ment the seigniory laid upon him, and therefore restrained two years of his liberty, to the end he might repent him of his fault, and after the expiration of two years again dismissed him upon the like commandment. And to be plain with your excellency: The man would follow no good advice, but was wilful, turbulent, and of ill government, by which means much ill is come unto him. That word, ill advised, might have been well interpreted, for that he would not deny himself to be that which undoubtedly he was. It was not my fortune to be present at this act, being elsewhere employed out of those parts: but at my return it was related to me, by a learned person that was there present; which afterward the same prince himself did ratify unto me, assuring me that the answer of that Sabio Grand did verily induce him to believe, that that prisoner was Don Sebastian, the very true King of Portugal: For if the seignory had held this man to be a Calabrian, said this prince, to what purpose did the Sabio hold me with such a long discourse publickly, considering he knew the privity of the affairs? If he had been proved a Calabrian, it had been sufficient to have said in a word, Sir, he was a Calabrían, an impostor, and a cousener, without any more ado. But you see how the world fares, and how it sways abruptly, and so ends my pitiful narration; advising, interesting, and conjuring you (gentle reader) to shun the snares and trips of these subtle enemies: For I can assure you, by the testimony of a good conscience, that they be those that St. Chrysostome terms the Pha risees, Qui portabant mel in ore, & fel in corde: They will flap you in the mouth with honey, which, when you begin to chew, perhaps you shall taste sweet, but, in the digestion, you shall find it most bitter in operation. Farewell.

THE

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

THE FIRST BOOK.

DECLARING THE

STATE OF THE ISLE OF BRITAIN

UNDER THE

ROMAN EMPIRE.

London, printed by Valentine Simmes, for John Barnes, dwelling in Fleetstreet, at the sign of the Great Turk, 1602. Quarto, containing one-hundred sixteen Pages.

THE PREFACE,

I HAVE oftentimes wished, that (amongst so many large volumes, and abridgements of our English Chronicles, as are now extant) we

might have one continued history collected out of approved writers, and digested in such a manner, as the reader might neither be tired with the length of fabulous and extravagant discourses, nor left unsatisfied in any material points, or circumstances, worth his knowledge. And, although truth in her nakedness and simplicity ought, for her own sake, to be desired and preferred above all other things, yet, we see, that the nature of man, affecting, for the most part, rather pleasure than profit, doth more willingly embrace such things as delight the sense, than such as confirm the judgment; though, to satisfy both the one and the other, is accounted, in matters of this kind, the mark at which the best writers have aimed, as being the very type of Perfection itself: In which respect, I am persuaded, that such a work would be the better accepted, if the writer thereof should observe that method which hath been used in former times, by the best historiographers amongst the Greeks and Romans, who, to shew their own wits, and to refresh their readers, devised set speeches and orations, to interlace, with their true histories, as things both allowable and commendable, so far forth as they were grounded upon probable conjectures, fitting the speakers, and void of absurdity. Which course hath been held also in our own stories, by some of our countrymen, in writing upon particular subjects, which they have chosen as most agreeable to their own humours, and ministering best matter of discourse. Amongst all which, of this kind that excellent story of Richard the Third, written by Sir Thomas Moore, if my judgment fail me not, may worthily challenge the first place.

To write much in commendation of histories were, I suppose, but to spend time, as the sophister did in praising of Hercules, whom no man, in his right wits, ever dispraised: and the proems of historical books are already filled with discourses of the profitable use that may be made of them, considering, that examples, as the most familiar and pleasing kind of learning, are found, by common experience, to be much more available to the reforming of manners, than bare rules and precepts. If then the knowledge of historics in general be so commodious and commendable a thing, as learned men, in all ages, have esteemed it, I make no doubt, but it will be easily confessed, that there is no history so fit for Englishmen, as the very history of England; in which, if the affection I bear to my native country deceive me not, there are many things, besides the necessary use thereof, very well worthy to be remembered and observed: Howsoever, our chronicles have been a long time condemned for barbarous, as wanting that purity of language, wherewith the histories of many other nations are adorned: and, indeed, I could wish, that they were so set forth, as our gentlemen of England might take no less pleasure in reading the same, than they do now in reading the English translations of the Roman, French, and Italian histories, which, though they may be delightful, and, in some kinds, profitable, yet, is not the knowledge of them altogether so pertinent, and proper to us, as of the other, except we would desire to seem citizens of another country, and strangers in our own.

