has Copy'd from the foremention'd Survey nor is De Laun's pretended Present State of the City much different from what we have there Indeed several new Discoveries and Observations touching its mighty growth and number of its Inhabitants proving that they are more than in Rome Paris and Roan that they are above 696000 People c. have been advanc'd in some Essays in Political Arithmetick by one of the most eminent Mathematicians and Virtuoso's of this Age Sir William Petty who was also the chief Director and Author of a piece publish'd sometime before by one John Graunt and Entitul'd Natural and political Observations on the Bills of Mortality in London The dreadful Fire which hapned in this famous City in the Year 1666. will for ever remain one of its chief Epoche's and of this we have two Historical Narratives One according to the Reports made to a Committee in Parliament and another publish'd by Edward Waterhouse The Epitaphs of our Kings Princes and Nobles that lie bury'd in the Abbey-Church at Westminster were first Collected by John Skelton a famous Poet who for making too bold with Cardinal Woolsey in some of his Satyrs ended his days miserably within the Precincts of the Asylum of that Church A. D. 1529. These were afterwards enlarg'd by Camden and compleated by H. Keep under the name of Monumenta Westmonasteriensia The Monuments of St. Paul's the Cathedral of this Diocese will be treated on elsewhere NORFOLK The Pen was long since drawn in defence of this County by one Iohn de S. Omero or Saintemer a Norfolk-man and Student in Cambridge about the Year 1219. when a certain Monk of Peterborough taking upon him to libel the Inhabitants of that Country in Latin Doggrel was answer'd in his own way by this John The Epitaphs here with some other Antiquities were collected by J. Weever who referrs us for further satisfaction to Sir Hen. Spelman's Iceni which we impatiently hope to see publish'd by Mr. Gibson Something relating to the Natural History of Norfolk may be had from Sir William Dugdale's Imbanking and in a little Treatise entituled Mercurius Centralis or a Discourse of Subterranean Cockle Muscle and Oyster-shells found in digging a Well at Sir William Doylie's in this County 'T is a Letter from one Tho. Lawrence M. A. to Sir Thomas Brown To which may be added the already mention'd Relation of the Damages done by a Tempest on the Coasts of this County and Lincolnshire The City of Norwich was describ'd by Alexander Nevil whose Book is quoted by Sir Henry Spelman We have Sir Tho. Brown's Vrn-Burial or a Discourse of Sepulchral Urns lately found in Norfolk and we expect his Repertorium or an account of the Tombs and Monuments in the Cathedral Church of Norwich It has been promis'd and I know not what occasion Sir Thomas has ever given any body to suspect that ought of his penning should rather fear than deserve an Edition The late Publisher of Camden makes Tho. Fuller the Reporter of Dr. Caius's having written the Antiquities of Norwich but I suspect there 's some mistake in that matter since Fuller in the place where he should especially have noted such a thing says nothing of it Nash's Account of the growth of great Yarmouth the History of the burning of East Derham and Sir R. W.'s Norfolk Furies may possibly contribute some small helps towards the Illustration of the Antiquities of these Parts but seem to be of too great or too little Age to be very valuable NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Will. Vincent Windsor-Herald collected some materials for a Survey and the Antiquities of this County which were lately in the possession of Mr. Wood. He frequently quotes Fran. Tate's Nomina Hydarum in Com. Northampton The State of the Town of Northampton from the beginning of the Fire Sept. 20. 1675. to Nov. 5. following was publish'd in a Letter to a Friend and we had its Fall and Funeral first in a Latin Elegy and afterwards with some Variations and Additions in English NORTHVMBERLAND John Pits says That the Genealogies of the Earls of Northumberland were drawn up by one Tho. Otterburn a Franciscan Friar about the Year 1411 and that John Currar he knows not when drew up a List of Seventy Eight Castles in this County with the Pedigrees of their several Owners These are Uncertainties But we know that Sir Robert Shaftoe and Mr. Clavering both now living have really made large Progresses in its Antiquities and we hope they will be so just to the Publick and themselves as shortly to communicate ' em The Town of Berwick with some other places of Note in this County are describ'd in a MS. in the Earl of Carlisle's Library at Noward But Newcastle still wants a just Description and History For Grey's Chorographical Survey comes short of its present Glory and the Anonymous Author of England's Grievances in Relation to the Coal-Trade c. is too much confin'd in his Subject to answer the Expectations of a Curious Reader NOTTINGHAMSHIRE's Antiquities were first attempted by Serjeant Boun who only transcrib'd what related to this County out of Dooms-day adding some short Notes at every Town This was compleated into a fair Work by his Son-in-law R. Thoroton M. D. at the instance of Sir William Dugdale He owns 't is capable of Improvements out of the Archbishop of York's Registry and other Records in private Hands which he had not an opportunity of consulting But the Work as it is shews a good Industry in its Author who being a Physician of eminent Practice had a free access to the Evidences of most of the considerable Families The Author had not the Curiosity to intermix any Observations relating to the British Roman and Saxon Antiquities writing only after the printed Copy of Mr. Burton's Leicestershire OXFORDSHIRE Vast Collections relating to the Antiquities of this County were made by Randal Catherall who dy'd A. D. 1625. and were sometime in the Custody of Bishop Sanderson But upon the strictest Enquiry that could be made after 'em they are not now to be found Dr. Plot 's Natural History of Oxfordshire was the first Essay made in that kind by its excellent Author who has made us acquainted with so many Physical Discoveries as well as notable Improvements in Trade and Manufactures that the Work has met with an Universal Applause And as this County had the happiness to have its Natural History set by that worthy Person as a Pattern to the rest of the Kingdom so it now affords a new Example of having some of its Parochial Antiquities consider'd in the History of Ambrosden Burcester and other adjacent Towns and Villages by a very Learned Antiquary Mr. White Kennet Some of the Annals of the City of Oxford seem to be drawn up in their Red Book which is quoted by
