WILLIAM, Duke of Normandy, base sonne of Robert Duke of Normandy, being a warlike & politick prince, of neere kinred, & great credit with Edward Confessor king of England (whom he perceiued more giuē to vertue thē to pollicy, & through weaknes of body, & course of yeares, vnlikely to liue long) began to contriue in his mynd, the attaining of the crowne of this land after the deceasse of the old king. For accōplish­ing whereof, he placed diuerse Normans in the greatest roomes about him whilest he liued, and when he was dead, leuied an army of sundry nati­ons, and therewith pretending the patronage of England against Harolde the sonne of Godwin, that vsurped the kingdome, first fought with him & slue him, at the place now called Batell in Sus­sex, the xiiij. of October, in the yeare 1066. tooke the crowne vpon him by election of the Estates. Then seeking to stop titles, he imprisoned Eadgar Etheling, the only true heire of the Saxons bloud, & by meanes of Ethelbert Archbishop of Hamborow for money, procured Suene king of Denmarke to surcease the clame of the Danes. Hauing thus established his affairs died at S. Geruis neare Roane the 9. of Sept. an. 1087. when he had raigned xx. yeares, x. moneths, and xxvj. dayes, and was buried at Cane, in the abbey of S. Ste­phen, which he founded.

WILLIAM Rufus third sonne to the Conqueror, borne in Normandy long before his father obtayned the realme, hearing of his death made hast into England (least by his elder bro­ther Robert he should be preuented) was by his large gifts, which he bestowed out of his fathers treasurie, hauing obtayned the keyes thereof, re­ceiued of the Nobility, accepted of the inferior sort, to be their king, but chiefly by the perswa­sion of the archbishop Lanfranke, vnder whom he was brought vp, and was by him crowned at VVestminster the xxvij. day of October, anno 1087. He was brought vp with great care of his parents, obeying his father in all his actions, wherefore his father at his death appointed him to succeede in the kingdome. He vanquished the VVelshmen, ouercame the Scots, and sub­dued his two vncles, and others of his Nobility that rebelled against him in the behalfe of his el­der brother, Robert Duke of Normandy. He was slaine with an arrowe as he was hunting in the new forest in Hamshire, by a knight of his, called Sir Walter Tirel, the first day of August an. 1100 when he had raigned xiij. yeares, lacking xxij. dayes, and was buried at Winchester.

HENRIE Beauclarke, fourth sonne to the Conqueror, was chosen king after the buriall of his brother, by meanes of his old familiar friend, Henrie Earle of Warwicke, although there was some controuersie amongst the Nobilitie about the same, yet the rather they consented thereto, because he was by birth both an Englishman, & sonne to a King and Queene, for he was borne in England the third yeare of his fathers raigne. He was crowned at Westminster the fift day of Au­gust by Maurice Bishop of London, in the ab­sence of the Archbishop Anselme. In the seuēth yeare of his raigne he tooke his eldest brother Robert Duke of Normandy prisoner, and so he kept him till he dyed. After which time he called himselfe King of England, & Duke of Norman­dy. He left behind him but one onely daughter lawfully begotten, Maud the Empresse, then maried to Geffrey Plantaginet Earle of Angio, mother to King Henry the secōd. He died at S. Denis in the forest of Lions in Normandie, the first day of December, anno 1135. when he had raigned xxxv. yeares and foure moneths, & was buried in the Abbey of Reding, which he had founded.

STEPHEN borne in France, and brought vp in England vnder his vncle king Henry the first, Erle of Mortain, & in right of Maud his wife Erle of Bolein, third sonne of Stephen Erle of Cham­paine and Blais, and Alice his wife, daughter to William Conqueror king of England, began his raigne ouer this realme the ij. day of December, anno 1135. and was crowned at Westminster the xxvj. day of the same month by the hands of Wil­liam Corbuell archbishop of Canterbury. This king came to the crowne by vsurpation, and per­iurie both of himself & most part of the Bishops and Nobilitie (both he and they being before that sworne to maintaine the right of Maud the Empresse and her issue) for the which God iustly sent this plague of dissention & rebellion amōgst them, which neuer could be appeased during his raigne. He was valiant and hardie, for in a battell at Lincolne, where all his Nobility were fled or taken, he valiantly stood in the forward continu­ally fighting, bestowing such stroks as those whō he hit, were either rewarded with death, or neuer prospered after. He died in Kent the 25. of Octo­ber, 1154. hauing raigned 18. yeares, 9. moneths, and 23. daies, & was buried at Feuersham. After whose death there was interregnum 54. dayes.

