[1] THere haue béene in tymes paſt great ſtore of Caſtelles and places of defence within the realme of Englande, of which ſome were buylded by the Brytons, many by the Romaynes, Saxons, and Danes, but moſt of all by the Barons of the realme, in & about the tyme of king Stephen, who licen|ſed eache of them to buylde ſo many as they would vpon their owne demeaſnes, hoping therby that they would haue employed their [page 83] vſe to his aduauntage and commoditie, but finally when he ſawe that they were rather fortified againſt hymſelfe in the ende, then vſed in his defence, [...]ry the [...] alſo [...]. he repented all to la [...]e of his inconſiderate dealing, ſith now there was no remedie but by force for to ſubdue them. After his deceaſe king Henry the ſeconde came no ſooner to the crowne, but he called to minde the inconuenience which his pre|deſſour had ſuffred and he himſelfe might in time ſuſtaine by thoſe fortifications. There|fore one of the firſt things he dyd was an at|tempt to race and deface the moſt parte of theſe holdes. Certes he thought it better to hazarde the méeting of the enimie nowe and then in the playne field, then to liue in perpe|tuall feare of thoſe houſes, and the rebellion of his Lordes vpon euery light occaſion con|ceyued, who then were full ſo ſtrong as he, if not more ſtrong, and that made them the re|dier to withſtande & gaineſay many of thoſe procéedinges, which he and his ſucceſſours from time to tyme intended. Hereupon ther|fore he cauſed more then aleauen hundred of their caſtelles to be raced and ouerthrowne, whereby the power of his nobilitie was not a litle reſtrained. Sithence that time alſo not a few of thoſe which remained, haue decayed of themſelues: ſo that at this preſent, there are very few or no caſtels at all maintayned within England, ſauing only vpõ the coaſts and marches of the countrie for the better kéeping backe of the forrein enemie, when|ſoeuer he ſhall attempt to enter and annoye vs.
[1] The moſte prouident Prince that euer reigned in this lande for the fortificatiõ ther|of agaynſt all outwarde enemies, was the late Prince of famous memory king Henry the eyght: ſith beſide that he repaired moſt of ſuch as were alreadie ſtanding, he buylded ſundrie out of the grounde. For hauing ſha|ken of the more then ſeruile yoke of the Po|piſh tyrannie, and eſpying that the Empe|rour was offended for hys dyuorce from Quéene Catherine his aunt: and therto that the Frenche king had coupled the Dolphin his ſonne with the Popes nece: and maryed his daughter to the king of Scottes, (where|by he had cauſe more iuſtly to ſuſpect then ſafely to truſt any one of the all as Lambert ſaith) he determined to ſtand vpon his owne defence, [...] theſe [...]es the [...] of [...]rfolke [...]e wea [...] as [...]ye ap| [...]re by [...]burne [...] [...]e and [...]er pla [...] of the [...]e. and therefore with no ſmall ſpéede, and like charge, he buylded ſundrie Blocke|houſes, Caſtelles, and Platformes vpon dy|uers frontiers of his realme, but chiefely the eaſt and ſoutheaſt partes of England, wher|by no doubt he dyd very much qualifie the conceyued grudges of his aduerſaries and vtterly put of their haſty purpoſe of [...]. And thuſmuch briefly for my purpoſe at this preſent. For I néede not to make any [...] diſcourſe of caſtels, ſith it is not the nature of a good Engliſhman to regarde to be caged vp in a c [...]pe, & hedged in with ſtone walles, but rather to méete wyth hys enemie in the playne field [...] at handſtrokes, where he may trauaiſe his grounde, chooſe his plot, and vſe the benefite of ſunne ſhine, winde & wether, to his beſt aduauntage and commoditie. As for thoſe tales that go of B [...]ſton caſtell, how it ſhall ſaue all England on a day, & likewiſe the brag of a rebellious Barron in olde time that ſayde in contempt (of king Henry the thirde, as I geſſe)
I repute them but as toyes, the firſt méere vaine, the ſeconde fo [...]dly vttered if any ſuch thing were ſayde, as many other wordes are and haue béene ſpoken of lyke holdes, (as Wallingforde. &c.) but nowe growen out of memorie, and with ſmall loſſe not hearde of among the common ſort.If I were in my Castell of BungeyVpon the water of Waueney,I woulde not ſet a button by the king of Cockney.