he taught them that could hear him how they should live 7. To which perhaps may be added the great Council of Kyrtlington held there not long after in an 977 at which were present King Edward the Martyr and St Dunstan Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and at which died Sidemannus Bishop of Crediton This Council by Sir Henry Spelman d H. Spelman Concil Tom. 1. An. 977. p. 493. is taken to be the same mentioned by Wigorniensis held at Kyrtlinege which he guesses to be now Katlage in Cambridge-shire but I rather believe it was held here not only for the sake of the name which remains the same to this day but because of the one and only Constitution made there viz. That it should be lawful for the Country People to go in Pilgrimage to St. Mary of Abington a thing in all likelyhood not so desirable to the People of Cambridge-shire as to ours of Oxford-shire so near the place Beside the great reputation that this place was of in ancient times seems to justifie my plea it enjoying as great Privileges and perhaps being a fitter place in those days for the reception of such an Assembly then Oxford it self for I find it part of the Possessions of the Kings of England from whom it came to Henry Son of Edmund Crouchback Earl of Lancaster and Father to Henry the first Duke of Lancaster by whose Daughter and sole Heir Blanch it came to John of Gaunt Duke of Aquitane and Lancaster and was free a Thelonio passagio lastagio pacagio stallagio tallagio tollagio cariagio terragio per totum Regnum as I find it in an old Charter in the possession of the Right Worshipful Sir Tho Chamberleyne now Lord of the Town whose singular civilities in imparting this and some other matters hereafter to be mention'd I cannot but in gratitude ever acknowledge 8. From whence after so long but I hope not unpleasant digression I return to the Beautiful Oxford again a place of so sweet and wholsom an Air that though it must not be compared with that of Montpellier yet upon my own knowledge it has proved so advantagious to some that it has prefectly recovered them of deep Consumptions and particularly a worthy Friend of mine who though he came hither sufficiently spent yet without the help of any other Physick within few Months felt a sensible amendment and in fewer Years became of as sanguine a complexion as the rest of his friends that had almost despaired of him 9. Some have thought the Small Pox here more then ordinarily frequent and it must indeed be confest That we are perhaps as often though not so severely infested as some other places for generally here they are so favorable and kind that be the Nurse but tolerably good the Patient seldom miscarries But admit the Objection be truly made That it is more subject to the Small Pox than other neighboring Cities about yet if by so much the less it feel the rage of the Plague I think the edge of the charge is sufficiently rebated 'T is reported amongst the e Philosoph Transact num 49. observations of an ingenious Person that resided long in the Island Japan That though the Air be very salubrious there yet the Small Pox and Fluxes are very frequent but the Plague not so much as ever heard of which has often made me reflect on the year 1665 when the Pestilence was spread in a maner all over the Kingdom that even then though the Court both Houses of Parliament and the Term were kept at Oxford the Plague notwithstanding was not there at all 10. Others again tell us of the Black Assise held in the Castle here an 1577. when a poysonous steam broke forth of the Earth and so mortally seised the spirits of the Judges Sheriffs Justices Gentry and Juries beside great numbers of others that attended the business that they sickned upon it and almost all of them dyed but let it not be ascribed to ill fumes and exhalations ascending from the Earth and poysoning the Air for such would have equally affected the Prisoners as Judges but we find not that they dyed otherwise then by the halter which easily perswades me to be of the mind of my f Nat. Hist Cent. 10. num 914. Lord Verulam who attributes it wholly to the smell of the Goal where the Prisoners had been long close and nastily kept 11. 'T is true that Oxford was much more unhealthy heretofore then now it is by reason the City was then much less and the Scholars many more who when crowded up in so narrow a space and the then slovenly Towns-men not keeping the street clean but killing all maner of Cattle within the walls did render the place much more unhealthy Hence 't is that we find so many rescripts of our Kings prohibiting mactationem grossarum bestiarum infra muros quod vici mundentur à fimis fimariis bearing date 13 Hen. 3. 29 Edw. 1. 12 Edw. 3. 