is fourescore and two miles 3 The ayre is so cold and sharpe being bordering vpon the 〈◊〉 parts and for her shelter hauing but a wall of water They haue few woods onely they light sometimes vpon so subterranean trees buried vnder the ground by digging vp the earth for a â—lammie kinde of 〈◊〉 which they vse for fuell 4 The soile is reasonable fruitfull both for Cattle Fish and Corne yet it rather commendeth the paines of the people then the goodnesse of the ground for by the industry of the Inhabitants it â—eeldeth sufficiency of euery thing for it selfe and sendeth good store into other Countries It hath fields by good manuring plenteous of Barley and Wheat but especially 〈…〉 and from hence it comes that the people eate most of all Oaten-bread It beares abundance of 〈◊〉 and Flaxe and is full of mightie flockes of sheepe and other Cattell yet are they smaller in body then we haue in England and are much like to the Cattle in Ireland that are neighbouring vpon it 5 This commoditie makes this Iland more happie then we are here for the people are there free from vnnecessary commencements of Suites from long and dilatory Pleas and from friuolous feeing of Lawyers No Iudge or Clerks of the Court take there any penny for drawing Instruments or making of Processes All Controuersies are there determined by certaine Iudges without writings or other charges and them they call Deemsters and chuse forth among themselues If any complaint be made to the Magistrate for wrongs eyther done or suffred he presently taketh vp a stone and fixeth his marke vpon it and so deliuereth it vnto the partie plaintiffe by vertue of which he both cals his aduersary to appearance and to produce his witnesses If the case fall out to be more litigious and of greater consequence then can easily be ended it is then referred to twelue men whom they terme The Keyes of the Iland Another happinesse enricheth this Iland namely the securitie and gouernment thereof as being defended from neighbour enemies by Souldiers that are prest and ready for on the South-side of the I le stands Bala-Curi the Bishops chiefe place of residence and the Pyle and a Block-house standing in a little Iland where there is a coÌ„tinuall Garrison of Souldiers And it is so well managed for matter of rule and ciuill discipline that tuery man there possesseth his owne in peace and safetie No man liues in dread or danger of losing what he hath Men are not there inclined to robbing or theeuing or licentious liuing 6 The Inhabitants of this Iland are for the most part religious and louing to their Pastors to whom they doe much reuerence and respect frequenting daily to diuine Seruice without diuision in the Church or innouation in the Common-weale The wealthier sort and such as hold the fairest possessions doe imitate the people of Lanca-shire both in their honest carriage and good house-keeping Howbeit the common sort of people both in their language and manners come nighest vnto the Irish although they somewhat rellish and fauour of the qualities of the Norwegians 7 Things not worthy to be buryed in the graue of obliuion are that this Iland in the midst thereof riseth vp with hils standing very thicke amongst which the highest is called Sceafull from whence vpon a cleare and faire day a man may easily see three Kingdomes at once that is Scotland England and Ireland This I le prohibits the customary manner ofbegging from doore to doore detesting the disorders as well Ciuill as Ecclesiasticall of neighbour Nations And last not least that deserues to be committed to memory is that the women of this Country wheresoeuer they goe out of their doores gird themselues about with the winding-sheete that they purpose to be buried in to shew themselues mindfull of their mortalitie and such of them as are at any time condemned to dye are sowed within a sacke and flung from a rocke into the Sea 8 The whole Isle is diuided into two parts South and North whereof the one resembleth the Scotish in speech the other the Irish It is defended by two Castles and hath seauenteene Parishes fiue Market-Townes and many Villages A Chronicle of the Kings of MAN CHAPTER XLIIII IT is here very pertinent to the purpose to insert a small History of this Iland that the atchieuements heretofore had may not be vtterly buryed although they are waxen very old