sirnamed Albanach from his birth in Scotland seeing the fair Estate of this family devolved upon Leonell Duke of Clarence by a female was much concerned and drawing together a great body of lewd fellows who are ever to be had in Ireland as well as in other places enter'd by main force upon the estate of the Earls of Munster in this County and from his Grandfather whose reputation and power was then still fresh in remembrance Maâ—â—â—lâ—an 〈◊〉 calâ—â—â— Wiâ—â—â— Eughtâ— call'd himself Mac-William i.e. the son of William His posterity under that title have tyranniz'd in these parts breaking in upon one another with mutual slaughter and oppressing the poor people by their rapine and pillage so that hardly a village is left standing and unrifled by them 33 Sir Richard Richard Bingham Governour of Conaught a sharp man and fit to rule over such a fierce Province thought this was not to be endured wisely perceiving that these practices were the causes of rebellion barbarism and poverty in Ireland and that they corrupted the people so much as to their Allegiance that they hardly knew or acknowledged any other Prince than their own Lords Accordingly he was resolv'd to employ his thoughts and the utmost of his abilities to re-establish the King's power and overthrow the tyranny of this Mac-William and others wherein he persever'd tho' complain'd of both before the Queen and the Lord Deputy The Burks and their dependents who denied the juridiction and authority of all Laws took up arms at last against him drawing to their assistance the Clan-Donells Ioies and others who were apprehensive of their own danger and the diminution of their authority However Bingham easily suppressed them forced their Castles and drove them to the woods and by-places till the Lord Deputy upon their Petition commanded him by his Letters to desist and permit them to live quietly And they who had but now broke the peace were so far from a sense of the miseries of war that they were no sooner restored and had their lives given them but they took up arms again made inroads into all parts of the Country and turn'd all things to confusion saying they would either have their Mac-William to rule over them or send for one out of Spain that they would admit no Sheriffs for the future nor subject themselves to Law so they invited the Scots from the Hebrides to their assistance with promises of great estates The Lord Deputy sent orders to the Governour to suppress this insolent tumult who immediately thereupon offer'd them terms which being rejected he drew an army together and press'd them so closely in the woods and forests that after six or seven weeks grievous famine they were forced to submit At the same time their reinforcement from Scotland was upon their march seeking their way into the County of Maio to joyn them by strange unbeaten roads however their motions were so well watched by the Governour who was night and day upon his march that at length at Ardnary he intercepted them set upon them and defeated them there being in all kill'd or drowned in the river Moin to the number of three thousand This victory was not only famous then but of great consequence to after times as having put an end to that rebellion and the title of Mac-William and cut off Donell Coran and Alexander Carrogh the sons of James Mac-Conell and those Islanders who had ever most sadly infested Ireland These things I have briefly related 34 Out of my Annals though beyond the precise scope of my design the worth of them will entitle them to more room and a fuller account in an Historian The County of SLEGO UP higher the County of Slego very fit for grazing by reason of the excellent grass it produces lyes full upon the Sea bounded on the North by the River Trobis which Ptolemy calls Ravius springing from the Lough Ern in Ulster It is divided from Letrim and Roscoman which border upon it by the rugged Curlew-mountains and the river Succas Somewhere in this County Ptolemy places the City of Nagnata Nagnata but for my part I am not able to discover it The same Authour has likewise the River Libnius Libnius in these parts which has been misplaced by a mistake of transcribers and a little above is reduced to Dublin But the place which Ptolemy points at is now called the Bay of Slego a creeky road for ships just under the town which is the chief in this County adorned with a castle now the seat of the a O-Connor Sligo O-Connors sirnamed de Slego from this place and descended as they say from that Rotheric O-Conor Dun who was so potent that when the English invaded Ireland he acted as Monarch of that Kingdom and would hardly submit to King Henry the second but was often recoiling though he had promised submission And as an anonymous writer of that age says he was wont to exclaim against these words of Pope Adrian in his Diploma to the King of England as injurious to him You may enter into that Island V. Dipl lib. 2. cap. 6. Giral Cambren de Expugnatione p. 787. and do any thing therein that will contribute to God's glory and the well-being of the Country and let the people of that Island receive you and respect you as their Lord. And this he continued to protest against till Pope Alexander the third made another Diploma confirming this right to the Kings of England For then he grew milder and willing to hear of other terms as we shall observe hereafter The greatest families in these parts besides the O-Conors are O-Dono b O-Hara O-Haris c O-Gara O-Ghar and Mac-Donagh The County of LETRIM NExt to Slego on the East lyes Breany â—â—eany the Estate of that ancient family O Rorck descended from Rotherick Monarch of Ireland whom they call Rorck after their way of contracting and enjoy'd by them till Brien O Rorck Lord of Breany and Minterolise was inveigled by Pope Sixtus Quintus and the King of Spain to cast off his allegiance to Queen Elizabeth and take up arms against her Upon which he was presently forc'd to seek refuge in Scotland from whence he was sent into England and there hang'd for his inconsiderate folly The estate being thus forfeited to the Crown this territory was reduced into a County by John Perrott and from the head town in it called Letrim This is a Highland County very rank in grass but not so much as to verifie that of Solinus Grass grows so plentifully in Ireland that the beasts are certainly surfeited if they are not hindered to feed now and then So many herds are kept in this narrow County that it has reckoned above a hundred and twenty thousand head of cattle at one time The Bishoprick of Achonry now united to the See of Elphin lyes in this County as also the spring head of the Shanon and chief river in Ireland which
said Count both to give their advice and attendance and also to grace his Court with their presence a This country Malmesbury says yields corn very sparingly especially wheat but cattel and fish in abundance On the contrary Ranulph of Chester affirms that Whatever Malmesbury might fancy from the report of others yet it affords great store of all sorts of victuals corn flesh fish and of the best Salmon it drives a considerable trade not only by importing but by return as having within it self salt-pits mines and metals Give me leave to add farther that the grass of this Country has a peculiar good quality so that they make great store of Cheese The best Cheese more agreeable and better relish'd than those of any other parts of the Kingdom even when they procure the same Dary-women to make them And therefore by the by I cannot but wonder at what Strabo writes that some of the Britains in his time knew not how to make Cheese and that Pliny should wonder how barbarous people who liv'd upon milk come to despise or else not know for so long time the benefit of Cheese especially seeing they had the way of Curding it to a pleasant tartness and of making fat butter of it From whence it may be inferr'd that a the art of making Cheese was taught us by the Romans Altho' this Country is inferiour to many others of this Kingdom in fruitfulness yet it always produc'd more Gentry than any of them There was no part of England that formerly supply'd the King's army with more Nobility or that could number more Knights-families On the South-side it is bounded with Shropshire on the East-side with Staffordshire and Derbyshire on the North with Lancashire and on the West with Denbigh and Flint shires Toward the North-west it shoots out into a considerable Chersonese Wirâ—all where the Sea insinuating it self on both sides makes two Creeks which receive all the rivers of this County Into that Creek more to the West runs the river Deva or d ee which divides this County from Denbighshire Into that more to the East the Wever which goes through the middle of the County and the Mersey which severs it from Lancashire discharge themselves And in describing this County I know no better method than to follow the course of these rivers For all the places of greatest note are situate on the sides of them But before I enter upon particulars I will first premise what Lucian the Monk has said in general of it lest I should be accus'd hereafter for omitting any thing that might conduce to the commendation of the Inhabitants besides that Author is now scarce and as old almost as the Conquest But if any man be desirous either fully Lucian the Monk in commendation of Chester or as near as may be to treat of the manners of the Inhabitants with respect to them that live in other places of the kingdom they are found to be partly different from the rest partly better and in some things but equal But they seem especially which is very considerable in points of civility and breeding to feast in common are cheerful at meals liberal in entertainments hasty but soon pacified talkative averse to slavery merciful to those in distress compassionate to the poor kind to relations not very industrious plain and open moderate in eating far from designing bold and forward in borrowing abounding in woods and pastures and rich in cattel They border on one side upon the Welsh and have such a tincture of their manners and customs by intercourse that they are not much unlike them 'T is also to be observ'd That as the County of Chester is shut in and separated from the rest of England by the Wood Lime so is it distinguish'd from all other parts of England by some peculiar immunities by the grants of the Kings and the Excellencies of the Earls they have been wont in Assemblies of the people to attend the Prince's sword rather than the King's crown and to try causes of the greatest consequence within themselves with full authority and licence Chester it self is frequented by the Irish is neighbour to the Welsh and plentifully serv d with provisions by the English 't is curiously situated having gates * Positione antiquâ of an ancient model It has been exercis'd with many difficulties fortified and adorn'd with a river and a fine prospect worthy according to the name to be call'd a City secured and guarded with continual watchings of holy men and by the mercy of our Saviour ever preserved by the aid of the Almighty The river Dee The river Dee call'd in Latin Deva in British Dyffyr dwy that is the water of the Dwy abounds with Salmon and springs from two fountains in Wales from which some believe it had its denomination For Dwy signifies two in their language But others from the nature also and meaning of the word will have it signifie black water others again God's water and Divine water Now altho' a fountain sacred to the Gods is call'd Divona Divona in the old Gallick tongue which Ausonius observes to have been the same with our British and altho' all rivers were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Antiquity esteem'd Divine and our Britains too paid them divine honours as Gildas informs us yet I cannot see why they should attribute divinity to this river Dwy in particular Rivers sacred above all others We read that the Thessalians gave divine honours to the river Paeneus upon the account of its pleasantness the Scythians attributed the same to the Ister for its largeness and the Germans to the Rhine because it was their judge in cases of suspicion and jealousie between married persons but I see no reason as I said before why they should ascribe Divinity to this river unless perhaps it has sometimes chang'd its course and might presage victory to the Inhabitants when they were at war with one another as it inclin'd more to this or that side when it left its chanel for this is related by Giraldus Cambrensis who in some measure believ'd it Or perhaps they observ'd that contrary to the manner of other rivers it did not overflow with a fall of rain but yet would swell so extraordinarily when the South-wind bore upon it that it would overfloat its banks and the fields about them Again it may be the water here seem'd holy to the Christian Britains for 't is said that when they stood drawn up ready to engage the Saxons they first kiss'd the earth and devoutly drank of this river in memory of the blood of their holy Saviour The Dee the course whereof from Wales is strong and rapid has no sooner enter'd Cheshire but it 's force abates and it runs through Bonium Bonium more gently which in some copies of Antoninus is spelt Bovium an eminent city in those times and afterwards a famous Monastery From the Choir or Quire it was call'd
removal of his body from Wereham to a more honourable place Shaftesbury and the Murdress repenting of that wicked action spent the rest of her days in grief and severe penances Who that Heremod on the reverse was we know not The thirty fifth is of Aethelred son of Edgar by Alfritha the only weak and slothful Prince of all the line of King Egbert endeavouring to govern his Kingdom not by true justice and valour as his predecessors had done but by tricks and as they call it policy First gave an opportunity to the Danes to renew their invasions and then negligently or unfortunately opposing them he brought the Kingdom into great poverty and calamity and afterwards into subjection unto those antient enemies and robbers of the country by his laziness losing all that his forefathers by their industry had acquired as Historians say St. Dunstan foretold of him at his Baptism Egbert began the advancement of the Kingdom by reducing it into one Monarchy his successors valiantly defended and setled and augmented it by subduing the Danes and all other enemies Edgar enjoyed it in full peace prosperity and glory and his son this Aethelred suffered it to run down again into a worse condition than ever it was And indeed it would be strange to imagine so great a change in one man's time did it not appear that there was no cause of ruine left unpractised in his long reign his own negligence cowardise want of intelligence unskilfulness in war the great factions enmities and treasons of the nobility the particulars whereof have filled the tedious relations of our Historians Saxon Coins TAB VII ALL the first ten are of Cnut called the Great the first Danish King of England There are very many of his Coins extant I have only described those wherein is some notable variety Though Swane his father made divers conquests and several countries as well as persons preferring his activeness before Aethelred's sloth not regarding the justice of the cause submitted to him and paid largely for his protection yet was he never King nor assumed he or his son the title till Edmund Ironside consented by the persuasion of a traytor to divide the Kingdom with him The vile but potent Edric thought that more was to be got by shoring up a new active Usurper than adhering to the just cause of his true and Royal Sovereign Nor was Cnut unmindful of him but according to his promise advanced him above all the other Lords of the Kingdom by cutting off his head and exposing it upon a high pole Amongst all these figures of Cnut only one the seventh is with a crown and that an open one contrary to that of the English Kings before him and adorned with lilies which would make me suspect that Coin to be counterfeit were it not that our Historians say that when he was young he wore his Crown at the great assemblies of the Nobility so many times in the year as was the custom both here in France Germany and I think with all European Princes in those times But one time being mightily flattered by his Courtiers he chanced to be upon the sea-banks whither he commanded his chair to be brought where sitting down upon the beach in great Majesty he told the sea that that was his land and the water his water wherefore he commanded the sea to be content with its own chanel and not cover any part of the land Which he had no sooner said but the water dashed upon him whereupon he told his flatterers that they should henceforward forbear all boasting of his power and greatness After this it is reported he would never wear a Crown Others say that he never wore a Crown after his coronation and that then also at his coronation presently after the Crown was set upon his head he took it off and fixed it upon the head of our Saviour crucified The ordinary covering of his head was sometimes a Mitre as fig. 6. other times a cap as fig. 5. sometimes a triangular covering used after him by Andronicus the Eastern Emperor and by St. Edward the Confessor The reverse of the first is Farthein Monet Eoforwic i.e. York Of the second Sunolf Of the third Crinam The fourth is Wulnoth All coined at York The fifth is Leodmer and seems coined at Raculf-minster now Reculver The sixth hath Luffwine at Dover The seventh hath Wulfric on Lunden The eighth is Selwi at Theoford The ninth is Outhgrim at York The tenth is Cnut aged with a Diadem about his head The reverse is Nodwin Moneta The name of the place I cannot read In his younger years he spared no labour nor any art just or unjust oppression or murder to acquire and settle the Kingdom to himself and Posterity Which being as well as he could performed he endeavoured to act more justly and plausibly that he might retain the obedience of the people which he had so unjustly gotten Yet not long before his death he dispossessed Olavus King of Norway of his dominion about An. 1029. The eleventh is of Harold Cnut's second son called for his swiftness Hares-foot Cnut to his eldest son Suane suspected to be none of his own gave the Kingdom of Norway to Harold his second son by foreign writers also called a Bastard the Kingdom of England to Hardacnut his son by Emma he gave Denmark Harold's Reign was short about four years and employed more in endeavouring to settle his title than perform any worthy action The reverse is Godric at Theotford The twelfth is of the same with a Diadem about his Helmet The reverse is Sliwine on Theodford The thirteenth is of Harthacnut He reigned about two years and died suddenly at a great feast in Lambeth Little of note mentioned of him besides that he was very affectionate to his mother's children and that he loved good eating making four meals a day The reverse is Elnwine on Wice perhaps Worcester The fourteenth is of St. Edward the Confessor of whom there are very many Coins still extant I have presented only those of most variety This represents him as a young man sitting with a staff or scepter which amongst the Romans was the Hasta pura and Sceptrum sometimes made of Ivory and many times an Eagle upon the top of it instead of which our Kings used commonly a Cross tho' not always of the same fashion sometimes also a Lily in his left hand a globe with a cross fastened in it This was used only by Christian Emperors and Kings as witnessing them to have that power through the virtue of the Cross or Passion of our Saviour The Pagan Roman Emperors used rather a stern or oar fastened to a globe shewing that they steered the world not expressing whence they received that power Whereas Suidas saith of Justinian that in his left hand he carried a globe with a cross upon it signifying that by faith in the cross of Christ he was advanced to be Lord of the world i.e. that he obtained
take cognizance of murders felonies trespasses for so they term them and many other misdemeanors Besides the King sends every year into each County two of the Justices of England to give sentence upon Prisoners â—es of â—e and to use the law-term in that cause to make a Gaol-delivery But of these more hereafter when we come to the Courts As to the Ecclesiastical Government after the Bishops of Rome had assigned to each Presbyter his Church and divided the parishes among them Honorius Archbishop of Canterbury â—â—â—â—and â—ed inâ—â—â—â—rishes about the year of our Lord 636. first began to divide England into Parishes as we read in the History of Canterbury Now England has two Provinces and two Archbishops Canterbury Primate of all England and Metropolitan and York Under these are 25 Bishops 22 under Canterbury and the rest under York What these Bishopricks are with their Counties or Dioceses which they now contain â—ops are shown us in those words of that excellent person the most reverend Father in God Matthew Parker Archbishop of Canterbury a Patron of Learning and a great Judge of Antiquities In the Province of Canterbury THE Bishoprick of Canterbury along with Rochester contains the County of Kent London has under it Essex Middlesex and part of Hertfordshire Chichester has Sussex Winchester has Hamshire Surrey Isle of Wight with Gernsey and Jersey Islands lying upon the Coast of Normandy Salisbury contains Wiltshire and Berkshire Exeter includes Devonshire and Cornwal Bathe and Wells joyntly have Somersetshire and Glocester Glocestershire Worcester Worcestershire and part of Warwickshire Hereford Herefordshire and part of Shropshire Coventry and Lichfield joyned together Staffordshire Derbyshire and the other part of Warwickshire as also that part of Shropshire which borders upon the River Repil Next Lincoln the largest contains six Counties Lincolnshire Liecestershire Huntingdonshire Bedfordshire Buckinghamshire and the other part of Hertfordshire Ely Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely Norwich Norfolk and Suffolk Oxford Oxfordshire Peterburrow Northamptonshire and Rutlandshire Bristol Dorsetshire To which 18 Dioceses in England must be added those of Wales or Cambria which are both deprived of an Archbishop of their own and also made fewer seven hardly coming entire into four These are â—eâ—e â—sis St. Davids whose seat is at St. Davids Landaff Banchor and Asaph or Elwensis In the Province of York YOrk it self comprehends Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire Chester Cheshire Richmondshire Lancashire with part of Cumberland Flintshire and Denbighshire Durham the Bishoprick of Durham and Northumberland Carlisle part of Cumberland and Westmerland To these may be added the Bishoprick of Sodor in Mona commonly called the Isle of Man Amongst those the Archbishop of Canterbury takes the first place the Archbishop of York the second the Bishop of London the third the Bishop of Durham the fourth and the Bishop of Winchester the fifth The rest take place according to the time of their Consecration But if any of the other Bishops happen to be Secretary to the King he claims the fifth place There are besides in England 26 Deaneries 13 whereof were made in the larger Churches by King Henry VIII upon expulsion of the Monks The Archdeaconries are sixty and the Dignities and Prebends make 544. There are also 9284 Parish-churches under the Bishops of which 3845 are appropriate as is plain from the Catalogue exhibited to King James which I have here subjoyned Now appropriate Churches are such as by the authority of the Pope and the consent of the King and Bishop of the Diocess are upon certain conditions settled upon those Monasteries Bishopricks Colleges and Hospitals whose revenues are but small either because they were built upon their ground or granted by the Lords of the Mannour Such a Settlement is expressed in form of law by being united annext and incorporated for ever But these upon the subversion of the Monasteries were to the great damage of the Church made Feuda Laicalia Lay-fees In the Province of Canterbury Dioceses Parish-Churches Churches appropriate Canterbury 257 140 London 623 189 Winchester 362 131 Coventry and Lichfield 557 250 Salisbury 248 109 Bath and Wells 388 160 Lincoln 1255 577 Peterburrow 293 91 Exeter 604 239 Glocester 267 125 Hereford 313 166 Norwich 1121 385 Ely 141 75 Rochester 98 36 Chichester 250 112 Oxford 195 88 Worcester 241 76 Bristol 236 64 S. Davids 308 120 Bangor 107 36 Llandaff 177 98 S. Asaph 121 19 Peculiars in the Province of Canterbury 57 14 The whole number in the Province of Canterbury 8219 3303 In the Province of York York 581 336 Durham 135 87 Chester 256 101 Carlisle 93 18 The whole number in York 1065 592 The whole number in both Provinces 9284 3845 But in the Book of Thomas Wolsey Cardinal written in the year 1520. there are reckoned in all the Counties 9407 Churches I know not how this difference should happen unless it be that some were demolished in the last age and Chapels which are Parochial be omitted others which are barely Chapels being reckoned up amongst the Parish-churches However I have set down the number of Churches at the end of each County out of this Book of Wolsey's There were also in the Reign of King Henry VIII if it be not a crime to mention them monuments of the piety of our fore-fathers Monasteries built to the honour of God the propagation of the Christian faith and good learning and for the support of the poor Of Religious houses i.e. Monasteries or Abbies and Priories to the number of 645. whereof when 40 had been suppressed by a Grant from Pope Clement the seventh Hen. 5. had before that dissolved 100 Pâ—iories of Monks Aliens obtained by Cardinal Wolsey who had then laid the foundation of two Colleges one at Oxford and another at Ipswich presently about the 36th of Henry VIII a torrent as it were that has thrown down the banks broke in upon the ecclesiastical state of England and to the great surprize of the whole world and oppression of this nation at once threw down the greatest part of the Religious with their curious structures For what the Pope granted to the Cardinal the King took himself by consent of Parliament Whereupon in the year 1536. all religious houses with their revenues which had 200 l. yearly or under that were granted to the King in number 376. And the next year under a specious pretence of rooting out superstition the rest along with the Colleges Chauntries and Hospitals were given up to the King's disposal At which time there were valued or taxed 605 religious houses remaining Colleges besides those in the Universities 96. Hospitals 110. Chauntries and Free-chapels 2374. Most of which in a short time were every where pulled down their revenues squander'd away and the riches which had been consecrated to God by the pious munificence of the English from the time they received Christianity were as it were in a moment dispersed and if I may use the
