of the great Magistrates of this Realm the Chancellor aforesaid the Treasurer the President of the Council the Keeper of the Privy Seal the Lord Chamberlain the Lord High Constable the Lord Marshal the Steward of the King's House c. But since I hear that this is design'd by another hand I am so far from offering to forestall it that I 'll willingly without more ado even impart to the Undertaker whatever observations I have already made upon those heads A posthumous Discourse concerning the Etymologie Antiquity and Office of Earl Marshal of England By Mr. Camden SUCH is the uncertainty of Etymologies that Arguments drawn from them are of least force and therefore called by an ancient Grecian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as proofs only which do nothing but set a good face on the matter Nevertheless when as Plato will have them admitted if there be a consonancy and correspondence between the name and the thing named we will produce three Etymologies of this word Marshall wherein the name is or hath been answerable to the Office in some part or other in signification For the word Marescallus is used for a principal officer in the court in the camp for a Ferrar and an Harbinger The Germans from whom the word was first borrowed called him Marescalk the Latins mollifying the same Marescallus the office Marescalcia The French Marescaux and we Marshall All deduced from the German Marescalk which according to the received opinion is compounded of Mare or mark which do both say they signify an Horse and Scalk which doth not signifie skilful as some will but an Officer Servant or Attendant So Godschalck is interpreted God's servant and in the old German nunc dimittas servum this word Servus is translated Scalk So that joyntly the word notifieth an officer and attendant about horses This Etymology is confirmed first ex legibus Allamannorum si quis Marescallus qui 12 equis praeest occidit 4. solidis componat Then out of Choniates who writing the life of Baldwin Emperor of Constantinople saith that this word Marescaldos noteth him whom the Grecians called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which according to the name doth signifie him which marcheth foremost before the Army To maintain this Etymology they say it may not seem strange that so high an office as it is now should be derived from horses when as all preferment in ancient time as one saith had the first rise from the Stable and such as were there brought up proved most serviceable horsemen and many other names which time hath advanced to high dignity had very mean and small originals But this Etymology lieth open to some objections as that the Marshals now have no command over the horses or stable but certain it is that in divers offices albeit the functions are altered the name remaineth And as Varro writeth Equiso among the Latins doth not only signifie Master and Ruler of the horses but also of all other things committed to his charge so accordingly it is to be supposed this word Marshal not only to signifie an Officer of Horses but also of other Civil and Military matters appropriated to his function It is said also that Mare doth not signifie an Horse in the German tongue but as in ours that which is more ignoble in that kind and that names are to be imposed à potiori And albeit it is most certain out of Pausanias that Mare signified an Horse to the old Gauls as it doth still to our Britains their descendants yet they say it is unfitting to compound one word of two different Languages But Quintilian sheweth the contrary in Epirhedium Anti-cato Biclinium Epitogium being compounded of Greek Latin and other Tongues and to this Etymology do they incline which will have the Marshal to be called in Latin Magister Equitum rather than Tribunus Militum There is also another deduction of Marshal from Maer the Latin word Major and Sala which signifieth a Kings-Court in the High-Dutch for that they were Magistri domus and principal officers for ordering the Court. There is a third derivation of this name from Marke as it signifieth a Marche bound or limit and Scalck which is Minister as we said before From Mark in this sense we have Marchio for a Lord Marcher and Mark-grave in the very same sense and therefore he relieth upon this opinion which calleth the Marshal in Latin Praetor comitatus Augustalis as being the civil Judge within the limits of the Court which we call now the Verse for that the Verge or Rod of the Marshal's authority sretcheth so far and they also which have the Marshal call'd in Latin Designator castrorum for it was incident to his office to be as it were an harbinger and to appoint limits and lodgings both in war and peace Of these Etymologies happily one may be true happily none When this word entred first into England I cannot resolve I do not find that our Saxons used it or any other name equivalent unto it unless it was Stal-here which signifieth Master of the Stable but that may seem rather answerable to the name of Constable yet Esgar who was Stal-here to King Edward the Confessor writeth himself in a donation to Waltham Regiae Procurator aulae whereas William Fitz-Osborne in the Chronicles of Normandy is called the Marshal I believe that William Tailleur the Author spake according to the time he lived in and not according to the time he wrote of Fauchet a learned-man in the French Antiquities saith the name of Marshal was first heard about the time of Lewis le Grosse who was in time equal to our King Henry the first and Stephen of England and from thence doubtless we borrowed that name as many other The first author that used the word in England was Petrus Blesensis Chancellor as he was then called but indeed Secretary to King Henry the second of England who used this word Marescallus for an Harbinger in these words complaining of them Epistolâ 14. Vidi plurimos qui Marescallis manum porrexerunt liberalem hi dum hospitium post longi fatigationem itineris cum plurimo labore quaesissent cum adhuc essent eorum epulae semicrudae aut cum jam fortè sederent in mensâ quandoque etiam cum jam dormirent in stratis Marescalli supervenientes in superbiâ abusione abscissis equorum capistris ejectisque foras sine delectu non sine jactura sarcinalis eos ab hospitiis turpitèr expellebant The first mention that I find of a Marshal in record is in the red book of the Exchequer written in the time of Henry the second which hath reference unto the time of King Henry the first Regis avus that is Henry the first fecffavit Wiganum Marescallum suum de tenementis quae de eo tenuit per servitium Marescalciae suae Rex reddidit ea Radulpho filio Wigani tanquam Marescallo suo What Marshal this was I cannot determine The second mention of
Robert Earl Moreton half brother by the mother's side to William the Conquerour 15 And then had 56 Burgesses After the attainder of his son William Earl of Moriton it came to K. Henry 1. by Escheat In the composition between Stephen and K. Henry 2. both town and castle with whatsoever Richard de Aquila had of the honour of Pevensey which after his name was called Honor de Aquila and Baronia de Aquila or of the Eagle was assigned to William son to K. Stephen But he surrendred it with Norwich into King Henry 2 â—s hands in the year 1158. when he restor'd to him all such lands as Stephen was seised of before he usurped the Crown of England afterwards to William son to King Stephen who surrender'd it back to King Henry 2. from whom he had receiv'd it as a free gift Treaty between Henry and K. Stephen together with the lands formerly of Richer de Aquila or of the Eagle from whom they had the name of the Honour of the Eagle The honour of the Eagle Long it lay in the crown till K. Henry 3. granted it 16 Which had fallen to the Crown by Escheat for that Gilbert de Aquila had passed into Normandy against the King's good will to Peter Earl of Savoy the Queen's Uncle But he fearing the envy of the English against foreigners relinquish'd it to the King and so at length it came to the Dutchy of Lancaster to the Earls of Richmond of Bretagne from whom it fell to the crown again But now there is nothing remaining of the castle but the walls Some part of this Honour of the Eagle Henry 4. gave afterwards to the family of the Pelhams for their loyalty and good services Haâ—d by stands Herst amongst the woods Herst what it â—â—gnifies which has it's name from it's woody situation For the Saxons call'd a wood Hyrst This was immediately after the first coming in of the Normans the seat of certain Gentlemen who from the place were for some time named De Herst till such time as William son of Walleran de Herst took the name of Monceaux Register of the Monastery of Roberts-bridge from the place perhaps of his birth a thing usual in that age whereupon that name was annex'd to the place call'd ever since from it's Lord Herst Monceaux Herst Monceaux From whose posterity it descended hereditarily to the Fiennes Family of the Fiennes These Fiennes call'd likewise Fenis and Fienles are descended from Ingelram de Fienes who marry'd the heir of Pharamuse of Boloigne Pat. 37. H. 6. 17 About the time of K. Edw. 2. Sir John Fienes married the heir of Monceaux his son William married one of the heirs of the Lord Say his son likewise the heir of Balisford whose son Sir Roger Fienes married the daughter of Holland and in the first year of K. Henry 6. built of brick the large fair uniform and convenient house here Castle-like within a deep moat of whom K. Henry 6. accepted declared and reputed Richard Fenis to be Baron of Dacre And King Edw. 4. chosen honorary Arbitrator between him and Humphrâ—y Dacre An. 13 Ed. 4. Lord Dacre of the south confirm'd it to the said Richard Fenis and to his heirs lawfully begotten because he had married Joan the Cousin and next heir of Thomas Baron Dacre 18 And to have precedence before the L. Dacre of Gilesland heir male of the family sinâ—e which time 19 The heirs lineally descenaing from him being enrich'd by one of the heirs of the Lord Fitz-Hugh his posterity have flourish'd under the dignity of Barons Dacre till George Fiennes Lord Dacre 20 Son to the unfortunate Thomas Lord Dacre died very lately without issue Whose only sister and heir Margaret Sampson Lennard Esquire a person of extraordinary virtue and civility took to wife 21 And by her hath fair issue In whose behalf it was published declared and adjudged by the Lords Commissioners for martial Causes in the 2d year of the Reign of K. James with his privity and assent Royal That the said Margaret ought to bear have and enjoy the name state degree title stile honour place and precedency of the Barâ—ny of Dacre to have and to hold to her and the issue of her body in as full and ample manner as any of her ancestor enjoy'd the same And that her Children may and shall have take and enjoy the place and precedence respectively as the children of her Ancestors Barons Dacre have formerly had and enjoy'd But to return back a little 22 About 3 miles from Pevensey is Beckes-hill a place much frequented by St. Richard Bishop of Chichester and where he died Under this is Bulverhith in an open shore with a roofless Church not so named of a Bulls Hide which cut into Thongs by William the Conqueror reached to Battaile as the fable for it had that name before his coming Put here he arriv'd c. at this Pevensey William the Norman I shall again give you a short account because the place requires it of that which I shall treat of more fully elsewhere arriv'd with his whole navy upon the coast of Britain landed his army and having strongly entrench'd his camp set his ships on fire that their only hope might lye in their courage and resolution their only safety in victory And 23 After two days marched to Hastings quickly after marched to a Plain near Hastings 24 Then to an hill near Nenfield now call'd Standard-Hill because as they say he there pitched his Standard and from thence two miles further where in a plain c. where the Dye as it were was thrown for the Kingdom of England and the English Saxon Empire came to an end For there our Harold notwithstanding his forces by a former fight with the Danes were much diminish'd and fatigued by a long march gave him battel in a place call'd Epiton K. Harold's fight with William the Conqueror on the 14th of October 1066. When the Normans had given the signal of battel the first encounter began with flights of arrows from both armies for some time then setting foot to foot as if they fought man to man they maintain'd the battel a long while But when the English with admirable courage and bravery had receiv'd their fiercest onset the Norman horse furiously charg'd them with full career But when neither of these cou'd break the army they as they had before agreed retreated but kept their ranks in good order The English thinking they fled broke their ranks and without keeping any order press'd hard upon the enemy but they rallying their forces charg'd afresh on every side with the thickest of them and encompassing them round repuls'd them with a mighty slaughter yet the English having gotten the higher ground stood it out a long time till Harold himself was shot thro' with an arrow and fell down dead then they
