as Kings (Reigning here above a thousand years before the coming in of the Romans, His Majesty, now regnant, being from the first Bri∣tish Kings the hundred thirty nineth Monarch) or as Christians, this Island having not only shewn to the World the first Christian King, named Lucius (whence the Title of Primogenitus Ec∣clesiae rightfully belongs to the King of Great Britain) but given to the Church the first Christian Emperor, even the famous Constantin, here born of there-nowned British Lady St Helena, by whose Example and Encouragement the Faith was generally received throughout the whole Empire: The Independency and Absoluteness of his Authority, holding of none but GOD, and having in his own Dominions neither Superiour nor
Equal: The Eminence of his Royal Dignity, State, and Titles, his Realm not having been only stiled an Empire, and his Crown Imperial, but this Island both in antient and later Times hav∣ing been regarded as another World, whereof the Monarch is sole Lord and Emperor: The Martial Exploits and Achievements of his Ancestors abroad, amongst whom is the first Christian Worthy, and first Founder of Martial Knighthood, the famous King Arthur, in whose Heroick Acts there is Truth enough (all, that is thought fabulous, being rejected) to render him renown∣ed to all posterity: The Gallantry and and Stoutness of his People, arising from their Freedom, the Plentifulness of their Country, and Generality of their Wealth: His long-lined Royal Extraction, wherein His Majesty, now Reigning, excels all the Monarchs of the Christian (if not of the whole) World: The Hospitality, and Magni∣ficence of his Court, than which no Court in Christendom is served with more punctual Attendance and State: The Diversity of Nations, and diffe∣ring maternal Tongues, subject to his Command; The admirable Laws and
Constitutions of his Government: The Greatness of his Power by Sea and Land both Offensive and Defensive: These and many other his Preroga∣tives considered, We may well be per∣mitted to affirm, that (besides the Preeminence he may challenge by his just Right to the Crown of France) the Monarch of Great Brittain (ex∣cept the Precedency, which he, as all other Christan Princes, acknowledges to the Emperor) if he go not before, yet at least ought not to come behind any King whatsoever.
THE Monarch of Great Brittain has Right to the Imperial Crown of this Island by Inheritance, according to the Laws of GOD and Nature, and the fundamental Constitutions of the Realms of England and Scotland, which both agree in this, That, upon the Death of the King, the next of Kindred, tho born out of the Domini∣ons
of Great Britain, or born of Pa∣rents, not Subjects of Great Britain, is immediately King before any Procla∣mation, Coronation, Publication, or Consent of Peers or People.
The Rule of Inheritance, given by GOD himself to the People of Israel, is this: If a man dy, and have no Son, then he shall cause his Inheritance to pass unto his Daughter. And if he have no Daughter, then ye shall give his Inheri∣tance unto his Brethren.
Agreeably to which Rule, the Crown of Great Britain descends, as an in∣alienable Heritage, from the Father to the eldest Son and his Heirs; for want of Sons, to the Eldest Daughter, and her Heirs; for want of Daughters to the Brother and his Heirs; and for want of Brethren, to the Sister and her Heirs.
And so unalterable is this Course of Descent, that no Act, no Crime, no Attainder of Treason, can bar the next of Blood from being King in the instant of Time, his Predecessor does not so much dye, as by a State-Me∣tempsychosis transmit his Life, his Breath, or his Soul into the Nostrils, the Body of his Successor.
For Hereditary Monarchy being (as it has been clearly demonstrated) an immediate Ordinance of GOD, founded in the Prime Laws of Na∣ture; and the Laws of GOD and Nature being (as all Christians ac∣knowledge) absolutely immutable, it is a Madness to think, that any Act of Parliament can change this un∣changeable Law, or, with the least Color of Justice, alter the Right of Succession.
This was well known to all our an∣cient Parliaments, that were neither over-awed by any prevailing Faction seduced by designing Intreaguers, nor yet vainly flattered themselves with an Omnipotent Power to create and anni∣hilate Kings: In one of which the States of the Realm unanimously ans∣wered King Edward the IIId. asking their Advice in matters, relating to the Crown: That they could not consent to any thing in Parliament, that tended to the Disherison of the King, and his Heirs, or the Crown, whereunto they were sworn. From whence Sir Edward Cook concludes, That it is a Law and Custom of Parliament, that no King can alien the Crown from the right Heir, tho by consent of the
Lords and Commons. And elsewhere affirming King Johns Resignation of the Crown to the Pope to have been ut∣terly void, he alledges this Reason: Because the Royal Dignity is an Inherent inseparable to the Royal Blood of the King, descendable to the next of Blood to the King, and cannot be transferd to ano∣ther.
And altho by the Treasons and Con∣spiracies of ambitious, disloyal, and designing Persons, the Crown has now and then been transferred from one Fa∣mily to another, yet does it appear in Story, that since the time of the Norman Conquest the right Heir was never yet kept out beyond the second De∣scent. And to the Honor of English Parliaments we can aver, that never any Usurper (tho armed with Power) laid claim to the Crown in Parliament, but by pretending to be of the Right Line; nor did ever the Parliament al∣low of such Pretence, if false, but when awed by Fear and a vast Army. And whenever, the Terror of such armed violence being removed, the true Heir was enabled to claim his Right, the Parliament, notwithstanding all such pretended Acts, readily sub∣mitted
themselves to their legitimate Prince, as being bound thereunto by the Laws of GOD and Nature.
Thus altho Henry, Duke of Lan∣caster, backt by an Army of fourty or fifty thousand men, under Pretence of a feigned Title from Edmund Crouch-back, forced his Natural Soveraign, King Richard the IId. first to resign, and afterwards to be deposed from his Crown, which, waving his for∣mer pretended Title, he caused to be entailed upon himself, his four Sons, and the Heirs of their Bodies, by Act of Parliament, whereby he thought to have secured it to his Posterity for ever; Yet, notwithstanding these cau∣tious Provisions, seconded by, the Val∣or and prodigious Success of that no∣ble Prince Henry the Vth. when in the year 1460. this Entail was alledged against Richard Duke of York, laying claim in Parliament to the Crowns of England and France, as being the next Heir to Lionel Duke of ••larence, elder Brother to John of Gaunt, of whom the House Lancaster was descended, the Duke of York unanswerably re∣plied, That, if King Henry the IVth. might have obtained the said Crowns of
England and France by Title of Inheri∣tance, Descent, or Succession, he neither needed, nor would have desired, or made them to be granted to him in such wise, as they be by that Act: Which (said he) taketh no place, neither is of any force, or effect against him, that is right Inheri∣tor of the said Crowns, as accordeth with the Laws of GOD, and all Natural Laws. Which Answer of the Duke of York, and h s Claim to the Crown, was by the same Parliament expresly recognized and declared to be Good, True, Just, Lawful, and Sufficient.
And when in the same year Edward Earl of March, eldest Son to the said Duke of York, upon the death of his Father, took possession of the Crown by the Name of King Edward the IVth. his Title was in full Parliament by all acknowledged in these Words: Know∣ing also certainly, and without doubt and ambiguity, that by GODs Law, and the Law of Nature, He (viz. the said King Edward) and none other, is, and ought to be true, R ghtwise, and Natu∣ral Liege and Soveraign Lord: And that he was in right, from the Death of the said Noble and Fam us Prinee his Father, very just King of the same Realm of
England. And so little Respect was given to the aforementioned Act of Entail, that it was not so much as re∣pealed, being esteemed from the very beginning null and void in it self. Nor indeed were any Acts of Henry the IVth. Vth. or VIth. (stiled Kings in Deed and not of Right) deemed to be in force, but such, as were ex∣presly confirmed by Edward the IVth. in the same manner, as his Sacred Majesty, now reigning, confirmed the judicial Proceedings of the late Usur∣pation.
As little Success had that Monster of Nature, Richard Duke of Glocester, who, being by the Interest of several factious Lords chosen Protector to his Nephew, the young King Edward the Vth & hav∣ing by that means gotten into his hands the military Force of the Nation, pre∣tending, that the Children of his Brother King Edward the IVth. were illegiti∣mate, laid claim to the Crown, which he not only entailed by Act of Parli∣ament upon himself and his Issue, but the better to secure it in his Line, caused the Innocent young King, and his only Brother, the Duke of York, to be barbarously murthered in the
Tower; yet did he within three years lose both his Crown and Life to Henry Earl of Richmond, on whom and his Heirs it was again by Act of Parlia∣ment entailed, which yet would little have availed him or his Posterity, had he not prudently (acording to his pro∣mise, by which several of the Nobility were induced to assist him) married Elizabeth, eldest Daughter of King Edward the IVth. and immediate Heir∣ess of the Crown, whereby, happily turning his Usurpation into a lawful Sovereignty, he secured himself in the Throne.