whole Work In the same place the Hannow Edition is blam'd for omitting Parker's own Life which perhaps was no fault in those that had the care of it There were only a few Copies of the First Edition such as were design'd for public Libraries and the accomodation of a few choise Friends that had the 29 Pages which make up that Life so that 't was not to be expected that the Foreign Publishers should Print it otherwise than as 't was commonly sold by our English Booksellers Mr. Wharton every where gives this Writer more respect than any other he 's pleased to cite and yet he observes a great many of his mistakes and I do not doubt but any skilful Antiquarie will easily take notice of many and many more So imperfect will always be the most compleat Works of any single Man CARLILE This remote and small Diocese has been heretofore so much expos'd to the continual Incursions of the Scots before the Kingdoms were happily united in King James the First that there are not many of it's ancient Records any where now to be had The only pieces of Antiquity in the Bishops possession are two Register Books of four successive Prelates Halton Rosse Kirkby and Welton and these will furnish us with little more than the History of one Century The Records of the Dean and Chapter go not much higher than their new Denomination given them by Henry the Eighth and are very broken and imperfect since that Epoche Out of these and what other helps could be had from some Neighbouring and Distant Libraries Dr. Hugh Todd Prebendary of this Church has made a Volume of Collections which is lately placed in the Dean and Chapter 's Library under the Title of An History of the Diocese of Carlile containing an Account of the Parishes Abbies Nunneries Churches Monuments Epitaphs Coats of Arms Founders Benefactors c. with a perfect Catalogue of the Bishops Priors Deans Chancellours Arch-deacons Prebendaries and of all Rectors and Vicars of the several Parishes in the said Diocese My worthy Brother hopes that the Additions which will hereafter be made to this Work will at last make it answer its Title and I heartily wish I could do so too But to me the prospect is so discouraging that I know not which way to look for such Helps as would be necessary for the compleating of so full and ample an Account of our Church and Diocess Our Sufferings in the days of Rapine and Rebellion equal'd or exceeded those of any other Cathedral of England and after our Chapter-House and Treasury had been turn'd into a Magazine for the Garrison and our very Charter sold to make a Taylor 's Measures it can hardly be expected that so many of our Records will ever be retriev'd as are requisite to finish out such a History CHESTER being another of King Henry the Eighth's Foundations cannot have any great stock of Records Some notice may possibly be taken of its most early Times by Mr. Vrmston who wrote an Account of the State of Religion in Lancashire part of this Diocess in the beginning of King James the First 's Reign CHICHESTER Most of the antient Records of this Church were squander'd and lost upon the City's being taken and plunder'd by Sir William Waller in our late Civil Wars and after the Restauration they never recover'd more than three Books belonging to the Chapter and a Register or two of the Bishops These do not reach above 230 Years backwards so that the prime Antiquities of this See before the Episcopal Throne was removed from Selsey to this Place and for some Ages afterwards are either wholly lost or in such private Hands as have hitherto very injuriously detain'd them from their right Owners 'Till a Restitution is made we must content our selves with such poor Fragments as Bede Malmesbury and others will afford us of the first Foundation of the Diocess by our Nothern Saint Wilfrid who with his Successors in the same Order that Godwine has given them stands yet pictur'd on the backside of the Quire Here are the chief Remains of their History as far as they are now to be had within the Verge of their own Cathedral to which if more shall be added by such Foreigners as are Masters of their dispersed Records 't will be a very gratefull as well as just service to the present Members of that Church St. DAVID'S We have already noted the Disputes there are about Abbot Dinoth's Remonstrance against the pretensions of Augustine the Monk and we are told that he did not only leave behind him his thoughts of that Matter in the foremention'd Protestation but that he also wrote another Treatise entitl'd Defensorinm Jurisdictionis Sedis Menevensis Bishop Godwine quotes a Catalogue of the Bishops of St. David's not taken notice of either by Gyraldus or the Annales Menevenses which he says is in the Archives of that Church There 's also an Anonymous Manuscript in the Library at Magdalen College in Oxford which treats de Gestis Ritibus Cler ' Cambrensis and may probably afford some discoveries of the ancient State of this Diocess DVRHAM The first Collecter of the History and Antiquities of this Ancient and Noble Church was Turgot who was Prior Arch-deacon and Vicar General of that Diocess He was afterwards Bishop of St. David's But upon the death of Queen Margaret return'd to Durham where he dy'd A. D. 1115. and lyes bury'd in the Chapter-House His Book bears the Title De Exordio progressu Ecclesiae Dunelmensis that is from K. Oswald's Time to the Year 1097. This was transcrib'd by Sim. Dunelm mention'd in the former part of this Work who also continu'd it to the Year 1129. from whence it has been drawn downwards by Jeoffery de Coldingham R. de Greystanes c. There are still some latent Manuscript Histories of this Church which if discover'd would undoubtedly supply a great many defects in those that are already publish'd Prior Laurence who dy'd in the Year 1154. wrote a Treatise in Meeter De Civitate Episcopatu Dunelmensi There are several MS. Tracts of that Author's Composure in the Libraries at Lambeth Durham and elsewhere and yet we cannot hitherto learn where this is to be had Tho. Rudburn in the very heart of his Historia Major has a large History of the Bishops of this See from the first Foundation at Lindisfarn to the Year 1083. which tho' mostly taken out of Turgot and Simeon has some remarkable passages never yet Printed John Wessington who dy'd Prior of Durham A. D. 1446. wrote a Book De Juribus Possessionibus Ecclesiae Dunelmensis wherein amongst other choice Matters 't is prov'd that the Priors of that Church were always invested with the Dignity and Priviledges of Abbots Sir H. Spelman quotes some Synodical or rather Consistorial Constitutions made by Bishop Lewis in the
