Dissolution the plate and jewels thereof fill'd two great chests each whereof requir'd eight men to carry them out of the Church Monast Angl. vol. 1. p. 18. So that the name of Christ to whom it was dedicated was almost quite laid aside for that of S. Thomas Nor was it so much fam'd for any other thing as the memory and burial of this man tho' it has some other tombs that may deservedly be boasted of particularly Edward Prince of Wales sirnam'd the Black a heroe for his valour in war a downright miracle and Henry 4. that potent King of England But King Henry 8. dispers'd all this wealth that had been so long in gathering and drove out the Monks in lieu whereof this Christ-Church has a Dean Archdeacon 12 Prebendaries and 6 Preachers whose business it is to sow the word of God in the neighbouring places It had another Church below the city to the East which disputed preeminence with this St. Augustine's commonly St. Austen's known by the name of S. Austin's because S. Austin himself and K. Ethelbert by his advice founded it to the honour of S. Peter and S. Paul for a burying place both to the Kings of Kent and the Archbishops for it was not then lawful to bury in Cities it was richly endow'd and the Abbot there had a Mint granted him and the Privilege of coyning money Now as the greatest part of it lyes in its own ruines and the rest is turn'd into a house for the King any one that beholds it may easily apprehend what it has been Austin himself was bury'd in the Porch of it and as Thomas Spot has told us with this Epitaph Inclytus Anglorum praesul pius decus altum Hic Augustinus requiescit corpore sanctus The Kingdom 's honour and the Church's grace Here Austin England's blest Apostle lays But Bede o Tho' Bede may be otherwise very good authority yet here he certainly fails for the title Archiepiscopus occurring in it is a plain evidence that 't is of later date since that title could not be then in the Western Church nor was it allow'd commonly to Metropolitans as Mabillon and others have observ'd till about the ninth age See Stillingfleet 's Origin Britan. p. 21 22. who is better authority assures us that he had over him this much more ancient Inscription HIC REQVIESCIT DOMINVS AVGVSTINVS DOROVERNENSIS ARCHIEPISCOPVS PRIMVS QVI OLIM HVC A BEATO GREGORIO ROMANAE VRBIS PONTIFICE DIRECTVS ET A DEO OPERATIONE MIRACVLORVM SVFFVLTVS ET ETHELBERTHVM REGEM AC GENTEM ILLIVS AB IDOLORVM CVLTV AD FIDEM CHRISTI PERDVXIT ET COMPLETIS IN PACE DIEBVS OFFICII SVI DEFVNCTVS EST SEPTIMO KALENDAS IVNIAS EODEM REGE REGNANTE That is Here resteth S. Augustine the first Archbishop of Canterbury who being formerly dispatch'd hither by the blessed Gregory Bishop of Rome and supported of God by the working of miracles both drew Ethelberht with his kingdom from the worship of Idols to the faith of Christ and also having fulfill'd the days of his Office dy'd on the 7th of the Kalends of June in the same King's reign With him there were bury'd in the same porch the six Archbishops that immediately succeeded and in honour of the whole seven namely Austin Laurentius Mellitus Justus Honorius Deus-dedit and Theodosius were those verses engraven in marble SEPTEM SUNT ANGLI PRIMATES ET PROTOPATRES SEPTEM RECTORES SEPTEM COELOQVE TRIONES SEPTEM CISTERNAE VITAE SEPTEMQVE LVCERNAE ET SEPTEM PALMAE REGNI SEPTEMQVE CORONAE SEPTEM SVNT STELLAE QUAS HAEC TENET AREA CELLAE Seven Patriarchs of England Primates seven Seven Rectors and seven Labourers in heaven Seven Cisterns pure of life seven Lamps of light Seven Palms and of this Realm seven Crowns full bright Seven Stars are here bestow'd in vault below It will not be very material to take notice of another Church near this which as Bede has it was built by the Romans and dedicated to S. Martin and in which before the coming of Austin Bertha of the blood Royal of the Franks and wife of Ethelbert was us'd to have divine Service celebrated according to the Christian Religion As to the Castle which appears on the south-side of the City with it's decay'd bulwarks since it does not seem to be of any great Antiquity I have nothing memorable to say of it but only that it was built by the Normans Of the dignity of the See of Canterbury which was formerly very great I shall only say thus much that as in former ages under the Hierarchy of the Church of Rome the Archbishops of Canterbury were Primates of all England Legates of the Pope and as Pope Urban 2. express'd it as it were Patriarchs of another world so when the Pope's Authority was thrown off it was decreed by a Synod held in the year 1534. that laying aside that title Primate and Metropolitan of all England they should be stil'd Primates and Metropolitans of all England This dignity was lately possess'd by the most reverend Father in God John Whitgift who having consecrated his whole life to God and his utmost endeavours to the service of the Church dy'd in the year 1604. extremely lamented by all good men He was succeeded by Richard Bancroft a man of singular courage and prudence in matters relating to the establishment of the Church Canterbury is 51 degrees 16 minutes in Latitude and 24 degrees 51 minutes in Longitude xx After Stour has gather'd it's waters into one chanel it runs by Hackington Hackington where Lora Countess of Leicester a very honorable Lady in her time quitting the pleasures of the world sequester'd her self from all commerce with it to have her time entire for the service of God At which time Baldwin Archbishop of Canterbury began a Church in this place to the honour of S. Stephen and Thomas of Canterbury but the Authority of the Pope prohibiting it for fear it should tend to the prejudice of the Monks of Canterbury he let his design fall However from that time the place has kept the name of S. Stephens S. Stephens and Sir Roger Manwood Knight Lord chief Baron of the Exchequer a person of great knowledge in our Common Law to whose munificence the poor inhabitants are very much indebted was lately it's greatest ornament nor is his son Sir Peter Manwood Knight of the Bath a less honour to it at this day whom I could not but mention with this respect and deference since he is an encourager of virtue learning and learned men From hence the Stour by Fordich Fordich which in Domesday-book is call'd the little burrough of Forewich famous for it's excellent trouts passes on to Sturemouth 69 Which it hath now forsaken a mile and more yet left and bequeathed his name to it But now by Stoure-mouth runneth a brook which issuing out of S. Eadburgh's Well at Liming where the daughter to K. Ethelbert first of our
Willen where his estate lyes at Wells he has built a Library and is at this time repairing the Church of Lutton r In the Church and Chapel our Author numbers many other Kings Queens Persons buried in Westminster-Abbey and Princes that have been there bury'd before and since King Hen. 7. To the Catalogue whereof we must needs add King Edward the fifth and his Brother Richard Duke of York who were most barbarously smother'd to death with Pillows in the Tower of London Anno 1483. by order of their unnatural Uncle Richard Duke of Glocester Their bodies though ‖ Continueâ— of Harding's Chron. some have written they were put into a leaden Coffin and cast into the black deeps near the Thames mouth by Sir Robert Brackenburies Priest were found July 17. 1674. by some workmen who were employed to take up the steps leading into the Chapel of the white Tower which in all probability was the first and only place they were deposited in Thence their bones except some few of them sent to the Museum at Oxford * Catalogâ— MS. Musâ— Ashâ—â—lea oâ— Oxon. were commanded Anno 1678. by King Charles 2. to be translated thence and decently interr'd here under a curious Altar of black and white marble with the following Epitaph engraven on the Pedestal H. S. S. Reliquiae Edwardi 5. Regis Angliae Richardi Ducis Eboracensis Hos germanos fratres Turri Londinensi conclusos injectisque culcitris suffocatos abdite inhoneste tumulari jussit Patruus Richardus perfidus Regni praedo Ossa desideratorum diu multum quaesita post annos 190 c. Scalarum in ruderibus scalae istae ad sacellum Turris albae nuper ducebant alte defossa indiciis certissimis reperta 17 die Julii Anno Dom. 1674. Carolus secundus Rex clementissimus acerbam sortem miseratus inter avita monumenta Principibus infoelicissimis justa perselvit Anno Dom. 1678. Annoque Regni sui 30. That is Here under lye interr'd the Remains of Edward 5. King of England and of Richard Duke of York Which two Brothers their Uncle Richard who usurpt the Crown shut up in the Tower of London smother'd them with Pillows and order'd them to be dishonourably and secretly buried Whose long desired and much sought for bones after above an hundred and ninety years were found by most certain tokens deep interr'd under the rubbish of the stairs that led up into the Chapel of the white Tower on the 17th of July in the year of our Lord 1674. Charles the second a most merciful Prince having compassion upon their hard fortune performed the funeral rites of these unhappy Princes amongst the Tombs of their Ancestors Anno Dom. 1678. being the 30th of his reign To whom add King James the first Queen Ann Queen of Bohemia and others of their Children The Lady Elizabeth Princess of Orange King Charles the second and several of the Children of him and of King James the second Henry Duke of Glocester Lodowick Duke of Richmond and Lenox George Duke of Albemarle William Duke of Newcastle and George Duke of Buckingham Lionel Earl of Middlesex Edward Earl of Sandwich and James Earl of Ossory And amongst the Poets we must not forget the famous Ben. Johnson and the ingenious Mr. Cowley to whom I wish I could have added Mr. Butler who equal if not exceed the best of their Predecessors s Near to the Church stands Westminster-hall Westminster-hall first founded by William Rufus about the year of Christ 1097. wherein as * P. 44. Edit Wâ—â—s Matthew Paris tells us upon his return out of Normandy Anno 1099. he Most royally kept the Feast of Whitsuntide The length of it was 270 foot and 74 the breadth which when he heard some say was too great he answer'd That it was not big enough by one half and was but a Bed-chamber in comparison of what he intended to make The foundations as we are told were to be seen in the days of Matthew Paris stretching themselves from the river to the common high-way whence we may gather 't was intended to have pointed in length East and West and not North and South as it now does Charter-house t Next our Author proceeds to the Northern and Eastern Suburbs wherein amongst others he takes notice of the opulent house of Carthusian Monks founded about 1370. 45 Edw. 3. by Sir Walter de Many which after the dissolution being bestow'd upon Sir Thomas Audley Speaker of the House of Commons past from him with his sole daughter Margaret by marriage to Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk and so by descent to Thomas Earl of Suffolk Of him it was purchased since our Author's time under the name of Howard-house otherwise call'd the late dissolved Charter-house near Smithfield in Middlesex by Thomas Sutton of Camps-castle in the County of Cambridge for the sum of thirteen thousand pounds He erected it into an Hospital by the name of the Hospital of King James founded in Charter-house in the County of Middlesex at the humble petition and only cost and charges of Thomas Sutton Esq endowing it with divers Manours and other Lands to the value of 4493 l. 19 s. 10 d. for the maintenance of a Master or Governour a Preacher Physician Register Receiver c. 80 poor Brothers or Pensioners which are to be either Gentlemen by descent and in poverty Merchants decay'd by pyracy or shipwrack or superannuated Soldiers by sea or land and none of these to be under the age of 50 years at the time of their admission Except Soldiers maim'd in the wars and not in private quarrels which in regard of their misfortune are capable ten years sooner Beside 6 l. 6 s. 8 d. wages they are all allow'd meat drink lodging gowns and other cloaths And so are 40 poor Scholars who are only capable of admission between the years of 10 and 15 and not to continue in the School above 8 years at most Before the expiration whereof they are either transplanted to one of the Universities where since the increase of the Revenue which now amounts to 5500 l. per Annum there are no less than 29 always maintain'd with the allowance of 20 l. per Annum each to be paid quarterly for 8 years time or they are put forth to be Apprentices the House now giving no less than 40 l. with them The government is in the hands of the most honourable Grandees of the State and most reverend Prelates of the Church beside the King and Queen who put in both the Pensioners and Children in their courses only the King first puts in two the Queen one and then the 16 Governours one each in their respective turns as the places become vacant * S. Hern's Domus Carthusiana u In the more Eastern Suburbs where he tells us many Roman Urns and other Antiquities were found we can only add Roman Antiquities that the place he mentions was Spittle-fields They were dugg up in
and his Sister Isabel de Albeny Countess of Arundel Isabel the second Sister was married to Gilbert Clare Earl of Glocester she had Richard de Clare Earl of Glocester and the Lady Anise Countess of * Perhaps â—evonia Averna â—â—â—e uxoris who was Mother of Isabel the †Mother of the Lord Robert Brus Earl of Carrick in Scotland afterwards King of that Nation â—is place 〈◊〉 corrupâ—â—d From Eva Brus the third Sister descended Maud the Mother of the Lord Edmund Mortimer Mother of the Lady Eva de Cauntelow Mother of the Lady Milsoud de Mohun who was Moâ—â—er to Dame Eleanor Mother to the Earl of Hereford Joan â—arshall the fourth Sister was married to the Lord Guarin of Mount â—hinsey and had Issue Joan de Valens Sybil Countess of Ferâ—â—s the fifth Sister had Issue seven Daughters the eldest call'd â—â—gnes Vescie Mother of the Lord John and the Lord William Vesâ—â—e the second Isabel Basset the third Joan Bohun Wife to the â—ord John Mohun Son of the Lord Reginald the fourth Sibyl â—ohun Wife to the Lord Francis Bohun Lord of Midhurst the fifth Eleanor Vaus Wife to the Earl of Winchester the sixth * Agatha Agas Mortimer Wife to the Lord Hugh Mortimer â—â—e seventh Maud Kyme Lady of Karbry These are all both â—ales and Females the Posterity of the said William Earl Marshal MCCXX. The Translation of S. Thomas of Canterbury The â—â—me year died the Lord Meiler Fitz-Henry founder of Connal â—nd was buried in the Chapter-House of the said Foundation MCCXXIV The Castle of Bedford was besieg'd and the Castle â—f Trim in Ireland MCCXXV Died Roger Pippard and in the year MCCXXVIII â—â—ed William Pippard formerly Lord of the Salmon-leap This â—ear died likewise Henry Londres alias Scorch-Villeyn Archbishop â—f Dublin and was buried in Trinity-church there MCCXXX Henry King of England gave Hubert Burk â—â—e Justiceship and the Third Penny of Kent and â—ade him also Earl of Kent Afterward the same Hubert was â—â—prison'd and great Troubles arose between the King and his â—â—bjects because he adher'd to Strangers more than to his own naâ—â—ral Subjects MCCXXXI William Mareschall the younger Earl Marshal and â—arl of Pembrock departed this life and was buried in the Quire â—f the Friers Predicants in Kilkenny MCCXXXIV Richard Earl Mareschall Earl of Pembrock and â—rogull was wounded in a Battel in the Plain of Kildare on the â—â—st day before the Ides of April and some few days after died in Kilkeny and there was buried hard by his * Girmanum natural Brother viz. William in the Quire of the Friers Predicants Of whom this was written Cujus sub fossa Kilkennia continet ossa MCCXL Walter Lacy Lord of Meth died this year in Engâ—â—nd leaving two Daughters to inherit his Estate of whom the â—â—rst was married to Sir Theobald Verdon and the second to Gefâ—ery de Genevile MCCXLIII This year died Hugh Lacy Earl of Ulster and â—as buried in Cragsergus in the Convent of the Friers Minors â—eaving a Daughter who was married to Walter Burk Earl of Ulster The same year died Lord Gerald Fitz-Maurice and Lord â—ichard de Burgo MCCXLVI An Earthquake about nine of the Clock over all â—he West MCCXLVIII Sir John Fitz-Geffery came Lord Justiciary into â—reland MCCL. Lewis King of France and William Long-Espee were â—aken Prisoners with many others by the Saracens In Ireland Maccanewey a Son of Belial was slain in Leys as he deserv'd In the year MCCLI. The Lord Henry Lacy was born Upon Christmas-day likewise Alexander King of Scots in the 11th year of his Age was then contracted with Margaret the daughter of the King of England at York MCCLV Alan de la Zouch was made and came Justiciary into Ireland MCCLVII This year died the Lord Maurice Fitz-Gerald MCCLIX Stephen Long-Espee came Justiciary into Ireland The green Castle in Ulster was demolish'd William Dene was made Justiciary of Ireland MCCLXI The Lord John Fitz-Thomas and the Lord Maurice his Son were slain in Desmond by Mac Karthy Item William Dene Justiciary dy'd and Sir Richard Capel put in his room the same year MCCLXII Richard Clare Earl of Glocester died this year as also Martin de Maundevile on the morrow of S. Bennet's day MCCLXIV Maurice Fitz-Gerald and Maurice Fitz-Maurice took Prisoners Richard Capel the Lord Theobald Botiller and the Lord John Cogan at Tristel-Dermot MCCLXVII David de Barry was made Justiciary of Ireland MCCLXVIII Comin Maurice Fitz-Maurice was drown'd The Lord Robert Ufford was made Justiciary of Ireland MCCLXIX The Castle of Roscoman was begun this year Richard of Exeter was made Justiciary MCCLXX The Lord James de Audley came Justiciary into Ireland MCCLXXI Henry the son of the King of Almain was slain in the Court of Rome Plague Famine and Sword rag'd this year particularly in Meth. Nicholas de Verdon and his Brother John were slain Walter de Burgo Earl of Ulster died MCCLXXII The Lord James Audley Justiciary of England was kill'd by a fall from his Horse in Tothomon and was succeeded in this Office by the Lord Maurice Fitz-Maurice MCCLXXIII The Lord Geffery Genevile return'd from the Holy Land and was made Justiciary of Ireland MCCLXXIV Edward the son of King Henry was anointed and crown'd King of England by Robert Kilwarby a Frier-Predicant Archbishop of Canterbury upon S. Magnus the Martyr's day in the Church of Westminster in the presence of all the Nobility and Gentry His Protestation and Oath was in this form I Edward son and heir of King Henry do profess protest and promise before God and his holy Angels from this time forward to maintain without partiality the Law Justice and Peace of the Church of God and the People subject unto me so far as we can devise by the counsel of our liege and legal Ministers as also to exhibit due and canonical Honour to the Bishops of God's Church to preserve unto them inviolably whatsoever has been granted by former Emperors and Kings to the Church of God and to pay due Honour to the Abbots and the Lord's Ministers according to the advice of our Lieges c. so help me God and the holy Gospels of the Lord. This year died the Lord John Verdon and the Lord Thomas de Clare came into Ireland And William Fitz-Roger Prior of the Hospitallers was taken Prisoner at Glyndelory with many others and more slain MCCLXXV The Castle of Roscoman was built again The same year Modagh was taken Prisoner at Norragh by Sir Walter le Faunte MCCLXXVI Robert Ufford was made Justiciary of Ireland upon the surrender of Geffery de Genevill MCCLXXVII O Brene slain MCCLXXVIII The Lord David Barry died this year as also the Lord John Cogan MCCLXXIX The Lord Robert d'Ufford went into England and appointed Frier Robert de Fulborne Bishop of Waterford to supply his place In whose time the Mony was chang'd A Round Table was also held at Kenylworth by Roger Lord Mortimer MCCLXXX Robert d'Ufford return'd from England
being still Justiciary as before His Wife died this year MCCLXXXI Adam Cusak younger kill'd William Barret and many others in Conaught Frier Stephen Fulborn was made Justiciary of Ireland The Lord Robert d'Ufford return'd into England MCCLXXXII This Year Moritagh and Arte Mac-Murgh his Brother were slain at Arclowe on S. Mary Magdalen Eve And Roger Lord Mortimer died MCCLXXXIII The City of Dublin was in part burnt and the Belfrey of Trinity Church upon the third day before the Nones of January MCCLXXXIV The Castle of Ley was taken and burnt by the petty Kings of Offaly the morrow after S. Barnaby's Day Alphonsus the King's Son twelve years old departed this Life MCCLXXXV The Lord Theobald le Botiller died on the 6th of the Kalends of October in the Castle of Arclowe and was buried there in the Convent of the Friers Predicants Gerald Fitz Maurice was taken Prisoner by his own Irish Subjects in Ofaly with Richard Petit and S. Deget and many others and at Rathode was a great slaughter MCCLXXXVI Le Norragh and Arstol with other Towns were successively burnt by William Stanton on the 16th of the Kalends of December About this time Eleanor Queen of England mother of King Edward took a religious habit at Ambresbury upon the day of S. Thomas's translation having her dower confirmed by the Pope and assur'd to her for ever Calwagh was taken Prisoner at Kildare The Lord Thomas Clare departed this Life MCCLXXXVII This year died Stephen Fulborn Archbishop of Tuam and was succeeded in the Office of Justiciary for a Time by John Sampford Archbishop of Dublin This year the King of Hungary renounc'd Christianity and turned Apostate and having fraudulently assembled his Nobility under pretence of a Parliament Miramomelius a potent Saracen came upon them with an Army of 20000 men and took the King and all the Christians there away prisoners on S. John Baptist's eve As the Christians were carried along the weather turn'd cloudy and a tempest of Hail fell suddenly and killed many thousands of the Infidels So the Christians return'd to their own homes and the Apostate King went alone with the Saracens The Hungarians crown'd his Son King and continued in the Catholick Faith MCCLXXXIX Tripoly a famous City was demolish'd after great effusion of Christian blood by the Sultan of Babylon Who commanded the Images of the Saints to be dragg'd at the horses tails through the ruinous City in contempt of Christ MCCXC Inclyta stirps Regis sponsis datur ordine legis The issue of the King becomes a Spouse The Lord Gilbert Clare took to Wife the Lady Joan de Acon a daughter of our Lord King Edward in the Abby of Westminster and the marriage was celebrated in May And John the Duke of Brabant's son married Margaret the said King's daughter also in the Church aforesaid in July This year the Lord William Vescie was made Justiciary of Ireland and enter'd upon the Office on S. Martin's day Item O Molaghelin King of Meth was this year slain MCCXCI Gilbert Clare the son of Gilbert and the Lady Joan de Acon was born on the 11th of May betimes in the morning Item there was an army led into Ulster against O Hanlan and other Princes that had broke the Peace by Richard Earl of Ulster and William Vescie Justiciary of Ireland Item The Lady Eleanor formerly Queen of England and mother of King Edward died this year on S. John's day after a laudable life spent four years eleven months and six days in a religious habit as she had desir'd in the Abby of Ambresbury where she was a profess'd Nun. Item the news came to our Lord Pope Martin on the eve of S. Mary Magdalen concerning the city of Acon in the Holy Land which was the only place of refuge for the Christians that it was besieg'd by Mislkadar the Sultan of Babylon with a numerous army He besieg'd it hotly for about forty days viz. from the 8th day before the Ides of April till the 15th before the Kalends of July At last the Wall was pull'd down by the Saracens and they entred the city in great numbers many Christians being slain and some drown'd in the sea for fear Among whom was the Patriarch and his Train The King of Cyprus and Oto de Grandison escap'd in a ship with their followers Item This year the Lord Pope Martin granted our Lord King Edward the tenth of all Ecclesiastical Benefices in Ireland for seven years together as a supply towards a relief for the Holy Land Item the eldest son of the Earl of Clare was born the same year MCCXCII Edward King of England again entred Scotland and was chosen King John Lord Balliol of Gallweya obtain'd the whole Kingdom of Scotland by right of inheritance and did homage to our Lord Edward King of England at Newcastle upon Tine on S. Stephen's day Florentius Earl of Holland Robert Brus Earl of Carrick John Hastings John Comin Patrick de Dunbar John Vescie Nicholas Souls and William Roos who were then at difference in the said Kingdom submitted themselves to the judgment of King Edward Item A fifteenth of all the Goods of Laymen in Ireland was granted to our Lord the King of England to be collected on the Feast of S. Michael Item Sir Peter Genevile Knight died this year Item Rice ap Meredyke was brought to York and there dragg'd at the horses tails c. MCCXCIII A general and open war was this year waged at sea with the Normans Item no small number of the Normans was cut off in a sea-engagement by the Barons of the Ports of England and others their coadjutors between Easter and Whitsuntide For this a war broke out between England and France whereupon Philip King of France directed his letters of citation to the King of England to appear in person at his Parliament to answer what the King had to say to him but finding no compliance with this order he forthwith by the counsel of his Parliament declar'd him outlaw'd and condemn'd him Item Gilbert Clare Earl of Glocester and his wife came into Ireland about the feast of S. Luke MCCXCIV William Montfort in the King's Council holden at Westminster before the King died suddenly He was Dean of S. Paul's in London The Bishops and Clergy who doubted what the King would expect from every one of them had instructed him as a person whom the King would confide in what to signifie from them to him as soon as he return'd to the King and was addressing himself to speak as he had design'd he grew speechless fell down and was carried out by the King's servants in a miserable condition Upon this sight people grew fearful and began to take him for the great procurer of the tenths of ecclesiastical benefices to the King and of the scrutiny and search after the fold of Christ as also of the contributions granted the King afterward Item The city of Bordeaux with the adjacent country of Gascoign was taken