And although to some, perhaps, it may seem a labour unnecessary, to begin with such ancient things as were done here by the Romans,

especially, considering the difference of time itself, which, in every age, bringeth forth divers effects, and the dispositions of men, that, for the most part, take less pleasure therein, than in the relation of the occurrents of their own, or later times; yet I think it fit, for order's sake, there to begin, whence we have the first certain direction to proceed: And I doubt not, but some good use also may be made, even of those ancient things, howsoever they may be accounted impertinent to us, either by imitation, or by way of comparison.

As for the story of Brute, from his first arrival here, until the coming of the Romans, divers writers hold it suspected, reputing it, for good causes, rather a poetical fiction, than a true history, as, namely, Joannes de Whethamsted, Abbot of St. Albans, a man of great judgment, who lived about the year of Christ 1449; and Gulielmus Nubrigensis, with others, as well modern as ancient, who have, in like manner, delivered their censures thereof. Besides, Venerable Bede makes no mention of it at all, but begins his history with the Romans entrance into the island. Howbeit, seeing it hath been for so long time generally received, I will not presume, knowing the power of prescription in matters of less continuance, absolutely to contradict it; though, for my own opinion, I suppose it to be a matter of more antiquity, than verity. I write not this to detract from those, that have heretofore written thereof, in their books of our English Chronicles, continued to these times, as, namely, Stowe, Hollinshead, Grafton, and others, that have employed themselves, and their travel, in searching out antiquities, and memorable things, touching the affairs of this realm. That which they have done already deserveth thanks and good acceptance, in that, of a good meaning, they have done their endeavours. But, as in the building of an house, divers workmen are to be used for divers purposes, namely, some to provide timber and rough-hew it, others to carve and polish it; so I think it meet, that some man of knowledge and judgment, requisite for the accomplishing of such a work, should advisedly peruse our English chronicles, the substance and matter, though laid up in divers publick and private storehouses, being already provided, and thereof to frame an history, in such a manner, as the reader might reap both pleasure and profit thereby. Howbeit, I see small likelihood that any thing will be done herein, while such, as are best able to perform it, are content to look on, straining courtesy who should begin; some refusing the labour, in respect either of the labour itself, or of the small recompence that followeth it; considering, withal, the carelesness and thanklesness of this age, wherein the best works, contrived with many years travel, are, for the most part, either scarcely vouchsafed the reading, or else read with a full stomach and a kind of loathing.

Others there are, that prefer silence as the safest way, in that it is free from censure and danger, which a man may easily incur by writing; whereas, for doing nothing, no man is either blamed, or constrained to render an account. For there are many that think they cannot shewtheir wits so well in any thing, as in finding faults with other men's doings, themselves, in the mean time, doing nothing. And, though sometimes there may be just causes of reproof, yet, many times, we

see that exceptions are taken, either upon dislike of the writer, or envy of the thing itself deserving commendation; or, as it falleth out many times, upon ignorance, the professed enemy of art and industry, which causeth some to condemn what they understand not: For the learned and industirous sort of men, as they are best able to judge what is done well or ill, so they are most sparing in reproving other men's labours, or making bad constructions of good meanings. To the censure of these men, as of indifferent judges, I do freely submit myself, not doubting, but such as have travelled heretofore in matters of this kind, being also experienced in others, will confess it a work of no less trouble, to alter and repair an old decayed house with the same timber, than to erect a new one at the builder's pleasure.

Again there are some that will not stick to call in question the truth of all histories, affirming them to be vain and fabulous; both, for that they are, for the most part, grounded upon conjectures, and other men's reports, which are more likely to be false than true, and also, for that the writers themselves, as well as the reporters, might be partially affected: whereto I answer, that many things are left to the writer's discretion, and that it is impossible for any man, though never so great a lover of truth, to relate truly all particular matters of circumstance, but that he may fail in many things, and yet carefully observe the principal points; which we are so far forth to allow, as we find them not unlikely nor improbable: otherwise, in detracting from the credit of ancient histories, either upon uncertain surmises, or by rejecting probable conjectures, we should deprive the world of a very great portion of human learning.

