AN EPITOME OF CRONICLES .

Conteyninge the whole discourse of the histories as well of this realme of England as al other countreys , with the succesion of their kinges , the time of their reigne , and what notable actes they did : much profitable to be redde , namelye of Magistrates , and such as haue auctoritee in common weales , gathered out of most probable auctours . Firste by Thomas Lanquet , from the beginning of the worlde to the incarnacion of Christe , Secondely to the reigne of our soueraigne lord king Edward the sixt by Thomas Cooper , and thirdly to the reigne of our soueraigne Ladye Quene Elizabeth , by Robert Crowley .

Anno. 1559.

LONDINI , In aedibus Thomae Marshe .

AL be it ( righte excellente prince ( your affabilltye and clemencie is such , and so great , that all people of euery state and degree , as well poore as riche , maye at all conueniente times haue free accesse to your grace , and haue their reasonable suites complayntes , and peticions benignely heard , and accordynge to equitee , iustice and good conscience depeched , so that therby it is verye likely that the true knowledge of the state and condicion of the weale publike , is at all tymes to your grace reueled & opened : Yet because ( well nere ) in all common weales , and aboute all suche noble and good princes , there haue ben some , which for their owne commoditee , aduancement , displeasure or other affection , haue so letted and hindered true report , that it could not frankly come foorthe , it is a thyng much to be feared , and with all wisedome and prudence to be foresene , lest any such might perchance hereafter couertly crepe in fauour , as by flatterye and dissimulacion , would endeuour to abuse your godly gentilnesse , as suche haue dooen the like natures of other most vertuous and worthie gouernours before tyme : and by that meanes not onely blemyshe greatly the immortal prayses that your grace shoulde moost woorthily deserue of all men , for your godly and politike gouernaunce , but also tourne this noble realme to muche trouble and hindrance . For neuer did there chaunce greatter mischiefe to any comm●n weale , neuer were the vertuous natures of greate rulers so soone corrupted , as either when they haue ben misinstructed and wronge infourmed by flatterers , or els when those that were in moste fauour and credyte , dissimu●ing the trueth , in stede of equitee & iustice , haue wrought their owne purposes . Was not the good kyng Darius by wicked persuasions induced , euen against his conscience , to committe Daniel the prophete of god , to the daunger of the cruell and hungrie lions ? had not the diuelish counsaile of Haman persuaded Assuerus without cause to destroy the whole nacion of the Iewes , for malice that he bare to Mardocheus , ne had the singuler prouydence of God in Hester preserued theim ? to what misgouernaunce and vicious liuyng did Perennius , Cleander , & other bring the emperour Commodus , notwithstanding the graue and sage counsailours lefte hym by his father Marcus Antonius ? did any thing so much corrupte the nature of the valiant conqueroure Alexander , and so greatly blemish his fame and glorye , as that he had his eares so open to flatterers ? whiche made hym to thinke , that he was the sonne of their greate god Iupiter ? yea almoste that he was a god and no mortall man . Wherfore the wyse emperour Gordian had good cause to saie , that he was a wretched prince , from whom v ertuous counsaile & the trueth of matters was hidde by flatery . Yea ( & in mine opinion ) it were farre more tollerable , that the soueraine were euyll him selfe , then that hys nere friendes , seruauntes , or famylyars , whome he trusteth , should bee flatterers , couetous , or malisyous . For suche persons shal not onely theim selfes dooe muche euyl , but also by false informacion , corruptinge the high ruler ( if it be possible ) allure hym to dooe the lyke , to the peryll and daunger bothe of hym selfe and of the weale publike . Therfore wisemen haue alwayes iudged them most worthie , to be extremely punished , to the example of al other , like as the noble emperour Alexander for his sharpe iustice named Seuerus , caused Vetronnis Thurinus with smoke to be smuddered to death , because in matters of suite he had taken bribes for false reporte of the emperours fauour . For the noble gouernour suspecting no such eueil to be in them , ( for how long wold it be , ere the wilie waies of such subtile re●nardes maye be spyed out ) may lightly be misledde and do the more ●o he wold not , if he wist surely how the truth went . And this daunger hath alwayes bene so much the thynge be feared , as that witty men perceyuyng thinges to be in suchewise mishandled by theim that were in great fauour with their princes , durst not , or at the least wold not speake and discouer