supplicated the Convocation by the name of William Camden Batchelor of Arts of Christ-church That whereas from the time he had taken the Degree of Batchelor he had spent 16 years in the study of Philosophy and other Liberal Arts he might be dispens'd with for the reading of three solemn Lectures and so be admitted to proceed His Supplication was granted upon condition he stood in the following Act which it seems his other occasions would not permit him to do nothing appearing of it in the Publick Records of that time When he attended the Funeral of Sir Thomas Bodley he had the Degree of Master of Arts voluntarily offer'd him by the University but then he had no occasion for 't having establish'd his reputation upon a better bottom and so it seems So Mr. Wood's but Dr. Smith seems to intimate that he accepted it declin'd it This was all the relation Mr. Camden had to the University of Oxford which he left in the year 1571. From thence he betook himself immediately to London but with what prospect he went or what encouragement he found we have no distinct account I cannot believe that he fell into any particular employment because himself has told us that upon his leaving the University he survey'd a considerable part of England Relictâ Academiâ studio incitato satis magnam Angliae partem fide oculatâ obivi are his own words in his In the beginning of that Treatise Answer to Brooke And he must mean that interval of four or five years between his bidding adieu to Oxford and his advancement to the second Mastership of Westminster-School He had powerful motives to induce him to this search after Antiquities His own natural genius lay so strong that way Ex quo primùm animum studiis excolere coepi inclinatione nescio quâ ad investigandam Antiquitatem totus propendi velim nolim huc me nà tura tulit adeò ut puer in Schola quaecunque huc spectare videbantur avidè arripuerim adolescens in Academiâ cum Philosohpicis pensis vnexus essem omnes cogitationes motusque animi huc contulerim Answer to Brooke pag. 1. that even when he was a School-boy he could neither hear nor see any thing of an antique appearance without more than ordinary attention and notice While he was in the University not a spare hour but it went upon the same business When he came to be engag'd in the tedious business of teaching School Posteà ad urbem accessi ubi etsi laboriosissimo docendi munere fungebar hoc Antiquarium Studium exuere volebam minimè tamen potui Neque enim potest quisque nostrûm subitò fingi aut natura converti Animum semper in haec tanquam arcum intentum habui cùm feriarer non potui non haec studia recolere subinde in has vel illas Angliae parte◠exspatiari Ibid. he would fain have wean'd himself from his old Trade have drawn back his inclinations and have confin'd his thoughts as well as body to the narrow bounds of a School But all was in vain the itch still return'd and stuck so fast by him that he could not get rid of it When a Vacation gave him liberty to look abroad he declares it was not in his power to keep within doors the bent of his own Genius was always pulling him out not to impertinent visits and idle diversions but to entertainments which he relish'd above all these stately Camps and ruinous Castles those venerable Monuments of our Fore-fathers This propensity of nature was seconded by the importunity of Friends and receiv'd very early encouragement from persons of the best rank Answer to Brooke The noble Sir Philip Sidney was always pushing him forward whilst in Oxford and after his removal Britannia in Middlesex the two Goodmans Gabriel and Godfrey Doctors in Divinity kept up his spirits with supplies both of Books and Money The interest also which the former of these had in the Collegiate Church of Westminster procur'd him the place of second Master in that School We cannot imagine but his fame spread in the Kingdom proportionable to his knowledge of it and consequently must not doubt that a person of so great attainments could want applications from all hands to undertake the Antiquities of his native Country But the difficulties on one hand appear'd so very great and the helps on the other so very inconsiderable that nothing could prevail upon him to engage in such a frightful task So that what Collections and Observations he had hitherto made seem to have been only design'd for private satisfaction and to quench a secret thirst which Nature had brought along with him into the world In the mean time Ortelius Answer to Brooke that great restorer of Geography as he terms him took a journey into England and apply'd himself particularly to Mr. Camden as the best Oracle one could possibly consult about the state and affairs of the Kingdom The tender regard he had for the honour of his Country back'd with the authority and perswasion of this great Man wrought him by degrees into some sort of compliance and at last over-rul'd him into a resolution of improving his stock and digesting his Papers in order to the use and satisfaction of the Publick Now he is engag'd in the Work give me leave to trace him through the several steps and advances he made in it and to suspend a little the consideration of other Heads any farther than as they fall in with this Design It was the glory of his Life and therefore his honour is concern'd that it be set in a true Light it is the Work we now publish and upon that score calls for a more particular account He enter'd upon it with almost all the disadvantages that could attend any Undertaking It was a sort of Learning that was then but just peeping into the world when that heat and vehemence of School-Divinity which had possess'd all hearts and hands for so many hundred years before began to cool by little and little For while that humour of Metaphysical nicities continu'd it was so entirely the entertainment and study of the Age that little else could edge in with it No room for Poetry Oratory History But when polite Learning came upon the stage and the sweetness of a Greek or Roman Author began to out-relish the crabbed notions of the School-men the vein turn'd wholly the other way and this latter was thrown out of doors Then the industry of Learned men was entirely employ'd upon publishing and refining such Authors as had lately got footing in the world And yet after all the Historians did not yield that pleasure and satisfaction which might be expected from so much niceness both in language and composition because they could not follow them through all the Scenes of Action nor frame their conceptions to the several marches of the Armies To remove this inconvenience they began to make particular Surveys to fix the old places in their proper
and yet which is almost incredible not one received any harm A strange miracle this was but what is yet a greater the River cures all diseases and infirmities Whoever steps in faint and disordered comes out sound and whole What a joyful sight was this for Angels and men So many thousands of a Proselyte nation coming out of the chanel of the same River as if it had been out of the womb of one Mother One single pool preparing so many inhabitants for the heavenly mansions Hereupon his Holiness Pope Gregory with all the companies of the Saints above broke forth into joy and could not rest till he had writ to Eulogius the holy Patriarch of Alexandria to joyn with him in that his transport for so vast a number being baptized on one Christmas day No sooner was the name of Christ preached in the English nation Religiâ—â— theâ—â—â—â— but with a most fervent zeal they consecrated themselves to it and laid out their utmost endeavours to promote it by discharging all the duties of Christian Piety by erecting Churches and endowing them so that no part of the Christian world could show either more or richer Monasteries Nay even some Kings preferred a religious life before their very Crowns So many holy men did it produce who for their firm profession of the Christian Religion their resolute perseverance in it and their unfeigned piety were Sainted that in this point 't is equal to any country in the whole Christian world And as that prophane Porphyrie stiled Britain a Province fruitful in tyrants so England might justly be called an Island fruitful in Saints Afterwards The â—â—ing oâ— Saxâ—â— they begun to promote humane learning and by the help of Winifrid Willebrod and others conveyed that and the Gospel together into Germany as a German Poet has told us in these Verses Haec tamen Arctois laus est aeterna Britannis Quòd post Pannonicis vastatum incursibus orbem Illa bonas artes Graiae munera linguae Stellarumque vias magni sydera coeli Observans iterum turbatis intulit oris Quin se relligio multum debere Britannis Servata latè circum dispersa fatetur Quis nomen Winfride tuum quis munera nescit Te duce Germanis pietas se vera fidesque Insinuans coepit ritus abolere prophanos Quid non Alcuino facunda Lutetia debes Instaurare bonas ibi qui foeliciter artes Barbariemque procul solus depellere coepit Quid tibi divinumque Bedam doctisssmus olim Tam varias unus bene qui cognoverat artes Debemus Let this to Britain's lasting same be said When barbarous troops the civil world o'respread And persecuted Science into exile fled 'T was happy she did all those arts restore That Greece or Rome had boasted of before Taught the rude world to climb the untrod spheres And trace th' eternal courses of the stars Nor Learning only but Religion too Her rise and growth to British soil doth owe. 'T was thou blest Winifred whose virtue's light From our dull climate chas'd the fogs of night Profanest rites thy pious charms obey'd And trembling superstition own'd thy power and fled Nor smaller tokens of esteem from France Alcuinus claims who durst himself advance Single against whole troops of ignorance 'T was he transported Britain's richest ware Language and arts and kindly taught them here With him his Master Bede shall ever live And all the learning he engross'd survive And Peter Ramus farther adds Briâ—â—â— twiâ— schâ—â—â—stris 〈◊〉 Fraâ—â— that Britain was twice School-mistris to France meaning first by the Druids and then by Alcuinus who was the main instrument made use of by Charles the Great towards erecting an University at Paris And as they furnish'd Germany with Learning and Religion so also with military discipline Nay The 〈◊〉 chiâ—◠〈◊〉 of thâ—â—â—â—ons 〈◊〉 Gerâ—â— what is more those Saxons who live in the Dukedom of Saxony are descended from them if we may depend upon Eginhardus's words The Saxon nation as antiquities tell us leaving those Angles which inhabit Britain out of a desire or rather necessity of settling in some new home march'd over sea towards the German Coasts and came ashore at a place named Haduloha 'T was about that time Theoderick King of the Franks made war upon Hirminfrid Duke of the Thuringi his son in law and barbarously wasted their land with fire and sword After two set battles the victory was still depending though there had been considerable losses on both sides Upon which Theoderick disappointed of his hopes of Conquest sent Ambassadors to the Saxons Their Duke at that time was one Hadugato who as soon as he heard their business and their proposals of living together in case of victory marched with an Army to their assistance By the help of these who fought it out stoutly like men that dispute for Liberty and Property he conquer'd the enemy spoil'd the inhabitants put most of them to the sword and according to promise yeilded the land to the Auxiliaries They divided it by lot and because the war had reduced them to so small a number that they could not people the whole part of it especially all that which lies Eastward they let out to the Boors each of which according to his quantity was to pay a certain Rent The rest they cultivated themselves On the South side of them lived the Franks and a party of the Thuringi who had not been engaged in the late war from whom they were divided by the river Unstrote On the North side the Normans a most resolute nation on the East the Obotriti and on the West the Frisians Against these they were always maintaining their ground either by truces or continual skirmishes But now let us return to our English Saxons The Saxons for a long time lived under their Heptarchy in a flourishing condition till at last all the other Kingdoms shatter'd with civil wars were subdued to that of the West-Saxons For Egbert King of the West-Saxons after he had conquered four of these Kingdoms and had a fair prospect of the other two to unite them in name as he had already done in government and to keep up the memory of his own nation â—ut the 〈◊〉 800. published an Edict wherein 't was ordered that the whole Heptarchy which the Saxons had possessed themselves of â—land should be called Engle-lond i.e. the land of the Angles From hence came the Latin Anglia taking that name from the Angles who of the three nations that came over were most numerous and most valiant The Kingdoms of Northumberland and Mercia two of the largest with that of the East-Angles were theirs whereas the Jutes had no more than Kent and the Isle of Wight and the Saxons East West and South-Saxony very narrow bounds if compared with those large territories of the Angles From these now time out of mind they have been call'd by one general name Angles and in their own language Englatheod
take cognizance of murders felonies trespasses for so they term them and many other misdemeanors Besides the King sends every year into each County two of the Justices of England to give sentence upon Prisoners â—es of â—e and to use the law-term in that cause to make a Gaol-delivery But of these more hereafter when we come to the Courts As to the Ecclesiastical Government after the Bishops of Rome had assigned to each Presbyter his Church and divided the parishes among them Honorius Archbishop of Canterbury â—â—â—â—and â—ed inâ—â—â—â—rishes about the year of our Lord 636. first began to divide England into Parishes as we read in the History of Canterbury Now England has two Provinces and two Archbishops Canterbury Primate of all England and Metropolitan and York Under these are 25 Bishops 22 under Canterbury and the rest under York What these Bishopricks are with their Counties or Dioceses which they now contain â—ops are shown us in those words of that excellent person the most reverend Father in God Matthew Parker Archbishop of Canterbury a Patron of Learning and a great Judge of Antiquities In the Province of Canterbury THE Bishoprick of Canterbury along with Rochester contains the County of Kent London has under it Essex Middlesex and part of Hertfordshire Chichester has Sussex Winchester has Hamshire Surrey Isle of Wight with Gernsey and Jersey Islands lying upon the Coast of Normandy Salisbury contains Wiltshire and Berkshire Exeter includes Devonshire and Cornwal Bathe and Wells joyntly have Somersetshire and Glocester Glocestershire Worcester Worcestershire and part of Warwickshire Hereford Herefordshire and part of Shropshire Coventry and Lichfield joyned together Staffordshire Derbyshire and the other part of Warwickshire as also that part of Shropshire which borders upon the River Repil Next Lincoln the largest contains six Counties Lincolnshire Liecestershire Huntingdonshire Bedfordshire Buckinghamshire and the other part of Hertfordshire Ely Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely Norwich Norfolk and Suffolk Oxford Oxfordshire Peterburrow Northamptonshire and Rutlandshire Bristol Dorsetshire To which 18 Dioceses in England must be added those of Wales or Cambria which are both deprived of an Archbishop of their own and also made fewer seven hardly coming entire into four These are â—eâ—e â—sis St. Davids whose seat is at St. Davids Landaff Banchor and Asaph or Elwensis In the Province of York YOrk it self comprehends Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire Chester Cheshire Richmondshire Lancashire with part of Cumberland Flintshire and Denbighshire Durham the Bishoprick of Durham and Northumberland Carlisle part of Cumberland and Westmerland To these may be added the Bishoprick of Sodor in Mona commonly called the Isle of Man Amongst those the Archbishop of Canterbury takes the first place the Archbishop of York the second the Bishop of London the third the Bishop of Durham the fourth and the Bishop of Winchester the fifth The rest take place according to the time of their Consecration But if any of the other Bishops happen to be Secretary to the King he claims the fifth place There are besides in England 26 Deaneries 13 whereof were made in the larger Churches by King Henry VIII upon expulsion of the Monks The Archdeaconries are sixty and the Dignities and Prebends make 544. There are also 9284 Parish-churches under the Bishops of which 3845 are appropriate as is plain from the Catalogue exhibited to King James which I have here subjoyned Now appropriate Churches are such as by the authority of the Pope and the consent of the King and Bishop of the Diocess are upon certain conditions settled upon those Monasteries Bishopricks Colleges and Hospitals whose revenues are but small either because they were built upon their ground or granted by the Lords of the Mannour Such a Settlement is expressed in form of law by being united annext and incorporated for ever But these upon the subversion of the Monasteries were to the great damage of the Church made Feuda Laicalia Lay-fees In the Province of Canterbury Dioceses Parish-Churches Churches appropriate Canterbury 257 140 London 623 189 Winchester 362 131 Coventry and Lichfield 557 250 Salisbury 248 109 Bath and Wells 388 160 Lincoln 1255 577 Peterburrow 293 91 Exeter 604 239 Glocester 267 125 Hereford 313 166 Norwich 1121 385 Ely 141 75 Rochester 98 36 Chichester 250 112 Oxford 195 88 Worcester 241 76 Bristol 236 64 S. Davids 308 120 Bangor 107 36 Llandaff 177 98 S. Asaph 121 19 Peculiars in the Province of Canterbury 57 14 The whole number in the Province of Canterbury 8219 3303 In the Province of York York 581 336 Durham 135 87 Chester 256 101 Carlisle 93 18 The whole number in York 1065 592 The whole number in both Provinces 9284 3845 But in the Book of Thomas Wolsey Cardinal written in the year 1520. there are reckoned in all the Counties 9407 Churches I know not how this difference should happen unless it be that some were demolished in the last age and Chapels which are Parochial be omitted others which are barely Chapels being reckoned up amongst the Parish-churches However I have set down the number of Churches at the end of each County out of this Book of Wolsey's There were also in the Reign of King Henry VIII if it be not a crime to mention them monuments of the piety of our fore-fathers Monasteries built to the honour of God the propagation of the Christian faith and good learning and for the support of the poor Of Religious houses i.e. Monasteries or Abbies and Priories to the number of 645. whereof when 40 had been suppressed by a Grant from Pope Clement the seventh Hen. 5. had before that dissolved 100 Pâ—iories of Monks Aliens obtained by Cardinal Wolsey who had then laid the foundation of two Colleges one at Oxford and another at Ipswich presently about the 36th of Henry VIII a torrent as it were that has thrown down the banks broke in upon the ecclesiastical state of England and to the great surprize of the whole world and oppression of this nation at once threw down the greatest part of the Religious with their curious structures For what the Pope granted to the Cardinal the King took himself by consent of Parliament Whereupon in the year 1536. all religious houses with their revenues which had 200 l. yearly or under that were granted to the King in number 376. And the next year under a specious pretence of rooting out superstition the rest along with the Colleges Chauntries and Hospitals were given up to the King's disposal At which time there were valued or taxed 605 religious houses remaining Colleges besides those in the Universities 96. Hospitals 110. Chauntries and Free-chapels 2374. Most of which in a short time were every where pulled down their revenues squander'd away and the riches which had been consecrated to God by the pious munificence of the English from the time they received Christianity were as it were in a moment dispersed and if I may use the