But that his Issue by any other Lady could not have had better Success a∣gainst the Princely House of York, than Adonijah had against Salomon, may more than probably be presumed, if we shall consider, what Fate attended the many mad Acts, made by Henry the VIIIth about the Succession.
This haughty Prince, whose caprici∣ous Humor none of his Parliaments durst gainsay, having after above twen∣ty years Cohabitation divorced his Queen, a chast and vertuous Lady, did in the twenty fifth year of his Reign disinherit by Act of Parliament the
Lady Mary his Daughter by her, set∣tling the Crown by special Words, for want of Issue Male, on his Issue Female by the Lady Anne Bullen: To the observation of which Act the whole Nation was obliged, by an Oath, im∣posed the year following, the Refusal of which Oath was adjudged Mispri∣sion of Treason. And yet in the twen∣ty eighth year of his Reign he bastar∣dized and made illegitimate to all in∣tents and purposes (as he had done for∣merly the Issue of Queen Katherine) the Issue betwixt him and the Lady Anne Bullen, barring them to claim, challenge, or demand any Inheritance, as Lawful Heir, or Heirs to him by Lineal Descent; making it Treason for any one (notwithstanding their former Oath) by Words, Writing, Printing, or any other exterior Act directly, or in∣directly to call any of the Children, born under the unlawful Marriages of Katha∣rine and Anne Bullen, legitimate; and enacting, that in case he had no Issue by Jane (his then Queen) he might dis∣pose of the Crown to whatsoever per∣son or persons, he pleased, the whole Nation being bound to the observance of this Law by the Sanctimony of an
Oath, the refusal whereof was made High Treason. After all this, in the thirty fifth year of his Reign he by a∣nother Act entailed the Crown on him∣self, Prince Edward, and the Princesses Mary and Elizabeth, (without repeal∣ing the former Acts, or taking the least notice of their being so signally bastar∣dized) and for default of Heirs of their Bodies, on such person or persons, as he should nominate by his Letters Pa∣tents under his Great Seal, or by his last Will in writing, signed by his most Gracious Hand, the whole Nation be∣ing again sworn to observe his plea∣sure herein: Consequently whereunto he by such his last Will and Testament solemnly bequeathed the Crown, upon failure of his own Issue, to the House of Suffolk, being the Issue of his youn∣ger Sister Mary, excluding by that means from the Throne (as much as in him, and his Act of Parliament lay) the Issue of his Elder Sister, whose Royal Blood he affirmed the cold Air of Scotland to have frozen up in the North. Yet, when after the Death of his three Children, reigning successively, these disinheriting Statutes (the last where∣of was confirmed by Act of Parlia∣ment
in the first year of Queen Eliza∣beth, in whose thirteenth year there passed also an Act, That it should be Treason, during her Life, and a Prae∣munire afterwards, to assert, that the Imperial Crown of England could not be disposed of by Act of Parliament) came to the Test, they had not the Honor to be repealed, but were held null and void from the beginning, as being notoriously repugnant to the Laws both of GOD and Nature, and the common Customs and Constitutions of the Realm. And the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons as∣sembled in Parliament (notwithstand∣ing all these unrepealed Acts) having confest the Inestimable and unspeakable Blessings accrewing from the Ʋnion of England and Scotland under one Impe∣rial Crown in the Person of King James, lineally, rightfully, and lawfully descended of the most Excellent Lady Margaret, Eldest Daughter of the most renowned King Henry the VIIth. and the high and noble Princess Queen Elizabeth, his Wife, eldest Daughter of King Edward the IVth. proceeded to the Recognition of his Ti∣tle in these Words: We, being bounden thereunto both by the Laws of GOD
and Man, do recognize and acknowledge that immediately upon the Dissolution and Decease of Elizabeth, late Queen of Eng∣land, the Imperial Crown of the Realm of England, and all the Kingdoms, Do∣minions, and Rights, belonging to the same, did by inherent Birthright, and lawful and undoubted Succession descend and come to your most Excellent Majesty, as be∣ing lineally, justly, and lawfully next and sole Heir of the Blood Royal of this Realm: And that by the Goodness of GOD Almighty, and lawful Right of Descent Your Majesty is under one Im∣perial Crown of the Realms and King∣doms of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland the most potent and mighty King. And thereunto we most humbly and faith∣fully do submit and oblige our selves, our Heirs, and our Posterities for ever. And some years after it was by all the Judges of England expresly resolved in Calvins Case: That King James his Title to the Crown was founded upon the Laws of Nature, viz. by inherent Birth∣right, and Descent from the Blood-Royal of this Realm.
All Acts of Parliament then for excluding from the throne the next Heir of the Blood Royal, on whom
the Crown descends by the Laws of God and Nature, by inherent Birthright, and undoubted Succession, being ipso facto null and void, it is not to be wondred, that his present Sacred Ma∣jesty so constantly declared, that he would never consent to alter the De∣scent of the Crown in the right Line, as not being willing, by shewing his People a Method of disposing the Suc∣cession, to shake at the same time the Title of his own Possession: Since it is evident, that the Heir apparent, or next of Blood hath the same Right to enjoy the Crown after his Predeces∣sors Death, as the Actual Possessor hath to it, during his Life; and con∣sequently, that the People have no more Right to disinherit the one, than to depose the other.
Nor can any man be blamed for apprehending, that some such thing might be aimed at by the first Pro∣jectors of the Bill for excluding his Royal Highness from the Succession, if it shall be considered, that the chief Sticklers for that Bill insisted on the Deposition of Edward the IId. contrived by a leacherous Queen and disloyal Parliament, and that of Rich∣ard
the IId. who was for pretended Misgovernment removed from the Throne by a Parliament, over-awed by an Army of fourty or fifty thou∣sand men, and Henry the IVth. sub∣stituted in his stead; that during the Heat of these debates, the Answer to the Great and Weighty Considerations (wherein, besides many other treasona∣ble Passages, the Author has these ex∣press words: I hope there are very few in this Nation, that do not think it in the Power of the People to depose a Prince, who really undertakes to alienate his King∣dom, or give it up into the hands of ano∣ther Soveraign Power, or really acts the Destruction or general Calamity of his People) was publickly sold before the very Doors of Parliament; and that the same House of Commons, which was with so much eagerness hurried on to the passing of that Bill, was also pre∣vailed upon to importune his Majesty in behalf of the publisher of that per∣nicious Appeal from the Country to the City, which by affirming, that No Government, but Monarchy, can in Eng∣land ever support or favor Popery, en∣deavors not only to destroy the King, but even Kingship it self.
But well fare the noble Lords of England, who (with a Nolumus Leges Angliae mutari) rejected that abomina∣ble Bill; which, tho it would, if passed into an Act, have been of no greater Force or Validity, than the Wild Ordinances of the Rebellious Parlia∣ment of 1640. yet might it (as they were) be made use of to induce the deluded Multitude to hazard their Souls, Bodies, and Estates by a damna∣ble Opposition of their Lawful Sove∣raign, and to raise up a Contest in this Nation, not unlike to the old Yorkish and Lancastrian Quarrel, the Thoughts whereof every good man must certainly dread, when he shall seriously consider, how that War last∣ed about sixty years, and cost the Kingdom its whole Treasure, and the Lives of above two hundred thousand of the Commons, besides several Kings and Princes, and Nobles without num∣ber.
