chiefe Lordes sonnes of Britaine and Cornewall where Zepherinus then Bishop priuily instructed him in the fayth of Christ which at his returne he taught to Albon in such sort that openly professing the same they were in the time of the 〈◊〉 Dâ—…sian â—…th martired Wherof you may reade in Gâ—…ldas and Bede After this the Citie was yet in good estate vntill the time of the 〈◊〉 when Octâ—… and Oesa taking it for their refuge were besieged by Vther Pendragon wâ—… brake the â—…es and defaced it Aâ—…ter this by Lâ—…tle and Litle it langâ—…shed so that it became a deane or harbour of theeues and 〈◊〉 vntill King Offa about the yeare of our Lord 793. â—…ded an Aâ—…ey in honor of S. A bon in a place calld 〈◊〉 hencefoâ—…rth the olde citie decaied and S. Aâ—…bons flourished And Alfricke the seuenth Abbot of the house bought the fishing pond of the King and for that the Fishermen dayly endoâ—…aged the religious people it was with great â—…st drayâ—…ed made drie There remaineth at this day a street in S. Albons called Fishpoâ—…le street and for that there hath bene fouâ—…d about the Citie AAnchors keles of beates old nailes and such trash some haue supposed the Thames to haue runne that way which errour grewe by corruption of Gyldas booke where he mentioneth of S. Albons death but it is not so but heare what ancient recordes doo testifie concerning the same In the tune of Kâ—…ng Edgar when Aegelred was Abbot he caused the ruines of Verolane to be searched the vaultes to bee vncouered and the pauements to be digged vp where he found Pillers peeces of antique worke thresholds door-frames pillers for windowes of fine masonrie worke some of Porphyrte some Touch some Alablaster all which were verte conuenient for his purpose besides hee found sockets of Lattyn and of brasse with diuers other thinges which hee reserued towardes the foundation of a new abbey which he intended to build But being preuented by death Edmerus his successor digged againe and found Idols Altars richly couered Iugs and cruses wiâ—…h puts some of wood some stone and some gold artificially wrâ—…ught and caâ—…ed And proceeding farther hee found pots of gold siluer and some of brasse some with coyne and some with bones and ashes of such as haue bene burned or buried all which were reseruâ—…d and the mettels melted and kept for this new 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 at last 〈◊〉 was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great store of â—…ges and â—…old pâ—…leges and the new towne of S. Albons dayly more and more increased famous as well for the 〈◊〉 as also for two notâ—…ble 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fought there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 betwixt the two great hâ—…uses of Yorkâ—… and 〈◊〉 Thus much of Veroâ—…ne whereof more might be said which for 〈◊〉 saâ—… 〈◊〉 Bishopâ—… Hatfield or Hethfield Iohn Morton bishop of Ely builded thâ—…re a house which nowe belongeth to her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Leland 〈◊〉 belonged once to thâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Berâ—…yers from theâ—… to the Howards Thâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suspectâ—…g that a towâ—… of the house would â—…all by reason of the height tooke downe a part therof And king Henrie the eight making an exchange with the Duke newly reedâ—…ed the house sincâ—… whose time it is honâ—…red with the title of a Barâ—… which Henry Cary Lord Chamberlaine of her Muestâ—… houshold â—…efetenant of Northfolke and Suffolke and Captaine of Barwike at this day enioyeth Hartford called by Antonine the Romans Durocobriuas the 〈◊〉 or Welâ—…en callâ—…ed waâ—…er Duâ—… Coâ—… Briua 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them as also 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth ouer the water as Briua Odera Briua Iâ—…ara which signifie passages ouer riuers of the same name The Saxons called it Herudford as in one booke remaining with Iohn Stowe a diligent â—…earcher and â—…reseruer of antiâ—…ties it is written Hâ—…ford Bedâ—… in the fourth booke of his 〈◊〉 history â—…neth how Theodorus Archbishop of Canterbâ—… held 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or proâ—…ciall counsell at Herudford Anno. 670. but now it is corruptly as I thinke called Hartford which Leland interpreteth Cerâ—… vadâ—… the toord of 〈◊〉 it hath 〈◊〉 in olde time of good account as well by 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 also of the 〈◊〉 the Castel was 〈◊〉 first by Edâ—…ard 〈◊〉 in the ninth yeare of his raige as Henry Hunâ—…gton saith whose wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anno. 