now the Isc is grown bigger but dividing into many streams very convenient for mills it flows to the City Isca to which it leaves it's name Hence n He was once Prior of S. Nicholas in this City Alexander Necham Exoniae fama celeberrimus Iscia nomen Praebuit To Exeter the famous Ex gives name This city is call'd Isca by Ptolemy by Antoninus Isca Dunmoniorum for Danmoniorum Isca Danmoniorum Excester by others falsly Augusta as if the second Legion Augusta had quarter'd there whereas that was garrison'd in the Isca Silurum as shall be said hereafter It was nam'd by the Saxons o And Eaxan-ceaster Exan-ceaster and Monketon from the monks now at this day it is called Excester by the Latins Exonia by the Welsh Caer-isk Caer-uth and Pen-caer that is a chief city Caer what it signifies For Caer that I may once for all note it signifies a City in British hence they call Jerusalem Caer Salem Paris Caer Paris Rome Caer Ruffayne So Carthage in the Punick tongue as Solinus testifies was call'd Cartheia that is to say a new City Among the Syrians likewise I have heard that Caer signify'd a city and seeing it is took for granted that the whole world has been peopl'd by them it may seem very probable that they also left their tongue to posterity as the mother of future languages This city as Malmesbury says tho' the ground about it be wet and filthy and will scarce bear a crop of bad oats and often yielding empty ears without grain in them yet by reason of it's stateliness the richness of the citizens and resort of Strangers all kind of merchandise is so plentiful in it that one need lack nothing there that is necessary It stands on the east side of the Isc upon a hill of easie and gentle rise to the eastward and falling again to the west encompass'd with a ditch and very strong walls having many towers between them The town is a mile and half in circuit with suburbs shooting out here and there for a long way It contains p Thirteen of these Churches were in Oliver's time expos'd to publick sale by the Common-cryer 15 Parish-Churches and in the highest part near the East-gate has a castle call'd Rugemount formerly the seat of the West-Saxon Kings afterward of the Earls of Cornwall which now has nothing to recommend it but its antiquity and situation q It is suppos'd to have been the work of the Romans and as a place of great moment it has been committed from time to time to persons of the best rank For it commands the city underneath it and the country on all sides and has a very pleasant prospect to the sea In the east part of the city stands the Cathedral in the midst of fine houses quite round built by King Athelstan as the private history of this place witnesses in honour to S. Peter and fill'd with Monks at last the Monks being remov'd to Westminster Edward 3. grac'd it with the dignity of being an Episcopal See having transferr'd the Bishopricks of Cornwall and Kirton hither and made Leofric the Britain first Bishop of it whose successors have improv'd the Church both by buildings and revenues n And William Bruier the ninth Bishop after him in lieu of the displac'd Monks brought in a Dean and twenty four Prebendaries Josephus Iscanus In that age flourish'd Josephus Iscanus who owes his birth and name to this place a Poet of very lively wit whose pieces were so highly approv'd of that they met with as much applause even as the ancients For his poem of the Trojan war haâ— been twice publish'd in Germany under the title of Cornelius Nepos Cornelius Nepos When Isca first fell under the Roman Jurisdiction does not plainly appear I am so far from thinking it conquer'd by Vespasian as Geoffery of Monmouth asserts when under Claudius the Emperour Suetonius tells us he was first shown to the world that I should think it was hardly then built Yet in the time of the Antonines it was probably very famous for Antoninus continues his Itinerary in these parts to this City and no farther It fell not absolutely under the dominion of the Saxons before the year after their coming into Britain 465. Will. Malm. For then Athelstan forc'd the Britains who before that liv'd in the city in equal power with the Saxons out of it drove them beyond Tamar and encompass'd the city with a ditch a wall of square stone and bulwarks since that time our Kings have granted it many privileges and among the rest as we read it in the Book of William the Conqueror This city did not geld but when London York and Winchester did that was half a mark of silver for a Knight's fee. And in case of an expedition by land or sea it serv'd after the rate of five hides It hath also from time to time undergone much misery once spoil'd by an out-rage of the Danes in the year of our redemption 875 but most dismally by Sueno the Dane in the year 1003 being betray'd by one Hugh a Norman the governour of the city when it was laid level from the east to the west-gate and had scarce begun to recruit till William the Conqueror laid close siege to it at which time the Citizens not only shut up their gates against him but gall'd him with many bitter reflections however a part of their wall happening to fall down which the Historians of that age attribute to the hands of Providence a surrender soon follow'd at this time as it is in the said Survey-book the King had in this city 300 houses it paid 15 pounds a year Eight and forty houses were destroy'd after the King came into England After this it was press'd by three sieges yet easily escap'd them all First by Hugh Courtney Earl of Devonshire in the civil war between the houses of York and Lancaster again by r After Warbeck was vanquish'd the King gave great commendations to the citizens and bestow'd upon them the sword he then wore to be born before the Mayor and also a cap of maintenance Perkin Warbeck a sham and counterfeit prince who being a young man and of mean descent by pretending to be Richard Duke of York the second son of K. Edward 4. rais'd a very dangerous war 5 Against Henry the Seventh thirdly by the seditious Cornish in the year 1549. when the citizens tho' under a most sad want of all sorts of provisions continu'd loyal till John Baron Russel rais'd the siege Å¿ For this deliverance the 6th of August was appointed to be and is still annually observ'd as a day of thanksgiving and commonly call'd Jesus-day K. Edw. 6. as a reward of their loyalty gave them the rich mannour of Ex-Island But Exeter has not suffer'd so much by these enemies as by certain heaps Wears as they call them t His name was Hugh Courtney and the true
West by Devonshire 1 And some part of Somersetshire on the East by Hantshire and Southward which way it extends the farthest 't is all Sea-coast lying for about 50 miles together as I said before upon the British Ocean But the soil is fruitful and in the Northern parts of it there are woods and forests scatter'd here and there whence with several green hills that feed great flocks of sheep pleasant pastures and fruitful valleys it comes quite down to the sea-shore which I shall keep close to in my description having no better method to take a At the very entrance into this County from Devonshire the first place that appears upon the sea-shore is Lyme Lyme a little town standing upon a steep hill so call'd from a rivulet of that name gliding by it which can scarcely be reputed a sea-port town or haven tho' it be frequented by fishermen and hath a kind of an harbour below it which they call the Cobbe well secur'd from tempestuous winds by rocks and lofty trees We scarce meet with it's name in ancient books only I have read that King Kinwulf in the year of our Lord 774. gave in these words the land of one mansion to the Church of Scireburn near the western banks of the river Lim and not far from the place where it falls into the sea so long as for the said Church salt should be boil'd there for the supplying of various wants b Hard by the river Carr empties it self where stands a It is now call'd Charmouth Carmouth Carmouth a little village where the bold pirating Danes had the good fortune to beat the English in two engagements first conquering King Egbert in the year of our Lord 831 and then King Aethelwulf in the eighth year after Next is Burtport Burport famous for hemp or rather b Call'd also Bridport and Britport says Leland of some written Bruteport Birtport seated between two small rivers which meet there the soil whereof produceth the best hemp In this town an hundred and twenty houses were computed in Edward the Confessor's time but in William the Conqueror's reign as appears by Domesday-book there were no more than an hundred 'T was heretofore so famous for making ropes and cables for ships that 't was provided by a special statute for a set time that such sort of tackle for the use of the English Navy should be made no where else Nor can this maintain the name of a Port though at the mouth of the river that runs by it which is enclos'd with hills on both sides Nature seems purposely to have projected a commodious place for an harbour as an inducement for Art and Industry to finish it c DORSET SHIRE By Rob Morden From thence the shore lies strait along by the Island Purbeck â—â—â—beck as they call it which is full of heath woods and forests well stock'd with Fallow-deer and stags and containing under ground here and there some veins of marble d In the middle of it stood formerly an old Castle call'd Corffe 3 Seated upon a great stately hill 〈…〉 a very ancient ruin but at last fallen quite to shatters 4 Until of late it hath been repair'd which nevertheless is a notable memorial of the spite of Mothers-in-law 〈◊〉 will epâ—â—thers For Aelfrith that she might make way for her own son Etheldred to the Throne when her son-in-law Edward King of England made her a visit here as he came from hunting set some Ruffians upon him who slew him whilst his impious step-mother glutted her eyes with the Scene of his murder Which impiety she afterwards by a late repentance us'd her utmost endeavours to expiate assuming the habit of a Nun and building Religious houses e This Purbeck is call'd an Island though it be but a Peninsula being every way wash'd by the sea k To the west also the river Frome and another little river almost make it an Island but westward for towards the East the banks of the sea wind very much inward which having a strait and narrow inlet or passage opposite to which within is an Island with l It is now gone to decay a blockhouse call'd Brenksey widens and expands it self to a bay of a great breadth To the north of which in a peninsula hard by is Poole a small town so situated that the waters surround it every way but northward where 't is joyn'd to the continent and has only one gate It is not unlikely that it took its name from that bay below it which in a calm seems as it were a standing water and such as we in our Language call a Pool This in the last age was improv'd from a Sedgeplat with a few Fishermens huts to m Leland attributes the rise of this to the decay of Warham imagining that while the ships could go up so far and there unload it was in a prosperous condition but when for want of depth of water they lost that road 't is probable they took up at Poole and so by little and little enrich'd it a well frequented market-town and grew very wealthy being adorn'd with fair buildings f K. Hen. 6. by Act of Parliament transferr'd the franchises of the port of Melcombe which he had disfranchis'd to this place and gave leave to the Mayor to enclose it with walls which were afterwards begun at the haven by that Rich. 3. who deservedly bears the character of one of the worst of men and best of Kings But from that time by I know not what ill destiny or rather negligence of the towns-men it has been decaying so that now the houses for want of inhabitants are quite out of repair â—e râ—ver 〈◊〉 Into the west corner of this bay Frome a famous river of this county dischargeth it self for so 't is commonly call'd tho' the Saxons as we learn from Asserius nam'd it Frau from whence perhaps because this bay was formerly call'd Fraumouth latter ages imagin'd that the river was call'd Frome It has its rise at Evarshot near the western bounds of the shire from whence it runs Eastward by Frompton Frompton to which it has given it's name and is joyn'd by a rivulet from the north that flows by Cerne Abby Cerne Abby n Malmesb. de Gestis Pontificum fol. 142. b. which was built by Austin the English Apostle when he had dash'd to pieces the Idol of the Pagan Saxons there call'd Heil and had reform'd their superstitious ignorance 5 Here was first bred among the Religious men as I have read John Morton Cardinal and Archbishop of Canterbury born at S. Andrews Milborne worthily advanc'd to so high places for his good service in working England's happiness by the union of the two Houses of Lancaster and York and of this family there hath issued both Robert Bishop of Worcester and many Gentlemen of very good note in this Country and elsewhere More
honour of the deceased party When the Roman Empire began to decline and barbarous nations made frequent incursions into their provinces then the British armies fearing they might be involv'd in the calamity of their Neighbours chose themselves Emperors first Marcus then Gratian both of whom they presently murder'd and lastly â—tura â—runt â—tantine 〈◊〉 chose â—â—eror â—he sake 〈…〉 in the year 107. they * chose one Constantine purely for the sake of his name and against his own will in this city Caer Segont as Ninnius and Gervasius Dorobernensis tell us He setting sail from Britaine arrived at Bologne in France and got all the Roman forces as far as the Alps to joyn him defended Valence a city of Gaule with great resolution against the forces of Honorius the Emperor and set a garrison upon the †Rhine â—henum that was before defenseless He built several fortresses in the passages of the Alpes In Spain by the assistance of Constans his son whom from a Monk he had rais'd to the title of Augustus he was very successful and then sending letters to Honorius to beg pardon for his crime in suffering the soldiers to force upon him the Purple received back an Imperial Robe from that Emperour Buoy'd up with this he pass'd the Alpes with a design to march to Rome but hearing of the death of Alaric the Goth who had been a friend to his cause he retreated to Arles where he fixed the Imperial seat commanded the city to be call'd †after his own name â—tantiâ—â—â— and summon'd thither a solemn meeting of seven Provinces In the mean time Gerontius rais'd a faction against his Master and after he had traiterously slain Constans his son at Vienne in Gaule closely besieged Constantine the Father in Arles but while one Constantius sent by the Emperour Honorius was marching against him with an army Gerontius laid violent hands upon himself In the mean time Constantine being reduc'd to great necessity by the closeness of this siege and by some unhappy sallies of the garrison brought to despair he quitted his honour and that load of fortune and entring into the Church took upon him the Order of a * Priest â—â—y upon which the city was presently surrendred and he led prisoner into Italy where he was beheaded with Julian his son whom he entitled the Noble 〈◊〉 entiâ—â—e 〈◊〉 and Sebastian his brother The History of these affairs which is before deliver'd more at large I have here abridged from Zosimus Zosomen Nicephorus Orosius and Olympiodorus that truth may triumph over the vanity of those who by the help of their own invention have adulterated this story with their ridiculous and simple forgeries Our Historians report that in this city was the inauguration of our martial King Arthur and soon after the place was demolish'd either in the Saxon Wars or when Athelwolf in rebellion against King Edward his brother assisted by that crew of Danish Robbers destroy'd all this country as far as Basing-stoke Nothing now remains but the walls which though they have lost their coping and battlements seem to have been of a great height For by the rubbish and ruins the earth is grown so high that I could scarce thrust my self through a †passage which they call Onion's hole â—â—gipâ—râ— tho' I stoop'd very low The walls however remain in a great measure entire only some few gaps there are in those places where the gates have been and out of these very walls there grow Oaks of such a vast bigness incorporated as it were with the stones and their roots and boughs spreading so far round that they even raise an admiration in all that behold them In compass the walls contain about two Italian miles so that perhaps from the largeness of the place the Saxons call'd it Selcester that is a great city Sel what For Sel seems in their language to have signified great since Asserius Menevensis interprets the Saxon word Selwood by Sylva magna i.e. a great wood On the west-side of the walls where 't is a level there runs a long ridge cast up for defence of the place It includes about 80 acres of land a good and fat soil now divided into separate fields with a little grove towards the west and eastward near the gate a farm-house with a small Church of modern building in which while I search'd for ancient Inscriptions I found nothing but some Coats of Arms in the windows viz. in a field sable seven Fusils argent Bendwise as also in a field sable a Fesse between two cheverns Or and in a shield Or an eagle display'd with two heads gules Arms of the Blewets Bainards and Cusanz I find these last to be the Arms of the Blewets to whom this estate came after the time of William the Conquerour the second are the Arms of the noble family of Bainard of Leckham and the first is the Coat of the family of the Cusanz by whom this estate pass'd hereditarily from the Blewets to the Bainards But in the reign of William the Conquerour this was in the possession of William de Ow the Norman who being accus'd of treason appeal'd to a tryal of his innocence by Duel but being conquered he was by command of King William Rufus punish'd with the loss of his eyes and testicles The inhabitants of this place told me it had been a constant observation of theirs that tho' the soil here be fat and fertile yet in a sort of baulks that cross one another the corn never grows so thick as in the other parts of the field and along these they imagine the streets of the old city to have run Here are commonly dug up British tiles and great plenty of Roman Coins which they call Onion-pennies from one Onion whom they foolishly fancy to have been a Giant and an inhabitant of this city There are often found too some inscriptions which the ignorance of the Country-people has robb'd the world of There is only one brought up to London and placed in the garden of the honourable William Cecil Baron of Burghley and Lord High Treasurer of England which is this MEMORIAE FL. VICTORI NAE T. TAM VICTOR CONIUX POSVIT I shall not be positive as some others are that this was a monument in memory of Victorina who was called Mater Castrorum i.e. Mother of the Camp and who rais'd the Victorini son and grandson Posthumus Lollianus Marius and Tetricus Caesars in Gaule and Britain against Gallienus the Emperor But I have somewhere read that there were two Victors in Britaine and that both flourished at the same time one son of Maximus the Emperor the other * Praetorio Praefectus Praefect of the Guards to the same Emperor and mention'd by St. Ambrose in his Epistles But I dare affirm that neither of these was he who set up this monument in memory of his wife As there is one Roman military way that leads from hence directly southward
entertain'd a design to depose him For which after he was dead he was attainted of High Treason by Act of Parliament He being thus taken off the same King gave the title of Earl of Glocester to Thomas De-Spencer 38 In the right of his great Grandmother who a little while after met with no better fate than his great Grandfather 39 Sir Hugh Hugh had before him for he was prosecuted by Henry 4 and ignominiously degraded and beheaded at Bristol 40 By the Peoples fury Henry 5. created his brother Humphry the second Duke of Glocester who us'd to stile himself 41 In the first year of King Henry 6. as I have seen in an Instrument of his Humphrey by the Grace of God Son Brother and Uncie to Kings Luke of Glocester Earl of Hainault Holland Zeeland and Pembroke Lord of Friseland Great Chamberlain of the Kingdom of England Protector and Defender of the same Kingdom and Church of England Son Brother and Uncle of Kings Duke of Glocester Earl of Pembroke and Lord high Chamberlain of England He was a great Friend and Patron both of his Country and Learning but by the contrivance 42 Of a Woman of a woman he was taken off at St. Edmunds-Bury The third and last Duke was Richard the third brother to King Edward 4. who having inhumanly murther'd his Nephews usurp'd the Throne which within the space of two years he lost with his life in a pitcht battle and found by sad experience That an unsurped power unjustly gain'd is never lasting Richard 3. Concerning this last Duke of Glocester and his first entrance upon the Crown give me leave to act the part of an Historian for a while which I shall presently lay aside again as not being sufficiently qualify'd for such an undertaking When he was declared Protector of the Kingdom and had his two young nephews Edward 5. King of England and Richard Duke of York in his power he began to aim at the Crown and by a profuse liberality great gravity mixed with singular affability deep wisdom impartial Justice to all people joyned with other subtle devices he procured the affections of all and particularly gained the Lawyers on his side and so managed the matter that there was an humble Petition in the name of the Estates of the realm offer'd him in which they earnestly pray'd him That for the publick good of the Kingdom and safety of the People he would accept the Crown and thereby support his tottering Country and not suffer it to fall into utter ruin which without respect to the laws of Nature and those of the establish'd Government had been harrassed and perplexed with civil wars rapines murders and all other sorts of miseries ever since Edward 4. his brother being enchanted with love potions had contracted that unhappy march with Elizabeth Grey widow without the consent of Nobles or publication of Banns in a clandestine manner and not in the face of the Congregation contrary to the laudable custom of the Church of England And what was worse when he had pre-contracted himself to the Lady Eleanor Butler daughter to the Earl of Shrewsbury from whence it was apparent that his marriage was undoubtedly unlawful and that the issue proceeding thence must be illegitimate and not capable of inheriting the Crown Moreover since George Duke of Clarence second brother of Edward 4. was by Act of Parliament attainted of High Treason and his children excluded from all right of succession none could be ignorant that Richard remained the sole and undoubted heir of the kingdom who being born in England they well knew would seriously consult the good of his native Country and of whose birth and legitimacy there was not the least question or dispute whose wisdom also justice gallantry of mind and warlike exploits valiantly performed for the good of the Nation and the splendor of his noble extract as descended from the royal race of England France and Spain they were very well acquainted with and fully understood Wherefore having seriously considered again and again of these and many other reasons they did freely and voluntarily with an unanimous consent according to their Petition elect him to be their King and with prayers and tears out of the great confidence they had in him humbly besought him to accept of the Kingdom of England France and Ireland which were doubly his both by right of inheritance and election and that for the love which he bore to his native Country he would stretch forth his helping hand to save and protect it from impendent ruin Which if he performed they largely promis'd him all faith duty and allegiance otherwise they were resolv'd to endure the utmost extremity rather than suffer themselves to be brought into the bonds of a disgraceful slavery from which at present they were freed This humble Petition was presented to him before he accepted the Crown afterwards it was also offered in the great Council of the Nation and approved of and by their authority it was enacted and declared in a heap of words as the custom is That by the Laws of God Nature and of England and by a most laudable Custom Richard after a lawful Election Inauguration and Coronation was and is the true and undoubted King of England c. and that the inheritance of these Kingdoms rightfully belongs to the heirs of his body lawfully begotten and to use the very words as they are penned in the original Records It was enacted decreed and declar'd by authority of Parliament that all and singular the Contents in the aforesaid Bill are true and undoubted and that the same our Lord the King with the assent of the three Estates of the Realm and the authority aforesaid doth pronounce decree and declare the same to be true and undoubted I have more largely explained these matters that it may be understood how far the power of a Prince pretended godliness subtle arguings of Lawyers flattering hope cowardly fear desire of new changes and specious pretences may prevail against all right and justice even upon the great and wise assembly of the Nation But the same cannot be said of this Richard as was of Galba That he had been thought fit for Empire had he not reigned for he seated in the Empire deceived all mens expectations but this had been most worthy of a Kingdom had he not aspired thereunto by wicked ways and means so that in the opinion of the wise he is to be reckon'd in the number of bad men but of good Princes But I must not forget that I am a Chorographer and so must lay aside the Historian There are in this County 280 Parishes ADDITIONS to GLOCESTERSHIRE a GLocestershire in Saxon Gleaƿceastre-scyre and Gleaƿcestre-scyre is said to be in length 60 miles in breadth 26 and in circumference 190. The Vineyards mention'd by our Author have nothing left in this County but the places nam'd from them one near Tewkesbury at present