Lambeth was by this Gentleman I should have been able to have enlarg'd this Collection to a much greater bulk whereas for want of such Discoveries some hundreds of Volumes may possibly escape me Sir John Cotton's at VVestminster collected by his Grandfather Sir Robert has heretofore been justly esteem'd to contain more Helps for the composure of a General History of England than all the other Libraries of the Kingdom put together being not only plentifully stock'd with Manuscript Historians Original Grants Patents c. but also abundantly furnish'd with our old Roman British Saxon and Norman Coins Tho-James first publish'd a Catalogue of the MSS. in the Publick Library at Cambridge and of the Private College-Libraries in Oxford out of which last he is reported to have borrow'd several Volumes never hitherto restor'd to their proper Owners Afterwards he did the like for Bodley's which the Reader ought to know has been wonderfully improv'd since that time by the many large Additions that have been made to it chiefly in Manuscripts by Archbishop Laud the Lord Hatton Mr. Selden's and Mr. Junius's Executors c. To which the Musaeum Ashmoleanum makes now a most Noble Appendix as being richly fraught with an excellent Collection of Manuscripts and Coins as well as other Rarities in Art and Nature made by that worthy Person whose Name it deservedly bears Some part of the great Treasure here reposited has been already discover'd to us by Mr. Gibson who has publish'd a Catalogue of Sir VVilliam Dugdale 's Books and we hope the like good Office will be done for Mr. Ashmole by another learned hand Dr. Hickes's Catalogue of such MSS. as relate to the Saxon and Danish Times is the most complete we have in its kind and Mr. Gibson's Account of Tennison's Library founded by His Grace the present Archbishop of Canterbury at St. Martin's in the Fields is highly beneficial and obliging But all these are small shreds and scantlings if compar'd with the Voluminous work of Dr. Bernard who threatens to give us an entire List of all the Manuscripts of this Kingdom of all kinds that either our Publick or Private Libraries will afford 'T is a very Noble and Generous Vndertaking Only a little more caution I think should be observ'd by him in carefully perusing the Catalogues that are sent from some of the most distant Counties especially where the Authority rely'd on for the Truth of the Copies is not very good and staunch Otherwise 't is possible the Reader may be sent some hundreds of Miles to enquire after a Book that has not appear'd in the place referr'd to at any time since the Restoration of King Charles the Second This I am very sure is the Case with some of the Northern Libraries whose Catalogues as he has Printed them were either drawn thirty years ago or else are Prophetically calculated for about thirty years hence Of this latter kind is that of a certain Cathedral Church which neither is nor ever was furnish'd with any one single Manuscript of the several in all Volumes which 't is there said to contain I have some cause to fear that I shall never live to see such Books in that Library as are there mention'd and I am also afraid that most of 'em if they have any being at all are of that modest complexion which becomes a private retirement better than an appearance in publick The Doctor 's Project is certainly very commendable and deserves encouragement and the utmost Assistance that Men of Learning and Acquaintance with Books can give it But then They that pretend to put a helping hand to the Work should be sure to do it effectually They should be scrupulously nice in their Informations take nothing upon Trust and Hear-say send no Transcripts of ancient heretofore Catalogues instead of such as give the present State of their Libraries view the Books themselves be sure they are already in the Classes referr'd to and not only in some distant and uncertain promise c. By these means we might truly discover the dormant Riches of the Nation and the câ—rious might with good assurance apply to such Persons as were undoubtedly able to Answer their Hopes Till these vast Designs are perfected we cannot hope for a full and exact Index of all those Historians that have escaped the common Destruction in the Dissolution of Abbeys and the Outrages of our Civil Wars And 't will be enough for a Man that lives in such an obscure corner of the Earth as my Lot is fallen into to point at the Times wherein the greatest part of 'em flourish'd how they were qualify'd for their several Vndertakings and how well or ill they have acquitted themselves in their Performances This I shall endeavour to do in a Method which I hope the Reader will think Natural enough as agreeing with me that our General Historian ought to enquire for 1. Geographical Chorographical and Topographical Writers of this Nation such as give an Account of its chief Remarkables in Nature Arts and Antiquities And that either 1. In Generaâ— Chap. 1. 2. In Particular Counties Cities and Great Towns Ch. 2. 2. Chronicles and Annals Which are either 1. General Relating to the Times 1. Of the Britains and Romans Chap. 3. 2. Of the Saxons and Danes Ch. 4. 3. Since the Conquest Ch. 5. 2. Particular Lives of our several Kings down from William the Conqueror Ch. 6. 3. Ecclesiastical Historians 1. General As 1. From the first Establishment of Christianity to the Reign of Henry VIII Chap. 7. 2. Since the Reformation Ch. 8. 2. Particular As to the several 1. Bishopricks Ch. 9. 2. Monasteries Ch. 10. 3. Vniversities Ch. 11. 4. Law-Books Records and Papers of State Ch. 12. 5. Biographers Writers of the Lives of our English 1. Saints Ch. 13. 2. Eminent Churchmen and Statesman Ch. 14. 3. Writers Ch. 15. I have not the vanity to imagine that I shall ever be able to run through all these Chapters without being guilty of a deal of very gross Mistakes and therefore I expect to hear of a large Muster-Roll of Errors and Defects in my Book This I shall so little repine at that I do assure Thee Honest Reader 't is what I heartily long for and desire I pretend to little more at present than the drawing of such Lines as may be filld up hereafter into a piece worth the Viewing and I shall be abundantly thankful to have the finishing part done by a better and more Skilful hand than my own I have spent a great deal of time perhaps too much in conversing with some of these old Gentlemen and I cannot but flatter my self into a belief that I have attain'd to something of a more than ordinary Acquaintance with them However the Characters I shall give of 'em are not alwaies mine but are sometimes Censures pass'd by better Judges than my self Where-ever I venture to give my own opinion I hope
