perswasion and a well-grounded zeal let the world judge After so many testimonies Mr. Camden might very well say Epist 19â— My Life and my Writings shall apologize for me and despise the reproaches of one Ibid. Who did not spare the most Reverend and Learned Prelates of our Church Epist 195. nor was asham'd to bely the Lords Deputies of Ireland and others of honourable rank In his Writings he was candid and modest in his conversation easie and innocent and in his whole Life eaven and exemplary He dy'd at Chesilhurst the ninth day of November 1623. in the 'T is by a mistake in his Monument 74. 73d year of his Age. Being remov'd from London on the nineteenth of the same Month he was carry'd to Westminster-Abbey in great pomp The whole College of Heralds attended in their proper habits great numbers of the Nobility and Gentry accompany'd and at their entrance into the Church the Prebends and the other Members receiv'd the Corps in their Vestments with great solemnity and conducted it into the Nave of the Church After the Funeral-Sermon preach'd by Dr. Sutton one of the Prebends they buried him in the South-Isle hard by the learned Casaubon and over against the ingenious Chaucer Over the place is a handsome Monument of white Marble with his Effigies to the middle and in his hand a Book with BRITANNIA inscrib'd on the Leaves Under this is the following Inscription QUI FIDE ANTIQUA ET OPERA ASSIDUA BRITANNICAM ANTIQUITATEM INDAGAVIT SIMPLICITATEM INNATAM HONESTIS STUDIIS EXCOLUIT ANIMI SOLERTIAM CANDORE ILLUSTRAVIT GUILIELMUS CAMDENUS A B. ELIZABETHA R. AD. REGIS ARMORUM CLARENTII TITULO DIGNITATEM EVOCATUS HIC SPE CERTA RESURGENDI IN CHRISTO S. E. Q. OBIIT AN. DNI 1623. 9 NOVEMBRIS AETATIS SUAE 74. M R CAMDEN's PREFACE I Think I may without the least scruple address the courteous Reader in the same words I made use of twenty years ago upon the first Edition of this Book with some very small additions The great Restorer of the old Geography Abraham Ortelius thirty years ago did very earnestly sollicit me to acquaint the World with Britain that ancient Island that is to restore Britain to its Antiquities and its Antiquities to Britain to renew the memory of what was old illustrate what was obscure and settle what was doubtful and to recover some certainty as much as possible in our affairs which either the carelesness of Writers or credulity of vulgar Readers had totally bereft us of A great attempt indeed not to say impossible to which undertaking as no one scarce imagines the Industry requisite so no one really believes it but he who has made the experiment himself Yet as the difficulty of the design discourag'd me on the one side so the honour of my native Country encourag'd me on the other insomuch that whilst I dreaded the task and yet could not decline doing what I was able for the Glory of my Country I found I know not how the greatest contrarieties Fear and Courage which I thought could never have met in one man in strict confederacy within my own Breast However by the blessing of God and my own Industry I set about the work full of resolution thought study and daily contrivance and at spare times devoted my self wholly to it I have made but a timorous search after the Etymology of Britain and its first Inhabitants nor have I positively asserted what admits of doubt for I very well know that the original of Countries are obscure and altogether uncertain over-run as it were with the rust of age and like objects at a great distance from the beholders scarce visible Thus the courses and mouths of great Rivers their turnings their confluence are all well known whilst their Springs for the generality lye hid and undiscover'd I have traced the ancient divisions of Britain and have made a summary Report of the States and judicial Courts of these flourishing Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland I have compendiously settl'd the bounds of each County but not by measure and examin'd the nature of the soil the places of greatest antiquity what Dukes what Earls what Barons there have been I have set down some of the most ancient and honourable Families for 't is impossible to mention them all Let them censure my performance who are able to make a true judgment which perhaps will require some consideration but Time that uncorrupted witness will give the best information when Envy that preys upon the living shall hold its peace Yet this I must say for my self that I have neglected nothing that could give us any considerable light towards the discovery of hidden Truth in matters of Antiquity having gotten some insight into the old British and Saxon Tongues for my assistance I have travell'd very near all over England and have consulted in each County the men of best skill and most general intelligence I have diligently perus'd our own Writers as well as the Greek and Latin ones that mention the least tittle of Britain I have examin'd the publick Records of this Kingdom Ecclesiastical Registers and Libraries Acts Monuments and Memorials of Churches and Cities I have search'd the ancient Rolls and cited them upon occasion in their own stile tho' never so barbarous that by such unquestionable evidence Truth might be restor'd and vindicated Yet possibly I may seem guilty of imprudence and immodesty who tho' but a smatterer in the business of Antiquities have appear'd a scribler upon the stage of this learned age expos'd to the various censures of wise and judicious men But to speak the truth sincerely the natural affection I have for my Country which includes the good will of all the glory of the British original and perswasion of Friends have conquer'd that shyness of mine and forc'd me whether I would or no against my own judgment to undertake a work I am so unfit to prosecute for which I expect on all sides to be attack'd with prejudice censure detraction and reproach Some there are who cry down the study of Antiquity with much contempt as too curious a search after what is past whose authority as I shall not altogether slight so I shall not much regard their judgment Nor am I wholly without reasons sufficient to gain the approbation of men of honesty and integrity who value the honour of their native Country by which I can recommend to them in these studies a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction of mind becoming men of breeding and quality But if there are such men to be found who would be strangers to Learning and their own Country and Foreigners in their own Cities let them please themselves I have not wrote for such humours There are others perhaps who will cavil at the meanness and roughness of my language and the ungentileness of my stile I frankly confess Neither is every word weigh'd in Varro's scale nor did I design to gratifie the Reader with a nosegay
feet upon which he step'd back and said Let all the inhabitants of the world know That the power of Monarchs is a vain and empty thing and that no one deserves the name of a King but he whose will by an eternal law the Heaven Earth and Sea obey Nor would he ever after suffer the Crown to be put on his head c. Of those rivers between which this town is plac'd the western one now call'd Test but formerly I think Anton rising out of the Forest of Chute runs first to Andover â—ndover in Saxon e And Andeferan Andeafaran that is the Ferry or passage of the river Ande where in the year f In the year 994. according to the Saxon Annals 893. Aethelred K. of England when the Danes ravaged all his kingdom that he might bless his harrass'd nation with a safe and settl'd peace adopted Anlaf the Dane â—nlaf adâ—pted by 〈◊〉 Aethelâ—ed tho' this league of friendship was soon broke for so great a respect and honour could not restrain that barbarous foreigner from his usual rapines i 3 From thence it runneth down and receives from the East a brook passing by Bullingdon in whose parish is a place called Tibury-hill and contains a square field by estimation 10 acres ditch'd about in some places deeper than other wherein hath been found tokens of Wells and about which the Plough-men have found square-stones and Roman coins as they report for the place I have not seen From hence this river runs near Whorwel where Queen Aelfrith built a Monastery to expiate her heinous crime in vowing to kill King Edward her son-in-law and to atone for the murder of her former Husband the noble Earl Athelwold whom King Edgar upon an invitation to go a hunting did here murder because he had put a trick upon him in his love-intreagues and had by ill arts obtain'd from him this Lady Aelfrith who was the greatest beauty of her age After this the Test takes in another small stream call'd Wallop â—allâ—p or rather Wellop that is if we interpret it from our own ancient language a little fountain on the side of a hill which gives name to the ancient family of Wallops Knights who live near it Hence the river runs in search of Brige â—ge or Brage an ancient town by Antoninus plac'd 9 miles from the old Sorbiodunum at which distance between Salisbury and Winchester not far from its own banks it finds a small country village call'd Broughton and if the old Brage was not at this place I am of opinion that it was entirely demolish'd when William the Conquerour converted these parts into the forest before mention'd Next Rumsey â—umsey in Saxon Rumseg where King Edgar built a Nunnery the Church whereof is still standing is visited by this river 4 Out of the which Mary daughter to King Stephen being there Abbess and his only heir surviving was convey'd secretly by Matthew of Alsace son to the Earl of Flanders and to him married But after she had born to him two Daughters was enforced by Sentence of the Church to return hither again according to her vow which presently falls into South-hampton-bay at the Vadum Arundinis as Bede calls it which he interprets Redford but now from the bridge where the ford was instead of Redford 't is call'd Redbridge â—dbridge where in the infancy of the Saxon-Church stood a Monastery whereof one Cymberth was Abbot and baptised as Bede tells us two young Brothers of Arvandus petty King of the Isle of Wight just before they were to be murdered for when Cedwalla the Saxon invaded that Island these two boys made their escape and hid themselves at a little town called ad Lapidem till being betrayed they were killed at the command of Cedwalla If you ask where this little town ad Lapidem stood I should guess that 't was Stoneham a small village next to Redbridge as the name it self seems to prove very naturally The other river which runs on the east-side of South-hampton seems to have been call'd Alre for a market town on the banks of it not far from the lake out of which it rises is now call'd Alresford i.e. the ford of Arle Which place to use the words of an old Register of the Church of Winchester the religious K. Kinewalc with great devotion gave to the Church of Winchester after he had receiv'd the Christian Sacraments from Bishop Birinus at the beginning of Christianity in those parts In the year 1220. A book of waverly Monastery Godfrey Lucy Bishop of Winchester renew'd the market here and call'd the place New-market perhaps in respect of the old Alresford that lies near it But this new name did not last long with the people in whose power lies the use of words and names Nigh this place lies Tichborn Tichborn of which I must not omit to mention that it has given name to an eminent and ancient family On the western bank of this river lies the famous city of the British Belgae which Ptolemy and Antoninus call'd g From whence the Bishop of Winchester is in our Histories very often call'd Ventanus and Wentanus Venta Belgarum Venta Belgarum the Britains to this day Caer Gwent the old Saxons As also Winteceaster Winceaster Wincester Wintancester the Latin Writers commonly Wintonia and we Wintchester Wintchester Yet there are some Writers who pretend that this was the Venta Simenorum and give Bristol the honour of being the Venta Belgarum but that there was no such People as the Simeni in this Island I shall prove when I come to the Iceni In the mean time if they would confirm this their conjecture by seeking any where else for the towns which Antoninus places near to this Venta let them be as accurate as they can they will find nothing to their purpose The original of Venta some fetch from Ventus others from Vinum and again others from Wina a Bishop * Qui bonae menti litarent who might be asham'd of such trifling derivations I should rather subscribe to the opinion of our country-man Leland who derives the word from the British Guin or Guen that is white as if it signified Caer Gwin the White City And why should it not since from this same colour the old Latins gave name to the cities Alba Longa and Alba Regia the Greeks to Leuca Leucas and other places For this Venta as also two other towns of the same name Venta Silurum and Venta Icenorum is situate in a soil of Chalk and whitish Clay This city no doubt was very famous in the Roman times k for it is here the Roman Emperors seem to have had their †Textrina sua sacra Imperial Weaving-shops this city being the chief of all the British Ventae and lying nearest Italy For in the Notitia there is mention made of a Procurator or Governour of the Cynegium Ventense or Bentense
Anderida sylva so nam'd from Anderida the next adjoyning city took up in this quarter 120 miles in length and 30 in breadth memorable for the death of Sigebert a King of the West-Saxons who being depos'd b In a place call'd Pryfetes flodan Aethelwerd l. 2. c. 17. was here stabb'd to death by a Swine-herd It has many little rivers but those that come from the north-side of the County presently bend their course to the sea and are therefore unable to carry vessels of burden It is full of Iron-mines everywhere Iron for the casting of which there are Furnaces up and down the Country and abundance of wood is yearly spent many streams are drawn into one chanel and a great deal of meadow-ground is turned into Ponds and Pools for the driving of Mills by the * Suo impetu flashes which beating with hammers upon the iron fill the neighbourhood round about night and day with their noise But the iron here wrought is not everywhere of the same goodness yet generally more brittle than the Spanish whether it be from it's nature or tincture and temper Nevertheless the Proprietors of the mines by casting of Cannon and other things get a great deal of money But whether the nation is any ways advantag'd by them is a doubt the next age will be better able to resolve Neither doth this County want Glass-houses Glass but the glass here made by reason of the matter or making I know not which is not so clear and transparent and therefore only us'd by the ordinary sort of people b This whole County as to it 's Civil partition is divided into 6 parts which by a peculiar term they call Rapes that is of Chichester Arundell Brembre Lewes Pevensey and Hastings every one of which besides their Hundreds has a Castle River and Forest of it 's own But c In the Map the Rapes are now duely distinguish'd and divided forasmuch as I have little knowledge of the limits within which they are bounded I design to take my way along the shore from west to east for the inner parts scatter'd here and there with villages have scarce any thing worth mentioning In the very confines of Hamshire and this County stands Bosenham Boseham commonly call'd Boseham environ'd round about with woods and the sea together where as Bede saith Dicul a Scotch Monk had a very small Cell and 5 or 6 Brothers living poorly and serving God which was a long time after converted into a private retreat for K. Harold From which place as he once in a little Pinnace made to sea for his recreation he was by a sudden turn of the wind driven upon the coast of France and there detain'd till he had by oath assur'd the Kingdom of England unto William of Normandy after the death of K. Edw. the Confessor by which means he presently drew upon himself his own ruin and the kingdom's overthrow But with what a subtle double meaning that cunning catcher of syllables Earl Godwin's double meaning Godwin Earl of Kent this Harold's Father got this place and deluded the Archbishop by captious wrestings of letters Walter Mapes who liv'd not many years after shall in his own very words inform you out of his book de Nugis Curialium This Boseham underneath Chichester says he Godwin saw and had a mind to and being accompanied with a great train of Lords comes smiling and jesting to the Archbishop of Canterbury whose town it then was My Lord says he give me * Alluding perhaps to Basium a Kiss in times past us'd in doing homage Boseam The Archbishop wondring what he demanded by that question I give you says he Boseam He presently with his company of Knights and Soldiers fell down as he had before design'd at his feet and kissing them with a world of thanks retires to Boseham and by force of arms kept possession as Lord of it and having his followers as Witnesses to back him gave the Archbishop a great many commendations as the Donor in the King's presence and so held it peaceably Afterwards as we read in Testa de Nevil which was an Inquisition of lands made in K. John's time King William who afterwards conquer'd England gave this to William Fitz-Aucher and his heirs in fee-farm paying out of it yearly into the Exchequer 40 pounds of silver d See in Wiltshire under the title Old Salisbury try'd and weigh'd and afterwards William Marshall held it as his inheritance Chichester Chichester in British Caercei in Saxon Cissanceaster in Latin Cicestria stands in a Plain farther inwards upon the same arm of the sea with Boseham a pretty large city and wall'd about built by Cissa the Saxon the second King of this Province taking also it 's name from him For Cissan-ceaster is nothing else but the City of Cissa whose father Aella was the first Saxon that here erected a kingdom Yet before the Norman conquest it was of little reputation noted only for St. Peter's Monastery and a little Nunnery But in the reign of William 1. as appears by Domesday book there were in it 100 Hagae and it was in the hands of Earl Roger †De 〈◊〉 Gomâ—rice i.e. of Montgomery and there are in the said place 60 houses more than there were before It paid 15 pound to the King and 10 to the Earl Afterwards when in the reign of the said William 1. it was ordain'd that the Bishops Sees should be translated out of little towns to places of greater note and resort this city being honour'd with the Bishop's residence which was before at Selsey began to flourish Not many years after Bishop Ralph built there a Cathedral Church which before it was fully finish'd was by a casual fire suddenly burnt down Notwithstanding by his endeavours and K. Hen. 1.'s liberality it was raised up again and now besides the Bishop has a Dean a Chaunter a Chancellor a Treasurer 2 Archdeacons and 30 Prebendaries At the same time the city began to flourish and had certainly been much frequented and very rich had not the haven been a little too far off and less commodious which nevertheless the citizens are about making more convenient by digging a new canal It is wall'd about in a circular form and is wash'd on every side except the north by the e The course of this river's stream is very unaccountable sometimes being quite dry but at other times and that very often too in the midst of Summer it is so full as to run very violently little river Lavant having 4 gates opening to the 4 quarters of the world from whence the streets lead directly and run cross in the middle where the market is kept and where Bishop Robert Read built a fine stone Piazza As for the castle which stood not far from the north gate it was anciently the seat of the Earls of Arundel who from hence wrote themselves Earls of Chichester Earls of
part I think he has no occasion for an Apology but if he had his performance in other places where the Original comes up to the just Rules of Poetry would make it for him Of all in the Book the Wedding of Tame and Isis seems to run in the best vein whether we look upon the Smoothness the Thought or the Composition Who the Author of it was is not certainly known but if we should fix upon Mr. Camden himself perhaps there would be no occasion for a second conjecture One argument is because he never names the Author whereas he could not but know him when the Poem was publish'd in his own time Then if we compare the subject of it with what he has said of the several places it touches upon we shall find them to be much the same Very often also upon the mention of that fancy about the Tamisis being deriv'd from the meeting of Tame and Isis he seems to be pleas'd with it more than ordinary And which in my opinion puts it beyond all exception he never quotes the Poem with any the least commendation but always ushers it in with a sort of coldness Now this is by no means agreeable to Mr. Camden's temper who is always careful to allow every thing its just character Let it be a Monkish Rhyme he never omits to mention it favourably if there appears the least dram of wit or if it has nothing of that to recommend it he 'l endeavour to excuse it and tell you 'T is tolerable for the age he liv'd in By this rule one may be sure that such a Poem should never have pass'd without a particular mark of honour if Mr. Camden himself had not been so nearly concern'd in it but so far is he from approving it that he brings it in with a sort of caution or rather contempt Pag. 147 Let it not be thought troublesome to run over these Verses P. 157. If you can relish them P. 324. If you vouchsafe to read them P. 241 264. You may read or omit them as you please Expressions becoming Mr. Camden's modesty when he speaks of himself but very unlike his candour in the characters of other men and their works The Maps are all new engrav'd either according to Surveys never before publish'd or according to such as have been made and printed since Saxton and Speed Where actual Surveys could be had they were purchas'd at any rate and for the rest one of the best Copies extant was sent to some of the most knowing Gentlemen in each County with a request to supply the defects rectifie the positions and correct the false spellings And that nothing might be wanting to render them as complete and accurate as might be this whole business was committed to Mr. Robert Morden a person of known abilities in these matters who took care to revise them to see the slips of the Engraver mended and the corrections return'd out of the several Counties duly inserted Upon the whole we need not scruple to affirm that they are by much the fairest and most correct of any that have yet appear'd And as for an error here and there whoever considers how difficult it is to hit the exact Bearings and how the difference of miles in the several parts of the Kingdom perplex the whole may possibly have occasion to wonder there should be so few Especially if he add to these inconveniencies the various Spellings of Places wherein it will be impossible to please all till men are agreed which is the right I have heard it observ'd by a very Intelligent Gentleman that within his memory the name of one single place has been spell'd no less than five several ways Thus much of the Work For the Vndertakers I must do them this piece of justice to tell the world that they spar'd neither pains nor expence so they might contribute to the perfection of the Book and the satisfaction of the Curious That they have fail'd in point of time was occasion'd chiefly by the Additions which are much larger than either they at first intended or any one could reasonably expect from the Proposals A Glossary had been added but that Mr. Camden himself has made it needless by explaining the more obscure Words as he had occasion to mention them A Catalogue of the Seats of the Nobility was also design'd but upon second thoughts was judg'd unnecessary because the greatest part of them have their place in the body of the Book ADVERTISEMENT There are now in the Press and will speedily be publish'd A Compleat History of England written by several hands of approv'd ability containing the Lives of all the Kings their Effigies engraven in Copper several Coins Medals Inscriptions c. for illustration of matters of fact A Map of England noting the Battels Sieges and remarkable places mention'd in the History And at the end large Index's and a Glossary explaining all difficult words and terms of art occurring in the work The whole to be contain'd in two Volumes in folio the first whereof will be publish'd in Trinity-Term 1695. A more particular account of this Work may be seen in the Proposals for printing this Book by Subscription to be had of the Undertakers R. Chiswell B. Aylmer A. Swall c. Booksellers in London as also of all other Booksellers in London and the Country A new Volume of du Pin's History of Ecclesiastical Writers being the History of the Controversies and other Ecclesiastical Affairs transacted in the Church during the Ninth Century English'd with great care Will be speedily publish'd by A. Swall and T. Child Books lately printed for A. Swall and T. Child at the Unicorn in St. Paul s Church-yard Viz. A New History of the Lives and Writings of the Primitive Fathers and other Ecclesiastical Writers together with an exact Catalogue also an Abridgment of all their Works and an account of their various Editions together with a Judgment upon their Stile and Doctrine and a History of the Councils Written in French by L. E. du Pin and English'd with great Additions In six small Volumes in folio containing the History of the Church and of the Authors that flourish'd from the time of our Saviour to the end of the Eighth Century Theatrum Scotiae containing a short Description and Prospects curiously engraven in Copper as large as the sheet of the Castles Palaces and most considerable Towns and Colleges as also the remains of many ancient Churches and Monasteries of the Kingdom of Scotland Written by John Sleezer Captain of the Artillery Company and Surveyor of His Majesty's Stores in that Kingdom and printed in Folio on Royal Paper T. Lucretii Cari de Rerum Natura Libri sex quibus Interpretationem Notas addidit Thom. Creech Col. Omn. anim Soc. cui etiam accessit Index Vocabulor omnium 8o. BOOKS lately printed for A. and J. Churchil in Pater-noster-Row BUchanan's Chronicle of the Kings of Scotland Folio Mr. Locke of Human Understanding Fol.