Lancaster Earl of Hereford to the King for blabbing some scandalous and malicious words against his Majesty And when they were to try it by duel a Herald by the King's authority pronounc'd sentence against them at the very Lists that both should be banish'd Lancaster for 10 years but Mowbray for life who dy'd at Venice leaving two sons behind him in England Whereof Thomas Earl Marshal and Earl of Nottingham for he had no other titles upon raising a conspiracy was beheaded by Henry of Lancaster who had possest himself of the Crown under the name of Henry 4. But his brother and heir John by the favour of Hen. 5. was restor'd and being for some years after stil'd only Earl Marshal and Earl of Nottingham upon Hen. 6.'s coming to the Crown was by virtue of a Patent granted by Rich. 2. as son of Thomas Duke of Norfolk his father Rot. Parl. 3 Hen. 6. and heir to Thomas his brother declar'd Duke of Norfolk by authority of Parliament He was succeeded by his son John who dy'd in the first year of Edw. 4. and he also by his son of that name who in the life-time of his father was by Hen. 6. created Earl of Surrey and Warren Parl. 17. Edw. 4. Whose only daughter Anne was marry'd to Richard Duke of York K. Ed. the 4.'s young son and with her had a grant from his father of the titles of Norfolk Earl Marshal Warren and Nottingham But both he and his wife being made away very young Rich. 3. K. of England conferr'd the title of Duke of Norfolk and the authority of Earl Marshal upon 24 John Lord Howard John Howard who was found Kinsman and one of the heirs of Anne Dutchess of York and Norfolk above-mention'd For his mother was one of the daughters of that first Tho. Mowbray Duke of Norfolk and K. Edw. 4. had advanc'd him to the dignity of a Baron This John was kill'd in the battel of Bosworth fighting valiantly for Richard against Hen. 7. His son Thomas who by creation from Rich. 3. was Earl of Surrey 25 And by King Hen. 7. made Lord Treasurer was by K. Hen. 8. restor'd to his father's title of Norfolk 26 And his son the same day created Earl of Surrey after he had routed the Scotch-army 27 At Branxton at Floddon wherein James 1. K. of Scots was slain In memory of which victory it was granted to the family of the Howards that in the middle of the White Bend in their Arms there should be added In an Escocheon Or An honorary Escocheon in the Arms of the Howards a demy Lion shot through the mouth with an arrow within a double tressure adorn'd with Lilies on both sides Gules which comes very near to the Arms of the Kings of Scotland He was succeeded by his son Thomas 28 As well in his Honours as in the Office of Lord Treasurer of England and liv'd in the time of Queen Mary whom our own Age saw toss'd about with the ebbs and flows of Fortune His grandchild Thomas by his son Henry which Henry was the first of our English Nobility that grac'd his high birth with the ornaments of Learning being attainted of High-Treason for endeavouring a match with Mary Queen of Scots and in the year 1572. beheaded See in the Adages of Hadr. Juu. Achilleum votum was the last D. of Norfolk From which time his posterity has as it were lay dead but now by the favour and bounty of K. James begins to revive and flourish again There are in this County about 660 Parish-Churches ADDITIONS to NORFOLK THE County of Norfolk is so call'd from its Northern situation with respect to the rest of the East-Angles whereof it was a part Our Author recommends it for its being very populous having as he observes 27 markets and 625 villages But if we may trust the Book of Rates of Taxes to the King the esteem it hath upon that account may be rais'd much higher for there we find 32 markets and 711 villages whether Mr. Camden was mistaken in the number or this increase have been since his time I dare not say What he has observ'd of its being a Nursery of Lawyers as it is confirm'd by many instances so particularly by the great Sir Henry Spelman from whom Spede confesses he receiv'd his description of Norfolk After that he drew up an entire description of this his native County and upon his authority principally depends the greatest part of the following remarks a To begin with our Author Thetford Thetford is no doubt the ancient Sitomagus but whether that be corruptly written Simomagus and Sinomagus is not so certain as to bear a positive assertion It is worth the while to consider whether there is not something in these names which should imply its being the Capital city of the Iceni If we take Simomagus Ptolemy's Simeni for so he names the people of those parts does something favour it and Sinomagus comes nearer the name Iceni especially if we may suppose the I cast away as in Hispani Spani Besides Caesar's calling this people Cenimagni which Camden finding them distinctly read Ceni Agni is of opinion should be read Iceni Regni farther confirms this conjecture b As to the relation which Mr. Camden discovers between the initial of the old and present names Sit and Thet and from thence concludes that the modern name is compounded of the remains of the Roman and the Saxon ford there is no grounds for it For the old Saxon name was Ãeod-ford not as Mr. Camden writes it Ãeotford the similitude of t and d probably creating a mistake in some old Copies which plainly signifies a ford of the people This town was famous for being a seat of the Kings of the East-Angles but whether that fortification with a double trench was the work of the Saxons our Author leaves to the judgment of others That incomparable Antiquary Spelman thinks it was done by the Danes who made so considerable a figure in those parts because the camps of both Romans and Saxons are generally observ'd to be much larger An anonymous Author quoted by * Antiq. Cant. p. 148. Caius tells us there was formerly a Great-School or Nursery of Learning in this place It may possibly be the same which †Hist Eccl. l. 3. c. 18. Bede hints to when he informs us how Sigebert after he was return'd home and settl'd in his kingdom built a school for the education of youth in imitation of what he had observ'd of that nature in France Whether this passage belongs to Thetford or Cambridge for the latter lays claim to it to advance its Antiquity is a point too large to be discuss'd here Notwithstanding the eminency of the place which besides the seat of the East-Saxon Kings the Bishops-See and 8 Monasteries have entail'd upon it a thing perhaps that few cities can boast of yet in 9 Edw 1. it was neither city
Yardley Hastings Yardley so sirnam'd of the Hastings once Earls of Pembroke to whom it belong'd 3 And to turn a little aside I may not omit Horton when as King Henry 8. created Sir W. Par Lord thereof Uncle and Chamberlain to Queen Catharine Par Baron Par of Horton which honour shortly vanish'd with him when he left only daughters who were married into the families of Tresham and Lane But to return to Willingborow a market anciently Wedlingborough 4 And Wodlingborough made a Market by King John at the suit of the Monks of Crowland Here a rivulet from the east runs into it coming down by Rushton and Newton belonging to the Treshams by Geddington where there was a Castle of the Kings and where there yet remains a Cross erected in honour of Queen Eleanor King Edward 1.'s Consort by Boughton belonging to the family of Montacutes Knights e Lib. in 〈◊〉 in scaâ—cario by Kettering Kettering a well-traded market-town near which stands Rouwell a noted Horse-fair f by Burton the Barony likewise if I mistake not the name of Alan de Dinant for King Henry 1. gave him a Barony of that name in this County for killing the French King's Champion in single Combat at Gizors and by Harrouden the Lord whereof * Sir N. Nicholas Vaulx Baron Vaulx Governour of Guines in Picardy K. Hen. 8. created Baron Vaulx of Harrouden Hence the Nen keeps his course to Higham a town 5 In times past of the Peverells and after by them of the Ferrers formerly belonging to the Ferrers from whom it took the name of Higham-Ferrers Higham Ferrers who had here also their Castle the ruins whereof are yet to be seen near the Church But the chief ornament of this place was Henry Chicheley Archb. of Canterbury who founded here a fine College for Secular Clerks and Prebendaries Founder of All-souls in Oxford Matth. Parker as likewise an Hospital for the Poor Thence it runs by Addington anciently belonging to the Veres and washes Thorpston commonly call'd Thrapston †Belonging likewise to them and it 's opposite Drayton the seat in the last age of H. Green but afterwards by his daughter of John and Edward Stafford Earls of Wiltshire Now 't is the Lord Mordaunt's to whom it descended hereditarily from the Greens Gentlemen of great reputation in this County Thence it runs almost round about a pretty little town which takes it's name from it Oundale Oundale they call it corruptly for Avondale where there is nothing worth seeing but a fine neat Church a Free-school for the education of youth and an Alms-house founded by Sir William Laxton sometime Lord Mayor of London In the neighbourhood stands Barnwell Barnwell a little Castle lately repair'd and beautified with new buildings by the worthy Sir Edward Mont-acute Knight of the ancient family of the Mont-acutes as appears by his Coat of Arms. It formerly belong'd to Berengarius le Moigne that is Monk and not as some think to that Berengarius of Tours whose opinion concerning the Eucharist was condemn'd in a Synod ‖ Of 113 Bishops held by the Bishop of Rome After this it salutes Fotheringhay-Castle Fotheringhay environ'd on every side with very pleasant Meadows which in Henry 3.'s time when the Strong-holds encourag'd the Nobility to revolt was surpris'd by William Earl of Albemarle who laid all the Country round about waste as Matth. Paris informs us At which time it seems to have belong'd to the Earls of Huntingdon 6 Who were of the Royal race of Scotland A good while after K. Edw. 3. assign'd it †Quast in hâ—eredicatem as it were for an inheritance or Appennage as they call it to his son Edmund of Langley Duke of York who rebuilt the Castle and made the highest Fortification or Keep thereof in form of a Horse-Fetter 7 Which hath of it self and with a Falcon in it was his Devise or Exprese as implying that he was locked up from all great hope as a younger brother which was the family of York's Device His son Edward Duke of York in the second year of Hen. 5. An. 1415. as appears by an Inscription there in barbarous verse founded a very fine Collegiate Church wherein himself after he was slain at the Battel of Agincourt as also Richard Duke of York his Brother's son who lost his life at Wakefield and his Wife Cicely Nevil had all magnificent monuments which were thrown down and ruin'd together with the upper part or Chancel of the Church 8 In King Edward the sixth's time But Queen Elizabeth commanded two monuments to be set up in memory of them in the lower end of the Church now standing which nevertheless such was their pinching and sparing who had the charge of the work are look'd upon as very mean and unworthy such great Princes descended from Kings and from whom the kings of England are descended 9 The form of the Keep beforesaid built like a Fetterlock occasioneth me to digress a little and I hope with your pardon when the gravest Authors in as small matters have done the like Edmund of Langly Duke of York who built that Keep and garnish'd the Glass-windows there with Fetter-locks when he saw his sons being young scholars gazing upon the painted windows ask'd them what was Latin for a Fetter-lock They studying and looking silently one upon another not able to answer If you cannot tell me says he I will tell you Hic haâ—c hoc Taceatis that is Hic haec hoc be silent and quiet and therewithal added God knoweth what may happen hereafter This King Edward the fourth his great grand-child reported publickly when he having attained the Crown created Richard his younger son Duke of York and then commanding that he should use for his badge the Fetter-lock open to verifie the presage of his great grand-father But this by the way The said Cicely Cicely Dutchess of York saw plainly within the compass of a few years what pastime †Impotens unruly and unconstant Fortune if I may so say creates her self out of the miseries of the mighty For she saw her husband Duke Richard even then when he thought himself sure of the kingdom and her son the Earl of Rutland slain together in a bloody battel and some few years after her eldest son Edward the fourth advanc'd to the * Deprived of the same recovering it again Crown and taken away by an untimely death having before made away †Her second son and c. his brother George Duke of Clarence After this she saw her son Richard K Rich. 3. forcing his way to the Crown by the lamentable murder of his Nephews and slander of her his own Mother for he charg'd her openly with incontinency then she saw him possess'd of the kingdom and soon after slain in battel These her miseries were so link'd together too that
accounts of his Steward The Castle in the late Civil wars was demolish'd by those that had purchas'd it of the Parliament with design to make money of the materials q In the utmost Northern bound is Sutton-Colefield 〈◊〉 â—olefield where the Earls of Warwick had a Chase of great extent The market is now almost wholly disused and the Bishop of Exeter mention'd by our Author liv'd and dy'd here in the 103. year of his age r Next is Coleshill â—olâ—shill where in an old foundation was lately dug up a Roman copper Coin of Trajan's and not far from it Blith â—â—â—h memorable for nothing but that it was purchas'd by Sir William Dugdale and was his place of residence when he compil'd that accurate and elaborate work his Antiquities of this County s We come next to Coventry Coventry the walls and towers whereof were demolish'd at the Restoration by command of King Charles 2. the gates only left standing by which one may guess at the strength and beauty of the former Edward 4. for their disloyalty took the Sword from the Mayor and seiz'd their Liberties and Franchises which they redeem'd for 500 marks In memory of Leofric who dy'd 13 of Edward the Confessor and Godiva his Countess their pictures were set up in the windows Trinity Church with this Inscription I Lurick for the love of thee Do set Coventry toll-free And a Procession or Cavilcade is still yearly made in memory of Godiva with a naked figure representing her riding on horse-back through the City They have a stately Cross built 33 Hen. 8. by Sir William Hollies sometime Lord Mayor of London for workmanship and beauty inferiour to few in England The City among other things is famous for the two Parliaments held in it the former in the 6 Hen. 4. call'd from the exclusion of the Lawyers Parliamentum indoctorum the latter in the 38 Hen. 6. from the Attainder of Richard Duke of York the Earls of Salisbury Warwick and March call'd by some Parliamentum Diabolicum Since our Author's time it hath afforded the title of Earl to George Villiers created Earl of Coventry and Duke of Buckingham 18. May 21 Jac. 1. in which honours he was succeeded by his son of the same name t From Coventry let us pass to Brinklow Brinklow famous for an ancient castle †Dugd. War p. 147 It is in all probability older than the Norman Conquest otherwise our publick Records or some other Authorities would certainly have taken notice of it If we should carry it back to the times of the Romans there are several circumstances which seem to justifie such a conjecture As the Saxons very often applying their HleaÆ¿ from whence our low comes to such places as were remarkable for the Roman Tumuli that there is an eminent tumulus upon which the Keep or Watch-tower of the castle did stand that it lies upon the Roman Fosse and is at a convenient distance from the Bennones u Passing hence northward to the river Anker on the western bank thereof we find Manceter Manceter confirm'd to be the ancient Manduessedum by divers coyns of silver and brass which have been by digging and plowing frequently brought to light w In the same Parish is Oldbury Oldbury a place of great antiquity as appears by a Quadrangular Fort containing seven acres of ground In the North-part of it there have been found several flint-stones about four inches in length curiously wrought by grinding or some such way The one end is shap'd like the edge of a Pole-ax and by Sir William Dugdale they are thought to have been weapons us'd by the Britains before the art of making arms of brass and iron They must have been brought hither for some extraordinary use because there are no flints to be found within 40 miles of the place One of them is now to be seen in Ashmole's Musaeum at Oxford x On the other side of the river northward Pollesworth lies Pollesworth where Sir Francis Nethersole a Kentish Gentleman and sometime publick Orator to the University of Cambridge at the instance of his Lady built a Free-school on the front whereof is this Inscription Soli Deo Gloria Schola pauperum Puerorum Puellarum He enseoft six Gentlemen and seven Divines in as much as amounted to 140 l. per annum at the least for a liberal maintenance of a School-master and School-mistress to teach the children of the Parish And what remain'd was to be employ'd in charitable uses such as he in his life time should think fit and in default of his own actually disposing of it left it to the discretion of his Trustees He likewise he built a fair house for the Vicar of Pollesworth y Farther North is Seckinton Seckinton which as it is memorable for the battel between Aethelbald and Beornred so I may further add that it took its name from that engagement secce in Saxon signifying battel and dun which afterwards was chang'd into ton a hill Scarce a furlâ—ng north of the Church is a notable fort and near it an artificial hill of 43 foot high Continuation of the EARLS Ambrose Dudley the last Earl dying in the year 1589. Robert Lord Rich of Leeze was created Earl of Warwick 16 Jac. 1. and soon after dying was succeeded by his son and grandson both Roberts Charles brother to the latter was next Earl who dying 24 Aug. 1673. left the honour to Robert Rich Earl of Holland his Cousin-german Which Robert was succeeded in both the honours by Edward his son and heir More rare Plants growing wild in Warwickshire Though I have lived some years in this County yet have I met with no peculiar local plants growing therein the more rare and uncommon are Cyperus gramineus miliaceus Ger. Millet-Cyperus-grasse mentioned in Essex Frequent by the river Tames-sides near Tamworth and elsewhere Cyperus longus inodorus sylvestris Ger. Gramen cyperoides altissimum foliis carina serratis P. Boccone Long-rooted bastard Cyperus In boggy places by the river Tame at Dorsthill near Tamworth Equisetum nudum Ger. junceum seu nudum Park foliis nudum non ramosum s junceum C. B. Naked Horse-tail or Shave-grass This species is more rare in England We found it in a moist ditch at Middleton towards Drayton It is brought over to us from beyond Sea and employ'd by artificers for polishing of vessels handles of tools and other utensils it is so hard that it will touch iron it self I am informed by my honoured Friend Mr. John Awbrey that it is to be found in a rivulet near Broad-stitch Abbey in Wiltshire plentifully That sort which grows common with us is softer and will not shave or polish wood much less iron Juncus laevis minor panicula glomerata nigricante call'd by those of Montpellier with whom also it is found Juncus semine Lithospermi Black-headed Rush with Gromil-seed In the same places with the Cyperus longus inodorus Gramen
