self same language encountred one another often with great sharpness so also did the Picts and Britains especially when the last became confederates with the Romans These such as they are were the motives that induced and in a manner forced me to think the Picts a remainder of the Britains But perhaps the authority of Bede may countervail all this and if it please the Reader let the tradition of so great a man though built upon the mere report of others prevail against and cast these conjectures Ammianus Marcellinus divides the Picts into Dicalâ—donii and Vecturiones Dâ—â—â— dâ—â—â— Vâ—â—nâ—â— I should rather read it Deucalidonii and do suppose them to have inhabited the West coast of Scotland where the Deucalidonian Ocean comes up Although I formerly imagined them to be thus called as if one should say Nigri Caledonii for Dec signifies black in British just as the Irish at this day call the Scotch of that country Duf Allibawn that is to say black Scots and as the Welch called those Pirates that infested them from that coast Yllu du the black Army yet a man may conjecture that they took that name from their situation For Deheu Caledonii implies the Caledonians living on the right hand that is to the Westward as those other Picts dwelling towards the left or the East which Ninnius calls the left-hand-part were termed Vecturiones perhaps deduced from the word Châ—vithic which signifies so in British and are fancied by some to be corruptly named in Ptolemy Vernicones An old Saxon fragment seems to express them by the word Pegweorn for so it names an enemy-nation to the Britains whereas the antient Saxons called the Picts d Pihtas is common in the Saxon but Pehits I never observed Pehits and Peohtas Hence in Whitkindus Pehiti is every where read instead of Picti The manners of those antient and barbarous Britains that afterwards went by the name of Picti Câ—â—â— aâ—â— neâ—◠〈◊〉 Picâ—â— Paâ—â— we have already described from Dio and Herodian It remains now that I add what followed Upon the decline of the Empire when the Romans unwarily raised those Troops of Barbarians some of these Picts 〈…〉 drawn over by Honorius when the state of the whole Empire was calm into the standing Army of the Empire were called Honoriaci These in the reign of that tyrant Constantine e See a more distinct account of his Election and Actions given by Mr. Camden in the County of Southampton who was elected upon the account of his name laid open the passes of the Pyrenees and let the Barbarians into Spain And at length having first by themselves and after with the Scots their Allies infested this Province of the Romans they began to civilize those of the South being converted to Christianity by Ninia or Ninianus the Britain â—ede a very holy man about the year 430. but those of the North who were separated from the others by a craggy ridge of high mountains by Columbanus a Scot of Ireland and a Monk also of singular holiness in the year 565. Who taught them wherever he learned it to celebrate the feast of Easter between the 14th day of March and the 20th and always upon Sunday and also to use another kind of tonsure than the Romans did namely that like the imperfect form of a Crown These points were sharply contested for a long time in this Island till Naitan King of the Picts with much ado brought them to a conformity with the Roman Church In this age many of the Picts according to the manner of those times went in Pilgrimage to Rome and among others one of them is recorded in the Antiquities of St. Peter's Cathedral there in these words â—sterius Count 〈◊〉 the â—cts Asterius Count of the Picts and Syra with his men have performed their Vows At last they were so confounded by the Scots rushing in upon them from Ireland that being defeated in a bloudy Engagement about the year 740. they were either quite extinguished or else by little and little fell into the name and nation of the other Which very thing befel the mighty Kingdom of the Gauls who being conquered by the Franks sunk by degrees into their name When the Panegyrist intimates that before Caesar's time Britain was haunted by its half naked Enemies the Picts and Scots he seems to speak according to the custom of that age for certainly they were not then in Britain under that name Moreover seeing Sidonius Apollinaris says thus in his Panegyrick to his Father-in-law Victricia Caesar Signa Caledonios transvexit ad usque Britannos Fuderit quantum Scotum cum Saxone Pictum Tho' Caesar 's conq'ring arms as far As Caledonian Britains urg'd the war Tho' Scots and Picts with Saxons he subdu'd I cannot but exclaim in the words of another Poet. Sit nulla fides augentibus omnia Musis No credit justly should the Muses find That soar so high they leave the truth behind Caesar ever large enough in things that shew his own glory would never have concealed exploits if he had done them But these writers seem not unlike some good learned Authors of this age who in writing the history of Caesar tell us that he conquer'd the French in Gaul and the English in Britain whereas at that time there was then no such names in being as either that of the English here or that of the French there for those people many ages after came into these countries That the Pictones Pictones of Gaul were the same nation with our Picts I dare not with John Picardus believe seeing the name Pictones was famous in Gaul even in Caesar's time and these of ours are no where exprest by that name unless it be in one passage of the Panegyrist where I know that Pictonum by a slip in the transcriber is put for Pictorum SCOTS THE place among the British Nations next in order to the Picts is in justice due to the Scots but before I treat of them lest some spiteful and ill-natur'd men should misconstrue those things for calumny which with all sincerity and plain-dealing I have here collected out of antient Writers concerning the Scots I must caution the Reader that every word here is to be referred to the old true and genuine Scots only whose posterity are those that speak Irish who possess for a long way together that now called the West part of Scotland and the Islands thereabouts and are commonly termed Highland-men For those more civilized who inhabit the East part of the country though they are adopted into that name yet are not really Scots but of the same German original with us English This they cannot but confess nor we but acknowlege being called as well as we by the aforesaid Highland-men Sassones Besides they speak the same language that we do namely the Saxon with some variation in Dialect only which is an infallible proof of the same original In which regard I am so
a horn Corn and horns in the plural number Kern tho' others will have the name Cornwall deriv'd from I know not what Corineus a Companion of Brute's and have it call'd Corinia according to that of the fabulous Poet Pars Corinea datur Corinaeo de duce nomen Patria déque viro gens Corinensis habet Cornwall by grant to Corinaeus came The Country from the Prince receiv'd its name But if you look diligently into Antiquities 't is no new thing for places to borrow their names from such a situation In Crete and the * Precopensian Chersonese promontories are call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ram's horns because like Ram's horns they shoot forth into the sea So Cyprus was formerly call'd by the Greeks Cerastis because it hangs into the sea with large promontories representing Horns a so that 't is no wonder that this tract should be call'd Kernaw and Corn since it is like a horn crooked and if I may so say horn'd with promontories Upon which in the times of the Saxon wars when a great many of the Britains retreated into this country sheltering themselves in the nature of the place for as for the land-roads they knew they were by reason of mountains and the breaches made by Aestuaries in a manner unpassable and those by sea were extreme dangerous to persons altogether ignorant of them then the Saxon conquerour who call'd foreigners and every thing that was strange a WealH Cornpealas and West-pealas are the true Readings as being the Saxon Termination in the Plural Number and so the Saxon Annals call them WealsH nam'd the inhabitants of this part Corn-peales and West-peales b From hence arose the name Cornwallia and in later writers Cornubia as also that of some writers Occidua Wallia i.e. West-Wales So far is Cornwall from borrowing it's name from the conquering Gauls as is urg'd by some out of a complement to that Nation But if they were as knowing at home as they are medling abroad Cornovaille in Armorican Bretagne they would quickly apprehend that their Bretagne upon the sea-coast 1 Opposite to this Country is so call'd from ours and that a little Tract therein call'd Cornovaille where the Cornish language is spoken was so term'd from those of our nation transplanted thither For as those Western Britains of ours were assisting to the Armoricans in France in their wars against Caesar which was indeed his pretence for the invasion of Britain and afterwards marching over thither and changing the name call'd it Bretagne so in former Ages they sent aids to their country-men the Britains against the Franks and in those cruel Danish wars many of them went over thither where they left that more modern name of Cornovaille This County as if nature had design'd to arm it against the incursions of the sea is for the most part mountainous in the bottoms 't is of it self pretty fruitful but they make it incredibly rich with a sort of sea-weed called Orewood Orewood and a fat kind of sea-sand The sea-coast is beautify'd with very many Towns which are able to man out a considerable fleet The inner parts abound with rich mines For tinn Tinn to the vast advantage of the inhabitants is digg'd up in great plenty of which household vessels are made not inferior to silver in brightness and are carry'd for table-use to all parts of Europe 2 The inhabitants do discover these mines by certain tinn-stones lying on the face of the ground which they call Shoad being somewhat smooth and round They make their tinn of little black stones which they either dig or gather off the sands cast up Now there are two sorts of these Stannaries or Metal-works The Stannaries one they call Lode-works the other Stream-works The latter is in the lower places when they trace the veins of tinn by ditches by which they carry off the water that would break in upon them the former is in places that are higher when they sink the holes called Shafts to a vast depth in the mountains and work by undermining In both kinds they shew a wonderful art and ingenuity as well in draining the waters and reducing them to one chanel as in supporting and propping up their pits not to mention their arts of breaking 3 Stamping drying washing melting and refining their metals than which nothing can be more ingenious 4 There are also two sorts of Tinn Black-tinn which is tinne-ore broken and washed but not yet founded into metal and White-tinn that is molten into metal and that is either soft tinn which is best merchantable or hard tinn less merchantable That the ancient Britains wrought those tinn-mines is plain from Diodorus Siculus who liv'd under Augustus to omit Timaeus the Historian in Pliny Lib. 6. cap. 8. 9. who tells us that the Britains fetch'd tinn out of the Isle b This hint seems to favour a conjecture that Bolen Caesar's Iccius Portus might take its name from this Island Icta For Stephen's Edition of the Commentaries reads it Ictius and the Greek Version calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in another place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And why might not that haven be as well call'd Ictus from the place with which it had the most considerable trade as Britannicus from its being the chief Port to and from Britain Icta in their little wicker-boats cover'd with leather For Diodorus affirms that the Britains who liv'd in those parts digging tinn out of a rocky sort of ground carry'd it in carts at low-tide to some of the neighbouring Islands that thence the merchants transported it into Gaule and then on horse back in thirty days to the springs of Eridanus or the city Narbona as to a common Mart. Aethicus too whoever he was that unworthily goes under the name of being translated by St. Jerom 5 Out of the Sclavonian Tongue intimates the same thing and adds that he gave directions to those workmen The Saxons seem not to have medled with them or at most to have only employ'd the Saracens for the inhabitants to this day call a mine that is given over Attal-Sarisin that is the leavings of the Saracens 6 If they did mean by that name the ancient Panims After the coming in of the Normans the Earls of Cornwall had vast revenues from those mines especially Richard brother to Henry 3. c That tinn which is brought from the East-Indies was but lately found out And no wonder when Europe was not supplied with tinn from any other place For as for those mines in Spain the incursions of the Moores had shut them up and the veins in Germany which too are only in Misnia and Bohemia were not then discover'd nor open'd before the year of Christ 1240. At which time as a writer of that age has it the mettal called tinn was found in Germany by a certain Cornish man banish'd his country to the great damage of
lately digg'd up And what puts it beyond all dispute is a Fosse-way beginning there which leads to Sorbiodunum or old Salisbury Continuation of the EARLS Thomas the last Earl mention'd by our Author dying of an Apoplexy April 19. 1608. was succeeded by Robert his son and heir whose second son Richard succeeded his father Thomas the eldest son dying before his father and unmarry'd This Richard dying without issue his younger brother Sir Edward Sackvil succeeded him in his honours who was first Lord Chamberlain to Queen Mary wife of King Charles 1. and afterwards bore the same Office to that King His son Richard was next Earl and was succeeded by Charles his son by the Lady Frances daughter to Leonel Earl of Middlesex and at length heir to James Earl of Middlesex her brother upon which account the said Charles was created Earl of Middlesex by Letters Patents bearing date April 14. 27 Car. 2. More rare Plants growing wild in Dorsetshire Calamogrostis five Gramen tomentosum Park Gramen tomentosum Calamograstis quorundam vulgi Gramen plumosum Lob. Belg. Gr. arundinaceum paniculâ molli spadicea majus C. B. The soft or woolly Reedgrass This groweth in the borders of dry fields in many Countries of this Kingdom especially in Dorsetshire Park p. 1182. I am suspicious there will be no such grass found in this or any other County of England neither am I satisfied what sort of Grass Lobel meant by this title See his description of his own translation out of his Dutch Herbal in Parkinson Carduus stellatus luteus foliis Cyani C. B. Solstitialis G. R. Spina Solstitialis J. B. Cardui stellati varietas jacea lutea clusii Lob. S. Barnaby's Thistle By the hedges not far from Cirencester in Glocestershire Mr. Bobert Cyperus longus Ger. longus odoratus Park odoratus radice longa seu Cyperus Officinarum C. B. paniculâ sparsa speciosa J. B. The ordinary sweet Cyperus grass or English Galingale Found by Mr. Newton in the Isle of Purbeck Dorsetshire Gale frutex odoratus Septentrionalium Elaeagnus Cordi J. B. Myrtus Brabantica five Elaeagnus Cordi Ger. Rhus myrtifolia Belgica C. B. Sylvestris five Myrtus Brabantica vel Anglica C. B. Gaule sweet Willow or Dutch Myrtle In a low level marsh ground near Wareham in this County plentifully Malva arborea marina nostras Park English Sea Tree-mallow About the cottages of the Village called Chissell in Portland Island Sedum Portlandicum Ad. Lob. majus marinum Anglicum Park Portland Sengreen Lobel writing so ambiguously of this plant and we having not seen nor heard of it at Portland I should not have thought it worth mentioning but that I find it in some Catalogues of Gardens Vermicularis frutex minor Ger. fruticosa altera Park Sedum minus fructicosum C. B. An Cali species seu Vermicularis marina arborescens J. B. Shrub-Stonecrop or rather Glasswort On the stone batch running from the shore of Dorsetshire almost to Portland Island SOMERSET SHIRE by Robt. Morden BELGAE TOWARDS the North and East the Belgae border'd upon the Durotriges who probably both from the name and other good authority came from among the Belgae a people of Gaule into Britain For the Belgae as Caesar learn'd of the Rhemi were descended from the Germans and formerly passing over the Rhine were induc'd by the fruitfulness of the place to settle there after they had expell'd the Gauls From whence as the same Author has it they pass'd over into Britain with no other design than to plunder and ravage and were all call'd by the names of those cities where they had been born and to which they belong'd before they came thither here making war upon the inhabitants they settl'd and began to cultivate the ground It does not precisely appear at what time they came over unless possibly Divitiacus King of the Suessiones who flourish'd before Caesar might transplant the Belgae into those parts For he had the government of a great part as of Gaule so also of Britaine Neither is it yet clear'd from whence the name of Belgae should come Hubert Thomas †Leodius of Leige a very learned man was of opinion that Belgae is a German word because the Germans call the Gauls and Italians Wallen and some of them term them Welgen John Goropius a Belgian will have it come from the Belgick word Belke signifying in that language Anger as if they were more prone to anger than others But since the name of Belgae does not seem to be deriv'd from that language us'd at this day by the Low-Dutch which is almost the same with our English-Saxon for it came from the Saxons which Charles the Great transplanted into Brabant and Flanders I am inclin'd to favour the opinion of those men who fetch it from the old Gaulish tongue which our Welsh do still in a great measure keep entire and will have the Belgae so nam'd from Pel with them signifying remote For they were the remotest of all Gaule and as they were at the greatest distance from the Roman Province with respect to their situation so also to their breeding and humanity And the Poet has told us that the Morini a people of Gallia Belgica were the most remote when he calls them Extremi hominum the furthest part of mankind But now let us come to our Belgae whose territories were very large viz. Somersetshire Wiltshire and the inner part of Hamshire A SOMERSETSHIRE THE County of Somerset commonly call'd Somersetshire is a large and plentiful country On the north the Severn-sea beats upon it on the west it bounds upon Devonshire on the south upon Dorsetshire on the east upon Wiltshire and part of Glocestershire The soil is very rich especially for grain and pasturage 1 And yet not without stony hills 't is very populous and tolerably well furnish'd with havens Some think that this name was first given it because the air is gentle and as it were a summer-summer-air in those parts in which sense the Britains at this day call it Glad arhaf translating the word out of our language But the truth is as in summer time it may really be term'd a summer-summer-country so no less may it in the winter-season be call'd a winter-country so wet moist and marshy is it for the most part which creates a great deal of trouble to travellers However I shall not scruple to believe that this name was certainly given it from Somerton formerly the chief town of the County since Asser a very ancient Author calls it every where the County of Somertun a 2 In the very first limit of the shire westward where Ex riseth in a solitary and hilly moor first appeareth Dulverton a silly market according to the soil and near unto it was a small Religious house of Black Chanons at Barelinch who in later times acknowledged the Fettiplaces their founders Upon the Severn sea where this County borders upon the Danmonii the two first places we meet with
and was at last buried But the wiser sort think that this place took its name from Guy de Beauchamp who liv'd much later And certain it is that Richard de Beauchamp Earl of Warwick built and dedicated here a Chapel to S. Margaret and set up the o Eight foot high Gyant-like statue of the famous Guy still remaining l From Warwick the Avon with a fuller body passes by Charlcott Charlcott the seat of the noble and knightly family of the Lucies which long since hereditarily passed to them from the Charlcotts who out of a pious intent built a Religious house p William de Lucy son of Walter de Charlcott first assum'd this name temp Henr. 3. and built the Religious house for the support and entertainment of poor people and strangers at Thellisford For the brook was call'd Thelley which running by Compton Murdack heretofore belonging to the Murdacks now to the family of the Verneys Knights and thence by this Thellisford falls into Avon Which river within a little way salutes Stratford a pretty handsom market-town that owes its ornaments and beauty chiefly to its two natives John de Stratford Stratford upon Avon Archbishop of Canterbury q The South-Isle was built by him but the Qâ—ire by T. Balshal and the North and South Cross by the Executors of Hugh Clopton The Church is Collegiate and the College now standing Regist Wigorn. Lel. Itinerar who founded the Church here and Hugh Clopton sometime Lord Mayor of London who at extraordinary expence built the Stone-bridge here over the Avon consisting of 14 arches He was younger brother of an ancient family which took their name from the adjacent manour of Clopton from the time that Walter Cocksfield stil'd Knight-Marshal fix'd his seat here at Clopton for himself and posterity Their inheritance in our time descended to two sisters coheirs one of them married to Sir George Carew a famous Kt. Vice chamberlain to her most serene Majesty Queen Anne whom K. James created Baron Carew of Clopton Baron Carew of Clopton and whom if for no other reason I cannot omit for the great respect he paid to venerable Antiquity m Avon seeâ— nothing more on its banks besides Bitford a small market-town and some little Country villages before it makes its entry into Worcestershire Now let us take a view of the Woodland Woodland which lying on the Northern-side of Avon extends it self into a much greater compass than the Feldon for the most part cloathed with woods yet not wanting pastures or corn-fields and hath several veins of r No veins of iron were ever yet found in this County In the borders of it viz. Worcestershire and Staffordshire there have Iron As it is now call'd the Woodland so by a more ancient name it was call'd Arden Arden which in my opinion are words importing the same thing For Arden with the ancient Britains and Gauls did denote a Wood. And we know in France a vast wood bears the name of Arden and a town in Flanders situated near another wood is call'd Ardenburg and that celebrated forest of England paring off the first syllable retains the name of Den. Not to mention that Diana Diana which in s See Selden's Polyolbion pag. 229. the old Gallick Inscription was call'd Ardwena Ardwena and Ardoina i.e. if I am not much mistaken Sylvestris or Of the woods and was the same that in the Italick Inscriptions is called Nemorensis or Diana of the Groves From this part Turkiil de Arden who resided here and was in great favour with King Henry 1. assumed that sirname and his Descendants the Ardens famous in succeeding ages were branched out into all parts of England On the Western-side of the Woodland the river Arrow n makes hast by Studly Studley some ages since a castle belonging to John son af Corbutio to joyn the river Avon But whether it be so call'd as Tigris a river of Mesopotamia which in the Persian language signifies an Arrow from the swiftness of its current or from its flow course for that the word Ara among the old Britains and Gauls imports I leave to the search of others 5 Who have better observ'd the nature of this river On the banks of Arrow lies Coughton Coughton the chief seat of the family of the Throckmortons Throckmortons Knights who since they married with the heiress of Speney grew very numerous famous and fruitful of good Wits Not far from hence lies Ouseley memorable for the ancient Lords thereof the Butlers Barons of Wem from whom it hereditarily descended to the Ferrars of Ousley Ousley Whose inheritance in a short time was divided betwixt John Lord of Greistocke and Ralph Nevil A little lower upon Arrow is seated Beauchamp's Court Beauchamps Court so called from Baron Beauchamp of Powicke from whom by the only daughter of Edward Willoughby son of Robert Willoughby Lord Brook it came to Sir Fulk Grevill Grevills Kt a person no less esteem'd for the sweetness of his temper than dignity of his station Whose only son of the same name so entirely devoted himself to the study of real Virtue and Honour that the nobleness of his mind far exceeded that of his birth for whose extraordinary favours tho' I must despair of making suitable returns yet whether speaking or silent I must ever preserve a grateful memory Below Beauchamp's-Court the river Alne or Alenus falls into Arrow which in its course through a woody country passes by Henley Henley a litde market town near which the Montforts a noble family of great name had a Castle that from its delightful situation on a hill amidst the woods was call'd by a French name Bell desert But the castle hath long since been buried in its own ruins They derived their pedigree not from the Almarian family of the Montforts but from Turstan de Bastanberg a Norman Their inheritance at length pass'd away by Daughters to the Barons of Sudley and the Frevils Just at the confluence of the two rivers Arrow and Aulne I saw Aulcester Aulcester by Mathew Paris called Allencester and that more properly The inhabitants because it hath been a place of great note and antiquity will needs have the true name to be Ouldeester This was as we read in an old Inquisition a free Burrough of our Lord Henry 1. which the same King gave to Robert Corbet for his service and when the same Robert died it descended to 6 Sir William William de Botereux and to Peter the son of Herbert And when William de Botereux died his Moiety descended to Reginald de Botereux as heir who now holds it A Bâ—â—â— in the Exâ—â—equer and when Peter the son of Herbert died his Moiety descended to Herbert the son of Peter which Herbert gave it to Robert de Chaundois 7 But now it is decay'd and of a very great town become a small market of
find no occasion of mistakes For example in regard the letter C. in the Welsh and Irish is before all Vowels pronounced like K. as Cilcen is read Kilken but in every other language obtains that Pronunciation only before a. o. and u. I have in such words as are purely Welsh substituted K. for it in the pronunciation whereof all Languages agree Nor can the Criticks in the Welsh call this an Innovation the Letter K. being common in ancient MSS. though never used in printed Books I have also for the like reasons taken the same liberty in writing V for F and F for Ff Lh for Ll and Dh for Dd. And whereas the word Lhan in the names of Churches is commonly joyn'd with that which follows as Lhanèlian Lhaniestin c. I thought it better Orthography to separate it writing Lhan Elian which signifies St. Aelian's Church and Lhan Iestin i.e. St. Justin's As for the Annotations I have added at the end of each County such as have the Letters of direction prefix'd are Notes on those places they refer to in the Text with occasional Additions And whereas in some Counties I had Notes to add which did not refer at all to any part of the Text I have inserted them after the Annotations with this mark ¶ prefixt What I have added are generally observations of my own and where they are not so I have taken care to inform the Reader I find upon perusal of Cornwall and those other Counties you lately sent me that the additional Notes on the English Counties are much more compleat than these and somewhat in a different method But my task was too large to be well perform'd by one hand except more time had been allow'd And having receiv'd no pattern for imitation but only some general Instructions I knew not how far I might enlarge and to have jump'd into the same method must have been a great accident However I find the difference is not very material nor is it of any great moment what method we use in Annotations so we take care to add nothing but what may seem to the best of our apprehension pertinent and instructive What faults you find in the Orthography I desire you would be pleas'd to correct and also in the Phrase where you suppose it convenient And where we disagree in the sense I shall upon notice thereof either give directions to alter it or offer some reasons to the contrary Oxford Sept. 13. 1694. I am SIR Your obliged Friend and Servant EDW. LHWYD Pronunciation of the WELSH Ch is pronounced as the English Gh amongst the Vulgar in the North but more roughly Dh as Th in the words This That c. G as the English G in the words Gain Gift c. I as in English in the words Win Kin but never as in Wind Kind c. Lh is only a sibilating L and is pronounc'd in respect of L as Th with reference to T. U as the English I in the words Limb Him c. W is always a Vowel and pronounced like the English oo Y as I in the English words Third Bird O in Honey Money U in Mud Must c. All the other Letters are pronounc'd as in English and never alter their pronunciation ' denotes a long Vowel as Mân is pronounced like the English word Mane ' shews only the Accent in short Vowels SOUTH WALES By Rob t Morden RADNORSHIRE ON the north-west of Herefordshire lies Radnorshire in British Sîr VaesÅ·ved of a triangular form and gradually more narrow where it is extended westward On the south the river Wye divides it from Brecknock and on the north-part lies Mongomeryshire The eastern and southern parts are well cultivated but elsewhere 't is so uneven with mountains that it can hardly be manured tho' well-stored with woods and water'd with rivulets and in some places standing lakes Towards the east it hath besides other Castles of the Lords Marchers now almost all bury'd in their own ruins Castelh pain to adorn it which was built and so called by Pain a Norman and Castelh Colwen â—â—â—telh â—â—lwen which if I mistake not was formerly call'd Maud-Castle in Colwent â—â—ud-â—â—stle v. â—â—stelh â—â—wn For there was a Castle of that name much noted whereof Robert de Todney a very eminent person was Governour in the time of Edward 2. It is thought to have belong'd before to the Breoses Lords of Brecknock and to have receiv'd that name from Maud of St. Valeric Pâ—â—taâ—â—sâ—â—a â—â—tth Par. a †malapert woman wife of William Breos who rebell'd against King John This Castle being demolish'd by the Welsh was rebuilt of stone by King Henry 3. in the year 1231. But of greatest note is Radnor â—â—dnor the chief town of the County call'd in British MaesÅ·ved fair built but with thatch'd houses as is the manner of that country Formerly 't was well fenc'd with walls and a Castle but being by that rebellious Owen Glyn Dòwrdwy â—â—en â—â—yndwr laid in ashes it decay'd daily as well as old Radnor â—â—d Radnor call'd by the Britains MaesÅ·ved hên and from it's high situation Pencraig which had been burnt by RhÅ·s ap Gruffydh in the reign of King John If I should say this MaesÅ·ved is that city Magos which Antoninus seems to call Magnos â—â—gi where as we read in the Notitia Provinciarum the Commander of the Pacensian regiment lay in garison under the Lieutenant of Britain in the reign of Theodosius the younger in my own judgment and perhaps others may entertain the same thoughts I should not be much mistaken For we find that the Writers of the middle age call the inhabitants of this Country Magesetae â—â—gesâ—tae and also mention Comites Masegetenses and Magesetenses and the distance from Gobannium or Aber-Gavenni as also from Brangonium or Worcester differs very little from Antonine's computation About three miles to the east of Radnor lies Prestean â—â—estean in British Lhan Andras or St. Andrews which from a small village in the memory of our grandfathers is now by the favour and encouragement of Martin Lord Bishop of St. David's become so eminent a market town that it does in some measure eclipse Radnor Scarce four miles hence lies Knighton â—â—ighton which may vye with Prestean call'd by the Britains as I am inform'd Trebuclo for TrevÅ·klawdh from the dike 〈◊〉 Dike that lies under it which was cast up with great labour and industry by Offa the Mercian as a boundary between his Subjects and the Britains f om the mouth of Dee to that of the river Wye for the space of about 90 miles whence the Britains have call'd it Klawdh Offa or Offa's Dyke Concerning which Joannes Sarisburiensis in his Polycraticon saith that Harald establish'd a Law that whatever Welshman should be found arm'd on this side the limit he had set them to wit Offa's Dike his right hand should be cut off by the King's officers a All the