Abilities sufficient to go through with any Undertaking wherein his singular Modesty will allow him to engage Mr. Beaumont ought also to be reminded of the thoughts he once had oâ— setting forth a particular Tract to this purpose No Man being better qualify'd for such a performance Mr. Ray has put our Botanists upon daily searches after new Plants since his Synopsis has told them what numerous Discoveries have been lately made by Mr. Lhwyd in Wales Mr. Lawson in the Northern Counties of England c. The like Encouragements our Naturalists have from his and Mr. Willughby's Ornithology to make further Enquiries after the many hitherto undiscover'd Species of Birds since 't is easily observable that the Authors of that Work having had the greatest Assistance from Mr. Johnson and Mr. Jessop both Yorkshire Men there are in it more Discoveries of new kinds from the North than any other Quarter of the Kingdom To all these must be added the many Ingenious Informations communicated from most parts of the Nation in our Philosophical Transactions especially from some of the forementioned chief Naturalists of this Age Dr. Plott Dr. Lister and Mr. Ray. Some general Accounts have been given of our English Policy and Frame of Government wherein our Historian ought to be well vers'd and conversant especially in those that are written by Statesmen and such as may be presum'd to have well understood the Affairs they treat on Sir Thomas Smith's Commonwealth of England has met with good Applause having been frequently printed both in English and Latin There was also another small Treatise entitul'd The Authority Form and Manner of holding Parliaments lately publish'd in his Name but some have question'd whether it be rightly father'd Upon this latter Subject we have a printed Account of the Opinion of Mr. Camden together with those of J. Doderidge Arthur Agard and Francis Tate Sir Walter Raleigh has likewise written as he used to do on all other Subjects most judiciously and acutely upon the Prerogatives of our Parliaments and Sir Robert Cotton's Posthuma are full of Learning on the same Topick Dr. Chamberlain's present state of England has been so well receiv'd as to admit of a new Edition almost yearly ever since 't was first publish'd It has been indeed of late very coursly treated by a nameless Scribler of Observations on the Times But he seems to have been hir'd to the Drudgery of penning such unmannerly Reflections by a Gentleman who had newly publish'd another Book much fuller of Mistakes under the like Title As to what concerns our Nobility and Gentry all that come within either of those Lists will allow that Mr. Selden's Titles of Honour ought first to be well perus'd for the gaining of a general Notion of the Distinction of Degrees from an Emperour down to a Country-Gentleman And after this the three Volumes of Sir William Dugdale's Baronage of England which gives an Account of the Lives and Prowess of all our English Nobility from the coming in of the Saxons down to the Year 1676. Whatever relates to the Knights of the most Noble Order of the Garter is completely shewn us by Mr. Ashmole in his most elaborate and perfect Work on that Subject For inferiour Ranks we have 'em in the Books of Heraldry that have been publish'd by Wyrley Brooks Vincent Dugdale and especially Guillim of the two last Editions of whose Book 't is observ'd that R. Blome has so disguis'd and spoil'd it that if the Author or Authors of it were living they could scarce know it What is missing in these will be abundantly supply'd out of the great Treasury of MS. Collections in the Heralds Office at London wherein are innumerable Inscriptions Arms Epitaphs Pedigrees Lists of Precedence at Coronations and Funerals c. CHAP. II. Of particular Descriptions of Counties with their Cities and great Towns 'T IS so much the general Humour of Mankind to be fond of their Native Soil and Places of chief Residence and Abode that Historians must not pretend to be so far of a different Composition from their Neighbours as not to be subject to the common Frailty They are as liable to discover their Dotage in this Particular as other ordinary Mortâ—ls and thence it comes that Ingulfus's History is so full of Crowland W. Neubrigensis's of Yorkshire M. Paris's of St. Albans c. whenever any shadow of an opportunity is offer'd 'T is from the same Principle that we have sew Counties in England whose Records have not been carefully sought out and Endeavours used to preserve them by some of their Sons who have usually prov'd more happy in such Undertakings as having gone about them with most hearty Zeal and Application than any of our more general Writers Those that I have met with of this kind are here drawn into Order and Rank according to the following Alphabetical Lists of our several Counties BARKSHIRE has not hitherto that I know of had its general Antiquities nor it s Natural History collected by any Body Only the Castle and Chapel of Windsor have been at large treated on by the excellent Pen of Elias Ashmole Esquire in his History of the Knights of the Garter before mention'd BEDFORDSHIRE is under the like Misfortune tho' the History of Dunstable of which in its proper place and other Records are not wanting to furnish out Materials for such a Work BVCKINGHAMSHIRE has had the happiness to have some of its Borders about Ambrosden c. curiously describ'd and its Antiquities preserv'd by the Ingenious Mr. Kennet CAMBRIDGESHIRE A little of both the Natural History and Antiquities of this County is touch'd on by Sir William Dugdale in his History of the Imbanking and Dreining of divers Fenns and Marshes both in Foreign Parts and in this Kingdom Dr. Hickes in the Appendix to his Saxon Grammar mentions a Manuscript in Sir John Cotton's Library entitul'd Statuta de Gildâ quâdam in Cantabrigiâ which seems to relate to the Town of Cambridge The Writers upon the Affairs of the University belong to another place CHESHIRE was long since describ'd by Lucian a Monk soon after the Conquest whose Work is cited by Camden as a piece of great Rarity and good Value S. Erdeswick the great Antiquary of Staffordshire seems to have written also something of the History of this County as is intimated by his MS. Book in the hands of several Gentlemen of Staffordshire which begins thus Having disposed with my self to take a further View of the Shires of Staffordshire and Chester c. A third Description of this County Geographical and Historical was written by W. Smith Rouge-dragon Pursuivant at Arms and left in the hands of Sir Ranulph Crew sometimes Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench whose Grandchild Sr R. Crew afterwards publish'd it A Fourth was compil'd by W. Webb M. A. and sometime Town-Clerk of
