[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. In this variance, it is great reason, that the ballance panche on his side, who hath both authority to establish his assertion, and a rarely approued knowledge, to warrant his authoritie. Hee dying issue-lesse, Richard the first gaue this Earledome to his brother Iohn.
[1257.] Iohns sonne, Henry the third, honoured therewith his brother Richard King of the Romanes, a Prince no lesse plentifully flowing in wealth, then his brother was often driuen to extreame shifts, through needinesse: which made that barbarous age to poetrize,
Nummus ait pro me, nublt Cornubia Romae.
Money sayd, that for her sake,
Rome did Cornwall, to wife take.
He had issue, Henry Earle of Cornwall, who deceased issuelesse: and Edmond, whose daughter and heire Isabell (sayth mine authour) was married to Morice Fitsharding Lord Barckleigh: but others affirme, that this Edmond dyed without issue.
Edward the, second, degenerating in his choyce, created his mynion, Peter Gaueston, a Gascoyne, Earle of this County, whose posterity ended in himselfe, and himself by a violent death.