〈◊〉 sui construxâ—… Hâ—…refordium castrum noâ—… 〈◊〉 sed pulcheriâ—…um tamen inter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed clarissima tamen This castle hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Clares and then by the Dukes of Lancaster for Roger de Clare in Henry the second his time was created Erle of Hartford And Robert Fitzwalter that came of the same house in king Steuens time did boldly affirme that the keeping of the Castle did of right belong vnto him Henry the third gaue the Castle with the honour belonging to it to William Ualence Erle of Penbroke Anno. 1247. After it fell to the Dukes of Lancaster who vsed to lodge at it verie often In the yeare of our Lord 1357 the Queene of Scottes sister to king Edward the third departed this life lying at Hartford with her sister in law the Queene of England and in the yeare 1458 for a fray made in Fleetestreet in London the king sent the principals of Clifford Furniuall and Barnardes In as prisoners to Hartford castle King Henry the sixt vsed often to keepe his Christmas there and to conclude king Edward the sixt was nursed and schooled there The priorie was builded by Ralfe Lord Lymesoy who came into England with William the Conquerour and was as the Monkes reported his sisters sonne The townesmen of late haue procured to themselues a new corporation and haue on the Saterday a good market and euery yeare three faires In Edward the 3. time as I haue seene in an olde record they had two markets in the weeke and but two fayres In the time of Henry the eight viz. 1507 there was a paper Mill at Hartford and belonged to Iohn Tate whose father was Mayor of London Waltham a market towne the Abbay was builded by king Harold who shortly after hee had built it was slaine by William the conqueror his mother with great and earnest siâ—…e obtained his body and intoumbed the same in the Abbay Aelners Crosse coÌ„monly called Waltham crosse K. Henry the first set it vp in memory of his wife who died in Lincolnshire and wheresoeuer her body was caried there hee erected a crosse with the armes of England Castile and Pontoys geuen â—…n the same of which the crosse in Chepe and Charing crosse be two of the fayrest TO HIS BELOUED FATHER IOHN Valans W. U. wisheth the grace of God with health and prosperitie THe dutie deare Father I owe vnto you the regard of my promise together with the remeÌ„brance of your reasonable request doo not a litle mooue me to write a few words concerning the matter whereof at my being with you last weâ—…th certaine of our friendes talked Aâ—… 〈◊〉 am well
assured that you reâ—…member what a styr N. B. kept when I said that shippeâ—… had bene at Ware affyrming how it was vnpossible that that riuer which but of late was scarce able to beare a smal whyrrie shold in times past beare big and mighty ships Truly his wordes were many great but his reasons were smal And since that at that time I promised to send you in a letter a plaine and euident prooffe of those words which there I vttered I doubt not but in these few lines fully to satisfie not only your request but also your mind and confirme you in that opinion which fewe men vnlesse such as be altogether ignorant of the matter and of the place wil denie And for so much as the cause for which the ships went thether and what they did there then will I plainly prooue both by auchoritie and examples that it is likey that they were ther. Lastly I wil as my promise was shew you about what time and by whome Ware was builded That Shippes haue bene at Ware THe Danes who as Polidor Virgill saith dwelled in olde time beyond Ister but now be they inhabitants of the Germane Ocean or Denmark perceiuing how that their Country was ouermuch pressed with the great multitude of people y t in habited y e same determined to subdue the land to driue out y e Englishmen and to plant themselues and thâ—…ir posterity for euer 〈◊〉 the same for perfourming and accomplishing whereof they armed great store of chosen souldiers who about the yeare 832. in 34. shippes entered the riuer of Thames landed by great force spoiled fired wasted the country so far that Egbert who then was king of the more part of England was fame with an hoast of men to succour and relieue hâ—…s dâ—…stressed subiectes But such was the will of God for the punishment of sinne that then was rise that the kinge ioining battaile with the Danes was by them discomfited and put to flight After this battâ—…ile the Danes were so encouraged that they 〈◊〉 out of theâ—…e countrie like fâ—…armes of Bees 〈◊〉 that if 〈◊〉 one weeke there were fiue thousand of theiâ—… 〈◊〉 yet in the werke following ther would come eight thousand more to supply their roomes They were oftentime discomfited and the greater part of them driuen bâ—…ke by diuers â—…akant kinges and princes buâ—… yet by reason of their often arriuall therr force was still increased and maintained One while they arriued in one place then in another spoiling burning killing all they could come by Iâ—… were too long to tell and verie grieuous it is to thinke how religion was decaied learning forgotten all partes quarters of the Realme wasted and