Dignities were those of Dukes Marquisses Counts Captains Valvasors and Valvasins An hereditary title came but late into France not before Philip 3. King of France granted that for the future they should be called Dukes of Britain who were before stiled promiscuously Dukes and Counts But in England in the Norman times when the Norman Kings themselves were Dukes of Normandy there were none had that honour conferr'd upon them for a long time till Edward 3. created Edward his son Duke of Cornwall by a wreath on his head a ring on his finger and a A gold â—erge afâ—â—â—wards â—â—me into 〈◊〉 and a †silver verge as the Dukes of Normandy were formerly by a sword and a banner delivered to them and afterwards by girding the sword of the Dutchy and by a circlet of gold garnished on the top with little golden roses And the same King Edward 3. â—t Paris â—cernâ— John â—aâ—ed D. Norâ—â—ndy created his two sons Leonel Duke of Clarence and John Duke of Lancaster in Parliament By the putting on a sword setting upon their heads a furr'd cap with a circle of gold set with pearls and by the delivery of a Charter After this he created several and there have been now and then hereditary Dukes made in this Kingdom with such like expressions in the Charter the name title state stile place seat preheminence honour authority and dignity of a Duke we give and grant and do really invest you with them by the putting on a sword setting a cap with a golden circle upon your head and the delivery of a golden verge â—â—rquis A MARQUISS i.e. g From the Saxon mearc a bound and mearcan mearcian to set out mark distinctly c. in the same language according to the import of the word one set to guard the limits is a title of honour the second from a Duke This title we had but late none being invested with it before the time of Richard 2. For he created his darling Robert Vere Earl of Oxford Marquiss of Dublin and that was merely titular For those who were formerly to secure the frontiers were commonly called Lord Marchers and not Marquisses as we now stile them They are created by the King by girding on a sword putting on a Cap of honour and dignity 1 With the Coronet Hol. and delivering a Charter And here I shall take the liberty of relating what I find register'd in the Parliament-rolls â—â—m 4. When John de Beaufort Earl of Somerset was made Marquiss of Dorset by Richard 2. and was deprived of that title by Henry 4. the Commons of England in Parliament made an humble Request to the King that he would restore to him the title of Marquiss but he himself opposed his own cause and openly declared that it was an upstart dignity altogether unknown to our Ancestors and therefore that he did not by any means desire it nay utterly refused it â—â—s The EARLS which hold the third place we seem to have had from our German Ancestors For as Tacitus tells us they had always â—â—mites Earls attending their Princes to furnish them with counsel and to gain them authority But others are of opinion that both the Franks and we received them from the Romans For the Emperors after the Empire was come to its height began to keep about them a sort of domestick Senate which was call'd Caesar's †Comitatus retinue and these by whose counsel they acted in war and peace were called Comites Attendants from whence we find it common in old Inscriptions Comiti Impp. This name in a few years prevailed so much that all Magistrates had the name of Comites * Qui sacrum Comitatum observarunt Parati ad Cod. who gave their attendance at the said Council or had been of it insomuch that it was afterwards extended to all who had the supervisal of any business and Suidas as Cujacius has told us defined Comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Governour of the people From whence also we gather that before Constantine the Great the name of Comes was not used to denote Dignity But he modelling the Roman government by new distinctions and endeavouring to oblige as many as possible by bestowing honours upon them first instituted the title of Comes as barely honorary without any duty nay there were certain rights and privileges annex'd to that title as to accompany the Prince not only when he appeared in publick but also in his palace and private retirements to be admitted to his table and to his secret consultations Upon which we read in Epiphanius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i.e. Who also had obtained of the King the Dignity of a Count. At length such as had the favour of this title had other honours conferr'd upon them to which some duty was annext and again to those who were before in Offices and were engaged in the affairs of State he added this piece of honour 2 Comes domesticorum Lord Great Master of the Houshold Comes sacrarum largitiâ—num Lord High Treasurer Comes sacrae vestis Master of the Wardrobe Comes Stabuli Master of the Horse Comes Thesauri Tresurer Comes Orientis Lieutenant of the East Comes Britannia Comes Africa c. Hol. Hereupon the name of Count implied both Dignity and Government and being at first but temporary it was afterwards for term of life But when the Roman Government was divided into several Kingdoms this title was still retained and our Saxons call'd those in Latin Comites which in their own tongue were named Ealdormen The same persons were stil'd by the Danes in their language Eorlas i.e. honourable men Eorles at this day Earles P. Pithaeus in his Memorabilia Campania as Ethelwerd tells us and by a little melting of that word we call them at this day Earls And for a long time they were simply so called till at last an addition was made of the place's name over which they had jurisdiction But still this Dignity was not yet hereditary The first hereditary Earls in France by the way were the Earls of Bretagne But when William the Norman and Conqueror had in his hands the Government of this Kingdom the Earls began to be Feudal hereditary and patrimonial and those too as appears from Domesday were stil'd simply Earls without any addition as Earl Hugh Earl Alan Earl Roger c. Afterwards as appears by ancient Records the Earls were created with an addition of the name of the place and had every third penny of the County assigned them For instance Mawd the Empress daughter and heir of King Henry 1. created an Earl by this form of words as is manifest from the very Charter now in my hands I Mawd daughter of K. Henry and Governess of the English do give and grant to Gaufred de Magnavilla for his service and to his heirs after him hereditarily the Earldom of Essex and that he have the third penny out
In Burgundy the use of this name is very antient for we find in Gregory of Tours Abou◠〈◊〉 year 5â— The Barons of Burgundy as well Bishops as those of the Laity The first mention of a Baron with us that I have met withal is in a Fragment of the Laws of Canutus King of England and Denmark and even in that according to different copies it is read Vironis Baronis and Thani But that the Barons are there meant is plain from the Laws of William the Conqueror amongst which are inserted those of Canutus translated into Norman where it is writ Baron Take the whole passage But let the * Hâ—â—iâ—â— or Reâ—â— Exercituals be so moderated as to be tolerable An Earl shall provide those â—hings that are fitting eight horses four saddled and four unsaddled four steel caps and four coats of mail eight javelins and as many shields four swords and two hundred maucae of gold But a King 's Viron or Baron who is next to him shall have four horses two saddled and two unsaddled two swords four javelins and as many shields one steel cap and fifty †Possiâ—â— for â—â—â—usae iâ— 30 pâ—â—â— Many Thâ—â—â—â— Englâ—â— in the Câ—queroâ— time maucae of gold In the beginning also of the Norman times the Valvasors and Thanes were reckoned in dignity next the Earls and Barons and the Greater Valvasors if we may believe those who have writ concerning Feudal-tenures were the same as Barons are now So that Baro may seem to come from that name which time has by little and little made better and smoother But even then it was not so very honourable for in those times there were some Earls who had their Barons under them and I remember I have read in the antient Constitutions of France that there were ten Barons under one Earl and as many * Câ—â—inâ—â— Chieftans under a Baron 'T is likewise certain that there are extant some Charters since the Norman Conquest wherein the Earls write thus To all my Barons as well French as English greeting c. Nay even citizens of the better rank were called Barons so in Domesday-book the citizens of Warwick are stiled Barons and the citizens of London with the Inhabitants of the Cinque Ports enjoyed the same title But a few years after as Senators of Rome were chosen by their estates so those were accounted Barons with us who held their lands by an entire Barony or 13 Knights fees and one third of a Knight's fee every fee as we have it in an antient Book being computed at twenty pounds which in all make 400 Mark For that was the value of one entire Barony and they that had lands and revenues to this value were wont to be summoned to Parliaments It seems to have been a dignity with a jurisdiction which the Court-Barons Court â—â—rons as they call them do in some measure show And the great number of Barons too would persuade us that they were Lords who could give judgment within their own jurisdiction such as those are whom the Germans call Free-heirs especially if they had their castles for then they answered to the definition of Baldus that famous Lawyer who calls him a Baron that had a †Morâ— mixtuâ—â— impeâ—â—â— mere and mixt government in some one Castle by the grant of the Prince And all they as some would have it who held Baronies seem to have claimed that honour so that some of our Lawyers think that Baron and Barony Earl and Earldom Duke and Dukedom King and Kingdom Matth. Parts pag. 1262. were as it were Conjugates 'T is certain in that age K. Henry 3d reckoned 150 Baronies in England Upon which it comes to pass that in the Charters and Histories of that age almost all Noblemen are stil'd Barons a term in those times exceeding honourable â—aâ—onage 〈◊〉 Engâ—and the Baronage of England including in a manner all the prime Orders of the Kingdom Dukes Marquisses Earls and Barons But that name has come to the greatest honour since King Henry 3d out of such a multitude of them which was seditious and turbulent summoned to Parliament by his Writs some of the best only For he the words are taken out of an Author of considerable Antiquity after those great disturbances and enormous vexations between the King himself Simon de Montefort and other Barons were laid appointed and ordained that all such Earls and Barons of the Kingdom of England to whom the King should vouchsafe to direct his Writs of summons should come to his Parliament and no others unless their Lord the King please to direct other Writs to them also But what he begun only a little before his death was strictly observed by Edward the First and his successors From that time those were only looked upon as Barons of the Kingdom â—ummons 〈◊〉 Parliaâ—ent whom the King by such Writs of summons as they term them should call to Parliament 5 And it is noted that the said prudent King Edward I. summoned always those of antient families that were most wise to his Parliaments but omitted their sons after their death If they were not answerable to their Parents in understanding Hol. until Richard the 2d the 10th of October in the eleventh year of his reign created John de Beauchamp of Holt Baron of Kederminster by the delivery of a Diploma From which time the Kings have often conferred that honour by a Diploma or rather honorary Letters and the putting on of a long robe And at this day this way of creating Barons by a Diploma and that other of Writs of summons are in use though they are greeted not under the name of Baron but of Chevalier 6 For the Common Law doth not acknowlege Baron to be a name of dignity Hol. Those that are thus created are call'd Barons of Parliament Barons of the Kingdom and Barons honorary to distinguish them from those which are commonly call'd Barons according to the ancient constitution as those of Burford and Walton and such as were Barons to the Count Palatines of Chester and of Penbroch who were feudal and Barons by tenure Those Parliamentary Barons are not like those of France and Germany call'd barely by that name but are by birth Peers Noblemen Great States and Counsellors of the Kingdom and are summon'd by the King in this form to treat of the weighty affairs of the nation and to deliver their judgment upon them They have their peculiar immunities and privileges as in criminal causes to be judged by their Peers only not to have an oath demanded of them but in such case 't is sufficient if they deliver any thing upon honour not to be called among the Jury of twelve to enquire into matters of fact not to be liable to the Writs Supplicavit Capias Essoins and a great many other privileges which I leave to the Lawyers whose proper business it is to treat of these and things of the like nature Besides
this name of Esquire which in ancient times was a name of charge and office only crept first in among the titles of honour as far as I can find in the reign of Richard the second Gentlemen Gentlemen are either the common sort of nobility who are descended of good families or those who by their virtue and fortune have made themselves eminent Citizens Citizens or Burgesses are such as are in publick offices in any City or elected to sit in Parliament The common people or Yeomen are such as some call ingenui the Law homines legales i.e. freeholders Yeomâ— Gemâ—◠〈◊〉 Saxo◠〈◊〉 common people those who can spend at least forty shillings of their own yearly Labourers are such as labour for wages sit to their work are Mechanicks Artizans Smiths Carpenters c. term'd capite censi and Proletarii by the Romans The Law-Courts of ENGLAND AS for the Tribunals or Courts of Justice in England there are three several sorts of them some Spiritual others Temporal and one mixt or complicate of both which is the greatest and by far the most honourable call'd the Parliament Parliament a French word of no great antiquity The Saxons our fore-fathers nam'd it a Witenâ— gemot â—s the true Saxon word Ç·ittenagemot that is an assembly of wise-men and Geraedniss or Council and Micil Synod from the greek word Synod signifying a great meeting The Latin writers of that and the next age call it Commune Concilium Curia altissima Generale Placitum Curia Magna Magnatum Conventus Praesentia Rogis Praelatorum Procerumque collectorum Commune totius regni concilium c. And as Livy calls the general Council of Aetolia Panetolium so this of ours may be term'd very properly Pananglium For it consists of the King the Clergy the Barons and those Knights and Burgesses elected or to express my self more plainly in Law-language the King the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons who there represent the body of the Nation This Court is not held at certain set times but is call'd at the King's pleasure when things of great difficulty and importance are to be consider'd in order to prevent any danger that may happen to the State and then again is dissolv'd when-ever he alone pleases Now this Court has the sovereign power and an inviolable authority in making confirming repealing and explaining laws reversing Attainders determining causes of more than ordinary difficulty between private persons and to be short in all things which concern the State in general or any particular Subject â—he Kings â—â—urt The next Court to this immediately after the coming in of the Normans and for some time before was the King's Court which was held in the King's Palace and follow'd the King where-ever he went For in the King's Palace there was a peculiar place for the Chancellor and Clerks who had the issuing out of Writs and the management of the great Seal and likewise for Judges who had not only power to hear pleas of the Crown but any cause whatsoever between private persons There was also an Exchequer for the Treasurer and his Receivers who had charge of the King's revenues These each of them were counted members of the King's family and had their meat and cloaths of the King Hence Gotzelin in the life of S. Edward calls them Palatii Causidici and Joannes Sarisburiensis Curiales But besides these and above them likewise â—â—e Chief â—â—â—tice was the Justitia Angliae and Justitiarius Angliae Capitalis i.e. the Lord Chief Justice who was constituted with a yearly stipend of 1000 marks by a Patent after this form The King to all the Archbishops Bishops Abbots Priors Counts Barons Viscounts Foresters and all other his faithful subjects of England greeting Whereas for our own preservation and the tranquillity of our Kingdom and for the administration of justice to all and singular of this our Realm we have ordain'd our beloved and trusty Philip Basset Chief Justice of England during our will and pleasure we do require you by the faith and allegiance due to us strictly enjoyning that in all things relating to the said office and the preservation of our peace and Kingdom you shall be fully obedient to him so long as he shall continue in the said Office Witness the King c. But in the reign of Henry the third it was enacted that the Common Pleas should not follow the King's Court but be held in some certain place and awhile after the Chancery the Pleas of the Crown and the Exchequer also were remov'd from the King's Court and establisht apart in certain set places as some how truly I know not have told us Having premis'd thus much I will now add somewhat concerning these Courts and others that sprung from them as they are at this day And seeing some of them have cognizance of â—uris Law namely the King's Bench Common Pleas Exchequer Assizes Star-Chamber Court of Wards and the Court of Admiralty others of Equity as the Chancery the Court of Requests the Councils in the Marches of Wales and in the North I will here insert what I have learnt from others of each of them in their proper places The King's Bench â—â—e Kings â—â—â—ch so call'd because the Kings themselves were wont to preside in that Court takes cognizance of all pleas of the Crown and many other matters relating to the King and the well-being of the publick it has power to examine and correct the errors of the Common-pleas The Judges there besides the King himself when he is pleas'd to be present are the Lord Chief Justice of England and four others or more as the King pleases â—â—mmon â—â—â—as The Common-Pleas has this name because the common pleas between subject and subject is by our law which is call'd the Common law there triable The Judges here are the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and four others or more to assist him Officers belonging to this Court are the Custos Brevium three Prothonotaries and many others of inferior rank â—â—â—hequer The Exchequer deriv'd that name from a table at which they sat For so Gervasius Tilburiensis writes who liv'd in the year 1160. The Exchequer is a squarâ— table about ten foot long and five broad contriv'd likâ— a table to sit round On every side it has a ledge of four fingers breadth Upon it is spread a cloath of black colour with stripes distant about a foot or spanâ— it bought in Easter term A little after This Court 〈◊〉 report has been from the very Conquest of the Realm by King William the design and model of it being taken â—â—m the Exchequer beyond Sea Here all matters belongiâ—â—â— to the King's revenues are decided The Judges of it are the Lord Treasurer of England the Chancellor of the Exchequer the Chief Baron and three or four other Barons The Officers of this Court are the King's Remembrancer the Treasurer's Remembrancer the Clerk