Mountain in Wales being call'd y Wydh va †〈…〉 and the highest Stone-pillar or Monument I have seen there call'd Hir-vaen gŵydhog ‖ O◠〈…〉 gaâ—â—â— An 〈…〉 Gwyâ— 1. c. 〈◊〉 Gâ—ganâ—â— so that there being a considerable Krig at this place for so they call artificial Mounts or Barrows in South-Wales we may safely conclude it thence denominated Near this Town as the learned * Ushâ—â— Bâ—t 〈◊〉 Anâ—â— â— ex Câ—â—â—â—tio 〈◊〉 Usher supposes was that celebrated victory which he calls Victoria Alleluiatica for that the Pagans were put to flight by the repeated shouts of Alleluia obtain'd by the Britains under the conduct of Germanus and Lupus against the Picts and Saxons Adding that in memory of that miraculous victory the place is call'd at this day Maes Garmon or St. German's Field †Mat. 〈◊〉 the name of pater sâ—meâ—â—â—e impâ—â—s 〈…〉 beeâ—iâ—â— there Vide Aâ—gâ—â—â—â— And whereas it may be objected That seeing 't is allow'd St. German died in the year 435. 't was impossible he should lead the Britains in this Island against the Saxons for that Hengist and Horsa arriv'd not here till 449 ‖ See 〈◊〉 Aâ—thâ—◠〈…〉 coutâ—â—â— the 〈◊〉 Saxons He answers that long before their time as appears from Ammianus Marcellinus Claudian c. the Saxons made frequent inroads into this Island It will not perhaps be unacceptable to the Curious if we take notice here of some delineations of the leaves of Plants that are found upon sinking new Coal-pits in the Township of Leeswood in this parish These tho' they are not much minded are found probably in most other parts of England and Wales where they dig Coal at leastwise I have observ'd them at several Coal-pits in Wales Glocestershire and Somersetshire and have seen considerable variety of them in that excellent Musaeum of Natural Bodies collected by Mr. William Cole of Bristol as also amongst Mr. Beaumont's curious Collection of Minerals They are found generally in that black flat or as the Workmen call it the slag or cleft which lyes next above the Coal so that in sinking new Pits when these mock-plants are brought up they are apt to conclude the Coal not far off These are not such faint resemblances of leaves as to require any fancy to make out the comparison like the Pietra imboschata or Landskip-stone of the Italians but do exhibit the whole form and texture more compleatly than can be done by any Artist unless he takes off their impressions from the life in some fine paste or clay I say resemblances of leaves because amongst all the stones I have seen of this kind I have hitherto observ'd none delineated with any roots or flowers but always either pieces of leaves or whole ones or else which happens but seldom some singular figures which I know not what bodies to compare to Such as those I have seen from these Coal-pits and the same may be said of others in general do for the most part resemble the leaves of capillary Plants or those of the fern-kind but our observations in this part of Natural History are as yet in their infancy and we know not but the bowels of the Earth were it possible to search them might afford as great variety of these mock-plants as the surface contains of those we esteem more perfect However this I shall venture to affirm that these Plants whatever may be their origin are as distinguishable into Species as those produced in the Surface For altho' we find as yet no resemblance of flowers or seeds yet the form and texture of these leaves which are always constant and regular will soon discover the Species to such as have any skill in Plants or will take the trouble to compare them nicely with each others For example I have observ'd amongst the ruble of one Coalpit seven or eight Species of Plants and of each Species twenty or more Individuals Whoever would prove these Subterraneous Leaves an effect of the universal Deluge will meet with the same difficulties not to mention others as occur to those who assign that origin to the fossil shells teeth and vertebrae of fish Crabs claws Corals and Sea-mushrooms so plentifully dispers'd not only throughout this Island but doubtless in all parts of the World For as amongst the fossil shells of England we find the greatest part of a figure and superficies totally different from all the shells of our own Seas and some of them from all those the most curious Naturalists have hitherto procured from other Countreys so amongst these Plants we find the majority not reconcileable with those produced in this Country and many of them totally different from all Plants whatever that have been yet describ'd But that the Reader may not wholly rely on my Judgment herein I have â—dded three figures of such leaves out of a Coal-pit belonging to the Demeans of Eagle's-Bush near Neath in Glamorganshire Fig. 27. represents a Leaf of a Plant which I presume totally different from any yet describ'd It 's about six inches long but seems to be broken off at each end and almost two in breadth The four ribs are a little prominent somewhat like that of Harts-tongue as are also the three orders of Characters betwixt those ribs which seem in some sort to answer the seeds of such Plants as are call'd dorsiferous as those of the Hart's-Tongue or Fern-kind Fig. 28. resembles a branch of the common female Fern and agrees with it in superficies and proportion as well as figure Fig. 29. expresses the common Polypody tho' not so exactly as the 28th imitates the female Fern. This is an elegant Specimen having the middle rib very prominent and that of each leaf rais'd proportionably four inches long and an inch and a quarter broad I find these Mineral Leaves are not only produc'd in the Coal-slats but sometimes in other Fossils for I have formerly observ'd of them in Marl-pits near Kà er-wys in this County which in some measure resembled Oak-leaves And amongst that valuable Collection of Minerals reposited in the Ashmolean Musaeum by Dr. Robert Plot I find a Specimen of Iron-ore out of Shropshire delineated with a branch of some undescribed Plant which from the texture of the leaves I should be apt to refer to the capillary Tribe tho' the figure as the Doctor observes in his Catalogue seems rather to resemble Box-leaves †〈…〉 Câ—ps 〈…〉 But I shall add no more on this subject as expecting shortly a particular Treatise of the origin of form'd Stones and other Fossils from an ingenious person who for some years has been very diligent in collecting the Minerals of England and as far as I am capable of judging no less happy in his Discoveries f I find some mention of this Bangor Is-koed for so t is generally call'd to distinguish it from Bangor in Caernarvonshire in that Manuscript of Mr. Robert Vaughan's of Hengwrt so often quoted in these Welsh Counties Bangor Monachorum
Sphaera to be born in it But 't is more remarkable for the c It has in it twelve Chapels subject to the Mother-Church of Halifax two whereof are Parochial unusual extent and largeness of the Parish which has under it eleven Chapels two whereof are Parochial and about twelve thousand men in it So that the Parishioners are wont to say they can reckon more men in their Parish than any kind of animal whatsoever whereas in the most populous and fruitful places of England elsewhere one shall find thousands of sheep but so few men in proportion that one would think they had given place to sheep and oxen or were devour'd by them But of all others nothing is so admirable in this town as the industry of the inhabitants who notwithstanding an unprofitable barren soil not fit to live in have so flourish'd by the Cloath trade which within these seventy years they first fell to that they aâ—e both very rich and have gain'd a reputation for it above their neighbours Which confirms the truth of that old observation That a barren Country is a great whet to the industry of the Natives by which alone we find Norinberg in Germany Venice and Genoua in Italy and lastly Limoges in France notwithstanding their situation on a barren soil have ever flourishing Cities n Six miles from Halifax not fâ—r from the right side of the river Calder and near Almondbury â—ondbuâ—â— a little village there is a very steep hill only accessible by one way from the plain 〈◊〉 where the marks of an old rampire and some ruins of a wall and of a castle well guarded with a triple fortification are plainly visible Some would have it the remains of Olicana but 't is really the ruins of Cambodunum which is by a mistake in Ptolemy call'd Camulodunum and d It is in King Alfred's Paraphrase render'd Donafelda A MS. Bede has it Attamen in Campo dono ubi tunc etiam villa Regia erat c. and so the printed Edition at Lovain An. 1566. whence probably came Stapleton's mistake in translating it Champion call'd Down in his English Version made two words by Bede Campo-dunum as appears by the distance which Antoninus makes between that and Mancunium on the one hand and that and Calcaria on the other In the beginning of the Saxon times it seems to have made a great figure in the world For it was then a Royal Seat and graced with a â—â—â—â—ca Cathedral built by Paulinus the Apostle of these parts and dedicated to St. Alban whence for Albanbury 't is now call'd Almonbury But in those cruel wars that Ceadwall the Britain and Penda the Mercian made upon Edwin the Prince of these Territories it was burnt down which in some measure appears in the colour of the stones to this day Afterwards a Castle was built here which as I have read was confirm'd to Henry Lacy by King Stephen o â—â—ey Not far from this stands Whitley the Seat of the ancient and famous family of the Beaumonts which is different and distinct from that of the Barons and Vicounts Beaumont and flourish'd in England before they came over The Calder having passed by these places runs on to Kirkley â—â—â—ley heretofore a Nunnery thence to Robin Hood's Tomb who was a generous robber and very famous 〈…〉 and so to Deusborrough situated at the foot of a high Hill Whether this name be deriv'd from Dui that local Deity already mention'd I cannot determine the name is not unlike for it resembles Duis Burgh in sound and this town has been considerable from the earliest date of Christianity among the English of this Province For I have been inform'd of a e There is nothing now appears of this Cross and an ancient Minister of those parâ—s a native of the place affirms that his father tho' 30 years Vicar there never had any knowledge of it Cross yet to be seen here with this Inscription PAVLINVS HIC PRAEDICAVIT ET CELEBRAVIT That is Paulinus here preached and celebrated Divine Service That this Paulinus was the first Archbishop of York about the year 626. we are assured by the concurring evidence of our Historians From hence it goes by Thornhill which from a knightly family of that name f It is now in the possession of the Marquiss of Halifax descended to the Savils and so Calder marches to Wakefield Wakefield a town famous for it's Cloath-trade largeness neat buildings great markets and for the bridge upon which King Edward the fourth built a very neat Chapel in memory of those that were cut off in a battel here This town belong'd heretofore to the Earls of Warren and Surâ—y as also Sandal-castle just by built by John Earl of Warren whose mind was never free from the slavish dictates of his own lust for being too familiar with the wife of Thomas Earl of Lancaster his design was to detain her there securely from her husband Below this town when England was embroil'd with civil wars Richard Duke of York and father of Edw. 4 whose temper was rather to provoke fortune than quietly to court and expect it was here slain amongst many others by the Lancastrians The ground hereabouts for a pretty way together is call'd the Lordship of Wakefield and hath always some one or other of the Gentry for its Seneschal or Steward an Office often administer'd by the Savils Savils a very numerous family in these parts and at this day in the hands of Sir J. Savil Knight whose exceeding neat house appears at Howley Howley not far off p About five miles from Wakefield the river Calder loses both its name and waters in the river Are. Upon the confluence stands Medley Medley formerly Medeley so call'd from its situation as edging in between two rivers In the last age this was the Seat of 5 Sir Robert Robert Waterton Master of the Horse to K. Henry the fourth but at present of the famous g In the Church of this place there is a stately Monument for him which acquaints us that he was Ex speciali gratia Regis in proprio Comitatu suo Justiciar Assiz Sir John Savil a most worthy Baron of the Exchequer who must be ingenuously own'd not only to have promoted this work by his great learning but also to have encourag'd the Author of it by his humanity and kindness The river Are issuing from the root of the Mountain Pennigent which is the highest in these parts Are river at first seeming doubtful whether it should run forwards into the Sea or return into its Spring is so winding and crooked that in travelling this way I had it to pass over seven times in half an hour upon a strait road It 's course is calm and quiet so easie that it hardly appears to flow and I am of opinion this has occasion'd its name For I have already observ'd that the British word ara signifies
Eccl. Hist l. 4. c 23. where the Latin Copies generally call this venerable Matron Heru and the Saxon Paraphrase Hegu and the same woman in the conclusion of that Chapter is more rightly nam'd Begu or as one Saxon Copy reads it Bega This is the same Bega that as Leleâ—d l. 1. p. 395. Monast Angl. witnesses was born in Irelanâ— and built her first Monastery at S. Bâ—ge's in Cumberland her second at Heruty or Hartlepool and her third at this Calcaceaster are not natural but artificially compounded of Sand Lime and Vitriol for of this they fancy it has some grains as also of an oily unctuous matter Much like those cisterns at Rome which Pliny tells us were made of Sand and a hot Lime so very compact and firm that one would have took them for real stone ii Somewhat Eastward from the bridge before mention'd 〈◊〉 stands Isurium Brigantum an ancient city which took its name from the Ure that wash'd it but has been demolisht many ages since Still there is a village upon the same spot which carries antiquity in its name being call'd Ealdburg and Aldborrow â—â—â—borrow that is to say an old Burrough There is now little or no signs remaining of a City the plot thereof being converted into arable and pasture grounds So that the evidence of History it self would be suspected in testifying this to be the old Isurium if the name of the river Ure the Roman coins continually digg'd up here and the distance between it and York according to Antoninus were not convincing and undeniable kk For by that time the Ure which from hence-forward the Saxons call'd Ouse because the Ouseburne a little brook falls into it here has run 16 Italian miles fâ—rther it arrives at the City Eboracum or Eburacum â—â—â—â—umâ— which Ptolemy in Lib. 2. Magnae Constructionis calls oo Tacitus in Vit. Agricolae calls it Civitas Brigantum And for the same reason it was sometimes by the Saxons nam'd simply Ceastre as well as Eoforwick-ceastre See Chron. Sax. ad Ann. 685. 763. 780. Brigantium if the Book be not faulty and that mistake have not risen from it's being the Metropolis of the Brigantes Ninius calls it Caer-Ebrauc the Britains Caer-Effroc the Saxons Euor Æ¿ic and Eofor-Æ¿ic and we at this day York The British History derives its name from the first founder King Ebraucus But with submission to other mens judgments my opinion is that the word Eburacum comes from the river Ure implying its situation to be upon that river Thus the Eburovices in France were seated by the river Ure near Eureux in Normandy the Eburones in the Netherlands near the river Ourt in the Diocese of Liege and Eb-lana in Ireland by the river Lefny York is the second city in England the finest in this County and the great fence and ornament to those Northern parts 'T is both pleasant large and strong adorn'd with fine buildings both publick and private populous rich and an Arch-bishop's See The river Ure which now takes the name Ouse runs gently as I said from North to South quite through this City and so divides it into two parts joyn'd by a Stone-bridge which has one of the largest Arches that ever I saw The West part of the City is less populous and lies in a square form enclosed partly with stately walls and partly by the river and has but one way to it namely by Mikell-barr which signifies a great Gate from whence a broad fair built street on both sides leads to the very bridge with fine Gardens behind them and the fields for exercise extended to the very walls In the South part of the fields where the river forms an angle I saw a mount which has probably been cast up for some Castle to be built there now call'd the old Bale which William Melton the Arch-bishop as we find it in the lives of the Arch-bishops fortified first with thick planks eighteen foot long and afterwards with a stone wall whereof there remains nothing now visible The East part of the City where the buildings are thick and the streets but narrow is shap'd like a lentil and strongly wall'd On the South-east 't is defended by a Foss or Ditch 〈◊〉 river very deep and muddy which runs by obsâ—ure ways into the very heart of the City and has a bridge over it so throng'd with buildings on both sides that a stranger would mistake it for a street after which it falls into the Ouse At the confluence over against the Mount before mention'd William the Conquerour built a prodigious strong Castle to keep the Citizens in awe But this without any care has been left to the mercy of time ever since fortified places have grown in disrepute among us as only fit for those who want courage to face an enemy in the open field ll Towards the North-east on this side also stands the Cathedral dedicated to St. Peter a magnificent and curious fabrick near which without the walls was a p At the Dissolution valu'd at 2085 l. 1 s. 5 d. ob q. noble Monastery surrounded with the river and its own walls nam'd St. Maries It was founded by Alan the third Earl of Bretaign in Armorica and of Richmond here in England and plentifully endow'd But now 't is converted into a Royal Palace and is commonly call'd the Manour The Manour As for the original of York I cannot tell whence to derive it but from the Romans seeing the British towns before the coming in of the Romans were only woods fortified with a ditch and rampire as Caesar and Strabo who are evidence beyond exception assure us Without insisting upon the story of King Ebraucus a word formed from the name Eboracum who is grosly feigned to be the founder of it this is certain that the sixth Legion call'd Victrix was sent out of Germany into Britain by Hadrian and garison'd here and that this was a Roman Colony we are assur'd both by Antoninus and Ptolemy and an old Inscription which I my self have seen in the house of a certain Alderman of this City M. VEREC DIOGENES I1111I VIR COL EBOR. IDEMQ MORT CIVES BITVRIX HAEC SIBI VIVVS FECIT And also from Severus the Emperour's Coins which have this Inscription on the reverse of them COL EBORACVM LEG VI. VICTRIX But upon what grounds Victor The same Victor lately publisht by Andr. Schottus in his History of the Caesars calls York a Municipium when it was a Colony I cannot readily tell unless the Inhabitants might desire as the Praenestines did to be chang'd from a Colony to a Municipium Municipium Colonia For Colonies were more obnoxious and servile being not left to their own humour as Agellius tells us but govern'd by the Roman Laws and Customs Whereas the Municipia were allow'd the free use of their own Constitutions and enjoyed those honourable offices which the Citizens of Rome did without being tied to any other
The Church of York was by the Princes of that time endow'd with many large possessions especially by Ulphus the son â—f Toraldus which I the rather note from an old bâ—ok that a strange way of endowing heretofore may be took notice of This Ulphus govern'd in the west parts of Deira and by reason of a difference like to happen between his eldest son and his youngest about the Lordships after his death he presently took this course to make them equal Without delay he went to York and taking the horn wherein he was wont to drink with him he fill'd it with wine and kneeling upon his knees before the Altar bestow'd upon God and the blessed S. Peter Prince of the Apostles all his Lands and Tenements This horn was kept there to the last age as I have been informed It would seem to reflect upon the Clergy if I should relate the emulations and scuffles which ambition has raised between the two Sees of York and Canterbury whilst with great expence of money but more of reputation they warmly contended for pre-eminence T. 〈◊〉 r This Controversie was determin'd in Arch-bishop Thoresby's time A. D. 1353. at the special solicitation of King Edward â— qui corpoâ—um animarum pericula considerans ac pacem quietem populi sui affectans dictos Archiepiscopos ad pacis concordiam invitavit Yet so as that the Arch-bishops of York might legally write themselves Primate of England Anglia Sacra par 1. p. 74. For as one relates it the See of York was equal in dignity tho' it was the younger and the poorer sister and this being raised to the same power that the See of Canterbury was and endowed with the same Apostolical privileges took it very heinously to be made subject by the decree of P. Alexander declaring that the Arch-bishoprick of York ought to yield to that of Canterbury and pay an obedience to her as Primate of all Britain in all her Constitutions relating to the Christian Religion It falls not within the compass of my design to treat of the Arch-bishops of this See many of whom have been men of great virtue and holiness 'T is enough for me to observe that from the year 625. when Paulinus the first Arch-bishop was consecrated there have succeeded in it threescore and five Arch-bishops The 〈◊〉 sixth Aâ—â—bishâ—p to the year 1606. in which D. Tobias Matthews Venerable for his virtue and piety for his learned eloquence and for his indefatigable industry in teaching was translated hither from the Bishoprick of Durham mm This City very much flourish'd for some time under the Saxon Government till the Danish storms from the North began to rush on and spoil'd its beauty again by great ruins and dismal slaughter Which Alcuin in his Epistle to Egelred King of the Northumbrians seems to have foretold For he says What can be the meaning of that shower of blood which in Lent we saw at York the Metropolis of the Kingdom near St. Peter's Church descending with great horrour from the roof of the North part of the House in a clear day May not one imagine that this forebodes destruction and blood among us from that quarter For in the following age when the Danes laid every thing they came at waste and desolate this City was destroy'd with continual sufferings In the year 867. the walls of it were so shaken by the many assaults made upon them that Osbright and Ella Kings of Northumberland as they pursued the Danes in these parts easily broke into the City and after a bloody conflict in the midst of it were both slain leaving the victory to the Danes who had retired hither Hence that of William of Malmesbury York ever most obnoxious to the fury of the northern nations hath sustained the barbarous assaults of the Danes and groaned under the miseries it hath suffered But as the same author informs us King Athelstan took it from the Danes and demolish'd that castle wherewith they had fortified it Nor in after-ages was it quite rid of those wars in that especially which was so fatal for the subversion of Cities But the Normans as they put an end to these miseries so they almost brought destruction to York For when the sons of Sueno the Dane arrived here with a fleet of two hundred and forty sail Aâ—fâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 Burleâ—â— Treasâ—â— of Eâ—gâ— and landed hard by the Normans who kept garrison in two castles in the city fearing lest the houses in the suburbs might be serviceable to the enemy in filling up the trenches set them on fire which was so encreased and dispersed by the wind that it presently spread about the whole city and set it all on fire In this disorder and hurry the Danes took the town putting the Townsmen and the Normans to the sword with great slaughter yet sparing William Mallet and Gilbert Gant the principal men among them for a Decimation Deciâ—â—â—â—on among the soldiers afterwards For every tenth prisoner of the Normans on whom the lot fell was executed Which so exasperated William the Conquerour that as if the citizeâ—s had sided with the Danes he cut them all off and set the City again on fire and as Malmesbury says so spoiled all the adjacent territory that a fruitful Province was quite disabled and useless that the country for sixty miles together lay so much neglected that a stranger would have lamented at the sight of it considering that formerly here had been fine cities high towers and rich pastures and that no former inhabitant would so much as know it The ancient greatness of the place may appear from Domesday In the time of Edward the Confessor the City of York contained six Shires or Divisions besides the Shire of the Archbishop One was wasted for the castles in the five remaining Shires there were 1428 houses inhabited and in the Shire of the Archbishop two hundred houses inhabited After all these overthrows Necham sings thus of it Visito quam foelix Ebraucus condidit urbem Petro se debet Pontificalis apex Civibus haec toties viduata novisque repleta Diruta prospexit moenia saepe sua Quid manus hostilis queat est experta frequenter Sed quid nunc pacis otia longa fovent There happy Ebrauk's lofty towers appear Which owe their mitre to St. Peter's care How oft in dust the hapless town hath lain How oft it's walls hath chang'd how oft it's men How oft the rage of sword and flames hath mourn'd But now long peace and lasting joy 's return'd For in his days these troublesome times being followed with a long and happy peace this city began to revive and continued flourishing notwithstanding it was often marked out for destruction by our own Rebels and the Scotch Yet in King Stephen's time it was most sadly ruined again by a casual fire which burnt down the Cathedral St. Mary's Monastery and other Religious houses and also as 't is supposed that
