The last poynt of this first booke, is to plot downe the Cornish gouernment, which offreth a double consideration: the one, as an entire state of it selfe; the other, as a part of the Realme: both which shal be seuerally handled.

Cornwall, as an entire state, hath at diuers times enioyed sundry t.i.tles, of a Kingdome, Princ.i.p.ality, Duchy, and Earledome; as may appear by these few notes, with which I haue stored my selfe out of our Chronicles.

[Anno mundi 2850.]

If there was a Brute King of Brittaine, by the same authority it is to bee proued, that there was likewise a Corineus Duke of Cornwall, whose daughter Gwendolene, Brutes eldest sonne Locrine tooke to wife, and by her had issue Madan, that succeeded his father in the kingdome.

[3105.]

Next him, I finde Henninus Duke, who maried Gonorille, one of King Leirs daughters and heires, and on her begat Morgan: but whiles he attempted with his other brother in law, to wrest the kingdome from their wiues father, by force of armes, before the course of nature should cast the same vpon them, Cordeilla, the third disherited sister, brought an armie out of Fraunce to the olde mans succour, and in a pitched battell bereft Henninus of his life.

[3476.]

Clotenus King of Cornwall, begat a sonne named Mulmutius Dunwallo, who, when this Iland had beene long distressed with the ciuil warres of petty Kings, reduced the same againe into one peaceable Monarchy.

[3574.]

Belinus, brother to that great terror of the Romanes, Brennus, had for his appannage (as the French terme it) Loegria, Wales, and Cornwall.

[3908.]

Ca.s.sibelane, succeeding his brother Lud in the Kingdome, gaue to his sonne Tennancius, the Duchy of Cornwall.

[Anno Dom. 231.]

After this Iland became a parcell of Iulius Caesars conquests, the same rested it selfe, or was rather vexed a long time, vnder the gouernment of such rulers, as the Romanes sent hither. But the Bretons turning, at last, their long patience into a sudden fury, rose in armes, slewe Alectus, the Emperour Dioclesians deputy, and inuested their leader Asclepiodotus Duke of Cornwall, with the possession of the kingdome.

[329.]

Conan Meridock, nephew to Octauius, whome the Emperour Constantine appoynted gouernour of this Iland, was Duke of Cornwall.

[351.]

At the Sinode of Arles in Fraunce, there was present one Corinius, sonne to Salomon Duke of Cornwall.

[383.]

After the abouenamed Octauius his decease, Maximia.n.u.s, a Romane, who maried his daughter, succeeded him also in gouernment: betweene whome, and the fore-remembred Conan, grew great warres; which concluding at last in a peace, Maxim. pa.s.sed with an armie into Fraunce, conquered there Armorica (naming it little Brittaine) and gaue the same in fee to Conan; who being once peaceably setled, wrote ouer vnto Dionethus, or Dionotus Duke or King of Cornwall, (as Mathew of West, termeth him) to send him some Maidens, whom he might couple in mariage with his people; whereon S. Vrsula & her companions the 11000. virgins, were shipped, & miscaried, as their wel known hiftory reporteth.

[page 78]

Nicholas Gille, a French writer, deliuereth (vpon the credit of our British Historians) that about this time, Meroueus, a Paynim king of Fraunce, caused his owne sonne to be throwne into the fire and burned, for that he had slayne the king of Cornwall, as he returned from a feast.

[433.]

Hee also maketh mention of one Moigne, brother to Aurelius and Vter-pendragon, Duke of Cornwall, & gouerner of the Realme, vnder the Emperour Honorius.

[443.]

Carodoc Duke of Cornwall was employed (sayth D. Kay) by Octauius, about founding the Vniuersitie of Cambridge.

[500.]

And vpon Igerna wife to Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall, Vter begat the worthy Arthur, and a daughter called Amy.

[526.]

This Arthur discomfited in fight, one Childerick, a king of the Saxons, and afterwards, vpon certaine couenants, suffred him quietly to depart the Realme. But Childerick violating the word of a king, bound with the solemnity of an othe, inuaded eftsoones the Westerne coasts, harrowing the Country as he pa.s.sed, vntil Cador, Earle of Cornwall, became G.o.ds Minister, to take vengeance of his periury, by reauing off his life.

That Marke swayed the Cornish septer, you cannot make question, vnlesse you will, withall, shake the irrefragable authoritie of the round tables Romants.

[603.]

Blederic Duke of Cornwall, a.s.sociated with other Welsh kings, darrayned a battel against Ethelferd, king of the Northumbers, & by the valiant forgoing of his life, got his partners the victory.

[688.]

Iuor, sonne to Alane king of little Brittaine, first wan from the Saxons, Cornwall, Deuon, and Somerset shires, by force of armes, and then, taking to wife Ethelburg, cousin to Kentwin, king of Wests.e.x, enioyed the same by composition.

[720.]

Roderic, king of the Bretons in Wales and Cornwall, (vnder whom, Bletius was Prince of this last, and of Deuon) valiantly repulsed Adelred, king of Wests.e.x, what time he a.s.sayled him in Cornwall: yet in the end, being ouer-matched in number, and tired with continuall onsets, he was driuen to quit the same, and retire himselfe into Wales.

[866.]

Polidor Virgill maketh mention of one Reginaldus Comes Britannorum, in the time of king Etheldred.

[872.]

Dungarth king of Corn, by mischance was drowned.

[900.]

Alpsius is recorded (about this time) for Duke of Deuon and Cornwall.

[959.]