of all the flowers I could meet with in the garden of Eloquence But why should they object this when Cicero the father of Eloquence deny'd that such a subject as this could 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. bear a flourish which as Pomponius said is not a proper subject for Rhetorick Many perhaps will fall foul on me for daring to trace the original of ancient Names by guess only who if they will admit of no conjecture I fear at length must exclude the best part of polite Learning and in that a good part of human Knowledge for the mind of man is so shallow that we are forc'd to explain and follow some things in all Arts by guess In Physick there are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Symptoms Tokens and Signs which in reality are but conjectures In Rhetorick Civil Law and other Sciences there is an establish'd allowance for Supposition But since Conjectures are the signs of somewhat that lies hid and are as Fabius says the directors of Reason to the truth I always accounted them the Engines with which Time is wont to draw up Truth from the bottom of Democritus's Well But if they will admit of any conjectures at all I doubt not but my cautiousness and moderation in the use of them will easily procure favour Plato in his Cratilus would have us trace the original of Names down to barbarous tongues as being the most ancient and accordingly in all my Etymologies and Conjectures I have had recourse to the British or as 't is now call'd the Welsh tongue which was spoken by the first and most ancient Inhabitants of this Country He would have the name of every thing to agree with the thing it self if it disagree I give it no admittance There is says he in things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sound a Form a Colour if these are not in the word I reject it with contempt As for obscure Etymologies strain'd far-fetch'd and variously applicable I thought them not worthy to be inserted in this book In short I have been so cautious and frugal of my conjectures that unless I mistake to an impartial Reader if I seem not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. lucky in my adventures I shall not seem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i e. too forward in adventuring And tho' in so much scope I have sometimes made two conjectures upon one and the same thing yet in the mean time I do not forget that Unity is the sacred band of Truth There are those 't is probable who will stomach it at a great rate that I have taken no notice of this or that Family when 't was never my design to mention any but the best nor all of those neither for they would swell into Volumes but only those that lay in the way and method I propoâ—'d for finishing this work Yet in another place I hope by God's permission to do somewhat of this kind for the honour of the English Nobility But whoever takes it so hainously may probably be of the number of those who have been the least serviceable to their Country and who claim their nobility from a modern date The same persons it may be will condemn me for commending some who are living but I have done it briefly with moderation and an assurance of their merit from a Reputation establish'd by the consent of the discerning world and not from a principle of flattery Yet from that commendation I have given them they themselves are admonish'd that their behaviour be not disagreeable to the end that they may not only support but encrease their character Posterity whatever Writers commit to Paper will do justice to every one in their Characters and to them I appeal from this present age In the mean while let them remember that to praise the Good is but to hang out a light to those that come after us for 't is a true saying of Symmachus Imitation receives encouragement from the promotion of the Good and an aemulation to virtuous Actions is rais'd by the example of another's Honour If any one says that I have sought occasion to mention and commend this or that person I am ready to confess it for it is not criminal to use the Good with a due respect and we ought to have some grains of allowance for the good deserts of our Friends But which way soever it comes about Virtue and Honour have always enemies to encounter and men generally express a veneration for what is past and vent their spleen at what is present Far be it from me that I should be so partial a Judge of Men and Manners as to think our age under the government of such great Princes barren of men of worth and character but those who grudge the Virtuous a good name I fear may complain that they themselves are pointed at by a similitude of manners in the discredit and scandal of the bad Some will accuse me of leaving out this or that little Town or Castle as if I had design'd to take notice of any besides the most famous and ancient nor could it have been worth while to have mention'd them since nothing's memorable in them but their bare Names For that which I first propos'd to my self was to search out and illustrate those places which Caesar Tacitus Ptolemy Antoninus Augustus Provinciarum Notitia and other ancient Writers have recorded the names whereof Time has either lost chang'd or corrupted in search of which I neither confidently affirm what is uncertain nor conceal what is probable But I would not have it laid to my charge that I have not hit upon all tho' I have been at the expence and trouble of making an industrious enquiry any more than it is objected to the Miner that in digging whilst he traces out the greater veins of metal he overlooks the smallest and hidden ones Or to borrow that saying of Columella As in a great Wood 't is the business of a keen Huntsman to take what game he can upon the haunt nor was it ever laid to any one as a fault that he did not take all The same may be said for me Somewhat must be left for the Labours of other men Nor is he a good Teacher says a great man who teaches every thing and leaves nothing for the invention of others Another age a new race of men will produce somewhat new successively 'T is enough for me to have broke the Ice and I have gain'd my ends if I have set others about the same work whether it be to write more or amend what I have written There are some I hear who take it ill that I have mention'd Monasteries and their Founders I am sorry to hear it but not to give them any just offence let 'em be angry if they will Perhaps they would have it forgotten that our Ancestors were and we are Christians since there never were more certain indications and glorious monuments of Christian piety
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Near the great pillars on the farthest land The old Iberians haughty souls command Along the Continent where Northern Seas Rowl their vast tides and in cold billows rise Where British nations in long tracts appear And fair-skinn'd Germans ever fam'd in war For these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where Britains seem to have respect to those other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Eustathius who wrote a Comment upon him thinks the Britains in Gaul to be here meant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are his words and of these Britains the Isles of Britain over against them took their denomination But Avienus and Stephanus in his book of Cities are of another opinion Reâ—igâ—on Moreover there was one and the same Religion in both these Nations Among the Britains saith Tacitus you will find in use the Religion of the Gauls and the people possess'd with the same superstitious persuasions The Gauls saith Solinus after a detestable manner to the injury rather than the honour of Religion offer'd human Sacrifices That the Britains did the very same amongst others Dio Cassius assures us in his Nero. That both Nations had also their Druids Drâ—ids appears plainly by Caesar and Tacitus Out of the first I shall here insert an entire place concerning this subject The Druids are present at all divine offices look after all both publick and private sacrifices and interpret the mysteries of religion The youth in great numbers apply themselves to these Druids for education and all people have a great reverence for them For generally in all controversies as well publick as private it is they that make the determination And whenever there is any outrage or murder committed when any suites arise about estates or disputes about bounds all is left to their judgment They appoint rewards and punishments at their discretion If any either private person or body of people abide not by their decree they forbid him the Sacrifices This among them is esteem'd the most grievous of all punishments Those who are thus interdicted are reckon'd the most profligate of mankind all men studiously decline their company and conversation and shun their approach as if they feared some real infection They are excluded from the benefit of the law can sue no man and are uncapable of all honours Amongst all these Druids there is one chief who hath the supream authority Upon his death his Successor is some one that hath the best repute amongst them if there be any such but if there be several of equal worth and merit he succeeds by the election of the Druids Sometimes the sword decides which party shall carry it These Druids at a set time every year have a general assembly in the territories of the Carnutes that lyes about the midst of Gaul in a certain place consecrated to that purpose Hither resort from all parts such as have any controversies depending and are wholly determin'd by the Druids Å¿ The Britains and Gauls having the same Religion does plainly argue an Alliance as Mr. Camden urges but if the discipline of the Druids so considerable both for religion and Government were as Caesar observes first found in Britain and thence convey'd into Gaul does it not seem to intimate that Britain must have been peopled before Gaul as having by longer experience arrived at a more compleat scheme of religion and government Besides if our Island had been peopled from Gaul would it not look probable to say they must bring along with them the religion and discipline of the place This sort of religious profession is thought to have been first in Britain and from thence carry'd over into Gaul And even now those that desire throughly to be instructed in their mysteries for the most part travel into Britain The Druids are exempt from all military duties nor do they pay tribute like the rest of the people And as they are excused from serving in the wars so are they also from all other troublesome charges whatsoever These great privileges are a cause that they have many disciples some address themselves to be admitted others are sent to them by their parents or kindred There they make them as it is said learn by heart a great number of verses and thus they continue under this discipline for several years not being allow'd by their rules to commit what they are taught to writing although almost in all other their affairs both publick and private they make use of the t But from hence we must not conclude that they had any knowledge of the Greek tongue Nay Caesar himself when he writ to Quintus Cicero besieg'd at that time somewhere among the Nervians penn'd his Letter in Greek lest it should be intercepted and so give intelligence to the Enemy Which had been but a poor projâ—ct if the Druids who were the great Ministers of State had been masters of the language The learned Selden is of opinion that the word Graecis has crept into the copies and is no part of the original And it was natural enough for Caesar in his observations of the difference between the management of their discipline and their other affairs to say in general that in one they made use of letters and not in the other without specifying any particulars Greek Character This rule they have settl'd amongst them I suppose for two reasons First because they would not have the vulgar made acquainted with their mysterious learning and next because they would have their scholars use and exercise their memories and not trust to what they have in writing as we see it often happen that when men rely too much upon that help both their diligence in learning and care in retaining do equally abate One of the principal points they teach is the Immortality and Transmigration of Souls And this doctrine removing the fear of death they look upon as most proper to excite their courage They also make discourses to their Scholars concerning the stars and their motions concerning the magnitude of the heaven and the earth the nature of things and the power and majesty of the immortal Gods Whereupon Lucan thus addresses himself to them Et vos barbaricos ritus moremque sinistrum Sacrorum Druidae positis repetistis ab armis Solis nosse Deos coeli sydera vobis Aut solis nescire datum Nemora alta remotis Incolitis lucis vobis authoribus umbrae Non tacitas Erebi sedes Ditisque profundi Pallida regna petunt Regit idem spiritus artus Orbe alio longae canitis si cognita vitae Mors media est Certe populi quos despicit Arctos Foelices errore suo quos ille timorum Maximus haud urget lethi metus inde ruendi In ferrum mens prona viris animaeque capaces Mortis ignavum est rediturae parcere vitae And you O Druids free from noise and arms Renew'd your barbarous rites and horrid charms What Gods what Powers
had the same original though their initials be different Leanes from whence came originally that name of Lean-minster now Lemster a very ancient Nunnery among the Britains The Gauls saith Polybius called their mercenary soldiers in their own language Gaessatae Gaessatae And the Britains at this day call their hired Servants i Gwâs a Servant Gwesin a petty Servant Guessin Servius tells us that valiant men were by the Gauls called Gessi Gessi and k Guâsdewr signifies a stout Servant Guassdewr among the Britains signifieth a stout and valiant man Hither also may be referred Gesum Gesum which was a weapon proper to the Gauls as Pilum was to the Romans and Framea to the Germans But of this by and by As Phalanx was the proper Name of a Legion among the Macedonians so was Caterva Caterva among the Gauls as you may see in Vegetius Nor is this word yet out of date among our Britains who term a Troop l Catyrva or Katerva at this day denotes in British an infinite number but formerly 't is probable it signified a vast army for Kâd does not imply war in general but a set battle and Kadarn is strong Caturfa and war they call Kad and that warlike strength that lies in a Legion Kaderne It is read too Caterna in some Copies of Vegetius To this Kad may not improperly be referr'd Cateia Cateia also which was a sort of warlike weapon among the Gauls as you have it in Isidore m Concerning Gâ—ssa Rheda Covinus Essedum Cateia Brachae Petoritum words alledg'd by Mr. Camden to confirm his opinion see more in Vossius de Vitiis Serm. lib. 1. c. 2. and 3. Gessa Gessa a Gaulish weapon Servius interprets a Spear or Pike to which the British n This is long since obsolete But if it ever was the same with the Gaulish Ges we must suppose it a compound from Kerh a word that might signifie a Dart or Spear and Ulw hot embers Cethilou seems to be akin and that according to Ninnius's exposition signifies stakes burnt at the ends as also a warlike seed or generation Pausanias tells us that the Gauls whom Brennus led into Greece call'd that sort of horse-fight which consists of three Horses a breast in their own country language Trimarcia Trimarcia For an horse saith he was among the Gauls called Marca Now this is absolutely a British word For Tri with them signifies three and March a horse In the same Book Pausanias writeth that the Gauls cal'd their own Country Shields Thireos Thireos which to this day the Britains call Tarian Caesar tells us in his Ephemerides or Journal as we have it from Servius that once being in Gaule taken by the enemy and carry'd away on horseback in his armor they were met by a Gaul that knew him who insultingly cry'd out Cetos Cetos Caesar which in the Gaulish language was as much as to say Let go Caesar Now o Gadwch Gaisar signifies in British Caesarem dimittite as Kedwch or Cedwch Gaisar custodite Caesarem Geduch among the Britains is a word of the same importance Rheda Rheda among the Gauls saith Quintilian is a word of the same signification as Carnea i.e. a Chariot among the Latins This word is not now to be found in the British Tongue but it is apparent that it hath been a British word by these words at this day us'd Rhediad a course p Rhedeg in British Rhedec to run and Redecfa a race Now that all these words came originally from Rheda is beyond dispute Nor should I think it an absurdity to deduce Eporedia Eporidia the name of a City among the Salassi from the same original since Pliny saith it took its name from Horsetamers There was also another sort of Chariot that was much us'd in both nations both call'd by one name Covinus Covinus and the driver of it Covinarius And tho' both this word is lost and that sort of Chariot too yet the Primitive thereof if I may so say remains still amongst our Britains in whose language the word Kowain signifies q To carry corn from the fields to the barn to carry in a Wagon Essedum Essedum was also a Gaulish Wagon or rather as Chariot fitted for the wars which Propertius as well a Caesar attributes to the Britains Esseda caelatis siste Britanna jugis And stop the British Chariots with engraven yokes Circius Circius is a wind by that name very well known to which Augustus Caesar not only vow'd but actually built a Temple in Gaul Now Phavorinus a Gaul by birth declareth in Agellius that word to be of a Gallic original Our Gauls saith he call by the name of Circius that wind which blows upon their own coast and which is the fiercest in all those parts so named I suppose from its blustering and whirling It is certain that this particular wind is more raging and violent than any other Now that Cyrch amongst our modern Britains signifies force and violence r And so Kyrch-wynt would signifie a violent wind but why circ alone should signifie that particular piece of violence there is no reason plainly appears by the Welch Litany From Livy we learn also that the Pennine Alps Penninum by Caesar call'd Summae Alpes as overtopping the rest took that name not from Annibal Paenus i.e. the Carthaginian but from the very highest Mountains thereabouts the top whereof was consecrated and had the name of Penninus given to it by the Mountaineers of Gaul Now the Å¿ And also Promontories tops of Mountains are called Pen by our Britains at this day as for instance t The true writing is Pen maen maur Penmon-maur Pen Pendle Pencoh-cloud Appenninus and u Which is possibly a corruption from Pen y-gwynt which signifies a windy Promontory Pennigent the highest mountains amongst us have all borrow'd their names from this word and so hath also the Appennine in Italy The Cities of Gaul which bordered upon the sea Caesar tells us were by the Gauls nam'd Aremoricae Armoricae with whom our modern Britains agree in applying the same word exactly to the same sense For Armor with them signifies By the sea or Upon the Sea And in the very same notion Strabo calls them in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Reign of the Emperor Dioclesian the Peasants in Gaul raised a rebellion Bachauda and imposed upon their party the name of w They are called by different Authors Bagaudae Vacaudae Bacaudae nor as Salvianus witnesseth did they consist wholly of Country people or Swine-heards but of many of the beâ—ter sort too who being intolerably oppress'd by the Romans were forced to take Arms. See Sammes Brit. p. 64. Baucadae Now Swine-herds and Rusticks are called x It signifies no more than the bellowing of Oxen nor does it appâ—ar that it ever
