the West of Kirkwal at the bottom of a large Bay lyes a little Isle called Damsey with a Holm beside it as big as it self To the North-north-west lyes Rousa a large Isle about six miles long full of heatherly hills well stored with Plover and Moor-fowl it is but thinly inhabited Betwixt it and the main land lyes Inhallo and toward Kirkwal lyes Wyre and Gairsa small but profitable Isles North from Kirkwal at eight miles distance stands Eglesha something more than two miles long but pleasant and fertile having a convenient road for ships betwixt it and Wyre there is in it a little handsome some Church where it is said that St. Magnus the Patron of this Country lyes buryed To the North of Eglisha is Westra seven miles long pleasant fertile and well inhabited it hath a convenient harbour for ships at Piriwa at the East end of it lyes Faira called for distinction Faira be North and to the North-and-by-east is Papa-Westra a pleasant Isle three miles in length famous for Saint Tredwel's Chapel and Loch of which many things are reported by the vulgar All these Isles are indifferently fruitful well stored with fields of Corn and herds of Cattle and abound with Rabbets but destitute of Wheat Rye and Pease The chief products of this country and which are exported yearly by the Merchant are Beer Malt Meal Fish Tallow Hides Stockings Butter Selch-skins Otter-skins Rabbet-skins Lamb-skins white Salt Stuffs Writing-Pens Downs Feathers Hams Wooll c. Thus much of the particular Islands They have good store of field and garden-plants and make great quantities of butter Their Ews are so fertile that most of them have two at a birth and some three nay Mr. Wallace affirms that he has seen four at a birth all living and following the Dam. Their horses are but little yet strong and lively they have great herds of Swine and Warrens almost in every Isle well stored with rabbets That they can want either fish or fowl considering the situation of the Country we cannot well imagine The Eagles and Kites are there in great plenty and are very troublesome seizing sometimes upon young Children and carrying them a good way off So that if any one kills an Eagle he may by law claim a hen out of every house in the parish where it is killed Hawks and Falcons have their nests in several parts of the Islands and the King's Falconer comes every year and takes the young who has twenty pound sterling in salary and a hen or a dog out of every house in the Country except some houses that are privileged They have several Mines of Silver Tin Lead and perhaps of other Metals but none are improved They find abundance of Marle which turns to good account to the Husbandman Free-stone quarries with grey and red slate are in many places and in some Marble and Alabaster When the winds are violent the sea casts in pieces of trees and sometimes hogsheads of wine and brandy Ambergreese exotick Fowls c. Forest or Wood they have none nor any Trees except in the Bishop's garden at Kirkwall where there are some Ashes Thorn and Plum-trees Here and there in a Gentleman's garden there are Apple and Cherry-trees but the fruit seldom comes to any maturity Yet it should seem there have been Woods formerly for they find Trees in the Mosses of twenty or thirty foot in length with their branches entire Where the Country is divided into so many small Islands it cannot be expected there should be any large rivers yet bourns and torrents they have well replenished with Trouts There are many Lochs but they serve to no further use than affording water to their Mills or Cattle The many excellent roads bays and ports make it exceeding commodious for navigation Thus much of the Country in general Particular places are no ways considerable except it be Kirkwall an account whereof take from my Author together with the ancient state of the Church of Orkney the Cathedral and Bishop's Palace being both in this Town Mr. Wallacâ—'s account of Kâ—râ—wall The only remarkable town in this Country is Kirkwall an ancient borough long possessed by the Danes by whom it was called Cracoviaca built upon a pleasant Oyse or inlet of the sea near the middle of the main land near a mile in length with narrow streets having a very safe harbor and road for ships Here is the seat of justice the Stewart Sheriff Commissary all of them keeping their several Courts in this place Almost all the houses in it are slated but the most remarkable edifices in it are St. Magnus's Church and the Bishop's Palace As for the King's Castle it is now demolished but by the ruines it appears to have been a strong and stately fort and probably built by some of the Bishops of Orkney as appears from a remarkable stone set in the midst of the wall that looks towards the Streat which has a Bishop's Miter and Arms engraven on it There is in it a publick School for the teaching of Grammar endowed with a competent salary and at the north end of the town is a place built by the English ditch'd about and on which in time of war they plant Cannons for the defence of the harbor against the ships of the enemy as it fell out anno 1666 when there was war between our King and the Hollanders a Dutch man of war coming to the road who shot many guns at the Town with a design to take away some of the ships that were in the harbor was by some Cannon from the Mount so bruised that he was forced to flee with the loss of many of his men This Town had been erected into a royal borough in the time of the Danes and Anno 1480 King James the third gave them a Charter confirming their old erection and privileges specifying their antiquity and giving them power to hold Borough-Courts to incarcerate and arrest to make laws and ordinances and to elect their own Magistrates yearly for the right government of the town to have a weekly Market on Tuesday and Friday and three Fairs in the year one about Palm-Sunday another at Lammas and the third at Martinmas each to continue three days He moreover disposed to them some lands about the town with the customs and shore-dues and the power of a Pitt and Gallows and all other privileges granted to any Royal Borough within the Kingdom exempting them from sending any Commissioners to Parliament unless their own necessities requir'd it This Charter is dated at Edinburgh the last of March 1486. And in the year 1536 February the 8th King James the fifth ratified the former charter by a new Charter of confirmation And in the year 1661 King Charles after his restoration ratified the former Charters by a signiture under his royal hand dated at Whitehall May the 25th whereupon the Parliament at Edinburgh the 22d of August 1670 confirmed all by their Act yet with this special provision
the Counties of Wilts and Somerset Provinces of the West-Saxon Kingdom u Mr. Camden having left the west-side of this County in a manner untouch'd it will be necessary to give a more particular view thereof The river Teme Teme in Latin Temedus waters the north-west part of this Shire taking its course into the Severn through rich meadows and the soil on both sides produceth excellent Syder and Hops in great abundance On the edge of Shropshire the river gives its name to Temebury a small but well-frequented market-town This town with most of the Lands between Teme and Herefordshire were held by Robert Fitz Richard Lord of Ricards Castle whose son Hugh marrying Eustachia de Say a great heiress the issue of that match took the sirname of Say These Lands by Margery an heir-female came to Robert Mortimer about K. John's time and the issue-male of the family of Mortimers failing the patrimony was divided between two daughters the elder of which being marry'd to Geoffry Cornwall part of it continues in the hands of their posterity but the rest hath often chang'd its Lords About 7 miles below Temebury the river passeth under Woodbery-hill Woodbery-hill remarkable for an old entrenchment on the top vulgarly call'd Owen Glendowr's Camp which notwithstanding is probably of greater antiquity Hence runs a continu'd ridge of hills from Teme almost to Severn and seems to have been the boundary of the Wiccian Province At the foot of Woodbery-hill stands Great-Witley Gâ—eâ—t â—â—â—ley where is a fair new-built house the chief seat of the Foleys who bought it of the Russels to whom it came about King Henry the 7th's time by marriage with one of the coheirs of Cassy who had marry'd the heir-general of the Coke-sayes it s more ancient Lords Under the west-side of Woodbery-hill lies Shelsley Beauchamp and over against it Shelsley Walsh Sheâ—â—ey Waâ—sh where dwelt Sir Richard Walsh the famous Sheriff of this County at the time of the Powder-plot who pursu'd the traytors into Staffordshire and took them there A little lower stood Hammme-castle and now in the place of it a fair seat which the ancient family of the Jeffreys have enjoy'd about 200 years Hence by Martley Teme passeth under Coderidge Coderiâ—â—â— a manour of the Berkleys formerly the Actons and in more ancient times belonging to the Mortimers and Says On the opposite bank stands Leigh Leâ—gh a manour of the Viscount of Hereford whence the river hasting to Powick falls into the Severn Continuation of the EARLS Henry son of Edward succeeding his father was created Marquiss of Worcester by K. Charles 1. which honour was after him enjoy'd by Edward his son and Henry his grandson who being created Duke of Beaufort by King Charles 2. the title of Marquiss of Worcester is now given to Charles Somerset his eldest son a Gentleman of great parts and worth who merits no less a character than that Mr. Camden gives his noble Ancestor with whom he concludes his description of Worcestershire More rare Plants growing wild in Worcestershire Colchicum vulgare seu Anglicum purpureum album Ger. Park Common meadow-Saffron I observed it growing most plentifully in the meadows of this County Cynoglossum folio virenti J. B. Cynoglossum minus folio virente Ger. semper virens C. B. Park The lesser green-leaved Hounds-tongue It hath been observed in some shady lanes near Worcester by Mr. Pitts an Apothecary and Alderman of that City Sorbus pyriformis D. Pitts which I suspect to be no other than the Sorbus sativa C. B. legitima Park That is the true or manured Service or Sorb-tree Found by the said Mr. Pits in a forest of this County Triticum majus glumâ foliaceâ seu Triticum Polonicum D. Bobert An Trit speciosum grano oblongo J. B Polonian Wheat It is found in the fields in this County and as Dr. Plot tells us in Staffordshire also STAFFORDSHIRE THE third part of that Country inhabited by the Cornavii now Staffordshire in Saxon Stafford-scyre the people whereof as living in the heart of England are call'd in Bede Angli Mediterranei Angli Mediterranei bounded on the east by Warwickshire and Derbyshire on the south by the County of Worcester and on the west by Shropshire lies from south to north almost in the form of a Rhombus being broad in the middle but narrow and contracted towards the ends of it The north part is mountainous and less fertile but the middle which is water'd by the Trent is fruitful woody and pleasant by an equal mixture of arable and meadow grounds so is also the south which has much pit-coal and mines of iron Iron but whether more to their loss or advantage the natives themselves are best Judges and so I refer it to them STAFFORD SHIRE by Robt. Morden After this we find memorable in this tract Chellington Chellington a very fine seat and the manour of that ancient and famous family the Giffards The Gâ—ffards given to Peter Giffard in the reign of Hen. 2. by Peter Corbuchin to whom also Richard Strongbow who conquer'd Ireland gave Tachmelin and other lands in that Country Vulfrunes-hampton so call'd from Vulfruna a very pious woman who built a Monastery in the town which before had the name of Hampton and hence for Vulfrunes-hampton it is corruptly call'd Wolverhampton Wâ—lverhampton which is chiefly remarkable for the College there annex'd to the Dean and Prebendaries of Windsor b Theoten-hall 〈…〉 that is to say a house of Pagans now Tetnall where many of the Danes were cut off in the year 911. by Edward the elder c Weadesburg now Weddsborrow Weddsborâ—ow heretofore fortified by Aethelfleda Governess of the Mercians and Walsall none of the meanest market-towns Near this lies the course of the river Tame Tame which rising not far off runs for some miles on the east-side of this County toward the Trent passing at some small distance by Draiton Basset â—â—set the seat of the Bassets who are descended from one Turstin Lord of this place in the reign of Hen. 1. and grown up into a numerous and famous family For this is the stock from which the Bassets of Welleden Wiccomb Sapcott Chedle and others of them are propagated But of these Bassets of Draiton Ralph was the last a very eminent Baron who marry'd the sister of John Montfort Duke of Bretagne and died without issue in the reign of Rich. 2. From hence the Tame passing thro' the bridge at Falkesley over which an ancient Roman-way lay runs by the lower part of Tamworth â—â—mworth in Saxon Tamapeord in Marianus Tamawordina so situated between the borders of the two Shires that the one part of it which formerly belong'd to the Marmions is counted in Warwickshire the other which belong'd to the Hastings is reckon'd in this County It takes its name from the river Tame which runs by it and the Saxon word Weorth which signifies
where the bowels of Walter Skirlaw Bishop of Durham were bury'd ‖ Ibid. as appear'd by the Inscription of a very fair stone varii marmoris as my Author calls it The same person had reason to build a high belfrey in order to secure them against inundations for the several Commissions that have been issu'd out for repair of the banks thereabouts argue the great danger they were in and within these seven years the Ebbe by reason of great freshes coming down the Ouse broke through the banks and did considerable damage both to Howden and the neighbouring parts Here the Londoners keep a Mart every year beginning about the fourteenth of September and continue it about nine days where they furnish by whole-sale the Country Trades-men with all sorts of Goods e Tho' the Abus Abus and the Humber be generally lookt upon as one and the same yet Ptolemy's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to be the corrupt Greek reading of the old name Ouse rather than sprung from the British Aber. 'T is plain however by that expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. the emptying of the river Abus that he meant the river had that name before ever it came to the Out-let f What our Author says of Coyfi throwing down the Fanum Impietatis domicilium Saxon-Idols does hardly seem to be cautiously or accurately enough exprest For it does not appear that any cover'd Temples were erected for the service of those Pagan-Idols which the Saxons here worship'd Polluit destruxit eas quas ipse sacraverat aedes says the Latin * Lib. 2. c. 13 Bede speaking of this Coyfi and the Saxon-Paraphrase uses the word Æ¿igbed or as some Copies have it Æ¿eopede Æ¿aes HaeÆ¿enan gyldes implying not a Temple but an Altar as is evident from Matth. v. 23. and xxiii 18 19 c. No they were only surrounded with a hedge to defend their ditches from the annoyance of cattel as is sufficiently intimated by another expression in the same Chapter Mid Heora Hegum Æ¿e Hi ymbsette Æ¿aeron i.e. with the hedges wherewith they were surrounded g But for Antiquities Beverley Beverley is the most considerable place hereabouts call'd formerly Beverlac quasi locus vel lacus Castrorum à Castoribus quibus Hulla aqua vicina abundabat says Leland * Vid. Monast Angl. t. 1. p. 170. from an old Anonymous Manuscript concerning the Antiquities of Beverolac or Beverley Tho' our Author tells us it has nothing of greater Antiquity than John of Beverley yet the same Manuscript informs us it had a Church before that time dedicated to S. John the Evangelist which this Archbishop converted into a Chapel for his new-erected Monastery On the 13. of September An. 1664. upon opening a grave they met with a vault of squar'd free-stone 15 foot long and 2 foot broad at the head but at the feet a foot and a half broad Within it was a sheet of lead four foot long and in that the ashes six beads whereof three crumbl'd to dust with a touch of the three remaining two were suppos'd to be Cornelians with three great brass pins and four large iron nails Upon the sheet laid a leaden plate with this Inscription ✚ ANNO AB INCARNATIONE DOMINI MCLXXXVIII COMBVSTA FVIT HAEC ECCLESIA IN MENSE SEPTEMBRI IN SEQVENTI NOCTE POST FESTVM SANCTI MATHAEI APOSTOLI ET IN AN. MCXCVII VI. IDVS MARTII FACTA FVIT INQVISITIO RELIQVIARVM BEATI JOHANNIS IN HOC LOCO ET INVENTA SVNT HAEC OSSA IN ORIENTALI PARTE SEPVLCHRI ET HIC RECONDITA ET PVLVIS CEMENTO MIXTVS IBIDEM INVENTUS EST ET RECONDITUS Cross over this there lay a box of lead about seven inâ—hes long six broad and five high wherein were several pieces of bones mix'd with a little dust and yielding a sweet smell All these things were carefully re-interr'd in the middle Alley of the body of the Minster where they were taken up Which circumstance does not by any means agree with what Bishop Godwin has left us about this Saint namely that he was bury'd in the Church porch For tho' what is mention'd in the Inscription was only a Re-interrment upon the Inquisition made yet it looks a little odd they should not lay the Reliques in the same place where they found them unless one should solve it this way that but part of the Church was then standing and they might lay him there with a design to remove him when it should be rebuilt but afterwards either neglected or forgot it The Minster here is a very fair and neat structure the roof is an arch of stone In it there are several monuments of the Percies Earls of Northumberland who have added a little Chapel to the Quire in the window whereof are the pictures of several of that family drawn in the glass At the upper-end of the Quire on the right-side of the Altar-place stands the Freed-stool mention'd by our Author made of one entire stone and said to have been remov'd from Dunbar in Scotland with a Well of water behind it At the upper end of the body of the Church next the Quire hangs an ancient Table with the pictures of St. John from whom the Church is nam'd and of K. Athelstan the founder of it and between them this Distich Al 's free make I thee As heart can wish or egh can see Hence the Inhabitants of Beverley pay no Toll or Custom in any port or town of England to which immunity I suppose they owe in a great measure their riches and flourishing condition For indeâ—d one is surpris'd to find so large and handsome a town within six miles of Hull In the body of the Church stands an ancient monument which they call the Virgins tomb because two Virgin-sisters lye buried there who gave the town a piece of land into which any free-man may put three milch-kine from Lady-day to Michaelmas At the lower end of the body of the Church stands a fair large Font of Agate-stone Near the Minster on the south-side of it is a place nam'd Hall-garth wherein they keep a Court of Record call'd Provost's Court. In this may be try'd Causes for any sum arising within its Liberties which are very large having about a hundred towns and parts of towns in Holderness and other places of the East-Riding belonging to it It is said to have also a power in Criminal matters tho' at present that is not us'd But to come to the condition of the town It is above a mile in length being of late much improv'd in its buildings and has pleasant springs running quite through it It is more especially beautified with two stately Churches and has a Free-school that is improv'd by two Fellowships six Scholarships and three Exhibitions in S. John's College in Cambridge belonging to it besides six Alms-houses the largest whereof was built lately by the Executors of Michael Wharton Esquire who by his last Will lâ—ft 1000 l. for that use The Mayor