and almost torne from remembrance by the teeth of Time It is confessed by all that the Britaine 's held this Iland as they did all Britaine But when the Nations from the North ouerflowed those South parts like violent tempests it became subiect to the Scots Afterwards the Norwegians who did most hurt from the Northerne Sea by their manifold robberies made this Iland and the Hebrides to be their baunt and erected Lords and petry Kings in the same as is expressed in this Chronicle written as is reported by the Monkes of the Abbey of Russin A Chronicle of the Kings of MAN ANno Dom. 1065. Edward of blessed memory King of England departed this life and Harald the Sonne of Godwyn succeeded him in the Kingdome against whom Harald Harfager King of Norway came into the field and fought a Battle at Stainford-bridge but the English obtaining the victory put them all to flight Out of which chase Godred surnamed Crovan the sonne of Harald the blacke of Iseland came vnto Godred the sonne of Syrric who Raigned then in Man and honourably receiued him 2 The same yeare William the Bastard Conquered England and Godred the son of Syrric died his sonne Fingal succeeding him 3 An. 1066. Godred Crovan assembled a great Fleet and came to Man and sought with the people of the Land but receiued the worst and was ouercome The second time renewing his Forces and his Fleet he failed into Man and ioyned Battle with the Manksmen but was vanquished as before and driuen out of the field Howbeit what he could not at first bring to passe with power in those two seuerall onsers he afterward effected by policie For the third time gathering a great multitude together he arriued by night in the hauen called Raâ—sey and hid three hundred men in a Wood which stood vpon the hanging hollow brow of an hill called Sceafull The Sunne being risen the Manksmen put their people in order of Battle and with a violent charge encountred with Godred The fight was hot for a time and stood in a doubtfull suspence till those three hundred men starting out of the Ambush behinde their backes began to foile the Manksmen put them to the worst and forced them to flie Who seeing themselues thus discomfited and finding no place of refuge left them to escape with pitifull lamentation submitted themselues vnto Godred and besought him not to put to the sword such poore remainder of them as was left aliue Godred hauing compassion on their calamities for he had beene nursed for a time and brought vp among
for the whole Empire giuing to those Captaines that serued here many Ensignes of great honor yea Claudius gaue Plantius the first Prefect of that Prouince the right hand as he accompanyed him in his Triumph and his owne Triumph of Britaine was set out with such magnificence that the Prouinces brought in golden Crownes of great waight the Gouernours commanded to attend and the very Captâ—ines permitted to be present at the same A Nauall Coronet was fixed vpon apinnacle of his Pallace Arches and Trophees were raysed in Rome and himselfe on his aged knees mounted the staires into the Capitoll supported by his two sonnes in Law so great a ioy conceiued he in himselfe for the Conquest of some small portion of Britaine ENGLANDS GENERALL DESCRIPTION CHAPTER II. THE Saxons glory now neere to expire by his appointment who holdeth both times and Kingdomes in his all ordering hand their owne Swords being the Instruments and the Danes the maules that beat their beautifull Diadem into pieces the Normans a stirring Nation neyther expected nor much feared vnder the leading of William their Duke and encouragement of the Romane Bishop an vsuall promoter here of broken titles made hither sodainly into England who in one onely battell with the title of his sword and slaughter or Herold set the Emperiall Crowne thereof vpon his owne head which no sooner was done but the English went downe and the Normans lording it became Owners of those Cities which themselues neuer built possessed those Vineyards which they neuer planted dranke of those Wells which they neuer had digged and inhabitted those houses filled with riches for which they neuer had laboured for they found it to be as the land whereupon the Lord set his eye euen from the beginning to the end of the yeare not onely drinking water of the raine of heauen but hauing also riuers of