of the Danish race And from thence vntill we came vnto the coast of Norffolke I saw no more Ilands Being therfore past S. Edmunds point we found a litle I le ouer against the fall of the water that commeth from Holkham likewise another ouer against the Claie before we came at Waburne hope the third also in Yarmouth riuer ouer against Bradwell a towne in low or little England whereof also I must néeds saie somewhat bicause it is in maner an Iland and as I gesse either hath béene or may be one for the brodest place of the strict land that leadeth to the same is little aboue a quarter of a mile which against the raging waues of the sea can make but small resistance Little England or low England therefore is about eight miles in length and foure in bredth verie well replenished with townes as Fristan Burgh castell Olton Flixton Lestoft Gunton Blundston Corton Lownd Ashebie Hoxton Belton Bradwell and Gorleston and beside this it is verie fruitfull and indued with all commodities Going forward from hence by the Estonnesse almost an Iland I saw a small parcell cut from the maine in Oxford hauen the Langerstone in Orwell mouth two péeces or Islets at Cattiwade bridge and then casting about vnto the Colne we beheld Merseie which is a pretie Iland well furnished with wood It was sometime a great receptacle for the Danes when they inuaded England howbeit at this present it hath beside two decaied blockehouses two parish churches of which one is called east Merseie the other west Merseie and both vnder the archdeacon of Colchester as parcell of his iurisdiction Foulenesse is an I le void of wood and yet well replenished with verie good grasse for neat and sheepe whereof the inhabitants haue great plentie there is also a parish church and albeit that it stand somewhat distant from the shore yet at a dead low water a man may as they saie ride thereto if he be skilfull of the causie it is vnder the iurisdiction of London And at this present master William Tabor bacheler of diuinitie and archdeacon of Essex hath it vnder his iurisdiction regiment by the surrender of maister Iohn Walker doctor also of diuinitie who liued at such time as I first attempted to commit this booke to the impression In Maldon water are in like sort thrée Ilands inuironed all with salt streames as saint Osithes Northeie and another after a mersh that beareth no name so far as I remember On the right hand also as we went toward the sea againe we saw Ramseie I le or rather a Peninsula or Biland likewise the Reie in which is a chappell of saint Peter And then coasting vpon the mouth of the Bourne we saw the Wallot Ile and his mates whereof two lie by east Wallot and the fourth is Foulnesse except I be deceiued for here my memorie faileth me on the one side and information on the other I meane concerning the placing of Foulenesse But to procéed After this and being entered into the Thames mouth I find no Iland of anie name except you accompt Rochford hundred for one whereof I haue no mind to intreat more than of Crowland Mersland Elie and the rest that are framed by the ouze Andredeseie in Trent so called of a church there dedicated to saint Andrew and Auon two noble riuers hereafter to be described sith I touch onelie those that are inuironed with the sea or salt water round about as we may see in the Canwaie Iles which some call marshes onelie and liken them to an ipocras bag some to a vice scrue or wide sléeue bicause they are verie small at the east end and large at west The salt rilles also that crosse the same doo so separat the one of them from the other that they resemble the slope course of the cutting part of a scrue or gimlet in verie perfect maner if a man doo imagine himselfe to looke downe from the top of the mast vpon them Betwéene these moreouer and the Leigh towne lieth another litle Ile or Holme whose name is to me vnknowne Certes I would haue gone to land and viewed these parcels as they laie or at the least haue sailed round about them by the whole hauen which may easilie be doone at an high water but for as much as a perrie of wind scarse comparable to the makerell gale whereof Iohn Anele of Calis one of the best seamen that England euer bred for his skill in the narow seas was woont to talke caught hold of our sailes caried vs forth the right waie toward London I could not tarie to sée what things were hereabouts Thus much therefore of our Ilands so much may well suffice where more cannot be had The description of the Thames and such riuers as fall into the same Cap. 11. HAuing as you haue séene attempted to set downe a full discourse of all the Ilands that are situat vpon the coast of Britaine and finding the successe not correspondent to mine intent it hath caused me somewhat to restreine my purpose in this description also of our riuers For whereas I intended at the first to haue written at large of the number situation names quantities townes villages castels mounteines fresh waters plashes or lakes salt waters and other commodities of the aforesaid Iles mine expectation of information from all parts of England was so deceiued in the end that I was fame at last onelie to leane to that which I knew my selfe either by reading or such other helpe as I had alreadie purchased and gotten of the same And euen so it happeneth in this my tractation of waters of whose heads courses length bredth depth of chanell for burden ebs flowings and falles I had thought to haue made a perfect description vnder the report also of an imagined course taken by them all But now for want of instruction which hath béene largelie promised slacklie perfourmed and other sudden and iniurious deniall of helpe voluntarilie offered without occasion giuen on my part I must needs content my selfe with such obseruations as I haue either obteined by mine owne experience or gathered from time to time out of other mens writings whereby the full discourse of the whole is vtterlie cut off and in steed of the same a mangled rehearsall of the residue set downe and left in memorie Wherefore I beséech your honour to pardon this imperfection and rudenesse of my labour which notwithstanding is not altogither in vaine sith my errors maie prooue a spurre vnto the better skilled either to correct or inlarge where occasion serueth or at the leastwise to take in hand a more absolute péece of worke as better direction shall incourage them thereto The entrance and beginning of euerie thing is the hardest and he that beginneth well hath atchiued halfe his purpose The ice my lord is broken and from hencefoorth it will be more easie for
monke if a man should leane to one side without anie conference of the asseuerations of the other But herin as I take it there lurketh some scruple for beside that S. Peters church stood in the east end of the citie and that of Apollo in the west the word Cornehill a denomination giuen of late to speake of to one street may easilie be mistaken for Thorney For as the word Thorney proceedeth from the Saxons who called the west end of the citie by that name where Westminster now standeth bicause of the wildnesse and bushinesse of the soile so I doo not read of anie stréete in London called Cornehill before the conquest of the Normans Wherfore I hold with them which make Westminster to be the place where Lucius builded his church vpon the ruines of that Flamine 264. yeeres as Malmesburie saith before the comming of the Saxons and 411. before the arriuall of Augustine Read also his appendix in lib. 4. Pontif. where he noteth the time of the Saxons in the 449. of Grace and of Augustine in the 596. of Christ which is a manifest accompt though some copies haue 499. for the one but not without manifest corruption and error Thus became Britaine the first prouince that generallie receiued the faith and where the gospell was freelie preached without inhibition of hir prince Howbeit although that Lucius and his princes and great numbers of his people imbraced the word with gréedinesse yet was not the successe thereof either so vniuersall that all men beleeued at the first the securitie so great as that no persecution was to be feared from the Romane empire after his decease or the procéeding of the king so seuere as that he inforced any man by publike authoritie to forsake and relinquish his paganisme but onelie this fréedome was enioied that who so would become a christian in his time might without feare of his lawes professe the Gospell in whose testimonie if néed had béene I doubt not to affirme but that he would haue shed also his bloud as did his neece Emerita who being constant aboue the common sort of women refused not after his decease by fire to yeeld hir selfe to death as a swéet smelling sacrifice in the nostrels of the Lord beyond the sea in France The faith of Christ being thus planted in this Iland in the 177. after Christ and Faganus and Dinaw with the rest sent ouer from Rome in the 178. as you haue heard it came to passe in the third yeare of the Gospell receiued that Lucius did send againe to Eleutherus the bishop requiring that he might haue some breefe epitome of the order of discipline then vsed in the church For he well considered that as it auaileth litle to plant a costlie vineyard except it afterward be cherished kept in good order and such things as annoie dailie remooued from the same so after baptisme and entrance into religion it profiteth little to beare the name of christians except we doo walke in the spirit and haue such things as offend apparentlie corrected by seuere discipline For otherwise it will come to passe that the wéedes of vice and vicious liuing will so quicklie abound in vs that they will in the end choke vp the good séed sowne in our minds and either inforce vs to returne vnto our former wickednesse with déeper securitie than before or else to become meere Atheists which is a great deale woorse For this cause therefore did Lucius send to Rome the second time for a copie of such politike orders as were then vsed there in their regiment of the church But Eleutherus considering with himselfe how that all nations are not of like condition and therefore those constitutions that are beneficiall to one may now and then be preiudiciall to another and séeing also that beside the word no rites and orders can long continue or be so perfect in all points but that as time serueth they will require alteration he thought it best not to laie any more vpon the necks of the new conuerts of Britaine as yet than Christ and his apostles had alreadie set downe vnto all men In returning therefore his messengers he sent letters by them vnto Lucius and his Nobilitie dated in the consulships of Commodus and Vespronius wherein he told them that Christ had left sufficient order in the scriptures for the gouernment of his church alreadie in his word and not for that onlie but also for the regiment of his whole kingdome if he would submit himselfe to yéeld and follow that rule The epistle it selfe is partlie extant and partlie perished yet such as it is and as I haue faithfullie translated it out of sundrie verie ancient copies I doo deliuer it here to the end I will not defraud the reader of anie thing that may turne to the glorie of God and his commoditie in the historie of our nation You require of vs the Romane ordinances and thereto the statutes of the emperours to be sent ouer vnto you and which you desire to practise and put in vre within your realme and kingdome The Romane lawes and those of emperours we may eft soones reprooue but those of God can neuer be found fault withall You haue receiued of late through Gods mercie in the realme of Britaine the law and faith of Christ you haue with you both volumes of the scriptures out of them therefore by Gods grace and the councell of your realme take you a law and by that law through Gods sufferance rule your kingdome for you are Gods vicar in your owne realme as the roiall prophet saith The earth is the Lords and all that is therein the compasse of the world and they that dwell therein Againe Thou hast loued truth and hated iniquitie wherefore God euen thy God hath annointed thée with oile of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes And againe according to the saieng of the same prophet Oh God giue thy iudgement vnto the king thy iustice vnto the kings sonne The kings sons are the christian people flocke of the realme which are vnder your gouernance and liue continue in peace within your kingdome * The gospell saith As the hen gathereth hir chickens vnder hir wings so dooth the king his people Such as dwell in the kingdome of Britaine are yours whom if they be diuided you ought to gather into concord and vnitie to call them to the faith and law of Christ and to his sacred church to chearish and mainteine to rule also and gouerne them defending each of them from such as would doo them wrong and keeping them from the malice of such as be their enimies * Wo vnto the nation whose king is a child and whose princes rise vp earlie to banket and féed which is spoken not of a prince that is within age but of a prince that is become a child through follie sinne vnstedfastnesse of whom the prophet saith The bloudthirstie and deceitfull men
of saint Buriens and an other somewhat longer than the first that issueth by west of the aforesaid towne wherein is to be noted that our cards made heretofore doo appoint S. Buriens to be at the very lands end of Cornewall but experience now teacheth vs that it commeth not néere the lands end by thrée miles This latter rill also is the last that I doo reade of on the south side and likewise on the west and north till we haue sailed to S. Ies baie which is full ten miles from the lands end or Bresan I le eastward rather more if you reckon to the fall of the Haile which lieth in the very middest and highest part of the baie of the same The soile also is verie hillie here as for saint Ies towne it is almost as I said a byland and yet is it well watered with sundrie rilles that come from those hilles vnto the same The Haile riseth in such maner and from so manie heads as I haue before said howbeit I will adde somewhat more vnto it for the benefit of my readers Certes the chéefe head of Haile riseth by west of Goodalfin hilles and going downe toward saint Erthes it receiueth the second and best of the other three rilles from Goodalfin towne finallie comming to saint Erthes and so vnto the maine baie it taketh in the Clowart water from Guimer south of Phelacke which hath two heads the said village standing directlie betwixt them both The Caine riseth southeast of Caineburne towne a mile and more from whence it goeth without increase by west of Gwethian and so into the sea west of Mara Darwaie From hence we coasted about the point left the baie till we came to a water that riseth of two heads from those hilles that lie by south of the same one of them also runneth by saint Uni another by Redreuth and méeting within a mile they fall into the Ocean beneath Luggam or Tuggan A mile and a halfe from this fall we come vnto another small rill and likewise two other créekes betwixt which the towne of saint Agnes standeth and likewise the fourth halfe a mile beyond the most easterlie of these whose head is almost thrée miles within the land in a towne called saint Alin. Thence going by the Manrocke and west of saint Piran in the sand we find a course of thrée miles and more from the head and hauing a forked branch the parts doo méet at west aboue saint Kibbard and so go into the sea I take this to be saint Pirans créeke for the next is Carantocke pill or créeke whose head is at Guswarth from whence it goeth vnto Trerise and soone after taking in a rill from by west it runneth into the sea coast of saint Carantakes Beyond this is another créeke that riseth aboue little saint Colan and goeth by lesse saint Columbe and east and by north hereof commeth