the Bound-rod from Northumberland by the river Tweed running between them for about eight miles This river is one of the 3 that rise out of the same tract of hills Clide runs west towards Dumbarton Anand south towards Solway-sands and this east towards Berwick It is of a swift couâ—se environ'd with hills running through Tweedale-forest and Teviotdale before it go into the Ocean It 's current is above 50 miles in all which compass it hath only two bridges one at Peebles of 5 arches and another at Berwick of 15. It had one at Melross the pillars whereof are yet standing and another is intended at Kelso The length of this County is 20 miles from Lamberton to Ridpeth on the south-side and from Cockburns-path to Seeinghill-kirk on the north-side But take the length anglewise 't is from Lamberton to Lauclugh direct east and west 24 miles It 's breadth is about 14 miles whether you take it on the west-end south-end or middle of the Shire It is divided into three parts Mers â—â—â—s Lammermoor and Lauderdale The Mers is a pleasant low ground lying open to the influence of the sun and guarded from storms by Lammermoor So that the soil is fertil and affords great plenty of oats barley wheat pease c. with abundance of hay Lammermoor â—â—mmerâ—â—â—r is a great tract of hills on the north-side of the Shire above 16 miles in length and 6 at least in breadth abounding with moss and moor The west end of them for four miles together belongs to Lauderdale the rest of it eastward is almost equally parted between East-Lothian and Mers The peculiar use of this tract is pasturage in the summer time and the game it affords by the abundance of Partridge Moor-fowl Plover c. But the product of these parts is not reckoned so good as of others being generally sold at a lower rate Lauderdale â—â—uderâ—â—le is a tract of ground lying on each side of the water of Leider abounding with pleasant haughs green hills and some woods well stor'd also with corn and pasturage The Judicatories â—â—dicatoâ—â—â—â— in this Shire are 1. The Sherif-Court which sits at the town of Duns 2. The Commissariot which sits at Lawder 3. The Regality of Thirlstan belonging to the Earl of Lauderdale 4. The Regality of Preston and Forest of Dye belonging to the Marquiss of Douglas 5. The Lordship of Coldingham and Stewartry of March belonging to the Earl of Hume who is Sheriff and has his residence at Hirsell The more remarkable places besides those mentioned by our Author are Duns â—â—ns a burgh of Barony standing upon a rising ground in the midst of the Shire Every Wednesday it has a great market of Sheep Horses and Cows and is famous for being reputed the birth-place of Joannes Duns Scotus A Gentleman a Laird of that name is still there Eymouth â—â—mouth the only port in the Shire for shipping which was fortified by the French in Queen Mary's minority Ersilton â—â—silton or Earlstown famous for the birth of Thomas Lermouth called Thomas the Rymer Hume for the Castle now demolish'd Caldstream â—â—â—dâ—â—â—â—am a market town lying close upon Tweed Greenlaw â—â—â—enlaw a burgh of Barony with a weekly market Fouldon a large town Rosse â—â—â—se famous for it's harbour and plenty of fish Aton situate upon the water of Ey White-coat White-coat where is a harbour for herring-fishing About Bastenrig on the east-hand and the Moristons and Mellerstoun downs on the west they frequently take the Dotterel Dotterel a rare Fowl towards the latter end of April and beginning of May. d Next the Mers along the south of the Firth or Forth lies the country call'd LOTHIAN having Mers to the east part of Lammermoor and part of Lauderdale with the Forest and Tweedale to the south part of Clidsdale and Stirlingshire to the west and to the north the Firth or Forth It is in length from Cockburns-path in the east to the Shire of Clidsdale about 57 miles and where 't is broadest between 16 and 17 miles over To what our Author has said in commendation of it may be added it's number of Towns with seats of the Nobility and Gentry wherein it goes much beyond the rest of Scotland 'T is divided into 3 distinct Tracts call'd East-Lothian Mid-Lothian and West-Lothian East-Lothian East-Lothian or the Constabulary or Shire of Hadington so called from Hadington one of the three burghs-Royal and seat of the Courts is in length about 22 and in breadth about 12 miles bounded by the Firth on the north and east by a tract of hills called Lammermoor on the south and by Mid-Lothian on the West It abounds with corn of all sorts has good store of grass with some considerable woods as Prestmennan Colston Humbie and Ormestan and abundance of Coal and Lime-stone It has good store of Sheep especially towards the hills of Lammermoor and by west Lammerlaw and from the west part to the sea all along to the east it abounds with Conies It hath many Salt-pans wherein much white Salt is made and at New-Milns there is a considerable manufactory of broad-cloath The sea-coast is accommodated with many convenient harbours and has the advantage of several Fish-towns particularly at Dumbar and on the coast thereabout every year after Lammas there is a Herring-fishing where they take great numbers not only to serve the Inhabitants but also for exportation The first considerable place we meet with in this tract is Dunglas Dunglas a pleasant seat on the sea-coast which formerly belonged to the Earl of Hume but has now another owner In the time of the late Wars a garison was kept there by the Earl of Hadington for the Army who with 30 Knights and Gentlemen of the name of Hamilton besides several other considerable persons perished in the ruines of this house For it was designedly blown up in the year 1640 by Nathaniel Paris an Englishman one of his own servants while the Earl was reading a Letter in the Court which he had then received from the Army with all the Gentlemen about him Only four of the whole Company escaped who by the force of the powder were thrown to a great distance from the house 'T is now repaired and adorned by Sir John Hall the present possessor with curious Gardens spacious Courts and a large and pleasant Avenue They have here a Collegiate Church a goodly large building and vaulted but 't is now ruinous Along the Coast to Dunbar is a pleasant Country the most fruitful in the Kingdom especially in Wheat and Barley South-east of Dumbar a Burgh-royal in this Shire is Dunhill Dunhill memorable for the victory obtained Sept. 30. 1650. over the Scotch-Army under Lesly by a handful of men and those too but sickly under the command of Cromwell Which miscarriage if some ingenuous persons who were in the Action may be believed was rather owing to the treachery of some
Ocean to the North the country of Assint to the West Rosse to the South and the German sea to the East and South-east From West to East it is in length about 55 miles and in breadth from South to North 22 miles but taking in Strathnaver 33. The inhabitants of these parts are much given to hunting and will endure a great deal of labour and toil The shire affords white marble in some hills in the parish of Creigh plenty of iron-ore and some pearls They have coal free-stone lime-stone and good solate in abundance 't is said also that they find some silver and it is supposed that there is gold in Durinesse In several parts of the country they have much Salmon-fishing and are also well provided with other fishes Dornoch Dornâ—â—â— the chief Burgh of the shire is a Burgh-Royal standing between the rivers of Portnecouter and Unes Besides the Castle belonging to the Earl of Sutherland it has a Cathedral-Church being the seat of the Bishop of Cathnesse A little East of this town there is a monument like a Cross called the Thane or Earl's Cross Earâ—'s-cross and another beside Eubo called the King's Cross where one of the Kings or chief Commanders of the Danes is said to have been slain and buried Dunrobin Dunr mentioned by our Author the special residence of the Earl of Sutherland is seated upon a mote hard by the sea and is remarkable for its fine gardens In this country the days are very long in summer and during that season they have little or no dark night â—â—riv 'T is said that the river of Shin never freezes â—â—hnesse p CATHNESSE called also the shire of Wike to the South and South-west is divided from Sutherland by the Ord and a continued ridge of hills as far as the hill of Knook-finn Then along the course of the river of Hollowdail from the rise to the mouth of it and the mountains Drumna Hollowdale The same river is the bound between it and Strathnaver To the East it is washt with the Ocean to the North it hath Pen-Iland-Frith which divideth it from Orknay It s length from South to North is 35 miles its breadth about 20. The woods here are but few and small being rather Copices of birch In the forest of Moravins and Berridale there is great plenty of Red-deer and Roe-bucks They have good store of cows sheep goats and wild-fowl At Dennet there is lead at Old-wike copper and iron-ore in several places â—ron-â—â—â— The whole coast except the bays is high rocks so that they have a great number of promontories Sandsidehead at the west-West-end of Cathnesse pointing North to the opening of Pentland-Firth Holborn-head and Dinnet-head both pointing North to the Firth Duncans-bay-head which is the North-east point of Cathnesse where the Firth is but 12 miles over Near which is the ordinary ferry to Orknay called Duncan's-bay Noshead pointing North-east Clytheness pointing East Though Wick be a Royal Burgh Wick Thurso and the head Courts kept there yet Thurso only a Burgh of Barony is more populous where also the Judges reside It is a secure place for ships of any burthen to ride at being defended by Holburn-head In these parts there are many foundations of antient houses now ruinous supposed to have formerly belonged to the Picts Many obelisks also are erected here and there and in some places several of them together The Roman Wall in SCOTLAND THe first occasion of building the Roman Wall which now goes by the name of Graham's dike was given by Julius Agricola of whom Tacitus has left us this character Non alium Ducem opportunitates locorum sapientius elegisse That never a General used more discretion in the choice of places And here particularly he made good his claim to that piece of conduct for that Isthmus or neck of land upon which it was built is not above 16 miles over betwixt the rivers of Forth and Clyde So that having fortified that slip of ground with garisons the Enemies were as Tacitus has observed summoti velut in aliam Insulam But here we must not imagine that Agricola built a wall along this tract since neither Historians nor Inscriptions give us any reason to suspect it Tacitus only observes that this Angustum terrarum spatium Praesidiis firmabatur and we may be sure if there had been any thing of a wall in the case he would not have omitted the mention of it So that 't is probable he contented himself with placing garisons at such convenient distances as that the forces might easily draw together upon the first apprehension of danger Whether or no some of the Forts that are plac'd upon the wall were built by him at that time or by others afterwards is not certain however it seems probable that he built these following garisons 1. That which our Author calls from the Water of Caron which runs near it Coria Damniorum The neighbours thereabouts at this day call it Camelon not that 't is to be imagin'd this is the Camulodunum mentioned by Tacitus which is some hundreds of miles distant from hence but rather the Camunlodunum which Ptolemy makes a town of the Brigantes whom he placeth sub Iâ—lgovis Ottadinis ad utraque maria and sets the town in the 57th Degree of Latitude And indeed the Gadeni which we placed here were a tribe of the Brigantes that possess'd the country betwixt the Irish Sea and the Firth of Forth Camalodunum likewise is thought to import the Palace of the Prince and it may be gathered from History that this was the Palace of the Picts But by whomsoever it was built the remains of the fortification and the vestigia of the streets are yet to be seen and there is a Roman military way begins here and runs South In antient times it was wash'd by the sea which is confirm'd by an anchor discover'd near it within this hundred years As a farther confirmation of its antiquity they discover old Vaults and meet with several Roman Coins about it one particularly of brass about the bigness of a Half-crown with a Shield on one side and above it a Lion but the Impression on the other side is not legible Here it is that Ptolemy places the Legio Sexta Victrix and it seems to have been their head-quarters The Duni Pacis mention'd by our Author are very near it and just over against it on the North side of Carron-water is the Aedes Termini the figure whereof with a distinct description may be expected in Sir Robert Sibbalds's Scotia Antiqua 2. The second seems to have been some six miles distant to the North-west where the town of Sterling is now For besides that the narrowness of the river of Forth which hath now a bridge over it in this place required a garison there is upon a rock this Inscription IN EXCV AGIT LE. LEG Which sheweth that a Legion kept garison here 'T is most
the celebrated Organ at Ulme This city gave birth to Henrietta Maria youngest daughter to K. Charles 1. to William Petre â—ho was Secretary and Privy-Counsellor to K. Henry 8. Edward 6. Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth and seven times Embassadour in foreign parts and lastly to Sir Thomas Bodley employ'd by Queen Elizabeth to several foreign Courts but especially famous for his founding the Publick Library in the University of Oxford call'd after his own name nn Thomas the last Earl of Exeter mention'd by our Author was succeeded by William his son and heir who dying without issue-male The Eaâ—â—s continu'd left that honour to David Cecil Son of Sir Richard Cecil who was second son to Thomas Earl of Exeter This David was succeeded by John his son and heir and he by his son of the same name o At the confluence of Ex and Clist is Topesham Topheshaâ— an ancient town that hath flourish'd much by the obstructions of the river Ex. Several attempts have been made to remove these dammes but none so effectual as the new works in the time of King Charles 2. at the vast expence indeed of the City of Exeter but to such advantage that Lighters of the greatest burden come up to the city-key On the east of Exeter is a parish call'd Heavy-tree Heavy-tâ—â—â— memorable for the birth of Hooker the judicious Author of the Ecclesiastical Polity and of that great Civilian Dr. Arthur Duck. The next parish is Pinhoe Pinhoe remarkable for bringing forth the two Rainolds John and William brothers zealous maintainers both of the Reform'd and the Popish Religion in their turns Not far from hence is Stoke-Canon Stoke-Câ—non given by K. Canute to the Church of Exeter a representation of which gift was to be seen not long ago in a window of the Parish-Church there viz. a King with a triple Crown and this Inscription Canutus Rex donat hoc Manerium Eccles Exon. Four miles east of Exon we pass the river Clyst near which upon Clyst-heath Clyst-heath the Cornish rebels were totally defeated An. 1549. by John Lord Russel afterwards Earl of Bedford p Next is Honnyton Honnyâ—â—â— where the market was anciently kept on Sundays as it was also in Exeter Launceston and divers other places till in the reign of K. John they were alter'd to other days Over the river Ottery is Vennyton bridge Vennytâ—â—-bridge at which in the time of Edw. 6. a battle was fought against the Cornish rebels q And upon the same river stands Budley Budley famous for being the birth-place of that great Statesman and Historian Sir Walter Rawleigh r From whence to the north east is Sidmouth Sidmouâ—â— now one of the chiefest fisher-towns of those parts s And Seaton Seaton where the inhabitants formerly endeavour'd to cut out a haven and procur'd a Collection under the Great Seal for that purpose but now there remain no footsteps of that work t The river Ax passeth by Ford Ford. to which Abbey the Courtneys were great benefactours it is now in the hands of Edmund Prideaux Esq Baldwin Archbishop of Canterbury in the reign of K. Richard 1. was first Monk and then Abbot here Ax empties it self into the sea at Axmouth Axmoâ—â—â— formerly a good harbour for ships Several attempts have been made to repair this decay'd haven by the family of the Earles but all in vain u Crossing the country to the north-west we meet with Hartland Hartâ—â—â—â— the possessions of which Monastery were confirm'd by Richard 1. with the grant of great immunities particularly of a Court holding plea of all matters saving life and member arising in their own lands In the time of Q. Elizabeth a Bill was preferr'd in the house of Commons for finishing that port Not far from this is Clovelly-harbour Cloâ—â—â—â—â— secur'd by a Piere erected at great charges by the Carys who have had their seats here from the time of Richard 2. 'T is now the most noted place in those parts for herring-fishing At a little distance lies Hole or South-hold Sâ—â—th-hold the native place of Dr. John Moreman Vicar of Maynhennet in Cornwall towards the latter end of Henry 8. memorable upon this account that he was the first who taught his Parishioners the Lord's Prayer Creed and ten Commandments in the English tongue By which we learn in how short a time that language has entirely prevail'd against the native Cornish w Upon the river Ock is Okehampton â—kehampton which as it had formerly 92 Knights fees belonging to it so it is at present a good market town incorporated by K. James 1. sends Burgesses to Parliament and gives the title of Baron to the family of the Mohuns More to the north lies Stamford-Courtney Stamford-Courtney where began a great insurrection in the time of K. Edward 6. by two of the inhabitans one of whom would have no Gentlemen the other no Justices of Peace x At a little distance is North-Tawton North-Tawton where there is a pit of large circumference 10 foot deep out of which sometimes springs up a little brook or bourn and so continues for many days 'T is taken by the common people as a fore-runner of publick sorrow as that Bourn in Hertfordshire call'd Woobournmore Directly towards the north upon the river Moule lieth South-moulton â—outh-â—oulton an ancient town incorporate formerly call'd Snow-moulton when it was held by the Martyns by Sergeanty to find a man with a bow and three arrows to attend the Earl of Gloucester when he should hunt thereabouts x From hence to the south-west is Torrington â—â—rrington call'd in old Records Chepan-Torrington an ancient Borough which sent Burgesses to Parliament But that privilege hath been long discontinu'd both here and in other places in this County It was incorporated by Queen Mary by the name of Mayor Aldermen and Burgesses and hath yielded the title of Earl to George Duke of Albemarle the great Restorer of K. Charles 2. as after him to Christopher his only son and since to Arthur Herbert the present Earl late Lord Admiral y The river goes next to Bediford â—ediford mention'd by our Author for it's bridge It is so high that a ship of 50 or 60 tunn may sail under it For which and for number of arches it equals if not exceeds all others in England 'T was begun by Sir Theobald Granvill and for the finishing of it the Bishop of the Diocese granted out Indulgences to move the people to more liberal contributions and accordingly great sums of money were collected This place hath been in the possession of the Granvills ever since the Conquest a family famous particularly for Sir Richard Granvill's behaviour in Glamorganshire in the reign of W. Rufus and another of the same name under Q. Elizabeth who with one ship maintain'd a sea-fight for 24 hours against 50 of the Spanish Galeons and at last yielded upon