the greuous hurtes of the commen weale : some , for feare to be hindred by those familiars , & so to lose their dignitees , offices , & auctoritees : some for great hope that they had , to be by their reporte commended , and therby aduaunced to some promocion or high roome in the common weale . So that I gather hereby ( righte excellente prince ) that of all other it is a thinge mooste difficile and harde to rule well , and for a chiefe magistrate and gouernour to be truly and without dissimulacion informed in euerye case , as the notable saying of king Antiochus , doth well declare : who on a time of hunting , being strayed from his company and benighted , was fayne to take for his harborowe , a poore cotage of the countrey , and there , as he was vnknowen at supper with the vplandishe people , through communication , heard diuers thinges frelye talked of his owne behauour Therfore on the morow , when his ministers brought to him his purpre raiment and diademe , he tourning to those ensignes sayed . Sins the time I first began to were you , yesterday only and neuer before I herd the truth frankly spoken . Wherfore the best and most sure waye for a noble gouernour , after the counsaile of the excellent philosopher Demetrius , is to reade such bookes , as most wittily and pithilye treate of the states of common weales , and namely histories in the which he shall playnelye see sette foorth before his eyes what best beseemeth him to dooe , what to eschew : what maye aduaunce the state of his common weale , what maye hurte and hynder the same : howe and by what meanes hatred and grudge is bredde toward him , and howe and by what wayes he maye wynne loue and fauour : What maketh his realme weake , what maketh it stronge : What maketh it wealthye and riche , what maketh it poore and beggarly : what maketh it floryshe many yeres ▪ what maketh it miserable in short space : in bookes shall he lerne to know the wilie flattering foxes , from his sure and trustye friendes : good and faythfull ministers , from false feigning dissemblers : Whom and how he ought to chose his counsaylours , how and what lawes he ought to make . Thus ( I saye ) he shall learne out of bookes to bee him selfe to him selfe , the best the trustest and surest counsaylour . And for thys consyderacion wold I wish , that the summes of all such lerned workes , were drawen out into short brigementes , to the ende that prudent gouernours ( whych for theyr manyfolde affayres and businesses , haue but small tyme of leisure ) myghte in liew of other playes , passe the tyme therwyth , like as the Epitome or brigemente of cronycles is , whych not many yeeres passed was begunne by a studious yong man named Thomas Lanquet , & nowe of late by me finished ▪ and continued , from the incarnacion of Christ , to the seconde yere of the reigne of our soueraine lord king Edward the sixt . In ●●che forme and ordre that a diligent reader may as in a mirrour behold the state and condicion of all realmes at all times , and know what gouernours ruled theim , how many yeres they reygned , and what notable actes were done in the time of their reigne , whan the Britaines , & likewyse the Scottes , came fyrste into thys lande , with the succession of their kinges , and the whole discourse of the historyes of both countreis : so that ye may perceiue , what notable acte was done in any realme vnder euery king of England , and what yere of his reigne . For the yeres of the kinges of this land be noted in the margent , wyth the yere of the worlde and of Christe . In the computacyon wee haue folowed the moste sure accompte of the byble and Hebrews , whiche dyffereth muche from Eusebius and other latine Croniclers . These my labours ( suche as they be ) most excellent prince , I thought most conuenient to publish in your Graces name , not for the wel handling of the same , nor yet because I iudged it worthie so noble a Prince : but onely as I dyd of late exhibite the correction of sir Thomas Eliotes Dictionarie to the kinges most royall maiestee , to testifie my louing and obedient herte toward his highnesse , so doe I nowe offer this symple gyfte to your Grace , as a witnesse or testimonie of the good zeale and loue , whiche all men ought ( as well as I ) to beare toward you , for your christian and vertuous gouernance , and especially for your godly zeale in aduancyng the true religion of christ : wishing continually with most hertie prayer , that you gouerning vs so benignely , so mercifully , so godly , mought alwaye liue in moste happy felicitee , and bringe this diuersitee of opinions to a perfite vnite● and concorde in Christes doctrine , that wee with mutuall loue and charitee , and hertye obedience towarde our prince , may geue condigne honour and worshyp vnto god , and immortall praises to your name . Amen .