I cannot tell The Saxon Annals call it Lygeanburh except Laud's Copy which calls it Lygeanbyrig and Florence of Worcester confirms the reading when he terms it Liganburh the later writers call it Lienberig Lienberi The placing it at Loughburrow seems to draw Cuthwulf too far out of his road for the next town he took was Ailesbury and 't is strange that in such a great distance he should not make an attempt upon some other The manner of his progress seems to favour Leighton in Bedfordshire See that County That this Loughborrow was that royal Vill in the Saxon tongue calld Lieganburge which Marianus says Cuthulfus took from the Britains in the year of Christ 572 the affinity of the names does in some sort evince At present it is justly esteem'd the second town of all this County next to Leicester as well in respect of its bigness and buildings as the pleasant woods about it For near the side of this town the forest of Charnwood Charnwood Forest or Charley q The forest of Charley is 20 miles in compass Lel. Itin. p 14. See a larger description of it in Burton's Leicestersh pag. 69. spreads it self a long way Within the bounds whereof is Beaumanour Park which the Lords Beaumonts enclos'd as I have heard with a stone-wall 17 These Beaumonts descended from a younger son of John Count of Brene in France who for his high honour and true valour was preferr'd to marry the heir of the kingdom of Jerusalem and with great pomp crown'd King of Jerusalem in the year of our Lord 1248. Hence it is that we see the Arms of Jerusalem so often quarter'd with those of Beaumont in sundry places of England Sir Hâ—n Beaumont was the first that planted himself in England about the year 1308. Which Lords were descended as is commonly believ'd of a French family certain it is that they come from John de Brenne King of Jerusalem and that they first settled in England about the reign of Edw. 1. And by marriage with the daughter of Alexander Comyn Earl of Boghan in Scotland whose mother was one of the heirs of Roger de Quincy Earl of Winchester they got a very plentiful inheritance and became a great family Of which family Viscounts Beaumont in the reign of King Edward 3. Henry was for several years summoned to Parliament by the name of Earl of Boghan and in the reign of Hen. 6. John was for a time Constable of England and the first in England The first honorary Viscount in England that I know of whom the King advanc'd to the honour of a Viscount But when William the last Viscount dy'd without issue his sister became the wife of the Lord Lovel and the whole inheritance which was large was afterwards confiscated for High Treason 18 By attainder of Loved it fell into the hands of King Henry 7. In this north part nothing else occurs worth mentioning unless it be a small Nunnery founded by Roifia de Verdon and call'd Grace-dieu 19 Now belonging to a younger house of the Beaumonts that is God's grace and not far from thence by the stream of Trent Dunnington Dunnington an ancient Castle built by the first Earls of Leicester which afterwards came to John Lacy Earl of Lincoln who procur'd it the privilege of a Market and Fairs from Edw. 1. But when in the proscription of the Barons under Ed. 2. the possessions of the proscribed were sequester'd and alienated the King gave this manour to Hugh le Despenser the younger 20 The hereditaments of Thomas Earl of Lancaster and Alice Lacy his wife were seiz'd into the King's hands and alienated in divers sorts the King enforc'd her to release this manour to Hugh le Dispenser the younger h The east part of this County which is hilly and feedeth a vast number of sheep was heretofore adorned with two principal places of great note Vernometum or Verometum mention'd by Antoninus and Burton-Lazers of great account in former ages Vernometum Vernometum â—â—â—rometâ—â— the name whereof is lost at this day seems to me to have been situated in that place which is now call'd Burrow-hill and Erdburrow for between Verometum and Ratae according to Antoninus were twelve miles and there is almost so much between this place and Leicester The present name also of Burrows which signify'd among the Saxons a fortify'd place comes from Burgh 21 And under it a town call'd Burrough belonging to an old family of Gentlemen so sirnam'd But the most considerable proof is that the ground is a steep hill on all sides but the south-east on the top of which remains the manifest appearance of a town destroy'd a double trench and the track where the walls went which enclosed about 18 acres of land At this day it is * Resâ—â—â— arable ground and noted on this account chiefly that the youth of the neighbouring parts meet here yearly for wrestling and such like exercises i One may conjecture from the name that some great Temple of the Heathen Gods hath formerly stood in this place For in the ancient Language of the Gauls which was the same with that of the Britains Vernometum Vernometum what it signâ—â—â—s in the oâ—d Gâ—ulish signifies a great and spacious Temple as Venantius Fortunatus plainly tells us of Vernometum a town in France in these verses in his first book of Poems Nomine Vernometum voluit vocitare vetustas Quod quasi fanum ingens Gallica lingua sonat The Gauls when Vernomet they call'd the place Did a great Temple by the word express As for Burton call'd for distinction Lazers Burton-lazers from Lazers so they nam'd the Elephantiaci or Lepers it was a rich Hospital to the Master of which all the lesser Lazer-houses in England were in some sort subject as he himself was to the Master of the Lazers of Jerusalem r It was founded about the time of K. Hen. 1. and as Leland saith Tom. 1. p. 69. by the Lord Mowbray for a Master and 8 brethren which did profess the Order of St. Austin See Burton's Leicestersh p. 63. It is said to have been built in the beginning of the Normans by a general collection throughout England but chiefly by the assistance of the Mowbrays About which time the Leprosie Leprosie in England by some call'd Elephantiasis 22 Because the skins of Lepers are like to those of Elephants did run by infection over all England And it is believ'd that the disease did then first come into this Island out of Egypt which more than once had spread it self into Europe first in the days of Pompey the Great afterwards under Heraclius and at other times as may be seen in History 23 Whether by celestial influence or other hidden causes I leave to the learned but never so far as I read did it before that time appear in England Besides these places of greater note and fame we
called Balineum as appears from this Inscription which was hence convey'd to Connington to the house of the most famous and learned Sir Robert Cotton Knight DAE .. FORTVNAE Instead of Deae Fortunae VIRIVS LVPVS LEG AVG PR PR BALINEVM VI IGNIS EXVST VM COH I. THR ACVM REST ITVIT CVRANTE VAL. FRON TONE PRAE F EQ ALAE VETTO Here I must correct an errour in those who from a false draught of this Inscription which has it Balingium corruptly for Balineum imagine the place to have been call'd Balingium whereas upon a close inspection it is plainly Balineum in the stone a word used for Balneum by the ancients as the learned know very well who are not ignorant that Baths were as much us'd by the Souldiers as any others both for the sake of health and cleanliness for daily in that age they were wont to wash before they eat and also that Baths both publick and private were built at such a lavish rate every where Seneca See Flintshire that any one thought himself poor and mean that had not the walls of his Bath adorn'd with great and costly * Orbibus Rosses In these men and women washed promiscuously together tho' that was often prohibited both by the Laws of the Emperours and Synodical Decrees In the decline of the Roman Empire a †Numerus Exploratorum Band of the Exploratores with their Praefect under the command of the * Dacis Britanniae Captain of Britain had their station here as is manifest from the Notitia where it is nam'd Lavatres Now seeing these Baths were also call'd Lavacra by the Latins perhaps some Critick or other will imagine that this place was call'd Lavatrae instead of Lavacra yet I should rather derive it from that little river running hard by which I hear is call'd Laver. This modern name Bowes seeing the old Town was burnt to the ground according to a tradition among the Inhabitants seems to me to be deriv'd from that accident For that which is burnt with fire is call'd by the Britains Boeth and so the Suburbs of Chester beyond the Dee call'd by the English Hanbridge is nam'd by the Welsh or Britains from its being burnt down in a Welsh in-road Treboth that is a little town burnt Here begins that mountainous and vast tract always expos'd to winds and rain which from its being rough and stony is call'd by the Inhabitants Stanemore Stanemore for it is quite throughout solitary but for one Inn in the middle of it for the entertainment of Travellers 5 Call'd the Spittle on Stane more Spittle on Stanemore and near this is the remainder of a Cross which we call Rere-cross Rere-cross and the Scots Rei-cross that is a Royal Cross Hector Boetius a Scotchman says this stone was set as a boundary between England and Scotland when William the first gave Cumberland to the Scots upon this condition that they should hold it of him by fealty and attempt nothing that might be to the prejudice of the Crown of England Somewhat lower just by the Roman Military way was a small Roman Fort of a square form which is now call'd Maiden-castle Maiden-castle From hence as I had it from the Borderers this Military Roman way went with many windings to Caer Vorran As the favour of Princes inclin'd there have been several Earls of Richmond Earls of Richmond and of different families of whom with as much accuracy and clearness as I can I will give this following account in their due order 6 The first Earls were out of the house of Little Britain in France whose descent is confusedly intricate