HENRIE surnamed Fitz Emprice, borne in Mayne, sonne of Geffrey Plantaginet Earle of Angio & Maud the Empres daughter and heire to Henrie the first, king of England, being of the age of xx. yeres, began his raign ouer this realme the xix. of December, 1154. and was crowned the same day at Westminster. This king in right of his father vnited the Earledome of Angio to the crowne of England: & the Dukedome of Aqui­taine, with the Earldom of Poitiers in right of A­lianore his wife, & by cōquest subdued the Duchy of Britaine, & the kingdome of Ireland therunto. So that he was the only Monarch and chiefe go­uernor frō the Iles of Orcades beyond Scotland, vnto the vttermost bonds of the mountaines Pe­rines, which deuide France & Spaine. He was the first that ordained the Iustice of Ayer, & for the ease of the people he deuided this land into sixe circuits, appointing to euery one 3. Iudges, well learned in the lawes of this land. He ended his dayes at Chinon in France the vj. day of Iuly, ann. 1189. when he had raigned 34. yeares, 7. months, lacking ten daies, and was buried at Fount Eue­rard. After whose death there was interregnum for the space of lviij. dayes.

RICHARD Erle of Poitiers, born at Oxford, second sonne of king Henry the ij. being xxxv. yeares old began his raign ouer this realm the 3. of Septemb. 1189. & was crowned at Westmin­ster the same day, by Baldwin Archbishop of Cā ­terbury. He taking his iourney toward the holy lād, was misused by the way of the Cipriās, wher­at he being offended, set vpon them, subdued thē, & in xv. dayes conquered the whole Iland, tooke the Emperour therof, & kept him in fetters of sil­uer. Frō thence he took his iourney to the siege of Acon, where he most valiantly behaued himself, so that his only name was a terror to the Turkes. After this, by reason of rebellion of his brother Iohn, & inuasion of his territories beyōd the seas by the king of France, was forced to return home and was taken by the way & imprisoned by Leo­poldus Duke of Austria, whose enuie was great against him, because in his youth he had slain the Dukes brother with a chesse boord in the Court of France, as they played together. This king be­sieging the Castle of Chalut, was striken with a venimed quarell, whereof he died the 6. of April, 1199. hauing raigned 9. yeares, 7. moneths, and three dayes, and lyeth at Fount Euerard. After whose death there was interregnum 21. dayes.

IOHN Lord of Ireland, Erle of Mortain & Gloucester, brother to the late king Richard 1. & youngest sonne of king Henry the ij. being of the age of xxxij. yeares, began his raigne ouer this realme the xxvij. of Aprill, 1199. and was crowned at Westminster the same day. This king was the first that did write himself Lord of Ireland: which continued in his successors, vntill king Henry the 8. the 21. of Ianuary, in the 33. yere of his raign wrote himself king of Ireland. This king tooke, imprisoned, & put to death his nephew Arthur Duke of Britaine, sonne & heire to Geffrey Duke of Britain, third sonne to king Henry the ij. right heire to the crowne: & kept Alianore his sister in prison, because she should neither marrie nor haue issue: wherefore Philip the French king cited him sundrie times to ap­peare before him which he refused to do: & was therefore adiudged by his Peeres of France to forfait all his lands which he held of the crowne of France. He died in the Castle of Newarke the 19. of October, anno 1216. when he had raig­ned 17. yeares, 5. moneths, and 23. dayes, and lyeth at Worcester. After whose death there was interregnum for the space of 8. dayes.

HENRY the third, sonne & heire to king Iohn, being 9. yeares old beganne his raigne ouer this realme the 28. day of Octob. 1216. & was crow­ned the same day at Gloucester by the hands of Peter bishop of Winchester. This king brought into this land & preferred to great dignities his halfe brethren by the mother, sons of Hugh de Brun Erle of March, whereby they grew so inso­lent & proud that they disdained all the English Nobilitie, which was the first occasion & begin­ning of the great rebelliō called the Barons wars, wherein many thousand English men lost their liues, beside the disinheriting of some of the chiefest of the Nobility for euer. This king in the 44. yeare of his raign passed ouer sea into Frāce, & concluded a league, wherin it was agreed that the king of England should surcease the claime of all his lands in France, except only Aquitain, whereupon he and his successors vntill the xiiij. yeare of Edward the third, wrote thēselues kings of England, Lords of Ireland, and Dukes of A­quitaine. He died the xvj. of Nouember, anno, 1272. when he had raigned 56. yeares, and 20. dayes, and was buried at Westminster. After whose death there was interregnum for 3. daies.

