Gods Three Arrows, Section 95
§. 95. Of the troubles of England from the Conqueſt to Queene Elizabeths time.
1. WIlliam, Duke of Normandie, ſurnamed The Conquerour, 1066. Oct. 14got the crowne with much bloud, having ſlaine Harold the King immediately before him, two of his brothers, and 67974 Engliſh men. He changed many of the lawes and cuſtomes of England. He defaced many Churches, and depopulated ſundry townes to make a forreſt for beaſts: where two of his owne ſonnes were ſtrangely ſlaine. The Danes to recover the Crowne, in his dayes invaded the land, burnt Yorke, and ſlew 3000 men. The Scots likewiſe about the ſame time made great ſpoile in England: and ſpared nor ſex nor age. Much trouble was in the land all his time. Being in France, and there ſetting a towne on fire, he rode ſo neare the fire, as his horſe with the heat therof gave ſuch a leap, as it brake the rimme of his belly, whereof he died, in the 21. yeare of his raigne, and 64 of his age. Being dead, he was denied buriall till much mediation was made, and a great compoſition paid.
2. William Ruſus ſon to the Conquerour, having an elder 1087. Sep. 9.brother then living, came not without difficulty to the crowne. He had much warre, both with his elder brother Robert, and alſo with his younger brother Henry. In his time were many warres with the Scots, and Welch, much Engliſh bloud ſpilt, and himſelfe caſually ſlaine by one of his ſubjects with an arrow ſhot at a ſtag, in the 13. yeare of his raigne, and 43 of his age. His corps were caried towards Winchester in a colliers cart.
3. Henry 1. youngeſt ſonne of William the Conquerour, 1100. Aug. 1.put Robert his elder brother by the crowne: whence aroſe many broiles. He getting the maſtery over his brother, impriſoned him, and cruelly put out his eyes. He had much warre with the Welch. All his children, but Mawde his daughter, with 160 perſons were drowned together. He died of a ſurfeit in the 36. yeare of his raigne, and 65. of his age.
4. Stephen with perjury uſurped the kingdome, from the 1135. Dec. 2.fore-ſaid Mawde. Beſides ſome warres abroad, he had continuall civill jarres at home: by reaſon whereof he was taken priſoner, and forced in the end to leave the heire of his oppoſite to be his ſucceſſour. He died of an Iliacke paſſion, mixed with the Emeroids, in the 19. yeare of his raigne. His body after it was interred, was taken out of the lead, and caſt into a river.
5. Henry 2. ſonne of the foreſaid Mawd, thorow his incontinency 1154. Oct. 25.with Roſamond, ſet his owne wife and children againſt him, which cauſed perpetuall unquietneſſe in his kingdome. In one battell at Edmondbury 20000 were taken and ſlaine. He adopted his ſonne (who laboured to diſthrone him) in the government: and having much embroiled the kingdome, he grew ſo diſcontented, as he curſt his children, and the day of his birth, and in much perplexity ended his daies in the 35. yeare of his raigne, and 61. of his age. Being dead, his people fell to ſpoile all he had, and left himnaked.
6. Richard 1. ſonne to Henry 2. having in his fathers life 1189. Iul. 6.vowed a journy to the Holy Land, had his kingdome in his abſence uſurped by Iohn his younger brother. Much trouble thence aroſe in England. On notice thereof, Richard haſted home: but in the way he was taken priſoner by the Duke of Auſtria. Whence though he were after 17 moneths impriſonment with a great ranſome releaſed, and reſtored to the Crowne, yet both he and his hingdome were in continuall trouble. As he was beſieging a caſtle, which would have yeelded unto him, if onelyonly their lives might be ſaved (but he would not accept it on any condition) he was ſhot with a poiſoned arrow, and thereof died, in the 10. yeare of his raigne, and 45. of his age, and was buried at his fathers feet; whom he confeſſed he had betrayed.
7. Iohn younger brother to the foreſaid Richard, notwithſtanding 1199. Apr. 6.Arthur ſonne to his elder brother, and true heire to the Crowne, by might got the Kingdome. But himſelfe and his ſubjects, either with others, or among themſelves were in continuall broiles, and had many unſucceſſefull warres with French, Scots, and Welch. He was oppoſed by his Lords, depoſed by the Pope, poyſoned by a Monke, in the 18. yeare of his raigne, and 51. of his age.
