Saint Peter and be yeelded up without delay for ever unto the Abbot and to the Monkes there serving God yet King William the Conquerour cancelled and made voide this Testament who reserving a great part of it to himselfe divided the rest betweene Countesse Iudith whose daughter was married to David King of Scots Robert Mallet Oger Gislebert of Gaunt Earle Hugh Aubrey the Clerk and others And unto Westminster first he left the Tithes afterwards the Church onely of Okeham and parcels thereunto appertaining This County hath not had many Earles The first Earle of Rutland was Edward the first begotten Sonne of Edmund of Langley Duke of Yorke created by King Richard the Second upon a singular favour that he cast unto him during his Fathers life and afterwards by the same King advanced to the honour of Duke of Aumarle This young man wickedly projected with others a practise to make away King Henry the Fourth and streight waies with like levity discovered the same But after his Fathers death being Duke of Yorke lost his life fighting couragiously amid the thickest troupes of his enemies in the battaile of Agincourt Long time after there succeeded in this Honour Edward the little young Sonne of Richard Duke of Yorke and he together with his Father during those deadly broiles of civill warre was slaine in the battaile fought at Wakefield Many yeeres after King Henry the Eighth raised up Sir Thomas Mannours to be Earle of Rutland who in right of his Grand-mother Aeleonor was possessed of a goodly and faire inheritance of the Barons Roos lying in the countries round about and elsewhere In his roome succeeded his Sonne Henry and after him likewise Edward his Sonne unto whom if I should say nothing else that commendation of the Poet was most aptly and truly appliable Nomen virtutibus aequat Nec sinit ingenium nobilitate premi His name so great with vertues good he matcheth equally Nor suffreth wit smuthring to lie under Nobility But he by over hasty and untimely death being received into Heaven left this dignity unto John his Brother who also departing this life within a while hath for his successor Roger his Sonne answerable in all points to his ancient and right noble parentage This small Shire hath Parish Churches 48. LINCOLNIAE Comitatus vbi olim insederunt CORITANI LINCOLNE-SHIRE VPon Rutland on the East side confineth the County of LINCOLNE called by the English-Saxons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by the Normans Nicol-shire after their comming into the Land with some transposition of letters but usually LINCOLNE-SHIRE A very large Country as reaching almost threescore miles in length and carrying in some places above thirty miles in bredth passing kinde for yeeld of Corne and feeding of Cattaile well furnished and set out with a great number of Townes and watered with many Rivers Upon the Eastside where it bendeth outward with a brow fetching a great compasse the German Ocean beateth on the shore Northward it recheth to Humber an arme of the sea on the West side it butteth upon Nottingham-shire and on the South it is severed from Northampton-shire by the River Welland This whole Shire is divided into three parts whereof one is called Holland a second Kesteven and the third Lindsey Holland which Ingulph termeth Holland lyeth to the sea and like unto that Holland in Germanie it is so throughly wet in most places with waters that a mans foote is ready to sinke into it and as one standeth upon it the ground will shake and quake under his feet and thence it may seeme to have taken the name unlesse a man would with Ingulph say that Holland is the right name and the same imposed upon it of Hay which our Progenitours broadly called Hoy. This part throughout beareth upon that ebbing and flowing arme of the Sea which Ptolomee calleth METARIS instead of Maltraith and wee at this day The Washes A very large arme this is and passing well knowne at every tide and high sea covered all over with water but when the sea ebbeth and the tide is past a man may passe over it as on dry land but yet not without danger Which King John learned with his losse For whilest he journied this way when he warred upon the rebellious Barons the waters suddenly brake in upon him so that at Fosse-dyke and Welstream he lost all his carriage and princely furniture as Matthew of Westminster writeth This Country which the Ocean hath laied to the land as the Inhabitants beleeve by sands heaped and cast together they it terme Silt is assailed on the one side with the said Ocean sea and in the other with a mighty confluence of waters from out of the higher countries in such sort that all the Winter quarter the people of the country are faine to keepe watch and ward continually and hardly with all the bankes and dammes that they make against the waters are able to defend themselves from the great violence and outrage thereof The ground bringeth forth but small store of corne but plenty of grasse and is replenished abundantly with fish and water-fowle The Soile throughout is so soft that they use their Horses unshod neither shall you meet so much as with a little stone there that hath not beene brought thither from other places neverthelesse there bee most beautifull Churches standing there built of foure square stone Certaine it is that the sea aforetime had entred farther up into the Country and that appeareth by those bankes formerly raised against the waterwaves then in-rushing which are now two miles off from the shore as also by the hils neere Sutterton which they call Salt-Hils But of fresh water there is exceeding great want in all places neither have they any at all but raine water and that in pits which if they be of any great depth presently become brackish if shallow they dry up as soone Neither are there Quicksands wanting which have a wonderfull force to draw to them and to hold fast as both Shepheards and their poore Sheepe also finde other whiles not without danger This Holland or Hoiland whether you will is divided into two parts The Lower and the Higher The Lower hath in it soule and slabby quavemires yea and most troublesome Fennes which the very Inhabitants themselves for all their stilts cannot stalke through And considering that it lieth very low and flat fenced it is of the one side against the Ocean on the other from those waters which overwhelme the upper part of the Isle of Ely with mighty piles and huge bankes opposed against the same Of which Southybanke is of greatest name which least it should have a breach made through it with that infinite masse of water that falleth from the South part when the Rivers swell and all is overflowne by inundation the people watch with great care and much feare as against a dangerous enemy And yet for the draining away of this water the neighbour Inhabitants at the common charges
againe Thus they performed in all their fights the nimble motion of horsemen and the firme stabilitie of footmen so ready with daily practise exercise that in the declivity of a steepe hill they could stay their horses in the very full cariere quickly turn short moderate their pace run along the beame or spire of the Chariot stand upon the yoke and harnesse of the horses yea and from thence whip in a trice into their chariots again But by the cōming of Caesar to rescue them in so good time the Romans took heart afresh and the Britans stood still who having conceived good hope to free themselves for ever presuming upon the small number of the Roman forces together with the scarcitie of corne among them had assembled a great power and were come to the campe of Caesar. But he received them even before the campe with a battell put them to rout slew many of them and burnt their houses far and neare The same day came messengers from the Britans to Caesar intreating peace which they obtained upon condition that they should double the number of their hostages whom he commanded to be brought into Gaule And streight after because the Aequinox was at hand hee put to sea hoised saile from Britaine and brought all his ships safe unto the continent of France And thither two onely of all the States of Britaine sent hostages unto him the rest neglected it These exploits thus performed upon the relation of Caesars Letters the Senate decreed a solemne procession for the space of twentie daies although he gained nothing to himselfe nor to Rome but the glorie onely of an expedition enterprized The yeare next ensuing Caesar having gotten together a great fleet for what with ships for convoy of corne and victuals and what with other private vessels that every man had built for to serve his owne turne there was 800. saile and above and the same manned with five Legions and 2000. horsemen he launched from the port called Iccius and landed his forces in that part of the Isle where hee did the yeare before Neither was there an enemie to be seene in the place For albeit the Britans had beene there assembled with a great power yet terrified with so huge a number of ships they had secretly withdrawne themselves into the upland countrey Here Caesar encamped in a place convenient and left two cohorts and three hundred horsemen as a garrison or guard for his ships Himselfe having by night marched forward twelve miles espied the enemies who having gone forward as farre as to the river began to give battell but beaten backe by the cavallery they conveighed themselves into a wood and there lay hid as lodging in a place strongly fortified both by nature and mans hand But the Romans with a Testudo or targnet-roofe which they made and mount that they raised against their fortifications tooke the place and drave them out of the woods neither followed they them with any long pursuit for they were to fortifie the campe in that very place The next day Caesar divided his forces into three regiments and sent them out to pursue the Britaines but straightwaies called them back againe for that hee had intelligence by messengers of such a tempest at sea the night before that his navie was sore beaten run one against another and cast on shore And thereupon himselfe in person returned to the ships and with the labour of ten daies haled them all up to land and enclosed them and his campe together within one and the same fortification and so goeth to the place from whence he was returned Thither also had the Britaines assembled themselves with greater forces under the conduct of Cassivellaunus or Cassibelinus unto whom in a publike counsell of all the Britains the whole government and managing of the warre was committed whose cavallery and chariotiers together gave the Romanes a sharpe conflict in their march wherein many of both sides lost their lives But the Britans after some intermission of time whiles the Romans were busie in fortifying their campe charged fiercely upon those that kept ward before the campe unto whom when Caesar had sent for rescue two cohorts and those the principall and choysest of two legions they most boldly and with full resolution brake through the thickest of the enemies and from thence retired in safety The next morrow the Britans shewed themselves here and there in small companies from the hils but about noone they made an assault upon three legions and all the horsemen sent out for to forage yet beaten backe they were and a great number of them slaine Now by this time were all their auxiliarie forces that had met together departed neither encountred they afterward the Romans with their maine power Caesar then marched with his army to the river Thames and so to the confines of Cassivelaunus Vpon the farther banke of this river yea and under the water they had covertly stucke sharpe stakes and embattelled themselves with a great power But the Romans went and waded over with such violence notwithstanding they had but their heads cleere above the water that the enemy was not able to endure the charge but left the banke and betooke themselves to flight not skared as Polyaenus writeth at the sight of an Elephant with a turret upon his backe Cassivellaunus having now no courage to contend any longer retained onely foure thousand Charioters with him and observed the Romanes journeys and so often as their horsemen went foorth and straied out in the fields for forage or booty he sent out his chariots and kept them from ranging all abroad Meane while the Trinobantes submit themselves unto Caesar and intreated that he would defend Mandubratius whom Eutropius and Beda out of the Fragments of Suetonius now lost call Androgorius and our Britans Androgeus from the oppression of Cassivellaunus and send him unto them to be their soveraign Of them Caesar required and received forty hostages and corne for his army and therewith sent Mandubratius Then the Cenimagi Segontiaci Ancatites Bibroci aad Cassij following the example of the Trinobantes yeeld unto Caesar By whom he understood that Cassivellaunus his towne was not far off fortified with woods and bogs which as he assaulted in two severall places the Britans flung out at a back way but many of them in their flight were taken and put to the sword Whiles these things were a doing foure pety Kings that ruled Kent to wit Cingetorix Carvilius Taximagulus and Segonais by a mandate from Cassivellaunus did set upon the campe where the Romanes navy was kept but by a sally that the Romanes made they were driven backe and Cingetorix one of the said Kings was taken prisoner Then Cassivellaunus having received so many losses and troubled most of all with the revolt of the states sent Embassadour to Caesar by Conius of Arras tending unto him a surrendry Whereupon
which were left behind to build fortresses in the Silures country And if the villages ans forts next adjoyning had not speedily come to rescue they had beene put to the sword every man Neverthelesse the Camp-Master with eight Centurions and all the forwardest maniples of common souldiers were slaine and not long after they put to flight our forragers and the very troupes of horsemen that were sent out to succour them Then Ostorius setteth out certaine companies lightly appointed and yet thereby could not stay their flight had not the Legions come in and undertooke the battell By their strength they fought with small ods on either hand but afterward wee had the better of it and the enemie betooke himselfe to his heeles and escaped with small losse because the day was farre spent After this they had many skirmishes and for the most part in manner of rodes and robberies in woods on marishes rashly or with foresight it skilled not according as it fell out either as occasion by chance or their owne hearts served them one while for anger another while for booty sometime by commandement from their Captaines and sometimes againe without their warrant and privitie but principally through the wilfull obstinacie of the Silures who were exasperated with a speech of the Roman Generalls that was bruted abroad and came to their eares which was this That as the Sugambri were rooted out and transported over into Gaul so the name of the Silures should utterly be extinguished And in this heat they intercepted two auxiliary bands as they through the avarice of their Praefects forraied and spoiled without advised circumspection Also by large giving away of spoiles and prisoners they drew the rest of the Nations to revolt And then Ostorius wearied with care and griefe of heart yielded up his vitall breath Whereat the enemies rejoyced as at the death of a Captaine not to be despised who though he died not in battell yet was toiled out and spent by reason of the warres But Caesar having intelligence of his Lieutenants death lest the Province should bee destitute of a governour appointed A. Didius in his place He beeing thither come with great speed yet found not all in good state For in the meane space the Legion whereof Manlius Valens had the charge met with an unlucky and disasterous fight The fame whereof the enemies had made greater than it was to terrifie the captaine which was comming who also in the like policie multiplied all that he heard to win more praise by appeasing those troubles or to purchase pardon more easily if they continued still The Silures were they that wrought us this displeasure and damage whereupon they overran the province far and nere untill such time as by Didius his comming they were driven backe About this time Claudius departed this life and Nero succeeded him in the Empire one who had no heart at all to attempt any thing in warfare nay he was minded once to withdraw the forces out of Britain Neither gave he over that intent of his but onely for shame lest he might have been thought to deprave the glory of Claudius After that Caractacus was taken Venutius a very expert man above the rest in military affaires borne under the state of the Iugantes long time trusty to us and defended by the Romanes power having to wife Queene Cartismandua by occasion soone after of a divorce and then of open war between them rebelled also against us and proceeded to plaine hostility At the first the quarrell was onely between them two untill Cartismandua by pollicie and craft had intercepted the brother and neere kinsmen of Venutius Whereupon our enemies kindled with rage and pricked forward with an ignominous indignity lest they should be brought under the yoke of a womans government with a strong power of choise youth by force of armes invaded her kingdome which was foreseen by us and thereupon were cohorts sent to aid her and they fought a hot battell The beginning whereof was doubtfull but the end more joifull The Legion also which Cesius Nasica commanded fought with like successe For Didius yee must thinke being strucken in yeeres and having many honours heaped upon him thought it sufficient to execute his charge and keep off the enemy by the ministery of others For what was woon by others he held onely a few fortresses he built forward farther into the country whereby he might purchase the name of enlarging his office These exploits although they were atchieved by two Propraetors Ostorius and Didius in many years yet I thought good to joyne together lest beeing severed they should not so well have beene remembred After Didius Avicus there succeeded Verannius who having with small rodes spoiled the Silures was hindered by death for warring any farther a man while he lived carrying a great name of precise severitie but in his last will he shewed himselfe manifestly ambitious For after much flattering of Nero he added this That he would have subdued the Province unto his obedience if he had lived the next two yeares But then Suetonius Paulinus governed the Britans one in martiall skill and opinion of the people which suffereth no man without a concurrent striving to match Corbule desirous to equall the honour which he won in recovering Armenia by subduing the enemies that stood out in this country And therefore hee maketh all the preparation hee can to invade the Isle of Mona peopled with strong Inhabitants and a receptacle of traiterous fugitives To this purpose hee buildeth flat botom vessels for the shalowes and uncertaine landing places Thus the footmen passed over and then followed the horsemen by the foord or if the waters were any thing high by swimming they put the horses over Against them the enemies stood upon the shore in divers places embattelled thicke in array well appointed with men and weapons with women also running among who all in blacke and mournefull array with their haire about their eares carried firebrands before them in their hands like the Furies of hell The Druidae likewise round about them lifting up their hands to heaven and pouring out deadly and cursing praiers with this so strange and uncoâ—th sight amazed the souldiers so as they stood still as stockes and stirred not a foot as if they would expose their bodies to receive all wounds presented unto them But afterwards being encouraged by their Captaine and animating one another that they should not feare a flocke of women and franticke people they displaied their ensignes and advanced forward Downe they went with such as encountred them and thrust them within their owne fires This done they planted garrisons in their townes and cut downe their woods and groves consecrated to their execrable superstitions For they accounted it lawfull to offer sacrifies upon their altars with the bloud of captives and to aske counsell of their Gods by inspection of mens fibres and entrailes As Suetonius was