Monuments of this kind in Wales some of which we shall take notice of in other Counties In Anglesey where there are many of them as also in some other places they are call'd Krom-lecheu a name deriv'd from Krwm which signifies crooked or inclining and lhech a flat stone but of the name more hereafter 'T is generally supposed they were places of burial but I have not yet learn'd that ever any Bones or Urns were found by digging under any of them Edward Somerset Lord Herbert of Chepstow Ragland and Gower obtain'd of K. Charles 1. the title of Earl of Glamorgan Earls of Glamogan his father the Lord Marquiss of Worcester being then alive the Succession of which Family may be seen in the Additions to Worcestershire DIMETAE a _THE remainder of this Region which is extended Westward and call'd by the English West-Wales West-Wales comprehending Caer-mardhin-shire Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire was thought by Pliny to have been inhabited by the Silures But Ptolemy to whom Britain was better known placed another Nation here whom he call'd Dimetae and Demetae Moreover both Gildas and Ninnius used the word Demetia to signifie this Country whence the Britains call it at this day Dyved changing the M into V according to the propriety of that Language If it would not be thought a strain'd piece of curiosity I should be apt to derive this appellation of the Demetae from the words Deheu-meath which signifie the Southern plain as all this South-Wales has been call'd Deheu-barth i.e. the Southern Part. And I find that elsewhere the Inhabitants of a champain Country in Britain were call'd by the Britains themselves Meatae Nor does the situation of this Country contradict that signification for when you take a prospect of it the Hills decline gently and it dilates it self gradually to a Plain a Seing it was the custom amongst the Romans to retain such names of the places they conquer'd as the ancient Natives made use of adding only a Latin termination it may seem more probable that Dimetia was mâ—de out of the British name Dyved than the contrary But whatever the original name of this County might be I cannot subscribe to our Author's conjecture of the etymon of it for we find no such word in the British Language either in Manuscripts or common use as Meath for a plain champain Country Tho indeed if there were such a word they that are well acquainted with those Counties would scarce allow it applicable to them CAER-MARDHIN-SHIRE THE County of Kaer-Vyrdhin call'd by the English Caer-Mardhin-shire is a Country sufficiently supply'd with Corn very well stock'd with Cattel and in divers places affords plenty of Coal It is bounded on the East with Glamorgan and Brecknock shires on the West with Pembroke on the North divided from Cardiganshire by the river Teivi and on the South with the main Ocean which encroaches on the Land here with such a vast Bay 〈◊〉 that this Country might seem out of fear to have withdrawn it self In this Bay Kydweli first offers it self the territory whereof was possessed for some time by the sons of Keianus a Scot until they were driven out by Kynèdhav a British Prince But now it is esteem'd part of the Inheritance of Lancaster by the heirs of Maurice of London or de Londres who removing from Glamorganshire after a tedious war made himself Master of it and fortified old Kydweli with Walls and a Castle now decay'd with age For the Inhabitants passing over the river of Gwen-draeth vechan built new Kydweli invited thither by the conveniency of a Haven which yet at present is of no great use being choak'd with shelves â—â—hâ—an â—â—an of â—y conâ—â— When Maurice of London invaded these Territories Gwenlhîan the wife of Prince Gryffydh a woman of invincible courage endeavouring to restore her husband's declining state enter'd the field with display'd banner and encounter'd him But the success not being answerable to her courage she with her son Morgan and divers other Noblemen as Giraldus informs us were slain in the field 〈◊〉 of â—or and â—â—eli By Hawis the daughter and heiress of 1 Sir Thomas of London Thomas de Londres this fair Inheritance with the Title of Lord of Ogmor and Kydweli descended to Patrick Chaworth and by a daughter of his son Patrick to Henry Earl of Lancaster The heirs of Maurice de Londres as we read in an old Inquisition were obliged by this Tenure in case the King or his Chief Justice should lead an Army into these parts of Kydweli to conduct the said Army with their Banners and all their Forces through the midst of the Country of Neath to Lochor â—â—iver 〈◊〉 or â—â—s A little below Kydweli the river Towy which Ptolemy calls Tobius is received into the Ocean having passed the length of this County from North to South First by Lhan ym Dhyvri so call'd as is supposed from the confluence of rivers which out of malice to the English was long since demolish'd by Howel ap RhÅ·s â—â—r Afterwards by Dinevor-castle the Royal Seat of the Princes of South-Wales whilst they flourish'd situated aloft on the top of a Hill And at last by Caer-mardhin which the Britains themselves call Kaer-Vyrdhin Ptolemy Maridunum Maridunum and Antoninus Muridunum who continues not his journeys any farther than this place Caer-Mardhin and is here by negligence of the Copyists ill handled For they have carelesly confounded two Journeys the one from Galena to Isca the other from Maridunum to Viroconovium This is the chief town of the County pleasantly seated for Meadows and Woods and a place of venerable Antiquity fortified neatly saith Giraldus with brick-walls partly yet standing on the noble river of Towy navigable with ships of small burden tho' the mouth of it be now almost stopp'd with a bed of Sand. Here our Merlin Merlin or Myrdhin Emris the British Tages was born for as Tages was reported to have been the son of a Genius and to have taught the Tuscans South-saying so our Merlin who was said to have been the son of an Incubus devised Prophecies or rather mere Phantastical Dreams for our Britains Insomuch that in this Island he has the reputation of an eminent Prophet amongst the ignorant common people a Soon after the Normans enter'd Wales this town fell into their possession but by whose means I know not and a long time it encounter'd many difficulties having been often besieged and twice burnt first by Gryffydh ap RhÅ·s and afterwards by RhÅ·s the said Gryffydh's brother At which time Henry Turbervil an Englishman reliev'd the castle and cut down the bridge But the walls and castle being afterwards repair'd by Gilbert de Clare it was freed from these miseries so that being thus secured it bore the tempests of war much easier afterwards The Princes of Wales eldest sons of the Kings of England settl'd here their Chancery and Exchequer for South-Wales Opposite to this city
should suppose them so denominated because some of them are not at present directly upright but a little inclining It may be such as take these circular Monuments for Druid-Temples may imagine them so call'd from bowing as having been places of worship For my part I leave every man to his conjecture and shall only add that near Capel King in Caernarvonshire there is a stone pitch'd on end call'd also Maen gŵyr which perhaps is the only Stone now remaining of such a circular Monument as this At leastwise it has such a Kist vaen by it but much less as that we observ'd in the midst of the Monument describ'd in Glamorganshire by the name of Karn Lhechart Of late Carmarthen hath given the title of Marquiss to the right honourable Thomas Osborn Marquiss of Carmarthen Earl of Danby upon whose advancement to the Dukedom of Leeds the honour of Marquiss of Carmarthen is now descended to his eldest son and heir PENBROKSHIRE THE Sea now winding it self to the South and by a vast compass and several Creeks rendring the shore very uneven encroaches on all sides on the County of Penbroke commonly call'd Penbrokshire in ancient Records The Legal County of Penbroke and by some West-Wales except on the East where it is bounded with Caer-mardhin-shire and the North where it borders on Cardiganshire 'T is a fertile Country for Corn affords plenty of Marl and such like things to fatten and enrich the Land as also of Coal for Fuel and is very well stock'd with Cattel This Country saith Giraldus affords plenty of Wheat is well serv'd with Sea-fish and imported Wine and which exceeds all other advantages in regard of its nearness to Ireland enjoys a wholsome Air. First on the Southern Coast Tenbigh â—enâ—â—gh a neat town 1 Well govern'd by a Mayor and strongly wall'd toward the Land strongly wall'd beholds the Sea from the dry shore a place much noted for the Ships that harbour there and for plenty of Fish whence in British it 's call'd Dinbech y Pyskod govern'd by a Mayor and a Bailiff To the West of this place are seen on the shore the ruins of Manober Castle 〈…〉 call'd by Giraldus Pyrrhus's Mansion in whose time as he himself informs us it was adorn'd with stately Towers and Bulwarks having on the West-side a spacious Haven and under the Walls to the North and Northwest an excellent Fish-pond remarkable as well for its neatness as the depth of its water The shore being continu'd some few miles from hence and at length withdrawing it self the Sea on both sides comes far into the Land and makes that Port which the English call Milford-Haven â—â—â—foâ—d-â—â—â—en than which there is none in Europe either more spacious or secure so many Creeks and Harbours hath it on all sides and to use the Poet's words Hic exarmatum terris cingentibus aequor Clauditur placidam discit servare quietem Here circling banks the furious winds controul And peaceful waves with gentle murmurs rowl For it contains sixteen Creeks five Bays and thirteen Roads distinguish'd by their several names Nor is this Haven more celebrated for these advantages than for Henry the Seventh of happy memory landing here who from this place gave England at that time languishing with Civil Wars the Signal of good hopes At the innermost and eastern Bay of this Haven 2 In the most pleasant Country of all Wales standeth Penbroke the Shire-town one direct street upon a long narrow point all rock and a forked arm of Milford-haven ebbing and flowing close to the Town-walls on both sides It hath a Castle but now ruinate and two Parish Churches within the walls and is incorporate of a Mayor Bailiffs and Burgesses But hear Giraldus c. â—â—â—brâ—ke a long Cape saith Giraldus extended from Milver-dike with a forked head shews the principal town of this Province and the Metropolis of Dimetia seated on a rocky oblong Promontory in the most pleasant Country of all Wales call'd by the Britains Penvro which signifies the Cape or Sea-Promontory and thence in English Penbroke Arnulph de Montgomery brother to Robert Earl of Shrewsbury built this Castle in the time of King Henry the first but very meanly with Stakes only and green Turf Which upon his return afterwards into England he deliver'd to Girald of Windsor a prudent man his Constable and Lieutenant General who with a small Garison was presently besieged therein by all the Forces of South-Wales But Giraldus and his party made such resistance tho' more with courage than strength that they were forced to retire without success Afterward this Giraldus fortified both the Town and Castle from whence he annoy'd the neighbouring Countries a great way round And for the better settlement of himself and his friends in this Country he married Nest the sister of Prince Gryffydh by whom he had a noble Off-spring by whose means saith Giraldus who was descended from him not only the Maritime parts of South-Wales were retain'd by the English but also the Walls of Ireland reduced Origin of the Giralds in Ireland For all those noble Families in Ireland call'd Giralds Giraldines and Fitz-Giralds are descended from him In regard of the Tenure of this Castle and Town and the Castle and Town of Tinbigh Rotulus Servitiorum of the Grange of King's-Wood the Commot of Croytarath and Manour of Castle-Martin and Tregoir Reginald Grey at the Coronation of Henry the fourth claim'd the honour of bearing the second Sword but all in vain for 't was answerd that at that time those Castles and Farms were in the King's hands as also at this day the Town of Pembroke which is a Corporation and is govern'd by a Mayor and two Bayliffs On another Bay of this Haven we find Carew-Castle Carew-castle which gave both name and original to the illustrious Family of Carew who affirm themselves to have been call'd at first de Montgomery and that they are descended from that Arnulph de Montgomery already mention'd Two Rivers are discharg'd into this Haven almost in the same Chanel call'd in the British tongue Cledheu Cledheu which in English signifies a Sword whence they call it Aber-dau-Gledheu i.e. the Haven of two Swords Hard by the more easterly of them standeth Slebach once a Commandery of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem which with other Lands Wizo and his son Walter setled upon that holy Order that they might serve as the Champions of Christ in order to recover the Holy-Land That part of the Country which lies beyond the Haven and is water'd only with these two rivers is call'd by the Britains Rhos a name deriv'd from the situation of it for that it is a large green plain This part is inhabited by Flemings Flemings when seated in Wales who settled here by the permission of King Henry the first when as the Sea making breaches in their fences had drown'd a considerable part of the Low-Countreys
performed this for three years he desisted the fourth alledging he could not find one more However that there remain'd some long after is manifest from unquestionable Records The inhabitants who apply themselves wholly to the breeding of cattel and who feed on milk-meats viz. butter cheese c. notwithstanding that Strabo formerly derided our Britains as ignorant of the art of making cheese are scarce inferiour to any people of Britain in stature clear complexion comeliness and due proportion of limbs but have an ill character amongst their neighbours for Incontinency and Idleness It hath but few towns On the east where Dyvy runs Kwmmwd Mowdhwy Mowdhwy is a place well known which was formerly the inheritance of William otherwise call'd Wilkok Mowdhwy a younger son of Grufydh ap Gwenwynwyn and by his son's daughter it descended to 2 Sir Hugh Burgh Hugo Burgh and again by daughters of that house to the honourable families of Newport Leighton Lingen and Mitton Where the river ‖ Dôl Gelheu Avon runs more westerly lies Dôl Gelheu a small market-town so call'd from the valley wherein 't is seated b And close by the sea in the small Country of Ardudwy stands the castle of Ar-lech Harlech call'd heretofore Kaer Kolhwyn on a steep rock which as the inhabitants report was built by Edward 1. and took it's name from the situation for Ar-lech in the British signifies on a rock though some call it Harlech †Quasi Hardh-lech and interpret it A rock pleasantly situated When England was embroil d in civil wars Davidh ap Jenkin ap Enion a British Nobleman who sided with the house of Lancaster defended this castle stoutly for a long time against Edward 4. until 3 Sir William William Herbert Earl of Penbâ—oke forcing his way thorough the midst of the Alps of Wales though a very toilsome journey storm'd it with that vigour that it was surrender'd into his hands It 's almost incredible what great difficulties he struggl'd with in this troublesome journey when in some places whilst he ascended the mountains he was forced to creep and elsewhere in descending to tumble down in a manner together with his soldiers whence that way is call'd by the neighbours at this day Lhé Herbert Herbeâ—â— way c Higher up in the confines of this County and Caernarvonshire two notable arms of the sea encroach on the land call'd Y Traeth mawr and Traeth bychan that is the Greater Wash or Frith and the Lesser And not far from hence near a small village call'd Festineog Festâ—â—â— there is a high road or military way of pitch'd stones which leads thorough these difficult and almost unpassable mountains and seeing it is call'd in British Sarn Helen or Helen's way Heleâ—â— way it is but reasonable that we suppose it made by Helena the mother of Constantine the Great whose works were many and magnificent throughout the Roman Empire d Nor is Kaer Gai i.e. Caius's castle far from this place built by one Caius a Roman of whom the common people of that neighbourhood report great things and scarce credible In the east part of the County The â—â—tains oâ— Dee the river Dee springs from two fountains whence 't is supposed it deriv'd it's name for they call it Dŵy which also signifies the number two though others contend it took the name from the word Duw as if a sacred river This â—iâ—â— is calâ—â— Weâ—sh Dowâ—â— Sâ—e 〈◊〉 shire 〈◊〉 not r Pimble Meaâ— and some from Dû which denotes black from the colour of the water This river after a very short course passes entirely and unmix'd through a large lake call'd Lhyn Tegid in English Pimble Mear and ‖ Crâ—â— for iâ— Meâ— Guiâ—â—â— Fish Plenlyn Mear carrying out the same quantity of water it brought in For neither are the Gwiniad e which are a fish peculiar to this lake found in the Dee nor any Salmons taken in the lake tho' commonly in the river but if you please take here an accurate description of this lake by an Antiquarian Poet. Hispida qua tellus Mervinia respicit Eurum Est lacus antiquo Penlinum nomine dictus Hic lacus illimeis in valle Tegeius altâ Latè expandit aquas vastum conficit orbem Excipiens gremio latices qui fonte perenni Vicinis recidunt de montibus atque sonoris Illecebris captas demulcent suaviter aures Illud habet certè lacus admirabile dictu Quantumvis magnâ pluviâ non aestuat atqui Aëre turbato si ventus murmura tollat Excrescit subito rapidis violentior undis Et tumido superat contemptas flumine ripas Where eastern storms disturb the peaceful skies In Merioneth famous Penlin lies Here a vast Lake which deepest vales surround His watry globe rowls on the yielding ground Encreas'd with constant springs that gently run From the rough hills with pleasing murmurs down This wondrous property the waters boast The greatest rains are in it's chanels lost Nor raise the flood but when loud tempests roar The rising waves with sudden rage boyl ore And conqu'ring billows scorn th' unequal shore On the brow of this Lake lies Bala Bala a small priviledg'd town having but few inhabitants and the houses rudely built which yet is the chief market of these mountaneers f Hugh Earl of Chester was the first Norman that seiz'd this Country and planted garrisons in it whilst Grufydh ap * Coâ—â— Kynan was his prisoner but he afterwards recovering this land with the rest of his Principality left it to his posterity who possess'd it till their fatal period in Prince Lhewelyn There are in this County 37 Parishes ADDITIONS to MEIRIONYDHSHIRE a THis Country as Giraldus observes generally consider'd is the most mountainous of all the Welsh Counties though it's mountains are not the highest those of Snowdon in Caernarvonshire exceeding them in height and being at least equal to them in rocky precipices But whereas Giraldus calls it the roughest and most unpleasant country in all Wales it may be answer'd if that be worth notice that for the pleasing prospect of a Country there is hardly any standard most men taking their measures herein either from the place of their own nativity and education or from the profit they suppose a Country may yield But if as some hold variety of objects make a Country appear delightful this may contend with most as affording besides a sea-prospect not only exceeding high mountains and inaccessible rocks with an incredible number of rivers cataracts and lakes but also variety of lower hills woods and plains and some fruitful valleys Their highest mountains are Kader Idris Aren Voudhwy Aren Benlhyn Arennig Moelwyn Mannod c. These maintain innumerable herds of cattel sheep and goats and are in regard they are frequently fed with clouds and rains and harbour much snow considerably more fertil though the grass be coarse than the hills and ridges of lower Countries Kader
to supply all Wales It is also at this time very rich in cattel 1 And findeth out great multitudes and affords milstones in some places also a kind of Alum-earth e Of the Alumen plumosum or Amianthus found at a plaee call'd Kâ—ie Lhywarck in the Parish of Lhan-Vair yng Hornwy See Phil Trans n. 166. of which they lately began to make Alum and Coperas but the project not succeeding they have now desisted 〈◊〉 This is that celebrated Island Mona anciently the seat of the Druids attempted first by Paulinus Suetonius and reduced under the Roman yoke by Julius Agricola In the reign of Nero this Paulinus Suetonius as we read in Tacitus prepared for an attempt on the Island Mona a very populous country and a receptacle of deserters and to that end built flat-bottom'd vessels because the shores were but shallow and hazardous thus the foot passed over and the horse follow'd either at a ford or else in deeper waters as occasion required swam their horses On the opposite shore stood the Enemies army well provided of arms and men besides women running about with dishevel'd hair like furies in a mournful habit bearing torches in their hands About the army stood the Druids who with hands lifted up to heaven pouring forth dreadful Imprecations so terrified the soldiers with the novelty of the sight that as if their limbs had been benumm'd they exposed their bodies like so many stocks to the strokes of the enemy But at last partly by exhortation of the General and partly by encouraging each others not to stand amazed at the sight of distracted women and ‖ Fanaticum agmen a company of frantick people they advance their ensigns and trample down their enemies thrusting them into their own fires They being thus conquer'd a garrison was planted there and their groves cut down which were consecrated to their cruel superstitions For they held it lawful to sacrifice with the blood of Captives and by inspection into humane Entrails to consult their Gods But while these things were in agitation a sudden revolt of the whole Province recall'd him from this enterprise Afterwards as the same Author writes Julius Agricola resolves to reduce the Island Mona from the Conquest whereof Paulinus was recall'd as we have already observ'd by a general rebellion in Britain but being unprovided of transport Vessels as it commonly happens in doubtful resolutions the policy and courage of the General found new means of conveying over his army For having first laid down their baggage â—he commanded the choicest of the Auxiliaries to whom the fords were well known and whose custom it was in their country so to swim as to be able to guide themselves and their arms and horses to pass over the chanel Which was done in such a surprising manner that the enemies who expected a Navy and watch'd the sea stood so much amazed that supposing nothing difficult or invincible to men of such resolution they immediately supplicated for peace and surrender'd the Island So Agricola became famous and great a Many ages after when it was conquer'd by the English it took up their name being call'd formerly by the Saxons Engles-ea and now Anglesey which signifies the English Island But seeing Humfrey Lhwyd in his learned Epistle to that accomplish'd Scholar Ortelius has restor'd the Island to its ancient name and dignity it is not necessary we should dwell long upon this County However we may add that about the decline of the Roman Government in Britain some of the Irish Nation crept into this Island For besides certain intrench'd Banks which they call Irish Cottages there is another place well known by the name of Yn hericy Gwidil from some Irish who under the conduct of one Sirigi overcame the Britains there as we read in the Book of Triades b Nor was it afterwards harass'd by the English only Marianus but also by the Norwegians and in the year 1000 a Navy of King Aethelred sailing round the Island wasted and consum'd it in a hostile manner c Afterwards two Normans of the name of Hugh the one Earl of Chester and the other of Salop oppress'd it and to restrain the Inhabitants built the Castle of Aber Lhienawg But Magnus the Norwegian coming thither at the same time 2 Shot the said Hugh Earl of Shrewsbury c. shot Hugh Earl of Chester through the body with an arrow and pillaging the Island departed The English having afterwards often attempted it at last brought it under their subjection in the time of Edward the first It contain'd formerly 363 Villages and is a very populous Country at this time The chief Town is Beaumaris Beaumaris built in the East part of it in a moorish place by King Edward the first and call'd by the name of Beau marish from its situation whereas the place before was call'd a This wherever our Author found it seems to be no British name Bonover He also fortified it with a Castle which yet seems not to have been ever finish'd the present Governour whereof is the right worshipful Sir Richard Bulkley Knight whose civility towards me when I survey'd these Counties I must always gratefully acknowledge Not far from hence lyes Lhan Vâes Lhan Vâes a famous Cloister heretofore of the Friers minors to which the Kings of England have been bountiful Patrons as well on account of the devoutness and exemplary lives of the Friers who dwelt there as that I may speak out of the Book of Records because there were buried at that place a daughter of King John 2 Paâ—lâ—t Ann. 2 li â—â— a son of the King of Denmark the bodies of the Lord Clifford and of other Lords Knights and Esquires who were slain in the wars of Wales in the times of the illustrious Kings of England The Town of Newburgh Newbâ—rgâ— in British Rhosîr d is esteem'd next best to Beaumarish distant from it about twelve miles westward which having strugl'd along time with the heaps of Sand cast against it by the Sea has now lost much of its former splendour Abèr-Fraw Abèr-Fraâ— not far from thence tho' at present but a mean place waâ— yet heretofore of much greater repute than any of the rest as being the Royal Seat of the Kings of Gwynedh or North-Wales who were thence also styl'd Kings of Abèr-Fraw Near the western Cape of this Island which we call Holy-head Holy heâ—d there 's a small Village call'd in Welsh Kaer Gybi which receiv'd its name from Kybi a devout man and Disciple of St. Hilary of Poictiers who led here a religious life from whence there is a common passage into Ireland e Of the Islâ—nds adjoyniâ—g 〈◊〉 Aâ—gleâ—â—â— see an◠〈◊〉 the Bâ—â—â— Isles The other places of this Island are well planted with Villages which seeing they afford little worth our notice I shall now pass over into the Continent and take a view of Denbighshire There are in this Island