spoiled howe cities townes churches abbeâ—…s religious â—…ouses were consumed with fire flame how miserablie the Commons were afflicted how pitifully men women and children and all fortes of people went to wracke how wonderfully the kinges themselues were amased the conâ—…ing of their enemies being both suddaine and violent how crâ—…elly fire and sword famine and death raged thorow out the land heauen and earth intending as it were the fatall destruction and vtter dcay of the realme This miserie continued the space of 300 and ddde yeares within which yeares namely about the yeare of our Lord 217 the 23 yeare of King Alfreds râ—…ns a great armie of Danes hauing reâ—…eiued an ouerthrow at a place caâ—…ed Buâ—…tington beside Seuethe fled into east England and there wintered and prepared a great hoast againe out of Northumberland and other places leauing there their wiues and children together with their money shippes and munition in east England and with great speed got to the Citie of 〈◊〉 which at that â—…e was deâ—…late the inhabâ—…tes hauing for feare of the Danes forsaâ—…en it or euer king Alfred Ethered the vnder king with their armies could ouertake theâ—… And yet such was the 〈◊〉 that king Alfred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this pursâ—… that or euer his enemâ—…es had 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 he wâ—…th hâ—…s companie tooke a great deale of their câ—…riage with all the booties of 〈◊〉 and other thinges that they in their iourney by robbing and spoyling had obtained and driuen away Hee also besieged the citie two or three daies but perceâ—…uing it woulde finally auaile he was faâ—…ne a grieuous thing to heare to burn vp the greatest pate of the corne that grewe there aboutes and bestow the rest amongst his horses least his enemies shoulde haue the fruit and commoditie thereof The Danes perceiuing that and seeing there was nothing left whereof they might liue in those partes departed from thence and in great hasâ—…e got them to north Wales where they spoyled and hartied the countrie farre and neere driuing away great booties of Cartel and carrieng with them rich spoiles From hence they departed And because for feare of the Mercians they durst not traueile that way they coasted along the countrie till they came to Northumberland and so through middle England taking theâ—… shippes their wâ—…ues children out of cast England with them they arriued at a little Island scâ—…uate in the Sea in the east part of Essex called Merseyge From thence they departed and came into the riuer of Thames and seeing that Winter was now at hand they drew or rowed their shippes vp the riuer Lygean And twentie miles from London they began to buylde a Fort which being finished they taried there all that wynter spoyling robbing and burning those quarters without mercy When Winter was past a great part of the Citizens of London with those that inhabited neere thereaboutes traueiled thether and by force minded to breake downe the Fort or munition which they had there buylded But the Danes stoutlye resisted them and not far from the place gaue them a sharpe battaile where the Christians were put to flight and foure of King Alfreds men were slaine Thus the pagane or heathen Danes remained Lordes or maisters of those quarters compelling the husbandmen to eare and till the ground meaning themselues to reape the commoditie of it But the good King Alfred who alwaies was carefull for the welfare of his subiectes gathered an armie and before haruest time pitched his tents neer to the place of their abode By whose comming the enemies were so affraid that they durst not once peepe out of their hold to fetch either cattell or corne out of the fields by force In this space it happened on a time as the King rode alongst by the riuer side he viewed the water and perceiued how that in some places of it the chanell might easily bee stopped and the streame made lesse Whereupon he as Huntington writeth caused it to bee cut into three seuerall braunches or armes but howsoeuer it was hee so weakened the streame that the Danes could not bring back their ships the same way they came Which thing the Danes perceiuing and knowing well it was in vaine for them to abide any longer there they left their Shippes and fled by