hand-habend i.e. having his hand in or being in the very act of stealing or back-berond i.e. having the thing stoln either upon his back or somewhere about him without giving any probable account how he came by it or lastly confesson'd owning that he stole the thing for which he was accused The cause therefore must be only theft and that manner of theft only which is call'd furtum manifestum grounded upon some of the foresaid evidences The value of the thing stoln must likewise amount to above 13 d. ob for if the value was found only so much and no more by this Custom he should not dye for it He was first brought before the Bailiff of Halifax who presently summon'd the Frithborgers within the several Towns of the Forest and being found guilty within a week was brought to the Scaffold The Ax was drawn up by a pulley and fasten'd with a pin to the side of the Scaffold If it was an horse an ox or any other creature that was stoln it was brought along with him to the place of execution and fasten'd to the cord by a pin that stay'd the block So that when the time of execution came which was known by the Jurors holding up one of their hands the Bailiff or his Servant whipping the beast the pin was pluckt out and execution done But if it was not done by a beast then the Bailiff or his Servant cut the rope But the manner of execution will be better apprehended by the following draught of it Printed for â— Sold By F Bentley in Halifax A A. The Scaffold B. The piece of wood wherein the Axe is fix'd C. The Axe D. The Pulley by which the Axe is drawn up E. The Malefactor who lyes to be beheaded F. The pin to which the Rope is ty'd that draws up the Axe o On the other side of the Calder is Cambodunum Cambodunum which probably was built most of wood there being no manner of appearance of stone or brick The fire that burnt it down seems to have been exceeding vehement from the cinders which are strangely solder'd together One lump was found of above 2 foot every way the earth being melted rather than burnt But Mr. Camden's guess at a burning there from the blackness of the stones in the buildings is groundless for the edges of them are so in the Quarry which is half a mile off and so deep that for fire to reach them there is impossible p Next the Calder goes to Wakefield Wakefield where by the noble charity of the pious Lady Campden is a weekly Lecture endow'd with fourscore pounds per An. The other for she left three thousand pounds to Trustees for the founding two Lectures in the north of England is at Grantham Upon the light hand of the high-way leading from Wakefield to Sandal there is a small square plot of ground hedg'd in from a Close within which before the war between K. Charles and the Parliament there stood a Cross of stone where Richard Duke of York was slain The owners are oblig'd by the tenure of the land to hedge it in from the Close The carved work of stone upon the Chapel built by King Edward 4. on the bridge hath been very beautiful but is now much defac'd The whole structure is artificially wrought about ten yards long and six broad Dâ—â—tâ—n At some distance from hence is Darton of the Beaumonts of which Mr. George Beaumont a Merchant left 500 l. for the founding a Free-school in this place of his nativity as much to poor Ministers 150 l. to the poor of London 50 l. to York 30 l. to Hull with a considerable estate amongst his relations Farther from the Calder lyes Burton-grange Burtâ—â—-grangâ— where the no less religious than honourable Lady Mary Talbot second daughter and coheir of Henry Talbot fourth son of the illustrious George Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury erected an Hospital for six poor widows each of which have 40 s. and a Gown every year She built also and endow'd two other Hospitals in other Counties during her life and at her death An. 1675. left 40 l. per An. for 99 years to be put to such like uses More to the south is Stainbrough Stainbrough where Henry Edmunds Esq has generously built a good house for the Minister and Mr. Walker late Master of University-College has annex'd a Library to the school Two miles from Howley is Drighlington D ighliton memorable only for the nativity of Dr. James Margetson late Archbishop of Armagh who founded here a school and endow'd it with 60 l. per An. q The river Are our next guide runs to Skipton Skiptâ—n where lye interr'd several of the Cliffords particularly George third Earl of Cumberland honour'd with the Garter by Queen Elizabeth and famous for his sea-services performing * Inscâ—â—pâ—â—on in Sâ—â—â—ton Caâ—â—â— nine Voyages in his own person most of them to the West-Indies being the best born Englishman that ever hazarded himself in that kind He died 30 Oct. 1605. leaving one only daughter Anne Countess of Pembroke Dorset and Montgomery an eminent benefactor born 30 Jan. 1589 90. at Skipton-Castle in Yorkshire wherein I am the more particular because Dr. Fuller in his Worthies Com. West p. 140. out of a mistake says 't was in Hertfordshire She built from the ground or considerably repair'd six ancient Castles one of which Brough had lain 140 years desolate after the fire had consum'd it An. 1520. Another See the â—â—ditioâ—â— Wâ—stmâ—land Pendragon-castle of which our Author tells us nothing remain'd in his time but the bare name and an heap of stones 320 years after the invading Scots under their King David had wasted it An. 1341. She built also seven Chapels or Churches with two stately Hospitals richly endow'd and died 22 March A. D. 1675. This Country Craven hath given the title of Earl to William Craven Baron of Hampsted Marshal created Earl of Craven Mari 16. An. 16 Car. 2. From hence the Are passeth by Thornton the seat of Richard Thornton Esq to Rawdon Rawdon famous for Sir George Rawdon a most accomplish'd person who with 200 or fewer British most valiantly repulsed Sir Philim o Neile at the head of an army of about 7000 rebels assaulting Lisnegarvy now Lisburn in Ireland in that grand massacre 1641. wherein thousands of Protestants were most cruelly murder'd There now resideth Henry son of Francis Layton Esquire who in pursuance of his said father's will has built there and endow'd with 20 l. per an a Chapel which was consecrated by Archbishop Dolben 4 May 1684. r Upon the same river is Leeds Leeds possibly from the Saxon Leod gens natio implying it to have been very populous in the Saxon times which town and parish King Charles 1. by Letters Patents 13 July second of his reign incorporated under the government of one chief Alderman nine Burgesses and twenty Assistants Sir John Savil afterwards Lord
as his right in Parliament against Henry the sixth Rolls â— 6. as being son of Ann Mortimer sister and heir to Edmund Earl of March descended in a right line from Philippa the daughter and sole heir of Leonel Duke of Clarence third son of King Edward the third and therefore in all justice to be preferred in the succession to the Crown before the children of John of Gaunt the fourth son of the said Edward the third When it was answer'd him That the Barons of the Kingdom and the Duke himself had sworn Allegiance to the King that the Kingdom by Act of Parliament was conferr'd and entail'd upon Henry the fourth and his heirs that the Duke deriving his title from the Duke of Clarence never took the Arms of the said Duke and that Henry the fourth was possess'd of the Crown by the right he had from Henry the third All this he easily evaded by replying that the said Oath sworn to the King being barely a human Constitution was not binding because it was inconsistent with truth and justice which are of Divine appointment That there had been no need of an Act of Parliament to settle the Kingdom in the line of Lancaster neither would they have desired it if they could have rely'd upon any just title and as for the Arms of the Duke of Clarence which in right belonged to him he had in prudence declin'd the using them as he had done challenging the Kingdom till that moment and that the title derived from Henry the third was a ridiculous pretext to cloak the injustice and exploded by every body Tho' these things pleaded in favour of the Duke of York shew'd his title to be clear and evident yet by a wise foresight to prevent the dangers that might ensue upon it the matter was so adjusted That Henry the sixth should possess and enjoy the Kingdom for life and that Richard Duke of York should be appointed his heir and successor in the Kingdom 10 He and his heirs to succeed after him with this proviso that neither of them should contrive any thing to the prejudice of the other However this heady Duke was quickly so far transported with ambition that by endeavouring to anticipate his hopes he raised that pernicious war between the Houses of York and Lancaster Wars between the House of York and Lancaster or between the Red-rose and the white distinguish'd by the white and the red Roses Which in a short time prov'd fatal to himself at Wakefield King Henry the sixth was four times taken prisoner and at last deprived of his Kingdom and his Life Edward Earl of March son of Richard then obtain'd the Crown and tho' he was deposed yet he recover'd it thus Fortune inconstant and freakish made her sport with the rise and fall of Princes many of the Blood-royal and of the greatest of the Nobility being cut off those hereditary and rich Provinces of the Kings of England in France being lost Ireland neglected and relapsed to their old wildness the wealth of the Nation wasted and the harass'd people oppress'd with all sorts of misery Edward being now settled in his Throne the fourth King of that name bestow'd the title of Duke of York upon Richard his second son who with the King his brother was destroy'd very young by that Tyrant Richard their Uncle Next Henry the seventh conferr'd it upon his younger son who was afterwards by the name of Henry the eighth crown'd King of England And now very lately King James invested his second son Charles whom he had before in Scotland made Duke of Albany Marquis of Ormond Earl of Ross and Baron Ardmanoch 11 A little child not full four years of age tho' but a child Duke of York by girding him with a Sword to use the words of the form putting a Cap and Coronet of Gold upon his head and by delivering him a Verge of Gold after he had the day before according to the usual manner created both him and eleven others of noble families Knights of the Bath There are in this County 459 Parishes with very many Chapels under them which for number of Inhabitants are comparable to great Parishes RICHMONDSHIRE THE rest of this County which lyes towards the North-west and is of large extent is call'd Richmondshire or Richmountshire The name is taken from a Castle built by Alan Earl of Bretagne in Armorica to whom William the Norman Conquerour gave this shire which belong'd to Edwin an English-man by this short Charter I William sirnam'd Bastard King of England do give and grant to you my Nephew Alan Earl of Bretagne and to your heirs for ever all the villages and lands which of late belong'd to Earl Eadwin in Yorkshire with the Knights-fees and other Liberties and Customs as freely and honourably as the same Eadwin held them Dated from our Siege before York With craggy Rocks and vast Mountains this shire lyes almost all high the sides of them here and there yield pretty rank grass the bottoms and valleys are not altogether unfruitful The hills afford great store of Lead Pit-Coal and also Brass Brass Lead and Pit-coal In a Charter of Edward the fourth's there is mention'd a Mineral or Mine of Coper near the very City of Richmond But covetousness which carries men even to Hell has not induced them to sink into these Mountains diverted perhaps by the difficulties of carriage On the tops of these Mountains Stone-cockles as likewise in other places there have sometimes been found stones resembling Sea cokcles and other Water-animals which if they are not the Miracles of Nature I cannot but think with Orosius a Christian Historian tâ—at they are the certain signs of an universal deluge in the times of Noah The Sea as he says being in Noah's time spread over all the earth and a deluge pour'd forth upon it so that this whole world was overfloated and the Sea as heaven surrounded the earth all mankind was destroyed but only those few saved in the ark for their faith to propagate posterity as is evidently taught by the most faithful Writers That this was so they have also been witnesses who knowing neither past times nor the Author of them yet from the signs and import of those stones which we often find on mountains distant from the sea but overspread with cockles and oysters yea oftentimes hollow'd by the water have learn'd it by conjecture and inference k Where this Shire touches upon the County of Lancaster the prospect among the hills is so wild solitary so unsightly and all things so still that the borderers have call'd some brooks that run here Hell becks Hell beâ—ks that is to say Hell or Stygian rivulets especially that at the head of the river Ure which with a bridge over it of one entire stone falls so deep that it strikes a horror upon one to look down to it Here is safe living in this tract for goats deer and stags which
for their great bulk and branchy heads are very remarkable and extraordinary The river Ure which we have often mention'd has its rise here out of the western mountains and first runs through the middle of the vale Wentsedale Wentsedale which is sufficiently stock'd with cattel and has a great deal of lead in some places Not far from the first spring while it is yet but small 't is encreased by the little river Baint from the south which issues from the pool Semur with a great murmur At the confluence of these two streams where some few cottages call'd from the first bridge over the Ure Baintbrig was formerly a Roman garison Bracchium of which some remains are yet extant For upon the hill which from a burrough they now call Burgh there are the groundworks of an old fortification about five acres in compass and under it to the east the signs of many houses are yet apparent Where among several proofs of Roman Antiquity I have seen this fragment of an old Inscription in a very fair character with a winged Victory supporting it IMP. CAES. L. SEPTIMIO PIO PERTINACI AVGV IMP CAESARI M. AVRELIO A PIO FELICI AVGVSTO The name o◠〈…〉 eras'd BRACCHIO CAEMENTICIVM VI NERVIORVM SVB CVRA LA SENECION AMPLISSIMI OPERI L. VI SPIVS PRAE LEGIO From which we may conjecture that this fort at Burgh was formerly called Bracchium which before had been made of turf but then was built with stone and mortar that the sixth Cohort of the Nervii garison'd here who also seem to have had a Summer Camp upon that high hill trenched round which is hard by and is now called Ethelbury It is not long since a Statue of Aurelius Commodus the Emperour was dug up here Statue of Commodus the Emperour who as Lampridius has it was stil'd by his flatterers Britannicus even when the Britains were for chusing another against him This Statue seems to have been set up when through an extravagant esteem of himself he arriv'd to that pitch of folly that he commanded every one to call him The Roman Hercules son of Jupiter For it is formed in the habit of Hercules his right-hand armed with a club and under it as I am inform'd was this broken and imperfect Inscription which had been ill copied and was quite decay'd before I came hither CAESARI AVGVSTO MARCI AVRELII FILIO SEN IONIS AMPLISSIMI VENTS _____ PIVS This was extant in Nappa Nappâ— a house built with turrets and the chief seat of the Medcalfs The 〈…〉 which is counted the most numerous family this day in England For I have heard that Sir Christopher Medcalf Knight the chief of the family being lately Sheriff of the County was attended with 300 Knights all of this family and name and in the same habit to receive the Justices of the Assize and conduct them to York From hence the Ure runs very swiftly with abundance of Crey-fishes Crey-â— ever since C. Medcalf within the memory of this age brought that sort of fish hither from the south parts of England l and between two rocks from which the place is called Att-scarre it violently rolls down its chanel not far from Bolton Bolton the ancient seat of the Barons de Scrope Barons 〈◊〉 Scrâ—pâ— and a stately castle which Richard Lord le Scrope Chancellour of England in Richard the second 's time built at very great charge Now taking its course eastward it comes to the town of Midelham Midâ—ehâ—â— the Honour of which as we read in the Genealogy of the Nevils Alan Earl of Richmond gave to his younger brother * By 〈◊〉 Ribaa Rinebald with all the lands which before their coming belonged to Gilpatrick the Dane His grandchild by his son Ralph Lords of Midâ—ehâ—â— called Robert Fitz-Ralph had all Wentsedale bestowed on him by Conanus Earl of Bretagne and Richmond and built a very strong castle at Midleham Ranulph his son built a small Monastery for Canons at Coverham now contractedly called Corham in Coverdale Genealâ—â—â— antiquâ—â—â— and his son Ralph had a daughter Mary who being married to Robert Lord Nevill brought this large estate for a portion to the family of the Nevils This Robert Nevill having had many children by his wife was taken in adultery unknown and had his privy members cut off by the adulteress's husband in revenge which threw him into such excessive grief that he soon dy'd From hence the Ure having pass'd a few miles washes Jervis or Jorvalle-Abbey 1 Of Cistertians founded first at Fo rs add after translated hither by Stephen Earl of Britain and Richmond which is now decay'd then runs by Masham Mashaâ— which belonged to the Scropes of Masham who as they are descended from the Scropes of Bolton fo are they again grafted into the same by marriage On the other side of this river but more inward stands Snath Snath the chief seat of the Barons de Latimer whose noble extraction is from G. Nevill younger son of Ralph Nevill first Earl of Westmorland who had this honourable title conferr'd on him by K. Henry the sixth of that name when the elder family of the Latimers had ended in a female Barons Latimeâ— and so in a continu'd succession they have flourished till our time when for want of heirs-male to the last Baron this brave inheritance was parted among his daughters who were married into the families of the Percies the Cecils the D'anvers and Cornwallis There is no other place in these parts remarkable upon the Ure but Tanfeld Tanfeâ—â— formerly the seat of the Gernegans Knights from these it descended to the Marmions Marmâ—â—â— lâ— q. 6. â— the last of these left Amice his heir the second wife of John Lord Grey of Rotherfeld whose two children taking the name of Marmion were heirs to their mother 2 John that assum'd the sirname of Marmion and dy'd issueless and Robert who left behind him one only daughter and sole heir Elizabeth wife to Sir Henry Fitz-Hâ—gh a nâ—ble Baron and one of them left an only daughter and heiress Elizabeth the wife of Fitz-Hugh a famous Baron The Ure now receives the Swale Swalâ— sacred â—â—ver so called as Thom. Spott has it from its swiftness which enters it with a great leaping and hurry of waters This also rises out of the western mountains hardly five miles above the head of the river Ure and runs to the eastward It was very sacred among the ancient English because when the Saxons were first converted to Christianity there were baptiz'd in it on one day with great joy by Paulinus Archbishop of York above ten thousand men besides women and children The course of the Swale lies through a pretty large vale which is called Swaldale from it and has grass enough but wants wood and first by Marricke â—â—rricke where stood a Cloister built by the Askes men of great note heretofore
then by Mask where there is great store of lead From thence by Richmondia commonly Richmond â—â—chmond the chief city of this Shire enclos'd with walls of no great compass yet by the sâ—burbs which shoot out in length to the three gates it is pretty populous It was built by Alan the first Earl who not daring to rely upon Gilling â—â—lling his village or manour hard by to withstand the assaults of the Saxons and Danes whom the Normans had strip'd of their inheritances grac'd it with this name signi ying a Rich Mount and fortify'd it with walls and a very strong castle situated upon a rock from whence it looks down upon the river Swale which with a great murmur seems to rush rather than run among the stones The village Gilling was rather holy upon the account of Religion than strong in respect of its fortifications ever since Oswius K. of Northumberland by the treachery of his Hospitis Host was slain in this place which is called by Bede Gethling To expiate whose murder a Monastery was built here which was highly esteem'd and honour'd by our ancestors More towards the north stands Ravenswath â—â—vensâ—â—th a castle encompass'd with a pretty large wall now ruinous which belonged to those Barons called Fitz-Hugh â—â—ron Fitz-â—â—gh descended from an old line of English who were Lords of this place before the Norman Conquest and flourish'd till the time of Henry 7. being enriched with great estates by marriages with the heirs of the famous families of the Forneaux and Marmions which went at last by females to the Fienes Lords Dacre in the South and to the Parrs Three miles below Richmond the Swale flows by that old city which Ptolemy and Antoninus call Caturactonium â—â—â—uractoâ—â—â—m and Catarracton but Bede Catarractan and in another place the village near Catarracta â—â—â—aricke which makes me think that name given it from the Catarract seeing here is a great fall of water hard by tho' nearer Richmond where as I already observ'd the Swale rather rushes than runs its waters being dashed and broken by those crags it meets with And why should he call it a village near Catarracta if there had been no cataract of the waters there That it was a city of great note in those times may be inferr'd from Ptolemy because an Observation of the Heavens was taken there For in his Magna Constructio lib. 2. cap. 6. he describes the 24th parallel to be through Catarractonium in Britain and to be distant from the aequator 57 degrees Yet in his Geography he defines the longest day to be 18 Equinoctial hours so that according to his own calculation it is distant 58 degrees â—gnum 〈◊〉 nisi noâ— habet But at this day as the Poet says it has nothing great but the memory of what it was For it is but a very small village called Catarrick and Catarrick-bridge â—â—tarrick â—â—â—dge yet remarkable for its situation by a Roman highway which crosses the river here and for those heaps of rubbish up and down which carry some colour of antiquity especially near Ketterickswart and Burghale which are somewhat distant from the bridge and likewise more eastward hard by the river where I saw a huge mount as it were with four bulwarks cast up with great labour to a considerable height m What it might suffer from the Picts and Saxons when with fire and sword they laid waste the Cities of Britain I cannot certainly tell yet when the Saxon Government was establish'd it seems to have flourish'd though Bede always calls it a village till in the year 769 it was burnt by Eanredus or Beanredus the tyrant who destroyed the Kingdom of Northumberland But immediately after he himself was miserably burnt and Catarractonium began to raise its head again for in the 77th year after King Etheldred solemnized his marriage with the daughter of Offa King of the Mercians here Yet it did not continue long flourishing for in the Danish outrages which followed it was utterly destroy'd The Swale after a long course not without some rubs flows pretty near Hornby Hornby a castle of the family de S. Quintin which afterwards came to the Cogniers and besides pleasant pastures and country villages sees nothing but Bedal Bedal situated upon another little river that runs into it which in the time of King Edward the first gloried in its Baron 3 Sir Brian Brian Fitz-Alan Fitz-Alan famous for his ancient Nobility being descended 4 From the Earls of Britain and Richmond from the Dukes of Britain and the Earls of Richmond but for default of issue-male this inheritance was brought by daughters to the Stapletons and the Greys of Rotherfeld The Swale being now past Richmondshire draws nearer to the Ure where it sees Topcliffe Topcliffe the chief seat of the Percies call'd by Marianus Taden-clife who says that in the year 949. the States of Northumberland took an oath of Allegiance there to King Eldred the West-Saxon brother to Edmund n At the very confluence of these two rivers stands Mitton Mitton a very small village but memorable for no small slaughter there For in the year 1319 when England was almost made desolate by a raging plague the Scots continued their ravages to this place and easily routed a considerable body of Priests and Peasants which the Archbishop of York had drawn together against them But now to return From Catarractonium the military-way falls into two roads that towards the north lies by Caldwell Caldwell and Aldburgh Aldburgh which imports in the Saxon language an old burgh By what name it went formerly I cannot easily guess It seems to have been a great City from its large ruins and near it by a village called Stanwig lies a ditch of about eight miles long drawn between the Tees and the Swale As the Way runs towards the ‖ Circium north-west twelve miles off it goes by Bowes Bowes at present a little village and sometimes writ Bough where in former ages the Earls of Richmond had a little castle a tribute called Thorough-toll and their Gallows But formerly it was called in Antoninus's Itinerary Lavatrae Lavatrae and Levatrae as both its distance and the situation by a military way which is visible by the ridge of it do plainly demonstrate The antiquity of it is farther confirmed by an old stone in the Church used there not long ago for a Communion-table with this Inscription in honour of Hadrian the Emperour IMP. CAESARI DIVI TRAIANI PARTHICI Max filio DIVI NERVAE NEPOTI TRAIANO Hadria NO AVG. PONT MAXM COS. I. P.P. COH IIII. F. IO. SEV This fragment was also dug up here NO L. CAE FRONTINVS COH I. THRAC In Severus's reign when Virius Lupus was Legate and Propraetor of Britain the first Cohort of the Thracians was garison'd here â—neum Bâ—â—neum for whose sake he restored the Balneum or bath also