formerly a little Monastery z and to Bethmesley the seat of the famous family of Claphams of which was J. Clapham a famous souldier in the Wars between York and Lancaster Hence it passes by Ilekely â—â—a â—â—â—y which I imagine to be the Olicana in Ptolemy both from its situation in respect of York and the resemblance of the two names It is without question an ancient town for not to mention those engrav'd Roman pillars lying now in the Churchyard and elsewhere it was rebuilt in Severus's time by â—â—â—â—on'd â—â—â—an 〈◊〉 ceâ—â—â— â—â—ar 〈◊〉 Virius Lupus Legate and Propraetor of Britain as we are informed by an Inscription lately dug up near the Church IM SEVERVS AVG. ET ANTONINVS CAES. DESTINATVS RESTITVERVNT CV RANTE VIRIO LVPO â—â—gato 〈◊〉 Prâ—â—â—â— LEG EORVM ‖ PR PR That the second Cohort of the Lingones quartered here is likewise shewed us by an old Altar I have seen there now put under a pair of stairs and inscribed by the â—â—â—â—ct Captain of the second Cohort of the Lingones to Verbeia perhaps the Nymph or Goddess of the Wherf the river called Verbeia I suppose from the likeness of the two words VERBEIAE SACRVM Verbeia fl vel Nympha CLODIVS FRONTO PRAEF COH II LINGON For Rivers says Gildas in that age had divine honours paid them by the ignorant Britains Epist 41. And Seneca tells us of Altars dedicated to them We worship the heads of great rivers and we raise altars to their first springs And Servius says that every river was presided by some Nymph or other In the walls of the Church there is this other imperfect Inscription RVM CAES. AVG. ANTONINI ET VERI JOVI DILECTI CAECILIVS PRAEF COH aa I found nothing in my search up and down the Church for pieces of Roman Antiquity but the portraicture of Sir Adam Middleton armed and cut out in stone who seems to have liv'd in Edward the 1.'s reign His posterity remain still in the neighbourhood at a place called Stubham bb Somewhat lower stands Otley Otley which belongs to the Archbishop of York memorable for nothing but its situation under a huge craggy Cliff called Chevin Chevin For the ridge of a mountain is in British Chevin Chevin what it signifies and so that long ridge of mountains in France which formerly us'd the same language with our Britains is called Gevenna Gevenna and Gebenna From hence the river flows in a chanel bank'd on both sides with Lime-stone by Harewood Harewood where stands a neat and strong Castle which has always chang'd its master as the times turn'd It was formerly the Curcies but went from them with Alice the heiress of that family to Warren Fitz-Gerold who married her Placit 1. Joan. Rot. 10. in D. Monstr le droit 35 Ed. 1. and had issue Margery who being one of his heirs and a great fortune was first married to Baldwin de Ripariis son to the Earl of Devonshire who died before his father and then by King John's means to Falcatius de Brent a favourite upon account of his great service in pillaging Afterwards Isabel de Ripariis Countess of Devonshire dying without issue this Castle fell to Robert de Lisle the son of Warren as a relation Lords de Insula or Lisle and one of her heirs At last by those of Aldborough it came to the Rithers as I learn'd from Fr. Thinn who with great judgment and diligence has long studied the Antiquities of this Kingdom cc Nor must I forget to take notice of a place just by called Gawthorp remarkable for that ancient and virtuous family the Gascoigns Gascoigns descended very probably from Gascoigne in France Hence the course of the river Wherf is by Wetherby Wetherby a notable trading town which has no remains of Antiquity but only a place under it called Helensford where a Roman military way has lain through the river dd Then by Tadcaster Tadcaster a very small town which yet I cannot but think was the same with Calcaria Calcaria both from the distance name and nature of the soil especially since it is agreeable to the opinion of Mr. Robert Marshall of Rickerton a person of excellent judgment for 't is just nine Italian miles from York which is the distance of Calcaria from it in Antoninus And Limestone which is the main ingredient in mortar is no where to be found all about but plentifully here from whence it is conveyed to York and all the Country round for the use of building This Limestone was call'd by the Britains the Saxons and the Northern English after the manner of the Latins Calc For that imperious City not only impos'd her Laws upon those she had subdu'd Câ—lcarienses De Decurâ—onibus l. 27. Roman Language in the Provinces Augustin l. 9. de Civit Dei but her Language too and Calcarienses in the Theodosian Code is used to denote them who burnt this Limestone from whence one might not improbably infer that this town had the name Calcaria from the Limestone found there like the city Chalcis from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brass Ammon from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sand Pteleon from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 elms and perhaps the city Calcaria in Clive from the word Calx Especially considering that Bede calls it Calca-cester who tells us farther that k Heina the first woman of this Country that turned Nun came to this City and lived in it Again here is by the town a hill called Kelcbar which still retains something of the old name For other proofs of Antiquity not to mention its situation near a Roman Consular way there are many Coins of Roman Emperours digged up in it the marks of a trench quite round the town and the platform of an old Castle still remaining out of the ruins of which a bridge was made over the Wherf not many years ago Not far from this bridge the Wherf glides gently into the Ouse And really considering the many currents that fall into it this so shallow and easie stream from the bridge is very strange and might well give occasion to what a certain Gentleman that passed it in the summer-time said of it Itinerary of T. Edes Nil Tadcaster habet Musis vel carmine dignum Praeter magnificè structum sine flumine pontâ—m Nothing in Tadcaster deserves a name But the fair bridge that 's built without a stream Yet if he had travell'd this way in winter he would have thought the bridge little enough for the river For as Natural Philosophers know very well the quantity of water in springs and rivers ever depends upon the inward or outward heat and cold 10 Whereupon in his return he finding here durt for dust and full current water under the bridge recanted with these Verses Quae Tadcaster erat sine flumine pulvere plena Nunc habet immensum fluvium pro pulvere lutum ee Nid
dedicated his Books of the Ecclesiastical History of England and who afterwards Rog. Hoveden renouncing the World took upon him the habit of a Monk in the Church of Lindisfern and listed himself a Souldier of the Kingdom of Heaven his body being afterwards translated to the Church of Northam When also the Danes had miserably wasted the Holy Issand wherein S. Cuthbert so much magnified by Bede was Bishop and lay buried some endeavour'd by a religious stealth to convey his body beyond Sea but the winds standing contrary they with all due reverence deposited the sacred Body at * The printed Books have corruptly Bulbeford Will. Malmesb de Gest Pont. lib. 1. Ubbanford whether a Bishop's See or no is uncertain near the river Twede where it lay for many years till the coming of King Ethelred This and other matters were taught me for I shall always own my Instructors by George Carlton born at this place being son to the Keeper of Norham-Castle whom for his excellent Proficiency in Divinity whereof he is Professor and other polite Learning I love and am lov'd by him and I were unworthy of that love if I should not acknowledge his Friendship The old people told us that at Killey Killay a little neighbouring Village below Norham were found within the memory of our Grandfathers the studds of a Knight's Belt A golden Hilt and the hilt of a Sword of massie Gold which were presented to T. Ruthall Bishop of Durham A little lower you have the mouth of Twede on the farther bank whereof stands Berwick Berwick the last Town in England and best fortify'd in all Britain hh Some derive the name of this Town from one Berengarius a Romantick Duke Leland fetches it from Aber the British word for the mouth of a river and so makes Aberwick to signifie a Fort built upon such a mouth But they will best understand the true etymology of it who know what is meant by the word Berwicus in the Charters of our Kings Ingulphus renders Berwicus a Mannour wherein nothing's more common than I give the Townships of C. and D. cum suis Berwicis ii For my part what it should mean I know not unless it be a Hamlet or some such dependency upon a place of better note For in the Grants of Edward the Confessor Totthill is call'd the Berwicus of Westminster Wandlesworth the Berwicus of Patricksey and a thousand of the like But why all this pains 'T is lost labour if as some maintain the Saxons call'd it anciently Beornica-ƿic that is the Town of the Bernicians for that this part of the Country was call'd Bernicia we have already noted and the thing is too well known to be here repeated But whence ever it had its name its situation carries it a good way into the sea so that that and the Twede almost incircle it Being seated betwixt two mighty Kingdoms as Pliny observes of Palmyra in Syria it has always been the first place that both Nations in their wars have had an eye on insomuch that ever since Edward the first wrung it out of the Scotch hands the English have as often retaken it as the Scots have ventur'd to seize it But if the Reader pleases we will here give him a summary abstract of its History The oldest account I find of Berwick is that William King of Scots being taken prisoner by the English pawn'd it for his ransom to our Henry the second redeemable only within such a time kk Whereupon says the Polychronicon of Durham Henry immediately fortify'd it with a Castle But Richard the first restor'd it to the Scots upon their payment of the money Afterwards King John as the History of Melross reports took the Town and Castle of Berwick at the same time that he burnt Werk Roxburgh Mitford and Morpath and with his Rutars wasted all Northumberland because the Barons of that county had done homage to Alexander King of Scots at Feltun A great many years after this when John Baliol King of Scotland had broken his Oath Edward the first reduc'd Berwick in the year of our Lord 1297. But soon after the fortune of war favouring the Scots our men quitted it and they seiz'd it but the English forthwith had it surrender'd to them again Afterwards in the loose reign of Edward the second Peter Spalding surrender'd it to Robert Brus King of Scots who warmly besieg'd it and the English vainly attempted its recovery till our Hector Edward the third bravely carry'd it in the year 1333. In the reign of Richard the second some Scottish Moss-troopers surpriz'd the Castle which within nine days was recover'd by Henry Percie Earl of Northumberland Within seven years after this the Scots regain'd it but by purchace not by their valour Whereupon the said Henry Percie being then Governour of the Town was accus'd of High-treason but he also corrupted the Scots with money and so got it again A long time after this when England was almost spent in civil wars Henry the sixth being already fled into Scotland deliver'd it up to the King of Scots the better to secure himself in that Kingdom Two and twenty years after Thomas Stanley with a great loss of men reduc'd it to the obedience of Edward the fourth Since which time the Kings of England have several times fortify'd it with new works but especially Queen Elizabeth who lately to the terrour of the enemy and security of the Burghers hath drawn it into a less compass than before and surrounded it with a high stone wall of firm Ashler work which is again strengthen'd with a deep ditch bastions and counterscarp so that its fortifications are so strong and regular that no besiegers can hope to carry it hereafter Not to mention the valour of the Garrison and the surprizing plenty of Ammunition and all warlike stores Be it also remember'd that the Governour of this place was alwaies a person of the greatest wisdom and eminence among the English Nobility and was also Warden of these eastern Marches The Mathematicians have plac'd this Town in 21 degrees and 43 minutes of longitude and in 55 and 48 of northern latitude So that the longest day in this climate consists of seventeen hours and 22 minutes and its night has only six hours and 38 minutes Brita has 〈◊〉 of Day So truly has Servius Honoratus written of this Country Britain says he has such plenty of day that she has hardly any room for night Nor is it a wonder that the Souldiers of this Garrison are able to play all night at dice without a candle if we consider their thorow twilight and the truth of Juvenal's expression Minimâ contentos nocte Britannos Britains with shortest nights content Take at parting J. Jonston's Verses upon Berwick Scotorum extremo sub limite Meta furoris Saxonidum gentis par utriusque labor Mille vices rerum quae mille est passa ruinas Mirum quî potuit tot superesse
the south the Irish Sea upon the west the Frith of Clyde upon the north Carick and Kyle and to the north-east the river of Nith 'T is in length from North-east to South-west about seventy miles in breadth from North to South in some places 24 in others 20. and in others only sixteen It is divided into the Higher and Lower Country The Higher lyes between the water of Cree and the point or Mule making the Sheriffdom The Lower takes up the rest namely all upon the water of Cree making the Stewardry of Kilcumbright The plenty of pastures induces them to keep vast flocks of Sheep as also of Cows which they send into England in great numbers when there is no Prohibition b The second part of the Novantes is said to be the Sheriffdom of Aire so called from the Town of Aire the head Burgh of the shire though the north part of this tract seems rather to have belonged to the Damnii The country is bounded on the north by the Shire of Rainfrew on the south with Galloway on the east with Clidsdale and on the west with the Frith of Clyde It generally produces good store of Corn and Grass is very populous and the Inhabitants of it are exceeding industrious 'T is divided into three Baileries Carick Kyle and Cunningham The most considedrable Loch in it is that of Dun six mile in length and two in breadth with an Isle in it upon which is an old house call'd Castle-Dun Upon the Water Down is a bridge of one arch ninety foot long But the most noted place in these parts is Aire the chief market-town in the west of Scotland Theatr. Scot. * It 's situation is in a sandy plain yet hath it pleasant and fruitful fields with Greens which afford a good prospect both winter and summer The Church is stately enough and there is a bridge of four arches which joyns it to the New-Town seated on the north side of the water The ancient name of this Aire was St. John's Town but that is now lost By the King's Patent it is the Sheriff's Seat having within its Jurisdiction thirty two miles A mile north of the Town not far from the sea-shore there is a Lazer-house commonly called the King's Chapel which King Robert de Brus set apart for the maintenance of Lepers DAMNII BEyond the Novantes along the River Glotta and Cluyde and farther up even to the very Eastern sea dwelt the Damnii and if I have any judgment for who can give the certainty of things at such a distance and in so much obscurity in Cluydesdale the Barony of Renfraw Lenox Sterling Menteith and Fife CLVYDESDALE NEAR the head of the Cluyde Cluydesdale in Crawford-Moor among the wasts certain Husbandmen of the Country after violent Rains happened to find a sort of shavings of Gold which hath long given great hopes of much riches more especially in our times since B. Bulmer hath undertaken with great application to find out a Mine of Gold A Gold Mine They certainly dig up daily * Azurum the Lapis Lazuli with little or no labour Crawford-Castle together with the title of Earl of Crawford The Lindsays Earls of Crawford was conferr'd by K. Robert the 2. on James Lindesay who in a single Combat with Baron Welles an Englishman got much commendation for his valour The Lindsays have generally deserved well of their Country and are of antient Nobility ever since William Lindesay married one of the Heirs of William de Lancaster Lord of Kendal in England whose great grand-daughter was married into the honourable family of Coucy in France The Cluyd after with much strugling it hath forced its way Northward by the seat of Baron Somervill Baron Somervill receives from the West the river Duglas or Douglas so called of its dark greenish water This river gives name to the Valley through which it runs called Douglasdale and to the Castle therein which gives its name to the family of Douglass This family is very antient but hath been most eminent ever since James Douglas Douglass or Duglass stuck always very close to King Robert Brus and was ever ready with extraordinary courage and singular prudence to assist him while he claim'd the Kingdom in those troublesom times to him it was that the same Robert gave his heart in charge to be conveyed to the Holy Land for the performance of his Vow In memory whereof the Douglasses The Douglasses has inserted a Man's heart in their Coat of Arms. Since when this family hath grown up to such mighty power and greatness especially after William's being created Earl of Douglass by David the 2. that they have awed even the Kings themselves for almost at the same time it had six Earls of it viz. of this Douglas of Angus Ormond Wigton Murray and of Morton amongst whom the Earl of Wigton for his Martial valour and in requital of his good services was honour'd by K. Charles the 7. of France with the Title of Duke of Tourain Dukes Tours Touraâ—â— and left the same to two Earls of Douglass his heirs Above the confluence of the Douglas and the Cluyde lies Lanerick Sheriffdom oâ— Laneriâ—â— the hereditary Sheriffdom of the Hamiltons who owe their name to Hamilton-Castle seated somewhat higher upon the Cluyd's bank in a place extremely pleasant and fertile †* See 〈◊〉 of it inâ—â— Additâ—â—â— The Hâ—milton but their original is from England as they give out from a certain Englishman sirnamed Hampton who taking part with Robert Brus received from him large possessions in this tract Their Estate was much augmented by King James the 3d's liberality who gave his own eldest sister after he had taken her from Boid in marriage to James Hamilton together with the Earldom of Arran but their Honours by the States of the Kingdom who after the death of King James 5. ordained James Hamilton this Lord's Grandson Regent of Scotland who was likewise made Duke of Chasteau-Heralt Duke 〈◊〉 Chastâ—â—â— Heralâ— in Poictou by Henry the 2. King of France as also by K. James 6. who created his son John Marquiss of Hamilton Marquâ—â—â— Hamilâ—â—â— a title new and never us'd before in Scotland The Glotta or Cluyd runs from hence by Bothwell Earls Bothwâ—â—â— proud of its Earls viz. John Ramsey too great a creature of K. James the 3d's to his own and the Prince's ruin and the Hepburns of whom before Then it runs streight through Glasgow Glascoâ— antiently a Bishop's see but long discontinued till restored by K. William Now an Archbishoprick and an University Anno 1154. founded by Bishop Turnbull who for the advancement of Religion built a College here It is the most celebrated Mart of this Tract much commended for its pleasant situation and plenty of Fruit having also a handsome bridge supported with eight Arches * See the â—â—aditions Of which thus J. Johnson Non te Pontificum
of the British Sea we are assured by Pomponius Mela who was himself a Spaniard where he tells us that the Pyrenaean mountains shoot out as far as the British Sea Nature has scatter'd certain Islands up and down in this Sea for shew and ornament some few on the East and South but on the West and North sides very many These stand so thick that they as it were embroider the Seas and paint it with several colours But since Ireland far exceeds the rest both its largeness and reputation may justly claim the first place in this Treatise IRELAND The Vergiviâ—n Ocean IN the Vergivian Sea so called not as some think à virgendo but from Mor Weridh for this is the British name of it or else from Farig which is the Irish lyes the most famous Isle of Ireland upon the West side of Britain Formerly it was thought the most eminent Island in the world but two For thus the antient Geographer writes of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. Among the Islands Taprobane in India must first take place for renown and greatness next to it Britain and in the third place Ireland another Island of the Britains And therefore Ptolemy calls it Britannia Parva Lib. mag Constructio is or Little Britain By a â—â—pris Orph. in Argon Orpheus Aristotle and Claudian it is b Of the several names of Ireland see Sir James Wate's Antiquitates Hibernicae p. 1. called Ierna by Juvenal and Mela Juverna by Diodorus Siculus Iris by Martianus Heracleota 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Eustathius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Inhabitants Erin by the Britains Yverdon and by the English Ireland From whence these names are derived as in a point obscure and difficult there have been many and those different opinions Some will have Ireland deduced ab hiberno tempore others from Iberus a Spaniard others from the River Iber and the Author of the Eulogium from a Captain called Irnalph Postellus in his publick Lectures at Paris upon Pomponius Mela to shew somewhat exquisite and singular derives it from the Jews so that Irin is quasi Iurin that is a land of the Jews For he says That the Jews forsooth being the most skilful Southsayers and presaging that the Empire of the world would at last settle in that strong angle * Ad Caurum towards the West took possession of these parts and of Ireland very early and that the Syrians and the Tyrians also endeavoured to settle themselves there that they might lay the foundation of a future Empire However I must beg the Reader 's pardon if I cannot subscribe to these opinions nay even that which is generally took for granted of its being called ab hiberno tempore tho' I must own at the same time how I have heard that the wind from whatever quarter it blows here is cold and piercing as if it were in winter Hibernia Juverna and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are without question descended from Ierna the name we find of it in Orpheus and Aristotle and so likewise is Ierna Iris Iverdhon and Ireland from Erin the name by which the Inhabitants themselves call it And therefore the original is to be sought from this Irish word Erin only And here I am pusled and as much at a stand as the great Philosophers heretofore For I am not able so much as to guess or imagine any thing likely of this matter in question unless it might perhaps come from Hiere an Irish word signifying the West or a tract Westward and so Erin importing as much as a West-country be derived from it This conjecture was so plausible that it formerly satisfied me both because this is the most Westward country in Europe being but twelve degrees distant from the utmost point in that quarter and also because the most Western c Now called Kinmaire river in this Island is called Iernus by Ptolemy and the most Westward Promontory in Spain from whence our Irish were transplanted is called Ierne by Strabo and the river next it which lyes also more Westward than any other in Spain is named Ierna by Mela. From this Westwardly situation likewise Spain it self was termed Hesperia the Western Cape in Africa Hesperium cornu and Westrich Westphalen in Germany c. are so call'd upon the same reason So that it is not at all strange that this country should derive its name from a Western situation Besides the names of Ireland already mentioned the Irish Bards in their Ballads called it d This should be Firbolg or Firbolug i.e. Viri Belgici as Totidanan should be Tuah-de-Danan i.e. Populus Danomus and were names of certain septs of Inhabitants as Scots Picts Saxons c. in Britain 'T is possible they might be Colonies of the Bâ—lgae and Damnonia or Damnonia of Britain Tirvolac Totidanan and Banno as by far the most antient names of this Island But upon what account I know not unless this Banno be the Bannomanna Bannomanna which Pliny out of Timaeus mentions where he describes the utmost parts of Europe and the shore of the Northern Ocean on the left from Scythia as far as Cadez For it does not yet appear to Geographers what this Bannomanna was Biaun in Irish signifies holy and the Island it self is called sacred or the e Vide Pindar Pyth. 4. Scholiast Insula sacra by Festus Avienus in that book of his entitl'd Orae Maritimae Sacra Insula Orae Maritima which he collected out of the antient Geographers Hecateus Milesius Hellanicus Lysbius Philaeus Atheniensis Caryandaeus Pausymachus Samius Damastus Euctimon and others f Isacius Tzetzes says Seldâ—n in his Comment upon Licâ—piâ—r p. 155. seems to mean Ireland by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But I will subjoyn his verses for when he speaks of the Ostrymide-Islands he says Ast hinc duobus in Sacram sic insulam Dixêre prisci solibus cursus rati est Haec inter undas multum cespitem jacit Eamque latè gens Hibernorum colit Propinqua rursus insula Albionum patet Hence to the Holy Isle the antient name Two suns will bring you through the pathless stream Where falling turf advanceth every tide O're spacious tracts the roving Irish spread And neighb'ring Albion shows her lofty head If that Ogygia which Plutarch places on the West of Britain were a matter of real truth Ogygia In Lib. 〈◊〉 Ma◠〈◊〉 Lunâ— and not fictitious and mere dreams one would take Ireland to be there signified by that name tho' the stories themselves which are told of it are all of them Romantick and idle Nor is it easie perhaps to find a reason why they should call it Ogygia unless from the antiquity of it for the Greeks never attributed that name to any thing that was not particularly antient Robertus Constantinus seems to have been quite out in affirming our Ireland to be meant by Cerne in Lycophron For Lycophron
p United to Dublin Glendelac q United to Leighlin Fern. Ossory otherwise r And Kilkenny de Canic Å¿ Leighlin Lechlin Kildare otherwise Dare. Under the Archbishop of Cassil are the Bishops of t Killaloe Laonie or de Kendalnan Limrick Isle of Gathy u Kilfenora united either to Kâ—illaloo or Tuam Cellumabrath x Emly annext to Cashell Melice or de Emileth Rosse otherwise Roscree Waterford otherwise Baltifordian y Lismore united to Waterford Lismore z Cloyne Clon otherwise de Cluanan Corcage or Cork a Rosse united to Cork De Rosalither b Ardfort united to Lamerick Ardefert Under the Archbishop of Tuam are the Bishops of Duac otherwise c Kilmacough united to Clonfert Killmacduoc De Mageo Enachdun De Cellaiaro De Roscomon Clonfert d United to Killalla Achad 5 Or Achâ—iry Hol. Lade otherwise e Killalla Killaleth De Conani De Killmanduach Elphin ¶ Besides these alterations already mentioned the Bishopricks of Rathluc Dalnliquir Isle of Gathay Roscree Mage Enachdun de Câ—laiar Râ—scomon and Câ—nany are united to some of the rest so that there are no such in being at this day MOMONIA or MOUNSTER MOmonia in Irish Mown and in compound wown in English Mounster lies southward open to the Vergivian-sea separated from Connaught for some while by the river Siney or Shanon and from Lemster by the river Neor Formerly it was divided into many parts as Towoun i.e. North Mounster Deswoun i.e. South Mounster Heir woun West Mounster Mean-woun Middle Mounster and Urwoun the fore part of Mounster but at this day into two parts West Mounster and South Mounster The West Mounster was in old time the country of the Luceni the Velabri and the Uterini the South was that of the Oudiae or Vediae and the Coriondi but at present it is distinguished into a Into â—â—x at present Cork Kerry Limerick Clare Typerary and Waterford seven Counties Kerry Desmond Cork Limerick Tiperary Holy-Cross and Waterford In the most westward part of Ireland and where it tents towards the Cantabrian Ocean confronting at a great distance south-westward Gallitia in Spain the Velabri and the Luceni formerly inhabited as Orosius writes The Luceni of Ireland who seem to derive their name and origînal from the Lucensii of Gallitia in the opposite coast of Spain Lucâ—ni of whose name some remains are to this day in the Barony of Lyxnaw were seated as I suppose in the County of Kerry and in b Conilogh Conoglogh hard by upon the River Shanon The County of KERRY THE County of Kerry near the mouth of the Shannon shoots forth like a little tongue into the sea roaring on both sides of it This County stands high and has many wild and woody hills in it between which lye many vallies whereof some produce corn others wood This c It was soâ— but is not at prâ—sent is reckoned a County Palatine and the Earls of Desmond had herein the dignity and prerogatives of a Count Palatine by the gift of King Edward the third who granted them all royalties excepting the trying of four pleas Fire Rape Forestall and Treasure-trouve with the profits arising de Croccis which were reserved to the King of England But this liberty through the weakness of such as either would not or knew not how to use it became the very sink of all mischief and the refuge of seditious persons In the very entrance into this Country there is a territory called Clan-moris Câ—an-Moâ—â—â— from one Moris of the family of Raimund la Grosse whose heirs were successively called Barons of Lixnaw Cross through the middle of it runs a little river now nameless though perhaps by its situation â—â— riv that which Ptolemy calls the Dur and passes by Trailey a small town now almost desolate where has been a house of the Earls of Desmund Hard by lyes Ardurt â—â—hâ—prick 〈◊〉 the See of a poor Bishop called of Ardefertb. Almost in the end of this promontory there lies on one side Dingle â—â—â—gâ—e a commodious haven and on the other Smerwick â—â—erwick contracted from St. Mary-wic a road for ships d Now united to Limerick where lately as Girald Earl of Desmund a man basely treacherous to his Prince and Country wasted and spoiled Mounster arrived some * Tumulâ—â—â—â—i confused troops of Italians and Spaniards sent to his assistance by Pope Gregory the thirteenth and the King of Spain who fortified themselves here calling it Fort del Ore and threatning the Country with great ruin But this danger was ended by the coming and first onset of the Viceroy the most famous and warlike Baron Art Lord Grey Lord Arthur Grey For they forthwith surrendered and were put to the sword most of them which was thought in policy the wisest and safest course considering the then present posture of affairs and that the rebels were ready to break out in all quarters In conclusion the Earl of Desmund was himself forced to fly into the woods thereabouts for shelter and soon after set upon in a poor cottage by one or two soldiers who wounded him so being discovered he was beheaded for his disloyalty and the mischief he had done this Country Perhaps some will impute it to want of gravity and prudence in me A ridiculous persuasion of the wild Irish if I give an account of an old opinion of the wild Irish and still current among them That he who in the great clamor and outcry which the soldiers usually make with much straining before an onset does not huzza as the rest do is suddenly snatch'd from the ground and carried flying into these desart vallies from any part of Ireland whatsoever that there he eats grass laps water has no sense of happiness nor misery has some remains of his reason but none of his speech and that at long run he shall be caught by the hunters and brought back to his own home DESMONIA or DESMOND BEneath the Country of the old Luceni lyes Desmond stretching out a long way with a considerable breadth towards the South in Irish Deswown in English Desmond formerly peopled by the Velabri Vâ—â—â—â—ri and the Iberni who in some Copies are called Uterini The Velabri may seem to derive their name from Aber i.e. aestuaries for they dwelt among such friths upon parcels of ground divided from one another by great incursions of the Sea from which the Artabri and Cantabri in Spain also took their names Among the arms of the sea here there are three several Promontories besides Kerry above mentioned shoot out with their crooked and winding shores to the South-west which the Inhabitants formerly called Hierwoun i.e. West-mounster The first of them which lyes between Dingle-bay and the river Mair is called Clan-car and has a castle built at Dunkeran by the Carews of England a It is nâ—w divided into the Baronies of