downe one more whose head is almost south of the Nine stones going from thence to great saint Columbes it passeth by Lamberne and so into the sea S. Merous créeke is but a little one rising west of Padstow and falling in almost ouer against the Gull rocke Then turning betwéene the point and the blacke rocke we entred into Padstow hauen thrée miles lower than port Issec and a mile from port Gwin whose waters remaine next of all to be described The Alan ariseth flat east from the hauen mouth of Padstow well néere eight or nine miles about Dauidstone neere vnto which the Eniam also issueth that runneth into the Thamar Going therefore from hence it passeth to Camelford saint Aduen saint Bernard both Cornish saints and soone after receiueth a rill at northeast descending from Rowters hill Thence it goeth to Bliseland and Helham the first bridge of name that standeth vpon Alin Yer long also it taketh in one rill by south from Bodman another from saint Laurence the third by west of this and the fourth that commeth by Wethiell no one of them excéeding the course of thrée miles and all by south From hence it goeth toward Iglesaleward and there receiueth a water on the east side which commeth about two miles from saint Teath by Michelston saint Tuchoe saint Maben mo Cornish patrons and finallie south of Iglesall méeteth with the Alen that goeth from thence by S. Breaca to Woodbridge Hereabout I find that into our Alein or Alen there should fall two riuerets whereof the one is called Carneseie the other Laine and comming in the end to full notice of the matter I sée them to issue on seuerall sides beneath Woodbridge almost directlie the one against the other That which descendeth from northwest and riseth about saint Kew is named Carneseie as I heare the other that commeth in on the south-southwest banke hight Laine and noted by Leland to rise two miles aboue S. Esse But howsoeuer this matter standeth there are two other créekes on ech side also beneath these as Pethrike creeke and Minner créeke so called of the Cornish saints for that soile bred manie wherewith I finish the description of Alen or as some call it Dunmere and other Padstow water From Padstow hauen also they saile out full west to Waterford in Ireland There are likewise two rockes which lie in the east side of the hauen secretlie hidden at full sea as two pads in the straw whereof I thinke it taketh the name Yet I remember how I haue read that Padstow is a corrupted word for Adlestow and should signifie so much as Athelstani locus as it may well be For it is euident that they â—ad in time past sundrie charters of priuilege from Athelstane although at this present it be well stored with Irishmen But to our purpose Leland supposeth this riuer to be the same Camblan where Arthur fought his last and fatall conflict for to this daie men that doo eare the ground there doo oft plow vp bones of a large size and great store of armour or else it may be as I rather coniecture that the Romans had some field or Castra thereabout for not long since and in the remembrance of man a brasse pot full of Romane coine was found there as I haue often heard Being thus passed Padstow hauen and after we had gone three miles from hence we came to Portgwin a poore fisher towne where I find a brooke and a péere Then I came to Portissec alià s Cunilus two miles further and found there a brooke a péere and some succor for fisher boats Next of all vnto a brooke that ran from south east directlie north into the Sauerne sea and within halfe a mile of the same laie a great blacke rocke like an Iland From this water to Treuenni is about a mile where the paroch church is dedicated to saint Simphorian and in which paroch also Tintagell or Dundagie castell standeth which is a thing inerpugnable for the situation and would be
yeare 1189. was two foot higher than anie man that came to behold the same Finallie the carcase of William conqueror was séene not manie yeares since to wit 1542. in the citie of Cane twelue inches longer by the iudgment of such as saw it than anie man which dwelled in the countrie All which testimonies I note togither bicause they proceed from christian writers from whome nothing should be farther or more distant than of set purpose to lie and feed the world with fables In our times also and whilest Francis the first reigned ouer France there was a man séene in Aquiteine whome the king being in those parties made of his gard whose height was such that a man of common heigth might easilie go vnder his twist without stooping a stature incredible Moreouer Casanion a writer of our time telleth of the bones of Briat a giant found of late in Delphinois of 15. cubits the diameter of whose scull was two cubits and the breadth of his shoulders foure as he himselfe beheld in the late second wars of France wherevnto the report of Ioan Marius made in his bookes De Galliarum illustrationibus where he writeth of the carcase of the same giant found not farre from the Rhodanus which was 22. foot long from the scull to the sole of the feet dooth yéeld sufficient testimonie Also Calameus in his commentaries De Biturigibus confirmeth no lesse adding that he was found 1556. so dooth Baptista Fulgosus lib. 1. cap. 6. saieng farther that his graue was seene not farre from Valentia and discouered by the violence and current of the Rhodanus The said Casanion in like sort speaketh of the bones of a man which he beheld one of whose téeth was a foot long and eight pound in weight Also of the sepulchre of another neere vnto Charmes castell which was nine paces in length things incredible to vs if eiesight did not confirme it in our owne times and these carcases were not reserued by the verie prouidence of God to the end we might behold his works and by these relikes vnderstand that such men were in old time in deed of whose statures we now begin to doubt Now to say somwhat also of mine owne knowledge there is the thighbone of a man to be séene in the church of S. Laurence néere Guildhall in London which in time past was 26. inches in length but now it beginneth to decaie so that it is shorter by foure inches than it was in the time of king Edward Another also is to be seene in Aldermarâ—e burie of some called Aldermanburie of 32. inches and rather more whereof the symmetrie hath beene taken by some skilfull in that practise and an image made according to that proportioÌ„ which is fixed in the east end of the cloister of the same church not farre from the said bone and sheweth the person of a man full ten or eleuen foot high which as some say was found in the cloister of Poules that was neere to the librarie at such time as the Duke of Somerset did pull it downe to the verie foundation and carried the stones thereof to the Strand where he did build his house These two bones haue I séene beside other whereof at the beholding I tooke no great heed bicause I minded not as then to haue had any such vse of their proportions and therefore I will speake no more of them this is sufficient for my purpose that is deliuered out of the christian authors Now it resteth furthermore that I set downe what I haue read therof in Pagane writers who had alwaies great regard of their credit and so ought all men that dedicate any thing vnto posteriâ—ie least in going about otherwise to reape renowme and praise they doo procure vnto themselues in the end nothing else but meere contempt and infamie For my part I will touch rare things and such as to my selfe doo séeme almost incredible howbeit as I find them so I note them requiring your Honour in reading hereof to let euerie Author beare his owne burden and euerie oxe his bundle Plutarch telleth how Sertorius being in Lybia néere to the streicts of Maroco to wit at Tingi or Tanger in Mauritania as it is now called caused the sepulchre of Antheus afore remembred to be opened for hearing by common report that the said giant laie buried there whose corps was fiftie cubits long at the least he was so far off from crediting the same that he would not beleeue it vntill he saw the coffin open wherein the bones of the aforesaid prince did rest To be short therefore he caused his souldiers to cast downe the hill made sometime ouer the tombe and finding the bodie in the bottome coffined in stone after the measure therof taken he saw it manifestlie to be 60. cubits in length which were ten more than the people made accompt of which Strabo also confirmeth Pausanias reporteth out of one Miso that when the bodie of Aiax was found the whirlebone of his knée was adindged so broad as a pretie dish also that the bodie of Asterius somtime king of Creta was ten cubits long and that of Hyllus or Gerion no lesse maruelous than the rest all which Goropius still condemneth to be the bones of monsters of the sea notwithstanding the manifest formes of their bones epitaphes and inscriptions found ingrauen in brasse and lead with them in their sepulchres so far is he from being persuaded and led from his opinion Philostrate in Heroicis saith how he saw the bodie of a giant thirtie cubits in length also the carcase of another of two and twentie and the third of twelue Liuie in the seauenth of his first decade speaketh of an huge person which made a challenge as he stood at the end of the Anien bridge against any Romane that would come out and fight with him whose stature was not much inferiour to that of Golias of Artaches of whome Herodot speaketh in the historie of Xerxes who was sixe common cubits of stature which make but fiue of the kings standard bicause this is longer by thrée fingers than the other Of Pusio Secundilla Cabaras of which the first two liuing vnder Augustus were aboue ten foot and the later vnder Claudius of full nine and all remembred by Plinie of Eleazar a Iew of whome Iosephus saith that he was sent to Tiberius and a person of heigth fiue cubits of another of whom Nicephorus maketh mention lib. 12. cap. 13. Hist. eccles of fiue cubits and an handfull I say nothing bicause Casanion of Mutterell hath alredie sufficientlie discoursed vpon these examples in his De gigantibus which as I gesse he hath written of set purpose against Goropius who in his Gigantomachia supposeth himselfe to haue killed all the giants in the world and like a new Iupiter Alterum carcasse Herculem as the said Casanion dooth merilie charge and vpbraid him Plinie telleth of an earthquake at Creta which discouered the body
also it goeth vnto Bruerne Shipton vnderwood Ascot Short hamton Chorleburie Corneburie parke Stonfield Longcombe and southeast of Woodstocke parke taketh in the Enis that riseth aboue Emstone and goeth to Ciddington Glimton Wotton where it is increased with a rill that runneth thither from stéeple Barton by the Béechin trée Woodstocke Blaidon so that after this confluence the said Enis runneth to Casūnton and so into the Isis which goeth from hence to Oxford and there receiueth the Charwell now presentlie to be described The head of Charwell is in Northamptonshire where it riseth out of a little poole by Charleton village seuen miles aboue Banberie northeast and there it issueth so fast at the verie surge that it groweth into a pretie streame in maner out of hand Soone after also it taketh in a rillet called the Bure which falleth into it about Otmere side but forasmuch as it riseth by Bincester the whole course therof is not aboue foure miles and therefore cannot be great A friend of mine prosecuting the rest of this description reporteth thereof as followeth Before the Charwell commeth into Oxfordshire it receiueth the Culen which falleth into the same a little aboue Edgcote and so descending toward Wardington it méeteth with another comming from by north west betweene Wardington and Cropreadie At Banberie also it méeteth with the Come which falleth from fennie Conton by Farneboro and afterwards going by kings Sutton not far from Aine it receiueth the discharge of diuerse rillets in one bottome before it come at Clifton The said water therfore ingendred of so manie brookelets consisteth chiefelie of two whereof the most southerlie called Oke commeth from Oke Norton by Witchington or Wiggington and the Berfords and carieng a few blind rils withall dooth méet with the other that falleth from by northwest into the same within a mile of Charwell That other as I coniecture is increased of thrée waters wherof each one hath his seuerall name The first of them therefore hight Tudo which comming betwéene Epwell and the Lée by Toddington ioineth about Broughton with the second that runneth from Horneton named Ornus as I gesse The last falleth into the Tude or Tudelake beneath Broughton and for that it riseth not far from Sotteswell in Warwikeshire some are of the opinion that it is to be called Sotbrooke The next water that méeteth without Charwell beneath Clifton commeth from about Croughton and after this is the Sowar or Swere that riseth north of Michaell Tew and runneth by nether Wotton The last of all is the Reie aliàs Bure whose head is not far aboue Burcester aliàs Bincester and Burncester and from whence it goeth by Burecester to Merton Charleton Fencote Addington Noke Islip and so into Charwell that holdeth on his course after this augmentation of the waters betwéene Wood and Water Eton to Marston and the east bridge of Oxford by Magdalene college and so beneath the south bridge into our aforesaid Isis. In describing this riuer this one thing right honorable is come vnto my mind touching the center and nauill as it were of England Certes there is an hillie plot of ground in Helledon parish not far from Danberie where a man maie stand and behold the heads of thrée notable riuers whose waters and those of such as fall into them doo abundantlie serue the greatest part of England on this side of the Humber The first of these waters is the Charwell alreadie described The second is the Leme that goeth westward into the fourth Auon And the third is the head of the Nene or fift Auon it selfe of whose courses there is no card but doth make sufficient mention and therefore your honour maie behold in the same how they doo coast the countrie and also measure by compasses how this plot lieth in respect of all the rest contrarie to common iudgement which maketh Northampton to be the middest and center of our countrie But to go forward with my description of the Ouse which being past Oxford goeth to Iflie Kennington Sanford Rodleie Newnham and so to Abington somtime called Sensham without increase where it receiueth the Oche otherwise called the Coche a little beneath S. Helens which runneth thither of two brooklets as I take it whereof one commeth from Compton out of the vale and west of the hill of the White horsse the other from Kings Letcombe and Wantage in Barkshire and in one chanell entreth into the same vpon the right side of his course From Abington likewise taking the Arun withall southwest of Sutton Courtneie it goeth by Appleford long Wittenham Clifton Wittenham the lesse beneath Dorchester taketh in the Thame water from whence the Isis loseth the preheminence of the whole denomination of this riuer and is contented to impart the same with the Thame so that by the coniunction of these two waters Thamesis is producted and that name continued euen vnto the sea Thame riuer riseth in the easterlie parts of Chilterne hils towards Penleie parke at a towne called Tring west of the said parke which is seauen miles from the stone bridge that is betweene Querendon and Ailsburie after the course of the water as Leland hath set downe Running therefore by long Merston and Puttenham Hucket and Bearton it receiueth soone after a rill that commeth by Querendon from Hardwike and yer long an other on the other side that riseth aboue Windouer in the Chilterne and passing by Halton Weston Turrill Broughton and Ailsburie it falleth into the Tame west of the said towne except my memorie doo faile me From this confluence the Tame goeth by Ethorpe the Winchingtons Coddington Chersleie Notleie abbeie and comming almost to Tame it receiueth one water from southeast aboue the said towne and another also from the same quarter beneath the towne so that Tame standeth inuironed vpon thrée sides with thrée seuerall waters as maie be easilie séene The first of these commeth from the Chiltern east of Below or Bledlow from whence it goeth to Hinton Horsenden Kingseie Towseie and so into the Tame The other descendeth also from the Chilterne and going by Chinner Crowell Siddenham and Tame parke it falleth in the end into Tame water and then they procéed togither as one by Shabbington Ricot parke Dracot Waterstoke Milton Cuddesdon and Chiselton Here also it taketh in another water from by-east whose head commeth from Chilterne hils not farre from Stocking church in the waie from Oxford to London From whence it runneth to Weston and méeting beneath Cuxham with Watlington rill it goeth on to Chalgraue Stadham and so into the Tame From hence our streame of Thame runneth to Newenton Draton Dorchester sometime a bishops see and a noble citie and so into the Thames which hasteth in like sort to Bensington Crowmarsh or Wallingford where it receiueth the Blaue descending from Blaueburg now Blewberie as I learne Thus haue I brought the Thames vnto