So sensible was the renowned Queen Elizabeth of those fatal Consequences, which necessarily attend so unjust an Act, as that of altering the Succession, that, altho for Reasons obvious enough (and needless here to be
mentioned) she yeilded to pass an Act, whereby it was made Treason to say, that she and her Parliament could not dispose of the Crown, yet could she never be brought to give her Consent to the actual disposing thereof, tho the next Heir, then alive, was not only a Papist, but her own Rival to the Throne. Nay she was so averse to any such Act, that (as Camden tells us) She never heard any thing more un∣willingly, than that the Title of Succes∣sion should be called into question. And therefore she sent Mr. Thornton Reader of Law in Lincolns-Inn, to the Tower, because in his Reading he called in questi∣on the Queen of Scots Title to the Crown. And when the Lord Keeper Bacon was accused by the Earl of Leicester for having intermedled against the Queen of Scots Right to the Succession, and for being privy to a Book, wherein Hales went about to derive the Title of the Crown of England, in case the Queen should die without Issue, to the House of Suffolk, Hales was therefore committed to the Tower, and Bacon, tho denying it, was not without great diffi∣culty restored to favor. So likewise, when in the eighth year of her Reign, Bell
Mounson, and a great Number of the House of Commons, thought it their Right, as Representatives of the whole Kingdom, whereof they do not in reality represent the sixth part, to decide & set∣tle the Succession, the Queen by a Prince-like Speech in the Parliament-House speedily suppressed their Insolence. In like manner when in the thirty fifth year of her Reign Mr. Peter Wentworth and Sir Henry Bromley delivered a Petition to the Lord Keeper, desiring the Lords of the Upper House to be Suppliants with them of the Lower to Her Ma∣jesty for entailing the Succession of the Crown, for which they had a Bill rea∣dy drawn, the Queen highly displeased hereat, charged her Councel to call the Parties before them: Whereup∣on Sir Thomas Henage, sending for them, commanded them to forbear the Parliament, and not to go out of their several Lodgings. They were after called before the Lord Treasu∣rer, Lord Buckhurst, and Sir Thomas Henage, by whom Wentworth was com∣mitted to the Tower, Sir Henry Brom∣ley, and other Members of the House of Commons, to whom he had im∣parted the matter, being sent to the
Fleet. So careful was this prudent Queen to keep the People from pre∣suming to intermeddle with the Suc∣cession.
The same Consideration, that the Altering or Diverting the Succession in an hereditary Monarchy, where the Kings (deriving their Royal Power from GOD Almighty alone) do succeed lineally to the Crown, according to the known De∣grees of Proximity in Blood, cannot be attempted without involving the Subjects in Perjury and Rebellion, and exposing of them to all the Fatal and Dreadful Con∣sequences of a Civil War, not only caused the Estates of Scotland in their very last Sessions of Parliament, from an hearty and sincere Sence of their Duty to recognize, acknowledge, and declare, That the Right to the Imperial Crown of that Realm is (by the Inherent Right, and the Nature of the Monarchy, as well as by the Fundamental and unaltera∣ble Laws of the Realm) transmitted and devolved by a Lineal Succession accord∣ing to the Proximity of Blood; And that upon the Death of the King or Queen, who actually Reigns, the Subjects of that Kingdom are bound by Law, Duty and Allegiance to obey the next immediate and
lawful Heir, either Male or Female, up∣on whom the Right and Administration of Government is immediately devolved; And that no Difference in Religion, nor no Law, nor Act of Parliament, made, or to be made, can alter or divert the Right of Succession and Lineal Descent of the Crown to the nearest and lawful Heir, according to the Degrees aforesaid; nor can stop or hinder them in the full, free and actual Administration of the Government, according to the Laws of the Kingdom; but obliged also His Majesty, for the preservation of the Peace and Tranquillity of that King∣dom, with Advice and Consent of the said Estates of Parliament, to declare, That it is High Treason in any of the Subjects of that Kingdom, by Writing, Speaking, or any other manner of way, to endeavor the Alteration, Suspension, or Diversion of the said Right of Suc∣cession, or the debarring the next lawful Successor from the immediate, actual, full, and free Administration of the Go∣vernment.
Nor is it to be doubted, but that the Commons of England, who now begin to grow sensible of those Precipices of Ruine, whereinto they were ready to
tumble through the Contrivances of of those malicious Incendiaries, that by terrifying the People with panick Fears of Popery and Arbitrary Power endeavoured to kindle a Fire of Rebelli∣on in this Nation, will, whenever it shall please His Majesty to call a Par∣liament, shew themselves no less Zea∣lous (than the Scots have done) to as∣sist and defend (according to their Oaths) the Kings Rights and Privi∣ledges, the chiefest whereof, upon which all the rest depend, as on a Cor∣ner Stone, is the unalterable Heredi∣tariness of the Monarchy, and thereby defeat the Designes of those cursed Achitophels, who labor by involving us in Confusion to establish their be∣loved Democracy, the very worst of Tyrannies.
* 1.58THe now-reigning Monarch of Great Britain is CHARLES, the Se∣cond of that Name. His Name of Baptism, in Latine written Carolus, in English CHARLES, in the German Language Karle, is contracted from Car-eal, which is it self an Abbrevia∣tion of the old Teutonick Gar-edel, and signifies All or wholly Noble. Not im∣properly then was this Name given to this Prince, whose Subjects may justly glory in the Enjoyment of that Hap∣piness, for which Salomon pronounces a Land blessed, that their King is the Son of Nobles.
* 1.59Tho Surnames are neither used by Soveraign Princes, nor necessary to them, as they are to other inferior per∣sons;
whose Surnames preserve the Memory of their Relations and Fami∣lies; yet as Bourbon and Austria, which were but the Possessions of their Proge∣nitors, are now generally esteemed the Surnames of the Present French and Spanish Royal Familyes: So Stuart or Steward, the Abbreviation of the Sax∣on Word Stedeward, signifying the same, as Locumtenens in Latin, and Lievtenant in French, which was ori∣ginally but the Name of Office to Walter (Son of Fleance by the Daugh∣ter of Gruffyth ap Lhewelyn King of Northwales, and Progenitor to Robert the IId. King of Scotland, from whom our present King is descended) who was by King Malcolm Canmore created Grand Seneschal or High Steward of Scotland, has by Prescription of Time and long Vulgar Error so far prevail∣ed, as to be accounted the Surname of the now-Royal Family of Great Bri∣tain, and of many other Families, de∣scended from him. Nor is this Name unfit for any King, as being in his Kingdom the Steward, Lieutenant, or Vicegerent of Almighty GOD.
Our Soveraign Lord the King,* 1.60 now
reigning does for Royal Extraction, and long Line of just Descent excell all the Monarchs of the Christian, if not of the whole World, being line∣ally and lawfully descended from, and by Right of Primogeniture next Heir unto the British, Saxon, Norman, and Scotish Kings and Princes of this Island, his Grandfather King James, who by along Descent of Royal Ancestors was was derived from Malcolm Canmor King of the Scots, and the Lady Margaret his Wife, Sister and Sole Heir of Edgar Atheling, the last surviving Prince of the English Saxons, joyning the Saxon and Scotish. Titles to the British and Norman, already united in the Person and Posterity of Edward the IVth. King of England.
He is from the first British Kings the hundred thirty ninth, from the Scotish, in a continued succession for almost two thousand years, the hun∣dred and ninth, from the Saxon the forty sixth, since the Norman Conquest the twenty sixth, from the Uniting of the Royal Families of York and Lan∣caster the eighth, and since the Union of England and Scotland the third sole Monarch.
He is the first, that was born Prince or Heir apparent of Great Britain, and hath in his possession larger Domini∣nions than any of his Royal Ance∣stors.
His Father was Charles the Martyr, and his Mother the Princess Henrietta Maria, Daughter to Henry the Great, Sister to Lewis the XIIIth. and Aunt to the present Lewis the XIVth. most Christian Kings, a Lady, who needeth no other Character, than what is found in the seventh Chapter of that unimitable Book, compiled by him, that best knew her. From these two Roy∣al Stocks, he hath in his Veins some of all the Royal Blood of Europe con∣centred.
This most Excellent Prince was born on the twenty ninth of May, 1630. at the Royal Palace of St. James's,* 1.61 near Westminster, over which there was the same day at noon by thousands seen a Star impending, and soon after the Sun suffered an Eclipse, which was by some even at that time regarded as a sad Omen, that the Power of this Prince should for a while be eclipsed and that some Subject, signified by the
Star, should have more than ordinary Splendor.
* 1.62On the twenty seventh of June fol∣lowing he was baptized by Dr. Wil∣liam Laud, then Bishop of London, af∣terwards Archbishop of Canterbury, who was in the year of our Lord 1644. by a pretended Ordinance of the re∣bellious long Parliament, barbarously murthered for his Fidelity to his So∣veraign.