winter what they lost in summer they were now worsted alike in both seasons In all these actions Agricola would never rob another of the honor due to him but let him be Captain or whatever other Officer he would faithfully attest the bravery of the Action Some have counted him too sharp and bitter in his reproofs and it must be granted that as he was affable and courteous to the good so was he morose to the bad But then anger never continued longer than the reprehension lasted If he pass'd a thing by without notice there was no fear upon that account for he thought it more excusable even to commit the offence than to hate an offender The fourth summer was spent in setling what he had already overrun and if the valor of his armies and the glory of the Roman Empire could have permitted it they needed not have sought any other boundary in Britain Glota and Bodotria the two arms of opposite seas which shoot into the Country are parted by a narrow strip of land only which was then secured by our garisons so that the Romans were masters of all on this side having pent up the enemy as it were within another Island In the fifth year of this war Agricola first took shipping and sail'd over to certain nations never before known of which after many prosperous encounters he subdued and then put garisons into those parts of Britain which lie towards Ireland more out of hopes than out of fear For Ireland Ireland being situated between Spain and Britain and lying convenient for the French Sea would with many other advantages have united those mighty members of the Empire As for its bigness 't is less than Britain but larger than the Islands of our sea The soil the temperature of the air the nature and manners of the people are not much different from the British The ports and havens are better known by reason of more trade and commerce Agricola had formerly received a Prince of that country driven out by civil wars and under pretence of friendship had kept him for a fair occasion I have often heard him say that with one legion and some few auxiliaries Ireland might be conquer'd and retain'd and that it would be of great import and consequence to our interest in Britain if the Roman forces were on all hands and liberty as it were banish'd out of sight About this time dy'd Titus who for these exploits of Agricola was saluted Emperor fifteen times as Xiphilin tells us and as 't is manifest from an old coin Under Domitian Agricola in the sixth year of his Lieutenancy being apprehensive of a general insurrection * Ampla Civitas al. Amplas civitates in those large cities and remote countries beyond Bodotria and that his march would be made very troublesome by the enemy sent out a fleet that summer to try the creeks and havens of the large country beyond it Thus Agricola was the first that ever seconded his land army by a fleet and what was very great that brought war upon them both by land and sea Oftentimes it happen'd that the troopers the foot soldiers and the seamen would meet and make merry together in the same camp each one magnifying his own feats and adventures and making their vaunts and comparisons souldier-like the one of the woods and high mountains the other of the dangers of the waves and tempests The one valuing himself upon the land and the enemy the other upon the sea it self subdued by him The Britains as we understood by the prisoners were amaz'd and daunted at the sight of this fleet considering that if once their sea was discover'd and navigable all retreat and refuge would be cut off Whereupon the Caledonians with great preparation but as 't is always with things unknown not so great as reported broke out into open war and assaulted our castles that by being aggressors they might discourage us so that some poor spirits on our side under shew of prudence advis'd Agricola to retire on this side Bodotria and rather make a voluntary retreat than a forc'd one In the mean time we had advice that the enemy's design was to divide and attack us in many places at once Whereupon lest he should lie under disadvantage by the number of the enemy and their knowledge of the country he likewise divided his army into three bodies They having intelligence of this forthwith took another course and in one entire body fell all upon our ninth legion as being the weakest and between sleep and fear in the night cut off our centinels and broke in among them Thus the battle began in the very camp when Agricola having found out the enemies march by his scouts traces them and sends in the lightest of his horse and foot upon their backs which were seconded with the huzza's of the whole army and the appearance of their colours towards break of day This danger on all sides terrifi'd the Britains and the Romans taking heart at it and knowing there could be no danger fought now for honour They gave them a fresh onset and after a sharp dispute at the very gates put them to the rout while both our armies were contending the one to come up timely with their assistance the other not to seem to need it If the fens and woods had not protected the enemy in this flight they had been utterly conquered Upon this constancy and the news of our victory the whole army grew so resolute that they thought nothing invincible to them they clamour'd to be led into Caledonia and to fight their way through to the remotest part of Britain Thus they who were but just now requiring wary conduct are forward and blustering when the event is seen And this is always the case in war every one claims a share in that which is successful but misfortunes are always imputed to one single person However the Britains attributing all this to good luck and the conduct of the General and not to any valour in them were not at all dejected but went on to arm their young men to convey their wives and children into safe places and by assemblies and Religious rites to establish a confederacy among them And thus both armies left the field in great heat This summer a Cohort of Usipians rais'd in Germany and sent over into Britain undertook a very strange and memorable adventure Having kill'd their Captain and some Soldiers that were dispers'd among them to shew them how to exercise they fled and embark'd themselves in three vessels compelling the masters to carry them off but only one of them doing his duty the other two were slain upon suspicion and this strange kind of voyage the fact being not yet nois'd was much admir'd Afterward being toss'd up and down and falling upon some Britains that oppos'd them in their own defence often victorious and sometimes baffled they came to that pinch for want of provision at long run
opposition they resolutely made to defend their country being over-match'd in number and their territories not so well guarded by nature as to protect them But what we have said already may suffice for the Britains and the Romans However since I here treat of the Inhabitants I must not pass on without heeding what Zosimus relates Lib. 1. Vandals and Burguâ—dians in Briâ—aâ—â— though I took notice of it before That Probus the Emperor transplanted the Vandals and Burgundians he had conquered into Britain who being settled here proved very serviceable to the Romans whenever a sedition was hatching But where they could be seated unless it were in Cambridgeshire I cannot tell For Gervasius Tilburiensis takes notice of an old Vallum in this County which he calls Vandelsburg and says it was done by the Vandals I would not have any one imagine that in the time of Constantius the Carthaginians were seated here grounding their opinion upon that passage of Eumenius the Rhetorician Nisi forte non gravior Britarmiam ruina depresserat quam si perfusa tegeretur Oceano quae profundissimo Poenorum gurgite liberata ad conspectum Romanae lucis emersit i.e. Unless the grievance wherewith Britain was opprest were not greater than if it had been quite overwhelmed with the Ocean But now freed from a deep gulf of the Poeni lifts up it's head at the sight of the Roman light For there is an old Copy which belong'd to Humphrey Duke of Gloucester and after that to the Right Honourable Baron Burghly Lord High Treasurer of England wherein it is read Paenarum gurgitibus And he seems to treat of those grievances and punishments with which they were gall'd under Carausius From that of Agathias likewise in the second book of his History The Britains are a nation of the Hunns I would not have any one scandalize the Britains or conclude them to be Hunns For in one Greek Copy it is read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not Britones as I have been assured long since by the most learned Francis Pithaeus and as J. Lewenclaius a most deserving person for his knowledge in History has now published it The PICTS NOW for the other Inhabitants of Britain and first of the Picts who in the order of Antiquity are allow'd by Historians to come next the Britains Hector Boetius derives these people from the Agathyrsi Pomponius Lactus Aventinus and others from the Germans Some will have them from the Pictones in France and Bede from the Scythians It happen'd says he that the Picts sailed from Scythia as the report goes in some few gallies into Ireland and that having desired a seat of the Scots there without success they went over to Britain by their advice and settled upon the north part of it about the year 78 as many would have it In such See Bishop Usher's Antiquitat Britan. Eccles cap. 15. where their original is fully discussed Dr. Stiâ—lingfleet Orig. Britan. p. 246. proves them to have their oriâ—inal from Soundinavia variety of opinions I don't know which to adhere to however to shew as well as I can how the truth of this matter stands I will venture to deliver my own thoughts of it And unless the Authority of Venerable Bede was a sufficient counterpoise to any conjecture I should be apt to think that the Picts were not transplanted from other countreys but originally Britains and the offspring of them I mean those very Britains who before the Romans came here inhabited the north part of the Island and those who being a nation averse to slavery and then refusing to be hamper'd by the Romans afterwards joined them For just as those Britains did who in the Saxon invasion being loath to part with their liberty withdrew and retreated to the west-parts of the Island Wales and Cornwall full of craggy hills so doubtless the Britains in the Roman war rather than be brought under slavery the very worst of evils shifted to these northern parts frozen by excess of cold horrible in its rough and craggy places and imbogued by the washing in of the Sea and the sens in it where they were defended not so much by their weapons as by the sharpness of the air and weather and grew up with the natives of the country into a populous nation For Tacitus tells us that the enemies of the Romans were driven into these parts as into another Island by Agricola his father in law and no man questions but they were Britains that peopled these remote parts of the Island For can any one fancy that all those Britains at war with the Romans that amounted to an army of 30000 fighting men led out at once against Agricola and who gave Severus such great defeats that in one expedition seventy thousand of his Roman and confederate Troops were cut off were every soul of them destroyed without one remaining to propagate posterity so that we must needs fill the place with foreigners from Scythia or Thrace I am so far from believing it though Bede hath said it upon the credit of others that I had rather affirm them to have been so fruitful and multiplying that their own country was unable to allow them either room or food and that therefore they were constrain'd to overflow and in a manner overwhelm the Roman Province as afterwards they certainly did when the Scots settled there among them But because Bede writ this according to the report of others in those times I am very apt to believe that some from Scandia which was heretofore together with all that northern tract call'd Scythia might arrive among these Northern Britains by way of that continu'd set of Islands lying almost close to one another However lest any one imagine that I here impose upon my self by a specious lie I think I can shew from the manners name and language of the Picts wherein they will appear to be very agreeable with our Britains that they were indeed the very Britains themselves And therefore without taking notice that neither the Picts according to Bede nor the Britains according to Tacitus made any distinction of Sex in point of Government or excluded the Females from the Crown that fashion of painting and dawbing themselves with colours was common to both nations Thus much we have already observ'd among the Britains and Claudian will shew us the same among the Picts Nec falso nomine Pictos Edomuit In happy war o'recame The Picts that differ nothing from their name Again Ferroque notatas Perlegit exanimes Picto moriente figuras And oft survey'd Pale ir'n-burnt figures on the dying Pict Isidorus is no less clear in this matter The Pict's name exactly answers their body because they squeeze out the juice of herbs and imprint it in their bodies by pricking their skins with a needle so that the spotted nobility bear these scars in their painted limbs as a badge and indication of their honour Now shall we imagine that these Picts were Germans who
bridge of a great many arches and a stately fabrick partly of stone and tyles laid flat upon one another SUSSEX By Robt. Morden At a little distance from the Thames we see Combe-Nevil Combe-Nevil a seat of the Harveys where have been found Medals and Coins of several of the Roman Emperors especially of Dioclesian the Maximinians Maximus Constantine the Great c. h Not far from whence is None-such None-such so much magnify'd by our Author for it's curious structure but now there 's nothing of all this to be seen scarce one stone being left upon another which havock is owing to the late Civil Wars i To the north-east is Beddington â—eddington where not only the Orchards and Gardens in general as our Author has observ'd but particularly its Orange-trees deserve our mention They have now been growing there more than a hundred years and are planted in the open ground under a moveable Covert during the winter-months They were the first that were brought into England by a Knight of that noble family who deserves no less commendation than Lucullus met with for bringing cherry and filbert-trees out of Pontus into Italy for which we find him celebrated by Pliny and others Next is Ashsted â—shâ—ted where the honourable Sir Robert Howard brother to the Earl of Barkshire has enclosed a fair new house within a park laid out and planted the fields pastures and arables about it in such order and with so great improvements as to make it vye with the most considerable dry seats in this County There was near it formerly a mean decaâ—'d farm-house yet for the wholsome air breathing from the hills it was often resorted to by Thomas Earl of Arundel and Surrey of whose grandson father of the present Duke of Norfolk Sir Robert purchas'd it At some distance from hence is Woodcote â—ooâ—cote a pleasant seat among groves much adorn'd by the widow Evelyn lately deceas'd to which belong those medicinal Wells â—psâ—m-â—â—â—s that rise in the adjoyning Common They are tinctur'd with Allom and of late years are in so much repute as to occasion a very great increase of buildings in the parish of Epsom for the reception and entertainment of such as resort hither for the sake of the Spaws with the diversion of the Downs hard by Near the Thames and south of London lyes Dullwich â—ullwich where William Allen sometime a famous Comedian in King James 1.'s time erected and endow'd a pretty College and a fair Chapel for 6 poor men and as many poor women with a school for the education of 12 children Here are also Medicinal Springs call'd Sidnam-wells as likewise there are at Streeteham both of them frequented in their proper seasons Northward from hence is South-wark â—uthwark where is one thing of note the Grant of S. Mary Overies Church to the Church-wardens and their Successors for ever together with the Tithes to provide two Chaplains at their pleasure who are neither presented nor endowed and thus it differs from all other Churches in England Here lye bury'd the learned Bishop Andrews and our famous English Poet Gower A very ample and ancient palace with fair gardens belonging to the Bishops of Winchester is now converted into Tenements And here in the close we must not omit the mention of one who was a general Benefactor to the whole County His name was Smith once a Silver-smith in London but did not follow that trade long He afterwards went a begging for many years and was commonly call'd Dog-Smith because he had a Dog always follow'd him When he dy'd he left a very great Estate in the hands of Trustees upon a general account of Charity and more particularly for Surrey After they had made a considerable improvement of the estate and purchas'd several Farms they settl'd 50 l. per An. or thereabouts upon every market-town in Surrey or gave 1000 l. in money Upon every Parish except one or two they settl'd a yearly revenue upon some 6 l. others 8. and upon the rest more or less as they thought convenient But this Charity was not limited to Surrey but left to the Trustees to extend to other places of the kingdom as they found occasion and so the revenue is greater out of this County than what is paid in it Continuation of the EARLS From that Thomas whom Richard 3. made Earl of Surrey there were three of the same name and family who successively enjoy'd this Honour the last whereof dying 1646. was succeeded by Henry his son and Henry by his son Thomas from whom it went to Henry his brother Plants growing wild in Surrey Aria Theophrasti Ger. See the Synonymes in Somersetshire The white Beame tree or mountain Service tree About Croyden Park 1421. Common in the Copses near the Downs Acorus verus sive Calamus Officinarum Park Verus sive Calamus aromaticus Officinarum C. B. Verus Officinis falsò Calamus Ger. Calamus aromaticus vulgaris multis Acorum J. B. The sweet smelling Flag or Calamus Found by Dr. Brown of Magdalen Coll. Oxon. about Hedley in this County Buxus arbor The Box tree On Box hill near Darking thence denominated plentifully Dentaria major Matthiolo Ger. Orobanche radice dentata major C. B. radice dentata seu Dentaria major Matthiolo Park Anblatum Cordi sive Aphyllon J. B. The greater Toothwort Thomas Willisell shew'd it me in a shady lane not far from Darking in this County growing plentifully Rapunculus corniculatus montanus See the Synonymes in Hampshire Cat. Horned mountain Rampion with a round head of flowers On many places of the Downs Vicia Lathyroides nostras seu Lathyrus Viciaeformis Chichling Vetch Found by Tho. Willisell in Peckham field on the back of Southwark in a squalid watery place SVSSEX UNDER Suth-rey lies Suth-sex towards the south extending it self into a great length in ancient times the seat of the Regni and call'd in Saxon Suð-sex now Sussex as much as to say the Country of the South-Saxons A word compounded of it's Southerly situation and of the Saxons who in the Heptarchy plac'd here the second kingdom It lies all on the south-side upon the British Ocean with a streight shore as it were more in length than breadth but has but few Ports the sea being very dangerous by reason of it's Shelves and Sands which make it rough and the shore is full of Rocks 1 And the South-west wind doth tyrannize thereon casting up beach infinitely The sea-coast of this country has very high green hills call'd the Downs Downs which consisting of a fat chalky soil are upon that account very fruitful The middle-part being checquer'd with meadows pastures corn-fields and groves makes a very fine show The hithermost and northern-side is shaded most pleasantly with woods as anciently the whole Country was a which made it unpassable For the a It is now call'd the Weilde or Wild. Wood Andradswald in British Coid Andred
place on the banks of Avon is the principal town of this County which we call Warwick â—arwick the Saxons k Waeringwic Chron. Sax. Warring-Æ¿ic Ninnius and the Britains Caer Guaruic and Caer-Leon All these names since they seem to be l John Rous of Warwick derives it from Gwayr a British Prince and Matthew Paris in Vit. Offae from Waremund father of the first Offa King of the Mercians deriv'd either from the British word Guarth which signifies Praesidium or a Fortress or from Legions posted in such places for their security in a great measure inclin'd me to think altho' I am more of the Sceptick than Critick in matters of Etymology that this was that very town which in Britain by the Romans was call'd Praesidium â—â—sidium where as it is in the Notitia 2 Or abstract of Provinces the Praefect of the Dalmatian horse by the appointment of the Governour of Britain was posted These Troops were levied in Dalmatia and here we may observe the political prudence of the Romans who in their Provinces disposed and quart'red their foreign Troops in garrisons â—reign â—ops in â—rrison with whom and the natives by reason of the great diversity of language and humours there could not likely be any secret combinations form'd against their Government â—â—s l. 4. â—cit For as Florus writes Nations not habituated to the yoke of slavery would otherwise be always attempting to shake it off Whereupon it was that from Africa the Moors from Spain the Asturians and Vettones from Germany the Batavians the Nervii Tungri and Turnacenses from Gaul the Lingones and Morini and from other parts the Dalmatians Thracians Alains c. were brought over to serve in Britain as in their proper places we shall observe But to return to our business no one ought to think the Britains deriv'd the word Guarth from the Franks for if we believe Lazius 't is of Hebrew extraction in which original most Countries agree But that this was the Praesidium 3 That is the garrison-town the authority of our Annals may convince us assuring us that the Roman Legions had here a station and also its situation almost in the centre of the Province intimates no less For it lies at an equal distance from the coast of Norfolk on the East and of Wales on the West just such a situation as was that of Praesidium a town of Corsica in the heart of that Island Nor will it seem strange that the Romans should here have a fortress and military station if we consider its situation on a steep and rocky eminence over the river Avon and h the way on every side leading up to it cut through the rock That it hath been fortified with walls and a ditch is very manifest The castle is very strong both by nature and art the seat heretofore of the Earls of Warwick extending it self South-west i The town it self is adorn'd with fair buildings and owes very much of its beauty to Ethelfleda Lady of the Mercians who in the year 911. raised it out of its ruins At the Norman invasion it was in a flourishing state and had many Burgesses as they call them of whom 12 were by tenure to accompany the King in his wars as may be seen in Domesday-book He who upon warning given did not go was fined 100 shillings to the King But if the King cross'd the Seas against an enemy then they were either to send him four Boatswains or in lieu of them four pound in Deniers In this Barony the King hath in Demesne 113 Burgesses and the Barons of the King 112. Roger second Earl of Warwick of the Norman race built here in the middle of the town the beautiful Church of S. Mary which the Beauchamps succeeding Earls adorn'd with their Monuments †But his Monument in Worcester Cathedral where he lies buried tells us his name was Thomas Littleton More especially the last of the Beauchamps Richard Earl of Warwick and m Lieutenant General Governour of the Realm of France and of the Durchy of Normandy Governour of Normandy who dying at Roan in the year 1439. was with great magnificence and funeral pomp 4 And after a sumptuous Funeral solemniz'd in this Church lies entomb'd in a magnificent Tomb with this Inscription Pray devoutly for the soul whom Gâ—d assoil of one of the most worshipful Knights in his days of manhood and cunning Richard Beauchamp late Earl of Warwick Lord Despenser of Bergavenny and of many other great Lordships whose body resteth here under this Tomb in a full fair Vault of stone set in the bare Roche The which visited with long sickness in the castle of Roan therein deceased full Christianly the last day of April in the year of our Lord Gâ—d 1439. He being at that time Lieutenant General of France and of the Dutchy of Normandy by sufficient authority of our Soveraign Lord King Henry the sixth The which body by great deliberation and worshipful conduct by sea and land was brought to Warwick the fourth of October the year abovesaid and was laid with full solemn exequies in a fair Chest made of stone in the west door of this Chapel according to his last Will and Testament therein to rest till this Chapel by him devised in his life were made the which Chapel founded on the Roche and all the members thereof his Executors did fully make and apparel by the authority of his said last Will and Testament And thereafter by the said authority they did translate worshipfully the said body into the Vault aforesaid Honoured be God therefore brought over and interr'd here k Near Warwick to the North is Blacklow-hill Blacklow-hill on which Peter de * Al. Gaversden Gaveston whom Edward the second from a mean condition had raised to the honour of the Earldom of Cornwall n Guy de Beauchamp Earl of Warwick seiz'd on him at Wallingford as they were carrying him prisoner to London brought him hither and without any process of Law cut off his head was beheaded by the Barons For this man puff'd up with the favour of his Prince and the flattery of fortune had assumed an excessive liberty debauch'd the King vilify'd all good men prey'd upon the estates of all and like a crafty old Courtier promoted quarrels betwixt the King and the Nobility Hard by upon the Avon stands Guy-cliff Guy-cliff call'd by others Gibcliff the present seat of Thomas de Bellofago or Beaufoe of the old Norman race J. Rouse of Warwick This place is the seat of Pleasure it self there is a shady grove crystal springs mossey caves meadows ever green a soft and murmuring fall of waters under the rocks and to crown all solitude and quiet the greatest darling of the Muses Here fame tells us that Guy of Warwick Guy of Warwick that celebrated Hero after he had finish'd his Martial atchievements built a Chapel led a Hermit's life
wares and trade Howbeit exceeding much frequented for the Corn-fair there holden This hath for a near neighbour Arrow according to the name of the river whose Lord Thomas Burdet for his dependance upon George Duke of Clarence words unadvisedly uttered and hardly construed thro' the iniquity of the time lost his life But by his grand-daughter married to Edward Conway brother to Sir Hugh Conway of Wales a gracious favourite of K. Hen. 7. the Knightly family of the Conways have ever since flourished and laudably follow'd the profession of Arms. But from a very great town 't is reduc'd to a small market tho' very noted for all sorts of grain o Higher north-east where the Country is not so thick cloathed with woods stands Wroxhall Wroâ—hâ—ll where Hugo de Hatton built a little Monastery or Priory And Badesley Baddesâ—ey formerly the possession of the Clintons now of the Ferrars And Balshall Baâ—shaâ—l heretofore a Preceptory of the Templars which Roger de Mowbray gave them Register of the Teâ—plars and of the Order of St. John of Jâ—rusâ—â—em whose munificence to the Order of the Knights-Templars was so extraordinary that by unanimous consent of their Chapter they decreed that he should have the power of pardoning any Brother who had transgress'd the Rules of the Order provided he came and acknowledg'd his crime before this their Benefactor And the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem to whom all the t By the custom of this place the Tenants could not marry their daughters without the consent of the fraternity of Templars or Hospitalers as appears by an account taken 31 Hen. 2. possessions of the Templars in England were assign'd for to give to profane uses things once consecrated to God our Ancestors thought a crime not to be aton'd for in testimony of their gratitude granted to John Mowbray de Axholm See the Stat. aâ— Tempâ—ariâ— successor of the said Roger that he and his successors at every of the Assemblies of their Order should be received in the next degree of honour to Soveraign Princes More to the north-east in the midst of a Chase and Park a confluence of little streams form a Lake which being presently confin'd within Banks make a Chanel or Kennel Upon this stands Kenelworth Kenelworth commâ—â— Kilâ—ingworth heretofore vulgarly call'd Kenelworda and corruptly Killingworth From this town a most noble beautiful and strong Castle encompass'd with a Chase and Parks takes its name It was built neither by Kenulphus nor Kenelmus nor Kineglisus as some Historians have dreamt but by Geoffrey de Clinton Lord Chamberlain to King Henry 1. and his son as may be seen in authentick evidences after he had founded there a Monastery for Canons Regular But Henry his * Prâ—nâ—â— great grandchild wanting issue sold it to King Hen. 3. who granted it to Simon de Montefort Earl of Leicester with Eleanor his sister for her portion But presently after this bond of amity and friendship being broken and Earl Simon after dismal commotions being slain in the Barons Wars 8 Which he had rais'd upon fair pretext against his Sovereign the Castle endured a siege of six months and at last was surrender'd to King Hen. 3. 9 Who annex'd this Castle as an inheritance to Edmund his son Earl of Lancaster who made it part of the inheritance of the Lancastrian family At which time was made and publish'd the Edict which our Lawyers stile Dictum de Kenelworth whereby it was enacted that all who had taken up Arms against the King should pay five years value of all their lands c. A very wholsome piece of severity without effusion of blood to check those seditious spirits so pernicious to the Government whose only hopes were placed in the distractions of the State at that time But now of late by the royal munificence of Queen Elizabeth it became the seat of Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester who in rebuilding and adorning it spar'd no cost So that if you regard the magnificence of buildings and nobleness of the Chase and Parks lying round and belonging to it it may claim a second place among the stateliest Castles of England p From hence that I may pursue the same course I did in my journey I saw Solyhill in which was nothing worth seeing beside the Church Next Bremicham â—â—â—micham swarming with inhabitants and echoing with the noise of Anvils for here are great numbers of Smiths The lower part is very watery The upper rises with abundance of handsome buildings and 't is none of the least honours of the place that from hence the noble and warlike family of the Bremichams 10 Earls of Louth c. in Ireland had both their original and name From thence in the extreme point of this County northward lies Sutton Colefield in a foresty unkind and barren soil boasting of it's native John Voisy Bishop of Exeter who in the reign of Henry 3. raised up this little town then ruinous and decayed and adorn'd it with fair buildings great privileges and a Grammar-school q From hence going southward I came to Colesâ—ud belonging heretofore to the Clintons r and neighbour to this is Maxtock-Castle which in a continu'd succession had for it's Lords the Lindseys who were Lords of Wolverly the Odingsells having their original from Flanders and the Clintons who have been very eminent in this County Lower in the middle of this woody country is seated Coventry so called as I conjecture from a Convent for such a Convent in our Tongue we call a Covent or Covenn and frequently in our Histories and in the Pontifical Decrees this is call'd Conventria as particularly in that u This must relate to Alexander de Savensby who was consecrated 1224. and liv'd in the time of Pope Honorius 3. He was a very learned man but pretended to visions and apparitions scarce credible says Bishop Godwin Either the Bishop of Conventry is not in his right wits or he seems wilfully to have quitted common sense Yet some there are who will have the name taken from a rivulet running through it at this day called Shirburn and in an old Charter of the Priory â—conâ— 3. p. 14. â—â—cret Cuentford Whencesoever the name be taken this City some ages since being enrich'd with the Manufacture uu Now both these trades are much decay'd of Cloathing and Caps was the only Mart-town of this Country and of greater resort than could be expected from its Mid-land situation 'T is commodiously seated large and neat fortify'd with very strong walls and adorn'd with beautiful buildings amongst which two Churches of excellent Architecture stand near together as it were rivalling each other the one dedicated to the Holy Trinity the other to St. Michael There is nothing in it of very great antiquity That which seems to be the greatest monument is the Religious-house or Priory whose ruins I saw near these two Churches This King