of the Pipe the Comptroler of the Pipe the five Auditors of the old Revenues the Foreign Opposer Clerk of the Estreats Clerk of the Pleas the Marshal the Clerk of the Summons the Deputy-Chamberlains two Secondaries in the office of the King's Remembrancer two Deputies in the office of the Treasurer's Remembrancer two Secondaries of the Pipe four the other Clerks in several Offices c. In the other part of the Exchequer call'd * Recepta the Receiving-Office two Chamberlains a Vice-treasurer Clerk of the Tallies Clerk of the Pells four Tellers two Joyners of the Tallies two Deputy-Chamberlains the Clerk for Tallies the Keeper of the Treasury four Pursevants ordinary two Scribes c. The Officers likewise of the Tenths and First-fruits belong to this Court. For when the Pope's authority was rejected and an Act pass'd that all Tithes and First-fruits should be paid to the King these Officers were Instituted Besides these three Royal Courts of Judicature Justices Itinerant for the speedy execution of Justice and to ease the subject of much labour and expence Henry the second sent some of these Judges and others every year into each County who were call'd Justices Itinerant or Justices in Eyre These had jurisdiction as well in Pleas of the Crown as in common causes within the Counties to which they were sent For that King as Matthew Paris says by the advice of his son and the Bishops appointed Justices over six parts of the Kingdom to every part three who took an oath to do every man right and justice This institution expir'd at length in Edward the third's time but was in some measure reviv'd by an Act of Parliament soon after For the Counties being divided into so many Circuits two of the King's Justices are to go those Circuits twice every year for the trial of prisoners and Gaol-delivery Hence in Law-latin they are call'd Justiciarii Gaolae deliberandae They are likewise to take cognizance of all Assizes of novel disseisin and some others from which they are call'd Justices of Assize and also to try all issues between party and party in any of the King 's three great Courts by Recognitors of the same Peerage as the custom is Hence they are call'd Justices of Nisi prius from the Writs directed to the Sheriff for these tryals which have the words Nisi prius in them The b This Court is since Mr. Camden's time taken away Star-Chamber The Star-Chamber or rather the Court of the King's Council takes cognizance of all matters criminal perjuries Impostures Cheats Excesses c. This Court if we consider it in respect of standing and dignity is ancient and honourable above all others For it seems to be as early as Appeals from the Subjects to their Sovereign and the very birth and rise of the King's Council The Judges of it are men of the greatest honour and eminence being those of the King 's Privy Council It has had the name of the Star-Chamber ever since this Court was held in the Star-Chamber in Westminster which has now been a long time set a part to that use For in an Act of Parliament in Edward the third's time we find Conseil en le Chambre des Estoielles pres de la receipte al Westminster i.e. The Council in the Star-Chamber near the Receipt at Westminster The authority and jurisdiction of this Court was enlarg'd and confirm'd by an Act of Parliament procur'd by that wise Prince Henry the 7th so that some have falsly ascribed the institution of it to him The Judges of this Court are the Lord Chancellor of England the Lord Treasurer of England the Lord President of the King's Council the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal and all those of the King's Council whether persons spiritual or temporal also sâ—n of the Barons of the Realm as the King will â—ppoint with the two Chief Justices or two othâ—â— Judges in their absence The Officers are tâ—â— Clerk of the Council the Clerk of the Writs and â—f the process in the Star-Chamber c. Causes of tâ—â—s Court are not try'd per Pares according to the Common-Law but after the method of the Civil-Law Thâ—â—â—urt oâ— Wards The Court of c The Court of Wards is now taken away Wards and Liveries which is so call'd from Minors whose causes are here try'd was instituted by Henry the 8. whereas before all business of this nature was determined in the Courts of Chancery and Exchequer For by an old Custom derived from Normandy and not as some write instituted by Henry the third when any one dies holding lands of the King in capite by Knight's service both the heir and the whole estate with the revenues of it are in Ward to the King till he has compleated the age of one and twenty and then he may sue out his livery The judge in this Court is the Master-General under him a Supervisor of the Liveries an Attorney-General a Receiver-General an Auditor a Clerk of the Liveries a Clerk of the Court forty Feudaries and a Messenger In after-ages were institued two other Courts for correcting of errors the one for those of the Excheqeur the other for those of the King's Bench. The Judges of the first were the Chancellor and the Treasurer of England taking such of the Judges to their assistance as they should think fit those of the latter were the Judges of the Common Pleas and the Barons of the Exchequer The Court of Admiralty has jurisdiction in marine affairs The Court of Admiralty and is administred by the Admiral of England his * Locum-tenens Lieutenant a Judge two Clerks a Serjeant of the Court and the Vice-Admirals Now for the Courts of Equity The Court of Chancery The Chancery takes its name from the Chancellor a title of no great honour under the old Roman Emperors as may be learnt from Vopiscus At present it is a name of the greatest dignity and the Chancellors are raised to the highest honours in the State Cassiodorus derives the word it self a cancellis i.e. rails or Balisters because they examine matters †Intra sâ—creta Cancellorum Epist 6. Lib. 11. in a private apartment enclos'd with rails such as the Latins call'd Cancelli Consider says he by what name you are call'd What you do within the rails cannot be a secret your doors are transparent your cloysters lye open and your gates are all windows Hence it plainly appears that the Chancellor sat expos'd to every one 's within the rails or cancels so that his name seems to be deriv'd from them Now it being the business of that Minister who is as it were the mouth the eyes and ears of the Prince to strike or dash out with cross lines * Cancellation lattice-like such writs or judgments as are against law or prejudicial to the state not improperly call'd Cancelling some think the word Chancellor to be deduc'd from it And thus we find it in a
modern Glossary A Chancellor is he whose office is to inspect the writings and answer of the Emperor to cancell those that are wrong and sign those that are right Nor is that of Polidore Virgil true namely that William the Conqueror instituted a College of Scribes to write letters-patents and nam'd the head of that society a CHANCELLOR for it is evident that Chancellors were in England before the Conquest How great the honour and authority of Chancellor is at this day is so very well known that I need not enlarge upon it yet it will not be improper to subjoyn a word or two from an old Author to shew of what note it was formerly Robert Fi z-Stephens who liv'd under Hen. 2. The dignity of the Chancellor of England is this he is reputed the second person in the Kingdom and next unto the King with the King's seal whereof he has the keeping he may seal his own injunctions to dispose of the King's Chapel as he pleases to receive and have the custody of all Archbishopricks Bishopricks Abbies and Baronies vacant and fallen into the King's hands to be present at the King's Counsels and repair thither without summons to seal all things by the hand of his Clerk who carries the King's seal and that all things be disposed of by his advice Also * Ut jâ—â—â— gaâ—â—â—â— eâ— per 〈◊〉 graâ—â—â—â— vita â—â—ritis â—morâ—â—â—â— nisi â—chiâ—â—â— scepâ—◠〈◊〉 vâ—â—uâ—â—â— that by the grace of God leading a just and upright Life he may if he will himself die Archbishop Whereupon it it is that the CHANCELLORSHIP is not to be bought The manner of creating a Chancellor for that I have a mind to take notice of in King Henry the second 's time was by hanging the Great Seal about the neck of the person chosen for that office Yet in Henry the sixth's reign the method was thus Guâ—â— Mâ—â— as it appears from the Records Upon the death of the Chancellor of England the three great Seals one of gold and the other two of silver which were kept by the Chancellor are immediately after his decease shut up in a wooden chest fast lock'd and seal'd by the Lords there present and so convey'd into the Treasury From thence they are brought to the King who in the presence of many of the Nobility delivers the same into the hands of him that is to be the succeeding Chancellor and undertakes the Charge of that office having first took an oath before him that he will duly administer the same First then he delivers up the great silver seal next that of gold and lastly the other of silver in the presence of great numbers of the Nobility After he has thus receiv'd them he puts them into the chest again and so sends them seal'd home where before certain of the Nobility he causes the King's writs and briefs to be seal'd with them When a Chancellor is displac'd he delivers up those three seals into the King's hands in the presence of many of the Nobility first the seal of Gold then the broad seal of silver and next the other of a less size At this day only one seal is delivered to the Chancellor nor is there any mention to be found of these three seals but in the reign of Henry the sixth In process of time much honour and authority was added to this office of Chancellor by Act of Parliament especially since so much niceness and subtilty has crept in among the Lawyers who have made their pleadings so difficult and ensnaring that a Court of Equity was found necessary which was committed to the Chancellors that he might judge according to the rules of right and equity and moderate the rigour of exact justice which is often down-right injustice and oppression There preside in this Court the Lord Chancellor of England and twelve Masters of Chancery as Assessors to him the chief where of is the Keeper of the Rolls belonging to that Court and thence call'd Magister Rotulorum or Master of the Rolls There are also many other Officers belonging to this Court some of them concern'd about the King's Seal namely the Clerk of the Crown the Clerk of the Hamper A Sealer A Chauff-wax A Comptroller of the Hamper twenty four Cursitors and a Clerk for the Sub-poena-writs Others concerned in the Bills there exhibited are a Prothonotary the Six Clerks or Attorneys of the Court and a Register There are also the three Clerks of the petit bag a Clerk of the Presentations a Clerk of the Faculties a Clerk for examining Letters-Patents a Clerk for Dimissions c. There is another Court also arising from the King 's Privy Council call'd the Court of Requests The Câ—â— of Requests from the addresses of Petitioners deliver'd there where private causes are heard as in Chancery if first presented to the King or his privy Council though sometimes otherwise In this Court business is manag'd by the Masters of the Requests and a Clerk or Register with two or three Attorneys As for those Councils held in the Marches of Wales and in the North I will treat of them God willing in another place The Chief Spiritual Courts Spiâ—â—â—â— Coâ—â—â— are the Synod which is call'd the Convocation and is always held at the same time that a Parliament is and the Provincial Synods in both Provinces After these are the Courts of the Achbishop of Canterbury namely the Court of Arches The Câ—â—â— of Aâ—â—â—â— the judge of which is the Dean of the †He is called DEAN for that he hath jurisdiction in 13 Parishes of London exempt from the Bishop of London which number maketh a DEANERIE Hol. Arches so call'd from St. Mary's Church in London famous for its arch'd steeple All Appeals within the province of Canterbury are made to him There are in this Court 16 Advocates or more as the Archbishop shall think fit all of them Doctors of Law two Registers and ten Proctors Court â—udiâ— The Court of Audience where all complaints causes and appeals in this Province are receiv'd Court â—eroâ—e The Court of Prerogative where the Commissary judges of inheritances whether descended without will or devis'd The Court of Faculties manag'd by a * Câ—urt â—culâ— â—fâ—ctus President who takes cognizance of all grievances represented to him by such as desire that the rigour and severity of the Canon-law may be moderated and a Register to record such dispensations as are granted Court â—eculâ—â— The Court of Peculiars which has jurisdiction in certain parishes exempt from the Bishop of the Diocese where they lye and those Peculiars that belong to the Archbishop with other things of less note I willingly omit For I must confess it was imprudent in me to dip at all in a subject of this nature however Guicciardin encouraged me to it by his example in his description of the Netherlands I intended here to have inserted some few things and those chiefly concerning the antiquity
their weapons might be examin'd unexpectedly came a Mandate from the King that the cause should not then be decided lest the King should lose his right In the mean time they compounded the Earl agreeing to surrender up all his right in the castle to the Bishop and his successors for ever upon the receit of 2500 Marks aa â—â—rls of â—lisbury Salisbury had Earls very early whose pedigree I will not only draw faithfully but i They may be carry'd yet higher for Knighton stiles Edric Duke of Mercia Earl of Salisbury higher also out of the history of Lacock â—istory of â—â—cock Walter de Euereux Earl of Rosmar in Normandy had by the munificence of William the Conqueror very large possessions in this shire which he bequeathed to his younger son Edward sirnamed of Salisbury who was born in England leaving his other lands in Normandy with the title of Earl of Rosmar to k The eldest son of this Walter that succeeded him in the Earldom was called Gerold Walter his eldest son whose line not long after failed This Edward of Salisbury was very eminent in the twentieth year of William the Conqueror and is often mention'd in Domesday book but without the title of Earl His son Walter founded a small monastery at Bradenstok and there in his old age after he had got a son call'd Patric who was the first Earl of Salisbury by Sibilla de Cadurcis or Chaworth assum'd the habit of a black Canon This Patric the first Earl was slain by Guy of Lusignian A. D. 1169. in his return from a pilgrimage to S. James of Compostella and was succeeded by his son William who died at Paris in the reign of Richard 1. Ela his only daughter by the favour of the said K. Richard was married to William Longspee so sirnamed from the long sword he usually wore who was a natural son of K. Henry 2. to whom upon this marriage with Ela accrued the title of Earl â—â—â—s of the 〈◊〉 of Saâ— and her Coat of Arms viz. Az. 6 Lioncells Rampant Or. His son was also called William Longspee with whom Henry 3. being offended because being signed with the Cross he went to the Holy War without his leave took from him the title of Earl and castle of Sarum He notwithstanding being resolv'd on his design went into Egypt with S. Lewis King of France â—h Paâ— 973. â—051 and fighting valiantly in the midst of his enemies near Damiata which the Christians had taken died in the bed of honour not long before that holy King was unfortunately made prisoner He had a son call'd also William who did not enjoy the title of Earl and had only one daughter named Margaret â—â—â—g â— p. â—4 who was notwithstanding call'd Countess of Salisbury and married to Henry Lacy Earl of Lincoln by whom she had but one daughter viz. Alice the wife of Thomas Earl of Lancaster who being outlawed K. Edw. 2. seized upon the lands which she had made over to her husband some of which viz. Troubridge Winterbourn Ambresbury and other manours King Edw. 3. gave to William de Montacute in as full and ample manner as ever the Predecessors of Margaret Countess of Sarum held them â—ds of Patent And at the same time he made the said William de Montacute Earl of Sarum and by the girding on of a sword the said Earldom was invested in him and his heirs for ever This William was King of the Isle of Man and had two sons William who succeeded his father in his honours and died without issue 22 Having unhappily slain his own Son while he train'd him at tilting and John a Knight who died before his brother leaving by Margaret his wife daughter and heiress of Thomas de Monthermer John Earl of Salisbury * De monte Hermerti who being a time-server and conspiring against King Henry 4. was slain at l It should be Cirencester in Comitar Glocestr Chichester A.D. 1400 and afterwards attainted of High Treason Notwithstanding which his son Thomas was restored to his blood and estate one of the greatest Generals of his age whether we consider his pains in all matters of moment his unwearied constancy in all undertakings and his quickness in putting his designs in execution who whilst he besieged Orleans in France was wounded by a Dart from a * è tormento majori Balist of which he died A. D. 1428. Alice his only daughter was married to Richard Nevil Pat. 20 Hen. 6. 1461. to whom she brought the title of Earl of Sarum who following the York-party was taken Prisoner in a battel at Wakefield and beheaded he was succeeded by Richard his son Earl of Warwick and Salisbury who taking delight in dangers engaged his Country in a fresh Civil War in which he lost his own life Isabella one of his daughters married George Duke of Clarence brother to K. Edw. 4. by whom he had a son call'd Edward 23 Earl of Warwick who was unjustly beheaded in his childhood by K. Henry 7. and his sister Margaret to whom the title of Countess of Salisbury was restor'd 24 By Henry 8. in a full Parliament about the fifth year of his reign suffer'd the same fate at 70 years of age by the command of Henry 8. For it is an usual practice among Princes to put to death or perpetually to imprison their kindred upon slight surmizes which are never wanting that they and their posterity may be the better established in the Throne Ann the other daughter of Richard Nevil Earl of Warwick and Salisbury was wife to Richard 3 25 Duke of Glocester and Brother to K. Edw. 4. to whom after she had born Edward * Whom his Unkle K. Edward in the 17th of his reign created Earl of Salisbury and Richard his father usurping the Kingdom made c. Prince of Wales who dy'd young she her self dy'd not without suspicion of poyson From that time this honorary title ceased until A. D. 1605. the most potent K. James dignify'd therewith Robert Cecil second son to our Nestor Wil. Cecil for his prudence and good service to his King and Country whom as I have said he had before honour'd with the titles of Baron Cecil of Essenden and Viscount Cranburn for his great merits and industry in promoting the good of the Kingdom So much concerning the Earls of Salisbury bb Below this City upon the Avon is seated Duncton Duncton or Donketon which is reported to be a very ancient Corporation Bogo commonly Beavois and famous for the seat of Beavois of Southampton who for his valour much celebrated by the Bards is commonly accounted one of the great Worthies Salisbury is every way encompass'd with the open plains unless it be toward the east Clarendon on which side it hath the neighbourhood of the large Park of Clarendon very commodious for keeping and breeding Deer and once beautified with a royal palace
is Yanesbury â—esbury which 't is something strange our Author should affirm to be a Roman Camp which were for the most part square and had only a single vallum when he tells us at the same time this has a doubleditch a way of encamping not observ'd by any Author to have been us'd by that nation It 's being so very like Bratton-castle only something bigger and of an oval form would induce one to believe it Danish The length of it is 360 paces and it has three entrances one toward the north another toward the south and a third which is the principal and fortify'd with out-works after the Danish fashion toward the east â—on s From hence the Willey runs to Wilton prov'd to have been formerly call'd Ellandune from the Records quoted by our Author from the â—m 2. â— 8â—1 Monast. Anglicanum and from Brian Twine's MS. Collections where we find Ellendinia or Ellenduna that is Ellenge donne or a place naked desolate or wild from hence is Wyldton or Wylddoun and he tells us immediately after that he takes Ellendune to be Salisbury-plain But in what language is it that Ellan or Ellendge signifie wild or in what age was Wilton call'd Wyldton or Wyld-down Notwithstanding these authorities the circumstances of King Egbert's battel with Beornwulf make the opinion suspicious for 't is not probable that Egbert the most powerful Prince in the Island should let an enemy make an inroad into the very heart of his kingdom without any opposition And 't is as unaccountable why none of our Historians should tell us the battel was fought at Wilton when it is plain the town was known by this name long before that time To place Ellendune here is perhaps as unreasonable as Bromton's settling it in Middlesex But if the authority of the †Monast Angl. tom 1. p. 31. Winchester Annals may be allowed in this case the controversie is clearly enough decided For they tell us expresly this fight was at Ellendun 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—d â—hâ— a mannour belonging to the Prior of Winchester now this can be no other place than Elingdon near Highworth upon the borders of the Mercian kingdom which once belong'd to the Monastery of S. Swithin t We come next to Salisbury Salisbury the old Sorbiodunum Sorbiodunum which our Author upon the information of a Welshman affirms to signifie a dry hill in that language Yet those who are Masters of that Tongue cannot discover any thing in it that both answers the sound of Sorbiodunum and can possibly be wrested to that sense The Saxons indeed seem to have drawn their Searesbyrig from this quality of the soil searan in that language signifying to dry but without having any eye to the old Sorbiodunum which I take to be a more probable original than either Hollingshed's derivation of it from Salisbury in Germany or John Ross's from a tower built here by Julius Caesar which he says might be call'd Caesaris burgus and so corrupted into Sarisburge as Caesar Augusta in Spain into Sarogosa But setting aside that Julius Caesar did not pursue his victories thus far that denomination is not warranted by any Author and to be sure Antoninus would have us'd the true genuine Roman name if there had been any such u How it came by the name Severia Severia I cannot certainly tell but 't is possible enough that Severus the Emperor living most of his time in Britaine might sometimes reside here and either by re-edifying the town or doing some other memorable thing at it might derive upon it that name which occasion'd the calling of this County Severnia and Provincia Severorum However that it was much frequented in the times of the later Emperors appears by the Coins of Constans Magnentius Constantine and Crispus found there w In the Saxon times It 's Condition in the Saxon times between Cynric's taking it and K. Egbert's age we meet with no mention of it but this Prince very often resided here and K. Edgar call'd here a Parliament or Great Council A. 960. After the Conquest it flourish'd mightily the Norman Kings very commonly living and sometimes holding their Parliaments here x The insolence of the Garrison Cause of the removal hinted to by our Author was no doubt one great cause of their removing For the Castle which formerly belong'd to the Bishop was upon the difference between King Stephen and Bishop Roger seis'd by the King who plac'd a Governour and a garrison in it But that being look'd upon as a violation of the Liberties of the Church gave occasion for frequent differences by which the Bishop and Canons were induc'd to the thoughts of removing into a place where they might be less disturb'd This was projected by Herebertus Pauper the brother and immediate predecessor of Richard Poor in the reign of Richard 1. But that King dying before the design could be effected and the turbulent reign of K. John ensuing they were forc'd to lay aside the thoughts of it till Henry 3.'s reign wherein it was reviv'd and completed by Richard Poor Not but Mr. Camden is in the right when he tells us that the citizens for the causes by him mention'd began by degrees to remove from Old Sarum in the reign of Richard 1. And this serves to correct those who think that the Bishop and Clergy remov'd first and that the Citizens follow'd or at least that they remov'd about the same time y The foundation of the New-Cathedral New Cathedral was begun the 4th of the Calends of May A. D. 1220. for the more effectual carrying on whereof we find that Bishop Poor in his Constitutions recommended to all Priests in his Diocese the putting dying persons in mind of a charitable contribution to this intended fabrick But a distinct account of those matters may in due time be expected from Mr. Tanner's larger History of this Church and County whose great abilities and the model he has already drawn of it encourage us to hope for a more complete and accurate Work than any thing of that kind the world has yet seen the Undertaker not contenting himself with a bare account of Families but so contriving the whole as to include both British Roman Saxon and Danish Antiquities with something of Natural History Number of Prebends z Only I cannot omit taking notice of an error observ'd in our Author by the present worthy and learned Dean of this place It has says Mr. Camden 33 Prebendaries and when he wrote this 't is very possible there might be but 33 Prebends actually full tho' the succession about that time is deliver'd so imperfectly that there is only room for conjecture But whatever might cause the mistake 't is certain when Mr. Camden wrote that there were 41 single Prebends in this Church besides four annex'd to the Dignities of the Bishop Dean Chancellour and Treasurer When the Church of New-Sarum was built it had 50. besides those annex'd as
