Savil being the first Alderman and his office executed by John Harrison Esquire a most noble benefactor and a pattern to succeeding ages 1. He founded a Hospital for relief of indigent persons of good conversation and formerly industrious which he endowed with 80 l. per an and a Chapel endowed with 10 l. per an for a Master to read Prayers and to instruct them 2. He built the Free-school to which Godfrey Lawson Esquire Mayor of the Burrough of Leeds An. 1669. has added a Library placed it upon his own ground and enclos'd it with a beautiful wall 3. He built a most noble Church dedicated to S. John the Evangelist and endowed it with 80 l. per an with 10 l. per an to keep it in repair and provided a house for the Minister 4. He erected a stately Cross for the conveniency of the market When his estate was almost exhausted in acts of charity he left the remainder for relief of such of his relations as by the frowns of the world should unhappily be reduced to poverty bequeathing 30 l. per an to be managed by four Trustees to put out the males to trades and to prefer the females in marriage And as these are instances of his charity so in a Codicil annex'd to his Will there is a fair testimony of his strict justice and integrity Whereas I heretofore bought of Richard Falkingham Esq divers lands and tenements part of which I endow'd the New Church withal and part I since sold to several persons for a good sum of money more than I purchas'd the same for I thought my self bound to bestow upon the eldest son of John Green and the eldest son of John Hamerton who marry'd the coheirs of the said Richard Falkingham the surplus of all such moneys as I sold the lands for over and above what indeed they cost me together with a large addition thereunto the product of the whole sum amounting to 1600 l. which upon a strict estimate of his whole estate appears to be a full half He was baptiz'd in S. Peter's Church at Leeds the 16. of Aug. 1579. was chief Alderman 1626. and again 1634. in which year the new Church of his own foundation was consecrated 21. Sept. by Richard Neile then Archbishop of York He dy'd Oct. 29. A. D. 1656. aet 77. and lyes interr'd under an Altar-tomb of black marble in the said Church over which is the well-painted effigies of this Benefactor in his scaâ—â—et-gown the gift of the reverend Mr. Henry Robâ—nson the present incumbent who is perhaps the single instance of one that enjoys a Church both founded and endow'd by his own Uncle and from whom there is a fair and near prospect of some exemplary act of publick piety By a second Patent bearing date 2. Nov. 13 Car. 2. the government of Leeds was alter'd to a Mayor 12 Aldermen and 24 Assistants This place is now honour'd by giving the title of Duke to the right honourable Thomas Lord Marquis of Caermarthen President of their Majesties Council 〈…〉 s From Leeds Are passeth by Temple Newsome of old a Commandary belonging to the Knights Templars now the seat of the right honourable Arthur Ingram Lord Viscount Irwing in the Kingdom of Scotland â—â—â—â—â—rd t Near the confluence of Are and Calder is Castleford a history whereof Thomas de Castleford who was bred a Benedictine in Pontfract and flourish'd An. 1326. wrote â—â—â—'s â—â—â—ies from Ask a Saxon first owner thereof to the Lacies from whom that large Lordship descended to the Earls of Lancaster 〈…〉 Not far from hence is Ledston-Hall formerly the seat of the ancient family of the Withams but late of Sir John Lewis Baronet who having got a vast estate during his nine years factorship for the East-India-Company much augmented by the Jewels presented him by the King of Persia who much delighted in his company dy'd here without issue-male 14. Aug. 1671. He erected a curious Hospital which cost 400 l. building and endow'd it with 60 l. per an for the yearly maintenance of 10 aged poor people who by his Will are requir'd religiously to observe the Sabbath-day and to be present at Church in time of Divine-Service and Sermon u The occasion upon which Polydore Virgil and our Author say Pontefract had its name is by Dr. Johnston observ'd to be altogether inconsistent with the Records of the place especially in point of time At first it was call'd Kirkby for in the Charter made by Robert de Lacy son of Hildebert to the Monks of St. John the Evangelist they are stil'd De dominio suo de Kirkby â—â—â—st 〈◊〉 vol 1. and this he says he did by advice of T. Archbishop of York Yet the same Robert by another Charter to which are the same witnesses except that T. Archbishop of York is added confirms other Lands and Churches Deo S. Johanni Monachis meis de Pontefract So that by this account it is plain that in the time of T. Archbishop of York it had both the names of Kirkby and Pontefract Now this T. could be no other than the first Thomas who came to the Archbishoprick about the eighth of the Conquerour and continu'd in it till about the beginning of Henry 1. whom he crown'd and soon after dy'd For Robert who granted these Charters was banish'd in the 6. of Hen. 1. for being at the battel of Tenercebray on behalf of Robert Duke of Normandy against K. Henry and dy'd the year after which was before any other Archbishop succeeded in that See to whose name the initial T. will agree Thomas the second indeed came presently after An. 1109. but this S. William to whom the miracle is attributed was not possess'd of it before 1153. From which it is evident that the town was call'd Pontefract at least 52 years before the miracle and how much longer we know not Below the Church and a water-mill call'd Bongate-mill there is a level ground nam'd the Wash the road from Pontefract to Knottingley and the directest way from Doncaster to Castleford By this Wash the current of waters flowing from the springs above and supplying two mills passes into the river at Knottingley But it retains not that name above a large bow-shot being terminated by a place called Bubwith-houses where by an Inquisition taken in the reign of Edw. 2. it appears that one John Bubwith held the eighteenth part of a Knights fee juxta veterem pontem de Pontefract i.e. near the old bridge of Pontefract Which must have been over this Wash as will be made more probable if we consider that even now upon any violent rains or the melting of snow it is so overflow'd as to be scarce passable and that formerly before the conveyance of the waters into chanels to serve the mills and the dreins made from hence to Knottingley the passage must have been much more difficult and by consequence the rather requir'd a bridge So then the probability of a
their own merits are always hurry'd on to revenge upon the least injury his next business was to find out a fair opportunity of shewing his resentments Mr. Camden at the end of each County has drawn down the History of the respective Earls and he thought probably that if a quarrel could be pick'd in the business of Families it would be most suitable to his present purpose The plot was well contriv'd if the charge could have been made out As it would have shewn Mr. Camden's forwardness in engaging himself on a subject he was not Master of so would it have convinc'd the Government of their unreasonable choice not only in preferring a person who knew little of the matter but which was worse in rejecting one that was an absolute Critick After two years study he publish'd a Book with this title A Discovery of certain Errours publish'd in print in the much commended Britannia c. without licence without name either of Printer or Bookseller Before we enter upon the merits of the cause be pleas'd to observe by the way the different humour and carriage of the two Parties It was an opinion of merit that first rais'd a confidence in Mr. Brooke and then an uneasiness when his expectation fail'd him So far was Mr. Camden from entertaining the least thoughts of it that till the whole business was over he did not dream of any such thing but the news was a perfect surprise to him And when my Lord Burleigh who was his great Patron express'd his dissatisfaction that he had not apply'd himself to him upon that occasion he modestly return'd this answer That 't was purely a thought of Sir Fulk Grevil's without so much as his knowledge It was not much for the reputation of the former Ibid. to throw off his true name Brokesmouth and take that of Brooke as one of greater vogue and dignity Perhaps Mr. Camden had as little temptation as he to be fond of his Family upon account of any eminence it could pretend to especially on the Father's side And yet so far was he from being asham'd of his meanness such a pious and tender regard did he preserve for his memory that even out of respect to his Trade he left a gilt Bowl of 16 l. price to the Company of Painter-stainers in London with this Inscription Gul. Camdenus Clarenceux filius Sampsonis Pictoris Londinensis dono dedit After Mr. Camden became a member of the College he discharg'd his office with great integrity and maintain'd an amicable correspondence with all his Brethren How far his Adversary may lay claim to this character let the following instance witness Ibid. Upon a private pique against one of the College he contriv'd such a malicious piece of revenge as is not commonly heard of He employs a man to carry a Coat of Arms to him ready drawn to pretend that it belong'd to one Gregory Brandon a Gentleman that had formerly liv'd in London but was then gone over into Spain and to desire he would set his hand to it The man does his errand very formally and for fear a little time and consideration might break their measures pretends that the Vessel which was to carry it was just ready to set sail He smelling nothing of the design without more ado receives a reward and puts the Seal of the Office with his own Name to the paper Presently Brooke carries it to Thomas Earl of Arundel then one of the Commissioners for the Office of Lord Marshal assures him that these are the Arms of the Kingdom of Arragon with a Canton of Brabant and that that Brandon to whom he had granted them was a mean inconsiderable person The Earl acquainted the King with the whole matter who resolv'd that he should not only be turn'd out of his place but upon a fair hearing in the Star-chamber be severely fin'd for his affront to the Crown of Spain However upon the intercession of the Earl of Pembroke he grew a little calmer and was prevail'd upon to refer it wholly to the Commissioners When they came to a hearing the Gentleman who had been thus impos'd upon submitted himself entirely to the mercy of the Court but withal desir'd their Lordships to consider that 't was a pure over-sight and that it was the importunity of the messenger which drew him to the doing it without due deliberation Brooke on the other hand declar'd openly in Court that it was from beginning to end a contrivance of his own to gain an opportunity of convincing their Lordships of the sordidness of the other who for the sake of a little money would be guilty of such a gross piece of knavery They were amaz'd at the confidence of the man and when His Majesty heard the circumstances of the case he had them both committed to prison one for treachery and the other for carelessness The party accus'd presented a Petition to the Commissioners humbly requesting that they would use their interest with his Majesty for his gracious Pardon This was seconded by an ample Testimonial under the hands of his Brethren setting forth their concern for his misfortune and the great integrity wherewith he had behav'd himself in all other matters Brooke too got Friends to intercede for him so after a severe Reprimand from my Lord Chamberlain they were both dismiss'd But to return By this time one will be easily convinc'd that it was not any concern for Truth or for the honour of the English Nobility which induc'd him to lay open the Errors of Mr. Camden but a vein of ill nature which run through all his actions And the success of it was answerable for the next year Mr. Camden reprinted his Britannia and at the end of it publish'd a learned Defence of himself and his Work He modestly declares That 't is very possible he might fall into several Errors that for his part he ne'er pretended to be exempt from the common failings of mankind but conceives however that allowance ought to be made to slips here and there when men deal in such a variety of matter that he thinks himself notwithstanding very coarsly treated and to shew at once the impudence as well as weakness of his Adversary he clears himself from his objections upon undeniable authorities and then shews into what palpable mistakes this great Reformer had drop'd even in the midst of his Criticisms As this made him a fair instance how malicious practices do generally return upon the author so the publication of another Book in the year 1619. gave him some farther experience upon the same head It was a Catalogue of the Succession of Kings Princes and Dukes down from William the Conquerour with their several Arms. Smith Vit. p. 37. Mr. Camden made a Collection of the Errors in it not so much those of haste or inadvertency no he had liv'd too long in the world not to know that these were the common failings of mankind but such as were downright blunders and the
removal of his body from Wereham to a more honourable place Shaftesbury and the Murdress repenting of that wicked action spent the rest of her days in grief and severe penances Who that Heremod on the reverse was we know not The thirty fifth is of Aethelred son of Edgar by Alfritha the only weak and slothful Prince of all the line of King Egbert endeavouring to govern his Kingdom not by true justice and valour as his predecessors had done but by tricks and as they call it policy First gave an opportunity to the Danes to renew their invasions and then negligently or unfortunately opposing them he brought the Kingdom into great poverty and calamity and afterwards into subjection unto those antient enemies and robbers of the country by his laziness losing all that his forefathers by their industry had acquired as Historians say St. Dunstan foretold of him at his Baptism Egbert began the advancement of the Kingdom by reducing it into one Monarchy his successors valiantly defended and setled and augmented it by subduing the Danes and all other enemies Edgar enjoyed it in full peace prosperity and glory and his son this Aethelred suffered it to run down again into a worse condition than ever it was And indeed it would be strange to imagine so great a change in one man's time did it not appear that there was no cause of ruine left unpractised in his long reign his own negligence cowardise want of intelligence unskilfulness in war the great factions enmities and treasons of the nobility the particulars whereof have filled the tedious relations of our Historians Saxon Coins TAB VII ALL the first ten are of Cnut called the Great the first Danish King of England There are very many of his Coins extant I have only described those wherein is some notable variety Though Swane his father made divers conquests and several countries as well as persons preferring his activeness before Aethelred's sloth not regarding the justice of the cause submitted to him and paid largely for his protection yet was he never King nor assumed he or his son the title till Edmund Ironside consented by the persuasion of a traytor to divide the Kingdom with him The vile but potent Edric thought that more was to be got by shoring up a new active Usurper than adhering to the just cause of his true and Royal Sovereign Nor was Cnut unmindful of him but according to his promise advanced him above all the other Lords of the Kingdom by cutting off his head and exposing it upon a high pole Amongst all these figures of Cnut only one the seventh is with a crown and that an open one contrary to that of the English Kings before him and adorned with lilies which would make me suspect that Coin to be counterfeit were it not that our Historians say that when he was young he wore his Crown at the great assemblies of the Nobility so many times in the year as was the custom both here in France Germany and I think with all European Princes in those times But one time being mightily flattered by his Courtiers he chanced to be upon the sea-banks whither he commanded his chair to be brought where sitting down upon the beach in great Majesty he told the sea that that was his land and the water his water wherefore he commanded the sea to be content with its own chanel and not cover any part of the land Which he had no sooner said but the water dashed upon him whereupon he told his flatterers that they should henceforward forbear all boasting of his power and greatness After this it is reported he would never wear a Crown Others say that he never wore a Crown after his coronation and that then also at his coronation presently after the Crown was set upon his head he took it off and fixed it upon the head of our Saviour crucified The ordinary covering of his head was sometimes a Mitre as fig. 6. other times a cap as fig. 5. sometimes a triangular covering used after him by Andronicus the Eastern Emperor and by St. Edward the Confessor The reverse of the first is Farthein Monet Eoforwic i.e. York Of the second Sunolf Of the third Crinam The fourth is Wulnoth All coined at York The fifth is Leodmer and seems coined at Raculf-minster now Reculver The sixth hath Luffwine at Dover The seventh hath Wulfric on Lunden The eighth is Selwi at Theoford The ninth is Outhgrim at York The tenth is Cnut aged with a Diadem about his head The reverse is Nodwin Moneta The name of the place I cannot read In his younger years he spared no labour nor any art just or unjust oppression or murder to acquire and settle the Kingdom to himself and Posterity Which being as well as he could performed he endeavoured to act more justly and plausibly that he might retain the obedience of the people which he had so unjustly gotten Yet not long before his death he dispossessed Olavus King of Norway of his dominion about An. 1029. The eleventh is of Harold Cnut's second son called for his swiftness Hares-foot Cnut to his eldest son Suane suspected to be none of his own gave the Kingdom of Norway to Harold his second son by foreign writers also called a Bastard the Kingdom of England to Hardacnut his son by Emma he gave Denmark Harold's Reign was short about four years and employed more in endeavouring to settle his title than perform any worthy action The reverse is Godric at Theotford The twelfth is of the same with a Diadem about his Helmet The reverse is Sliwine on Theodford The thirteenth is of Harthacnut He reigned about two years and died suddenly at a great feast in Lambeth Little of note mentioned of him besides that he was very affectionate to his mother's children and that he loved good eating making four meals a day The reverse is Elnwine on Wice perhaps Worcester The fourteenth is of St. Edward the Confessor of whom there are very many Coins still extant I have presented only those of most variety This represents him as a young man sitting with a staff or scepter which amongst the Romans was the Hasta pura and Sceptrum sometimes made of Ivory and many times an Eagle upon the top of it instead of which our Kings used commonly a Cross tho' not always of the same fashion sometimes also a Lily in his left hand a globe with a cross fastened in it This was used only by Christian Emperors and Kings as witnessing them to have that power through the virtue of the Cross or Passion of our Saviour The Pagan Roman Emperors used rather a stern or oar fastened to a globe shewing that they steered the world not expressing whence they received that power Whereas Suidas saith of Justinian that in his left hand he carried a globe with a cross upon it signifying that by faith in the cross of Christ he was advanced to be Lord of the world i.e. that he obtained
word without offence profaned The Degrees of ENGLAND AS to the division of our State it consists of a King or Monarch the Nobles Citizens Free-men which we call Yeomen and Tradesmen The KING The King stiled by our Ancestors Coning and Cyning e Either relating to cene which in Saxon signifies stout valiant c. or to cunnan which signifies to know or understand from whence a designing subtle man is called a Cunning man a name under which is coucht both power and wisdom by us contracted into King has in these Kingdoms the supreme power and a meer government nor holds he his Empire by vassalage neither does he receive Investiture from another nor own any superior Bracton l. 1. c. 8. but God And as that Oracle of Law has delivered it Every one is under him and himself under none but only God He has very many Rights of Majesty peculiar to himself which the learned in the law term The Holy of Holies and Individuals because they are inseparable but the common people The King's Prerogative and those they tell us are denoted by the flowers in the King's Crown Some of these the King enjoys by a written Law others by Right of custom which without a law is established by a tacit consent of the whole body and surely he deserves them Seneca since by his watchfulness every man's house by his labour every man's ease by his industry every one's pleasure and by his toil every one's recreation is secured to him But these things are too sublime to belong properly to my business Next the King is his eldest son and as he amongst the Romans that was designed for the Successor The Prince was first called Prince of the youth * Princeps juventutis and as flattery prevail'd afterwards Caesar Noble Caesar and the most noble Caesar so ours was by our Saxon Ancestors termed Aetheling Aetheling i.e. noble and in Latin Clyto Clyto from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 famous that age affecting the Greek tongue Upon which that saying concerning Eadgar the last heir male of the English Crown is still kept up Eadgar Eðeling Englands Searling i.e. Eadgar the noble England's darling And in the antient Latin Charters of the Kings we often read Ego E. vel AE Clyto the King's son But the name of Clyto I have observed to be given to the King's children in general After the Norman Conquest he had no standing honorary title nor any other that I know of but barely The King's Son or The King's eldest Son till Edward I. summoned to Parliament his son Edward under the title of Prince of Wales Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester to whom he granted also afterwards the Dukedom of Aquitain And this when he came to be King Edward II. summoned his son Edward to Parliament then scarce ten years old under the title of Earl of Chester and Flint But that Edward coming to the Crown created Edward his son a most accomplisht soldier Duke of Cornwal since which time the King 's eldest son f If he be eldest son but if the first dies the second is not born to the same Title See concerning this in the Notes upon Cornwall p. 15 is born Duke of Cornwall And a little after he honoured the same person with the title of Prince of Wales by a solemn Investiture The Principality of Wales was conferred upon him in these words to be held by him and his heirs Kings of England And as the heirs apparent of the Roman Empire were as I observed but just now called Caesars of the Grecian Despotae Lords those of the Kingdom of France Dauphins and of Spain Infantes so those of England have been since that time stiled Princes of Wales And that title continued till the time of Henry VIII when Wales was entirely united to the Kingdom of England But now the formerly divided Kingdoms of Britain being reduced into one under the government of the most potent King James his eldest son Henry the darling and delight of Britain is called Prince of Great Britain whom as nature has made capable of the greatest things so that God would bless him with the highest virtues and a lasting honour that his success may outdo both our hopes of him as also the atchievements and high character of his forefathers by a long and prosperous Reign is the constant and hearty prayer of all Britain Our Nobles are divided into Greater and Less The Greater Nobles we call Dukes Marquesses Earls and Barons who either enjoy these titles by an hereditary claim or have them conferred on them by the King as a reward of their merits A DUKE A Dukâ— is the next title of honour to the Prince At first this was a name of office not of honour About the time of Aelius Verus those who were appointed to guard the Frontiers were first called Dukes and this title in Constantine's time was inferiour to that of a Count. After the destruction of the Roman Empire this title still continued to be the name of an Office and those amongst us who in the Saxon times are stiled Dukes in such great numbers by the antient Charters are in the English tongue only called Ealdormen The same also who are named Dukes are likewise termed Counts for instance most people call William the Conqueror of England Duke of Normandy whereas William of Malmesbury writes him Count of Normandy However that both Duke and Count were names of Office Mar. â—â— Formaâ— is plain from the form of each's creation which we find in Marculph an antient writer The Royal clemency is particularly signalized upon this account that among all the people the good and the watchful are singled out nor is it convenient to commit the judiciary power to any one who has not first approved his loyalty and valour Since weâ—t therefore seem to have sufficiently experienced your fidelity and usefulness we commit to you the power of a Count Duke or Patriciâ—us President in that Lordship which your predecessor governed to act in and rule over it Still upon this condition that you are entirely true to our government and all the people within those limits may live under and be swayed by your government and authority and that you rule justly according to law and their own customs that you zealously protect widows and orphans that you severely punish the crimes of robbers and malefactors so that those who live regularly under your government may be cheerful and undisturbed and that whatever profit arises from such actions to the Exchequer you your self bring yearly into our coffers It began to be an honorary title under Otho the Great â—gâ—ius l. 〈◊〉 Regni â—â—lici about the year 970. For he in order to bind valiant and prudent persons more effectually to his own interest honour'd them with what he call'd Râ—gelia Royalties Those Royalties were either Dignities or Lands in Fee The
In Burgundy the use of this name is very antient for we find in Gregory of Tours Abou◠〈◊〉 year 5â— The Barons of Burgundy as well Bishops as those of the Laity The first mention of a Baron with us that I have met withal is in a Fragment of the Laws of Canutus King of England and Denmark and even in that according to different copies it is read Vironis Baronis and Thani But that the Barons are there meant is plain from the Laws of William the Conqueror amongst which are inserted those of Canutus translated into Norman where it is writ Baron Take the whole passage But let the * Hâ—â—iâ—â— or Reâ—â— Exercituals be so moderated as to be tolerable An Earl shall provide those â—hings that are fitting eight horses four saddled and four unsaddled four steel caps and four coats of mail eight javelins and as many shields four swords and two hundred maucae of gold But a King 's Viron or Baron who is next to him shall have four horses two saddled and two unsaddled two swords four javelins and as many shields one steel cap and fifty †Possiâ—â— for â—â—â—usae iâ— 30 pâ—â—â— Many Thâ—â—â—â— Englâ—â— in the Câ—queroâ— time maucae of gold In the beginning also of the Norman times the Valvasors and Thanes were reckoned in dignity next the Earls and Barons and the Greater Valvasors if we may believe those who have writ concerning Feudal-tenures were the same as Barons are now So that Baro may seem to come from that name which time has by little and little made better and smoother But even then it was not so very honourable for in those times there were some Earls who had their Barons under them and I remember I have read in the antient Constitutions of France that there were ten Barons under one Earl and as many * Câ—â—inâ—â— Chieftans under a Baron 'T is likewise certain that there are extant some Charters since the Norman Conquest wherein the Earls write thus To all my Barons as well French as English greeting c. Nay even citizens of the better rank were called Barons so in Domesday-book the citizens of Warwick are stiled Barons and the citizens of London with the Inhabitants of the Cinque Ports enjoyed the same title But a few years after as Senators of Rome were chosen by their estates so those were accounted Barons with us who held their lands by an entire Barony or 13 Knights fees and one third of a Knight's fee every fee as we have it in an antient Book being computed at twenty pounds which in all make 400 Mark For that was the value of one entire Barony and they that had lands and revenues to this value were wont to be summoned to Parliaments It seems to have been a dignity with a jurisdiction which the Court-Barons Court â—â—rons as they call them do in some measure show And the great number of Barons too would persuade us that they were Lords who could give judgment within their own jurisdiction such as those are whom the Germans call Free-heirs especially if they had their castles for then they answered to the definition of Baldus that famous Lawyer who calls him a Baron that had a †Morâ— mixtuâ—â— impeâ—â—â— mere and mixt government in some one Castle by the grant of the Prince And all they as some would have it who held Baronies seem to have claimed that honour so that some of our Lawyers think that Baron and Barony Earl and Earldom Duke and Dukedom King and Kingdom Matth. Parts pag. 1262. were as it were Conjugates 'T is certain in that age K. Henry 3d reckoned 150 Baronies in England Upon which it comes to pass that in the Charters and Histories of that age almost all Noblemen are stil'd Barons a term in those times exceeding honourable â—aâ—onage 〈◊〉 Engâ—and the Baronage of England including in a manner all the prime Orders of the Kingdom Dukes Marquisses Earls and Barons But that name has come to the greatest honour since King Henry 3d out of such a multitude of them which was seditious and turbulent summoned to Parliament by his Writs some of the best only For he the words are taken out of an Author of considerable Antiquity after those great disturbances and enormous vexations between the King himself Simon de Montefort and other Barons were laid appointed and ordained that all such Earls and Barons of the Kingdom of England to whom the King should vouchsafe to direct his Writs of summons should come to his Parliament and no others unless their Lord the King please to direct other Writs to them also But what he begun only a little before his death was strictly observed by Edward the First and his successors From that time those were only looked upon as Barons of the Kingdom â—ummons 〈◊〉 Parliaâ—ent whom the King by such Writs of summons as they term them should call to Parliament 5 And it is noted that the said prudent King Edward I. summoned always those of antient families that were most wise to his Parliaments but omitted their sons after their death If they were not answerable to their Parents in understanding Hol. until Richard the 2d the 10th of October in the eleventh year of his reign created John de Beauchamp of Holt Baron of Kederminster by the delivery of a Diploma From which time the Kings have often conferred that honour by a Diploma or rather honorary Letters and the putting on of a long robe And at this day this way of creating Barons by a Diploma and that other of Writs of summons are in use though they are greeted not under the name of Baron but of Chevalier 6 For the Common Law doth not acknowlege Baron to be a name of dignity Hol. Those that are thus created are call'd Barons of Parliament Barons of the Kingdom and Barons honorary to distinguish them from those which are commonly call'd Barons according to the ancient constitution as those of Burford and Walton and such as were Barons to the Count Palatines of Chester and of Penbroch who were feudal and Barons by tenure Those Parliamentary Barons are not like those of France and Germany call'd barely by that name but are by birth Peers Noblemen Great States and Counsellors of the Kingdom and are summon'd by the King in this form to treat of the weighty affairs of the nation and to deliver their judgment upon them They have their peculiar immunities and privileges as in criminal causes to be judged by their Peers only not to have an oath demanded of them but in such case 't is sufficient if they deliver any thing upon honour not to be called among the Jury of twelve to enquire into matters of fact not to be liable to the Writs Supplicavit Capias Essoins and a great many other privileges which I leave to the Lawyers whose proper business it is to treat of these and things of the like nature Besides
this name of Esquire which in ancient times was a name of charge and office only crept first in among the titles of honour as far as I can find in the reign of Richard the second Gentlemen Gentlemen are either the common sort of nobility who are descended of good families or those who by their virtue and fortune have made themselves eminent Citizens Citizens or Burgesses are such as are in publick offices in any City or elected to sit in Parliament The common people or Yeomen are such as some call ingenui the Law homines legales i.e. freeholders Yeomâ— Gemâ—◠〈◊〉 Saxo◠〈◊〉 common people those who can spend at least forty shillings of their own yearly Labourers are such as labour for wages sit to their work are Mechanicks Artizans Smiths Carpenters c. term'd capite censi and Proletarii by the Romans The Law-Courts of ENGLAND AS for the Tribunals or Courts of Justice in England there are three several sorts of them some Spiritual others Temporal and one mixt or complicate of both which is the greatest and by far the most honourable call'd the Parliament Parliament a French word of no great antiquity The Saxons our fore-fathers nam'd it a Witenâ— gemot â—s the true Saxon word Ç·ittenagemot that is an assembly of wise-men and Geraedniss or Council and Micil Synod from the greek word Synod signifying a great meeting The Latin writers of that and the next age call it Commune Concilium Curia altissima Generale Placitum Curia Magna Magnatum Conventus Praesentia Rogis Praelatorum Procerumque collectorum Commune totius regni concilium c. And as Livy calls the general Council of Aetolia Panetolium so this of ours may be term'd very properly Pananglium For it consists of the King the Clergy the Barons and those Knights and Burgesses elected or to express my self more plainly in Law-language the King the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons who there represent the body of the Nation This Court is not held at certain set times but is call'd at the King's pleasure when things of great difficulty and importance are to be consider'd in order to prevent any danger that may happen to the State and then again is dissolv'd when-ever he alone pleases Now this Court has the sovereign power and an inviolable authority in making confirming repealing and explaining laws reversing Attainders determining causes of more than ordinary difficulty between private persons and to be short in all things which concern the State in general or any particular Subject â—he Kings â—â—urt The next Court to this immediately after the coming in of the Normans and for some time before was the King's Court which was held in the King's Palace and follow'd the King where-ever he went For in the King's Palace there was a peculiar place for the Chancellor and Clerks who had the issuing out of Writs and the management of the great Seal and likewise for Judges who had not only power to hear pleas of the Crown but any cause whatsoever between private persons There was also an Exchequer for the Treasurer and his Receivers who had charge of the King's revenues These each of them were counted members of the King's family and had their meat and cloaths of the King Hence Gotzelin in the life of S. Edward calls them Palatii Causidici and Joannes Sarisburiensis Curiales But besides these and above them likewise â—â—e Chief â—â—â—tice was the Justitia Angliae and Justitiarius Angliae Capitalis i.e. the Lord Chief Justice who was constituted with a yearly stipend of 1000 marks by a Patent after this form The King to all the Archbishops Bishops Abbots Priors Counts Barons Viscounts Foresters and all other his faithful subjects of England greeting Whereas for our own preservation and the tranquillity of our Kingdom and for the administration of justice to all and singular of this our Realm we have ordain'd our beloved and trusty Philip Basset Chief Justice of England during our will and pleasure we do require you by the faith and allegiance due to us strictly enjoyning that in all things relating to the said office and the preservation of our peace and Kingdom you shall be fully obedient to him so long as he shall continue in the said Office Witness the King c. But in the reign of Henry the third it was enacted that the Common Pleas should not follow the King's Court but be held in some certain place and awhile after the Chancery the Pleas of the Crown and the Exchequer also were remov'd from the King's Court and establisht apart in certain set places as some how truly I know not have told us Having premis'd thus much I will now add somewhat concerning these Courts and others that sprung from them as they are at this day And seeing some of them have cognizance of â—uris Law namely the King's Bench Common Pleas Exchequer Assizes Star-Chamber Court of Wards and the Court of Admiralty others of Equity as the Chancery the Court of Requests the Councils in the Marches of Wales and in the North I will here insert what I have learnt from others of each of them in their proper places The King's Bench â—â—e Kings â—â—â—ch so call'd because the Kings themselves were wont to preside in that Court takes cognizance of all pleas of the Crown and many other matters relating to the King and the well-being of the publick it has power to examine and correct the errors of the Common-pleas The Judges there besides the King himself when he is pleas'd to be present are the Lord Chief Justice of England and four others or more as the King pleases â—â—mmon â—â—â—as The Common-Pleas has this name because the common pleas between subject and subject is by our law which is call'd the Common law there triable The Judges here are the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and four others or more to assist him Officers belonging to this Court are the Custos Brevium three Prothonotaries and many others of inferior rank â—â—â—hequer The Exchequer deriv'd that name from a table at which they sat For so Gervasius Tilburiensis writes who liv'd in the year 1160. The Exchequer is a squarâ— table about ten foot long and five broad contriv'd likâ— a table to sit round On every side it has a ledge of four fingers breadth Upon it is spread a cloath of black colour with stripes distant about a foot or spanâ— it bought in Easter term A little after This Court 〈◊〉 report has been from the very Conquest of the Realm by King William the design and model of it being taken â—â—m the Exchequer beyond Sea Here all matters belongiâ—â—â— to the King's revenues are decided The Judges of it are the Lord Treasurer of England the Chancellor of the Exchequer the Chief Baron and three or four other Barons The Officers of this Court are the King's Remembrancer the Treasurer's Remembrancer the Clerk