the chief are the Dove the Hans Churnet Tein Blath and Trent which receives them all and carries them with it into the Sea The Dovus or Dove Dove bank'd with hard Limestone which they burn to manure their fields with runs swiftly for a great way along the East-part of this County severing it from Derbyshire by its white clayish chanel without any shelves of mud in it Lying in a Lime-stone soil it sucks in such richness from it that in the very middle of winter the meadows on both sides of it look fresh and green and if it overflows and lays the meadows afloat in April like another Nile it makes them so fruitful that the Inhabitants thereabouts joyfully tell you their common rhyme In April Dove's flood Is worth a King 's good This river will swell so much in twelve hours time that to the great terrour of the Inhabitants thereabouts it will wash off sheep and cattel and carry them along with it yet falls again within the same time and returns to its old bounds whereas the Trent being once over the banks keeps the field in float four or five days together But now for those rivers which run into it The first is Hans Hans which dipping under ground breaks out again three miles off The next that joyns it is the Churnet Churnet which runs by De-la-Cres De-la-Cres Abbey built by Ranulph the third of that name Earl of Chester Leike noted for its Market and then Aulton Aulton formerly the Castle of the Barons de Verdon 15 Who founded here the Abbey of Croxden from whom by the Furnivals it descended to the Talbots Earls of Shrewsbury A little lower the Tein Tein a small river runs into the Dove which rising not far from Cheddle the ancient seat of the Bassets descended from the Bassets of Draiton runs on in a course so uneven and winding that in a mile's riding I had it to cross four times Near this in Checley Church-yard Checley stand three stones raised Spire-like two of which have little images cut out in them and that in the middle is the highest The Inhabitants talk of an engagement between two Armies there the one with weapons the other without and that three Bishops were slain in that battel in memory of whom these stones were erected What historical truth may beveil'd under this story I am not as yet sensible 16 As for Blith it hath in this Moorland a little castle nam'd Careswell which Sir William Careswell built with great ponds having their heads made of square-stones and Draicot which gave a sirname to a family of great antiquity in this Country Now the Dove 17 After it hath receiv'd Tine runs under a firm Stone-bridge to Utcester Utcester in Saxon Uttok-cester seated upon a hill of easie ascent and rather rich upon the account of its fine meadows and cattel than neat and handsome in respect of building Before I saw it I took it for Etocetum being induc'd to this opinion by the affinity of the two names But now time has furnish'd me with more certainty in this matter Afterwards where the Dove draws towards the Trent it sees Tutbury Tutesbury castle formerly very large and also call'd Stutesbury commanding as it were the lower Country by its high situation on an Alabaster-hill built with the little Monastery by Henry de Ferrars a noble Norman to whom William the first gave large possessions in this County which were all lost by Robert de Ferrariis Earl of Derby upon his second revolt from Hen. 3. For tho' after the many troubles he had raised in the Barons war he was receiv'd again into favour by the King and then bound by a strict oath to be faithful to him for the future yet the restless temper of this man that he might make fortune comply by force since he could not by caress and courtship soon after hurry'd him again into arms against his Soveraign and being at last took that I may use the words of the record according to the form of his obligation he suffer'd this great loss of his whole estate and honour There is a lake some where in this Shire if Necham does not deceive us into which no wild beast will enter upon any account but since the place is uncertain and indeed the thing more In lib. de laudibus Divinae Sapientiae I will only subscribe these verses of Necham's about it intitled by him De Lacu in Staffordia Rugitu Lacus est eventûs praeco futuri Cujus aquis fera se credere nulla solet Instet odora canum virtus mors instet acerba Non tamen intrabit exagitata lacum A Lake that with prophetick noise does roar Where beasts can ne'er be forc'd to venture o'er By hounds or men or fleeter death pursu'd They 'll not plunge in but shun the hated flood Of another Lake also in this County Gervasius Tilburiensis Gerv. Tilburiensis in his Otia Imperialia to Ocho the fourth writes thus In the Bishoprick of Coventry and in the County of Stafford at the foot of the mountain Mahull so call'd by the inhabitants there is a water like a Lake very broad in the out-grounds of a village which they call Magdalea There is great store of wood all along upon the lake the water of which is very clear and so effectual in refreshing that when the hunters have given chace to a stag or other wild beast till their horses are spent and weary if they drink of this water in the scorching heat of the sun and likewise water their horses with it they recover their strength to run again to that degree that one would think they had not run at all As for the title of Stafford it has continu'd from Robert of Stafford whom William the Norman enrich'd with great possessions in his posterity till our times A family exceeding eminent and old and which has undergone several turns of fortune For first they were Barons of Stafford Earls and Barons of Stafford 18 Then few of them Earls viz. Ralph created by K. Edw. 3. Earl of Stafford who marry'd the heiress of Hugh Audley Earl of Glocester Hugh his son who dy'd in pilgrimage at Rhodes and his three sons successively Thomas and William both without issue and Edmund who took to wife the daughter and heiress of Thomas of Woodstock Duke of Buckingham Afterward three of them were Dukes of Buckingham and Earls of Stafford c. as it hath been before declared By the attainder of the last of them those ample inheritances c. then Earls after that Dukes of Buckingham and Earls of Stafford And now 't is their ill fortune to be fallen back to their old title of Baron only and those great estates which they have gain'd by their most honourable marriages are as it were fled and scatter'd In lieu whereof they enjoy a happy security which never cohabits with
cool briezes which by an innate salubrity of air renders the Country exceeding temperate On the East it hath the mountains of Talgarth and Ewias On the North as he saith 't is a more open and champain Country where 't is divided from Radnorshire by the river Wy upon which there are two towns of noted antiquity Bûalht â—â—â—â—ht a and Hay Bûalht is a town pleasantly seated with woods about it and fortified with a castle but of a later building by the Breoses and Mortimers when as RhÅ·s ap Gryffydh had demolished the old one At present 't is noted for a good market but formerly it seems to have been a place very eminent for Ptolemy observes the Longitude and Latitude of it and calls it Bullaeum â—â—â—â—â—eum Silurum b From this town the neighbouring part a mountainous and rocky Country is call'd Bualht into which upon the Incursion of the Saxons King Vortigern retir'd And there also by the permission of Aurelius Ambrosius his son Pascentius govern'd as we are inform'd by Ninnius who in his Chapter of Wonders relates I know not what prodigious story of a heap of stones here wherein might be seen the footsteps of King Arthur's Hound Hay in British Tregelhi which in English we may render Haseley or Hasleton lyes on the bank of the river Wy upon the borders of Herefordshire a place which seems to have been well known to the Romans since we often find their coyns there and some ruins of walls are still remaining But now being almost totally decay'd it complains of the outrages of that profligate Rebel Owen Glyn-Dowrdwy who in his march through these Countries consum'd it with fire c As the river Wy watereth the Northern part of this County so the Usk a noble river takes its course through the midst of it d which falling headlong from the Black-mountain and forcing a deep Chanel passes by Brecknock â—â—â—â—knock the chief town of the County placed almost in the Center thereof This town the Britains call Aber-Hondhy â—â—hodni â—â—do â—â—b from the confluence of the two rivers Hondhy and Usk. That it was inhabited in the time of the Romans is evident from several coyns of their Emperours sometimes found there Bernard Newmarch who conquered this small County built here a stately Castle which the Breoses and Bohuns afterward repaired and in our Fathers memory King Henry the eighth constituted a Collegiate Church of 14 Prebendaries in the Priory of the Dominicans which he translated thither from Aber-Gwily in Caer-mardhinshire Two miles to the East of Brecknock is a large Lake which the Britains call Lhyn Savèdhan and Lhyn Savà dhan Lhyn Savadham Giraldus calls it Clamosum from the terrible noise it makes like a clap of thunder at the cracking of the Ice In English 't is call'd Brecknockmere Brecknockmere it is two miles long and near the same breadth well stored with Otters and also Perches Tenches and Eels which the Fishermen take in their Coracls Lhewèni a small river having enter'd this Lake still retains its own colour and as it were disdaining a mixture is thought to carry out no more nor other water than what it brought in It hath been an ancient tradition in this neighbourhood that where the Lake is now there was formerly a City which being swallow'd up by an Earthquake resign'd its place to the waters d And to confirm this they alledge besides other arguments that all the high-ways of this County tend to this Lake Which if true what other City may we suppose on the river Lheweny but Loventium Loventium placed by Ptolemy in this tract which tho' I have diligently search'd for yet there appears no where any remains of the name ruins or situation of it Marianus which I had almost forgotten seems to call this place Bricenau-mere Bricenau-mere who tells us that Edelfleda the Mercian Lady enter'd the Land of the Britains Anno 913. in order to reduce a castle at Bricenaumere and that she there took the Queen of the Britains prisoner Whether that castle were Brecknock it self Brecknock-castle or Castelh Dinas on a steep tapering Rock above this Lake remains uncertain but it 's manifest from the Records of the Tower that the neighbouring castle of Blaen Lheveny Blaen Lheveni-castle was the chief place of that Barony which was the possession of Peter Fitz-Herbert the son of Herbert Lord of Dean-forest by Lucy the daughter of Miles Earl of Hereford e In the reign of William Rufus Bernard Newmarch the Norman a man of undaunted courage Lords of Brecknock and great policy having levied a considerable Army both of English and Normans was the first that attempted the reducing of this Country And having at length after a tedious war extorted it from the Welsh he built Forts therein and gave possession of Lands to his Fellow-souldiers amongst whom the chiefest were the Aubreys a Roger Gunter a younger brother of this family intermarrying with the daughter and heir of Thomas Stodey Esq â—3 Henr. 4. settled at Kintbury or Kentbury in Barkshire where the Family still remains Gunters Haverds Waldebeofs and Prichards And the better to secure himself amongst his enemies the Welsh he married Nêst the daughter of Prince Gruffydh who being a woman of a licentious and revengeful temper at once depriv'd her self of her own reputation and her son of his Inheritance For Mahel the only son of this Bernard having affronted a young Nobleman with whom she conversed too familiarly she as the Poet saith iram atque animos à crimine sumens depos'd before King Henry the second that her son Mahel was begotten in adultery Upon which Mahel being excluded the estate devolved to his sister Sibyl and in her right to her husband Miles Earl of Hereford whose five sons dying without issue this Country of Brecknock became the Inheritance of Bertha his daughter who had by Philip de Breos a son William de Breos Lord of Brecknock Called also Braus and Breus upon whom the seditious spirit and * Procax shrewd tongue of his ‖ Matildis de Haia wife drew infinite calamities For when she had utter'd reproachful language against King John the King strictly commanded her husband who was deep in his debt to discharge it Who after frequent demurrings at last mortgaged to the King his three castles of Hay Brecknock and Radnor which yet soon after he surprised putting the Garrisons to the Sword he also burnt the town of Lemster and thus with fire sword and depredations continued to annoy the Country omitting nothing of the common practice of Rebels But upon the approach of the King's forces he withdrew into Ireland where he associated with the King's enemies yet pretending a submission he return'd and surrender'd himself to the King who had intended to follow him but after many feign'd promises he again rais'd new commotions in Wales At last being compell'd to quit his native country he
died an Exile in France but his wife being taken suffer'd the worst of miseries for she was starv'd in prison and thus did severe penance for her scurrilous language His son Giles Bishop of Hereford having without regard to his nephew who was the true heir recover'd his father's estate by permission of King John left it to his brother Reginald whose son William was hang'd by Lhewelin Prince of Wales who had caught him in adultery with his wife But by the daughters of that William the Mortimers Cantelows and Bohuns Earls of Hereford enjoy'd plentiful fortunes This country of Brecknock fell to the Bohuns and at length from them to the Staffords and upon the attainder of Edward Stafford Duke of Buckingham considerable revenues were forfeited to the crown in this County This County has 61 Parishes ADDITIONS to BRECKNOCKSHIRE a UPon the river Wye is Bualht whereof in the year 1690. a considerable part being that side of the street next the river Wye was by a casual fire totally consumed b Whether this town of Bualht be the ancient Bullaeum or whether that city or fort allowing it to have been in this County was not at a place call'd Kaereu Kaereu some miles distant from it may be question'd At leastwise 't is evident there hath been a Roman fort at Kaereu for besides that the name implies as much signifying strictly the Walls or Rampire and was prefix'd by the Britains to the names of almost all Roman towns and castles they frequently dig up bricks there and find other manifest signs of a Roman work 'T is now only the name of a Gentleman's house and not far from it there is also another house call'd Castelhan If it be urg'd in favour of Buelht that it seems still to retain its ancient name which Ptolemy might render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it may be answer'd that Buelht Buelht what it signifies which I interpret Colles boum Ox-Cliff or Oxen-Holt was the name of a small Country here from whence in all likelihood the ancient Bullaeum if it stood in this tract was denominated but that being totally destroy'd and this town becoming afterwards the most noted place of the Country it might also receive its name from it as the former had done But that I may dissemble nothing since the congruity of the names was the main argument that induc'd our learned Author to assign this situation to the ancient Bullaeum Silurum we shall have occasion of hesitating if hereafter we find the ruins of a Roman fort or city in a neighbouring Country of the Silures the name whereof may agree with Bullaeum no less than Buelht c Of the famous Owen Glyn-dwr Owen G yndwr or Glyn-Dowrdwy I find the following account in some notes of the learned and judicious Antiquary Robert Vaughan of Hengwrt Esq Sir Davidh Gam was wholly devoted to the interest of the Duke of Lancaster upon which account it was that Owen ap Gruffydh Vychan commonly call'd Owen Glyn-Dŵr was his mortal enemy This Owen had his education at one of the Inns of Court and was preferr'd to the service of King Richard 2. whose Scutifer as Walsingham saith he was Owen being assured that his King and Master Richard was deposed and murder'd and withall provoked by several affronts and wrongs done him by the Lord Grey of Ruthin his neighbour whom King Henry very much countenanced against him took arms and looking upon Henry as an Usurper caus'd himself to be proclaim'd Prince of Wales And though himself were descended paternally but from a younger brother of the house of Powis yet as ambition is ingenious he finds out a way to lay claim to the Principality as descended by a daughter fâ—om Lhewelyn ap Gruffydh the last Prince of the British race He invaded the lands burnt and destroy'd the houses and estates of all those that favour'd and adher'd to King Henry He call'd a Parliament to meet at Machynlheth in Montgomeryshire whither the Nobility and Gentry of Wales came in obedience to his summons and among them the said David Gam but with an intention to murder Owen The plot being discover'd and he taken before he could put it in execution he was like to have suffer'd as a Traitor but intercession was made for him by Owen's best friends and the greatest upholders of his cause whom he could not either honourably or safely deny Yet notwithstanding this pardon as soon as he return'd to his own Country where he was a man of considerable interest he exceedingly annoy'd Owen's friends Not long after Owen enter'd the Marches of Wales destroying all with fire and sword and having then burnt the house of Sir David Gam 't is reported he spake thus to one of his tenants O gweli di wr côch cam Yn ymofyn y Gyrnigwen Dywed y bôd hi tan y lan A nôd y glo ar ei phen The British name of this river is Wysk Usk. whencâ— nomâ—nâ— which word seems a derivative from Gwy or Wy whereof the Reader may see some account in Radnorshire At present it is not significative in the British but is still preserv'd in the Irish tongue and is their common word for water There were formerly in Britain many Rivers of this name which may be now distinguish'd in England by these shadows of it Ex Ox Ux Ouse Esk c. But because such as are unacquainted with Etymological Observations may take this for a groundless conjecture that it is not such will appear because in Antonine's Itinerary we find Exeter call'd Isca Danmoniorum from its situation on the river Ex and also a city upon this river Usk for the same reason call'd Isca Leg. II. The County of MONMOUTH By Rob t Morden e Bernard Newmarch having discomfited and slain in the field Bledhyn ap Maenyrch â—â—edhyn â—p Meinâ—â—â—ch seised on the Lordship of Brecon and forced his son and heir Gwgan to be content with that share of it he was pleas'd by way of composition to appoint him He gave him the Lordship and Manours of Lhan Vihangel Tal y Lhyn part of Lhan Lhyeni and Kantrev Seliv with lodgings in the castle of Brecknock where in regard he was the rightful Lord of the Country there was such a strict eye kept over him that he was not permitted at any time to go abroad without two or more Norman Knights in his company R. Vaug. ¶ At a place call'd y Gaer near Brecknock there stands a remarkable monument in the highway commonly call'd Maen y Morynnion â—aen y â—orynnion or the Maiden stone It is a rude pillar erected in the midst of the road about six foot high two in breadth and six inches thick On the one side where it inclines a little it shews the portraictures of a man and woman in some ancient habit It seems to have been carv'd with no small labour though with little art for the Figures are considerably rais'd above the superficies of the stone and
Meirionydh Shire This County though it be mountainous is yet in general a fertile Country having fruitful Vales as well for pasture as arable land and was formerly a breeder of excellent horses which as Giraldus informs us were much esteem'd as well for their shape and stateliness †Membroâ—â— suà maâ—â—state as incomparable swiftness At the utmost limit of this County westward where it ends in a Cone or sharp point lies Machynlheth â—achynâ—â—eth the Maglona â—aglona perhaps of the Romans where 1 In the time of the Emperour Theodosius the younger in the time of Honorius the Emperour the Praefect of the Solensians lay in garrison under the Dux Britanniae in order to keep in subjection the inhabitants of that mountainous tract And at 2 miles distance near Penalht Id est â—orsum â—rbis we find a place call'd Kevn-Kaer ‖ where they sometimes dig up Roman Coyns and where are seen the footsteps of a round wall of considerable extent a Vâ—lgò â—lyâ—hymâ—â—â— an reâ—â—â— Pen â—â—â—man 〈◊〉 c. Jugum â—â—xillare The founâ—â—in-head â—f Severn Five miles hence that mountain of †Plinlimon I mention'd rises to a great height and on that side where it limits this County sends out the river Sabrina call'd by the Britains Havren and in English Seavern which next to Thames is the most noted river of Britain Whence it acquired that name I could never learn for that a Virgin call'd Sabrina was drown'd therein seems only a Fable of Jeffrey's invention on whose authority also a late Poet built these verses in flumen praecipitatur Abren Nomen Abren fluvio de virgine nomen eidem Nomine corrupto deinde Sabrina datur Headlong was Abren thrown into the stream And hence the river took the Virgin 's name Corrupted thence at last Sabrina came This river has so many windings near its Fountain-head that it seems often to return but proceeds nevertheless or rather wanders slowly through this County Shropshire Worcestershire and lastly Glocestershire and having throughout it's whole course enrich'd the soil is at last discharged into the Severn-sea In this County being shaded with woods it takes it's course northward by Lhan Idlos Lhan Idlos Tre ' newydh or New town New-town and Kaer Sŵs Kaer Sws which is reported to be both ancient and to enjoy ancient privileges and not far from it's bank on the east-side leaves Montgomery Montgomery the chief town of this County seated on a rising rock having a pleasant plain under it 'T was built by Baldwin Lieutenant of the Marshes of Wales in the reign of K. Will. 1. whence the Britains call it Tre ' Valdwin Tre ' Valdwyn i.e. Baldwin's Town but the English Montgomery from Roger de Mont Gomery E. of Shrewsbury 2 Who winning much land here from the Welsh as we find in Domesday c. whose inheritance it was and who built the Castle as we read in Domesday-book though Florilegus fabulously tells us 't was call'd Mons Gomericus from it's situation by King Henry 3. after he had rebuilt it for the Welsh had overthrown it putting the garrison to the sword in the year 1095. after which it lay a long time neglected However certain it is that King Henry 3. granted Anno 11. That the Burrough of Montgomery should be a free Burrough with other Liberties 3 Now the Herberts are here seated branched out from a brother of Sir William Herbert the first Earl of Penbroke of that name Near this town Corndon-hill Corndon-hill rises to a considerable height on the top whereof are placed certain * Commonly call'd Magifold stones in form of a crown whence the name in memory perhaps of some victory c A little lower the river Severn glides by Tralhwn i.e. the town by the Lake whence the English call it Welsh Pool Welsh Pool d Near unto which on the South-side is a Castle Red Castle call'd from the reddish stones whereof 't is built Kastelh Kôch where within the same walls are two Castles one belonging to the Lord of Powys the other to Baron Dudley Kadŵgan ap Bledhyn that renowned Britain mention'd in the last County whilst he was intent on the building of this Castle was slain by his nephew Madok as we find in the Abridgment of K'radok of Lhan Garvan Opposite to this on the other side the river lyes Buttington a place noted for the Danes wintering there whence Marianus tells us they were driven out by Adheredus Duke of Mercia in the year 894. The river Severn having left these places winds it self by degrees towards the East that it may the sooner receive a small river call'd Tanat * L. Myrnwy wherewith being united it enters Shropshire I am fully perswaded because it seems a certain truth that the Mediolanum Mediolanum of the Ordovices celebrated by Antoninus and Ptolemy stood in this Country the footsteps whereof I have diligently endeavour'd to trace out tho' with no great success so far doth age consume even the very skeletons and ruins of Cities However if we may conjecture from its situation seeing those Towns which Antoninus places on each side are well known viz. on one side Bonium call'd now Bangor by the river Dee and on the other Rutunium now Rowton Castle for he places it twelve Italian miles from this and from the other twenty the lines of Position if we may so term them or rather of Distance cross each other betwixt Mathraval and Lhan Vylhin which are scarce three miles asunder and in a manner demonstrate to us the situation of our Mediolanum For this method of finding out a third from two known places cannot deceive us when there are neither Mountains interpos'd nor the turnings of Roads discontinued This Mathraval Mathraval lyes five miles to the west of Severn and which in some degree asserts the Antiquity of it tho' it be now but a bare name 't was once the Royal Seat of the Princes of Powys and is also noted in Authors who tell us that after the Princes left it * De veteri ponte Robert Vipont an English-man built a Castle therein But Lhan Vylhin Lhan Vylhin i.e. the Church of Mylhin a small market-town tho' in respect of distance it be farther off is yet as to affinity of name much nearer Mediolanum For the word Vylhin is by a propriety of the British only a variation of Mylhin as Kaer-Vyrdhin from Kaer and Myrdhin and Ar-von from Ar-môn Nor is this name of Mylhin or Myllin more remote from Mediolanum than either Millano in Italy Le Million in Xantoigne or Methlen in the Low-Countries all which as is generally allowed were formerly known by the name of Mediolanum Now whether of these conjectures comes nearer the truth let the Reader determine for my own part I only deliver my opinion If I should affirm that this our Mediolanum and those other Cities of the same name in
as ever They add that it 's seen on stormy as well as calm nights and all weathers alike but that any great noise such as the sounding of Horns the discharging of Guns c. does repel or extinguish it by which means 't is supposed they have sav'd several Ricks of Hay and Corn for it scarce fires any thing else This Phaenomenon I presume is wholly new and unheard of no Historian or Philosopher describing any such Meteor for we never read that any of those fiery Exhalations distinguish'd by the several names of Ignis fatuus Ignis lambens Scintillae volantes c. have had such effects as thus to poyson the Air or Grass so as to render it infectious and mortal to all sorts of Cattle Moreover we have no examples of any fires of this kind that were of such consistence as to kindle Hay and Corn to consume Barns and Houses c. Nor are there any describ'd to move so regularly as this which several have observ'd to proceed constantly to and from the same places for the space of at least eight months Wherefore seeing the effects are altogether strange and unusual they that would account for it must search out some causes no less extraordinary But in regard that may not be done if at all without making observations for some time upon the place we must content our selves with a bare relation of the matter of fact I must confess that upon the first hearing of this murrain amongst all sorts of Cattle I suspected those Locusts that arriv'd in this Country about two months before might occasion it by an infection of the Air proceeding partly from the corruption of those that landed and did not long survive in this cold Country and partly of a far greater number which I supposed drown'd in their voyage and cast upon these Coasts For tho' I know not whether any have been so curious as to search the Sea-weeds for them in this County yet I am inform'd a Gentleman accidentally observ'd some quantity of them on the shoars of Caernarvonshire near Aber Dâran and that others have been seen on the Sands of the Severn-Sea Now that a considerable quantity of these Creatures being drown'd in the Sea and afterwards cast ashoar will cause a Pestilence we have many instances in Authors * â— Tho. â—â—feti â—entrum â—â—â—rum â— 3. and particularly one that happen'd in the year 1374. when there was a great mortality of Men and Cattle on the Coasts of France occasion'd by Locusts drown'd in our English Chanel and cast upon their shores Oâ—â—o Friâ—gâ—ns But whether such a contagious vapour meeting with a viscous exhalation in a moorish Bay will kindle and so perform in some measure such a devastation of Hay and Corn as the living Creatures would do where we may also note that â—â— 11. â—1 1. Pliny says of them multa contactu adurunt I must recommend to farther consideration I know there are many things might be objected and particularly the duration of this fire but men are naturally so fond of their own conjectures that sometimes they cannot conceal them tho' they are not themselves fully satisfied About two miles from Harlech there 's a remarkable Monument call'd Koeten Arthur It 's a large stone-Table somewhat of an oval form but rude and ill shap'd as are the rest of these heathen Monuments about ten foot long and above seven where 't is broadest two foot thick at one end but not above an inch at the other It 's placed on three rude Stone-pillars each about half a yard broad whereof two that support the thick end are betwixt seven and eight foot â—hèch y â—â—bedh in â—brookâ—â—e but the third at the other end about three foot high d This way which we call Sarn Helen was probably of a very considerable extent unless we should suppose the same Helen was Author of several other high ways in Wales For besides the place here mention'd it 's also visible at one end of Kraig Verwyn where 't is call'd Fordh gam Helen Luedhog i.e. The crooked Road of Helen the great or puissant And I observ'd a way call'd Fordh or Sarn Helen in the parish of Lhan Badarn Odyn in Cardiganshire as also that a great part of the Road from Brecknock to Neath in Glamorganshire is distinguish'd by the same name At this parish of Festiniog it 's call'd otherwise Sarn y Dhûal a name whereof I can give no account for the space of three miles viz. from RhÅ·d yr Hà len â—â—ether â—â—â—k 〈◊〉 oâ—â—◠〈◊〉 was â—â—e call'd 〈◊〉 or â—â—â—er eâ—â—e 〈◊〉 â—e â—yâ—ar 〈◊〉 c. 〈…〉 â—â—â—ad to Kastelh Dôl Wydhèlen and some presume that Pont Aber Glaslyn and y Gymŵynas in Caernarvonshire is a continuation of the same Road. On a Mountain call'd Mikneint near Rhyd ar Halen within a quarter of a mile of this Road there are some remarkable Stone-monuments call'd Bedheu Gwyr Ardudwy i.e. the Graves of the men of Ardudwy They are at least thirty in number and each Grave is describ'd to be about two yards long and to be distinguish'd by four Pillars one at each corner of a Grave which are somewhat of a square form about two or three foot high and nine inches broad The tradition is that these are Sepulchral Monuments of some persons of note slain here in a battel fought betwixt the men of Dyffryn Ardudwy and some of Denbighshire That they are indeed the Graves of men slain in battel seems scarcely questionable but when or by what persons c. is wholly uncertain One of the next neighbours informs me that about twelve years since he saw amonst other stones brought hence to mend the walls of Festiniog-Church-yard one with an Inscription but at present there remains no account of it By the description he gives of it I suppose it Roman For he says 't was a polish'd stone about two foot long half a yard broad and three or four inches thick whereas all the later Inscriptions I have seen in Wales are on large Pillars which are generally rude and unpolish'd I am told there are also a considerable number of Graves near this Caus-way on the Demeans of Rhiw goch in the parish of Trawsvynydh and in the year 1687. I copied this Inscription from a stone call'd Bêdh Porws or Porus's Grave near Lhêch Idris in the same Parish PORIVS HIC IN TVMVLO JACIT HOMO RIANVS FVIT I found afterwards 't was generally understood as if this had been the Grave of one of the first Christians in these parts and that they read it Porius hic in tumâ—â—o jacit Homo Christianus fuit Being at that time wholly unacquainted with any studies or observations in this kind perhaps I might not transcribe it with that accuracy I ought but if it be thus on the Stone which I must recommend to farther examination it can never bear that reading unless we suppose the Letters STI omitted by the Stone-cutter after RI