Chester which was thought worthy the publishing by that Judicious Antiquary Sir Simon Archer of Tamworth These two last were afterwards printed together under the Title of The Vale Royal of England by Daniel King who took care to have the Work beautify'd with several Cuts of Heraldry and Topography The Accounts given of this King by Mr. Fuller and the Oxford Antiquary are very widely different So that whether he was Lux Patriae as the former Styles him or in the others plain English a silly Fellow and an errant Knave I know not Sir Peter Leicester's Historical Antiquities were also no doubt chiefly intended to do Honour to this County For tho' the first Book pretends to treat of the general Affairs of Great Britain and Ireland its true Design was to Introduce what alone comes to be handled in the Second the Antiquities of Cheshire and chiefly of Bucklew Hundred The Contests which hereupon happen'd 'twixt Sir Peter and his Kinsman Sir Thomas Manwaring are not worth the remembring as belonging rather to the Men of the Law than History There 's an old MS. History of the Earldom of Chester quoted out of Bennet-Library by Mr. Selden the summ whereof I imagine has been publish'd by Judge Doderidge in the History he wrote of the Ancient and Modern Estate of this Earldom together with that of the Principality of Wales and Dutchy of Cornwall In this Treatise Sir John with a great deal of Industry and Exactness calculates the ancient and present Revenues of this Palatinate but is not so curious in clearing up its original History This Defect is since very much supply'd by the Labours of the late Ingenious Mr. Harrington who has left behind him several excellent Remarks on that Subject together with other good Collections relating to the Antiquities of this County Several Books says John Pits were written by Henry Bradshaw a Benedictine Monk who did A. D. 1513 De Antiquitate Magnificentiâ Vrbis Cestriae All which I am apt to believe are swallow'd up by another Work says that Gentleman His Life of St. Werburg which is still to be had in several of our Libraries CORNWALL The Survey of this County is so exactly taken by R. Carew Esquire that there will be only occasion for Posterity carefully to continue a Work so excellently begun and to which Mr. Camden acknowledges himself indebted for the chief Light he had in these parts This Book with large Additions is now in the possession of Mr. Chiswell Bookseller in London who may probably e're long oblige us with a new Edition There is also an Historical Account of this County in MS. pen'd by J. Norden who Mr. Camden tells us did sometime travel into this part of the Kingdom in the hands of the Learned Dr. Gale Sir John Doderidge's History of the Dutchy has been already mention'd in Cheshire CVMBERLAND There 's a Manuscript Description of this County written by one Mr. Denton of Cardew about 50 or 60 Years agoe which seems to be done with good Care and Judgment Copies whereof are in the hands of several of the Gentry It chiefly treats of Families Pedigrees Conveyances of Estates and Mannors c. but occasionally handles some other Antiquities of a more general Nature and higher Date Some Observations have also been made lately relating to the Natural History of Cumberland which may very probably e're long come into as many hands The Antiquities of the City of Carlisle are collected by Dr. H. Todd Prebendary of that Church and are now or should be in the possession of the Mayor and Aldermen DERBYSHIRE The Mines of this County should methinks invite some of our Inquisitive Naturalists to give us as particular an Account of the Metals and Minerals as Ed. Manlow sometimes Steward of the Works has done of the Miners in his Book entituled Customs of the Barge-Moot-Court which has been improv'd by T. Houghton in his Collection of the Laws Liberties c. of the Mines and Miners of Derbyshire I should also think the Wonders of the Peak are as proper a Subject for a Philosopher to write on in Prose as they can be for the most exalted Poetry of either Mr. Hobbs or Mr. Cotton and that Buxton-Wells deserve a better Describer than Antiquated John Jones DEVONSHIRE Northcot Baronet is reported to have written a Description of Devonshire the Manuscript whereof is all along quoted by Tho. Fuller in his Worthies when he comes to treat of that County tho' he says nothing of him amongst its Writers Tho. Risdon's Survey or Chorographical Description of Devonshire continues likewise in MS. though Copies of it are no rare Matters among the Gentry of that County 'T is said one Westcote either wrote another Survey or at least had a hand in that which was compos'd by Risdon I wish this Westcote be not the same Man with Dr. Fuller's Northcote for he 's often further mistaken than from West to North. The Remarkable Antiquities of the City of Exeter were publish'd by Richard Izaac but as a worthy Person observes the Book is a dry Collection and full of Mistakes there being nothing worth the perusal which had not been before remark'd in J. Hooker's Description Reprinted in Holinshead's Chronicle DORSETSHIRE Unless Mr. Etrick who oblig'd the late Publisher of the Britannia with some of his Remarks will furnish us with the Antiquities of this County I cannot tell from what Quarter we are to expect them DVRHAM The Collections made by Mr. Mickleton are perhaps the only Papers extant which treat of the Civil Affairs of this County as distinct from the Ecclesiastical and indeed considering the whole was anciently and the greatest part is still the Church's Patrimony the matter is not much to be wonder'd at The City of Durham is describ'd in a MS. old English or Saxon Poem in Sr. John Cotton's Library ESSEX There is a Report of J. Norden's having written a Survey of this County a thin Folio MS. in Sr. Edm. Turner's Library and that Mr. Strangman has attempted the Collection of its Antiquities But whatever their Performances may have been we have cause to hope for good things on that Subject very shortly from Mr. Ousley who has given a Specimen of his Work in what he has communicated in the New Edition of Camden The Description of Harwich with all its Appurtenances and Antiquities was written by Silas Taylor Author of the History of Gavelkind who was Store-keeper at that Port A. D. 1665. The Book was never Printed and where 't is to be had in Manuscript my Author does not inform me GLOCESTERSHIRE Whether the Chronicon Claudiocestriae written by Andrew Horn a suppos'd Citizen of Glocester God knows when speaks wholly or at all of the Affairs of this County is mighty uncertain But we are pretty sure that Sr. Matthew Hales