cause probably was to improve his own mannour of Topesham to which one of the Hughs of this family perhaps the same procur'd a weekly market and a yearly fair which Edward Courtney Earl of Devonshire in an out-fall with the citizens threw into the chanel of the river Isc which hinders ships from coming to the town so that all merchandize is brought thither by land from Topesham a little village three miles from the city Nor are these heaps remov'd tho' it is commanded by Act of Parliament o From these a small village hard by is call'd Weare Weare but formerly Heneaton which belong'd heretofore to Austin de Baa from whom by right of inheritance it came to John Holand Ch. 24 Eâ— who in a seal that I have seen bore a lion rampant gardant among flower de luces The government of this City is administer'd by 24. of whom u Thâ—s City was incorporated by K. John and made a County by K. Henry 8. one yearly is chosen Mayor who with four Bayliffs manages all publick affairs As for the position the old Oxford-Tables have defin'd it's longitude to be 19 degrees 11 minutes It 's latitude 50 degrees 40 minutes This City that I may not omit it has had it's Dukes For Richard 2. King of England of that name made John Holand Earl of Huntingdon and his brother by the mother's side first Duke of Exeter Dukes of Exeter Henry 4. depriv'd him of this honour and left him only the title of Earl of Huntingdon which being beheaded soon after 6 For conspiracy against the King he lost together with his life Some few years after Henry 5. supply'd this Dukedom with Thomas Beaufort Earl of Dorset descended from the house of Lancaster an accomplish'd Souldier He dying without issue John Holand the son of that John already mention'd as heir to Richard his brother that dy'd without issue and to his father was restor'd to all again having his Father's honours bestow'd upon him by the bounty of Henry 6. and left the same to his son Henry who whilst the Lancastrians stood flourish'd in great honour but after when the house of York came to the Crown his example might well shew us how unsafe it is to rely upon the smiles of fortune For this was that Henry Duke of Exeter who notwithstanding his marriage with the sister of Edward 4. was reduc'd to such misery Phil. Coâ—â—naeus câ—â— 50. that he was seen to beg his bread ragg'd and bare-footed in the Low-countries And at last after Barnet-fight where he behav'd himself stoutly against Edward 4. he never was seen more till his body was cast upon the shore of Kent as if he had been shipwrack'd Long after this Exeter had it's Marquess namely Henry Courtny descended from Catherine the Daughter of Edward 4. rais'd to that honour by Henry 8 7 And design'd heir-apparent But to this Marquess as well as to the first Duke a great fortune did but raise great storms which as presently sunk him endeavouring a change of Government For among other things because with mony and counsel he had assisted Reginald Poole that was afterwards Cardinal and had left England to intriegue with the Emperor and the Pope against his King and Country who had then withdrawn from the Romish Communion he was arraign'd found guilty and beheaded with some others But now by the bounty of K. James Thomas Cecil Lord Burghley enjoys the title of Earl of Exeter Earlâ— of Exeter a man truly good and the worthy son of a most excellent father being the eldest son of William Cecil Baron Burghley Lord Treasurer of England whose wisdom has long supported the peace of this Kingdom nn From hence to the very mouth there is nothing of antiquity besides Exminster Exminâ—â—â—â— formerly Exanminster bequeath'd by King Alfred to his younger son and Pouderham Pouderham a castle built by Isabel de Ripariis now for a long time the seat of a very noble family the Courtnies Knights who being descended from the Earls of Devonshire and related to the best families are to this day flourishing and most worthy of such noble ancestors 8 Under Pouderham Ken a pretty brook enters into Ex which riseth near Holcombe where in a park is a fair place built by Sir Thomas Denis whose family fetcheth their first off-spring and surname from the Danes and were anciently written Le Dan Denis by which name the Cornish call'd the Danes Upon the very mouth on the other side as the name it self witnesses stands Exanmouth Exanâ—â—â— known for nothing but it's bare name and the fisher-hutts there More eastward Otterey Otterey that is a river of otters or water-dogs which we call Otters as the name it self implies runs into the sea it passes by Honniton Honniâ—â—â— well known to such as travel these parts 9 And was given by Isabel heir to the Earls of Devonshire to K. Edward the first when her issue fail'd p and gives it's name to some places Of which the most remarkable above Honniton is Mohuns-ottery which belong'd formerly to the Mohuns from whom it came by marriage to the Carews below Honniton near Holdcombe where lives the family of Le Denis Knights who take their original and name from the Danes S. Mary's Ottery so call'd from the w Iâ— was suppress'd by a Parliament held at Leicester in the reign of Henry 5. College of S. Maries which John de Grandison Bishop of Exeter founded who had got the wealth of all the Clergy in his Diocese into his own hands For he had persuaded them to leave him all they had when they dy'd as intending to lay it all out in charitable uses in endowing Churches and building Hospitals and Colleges which they say he perform'd very piously From the mouth of this Ottery the shore goes on with many windings to the eastward by Budly q Sidmouth r and Seaton s formerly fine havens but now so choak'd with sand heap'd before the mouth of them by the flux and reflux of the sea that this benefit is almost quite lost Now that this Seaton is that Moridunum â—â—idunum in Antoninus which is seated between Durnovaria and Isca if the book be not faulty and is lamely call'd Ridunum in the Peutegerian Table I should conjecture both from it's distance and the signification of the name For Moridunum is the same in British that Seaton is in English namely a town upon a hill by the sea Near this stands Wiscombe â—â—omb memorable upon the account of William Baron Bonevill who liv'd there whose heir Cecil brought by marriage the titles of Lord Bonevill and Harrington with a brave estate in those parts â—his in County â—merset â—â—ster to Thomas Grey Marquess of Dorset Under these the river Ax empties it self from a very small chanel 10 After it hath pass'd down by Ford where Adelize daughter to Baldewin of Okehampton founded an Abbey for
Moels and the Courteneys much augmented his estate His son Robert who marry'd the daughter and heir of the Lord Botereaux enrich'd the family more and then Robert his son who had to Wife Eleanor the daughter and heir of William Molines upon which account he was honour'd among the Barons of the Kingdom by the name of Lord Molines and during the Civil Wars between the Houses of York and Lancaster was beheaded at New-castle made great additions to it Thomas his son slain at Salisbury in his father's life-time left Mary an only daughter married to Edward Lord Hastings with whom he had a great estate But Walter brother to the said Thomas begat Edward Hungerford father of that Walter whom Henry 8. created Baron Hungerford of Heytesbury and condemned afterwards for a very heinous crime nevertheless Queen Mary restor'd his children to every thing but the dignity of Barons h Not far from hence towards the South lies Widehay â—idehay long the seat of the Barons of St. Amand â—â—ons of Amand. whose estate by marriage came to Gerard Braybrok and Elizabeth his eldest grand-daughter by his son Gerard transferr'd the estate by marriage to William Beauchamp who being summon'd to Parliament by the name of William Beauchamp of St. Amand â—â—uchamp 〈◊〉 Amand was a Baron as his son Richard also was who had no legitimate issue From thence the river Kenet taking it's course between Hemsted Marshall anciently held * Per virgam Marescalliae by the Rod of the Marshalsea and belonging to the Marshals of England where †Sir Thomas Thomas Parry Treasurer of the Houshold to Queen Elizabeth built a very fine seat and Benham Valence so call'd from it's belonging to William Valence Earl of Pembroke 7 But Queen Elizabeth gave it to John Baptista Castilion a Piemontes of her Privy Chamber for faithful service in her dangers comes to Spinae Spinae the old town mention'd by Antoninus which retaining still it's name is call'd Spene but instead of a town is now a poor little village scarce a mile from Newbury a noted town that had it's rise out of the ruines of it For Newbury Newbury with us is as much as the New Borough that is in regard to Spinae the more ancient place which is quite decay'd but hath left the name in part of Newbury it self still call'd Spinhamlands And if nothing else yet this certainly might prove that Newbury fetcht it's original from Spinae for that the inhabitants of Newbury owns the little village Spene for their mother tho' Newbury compar'd with Spene is for it's buildings and neatness a very considerable town and much enrich'd by cloathing well seated upon a plain and has the river Kenet running through it In the Norman Conquest this town fell to Ernulph de Hesdin Earl of Perch Lib. Inquisitionum whose great grandson Thomas Earl of Perch being slain at the siege of Lincoln the Bishop of Chalons his heir sold it to William Marshall Earl of Pembroke who likewise held the mannour of Hempsted hard by spoken of before as did his successors Marshals of England till Roger Bigod for his obstinacy lost his honour of Earl Marshal and possessions too which notwithstanding by much †precariò intercession he obtain'd again for life i The Kenet continues on his course from hence and receives by the way the little river Lamborn Lamborn which at it's rise imparts the name to a small market-town that in ancient times belong'd to Alfrith K. Alfred's Cousin having been left him by the said King in his Will and afterwards was the Fitzwarin's who obtain'd the privilege of a market of Henry 3. But now it belongs to the Knightly family of Essex which derives it's pedigree from William de Essex Under-Treasurer of England in Edw. 4.'s time and from those of the same sirname in Essex that liv'd in great repute and honour there From thence this little river runs beneath g In the late Civil Wars it was a garrison for the King Dennington Dunnington-castle call'd also Dunnington a little but very neat castle seated on the brow of a woody hill having a fine prospect and windows on all sides very lightsome They say it was built by Sir Richard de Abberbury Knight founder also of God's House beneath it for the relief of the poor Afterwards it was the residence of h It was the house of Jeoffery Chaucer and there under an Oak commonly call'd Chaucer's Oak he is said to have penn'd many of his famous Poems The Oak till within these few years was standing Chaucer then of the De la Poles and within the memory of our fathers of Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk And now the Kenet having run a long way passes at last by Aldermaston Aldermaston which Henry 1. gave to Robert Achard from whose posterity by the De la Mares it came at length by right of marriage to the Fosters a Knightly family At last it runs into the Thames having first with it's windings encompass'd a great part of Reading This little city or town of Reading Reading call'd in Saxon * Per virgam Marescalliae Rheadyge of Rhea that is the River or of the British word Redin signifying Fern which grew in great plenty hereabouts for the neatness of it's streets the fineness of it's buildings for it's riches and the reputation it hath gotten for making of cloath goes beyond all the other towns of this county tho' it hath lost it's greatest ornaments the beautiful Church and very ancient Castle k For this as Asserius tells us the Danes kept possession of when they drew a ditch between the Kenet and the Thames and hither they retreated after King Ethelwolph had routed them at Inglefield Inglefield a little village in the neighbourhood which gives name to a noble and ancient family But it was so demolish'd by K. Henry 2. because it was a place of refuge for King Stephen's party that nothing now remains of it but the bare name in the next street Near to this K. Hen. 1. having pull'd down a little Nunnery founded in former times by Queen Alfritha to expiate for some crimes built a most magnificent Abbey for Monks and enrich'd it with great Revenues Which Prince to use the very words of his Charter of Foundation Because three Abbeys in the kingdom of England were formerly for their sins destroy'd that is Reading Chelsea and Leonminstre which were long in Lay-mens hands by the advice of the Bishops founded a new Monastery at Reading and endow'd it with Reading Chelsea and Leonminstre In this Abbey was interr'd the Founder himself King Henry 7 With his wife both veil'd and crown'd for that she had been a Queen and professed Nun. Maud the Empress together with his daughter Maud as appears by the private history of the place tho' some report that she was bury'd at Becc in Normandy Who as well
about the year of Christ 1183. Baldwin Archbishop of Canterbury by an exchange with the Bishop of Rochester got a mannour in this place wherein he began a palace for him and his successors and this by little and little was enlarg'd But when the Archbishops began to have thoughts of building a small Collegiate Church here Good God what numbers of Appeals were packt to Rome by the Monks of Canterbury and what thundrings threatnings and censures were level'd by the Pope against the Archbishops For the Monks were jealous that this might prove an encroachment upon their Privileges and deprive them of their right to elect the Archbishop Nor could these disturbances be quieted till the little Church they had began was at the instance of the Monks levell'd with the ground Near to this is the most famous mart-town of all the County call'd at this day the Burrough of Southwork in Saxon Suþƿerke Southâ— i.e. a work or building to the south situated so to the south over against London as that it seems to be a sort of suburbs to it but yet so large is it and populous that it may vie with most Cities in England being as it were a Corporation of it self Within the memory of our fathers it had it 's own Bailifs but in the reign of Edward 6. it was annext to the City of London and is at this day reckon'd a branch of it For which reason we will defer the further examination of this place till we come to London Beneath this the Thames leaves Surrey the eastbound whereof runs down in a direct line to the south almost by Lagham which in the reign of Edward 1. had it's Parlamentary Barons Barons S. John 〈◊〉 Lagâ—â—â— call d S. John de Lagham whose estate came at last to J. Leodiard by a daughter and heiress Somewhat lower almost in the very corner where it takes a view both of Sussex and Kent is Sterborrow-castle formerly the seat of the Lords de Cobham who from this place were nam'd de Sterborrow Sterborrâ— and descending from John de Cobham Lord of Cobham and Couling and the daughter of Hugh Nevil flourish'd a long time together in great splendour and reputation For Reginald in the reign of Edward 3. was made Knight of the Garter and Admiral of the Sea-coasts from the Thames mouth Westward But Thomas the last of them marrying Anne daughter to 15 Humphry Duke the Duke of Buckingham had by her one only daughter Anne marry'd to Edward Burgh descended from the Percies and Earls of Athol His son Thomas was created Baron Burgh by K. Henry 8. and left a son William father to Thomas Barons â—rough 〈◊〉 Burgh who was a great encourager of Learning Governour of Briel made by Queen Elizabeth Knight of the Garter and Lord Deputy of Ireland where he expos'd himself to death in defence of his country As to Eleanor Cobham of this family wife to Humphrey Duke of Glocester whose reputation was something tainted I refer you to the English Histories We must now reckon up the Earls Earls 〈◊〉 Surreâ— who were 〈◊〉 call'd 〈◊〉 of Wâ—â— Arms 〈◊〉 Earls 〈◊〉 Warrâ—â— William Rufus King of England first made William de Warren Governour of Surrey 16 Who had marry'd his Sister under the honorary title of Earl whose Arms were Checky Or and azure For in his Foundation-Charter of the Priory of Lewis we read thus I have given c. for the good of my master K. William who brought me over into England and for the good of my Lady Queen Mawd my wife's mother and for the good of my master K. William his son after whose coming into England I made this Charter and who created me Earl of Surrey c. To him succeeded his son 17 And marry'd the daughter of Hugh Earl of Vermandois whereupon his posterity as some suppose us'd the Arms of Vermandois His son William dying in the Holy Land about 1142. and his grandchild by a son of the same name But this last had only a daughter who brought the same title first to William King Stephen's son and afterwards to Hamelin base son of Geoffrey Plantagenet Earl of Anjou But the first husband dying without issue Hamelin had by her William Earl of Surrey whose posterity taking the name of Warrens bore the same title This William marry'd the eldest daughter and coheir of William Marshal Earl of Pembroke widow of Hugh Bigod and had by her John 18 Who slew Alan de la Zâ—rich in presence of the Judges of the Realm and John by Alice daughter of Hugh le * Earls of March in â—â—â—nce Brune sister by the mother's side to K. Henry 3. had William who dy'd before his father and had by Joanna Vere daughter of the Earl of Oxford John who was born after the death of his father and was last Earl of this family He was as I learnt from his seal Earl of Warren Surrey Strathern in Scotland Lord of Bromfeld and Yale and Count Palatine But he dying without lawful issue in the 23d of Edward 3. his sister and heiress Alice was marry'd to Edmund Earl of Arundel and by that marriage brought this honour into the family of the Arundels 19 For Richard their son who marry'd in the House of Lancaster after his father was wickedly beheaded for siding with his Sovereign King Edward 2 by the malignant envy of the Queen was both Earl of Arundel and Surrey and left both Earldoms to Richard his son who contrariwise lost his head for siding against his Sovereign K. Richard 2. But Thomas his Son to repair his Father's dishonour lost his life for his Prince and Country in France leaving his sisters his heirs for the lands not entailed who were marry'd to Thomas Mowbray Duke of Norfolk c. to Sir Rowland Lenthall and Sir William Beauchampe Lord of Abergavenny from which it came at last by the Mowbrays to the Howards For Thomas Mowbray marry'd the eldest sister and coheir of Thomas Fitz-Alan Earl of Arundel and Surrey In the mean time 20 After the execution of Richard Earl of Arundel Richard 2. conferr'd the title of Duke of Surrey upon Thomas Holland Earl of Kent who notwithstanding did not long enjoy that honour For secretly endeavouring to rescue the same Richard then taken prisoner and to restore him to his Crown his plot unexpectedly was discover'd and himself making his escape was seiz'd by the town of Cirencester and beheaded Next Thomas de Beaufort who was the King's Chancellor bore this honour if we may believe Thomas Walsingham For he tells us that in the year 1410. The Lord Tho. Beaufort Earl of Surrey dy'd But let Walsingham make good his assertion for there is no such thing appears in the King's Records only that Thomas de Beaufort was about that time made Chancellor 'T is evident however from the publick Records of the Kingdom that King Henry 6. in the 29th year of
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
†Full. Wor. p. 17. That they who buy a house in Hertfordshire pay two years purchase for the air of it But as for the pastures Norden tells us there are but few to be met withall and that their meadows tho' here and there dispers'd are many of them cold and mossy And as to the soil in general he adds That in respect of some other Shires it is but a barren Country without the great toil and charge of the husbandman b In the north-west part of the Shire is Hitching Hitching which according to Mr. Norden had it's name from lying at the end of a wood call'd Hitch that formerly came up to it so that it 's true name must be Hitchend The main business of the inhabitants is Maulting and their market chiefly noted for Corn. c Going from hence to the south-east we find the Barrows â—arrows mention'd by our Author which I am not willing to imagine were either Roman burying-places or bounds but am apt to think they had some relation to the Danes For the Hundred at a little distance call'd Dacorum-Hundred and the place within it Dane-end seem to be an evidence of some remarkable thing or other the Danes either did or suffer'd in this place And Norden tells us but upon what grounds I know not that the incursions of the Danes were stop'd in this place where they receiv'd a signal overthrow which if true and built upon good authority makes the conjecture so much the more plausible d Near the river Lea lies Hatfield Hatâ—â—â—â—d now neither a Royal nor Bishop's seat but ‖ Bâ— p. 1â— belongs to the Right Honorable the Earl of Salisbury being a place of great pleasure upon the account of it's Parks and other conveniences For situation contrivance building prospect and other necessaries to make a compleat seat it gives way to few in England From this place most of our Historians affirm that William de Hatfeld son to King Edw. 3. took his name tho' 't was really from Hatfield in Yorkshire where to the neighbouring Abbot of Roch Qu. Philippa gave 5 marks and 5 nobles per An. to the Monks to pray for the soul of this her son and the sums being transferr'd to the Church of York are now paid by the Earl of Devonshire See the Additions to Yorkshire e Next the river runs to Hertford Heâ—â—â—â—rd call'd in Saxon Heortford a name no doubt took from a Hart with which one may easily imagine such a woody County to have formerly abounded What our Author says of the Rubrum vadum would indeed agree well enough to the south and west parts of the County where the soil is a red earth mix'd with gravel but the Hartingford adjoyning makes for the former opinion and the Arms of the Town which if rightly represented by ‖ 〈◊〉 Mâ—ps Spede are a Hart couchant in the water put it beyond dispute There is a very fair School founded by Richard Hale Esq a native of this County who endow'd it with 40 l. per An. f From hence the river runs to Ware Ware the denomination whereof from the Weares and not as some imagine from Wares or merchandise as it is confirm'd by the abundance of waters thereabouts which might put them under a necessity of such contrivances so particularly from the inundation in the year 1408. when it was almost all drown'd since which time says Norden and before there was great provision made by wayres and sluces for the better preservation of the town and the grounds belonging to the same The plenty of waters hereabouts gave occasion to that useful project of cutting the chanel from thence to London and conveying the New-river to the great advantage and convenience of that City g North from hence is Burnt-Pelham Burnt-Pâ—â—ham from some great fire or other that has happen'd there * Nâ—rd pâ— There were some fragments and foundations of old buildings which appear'd plainly to have been consum'd by fire and so to have given name to the place In the walls of the Church was a very ancient monument namely a man figur'd in a stone and about him an eagle a lion and a bull all winged and a fourth of the shape of an angel possibly contriv'd to represent the four Evangelists Under the feet of the man a cross-flowry and under the Cross a serpent but whether the monument be still there I cannot certainly tell h Next is Stortford â—â—ortfâ—rd since our Author's age grown into a considerable place well stock'd with inns and a good market-town The castle there seems to have been of great strength having within it a dark and deep Dungeon call'd the Convict's prison but whether that name denotes some great privileges formerly belonging to it I dare not with a late Author affirm i But to return to the Lea Tybaulds â—ybaulds in our Author's time seems to have been one of the most beautiful seats in the County As it was built by Sir William Cecil so was it very much improv'd by his son Sir Robert who exchang'd it with King James 1. for Hatfield house Fail Wor. 〈◊〉 1â— In the year 1651. it was quite defac'd and the plunder of it shar'd amongst the soldiers 〈◊〉 Albans k But to go from hence toward the west the ancient Verolamium first offers it self the Antiquities whereof are so accurately describ'd by our Author that little can be added 〈◊〉 Aâ—br MS. Some ruins of the walls are still to be seen and some of the Roman bricks still appear The great Church here was built out of the ruins of old Verulam and tho' time and weather have made the out-side of it look like stone yet if you break one of them or go up to the tower the redness of a brick presently appears About 1666. there was found a copper coin which had on one side Romulus and Remus sucking the Wolf on the other Rome but much defac'd l The brazen Font mention'd by Camden to have been brought out of Scotland 〈◊〉 Full. Wor. â— 32. is now taken away in the late civil wars as it seems by those hands which let nothing stand that could be converted into money m In the middle of this town K. Edw. 1. erected a very stately Cross about the year 1290. in memory of Qu. Eleanor who dâ—ing in Lincolnshire was carry'd to Westminster The same he did in several other places thro' which they pass'd some whereof are mention'd by our Author under their proper heads Viscounts â—arls and Marquesses The place hath given Title to several persons of quality that of Viscount to the famous Francis Bacon Lord Verulam and Lord Chancellour of England created Viscount of this place Jan. 18. 1620. Afterwards Richard de Burgh Earl of Clanrikard in the kingdom of Ireland was created Earl of St. Albans by K. Charles 1. and was succeeded in that honour by Ulick his son with whom that title dy'd for want of
Catsfoot On Bernake heath not far from Stamford Pulsatilla Anglica purpurea Park parad flore clauso caeruleo J. B. Common Pasque-flower On the same heath in great plenty See the Synonymes in Cambridgeshire Millefolium palustre flore luteo galericulato Hooded Water-Milfoil In the ditches by the rivers-side as you go from Peterborough to Thorp LEICESTERSHIRE NORTH of Northamptonshire lies the County of Leicester In the Survey-Book which William the Norman made of England it is call'd Ledecesterscyre but now commonly Leicestershire It is all a champain country rich in corn and grain but the greatest part of it deficient in woods It is encompass'd on the east with Rutland and Lincolnshire on the north with Nottingham and Derbyshire on the west with Warwickshire from which it is parted by the Military-way of the old Romans call'd Watlingstreet which runs along the west skirts of this County and on the south as I observ'd before it is limited by Northamptonshire The river Soar passeth through the middle of this County to the Trent but in the east parts there gently runs a small stream call'd the Wreke which at last falls into the Soar On the South-side where the County is bounded on one hand with the river Avon the less and on the other with the Welland nothing worthy of note presents it self unless it be near the head and first rising of the Welland the town of Haverburg commonly call'd a Burton's Leicestershire p. 127. Harborrow Harborrow famous for its Fair for Cattle and not far distant from thence b Ibid. p. 67. Carleton Carleton Curleu that is the town of Husbandmen I know not whether it be worth relating but most of the natives of this town either from some peculiar quality of the soil or water or other unknown cause in nature have a harsh and ungrateful manner of speech with a guttural and difficult pronunciation and a strange * Rhotacismus wharling in the utterance of their words a Watling-street The Roman way before-mention'd whose cawsey being in other places worn away here shews it self very plainly runs north almost in a direct line along the west-side of this County You may perhaps laugh at my expensive diligence as vainly curious but I have follow'd the tract of this way very intently from the Thames into Wales for the discovery of places of Antiquity b nor could I expect to meet with any other more faithful guide 1 For the finding out of those said Towns which Antonine the Emperour specifieth in his Itinerary for that purpose This Way having past Dowbridge where it leaves Northamptonshire is first interrupted by the river Swift which is but a slow stream tho' the name imports the contrary but to that it answers only in the winter-time The bridge over which this road was heretofore continu'd they call Bransford-bridge and Bensford it was a long time broken down and that occasion'd this famous way to be for many years little frequented but now it is repair'd at the charge of the publick Adjoyning on the one hand westward lyes Cester-Over Cester-over but in Warwickshire a place worthy of note were it only for the Lord thereof Sir c He was created a Baron of this kingdom in the 18th year of King James 1. by the title of Lord Brook of Beauchamp's Court in the County of Warwick Fulk Grevill Kt. a person of extraordinary merit and yet the name speaks it a place of antiquity for our Ancestors never gave the name of Cester but only to ancient Cities or Castles On the other hand eastward on this side of Swift 2 Which springeth near Knaptoft the seat of the Turpins a knightly house descended from an heir of the Gobions lyes Misterton belonging to the famous and ancient family of the Poultneys 3 Who took that name of Poulteney a place now decay'd within the said Lordship and beyond the river Lutterworth a small market-town formerly as report says the possession of the Verdons 4 Which only sheweth a fair Church which hath been encreas'd by the Feldings of Knights Degree and ancient Gentry in this Shire A petrifying well Near which is a spring of water so very cold that in a little time it converts straws and sticks into stone Rector of this Church heretofore was the famous John Wickliff John Wickliff dy'd 1387. a man of a close subtil wit and very well verst in the sacred Scriptures who having sharpen'd his pen against the Pope's authority and the Roman Church 5 And Religious men was not only grievously persecuted in his life time but one and forty years after his death by command of the Council of Sienna his body was in a barbarous manner taken out of his grave and burnt From Bensford-bridge the Old-way goes up to High-cross so call'd because formerly a cross was erected in that high place instead of which there is now a high post set up with props to support it The neighbouring Inhabitants told me that the two principal ways of England did here cross and that in this place stood once a most flourishing city call d Cley-cester Cleycester which had a Senate of it 's own and that Cley-brook Cleybrook near a mile distant from hence was part of the old Cleycester They say also that on both sides of this way great foundations of squar'd-stone have been discover'd under ground and Roman coins frequently cast up by the plow However above ground as the Poet says Etiam ipsae periere ruinae The very ruins are decay'd and lost These things consider'd with its distance from Banaventa or Wedon which agrees exactly and that bridge call'd Bensford are inducements to believe that the Bennones Bennones or Venones which mansion Antoninus places next after Bannaventa were seated here And the rather because Antoninus tells us that the way here parted into two branches which also is the vulgar observation For North-east-ward the Fosse-way leads to Lincoln by Ratae and Vernometum of which places more hereafter and to the North-west Watlingstreet goes directly into Wales by Manvessedum of which in its proper place when I come to Warwickshire c More above on the side of the foresaid way stands Hinckley Hinckley formerly belonging to the Lord Hugh Grant-maisnill 6 A Norman High-steward or Seneschal of England in the reigns of William Rufus and Henry 1. He had two daughters Petronilla or Parnel marry'd to Robert Blanchemaines so call'd from the whiteness of his hands Earl of Leicester with whom he had the Stewardship of England and Alice married to Roger Bigot At the East-end of this Church are to be seen trenches and rampires cast up to a great height which the Inhabitants say was Hugh's-castle Three miles from hence lyes Bosworth Bosworth an ancient market-town d For distinction from another of the same name in the Hundred of Gartery it is call'd commonly Market-Bosworth Burton p. 47. which liberty