His God-fathers were his two Uncles the most Christian King Lewis the XIIIth. and Frederick, Prince Elector Palatine of the Rhine, then called King of Bohemia, represented by the Duke of Richmond, and Marquess of Hamilton, his Godmother being his Grandmother Maria de Medicis, then Queen-Mother of France, whose Sub∣stitute was the Dutchess of Richmond. He had for his Governess Mary Coun∣tess of Dorset, Wife to Edward Earl of Dorset.
In May, 1638. he received the Or∣der of Knighthood,* 1.63 being immediate∣ly after made Knight of the Garter, and installed at Windsor. About which
time he was by Order, not Creation, first called Prince of Wales, having all the Revenews of that Principality, with divers others Lands annexed, and the Earldom of Chester granted unto him, and holding his Court apart from the King.
In the eighth year of his Age being taken from the Charge of his Women,* 1.64 he had for Governor William, then Earl, afterward Marquess, and lately Duke of Newcastle, and after him Tho∣mas, late Earl of Berkshire; and for Tutor or Preceptor Dr. Brian Duppa, then Dean of Christ-Church in Oxford, soon after Bishop of Chichester, after that of Salisbury, and lately of Winche∣ster.
In October 1642. the two Houses having, out of their superabundant Loyalty, and great Zeal for the pre∣servation of their Soveraign, raised an Army to divest him of his Sove∣raignty, he was with his Father at the Battel of Edge-Hill, and not long af∣ter was at Oxford committed to the Care of William Marquess of Hertford, whom, after his own happy Restau∣ration, he restored to the Dignity and
Precedency of Duke of Somerset.
In the fifteenth year of his Age he was sent by his Father into the West of England, to perfect an Association, begun there in the end of the forego∣ing Summer. And not long after there was a Marriage proposed between him and the Infanta Joanna, eldest Daugh∣ter to the King of Portugal, since de∣ceased.
* 1.65The year following, Barnstable be∣ing taken, and Exeter besieged by the Rebels, he withdrew from Devonshire into Cornwall, from whence he passed into the Isle of Scilly, and thence to the Queen his Mother, being at St. Ger∣mains near Paris.
In the year 1648. a Considerable part of the Royal Navy, encouraged thereto by Captain Batten, formerly Vice-Admiral to the Earl of Warwick, being put into his Power, he endea∣vored to rescue the King his Father out of the impious hands of his rebellious Subjects. But failing of Success, he was forced to retire to his Sister at the Hague, where not many Months after upon the sad News of the barbarous Murther of his Royal Father, he
was first saluted King, & soon after pro∣claimed in Scotland and most Towns of Ireland, being yet under nineteen years of Age.
In the latter end of the year 1649. he received, being then in Jersey,* 1.66 a Message from the Committee of Estates of Scotland, brought by Mr. George Windram of Liberton, and the March following met the Scotch Com∣missioners at Breda in Holland, and about the beginning of June 1650. being invited by a solemn Message from the Estates of that Kingdom, he took Shipping at Scheveling, and having escaped the danger both of a sudden Storm, that cast him upon certain Danish Islands, and of a Fleet of Eng∣lish Vessels, sent out under Popham to intercept his passage, arrived at the Spey in the North of Scotland, from whence all along his way to Edenbo∣rough he was entertained with the ge∣neral Joy of the People, several of the Towns, by which he passed, ma∣king him considerable Presents. On the fifteenth of July, he was again so∣lemnly proclaimed King at Edenbo∣rough Cross, and was the first of Ja∣nuary
following crowned at Scoon, the accustomed place for Coronation of the Kings of Scotland.
* 1.67Being invaded by an Army from England, he was forced to quit that Kingdom, and try his Fortune in this which he entred the sixth of August 1651. and on the twenty second of the same Month came to Worcester, where on the third of September was fought that fatal Battel, in which tho his Majesty acted with such marvellous Gallantry and Conduct, that he wan applause from his very Enemies, yet he unfortunately lost the Day, and his whole Army, himself not without a Pro∣vidence, unparalleld in History, escap∣ing the Hands of his blood-thirsty Ene∣mies, who not only by publick Act promised a Sum of Money to those that should discover him, but likewise threatned the Penalty of High Trea∣son to any, that should conceal him. For being in the very Heart England, and a thousand pounds set upon his head, he was forced to wander about in disguise for six Weeks, and to ap∣pear in many Places and Companies, before he could find a fit opportunity of
Transportation. During which time tho he were seen and known to many per∣son, divers whereof were excessively indigent, and therefore liable to be tempted by the proposed Reward, di∣vers of the Female Sex, and so not only most unapt to retain a Secret, but also very subject to be terrified by the threatned Penalty, and divers be∣sides all this of the Roman Religion, which alone (the very Principles there∣of having been alwayes clamored a∣gainst, as reputed to teach nothing but Treachery and Disloyalty to Prin∣ces, and the Lawfulness of breaking Faith with Hereticks) might have made his Majesty afraid to trust them; yet was he still most miraculously preserved, and at length by one Tetershal, since a Captain in his Majesties Navy, (whose Wife, suspecting the Business, was so far from disencouraging him, that she said, She cared not, if she and her little ones begged their Bread, so the King were in safety) transported from Bright-hemstead neer Shoram in Sussex to Fec∣cam neer Hauvre de Grace in Norman∣dy, whence he posted directly to Ro∣uen, and having thence dispatched Let∣ters to the French Court, he was met
the Queen his Mother, the Duke of Or∣leans, and many Persons of Quality, and by them conducted to Paris, where with his Royal Brothers, and divers of the British Nobility, Clergy, and Gen∣try, he was for some years received and treated as King of Great Bri∣tain.
There by his Excellent Wisdom and Address, mediating with the Prince of Conde, and the Duke of Lorrain, then in the Head of two great Armies a∣gainst the French King, he quenched the newly-kindled Fire of an universal Rebellion, raised against him, and was a Means of restoring Cardinal Maza∣rine, who had for fear of the Princes of the Blood withdrawn himself to Co∣len, to his former Authority and Great∣ness.
In the year 1654. His Majesty, un∣derstanding, that upon a Treaty of Peace between the French King and Oliver Cromwel, then stiling himself Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, one of the chiefest Articles, insisted upon by the Usurper, was the excluding of him with his Relations and Followers out of France, to prevent a ceremonious
Expulsion, voluntarily departed thence into Germany, making his first place of Residence at the Spaw, whence af∣ter a few Moneths he went to Colen, where was discovered the Correspon∣dence between Thurloe, Cromwels Secre∣tary, and Manning, one of the Kings Secretaries Clerks, who, for giving weekly Intelligence to the Usurper of the Transactions in his Majesties Court, was deservedly shot to death.
After the Rupture between Cromwel and the King of Spain, he was by Don John of Austria, who, being Governor of the Low-Countryes for his Catholick Majesty, sent the Count of Fuensaldagne to offer him in the name of the Span∣ish King all possible Service and Assist∣ance, invited into Flanders, where mak∣ing his Residence for the most part at Bruges, he continued till a little be∣fore Sir George Booths Rising in Cheshire, when he removed privately from Brux∣els to Calais, whence having notice from my Lord Mordant of the disappoint∣ment of much of the design, he went to Bulloign, and thence to Reuen, whither Dr. Allestry bringing him News of Sir Georges being in Arms, he went thence by Caen to St. Maloes, where being in
preparation of a Vessel to transport him into. England, he received the fa∣tal Tidings of Booths Defeat.
Thence his Majesty went to Fonta∣rabia, to be present at the Treaty of Peace, managed upon the Borders be∣tween France and Spain by the two chief Ministers of those two Kings, where he was with all imaginable re∣spect entertained by Don Lewis de Ha∣ro, Plenipotentiary for his Catholick Majesty, from whom he received large Promises of Assistance both with men and money, and a Present of twenty thousand Crowns for defraying the Ex∣pences of his Journey.
There receiving Advice from the Lord Mordant of the Disorders in England, he returned through France toward Bruxels, staying by the way some few dayes with his Royal Mo∣ther at Paris.