waters and fountaines in her valleyes and without all scarsitie whose stones are yron and out of whose mountaines is digged brasse This made them more resolute at first to settle themselues in this fairest and fruitfullest part of the Iland the Conquerour vsing all policie both Martiall and Ciuill to plant his posteritie here for euer How he found the Land gouerned we shewed in the Heptarchy but his restlesse thoughts were not contented with conquering the Nation and their Land vnlesse he also ouercame their very Customes Lawes and Language 2 Touching the distribution of the Kingdome whereas other Kings before him made vse of it chiefly for the good of the people and better ministring of Iustice he made vse of it to know the wealth of his Subiects and to enrich his Coffers for he caused a description to be made of all England how much land euery one of his Barons possessed how many Knights fees how many Plow lands how many in villenage how many head of beasts yea how much money euery man from the greatest to the least did possesse and what rents might be made of entry mans possession the Booke of which inquisition yet in the Exchequer was called Domesday for the generalitie of that Iudgement on all the Land Whereunto we may adde his other distribution of this Land worse then any former when thrusting the English out of their possessions he distributed their inheritances to his Souldiers yet so that all should be held of the King as of the onely true Lord and possessor 3 For the Lawes by which he meant to gouerne he held one excellent rule and purpose which was that a People ought to be ruled by Lawes written and certaine for otherwise new Iudges would still bring new Iudgements and therefore he caused twelue to be chosen out of euery Countie which should on their oath without inclining one way or other neither adding nor detracting open vnto him all their ancient Lawes and Customes By whose relation vnderstanding that three sorts of Lawes formerly were in the Land Merchenlage West Saxonlage Danelage he had preferred these last himselfe and people being anciently deriued from those Northerne people had not all the Barons bewayling to the King how grieuous it was for a Land to be iudged by those Lawes which they vnderstood not altered his resolute purpose yet in bringing in the strange formes of Norman Processe and pleading in the French tongue which continued till Edward the thirds time that grieuance was but slenderly preuented So likewise did he much alter the old Courts of Iustice where these Lawes should be ministred but whereas the ancient Kings of England according to Moses his example sate in person in the seate of Iustice to right the greater affayres of their Subiects as William Laâ—bert sheweth in King Alfred Edgar Canutus c. and proues out of the Kings Oath out of Bracton Britaine Saxon Lawes c. King William not onely continued this but besides erected some other Courts of Iustice as the Exchequer and certaine Courts and Sessions to be held foure times euery yeare appointing both Iudges some to heare causes others to whom appeales should be made but none from them and also Prefects to looke to good orders Those last Polydor calleth Iustices of Peace but their institution seemes to be farre later and no lesse is his errour on the other side in saying the Conquerour first instituted Sheriffes and the tryall by twelue men which were both ancienter 4 And because the Conquerour for honour of Bishops caused them to remoue from small obscure places to Cities of more renowne we haue therefore reserued to this last place that diuision of this Kingdome which is according to Iurisdiction Episcopall Formerly in the yeare of saluation 636 Honorius the fift Archbishop of Canterbury first diuided England into Parishes which at this day are contained vnder their seuerall Dioâ—â—sans and these againe vnder their two Metropolitanes Canterbury and Yorke in manner following CANTERBVRIE Bishoprickes Counties Parishes Canterbury Kent 257. Rochester 98. London Essex 623. Middlesex Hertford-shire part Lincolne Lincoln-shire 1255. Leicester-shire Huntington Bedford-shire Buckingham-shire Hertford-shire part Chichester Hertford-shire 250. Suffex Winchester Hant-shire 362. Surrey Wight Isle Gernesey Isle Iersey Isle Salisbury Wilt-shire 248. Bark-shire Exester 〈◊〉 shire 