I cannot tell The Saxon Annals call it Lygeanburh except Laud's Copy which calls it Lygeanbyrig and Florence of Worcester confirms the reading when he terms it Liganburh the later writers call it Lienberig Lienberi The placing it at Loughburrow seems to draw Cuthwulf too far out of his road for the next town he took was Ailesbury and 't is strange that in such a great distance he should not make an attempt upon some other The manner of his progress seems to favour Leighton in Bedfordshire See that County That this Loughborrow was that royal Vill in the Saxon tongue calld Lieganburge which Marianus says Cuthulfus took from the Britains in the year of Christ 572 the affinity of the names does in some sort evince At present it is justly esteem'd the second town of all this County next to Leicester as well in respect of its bigness and buildings as the pleasant woods about it For near the side of this town the forest of Charnwood Charnwood Forest or Charley q The forest of Charley is 20 miles in compass Lel. Itin. p 14. See a larger description of it in Burton's Leicestersh pag. 69. spreads it self a long way Within the bounds whereof is Beaumanour Park which the Lords Beaumonts enclos'd as I have heard with a stone-wall 17 These Beaumonts descended from a younger son of John Count of Brene in France who for his high honour and true valour was preferr'd to marry the heir of the kingdom of Jerusalem and with great pomp crown'd King of Jerusalem in the year of our Lord 1248. Hence it is that we see the Arms of Jerusalem so often quarter'd with those of Beaumont in sundry places of England Sir Hâ—n Beaumont was the first that planted himself in England about the year 1308. Which Lords were descended as is commonly believ'd of a French family certain it is that they come from John de Brenne King of Jerusalem and that they first settled in England about the reign of Edw. 1. And by marriage with the daughter of Alexander Comyn Earl of Boghan in Scotland whose mother was one of the heirs of Roger de Quincy Earl of Winchester they got a very plentiful inheritance and became a great family Of which family Viscounts Beaumont in the reign of King Edward 3. Henry was for several years summoned to Parliament by the name of Earl of Boghan and in the reign of Hen. 6. John was for a time Constable of England and the first in England The first honorary Viscount in England that I know of whom the King advanc'd to the honour of a Viscount But when William the last Viscount dy'd without issue his sister became the wife of the Lord Lovel and the whole inheritance which was large was afterwards confiscated for High Treason 18 By attainder of Loved it fell into the hands of King Henry 7. In this north part nothing else occurs worth mentioning unless it be a small Nunnery founded by Roifia de Verdon and call'd Grace-dieu 19 Now belonging to a younger house of the Beaumonts that is God's grace and not far from thence by the stream of Trent Dunnington Dunnington an ancient Castle built by the first Earls of Leicester which afterwards came to John Lacy Earl of Lincoln who procur'd it the privilege of a Market and Fairs from Edw. 1. But when in the proscription of the Barons under Ed. 2. the possessions of the proscribed were sequester'd and alienated the King gave this manour to Hugh le Despenser the younger 20 The hereditaments of Thomas Earl of Lancaster and Alice Lacy his wife were seiz'd into the King's hands and alienated in divers sorts the King enforc'd her to release this manour to Hugh le Dispenser the younger h The east part of this County which is hilly and feedeth a vast number of sheep was heretofore adorned with two principal places of great note Vernometum or Verometum mention'd by Antoninus and Burton-Lazers of great account in former ages Vernometum Vernometum â—â—â—rometâ—â— the name whereof is lost at this day seems to me to have been situated in that place which is now call'd Burrow-hill and Erdburrow for between Verometum and Ratae according to Antoninus were twelve miles and there is almost so much between this place and Leicester The present name also of Burrows which signify'd among the Saxons a fortify'd place comes from Burgh 21 And under it a town call'd Burrough belonging to an old family of Gentlemen so sirnam'd But the most considerable proof is that the ground is a steep hill on all sides but the south-east on the top of which remains the manifest appearance of a town destroy'd a double trench and the track where the walls went which enclosed about 18 acres of land At this day it is * Resâ—â—â— arable ground and noted on this account chiefly that the youth of the neighbouring parts meet here yearly for wrestling and such like exercises i One may conjecture from the name that some great Temple of the Heathen Gods hath formerly stood in this place For in the ancient Language of the Gauls which was the same with that of the Britains Vernometum Vernometum what it signâ—â—â—s in the oâ—d Gâ—ulish signifies a great and spacious Temple as Venantius Fortunatus plainly tells us of Vernometum a town in France in these verses in his first book of Poems Nomine Vernometum voluit vocitare vetustas Quod quasi fanum ingens Gallica lingua sonat The Gauls when Vernomet they call'd the place Did a great Temple by the word express As for Burton call'd for distinction Lazers Burton-lazers from Lazers so they nam'd the Elephantiaci or Lepers it was a rich Hospital to the Master of which all the lesser Lazer-houses in England were in some sort subject as he himself was to the Master of the Lazers of Jerusalem r It was founded about the time of K. Hen. 1. and as Leland saith Tom. 1. p. 69. by the Lord Mowbray for a Master and 8 brethren which did profess the Order of St. Austin See Burton's Leicestersh p. 63. It is said to have been built in the beginning of the Normans by a general collection throughout England but chiefly by the assistance of the Mowbrays About which time the Leprosie Leprosie in England by some call'd Elephantiasis 22 Because the skins of Lepers are like to those of Elephants did run by infection over all England And it is believ'd that the disease did then first come into this Island out of Egypt which more than once had spread it self into Europe first in the days of Pompey the Great afterwards under Heraclius and at other times as may be seen in History 23 Whether by celestial influence or other hidden causes I leave to the learned but never so far as I read did it before that time appear in England Besides these places of greater note and fame we
mark of infamy by wickedly conspiring with those wretched Incendiaries who design'd with one single charge of Gun-powder to have destroy'd both their Prince and Country d 2 More eastward upon the river Welland I saw nothing remarkable unless it be Berohdon now Barodon which Thomas Beauchamp Earl of Warwick held with South-Luffenham and other hamlets by service to the King's Chamberlain in the Exchequer Fiâ— 14 Ed. 3. In the furthermost division beyond the river encompass'd with hills lyes the pleasant and fruitful valley now call'd The Vale of Catmose perhaps from Coet maes which in the British tongue signifies a woody field or ground In the midst of which vale stands Okeham Okeham that seems for the same reason to have taken it's name from Oaks Near the Church 3 Which is large and fair are still remaining the ruinous walls of an old castle built as is reported by a He was a younger son to William de Ferrers Earl of Derby and held Okeham by the service of one Knights fee and a half 12 Hen. 2. Wright pag. 95. Walkelin de Ferrariis in the beginning of the Normans And that it was the habitation of the Ferrars besides the authority of tradition is sufficiently evident from the Horse-shoes which that family gave for their Arms nail'd on the â—â—tes and in the hall Afterwards this town belong'd to the Lords of Tatteshall But when King Richard 2. advanced Edward son of the Duke of York to the title of Earl of Rutland he also gave him this Castle In the memory of the last age it came to Thomas Cromwell Barons Cromwell and as I have read b He was Baron Cromwell of Wimbledon but not of Okeham See the printed Stat. of 31 Hen. 8. concerning Gavelkind gave him the title of Baron Henry 8. advanc'd this person to the highest dignity but soon after when by his many projects he had expos'd himself to the storms of envy on a sudden he depriv'd him both of life and honours e Eastward from hence is Burley Burly most pleasantly situated overlooking the Vale. This is now the magnificent seat of the Harringtons who by marriage with the daughter and heir of Colepeper came to so large an inheritance in those parts that ever since they have been a flourishing family in like manner as the Colepepers were before them to whom by N. Green the great estate of the Bruses did in part descend Which Bruses being of the chief Nobility of England match'd into the Royal family of Scotland from whom by Robert the eldest brother the Royal Line of the Scots and by Bernard a younger brother the Cottons of Connington in the County of Huntingdon of whom I have already spoken and these Harringtons are descended Upon which account K. James dignify'd Sir John Harrington Barons Harringtâ—â— 4 Branch'd from the stem of the ancient Lords Harington a most famous and worthy Knight with the title of Baron Harrington of Exton 5 A town adjacent where be hath also another fair house f On the east-side of this County near the river Guash lye Brigcasterton of which more hereafter and Rihall where when superstition had so bewitched our Ancestors that it had almost remov'd the true God by the multiplicity of Gods one Tibba a Saint of the lesser rank was worship'd by Falconers The Falcoâ—ers Saint as a second Diana and reputed a kind of Patroness of Falconry g Next adjoyning is Essenden whose Lord Robert Cecil the excellent son of an excellent father who was the support of our kingdom was lately created by King James Baron Cecil of Essenden Baron Câ—â—â— of Essendâ—n This little County Edward the Confessor devised by his last Will to his wife Eadith conditionally that after her death it should go to St. Peter's at Westminster These are the words of the Testament I will that after the decease of Queen Eadgith my wife Roteland with all things thereunto belonging be given to my Monastery of the most blessed Peter and that it be surrender'd without delay to the Abbot and Monks there serving God for ever But this Testament of his was vacated by William the Norman who keeping a great part of this estate to himself divided the rest to Judith the Countess whose daughter marry'd David K. of Scots to Robert Mallet Oger Gislebert of Gaunt Earl Hugh Alberic the Clerk and others But to Westminster he left indeed at first the tithes but afterwards only the Church of Okeham with the Appendices or Chapelries thereunto belonging Oppida Mercatoria per Ichnographiam Villae Parochiales per Pagi minores per Sedes vel loca devastata Olim Villae per Denotantur COMITATUS ROTELANDIAE Tabula Nova Aucta This little County is adorn'd with 48 Parish-Churches ADDITIONS to RVTLANDSHIRE a WHat the original of this County's name was we are in a great measure in the dark for as Mr. Camden's Roet and Rud will not do because we are assur'd there is nothing in the County to justifie such a conjecture so Mr. Wright's Rotelandia quasi Rotunda-landia will hardly pass till we can give some probable account how it came by a Latin name more than other parts of England The Conquest could not bring it in because we find it call'd so in the time of Edward the Confessor and beside so much of it as belong'd to Nottinghamshire to which the name Roteland was given before the rest came to be part of it is far from making a circular figure how round soever it may be when all together b When the County of Rutland came to be distinct or upon what occasion is altogether unknown Mr. Camden says that Authors 300 years old make no mention of it as of a separate Shire but that it was distinct before is certain for in the 5th of King John Isabel his new Queen had at her Coronation assigned her in Parliament for her dowry among other lands * Wright â—g 3. Com. Roteland villam de Rokingham in Com. Northampt. c. And in 12 Johan the Custos did account for the profits of this County in the Exchequer Which Custos can relate to nothing but the Sheriff of the County who was and still is as it were a Guard and his office is imply'd in his name Scyre-gerefa from which Sheriff is contracted signifying no more than a Keeper of the County â—iâ—g 〈◊〉 c In the south part of this County lies Uppingham the site whereof will hardly bear Mr. Camden's derivation from an ascent †Wright â— 130. the ground upon which it stands being something above a level but hardly amounting to a hill Johnson who is said to have built the school was call'd Robert and beside that built two Hospitals one at Okeham and another here at Uppingham Near this place is Lydington where about the year 1602. Thomas Lord Burgley settl'd an Hospital or Alms-house for a Warden 12 poor men and 2 poor women
de Scremby At last the King gave it to 6 Sir Henry Henry de Bellomonte for nothing is more clear than that he enjoy'd it in Edward the second 's reign 〈◊〉 4. E. 2. â—ckingâ—m Near this is Skrekingham remarkable for the death of Alfric the second Earl of Leicester kill'd by Hubba the Dane Which place 't is very probable Ingulphus speaks of when he writes In Kesteven three Danish petty Kings were slain and they interr'd them in a certain village heretofore call'd Laundon but now Tre-king-ham by reason of the burial of the three Kings More to the east is Hather famous for nothing but the name of the Busseys or Busleys â—â—fy who live here and derive themselves from Roger de Busley cotemporary with the Conquerour â—â—xd And then Sleford a castle of the Bishops of Lincoln erected by Alexander the Bishop where also 7 Sir John John Hussy 〈◊〉 â—â—ly the first and last Baron of that name 8 Created by King Henry 8. built himself a house but lost his head for rashly engaging in the common insurrection in the year 1537 when the feuds and difference about Religion first broke out in England A few miles from hence stands Kime â—me from whence a noble family call'd de Kime had their name but the Umfranvils three of whom were summon'd to sit in the house of Lords by the name of Earls of Angus in Scotland â—s of â—gus became at last possessors of it The sages of the Common Law would not allow the first of these forasmuch as Angus was not within the bounds of the Kingdom of England to be an Earl before he produc'd in open Court the King 's Writ by which he was summon'd to Parliament under the title of Earl of Angus From the Umfravils this came to the Talbois one of which family nam'd Gilbert was by Henry the eighth created Baron of Talbois whose two sons died without issue so that the inheritance went by females to the family of the Dimocks Inglebies and others More to the west stands Temple Bruer â—mple â—er that is as I take it Temple in the Heath it seems to have been a Preceptory of the Templars for there are to be seen the ruinous walls of a demolish'd Church not unlike those of the New Temple in London Near it is Blankeney â—ons â—ncourt once the Barony of the Deincourts who flourish'd in a continu'd succession from the coming in of the Normans to the times of Henry 6. for then their heir male fail'd in one William whose two sisters and heirs were married the one to 9 Sir William William Lovel the other to Ralph Cromwell I have the more readily taken notice of this family because I would willingly answer the request of Edmund Baron Deincourt who was long since so very desirous to preserve the memory of his name having no issue male he petition'd K. Ed. 2. for liberty To make over his Manours and Arms to whomsoever he pleas'd â— 21 H. 6. â— 10 â—w 2. for he imagin'd that both his name and Arms would go to the grave with him and was very sollicitous they should survive and be remembred Accordingly the King complied and he had Letters Patents for that end Yet this sirname so far as my knowledge goes is now quite extinct and would have been drown'd in oblivion if books and learning had not sav'd it In the west part of Kesteven where this County borders on Leicestershire on a very steep and as it seems â—voir or â—erâ—le artificial hill stands Belvoir or Beauvoir-Castle so call'd whatever the name was formerly from its pleasant prospect which with the little Monastery adjoyning was built as 't is given out by Todeneius a Norman from whom by the Albenies Britans and by the Roos's Barons it came to be the inheritance of the Manours Earls of Rutland by the first of whom nam'd Thomas it was as I have heard rebuilt after it had laid in ruins many years For William Lord Hastings in spight to Thomas Lord Roos who sided with Henry 6. almost demolish'd it and upon the attainder of Baron Roos had it granted him by Edward 4. with very large possessions But Edmund Baron Roos the son of Thomas by the bounty of Henry 7. regain'd this his ancestors inheritance o About this castle are found the stones call'd Astroites Astroites which resemble little stars link'd one with another having five rays in every corner and in the middle of every ray a hollow This stone among the Germans had its name from Victory for they think as Georgius Agricola writes in his sixth book of Minerals That whosoever carries this stone about him shall be successful against his enemies But I have not yet had an opportunity to make the experiment whether this stone of ours when put in vinegar will move out of its place and whirl round like that in Germany The Vale beneath this castle commonly call'd from it The Vale of Belver The Vale of Belver is pretty large and exceeding pleasant by reason of the corn-fields and pastures there It lies part in Nottinghamshire part in Leicestershire and part in Lincolnshire If not in this very place yet for certain very near it †See the Additions to Rutlandshire under the title Market-Overton where 't is more conveniently plac'd stood formerly that Margidunum Margidunum which Antoninus makes mention of next to Vernometum and this may sufficiently be prov'd both by its name and distance from Vernometum and the Town Ad Pontem otherwise Paunton for Antoninus places it between them It seems to have taken this ancient name from Marga and the situation of it For Marga among the Britains is a sort of earth with which they manure their grounds and Dunum which signifies a hill is applicable only to high places But I do for all that very much question this etymology seeing there is very little Marle in this place the not searching for it being perhaps the reason except the Britains by the name of Marga understand ‖ Gypsum Plaister-stone which is as I am inform'd dug up not far from hence and was as Pliny declares in his natural history in great request among the Romans who used it in their Plaisterings and * Sigillis Cielings Thro' this part of the Shire runs Witham Riv. Witham a little river but very full of Pikes and the northern parts are bounded by it It s spring head is at a little town of the same name Bitham not far from the ruins of Bitham-Castle which as we find in an old pedigree was by William the first given to Stephen Earl of Albemarle and Holderness to enable him to feed his son as yet a little infant with fine white bread for at that time nought was eaten in Holderness but oat-bread altho' 't is now very little used there This castle nevertheless in the reign of Edward 3. was when
had call'd in Lewis of France to take upon him the Government of England however he did not do it much damage Since that 't is incredible how much it hath sunk and decay'd under the weight of time and antiquity for of fifty Churches that were remembred in it by our grandfathers there are scarce now eighteen remaining t 'T is distant that I may also make that remark 53 degrees and 12 minutes from the Equator and 22 degrees and 52 minutes from the farthest point Westward As that Roman high-way leads us directly from Stanford to Lincoln High-dike so from hence it goes Northward in a high and streight but yet here and there discontinued Causey for about 10 miles as far as a little village call'd The Spittle in the street and somewhat farther When I was about three miles from Lincoln I also observ'd another military high-way calld Ouldstreet going very plainly out of this towards the West I suppose 't is that which led to Agelocum the next garrison to Lindum But I will follow the road I am upon The Witham being now past Lindum runs down near Wragbye a part of the Barony call'd Trusbutt Barons of Trusbutt which title was by the Barons of Roos convey'd to the Manours now Earls of Rutland After it passes by the old ruin'd walls of Beardena or Peartaneu commonly call'd Bardney Bardney heretofore a famous Monastery Oswald's Banner here King Oswald was interr'd and had a banner of gold and purple over his tomb as Bede writes The Historians of the foregoing ages did not account it enough to extol this most Christian Hero Oswald unless to his glorious exploits they added ridiculous miracles which I willingly omit But that his hand remain'd here uncorrupted for many hundred years our ancestors have believ'd and a very ancient Poet has thus told us Nullo verme perit nulla putredine tabet Dextra viri nullo constringi frigore nullo Dissolvi fervore potest sed semper eodem Immutata statu persistit mortua vivit Secure from worm and rottenness appears The wondrous hand nor cold nor heat it fears Nor e're dissolv'd with cold or parch'd with heat Lives after death and keeps it 's former state This Monastery as Petrus Blesensis writes Appendix to Ingulphus being sometime burnt down by the fury of the Danes and for many years together not inhabited Gilbert de Gaunt the noble and devout Earl of Lincoln rebuilt it and very bountifully annex'd to it the tithes of all his manours wheresoever in England besides many other possessions Afterwards Witham is encreas'd by the little river Ban which rising in the middle of Lindsey runs first by Hornecastle Horn-castle sometime belonging to Adeliza de Conde but laid even with the ground in King Stephen's reign after that it was a Barony of Gerard de Rodes but now as I have been inform'd of the Bishops of Carlisle u And then by Scrivelby a manour of the Dimocks Dimock Inq. 23 E. 3. who had this by descent from the Marmions by 14 Sir John J. Ludlow King's Champion Fines Mic. An. 1 H. 6. and hold it by service of grand Serjeanty I speak in the Lawyers terms viz. that whensoever any King of England is to be crown'd the Lord of this manour for the time being or some in his name if he should be unable shall come well arm'd for war upon a good war-horse in the presence of our Lord the King on the day of his Coronation and shall cause it to be proclaimed That if any one shall say that our said Lord the King has not a right to his Crown and Kingdom he will be ready and prepar'd to defend with his body the right of the King and Kingdom and the dignity of his Crown against him and all others whatsoever The Ban a little lower at Tatteshall Tatteshall a small town pretty commodiously situated in a marshy Country built for the most part of brick as is also its castle and noted for it's Barons runs into the Witham 'T is related that Eudo and Pinso Norman Noblemen having entred into a kind of mutual brotherly alliance had by the bounty of William 1. many possessions given them in these parts which they so divided that Tatteshall fell to Eudo who held it by Barony from whose posterity it came by Dryby and the Bernakes to 15 Sir Ralph Ralph de Cromwell Cromwell whose son of the same name was Lord Treasurer of England in Henry 6.'s reign and dyed without issue And Eresby Eresby which is not far off fell to Pinso from whose children the inheritance came by the Bekes to the Willoughbies Willoughbies who had very large inheritances by their wives not only from the Uffords Earls of Suffolk but also from the Lords de Welles Lords Welles who brought with them the great estate of the de Engains Lâ—rds Engain an ancient noble family and of great power in this County from the first coming in of the Normans The most eminent man of those Willoughbies was 16 Sir Robert Robert Willoughby in Henry 5.'s reign who for his great courage and bravery was made Earl of Vandosme in France From these by the mother's side descended Peregrine Berty Baron Willoughby of Eresby a man famous for his great soul and warlike gallantry x Witham being now near the sea receives out of the north another nameless little river Lib. Stanlow at the spring-head of which in a very low ground y lies Bollingbroke-Castle Bolling-broke built by William de Romara Earl of Leicester of a brittle sandy stone taken from Alice Lacy by Edward 2. for that she married against his consent 't is famous for the birth of Henry 4. who from it had the name of Henry de Bollingbroke in whose time it began to be counted one of the honorary manours call'd Honors z The Witham having receiv'd this river below Boston aa as we have said discharges it self into the sea From the mouth of Witham as far as Humber-frith the shore lies out with a great bent into the German Ocean chop'd every where so as to admit little arms of the sea It has but few towns by reason there are but few havens in it and many shelves of sand along the shore Yet some of them are remarkable particularly Wainfleet Wainfleet as being the birth-place of William Wainfleet Bishop of Winchester founder of Magdalen College in Oxford and a great patron of learning Next is Alford Alford memorable for its market for which it is beholden to Leon Lord Welles Barons Welles who obtain'd it this privilege of Henry 6. This family of the Welles was indeed very ancient and very honourable but the last of them married King Edward 4.'s daughter and was made Viscount Welles by Henry 7. He died without issue so that the inheritance came by females to the Willoughbies Dimoes De la launds Hois c.
formerly a little Monastery z and to Bethmesley the seat of the famous family of Claphams of which was J. Clapham a famous souldier in the Wars between York and Lancaster Hence it passes by Ilekely â—â—a â—â—â—y which I imagine to be the Olicana in Ptolemy both from its situation in respect of York and the resemblance of the two names It is without question an ancient town for not to mention those engrav'd Roman pillars lying now in the Churchyard and elsewhere it was rebuilt in Severus's time by â—â—â—â—on'd â—â—â—an 〈◊〉 ceâ—â—â— â—â—ar 〈◊〉 Virius Lupus Legate and Propraetor of Britain as we are informed by an Inscription lately dug up near the Church IM SEVERVS AVG. ET ANTONINVS CAES. DESTINATVS RESTITVERVNT CV RANTE VIRIO LVPO â—â—gato 〈◊〉 Prâ—â—â—â— LEG EORVM ‖ PR PR That the second Cohort of the Lingones quartered here is likewise shewed us by an old Altar I have seen there now put under a pair of stairs and inscribed by the â—â—â—â—ct Captain of the second Cohort of the Lingones to Verbeia perhaps the Nymph or Goddess of the Wherf the river called Verbeia I suppose from the likeness of the two words VERBEIAE SACRVM Verbeia fl vel Nympha CLODIVS FRONTO PRAEF COH II LINGON For Rivers says Gildas in that age had divine honours paid them by the ignorant Britains Epist 41. And Seneca tells us of Altars dedicated to them We worship the heads of great rivers and we raise altars to their first springs And Servius says that every river was presided by some Nymph or other In the walls of the Church there is this other imperfect Inscription RVM CAES. AVG. ANTONINI ET VERI JOVI DILECTI CAECILIVS PRAEF COH aa I found nothing in my search up and down the Church for pieces of Roman Antiquity but the portraicture of Sir Adam Middleton armed and cut out in stone who seems to have liv'd in Edward the 1.'s reign His posterity remain still in the neighbourhood at a place called Stubham bb Somewhat lower stands Otley Otley which belongs to the Archbishop of York memorable for nothing but its situation under a huge craggy Cliff called Chevin Chevin For the ridge of a mountain is in British Chevin Chevin what it signifies and so that long ridge of mountains in France which formerly us'd the same language with our Britains is called Gevenna Gevenna and Gebenna From hence the river flows in a chanel bank'd on both sides with Lime-stone by Harewood Harewood where stands a neat and strong Castle which has always chang'd its master as the times turn'd It was formerly the Curcies but went from them with Alice the heiress of that family to Warren Fitz-Gerold who married her Placit 1. Joan. Rot. 10. in D. Monstr le droit 35 Ed. 1. and had issue Margery who being one of his heirs and a great fortune was first married to Baldwin de Ripariis son to the Earl of Devonshire who died before his father and then by King John's means to Falcatius de Brent a favourite upon account of his great service in pillaging Afterwards Isabel de Ripariis Countess of Devonshire dying without issue this Castle fell to Robert de Lisle the son of Warren as a relation Lords de Insula or Lisle and one of her heirs At last by those of Aldborough it came to the Rithers as I learn'd from Fr. Thinn who with great judgment and diligence has long studied the Antiquities of this Kingdom cc Nor must I forget to take notice of a place just by called Gawthorp remarkable for that ancient and virtuous family the Gascoigns Gascoigns descended very probably from Gascoigne in France Hence the course of the river Wherf is by Wetherby Wetherby a notable trading town which has no remains of Antiquity but only a place under it called Helensford where a Roman military way has lain through the river dd Then by Tadcaster Tadcaster a very small town which yet I cannot but think was the same with Calcaria Calcaria both from the distance name and nature of the soil especially since it is agreeable to the opinion of Mr. Robert Marshall of Rickerton a person of excellent judgment for 't is just nine Italian miles from York which is the distance of Calcaria from it in Antoninus And Limestone which is the main ingredient in mortar is no where to be found all about but plentifully here from whence it is conveyed to York and all the Country round for the use of building This Limestone was call'd by the Britains the Saxons and the Northern English after the manner of the Latins Calc For that imperious City not only impos'd her Laws upon those she had subdu'd Câ—lcarienses De Decurâ—onibus l. 27. Roman Language in the Provinces Augustin l. 9. de Civit Dei but her Language too and Calcarienses in the Theodosian Code is used to denote them who burnt this Limestone from whence one might not improbably infer that this town had the name Calcaria from the Limestone found there like the city Chalcis from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brass Ammon from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sand Pteleon from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 elms and perhaps the city Calcaria in Clive from the word Calx Especially considering that Bede calls it Calca-cester who tells us farther that k Heina the first woman of this Country that turned Nun came to this City and lived in it Again here is by the town a hill called Kelcbar which still retains something of the old name For other proofs of Antiquity not to mention its situation near a Roman Consular way there are many Coins of Roman Emperours digged up in it the marks of a trench quite round the town and the platform of an old Castle still remaining out of the ruins of which a bridge was made over the Wherf not many years ago Not far from this bridge the Wherf glides gently into the Ouse And really considering the many currents that fall into it this so shallow and easie stream from the bridge is very strange and might well give occasion to what a certain Gentleman that passed it in the summer-time said of it Itinerary of T. Edes Nil Tadcaster habet Musis vel carmine dignum Praeter magnificè structum sine flumine pontâ—m Nothing in Tadcaster deserves a name But the fair bridge that 's built without a stream Yet if he had travell'd this way in winter he would have thought the bridge little enough for the river For as Natural Philosophers know very well the quantity of water in springs and rivers ever depends upon the inward or outward heat and cold 10 Whereupon in his return he finding here durt for dust and full current water under the bridge recanted with these Verses Quae Tadcaster erat sine flumine pulvere plena Nunc habet immensum fluvium pro pulvere lutum ee Nid
bridge over this Wash the Record making the Pons de Pontefract to be near Bubwith-houses hard by and there appearing no necessity of a bridge in any other part of the town it follows that the bridge which was broken must have been here And the occasion of it being no doubt very considerable it was natural enough for the Norman Lords who knew what numbers of places took their name from Bridges in their own country to lay hold upon this opportunity of changing the name especially when that former one of Kirkby upon the building of more Churches round it grew less emphatical and less distinguishing Whether the Castle was first built by Alric the Saxon or by Hildebert does not appear Monast Angl. vol. 2. In the history of the Lacies indeed the latter is said to have caus'd a Chapel to be erected in the Castle of Pontfract which he had built But since it 's being demolish'd of late years among several others throughout England 't is observ'd that the round-tower stood upon a rais'd hill of very hard stiff clay which looks as if it had been of those sort of fortifications the Saxons call'd Keeps and might from a fortification of earth be built of stone by the said Hildebert w Next is Shirburn Shirburn now chiefly famous for the benefaction of Robert Hungale Esquire a most zealous Protestant who by Will ordain'd the erection of an Hospital and School with convenient Lodgings c. for 24 Orphans who have each 5 l. per an allow'd for their maintenance there from 7 to 15 years of age and then a provision for binding them Apprentices or sending them to the University which with 30 l. per an to the Master who is also to catechize them 20 marks for the Usher and as much to a man and his wife for making suitable provisions of meat and apparel for the Orphans and 40 marks per an for 4 poor scholars in S. John's Coll. Cambridge c. amounts to 250 l. per an x Not far from hence is Haslewood Haslewood which has a pleasant prospect the two Cathedrals of York and Lincoln 60 miles asunder may thence be discover'd The Country within 10 miles Dr. Tonstal Bishop of Durham affirm'd to King Hen. 8. when he made his progress to York An. 1548. to be the richest valley that ever he found in all his travels through Europe there being 165 manour-houses of Lords Knights and Gentlemen of the best quality 275 several woods whereof some contain 500 acres 32 parks and 2 chases of deer 120 rivers and brooks whereof 5 are navigable well-stor'd with Salmon and other fish 76 water-mills for corn 25 cole-mines 3 forges for making of iron and stone enough for the same within those limits also as much sport and pleasure for hunting hawking fishing and fowling as in any place of England besides y The river Wherf is the next in this Riding upon the banks of it stands Burnsall Burnsall where Sir William Craven not only built a School but endow'd it He built also a Church there and encompass'd it with a wall that cost 600 l. He built in all four Bridges one of which cost 500 l. another 250 l. and a Cause-way that cost 200 l. He gave 1000 l. to Christ's Hospital in London and the Royalties of Creek with the perpetual donation of the Parsonage to St. John's College in Oxford William his eldest Son much affecting Military Discipline was sent to the wars of Germany under Gustavus Adolphus the famous King of Sweden and after into the Netherlands under Henry Prince of Orange by King Charles 1. who also advanc'd him to the dignity of a Baron by the title of Lord Craven of Hamsted and 16 Car. 2. he was dignify'd with the title of Viscount Craven of Uffington in Berkshire and Earl of Craven in Yorkshire z The Wherf goes from hence to Bolton Bolton now honour'd by giving title of Duke to the Right Noble Charles Pawlet Marquiss of Winchester and Duke of Bolton aa Next to Ilkley Ilkley which Mr. Camden proves from an Altar to have been the Seat of the second Cohort of the Lingones but it seems rather to have been that of the first Cohort the last line of that Inscription being not II LINGON but P. LINGON in the original as appears from Mr. John Thoresby's Papers late of Leeds an eminent Antiquary who accurately transcrib'd it being very critical in his observations upon Inscriptions and original coins of which he had a valuable Collection besides his own having purchas'd those of the Reverend Mr. Stonehouse and the Right Honourable Thomas Lord Fairfax This Musaeum is very much improv'd and still growing by the curiosity and industry of Mr. Ralph Thoresby an excellent Antiquary who has a great variety of Manuscripts with other Curiosities and possibly the best Collection of Coyns particularly Roman and Saxon that is in the Kingdom The original Altar mention'd by Mr. Camden is remov'd to Stubham Stubham the new one erected at Ilkley has this Inscription added upon the Reverse GVILM MIDLETON ARM ME FECIT AD IMAGINEM ANTI QVISS LAPIDIS HIC REPERTI 1608. bb At some distance from hence is Bramhope Bramhope the Seat of the ancient family of the Dinelys of which Robert Dinely Esq lately deceas'd in a good old age having seen four generations of most of the neighbouring nobility and gentry erected a Chapel with a competent endowment cc And upon the Wherf is Harewood-castle Harewood-Castle reduc'd to a skeleton in the late Civil-wars In the Church are several curious Monuments for the owners of it and the Gascoyns of whom the famous Judge Sir William Gascoyne is the most memorable for committing the Prince afterwards King Henry 5. prisoner to the King's Bench till his Father's pleasure was known who being inform'd of it gave God thanks that at the same instant had given him a Judge who could administer and a son who could obeâ— justice He was made Judge A. D. 1401. and dy'd 17 Dec. 1412. as appears by their Pedigree curiously drawn by that accomplish'd Antiquary Mr. Richard Gascoyne and is the rather mention'd because most Histories are either deficient or mistaken therein dd Thence Wherf passeth by Wighill Wighill the Seat of an ancient family of the Stapletons of which Sir Robert being Sheriff 23 Eliz. met the Judges with sevenscore men in suitable Liveries For a person well-spoken comely and skill'd in the Languages he had scarce an equal except Sir Philip Sidney and no superiour in England Not far from it is Helaugh-manour Helaugh manoâ—â— which belongs to the honourable and ancient family of the Whartons in the Church whereof is the Monument of Sir Thomas Wharton Lord Warden of the West-marches who gave so great a defeat to the Scots at Solemn-moss A. 1542. Nov. 24. that their King James the fifth soon after dy'd for grief With 300. men he not only defeated their Army but took