of the Sheriff's Court issuing out of all pleas as an Earl ought to receive from his County in all things And this is the most ancient Creation-Charter I ever saw Likewise Hen. II. King of England created an Earl in these words Know ye that we have made Hugh Bigod Earl of Norfolk namely of the third penny of Norwie and Norfolk so that no Earl in England shall hold his County more freely Which an ancient Book belonging to Battle-Abbey explains thus It was an ancient custom through all England that the Earls of Counties should have the third penny for their own use from whence they were call'd Comites Earls And another anonymous Author delivers it more distinctly Comitatus is call'd from Comes or else this from the former Now he is Comes an Earl because he enjoys in every County the third part of the profits arising from the Pleas. But yet all Earls do not enjoy them but such only who have them granted by the King hereditarily or personally So that Polidore Virgil as to the custom of the present age delivers this matter right It is a custom in England that titles from Counties shall be disposed of at the pleasure of the Prince even without the possession of such places from whence they derive their title Upon which account the King usually gives to such as have no possessions in the County in lieu of that a certain annual pension out of the Exchequer They were formerly created without any farther ceremony than the bare delivery of the Charter Under Stephen who seiz'd the Crown whilst the Kingdom was embroiled with civil wars there were several who seized the title of Earl whom the History of the Church of Waverly calls * Psâ—udocomites false Earls and imaginary Earls where it tells us how Henry 2. ejected them But King John as far as my observation has carried me was the first that used the girding with a sword Girding with a sword For Roger of Hoveden writes thus King John on his Coronation-day girt William Marshall with the sword of the County of †Penbrochia in other writers Strigulia and Geffry the son of Peter with that of the County of Essex and those tho' they were before that called Earls and had the government of their Counties were not yet girt with the sword of the County but that very day they served at the King's table with their swords on In the following age there was an additional ceremony of putting on a cap with a golden circle which is now changed into a Coronet with rays and a * Trabea honoraria Robe of State Which three namely a sword and a belt a cap with a Coronet and a Robe of State are at this day carried by so many several Earls before him who is to be created and then he is introduced to the King set upon his Throne between two Earls in Robes of State and himself in a †Superâ—unica Surcoat where kneeling up on his knees whilst the Instrument of his Creation is read at these words The same T. we advance create honour prefer to and constitute Earl of S. and accordingly give grant and by the girding of a sword really invest in him the name title state honour authority and dignity of Earl of S. the King puts on him the long robe hangs a sword at his neck puts a Cap with a Coronet upon his head and delivers into his hand the Instrument of his Creation so soon as 't is read But these things do not properly belong to my design But as to a custom now in use that whoever is to be created Earl if he be not a Baron before must first be advanced to the dignity of a Baron it is a new upstart thing and only practised since King Henry the 8th's days Now amongst the Earls or Counts those were by much the most honourable who were called h Of the nature and authority of these Counts Palatine see the additions to Cheshire Counts Palatine Counts Palatine For as the Title of Palatine was a name common to all who had any office in the King's Palace P. Pithaeus so that of Count Palatine was a title of honour conferr'd upon such who were before Palatini with the addition of a Royal authority to judge in their own territory 3 As for the Earl Marshal of England King Richard 2. gave that title first to Thomas Mowbray Earl of Nottingham whereas before they were simply stil'd Marshals of England Pithaeus and after the banishment of Mowbray he granted it to T. Holland Duke of Surrey substituted Earl Marshaâ—â—n his place that he should carry a rod of gold enamelled black at both ends whenas before they used one of wood Hol. After the Earls the VICOUNTS Vicounts follow next in order called in Latin Vice-comites This as to the office is an antient title but as to the dignity but modern for it was never heard of amongst us before Henry the sixth's time 4 Who conferred that title upon J. Lord Beaumont Hol. Amongst the Greater Nobility the BARONS Barons have the next place And here tho' I am not ignorant what the learned write concerning the signification of this word in Cicero yet I am willing to close with the opinion of Isidore and an antient Grammarian who will have Barons to be mercenary Soldiers This that known place of Hirtius in The Alexandrian war seems to make pretty evident It is thus They run to the assistance of Cassius for he always used to have Barons and a good number of Soldiers for sudden occasions with their weapons ready about him Nor is the old Latin and Greek Glossary against us which translates Baro by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man as always in the Laws of the Longobards Baro is used for a man But the etymologies of the name which some have hammered out do not by any means please me The French Heraulds will have Barons to be from Par-hommes in the French that is of equal dignity the English Lawyers as much as to say robora belli the sinews of war some Germans think it is as much as Banner-heirs i.e. Standard-bearers and Isidore to be from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. grave or weighty In hâ—â— Pâ—â—rgâ— Alciatus thinks the name comes from the Berones an antient nation of Spain which he says were formerly stipendiaries but that from the German Bar i.e. a free man pleases me better See Gâ—â—stus pâ—â— The precise time when this name came into our Island I have not discovered the Britains disown it there is not the least mention made of it in the Saxon Laws nor is it reckoned in Alfrick's Saxon Glossary amongst the titles of honour for there Dominus is turned Laford which we have contracted into Lord. Lords And among the Danes the free Lords such as those Barons are at this day were called Thanes and as Andreas Velleius witnesses are still so termed
But when William de Briewer the younger dy'd without issue by partition it fell to Margaret his sister by whose daughter which she bore to William 19 De la Fort. de la Fert it came to the family of the Chaworths or de Cadurcis and from them by inheritance to the Dukes of Lancaster 20 As some lands hereabout by another sister came to Brees and so by Cantalupe to Lord Zouch but the greatest honour it ever had was being made a County by King Hen. 8. upon his creating Henry Daubeney Earl of Bridgewater Earl of Bridge-water ee whose sister and coheir Cecil was marry'd to John Bourchier the first Earl of Bath of that family Below this at a few miles distance the Parret throws it self at a wide mouth into the Severn-Sea call'd as we observ'd before the Aestuarie Uzella Uzella by Ptolemy and by some at this day Evelmouth but by the ancient English g Pedridan-muth in the Saxon Annals Pedredan-muð where as Marianus tells us about the year 845. Ealstan Bishop of Shirburn routed the dispers'd army of the Danes At the same Aestuarie 21 Where we saw Honispell an ancient manour of the Cogans men of great fame in the conquest of Ireland we meet with another river which some call Brius rising out of that spatious wood in the east part of this County call'd by the Britains Coitmaur by the Saxons Selwood Selwood i.e. h See Florence of Worcester p. 317. as Asser interprets it a great wood not far from Pen an inconsiderable village where the God of war seems to have conspir'd the extirpation of the British name i The Danes notwithstanding were too hard for Etheired who encounter'd them here An. 1001. In the adjoyning parish of More there are still the remains of these engagements namely four Camps one whereof particularly having a double ditch appears to have been a Danish work and also the utter ruin of the Danes For Keniwalch the West-Saxon gave the Britains such an entire defeat in this place that they were never after able to make head against them and many ages after in the same place Edmund Ironside had a memorable victory over the Danes whilst he pursu'd from place to place Knute the Dane who had possess'd himself of the kingdom This river first visits Bruiton and gives it that name a place famous for the tombs of the Moions who there built a Monastery 22 Of the Fitz-James and running a long way thro' nothing but small villages with the encrease of a few rivulets it waters some fruitful fields till meeting with a softer soil it in a manner stagnates and makes an island call'd formerly Avalon in British from the apples there afterwards Inis-Witrin i.e. a glassy Island and in the same sense Glastn-ey as in Latin Glasconia A Poet of pretty good antiquity has these verses concerning it Insula pomorum quae fortunata vocatur Ex re nomen habet quia per se singula profert Non opus est illi sulcantibus arva colonis Omnis abest cultus nisi quem natura ministrat Ultro foecundas segetes producit herbas Nataque poma suis praetonso germine sylvis The isle of Apples truly fortunate Where unforc'd goods and willing comforts meet Not there the fields require the rustick's hand But nature only cultivates the land The fertile plains with corn and herbs are proud And golden apples smile in ev'ry wood William of Malmesâ—â—ry's Antiquities of Glassenbury In this 23 Under a great hill rising in great height with a tower thereon which they call the Tor. stood k Concerning the Antiquities of the Church of Glassenbury see Usher's Antiquitates p. 53. fol. the monastery of Glastenbury which is very ancient deriving its original from Joseph of Arimathea the same who bury'd Christ's body and whom Philip the Apostle of the Gauls sent into Britain to preach the Gospel For this is attested both by the most ancient Histories of this Monastery and l That the Treatise of the Antiquities of Avalonia is falsly ascrib'd to S. Patrick Dr. Ryves in his discourse relating to that Saint has evidently prov'd and shewn farther that Patrick was not the Apostle of the Irish an Epistle of S. Patrick the Irish Apostle See the title Romans in britaine who led a monastick life here for 30 years together From hence this place was by our Ancestors call'd The first ground of God the first ground of the Saints in England the rise and fountain of all Religion in England the burying-place of the Saints the mother of the Saints and that it was built by the very Disciples of our Lord. Nor is there any reason why we should call this in question since I have before shewn that the Christian Religion in the very infancy of the Church was preach'd in this Island and since Treculphus Lexoviensis has told us that this Philip brought barbarous nations bordering upon darkness and living upon the sea-coasts to the light of knowledge and haven of faith But to return to the Monastery and inform our selves out of Malmesbury's little treatise upon that subject When that small ancient Church founded by Joseph was wasted away with age Devi Bishop of S. David's built a new one in that place And when time had worn that out too twelve men coming from the north of Britain repair'd it but at length King Ina who founded a school at Rome for the education of the English youth and to maintain that as also to distribute alms at Rome tax'd every single house in the kingdom one penny pull'd this down An. 698. and built m It was afterwards the See of Savaricus Bâ—shop of Bâ—the See Hoveden p. 450. that stately Church dedicated to Christ S. Peter and S. Paul Just under the roof whereof round it he order'd these verses to be writ These verses with a very little alteration are in the 4th book of Venantius Fortunatus his Poems partly in praise of the Church at Paris and partly of that of Nantes Syderei montes speciosa cacumina Sion A Libano geminae flore comante cedri Coelorum portae lati duo lumina mundi Ore tonat Paulus fulgurat arce Petrus Inter Apostolicas radianti luce coronas Doctior hic monitis celsior ille gradu Corda per hunc hominum reserantur astra per illum Quos docet iste stylo suscipit ille polo. Pandit iter coeli hic dogmate clavibus alter Est via cui Paulus janua fida Petrus Hic Petra firma manens ille Architectus habetur Surgit in his templum quo placet ara Deo Anglia plaude lubens mittit tibi Roma salutem Fulgor Apostolicus Glasconiam irradiat A facie hostili duo propugnacula surgunt Quod fidei turreis urbs caput orbis habet Haec pius egregio Rex Ina refertus amore Dona suo populo non moritura dedit Totus in
amongst which is a pulpit of stone and a Chappel wherein they say that Jordan Companion to St. Austin the English Apostle was bury'd but 't is now a free-school This place not to mention the private houses is beautify'd on all sides with publick and stately buildings On one side with a Collegiate Church call'd Gaunts from its founder Sir Henry Gaunt Knight who quitting the affairs of this world here dedicated himself to God now by the munificence of T. Carre a wealthy citizen it is converted into a Hospital for Orphans On the other side over against it are two Churches dedicated to St. Austin the one but small and a Parish-Church the other larger and the Bishop's Cathedral adorn'd by King Henry 8. with six Prebendaries Now the greatest part of it is pull'd down and the College gate which indeed is curiously built has this Inscription REX HENRICVS II. ET DOMINVS ROBERTVS FILIVS HARDINGI FILII REGIS DACIAE HVIVS MONASTERII PRIMI FVNDATORES EXTITERVNT That is King Henry 2. and Lord Robert the son of Harding son to the King of Denmark were the first founders of this Monastery This Robert 42 Call'd by the Normans Fitz Harding Harding's son of the blood-roâ—al of Denmark was an Alderman of Bristol and was so great with King Henry 43 The second that by his favour Maurice his son marry'd the daughter of the Lord de Barkley from whence his posterity Barons of Barkley who flourish'd in great state are to this day call'd Barons of Barkley Register of the Monastery some whereof are bury'd in this Church aa From hence where the Avon runs are high rocks on both sides the river as if Nature had industriously design'd them One of these which hangs over the river on the east-side is call'd S. Vincent's and is so stock'd with Diamonds British Diamonds that one may get whole bushels of them But the great plenty lessens their true value among us for besides that by their transparency they even vie with those from the Indies they do not yield to them in any respect save hardness but their being smooth'd and fil'd by nature into six or four corners does in my mind render them more admirable bb The other rock on the western bank is likewise full of Diamonds which by a wonderful artifice of nature are contain'd in hollow reddish flints for the ground here is red as if they were big with young The Avon after it has pass'd by these rocks is at last with a full channel unloaded into the Severn-Aestuary cc It remains now that I reckon up the Earls and Dukes of this County of Somerset Earls and Dukes of Somerset The first Earl of Somerset is said to have been William de Mohun or Moion the same probably that b Vid. Hist Matth. Paris Minor Maud the Empress in her Charter whereby she created William de Mandevil Earl of Essex makes use of as a witness under the name of Comes W. de Moion i.e. Earl W. de Moion From this time there occurs no distinct mention of the Earls of Somerset unless it be in this Rescript of King Hen. 3. Patents an 1 Hen. 3. to Peter de Mawley which I will set down in order to incite others to spend their judgments upon it Know ye that we have receiv'd the homage of our belov'd Uncle William Earl of Sarum for all the lands which he holds of us especially for the County of Somerset which we have given to him with all the Appurtenances for homage and service reserving still to our selves the Royalties and therefore we command you that you grant him a full seisin of the said County with all it's Appurtenances and for the future not to intermeddle with any thing belonging to the said County c. And we charge all our Earls Barons Knights and Freetenents of the County of Somerset that they pay Fealty and Homage to the said Earl with reserve only of fidelity to the King and that for the future they be obedient and answerable to him as their Lord. Whether one may from hence conclude that he was Earl of Somerset as also of Devonshire for he writ too in the same words to Robert Courtney concerning this William I leave to the judgment of others Under this Henry 3. as we read in a Book in French belonging to the family of the Mohuns Knights 't is said that Pope Innocent on a solemn festival made Reginald Mohun Earl of Este i.e. as our Author interprets it of Somerset delivering him a golden Rose and granting an annual pension to be paid yearly at the altar of S. Paul's in London So that this man seems not so much to have been properly Earl as Apostolical Earl An Apostolical Eâ—â—â— for so such were term'd in that age who were created by the Pope as those created by the Emperour Imperial Earls having a power of licensing Notaries and Scribes making Bastards legitimate c. under some certain conditions A considerable time after John de Beaufort natural son to John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster by Catharine Swinford See the Earls of Dorset being with his brothers and sister made legitimate by K. Richard 2. by the assent of Parliament was advanc'd to the honour of Earl of Somerset and afterwards created Marquess of Dorset but was presently depriv'd of that honour by Henry 4. and had only the title of Somerset left him He had three sons Henry Earl of Somerset who dy'd young John created by K. Henry 5. first Duke of Somerset who had an only daughter Margaret mother to K. Henry 7. and Edmund who succeeded his brother in the Dukedom and was for some time Regent of France But being recall'd he was accus'd of having lost Normandy upon which account he suffer'd many indignities from the people and in that lamentable war between the two houses of Lancaster and York was slain in the first battle of S. Albans Henry his son succeeded him who being a time-server and one while siding with the house of York another with the house of Lancaster was by the York-party taken prisoner in the battle of Hexam and had his levity punish d with the loss of his head And his brother Edmund who succeeded him in this honour the last Duke of Somerset of this family after the defeat of the Lancastrian party at Tewksbury was dragg'd being all over blood out of the Church wherein he had taken Sanctuary and beheaded The legitimate heirs male of this family being thus extinct first Henry 7. honour'd Edmund his young son with this title who soon after dy'd and next Henry 8. his natural son Henry Fitz-Roy who dying without issue Edward 6. invested 44 Sir Edward c. Edward de Sancto Mauro commonly call'd Seimor with the same who being full of Honours and as it were loaded with Titles for he was Duke of Somerset Earl of Hertford Viscount Beauchamp Baron of S. Maur Uncle to the King Governour to
