Book VIII, Chapter 44

BEFORE we toucht (& little els) what Courses hapt at home,
But now, in few, at forren Acts of Natiue Kings we rome:
Of Brittish and of English Kings, more famous than the rest,
This sparing Catalogue ensewes: whose deedes we thus digest.

* Ae[…]eas Off-spring famous Brute did set from Greekish thrall
Sixe thousand Phrygian Knights; by him did Guyan[…] Guffer fall:
He conquering this Ile, his Name vnto his Conquest gaue:
And of his Cornish Cambries men couragious yet we haue.
* Torkes Builder Ebranke that subdu'de the […]imbrians and the Gawles,
And built the best of Scottish Townes, next in our Nomber falls.
*When Brennus and Belynus had Eight spacious Kingdomes wonne,
Had slaine two Consulls, sacked Rome, and matchles Armes had done,
And built ten Cities, best that be in Italie this day,
Those Kinglie Brothers, as must all, their debt to Nature pay.
* G[…]rg[…]nus slew the Dactan King: wonne Tribute: and the same
Gaue Spanish Exiles Ireland, whence our Scottish Nation came.
* C[…]ssi[…]lane did twice beate backe from Brittish Seas and Shore
The worthie Coesar, that but then was victor euermore:
And thirdly had preuailed but for Luds reuolted Sonne,
When as braue Nennius hand to hand of Caesar honor wonne.
* Guydar and Aruiragus wonne of Claudius Caesar spoyle:
The former in a second Field did s[…]out Vaspasian foyle.
*When as the wandring Scots and Pichts King Mar[…]us had subdude,
He gaue the Liuers dwellings, lesse than where they since intru'de.
* Constanti[…]s, wedding Coyls heyre, was Monarke of the West,
Who, with this Ilands Scepter, of Romes Empire was possest.
*Great Constantine, that worthely a Worthie might be said,
The Brittish Romaine Emperour, throughout the world obayd,
He made his Siege Bizantium, that retaines his name ere since,
And made (but so vnwitting marde) the Priest of Rome a Prince.
* Maximian as Emperiall and as valerous as any,
With Brittish armour did subdue both Kings and Kingdomes many.
*What speake we of great Arthur, of his Chiualrie or Court?
Precelling all, sole President of vertue prow's and port,
A King of many Kings, his Knights in all Exploits were seene,
He was in deede a Worthie, and the Worthiest of the Neene.
*Fiue Crownes King Malgo prized. *And in Battells fiftie fiue
Against the Mis[…]reants valiantly did King Alured thriue:
Apollo (whose Seede should conquer vs) he hence did brauely beate:
That, mauger Fraunce, in Normandie his Scythian Troopes did seate[…]
*He that re-monarchiz'd our Ile King Athelstone did slay
Sixe Kings, twelue Dukes, and countlesse tale of Heathen in one day:
The one of Nyne, his Knight Sir Guy, we touch but by the way:
Omitting other Kings and Knights, too long in few to say,
Of Brittish race a many, and of Saxon Princes some,
Whose blood by Normaine Mixture now is tripartite become:
O[…] (For, perhaps, from such Consort the Brutes casseerd will be)
Three blended blouds of Nations three hath giuen vs Natures three,
The Saxon prowesse, Danish pompes, and Normaine Pollicee:
And of the Romanes and the Pic[…]ts we are no portion small:
Foure of which Nations Scythia bred, we thriuing in them all.

*KIng William, Englands Conquerour, from Rollo sixt, with pray
Of twice fiue hundred Townes in Fraunce vn-[…]o-met sayld away.
* Henry the second, vpon whom the Scotch-King tendant was,
(Which Scots their often ouerthrowes we henceforth ouerpasse,
Who to our Kings, Lords Parramounts, not warres but vprores bring)
Spoylde Frauncè, wonne Ireland, and deceast of Iuda chosen King.
*Next Lyon-harted Richard he wonne Cypris, Siria, and
Ierusalem, debelling quite the Sowldan from his Land:
He skalde the strong Aegyptian Oste, and king'd his Sisters sonne,
And plagued Fraunce and Austrich for the wrongs they had him don.
*First Edward made the Turks, Sauoies, the French, & Flemings trēble.
*The third so nam'd to them and moe did Mars himselfe resemble:
Whose Knights, in 2. Richards dayes, so tickeld France, and Spaine,
And parts Lugdinian, that no King but Richard seem'd to raine:
Ten thousand were his housholde: Scotch digests we here disdayne.
*The fourth and *fifth of Henries were as actious as the rest:
Especially the latter was the formost with the best.
*Not yeat Fourth Edwards honor from his Ancestors digrest.
On these doo vulgar Eares and Eyes so brimlie waite and gaze,
As they distaske our priuate Penne notorious Laudes to blaze.
Our Catalogue omitteth some for Artes and Iustice good,
Some natur'de well, aduised ill, some worthie Laethe flood:
Not one fore-cited but deserues at least an Homers Muse,
Although with Agamemnons Vaile Apelles shift I vse:
But colours to that Painter, Art vnto that Poet none
So good, to paint and prayse at ful our following Crowns, saue one,
Since Tuders Seede, Henry the Seauenth, ariued Englands Throne.

NOr superstitiously I speake, but H. the letter still
Might be obserued ominous to Englands good or ill.
First, Hercules, Hesione, and Hellen were the cause
Of warre to Troy, Aeneas Seede becomming so Out lawes.
Humbar the Hu[…]n with forren Armes did first the Brutes inuaide.
Hellen to Romes Emperiall Throne the Brittish Crowne conuaide.
Hengest and Horsus first did plant the Saxons in this Ile.
Hungar and Hubba first brought Danes that swayed heere long while
At Harold had the Saxon ende: at Hardiknought, the Dane.
Henries the first and second did restore the English Raine.
Fourth Henrie first to Lancaster did Englands Crowne obtaine.
Henry litigious Lancaster and Yorke vnites in peace.
Henrie the Eight did happelie Romes Irreligion cease:
The Father of our Mother Nurse, our common Ioyes increase.
Which double H. and H. H. heere our homely Poemes Lee,
He saue that salueth all our sinnes: And, God, voutsafe thou me
A prosperous Course in sayling through the Ocean deepe and large
Of her now-Highnes Scepter, for I heere assume that Charge.