which after sundry skirmishes with divers event delivered the Queenes person out of perill but the kingdome remained to Venutius and the warre unto us Now when as the state of Rome Citie was for Vespasian governed by Mutianus hee made Iulius Agricola who was gone to side with Vespasian and had behaved himselfe with great integritie and courage Lieutenant of the two and twentieth Legion in Britanny a Legion which slowly had sworne allegiance to Vespasian In which province his predecessour by report seditiously demeaned himselfe For the said Legion was out of awe or rather it over-awed even Lieutenants generall that had beene Consuls Neither was the ordinarie Legions Lieutenant who had beene but Praetor of power sufficient to restrain and keepe it under whether it were through his owne weaknesse or the stubborne disposition of the souldiers it is not certaine Thus being elected both to succeede and revenge hee shewed an example of most rare moderation in making choice to bee thought rather to have found them than to have made them dutifull souldiers And albeit that Vectius Bolanus Lieutenant Generall of Britannie for the time being governed in a gentler and milder manner than was fit for so fierce a Province Yet under him Agricola cunningly conforming himselfe to that humor and not unlearned to joyne profitable counsels with honest tempered the heat of his owne nature that it might not grow upon him still But when as Vespasian recovered together with the rest of the world Britanny also brave captaines good souldiers were sent and the enemies hope was greatly abated For straightwaies Petilius Cerialis strooke a terror into them by invading at his first entry the Brigantes thought to be the most populous state of the whole Province Many battels were fought and some bloudy And the greatest of the Brigantes he either conquered or wasted And whereas Cerialis would doubtlesse have dimmed the diligence and fame of another successor Iulius Frontinus a great man sustained also as hee might after such a predecessor that waightie charge with reputation and credit who subdued the puissant and warlike people of the Silures where he had beside the vertue of the enemie struggled with the streights and difficult places In this estate Agricola found the Province and the wars thus far proceeded in when as about the middest of summer he passed the seas at what time the souldiers as if the season were past attended an end for that yeare of their service and the enemie occasions to begin for to hurt The Ordovices a little before he entred the land had hewed almost wholly in pieces a wing which lay in their borders Vpon which beginning the countrey being awaked as men desirous of warre allowed the example and some staied to see how the new Lieutenant would take it Then Agricola although the Summer was spent and the bands lay dispersed in the Province and his souldiers had fully presumed of rest for that yeare which hindred much and crossed directly his undertaking of warre most men also being of opinion rather to keepe and assure the places suspected all this notwithstanding resolved fully to encounter the danger having gathered therefore the ensignes of the Legions and some few Auxiliaries because the Ordovices durst not descend into indifferent ground himselfe before the voward to give others like courage in the like danger led up in battell-ray to encounter the enemie And having slaughtered almost the whole nation knowing full well that fame must with instance be followed and as the first fell out so the rest would succeede hee deliberated to conquer the Island Mona from the possession whereof as before I have rehearsed Paullinus was revoked by the generall rebellion of Britannie But as in purposes not resolved on before ships being wanting the pollicie and resolutenesse of the captaine devised a passage over For he commanded the most choise of the Aid-souldiers to whom all the foords and shallowes were knowne and who after the usuall practise of their countrie were able in swimming to governe all at once themselves their armour and horses laying aside their carriage to put over at once and suddenly invade them Which thing so amazed the enemie attending for a fleet for shipping for tide that they surely believed nothing could bee hard or invincible to men that came so minded to war Whereupon they humbly intreated for peace and yielded the Island Thus Agricola at his first entry into this province which time other consume in vaine ostentation or ambitious seeking of complements entring withall into labors and dangers became famous indeed and of great reputation Neither abused Agricola the prosperous proceeding of his affaires to vanity or braving in speeches as to tearme it an exploit or a conquest thus to have kept in order persons subdued before or to bedeck with lawrell his letters of advertisement but by stopping and suppressing the fame he augmented it the more whiles men began to discourse upon what great presumptions of future successe hee should make so light an account of such great actions already performed as not to speake a word of them Now as touching civill government Agricola knowing right well the disposition and mind of the Province taught also by the experience of others that armes availe little to settle a new conquered State if injuries and wrongs bee permitted determined to cut off all causes of warres And beginning at home his owne house first of all he reformed and restrained a point of as much hardnesse with many as to governe a province He committed no manner of publike affaires to bond men or freed hee admitted no souldier about his person either upon private affection of partiall suiters or upon the commendation and intreatie of Centurions but elected simply the best presuming the same to be the most faithfull He would see into all things but not exact all things to the rigor Light faults he would pardon and the great severely correct not alwaies proceeding to punish but often content with repentance chusing rather not to preferre unto office and charge such as were like to offend than after offence to condemne them The augmentation of corne and tributes he mollified with equall dividing of charge and burthen cutting away those petty extortions which grieved the subject more than the tribute it selfe For the poore people were constained in a mockery to waite at the barnes fast locked against them and first to buy the corne then after to sell it at a price Severall waies were enioyned and far distant places by the purveiors commandement that the country should carry from the neerest standing-camps to those which were far off out of the way till that which lay open to all and at hand was turned in fine to the gaine of a few By repressing these abuses presently in his first yeare a good opinion was conceived from him of peace which either by the negligence or connivence of former Lieutenants was now no lesse feared than
warre At this time died Vespasian unto whom for these victories of the leaders and his owne vertue under Claudius Valerius Flaccus before his Poeme thus speaketh Tuque ô pelagi cui major aperti Fama Caledonius post quam tua carbasa vexit Oceanus Phrygios prius indignatus Iulos And thou for seas discovery whose fame did more appeare Since time thy ships with sailes full spred in Northerne Ocean were Which of the Trojan Julii erst did scorne the sailes to beare But when that Noble Titus THE LOVELY Deareling AND JOY OF THE WORLD succeeded his father Agricola when summer was once come assembling his armie together those souldiers of his who in marching behaved themselves in modest sort hee commended the loose and dissolute straglers he checked The places for pitching the campe hee designed himselfe the friths he sounded and the thickets he proved first in his owne person not suffering in the meane season any corner in the enemies country to be quiet but wasting and spoiling with sudden excursions and roads But when he had throughly terrified them then would he againe spare and forbeare alluring thereby their minds to friendship and peace Vpon which kind of proceeding many states that stood upon termes of equalitie before that day gave hostages and meekely submitted themselves receiving garrison and permitting to fortifie which he so wisely and with such great foresight and reason performed that nothing was ever attempted against them whereas before no new fortified place in all Britanny escaped unassailed The winter ensuing was spent in most profitable and politicke devises For whereas the Britaines were rude and dispersed and therefore prone upon every occasion to warre hee to induce them by pleasures unto quietnesse and rest exhorted them in private and helpt them in common to build temples houses and places of publique resort commending the forward and checking the slow imposing thereby a kind of necessitie upon them whiles each man contended to gaine honour and reputation thereby And now by this time the Noble mens sonnes he tooke and instructed in the liberall sciences preferring the wits of the Britaine 's before the students of France as being now curious to attaine the eloquence of the Roman language whereas they lately rejected their speech After that our attire grew to be in account and the Gowne much used among them Sâ— by little and little they fell to these provocations of vices to sumptuous galleries bathes yea and exquisite banquettings which things the ignorant termed civility being indeed a part of their bondage In the third yeare of his wars he discovered new countries wasting along till he came to the firth of Taus Which thing so terrified the enemies that although the armie was toiled out with cruell tempests yet durst they not assaile them and the Romans moreover had leasure space to fortifie there They which were skilfull that way observed that never any Captine did more advisedly chuse his places No Castle planted by Agricola ever was either forced by strength or upon conditions surrendred or as not defensible forsaken Many times they issued forth for against a long siege they were stored with a whole yeares provision So they wintered there without feare every garrison guarding it selfe and needing no helpe of their neighbours the enemies assaulting sometimes but in vaine without successe and driven thereupon to despaire For the losses of Summer they were commonly wont before to repaire with winter events but now summer and winter alike they went to the worse In all these actions Agricola never sought to draw unto himselfe the glory of any exploit done by another but were it Centurion or of other degree hee would faithfully witnesse the fact and yield him alwaies his due commendation By some hee is said to have beene somewhat bitter in checks and rebukes and indeed the man was as toward the good of a most sweet disposition so to the bad and lewd persons unpleasant and sower enough But this choler passed away with his words closenesse in him and silence you needed not to feare hee esteemed it more honest to offend then to hate The fourth summer was spent in perusing and ordering that which he had over-run And if the valiant minds of the armies and glory of the Roman name could have permitted or accepted it so they needed not to have sought other limit of Britaine For Glotta and Bodotria two armes of two contrary seas shooting a mightie way into the land are onely divided a sunder by a narrow partition of ground which passage was guarded and fortified then with garrison and castle so that the Romans were absolute Lords of all on this side having cast out the enemie as it were into another Island The fifth yeare of the warre Agricola first taking sea there went over and subdued with many and prosperous conflicts nations before that time unknowne and he furnished with forces that part of Britannie which lieth against Ireland more in hope than for feare For Ireland if it might have beene wonne lying between Britannie and Spaine and fitly also for the French sea would aptly have united to the great advantage of the one and the other these strongest members of the Empire together In bignesse it is inferiour to Britannie howbeit bigger than the Islands of our sea The soile and temperature of the aire the nature and fashions differ not much from the British The ports and places of accesse are better knowne by reason of more commerce and frequenting of merchants Agricola had received before a Prince of that country driven out by civill dissention whom under colour of courtesie and friendship he retained till occasion should serve I have heard him oftentimes say that with one Legion and some few Aides Ireland might bee wonne and possessed that it were also a strength for our British affaires If the Roman forces were planted each-where and libertie banisht as it were quite out of sight About this time died Titus who for these valiant Acts exploited by Agricola was the fifteenth â—ime named Imperator as Xiphilinus writeth and an ancient piece of coine witnesseth with him Then Agricola under Domitian in the summer which began the sixth yeare of his office because a generall rising in armes of all the farther Nations beyond Bodotria was feared passages were all beset with a power of the enemies manned a fleet to search the Creeks and Harboroughes of that ample region which lieth beyond it Which being by Agricola then first taken and emploied as a part of his strength followed after a long and made a goodly brave shew while at one time warre both by sea and land went forward And oft it so chanced that the horseman footman and sea-souldier met and made merrie in the same campe one with another extolling and magnifying each their owne prowesse and adventures making their vaunts comparisons souldier-like the one of the woods high mountaines the other of dangerous tempests and
as it were of fame hath defended Now the uttermost point of Britannie is laid open things the lesse they have bin within knowledge the greater is the glory to atchive them But no nation now is there beyond us nothing but water nothing but rockes and the Romans even among them more infest than all besides Whose intolerable pride in vaine shall a man seeke to avoide with any obsequious service and humble behaviour Robbers as they be of the world who having now left no more land to spoile search also the sea If their enemies be rich they covet their wealth if poore they seeke to gaine glorie Whom neither the East nor the West is ever able to satisfie the onely men of all memorie that seeke out all places be they wealthy or be they poore with like affection To take away by maine force to kill and to spoile they fasly terme Empire and government when they lay all waste as a wildernesse that they call peace That every man should hold his owne children and bloud most deare Nature hath ordeined and even those are pressed for souldiers and carried away to serve as slaves elswhere Our wives and sisters if they be not violently forced as in open hostilitie are in the meane time under the colour and title of friends and guests often abused Our goods and substance they draw from us for tribute our corne for provision Our verie bodies and hands they weare out and consume in paving of bogs and ridding of woods with a thousand stripes and reproachfull indignities besides Slaves yet which be borne to bondage are bought and sold once for all and afterwards fedde and found at their owners expences But Britannie daily buyeth dayly feedeth and is at daily charge with her owne bondage And as in a private retinue of houshold servants the fresh man and last commer is laughed and scoffed at by his very fellowes even so in this old servitude of the whole world our destruction only is sought as being the latest and vilest in account of all other For fields we have none to manure no mines to be digged no ports to trade in for which purposes and emploiments we should be reserved alive And as for the manhood and fierce courage of the subject it pleaseth not much the jelous Soveraign And this very corner being so secret and far out of the way the more security it yeeldeth to us in them it works the greater suspicion So seeing all hope of pardon is past at the length take courage to defend and maintaine your safety as well as your honor things most deere and pretious unto you The Trinobantes led by a woman fired a Colonie forced campe and castle and if such a lucky beginning had not ended in sloth and security they might with ease have shaken off the yoke We as yet were never touched never foiled nor subdued as men therefore that mind to maintain their freedome not for the present but for ever let us shew straitwaies in the first joining what manner of men Caledonia reserved in store for herselfe Or do yee thinke the Romanes to