Wallingford situate in the vale of White horsse that runneth a long therby From hence it goeth by Newenham north Stoke south Stoke Goring Bassilden Pangburne where it meeteth with a water that commeth from about Hamsted Norris runneth by Frizelham Buckelburie Stanford Bradfeld Tidmarsh and Pangburne After which confluence it goeth on betweene Mapledorham and Purleie to Cauersham and Cauersham manour and a little beneath receiueth the Kenet that commeth thereinto from Reading The Kenet riseth aboue Ouerton 5 or 6 miles west of Marleborow or Marlingsborow as some call it then going by Fifeld Clatfor Maulon Preshute vnto Marleburie it holdeth on in like order to Ramsburie and northwest of little Cote taketh in a water by north descending from the hilles aboue Alburne chase west of Alburne town Thence it runneth to little Cote Charnhamstréet beneth Charnhamstréet it crosseth the Bedwin which taking the Chalkburne rill withall commeth from great Bedwiine at Hungerford also two other in one botom somewhat beneath the towne From hence it goeth to Auington Kinburie Hamsted marshall Euburne Newberie and beneath this towne taketh in the Lamburne water that commeth by Isberie Egerston the Sheffords Westford Boxford Donington castell and Shaw From Newberie it goeth to Thatcham Wolhampton Aldermaston a little aboue which village it receiueth the Alburne another brooke increased with sundrie rils and thus going on to Padworth Oston and Michaell it commeth at last to Reading where as I said it ioineth with the Thames and so they go forward as one by Sonning to Shiplake and there on the east side receiue the Loddon that commeth downe thither from the south as by his course appéereth The Loddon riseth in Hamshire betwéene west Shirburne and Wooton toward the southwest afterward directing his course toward the northwest thorough the Uine it passeth at the last by Bramlie and thorough a peece of Wiltshire to Stradfield Swallowfield Arberfield Loddon bridge leauing a patch of Wiltshire on the right hand as I haue béene informed This Loddon not far from Turges towne receiueth two waters in one bottome whereof the westerlie called Basing water commeth from Basingstoke and thorough a parke vnto the aforesaid place The other descendeth of two heads from Mapledour well and goeth by Skewes Newenham Rotherwijc and yer it come at Hartlie ioineth with the Basing water from whence they go togither to Turges where they méet with the Loddon as I haue said alreadie The next streame toward the south is called Ditford brooke It riseth not farre from Upton goeth by Gruell and beneath Wharnborow castell receiueth the Ikell comming from a parke of the same denomination from whence they go togither by Maddingleie vnto Swalowfield and so into the Loddon In this voiage also the Loddon méeteth with the Elwie or Elueie that commeth from Aldershare not farre by west of Euersleie and about Eluesham likewise with another running from Dogmansfield named the Douke and also the third not inferior to the rest comming from Erin whose head is in Surreie and going by Ash becommeth a limit first betwéene Surreie and Hamshire then betwéene Hamshire and Barkeshire and passing by Ash Erinleie Blacke water Yerleie and Finchamsted it ioineth at last with the Ditford before it come at Swalowfield To conclude therefore with our Loddon hauing receiued all these waters and after the last confluence with them now being come to Loddon bridge it passeth on by a part of Wiltshire to Twiford bridge then to Wargraue and so into the Thames that now is maruellouslie increased and growen vnto triple greatnesse to that it was at Oxford Being therefore past Shiplake and Wargraue it runneth by Horsependon or Harding then to Henleie vpon Thames where sometime a great rill voideth it selfe in the same Then to Remenham Greneland going all this waie from Shiplake iust north and now turning eastwards againe by Medenham Hurleie Bisham Marlow the greater Marlow the lesse it meeteth with a brooke soone after that consisteth of the water of two rilles whereof the one called the Use riseth about west Wickham out of one of the Chilterne hilles and goeth from thence to east Wickham or high Wickham a pretie market towne The other named Higden descendeth also from those mounteines but a mile beneath west Wickham and ioining both in one at the last in the west end of east Wickham towne they go togither to Wooburne Hedâ—or so into the Thames Some call it the Tide and that word doo I vse in my former treatise but to procéed After this confluence our Thames goeth on by Cowkham Topleie Maidenhead alià s Sudlington Braie Dorneie Clure new Windsore taking in neuerthelesse at Eaton by the waie the Burne which riseth out of a Moore commeth thither by Burnham old Windsor Wraiborow and a little by east therof doth crosse the Cole whereof I find this short description insuing The Cole riseth néere vnto Flamsted from whence it goeth to Redburn S. Michaels S. Albons Aldenham Watford and so by More to Richmansworth where there is a confluence of three waters of which this Cole is the first The second called Gadus riseth not farre from Ashridge an house or palace belonging to the prince from whence it runneth to great Gaddesdin Hemsted betwéene Kings Langleie and Abbots Langleie then to Hunters and Cashew bridges and so to Richman swoorth receiuing by the waie a rill comming from Alburie by northwest to Northchurch Barkehamsted and beneath Hemsted ioining with the same The last commeth in at northwest from aboue Chesham by Chesham it selfe then by Chesham Bois Latimers Mawdlens Cheinies Sarret and Richmanswoorth and so going on all in one chanell vnder the name of Cole it runneth to Uxbridge where it taketh in the Missenden water from northwest which rising aboue Missenden the greater goeth by Missenden the lesse Hagmondesham now Hammersham the Uach Chalfhunt Giles Chalfhunt S. Peters Denham and then into the Cole aboue Uxbridge as I haue said Soone after this our Cole doth part it selfe into two branches neuer to ioine againe before they come at the Thames for the greater of them goeth thorough the goodlie medows straight to Colebrooke the other vnto two milles a mile and a halfe east of Colebrooke in the waie to London leauing an Iland betwéene them of no small size and quantitie Being past the Cole we come to the fall of the Uindeles which riseth by northwest néere vnto Bagshot from whence it goeth to Windlesham Chobham and méeting with a brooklet comming westward from Bisleie they run togither toward Cherteseie where when they haue met with a small rill rising north of Sonning hill in Windlesoure great parke it falleth into the Thames on the northeast side of Cherteseie When we were come beyond this water it was not long yer we came vnto another on the same side that fell into the Thames betweene Shepperton on the one side and Oteland
of the hauen of Falamouth to the mouth of Lanie horne pill or créeke on the south side of the hauen is a mile and as I remember it goeth vp halfe a mile from the principall streame of the hauen From Lanihorne pill also is a place or point of sand about a mile waie of fortie acres or thereabout as a peninsula called Ardeuerauter As for the water or créeke that runneth into the south southeast part it is but a little thing of halfe a mile vp into the land and the créeke that hemmeth in this peninsula of both dooth seeme to be the greater From the mouth of the west creeke of this peninsula vnto saint Iustes creeke is foure miles or more In like maner from saint Iustes pill or créeke for both signifie one thing to saint Mawes creeke is a mile and a halfe and the point betwéene them both is called Pendinas The créeke of saint Mawes goeth vp a two miles by east northeast into the land and beside that it ebbeth and floweth so farre there is a mill driuen with a fresh créeke that resorteth to the same Halfe a mile from the head of this downeward to the hauen is a créeke in maner of a poole whereon is a mill also that grindeth with the tide And a mile beneath that on the south side entereth a créeke about halfe a mile into the countrie which is barred from the maine sea by a small sandie banke and another mile yet lower is an other little créekelet But how so euer these créekes doo run certeine it is that the bankes of them that belong to Fala are meruellouslie well woodded And hitherto Leland whose words I dare not alter for feare of corruption and alteration of his iudgement Being past Falmouth hauen therefore as it were a quarter of a mile beyond Arwennach maister Killegrewes place which standeth on the brimme or shore within Falmouth we came to a little hauen which ran vp betwéene two hilles but it was barred wherefore we could not learne whether it were serued with anie backe fresh water or not From thence we went by Polwitherall creeke parted into two armes then to the Polpenrith wherevnto a riueret falleth that riseth not farre from thence and so goeth to the maine streame of the hauen at the last whither the créeke resorteth about thrée miles and more from the mouth of the hauen and into which the water that goeth vnder Gare and Mogun bridges doo fall in one bottome as Leland hath reported Unto this hauen also repaireth the Penkestell the Callous the Cheilow and the Gilling although this latter lieth against saint Mawnons on the hither side hard without the hauen mouth if I haue doone aright For so motheaten mouldie rotten are those bookes of Leland which I haue and beside that his annotations are such and so confounded as no man can in a maner picke out anie sense from them by a leafe togither Wherefore I suppose that he dispersed and made his notes intricate of set purpose or else he was loth that anie man should easilie come to that knowledge by reading which he with his great charge no lesse trauell atteined vnto by experience Thus leauing Fala hauen as more troublesome for me to describe than profitable for seafaring men without good aduise to enter into we left the rocke on our left hand and came straight southwest to Helford hauen whose water commeth downe from Wréeke where is a confluence of two small rilles whereof that rill consisteth by Mawgan and Trelawarren and then it receiueth a rill on the north ripe from Constantine after whose confluence it goeth a maine vntill it come to the Ocean where the mouth is spoiled by sand comming from the tin-works See Leland in the life of S. Breaca Beneath this also is another rill comming from S. Martyrs by whose course and another ouer against it on the west side that falleth into the sea by Winniton all Menage is left almost in maner of an Iland From hence we go south to the Manacle point then southwest to Lisard and so north and by west to Predannocke points beyond which we méet with the fall of the said water that riseth in the edge of Menag and goeth into the sea by Melien on the north and Winniton on the south By north also of Winniton is the Curie water that runneth short of Magan and toucheth with the Ocean south of Pengwenian point From hence we sailed to the Loo mouth which some call Lopoole because it is narrower at the fall into the sea than it is betwéene the sea and Hailston It riseth aboue S. Sethians and comming downe by Wendron it hasteth to Hailston or Helston from whence onelie it is called Loo but betwéene Helston and the head men call it commonlie Cohor Of this riuer Leland saith thus The Lopoole is two miles in length and betwixt it and the maine Ocean is but a barre of sand that once in thrée or foure yéeres what by weight of the fresh water and working of the sea breaketh out at which time it maketh a wonderfull noise but soone after the mouth of it is barred vp againe At all other times the superfluitie of the water of Lopole which is full of trout and éele draineth out through the sandie barre into the open sea certes if this barre could alwaies be kept open it would make a goodlie hauen vp vnto Haileston towne where coinage of tin is also vsed as at Trurie and Lostwithiell for the quéenes aduantage Being passed the Loo I came to another water that descendeth without anie increase from Crowan by Simneie whose whole course is not aboue thrée miles in all Then going by the Cuddan point we entered the mounts Baie and going streight north leauing S. Michaels mount a little vpon the left hand we came to the Lid which rising short of Tewidnacke descendeth by Lidgenan and so into the sea Certes the course of these waters cannot be long sith in this verie place the breadth of land is not aboue foure miles and not more than fiue at the verie lands end There is also a rill east of Korugie and Guluall and another west of the same hard at hand and likewise the third east of Pensants and not a full quarter of a mile from the second southwest of Pensants also lieth the fourth that commeth from Sancrete ward by Newlin from whence going southwest out of the baie by Moushole I le that lieth south of Moushole towne we come to a water that entreth into the Ocean betwixt Remels Lamorleie point Trulie the one head thereof commeth from by west of Sancrete the other from by west of an hill that standeth betwéene them both and ioining aboue Remels it is not long yer they salute their grandame After this and before we come at Rosecastell there are two other créekes whereof one is called Boskennie that riseth south