8. Henry 3. eldeſt ſon of the foreſaid Iohn, began his 1216. Oct. 19.raigne when he was not full 10 yeares old, and the State very troubleſome. The miſeries of his raigne were almoſt infinite, by Invaſions, Rebellions, Exactions, and the ſundry calamities that follow ſuch diſaſters. Lewis the French King entred the land, many of the Barons tooke part with him. On both ſides very many were ſlaine. The King himſelfe by his Barons, with his brother Richard King of Almain, and his ſonne Prince Edward, taken priſoners. There were then ſlaine 4500. He died in the 57. yeare of his raigne, and 67. of his age.
9. Edward 1. was enbroiled in war againſt the Sarazens when his father died. There he received three wounds 1272. Nov. 16,with a poiſoned knife by a treacherous Aſſaſine: but by the daily licking of his ranckling wounds with the tongue of lady Elenor his wife, he is ſaid to be cured. With much glory he returned home, and was victorious againſt the Scots and Welch. Yet thoſe victories were not atchieved without the expence of much Engliſh bloud. He died as he was going with a mighty hoſt againſt the Scots, in the 35. yeare of his raigne, and 68. of his age.
10. Edward 2. (ſon to Edward 1.) was one of the moſt miſerable Kings that have raigned in England. The 1307. Iul. 7.Northerne parts were over-run and harried by the Scots. In the battell which was called the white battell, 3000 Yorkſhire men were ſlaine by the Scots. Rob. Bruſe King of Scots invading England, burned all the country before him. He had much civill warre with his Barons: and much bloud was ſhed on both ſides. He was at length himſelfe impriſoned and depoſed, in the 20. yeare of his raigne, and 42. of his age: and about 8 moneths after cruelly broached to death withan hot iron ſpit.
11. Edward 3. ſon of Edward 2. came to the Crowne in 1326. Ian. 25.his fathers life-time, by his fathers forced reſignation thereof. His raigne was indeed glorious by forraigne victories, but the Kingdome was much exhauſted of men and mony, thorow ſundry expeditions into Scotland, France, and Spaine, which occaſioned great complaints of his Subjects. In his time Southampton was burnt by Pirates, and Carlile, with other places by the Scots, to the loſſe and vexation of many Subjects. At the time of his death all of all ſorts forſooke him. OnelyOnly one Prieſt is ſaid to be with him, when he gave up the ghoſt, in the 51. yeare of his raigne, and 65. of his age.
12. Richard 2. grand-child of Edward 3. came young to 1377. Iun. 21.the Crowne: and by ill counſell and ill courſes occaſioned many Invaſions, Oppreſſions, Inſurrections, Rebellions, and laſt, the depoſition of himſelfe, and untimely death. Wherupon enſued that fatall diviſion betwixt the two houſes of Yorke and Lancaſter, in purſuit of which quarrell were 13. maine battells fought: three aHenry 6. Edward 5. Richard 3.Kings beſides himſelfe, bHen. 6. his ſon. Edw 5 his brother.two Princes, heires apparent, 12 Dukes, one Marqueſſe, 18 Earles, one Viſcount, 23 Barons, beſides Knights, and Gentlemen innumerable, were ſlaine. Richard 2. was depoſed in the 23. yeare of his raigne, and murdered about five moneths after in the 34. of his age.
13. Henry 4. as he got the Crowne by violence, ſo he held it by force, not without continuall feare, having all his 1399. Sept. 29.raigne either warres abroad, or conſpiracies and inſurrections at home, which coſt the lives of many Nobles and Commons. He died in the 14. yeare of his raigne, and 46 of his age.
14. Henry 5. ſonne to Henry 4. ſpent moſt of the time of 1412. Mar. 20.his raigne in warres in France. Very victorious he was therein: but haſtened his death thereby, and in the 10. yeare of his raigne, and 34. of his age: leaving his crowne to an infant. What followed thereupon is now to be ſhewed.
15. Henry 6. ſonne of Henry 5. was crowned in the firſt 1422. Aug. 31.yeare of his age with the Crownes of two Kingdomes, but that of France which his father wonne, was ſoone loſt: and this of England was twice pluckt from his head in his life time. Many bloudy battels were fought in England betwixt the two great factions of Yorke and Lancaſter: wherein many thouſand ſubjects periſhed. This King at length was taken and impriſoned, the Queene his wife exiled, his ſonne and heire kild, his Counſellours ſlaine, the Crowne conferred on his corrivall, in the 39. yeare of his raigne, and he himſelfe murdered in the 50. of his age.