Fishermen it has now very considerable Merchants in it It is remarkable for being the landing place of the unfortunate Duke of Monmoâ—th June 11. 1685. when he asserted his pretended right to the Crown He brought with him but one man of War of about 30 guns and two other small vessels with Arms for about 4000 men having not above 100 that came over with him But notwithstanding the great increase of his Forces in a very short time he was routed in a pitch'd battel and his attempt prov'd faâ—al to him and his Followers c From hence our Author passes on to Bridport Bâ—â—dport which he says seems to want nothing to make it a port but industry But it appears by experience that it is not this will do it for the inhabitants have lately attempted it and fail'd in the undertaking the tides perpetually barring it with land against which they could not find any remedy North east from hence is Winford-Eagle Wâ—â—ford-Eâ—gâ—e * â—â—â—r M n. Brit. MS. near which in a ground call'd Ferndown upon the road to Bridport is a barrow amongst many others thereabouts that was search'd and open'd some years ago Upon the first removing of the earth they found it full of large flints and at length came to a place perfectly like an Oven curiously clay'd round and in the midst of it a fair Urn full of very firm bones with a great quantity of black ashes under it But what is most remarkable one of the diggers putting his hand into the Oven when first open'd pull'd it hastily back not being able to endure the heat and several others doing the like affirm'd it to be hot enough to bake bread †Dr. Jorden of Baths c. 14. p. 106. The same natural heat is often found by our mineral-men in their mines so as sometimes they are not able to touch them Digging farther they met with 16 Urns more but not in Ovens and in the middle one with ears to it they were all full of sound bones and black ashes Not far from hence is Winterborne Winterborne ‖ Aubr Mon. Brit. MS. in the parish whereof within an inclosure near the London-road there stand certain stones nine in number in a circular form The highest of them is seven foot the next highest almost six foot the rest are broken and now not above a yard high And upon the same road half a mile farther there stand three stones which are four foot high The stones of both these monuments seem to be petrify'd lumps of flints cc Descending from hence to the sea-coast we come to Portland Portland which in the year 1632. gave the title of Earl to Richard Lord Weston of Neiland Lord High Treasurer of England who was succeeded by several of the same family It now gives that title to William Bentinck After the donation of Edward mention'd by our Author this Island continu'd in the Church of Winchester to the time of Edw. 1. in whose reign Gilbert de Clare Earl of Hertford and Glocester probably looking upon it as an impregnable place gave other lands to the Church in exchange for it through whose heirs it came to the Crown in Edw. 4. where it still continues d Upon the south-east-part of this County lies the Isle of Purbeck Purbecâ— the south part whereof is very good land It has plenty of marble and of many sorts of good stone from which as tradition informs us the Cathedral Church of Salisbury was supply'd and they to their great advantage carry much of it to London e The most considerable piece of Antiquity in it â—orffe-â—â—â—â—e is Corffe Castle the foundation whereof is not distinctly clear'd by any history though there are some circumstances that would justifie at least a conjecture of it's being built by K. Edgar For by an Inquisition taken 54 Hen. 3. concerning the Abbess of Shaftsbury's claim of Wreck in her mannour of Kingston in Purbeck it is thus mention'd Juratores dicunt quod ante fundationem Castri de Corffe Abbatissa Moniales S. Edwardi de Shaston habuerunt wreccum maris quod evenire consuevit in manerio suo de Kingston sine contradictione Now the Nunnery of Shaston was founded An. 941. by K. Edmund after which time the castle must have been built and 't is probable was not done in either of the two succeeding Reigns which were but short till Edgar the peaceable the rich and the great builder too for he founded and repair'd 47 Monasteries came to the Crown After the strength and safety of the Realm began to consist in Castles this was one of the most principal belonging to the Crown and in the 42 Hen. 3. when Simon Montfort had took that King prisoner it was the third Castle requir'd to be deliver'd up to that party and was afterwards by Mortimer look'd upon as the fittest place wherein to secure his prisoner Edw. 2. It was repair'd by K. Hen. 7. and in the late Civil Wars was a garrison for the King and defended by the owner of it Lord Chief Justice Banks nor did it come into the Enemies hand but by the treachery of one who pretending to have brought relief let in the besiegers The town is one of the nine burroughs of the County that send Burgesses to Parliament and what is remarkable the principal members of it especially as many of them as have born the Office of Mayor are call'd Barons as the Chief citizens of London anciently were and the governing part of all the Cinque-ports still are In the Island there is one family Clavil recorded in Domesday-book to have been here in the time of the Conqueror f To the north lies Poole which our Author says in the last Age arose out of a few Fishermens houses Notwithstanding it seems to be a town of good note and antiquity though no mention be made of it in Domesday For it appears by Records that in the 2 Edw. 2. the Free Burgesses of Poole Thomas Plantagenet Earl of Lancaster being then Lord in right of his wife paid to the said Lord the sum of 8 l. 13 s. equal to about 80 l. now for the farm of their Liberties and in 14 Edw. 3. they sent Burgesses to Parliament g Upon the river Frome lies Dorchester â—hester a pretty large town with very wide streets and delicately situated on a rising ground opening at the south and west-west-ends into sweet fields and spacious downs It is a Corporation formerly govern'd by two Bailiffs and Burgesses but was in the 5 Ch. 1. incorporated a-new by the name of Mayor Bailiffs Aldermen and Burgesses with an enlargement of Privileges Franchises and Immunities In the 29 Hen. 8. it contain'd 349 houses In the time of the Romans it was one of the two winter Stations of their Legions mention'd in those parts Vindogladia now Winburne being the other 〈…〉 h So Maiden-castle is observ'd by our Author to have been a summer Station and
North-Cadbury which our Author tells us came into the family of the Botereauxs by the marriage of Isabella daughter of John de Moels It continu'd in the said family till the death of William the late Lord Botereaux who dying 2 Ed. 4. without issue-male this Lordship with a very great inheritance descended to Margaret his daughter and sole heir marry'd to Robert Lord Hungerford from whom it descended to Mary Lady Hungerford their great Grand-daughter who was marry'd to Edward Lord Hastings and Hungerford father to George the first of that sirname Earl of Huntingdon in which family it continu'd to the reign of James 1. that Sir Francis Hastings younger son to Francis Earl of Huntingdon being possess'd of the same and having no children did alienate it e Ivel continuing it's course towards the sea joyns with the river Parret which a little more northward is encreas d by the Thone Near the head of this stands Orchard Orchard formerly the inheritance of the Portmans But now that family being extinct in the late Sir William Portman he has left it to his Cousin-german by the mother's side Mr. Henry Seymour who now enjoys it and has his residence there ee Upon the Parret stands Bridgwater Earls of Bâ—idgewater the Earl whereof Henry Daubeny dying without issue-male this title lay dead till the 15 of Jac. 1. when it was conferr'd upon John Egerton Baron of Ellesmere Viscount Brackley and son to the Lord Chancellor Egerton He was succeeded by his son John and this John by a son of the same name f From hence let us go along with Mr. Camden north-west to Glassenbury Glassenbury where amongst other curiosities he mentions the budding of a Hawthorn-tree on Christmas-day The tree has been cut down these many years yet there are some still growing in the County from branches of that as particularly one in the garden of William Stroud Esq possessor of the ground where the other stood another in the garden of the White-hart Inn in Glassenbury g Farther northward are Mendippe-hills Mendippe-hills famous for the lead-mines free for any English-man to work in except he has forfeited his right by stealing any of the oar or tools of the others And their law or custom in that case is very remarkable The Groviers for so the Miners are call'd as the pits they sink are call'd Groves living at some distance leave their tools and the oar they have got sometimes open upon the hill or at best shut up in a slight hutt Whoever amongst them steals any thing and is found guilty is thus punish'd He 's shut up in a hutt and then dry fearn furzes and such other combustible matter is put round it and fire set to it When 't is on fire the Criminal who has his hands and feet at liberty may with them if he can break down his hutt and making himself a passage out of it get free and be gone but must never come to work or have to do any more on the hill This they call Burning of the hill There is lead also dug on Broadwell-down Broad-well and other parts thereabouts lying between Wrinton and Backwell About the west-west-end of Mendippe-hills is found plenty of Lapis Calaminaris lying near the surface of the earth This calcin'd and mix'd with copper makes brass Here are also some veins of Magnesia or Mangonesse and of Yellow Oker h In those hills is Ochie-hole otherwise call'd Wockey-hole Wockie-hole which latter is certainly the right coming from Æ¿oc which does not imply any hollowness as †Notes upon Polyolb p. 53. Selden would have it for that is express'd by hole but signifies crooked or as he also observes creeky not but that Æ¿oc might come from the British Ogo so that Camden's conjecture may be pertinent enough The inhabitants have broach'd strange and extravagant fables concerning this cave passing by those as impertinent the place is in it self so remarkable as very well to deserve our notice From a very narrow entrance it opens into a large vault the roof whereof either for it's height or the thickness of the air they who go in cannot discover by the light of candles they carry with them After having clamber'd over several rough and unequal passages amongst the moist rocks you come at last to a stream of very clear cold water In several places of this Cave one may see that the droppings of water encrease the rock and turn into stone in some places hanging down like icicles i Amongst those hills is Chuton Chuton famous for the seat of William Bonvill who lies interr'd with his Lady in the Chancel at Chuton It is now the Mannour as well as title of the present Lord Waldgrave whose father by K. James 2. was created Baron Waldgrave of Chuton Towards the north is Chue Magna or Bishops-Chue Chue Magna or Bishops Chue where is dug up a red bolus call'd by the country-people Reding from thence distributed all over England for the marking of sheep and such other uses it is also often us'd by Apothecaries instead of Bolus Armenus A mile east from Chue-Magna on the south-side of the river Chue lies Stanton-Drew Stanton-drew * Aubr MS. where is to be seen a monument of stones like those of Stone-henge in Wiltshire but these being not altogether so big as the Stone-henge ones nor standing in so clear a plain the hedges and trees mix'd amongst them have made them less taken notice of Two miles south of Stanton Drew at Stowey Stowey on the side of the hill above the Church rises a large spring that is never dry The water coming from thence as it runs down through Stowey covers the things it meets in it's way with a stony crust This effect it has not in the very source nor within 20 yards where it rises the place where it works most is about forty or fifty yards from the rising at a fall higher than a man's head There it sheaths every thing with stony cases and makes the sides of the bank hard rock and from thence all along it's stream it covers sticks c. with a crust See a larger description of it in a letter from Mr. Lock inserted in Boyle's Hist of the Air pag. 140. k Returning southward over Mendippe hills we meet with Wells Wells where our Author tells us was a Bishop's seat till John de Villula in the time of King Hen. 1. removing it to Bath the Bishops were call'd Bishops of Bathe and Wells But it is observable that almost 200 years after John the Bishops were only call'd Bishops of Bathe and sometimes of Glaston but not of Wells So that our Author affirming afterwards when he comes to Bathe that this John did retinere Wellensis Episcopi nomen i.e. still keep the title of Bishop of Wells must needs be in a vulgar error For Bishop Godwin in his English Tract of the Bishops expresly says that he
bringing about that happy change The soil for some miles about Bathe especially to the westward as at Coston and thereabouts is so very stony that when 't is newly plough'd one would rather take the ridges for so many pitch'd Causeys to walk on than for a plough'd land to sow corn in so little of earth is to be seen among those bare stones the plough-share turns up Yet here they have as good wheat as any in England tho' perhaps not altogether so much on an acre as in deeper land The Country-men attribute these large crops mostly to the stones and if those were carry'd off the earth left upon the hard rock would be so little that it would not cover their corn and so light that the wind would blow it away t Between Bathe and Bristol a little river runs into the Avon â—â—nâ— â—r MS. upon which is Stanton-drew whereof the latter part might seem to point out some relation to the old Druids but that Drew is the name of an ancient family in the western parts and the monument there call'd the Wedding would strengthen such a conjecture The occasion of the name Wedding is a tradition which passes among the common people That a Bride going to be married she and the rest of the company were chang'd into these stones They are in a circular form 5 or 6 foot high and the whole monument is bigger than Stonehenge the Diameter here being 90 paces tho' no appearance of a ditch Returning to the river Avon we come to Cainsham rather Keynesham Keynesham call'd so from the Virgin Keina of whose family the Keynes of this County some whereof are still living affirm themselves desâ—ended But whereas Mr. Camden affirms he saw a stone like a serpent brought from hence with a head it is a mistake for all our Naturalists now agree that such stones are form'd in Nautili shells and that there are no heads belonging to them Indeed many of them have rough and broken pieces of stone issuing from them beyond the moulded wreath at the broad end which may have led some to imagine that those pieces were imperfect heads but really they are not so Such kind of snake-stones of all sizes from above a foot to an inch or two diameter are found frequently in their quarries w Between this place and Bristol upon the Avon is Bristleton Bristleton abounding in the same sort of cole that are brought from New-castle From Bristleton in several places of the adjacent Country as far as Stratton and Mendippe-hills as also Northward in Glocestershire are found veins of this cole which afford a strong and cheap firing to all those parts These veins of Cole are cover'd with a shell of a black hard stony substance call'd wark which will split like blue slat but is much more brittle and not by much so hard Upon dividing this Wark there is often sound upon one of the separated surfaces the perfect shape of a fern leaf as if it had by a skilful hand been engraven which as an exact mould or case receives the protuberant figure of the like leaf standing out on the other x Next the Avon runs to Bristol Bristol eminent for it's Goutes or subterraneous vaults by reason of which they draw all things on sledges for fear the shaking of cart-wheels should loosen these arches y About the Conqueror's time they paid thirty three marks and one mark of gold to Bishop G. Who this Bishop was is not express'd in Domesday nor any more than the bare initial either of his name or See If we durst say that G. were instead of an S. for those two letters are not unlike Sherborn or Salisbury under whose jurisdiction it seems to have formerly been would solve the difficulty but if that will not do I find none of the Bishop's names about that time beginning with G. If we preserve the reading Glevum or Glocester offers it self fairest which tho' annex'd at times to Lichfield and Worcester seems notwithstanding to have had the title of a Bishop's See z As for the place's being fortified by Robert Bishop of Constance it is a mistake for Geofry as appears from Bishop Godwyn in his Catalogue of Bishops under the title Exon. And Osborn in his Chronicon Juridiciale at the year 1072. tells us that Geofrey Bishop of Constance was the Chief Justiciary of England in that notable cause between Lanfranck Archbishop of Canterbury and Odo Bishop of Bayeux 'T is possible the name of Mowbrey Earl of Northumberland who was nephew to the Bishop and his name Robert might lead our Author into an error aa The castle which our Author tells us was built here by Robert Rufus Consul of Glocester is now quite demolish'd and built into a street aaa The honour of this place has been encreas'd by giving the title of Earl to John Lord Digby of Shirburn created 20 Jac. 1. to whom succeeded in the same honour George his son and John his grandson bb Mr. Camden makes the Diamonds of S. Vincent's rock admirable for thâ—ir six corners but if we may trust our Naturalists they assure us that 't is not worthy of admiration since very often Crystals and Berills and even sometimes your common Sparrs in many parts of England as well as elsewhere are of that figure cc And thus Avon passes into the Severn-sea tho' before we leave it it may not be improper to observe that it furnishes Bristol at the vernal equinox or then abouts with a dish perhaps not to be met with elsewhere which they call Elvers Elvers Some time in the spring the river about Cainsham is yearly cover'd over and colour'd black with millions of little eels scarce so big as a goose quill tho' some would have them a particular species These with small nets they skim up in great numbers and by a particular way of ordering them make them skower off their skins Being thus stripp'd and looking very white they make them up into little Cakes which they fry and so eat Continuation of the DUKES By the attainder of Edward Duke of Somerset that title lay vacant for a long time only Sir Robert Carr Knight of the Bath was by the favour of King James 1. created Earl of Somerset who falling under disgrace upon the account of Sir Thomas Overbury's death and having only a daughter that honour was at an end Upon the restoration of King Charles 2. William Seymour Marquess of Hertford was for his eminent services restor'd to the title of Duke of Somerset and was succeeded by William grandchild by Henry his third son William and Robert the two elder brothers dying unmarry'd William dy'd unmarry'd and had for his successor John Lord Seymour his Uncle who dy'd without issue Whereupon this title was devolv'd upon Sir Francis Seymour the third son to Edward Lord Beauchamp son and heir to Edward Earl of Hertford whose posterity now enjoys it More rare Plants growing wild in Somersetshire Aria
the battle of Kennet A. D. 1006. In the plough'd field near Kennet stand three huge upright stones call'd the Devil's coits The Dâ—â— coits which if ‖ Hist of Oxfordsh ch 10 S Dr. Plot 's opinion be true may be British Deities Upon the south-side of the Kennet on the east part of the Martensall-hill Martensalâ— is a single-trench'd quadrangular Camp the form whereof argues it to be Roman and a brass Coin of Constantine which was found near this hill strengthens the conjecture On the north side of the Avon there are barrows c. scattered all over the Downs a particular account whereof may be expected in the design'd History of Wiltshire That large oblong barrow in Munkton-field call'd Milbarrow Milbarrâ— is more especially remarkable as being environ'd with great stones about 6 or 7 foot high And as in this so in all other circumstances it is so like those which †Lib. 1â—â— Wormius describes that there is no doubt but it was the Sepulcher of some Danish Commander About four miles north from hence is Barbury-castle Barbury-castle seated on the top of a high hill and encompass'd with a double ditch the vast fortification whereof the barrows on the adjacent plain the similitude of names the course and time of the Saxon Victories with all other circumstances seem to point out this as the Beranbyrig where Kynrick King of the West-Saxons and his son Ceaulin fought against the Britains in the year 556. Besides the modern name of this place comes a great deal nearer to Beranbyrig than Banbury doth where Mr. Camden fixes that battle For it is observable that an when it is in the second syllable of a place's Saxon-name is generally left out in our modern pronunciation So Baddanbyrig is now Badbury Merantune now Merton Ottanford now Otford Exanceaster now Excester Nor does it appear in the least probable that the Saxons should have carry'd their Conquests so far as the borders of Northamptonshire by that year The name of Banesbyrig us'd by our Author is not to be found in any Copy of the Saxon Chronicle so that an argument drawn from thence is of no force hh Our next place is Marleburh Marâ—â— by the Saxon Annals callâ—d Maerlebeorge probably the Cunetio Cuneâ—â— of Antoninus For the Castle seems to have been a Roman work by the brass Roman Coins found in shaping the Mount now belonging to the Duke of Somerset which was contriv'd out of the Keep of the Castle Notwithstanding our Author's assertion it was probably of some note in the Saxon-times as appears by the reverse of a * Vâ—â—fied â— n. 3â— Saxon Coin on which is engraven CVH NET TI. and the learned Annotator's observation that it is to be meant of Cunetium After the Conquest the Castle here was often besieg'd in the Civil Wars The place has afforded the title of Earl Earâ—â— to James Lord Ley Lord High Treasurer of England created Febr. 5. 1 Car. 1. to whom succeeded his son and grandson but the latter being slain without issue in the sea-sight against the Dutch 1665. the honour came to William his Uncle who dy'd without issue It has of late been conferr'd upon John Lord Churchill who now enjoys it Continuation of the EARLS The honours mention'd by our Author in his conclusion of the Earls have been ever since successively enjoy'd by the Pawlets and lately encreas'd by the title of Duke of Bolton in Yorkshire which Charles of that name at present enjoys HAMP SHIRE by Rob t. Morden More rare Plants growing wild in Wiltshire Agrifolium baccis luteis nondum descriptum Phyt. Brit. Yellow-berried Holly By Warder-castle belonging to the Lord Arundel This I take to be rather an accidental variety of Holly than a distinct species It hath also been found elsewhere as at Wiston in Sbffolk Filix foemina odorata Phyt. Brit. Sweet-scented Female Fern. Somewhere about the Marquess of Hartfords's forest of Savernake which I remember the old Earl took so much notice of that he caused a fair inscription to be made in his garden-pond at his house of Totnam near it to direct to it Mr. Stonehouse This may be enquired into by those Herbarists that live hereabouts Gramen caninum supinum longissimum nondum descriptum Phyt. Brit. Long trailing Dogs grass By Mr. Tuckers at Madington some nine miles from Salisbury with which they fat hogs and which is four and twenty foot long We are not yet satisfied what sort of grass this might be and recommend the inquisition thereof to the industrious and skilful Herbarists of this Countrey Gramen geniculatum aquaticum majus minus Park who blames Casp Bauhine for referring this to the Ischaemon calling it Gramen dactylon aquaticum He tells us they both grow in sundry places of England but have been especially observ'd the greater to grow about Wilton and a great meadow lying among the bridges at the town's end and the other at Warminster both in this County I fear they were neither of them well known to Parkinson and wish they do not lose their labour that search for them in those places Nasturtium sylvestre Erucae affine C. B. sylv Valentinum Clusio J. B. Park Eruca Nasturtio cognata tenuifolia Ger. Cresse-Rocket Found by Mr. Lawson on Salisbury plain not far from Stone-henge Onobrychis seu caput gallinaceum Ger. vulgaris Park foliis viciae fructu echinato major C. B. Polygalon Gesneri J. B. Medick Vetchlin or Cockshead commonly but falsly call'd Saint-foin It s said to grow on the further end of Salisbury plainâ— and likely enough it may though I never hapned to see it there because the soil seems to be of the same nature with Gogmagog hills and New-market heath on the borders whereof it grows plentifully Polygonatum vulgare Park Solomon's Seal See the Synonymes in the Kent Cat. In a bushy close belonging to the Parsonage of Alderbury near Clarenden two miles from Salisbury Park p. 699. Polygonatum humile Anglicum D. Bobert Dwarf-English Solomon's Seal Found by Mr. Philip More Gardiner of Grays-Inn in the Woods of Wiltshire HAMSHIRE NEXT to Wiltshire is that Countrey which by the Saxons was call'd Ham tunscire see the Additions Hanteschyr now commonly Hamshire a the inward part of which without doubt belong'd to the Belgae that which lies along the sea-coasts to the Regni an ancient people of Britain It is bounded on the West by Dorsetshire and Wiltshire on the South by the Ocean on the East by Sussex and Surrey on the North by Barkshire 'T is a County that is very fruitful in Corn and in many places well wooded rich in herbage and has all sea commodities being well situated by it's many creeks and havens for all sort of traffick It is thought to have been the first that was reduc'd to the power of the Romans for our Histories report that it was conquer'd by Vespasian Vespasian and there are sufficient grounds