For my own part, although I might be discouraged in respect both of these inconveniences, which haply wiser men foresee and avoid, and also in regard of myself (being, amongst many others, the most insufficient to perform the task, as a man wanting both judgment and health of body, to go thorough with so weighty and laborious a work) yet have I undertaken to make a proof, as you see, in setting down the state of this isle, under the Romans government, according to the report of Cæsar, Tacitus, Dio, Cassius, and other approved writers of our own, out of whom I have collected so much, as I thought necessary to be remembered touching this subject, and digested the same into the form of an history; and namely, out of the English translation of Tacitus, upon the life of Julius Agricola, I have taken, and appropriated to the context of this treatise, not only the substance, but the orations themselves of Galgacus and Agricola, with other things there mentioned, as a choice piece of marble already polished by an exquisite workman, and fit for a much fairer building than I was likely to rear upon this old and imperfect foundation. The phrase thereof only in some few places I have, I hope, without offence, altered, fashioning it to our own tongue, as taking myself not necessarily tied to so precise an observation in the exposition of words, as is required in a translator. And I thought it better to set these things down in this manner, and to acknowledge whence I had them, than, by marring them, to make them seem my own: For I have ever esteemed it a sign of an illiberal nature, either to detract, in any sort, from another man's labour, or

to affect the praise of another man's merit. Touching the affairs of the empire, although I have interposed them, here and there, throughout this book, yet have I touched them sparingly, taking only so much, and no more, than might well serve to explain the matter in hand.

It may be, some fault will be found, that, in the stile, I have not kept one and the same course from the beginning to the end, but that I have staid too long on some points, and passed over others too briefly; that many things are handled confusedly and abruptly, without due observation of circumstances required in a well composed history. Indeed, I must confess, that, herein, the success hath not answered my expectation in the beginning. Howbeit, if I may be my own judge, I ought to be excused by such as shall consider, first, the subject itself, which is, for the most part, more proper for annals, than for a continued history: Next, the variety of authors, like, so many divers soils, out of which these fruits are collected; then, the imperfect relations of former times, wherein the affairs of this isle, for many years together, were either passed over in silence by writers, or else but darkly and imperfectly reported; and, lastly, the often change of emperors and governors here, during the space of above four-hundred years. By reason of which inconveniences, I was forced, in divers places of this book, especially towards the latter end, to set down a bare collection of the actions themselves, without circumstances; wherein, if the method seem differing from the former, let the cause thereof be imputed, partly to my love of truth, in delivering things, as I received them from others, and partly to my desire to contain the work within some reasonable proportion; which, otherwise, in dilating the acts of every particular governor, would have grown to a far greater volume, and myself, thereby, should have run into that error, which I dislike, and wish to be reformed.

Others, perhaps, will alledge, that I have done some wrong to antiquity in disguising it with modern terms and phrases, affirming those of ancient time to be more proper for our story, as being more free from the mixture of other languages, than the dialect now current among us. But herein, as I dislike affection of foreign and new coined words, when we have good and sufficient store of our own, so, considering that our language, of itself, is none of the fruitfullest, I see no reason, that it should be debarred from communicating with the Latin and French words, which are now in a manner become denizens among us, to the inriching and polishing of our English tongue: And, altho' I esteem antiquity (as the preserver of things worthy to be remembered, for the benefit of posterity) yet I must confess, that I ain not so stiffly bent to maintain it, as some kind of men, that had rather dwell in old smoky houses, for that their ancestors built them, than to alter the fashion of them, for conveniency and decency. Touching the ancient names of the inhabitants of this isle, I have set them down, as congruent to those times, whereof I write, according to the ancient Roman historiographers. In other matters of antiquity, I have, for the most part, followed Master Camden, whose learning and judgment therein I do especially reverence. What pains he hath already taken, and with what good success, in the chorographical part,