which gives name to the house called Broke situated upon it Baron Brooâ—e This house was heretofore the seat of John Pavely Lord of the Hundred of Westbury and afterward gave the title of Baron to Rob. Willoughby because by the Cheneys he was descended from the family of Pavely when K. Henry 7. created him Peer of the realm of which King he was a great favourite and by him as it is reported made 9 Steward of his house and c. for some time Lord high Admiral For which reason he gave the r The Rudder is painted in several glass-windows of his house rudder of a ship for his Cognizance as Pompey the Admiral of the Roman Navy stamp'd the stern on his medals But this family was soon extinct for he left but one son Robert Baron Brook who had by his first wife a son call'd Edward who dy'd in his father's life-time and left one daughter afterwards married to Sir Fulk Grevil by his second wife he had two daughters by whom this rich estate came to the Marquess of Winchester and the Lord Montjoy Not far from hence toward the east lies Edindon Edindâ—â— heretofore Eathandune where K. Alfred won the most glorious victory that ever was obtained over the ravaging Danes and drove them to that extremity that they solemnly swore immediately to depart the land In this place also William de Edindon Bishop of Winchester a great favourite of K. Edw. 3. who was born here and from hence took his sirname founded a College for Canons call'd Bonhommes k Upon a hill a little above on the same rivulet stands Trubridge in old time Truþabrig that is Trubâ—â— a strong or true bridge But for what reason it had this name does not at all appear Now it is very noted for the Clothing-trade and shews the ruines of Å¿ The Castle says Leland stood on the south side of the town it is now clean down There was in it seven great towers whereof some pieces of two of them yet stand c. The Earls of Sarum were Lords of Thoroughbridge then the Dukes of Lancaster and now the Earl of Hertford So he The Court of the Dutchy of Lancaster for this County is annually held in this town about Michaelmas a Castle which belongeth to the Dutchy of Lancaster 11 And sometime to the Earl of Salisbury l The Avon being encreas'd by this river watereth Bradford â—radford in old time Bradanford call'd so from the Broad ford which standeth on the side of a hill and is built all of stone where a bloody battel was fought in the Civil wars between Kenilwachius K. of the West-Saxons â—n 652. and Cuthred his Kinsman Here the Avon leaveth Wiltshire and entreth into Somersetshire running toward the Bath m From hence the west limit of this Shire goes directly southward n by Longleat â—ongleat the well-contriv'd and splendid house 12 In a foul soil which c. tho' more than once damnified by fire 13 Hath risen eftsoons more fair of the Knightly family of the Thinnes descended from the Boteviles o Maiden-bradley â—aiden-â—radley so named because t This is a vulgar Fable the Hospital being built long before the division of that estate among daughters See the Additions to Worcestershire under the title Kidderminster one of the daughters and heiresses of Manasser Bisset a famous man in his time being her self a Leper built a Hospital here for leprous maids and endowed it with her inheritance her father had founded a Priory here u In the reign of K. Stephen before Stourton â—rons of â—ourton 〈◊〉 Hen. 6. the seat of the Barons of Stourton who were dignified with this title by K. Henry 6. w This is a mistake for Sir W. Stourton marry'd Elizabeth heiress to Sir John Moigne long before Hen. 6.'s time viz. 21 Ric. 2. See Sir William Dugdale's Baronage at which time a very great estate accru'd to them by a marriage with the heiress of the family of Le Moign or Monk not Mohun as some have erroneously thought and from thence their Crest is a Demi-Monk with a penitential whip in his hand The town took its name from the river Stour which riseth here out of six fountains between which proper the Stourtons Lords of this place bear for their Arms a Bend Or in a field sable By the foresaid Maiden-Bradley glides a rivulet call'd Dever-ril â—ver because like Anas in Spain and the Mole in Surry which took their names from thence x There is nothing at present to be heard of any such diving river it diveth under the earth and a mile off riseth up again and hasteneth to Verlucio â—erlucio a very ancient town mentioned by Antoninus the Emperor in his Itinerary which name it hath not yet quite lost being call'd Werminster â—erminster a compound of that old name and the Saxon word Minster which signifieth a Monastery Heretofore it had great privileges for it is recorded in the book which William the Conqueror caused to be made that nec geldavit nec hidata fuit that is it paid no tribute Now it is only famous for a great y Kept on Saturdays Corn-market and indeed it is scarce credible what quantities of Corn are every week carried hither and presently sold 14 But for remnants of Roman Antiquities I could discover none here only on the East side are seen some trenches upon the Hills and on the West a natural round and high cop'd hill called Clay-hill p From this place toward the south north and east all along the middle of the Shire the Downs are so wide that there can scarce be any bounds discover'd from whence they are call'd the Plains â—sbury-â—ns but thinly inhabited and heretofore of bad repute for frequent robberies The south part of them is water'd by two pleasant rivers the Willey-bourn the Guilou of Asserius and the Nadder commonly called Adder-bourn Willey-bourn having its first rise at Werminster runneth by Heitesbury or Hegedsbury the feat of the Barons of Hungerford q 15 But in the Church which hath been Collegiate there is seen but one defaced monument of them The last Lord Hungerford created by K. Henry 8. had his denomination of this place but enjoy'd that honour a short while being condemn'd of a crime not to be utter'd to a village called Willey Opposite to which is seen a very large military entrenchment fortify'd with a deep double ditch and called by the neighbouring inhabitants Yanesbury-Castle â—nesbury From it's figure any one may easily conclude that it was a Roman Camp Some think it was Vespasian's Camp who being Lieutenant of the 20th Legion under Claudius subdued two nations in this part of England to the Roman Empire and some remains of Vespasian's name are thought to be in Yanesbury r 16 Opposite to this on the other side of the water is another less
write that his Ancestors were â—purâ 〈◊〉 Emperors and slain here and if so why may not I positively affirm that he was descended from that Constantine who in the fourth Consulship of Theodosius the younger out of hopes that good fortune would attend that name was chosen Emperor in Britain and afterward murder'd at Arles 25 I have heard that in the time of K. Hen. 8. there was found near this place a table of metal as it had been tinn and lead commix'd inscrib'd with many Letters but in so strange a Character that neither Sir Th. Eliot nor Mr. Lily Schoolmaster of Paul's could read it and therefore neglected it Had it been preserved somewhat happily might have been discovered as concerning Stonehenge which now lieth obscured About four miles from Ambresbury on this side of the Avon â—arren is a warren commonly called Everly Warren where is a great breed of hares which afford the recreation of Hunting to the neighbouring Gentry But the number is not so great as that the adjacent inhabitants are forc'd to demand a guard of soldiers against them as Pliny reports that the inhabitants of the Baleares did altho' they are alike mischievous to their corn ff Not far from hence is Lutgershall heretofore the Castle of Geffrey Fitz-Peters the rich Earl of Essex and Lord Chief Justice of England Not much higher is Wolfhall â—haâ—l the seat of the noble family of the Seimours or de Sancto Mauro who were Lords of great possessions in this County by marriage with an heiress of the Esturmies â—y or â—y who bore Argent three Demi-Lions Gul. and had been ever since the time of Henry 2. hereditary Bailiffs and Keepers of the neighbouring Forest of Savernac which is famous for plenty of game â—acâ— and for a sort of sweet-smelling Fern In memory whereof the great Hunting-horn tip'd with silver is yet preserved by the Seimours A little more eastward the river Cunetio by the Saxons called Cynetan but vulgarly Kennet m It rises west of Wolfhall ariseth near a village of the same name which some would have to be the Cunetio mention'd by Antoninus but the distance on both sides contradicts this assertion Here Selbury a round hill riseth to a considerable height and seemeth by the fashion of it and by the sliding down of the earth about it to be cast up by mens hands Of this sort are many to be seen in this County round and copped which are call'd Burrows or Barrows Burrows and Barrows perhaps raised in memory of the Soldiers there slain For bones are found in them and I have read that it was a custom among the Northern People that every soldier escaping alive out of Battel was to bring his Helmet full of Earth toward the raising of Monuments for their slain Fellows Tho' I rather think this Selbury-hill to be placed instead of a Boundary if not by the Romans yet by the Saxons as well as the ditch call'd Wodensdike seeing there were frequent battels in this country between the Mercians and West-Saxons about their limits and Boetius In his Geometry and the Writers that treat about Surveying tell us that such heaps were often raised for Landmarks gg 26 Within one mile of Selbury is Albury an uplandish Village built in an old Camp as it seemeth but of no large compass for it is environed with a fair trench and hath four gaps or gates in two of which stand huge stones as jambs but so rude that they seem rather natural than artificial of which sort there are some other in the said village At the first this River runs 27 Eastward thro' the fields in which stones like Rocks every where appear from whence there is a village call'd Rockley Rockley between which there now and then breaks out water upon a sudden in manner of a * Torrentis Land-flood which the Country-people call Hungerborn Hungerborn i.e. a rivulet of Hunger because it is commonly the prognostick of great scarcity From thence the Kennet runneth to a town of it's own name which was called Cunetio Cunetio by Antoninus and placed 20 miles from Verlucio At which distance that old town called by the new name of Marleborow heretofore Marleberge Marlborow is seated all along the side of a hill from east to west upon the banks of the river Cunetio I shall not be very forward to affirm that this new name came from Marga which in our language we call Marle and use it to improve our Lands This is certain that it lies at the foot of a hill of white stone which our Forefathers called Marle before they had borrowed the word Chalk from the Latin Calx The derivation of this place from Merlin's Tomb is to be ridicul'd which Alexander Necham in his book of Divine Wisdom hammer'd out in this Distich Merlini tumulus tibi Merlebrigia nomen Fecit testis erit Anglica lingua mihi Great Merlin 's grave The name to Marlborough in Saxon gave The History of the fortune as well as the name of this Cunetio from the entrance of the Saxons till the Norman times is wholly buried in oblivion for in that interval not so much as it's name occurs in our Annals hh In the next Age we read that John sirnamed Sine terra or Lack-land who was afterwards King of England had a Castle here which in his rebellion against his brother K. Richard I. was surrendred to Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury That which it was afterwards most famous for was the great Parliament here n 52 Henry 3. assembled which by an unanimous consent made a Law for the suppressing of Riots which is yet called Statutum de Marleborow This Castle is now by the injuries of time nothing but ruines there are indeed some few remains of the wall of the Keep and near it is an Ale-house which hath a Castle for the sign But the inhabitants brag of nothing more than of the Font probably of * Lapis obsidianus Touch-stone in the neighbouring Church of Preshut in which as the tradition goes several Princes were heretofore baptised And I cannot omit what I have read o They only now pay something in money in lieu of it but the Arms of the Town plainly points to this Custom being thus blazon'd Party per Saltier Gules and Azure on the firct quarter gules a bull Arg. on the second Azure a Cock or Capon Arg. the third as the second and on the base Gules are three Greyhounds currant Arg. between two roses Gules namely that every Free-man by an old custom gives to the Mayor at his admission a couple of Beagles two white Capons and a white Bull. On the same side of this river lies Ramesbury Ramesbury a small village now only famous for it's pleasant meadows tho' it was once honoured with the See of a Bishop who was Diocesan of this County but this See being joyn'd to
into stones The figure of them however rudely drawn I shall here represent to the Readers eye They are irregular and of unequal height and by the decays of time are grown ragged and very much impair'd The highest of them all which lyes out of the ring toward the east they call The King because they fancy he should have been King of England if he could have seen Long-Compton a village within view at three or four steps farther five larger stones which upon one side of the circle touch one another they pretend were Knights or Horsmen and the other common Soldiers But see the draught I should think this monument to have been rais'd in memory of some victory here obtain'd perhaps by Rollo the Dane who afterward possest himself of Normandy For at the same time when he with his Danes and Normans infested England with depredations we read that the Danes and Saxons had a fight at Hokenorton and another engagement at Scier-stane in Huiccia g 'T is at Sherston in Wilts see the Additions to that County p. 101. which I should take for that great boundary stone that stands hard by and divides four Counties or Shires for so the Saxon word Scierstane does plainly intimate 2 Certainly in an exchequer-Exchequer-book the town adjacent is call'd Rollendrich whereas it is there specified Turstan le Despenser held land by Serjeantry of the King 's dispensary i.e. to be the King's Steward d As to Hochnorton â—cnorâ— the inhabitants were formerly such clowns and churls that it past into a proverb for a rude and ill-bred fellow To be born at Hogs-Norton But this place is chiefly memorable for the fatal slaughter of the English in a fight with the Danes under Edmund the elder e It was afterward a Barony of the D'oily 〈◊〉 of â—ey an honourable and ancient family of Normandy The first of that name who came into England was Robert de Oily D'oily who for his great service in that expedition was rewarded by William the Conquerour with this village and many other lands some of which he gave to his sworn brother h Not John de Eiverio as Leland and after him Dugdale names him Mr. Camden's writing is confirm'd by the MS. Register of Oseney and the Domesday-Inquisition Roger Ivery and this part was afterwards the Barony of St. Walery Barony of St. Walery But this Robert deceasing without issue male his brother Nigel succeeded in his estate whose son Robert the second was Founder of the Monastery of Osney Registry of Osney-Abbey At last an heir female of this family of D'oily was married to Henry Earl of Warwick by whom she had Thomas Earl of Warwick who died without issue in the reign of Henry 3. and Margaret who died likewise without issue though she had two husbands John Mareschal and John de Plessets both Earls of Warwick Upon this as the Charter of Donation runs King Henry 3. granted Hochnorton and Cudlington to John de Plessets or Plessy 37 Hen. 3. which were the inheritance of Henry D'oily and fell into the King's hands upon the death of Margaret Countess of Warwick wife of the foresaid John as an escheat of the Lands of the Normans to have and hold till such time as the Lands of England and Normandy should be made common But of this ancient and honourable Family of D'oily there remains still a branch in this County who have yet the honour of being Knights Evenlode runs by no other place remarkable 3 But la Bruer now Bruern sometime an Abbâ—y of White Monks but after a long course takes in a small brook upon which is seated Woodstock Woodstock in Saxon Wudestoc i.e. a woody place where King Etheldred heretofore held an assembly of the States and enacted several Laws Here was a magnificent palace built by K. Hen. 1. f who adjoyn'd to it a large Park enclos'd with a wall of stone Which John Rous affirms to have been the first Park in England First Park in England though we meet with these words Parca sylvestris bestiarum several times in doomsday-Doomsday-book But afterwards they encreas'd to so great a number that there were computed more in England than in all the Christian world besides so great delight did our Ancestors take in this noble sport of hunting Our Histories report that King Henry 2. being deeply enamour'd with Rosamund Clifford whose extraordinary beauty and other great accomplishments drove the thoughts of all other women from his heart and made her commonly call'd Rosa mundi the Rose of the world to secure her from the restless jealousie of his Juno Queen built in this place a Labyrinth Labyrinth where the many windings and turnings made an inextricable maze yet at present we see no remains of it The town having now nothing else to be proud of does boast of the honour of being the * Alumnus suus Jâ—ffrey Chaucer birth-place of our English Homer Jeffrey Chaucer To whom and some other of our English Poets I may apply what the learn'd Italian sung of Homer and other Greeks Hic ille est cujus de'gurgite sacro Combibit arcanos vatum omnis turba furores This he to whose immortal spring of wit Each water Poet ows his rivulet For he defying every rival in wit and leaving all our Poetasters at a long distance from him jam monte potitus Ridet anhelantem dura ad fastigâ—a turbam Sits down in triumph on the conquer'd height And smiles to see unequal Rivals sweat The Isis when iâ— has taken in the Evenlode divides its own Châ—nel and cuts out many pretty Islands among which stood Godstow Godstow i.e. The place of God a Nunnery founded by one Ida a rich widow improv'd and annually endow'd by King John to the intent those holy Virgins might according to the devotion of that Age pray for the Souls of King Henry 2. his Father and Rosamund his Concubine who was here buried with this rhyming Epitaph Hac jacet in tumbâ Rosa mundi non Rosa munda Non redolet sed olet quae redolere solet g 4 We read that Hugh Bishop of Line Diocesan of this place coming hithâ—r caused her bones to be remov'd out of the Church as unworthy of Christian burial for her unchaste life Nevertheless the holy sisters there translaâ—ed them again into the Church and laid them up in a perfum'd leather bag enclos'd in lead as was found in her tomb at the dissolution of the house and they erected a Cross there whereby the Passengers were put in mind with two rhiming verses to serve God and pray for her but I remember them not Rose of the world not Rose the fresh pure flow'r Within this Tomb hath taken up her bow'r She senteth now and nothing sweet doth smell Which earst was wont to savour passing well The Isis before it's streams are again united meets with Cherwell which coming out of Northamptonshire flows
issue male A little before the Restoration this honour was conferr'd upon Henry Jermin Baron of S. Edmundsbury for his faithful Services to King Charles 2. It is since erected into a Dukedom and is enjoy'd by Charles Beauclair n North-west from hence is Markat or more truly Meregate â—â—â—gate i.e. says Norden an issue or out-gate of water which seems to refer to the river Womer mention'd by our Author * Nord p. 20 This is said to have broke out in the time of Edw. 4. and to have run from the 19. of February till the 14. of June following o The old Sulloniacae is plac'd by our Author at Brockley-hill in this County whereas that hill is really in Middlesex into which County the Roman Station ought also to be translated For tho' †â—n p. â—53 Mr. Burton seem inclin'd to think Ellestre the old Sulloniacae yet it does not appear that any thing of Antiquity has been discover'd thereabouts nor does the old Roman way run through it as our Author affirms that place lying near a mile to the right hand of it Thro' Edgware indeed a mile south of Brockley the way passes towards London so that Mr. Talbot when he settl'd the Sulloniacae there had at least some shew of probability on his side But not any remains of Antiquity appearing there 's no reason why it should be remov'd from Brockley-hill especially since of late Coins Urns Roman Bricks c. have been dug up there in the place where Mr. Napier has built him a fair new seat as well in laying the foundation of the house as levelling the gardens Rarities of this kind have been also turn'd up with the plough for about seven or eight acres round p Upon the south-border of this County is Barnet ‖ Full. Wor. p. 18. where was discover'd a medicinal spring suppos'd by the taste to run through veins of Alom It coagulates with milk the curd whereof is an excellent plaister for any green wound Continuation of the EARLS Edward son to the Duke of Somerset of the same name being dispossest of all by the attainder of his father was restor'd the first of Q. Elizabeth by Letters Patent bearing date the 13th of January to the titles of Lord Beauchamp and Earl of Hertford Edward the son dy'd in the life-time of his father and so did his eldest son of the same name Whereupon he was succeeded by William his grandchild who by K. Ch. 1. for his eminent services was advanc'd to the title of Marquess of Hertford as afterwards upon the restoration of K. Charles 2. to that of Duke of Somerset Since which time the same persons have successively had both titles which are at present enjoy'd by Charles of that name More rare Plants growing wild in Hertfordshire Alsine montana minima Acini facie rotundifolia An Alsines minoris alia Thal. Harcyn Small mountainous round-leaved Chick-weed resembling Stone-Basil In the mountainous parts of this County on the borders of Buckinghamshire near Chalfont S. Peter Found by Dr. Plukenet Gentianella Autumnalis Centaurii minoris foliis Park Not far from the ruins of old Verulam Park p. 407. Hieracii seu Pilosellae majoris species humilis soliis longioribus rariùs dentatis pluribus fimul flore singulari nostras On a dry bank at the edge of a wood in a lane leading from Hornhill to Reickmeersworte Dr. Plukenet Lysimachia lutea flore globoso Ger. Park Yellow Loosestrife with a