EDWARD the first, King of England, sonne of king Henry the third, at his fathers de­cease warred against the Infidels in the holy lād, and began his raigne the xx. day of Nouember anno 1272. was crowned at Westminster by Ro­bert Kilwardby Archbishop of Canterburie, the xviij. day of September in the second yeare of his raigne. By his first marriage he encreased his inheritance in France, with the Earledome of Ponthiou. By his conquest he enlarged his kingdome at home with the principalitie of Wales, which he bestowed vpō his eldest sonne, and began the custome of the kings of England to create their eldest sonnes princes of Wales. He reformed the extortion of his officers, and chiefly of them which had the administration of Iustice. He established lawes for the preserua­tion of his owne estate, especially that of Mort­mane against donations to religious houses: that of Quia emptores terrarum, against alienatiō with­out licence, & that of Quo warranto against vsur­pation of royall iurisdictions & liberties. He died at Burgh vpon the Sands, the vij. day of Iuly, anno 1307. when he had raigned xxxiiij. yeares, vij. moneths, & xviij. dayes, & lieth at Westminster.

EDWARD the second, borne at Carnar­uon in Northwales, sonne to King Edward the first, began his raigne ouer this realme the 8. day of Iuly, in the yeare of our Lord 1307. and was crowned at Westminster by the Bishoppe of Winchester, deputy for Robert Archbishop of Canterburie then absent in exile, the xxiiij. of February next ensuing. He was much giuen to follow the aduise and counsell of light persons, which caused the Nobility to rebell against him, but at the first he ouercame them, and tooke Thomas Earle of Lancaster their chiefe Cap­taine, and sate in iudgement himselfe on him at Pontfret, where the same Earle had sentence gi­uen against him, to be drawne for his treason, for his murther, spoile, burning and robberies, to be hanged, and for his shamefull flying away, to be beheaded: but because he was of the kings linage, he was onely beheaded. At the last such of the Barons as before escaped, and chiefly the Morti­mers with helpe of the Queene and the young Prince, then new come out of France, tooke the King, and imprisoned him, when he had raigned xix. yeares, sixe monethes, and seuen­teene dayes.

EDWARD the third, sonne to Edward ij. began his raigne ouer this realme the xxv. day of Ianuary, ann. 1327. his father yet liuing & in pri­son, & was crowned at Westminster on the i. of February following This king created his eldest sonne Edward Duke of Cornwall (which was the first Duke that was created in England since the Conquest) & ordeined that the kings eldest sons euer after should be Dukes of Cornewall. He largely augmented the wages of the Iudges of both benches, & barons of th'exchequer, and al­lowed thē three robes euery yeare, because they should not take fees or rewards of any but onely of the king, so that they should be the better able to minister iustice to euery man without affecti­on, & punished the offenders herein most seuer­ly. For he caused Sir Williā Thorp knight chiefe Iustice of the kings bench, to be arrained for ta­king of money (contrary to his oth) of certaine persons cōuict before him at Lincoln, for felony, to deferre their execution, & being foūd guilty, had sentence to be hanged, & to forfeit his lands & goods to the king. He died at Shene, the 21. of Iune, 1377. hauing raigned 50. yeares and fiue moneths, lacking 4. daies, & lieth at Westminst.

RICHARD the second king of England, borne at Bordeaux, sonne to Edward the blacke Prince, being xi. yeares old, began his raigne the xxij. day of Iune, anno 1377. & was crowned at Westminster the xvj. day of Iuly next ensuing, by the hands of Simon Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury. This king was comely of perso­nage, and in bountifulnesse and liberalitie farre passed all his progenitors, much more giuen to rest then to marshall affaires, folowing the fanta­sie of flatterers and yong heads, neglecting the Nobilitie, which was cause of rebellion in the be­ginning of his raigne, of great strife among the Nobilitie in the midst, & the ouerthrow & vtter destruction of himselfe in the latter end. He was the first that created any to the dignity of a Mar­quis in this realme of England. He also created Margaret daughter and heire to Thomas of Brotherton Earle of Norfolke and Marshall of England, Duches of Norfolke. He was at the last forsaken of his friends, taken & put in prison by Henry Bolinbroke, sonne and heire to Iohn of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, who succeeded him. He raigned 22. yeares, three moneth, & 9. daies, and was buried at Langeley.