original Charter it self still extant in the Cottonian Library and publisht by Sir Roger Twisden at the end of the Hist Eccles Sim Dunelm abundantly testifie 684 gave with the ground three miles round it to S. Cuthbert by whom it came to the Church of Durham Scarce four miles from hence Sherry-hutton Sherry-hutton a very neat Castle built by 9 Sir Bertrand Bulmer Bertrand de Bulmer and repair'd by Ralph Nevill first Earl of Westmorland is pleasantly seated among the woods near which is †This Castle was a great part of it lately burnt down Hinderskell Hinderskel a Castle built by the Barons of Greystock which others call ‖ Centum fontes Hunderd-skell from the many fountains that spring there Behind the hills to the Westward where the Country falls again into a level and the fields are more fruitful North Alvertonshire lyes Alvertonshire commonly North-Allerton a small territory water'd by the little river Wiske It takes its name from the town of Northalverton formerly Ealfertun which is nothing but a long street yet the most throng Beast-fair upon St. Bartholomew's day that ever I saw King William Rufus gave this place with the fields about it to the Church of Durham to the Bishops whereof it is much obliged For William Comin who forcibly possess'd himself of the See of Durham built the Castle there and gave it to his nephew which is almost decay'd The Bishops likewise his Successors endow'd it with some privileges For in the Book of Durham Cap. 1â— we find that Hugh de Puteaco Bishop of Durham fortified the Town having obtain'd this favour of the King that of all those unlawful Castles which by his order were then destroy'd up and down throughout England this alone should still be permitted to remain entire which notwithstanding the King afterwards commanded to be rased 113â— and laid even with the ground The Bâ— of Staâ—â—ard Near this was fought the battel commonly call d c One part of the History written by Richard Prior of Hexham bears the title De Bello Standardi Pits de Script Angl. p. 259. The Standard wherein David King of Scotland who by his unheaâ—d of cruelty had made this Country a mere desert Hovedâ— was put to flight with such slaughter of his men that the English themselves thought their revenge then at last sufficiently completed For what Ralph the Bishop said in his Exhortation to the English befoâ—e the fight was fully effected A multitude without discipline is a hindrance to it self either to hurt when they conquer or to escape when they are conquer'd This was call'd the Battel of Standard because the English being rang'd into a body about their Standard there receiv'd and bore the onset of the Scots and at last routed them Now this Standard as I have seen it dâ—awn in old books was a huge Chariot upon wheels with a * Maâ—â— mast of great height fix'd in it on the top whereof was a cross and under that hung a banner This was a signal only us'd in the greatest Expeditions and was lookt upon as the sacred Altar being indeed the very same with the Carrocium Carrocâ—â—â— among the Italians which was never to be used but when the very Empire it self lay at stake There is farther remarkable in this division Thresk Thresk commonly Thrusk which had formerly a very strong Castle where Roger de Mowbray began his rebellion and call d in the King of Scots to the destruction of his Country King Henry the second having very unadvisedly digg'd his own grave by taking his son into an equal share of the Government and Royalty But this Sedition was at last as it were quencht with blood and the Castle utterly demolisht so that I could see nothing of it there besides the rampire Another flame of Rebellion likewise broke out here in King Henry the seventh's reign For the lawless Rabble repining most grievously at that time that a small subsidy was laid on them by the Parliament drove away the Collectors of it and forthwith as such madness upon the least success spurs on without end or aim fell here upon Henry Percie Earl of Northumberland who was Lieutenant of this County Earl of Northâ—â—berland slain by 〈◊〉 Rebels and kill'd him then under the conduct of John Egremond their Leader took up Arms against their King and Country Yet it was not long before they were brought to such heavy punishments as were due to them Here hard by stands Soureby and Brakenbak belonging to the truly ancient and famous family of Lascelles Lascellâ—â— and more to the Southward Sezay formerly the estate of the Darells after that of the Dawnies who flourish'd long under the title of Knights The first and only Earl of Yorkshire after William Mallet and one or two Estotevills Earls 〈◊〉 Dukes oâ— York both of Norman extraction whom some would have to have been hereditary Viscounts here was Otho son of Henry Leon Duke of Bavaria and Saxony An. 1 R Hovedâ— by Maud the daughter of Henry the second King of England who was afterwards greeted Emperour by the name of Otho the fourth From whose brother William another son by Maud the Dukes of Brunswick Dukes oâ— Brunsâ—â—â—â— and Lunenburgh in Germany are descended who as an instance of this relation of theirs to the Kings of England us'd the same Arms with the first Kings of England that were of Norman descent namely two Leopards or Lions Or in a Shield Gules Long after this King Richard the second made Edmund of Langley fifth son to King Edward the third Duke of York who by one of the daughters of Peter King of Castile and Leon had two sons Edward the eldest in the life time of his father was first Earl of Cambridge after that Duke of Albemarle and last of all Duke of York who without issue lost his life valiantly in the battel of Agincourt in France Richard the second son was Earl of Cambridge he married Ann sister of Edmund Mortimer Earl of March whose grandmother likewise was the only daughter and heir of Leonel Duke of Clarence and attempting to set the Crown upon the head of his wife's brother Edmund was presently found out and beheaded as if he had been hired by the French to destroy King Henry the fifth Richard his son in the sixteenth year after by the great but unwary generosity of Henry the sixth â— 10 H. was fully restored as son of Richard the brother of Edward Duke of York and Cousin German to Edmund Earl of March. And now being Duke of York Earl of March and Ulster Lord of Wigmore Clare Trim and Conaght he grew to that pitch of boldness that whereas formerly he had sought the Kingdom privately by ill practices complaining of male-administration dispersing seditious rumours and libels entring into secret combinations by raising broils next to wars against the Government at last he claims it publickly
Preston in Andernesse 〈…〉 instead of Acmundesnesse for so the Saxons nam d this part of the country because between the rivers Ribell and Cocar it hangs out for a long way into the Sea like a Nose it was also afterwards call'd Agmonderâ—nes In William the Conqueror's time there were only 16 villages in it inhabited the rest lay wast as we find in Domes-day and it was possess'd by Roger of Poictiers Afterwards it belong d to Theobald Walter from whom the Butlers of Ireland are descended for so we read in a charter of Richard the first Know ye that we have given and by this present charter confirm'd to Theobald Walter for his homage and service all Agmondernes with all other appurtenances thereunto c. This soil bears oats pretty well but is not so good for barley it makes excellent pasture especially towards the Sea where it is partly champain whence a great part of it is call'd the File 〈…〉 as one would guess for the Feild Yet in the records of the tower it is express'd by the latin word Lima which signifies a File a Smith's Instrument wherewith iron or other things are polish'd In other places it is fenny and therefore counted less wholsom The Wyr a little river which comes from Wierdale a solitary and dismal place touches here as it runs along in a swift stream and passes by Grenhaugh-castle Grenhaugh castle built by Thomas Stanley the first Earl of Derby of that family while he was under apprehension of danger from certain of the nobility outlaw'd in this County whose estates had been given him by Henry the 7th for they made several attempts upon him frequently making inroads into his grounds till at last these feuds were wisely quieted by the moderation of this excellent person In many places along this coast there are heaps of sand b Mr. Ray Northern words p. 20â— has given us an account of the manner of making salt of sea-sand in this County upon which they now and then pour water A new way of making Salt till they grow saltish and then with a hot turf-fire they boil it into a white salt Here are also some deceitful and voracious sands they call them quick-sands Quicksands so dangerous to travellers who when the tide is out take the shortest cut that they ought to use great care lest as Sidonius expresses it they sink and are shipwrack d in their travels by land especially near the mouth of the Cockar where in a field of quicksands if I may so say stands Cockarsand-Abbey Syrticus Ager formerly a small Monastery of the Cluniacks founded by Ranulph de Meschines It lies expos'd to the winds situated between the mouth of the Cockar and the Lune commonly call'd the Lone with a large prospect into the Irish sea The Lone commonly Lune Lune riv which has its rise among the mountains of Westmoreland runs southward in a crooked chanel bank'd so as that the current of the water is much hinder'd To the great gain of those that live thereabouts it affords store of Salmon Salmon in the summer time for this sort of Fish taking great delight in clear water and particularly in sandy fords comes up in great shoals into this and the other rivers on this coast As soon as it enters Lancashire the Lac a little river joyns it from the east Here at present stands Over-burrow Over burrow a small country village but that it was formerly a great city taking up a large plot of ground between the Lac and the Lone and was forc'd to surrender by the utmost misery of a siege and famine I learnt from the inhabitants who have it by a tradition handed down from their Ancestors The place it self shews its own antiquity by many old monuments inscriptions upon stones chequer'd pavements and Roman coins as also by this its modern name which signifies a Burrow If it ever recover its ancient name it must owe it to others and not to me tho' I have sought it with all the diligence I could And indeed one is not to imagine that the particular names of every place in Britain is to be found in Ptolemy Antoninus the Notitia and in Classick Authors If a man might have the liberty of a conjecture I must confess I should take it to be Bremetonacum Bremetonacum which was a distinct place from Brementuracum as Jerom Surita a Spaniard in his notes upon Antoninus very reasonably supposes upon the account of its distance from Coccium or Riblechester From this Burrough the river Lone runs by Thurland-Tunstalls a fort built in Henry the fourth's time by Sir Thomas Tunstall Knight the King having granted him leave to fortifie and kernel his mansion that is What it is to kernel to embattel it and then by Hornby a fine castle Hornby-castle which glories in its founder N. de Mont Begon and in its Lords the Harringtons and the Stanleys Barons de Monte Aquilae or Mont-Eagle Barons Monteagle descended from Thomas Stanley first Earl of Derby 6 And advanc'd to that title by K. Henr. 8. William Stanley the third and last of these left Elizabeth his only daughter and heir marry'd to Edward Parker Lord Morley She had a son William Parker who was restor'd by King James to the honour of his ancestors the Barony of Mont-Eagle and must be acknowledged by us and our posterity to have been born for the good of the whole Kingdom for by an obscure letter privately sent him and produc'd by him in the very nick of time Gun powder-plot the most hellish and detestable treason that wickedness it self could project was discover'd and prevented when the Kingdom was in the very brink of ruin for some of that wicked gang under the execrable masque of Religion stood ready to blow up their King and Country in a moment having before planted a great quantity of Gun-powder under the Parliament-house for that purpose The Lone after it has gone some miles further sees Lancaster on the south side of it the chief town of this county which the inhabitants more truly call c This is its name in all the North part of England Loncaster Lancaster and the Scots Loncastell from the river Lon. Both its name at this day and the river under it in a manner prove it to be the Longovicum wâ—ere under the Lieutenant of Britain as the Notitia informs us a Company of the Longovicarians who took that name from the place kept gaâ—â—ison Thoâ— at present the town is not populous and the inhabitants thereof are all husbandmen for the grounds about it are well cultivated open flourishing and woody enough yet in proof of its Roman antiquity they sometimes meet with coins of the Emperors especially where the Fryers had their cloyster for there as they report stood the marks of an ancient city which the Scots in a sudden inroad in the year 1322 wherein
Manour of Crakenthorp is Hugh Michel Esq And as the place is memorable on account of this uninterrupted succession for so many ages so is it also for the admirable Camps which lye near it and the Antiquities discover'd thereabouts which with others found in these parts are carefully collected and preserv'd by Mr. Thomas Machel brother to the said Hugh and Minister of Kirkby-Thore in order to his intended Antiquities of this County o What our Author has said also of the Antiquities of Kirby-thore Kirkby-thore has been farther confirm'd by Urns Inscriptions c. so that we have no occasion to go along with him in straining the old name Whelp-Castle where they are found to some congruity with the old Gallagum by calling it Wheallep Nor indeed cannot be allow'd this never appearing either in Records or common talk whereas that of Whelp-castle is justify'd not only by both these but also by one Whelp who was Lord of this place about the Conquest and left the name to it 'T is a Coin about the bigness of a silver Groat but the best Danish Antiquaries are of opinion that no currant money was ever minted in these Northern Kingdoms till the Runick Character was laid aside So that tho' it be true that they sometimes meet with pieces of Silver of the like fashion with this before us Ast ego says Tho. Bartholine T. F. who speaks the sense of all the rest of them Amuletorum quoddam genus c. i.e. But for my part I look upon them to have been a sort of Amulets us'd as Magical Spells having learnt from our Antiquities that our Pagan Ancestors had certain portable pieces of gold or silver with their Gods represented upon them in a human face By these they foretold what was to come and lookt upon them as their Tutelar Deities which so long as they kept them would assure them of safety and prosperity Now its probable that this may prove one of these Amulets For the imagery gives us a human visage with a glory surrounding his head c. And the account which †Notes upon Saxo Grammaticus Stephanius with some others of his learned Country-men has left us of their God Thor is this That in the posture they worship'd him he had Caput flamma circumdatum c. i.e. his head surrounded with a flame like a Sun just as Painters us'd to adorn the heads of their Gods In his hand they paint a Scepter or as others will have it a golden ‖ Malleum mallet A description so agreeable to the figure represented that it could never have been more exact tho' it had been copy'd from this Original But the Runick Characters on the Reverse put the matter beyond all dispute for these words are fairly legible ✚ Thur gut Luetis i.e. Thoris Dei facies seu effigies The face or effigies of the God Thor. If there were any occasion for a farther illustration the figures of the Half-moon and Stars might serve for a comment For the old Gothick Nations had the same opinion of their mighty God Thor as the Phoenicians had of their Sun their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cujus nutum Planetae reliquáque sidera observabant This was the Deity the old Pagan Saxons ador'd above all other Gods p Upon our Author's mention of the Roman Way it may not be unseasonable to give you the course of it through this County First then it passes through a large Camp where the stone of King Marius formerly stood instead whereof there is another erected call'd Rere-Cross Thence through Maiden-Castle a small square fort in which there has been found some Roman mortar next it runs quite through Market-Brough over Brough-Fair-hill on which there are some tumuli barrows or ancient burying-places Then leaving Warcop a pretty village which gave name to the Warcops on the left-hand it passes along Sandford-moor and so down a delicate horse-race to Cowplandbeck brig where on the right are the ruin'd foundations of a noble round tower and near it on the left Ormside-hall the seat of the ancient family of Hiltons Then by Apleby to the Camps upon Crackenthorp-moor so through the Down end of Kirkby-Thore and through Sawerby a village of the Dalstons of Akernbank so all along by the side of Whinfeld-Park to Hart-horn-tree which may seem to give name to Hornby-hall the seat of the Birkbecks and to have borrow'd its own from a Stag which was cours'd by a single Grey-hound to the Red Kirk in Scotland and back again to this place where being both of them spent the Stag leapt the pales but dy'd on the other side and the Grey-hound attempting to leap fell and dy'd on this side Whence they nail'd up their heads upon the tree and the dog's name being Hercules they made this rhyme upon them Hercules kill'd Hart-a-greese And Hart-a-greese kill'd Hercules In the midst of the Park not far from hence is the three-brether-tree so call'd because there were three of them whereof this was the least in circumference 13 yards and a quarter a good way from the root From Hart-horn-tree the way goeth directly westward to the Countess pillar erected by Anne Countess Dowager of Penbroke and adorn'd with Coats of Arms Dials c. with an Obelisk on the top colour d with black and this Inscription in brass declaring the occasion and meaning THIS PILLAR WAS ERECTED ANNO 1656. BY THE RIGHT HONO ANNE COUNTESS DOWAGER OF PENBROKE AND SOLE HEIR OF THE RIGHT HONORABLE GEORGE EARL OF CUMBERLAND c. FOR A MEMORIAL OF HER LAST PARTING IN THIS PLACE WITH HER GOOD AND PIOUS MOTHER THE RIGHT HONORABLE MARGARET COUNTESS DOWAGER OF CUMBERLAND THE SECOND OF APRIL 1616. IN MEMORY WHEREOF SHE ALSO LEFT AN ANNUITY OF FOUR POUNDS TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE POOR WITHIN THIS PARISH OF BROUGHAM EVERY SECOND DAY OF APRIL FOR EVER UPON THE STONE TABLE HERE BY. LAUS DEO From this pillar the Way carries us to Broughamâ—â—stâ—â—â— venerable pile of ancient building the Antiquity whereof assign'd it by our Author has been since confirm'd by the discovery of several Coins Altars and other testimonies From hence the Way leads us directly to Lowther-bridge and so over Emot into Cumberland r That the calling of the Legions into these parts from their proper stations might be the occasion of these Inscriptions is a conjecture plausible enough But what if one should say that this was the place which afforded the Romans a supply of stones for their buildings hereabouts and that upon this account the Inscriptions were left here The truth of the matter of fact appears from the stones dug up out of the Foundations at Kirkby-thore most whereof did certainly come from hence and that upon those occasions they us'd to leave Inscriptions behind them is confirm'd by the like instances both in Helbeck Scar by the river Gelt and on Leuge-Crag near Naward-Castle in Gilsland from whence they had their stone for the Picts-wall s And doubtless
oâ—â—e Barons of Dacre the last whereof some years ago dy'd young and his Uncle Leonard chosing rather to contend with his Prince in War than with his Nieces in Law about the estate seis'd upon the Castle and got together a company of Rebels in opposition to his Prince But the Lord Hunsdon with the garrison of Berwick easily defeated them put a great many to the sword and the rest amongst whom was Leonard himself to flight x 19 But of him more in my Annals Nearer the Wall beyond the river Irthing was lately found this fair votive Altar erected to the Goddess Nymphe of the Brigantes for the health of the Empress Plautilla Wife to M. Aurelius Antoninus Severus and the whole Imperial family by M. Cocceius Nigrinus a Treasurer to the Emperour when Laetus was second time Consul with intricate connexion of letters which I read thus DEAE NYMPHAE BRIGantum QUOD VOVERAT PRO SALUTE PAUTILIAE COnjugis INVICTAE DOMini NOSTRI INVICTI IMP. M. AURELii SEVERI ANTONINI PII. FELicis CAESaris AUGusti TOTIUSQUE DO MUS DIVINAE EJUS M. COCCEIUS NIGRINUS Questor AUGusti Numini DEVOTUS LIBENS SUSCEPTUM Solvit LAETO II. Nearer the Wall stood the Priory of Lanercost founded by R. de Vallibus Lord of Gillesland y and upon the wall is Burd-Oswald Below this where the Picts-Wall pass'd the river Irthing by an arch'd bridge at a place now call'd Willoford was the Station of the †See the Additions to Ambleside in Westmorland If we are to settle the Amboglana here the many rivulets in those parts which carry the name of Glen oâ— Glynn afford us a probable original of the name Cohors prima Aelia Dacorum as appears by the Notitia and several Altars erected by that Cohort and inscrib'd to Jupiter Optimus Maximus Some of them I think proper to give you tho' they 're much defac'd and worn with age Jovi optimo Maximo * I. O. M. COH I. AEL DAC CVI PRAE IG I. O. M. CoH. I. AEL DAC C. P. STATV LoN GINUS TRIB I. O. M. OH I. AEL DA C. C. A. GETA IRELSAVRNES PRO SALVTE D. N MAXiMIANO †Fortissimo Caesari FOR CAE VA OAED L E G. VI. V I C. P. F. F. I. O M. COH I AEL DAC TETRICIANO RO C. P. P. LVTIC V. S. DESIG NATVS TRIB I. O. M. COH I. AEL DAC GORD ANA. C. P EST. I. O. M. H. I. AEL DAC C. PRAEESI FLIUS FA S TRIB PETVO COS. The first Lord of Gillesland that I read of Lords of Gillâ—sâ—â—â— Out oâ—â— old Mâ—â— R. Câ—â— Clarenceux 〈◊〉 him Raâ—â— as also 〈◊〉 MSS. of Fountaâ—â— and Hiâ—â— Abbâ—â— was William Meschines brother of Ralph Lord of Cumberland not that William who was brother of Ranulph Earl of Chester from whom sprang Ranulph de Ruelent but the brother of Ralph but he was not able to get it out of the hands of the Scots for Gill the son of Bueth Å¿ This was but for a short time for the father was banish'd into Scotland in Earl Randolph's time and the son Gillesbueth as he was call'd was slain by Robert de Vallibus at a â—eeting for Arbitration of all differences so that that family seems never to have claim'd after The murther was barbarous and Robert to atone for it built the Abbey of Lanercost and gave to it the Lands that had caus'd the quarrel held the greatest part of it by force of Arms. After his death King Henry the second bestow'd it upon Hubert de Vallibus or Vaulx whose Coat Armour was Chequey Argent and Gules His son Robert founded and endow'd the Priory of Lanercost But the estate within a few years came by marriage to the Moltons and from them by a daughter to Ranulph Lord Dacre whose posterity flourish'd in great honour down to our time z Having thus took a Survey of the Sea-coast and inner parts of Cumberland we must pass to the East of it a lean hungry desolate sort of Country which affords nothing remarkable besides the head of South-Tine in a wet spungy ground and an ancient Roman stone Cawsey * 8 Ulnaâ— above ten yards broad 'T is call'd the Maiden-way Maiden-way leading out of Westmoreland and at the confluence of the little river Alon and the Tine we spoke of on the side of a gentle ascent there are the remains of a large old Town which to the North has been fortify'd with a fourfold Rampire and to the West †Sileâ—â— with one and a half The place is now call'd Whitley-castle and as a testimony of it's Antiquity has this imperfect Inscription ‖ Compâ—â— of a scriâ—â— ratioâ—◠〈◊〉 risimâ—leâ— compendiously written with the Letters link'd one in another from which we learn that the third Cohort of the Nervii built a * Aedemâ— Temple there to Antoninus the Emperour son of Severus IMP. CAES. Lucii Septimi Severi AraBICI ADIABENICI PARTHICI MAX. FIL. DIVI ANTONINI Pii Germanici SARMA NEP. DIVI ANTONINI PII PRON. DIVI HADRIANI ABN DIVI TRAIANI PARTH ET DIVI NERVAE ADNEPOTI M. AVRELIO ANTONINO PIO FEL AVG. GERMANICO PONT MAX. TR. POT X IMP. COS. IIII. P. p. PRO PIETATE AEDE VOTO COMMVNI CURANTE LEGATO AVG. PR COH III. NERVIO RVM G. R. POS. Now seeing the third Cohort of the Nervii was quarter'd in this place seeing also the Notitia sets them at Alione as Antoninus does at Alone and a little river running under it is call'd Alne if I should think this to be the very Alone I could not indeed deliver it for a positive truth because the injuries of time and the violence of wars have long since put these things out of the reach of human knowledge but it would at least seem probable Upon the decay of the Roman power in Britain tho' this Country was cruelly harrass'd by the Scots and Picts yet did it longest keep its original Inhabitants the Britains and fell late under the power of the Saxons But when the Danish wars had well nigh broke the Saxon government it had its petty Kings â—â—gs of â—â—mberâ—â—â—d stil'd Kings of Cumberland to the year of our Lord 946. At which time as Florilegus tells us King Edmund by the assistance of Leolin King of South-Wales spoil'd Cumberland of all its riches and having put out the eyes of the two sons of Dummail King of that County granted that Kingdom to Malcolm King of Scots to hold of him and to protect the North-parts of England both by Sea and Land against the incursions of the Enemy After which the eldest sons of the Kings of Scotland as well under the Saxons as Danes were stil'd â—mbriâ—e 〈◊〉 Governours of Cumberland But when England had yielded to the Normans this County submitted among the rest and fell to the share of Ralph de Meschines whose eldest son Ranulph was Lord of Cumberland and at the same time in right of his mother and by the favour of his Prince Earl
Orchis palmata palustris Dracontias Upon the old Mill-race at little Salkeld and on Langwathby Holm Cumberland Cynosorchis militaris purpurea odorata On Lance-Moor near Newby and on Thrimby Common Westmoreland Serratula foliis ad summitatem usque indivisis Found first by Reginald Harrison a Quaker in the Barony of Kendal Westmoreland Thlaspi minus Clusii On most Limestone pastures in both Counties Tragopogon Purpureum In the fields about Carlisle and Rose-castle Cumberland Virga aurea latifolia serrata C. B. It grows as plentifully in our fields at Salkeld as the Vulgaris which it as common as any Plant we have NORTHUMBERLAND by Robt. Morden OTTADINI NEXT after the Brigantes Ptolemy places those who according to the various readings of several Copies are call'd a All the Copies Dr. Gale has perus'd read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. with a single Ï„. And Selden's Manuscriptâ— contracts the word as it does most others of the like kind into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ottalini Ottadeni and Ottadini instead of all which I would willingly with a very easie alteration read Ottatini that so the word might signifie beyond or upon the river Tyne Thus the name of the inhabitants would exactly agree with the situation of their Country For these men were seated beyond the Tyne and our modern Britains call that Country in Wales which lyes beyond the river Conway Uch-Conway that beyond the Mountains Uch-Mynyth beyond the Wood Uch-Coed beyond the River Gyrway Uch-Gyrway Nor would it be at all improper if by the same rule they nam'd this Country beyond the Tyne Uch-Tin out of which by a little disjointing and mellowing of the word the Romans may seem to have form'd their Ottadini Yet since as Xiphiline reports out of Dio Nicaeus all the Britains that dwelt near the formention'd Wall were call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Maeatae a Maeatae 't is reasonable to believe that our Ottadini living on the Wall were some of those Maeatae who in that remarkable Revolt of the Britains wherein the Caledonians were brought into the Confederacy took up Arms when the Emperour Severus gave orders to his Souldiers to give no Quarter to the Britains in Homer's words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 None our Arms shall spare None shall escape the fury of the war Children unborn shall dye But the storm of this rebellion was calm'd by the death of Severus who dy'd at York in the midst of his preparations for war A good while after this Country seems to have been part of Valentia Valentiâ— for so Theodosius nam'd it in honour of the Emperour Valentinian after he had vanquish'd the Barbarians and recover'd this lost Province But in the Saxon wars these ancient names grew out of date and all those Countries which lye North of the Frith of Humber took the Saxon Name of Norê§an-Humbra-ric i.e. the Kingdom of the North-Humbrians And yet even this name is now lost in the other Counties being only retain'd in this of Northumberland Which we are now to visit NORTH-HVMBER-LAND NNorthumberland call'd by the Saxons Norê§an-Humber-lond lyes enclos'd in a sort of a Triangle but not Equilateral On the South towards the County of Durham 't is bounded with the river Derwent running into Tine and with Tine it self The East-side is washt with the German Ocean The West reaching from b For above twenty miles together it borders South-west on Cumberland from above Garry gill in the head of Aulston-Moor down to the river of Kelsop Southwest to North-East fronts Scotland and is first bounded with a ridge of Mountains and afterwards with the river Tweed Here were the Limits of both Kingdoms over which in this County two Governours were appointed whereof the one was stil'd Lord Warden of the Middle Marches â—dens of â— Marâ—â—keâ—ers and the other of the c Occidui But Holland gives it more truly of the East Marches Western The Country it self is mostly rough and barren and seems to have harden'd the very carcasses of its Inhabitants whom the neighbouring Scots have render'd yet more hardy sometimes inuring them to war and sometimes amicably communicating their customs and way of living whence they are become a most warlike people and excellent horse-men And whereas they generally have devoted themselves to war there is not a man of fashion among them but has his little Castle and Fort and so the Country came to be divided into a great many Baronies â—ny Baâ—â—ies in â—â—thumâ—â—and the Lords whereof were anciently before the days of Edward the first usually stil'd Barons tho' some of them men of very low Fortunes b But this was wisely done of our Ancestors to cherish and support Martial Prowess in the borders of the Kingdom with at least Honour and Title However this Character they lost when under Edward the first the name of Barons began to be appropriated to such as were summoned by the King to the High Court of Parliament On the Sea-Coasts and along the river Tine the ground with any tolerable husbandry is very fruitful but elsewhere much more barren and unviewly In many places the stones Lithancraces which we call Sea-coals Sea-coalâ— are digg'd very plentifully to the great benefit of the Inhabitants The nearer part which points to the South-west and is call'd Hexamshire Hexamshire had for a long time the Archbishop of York for its Lord and challeng'd how justly I know not the Rights of a County Palatine but when lately it became part of the Crown-Lands by an exchange made with Archbishop Robert it was by Act of Parliament joyn'd to the County of Northumberland being subjected to the same d That is in Civil matters For its Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction is not the same with the rest of the County it being still a peculiar belonging to the Archbishop of York Judicature and having their Writs directed to the Sheriff thereof South Tine South Tine so call'd if we believe the Britains from its being narrowly pent up within its banks for so much Tin signifies say some in the Brittish Languague rising in Cumberland near Alstenmoor where there is an ancient Copper-Mine runs by Lambley formerly a Nunnery built by the Lucies but now much worn away by the floods and Fetherston-haugh the seat of the ancient and well-descended Family of the Fetherstons e The Male line of the Fetherstous of this place being extinct the Lands are fallen into the possession of Fetherston Dodson Gone and being come to Bellister-Castle turns Eastward keeping a direct course along the Wall which is no where three miles distant from it For the Wall having left Cumberland Picts Walâ— and cross'd the little river of Irthing carry'd an Arch over the rapid brook of Poltross Poltross where we saw large Mounts cast up within the wall as design'd for watching the Country Near this place stands Thirlwal-castle Thirlwall no large structure which gave
a seat and sirname to that ancient and honourable family which had formerly the name of Wade Here the Scots forc'd a passage betwixt Irthing and Tine into the Province of Britain And the place was wisely enough chosen as having no intercourse of rivers to obstruct their easie inroads into the very bowels of England But the Reader will the better understand this matter and the name of the place from John Fordon the Scotch Historian Scoto-Chronic J. Fordon whose words since his book is not very common it may not be amiss to repeat The Scots says he having conquer'd the Country on both sides of the Wall began to settle themselves in it and summoning in the Boors with their mattocks pickaxes rakes forks and shovels caus'd wide holes and gaps to be made in it through which they might readily pass and repass From these gaps this indented part got its present name for in the English tongue the place is now call'd Thirlwall which render'd in Latin is the same as Murus perforatus From hence southward we had a view of Blenkensop which gives name and dwelling to an eminent family was anciently part of the Barony of Nicholas of Bolteby and is situated in a Country pleasant enough Caervorran Beyond Thirlwall the wall opens a passage for the mad river of Tippall where on the descent of a hill a little within the wall may be seen the draught of a square Roman Fort each side whereof is 140 paces in length the very foundations of the houses and tracks of the streets being yet fairly discernable The Moss-Troopers report that there lay a high Street-way paved with Flint and other Stone over the tops of the mountains from hence to Maiden-Castle on Stanemoor 'T is certain it went directly to Kirkbythor already mention'd An old woman who dwelt in a neighbouring cottage shew'd us a little old consecrated Altar thus inscrib'd to Vitirineus a tutelar god as it should seem of these parts DEO VITI RINE LIMEO ROV * Posuit libens merito P. L. M. This place is now call'd Caer-vorran how 't was anciently nam'd I am not able to determine since the word hath no affinity with any of the Roman Stations that are mention'd per lineam valli along the Wall and none of the Inscriptions afford us any discoveries c Whatever it was the wall near it was built higher and firmer than elsewhere for within two furlongs of it on a pretty high hill it exceeds 15 foot in heighth and nine in breadth on both sides * Quadrato lapide Ashler tho' Bede says 't was only 12 foot high d From hence the Wall bends about by Iverton Forsten and Chester in the Wall near Busy-gapp noted for Robberies where we heard there were forts but durst not go and view them for fear of the Moss-Troopers This Chester we were told was very large insomuch as I guess it to be that station of the second Cohort of the Dalmatians which the Book of Notices calls Magna where may be read the following Inscription PRO SALVTE DESIDIENIAE .... LIANI PRAE ET SV A. S. POSVIT VOT ... AO SOLVIT LIBE NS TVSCO ET BAS SO COSS. In the yâ— of Chrâ— 259. This imperfect Altar was also brought from thence which we read at the little Hamlet of Melkrigg 1 Where now women beat their bucks on it DEAE SVRI These 〈◊〉 Inscriptâ— are no◠〈◊〉 the houâ— Sir Râ—b Câ—ton of Câ—nington AE SVB CALP VR NIO AG ICOLA LEG AVG PR PR A LICINIVS LEMENS PRAEF III. A. IOR f Others give us the last line of this Inscription more fully thus COH I. HAMMIOR See Sammes's Britan. p. 259. Joh. Speed's Chron. p. 222. And his Map of Northumberland gives it both ways as two several Inscriptions So also the Map in this new edition of Camden Which if I could I would gladly and the characters seem to allow it read thus Deae Suriae Dea Sâ—â— some wâ— have her â— be June others Veâ— sub Calphurnio Agricola Legato Augusti Propraetore Licinius Clemens Praefectus Now Calphurnius Agricola was sent against the Britains by the Emperour M. Antoninus Philosophus Capâ—toâ— upon the breaking out of the British wars about the year of our Lord 170. at which time some Cohort under his command erected this altar to the Goddess Suria who was drawn by Lions with a Turret on her head and a Taber in her hand as is shewn at large by Lucian in his Treatise de Deâ Syriâ and whom Nero Sueton. â— Nero â— as sorrily as he treated all Religion very zealously worship'd for some time and afterwards slighted her to that degree as to piss upon her From hence we had a view of g It now belongs to Sir Edward Blacket Baronet Willimotes-wicke the seat of the worshipful family of the Ridleys and close by of the river Alon Alon. emptying it self into Tine with a pompous rattle both the Alons being now met in one chanel On East-Alon stands a village which is now call'd 2 But what the old name was will not easily be found Old-Town But to return to the Wall The next station on the Wall beyond Busy-gap is now call'd Seaven-shale Seavenshâ— which name if you will allow me to derive from Saviniana or rather Sabiniana ala I would roundly affirm this place to be that Hunnum where the Notitia Provinciarum tells us the Sabinian Wing were upon duty Then beyond Carraw and Walton stands Walwick which some have fancied to be the Gallana Gallana of Antoninus in all which places there are evident remains of old fortifications Here North-Tine North-Tâ— crosses the Wall It rises in the mountains on the borders of England and Scotland and first running Eastward waters Tindale Tindale which has thence its name and afterwards embraces the river Read which falling from the steep hill of Read-squire where is frequently the True-place True-placâ— that is the place of conference where the Lords Wardens of the Eastern Marches of both Kingdoms usually determine the disputes of the borderers gives its name to a valley too thinly inhabited by reason of the robberies Rheadidaâ— Both these Dales breed most notable Bog-Trotters and both have such boggy-top'd mountains as are not to be cross'd by ordinary horsemen In these one would wonder to see so many great heaps of stones Lawes Lawes they call them which the neighbourhood believe to have been thrown together in remembrance of some persons there slain f There are also in both of 'em many ruins of old sorts In Tindale are Whitchester Delaley Tarset which formerly belong'd to the Commins In Rheades-dale are Rochester Greenchester Rutchester and some others whose ancient names old time has now unkindly swallow'd But since at Rochester which is seated near the head of Rhead on the rising of a rock that overlooks the Country below whence it may seem to have had this