to Winchester so is there another that passes westward thro' Pamber a thick and woody forest then by some places that are now uninhabited it runs near Litchfield that is the field of carcasses and so to the forest of Chute pleasant for its shady trees and the diversions of hunting where the huntsmen and foresters admire it 's pav'd rising ridge which is plainly visible tho' now and then broken off Now northward in the very limits almost of this County I saw Kings-cleare Kingscleare formerly a seat of the Saxon Kings now a well-frequented market town 11 By it Fremantle in a Park where King John much hunted Sidmanton Sidmanton the seat of the family of Kingsmils Knights and Burgh-cleare Bu gh-cleare that lies under a high hill on the top of which there is a military camp such as our ancestors call'd Burgh surrounded with a large trench and there being a commanding prospect from hence all the country round a Beacon is here fix'd which by fire gives notice to all neighbouring parts of the advance of an enemy These kind of watch-towers we call in our language Beacons from the old word Beacnian i.e. to becken they have been in use here in England for several ages sometimes made of a high pile of wood and sometimes of little barrels fill'd with pitch set on the top of a large pole in places that are most expos'd to view where some always keep watch in the night and formerly also the horsemen call'd Hobelers by our Ancestors were settled in several places to signifie the approach of the enemy by day s This County as well as all the rest we have thus far describ'd belong'd to the West-Saxon Kings and as Marianus tells us when Sigebert was depos'd for his tyrannical oppression of the subject he had this County assign'd him that he might not seem intirely depriv'd of his government But for his repeated crimes they afterward expell'd him out of those parts too and the miserable condition of this depos'd Prince was so far from moving any one's pity that he was forc'd to conceal himself in the wood Anderida and was there killed by a Swine-herd This County has had very few Earls besides those of Winchester which I have before spoken of At the coming in of the Normans one Bogo or Beavose a Saxon had this title who in the battel at Cardiff in Wales fought against the Normans He was a man of great military courage and conduct and while the Monks endeavour'd to extol him by false and legendary tales they have drown'd his valiant exploits in a sort of deep mist From this time we read of no other Earl of this County till the reign of Henry 8. who advanc'd William Fitz-Williams descended from the daughter of the Marquess of Montacute in his elder years to the honours of Earl of Southampton and Lord High Admiral of England But he soon after dying without issue King Edward 6. in the first year of his reign conferr'd that honour upon Thomas Wriotheosley Lord Chancellour of England and his grandson Henry by Henry his son now enjoys that title who in his younger years has arm'd the nobility of his birth with the ornaments of learning and military arts that in his riper age he may employ them in the service of his King and Country There are in this County 253 Parishes and 18 Market Towns ISLE of WIGHT TO this County of Southamton belongs an Island which lies southward in length opposite to it by the Romans formerly call'd Vecta Vectis and Victesis by Ptolemy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Britains Guith by the Saxons Wuitland and Wicþ-ea for they call'd an Island Ea we now call it the Isle of Wight and Whight 'T is separated from the Continent of Britain by so small a rapid channel which they formerly call'd Solent that it seems to have been joyn'd to it whence as Ninnius observes the Britains call'd it Guith which signifies a Separation t For the same reason the learned Julius Scaliger is of opinion that Sicily had it's name from the Latin word Seco because it was broken off and as it were dissected from Italy Whence with submission always to the Criticks I would read that passage in the sixth of Seneca's Natural Quaest. Ab Italia Sicilia resecta and not rejecta as 't is commonly read From the nearness of it's situation and the likeness of it's name we may guess this Vecta to be that Icta which as Diodorus Siculus has it at every tide seem'd to be an Island but at the time of the ebb the ground between this Island and the Continent was so dry that the old Britains us'd to carry their tinn over thither in Carts in order to transport it into France But I cannot think this to be Pliny's Mictis tho' Vecta come very near the name for in that Island there was white lead whereas in this there is not any one vein of metal that I know of This Island from east to west is like a Lentil or of an oval form in length 20 miles and in the middle where 't is broadest 12 miles over the sides lying north and south To say nothing of the abundance of fish in this sea the soil is very fruitful and answers the husbandman's expectation even so far as to yield him corn to export There is every where plenty of rabbets hares partridge and pheasants and it has besides a forest and two parks which are well stock'd with deer for the pleasures of hunting Through the middle of the Island runs a long ridge of hills where is plenty of pasture for sheep whose wool next to that of Lemster and Cotteswold is reckon'd the best and is in so much request with the Clothiers that the inhabitants make a great advantage of it In the northern part there is very good pasturage meadow-ground and wood the southern part is in a manner all a corn country enclos'd with ditches and hedges At each end the sea does so insinuate and thrust in it self from the north that it makes almost two Islands which indeed are call'd so by the inhabitants that on the west side Fresh-water Isle the other on the east Binbridge Isle Bede reckon'd in it in his time 1200 families now it has 36 towns villages and castles and as to its Ecclesiastical Government is under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Winchester but as to it 's Civil under the County of South-hamton The inhabitants facetiously boast how much happier they are than other people since they never had either p 'T is strange why they should add Monks since S. Mary's in Caresbrooke particularly was a Cell of Black Monks belonging first to Lyra in Normandy afterwards to the Abbey of Montgrace in Yorkshire and then to the Cistercians of Sheen Besides this there were in the Island three Priories * Cu 〈…〉 tos 〈◊〉 câ—â—os Newpoâ—â— Monks Lawyers or Foxes The places of greatest note are these Newport
a Furnace and Forge others a Forge only and others only a Furnace Near Hastings also are two powder-mills where is made as good Gun-powder as any in England And in that end of the County where the Iron-works are namely the East Char-coal is made in great abundance c To go along now with Mr. Camden St. Râ—â—â—-hill North of Chichester which has given the title of Earl to Francis Leigh Lord Dunsmore and after him to Charles Fitz-Roy natural son to K. Charles 2. is a place call'd St. Rook's hill †Aâ—â—â—â— Mâ—◠〈◊〉 MS. and upon it is still to be seen an old camp the diameter whereof is two furlongs and better The form of it is circular from which thus much may be undoubtedly gather'd that it is not Roman but probably Danish Those who have an opportunity of searching into the Records of the place would do well to consider whether the true name of it is not S. Roch's hill for he was patron of the pilgrims and here was formerly a Chapel which might possibly enough be dedicated to him A mile and a half from this place to the west is a Camp call'd Gonshill Gonâ—hâ—â—â— Ibid. which being of a different form must be made by some other people The figure of it is an oblong square which comes nearest to the Roman way of encamping The Bâ—ile Hard by Chichester towards the west ‖ there has been also another large Roman Camp call'd the Brile of an oblong form 4 furlongs and 2 perches in length and 2 furlongs in breadth It lies in a flat low ground with a great rampire and single graff and in such a place as renders it probable enough to have been that of Vespasian's after his landing d Eastward from hence is Arundel â—rundel which our Author observes to be of more fame than real note tho' it is now a market-town and a borough sending 2 Burgesses to Parliament The famous high-way Stanesstreet-causeway which is in some places 10 yards broad but in most 7 comes to this town out of Surrey by Belinghurst It is a yard and a half deep in stones which they discover by cutting passages to let in water and runs in a streight line It is made of flints and pebbles tho' no flints are found within 7 miles of it As the story of Bevis's horse call'd Arundel ought not to be altogether rejected so neither ought our Author's name of the river Arun and derivation of the town from thence be too securely clos'd with For that Bevis was founder of the Castle is a current opinion handed down by tradition and there is a tower in it still known by the name of Bevis's tower which they say was his own apartment Besides 't is natural enough to imagine that the name of a horse might be Arundel from his swiftness since that word in French signifies a Swallow and the present Arms of the town which is corporate by Prescription are a Swallow Now why might not Bevis's Arundel as well have the honour of naming a town wherein his master had a particular interest as Alexander's Bucephalus had of a city But whatever approbation this conjecture may meet with 't is certain that Mr. Camden's fetching it from Arun will not hold For that river is call'd High-stream to distinguish it from the other small rivulets or streams and seems to have bore the same name as to the sense at least all along The Norman English call'd it Hault-rey and answerably the middle-aged Latin writers Alta ripa so Mr. Camden tells us that Rhie in this County is call'd in Latin Ripa and several branches breaking out of the High-stream are at this day call'd Ripes or Rifes There was also an ancient family of Knights owners of much land in these parts even in the bosom of this great river in the parish of Hardham otherwise Feringham call'd from it de Hault Rey and their posterity remains in these parts to this day under the name of D'Awtrey in Latin De alta Ripa But our Author's interpretation Aruntina vallis will not by any means suit either the name of the place or the circumstances of it For tho' it be writ several ways yet no one makes it end in dale nor is a low tract of ground ever express'd by that word in this County as it is in other parts of England but by a Level as Pevensey-Level Lewes-Level Bramber-Level Arundel-Level with many others And the Commissioners of Sewers call the Imposition laid upon Land for repair of publick banks and sluces a Level-tax 〈◊〉 Eâ—rls â—â—iâ—â—ed Thomas Howard being restor'd in blood 1 Jac. 1. and dying An. 1646. was succeeded in his honours by his son Henry who in the life-time of his father was summon'd to Parliament by the titles of Lord Moubray and Maltravers By whose death An. 1652. this title came to Thomas his eldest son restor'd also 13 Car. 2. to the title of Duke of Norfolk which had been forfeited by the Attainder of Thomas the last Duke By which means the title of Duke of Norfolk came to Henry his brother along with the Earldoms of Arundel and Surrey who now among other honours enjoys them e Towards the north-east lies Findon â—â—â—don within a mile of which is an ancient Camp at about 2 miles distance from the sea 'T is call'd Caesar's-hill because the people imagine it was Caesar's Camp and they pretend to shew the place where Caesar's tent was Notwithstanding which the form of it shews that opinion to be an error for being roundish it seems rather to have been a British work f And farther eastward near Lewes Lewes there is another Camp From whence going forwards we meet with Pemsey Pemsey which * Forts and Ports in Kent Mr. Somner disallowing Camden's Lambard's and Selden's conjecture of Newenden thought to be the ancient Anderida where was the band of the Abulae grounding partly upon Gildas's words expressing the situation of these garrisons In littore Oceani ad meridiem on the sea-shore to the south and the design of them to ken and spy out the invading enemy and partly upon the antiquity of the place which Archbishop Usher makes the old Caer Pensavelcoit of the Britains by the coit i.e. wood the former condition of this County being hinted to But tho' he seems most inclin'd to this place yet he is not altogether so positive but either Hastings or even Newenden may lay claim to this piece of Antiquity g Not far from hence is Ashburnham Ashburnham of which place and family John Ashburnham Esquire Grandfather to the present Lord Ashburnham built there a handsome Church with 3 Chancels There is also a noble house of the present Lord Ashburnham's which for stately buildings and convenient garden-room is one of the best in this County North-east from hence lies Breede Breede the Court whereof is a branch of that at Battle and hath the same privilege and process The Lands
here a Castle now more than ruinous they were Founders of the adjacent Abby of Kingswood of the Cistercian order w 15 Derived from Tintern whom Maud the Empress greatly enriched The males of this House failed in the time of King Richard 2. and the Heir General was married to Cantelow Within one mile of this where the river Cam lately spoken of springeth is Uleigh a seat also of the Barkleys descended from the Barons Barkley styled of Uleigh and Stoke-Giffard who were found Coheirs to J. Baron Boutetort descended from the Baron Zouch of Richard Castles aliàs Mortimer and the Somerys Lords of Dueley And not far eastward we behold Beverstone-castle Beverston formerly belonging to the Gournys and Ab-Adams Ab-Adams who flourish'd under Edward 1. but afterwards to the Knightly family of the Berkleys x Hitherto I have made cursory remarks upon those places in this County which are situate beyond or upon Severn now I will pass forward to the easterly parts which I observ'd were hilly to wit Cotswold Cotswold which takes it's name from the hills and sheepcotes for mountains and hills 16 Without woods the Englishmen in old times termed Woulds Would what in English upon which account the ancient Glossary interprets the Alps of Italy the Woulds of Italy Upon these hills are fed large flocks of sheep with the whitest wool having long necks and square Bodies by reason as is supposed of their hilly and short pasture whose fine wool is much valued in foreign nations Under the side of these hills as it were in a neighbourhood together lye these following places most remarkable for their Antiquity y 17 Beginning at the north-east end of them Campden Campden commonly called Camden a noted market town where as John Castor averrs all the Kings of the Saxon Race had a congress in the year 689 and had a common consult how to carry on the war joyntly against the Britains which town 16 Weston and Biselay were in the possession of Hugh Earl of Chester in William the Conqueror's time Inq. 2. Ed. 2. was in the possession of Hugh Earl of Chester and from his posterity descended 17 By Nicolao de Albeniaco an Inheritrice to the ancient Earls of Arundel unto Roger de Somery by Nicholas de Albeniaco to Roger de Somery z h This place is in Warwickshire Adjoyning unto it is Weston of no great antiquity but now remarkable for the stately house there built by Ralph Sheldon for him and his posterity which at a great distance makes a fine prospect Hales Hales a most flourishing Abbey built by Richard Earl of Cornwal and King of the Romans 18 Who was there buried with his wife Sanchia daughter to the Earl of Provence famous for its scholar Alexander de Hales a great master of that knotty and subtile sort of school divinity aa 19 As he carried away the sirname of Doctor Irrefragabilis that is the Doctor ungainsaid as he that could not be gainsaid Sudley Sudley formerly Sudleagh i The neat Church here was ruin'd in the Civil wars and the best part of the Castle is since pull'd down a beautiful castle lately the seat 20 Of Sir Tho. Seimor Baron Seimor of Sudley and Admiral of England attainted in the time of K. Edw. 6 and afterward of Sir John Bruges whom Q. Mary c. of Giles Bruges Baron of Chandos Barons of Chandos whose grandfather John was honoured by Queen Mary with that title because he derived his pedigree from the ancient family of Chandos out of which there flourish'd in the reign of K. Edw. 3. 21 Sir John a famous Banneret L. of Caumont and Kerkitou in France John Chandos Viscount St. Saviours in France eminent for his services and great success in war The former Lords hence called Barons of Sudley Barons of Sudley that lived here were of an ancient English Race deducing their original from Goda the daughter of K. Aethelred whose son Ralph Medantinus Earl of Hereford was the father of Harold Lord of Sudley whose progeny long continued here until for want of issue male the heiress married with 22 Sir William William Butler of the family of Wem and brought him a son named Thomas He was father of Ralph Lord high Treasurer of England whom Hen. 6. created Baron of Sudley 23 With a fee of 200 marks yearly and who new built this castle His sisters were married into the families of Northbury and Belknape by which their possessions were in a short time divided into different families Hard by this is Toddington Toddington where the Tracies Tracies of a worshipful and ancient family have long flourished and formerly received many favours from the Barons of Sudley But how in the first reformation of religion William Tracy Lord of this place was censured after his death his body being dug up and burn'd publickly for some slight words in his last Will which those times call'd heretical or how in preceding times another William Tracy imbrued his hands in the blood of Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury Ecclesiastical writers having told us at large is now no part of my business to relate Winchelcomb Winchelcomb is here seated which is a populous town where Kenulph the Mercian King erected a Monastery and upon the day of it's consecration freely dismissed Edbricth King of Kent then his prisoner without any ransome paid 'T is scarce credible in what great repute this monastery was for the sake of the reliques of K. Kenesm a child of 7 years old whom his sister privately bereaved of his life to gain the inheritance and who was by that age added to the number of martyrs The neighbourhood of this place was formerly reckoned as a County or Sheriffdom by it self for we find in an ancient manuscript belonging to the Church of Worcester these words Edric sirnamed Streona that is the * Adquisitor Acquirer who under Ethelred and afterwards under Cnute or Canute presided and reigned as a Viceroy over all England adjoyned the Sheriffdom of Winchelcombe which was then an entire thing in it self to the County of Glocester bb 24 Thence I found nothing memorable but near the fountain of Churn river Coberley a seat of a stem of Barkeleis so often named even from the Conquest which matched with an heir of Chandos and so came hereditarily to the Bruges progenitors to the Lords Chandos Then by Bird-lip-hill whereby we ascended to this high Coteswold Lower in the County lyeth Brimesfield Brimesfield where the Giffords were formerly Lords Giffords Barons to whom by marriage with the Cliffords came a plentiful Estate but soon after having only daughters it fell to the Lords Le Strange of Blackmer the Audleys and others cc These places are situate amongst the hills but under the hills upon the East-confines of the County I saw that famous Roman highway call'd the Fosse