Francis who dy'd at York 1643. leaving issue one only daughter so that the male line of that most ancient and noble family is now extinct At present his Royal Highness Prince George of Denmark honours this County by having the title of Duke of Cumberland which was enjoy'd before him by Prince Rupert Prince Palatine of the Rhine a person of admirable courage and bravery aa If our Author means by the Praetentura of Agricola any thing of Walls or Rampires we may justly question the truth of it since the learned â— Eâ—l p 3.6 Archbishop Usher has prov'd out of Tacitus that Agricola only garison'd the Frontiers at this place without contriving any other sence 'T is likely that according to the Roman custom he plac'd some of his troops within the limits of the Barbarians Country intra fines Horestorum for these Horesti were not the inhabitants on the river Esk near the borders of England as our Author afterwards in his description of Scotland asserts but those of Angus and Mernes as the Scotch Historians sufficiently evidence particularly the learned Sir George Mackenzie Defence of the Royal Line p. 79. â— in 〈◊〉 Not but Mr. Camden's foundation may for all that stand good and the Horesti be deriv'd from Ar-Esc considering there is a South as well as a North Esk. â—od 〈◊〉 bb Not many years ago there was found on the ruins of the Wall a little below Carlisle a small wing'd image of brass somewhat more than half a foot in length well agreeing with the description which some of the ancients have given us of the god Terminus 'T is now in the possession of the right honourable Sir John Lowther of Lowther Baronet cc Buchanan maintains that Severus's Rampier was at Grimesdike but Fordon and Major as well as Hector Boëtius are of Camden's opinion The Controversie will be best determin'd by considering the length as it is deliver'd by several authors Eutropius sets it at XXXII and if some others have XXXV 't is easie to imagine that a little inadvertency in a Transcriber might change II into V. Thus far the account seems to make for Buchanan that Severus's fortification was really between the two Friths of Edenburrow and Dumbritton And Paulus Orosius who computes its length at CXXXII miles goes so far beyond the extent of that which reach'd from Solway to Tinmouth that thence no true estimate is to be had But 't is most likely that this whole difference is to be stated by Spartianus who rightly asserts that the extent of Hadrian's ditch was LXXX miles Out of this number by the heedless change of L into C the copyers of Orosius made CXXX and by a careless dropping of the same Letter the transcribers of Eutropius turn'd it into XXX * V. Usher Antiquitat p. 316. As to the dispute betwixt the Archbishop and our Author Whether Severus's work was a wall of stone or a rampier of earth we shall only add to the authorities produc'd by Camden that the Royal Paraphrast upon †Eccl. Hist l. 1. c. 5. Bede says it was mid dice and mid eoƿþ-Æ¿ealle and ‖ Lib. 1. c. 12. afterwards speaking of a later fabrick of Stone in the same place he says it was built ðaer Severus se Casere in het dician eopð Æ¿all geÆ¿yrcan The Saxon Chronicle also affirms that it was of turfum And if that expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Agathemer who is suppos'd to have liv'd in Severus's time have any relation to this work it very much countenances the opinion of Bede and Mr. Camden Vide Geogr. Agathem edit à Sam. Tennulio Amst 1671. p. 45 74 86. dd That this last Wall was built betwixt Tinmouth and Solway-Frith * Lib. 1. c. 12. Bede seems most peremptorily to assert And yet Archbishop Usher Antiquitat Eccl. p. 317. enclines rather to Buchanan's opinion that it was at Grimesdike and thinks this conjecture supported by Gildas's saying that it was built recto tramite which says he that betwixt Bowness and Tinmouth is not With the Archbishop agrees our very learned Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield then of St. Asaph in his historical account of Church-government c. p. 4. And 't is certain that along Grimesdike there are here and there as the Gordons in Bleau's Atlas have observ'd several ruins of Stone-buildings nor can we doubt but there were Forts of stone erected at due distances along that Rampier But 't is certain that in most places there appear no manner of remains of a stone-building whereas a continu'd stone-wall is easily follow'd from Carlisle to New-castle As for Nennius's story Hist Brit. cap. 19. 't is so full of contradictions that there 's no regarding it and after all the stress that 's laid upon Gildas's expression a man shall hardly travel the length of The Picts-Wall in any great road in England that goes more recto tramite in a streight line than it does ee As to the Medicinal Plants Mr. Nicolson to whom we owe these observations upon the WALL as well as several others throughout the Province of York has made very diligent search but could never meet with any sort of Plants growing along the Wall which is not as plentiful in some other part of the Country An Account of the Division of Cumberland by William the Conquerour amongst his Followers a It is call'd Distributio Cumbriae ad Conquestum Angliae inter Gentes Sir William Dugdale calls it Chronicon Cumbriae and so the Lord Willâ—am Howard has stiled it in one of the MSS. but 't is a mistake for that piece of Antiquity if it be extant was of another nature and writ by one Everardus Abbot of Holme Cultram temp H. 2. It was said to be in the Library of Sir Thomas Gower Baronet but upon search it could not be found taken out of two ancient Latin Manuscripts in the Library of the Dean and Chapter of Carlisle carefully Collated by the Reverend Dr. Hugh Todd KING William sirnam'd the Bastard Duke of Normandy Conqueror of England gave all the Lands of the County of Cumberland to Ranulphus de Meschins and to Galfridus Brother to the said Ranulphus he gave the whole County of Chestre and to William another brother he gave all the Land of Coupland between Duden and Darwent Ranulphus de Meschins infeoffed Hubbertus de b Vaux MS. B. Waux in the Barony of Gillisland and Ranulphus his brother in Sowerby Carlaton and Hubbrightby And Robert the third brother in the Barony of Dalston He infeoffed also Robert Destrivers im the Barony of Burgh and Richerus de Boyvile in the Barony of Levington and Odardus de Logis in the Barony of Stanyton He infeoffed also Waldevus son of Gospatricius Earl of Dunbar in Scotland in all the Barony of Allerdale between Wathenpole and Darwent The aforesaid William de Meschins Lord of Coupland infeoffed Waldevus son of Gospatricius in all the Land that lyes between Cocar
Falkirk but we need not here be particular in the Description of it designing a separate discourse upon that subject at the end of this Kingdom SELGOVAE BEneath the Gadeni to the South and West where now lie the small Territories of Liddesdale Eusdale Eskdale Annandale and Nidisdale q To which add Wachopdale so called from Rivulets running through them which all lose themselves in Solway-Frith were anciently seated the Selgovae the reliques of whose name seem to me whether to others too I knâ—w not to remain in the name Solway IN Liddesdale â—â—ddâ—sâ—â—â—e we have a high prospect of Armitage so called because anciently dedicated to a solitary life But now it is a very strong Castle which belonged to the Hepburnes who deduce their Original from a certain English Captive whom the Earl of March for delivering him out of a danger much enriched They were Earls of Bothwell â—â—rls of â—â—thwell and for a long time Admirals of Scotland by inheritance But by a sister of James Earl of Bothwell last of the Hepburnes â—â—pburnes married to John Prior of Coldingham a natural son of K. James 5. who had several such issue both title and estate devolved to his son Hard by is Brakensey â—â—akensey the seat of the warlike Family of Baclugh â—â—â—d â—â—clugh sirnamed Scot with many other little Forts of men of Arms up and down the Country In Eusdale Eusdale I should be apt to think from the affinity of the name that the ancient Uzellum Uzellum mentioned by Ptolemy lay upon the River Euse In Eskdale Eskdale some are of opinion that the Horesti Horesti dwelt into whose borders Julius Agricola after he had subdued the Britains that inhabited this Tract led the Roman Army especially if we read Horesci for Horesti For the British Ar-Esc signifies a place by the River Eske As for Aesica in Eskdale I have spoken of it before in England and need not repeat it here a ANNANDALE JOined to this on the west-side lies Annandale Annandale that is the Valley or Dale upon the river Annan into which the access by land is very difcult The places of greatest note are a Castle upon Lough-Maban Lough-Maban which is three parts surrounded with water and strongly walled And Annandale Town almost upon the very mouth of the river Annan divested of all its glory by the English War in the reign of Edward 6. In this Territory the Jonstons The Jonstons are men of greatest name a family born for Wars between whom and the Maxwells who by ancient right preside over the Stewartry The Stewartry of Annandale for so 't is term'd there hath been too long an open enmity and defiance even to bloodshed This Valley Edgar King of the Scots upon his restoration to his Kingdom by the Auxiliaries he had out of England gave for his good services to Robert Brus The Bruses Lord of Cleaveland in the County of York who bestowed it by the King's permission upon Robert his younger son being unwilling himself to serve the King of Scots in his Wars From him are branched the Bruses Lords of Annandale of whom Robert Bruse married Isabella the daughter of William King of Scots by the daughter of Robert Avenel his son likewise Robert the third of that name married the daughter of David Earl of Huntingdon and Garioth whose son Robert sirnamed the Noble upon the failure of the issue of Alexander the third King of Scotland challenged in his mother's right the Kingdom of Scotland before Edward I. K. of England as the direct and superior Lord of the Kingdom of Scotland as the English give out or as an Honorary Arbitrator as the Scots will have it as being more nearly related in degree and bloud to King Alexander the third and to Margaret daughter to the King of Norway although a second sister's son Who soon after resigning up his own right granted and gave over to his son Robert Brus Earl of Carrick and to his heirs I speak out of the very Original all the right and claim which he had or might have to the Kingdom of Scotland But the point was determined in favour of John Baliol who sued for his right as descended from the eldest sister though in a more remote degree in these words Because the person more remote in the second degree descending in the first line is to be preferred before a nearer in the second line in the succession of an inheritance that cannot be parted Nevertheless the said Robert son to the Earl of Carriot by his valour possess'd himself of the Kingdom and establish'd it in his posterity A Prince who as he was illustrious for his glorious Actions so did he successfully triumph over Fortune so often his Adversary with a courage and presence of mind invincible b NIDISDALE CLose to Annandale on the West lies Nidisdale abounding in arable and pasture grounds so named from the River Nid The River Nid by Ptolemy falsely written Nobius for Nodius or Nidius of which name there are other Rivers in Britain full of muddy shallows as this Nid is It springs out of the Lake Lough-Cure upon which stood anciently Corda Corda a Town of the Selgovae It takes its course first by Sanqhar a Castle of the Creightons The Creightons Barons of Sanqhar who were long honoured with the Title of Barons of Sanqhar and the authority of hereditary Sheriffs of Nidisdale next by Morton Earls of Morton which gave the Title of Earl to some of the family of Douglass of which others are seated at Drumlanrig upon the same River near the mouth whereof stands Dunfreys Dunfreys between two Hills the most flourishing Town of this Tract which still shews its ancient Castle a Town famous for its woollen Manufacture and remarkable for the murder of John Commin a man of the greatest Interest amongst the Scots whom Robert Brus lest he should oppose his coming to the Crown ran through in the Church and easily got a pardon of the Pope for a murder committed in a sacred place Nearer to its mouth Solway a Village still retains somewhat of the old name of Selgovae Upon the very mouth is situated Caer-Laverock Caer-Laverock Ptolemie's Carbantorigum a Fort looked upon as impregnable when K. Edw. I. accompanied with the flower of the English Nobility besieged and took it But now 't is a weak Mansion-House of the Barons Maxwell who being of ancient Nobility were long Wardens of these Western Marches and lately advanced by a marriage with a Daughter and Coheir of the Earl of Morton whereby John Lord Maxwell was decâ—ared Earl of Morton as also by the Daughter and Heir of Hereis Lord Toricles whom J. a second son took to wife and had by her the title of Baron Hereis Barons Hereis In this valley also upon the lake lies Glencarn Glencaâ—â— of which the Cunninghams about whom I shall speak
24 Yet will I note thus much which I have since hapned upon in the Records When as King Richard aforesaid had advanced that Robert Vere Earl of Oxford to be Marquiss of Dublin and had given to him the Seigniory of Iâ—eland during his life Pr. pat an 9. Ric. 2. m. 1. he desirous to augment his honour by more ennoblishing him with honourable Arms granted also that as long as he should live and hold the said Seigniory he should bear these Arms Azure 3 Crowns Or in a border in his Standards Pennons Coat-armors and other things werein Arms are to be shewed in all Marshal matters and eâ—sewhere at his pleasure But this grant was soon after recalled and those Arms abolished Where the river Liffy runs into the sea stands Houth almost encompassed by the salt water Baroâ—â— Hoâ—â— S. â—aâ—reâ—ce which gives the title of Barons to the noble family of S. Lâ—urence who have lived there so happy that in a long series of successors for they derive their pedigree as low as Henry the seventh's time no one of them as 't is said has ever been attainted of treason or left in minority A little distance from hence is Malchid Maâ—châ—â— eminent for its Lords the Talbots an English family More to the north inward stands b Fingall Fâ—ngaâ— which is an Irish word and signifies a nation of Foreigners for they call the English Gall i.e. Strangers and Saissâ—nes as it were Saxons a small territory well cultivated and the granary in a manner of this Kingdom it yields such plentiful crops of corn every year Here the earth strives as it were to be grateful to the husband-man which in other parts of this Island is so neglected that for want of tillage it seems to reproach the sloth and idleness of the Inhabitants Here are scatter'd up and down this Country many eminent families of the English besides those but now mentioned the Plunkets the Barnwells the Russâ—lls the Talbots Dillons Nettervills Holywoods Lutterels Burnells Fitz-Williams Goldings Ushers Cadleys Finglases Sarfelds Blackneys Cruces Baths c. Thus much as briefly as I could of Leinster which formerly went no farther I cannot tell whether it would best deserve laughter or penning that Thomas Stukely Thomâ—â— Stuâ—â—â— when he had lost his reputation and fortune both in England and Ireland and escap'd the danger of the Law by his fair promises and ostentation insinuated himself so much into the favour of Pope Gregory the thirteenth that he conferr'd upon him the titles of Marquiss of Leinster Earl of Weisford and Caterlagh Vicount of Murrough and Baron of Ross and Ydron Thus big with the vanity of these titles intending to invade Ireland he turn'd into Africa and along with three Kings that were slain in one battle ended the scene of his life honourably enough d This is a Barony in the County of Dublin METH THE remaining part of the Country of the Eblani was formerly a Kingdom and the fifth part of Ireland call'd in Irish Mijh in English Methe by Giraldus Midia and Media because perhaps it lay in the middle of the Island For they say that Kil-lair a Castle in these parts which seems to be that called by Ptolemy Laberus Labeâ—us as the name it self intimates is as it were the Navel of Ireland For Lair in Irish signifies a Navel a This Description of Meath comprehends also West-Meath and Longford This Meth lyes extended from the Irish Sea as far as the river Shanon The soil of which as Barthol Anglicus tells us yeilds good corn and makes good pasture which is well stockt with cattle the County is also well furnished with fish and flesh and other victuals as butter cheese and milk and well watered with rivers The situation is pleasant and the air wholsom By reason of woods and marshes in the borders of it the entrance or access is difficult so that for the great number of inhabitants and the strength of its towns and castles it is commonly by reason of the peace it enjoys called the Chamber of Ireland Within the memory of our fathers when the Country was too large to be governed by one Sheriff for the more easie administration of Justice it was divided into two by Act of Parliament in the 38th of Hen. 8. the County of Meth and the County of West Meth. The County of METH THE County of Meth on the South bounds upon the County of Kildare on the East upon the County of Dublin and the Sea on the North upon the territory of Louth and on the West upon the County of West-Meth The whole is subdivided into 18 Baronies Dueleke Scrine Slane Margallen Navan Kenles the moiety of the Barony of Fower near Kenles Killalou Demore Clove Moylagh Loghern Old-castle Luyn Moyfeuraraghe Deese Rathtouth and Dunboyn The Boyn R. Boâ—n in Ptolemy Buvinda in Giraldus Boandus a noble river rising in the North side of the King's County runs through the middle of this shire In the hither part on this side the Boyn the places memorable are Galtrim â—â—â—trim where the Family of the Huseys have long dwelt â—â—in Killin-Castle built by Hugh Lacy Keeper of Ireland in Henry the second 's time and Dunsany â—â—â—sany which has its Barons of Parliament eminent for their antient and noble family descended from the Plonkets others derive them from the Danes but their Arms are the same only in different colours with Allan Plonket of Kilpeck in England â—â—â—kett who was also a Baron in Edward the first 's time These Plonkets in Ireland have been eminent ever since 25 Sir Christopher Christopher Plonket a man of great wisdom and gallantry who was Deputy as they call it to Richard Duke of York Viceroy in Henry the sixth's time enjoy'd the Barony of Killin which fell to him by his wife as heir to the Family of the Cusakes and his second son had the title of Baron of Dunsany â—â—â—â—n â—â—â—sany conferr'd upon him for his great worth and virtue Beyond the Boyn 〈◊〉 â—ramletâ—â—â—â—n stands Trimletstoun which is a Barony belonging to one of the Family of the Barnwells 〈◊〉 â—nwell For 26 Sir Robert Barnwell John Barnwell was made a Baron of Parliament by Edward the fourth Then Gormanston which has its Vicounts â—â—counts â—â—rmanâ—â—on men of great worth descended from the Prestons of Lancashire as 't is thought and Slane â—â—ons â—oâ— which has also its Barons of the Family of the Flemings and b The name is Athboy Abâ—y a populous Market-town Upon the Boyn after it has passed Glan-Iores i.e. the land of the sons of George who was of the Family of the Birminghams whose heir by marriage brought a fair inheritance with the Castle of Carbray Carbray to the Prestons it arrives at Trim Trim. an eminent Market-town where William Pepard built a Castle This was an antient Barony of the Lacyes which afterwards became one of