604. Cornewall Bath and Wells Sommerset-shire 388. Gloucester Gloucester-shire 267. Worcester Worcester-shire 241. Lichfield and Couentry Warwicke-shire 557. Warwicke-shire part Stafford-shire Derby-shire Shrop-shire part Hereford Shrop-shire part 313. Hereford-shire Ely Cambridge-shire 141. Ely Isle Norwich Norfolke 1121. Suffolke Oxford Oxford-shire 195. Peterborow Northamton 293. Rutland-shire Bristow Dorset-shire 236. Glamorgan Landaffe Monmouth-shire 177. Brecknock-shire Radnor-shire S. Dauid Pembroke-shire 308. Caermarden Bangor Caernaruon-shire 107. Anglesey Isle Merioneth-shire Denbigh-shire S. Asaph Denbigh-shire part 121. Flint shire part YORKE Yorke Yorke-shire 581. Nottingham-shire Chester Chesâ—â—re 256. Richmond-shire Cumberland part â—anca-shire Flint part Carlile Cumberland part 93. Westmorland Durham Durham 135. Northumberland Sodor Man Iland 17. Totall Bishoprickes 27. Parishes 9285. 5 To speake nothing of these twentie-eight Flamins the Priests of Idolatry and the
end and in London doing many outrages where in Smithfield he was lastly strucke downe by William Walworth then Maior of the Citie and worthily slaine for his notorious treasons Againe vpon Black-heath Michael Ioseph the Lord Dawbeny with their Cornish Rebels were ouerthrowne by King Henry the seauenth Anno 1497. SVSSEX CHAPTER IIII. SVTH-SEX a word compounded of the sire thâ—reof Southward lyeth stretched along the British Seas The North confronts vpon Surâ—â—y and Kent and the West butteth vpon Haâ—apshire 2 For forme it lyeth long and narrow so that all her Râ—pes doe runne quite through the Shire containeth from Weâ—â—harting in the West to Kent-ditch that diuides it from Kent in the East sixtie foure miles but in the broadest part little aboue twentie the whole in circumference about one hundred fiftie eight miles 3 The ayre is good though somewhat clouded with wists which arise forth of her South bordering Sea who is very prodigall vnto her for Fish and Sea-sowle though as sparing for Harbours or Ships ariuage and those which she hath as vncertaine for continuance as dangerous for entrance 4 Rich is the Soile and yeeldeth greatplentie of all things necessary but very ill for trauellers especially in the winter the Land lying low and the wayes very deepe whose middle tract is garnished with meadowes pastures and Corn-fields the Sea-coast with Hilles which are called the Downs abundantly yeelding both Graint and Grasse and the North side ouershadowed with pleasant Groues and thicke Woods where sometimes stood the famous wood Andradswald containing no lesse then an hundred and twentie miles in length and thirtie in bredth taking the name of Anderida a Citie adioyning both which were wonne from the Britaine 's by Llla the first Saxon King of this Prouince and the place made fatall to Sigebert King of the West-Saxons who being deposed from his Royall Throne was met in this Wood by a Swine-heard and slaine in reuenge of his Lord whom Sigebert had murdered 5 The ancient people in the Romans time were the Regni of whom we haue spoken and who were subdued by Vespasian the Leader of the second Legion vnder Aâ—lus Plautius Liceutenant in Britaine for Claudius the Emperour But after the departure of the Romanes this with Surrey was made the South-Saxons Kingdome yet that giuing place to the West-Saxons as they in time to the Normans it became a Prouince vnder the Conquerours power who gaue to his followers much Land in these parts 6 The place of most account in this Shire is Chichester by the Britaine 's called Caercei a Citie beautifull and large and very well walled about first built by Cissa the second King of the South-Saxons wherein his Royall palace was kept And when King William the First had enacted that Bishops Seas should be translated out of small Townes vnto places of greater resort the Residence of the Bishop vntill then held at Selsey was remoued to this Citie where Bishop Raulfe began a most goodly Cathedrall Church but before it was fully finished by a sudden mischance of fire was quite consumed Yet the same Bishop with the helping liberalitie of King Henry the First began it againe and saw it wholly finished whose beautie and greatnesse her fatall enemy still enuying againe cast downe in the dayes of King Richard the First and by her raging flames consumed the