globular tuft of flowers said to be found near Kings-Langley by Phyt. Brit. Mentha piperata Pepper-mint or Mint having the taste of Pepper Found in this County by Dr. Eales Militaris aizoides Ger. See the other Synonymes in Cambridgeshire Fresh-water-Souldier or Water-Aloe In the new ditches of Hatfield P. D. Ophris sive Bifolium palustre Park Marsh Twayblade On the wet grounds between Hatfield and S. Albans Park p. 505. Orchis myodes major Park major flore grandiusculo J. B. muscam referens major C. B. The greater Fly-orchis Found by Dr. Eales near Welling in Hertfordshire Helleborine latifolia flore albo clauso Broad-leav'd Bastard-Hellebore with a white close flower Found by Dr. Eales near Diggeswell in this County Sphondylium montanum minus angustifolium tenuiter laciniatum Jagged Cow-Parsnep Observed by Mr. Doody near Tring in this County Campanula Alpina minor rotundifolia C. B. About Reickmeersworth in Hertfordshire in an old Gravel-pit there observed by Dr. Plukenet TRINOBANTES NEXT the Cattieuchlani the people call'd by Caesar Trinobantes by Ptolemy and Tacitus Trinoantes inhabited those parts which have now chang'd their names and are call'd Middlesex and Essex From whence that old name should be deriv'd I cannot so much as guess unless it come from the British Tre-nant implying towns in a valley for this whole Country in a manner lyes upon a level all along the Thames But this is a conjecture I am not very fond of Though those indeed which inhabited Gallovidia in Scotland lying all low and in a vale were call'd in British Noantes and Novantes and the ancient people nam'd Nantuates liv'd about * Rheâ—â— vallâ—s Le Vault or the vale of the Rhine and had their name thence So that this conjecture is at least as probable as that of others who out of a spirit of ambition have deriv'd these Trinobantes from Troy as if one should say Troja nova or new Troy And let them enjoy their own humour for me In Caesar's time this was one of the stoutest Cities in the whole kingdom for such a body of people as liv'd under the same laws and government he always calls Civitas or a City and was govern'd by Imanuentius who was slain by Cassibelin Upon this Mandubratius his son fled for his life went over into Gaul to Caesar put himself under his protection and return'd with him into Britain At which time these our Trinobantes desir'd of Caesar by their Embassadors to espouse the cause of Mandubratius against Cassibelin and to send him into the City as Deputy-Governour This was granted them upon which they gave forty hostages and the first of all the Britains submitted themselves to Caesar This Mandubratius to observe it by the way is by Eutropius Bede and the more modern Writers call'd always Androgeus But how this difference of the name should come is a mystery to me unless it be true what I was told by one very well skill d both in the history and language of the Britains that the name of Androgeus was fixt upon him on account of his villany and treachery For the word plainly carries in its meaning something of villany and he in the book call'd Triades is reckon'd the most villanous of those three traitors to Britain because he was the first that call'd in the Romans and betray'd his Country After Mandubratius when civil wars at home drew the Romans from the care of Britain and so the kingdom was left to its own Kings and Laws it plainly appears that Cunobilin had the
the same river not far from the mouth it self which Ptolemy calls Seteia for Deia stands that noble city which the same Ptolemy writes Deunana â—â—ana 〈◊〉 and Antoninus Deva from the river the Britains Caer-Legion Caer-Leon-Vaur Caer-Leon ar Dufyr Dwy and by way of preheminence Caer as our Ancestors the Saxons Legeacester from the Legion's camp there and we more contractly â—â—er West-chester from its westwardly situation and simply Chester according to that verse Cestria de Castris nomen quasi Castria sumpsit Chester from Caster or the Camp was nam'd And without question these names were derived from the twentieth Legion call'd Victrix For in the second Consulship of Galba the Emperor with Titus Vinius that Legion was transported into Britain where growing too heady and too formidable to the Lieutenants as well to those of Consular dignity as those who had been only Praetors Vespasian the Emperor made Julius Agricola Lieutenant over them and they were at last seated in this City which I believe had not been then long built for a check and barriere to the Ordovices Tho' I know some do aver it to be older than the Moon to have been built many thousands of years ago by the gyant Leon Vaur But these are young Antiquaries and the name it self may convince them of the greatness of this errour For they cannot deny but that Leon Vaur in British signifies a great Legion and whether it is more natural to derive the name of this City from a great Legion or from the gyant Leon let the world judge considering that in Hispania Tarraconensis we find a territory call'd Leon from the seventh Legio Germanica and that the twentieth Legion call'd Britannica Valens Victrix and falsly by some Valeria Victrix was quarter'd in this City as Ptolemy Antoninus and the coins of Septimius Geta testifie c By the coins last mention'd it appears also that Chester was a Colony Chester â— Roman Colony for the reverse of them is inscribed COL DIVANA LEG XX. VICTRIX And tho' at this day there remain here few memorials of the Roman magnificence besides some pavements of Chequer-works yet in the last age it afforded many as Ranulph a Monk of this City tells us in his Polychronicon There are ways here under ground wonderfully arched with stone work vaulted Dining-rooms huge stones engraven with the names of the Ancients and sometimes coins digged up with the Inscriptions of Julius Caesar and other famous men Likewise Roger of Chester in his Polycraticon c This passage is likewise in the Polychronicon When I beheld the foundation of vast buildings up and down in the streets it seemed rather the effect of the Roman strength and the work of Giants than of the British industry The City is of a square form surrounded with a wall two miles in compass and contains eleven Parish-Churches 2 But that of St. John's without the North-gate was the fairest being a stately and solemn building as appears by the remains wherein were anciently Prebendaries and as some write the Bishop's See Upon a rising ground near the river stands the Castle built by the Earl of this place wherein the Courts Palatine and the Assizes were held twice a year The buildings are neat The Rowes and there are Piazza's on both sides along the chief street 3 They call them Rowes having shops on both sides through which a man may walk dry from one end unto the other The City has not been equally prosperous at all times first it was demolish'd by Egfrid the Northumbrian then by the Danes but repair'd by Aedelfleda * Domina Governess of the Mercians and soon after saw King Eadgar gloriously triumphing over the British Princes For being seated in a triumphal Barge at the fore-deck Kinnadius King of Scotland Malcolin King of Cumberland Circ An. 960. Macon King of Man and of the Islands with all the Princes of Wales brought to do him homage like Bargemen row'd him up the river Dee to the great joy of the Spectators Afterwards Churches restor'd Glaber Rodolphus about the year 1094. when as one says by a pious kind of contest the fabricks of Cathedrals and other Churches began to be more decent and stately and the Christian world began to raise it self from the old dejected state and sordidness to the decency and splendour of white Vestments Hugh the first of Norman blood that was Earl of Chester repaired the Church which Leofrick had formerly founded here in honour of the Virgin Saint Werburga and by the advice of Anselm whom he had invited out of Normandy granted the same unto the Monks Now the town is famous for the tomb of Henry the fourth Emperour of Germany who is said to have abdicated his Empire and become an Hermite here and also for its being an Episcopal See This See was immediately after the Conquest translated from Lichfield hither by Peter Bishop of Lichfield after it was transferred to Coventry and from thence into the ancient Seat again so that Chester continu'd without this dignity till the last age when King Henry the eighth displaced the Monks instituted Prebends and raised it again to a Bishop's See to contain within it's jurisdiction this County Lancashire Richmond c. and to be it self contained within the Province of York But now let us come to points of higher antiquity When the Cathedral here was built the Earls who were then Normans fortified the town with a wall and castle For as the Bishop held of the King that which belonged to his Bishoprick these are the very words of Domesday book made by William the Conquerour so the Earls with their men held of the King wholly all the rest of the city It paid gelt for fifty hides and there were 431 houses geldable and 7 Mint-masters When the King came in person here every Carrucat paid him 200 Hestha's one Cuna of Ale and one Rusca of Butter And in the same place For the repairing the city-wall and bridge the Provost gave warning by Edict that out of every hide of the County one man should come and whosoever sent not his man he was amerced 40 shillings to the King and Earl If I should particularly relate the skirmishes here between the Welsh and English in the beginning of the Norman times the many inroads and excursions the frequent firings of the suburbs of Hanbrid beyond the bridge whereupon the Welsh-men call it Treboeth that is the burnt town and tell you of the long wall made there of Welsh-mens skuls I should seem to forget my self and run too far into the business of an Historian From that time the town of Chester hath very much flourished and K. Hen. 7. incorporated it into a distinct County Nor is there now any requisite wanting to make it a flourishing city only the sea indeed is not so favourable as it has been to some few Mills that were formerly situated upon the river d ee for it
the People Tacitus Tacitus imagines them to have come first from Iberia upon account of their * Colorati vultus ruddy complexion their curl'd hair and their situation over against Spain But Florianus del Campo a Spaniard is very positive in that matter and takes a great deal of pains to find the Silures in Spain and to obtrude upon us I know not what stories about Soloria and Siloria among the old Astures However this Country was very large for it seems probable from Pliny and Tacitus that they were possess'd of all South-Wales and the Inhabitants were hardy stout warlike averse to servitude of great boldness and resolution term'd by the Romans †Pervicacia obstinacy and stubbornness not to be wrought upon either by threats or kindness and their posterity have not degenerated in any of these particulars When the Romans out of an itching desire of enlarging their Empire made attempts upon them See pag. xlvii they partly reposing a confidence in the courage and conduct of King Caratacus and partly incens'd by a saying of Claudius the Emperour That they were to be as entirely routed as the Sugambri had been engag'd the Romans in a very troublesome and difficult war For having intercepted the Auxiliary Troops cut off the Legion under Marius Valens and wasted the territories of their Allies P. Ostorius Propraetor in Britain was quite wore out with all these crosses and dy'd of grief Veranius too who govern'd Britain under Nero was baffled in this enterprize against them For where Tacitus says Tacit. Annal L. XIV Illum modicis excursibus Sylvas populatum esse that he destroy'd and wasted the woods with slight excursions instead of Sylvas with the Learned Lipsius only read Siluras and all 's right Nor could an end be made of this war before Vespasian's reign For then Julius Frontinus subdu'd them and kept them quiet by garisons of the Legions A certain Countryman of ours has wrested that verse of Juvenal upon Crispinus to these Silures magnâ qui voce solebat Vendere municipes fractâ de merce Siluros Who with hideous cry Bawl'd out his broken Sturgeon in the streets As if some of our Silures had been taken prisoners and expos'd to sale at Rome But take it upon my word he has mistook the genuine sense of the Poet. For any one that reads that passage with attention will quickly perceive that by Siluros he designs to express a sort of Fish and not a People HEREFORDSHIRE HErefordshire call'd by the Britains Ereinuc is in a manner of a circular form bounded on the East with the Counties of Worcester and Glocester on the South with Monmouth on the West with Radnor and Breknock and on the North with Shropshire A Country besides its pleasantness both for feeding of Cattel and produce of Corn every where of an excellent soil and admirably well provided with all necessaries for life Insomuch that it may scorn to come behind any County in England for fruitfulness of soil 1 And therefore says that for three W. W. W. Wheat Wooll and Water it yieldeth to no Shire of England To which excellencies are to be added its fine rivers the Wye the Lug and the Munow which after they have water'd the verdant flow'ry meadows and rich and fruitful corn-fields at last have their conflux and in one chanel pass to the Severn-Sea a 〈◊〉 River 〈◊〉 The Munow has its rise in Hatterell-hills which shooting up aloft look as it were like a Chair and are a sort of wall to this Shire on the South-west-side Hence the river descending first struggles Southward along the foot of these hills 〈◊〉 to Blestium a town so plac'd by Antoninus that both for situation and distance it can be no other than that which standing upon this river 〈◊〉 Town is by the Britains call'd Castle Hean that is the Old Castle by us The old Town An inconsiderable village but nevertheless this new name makes much for its antiquity for in both tongues it sounds an Old Castle or Town Next to this lyes Alterynnis surrounded with water Alterynnis the Seat of the Cecils as it were an Island in a river the seat in former ages of the ancient and knightly family of the Sitsilters or Cecils whence my right honourable Patron highly accomplisht with all the Ornaments of Virtue Wisdom and Nobility Sir William Cecil Baron of Burghley and Lord High Treasurer of England is descended From hence the Munow turning Eastward for a good way parts this Province from Monmouthshire and is augmented by the river Dore at Map-Harald or Harald Ewias Harald-Ewias a Castle This Ewias-Castle to give you the words of King William the first 's Book was repair'd by Alured of Marleberg The Family of Ewias Afterwards it belonged to one Harald a Nobleman who Their Arms. in a Shield Argent bore a Fess Gules between three Estoiles Sable from whom it first took the name of Harold Ewias but Sibyll his Great-grand-daughter and one of the heirs transferr'd it by marriage to the Lords Tregoz Tregoz and Grandison from whom it came at length to the Lords of Grandison originally of Burgundy of whom elsewhere Now the Dore above-mentioned falling down from the North by Snotthill a castle Gidden Vale. and sometimes the Barony of Robert Chandois where there is a Quarry of excellent Marble cuts through the middle of the valley which the Britains from the river call Diffrin Dore but the English that they might seem to express the force of that word have term'd it The Golden Vale. Which name it may well be thought to deserve for its golden rich and pleasant fertility For the hills that encompass it on both sides are clothed with woods under the woods lye corn-fields on each hand and under those fields lovely and gallant meadows In the middle between them glides a clear and crystal river on which Robert Earl of Ewias erected a fine Monastery wherein most of the Nobility and Gentry of these parts were buried Part of this County which bends towards the East now call'd Irchenfeld Irchenfeld in Domesday Archenfeld was as Historians write laid waste with fire and sword by the Danes in the year 715 Camalac a British Bishop being then carried away captive Herein once stood Kilpec a noted castle the seat of the noble family of the Kilpec's Kilpec who as some report were Champions to the Kings of England in the beginning of the Normans which I am very willing to believe In the reign of Edward the first Robert Wallerond liv'd here whose ‖ Nepos nephew Alane Plugenet was honourd with the title of a Baron In this Archenfeld likewise as we read in Domesday-book certain Revenues by an old custom were assigned to one or two Priests on this condition that they should go in Embassies for the Kings of England into Wales and to use the words of the said Book The men
of Archenfeld whenever the Army marches forward against the Enemy by custom make the Avauntward and in the return homeward the Rereward As the Munow runs along the lower pâ—rt of this County The river Wye so the Wye with a winding course cuts it in the middle upon which in the Western bounds stands Clifford-castle Cliffâ—rd-Castle which William Fitz-Osborn Earl of Hereford built upon his own Waste these are the very words of domesday-Domesday-book but Ralph de Todeny held it Clivus fortis It is suppos'd that it came afterwards to Walter the son of Richard Punt a Norman for his sirname was de Clifford and from him the illustrious family of the Cliffords Earls of Cumberland are originally descended But in King Edward the first 's time Inq. 26 E. 1. John Giffard held it who married the heir of Walter Clifford Thence the Wye with a crooked and winding stream rolls by Whitney which has given name to a noted family next by Bradwardin-Castle that gave both original and name to the famous Thomas Bradwardin Archbishop of Canterbury who for the great variety of his studies and his admirable proficiency in the most abstruse and hidden parts of learning was in that age honour'd with the title of * The Profound Dâ—ctor Doctor profundus At length it comes to Hereford the Metropolis of this County b How far that little Tract Arcenfeld reach'd I know not but the affinity between these names Ereinuc Arcenfeld the town Ariconium mention'd by Antonine in these parts and Hareford or Hereford Hereford the present Metropolis of this Shire have by little and little induc'd me to this opinion that they are every one deriv'd from Ariconium And yet I do not believe that Ariconium and Hereford were the same but as Basle in Germany has challeng'd the name of Augusta Rauracorum and Baldach in Assyria that of Babylon because as this had its original from the ruins of Babylon so that had its birth from those of Augusta so our Hariford for thus the common people call it had its name and beginning from its neighbour Ariconium as I am of opinion which at this day has no clear marks of a town having been destroyed as 't is reported by an Earthquake Only it still retains a slight shadow of the name being call'd Kenchester Kenchester and shews some ruins of old Walls call'd Kenchester Walls about which are often dug up stones of inlaid Checquer-work British bricks Roman coyns c. c But Hareford her daughter which carries more express remains of the name d stands eastward scarce three Italian miles from it amongst meadows extremely pleasant and corn-fields very fruitful encompass'd almost round about with rivers by an anonymous one on the north and west sides on the south by the Wye which hastens hither out of Wales It is supposed to have first sprung up when the Saxon Heptarchy was in its glory founded as some write by Edward the â—lder and indeed there is no mention of it more ancient For the Britains before the name of Hereford was known called the place Trefawith from Beech-trees and Henford from an Old way and the Saxons themselves Fern-leg of Fern. It owes if I mistake not it 's greatest encrease and growth to Religion and the Martyrdom of Ethelbert a King of the East-Angles who whilst in person he courted the daughter of Offa King of the Mercians was villanously way-laid and murmurder'd by Quendreda Offa's wife who longed more for the Kingdom of the East-Angles than to have her daughter honestly and honourably married He was hereupon registred in the Catalogue of Martyrs S 〈◊〉 Mâ—â—â—â— and had a Church here built and dedicated to him by Milfrid a petty King of the Country which being soon after adorn'd with a Bishop's See grew very rich first by the liberality of the Mercian afterwards of the West-Saxon Kings For they at length were possessed of this City as may be gathered from William of Malmesbury where he writes that Athelstan the West-Saxon forc'd the Princes of Wales in this City to comply with such hard conditions as to pay him tribute besides hounds and hawks 20 pound weight of gold and 300 pound of silver every year This city as far as I have observ'd by reading had never any misfortune unless it were in the year of our Lord 1055. when Gryffin Prince of South-Wales and Algar an Englishman rebelling against Edward the Confessor after they had routed Earl Ralph sacked the City destroy'd the Cathedral and carried away captive Leofgar the Bishop But Harold having soon quieted their bold rebellion fortified it as Floriacensis informs us with a broad and high Rampire Upon this account it is that Malmesbury ‖ Lib â— Pâ—â—â—â— writes thus Hereford is no great City and yet by the high and formidable ruins of its steep and broken Bulwarks it shews it has been some great thing and as it appears by Domesday book there were in all but 103 men within and without the walls The Normans afterwards built a very large and strong Castle on the east-side of the Cathedral along the river Wye the work as some report of Earl Miles but now ruin'd by time and falling to decay e Afterwards they wall'd the City about In the reign of King Hen. 1. was founded by Bishop Reinelm that beautiful Church now to be seen which his successors enlarged by adding to it a neat College and fine houses for the Prebendaries For besides the Bishop who has 302 Churches in his Diocese there are in this Church a Dean two Archdeacons a Praecentor a Chancellour a Treasurer and 28 Prebendaries I saw in it scarce any monuments besides those of the Bishops and I have heard that Thomas Cantlow the Bishop a person nobly born had here a stately and magnificent tomb who being canonized for his holiness wanted little of out-shining the Royal Martyr Ethelbert so great was the opinion of his piety and devotion f According to Geographers the Longitude of this City is 20 degrees 24 minutes Lat. 52 degrees 6 min. g The Wye has scarce gone three miles from this City when he intercepts the river Lug which having run with a rapid stream down from Radnor-Hills with a still course glides through this Province from the north-west to the south-east h At the first entrance it has a distant prospect of Brampton Brian a Castle which a famous family hence sirnam'd de Brampton Brampton Brian whose christian name was usually Brian held by a continual succession to the time of King Edward 1. then by female-heirs it came to R. Harley But it has a nearer view of Wigmore Wigmore in Saxon b Wigingamere in the Saxon Annals Wynginga-mere repair'd in ancient times by King Edw. the elder afterwards fortify'd with a Castle by William Earl of Hereford in the wast of a ground for so it is in Domesday book which was called Marestun in the tenure of Randulph de Mortimer from