Otho Holland Henry Eme. Zanchet Dabridgecourt 13 Holland instead of William Paynel puts Sir Walter Pavely William Paynel On the left side of the Chapel are the houses of the Warden or Dean and the 12 Prebendaries On the right-side is a building much of the nature of the Grecian Prytaneum in which 12 aged soldiers Gentlemen born are maintained These wear constantly a scarlet gown reaching down to their ankles with a purple mantle over it and are bound to be at Divine Service and to offer up their prayers dayly to God Almighty for the Knights of the Order Betwixt the two Courts there rises up an high mount on which the Round Tower stands and hard by it stands another lofty Tower called Winchester-Tower from William of Wickham Bishop of Winchester whom K. Edw. 3. made overseer of the work Some report that Wickham after he had built the Tower cut these words which are not to be express'd with the same turn in Latin in a certain inner wall Wickham's Apothegm This made Wickham Which sentence in the English tongue that seldom makes any distinction of cases bears such a doubtful construction that it makes it uncertain whether he made the Castle or the Castle made him This was carried to the King by some private Backbiters and represented so to his prejudice as if Wickham did arrogantly challenge to himself all the honour of the building Which when that King took ill and sharply chid him for it he made this answer that he had not arrogated to himself the honour of so magnificent an royal a Palace but accounted this piece of work as the cause of all his preferments Neither have I continued he made this Castle but this Castle hath made me and from a mean condition advanc'd me to the King's favour riches and honours Under the castle towards the West and South lies the town indifferently large and populous since K. Edward 3.'s time it hath grown into reputation and the other which stands further off now call'd Old Windsor hath by little and little fallen to decay in which in the reign of William 1. as we read in his book there were an hundred †Hagae houses whereof 22 were exempt from tax * de Gablo out of the rest there went 30 shillings Here is nothing else worth mentioning but Eaton Eaton which lies over against Windsor on the other side of the Thames and is joyn'd to it by a wooden bridge it hath a fine College and a noted School for Humanity-learning founded by K. Henry 6. wherein besides the Provost 8 Fellows and the Choire 60 Scholars are maintain'd gratis taught Grammar and in due time are preferr'd to the University of Cambridge But this is reckon'd to be in Buckinghamshire There remains nothing more to say of Windsor but that there is an honourable family of Barons Barons of Windsor sirnam'd de Windsor who fetch their original from Walter son of Other Castellane of Windsor in the reign of K. William 1. from whom likewise Robert Glover Somerset-Herald a person very industrious and skilful in the art of Heraldry hath prov'd that the Fitzgeralds in Ireland Earls of Kildare and Desmond are descended And now let it not be thought troublesom to run over these verses upon Windsor taken out of the marriage of Tame and Isis written some years since in which Father Thames endeavours to celebrate the dignity of the place and the Majesty of Queen Elizabeth then keeping her Court there Jam Windesorae surgunt in culmina ripae Turrigerae celso lambentes vertice coelum Quas ubi conspexit doctae †Thamisis gratatus Etonae Quae fuit Orbiliis nimium subjecta plagosis Caeruleum caput ille levans ita farier infit Aërias moles gradibus surgentia templa Ferratos postes pinnas vivaria verè Perpetuo laetos campos Zephyróque colono Florentes hortos regum cunabula regum Auratos thalamos regum praeclara sepulchra Et quaecunque refers nunc Windesora referre Desine Cappadocis quanquam sis clara Georgî Militiâ procerúmque cohors chlamydata nitenti Cincta periscelidi suras te lumine tanto Illustret tantis radiis perstringit orbem Ut jam Phryxeum spernat Burgundia vellus Contemnat cochleis variatos Gallia torques Et cruce conspicuas Pallas Rhodos Alcala Elba Soláque militiae sit splendida gloria vestrae Desine mirari laetari desine tandem Omnia concedunt uni superatur in uno Quicquid habes tibi major honos tibi gloria major Accola quod nostrae ripae siet incola vobis Elizabetha Queen Elizabeth Simúlque suo quasi poplite flexo Tamisis en placidè subsidet inde profatur Elizabetha suis Diva Dea sola Britannis Cujus inexhaustas laudes si carmine nostro Complecti cuperem Melibocco promptius Alpes Imponam numerémque meas numerosus arenas Si quasdam tacuisse velim quamcunque tacebo Major erit primos actus veterésque labores Prosequar ad sese revocant praesentia mentem Justitiam dicam magis at clementia splendet Victrices referam vires plus vicit inermis Quòd pietas floret quòd non timet Anglia Martem Quòd legi nemo quòd lex dominatur omni Quòd vicina truci non servit Scotia Gallo Exuit atque suos sylvestris Hibernia mores Criniger Ultonius quòd jam mitescere discit Laus sibi sola cadit nil non debetur illi Crimina quae pellunt tantâ quae principe dignae Omnes templa sacro posuerunt pectore Divae Religio superos sanctè monet esse colendos Justitia utilibus semper praeponere justum Edocet ut praeceps nil sit prudentia suadet Temperies ut casta velit cupiatque pudica Instruit immotam mentem constantia firmat Hinc EADEM SEMPER rectè sibi vindicat illa Queen â—â—zabeth's Motto Proferat undoso quis tantas carmine laudes Sola tenet laudum quicquid numerabitis omnes Sit felix valeat vivat laudetur ametur Dum mihi sunt fluctus dum cursus dum mihi ripae Angligenum foelix Princeps moderetur habenas Finiat una dies mihi cursus sibi vitam Now on the bank fam'd Windsor's towers appear Mount their high tops and pierce the utmost air At this but first does Eaton's walls salute Where stern Orbilius governs absolute And in proud state his birchen scepter shakes Thames lifts it's azure head and thus he speaks Windsor no more thy ancient glories tell No more relate the wonders of thy hill Thy Forts thy Fenns thy Chapel 's stately pile Thy Spires thy smiling Fields thy happy Springs Thy Cradles Marriage-beds or Tombs of Kings Forget the Knights thy noble stalls adorn The Garter too by them in honour worn Tho' that great Order found the first in fame And swells so high with mighty George's name That Burgundy contemns her golden Fleece And the light French their scallop'd chains despise Rhodes Alcala and
Elbe with shame disown The painted Crosses on their mantles shown These glories now are all eclips'd by one One honour vies with all thy old renown When on thy courts and on my bank we see Elizabeth then Thames with bended knee Stoops low to pay obeysance to her name And thus goes on pleas'd with his mighty theme Elizabeth whom we with wonder stile The Queen the Saint the Goddess of our Isle Whose praise should I endeavour to rehearse Within the narrow bounds of feeble verse As soon huge Athos might on Atlas stand Rais'd by my strength as soon my weary hand Might count the endless globules of my sand If any grace on purpose I 'd conceal What I pass by will prove the greatest still If her past deeds inspire my joyful tongue Her present actions stop th' imperfect song Should her strict justice fill my rising thought Her mercy comes between and drives it out Or was my subject her triumphant Arms Alas more trophies grace her conqu'ring charms That virtues flourish and the peaceful gown That all to laws are subject laws to none That Scotland hath refus'd the Gallick yoak And Ireland all her savage arts forsook That Ulster's sons at last reform'd appear To her they owe the fame belongs to her Virtues that single make us thro'ly blest United all adorn her princely breast To heaven her Godlike mind Religion bears Justice to profit honesty preferrs Deliberate prudence cautious thoughts inspires And temp'rance guides her innocent desires Her settled constancy's unshaken frame Deserves the noble motto STILL THE SAME But ah my numbers all are spent in vain And grasp at that they never can contain Should some wild fancy all th' encomiums joyn That worth could e're deserve or poët feign The panegyrick would be still too mean O may her years increase with her renown May constant joys attend her peaceful Crown While I my streams or banks can call my own And when she dies if Goddesses can die May I straight fail and be for ever dry The rest of Barkshire Windâ—â— Forâ—â—t that is southward from Windsor and is shadow'd with woods and groves is commonly call'd Windsor-Forest and is but thinly planted with villages of which Okingham is the most noted for it's bigness and cloathing trade but is well stock'd every where with game Now since we have often already A Forest â—hat it is â—nd whence â—o called and shall hereafter speak of Forests if you have a desire seriously to know what a Forest is and whence the name comes take it here out of the Black Book of the Exchequer A Forest is a safe harbour for beasts not every sort but for such as are wild not in every place but in some certain places fit for the purpose whence it is call'd Foresta quasi Feresta that is Ferarum statio And it is incredible how much ground the Kings of England have suffer'd every where to lie wast and have set apart for the shutting up of Deer or as our writers term it have afforested Neither can I believe that any thing else was the cause Or for â—â—ding the â—â—rt in â—â—â—son but too great delight in * hunting tho' some attribute it to want of people for since the Danish times they have continually afforested more and more places and for their preservation have imposed very strict laws and appointed a Chief-Ranger or Forester Chief-ranâ—er who is to take cognizance of all causes relating to the Forests and may punish with loss of life or limb any one that shall kill the Deer in any Chase or Forest But Joannes Sarisburiensis shall briefly relate these things in his own words out of his Polycraticon That which will make you more admire to lay gins for birds to lay snares to allure them with springs or pipe or to entrap them any manner of way is by proclamation often made a crime punishable with forfeiture of goods or loss of limb and life You have heard that the fowls of the air and fishes of the sea are common But these are the King 's and are claimed by the Forest-Law where e're they fly With-hold thine hand and forbear lest thou fall into the Huntsman's hands and be punish'd for Treason The Husbandmen are debarr'd their Fallows whilst the Deer have liberty to stray abroad and that their feedings may be enlarg'd the Farmer is cut short of the use of his own grounds What is sown or planted they keep from the Countryman pasturage from the Graziers and throw the Bee-hives out of the Flowry Plots nay even the Bees themselves are scarce suffer'd to use their natural liberty Which courses seeming too inhumane have often been the occasion of great troubles till by the Barons revolt the Charta de Foresta was extorted from Henry 3. wherein having abrogated those rigorous laws he granted others more equitable to which those that live within the limits of the Forests are at this day bound to be conformable Afterwards Justices in Eyre two Justices were appointed for these causes whereof one presides over all the Forests on this side the river Trent the other over those beyond it as far as Scotland with great authority Throughout all this County as we find in the Survey-book of England The Taine or King's Knight holding of him as Lord whensoever he died left to the King for a Relief all his Armour one Horse with a Saddle and another without a Saddle And if he had either Hounds or Hawks they were tendred to the King that if he pleas'd he might take them When Geld was given in K. †The Confessor Edward's time throughout all Barkshire an hide yielded 3 d. ob before Christmas and as much at Whitsuntide Thus much of Barkshire which as yet has given no person the title of Earl There are in this County 140 Parishes The Countries we have been travelling over that is those of the Danmonii Durotriges Belgae and Attrebatii while the Saxons had the Sovereignty here in Britain fell to the Kingdom of the West-Saxons which they in their language call'd k West-Seaxna-ric is the true Saxon name Weast-Seaxan-ric as they did themselves Geguysis from Cerdic's grandfather who first enrich'd this Kingdom whence some call them Geuissi and others Visi-Saxones from their western situation as the Western Goths are nam'd Visi-Gothi These at length when the English Empire was grown to maturity reduc'd the Saxon Heptarchy into a Monarchy which nevertheless afterwards thro' the laziness of their Kings quickly grew as it were decrepit and easily vanish'd So that herein we daily see it confirm'd that the race of the most valiant and noblest Families as the Shoots of Plants have their first sprouting up their time of flowring and maturity and in the end fade and die by little and little ADDITIONS to BARKSHIRE â—â—e name Barkâ—â— a WHAT the original of this County's name may be is much harder to determine than to show that those which are commonly produc'd
to John Backwell Esq p In the account of the Earls Mr. Camden tells us that Henry Duke of Buckingham's reason for plotting against Richard 3. was that King 's detaining from him the estate of the Bohuns But this cannot be the cause ‖ Dudg Bar. T. 1. p. 168. for after that Tyrant's advancement he sign'd a bill for Livery of all those Lands unto him whereunto he pretended a right by descent from Humphrey de Bohun sometime Earl of Hereford and Constable of England Mr. Dugdale has given us an abstract of it and is of opinion that the cause of this his carrriage was either remorse of conscience for raising that King to the throne by the barbarous murther of his nephews or else his observing himself neglected by him Continuation of the DUKES After the attainder and execution of Edward the title lay vacant till the 14th of Jac. 1. when George Viscount Villers was created Earl of Buckingham the next year Marquess of Buckingham and by a Patent bearing date 18 Maii 21 Jac. 1. Duke of Buckingham This George being kill'd by one Felton at Portsmouth Aug. 23. An. 1628. was succeeded by George his son who dying Apr. 16. 1687. left the title vacant More rare Plants growing wild in Buckinghamshire I have not had opportunity of searching this County for Plants neither have any singular local or uncommon species growing there as yet come to my knowledge save only Sphondylium montanum minus angustifolium tenuiter laciniatum observed by Dr. Plukenet near St. Giles Chalfont in the mountainous meadows BEDFORDSHIRE THE County of Bedford commonly Bedfordshire is one of the three Counties which we observ'd before to have been inhabited by the Cattieuchlani On the east and south it is joyn'd to Cambridgshire and Hertfordshire on the west to Buckinghamshire on the north to Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire and is divided into two parts by the Ouse running through it In the north part it is more fruitful and woody in the south where 't is much larger the soil is more poor though it makes a tolerable return For it abounds with barley which is plump white and strong In the middle it is something thick-set with woods but eastward is more dry and wants wood The Ouse at its first entrance into this County first visits Trury the seat of Baron Mordant â—â—â—oâ—s â—â—rdant which family is indebted to Henry 8. for this dignity For he it was that created John Mordant Baron Mordant a prudent person who had married the daughter and coheir of H. Vere of Addington Next it glides by Hare-wood a little village call'd formerly Hareles-wood where Sampson sirnam'd The Strong built a Nunnery and where in the year of our Lord 1399. a little before the breaking out of those Commotions and Civil wars wherewith England was for a long time embroil'd the Hyâ—gma 〈◊〉 153. the river stood still and the water retiring both ways did wonderfully leave a passage on foot through the chanel for three miles together a 1 They who saw it took it as a plain presage of the division ensuing Afterwards it runs under Odil or Woodhill formerly Wahull which had also its Barons of Wahull eminent for their ancient Nobility 2 Whose Barony consisted of 300 Knights-fees in divers Countries and a Castle 3 Which is now hereditarily descended to Sir R. Chetwood Knight as the inheritance of the Chetwoods came formerly to the Wahuls which is now come by inheritance to the Chetwoods b From hence the Ouse with no less windings than those of the Meander it self is carry'd through Bletnesho commonly Bletso â—â—so formerly the seat of the Pateshuls afterwards of the Beauchamps 〈◊〉 St. 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 sho and now of the famous family of St. John who formerly by their valour became Masters of a great estate in Wales 4 In Glamorganshire and in our age had the honour of Barons conferr'd upon them by Queen Elizabeth of blessed memory 5 When she created Sir Oliver the second Baron of her Creation Lord St. John of â—letnesho unto whom it came by c. To them it came by Margaret de Beauchamp an heiress marry'd first to Oliver de St. John from whom those Barons are descended and afterward to John Duke of Somerset by whom she had the famous Margaret Countess of Richmond a Woman whose merit is above the reach of the highest Commendation and from whom the Royal Family of England is descended From hence the Ouse hastens 6 By Brumham a seat of the Dives of very ancient parentage in these parts to Bedford Bedford in Saxon Bedanford the County-town and which gives name to the whole and so cuts it that one would imagine it two towns but that it is joyn'd by a Stone-bridge c 'T is more eminent for the pleasantness of its situation and antiquity than any thing of beauty or stateliness though it has indeed five Churches I dare not assent to those who think it to be the Lactodorum of Antoninus for neither is it situate upon a military way which is the surest guide in our search after stations and mansions mention'd by Antoninus nor were there ever any Roman Coins dug up here I have read that it was call'd in British Liswider or Lettidur but this seems to be turn'd out of the English name For Lettuy signifies in British publick Inns and Lettidur innes upon a river and our English Bedford implies Beds and Inns at a Ford. Below this Town in the year 572. Cuthwulph the Saxon did so shatter the Britains in a set-battel that he was ever after too hard for them and had several towns surrender'd Nor does it seem to have been neglected by the Saxons since Offa that powerful Prince of the Mercians made choice of this place as Florilegus tells us for his Burial but the Ouse being once more rapid and rising higher than ordinary swept away his Monument The town was repaird by Edward the elder after it had been destroy'd in the Danish wars which King did likewise add a little city on the south side of the river call'd by that age to follow the best Copâ— of Hoveden Mikesgate In the time of Edward the Confessor as we find it in that Book wherein William the first took his Survey of England it defended it self for the half of an Hundred in expedition and ships The land of this village never hided But under the Normans it was a much greater sufferer for after Pagan de Beauchamp the third that was call'd Baron of Bedford had built a Castle theâ—e never a civil commotion arose in the kingdom but what had a stroke at it while standing Stephen in the first place when he had possess'd himself of the Kingdom of England against his solemn oath took this Castle with great loss on both sides afterwards when the Barons took up arms against King John William de Beauchamp Lord of it and one of the headers of that Faction
the French King put in a golden little Urn upon a Pyramid 53 Sir Charles Blunt Earl c. instead of Charles Earl of Devon c. Charles Earl of Devonshire Lord Deputy of Ireland and Geoffrey Chaucer who being Prince of the English Poets ought not to be pass'd by as neither Edmund Spencer who of all the English Poets came nearest him in a happy genius and a rich vein of Poetry There are also several others both Clergy and Gentlemen of quality r Hard by there was another College 54 Of a Dean and c. of 12 Canons dedicated to S. Stephen which King Edw. 3. rais'd to such a royal magnificence and endow'd with such large possessions after he had carry'd his victories thro' France that he seems rather to have been Founder than only the Repairer devoutly considering as the Foundation-Charter has it the great benefits of Christ whereby out of his rich mercy we have been prevented upon all occasions delivering us altho' unworthy of it from divers perils and by the right hand of his power mightily defending us and giving us the victory in all the assaults of our enemies as also comforting us with unexpected remedies in the other tribulations and difficulties we have labour'd under Near this was a Palace the ancient habitation of the Kings of England from the time of S. Edward the Confessor which in the reign of K. Hen. 8. was burnt down by a casual fire This Palace was really large and magnificent Fitz-Steph a building not to be equall'd in that age having a * Anteâ—â—rale vawmure and bulwarks For the remains of this are the Chamber wherein the King the Nobility and great Ministers of State meet in Parliament and that next to it wherein our Forefathers us'd to begin their Parliaments call'd the painted Chamber of S. Edward 55 Because the Tradition holds that the said King Edward therein died How bloody black hainous and horrible how odious to God and man that act was whereby certain brutes in the shape of men under that Arch-traitor Fr. Catesby by undermining Fr. Catesby's Plot and placing a vast quantity of gun-powder under those buildings lately contriv'd the destruction of their Prince Country and all the Estates of the Kingdom out of a specious pretence of Religion my very heart quakes to consider and I cannot reflect without the greatest horrour and astonishment into what an inevitable darkness and lamentable ruin they would have thrown this most flourishing Kingdom in a moment But what an old Poet said in a matter of less concern we may mournfully apply to our case Excidat illa dies aevo ne postera credant Secula nos certè taceamus obruta multa Nocte tegi propriae patiamur crimina gentis May that black day ' scape the record of fate And after-ages never know 't has been Or us at least let us the time forget And hide in endless night our guilty nation's sin Near these is the White-hall wherein is at this day the Court of Requests Below which is that Hall larger than any of the rest Westminster-Hall the Praetorium and Hall of Justice for all England s In this there are held Courts of Justice namely King's-Bench Common-Pleas Chancery and in places round it The Star-Chamber the Exchequer Court of Wards Court of the Dutchy of Lancaster c. In these are heard Causes at the set seasons or Terms of the year whereas before the reign of Hen. 3. the General Court of Justice was moveable and always follow'd the King's Court. Guil Lâ—â—bard But he in his Magna Charta made a law in these words The Common-Pleas shall not follow our Court but be held in some one certain place Tho' there are some who understand only by this that the Common-Pleas should from that time forward be held in a distinct Court and not in the Kings-bench as formerly The * Praetorium Hall which we now have was built by K. Rich. 2. as we learn from his Arms in the stone-work and the †Lacunaribus beams which having pull'd down that more ancient Hall built in the place by William Rufus he made his own habitation For then the Kings us'd to hear causes themselves as being the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Judges Prov. c. 1â— whose mouth as the Royal Pen-man has it shall not err in judgment But this Palace being burn'd down in the year 1512. lay desolate and a little after Henry 8. remov'd the Royal Seat to a neighbouring house that not long since was Cardinal Wolsey's which they now call White-hall This is a truly Royal Palace enclos'd on one side with a Park reaching to another house of the King 's 56 Robert Catesby built by K. Henry 8. and call'd S. James's 57 Where anciently was a Spittle for Maiden Lepeus on the other with the Thames A certain Poet from it's Whiteness has term'd it Leucaeum Regale subintrant Leucaeum Reges dederant memorabile quondam Atria quae niveo candebant marmore nomen Quod Tamisis prima est cui gloria pascere cygnos Ledaeos rauco pronus subterluit aestu To the Leuceum now the Princes came Which to it's own white marble owes it's name Here Thames whose silver swans are all his pride Runs roaring by with an impetuous tide Hard by near the Mues The Mâ—â—s so call'd because 't was formerly a place for keeping of Hawks but is now a beautiful stable for the King's horses there stands a monument which King Edw. 1. erected in memory of Queen Eleanor Châ—ring-cross the dearest husband to the most loving wife The tenderness oâ— wife whose tender affection will stand upon record to all posterity She was daughter to Ferdinand 3. King of Castile and marry'd to Edward 1. King of England with whom she went into the Holy Land When her husband was treacherously wounded by a Moor with a poyson'd sword and rather grew worse than receiv'd any ease by what the Physicians apply'd to it Rodâ—ricus Tâ—â—â—tanus lâ—b 1. she found out a remedy as new and unheard of as full of love and endearment For by reason of the malignity of the poyson her husband's wounds could not possibly be clos'd but she lick'd them dayly with her own tongue and suck'd out the venomous humour thinking it a most delicious liquor By the power whereof or rather by the virtue of a wife's tenderness she so drew out the poysonous matter that he was entirely cur'd of his wound and she escap'd without catching any harm What then can be more rare than this woman's expression of love or what can be more admirable The tongue of a wife anointed if I may so say with duty and love to her husband draws from her beloved those poysons which could not be drawn by the most approv'd Physician and what many and most exquisite medicines could not do is effected purely by the love of a wife And thus