buildings both of it and the Bishops Palace adioyning which Seffrid the second Bishop of that name reedified and built a new And now to augment the honour of this place the Citie hath borne the Title of an Earledome whereof they of Arundell were sometimes so stiled Whose Gradustion for Latitude is remoued from the Equator vnto the degree fiftie fiftie fiue minutes and for Longitude obseruing the same point in the West whence Mercator hath measured are twentie degrees 7 With whom for frequencie bignesse and building the Towne Lewes seemeth to contend where King Athelstan appointed the mintage of his Moneyes and William de Warron built a strong Castle whereunto the disloyall Barons of King Henry the Third in warlike manner resorted and fought a great Battle against their owne Soueraigne and his sonne wherein the King had his Horse slaine vnder him Richard King of the Romans surprised and taken in a Wind-mill and Prince Edward deliuered vnto them vpon vnequall conditions of peace But a greater Battle was fought at Battle when the hazard of England was tryed in one dayes fight and Harold the King gaue place to his Conquerour by losing of his life among sixtie seuen thousand nine hundred seuentie-foure English men besides whose bloud so spilt gaue name to the place in French Sangue lac And the soile naturally after raine becomming of a reddish colour caused William of Newbery vntruely to write That if there fell any small sweet showers in the place where so great a slaughter of the English-men was made presently sweateth forth very fresh bloud out of the earth as if the euidence thereof did plainly declare the vaâ—ce of bloud there shed and cryed still from the earth vnto the Lord. 8 But places of other note in this Shire are these from Basham Earle Harold taking the Sea for his delight in a small Boat was driuen vpon the Coast of Normandie where by Duke William he was retained till he had sworne to make him King after Edward Confessors death which oath being broken the Bastard arriued at Pensey and with his sword reuenged that Periurie at West-Wittering also Ella the Saxon before him had landed for the conquering of those parts and gaue name to the shore from Cimen his son But with greater glory doth Gromebridge raise vp her head where Charles Duke of Orleaunce father to Lewes the twelfth King of France taken prisoner at Agincourt was there a long time detained 9 The commodities of this Prouince are many and diuers both in Corne Cattle Woods Iron and Glasse which two last as they bring great gaine to their possessors so doe they impouerish the Countie of Woods whose want will be found in ages to come if not at this present in some sort felt 10 Great haue beene the deuotions of religious Persons in building and consecrating many houses vnto the vse and onely seruice of Christ whose Beadmen abusing the intents of their Founders hath caused those Foundations to lament their owne ruines for in the tempestuous time of King Henry the Eight eighteene of them in this Countie were blowne downe whose fruit iell into the â—appes of some that neuer meant to restore them againe to the like vse SVRREY CHAPTER V. SVRREY by Beda called Suthri lieth separated vpon the North from the Counties of â—â—â—kingham and Miaâ—lesex by the great Riuer Thaâ—â—sâ—s vpon the East Kent doth inbound it vpon the South is held in with Sussex and Hampshire and her West part is bordered vpon by Hamp-shire and Bark-shire 2 The forme thereof is somewhat square and lieth by Northand by East whereof Redrith and Frensham are the opposites
certaine vault or little Chappell vnder the ground wherein he was supposed to haue beene buried might beget much wonder and admiration but that L. Zius confirmeth that in ancient times they had a custome to preserue light in Sepulchres by an artificiall resoluing of gold into a liquid and farry substance which should continue bruning a long time and for many ages together THE BISHOPRICKE OF DURHAM CHAPTER XXXIX THe Bishopricke of Durham containeth those parts and Towne-ships that 〈…〉 the Reuer Tees and Derwent and all along the German-Sea 〈…〉 on the North witâ— Northumberland and their Iurisdictions parted by the 〈…〉 touched by Cumberland Westmorland and from 〈…〉 Riuer Tees and by the same water on her South from Yorke-shire 〈…〉 By the German-Sea 2 The forme thereof