37 Hen. 6. g MSS. in Arch. Bib. Bod. fol. 90 91. and all alledging the reason quia per has mactationes c. aer ibidem inficitur because by the killing such maner of Cattle and laying the dung in the streets the Air was infected Moreover about these times the Isis and Cherwell through the carelesness of the Towns-men being filled with mud and the Common-shoars by this means stopt did cause the ascent of malignant vapors wherever there happened to be a Flood for beside its stirring the infectious mass great part of the waters could not timely pass away but stagnating in the lower Meddows could not but increase the noxious putrid steams But the former being long since remedyed by the care of the Vniversity and the latter by the piety and charge of Richard Fox Bishop of Winchester and Founder of C.C.C. Oxon. who in the year 1517. cleansed the Rivers and cut more Trenches for the waters free passage h Hist Antiq. Univers Oxon. Lib. 1. pag. 245. the Town hath ever since continued in a healthful condition though I cannot but believe but were there yet more Trenches cut in some of the Meddows the Air might be somwhat better'd still especially during the Winter season when I fear somtimes Floods stay a little too long and that not only near Oxford but in Otmoor and all along the Isis from Ensham to North-moor Shifford Chimly and Rotcot which brings me again to the general consideration of the Waters as well of the whole County as City 12. That the healthiness of Waters consists in their due impregnation with Salts and Sulphurs and their continuance so in their continual motion is indisputably evinced from the stinking evaporations of them upon any stagnation Now that the Rivers here abound with these will be altogether as manifest as that they run if we consider but the Springs they receive and Earths they wash The Isis 't is true till it comes to New-bridge receives not that I
sweet and healthful Air they live in Whereas the Inhabitants of fenny and boggy Countries whose spirits are clogg'd with perpetual Exhalations are generally of a more stupid and unpleasant conversation 3. That the qualities of Waters and Soyls together with the situations of places so the respective Quarters of the World make them more or less healthy according to the great b Id. ibid. Hippocrates there is no doubt But to these I must beg the favor of adding not only more swasive but more irrefragable proof I mean the great age and constant health of persons that have been lately and are now living here Richard Clifford not long since of Bolscot in this County died at 114 years of age Brian Stephens born at Cherlbury but Inhabitant of Woodstock dyed last year at 103. Where also there now lives one George Green but born at Ensham in his hundredth year at Kidlington one Mris Hill was born and lived there above an hundred years and at Oxford there is living beside several near it a Woman commonly called Mother George now in her hundredth year current The pleasant situation of which City is such and so answerable to the great Reputation it ever had in this respect that it must not by any means be past by in silence 4. Seated it is on a rising Ground in the midst of a pleasant and fruitful Valley of a large extent at the confluence and extended between the two Rivers of Isis and Cherwell with which it is encompass'd on the East West and South as also with a ridge of Hills at a miles or somwhat more distance in the form of a Bow touching more then the East and West points with the ends so that the whole lies in form of a Theater In the Area stands the City mounted on a small hill adorned with so many Towers Spires and Pinnacles and the sides of the neighboring Hills so sprinkled with Trees and Villa's that no place I have yet seen has equall'd the Prospect * Ab amoenitate situs Bellositum dictum 'T was the sweetness and commodiousness of the place that no question first invited the great and judicious King Alfred to select it for The Muses Seat and the Kings of England ever since especially when at any time forc'd from London by War Plague or other inconveniencies so frequently to remove hither not only their Royal Courts but the Houses of Parliament and Courts of Judicature Many Synods and Convocations of the Clergy have been also for the same reason held here of which as they have promiscuously happened in order of time take the following Catalogue A Catalogue of Parliaments Councils and Terms that have been held at Oxford A Parliament held at Oxford in the time of King Ethelred anno 1002. A Parliament at Oxford under King Canutus an 1018. A Parliament at Oxford under King Harold Harefoot anno 1036. A Conference at Oxford under King William Rufus an 1088. A Conference at Oxford in the time of King Stephen A Council at Oxford held against the Waldenses temp Hen. 2. an 1160. A Council at Oxford under King Hen. 2. temp Tho. Becket Archiep. Cant. an 1166. A general Council at Oxford at which King Hen. 2. made his Son John King of Ireland an 1177. A Parliament at Oxford called Parliamentum magnum temp H. 2. an 1185. A Council at Oxford temp Rich. 1. A Conference at Oxford in the time of King John A Parliament held at Oxford temp Hen. 3. an 1218. which first gave occasion to the Barons Wars A Council at Oxford under Steph. Langton Arch-Bishop of Canterbury an 1222. A Council at Oxford an 1227. A Council at Oxford under Stephen Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and his Suffragans an 1230. 