The Exact Recorder, Title page – To the reader
HISTORIARCHOS, OR The Exact Recorder: Being The most faithfull Remembrancer, of the most Remarkable transactions of Estate, and of all the English Lawes, and the just Motives of them; for the Proprieties, Rights, and Liberties of the English Subjects. As most elabourately they are Collected for the benefit of them, out of the Antiquities of the Saxon and Danish Kings, unto the Coronation of WILLIAM the Conqueror; and continued unto the present Government Of RICHARD now Lord Protector.
By WILLIAM PRYNNE Esquire, and Bencher of Lincolne Inne.
LONDON, Printed for Francis Coles, dwelling at the Signe of the halfe-Bowle in the Old Baily, 1659.
To the Ingenuous Unprejudiced READER.
I Here present thee with The Third part of a seasonable, Legal, and Historical Vindication of the good old Fundamental Liberties, Franchises, Rights, Properties, Laws, Government of all English Freemen; with A Chronological Collection of their Strenuous Defences by Wars, and otherwise; of all the Great Parliamentary Councils, Synods, chief Laws, Charters, and other Proceedings, in them; the great fatal Publick Revolutions, Invasions, Wars, National Sinnes, occasioning them; and the exemplary Judgements of God upon Tyrants, Oppressors, Perjured persons, Rebells, Traytors, Regicides, Usurpers, under our Saxon and Danish Kings, since the year of Christ 600. till the Coronation of King William the Norman, anno 1066. with some Short Observations of mine own here and there subjoined, for the Readers benefit, and instruction. A work neither unseasonable for, nor unsutable, unserviceable to our present times, worthy the serious perusal of all who profess themselvs trons of the Publique Fundamental, Rights, Liber-Paties, Laws, Properties, Government of the English Nation: or studious of our old Parliamentary Councils Acts, Laws, Charters Proceedings or of our English History. From which intelligent wise Christian Readers, by observing the Providences, Iudgements, Proceedings of God towards our ancestors, and others, for their national, personal crying bloody sins in former ages, may probably conjecture what Tragical Judgements, Events, our whole Nation in general, many transcendent Delinquents in particular, have now just cause to fear and expect, for their exorbitant iniquities, (equalling or exceeding any in those former ages) unless their speedy, real, sincere repentance, reformation, and Gods infinite mercy, ward them off.
True it is, that the infallible certainty of future contingent judgements, and events, national or personal, are[a]Isay. 41.22, 23, 26. Acts 1.7. Deut. 29.29. Dan. 2.18, 19, 22. known only to God himself, [b]Dan. 2.21, c. 4.32, 35. Psal. 7….6.7. Psal. 135.6. I…r. 1.10. Is. 40.23, 24.who changeth the times, seasons, removeth Kings, and setteth up Kings; pulleth down one and setteth up another: roots up, pulls down, destroyes, builds, plants Nations, Kingdomes, Cities, Families, Persons, at his pleasure; doing whatsoever pleaseth him, both in heaven, earth, the Sea, all deep places, and amongst all the Inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hands, nor say unto him, What dost thou? Yet notwithstanding wise intelligent Christians by a serious t…utination, and comparing of the Iudgements of God, expresly threatned against, and usually inflicted upon Nations or Persons, for such and such transgressions, in precedent generations; [c]Prov. 22.3. c. 27.12. Isay. 26.20, 21. Amos 3.6, 7. Rev. 18.4. See the the life Dr. Iames Usher p. 39, 86. to 92.166.may probably conjecture & predict, what severe exemplary punishments our late present transcendent wickednesses, & outragious crimes, are like to draw down upon our impenitent, secure perjured sinfull Nation, and the hairy scalps of all those Grand Offenders, who go on still in their exorbitant trespasses, though they deem themselves [d]Isay. 14.10. to 15. Obad. 3.4. Ier. 49, 16.advanced above the reach of any Powers or Tribunalls which may pull them down, and execute justice on them, answerable to their bloody crimes, and violences, there [e]Eccles. 5.8. Deut. 32.35, Psal 94.8… 9.being an higher than the highest, who is both able and resolved, to execute vengeance on them in his due season, as well as on all Notorious grand Offenders in former ages, though never so many, if their repentance prevent it not.
It was Davids profession to God (though a victorious King, General, and Man of War) [f]Psal. 119, 120…My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgements. O that this were the present temper of our secure Nation, and all the sinners, warriours, and Grandees in it, in this fearless stupid age; wherein though (g)Mich. 7, 3…we commit wickedness with both hands, [h]Isay. 3, 8, 9.our tongues & doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory: and we all proclaim our sins like Sodome, and hide them not, [i]Psai. 10.5, 11.13.yet Gods judgements are far above out of our sight, and we all say in our hearts (like those secure Atheists mentioned in the Psalmist) we shall never be moved, we shall never be in adversity: God hath forgotten, he hideth his face, he will never see nor require it: Yea, notwithstanding all Gods threats, curses against, his late severe punishments of our National, personal sins: [k]Deut. 29.19, 20.We blesse our selves, and say in our hearts, we shall have peace, though we walk in the imaginations of own hearts, to add drunkennesse to thirst: quite forgetting what follows thereupon, The Lord will not spare such men, but the anger of the Lord, and his jealously shall smoke against them, and all the curses that are written in his book shall lie upon them, & the Lord shall blot out their names from under heaven.