Gareock and Strath-Bogie-Land A small part of Buchan Strathdovern Boyn Einzie Strath Awin and Balvenie The East part of Murray The West part of Murray Badenoch Lochabir and the south part of Ross A small part of Ross lying on the south side of Cromartie-Frith The rest of Ross with the Isles of Sky Lewis and Herris Sutherland and Strathnavern Cathness Beside the Stewartries mentioned by our Author there is that of Orkney which contains all the Isles of Orkney and Zetland The Constabularie of Hadington contains East-Lothian To pursue Mr. Camden's method in his general Description of England it will be necessary to give a scheme of the bounds and extent of the several Dioceses of this kingdom Diocese of St. Andrews Glasgow Edinburgh Dunkeld Aberdeen Murray Brichin Dumblam Ross Cathness Orkney Galloway Argile The Isles Contains Part of Perthshire and part of Angus and Mernes The shires of Dunbarton Ranfrew Air Lanerick part of the shires of Roxburgh Dumfreis Peebles and Selkirk The shires of Edinburgh Linlithgow part of Strivelingshire Berwick-shire the Constabularie of Hadington and Bailery of Lauderdale The most part of Perthshire part of Angus and part of West-Lothian Most part of Bams-shire and part of Mernis The shires of Elgin Nairn and part of Inverness and Bamf-shire Part of Angus and Mernis Part of Perth and Striveling-shires The shire of Tain Cromertie and the greatest part of Inverness-shire Cathness and Sutherland All the Northern Isles of Orkney and Zetland The shire of Wigton the Stewartrie of Kircudbright the Regality of Glentrurie and part of Dumfries-shire Argile Lorn Kintyre and Lohaber with some of the West Isles Most of the west Isles Under this Constitution the Government was thus 1. In every Parish the cognizance of some scandals belong'd to the Session a Judicature compos'd of the greatest and worthiest persons in each parish where the Minister presided ex officio 2. But if the Case prov'd too intricate it was referred to the Presbyterie a superior Judicature consisting of a certain number of Ministers between 12 and 20 who met almost every fortnight The Moderator herein was nam'd by the Bishop and besides the censures they inflicted 't was by them that such as enter'd into Orders were solemnly examined The Presbyteries are these that follow Dunce Chernside Kelso Ersilton Jedburgh Melross Dumbar Hadington Dalkeith Edinburgh Peebles Linlithgow Perth Dunkeld Auchterarder Striveling Dumblane Dumfreis Penpont Lochmabane Midlebie Wigton Kircudbright Stranraver Aire Irwing Paselay Dumbarton Glasgow Hamilton Lanerick Biggar Dunnune Kinloch Inerary Kilmore Sky St. Andrews Kirkaldy Cowper Dumfermelin Meegle Dundee Arbroth Forfar Brichen Mernis Aberdeen Kinkardin Alfoord Gareoch Deir Turref Fordyce Ellon Strathbogie Abernethie Elgin Forres Aberlower Chanrie Tayn Dingwell Dornoch Week Thurso Kirkwal Scaloway Colmkill 3. Above this was the Provincial-Synod who met twice a year in every Diocese and had the examination of such cases as were referred to them by the Presbyteries here the Bishop presided ex officio 4. Above all was the Convocation when the King pleas'd to call it wherein the Archbishop of St. Andrews presided And besides these every Bishop for the cases of Testaments c. had his Official or Commissary who was judge of that Court within the Diocese Of these Edenburgh had four the rest one But since Presbyterie has been introduced the Church-government stands thus 1. They also have their Parochial Sessions but with this difference that though the Minister presides yet a Lay-man a Bailie ordinarily assists 2. In their Presbyteries they chose their own Moderator to preside 3. They have their Synod or Provincial Assembly but without a constant head for every time they meet they make choice of a new Moderator 4. Their General Assembly this consists of two members from every Presbytery and one Commissioner from each University The King too has his Commissioner there without whose consent no Act can pass and before they be in force they must be also ratify'd by the King Thus much of the several Divisions of Scotland As to the Orders and Degrees of this Kingdom there appears no alteration in them since our Author's time and if any one desires to have a more particular information in their Courts of Justice and Methods of Proceeding a separate Treatise upon this subject written by the Learned Sir George Makenzy late Lord Advocate of Scotland will give him ample satisfaction The Degrees of SCOTLAND THE Government of the Scots as that of the English consists of a King Nobility and Commonalty The King to use the words of their own Records is directus totius Dominii Dominus direct Lord of the whole Dominion or Domain and hath Royal Authority and Jurisdiction over all the States of his Kingdom as well Ecclesiastick as Laick Next to the King is his Eldest Son who is stiled Prince of Scotland and by a peculiar right is Duke of Rothsay and Steward of Scotland But the rest of the King's Children are called simply Princes Amongst the Nobles the greatest and most honorable were in old times the Thanes Thanes that is if I have any judgment those who were ennobled only by the office which they bore for the word in the antient Saxon signifies The King's Minister Of these they of the higher rank were called Ab-thanes of the lower Under-Thanes But these Names by little and little grew out of use ever since King Malcolm the 3. conferred the Titles of Earls and Barons borrow'd out of England from the Normans upon such Noblemen as had deserv'd them Since when in process of time new Titles of Honour have been much taken up and Scotland as well as England hath Dukes Marquisses Earls Viscounts and Barons Dukes Marquesses Earls Viscoun◠Barons As for the title of Duke the first that brought it into Scotland was Robert the Third about the year of our Lord 1400 as the honourable titles of Marquiss and Viscount were lately brought in by our most gracious Sovereign King James the sixth These are accounted Nobles of a higher degree and have both place and voice in Parliaments and by a special name together with the Bishops are called Lords Amongst the Nobles of a lower degree in the first place are Knights Knight◠who are certainly made with greater solemnity than any where else in Europe by taking of an Oath and being proclaim'd publickly by the Heralds In the second are those who are called Lairds Lairds and commonly without any addition Barons amongst whom none were antiently reckoned but such as held immediately from the King Lands in Capite and had the * Powe◠hang 〈◊〉 Jus Furcarum In the third place are such as being descended of Honourable Families and dignify'd with no certain title are term'd Gentlemen Gentlemen All the rest as Citizens Merchants Artificers c. are reckoned among the Commons The COURTS of JUSTICE THE supream Court as well in dignity as authority is accounted the Assembly of the States of the Kingdom which is called a
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
the river Dea mentioned by Ptolemy which yet keeps its name being call Dee is Kircowbright â—â—â—cowâ—â—â—ght the most convenient haven of this Coast and one of the Stewartries of Scotland which belongs to the Maxwells Then Cardines a Fort upon the river Fleet built upon a craggy and high rock and fortify'd with strong Walls Hard by the river Ken by Ptolemy Jena but corruptly falls into the Sea Next Wigton a Port with a very narrow entrance between the two streams Baiidnoo and Crea reckoned among the Sheriffdoms over which * Agnew ex Insula Agnew of the Isle presides It formerly had for its Earl Archibald Douglas famous in the French War and now hath by the favour of King James John Fleming who derives his pedigree from the ancient Earls of Wigton Earls of Wigton Near this Ptolemy fixes the City Leucopibia Leutopibia which I know not really where to look for Yet by the place it should seem to be that Episcopal See of Ninian which Bede calls Candida Casa and the English and Scots in the same sence a It is in Saxon Hwit-erne the latter part erne in Saxon signifying any sort of vessel and so our English word Ink-horn called by our Northern men Inkern originally implies no more than a vessel in general for ink Whit-herne What then if Ptolemy as he did usually translate Candida Casa Candida Casa which was the name the Britains gave it into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek that is white Houses instead of which the Transcribers have obtruded Leucopibia upon us In this place Ninia or Ninian St. Ninian the Britain a holy man the first that instructed the Southern Picts in the Christian Faith in the reign of Theodosius the Younger had his residence and built a Church dedicated to St. Martin the form whereof as Bede observes was contrary to the British buildings The same Author tells us that the English in his time held this Country and when the number of the Faithful encreased an Episcopal See was erected at this Candida Casa A little higher there is a Peninsula with the Sea insinuating it self on both sides which by a narrow neck is joyned to the main land This is properly call'd Novantum Chersonessus and Promontorium Novantum Promontorium commonly the Mull of Galloway Beyond this Northward is an open Bay full of Islands and of a mighty compass into which abundance of rivers on all sides have their influx But first of all from the very point of the Promontory Abravanus which being a little misplac'd is so termed by Ptolemy for Aber-ruanus that is the mouth of the river Ruan For at this time 't is call'd the river Rian and the Lake out of which it runs Lough-Rian admirably well stockt with herrings and a sort of * Saxatiles pisces Gudgeons This Galloway had its own Princes and Lords Lâ—rds of Galloway in ancient times of whom the first recorded in Chronicle was Fergusius in the reign of Henry the first of England who gave for his Arms A Lion Rampant Argent crowned Or in a Shield Azure After many Troubles he had raised he was driven to such streights by King Malcolm as to give his Son Uchtred for an hostage and being grown weary of the world to take upon himself the habit of a Canon at Holyrood House at Edenborough As for Uchtred Gilbert his younger brother took him Prisoner in a fight and after he had cut out his Tongue and pulled out his Eyes most miserably deprived him both of life and estate But within some few years after Gilbert was dead Roland the Son of Uchtred recovered his father's inheritance who of a sister of William Morvill Constable of Scotland begat Alan Lord Galloway and Constable of Scotland Alan by Margaret the eldest daughter of David Earl of Huntingdon had Dervogilda the wife of John Balliol and mother of John Balliol King of Scotland who contended with Robert Brus for that Kingdom and by a former Wife as it seems he had Helen married to Roger Quincy an English man Earl of Winchester who upon that account was Constable of Scotland as was likewise William Ferrers of Groby grand-son of the said Roger by a daughter and coheir But these English soon lost their inheritance in Scotland as also the dignity of Constable which the Commins Earls of Bughuan had Now Gâ—â—loway is an Earâ—dom in the Faâ—â—ly of tâ—â— Stewarâ—â— descended likewise of a daughter of Roger Quincy untill it was transferred unto the Earls of Arrol But b 'T is now an Earldom in the Family of the Stewarts the title of Lord of Galloway fell afterwards to the Family of Douglass a CARRICT CArrict follows next a Country fruitful in pastures and abundantly furnished with commodities both by land and sea Here Ptolemy places both c Probably the same with the bay of Glenluce Rerigonium a creek and Rerigonium a Town For which in a very ancien Copy of Ptolemy printed at Rome in 1480 we have Berigonium Berigonium So that I cannot chuse but think it was that which is now called Bargeny Bargeny A Lord it hath of the Family of the Kennedyes The Kennedyes which came out of Ireland in the reign of Robert Brus noble numerous and powerful in this tract The head of it is Earl of Cassils Earls of Cassils the name of a Castle upon the River Dun which is his seat upon whose banks he hath another call'd Dunnur Castle he is likewise hereditary Bailiff of this Province â—aily of Carrict For this with Kyle and Cunningham are the three Baileries of Scotland because they that govern these with ordinary power and jurisdiction are called Bailiffs a term coin'd in the middle age and signifies amongst the Greeks Sicilians and French a Conservator or Keeper Earls oâ— Carricâ— Lib. Mâ— ros But Carrict in former times had its Earls Not to mention Gilbert of Galloway's Son to whom King William gave Carrict entire to be possessed for ever we read that Adam of Kilconath about 1270 was Earl Carrict and died in the Holy War whose only Daughter Martha fell deeply in love with Robert Brus a beautiful young Gentleman as she saw him a hunting made him her Husband brought him the title and estate of Earl of Carrict and bore him Robert Brus that famous King of Scotland the founder of the royal Line But the title of Earl of Carrict being for some time left to the younger Sons of the Family of Brus afterwards became an addition to the other Honors of the Princes of Scotland KYLE KYle is next lying more inwardly upon the Bay a plentiful Country and well inhabited An. 750. In Bede's Auctarium or Supplement it is called Campus Cyel and Coil where it is recorded that Eadbert King of the Northumbers added this with other Territories to his Kingdom In Ptolemy's time d Now possibly called Loch-Rian Vidogara Nidogara was a
which they still keep of which leader they are to this day called Dalreudini Dalreudini for in their language Dal Dal. signifies a part And a little after Ireland says he is the proper Country of the Scots for being departed out of it they added unto the Britons and Picts a 3d Nation in Britain And there is a very good Arm of the sea or a bay that antiently divided the Nation of the Britons from the Picts which from the West breaketh a great way into the Land and there to this day standeth the strongest City of the Britons call'd Alcluith In the Northern part of which bay the Scots whom I now mentioned when they came got themselves room to settle in Of that name Dalreudin there are now extant no remains that I know of nor any mention of it in Writers unless it be the same with Dalrieta Dalrieâ—â— For in an old little book of the Division of Albany we read of one Kinnadius who 't is certain was a King of Scotland and subdu'd the Picts in these very words Kinnadius two years before he came into Pictavia so it calls the country of the Picts enter'd upon the government of Dalrieta Also there is mention made in a more modern History of Dalrea Dalrea hereabouts where King Robert Brus fought a battle with ill success K. James the 4. with consent of the States of the Kingdom enacted that Justice should be administred to this province by the Justices Itinerant at Perth whensoever the King should think convenient But the Earls themselves have in some cases their Jura Regalia who are persons of very great authority and of a mighty interest deriving their pedigree from the antient petty Kings of Argile through an infinite series of Ancestors and taking their sirname from their Castle Cambel But they are oblig'd to King James the 2. for the honour and title of Earl who as it is recorded created Colin Lord Cambel Earl of Argile Earls oâ— Argile in regard to his own virtue and the dignity of his Family Whose Posterity by the favour of their Kings have been a good while General Justices of the Kingdom of Scotland or according to their way of expressing it Justices generally constitute and Great Masters of the King's Houshold e CANTIRE LOgh-Finn Logh-Finn a Lake that in the season produces incredible sholes of herrings divides Argile from a Promontory which for about 30 miles together growing by little and little into a sharp point thrusts it self with such a seeming earnestness towards Ireland separated from it by a narrow streight of scarce 13 miles as if it would call it over to it Ptolemy names this the Promontory of the Epidii Epidium between which name and the Islands Ebudae opposite to it methinks there is some affinity It is now called in Irish which language they use in all this Tract Can-tyre that is the Land's head 'T is inhabited by the family of Mac-Conell very powerful here but yet at the command of the Earl of Argile they sometimes in their Vessels make excursions for booty into Ireland and have possessed themselves of those little Provinces they call Glines and Rowte This Promontory lieth close to Knapdale by so small a neck of land being scarce a mile over and sandy too that the Sea-men by a short cut as it were transport their vessels over land from the Ocean to Logh-Finn Which a man would sooner beelieve than that the Argonautes laid their Argos upon their shoulders and carried it along with them 500 miles 10 From Aemonia to the shores of Thessalia f LORN SOmewhat higher lies Lorn towards the North a Country producing the best Barley divided by Logh-Leave a vast Lake upon which stands Berogomum Beâ—ogoâ—um a Castle wherein the Courts of Justice were antiently kept and not far from it Dunstafag that is Stephen's Mount antiently a seat of the Kings above which is Logh-Aber â—â—gh-â—â—â—r a Lake insinuating it self so far into the land out of the Western sea that it would meet the Lake of Ness which empties it self into the Eastern Ocean did not the hills which lie between separate them by a very narrow neck The chiefest place in this tract is Tarbar in Logh-Kinkeran where K. James 4. by authority of Parliament constituted a Justice and Sheriff to administer justice to the inhabitants of the Southern Isles These Countrys and these beyond them were in the year of Our Lord 605. held by those Picts which Bede calls the Northern Picts where he tells us that in the said Year Columbanus a Priest and Abbot Lib. 3. ca. 4. famous for the profession of Monkery came out of Ireland into Britain to instruct those in the Christian Religion that by the high and fearful ridges of mountains were sequester'd from the Southern Countrys of the Picts and that they in requital granted him m It does not appear that the Western-Isles belong'd to the Picts at that time so that they could not dispose of any part of them 'T is more probable that it was Hoia one of the Orkney-Isles the Island Hii lying over against them now call'd I-comb-kill of which in its proper place Its Stewards in the last Age were the Lords of Lorn but now by a female heir it is come to the Earls of Argile who always use this among their other titles of honour BRAID ALBIN MORE inwardly amongst the high and craggy ridges of the mountain Grampius where they begin a little to slope and settle downwards lies Braid-Albin n Now an Earldom in the family of the Campbels that is the highest part of Scotland For they that are the true and genuine Scots call Scotland in their Mother-Tongue Albin as that part where it rises up highest Drum-Albin that is the Ridge of Scotland But in a certain old Book it is read Brun-Albin where we find it thus written Fergus the son of Eric was the first of the seed of Chonare that enter'd upon the Kingdom of Albany from Brun-Albain to the Irish-sea and Inch-Gall And after him the Kings of the race of Fergus reigned in Brun-Albain or Brunhere unto Alpinus the son of Eochal But this Albany is better known for its Dukes than the fruits of its ground The first Duke of Albany that I read of 〈◊〉 of â—â—â—â—ny was Robert Earl of Fife advanced to that honour by his Brother K. Robert the 3. of that name yet he spurr'd on by ambition most ungratefully starved to death David this very brother's son and next heir to the Crown But the punishment due to this wicked fact which himself by the forbearance of God felt not came heavy upon his son Mordac or Murdo second Duke of Albany who was condemned for treason and beheaded after he had seen his two sons executed in like manner the day before The third Duke of Albany was Alexander 2. son of King James 2. who being Regent of the Kingdom Earl of
honourable the present Earl a great admirer of Antiquity caused to be gilded †See thâ— Adâ—â—â—ionâ— Somewhat farther from the sea stands Fordon Fordoâ— honoured by John de Fordon born here who with great labour and industry compiled the Scotochronicon t The famous Manuscript hereof is in the Library of S. Leonard's College at St. Andrews Theatr. Scotiae p. 21. and to whose studies the modern Scotch Historians are very much indebted But Fordon was much more honour'd in ancient times by St. Palladius's St. Pâ—â—dius reliques formerly as 't is thought deposited here who in the year 431 was appointed by Pope Caelestine Apostle of the Scots i MARR MARR lies farther up from the sea being a large Mediterranean Countrey and running out about 60 miles in length towards the west where it is broadest it swelleth up in mountains except where the rivers Dee Ptolemie's Diva and the Done open themselves a way and make the champagne very fruitful Upon the bank of the Done stands Kildrummy Kildrummy a great ornament to it the ancient seat of the Earls of Marr. Not far off is the residence of the Barons Forbois Barons Forbois or Forbes of a noble and ancient Stock who took this sirname being before called Bois upon the Heir of the Familie's valiantly killing a huge mighty Boar. But at the very mouth of the river are two towns that give a greater ornament to it which from the said mouth called in British Aber borrowing both of them the same name are divided by a little field that lies between The hithermost of them which stands nearer to Dee's mouth is much ennobled by the honour of a Bishoprick which King David the first translated hither from Murthlake a little village also by the Canons fine houses an Hospital for the Poor and a Free-school built by William Elphingston Bishop of this place in the year 1480 and is called New-Aberdene Nâ—w-â—berdâ— Oâ—â—â—â—dene Sâ—â—â—â— The other beyond it named Old-Aberdene very famous for the Salmon taken there * S 〈◊〉 Aâ—â—â—â—â—â— But J. Johnston a native hereof in these verses describes Aberdene thus ABERDONIA Ad Boream porrecta jugis obsessa superbis Inter connatas eminet una Deas Mitior algentes Phoebus sic temperat auras Non aestum ut rabidum frigora nec metuas Foecundo ditat Neptunus gurgite amnes Piscosi gemmis alter adauget opes Candida mens frons laeta hilaris gratissima tellus Hospitibus morum cultus ubique decens Nobilitas antiqua opibus subnixa vetustis Martiaque invicto pectore corda gerens Justitiae domus studiorum mater honoris Ingenio ars certant artibus ingenia Omnia ei cedunt meritos genitricis honores Pingere non ulla Ars ingeniumve valet ABERDENE With circling cliffs her lofty turrets vie And meet her rival sisters of the sky So gentle Phoebus warms the sharper air Nor cold nor heat's extreams her people fear Great Neptune and his sons for fish renown'd With useful floods enrich the fertile ground In one fair current pretious gems are found True hearts and pleasant looks and friendly cheer And honest breeding never fail you here Old their estates old is their noble blood Brave are their souls and scorn to be subdued Here steddy justice keeps her awful seat Wit strives with art and art contends with wit But my great Mother's worth and matchless praise Nor art nor wit can ever hope t' express It is almost incredible what abundance of Salmon there are as well in these rivers as others in Scotland on both sides of the Kingdom a fish unknown to Pliny unless it was the 〈◊〉 Bede â—â—d our 〈◊〉 it is 〈◊〉 it in â—ai◠〈◊〉 â—in Esox of the Rhine but very common and well known in those northern parts of Europe 〈◊〉 Pâ—â—â—ceâ—â—ctions â—â—are having their inside as he says of a bright scarlet colour They breed in Autumn in little rivers and most in shallows where they cover their spawn with sand at which time they are so very poor and lean that they seem to have nothing but bones Of that spawn in the spring following comes a fry of small fish which making towards the sea in a little time grow to their full bigness and then making back again to the rivers they were bred in struggle against the force of the stream and wheresoever any hindrance obstructs their passage with a jerk of their tail a certain leap whence probably their name of * From salio to leap Salmons to the amazement of the spectators they whip over and keep themselves within these rivers till they breed During which time there is a law against taking them that is from the Eighth of September to the First of December Aâ—d it should seem they were reckoned amongst the greatest commodities of Scotland since it hath been provided by law that they should be sold to the English for nought but English Gold But these matters I leave for others As for the Earls of Marr Earls of Marr. In the reign of Alexander the 3d William Earl of Marr is named amongst those who were enemies to the King Whilst David Brus reigned Donald was Earl of Marr and Protector of the Kingdom murdered in his bed before the battle at Dyplin by Edward Balliol and his English Auxiliaries whose daughter Isabella King Robert Brus took to his first wife and had by her Marjorie mother to Robert Stewart King of the Scots Under the same David there is mention made of Thomas Earl of Marr who was banished in the year 1361. And under Robert the 3d of Alexander Stewart Earl of Marr who was slain in the battel at Harley against the Islanders in the year 1411. In K. James the first 's time we read in the Scotochronicon Scotochron lib. 12. cap. 33. Alexander Earl of Marr died in the year 1435. natural son of Alexander Stewart Earl of Buchan son of Robert the second King of Scotland after whom as being a Bastard the King succeeded in the Inheritance John a younger son of King James the 2d afterwards bore this title who being convicted of attempting by Art Magick to take away his Brother's life was bled to death And after him Robert Cockeran was advanced from a * Latomâ— Mason to this dignity by King James the 3d and soon after hang'd by the Nobility From that time it was discontinued till Queen Mary adorn'd her Bastard Brother James with this honour and not long after upon its being found that by ancient right the title of Earl of Marr belong'd to John Lord Ereskin in lieu of Marr she conferr'd upon him the honour and title of Earl of Murray and created John Ereskin a person of ancient Nobility Earl of Marr whose son of the same Christian name now enjoys the dignity and is in both Kingdoms one of his Majesties Privy Council k BVQVHAN WHere now Buquhan in Latin Boghania and Buchania above the River Done extends it self
the honour of the Earl of Huntley from K. James the second in the year 1449. l MVRRAY BEyond the mountain Grampius which by a continual range of close join'd hills as it were extends its ridge with many risings and sinkings to this very country the Vacomagi in ancient times had their habitation upon the Bay of Vararis Vacomagi Sinus Vararis where now Murray Murray Frith lies in Latin Moravia noted for its fertility pleasantness and profitable product of fruit-trees The Spey a noble river opens a passage through this countrey into the sea wherein it lodges it self after it hath watered Rothes Castle whence the Family of Lesley derive their title of Earl ever since K. James the 2d advanced Geo. Lesley to the honour of Earl of Rothes Of this Spey thus our Poet Necham Spey loca mutantis praeceps agitator arenae Inconstans certas nescit habere vias Officium lintris corbis subit hunc regit audax Cursus labentis nauta fluenta sequens Great Spey drives forward with impetuous force Huge banks of sand and knows no certain course Here for a boat an Osier-pannier row'd By some bold peasant glides along the flood The river Loxa mentioned by Ptolemy now call'd Losse hides it self hard by in the sea Near this we have a sight of Elgin in which as also in Forres adjoining J. Dunbar of Cumnock descended from the House of the Earls of March does justice as hereditary Sheriff But when it is now ready to enter the sea it finds a more plain and soft soil and spreads it self into a lake well stored with Swans wherein the Herb Olorina grows plentifully Here upon it stands Spiny Barons Spiny Castle of which Alexander of the House of Lindsay is now the first Baron As also Kinloss Baâ—on Kinloss a near neighbour formerly a famous Monastery call'd by some Kill-flos from certain flowers there miraculously springing up on a sudden where the corps of King Duff murdered and here hidden was first found * In the year 972. hath for its Lord Edward Brus Master of the Rolls in England and one of His Majestie 's Privy Council created by K. James the 6th Baron Brus of Kinloss a Now Earls of Elgin Thus much for the shore More inward where Bean Castle now stands look'd upon to be that Banatia Banatia mentioned by Ptolemy there was found in the year 1460 a Marble Vessel very finely engraved and full of Roman coins Hard by is Nardin or Narne Narne Sheriffdom an Hereditary Sheriffdom of the Cambells of Lorn where in a Peninsula there stood a fort of a mighty height built with wonderful works and formely held by the Danes A little off is Logh-Nesse a very large lake three and twenty miles long the water whereof is so warm that even in this cold and frozen climate it never freezes from this by a very small Isthmus of hills the Logh Lutea or Lothea which by Aber lets it self into the western Ocean is divided Upon these lakes there stood anciently two noted fortifications called from the loghs one Innerness the other Innerlothy Innerness hath the Marquess of Huntley for its hereditary Sheriff who hath a large Jurisdiction hereabout * See thâ— Additions But take here what J. Johnston writes upon these two places INNERNESS and INNERLOCHY Imperii veteris duo propugnacula quondam Primaque regali moenia structa manu Turribus oppositis adverso in limine spectant Haec Zephyrum Solis illa orientis equos Amnibus hinc atque hinc cincta utique piscibus amnes Foecundi haec portu perpete tuta patet Haec fuit at jacet heu jam nunc sine nomine tellus Hospita quae Regum est hospita facta feris Altera spirat adhuc tenuis sufflamina vitae Quae dabit fati turbine victa manus Dic ubi nunc Carthago potens ubi Martia Roma Trojaque immensae ditis opes Asiae Quid mireris enim mortalia cedere fatis Corpora cum videas oppida posse mori Two stately forts the realm's old guardians stood The first great walls of royal builders prov'd Their lofty turrets on the shores were shown One to the rising one the setting sun All round well stock'd with fish fair rivers lay And one presents a safe and easie bay Such once it was but now a nameless place Where Princes lodg'd the meanest cattel graze T'other survives and faintly breaths as yet But must e're long submit to conqu'ring fate Where 's haughty Carthage now with all her power Where 's Rome and Troy that rul'd as great before Where the vast riches of the Asian shore No wonder then that we frail men should die When towns themselves confess mortality In the reign of K. Robert Brus Thomas Randolph his sister's son a person that took infinite pains for his country and met with much opposition was very famous under the title of Earl of Murray Eâ—rlâ— of â—â—â—ray In the reign of K. Rob. 2. John de Dunbar had the King's daughter and with her the Earldom of Murray as an amends for her lost virginity Under K. James the 2d William Creichton Lord Chancellor of the Kingdom and Archibald Douglass had a violent contest for this Earldom when against the laws and ancient customs of the Realm Douglass who had married the younger daughter of James de Dunbar Earl of Murray was preferr'd before Creichton who had married the elder by the power and great interest that William Earl Douglass had with the King which was so very great that he did not only advance this brother to the Earldom of Murray but another brother likewise to the Earldom of Ormond and two of his Cousins to the Earldoms of Angus and Morton But this his greatness a thing never to be trusted to when so exorbitant was his ruin soon after Under King James the 5th his own brother whom he had constituted Vicegerent of the Kingdom enjoyed this honour And within our memory James a natural son of K. James the 5th had this honour conferr'd upon him by his sister Qu. Mary who ill requited her when having gotten some few of the Nobility on his side he deposed her a most wicked precedent for crowned Heads But the punishment of heaven soon fell upon him being quickly after shot through with a musquet bullet His only daughter brought this title to her husband James Steward of Down descended of the Blood Royal to wit of the Dukes of Albany who being slain by some that envied him left behind him his son James his successor in this honour m LOQHVABRE ALl that tract of land beyond the Nesse which bends down to the western coast and joins to the lake Aber is thence called Loghuabre that is in the ancient British Tongue The Mouth of the Lakes That which lies towards the northern coast Rosse Loghuabre abounds much in pastures and woods and hath some veins of iron but very little produce of corn It