14. Hen. 3. A Council at Oxford temp Hen. 3. an 1233. A Council at Oxford under Edmund Arch-Bishop of Cant. A Council held at Oxford by the Bishops temp Hen. 3. an 1241. A Term kept at Oxford 31 Hen. 3. A Council at Oxford temp Hen. 3. an 1247. A Council held by the Bishops at Oxford an 1250. A Parliament held at Oxford called Parliamentum insanum 41 Hen. 3. A Council at Oxford an 1258. A Parliament at Oxford an 1261. A Parliament at Oxford an 1264. A Council at Oxford under John Peckham Arch-Bishop of Canterbury an 1271. A Council held at Oxford under Robert Winchilsea Arch-Bishop of Canterbury an 1290. A Parliament summon'd at Oxford 4 Edw. 3. A Parliament at Oxford 19 Novemb. an 1382. A Parliament at Oxford 6 Rich. 2. A Term kept at Oxford 11 Rich. 2. A Term kept at Oxford 16 Rich. 2. A Convocation of the Clergy at Oxford by Tho. Arundel Arch-Bishop of Canterbury an 1395. A Parliament at Oxford 1 Car. 1. 1625. A Parliament summon'd at Oxford temp Car. 1. an 1644. The Terms kept at Oxford eodem temp it being the Kings Head-Quarters in the late Civil War A Parliament at Oxford 13 Car. 2. an 1665. The Term kept at Oxford eodem temp the Plague being then at London 5. Of these there is an imperfect List in a MSS. c MSS. fol. C. p. 173. in Corpus Christi College Library Oxon. in which there are also mentioned three Synods held in St. Maries Church A Provincial Chapter of the Fryars Preachers and a Council held at Oxon. whose Votes were written by Abraham Woodhall There is also a Provincial Council at Oxford mention'd in the Catalogue set before the Decrees of Gratian. But these bearing no date and in all likelyhood the same with some of the afore-mentioned I pass on to another Parliament which though not at Oxford yet was held in this County and therefore I suppose not improper for this place However I shall rather venture the danger of impropriety and misplacing then omit the taking notice of so considerable a Meeting it being the first Parliament held in the County and doubtless in England called it was at Shifford now a small Village in the Parish of Bampton and shewing now nothing adequate to so great an Assembly 6. There is a MSS. in Sir Robert Cottons Library that gives an account of this Parliament which it saies consisted of the chief of all Orders of the Kingdom and was called at Sifford now Shifford in Oxford-shire by King Alfred where the King as Head consulted with the Clergy Nobles and others about the maners and government of the people where he delivered some grave admonitions concerning the same The words of the MSS. are these At Sifford seten Dancr manie fele Biscops et fele Boclered Erles prude et Cnihtes egloche ðer ƿas Erle Elfricof ðe lage smuth ƿise ec Alfred Englehird Engle derling on England he ƿas Cyng hem he gan leren sƿo hi heren mihten hu hi here lif leden scolden i. e. There sate at Shifford many Thanes many Bishops and many learned Men wise Earls and awful Knights there was Earl Elfrick very learned in the Law and Alfred Englands Herds-man Englands Darling he was King of England
quas in Canes insectantes naturaliter emittunt b Will. Malmesburiens de Henr. 1. lib. 5. i. e. cover'd over with sharp pointed Quills which they naturally shoot at the dogs that hunt them 119. Of the Town of Thame anciently Tamesforda I could find little till about the time of Edward Senior An. 921 when the Danish Army out of Huntingdon came hither and erected some kind of Fortification but at this time it seems it was so considerable that it had the reputation of a Burg for King Edward coming against it the same year his Army is said to have besieged the Burg and taken it and to have slain the Danish King Earl Toglos and Earl Mannan his son his brother and all others whatever within the Town c Chronologia Saxonica in An. 921. And again An. 1010. when the Danes over-ran most of this part of England we find this Town amongst others to have suffered much by them d Joh. Bromton Abb. Jornal in An. citat 120. Chippingnorton anciently Ceapan-nertune was also most certainly a Town of note in the Saxons days as one may gather from its name it being so called from Ceapan Emere to buy or cheapen so that it implies as much as Mercat Norton or Norton where the people usually cheapened Wares And Whitney now Witney seems to have been a Town of good repute before the Conquest it being given about the year 1040. to the Church of St. Swithins Winton with eight other Manors by Alwinus then Bishop of that See who for his over-familiarity with Emma Mother to K. Edward the Confessor was causelesly suspected of Adultery with her Of which suspition Queen Emma purging herself and him by the Fire Ordeal of walking bare-foot over nine red-hot plough-shares without hurt in thankfulness 't is said they each gave nine Manors to the Church of Winchester which are all named by Mr. Dugdale Witney being one of those given by Alwinus e Monastici Anglicani vol. 1. inter Addenda pag. 980. 