large Fen beginning at the banks of the river Gront overgrown here with Sedge there with dusky springs at a third place is woody Isles and takes a long course by many crooked banks from the south towards the north as far as the sea It is the same that William a Crowland Monk has thus describ'd in his life of Guthlake Est apud Angligenas à Grontae flumine longo Orbe per anfractus stagnosos fluviales Circumfusa palus orientalisque propinqua Littoribus pelagi sese distendit ab Austro In longum versus Aquilonem gurgite tetro Morbosos pisces vegetans arundine densa Ventorum strepitus quasi quaedam verba susurrans In British lands where Gront's old streams surround The trembling marshes and unfaithful ground From south to north is stretch'd a spacious moor Near to the Ocean on the eastern shore Where pois'nous fish the stinking water breeds And rustling winds still whistle in the weeds If you please add thus much out of Henry of Huntingdon This fenny Country is mighty rich and delightful plentifully water'd with rivers sufficiently garnish d with lakes of all sorts and as much adorn'd with shady groves and islands Take this little from William of Malmesbury Here is such vast store of fish as all strangers wonder at for which the inhabitants laugh at them nor is there less plenty of water-fowl and for a single half-penny five men may have enough of either not only for a taste but a competent meal I shall say nothing of the sound and wholsome advice was concerning the draining of these fens which yet was perhaps nothing but a specious pretence of doing good to the publick so often mov'd in Parliament It is to be fear'd they 'd soon return to their old state as the Pontine Marshes in Italy have often done after their draining So that some think it the safest way â—â—â—sanias 〈◊〉 Corinth to follow the Oracle's advice in the like case Not to venture too far where heaven has put a stop The natural strength of this place and the plenty of provisions every where has often made it a retreat for rebels not only the English against William the Conquerour but also the Barons whenever they were out-law'd from hence molested their Kings but were always unsuccessful tho' they erected forts at Eryth and Athered now Audre â—udre where is an open passage into the Isle And to this day there 's a rampart nigh Audre not high but very large call'd Belsar's hills from one Belisar but what he was I know not The south and largest part of this fenny Country which belongs to this Shire was call'd by the Saxons Elig now the Isle of Ely â—â—y from the chief of these Islands Bede derives it from it's Eels and therefore some have call'd it the Isle of Eels k An. 1221. King Henry 3. being at Oxford says Fuller sent to the Bailiff of Cambridge as living near Ely the staple for fish to send him such a proportion of Eels for the provisions of his Court and it should be discounted unto him out of the Exchequer Polydore Virgil derives it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a Marsh others from Helig a British word signifying Willows or Sallows which it bears in abundance and they are the only thriving trees here We find that one Tombert K. of the South-Girvii setled a great part of this Country upon his wife Etheldred for a joynture who after she had left her second husband Egfrid K. of Northumberland for Christ's service 〈◊〉 Ethelâ—red comâ—â—â—â— St. â—â—uaâ—y founded a Nunnery in that chief Isle properly call'd Elyg which was then valu'd after the rate of 600 families of which place she her self was the first Abbess However this was not the first Chuâ—ch in the fens for the Ely-book mentions our St. Austin as the founder of a Church at Cradiden Cradiden which afterwards was ruin'd by Penda the Mercian and Malmesbury says that Felix Bishop of the East-Angles had his first seat at Soham Soham still in Norwich diocese Soham says he is a village situated by a fen formerly very dangerous to water-passengers from thence to Ely but now passable by foot men by reason of a causey made through the marshes and reeds There is still the ruins of a Church demolish'd by the Danes wherein the inhabitants were overwhelm d and burnt with it At the same time St. Audry's Nunnery fell a prey to the fury of the Danes but was restor'd by Ethelwold Bishop of Winchester who by agreement with the King bought the whole Isle ejected the Priests and fill'd it with Monks to whom King Edgar as we find in his Letters Patents gave jurisdiction in secular causes over two Hundreds in the fens and over five Hundreds and an half out of the fens in Wicklow in the province of the East-Angles which to this day is call'd St. Audry's Liberty St. Audry's Liberty After that Kings and Noblemen richly endow'd it with large revenues especially Earl Brithnoth who being then ready to engage the Danes in the year 999 Ely-book gave to this Church of Ely Somersham Spaldwic Trumpinton Ratindum Heisbury Fulburn Tmerston Triplestow and Impetum because these Monks had treated him nobly if he dy'd in that battel He was kill'd at last at Maldon after he had fought with the Danes fourteen days together It was so rich a Monastery that the Abbot says Malmesbury yearly put 1400 pound into his own pocket And Richard the last Abbot Earl Gislebert's son intoxicated as it were with money and d sdaining to be under the Bishop of Lincoln fell to work upon the King with golden promises as the Monks write and indefatigable industry to have him e ect a Bishoprick at this place but his sudden death hinder'd it But soon after Hen. 1. got leave of the Pope and made Hervy Bishop of Bangor in Wales and then abouts ejected by the Welsh the first Bishop of Ely to whom and his successors he laid out Cambridgeshire for the diocese which before was part of that of Lincoln and likewise settl'd upon them l In the Isle of Ely the Bishop hath all the rights of a County-Palatine and beareth chief sway therein for by his own power he appointeth a Judge to hear and determine all Causes arising within the said Isle He holdeth Assizes Gaol-delivery and Qâ—arter-Sessions of the Peace for the said Liberty and hath his chief Bailiff and Under-Bailiffs for the execution of Process Blome in Cambridge-shire some marks of Soveraignty in these Islands He gave the Bishop of Lincoln the manour of Spaldwic to make him amends for Cambridgeshire and this Isle or as the Ely-book has it The manour of Spaldwic was setled upon the Church of Lincoln for ever in lieu of the episcopal care over Grantbridgeshire Assoon as Hervy was setled in his Bishoprick he made it his chief care to raise the grandeur of his Church He got it to
contracted marriage being the first of our Kings since the Conquest that married his Subject But thereby he drew upon himself and her relations a world of troubles as may be seen in our Histories The said Richard Widdevil Lord of Rivers Grafton and De la Mote was by Edward the fourth now his Son in law avanc'd these are the very words of the Charter of Creation to be Earl of Rivers Earls Rivers by the cincture of a Sword to have to him and his heirs males with the fee of 20 l. by the hands of the Sheriff of Northampton And soon after he was with great state and solemnity constituted Constable of England 7 Edw. 1. Câ—nstable â—â—gland I speak out of the original Patent To occupy manage and execute the said Office by himself or his sufficient Deputies for term of life receiving yearly 200 pound out of the Exchequer with full power and authority to take cognizance and proceed in causes of and concerning the crime of High Treason or the occasion thereof also to hear examine and in due time determine the causes and business aforesaid with all and singular matters thence arising thereunto incident or therewith conjoyned summarily and from the Bench without noise or formal judgment having only regard to the truth of the fact and with the King's hand or power if it shall be thought convenient in our behalf without all appeal 2 Moreover about that time he was made Lord Treasurer of England But after his having enjoy'd these honours for a good while he was beat in the battel of Edgcote fighting for his Son-in-law and soon after intercepted and beheaded And altho' this family died as it were and ended in his sons Anthony Earl Rivers being beheaded by Richard the third and Richard and his Brothers dying issueless yet from the daughters sprang very fair and noble branches For from them issued the Royal Line of England the Marquisses of Dorset Earls of Essex Earls of Arundel Earls of Worcester Earls of Derby and Barons Stafford b Behind Grafton is Sacy Forest Sacy Forest a place set apart for game More Eastward the villages lye scatter'd thick every where amongst which these are of greatest note Blisworth the seat of the Wakes descended from the famous family of the Barons of Wake and Estoteville Pateshull which gave name formerly to a noted family Greenes-Norton so nam'd of the Greenes persons fam'd in the last age for their wealth call'd before Inq. 44. Edw. 3. if I mistake not b A Manuscript Collection of Tenures by Serjeanty in the hands of Henry Worsley of Lincolns-Inn Esquire puts this service under Ashby in this County Norton Dany and held in Capite of the King by the Service of lifting up the right hand towards the King yearly on Christmas-day in what place soever he then was in England Wardon Wardon a Hundred which had its Lords descended from Guy de Reinbudcourt a Norman whose estate came by the Foliots to Guiscard Leddet whose daughter Christian bare unto her husband Henry de Braibrook a numerous issue But Guiscard the eldest assum'd his mothers sirname Leddet Shortly after this great estate was divided by females between William and John Latimers of Corby brothers From the last the Griffins in this County had their original as from the first the Latimers Barons Barons Latimer of good antiquity in Yorkshire Higher in the Country northward arises the river Aufona or Avon for Avon in the British tongue is a general name of all rivers call'd Nen The river Nen. by the inhabitants and passes from the west-side of this County making many reaches by the winding of its banks in a manner through the midst of this Province to which it is a continual blessing A very noble river it is and if my judgment be worth any thing garison'd in old time by the Romans For when that part of Britain on this side the river was in the Emperour Claudius's time brought under the Roman Government so that the inhabitants thereof were termed Allies to the Romans when the Britains also beyond the river made frequent incursions into this their Country and carried all before them and these Allies themselves more easily bearing the Commands than Vices of the Romans on every turn conspir'd with those beyond the river then P. Ostorius says Tacitus cinctos castris Antonam Aufonas I would read it if I might be so bold Sabrinam cohibere parat That is if I misunderstand not the place he by placing Forts up and down upon these rivers undertakes to restrain the Britains beyond the river and those of this Province from assisting one another against the Romans What river this shou'd be none can tell Lipsius the Apollo of our age hath either dispell'd this mist or I my self am in a cloud He points out Northampton and I am of opinion that Antona has been foisted into Tacitus instead of Aufona upon which Northampton is seated For the very heart or middle of England is counted to be near it where out of one hill spring three rivers running different ways Cherwell to the south Leame to the west which as it hastens to the Severn is receiv'd by another * 〈◊〉 Avon and this Avon or Nen to the east Of which these †Antâ—â—a two Avons so cross England overthwart that whoever comes out of the northern parts of this Island must of necessity pass over one of the two When therefore Ostorius had fortified the Severn and these two Avons he had no cause to fear any danger out of Wales or the north parts of Britain either to his Romans or Allies who at that time had reduced only the nearest parts of this Isle into the form of a Province as Tacitus himself witnesses in another place c Those great fortifications and military fences to be seen at Gildsborough and Dantrey Gâ—â—dsâ—â—roâ—gh Danâ—â—â—y between the springs of the two Avons which run different ways and where only there is passage into the hither part of Britain without any rivers to hinder it may seem to be some of the sorts which Ostorius erected That at Gildsborough is great and large but this other at Dantrey is greater and larger for being four-square upon an high hill from whence all the Country beneath may be seen far and near and having on the east-side a Mount they call it Spelwell it encloses within a cast-up bank two hundred acres or thereabouts Within which the Country people find now and then Coins of the Roman Emperours certain proofs of it's antiquity They are much mistaken therefore who will have it to be a work of the Danes and that the town under it was thence nam'd Dantrey now well known for it's Inns and had formerly a Religious-house of Augustin Fryers which as 't is reported H. de Fawesly sounded At the head of the Avon or Nen to make a step backwards stands Catesby Catesby that gave name to
Bredon hills Bredon hills tho' much lesser than those of Malvern rise with a sort of emulation Upon these appears Elmley Elmley-castle a Castle once belonging to Ursus or Urso d'Abtot by whose daughter and heir Emeline it descended to the Beauchamps At the foot of these hills stands Breodun touching whose Monastery Offa King of the Mercians saith I Offa King of the Mercians will give 35 acres of tributary land to the Monastery which is called Breodun in the Province of the Wiccians and to the Church of St. Peter Prince of the Apostles in that place which my grandfather Eanwulf built to the glory and praise of the everliving God Under Bredon hills to the south lies Washborn VVashborn a village or two which gives the sirname to an ancient and gentile family in these parts They lye in a spot of this County quite severed from the main body And divers other like parcels Parcel 〈◊〉 the Shiâ— severed from thâ— rest of tâ— body lie up and down dispersed the reason I know not unless it were this That the Governours of this County in elder times having estates of their own lying near annex'd them to the County which they govern'd q A little higher runs the river Avon in its way to Severn in this County it waters Eovesham â—â—â—ham which the Monkish writers tell us had its name from Eoves swineherd to Egwine Bishop of Worcester being formerly called Eath-home 〈…〉 â—â—â—esham â—â—â—tery 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 1157. and Heath-field a very neat town seated on a gentle ascent from the river Bengworth Castle anciently stood at the bridge-foot as it were in its suburbs which William d'Audeville Abbot recovering from William Beauchamp did utterly demolish and caused the ground to be consecrated for a Churchyard The town is famous for this Monastery which Egwine by the help of King Kenred son of Wolfer King of the Mercians built about the year 700 as also for the Vale of Evesham 〈◊〉 â—â—eâ—ham lying about it and taking its name from the town which for its fruitfulness is justly stiled the Graâ—ary of these parts so liberal is the soil in affording the best corn in great abundance In more ancient times this town was very famous for the overthrow of the Barons and of Simon Mountfort E. 〈…〉 of Leicester our English Cataline He being a person of a very bad temper and extremely perfidious taught us by experience the truth of that saying Favours are esteemed obligations no longer than they can be requited For when King Hen. 3. had with a liberal hand heaped all possible favours upon him and given him his own sister to wife he had no other returns from him than most implacable hatred For he raised a most dangerous war and miserably wasted a great part of England under pretence of redressing grievances and asserting its liberties leaving no method unpractis'd whereby he might depose the King and change the government from a Monarchy to an Oligarchy But after he had prospered a while in his enterprize he with many others of his party fell in this place being subdued in a pitch'd battel by the valour of Prince Edward And instantly as tho' the sink of mischiefs had been cleansed a welcome peace which he had banished every where appeared r â—265 Hard by upon the same river lyeth Charleton â—â—â—on once the estate of a famous Knightly family the Hansacres but now of the Dinlies or Dinglies who being descended of an ancient family of that name in Lancashire came to it by inheritance c The Dinglies continue to this day at Charleton A little lower in the primitive times of our English Church there was another Religious-house then Fleodanbyrig now Fladbury 〈…〉 and near this Pershore in Saxon Periscoran named from the Pear-trees which as that excellent Historian William of Malmesbury informs us Egelward Duke of Dorset a man of a generous spirit and wholly devoted to pious munificence built and finished in K. Edgar's time But alas what vast losses hath it since sustained part the ambition of great men hath seized part is forgotten and lost and a very considerable part of its possessions King Edward and William bestowed on Westminster 5 Then receiveth Avon a riveret from the north upon which stands Hodington a seat of the Winters of which were Robert Winter and his brother Thomas who whenas they were in the Gunpowder Treason c. Dr. Holland having led me to Hadington I cannot pass by Henlip a fair seat of the Abingtons remarkable for the taking of Garnet and Oldcorn two eminent Jesuits concerned in the Powder-Plot who after many days fruitless search were found in a cavity of a wall over a Chimney In the same house was written that obscure Letter to the Lord Mounteagle by Mrs. Abingdon his sister which gave some light into the horrid design The present owner Thomas Abingdon Esquire hath in his hands a large description of Worcestershire written by his grandfather an able and industrious Antiquary the publication whereof hath been impatiently expected from him above these 20 years Hence Avon runs smoothly down by Strensham d Strensham is still enjoyed by the same family a seat of the Russels an ancient family of the degree of Knights and so dischargeth it's waters into Severn Hereabouts in the south part of the Shire lies Oswalds-law-hundred â—â—â—ds 〈◊〉 hunâ—â—ed so called from Oswald Bishop of Worcester who obtained it of Edgar the immunities whereof are thus registred in the Survey of England which William the Conquerour made The Church of St. Mary in Wircester hath a Hundred called Oswalds-low in which lye 300 Hide-land where the Bishop of this Church hath by very long prescription all the Services and customary duties pertaining to the Lords Pourveyance the King's service and his own so that no Sheriff may hold a Court there in any plea or other cause whatsoever This is attested by the whole County s There is a place somewhere in this County but not certainly known called Augustines-ac i.e. Augustine's Oak at which Augustine the Apostle of the English and the British Bishops met and having for some time disputed about the keeping of Easter preaching Gods word to the English A. D. 60â— and administring the Sacrament of Baptism after the rites of the Church of Rome in conclusion both sides went away dissatisfied t This Province after the Norman Conquest had for its first Sheriff Urso d'Abtot Earls of VVorcester D. Abtot to whom and his heirs King William 1. gave large possessions together with that honour Roger his son succeeded him who as William of Malmesbury reports enjoyed his father's possessions and was divested of them falling under the heavy displeasure of King Henry 1. because in a furious passion he had commanded one of the King's Officers to be put to death But this dignity of Sheriff by Emeline Sister to this Roger descended to the family of the Beauchamps