land as fast as they could to Quatbridge sending their wiues and children againe into east England After this the king departed and the Londoners and Countrimen seeing the Danes were gone burst downe their Holdeâ—… and got some of their ships backe againe to London and the rest they burned and brake all to peeces But here peraduenture you will aske me howe I shoulde come by the knowledge of these thinges beeing done so many hundred yeares agoe To this I answere that in things that were done long before any man that is now liuing can remember wee must credit that our Fathers haue committed to writing concerning the same And in my opinion the neerer the reporter liueth to those times in which the thinges he speaketh or writeth of were done the more credite is to bee geuen to him And as concerning this matter it is confirmed by the reporte of a verie auncient reuerent and and learned Wryter namely Asserus Meneuensis Bishop of Saint Dauies that liued in the verie selfe same time when these thinges were done and Maryanus Scotus who liued and wrote a chronicle at least 500. yeares ago as Florentinus a Monk of Worcester who continued it doth witnesse and declare Besides diuers others of great antiquitie and credite as Henry of Huntington Mathew of Westminster and manie moe who dâ—…e all confirme that which is before declared Besides there remayneth yet the ruines of an old Castle or Fort betweene Hartford Castle and the Mill which I doe vndoubtedly beleeue was the verie selfe same Fort that the Danes builded Moreouer O. Crosse did credibly enâ—…rine me that at y e building of Stansted bridge there were found within the riuer peeces of broken ships or Craets nayles and other thinges which seemed to belong to some great shippes or vessels All which thinges considered together with the parting of the streame before remembred me thinkes should be sufficient to confirme your minde and cause you to beleeue that there haue bene ships at Ware and Hartford Hereunto may bee added that it was a common vse of the Danes to row or drawe vp their ships into some smaller creeke or riuer where that they might ride all winter with least danger And time worketh some alteration both by water and by land y t where great riuers did somtimes run nowe it is vtterlie drie and in stead of maine waters we haue goodly florishing Meades And in like sort where goodly cities and castels some times did stand there now groweth corne For examples of this we need not seeke farre since y t in London not aboue 277. yeeres ago namely in the yeere of our Lord 1300. when Henry Waleys was Mayor of the citie there ran a riuer through Walbrook w t two bridges ouer it whereof William Iordan and Iohn de Beuer were maisters and gouernours What is become of the riuer Wer. that ran by S. Albons of which the great city that in old time stood there took the name and was called Werlamchester whereof Leland in his coÌ„mentaries maketh mention concerning cities the diligent reader of chronicles shal meet with y e names of many of which ther is at this day no rubbish nor ruin to be seen as Andres Chester y t stood in Sussex on y e edge of the great wood called Andreds weale of Iâ—…hancester y t stood in the 〈◊〉 Panta iâ—… Essex 〈◊〉 of inâ—…nite â—…e of which as I sayd therâ—… is left nâ—… tâ—…ken but as the Poet saith Est 〈◊〉 vbâ—… 〈◊〉 Thus haue you heard deare father both the doings of the Danes not only in Engl â—…ut â—…lso what they made in those 〈◊〉 of the â—…d wherof â—…e talked and where you dwel There 〈◊〉 now to write 〈◊〉 â—…ou as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how kâ—…g 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 Ware was built â—…nd in what â—…ges dâ—…ies the same was â—…e of which I 〈◊〉 to say no more then that which hath bene alreadie written by such as haue in their histories and chroâ—…les made meâ—…tion oâ—… sâ—…h 〈◊〉 as were builded by king Edward 〈◊〉 abouteâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I cannot but much mislikâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that affirme that the towne of Hartford was 〈◊〉 by king Edward the â—…rst before the conquesh Seemâ—… 〈◊〉 by the very wordes of Huntington it appeareth that it was â—…ut the Castell that he builded for we read in Beda his histoâ—…y 〈◊〉 a counsel of Bishops that was bâ—… at Hartford lâ—…g befâ—… Edwardes time this castle I meane of Hartford was builded 〈◊〉 the yeare of our Lord â—…12 by Edward the sâ—…e of king Alâ—… and two yeares after hee builded a towâ—…e â—…n the North 〈◊〉 of Lee which is the same thâ—…t I doe take 〈◊〉 be Ware and wâ—…s in hand when Witham in Essex was also begâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yeâ—…res since Thus much father for this time I thougâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto you concerning this matter â—…thing doubâ—… buâ—… 〈◊〉 herereafter when all thinges be finished that by 〈◊〉 of the Lord Treasurer maister Fanshaw and other 〈◊〉 mâ—… 〈◊〉 in hard for the amendement and scâ—…ing 〈◊〉 riuer you and I both shall see though not shippes yet 〈◊〉 bâ—…g boates and vessels passe too and fro betwâ—…xt London 〈◊〉 Ware to the commoditie and profite of the whole countrey whâ—…h God graunt Your obedient sonne W. Vallans FINIS The first arme of increase The second The third A riâ—… let or rill The fifth The sixth The seuenth 1588. Thebals Hartfoord Lee. Caister 〈◊〉 Ware Thames Seuerne Humâ—…er Trent Cynthia Verolane Bishops Hatfield oâ—… Hethfield Hâ—…don Hartfoord Waltham Aâ—…lnors Crosse.