be as valiant in war as they are wanton in peace No it is not by their owne vertue but by our farrings and discords they are grown into fanie and the faults of their enemies they abuse to the glory of their owne armie composed of most divers nations and therefore as by present prosperity holden together so if fortune once frowne it doubtlesse will dissolve unlesse ye suppose the Frenchmen and Germanes and to our shame be it spoken many of our owne Nation which now lend their lives to establish a forrain usurper and yet have beene enemies longer than servants to be led and induced with any true harted and loyall affection Nay it is feare and terror weake links and bounds of love Remove them once those which shall cease to feare will soone begin to hate All things to incite unto victory are on our side No wife to encourage the Romanes no parents to upbraid them if they flee most have either no country at all or els some other A few fearefull persons trembling and gazing all about at the strangenesse of heaven it selfe of sea of woods and all things els the Gods have delivered mewd up as it were and fettered into our hands Let the vaine shew and glittering of gold and silver terrifie us which neither defendeth nor offendeth And even amongst our enemies in the field we shall find of our side The Britaines will agnize their owne cause The French will call to remembrance their freedome and former estate the rest of the Germans will leave and forsake them as of late the Vsipians did And what else then have we to feare the Castles are emptie the colonies peopled with aged and impotent persons the free Cities discontent and in factions whiles those which are under obey with ill will and they that doe governe rule against right Here is the Generall and here is the armie There are the tributes there be the mettall mines and other miseries inseperably following them that live under the subjection of others which either to continue and endure forever or straight to revenge it lieth this day in this field Wherefore as yee are going to battell beare in your minds both the freedome of your ancestors and the bondage of your posteritie This speech they cheerefully received as well with a song after their barbarous mâ—â—â—ner as with confused acclamations and dissonant noises And as the companies clustered together and glittering armour appeared whiles the boldest advanced forward and withall the rankes were putting themselves in array Agricola albeit his souldiers were glad of that day and scarce with words could be with-holden supposing it best to say somewhat encouraged them in this wise Fellow souldiers and companions in armes Your faithfull service and diligence these 8. yeares so painfully shewed by the vertue and fortune of the Roman Empire hath conquered red Britanny In so many journies in so many battells we were of necessitie to shew our selves either valiant against the enemie or patient and laborious almost above and against nature it selfe In which exploits wee have hitherto borne our selves both so that neither desired I better souldiers nor you other Captaine Insomuch as we have exceeded the limits I of my predecessor and you of yours To the end of Britannie wee have found not by fame and report but we are with our armes and pavillions really invested thereof Britain I say is found and subdued In marching when the passage over bogs mountaines and rivers toiled you out how oft have I heard every valiant souldier say when will the enemie present himselfe when shall wee fight Loe they are now put up out of their holes and hither they are come Your wish loe is here and place for your vertue yea and all things to follow in an easie and expedite course if you win but all against you if you leese For as
inaggeratas Beda and the latter writers Stratas that is Streets Our Chronicles doubtlesse herein deceived doe hold that there were but onely foure such causeies as these of which the first was Watling-streete so called of one Vitellian I wote not what he was who had the charge thereof and indeed the Britans named Vitellian in their tongue Guetalin and Werlam-street for that it went through Verolamium which elsewhere also the people dwelling neere unto it named High dike High ridge Fortie-foot-way and Ridge-way The second they commonly call Ikemildstreet because it began in the Icenes country The third the Fosse for that as men thinke it was fensed on both sides with a ditch and the fourth Ermin-street by a German word of Mercurie whom as I am informed by Iohn obsopoeus a great learned man under the name of Ermisul that is the Columne of Mercurie the Germans our ancient progenitors worshipped Now that Mercurie had the charge of waies his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Greekes may shew sufficiently as also his Statues with foure sides called in old time Hermae which were set every where upon high waies It hath been generally thought that one Mulmutius I know not what he should be many hundred yeares before the birth of Christ made these causeys but so far am I from believing it that I dare confidently avouch the Romans by little and little founded and raised them up Whilest Agricola saith Tacitus governed Britaine severall waies were enjoyned and farre distant places by the purveyors commandement that the country should carry from the nearest standing camps or wintering places to those that were farre off and out of the way And the Britans complained as the same Tacitus writeth That the Romans wore out and consumed their bodies and hands in cleering of woods and paving the Fens with a thousand stripes reprochfull indignities And so we read in ancient records That in the daies of Honorius and Arcadius there were made in Britaine certain beaten high waies from sea to sea That this was the Romans worke Beda witnesseth The Romans inhabited saith he within the wall which as I rehearsed before Severus had made overthwart the Island toward the southerne side which the Cities Churches and street waies there made doe witnesse at this day About the making of such causeys and high waies the Romans were wont to exercise their souldiers and the common multitude lest being idle they should grow factious and affect alteration in the Sate The Romans as Isodorus writeth made Causeys in sundry places almost through the world both for the direction of journeys and also because the people should not be idle and to the making and paving of such causeys prisoners were many times condemned as may be gathered out of Suetonius in the life of Caius And there are to be seene in Spaine the Causeys called Salamantica or Argentea as also in France certaine Rode waies called Viae militares paved by the Romans to say nothing of the way Appia Pâ—mpeia Valeria and others in Italie A long these Causeys and high waies Augustus placed young men at first as posts within small distances one from another and afterward swift wagons to give notice with all speed and out of hand what was doing in every place Neere or upon these Cawsies were seated Cities and Mansions which had in them Innes furnished with all necessaries belonging to this life for travailers and way-faring persons to abide and rest in as also Mutations For so they called in that age the places where strangers as they journied did change their post-horses draught beasts or wagons He therefore that seeketh not about these Rode waies for those places which are mentioned in the Itinerarie of Antoninus shall no doubt misse the truth and wander out of the way Neither think much of your labour in this place to note that the Emperors erected at every miles end along these Cawsies certaine little pillars or Columnes with numerall Characters or Letters cut in them to signifie how many miles Whereupon Sidonius Apollinaris writeth thus Antiquus tibi nec teratur agger Cujus per spatium satis vetustis Nomen Caesareum viret columnis That ancient cawsey doe not decay Where on good old pillars along the way The Caesars name stands fresh for aie Neere also unto these high waies on both sides were Tombs and Sepulchers with Inscriptions graved upon them in memoriall of brave and noble men that the passengers by might be put in mind that as those sometimes were mortall men so themselves are now For the repairing likewise of the said cawseys as wee may see in the Code of Theodosius title de Itinere muniendo that is Of making and mending waies They all were willing upon a good and profitable devotion who could doe best and make most speed in this businesse Furthermore in our owne ancient lawes there is mention made de pace quatuor Cheminorum that is Viarâ—m sub majori judicio that is Touching the peace of the foure Rhode-waies in some higher Court. Under the raigne of Nerva the writers have discontinued the Storie of Britannie But in the time of Trajane the Britans may seem to have revolted and rebelled and evident it is out of Spartianus that subdued then they were Moreover while Adrian was Emperour Julius Severus ruled the Island and when he was called away against the Jewes who then were in an uprore the Britans could not have beene kept in their allegiance to the Romans had not Adrianus come among them in person who being then Consull the third time in the yeare of Christ 124. seemeth by the prowesse of his armie to have discomfited his enemies For I have seene in one piece of mony of his coining the stampe of an Emperour with three souldiers whom I judge to represent three Legions with this Inscription EXER BRITANNICUS and another bearing this Inscription RESTITUTOR BRITANNY This Prince reformed many things throughout the Island and was the first that built a wall between the barbarous Britans and the Romans fourescore miles in length laying the foundation thereof within the ground of huge piles or stakes and fastning them together in manner of a strong hedge or mound For which expedition of his Florus the Poet plaied upon him thus Ego nolo Caesar esse Ambulare per Britannos Scythicas pati pruinas I will in no wise Caesar be To walke along in Britanie The Scythicke frosts to feele and see Unto whom Adrianus wrote back in this wise Ego nolo Florus esse Ambulare per tabernas Latitare per popinas Culices pati rotundos And I will never Florus be To walke from shop to shop as he To lâ—rke in Tavernes secretly And there to feele the round wine fly At this time M.F. CL. PRISCVS LICINIVS was the Propraetor of Britannie and emploied in the Journey of Jurie with Hadrian as appeareth by this antique Inscription in a broken marble
with utter disclaiming and renouncing of all return more confidently than their usuall manner had beene seize into their hands all the Northern and utmost part of the land and hold the same as naturall inborne Inhabitants even as far as to the wall Against these attempts opposed there was and placed upon an high fort and castle along the wall a garrison nothing war-like unfit for fight with quaking hearts and altogether unmeet for service which warding there day and night became lazie with doing nothing Meane while no stay there was but those bare naked enemies approached the forts and wall with hooked weapons and engines wherewith the most miserable people were plucked from the walles and dashed against the hard ground This good yet did this manner of hasting untimely death unto those that by such meanes were speedily rid out of the world in that by so quick a dispatch they escaped and avoided the wofull imminent calamities of their brethren and deare children To bee short having abandoned their Cities and quit that high-wall once againe they tooke them to flight and were dispersed anew in more desperate manner than before time Semblably the enemies follow hard in chase and hasten to make fouler havocke and more cruell butcherie of them Like therefore as Lambs by bloudy butchers so are these wofull Inhabitants quartred and mangled by their enemies insomuch as their abode among them might well be compared to the ravening of wild and savage beasts For not only the poore and wretched people themselves forbeare not to rob one another for their short sustenance of small food but also those hostile outward miseries and calamities were augmented with inward tumults and troubles in that by these and such like pillages and spoiles practised so thicke the whole country was exhaust of victuals the staffe and strength of life save onely the small comfort that came by hunting Whereupon the distressed remaines of them send their missive letters againe unto Aetius a power-able man in the Roman state in this tune To * AETIVS THRICE CONSVLL THE GRONES OF BRITANS The Barbarians drive us backe to the sea The sea againe putteth us backe upon Barbarians Thus betweene tweene two kinds of death either our throats be cut or we are drowned Yet obtaine they no succour at all for those their distresses Meane while in this wandring and declining condition of theirs most notorious and horrible famine oppresseth them which forced many of them without delay to yield themselves into the hands of those cruell spoilers and robbers that they might have some food were it never so little to comfort and refresh their poore hungry soules but with others it never wrought so much but they chose rather to withstand and rise against them continually from out of the very mountaines caves and thick woods full of bushes briers and brambles And then verily at the first they gave sundry overthrowes with much slaughter to their enemies for many yeares together as they made spoile and drave away booties in the land reposing their trust not in man but in God according to that saying of Philo The helpe of God is at hand when mans helpe faileth Thus for a while rested our enemies from their boldnesse but yet our countrymen gave not over their wickednesse The enemies I say retired from the people but the people did not retire themselves from their wickednesse For an usuall manner it ever was of this nation like as it is at this day also to shew themselves feeble in repressing the enemies forces but strong enough to civill warres and to undergoe the burdens of sinne c. Well then these shamelesse Irish ravenours returne home minding shortly after to make repaire hither againe and the Picts rested without molestation then first and so from thenceforth in the utmost part of the Province yet not without wasting harrying the country at sundry times By meanes therefore of such surcease of hostility the desolate peoples sore of famin was healed up clean and skinned but another more virulent than it secretly bred and brake forth For in the time that the Island was free from hostile wasting there happened it in so fruitfull plenty and abundance of all things as the like no age before had ever remembred and therewith groweth evermore all manner of riot and excesse For so mightily it encreased and came to so great an head that very fitly at the same time it might be said Certainely it is hard that there is such fornication as the like is not among the Gentiles And not this sinne onely was rife but all others also that are incident to mans nature and especially which likewise at this very day overturneth the state of all goodnesse in it the hatred of Truth and the maintainers thereof the love also of lies with the forgers thereof the admitting of evill for good the respective regard of leawdnesse in stead of goodnesse desire of darkenesse in lieu of the Sun-light and accepting of Satan for an Angell of light Kings were annointed not by God but by such as were knowne more cruell than the rest and soone after the same were murdered by their owne anointers without due examination of the truth and others more fierce and cruell elected Now if any one of these Kings seemed more mild than other and somewhat better inclined to the Truth upon him as the the subverter of Britaine the hatred and spitefull darts of all men without respect were levelled and shot No difference made they of any thing that they tooke displeasure at but things weighed all in equall ballance saving that the better things indeed wrought ever discontent in so much as right justly the saying of the Prophet which was denounced unto that people in old time might bee applied unto our country Yee lawlesse and corrupt children have forsaken the Lord and provoked unto wrath the holy one of Israel Why should ye be smitten any more still multiplying iniquitie Every head is sicke and every heart is heavy From the sole of the foot unto the crowne of the head there is nothing sound therein Thus did they all things that were contrary to their safetie as if no phisicke or medicine had been bestowed upon the world by the true phisician of all And not onely the secular or lay men did this but also the selected flocke of the Lord and the shepheards thereof who ought to have given example to the whole people To speake of drunkennesse numbers of them drenched as it were with wine lay benummed and senselesse possessed they were with swelling pride and therewith stomackfull given to contentious brawles armed with the catching clawes of envie and undiscreet in their judgement as putting no difference betweene good and evill Insomuch as apparantly even as now a daies it seemed that contempt was poured forth upon the Princes and the people were seduced by their vanities and errour in by paths and not led the right way In the meane time when