made large Collections to that purpose tho he did not live to fit them for the Press Proposals were also long since Publish'd for Printing the Antiquities of Glocestershire by Mr. Abel Wantner who meeting with the Discouragements that are Common in that Case an untoward Recompence for a Gentleman 's twelve years pains and study was content to enjoy the Fruits of his Labour himself the Publick not admitting of his Services The City of Glocester's Military Government has been accounted for by John Corbet and the Laws and Customs of the Miners in the Forest of Dean by an Anonymous Writer HAMPSHIRE The County is yet undescrib'd But a Description of the City of Winchester with an Historical Relation of divers Memorable Occurrences touching the same is said to have been written by John Trussel who was himself sometime Alderman of that City and continu'd S. Daniel's History I guess it to be too Voluminous to appear in Print rather than as Mr. Kennet presumes it too imperfect Something to the same purpose was likewise written by Dr. Bettes whose Book is still in MS. As are also I suppose Mr. Butler's Remarks on the Monuments in this ancient City A General Survey of the Isle of Wight part of this County was written by Sr. Francis Knollis Knight of the Garter and Privy-Counsellour to Queen Elizabeth a Manuscript Copy whereof was in the Library of the late Earl of Anglesey There is also a Fragment of 17. Quarto Pages Entitul'd Antiquitates Insulae Vectae in Bodley's Library among the MSS. of Richard James Fellow of C.C.C. in Oxford an eminent Antiquary who dy'd at Sr. Tho. Cotton's in Westminster A. D. 1638. HARTFORDSHIRE A Chorographical Description of this County was published by John Norden Gentleman whom we shall again meet with in Kent and Middlesex as we have had already occasion to mention him in other Counties But 't is hop'd his Enquiries will be infinitely outdone by Sr. Henry Chauncey Kt. Serjeant at Law whose Antiquities we are greedily expecting to see Publish'd HEREFORDSHIRE Silas Taylor beforemention'd in Essex spent four years in collecting the Antiquities Pedigrees Epitaphs c. of this County and his Papers were lately perhaps now are in the hands of Sr. Edward Harley of Brompton-Brian The Ransack he made during the times of Usurpation in the Libraries of the Cathedral Churches of Hereford and Worcester might furnish him with a greater plenty of Materials than it may be a man will easily meet with at this Day and therefore his Collections are justly recommended as a good Apparatus for any that shall hereafter write on the same Subject HVNTINGDONSHIRE Sr. Robert Cotton is reported to have written that Description which John Speed has publish'd of this County KENT Let this be observ'd for the Honour of Kent says an Ingenious and Learned Gentleman Native of this County that while other Counties and but few of them have met with single Pens to give the History and Description of them ours has had no less than four Writers to celebrate the Glories of it Lambard Somner Kilburn and Philpot He will not I Hope take it ill if we enlarge the Catalogue Both Bale and Pits expressly reckon the Itinerarium Cantiae among John Leland's Composures so that I should think he bestow'd something of more care than ordinary in disposing the Remarks he made on this County W. Lambard's Perambulation of Kent was indeed the first Account which was publish'd and it was not only highly applauded by Camden and other Chief Judges of such Matters but gave the hint to many more Men of Learning to endeavour the like Services for their several Counties 'T was not well approv'd by the Gentlemen of the Roman Communion Reiner particularly censures it as a Work undertaken and carry'd on with a Design to expose the Lewdnesses and Debaucherics of the late Inhabitants of the Monasteries of that County in describing whereof he thinks many things are spitefully misrepresented Mr. Somner it appears fully purpos'd to have given us the Antiquities of the whole County and had certainly made very great Progress towards the completing the Work as appears by his Manuscripts now in the Library of the Cathedral Church of Canterbury 'T is not doubted but he would mightily have enlarg'd W. Lambard's Perambulation and he gives us some Specimen of his Design to correct also his Errors by marking such as came in his way in some of his Treatises already publish'd However we are not wholly depriv'd of this great Work some part of it having been lately publish'd under the Title of A Treatise of the Roman Ports and Forts in Kent wherein and in Mr. Gibson's Notes upon it we have as entire a Discourse as we could wish for on that Subject rectifying a great many mistakes in Camden Lambard Philpot c. and discovering the true Situation of those ancient Places Philpot's Villare Cantianum was not written by Thomas Philpot whose name in bears but by his Father Iohn Somerset Herald who is only own'd to be Author of the Additional History of the High Sheriffs of the County And what Faith a Learned Countreyman of his puts the Question in my Mouth can be given to him that could afford to rob his own Father of the credit of his Book Kilburn's Survey of Kent you may take Mr. Kennet's word for it is all Modern and Superficial Another Survey of the County in proportion to the rest of the same Author 's was drawn by Iohn Norden which none have hitherto thought worth the handing to the Press and few have reckon'd so considerable as to mention it To these I think we may add Iohn Weever's Funeral Monuments a great share of 'em having been collected in the Dioceses of Canterbury and Rochester But let the Reader never forget the Remark made on him by Mr. Wharton that he has most scandalously mistaken the Numeral Letters and Figures in most of the Inscriptions he transcrib'd which makes it hazardous for an Antiquary to rely upon his Authority Both Mr. Somner's Excellent Treatise of Gavelkind and Silas Taylor 's History of the same ought also to be referr'd to the Catalogue of this County's Historians and Antiquaries as explaining an ancient Custom whereof there are now hardly any Remains elsewhere within the King's Dominions The History of the City of Canterbury seems to have been penn'd long since by Will. Gillingham a Benedictine Monk of that place who is said to have written De Rebus Cantuariensibus about the year 1390. Iohn Twyne mentions some Collections that he had made tending to Illustrate the Antiquities of this City But Mr. Somner assures us he could no more meet with them than with those of Tho. Spott mention'd by Bale But it s everlasting Monument is W. Somner's Antiquities of Canterbury or a Survey of that ancient City