†Full. Wor. p. 17. That they who buy a house in Hertfordshire pay two years purchase for the air of it But as for the pastures Norden tells us there are but few to be met withall and that their meadows tho' here and there dispers'd are many of them cold and mossy And as to the soil in general he adds That in respect of some other Shires it is but a barren Country without the great toil and charge of the husbandman b In the north-west part of the Shire is Hitching Hitching which according to Mr. Norden had it's name from lying at the end of a wood call'd Hitch that formerly came up to it so that it 's true name must be Hitchend The main business of the inhabitants is Maulting and their market chiefly noted for Corn. c Going from hence to the south-east we find the Barrows â—arrows mention'd by our Author which I am not willing to imagine were either Roman burying-places or bounds but am apt to think they had some relation to the Danes For the Hundred at a little distance call'd Dacorum-Hundred and the place within it Dane-end seem to be an evidence of some remarkable thing or other the Danes either did or suffer'd in this place And Norden tells us but upon what grounds I know not that the incursions of the Danes were stop'd in this place where they receiv'd a signal overthrow which if true and built upon good authority makes the conjecture so much the more plausible d Near the river Lea lies Hatfield Hatâ—â—â—â—d now neither a Royal nor Bishop's seat but ‖ Bâ— p. 1â— belongs to the Right Honorable the Earl of Salisbury being a place of great pleasure upon the account of it's Parks and other conveniences For situation contrivance building prospect and other necessaries to make a compleat seat it gives way to few in England From this place most of our Historians affirm that William de Hatfeld son to King Edw. 3. took his name tho' 't was really from Hatfield in Yorkshire where to the neighbouring Abbot of Roch Qu. Philippa gave 5 marks and 5 nobles per An. to the Monks to pray for the soul of this her son and the sums being transferr'd to the Church of York are now paid by the Earl of Devonshire See the Additions to Yorkshire e Next the river runs to Hertford Heâ—â—â—â—rd call'd in Saxon Heortford a name no doubt took from a Hart with which one may easily imagine such a woody County to have formerly abounded What our Author says of the Rubrum vadum would indeed agree well enough to the south and west parts of the County where the soil is a red earth mix'd with gravel but the Hartingford adjoyning makes for the former opinion and the Arms of the Town which if rightly represented by ‖ 〈◊〉 Mâ—ps Spede are a Hart couchant in the water put it beyond dispute There is a very fair School founded by Richard Hale Esq a native of this County who endow'd it with 40 l. per An. f From hence the river runs to Ware Ware the denomination whereof from the Weares and not as some imagine from Wares or merchandise as it is confirm'd by the abundance of waters thereabouts which might put them under a necessity of such contrivances so particularly from the inundation in the year 1408. when it was almost all drown'd since which time says Norden and before there was great provision made by wayres and sluces for the better preservation of the town and the grounds belonging to the same The plenty of waters hereabouts gave occasion to that useful project of cutting the chanel from thence to London and conveying the New-river to the great advantage and convenience of that City g North from hence is Burnt-Pelham Burnt-Pâ—â—ham from some great fire or other that has happen'd there * Nâ—rd pâ— There were some fragments and foundations of old buildings which appear'd plainly to have been consum'd by fire and so to have given name to the place In the walls of the Church was a very ancient monument namely a man figur'd in a stone and about him an eagle a lion and a bull all winged and a fourth of the shape of an angel possibly contriv'd to represent the four Evangelists Under the feet of the man a cross-flowry and under the Cross a serpent but whether the monument be still there I cannot certainly tell h Next is Stortford â—â—ortfâ—rd since our Author's age grown into a considerable place well stock'd with inns and a good market-town The castle there seems to have been of great strength having within it a dark and deep Dungeon call'd the Convict's prison but whether that name denotes some great privileges formerly belonging to it I dare not with a late Author affirm i But to return to the Lea Tybaulds â—ybaulds in our Author's time seems to have been one of the most beautiful seats in the County As it was built by Sir William Cecil so was it very much improv'd by his son Sir Robert who exchang'd it with King James 1. for Hatfield house Fail Wor. 〈◊〉 1â— In the year 1651. it was quite defac'd and the plunder of it shar'd amongst the soldiers 〈◊〉 Albans k But to go from hence toward the west the ancient Verolamium first offers it self the Antiquities whereof are so accurately describ'd by our Author that little can be added 〈◊〉 Aâ—br MS. Some ruins of the walls are still to be seen and some of the Roman bricks still appear The great Church here was built out of the ruins of old Verulam and tho' time and weather have made the out-side of it look like stone yet if you break one of them or go up to the tower the redness of a brick presently appears About 1666. there was found a copper coin which had on one side Romulus and Remus sucking the Wolf on the other Rome but much defac'd l The brazen Font mention'd by Camden to have been brought out of Scotland 〈◊〉 Full. Wor. â— 32. is now taken away in the late civil wars as it seems by those hands which let nothing stand that could be converted into money m In the middle of this town K. Edw. 1. erected a very stately Cross about the year 1290. in memory of Qu. Eleanor who dâ—ing in Lincolnshire was carry'd to Westminster The same he did in several other places thro' which they pass'd some whereof are mention'd by our Author under their proper heads Viscounts â—arls and Marquesses The place hath given Title to several persons of quality that of Viscount to the famous Francis Bacon Lord Verulam and Lord Chancellour of England created Viscount of this place Jan. 18. 1620. Afterwards Richard de Burgh Earl of Clanrikard in the kingdom of Ireland was created Earl of St. Albans by K. Charles 1. and was succeeded in that honour by Ulick his son with whom that title dy'd for want of
towards the east lies Cantrevbychan Cantrev-bychan which signifies the lesser Hundred for the Britains call such a portion of a country as contains 100 villages Kantrev where may be seen the ruins of Kastelh Karreg which was seated on a steep and on all sides inaccessible rock and several vast caverns Caverns b now all cover'd with green Turf where in the time of War such as were unfit for arms are thought to have secured themselves a notable fountain also which as Giraldus writes ebbing and flowing twice in twenty four hours imitates the sea-tides On the north is extended Cantrev Mawr or the great Hundred a safe retiring place heretofore for the Britains as being very woody and rocky and full of uncouth ways by reason of the winding of the hills On the south the Castles of Talcharn Talcharn and Lhan Stephan Lhan Stephan stand on the sea-rocks and are ample testimonies of warlike prowess as well in the English as Britains Below Talcharn the river * Brit. Tâv Taff is discharg'd into the sea on the bank of which river was famous heretofore Ty gwyn ar Dav which signifies the white house on the river Taff so call'd because it was built of white hasel-rods for a Summer-house Here in the year of our redemption 914. Howel 1 Sirnam'd Dha that is good sirnam'd the Good Prince of Wales in a full assembly there being besides Laymen 140 Ecclesiasticks abrogated the Laws of his Ancestors and gave new Laws to his people as the Preface before those laws testifies d In which place a small Monastery was built afterwards call'd Witland-Abbey Witland Abbey Not far from hence is Kilmaen Lhwyd where some Country-men lately discover'd an earthen Vessel that contain'd a considerable quantity of Roman Coins Roman Coyns of embas'd silver from the time of Commodus who was the first of the Roman Emperours that embas'd silver to the fifth Tribuneship of Gordian the third which falls in with the year of Christ 243. Amongst these were Helvius Pertinax Marcus Opellius Antoninus Diadumenianus Julius Verus Maximus the son of Maximinus Caelius Balbinus Clodius Pupienus Aquilia Severa the wife of Elagabalus and Sall. Barbia Orbiana which as being very rare were Coyns of considerable value amongst Antiquaries e It remains now that I give some account of New-castle New-â—â—â—â—â—e a small town seated on the bank of the river Teivi which divides this County from Cardiganshire for so they now call it because it was repair'd by 2 Sir Rhise ap Thomas RhÅ·s ap Thomas a stout warriour who assisted Hen. 7. in gaining his Kingdom and was by him deservedly created Knight of the Garter whereas formerly it was call'd †Vâ—â—â— Emâ—â— Elmlin Which name if the English gave it from Elm-trees their conjecture is not to be despis'd who are of opinion it was the Loventium Loâ—en â—â— of the Dimetae mention'd by Ptolemy for an Elm is call'd in British Lhwyven f Seeing we find it not recorded which of the Normans first extorted this Country out of the hands of the Princes of Wales Order requires that we now proceed to the description of Pembrokeshire This County has 87 Parishes ADDITIONS to CAER-MARDHIN-SHIRE a MErlin or Merdhin Emrys for so our Writers call him flourish'd An. 480. The first of our Historians that mentions him is †Eulogium Brit. c. 42. c. Ninnius who supposes he was call'd Embreys Gleutic He says nothing of his being the son of an Incubus but on the contrary tells us expresly his mother was afraid of owning the father lest she should be sentenc'd to dye for it but that the boy confess'd to King Vortigern that his father was by Nation a Roman The same Author informs us that King Vortigern's Messengers found him ad campum Electi in regione quae vocatur Glevising which whether it were at this Town or County or in some other place seems very questionable no places that I can hear of being known by such names at present All the Monkish Writers that mention him make him either a Prophet or Magician But H. Lhwyd ‖ Com. Brit. Descript p. 65. a judicious Author and very conversant in British Antiquities informs us he was a man of extraordinary learning and prudence for the time he liv'd in and that for some skill in the Mathematicks many Fables were invented of him by the vulgar which being afterwards put in writing were handed down to posterity b These Caverns taken notice of by our Author are supposed by some inquisitive persons who have often view'd them to have been Copper-mines of the Romans And indeed seeing it is evident from some Antiquities found there that Kaer-Gai in Meirionydh-shire was a Roman Town or Fort and that the place where these Caves are is also call'd Kaio I am apt to infer from the name that this place must have been likewise well known to the Romans And that I may note this by the way I suspect most names of places in Wales that end in I or O. such as Bod-Vari Kevn Korwyni Kaer-Gai Lhannio Keidio and Kaio to be Roman names such terminations being not so agreeable with the Idiotism of the British But for the Antiquity of this place we need not wholly rely upon conjectures for I have lately receiv'd from Mr. Erasmus Saunders A. B. of Jesus College Oxon. these following Inscriptions which he copy'd from two stones at a place call'd Pant y Pòlion in this parish The first which I suppose to be Roman lies flat on the ground and is placed cross a gutter but the other which seems to be of somewhat a later date is pitch'd on end and is about a yard in height the Inscription whereof is to be read downwards c I cannot conjecture what might be the original signification of this word Tâv but it may be worth our observation that the most noted rivers in South-Wales seem to have been thence denominated for besides that there are three or four rivers of that name the first Syllable also in Tawy Towy Teivi and Dyvi seems to me but so many various pronunciations of it and for the latter Syllable I have * elsewhere offer'd my conjecture R. 〈◊〉 Anâ—◠〈◊〉 that it only denotes a River or perhaps Water Nor would it seem to me very absurd if any should derive the name of the river Thames from the same original For since we find it pretty evident that the Romans changed Dyved the ancient name of this Country into Dimetia and Kynedhav a man's name into †Cunotamus 〈◊〉 â—â—d â—â—â—â—â—n Pâ—â—â—â—â—shire and also that in many words where the Latins use an M. the Britains have an V. as Firmus Firv Terminus Tervin Amnis Avon Lima Lhîv c. it seems not unlikely considering we find the word Tâv usual in the names of our rivers that the Britains might call that river Tâv Tà vwy or Tà vwys before the Roman Conquest which they afterwards call'd Tamesis d An ancient MS. Copy
at this place And that being granted it will also appear highly probable that what we now call Lhannio was the very same with that which Ptolemy places in the Country of the Dimetae by the name of Lovantinum or as Mr. Camden reads it Lovantium If any shall urge that to suppose it only a Castle and not a City or Town of note is to grant it not to have been the old Lovantium I answer that perhaps we do but commit a vulgar Error when we take all the Stations in the Itinerary and Burroughs of Ptolemy for considerable Towns or Cities it being not improbable but that many of them might have been only Forts or Castles with the addition of a few Houses as occasion requir'd c As to the Beavers tho' we may not rely on the authority of Giraldus in many things he relates as one who writ in an age less cautious and accurate and when nothing pleas'd so much as what excited the admiration of the Reader yet in this case I see but littâ—e reason to question his veracity Moreover that there were formerly Beavers in this Kingdom seems much confirm'd in that there are two or three Ponds or Lakes in Wales well known at this day by the name of Lhyn yr Avangk i.e. Beaver-pool The vulgar people of our age scarce know what creature that Avangk was and therefore some have been perswaded that 't was a Phantom or Apparition which heretofore haunted Lakes and Rivers As for the name I take it for granted that 't is deriv'd from the word Avon which signifies a River and suppose it only an abbreviation of the word Avonog i.e. Fluviatilis as Lhwynog a Fox signifies Sylvaticus from Lhwyn Sylva And for the signification 't is not to be controverted some old Poets so describing it that I doubt not but that they meant a Beaver Besides the Beaver we have had formerly some oher Beasts in Wales which have been long since totally destroy'd As first Wolves concerning which we read in this Author in Meirionydh-shire as also in Derbyshire and Yorkshire Secondly Roe-Bucks call'd in Welsh Iyrchod which have given names to several places as Bryn yr Iwrch Phynon yr Iwrch Lhwyn Iwrch c. Thirdly The Wild-Boar whereof mention is made by Dr. Davies at the end of his Dictionary And lastly I have offer'd some arguments to prove also that Bears were heretofore natives of this Island which may be seen in Mr. Ray's Synopsis Methodica Animalium quadrupedum c. p. 213. d There have been since our Author writ this History several other Lead-Mines discover'd in this part of the County but the most considerable that has been found out in our time either here or in any other part of the Kingdom is that of Bwlch yr Eskir hîr discover'd Anno 1690. which was lately the possession of the right worshipful Sir Carbury Pryse of Gogerdhan Baronet who dying without issue and the title being extinct was succeeded in this estate of Gogerdhan by the worshipful Edward Pryse the son of Thomas Pryse of Lhan Vrêd Esq who is the present Proprietor of these Mines The Ore was here so nigh the surface of the Earth that as I have been credibly inform'd the moss and grass did in some places but just cover it which seems to add credit to that place of Pliny Nat. Hist lib. 34. c. 17. Nigro plumbo ad fistulas laminásque utimur laboriosiùs in Hispania eruto sed in Britanniâ summo terrae corio adeo largè ut lex ultro dicatur ne plus certo modo fiat But because there is a Map of these Lead-mines published by the Steward Mr. William Waller together with a far better account of them than may be expected here it seems needless to add any more on this subject ¶ There are also in this Countrey several such ancient Stone-monuments as we have observ'd in the preceding Counties whereof I shall briefly mention such as I have seen because they may differ in some respect from those already describ'd Lhêch yr Ast in the parish of Lhan Goedmor is a vast rude stone of about eight or nine yards in circumference and at least half a yard thick It is plac'd inclining the one side of it on the ground the other supported by a pillar of about three foot high I have seen a Monument somewhat like this near Lhan Edern in Glamorganshire call'd also by a name of the same signification Glâl y Vilast which affords no information to the curious signifying only the Bitch-Kennel because it might serve for such use That Gwâl y Vilast is such a rude stone as this but much longer and somewhat of an oval form about four yards long and two in breadth supported at one end by a stone about two foot high somewhat of the same form tho' much more rude as those we find at the head and feet of graves in Country Churches There is also by this Lhêch yr âst such another monument but much less and lower and five beds such as we call Kistieu Maen but not cover'd scarce two yards long of rude stones pitch'd in the ground as likewise a circular area of the same kind of stones the diameter whereof is about four yards but most of the stones of this circle are now fallen and about six yards from it there lies a stone on the ground and another beyond that at the same distance which doubtless belong to it Meineu hirion near Neuodh the seat of the worshipful David Parry Esq the present High-Sheriff of Penbrokeshire are perhaps some remaining pillars of such a circular stone-monument though much larger as that describ'd in Caer-Mardhin-shire by the name of Meneu gŵyr Meineu Kyvrîvol or the numerary stones near the same place seem to be also the remains of some such barbarous monument They are 19 stones lying on the ground confusedly and are therefore call'd Meineu Kyvrîvol by the vulgar who cannot easily number them whereof two only seem'd to have been pitch'd on end Lhêch y Gowres * Id est Saxum foeminae giganteae a monument well known also in this neighbourhood seems much more worth our observation being an exceeding vast stone placed on four other very large pillars or supporters about the height of five or six foot Besides which four there are two others pitch'd on end under the top-stone but much lower so that they bear no part of the weight There are also three stones two large ones and behind those a lesser lying on the ground at each end of this monument and at some distance another rude stone which has probably some reference to it This Lhêch y Gowres stands on such a small bank or rising in a plain open field as the five stones near the circular monument call'd Rolrich stones in Oxfordshire Hir-vaen gŵydhog * Id est Colossus conspicuus is a remarkable pillar about 16 foot high 3 foot broad and 2 thick It 's erected on the top of a mountain in