Let therefore the contemplation of the National, Personal judgements of God upon our Ancestors here recorded, for those crimes of wch we are now as deeply guilty as they were then, awaken us from our present Lethargy, lest we be [l]Prov. 2….1. c. 24.21, 22.sodainly destroyed, and that without remedy; and teach us all this Gospel l…sson, Rom. 11.20, 21. Be not high minded but fear: for if God spared not the naturall branches (heretofore, or of late) take heed lest he also spare not thee.
*Mat Paris Hist. Angl. p. 968.Rumor de Veteri faciet futura timeri.
The fourth Section of the third chapter (which begins this third part) should have been printed with the Second part, as a branch thereof, above two years since, but that the Stationer then kept it back for fear it should swell that Part overbigg for his present Sale; whereby the bulk of this Third Part, is now augmented beyond its first intended proportion; which all Readers may do well to binde up with the two former parts, to which it hath special relation, more particularly to the ten Propositions in the First Part, to which the Proposition figures in the margin refer.
The most of that large tract (of 450. years space) I have here Chronologically run through, was spent either in bloody intestine wars between our Saxon Kings themselves, or the Welsh Britons, warring upon and against each other: or else in defensive Wars both by Land and Sea, against the invading, bloody, plundering Danes, Norwegians, Scots, Normans, and other Foreign Nations. During which M…litary seasons Religion, Devotion, Piety, Law, Iustice, Parliamentary Councills, Synods, and just Government, are usually cast aside, and quite trampled under foot; yet it is very observable (for the perpetual honour of our Kingdom… and Kings) that… as during the reign of our antient B…itish Kings, (before the Saxon race here seated, our Kingdome of Brittain produced [m]See part 2. p. 21.24. Antiqu. Eccles. Brit. Spelmanni Concilia, Fox, Speed… Holinshed in their lives, usserius, De Ecclesrit. Primordiis, c. 3, 5. Godwins Conve…sion of Britain,Lucius the first Christian King, Helena the first Christian Queen, and Constantine the great, her son, the first Christian Emperour in the world, who publickly imbraced, professed, countenanced, propagated the faith and Gospel of Iesus Christ, and abolished Pagan Idolatry in their Dominions: And of later times as our English Realm brought forth [n]Fox Acts and M…num…nts, Hall, Hayward, Spe…d, Holinshed, and others in their lives. Rastal, Rome, Crown, Monasteries, Fi…st-fruits, Mass, S…rvice, and Sacramen…s.King Henry the 8th, the first Christian King in the world, who by Acts of Parliament, abolished the Popes usurped power and jurisdiction out of his Dominions; King Edward the sixth his son, the first Christian King, and Queen Elizabeth the first Christian Queen we read of in the world; who totally abolished, suppressed Popery, banished it their kingdoms, and established the publike Profession of the Protestant Religion, by publike Statutes made in their Parliaments: So during the reigns of our Saxon Kings, after they turned Christians, this Realm of England procreated [o]Capgrave in his Chronic. Sir Henry Sp…lman in his Epistle Dedicato…y before his Councils.more devout, holy, pious, just and righteous Kings, eminent for their piety, justice, excellent Ecclesiastical and Civil Laws, transcendent bounty to the Church, Clergy, and Martyrdom for the defence of Religion, and their Country against Pagan Invaders, than any one Kingdom throughout the World. There being [p]See Mat, …estm. Capgraves Chronicle, Sir Henry Sp…lman his Epistle to his Councils.no less then 15 or 16 of our Saxon Kings, and 13 Queens within 200 years space, who out of piety, devotion, and contempt of the world (according to the piety of that age, out of date in this) voluntarily renounced their earthly Crowns, and Kingdom…, and became professed Monks, Nuns, to obtain an incorruptible Crown and Kingdom in Heaven; & 12 Kings crowned with Martyrdom, being slain by Pagan invaders, 10 of them being canonized for transcendent Saints, and enrolled for such in all Martyrologies, Liturgies of the Church; which I doubt few of our new Republican Saints will be: Yea the piety of our Kings in that age was generally so surpassing, Ut mirum tunc fuerat Regem non Sanctum videre, as [q]Preface to his Chroicle.John Capgrave informs us. Whence Wernerus (a forein Chronologer) in his Fasciculus temporum, records; Plures se invenisse sanctos Reges in Anglia, quam in alia mundi Provincia quan…umcunque populosa. And [r]De Vita & Miraculis Edwardi Confessoris, col. 369, 371.Abbot Ailred long before him, gives this memorable testimony of the Sanctity, Martyrdom, Iustice and study of the peoples publike we al before the private, shining forth in our Saxon Kings, more than in any other kings throughout the world. Verum prae cunctis civitatibus Regnisve terrarum, de sanctitate Regum suorum