HENRY the fourth, borne at Bollingbroke in Lincolnshire, Duke of Hereford, son and heire to Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster, being ba­nished by king Richard the ij. after the death of his father, entred England in Holdernes, first made claime onely to the Duchie of Lancaster, being his fathers inheritance, after hauing aug­mented his power, by false and sinister surmises claimed the crowne of England, set vpon the king, tooke and imprisoned him, where he most miserably ended his life: began his raigne ouer this Realme the xxx. day of September, an. 1399. and was crowned at Westminster the xiij. day of October following by the hands of Thomas A­rundell Archbishop of Canterbury. This king in the beginning of his raigne was much trou­bled with ciuill wars, and also with inuasion both of the Frenchmen & Scots, but yet at the length he (through Gods helpe) obtained the victory o­uer all his enemies, and liued in great quietnesse with loue of his subiects all the 1 est of his raigne. He died at Westminster the xx. of March, anno 1413. when he had raigned xiij. yeares, and sixe moneths lacking x. daies. And was honourablie buried at Canterbury.

HENRY the fift, borne at Monemouth, in the Marches of Wales, sonne of king Henry the fourth, began his raigne ouer this realme the xxj. day of March, in the yeare of our Lord 1413. and was crowned at Westminster the ix. day of Aprill following by the hands of Thomas Arun­dell Archbishop of Canterbury. On the which day there was a terrible tempest of snow, to the great admiration of all those that were present. He was tall of bodie, and very strong, giuen al­together together to marshall affaires, and a mortall ene­mie to idlenesse, as it plainly appeareth by his great conquests. In the beginning of his raigne he was troubled with domesticall rebellion, in the midst with warres in France, but in the lat­ter end, concluding a perpetuall league with Charles the French king, maried his daughter, was made heire and regent of France, and so in all his stiles was written vntill his dying day. He ended his life at Boys Vincent by Paris the first day of September, betweene two & three of the clocke in the morning, in the yeare of our Lord 1422. when he had raigned nine yeares, fiue mo­neths, and eleuen daies, and was buried at West­minster.

HENRIE the sixt, borne at Windesore, sonne of king Henry the fift, being of the age of viij. moneths, began his raigne ouer this realme the i. day of September, in the yeare of our Lord 1422. and was crowned first at Westmin­ster the vi. of Nouember 1429. by the hands of Henry Chicheley Archbishop of Canterburie, and afterward the vij. day of September, anno 1431. at Paris by the hands of Henry Beauford Cardinall of Winchester. This king was the first that erected any to the dignitie of a Vicount in this land, or that created any Barron by charter or pattent: for before his daies all Barrons were either made in the field, or called to that state by Parliament writ. He was farre more fitter for the Church, then for cheualrie, for prayer, then for prowesse, a man most vnfortunate in all his worldly attempts, he lost not only all that his fa­ther won in France, but also his owne kingdome here at home, for he was at the last in the xxxix. yeare of his raigne driuen out of his kingdome, and after that, taken and put in prison, where he most miserably ended his life. Hee raigned xxxviij. yeares, sixe moneths, and soure dayes, and was buried first at Chertesey, and after re­moued to Windsore.

EDWARD Earle of March, borne at Roane in Normandie, sonne and heire to Richard Duke of Yorke, sonne to Richard Earle of Cambridge, sonne to Edmund of Langley Duke of Yorke, fourth sonne to Edward the iij. king of England, begā his raigne ouer this realme (by the name of king Edward the fourth, the fourth day of March anno 1461. & was crowned at Westminster the xxix. day of Iune next following by the hands of Thomas Bourghchier Archbishop of Canter­burie. This king was much troubled with ciuill warres, insomuch that he was in the midst of his raigne forced with his chiefest friends to auoide the realme for a time, his aduersary king Henry being restored to the crowne againe, but that continued not long. He was also troubled with warres against the Scots. But hauing brought all things both at home & abroad to quietnesse, he began to waxe idle and couetous, which was not only cause of much grudge amongst the people, but also of shortening of his daies. He ended his life at Westminster the 9. day of Aprill, in the yeare of our Lord 1483. when he had raigned xxij. yeares, one moneth, and v. daies, and was honorably buried at Windsore.

EDWARD the fift, borne in the sanctua­ry at Westminster, sonne of king Edward the fourth, began his raigne ouer this realme the tenth day of Aprill, in the yeare of our Lord 1483. being of the age of thirteene yeares, but by the cunning dealing of Richard Duke of Gloucester his vnnaturall vncle, was neuer crowned, although there was great preparatiō made for the same: for his vncle at the first taking vpon him to be protector and gouernor both of the child and the realme, after that defaming him, and all his other brethren and sisters to be bastards, imprisoned and executed most part of his friends, and procured the younger bro­ther, Richard Duke of Yorke and Norfolk to be fetched out of the sanctuarie at Westminster, and put them both in the towre of London, from whence they neuer departed, but were there most lamentably murdered, by the pro­curement of their cruell vncle. This king was deposed when he had raigned two moneths, and eleuen dayes, and was obscurely buried in the Towre of London.