with its Suburbs and Cathedral A work which secur'd the Honour of all that the Title-page mentions from the Levelling Fury and Madness of the Time wherein 't was publish'd and is deservedly recommended both by the Author's Enemies and Friends as a Piece most exquisitely Perfect in its kind Amongst his Manuscripts at Canterbury this Book may be seen interleav'd with large Additions in the Author 's own Hand-writing The Spaw-waters at Tunbridge are treated on by Lod. Rowzee and P. Madan MM. DD. And the Chronicle of Rochester collected chiefly from the Textus Roffensis mention'd elsewhere is written by Edm. Bedenham Esq. MS. LANCASHIRE A few years ago Dr. R. Keurden sent out Proposals for the Printing his Brigantia Lancastriensis Restaurata or a History of the Honourable Dukedom or County Palatine of Lancaster which he told us was compos'd and laid ready for the Press in Five Volumes I know not how the Design came to miscarry but do imagine that the vastness of the Undertaking slacken'd its Pace 'T were to be wish'd the Industrious Author would oblige us with an Abstract of such Discoveries in it as are purely New to us and his own There can hardly be any danger of his meeting with better Encouragement and Success upon such a fresh Attempt whereas it could not well prove otherwise than a very cloying Method to propose the taking off a Volume or two of General Preliminaries before we came at the main business the Antiquities of Lancashire Some particulars relating to the Antiquities of the Northern Parts of this County were communicated to the undertaker of the new Edition of Camden by Sr. Dan. Fleming Kt. who is a Person of great Curiosity and Judgment in these Matters and has made much larger Collections than could be brought within so small a Compass as the Nature of that work would admit of It s Natural History I am told is compiled by Dr. Charles Leigh who has already given us good earnest of his Abilities suitable to the Undertaking in his Phthisiologia Lancastriensis cui accessit Tentamen Philosophieum de Mineralibus Aquis in eodem Comitatu Observatis To which may be added Dr. Edm. Burlace's Latham Spaw with some Remarkable Cases and Cures effected by it and a short Treatise touching the manner of making Salt of Sea-sand in this County The Town of Manchester has its particular History written by one Richard Hollingworth an active Presbyterian Preacher in the beginning of our Civil Wars which may be seen in MS. in their College Library LEICESTERSHIRE is nobly Described by William Burton Esq a native of this County and Barrister at Law His Description runs in an Alphabetical Order of the Villages and his Method has been observ'd by many more that have since endeavour'd the like services for other Counties The Work consists chiefly of Descents Pedigrees and Moot-Cases But the Author was afterwards sensible of its main Defect and therefore very much enlarg'd and enrich'd it with an Addition of Roman Saxon and other Antiquities This appears from his own Letter to Sr. Robert Cotton still extant and the Book it self thus improv'd is said to have been lately in the possession of Walter Chetwind of Ingestree near Stafford Esq who had also other Manuscripts of the said Mr. Burton's Composure LINCOLNSHIRE wants an Historian of Skill and Courage answerable to the vast Store of Materials of all kinds which are there to be had Its Fenns and Marshes are indeed pretty largely treated on by Sr. William Dugdale in his History of Imbanking and in the year 1671. there was publish'd a short Relation of great Damages done by a Tempest and Overflowing of the Tides in this County and Norfolk But its main Body lies yet undescribed to the Reproach of all those Persons of Learning and Ingenuity that are its Natives R. Butcher's Survey of Stamford is often quoted by Tho. Fuller in his Worthies when he comes to speak of Lincolnshire as it is likewise very frequently by J. Wright in his Antiquities of Rutland It was printed in the Year 1646. MIDDLESEX John Norden published a Description of this County about the same time that he wrote his other somewhat shorter or Hartfordshire Both these Surveys are mention'd by John Stow as undertaken and publish'd in imitation of W. Lambard's perambulation of Kent The Funeral Monuments within the Diocese of London were Collected after his Fashion by J. Weever and we are lately encouraged to hope for the natural Hiâ—â—ory of the County by Dr. Plott Tho. Johnson's little short account of the Plants that grow wild on Hampsted-heath is the only thing publish'd that looks this way and 't is to inconsiderable as hardly to deserve mentioning The first Description of the famous City of London now Extant was written by one W. Stephens or Fits-Stephens a Monk of Canterbury about the Year 1190. 'T is a small Tract of about ten pages in Quarto and is publish'd by J. Stow as an Appendix to his Survey under the Title of Stephanides Robert Bale Recorder of the City A. D. 1461. is also said to have written several Treatises on that Subject which were long kept as choice Rarities in the publick Library of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen and whereof my Author reckons up the Titles of these Three 1. Londinensis Vrbis Chronicon 2. De Consulibus praefectis ejus 3. Instrumenta Libertatum Vrbis The same Gentleman makes R. Fabian write a couple of Treatises upon the Affairs of London but I suppose all he ever penn'd of that kind is in his printed Chronicle John Stow we are sure wrote and publish'd a Survey of London and owns himself put upon the Undertaking by Mr. Lambard's general Invitation to the several Antiquaries of this Kingdom to write the Histories of their Native Counties The account he gives is very particular and full running thro' every one of the twenty six Wards and affording a good View of the Government of this City together with Westminster and Southwark Ecclesiastical and Civil the Churches Hospitals and other Religious Houses a Catalogue of their Mayors and Sheriffs down to the Fortieth year of Queen Elizabeth c. The whole is Collected out of our best Historians and most Authentick Records and discovers a deal of Industry and Accuracy in the worthy and honest Author It appears he had perus'd the small Treatise call'd the City Law in its Original So that there was little occasion for the Translation and Publishing of that afterwards But because the State of this mighty City is wonderfully chang'd since his time we are in daily Expectance of a new Edition of this Book with very considerable Additions and Improvements Sir George Buck's Treatise of the Inns of Court under the Title of the Third Vniversity of England we have in the end of Stow's Chronicle and James Howel's Londinopolis has very little in it more than what he