find no occasion of mistakes For example in regard the letter C. in the Welsh and Irish is before all Vowels pronounced like K. as Cilcen is read Kilken but in every other language obtains that Pronunciation only before a. o. and u. I have in such words as are purely Welsh substituted K. for it in the pronunciation whereof all Languages agree Nor can the Criticks in the Welsh call this an Innovation the Letter K. being common in ancient MSS. though never used in printed Books I have also for the like reasons taken the same liberty in writing V for F and F for Ff Lh for Ll and Dh for Dd. And whereas the word Lhan in the names of Churches is commonly joyn'd with that which follows as Lhanèlian Lhaniestin c. I thought it better Orthography to separate it writing Lhan Elian which signifies St. Aelian's Church and Lhan Iestin i.e. St. Justin's As for the Annotations I have added at the end of each County such as have the Letters of direction prefix'd are Notes on those places they refer to in the Text with occasional Additions And whereas in some Counties I had Notes to add which did not refer at all to any part of the Text I have inserted them after the Annotations with this mark ¶ prefixt What I have added are generally observations of my own and where they are not so I have taken care to inform the Reader I find upon perusal of Cornwall and those other Counties you lately sent me that the additional Notes on the English Counties are much more compleat than these and somewhat in a different method But my task was too large to be well perform'd by one hand except more time had been allow'd And having receiv'd no pattern for imitation but only some general Instructions I knew not how far I might enlarge and to have jump'd into the same method must have been a great accident However I find the difference is not very material nor is it of any great moment what method we use in Annotations so we take care to add nothing but what may seem to the best of our apprehension pertinent and instructive What faults you find in the Orthography I desire you would be pleas'd to correct and also in the Phrase where you suppose it convenient And where we disagree in the sense I shall upon notice thereof either give directions to alter it or offer some reasons to the contrary Oxford Sept. 13. 1694. I am SIR Your obliged Friend and Servant EDW. LHWYD Pronunciation of the WELSH Ch is pronounced as the English Gh amongst the Vulgar in the North but more roughly Dh as Th in the words This That c. G as the English G in the words Gain Gift c. I as in English in the words Win Kin but never as in Wind Kind c. Lh is only a sibilating L and is pronounc'd in respect of L as Th with reference to T. U as the English I in the words Limb Him c. W is always a Vowel and pronounced like the English oo Y as I in the English words Third Bird O in Honey Money U in Mud Must c. All the other Letters are pronounc'd as in English and never alter their pronunciation ' denotes a long Vowel as Mân is pronounced like the English word Mane ' shews only the Accent in short Vowels SOUTH WALES By Rob t Morden RADNORSHIRE ON the north-west of Herefordshire lies Radnorshire in British Sîr VaesÅ·ved of a triangular form and gradually more narrow where it is extended westward On the south the river Wye divides it from Brecknock and on the north-part lies Mongomeryshire The eastern and southern parts are well cultivated but elsewhere 't is so uneven with mountains that it can hardly be manured tho' well-stored with woods and water'd with rivulets and in some places standing lakes Towards the east it hath besides other Castles of the Lords Marchers now almost all bury'd in their own ruins Castelh pain to adorn it which was built and so called by Pain a Norman and Castelh Colwen â—â—â—telh â—â—lwen which if I mistake not was formerly call'd Maud-Castle in Colwent â—â—ud-â—â—stle v. â—â—stelh â—â—wn For there was a Castle of that name much noted whereof Robert de Todney a very eminent person was Governour in the time of Edward 2. It is thought to have belong'd before to the Breoses Lords of Brecknock and to have receiv'd that name from Maud of St. Valeric Pâ—â—taâ—â—sâ—â—a â—â—tth Par. a †malapert woman wife of William Breos who rebell'd against King John This Castle being demolish'd by the Welsh was rebuilt of stone by King Henry 3. in the year 1231. But of greatest note is Radnor â—â—dnor the chief town of the County call'd in British MaesÅ·ved fair built but with thatch'd houses as is the manner of that country Formerly 't was well fenc'd with walls and a Castle but being by that rebellious Owen Glyn Dòwrdwy â—â—en â—â—yndwr laid in ashes it decay'd daily as well as old Radnor â—â—d Radnor call'd by the Britains MaesÅ·ved hên and from it's high situation Pencraig which had been burnt by RhÅ·s ap Gruffydh in the reign of King John If I should say this MaesÅ·ved is that city Magos which Antoninus seems to call Magnos â—â—gi where as we read in the Notitia Provinciarum the Commander of the Pacensian regiment lay in garison under the Lieutenant of Britain in the reign of Theodosius the younger in my own judgment and perhaps others may entertain the same thoughts I should not be much mistaken For we find that the Writers of the middle age call the inhabitants of this Country Magesetae â—â—gesâ—tae and also mention Comites Masegetenses and Magesetenses and the distance from Gobannium or Aber-Gavenni as also from Brangonium or Worcester differs very little from Antonine's computation About three miles to the east of Radnor lies Prestean â—â—estean in British Lhan Andras or St. Andrews which from a small village in the memory of our grandfathers is now by the favour and encouragement of Martin Lord Bishop of St. David's become so eminent a market town that it does in some measure eclipse Radnor Scarce four miles hence lies Knighton â—â—ighton which may vye with Prestean call'd by the Britains as I am inform'd Trebuclo for TrevÅ·klawdh from the dike 〈◊〉 Dike that lies under it which was cast up with great labour and industry by Offa the Mercian as a boundary between his Subjects and the Britains f om the mouth of Dee to that of the river Wye for the space of about 90 miles whence the Britains have call'd it Klawdh Offa or Offa's Dyke Concerning which Joannes Sarisburiensis in his Polycraticon saith that Harald establish'd a Law that whatever Welshman should be found arm'd on this side the limit he had set them to wit Offa's Dike his right hand should be cut off by the King's officers a All the
kind which they call Peregrins For according to the account they give of them I need not use other words to describe them than these verses of that excellent Poet of our age Augustus Thuanus Esmerius in that golden book he entitles Hieracosophion Depressus capitis vertex oblongaque toto Corpore pennarum series pallentia crura Et graciles digiti ac sparsi naresque rotundae Flat heads and feathers laid in curious rows O'er all their parts hook'd beaks and slender claws The sea now with great violence assails the land receding from this Promontory which is a small region call'd the Lordship of Kemaes B◠〈◊〉 Kâ—â—â—â— Fâ—â—â—â— The chief place in it is Fiscard seated on a steep rock and having a convenient harbour for shipping so call'd by the English from a Fishery there and by the Britains Aber-Gwain which signifies the mouth of the river Gwain The next is Newport Neâ—pâ—â—â— * At the foot of a high mountain on the river Nevern call'd in British Trevdraeth which signifies the town on the sand 6 And in Latin Records Novus Burgus This was built by Martin of Tours whose posterity made it a corporation granted it several privileges and constituted therein a Portrieve and Bayliff and also built themselves a Castle above the town which was their chief seat They also founded the Monastery of St. Dogmael St. Dogmael bâ—â—â— St. Tegâ—â—â— 7 According to the Order of Tours on the bank of the river Teivi in a Vale encompass'd with hills from which the village adjoyning as many other towns from Monasteries took it's beginning This Barony was first wrested out of the hands of the Welsh by Martin of Tours Lords â—f Kemaâ—â— The faâ— iâ— of the Mâ—â—tinâ— from whose posterity who were from him call'd Martins it descended by marriage to the Barons de Audeley They held it a long time until the reign of King Henry 8. when William Owen descended from a daughter of Sir Nicholas Martin after a tedious suit at law for his right at last obtain'd it and left it to his son George who being an exquisite Antiquary has inform'd me that there are in this Barony besides the three Burrows Newport Fishgard and St. Dogmael 20 Knights-fees and 26 Parishes More inward on the river Teivi already mention'd lies Kil Garan 〈◊〉 Garan which shews the ruins of a Castle built by Giraldus But now being reduc'd to one street it 's famous for no other thing than a plentiful Salmon Fishery For there is a very famous Salmon-Leap â—â—e Salâ—â—â—â—eap where the river falls headlong and the Salmons making up from the sea towards the Shallows of the river when they come to this cataract bend their tails to their mouths nay sometimes that they may leap with greater force hold it in their teeth and then upon disengaging themselves from their circle with a certain violence as when a stick that 's bent is reflected they cast themselves from the water up to a great height even to the admiration of the spectators which Ausonius thus describes very elegantly Nec te puniceo rutilantem viscere Salmo Transierim latae cujus vaga verbera caudae Gurgite de medio summas referuntur in undas Nor thou red Salmon shalt be last in fame Whose flirting tail cuts through the deepest stream With one strong jerk the wondring flood deceives And sporting mounts thee to the utmost waves There have been divers Earls of Penbroke â—â—rls of â—â—nbrâ—ke descended from several families As for Arnulph of Montgomery who first conquer'd it and was afterwards out-law'd and his Castellan Girald of Windsor whom King Henry 1. made afterwards President over the whole country I can scarce affirm that they were Earls King Stephen first conferr'd the title of Earl of Pembroke upon Gilbert Strongbow son of Gislebert de Clare He left it to his son Richard Strongbow the Conquerour of Ireland who was as Giraldus has it à Clara Clarensium familia oriundus descended from the famous family of the Clares Isabella the only daughter of this Earl brought this title to her husband William Marshal so call'd for that his Ancestors had been hereditary Marshals of the King's palace a very accomplish'd person well instructed in the arts of peace and war Of whom we find this Epitaph in Rudburn's Annals Sum quem Saturnum sibi sensit Hibernia Solem Anglia Mercurium Normannia Gallia Martem Me Mars the French their Sun the English own'd The Normans Mercury Irish Saturn found After him his five sons were successively Earls of Pembroke viz. William call'd the younger Richard who having rebell'd against Henry 3. fled into Ireland where he died in battel Gilbert who at a tournament in War was unhors'd and so kill'd and Walter and Anselm 8 Who enjoy'd this honour but a few days All these dying in a short space without issue King Henry 3. invested with the honour of this Earldom William de Valentia of the family of Lusignia in Poictiers who was his own brother by the mother's side and marry'd Joan the daughter of Gwarin de Mont Chensey by a daughter of William Marshal To William de Valentia succeeded his son Audomar who was Governour of Scotland under K. Edw. 1. His 9 Eldest second sister and coheiress Elizabeth being marry'd to John Lord Hastings brought this title into a new family For Lawrence Hastings his grandchild by a son 10 Lord of Weishford and c. who was Lord of Abergavenny was made E. of Penbroke by a Rescript of K. Edward 3. a copy whereof it may not be amiss to subjoyn here that we may see what right there was by heirs-female in these honorary titles Rex omnibus ad quos c. salutem Know ye that the good presage of wisdom and virtue which we have conceiv'd by the towardly youth and happy beginnings of our most well beloved Cousin Lawrence Hastings deservedly induce us to countenance him with our especial grace and favour in those things which concern the due preservation and maintenance of his honour Whereas therefore the inheritance of Aimar of Valence sometime Earl of Penbroke deceas'd long since without heir begotten of his body hath been devolv'd upon his sisters proportionably to be divided among them and their heirs because we know for certain that the foresaid Lawrence who succeedeth the said Aimar in part of the inheritance is descended from the eldest sister of Aimar aforesaid and so by the avouching of the learned whom we consulted about this matter the Prerogative both of name and honour is due unto him We deem it just and due that the same Lawrence claiming his title from the elder sister assume and have the name of Earl of Penbroke which the said Aimar had whilst he liv'd Which as much as lyeth in us we confirm ratifie and also approve unto him willing and granting that the said Lawrence have and hold the Prerogative and honour of Earl-Palatine in those lands
Roman coins often dug up in it which they call Binchester-penies and for Roman Inscriptions one of which cut out thus in an Altar there I lately met with Of the Mother Goddesses see Lancashire In the year of Christ 236. Votum solvit lubens merito DEAB MATRIB Q. LO CL. QVIN TIANVS COS V. S. L. M. Another stone was lately dug up here very much defac'd with gaps which yet upon a narrow view shews this Inscription TRIB COHOR I. CARTOV MARTI VICTORI GENIO LOCI ET BONO EVENTVI I have read nothing else relating to it but what is mention'd in an old book That the Earls of Northumberland tore this with other villages from the Church when that cursed lust after gold swallow'd up the sacred revenues of the Church On the other side of the Were among the hills we see Branspeth-castle Branspeth-castle built by the Bulmers and by a daughter of Bernard Bulmer marry'd to Galfrid Nevill added with other great possessions to the family of the Nevills h A little lower the Were has many huge stones in the chanel of it never cover'd but when the river is overflow'd by rain upon these if you pour water and it mix and temper a while upon the stone it becomes thereupon saltish a thing to be effected no where else Nay at Butterby a little village when the river is shallow and fallen from those stones in the summer time Salt stones there bursts out of them a reddish salt water which grows so white and hard by the heat of the sun that they who live thereabouts take it up and use it for salt Now the river as if it design'd to make an island goes almost quite round the chief city of this County seated on a hill upon which account it was call'd Dunholm by the Saxons Dunholâ— Durhaâ— or Dâ—â—â— For as we may infer from Bede they call'd a hill Dun and a River Island holme From hence the Latins call it Dunelmâ—m but the common name is very corruptly Durham The town stands high and is very strong but is of no great compass lying in a kind of oval form enclos'd quite round by the river except on the north part and fortify'd with walls besides In the south part almost where the river winds it self back again stands the Cathedral Church which with its spires and tower-steeple makes a fine show In the heart of the town stands the castle almost in the middle between two stone bridges the one upon the river on the east side the other on the west From the castle northward lies the market-place and S. Nicholas's Church from whence there shoots out a suburbs to the north-east for a good way within a winding of the river as likewise others on both sides beyond the river leading towards the bridges each of which has its particular and distinct Church The original of this town is not very ancient For when the Monks of Lindisfarn were disquieted in the Danish wars and forc'd by that people to wander up and down with the reliques of S. Cuthbert at last if we may believe it being admonish'd by an oracle they fix'd and settl'd here about the year of Christ 995. But take this relation from my Durham-Author himself All the people following the corps of our most holy father Cuthbert came to Durham a place strong by nature and scarce habitable enclos'd quite round with a very thick wood and in the middle only a small plain which they us'd to plough up and sow where Bishop Aldwin afterwards built a pretty large Church of stone The said Prelate therefore with the help of all the people and the assistance of Uthred Earl of the Northumbrians fell'd and grubb'd up all this wood and in a short time made the place habitable Lastly from the river Coqued to the very Tees there was no body but came in readily both to help forward this work and also afterwards to build the Church and till it was finish'd ceas'd not with great zeal to follow it The wood being thus routed up and every one as his lot fell having a house assign'd him the aforesaid Bishop out of zeal to Christ and S. Cuthbert began to build a handsome pretty large Church and endeavour'd with great application to finish it Thus far my Author i Not many years after those of the English who could not endure the Norman Empire trusting to the strength of this place made it the seat of war and gave William the Conquerour no small disturbance from it For Guilielmus Gemeticensis writes That they went into a part of the County inaccessible by reason of woods and waters building a castle with a strong rampire round it which they call'd Dunholm Out of this they made frequent sallies and kept themselves close there waiting for King Sueno the Dane's coming But things not happening as they had expected they took themselves to flight and William the Conquerour coming to Durham granted many privileges to secure and confirm the liberties of the Church and built the castle already mention'd upon a higher part of the hill which afterwards became a habitation for the Bishops and the Keys of it when that See was vacant by an old custom were wont to be hung upon St. Cuthbert's Sepulcher When this castle was new built William of Malmesbury who liv'd about that time gives us this description of the City Durham is a hill rising by little and little from one plain of the valley by an easie and slow ascent to the very top and notwithstanding by its rugged situation and craggy precipices the access to it be cut off on all sides yet lately they have built a castle upon the hill At the very foot and bottom of the castle runs an excellent river for fish especially Salmon Almost at the same time as that old book has it William de Carelepho the Bishop who resettled Monks here for their Cloisters had been every where subverted by the Danes having pull'd down that Church which Aldwin had built began another more stately which was finish'd by Radulph his successor and enlarg'd with other buildings by Nicholas Fernham the Bishop and Thomas Melscomb the Prior in the year 1242. A pretty while after that William Skirlaw the Bishop rais'd a neat building on the west part of the Church which they call Gallilee 〈◊〉 whither they transferr'd the marble tomb of Venerable Bede In which place Hugh de Puteaco formerly began a piece of building where Women these are the words of an old book might lawfully enter and those who might not personally take a view of the secrets of the holy places might nevertheless have some comfort from the view and contemplation of the Saints This same Bishop Ralph as our Historian relates converted all that space of ground between the Church and the Castle where many houses stood into a plain field lest the Church should either be defil'd by the dirt or endanger'd by the fire of the town