from the Church as a Feudatory and Vicegerent and obliged his Successors to pay three hundred Marks to the Bishop of that See Yet the most eminent 1 Sir Thomas Hol. Thomas Moor who sacrificed his life to the Pope's Prerogative denies this to be true For he says the Romanists can shew no grant and that they have never demanded the said money nor the Kings of England acknowledged it However with submission to this great man the thing is really otherwise as most clearly appears from the Parliament-Rolls which are evidence incontestable For in a Parliament in Edward the third's Reign the Chancellor of England informs the House That the Pope intended to cite the King of England to a tryal at Rome as well for homage as for the tribute due and payable from England and Ireland and to which King John had bound both himself and his Successors and desired their opinion in it The Bishops required a day to consider of this matter apart as likewise did the Lords and Commons The next day they met again and unanimously voted and declared that forasmuch as neither King John nor any other King whatsoever could put the Kingdom under such a servitude but by the consent and agreement of a Parliament which was never had and farther that since whatsoever he had done in that kind was directly contrary to the Oath which he solemnly took before God at his Coronation if the Pope would insist upon it they were resolved to oppose him with their lives and fortunes to the very utmost of their power Such also as were learned in the law made the Charter of King John to be void and insignificant by that clause of reservation in the end saving to us and our heirs all our rights liberties and regalities But this is out of my road From King John's time the Kings of England were stiled Lords of Ireland till within the memory of our fathers Henry the eighth was declared King of Ireland by the States of that Realm assembled in Parliament the title of Lord seeming not so sacred and venerable to some seditious persons as that of King In the year 1555 when Queen Mary offered the subjection of the Kingdom of England by the hands of her Ambassadors to Pope Paul the fourth this name and title of Kingdom of Ireland was confirmed by the Pope in these word To the praise and glory of Almighty God and his most glorious mother the Virgin Mary to the honour of the whole Court of Heaven and the exaltation of the Catholick Faith We at the humble request of King Philip and Queen Mary made unto us by the advice of our brethren and by virtue of our full Apostolical authority do erect the Kingdom of Ireland and do for ever dignifie and exalt it with the title honours powers rights ensigns prerogatives preferments Royal praeeminencies and such like privileges as other Christian Realms have use and enjoy or may have use and enjoy hereafter Having accidentally found a Catalogue of those English Noble men who went in the first invasion of Ireland and with great valor subdued it to the Crown of England lest I should seem to envy them and their posterity the glory of this atchievment I will here give you them from the Chancery of Ireland for so 't is entitled The Names of such as came with Dermic Mac Morrog into Ireland Richard Strongbow Earl of Pembroke who by Eve the daughter of Morrog the Irish petty King aforesaid had an only daughter who brought to William Mareschall the title of Earl of Pembroke with a fair estate in Ireland and had issue five sons who in order succeeded one another all childless and as many daughters who enriched their husbands Hugh Bigod Earl of Norfolk Guarin Montchensey Gilbert Clare Earl of Glocester William Ferrars Earl of Derby and William Breose with children honours and possessions Robert Fitz-Stephens Harvey de Mont Marish Maurice Prendergest Robert Barr. Meiler Meilerine Maurice Fitz-Girald Redmund nephew to Stephen William Ferrand Miles de Cogan Richard de Cogan Gualter de Ridensford Gualter sons of Maurice Girald Alexander sons of Maurice Girald William Notte Robert Fitz-Bernard Hugh de Lacy. William Fitz-Aldelm William Macarell Hunfrey Bohun Hugh de Gundevill Philip de Hasting Hugh Tirell David Walsh Robert Poer Osbert de Harloter William de Bendenge Adam de Gernez Philip de Breos Griffin Nephew of Stephen Ralph Fitz-Stephen Walter de Barry Philip Walsh Adam de Hereford To whom out of Giraldus Cambrensis may be added John de Curcy Hugh Contilon Redmond Cantimore Edmond Fitz-Hugh Miles of St. Davids and others The Government of the Kingdom of IRELAND SInce Ireland has been subject to the Crown of England the Kings of this Realm have ever sent their Vice-Roys to manage the publick affairs there who at first in their Letters Patents or Commissions Loâ—d Depâ—â—ies of â—â—â—â—and were stilled Keepers of Ireland after that Justices of Ireland or at pleasure Lieutenants and Deputies Their jurisdiction and authority is really large and Royal they make war and peace have power to fill all Magistracies and other Offices except some very few to pardon all crimes but those of high treason and to confer Knighthood c. These Letters Patents when any one enters upon this honourable office are publickly read and after the new Deputy has took a solemn oath of a certain set form for that purpose before the Chancellor the sword which is to be carried before him is delivered into his hands and he is seated in a Chair of state attended by the Chancellor of the Realm the Members of the Privy-Council the Peers and Nobles of the Kingdom the King at Arms a Serjeant at Arms and other Officers of State So that whether we consider his jurisdiction and authority or his train attendance and splendor there is certainly no Vice-roy in Christendom that comes nearer the grandeur and majesty of a King His Council are the Chancellor of the Realm the Treasurer and such others of the Earls Barons and Judges as are of the Privy-Council Orders or degrees iâ— Ireland For Ireland has the same orders and degrees of honour that England has Earls Barons Knights Esquires c. The Courts or Tribunals of IRELAND THE supream Court in Ireland is the Parliament which Parliament at the pleasure of the King of England is either called or dissolved by his Deputy â—as an 〈◊〉 12. and yet in Edward the second 's time it was enacted That Parliaments should be held in Ireland every year 2 Which seemeth yet not to have been effected Here are likewise observed foure Law-terms in the year as in England and five Courts of Justice held 〈◊〉 the a The Court was called The Court of Castle-chamber because it was usually kept in the Castle of Dublin but has never been held since the Court of Star-Chamber was supprest in England Star-Chamber the Chancery King's-Bench Common Pleas and the Exchequer Here are
also Justices of Assize Nisi prius and Oyer and Terminer as in England Justices of Peace in every County to preserve the Peace and the King has his Serjeant at Law his Attorney and his Sollicitor General There are also other Governors besides these to administer justice in the remoter Provinces and that is in Conaugh stilled chief Commissioner is call'd b Since the Country has been well inhabited with English and much more civiliz'd than heretofore the Presidencies of Munster and Conaught were superseded by King Charles II. about the year 1671. President in Munster who have certain of the Gentry and Lawyers to assist them and are all directed by the Lord Deputy As for their Law the Common-law used there is the same with this of ours in England For thus it is in the Records of the Kingdom King Henry the third in the twelfth of his reign sent an order to his Justice in Ireland that he should assemble the Archbishops Bishops Barons and Knights of that Kingdom and make the Charter of King John be read unto them which he did accordingly giving them an oath to observe the laws and customs of England and that they should hold and keep the same 3 Nevertheless the meer Irish did not admit them but retain'd their own Brehon-Laws and lâ—ud Customs And the Kings of England used a connivance therein upon some deep consideration not vouchsafing to communicate the benefit of the English Laws but upon especial grace to especial families or sects namely the O Neales O Conors O Brien O Maloghlins and Mac Murough which were reputed of the blood royal among them So that even the Parliamentary Laws or Statutes of England were of force in Ireland till King Henry the seventh's time For in the tenth year of his reign they were established and confirmed by Act of Parliament in Ireland 4 In the time of Sir Edward Poinings government But since that time they have lived by Acts and Statutes of their own making Besides these civil Magistrates they have also one Military officer named the c There being no War in the Kingdom there is no such Officer Marshal Marshal of Ireland who is serviceable to the State not only in restraining the insolence of soldiers but also in checking the outrage of rebels who are now and then troublesome This office formerly belonged hereditarily to the Lords Morley of England 9 of King John For King John gave them this Office to hold in see of him in these words We have given and granted to John Marshall for his homage and service our Marshalship of Ireland with all appurtenances We have given him likewise for his homage and service the Cantred wherein standeth the town of Kilbunny to have and to hold to him and his heirs of us and our heirs From him it descended in a right line to the Barons of Morley This Marshal has under him * Submaresâ—allum a Provost-Marshal and sometimes more according to the difficulties and exigencies of affairs who exercise their authority by Commission and Instructions under the Great Seal of Ireland But these and all other curiosities of this nature I leave to the diligence of others As for the methods of Justice and Government among the wild Irish I shall take care to insert something in a more proper place when I come to treat of their Mannors and Customs The d See Ware 's Antiquitat Hibern Cap. 3. pag. 11. Division of IRELAND â—â—â—on â—â—â—land IReland from the manners and customs of the Inhabitants is divided into two parts e At present there is no such Div sion or distiâ—ction but the King 's Writ runs through the whole Kingdom and every part of it is now answerable to Law they who reject all Laws and live after a barbarous manner are called the Irishry or wild Irish but those civilized who submit themselves with respect and obedience to the laws are termed the English-Irish and their Country the English Pale for the first English men that came hither set their boundaries in the east and richest part of the Island as taken in for themselves within which compass even at this day some remain uncivilized and pay no deference to the laws whereas some without are as courteous and genteel as one would desire But if we consider it as it was more early this Country from its situation or rather number of its Governors heretofore must be divided into five parts for it was formerly a Pentarchy namely Munster southward Leinster eastward Connaught westward Ulster northward and Meath almost in the middle Which as to civil administration are thus divided into Counties In Munster are the Counties of Kerry f At this day there is no such County as Desmond part of that Territory lying in the County of Kerry and the rest in the County of Cork Desmond Cork Waterford Limerick Tiperary g The County of the Holy-Cross is swallowed up in that of Tiperary with the County of S. Cross in Tiperary In Leinster are the Counties of Kilkenny Caterlough Queen's County King's County Kildare Weishford Dublin In Meath are the Counties of East-Meath West-Meath Longford In Connaught are the Counties of h Instead of this Dr. Holland has put Clare which yet is in the Province of Muâ—ster Twomund Galloway Maio. Slego Letrim Rofcomon In Ulster are the Counties of Louth Cavon Farmanagh Monaghan Armagh Doun Antrim Colran Tir-Oën Tir-Conell or Donegall Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction The Ecclesiastical state of Ireland was antiently managed by the Bishops either consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury or by one another But in the year 1152 as we find it in Philip of Flattesbury Christianus Bishop of Lismore Legat of all Ireland held a very full and honourable Council at Meath where were present the Bishops Abbots Kings Dukes and Elders of Ireland and there by the Apostolical authority with the advice of the Cardinals and the consent of the Bishops Abbots and others met together four Archbishopricks were constituted in Ireland Armagh Dublin Cassil and Tuam The Bishopricks which were under these formerly for some of them have been abolished to feed the greedy humor of ill times others have been confounded or annexed to one another while others again have been translated I do desire to subjoyn here in their true and ancient order from an old Roman Provincial faithfully copied from the Original Under the Archbp. of Armagh Primate of all Ireland are the Bishops of Meath or i Cluanard The Bishop is stiled of Meath Elnamirand Down otherwise Dundalethglass k Clogher Cloghor otherwise Lugundun l Connor is united to Down Conner m Ardagh Ardachad n Rapho Rathbot Rathluc Daln-liguir o Derry or London-Derry Dearrih 4 Holland has added Cloemacniso which ought to be writ Clonmacnois and is now united to Meath as also Dromor and Brefem now Kilmore Under the Archbp. of Dublin are the Bishops of
antient and noble family have flourished from the first conquest of this country by the English who were afterwards advanced to the honour of Barons o Now Earl of Tyrone Curraghmore Upon the bank of the river Suire stands Waterford â—â—terford the chief City of this County Of which thus old Necham Suirius insignem gaudet ditare Waterford Aequoreis undis associatur ibi Thee Waterford Suir 's streams with wealth supply Hasting to pay their tribute to the sea This City which the Irish and Britains call Porthlargy the English Waterford was first built by certain Pirats of Norway Though 't is situated in a thick air and on a barren soil and close built yet by reason of the convenience of the haven p It was once but now Cork may claim that honour 't is the second City in Ireland for wealth and populousness and has ever continued q It s motto was Intacta manet Waterfordia But in the course of the Irish rebellion begun An. 1641. by means of the Popish Clergy it became exceeding faulty Now that the English Inhabitants daily encrease we may expect it will recover its former reputation particularly loyal and obedient to the Crown of England For since it was first taken by Richard Earl of Pembroke it has been so faithful and quiet that in our Conquest of Ireland it has always secur'd us from any attempts on this side Upon this account the Kings of England have endowed it with many and those considerable privileges which were enlarged and confirmed by Henry 7. for behaving themselves with great valour and conduct against Perkin Warbeck a sham-Prince who being but a young fellow of mean extraction had the impudence to aim at the Imperal Diadem by pretending to be Richard Duke of York the second son of King Edward 4. King Henry 6. gave the County of Waterford 〈◊〉 of â—â—terford together with the City to John Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury in words which so clearly set forth the bravery of that warlike man that I cannot but think it worth the while and perhaps some others may think it so too to transcribe them from the Record We therefore says the King after a great deal more wherein one sees the defect both of the Latin and eloquence of the Secretaries of that age in consideration of the valour of our most dear and faithful Cousen John Earl of Shrewsbury and Weysford Lord Talbot of Furnival and Lestrange sufficiently shewn and proved in the wars aforesaid even to his old age not only by the sweat of his body but many times by the loss of his blood and considering how our County and City of Waterford in our Kingdom of Ireland with the Castle Seigniory Honour Lands and Barony of Dungarvan and all the Lordships Lands Honours and Baronies and their appurtenances within the same County which by forfeiture of rebels by reversion or decease of any person or persons by escheat or any other title of law ought to vest in Us or our progenitors which by reason of invasions or insurrections in these parts are become so desolate and as they lye exposed to the spoils of war so entirely wasted that they are of no profit to us but have done and now do many times redound to our loss and charge and also that the said lands may hereafter be better defended against the attempts and incursions of enemies or rebels do ordain and create him Earl of Waterford with the stile title name and honour thereunto belonging And that all things may correspond with his state and greatness we hereby of our special grace certain knowledge and free motion that the Grandeur of the Earl may be supported more honourably do give grant and by these presents confirm unto the said Earl the County aforesaid together with the aforesaid title stile name and honour of Earl of Waterford and the city of Waterford aforesaid with the fee-farm castles lordships honours lands baronies and all other appurtenances within the County as also all mannors hundreds wapentakes c. along the sea-coast from the town of Yoghall to the city of Waterford aforesaid To have and to hold the said County of Waterford the stile title name and honour of Earl of Waterford and likewise the city of Waterford aforesaid with the castle seigniory honour land and barony of Dungarvan and all other lordships honours lands and Baronies within the said County and also all the aforesaid mannors hundreds c. to the abovesaid Earl and to the heirs males of his body begotten to hold of us and our heirs by homage fealty and the service of being our Seneschal and that he and his heirs be Seneschals of Ireland Seneschal of Ireland to us and our heirs throughout our whole land of Ireland to do and that he do and ought himself to do in the said office that which his predecessors Seneschals of England were wont formerly to do for us in that office In witness whereof c. However while the Kings of England and their Nobility who had large possessions in Ireland were either took up with foreign wars in France or civil dissentions at home Ireland was quite neglected so that the English interest began to decay r See the Statute of Absentees in the County of Caterlogh and the power of the Irish grew formidable by reason of their absence and then it was enacted to recover their interest and to suppress this growth of the Irish strength that the Earl of Shrewsbury for his absence and carelesness should surrender the Town and County of Waterford to the King and his successors and likewise that the Duke of Norfolk the Baron Barkley Ann. 28. H. 8 the Heirs Female of the Earl of Ormond and all the Abbots Priors c. of England who held any lands there should surrender them to the King and his successors for the same faults The County of LIMERICK THus far we have surveyed the maritime counties of Mounster two remain that are inland Limerick and Tipperary which we are now come to The County of Limerick lies behind that of Cork Northward between Kerry the river Shanon and the county of Tipperary fruitful and well inhabited but it has few remarkable towns The West part of it is called Conilagh Conilagh where among the hills Knock-Patrick Knock-Patrick that is St. Patrick's hill is most eminent for its height from the top whereof one has a pleasant prospect into the sea and along the river Shanon which at a great distance falls from a wide mouth into the Vergivian Ocean At the bottom of this hill the Fitz-Giralds liv'd for a long time in great honour Knight of the Vally Qu. Elâ—z An. 11. till Thomas call'd the Knight of the Valley or de Glin when his graceless son was put to death for Arsony for 't is treason by the laws of Ireland to set villages and houses a fire was also found an Accessary and had his estate
meaning his own body The O-Neals afterwards wrested it out of their hands but they being attainted of treason Sir Thomas Smith Knight and one of Queen Elizabeth's Privy-Council by her permission planted a Colony there an excellent design but very unsuccessful For after great expence his own natural son whom he had set over it was taken by an Ambuscade of the Irish and then thrown to be tore in pieces by the dogs a piece of cruelty for which they afterwards severely suffered being themselves put to death and given to the wolves Above Ardes westward lyes the more southern Clanboy Clanboy the Upper i.e. a Yellow Sept or the family of Hugh the Yellow as they interpret it a woody Country which extends to the bay of Knock-Fergus inhabited by the O-Neals and counted the very utmost part of this County of Down The County of ANTRIM THE next County to Louth northwards is the County of Antrim so called from Antrim a small town only remarkable for giving name to the whole shire which is bounded by the bay of Knock-Fergus Knock Fergus the Lough Eaugh and the river Ban. This bay of Knock-Fergus called Vinderius in Ptolemy took it's name from a town situate upon it which the English term Knock-Fergus the Irish Carig-Fergus that is the rock of Fergus from that famous Fergus drowned there who first brought the Scots out of Ireland into Britain This town is more frequented and famous than any other upon this coast by reason of a commodious haven fortifications though not yet finished a castle standing upon a high rock and has a garison to keep the country in subjection with an ancient palace now converted into a magazine Near this lies Clane-boy the lower Clanboy the Lowâ—â— the habitation likewise of the O-Neals memorable for the death of that lewd rebel Shan or John O-Neal who after many outrages was defeated in one or two skirmishes by 49 Sir Henry Henry Sidney Lord Deputy and reduced to such streights that he was resolved to go and address himself to the Lord Deputy with a halter about his neck for pardon but his Secretary dissuaded him and induced him rather to seek assistance from the Island Scots who under the conduct of Alexander Oge were now encamped here and ravaged the country Accordingly he went to them and was kindly received but put to death soon after with his whole party for the slaughter he had formerly made among their relations The war being thus ended by his death and he attainted with his whole party Queen Elizabeth bestowed this Clane-boy upon Walter D'Evereux Earl of Essex who came hither sent perhaps by means of some Courtiers under pretence of honour for he was made Governor of Ulster and Marshal of Ireland into a Country ever rebellious and ungovernable Where endeavouring with great expence to compose affairs and reduce them to a state of peace and quietness he was at last after many and great difficulties snatch'd away by an untimely death to the loss and trouble of all good men and to the benefit of the O-Neals and Brian Carragh of the family of the Mac-Conells who thereupon got this territory and since that time have been at war with one another for the Lordship of it Near this Knock-Fergus lies a Peninsula joined by a small neck of land to the continent which is call'd the Isle of Magie 〈◊〉 oâ— Maâ—â—â— being four miles in length and one in breadth Here some suppose that the Monastery of Magio so much commended by Bede did stand which I have already mentioned in the County of Maio. Then the Glinnes â—â—â—nnes that is the valleys begin at Older-sleet a bad road for ships and run along a great way by the sea This territory belong'd formerly to the Bissets â—â—â—ts Noblemen of Scotland who for making away Patrick Earl of Athol were banished hither and by the favour of Henry the third King of England were settled in an estate here For John Bisset who died in the beginning of Edw. the first had a great estate in lands here and in Edw. the 2d's reign Hugh Bisset forfeited part of it by rebellion In the last age this was invaded by the 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ni â—â—torâ—s 〈…〉 Coâ— Irish Scots from the Cantire and the Hebrides under the conduct of James Mac Conell Lord of Cantire in Scotland who claimed it as descended from the Bissets Shan O-Neal having cut off their Captain soon repelled them Yet they returned and made cruel ravages in these parts fomenting rebellions in the Kingdom till but very lately 50 Sir John John Perrot Lord Deputy first reduced Donall Goran who was slain together with his brother Alexander in Conaught by 51 Sir Richard Richard Bingham and afterwards Agnus Mac Conell the sons of James Mac Conell to that pinch that they submitted themselves to the Queen of England and upon their humble petition received this Country to hold of her by Knight's service on condition to bear arms for none but the Kings of England and to pay a certain number of Cows and Hawks yearly c. Above this as far as the river Bann the Country is called Rowte The Rowte the seat of the Mac Guillies Mac Guâ—lly a family of no small note among the Irish but pent up in this narrow corner by the outrage and continual depredations of the Island-Scots For Surley-Boy Surley boy also Chairly boy that is Charles the yellow brother to James Mac Conell who possessed the Glinnes did in a manner make himself master of this tract till 52 Sir John John Perrot the aforesaid Lord Deputy having took the castle of Donluse Doniuse strongly situated upon a rock hanging out into the sea and severed from the land by a deep ditch drove out him and his party However he recovered it the year following by treachery after he had slain Carie the governor who made a stout defence Upon this the Lord Deputy sent out Meriman an experienced Captain against him who cut off the two sons of James Mac Conell with Alexander the son of this Surley Boy and pressed him so closely driving away his cattle the only riches he had for he was able to make up 50000 Cows of his own stock that he surrender'd Donluse came to Dublin and made an open submission in the Cathedral exhibiting a petition for mercy Being after this admitted into the Governors lodgings as soon as he saw the picture of Queen Elizabeth he threw away his sword once or twice and fell down before it devoting himself entirely to Her Majesty Being received into favour and protection among the other subjects of Ireland hereupon he abjured both in the Chancery Kings-Bench all allegiance to any foreign Prince whatsoever and by the bounty of Queen Elizabeth had four territories or Toughs as they call them from the river Boys to the Ban bestowed upon him namely Donseverig Loghill and Ballamonyn together with the government of Donluse
Queen Elizabeth had such great hopes of the Earl that out of her Royal clemency upon his penitence and suit for mercy she pardoned him this barbarous and inhuman fratricide notwithstanding the dissuasion of some good men about her There was also somewhat else gall'd him at this time the Lord Deputy had extinguished the name of the Mac-Mahons in the next County and to suppress the power of that great family had subdivided the County among several whereupon the Earl was apprehensive he would go on and serve him and the other Lords of Ulster after the same manner The dissentions between the Earl and 6 Sir Henry Henry Bagnall Marshal of Ireland broke out likewise at this time for the Earl had marry'd Bagnall's Sister by force The Earl complained that whatever he had reduced in Ulster to the subjection of the Queen at the expence of his own blood and labour was no ways advantageous to him but to the Marshal that the Marshal by subornation of profligate vile fellows to witness against him had impeach'd him of high treason that by his instigation he had made 7 Sir William William Fitz-williams the Lord Deputy his bitter enemy and that he had lain in ambush for his life This is certain that all the Lord Deputy had writ upon that subject was believed in the Court of England till such time as the Earl to clear himself writ into England that he would either stand to a fair trial there or here in Ireland upon that point And it is also plain that he and the other Lords of Ulster enter'd into a secret combination and league about this time that they would defend the Roman catholick religion for rebellion is never set afoot now but under the pretence and colour of religious ends that they would suffer no Sheriffs nor Garisons to be within the compass of their territories that they would stand to one another in maintaining their rights and resist the English in any injury they should offer them The first that stood out to give the allarm hereupon was Mac-Gwire a man of a turbulent spirit who ravaged the country about him and enter'd Conaght accompanied with one Gauran a Priest whom the Pope had made Primate of Ireland who exhorted him to depend upon God and try his fortune and success would answer his expectation Yet it happen'd quite otherwise for Mac-Gwire was routed by the valour of 8 Sir Richard Richard Bingham and the Primate himself was cut off with many others Soon after Mac-Guire broke out into open Rebellion and was pursued by the Marshal and the Earl himself under pretence of loyalty who received a wound in the thigh and great applause for his valour Yet at the same time he was so wholly intent upon his own safety that he intercepted the sons of Shan O-Neal to prevent the mischief they might after do him and though the restitution of them was demanded yet he answer'd nothing to that purpose but made heavy complaints of the injuries done him by the Lord Deputy the Marshal and the Garison Soldiers which notwithstanding he dissembled so well that he came afterwards to the Lord Deputy as if he had forget them submitted himself and promising loyalty and an intire obedience return'd again 9 Sir William William Fitz-Williams being recalled out of Ireland 10 Sir William William Russel was made Lord Deputy in his place The Earl voluntarily went to him 11 Exhibited an humble submission upon his knees to the Lord Deputy wherein he dolefully expressed his great grief that the Queen had conceived indignation against him as of one undutiful and disloyal He acknowledged that the late absenting himself from the state was disagreeable to his obedience albeit it was occasioned by some hard measures of the late Lord Deputy as though he and the Marshal had combined for his destruction He acknowledged that the Queen advanced him to high title and great livings that she ever upheld him and enabled him that she who by grace had advanced him was able by her force to subvert him and therefore if he were void of gratitude yet he could not be so void of reason as to word his own ruine promising a perfect obedience to his Lordships commands in every thing and sent his letters to some of the Queen's Council to the same effect entreating earnestly that he might be received again into the Queen's favour which he had lost by no demerit or disloyalty but purely by the false suggestions of his adversaries Bagnal the Martial at the same time exhibited articles of accusation against him that the Earl himself had sent Mac-Gwire with the Primate above named into Conaght that he was in the combination of Mac-Gwire O-Donell and other Conspirators had assisted them in wasting Monaghan and in the siege of Inis-Kellin by his brother Cormac Mac-Baron and his bastard son Con and had seduced the Captains of Kilulto and Kilwarny from their allegiance to the Queen by the terrour of his threatnings Upon this it was warmly debated by the Council whither or not the Earl should be detained to answer this Information The Lord Deputy was for detaining him but 12 But when it was put to question generally most of his Council either out of fear or favour to the Earl were for dismissing him at present and deferring the tryal to another opportunity 13 Pretending certain weighty considerations and that the Articles exhibited were without proof or time whereupon the Lord Deputy in respect to the majority and the small experience he had in the affairs of that state in comparison with them desisted though much against his own inclination and the Earl was dismissed without so much as hearing his accusers The Queen was much concerned at this oversight for his dangerous designs and actions began to appear plain enough to every body by this time and the more because she had cautioned the Lord Deputy to detain the Earl in such case till he answer'd the crimes that were charged upon him As soon as the Earl had got home again and heard of a reinforcement now coming from England and that 1300 veterans who had served under the command of 14 Sir John John Norris in Bretagne were now also transporting thither from Holland as also that the English had some design upon Ballishannon and Belyk two castles upon the mouth of the lough Ern his own conscience flash'd him in the face with light enough to discern which way these proceedings tended so he surprized the Fort upon Black-water which opened a passage into his County of Ter-Oen and forced it to surrender His resolutions however were so various and wavering about the same time that he writ to the Earl of Kildare to offer his assistance against the injuries of the Lord Deputy to the Earl of Ormond and 15 Sir Henry Henry Wallop Treasurer of the Kingdom assuring them of his intention to continue loyal and to 16 Sir
and that he and his army had undertaken this expedition to deliver them from the jaws of the Devil and the English Tyranny and by these pretences drew great numbers to him The Lord Deputy with the forces he could raise made ready to besiege the town and 52 Sir Richard Richard Levison Vice-Admiral was sent out of England with two men of war to block up the harbour The English invested the town and began the siege briskly battering the town both by land and sea however this was remitted a little because Levison on the one side with his sea-soldiers was sent against two thousand Spaniards that landed at Bere-haven Baltimore and Castle-haven who sunk five of their ships and at the same time the President of Munster was sent with a detachment to intercept O-Donell who was upon his march in order to joyn the supplies from Spain However the frost being very hard he got safe and unseen to the Spaniards through by-ways in the night Some few days after the Earl of Ter-Oen together with O-Rork Reimund Burk Mac-Mahon Randall Mac-Surley Tirell and the Baron of Lixnaw came himself with the choice of the Rebels who in all amounted to 6000 foot and 500 horse after that Alphonsus O-Campo joyned them with the Spaniards under his command all big with hopes of victory which they thought was surely their own both as being more in number and fresher than the English and as they were well furnished with all sorts of provision whereas the English were harassed with the fatigues of a winter siege excluded from provisions and their horses jaded and useless by reason of hard service and want of sorage The Lord Deputy called a Council of war for their advice in these circumstances some thought it best to raise the siege retire to Cork and not put the whole Kingdom upon the hazard of a single Battle But on the other side his Lordship advised them to persist in their design and not degenerate from the constancy and renouned bravery of their Fore-fathers that a better opportunity could not befall stout soldiers than was now put into their hands to dye with glory or overcome with honour So he continued to carry on the siege with the utmost of his vigor playing upon the walls incessantly and fortifying his camp with new works On the twenty first of December the Earl of Tir-Oen appeared with his army upon a hill about a mile from our trenches and there encamped himself the next day he appeared likewise and the night following the Spaniards made a sally and the Irish attempted to get into the town but were both repulsed On the twenty third the English began to play their heavy Cannon against the town to shew how little they regarded the Earl that was just upon them and the same day intercepted D'Aquila's letters to the Earl desiring him to put the Spaniards that arrived lately into the town and attack the enemy's camp on both sides That night as the moon was rising the Lord Deputy commanded 53 Sir Henâ—y Henry Poer with eight companies of old soldiers to post himself on the west side of the Camp 54 Sir Henry Henry Gream who Commanded the horse Guards that night gave the Deputy notice very early in the morning that he foresaw the enemy would attack them from the great number of matches they had lighted Whereupon all were ordered to their arms and the ways into the town well guarded The Lord Deputy himself attended by the President of Munster and 55 Sir Richard Richard Wingfield Marshall went out and with the assistance of 56 Sir Olivar Olivar Lambart pitch'd upon a place for battle commanding the Regiments of 57 Sir Henry Henry Folliot and 58 Sir Olivar Oliver S. John and six hundred marine Soldiers under the command of 59 Sir Richard Richard Levison to post themselves in it But the Earl of Tir-Oen who resolved as it was known afterwards to put the Spaniards and 800 Irish into the town by the assistance of the dark as soon as the day began to break and he found the Marshall and 60 Sir Henry Henry Danvers with the horse and Poer with a body of foot drawn up to receive him at the foot of the hill began to despair of succeeding in his design and so sounded a retreat by his bag-pipers As soon as the Deputy had intelligence of this disorderly retreat he gave orders to pursue them and advanc'd in the van himself to observe their order that he might take his measures accordingly but the weather grew so foul and misty that they could hardly see before them for some time As soon as it cleared up and he found the enemy retir'd hastily in three bodies with the horse on the rear he resolved to attack them but first commanded the President of Munster to return to the Camp with three troops of horse to make that good in case the Spaniards should assault it The Lord Deputy himself pursued the rebels and with such speed that they were obliged to turn and face him in the very brink of a deep bog which was unaccessible but by one ford As soon as the Marshal and the Earl of Clan-Ricard had routed the party of horse that defended this pass they fell in upon the whole body of the enemies cavalry this on-set was so well seconded by 61 Sir William William Godolphin who had the leading of the Deputies wing 62 Sir Henry Henry Danvers Minshaw Taff Fleming and 63 Sir John J. Barkley Camp-master General who joined them that the rebels were put to flight Yet it was not thought good to give them chase but unite again to charge the thick of the enemy which was now in no small consternation The charge was accordingly given and the enemy broken Tirell with his Company and the Spaniards stood firm still and so the Lord Deputy commanded his rear to advance against them and to perform the duty of a soldier as well as the office of a General he put himself at the head of three companies of Oliver S. John's which were commanded by Roe and attack'd them with such vigour that they fled in disorder to shelter themselves among the Irish who soon left them to the mercy of the enemy and so they were most cut off by the Lord Deputy's troop under the conduct of William Godolphin Tir-Oen O-Donell and the rest upon this flung away their weapons and betook themselves to their heels for safety Alphonsus O-Campo was taken Prisoner with 3 Spanish Captains and 6 Ensigns 1200 of the enemy were slain and 9 Colours taken whereof 6 was Spanish The English lost not above 2 or 3 on their side but many were wounded among the rest 64 Sir Henry Henry Danvers 65 Sir William William Godolphin and Croft so little this great victory cost us As soon as the Lord Deputy had sounded a retreat and given God thanks for his victory among the
