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Dedication and Prologue

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.i.m capitulum

ii capitulum


iii capitulum





.i.m capitulum


ii capitulum
iii capitulum
iiii capitulum
v capitulum
vi capitulum
vii capitulum
viii capitulum
ix capitulum
x capitulum
xi capitulum
xii capitulum
xiii capitulum



xiiii capitulum
xv capitulum
xvi capitulum
xvii capitulum
xviii capitulum
xix capitulum

xx capitulum


xxi capitulum
xxii capitulum
xxiii capitulum
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.i.m capitulum
ii capitulum
iii capitulum

iiii capitulum
v capitulum
vi capitulum
vii capitulum
viii capitulum
ix capitulum
x capitulum
xi capitulum
xii capitulum
xiii capitulum
xiiii capitulum
xv capitulum
xvi capitulum

xvii capitulum
xviii capitulum
xix capitulum



.i.m capitulum


ii capitulum
iii capitulum
iiii capitulum
v capitulum
vi capitulum
vii capitulum
viii capitulum
ix capitulum



x capitulum


xi capitulum
xii capitulum
xiii capitulum
xiiii capitulum
xv capitulum
xvi capitulum
xvii capitulum
xviii capitulum
xix capitulum
xx capitulum
xxi capitulum
xxii capitulum

xxiii capitulum
xxiiii capitulum
xxv capitulum
xxvi capitulum
xxvii capitulum
xxviii capitulum
xxix capitulum
O soverayne lord, be it to youre plesance
This book to take of my symplicité
Thus newly made for rememorance,
Whiche no man hath in worlde bot oonly ye.
Whiche I compiled unto youre rialté
And to the quenes hertes consolacioun
To know the state of youre domynacioun.

And for the prynce to have playne conyshance
Of this regioun, in what nobilité
It hath been kept alway of greet pushance,
With baronage and lordes of dignyté
The whiche alway God graunte that ye and he
May so kepe forth undir youre governance
To Goddes plesire withouten variance.

Thus to yow thre rials in unyté
This book with hert and lowly obeishance
I present now with al benygnyté
To been everemore within youre governance
For soveraynté and youre inherytance
Of Scotland hool, whiche shuld your reule obaye
As sovereyn lorde, fro whiche thay prowdly straye.

Wythin thre yere thaire grete rebellioun
Ye myght oppresse and uttirly restrayne
And have it alle in youre possessioun
And to obeye youre myght make thaym ful fayne
As Kynge Edward the first with hungir and payne
Thaym conquerde hool to hys subjeccioun
To byde forevere undir his hool proteccioun.

Who hath an hurte and wille it nought diskure
And to his leche can nought his sore compleyne
In wo evermore withouten any cure
Alle helples forth he muste comporte his peyne.
And who his own erande forgatte to seyne
As alle thise wise men say alway and wote
Men calle a fool or elles an idyote.

Wherfore to yow, as prince moste excellent
I me compleyne, as resoun techeth me
That youre fadir gafe me in commaundement
In Scotlonde ryde for his regalyté
To seke his ryght thare of hys sovereynté
And evydence to gette and to espy
Appurtenant unto hys monarchy.

Whiche evydence, by labour and processe
Thre yere and halfe amonge the enmyté
On lyfes peryle, maymed in grete distresse
With costages grete, as was necessité
I boughte and gatte of grete autorité.
Of whiche I gafe unto youre excellence
At Esthamstede, parte of that evydence.

I gafe yow there a lettre of rialté
By whiche ten men claymyng the croun
Of Scotlond than boonde thaym by thaire agré
The juggement to bide and constitucioun
Of Kynge Edward, with Long Shankes by surnoun
Whiche of thaym shulde of Scotlonde been the kynge
Undre thaire seels hys sovereynté expressynge.

I gafe yow als other two patents rial
By whiche David and Robert the Scots kynges
Boonde thaym and al thaire haires in general
To holde Scotlond of Kyng Edward, expressynge
His soveraynté by clere and playn writynge
Undre thaire seels to bide perpetualy
As playnly is in thaym made memory.

I gafe yow als the relees that Edwarde
The thrid to Kyng Robert of Scotlond made
In tendre age, whiche whille it was in warde
Of Umfrevile was dreynt in oyl and defade
Sex woukes liggyng in it, as it abade.
But noght forthy it may hurte yow right noght
For it is alle agayn youre hieghness wroght.

In tho lettres is graunt Yorkes primacy
Thrugh alle Scotlonde, and to hys successours
To have and use above the prelacy
As dyd afore of olde hys predecessours
And also the hows of Durham of honours
And Cuthbertes ryght with alle the liberté
Thrugh all Scotlonde withoute difficulté.