a seat and sirname to that ancient and honourable family which had formerly the name of Wade Here the Scots forc'd a passage betwixt Irthing and Tine into the Province of Britain And the place was wisely enough chosen as having no intercourse of rivers to obstruct their easie inroads into the very bowels of England But the Reader will the better understand this matter and the name of the place from John Fordon the Scotch Historian Scoto-Chronic J. Fordon whose words since his book is not very common it may not be amiss to repeat The Scots says he having conquer'd the Country on both sides of the Wall began to settle themselves in it and summoning in the Boors with their mattocks pickaxes rakes forks and shovels caus'd wide holes and gaps to be made in it through which they might readily pass and repass From these gaps this indented part got its present name for in the English tongue the place is now call'd Thirlwall which render'd in Latin is the same as Murus perforatus From hence southward we had a view of Blenkensop which gives name and dwelling to an eminent family was anciently part of the Barony of Nicholas of Bolteby and is situated in a Country pleasant enough Caervorran Beyond Thirlwall the wall opens a passage for the mad river of Tippall where on the descent of a hill a little within the wall may be seen the draught of a square Roman Fort each side whereof is 140 paces in length the very foundations of the houses and tracks of the streets being yet fairly discernable The Moss-Troopers report that there lay a high Street-way paved with Flint and other Stone over the tops of the mountains from hence to Maiden-Castle on Stanemoor 'T is certain it went directly to Kirkbythor already mention'd An old woman who dwelt in a neighbouring cottage shew'd us a little old consecrated Altar thus inscrib'd to Vitirineus a tutelar god as it should seem of these parts DEO VITI RINE LIMEO ROV * Posuit libens merito P. L. M. This place is now call'd Caer-vorran how 't was anciently nam'd I am not able to determine since the word hath no affinity with any of the Roman Stations that are mention'd per lineam valli along the Wall and none of the Inscriptions afford us any discoveries c Whatever it was the wall near it was built higher and firmer than elsewhere for within two furlongs of it on a pretty high hill it exceeds 15 foot in heighth and nine in breadth on both sides * Quadrato lapide Ashler tho' Bede says 't was only 12 foot high d From hence the Wall bends about by Iverton Forsten and Chester in the Wall near Busy-gapp noted for Robberies where we heard there were forts but durst not go and view them for fear of the Moss-Troopers This Chester we were told was very large insomuch as I guess it to be that station of the second Cohort of the Dalmatians which the Book of Notices calls Magna where may be read the following Inscription PRO SALVTE DESIDIENIAE .... LIANI PRAE ET SV A. S. POSVIT VOT ... AO SOLVIT LIBE NS TVSCO ET BAS SO COSS. In the yâ— of Chrâ— 259. This imperfect Altar was also brought from thence which we read at the little Hamlet of Melkrigg 1 Where now women beat their bucks on it DEAE SVRI These 〈◊〉 Inscriptâ— are no◠〈◊〉 the houâ— Sir Râ—b Câ—ton of Câ—nington AE SVB CALP VR NIO AG ICOLA LEG AVG PR PR A LICINIVS LEMENS PRAEF III. A. IOR f Others give us the last line of this Inscription more fully thus COH I. HAMMIOR See Sammes's Britan. p. 259. Joh. Speed's Chron. p. 222. And his Map of Northumberland gives it both ways as two several Inscriptions So also the Map in this new edition of Camden Which if I could I would gladly and the characters seem to allow it read thus Deae Suriae Dea Sâ—â— some wâ— have her â— be June others Veâ— sub Calphurnio Agricola Legato Augusti Propraetore Licinius Clemens Praefectus Now Calphurnius Agricola was sent against the Britains by the Emperour M. Antoninus Philosophus Capâ—toâ— upon the breaking out of the British wars about the year of our Lord 170. at which time some Cohort under his command erected this altar to the Goddess Suria who was drawn by Lions with a Turret on her head and a Taber in her hand as is shewn at large by Lucian in his Treatise de Deâ Syriâ and whom Nero Sueton. â— Nero â— as sorrily as he treated all Religion very zealously worship'd for some time and afterwards slighted her to that degree as to piss upon her From hence we had a view of g It now belongs to Sir Edward Blacket Baronet Willimotes-wicke the seat of the worshipful family of the Ridleys and close by of the river Alon Alon. emptying it self into Tine with a pompous rattle both the Alons being now met in one chanel On East-Alon stands a village which is now call'd 2 But what the old name was will not easily be found Old-Town But to return to the Wall The next station on the Wall beyond Busy-gap is now call'd Seaven-shale Seavenshâ— which name if you will allow me to derive from Saviniana or rather Sabiniana ala I would roundly affirm this place to be that Hunnum where the Notitia Provinciarum tells us the Sabinian Wing were upon duty Then beyond Carraw and Walton stands Walwick which some have fancied to be the Gallana Gallana of Antoninus in all which places there are evident remains of old fortifications Here North-Tine North-Tâ— crosses the Wall It rises in the mountains on the borders of England and Scotland and first running Eastward waters Tindale Tindale which has thence its name and afterwards embraces the river Read which falling from the steep hill of Read-squire where is frequently the True-place True-placâ— that is the place of conference where the Lords Wardens of the Eastern Marches of both Kingdoms usually determine the disputes of the borderers gives its name to a valley too thinly inhabited by reason of the robberies Rheadidaâ— Both these Dales breed most notable Bog-Trotters and both have such boggy-top'd mountains as are not to be cross'd by ordinary horsemen In these one would wonder to see so many great heaps of stones Lawes Lawes they call them which the neighbourhood believe to have been thrown together in remembrance of some persons there slain f There are also in both of 'em many ruins of old sorts In Tindale are Whitchester Delaley Tarset which formerly belong'd to the Commins In Rheades-dale are Rochester Greenchester Rutchester and some others whose ancient names old time has now unkindly swallow'd But since at Rochester which is seated near the head of Rhead on the rising of a rock that overlooks the Country below whence it may seem to have had this
as great variety and perfection as most places in the South bb The study of School-Divinity was mightily in fashion about Scotus's time and especially in the University of Oxford where the petulant humours of the Dominicans put the Students upon all sorts of wrangling Hence this place has afforded more men of eminence in that way than perhaps all the other Universities of Europe and these have marshall'd themselves under the glorious Epithets of Subtilis Profundus Irrefragabilis c. cc As pitiful a Hamlet as Mr. Camden here makes of Brampton â—â—â—â—pton 't is the place he once pitch'd upon for the Bremenium of the Ancients and so the word is still render'd in the Indices of his latest Editions It has also been of good note in our time for one of the prettiest Houses in this part of the County the Seat of George Collingwood Esq a branch of the House of Eslington dd In the Hall at Chillingham-Castle â—â—â—â—ing-â—â—â—-castle there is a Chimney-piece with a hollow in the middle of it wherein 't is said there was found a live Toad at the sawing of the Stone The other part of it is also still to be seen with the like mark upon it and put to the same use at Horton-Castle ee What our Author names Wollover â—â—â—â—â—ver they call usually Wooler 'T is a little inconsiderable Market-town with a thatch'd Church and some other marks of the Poverty of the Inhabitants The advantages of a late Brief upon a Fire that here happen'd may possibly raise it fairer out of its present Ashes ff 〈◊〉 Gloss â—â—ron From a passage in Florence of Worcester one may probably conjecture that Brunanburh for so all our Historians but Ingulphus call it must have been some-where nearer the Humber Tho' perhaps it will be more difficult to carry the great Constantine of Scotland and the little King of Cumberland so high into Yorkshire than to bring Anlaf thus far down into Northumberland gg The Town and Church of Norham Norham were both built by Bishop Egfrid or Egred as some call him who was a mighty Benefactor to the See of Lindisfarn The Church was dedicated to St. Peter St. Cuthbert and St. Ceolwulph the religious King of Northumberland who was the first of our Princes that had the Gallantry to retire from a Throne to a Monastery His Body was also deposited here by the same Bishop and the Monks of the following Age took care to bring in the Country round to pay their Devotion and Tribute to their Royal Brother who always oblig'd his visitants with some kind Miracle or other Vide Sim. Dunelm Hist Eccl. l. 2. c. 5. Et Rog. Hoveden ad Ann. 764. In the year 1121. the Castle was built by Bishop Ralph for the better security of this part of his Diocese against the frequent Incursions of the Scotish Moss-Troopers hh Berwick Berwick is now much out-done in strength and regular fortifications by Portsmouth Hull Plymouth and some other Forts in England and is chiefly strong in the present Union of the two Kingdoms ii This word is variously written in old Records Berewica Berewica Berwicha Berwichus Berewich Berewita and Berwita Of all which see Instances in Sir H. Spelman's Glossary It may be the most suitable derivation of it for our present purpose is what Fr. Tate has given us in his MS. Exposition of the hard words in doomsday-Doomsday-Book Berewica says he is a Corn-Farm The Etymology agrees with the plenty of grain about the Town of Berwick kk By the account that M. Paris gives of the Conditions whereon the King of Scots was releas'd it does not appear that the Town of Berwick was redeemable but absolutely surrender'd and made over Pro hâc autem conventione fine says he firmiter observando dedit Rex Scotorum Regi Anglorum Successoribus suis Castella de Berwicke de Rokesburc in perpetuum possidenda ll Whatever roughness Mr. Camden might fancy he saw in the Manners of the People of Northumberland 't is certain that the Description which Aeneas Silvius gives of them is not their due at this day Their Tables are as well stock'd as ever with Hens and Geese and they have also plenty of good bread and beer Strangers and Travellers are no novelties to them the Roads betwixt Edinburgh and Newcastle being as much frequented by such of all Nations as almost any others in the Kingdom A Roundlet of Red-wine is a greater rarity in a Country-man's house in Middlesex than on the borders of Northumberland where you shall more commonly meet with great store of good Claret than in the Villages of any other County in England That Wine is not the constant drink of the Country ought no more to be remark'd as a thing extraordinary than that Yorkshire-Ale is not common in Italy The Country-Keeper is able to inform you that the Moss-Trooping Trade is now very much laid aside and that a small Sum will recompence all the Robberies that are yearly committed in this County where mens persons are as safe and their goods as secure as in the most civiliz'd Kingdoms of Europe Whoredom is reckon'd as scandalous a vice here as elsewhere and it were our happiness if in the Southern parts of the Kingdom it were as little fashionable In a word the Gentry of Northumberland are generally persons of address and breeding and preservers of the true old English Hospitality in their Houses And the Peasants are as knowing a people and as courteous to strangers as a man shall readily meet with in any other part mm Bishop Walcher was a most vile oppressour and scandalous worldling He bought the Earldom of Northumberland and resolv'd to make the people pay for it But at last being wearied with daily extortion and reduc'd almost to beggary they unanimously fell upon him and slew him at a County-Court which he used always to attend himself in person the better to secure the Fees and other Perquisites And at that time these were considerable since the Sheriffs of Northumberland never accounted to the King before the third of Edward the sixth Their Foreman gave the word which most of our old Historians have thought worth the recording to posterity Short red good red slea ye the Bishop Continuation of the EARLS Earls of Northumberland The last Earl that Mr. Camden mentions was a great Patron of Learned men especially Mathematicians with whom he kept a constant familiarity and correspondence Soon after the discovery of the Powder-Plot he was committed Prisoner to the Tower upon suspicion of his being privy to that part which his kinsman Tho. Percie had in the Conspiracy He was succeeded by his son Algernoon whose son Joceline the last Earl of this Family dy'd at Turin A. D. 1670. leaving only one daughter Elizabeth the present Dutchess of Somerset Upon his death the Honour was given by King Charles the second to his own natural Son George Fitz-Roy who is now Duke of
the * Dynastas petty Kings here that they willingly suffered their Seigniories to be reduced into Counties and admitted Sheriffs to govern them But being quickly recalled and aspiring after greater honours some envious persons that were too mighty for him together with the licentiousness of his own tongue for he had bolted out some words against his Sovereign who is not to be violated by word or thought brought him unawares to ruine The County of LOVTH THE County of Louth in old books call'd Luna and Luda Triel in Latin Urgalia in Irish Iriel or Uriel if that is not rather a part of this county lies beyond the County of Meath and the mouth of the river Boine toward the Irish Sea upon a winding and uneven shore running northwards full of forrage and so fertile that it easily gratifies the Industrious husbandman Near the mouth of the Boine stands Drogheda or Droghda in English Tredah Tredah a neat and populous town denominated from the a From whence Sir James Ware always calls it Pontana bridge and divided in the middle by the Boine King Edward the second endowed it with the privilege of a Market and Fair at the instance of Theobald Verdon and several great Liberties have been granted it by the Kings of England particularly the privilege of a Mint Near this stands Mellefont-Abbey founded by Donald King of Uriel Mellifont Monastery and commended by S. Bernard lately given by Queen Elizabeth to Sir Edward Moor Knight b Whose heir is now Earl of Drogheda a Kentish man born very deserving for his wise conduct both at home and abroad the Monks having been turned out some time before Seven miles from hence stands c Ardâ—e Ardeth a mid-land town pretty emiment and higher in the Country Dundalk Dundalk which has the benefit of a good haven and was formerly fortified with strong walls It was burnt by Edward Brus brother to the King of Scots who had proclaimed himself King of Ireland and was soon after cut off with 8200 of his men hard by Within the memory of our age it was besieged by Shan O Neal who was soon forced to raise the siege with dishonour Eight miles from hence stands Carlingford Carlingâ—â—â—d a pretty famous harbor And these are all the places that I know of memorable in this County Bermingâ—am who 〈◊〉 also caâ—led Briâ—â—tham â—arl of â—â—gh This Louth has given the title of Earl to 38 Sir John John Bermingham an English man conferr'd upon him by King Edward the second as a reward to his great valour after he had defeated and slain Edward Brus that momentary King of Ireland aforesaid who had ravag'd the country with great cruelty and slaughter for some time giving him the said Earldom to have and to hold to him and the heirs males of his body as also the Barony of Athenry But as the honour had its first life and being in this Gentleman so it expir'd with him for after he had come off safe from the Conquest of his enemies he was overcome and slain here in a popular insurrection with many others of the same name leaving no issue behind him This County likewise within the memory of our fathers Barons of Louth has given the title of Baron to Oliver Plonket conferr'd upon him by King Henry the eighth Families now remaining in this County are the Verdons Tates Clintons Bellews or de Bella Aqua Dowdalls Gernons Hadsors Wottons Brandons Mores Warrens Chamberlains and many others of English original of Irish are the Mac-Mahons c. The County of CAVON NExt to this on the west lyes the County of Cavon 〈◊〉 Breaâ—â— Reiley formerly called East Breany Here lives the Family of the O Reileys who derive themselves from the Ridleys of England though their manners and course of life is mere Irish Not long ago this family was eminent for their Cavalry which are now weakened by the wise conduct of 39 Sir Henry Henry Sidney who divided this territory of theirs into seven Baronies The Lords of it all of this family hold immediately by Knights-service of the Crown of England Their way of living is not usualy in towns but in castles they have a Bishoprick among them Bishopric of Kilmore Poor Bishâ—ps but very mean and inconsiderable the See whereof is at Kilmore However this Bishop is not so poor neither as those Irish Bishops who had no other revenues or subsistance than three Milk-cows with this favourable custom that if they went dry the Parish was to give others in exchange for them as Adam Bremensis relates from the information of some of them returning out of Italy by Germany The County of FERMANAGH ON the west and north beyond Cavon lyes Fermanagh formerly inhabited by the Erdini a Country well wooded and full of bogs In the very middle of it lyes the greatest and most famous Lake in this Kingdom call'd Lough Erne 〈◊〉 Erne extended at least forty miles shaded with thick woods and full of inhabited Islands some of which contain no less than two or three hundred acres a piece And withal so well stor'd with Pike Trout Salmon and other fish that the Fishermen oftner complain of too great plenty and the breaking of their nets than of any want This lake does not stretch from east to west as the Maps describe it as I am inform'd by those who have took a full survey of it it begins at Bal-tarbet â—â—â—arbet which is the utmost village in the County of Cavon northward and reaches from south to north fourteen miles in length and four in breadth Before it has gone very far it contracts it self as narrow as the chanel of an ordinary river and so continues for six miles together Upon the lough in this narrow place stands a This is the famous Town of Iniskilling so often mentioned in the accounts of the late wars and of the rebellion in 1641. Iniskilling the best Fort of these parts defended in the year 1593 by the rebels and taken by Dowdall a gallant Captain From hence as it turns westward it is at its full bigness being as far as Belek Belek for twenty miles together at least ten miles broad and within a little of that it has a great fall or Cataract which they call the Salmons leap Here is a current report among the people living hereabouts that this Lough was formerly firm ground well cultivated and full of inhabitants and that it was suddenly overwhelmed and turned into a lake to extinguish the abominable crime of buggery then among them God Almighty says Giraldus the author of Nature condemned this land as guilty of those filthy and unnatural acts which rendered it not only unfit for the first Inhabitants but any other that might come after The Irish Annals lay this to the charge of certain Scotch-Refugees that were driven from the Hebrides and took up here The most noble and powerful
