clarid, to corage and comfort the hertis of [the]
Englisshe nacion, havyng theire first originalle of the nacion of the noble
auncient bloode of Troy more than M^l. yere before the birthe of Crist; in
token and profe wherof the auncient langage of the Brutes bloode at this
day remayneth[84] bothe in the Princedome of Walis and in the auncient
provynce and Dukedom of Cornewale, whiche was at tho daies called corrupt
Greke.

[Sidenote: ij^{o}. lingua Saxonum alias lingua Germanorum.]

[Sidenote: Dux Cerdicius applicuit in Britania tempore Regis Arthuri, et
sic per favorem regis inhabitavit, et . . ex natione Grecorum.]

And next after the mighty Saxons' bloode, otherwise called a provynce in
Germayne, that the vaileaunt Duke Cerdicius arrived in this reaume, with
whom[85] Arthur, king of the Breton bloode, made mighty werre, and suffred
hym to inhabit here. And the Saxons, as it is writen in Berthilmew in his
booke of Propreteis, also were decendid of the nacion of Grekis.

[Sidenote: iij^{o}. Lingua Danorum ex nacione Grecorum. Rex Danorum Knott
conquestum fecit.]

And next after came the feers manly Danysh nacion, also of Grekis bene
descendid, that the gret justicer king Knowt this land subdued and the
Saxons' bloode.

And sithen the noble Normannes, also of the Danys nacion, descendid be
William Conquerour, of whome ye ben lyniallie descendid, subdued this
lande.

And, last of alle, the victorius bloode of Angevyns, by mariage of that
puissaunt Erle Geffry Plantagenet, the son and heire of Fouke king of
Jherusalem, be mariage of Dame Maude, Emperes, soule doughter and heire to
the king of grete renoune, Henry the first of Inglond, and into this day
lineally descendid in most prowes.

And whiche said Englisshe nacion ben sore astonyed and dulled {3} for the
repairing and wynnyng ayen, uppon a new conquest to be hadde for youre
verray right and true title in the inheritaunce of the saide Reaume of
Fraunce and the Duche of Normandie. Of whiche Duchie, we have in the yere
of oure Lorde M^l.iiij^cl., lost, as bethyn the space of xv monithes be put
out wrongfullie, tho roughe subtile wirkingis conspired and wroughte be the
Frenshe partie undre the umbre and coloure of trewis late taken betwyxt
youre antecessoure king Harry the sext then named king, and youre grete
adversarie of Fraunce Charles the vij^{the}.

And where as the saide piteous complaintes [and] dolorous lamentacions of
youre verray true obeisaunt subj