this suffice for the description of the Iuell whose streame dooth water all the west part of Summersetshire and leaueth it verie fruitfull The Brier Bruer or Bréer riseth of two waters wherof one is in Selwood forrest commeth downe by Bruecombe Bruham and Bruton The other which Leland nameth Mellos is northest of Staffordell towne and going by the same it runneth by Redlinch to Wike where it méeteth with the other head and thence go on as one to Awnsford Alford where it taketh in a water called Dulis from by north that riseth néere Dolting and commeth by Euerchurch parke then to the Lidfords Basborow wood the Tor hill Pont perilous whereinto they fable that Arthur being wounded to death did throw Calibur his sword by Glastenburie and so into the Méere Beside this riuer there are two other also that fall into the said Méere whereof the one called Sowaie commeth from Créechurch parke and Pulton by Hartlacke bridge the other named Cos or the Coscombe water from aboue Shepton Mallet which east of Wike taketh in a water comming from Welles by Wike Gedneie and so into the Méere Finallie returning all into one chanell it runneth to Burtlehouse and soone after diuiding it selfe one arme goeth by Bastian aliàs Brent bridge to High bridge leauing Huntspill a market towne by southwest the other by Marke to Rokes bridge Hebbes passage and so into the sea leauing a faire Iland wherin beside Brentmarsh are seuen or eight townes of whose names I haue no knowledge Now as touching the water that commeth from Welles which falleth as I said into the Coscombe water on the right hand of the Cawseie you shall vnderstand that as manie springs are in Wels so the chiefe of them is named Andres well which riseth in a medow plat not farre from the east end of the cathedrall church and afterward goeth into the Coscombe in such place as I haue noted Leland speaketh of the Milton Golafer waters which should fall likewise into the Brier but whether those be they whereof the one riseth aboue Staffordell and in the descent runneth by Shipton Pitcombe and so to Awnsford on the one side as the other dooth rise betwéene Batcombe and Upton noble on the other halfe or vnto whether of them either of these names are seuerallie to be attributed as yet I doo not read The second Axe which commeth by Axe towne in old time called Uexa issueth out of Owkie hole from whence it goeth by Owkie towne afterward meeting with the Chederbrooke that commeth from the Cheder rocks wherein is an hole in old time called Carcer Aeoli wherof much hath béene written surmised past credit It runneth by Were Ratcliffe and after a little compasse into the northeast branch of the aforesaid riuer last described betweene Rokes bridge and Hebbes passage as I haue beene informed From the fall of Axe we come to an other called Bane northeast of Woodspring whose head is about Banwell parke or else in Smaldon wood Then to an other and to the third called Artr◠which riseth about Litton and going by the Artroes Ubbeie Perribridge receiuing a rill yer it come thither from by south beneath Cungesbirie or as I learne betwéene Kingston and Laurence Wike it méeteth with the sea Sottespill water riseth betwéene Cheueleie and Naileseie howbeit it hath no increase before it come into the sea at Sottespill more than the next vnto it which is named Cleueden water of a certeine towne neere to the fall thereof It riseth southeast of Barrow goeth by Burton Naileseie and so vnto Cleuedon The Auon commonlie called the third Auon is a goodlie water and growne to be verie famous by sundrie occasions to be particularlie touched in our description of Bristow Yet thus much will I note héere thereof as a rare accident how that in king Edgars daies the verie same yeare that the old monasterie of Euesham fell downe by it selfe a porpasse was taken therein neere to the said monasterie and neuer anie before or since that time heard of to haue béene found in that streame And euen so not manie yeares before I first wrote this treatise a sturgion was taken aliue in Rochester streame which the bishop gaue vnto your honor and you would as gladlie haue sent it to the quéenes maiestie if she might haue béene presented withall aliue as it was taken Certes both these rare occurrents gaue no lesse occasion of strange furmises to the inhabitants of both places than the blockes of Brerton when they appeare doo vnto that familie of which the report goeth that they are neuer séene but against some mischéefe or other to befall vnto that house But how farre am I gone from my purpose The Auon therefore riseth in the verie edge of Tetburie and goeth by long Newton to Brokenton Whitchurch and Malmsburie where it receiueth two waters that is to saie one from by west comming by Foxeleie and Bromleham which runneth so néere to the Auon in the west suburbe of Malmsburie that the towne thereby is almost made an Iland Another from Okeseie parke by Hankerton Charleton and Garesden After this confluence it hasteth to Cole parke then goeth it toward the southeast till it méet with a water comming from southwest betwéene Hullauington and Bradfield by Aston and soone after with another at the northside from Binall by Wootton Basset through the parke to Gretenham and Idouer bridges and after the confluence to Dauntseie Segar Sutton Christ-malford Auon Calwaies house and then to west Tetherton Beneath this towne also it taketh in a water increased by two brookes whereof one comming from Cleue by Hilmarton Whitleie house and Bramble and there receiuing another that commeth by Calne passeth on by Stanlie into the Auon which from thence foorth goeth to Chippenham Rowdon Lekham and then receiuing Cosham water goeth to Lacocke Melsham and yer it come at Whaddon crosseth two other in one chanell whereof one riseth about Brumham house and goeth to Sene the other about the Diuizes and from thence runneth to Potterne wood Creke wood Worton Maston Bucklington and ioining with the other aboue Litleton they run by Semmingto◠and north of Whaddon aforesaid into the maine streame whereof I now intreat From hence our Auon runneth to Stauerton and southwest of that towne méeteth with the Were that commeth from Upton by Dilton Brooke parke there crossing a rill called Bisse from Westbirie vnder the plaine then to north Bradleie Trubridge and so into Auon that goeth from thence to Bradford within a mile or there abouts before it come at Freshford it méeteth with the Frome whose description dooth insue The Frome riseth in the east part of Mendip hils and from thence runneth by Astwti◠the Cole pits Lie vnder Mendip Whateleie Elmesbridge and soone after taketh in the Nonneie water comming from Nonneie castell thence to Walles and Orcharleie bridge where it
riseth in a mounteine therby and goeth into the sea two miles aboue Duegeuelth Auon Duegeuelth is three miles aboue Conweie which rising in the mounteins a mile off goeth by it selfe into Meneie salt arme On the said shore also lieth Conweie and this riuer dooth run betwixt Penmaine Maur and Penmaine Uehan It riseth about three miles from Penmaclon hils which lie about sixtie miles from Conweie abbeie now dissolued out of a lake called Lin Conweie and on the north and west of this riuer standeth the towne of Conweie which taketh his name thereof This riuer which Ptolomie calleth Toesobius as I take it after the deriuation thereof from the head passeth on the west side by Spittieuan and Tiherio beneath which it taketh in a streame comming from the east out of Denbighshire deriued from thrée heads and of the greatest called Nag Soone after also another and then the third which commeth in from the west by Lanpen Mawr next of all the Leder on the same side which commeth by Dolathelan castell and aboue that from a Lin of the same denomination Beneath this and selfe hand lieth likewise the Ligow or Ligwie proceeding from two lakes that is the Mumber and the Ligow On the right hand as we still descend is the Coid then the Glin a little lower we méet with the Lin Gerioneth and after we be past another on the right side we come to the Perloid which commeth out of Lin Cowlid to the Ygan to the Idulin to the castell Water on the left then to the Melandider on the right without the sight of anie other till we come almost to Conweie where we find a notched streame comming from by west and called Guffen or Gyffin into the same by one chanell on the norrtheast side of the towne beneath Guffin or Gyffin and ouer against Lansanfraid in Denbighshire so farre as I now remember Some part of Carnaruonshire stretcheth also beyond Aber Conweie or the fall of Conweie it is called Ormeshed point wherein also is a rill whose fall into the sea is betwéene Penrin and Landright And thus we haue made an end of the chéefe waters which are to be found in this countie The next is a corner of Denbigh by which we doo as it were step ouer into Flintshire and whose first water is not great yet it commeth from south-southwest and falleth into the north or Irish sea called Virginium beneath Landilas as the next that commeth south from Bettas dooth the like thrée miles beneath Abergele and is not onelie called Gele as the name it selfe importeth but also noted to take his course through the Canges Hauing thus gone ouer the angle of Denbighshire that lieth betwéene those of Carnaruon and Flint we come next of all vnto Aber Cluide or the fall of Clotha or Glota which is a streame not to be shortlie intreated of It riseth among certeine hilles which lie not far distant from the confines of Merioneth and Denbighshires Southeast from his fall and hauing run foure or fiue miles from the head it commeth about to Darwen taking in the Maniton on the left hand and the Mespin on the right and soone after the third from by-west whose head is not farre from Gloucanocke Beneath Ruthen also it taketh in the Leueneie and after that another and the third all on the right hand and so holdeth on till it méet with the Cluedoch then with the Ystrade which passeth by Whitchurch on the left hand After which we come to the Whéeler on the right and so to his ioining with the Elwie which is beneath S. Asaphes a bishops sée that is inuironed with them both This Elwie riseth aboue Gwitherne beneath Lanuair taketh in the Alode which commeth from lin Alode by Lanfannan and ioineth with him fiue miles beneath Langrenew The Cluda therefore and the Elwie being met the confluence passeth on to the sea by Rutland castell where it taketh in the Sarne which commeth from by east and hath a course almost of sixteene miles From hence we tooke sea toward the Dée mouth and as we passed by the rest of the shore we saw the fall of a little brooke néere Basing Werke of another néere to Flint of the third at Yowleie castell which with his two armes in maner includeth it and the fourth beneath Hawarden hold which in like sort goeth round about the same from whence we came to the Dée where we landed and tooke vp our lodging in Chester In this place also it was no hard matter to deliuer set downe the names of such riuers and streames as are also to be found in Angleseie finding my selfe to haue some leasure and fit opportunitie for the same and imagining a iourneie thither also as vnto the other places mentioned in this description whither as yet it hath not béene my hap to trauell I thought it not amisse to take it also in hand and performe it after this maner Ferrieng therefore ouer out of Carnaruonshire to Beaumarise I went by land without crossing of anie riuer or streame worthie memorie till I came to the Brant which hath his fall not farre from the southest point of that Iland This Brant riseth farre vp in the land not farre from Lauredenell and holding on his course southward to Lanthoniell Uaall it goeth on to Bodoweruch Langainwen and so into the sea The next fall we came vnto was called Maltrath and it is producted by the confluence of two riuers the Geuennie and the Gint who ioine not farre from Langrestoll This also last rehearsed hath his head neere to Penmoneth the other being forked riseth in the hillie soile aboue Tregaion and Langwithlog so that part of the Iland obteineth no small commoditie and benefit by their passage Next vnto this we came vnto the Fraw whose head is neere to Langinewen and passage by Cap Maer after which it falleth into a lake from whence it goeth east of Aberfraw and so into the sea The next riuer hath no name to my knowledge yet hath it a longer course than that which I last described For it riseth two or thrée miles aboue Haneglosse and passing from thence to Treualghmaie after the descent of foure miles it falleth into the sea After this we came to an other which riseth more to Cap legan ferwie and falleth into the sea southeast of the little Iland which is called Ynis Wealt it is namelesse also as the other was and therefore hauing small delight to write thereof we passed ouer the salt créeke by a bridge into Cair Kibie which by the same is as it were cut from the maine Iland and in some respect not vnworthie to be taken for an I le In the north side therefore of Cair Kibie is a little rill or créeke but whether the water thereof be fresh or salt as yet I doo not remember This place being viewed I came backe againe by the aforesaid bridge into the
that runneth thither from Dent towne beneath Sebbar they continue their course as one into the Burbecke from whence it is called Lune From hence it goeth to Burbon chappell where it taketh in another rill comming from by east then to Kirbie Lansdale and aboue Whittenton crosseth a brooke comming from the countie stone by Burros and soone after beneath Tunstall and Greteie which descending from about Ingelborow hill passeth by Twiselton Ingleton Thorneton Burton Wratton and néere Thurland castell toucheth finallie with the Lune which brancheth and soone after vniteth it selfe againe After this also it goeth on toward New parke and receiueth the Wennie and the Hinburne both in one chanell of which this riseth north of the crosse of Greteie and going by Benthams and Roberts hill aboue Wraie taketh in the Rheburne that riseth north of Wulfecrag After this confluence also aboue New parke it maketh his gate by Aughton Laughton Skirton Lancaster Excliffe Awcliffe Soddaie Orton and so into the sea Thus haue you both the descriptions of Lune make your conference or election at your pleasure for I am sworne to neither of them both The next fall is called Docker and peraduenture the same that Leland dooth call the Kerie which is not farre from Wharton where the rich Kitson was borne it riseth north of Docker towne and going by Barwtjc hall it is not increased before it come at the sea where it falleth into the Lune water at Lunesands Next of all we come to Bitham becke which riseth not far from Bitham towne and parke in the hilles where about are great numbers of goates kept and mainteined and by all likelihood resorteth in the end to Linsands Being past this we find a forked arme of the sea called Kensands into the first of which diuerse waters doo run in one chanell as it were from foure principall heads one of them comming from Grarrig hall another frō by west of Whinfield ioining with the first on the east side of Skelmere parke The third called Sprot or Sprota riseth at Sloddale commeth downe by west of Skelmer parke so that these two brookes haue the aforesaid parke betwéene them fall into the fourth east of Barneside not verie farre in sunder The fourth or last called Ken commeth from Kentmers side out of Ken moore in a poole of a mile compasse verie well stored with fish the head whereof as of all the baronie of Kendall is in Westmerland going to Stauelope it taketh in a rill from Chappleton Inges Then leauing Colnehead parke by east it passeth by Barneside to Kendall Helston Sigath Siggeswijc Leuenbridge Milnethorpe and so into the sea Certes this Ken is a pretie déepe riuer and yet not safelie to be aduentured vpon with boates and balingers by reason of rolling stones other huge substances that off annoie trouble the middest of the chanell there The other péece of the forked arme is called Winstar the hed wherof is aboue Winstar chappell going downe almost by Carpmaunsell Netherslake it is not long yer it fall into the sea or sands for all this coast a gulfe from the Ramside point to the Mealenasse is so pestered with sands that it is almost incredible to sée how they increase Those also which inuiron the Kenmouth are named Kensands but such as receiue the descent from the Fosse Winander and Sparke are called Leuesands as I find by sufficient testimonie The mouth or fall of the Dodon also is not farre from this impechment wherefore it is to be thought that these issues will yer long become verie noisome if not choked vp altogither The Winander water riseth about Cimbarlrasestones from whence it goeth to Cangridge where it maketh a méere then to Ambleside and taking in yer it come there two rilles on the left hand and one on the right that commeth by Clapergate it maketh as I take it the greatest méere or fresh water in England for I read it is ten