RICHARD Duke of Gloucester, youngest brother to king Edward the fourth, began his v­surped raigne ouer this realme by the name of k. Richard the third, the xxij. day of Iune, an. 1483. and was crowned at Westminster the vj. day of Iuly next ensuing. He not contented with the deposing of his nephews from their right, nor thinking himselfe surely setled in the kingdome, till he had berest them of their liues, caused the great seale of England to be fetched from Iohn Russell bishop o. Lincolne, Lord Chauncellour, being at London, & brought vnto him, being on his progresse then in Warwickshire, wherewith he secretly sealed such commissions as serued to the murder of the two sweet babes. And thē sent the seale backe againe to the Chauncellor, after it had bin viij. dayes in his custody. He most im­pudently defamed his owne mother with adul­tery, & likewise king Edwards children to be ba­stards, the easier thereby to come to his purpose. But all this would not serue, for Henry Earle of Richmondentred the realme, and in a battell by Bosworth slue him the 22. of August, 1485. whē he had raigned most tyrannically two yeares, and two months, and was buried at Leicester.

HENRIE Earle of Richmond, borne in Penbroke castle in Wales, sonne of Edmund of Hadham Earle of Richmond, sonne of Owen ap Meredeth, and Queene Katherine the French kings daughter, late wife to king Henry the fift, being of the age of xxx. yeares, began his raigne ouer this realme, by the name of king Henry the vij. the xxij. day of August, anno 1485. and was crowned at Westminster the xxx. day of Octo­ber next ensuing, by the hands of Thomas Bour­ghchier Archbishop of Canterbury. This king was wise, valiant, & hardy, for as the fame went, he slue king Richard the iij. with his owne hands. He vsed oftentimes to sit in proper person in courts of Iustice, sometimes in one court, some­times in another, which caused true and perfect iustice to take place. He bestowed his offices not of fauour nor affection, but on such as were most apt and fit persons for the same. He gathe­red much riches by executing of penall lawes. He ended his life at his new manour of Rich mond the xxi. day of Aprill at night, in the yeare of our Lord 1509. when he had raigned xxiij. yeares, viij. moneths, and lieth buried in his new chappell at VVestminster.

HENRIE borne at Grenewich, second sonne to king Henry the vij. being of the age of xvij. yeares & vpward, began his raigne ouer this realme by the name of king Henry viij. the xxij. day of Aprill, 1509. and was crowned at VVest­minster the xxiiij. day of Iune next ensuing, by the hands of VVilliam Warham archbishop of Canterbury. By his first wife the Lady Katherine daughter to Ferdinand kind of Spaine, he had a daughter named Mary, that was afterwarde queene of England. By the Lady Anne Rochford Marquionesse of Penbroke, daughter to Thomas Bolein Earle of VViltshire and Ormond, his se­cond wife, he had Lady Elizabeth now Queene of England. And by the Lady Iane, daughter to Sir Iohn Seint Maure knight, his third wife, he had a sonne named Edward, that succeeded his father in the kingdome of England. This king e­rected the court of Augmentation of the reue­nues of the crowne, & the court of VVards, and ordeined that the chiefe officer thereof should be called the maister of the VVards for euer. He ended his life at VVestminster the xxvij. of Ia­nuarie, anno 1547. when he had raigned xxxvij. yeares, 9. moneths, and 5. dayes, and lieth buried at VVindsore.

EDWARD the sixt, borne at Hampton Court, sonne & heire to king Henry the viij. be­ing of the age of ix. years, began his raigne ouer this realme the xxviij. of Ianuary, 1547. and was crowned at Westminster the xx. of Februarie next following, by the hands of Thomas Cran­mer Archbishop of Canterburie. This king in his tender age so profited in all kind of vertue & good learning, that he attained to the perfect knowledge of the Greeke, Latine, and French tongs. In wisdom & good pollicie he farre extel­led all others of his years, much like to haue pro­ued another Salomon, if death had not preuēted his dayes. He was much delighted in reading the sacred Scripturs, & other good authors, the bet­ter thereby to be able, in true iustice, to gouerne his people committed to his charge. Yet for all this, his tender age gaue occasion to some of his stubborne & stifnecked people to rebell. And the pride of some women was cause of great dissen­tion amongst his Nobility, which not long after was a shortening of some of their daies. He en­ded his life at Grenewich the v. day of Iuly, anno 1553. in the xvi. yeare of his age, when he had raigned vj. yeares, v. moneths, and 8. dayes, and was buried at Westminster.