* 1.68In the year 1660. Perceiving a ge∣neral Inclination in his Subjects to re∣ceive him, he providently, upon Ad∣vice sent him by General Monk, the late Duke of Albemarl, removed from Bruxels to Breda within the Domini∣ons of the Ʋnited Netherlands, whence
he sent Letters, bearing date the four∣teenth of April, to the Lords, to the Speaker of the House of Commons, to the Generals Monk and Mountague, and to the City of London, together with a gracious Declaration for the composing and quieting the minds of his Subjects. These were on the first of May, read in Parliament, and on the eighth he was with great Solemnity proclaimed in the Cities of London and Westminster. The Tenor of the Proclamation, agreed upon by the Lords and Commons, clearly expressing the Hereditariness of this Monarchy, and consequently the unalterableness of the Succession, is, as followeth.
Altho it can no way be doubted, but that His Majesties Right and Title to his Crown and Kingdoms is, and was every way compleated by the Death of his most Royal Father of Glorious Me∣mory without the Ceremony or Solemnity of a Proclamation: Yet, since Proclamations in such cases have alwayes been used to the end that all good Subjects might, up∣on this occasion, testify their Duty and Respect; And since the armed Violence, and other the Calamities of many years last past, have hitherto deprived Ʋs of any
such Opportunity, wherein we might ex∣press our Loyalty and Allegiance to his Majesty; We therefore, the Lords and Commons now assembled in Parliament, together with the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Councel of the City of London, and other Freemen of this Kingdom now present, do, according to Our Duty and Allegiance, heartily, joy∣fully, and unanimously acknowledge and proclaim, That upon the Decease of Our late Soveraign Lord King CHARLES, the Imperial Crown of the Realm of England, and of all the Kingdoms, Do∣minions, and Rights belonging to the same, did by inherent Birthright, and lawful and undoubted Succession, descend and come to his Most Excellent Majesty CHARLES the Second; as being lineally, justly, and lawfully next Heir of the Royal Blood of this Realm; and that by the Good∣ness and Providence of Almighty GOD, He is of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, the most Potent, Mighty, and Ʋndoubted King: And thereunto we most humbly and faithfully do submit, and oblige Our Selves, our Heirs and Posterities.
May the twenty third his Majesty, after a magnificent entertainment at the
Hague by the States of Holland, and an humble Invitation of English Com∣missioners, sent by the Lords and Com∣mons, then assembled at Westminster, embarkt at Scheveling, and with a gal∣lant Fleet, and gentle Gale of Wind landed at Dover on the twenty fifth and on the twenty ninth, being his Birth day, his Majesty, then just thirty years of Age, entred into London, ac∣companied with his two Brothers, at∣tended by most of the Nobility and Gentry of the three Kingdoms, and re∣ceived with the most Universal Joy, Acclamations, and Magnificence, that could possibly be exprest.
This wonderful Restauration of his Majesty after so many years Dispos∣session, his irreconcileable Enemies, who were fully possest of the Government, being supported by an Army of thirty thousand experienced and victorious Souldiers in Eng and, all fostered up in an Aversion to Monarchy, besides the trained Militia of the Nation, amounting to a far greater number, and wholly consisting of chosen men of the like Principles, attempted and effected without Blood, Blows, Bargain, or Obligation to any for∣reign
Prince or Potentate, by the Ge∣nerosity and Prudence of that Noble Captain George, late Duke of Albe∣marl, whose Courage and Conduct this present Age cannot but admire, and our Posterity will with difficulty believe, was so signal a Dispensation of Divine Providence, which not only raised up that Noble Instrumont, but darted likewise on a sudden into the Hearts of the People a Desire of their Soveraign, which, like Lightning, running over his Kingdoms, made them burn with eagerness for his return, that the Great Turk, hearing thereof, openly declared, that, if he were to change his Religion, he would adore and worship the GOD of the King of Great Brtain.
* 1.69On the two and twentieth of April, 1661. His Majesty, according to the an∣cient Custom of his Royal Predecessors; made a glorious and splendid Caval∣cade from the Tower to Westminster, where the next day, being the Festival of St. Geopge, he was Crowned with great Ceremony by Dr. William Juxon then Archbishop of Canterbury, to whom that Office belonged in right of his See,
the Coronation-Sermon being preached by Dr. George Morley, then Bishop of Worcester, now of Winchester.
On the eighth of May following began a Parliament at Westminster, as remarkable for their Loyalty and Zea∣lous Affection to the Service of their Soveraign, as that of 1640. is noto∣rious for Disloyalty and Sedition. In this Parliament were condemned, as illegal, and destructive to the Govern∣ment, all those Factious and Antimo∣narchical Doctrins, first broached by the Rebels of the late times, to justify their audacious Impieties, and now again revived (no doubt for the same purpose) by the scurrilous Pamphletiers of this our Age, who by their more than Jesuitical Equivocations eluding the plain and express Words of an Oath, purposely framed to countermine and prevent such seditious Opinions and Practices, which, as they former∣ly have, so may again be made use of to involve us in Confusion and Misery, endeavor (as much as in them lies) to render all Profession and Promises of Allegiance and Fidelity, made by Subjects to their Prince, invalid, and of none effect.
* 1.70On the twenty eighth of the same Month His Majesty declared to his Parliament his Intention to marry the Infanta of Portugal, who accordingly in May 1662. being landed at Ports∣mouth, was there espoused unto him by Dr. Gilbert Sheldon, then Bishop of London, lately Archbishop of Canter∣bury.
THE present Queen of Great Bri∣tain is Donna CATHARINA In∣fanta of Portugal. Her Name Catharina,* 1.71 originally Greek, signifies a Woman of excelling Purity and Chastity.
She had for Father John the IVth.* 1.72 King of Portugal, and is lineally de∣scended from John of Gaunt, King of Castile and Leon, Duke of Lancaster, and fourth Son to Edward the IIId. King of England, as here appear∣eth.
Her Majesties Mother was Donna Lucia, Daughter of Don Gusman el Bu∣eno, a Spaniard, Duke of Medina Sido∣nia, lineally descended from Ferdinan∣do de la Cerde, and his Wife Blanche, Daughter to St. Lewis, King of France, who relinquished to her his Right and Title to Spain, derived to him by his Mother Blanche, eldest Daughter and Heir of the Spanish King Alphonso. She was a Lady of that admired Magnani∣mity and Prudence, that the King her Husband trusted so much of the Reins of Government to her masculine and politick Spirit, as occasioned a jesting Spaniard to say: That it was not the Portugal Force, but the Spanish Policy, which kept that Kingdom from the Ca∣tholick King.
The Queen of Great Britain is the only Sister of Don Alphonso the VIth. the two and twentieth King of Portu∣gal, born in the year 1642, and hath one Brother more, named Don Pedro
born 1648, and now called Prince Re∣gent of Portugal.
* 1.73She was born the fourteenth of No∣vember. 1638, at Villa Vicosa in Portu∣gal, her Father, who (tho right Heir to the Crown of Portugal) was then only Duke of Braganza, being the most potent Subject in Europe: for a third part of Portugal was even at that time holden of him in vassal∣lage.
* 1.74Having been most carefully and pi∣ously educated by Mother, she was at the Age of two and twenty desired in marriage by Charles the IId. King of Great Britain: And the Marriage, not long after concluded by the Negotia∣tion of Sir Richard Fanshaw, Ambassa∣dor of his Majesty of Great Britain in the Court of Portugal, and of Frances∣co de Melo, Conde de Ponte, Marquis de Sande, Extraordinary Ambassador from the King of Portugal, being so∣lemnized at Lisbon, on the twenty third of April, 1662. being the Festi∣val of St. George, Patron both of Eng∣land and Portugal, she embarkt for England, and was by his Excellency
Edward Earl of Sandwich, Vice-Admi∣ral of England, safely conducted by a Squadron of Ships to Portsmouth, where being met by the King, she was remar∣ried to him.
From Portsmouth she was by his Ma∣jesty brought to Hampton-Court, where she continued till the three and twen∣tieth of August following, when com∣ing up thence by Water, she was with great Pomp and Magnificence received at Chelsey by the Lord Mayor and Al∣dermen of London, who waited on her thence by Water to Whitehal.
The Portion,* 1.75 brought by her Ma∣jesty, was eight hundred Millions of Reas, or two Millions of Crusadoes, amounting to about three hundred thousand Pounds Sterling; the City of Tangier on the Coast of Africk; and the Isle of Bombaim nere Goa in the East-Indies; together with a Priviledg, that any Subjects of the King of Great Britain may trade freely in the East and West-India Plantations, belonging to the Portugueses.