amongst their own Writers for that there were two principal Earls at once one of Haulte Britain and another of Base Britain for many years and every one of their children had their part in Gavelkind and were stil'd Earls of Britain without distinction But of these the first Earl of Richmond according to our Writings and Records was Alane sirnam'd Feregaunt that is The Red son of Hoel Earl of Britain descended from Hawise great Aunt to William the Conquerour who gave this Country unto him by name of the Lands of Earl Eadwin in Yorkshire and withal bestowed his daughter upon him by whom he had no issue He built Richmond-castle as is before specified to defend himself from disinherited and out-law'd English men in those parts and dying left Britain to his son Conan le Grosse by a second wife But Alane the Black son of Eudo son of Geffrey Earl of Britain and Hawise aforesaid succeeded in Richmond and he having no child left it to Stephen his brother This Stephen begat Alane sirnam'd Le Sâ—vage his son and successour who assisted King Stephen against Maude the Empress in the battel at Lincoln and married Bertha one of the heirs of Conan le Gross Earl of Hault Britain by whom he had Conan le Perit Earl of both Britains by hereditary right as well as of Richmond He by the assistance of K. Henry the second of England dispossessed Eudo Vicount of Porhoet his father-in-law who usurp'd the title of Britain in right of the said Bertha his wife and ended his life leaving only one daughter Constance by Margaret sister to Malcolme King of the Scots Geffrey third son to King Henry the second of England was advanced by his father to the marriage of the said Constance whereby he was Earl of Britain and Richmond and begat of her Arthur who succeeded him and as the French write was made away by King John his Uncle Alan Rufus Earl of Britain in Armorica Alan Niger to whom William the Conquerour gave this shire Stephen Earl of Britain his brother Alan Earl of Britain About this time Overus de St. Martino is mention'd as Earl of Richmond the son of Stephen Conanus Earl of Britain his son who by the assistance of Henry the second King of England recover'd Britain from his Father-in-law the Sheriff of Porhoet possessed of it Geoffrey Plantagenet son of Henry the second King of England who first married Constantia only daughter of Conanus Arthur his son who is said to have been made away by King John Upon this account John was certainly impeach'd by the French as Duke of Normandy who pass'd Sentence upon him tho' he was absent unheard had made no confession and was not convict Normandâ— taken froâ— the King 〈◊〉 England so they adjudg'd him depriv'd of Normandy and his hereditary Lands in France Whereas he had publickly promis'd to stand to the judgment of Paris and answer to the death of Arthur who as his liege subject had taken an oath of Allegiance to him yet had broken the same raised a rebellion and was taken prisoner in the war In these times the question was bandied Whether the Peers of France could be Judges of a King anointed and by consequence their Superiour seeing every greater dignity as it
V. M. Who this Apollo Grannus was and whence he had this denomination no one Antiquary to the best of my knowledge has ever yet told us But if I that am of the lowest form may give my sentiments I should say that Apollo Grannus amongst the Romans was the same as the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is having long locks For Isidore calleth the long hair of the Goths Granni But this may be lookt upon as foreign to my business Something lower near the Scottish Frith stands Edenborough â—â—â—â—boâ—â—â—gh called by the Irish-Scots Dun-Eaden that is Eaden Town which without doubt is the same that Ptolemy calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Castrum Alatum the winged Castle for Edenborough signifies certainly the same as Winged Castle Adain in the British denoting a Wing and Edenborough from a word compounded of the British and Saxon Tongue is nothing else but the Winged Borough From Wings therefore we are to derive its name which if you think good may be done either from those Squadrons of horse which are called Wings or else from those Wings which the Greek Architects call Pteromata that is as Vitruvius tells us two walls so rising up in height that they bear a resemblance of Wings For want of these a certain City of Cyprus was antiently as we read in the Geographers called Aptera that is Wingless But if any man hath a mind to believe it took its name from Ebrauk a Britain or from Heth a Pict he may for me I shall not be against it This City in regard of its more eminent situation the goodness of the air and fertility of the soil many of the Nobilities lofty Seats lying all round it its being water'd with excellent Springs and reaching from East to West a mile in length and half as much in breadth is justly counted the Metropolis of the whole Kingdom strongly walled adorned with publick and private buildings well peopled and frequented for the advantage of the Sea which the neighbouring Port at Leith affords And as it is honoured with the King's residence so is it the sacred repository of the Laws and chief tribunal of Justice For the high Court of Parliament is generally held here for the enacting or repealing of Laws as also the Session and the Courts of the King's Justice and of the Commissariat whereof I have already spoken are here settled On the East side joyning to Holy-Rood-Monastery stands the Palace Royal built by King David the first over which within a Park stored with game hangs a double-topt mountain called Arthur's Chair from Arthur the Britain On the West side there mounts up a rock to a mighty height steep and inaccessible on all sides but that which looks towards the City upon which a Castle stands so strongly fortified with a number of Towers that it is look'd upon as impregnable This the Britains called Castle Myned Agned the Scots the Maidens Castle and the Virgins Castle because the Princesses of the Blood-Royal of the Picts were here kept and the same may really be lookt upon as the Castrum Alatum or Winged Castle abovementioned How Edenborough by the vicissitudes of war has been subject sometimes to the Scots sometimes to the Saxons who inhabited this Eastern part of Scotland until it became wholly under the Scots Dominion in the year of our Lord 960. when the English Empire under the convulsions of the Danish Wars lay as it were expiring How likewise as it is in an old Book Of the Division of Scotland in the Library of the Right Honourable my Lord Burleigh late High-Treasurer of England In the Reign of Indulph Eden Town was * Vacuatum quitted and abandonned to the Scots to this present day and what different turns of fortune it felt afterwards the Historians relate from whom you are to be informed †In the mean time you may read See a fuller description of this place in the Additions if you please the ingenious Johnston's Verses in praise of Edenborough Monte sub acclivi Zephyri procurrit in auras Hinc Arx celsa illinc Regia clara nitet Inter utramque patet sublimibus ardua tectis Urbs armis animis clara frequensque viris Nobile Scotorum caput pars maxima regni Paenè etiam gentis integra Regna suae Rarae artes opes quod mens optaverit aut hic Invenias aut non Scotia tota dabit Compositum hic populum videas sanctumque senatum Sanctaque cum puro lumine jura Dei An quisquam Arctoi extremo in limite mundi Aut haec aut paria his cernere posse putet Dic Hospes postquam externas lustraveris urbes Haec cernens oculis credis an ipse tuis Beneath a Western hill's delightful brow The Castle hence and hence the Court we view The stately town presents it self between Renown'd for arms for courage and for men The kingdom's noblest part the lofty head Or the whole kingdom of the Scottish breed Wealth arts and all that anxious minds desire Or not in Scotland or you meet with here The people sober grave the Senate show The worship pure the faith divinely true In the last borders of the Northern coast What rival land an equal sight can boast These glories Trav'ler when at last you see Say if you don't mistrust your wondring eye And think it transport all and extasy A mile from hence lieth Leith Leith an excellent Haven upon the River Leith which when Monsieur Dessie had fortified with works to secure Edenborough by the conflux of people thither from a mean Village p It has in it several Manufactures it grew to a large Town Again when the French King Francis 2. had married Queen Mary of Scotland the French who then made themselves sure of Scotland and began now to gape after England in the year 1560 strengthned it with more fortifications But Q. Elizabeth of England upon the solicitation of the Scotch Nobility of the Puritan party effected by her wisdom and authority that both they retuâ—ned into France and these their fortifications were levell'd with the ground and Scotland ever since hath had little cause to fear the French e. In the mid'st of this Frith where it begins by degrees to contract it self there stood as Bede noteth the City Caer-Guidi Caer-Guidi which seems now to be Inch-Keith-Island Whether this be the Victoria mentioned by Ptolemy I will not now dispute though a man might be easily induced to believe that the Romans turn'd this Guith into Victoria as our Isle Guith or Wight into Victesis and Vecta Certainly since both these are broken from the shore there is the same reason for the name in both languages For Ninius informs us that Guith in the British Tongue signifies a breaking off or separation Upon the same Frith more inwardly lies Abercorne a famous Monastery in Bede's time which now by the favour of King James 6. gives the Title of Earl to James
at this day Garnsey Garnsey perhaps Granonâ— by transposal of letters which the Notitia mentions in Armorica running from east to west in the form of a harp but much inferior to the Caesarea aforesaid both in extent and fruitfulness for it has only 10 parishes Yet in this respect that nothing venomous will live here 't is to be preferr'd to the other Nature has also fortified it much better being fenced quite round with a ridge of steep rocks among which is found smyris a very hard sharp stone which we call Emeril wherewith Lapidaries polish and shape jewels and Glaziers cut glass This Island has also a better haven and greater concourse of Merchants For almost in the farthest point eastward but on the south side the shore falls in like a half moon and thereby makes a bay capable of receiving very large ships Upon which stands S. Peter a little town consisting of one long and narrow street which has a good magazine and is throng'd with merchants upon the breaking out of any war For by an ancient priviledge of the Kings of England this place enjoys a kind of perpetual truce so that in times of war the French or any others may come hither without danger and trade with their commodities The mouth of the haven which is pretty well set with rocks is defended by a castle on each side on the left by an old castle and on the right by another they call the Cornet standing just opposite upon a high rock and encompassed by the sea when the tide is in This in Queen Mary's time was repaired by Sir Leonard Chamberlan Kt. and Governor of the Island and has been since strengthen'd with new works by Thomas Leighton his successor 5 Under Queen Elizabeth Here lives generally the Governor of the Island with a garison to defend it who suffer neither French-men nor women to enter upon any pretence whatsoever On the north-side joins La Val a