any expedition set out either by sea or land it served in proportion to five hides It hath beene likewise from time to time much afflicted once spoiled and sore shaken by the furious outrages of the Danes in the yeare of our redemption 875. but most grievously by Suen the Dane in the yeare 1003. at which time by the treacherie of one Hugh a Norman Governor of the citie it was raced and ruined along from the East gate to the West And scarcely began it to flourish againe when William the Conquerour most straightly beleaguered it when the Citizens in the meane while thought it not sufficient to shut their gates against him but malapartly let flie taunts and flouts at him but when a piece of their wall fell downe by the speciall hand of God as the Historians of that age report they yielded immediatly thereupon At which time as we find in the said survey-booke of his The King had in this Citie three hundred houses it paid fifteene pounds by the yeare and fortie houses were destroyed after that the King came into England After this it was thrice besieged and yet it easily avoided all First by Hugh Courtney Earle of Denshire in that civill warre betweene the two houses of Lancaster and Yorke then by Perkin Warbecke that imaginarie counterfeit and pretended Prince who being a young man of a very base condition faining himselfe to be Richard Duke of Yorke the second sonne of King Edward the Fourth stirred up dangerous stirres against Henrie the Seventh thirdly by seditious Rebels of Cornwall in the yeare of Christ 1549 at which time the Citizens most grievously pinched though they were with scarcitie of all things continued neverthelesse in their faith and allegeance untill that Iohn Lord Russell raised the siege and delivered them But Excester received not so great damage at these enemies hands as it did by certaine dammes which they call Weares that Edward Courtney Earle of Denshire taking high displeasure against the Citizens made in the river Ex which stop the passage so that no vessell can come up to the Citie but since that time all merchandize is carried by land from Topesham three miles off And albeit it hath beene decreed by Act of Parliament to take away these Weares yet they continue there still Hereupon the little Towne adjoyning is call Weare being aforetime named Heneaton which was sometime the possession of Augustine de Baa from whom in right of inheritance it descended to Iohn Holland who in his signet which my selfe have seene bare a Lion rampant gardant among flowers de Lys. The civill government of this Citie is in the power of foure and twenty persons out of whom there is from yeare to yeare a Major elected who with foure Bailiffes ruleth heere the State As touching the Geographicall description of this place the old tables of Oxford have set downe the longitude thereof to bee nineteene degrees and eleven scruples the latitude fiftie degrees and fortie scruples or minutes This Citie that I may not omit so much hath had three Dukes For Richard the Second of that name King of England created Iohn Holland Earle of Huntingdon and his brother by the mothers side the first Duke of Excester whom Henrie the Fourth deposed from this dignitie and left unto him the name onely of Earle of Huntingdon and soone after for conspiracie against the King he lost both it and his life by the hatchet Some few yeares after Henry the Fifth set in his place Thomas Beaufort of the house of Lancaster and Earle of Dorset a right noble and worthy warriour When he was dead leaving no issue behind him John Holland sonne of that aforesaid John as heire unto his brother Richard who died without children and to his father both being restored to his bloud by the favour and bounty of King Henry the Sixth recovered his fathers honor and left the same to Henry his sonne who so long as the Lancastrians stood upright flourished in very much honor but afterwards when the family of Yorke was a float and had rule of all gave an example to teach men how ill trusting it is to great Fortunes For this was that same Henry Duke of Excester who albeit he had wedded King Edward the Fourth his sister was driven to such miserie that he was seene all tottered torne and barefooted to begge for his living in the Low countries And in the end after Barnet field fought wherein he bare himselfe valiantly against Edward the Fourth was no more seene untill his dead bodie as if he had perished by Shipwracke was cast upon the shore of Kent A good while after this Henry Courtney Earle of Denshire the sonne of Katharine daughter to King Edward the Fourth was advanced to the honour of Marquesse of Excester by Henry the Eighth and designed heire apparant But this Marquesse as well as the first Duke was by his high parentage cast into a great tempest of troubles wherein as a man subject to suspitions and desirous of a change in the State he was quickly overthrowne And among other matters because he had with money and counsell assisted Reginald Poole afterwards Cardinall then a fugitive practising with the Emperour and the Pope against his owne Country and the King who had now abrogated the Popes authoritie he was judicially arraigned and being condemned with some others lost his head But now of late by the favour of King Iames Thomas Cecill Lord Burleigh enjoyeth the title of Earle of Excester a right good man and the worthy sonne of so excellent a father being the eldest sonne of William Cecill Lord Burleigh high Treasurer of England whose wisedome for a long time was the support of peace and Englands happy quietnesse From Excester going to the very mouth of the River I find no monument of Antiquitie but Exminster sometime called Exanminster bequeathed by King Elfred to his younger sonne and Pouderham Castle built by Isabell de Ripariis the seat long time of that most noble family of the Courtneys Knights who being lineally descended from the stocke of the Earles of Denshire and allied by affinitie to most honorable houses flourish still at this day most worthy of their descent from so high Ancestors Under Pouderham Ken a pretty brooke entreth into Ex which riseth neere Holcombe where in a Parke is a faire place built by Sir Thomas Denis whose family fetcheth their first off-spring and surname from the Danes and were anciently written Le Dan Denis by which name the Cornish called the Danes But lower upon the very mouth of the river on the other banke side as the name it selfe doth testifie standeth Exanmouth knowne by nothing else but the name and for that some fishermen dwelt therein More Eastward Otterey that is The River of Otters or River-Dogs which we call Otters as may appeare by the signification of the word falleth into the sea which runneth hard under
elsewhere is called Cangton But of these matters let the reader be judge my selfe as I said doth no more but conjecture whiles I seeke to trace out these their footsteps and hope to find them out some where-else Among these hils standeth Chuton which was the habitation if I take not my markes amisse of William Bonvill whom King Henrie the Sixth called by his writ of Summons to the Parliament by the name William de Bonvill and Chuton among other Barons of the Realme made him Knight of the Garter and richly matched his sonne in marriage with the sole daughter of Lord Harington But when he unthankefull man that he was in the heate of civill warre revolted and tooke part with the house of Yorke as if vengeance had pursued him hard at heeles that onely sonne of his he saw taken from him by untimely death and his nephew by the same sonne Baron of Harington slaine at the battell of Wakefield and immediately after that his old age might want no kind of miserie whiles he waited still and long looked for better daies was himselfe taken prisoner in the second battell of Saint Albans and having now run through his full time by course of nature lost his head leaving behind him for his heire his Grand-childs daughter Cecilie a Damsel of tender yeares who afterwards with a great inheritance was wedded to Thomas Greie Marquesse Dorset But his bloud after his death was by authoritie of Parliament restored Under Mendip hills northward there is a little village called Congersburie so named of one Congar a man of singular holinesse Capgrave hath written that hee was the Emperours sonne of Constantinople who lived there an Eremite also Harpetre a Castle by right of inheritance fell to the Gornaies and from them descended to the Ab-Adams who as I have read restored it to the Gornaies again Southward not farre from the foresaid hole where Mendip slopeth downe with a stony descent a little citie with an Episcopall See is scituate beneath at the hill foot sometime called as saith Leland but whence he had it I wot not Theodorodunum now Welles so named of the Springs or Wels which boile and walme up there like as Susa in Persia Croia in Dalmatia and Pagase in Macedonia were named of the like fountaines in their countrey speech whereupon this also in Latin is called Fontanensis Ecclesia as one would say Fountain-Church Fot multitude of Inhabitants for faire and stately buildings it may well and truely chalenge the preheminence of all this Province A goodly Church it hath and a Colledge founded by King Ina in honour of Saint Andrew and soone after endowed by Princes and great men with rich livings and revenewes among whom King Kinewolph by name in the yeare of our Lord 766. granted unto it very many places lying thereabout For in a Charter of his wee reade thus I Kinewolph King of the West-Saxons for the love of God and that which is not openly to be spoken for some vexation of our enemies those of the Cornish Nation with the consent of my Bishops and Nobles will most humbly give and consecrate some parcell of Land to Saint Andrew the Apostle and servant of God that is to say as much as commeth to Eleven Hides neere to the River called Welwe for the augmentation of that Monasterie which standeth neere the great fountaine that they call Wiclea This Charter have I set downe both for the antiquitie and because some have supposed that the place tooke name of this River verily neere the Church there is a Spring called Saint Andrewes Well the fairest deepest and most plentifull that I have seene by and by making a swift Brooke The Church it selfe all throughout is very beautifull but the Frontispiece thereof in the West end is a most excellent and goodly piece of worke indeede for it ariseth up still from the foot to the top all of imagerie in curious and antike wise wrought of stone carved and embowed right artificially and the Cloisters adjoyning very faire and spacious A gorgeous pallace of the Bishops built in manner of a Castle fortified with walles and a moate standeth hard by Southward and on the other side faire houses of the Prebendaries For Seven and Twenty Prebends with nineteene other petty Prebends beside a Deane a Chaunter a Chancellour and three Archdeacons belong to this Church In the time of K. Edward the elder a Bishops See was here placed For when the Pope had suspended him because the Ecclesiasticall discipline and jurisdiction in these westerne parts of the Realme began openly to decay then he knowing himselfe to be a maintainer and Nurse-father of the Church ordained three new Bishopricks to wit of Cridie Cornwall and this of Welles where hee made Eadulph the first Bishop But many yeares after when Giso sate Bishop there Harold Earle of the West-Saxons and of Kent who gaped so greedily for the goods of the Church so disquieted and vexed him that hee went within a little off quite abolishing the dignitie thereof But King William the Conquerour after hee had overthrowne Harold stretched out his helping hand to the succour of banished Giso and reliefe of his afflicted Church At what time as witnesseth Doomesday booke the Bishop held the whole towne in his owne hands which paid tribute after the proportion of fiftie Hides Afterwards in the raigne of Henry the First Iohannes de Villula of Tours in France being now elected Bishop translated his See to Bathe since which time the two Sees growing into one the Bishop beareth the title of both so that hee is called The Bishop of Bathe and Welles Whereupon the Monkes of Bathe and Canons of Welles entred into a great quarrell and skuffled as it were each with the other about the choosing of their Bishops Meane while Savanaricus Bishop of Bathe being also Abbat of Glastenbury translated the See of Glastenbury and was called Bishop thereof but when hee died this title died with him and the Monkes and Canons aforesaid were at length brought to accord by that Robert who divided the Patrimonie of Welles Church into Prebends instituting a Deane Sub-deane c. Joceline also the Bishop about the same time repaired the Church with new buildings and within remembrance of our Grand-fathers Raulph of Shrewsburie so some call him built a very fine Colledge for the Vicars and singing-men fast by the North side of the Church and walled in the Bishops Palace But this rich Church was dispoiled of many faire possessions in the time of King Edward the Sixth when England felt all miseries which happen under a Child-King As ye goe from the Palace to the market-place of the towne Thomas Beckington the Bishop built a most beautifull gate who also adjoyned thereto passing faire houses all of uniforme height neere the Market-place in the middest whereof is to be seene a Market-place supported with seven Columnes or pillar without arched
deprived thereof by King Henrie the Fourth having the title onely of the Earle of Somerset left unto him The said Iohn had three sonnes Henry Earle of Somerset who died in his tender age Iohn created by King Henry the Fifth the first Duke of Somerset who had one sole daughter named Margaret mother to King Henry the Seventh and Edmund who succeeded after his brother in the Dukedome and having beene a certaine time Regent of France being called home and accused for the losse of Normandie after hee had suffred much grievance at the peoples hands in that regard was in that wofull war betweene the houses of Lancaster and Yorke slaine in the first battaile of S. Albans Henrie his sonne being placed in his roome whiles hee served the times siding one while with Yorke and anotherwhile with Lancaster in the battaile at Exham was by those of the houses of Yorke taken prisoner and with the losse of his head paied for his unconstant levitie Edmund his brother succeeded him in his honor who of this family was the last Duke of Somerset and when the whole power of the Lancastrians was discomfited at Tewkesbury was forcibly pulled out of the Church into which all embrued with bloud he fled as into a Sanctuary and then beheaded Thus all the legitimate males of this family being dead and gone first King Henry the Seventh honored with title Edmund his owne son a young child who shortly departed this world afterwards King Henry the Eighth did the like for his base sonne named Henry Fitz-Roy And seeing he had no children King Edward the Sixth invested Sir Edward de Sancto Mauro commonly Seimor with the same honour who being most power-able honorable and loaden with titles for thus went his stile Duke of Somerset Earle of Hertford Vicount Beauchamp Baron Seimor Vncle to the King Governor of the King Protector of his Realmes Dominions and subjects Lieutenant of the forces by land and sea Lord high Treasurer and Earle Marshall of England Captaine of the Isles Gernsey and Iarsey c. Was sodainely overwhelmed as it were by a disport of fortune which never suffereth suddaine over-greatnesse to last long and for a small crime and that upon a nice point subtlely devised and packed by his enemies bereaved both of those dignities and his life withall In this Countie are numbred Parishes 385. WILTONIAE Comitatus herbida Plâ—nicie nobilis vulâ—o will Shire pars olim BELGARVM WILSHIRE WIl-shire which also pertained to the BELGAR called in the English-Saxon tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine commly termed Wiltonia taking that denomination of Wilton sometime the chiefe towne like as it of the River Willy is altogether a mediterranean or mid-land country For enclosed it is with Somersetshire on the West Berkshire and Hampshire on the East on the North with Glocestershire and on the South with Dorsetshire and a part of Hampshire A Region which as it breedeth a number of warlike and hardy men who in old time with Cornwall and Denshire together challenged by reason of their manhood and martiall prowesse the prerogative in the English armie of that regiment which should second the maine battell as saith Iohn of Sarisburie in his Polycraticon so is it exceeding fertill and plentifull of all things yea and for the varietie thereof passing pleasant and delightsome The Northern and upper part which they call North-Wilshire riseth up somewhat with delectable hils attired in times past with large and great woods which now begin to grow thinne and watered with cleare rivers For Isis the principall and as it were Prince of all the English Rivers which afterwards taketh to him the name of Tamisis that is Thames being now as yet but little and shallow together with other Rivers of lesse name which I will speake of in their proper places water it plentifully The South part with large grassie plaines feedeth innumerable flocks of sheepe having his Rivers swelling Brookes and rils of everliving fountaines The middest of this shire which for the most part also lieth even and plain is divided overthwart from East to West with a Dike of wonderfull worke cast up for many miles together in length The people dwelling there about call it Wansdike which upon an errour generall received they talke and tell to have beene made by the divell upon a Wednesday For in the Saxon tongue it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say The Ditch of Wooden or Mercurie and as it should seeme of Wooden that false imagined God and Father of the English-Saxons But I have alwaies beene perswaded that the Saxons made it as a limit to divide the two Kingdomes of the Mercians and West-Saxons asunder For this was the very place of battell betweene them whiles they strove one with another to enlarge their Dominions And neere unto this Dike standeth Wodensburg a little Village where Ceauline the most warlike King of the West-Saxons in the yeare of grace 590. whiles hee defended his Marches in a bloudy fight received such a foile and overthrow by the Britans and Englishmen that he was forced to flie his countrey and to end his daies in exile a pitious and lamentable spectacle even to his very enemies And at this Dike to say nothing of other accidents Ina the West-Saxon and Ceolred the Mercian joyned battell and departed the field on even hand Like to this was that ditch whereby King Offa kept the Britans off from his Mercians called even at this day Offa-dike others also are still to be seene among the East-Angles in Cambridgeshire and Suffolke wherewith they limited their territory and defended themselves from the inrodes and invasions of the Mercians In the North-part of Wilshire which is watered with Isis or the Thames there is a towne called Creckelade by Marianus by others Greekelade of Greeke Philosophers as some are ready to beleeve who as the historie of Oxford reporteth began there an Universitie which afterwards was translated to Oxford West from that is Highworth highly seated a well knowne Market but South from Creckelade I saw Lediard Tregoze the seat of the Familie of Saint-Iohn Knights the which Margaret de Bello Campo or Beauchamp afterwards Duchesse of Somerset gave to Oliver of Saint Iohn her second sonne For to her it came as an inheritance by Patishul Grandison and Tregoze names of great honour Wotton Basset bordeth hard upon this having this primitive name from Wood the addition doth prove that it belonged to the Noble house of the Bassets But in the latter fore-going age it was as I have heard say the habitation of the Duke of Yorke who made there a verie large Parke for to enclose Deere in From hence Breden wood now Breden Forrest stretched it selfe farre and wide which in the yeare 905. by Ethelwald Clyto and the Danes that aided him was laid waste and the Inhabitants endured all calamities of warre On the West side whereof the River Avon above mentioned