Orgerius Duke of Cornwall, had a daughter named Alfride, the fame of whose beauty, caused King Edgar to send Earle Athelwold, for obtaining her at her fathers hands in mariage. But the Earle with the first sight of this faire Lady, was so besotted in her loue, that preferring the accomplishment of his l.u.s.t, before the duety of his alleageance, he returnes answer to the King, how the common report far exceeded her priuate worth, which came much short of meriting a partnership in so great a Princes bed: and (not long after) begged and obtayned the Kings good will, to wed her himselfe. But so braue a l.u.s.tre could not lye long concealed, without shining foorth into Edgars knowledge, who finding the truth of his Amba.s.sadours falshood, tooke Athelwold at an aduantage, slewe him, and maried her, beeing a widdowe, whome hee had wooed a mayde.

[page 79]

Hitherunto, these t.i.tles of honour carry a kinde of confusednes, and rather betokened a successiue office, then an established dignity.

The following ages receiued a more distinct forme, and left vs a certeyner notice.

[1067.]

What time William the b.a.s.t.a.r.d subdued this Realme, one Condor possessed the Earledome of Cornwall, and did homage for the same: he had issue another Condor, whose daughter and heire Agnes, was maried to Reignald Earle of Bristowe, base sonne to King Henry the first.

This note I borrowed out of an industrious collection, which setteth downe all the n.o.ble mens creations, Armes, and princ.i.p.all descents, in euery Kings dayes since the conquest: but master Camden, our Clarentieulx, nameth him Cadoc, and saith farther, that Robert Morton, brother to William Conquerour, by his mother Herlot, was the first Earle of Norman blood, and that his sonne William succeeded him; who taking part with Duke Robert, against Henry the first, thereby got captiuity, and lost his honour, with which that King inuested the forementioned Reignald. In this variance, it is great reason, that the ballance panche on his side, who hath both authority to establish his a.s.sertion, and a rarely approued knowledge, to warrant his authoritie. Hee dying issue-lesse, Richard the first gaue this Earledome to his brother Iohn.

[1257.]

Iohns sonne, Henry the third, honoured therewith his brother Richard King of the Romanes, a Prince no lesse plentifully flowing in wealth, then his brother was often driuen to extreame shifts, through needinesse: which made that barbarous age to poetrize,

Nummus ait pro me, nublt Cornubia Romae.

Money sayd, that for her sake, Rome did Cornwall, to wife take.

He had issue, Henry Earle of Cornwall, who deceased issuelesse: and Edmond, whose daughter and heire Isabell (sayth mine authour) was married to Morice Fitsharding Lord Barckleigh: but others affirme, that this Edmond dyed without issue.

Edward the, second, degenerating in his choyce, created his mynion, Peter Gaueston, a Gascoyne, Earle of this County, whose posterity ended in himselfe, and himself by a violent death.

The last t.i.tle of this Earldome, expired in Iohn of Eltham, yonger sonne to that King Edward. After which, King Edward the third, by act of Parliament in the 11. yeere of his raigne, erected the same to a Duchy, the first in England, and graced it with his sonne, the blacke Prince: for his heroicall vertues did rather bestow, then receiue estimation from whatsoeuer dignitie. Since which it is successiuely incorporated in the Kings eldest sonne, and hath bene so enioyed, by Richard the second, Henry the fift, Henry the sixt, Edward his sonne, Edward the fift, Edward sonne to Richard the third, Arthure, and Henry, sonnes to Henry the seuenth, and lastly, Edward the sixt: 10. Dukes in the whole.

These Earles and Dukes haue from the beginning, beene priuiledged with royall iurisdiction or Crowne rights, namely, giuing of liberty to send Burgesses to the Parliaments, returne of writs, custome, toll, Mynes, Treasure-trovee, wards, &c. and (to this end) appoynted their speciall officers, as Sheriffe, Admirall, Receyuer, Hauener, Customer, Butler, Searcher, Comptroller, [80] Gaugeor, Excheator, Feodary, Auditor, Clarke of the Market, &c. besides the L. Warden, and those others beforeremembred, whose functions appertayne to the iurisdiction of the Stannary.

To the preseruation of which royalties, our Parliaments haue euer carried a reuerend regard. For by that Act, 17. Edw. 4. which enioyneth forrayne Marchants to bestow such money as they receiue for their wares, in English commodities, or to pay the same vnto Englishmen, the Kings part of all forfeytures within Cornwall, is reserued to the Duke. So doth that, 11. H. 7, concerning the reformation of waights & measures, prouide, that it shall not be hurtful or preiudiciall to the Prince, within the Duchy of Cornwall, nor to any waights of the cunnage: and so doth that 1. H. 8. touching Excheators, exempt that officer in Cornwall. It should seeme, that the first Earles bare a heauy hand in commaund ouer their subiects: for both diuers ancient records (as I haue learned) make mention of tributes, imposed (almost) vpon euery thing of profit; and it may farther be gathered, in that, as well townes, as particular persons, were faine to procure Charters and graunts from them, for corporations, faires, markets, taking or freeing from tolls, mines, fishing, fowling, hawking, hunting, and what not?

so as (vpon the matter) the plight of a Cornish Inhabitant and a French pezant did differ very little.

Which bondage, one not long agoe sought in part to reestablish, vnder pretence of receiuing a rent decayed euer since 9. H. 2.

and aduancing her Maiesties profit: & to this end procured Letters patents, that none should salt, dry, or pack any fish in Deuon or Cornwall, without his licence and warrant. A matter that would, by consequence, haue made him an absolute disposer of all the Westerne shipping and traffike, and their sea and land dependants.