miles in length Finallie comming to one small chanell aboue Newbridge it reacheth not aboue six miles yer fall into the sea There is in like sort a water called the Fosse that riseth néere vnto Arneside and Tillerthwates and goeth foorth by Grisdale Satrethwate Rusland Powbridge Bowth and so falleth with the Winander water into the maine sea On the west side of the Fosse also commeth another through Furnesse felles and from the hilles by north thereof which yer long making the Thurstan lake not far from Hollinhow and going by Bridge end in a narrow chanell passeth foorth by Nibthwaits Blareth Cowlton Sparke bridge and so into the sea Hauing passed the Leuen or Conisands or Conistonesands or Winander fall for all is one I come to the Lew which riseth at Cewike chappell and falleth into the sea beside Plumpton The Rawther descending out of low Furnesse hath two heads whereof one commeth from Penniton the other by Ulmerstone abbeie and ioining both in one chanell they hasten into the sea whither all waters direct their voiage Then come we to another rill southwest of Aldingham descending by Glaiston castell and likewise the fourth that riseth néere Lindell and running by Dawlton castell and Furnesse abbeie not farre from the Barrow head it falleth into the sea ouer against Waueie and Waueie chappell except mine aduertisements misleade me The Dodon which from the head is bound vnto Cumberland and Westmerland commeth from the Shire stone hill bottome and going by Blackehill Southwake S. Iohns Uffaie parke Broughton it falleth into the faltwater betwéene Kirbie and Mallum castell And thus are we now come vnto the Rauenglasse point and well entred into Cumberland countie Comming to Rauenglasse I find hard by the towne a water comming from two heads and both of them in lakes or pooles whereof one issueth out of Denocke or Deuenocke méere and is called Denocke water the other named Eske from Eske poole which runneth by Eskedale Dalegarth and soone after meeting with the Denocke betwéene Mawburthwate and Rauenglasse falleth into the sea On the other side of Rauenglasse also commeth the Mite brooke from Miterdale as I read Then find we another which commeth from the hils and at the first is forked but soone after making a lake they gather againe into a smaller chanell finallie meeting with the Brenge they fall into the sea at Carleton southeast as I wéene of Drig The Cander or as Leland nameth it the Calder commeth out of Copeland forrest by Cander Sellefield and so into the sea Then come we to Euer water descending out of a poole aboue Coswaldhow and thence going by Euerdale it crosseth a water from Arladon and after procéedeth to Egremond S. Iohns and taking in another rill from Hide it is not long yer it méeteth with the sea The next fall is at Moresbie whereof I haue no skill From thence therefore
the crowne Being risen it hasteth directlie to old Saling Brainctrée crossing a rillet by the waie comming from Raine blacke Notleie white Notleie Falkeburne Wittham and falleth into the Blackewater beneath Braxsted on the south Beside this the said Pant or Gwin receiueth the Chelme or Chelmer which ariseth also in Wimbech aforesaid where it hath two heads of which the one is not farre from Brodockes where master Thomas Wiseman esquier dwelleth the other nigh vnto a farme called Highams in the same paroch and ioining yer long in one chanell they hie them toward Thacsted vnder Prowds bridge méeting in the waie wish a rill comming from Boiton end whereby it is somewhat increased Being past Thacsted it goeth by Tilteie and soone after receiueth one rill which riseth on the north side of Lindsell falleth into the Chelmer by northeast at Tilteie aforesaid another coÌ„ming from south-southwest rising southeast from Lindsell at much Eiston From thence then holding on still with the course it goeth to Candfield the more Dunmow litle Dunmow Falsted Lies both Waltams Springfield and so to Chelmeresford Here vpon the south side I find the issue of a water that riseth fiue miles or thereabouts south and by west of the said towne from whence it goeth to Munasing Buttesburie there receiuing a rill from by west to Ingatstone Marget Inge Widford bridge Writtle bridge and so to Chelmeresford crossing also the second water that descendeth from Roxford south west of Writtle by the waie whereof let this suffice From hence the Chelmer goeth directlie toward Maldon by Badow Owting Woodham water Bilie and so to Blackwater northwest of Maldon receiuing neuerthelesse yer it come fullie thither a becke also that goeth from Lée parke to little Lées great Lées Hatfield Peuerell Owting and so into Blackwater whereof I spake before as Maldon streame dooth a rill from by south ouer against saint Osithes and also another by Bradwell After which the said streame growing also to be verie great passeth by the Tolshunts Tollesbie and so foorth into the maine sea néere vnto Merseie betwéene which fall and the place where Salute water entreth into the land Plautus abode the comming of Claudius sometime into Britaine when he being hardlie beeset did â—â—nd unto him for aid and spéedie succour who also being come did not onelie rescue his legat but in like manner wan Colchester and put it to the spoile if it be Camalodunum The Burne riseth somewhere about Ronwell and thence goeth to Hull bridge south Fambridge Kirke shot ferrie and so to Foulnesse And as this is the short course of that riuer so it brancheth and the south arme thereof receiueth a water comming from Haukewell to great Stanbridge and beneath Pakesham dooth méet by south with the said arme and so finish vp his course as we doo our voiage also about the coast of England Thus haue I finished the description of such riuers and streames as fall into the Ocean according to my purpose although not in so precise an order and manner of handling as I might if information promised had been accordinglie performed or others would if they had taken the like in hand But this will I saie of that which is here done that from the Solueie by west which parteth England Scotland on that side to the Twede which separateth the said kingdoms on the east if you go backeward contrarie to the course of my description you shall find it so exact as beside a verie few by-riuers you shall not need to vse anie further aduise for the finding and falles of the aforesaid streames For such hath beene my helpe of maister Sackfords cardes and conference with other men about these that I dare pronounce them to be perfect and exact Furthermore this I haue also to remember that in the courses of our streames I regard not so much to name the verie towne or church as the limits of the paroch And therefore if I saie it goeth by such a towne I thinke my dutie discharged if I hit vpon anie part or parcell of the paroch This also hath not a little troubled me I meane the euill writing of the names of manie townes and villages of which I haue noted some one man in the description of a riuer to write one towne two or thrée manner of waies whereby I was inforced to choose one at aduenture most commonlie that séemed the likeliest to be sound in mine opinion and iudgement Finallie whereas I minded to set downe an especiall chapter of ports and créeks lieng on ech coast of the English part of this Ile and had prouided the same in such wise as I iudged most conuenient it came to passe that the greater part of my labour was taken from me by stealth and therefore as discouraged to meddle with that argument I would haue giuen ouer to set downe anie thing therefore at all and so much the rather for that I sée it may prooue a spurre vnto further mischéefe as things come to passe in these daies Neuerthelesse because a little thereof is passed in the beginning of the booke I will set downe that parcell thereof which remaineth leauing the supplie of the rest either to my selfe hereafter if I may come by it or to some other that can better performe the same Of such ports and creeks as our sea-faring-men doo note for their benefit vpon the coasts of England Chap. 17. IT maie be that I haue in these former chapters omitted sundrie hauens to be found vpon the shore of England and some of them serued with backe waters through want of sound and sufficient information from such as haue written vnto me of the same In recompense whereof I haue thought good to adde this chapter of ports and creekes whereby so farre as to me is possible I shall make satisfaction of mine ouersights And albeit I cannot being too too much abused by some that haue béerest me of my notes in this behalfe bring my purpose to passe for all the whole coast of England round about from Berwike to the Solue yet I will not let to set downe so much as by good hap remaineth whereby my countriemen shall not altogither want that benefit hoping in time to recouer also the rest if God grant life and good successe thereto In Northumberland therefore we haue Berwike Holie Iland Bamborow Bedwell Donstanborow Cocket Iland Warkeworth Newbiggin Almow Blithes nuke and Tinmouth hauen In the bishoprijc Sonderland Stocketon Hartlepoole These In Yorkeshire Dapnam sands Steningreene Staies Runswike Robinhoods baie Whitbie Scarborow Fileie Flamborow Bricklington Horneseie becke Sister kirke Kelseie Cliffe Pattenton Holmes Kenningham Pall Hidon Hulbrige Beuerleie Hull Hasell Northferebie Bucke creeke Blacke cost Wrethell Howden In Lincolneshire Selbie Snepe Turnebrige Rodiffe Catebie Stockwith Torkeseie Gainsborow Southferebie Barton a good point Barrow a good hauen Skatermill a good port Penningham Stalingborow a good hauen Guimsbie a good port Clie
better hope in the beginning than of Bladudus and yet I read of none that made so ridiculous an end in like sort there hath not reigned anie monarch in this I le whose waies were more feared at the first than those of Dunwallon king Henrie the fift excepted and yet in the end he prooued such a prince as after his death there was in maner no subiect that did not lament his funerals And this onelie for his policie in gouernance seuere administration of iustice and prouident framing of his lawes and constitutions for the gouernment of his subiects His people also coueting to continue his name vnto posteritie intituled those his ordinances according to their maker calling them by the name of the lawes of Mulmutius which indured in execution among the Britons so long as our homelings had the dominion of this I le Afterward when the comeling Saxons had once obteined the superioritie of the kingdom the maiestie of those lawes fell for a time into such decaie that although Non penitùs cecidit tamen potuit cecidisse videri as Leland saith and the decrêes themselues had vtterlie perished in déed at the verie first brunt had they not beene preserued in Wales where they remained amongst there likes of the Britons not onlie vntill the comming of the Normans but euen vntill the time of Edward the first who obteining the souereigntie of that portion indeuoured verie earnestlie to extinguish those of Mulmutius and to establish his owne But as the Saxons at their first arriuall did what they could to abolish the British lawes so in processe of time they yéelded a little to relent not so much to abhorre and mislike of the lawes of Mulmutius as to receiue and imbrace the same especiallie at such time as the said Saxon princes entered into amitie with the British nobilitie and after that began to ioine in matrimonie with the British ladies as the British barons did with the Saxon frowes both by an especiall statute and decrée wherof in another treatise I haue made mention at large Héerof also it came to passe in the end that they were contented to make a choise and insert no small numbers of them into their owne volumes as may be gathered by those of Athelbert the great surnamed king of Kent Inas and Alfred kings of the west Saxons and diuerse other yet extant to be séene Such also was the lateward estimation of them that when anie of the Saxon princes went about to make new ordinances they caused those of Mulmutius which Gildas sometime translated into Latine to be first expounded vnto them and in this perusall if they found anie there alreadie framed that might serue their turnes they foorthwith reuiued the same and annexed them to their owne But in this dealing the diligence of Alfred is most of all to be commended who not onelie chose out the best but gathered togither all such whatsoeuer the said Mulmutius had made and then to the end they should lie no more in corners as forlorne bookes and vnknowne to the learned of his kingdome he caused them to be turned into the Saxon toong wherein they continued long after his decease As for the Normans who for a season neither regarded the British nor cared for the Saxon statutes they also at the first vtterlie misliked of them till at the last when they had well weied that one kind of regiment is not conuenient for all peoples and that no stranger being in a forren countrie newlie brought vnder obedience could make such equall ordinances as he might thereby gouerne his new common-wealth without some care trouble they fell in with such a desire to sée by what rule the state of the land was gouerned in time of the Saxons that hauing perused the same they not onelie commended their maner of regiment but also admitted a great part of their lawes now currant vnder the name of S. Edwards lawes and vsed as principles and grounds whereby they not onelie qualified the rigor of their owne and mitigated their almost intollerable burden of seruitude which they had latelie laid vpon the shoulders of the English but also left vs a greeat number of the old Mulmutian lawes whereof the most part are in vse to this daie as I said albeit that we know not certeinlie how to distinguish them from others that are in strength amongst vs. After Dunwallon the next lawgiuer was Martia whome Leland surnameth Proba and after him John Bale also who in his Centuries dooth iustlie confesse himselfe to haue béene holpen by the said Leland as I my selfe doo likewise for manie things conteined in this treatise Shée was wife vnto Gutteline king of the Britons and being made protectrix of the realme after hir husbands deceasse in the nonage of hir sonne and séeing manie things dailie to grow vp among hir people worthie reformation she deuised sundrie and those verie politike lawes for the gouernance of hir kingdome which hir subiects when she was dead and gone did name the Martian statutes Who turned them into Latine as yet I doo not read howbeit as I said before of the lawes of Mulmutius so the same Alfred caused those of this excellentlie well learned ladie whome diuerse commend also for hir great knowledge in the Gréeke toong to be turned into his owne language wherevpon it came to passe that they were dailie executed among his subiects afterward allowed of among the rest by the Normans and finallie remaine in vse in these our daies notwithstanding that we can not disseuer them also verie readilie from the other The seuenth alteration of lawes was practised by the Saxons for I ouerpasse the vse of the ciuill ordinances vsed in Rome finallie brought hither by the Romans yet in perfect notice among the Ciuilians of our countrie though neuer generallie nor fullie receiued by all the seuerall regions of this Iland Certes there are great numbers of these later which yet remaine in sound knowlege and are to be read being comprehended for the most part vnder the names of the Martian and the Saxon law Beside these also I read of the Dane law so that the people of middle England were ruled by the first the west Saxons by the second as Essex Norffolke Suffolke Cambridgeshire and part of Herfordshire were by the third of all the rest the most inequall and intollerable And as in these daies what soeuer the prince in publike assemblie commanded vpon the necessitie of his subiects or his owne voluntarie authoritie was counted for law so none of them had appointed anie certeine place wherevnto his people might repaire at fixed times for iustice but caused them to resort commonlie to their palaces where in proper person they would often determine their causes and so make shortest worke or else commit the same to the hearing of other and so dispatch them awaie Neither had they any house appointed to assemble in for the making of their ordinances as