heaps of dead bodies he Knighted the Earl of Clan-Ricard for his valour and brave service in this battle and so returned with acclamations and victory into his camp which he found safe as he had left it For the Spaniards seeing all strongly guarded and having experienced that fallies were always to their own loss kept close within the town with great anxiety of expectation for the issue of the main battle This was a noble victory and of great consequence Ireland then wavering and ready to revolt was hereby retained the Spaniards ejected and the head Rebel Tir-Oen reduced to his holes in Ulster O-Donel driven into Spain the rest of the rebels dispersed the authority of the Queen recovered the dejected Loyalists confirmed and an universal peace established throughout the whole Island soon after Next day the Lord Deputy ordered Bodley the Camp Master General who both in the fortifications and in the battle had behaved himself valiantly to finish the mount and raise banks and rampires nearer the enemy after six days spent in that work D'Aquila sent a Drummer with letters to the Lord Deputy that some person of worth and credit might be sent into the town to treat with him Sir William Godolphin was sent accordingly D'Aquila told him that though the Lord Deputy was his enemy yet he would own him to be a person of honour and desert that the Irish were cowardly rude and barbarous nay false and perfidious too he was afraid That he was sent thither by the King of Spain his Master to aid two Earls but now he question'd whether there was such in rerum natura for this storm had blown one of them into Spain and the other into the north and so both had vanish'd That he was willing for this reason to conclude a peace with him that might be for the interest of England on one side and not to the loss and prejudice of Spain on the other but yet he wanted nothing that could contribute to his defence and daily expected more supplies from Spain to give the English more trouble In short being fatigued and weary of the siege on both sides they came to this conclusion on the 2d of Jan. That the Spaniards should yield up Kingsale the sorts and castles of Baltimore Berehaven and Castle-Haven to the Lord Deputy and so depart with life goods and flying colours That the English should find shipping but should be paid for it to transport them at two voyages into Spain and if they should happen to put in at any port in England that they shall be kindly entertained and that during their stay in Ireland for a wind they shall be allowed all necessary accommodations for their money After some few days stay the wind stood fair and so the Spaniards embarked with great loss and dishonour for their own Country The Earl of Tir-Oen in the mean while fled in great consternation with all the speed he could make thro' unknown by-ways to recover his holes in Ulster with great loss of his men who were many of them drowned in passing the rivers which were swelled with the winter floods From hence forward the Earl grew restless being tormented with continual apprehensions of punishment for those crimes whereof he was conscious and so fearful of every body that he was every day shifting from one hole to another The Lord Deputy laid up his army in winter quarters to refresh them and having thus settled his affairs in Munster returned to Dublin As soon as the rigour of the season was a little abated he marched back with his resolute army towards Ulster making small journeys to strike a terrour into the Country intending now to perfect his old design of penning up the rebels by planting forts and garisons on all sides When he came to Blackwater he carried over his army in floats and having found out a ford below the old fort which was not before known of he built a fort upon the bank and call'd it from himself Charlemont The Earl of Tir-Oen out of fear at this time had burnt his own house at Dungannon The Lord Deputy marched from hence beyond Dungannon and encamped his army till 66 Sir Henry Henry Docwra could come from Logh-Foil to join him After that he made his incursions on all sides spoiled the corn burnt all the houses and villages that could be found made booty of the cattle and had the forts of Logh Crew Logh Reogh and Mogherlecow surrendred to him yet we lost Sir John Barkley a valiant man who was shot in this last of them After this he planted a garison at Logh Eaugh or Logh Sidney and called it Montjoy from his own title committing the charge of it to Sir Arthur Chicester whose great deserts have made him Lord Deputy of Ireland at this time and another at Monaghan whereof he made 67 Sir Christopher Christopher S. Lawrence governor men of great experience and courage who by their continual sallies and excursions made the rebels so uneasie that finding themselves pent in with garisons and streightened moâ—e and more daily in every thing and that they must livâ— hereafter like wild beasts sculking up and down among the â—oods and desarts they began most of them to conform thâ—â—r fidelity to their fortune and tender a submission privaâ—â—ly to the Lord Deputy murmuring that the Earl had broughâ—â—he whole Kingdom into this ruine to serve his own ends that it was necessary for him only and had proved destructive to them The Earl himself was sensible that the fidelity as well as the strength of his party was now infeebled and resolved to be as much before hand with danger as he could being now quite weary of his misery and tender of his own life which will generally find favour in spite of any resolutions Accordingly he writ several letters to the Queen with great submission addressing himself therein with prayers and tears for mercy which the Queen observed to be so sincere that being in her own temper most merciful she order'd the Lord Deputy to give him pardon and receive him in case he desired it As soon as ever he had this news from some of his friends he sent his petition to this purpose pressing the Lord Deputy continually by his brother Arth. Mac Baron and others and at last in February after many refusals and his sincere promise to surrender his life and fortune to the Queens discretion the Lord Deputy upon advice from the Court of England that the Queen who was now of great age was dangerously ill gave the Earl leave to repair to Mellifont which accordingly he did forthwith attended with one or two followers Being admitted into the presence chamber where the Lord Deputy sat in a chair of state with many of his Officers about him he fell down upon his knees in the very entrance all dejected and in a mean condition after he continued a while in this posture the Lord Deputy signified to him to approach nearer
so he arose and after some few steps fell down upon his knees again Acknowledging his offences to God and his most gracious Princess and Soveraign Queen Elizabeth upon whose royal mercy and goodness he now wholly relied and to whose discretion he submitted both his life and fortune humbly beseeching that as he had felt her mercy heretofore and did her power now at this time so he might once more taste her clemency and be an example of it to future ages That neither his age was so great his body so weak nor his mind so much broken but he might expiate this rebellion by his loyalty and good service hereafter Beginning to tell them in extenuation of his â—â—â—me that by the malice and envy of some he had been â—â—rdly dealt with Here the Lord Deputy interrupted â—im saying with great majesty which is the most graceful eloquence in a soldier that he would suffer no excuse in a crime so hainous and so in few words ordered him to withdraw and the day following took him along with him to Dublin designing to carry him from thence into England to the Queen that she might take what course she thought fit with him But in the mean while this excellent Princess a little after she had received the news that this rebellion was extinguished which had troubled her so long and was the only thing wanting to compleat her glory left this life with great ease and piety for a better Thus the Irish war or rather the rebellion of the Earl of Tir-Oen which sprung from private resentments and ambition and was suffered to grow up by the neglectful and sparing Counsels in England spread over all Ireland under the pretence of restoring religion and liberty and continued by reason of the base emulation of the English the avarice of the veterans the artifice and feign'd submissions of the Earl the rugged situation of the Country and the nature of the people who depend less upon their arms than their heels as also by reason of the credulity of some ministers and the corruption of others the encouragement of one or two fortunate engagements and of those supplies of men and money sent them from Spain was now at last in the eighth year under the government of Queen Elizabeth of sacred memory extinguished by the conduct of 68 Sir Charles Charles Blunt Baron of Montjoy Lord Deputy who was upon that account made Earl of Devonshire by King James for his good service and an everlasting peace as we hope established in that Kingdom The Antient and Modern Customs of the IRISH. 'T IS here requisite I should say something of the Manners of the Irish As for their antient manners the account I give of them is borrowed from old writers but their later customs are recited from the accurate observations of a modern Author both learned and industrious The old Irish being rude and barbarous like all other nations in this part â—f the world are thus described by the Antients Strabo l. 4. I can say noting of Ireland upon good authority but that the people â—e more barbarous than the Britains They feed upon ma's flesh and 〈…〉 but 〈◊〉 Eâ—â—â—me 〈◊〉 â—pon 〈◊〉 and â—â—â—s eat to excess They look upon it as a credit â—o eat up the bodies of their dead Parents and not only to lye with strange women but with their own mothers and â—â—sters However I must caution the Reader that I pretenâ— not to warrant the truth of this relation Thus much is certainly reported that man's flesh was eat among the Sâ—thians nay and that in the extremities of a siege or sâ— the Gauls Spaniards and many others have frequently â—ne it Pomponius Mela lib. 3. Thâ—â—nhabitants are barbarous and have no sense either of Vâ—tue or Religion Solinus cap. 24. Those that câ—quer besmear their faces with the blood of the slain and know no distinction between right and wrong When a â—â—n-child is born the mother feeds it upon the point of 〈◊〉 husband's sword thinking this ominous and wishing afâ—â—r their heathenish way that its fortune may be to dye in â—he midst of war and arms Such as affect gaiety garnâ— the hilts of their swords with the teeth of Sea-monsters â—hich are as white as Ivory For here they value themselves chiefly upon the fineness and well keeping of their arms These are their antient customs As for their usages of the middle age we have them in Giraldus Cambrensis and in others from him But as for their later customs they are described by a certain modern Author whom I take to be J. Good a Priest educated at Oxford and School-master at Limerick in the year 1566. from whom I shall transcribe them Yet since I promised but just now some account of the administration of Justice among them I 'll first make bold to acquit my self of thaâ— under taking The great men O prefixt to the names of the Noblemen of Ireland by way of excellency who have the fourth vowel prefix'd to their names to denote their quality and eminence as O-Neal O-Rork O-Donell c. and others likewise who have Mac put before their names enjoy a large prerogative whereby they Lord it at a high rate and by the tributes taxes and other Impositions which they exact from their poor vassals for maintaining of their Soldiers Galloglasses Kernes and Horsemen they make them very miserable especially in a time of civil war for then they quite drein and impoverish them These Grandees have their own Lawyers whom they call Breahans Breahans as the Goths did theirs Bellagines an ignorant paultry sort of people who at certain set times try the causes of the neighbourhood upon the very top of some high hill The Plaintiff opens his cause before them with great complaint of the injuries he has suffer'd to which the Defendant pleads Not guilty If the Defendant is convicted of robbery they either fine him according to his demerits or award restitution These great men have likewise their particular Historians to chronicle the famous actions of their lives Physitians too and Poets whom they call Bards and Harpers who have all of them their several estates and possessions allowed them and in each territory there are certain particular families for nothing else but these employments for instance one for Breabans another for Historians and so of â—he rest who take care to instruct their children and relations in their own respective professions Professions hereditary and by that means leave always one or other of the same race to succeed them Among the Grandees the rules of succession and inheritance are little heeded whoever is descended of a good family and hâ—s the most power retinue and courage assumes the Sovereignty either by election or usurpation and excludes the sons and nearest relations of the person deceased being after their barbarous rate enthron'd in a stone seat plac'd in the open air upon a certain hillock At the same time a successor is
addressed himself thus to him My brother and my Soveraign You know very well that the Kingdom of the Isles was mine by right of inheritance but since God hath made you King over it I will not envy your happiness nor grudge to see the crown upon your head I only beg of you so much land in these Islands as may honorably maintain me for I am not able to live upon the Island Lodhus which you gave me Reginald hearing this told his brother he would take the advice of his Council upon it and the day after when Olave was called in to speak with he was apprehended by Reginald's order and carried to William King of Scotland that he might be there put in prison where he continued in chains for almost seven years For in the seventh year died William King of Scotland and was succeeded by his son Alexander but before his death he commanded that all prisoners whatsoever should be set at at liberty Olave being thus freed came to Man and soon after accompanied with no small train of Nobility went to St. James His brother Reginald made him now marry the daughter of a Nobleman of Kentyre his own wives sister named Lavon and gave him Lodhus to enjoy again But within some few days after Reginald Bishop of the Isles called a Synod and divorced Olave the son of Godred and Lavon his wife as being the Cousin german of his former wife Afterwards Olave married Scristina the daughter of Ferkar Earl of Rosse Reginald's wife Queen of the Islands was so troubled at this news that she sent letters in the name of her husband King Reginald to her son Godred in the Island Sky commanding him to kill Olave As Godred was contriving to execute this order and going to Lodhus for that end Olave got off in a little cock-boat and fled to his father-in-law the Earl of Rosse aforesaid while Godred in the mean time wasted the Island At the same time Pol the son of Boke Sheriff of Sky a man of great interest in all the Islands fled likewise having refused to comply with Godred and lived in the Earl of Ross's house with Olave Making a league with Olave they went together in one vessel to Sky At last they understood by their Spies how he lay unapprehensive and negligent with a very few men in a certain Island called St. Columbs So he gathered his friends and companions together and with such volunteers as would go with him set sail in the middle of the night with five ships drawn together from the opsite shore distant about two furlongs and beset the Island Godred and his companions next morning perceiving themselves enclosed were in great consternation However they took arms and though to no purpose manfully endeavoured to withstand them For Olave and Pol the aforesaid Sheriff landed about nine a clock with their whole army and cut off all they met with those only excepted that had taken sanctuary in the Churches Godred was taken and not only blinded but gelded too However this was against Olave's will for he would have saved him but for Boke's son the Sheriff aforesaid For this was done in the year 1223. Olave having received pledges from the Noblemen of the Isles set sail for Man the next summer with a fleet of thirty two ships and arrived at Rognolfwaht At this very time Reginald and Olave divided the Kingdom of the Isles between them but Reginald was to have Man over and above together with the title of King Olave having now the second time furnished himself with provisions from the Isle of Man returned with his company to his part of the Islands Reginald the year following taking Alan Lord of Gallway along with him went with the people of the Isle of Man to disseise his brother Olave of the lands he had given him and to reduce it under his own dominion But the people of Man being unwilling to fight against Olave and the Islanders by reason of a peculiar kindness between them Reginald and Alan Lord Gallway were forced to return home without effecting any thing A while after Reginald pretending a journey to the Court of his soveraign Lord the King of England raised an hundred marks in contribution from the Island of Man but went however to the Court of Alan Lord of Gallway During his stay there he married his daughter to Alan's son The people of Man received this news with such indignation that they sent for Olave and made him King 1226. Olave recovered his inheritance namely the Kingdom of Man and of the Isles which his brother Reginald had governed for thirty eight years and reigned quietly two years 1228. Olave accompanied with all the Nobility and the greatest part of the people of Man sailed over to the Isles A while after that Alan Lord of Gallway Thomas Earl of Athol and King Reginald came into Man with a great army and there they wasted all the south part of the Island spoiled the Churches and put all the inhabitants they could meet with to death so that the whole was in a manner desolate After Alan had thus ravaged the Country he returned with his army leaving his Bailiffs in Man to collect the tribute of the Country and send it to him King Olave coming upon them at unawares soon put them to flight and recovered his Kingdom Whereupon the people that had been dispersed and scattered began to get together again and to live in their old homes with quietness and security The same year King Reginald came in the dead of night in the winter time with five sail of ships and burnt all the ships that belonged either to his brother Olave or the Nobility of Man the Isle of S. Patrick and tarried forty days after in Ragnoll-wath haven desiring peace of his brother During this abode he won over all the inhabitants of the south part of Man so that they swore they would lose their lives rather than he should not be restored to the half of the Kingdom Olave on the other side had drawn in those of the north part to adhere to him and so upon the fourteenth of February at a place called Tinguall the two brothers came to an engagement wherein Olave had the victory and King Reginald was flain but without the knowledge of Olave About this time certain Pirates arrived at the south part of Man and wasted it The Monks of Ruffin convey'd the Corps of King Reginald to the Abbey of S. Mary de Fournes and there it was buried in a certain place which he himself had before chose for that purpose Olave after this went to the King of Norway but before his arrival Haco King of Norway had appointed a certain Nobleman called Husbac the son of Owmund to be King of the Sodorian Islands and named him Haco This Haco accompanied with Olave Godred Don the son of Reginald and many Norwegians came to the Isles but in taking a certain castle in the Isle of Both he was
this Island they had no use of money till the late troubles of England during which Their current coin many loyalists flying thither for shelter so plentifully supplied them with it that many of the tenants were enabled to pay their rents in money which formerly they paid in sheep hogs c. The current coin of this Island is the Scotch English and Irish they neither have nor ever had any proper coine of their own Mr. Camden in the account he gives of this Island Mâ— Camden misinformed as to some cu toms of this Island has been mis-informed as to some custom He says that the women of the Island of Man going abroad do gird themselves about with their winding-sheet that they purpose to be buried in to shew themselves mindful of their mortality It is indeed customary here for the women that live in the Country when they walk abroad to wrap themselves up in a blanket but without any other design than to defend themselves from the cold as they tell every one that asks them a reason Besides these blankets which they wear are quite of a different sort from winding-sheets the blankets being generally made of woollen whereas all shrowds are of linnen These blankets are only worn by the Country-women who generally have a better sort of blanket for Sundays and another for working days but in towns they are hardly wore by any women whether poor or rich But further that this wearing of blankets was never designed by them for a Memento Mori is evident from an old customary law among them by which it is ordained that the Sunday-blankets viz. those of the better sort be given to the next child and those of the worse sort which they wear upon workdays be given for Corbes that is be sold with the other goods of the deceased to pay debts which is by no means consistent with their using them as winding-sheets to be buried in It is at this day a common custom in many places of Scotland for the country women to wear these kind of blankets when they go abroad but they are of no other use than to shelter them from the cold and are of a quite different nature from what they use for winding-sheets So that it is probable this custom of wearing blankets among the women of the Isle of Man is of the same nature and design with that of Scotland and has been introduced into the Isle by its first inhabitants who as I have already said came probably from the western parts of Scotland where this custom is among the country women generally practiced even to this very day Another mistake there is in the account which Mr. Camden had from Bishop Merrick of this Island That the Isle of Man is free from Thieves and Beggars As for Theft there is no robbing in the high-ways but you may travel there securely in any part of the Island but the poorer fort of this Isle even of both sexes are very much given to pilfering which appears from the severe laws made against stealing of ling hay hens c. And as for Beggars there are divers of them in the Island both of natives and Irish The Irish are more clamorous than the natives the natives never cry and beg at the doors but without knocking open the latch of the door and entering in take a stool and sit down by the fire and then ask an alms The Laws Their Laws and Statutes of this Island are such as the * Co k's Instit Part. 4. p. 284. Lord Cook saith the like of them are not to be found in any other place But notwithstanding this Island has continued a Kingdom for many hundreds of years yet there never was nor is there at this day extant any treatise to inform us of their Laws Customs and Jurisdictions In former times they were governed by a Jus non scriptum which was committed to the fidelity of their Deemsters as a thing holy and sacred and by them delivered to posterity by oral tradition only so that whatever they pronounced was to be held for law This custom it is probable they received from the Druides who as Caesar * Commen lib. 6. saith would not by writing prostitute any thing to the vulgar And therefore from all antiquity and even at this day the Manksmen do call their Laws Breast-laws as being deposited and locked up in the breasts of their Deemsters and Keys only Thus was this Island governed from the beginning till it was given to Sir John Stanley and his Heirs by King Henry the fourth He at his coming hither brought over with him one Michael Blondel a very wise understanding Gentleman of Lancashire whom he made Governor of the Island and he observing the inconvenience of these Breast-laws ordered that for the future all Law-cases decided in their Courts or by their Deemsters should be written down by the Clerk of the Rolls and kept as a Register of Precedents when the same or the like cases should chance to fall out again These books of precedents none are admitted to peruse but the Lord's officers only and of them no one can have access to them alone They are deposited in the Treasury and there locked up with three keys which are kept by the Governor the Receiver General and Comptroller of the Island These Laws are acknowledged to be very just and equitable and are executed with the greatest mildness the most of them are very ancient even above a thousand years In former times the voice of the whole people was necessary to the making a new Law but now this custom is abrogated and whatever is agreed upon by the Lord of the Island the Governor the two Deemsters and twenty four Keys obtains the force of a law Their new laws or statutes are always proclaimed in that Court which the Manksmen call a Tinwald The solemni y of a Tinwald It is publickly kept sub dio upon a little hill adjoyning to a little Chapel dedicated to St. John Baptist two miles from Peel-town The ancient manner of holding this Court was this The Lord of the Island was to sit here in a chair of state with a royal cloth or canopy over his his head with his face to the East and his sword before him holden with the point upward His Barons viz. the Bishops and Abbots with the rest in their degrees sat beside him his beneficed men or fee'd Council and Deemsters sat before him his Gentry and Yeomanry in the third degree and the twenty four Keys in their order and the Commons stood without the circle with three Clerks in their surplices Their Courts of Justice All possible care is taken in this Island for the speedy execution of justice For although the Sheeding-courts which are as it were their Terms do meet but twice a year yet for the quicker dispatch of justice there is erected a Court of Chancery wherein the Governor sitteth sole judge as
so strongly inspir'd that they can raise the sea or the winds with their enchantments can transform themselves into what Animal they please cure those distempers that are beyond the skil of others and both know and foretel what is to come c. Under these there lie other Islands called Isles aux Mottons near Pen-Marc that is the Horse-head Gleran over against old Blavia now Blavet Grois and the Belle-Isle which Pliny calls Veneticae For they lie over against the Veneti in little Brittain Veneti Insulae Veneticae and might perhaps take that name as being Fishermen For so Venna seems to signifie in the language of the old Gauls Strabo takes these to have been the Forefathers of the Venetians in Italy and says also that they design'd to engage Caesar by sea when he made his expedition to Britain Some from Dionysius Afer call these Insulae Veneticae Nesides Nâ—sides Vannes Venna Caroli 1. pâ—â—catio Caroli as Helgardus says Samnitus whereas in a Greek Copy we find it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a tract of Islands Of which Priscian writes thus out of him Nec spatio distant Nessidum littora longè In quibus uxores * Amnitum Bacchica sacra Concelebrant hederae foliis tectaeque corymbis Non sic Bistonides Absinthi ad flumina Thraces Exertis celebrant clamoribus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here the Nessides shew their neighbouring shore Where Samnite wives at sacred Orgies roar With Ivy-leaves and berries cover'd o'er Not with such cries the wild Bistonian dames Near fair Absinthus fill the Thracian streams This is also express'd in Festus Avienus Hinc spumosus item ponti liquor explicat aestum Et brevis è pelago vortex subit hic chorus ingens Faeminei coetus pulchri colit Orgia Bacchi Producit noctem ludus sacer aera pulsant Vocibus crebris latè sola calcibus urgent Non sic Absynthi propè flumina Thraces almae Bistomdes non quà celeri ruit agmine Ganges Indorum populi stata curant festa Lyoeo Hence constant tides the foaming deep supplies And noisy whirlpools on the surface rise Here a great quire of dames by custom meet And Bacchus Orgies every year repeat And spend in sacred rites the joyful night Through all the air their tuneful voices sound Their nimble feet salute the trembling ground Not in such troops Bistonian matrons croud To the great Feast at fam'd Absinthus flood Nor so the Indians praise their drunken God Now that Belle-Isle is one of the said Nessidae Strabo's authority grounded upon the relations of others is sufficient assurance For it lies before the mouth of the river Loire and Ptolemy places the Samnites on the coast of France just over against it For thus Strabo They say there is a small Island in the Ocean that lies not very far in neither but just over against the mouth of the Loir 'T is inhabited by the wives of the Samnites that are inspir'd by Bacchus and adore him by ceremonies and sacrifices No men are suffer'd to come here but the women take boat and after they have layn with their husbands return 'T is also a custom here to take off the roof of their Temple every year and cover it again the same day before sun-set every one of the women being obliged to bring in a burden to it whoever lets her burden fall is tore in pieces by the rest They are not to give â—ver gathering the pieces dropt in carrying before their fit of madness is over It always happens that one or other is thus tore to pieces for letting their burden fall Thus the Ancients in treating of the remoter part of the world were very much given to insert such fabulous stories But he tells us farther that as for those things which are said of Ceres and Proserpine they are somewhat more probable For the report is that in an Island near Britain they sacrifice to these Goddesses after the same manner that those in Samothrace do 8 Hitherto have I extended the British sea both upon the credit of Pomponius Mela who stretcheth it to the coast of Spain and upon the authority of the Lord Great Admiral of England which extendeth so far For the Kings of England were and are rightful Lords of all the North and W st sea-coasts of France to say nothing of the whole kingdom and crown of France as who to follow the tract of the sea coast wan the counties the only heir thereof In like manner most certain heirs to the Dutchy of Normandy by King William the Conqueror and thereby superior Lords of little Britain dependant thereof undoubted heirs of the counties of Anjou Tourain and Maine from King Henry the second whose patrimony they were likewise of the county of Poictou and Dutchy of Aquitaine or Guyenne by Eleanor the true heir of them wife to the said Henry the second â—â—â—nut the counties of Tholouse March the homage of Avergne c. Of all which the French by their arrests of pretended forfeitures and confiscaâ—â—ns have a sseized the crown of England and annexed them to the Crown of France taking advantages of our most unhappy civil dissentions whâ—reas in former ages the French Kings were so fore-closed by these territoreis as they had no access at all to the Ocean Since Mela who was himself a Spaniard makes the British sea to reach as far as the Coast of Spain and the Pyrenees Lib. 2. it falls within the scope of my design to mention Normonstier L'isle de Dieu and the L'isle de Rey likewise which are famous for their store of bay salt yet the bare mention is sufficient since they are not taken notice of by the old Geographers The next Island to this Oleron Ultarus now known by the name of Oleron but called Uliarus in Pliny lies as he says in the bay of Aquitain at the mouth of the river Charonton now Charente endow'd with many privileges by the Kings of England when Dukes of Aquitain In those times it was so eminent for shipping and marine affairs that Laws were made in this Island for the regulation of these seas in the year 1266. as they were in Rhodes heretofore for the government of the Mediterranean Nothing remains now having carry'd on this discourse through so many shallows of the ocean and the rugged rocks as it were of Antiquity but that like the Mariners of old who use to dedicate their tatter'd sails or a votive plank to Neptune I also consecrate something to the Almighty and to Venerable Antiquity A Vow which I most willingly make and which by the blessing of God I hope to discharge in due time d He hints here to the History-Lecture which he afterwards settled in Oxford whereof see his Life In the mean time let me desire of the Reader to consider that through this whole work I have been strugling with devouring Time of which the Greek Poet has this admirable passage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
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
call'd Hogelyn John de Northon John de Breton and many others Item On the 16th before the kalends of July Dolovan Tobyr and other towns and villages bordering upon them were burnt down by the said malefactors Item Soon after this a great Parliament was held at London wherein a sad difference arose between the Barons upon the account of Pieirs Gaveston who was banish'd out of the Kingdom of England the day after the feast of S. John the baptist's nativity and went over into Ireland about the feast of the Saints Quirita and Julita together with his wife and sister the Countess of Glocester and came to Dublin in great state and there continued Item William Mac Baltor a stout robber and incendiary was condemn'd in the court of our Lord the King at Dublin by the Lord Chief Justice John Wogan on the 12th before the kalends of September and was drawn at a horse's tail to the gallows and there hang'd as he deserv'd Item This year a marble cistern was made to receive the Water from the conduit-head in Dublin such as was never before seen here by the Mayor of the City Master John Decer and all at his own proper expences This same John a little before made a bridge to be built over the river Aven-Liffie near the priory of S. Wolstan He also built the Chappel of S. Mary of the Friers minors wherein he was buried and the Chappel of S. Mary of the Hospital of S. John in Dublin Item This John Decer was bountiful to the convent of Friers Predicants in Dublin For instance he made one stone-pillar in the Church and laid the great stone upon the high altar with all its ornaments Item He entertain'd the friers at his own table on the 6th day of the week out of pure charity as the seniors have reported to their juniors Item The Lord John Wogan took ship in Autumn to be at the parliament of England and the Lord William Bourk was appointed Keeper of Ireland in his room Item This year on the eve of S. Simon and Jude the Lord Roger de Mortimer and his Lady the right heir of Meth the daughter of the Lord Peter son of Sir Gefferey Genevil arriv'd in Ireland As soon as they landed they took possession of Meth Sir Gefferey Genevil giving way to them and entring himself into the order of the Friers predicants at Trym the morrow after S. Edward the Archbishop's day Item Dermot Odympsy was slain at Tully by the servants of Sir Piers Gaveston Item Richard Bourk Earl of Ulster at Whitsontide made a great feast at Trym and conferr'd Knighthood upon Walter Lacie and Hugh Lacie In the vigil of the Assumption the Earl of Ulster came against Piers Gaveston Earl of Cornwal at Drogheda and at the same time turn'd back towards Scotland Item This year Maud the Earl of Ulster's daughter imbark'd for England in order for a marriage with the Earl of Glocester which within a month was consummated between them Item Maurice Caunton kill'd Richard Talon and the Roches afterwards kill'd him Item Sir David Caunton was hang'd at Dublin Item Odo the son of Cathol O Conghir kill'd Odo O Conghiâ— King of Connaght Item Athi was burnt by the Irish MCCCIX Peter Gaveston subdued the O Brynnes in Ireland and rebuilt the new castle of Mackingham and the castle of Kemny he also cut down and scour'd the pass between Kemny castle and Glyndelagh in spite of all the opposition the Irish could make and sâ— march'd away and offer'd in the Church of S. Kimny The same year the Lord Peter Gaveston went over into Englanâ— on the eve of S. John Baptist's Nativity Item The Earl of Ulster's son's wife daughter of the Earl oâ— Glocester came into Ireland on the 15th of October Item On Christmas-eve the Earl of Ulster returned out of England and landed at Drogheda Item On the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary Sir John Bonevil was slain near the town of Arstol by Sir Arnold Pover and his accomplices and buried at Athy in the Church of the Frierâ— predicants Item A Parliament was held at Kilkenny in the octaves of thâ— Purification of the Blessed Mary by the Earl of Ulster John Wogan Justiciary of Ireland and others of the nobility wherein a difference among certain of the great men was adjusted and many proviso's made in the nature of statutes that might havâ— been of good consequence to the Kingdom if they had been observ'd Item Shortly after Sir Edward Botiller return'd out of England where he had been knighted at London Item The Earl of Ulster Roger Mortimer and Sir John Fitz-Thomas went over into England Item This year died Sir Theobald Verdon MCCCX. King Edward and Sir Peter Gaveston took theiâ— march for Scotland against Robert Brus. Item There was this year a great scarcity of corn in Ireland * Eranca an eranc of corn sold at the rate of twenty shilling and upwards Item The Bakers of Dublin were punish'd after a new way foâ— false weights For on S. Sampson the Bishop's day they werâ— drawn upon hurdles at the horses tails along the streets of thâ— City Item In the Abby of S. Thomas the Martyr at Dublin Sir Neiâ— Bruin Knight Escheator to our Lord the King in Ireland departed this life his corps was buried at the Friers-minors in Dublin witâ— such a pomp of tapers and wax-lights as never was before seen iâ— this Kingdom This year a Parliament was held at Kildare wherin Sir Arnold Pover was acquitted of the death of the Lord Bonevil for it waâ— found Se defendendo Item On S. Patrick's day Mr. Alexander Bickenor was witâ— the unanimous consent of the Chapter made Archbishop of Dublin Item The Lord Roger Mortimer in the octaves of the nativity of the Blessed Virgin return'd into Ireland Item This year died Henry Lacy Earl of Lincoln MCCCXI In Thomond at Bonnorathie the Lord Richarâ— Clare gave the Earl of Ulster's party a very strange defeat Thâ— Lord William Bourk and John the Lord Walter Lacy's Son werâ— taken prisoners with many others This battle was fought on thâ— 13th before the kalends of June and great numbers both of thâ— English and the Irish slain in it Item Tassagard and Rathcante were invaded by the rapperies namely the O Brinnes and O Tothiles the day after S. John Baptist's nativity Whereupon in the Autumn soon after a greaâ— army was rais'd in Leinster to defeat them both in Glindelory anâ— in other woody places Item In August a Parliament was holden at London between thâ— King and the Barons to consider the state of the Kingdom and thâ— King's houshold and a committee of six Bishops six Earls and six Barons was appointed to consult the good of the Realm Item On the 2d day before the Ides of November the Lord Richard Clare cut off 600 Galegolaghes Item On All saints day last past Peter Gaveston was banished out of England by the Earls and Barons and many good statutes were