to 9 Robert Blunt Robert Burnel Bp. of Bath and afterward to the Lovels g It is now in the possession of George Weld Esq Up higher stands Wenlock Wenlock now famous for lime-stone but formerly in King Richard the second 's time for a copper-mine yet most remarkable in the Saxons time for a very ancient Nunnery where Milburga liv'd a devout Virgin William Malmesb. and was buried it was repair'd and fill'd with Monks by Earl Roger de Montgomery e 10 In later times Sir John Winell call'd also Wenlock because he here inhabited for his faithful service to King Henry 6. was by him advanc'd to the state and honour of Baron Wenlock and elected Knight of the Garter in whose cause he manfully lost his life in the battel of Tewksbury leaving no issue but from his Cousin and heir-general the Lawleys of this County are lineally dâ—scended A little more west is Acton-Burnell c. Acton Burnell Acton Burnel a castle of the Burnels and afterwards of the Lovels was honour'd with an Assembly of Parliament in Edward the first 's reign The family of the Burnels was very honourable and ancient Barons Burnell and much enrich'd by the Bishop before-mention'd but it became extinct in Edward the second 's reign when Mawd the heiress married John Lovel her first husband and John Haudlow her second whose son Nicholas took the name of Burnel from whom the Ratcliffs Earls of Sussex and some others derive their pedigree f Scarce a mile off is Langley Langley lowly situated in a woody park the seat of the Leas one of the most ancient and honourable families in these parts h This family is new extinct Next is Condover Condover formerly a manour of the Lovels and lately of Tho. Owen one of the Justices of the Common Pleas a very great lover of learning but since deceas'd and has left behind him a son Sir Roger Owen a general scholar and altogether worthy of so excellent a father It appears by record that this is holden of the King in chief To find two foot-soldiers for one day towards the army of Wales in time of war A remark that I think proper once for all to make for a general information that the Gentry of these parts held their estates of the King of England by tenure to aid him with soldiers for defence of the Marches whensoever a war broke out between the English and Welsh Near this is a little village call'd Pitchford Pitchford which formerly gave it's name to the ancient family of the Pitchfords but now is in the possession of R. Oteley Our Ancestors call'd it Pitchford from a spring of pitchy water for in those days they knew no distinction between pitch and bitumen And there is a well in a poor man's yard A bituminous well upon which there floats a sort of liquid bitumen although it be continually scumm'd off after the same manner as it doth on the lake Asphaltites in Judaea and on a standing pool about Samosata and on a spring by Agrigentum in Sicily but the inhabitants make no other use of it than as pitch Whether it be a preservative against the Falling-sickness or be good for drawing and healing wounds as that in Judaea is I know no one yet that has made the experiment More eastward stands Pouderbache castle now ruinated formerly call'd Purle bache the seat of Ralph Butler the younger son of 11 Sir Ralph Butler the younger son of Ralph Butler of Wem Ralph Butler of Wem from whom the Butlers of Woodhall in the County of Hertford derive their pedigree Below this Huckstow forest fetches a great compass between the mountains where at Stiperston's hill Stiperston's hill great heaps of stones and little rocks as it were appear very thick the Welsh call them Carneddau tewion 12 But whereas these seem natural I dare not c. but I dare not so much as guess that these among others were the stones which Giraldus Cambrensis describes in this manner Harald the very last foot-soldier with a company of foot lightly arm'd and stock'd with such provision as the country afforded march'd both round the whole County of Wales and through and through it insomuch that he scarce left any alive behind him in memory of which total defeat he threw up many hillocks of stones after the ancient manner in those places where he obtain'd victories which bear this Inscription HIC FVIT VICTOR HARALDVS At this place Harald was Conquerour Caurse More to the north Caurse-castle is situated the Barony of 13 Sir Peter Peter Corbet from whom it came to the Barons of Stafford i It is now the Lord Weymouth's and near it Routon Routon very ancient upon the western borders of the Shire not far from the Severn which formerly belong'd to the Corbets but now to the ancient family of the Listers Some time before John L'Estrange of Knocking had it out of ill will to whom Leolin Prince of Wales ras'd it to the ground as we read in the Life of 14 Sir Foulgue Fulk Fitz-Warin We find it flourishing by the same name in the Romans time but call d Rutunium Rutuniuâ— by Antoninus nor can it be a mistake since the name and the distance which he describes it to be from the famous town Uriconium exactly concur Near this is Abberbury-castle and Watlesbury Abberburâ— and Watlesbury which from the Corbets came to the Leightons Knights of an honourable family k It is now in the possession of Sir Edward Leighton Baronet It seems to have taken its name from that Consular-way and Kings high-road call'd Watlingstreet which leads by this place into the farthest parts of Wales as Ranulphus Cestrensis says thro' two small towns that are call'd from it l It is very obvious to observe several towns of this name thro' England lying upon the ancient high ways Strettons between which in a valley some ruins are to be seen of an ancient castle call'd Brocards-castle Brocardâ— castle surrounded with green meadows that were formerly fish-ponds But these castles with some others which are too many to reckon up here owing their decay to length of time and uninterrupted peace and not to the fury of war are a great part of them ready to drop to the ground Now passing over the river Severn we come to the second division propos'd which lay on this side the Severn and as is said belong'd to the Cornavii This likewise is divided into two by the river Tern which flows from north to south and has it's name from a large pool in Staffordshire where it rises such as we call Tearnes In the hithermost or eastern parts of these divisions near the place where Tern and Severn joyn stood Vriconium Uriconiuâ— for so Antoninus call'd it tho' Ptolemy would have it Viroconium and Ninnius Caer Vruach the Saxons call'd it Wreken-ceaster but
which rose out of the ruins of it One of those things which argue the Antiquity of the place intimates it to be of a much more early date The Coyns I mean discover'd there some whereof are of gold tho' but rarely found some of stone red green blue c. others of silver very commonly met with and the rest of brass copper and mix'd metals They are call'd by the inhabitants Dynders and are so worn and decay'd that there is not one in ten found the Inscription whereof is perfectly legible or the Image distinguishable Now amongst all these as I have the account from a person who has been an eye-witness there is not one but what is Roman from whence we may infer that the destruction of this city was before the coming over of the Saxons or at latest in their wars with the Britains for if it had continu'd till the Danish times there would certainly have been some of the Saxon Coyns mixt amongst the Roman And the Saxon name Wrekenceaster from whence the present Wroxeter flows perhaps may imply that it was when they came Æ¿paeced that is wrack'd and destroy'd unless we say that this name is moulded out of the old Uriconium THE COUNTY PALATINE OF CHESTER By Rob. t Morden As to the urns there have several of them been found whole in the memory of man when they have had occasion to dig 3 or 4 foot deep in their sandy land For as the dead corps here bury'd are in red clay so are their urns lodg'd in a red sand h Our Author observes that Watlingstreet went over a bridge a little way from the City And 't is true there is yet discernable in the bottom of the Severn at low-water the foundation of a stone-work which is probably enough the remains of a bridge But certainly the road went through the midst of the City and so through the ford now call'd Wroxeter-ford as is yet plainly to be discover'd by the old Strait-way pointing exactly upon it on each side of the river â—â—ewsâ—â—y i At some distance from hence is Shrewsbury the Castle whereof our Author observes to be built upon a rock and at the bottom of it's foundation it may be so but the bank appears outwardly to be nothing but a soft mould for the most part sandy k And he farther takes notice that in Hen. 1.'s time that part was wall'd which was not secur'd by the river Now it is wall'd quite round though not very strongly and where the river does not fence it i.e. on the neck of the Peninsula is the Castle built l The School that is now there is a fair stately stone building erected and endow'd by Qu. Eliz. having one Master and three Under-Masters with a very good Library The Buildings and Library are not inferiour to many Colleges in the Universities besides which there are very good houses for the Schoolmasters belonging to it At about 4 or 5 miles distance at a place call'd Grinshill there is another School-house built of the same white stone whither the Masters and Scholars may repair in case any contagious distemper or other cause should render it unsafe for them to stay in the town m About Rossal not far from this place our Author mentions the Flotes but these are seldom seen of late Here is much us'd by the fishermen a small thing call'd a Coracle â—racle in which one man being seated will row himself with incredible swiftness with one hand whilst with the other he manages his net angle or other fishing-tackle It is of a form almost oval made of split Sally-twigs interwoven round at the bottom and on that part next the water cover'd with a horse-hide It is about 5 foot in length and 3 in breadth and is so light that coming off the water they take them upon their backs and carry them home n Upon the eastern border of this County is Oswestre Oswestre where as †Itin. MS. Leland has left it is S. Oswald's Church a very fair-leaded building with a tower'd Steeple but it stands without the new gate so that no Church is within the town It was sometime a Monastery call'd the White minster and was afterwards turn'd to a Parish-Church o About a mile from Oswestre is Caerhendinas Caerhendinas ‖ Aubrey's Monumenta Britan. MS. a hill every way rising the form whereof is an oblong square encompass'd with three great works one higher than another The space within is about seven acres and the tradition is that this place was the last retreat of the Britains Continuation of the EARLS Gilbert dying without issue-male was succeeded in this honour by Edward his brother but he too dy'd without issue surviving and the chief branch of this noble family being thus extinct George Talbot of Grafton in Worcestershire lineal heir to Sir Gilbert Talbot second son to the famous John succeeded who dying also without issue his Nephew John Talbot succeeded Earl of Shrewsbury he dying left Francis his eldest son Earl of Shrewsbury father to this present Charles who is lately created Duke of Shrewsbury and Marquess of Alton More rare Plants growing wild in Shropshire Gramen juncoides lanatum alterum Park Juncus Alpinus capitulo lanuginoso sive Schoenolaguros C. B. Hares-tail-Rush On Ellesmeer meers in great abundance This is the same with the Gramen junccum montanum subcaeruleâ spicâ Cambrobritannicum of Parkinson who makes two Plants of one it is also the Gramen plumosum elegans Phyt. Brit. Persicaria siliquosa Ger. Codded Arsmart or Touch-me-not On the banks of the river Kemlett at Marington in the Parish of Cherbury also at Guerndee in the Parish of Cherstock half a mile from the foresaid river among great Alder-trees in the high-way Ger. p. 446. Rosmarinum sylvestre minus nostras impropriè dictum cùm Cistiledon dicti potiùs species sit Quidam ad Ericas referunt At Birch in the moors of Ellesmeer plentifully It grows in all the Countries near viz. Cheshire Lancashire c. in mosses and boggy places CHESHIRE THE fifth and last part of these Counties formerly possessed by the Cornavii is the County of Chester in Saxon Cestre-scyre now commonly Cheshire and the County Palatine of Chester 〈…〉 for the Earls of it had a certain Palatine Jurisdiction belonging to them and all the inhabitants held of them as in chief and were under a soveraign allegiance and fealty to them as they to the King As for the word Palatine that I may repeat what I have said already of it it was common to all formerly that had any office in the King's Court or Palace 〈◊〉 Pâ—â—â—â— in 〈◊〉 Dâ—scr 〈◊〉 Câ—â—mâ—◠〈◊〉 and in that age Comes Palatinus was a title of dignity conferr'd upon him who had before been Palatinus with an authority to hear and determine causes in his own territory and as well the Nobles whom they call'd Barons as the Vassals were bound to frequent the Palace of the
of the river Avon whence it takes its name to Neath a river infamous for its Quick-sands upon which stands an ancient town of the same name in Antonine's Itinerary call'd Nidum â—â—dum Which when Fitz-Haimon subdued this Country fell in the division to Richard Granvil who having built there a Monastery under the Town and consecrated his dividend to God and the Monks return'd to a very plentiful estate he had in England All the Country from Neath to the river Lochor â—â—chor riâ—â—r which is the Western limit of this Country Brit. Lhychwr is call'd by us Gower Gower by the Britains Gŵyr and by Ninnius Guhir where as he tells us the sons of Keian a Scot seated themselves until they were driven out by Kynèdhav a British Prince In the reign of King Henry the first Tho. Wallingham Henry Earl of Warwick subdued this Country of Gower which afterwards by compact betwixt Thomas Earl of Warwick and King Henry the second devolv'd to the Crown But King John bestow'd it on William de Breos Lib. Monast Neth 5 Reg Joan. to be held by service of one Knight for all service And his heirs successively held it till the time of Edward the second For at that time William de Breos having sold it to several persons that he might ingratiate himself with the King deluded all others and put Hugh Spenser in possession of it And that amongst several others was the cause why the Nobles became so exasperated against the Spensers and so unadvisedly quitted their Allegiance to the King It is now divided into East and West Gowerland In East-Gowerland the most noted town is Sweinsey Swansey so called by the English from Porpoises or Sea-hogs and by the Britains Aber-Tawi from the river Tawi which runs by it fortified by Henry Earl of Warwick But a more ancient place than this is that at the river Loghor Loghor which Antoninus calls Leucarum Leucarum and is at this day retaining its ancient name call'd Loghor in British Kas-Lychwr Where about the death of King Henry the first Howel ap Mredydh with a band of Mountaneers surprized and slew several Englishmen of quality Beneath this lyes West-Gower which the Sea making Creeks on each side it is become a Peninsula a place more noted for the corn it affords than towns And celebrated heretofore for St. Kynedhav who led here a solitary life of whom such as desire a farther account maâ— consult our Capgrave who has sufficiently extoâ—l'd his Miracles From the very first conquest of this Country Lords of Glamorgan the Clares and Spensers Earls of Glocester who were lineally descended from Fitz Haimon were Lords of it Afterwards the Beauchamps and one or two of the Nevils and by a daughter of Nevil descended also from the Spensers it came to Richard the third King of England who being slain it devolv'd to King Henry the seventh who granted it to his uncle Gasper Duke of Bedford He dying without issue the King resum'd it into his own hands and left it to his son Henry the eighth whose son Edward the sixth sold most part of it to William Herbert whom he had created Earl of Pembroke and Baron of Caerdiffe Of the Off-spring of the twelve Knights before-mention'd there remain now only in this County the Stradlings a family very eminent for their many noble Ancestors with the Turbervils and some of the Flemmings whereof the chiefest dwells at Flemmingstone call'd now corruptly from them Flemston But in England there remain my Lord St. John of Bletso the Granvils in Devonshire and the Siwards as I am inform'd in Somersetshire The Issue-male of all the rest is long since extinct and their Lands by daughters pass'd over to other families Parishes in this County 118. ADDITIONS to GLAMORGANSHIRE a IN our entrance upon this County we are presented with Kaer phyli-castle â—â—er-Phyli-â—â—stle probably the noblest ruins or ancient Architecture now remaining in Britain For in the judgment of some curious persons who have seen and compared it with the most noted Castles of England it exceeds all in bigness except that of Windsor That place which Mr. Sanford call'd a Chapel was probably the same with that which the neighbouring Inhabitants call the Hall It is a stately room about 70 foot in length 34 in breadth and 17 in height On the South-side we ascend to it by a direct Stair-case about eight foot wide the roof whereof is vaulted and supported with twenty arches which are still gradually higher as you ascend The entry out of this Stair-case is not into the middle but somewhat nearer to the West-end of the room and opposite to it on the North-side there is a chimney about ten foot wide On the same side there are four stately windows if so we may suppose them two on each side the chimney of the fashion of Church-windows but that they are continued down to the very floor and reach up higher than the height of this room is supposed to have been so that the room above this Chapel or Hall had some part of the benefit of them The sides of these windows are adorn'd with certain three-leav'd knobs or husks having a fruit or small round ball in the midst On the walls on each side the room are seven triangular pillars like the shafts of Candlesticks placed at equal distance From the floor to the bottom of these pillars may be about twelve foot and a half and their height or length seem'd above four foot Each of these pillars is supported with three Busts or heads and breasts which vary alternately For whereas the first ex gr is supported with the head and breast of an ancient bearded man and two young faces on each side all with dishevel'd hair the next shews the face and breasts of a woman with two lesser faces also on each side the middlemost or biggest having a cloth close tied under the chin and about the forehead the lesser two having also forehead-cloths but none under the chin all with braided locks The use of these pillars seems to have been for supporting the beams but there are also on the south-side six Grooves or chanels in the wall at equal distance which are about nine inches wide and eight or nine foot high four whereof are continued from the tops of the pillars but the two middlemost are about the middle space between the pillars and come down lower than the rest having neat stones jutting out at the bottom as if intended to support something placed in the hollow Grooves On the north-side near the east-end there 's a door about eight foot high which leads into a spacious Green about seventy yards long and forty broad At the east-end there are two low-arch'd doors within a yard of each other and there was a third near the south-side but much larger and another opposite to that on the west-end The reason why I have been thus particular is
where the bowels of Walter Skirlaw Bishop of Durham were bury'd ‖ Ibid. as appear'd by the Inscription of a very fair stone varii marmoris as my Author calls it The same person had reason to build a high belfrey in order to secure them against inundations for the several Commissions that have been issu'd out for repair of the banks thereabouts argue the great danger they were in and within these seven years the Ebbe by reason of great freshes coming down the Ouse broke through the banks and did considerable damage both to Howden and the neighbouring parts Here the Londoners keep a Mart every year beginning about the fourteenth of September and continue it about nine days where they furnish by whole-sale the Country Trades-men with all sorts of Goods e Tho' the Abus Abus and the Humber be generally lookt upon as one and the same yet Ptolemy's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to be the corrupt Greek reading of the old name Ouse rather than sprung from the British Aber. 'T is plain however by that expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. the emptying of the river Abus that he meant the river had that name before ever it came to the Out-let f What our Author says of Coyfi throwing down the Fanum Impietatis domicilium Saxon-Idols does hardly seem to be cautiously or accurately enough exprest For it does not appear that any cover'd Temples were erected for the service of those Pagan-Idols which the Saxons here worship'd Polluit destruxit eas quas ipse sacraverat aedes says the Latin * Lib. 2. c. 13 Bede speaking of this Coyfi and the Saxon-Paraphrase uses the word Æ¿igbed or as some Copies have it Æ¿eopede Æ¿aes HaeÆ¿enan gyldes implying not a Temple but an Altar as is evident from Matth. v. 23. and xxiii 18 19 c. No they were only surrounded with a hedge to defend their ditches from the annoyance of cattel as is sufficiently intimated by another expression in the same Chapter Mid Heora Hegum Æ¿e Hi ymbsette Æ¿aeron i.e. with the hedges wherewith they were surrounded g But for Antiquities Beverley Beverley is the most considerable place hereabouts call'd formerly Beverlac quasi locus vel lacus Castrorum à Castoribus quibus Hulla aqua vicina abundabat says Leland * Vid. Monast Angl. t. 1. p. 170. from an old Anonymous Manuscript concerning the Antiquities of Beverolac or Beverley Tho' our Author tells us it has nothing of greater Antiquity than John of Beverley yet the same Manuscript informs us it had a Church before that time dedicated to S. John the Evangelist which this Archbishop converted into a Chapel for his new-erected Monastery On the 13. of September An. 1664. upon opening a grave they met with a vault of squar'd free-stone 15 foot long and 2 foot broad at the head but at the feet a foot and a half broad Within it was a sheet of lead four foot long and in that the ashes six beads whereof three crumbl'd to dust with a touch of the three remaining two were suppos'd to be Cornelians with three great brass pins and four large iron nails Upon the sheet laid a leaden plate with this Inscription ✚ ANNO AB INCARNATIONE DOMINI MCLXXXVIII COMBVSTA FVIT HAEC ECCLESIA IN MENSE SEPTEMBRI IN SEQVENTI NOCTE POST FESTVM SANCTI MATHAEI APOSTOLI ET IN AN. MCXCVII VI. IDVS MARTII FACTA FVIT INQVISITIO RELIQVIARVM BEATI JOHANNIS IN HOC LOCO ET INVENTA SVNT HAEC OSSA IN ORIENTALI PARTE SEPVLCHRI ET HIC RECONDITA ET PVLVIS CEMENTO MIXTVS IBIDEM INVENTUS EST ET RECONDITUS Cross over this there lay a box of lead about seven inâ—hes long six broad and five high wherein were several pieces of bones mix'd with a little dust and yielding a sweet smell All these things were carefully re-interr'd in the middle Alley of the body of the Minster where they were taken up Which circumstance does not by any means agree with what Bishop Godwin has left us about this Saint namely that he was bury'd in the Church porch For tho' what is mention'd in the Inscription was only a Re-interrment upon the Inquisition made yet it looks a little odd they should not lay the Reliques in the same place where they found them unless one should solve it this way that but part of the Church was then standing and they might lay him there with a design to remove him when it should be rebuilt but afterwards either neglected or forgot it The Minster here is a very fair and neat structure the roof is an arch of stone In it there are several monuments of the Percies Earls of Northumberland who have added a little Chapel to the Quire in the window whereof are the pictures of several of that family drawn in the glass At the upper-end of the Quire on the right-side of the Altar-place stands the Freed-stool mention'd by our Author made of one entire stone and said to have been remov'd from Dunbar in Scotland with a Well of water behind it At the upper end of the body of the Church next the Quire hangs an ancient Table with the pictures of St. John from whom the Church is nam'd and of K. Athelstan the founder of it and between them this Distich Al 's free make I thee As heart can wish or egh can see Hence the Inhabitants of Beverley pay no Toll or Custom in any port or town of England to which immunity I suppose they owe in a great measure their riches and flourishing condition For indeâ—d one is surpris'd to find so large and handsome a town within six miles of Hull In the body of the Church stands an ancient monument which they call the Virgins tomb because two Virgin-sisters lye buried there who gave the town a piece of land into which any free-man may put three milch-kine from Lady-day to Michaelmas At the lower end of the body of the Church stands a fair large Font of Agate-stone Near the Minster on the south-side of it is a place nam'd Hall-garth wherein they keep a Court of Record call'd Provost's Court. In this may be try'd Causes for any sum arising within its Liberties which are very large having about a hundred towns and parts of towns in Holderness and other places of the East-Riding belonging to it It is said to have also a power in Criminal matters tho' at present that is not us'd But to come to the condition of the town It is above a mile in length being of late much improv'd in its buildings and has pleasant springs running quite through it It is more especially beautified with two stately Churches and has a Free-school that is improv'd by two Fellowships six Scholarships and three Exhibitions in S. John's College in Cambridge belonging to it besides six Alms-houses the largest whereof was built lately by the Executors of Michael Wharton Esquire who by his last Will lâ—ft 1000 l. for that use The Mayor