Elizabeth a most gracious Ladie ninetie and foure yeares after having lived fully to the contentment of nature For 70. yeare old she was or much thereabout when it pleased God to call her out of this world was received into the sacred and coelestiall society A Prince above her â—ex of manly courage and high conceit who lively resembled as well the royall qualities of her Grandfather as she did his princely presence and countenance the Worlds love and joy of Britaine And so farre was she a woman though shee were from degenerating and growing unlike her noble Progenitors in that continued course of their vertues that if she surmounted them not surely she equalled them to the full Well posteritie may one day hereafter be so thankefull as to yield heereto a gracious credit neither doe I heere by way of flatterie set a false colour and glosse upon the truth that a Virgin for the space of fortie foure yeares so ruled the royall Scepter as that her subjects loved her enemies feared her and every one with admiration honored her a thing in all foregoing ages of rare example For whose death England throughout running all to teares amid mones and grones should have lien forlorne in most piteous case comfortlesse had not presently upon her departure out of this world the most mild and gracious King Iames on whom as the true and undoubted heire to her Crowne all mens minds were set and eies fixed with his sacred and bright beames shone unto us and thereby put us into most comfortable hope of endlesse joy Whom so long as we behold heere wee beleeve not that shee is deceased And why should we once say that she is deceased whose vertues live still immortall and the memoriall of whose name consecrated in mens hearts and in eternitie of times shall survive for ever Thus farre swelleth the Tamis with the accesse of the flowing tide of the sea about lx Italian miles by water from his mouth Neither to my knowledge is there any other river in all Europe that for so many miles within land feeleth the violence of the Ocean forcing and rushing in upon it and so driving backe and with-holding his waters to the exceeding great commodity of the inhabitants bordering thereupon Whither this commeth by reason that from hence he hath in manner no crooked turnings and winding reaches but with a more streight and direct channell carrieth his currant into the East as being for the most part restrained and kept in with higher bankes and dilating himselfe with a wider mouth than all other rivers lyeth more exposed and open to the Ocean which by that most swift whirling about of the coelestiall Spheres from East to West is forceably driven and carried that way as sometimes I have beene of opinion let Philosophers discusse unto whom I willingly leave these matters and such like to handle Yet some few verses as touching these places and this argument have heere out of the Marriage betweene Tame and Isis if haply they may content your taste A dextra nobis Richmondia Shena vetustis Celsa nitet sapiens namque hanc Richmondia dici Henricus voluit sibi quod retulisset honorem Et titulos Comitis Richmondia jure paterno Hectoris Edwardi sed deflet funera nostri Proh dolor hîc illi regimens libera cessit Corpore contempto sedes aditura supernas Quem si non subito rapuissent ferrea fata Aut te Valesiis rapuisset Gallia victor Aut tibi Valesios Then on the right hand Richmond stands a faire and stately thing So cal'd of us but Shene of old which name that prudent King Henry it gave because to him it brought in fathers right The Honor and the Stile whereby he Earle of Richmond hight But it of Edward King halas our Hector wailes the death Whose soule here freed from body which it scorn'd with vitall breath Departed hence right willingly in heaven to live for ay Whom had not cruell-sudden death untimely fetcht away He would by sword have thee bereft O France of Valois line Or them of thee And after a few verses set betweene Tamisis alternum sentit reditumque fugamque Huc reflui pelagi quoties vaga Cynthia pronos Octavâ librat coeli statione jugales Aut tenet oppositam varianti lumine plagam Plenior increscit celeremque recurrit in aestum Atque superbus ait concedant flumina nobis Nulla per Europae dotatas nomine terras Flumina tam longè sic certis legibus undas Alternas renovant nisi fratres Scaldis Albis Tamis heere by turnes alternative doth feele both ebbe and flow Of Sea by course of wandring Moone that rules tide heere below As oft as she with each eight point of heaven above doth meete Or holds the points full opposit as lights doe change and fleete He growes more full and sooner hath recourse to flowing tide And then in pride of heart he saith All rivers else beside Vaile unto me No streame so farre through Europe keepes againe His tide so just unlesse the Scheld and Elb my brethren twaine About foure miles from the Tamis within the Country Nonesuch a retiring place of the Princes putteth downe and surpasseth all other houses round about which the most magnificent Prince King Henry the Eighth in a very healthfull place called Cuddington before selected for his owne delight and ease and built with so great sumptuousnesse and rare workemanship that it aspireth to the very top of ostentation for shew so as a man may thinke that all the skill of Architecture is in this one piece of worke bestowed and heaped up together So many statues and lively images there are in every place so many wonders of absolute workemanship and workes seeming to contend with Romane antiquities that most worthily it may have and maintaine still this name that it hath of Nonesuch according as Leland hath written of it Hanc quia non habeant similem laudare Britanni Saepè solent Nullique parem cognomine dicunt The Britans oft are wont to praise this place For that through all The Realme they cannot shew the like and Nonesuch they it call As for the very house selfe so invironed it is about with Parkes full of Deere such daintie gardens and delicate orchards it hath such groves adorned with curious Arbors so pretty quarters beds and Alleys such walkes so shadowed with trees that Amenitie or Pleasantnesse it selfe may seeme to have chosen no other place but it where she might dwell together with healthfulnesse Yet Queene Mary made it over to Henry Fitz-Alan Earle of Arundell for other Lands and he when he had enlarged it with a Librarie passing well furnished and other new buildings passed over all his right when he died to the L. Lumley who for his part spared no cost that it might be truely answerable to the name and from him now is it returned againe by compositions and conveiances to the Crowne Neere hereunto
against King Henry the Seaventh to his owne destruction for in the battell at Stoke he was quickly slaine to his fathers death also who for very griefe of heart ended his dayes and to the utter ruine of the whole family which together with them was in a sort extinguished and brought to nothing For his brother Edmund being Earle of Suffolke fled into Flanders began there to conspire and stir up rebellion against King Henry the Seaventh who albeit he feared him would seeme to favour him and as a Prince better contented with repentance than punishment freely pardoned him for sundry offences that he might winne him But after he was thus fled his estate was forfeited and the King never thought himselfe secure from his practises untill he had so farre prevailed with Philip Duke of Burgundy that he was delivered into his hands against the Law of hospitality toward strangers as some then gave out upon solemne promise in the word of a Prince that his life should be spared Neverthelesse he was kept close prisoner and after executed by King Henry the Eighth who thought himselfe not tied to his fathers promise what time as hee first minded to make warre upon France for feare least in his absence some troubles might bee raised at home in his behalfe yet his yonger brother S. Richard de la Pole a banished man in France usurped the title of Duke of Suffolke who being the last male to my knowledge of this house was slaine in the battell of Pavie wherein Francis the first king of France was taken prisoner in the yeer of our Lord 1524. fighting manfully among the thickest of his enemies For whom in consideration of his singular valour and high parentage the Duke of Burbon himselfe although hee was his enemy made a sumptuous funerall and honored the same with his presence in mourning blacke In the meane time king Henry the Eighth adorned Sir Charles Brandon unto whom he had given in marriage his owne sister Marie widdow and Dowager to Lewis the twelfth king of France with the title of Duke of Suffolke and granted to him all the Honours and Manours which Edmund Earle of Suffolke had forfeited After whom succeeded Henry his sonne a childe and after him his brother Charles who both died of the English swet upon one day in the yeere 1551. Then king Edward the Sixth honoured with that title Henry Grey Marquesse Dorset who had married Francis their sister but he enjoying the same but a small time lost his head in Queene Maryes dayes for complotting to make his daughter queen and was the last Duke of Suffolk From that time lay this title of Suffolke void untill that very lately king James advanced to that honour Thomas Lord Howard of Walden the second sonne of Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolke whom for his approved fidelity and vertue he also made his Lord Chamberlaine in his first entrie into the kingdome The Parishes in this County amount to the number of 575. NORFOLCIAE comitatus quem oliÌ„ ICENI Insederunt Centinens in Sc ovida Mercatoria XXVI Pagos et villas DCXXV â—na Cum Singulis hundrediâ—â—t fluminibus in codem Anâ—â—eri Christophere Saylon NORTH-FOLKE NORTH-FOLKE commonly Norfolke which is by interpretation people of the North lieth Norward of Suffolke from which it is divided by those two little Rivers which I spake of Ouse the least and Waveney running divers wayes on the East and North side the German Ocean which is plentifull of Fish beateth upon the shores with a mighty noise On the West the greater Ouse a River disporting himselfe with his manifold branches and divisions secludeth it from Cambridge-Shire It is a Region large and spacious and in manner all throughout a plaine champion unlesse it bee where there rise gently some pretty Hills passing rich exceeding full of Sheepe and stored with Conyes replenished likewise with a great number of populous Villages for beside twenty seven Mercat townes it is able to shew Villages and Country Townes 625 Watered with divers Rivers and Brookes and not altogether destitute of Woods The soyle according to the variety of places is of a divers nature Some where fat ranke and full of moisture as in Mershland and Flegg otherwhere but Westward especially leane light and sandy elsewhere standing upon clay and chalke But the goodnesse of the ground a man may collect by this whence Varro willeth us to gather it that the Inhabitants are of a passing good complexion to say nothing of their exceeding wily wits and the same right quicke in the insight of our common lawes in so much as it is counted as well now as in times past the onely Country for best breed of Lawyers so that even out of the meanest sort of the common people there may be found not a few who if there were nothing else to beare action or able to fetch matter enough of wrangling controversies even out of the very prickes titles and accents of the Law But least whiles I desire brevity I become long by these digressions which may distaste I will turne my penne from the people to the places and beginning at the South side runne over briefly those which are more memorable and of greater antiquity Upon the least Ouse where Thet a small brooke breaking out of Suffolke meeteth and runneth with him in a low ground was seated that ancient City SITOMAGUS which Antonine the Emperour maketh mention of corruptly in the Fragments of an old Choragraphicall table called SIMOMAGUS and SINOMAGUS now Thetford in the Saxon language 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which remaineth part of the former name with the addition of the English word Ford. For like as Sitomagus in the Brittish tongue implieth a Citie by the river Sit which now is Thet for Magus as Plinie sheweth signified a City so Thetford in English betokeneth the Ford of Thet neither are these two names Sit and Thet much unlike in sound There are in it at this day but few Inhabitants although it be of a good bignesse but in times past it was very populous and beside other tokens of antiquity it hath still to bee seene a great Mount raised to a good height by mens hands fensed with a double rampier and as the report goeth fortified in ancient time with walles which was a Romane worke as some thinke or rather of the English Saxon Kings as others would have it under whom it flourished a long time But after it was sacked first by Suenus the Dane who in a rage set it on fire in the yeere 1004 and sixe yeers after being spoyled againe by the furious Danes it lost all the beauty and dignity that it had For the recovery whereof Bishop Arfast removed his Episcopall See from Elmham hither and Bishop William his successor did all he could to adorne and set it out so that under King Edward the Confessour there were counted in it 947. Burgesses and in William the Conquerours time 720. Mansions whereof 224. stood void
to take any thing that pertained to the Warren without the licence and good will of Henry himselfe and his Successours Which was counted in that age for a speciall favour and I note it once for all that we may see what Free Warren was But the male issue of this Family in the right line ended in Henry Kigheley of Inskip Howbeit the daughters and heires were wedded to William Cavendish now Baron Cavendish of Hardwick and to Thomas Worseley of Boothes From hence Are passeth beside Kirkstall an Abbay in times past of no small reckoning founded by Henry Lacy in the yeere 1147. and at length visiteth Leedes in the Saxon tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which became a house of the Kings when CAMBODUNUM was by the enemy burnt to the ground now a rich Towne by reason of clothing where Oswy king of Northumberland put to flight Penda the Mercian And as Bede saith this was to the great profit of both Nations for he both delivered his owne people from the hostile spoiling of the miscreants and also converted the Mercians themselves to the grace of Christian Faith The very place wherein they joyned battaile the writers call Winwidfield which name I suppose was given it of the Victory like as a place in Westphalia where Quintilius Varus with his legions was slaine is in the Dutch tongue called Winfield that is The fields of victory as that most learned man and my very good friend Abraham Ortelius hath observed The little Region or Territory about it was in times past by an old name called Elmet which Eadwin king of Northumberland the sonne of AElla after hee had expelled Cereticus a British king conquered in the yeere of Christ 620. Herein is digged limestone every where which is burnt at Brotherton and Knottingley and at certaine set times as it were at Faires a mighty quantity thereof is conveied to Wakefield Sandall and Stanbridge and so is sold unto this Westerne Country which is hilly and somewhat cold for to manure and enrich their Corne fields But let us leave these things to Husbandmen as for my selfe I professe my ignorance therein and will goe forward as I beganne At length Are entertaineth Calder aforesaid with his water as his Guest where neere unto the meeting of both Rivers standeth Castleford a little Village Marianus nameth it Casterford who reporteth that the Citizens of Yorke slew many of king Ethelreds Army there whom in their pursuite they set upon and charged heere and there at advantages what time as hee invaded and overranne this Country for breaking the allegeance they had sworne unto him But in Antonine this place is called by a more ancient name LEGEOLIUM and LAGETIUM Wherein beside expresse and notable tokens of Antiquity a mighty number of Roman peeces of money the common people there tearme them Sarasins head were found at Beanfield a place so called now of Beanes hard by the Church The distance also from DAN and YORKE betweene which he placed it doth most cleerely confirme as much to say nothing of the situation thereof hard by the Romanes High Street and last of all for that Roger Hoveden in plaine tearmes calleth it A City From hence Are being now bigger after it hath received Calder unto it leaveth on the left hand Brotherton a little Towne in which Queene Margaret turning thither out of the way as she road on hunting was delivered of childe and brought forth unto her Husband king Edward the First Thomas de Brotherton so named of the place who was afterward Earle of Norfolke and Mareshall of England And not farre beneath Are after it hath received into it Dan looseth himselfe in Ouse On the right hand where a yellower kinde of marke is found which being cast and spred upon the fields maketh them beare Corne for many yeeres together he passeth by Ponttract commonly called Pontfret situate not farre from the river banke which Towne gat life as it were by the death of old Legeolium In the Saxons time it was called Kirkby but the Normans of a broken Bridge named it in French Pontfract Upon this occasion it is commonly thought that the wooden Bridge over Are hard by was broken when a mighty multitude of people accompanied William Archibishop a great number fell into the River and yet by reason that the Archbishop shed many a teare at this accident and called upon God for helpe there was not one of them that perished Seated it is in a very pleasant place that bringeth forth Liquirice and skirworts in great plenty adorned also with faire buildings and hath to shew a stately Castle as a man shall see situate upon a rocke no lesse goodly to the eye than safe for the defence well fortified with ditches and bulwarkes Hildebert Lacy a Norman unto whom king William the First after that Alricke the Saxon was thrust out had given this Towne with the land about it first built this Castle But Henry Lacy his nephew came into the field at the battaile of Trenchbrey I speake out of the Pleas against King Henry the First wherefore hee was disseised of the Barony of Pontfract and the King gave the Honour to Wido de Lavall who held it untill King Stephens dayes at which time the said Henry made an entry into the Barony and by mediation of the King compounded with Wido for an hundred and fifty pounds This Henry had a sonne named Robert who having no issue left Albreda Lizours his sister by the mothers side and not by the father to bee his heire because hee had none other so neere in bloud unto him whereby shee after Roberts death kept both inheritances in her hand namely of her brother Lacies and her father Lizours And these be the very words of the booke of the Monastery of Stanlow This Albreda was marryed to Richard Fitz Eustach Constable of Chester whose Heires assumed unto them the name of Lacies and flourished under the title of Earles of Lincolne By a daughter of the last of these Lacies this goodly inheritance by a deede of conveyance was devolved in the end to the Earles of Lancaster who enlarged the Castle very much and Queene Elizabeth likewise bestowed great cost in repairing it and beganne to build a faire Chappell This place hath beene infamous for the murder and bloudshed of Princes For Thomas Earle of Lancaster the first of Lancastrian House that in right of his wife possessed it stained and embrewed the same with his owne bloud For King Edward the Second to free himselfe from rebellion and contempt shewed upon him a good example of wholsome severity and beheaded him heere Whom notwithstanding standing the common people enrolled in the Beadroll of Saints Heere also was that Richard the Second King of England whom King Henry the Fourth deposed from his Kingdome with hunger cold and strange kindes of torments most wickedly made away And heere King Richard the