faile in the time of Richard de la Wich bishop of Chichester and that afterwards by his intercession it was restored to the profit of the old course such is the superstition of the people in remembrance whereof or peraduenture for the zeale which the Wich men and salters did beare vnto Richard de la Wich their countriman they vsed of late times on his daie which commeth once in the yeare to hang this salt spring or well about with tapistrie and to haue sundrie games drinkings and foolish reuels at it But to procéed There be a great number of salt cotes about this well wherein the salt water is sodden in leads and brought to the perfection of pure white salt The other two salt springs be on the left side of the riuer a pretie waie lower than the first and as I found at the verie end of the towne At these also be diuerse fornaces to make salt but the profit and plentie of these two are nothing comparable to the gaine that riseth by the greatest I asked of a salter how manie fornaces they had at all the three springs and he numbred them to eightéene score that is thrée hundred and sixtie saieng how euerie one of them paied yearelie six shillings and eight pence to the king The truth is that of old they had liberties giuen vnto them for thrée hundred fornaces or more and therevpon they giue a fee farme or Vectigal of one hundred pounds yearelie Certes the pension is as it was but the number of fornaces is now increased to foure hundred There was of late search made for another salt spring there abouts by the meanes of one Newport a gentleman dwelling at the Wich and the place where it was appéereth as dooth also the wood and timber which was set about it to kéepe vp the earth from falling into the same But this pit was not since occupied whether it were for lacke of plentie of the salt spring or for letting or hindering of the profit of the other three Me thinke that if wood and sale of salt would serue they might dig and find more salt springs about the Wich than thrée but there is somewhat else in the wind For I heard that of late yeares a salt spring was found in an other quarter of Worcestershire but it grew to be without anie vse sith the Wich men haue such a priuilege that they alone in those quarters shall haue the making of salt The pits be so set about with gutters that the salt water is easilie turned to euerie mans house and at Mantwich verie manie troughs go ouer the riuer for the commoditie of such as dwell on the other side of the same They séeth also their salt water in fornaces of lead and lade out the salt some in cases of wicker through which the water draineth and the salt remaineth There be also two or thrée but verie little salt springs at Dertwitch in a low bottome where salt is sometime made Of late also a mile from Cumbremere abbaie a peece of an hill did sinke and in the same pit rose a spring of salt water where the abbat began to make salt but the men of the citie compounded with the abbat couent that there should be none made there whereby the pit was suffered to go to losse And although it yéelded salt water still of it selfe yet it was spoiled at the last and filled vp with filth The Wich men vse the cōmoditie of their salt springs in drawing and decocting the water of them onlie by six moneths in the yeare that is from Midsummer to Christmas as I gesse to mainteine the price of salt or for sauing of wood which I thinke to be their principall reason For making of salt is a great and notable destruction of wood and shall be greater hereafter except some prouision be made for the better increase of firing The lacke of wood also is alreadie perceiued in places néere the Wich for whereas they vsed to buie and take their wood neere vnto their occupiengs those woonted springs are now decaied and they be inforced to seeke their wood so far as Worcester towne and all the parts about Brenisgraue Alchirch and Alcester I asked a salter how much wood he supposed yearelie to be spent at these fornaces and he answered that by estimation there was consumed about six thousand load and it was round pole wood for the most which is easie to be cleft and handsomelie riuen in péeces The people that are about the fornace are verie ill coloured and the iust rate of euerie fornace is to make foure loads of salt yearelie and to euerie load goeth fiue or six quarters as they make their accounts If the fornace men make more in one fornace than foure loads it is as it is said imploied to their owne auaile And thus much hath Leland left in memorie of our white salt who in an other booke not now in my hands hath touched the making also of baie salt in some part of our countrie But sith that booke is deliuered againe to the owner the tractation of baie salt can not be framed in anie order bicause my memorie will not serue to shew the true maner and the place It shall suffice therfore to haue giuen such notice of it to the end the reader may know that aswell the baie as white are wrought and made in England and more white also vpon the west coast toward Scotland in Essex and else where out of the salt water betwéene Wire and Cokermouth which commonlie is of like price with our wheat Finallie hauing thus intermedled our artificiall salt with our minerals let vs giue ouer and go in hand with such mettals as are growing here in England Of our accompt of time hir parts Chap. 14. AS Libra is As or Assis to the Romans for their weight and the foot in standard measure so in our accompt of the parts of time we take the daie consisting of foure and twentie houres to be the greatest of the least and least of the greatest whereby we keepe our reckoning for of the houre to saie the truth the most ancient Romans Greeks nor Hebrues had anie vse sith they reckoned by watches and whereof also Censorinus cap. 19. sheweth a reason wherefore they were neglected For my part I doo not sée anie great difference vsed in the obseruation of time hir parts betwéene our owne any other forren nation wherfore I shall not néed to stand long on this matter Howbeit to the end our exact order herein shall appéere vnto all men I will set downe some short rehearsall thereof and that in so briefe manner as vnto me is possible As for our astronomicall practises I meane not to meddle with them sith their course is vniformelie obserued ouer all Our common order therefore is to begin at the minut which conteineth part of an houre as at the smallest part of time knowne vnto the people notwithstanding that in
betwéene Tine and Tweed as in the Scotish chronicles may further appeare Also this is to be remembred that the victorie which was got against the Saxons by the Britains at what time Germane bishop of Auxerre was present Hector Boetius affirmeth by authoritie of Vâ—remond that wrote the Scotish chronicles to haue chanced the second time of his comming ouer into this land where Beda auoucheth it to be at his first being heere Againe the same Boetius writeth that the same victorie chanced in the daies of Uter Pendragon Which can not be if it be true that Beda writeth touching the time of the death of the said Germane for where he departed this life before the yeare of our Lord 459 as aboue is said Uter Pendragon began not his reigne till the yeare of our Lord 500 or as the same Hector Boetius saith 503 so that bishop Germane was dead long before that Uter began to reigne In déed some writers haue noted that the third battell which Uortimer fought against the Saxons was the same wherein S Germane was present and procured the victorie with the crie of Alleluia as before ye haue heard Which seemeth to be more agréeable to truth and to stand also with that which holie Beda hath written touching the time of the being héere of the said Germane that the opinion of other which affirme that it was in the time of the reigne of Uter The like is to be found in the residue of Hector Boetius his booke touching the time speciallie of the reignes of the British kings that gouerned Britaine about that season For as he affirmeth Aurelius Ambrosius began his reigne in the yeare of our Lord 498 and ruled but seuen yeares and then succéeded Uter which reigned 18 yeares and departed this life in the yeare of our Lord 521. ¶ Notwithstanding the premisses here is to be remembred that whatsoeuer the British writers haue recorded touching the victories of this Uter had against the Saxons and how that Osca the sonne of Hengist should be slaine in battell by him and his power in those old writers which haue registred the acts of the English Saxon kings we find no such matter but rather that after the deceasse of Hengist his sonne Osca or Occa reigned in Kent 24 yeares defending his kingdome onelie and not séeking to inlarge it as before is touched After whose death his sonne Oth and Irmenrike sonne to the same Oth succéeded more resembling their father than their grandfather or great grandfather To their reignes are assigned fiftie and three yeares by the chronicles but whether they reigned iointlie togither or seuerallie apart either after other it is not certeinlie perceiued Porth the Saxon arriueth at Portesmouth warre betweene Nazaleod king of the Britains and the Saxons the Britains are ouethrowen and slaine the kingdome of the west Saxons beginneth the compasse or continent thereof the meanes whereby it was inlarged The eleuenth Chapter NOw will we breefelie discourse vpon the incidents which first happened during the reigne of Uter Pendragon We find that one Porth a Saxon with his two sons Megla and Beda came on land at Portesmouth in Sussex about the beginning of the said Uters reigne and slue a noble yoong man of the Britains and manie other of the meaner sort with him Of this Porth the towne hauen of Portesmouth tooke the name as some haue thought Moreouer about 40 yeares after the comming of the Saxons into this land with their leader Hengist one Nazaleod a mightie king amongst the Britains assembled all the power he could make to fight with Certicus king of the West saxons who vnderstanding of the great power of his enimies required aid of Osca king of Kent also of Elle king of Sussex and of Porth and his sonnes which were latelie before arriued as ye haue heard Certicus being then furnished with a conuenient armie diuided the same into two battels reseruing the one to himselfe and the other he appointed to his sonne Kenrike King Nazaleod perceiuing that the wing which Certicus led was of more strength than the other which Kenrike gouerned he set first vpon Certicus thinking that if he might distresse that part of the enimies armie he should easilie ouercome the other Herevpon he gaue such a fierce charge vpon that wing that by verie force he opened the same and so ouerthrew the Saxons on that side making great slaughter of them as they were scattered Which maner of dealing when Kenrike saw he made forward with all spéed to succour his father and rushing in amongst the Britains on their backs he brake their armie in péeces and slue their king Nazaleod and withall put his people to flight There died of the Britains that daie 5000 men and the residue escaped by fléeing as well as they might In the sixt yeare after this battell Stuff and Wightgar that were nephues to Certicus came with three ships and landed at Certicesford and ouerthrew a number of Britains that came against them in order of battell and so by the comming of those his nephues being valiant and hardie capteins the part of Certicus became much stronger About the same time Elle king of the Southsaxons departed this life after whome succéeded his sonne Cissa of whome we find little left in writing to be made account of About the yeare of our Lord 519 and in the yeare after the comming of the Saxons 71 which was in the 26 yeare of the emperour Anastasius the Britains fought with Certicus and his sonne Kenrike at Certicesford where the capteins of the Britains stood to it manfullie but in the end they were discomfited and great slaughter was made there of them by the Saxons and greater had béene if the night comming on had not parted them and so manie were saued From that day forward Certicus was reputed taken for king of Westsaxons so began the same kingdome at that time which was as W. Harison noteth in the yéere of Christ 519 after the building of Rome 1270 of the world 4485 of the comming of the Saxons 70 of Iustinus Anicius emperour of the east the first and third of the renowmed prince Patricius Arthurus then reigning ouer the Britains The said kingdome also conteined the countries of Wiltshire Summersetshire Barkeshire Dorsetshire and Cornewall hauing on the east Hamshire on the north the riuer of Thames and on the south and west the Ocean sea Howbeit at the first the kings of the Westsaxons had not so large dominions but they dailie wan ground vpon the Britains and so in the end by inlarging their confines they came to inioy all the foresaid countries and the whole at the last In the ninth yéere of the reigne of Certicus he eftsoones sought with the Saxons at Certicesford aforesaid where great slaughter was made on both parts This Certicesford was in times past called Nazaleoy of the late remembred Nazaleod king of the Britains About this