so that having climb'd up one Rock we come to a Valley and most commonly to a Lake and passing by that we ascend another and sometimes a third and a fourth before we arrive at the highest Peaks These Mountains as well as Kader Idris and some others in Meirionydhshire differ from those by Brecknock and elsewhere in South-Wales in that they abound much more with naked and inaccessible Rocks and that their lower skirts and valleys are always either cover'd or scatter'd over with fragments of Rocks of all magnitudes most of which I presume to have fall'n from the impendent Cliffs But of this something more particular may be seen in Mr. Ray's Physico-Theological Discourses pag. 285. wherefore I shall mention here only two places which seem'd to me more especially remarkable The first is the summit or utmost top of the Glyder a Mountain above-mention'd as one of the highest in these parts where I observ'd prodigious heaps of stones many of them of the largeness of those of Stone-honge * See Wiltshire but of all the irregular shapes imaginable and all lying in such confusion as the ruins of any building can be supposed to do Now I must confess I cannot well imagine how this hath happen'd for that ever they should be indeed the ruins of some Edifice I can by no means allow in regard that most of them are wholly as irregular as those that have fall'n to the Valleys We must then suppose them to be the Skeleton of the hill exposed to open view by rains snow c. but how then came they to lye across each other in this confusion some of them being of an oblong flat form having their two ends ex gr East and West others laid athwart these some flat but many inclining being supported by other stones at the one end whereas we find by Rocks and Quarries the natural position of stones is much more uniform Had they been in a valley I had concluded they had fall'n from the neighbouring Rocks because we find frequent examples of such heaps of stones augmented by accession of others tumbling on them but being on the highest part of the hill they seem'd to me much more remarkable The other place I thought no less observable tho' for contrary reasons that being as regular and uniform as this is disorder'd and confus'd On the West-side of the same hill there is amongst many others one naked Precipice †Thâ— Kâ—grâ— neaâ— sâ—vyâ—â—â— is peâ—â—â— one iâ— there 〈◊〉 dâ—tâ—â—â— by â—â— partiâ—â— name as steep as any I have seen but so adorn'd with numerous equidistant Pillars and these again slightly cross'd at certain joynts that such as would favour the Hypothesis of the ingenious Author of the Sacred Theory might suppose it one small pattern of the Antediluvian Earth But this seem'd to me much more accountable than the former for 't was evident that the gullets or interstices between the pillars were occasion'd by a continual dropping of water down this Cliff which proceeds from the frequent Clouds Rains and Snow that this high Rock expos'd to a westerly Sea-wind is subject to But that the effects of such storms are more remarkably regular on this Cliff than others proceeds partly from its situation and partly from the texture or constitution of the stone it consists of However we must allow a natural regularity in the frame of the Rock which the storms only render more conspicuous That these Mountains are throughout the year cover'd either with Snow or a harden'd crust of Snow of several years continuance c. was a wrong Information our Author probably receiv'd from some persons who had never been at them For generally speaking there 's no Snow here from the end of April to the midst of September Some heaps excepted which often remain near the tops of Moel y Wydhva and Karnedh Lhewelyn till the midst of June e're they are totally wasted It often snows on the tops of these Mountains in May and June but that Snow or rather Sleet melts as fast as it falls and the same shower that falls then in Snow on the high Mountains is but Rain in the Valleys As for an incrustation of Snow or Ice of several years continuance we know not in Wales what it means Tho' Wagnerus ‖ Jâ—â— Waâ—â—â— Haâ—t 〈◊〉 Heâ—â—â— Coâ—â—â— Seâ—â—â— tells us they are common in the Alps of Switzerland Tempore aestivo quoque suprema Alpium culmina aeternâ ac invictâ glacie rigent perpetuisque nivibus sunt obtecta And adds there are Mountains crown'd with hillocks or vast heaps of such Ice call'd by them Firn or Gletscher which may be presumed to have continued for two or three thousand years insomuch that for hardness it may seem to be rather Crystal than Ice c. The number of Lakes in this mountainous tract may be about fifty or threescore I took a Catalogue of fifteen visible from the top of Moel y Wydhva These are generally denominated either from the rivers they pour forth or from the colour of their water amongst which I observ'd one under the highest Peak of Snowdon call'd Fynon lâs that signifies the Green Fountain which I therefore thought remarkable because Mr. Ray * Obsertions Tâ— graph c. observes that the waters of some of the Alpine Lakes are also inclin'd to that colour Others receive their names from some Village or Parish-Church adjoyning or from a remarkable Mountain or Rock under which they are situated and some there are tho' very few distinguish'd by names scarce intelligible to the best Criticks in the British as Lhyn Teirn Lhyn Eigiau Lhyn Lhydaw â—â—me â—ight â—nâ—erpret the 〈◊〉 former Tâ—ngâ—-near â—nd Sâ—â—â—ieâ—â—â—r the â—â—ed Ieirn â—gâ—â—â—ing a â—â—a â—â—â—r and 〈◊〉 of Th. Lhyâ—â—s is the 〈◊〉 â—â—ereby â—e call Arâ—â—â—a but â—â—rifies â—â—thing â—e we â—â—w of c. Giraldus Cambrensis as our Author observes informs us of two Lakes on the highest tops of these Mountains one of which was remarkable for a wandring Island and the other no less strange for that all the fish in it tho' it abounded with Eels Trouts and Perch were monocular wanting the left eye To this we must beg leave to answer that amongst all the Lakes in this mountainous Country there is not one seated on the highest part of a hill all of them being spread in valleys either higher or lower and fed by the Springs and Rivulets of the Rocks and Cliffs that are above them The Lake wherein he tells us there 's a wandring Island is a small pond call'd Lhyn Å· Dywà rchen i.e. Lacus cespitis from a little green patch neaâ— the brink of it which is all the occasion of the fable of the wandring Island but whence that other of monocular Fish which he says were found also at two places in Scotland took beginning I cannot conjecture Most of these Lakes are well stor'd with fish but generally they afford no other kinds than Trout and Eel The Torgochiaid
extended to the river d ee a pleasant small country â—d and well stored with lead especially near Mwyn-glodh a small village denominated from the lead-mines In this part lies Wrexham â—exham call'd in Saxon Writtlesham remarkable for a very neat tower and the Organ there and near this place is Leonis Castrum so call'd perhaps from the Legio vicesima Victrix which kept garrison a little higher on the other side Dee 'T is now call'd Holt â—t and is supposed to have been more lately repair'd by William Stanley and formerly by John Earl of Warren D. Powel who being guardian in trust to one Madok a British Prince seis'd for his own use this Province together with that of Iâl From the Earls of Warren it descended afterwards to the Fitz-Alans Earls of Arundel and from them to 8 Sir William William Beauchamp Baron of Aber Gavenny and afterward to 9 To Sir William Stanley Chamberlain to K. Henry 7. who contesting with his Sovereign about his good services when he was honourably recompens'd lost his head forgetting that Sovereigns must not be beholding to Subjâ—cts howsoever Subjects fancy their own good services William Stanley who being beheaded this as well as the rest of his estate was forfeited to the Crown Southward of Bromfield lies Chirk Chirk call'd in Welsh Gwayn a country also pretty mountainous but honour'd with two castles viz. Chirk whence it receiv'd its name which was built by Roger Mortimer and Kastelh Dinas Brân Castle Dinas seated on the highest top of a sharp hill whereof there remain at present only some ruinous walls The common people affirm that this was built and so call'd by Brennus Brennus General of the Gauls and some interpret the name the King's palace for Bren in British signifies a King from whence possibly that powerful Prince of the Gauls and Britains was call'd by way of eminency Brennus but others will have it derive its name from the situation on a hill which the Britains call Bryn and this in my opinion is the seat of Grufydh ap Madok who when he sided with the English against the Welsh was wont to secure himself here But upon his decease Roger Mortimer who was appointed guardian to his son Lhewelyn seis'd this Chirk into his own hands as John Earl of Warâ—en mention'd before had usurp'd Bromfield When the dominion of the Welsh by factions among themselves and invasions of the English fell to decay and could now subsist no longer the Earls of Chester and Warren the Mortimers Lacy and the Greys whom I have mention'd were the first of the Normans that reduced by degrees this small Province and left it to be possess'd by their posterity Nor was it made a County before the time of King Henry 8. when Radnor Brecknock and Montgomery were likewise made Counties by Authority of Parliament It contains 57 Parishes ADDITIONS to DENBIGHSHIRE a THat Kerrig y Drùdion was so denominated from Druids seems highly probable tho' not altogether unquestionable for that the word Drùdion signifies Druids is for what I can learn only presumed from its affinity with the Latin Druidae and because we know not any other signification of it In the British Lexicon we find no other word than DerwÅ·dhon â—ied by â—yâ—â—â—b â—arâ—c 〈…〉 c. â—o wit 1240. â— â—yrâ—â— Bryâ—â—â—awr 〈…〉 Nat. 〈◊〉 c. 44. for Druids which may be fitly render'd in Latin Quercetani Dèrw signifying in Welsh Oak-trees which agreeing in sound with the Greek might occasion †Pliny's conjecture who was better acquainted with that language than the Celtic or British that Druides was originally a Greek name The singular of Derwydhon is Derwydh which the Romans could not write more truly than Deruida whereof Druida seems only an easier variation The word Drudion might likewise only vary in dialect from Derwydhon and so the name of this place be rightly interpreted by our Countrymen and Mr. Camden Druid-stones but what stones they were that have been thus call'd is a question I could not be thoroughly satisfied in tho' I have made some enquiry The most remarkable stone-monuments now remaining in this parish are two of that kind we call Kistieu maen or Stone-chests whereof some have been mention'd in other Counties and several omitted as not differing materially from those I had describ'd These I have not seen my self but find the following account of them in a Letter from an ingenious Gentleman of this neighbourhood As for ancient Inscriptions either of the Druids or others I believe it 's in vain to glean for them in these parts after Mr. Camden Nor can those he mentions at Voelas in our neighbourhood as we may collect from their characters boast of any great antiquity for that they are so obscure and intricate I impute to the unskilfulness of the stone-cutter supposing they were not plainly legible in those times that first saw them Yet that grave and learned Antiquary as is commonly incident to strangers in their perambulation hath either forgotten or not observ'd the most remarkable pieces of Antiquity in this parish of Kerig y Drudion I mean those two solitary prisons which are generally supposed to have been used in the time of the Druids They are placed about a furlong from each other and are such huts that each prison can well contain but a single person One of them is distinguish'd by the name of Karchar Kynrik Rŵth or Kenric Rŵth's Prison but who he was is altogether uncertain The other is known by no particular title but that of Kist-vâen or Stone-chest which is common to both and seems to be a name lately given them because they are somewhat of the form of large chests from which they chiefly differ in their opening or entrance They stand north and south and are each of them composed of seven stones Of these four being above six foot long and about a yard in breadth are so placed as to resemble the square tunnel of a Chimney a fifth which is not so long but of the same breadth is pitch'd at the South end thereof firmly to secure that passage At the North-end is the entrance where the sixth stone is the lid and especial guard of this close confinement But in regard 't was necessary to remove it when any person was imprison'd or releas'd it 's not of that weight as to be alone a sufficient guard of the prisoner and therefore on the top-stone or uppermost of the four first mention'd lyes the seventh which is a vast stone that with much force was remov'd towards the north-North-end that with its weight it might fasten and as it were clasp the door-stone These and the name of our parish are all the memorials we have of the residence of those ancient Philosophers the Druids at leastwise all that tradition ascribes to them c. Thus far the Letter which makes it very probable that these are some of the Stones if not all whence this parish receiv'd
Rhodes when the great Mahomet was worsted It is now in the hands of Mr. Ralph Thoresby of Leeds East from Knaresbrough stands Ribston-hall â—â—â—ston-â—all the pleasant Seat of the Right Honourable Sir Henry Goodrick Baronet Ambassadour from King Charles the second to the King of Spain now Privy-Councellor and Lieutenant of the Ordnance of the Tower of London hh Another river call'd Ure must be our next direction carrying us to Rippon â—â—ppon where in the Minster-yard is this modest Inscription for a two thousand pound Benefactor Hic jacet Zacharias Jepson cujus aetas fuit 49. perpaucos tantum annos vixit ii It brings us next to Burrowbridge â—â—rrwâ—dge where the Pyramids call'd by the common people the Devil's Arrows are most remarkable That they are artificial we have the opinion of Mr. Camden and the Devil's Coits in Oxofrdshire confirm it which Dr. 〈◊〉 of â—f â—â—th 〈◊〉 Plot affirms to be made of a small kind of stones cemented together whereof there are great numbers in the fields thereabout But whether our Author's conjecture of their being set up as Trophies by the Romans may be allow'd is not so certain A â—ct Sâ—aff 〈◊〉 later Antiquary seems inclin'd to conclude them to be a British work supposing that they might be erected in memory of some battel fought there but is rather of opinion that they were British Deities agreeing with the Learned Dr. Stillingfleet and grounding upon the custom of the Phoenicians and Greeks Nations undoubtedly acquainted with Britain before the arrival of the Romans who set up unpolish'd stones instead of images to the honour of their Gods kk Hard by this is Aldburrow confirm'd to be the Is-urium Is urium of the Ancients from several Roman Coyns and chequer'd Pavements digg'd up there some of which are now in the Musaeum of the ingenious Mr. Thoresby But to be a little more particular upon the remains of Antiquity they meet with take the following account which is the substance of a Letter from Mr. Morris Minister of the place Here are some fragments of Aquiducts cut in great stones and cover'd with Roman tyle In the late Civil wars as they were digging a Cellar they met with a sort of Vault leading as 't is said to the river if of Roman work for it has not yet met with any one curious enough to search it it might probably be a Repository for the Dead The Coyns generally of brass but some few of silver are mostly of Constantine and Carausius tho' there are two of Maximian Dioclesian Valerian Severus Pertinax Aurelius and of other Emperours as also of Faustina and Julia. They meet with little Roman heads of brass and have formerly also found coyn'd pieces of gold with chains of the same metal but none of late About two years ago were found four signet polisht stones three whereof were Cornelians The first had a horse upon it and a stamp of Laurel shooting out five branches the second a Roman sitting with a sacrificing dish in one hand and resting his other on a spear the third a Roman if not Pallas with a spear in one hand wearing a helmet with a shield on the back or on the other arm and under that something like a quiver hanging to the knee the fourth of a purple colour has a Roman head like Severus or Antonine Several Pavements have been found about a foot under-ground and compass'd about with stones of about an inch square but within are little stones of a quarter that bigness wrought into knots and flowers after the Mosaick-fashion No Altars are met with but pieces of Urns and old Glass are common In the Vestry-wall of the Church is plac'd a figure of Pan or Silvanus in one rough stone nyched ll From hence the Ure or Ouse runs to York York in the Antiquities whereof our Author has been so particular that we have little to add This ancient and noble City might have had an agreeable light if Sir Thomas Widdrington a person accomplisht in all Arts as well as his own profession of the Laws after he had wrote an entire History of it had not upon some disgust prohibited the publication The original Manuscript is now in the possession of Thomas Fairfax of Menston Esq Near the Castle stands the shell of Clifford's Tower which was blown up the 24th of April 1684. In the year 1638. in a house near Bishop-hill was found this Altar which is now at the Duke of Buckingham's house in York I. O. M. DIS DEABVSQVE HOSPITALIBVS PE NATIBVSQ OB. CON SERVATAM SALVTEM SVAM SVORVMQ P. AEL MARCIAN VS PRAEF COH ARAM. SAC f. NCD mm Dr. Tobias Matthews was Archbishop of this place * Inscript of the Church of York whose wife Frances a prudent Matron daughter of Bishop Barlow a Confessor in Queen Mary's time was a great Benefactress to the Church bestowing upon it the Library of her husband which consisted of above 3000 Books She is memorable likewise for having a Bishop to her father an Archbishop Matthew Parker of Canterbury to her father-in-law four Bishops to her brethren and an Archbishop to her husband nn The Cathedral Church after it had been burnt down in K. Stephen's time by little and little reviv'd The Thoresby mention'd by our Author was a great benefactor to it and the 29th of July 1631. laid the first stone of the new Quire to which at 16 payments he gave so many hundred pounds besides many other less sums for particular uses towards câ—â—â—ing on that work As he was Archbishop of 〈◊〉 so also was he Lord Chancellour of England and Cardinal Spelm. Gâ— in Cancellarius which I the rather take notice of here because he is omitted by Onuphrius as the Inscription of his seal testifies S. Johis Sci P. ad vincula presbyteri Cardinalis The dimensions of this Cathedral were exactly taken by an ingenious Architect and are as follows  Feet Length beside the buttresses 524 ½ breadth of the east-east-end 105 breadth of the west-west-end 109 breadth of the Cross from north to south 222 breadth of the Chapter-house 058 ½ heâ—â—ht of the Chapter-house to the Canopy 086 ½ height of the body of the Minster 099 height of the Lanthorn to the Vault 188 height to the top-leads 213 oo Southward from York is Nun-Apleton Nun-Apleton so call'd from a Nunnery founded there by the Ancestors of the Earls of Northumberland afterwards the seat of Thomas Lord Fairfax General of the Parliament-army who merits a memorial here upon account of the peculiar respect he had for Antiquities As an instance whereof he allow'd a considerable pension to that industrious Antiquary Mr. Dodsworth to collect those of this County which else had irrecoverably perish'd in the late wars For he had but just finish'd the transcript of the Charters and other Manuscripts then lying in St. Mary's tower in York before the same was blown up and all those sacred remains
agger runs this way to Brovonacum by Aballaba mention'd in the Notitia the name whereof is to this day kept so entire that it plainly shews it to be the same and leaves no grounds for dispute k For instead of Aballaba Aballaba we call it at this day by a little contraction Apelby Apelby Nothing is memorable about it besides it's antiquity and situation for under the Romans it was the Station of the Mauri Aureliani and 't is seated in a pretty pleasant field and almost encompass'd with the river Eden d 'T is one of the best Corn-markets in these Northern parts But it is of so little resort and the buildings so mean that if Antiquity did not make it the chief town of the County and the Assizes e The Assizes are kept in the Town-hall and the Thieves in the Gaol at the bridge-bridge-end were not kept in the Castle which is the publick Gaol for Malefactors it would be but very little above a village l For all its beauty consists in one broad street which runs from north to south up an easie ascent at the head whereof the Castle rises up f It is not near surrounded but where the river comes not there are bulwarks and trenches standing with water almost entirely surrounded with the river At the lower end is the Church and a School built by Robert Langton and Miles Spencer Doctors of Law m the present worthy Master whereof is Reginald Bainbrigg a very learned Gentleman who courteously transcrib'd for me several ancient Inscriptions and has remov'd some into his own garden It was not without good reason that William of Newburrow call'd this place and Burgh spoken of before * Regias munitiones Royal Forts where he tells us that William King of Scots took them by surprise a little before he himself was taken at Alnewick Afterwards they were recover'd by King John who gave them to John de Veteri ponte or Vipont as a reward for his good services From hence the river posts forward to the northwest by Buley Castle belonging to the Bishop of Carlisle n and by Kirkby-Thore below which there appear the vast ruins of an old town where also Roman Coins are now and then dug up and not long ago this Inscription DEO BELATVCADRO LIB VOTV M. FECIT IOLVS Age has quite worn out the old name and g Dr. Gâ—â— in his Notes upon Nennius p. 133. thinks this conjecture well illustrated in an old MS. fragment in Sir John Cotton's Library which seems to intimate something of a quarrel betwixt Ambrosius and Geitolinus and his son Marchantus at Catguoloph This he fancies is the same that is now call'd Whâ—llâ—p or Whâ—llop-Castle in Westmorland and he believes the neighbouring ruins of Marchantoniby carrying such evident remains of Maâ—chantus a great support to his opinion But what if there should be no such place as Marchantoniby 'T is certain there 's no such thing appears at this day as the hanging-walls mention'd by Mr. Camden and 't is possible he might be abus'd in the story Besides I see no reason but Caâ—gâ—â—â—pâ— in one of the learned Doctor 's Appendices may be the same with either Catgabail Catgubail Catgualat or Catgublaum in the other and thâ—â—e are manifestly the names of men and not of places they call it at this day Wheallep-Castle Whellep-castle o If it might be done without offence to the Criticks in Antiquity I should