is triangle 〈…〉 for from her South 〈◊〉 vnto the West-point are about thirtie miles from thence to the North-east and 〈…〉 are likewise as many and her base along the Sea-shore are twentie 〈…〉 Circumference about one hundred and three miles 3 The ayre is sharpe and very piercing and would be more 〈◊〉 not that the 〈◊〉 from the German-Seas did helpe much to dissolue 〈◊〉 and snow and the store of coales therein growing and gotten doe warme the body and keepe backe the cold which 〈…〉 besides their owne vse doth yeeld great commodities vnto this Prouince by trade thereof 〈◊〉 other parts 4 For Soile it consisteth much alike of Pastures 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 grounds the East is the richest and most champion the South more moorish but 〈…〉 without either grasse or graine notwithstanding 〈…〉 with as great gaine both in rearing vp Cattle and 〈…〉 groweth so neere to the vpper 〈…〉 wheeles doe turne vp the same Some hold their substance to be a clammie kinde of clay hardned with heat abounding in the earth and so becomming concocted is nothing else but Bitumen for proofe whereof these Coales haue both the like smell and operation of Bitumen for being sprinkled with water they burne more vehemently but with oyle are quite extinguished and put out 5 The ancient Inhabitants knowne vnto Ptolemie were the Brigantes of whom we haue spoken in the Generall of Yorkeshire they being subdued by the romans after whom the Saxons made it a part of their Northumberlands Kingdom at first a Prouince belonging to the Deirians and enioyed by Ella their first King afterwards inuaded by the Danes and lastly possessed by the Normans whose site being so neere vnto Scotland hath many times felt their fury and hath beene as a Buckler betwixt them and the English for which cause the Inhabitants haue certaine freedomes and are not charged with seruice as other Counties are so that this with Westmorland Cumberland and Northumberland are not diuided into hundreds in those Parliament Rolles whence I had the rest which want I must leaue for others to supply 6 Ouer this Countie the Bishops thereof haue had the Royalties of Princes and the Inhabitants haue pleaded priuiledge not to passe in seruice of warre ouer the Riuer of Tees or Tyne whose charge as they haue alledged was to keepe and defend the corps of S Cuthbert their great adored Saint and therefore they termed themselues The holy-werk-folkes And the repute of this Cuthbert and his supposed defence against the Scots was such that our English Kings in great deuotion haue gone in pilgrimage to visit his Tombe and haue giuen many large possessions to his Church such were King Egfred Aelfred and Guthrun the Dane Edward and Athelstan Monarch of England and zealous Cannte the greatest of all who came thither bare-footed and at Cuthberts Tombe both augmented and confirmed their Liberties This Saint then of nothing made Durham become great and William the Conquerour of a Bishopricke made it a County Palatine at that time William Careleph Bishop of the Diocesse pulled downe the old Church which Aldwin had built and with sumptuous cost laid the foundations of a new wherein S. Cuthberts Shrine in the vacancy of the Bishops was the Keeper of the Castle-keyes In the West of this Church and place called Gallile the Marble Tombe of venerable Beda remaineth who was borne at Iaerro in this Countie and became a Monke at Weremouth whose painefull industâ—es and light of learning in those times of darknesse are wonderfull as the volumes which he wrote doe well declare And had the idle Monkes of England imployed their times after his example their Founders expectations had not beene frustrate nor those foundations so easily ouerturned But the reuenge of sinne euer following the actions of sinnes dissolued first the largenesse of this Counties liberties vnder the raigne of King Edward the First and since hath shaken to peices those places herein erected vnder the raigne of King Henry the eight such were Durham Sherborne Stayndrâ—p Iarro â—eremouth and Egleton all which felt the reward of their idlenesse and wrath of him that is jealous of his owne honour 7 Things of rare note obserued in this Shire are three pits of a wonderfull depth commonly called the Hell-Kettles which are adioyning neere vnto Darlington whose waters are some