Peninsula which had a Priory or Convent in it In the west part near the sea there is a lake of a mile and a half in compass well stored with fish Carp especially which for size and taste are very much commended The Inhabitants are not so industrious in improving their grounds as the people of Jersey but yet they follow navigation and commerce for a more uncertain gain with much toil and application Every man here takes care to till his own land by himself only so that the whole Island is enclosure which is not only of great profit to them but secures them against a common enemy Both Islands are adorned with many gardens and orchards so that they generally use a wine made of * Pyris Apples which some call Sisera we Cydre The Inhabitants of both are originally either Normans or Britains but they speak French Yet they will not suffer themselves to be thought or called French without disdain and willingly hear themselves counted English Both Islands use Uraic for fewel or else sea-coal from England They enjoy great plenty of fish and have both of them the same form of government These with other Islands hereabouts belonged formerly to Normandy but after Henry the first King of England had defeated his brother Robert in the year 1108 he annexed Normandy and these Islands to the Crown of England From that time they have stedfastly adhered to England even at that juncture wherein King John was found guilty of the death of his nephew and by judgment thereupon was deprived of all Normandy which he held of the King of France and the whole Province revolted from him As also after that when King Henry the third sold his title to Normandy for a sum of money From that moment they have to their great honour continued firm in their allegiance to England and are all of William the Conqueror's inheritance and the Dukedom of Normandy that now remains in this Crown and that notwithstanding several attempts made upon them by the French who for this long time have hardly cast their eyes upon them from their own coast without envy 6 Aâ—d verily Evan a Welsh Gâ—ntleman descended from the Princes of Wales and serving the French King surprised Garnsey in the time of K ng Edward the thiâ—â— but soon lost it In Edward the 4th's reign it appears by the Records of the Kingdom that they got possession of Guernsey but were soon beat out again by the valour of Richard Harleston Valect of the Crown as they term'd them in those days for which the King rewarded him with the government of both the Island and the Castle Fâ—anciâ—a 16. Edw 4. Again likewise in the year 1549 the King being in minority and the Kingdom embroiled with civil wars Leo Strozzi commander of the French Galleys invaded this Isle but was repulsed with great loss and so this design vanished As for the Ecclesiastical State here they continued under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Constance in Normandy till within the memory of this age when he refused to abjure the Pope's authority in England as our Bishops had done From that time they were taken from the Diocess of Constance by Queen Elizabeth and laid to the Diocess of Winchester so that the Bishop of Winchester and his successors may exercise all the offices that pertain to an Episcopal Jurisdiction herein Yet their Church Discipline is according to that of Geneva introduced here by the French Ministers As for the Civil Customs of these Islands some of them are to be found in the Records of the Tower namely That King John instituted twelve Coroners upon oath to keep the rights and hold the pleas belonging to the Crown and granted for the security of the Islanders that their Bailiffs hence-forward * Per Visum by advice of the Coroners might plead without writ of Novel Disscisin made within the year without writ of Mordancaster within the year or brief De Dower likewise c. That the Jurors shall not defer their sentence in any cause above a year and that they shall be respected in Customs and other things as subjects born and not as foreigners Cl. 25 E. 3 An. 9. Ed. 3. But I leave these matters to such as may perhaps search more nicely into the detail of them observing only that the Customs of Normandy hold here in most cases Serke a small Island lying between these two Serk and fenced round with steep rocks lay desolate till J. de S. Owen of Jarsey the antiquity of whose family some I know not upon what authority assert to be above the times of S. Owen planted a Colony here upon a commission from Queen Elizabeth and other aims of private profit as the report goes As for Jethow Jethow which serveth the Governor instead of a Park to feed cattle and to keep deer rabbets and pheasants and Arme Arme. which is larger than Jethow and was first a solitary place for Franciscans these I say
defeated This occasion'd a general Insurrection in Scotland of both Earls and Barons against the King of England There was also at this time a Quarrel between the King of England and Roger Bigod Earl Marshal but this was soon made up S. Lewis a Frier minor Son of the King of Sicily and Archbishop of Cologn died this year This year also the son and heir of the King of Maliager i.e. of the Islands of Majorac instituted the Order of the Friers-minors at the direction of S. Lewis who bid him go and do it Item Leghlin in Ireland with other Towns were burnt by the Irish of Slemergi Item Calwagh O Hanlen and Yneg Mac-Mahon were slain in Urgale MCCXCVIII Pope Boniface IV. on the morrow of the Feast of S. Peter â—â—d S. Paul all things being then quiet made Peace between England â—â—d France upon certain Terms Item Edward King of England â—â—d an Army again into Scotland to conquer it There were slain 〈◊〉 this Expedition about the Feast of S. Mary Magdalen many â—â—ousands of the Scots at Fawkirk The Sun appear'd that day 〈◊〉 red as Blood in Ireland while the Battel at Fawkirk continu'd â—â—em about the same time the Lord King of England gave his Knights the Earldoms and Baronies of those Scots that were slain â—n Ireland Peace was concluded between the Earl of Ulster and the Lord John Fitz-Thomas about the Feast of Simon and Jude Also â—â—e morrow after the Feast of the seven Sleepers the Sun-beams â—ere chang'd into a bloodish colour all the morning to the great â—dmiration of every one Item This year died Thomas Fitz-â—aurice Knight and Sir Robert Bigod sometime Justiciary in the â—ench Item In the City Artha as also Reath in Italy during â—â—e stay of Pope Boniface there happen'd so great an Earthquake â—â—at Towers and Palaces fell down and the Pope and his Cardiâ—als fled out of the City with great consternation Item on the Feast of Epiphany there was an Earthquake in Engâ—â—nd from Canterbury to Hampton but not so violent MCCXCIX Theobald Lord Botilter the younger died in the Mannor of Turby on the second day before the Ides of May His Corps were convey'd towards Weydeney i. e Weney in the County of Limerick on the 6th day before the Calends of June Item Edward King of England married the Lady Margaret Sister to the noble King of France in Trinity-church at Canterâ—ury about the Feast of the Holy Trinity Item the Sultan of Baâ—ylon with a great Army was defeated by Cassan King of Tarâ—â—ry MCCXCIX On the day after the Purification there was an inâ—â—â—ite number of Saracen-horse slain besides as many Foot Item There was this same year a Fight of Dogs at Genelon-castle in â—urgundy the number of the Dogs were 3000 and all kill'd but â—â—e Item This year many Irish came to the Castle of Roch â—efore the Annunciation to give some disturbance to the Lord Theâ—bald de Verdon MCCC The * Numisma Pollardorum Pollard-mony was prohibited in England and Ireland Item King Edward enter'd Scotland with an Army in Autumn but was stay'd by an order from Pope Boniface and to excuse himself sent certain Envoys to the Court of Rome Item Thomas son â—o the King of England was born at Brotherton by Margaret the King of France's Sister on the last day of May. Item Edward Earl of Cornwall dy'd this year without issue and was buried in â—he Abby of Hailes MCCCI. Edward King of England enter'd Scotland with an Army Sir John Wogan Justiciary of Ireland and Sir John Fitz-Thomas Peter Bermingham and many others set sail from Ireâ—and to assist him Item A great part of the City of Dublin was â—urnt down together with the Church of S. Warbutga on S. Caâ—â—mb's day at night Item Sir Jeffrey Genevil married the daughâ—er of Sir John Montefort and Sir John Mortimer married the daughter and heir of Sir Peter Genevil and the Lord Theobald Verdon married the daughter of the Lord Roger Mortimer The People of Leinster took up Arms in the Winter and burnt the Towns of Wyklo and Rathdon c. but they suffer'd for 't for the greater â—art of their Provisions at home was burnt up and their Cattel â—ole so that they had certainly famish'd if a sedition had not hapned among the English at that juncture Item A small company of the Brenies were defeated this year by the Tolans and 300 of those Robbers were cut off Item A great part of Mounster was wasted by Walter Power and many Farm-houses burnt MCCCII This year died the Lady Margaret Wife to Sir John Wogan Justiciary of Ireland on the 3d day before the Ides of April And in the week following Maud Lacy the Wife of Sir Geffery Genevil died also Item Edmund Botiller recoverd the Mannour de S. Bosco Holywood forte with the Appurtenances thereunto belonging from Sir Richard Feringes Archbishop of Dublin by a Fine in the King's bench after the feast of S. Hilary Item the Flemings defeated the French in Flanders at Courtenay the Wednesday after the feast of S. Thomas In this Engagement were slain the Earl of Artois the Earl of Albemarle the Earl of Hue Ralph de Neel Constable of France Guy de Nevil Marshal of France the Earl of Hennaund's son Godfrey de Brabant and his son William de Fenles and his son James de S. Paul lost his hand and fourty Baronets were kill'd that day with Knights Squires c. without number The Tenths of all Ecclesiastical Benefices in England and Ireland were exacted by Pope Boniface for three years as a Subsidy for the Church of Rome against the King of Arragon Item upon the day of the Circumcision Sir Hugh Lacy made an inroad upon Sir Hugh Vernail and drove off his Beasts This year Robert Brus Earl of Carrick married Elizabeth the daughter of Sir Richard Bourk Earl of Ulster Item Edward Botiller married the daughter of Sir John Fitz-Thomas The City of Bourdeaux with others thereabouts which Edward King of England had formerly lost by a sedition of the French were now restor'd upon S. Andrew's-eve by the means of the Lord John Hastings MCCCIII Richard Bourk Earl of Ulster and Sir Eustace Power invaded Scotland with a strong Army But after that the Earl himself had made 33 Knights in the Castle of Dublin he passed over into Scotland to assist the King of England Item Gerald the son and heir of Sir John Fitz-Thomas departed this life This year the King and Queen of France were excommunicated with all their Children by Pope Boniface who also confirm'd the privileges of the University of Paris Soon after the Pope was taken Prisoner and kept as it were in Prison three whole days Soon after the Pope dy'd The Countess of Ulster died likewise about this time Item Walran Wellesly and Sir Robert Percivall were slain this year on the 11th day before the Kalends of November MCCCIV A great part of Dublin was burnt down viz. the Bridge-street a good part of
