Medulla historiæ Anglicanæ being a comprehensive history of the lives and reigns of the monarchs of England from the time of the invasion thereof by Jvlivs Cæsar to this present year 1679 : with an abstract of the lives of the Roman emperors commanding in Britain, and the habits of the ancient Britains : to which is added a list of the names of the Honourable the House of Commons now sitting, and His Majesties Most Honourable Privy Council, &c.

THE Preface.

IT is as natural to Man to desire Knowledge, as Bo∣dily Sustenance; the one being the Food of the Mind, as the other is of the Body: And the Appetites of both being homogenenous to the Prin∣ciples from which they proceed; their tendency to their seve∣ral Objects, is as eager as the Faculty which produces It,

is active; so that though both flow from the Fountains of one and the same Nature; yet the one resting in a Material Repletion, must be acknow∣ledged more limited than the other, which admits of no bounds of Satiety.

But though Knowledge be Mans Natural Desire, and the Similary Nourishment of his better part, the Reasona∣able Soul; yet it is not alike sought after by all; nor in the same Degrees and Kind.

Some, whose Constitution has disposed them to a Habit of lasie Sensuality, and others, whom continual Disappoint∣ments have baffled into a

Neutrality and Indifference, as to Action, think it suffici∣ent for Man to know, either how to live with Pleasure and Epicurean Ease, or to die with Affected Haughti∣ness and Stoical Apothy, nei∣ther of the Two regarding those Knowledges which de∣light Curiosity, or are useful to the Society of Mankind.

Others again, who are al∣together refined into Spirit and Contemplation, think their time ill spent, unless they can be able so to anato∣mize Nature, as to give the Causes of Things, which ei∣ther never did exist but in Appearance; or if they do,

are far more profitably under∣stood by their Effects than Principles: And these two ex∣treams are the Preternatural Vices of Appetite; the one be∣ing the Stupidity and Defect, and the other the Green Sick∣ness or Boulivia of the De∣sire.

They therefore whom Age, Learning, and Experience, have licentiated to be Physi∣cians of the Mind, have ta∣ken some Latitude in prescri∣bing Diets according to the various Constitutions of rea∣sonable Men; allowing those whom a Natural Disposition inclines to the light Food of Contemplation, such Studies

as may nourish their Curiosi∣ty with the Airy Idea's of Philosophy and Speculative Mathematicks, and the ni∣cer Learning of the Schools; judging that the most proper Nourishment for Sedentary Humours and Volatile Fan∣cies, who covet no more, but to know for themselves, and to be guided by others: But to Men of a more Robust and Sociable Habit of Mind; who are desirous both to know and to do good to themselves, and by their quality and conditi∣on fitted for a station in the World, when Providence plea∣ses to call them to it, they have alwayes diverted more

Active and Ʋseful Learning; such as Practical Mathema∣ticks and History, the one for improving the Works and Inventions, and the other, the Conduct and Actions of Men in Society: judging Idleness the Lethargy of the Mind, no wayes to be fed, but to be cured by Discipline and Animadversion.

Now, Though Mathema∣ticks, which tend to Opera∣tion, be of very great use in an Industrious and Flourish∣ing State or Age; both for the glory and profit of a People; yet seeing they require a pe∣culiar Talent of Mind to suc∣ceed in that Study, they can∣not,

nor ought not, be recom∣mended to Universal Practice beyond that Mediocrity which renders Gentlemen fit, as in that, so in other parts of Arts and Sciences, to converse with Rational Company (it being impossible for one Man to be Master of all Humane Knowledges) leaving the more laborious prosecution thereof to those whose Genius or Vocation invites them to that Assiduity.

But of History it may be said, that

Omne tulit punctum, nam miscuit utile dulci.

It is so genuine and famili∣ar to Men of all Estates, Age, Quality, Sex, and Conditi∣on, so agreeable to the Incli∣nation, and suitable to the Humour of All: so delight∣ful in the perusing, and profi∣table in the retention; afford∣ing Content to the Aged, Plea∣sure to the Young, and Expe∣rience to both: Comfort to the Disconsolate, Refreshment to the Weary, and Ease to dis∣composed Minds; solacing the tedious hours of Pensive Watchings; or otherwise charm∣ing anxious thoughts, into a sweet and gentle repose; being never out of season

whilst Men have life, and the World a being; that a∣mongst the many Elogies it hath received from the Learn∣ed Pieces of Ancient and Mo∣dern Writers; it may be just∣ly accounted rather the Re∣creation than the Application of a Studious Man.