pile them up in heaps and burn them to ashes which being afterwards scatter'd on the land thus pared does so enrich them that it 's scarce credible what quantities of Rye they produce Nor is this method of burning the ground any late invention but very ancient as appears out of Virgil and Horace Amongst these Hills is a place call'd Kerig y Drudion or Druid-stones a and at Voelas there are some small pillars inscrib'd with strange letters which some suspect to be the characters used by the Druids b Not far from Klokainog we read this Inscription on a stone AMILLIN TOVISATOC c Towards the Vale where these mountains begin to be thinner lies Denbigh Dâ—nâ—igh seated on a steep rock nam'd formerly by the Britains Kled-vryn yn Rhôs which signifies the craggy hill in Ros for so they call that part of the County which K. Edw. 1. bestow'd with many other large possessions on Davidh ap Grufydh brother of Prince Lhewelyn But he being soon after attainted of high treason and beheaded King Edward granted it to Henry Lacy Earl of Lincoln who fortified it with a very strong wall though of a small circumference and on the south-side with a castle adorn'd with high towers But his only son being unfortunately drown'd in the Castle-well he was so much griev'd thereat that he desisted from the work leaving it unfinish'd After his decease this town with the rest of his inheritance descended by his daughter Alice to the house of Lancaster From whom also when that family decay'd it devolv'd first by the bounty of King Edw. 2. to Hugh Spenser and afterwards to Roger Mortimer 1 Earl of Winchester by covenant with King Edw. 3. For his Arms are seen on the chief gate But he being sentenced to dye and executed it 2 With the Cantreds of Ross and Riewiâ—ock c. fell to William Montacute 3 After Earl of Salisbury Earl of Salisbury 4 For surprising of Mortimer tho' soon after restor'd to the Mortimers and by these at length came to the House of York For we read that out of malice to K. Edw. 4. who was of that house this town suffer'd much by those of the family of Lancaster Since which time either because the inhabitants disliked the situation of it for the declivity of the place was no ways convenient or else because it was not well serv'd with water they remov'd hence by degrees insomuch that the old town is now deserted and a new one much larger sprung up at the foot of the hill which is so populous that the Church not being large enough for the inhabitants they have now begun to build a new one where the old town stood partly at the charges of their Lord Robert Earl of Leicester and partly with the money contributed for that use by several well-disposed persons throughout England This Robert Earl of Leicester was created Baron of Denbigh by Queen Elizabeth in the year 1566 5 To him and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten Nor is there any Barony in England that hath more Gentlemen holding thereof in see We are now come to the heart of the County Drâ—â—â— Câ—ry where nature having remov'd the mountains on all hands to shew us what she could do in a rough Country hath spread out a most pleasant vale extended from south to north 17 miles and about 5 in breadth It lies open only to the Ocean and to the †â—â—râ— Bâ—â—â— clearing North-wind being elsewhere guarded with high mountains which towards the east especially are like battlements or turrets for by an admirable artifice of nature the tops of these mountains seem to resemble the turrets of walls Amongst them the highest is call'd Moel Enlhi at the top whereof I observ'd a military fence or rampire d and a very clear Spring This vale is exceeding healthy fruitful and affords a pleasant prospect the complexion of the inhabitants bright and chearful their heads of a sound constitution their sight very lively and even their old age vigorous and lasting The green meadows the corn-fields and the numerous villages and Churches in this vale afford us the most pleasant prospect imaginable The river Clwyd Clwyâ—â— from the very fountain-head runs through the midst of it receiving on each side a great number of rivulets And from hence it has been formerly call'd Ystrad Klwyd for Marianus makes mention of a King of the Strad-cluid-Welsh and at this day 't is call'd Dyffryn Klwyd i.e. the Vale of Cluid where See Caâ— naâ—◠〈◊〉 Annâ—â— as some Authors have deliver'd certain Britains coming out of Scotland planted a Kingdom having first driven out the English which were seated there In the south part of this vale on the east-side of the river lies the town of Ruthin in Welsh Rhuthyn the greatest market in the vale and a very populous town famous not long since for a stately castle which was capable of a very numerous family Both the town and castle were built 6 By Reginald Grey to whom K. Eaw 1. granted it and Roger c. by Roger Grey with permission of the King the Bishop of St. Asaph and the Rector of Lhan Rhûdh it being seated in that parish To this Roger Grey in consideration of his service against the Welsh King Edward 1. granted almost the whole Vale and this was the seat of his posterity who flourish'd under the title of Earls of Kent till the time of Richard Grey Earl of Kent and Lord of Ruthin who dying without issue and having no regard to his brother Henry sold this ancient inheritance to King Henry 7. since which time the castle has daily decay'd Of late through the bounty of Queen Elizabeth it belong'd to Ambrose Earl of Warwick together with large revenues in this Vale. Having ascended eastward out of this Valley we come to Iâl a small mountainous tract of a very high situation if compared with the neighbouring country For no river runs into it from any other country tho' it pours out several Upon account of this high situation 't is a very rough and bleak country and much subject to winds I know not whether it might receive it's name from the small river Alen which springing up in this country by undermining the earth hides it self in one or two places These mountains are well stored with oxen sheep and goats and the valleys in some places are pretty fertil in corn especially on the east part on this side Alen but the western is somewhat barren and in some places mere heath and desart It hath nothing in it memorable except the ruins of a small monastery 7 Now wholly decay'd seated very pleasantly in a valley which amongst woody hills is extended in the form of a cross whence it had the name of Vale-Crucis â—e-â—â—is whereas in British 't is call'd Lhan Gwest Eastward of Iâl the territory of Maelor Gymraeg or Welsh Maelor call'd in English Bromfield is
Sphaera to be born in it But 't is more remarkable for the c It has in it twelve Chapels subject to the Mother-Church of Halifax two whereof are Parochial unusual extent and largeness of the Parish which has under it eleven Chapels two whereof are Parochial and about twelve thousand men in it So that the Parishioners are wont to say they can reckon more men in their Parish than any kind of animal whatsoever whereas in the most populous and fruitful places of England elsewhere one shall find thousands of sheep but so few men in proportion that one would think they had given place to sheep and oxen or were devour'd by them But of all others nothing is so admirable in this town as the industry of the inhabitants who notwithstanding an unprofitable barren soil not fit to live in have so flourish'd by the Cloath trade which within these seventy years they first fell to that they aâ—e both very rich and have gain'd a reputation for it above their neighbours Which confirms the truth of that old observation That a barren Country is a great whet to the industry of the Natives by which alone we find Norinberg in Germany Venice and Genoua in Italy and lastly Limoges in France notwithstanding their situation on a barren soil have ever flourishing Cities n Six miles from Halifax not fâ—r from the right side of the river Calder and near Almondbury â—ondbuâ—â— a little village there is a very steep hill only accessible by one way from the plain 〈◊〉 where the marks of an old rampire and some ruins of a wall and of a castle well guarded with a triple fortification are plainly visible Some would have it the remains of Olicana but 't is really the ruins of Cambodunum which is by a mistake in Ptolemy call'd Camulodunum and d It is in King Alfred's Paraphrase render'd Donafelda A MS. Bede has it Attamen in Campo dono ubi tunc etiam villa Regia erat c. and so the printed Edition at Lovain An. 1566. whence probably came Stapleton's mistake in translating it Champion call'd Down in his English Version made two words by Bede Campo-dunum as appears by the distance which Antoninus makes between that and Mancunium on the one hand and that and Calcaria on the other In the beginning of the Saxon times it seems to have made a great figure in the world For it was then a Royal Seat and graced with a â—â—â—â—ca Cathedral built by Paulinus the Apostle of these parts and dedicated to St. Alban whence for Albanbury 't is now call'd Almonbury But in those cruel wars that Ceadwall the Britain and Penda the Mercian made upon Edwin the Prince of these Territories it was burnt down which in some measure appears in the colour of the stones to this day Afterwards a Castle was built here which as I have read was confirm'd to Henry Lacy by King Stephen o â—â—ey Not far from this stands Whitley the Seat of the ancient and famous family of the Beaumonts which is different and distinct from that of the Barons and Vicounts Beaumont and flourish'd in England before they came over The Calder having passed by these places runs on to Kirkley â—â—â—ley heretofore a Nunnery thence to Robin Hood's Tomb who was a generous robber and very famous 〈…〉 and so to Deusborrough situated at the foot of a high Hill Whether this name be deriv'd from Dui that local Deity already mention'd I cannot determine the name is not unlike for it resembles Duis Burgh in sound and this town has been considerable from the earliest date of Christianity among the English of this Province For I have been inform'd of a e There is nothing now appears of this Cross and an ancient Minister of those parâ—s a native of the place affirms that his father tho' 30 years Vicar there never had any knowledge of it Cross yet to be seen here with this Inscription PAVLINVS HIC PRAEDICAVIT ET CELEBRAVIT That is Paulinus here preached and celebrated Divine Service That this Paulinus was the first Archbishop of York about the year 626. we are assured by the concurring evidence of our Historians From hence it goes by Thornhill which from a knightly family of that name f It is now in the possession of the Marquiss of Halifax descended to the Savils and so Calder marches to Wakefield Wakefield a town famous for it's Cloath-trade largeness neat buildings great markets and for the bridge upon which King Edward the fourth built a very neat Chapel in memory of those that were cut off in a battel here This town belong'd heretofore to the Earls of Warren and Surâ—y as also Sandal-castle just by built by John Earl of Warren whose mind was never free from the slavish dictates of his own lust for being too familiar with the wife of Thomas Earl of Lancaster his design was to detain her there securely from her husband Below this town when England was embroil'd with civil wars Richard Duke of York and father of Edw. 4 whose temper was rather to provoke fortune than quietly to court and expect it was here slain amongst many others by the Lancastrians The ground hereabouts for a pretty way together is call'd the Lordship of Wakefield and hath always some one or other of the Gentry for its Seneschal or Steward an Office often administer'd by the Savils Savils a very numerous family in these parts and at this day in the hands of Sir J. Savil Knight whose exceeding neat house appears at Howley Howley not far off p About five miles from Wakefield the river Calder loses both its name and waters in the river Are. Upon the confluence stands Medley Medley formerly Medeley so call'd from its situation as edging in between two rivers In the last age this was the Seat of 5 Sir Robert Robert Waterton Master of the Horse to K. Henry the fourth but at present of the famous g In the Church of this place there is a stately Monument for him which acquaints us that he was Ex speciali gratia Regis in proprio Comitatu suo Justiciar Assiz Sir John Savil a most worthy Baron of the Exchequer who must be ingenuously own'd not only to have promoted this work by his great learning but also to have encourag'd the Author of it by his humanity and kindness The river Are issuing from the root of the Mountain Pennigent which is the highest in these parts Are river at first seeming doubtful whether it should run forwards into the Sea or return into its Spring is so winding and crooked that in travelling this way I had it to pass over seven times in half an hour upon a strait road It 's course is calm and quiet so easie that it hardly appears to flow and I am of opinion this has occasion'd its name For I have already observ'd that the British word ara signifies
and all along the rivulet that runs by the Well for a mile or more This never degenerates into the common Roman or French Sorrel Persicaria siliquosa Ger. Noli me tangere J. B. Mercurialis sylvestris Noli me tangere dicta sive Persicaria siliquosa Park Balsamine lutea sive Noli me tangere C. B. Codded Arsmart Quick in hand Touch me not I observ'd it growing plentifully on the banks of Winander-mere near Ambleside and in many other places Rubia erecta quadrifolia J. B. Cross-wort-madder Near Orton Winander-mere and elsewhere in this County plentifully Salix folio laureo sive lato glabro odorato P. B. Bay-leav'd sweet Willow Frequent by the river-sides in the meadows among the Mountains Tormentilla argentea Park Alpina folio sericeo C. B. Pentaphyllum seu potiùs Heptaphyllum argenteum flore muscoso J. B. Pentaphyllum petrosum Heptaphyllum Clusii Ger. Vera genuina Alchymillae species est Cinquefoil Ladies-mantle On the rocks by the side of the Lake call'd Huls-water or as some write it Ulles-water To these I might add Lunaria minor ramosa Lunaria minor foliis dissectis That is branched Moon-wort and cut-leav'd Moon-wort both observ'd by Mr. Lawson at great Strickland though they be I suppose but accidental varieties Vitis Idaea magna sive Myrtillus grandis J. B. The great Billberry Bush In the forest of Whinfield Mr. Lawson CVMBERLAND BEfore Westmoreland to the West is stretched out Cumberland in Latin Cumbria the farthest County in this part of England as bounding upon Scotland to the North encompass'd by the Irish-sea on the South and West and on the East above Westmoreland bordering upon Northumberland The name it had from the Inhabitants who were the true and genuine Britains and call'd themselves in their own language Kumbri and Kambri For that the Britains in the heat of the Saxon wars posted themselves here for a long time we have the authority of our Histories and of Marianus himself who calls this County Cumbrorum terra i.e. the Land of the Cumbri Not to mention the many names of places purely British such are Caer-luel Caer-dronoc Pen-rith Pen-rodoc c. which are a plain evidence of the thing and a pregnant proof of my assertion a The Country tho' the Northern situation renders it cold and the Mountains rough and uneven has yet a variety which yields a prospect very agreeable 1 And givâ—th contenâ—ment to as many as travel it For after * Verrucosas swelling rocks and the crowding mountains big as it were with Metals between which are Lakes stor'd with all sorts of wild Fowl you come to rich hills cloath'd with flocks of sheep and below them are spread out pleasant large plains which are tolerably fruitful The Ocean also which beats upon this shore affords great plenty of the best fish and as it were upbraids the Inhabitants with their idleness in not applying themselves closer to the fishing trade The South part of this County is call'd Copeland Copeland and Coupland because it rears up its head with sharp mountains call'd by the Britains Kopa or as others will have it Copeland as if one should say Copperland from the rich veins of Copper In this part at the sandy mouth of the river Duden by which it is divided from Lancashire is Millum Millum-Castle a Castle of the ancient family of the Hodlestons b From whence the shore wheeling to the North comes to Ravenglas Ravengâ—as a harbour for ships and commodiously surrounded with two rivers where as I have been told were found Roman Inscriptions Some will have it formerly call'd Aven-glas as if one should say an †Caertâ—â—â— azure sky-colour'd river and tell you abundance of stories about one King Eveling who had his Palace here The one of these rivers Esk rises at the foot of Hard-knott Hard-kâ—â—t a steep ragged mountain on the top whereof were lately dug up huge stones and the foundation of a Castle not without great admiration considering the mountain is so steep that one can hardly get up it c Higher up the little brook Irt Irt â—â—er runs into the Sea wherein the shell-fish gaping and eagerly sucking in its dewy streams conceive and bring forth Pearls or to use the Poet's name Shell-berries d Pearls See Pliny These the Inhabitants gather up at low water and the Jewellers buy them of the poor people for a trifle but sell them at a good price Of these and such like Marbodaeus seems to speak in that verse of his Gignit insignes antiqua Britannia baccas And Britain 's ancient shores great Pearls produce CUMBERLAND By Robert Morden From hence the shore runs by little and little to the westward and makes a small Promontory commonly call'd S. Bees Bees instead of S. Bega For Bega a pious and religious Irish Virgin led a solitary life there and to her sanctity they ascribe the Miracles of taming a Bull and of a deep Snow that by her Prayers fell on Midsummer-day and cover'd the valleys and tops of mountains e Scarce a mile from hence is Egremont-Castle â—â—emont-â—â—stae upon a hill formerly the seat of William de Meschines upon whom King Henry the first bestow'd it â—rds of â—â—eland 〈…〉 to hold by one Knight's Service who should be ready upon the King's Summons to serve in the wars of Wales and Scotland He left a daughter the wife of William Fitz-Duncan of the Blood-Royal of Scotland by whose daughter also the estate came to the family of the Lucies and from them by the Moltons and Fitz-Walters the title of Egremont descended to the Radcliffs Earls of Sussex Notwithstanding 2 Sir Thomas Th. Percy by the favour of King Henry the sixth enjoy'd that title for some time and was summon'd to Parliament by the name of Thomas Percy of Egremont 〈…〉 From S. Bees the Shore draws it self in by little and little and as appears by the ruins has been fortify'd by the Romans in all such places as were convenient for landing For this was the utmost bound of the Roman Empire and the Scots when like some deluge out of Ireland they pour'd in upon our Island met with the greatest opposition upon this coast 'T is very probable that the little village Moresby 〈◊〉 where is now a harbour for ships was one of these Forts There are many remains of Antiquity about it in the Vaults and Foundations of Buildings several Caverns which they call Picts-holes several pieces of stones dug up with Inscriptions Upon one of them is LVCIVS SEVERINVS ORDINATVS Upon another COH VII And I saw this Altar lately dug up there with a horned little image of Silvanus â—e God â—â—us â—cond â—rt of â—gâ—nes â— the â—aâ—d â— Pomâ— M Saâ—â— DEO SILVAN COH I I. LING CVI PRAEES G. POMPEIVS M SATVRNIN As also this fragment which was copy'd out and sent me by Mr. J. Fletcher Lord of the Place OB PROSPE RITATEM
Biwell which in the reign of King John was the Barony of Hugh Balliol for which he stood oblig'd to pay to the Ward of Newcastle upon Tine thirty Knights Services Below this Castle there is a most comely Weare A Weare for catching of Salmons and in the middle of the river stand two firm Pillars of stone which formerly supported a Bridge Hence Tine runs under Prudhow-Castle in old writings Prodhow Prudhow which is pleasantly seated on the ridge of a hill This till I am better inform'd I shall guess to be Protolitia Protolitia which is also written Procolitia and was the station of the first Cohort of the Batavi 'T is famous for gallantly maintaining it self in the days of Henry the second against the siege of William King of Scots who as Nubrigensis expresses it toil'd himself and his Army to no purpose Afterwards it belong'd to the l The first of this family I meet with was Gilbert of whom the Historian gives this honourable character Ipso quoque tempore i. Anno 1245. obiit quidam praeclarus Baro partium Angliae Borealium custos flos singularis scilicet Gilebertus de Humfranvilla parvulum quendam relinquâ—â— haeredem Cujus Custodiam statim concessit Rex Comiti Legrecestriae c. Sir Robert Umfravil was Sheriff of the county in the 46th and 51st years of Edw. 3. and in the 2d and 6th of Hen. 4. Another Sir Robert Umfravil a younger son I think to the said Sheriff was Vice-Admiral of England A. D. 1410. and brought such plenty of Prizes in cloth corn and other valuable commodities from Scotland that he got the by-name of Robin Mend-market J. Stow in Hen. 4. Umfranvils Umfranvils an eminent Family out of which Sir Gilbert a Knight in the reign of Edward the first was in right of his wife made Earl of Angus in Scotland The true heiress of the blood as our Lawyers express it was at length married into the family of the Talboys and after that this Castle was by the King's bounty conferr'd upon the Duke of Bedford But to return to the Wall Beyond S. Oswald's the Foundations of the two Forts which they call Castle-steeds are to be seen in the Wall and then a place call'd Portgate Portgate where as the word in both Languages fairly evinces there was formerly a Gate or Sally-port through it Beneath this and more within the Wall stands Halton-hall the present seat of the ancient and valourous family of the m This family has been a good while in this County William Carnaby Esq having been Sheriff of it in the 7th year of Hen. 6. But 't is likely it came from Carnaby near Bridlington in the East-Riding of York shire Carnabies and hard by Aidon-Castle which was part of the Barony of the fore-mention'd Hugh Balliol Now since a great many places on the Wall bear the name of Aidon Aidon and the same word in the British tongue signifies a Military Wing Ala militaris or Troop of Horse many whereof were as the Liber Notitiarum teaches us placed along the Wall let the Reader consider whether these places have not thence had their names as other Towns had that of Leon where Legions or whole Regiments were quarter'd However near this place was digg'd up a piece of an old stone wherein was drawn the pourtraiture of a Man lying on his bed leaning upon his left hand and touching his right knee with his right together with the following Inscriptions NORICI AN. XXX ESSOIRVS MAGNVS FRATER EIVS DVPL ALAE SABINIANAE M. MARI VS VELLI A LONG VS AQVI S HANC POSVIT V. S. L. M. Beyond the Wall rises the river Pont and running down by Fenwick-hall the seat of the eminent and valiant family of the Fenwicks Fenwick for some miles fronts the Wall and had its banks guarded by the first Cohort of the Cornavii at Pons Aelii Pons Aelii built by the Emperour Aelius Hadrianus and now called Pont-Eland Pont-eland Here Henry the third concluded a peace with the King of Scots in the year 1244. and near it the first Cohort of the Tungri lay at Borwick Borwick which the Notitia Provinciarum calls Borcovicus Borcovicus From Port-gate the Wall runs to Waltown which from the agreeableness of the name and its twelve miles distance from the eastern sea I take to be the same Royal Borough which Bede calls n In the Saxon at wallâ— Ad murum Ad mâ—â—â—â— where Segebert King of the East-Saxons was baptiz'd into the Christian Church by o Holland rightly observes that Sigebert was baptiz'd by Finanus who also at the same place baptiz'd Peada King of the Mercians together with his whole train of Courtiers and Attendants Bede lib. 3. cap. 21. Paulinus Near this is a Fort call'd Old Winchester Oâ—d â—â—â—chester which I readily believe to be Vindolana Vinâ—oâ—â—â—â— where as the Liber Notitiarum says the fourth Cohort of the Galli kept a Frontier-garrison Thence we went to Routchester where we met with evident remains of a square Camp joyning close to the Wall Near this is Headon which was part of the Barony of p In an original Charter dated the first year of K. Stephen conveying some Lands to the Church of Winchester subsign'd by a great many Barons we have Signum Walteri de Bolebec Bar. Seld. Tit. of Hon. par 2. c. 5. p 571. One Isabel de Bolebec Countess of Oxford first founded a Covent of Dominicans in that City for which the University had no reason to reverence her memory Hugh de Bolebec who by the mother B â—â—â—y 〈◊〉 was descended from the noble Barons of Mont-Fichet and had no other issue than daughters marry'd to Ralph Lord Greistock J. Lovell Huntercomb and Corbet And now near the meeting of the Wall and Tine Nâ—wcaâ—â—â—â— upâ—n 〈◊〉 stands Newcastle the glory of all the Towns in this Country 'T is enobled by a Haven on the Tine which is of that depth as to carry vessels of very good burthen and of that security that they are in no hazard of either storms or shallows g It s situation is climbing and very uneven on the northern bank of the river which is cross'd by a very fair bridge As you enter the town from hence you have on the left hand the Castle overtopping you and thereafter a very steep brow of a hill On the right you have the Market-place and the best built part of the Town from which to the upper and far larger part the ascent is a little troublesome 'T is beautified with four Churches r and defended by exceeding strong walls wherein are seven gates and a great many turrets What it was anciently is not yet discover'd I am very inclinable to think 't was Gabrosentum since Gateshead which is as it were its suburbs is a word of the same signification with that British name deriv'd from Goats as has been
of Scotland is contain'd in less bounds being divided from England by the water of Tweed to Carhoom then by Keddon-burn Haddon-rigg Black-down-hill Morsla-hill Battinbuss-hill to the risings of the rivers Keal and Ted after by Kersop-burn Liderwater Esk to the Tod-holls the Marchdike to White-sack and Solloway-frith On the west it hath the Irish-Sea on the north the Deucaledonian and on the east the German Ocean On all which sides bordering upon the Sea it hath several Isles belonging to it From the Mule of Galloway in the south to Dungsbay-head in the east-point of Cathness in the north it is about 250 miles long and betwixt Buchan-ness on the east sea and Ardnamurchan-point on the west 150 miles broad The most southerly part of it about Whitern is 54 degrees 54 min. in Latitude and in Longitude 15 degrees 40 min. The northermost part the above-mentioned Dungsbay-head is 58 degrees 32 some say 30. min. in Latitude and 17 degrees 50 minutes in Longitude The longest day is about 18 hours and two minutes and the shortest night 5 hours and 45 minutes The air temperate It was not without reason that Caesar said Of Britain Coelum Gallico temperatius for even in Scotland the air is more mild and temperate than in the Continent under the same Climate by reason of the warm-vapours from the sea upon all sides and the continual breezes of the wind from thence the heat in Summer is no way scorching The constant winds purifie the air and keep it always in motion so that 't is seldom any Epidemick disease rages here Hills in Scotland The nature of the Country is hilly and mountainous there being but few plains and they of no great extent Those they have are generally by the sea-side and from thence the ground begins to rise sensibly the farther in the Country the higher so that the greatest hills are in the middle of the Kingdom These hills especially upon the skirts of the Country breed abundance of Cows which not only afford store of butter and cheese to the Inhabitants but likewise considerable profit by the vent of their hides and tallow and the great numbers that are sold in England when there is no Prohibition Their size as also that of their sheep is but small but the meat of both of an exceeding fine taste and very nourishing The High-Lands afford great Flocks of Goats with store of Deer and are clear'd from Wolves The whole Country has good store and variety of fowl both tame and wild The quality of the soil Quaity 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 compared in general with that of England is not near so good 'T is commonly more fit for pasture and for that purpose is very well watered Where the surface is leanest there are found Metals and Minerals and considerable quanties of Lead are exported yearly there is also good Copper but they will not be at the pains to work it But in much of the in-land Country especially where it lyeth upon some of the Friths the soil is very good and there all sorts of grain grows that is usual in the South parts of Britain The Wheat is frequently exported by Merchants to Spain Holland and Norwey Barley grows plentifully and their Oats are extreme good affording bread of a clean and wholesome nourishment In the Low-grounds they have store of Pease and Beans which for the strength of their feeding are much used by the Labouring people In the skirts of the Country which are not so fit for Grain these grow great woods of Timber to a vast bigness especially Firr-trees which are found to thrive best in stony grounds Springs of Mineral-waters which the people find useful in several diseases are common enough No Country is better provided with Fishes Besides flocks of smaller Whales the Porpess and the Meerswine frequently cast in great Whales of the Baleen or Whale-bone kind and of the Sperma Ceti kind are cast now and then upon several parts of the shore Besides the grain and other commodities already named the Merchants export alablaster linnen and woollen cloath freezes plaids plaiding stuff stockings malt and meal skins of Rabbets Hares c. fishes eggs oker marble coal and salt The Christian Religion was very early planted here Chrisâ—nity 〈◊〉 in Scoâ—land for Tertullian's words Britannorum inaccessa Romanis loca Christo verò subdita must be understood of the north part of the Island possessed by the Scots and separated by a wall from that part which was subject to the Romans The Religion of the Kingdom establisht by Law is that which is contain'd in the Confession of Faith authoriz'd in the first Parliament of King James 6. and defined in the 19th Article of the said Confession to be That which is contained in the written word of God For the promotion of Learning they have four Universities St. Andrews Glasgow Aberdeen Learnâ—â—â— in Scoâ—land and Edenburgh wherein are Professors of most of the Liberal Arts endowed with competent Salaries The Division of SCOTLAND ALL the Northern part of the Island of Britain was antiently inhabited by the Picts who were divided into two Nations the Dicalidonii and Vecturiones of whom I have spoken already out of Ammianus Marcellinus But when the Scots had gotten possession of this Tract it was shar'd into seven parts amongst seven Princes as we have it in a little antient Book Of the Division of Scotland in these words The first part contained Enegus and Maern The second Atheodl and Goverin The third Stradeern with Meneted The fourth was Forthever The fifth Mar with Buchen The sixth Muref and Ross The seventh Cathness which Mound a Mountain divides in the midst running along from the Western to the Eastern Sea After that the same Author reports from the Relation of Andrew Bishop of Cathness that the whole Kingdom was divided likewise into seven Territories The first from Fryth so termed by the Britains by the Romans Worid now Scottwade to the River Tae The second from Hilef as the Sea surrounds it to a Mountain in the North-east part of Sterling named Athran The third from Hilef to Dee The fourth from Dee to the River Spe. The fifth from Spe to the Mountain Brunalban The sixth Mures and Ross The seventh the Kingdom of Argathel as it were the border of the Scots who were so called from Gathelgas their Captain With respect to the 〈…〉 and. 〈…〉 andâ—â— manners and ways of living it is divided into the High-land-men and Low-land-men These are more civilized and use the language and habit of the English the other more rude and barbarous and use that of the Irish as I have already mentioned and shall discourse hereafter Out of this division I exclude the Borderers â—â—â—derers because they by the blessed and happy Union enjoying the Sun-shine of peace on every side are to be lookt upon as living in the very midst of the British Empire and begin being sufficiently tir'd with war to grow