when he dy'd but had this answer return'd That no man should have commanded them more freely if they had not been promis'd to Dr. Bancroft Archbishop of Canterbury Upon his death he translated the right of them to his Successor Dr. George Abbot who had undertook to publish them and the Bishop tells us in the same Manuscript that he had heard Archbishop Laud say they were deposited in the Palace at Lambeth 'T is probable these were only such as related to the Ecclesiastical Affairs of that time which Mr. Camden did not think himself so immediately concern'd in But what they were cannot now be known they must have been destroy'd in that havock and confusion made in the Library of Archbishop Laud by Prinne Scot and Hugh Peters for upon a diligent search made by the late Dr. Sancroft at his first promotion to the See of Canterbury not one scrap of them appear'd From the end of Queen Elizabeth to his own death he kept a Since publisht with his Epistles Diary of all the remarkable passages in the reign of King James Not that he could so much as dream of living to make use of them himself at that age and under those many infirmities which a laborious life had drawn upon him But he was willing however to contribute all the assistance he could to any that should do the same honour to the reign of King James which he had done to that of Queen Elizabeth If this were practis'd by Persons of Learning and Curiosity who have opportunity of seeing into the Publick Affairs of a Kingdom what a large step would it be towards a History of the respective times For after all the short hints and strictures of that kind do very often set things in a truer light than regular Histories which are but too commonly written to serve a Party and so draw one insensibly out of the right way Whereas if men are left to themselves to make their own inferences from simple matters of fact as they lay before them tho' perhaps they may often be at a loss how to make things hang together yet their aim shall be still true and they shall hardly be mistaken in the main One single matter of fact faithfully and honestly deliver'd is worth a thousand Comments and Flourishes Thus the interest of the Publick was the business of Mr. Camden's life and he was serviceable to Learning till his dying day For so much merit one would think the greatest rewards too mean but a little serv'd his turn who always thought it more honourable to deserve than to have preferments Ep. 195. He never made application to any man for promotion but so long as he faithfully discharg'd the office he had was content to trust Providence for what should follow The first step he made was the second Mastership of Westminster-School in the year 1575. In this station he continu'd till the death of Dr. Grant Head-Schoolmaster which hapned in 1593. whom he succeeded But before that two years after the first edition of his Britannia he had the Prebend of Ilfarcomb belonging to the Church of Salisbury bestow'd upon him by Dr. John Piers Bishop of that See What satisfaction it was to him to see the fruits of his industry in the School learn from his own expression of it in a Letter to Archbishop Usher At Westminster says he God so blessed my labours that the now Bishop of London Durham and St. Asaph to say nothing of persons imploy'd in eminent place abroad and many of especial note at home of all degrees do acknowledge themselves to have been my Scholars What a comfortable reflexion was this That he had laid the foundation of those pillars which prov'd so considerable supports both to Church and State Here he liv'd frugally and Epist 195. by his long labours in the School gather'd a contented sufficiency for his life and a supply for all the charitable benefactions at his death Epist ead He refus'd a mastership of Requests when offer'd and kept to his School See above till the place of King at Arms was conferr'd upon him without his own application or so much as knowledge These were all the Preferments he was ever possest of We might have reckon'd another if the following project had but succeeded In the year 1609. Dr. Sutcliff Dean of Exeter resolv'd upon building a College at Chelsey for a certain number of Divines who should make it their only business to confute the Errors of the Church of Rome The Proposal was highly approv'd of by King James who accordingly nominated the Doctor first Provost of the College May 10. 1610. and seventeen very eminent Divines under the title of Fellows And because it was evident that matters of History would of course fall in with Controversies in Religion they concluded it necessary to be arm'd against all such cases and so pitch'd upon two excellent Historians Mr. Camden and John Hayward Doctor of the Civil Law See Middlesex under Chelsey They fell to building but found their Revenues fall short and so the whole design drop'd To be particular in his Acquaintance would be to reckon up almost all the learned men of his time When he was young Learned men were his Patrons when he grew up the Learned were his intimates and when he came to be old he was a Patron to the Learned So that Learning was his only care and learned men the only comfort of his life What an useful and honourable correspondence he had settl'd both at home and abroad does best appear from his Letters and with what candour and easiness he maintain'd it the same Letters may inform us The work he was engag'd in for the honour of his native Country gain'd him respect at home and admiration abroad so that he was look'd upon as a common Oracle and for a Foreigner to travel into England and return without seeing Mr. Camden was thought a very gross omission He was visited by six German Noblemen at one time and at their request wrote his Lemma in each of their Books as a testimony that they had seen him Brissonius Prime Minister of State in the French Court when he was sent into England by his master K. Hen. 3. to treat of a match between his brother the Duke of Anjou and Queen Elizabeth would not return a stranger to Mr. Camden who tho' but second School-master of Westminster and not full thirty years of age had yet those qualities which effectually recommended him to the friendship and conversation of that great man Some of the Servants of the Elector Palatine who came over about the match with Elizabeth eldest daughter to King James were severely reprov'd by Gruter for neglecting to do themselves that piece of honour He wonder'd with what face they could stay so many months in England and all the while Neque consulere ejus oraculum unicum neque adspicere ejus astrum primum not consult its only Oracle nor see the brightest Star in it
which had been for some time buried under ground and was dug up a perfect stone More to the East Tuddington shews it's beautiful house lately built by H. Lord Cheney 12 Made by Queen Elizabeth Baron Cheyney of Tuddington built and shortly after dy'd sans-issue where also formerly Paulinus Pever a Courtier and Sewer to King Henry 3. did as Matth. Paris tells us build a seat with such palace-like grandeur such a Chapel such Lodgings with other houses of stone cover'd with lead and surrounded it with such ‖ Pomoeâ—â— avenues and parks that it rais'd an astonishment in the beholders We have not gone far from this place along by Hockley in the hole a dirty road extreme troublesome to travellers in winter time 13 For the old Englishmen our Progenitors call'd deep mire hock and hocks and through fields wherein are the best beans yielding a pleasant smell but by their fragrancy spoiling the scent of dogs not without the great indignation of the Hunters till we ascend a white hill into Chiltern and presently come to Dunstable Duâ—stabâ—e seated in a chalky ground pretty well inhabited and full of Inns. It has 4 streets answering the 4 quarters of the world and because of the dryness of the soil every one has 4 publick * Lacunâ— ponds which tho' supply'd only with rain-water are yet never dry For springs they can come at none without digging 24 fathom deep In the middle of the town there is a Cross or rather a Pillar having engraven upon it the Arms of England Castile and Pontieu and adorn'd with Statues it was built by K. Edw. 1. in memory of his Queen Eleanor among some others in places through which she was carry'd 14 Out of Lincolnshire in Funeral pomp to Westminster There 's no manner of doubt to be made but that this was the Station which Antoninus the Emperour in his Itinerary mentions under the name of Magioninium Magiovinium Magiovinium and Magintum c Mr. Camden in his second edition 8o. settl'd it at Ashwell in Hertfordshire nor need it be sought in any other place For setting aside that it stands upon the Roman Military way the Swineherds now and then in the neighbouring fields find Coins of the Emperors which they call to this day Madning-money and at a little distance upon the very descent of Chiltern-hills there is a round military fortification such as Strabo has told us the British towns were It contains 9. acres and is call'd Madning-bowre and Madin-bowre a name wherein with a little variation one may easily discover Magintum But after Magintum either by the storms of war or time was destroy'd Henry 1. built another Town here with a Royal seat at Kingsbury and planted a Colony that should be a curb to the insolence of Robbers as the private History of the little Monastery which he founded for an ornament to his Colony does plainly testifie But take the very words of that private History tho' they savour something of the barbarity of that age It is to be observ'd that that * Aâ—ea structure at the meeting of the way of Watling and Ikening d Primitus sartabatur in the folio edition but in the second which was in 8o. we find in the margin primitus succidebantur was first contriv'd by Henry the Elder of that name King of England to prevent the mischiefs of one Dun a famous Robber and his Gang and that from this Dun the place was call'd Dunstable i Our Lord the King built a burrough there and a Royal seat for himself near it The Burgesses were free in every thing as the other Burgesses of the King's Realm The King had in the same village a Fair and Market and afterwards built a Church wherein by the authority of Pope Eugenius 3. he plac'd Canons Regular feoffing the said Religious in the whole Burrough by Charter and granting them several immunities k 15 As for Leighton Buzard on the one side of Dunstable and Luton on the other neither have I read nor seen any thing memorable in them unless I should say that at Luton I saw a fair Church but the Quire then roofless and overgrown with weeds and adjoyning to it an elegant Chapel founded by J. Lord Wenlock and well maintained by the family of Rotheram planted here by Thomas Rotheram Archbishop of York and Chancellour of England in the time of King Edw. 4. Now of the Lords Dukes and Earls of Bedford Dâ—kes Earls and Barons of Bâ—â—â—ord First there were Barons of Bedford of the family of Beauchamp who by right of inheritance were Almoners to the Kings of England on their Coronation-day But the estate being divided by daughters to the Mowbrays Wakes and Fitz-Otes King Edward 3. made Engelram de Coucy Earl of Soissons in France 16 Son to Engelrame Lord of Coucy and his wife daughter to the Duke of Austria to whom he had marry'd a daughter first Earl of Bedford Afterwards Henry 5. erected Bedford into a Dukedom and it had three Dukes the first was John third son of Henry 4. who beat the French in a sea-engagement at the mouth of the Seine and again being made Regent of France 17 Slain in a land-fight at Vernolium He was bury'd at Roan and the Fortune of England as to the French wars was bury'd with him Whose monument while Charles 8. King of France was a viewing and a Nobleman stood by that advis'd him to pull it down Nay says he let him rest in peace now he 's dead whom France dreaded in the field while alive The second Duke of Bedford was George Nevil a young boy son of John Marquess of Montacute both of whom K. Edw 4. degraded by Act of Parliament almost assoon as he had set them up the father for treachery in deserting his party and the son out of revenge to the father Tho' it was indeed urg'd as a pretence that he had not estate enough to bear out the grandeur of a Duke and that great men when they want answerable Fortunes are always a plague and burthen to their neighbours The third was Jasper de Hatfeld Earl of Pembroke honour'd with this title by his * Nepote grandchild Hen. 7. whom he had sav'd out of very great dangers but 18 Some ten years after his creation he tho' he liv'd to a great age dy'd unmarry'd But within the memory of our Fathers it return'd to the title of an Earldom when King Edward 6. created John Russel Earl of Bedford who was succeeded by his son 19 Sir Francis Francis a person of that piety and gentile easiness of temper that whatever I can possibly say in his commendation will fall infinitely short of his Virtues He left Edward his successor and grandchild by his son Francis who is growing up by degrees to the honour of his Ancestors This little County has 116 Parishes ADDITIONS to BEDFORDSHIRE a ON the west-side of
