Of the Kings of the Realm

England of our time.

A large, ornate decorative drop cap 'D' at the beginning of the text, featuring intricate floral and scrollwork designs. The lineage and house of the currently reigning Queen Elizabeth in England is descended from one named William the Conqueror of Normandy, a son of Duke Robert, original: "Behem Könnig Edwarden des dritten" — likely an error or archaic phrasing for "under King Edward the Confessor," who was considered the third King Edward of the Saxons. who reigned in England around the year 1000 after the birth of Christ. When Edward had possessed the kingdom for twenty-three years and passed away without heirs, and Harold, son of Godwin, seized the power of the realm for himself, the aforementioned William marched against Harold and defeated not only him but also drove all the Saxon kings out of the land, bringing all of England (which had been ruled by many kings) back under a single monarch. And when he died in the year of Christ 1085, his younger son William reigned after him. After this came his brother Henry, the first of that name, who took as his wife Matilda, the daughter of the King of Scotland. After him came Henry the Second to the government, etc. Thus, England has remained with the descendants of William until this very day; however, we must pass over the lives, reigns, and deeds of those kings in this place.

And so we come to our own time, to Henry the Seventh, the grandfather of the current Queen Elizabeth. This was a gentle lord, wise and prudent; he stood against Richard [III], who had killed the two sons of his brother Edward (whom their father had entrusted to him on his deathbed) and wished to possess the kingdom himself. Henry overcame him and became king in the year 1474 The text states 1474, though Henry VII actually took the throne in 1485.. After he had reigned for twenty-three years, he died.

Then the government returned to his son Henry the Eighth in the year 1509, in the eighteenth year of his age. He first took as his wife the daughter of King Ferdinand of Spain [Catherine of Aragon]; afterward, he sent her to a cloister and took another from the English nobility [Anne Boleyn], but did not keep her long. Then he took Anne of Cleves original: "Annam von Gulich" and also left her, and took again Catherine [Howard] from England, and soon after had her head struck off on account of the adultery of which she was accused. This king was victorious in wars and achieved much, both against Emperor Charles V and against the King of France. He especially became an enemy to the Pope, withdrawing from the Roman See the annual tribute Jargelt: an annual tax or "Peter's Pence" paid to the Pope which his ancestors had given to Rome out of a vow, and finally brought an end to the Roman religion throughout his entire land. He sent his legates to the Protestants of the Augsburg Confession at Schmalkalden A town where German Protestant princes formed a defensive alliance against the Emperor. to unite with them, and also secretly provided them help and counsel against the Emperor, etc. And when he had reigned thirty-eight years, he died in the year 1547.

And his son Edward the Sixth, aged nine years, was crowned king. This was a young lord who showed a good nature and character; however, he did not live long, dying in the year 1553 on the sixth day of July. He was an enemy of the Roman religion; whether this or something else was the cause of his death is not precisely known. After his death, great unrest arose in England, for this young lord—on the advice and instigation of the Duke of Northumberland when his fatal illness took hold—had excluded his natural sisters Mary and Elizabeth. He appointed as heirs to the kingdom Jane Grey, the daughter of the sister of his father Henry VIII, who was married to the son of the Duke of Northumberland. She was called to London and elected Queen.

Mary, born of Catherine (daughter of King Ferdinand of Spain), a daughter of Henry VIII and sister to Edward VI, was the rightful heir and fled to Norfolk. But many of the nobility and the common people held with Mary; they armed themselves and took to the field against the Duke of Northumberland. The Duke also gathered a force and led it against Mary, but the people turned to Mary’s side. Jane was deposed, and Mary was proclaimed Queen on the 19th day of July in the year 1553. She took as her husband Philip, son of Emperor Charles V and King in Spain. The Duke of Northumberland was beheaded along with his son, as was Queen Jane, aged seventeen years, on the 12th of February in the year 1554.

This Mary reintroduced the Roman religion, released the bishops and clergy (who had been held prisoner by her father Henry VIII), and restored them to their former status. She began to rage with fire and sword against those of the [Protestant] religion. Because of her negligence, the French recaptured Calais original: "Calis" (which the English had held for so long), and she was otherwise hated by the common man for her tyranny. Finally, she died on the 17th of November in the year 1559 Mary I actually died in 1558..

In her place, her sister Elizabeth received the crown in the same year. After heavy persecution (inflicted upon her by Mary), she was raised to honor and accepted by everyone with great longing and hopeful hearts. She reintroduced the [Protestant] religion and has governed the kingdom in good peace with great prudence until this day. she has put down many secret and treacherous plots of her enemies. In the year 1588, she put to flight the powerful and terrible naval Armada of King Philip of Spain, which had arrived at Calais to invade England, and drove it into the sea after midnight, so that the ships were scattered and few ever returned to Spain, etc.