Dunrobin Castle a place of the greatest note in these parts * See the Additions the principal seat of the ancient Earls of Sutherland Earls of Sutherland of the family if I mistake not of Murray Of whom William in the reign of King Robert Brus is most famous who married K. David's own sister and had by her a son whom K. David declared his successor in the Kingdom and to whom he made his Nobles swear Allegiance But he died a little after without issue and the Earldom in the end came hereditarily by a daughter and heir to A. Gordon of the family of the Earls of Huntley o CATHNES SOmewhat higher lies Cathnes butting upon the German Ocean indented as it were by the many windings and breakings of the shore Here in Ptolemie's time dwelt the Catini falsly written in some Copies Carini The Carini amongst whom the same Ptolemy places the river Ila The River Ila which may seem to be the now Wifle Grazing and fishing are the chief income of the inhabitants of this countrey The chief castle therein is called Girnego the general residence of the Earls of Cathnes The Episcopal See is at Dornok a village if it were not for that obscure where likewise K. James the 4th appointed the Sheriff of Cathnes to reside or else at Wik as occasions should require 16 For the administration of Justice The Earls of Cathnes Earls 〈◊〉 Cathâ—â—â— were anciently the same with the Earls of the Orcades but afterwards became distinct and by the eldest daughter of one Malise given in marriage to William Sincler the King's Pantler his posterity came to the honor of being Earls of Cathnes which they still enjoy p STRATH-NAVERN THE utmost coast of all Britain which with the front of the shore looks full against the North-pole and hath the middle of the tail of Ursa Major which as Cardan was of opinion causes translations of Empires just over its head was inhabited as we may see in Ptolemy by the Cornabii Cornabii Amongst them he places the river Nabeus Nabeus a Riveâ— which names are so nearly related in sound that the people seem to have taken their name from the river they dwelt upon Neither is the modern name Strath-Navern that is the Valley by the Navern altogether unlike them in sound This country hath little cause to brag of its fertility by reason of the sharpness of the air it is very thinly inhabited and thereupon extreamly infested with the fiercest of Wolves Wolves which to the great damage of the countrey not only furiously set upon whole droves of cattle but even upon the inhabitants themselves to their manifest danger Insomuch that not only in this but many other parts of Scotland the Sheriffs and respective inhabitants are bound by Act of Parliament in their several Sheriffdoms to go a hunting thrice every year to destroy the Wolves and their Whelps But if in this northern countrey that may be any comfort to them it certainly of all Britain hath the shortest nights and longest days For by its being distanced 59 degrees and 40 minutes from the Equator the longest day The longeâ—â— day is 18 hours and 25 minutes and the shortest night 5 hours and 45 minutes So that the ancient Panegyrist was in the wrong when he said that the sun did not set at all here but slipt aside and glanced upon the Horizon relying upon the authority of Tacitus That the extreme points and plain levels of the earth having low shades rais'd up no darkness at all But Pliny speaks more truth and reason where he treats of the longest days according to the inclination of the solar Circle to the Horizon The longest days says he in Italy are fifteen hours in Britain seventeen where the light nights in Summer prove that by experience which reason would oblige one to believe That at the Solstice when the Sun approaches nearer to the Pole of the World the places of the earth under the Pole have day six months â—â—â—â—sto 〈…〉 through the light 's having but a narrow compass and night for so long when it is far remote in Winter In this utmost tract by Ptolemy carried farther Eastward whereas indeed it bears full North for which Roger Bacon in his Geography taxed him long ago Tacitus says That a prodigious vast space of land runs out in length and grows narrow like a wedge Here three Promontories shoot out into the Sea mentioned by ancient Writers Berubium â—â—â—iâ—um 〈…〉 now Urdehead near the village Bernswale Virvedrum now Dunsby alià s Duncans-bay looked upon as the remotest Promontory of Britain Orcas now Howburn placed by Ptolemy over against the Orcades as the utmost of them all This is likewise called by Ptolemy Tarvedrum and Tarvisium Tarvisium Tarvodanum Martiano so named if I guess aright because it determines Britain For Tarvus What Tarvus signifies in the British tongue signifies an ending with which give me leave to make an end of this Book I shall treat of the Oâ—cades Ebudes and Shetland Shetland in their proper places Thus have I run over Scotland more briefly than the dignity of so great a Kingdom deserves nor do I at all doubt but that some one hereafter may give a larger draught of it with a more exquisite pen with more certainty and better information since as I said before the greatest of Princes hath now laid open to us these remote Countries hitherto shut up In the mean time if I have not been so vigilant as I ought the most watchful may sometimes take a nod or if any mistake in this unknown tract hath led me from the truth as nothing is so common as error I hope the courteous Reader upon my owning it will grant me a pardon and kindly direct me into the right way Additions to CALEDONIA IN the description of this part of Scotland before we come to Fife which our Author first touches upon we are to take a view of two little Shires that lye to the west Clackmanan shire and Kinross-shire â—â—imaâ—â— re a Clackmanan-shire so called from the head burgh of it Clackmanan is bounded to the north by the Ochill hills to the south by the Firth of Forth to the east with part of Perthshire and to the west with part of Sterlingshire 'T is about eight miles in length and where broadest but five Towards the Firth it is a plain Country and a fertile soil the rest is fitter for pasture but that below the Ochill-hills abounds both with Grains and pasture About Alloa and Clackmanan they have great store of Coal-pits the Coal whereof together with their Salt furnish a foreign trade It is watered with the river Devan which runs six miles through the shire â—â—â—maâ— Clackmanan is seated upon a rising ground the Castle whereof is a stately dwelling with fine gardens and good Inclosures 〈◊〉 Alloa is a pleasant little town with a small haven for ships
that will contain some hundreds of ships and at this place it is high-water when the Moon is directly South Circles of Stones In many places of this Shire there are great stones set in a circle and one of the greatest in the middle toward the South which seem to have been places of worship in the times of Heathenism Obelisks In several places also there are Obelisks some with figures upon them one would imagine they had been set up for monuments of battles And they have likewise several Cairns of stones Cairns of Stones some whereof are upon the tops of mountains In some of them bones have been found and in one they met with the head of an Ax of brass which seems to have been employ'd in their sacrifices The dropping Cave of Slains is very remarkable of the petrified substance whereof they make excellent Lime The Nobility and Gentry have a great many pleasant seats all over this County Bamfe l The Shire of BAMFE so called from Bamfe the chief Burgh comprehends that part of Buchan which lyes North of the River Ugie with the Countries of Strathdoverne Boin Enzie Strathaven and Balvenie To the South is is separated from that part of Buchan which belongeth to Aberdeenshire by the water of Ugie to the East it hath the water of Doverne to the West the water of Spey to the South-west it hath Badenoch and the Brae of Mar and Murray-firth on the North. The length from West to East is about 32 miles and the breadth about 30. In Balvenie is found the stone of which Alom is made and in the country of Boin great quarries of spotted marble have been discovered of late The country generally is well furnished with grass and corn Bamâ—e Bamâ—e a Burgh-Royal is seated at the mouth of Doverne in the Boine where the Sheriff hath his Courts The country about is very fertil and the Salmon-fishing very advantageous It shows the ruins of an old Castle Near to this is the Abbey of Deer which belonged to the Cistercians and was founded by William Cumin Earl of Buchan At the Bogâ—hilt resides the Duke of Gordon This seat is adorned with excellent gardens enclosures and woods of oak about it m MURRAY Murray comprehendeth the shire of Elgin and the shire of Nairne Upon the North it hath Murray-firth and the water of Nesse which separates it from the shire of Innernesse to the East it is separated from Bamfshire by the River of Spey to the South it hath Badenoch and to the West part of Lochabyr 'T is about 30 miles long and 20 broad The shire of Elgin comprehends all that part which lyeth to the East of the River Findorne the shire of Nairne what is upon the West side of the said River They have an air very wholsom and winters mild the Low-country bears very much corn which is soon ripe but the high-High-country is fitter for pasture They have many great woods of Firs and other trees especially upon the River of Nearne The River of of Spey watereth this country famous for the incredible number of Salmon that are taken in it Elgin Elgin is a Royal-burgh where are the ruines of an antient Castle as also of one of the most stately Churches in the Kingdom Nearne Nearne also is a Royal-burgh situate upon the coast of Murray-firth where the water of Nearne runneth into the sea Not far from Killosse Killosse is an Obelisk of one stone a monument of the fight between King Malcolm son of Keneth and Sueno the Dane Within the precincts of Murray our Author includes the Sheriffdom of INNERNESSE Innernesse Sheriffdom which comprehends Lochaber Badinoch and the South part of Rosse To the South it hath the Brae of Marr and Athol to the West the Western-sea to the North Rosse and to the East part of Murray-frith The length of it from Inverlochee to Invernesse in a streight line is 50 miles It has plenty of Iron-Ore great woods of Firr ten miles long with some large woods of Oak and that part called Badenoch has many Deer Invernesse Invernesse * Theatr. Scotiae p. 44. is the head town of this Sheriffdom and the Sheriffs seat where he keeps his Court. It is commodiously situated upon the South side of the River Nesse on the very bank of it which renders it exceeding convenient for commerce with the neighbouring places It was formerly the seat of the Kings of Scotland and has a Castle standing on a pleasant hill with a fine prospect into the fields and town Near the Castle there is lately a Bridge built over the water of Nesse consisting of seven Arches all of hewen stone It hath a harbour for smaller vessels There are in it two Churches one for the English and the other for the Irish Here is Loughness 24 miles long and of a considerable depth which never freezes as neither does the water of Nesse Near the town of Innerlochie there is a fort with a garison upon the bay of Lochyol n ROSSE comprehends the Shires of Tayn and Cromartie The first includes the greater part of Rosse Rosse with the Isles of Skye Lewis and Herris the second a small part of Rosse lying upon the South-side of Cromartie-Frith 'T is in length 50. and in breadth 30. miles The Straths or Valleys upon the water-sides are full of wood particularly upon Charron the water of Braan and near Alfarig there are great woods of Firr And on the hills is great store of game of all sorts Tain a good trading town is a Royal Burgh and gives name to the shire It s Firth is about 20 miles long but admitteth not ships Loughbruin-Bay which is ten miles long is famous for the vast number of herrings taken in it Dingwall another Burgh-Royal is situate in the utmost part of the Firth to the North of which lyes the great mountain Weeves Channerie Channâ—â—â—â— had a large Cathedral Church †The 〈◊〉 Scotiâ—â— p. 53. a part whereof still remains At present it shows a stately house of the Earl of Seaforth who has considerable revenues in this county Cromartie Cromâ—â—â—â—â— is a Royal Burgh the Firth whereof is about 15 miles long and in many places two miles broad though the entrance of it be narrow yet is it very safe and easie Into this runneth the water of Connel famous for the Pearls found in it The Viscount of Tarbat who has his residence at Tarbat is sheriff and proprietor of that antient estate o All that tract of land lying between Portnacour and Dungsby was of old called CATTEY So much of it as lyes Eastward from the hill Orde was named Catey-nesse and afterwards Cathnesse but so much as lay on this side of Orde was called South-Catley and Sutherland SUTHERLAND Sutherland contains the country that pass'd under that name with Strathnaver Edernchiles and Dicrinesse having Cathnesse to the East and North-east the main
himself and his Commentator Tzetzes The Islâ— Cerne make Cerne to be situated in the East and the most learned are all of opinion that Madagascar must be the place which lyes as it were in another world under the Tropick of Capricorn over against Egypt Thus much for the names of Ireland not forgetting in the mean time Ireland called Sâ—land that in later ages it was called Scotia by Isidore and Bede from the Scotch Inhabitants and that thence the name of Scotland together with the Scots themselves came into Britain But this has been already observed and need not be here repeated This Island is stretcht out from the south northward not broader than it is long as Strabo says but of a lentel or oval form nor yet of twenty days sail as Philoemon in Ptolemy has related but according to modern computation 't is reckoned 300 miles in length and scarce 120 in bredth On the east of it lyes England The situation of Ireland sever'd by that boisterous Sea called the Irish Sea On the west it is bounded by the vast Western Ocean on the north by the Deucaledonian and on the south by the Vergivian Sea Geraldus â—ambrenâ—â— in Taâ—grâ—phia Hâ—â—ermae g Concerning the peculiar Excellencies of Ireland see Ware 's Antiquitat Hibern p. 34. A Country says Giraldus uneven mountaneous soft washy overgrown with woods windy and so boggy that a man may see standing waters upon the very mountains The Climat according to Mela is so unkind that it does not ripen corn yet the countrey produces grass in such abundance and that not only very rank but very sweet so that the cattel may fill themselves in a small time and shall even burst if they are not interrupted and hindered from eating longer Upon this account their breed of cattel is infinite Fâ—sh manâ—les and rugs and are indeed the greatest wealth and support of the inhabitants as also sheep which they shear twice a year and of the course wooll make Irish rugs and mantles Their Horses Horses likewise we call them Hobies are very excellent they go not as other horses do but amble very soft and easie The Hawkes Hâ—wkes also of this country are not without their praise but these as all other animals besides men and greyhounds are of a less size here than in England â—â—eases The air and ground are of too h As it grows more populous it becomes less waterish and boggy the low-lands and marshes being drained by the industry of the inhabitants The woods too are in a great measure destroyed and as for corn they have that in great abundance moist a nature and this makes fluxes and rheums so usual in this countrey especially to those that are strangers yet their Uskebah Uâ—kebah which is less enflaming and yet more drying than our brandy is an excellent remedy for this distemper Giraldus says that none of the three kinds of fevers are incident to the natives of this countrey which is daily refuted by experience Yet to cite the same Author as evidence in another matter i Though there is not so much difference between the climates of England and Ireland yet of the two Ireland may seem to be more temperate as being neither so hot in summer nor so cold in winter The Countrey it self is of all others the most temperate here are neither the scorching heats of Cancer to drive men into shades nor the piercing colds of Capricorn to compel them to the fire-side The air is so mild and pleasant that all seasons are in some measure warm Bees are so swarming in this Countrey that we have them not only in hives but in the trunks of trees 〈◊〉 grapes â—â—â—eland â—â—d why and caverns of the earth k Vid. Scalig. Exercit. 200. Cardan de Rerum Varietat lib. 6. c. 23. p 223. Vines grow here but yield not so much benefit by their fruit as by their shade For as soon as the sun is pass'd Leo we have cold blasts in this country and the afternoon heat in Autumn is too little either in strength or continuance here and in Britain to ripen and concoct grapes to a full perfection Moreover Ireland has no snakes or l They have neither frogs nor moles nor are there any wolves to be met withal except in wild and solitary mountains where there are few or no inhabitants other venemous creatures yet it is infested with Wolves all over To wind up all whether we regard the fruitfulness of the soil the advantage of the sea with so many commodious havens or the natives themselves who are warlike ingenious proper and well complexioned soft-skinn'd and very nimble by reason of the pliantness of their muscles this Island is in many respects so happy that Giraldus might very well say Nature had been more favourable than ordinary to this Kingdom of Zephyrus And the reason why 't is now and then spoke ill of is because of the inhabitants who are unciviliz'd in some places and which is strangely inconsistent love idleness and hate quiet They begin very early with their amours for among the wilder sort when their daughters arrive at the age of ten or twelve they marry them as ripe and capable without expecting that age and maturity which is required in other nations But in the end of this Book we shall treat more largely of their Customs Here if the reader pleases he shall hear Ireland speaking of it self and its commodities in the verses of the most learned Hadrianus Junius Illa ego sum Graiis olim glacialis Ierne Dicta Jasoniae puppis bene cognita nautis Quae Tarthesiaco propior se tingere soles Flumine conspicio Cauro subjecta procaci Cui Deus melior rerum nascentium origo Jus commune dedit cum Creta altrice tonantis Noxia ne nostris diffundant sibila in oris Terrificae cretitabo Phorcynidos angues Et fortè illati compressis faucibus atris Viroso pariter vitam cum sanguine ponant En ego cum regni sceptro Mavortia bello Pectora horriferas hominum nil fingo figuras Qui cursu alipedes norint praevertere cervos Dedico piscososque lacus volucrumque paludes Omnigenûm lustris foetas stannique fodinas Et puri argenti venas quas terra refossis Visceribus manes imos visura recludit I 'me cold Jerne me the Grecians knew Me Jason and his Pegasean crew Fixt in the Ocean near the sportive West I see great Phaebus posting down to rest And when his fiery Car the flood receives Hear the wheels hissing in Tartessian waves On me kind mother nature hath bestow'd The wondrous gift which grateful heaven allow'd To Crete's fair Isle that nurs'd the thundring god That no vile snake sprung from Medusa's gore Should vent an hiss upon my peaceful shore If hither brought their feeble jaws they close And dearer life do with their poyson lose A crown I bring and
also Justices of Assize Nisi prius and Oyer and Terminer as in England Justices of Peace in every County to preserve the Peace and the King has his Serjeant at Law his Attorney and his Sollicitor General There are also other Governors besides these to administer justice in the remoter Provinces and that is in Conaugh stilled chief Commissioner is call'd b Since the Country has been well inhabited with English and much more civiliz'd than heretofore the Presidencies of Munster and Conaught were superseded by King Charles II. about the year 1671. President in Munster who have certain of the Gentry and Lawyers to assist them and are all directed by the Lord Deputy As for their Law the Common-law used there is the same with this of ours in England For thus it is in the Records of the Kingdom King Henry the third in the twelfth of his reign sent an order to his Justice in Ireland that he should assemble the Archbishops Bishops Barons and Knights of that Kingdom and make the Charter of King John be read unto them which he did accordingly giving them an oath to observe the laws and customs of England and that they should hold and keep the same 3 Nevertheless the meer Irish did not admit them but retain'd their own Brehon-Laws and lâ—ud Customs And the Kings of England used a connivance therein upon some deep consideration not vouchsafing to communicate the benefit of the English Laws but upon especial grace to especial families or sects namely the O Neales O Conors O Brien O Maloghlins and Mac Murough which were reputed of the blood royal among them So that even the Parliamentary Laws or Statutes of England were of force in Ireland till King Henry the seventh's time For in the tenth year of his reign they were established and confirmed by Act of Parliament in Ireland 4 In the time of Sir Edward Poinings government But since that time they have lived by Acts and Statutes of their own making Besides these civil Magistrates they have also one Military officer named the c There being no War in the Kingdom there is no such Officer Marshal Marshal of Ireland who is serviceable to the State not only in restraining the insolence of soldiers but also in checking the outrage of rebels who are now and then troublesome This office formerly belonged hereditarily to the Lords Morley of England 9 of King John For King John gave them this Office to hold in see of him in these words We have given and granted to John Marshall for his homage and service our Marshalship of Ireland with all appurtenances We have given him likewise for his homage and service the Cantred wherein standeth the town of Kilbunny to have and to hold to him and his heirs of us and our heirs From him it descended in a right line to the Barons of Morley This Marshal has under him * Submaresâ—allum a Provost-Marshal and sometimes more according to the difficulties and exigencies of affairs who exercise their authority by Commission and Instructions under the Great Seal of Ireland But these and all other curiosities of this nature I leave to the diligence of others As for the methods of Justice and Government among the wild Irish I shall take care to insert something in a more proper place when I come to treat of their Mannors and Customs The d See Ware 's Antiquitat Hibern Cap. 3. pag. 11. Division of IRELAND â—â—â—on â—â—â—land IReland from the manners and customs of the Inhabitants is divided into two parts e At present there is no such Div sion or distiâ—ction but the King 's Writ runs through the whole Kingdom and every part of it is now answerable to Law they who reject all Laws and live after a barbarous manner are called the Irishry or wild Irish but those civilized who submit themselves with respect and obedience to the laws are termed the English-Irish and their Country the English Pale for the first English men that came hither set their boundaries in the east and richest part of the Island as taken in for themselves within which compass even at this day some remain uncivilized and pay no deference to the laws whereas some without are as courteous and genteel as one would desire But if we consider it as it was more early this Country from its situation or rather number of its Governors heretofore must be divided into five parts for it was formerly a Pentarchy namely Munster southward Leinster eastward Connaught westward Ulster northward and Meath almost in the middle Which as to civil administration are thus divided into Counties In Munster are the Counties of Kerry f At this day there is no such County as Desmond part of that Territory lying in the County of Kerry and the rest in the County of Cork Desmond Cork Waterford Limerick Tiperary g The County of the Holy-Cross is swallowed up in that of Tiperary with the County of S. Cross in Tiperary In Leinster are the Counties of Kilkenny Caterlough Queen's County King's County Kildare Weishford Dublin In Meath are the Counties of East-Meath West-Meath Longford In Connaught are the Counties of h Instead of this Dr. Holland has put Clare which yet is in the Province of Muâ—ster Twomund Galloway Maio. Slego Letrim Rofcomon In Ulster are the Counties of Louth Cavon Farmanagh Monaghan Armagh Doun Antrim Colran Tir-Oën Tir-Conell or Donegall Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction The Ecclesiastical state of Ireland was antiently managed by the Bishops either consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury or by one another But in the year 1152 as we find it in Philip of Flattesbury Christianus Bishop of Lismore Legat of all Ireland held a very full and honourable Council at Meath where were present the Bishops Abbots Kings Dukes and Elders of Ireland and there by the Apostolical authority with the advice of the Cardinals and the consent of the Bishops Abbots and others met together four Archbishopricks were constituted in Ireland Armagh Dublin Cassil and Tuam The Bishopricks which were under these formerly for some of them have been abolished to feed the greedy humor of ill times others have been confounded or annexed to one another while others again have been translated I do desire to subjoyn here in their true and ancient order from an old Roman Provincial faithfully copied from the Original Under the Archbp. of Armagh Primate of all Ireland are the Bishops of Meath or i Cluanard The Bishop is stiled of Meath Elnamirand Down otherwise Dundalethglass k Clogher Cloghor otherwise Lugundun l Connor is united to Down Conner m Ardagh Ardachad n Rapho Rathbot Rathluc Daln-liguir o Derry or London-Derry Dearrih 4 Holland has added Cloemacniso which ought to be writ Clonmacnois and is now united to Meath as also Dromor and Brefem now Kilmore Under the Archbp. of Dublin are the Bishops of