Third caused Antonie Earle Rivers King Edward the Fifth his Unkle by the mothers side and Sir Richard Grey knight halfe brother to the same King by the mothers side both innocent persons to loose their heads For the Usurper feared least those courageous and resolute men would stop his passage aspiring as he did by wicked meanes to the Crowne As for the Abbay which the Lacies heere founded for religious persons and the Hospitall which Sir Robert Knolles erected for poore people I let passe wittingly seeing there is scarce any rubbish now remaining of those good workes From LEGEOLIUM or Castleford abovesaid leaving behinde us Shirburne a little Towne but well inhabited which tooke name of the cleere bourne or Riveret and which King Athelstane graunted unto the Archbishops of Yorke by the high ridge or Port way raised up of a great heigth we came to Aberford a little Village situate upon the said way famous onely for making of pinnes which by womens judgement are especially commended as the best Under this the little River Coc in bookes named Cokarus runneth and in the descent downe thereunto the foundations of an old Castle which they call Castle Cary are to be seene Scarce two miles from hence at the spring head of Coc standeth Barwic in Elmet the royall house or seat by report in times past of the kings of Northumberland which was environed about with walles as the very ruines and ruble thereof seeme to testifie On the other side is placed Hesselwood the principall seat of that worthy and right ancient family of the Vavasours who by their Office for the kings Valvasors in times past they were tooke to them this name and in the latter daies of King Edward the First Sir William Vavasor was called among other Barons of the Realme unto the high Court of Parliament as appeareth in the very Writs as they call them of Summons Under this place lieth that most famous delfe or quarry of stone called Peters post for that with the stones hewed out of it by the liberall grant of the Vavasors that stately and sumptuous Church of Sant Peters at Yorke was reedified From Aberford the said Riveret Coc speedeth immediately to the River Wherf as it were sad sorrowfull and with heavie cheere in detestation of all civill warres since time that he ranne all died with English bloud For upon his banke neere unto Towton a little country Village was as I may truely say that our English Pharsalia In no place ever saw our England such puissant forces so much Gentry and Nobility together an hundred thousand fighting men and no fewer of the one side and the other Never were there leaders and Captaines on both parts more fierce hardy and resolute never more cheerefull and forward to fight who upon Palme Sunday in the yeere 1461. in battaile array with banner displaied entred the field and encountred And when they had continued a doubtfull and variable fight a great part of the day at length the Lancastrians not able to abide any longer the violence of their enemies the chiefe cause of whose overthrow was the disordered unwealdinesse of their owne Army turned backe and fled amaine And those that tooke part with Yorke being eager upon execution followed them in chase so hotely that they had the killing of a number of Noblemen and Gentlemen and thirty thousand Englishmen were that day left dead in the field But I leave this to the Historians Somewhat lower neere unto Shirburne at Huddleston a little Village is a famous stone quarry out of which the stones when they are newly hewen be very soft but after they bee seasoned with winde and weather they become of themselves exceeding solid and hard But to returne Coc making no long course sheadeth himselfe into Wherf This Wherf or Wharf in the English Saxons language 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commeth downe out of Craven and for a great while runneth in a parallell distance even with Are. If a man should thinke the name to bee wrested from the word Guer which in British signifieth Swift and violent verily the nature of that River concurreth with his opinion For he runneth with a swift and speedy streame making a great noise as hee goeth as if he were froward stubborne and angry and is made more fell and teasty with a number of stones lying in his chanell which he rolleth and tumbleth before him in such sort that it is a wonder to see the manner of it but especially when hee swelleth high in Winter And verily it is a troublesome River and dangerous even in Summer time also which I my selfe had experience of not without some perill of mine owne when I first travailed over this Country For it hath such slippery stones in it that an horse can have no sure footing on them or else the violence of the water carryeth them away from under his feete In all his long course which from the spring head unto Ouse is almost fifty miles he passeth onely by little Townes of no especiall account running downe by Kilnesey Cragge the highest and steepest rocke that ever I saw in a midland Country by Burnsall where Sir William Craven Knight and Alderman of London there borne is now building of a Stone bridge who also hard by of a pious minde and beneficiall to his Country hath of late founded a Grammar Schoole also by Barden-Towre a little turret belonging to the Earle of Cumberland where there is round about good store of game and hunting of fat Deere by Bolton where sometime stood a little Abbay by Bethmesley the seat of the notable Family of Claphams out of which came John Clapham a worthy Warriour in the civill broiles betweene Lancaster and Yorke From thence commeth he to Ilekeley which considering the site in respect of Yorke out of Ptolomee and the affinity of the name together I would judge to be OLICANA Surely that it is an old Towne beside the Columnes engraven with Roman worke lying in the Churchyard and elsewhere and was in Severus time reedified by the meanes of Virius Lupus Lieutenant Generall and Propraetor then of Britaine this inscription lately digged up hard by the Church doth plainly shew IM SEVERUS AUG ET ANTONINUS CAES. DESTINATUS RESTITUERUNT CURANTE VIRIO LUPO. LEG EORUM PR PR That the second Cohort of the Lingones abode heere an Altar beareth witnesse which I saw there upholding now the staires of an house and having this Inscription set upon it by the Captaine of the second Cohort of the Lingones to VERBEIA haply the Nymph or Goddesse of Wherf the River running thereby which River they called VERBEIA as I suppose out of so neere affinity of the names VERBEIAE SACRUM CLODIUS FRONTO PRAEF COH II LINGON For Rivers as Gildas writeth in that age had by the blinde and ignorant people of Britaine divine honours heaped upon them And Seneca sheweth that in times past Altars
did cast a ditch or trench crosse over the Iland from sea to sea within it also he built a wall with turrets and bulwarkes Which afterwards he calleth Fossam Severiam that is Severs fosse or ditch like as we read in the most ancient Annales of the English-Saxons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Severus foregirded and fenced Britain with a ditch from sea to sea And other later writers in this wise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Severus in Britain made and finished a wall of turfes or a rampier from sea to sea William of Malmesburie likewise nameth it a famous and most notorious trench In which very place two hundred yeeres after or much thereabout a wall of stone was set up whereof I am to speake anon Whereas Eutropius hath set downe the length of it to be 35. miles Victor 32. and other Authors 132. I suppose some faults have crept into the numbers For the Iland is not so broad in that place although a man should take the measure of the wall as it stood winding in and out rising also and falling here and there Nay if one should reduce it into Italian miles he should find little above fourescore as Spartianus hath truely reckoned them Some few yeeres after this Munition as it seemes was forlet Howbeit when Alexander Severus the Emperour as we read in Lampridius had once given unto the Captaines and souldiers of the marches those grounds and lands which were won from the enemies so that they should be their proprietie if their heires served as souldiers and that they should never returne to any private men supposing they would goe to the wars more willingly and take the better care if they should defend their owne peculiar possessions Note these words well I pray you for hence may be deduced either a kind of Feudum or the beginning of Feuds After this the Romans marching beyond the wall and building themselves stations within the out-land and barbarian soile fortifying also and furnishing them accordingly enlarged the limits of the Roman Empire againe as farre as to Edenborough Frith Neverthelesse the savage and barbarous people never ceasing to assaile them upon advantages drave them backe now and then as farre as to Severus Trench Dioclesian the Emperour had a provident eye to these limits under whom when as the whole command in Britaine was committed unto Carausius for that he was reputed the fitter man to warre against these warlike nations he did set up againe the fore-fense betweene Dunbritton Frith and Edenborough Frith as I will shew in place convenient The first that ever had blame for neglecting these limits was Constantine the Great for thus writeth Zosimus Whereas the Roman Empire by the providence of Dioclesian was in the utmost marches thereof every where surely fensed with Townes Castles and Burghs and all their military companies made their abode in them it was impossible for the barbarous nations to passe in but they were so met withall at every turne by forces there set to repell them backe Constantine abolishing this munition of Garrisons placed the greater part of the souldiers whom hee had removed from out of the marches in townes that had no need of Garrisons and defence So hee left the marches open to the inrodes of barbarous nations without garrisons and pestered the Cities that were at peace and quiet with a sort of souldiers whereby most of them are now already become desolate and the souldiers themselves addicted to Theatricall sports and pleasures grew by his meanes deboshed To conclude and simply to speake in one word he it was that gave the first cause and beginning that the state of the Empire runneth to wrecke and ruine The Countrey that lay betweene these enclosures or fore-fenses Teodosius father unto Theodosius the Emperour recovered he re-edified and repaired the Cities strengthened the garrison castles and the limits with such watch and ward and fortications yea and when he had recovered the Province restored it to the ancient estate in such wise as that it had a lawfull Governour by it selfe and was afterward in honour of Valentinian the Emperour called VALENTIA Theodosius also his sonne having now by his own vertue attained unto the Imperiall Majestie had a provident care of these limits and gave commandement that the Master of the Offices should yeere by yeer give advice and advertisement unto the Emperour how all things went with the souldiers and in what sort the charge of castles holds and fore-fenses was performed But when the Roman Empire began once to decay apparently and the Picts together with the Scots breaking through the wall of Turfes by Edenborrow-frith cruelly wasted and over-ranne these parts the Roman legion sent to aid the Britans under the leading of Gallio of Ravenna after they had driven away and quite removed the Barbarians being now called backe againe for the defence of France exhorted the Britans these be the very words of Gildas and Bede to make a wall overthwart the Iland between the two seas which might serve for a defence to keep off the enemies and so returned home with great triumph But the Ilanders fall to building of a wall as they were willed not so much with stone as with turfes considering they had no workman to bring up so great a piece of work and so they did set up one good for nothing Which as Gildas saith being made by the rude and unskilfull common multitude without any one to give direction not so much of stone as of turfe served them in no stead As touching the place where this wall was made Bede proceedeth to write in this maner They raised it betweene the two friths or armes of the sea for the space of many miles that where the fense of water failed there by the help of a rampier they might defend the borders from the invasion of enemies And such a fore-fense reaching a great length secured Assyria from the inrodes of forraine nations as Ammianus Marcellinus writeth And the Seres at this day as we read in Osorius fortifie their vales and plaine champion with walls that they might thereby shelter and defend themselves from the violent incursions of the Scythians Of which worke there made saith Bede that is to say of a most broad and high rampier a man may see the expresse and certaine remaines to this day which beginneth almost two miles from a Monastery called Abercurving Eastward at a place named in the Picts language Penvahel in the English tongue Penveltun and reaching Westward endeth neere the Citie Alcluid But the former enemies no sooner perceived that the Roman souldiers were returned but presently sailing thither by water breake through the bounds into the marches kill and slay all before them and whatever stood in their way they went downe with it under foot they over-trample it as if it had bin standing corne ready for harvest Whereupon Embassadours were dispatched againe to Rome making piteous moan and with
Barons of Northumberland had done homage at Felton to Alexander King of Scots Many yeeres after when Iohn Balioll King of Scots had broken his oath King Edward the first in the yeere of salvation 1297. brought Berwick under his subjection yet within a little while after when the fortune of warre began to smile upon the Scots they surprised it standing for-let and neglected but straightwayes it was yeelded up and the English became Masters of it Afterward in that loose reigne of King Edward the second Peter Spalding betraied it unto Robert Bruâ— King of the Scots who hotly assaulted it and the English laid siege unto it in vaine untill that our Hector King Edward the third in the yeere of Christ 1333. setting valiantly upon it wonne it as happily Howbeit in the reigne of Richard the second certaine Scottish robbers upon a sudden surprised the Castle but within nine dayes Henry Pearcy Earle of Northumberland regained it Scarce seven yeeres were overpassed when the Scots recovered it againe not by force but by money For which cause the said Henry Percy Governour of the place was accused of high treason but he with money likewise corrupted both their faith and fortitude and streightway got it in his hands againe A great while after when England was even pining by reason of civill warre King Henry the sixth being now fled the Realme into Scotland surrendred it up into the hands of the Scot for to be secured of his life and safety in Scotland But after twenty two yeeres were expired Sir Thomas Stanley not without losse of his men reduced it under the command of King Edward the Fourth Since which time our Kings have at divers times fortified and fenced it with new works but especially Queen Elizabeth who of late to the terrour of the enemy and safeguard of her state enclosed it about in a narrower compasse within the old wall with an high wall of stone most strangely compacted together which shee hath so forewarded againe with a counterscarfe a banke round about with mounts of earth cast up by mans hand and open terraces above head that either the forme of these munitions or strength thereof may justly cut off all hope of winning it To say nothing all this while of the valour of the garison souldiers the store of great Ordnance and furniture of warre which was wonderfull He that was wont to be chiefe Governour of this towne that I may note thus much also was alwaies one of the wisest and most approved of the Nobility of England and withall Warden of these East marches against Scotland The Longitude of this towne as our Mathematicians have observed is 21. degrees and 43. minutes the Latitude 55. degrees and 48. minutes And by this inclination and position of the heaven the longest day is 17. houres and 22. minutes and the night but sixe houres and 38. minutes so that that there was no untruth in Serviâ—â— Honoratus when he wrote thus Britanni lucis dives c. that is Britain is so plentifull of day light that it affordeth scarce any time for the nights Neither is it any marvaile that souldiers without other light doe play here all night long at Dice considering the side light that the sunne beames cast all night long