Raii syn 114. Sysymbrium Cardamine hirsutum minus fl albo J. B. The lesser hairy impatient Cuckow flower or Ladies-smock On the New-river banks between Canberry-house and Newington in many places Tormentilla reptans alata foliis profundius serratis D. Plot. Hist nat Oxon. Creeping Tormentil with deeply indented leaves In a ditch between the Boarded-river and Islington road Gramen Cyperoides spica pendula breviore C. B. Cyperus seu Pseudo-Cyperus spica brevi pendula Park Pseudo-Cyperus Ger. Bastard Cyperus with short pendulous spikes In the same place with the last Stellaria pusilla palustris repens tetraspermos Lenticula aq bifolia Neapolitana Park Fig. 1293. Raii hist Plant. 1852. Small creeping Marsh-Starwort This I found in some moist writts in a wood near the Boarded-river But the first discovery of it to be a native of England we owe to that ingenious Physician and expert Botanist Dr. Hans Sloan who found it in a Bog on Putney-Heath Alnus nigra baccisera J. B. C. B. nigra sive Frangula Ger. Frangula seu Alnus nigra baccifera Park The black-berry bearing Alder. This with the following grow plentifully in a wood against the Boarded river Gramen arundinaceum panicula spadicea molli majus C. B. Gramen tomentosum arundinaceum Ger. Reed-grass with a pappose panicle Gramen Cyperoides polystachion slavicans spicis brevibus propè summitatem caulis Raii syn 195. Mr. Rays yellowish Cyperus-grass with short spikes Gramen Cyperoides sylvarum tenuius spicatum Park Slender-ear'd wood Cyperus grass Gramen Cyperoides spica è pluribus spicis brevibus mollibus composita Raii syn Mr. Ray's round cluster-headed Cyperus grass Sambucus aquatilis seu palustris Ger. aq fl simplicis C. B. Water Elder In the same wood but sparingly Myosurus J. B. cauda muris Ger. Holosteo affinis cauda muris C. B. Mouse-tail This with the next I found in a sloughy lane near the Divel's-house going to Hornsey Plantaginella palustris C. B. Plantago aquatica minima Park Chickweed with Water-plantain leaves Muscus muralis platyphyllos Raii syn 237. Broad leav'd moss This Mr. Bobart the Botanick Professor of Oxford shewed me on many walls about that City the which I have this year found on a brick wall on the right hand assoon as you enter into Hornsey town from London Bardana minor Ger. lappa minor Xanthium Dioscoridis C. B. The lesser Burdock This I observed in the road side near the Bridge at Newington Cynoglossum minus folio virenti Ger. semper-virens C. B. Park The lesser green-leav'd Hounds tongue In a hedge facing the round on Stamford-hill between Newington and Tottenham Cruciata Ger. vulgaris Park hirsuta C. B. Gallium latifolium Cruciata quibusdam fl luteo J. B. Crosswort or Mugweed In Hampsted Churchyard Alsine tetrapetalos Caryophylloides quibusdam Holosteum minimum Raii syn 145. The least Stichwort On Hampstead heath plentifully Filix florida seu Osmunda Regalis Ger. Osmund Royal or flowering Fern. Towards the north side of the heath and in a Ditch near it the Lichen petreus cauliculo calceato C. B. Small Liverwort with crumpled leaves With the Gramen Cyperoides spicis brevibus congestis folio molli Raii Hist 1910. Mr. Doody's short-headed Cyperus grass And Ros solis folio rotundo J. B. C. B. Ger. Park Round leav'd Ros-solis or Sun-dew In the Bogs Muscus trichodes medius capitulis sphaericis Raii in append syn 243. Mr. Doody's Goldilocks with round heads Muscus trichoides foliis capillaceis capitulis minoribus Raii syn 243. Mr. Doody's fine-leav'd Goldilocks with small heads Muscus trichoides minor capitulis longissimis Raii syn 243. Mr. Doody's small Goldilocks with very long and slender heads These three last that most indefatigable Botanist first discovered on a ditch-bank leading from Mother Huffs towards Hampsted Muscus trichoides minor capitulis perexiguis per Microscopium Botro referens Mr. Dares cluster-headed Goldilocks This is a singular Moss its rough heads distinguising it from any yet discover'd I found it in the lane going from Mother Huffs to Highgate but it was first discovered by Mr. Dare in a lane beyond Putney-heath I have also lately receiv'd it from my ingenious friend Mr. T. Pool a Mercer at Nottingham who gathered it near that town Filix mas non ramosa pinnulis latis auriculatis spinosis Ger. 1130. Prickly auriculate male Fern. This with the following are found in the woods about Highgate and Hampsted Filix mas non ramosa pinnulis angustis raris profundè dentatis Ger. 1130. Male Fern with thin-set deeply indented leaves Filix mas ramosa pinnulis dentatis Ger. 1129. Great branch'd Fern with indented leaves Alsine longifolia uliginosis proveniens locis J. B. Long-leav'd water Chickweed Alsine Plantaginis folio J. B. Plantain-leav'd Chickweed Bifolium sylvestre vulgare Park Common Twayblade Cyperus gramineus J. B. gramineus Miliaceus Ger. Fig. 30. Millet Cyperus grass Equisetum omnium minimum tenuifolium Park Fig. 1201. sylvaticum Ger. 1114. Wood Horsetail These five last are found in the moistest places in the abovesaid woods the following in the dryer parts Astragalus sylvaticus Ger. Wood-pease Androsemum vulgare Park Tutsan or park-leaves Anagallis lutea Ger. Yellow Pimpernel Gramen Avenaceum rariore gluma spicatum Park Fig. 1151. Wood Oat-grass Gramen Cyperoides spica pendula longiore Park Cyperus grass with long pendulous heads Gramen Cyp. spicatum minimum spica divulsa aculeata Raii synops Tall prickly-headed spiked Cyperus-grass Gramen nemorosum hirsutum latifol maxim Raii synops Great broad-leav'd hairy Wood-grass Hieracium fruticosum latifolium hiâ—sutum C. B. Park Bushy Hawkweed with broad rough leaves Hieracium fruticosum angustifolium majus C. B. Park Narrow-leav'd bushy Hawkweed Juncellus omnium minimus Chamaeschoenus Ad. Lob. The least Rush Lilium convallium Ger. fl albo Park Lily of the Valley or May-Lily Sorbus sylvestris seu Fraxinus bubula Ger. The Quicken tree Sorbus torminalis Ger. The common wild Service or Sorb Vaccinia nigra Ger. Black Whorts Whortle-berries or Bilberries Aparine minima Raii synops Mr. Sherard's least Clivers First discovered by that compleat Botanist on a wall at Hackney Carduus stellatus Ger. Star-Thistle In some barren fields near White-chapel Carum seu Careum Ger. Caraways This I have more than once found about London Chondrilla viscosa humilis C. B. Ger. Park The least wild Lettice In a lane against Pancras-Church near London Eruca aquatica Ger. Park Water Rocket In a ditch in the road between White-chapel and Mile-end Lapathum pulchrum Bononiense sinuatum J. B. Fiddle Dock In Bunhill and Morefields plentifully Mercurialis mas foemina Ger. French Mercury This though a scarce Plant wild in England yet grows spontaneously in most Gardens in and about London Ulmus folio latissimo scabro Ger. latiore folio Park The Wych-hasel or broad-leav'd Elm. I have seen large trees of this at Hoxton near London ESSEX THE other part of the Trinobantes call'd from the Eastern situation and the Saxons who possest it East-Seaxa
Latins Regular Regulars a middle sort between Monks and Secular Canons This College has scarce any other revenues besides the Presents made to the Blessed Virgin For some of the Gifts only that are more considerable are preserv'd but if it be any thing of money or of small value it goes to the maintenance of the Convent and their Head whom they stile Prior. The Church is splendid and beautiful but the Virgin dwells not in it that out of veneration and respect is granted to her son She has her Church so contriv'd as to be on the right hand of her son But neither in that does she live the building being not yet finisht and the wind runs through it on all sides for both doors and windows are open and the Ocean that Parent of winds is hard by In the Church which I told you is unfinish'd there is a little narrow Chapel of wood into which the Pilgrims are admitted on each side at a narrow door There is but little light almost none indeed except that of the wax tapers which have a very grateful smell But if you look in you 'll say 't is a seat of the Gods so bright and shining is it all over with jewels gold and silver But within the memory of our Fathers when Hen. 8. had set his eyes and heart upon the revenues of the Church all these went to wrack I have nothing else to add about Walsingham but that the family of Walsinghams Knights as the Genealogists will have it had their name and original from this place Of which family was Sir Francis Walsingham * A Secretis Secretary of State to Queen Elizabeth a person as admirably vers'd so wonderful industrious in the most important affairs of the Kingdom o In the neighbourhood at Houghton Houghton flourish'd a famous family of the Neirfords Neirfords very much enrich'd by matching with †Petronilla de Vallibus Parnel de Vaulx who had a great estate about Holt Cley and in other parts But now to the shore Not far from Walsingham upon the sea-shore to the west stood that ancient Brannodunum Brannodunum where when the Saxons began first to infest Britain the Dalmatian Horse kept garison under the Count of the Saxon shore Now 't is a Country-village retaining nothing but the bare remains of the name and shewing an entrenchment the neighbours call it ‖ Castrum Caster which includes some eight acres and is nam'd Brancaster Brancaster Here ancient Roman Coins are commonly dug up p This was a very proper place for a garrison for at the neighbouring Chapel of St. Edmund q and at Hunstanton built by the same St. Edmund r the shore turns in to the south and forms a large bay that is much expos'd to Pirates and receives several Rivers But Hunstanton Huâ—stanton is not to be omitted even upon this account that it has been the seat of the famous family of Le-Strange Le Strange Knights ever since John Baron Le-Strange of Knockin bestow'd it upon his younger brother Hamon which was in the reign of Edw. 2. The catching of Hawks the abundance of Fish with the Jett and Amber commonly found upon this coast I purposely pass by because other places also in those parts afford them in great plenty Yet Sharnborn Sharborn upon this coast is well worth our notice both because Foelix the Burgundian Fâ—elix the Bishop who converted the East-Angles to Christianity built in this place the