Anglia gloriatur: quorum alii coronati martyrio, de terreno ad caeleste Regnum migraverunt: alii exilium patriae praeferentes, mori pro Christo peregre deligerunt; nonnulli posito diademate, disciplicinis se monasticis subdederunt: quidam in justitia et sanctitate regnantes, prodesse subditis quam praeesse maluerunt (whose footsteps, with the pretending self-denying antimonarchical domine…ring Saints over us would now imitate) inter quos istud Sydus eximium, gloriosus Rex Edwardus, emicuit, quem cernimus & in divitiis egenum, & in deliciis sobrium, in purpura humilem, & sub corona aurea seculi contemptorem: So as the Prophesies of Psal. 72, 2, 6. Isay. 42, 4, 10, 12. c. 49.1, 23. c. 51, 5. c. 60, 9, 10, 11. c. 66.19. seem to be principally intended and verified of our Kings & Isle above al…others in the world. No wonder then that these ages of theirs afford us (notwithstanding all the wars, tumults, combustions therein) sundry memorable Presidents of great Parliamentary Councils, Synods, Civil and Ecclesiastical excelleut Laws aud Canons made in, & royal Charters confirmed by them, with divers memorable Mouuments both of our Parliamentary Councils, Kings, Princes, Nobles, Peoples constant care, diligence, prudence, fortitude, in defending, preserving, vindicating, and perpetuating to posterity the good old Laws, Liberties, Franchises, Rights, Customs, Government, publike justice and Propriety of the Nation; to suppress, abolish all ill Law, tyrannical, unjust Proceedings, Oppressions, Exactions, Imposts, Grievances, Taxes, repugnant thereunto; & to advance Religion, Piety, Learning, the free course of Iustice, and the peoples welfare. Which I have here in a Chronological method (for the most part) faithfully collected out of our antientest best Historians and Antiquaries of all sorts; where they ly confused, scattered, and many of them being almost quite buried in oblivion, and so far forgotten, that they were never so much as once remembred, or in…isted on, either in our late Parliaments aud Great Courts of Iustice, in any late publike Arguments or Debates, touching the violation or preservation of the fundamental Laws, Liberties, Properties, Rights, Franchises of the Nation, now almost quite forgotten, and trampled under foot, after all our late contests for their defence.
I have throughout these Collections strictly confined my self to the very words and expressions of those Historians I cite, coupling their relations together where they accord in one, citing them severally where they vary, and could not aptly be conjoyned, transcribing their most pertinent passages in the language they penned them (omitted by our vulgar English Chronologers) and annexing some brief observations to them for Explanation or Information, where there is occasion.
The whole undertaking I here humbly submit to the favourable acceptation and censure of every judicious Reader; who if upon his perusal thereof, shall esteem it worthy of such an Encomium, as (s)His…o… Anglicana. scriptores, … 1757.William Thorne (a Monk of Canterbury) hath by way of Prologue praefixed to his own Chronicle; Valens labor & laude dignus, per quem ignota noscuntur, occulta ad noticiam patescunt; praeterita in lucem, praesentia in experientiam, & futura temporibus non omittantur; & quia labilis est humana memoria, necesse constat scriptis inseri memoranda, ne humanae fragilitatis contingens oblivio, fieret posteris inopinata confusio. It will somewhat incourage me to proceed from these remote, obscure times, to ages next ensuing, in the like, or some other Chronological method, But if any out of disaffection to the work, or diversity from me in opinion, shall deem these Collections useless or superfluous, I hope they will give me leave to make the selfsame Apology for my self and them, as our most judidious Historian De Gestis R…g. Angl. l. 5. p. 173, 174.William of Malmesbury long since made for himself and his Historical collections. Et quidem erunt multi fortassis in diversis Regionibus Angl…ae, qui quaedam aliter ac ego dixi, se dicant audisse vel legisse. Veruntamen si recto aguntur judicio, non ideo me censorio expungent stilo. Ego enim veram Legem secutus Historiae, nihil unquam posui, nisi quod à sidelibus relatoribus, vel scriptoribus addidici. Porro, quoquo modo haec se habeant, privatim ipse mihi sub ope Christi gratulor, quod continuam Anglorum Historiam ordinaveram, vel solus, vel primus. (at least wise in this kind) Si quis igitur post me scribendi de talibus munus attentaverit, mihi debeat collectionis gratiam, sibi habeat electionis materiam. Quod superest, munus meum dignanter suscipite, ut gaudeam grato …ognitoris arbitrio, qui non erravi eligendi judicio.
Thus craving the Benefit of thy Prayers for Gods Bles…sing on these my publications, for the common liberty, weale and Benefit of the Nation, I commend both them and thee to Gods tuition and benediction.
WILLIAM PRYNNE. Lincolns Inne December 6. 1656.