and therefore this verse of Iuvenall is true Minimá contentos nocte Britannos The Britaines who with least night stand content Concerning Berwicke have here now for an Overdeale these verses of Master I. Ionston Scotorum extremo sub limite meta furoris Saxonidum gentis par utriusque labor Mille vices rerum quae mille est passa ruinas Mirum quî potuit tot superesse malis Quin superest quin extremis exhausta ruinis Funere sic crevit firmior usque suo Oppida ut exaequet jam munitissima Civis Militis censum munia Martis obit Postquà m servitio durisque est functa periclis Effert laetitiae signa serena suae Et nunc antiquo felix sejactat honore Cum reddit Domino debita jura suo Cujus ab auspiciis unita Britannia tandem Excelsum tollit libera in astra caput Afront the bound of Scottish ground where staid the furious broile Of English warres and Nations both were put to equall toile Now won then lost a thousand turnes it felt of fortunes will After so many miseries wonder it standeth still And still it stands although laid wast it were and desolate Yet alwaies after every fall it rose to firmer state So that for strength best fenced townes it matcheth at this day The Citizens were souldiers all and serv'd in warres for pay But after service long performed and hard adventures past Of joy and mirth the gladsome signes it putteth forth at last And now her ancient honour she doth vaunt in happy plight When to her Soveraigne Lord she yeelds all service due by right Whose blessed Crowne united hath great Britain now at last Whereby her head she lifts on high since quarrels all be past That which Aeneas Sylvius or Pope Pius the second who when hee was a private person was Embassadour into Scotland about the yeere 1448. hath reported in his owne life by himselfe penned and published under the name of another touching the borderers that dwelt there round about I thinke good here to put downe considering that as yet they have nothing degenerated There is a river saith he which spreading broad from out of an high hill confineth both the lands This river when Aeneas had ferried over and turned aside into a great village about sun setting where he supped in a country-mans house with the Priest of the place and his hoast many sorts of gruels and pottage hens and geese were set on the board but no wine nor bread at all and all the men women of the village came running thither as it were to see some strange sight and as our countreymen are wont to wonder at Blacka-Moors or men of Inde so they stood gasing gaping as astonied at Aeneas asking of the Priest what countreyman he was upon what busines he came and whether he were a Christian or no Now Aeneas having bin enformed before what scarcity of victuals he should finde in those parts had received at a certaine Abbey some loaves of white bread and a rundlet of red wine which when they had brought forth the people made a greater wonder than before as who had never seen either wine or white bread There approached unto the table great bellied women and their husbands who handling the bread smelling to the wine craved some part thereof and there was no remedy but to deale and give all away among them Now when we had sitten at sâ—pper untill it was two houres within night the Priest and our Hoast together with the children and all the men left Aeneas and made haste away for they said they were to flye for feare of the Scots unto a certaine pile that stood a great way off
the Lords Humes so called for their firmnesse and strength thereof at the Promontory of the said Saint Ebbe who being the daughter of Edilfria King of Northumberland when her Father was taken prisoner got hold of a boat in Humber and passing along the raging Ocean landed here in safety became renowned for her sanctimony and left her name unto the place But this Merch is mentioned in the Historiographers a great deale more for the Earles thereof than for any places therein who for martiall prowesse were highly renowned and descended from Gospatricke Earle of Northumberland whom after he was fled from William Conqueror of England Malcom Canmor that is With the great head King of Scotland entertained enriched him with the castle of Dunbar and honoured with the Earldome of Merch. Whose posterity besides other goodly and faire lands in Scotland held as appeareth plainly in an old Inquisition the Barony of Bengeley in Northumberland that they should be Inborow and Utborow betweene England and Scotland What the meaning should be of these tearmes let others ghesse what my conjecture is I have said already In the reigne of King James the first George de Dunbar Earle of Merch by authority of Parliament for his Fathers rebellion lost the Propriety and possession of the Earledome of Merch and the Seignorie of Dunbar And when as hee proved by good evidences and writings brought forth that his father had beene pardoned for that fault by the Regents of the Kingdome he was answered againe that it was not in the Regents power to pardon an offence against the State and that it was expressely provided by the Lawes that children should undergoe punishment for their fathers transgressions to the end that being thus heires to their fathers rashnesse as they are to their goods and lands they should not at any time in the haughty pride of their owne power plot any treason against Prince or country This title of Earle of March among other honourable titles was given afterward to Alexander Duke of Albany and by him forfaited And in our remembrance this title of honour was revived againe in Robert the third brother of Mathew Earle of Lennox who being of a Bishop of Cathanes made Earle of Lennox resigned up that title soone after unto his nephew then created Duke of Lennox and he himselfe in lieu thereof received of the King the name and stile of the Earle of Merch. LAUDEN or LOTHIEN LOTHIEN which is also called Lauden named in times past of the Picts Pictland shooteth out along from Merch unto the Scottish sea or the Forth having many hils in it and little wood but for fruitfull corn-fields for courtesie also and civility of manners commended above all other countries of Scotland About the yeere of our salvation 873. Eadgar King of England betweene whom and Keneth the third King of Scots there was a great knot of alliance against the Danes common enemies to them both resigned up his right unto him in this Lothien as Matthew the Flour-gatherer witnesseth and to winne his heart the more unto him He gave unto him many mansions in the way wherein both he and his successours in their comming unto the Kings of England and in returne homeward might be lodged which unto the time of K. Henry the second continued in the hands of the Kings of Scotland In this Lothien the first place that offereth it selfe unto our sight upon the sea side is Dunbar a passing strong castle in old time and the seat of the Earles of Merch aforesaid who thereupon on were called Earles of Dunbar A Peece many a time wonne by English and as often recovered by the Scottish But in the yeere 1567. by authority of the States in Parliament it was demolished because it should not be an hold and place of refuge for rebels But James King of great Britain conferred the title and honour of Earle of Dunbar upon Sir George Hume for his approved fidelity whom he had created before Baron Hume of Barwick to him his heires and assignes Hard by Tine a little river after it hath runne a short course falleth into the sea neere unto the spring-head whereof standeth Zeister which hath his Baron out of the family of the Haies Earles of Aroll who also is by inheritance Sheriffe of the little territory of Twedall or Peblis By the same riveret some few miles higher is seated Hadington or Hadina in a wide and broad plaine which towne the English fortified with a deepe and large ditch with a mure or rampire also without foure square and with foure bulwarkes at the corners and with as many other at the inner wall and Sir Iames Wilford an Englishman valiantly defended it against Dessie the Frenchman who with ten thousand French and Dutch together fiercely assaulted it untill that by reason of the plague which grew hot among the garrison souldiers Henry Earle of Rutland comming with a royall army raised the siege removed the French and having laid the munitions levell conducted the English home And now of late King James the sixth hath ranged Sir Iohn Ramsey among the Nobles of Scotland with title and honour of Vicount Hadington for his faithfull valour as whose RIGHT HAND was the DEFENDER OF PRINCE AND COUNTREY in that most wicked conspiracy of the Gowries against the Kings person Touching this Hadington thus hath Master I. Ionston versified Planities praetensa jacet prope flumina Tinae Fluminiâ— arguti clauditur ista sinu Vulcani Martis quae passa incendia fati Ingemit alterno vulnere fracta vices Nunc tandem sapit icta Dei praecepta secuta Praesidio gaudet jam potiore Poli. Before it lies a spacious plaine the Tine his streame hard by In bosome of that river shrill this towne enclos'd doth lie Which having suffered grievous smart of fire and sword by turnes Grones under these misfortunes much and for her losses mournes But now at length selfe-harmes have made it wise and by Gods lore Directed helpe it hath from heaven which steedeth it much more Within a little of Hadington standeth Athelstanford so called of Athelstane a chiefe leader of the English slaine there with his men about the yeere 815. But that he should be that warlike Athelstane which was King of the West-Saxons both the account of the times and his owne death doe manifestly controlle it Above the mouth of this Tine in the very bending of the shore standeth Tantallon Castle from whence Archibald Douglas Earle of Angus wrought James the fifth King of Scots much teene and trouble Here by retiring backe of the shores on both sides is roome made for a most noble arme of the sea and the same well furnished with Ilands which by reason of many rivers encountring it by the way and the tides of the surging sea together spreadeth exceeding broad Ptolomee calleth it BODERIA Tacitus BODOTRIA of the depth as I guesse the Scots The Forth and Frith we Edenburgh Frith others
world for fishfull streame renown'd Refresheth all the neighbour fields that lye about it round But Glascow beautie is to Cluyd and grace to countries nye And by the streames that flow from thence all places fructifie Along the hithermore banke of Cluid yeth the Baronie of Reinfraw so called of the principall towne which may seeme to bee RANDVARA in Ptolomee by the river Cathcart that hath the Baron of Cathcart dwelling upon it carrying the same surname and of ancient nobilitie neere unto which for this little province can shew a goodly breed of nobilitie there border Cruikston the seat in times past of the Lords of Darley from whom by right of marriage it came to the Earles of Lennox whence Henrie the Father of King James the sixth was called Lord Darly Halkead the habitation of the Barons of Ros descended originally from English blood as who fetch their pedegree from that Robert Ros of Warke who long since left England and came under the alleageance of the King of Scots Pasley sometimes a famous Monasterie founded by Alexander the second of that name high Steward of Scotland which for a gorgeous Church and rich furniture was inferiour to few but now by the beneficiall favour of King James the sixth it yeeldeth both dwelling place and title of Baron to Lord Claud Hamilton a younger sonne of Duke Chasteu Herald and Sempill the Lord whereof Baron Sempill by ancient right is Sheriffe of this Baronie But the title of Baron of Reinfraw by a peculiar priviledge doth appertaine unto the Prince of Scotland LENNOX ALong the other banke of Cluyd above Glascow runneth forth Levinia or LENNOX Northward among a number of hills close couched one by another having that name of the river Levin which Ptolomee calleth LELANONIUS and runneth into Cluyd out of Logh Lomund which spreadeth it selfe here under the mountaines twenty miles long and eight miles broad passing well stored with varietie of fish but most especially with a peculiar fish that is to be found no where else they call it Pollac as also with Ilands concerning which manie fables have beene forged and those riâ—e among the common people As touching an Iland here that floateth and waveth too and fro I list not to make question thereof For what should let but that a lighter bodie and spongeous withall in manner of a pumice stone may swimme above the water and Plinie writeth how in the Lake Vadimon there be Ilands full of grasse and covered over with rushes and reeds that float up and downe But I leave it unto them that dwell neerer unto this place and better know the nature of this Lake whether this old Distichon of our Necham be true or no Ditatur fluviis Albania saxea ligna Dat Lomund multa frigiditate potens With rivers Scotland is enrich'd and Lomund there a Lake So cold of nature is that stickes it quickly stones doth make Round about the edge of this Lake there bee fishers cottages but nothing else memorable unlesse it be Kilmoronoc a proper fine house of the Earles of Cassiles on the East side of it which hath a most pleasant prospect into the said Lake But at the confluence where Levin emptieth it selfe out of the Lake into Cluyd standeth the old Citie called Al-Cluyd Bede noteth that it signified in whose language I know not as much as The rocke Cluyd True it is that Ar-Cluyd signifieth in the British tongue upon Cluyd or upon the rocke and Cluyd in ancient English sounded the same that a Rocke The succeeding posteritie called this place Dunbritton that is The Britans towne and corruptly by a certaine transposition of letters Dunbarton because the Britans held it longest against the Scots Picts and Saxons For it is the strongest of all the castles in Scotland by naturall situation towring upon a rough craggie and two-headed rocke at the verie meeting of the rivers in a greene plaine In one of the tops or heads abovesaid there standeth up a loftie watch-tower or Keep on the other which is the lower there are sundrie strong bulwarks Betweene these two tops on the North side it hath one onely ascent by which hardly one by one can passe up and that with a labour by grees or steps cut out aslope travers the rocke In steed of ditches on the West side serveth the river Levin on the South Cluyd and on the East a boggie flat which at everie tide is wholly covered over with waters and on the North side the verie upright steepenesse of the place is a most sufficient defence Certain remaines of the Britans presuming of the naturall strength of this place and their owne manhood who as Gildas writeth gat themselves a place of refuge in high mountaines and hills steep and naturally fensed as it were with rampires and ditches in most thick woods and forrests in rockes also of the sea stood out and defended themselves here after the Romans departure for three hundred yeeres in the midst of their enemies For in Bedes time as himself writeth it was the best fortified citie of the Britans But in the yeere 756. Eadbert King of Northumberland and Oeng King of the Picts with their joint forces enclosed it round about by siege and brought it to such a desperate extremitie that it was rendred unto them by composition Of this place the territorie round about it is called the Sherifdome of Dunbarton and hath had the Earles of Lennox this long time for their Sheriffes by birth-right and inheritance As touching the Earles of Lennox themselves to omit those of more ancient and obscure times there was one Duncane Earle of Lennox in the reigne of Robert the second who died and left none but daughters behinde him Of whom one was married to Alan Steward descended from Robert a younger sonne of Walter the second of that name High Steward of Scotland and brother likewise to Alexander Steward the second from whom the noblest and royall race of Scotland hath beene propagated This surname Steward was given unto that most noble family in regard of the honourable office of the Stewardshippe of the kingdome as who had the charge of the Kings revenues The said Alan had issue John Earle of Lennox and Robert Captain of that companie of Scottishmen at Armes which Charles the sixth K. of France first instituted in lieu of some recompence unto the Scottish nation which by their valour had deserved passing well of the kingdom of France who also by the same Prince for his vertues sake was endowed with the Seigniorie of Aubigny in Auvergne John had a sonne named Matthew Earle of Lennox who wedded the daughter of James Hamilton by Marion daughter to King James the second on whom he begat John Earle of Lennox hee taking armes to deliver King James the fifth out of the hands of the Douglasses and the Hamiltons was slaine by the Earle of Arran his Unkle on the mothers side This John was