themselves thrown off or rejected endeavour to revenge the injury by poison The Church is the habitation of the Priest's whores and Bastards there they drink fornicate murder and keep their Cattle Among these wild Irish there is nothing sacred no signs of a Church or Chapel save outwardly no Altars or at most such only as are polluted and if a Crucifix thereon defaced and broken the sacred Vestments are so nasty they would turn one's stomach their moveable Altar without a cross mean and despicable the Mass-book torn and without the Canon used also in all oaths and perjuries their Chalice is of lead without a cover and their Communion-cup of horn The Priests think of nothing but providing for their Children and getting more The Rectors play the Vicars and that in many Parishes together being great pretenders to the Canon-law but absolute strangers to all parts of learning The sons succeed their fathers in their Churches having dispensations for their Bastardy These will not go into Priest's orders but commit the charge to the * Presbyâ—er Curates without any allowance that they may live by the Book i e. by the small oblations at baptism unctions or burials which proves but a poor maintenance The sons of these Priests who follow not their studies grow generally notorious Robbers For those that are called Mac Decan Mac Pherson Mac Ospac i.e. the son of the Dean Rector and Bishop are the greatest Robbers enabled by the bounty of their Parents to raise the greater gang of accomplices which likewise induces them to hospitality after the example of their Fore-fathers The daughters of these if married in their fathers life-time have good portions but if afterwards they either turn whores or beggars They hardly speak three words without a solemn oath by the Trinity God the Saints St. Patrick St. Brigid their Baptism their Faith the Church their God-fathers hand and by this hand Though they take these oaths upon the Bible or mass-Mass-book laid upon their bare heads and are perjured or forsworn yet if any one put them in mind of the danger of damnation they presently tell him That God is merciful and will not suffer the price of his own blood to be lost Whether I repent or not I shall never be thrown into Hell As for performance of promise these three things are looked upon as the strongest obligations among them 1. To swear at the Altar with his hand upon the book as it lyes open upon his bare head 2. To invoke some Saint or other by touching or kissing his bell or crooked staff 3. To swear by the hand of an Earl or by the hand of his Lord or any other person of Quality For perjury in the two first cases makes him infamous but in this last oath the Grandee by whose name be swore fines him so much money and so many cows for the injury he has done his name For Cows are the most valuable treasure here Of which this is remarkable as the same writer tells us that cows are certain to give no milk in Ireland unless either their own calves be set alive by them or the skin of a calf stuffed out with straw to represent a live one in which they meet with the smell of their own Matrix If the cow happens to become dry a witch is sent for who settles the cows affections upon another calf by certain herbs and makes her yield her milk They seldom marry out of their own town and contract with one another not in praesenti but in futuro or else consent without any manner of deliberation Upon this account the least difference generally parts them the husband taking another wife and the wife another husband nor is it certain whether the contract be true or false till they dye Hence arise feuds rapines murders and deadly enmities about succeeding to the inheritance The cast-off-wives have recourse to the witches these being looked upon as able to afflict either the former husband or the new wife with barrenness or impotency or some other calamity All of them are very apt to commit incest and divorces under pretence of conscience are very frequent Both men and women set a great value upon their hair especially if it is of a golden colour and long for they plat it out at full length for more shew and suffer it to hang down finely wreath'd folding over their heads many ells of fine linnen This sort of head-dress is wore by all that can compass it be they wives or strumpets after child-bed To this may be added abundance of superstitious customs Whether or no they worship the Moon I know not but when they first see her after the change they commonly bow the knee say the Lord's Prayer and then address themselves to her after this manner Leave us as well as thou found us They receive Wolves as Gossips calling them Chari Christ praying for them and wishing them happy upon which account they are not afraid of them They look through the blade-bone of a shoulder of mutton when the meat is pick'd clean off and if they find it dark in any part they think it portends a funeral out of that family They take any one for a witch that comes to fetch fire on May-day and therefore refuse to give any unless the party asking it be sick and then it is with a curse believing that all their butter will be stole away next summer by this woman On May-day likewise if they find a hare among their herd they endeavor to kill her out of a notion that this is some old witch or other that has a design upon their butter If their butter be stolen they fancy they shall recover it if they take some of the thatch that hangs over the door and throw it into the fire But they think it foretells them a plentiful dairy if they set boughs of trees before their doors on a May-day When any Town-magistrate among them enters upon his office the wives in the streets and the maidens in the window strew him and his retinue with salt and wheat Before they sow their fields the good wife of the house sends salt to it To prevent the Kite and hinder him from stealing their chickens they hang up the egg-shells wherein the chickens were hatch'd in the cieling of the House It is thought unlawful to rub or clean their horses feet or to gather grass for them upon a saturday though all this may be done upon their strictest Holy-days If they never lend out fire to their neighbours they imagine it adds length of life and much health to their horses When the owner of a horse eats eggs he must be very careful to eat an even number otherwise they endanger their horses Jockeys are not at all to eat eggs and whatever horseman does it he must wash his hands immediately after When a horse dies the master hangs up the feet and legs in the house and looks upon the very hoofs as
land beyond this towards the west and north call'd by the natives Melienydh â—â—â—ieâ—ydh from the yellowish mountains is for the most part a barren and hungry soil Which notwithstanding shews the ruins of divers Castles â—â—n y â—â—s â—â—â—minâ—â—â—â— but especially of Kevn Lhys and Tinbod standing ‖ on the summit of a cop'd hill and was destroy'd by Lhewelyn Prince of Wales in the year 1260. This Country of Melienydh reaches to the river Wye b which crosses the western angle of the County and having it 's rapid course somewhat abated by the rocks it meets with and it's channel discontinued it suddenly falls headlong over a steep precipice Whence the place is call'd Rhà iadr Gŵy Rhaiadr Gwy which implies as much as the Cataract or fall of the river Wye c And I know not whether the English might not from that word Rhà iadr impose the name of Radnor first on the County and afterwards on the chief town therein By this Cataract there was a Castle which as we find it recorded was repair'd by RhÅ·s Prince of South-Wales in the reign of King Richard the first Near this place there is a vast Wilderness dismal to behold by reason of many crooked ways and high mountains into which as a safe place of refuge that bane of his native Country King Vortigern Vortigern whose very memory the Britains curse withdrew himself when he had at last seriously repented of his abominable wickedness in calling in the English-Saxons and incestuously marrying his own daughter But God's vengeance pursuing him he was consumed by Lightning together with his City Kaer-Gwortigern which he had built for his refuge Nor was it far from hence as if the place were fatal that not only this Vortigern the last British Monarch of the race of the Britains but also Lhewelyn Lhewelyn the last Prince of Wales of the British line being betray'd in the year of our Lord 1282. ended his life From this Vortigern Ninnius calls that small region Gwortiger mawr nor is the name yet lost but of the city there is not any memorial but what we have from Authors Some are of opinion that the Castle of Gwthrènion Gwerthrynion arose out of the ruins of it which the Welshmen for their hatred to Roger Mortimer laid even with the ground An. 1201. This part of the Country hath been also call'd Gwarth Ennion as we are inform'd by Ninnius who writes that the foremention'd Vortigern when he was publickly and sharply reproved by St. German did not only persist in his obstinacy and wicked practices but also cast false and malicious reproaches on that godly Saint Wherefore saith Ninnius Vortimer the son of Vortigern ordain'd that the Land where the Bishop had receiv'd so great an indignity should be his own for ever Guarth in British Calumny and Eniawn Just Upon which and in memory of St. German it has been call'd Gwarth Enian which in English signifies a slander justly requited The Mortimers descended from the Niece of Gonora wife of Rich. 1. Duke of Normandy Earls of March G. Gemet l. ult c. 10. were the first of the Normans who having overcome Edric * Weald or Wild. Sylvaticus a Saxon gain'd a considerable part of this small Territory And having continued for a long time the leading-men of the County at length Roger Mortimer Lord of Wigmore was created Earl of March by Edw. 3. about 1328. who soon after was sentenced to death having been accused of insolence to the State of favouring the Scots to the prejudice of England of conversing over-familiarly with the King's mother and contriving the death of his father King Edward 2. He had by his wife Jane Jenevil Lâ—b Monast Lanthony 29 Ed. 3. who brought him large revenues as well in Ireland as England a son call'd Edmund who suffer'd for his father's crimes and was depriv'd both of his inheritance and the title of Earl But his son Roger was received into favour and had not only the title of Earl of March restored but was also created Knight of the Garter at the first institution of that noble Order This Roger married Philippa Mountague by whom he had Edmund Earl of March who marry'd Philippa the only daughter of Leonel Duke of Clarence the third son of King Edward 3. whereby he obtained the Earldom of Ulster in Ireland and the Lordship of Clare After his decease in Ireland where he had govern'd with general applause his son Roger succeeded being both Earl of March and Ulster whom King Richard design'd his successor to the crown as being in right of his mother the next heir but he dying before King Richard left issue Edmund and Anne King Henry 4. who had usurp'd the Government suspecting Edmund's Interest and Title to the Crown exposed him to many hazards insomuch that being taken by the Rebel Owen Glyn-Dwr he died of grief and discontent leaving his sister Anne to inherit She was married to Richard Plantagenet Earl of Cambridge whose Posterity in her right became afterwards Earls of March and laid claim to the Crown See in Yâ—â—â—shire towards â—â—e end of â—â—e Coâ—nty which in the end as we shall shew elsewhere they obtain'd and Edward the fourth's eldest son who was Prince of Wales Duke of Cornwall c. had also conferr'd on him as an additional honour the title of Earl of March As for the title of Radnor a It was conferr'd upon John Roberts Lord Roberts of Truro 23 Jul. 1679. no man ever boâ—e it separately that I know of In this County are 52 Parishes ADDITIONS to RADNORSHIRE a THE first place of considerable Antiquity we meet with in this Country is Clawdh Offa Extent of Clawdh Offa. the tracing whereof gives us the exact bounds of the Britains and Saxons It may be seen on Brachy-hill and near RÅ·hd ar Helig and Lanterden in Herefordshire and is continued Northwards from Knighton over a part of Shropshire into Mongomeryshire and may be traced over the long Mountain call'd in Welsh Kevn Digolh to Harden castle cross the Severn and Lhan Drinio-Common From whence it passes the Vyrnwy again into Shropshire not far from Oswaldstry where there is also a small village call'd Trevyrclawdh In Denbighshire 't is visible along the road between Rhywabon and Wrexham fâ—om whence being continued through Flintshire it ends a little below Holywell where that water falls into Dee at a place formerly the site of the castle of Basingwerk This limit seems not afterwards well maintain'd by the English for although we find that the British tongue decreases daily on the borders of Wales yet not only that language but also the ancient British customs and names of men and places remain still for some space on the English side almost the whole length of it b The word Gwy or Wy Gwy or Wy what it signifieth though it be here the name of a river seems to have been anciently an appellative word either for
river or water For although it be not used at present in that sense nor yet preserv'd in any Glossary or other Books yet I find it in the termination of the names of many of our rivers ex gr Lhugwy Dowrdwy y Vyrnwy Edwy Conwy Elwy Hondhwy Mynwy Mowdhwy Tawy Towy c. Now that this final syllable wy in these names of rivers is the same with gwy seems more than probable in that we find the river Towy call'd in the Book of Landaffe Tiugui ab hostio Taratir super ripam Gui usque ad ripam Tiugui c. and also the river Elwy call'd Elgui And that gwy or wy signified water seems also confirm'd from the names of some aquatick animals as Gwyach Gîach eog alià s oiog c. This being granted we may be able to interpret the names of several rivers which have hitherto remain'd unintelligible as Lhugwy clear water from lhug which signifies light or brightness Dowrdwy Loud water from Dwradh noise Edwy a swift or rapid stream from Ehed to fly c. c As for Rhà iadr Gŵy several places in Wales are thus denominated all which have cataracts near them and the word is still used appellatively among the mountains of Snowdon in Caernarvonshire where such falls of water are very frequent Rhaiadar-castle whereof not the least ruins are now remaining was very advantageously situated in a nook of the river close by this Cataract But what seems very remarkable is a deep trench on one side of the Castle-yaâ—d cut out of an exceeding hard and solid rock About two furlongs below this place where the castle stood I observ'd a large Tumulus or Barrow call'd from a Chapel adjoyning Tommen lhan St. Frêd and on the other side at a farther distance there are two more Bâ—rrows or Lâ—ws call'd in Welsh Krigeu much less than the former call'd Krigeu Kevn Keido viz. the Barrows of Kevn Keido a place so call'd where 't is suppos'd there stood heretofore a Church for that a piece of ground adjoyning is call'd Klyttieu'r Eglwys ¶ On the top of a hill call'd Gwastèdin near Rhaiadr Gŵy there are three large heaps of stones of that kind which are common upon mountains in most if not all Counties of Wales and are call'd in South-wales Karneu Karâ— wiâ—â— it signâ—â—â—â—s and in North-wales Karnedheu They consist of any such lesser stones from a pound weight to a hundâ—ed c. as the neighbouring places afford and are confusedly piled up without any farther trouble than the bringing them thither and the throwing of them in heaps On Plin Lhimmon mountain and some other places there are of these Karnedheu so considerably big that they may be supposed to consist of no less than a hundred Cart-loads of stones but generally consider'd they are much less They are also found in the North and probably other parts of England and are frequent in Scotland and Ireland being call'd there by the same British name of Kairn whereof I can give no other account to the curious Reader than that it is a primitive word and appropriated to signifie such heaps of stones That most of these Karnedheu not to say all were intended as memorials of the dead I am induced to believe for that I have my self observed near the summit of one of them a rude stone monument which I shall have occasion to prove Sepulchral hereafter somewhat of the form of a large Coffer or Chest and have receiv'd unquestionable information of two more such monuments found of late years in the like places But what removes all scruple and puts this question beyond farther debate is that 't is still the custom in several places to cast heaps of stones on the Graves of Malefactors and Self-murderers And hence perhaps it is since we can assign no other reason that the worst of Traytors are call'd Karn-Vradwyr the most notorious Thieves Karn-Lhadron c. That this was also the custom amongst the Romans appears from that Epitaph ascrib'd to Virgil on the infamous Robber Balista Monte sub hoc lapidum tegitur Balista sepultus Nocte die tutum carpe viator iter But that it was nevertheless usual among the Britains before they were known to the Romans seems evident for that they are common also in the Highlands of Scotland and in Ireland where their Conquests never reach'd Now if it be demanded whether Malefactors only were thus serv'd in ancient times or whether other persons indifferently had not such heaps of stones erected to them as Sepulchral monuments I answer that before Christianity was introduced men of the best quality seem to have had such Funeral Piles and such I take to have been the largest of them those especially that have the monuments above mentioned within them But since the planting of Christianity they became so detestable and appropriated to Malefactors that sometimes the most passionate wishes a man can express to his enemy is that a Karn be his monument Karn 〈◊〉 Wynâ—â— and as we have already observ'd the most notorious and profligate Criminals are distinguish'd by that word BRECKNOCKSHIRE ON the South of Radnor lies Brecknockshire in British Brycheinog so call'd as the Welsh suppose Giraâ—d â—â—mo 〈◊〉 c. â— from Prince * Brechanius who is said to have had a numerous and holy Off-spring to wit twenty four daughters all Saints This is considerably a larger County than Radnorshire but more mountainous tho' in many places 't is adorn'd with fruitful and pleasant vales It is bounded on the East with Hereford on the South with Monmouth and Glamorgan and on the West with Caermardhinshire But since nothing can be added in the describing of this small Province to what the industrious Giraldus Cambrensis hath already written who was Arch-Deacon hereof four hundred years since I may do well for some time to be silent and call him to my assistance Brechiniauc saith he in his Itinerary of Wales is a Land sufficiently abounding with corn whereof if there be any defect 't is amply supply'd from the borders of England and is well stor'd with Woods Pastures wild Deer and herds of Cattel It hath also plenty of River-fish from Usk and Wy both abounding with Salmon and Trout but the Wy with a better sort call'd Umbrae It is inclosed on all parts except the North with high mountains having on the West the mountains of Cantre-bychan and towards the South the Southern-hills whereof the chiefest is call'd Kader Arthur or Arthur's Chair from two peaks on the top of it somewhat resembling a Chair Which in regard 't is a lofty seat and a place of strength is ascribed in the vulgar appellation of it to Arthur the most puissant and absolute Monarch of the Britains A fountain springs on the very top of this hill which is as deep as a draw-well and four square affording Trouts tho' no water runs out of it Being thus guarded on the South with high mountains 't is defended from the heat of the Sun with