It is indeed that Telescope by which we see into distant Ages, and take up the acti∣ons of our Fore-fathers with as much evidence as the News of the last Gazette; it is the Mirror that represents the various Transactions of Times past, and shews us the Dress of Antiquity; according to which we may rectifie or ad∣just

our present Fashions; it is the Products of gentle and easie Institutions and Laws, which ought to oblige us as much if not more strictly to a conformity, than the Precep∣tive Sanctions of Princes; see∣ing the Authority of the one does but inculcate our Duty, and the other gives us innu∣merable Instances of the seve∣veral rewards of Vertue, and Punishments of Vice: It is, in a word, the last Will and Te∣stament of our deceased Pro∣genitors; which though it does not expresly leave every one of us a particular Legacy, yet it shews us how we may he possessed of their Inheri∣tance;

and according as we follow their example, live in Reputation or Ignominy.

In so much that the ruder Ages of the World, who were unacquainted with Letters, and consequently ignorant of refined Sciences, thought Hi∣story, next to their Religion, the only useful and proper Stu∣dy of Mankind; And judging the forming of the Manners and regulating the Actions of Man to be the chief Duty and Care of Societies, they thought Documents, Precepts, and Laws too weak a Means to work so great effect, without they were confirmed and and strengthened by the Ex∣amples

of their Predecessor, to which prone Nature, even amongst the most Barbarous, does willingly render an im∣plicite Veneration: And there∣fore seeing their Libraries were their Memories, and Words their Charactures, so Songs and rude Rimes were the only Books, whereby their Bards and Druids instructed their Children in the Histories of former Ages, making the Famous Actions of their An∣cestours, so much the more the Pattern of their Conduct and Manners, as it was the Sub∣ject of their innocent Melo∣dy and Mirth: And this Custom is at this day in pra∣ctice

amongst the incultivate Heathens of Affrica and A∣merica.

But when the kind Heavens was pleased to gratifie the In∣dustry of Man with the Inven∣tion of Letters; no Subject seemed to the Ancients, so wor∣thy of the Prerogative of being transmitted to Posterity, as that of History; And indeed, the most Ancient that can be found of their Writings is of that kind: Whether it was that they knew no immortality, but that of Fame, or found no bet∣ter way to provide with securi∣ty for their off-spring, in whom they were to live to Posterity, than by handing down to them

the Methods and honest Courses by which some attained to Ho∣nour, Wealth, and Command, whilst others by the contrary wayes, lived and died in Ob∣scurity, Poverty and Con∣tempt.

And the desire of perpetu∣ating the Memory, is such a glimmering glance of the Pri∣mitive, but offuscated Light of Nature, that some think it a convincing Argument to prove the immortality of the Soul; it being a vain thing for any, but especially a reasonable Be∣ing, to desire that, to which it hath no natural capacity: And the rather that the greater and more elevated Souls of all A∣ges

have aspired as much to the perpetuating of their Fame, as they have to the pur∣chasing of the same; Witness in Ancient times the great A∣lexander, who envied no man but Achilles, for the happiness he had in having Homer for his Historiographer: And since him Julius Caesar, who notwithstanding he was tired out with the Fatigues of a con∣tinued and difficult War, yet as he thought no man able to do what he had done, so he judged none worthy to perpe∣tuate his Memory, and to Write as he Fought, but him∣self.

But what Satisfaction soe∣ver

dying men may have in the Prospect of a lasting Name, it is certain the living reap great benefit from the Regi∣ster of their Actions; for would a Prince have Measures to go∣vern, a Subject how to obey, a Statesman how to give Coun∣sel, a Judge and Magistrate, how to execute Justice, a Hus∣band and Father how to com∣mand and cherish, a Wife and Child, how to Love Honour and Obey, and all Conditions of Men, how to perform mu∣tual good Offices in every kind of Society, History, and especially the truest and most Ancient of All, the Holy Scripture, is that Repository

from whence they may draw the truest Maximes for all Duties, exemplified with the good or bad Successes of those who have ••••••••ed or transgres∣sed the same 〈…〉〈…〉 thus much in short of History in gene∣ral.

But as all Histories are not of the same Nature, so neither are they of the same usefulness and Advantage: Not to men∣tion the Ancient Poets, which are good in their way; some are fictitious Romances, which besides the Satisfaction they give the Authors In∣venting Head, are of very little, if of any Use, unless it be to teach young Gallants to

strut it in the phrase of He∣ro's, and Ladies to repartie like a Play Book: And the Moralities, which we are told, are couched therein, are too frequently applied in Serenades, Love-Letters, and Assignations.

Others are Real Histories, or at least intended to be such; and are either Ancient or Modern, Universal, or Par∣ticular; of Kingdoms, or of Private Families, Foreign or Domestick: and are all very profitable, according to the several Qualities and Ca∣pacities of the Readers; which is a point that needs no particular Discussion in this place.