Also that prynce of grete magnificence
Your fadir, so gafe me in commaundement
Scotlond to espy with alkyns diligence
How that it myght bene hostayde thurgh and brent
………….. wele to hys wille and intent
What kyns passage were for ane hoste to ryde
What toures ande towns stode on the este see-syde

Where that hys flete myght londe and with hym mete
With hys vitayle, gunnes and ordenance
Hys hoste to fresshe, and lygge in alle quyete
From stormes grete and wethyrs variance.
Whiche alle I dydde and putte in remembrance
At hys biddynge and rialle commaundement
Bot was nought rewarded aftyr hys intent.

Whiche remembrance now to youre sapience
Upon the ende of this boke in figure
Illumynde is for youre intelligence
Declared hool by wrytynge and lettrure
How lyghte were now unto your hiegh nature
For to conquere by rial assistence
And kepe it ever undir youre hiegh regence.

Now seth that prynce is gone, of excellence
In whom my helpe and makynge shulde have bene
I vouche it sauf, wyth alle benyvolence
On yow, gode lorde, hys sonne and hayre that bene
For to none other my complaynte can I mene
So lynyalle of hys generacioun
Ye bene discent by verry demonstracioun.

For other none wille favoure hys promyse
Ne none that wylle ought forther myne intente
Bot if it lyke unto youre owne avyse
Alle oonly of youre rial regymente
To comforte now withoute impedymente
Your pore subgite, maymed in hys servyse
Withoute rewarde or lyfelode any wyse.

Sex yere now go I pursewed to youre grace
And undirnethe youre lettres secretary
And pryvy seel that longeth in that cace
Ye graunted me to have perpetualy
The manere hool of Gedyngtoun treuly
To me and to myne hayres in heritage
With membres hool and other alle avauntage.

Bot so was sette youre noble chauncellere
He wolde nought suffre I had such warysoun
That cardinalle was of York withouten pere
That wolde noght parte with londe ne yit with toun
Bot rather wolde, ere I had Gedyngtoun,
Ye shulde forgo youre ryalle soveraynté
Of Scotlonde, whiche longe to youre rialté.

Youre patent cowthe I have in nokyns wyse
But if I sewed to alle youre grete counsayle
To whiche my purs no lengar myght suffyse.
So wente I home withoute any avayle.
Thus sette he me alle bakhalfe on the tayle
And alle youre grace fro me he dyd repelle.
Youre lettres bothe fro me he dyd cancelle.

Bot undirnethe youre fadirs magnifence
He durste nought so have lette hys righte falle doun
Ne layde o syde so rialle evydence
Appurtenant unto hys rialle croun
Who sonner wolde suche thre as Gedyngtoun
Hafe yove than so forgone that evydence
By whiche the Scottes obey shoulde hys regence.

For whiche Kynge James unto my warysoun
A thowsond marke me highte of Englysshe golde
Whiche I forsoke in myne oppynyoun
As natyfe birth and alkyns resoun wolde.
Sex and thretty yere I have it kepte, and holde
In truste ye wolde of youre haboundant grace
Youre fadirs promyse so favoure in thys cace.

Whiche evydence in this afore comprised
With other mo whiche I shal to yow take
Foure hundre mark and fyfty ful assised
Cost me treuly for youre fadir sake
With incurable mayme that maketh me wake.
Wherfore plese it of youre magnificence
Me to rewarde as pleseth youre excellence.

O soverayne lorde sette case I myghte suffyse
Myne evydence to get and to obtene.
How wold ye thenke that I should it advyse
[...] for your [...] it [...] nought bothe bene?
Your chaunsler doth revoke it alle so clene
That here me compleyne in this cace
Or els gette I never your intent, ne youre grace.

The First Book

Of the sustirs of Grece how thai came
to this londe and called it Albion.
How Dame Albyne eldest sustir had
the sovereynté of alle hir sustirs by
the law and consuetude of Grece.
How the ladise replete than felle in syn
and lechery with spirites whiche gat geants
on thaym that inhabyte this londe.