Parliament The Parliament by the same name as it is in England and hath the same absolute Authority It consists of three States of the Lords Spiritual that is the Bishops Abbots and Priors of the Lords Temporal viz. Dukes Marquisses Earls Viscounts and Barons and the Commissioners for the Cities and Buroughs To whom were joyned not long since for every County also two * Delegati Commissioners It is called by the King at pleasure allowing a certain time for notice before it is to sit When they are convened and the causes of their meeting are declared by the King and the Chancellour the Lords Spiritual retire apart and choose eight of the Lords Temporal the Lords Temporal likewise as many out of the Lords Spiritual Then all these together nominate eight of the Knights of the Shires and as many of the Burgesses which all together make 32. and are called Lords of the Articles and with the Chancellor Treasurer Privy-Seal the King's Secretary c. admit or reject all matters that are propos'd to the States after they have been first communicated to the King After they are approved by the whole Assembly of the States they are throughly examined and such as pass by a majority of Votes are presented to the King who by touching them with his Scepter signifies the confirming or vacating of them But if the King dislikes any thing it is first razed out Next to the Parliament is the College of Justice The College of Justice or as they call it the Session which King James 5. instituted An. 1532. after the manner of the Parliament at Paris consisting of a President fourteen Senators seven of the Clergy and as many of the Laity to whom was afterwards added the Chancellor who takes place first and five other Senators three principal Clerks and as many Advocates as the Senators shall think convenient These are to administer justice not according to the rigour of the Law but with reason and equity every day except Sunday and Monday from the first of November to the fifteenth of March and from Trinity Sunday to the first of August All the space between as being the times of sowing and harvest is Vacation and intermission from Suits and matters of Law They give judgment according to Acts of Parliament and where they are defective according to the Civil Law There are besides in every County inferiour Civil Courts wherein the Sheriff or his deputy decides controversies amongst the inhabitants about ejections intrusions damages debts c. from whom upon suspicion of partiality or alliance they appeal sometimes to the Session These Sheriffs are all for the most part hereditary For the Kings of Scotland as well as of England to oblige the better sort of Gentlemen more closely to them by their favours in old time made these Sheriffs hereditary and perpetual But the English Kings soon perceiving the inconveniencies happening thereupon purposely changed them into annual There are Civil Courts held also in the Fiefs of the Crown by their respective Bailiffs to whom the King hath graciously granted Royal privileges as also in free Boroughs and Cities by their Magistrates There are likewise Courts called The Commissariat the highest of which is kept at Edenborough wherein before four Judges actions are pleaded concerning matters relating to Wills the right of Ecclesiastical Benefices Tythes Divorces c. and Ecclesiastical Causes of like nature But in almost all the other parts of the Kingdom there sits but one Judge on these Causes In criminal Causes the King 's Chief Justice holds his Courts generally at Edenborough which Office hath for some time been executed by the Earls of Argyle who depute two or three Counsellors to take cognizance of actions of life and death loss of limbs or of goods and chattels In this Court likewise the Defendant is permitted even in case of High Treason to retain an Advocate to plead for him Moreover in criminal matters Justices are sometimes appointed by the King's Commission for deciding this or that particular cause Also the Sheriffs in their territories and Magistrates in some Boroughs may sit in judgment of Manslaughter in case the Manslayer be apprehended in the space of 24 hours and having found him guilty by a Jury may put him to death But if that time be once overpast the cause is referred to the King's Justice or his Deputies The same privilege also some of the Nobility and Gentry enjoy against Thieves taken within their own Jurisdictions There are likewise who have such Royalties that in criminal causes they may exercise a jurisdiction within their own limits and in some cases recall those that dwell within their own liberties from the King's Justice provided they judge according to Law These matters as having had but a transient view of them I have lightly touched upon What manner of Country Scotland is and what men it breeds Pomponius Mela. as of old that excellent Geographer writ of Britain will in a little time more certainly and evidently be shown since the greatest of Princes hath opened a passage to it which was so long shut up In the Interim I will proceed to the Places which is a subject I am more immediately concern'd in GADENI or LADENI UPon the Ottadini or Northumberland bordered the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gadeni who by the turning of one letter upside down are called in some Copies of Ptolemy Ladeni seated in that Country lying between the mouth of the River Tweed and Edenborough-Frith Joh. Skene de Verborum significatione which is now cantoned into many petty Countries The principal of them are Teifidale Twedale Merch and Lothien in Latin Lodeneium under which general name the Writers of the middle age comprised them all a TEIFIDALE TEifidale that is to say the Valley or Dale by the River d This river divideth that part of the shire properly called Teviotdale into that which lyeth on the South and that which lyeth on the North. Tefy or Teviot lying next to England amongst cliffs of craggy hills and rocks is inhabited by a warlike people who by reason of so frequent encounters between the Scots and English in former ages are always very ready for service and sudden invasions The first place we meet with amongst these is Jedburg a Borough well frequented standing near the confluence of the Tefy and Jed from whence it takes its name and Mailros â—â—â—â—ross a very ancient Monastery wherein in the Church's infancy were Monks of that antient instituion that gave themselves to prayer and with the labour of their hands earn'd their living And more Eastward where the Twede and the Tefy joyn in one stream â—â—â—oâ—â—â—h e The Royalty of this place was transmitted to the town of Iedburgh the chief burgh-royal of the shire Rosburg called also Roxburgh and in antient times Marchidun from its being seated in the Marches where stands a Castle that by its natural situation and tow'red fortifications
Potentate in these parts 40 Was Mac-Gwir untill he overthrew himself and his State in the late rebellion is b Macguire Mac Gwire Those of this family live on both sides this lake so that they on the other side are reckoned of Ulster and they on this of Conaght The County of MONAGHAN ON the east side of the Lough Erne lyes the County of Monaghan mountainous and woody It has not so much as one remarkable town in it besides Monaghan which gives name to the whole County This shire is divided into five Baronies and contains Iriel Dartre Fernlis Loghty which were taken from the rebellious Mac-Mahons Mac Mahon by Act of Parliament together with the territory of Donemain given by Queen Elizabeth to Walter D'evereux Earl of Essex These Mac-Mahons a name signifying in Irish the sons of Ursus have long governed these parts and are descended from Walter Fitz Urse Fitz-Urse who had a hand in the murder of S. Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury The greatest man of this family according to the custom of this nation was wont to Lord it over all the rest under the title of Mac-Mahon And lately while in competition for this soveraignty they fell to raillery fighting bribing and other foul practises they drew the Lord Deputy 41 Sir William William Fitz-Williams among them 159â— who cited Hugh Roe Mac-Mahon whom by his authority he had advanced to this Seigniory found him guilty and ordered him to be hang'd and that he might suppress the name and sovereignty of these Mac-Mahons for ever he divided the territory between the relations of the said Hugh and certain English men to have and to hold to them and their heirs after the English manner of tenure The County of ARMAGH ON the east side also of this Lough lyes the County of Armagh bounded on the east by the river Neury on the south by the County of Louth and on the north by Blackwater The soil here as I have often heard the Earl of Devonshire Lord Deputy say is the richest and fatest of any in Ireland insomuch that if manure be laid on to improve it it grows barren as if affronted or angry at it The first territory we meet with in this County is Fewes Fewes belonging to Turlogh Mac Henry of the family of O Neal full of woods and unpassable fens Next Orry Orry in which grows very little wood here lives O Hanlon and here stands the fort Mont-Norris Mont-Norris built by Charles Lord Montjoy Lord Deputy and so called in honour of John Norris under whom he first served in the wars Eight miles from hence near the river Kalin stands Armagh Armagh an Archbishop's See the Metropolis of this Island The Irish imagin it so called from Queen Armacha but in my opinion this is the very same that Bede calls Dearmach which he says signifies in the Scotch or Irish tongue a field of oaks Till St. Patrick built a city there very fine in respect of situation form bulk and compass as the Angels had contriv'd and modelled it for him it was called Drumsalich as he says Now this Patrick S. Patrick was a Britain S. Martin's nephew by his sister baptized by the name of Sucat Marianus Scotus and sold into Ireland where he was Shepherd to King Miluc Afterwards he was called Magonius 42 As a Nurse-Father out of a British word by St. German whose disciple he was and then by Pope Celestine Patricius that is Father of the Citizens and sent into Ireland to convert them to the Christian religion Yet some are of opinion that Christianity was in Ireland before his time grounding upon an old Synodal wherein St. Patrick's own authority is urged against Tonsure Tonsure in Ireland which was usual at that time in Ireland namely on the fore part of the head and not on the crown A custom which by way of contempt they father upon a certain Swineherd of King Lagerius the son of Nell Vi. Bede l. 5. 22. Other writers of that age cryed out against it as Simon Magus's institution and not St. Peter's About the year 610 Columbanus built a famous Monastery in this place Bede from which many others were propagated and planted both in Britain and Ireland by his disciples St. Bernard S. Bernard in vita Malachiae speaks thus of it In honour of St. Patrick the Irish Apostle who in his life time presided in this Island and after was buried in it this is an Archepiscopal See and the metropolis of this Island held in such veneration and esteem formerly that not only Bishops and Priests but Kings and Princes were subject in all obedience and he alone govern'd them all But through the hellish ambition of some Potentates it grew into a custom that this holy See should be held as an inheritance and permitted to descend to none that were not of their tribe or family This horrid method succeeding continued for no less than fifteen generations or thereabouts Thus in time Flatâ—sbâ— sâ—ys muâ— the same Church-discipline began to slacken in this Island so that in towns and cities the numbers and translations of Bishops were just as the Metropolitan thought fit and John Papyrio a Cardinal was sent over by Eugenius IV. Bishop of Rome to reform those matters as we learn from an Anonymous writer of that age In the year of our Lord 1142 John Papyrio a Cardinal was sent by Eugenius IV. P. R. together with Christian Bishop of Lismore and Legat of Ireland into this Island This Christian held a Council at Mell where were present the Bishops Abbots Kings Dukes and all the Elders of Ireland by whose consent there were four Archbishopricks constituted Armagh Dublin Cassil and Tuam filled at that time by Gelasius Gregorius Donatus and Edanus After this the Cardinal gave the Clergy his blessing and returned to Rome Before the Bishops of Ireland were always consecrated by the Archbishops of Canterbury by reason of their Primacy in that Kingdom This was acknowledged by the Citizens of Dublin when they sent Gregory elected Bishop of Dublin to Ralph Archbishop of Canterbury in these words We have always willingly subjected our Prelates to the power and soveraignty of your predecessors from whom we consider ours have received the spiritual dignity c. This is likewise evident from the letters of Murchertach King of Ireland of earlier date writ to Anselm Archbishop of Canterbury about ordaining the Bishops of Dublin and Waterford from those also of King Gothrick to Lanfrank his predecessor in behalf of one Patrick a Bishop and those of Lanfrank to Therdeluac King of Ireland complaining That the Irish leave their wives at pleasure without any cause Canonical and match with others either related to themselves or the wives they have put away or such as have been forsaken as wickedly by others which is not to be lookt upon as marriage but punished as fornication And
Chancellor representing the Lord's person and this Court the Governor may keep every week as occasion shall require Besides the customary Laws do so impower the Governor or any of the two Deemsters as that in effect they are Courts of Record in themselves If either of these be but riding or walking in the high-way and if any person have cause of complaint against another for debt or any extraordinary business he may procure a Token from the Governor or Deemster to bring the party before him And if the party do either confess the debt or matter or it appear by the testimony of two witnesses upon their oaths that such a debt is due either of the said officers may give their Token for execution to the Coroner or to his Lockman And this is as good and valid as if the matter had in Court received trial by verdict of the Jury or by a Decree in Chancery The Citations in the Courts of this Island are not in the form of a Writing but after this manner The Plaintiff cometh to the Comptroller and entereth his Complaint and taking a Copy thereof he sheweth it to the Governour or Deemster Either of them takes up a piece of blew slate which is common enough in any part of the Island and upon that slate scrapes what mark he pleases This stone so marked is called a Token which being given to the Plaintiff he delivereth it to the Crowner of the place where the Defendant resides and the Defendant having received it is bound to appear and answer It has been an antient custom in that Island that if the Plaintiff find his Adversary present in the Court while the Court is sitting he may take him by the arm and bring him before the Governour and set his foot upon his Adversary's foot and there plead his Cause against him without the formality of summoning him with a Token In these Courts each Party pleads his own Cause vivâ voce so that they have no occasion for any Lawyers Proctors or Attorneys which Custom obtains but in few places of Europe as in Sweden and Denmark From these Courts there lies an Appeal to the Lord of the Island and from him to the King of England but it seldom happens that they have any Appeals All Causes both in spiritual and temporal Courts are prosecuted and ended without one penny of charges They had here an old custom concerning Debts which is now abolished When the Debtor died An antrenâ— custom foâ— the recovery of Debts and was buried and there remained no Writings to prove the Debt the Creditor came to the Grave of the deceased and laid himself all along with his back upon the grave with his face towards Heaven and a Bible on his breast and there he protested before God that is above him and by the contents of the Bible on his breast that the deceased there buried under him did owe him so much money and then the Executors were bound to pay him But in the year 1609 this custom was abolished and such Controversies order'd to be tried according to the form of Law by Witnesses or otherwise In this Island there are several of those round hills The manner of uâ—ns fouâ— in this Isâ— which in the plains of Wiltshire are very frequent and by the Inhabitants termed Barrowes In the midland parts of England they are called Lowes and are commonly held to be places of Sepulture * Descr the Isle oâ— Man p 1â— Mr. James Chaloner during his abode in the Isle caused one of these to be opened in which were found 14 rotten Urns or earthen Pots placed with their mouths downwards and one more neatly than the rest in a bed of fine white sand containing nothing but a few brittle bones as having passed the fire but no ashes left discernible Some of these are environed with great stones pitched end-ways in the earth and some of the Urns found enclosed in Coffins of stone one Coffin containing divers of them The Isle of Man hath ever since its first plantation The Lorâ— of Man been reputed a Monarchical State and whoever is of right Lord of it may not only use the title of King but may cause himself to be crowned with a Crown of Gold * Walsiâ—â— Hypodigâ— Neustriâ— p. 546. though it is not improbable that in their first and original Installations they made use of a Crown of Iron as has been heretofore done by the Kings of England and as Charles the fourth Emperour of Germany was crowned at Milan An. 1334. The Kings of Man have now of a long time waved their title of King and instead thereof assumed the title of Lord but they still retain almost all the Jura Regalia they enjoyed heretofore They have still power of life and death to banish or condemn to perpetual Imprisonment to raise men and money to place or displace any officer in the Island at their own pleasure and all fines and forfeitures in cases of Treason Felony and Felo de se do belong to them The greatest difference betwixt a King and Lord of Man is That the Kings were crowned whereas the Lords now are only publickly proclaimed and installed The Kings created Barons made Knights and Esquires but the Lords never confer any titles of honour The Kings of Man in old times according to the Manks tradition claim'd the whole Island and all the Revenues thereof as belonging to the Crown The Inhabitants had no right to any Inheritance in the Island but were only Tenants at will and held their Lands of the King for the performance of certain duties and and services And this tenure they called The holding by the straw which was first changed into Leases for three Lives during the late Civil Wars thereby to augment the Lord's Revenues the Tenants being then obliged to pay yearly a quit-rent and a fine at renewing The Kings of this Island have at different times been tributaries both to the Kings of England Scotland and Norway and were obliged in token of their subjection to these States to pay a certain Homage at the Coronation of any of the Princes of these Kingdoms They have made many wars in attempts to enlarge their Dominions beyond the Confines of this little Island not only in Venedotia against the King of North-wales especially in Anglesey but also in Ireland where Godred Cron. of Man An. â—147 son to Olave King of Man was crowned King of Dublin and subdued a great part of Leinster but left it not to his successors Likewise for some years by the favour and aid of Magnus King of Norway they had under their subjection some if not all the Islands on the West part of Scotland Hollinsh â— 293. which are called Hebrides and upon this account stiled themselves Kings of Man and of the Islands But Alexander King of Scotland An. 1266. not only recovered these Islands but reduced the Isle of Man it self to his subjection and placed