In the writing of Histo∣ries, some Authors affect an exactness of recounting Mat∣ters with the minutest Cir∣cumstances that attend them, and of omitting nothing that can have any place in the Book; which unless it be some conspicuous and famous Transactions, looks liker the Depositions of a Wit∣ness in a Trial, or the Bre∣viate of a Lawyer at the Bar, than the Annals or Chroni∣cles of a Nation; for it is enough for Posterity to know the memorable Actions of a great King, or the At∣chievements in a famous Battel; with such circum∣stances

as render them most considerable in themselves, and significant to the Reader; though they be not told what kind of Beard the King wore on his Wedding-day, or to whom the Ground belonged, where the Battel was fought.

Many likewise puzzle both themselves and their Readers, with a too nice inquiry into the first Original of Nations, and especially by what new flight of Colonies or trans∣migration of People, Islands and Countreys, discontinued from the Continent, became first inhabited; and in this Search, so soon as they trans∣gress the bounds of Authen∣tick

Records and Monu∣ments of Antiquity, the rest is no more History, but the conjectures and probabili∣ties of the Authors. It is true, that since we are taught by our Religion, That all Mankind descended from A∣dam, and consequently as they increased in number, by new Generations, so they succes∣sively inlarged their Habita∣tions into remoter Regions, until the Habitable World was possest; it would be very curious for Men to know from what branch of the Stock they are descended, and not with the Ancients, who un∣derstood nothing of the Cre∣ation,

believe those People, whose Original was unknown, to be Indigenae, that is, start∣ed out of the Countrey they inhabited; but that be∣ing impossible to be attained to, since the Memory of Man cannot, and Letters were not invented, to preserve the Knowledge of the various Changes and Mutations of Elder Times; we should sa∣tisfie our selves (knowing that we are Men) with what we find in received Record con∣cerning the Beginnings, Pro∣gress, and Changes of King∣doms and States, without troubling our selves with our Ancient Relations, who were

not one drop of Blood in kin to William the Conqueror.

The Design therefore of this little Manual of Histo∣ry, is not to amuse the Rea∣ders with the strange Ro∣mances of the First Peopling of this Island, nor to give a List of the Kings who reign∣ed here, probably enough, e∣ven before Aeneas, or his Son Ascanius; nor yet to burden their Memory with all the les∣ser Occurrences, that are fully and at large related in many ample Volumes of this kind; but only to serve as a Remembrancer to those who have already studied the Hi∣story of England; that in a

short View they may refresh and rub up their Memories, as to smaller Circumstances, by the general Heads and more remarkable Passages, which they shall here find faithfully digested in a suc∣cinct Method, both as to time and place; and for o∣thers, whose humour or lei∣sure will not permit them to turn over larger Volumes, this small Pocket Book, if carefully and often perused, may acquaint them with as much as is necessary perhaps, for them to know of the State of this Kingdom, in relati∣on to times past, for satisfying their own curiosity, and ren∣dering

them able to enter∣tain others, who want the same advantages of Know∣ledge.

This Compend then pre∣sents the Reader with what has been most remarkable in the several Changes of Go∣vernment that have happen∣ed in this Kingdom since the first Invading of the Island by Julius Caesar; tra∣cing down the Succession and Lives of the several Emperours, from that time till it was forsaken (because it could not be kept) by the Romans: With the several Races of the British, Saxon, Danish, and Norman Kings,

till the present year of his Majesty Charles the Second, whom God long preserve. It gives likewise an Account of all the Archbishops of Can∣terbury, since it was erected into a Metropolitant See: Of all the Mayors and She∣riffs of London since their First Creation, till this pre∣sent year: It contains likewise a List of the Members of this present Parliament as∣sembled in March last 1678/9, with the Names of the Lords and others of His Majesties present Privy Council, the Commissioners of the Trea∣sury and Navy: And in a word, enough to let us see,

how by the blessing of God, the prudence of Governors, and the unanimity and loy∣alty of the People, this King∣dom, though sometimes over∣clouded by home-bred Dis∣sentions, yet has continued for many Ages to be the En∣vy and Terror of its Neigh∣bours; abounding in all the Worldly Enjoyments that were fit to be expected from a bountiful God, or to be desi∣red by a vertuous People. To conclude, We may expect still the continuance of the same Blessings, unless our sins and wantonness, bring upon us the same or worse Judge∣ments

than our Fore∣fathers ever felt; and in∣stead of a delightful and fruitful Soil, turn our Land into a Barren Wilderness; and give us cause to say with the Poet,

Infelix colium & steriles dominantur avenae. T. N.