as I minded to intreat of, rather than with vaine affectation of eloquence to paint out a rotten sepulchre; a thing neither commendable in a writer, nor profitable to the reader. How other affaires troubled me in the writing hereof manie know, and peraduenture the slacknesse shewed herein can better testifie: but howsoeuer it be done, & whatsoeuer I haue done, I haue had an especiall eye vnto the truth of things, and for the rest, I hope that this foule frizeled Treatise of mine will prooue a spur to others better learned, more skilfull in Chorographie, and of greater iudgement in choise of matter to handle the selfe same argument, if in my life time I doo not peruse it againe. It is possible also that your Honour will mislike hereof, for that I haue not by mine owne trauell and eysight viewed such things as I doo here intreat of. In deed I must needs confesse, that vntill now of late, except it were from the parish where I dwell, vnto your Honour in Kent; or out of London where I was borne, vnto Oxford & Cambridge where I haue bene brought vp, I neuer trauelled 40. miles foorthright and at one iourney in all my life; neuerthelesse in my report of these things, I vse their authorities, who either haue performed in their persons, or left in writing vpon sufficient ground (as I said before) whatsoeuer is wanting in mine. It may be in like sort that your Honour will take offense at my rash and retchlesse behauiour vsed in the composition of this volume, and much more that being scambled vp after this maner, I dare presume to make tendour of the protection therof vnto your Lordships hands. But when I consider the singular affection that your Honour dooth beare to those that in any wise will trauell to set foorth such profitable things as lie hidden, and therevnto doo weigh [Page viii] on mine owne behalfe my bounden dutie and gratefull mind to such a one as hath so manie and sundrie waies benefited me that otherwise can make no recompense, I can not but cut off all such occasion of doubt, and therevpon exhibit it, such as it is, and so penned as it is, vnto your Lordships tuition, vnto whome if it may seeme in anie wise acceptable, I haue my whole desire. And as I am the first that (notwithstanding the great repugnancie to be seene among our writers) hath taken vpon him so particularlie to describe this Ile of Britaine; so I hope the learned and godlie will beare withall, & reforme with charitie where I doo tread amisse. As for the curious, and such as can rather euill fauouredlie espie than skilfullie correct an error, and sooner carpe at another mans dooings than publish any thing of their owne, (keeping themselues close with an obscure admiration of learning & knowledge among the common sort) I force not what they saie hereof: for whether it doo please or displease them, all is one to me, sith I referre my whole trauell in the gratification of your Honour, and such as are of experience to consider of my trauell, and the large scope of things purposed in this Treatise, of whome my seruice in this behalfe may be taken in good part, that I will repute for my full recompense, and large guerdon of my labours. The Almightie God preserue your Lordship in continuall health, wealth, and prosperitie, with my good Ladie your wife, your Honours children, (whom God hath indued with a singular towardnesse vnto all vertue and learning) and the rest of your reformed familie, vnto whom I wish farder increase of his holie spirit, vnderstanding of his word, augmentation of honor, and continuance of zeale to follow his commandements.

Your Lordships humble seruant

and houshold Chaplein.

W. H.

¶ THE NAMES OF THE AUTHORS
FROM WHOME THIS
HISTORIE OF ENGLAND
IS COLLECTED.

A.

• Aelius Spartianus.
• Aelius Lampridius.
• Asserius Meneuensis.
• Alfridus Beuerlacensis.
• Aeneas Syluius Senensis.
• Auentinus.
• Adam Merimouth with additions.
• Antoninus Archiepiscopus Florentinus.
• Albertus Crantz.
• Alexander Neuill.
• Arnoldus Ferronius.
• Annius Viterbiensis.
• Amianus Marcellinus.
• Alliances genealogiques des Roys & Princes de France.
• Annales D. Aquitaine per Iean Bouchet.
• Annales de Bourgoigne per Guilamme Paradin.
• Annales de France per Nicol Giles.
• Annales rerum Flandricarum per Jacobum Meir.
• Antonius Sabellicus.
• Antonius Nebricensis.
• Aurea Historia.

B.

• Biblia Sacra.
• Beda venerabilis.
• Berosus.
• Brian Tuke knight.
• Blondus Forliuiensis.
• Berdmondsey, a Register booke belonging to that house.

C.

• Cæsars Commentaries.
• Cornelius Tacitus.
• Chronica Chronicorum.
• Chronica de Dunstable, a booke of Annales belonging to the Abbey there.
• Chronicon Io. Tilij.
• Chronica de Eyton, an historie belonging to that colledge, although compiled by some Northernman, as some suppose named Otherborne.
• Chronicles of S. Albon.
• Chronica de Abingdon, a booke of Annales belonging to that house.
• Chronica de Teukesburie.
• Claudianus.
• Chronicon Genebrard.
• Chroniques de Normandie.
• Chroniques de Britaine.
• Chroniques de Flanders published by Denis Sauage.
• Continuation de Historie and Chroniques de Flanders by the same Sauage.
• Couper.
• Cuspinianus.
• Chronica Sancti Albani.
• Caxtons Chronicles.
• Carion with additions.
• Crockesden, a Register booke belonging to an house of that name in Staffordshire.

D.

• Diodorus Siculus.
• Dion Cassius.
• Dominicus Marius Niger.

E.

• Edmerus.
• Eusebius.
• Eutropius.
• Encomium Emmæ, an old Pamphlet written to hir, conteining much good matter for the vnderstanding of the state of this realme in hir time, wherein hir praise is not pretermitted, and so hath obteined by reason thereof that title.
• Enguerant de Monstrellet.
• Eulogium.
• Edmund Campian.

F.

• Fabian.
• Froissart.
• Franciscus Tarapha.
• Franciscus Petrarcha.
• Flauius Vopiscus Siracusanus.
• Floriacensis Vigorinensis.

G.

• Gviciardini Francisco.
• Guiciardini Ludouico.
• Gildas Sapiens.
• Galfridus Monemutensis, aliàs Geffrey of Monmouth.
• Giraldus Cambrensis.
• Guilielmus Malmesburiensis.
• Galfridus Vinsauf.
• Guilielmus Nouoburgensis.
• Guilielmus Thorne.
• Gualterus Hemmingford, aliàs Gisburnensis.
• Geruasius Dorobernensis.
• Geruasius Tilberiensis.
• Guilielmus Gemeticensis de ducibus Normaniæ.
• Guilielmus Rishanger.
• Guilielmus Lambert.
• Georgius Lillie.
• Guilamme Paradin.

H.

• Higinus.
• Henricus Huntingtonensis.
• Henricus Leicestrensis.
• Hector Boece.
• Historie Daniou.
• Historia Ecclesiastica Magdeburgensis.
• Henricus Mutius.
• Historia quadripartita seu quadrilogium.
• Hardings Chronicle.
• Halles Chronicle.
• Henricus Bradshaw.
• Henricus Marleburgensis.
• Herodianus.
• Humfrey Luyd.

I.