that the Ministers read the Scriptures to the people in the Manks language out of the English There have been three Monasteries Thâ— Monasteries in this Isle the chief of which was the Monastery of Russin in Castle-town the common burying-place of the King 's of Man which by the Ruines thereof appears to have been a goodly Fabrick There was also the Priory of Douglas and a house of the Friers Minors at Brinnaken Besides these Monasteries there were several others without the Kingdom upon which the Kings of this Isle conferred titles or lands within the Island as the Priory of St. Bees or de Sancta Bega in Cumberland upon the Abbey of Whittern or Candida Casa in Galloway of Scotland and upon the Abbey of Banchor in Ireland For this cause the Prior and Abbots of these houses were Barons of Man and were obliged to give their attendance as such upon the Kings and Lords thereof when required Mr. Camden's error touching the Bishoprick of Man As to the Bishoprick of Man Mr. Camden saith That it was founded by Pope Gregory the fourth about the year 140. and that the Bishop thereof was named Sodorensis from a little Island near Castletown in the Isle of Man where the Episcopal See was instituted This error of Mr. Camden's is confuted by the authority not only of the Irish and Manks Tradition concerning their first conversion to Christianity but likewise of all the Historians that have wrote the life of St. Patrick who is generally believed to have converted that Island to Christianity They affirm * â—osâ—â—lin vita Pat. c. 92. that St. Patrick having converted the Island about the year 447. left one Germanus Bishop thereof and after his death consecrated two other Bishops to succeed him whose names were Conindrius and Romulus fellow-Bishops and to them succeeded one St. Maughald This is confirmed by the testimony of the learned Antiquary Bishop Usher a Usser antiâ— Br. c. 6. p. 644. Besides these four there is another Bishop of Man mentioned by Boethius b Boeth Hist â—cot p 114. and Hollinshead c Hollâ—sh p. 144. whose name was Conanus and who had been Tutor to Eugenius the fifth King of Scotland who began to reign An. Dom. 684. which was above 130 years before Gregory the fourth sate in St. Peter's Chair So that this Bishoprick appears to be near 4â—0 years of greater antiquity than Mr. Camden makes it These Bishops above named were called Bishops of Man only and not Bishops of Sodor for that Bishoprick was not founded till near 400 years after and the Bishops of Man were never called Bishops of Sodor till after the union of the two Bishopricks Sodor and Man Mr. Camden's mistake may proceed from confounding the Bishopricks of Sodor and Man making them one and the same whereas they were quite distinct The Bishoprick of Sodor was indeed first instituted by Pope Gregory the fourth about the time that Mr. Camden places the foundation of the Bishoprick of Man But it is placed in the Isle Jona or St. Columb's Isle corruptly called Colm-kill a little Island among the Hebrides belonging to Scotland This new erected title of Sodor the Bishops of the Western Isles possessed solely until the year 1098. that King Magnus of Norway conquering the Western Isles and the Island of Man united the two Bishopricks of Sodor and Man which continued so united for the space of 235 years till the English were fully possessed of the Isle of Man in 1333. During this union the Bishops always stiled themselves Bishops of Sodor and Man but before the uniting of the Bishopricks the Bishops of Man were never stiled Bishops of Sodor The Bishops The Bishop of Man were heretofore looked upon as Barons and were always to assist at the Inauguration of a new King or Lord of Man and there to pay their homage to him for the temporalities they enjoyed The Bishop hath his own particular Court where the Deemsters of the Island sit Judges The Bishop himself hath no hand in the assessment of the fines in his own Court yet has he all the fines and perquisites after they are assessed by the Deemsters and other Officers of the Lord's that are present This particular Privilege the Bishop of Man has at this day That if any of his tenants do commit Felony and be brought to the Bar of the Court of the Gaol-delivery with the rest of the Felons before rhe Governor and Deemster the Bishop's Steward may demand the Prisoner from the Bar and he shall have him delivered to be tried at the Bishop's Court. The forfeitures of Lands of any Delinquent holding of the Bishop do belong to him but the Delinquent's goods and person are at the Lord's disposal The Abbots of this Island were allowed the like privileges The Bishop of Man keeps his residence in the village called Bal-Curi The Bishoprick is under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of York During the Norwegian Conquest they were under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan of Norway which is Drontheim When the Bishoprick falls void the Lord of the Island names a Bishop and presents him to the King of England for his Royal Assent and then to the Archbishop of York for his Consecration This Bishop has no voice in the upper house of Parliament but is allowed to sit uppermost in the lower house of Convocation in England The Clergy The Clergy here are generally natives and have had their whole education in the Island They are not any ways taxed with ignorance or debauchery they have all a competent maintenance at least 50 or 60 pounds a year The Ministers who are Natives have always the addition of Sir unless they be Parsons of the Parishes which are but few most of the Parsonages being impropriated to the Lord of the Isle or the Bishop As thus Sir Thomas Parr Minister of Kirk-Malew But if they have the title of Parson then they are only called Mr. as Mr. Robert Parr Parson of St. Mary of Ballaugh * The end of the Additiâ—ns to the Isle of Man FRom Man as far as the Mull of Galloway or the Promontory of the Novantes we meet with none but small and inconsiderable Islands but after we are past that in the Frith of Glotta or Dunbritton-Frith we come to the Isle Glotta The Isle Gâ—oâ—ta mentioned in Antoninus called by the Scots at this day Arran whence the Earls of Arran A ran in that Country take their title And then to a neighbouring Island formerly called Rothesia now Buthe so denominated from a Cell which Brendan built in it for so the word signifies in Scotch After these we arrive at Hellan heretofore Hellan-Leneow that is as Fordon explains the word an Isle of Saints and Hellan Tinoc an Isle of Swine all visible in the same Frith Pag. 913. But of these we have said enough already Beyond this aestuary lye a cluster of Isles which the Scotch inhabitants call Inch-Gall
he ordained six Boys who were to be Taper-bearers and to sing the responsories and verses in the Quire as they were to be ordered by the Chanter Of which six Boys one was to be nominated and maintained by the Bishop The second by the Prebend of St. Magnus The third by the Prebend of St. John The fourth by the Prebend of St. Lawrence The fifth by the Prebend of St. Catharine The sixth by the Prebend of St. Duthas And every one of them besides their mainteinance was to have twenty shillings Scotch a year Moreover to every one of the aforesaid Dignities Canons and Prebends he assigned certain lands in Kirkwall for their Mansions The Charter of this erection is dated at Kirkwall October the 28th Anno 1544. And in the following year it was confirmed by another Charter granted by David Beaton Cardinal of St. Stephen in mount Celio Presbyter of the Church of Rome and Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews having authority so to do It is dated at Sterling the last of June and the eleventh year of Pope Paul the third and confirmed by Queen Mary at Edenburgh the last of April Anno Regni 13. In this condition the Church continued as long as Popery stood but the Reformation coming in and Robert Stewart Earl of Orkney having obtained the Bishoprick from Bishop Bothwel by the exchange of the Abbey of Holy Rood-House became sole Lord of the Country whereupon it came to pass that he and his son Earl Patrick who succeeded him did in the Church as they pleased At last James Law being made Bishop of Orkney and the Earldom united to the Crown by the death and forfeiture of the aforesaid Patrick Stewart He with the consent of his Chapter made this contract with King James the sixth of blessed memory In which they resigned to the King and his successors all their Ecclesiastical lands and possessions with all rights and securities belonging thereto to be incorporated and united to the Crown especially such as should be thought necessary to be united to it And the King gives back and dispones to the Bishop several Lands in the Parishes of Ham Orphir Stromness Sandwick Shapensha Waes Hoy St. Ola and of Evie Burra and Flotta to be a patrimony to the Bishop and his successors for ever disponing moreover to him and his successors the right of patronage to present to all the Vicaridges of Orkney and Zetland with power to present qualified Ministers as oft as any Kirk should be vacant Disponing also to them the heritable and perpetual right and jurisdiction of Sheriffship and Bailiffry within the Bishoprick and Patrimony thereof exempting the Inhabitants and Vassals of the Bishoprick in all causes civil and criminal from the jurisdiction of the Sheriffs and Stewards of the Earldom As also he disponed to the Bishop and hiâ— successors the Commissariot of Orkney and Zetland with power to constitute and ordain Commissaries Clerks and other members of Court. In which contract it was moreover agreed that the Minister of South-Ronalsha Dean the Minister of Birsa Arch-Deacon the Minister of Lady-Kirk in Sanda Chancellor the Minister of Stronsa Treasurer and the Parson of Westra should be a sufficient Chapter And that their consents should be as available for any deed to be done by the Bishops of Orkney as the fullest Chapter of any Cathedral Kirk within the Kingdom This Contract was made Anno 1614 And in the year following by an Act dated at Edinburgh the 22th of November the several Dignities and Ministers both in the Bishoprick and Earldom were provided to particular maintainances besides what they were in possession of before payable by the King and Bishop to the Minister in their several bounds respective And as it was agreed upon in that contract and determined by that Act so are the Ministers provided at this present Mr. Wallace's Account of the first Planters of Orkney This has been the ancient condition of the Church in these parts After the Ecclesiastical the Civil State comes to be consider'd viz. the first Planters and ancient Possessors and as a consequence of that the several remains of Antiquity which can be produced at this day Of all which the same Author will best inform you in his own words The first Planters and Possessors of this Country were certainly the Picts as the generality of our Historians do affirm who moreover call Orkney Antiquum Pictorum regnum the ancient Kingdom of the Picts There being yet in this Countrey several strange antick Houses many of which are overgrown with Earth which are still called Picts Houses and the Firth that runs between this and Caithness is still from them called Pictland Firth i.e. the Firth that runs by the Lands of the Picts Though Buchanan to establish his Opinion would rather have it called Fretum penthlandicum from Penthus a man of his own making These verses of the Poet Claudian Maduerunt Saxone fuso Orcades incaluit pictorum sanguine Thule The Orkney Isles with Saxon Blood were wet And Thule with the Pictish gore did sweat Do evidently prove that the Picts with some other Colony of the German Nation particularly the Saxons at that time were the Possessors and Inhabitants of these Northern Isles Moreover to this day many of the Inhabitants use the Norse or Old Gothick Language which is not much different from the Old Teutonick or the Language which the Picts used Besides the Sirnames of the ancient Inhabitants are of a German Original for the Seaters are so called from Seater one of the old German Idols which they worshipped for Saturn The Taits from Twitsh i.e. the Dutch who got that name from Twisco the son of Noe and Tythea the famous progenitors of the Germans The Keldas from the ancient Culdees or Keldeis as Spotswood thinks who were the ancient Priests or Ministers of the Christian Religion among the Picts so called because they lived in Cells The Baikies from some small running water which in the Teutonick is called a Baikie So the names that end in Stane as Hourstane Corstane Yorstane Beistane c. which is a Pictish or Teutonick termination of Sirname signifying the superlative degree of comparison and many more might be added if it were needful to shew that the Pictish Blood is as yet in this Countrey and that the People were the first Possessors of it These Picts as is generally acknowledged were of a German descent coming at first from that part of Germany that borders on the Baltick Sea where at present are the Dukedoms of Meckleburgh and Pomerania They were so called because they were notable Warriours and fighters their true name as Verstegan informs us being Phightian that is Phghiters or Fighters They are by the Romans called Picti though some Writers call them Pictavi and might have been so called by them either from some resemblance to that name of Phightian that they took to themselves or from their singular beauty and comely form as if they had been painted people and
side there is an ancient fort and a dwelling house built at the charge of the Chamberlans for the fee farm of the Isle was granted by Queen Elizabeth to G. Chamberlane son to Sir Leonard Chamberlane of Sâ—â—rburne in Oxfordshire when he recovered it from the French And under this fort the sand with violent drifts from the Northwest overlaid the land so that now it serveth thereabout most for comes is hardly seven miles from the promontory Le Hague in Normandy and about eight miles in compass The soil is rich and produces both grass and corn very well The Island contains one church and about eighty houses I need hardly take notice of a gyants tooth found here The Gyâ—â—â—oorth 〈◊〉 civ 〈◊〉 l. 15. 〈◊〉 9. which was full as big as a mans fist since St. Austin says he has seen one so large that it might be cut into a hundred teeth as big as any ordinary mans From hence there runs a ridge of high rocks for some way to the westward which 3 Which have their several Eddies and therefore are dreaded c. are dreaded by the mariners who call them the Quasquettes 4 Out of one of the which properly named Casquet there gusheth a most sweet spring of frâ—sh water to the great comfort of the Island fishermen beating up and down hereabout At these to remember incidently that the memory of a well-deserving Patriot may not perish the fleet which John Philipot Citizen of London set forth and manned at his own private charges had a glorious victory over a rabble of Pirates who impeached all traffick taking their Captain and fifteen Spanish ships that consorted with them Which worthy man also maintained 1020 Soldiers at his own pay for the defence of the Realm against the French who sore infested the southern coast in the beginning of the reign of King Richard the second to omit his great loans to the King and other good and laudable offices to his country Under these southward lies Caesarea Câ—sarea mentioned by Antoninus hardly twelve miles distant which the French havve contracted in pronouncing just as they have done Caesaris Burgus in Normandy and as the Spaniards Caesaraugusta in Spain for they call it Gearzey â—â—â—rsey as they do Cherburgh for Caesaris Burgum and as Saragosa is generally spoke for Caesaraugusta Gregorius Turonensis call it Insula Maris quod Constantiae civitati adjacet i.e. the Island of the sea that lyeth to the City Constantia and tells us how Praetextatus Bishop of Roan was confined here Thus Papirius Massonius calls it Insula littoris Constantini because it lies over-against Constantia an old City which seems to be called in Ammianus Castra Constantia â—â—â—ra â—onstanâ—â—â—oritoâ—um and in former ages Moritonium for Robertus Montensis writes thus Comes Moritonii id est Constantiarum unless this be the gloss of the Librarian for Moritonium or Mortaigne as it is now call'd is more remote from the sea This Island is about thirty miles in compass and defended with rocks and quicksands which are shallow places dangerous for such as sail that way The soil is fertil so that the Isle has great plenty of fruit and good stocks of cattle and sheep many whereof carry b They have six horns three on each side one bent towards the nose another towards the neck and the third standing upright between the other two but these now are become very rare four horns The air is very wholesom the Inhabitants are subject to no distempers but * Agues Fevers and those in the month of September which therefore they call Settembers for this reason there are no Physitians to be found among them The Island affords very little fewel and therefore they use a sea-weed instead of wood which they term Uraic Uraic and which is supposed to be Pliny's Fucus marinus Fuâ—us Mâ—rinus produced very plentifully in rocks and craggy Islands This being dried in the sun serves for fire and after it is burnt the ashes is as good as marle or dung for manuring the fields and fallows and does as much enrich them But they are not to gather this but in the spring and in the summer and then only on certain days appointed by the Magistrate And at the times allowed they repair with their Cars to the shore or in boats to the neighbouring rocks with great joy and readiness However the poor people are permitted to take up all that the sea casts up of it for their own uses The midland part of this Isle is somewhat high and mountainous but the valleys under these hills are finely watered with brooks and very pleasant being planted with fruit-trees but apple-trees especially of which they make Cyder The villages stand thick and make in all twelve parishes which have the advantage of many fine creeks for ships the securest of which is that on the south-side of the Island S Hilarius between the towns of S. Hilary and S. Albans which harbour has also a little Isle belonging to it and therein a garison that cuts off all manner of access S. Hilary Bishop of Poictiers that was banished hither is said to be buried here For the town which is dedicated to his name lies just over-against the Island and is reckoned the chief both because of its trade and market and also upon the account of a Court of Justice which is fixed here On the east-side where it looks towards the City Constantia over-against it stands a very strong castle situated upon a steep rock called by the proud name of Mont-Orgueil repaired by Henry the 5th Mont Oâ—gue◠〈◊〉 iâ— to say A p oud thiâ—â— and commanded by the Governor of the Isle who was formerly stil'd The Keeper of the Isle and in Henry the 3d's time had a yearly Salary of 200 l. On the south but at greater distance lies S. Malo which takes this new name from Maclovius a man of great piety being formerly called the city Diablintum and Aletum Aletum in the old Notitia for in a Manuscript of Isiodorus Mercator it is expressly read Civitas Diablintum quae alio nomine Aletum i e The City Diablintum otherwise called Aletum The people apply themselves to fishing but especially to Agriculture The women make great gain by knitting hose which they call Gersey Stockes As for the State and Polity of this Isle whoever the King of England sends to govern it is the supream Magistrate He substitutes a Bailiff who with twelve Jurors chosen out of each parish by their respective parishioners to sit and assist him has the trial of pleas In capital causes he 's to have seven of these assessors with him in civil three only c A very particular account of the Island of Jersey is lately publish'd by Mr. Philip Falle Rector of S. Saviour in that Island Twenty miles north west of this lies another Island which Antoninus calls Sarnia Sarnia and we
century and tithing or if he could not should expect the severity of the laws But if any one standing thus accused should make his escape either before or after the bail was given that whole Hundred and Tithing was liable to be fined by the King By this project he settled peace in the Kingdom so that even upon the high-roads where four ways met he commanded golden bracelets to be hung up which might expose the avarice of travellers whil'st there was none durst venture to take them away Wappentacks Tithings and Laths These Centuries are in some parts of the Kingdom called Wappentaches if you desire to know the reason I will give it you out of Edward the Confessor's Laws When any one received the government of a Wappentach on a set day and in the place where the meeting used to be held all the elder sort met him and when he was got off his horse rose up to him Then he held up his spear and took security of all there according to custom for whoever came touched his spear with theirs and this touching of armour confirmed them in one common interest and was a publick league In English arms are called wepun and taccare is to confirm as if this were a confirmation of weapons or to speak more agreeably to the English tongue b See Sir Henry Spelman's Glossary under the word Wapentachium Wepentac is a touching of armour for wepun signifies armour and tac is touching There were also other Jurisdictions above those of Wapentaches which they called Ãrihingas including the third part of the Province and those who were Lords over them were termed Ãrihingerefas To these were appeals made in such causes as could not be determined in the Wapentaches So that what the English named a Hundred these called a Wapentach and what was in English three or four hundreds they called c Of which the Ridings in Yorkshire are a corruption Ãrihinge But in some Provinces what they called Trihing was in English term'd Lew and what could not be determined in the Ãrihinge was carried into the Shire These Counties which if you would express in proper Latin Shirâ— may be term'd either Conventus or Pagi we call by the peculiar name of Shyres from the Saxon word Scyre signifying to branch and divide By the first division there were only 32. for in the year 1016. in the Reign of Aethelred Malmsbury assures us there were no more In the life of Aethelred he writes thus At this time the Danes invaded 16 Counties whereas there are but 32 in all England And in those days these Counties were divided according to the variety of the laws Div'faâ— Englaâ—â— acc râ—â—â— to Laâ— For the Laws of England were threefold those of the West-Saxons called West-saxenlage those of the Danes called Denelage and those of the Mercians called Merchenlage Under the West-Saxon-Law were comprehended nine Counties Kent Sussex Surrey Berkshire Hamshire Wiltshire Somersetshire Dorsetshire and Devâ—â—shire To the Dane-Laws belonged fifteen Counties Yorkshire Derbyshire Nottinghamshire Leicestershire Lincolnshire Northamptonshire Bedfordshire Buckinghamshire Hertfordshire Essex Middlesex Norfolk Suffolk Cambridgeshire Huntingdonshire The other eight were judged after the Mercian-Law Lib. â— S. Eâ—â— di those were Glocestershire Worcestershire Herefordshire Warwickshire Oxfordshire Cheshire Shropshire and Staffordshire But when William the first made his Survey of this Kingdom Domâ— book there were reckoned 36 Counties as the Polychronicon tells us But the publick records wherein he registred that Survey reckon up no more than 34. For Durham Lancashire Northumberland Westmorland and Cumberland did not come into the number the three last as some wouâ—d have it being then under the Scots and the other two either exempt from taxes or included under Yorkshire But all these being afterwards added to the number made it as it is to this day 39. Besides which there are 13 moâ—e in Wales d But thâ— Statute of 34 and 35 of Hen. 8. Cap. 26. tells us That eight Shires were of ancient and long time to wit those of Glemorgaâ— Caeâ—mâ— then Pembroke Cardigan Flint Caernarvon Anglesey and Merioneth and other foâ—r were made by the Statute of 27 Hen 8. Cap. 26. beâ—des Monmouthshire namely Radnor Brecknock Montgomery and Denbigh So that in Edward's time there seem to have been eight whereof six were in Edward the first 's time Wal◠〈…〉 Câ—â—â— the rest Henry the eighth settled by Act of Parliament In each of these Counties in troublesome times especially there is appointed a Deputy under the King by the name of Lieutenant who is to take care that the State suffer no damage The first institution hereof seems to be fetch'd from King Alfred who settled in every County the Custodes regni or keepers of the kingdom These afterward were restored by Henry the third under the title of Capitanei For in the fiftieth year of his Reign he as John of London has it held a Parliament wherein this wholsome Law was enacted That in every County there should be one Capâ—nâ—â—â— Captain maintained by the King who by the assistance of the Sheriff should restrain the insolence of robbers Upon which many were so affrighted that they left that trade and the Royal power began to revive This was wisely enough ordered but whether Canutus the Dane when he made a Tetrarchy in a Monarchy 89 〈◊〉 Wâ—â— did not act more prudently let our Politicians determine For he as Hermand the Archdeacon says being an exceeding sagacious man so contriv'd the government of the Kingdom He 〈…〉 that it should fall under Tetrarchs such as he had found faithful to him The government of the West-Saxons which was the greatest he took to himself â—rcha Mercia the second part he committed to one Edrick the third called Northumbre to Yrtus and Earl Turkille had the fourth i.e. East Anglia a very plentiful country This account I owe to the diligence of Fr. Thinne who hath prosecuted this study of Antiquities with great honour and particularly communicated this to me 〈◊〉 of Shire But every year some one inhabitant of the Lesser Nobility is set over the County and stil'd Vice-Comes i.e. a deputy of the Comes or Earl and in our language he is called Shiriff i.e. one set over the County and may very well be term'd the Quaestor of the County or Province For 't is his business to get up the publick revenues of the County to gather into the Exchequer all Fines even by destraining to attend the Judges and to execute their orders to empannel twelve men â—â—elve 〈◊〉 who are to judge of matters of fact and bring in their Verdict to the Judges who are with us only Judges of law and not of fact to take care that such as are condemned be duly executed and to give judgment in petty causes There are also in every County certain Eirenarchae or Justices of the Peace settled by King Edward III. and those