what warme These are thought to come of an Earth-quake which happened in the yeare of Grace 1179. whereof the Chrenicle of Tin-mouth maketh mention whose record is this On Christmas day at Oxeâ—hall in the Territorie of Darlington within the Bishopricke of Durham the ground heaued vp aloft like vnto an high Tower 〈…〉 all that day as it were vnmoueable vntill the euening 〈◊〉 then fell with so horrible a noise that it made all the neighbour dwellers sore afraid and the earth swallowed it vp and made in the same place a deepe pit which is there to be seene for a testimonie vnto this day 8 Of no lesse admiration are certaine stones lying within the Riuer Weere at Butterbre neere Durham from whose sides at the Ebbe and low water in the Summer issueth a certaine salt reddish water which with the Sunne waxeth white and growing into a thicke substance becommeth a necessary salâ— to the vse of the by-dwellers 9 And places of elder times had in aâ—rount by the Romans were Benonium now Binchester and Câ—ndereum Chester in the street where their monies haue beene digged vp and at Codercuâ—â— so much that Egelrik Bishop of Durham was therewith made exceeding rich VVESTMORLAND CHAPTER XL. VVESTMORLAND by some late Latine Writers is câ—lled Westmaria and Westmorlandia by some later Westmoria and in our English Tongue Westmorland It came to be thus named in our language by the situation which in euery part is so plenteously full of Moores and high hils teaching one to another that Westmorland with vs is nothing else but a Westerne moorish Country Hauing on the West and North-side Cumberland on the South-part Lanca-shire on the East-side Yorkeshire and the Bishopricke of Durham 2 The length thereof extended from Burton in her South to Kirkland in her North-part is 30. miles the broadest part from East to West is from the Riuer Eden to Dunbal
one in An. 1348. was so outragious as 17104. are reported to haue died thereof betweene the Calends of Ianuary and of Iuly By misery of warre as sacked and spoyled by the Earle of Flaunders and Hugh Bigâ—d Anno 1174. In yeelding to Lewis the French against their naturall Lord King Iohn Anno 1216. By the disinherited Barons An. 1266. By tumult and insurrection betweene the Citizens and Church-men once about the yeare 1265. which if Henry the third had not come in person to appease the Citie was in hazard to be ruined The second time in Anno 1446. for which the Major was deposed and their Liberties for a while selfed In Edward the sixths time by Ketts rebellion whose fury chiefly raged against this Citie Since this it hath flourished with the blessings of Peace Plentie Wealth and Honour so that Alxander Neuâ— doubteth not to preferre it aboue all the Cities of England except London It is situate vpon the Riuer Hierus in a 〈◊〉 valley but on using ground hauing on the East the Hilles and Heath called Mussold for Most-would as I take it In the 17 yeare of King Stephen it was new founded and made a Corporation In Edward the firsts time closed with a same Wall â—auing on a part that the Riuer defendeth First gouerned by foure Bayliffes then by Henry the fourth in An 1403. erected into a Majoraltie and County the limits whereof now extend to Eatonbâ—â—ge At this present it hath about thirtie Parishes but in ancient time had many more 6 Lenn hauing beene an ancient Borrough vnder the Gouernment of a Bayliffe or Reue called Praepositus was by King Iohn in the sixt yeare of his Raigne made Liber Burgus and besides the gift of his memorable Cup which to this day honoureth this Corporation endowed with diuers faire Liberties King Henry the third in the 17 yeare of his Raigne in recompence of their seruice against the out-lawed Barons in the Isle of Ely enlarged their Charter and granted them further to choose a Major Loco Prapositi vnto whom King Henry the Eight in the sixteenth yeare of his Raigne added twelue Aldermen a Recorder and other Officers and the bearing of a sword before the Major But the Towne comming after to the same King he in the twentie-ninth of his Raigne changed their name from Mator Burgeâ—ses Lenn Episcopi to Mator Burgeâ—ses Lenn Regis 7 Yarmouth is the Key of the Coast named and seated by the mouth of the Riuer Yere Begun in the time of the Vâ—nes and by small accessions growing populous made a Corporation vnder two