Her Jointure,* 1.76 agreed upon by the Articles of Marriage, is thirty thou∣sand
Pounds Sterling per Annum, to which the King, as a Testimony of his great Affection to her, has added ten thousand Pounds per Annum more.
* 1.77Her Arms, as Daughter of Portugal, are Argent, five Scutcheons Azure Cross∣wise, each Scutcheon charged with five Besants Argent Salterwise, with a Point Sable. The Border Gules, charged with seven Castles, Or. This Coat was first worn by Don Alphonso, the first King of Portugal, as well in memory of a signal Victory, obtained by him over five Kings of the Moores, as in honour of the five Wounds of our blessed Lord and Saviour, who just before the Bat∣tle appeared crucified unto him, a voice being heard, as once to Con∣stantin the Great, In hoc Signo vinces: before which time the Portugal Arms were Argent, a Crosse Azure.
Her Majesty is a Personage, en∣dowed with rare Perfections both of Mind and Body, a Lady of transcen∣dent Piety, Modesty, and Charity, and many other eminent Vertues.
THe Glorious Martyr CHARLES the Ist. King of Great Britain, had by his Queen Henrietta Maria, Daughter to the most Christian King Henry the IVth. four Sons and five Daughters. His Sons were,
His Daughters were,
HIS present Majesty of Great Bri∣tain having no Issue by his Queen, and having by his Royal Declaration (which he has caused to be Registred in Chancery, and which not any good Subject, nor indeed not any rational Man, can choose but believe) solemnly protested, That he was never Married to any other Woman: The first Prince of the Blood, and Apparent (or, accor∣ding to the new-coyn'd Distinction, Presumptive) Heir of the Crown, is His Royal Highness, JAMES Duke of York and Albany, Earl of Ʋlster, Knight of the most noble Order of the Garter, third Son of CHARLES the Ist., and and sole surviving Brother of our sacred Soveraign CHARLES the IId.
He was Born at Somerset-House in the Strand on the fourteenth of October, 1633. & was immediately at the Court-Gates proclaimed Duke of York. On the four & twentieth of the same Month he was Baptized, having for God-fa∣thers the King of Denmark, represented by the Earl of Arundel, and the Duke
of Orleans, by Prince Harcourt, and for God-mother the Queen of Bohemia, whose Substitute was the Dutchess of Buckingham.
He was in his Infancy committed to the Government of the Lady Hatton, but when he grew up, had for Gover∣nor Henry Lord Jermin, now Earl of Saint Albans, and for Preceptor Dr Broughton of Brazen-Nose Colledge in Oxford.
In February, 1641. He was by the King his Father sent for from London to Greenwich, that he might accompany him thence to York.
Having been by special Command called Duke of York from his Birth, he was on the seven & twentieth of Janua∣ry, 1643. (having the Year before re∣ceived the Order of the Garter) so Cre∣ated by Letters Patents at Oxford; but without the Solemnities, usual in such Cases, the Iniquity of those Times not admitting thereof.
After the Surrendry of Oxford to the Rebels in the Year 1646. His Royal Highness was conveyed thence to Lon∣don, and at St. Jameses committed with his Brother the Duke of Glocester, and his Sisters the Princesses Elizabeth and
Henrietta to the Tuition & Care of the Earl of Northumberland and his Lady.
Here he continued unto the three and twentieth of April, 1648. when having with Colonel Bampfield, sent over pur∣posely on that Design by the Queen his Mother, contrived an escape, after he had received the usual Visit of his Guar∣dian the Earl of Northumberland, he lingred out the remainder of the Eve∣ning (that he might avoid the suspicion of his Attendants) in the Chamber of his Brother the Duke of Glocester, and at a fit Opportunity retiring into the Garden, by the help of a Key, which he had borrowed of the Gardiner, he quickly got to the place, where he was expected by the Colonel, by whom, be∣ing disguised in the Habit of a Girle, he was conveyed to Dort, whence he went immediately to his Sister the Princess of Orange, and thence soon after to his Royal Mother then at Paris.
Thence he came to the Prince of Wales, his Brother, then endeavouring with part of the Navy, which had sub∣mitted to him, to rescue his Royal Fa∣ther out of the Traitorous hands of the villanous Rebels, by whom he was kept Prisoner in the Isle of Wight.
But that Design being disappointed, his Royal Highness returned to the Court of France, where he continued, till he was about twenty Years of Age, when going into the Campagne, he per∣formed under that great Commander, the Mareschal de Turenne, such eminent Services for the French King against the Spanish Forces in the Netherlands, that before the Age of one & twenty, he was made Lieutenant-General of the whole Army, and was by Turenne himself, then lying desperately Sick, recom∣mended to his most Christian Majesty, for the fittest person he could nominate to be General of his Army, as being so Noble, Valorous, and fortunate a Com∣mander, that his Affairs could not (in all humane probability) but prove Suc∣cessful under his Conduct.
Notwithstanding which, upon a Trea∣ty between the French King, and the English Usurper Cromwel, he was in the Year, 1655. (tho not without some Complements and Apologies for his Dismission) advertized to depart with all his Retinue out of the French Domi∣nions by a prefixed time: Which he ac∣cordingly did, having been first visited by the Mareschal de Turenne, and divers o∣ther
French Grandees, as also by the Duke of Modena, then in France about some important Affairs.
His Royal Highness then, having taken His leave of the King and Court of France, and being attended by the Earl of St. Albans, and several other English Lords, took His Journey to∣wards Bruges in Flanders, the Resi∣dence at that time of the King His Brother, who, having upon foresight of the Event of the Treaty prudently withdrawn himself out of France, was by Don John of Austria, Governour of the Low-Countries for the King of Spain, solemnly invited into those parts.
The Duke in his way touchd at Bruxels, where he was magnificently entertained by Don John, to whom he proffered his service in the wars against the French King, then leagued with the English Rebels against Spain. Which being with many thanks ac∣cepted, his Magnanimity and Dexteri∣ty in Martial Affairs wan him so much esteem, that a little before his Maje∣sties happy return he was offered in the Name of the Spanish King the high Dignity of Admiral of Castile.
In the year 1660, He returned with
the King his Brother into England, of which being Lord High Admiral, and in the year 1665 in the War against the United Nether-Lands, commanding in Person the whole Royal Navy, he with unmatchable Valor, and extra∣ordinary Hazard of his Princely Per∣son, which was besprinkled with the Blood of those, that fell by his side, obtained after a sharp dispute on the Seas between England and Holland a signal Victory over the whole Dutch Fleet, sinking many of their ships, blowing up their Admiral Opdam, and by sacking of Scheveling making Amsterdam it self to tremble. For which great services, so sensible was the Parliament, how much the English Nation was indebted to him, that, as a small acknowledgment of his Merit, and a grateful testimony of their Af∣fections, they made him a Present of an hundred thousand pounds.
In September 1666, the City of Lon∣don labouring under a terrible Fire (whether occasioned by the supine negligence of the Baker and his ser∣vants, in whose house it began; or by an Hellish combination of malici∣ous Persons, there having been exe∣cuted
the April before eight Fanati∣cal Plotters, who confest at Tyburn, that they had so contrived that Fatal Scene, that it could not miscarry, their Prediction, as to the Fire, tho not as to the rest of their intended Tragedy, proving true to a day) he exposed his Person to a thousand Dan∣gers to rescue it from Destruction, breaking open Pipes and Conduits for Water, reaching Buckets as nimbly as any of the common people, clearing the Streets of the Crouds, that hindred the people from carrying away their goods, appointing his servants and Guards to conduct them to secure places, and in fine for several nights and days with unwearied industry ap∣pearing in all parts, giving necessary orders to prevent the farther spread∣ing of the Conflagration. In requital of which his never to be forgotten Pains and diligence for the suppressing of those Flames, some ungrateful and au∣dacious Villains have impudently da∣red to calumniate him, as the Author of that dreadful Fire, than which Hell it self cannot forge a falser or blacker Lye.
In the year 1672 he again in a se∣cond
War against the Ʋnited Nether∣lands commanded the whole English Fleet, behaving himself with such gal∣lantry, that notwithstanding the ma∣ny notable disadvantages of wind and tide, being at Anchor, when set up∣on, and the succeeding Mist, he after a long and fierce encounter put the Dutch to flight, though with exceed∣ing great peril of his Life, having in the heat or the engagement (when Re∣fitting would have lost the benefit of his Orders and Action) changed Ships oftner, than great Generals at Land have done their Horses. Insomuch that De Ruiter himself acknowledged His Roy∣al Highness to exceed all the Admi∣rals in Christendom as much by His Bravery as by His Birth.