In this meane while bishop Wilfride being dead one Acca that was his chapline was made bishop of Hexham The said Wilfride had béene bishop by the space of 45 yéeres but he liued a long time in exile For first being archbishop of Yorke and exercising his iurisdiction ouer all the north parts he was after banished by king Egbert and againe restored to the sée of Hexham in the second yeere of king Alfride and within fiue yéeres after eftsoones banished by the same Alfride and the second time restored by his successor king Osredzin the fourth yéere of whose reigne being the yéere after the incarnation of our Sauiour 709 he departed this life and was buried at Rippon Moreouer after Iohn the archbishop of Yorke had resigned one Wilfride surnamed the second was made archbishop of that sée which Wilfride was chapline to the said Iohn and gouerned that sée by the space of fiftéene yéeres and then died About the yéere of our Lord 710 that abbat Adrian which came into this land with Theodore the archbishop of Canturburie as before ye haue heard departed this life about 39 yeeres after his comming thither Also Inas the king of Westsaxons about the 20 yeere of his reigne diuided the prouince of the Westsaxons into two bishops sées whereas before they had but one Daniell was ordeined to gouerne the one of those sees being placed at Winchester hauing vnder him Sussex Southerie and Hamshire And Aldhelme was appointed to Shireburne hauing vnder him Barkeshire Wiltshire Sommersetshire Dorsetshire Deuonshire and Cornwall This Aldhelme was a learned man and was first made abbat of Malmesburie in the yéere of our Lord 675 by Eleutherius then bishop of the Westsaxons by whose diligence that abbeie was greatlie aduanced being afore that time founded by one Medulfe a Scotish man but of so small reuenues afore Aldhelms time that the moonks were scarse able to liue thereon Also the same Aldhelme was a great furtherer vnto king Inas in the building of Glastenburie Ethelard the coosen of king Inas to whome the same Inas resigned his kingdome began to gouerne the Westsaxons in the yéere of our Lord 728 or rather 27 which was in the 11 yéere of the emperor Leo Isaurus in the second yeere of Theodorus king of France and about the 8 or 9 yéere of Mordacke king of the Scots In the first yéere of Ethelards reigne he was disquieted with ciuill warre which one Oswald a noble man descended of the roiall bloud of the Westsaxon kings procured against him but in the end when he perceiued that the kings power was too strong for him he fled out of the countrie leauing it thereby in rest In the yéere 729 in the moneth of Ianuarie there appeered two comets or blasing starres verie terrible to behold the one rising in the morning before the rising of the sunne and the other after the setting thereof so that the one came before the breake of the day and the other before the closing of the night stretching foorth their flerie brands toward the north and they appeered thus euerie morning and euening for the space of a fortnight togither mâ—nacing as it were some great destruction or common mishap to follow The Saxacens shortlie after entred France and were ouerthrowne Finallie when king Ethelard had reigned the terme of fouretéene yeeres currant he departed this life NOw when Wichtred king of Kent had gouerned the Kentishmen by the space of 33 yéeres with great commendation for the good orders which he caused to be obserued amongst them as well concerning matters ecclesiasticall as temporall he departed this life leauing behind him thrée sonnes who successiuelie reigned as heires to him one after another that is to say Edbert 23 yéeres Ethelbert 11 yeeres currant and Alrike 34 yéeres the which three princes following the steps of their father in the obseruance of politike orders commendable lawes vsed for the more part their fathers good lucke and fortune except that in Ethelberts time the citie of Canturburie was burned by casuall fire and Alrike lost a battell against them of Mercia whereby the glorie of their times was somewhat blemished for so it came to passe that whatsoeuer chanced euill was kept still in memorie and the good haps that came forward were soone forgotten and put out of remembrance In the yéere of our Lord 731 Betrwald archbishop of Canturburie departed this life in the fift ides of Ianuarie after he had gouerned that see by the space of 27 yéeres 6 moneths and 14 daies in â—hose place the same yéere one Tacwine was ordeined archbishop that before was a priest in the monasterie of Bruidon within the prouince of Mercia He was consecrated in the citie of Canturburie by the reuerend fathers Daniell bishop of Winchester Ingwald bishop of London Aldwin bishop of Lichfield and Aldwulfe bishop of Rochester the tenth day of Iune being sundaie ¶ As touching the state of the English church for ecclesiasticall gouernours certeine it is that the same was as hereafter followeth The prouince of Canturburie was gouerned touching the ecclesiasticall state by archbishop Tacwine and bishop Aldwulfe The prouince of the Eastsaxons by bishop Ingwald The prouince of Eastangles by bishop Eadbertus and Hadulacus the one kéeping his see at Elsham and the other at Dunwich The prouince of the Westsaxons was gouerned by the foresaid Daniell and by Forthere who succéeded next after Aldhelme in the sée of Shereburne This Forthere in the yéere of our Lord 738 left his bishoprike and went to Rome in companie of the quéene of the Westsaxons Many as well kings as bishops noble and vnnoble priests and laiemen togither with women vsed to make such iournies thither in those daies The prouince of Mercia was ruled by the foresaid Aldwine bishop of Lichfield and one bishop Walstod holding his sée at Herford gouerned those people that inhabited beyond the riuer of Sauerne toward the west The prouince of Wiccies that is Worcester one Wilfride gouerned The Southsaxons and the I le of Wight were vnder the bishop of Winchester In the prouince of the Northumbers were foure bishops that is to say Wilfride archbishop of Yorke Edilwald bishop of Lindifferne Acca bishop of Hexham and Pecthelmus bishop of Whiterne otherwise called Candida Casa he was the first that gouerned that church after the same was made a bishops sée And thus stood the state of the English church for ecclesiasticall gouernors in that season And as for temporall gouernement king Ceolvulfe had the souereigne dominion ouer all the Northumbers but all the prouinces on the southside of Humber with their kings and rulers were subiect vnto Edilbald or Ethelbald king of Mercia The nation of the Picts were in league with the English men and gladlie became partakers of the catholike faith and veritie of the vniuersall church Those Scots which inhabited Britaine contenting themselues with their owne bounds went
by allegiance they were bound to serue and obeie By reason hereof the Danes without resistance grew into greater power amongst them whilest the inhabitants were still put in feare each day more than other and euerie late gotten victorie by the enimies by the increase of prisoners ministred occasion of some other conquest to follow Euen about the beginning of Ethelreds reigne there arriued vpon the English coasts an huge armie of the Danes vnder the conduct of two renowmed capteins Hungar and Ubbs men of maruellous strength and valiancie but both of them passing cruell of nature They lay all the winter season in 〈◊〉 compounding with them of the 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 vpon certeine conditions sparing 〈◊〉 a tune to shew their for as for quietnesse sake In the socond yéere of king Eâ—helâ—ed the said capteine came with their armies into Yorkshire finding the country vnprouided of necessarie defense bicause of the ciuill discord that reigned aniong the Northumbers the which had latelie expelled king Osbright that had the gouernement of those parts and placed one Ella in his roome howbeit now they were constreined to reuoke him home againe and sought to accord him and Ella But it was long yer that might be brought to passe notwithstanding yet at length they were mae friends by reason of this inuasion attempted by forren enimies and then raising their powers they came to Yorke where the Danes hauing wasted the countrie euen to the riuer of Tine were lodged The English host entring the citie began to fight with the Danes by reason whereof a fore battell insued betwixt them but in the end the two kings Osbright and Ella were slaine and a great number of the Northumbers what within the citie and what without lost their liues at that time the residue were constreined to take truce with the Danes This battell was fought the 21 day of Maâ—ch being in â—ent on the Friday before Palmsunday in the yere 657. ¶ Some haue written otherwise of this battell reporting that the Northumbers calling home king Osbright whome before they had banished incountred with the Danes in the field without the walles of Yorke but they were easilie beaten backe and chased into the citie the which by the Danes pursuing the victorie was set on fier and burnt togither with the king and people that were fled into it for succour How soeuer it came about certeine it is that the Danes got the victorie and now hauing subdued the Northumbers appointed one Egbert so reigne ouer them as king vnder their protection which Egbert reigned in that sort six yeares ouer those which inhabited beyond the riuer of Tine In the same yeare Adelstane bishop of Shireborne departed this life hauing gouerned that sée the terme of 50 yeares This Adelstane was a man of high wisedome and one that had borne no small rule in the kingdome of the Westsaxons as hereby it may be coniectured that when king Ethelwulfe returned from Rome he would not suffer him to be admitted king because he had doone in certeine points contrarie to the ordinances and lawes of the same kingdome wherevpon by this bishops means Ethelbald the sonne of the same king Ethelwulfe was established king and so continued till by agréement the kingdome was diuided betwixt them as before is mentioned Finallie he greatlie inriched the sée of Shireborne and yet though he was feruentlie set on couetousnesse he was neuerthelesse verie free and liberall in gifts which contrarie eâ—tremities so ill matched though in him the time wherein he liued being considered they might seeme somewhat tollerable yet simplie in truth they were vtterlie repugnant to the law of the spirit which biddeth that none should doo euill that good may come thereof Against which precept because Adelstane could not but offend in the heat of his couetousnes which is termed the root of all mischiefe though he was excéeding bountifull and large in distributing the wealth he had gréedilie gotten togither he must néeds incur reprehension But this is so much the lesse to be imputed vnto him as a fault by how much he was ignorant what by the rule of equitie and conscience was requirable in a christian man or one of his vocation Burthred king of Mercia with aid beseegeth the Danes in Notingham Basâ—reeg and Halden two Danish kings with their powers 〈◊〉 the Westsaxâ—â—â— they are incountred by 〈◊〉 earâ—e of Baâ—kâ—shire King 〈◊〉 giueth them and their cheefe guide a sore 〈◊〉 what Polydor Virgil recorder touching one 〈◊〉 king of the Danes and the warres that Ethelred had with them his death Edmuisd king of Eastangles giueth battell to the Danes he yeeldeth himselfe and for christian religion sake is by them most cruellie murthered the kingdome of the Eastangles endeth Guthran a Dane gouerneth the whole countrie K. Osbright rauisheth the wife of one Bearne a noble man a bloodie battell insueth therevpon wherein Osbright and Ella are slaine The twelft Chapter IN the yeare following that is to say in the third yéere of Ethelreds reigne he with his brother Alured went to aid Burthred king of Mercia against the two foresaid Danish capteines Hungar and Ubba the which were entred into Mercia and had woon the towne for the winter season Wherevpon the foresaid Ethelred and Burthred with their powers came to Notingham and besieged the Danes within it The Danes perceiuing themselues in danger made suite for a truce abstinence from war which they obtenred and then departed backe to Yorke where they sâ—â—urned the most part of all that yeare In the sixt yeare of king Ethelreds reigne a new armie of great force and power came into the countrie of the Westsaxons vnder two leaders or kings of the Danes Basréeg and Halden They lodged at Reding with their maine armie and within thrée daies after the earle of Berrockshire Edelwulfe fought at Englefield with two earles of those Danes vanquished them and slue the one of those earles whose name was Sidroc After this king Ethelred and his brother Alured came with a great host vnto Reading and there gaue battell vnto the armie of Danes so that an huge number of people died on both parts but the Danes had the victorie After this also king Ethelred and his brother Alured fought againe with those Danes at Aschdon where the armies on both sides were diuided into two parts so that the two Danish kings lead the one part of their armie certeine of their earles lead the other part Likewise on the English side king Ethelred was placed with one part of the host against the Danish kings and Alured with the other part was appointed to incounter with the earles Herevpon they being on both parts readie to giue battell the euening comming on caused them to deferre it till the morow And so earlie in the morning when the armies should ioine king Ethelred stated in his tent the heare diuine seruice whilest his brother vpon a
of his reigne king Alured went to Eglerighston on the east part of Selwood where there came to him the people of Summersetshire Wiltshire Hamshire reioising greatlie to sée him abroad From thence he went to Edanton there fought against the armie of the Danes and chased them vnto their strength where he remained afore them the space of fouretéene daies Then the armie of the Danes deliuered him hostages and couenants to depart out of his dominions and that their king should be baptised which was accomplished for Gurthrun whome some name Gurmond a prince or king amongst these Danes came to Alured and was baptised king Alured receiuing him at the fontstone named him Adelstan and gaue to him the countrie of Eastangle which he gouerned or rather spoiled by the space of twelue yéeres Diuerse other of the Danish nobilitie to the number of thirtie as Simon Dunelmensis saith came at the same time in companie of their king Gurthrun and were likewise baptised on whome king Alured bestowed manie rich gifts At the same time as is to be thought was the league concluded betwixt king Alured and the said Gurthrun or Gurmond in which the bounds of king Alureds kingdome are set foorth thus First therefore let the bounds or marshes of our dominion stretch vnto the riuer of Thames and from thence to the water of Lée euen vnto the head of the same water and so foorth streight vnto Bedford and finallie going alongst by the riuer of Ouse let them end at Watlingstréet This league being made with the aduise of the sage personages as well English as those that inhabited within east England is set foorth in maister Lamberts booke of the old English lawes in the end of those lawes or ordinances which were established by the same king Alured as in the same booke ye may sée more at large Th'English called diuers people Danes whom the French named Normans whervpon that generall name was giuen them Gurmo Anglicus K. of Denmark whose father Frotto was baptised in England the Danes besiege Rochester Alfred putteth them to flight recouereth London out of their hands and committeth it to the custodie of duke Eldred his sonne in law he assaulteth Hasting a capteine of the Danes causeth him to take an oth his two sonnes are baptised he goeth foorth to spoile Alfreds countrie his wife children and goods c are taken and fauourablie giuen him againe the Danes besiege Excester they flie to their ships gaine with great losse they are vanquished by the Londoners the death of Alfred his issue male and female The xv Chapter HEre is to be noted that writers name diuerse of the Danish capteins kings of which no mention is made in the Danish chronicles to reigne in those parties But true it is that in those daies not onelie the Danish people but also other of those northeast countries or regions as Swedeners Norwegians the Wondens and such other which the English people called by one generall name Danes and the Frenchmen Normans vsed to roaue on the seas and to inuade forren regions as England France Flanders and others as in conuenient places ye may find as well in our histories as also in the writers of the French histories and likewise in the chronicles of those north regions The writers verelie of the Danish chronicles make mention of one Gurmo whome they name Anglicus bicause he was borne here in England which succeeded his father Frotto in gouernement of the kingdome of Denmarke which Frotto receiued baptisme in England as their stories tell In the eight yéere of king Alfred his reigne the armie of the Danes wintered at Cirencester and the same yéere an other armie of strangers called Wincigi laie at Fulham and in the yéere following departed foorth of England and went into France and the armie of king Godrun or Gurmo departed from Cirencester and came into Eastangle and there diuiding the countrie amongst them began to inhabit the same In the 14 yéere of king Alfred his reigne part of the Danish armie which was gone ouer into France returned into England and besieged Rochester But when Alfred approched to the reskue the enimies fled to their ships and passed ouer the sea againe King Alfred sent a nauie of his ships well furnished with men of warre into Eastangle the which at the mouth of the riuer called Sture incountering with 16 ships of the Danes set vpon them and ouercame them in fight but as they returned with their prises they incountered with another mightie armie of the enimies and fighting with them were ouercome and vanquished In the yeere following king Alfred besieged the citie of London the Danes that were within it fled from thence and the Englishmen that were inhabitants thereof gladlie receiued him reioising that there was such a prince bred of their nation that was of power able to reduce them into libertie This citie being at that season the chiefe of all Mercia he deliuered into the kéeping of duke Eldred which had maried his daughter Ethelfleds held a great portion of Mercia which Colwolphus before time possesed by the grant of the Danes after they had subdued K. Burthred as before is said About the 21 yere of K. Alfred an armie of those Danes Normans which had béene in France returned into England and arriued in the hauen or riuer of Limene in the east part of Kent néere to the great wood called Andredesley which did conteine in times past 120 miles in length and thirtie in breadth These Danes landing with their people builded a castle at Appledore In the meane time came Hasting with 80 ships into the Thames and builded a castle at Middleton but he was constreined by siege which king Alfred planted about him to receiue an oth that he should not in any wise annoie the dominion of king Alfred who vpon his promise to depart gaue great gifts as well to him as to his wife and children One of his sonnes also king Alfred held at the fontstone and to the other duke Aldred was god father For as it were to win credit and to auoid present danger Hasting sent vnto Alfred these his two sonnes signifieng that if it stood with his pleasure he could be content that they should be baptised But neuerthelesse this Hasting was euer most vntrue of word and déed he builded a castle at Beamfield And as he was going foorth to spoile and wast the kings countries Alfred tooke that castle with his wife children ships and goods which he got togither of such spoiles as he had abroad but he restored vnto Hasting his wife and children bicause he was their godfather Shortlie after newes came that a great number of other ships of Danes were come out of Northumberland and had besieged Excester Whilest king Alfred went then against them the other armie which lay at Appledore inuaded Essex and built