121. And the neighboring Town of Bampton anciently Bemtune seems to be of much about the same antiquity yet neither can I find any higher Record of it than of Leofric Chaplain to King Edward the Confessor who An. 1046. upon the union of the Bishopricks of Criditon and Cornwal and both of them translated to Exeter whereof he was made the first Bishop quickly after gave to this his new Church his aet Bemtune f E Cod. vet MS. in Bib. Bod. fol. Med. 120. in princip to which it belongs to this very day 122. Which is all I could meet with of the Towns of Oxford-shire before the Conquest for after long search I could find nothing of Deddington till about the Reign of King Edw. 2. whereof when I come to speak of the Castle there concerning which I could have added much more and brought their History down to these times as above in Banbury only that and whatever else is worthy notice of them may be found in some other modern Histories 123. Yet before we come to the times since the Conquest let us first remember that the Town of Islip Sax. Gightslepe or Gibetslepe must needs be of good repute in those days for Camden says expresly and so do several other Authors that King Edward the Confessor was born there which they prove from his original Charter of Restoration of the Abby of Westminster wherein he gives to this his new Church the Town of Islip with the additional Clause of the place where he was born g Camd. Britan. in Com. Oxon. which though 't is true I could not find in Mr. Dugdale h Vid. Monasticon Angl. vol. 1. p. 59. yet here remaining some foot-steps of the ancient Palace and a Chappel now put to profane use called the Kings Chapel and the Town still belonging to the Church of Westminster there is no great doubt to be made of the thing tradition it self being not like to be erroneous in a matter of this nature though there were no such Charter to prove the thing alleged which yet we have reason to believe there is or was though not produced by Mr. Dugdale 124. In the Chapel above-mentioned not many years since there stood as was constantly deliver'd down to posterity the very Font wherein that Religious Prince St. Edward the Confessor received the Sacrament of Baptism which together with the Chapel in these latter days being put to some indecent at least if not profane use was carefully and plously rescued from it by some of the Right Worshipful Family of the Browns of Nether Kiddington where it now remains in the garden of that worthy Gentleman Sir Henry Brown Baronet set handsomly on a pedestal as exactly represented Tab. 16. Fig. 6. and adorned with a Poem rather pious than learned which yet I think I had put down but that it is imperfect 125. Which holy King Edward was the first to whom was granted the gift of Sanation only with the touch of his hand of the Disease called the Struma or Scrofula and in English upon this account the Kings Evil which as a mark of Gods most especial favor to this Kingdom has been transmitted with it as an hereditary gift to all his Successors Every sacred hand in all Ages ever since that has held the Scepter of this most happy and now florishing Kingdom having been signally blest by divers and undoubted Experiments of healing that Disease 126. Before they touch for this distemper they have always Prayers read sutable to the occasion both which when performed the King forthwith bestows on every Patient a piece of Angel-gold purposely coined and put upon a white ribbon to be hung about the neck which as long as worn preserves the virtue of the touch though Dr. Tooker will have it only Sanitatis symbolum inchoatae Eleemosynae sacrae monumentum i Gul. Tookeri Charisma sive donum Sanationis Reg. Ang. coelitus concessum i. e. a mark that the Cure is already begun and a lasting memorial of the Kings charity and piety to the poor patients 127. However it be that this was the custom ab initio I take to be plain from that piece of Gold of King Edward the Confessor Tab. 16. Fig. 5. found in St. Giles's field in the Suburbs of Oxon. having the initial letters of his name over the hinder part of the head and two small holes through it as if designed to be being on a ribbon for the purpose above-mention'd the holes being strengthened with Gold Wire fastened round them and to the piece it self much after the fashion of the eye of a mans doublet as exactly described in the Figure ut supra which piece was lent me by that courteous Gentleman Sir John Holeman Baronet in whose possession it now remains at his House near Northampton 128. From King Edward the Confessors being born at Islip 't is easie to collect that his Father King Aethelred must necessarily have had