say this was the Gallagum mention'd by Ptolemy and call'd by Antoninus Gallatum Gallatum Which conjecture as it agrees with the distances in the Itinerary so is it partly favour'd by the present name For such names as the Britains begun with Gall the English turn'd into Wall Thus Galena was call'd Wailing-ford Gall-Sever Wall of Sever c. This was without doubt a place of considerable note seeing an old causey commonly call'd Maiden-way Maiden-way runs almost directly from this place to Caer-Vorran near the Picts Wall along moorish hills and mountains for some 20 miles Upon this I am enclin'd to believe the old Stations and Mansions mention'd by Antoninus in his ninth Iter to have been setled tho' no one has pointed out the particular places p For indeed how should they when Time which consumes and destroys every thing has been as it were seeding upon them for so many ages Hard by at Crawdundale-waith there appear ditches rampires and great mounts of earth cast up among which was found this Roman Inscription transcrib'd for me by the abovemention'd Reginald Bainbrig School-master of Appleby It was cut in a rough sort of rock but the fore-part of it was worn away with age 5 Or thrust out by the root of a tree there growing VARRONIVS ECTVS LEG XX. V. V. AEL LVCANVS P. LEG II. AVG. C. i.e. as I read it Varronius Praefectus legionis vicesimae Valentis victricis Aelius Lucanus Praefectus legionis secundae Augustae castrametati sunt or some such thing q For the Legio Vicesima Valens Victrix which quarter'd at Deva or West-Chester as also the Legio secunda Augusta which quarter'd at Isca or Caer-Leon in Wales being both detach'd against the enemy in these parts seem to have fix'd here and to have pitch'd their camps for some time and 't is probable that the Officers in memory of it might engrave this in the rock r When this was done is hard to determine tho' to mark out the time these words were engraven in large characters and are still to be seen in a rock near it CN OCT. COT. COSS. But in the Consular Fasti I do not find that any two of that name were Consuls together s This observation however I have made that from the age of Severus to that of Gordian and after the Letter A in the Inscriptions found in this Island wants the cross-stroke and is engrav'd thus Λ. Λ 〈◊〉 Next Eden runs along not far from Howgil a castle of the Sandfords but the Roman military way runs directly west through Whinfeild a large park thick set with trees to Brovoniacum Wh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Nâ—â— is the 〈◊〉 as a Fâ—â— Bâ—ovonâ—cum 20 Italian miles but 17 English from Verterae as Antoninus has fix'd it He calls it also Brocovum as the Notitia Broconiacum from which we understand that the * 〈…〉 Company of the Defensores had their abode here Tho' Age has consum'd both it's buildings and splendour yet the name is preserv'd almost entire in Brougham Broughham as we call it at present Here the river Eimot which runs out of a large Lake and is for some space the border between this County and Cumberland receives the river Loder near the head whereof at Shap formerly Hepe a small Monastery built by Thomas Fitz Gospatrick son of Orm there is a Well which like Euripus ebbs and flows several times in a day t as also large stones in the form of Pyramids some of them 9 foot high and
Trepidus rapid but most famous for as glorious a victory as ever the Scots obtained when Edward 2. King of England was put to flight and forc'd to save himself in a Boat and for the routing of as fine an Army as ever England sent out before that by the valiant conduct of King Robert Brus. Insomuch that for a year or two the English did not in the least disturb the Scots Ptolemy seems somewhere about Sterling to place his Alauna Alauna which was either upon Alon a little River that hath its influx here into the Forth or at Alway a seat of the Ereskins hereditary Sheriffs of all the County without the Borough f 'T is now an Earldom in the Family of the Alexanders But I have not yet read of any one honoured with the title of Earl of Sterling d Additions to the DAMNII a CLYDSDALE Cydsdale called also the Sheriffdom of Lanrick from the town of Lanrick where the Sheriff keeps his courts is bounded on the South-East with the Stewartry of Annandale on the South with the Sheriffdom of Dumfrise on the South-west with that of Aire on the North-west with that of Ranfrew on the North with that of Dumbarton on the North-east with that of Sterling on the East with that of Linlithgow a little to the South-east with that of Mid-Lothian 'T is in length about 40 miles in breadth where broadest some 24. and where narrowest 16 miles The countrey abounds with Coal Peets and Lime-stone but what turns to the greatest account are the Lead-mines belonging to Hopton not far from which after rains the country people find pieces of gold some of which are of a considerable bigness I suppose 't is the same place our Author has mentioned upon this account It is divided into two Wards the Overward and Netherward this hilly and full of heaths and fit for pasturage the other plain and proper for grain It is watered with the pleasant River of Clide which gives name to the shire it rises at Errick-hill and running through the whole County glideth by many pleasant seats of the nobility and gentry and several considerable towns till it fall into its own Firth at Dumbarton The great ornament of these parts is the Palace of Hamilton Hamilton the residence of the Dutchess of Hamilton * Theatrum Scotiae the Court whereof is on all sides adorned with very noble buildings It has a magnificent Avenue and a Frontispiece towards the East of excellent workmanship On one hand of the Avenue is a hedge on the other fair large gardens well furnished with fruit-trees and flowers The Park famous for its tall oaks is six or seven miles round and has the Brook Aven running through it Near the Palace is the Church the Vault whereof is the buryal-place of the Dukes of Hamilton Upon the East bank of Clyde stands Glasgow Glasgow †Ibid. in respect of largeness buildings trade and wealth the chief City in the Kingdom next Edinburgh The river carries vessels of small burthen up to the very tower but New-Glasgow which stands on the mouth of Clyde is a haven for vessels of the largest size Most part of the City stands on a plain and is almost four-square In the very middle of it where is the Tolbooth a very stately building of hewn-stone four principal streets crossing each other divide the city as it were into four equal parts In the higher part of it stands the Cathedral Church commonly called St. Mungo's consisting indeed of two Churches one whereof is over the other The Architecture of the pillars and towers is said to be very exact and curious Near the Church is the Archbishop's Castle fenc'd with a wall of hewn stone but it s greatest ornament is the College separated from the rest of the town by an exceeding high wall the precincts whereof are enlarged with some Acres of ground lately purchased and the buildings repaired and adorned by the care and prudent administration of the Principal the Learned Doctor Fall Roman-Highway Nor does this tract want some remains of Roman Antiquity For from Errickstone in the one end to Mauls Mire in the other where it borders upon Reinfraw there are evident footsteps of a Roman Causey or military way called to this day the Watlin-street This in some parts is visible for whole miles together and the people have a tradition that another Roman Street went from Lanrick to the Roman Camp near Falkirk At Lismehago a town in this shire was a Priory and Convent of the Monks of the order Vallis Caulium a sort of Cistercians founded by Fergus Lord of Galloway a Cell of Kelso b RANFREW Ranfâ—ew or Reinfraw is the next branch of the Damnii and is separated from the shire of Dumbarton on the West by the River Clyde which carries up ships of great burden for 10 miles On the East 't is joyned to the shire of Lanrick and on the West and South to the Sheriffdom of Aire It is in length twenty miles and in breadth eight but where broadest thirteen That part which lyeth near Clyde is pleasant and fertil without mountains only has some small risings but that to the South South-west and West is more barren hilly and moorish Our Author has observ'd this tract to be full of Nobility and Gentry who almost keep up a constant relation by marriage one with another The convenience of the Frith of Clyde the Coast whereof is all along very safe to ride in has caused good improvements in these parts At the West end of a fair Bay stand Gumrock Gumrock town and castle where there is a good road and a harbour lately contrived and a village is now in building More inward stands Greenock Greenock a good road and well built town of best account on all this Coast 'T is the chief seat of the herring-fishing and the Royal Company of Fishers have built a house at it for the convenience of trade Near this is Crawfird-Dyke Crawfird-Dyke where good houses are in building and a little more to the South New-work New-work where the town of Glasgow hath built a new port and called it Port-Glasgow with a large publick house Here is the Custom-house for all this Coast and the town of Glasgow hath obliged the Merchants to load and unload here But Pasly Pasly for antient Grandeur is the most considerable The Abbey and Church with fair gardens and orchards and a little Park for Fallow-deer are all enclosed with a stone-wall about a mile in circuit The Monastery here was of the Order of the Cluniacenses founded by Walter the second great Steward of King Malcolm the fourth The Chancel of the Church standeth yet where lye buried Robert 2. and his mother At this town there is a large Roman Camp the Praetorium is at the West end on a rising ground upon the descent whereof the town of Pasly stands This Praetorium
p United to Dublin Glendelac q United to Leighlin Fern. Ossory otherwise r And Kilkenny de Canic Å¿ Leighlin Lechlin Kildare otherwise Dare. Under the Archbishop of Cassil are the Bishops of t Killaloe Laonie or de Kendalnan Limrick Isle of Gathy u Kilfenora united either to Kâ—illaloo or Tuam Cellumabrath x Emly annext to Cashell Melice or de Emileth Rosse otherwise Roscree Waterford otherwise Baltifordian y Lismore united to Waterford Lismore z Cloyne Clon otherwise de Cluanan Corcage or Cork a Rosse united to Cork De Rosalither b Ardfort united to Lamerick Ardefert Under the Archbishop of Tuam are the Bishops of Duac otherwise c Kilmacough united to Clonfert Killmacduoc De Mageo Enachdun De Cellaiaro De Roscomon Clonfert d United to Killalla Achad 5 Or Achâ—iry Hol. Lade otherwise e Killalla Killaleth De Conani De Killmanduach Elphin ¶ Besides these alterations already mentioned the Bishopricks of Rathluc Dalnliquir Isle of Gathay Roscree Mage Enachdun de Câ—laiar Râ—scomon and Câ—nany are united to some of the rest so that there are no such in being at this day MOMONIA or MOUNSTER MOmonia in Irish Mown and in compound wown in English Mounster lies southward open to the Vergivian-sea separated from Connaught for some while by the river Siney or Shanon and from Lemster by the river Neor Formerly it was divided into many parts as Towoun i.e. North Mounster Deswoun i.e. South Mounster Heir woun West Mounster Mean-woun Middle Mounster and Urwoun the fore part of Mounster but at this day into two parts West Mounster and South Mounster The West Mounster was in old time the country of the Luceni the Velabri and the Uterini the South was that of the Oudiae or Vediae and the Coriondi but at present it is distinguished into a Into â—â—x at present Cork Kerry Limerick Clare Typerary and Waterford seven Counties Kerry Desmond Cork Limerick Tiperary Holy-Cross and Waterford In the most westward part of Ireland and where it tents towards the Cantabrian Ocean confronting at a great distance south-westward Gallitia in Spain the Velabri and the Luceni formerly inhabited as Orosius writes The Luceni of Ireland who seem to derive their name and origînal from the Lucensii of Gallitia in the opposite coast of Spain Lucâ—ni of whose name some remains are to this day in the Barony of Lyxnaw were seated as I suppose in the County of Kerry and in b Conilogh Conoglogh hard by upon the River Shanon The County of KERRY THE County of Kerry near the mouth of the Shannon shoots forth like a little tongue into the sea roaring on both sides of it This County stands high and has many wild and woody hills in it between which lye many vallies whereof some produce corn others wood This c It was soâ— but is not at prâ—sent is reckoned a County Palatine and the Earls of Desmond had herein the dignity and prerogatives of a Count Palatine by the gift of King Edward the third who granted them all royalties excepting the trying of four pleas Fire Rape Forestall and Treasure-trouve with the profits arising de Croccis which were reserved to the King of England But this liberty through the weakness of such as either would not or knew not how to use it became the very sink of all mischief and the refuge of seditious persons In the very entrance into this Country there is a territory called Clan-moris Câ—an-Moâ—â—â— from one Moris of the family of Raimund la Grosse whose heirs were successively called Barons of Lixnaw Cross through the middle of it runs a little river now nameless though perhaps by its situation â—â— riv that which Ptolemy calls the Dur and passes by Trailey a small town now almost desolate where has been a house of the Earls of Desmund Hard by lyes Ardurt â—â—hâ—prick 〈◊〉 the See of a poor Bishop called of Ardefertb. Almost in the end of this promontory there lies on one side Dingle â—â—â—gâ—e a commodious haven and on the other Smerwick â—â—erwick contracted from St. Mary-wic a road for ships d Now united to Limerick where lately as Girald Earl of Desmund a man basely treacherous to his Prince and Country wasted and spoiled Mounster arrived some * Tumulâ—â—â—â—i confused troops of Italians and Spaniards sent to his assistance by Pope Gregory the thirteenth and the King of Spain who fortified themselves here calling it Fort del Ore and threatning the Country with great ruin But this danger was ended by the coming and first onset of the Viceroy the most famous and warlike Baron Art Lord Grey Lord Arthur Grey For they forthwith surrendered and were put to the sword most of them which was thought in policy the wisest and safest course considering the then present posture of affairs and that the rebels were ready to break out in all quarters In conclusion the Earl of Desmund was himself forced to fly into the woods thereabouts for shelter and soon after set upon in a poor cottage by one or two soldiers who wounded him so being discovered he was beheaded for his disloyalty and the mischief he had done this Country Perhaps some will impute it to want of gravity and prudence in me A ridiculous persuasion of the wild Irish if I give an account of an old opinion of the wild Irish and still current among them That he who in the great clamor and outcry which the soldiers usually make with much straining before an onset does not huzza as the rest do is suddenly snatch'd from the ground and carried flying into these desart vallies from any part of Ireland whatsoever that there he eats grass laps water has no sense of happiness nor misery has some remains of his reason but none of his speech and that at long run he shall be caught by the hunters and brought back to his own home DESMONIA or DESMOND BEneath the Country of the old Luceni lyes Desmond stretching out a long way with a considerable breadth towards the South in Irish Deswown in English Desmond formerly peopled by the Velabri Vâ—â—â—â—ri and the Iberni who in some Copies are called Uterini The Velabri may seem to derive their name from Aber i.e. aestuaries for they dwelt among such friths upon parcels of ground divided from one another by great incursions of the Sea from which the Artabri and Cantabri in Spain also took their names Among the arms of the sea here there are three several Promontories besides Kerry above mentioned shoot out with their crooked and winding shores to the South-west which the Inhabitants formerly called Hierwoun i.e. West-mounster The first of them which lyes between Dingle-bay and the river Mair is called Clan-car and has a castle built at Dunkeran by the Carews of England a It is nâ—w divided into the Baronies of
eyes of the Romans For Polyd. Virgil lib. 3. Anglicae historiae speaking of the division of the Empire among the sons of Constantine the Great reckons Orkney among the famous Kingdoms that fell to the share of his son Constantine saying Huic sorte evenit Britannia cum Gallia Hispania Orchadibus This Country it 's like continued thus under the Government of their own Princes till the fatal ruine and subversion of the Pictish Kingdom in Scotland in the year of our Lord 839. At which time Kenneth the second that martial King of Scots having in many battel 's overthrown the Pights at last expelled them out of all Scotland and seizing on Fife and Louthian and the other large territories that they had therein pursued them to Orkney vanquishing these Isles and adding them to his other Dominions Orkney being thus annexed to the Crown of Scotland continued many years under the Government of the Scottish Kings and their Lieutenants till about the year 1099. At which time Donald Bain Lord of the Isles having usurped the Crown and caused himself to be proclaimed King of Scotland and being thereupon put hardly to it by the injured Heir and discontented Nobility that he might not loose what he had unjustly usurped he invited Magnus King of Norway to come to his assistance with an offer of the Isles for his pains Who coming with his Navy invaded Orkney and the Western Isles putting Garisons in all convenient places By this means the Norwegian got possession of this Country and held it for the space of 164 years when they came to loose all again upon this occasion Anno 1263 Alexander the third being then King of Scotland Acho by some called Hagin King of Norway hoping from the divisions that were then in the Kingdom and the famine that then pressed the land to make some further conquest in Scotland comes with a great Navy and Army of Danes and Norvegians to the West Isles and conquers Arran and Bute which were the only Isles at that time under the Dominion of the Scots and from this success hoping for greater matters he lands on the continent and takes in the Town and Castle of Air. But King Alexander having assembled a great Army assaults him in battel at Largis kills his Nephew a man of high renown and after a great slaughter of his soldiers to the number of twenty four thousand puts the remainder to flight Immediately upon this defeat King Acho hears of another sad loss namely that his Fleet containing the number of an hundred and fifty ships were by the force of an outragious tempest all cast away and broken against the rocks except four in which he presently embarked and fled to Orkney Being come thither he sent to Norway and Denmark for a new army and Fleet with an intention again to invade Scotland the next summer but he died in the beginning of the following year January 22 anno 1264. and was buried in that place where the Cathedral now stands under a marble stone which is seen to this day After his death King Alexander invaded the Isle of Man and the Western Isles which after some opposition he recovered and intending to make the like attempt for the recovery of Orkney and Zetland there came Ambassadors to him from Magnus King of Norway and Denmark who succeeded his father Acho in these Kingdoms a man well enclined and one that feared God After several treaties it was at last agreed upon that King Alexander should pay to the King of Norway the sum of 4000 marks Sterling with the sum of an hundred marks by year And that for this Magnus King of Norway should quit all right that he might pretend to in the Isles of Orkney and Zetland and the other Isles of Scotland which accordingly he did by letters under his great seal renouncing and giving over all right or claim that he had or might have both for him and his successors to these and all the other Isles of Scotland And for the better confirmation hereof a marriage was agreed upon betwixt the Lady Margaret daughter to Alexander and Hangonanus or Hannigo or Aquine as others call him son to King Magnus both children to be compleated when they came to a marriageable estate This Magnus King of Norway was a man of great piety and devotion for which he was reputed a Saint commonly called Saint Magnus He much advanced the Christian Religion in this Country whose patron he is held to be and is thought to have founded that stately edifice in Kirkwall which is now the Cathedral called from him St. Magnus's Kirk The opinion of his sanctity and miracles made him so famous that the day wherein King Robert Bruce gave that great and memorable defeat to the English at Bannockburn there was seen riding through Aberdeen a horse-man in shining armor who told them of the victory and afterwards was seen riding on his horse over Pightland firth Whereupon it was concluded saith Boethius who tells this story that it was St. Magnus And upon that account the King after the victory ordered that for ever after five pound Sterling should be paid to St. Magnus's Kirk in Kirkwall out of the Customs payable by the Town of Aberdeen Orkney being in this manner recovered from the hands of the Danes and Norvegians continued ever after annexed to the Crown of Scotland Their Antiquities word for word from the same Author There is in Hoy lying betwixt two hills a stone called the Dwarfie Stone 36 foot long 18 foot broad nine foot thick hollowed within by the hand of some mason for the prints of the mason's irons are to be seen on it to this very hour with a square hole of about two foot high for the entry and a stone proportionable standing before it for the door Within at one end is a bed excellently hewen out of the stone with a Pillow wherein two men may conveniently lye at their full length at the other end is a couch and in the middle a hearth for a fire with a round hole cut out above for the chimney It 's thought to be the residence of some melancholy Hermit but the vulgar Legend says there was once a famous giant residing in that Island who with his wife lived in that same stone as their Castle At the west end of that stone stands an exceeding high Mountain of a steep ascent called The Wart-hill of Hoy near the top of which in the months of May June and July about mid-day is seen something that shines and sparkles admirably and which may be discerned a great way off It hath formerly shined more brightly than it does now but what that is though many have climbed up the hill and attempted to search for it none could ever find The vulgar talk of it as some enchanted Carbuncle but I rather take it to be some water sliding down the face of a smooth rock and when the sun at such a time shines upon it