second Christian Church of that Province for the first he is said to have built at Babingley where he landed as also because we are inform'd by ancient Records that the Saxon Lord of this place before the coming in of the Normans upon a fair hearing before the Conquerour himself had sentence given in favour of him and recover'd the Manour from Warren upon whom the Conquerour had bestow'd it Which passage is urg'd by such as hold that William did not possess himself of England by Conquest but by treaty and Covenant s The before-mention'd Bay we call The Washes The Washes but Ptolemy Aestuarium Metaris Metaris astuar â—m possibly instead of Maltraith a name by which the Britains call'd aestuaries in other places and which imports no more than an uncertain aestuary as this is Upon this where the river Ouse enters the Ocean is seated Linne perhaps so nam'd from it's spreading waters for so much is imply'd by Lhyn in British This is a large town almost surrounded with a deep ditch and walls and divided by two Rivulets which have some 15 bridges over them Tho' it be but of a late date call'd not long since Bishop's Linne because till Henry 8.'s time it belong'd to the Bishops of Norwich for it arose out of the ruins of one more ancient which lies in Mershland over-against it and is call'd at this day Old Lynne and Kings-Lynne t yet for its safe harbour of so easie an entrance for the number of merchants beauty of buildings and wealth of the Citizens 't is beyond dispute the best town of the Iceni Norwich only excepted It enjoys also very large Immunities which they purchas'd of K. John with the price of their own blood spent in the defence of his cause For he granted them a Mayor and gave his own sword to be carry'd before him u with a silver cup gilt which they have at this day Afterwards also they purchas'd their lost Liberties of Hen. 3. not without blood when they sided with him against the out-law'd Barons and unluckily engag'd them in the Isle of Ely An account whereof we have in the book of Ely and in Matthew Paris Over the river opposite to Lynne lies Mershland Mershland a low marshy little tract as the name implies every where parcell'd with ditches and drains to draw off the waters and moisture into so many rivers w The soil is exceeding fat and breeds abundance of cattel so that in the place call'd Tilney-Smeth Tilney-Smeth there feed to the number of about thirty thousand sheep But the sea what by beating washing away overflowing and demolishing makes such frequent and violent attempts upon them that they have much ado to keep it out by the help of banks x The more considerable places in this tract are h That is a pool near the wall or rampire which original is also to be attributed to it's neighbours Walton and Walseck Spelman's Iceni MS. sub Tit. Walsoca Walpole Walpole which the Lord of the Manour formerly gave to the Church of Ely with his son whom he made a Monk there Wigenhall the possession of J. Howard in the reign of Edward 1. whose posterity is grown into a most honourable and splendid family Tilney before-mention'd which gave name to the ancient family of the Tilneys Tilneys Knights and St. Maries S. Maries the seat of the ancient family of the Carvils y And thus we have survey'd the
so strongly inspir'd that they can raise the sea or the winds with their enchantments can transform themselves into what Animal they please cure those distempers that are beyond the skil of others and both know and foretel what is to come c. Under these there lie other Islands called Isles aux Mottons near Pen-Marc that is the Horse-head Gleran over against old Blavia now Blavet Grois and the Belle-Isle which Pliny calls Veneticae For they lie over against the Veneti in little Brittain Veneti Insulae Veneticae and might perhaps take that name as being Fishermen For so Venna seems to signifie in the language of the old Gauls Strabo takes these to have been the Forefathers of the Venetians in Italy and says also that they design'd to engage Caesar by sea when he made his expedition to Britain Some from Dionysius Afer call these Insulae Veneticae Nesides Nâ—sides Vannes Venna Caroli 1. pâ—â—catio Caroli as Helgardus says Samnitus whereas in a Greek Copy we find it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a tract of Islands Of which Priscian writes thus out of him Nec spatio distant Nessidum littora longè In quibus uxores * Amnitum Bacchica sacra Concelebrant hederae foliis tectaeque corymbis Non sic Bistonides Absinthi ad flumina Thraces Exertis celebrant clamoribus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here the Nessides shew their neighbouring shore Where Samnite wives at sacred Orgies roar With Ivy-leaves and berries cover'd o'er Not with such cries the wild Bistonian dames Near fair Absinthus fill the Thracian streams This is also express'd in Festus Avienus Hinc spumosus item ponti liquor explicat aestum Et brevis è pelago vortex subit hic chorus ingens Faeminei coetus pulchri colit Orgia Bacchi Producit noctem ludus sacer aera pulsant Vocibus crebris latè sola calcibus urgent Non sic Absynthi propè flumina Thraces almae Bistomdes non quà celeri ruit agmine Ganges Indorum populi stata curant festa Lyoeo Hence constant tides the foaming deep supplies And noisy whirlpools on the surface rise Here a great quire of dames by custom meet And Bacchus Orgies every year repeat And spend in sacred rites the joyful night Through all the air their tuneful voices sound Their nimble feet salute the trembling ground Not in such troops Bistonian matrons croud To the great Feast at fam'd Absinthus flood Nor so the Indians praise their drunken God Now that Belle-Isle is one of the said Nessidae Strabo's authority grounded upon the relations of others is sufficient assurance For it lies before the mouth of the river Loire and Ptolemy places the Samnites on the coast of France just over against it For thus Strabo They say there is a small Island in the Ocean that lies not very far in neither but just over against the mouth of the Loir 'T is inhabited by the wives of the Samnites that are inspir'd by Bacchus and adore him by ceremonies and sacrifices No men are suffer'd to come here but the women take boat and after they have layn with their husbands return 'T is also a custom here to take off the roof of their Temple every year and cover it again the same day before sun-set every one of the women being obliged to bring in a burden to it whoever lets her burden fall is tore in pieces by the rest They are not to give â—ver gathering the pieces dropt in carrying before their fit of madness is over It always happens that one or other is thus tore to pieces for letting their burden fall Thus the Ancients in treating of the remoter part of the world were very much given to insert such fabulous stories But he tells us farther that as for those things which are said of Ceres and Proserpine they are somewhat more probable For the report is that in an Island near Britain they sacrifice to these Goddesses after the same manner that those in Samothrace do 8 Hitherto have I extended the British sea both upon the credit of Pomponius Mela who stretcheth it to the coast of Spain and upon the authority of the Lord Great Admiral of England which extendeth so far For the Kings of England were and are rightful Lords of all the North and W st sea-coasts of France to say nothing of the whole kingdom and crown of France as who to follow the tract of the sea coast wan the counties the only heir thereof In like manner most certain heirs to the Dutchy of Normandy by King William the Conqueror and thereby superior Lords of little Britain dependant thereof undoubted heirs of the counties of Anjou Tourain and Maine from King Henry the second whose patrimony they were likewise of the county of Poictou and Dutchy of Aquitaine or Guyenne by Eleanor the true heir of them wife to the said Henry the second â—â—â—nut the counties of Tholouse March the homage of Avergne c. Of all which the French by their arrests of pretended forfeitures and confiscaâ—â—ns have a sseized the crown of England and annexed them to the Crown of France taking advantages of our most unhappy civil dissentions whâ—reas in former ages the French Kings were so fore-closed by these territoreis as they had no access at all to the Ocean Since Mela who was himself a Spaniard makes the British sea to reach as far as the Coast of Spain and the Pyrenees Lib. 2. it falls within the scope of my design to mention Normonstier L'isle de Dieu and the L'isle de Rey likewise which are famous for their store of bay salt yet the bare mention is sufficient since they are not taken notice of by the old Geographers The next Island to this Oleron Ultarus now known by the name of Oleron but called Uliarus in Pliny lies as he says in the bay of Aquitain at the mouth of the river Charonton now Charente endow'd with many privileges by the Kings of England when Dukes of Aquitain In those times it was so eminent for shipping and marine affairs that Laws were made in this Island for the regulation of these seas in the year 1266. as they were in Rhodes heretofore for the government of the Mediterranean Nothing remains now having carry'd on this discourse through so many shallows of the ocean and the rugged rocks as it were of Antiquity but that like the Mariners of old who use to dedicate their tatter'd sails or a votive plank to Neptune I also consecrate something to the Almighty and to Venerable Antiquity A Vow which I most willingly make and which by the blessing of God I hope to discharge in due time d He hints here to the History-Lecture which he afterwards settled in Oxford whereof see his Life In the mean time let me desire of the Reader to consider that through this whole work I have been strugling with devouring Time of which the Greek Poet has this admirable passage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