In the Year 1678. after the dis∣covery of the Popish Plot, some Sons of Belial (that they might more freely vent their malice against the Royal Fa∣mily) impudently and falsly calumnia∣ted his Royal Highness, not only as having publickly profest the Romish Religion, which yet is so palpable an Untruth, that it needs no Confutation; but also (though in direct contradiction to the depositions of Oates and Bedlow
the chief discoverers, the last whereof even at his death acquitted him) as the Author of the Plot, which yet he was so earnest to have sifted to the Bottom, that (as the Earl of Danby in his Printed Case tells us) It had ne∣ver been brought upon the Stage, but for the Dukes Importunity. Yet were these Surmises, how ridiculous and ground∣less soever, so cunningly by seditious Boutefeus insinuated into the belief of the giddy Multitude, that his Majesty, at whom these envenomed Arrows, tho seemingly shot at his Brother, were directly aimed, thought it con∣venient, Because he would not leave the most malicious men room to say, he had not removed all Causes, which could be pretended to influence him towards Popish Counsels, and that he might thereby discern, whether Protestant Religion and the Peace of the Kingdom were as truly aimed at by others, as they were really intended by himself, to deprive himself of the Conversation of his Royal Highness by commanding him to depart the King∣dom: To which Command the Duke paying an entire submission and obe∣dience, on the third of March 1679. took leave of his Majesty, and, after
a short visit to his Daughter, the Prin∣cess of Orange, in Holland, retired with his Family to Bruxels in Flan∣ders.
Thence his Royal Highness, having about the latter end of August follow∣ing received the unwelcome News, that the King his Brother was seized with a fit of sickness, hastned over to Wind∣sor to visit him, protesting, that, al∣tho his Loyalty and Fraternal Af∣fection had obliged him to perform this Duty, he was ready upon his Majesties first Command not only to return into Flanders, but to go to the farthest part of the Earth.
On the Seventeenth of September, He came with His Majesty, by the in∣finite mercy of Heaven recovered from His sickness, to London, and on the Twenty-eighth of the same Month de∣parted again for Flanders, whence re∣turning about the middle of October, He took his journey by order of the King on the first of November for Scotland, where by his prudent Conduct (being by His Majesty constituted High Com∣missioner of that Kingdom) He quie∣ted the dangerous Commotions, rais∣ed therein by certain furious and facti∣ous
Zealots, and restored it to full peace and Tranquillity.
Coming into England about the lat∣ter end of March 1682, He was by His Majesty then at Newmarket, received with the greatest Testimonies of affec∣tion imaginable. Returning again about the middle of May by Sea towards Scotland, to fetch thence his Dutches, He was by the singular Providence of Almighty GOD delivered from emi∣nent danger of drowning, The Glo∣cester a Third Rate Fregate, where∣on he was imbarkt, by the negligence of the Pilot striking on the sands, and sinking under Him, His Plate, and whatever else was abord, being lost, several Persons of Quality, who ac∣companied him, and of his Ser∣vants and Seamen about two hundred Persons, whose unparalleld affection and generous Loyalty (when there was no hope of safety for themselves) with shouts of joy gave thanks to Heaven for the preservation of His Royal Highness, being swallowed up by the Waves.
So sensible were all the Loyal Eng∣glish of the great damage, that would have befallen these Kingdoms by the
loss of so Heroick a Prince, that several parts of this Nation have in their Ad∣dresses to the King since the return of their Royal Highnesses, not only con∣gratulated the happy deliverance of his only Brother, but have also humbly supplicated their Soveraign, that he would no more permit him, who is next after his sacred Majesty their chief hope and comfort, to be separa∣ted from his Royal Presence.
His Royal Highness had for His first VVife ANN, eldest Daughter to Edward, Late Earl of Clarendon, and Lord High Chancellor of England. She Dyed at St. Jameses, on the one and Thiriteth of April 1671. having made him Father of a numerous Issue, whereof are living,
In November 1673, His Royal High∣ness was by Dr. Nathanael Crew, Bish∣op of Durham, and Son to John Lord Crew, secondly married to JOSEPHA-MARIA d'Este, Daughter of Alphonso the IIId. late, and Sister to Francis pre∣sent Duke of Modena, her Mother be∣ing Laura Martinozza the present Dut∣chess Dowager. By her he hath had several Children, of which is living one only Daughter, named,
CHARLOTTA MARIA, born the fifteenth of August 1682. and Bapti∣zed the day following by Dr. Henry Compton, Lord Bishop of London; her Godfather being the Duke of Ormond, and her Godmothers the Countesses of Arundel and Clarendon.
Though the ambitious and designing Adversaries of His Royal Highness im∣ploy their utmost Artifice to cloud and conceal from the eyes of the Peo∣ple his many admirable endowments and Princely qualities; yet cannot they with any color of Truth deny him to be a most Glorious and Honourable
Prince, not only of a most high Spirit and invincible Courage? but also a Com∣mander of great experience both at Land and Sea, where he has not only several times exposed his Life for the safety and honour of this Nation, but also, where-ever he appeared, carried victory along with him, which in his absence was not found: He is of a quick apprehension, and sound judg∣ment, sedulous and diligent in Busi∣ness, wary in Counsel, speedy in exe∣cution, and in his resolutions constant and inflexible: He is a kind Brother, a dutiful Subject, an obliging Husband, a tender Father, a firm Friend, and an excellent Master. In his Word and Promises strictly Faithful, and in pay∣ment of his Debts punctually just. He is brave and generous, liberal but not profuse, manages his own fortune discreetly, and yet keeps the best Court and Equipage of any Subject in Chris∣tendom. He is affable and courteous to all, and (however the inveterate malice of his restless and factious Enemies may have possessd some credulous Persons to the contrary) of no persecuting or vindicative Spirit, nor hath any thing in his whole Conduct to be excepted
against, much less dreaded. He is in a word, what the French call un hon∣neste homme, A Person endowed with all the good Qualities, that make a man truly valuable, and seems born to re∣trieve the sinking glory of the English Nation.
AFter the Duke of York & his Issue the next Heir to the Crown of Great Britain is William Frederick Henry of Nassaw, Prince of Orange and Stadthol∣der of the united Provinces, only Issue of the Princess Royal Mary, Eldest Daughter of our late martyred Soveraign King Charles the Ist. and Wedded on the second of May 1641. to William of Nassaw, only Son of Henry Prince of Orange, then Commander in chief of all the Forces of the States General both by Land and Sea,
He was born at the Hague on the fourteenth of November 1650 being nine days after his Fathers decease. He had for his Godfathers the Lords States General of Holland & Zealand, and the; Cities of Delft, Leyden and Amsterdam
and for Godmothers the Queen of Bohe∣mia and the old Princess of Orange.
His Governess was the English La∣dy Stanhope, then Wife to the Heer Van Hemvliet. Being eight years of Age, he was sent to the University at Leyden.
On the fourth of November 1677. being then near Seven and Twenty years of Age, he espoused the Lady Mary, eldest Daughter to His Royal Highness, James Duke of York.
His Revenue is about threescore Thousand Pounds Sterling per Annum, besides Military advantages, enjoyed by his Father and Ancestors, amount∣ing to about thirty thousand Pounds Sterling per Annum more.
He is a Prince of great valour and courage, in whom the High and Prince∣ly Qualities of his Ancestors have al∣ways appeared, and a great Lover of Souldiers.
THe next Heir (after the fore∣mentioned) to the Imperial Crown of Great Britain is Her most Serene Majesty the present Queen Con∣sort
of Spain, Daughter of the Prin∣cess Henrietta, youngest Sister to His present Sacred Majesty of Great Bri∣tain, by the most illustrous Prince Phi∣lip, now Duke of Orleans, only Bro∣ther to the most Christian King Lew∣is the XIVth. now reigning.
She was born in the year 1663. and was in December 1679 Married to Charles the IId. King of Spain.
THere being left alive no more of the Off-spring of King Charles the Ist. the next Heirs to the Imperi∣al Crown of these Realms are the Is∣sue and Descendents of Elizabeth late Queen of Bohemia, only Sister to the said King, who was on the fourteenth of February 1612 married to Frederick the Vth. Prince Elector Palatine of the Rhine, afterwards stiled King of Bohe∣mia.