quicklie into arâ—â—ie began to charge them againe afresh and so hauing them at that aduantage they slue them downe on euerie side The Englishmen on the other part fought sore and though their king was beaten downe among them and slaine yet were they loth to flée or giue ouer so sharpe was the battell that duke William himselfe had thrée horsses slaine vnder him that day and not without great danger of his person Some of the Englishmen got them to the height of an hill and beate backe the Normans that forced themselues to win the hill of them so that it was long yer the Normans could preuaile being oftentimes driuen downe into the botome of the vallie beneath At length the Englishmen perceiuing themselues to be ouermatched and beaten downe on euerie side and therevnto greatlie discouraged with slaughter of their king began first to giue ground and after to scatter and to run away so that well was he that might then escape by flight When they had fought the most part of all that saturday the Normans followed the chase with such eger rashnesse that a great number of them falling with their horsses and armour into a blind ditch shadowed with reed and sedges which grew therein were smouldered and pressed to death yer they could be succoured or get anie reliefe The next day the Normans fell to gathering in the spoile of the field burieng also the dead bodies of their people that were slaine at the battell giuing licence in semblable manner to the Englishmen to doo the like Of the death of Harold diuerse report diuerslie in so much that Girald Cambrensis saith that after king Harold had receiued manie wounds and lost his left eie he fled from the field vnto the citie of Westchester and liued there long after an holie life as an anchoret in the cell of S. Iames fast by S. Iohns church and there made a godlie end But the saieng of Girald Cambren in that point is not to be credited bicause of the vnlikelihood of the thing it selfe and also generall consent of other writers who affirme vniuersallie that he was killed in the battell first being striken thorough the left eie by the scull into the braine with an arrow wherevpon falling from his horsse to the ground he was slaine in that place after he had reigned nine moneths and nine daies as Floriacensis dooth report He was a man of a comelie stature and of a hawtie courage albeit that for his valiancie he was highlie renowmed and honored of all men yet through his pride and ambition he lost the harts of manie There were slaine in this battell besides king Harold and his two brethren Girth and Leofrike what on the one side and on the other aboue twentie thousand men The bodie of king Harold being found among other slaine in the field was buried at Waltham within the monasterie of the holie crosse which he before had founded and indowed to the behoofe of such canons as he had placed there with faire possessions Uerelie as some old writers haue reported there was nothing in this man to be in anie wise dispraised if his ambitious mind could haue beene staied from coueting the kingdome and that he could haue béene contented to haue liued as subiect Among other manifest proofes of his high valiancie this is remembred of him that being sent against the Welshmen as before is partlie mentioned knowing their readie nimblenesse in seruice and how with their light armed men they were accustomed to annoie and distresse those that should assaile them he likewise to match them prepared light armed men for the purpose so being furnished with such bands of nimble men and light souldiers entered vpon the mounteins of Snowdon and there remained amongst the enimies for the space of two yéeres He sore afflicted the Welsh nation tooke their kings and sent their heads vnto the king that sent him about his businesse and proceeding in such rigorous maner as might mooue the hearers to lament and pitie the case he caused all the male kind that might be met with to be miserablie slaine and so with the edge of his swoord he brought the countrie to quiet and withall made this lawe that if anie Welshman from thencefoorth should presume to passe the limits ouer Offas ditch with anie weapon about him he should lose his right hand To conclude by the valiant conduct of this chieftaine the Welshmen were them so sore brought vnder than in maner the whole nation might séeme to faile and to be almost vtterlie destroied And therefore by permission of the king of England the women of Wales ioined themselues in marriage with Englishmen Finallie héereby the bloud of the Saxons ceassed to reigne in England after they had continued possession of the same from the first comming of Hengist which was about the yéere of our Sauiour 450 or 449 vntill that present yeere of king Harolds death which chanced in the yéere 1069. So that from the beginning of Hengist his reigne vnto Harolds death are reckoned 916 yéeres or after some 617 as by the supputation of the time will easilie appeere By all the which time there reigned kings of the Saxons bloud within this land except that for the space of twentie yéeres and somewhat more the Danes had the dominion of the realme in their possession for there are reckoned from the beginning of K. Swaines reigne which was the first Dane that gouerned England vnto the last yéere of K. Hardicnute the last Dane that ruled heere 28 yéeres in which meane space Egelred recouering the kingdome reigned 2 yéeres then after him his sonne Edmund Ironside continued in the rule one yéere so that the Danes had the whole possession of the land but 25 yéeres in all Touching this alteration and others incident to this Iland read a short aduertisement annexed by waie of conclusion to this historie comprising a short summarie of the most notable conquests of this countrie one after an other by distances of times successiuelie The rule of this realme by Gods prouidence allotted to duke William his descent from Rollo the first duke of Normandie downewards to his particular linage he was base begotten vpon the bodie of Arlete duke Roberts concubine a pleasant speech of hirs to duke Robert on a time when he was to haue the vse of hir person a conclusion introductorie for the sequele of the chronicle from the said duke of Normandies coronation c with a summarie of the notable conquests of this Iland The twelfe Chapter NOw forsomuch as it pleased God by his hid and secret iudgement so to dispose the realme of England and in such wise as that the gouernance therof should fall after this maner into the hands of William duke of Normandie I haue thought good before I enter further into this historie being now come to the conquest of the realme
Egfrid king of Mercia Eadbert king of Northumberland 758 Simon Dun. Hen. Hunt Edilwâ—ld king of Northumberland Simon Dun. Henr. Hunt Simon Dun. 764 Moonks licenced to drinke wine Wil. Malm. Altred began his reigne in the yeare 765 aâ— Sim. Dun. saith Hent Hunt Matt. West Ethelbert H. Hunt Iohn Cap. graue Matth. West and others Ethelbert king of Eastangles The saieng of king Ethelbert Tokens of mishap to follow The innocent mistrustfull of no euill Iohn Capgr Winnebert Sim. Dun. saith 771. Offa conquereth Eastangles Alfreda a nun Beda Matth. West H. Hunt Friswide a virgine Kinewulf Hon. Hunt 756 Simon Dun. saith 755. The Britains vanquished Kinewulfe slaine by conspirators Simon Dun. H. Hunt Eccle. hist Magd. 786 H. Hunt Legats from the pope Twentie articles which the legats had to propone Nuns concubines Curtailing of horsses 764 Sim. Dum. saith 780. Simon Dun. Ouid. lib. 2. de artam He began his reigne Anno. 779 as saith Simon Dun. and reigned â—at ten yéeres 788 Matth. West Simon Dun. 792 Sim. Dunel 800 Britricus Hen. Hunt Matt. West saith 787. Simon Dun. saith 786. Egbert banished A strange woonder Matt. West Wil. Malm. Hen. Hunt Danes Famin war signified Ran. Cest. lib. 5. cap 25. Brightrike departed this life Ethelburgâ— hir conditions and wicked nature A decrée of the kings of the Westsaxons against their wiues The end of Ethelburga Simon Dun. Wil. Malm. Kenulfe The archbishops sée restored to Canturburie The king of Kent taken prisoner Kentilfs liberalitie towards church men which was not forgotten by them in their histories Osred 788 Wil. Malâ— Matth. West Hen. Hunt Simon Dun. Duke Ardell taken and wounded 791 Holie â—ant Ardulfe 796 Walalege 799 The English â—en afflicted 〈…〉 This chanced in the yeere of our â—â—ord 790. as Simon Dun. saith The Danes inuade Northumberland The Danes vanquished This was in anno 794. as Simon Dun. saith Edelbert Lambert Egbert receiued as king of Westsaxons His linege Egbert 802 as Simon Dunel and M. W. hath noted but 801. Simon Dun. Hen. Hunt Bernulf king of Mercia A battell fought at Ellendon Egbert wan the victorie Wil. Malm. 826 Alstan 〈◊〉 of Shireborn a warrior The coÌ„quests of the Westsaxons Hent Hunt Bernulfe king of Mercia slaine Simon Dun. These men the Cornish men as is to be supposed King Egbert inuadeth Northumberland The Northumbers such mit themselues to king Egbert 〈◊〉 Northwales and the citie of Chester conquered by Egbert The name of this 〈◊〉 when 〈◊〉 changed The Danes The Englishmen discomfited by Danes Simon Dun. H. Hunt Matth. West 834 Danes and Welshmen vanquished 836 Matth. West Egbert departeth this life 837 Matth. West Wil. Malm. The end of the kingdome of Kent 827 The end of the kingdome of Essex Matt. Westm. 821 The wickednes of Quendred King Kenelm murthered Sée legendae aured fol. 〈◊〉 in the life of S. Kenelme Ceolwulfe K. of Mercia 823 Matt. Westm. 728 828 Ethelwulfus Henrie Hunt Marth West Wil. Malm. Foure especiall destructions of this land Simon Dun. Hen. Hunt The Danes sought the distruction of this land How long the persecution of the Danes lasted Will. Malmâ— Two notable bishops in Ethelwults daies Simon Dut. Hen. Hunt Danes discomfited Matth. West Englishmen put to flight They are eftsoones vanquished Carrum The Danes wan the victorrie in battell Danes are quished Simon Dun. 851 〈…〉 The Danes 〈◊〉 vanquished Danes ouercome by sea The Deuonshiremen vanquish the Danes Simon Dun. 852 Great slaughâ—â—â— Danes 〈…〉 The Saxons schoole King Ethelwulfs liberalitie to churches Will. Malmes Simon Dun. Manâ—usae The ladie Iudith Wil. Malm. 857 Onelie Westsex saith Mart. Westm. and Sim. Dunel saith that Ethelbright had Sussex also and so dooth H. Hunt Matth. Paris * De quo Sedulius in car pasch Iohn Castor Simon Dun Matt. Parker A kings son and heire a bishop Bertwolfe of Mercia Matth. West saith the daughter Ranulf Cest. Iohn Capgraue Ethelbald and Ethelbright 857 The vnlawful mariage of Ethelbald Wil. Malm. Hen. Hunt Winchester destroied by Danes Danes vanquished Ethelred 867 Foure yéeres six moneths saith Harison Wil. Malm. Ethelred fought with the Danes nine times is one yéere The kings of Mercia and Northumberland neglect their duties The Danes grow in pursance Hungâ—r and Ubbâ— Hen. Hunt King Osbright deposed and Eâ—la placed Osbright and Ella kings of Northumberland slaine It must be vpon the 10 â—alends of Aprill or else it well not concâ—rre with Palmsunday See Mat. West Yorke burnt by Danes The commendation of Adelstan bishop of Shirborne Bishop Adelstan couetous Hen. Hâ—nt Burthred king of Mercia Danes besieged in Notingham Basreeg and Halden Edelwulfe erlâ— of Barkshire fought at Englefield with the Danes The Danes wan the victorie at Reading The Danes discomfited A battell at Merton He was bishop of Shireborne as Matt. West saith Polyd. Virg. Iuarus Danes put to flight Agnerus and Hubba Winborne abbeie Agnerus Fabian 870 Edmund K. of the Eastangles Framingham castell King Edward shot to death Egleseon Wil. Malâ— Eastangles without a gouernour Guthruns Dane king of Eastangles Polychron Caxton Alured or Alfred 871. as Mat. West Sâ—â— Dunelmen doo note it Hent Hunt Sâ—â—ed persecuted by Danes Matt. Westm. The Danes obteine the victorie The Danes wintered at London 〈◊〉 Repâ—on Burthred king of Mercia 875 The Danes went into Northumberland The Danes at Cambridge 876 The Danes tooke an oth Hen. Hunt The Danes went to Excester Hent Hunt 877 Polydor. Hubba slaine The victorie doubtfull Abington The Danes and Englishmen fight néer to Abington Uncerteine victorie Thus farre Polydor. Ran. Higd. A peace agreed vpon The Danes soiourned at London Ann. 876 â—aith Simon Dâ—n 30 yéeres after this he was baptised King Alured driuen to his shifts Edlingsey A vision if it be true King 〈◊〉 disguiseth himselfe Polydor. Fabian Henâ— Hunt 87â— 878 Matth. Weâ—â— Simon Dun Athelney Edantâ—â—e This battell should séeme the same that Polydor speaketh of fought at Abingdon Polychron Iohn Pike Gurthrun or Gurmond baptised and named Adelstan is made king of Eastangle Gurmo Hen. Hunt 878 87â— Simon Dun. Matth. West Rochester besieged 885 889 London recouered out of the hands of the Danes Wil. Malm. Ethelfleda Colwolphus Limer now Rother Andredeslegia A castell built at Appledore 893 Simon Dun. At Milton Hasting the capteine of the Danes besieged He receiueth an oth Beanfield saith M. West This enterprise was atchiued by Etheldred duke of Mercia in the absence of the king as Matth. West hath noted Excester besieged Seuerne Chester taken by Danes Great famine Hen. Hunt The water of Luie now Lée Hen. Hunt The Londoners victors against the Danes Quathbridge or Wakebridge The Danish armie diuided into parts The death of king Alfred His issue Elfleda The notable saieng of Elfleda Will. Malâ—â— King Alfred his lawes Foundation of monasteâ—â—â— 895 Polydor. The vniuersitie of Oxford erected The vertuous zeale of Alured to bring his people to an honest trade of life He is persuaded by his mother to applie himselfe to learning