grew so concerned for blinding his brother that he renounced the Kingdom and with the sign of the cross went in pilgrimage to Jerusalem where he died 1089. As soon as the Nobility of the Island receiv'd the news of Lagman's death they dispatched their Ambassadors to Murecard O-Brien King of Ireland desiring that he would send them some diligent man or other of Royal extraction to rule over them during the minority of Olave the son of Godred The King readily consented and sent one Dopnald the son of Tade with orders and instructions to govern the Kingdom though it belonged not to him with modesty and tenderness But as soon as he was advanced to the throne without any farther heed to the commands his Lord had laid on him he grew grievous to the people by his tyranny and and reigned three years with great cruelty and outrage The Nobility being then no longer able to endure this oppression conspir'd rose up in arms and banish'd him Upon that he fled into Ireland and never returned 1097. One Ingemund was sent by the King of Norway to get the soveraignty of these Islands When he came to the Isle Leod he sent to all the great men of the Islands commanding them to assemble and make him King In the mean while he with his companions did nothing but spoil feast ravish women and virgins giving himself wholly up to such beastly lusts and pleasures As soon as the great men of the Islands were acquainted with these proceedings being now assembled to make him King they were so enraged that they went in all haste towards him and coming to his house in the night set it on fire so that he and his whole retinue were either destroyed by the fire or by the sword An. 1098. was founded the Abby of S. Mary at Cistercium Antioch was taken by the Christians and a Comet appeared The same year was fought a battle between the Inhabitants of the Isle of Man at Santwat those of the north-side got the victory In this engagement were slain Earl Other and Macmaras the two Leaders This same year Magnus King of Norway the son of Olave son of Harald Harfager out of curiosity to know whether the Corps of St. Olave King and Martyr remained uncorrupt commanded his tomb to be open'd This order being opposed by the Bishop and his Clergy the King himself came in person and had it open'd by force And when with the sense of his own eyes and hands he found the body sound and unputrified he fell into great fear and went away in all haste The next night the King and Martyr appear'd to him saying Take thy choice of these two offers either to lose thy life and Kingdom within 30 days or to leave Norway and be content never to see it more As soon as the King awaken'd he called his Nobles and the Elders of his people together and told them what vision he had seen Being frighted at it they gave him this Council That with all haste he should depart from Norway Upon this he prepared a fleet of an hundred and sixty ships and set sail for the Orcades which he soon conquer'd from whence he went on with success and victory through all the Islands till he came to that of Man Being landed there he went to St. Patrick's Isle to see the place where the Islanders had been engaged a little before for many of the dead bodies were as yet unburied This fine Island pleased him so well that he resolved to seat himself in it and to that end built forts and strong holds which retain his name to this day Those of Gallway were so much over-awed by him that at his order they cut down wood and brought it to the shore for him to make his Bulworks withal Next he sailed to Monia an Island of Wales where he found two Hughs both Earls one of them he slew Monia for Anglesey v. Girald Cambrensem in Itinerario Cambria the other he put to flight and conquer'd the Island The Welsh men made many Presents to him so taking his leave of them he returned to Man To Maricard King of Ireland he sent his shoes commanding him to carry them upon his shoulders thro' the middle of his house on Christmas day in sight of his Messengers to signifie his subjection to King Magnus The Irish received this news with great wrath and indignation But the King more advisedly said That he would not only carry but also eat his shoes rather than King Magnus should destroy one Province in Ireland So he complied with this order and honourably entertained his Messengers and sent them back with many presents to him and made a league with him Being returned they gave their Master an account of Ireland describing its situation and pleasantness its fruitfulness and the excellence of its air Magnus hearing this begun to turn his thoughts wholly upon the Conquest of that Count try For this end he gave orders to fit out a good fleet and went before with sixteen ships to take a view of the Country but as he unwarily left his ship he was beset by the Irish and cut off with most of those that were with him His body was buried near St. Patrick's Church in Down He reigned six years After his death the Noblemen of the Island sent for Olave the son of Godred sirnamed Crovan who lived in the Court of Henry King of England the son of King William 1102. Olave the son of Godred Crovan began his reign which continued 40 years He was a peaceable Prince and in league with all the Kings of Ireland and Scotland His wife was Africa the daughter of Fergâ—se of Gallway by whom he had Godred By his Concubines he had also Regnald Lagman and Harald besides many daughters one of whom was married to Summerled Prince of * Argiâ—e Herergaidel to whom the Kingdom of the Isles owe their ruine By her he had four sons Dungall Raignald Engus and Olave 1133. The Sun was so eclipsed on the fourth of the Nones of August that the day was as dark as the night 1134. Olave gave to Yvo Abbot of Furnes part of his lands in Man towards building an Abby in a place called Russin He enricht the estate of the Church with Islands and Revenues and endowed it with great liberties 1142. Godred the son of Olave sailed over to the King of Norway who was called Hinge and did him homage he staid there some time and was honourably received This same year the three sons of Harald the brother of Olave who were bred at Dublin came to Man with a great multitude of men and such as the King had banished demanding one half of the Kingdom of the Isles for their share The King being willing to please them answered That he would take the advice of a Council about it Having agreed upon the time and place for their meeting these base villains began to plot against the King's life At the
matters his principal care was to avoid the storm of the Danish war which he saw hanging over him and even to purchase a Peace On this occasion he made Adalbert Archbishop of Hamburg his instrument For Adam Bremensis says There was a perpetual quarrel between Sueno and the Bastard but our Arch-bishop being brib'd to it by William made it his business to strike up a peace between the two Kings And indeed 't is very probable there was one concluded for from that time England was never apprehensive of the Danes William however made it his whole business to maintain the dignity of his government and to settle the Kingdom by wholsome laws For Gervasius Tilburiensis tells us That after the famous Conqueror of England King William had subdued the furthest parts of the Island and brought down the Rebels hearts by dreadful examples lest they might be in a condition of making outrages for the future he resolved to bring his Subjects under the obedience of written laws Whereupon laying before him the Laws of England according to their threefold division that is Merchanlage Denelage and West-Sexenlage some of them he laid aside but approved others and added to them such of the foreign Norman Laws as he found most conducive to the peace of the Kingdom Next as we are assured by Ingulphus who lived at that time he made all the inhabitants of England do him homage and swear fealty to him against all â—â—hers He took a survey of the whole nation so that there was not a single Hide of land through all England but he knew both the value of it and its owner Not a lake or any other place whatsoever but it was registred in the King's Rolls with its revenue rent tenure and owner according to the relation of certain taxers who were picked out of each County to describe the places belonging to it This Roll was called the Roll of Winchester and by the English Domesday Domesday-book called by Gervasius Tilburiensis Laher Judiciarius as being an universal and exact account of every tenement in the whole nation I the rather make mention of this Book because I shall have occasion to quote it hereafter under the name of William's Tax-book The Notice of England the Cessing-book of England The publick Acts and The Survey of England But as to Polydore Virgil's assertion that William the Conqueror first brought in the Jury of Twelve Jury of 12. there is nothing can be more false For 't is plain from Ethelred's Laws that it was used many years before that Nor can I see any reason why he should call it a terrible Jury Twelve men Twelve men who are Freeholders and qualified according to Law are picked out of the Neighbourhood these are bound by oath to give in their real opinion as to matter of fact they hear the Council on both sides plead at the Bar and the evidence produced then they take along with them the depositions of both parties are close confined deny'd meat drink and fire till they can agree upon their verdict unless want of these may endanger some of their lives As soon as they have delivered it in he gives sentence according to law And this method was looked upon by our wise Forefathers to be the best for discovering truth hindering bribes and cutting off all partiality How great the Norman courage was I refer you to other writers I shall only observe The Warlike courage of the Normans that being seated in the midst of warlike Nations they never made submission their refuge but always arms By force of these they possessed themselves of the noble Kingdoms of England and Sicilie For Tancred * Nepeâ— Nephew to Richard the Second Duke of Normandy and his Successors did many glorious exploits in Italy drove out the Saracens and set up there a Kingdom of their own So that a Sicilian Historian ingenuously confesses that the Sicilians enjoying their native Soil Th. Fazâ—llus lib. 6. Decadis Posterioris their Freedom and Christianity is entirely owing to the Normans Their behaviour also in the wars of the Holy land got them great honour Which gave Roger Hoveden occasion to say That bold France after she had experienced the Norman valour drew back fierce England submitted rich Apulia was restored to her flourishing condition famous Jerusalem and renowned Antioch were both subdued Since that time England has been equal for warlike exploits and genteel Education to the most flourishing nations of the Christian world The English Guards to the Emperors of Constantinople So that the English have been peculiarly made choice of for the Emperor of Constantinople's guards For as our country man Malmsbury has told us he very much admired their fidelity and recommended them to his son as men deserving of respect and they were formerly for many years together the Emperor's guards Nicetas Choniata calls them Inglini Bipenniferi and Curopalata Barangi Barangi These attended the Emperor where-ever he went with halberts upon their shoulders as often as he stir'd abroad out of his closet and pray'd for his long life clashing their halberts one against another to make a noise As to the blot which Chalcondilas Chaâ—condilas has cast upon our nation of having wives in common truth it self wipes it off and confronts the extravagant vanity of the Grecian For as my most learned and excellent Friend Ortelius has observed upon this very subject Things related by any persons concerning others are not always true These are the People which have inhabited Britain whereof there remain unto this day the Britains the Saxons or Angles with a mixture of Normans and towards the North the Scots Whereupon the two Kingdoms of this Island England and Scotland which were long divided are now in the most potent Prince King JAMES happily united under one Imperial Diadem It is not material here to take notice of the Flemings who about four hundred years ago came over hither In the County 〈◊〉 Pembâ—â—â—â— and got leave of the King to settle in Wales since we shall mention them in another place Let us then conclude this part with that of Seneca From hence it is manifest De Conâ—latioâ—â— Albiâ—â— that nothing has continued in its primitive state There 's a continual floating in the affairs of mankind In this vast orb there are daily revolutions new foundations of cities laid new names given to nations either by the utter ruine of the former or by its change into that of a more powerful party And considering that all these nations which invaded Britain were Northern as were also others who about that time overran Europe and after it Asia Nicephorus's Nicephorus observation founded upon the authority of Scripture is very true As God very often sends terrors upon men from heaven such are thunder fire and storms and from earth as opening of the ground and earthquakes as also out of the air such as whirlwinds and immoderate
rains So those Northern terrors are as it were reserved by God to be sent out for a punishment when and upon whom the Divine Providence shall think fit The Division of BRITAIN How Countries are divided LET us now prepare our selves for the Division of Britain Countries are divided by Geographers either naturally according to the state of the rivers and mountains or nationally with respect to the people who inhabit them or * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 differently and under a †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 political consideration according to the pleasure and jurisdiction of Princes Now seeing the first and second of these divisions are here and there treated of through the whole work the third i.e. the political seems proper to this place which yet is so much obscured by the injury of time that in this matter 't is easier to convince one of errors than to discover the truth Our Historians affirm that the most ancient division of Britain is into Loegria Cambria and Albania that is to speak more intelligibly into England Wales and Scotland But I look upon this to be of later date both because 't is threefold arising from those three People the Angles the Cambrians and the Scots who afterwards shared this Island amongst them and also because there is no such division mentioned by classick Authors no nor before our country-man Geoffrey of Monmouth For as the Criticks of our age imagine his Romance had not been all of a piece unless he had made Brute have three Sons Locrinus Camber and Albanactus to answer the three nations that were here in his time in the same manner that he had before made his Brute because this Island was then called Britain And they no way doubt but if there had been more distinct nations about that time here in Britain he would have found more of Brute's children In the opinion of many learned men the most ancient division of Britain is that of Ptolemy's in his second book of Mathematical Construction where treating of Parallels he divides it into Great and Little Britain But with due submission to so great persons I conceive they would be of opinion that in this place our Island is called Britannia Magna and Ireland Parva Greâ—â— Littleâ— â—tain if they would please to consider the distances there from the Aequator a little more accurately and compare it with his Geographical Works However some modern writers have called the hither part of this Island Southwards Great and the farther towards the North Little the inhabitants whereof were formerly distinguished into Maiatae and Caledonii that is into the Inhabitants of the Plains and the Mountaineers as now the Scots are into Hechtland-men and Lowland-men But the Romans neglecting the farther tract because as Appian says it could be of no importance or advantage to them and fixing their bounds not far from Edenburgh divided the hither part now reduced to the form of a Province into two the Lower and the Upper L. 55. Britaâ—â— infeâ—â— and srior as may be gathered from Dio. The hither part along with Wales was their Upper the farther lying northward the Lower And this is confirmed by Dio's account of the Seats of the Legions The second Legion termed Augusta at Caerleon in Wales Isâ—â— Câ— erleâ—◠〈◊〉 Viâ— and the Twentieth called Victrix at Chester or Deva are both placed by him in Upper Britain But he tells us that the Sixth Legion called Victrix whose residence was at York served in Lower Britain I should think this division to have been made by Severus the Emperor since Herodian assures us that after he had conquer'd Albinus the then General of the Britains had possessed himself of the Government and setled the affairs of Britain he divided the whole Province into two parts and assigned to each its Lieutenant Afterwards the Romans divided the Province of Britain into three parts a Usserii Anâ—â—quitat Britano p. 51 as we may learn from a Manuscript of Sextus Rufus viz. Maxima Caesariensis Britannia prima and Britannia Secunda Bâ—â—tâ—â— which I fancy I have found out by the ancient Bishops and their Dioceses Pope Lucius in Grtaian intimates Dâ—â—â— that the Ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Christians was model'd according to the jurisdiction of the Roman Magistrates and that the Archbishops had their Sees in such Cities as had formerly been the residence of the Roman Governors The cities says he and the places where Primats are to preside are not of a late model but were fixt many years before the coming of Christ to the Governors of which cities the Gentiles also made their appeals in the more weighty matters In which very cities after the coming of Christ the Apostles and their Successors setled Patriarchs or Primates Primates who have power to judge of the affairs of Bishops and in all causes of consequence Now since Britain had formerly three Archbishops London York and Caerleon I fancy that the Province we now call Canterbury for thither the See of London was translated made up the Britannia Prima that Wales which was subject to the Bishop of Caerleon was the Secunda and that the Province of York which then reached as far as the Bound was the Maxima Caesariensis â—ritain diâ—ided into parts The next age after when the Constitution of the Roman Government was every day changed either through ambition that more might be preferred to places of honour â—otitia â—rovinciâ—am or the policy of the Emperors to curb the growing power of their Presidents they divided Britain into five parts Britannia prima Secunda Maxima Caesariensis Valentia and Flavia Caesariensis Valentia seems to have been the northern part of the Maxima Caesariensis which Theodosius General under the Emperor Valens recovered from the Picts and Scots and out of complement to his Master called it Valentia as Marcellinus fully testifies in those words â—b 28. The province which had fell into the Enemy's hands he recovered and reduced to its former state so that by his means it both enjoyed a lawful Governor and was also by appointment of the Prince afterwards called Valentia 'T is reasonable to imagine that the Son of this Theodosius who being made Emperor was call'd Flavius Theodosius and made several alterations in the Empire might add the Flavia because we never meet with Britannia Flavia before the time of this Flavius To be short then Britannia Prima â—itannia â—â—ima was all that Southern tract bounded on one hand with the British Ocean and on the other with the Thames and the Severn Sea â—â—tanâ— Seâ—â—da â—â—via â—â—arienâ—â—xima â—arienâ—â—â—entia Britannia Secunda the same with the present Wales Flavia Caesariensis reached from the Thames to Humber Maxima Caesariensis from Humber to the river Tine or Severus's wall Valentia from the Tine to the Wall near Edenburgh call'd by the Scots Gramesdike which was the farthest limit of the Roman Empire And here
indebted for the description of it It lay with the Inscription downward upon a stone two foot square which is suppos'd to have been the Pedestal of it the foundation lay deep and broad consisting of many large stones The earth about it was solid but of several colours and some ashes were mixt in it About the foundation were found signs of a Sacrifice the bones horns and heads of several creatures as the Ox Roe-buck c. with these two coyns I. Brass On the first side Imp. Caes. Vespasian Aug. Cos. 111. and the face of the Emperour On the reverse Victoria Augusti S. C. and a winged Victory standing II. Copper On the first side Fl. Val. Constantius Nob. C. and the face of Constantius On the reverse Genio populi Romani A Genius standing holding a bowl us'd in sacrifices in the right hand and a Cornucopia in the left Our Antiquary tells us that presently after the Norman-Conquest the Episcopal See was translated hither from Lichfield and this is the reason why the Bishops of Lichfield are sometimes call'd by our Historians Bishops of Chester and Peter who translated it is by our Saxon Annals call'd Episcopus Licifeldensis sive Cestrensis Bishop of Lichfield or Chester d Leaving this ancient city the next thing that offers it self is Wirall Wirall call'd by the Saxon Annals Wirheale and by Matthew Westminster more corruptly Wirhale * Burton Itinerar p. 129. which the same Mattthew confounds with Chester making them one place This error proceeded from the misunderstanding of that passage in the Saxon Chronicle hie gedydon on anre pestre ceastre on Wirhealum sio is Legaceastre gehaten i.e. They abode in a certain Western city in Wirheale which is call'd Legaceaster The latter part of the sentence he imagin'd had referr'd to Wirheale whereas it is plainly a farther explication of the Western-city e From the Western parts of this County let us pass to the Eastern where upon the river Dane is Congleton the ancient Condatum of Antoninus according to our Author Mr. Burton Mr. Talbot and others Wherever it was it seems probable enough as Mr. †Comment upon the Iâ—inerar p. 124. Burton has hinted that it came from Condate in Gaul famous for the death of S. Martin For ‖ Dâ— Bell. Gâ—ll. l. 5. Caesar expresly tells us that even in his time they translated themselves out of that part of Gaul into Britain and that after they were settl'd they call'd their respective cities after the name of those wherein they had been born and bred Whether any remains of Roman Antiquities that have been discover'd at Congleton induc'd our Antiquaries to fix it there is uncertain since they are silent in the matter but if the bare affinity of names be their only ground supposing the distances would but answer there might be some reason to remove it into the Bishoprick of Durham wherein at Consby near Percebridge was dug up a Roman Altar very much favouring this conjecture The draught and inscription of it with the remarks upon them shall be inserted in their proper place More towards the North lies Maclesfield where in a Chapel or Oratory on the South-side of the Parochial Chapel and belonging to Peter Leigh of Lyme Esq as it anciently belong'd to his Ancestors in a brass Plate are the verses and following account of two worthy persons of this family Here lyeth the body of Perkin A Legh That for King Richard the death did dye Betrayed for righteousness And the bones of Sir Peers his sonne That with King Henry the fifth did wonne In Paris This Perkin served King Edward the third and the Black Prince his son in all their wars in France and was at the Battel of Cressie and had Lyme given him for that service And after their deaths served King Richard the second and left him not in his troubles but was taken with him and beheaded at Chester by King Henry the fourth And the said Sir Peers his sonne served King Henry the fifth and was slain at the battel of Agen-court In their memory Sir Peter Legh of Lyme Knight descended from them finding the said old verses written upon a stone in this Chapel did reedifie this place An. Dom. 1626. On the other side of the same Parochial Chapel in an Oratory belonging to the right honourable Thomas Earl Rivers is this Copy of a Pardon grav'd in a brass Plate The pardon for saying of v pater nosters and v aves and a ...... is xxvi thousand yeres and xxvi dayes of pardon Another brass Plate in the same Chapel has this ancient Inscription Orato pro animabus Rogeri Legh Elizabeth uxoris suae qui quidem Rogerus obiit iiii die Novembris Anno Domini M. v. c. vi Elizabeth verò obiit v o die Octobris An. Domini Mcccclxxxix quorum animabus propitietur Deus This town of Macclesfield hath given the title of Earl to the Gerrards the first whereof invested with that Honour was Charles created Earl of this place 31 Car. 2. who being lately dead is now succeeded by his son and heir The more rare Plant yet observ'd to grow in Cheshire is Cerasus avium fructu minimo cordiformi Phyt. Brit. The least wild Heart Cherry-tree or Merry-tree Near Stock-port and in other places Mr. Lawson could observe no other difference between this and the common Cherry-tree but only in the figure and smallness of the fruit HEREFORD-SHIRE By Robt. Morden SILURES IT seems most adviseable before we go to the other parts of England to take a round into Cambria or Wales still possest by the posterity of the old Britains Tho' I cannot look upon this as a digression but a pursuing of the natural course of things For this tract is spread out along by the sides of the Cornavii and seems to have a right to be consider'd here as in its proper place Especially seeing the British or Welsh the Inhabitants of these parts enjoy the same laws and privileges with us and have been this long time as it were engrafted into our Government Wales Wales therefore which formerly comprehended all that lies beyond the Severn but has now narrower bounds was formerly inhabited by three People the Silures Silures the Dimetae Dimetae and the Ordovices Ordovices To these did not only belong the twelve Counties of Wales but also the two others lying beyond the Severn Herefordshire and Monmouthshire now reckon'd among the Counties of England To take them then as they lye the Silures as we gather from Ptolemy's description of them inhabited those Countries which the Welsh call by one general name Deheubarth i.e. the Southern part at this day brancht into the new names of Herefordshire Radnorshire Brecknockshire Monmouthshire and Glamorganshire within which compass there are still some remains of the name Silures As to the derivation of the word I can think of none that will answer the nature of the Country but as to the original of
the People Tacitus Tacitus imagines them to have come first from Iberia upon account of their * Colorati vultus ruddy complexion their curl'd hair and their situation over against Spain But Florianus del Campo a Spaniard is very positive in that matter and takes a great deal of pains to find the Silures in Spain and to obtrude upon us I know not what stories about Soloria and Siloria among the old Astures However this Country was very large for it seems probable from Pliny and Tacitus that they were possess'd of all South-Wales and the Inhabitants were hardy stout warlike averse to servitude of great boldness and resolution term'd by the Romans †Pervicacia obstinacy and stubbornness not to be wrought upon either by threats or kindness and their posterity have not degenerated in any of these particulars When the Romans out of an itching desire of enlarging their Empire made attempts upon them See pag. xlvii they partly reposing a confidence in the courage and conduct of King Caratacus and partly incens'd by a saying of Claudius the Emperour That they were to be as entirely routed as the Sugambri had been engag'd the Romans in a very troublesome and difficult war For having intercepted the Auxiliary Troops cut off the Legion under Marius Valens and wasted the territories of their Allies P. Ostorius Propraetor in Britain was quite wore out with all these crosses and dy'd of grief Veranius too who govern'd Britain under Nero was baffled in this enterprize against them For where Tacitus says Tacit. Annal L. XIV Illum modicis excursibus Sylvas populatum esse that he destroy'd and wasted the woods with slight excursions instead of Sylvas with the Learned Lipsius only read Siluras and all 's right Nor could an end be made of this war before Vespasian's reign For then Julius Frontinus subdu'd them and kept them quiet by garisons of the Legions A certain Countryman of ours has wrested that verse of Juvenal upon Crispinus to these Silures magnâ qui voce solebat Vendere municipes fractâ de merce Siluros Who with hideous cry Bawl'd out his broken Sturgeon in the streets As if some of our Silures had been taken prisoners and expos'd to sale at Rome But take it upon my word he has mistook the genuine sense of the Poet. For any one that reads that passage with attention will quickly perceive that by Siluros he designs to express a sort of Fish and not a People HEREFORDSHIRE HErefordshire call'd by the Britains Ereinuc is in a manner of a circular form bounded on the East with the Counties of Worcester and Glocester on the South with Monmouth on the West with Radnor and Breknock and on the North with Shropshire A Country besides its pleasantness both for feeding of Cattel and produce of Corn every where of an excellent soil and admirably well provided with all necessaries for life Insomuch that it may scorn to come behind any County in England for fruitfulness of soil 1 And therefore says that for three W. W. W. Wheat Wooll and Water it yieldeth to no Shire of England To which excellencies are to be added its fine rivers the Wye the Lug and the Munow which after they have water'd the verdant flow'ry meadows and rich and fruitful corn-fields at last have their conflux and in one chanel pass to the Severn-Sea a 〈◊〉 River 〈◊〉 The Munow has its rise in Hatterell-hills which shooting up aloft look as it were like a Chair and are a sort of wall to this Shire on the South-west-side Hence the river descending first struggles Southward along the foot of these hills 〈◊〉 to Blestium a town so plac'd by Antoninus that both for situation and distance it can be no other than that which standing upon this river 〈◊〉 Town is by the Britains call'd Castle Hean that is the Old Castle by us The old Town An inconsiderable village but nevertheless this new name makes much for its antiquity for in both tongues it sounds an Old Castle or Town Next to this lyes Alterynnis surrounded with water Alterynnis the Seat of the Cecils as it were an Island in a river the seat in former ages of the ancient and knightly family of the Sitsilters or Cecils whence my right honourable Patron highly accomplisht with all the Ornaments of Virtue Wisdom and Nobility Sir William Cecil Baron of Burghley and Lord High Treasurer of England is descended From hence the Munow turning Eastward for a good way parts this Province from Monmouthshire and is augmented by the river Dore at Map-Harald or Harald Ewias Harald-Ewias a Castle This Ewias-Castle to give you the words of King William the first 's Book was repair'd by Alured of Marleberg The Family of Ewias Afterwards it belonged to one Harald a Nobleman who Their Arms. in a Shield Argent bore a Fess Gules between three Estoiles Sable from whom it first took the name of Harold Ewias but Sibyll his Great-grand-daughter and one of the heirs transferr'd it by marriage to the Lords Tregoz Tregoz and Grandison from whom it came at length to the Lords of Grandison originally of Burgundy of whom elsewhere Now the Dore above-mentioned falling down from the North by Snotthill a castle Gidden Vale. and sometimes the Barony of Robert Chandois where there is a Quarry of excellent Marble cuts through the middle of the valley which the Britains from the river call Diffrin Dore but the English that they might seem to express the force of that word have term'd it The Golden Vale. Which name it may well be thought to deserve for its golden rich and pleasant fertility For the hills that encompass it on both sides are clothed with woods under the woods lye corn-fields on each hand and under those fields lovely and gallant meadows In the middle between them glides a clear and crystal river on which Robert Earl of Ewias erected a fine Monastery wherein most of the Nobility and Gentry of these parts were buried Part of this County which bends towards the East now call'd Irchenfeld Irchenfeld in Domesday Archenfeld was as Historians write laid waste with fire and sword by the Danes in the year 715 Camalac a British Bishop being then carried away captive Herein once stood Kilpec a noted castle the seat of the noble family of the Kilpec's Kilpec who as some report were Champions to the Kings of England in the beginning of the Normans which I am very willing to believe In the reign of Edward the first Robert Wallerond liv'd here whose ‖ Nepos nephew Alane Plugenet was honourd with the title of a Baron In this Archenfeld likewise as we read in Domesday-book certain Revenues by an old custom were assigned to one or two Priests on this condition that they should go in Embassies for the Kings of England into Wales and to use the words of the said Book The men