Of these the first is Charles, the present Prince Elector Palatine of the Rhine commonly called the Palsgrave, from the High-Dutch Psaltzgraffe, Palatii Comes, Grandson to the said
Queen by her eldest Son Charles Lo∣dowick Prince Elector Palatine of the Rhine, lately deceased. His Mother was the Lady Charlotte, Daughter to William the Vth. Landgrave of Hesse, and to Elizabeth Emilia of Hanaw. He was born on the one and thirtieth of March 1651. and has lately mar∣ried the Sister of Christiern the Vth. present King of Denmark.
This Prince hath a Sister named Louise, born in May 1652, and now mar∣ried to the Duke of Orleans, only Bro∣ther to the present French King.
NExt unto the Prince Elector Pala∣tine and his Sister is the illustrious Prince Rupert, Duke of Bavaria and Cumberland, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Earl of Holderness, and Knight of the most noble Order of the Garter, born at Prague on the seventeenth of December 1619, not long before that very unfor∣tunate Battel, there fought, whereby not only all Bohemia was lost, but the Palatine Family was, for almost thir∣ty years, outed of all their possessions in
Germany, till that in the year 1648 by the Famous Treaty at Munster Charles Lodowick, eldest Brother to this Prince, had the Lower Palatinate restored to him, for which he was constrained to quit all his right to the Ʋpper Palati∣nate, and to accept of an eighth Elect∣orship, at a juncture of time, when his Uncle Charles the Ist. King of Great Britain (had he not been embroiled at home by an horrid Rebellion) had been the most considerable of all other at this Treaty, and the Prince Elector, his Nephew, would have had the grea∣test advantages there.
Prince Rupert, at the age of thirteen years, marched with the then Prince of Orange to the Siege of Rhineberg.
At the Age of eighteen he com∣manded a Regiment of Horse in the German Wars, and being at the Bat∣tel of Lemgou in the year 1638 taken by the Imperialists under the command of Count Hatzfield, he continued a Priso∣ner above three years.
About the beginning of September 1642 he came into England with his Brother Prince Maurice, to offer his ser∣vice to the King his Uncle against a factious Party of the two Houses, then
rebelling against him, and being within a fortnight after his arrival put in com∣mand over a small Party of those For∣ces, which the King had at that time gathered together, marched with them into divers parts of Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Worces∣tershire, and Cheshire, his Forces still increasing as he marched.
Being about the middle of October following made General of the Horse to the King, he soon after fought and defeated Colonel Sandys neer Worces∣ter; on the three and twentieth of the same moneth routed the Rebels Horse at Edg-Hill; and on the second of February following took Cirencester, and therein eleven hundred Prisoners and three thousand Arms.
On the fourteenth of April 1643. he recovered Litchfield, taken the March before by the Rebels; on the eigh∣teenth of June he routed Sheffield and Hambden in Chalgrove-Field, being the very place, where Hambden, who soon after died of his wounds there recei∣ved, first executed the Parliaments Com∣mission for the Militia against the Kings Authority; on the twenty se∣venth of July he took the City of Bris∣tol;
he was on the twenty-fourth of January following created Earl of Holdernesse and Duke of Cumberland, the Male-Line of the Cliffords being extinct in Henry the Last Earl; and on the two and twentieth of March he raised the siege at Newark, having got a compleat victory over Sr. John Meldrum, who lay before it with eight thousand men.
On the twenty-seventh of May 1644 he forced Rigby, commander for the Rebels, to depart from before Latham House, wherein that magna∣nimous and incomparable Lady Char∣lotte, Countess of Derby, had been eigh∣teen weeks closely besieged, and the next day stormed and took the town of Bolton; on the third of July having relieved York, wherein the then Mar∣quess, afterwards Duke of Newcastle, had been nine weeks besieged by three Armies, under the command of Man∣chester, Fairfax, and Lesley, he fought the great Battel of Marston-Moor, wherein though at first he had much the better, yet by a wonderful and un∣expected Fatality, the fortune of the day turned, and the Rebels obtained the victory.
On the twenty-second of April 1645 he defeated Massey at Lidbury; on the seventh of May, fetcht off the King from Oxford, which Fairfax was a∣bout to besiege; and on the one and thirtieth of the same moneth took Lei∣cester by assault.
In the year 1646, the Forces of the King his Uncle at Land being totally defeated, he transported himself after the surrendry of Oxford into France, and was afterwards made Admiral of such Ships of War, as submitted to His present Sacred Majesty, then Prince of Wales, to whom after di∣vers disasters at Sea, and wonderful preservations, having been blockt up the most part of one Summer in the Port of Kingsa••e by Popham, and ano∣ther in ••hat of Lisbon by Blake, and having l•…•… his Brother the valiant Prince Mau•…•… about the Caribbe Islands by an Hurricane, he returned to Paris, in the latter end of the year 1652, where now almost the whole Royal Family of Great Britain were met together.
Departing thence with his Majesty in the year 1654, he went into Germany, where partly at the Imperial Court of Vienna, and partly at Heidelbergh, the
chief Seat of his Brother the Prince E∣lector Palatine, he passed his time in Princely Studies and Exercises till his Majesties happy Restauration: after which returning into England, he was in the year 1662 made a privy Coun∣cellor, and in 1666, being joyned Admi∣ral with the late Duke of Albemarl, first attackt the whole Dutch Squadron in so bold and resolute a manner, that he soon put them to flight.
He enjoys a pension from his Ma∣jestie of four thousand pounds Sterling per Annum, and the Constableship of Windsor Castle.
AFter Prince Rupert, the next Heirs to the Crown of Great Britain are three French Ladies, Daughters to Prince Edward lately deceased, a younger Son of the Queen of Bohemia. Of these the eldest is married to the Duke d' Enguien, eldest Son to the Prince of Conde, and the second to John Frederick Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburgh at Hanover. The Princess Dowager, Mo∣ther
of these three Ladies, is Sister to the late Queen of Poland, and Coheir to the last Duke of Nevers in France.
These three Ladies have amongst them a Revenue of above twelve thou∣sand pounds Sterling per Annum.
Last of all is the Princess Sophia, youngest Daughter to the Queen of Bo∣hemia, whose eldest Sisters are deceas∣ed unmarried.
She was born at the Hague on the thirtieth of October 1630, and was in 1658 married to Ernest Auguste, Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburgh, Bishop of Osnaburgh, by whom she hath three Sons and a Daughter.
She is said to be one of the best Ad∣dress, and most accomplisht Ladies in Europe.
Extent.
Division.
Name.
Climate
Dimen∣sions.
Division
Ayr.
Soyl.
Commo∣dities.
Cascoign- then un∣der the Crown of Eng∣land.
Inhabi∣tants.
Laws.
Religion.
Manners.
Punish∣ments.
Lan∣guage.
Stature.
Diet.
Attire.
Recrea∣tion.
Traffick.
Ship∣ping.
Money.
Build∣ings.
Arms.
Manner of Fight∣ing.
Compu∣tation of Time.
Govern∣ment.
Monar∣chy.
Origi∣nal.
Excel∣lency.
Britain alwayes Govern∣ed by Monarchs.
Discove∣ry.
Invasion.
Con∣quest.
Christia∣nity brought into Bri∣tain.
St. James
St. Peter.
St. Paul.
St. Ari∣stobulus.
St. Joseph of Ari∣mathea.
Conver∣sion of King Lucius.
Persecu∣tion un∣der Dio∣clesian.
Christia∣nity resto∣red by Constan∣tin.
Britain quitted by the Romans.
State thereof after their Depar∣ture.
The Bri∣tish Mo∣narchy restored by King James.
Descent of King James fom Cad∣walladar.
Arms.
Domini∣ons.
Strength
Person.
Office.
Prero∣gatives.
Sove∣raignty.
Divinity.
Respect.
Name.
Surname.
Genealo∣gy.
Birth.
Baptism.
Court.
Educati∣on.
Depar∣ture out of Eng∣land.
Coming into Eng∣land.
Escape from Worcester.
Restau∣ration.
Corona∣tion.
Marry∣age.
Name.
Genea∣logy.
Birth.
Marri∣age.
Portion.
Jointure.
Arms.