16. Edward 4. being of the houſe of Yorke, obtained the Crowne with much bloud, there being in one battell ſlaine 1460. Mar. 4.36776 Engliſh men. There were civill warres almoſt all his raigne. He was taken and impriſoned, whence eſcaping, he was forced to fly the land: but returning with much hazard to his perſon, and death of many ſubjects, recovered the Crowne, but ſo as his children had little joy thereof. On a ſudden after a ſort he died, in the 23. yeare of his raigne, and 41. of his age.
17. Edward 5. Sonne of Edward 4. was for the ſpace of two moneths and 16 dayes accounted King, but never 1483. Apr. 9.crowned. For, he was murthered in the Tower, in the firſt yeare of his raigne, and 12. of his age.
18. Richard 3. brother to Edward 4. a bloudy tyrant, uſurped the Crowne, cauſed his Nephew (then King) together 1483. Iun. 22.with his brother, to be murthered, many of his Nobles and others to be put to death, ſo as all his raigne, death, and ſlaughter never ceaſed till himſelfe was ſlaine, and brought like an hog all bare, on an horſes backe to his grave, in the 3. yeare of his raigne, and about the 40. of his age.
19. Henry 7 the next living heire of the houſe of Lancaſter, having vanquiſhed Richard 3. obtained the Crowne, 2485. Aug. 22.maried Elizabeth the heire of the houſe of Yorke, and therby united thoſe two diſtracted houſes. Yet was not his raigne without troubles. The Crowne being gotten with hazard and much bloud, he was maligned by the Dutches of Burgundy, who ſet up firſt a Lambert, then a Perkin Warbeck, to diſquiet him. Warres he had in France. Inſurrections there were in the North, Rebellions in Cornwall, beſides many grievances which his Subjects complained of. He died in the 24. yeare of his raigne, and 52. of his age.
20. Henry 8. ſonne of Henry 7. by a juſt title came to a 1509. Apr. 22.ſetled throne. He that will read Sir Walter Raleighs preface to his hiſtory, ſhall ſee enough (if not too much) of the tronbles of this Kings times. He ended his reigne, and life in the 38. yeare of his raigne, and 56. of his age.
21. Edward 6. ſonne of Henry 8. in his childhood came 1546. Ian. 28.to the crowne: yet in his daies the brightneſſe of the Goſpell ſhined forth: but ſo as there wanted not clouds of troubles: The Kingdome being engaged in warre with France and Scotland: the country troubled with inſurrections in Norfolke and Devonſhire: and the Court and Counſell diſtracted into faction: whereby the Kings two uncles, the Lord Protector, and Lord Admirall came to violent deaths: which haſtened, or hindred not, the Kings: and that in the 7. yeare of his raigne, and 17. of his age.
22. Mary eldeſt daughter to Henry 8. came with much 1553. Iul. 6.difficulty to the Crowne. Another Queene was firſt proclaimed at London. But that ſtorme laſted not long: for, 9 dayes after at London alſo was Mary proclaimed Queene. As for the continuance of her raigne, ſome may remember, moſt have heard, and all may read how dangerous and dolefull thoſe ſmoaky daies were. Many hundreds were burnt then for the Goſpell ſake; many more were forced to fly their country, and exile themſelves: Callis, that for very many yeares before had appertained to the Engliſh, was loſt: which loſſe is thought to make ſo dead a wound in her heart as it could never be healed. In the laſt period of Queene Maries daies, many impriſoned and adjudged to the fire for the cauſe aforeſaid, were releaſed by her departure out of this world, in the 6. yeare of her raigne, and 43. of her age.
Though God were pleaſed to cauſe the light of his Goſpell to appeare in King Edwards daies, yet for a ſurer ſetling of it, he ſuffers it to be ſealed by the bloud of many worthy Martyrs in Queene Maries daies. Since which time to the immortall glory of God, and the eternall ſalvation of many thouſand ſoules, it hath beene continued among us 63. yeares. So (Lord) let it continue till the comming of thy Sonne unto judgement.
By this briefe narration of the troubles of former times, let any indifferent Reader judge, if God have not reſerved us to the beſt times that ever England had: both in regard of the Goſpell of peace, ſo long enjoyed: and alſo in regard of the peace of the land ſo long continued. The benefit wherof followeth next to be declared.