his vast estate made a considerable addition to King Henry the 2's Exchequer His Barony remain'd a long time in the Crown till 10 Sir Hubert de Burgâ— Hubert de Burgh obtain'd a grant of it from King John Farther to the North the shores being something dinted in give free entrance to the sea in two places one of which Bays the inhabitants call Crouch and the other Blackwater formerly Pant. In Crouch there lye four pretty green Islands but the water almost continually overflowing them makes 'em for the most part fenny and moorish The most considerable are Wallot and Foulness Foulness that is the Promontory of Birds which hath a Church that at low tide may be come at on horse back Between these Bays lies Dengy-hundred Dengy-Hundred formerly Dauncing the grass here is excellent good and well stock'd with Cattel but the air none of the healthiest The only trade almost that 's drove here consists in Cheeses Essex-cheese and men milk the ewes like women in other places Where are made those Cheeses of an extraordinary bigness which are used as well in foreign parts as in England to satisfie the coarse stomachs of husbandmen and labourers Dengy the chief town is thought to have receiv'd it's name from the Danes which it gives to the whole Hundred Nigh this stands Tillingham given by Ethelbert the first Christian King of the Saxons to the Monastery of St. Paul in London Up higher toward the Northern shore stood once a flourishing city called by our ancestors Ithancester For thus Ralph Niger tells us out of Bede Ceada the Bishop baptized the East-Saxons near Maldon in the city of Ithancester which stood upon the bank of the rivâ—r Pant that runs near Maldon in the Province of Dengy but that city hath since been quite swallow'd up in the river Pant. I can't exactly point out the place but that the river Froshwell was heretofore called Pant I am pretty confident since one of it's springs still keeps the name of Pant's-Well and since the Monks of Coggeshall speaking of it use the same appellation Some think this Ithancester Ithanceâ—ter to have been seated in the utmost point of Dengy Hundred where stands at present St. Peter's on the Wall For on this shore the Country-people are hardly put to 't with great banks and walls of mud to keep the sea out of their fields I am enclin'd to believe this Ithancester was the same as Othona Othona the Station of the Band of the Fortenses with their Provost in the declension of the Roman Empire placed here under the Count of the Saxon shore to secure the Coast against the Pirating Saxons For Othona might very easily pass into Ithana and the situation in a creek at the mouth of several rivers was very convenient for such a design 11 Yet there remaineth a huge ruin of a thick wall whereby many Roman Coins have bâ—en found Here we may add that the Confessor granted the Custody of this Hundred to Ralph * The Nâ—rmans calâ— him Peâ—â—rell Peperking by a short Charter which I am willing to set down that we who now rake into all the niceties of the Law may see the innocent freedom and plainness of that age It stands thus in the Rolls of the Exchequer but by often transcribing some words are made smoother than they were in the Original Iche Edward Koning Among the Records of Hilary-term E. â— 1â— in the Custody of the Treasurer and Chamberlain of the Exchequer Have geven of my Forrest the keeping Of the Hundred of Chelmer and Dancing To Randolph Peperking and to his kindling With heorte and hinde doe and bocke Hare and Foxe Cat and Brocke Wilde Fowell with his flocke Partrich Fesant hen and Fesant cock With greene and wilde stob and stock To kepen and to yemen by all her might Both by day and eke by night And Hounds for to holde Good and swift and bolde Fower Grehounds and six racches For Hare and Fox and wild Cattes And therefore ich made him my booke Witnesse the Bishop Wolston And booke ylered many on And Sweyne of Essex our Brother And teken him many other And our Stiward Howelin That by sought me for him Seals first 〈◊〉 amâ—â—g the â—â—gâ—th This was the honest undesigning simplicity of that age which thought a few lines and a few golden crosses sufficient assurances For before the coming in of the Normans as we read in Ingulphus Indentures were made firm by golden crosses and such other marks but the Normans used to strengthen their writings with the impression in wax of the particular seals of the parties concern'd and of three or four witnesses But before many Tenures were granted by the bare word without writing or paper only with the sword of the Lord or his helmet with a horn or a cup and several others with a spur a curry-comb a bow and sometimes with an arrow Into Blackwater-bay which as I said before bounds the north part of this Hundred and is famous for abundance of excellent Oysters which we call Wallfleot-oysters flow two rivers that wash the greatest part of the County Chelmer and Froshwell Chelmer flowing from those parts that lye farther in and are thick cloath'd with woods passeth through Thaxsted Thaxâ—ted a little Market-town seated very pleasantly on a hill and Tiltey Tiltey where Maurice Fitz-Gilbert founded a small Monastery to Estannes by the tower now Eston which was the seat of the Lords of Lovain Lâ—â—ds of Lâ—â—â—in descended from Godfrey brother to Henry the sixth Duke of Brabant who being sent hither to take care of the Honour of Eya were accounted Barons to the sixth generation But in the time of Edw. 3. for want of issue male the estate and honour passed by marriage to William Bourgchter whose Posterity were for a short time Earls of Essex Then to Dunmow anciently Dunmawg and in the Rate-book of England Dunmaw a town of a very delightful situation on the top of a moderately steep hill where one Juga founded a Monastery in the year 1111. But William Bainard as we read in the private History of that Monastery of whom Juga held the village of little Dunmow was for felony depriv'd of his Barony and King Henry 1. gave it to Robert son of Richard Fitz-Gislbert Earl of Clare and to his heirs with the honour of Bainard-castle in London which Robert was then Sewer to King Henry These are the Author 's own words Nor do I think it just for me to alter them though they contain a manifest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or anticipation of time a crime to be met withal in the best historians Inasmuch as that family was not yet honour'd with the dignity of Earls of Clare e Now let us retire a little farther back from the river on both sides On the one at a little distance stands Plaisy so call'd in French from pleasing The former name was Estre This was the
seat of the Constables of England in the latter end of the Saxons and afterwards too as the Ely-book informs us 12 At this town the first William Mandevill Earl of Essex began a castle and two c. To the sâ—me place two very powerful Nobles when they could not keep themselves between the two extreams of base flattery and down-right obstinacy to their Prince do owe their death Thomas de Woodstock Duke of Glocester and Earl of Essex 13 Who founded here a College and John Holland Earl of Huntingdon brother by the Mother's side to King Richard 2. and once Duke of Exeter though he was afterwards depriv'd of that honour The former for his rash contumacy was hurried from hence to Calais and strangled the other was beheaded in this very place for rebeilion by command of Henry 4. So that he seems as it were to have satisfied Woodstock's ghost of whose fall he was accounted the main procurer Hence the Chelmer not far from Leez runs by a little Monastery built by the Gernons at present the seat of the Lords Rich who owe their honour to Richard Rich Bâ—â—ons â—â—ch a man of great prudence and Chancellour of England under Edward the sixth Hatfâ—â—ld-Peverel al. Peperking A little lower is seated Hatfield-Peverel call'd so from the owner of it Ranulph Peverel who had to wife one of the most celebrated beauties of the age daughter to Ingelric a noble Saxon. The Book of St. Martins in London She founded here a College now ruin'd and lyes in-tomb'd †In fenestrâ in the window of the Church whereof a little still remains By her he had William Peverel Governour of Dover-castle and 14 Sir Payne Pain Peverel L of Brun in Cambridgeshire The same woman bore to William the Conquerour whose Concubine she was William Peverel L. of Nottingham But to return to the Chelmer Next it visits Chelmerford vulgarly Chensford Chensford which by the distance from Camalodunum should be the old Canonium Canonium f This is a pretty large town seated almost in the middle of the County between two rivers which here joyn their friendly streams Chelmer from the east and another from the south of which if as some will have it the name be Can we may safely enough conclude this place to have been Canonium It was famous in the memory of our fathers for a little Monastery built by Malcolm King of Scotland At present 't is remarkable only for the Assizes which are here kept This place began to recover some repute when Maurice Bishop of London to whom it belong'd in the time of Henry 1. built here a bridge and brought the great road through this town Before it lay through Writtle Writle formerly Estre famous for the largeness of the parish which King Henry the third gave to Robert Bruce Lord of Anandale in Scotland who had married one of the daughters and heirs of John 15 Sirnamed Scot. the last Earl of Chester because he was unwilling the County of Chester should be possessed only by a couple of women But the posterity of Bruce forsaking their Allegiance Edward the second granted this place to Humfrey Bohun Earl of Hereford and Essex Of late when King James at his first coming to the Crown advanced several deserving persons to the honourable degree of Barons among others he created John Petre a very eminent Knight Baron Petre of Writtle whose father 16 Sir William William Petre a man of extraordinary prudence and learning was not so famous for the great offices he had bore in the Kingdom having been of the Privy Council to Henry the eighth Edward the sixth Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth and often Embassador to foreign States as for his liberal education and encouragement to learning at Oxford and for the relief of the poor at d This Place in the Bull of Pope Paul 4. whereby he granted the aforesaid William Petre the sale of several Monasteries belonging to Religious-houses dissolv'd by King Henry 8. is call'd Ging-Abbatissâ—e alià s Ging ad Petram vel Ingerstone And in the neighbourhood are several Villages whereof Ging or inge make part of the name as Ging-grave Menas-inge Marget-inge and Frier-inge Engerston 17 Where he lyeth buried near this place Froshwell call'd more truly Pant and afterwards Blackwater rising out of a little spring near Radwinter which belong'd to the Lords Cobham after it hath run a great way and met with nothing considerable except e Dr. Fuller is mistaken when he says it is in the gift of the Lords of the Manour of Dorewards-hall for it ever was in the Patronage of the Archbishop of Canterbury as the learned Mr. Ousley inform'd me from Records and the whole Town belong'd to the Priory of Christ's-Church at Canterbury till the dissolution The relation it has to this See has made it been always fill'd with men eminent for learning and the present Incumbent Nathaniel Sterry B. D. is inferiour to none of his Predecessors Bocking a very rich Parsonage Cogshal built by King Stephen for Cluniack Monks And the habitation of ancient Knights thence sirnamed de Cogeshall from whose Heir-general married into the old family of Tirrell there branched forth a fair propagation of the Tirrels in this shire and elsewhere Then goeth on this water by Easterford some call it East-Sturford and Whittam built by Edward the elder in the year 914. which is said to have been the Honour of Eustace Earl of Bologn meets with the Chelmer which coming down with its whole stream from a pretty high hill not far from Danbury that was long the habitation of the noble family of the Darcies passeth by Woodham-Walters Woodham-Walters the ancient seat of the Lords Fitz-Walters as eminent for the nobility as the antiquity of their family Barons Fitz-Walters being descended from Robert younger son to Richard Fitz-Gislbert Earl And in the last age grafted by marriage into the family of the Ratcliffs who being advanced to the dignity of Earls of Sussex have now a noble seat not far from hence call'd New-hall New-hall This belong'd formerly to the Butlers Earls of Ormond then to 19 Sir Thomas Thomas Bollen E. of Wiltshire of whom King Henry 8 procur'd it by exchange Leland in Cygnea-Cantio and having been at a great deal of charge to enlarge it gave it the new name of Beau-lieu though this never obtain'd among the common people Now the Chelmer with the confluence of the other waters being divided by a river-Island and losing its old name for that of Blackwater or Pant salutes the old Colony of the Romans Camalodunum Câ—maloduâ—â—m which has made this shore famous call'd by Ptolemy Camudolanum by Antoninus Camulodunum and Camoludunum but that the true name is Camalodunum we have the authority of Pliny Dio and of an ancient marble to evince In the search of this City how strangely have some persons