The Second Book

How Brutus discomfyt the kynge
of Grece, wed his doghtir, and gat
this londe and called it Bretayne.
Of Locryne, Camber, and Albanacte.
Of Quene Guendolyne.
Of Kynge Maddan.
Of Manlyn and Membrice kynges.
Of Kynge Ebrauc and of his gude reule.
Of Brutus Grenesheelde kynge.
Of Kynge Leyle that made Carlele.
Of Kynge Rudhudibrace.
Of Kynge Bladud.
Of Kynge Leyre and his doghtirs.
Of Kynge Margan and Kyng Condage.
Of Ryval, Gurgust, Sisilius, Iago,
Kymar, Gorbodian, Cloten, Pynhere
Ruddan and Scatere, with conceyte of
the maker for gude reule.
Of Dunwallo, kyng of Bretayne.
Of Kynge Belyne, kyng of Bretayne.
Of Gurgwyn, kynge of Bretayne.
Of Guytelyne, Sisilyus, Kymar, and Danyus.
Of Morvide, kynge of Bretayne.
Of Gordonyan, Argal, Elydoure,
Ingen, and Peridoure.
Of Gordonyan the seconde and xxxiiti
other kynges nexte aftir hym
folowynge.
Of Kynge Lud that called Trynovant Londoun.
Of Kyng Cassibalan and Julius Cesar.
Of Thennancius.
Of Kyng Kymbelyne.
Of Guyder.
Of Arvyragus.
Of Maryus and Coyle the seconde.

The .iii. Book

How Kynge Lucius bicam Cristen.
Of Kynge Severe.
Of Getan, Bassian, and Carauce
with the conceyt of the maker for gude reule.
Of Kynge Allecte.
Of Kynge Asclepiadote.
Of Kynge Coyle the third, fadir of Seint Elene.
Of Constance, husband to Seynt Elene.
Of Constantine, son of Seint Elene.
Of Octave and Trayherne.
Of Maximyan and Gracian.
Of Constantyne of Lesse Bretayne.
Of Constance, son of Constantyne.
Of Vortigere and Vortymer.
Of Aurilius Ambrosius.
Of Uther Pendragoun.
Of Kynge Arthure and his court
with the compleynt of the maker.
Of Constantyne, the son of Cador.
Of Aurilyus Conan.
Of Vortipore and Margo and Careys.

The iiii Book

How Kyng Gurmonde wan this
londe and divydid it to iiii kyngis
Saxons and iii kynges Englishe.
Of the reme of Kent.
Of the reme of Sussexe.
Of the reme of Essexe.
Of Est Angle reme.
Of the Merse reme.
Of Northumbirlonde.
Of the reme of Westsex.
How Seint Austyn broght baptym
into Kent and was made primate
of Englonde and had the palle bot the
Bretons wolde noght obeye hym.
How Ingils and Ive brether kynges
of Westsex had the sovereynté above alle
the kynges and were made protectours.
Of Athelarde, kyng of Westsex sovereyn.
Of Cuthred, kyng of Westsex sovereyn.
Of Sigburt, kyng of Westsex soverein.
Of Kynulphe, kyng of Westsex soverein.
Of Brytryk of Westsex sovereyn.
Of Egbert of Wesysex sovereyn.
Of Athilwolf of Westsex sovereyn.
Of Ethilbalde of Westsex sovereyn.
Of Ethilbert of Westsex sovereyn.
Of Elfride of Westsex sovereyn
Of Alverede of Westsex sovereyn.
Of Edward, sovereyn kynge of Englond
with a commendacioun of hym.
Of Athilstane, kyng of Englonde.
Of Edmonde, Edrede, and Edwy.
Of Kyng Edgare.
Of Edwarde martir and Ethilrede.
Of Edmonde Irneside and Knoute.
Of Harolde and Hardknout.
Of Seynt Edward Confessour and
Harolde, son of Godwyn.








understanding

power


maintain


royals together
deference
good will








eager

completely
dwell; comprehensive (total)

sickness; uncover
doctor

endure
tell
know



myself

sovereignty


Pertaining

passing of time
enemy
injured
At great expense


Easthampstead

royal power

bound; agreement

surname

declaring

Letters Patent

heirs
declaring




document of release

custody
immersed; faded
Six weeks remaining
nevertheless




authority of a prelate







all kinds of
plundered; burnt

What kind of; army



food; military supplies
army to restore; encamp







Illuminated
text
easy

sovereignty

since

bestow it
heir
express
in direct ancestral line
descended; proof



judgment
soverignty


sustenance

passed; made a formal plea
(see note)


Geddington Manor

all rights


reward






letter patent; by no means
pleaded
purse

he set me back
revoke





Appropriate
settlement
granted


reward
promised

every kind of

abounding


included earlier in this [book] (see note)
evidence


injury; weak



(see note)

resolve











custom
imbued with potent desire
giants




overthrew
































































kingdom








pallium


























 
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