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 passed, vntil Cador, Earle of Cornwall, became Gods 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, associated 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 Westsex, 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 Westsex, what time he assayled 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 lust, 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 lustre could not lye long concealed, without shining foorth into Edgars knowledge, who finding the truth of his Ambassadours falshood, tooke Athelwold at an aduantage, slewe him, and maried her, beeing a widdowe, whome hee had wooed a mayde.
[page 79]
Hitherunto, these titles 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 bastard 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 noble mens creations, Armes, and principall 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.