57 And this Rory his succâ—ssor practising new treason against King James his advancer upon the terrour of a guilty conscience fled the Realm in the year 1607 and died at Rome The Scots The antient inhabitants of this Ulster as likewise of all other parts of the Kingdom went formerly by the name of Scots and from hence they brought that name into the Northern part of Britain For as Giraldus says the six sons of Mured King of Ulster possest themselves of the North of Britain about 400 years after Christ from which time it has been called by the name of Scotia Yet the Annals of that Kingdom shew us that it has had this name much earlier And moreover Fergus the second who re-established the Kingdom of the Scots in Britain came from hence Patrick â—xâ—ife of â— Patrick having foretold That though he seemed mean and contemptible to his brethren at that time it would shortly came to pass thas he should be Prince and Lord over them all To make this the more probable the same writer adds farther That not long after Fergus according to the prediction of this holy man obtained the soveraignty in these parts and that his posterity continued in the throne for many generations From him was descended the most valiant King Edan son of Gabrain who conquer'd Scotland called Albania where his offspring reign to this day 58 Sir John John Curcy in the reign of Henry the second was the first Englishman that attempted the conquest of this County who having taken Down and Armagh made himself master of the whole Province either by force or surrender and was the first that had the title of Earl of Ulster â—'s of â—â—er At last his success and fortune made him so envied that for his own worth and the unworthiness of others he was banish'd and by King John's appointment succeeded by Hugh de Lacy second son of Hugh Lacy Lord of Meth who was made Earl of Ulster by a sword with orders to carry on a war against him Yet he was deprived of this honour by the same King 〈◊〉 â—o upon his insolence and popular practices but received again into favour In confirmation of this I will here give you word for word what I find in the Records of Ireland Hugh de Lacy formerly Earl of Ulster held all Ulster exempt and separate from any other County whatsoever in capite of the Kings of England by the service of three Knights when ever the Royal service was ordered by proclamation And he migâ—â— try in his own Court all pleas whatsoever belonging to the Sheriff and the Chief Justice and held a Court of Chancery c. After this all Ulster was forfeited to our Lord King John from the said Hugh who had it afterwards granted him for term of life by King Henry the third After Hugh's decease Walter de Burgo did these services to our Lord Edward King Henry's son Lord of Ireland before he was King This same Lord Edward infeoff'd the aforesaid Walter with the lands of Ulster to have and to hold to him and his heirs by the service aforesaid as well and freely as the said Hugh de Lacy did excepting the advowsons of the Cathedral Churches and the demesns of the same as also the Pleas of the Crown Rapes Forstalls Arsonyes and Treasure-trouves which our soveraign Lord King Edward retaineth to himself and his heirs This Walter de Burgo who was Lord of Conaught and Earl of Ulster had by the only daughter of Hugh de Lacy Richard Earl of Ulster who put an end to an uneasie life in the year 1326. This Richard had a son John de Burgo who died in his life time after he had had a son William by his wife Elizabeth the sister and co-heir of Gilbert Clare Earl of Gloucester who succeeded his Grandfather William was murder'd by his own men in his youth leaving a little daughter Elizabeth See Raâ—norshire and Yorkshire north-riding afterwards married to Leonel Duke of Clarence by whom she had likewise an only daughter married to Edmund Mortimer Earl of March and by her the Earldom of Ulster and Seigniory of Conaught came to the Mortimers from whom together with the Kingdom of England it fell to the house of York and then by King Edward the fourth was annexed to the Crown or the King 's demesn lands as they express it A civil war breaking out at that time and the Nation falling into faction and parties so that these English then in Ulster were induced to return into England to support their several sides and parties these Countreys were seiz'd upon by O-Neal and others of the Irish so that the Province grew as wild and barbarous as could be and whereas it formerly yielded a considerable revenue to the Earl in money it has hardly since that time paid any to the Kings of England And if I may be allowed to make remarks of this nature the piety and wisdom of the Kings of England has been more defective in no one thing than in the due administration of this Province and all Ireland either in respect of propagating Religion modelling the State or civilizing the Inhabitants Whether this neglect is to be imputed to a careless oversight or a design of parsimony and unseasonable providence I am not able to determine But one would think an Island so great and so near us where there 's so much good soil and rich pasture so many woods so much good mettal for digging up so many fine rivers and commodious harbours on all sides convenient for navigation into the richest parts of the world upon which account great imposts might be probably expected and lastly an Island so very fruitful of inhabitants and the people both in respect of minds and bodies capable of all the employments of peace or war should of right challenge and deserve our care for the future 59 If they were wrought and conform'd to orderly civility I Did but just now intimate That I would give some account of these O-Neals who pretend to be Lords of Ulster and therefore I promised to an excellent friend of mine the history of the Rebellions they rais'd this last age Though that Gentleman is now happy in a better world yet I had so much esteem for him that I cannot now but perform my promise to his very memory Thus much I thought necessary to premise As for the following History the materials are not drawn from uncertain reports or other weak authorities but from those very authâ—ntick papers that came from the Generals themselves or such as were eye-witnesses and had a share in the transactions and that so sincerely that I cannot but flatter my self with hopes of favour from the Reader if he desires a true information or would understand the late affairs in Ireland which are so much a secret to most of us and also of escaping all manner of reprehension except from such as are conscious and gall'd
acclamations of the common people nay with a clap of thunder in a clear sun-shiny day set out from London towards the end of March and after a troublesome voyage arrived in Ireland Having received the sword according to the custom he took his march upon the persuasion of some of the Council who had too much regard to their own private interests against some petty Rebels in Munster without heeding the Earl which was quite contrary to his instructions having taken Cahir a Castle of Edward Butler Baron of Cahir which was encompassed by the river Swire and possessed by the Rebels and made great booty of their cattle he made himself terrible to the whole Country so that the Rebels dispersed themselves into the woods and forests In the mean time he received no small loss by the cowardise of some soldiers under 35 Sir Henry H. Harrington for which he punished them with great severity He returned towards the end of July his army being sadly harassed with toil and sickness and incredibly diminished Finding the Queen very angry at this unfortunate expedition when she had expresly urg'd him to march directly into Ulster against the Earl he writ an excuse to her Majesty laying the fault upon her Counsel in Ireland that advised him whom he could not but comply with in respect to their experience in the state affairs of that Kingdom promising that he would now forthwith march into Ulster He had scarce delivered these letters out of his hands when he was forced to send another dispatch that now he was diverted and obliged to march into Ophaly near Dublin against the O-Conors and the O-Moils who had broke out into rebellion and whom he soon vanquished with good success in some few skirmishes Upon a review of his army after this expedition he found himself so much weakned that he writ the Queen word and got the hands of the Privy-Councellors to his letter that it was necessary to reinforce his army with a thousand soldiers before he went into Ulster Being now resolved to employ his whole power against that Province he ordered 36 Sir Coniers Coigniers Clifford Governor of Conaught to march toward Belik with a body of light horse that the Earls forces might be distracted when he should attack him on the other side Clifford set out accordingly with 1500. men and notwithstanding the toil of a long march and scarcity of powder would not halt till he had passed the Curlew-mountains When most of his men had passed the Rebels set upon them unawares under the conduct of O-Rork Being easily repelled ours still continued their march but the enemy perceiving the want of powder among them renewed the charge and put them quickly to flight being already sore fatigued with their journey killing Clifford himself and Sir Henry Radcliff of Ordsall Knight In the mean while the supply which the Lord Deputy had desired was raised in England and transported But within some few days after he sent the Queen word he could do nothing more this year than march to the frontiers of Ulster with 1300 foot and 300 horse where he arrived about the thirteenth of September The Earl shewed himself from the hills for two days together and at length sent Hagan to the Lord Deputy for a parley His Lordship refused it answering That if the Earl had any thing to say to him he might find him next morning at the head of his army The next morning after some light skirmishes a trooper rid out from the Earl's Army and told them in a loud voice that the Earl did not intend to engage but to parly with the Lord Lieutenant yet not now between the armies in battalia As the Lord Deputy was advancing the next day Hagan came up to him declaring that the Earl desired that the Queen's pardon and a peace might be allowed him and withall that he might have an audience of his Lordship if this favour was granted him he would be ready to receive him at the ford of the river hard by called Balla Clinch This ford is not far from Louth the head town of the County and near the Castle of Gerard Fleming The Lord Deputy sent some before hand to discover the place who found the Earl there according to the appointment he told them that the river was risen but that a man might be still very easily heard from the one side of the ford to the other Whereupon his Lordship having lodged a troop of horse upon the next hill went down to him alone The Earl riding his horse up to the belly in the ford saluted him with great respect and so after about an hour's discourse between themselves they withdrew to their respective armies Con a bastard son of the Earl's was sent to the Lord Deputy to desire another conference before a select number on both sides The Lord Deputy granted this likewise provided the number did not exceed six The Earl taking his brother Cormac Mac Gennys Mac Guir Evar Mac Cowley Henry Ovington and O-Quin returned forthwith to the same ford and the Lord Deputy came down to him accompanied with the Earl of Southampton Sir George Bourgchier Sir Warham S. Leger Sir Henry Danvers Sir Edward Wingfeld and Sir William Constable The Earl saluted them singly with great respect and after some few words it was concluded that Commissioners should be appointed the day following to treat of a peace who agreed upon a cessation from that very day from six weeks to six weeks 8. Sept. 1599. till the first of May yet so that it should be free for both sides to renew the war after fourteen days warning and that if any Confederate of the Earl's did not agree to it the Earl should leave him to be pursued at the discretion of the Lord Deputy In the mean while the letters of the Lord Deputy already mentioned were delivered to the Queen by Henry Cuff a great Scholar but an unfortunate man As soon as she perceived that her Lieutenant had done nothing at all in so long a time with so great an army and so much to her expence nor could for that year she was much offended and writ back to him and her Council there 38 That his proceeding answered neither her direction nor the world's expectation That she could not but wonder what the Lord Deputy meant by prolonging the war at this rate and missing those excellent opportunities he had had of carrying it on against the Earl himself considering that this was his constant advice in England and he had often promised her in his Letters he would take that course she asked him why he had made those impertinent expeditions into Munster and Ophaly even against his own judgment and without giving her notice before hand that so she might have countermanded them If his army was now broken and weak how comes it that he did not force the enemy when it was intire strong and compleat If the spring was not a
that the Ministers read the Scriptures to the people in the Manks language out of the English There have been three Monasteries Thâ— Monasteries in this Isle the chief of which was the Monastery of Russin in Castle-town the common burying-place of the King 's of Man which by the Ruines thereof appears to have been a goodly Fabrick There was also the Priory of Douglas and a house of the Friers Minors at Brinnaken Besides these Monasteries there were several others without the Kingdom upon which the Kings of this Isle conferred titles or lands within the Island as the Priory of St. Bees or de Sancta Bega in Cumberland upon the Abbey of Whittern or Candida Casa in Galloway of Scotland and upon the Abbey of Banchor in Ireland For this cause the Prior and Abbots of these houses were Barons of Man and were obliged to give their attendance as such upon the Kings and Lords thereof when required Mr. Camden's error touching the Bishoprick of Man As to the Bishoprick of Man Mr. Camden saith That it was founded by Pope Gregory the fourth about the year 140. and that the Bishop thereof was named Sodorensis from a little Island near Castletown in the Isle of Man where the Episcopal See was instituted This error of Mr. Camden's is confuted by the authority not only of the Irish and Manks Tradition concerning their first conversion to Christianity but likewise of all the Historians that have wrote the life of St. Patrick who is generally believed to have converted that Island to Christianity They affirm * â—osâ—â—lin vita Pat. c. 92. that St. Patrick having converted the Island about the year 447. left one Germanus Bishop thereof and after his death consecrated two other Bishops to succeed him whose names were Conindrius and Romulus fellow-Bishops and to them succeeded one St. Maughald This is confirmed by the testimony of the learned Antiquary Bishop Usher a Usser antiâ— Br. c. 6. p. 644. Besides these four there is another Bishop of Man mentioned by Boethius b Boeth Hist â—cot p 114. and Hollinshead c Hollâ—sh p. 144. whose name was Conanus and who had been Tutor to Eugenius the fifth King of Scotland who began to reign An. Dom. 684. which was above 130 years before Gregory the fourth sate in St. Peter's Chair So that this Bishoprick appears to be near 4â—0 years of greater antiquity than Mr. Camden makes it These Bishops above named were called Bishops of Man only and not Bishops of Sodor for that Bishoprick was not founded till near 400 years after and the Bishops of Man were never called Bishops of Sodor till after the union of the two Bishopricks Sodor and Man Mr. Camden's mistake may proceed from confounding the Bishopricks of Sodor and Man making them one and the same whereas they were quite distinct The Bishoprick of Sodor was indeed first instituted by Pope Gregory the fourth about the time that Mr. Camden places the foundation of the Bishoprick of Man But it is placed in the Isle Jona or St. Columb's Isle corruptly called Colm-kill a little Island among the Hebrides belonging to Scotland This new erected title of Sodor the Bishops of the Western Isles possessed solely until the year 1098. that King Magnus of Norway conquering the Western Isles and the Island of Man united the two Bishopricks of Sodor and Man which continued so united for the space of 235 years till the English were fully possessed of the Isle of Man in 1333. During this union the Bishops always stiled themselves Bishops of Sodor and Man but before the uniting of the Bishopricks the Bishops of Man were never stiled Bishops of Sodor The Bishops The Bishop of Man were heretofore looked upon as Barons and were always to assist at the Inauguration of a new King or Lord of Man and there to pay their homage to him for the temporalities they enjoyed The Bishop hath his own particular Court where the Deemsters of the Island sit Judges The Bishop himself hath no hand in the assessment of the fines in his own Court yet has he all the fines and perquisites after they are assessed by the Deemsters and other Officers of the Lord's that are present This particular Privilege the Bishop of Man has at this day That if any of his tenants do commit Felony and be brought to the Bar of the Court of the Gaol-delivery with the rest of the Felons before rhe Governor and Deemster the Bishop's Steward may demand the Prisoner from the Bar and he shall have him delivered to be tried at the Bishop's Court. The forfeitures of Lands of any Delinquent holding of the Bishop do belong to him but the Delinquent's goods and person are at the Lord's disposal The Abbots of this Island were allowed the like privileges The Bishop of Man keeps his residence in the village called Bal-Curi The Bishoprick is under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of York During the Norwegian Conquest they were under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan of Norway which is Drontheim When the Bishoprick falls void the Lord of the Island names a Bishop and presents him to the King of England for his Royal Assent and then to the Archbishop of York for his Consecration This Bishop has no voice in the upper house of Parliament but is allowed to sit uppermost in the lower house of Convocation in England The Clergy The Clergy here are generally natives and have had their whole education in the Island They are not any ways taxed with ignorance or debauchery they have all a competent maintenance at least 50 or 60 pounds a year The Ministers who are Natives have always the addition of Sir unless they be Parsons of the Parishes which are but few most of the Parsonages being impropriated to the Lord of the Isle or the Bishop As thus Sir Thomas Parr Minister of Kirk-Malew But if they have the title of Parson then they are only called Mr. as Mr. Robert Parr Parson of St. Mary of Ballaugh * The end of the Additiâ—ns to the Isle of Man FRom Man as far as the Mull of Galloway or the Promontory of the Novantes we meet with none but small and inconsiderable Islands but after we are past that in the Frith of Glotta or Dunbritton-Frith we come to the Isle Glotta The Isle Gâ—oâ—ta mentioned in Antoninus called by the Scots at this day Arran whence the Earls of Arran A ran in that Country take their title And then to a neighbouring Island formerly called Rothesia now Buthe so denominated from a Cell which Brendan built in it for so the word signifies in Scotch After these we arrive at Hellan heretofore Hellan-Leneow that is as Fordon explains the word an Isle of Saints and Hellan Tinoc an Isle of Swine all visible in the same Frith Pag. 913. But of these we have said enough already Beyond this aestuary lye a cluster of Isles which the Scotch inhabitants call Inch-Gall
made by them for the benefit of the Kingdom Gaveston quitted the Realm about the feast of All-saints and went into Flanders from whence about four months after he return'd soon after Epiphany privately into England keeping so close to the King that the Barons could not easily come near him He went with the King to York making his abode there in the Lent whereupon the Bishops Earls and Barons of England came to London to consider the state of the Kingdom lest the return of Gaveston might breed disturbance in the state Item Sir John Cogan Sir Walter Faunt and Sir Jehn Fitz Rery died this year and were buried in the Church of the Friers predicants in Dublin Item John Macgoghedan was kill'd by Omolmoy Item This year died William Roch kill'd at Dublin by an arrow which an Irish-highlander shot at him Item Sir Eustace Pover departed this life Item On the eve of S. Peter's Chair a riot was occasion'd in Urgaly by Robert Verdon Item Donat O Brene was traiterously kill'd by his own men in Tothomon MCCCXII Sir Peter Gaveston went into the castle of Scardeburg to defend himself against the Barons But soon after the kalends of June he surrendred himself to Sir Aumare Valence who besieg'd him upon certain conditions Valence was carrying him to London but the Earl of Warwick intercepted him at Dedington and brought him to Warwick where on the 13th before the kalends of July after a consultation among the Earls and Barons he was beheaded and buried in the Church of the Friers predicants in Langley Item The Justiciary of Ireland John Wogan set out at the head of an army against Robert Verdon and his accomplices and â—o the 6th before the ides of July was sadly defeated In this Battle Nicholas Avenel Patrick Roch and many others were cut off Upon this the said Verdon and many of his followers surâ—endred themselves to the King and went into his prison at Dublin â—n hopes of favour and pardon Item On thursday the day after S. Lucy the virgin in the 6th year of King Edward the moon appear'd to be of several colours and that day it was resolv'd that the Order of the Templars should be abolish'd Item The Lord Edmund Botiller was made lieutenant to John â—ogan Justiciary of Ireland In the Lent following he besieg'd the O Brinnes in Glindelory and forc'd them to surrender nay had â—â—terly destroy'd them if they had not submitted themselves Item The day after the feast of S. Dominick the Lord Mauâ—ice Fitz-Thomas married Catharine the Earl of Ulster's daughter â—t Green Castle and Thomas Fitz-John married another daughter of the Earl's on the day after the assumption but in the same place Item The Sunday after the feast of the exaltation of the Holy Cross the daughter of the Earl of Glocester wife to the Lord John Burk was deliver'd of a son MCCCXIII Frier Roland Joce Primat of Armagh arriv'd in the isle of Houth the day after the annunciation of the blessed Mary and in the night got privately out of his bed took up his Crosier and advanc'd it as far as the Priory of Grace-dieu where â—e was encountred by some of the Archbishop of Dublin's servants â—ho made him leave his Crosier and drove the Primat himself out â—f Leinster Item A Parliament was held at London but little or nothing â—one towards a peace The King left them and went into France 〈◊〉 compliance with an order from that Court taking the sign of â—â—e Cross upon him with many of his Nobles Item Nicholas Fitz-Maurice and Robert Clonhul were knighted â—y the Lord John Fitz-Thomas at Adare in Munster Item On the last of May Robert Brus sent out some gallies with â—apperies in them to pillage Ulster but the people made a stout â—esistance and drove them off It is reported that Robert himself â—â—nded with them by the Earl's permission in order to make a â—â—nce Item This Summer Master John Decer a Citizen of Dublin â—aused a bridge to be built as was very necessary reaching from â—â—e Town of Balyboght to the causey of the Mill-pool of Clontarf â—hich before was a very dangerous passage But after great charge â—he whole bridge arches and all was wash'd down by an inâ—ndation Item On the feast of S. Laurence died John Leeks Archbishop â—f Dublin two were elected for the succession such was the heat â—nd difference of the electors Walter Thornbury the King's Chancellor in Ireland and Master Alexander Bicknore Treasurer â—f Ireland But Walter Thornbury with about an hundred and â—â—fty six more were cast away at Sea the night following Bicknor â—as at that time expecting the Pope's favour and was afterwards â—ade Archbishop of Dublin Item The Lord Miles Verdon married the daughter of the Lord â—ichard de Exeter Item This year the Lord Robert Brus demolish'd the Castle of Manne and on S. Barnaby's day overcame the Lord Donegan Odowill On the feast of Marcellus and Marcellianus the Lord John Burk the heir of Richard Earl of Ulster died at Gallway Item The Lord Edmund Botiller on Sunday being S. Michael's day made thirty Knights in Dublin Castle MCCCXIV The Hospitalers had the lands of the Templars in Ireland bestow'd upon them Item The Lord John Parice was slain at Pount Item On S. Silvester's day the Lord Theobald Verdon came Justiciary into Ireland Item Sir Geffery Genevile a Frier died this year on the 12th before the kalends of November and was buried in his order of Friers predicants of Trym he was also Lord of the liberty of Meth. Item Upon S. Matthew's day this year Loghseudy was burnt and on the Friday following the Lord Edmund Botiller receiv'd his Commission to be Justiciary of Ireland MCCCXV On S. John the Baptist's day the Earl of Glocester was kill'd in an engagement with the Scots and many others were kill'd and taken prisoners The Scots grew insolent upon this success and possess'd themselves of much land and tribute in Northumberland Item Shortly after they invested Carlisse where John Douglas was crush'd to death by a wall that fell upon him This year the Scots not contented with their own possessions arriv'd in the north part of Ireland at Clondonne to the number of 6000. fighting men and expert soldiers namely Edward Brus whole brother to Robert King of Scots with the Earl of Morreth John Meneteth John Steward the Lord John Cambel Thomas Randolfe Fergus de Andressan John de Bosco and John Bisset who possess'd themselves of Ulster and drove the Lord Thomas Mandevile and other subjects out of their estates The Scots entred Ireland on the Feast of S. Augustin the English Apostle in the month of May near Cragfergus in Ulster the first encounter between the English and them was hear Banne wherein the Earl of Ulster was put to flight and William Burk John Stanton and many others were taken Prisoners many were kill'd and the Scots got the day The second encounter was at Kenlys in Meth where Roger Mortimer and his soldiers