Bayliffes by King Henry the third and by his Charter about the fifteenth yeare of his Raigne walled It It is an ancient member of the Ciâ—que Ports very well built and fortified hauing onely one Church but faire and large founded by Bishope Herbert in William Rufus dayes It maintaineth a Peere against the Sea at the yearely charge of fiue hundred pound or thereabout yet hath it no possessions as other Corporations but like the children of Aeolâ—â— and Thetis Maria 4. ventos as an Inquisitor findeth An. 10. Hen 3. There is yearely in September the worthiest Herring-fishing in Europe which draweth great concourse of people and maketh the Towne much the richer all the yeare but very vnsauoury for the time The Inhabitants are so curteous as they haue long held a custome to feast all persons of worth repairing to their Tovvne 8 The Bishopricke of Norwich had first hereseat at Dunwich in Suffolke and was there begun by Foelix who conuerted this Countie and the East-Angles to the Faith Being brought out of Burgundie by Sigeberâ— the first Christian King of the East-Angles he landed at Babingley by Lenn and there builded the first Church of these Countries which in his memory is at this day called by his Name The second he built at Sharâ—â—bourn then of wood and therefore called Stock-Chappell After Foelix and three of his Successors this Bishopricke was diuided into two Sees the one with eleuen Bishops in succession continuing at Dunwich the other with twelue at Elmham in Norfolke Then vnited againe in the time of King Edwyn the entire See for twelue other Bishops remained at Elmham and in the Conquerours time was by his Chaplaine Arfastus being the thirteenth translated to Thetford from thence by Herbert his next Successor saue one bought of W. Rusus for 1900. pounds and brought to Norwich This Herbert surnamed Losinga a Norman builded the Cathedrall Church there and endowed it with large possessions Not far from thence he also builded another Church to S. Leonard a third at Elmham a fourth at Lenn S. Margarets a very faire one and the fifth at Yarmouth before mentioned By the Cathedrall Church he builded a Palace for the Bishops and founded the Priory there now conuerted to Deane and Chapter and another Priory at Thetford Since his time the Bishops See hath immoueably remained at Norwich but the ancient Possession are seuered from it and in lieu thereof the Abbey and Lands of S Benedict of Holme annexed to it The Commodities of this Countie I haue contained in these four Verses Ingenio populi cultu Norfolcia clari est Hinc fluvijs illine Insula clausa mari Qua ratis vellus frumenta cuniculus agnus Lac scatet pisces pabula mella crocus CAMBRIDGE-SHIRE CHAPTER XVIII CAMBRIDGE-SHIRE lyeth bounded vpon the North with Lincolneshire and Northfolke vpon the East with Norfolke and Suffolke vpon the South with Hartford-shire and Essex and vpon the West with Bedford and Huntington shires 2 This Prouince is not large nor for ayre greatly to be liked hauing the Fennes so spread vpon her North that they infect the ayre far into the rest From whose furthest point vnto Royston in the South are thirtie-fiue miles but in the broadest is not fully twentie the whole in Circumference traced by the compasse of her many indents one hundred twentie and eight miles 3 The Soile doth differ both in ayre and commodities the Fenny surcharged with waters the South is Champion and yeeldeth Corne in abundance with Meadowing Pastures vpon both the sides of the Riuer Came which diuides that part of the Shire in the midst vpon whose East-bancks the Muses haue built their most sacred Seat where with plenteous increase they haue continued for these many hundred yeares 4 For from ancient Grantcester Camboritum by Antonine now famous Cambridge the other brest and Nurse-mother of all pious literature haue flowed full steames of the learned Sciences into all other parts of this Land and else-where ancient indeed if their Story be rightly writ that will haue it built by Cantaber a Spaniard three hundred seauenty fiue yeares before the birth of our Sauiour who thither first brought and planted the Muses This Citie Grantcester by the tyranny of time lost both her owne beautie and her professed Athenian Students so that in Bedaes dayes seauen hundred yeares after the Word became flesh it is described to