perus'd it For he calls the Author William Budden tho' his Name was certainly John Richard Hall Doctor in Divinity who dy'd at St. Omers in the Year 1604. wrote the Life of John Fisher Bishop of Rochester who could hardly be call'd a Cardinal since his Head was off before the Red Hat pass'd through Calais This Treatise was gravely quoted and referr'd to by Tho. Fuller before as I suppose he had seen it Since he seems to Apologize for his oversight by telling us that 't was a Book which when in Manuscript he priz'd more for its Rarity than since 't is Printed he trusts for its Verity A more modern Author mentions the Life of the same Bishop written by George Lily which I guess is no more than one of the short Characters in his Elogia virorum Illustrium John Jewel's of Salisbury was compos'd by one that was a great Admirer of his Performances against Harding and other Papists Lawrence Humphrey out of whose copious Tract in Latin another small English Account of his Life was afterwards drawn by a Person of Quality as the Author was pleas'd to Style himself These are all the Writers that I know of which have attempted the History of any of our particular Prelates before the end of Queen Elizabeth's Reign which is as low as my Enquiries are to come I do not question but that upon a diligent Search into our English Libraries a good Number may be added to them tho' I cannot hope they will ever prove either so many or so exact as those that have been written of the Bishops since the uniting of the Kingdoms There are few inferiour Clergymen that have had the Honour done them to be remember'd in any special Discourses on their several Lives tho' many of 'em had the chief Places of Trust and Honour in the State conferr'd upon them Within the compass of six or seven Reigns after the Restitution of the Saxon Line we have one Abbot two Deans six Arch-deacons and a Dignitary of St. Paul's Chancellours and Keepers of the great Seal not to mention others in somewhat lower Stations I know not whether that these Men having engaged themselves in the Management of secular Affairs were thought to desert their Clerical Functions or for what other Reason they seem to have been out of the Road of the Monkish Historians Or at least they never look'd upon them as Persons that equally deserv'd their Respect with such as had entirely devoted themselves to the Churche's Service Not one of them as far as I have hitherto learn'd have had their particular Histories nor should we have known that some of 'em had ever liv'd but from the public Records of the state In short I have only a couple of Lives to begin the Account with in this Class for that of Henry Arch-deacon of Huntingdon by Capgrave is not worth the Readers notice or Mine and they both fall within the Reign of Queen Elizabeth and the single Diocess of Durham The former of these is that of Dean Whittyngham one of the sorry Translators of David's Psalms whose Life the Oxford Antiquary tells us he had in Manuscript The other is that of our Northern Apostle Bernard Gilpin Rector of Houghton who had his Life written in elegant Latin by his grateful Scholar Dr. George Carlton Bishop of Chichester There 's one passage in this History which has been ill apply'd by some of its Readers The Refusal of the Bishoprick of Carlile has been interpreted as an Instance and Argument of the good Man's mean opinion of the Order of Episcopacy Whereas not to mention the extraordinary Humility wherewith he is noted to have been endow'd they that know the values of that Bishoprick and the Rectory of Houghton will easily apprehend there might be other Motives to incline one to Modesty upon such an Offer CHAP. VII Of the Histories Chronicles Cartularies c. of our English Monasteries THE great Usefulness of the Leiger Books and other Monastic Records is so apparent to any Man that has had the least acquaintance with them that I need not much insist on so known a Subject The most Eminent of our Historians are visibly indebted to them for their chief Materials and 't is from hence that they are enabled to clear the Descents and Pedigrees of many Noble Families the Tenures of Estates the Ancient Customs of Counties Cities and great Towns the Foundation and Endowment of Churches c. For how sparing or defective soever the old Monks might be in Recording the Public Affairs of the State we are sure they were extreamly diligent in noting down those of their own Monasteries Whence it is that the Histories of those Cathedrals which were anciently in their Possession are the most entire of any in the Kingdom This sufficiently appears from the late Collections of the Publisher of Anglia Sacra who soon furnish'd out one Volume of this sort of Writers but was forced to patch up the second out of a more incoherent Medly of Shreds He would certainly have driven very heavily in the succeeding ones that he had promised since 't is plain his best Fund was already exhausted Nor are these Registers only more particular and full in Matters relating to their own History than that of the Public but they are also much more Authentic and Credible in these They have always been allow'd as good Evidence in our Courts of Judicature and do often effectually determine such Causes as have been thought to labour under in extricable difficulties Their Authority indeed is not so Venerable in those Passages that concern the Grandeur Priviledges and Immunities of their respective Houses where the private Zeal or Interest of the Pen-man may be suspected to have transported him a little beyond the exact Limits of Truth The Monks are rarely so strait-lac'd as to boggle at an Officious Lye and therefore where the Subject will admit of such a pious piece of Knavery they are to be read with Caution and Judgment In reporting the several Grants of their Founders and Benefactors with the Number and Boundaries of the Acres they gave we may readily and safely trust them because an interpolation in such a Case would be hazardous and what might probably destroy an old Title instead of creating a new one But when a Story comes to be told that may advance the Repute of the whole Fraternity or discover the extraordinary Sanctity of a single Brother we are to look for its being set off to the best Advantage and the Historian uses us kindly if he Romances only a little I am apt to believe says Father Simon that these Letters of Christ and King Agbar were really found in the Archives of the City of Edessa But we ought not too easily to give Credit to the first Originals of Churches Every one strives to advance their Antiquity as much as is possible and they make no scruple on such Occasions