with their fellowes of the Counsell treat upon this point In the same yeere before Lent the Irish of Leinster gathered themselves together and set up a certain King namely Donald the sonne of Arte Mac-Murgh Who being made King determined to set up his banner two miles from Dublin and afterwards to passe through all the lands of Ireland Whose pride and malice God seeing suffered him to fall into the hands of the Lord Henry Traharn who brought him to the Salmons leaps had of him 200. pound for his lives ransome then led him to Dublin to wait there untill the Kings Counsell could provide and take order what to doe with him and after his taking many infortunities lighted upon the Irish of Leinster to wit the Lord John Wellesley took David O-Thothiel prisoner and many of the Irish were slaine The same yeere Adam Duff the sonne of Walter Duff of Leinster and of the kinred of the O-Tothiles was convicted for that against the Catholike faith hee denied the Incarnation of Jesus Christ and held that there could not bee three persons and one God and hee affirmed that the most blessed Virgin Mary mother of our Lord was an harlot hee denied also the resurrection of the dead and avouched that the sacred Scriptures were fables and nothing else and he imputed falsitie upon the sacred Apostolicall See For which and for every of these articles the same Adam Duff was pronounced an hereticke and blasphemer whereupon the same Adam by a decree of the Church was on the Munday after the Outas of Easter the yeere 1328. burnt at Hoggis Greene by Dublin MCCCXXVIII On Tuesday in Easter week Thomas Fitz-John Earle of Kildare and Justice of Ireland died after whom succeeded in the office of Justice Frier Roger Outlaw Prior of Kilmaynok The same yeere David O-Tothil a strong thiefe and enemy to the King a burner of Churches and destroier of people was brought forth of the Castle of Dublin to the Tolstale of the Citie before Nicolas Fastoll and Elias Ashbourne Justices in the Kings bench which Justices gave him his judgement that he should first be drawne at horses tailes through the midst of the Citie unto the gallowes and afterward be hanged upon a jebbit which was done accordingly Item in the same yeere the Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas raised a great army to destroy the Bourkeins and the Poers The same yeere also the Lord William Bourk was knighted at London on Whitsunday and the King gave unto him his Seignory Also in the same yeere Iames Botiller in England espoused the daughter of the Earle of Hereford and was created Earle of Ormund who before was called Earle of Tiperary The same yeere a Parliament was holden at Northampton where many of the Lords and Nobles of England assembled and a peace was renewed betweene Scotland England and Ireland by marriages between them and it was ordained that the Earle of Ulster with many Nobles of England should goe to Barwick upon Tweed to the espousals and assurance making The same yeere after the said espousals and contract made at Barwicke the Lord Robert Brus King of Scotland and the Lord William Burk Earle of Ulster the Earle of Meneteth and many of the Scottish nobility arrived at Cragfergus peaceably and sent unto the Justices of Ireland and to the Counsell that they would come to Green Castle to treat about a peace of Scotland and Ireland Now because the said Justices of Counsell failed to come as the said King desired he took his leave of the Earle of Ulster and returned into his owne country after the feast of the assumption of the blessed Virgin Mary And the Earle of Ulster came to Dublin unto the Parliament and there stayed sixe dayes and made a great feast and after this went into Connaght The same yeere about the feast of Saint Katherin Virgin the Bishop of Osserie certified the Kings Counsell there that Sir Arnald Pover was convicted before him upon divers articles of perverse heresie Whereupon at the suit of the said Bishop the said Sir Arnald by vertue of the Kings writ was arrested and layed up in the Castle of Dublin and a day was given unto the Bishop for to come unto Dublin to follow the foresaid suit and action against the foresaid Lord Arnald who made his excuse that hee could not then come because his enemies lay in wait for his life in the way whereupon the Kings Counsell knew not how to make an end of this businesse and so the Lord Arnald was kept in duresse within the Castle of Dublin untill the Parliament following which was in Mid-lent where all the Nobles of Ireland were present In the same yeere Frier Roger Utlaw Prior of the Hospitall of St. John of Jerusalem in Ireland Lord Justice and Chancellour of Ireland was disfamed by the said Bishop and slandered to bee a favourer of heresie a Counsellour also and a better of the said Lord Arnold in his hereticall naughtinesse And because his person was thus villanously delamed the said Prior went to the Counsell of the King and put up a petition that hee might purge himselfe Whereupon they of the Kings Counsell tooke advice and upon consultation had granted unto him that he might make his purgation And they caused it to be proclaimed for three dayes That if there were any person who would follow suit and give information against the said Frier Roger he might come in and put in his pursuit But no man was found to follow the matter Whereupon at the procurement of Sir Roger the Frier there went out the Kings writ to summon the Elders of Ireland to wit Bishops Abbots Priors and foure Maiors of foure Cities namely Dublin Corke Limerick and Waterford and of Tredagh also the Sheriffes and Seneschals yea and the Knights of the shire with the Free-holders of the countie that were of the better sort for to repaire unto Dublin And there were chosen sixe examiners in the said cause to wit M. William Rodyard Deane of the Cathedrall Church of St. Patrick in Dublin the Abbat of Saint Thomas the Abbat of St. Maries the Prior of holy Trinitie Church in Dublin M. Elias Lawles and M. Peter Willebey These Inquisitours convented those that were cited and they examined every one severally by himselfe which examinats all upon their oathes deposed that he was honest and faithfull a zealous embracer of the faith and readie to die for the faith and in regard of this great solemnity of his purgation the said Frier Roger made a royall feast to all that would come Also the same yeere in Lent died the said L. Arnald Pover in the Castle of Dublin and lay a long time unburied in the house of the preaching Friers MCCCXXIX After the feast of the Annuntiation of the blessed Virgin Mary the Nobles of Ireland came unto the Parliament at Dublin to wit the Earle of Ulster the Lord Thomas Fitz-Moris the Earle of Louth William Bermingham and the rest of the Lords and
a peace was renewed there betweene the Earle of Ulster and the Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas the said Lords with the Kings Counsel ordained there that the Kings peace should be fully kept so that every Nobleman and Chieftaine should keep in his owne sept retinew and servants and the said Earle of Ulster made a great feast in the Castle of Dublin and the Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas the morrow after kept a great feast within the Church of St. Patrick in Dublin and Frier Roger Outlaw Justice of Ireland feasted likewise upon the third day at Kylmaynon and so they departed The same yeere on the Virgill of St. Barnabee the Apostle Sir John Bermingham Earle of Louth was slaine at Balybragan in Urgal by those of Urgal and with him Peter Bermingham the said Earles legitimate and whole brother also Robert Bermingham the same Earles putative brother Sir John Bermingham the son of his brother Richard Lord of Anry William Finne Bermingham the Unkles sonne by the mothers side of the foresaid Lord of Anry Simon Bermingham the same Williams sonne Thomas Bermingham the son of Robert of Conaght Peter Bermingham the sonne of Iames of Conaght Henry Bermingham of Conaght and Richard Talbot of Malaghide a valiant man at armes and two hundred with them whose names are not knowne Item after the foresaid slaughter the Lord Simon Genevile his men invaded the country of Carbry for to spoile and harry them in regard of their robberies and manslaughters committed many times in Meth but before the said invasion they of Carbry arose and slew of the said Simons men threescore and sixteen Also the same yeere on the morrow after holy Trinitie Sunday there came to Dublin John Gernon and Roger Gernon his brother in the behalfe of those of Urgal and made humble request that they might stand to be tried at the Common Law And on Tuesday which was the morrow after the feast of St. John Baptist John and Roger hearing that the Lord William Bermingham was comming departed out of Dublin The same yeere on the Vigill of St. Laurence the Lord Thomas Botiller went with a great power into the parts of Ardnorwith and there encountred the said Lord Thomas Williams Mac-Goghgan with his forces and there was the said L. Thomas to the great losse of the land of Ireland with him were killed the Lord John Ledewich Roger Ledewich Thomas Ledewich John Nangle Meiler Petit Simon Petit David Nangle Sir John Waringer James Terel Nicholas White William Freines Peter Kent John White and together with them one hundred and forty men whose names are unknowne And on the tuesday next before the feast of St. Bartholomew the body of the said Lord Thomas Botiller was conveied to Dublin and bestowed in the house of the preaching Friers but as yet not buried and the sunday next ensuing the feast of the beheading of St. Iohn Baptist the said Lord Thomas his corps was very honourably carried through the city and enterred in the Church of the preaching Friers and the wife of the said Lord John that day made a feast In the same yeere John Lord Dracy came Justice of Ireland the second time and the said Lord John espoused the Lady Joan de Burk Countesse of Kildare the third day of July at Maynoth Item Philip Stanton is slaine Also Henry Lord Traham is treacherously taken in his owne house at Kilbego by Richard the sonne of Philip Onolan More the Lord Iames Botiller Earle of Ormond burnt Foghird against Onolan for the foresaid Henries sake brother of Botiller The same yeere on wednesday next after the feast of the Ascension of the blessed Virgin Mary John Lord Darcy Justice of Ireland went toward the parts of Newcastle of Mac-Kingham and Wikelow against the O-Brynns and the monday following certain of Lawles were slaine and many wounded and namely Robert Locam was hurt and of the Irish the better sort were slaine many likewise wounded and the rest fled But Murkad O-Brynne yeelded himselfe an hostage together with his son unkle and unkles sonne and they were brought to the castle of Dublin But afterwards delivered for other hostages the better sort of their sept and kin The same yeere the Lord Justice namely the Lord John Darcy and those of the Kings Counsell in Ireland about the feast of the Circumcision of our Lord charged the Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas of Desmund that himselfe should come into the field with his forces for to vanquish the Kings enemies giving him to understand that their soveraigne Lord the King would provide for to defray the charges of him and of his army and the said Moris came with his power and Briene O-Brene was in his company and their army consisted of ten thousand men and the said Lord Moris advanced with his army first against the O-Nolanes vanquished them gat a great bootie and wasted their lands with fire and the O-Nolanes fled and afterwards delivered hostages who were sent unto the castle of Dublin And afterwards the said Lord Moris made a journy against the O-Morches who did put in their hostages for to keepe the Kings peace The same time the castle of Ley which O-dympcy had won and kept was rendred up to the said Moris The same yeere after the Epiphany of our Lord Donald Arts Mac-Murgh made an escape out of the castle of Dublin by a cord which one Adam Nangle had bought for him which Adam afterwards was drawne and hanged MCCCXXX Mighty winds were up in divers places about the feast daies of St. Katherine S. Nicolas and of the Nativitie of our Lord by which wind part of the wall of a certain house fell downe and killed the wife of Sir Miles Verdon with his daughter on S. Nicolas even such winds as the like were never seene in Ireland Item there was such an inundation of the water of Boyn as never had been known before by which flood all the bridges as well of stone as of timber standing over the said water were utterly cast downe unlesse it were Babe bridge The water also carried away divers mills and did much hurt to the Friers Minors of Trym and Tredagh in breaking down their houses The same yeere about the feast of S. John Baptist there began a great dearth of corne in Ireland and continued untill Michaelmas Item a cranoc of wheat was sold for 20. shillings also a cranoc of oats for eight shillings and one cranoc of peason beanes and of barly for 8. shillings And this dearth hapned by occasion of abundance of raine so that much of the standing corne could not be reaped before the feast of St. Michael The same yeere the English of Meth made a slaughter of the Irish to wit of Mac-Goghigans people about Lent neere unto Loghynerthy whereupon the said Mac-Goghigan in anger burnt in those parts 25. small villages and sacked them which the English seeing gathered themselves together against him and of his men slew one hundred and among whom were slaine three Lords sons of
Bartholomew Verdon James White Stephen Gernon and their complices slew John Dowdal Sheriffe of Louth MCCCCIII In the fourth yeere of King Henry the fourth and in the moneth of May was killed Sir Walter Beterley a valiant Knight then Sheriffe there and with him thirty men In the same yeere about the feast of S. Martin there passed over into England Thomas the Kings sonne leaving Stephen Scroop his Deputy who also himself upon the first day of Lent returned into England and then the Lords of the land chose the Earle of Ormond Lord Justice of Ireland MCCCCIV In the fifth yeere of King Henry died Iohn Cowlton Archbishop of Armagh the fifth of May whom Nicholas Fleming succeeded The same yeere on S. Vitalis day began a Parliament at Dublin before the Earle of Ormond then Lord Justice of Ireland wherein where confirmed the Statutes of Kilkenny and of Dublin also the charter of Ireland In the same yeere Patrick Savage in Ulster was treacherously slaine by Mac-Kilmori and Richard his brother given for an hostage who likewise was murdred in prison after he had payed two hundred Marks MCCCCV In the sixth yeere of King Henry and in the month of May were taken three Scottish Galions or Barkes two at Green-castle and one at Dalkey with the captaine Thomas Mac-Golagh The same yeere the merchants of Tredaght entred Scotland tooke pledges and preies The same yeere Stephen Scroope crossed the seas into England leaving the Earle of Ormond Lord Justice of Ireland And the same yeere in the month of June the Dublinians entred Scotland at Saint Ninians and there behaved themselves manfully then landed they in Wales and did much hurt to the Welshmen there yea and carried away the Shrine of S. Cubie unto the Church of the holy Trinitie in Dublin Also the same yeere on the Vigill of the blessed Virgin died James Botiller Earle of Ormond whiles he was Lord Justice to the griefe of many at Baligauran unto whom there succeeded in the office of Lord Justice Gerald Earle of Kildare MCCCCVI And in the seventh yeere of King Henry on Corpus Christi day the Dublinians with the people of the Countrey about them manfully overcame the Irish and killed some of them they tooke three ensignes and carried away divers of their heads to Dublin The same yeere the Prior of Conall fought valiantly in the plaine of Kildare and vanquished two hundred Irish well armed killing some and putting others to flight there were in the Priors company not above twenty English and thus God regardeth those that repose trust in him In the same yeere after the feast of S. Michael Sir Stephen Scroop Deputy Justice under the Lord Thomas the Kings sonne Lievtenant of Ireland entred into Ireland The same yeere died Pope Innocentius the seventh after whom succeeded Pope Gregory The same yeere beganne a Parliament at Dublin on Saint Hilaries day which ended at Trym in Lent and Meiler Bermingham slew Cathol O-Conghir in the end of February and Sir Gefferey Vaulx a noble Knight in the countie of Carlagh died MCCCCVII A certaine Irishman a most false villaine named Mac-Adam Mac-Gilmori who caused fortie Churches to be destroied one that was never christened and therefore termed Corbi tooke Patricke Savage prisoner and received of him for his ransome two thousand Marks and yet killed him afterwards with his brother Richard The same yeere in the feast of the exaltation of the Holy Crosse Stephen Scroop Deputy under Thomas the Kings sonne Lievtenant of Ireland accompanied with the Earles of Ormond and Desmond and the Prior of Kylmaynon with many out of Meth set forth from Dublin and in hostile manner invaded the land of Mac-Murgh where the Irish had the better of the field in the forepart of the day but afterwards they were manfully by the said Captaines repulsed where O-Nolam with his sonne and others were taken prisoners But hearing then and there that the Burkeins and O-Keroll in the countie of Kilkenny had for two daies together done much mischiefe sodainly the said Captaines rode in all haste with bridle on horse necke unto the towne of Callan and there meeting with the said enemies manfully put them to flight O-Keroll and to the number of eight hundred they killed in the place The same yeere Stephen Scroop sailed over into England and Iames Butler Earle of Ormond was by the country chosen Lord Justice of Ireland MCCCCVIII The said L. Justice held a Parliament at Dublin in which Parliament were confirmed the Statutes of Kilkenny and of Dublin and a Charter granted under the great seale of England against Purveyouris The same yeere the morrow after S. Peters day ad Vincula the Lord Thomas of Lancaster the Kings sonne arrived as Lievtenant of Ireland at Cartingford and in the weeke following came to Dublin and arrested the Earle of Kildare as he came unto him with three of his house and all his goods he lost by the servants of the said Lievtenant and in the castle of Dublin he imprisoned him untill he made paiment of 300. Marks for a fine The same yeere on Saint Marcellus day died the Lord Stephen Scroop at Tristel-Dermot The same yeere the said Thomas of Lancaster was wounded at Kylmainon and hardly escaped death and afterwards caused Proclamation to be made that whosoever by his tenures owed service to the King should appeare at Rosse And after Saint Hilaries feast he held a Parliament at Kilkenny for to have a tallage granted And afterwards upon the third day before the Ides of March he passed over into England leaving the Prior of Kylmainon his Deputy in Ireland In this yeere Hugh Mac-Gilmory was slaine at Cragfergus within the Oratory or Church of the Friers Minors which Church he before had destroyed and broken the glasse windowes thereof for to have the iron barres therein at which his enemies to wit the Savages entred MCCCCIX In the tenth yeere of King Henry and in the month of June Ianico of Artoys with the English slew fourescore of the Irish in Ulster MCCCCX On the thirteenth day of June began a Parliament at Dublin and continued three weeks the Prior of Kylmainon sitting as Lord Justice The same yeere on the tenth day of July the same Justice beganne the castle of Mibracly in O-Feroll and built De la Mare and a great dearth there was of corne In the same yeere the Justice entred the land of O-brin with a thousand and five hundred kernes of whom eight hundred departed unto the Irish and had not the Dublinians beene there there would have beene wailing and many a woe and yet Iohn Derpatrick lost his life there MCCCCXII About the feast of Tiburce and Valerian O-Conghir did much harm to the Irish in Meth and tooke prisoner 160. men The same yeere O-Doles a knight and Thomas Fitz-Moris Sheriffe of Limerik killed one another In the same yeere the ninth of June died Robert Monteyn Bishop of Meth after whom succeeded Edward Dandisey sometime Archdeacon of