Cassiterides because there are more than ten of them let him also reckon the Haebudes and the Orcades and if at the foot of his account he finds the number of the Haebudes neither more nor less than five and likewise of the Orcades than thirty as Ptolemy reckons them let him inquire somewhere else than where they are already supposed to be and I believe he 'll hardly find them by going this way to work For the truth on 't is the Ancient writers knew nothing certain of these remote parts and Islands no more than we of the Islands in the Streights of Magellan and the whole tract of New Guiney It is not to be thought strange that Herodotus knew nothing of them for he freely confesses that he had no certain knowledge of the remoter parts of Europe Yet Lead was first transported from this Island into Greece Lead says Pliny l. 8. Cap. de rerum Inventoribus was first brought hither from the Isle Cassiteris by Midacritus But for this matter let us hear Strabo towards the end of the third book of his Geography The Cassiterides are ten in number close to one another situated in the main sea north off from the port of the Artabri One of them is desert and unpeopled the rest are inhabited the people wear black cloaths and inner coats reaching down to their ankles girt about the breast and a staff in their hand like the furies in Tragedies They live by their cattle straggling up and down without any fixt or certain place to dwell in They have mines both of tinn and lead which commodities as also skins and furs they exchange to the merchants for earthen vessels salt and brasen works At first the Phaeâ—icianâ— only traded hither from Gades concealing these voyages from others The Romans to find out the place where they drove this trade made a certain master of a ship watch one of them but he run his ship into a shallow out of envy to prevent them and after he had brought them into the same danger escaped himself and received the worth of his cargo out of the common treasury in recompence However the Romans by many attempts at last found out this voyage Afterwards Publius Crassus having sail'd thither and seen them work these mines which were not very deep and that the people loved peace and navigation also at their leisure gave directions to all that would come hither though the sea they had to cross was wider than that between it and Britain But now for Silly About a hundred and forty five Islands go by this name all clad with grass and cover'd with greenish moss besides many hideous rocks and great stones above water plac'd in a kind of a circle about eight leagues from the utmost promontory in Cornwal Some of them afford pretty good corn but all are stock'd with rabbits cranes swans herons and sea-fowl The largest of them is that which takes its name from S. Mary 7 Having a town so named and is about eight miles in compass offereth a good harbour to Sailors in a sandy Bay wherein they may anchor at six seven and eight fathom but in the entry lye some rocks on either fine It hath had anciently a castle which hath yielded to the force of time But for the same Queen Elizabeth in the year 1593. when the Spaniards called in by the Leaguers of France began to nestle in Littâ—e Britain built a new castle with fair and strong ravelins and named the same Stella Maria in respect both of the ravelins which resemble the rays of a star and thâ— name of the Isle for defence whereof she there placed a garison under the command of Sir Francis Godâ—phâ—n where there is a castle and a garison These are those Islands which as Solinus says are sever'd from the coast of the Danmonii by a rough sea of two or three hours sail the Inhabitants whereof live according to the old custom They have no markets and money does not pass among them they give and take one thing for another and provide necessaries rather by commutation than by price or money They worship the Gods All both men and women pretend to the art of divination Eustathius out of Strabo calls the people herein Melanchlani because they wear long black coats as low as their ankle Sardus was perswaded that they lived as long as life could be desireable For in hopes of a better life they threw themselves from a rock into the sea which was certainly the opinion of the British Druides Hither the Roman Emperors us'd to send such as were condemn'd to the mines For Maximus the Emperor having pass'd sentence of death upon Priscillan for heresie Sulpâ—tâ—â—s Seâ—â—â—s commanded Instantius a Bishop of Spain and Tiberianus to be transported into the Silly-Islands and their goods to be confiscated so Marcus the Emperor banish'd one for pretending to prophesie at the time of the insurrection of Cassius and foretel things to come as if he were inspir'd into this Island as some imagine who would read it Sylia Insula for Syria Insula since Geographers know no such Island as Syria This Religation oâ—â—â—ansportation to foreign Islands was one kind of banishment in those days and the Governors of Provinces could banish in this manner Ulp. lib. 7. de Mathematâ—â—is in case their Province had any Islands appertaining to it if not they wrote to the Emperor to assign some Island for the Relegation Religation of the condemned party Neither was it lawful to transfer the body of the party thus exil'd to any other place for burying without the Emperor's permission We meet with nothing of these Islands no not so much as the name of them in any writers of the middle age but only that King Athelstan conquer'd them and after his return built the Church of S. Beriana or Buriena v. Cornwall p. 5. in the utmost promontory of Britain westward as soon as he landed Over against these on the coast of France just before the Osissimi or Britannia Armorica lies that which Pliny calls Axantos Axantos and retains the same name being now called Ushant Ushant Antoninus terms it Uxantissena which is a compound of the two names Uxantis and Sena For this is an Island somewhat lower which is now called Sayn directly over against Brest term'd in some copies Siambis Sâ—ambis and corruptly called Sounos by Pliny which from east to west for seven miles together is encompassed with rocks rather than Islands very close one to another As for this Sayn The Mariners call it the Seam take what Pomponius Mela has said of it Sena situated in the British sea over against the coast of the Osissimi is famous for the oracle of a French God whose priests are nine in number all under a vow of perpetual virginity The French men call them Zenae or Lenae for so I rather read it with Turnebus than Gallicenae and they think them
The Normans bore such a sway in his Court as to give the Customs and Language of their own Country an air and authority here in England so that even in his time it begun to be thought a piece of good breeding to be Master of the French Carriage and to run down the English as rough and barbarous When the way was open'd before hand we need not be much surpriz'd to find in the next reign so very few Ingulpâ— p 98. who could even read the Saxon Character or to hear that the main objection against Wolstan Bishop of Worcester was Mat. Par. sub An. 1005. that he did not understand the French Tongue In short the old Saxon grew so fast out of request Chron. Sax. that their common talk about the latter end of Henry the second would pass at this day for good broken English and be intelligible enough After it was disus'd in common Conversation we cannot imagine that the Books should be much minded The Monks indeed were concern'd to preserve their Charters but those who seiz'd upon the Church-Lands at the Dissolution of Monasteries were as much concern'd to have them destroy'd And to do it the more effectually they wisely burnt whole Libraries together or if they sav'd them out of the fire it was with no other design than to furnish the Shops of Mechanicks with waste Paper The havock was so universal and the use of them so little understood that it was purely by chance that any were preserv'd With what resolution must we suppose a man arm'd to engage in a work of so much confusion A Language that had lain dead for above four hundred years to be reviv'd the Books wherein it was bury'd to be rak'd out of ashes and which was yet worse those Fragments such as they were so very hard to be met with Almost the whole stock of the Kingdom came into three Collections that of Archbishop Parker given to Bennet College in Cambridge Archbishop Laud's given to the Bodleian Library and that of Sir Robert Cotton now the richest Treasure of that noble Library Nor was this condition peculiar to the Saxon Monuments all our English Historians were in the same circumstances They suffer'd as much by the Dissolution lay in as many holes and corners and were altogether as hard to come by And yet without these Mr. Camden's design was at a stand It was a true sense of the use of such Originals and of his own great misfortune in not being better furnisht that induc'd him afterwards to publish an entire Volume of them Sir Henry Savil collected another and those two Leaders have been follow'd by the Editors of the Decem Scriptores by Dr. Wats Mr. Fulman Dr. Gale and Mr. Wharton Had he entred upon his work with these advantages he had met with his Materials in a much narrower compass and found his task infinitely more easie Thus the same hand remov'd the Rubbish laid the Foundation and rais'd the Fabrick The old Itinerary was settled the British and Saxon Tongues conquer'd our ancient Historians perus'd Besides his Travels before he came to Westminster and his frequent Excursions so often as his business in the School would give him leave in April 1582. he took a Journey into Yorkshire through Suffolk and return'd through Lancashire See his Diary several parts of England survey'd and now he durst think of reducing his Collections to some method and order It had been above ten years in growing when the first Edition came out An. 1586. dedicated to that eminent Statesman William Lord Burghley Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth How well it was receiv'd we may appeal to the several Editions In the compass of four years there were no less than three at London besides that at Francfort in 1590. another in Germany and again another in London in 1594. To bear so many Impressions in so short a compass was a very extraordinary matter at that time when Books were not half so much read and relish'd as they are at present In short we may perhaps safely affirm that Mr. Camden was the only person living that was not satisfy'd with it For tho' men are generally but too fond of their own and so inclin'd to partiality in the main yet 't is certain that every Author understands the particular failings of his Work infinitely better than the nicest Critick that pretends to censure it Just as an intimate acquaintance sees farther into the odd humours and ill qualities of his friend than another that but accidentally falls into his company once or twice But the general applause it met with could not draw him to any extravagant thoughts of what he had done already nor tempt him to slacken his pursuit for the future No he that had weigh'd the matter knew best what could be done and what vast improvements it might receive from time and opportunities His own searches led him daily into new discoveries the continual information of Friends encreas'd the treasure both these help'd him out of numbers of doubts and scruples and so made way for new matter which he had suppress'd before out of a tenderness of imposing Errors upon mankind Thus when a design is well laid it thrives strangely new matter breaks in upon us almost whatever we read hear see or do turns one way or other to the main account And when the Standard is thus fixt assistance pours in from all parts as it were to the head quarters Most of the other Editions had been refin'd enlarg'd and corrected by the Author but they came too fast upon him to do so much as he desir'd After that of 1594. he resolv'd it should rest for some time and be gathering Two years after he took a journey to Sarum and Wells and return'd by Oxford After two years more he travell'd as far as Carlisle along with Sir Robert Cotton But in the midst of those preparations for a more compleat edition he was unexpectedly interrupted and instead of laying out his thoughts and endeavours after fresh discoveries was call'd to a defence of what he had already publish'd The occasion of it was this D. Smith's Life of Camden p. 34. In the year 1597. upon the death of Richard Leigh Clarenceux King at Arms Sir Fulk Grevil recommended Mr. Camden to the Queen as a person every way qualified for the place and one that had highly deserv'd of her Majesty and her Kingdoms The Queen without more ado gives him a grant and Mr. Camden accordingly was created Octob. 23. in the same year having the day before been made Richmond-Herald because by the Constitution none can be King at Arms but who has been first Herald At that time Mr. Brooke was York-Herald who upon Leigh's death presently had an eye upon that preferment and doubted not but the station he had already in the College would secure it to him The greater his assurance was the disappointment lay so much the heavier upon him and as men who lay too much stress upon
their own merits are always hurry'd on to revenge upon the least injury his next business was to find out a fair opportunity of shewing his resentments Mr. Camden at the end of each County has drawn down the History of the respective Earls and he thought probably that if a quarrel could be pick'd in the business of Families it would be most suitable to his present purpose The plot was well contriv'd if the charge could have been made out As it would have shewn Mr. Camden's forwardness in engaging himself on a subject he was not Master of so would it have convinc'd the Government of their unreasonable choice not only in preferring a person who knew little of the matter but which was worse in rejecting one that was an absolute Critick After two years study he publish'd a Book with this title A Discovery of certain Errours publish'd in print in the much commended Britannia c. without licence without name either of Printer or Bookseller Before we enter upon the merits of the cause be pleas'd to observe by the way the different humour and carriage of the two Parties It was an opinion of merit that first rais'd a confidence in Mr. Brooke and then an uneasiness when his expectation fail'd him So far was Mr. Camden from entertaining the least thoughts of it that till the whole business was over he did not dream of any such thing but the news was a perfect surprise to him And when my Lord Burleigh who was his great Patron express'd his dissatisfaction that he had not apply'd himself to him upon that occasion he modestly return'd this answer That 't was purely a thought of Sir Fulk Grevil's without so much as his knowledge It was not much for the reputation of the former Ibid. to throw off his true name Brokesmouth and take that of Brooke as one of greater vogue and dignity Perhaps Mr. Camden had as little temptation as he to be fond of his Family upon account of any eminence it could pretend to especially on the Father's side And yet so far was he from being asham'd of his meanness such a pious and tender regard did he preserve for his memory that even out of respect to his Trade he left a gilt Bowl of 16 l. price to the Company of Painter-stainers in London with this Inscription Gul. Camdenus Clarenceux filius Sampsonis Pictoris Londinensis dono dedit After Mr. Camden became a member of the College he discharg'd his office with great integrity and maintain'd an amicable correspondence with all his Brethren How far his Adversary may lay claim to this character let the following instance witness Ibid. Upon a private pique against one of the College he contriv'd such a malicious piece of revenge as is not commonly heard of He employs a man to carry a Coat of Arms to him ready drawn to pretend that it belong'd to one Gregory Brandon a Gentleman that had formerly liv'd in London but was then gone over into Spain and to desire he would set his hand to it The man does his errand very formally and for fear a little time and consideration might break their measures pretends that the Vessel which was to carry it was just ready to set sail He smelling nothing of the design without more ado receives a reward and puts the Seal of the Office with his own Name to the paper Presently Brooke carries it to Thomas Earl of Arundel then one of the Commissioners for the Office of Lord Marshal assures him that these are the Arms of the Kingdom of Arragon with a Canton of Brabant and that that Brandon to whom he had granted them was a mean inconsiderable person The Earl acquainted the King with the whole matter who resolv'd that he should not only be turn'd out of his place but upon a fair hearing in the Star-chamber be severely fin'd for his affront to the Crown of Spain However upon the intercession of the Earl of Pembroke he grew a little calmer and was prevail'd upon to refer it wholly to the Commissioners When they came to a hearing the Gentleman who had been thus impos'd upon submitted himself entirely to the mercy of the Court but withal desir'd their Lordships to consider that 't was a pure over-sight and that it was the importunity of the messenger which drew him to the doing it without due deliberation Brooke on the other hand declar'd openly in Court that it was from beginning to end a contrivance of his own to gain an opportunity of convincing their Lordships of the sordidness of the other who for the sake of a little money would be guilty of such a gross piece of knavery They were amaz'd at the confidence of the man and when His Majesty heard the circumstances of the case he had them both committed to prison one for treachery and the other for carelessness The party accus'd presented a Petition to the Commissioners humbly requesting that they would use their interest with his Majesty for his gracious Pardon This was seconded by an ample Testimonial under the hands of his Brethren setting forth their concern for his misfortune and the great integrity wherewith he had behav'd himself in all other matters Brooke too got Friends to intercede for him so after a severe Reprimand from my Lord Chamberlain they were both dismiss'd But to return By this time one will be easily convinc'd that it was not any concern for Truth or for the honour of the English Nobility which induc'd him to lay open the Errors of Mr. Camden but a vein of ill nature which run through all his actions And the success of it was answerable for the next year Mr. Camden reprinted his Britannia and at the end of it publish'd a learned Defence of himself and his Work He modestly declares That 't is very possible he might fall into several Errors that for his part he ne'er pretended to be exempt from the common failings of mankind but conceives however that allowance ought to be made to slips here and there when men deal in such a variety of matter that he thinks himself notwithstanding very coarsly treated and to shew at once the impudence as well as weakness of his Adversary he clears himself from his objections upon undeniable authorities and then shews into what palpable mistakes this great Reformer had drop'd even in the midst of his Criticisms As this made him a fair instance how malicious practices do generally return upon the author so the publication of another Book in the year 1619. gave him some farther experience upon the same head It was a Catalogue of the Succession of Kings Princes and Dukes down from William the Conquerour with their several Arms. Smith Vit. p. 37. Mr. Camden made a Collection of the Errors in it not so much those of haste or inadvertency no he had liv'd too long in the world not to know that these were the common failings of mankind but such as were downright blunders and the