were put to flight The third was at Sketheris hard by Arstol the day after S. Paul's conversion the English fled and were routed by the Scots Whereupon Edward Brus after the feast of Philip and James got himself crown'd King of Ireland Having taken Green Castle they posted themselves in it but the citizens of Dublin soon remov'd them and recover'd it for the King and finding Sir Robert Coultagh the governour of the Castle there they brought him to Dublin where he was imprison'd and being kept to hard diet died Item Upon S. Peter and Paul's day the Scots invested Dondalk took it plunder'd it and then burnt it after they had kill'd all such as had oppos'd them A great part of Urgale was likewise burnt by them as also the Church of the blessed Virgin Mary in Atterith full of men women and children with the assistance of the Irish This same year the Lord Edmund Botiller Justiciary of Ireland about the feast of S. Mary Magdalen drew considerable forces out of Munster Leinster and other parts to joyn the Earl of Ulster at Dondalk who had drawn a mighty great army out of Connaght and those parts and was marching thither There they concerted what measures they should take to destroy the Scots What their resolutions were is not known but the Scots fled and if they had not they had as 't is hop'd been taken Prisoners After this the Earl of Ulster and the said Justiciary with the rest of the Nobility resolv'd as soon as they had cut off the Scots to bring the Lord Edmund Brus dead or alive to Dublin Accordingly the Earl pursued them as far as Branne and then retir'd towards Coyners Brus perceiving this pass'd the River privately follow'd him and put him to flight with some others of the Earl's side having wounded George Roch and slain Sir John Stanton Roger Holiwood and others Many were likewise kill'd on Brus's side and on the 10th of September the Lord William Burk was taken Prisoner and the Earl was defeated near Coyners whereupon an Insurrection of the Irish in Conaught and Meth follow'd against the King and the Earl of Ulster who burnt the Castles of Atholon Raudon and others The Baron of Donull was very eminent for his great Valour but he suffer'd very much in his Goods and the Scots drove them stoutly as far as Cragfergus where those of the Earl's party fled and they some of them enter'd the Castle and defended it with great valour Afterwards certain Seamen came suddenly from the Port-towns and Havens of England surpris'd the Scots and kill'd forty of them carrying their Tents c. off with them The day after the Exaltation of the Holy Cross the Earl of Morreff went over with four Pirate-ships laden with Irish Commodities into Scotland accompanied with the Lord William Brus intending there to pick up a supply for his Army One of the Ships was cast away All this while the aforesaid Brus was carrying on the Siege of Cragfergus-castle At the same time Cathil Roge demolish'd three Castles of the Earl of Ulster's in Connaught where he likewise burnt and plunder'd many Towns Now also the English Mariners above-mentioned went to the said Castle and the Lords there skirmish'd with one another and kill'd many of the Scots Richard Lande O-Ferivil was slain also about this time by an Irish man Item Afterwards upon S. Nicholas day Brus left Cragfergus and was join'd by the Earl of Morreff with 500 Men so they march'd together towards Dundalk Many flock'd into them and gave them their assistance From these they pass'd on to Nobee where they left many of their Men about the feast of S. Andrew Brus himself burnt Kenley's in Meth and Grenard Abby which he rifled and spoil'd He also burnt Finnagh and Newcastle and all that Country and after they had kept their Christmas at Loghsudy they burnt it likewise At last they march'd forward by Totmoy to Rathymegan and Kildare and the Country about Tristeldermot Athy and Reban in which Expedition they lost some Soldiers After this Brus advanc'd to Skethy near Arscoll in Leinster where he was engag'd by the Lord Edmund Botiller Justiciary of Ireland Sir John Fitz-Thomas Thomas Arnald Power and other Noblemen of Leinster and Munster so strong that any single Lord of them might have been an overmatch for Brus and his whole Party But a difference arising they left the Field in great disorder and confusion to him according to the truth of that Every Kingdom divided against it self shall become desolate Haymund le Grace a noble ' Squire and particularly loyal to his King and Country and Sir William Prendregest were both slain The Scots lost Sir Fergus Andrissan Sir Walter Morrey and many others who were buried at Athy in the Convent of the Friers Predicants Afterwards Brus in his return towards Meth burnt Loy-castle and so the Scots march'd from Kenlis into Meth where the Lord Mortimer took the field against them with a numerous Army amounting to near 15000 but hardly unanimous and true to one another as it was believ'd For tho' this Body was all under the said Mortimer yet they went off about three a Clock and deserted him particularly the Lacies so that the Lord Mortimer was oblig'd to retreat to Dublin with a small Party and the Lord Walter Cusake to the Castle of Trym leaving the Country and the Town of Kenlis to the mercy of the Scots Item At the same time all the South-part of the Country was burnt by the Irish of those parts viz. Arclo Newcastle Bree and all the adjacent Villages under the conduct of the Otothiles and the O Brynnes The Omorghes also burnt and wasted part of Leys in Leinster but most of them were cut off by the Lord Edmund Botiller Chief Justice of Ireland and about eight hundred of their Heads carried to Dublin-castle Item This year about the feast of the purification of the blessed Virgin some of the Irish Nobility and the Lord Fitz-Thomas Richard Lord Clare John Lord le Pover and Arnold Lord Pover came to the Lord John de Hotham who was appointed by the King for that end to establish a Peace for their after-quiet and safety so they took their Oaths to stand by the King of England with their lives and fortunes to do their best to preserve the peace and to kill the Scots For performance whereof they gave Pledges before God and so return'd All the rest of the Irish Nobility that refus'd to follow the same course were to be look'd upon as Enemies to the King Item The Lord John Bysset departed this life and the Church of the new Village of Leys with the Belfrey was burnt by the Scots The Castle of Northburg in Ulster was also taken by them Item Fidelmicus O Conghyr King of Connaught kill'd Rorick the son of Cathol O Conghyr Item This year died the Lord William Maundevil and the Bishop of Coner fled to the Castle of Cragfergus and the Bishoprick was laid under
And on Sunday following being the next after the Nativity oâ— the blessed Virgin the Lord John Fitz-Thomas died at Laraghbrinâ— near Maynoth and was buried among the Friers-minors at Kildarâ— He is said to have been made Earl of Kildare a little befoâ—â— his death His son and heir Thomas Fitz-John a very prudeâ—â— Man succeeded him After this we had News that the Castle of Cragfergus was surrender'd to the Scots upon condition the lives of the Garrison-Soldiers should be saved On the day of the exaltation of the holy Cross Conghor was stain together with Mac-keley and fifty Irish by William Lord Burk and Richard Bermingham in Conaught Item On the Monday before All-Souls-day many of the Scots were slain in Ulster by John Loggan Hugh Lord Bisset namely about 100 with double Arms and 200 with single Arms. The slain in all amounted to 300 besides the foot Afterward on the Eve of the Royal S. Edmund there hapned such a Storm of Wind and Rain as threw down many Houses beat down the Bell of Trinity-church in Dublin and did much mischief both by Sea and Land Item On the Eve of S. Nicholas the Lord Alan Stewart who was taken Prisoner in Ulster by John Loggan and the Lord John Sandale was carried to Dublin-castle This same year there came News from England of a dissention between the King and the Earl of Lancaster That they were for taking one another Prisoners and that the whole Kingdom was embroil'd about it This year also about the feast of Andrew the Apostle the Lord Hugh le Despencer and the Lord Bartholomew de Baldesmere Wigorniensis the Bishop of Worcester and the Bishop of Ely were sent to Rome to negotiate some important Business of the King 's for Scotland who return'd again into England about the feast of the purification of the blessed Mary Item The Lacies came to Dublin after the same feast and shew'd by an Inquisition that the Scots were not brought into Ireland by their means whereupon they were acquitted and had the King's Charter for protection and safety upon taking their Oaths to keep â—he Peace and do their utmost to destroy the Scots Item This year after the feast of Carnis privium the Scots â—arch'd privately as far as Slain with 20000 arm'd Men and raâ—ag'd the Country though the Army of Ulster lay just before â—â—em Afterwards on the Monday before the feast of S. Matthias the â—postle the Earl of Ulster was apprehended in S. Marie's Abby â—y the Mayor of Dublin viz. Robert Notyngham and carried to â—ublin-castle where he was long imprison'd and the Chamber whereâ—â— he was kept burnt and seven of the Earl's Attendants â—ain The same week in the Vigil of S. Matthias Brus took his â—arch towards Dublin at the head of his Army and hearing of the â—arl's Imprisonment turn'd off towards Cnok-castle which he enâ—â—r'd and therein took the Lord Hugh Tirell with his Wife who â—as Baron of it and they were afterwards ransom'd That Night it was agreed by common consent among the Citiâ—ens of Dublin That S. Thomas's-street should be burnt down for â—ear of the Scots the flames whereof got hold of S. John's-church â—nd burnt it down likewise with Magdalen-chappel all the Suâ—urbs of the City and S. Mary's-monastery The Church of S. Paâ—rick was spoil'd by the said Villans Item Our Saviour's Church which belongs to the Friers-preâ—icants was destroy'd by the Mayor and his Citizens and the â—â—ones were converted to the building of a City wall which was â—ade of greater compass in the north part of the City above the â—ey for formerly the Walls ran just by the Church of S. Owen â—here we see a Tower beyond the Gate also another Gate in that â—treet where the Taverns are however the Mayor and Citizens â—ere afterwards commanded by the King of England to make anoâ—her Convent as formerly After the feast of S. Matthias Le Brus â—â—derstanding that the City was fortified to receive him he march'd â—â—wards Salmons-leap where Robert le Brus King of Scotland â—ith Edward le Brus the Earl of Morrey John Meneteth the â—ord John Stewart the Lord Philip Mountbray encamp'd themâ—elves and continued for four days during which they burnt part â—f the Village broke open the Church and rifled it and then â—arch'd towards Le Naas The Lacies notwithstanding their Oaths advis'd and conducted them and Hugh Lord Canon made â—adin White his Wife's Brother guide them through the Country â—o they came to Le Naas plunder'd the Village broke the Churches â—â—d open'd the Graves in the Church-yard for hidden Treasure â—â—d did many other Mischiefs during the two days they stay'd â—â—ere After this they took their march towards Tristildermote â—â—e second week in Lent and destroy'd the Friers-minors takâ—â—g away their Books Vestments and other Ornaments from â—ence they return'd to Baligaveran and so to Callan about the â—east of Pope Gregory without regarding the Village of Kilâ—enny At the same time Letters were brought by the Lord Edmund â—otiller Chief Justice of Ireland at that time and by the Lord Thomas Fitz-John Earl of Kildare the Lord Richard Clare the Lord Arnold le Pover and the Lord Maurice Fitz-Thomas to â—â—ffer the Earl of Ulster to be mainpriz'd and set at liberty by the King 's writ but nothing was done at present in this Business The People of Ulster came afterwards in a great Body amountâ—ng to 800 and desir'd assistance from the King against the Scots Upon which the King's Banner was deliver'd to them But as soon as they got it they did more mischief than the Scots themselves they eat Flesh all the Lent and almost wasted the whole Country for which they were accurs'd both by God and Man Edmund * Pincerna Butler gave the Irish a great defeat near Trestildermot Item The same Edmund being now Chief Justice of Ireland defeated O Morghe at Balilethan The Scots under le Brus were now got as far as Limerick But the English in Ireland being drawn together in great Bodies to receive them at Ledyn they retreated privately in the night from Conninger Castle About Palm-sunday News came to Dublin That the Scots were at Kenlys in Ossory and that the Irish Nobility were at Kilkenny and had drawn a great Army together there to engage Le Brus. On the Monday following the King sent an Order to the People of Ulster to advance against the Scots under the command and conduct of Thomas Fitz-John Earl of Kildare whereupon they march'd forward Le Brus being then at Cashell from whence he mov'd to Nanath where he stay'd some time and burnt and wasted all the Possessions of the Lord Pincern MCCCXVII On Maundy Thursday the Lord Edmund Botiller Justiciary of Ireland the Lord Thomas Fitz-John Earl of Kildare for the King had conferr'd the jurisdiction and privileges of the Earldom of Kildare upon him Richard Clare with the Ulster-Army Arnold Pover Baron of Donnoyll Maurice Rochfort Thomas Fitz-Maurice and the Cauntons and their
Followers met together to concert what measures were to be taken against the Scots this Debate continued for a whole week and at last they came to no Resolution tho' their Army amounted to 30000 armed Men or thereabouts On Thursday in Easter-week Roger Mortimer arriv'd at Yoghall with the King's Commission for he was Chief Justice at that time and on the Monday following went in great haste to the Army having sent his Letters to Edmund Botiller who as it has been said was formerly Chief Justice to enterprise nothing before his Arrival against the Scots but before Mortimer got to the Camp he admonish'd Brus to retreat so in the Night Brus march'd towards Kildare and in the week after the English return'd home to their several Countries and the Ulster-Army came to Naas At the same time two Messengers were sent from Dublin to the King of England to give him an account of the state of Ireland and the delivery of Ulster and to take his Majesty's advice upon the whole At the same time likewise Roger Lord Mortimer Justiciary of Ireland and the Irish Nobility were met together at Kilkenny to consider how they might most conveniently proceed against Brus but came to no Resolution About a month after Easter Brus came with an Army within four Leagues or thereabouts of Trym under the covert of a certain Wood and there continu'd for about a week or more to refresh his Men who were almost undone with fatigue and hunger which occasion'd a great mortality among them Afterwards on S. Philip and James's-day the said Brus began his march towards Ulster and after the said feast Roger Lord Mortimer Chief Justice of Ireland came to Dublin with John Lord Wogan Sir Fulk Warin and thirty other Knights with their Retinue who held a Parliament with all the Nobility of the Kingdom at Kylmainan but came to no conclusion but about the delivery of the Earl of Ulster On the Sunday before the Ascension they held another Parliament at Dublin and there thc Earl of Ulster was deliver'd upon Mainprise Hostages and Oath which were That he should never by himself nor any of his Friends and Followers do or procure any mischief to the Citizens of Dublin for his apprehension save only what the Law allow'd him in those Cases against such Offenders whereupon he had till the Nativity of S. John allow'd him for that benefit but he came not Item This year Corn and other Victuals were exceeding dear Wheat was sold at three and twenty Shillings the Cranock and Wine for eight pence and the whole Country was in a manner laid waste by the Scots and those of Ulster Many House-keepers and such as were formerly able to relieve others were now reduc'd to Beggary themselves and great numbers famish'd The dearth and mortality was so severe that many of the Poor died At the same time Messengers arriv d at Dublin from England with Pardons to make use of as they should see fit but the Earl was deliver'd before they came And at the feast of Pentecost Mortimer Lord Chief Justice set forward for Drogheda from whence he went to Trym sending his Letters to the Lacies to repair to him but they refus'd the Summons with contempt Afterwards Sir Hugh Crofts Knight was sent to treat of a Peace with the Lacies but was unworthily slain by them After that the Lord Mortimer drew an Army together against the Lacies by which means their Goods Cattle and Treasures were all seiz'd many of their Followers cut off and they themselves drove into Conaught and ruin'd It was reported That Sir Walter Lacy went out as far as Ulster to seek Brus. Item About the feast of Pentecost the Lord Aumar Valence and his son were taken Prisoners in S. Cinere a Town in Flanders and convey'd from thence into Almain The same year on the Monday after the Nativity of S. John the Baptist a Parliament of the Nobility was held at Dublin by which the Earl of Ulster was acquitted who found Security and took his Oath to answer the King's writs and to fight against the King's Enemies both Scots and Irish Item On the feast of S. Process and Martinian Thomas Dover a resolute Pyrate was taken in a Sea-engagement by Sir John Athy and forty of his Men or thereabouts cut off his Head was brought by him to Dublin Item On the day of S. Thomas's Translation Sir Nicholas Balscot brought word from England That two Cardinals were come from the Court of Rome to conclude a Peace and that they had a Bull for excommunicating all such as should disturb or break the King's Peace Item On the Thursday next before the feast of S. Margaret Hugh and Walter Lacy were proclaim'd Felons and Traytors to their King for breaking out into war against his Majesty Item On the Sunday following Roger Lord Mortimer Chief Justice of Ireland march'd with his whole Army towards Drogheda At the same time the Ulster-men took a good Booty near Drogheda but the Inhabitants sallied out and retook it in this action Miles Cogan and his Brother were both slain and six other great Lords of Ulster were taken Prisoners and brought to the Castle of Dublin Afterwards Mortimer the Lord Chief Justice led his Army against O Fervill and commanded the Malpass to be cut down and all his Houses to be spoil d After this O Fervill submitted and gave Hostages Item Roger Lord Mortimer Chief Justice march'd towards Clony and empannell'd a Jury upon Sir John Blunt viz. White of Rathregan by this he was found guilty and was fin'd two hundred marks On Sunday after the feast of the Nativity of the blessed Marie Mortimer march'd with a great Army against the Irish of O Mayl and came to Glinsely where in a sharp Encounter many were slain on both sides but the Irish had the worst Soon after O Brynne came and submitted Whereupon Roger Mortimer return'd with his Men to Dublin-castle On S. Simon and Jude's-day the Archeboldes were permitted to enjoy the King's Peace upon the Mainprise of the Earl of Kildare At the feast of S. Hilary following a Parliament was held at Lincoln to conclude a Peace between the King the Earl of Lancaster and the Scots The Scots continued peaceable and quiet and the Archbishop of Dublin and the Earl of Ulster stay'd in England by the King's Order to attend that Parliament About the feast of Epiphany News came to Dublin That Hugh Canon Lord Chief Justice of the King's-bench was slain between Naas and Castle-Martin by Andrew Bermingham Item At the feast of the Purification of the blessed Virgin Mary came the Pope's Bulls whereupon Alexander Bicknor was confirm'd and consecrated Archbishop of Dublin and the Bulls were read and publish'd in Trinity-church Another Bull was read at the same time for establishing a Peace for two years between the King of England and Robert Brus King of Scotland But Brus refus'd to comply with it These things were thus transacted about the feast of
vincula there was bread made of new wheat and wheat was sold in Dublin for 6 pence a peck Item D. Reimund Archedekin Kt. with many others of his family were kill'd in Leinster MCCCXXXVII On the eve of S. Kalixtus the Pope seven partridges leaving the fields God knows why came directly to Dublin where flying very swiftly over the Market-Place they settled on the â—op of a brew-house which belonged to the Canons of S. Trinity in Dublin Some of the Citizens came running to this sight wondring very much at so strange a thing the Town-boyes caught two of them alive a third they kill'd at which the rest being frightned-mounted in the air by a swift flight and escap'd into the opposite Fields Now what this should portend a thing unheard of before I shall leave to the judgment of the more skilful Item Sir John Charleton Knight and Baron came with his wife children and family Lord Chief Justice of Ireland at the feast of S. Kalixtus the Pope and some of his sons and family died Item The same day came into Dublin haven D. Thomas Charleton Bishop of Hereford Justice of Ireland with the Chief Justice his Brother Chancellor of Ireland and with them M. John Rees Treasurer of Ireland Mr. in the Decretals besides 200 Welshmen Item Whilst D. John Charleton was Lord Chief Justice and held a Parliament at Dublin Mr. David O Hirraghcy Archbishop of Armagh being called to the Parliament laid in his provisions in the Monastry of S. Mary near Dublin but the Archbishop and his Clerks would not let him keep house there because he would have had his Crosier carried before him Item The same year died David Archbishop of Armagh to whom succeeded an ingenious man M. Richard Fitz-Ralph Dean of Litchfield who was born in Dundalk Item James Botiller the first Earl of Ormond died the 6th of January and was buried at Balygaveran MCCCXXXVIII The Lord John Charleton at the instigation of his Brother the Bishop of Hereford was by the King turn'd out of his place upon which he came back with his whole family into England and the Bishop of Hereford was made Lord Keeper and Chief Justice of Ireland Item Sir Eustace Pover and Sir John Pover his Uncle were by the Justice's order brought up from Munster to Dublin where the third of February they were imprison'd in the Castle Item In some parts of Ireland they had so great a frost that the river Aven-liffie on which the City of Dublin stands was frozen hard enough for them to dance run or play at foot-ball upon and they made wood and turfe fires upon it to broil Herrings The Ice lasted a great while I shall say nothing of the great snow which fell during this frost since the greatness of the depth has made it so remarkable This Frost continued from the second of December till the 10th of February such a season as was never known in Ireland MCCCXXXIX All Ireland was up in Arms. The Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas Earl of Desmond with the Geraldines who live about Kernige made a great slaughter of the Irish besides 1200 of them who were drown'd in the retreat Item The Lord Moris Fitz-Nicholas Lord of Kernige was by the Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas Earl of Desmond apprehended and put in prison where he died for want of meat and drink for his allowance was but very little because he had rebell'd with the Irish against the King and the Earl Item A great number of the O Dympcies and other Irish were by the English and the vigorous pursuit of the Earl of Kildare kill'd and drowned in the Barrow Item the latter end of February Thomas Bishop of Hereford and Chief Justice of Ireland with the help of the English of that Country took from the Irish about Odrone such a great booty of all sorts of cattle as has not been seen in Leinster MCCCXL The Bishop of Hereford Justice of Ireland being commanded home by his Majesty return'd into England the 10th of April leaving Frier Roger Outlaw Prior of Kilmainan in his place who died the 13th of February Item The King of England made John Darcy Lord Chief Justice of Ireland for life MCCCXLI In May Sir John Moris came Lord Chief Justice of Ireland as Deputy to John Darcy Item In the County of Leinster there happen'd such a strange prodigy as has not been heard of A person travelling along the road found a pair of gloves fit for his hands as he thought but when he put them on he he lost his speech immediately and could do nothing but bark like a dog nay from that moment the men and women throughout the whole County fell into the same condition and the children waughed up and down like whelps This plague continued with some 18 days with others a month and with some for two years and like a contagious distemper at last infected the neighbouring Counties and set them a barking too Item The King of England revok'd all those grants that either he or his Ancestors had made to any in Ireland whether of liberties lands or goods which occasion a general murmur and discontent insomuch that the whole Kingdom grew inclin'd to a revolt Item A Parliament was called by the King's Council to sit in October Fitz-Thomas Earl of Desmond absented Before this there never was seen so much rancor and division between the English of both Kingdoms at last without asking Counsel of the Lord Chief Justice or any other of the King's Ministers the Mayors of the King's Cities together with the Nobility and Gentry of the Kingdom resolv d among other things to hold another Parliament at Kilkenny in November in order to treat of such matters as concern'd the King and Kingdom Neither the Lord Chief Justice nor any other of the King's Ministers durst repair thither It was concluded in this Parliament by the Nobility and the Mayors aforesaid to dispatch away an ambassadour to the King of England to intercede for Relief and represent the unjust administration of the great Officers in Ireland and declare they could no longer endure their oppression They were particularly instructed in their complaints of the said Ministers to ask How a Land so full of wars and trouble could be govern'd by a Person that was wholly a Stranger to warlike Affairs Secondly How a Minister of the Kings could be imagin'd to grow so rich in a short time And thirdly What was the reason that the King of England was never the richer for Ireland MCCCXLII On the 11th of October and the 11th of the Moon two several Moons were seen by many about Dublin in the morning before day Theone was bright and according to its natural course in the West the other of the bigness of a round loaf stood in the East but not so bright as the former MCCCXLIII S. Thomas's-street in Dublin was accidentally burnt on S. Valentine the Martyr's-day Item The 13th of July D. Ralph Ufford with his Wife the Countess of
his abodâ— there Item In November Walter L. Bermingham Chief Justice of Ireland and Moris Lord Fitz-Thomas Earl of Kildare took up arms againsâ— O Morda and his Accomplices who had burnt the castle of Ley and Kilmehed and invaded them so fiercely with fire sword and rapin that altho' their number amounted to many thousands and they made a resolute defence yet at last after much blood and many wounds they were forc'd to yield and so they submitted to the King's mercy and the discretion of the Earl MCCCXLVII The Earl of Kildare with his Knights and Barons set out in May to join the King of England who was then at thâ— siege of Caleys which the Inhabitants surrendred to the King oâ— England the 4th of June Item Walter Bonevile William Calf William Welesly and many other brave English Welch aad Irish Gentlemen died of thâ— Distemper which then rag'd at Caleys Item Mac-Murgh viz. Donald Mac-Murgh son to Donald Artâ— Mac-Murgh King of Leinster was most perfidiously killed by hiâ— own men on the 5th of June Item The King knighted Moris Fitz-Thomas Earl of Kildare who married the daughter of Barth de Burgwashe Item On S. Stephen the Martyr's day the Irish burnt Monaghan and ruined the Country about it Item D. Joan Fitz-Leones formerly wife to Simon Lord Genevilâ— died and on the second of April was buried in the Convent-churcâ— of the Friers-Predicants at Trym MCCCXLVIII The 22d year of Edward III. a great Pestilence which had been before in other Countries got into Ireland and rag'd exceedingly Item This year Walter Lord Bermingham Chief Justice of Ireland went into England and left John Archer Prior of Kylmainan to officiate for him The same year he return'd again and had the Barony of Kenlys which lies in Ossory conferr'd upon him by the King to requite his great service in leading an Army againsâ— the Earl of Desmond with Raulf Ufford as before 't was said this Barony belong'd formerly to Eustace Lord Poer who was convicted and hang'd at the castle of the Isle MCCCXLIX Walter Lord Bermingham the best accomplish'd Justiciary that ever was in Ireland surrender'd his office and was succeeded in the same by Carew Knight and Baron MCCCL. In the 25th year of his Reign Sir Thomas Rokesby Knight was made Lord Chief Justice of Ireland Item This year on S. Margaret the Virgin 's Eve Sir Walteâ— Bermingham Knight for some time an excellent and worthy Justiciary of this Kingdom died in England MCCCLI Died Kenwrick Sherman sometimes Mayor of the City of Dublin and was buried under the Belfrey of the Friers-Predicants which he himself had built as he had likewise glaz'd the great window at the head of the Quire and roof'd the Church among many other pious Works He died in the same convenâ— on the 6th of March and leaving an Estate to the value of three thousand marks he bequeath'd great Legacies to all the Clergy both religious and secular for within twenty miles round MCCCLII Sir Robert Savage Knight began to build several Castles in many places of Ulster and particularly in his own Mannors telling his son and heir apparent Sir Henry Savage That they would thus fortifie themselves lest the Irish should hereafter break in upon them to the utter ruin of their estate and family and to the dishonour of their name among other Nations His son answer'd That where-ever there were valiant men there were forts and castles according to that saying Filii castrametati sunt the sons are encamp'd i.e. brave men are design'd for War and that for this reason he would take care to be among such which would prove the same in effect as if he liv'd in a castle adding That he took a castle of Bones to be much better than a castle of Stones Upon this Reply his Father gave over in great vexation and swore he would never more build with stone and mortar but keep a good house and great retinue about him foretelling however That his Posterity would repent it as indeed they did for the Irish destroy'd the whole Country for want of castles to defend it MCCCLV In the 30th of the same Reign Sir Thomas Rokesby Knight gave up his office of Chief Justice on the 26th of July the succession whereof was given to Moris Fitz-Thomas Earl of Desmond in which he continued till his death Item On the conversion of S. Paul the said Moris Lord Fitz-Thomas departed this life in the castle of Dublin to the great grief of his Friends and Kindred and all others that were peaceably inclin'd First he was buried in the Quire of the Friers-Predicants of Dublin and afterward in the Covent of the Friers-Predicants of Traly As to his character he was certainly a just Judge and stuck not at condemning even those of his own blood or family more than perfect Strangers for Theft Rapin and other Misdemeanors the Irish stood in great awe of him MCCCLVI In the 31st year of this Reign Sir Thomas Rokesby was the second time made Chief Justice of Ireland who kept the Irish in good order and paid well for the Provisions of his House saying I will eat and drink out of Wood-Vessels and yet pay both gold and silver for my food and cloths nay and for my Pensioners about me This same year the said Sir Thomas Lord Chief Justice of Ireland died in the castle of Kylka MCCCLVII In the 32d of this King's reign Sir Almarick de Saint Armund was made Chief Justice of Ireland and enter'd upon his office About this time arose a great dispute between the Lord Archbishop of Armagh Richard Fitz-Ralfe and the four orders of Friers-mendicants in conclusion the Archbishop was worsted and quieted by the Pope's authority MCCCLVIII In the 33d year of the same reign Sir Almarick Saint Amuad Chief Justice of the Kingdom went over into England MCCCLIX In the 34th year of this King's reign James Botiller Earl of Ormond was made Chief Justice of Ireland Item On S. Gregory's day this year died Joan Burk Countess of Kildare and was buried in the church of the Friers-minors in Kildare by her Husband Thomas Lord Fitz-John Earl of Kildare MCCCLX In the 35th year of this same reign died Richard Fitz-Raulf Archbishop in Hanault on the 16th of December His bones were convey'd into Ireland by the reverend Father in God Stephen Bishop of Meth and buried in S. Nicholas's church at Dundalk where he was born yet it is a question whether these were his very bones or the reliques of some one else Item This year died Sir Robert Savage of Ulster a valiant Knight who near Antrim slew in one day 3000 Irish with a small Party of English but it ought to be observ'd that before the Engagement he took care to give his men a good dose of Ale or Wine whereof it seems he had good store and reserv'd some for his Friends likewise Besides this he order'd That Sheep Oxen Venison and Fowl both wild and tame should be kill'd
rich man died this year This Continuation following is took from a Manuscript Chronicle in the Hands of Henry Marleburgh MCCCLXXII SIr Robert Ashton being made Chief Justice came into Ireland MCCCLXXIII A great war between the English of Meth and O-Feroll with much slaughter on both sides Item John Lord Husse Baron of Galtrim John Fitz Richard Sheriff of Meth and William Dalton were in May kill'd by the Irish in Kynaleagh MCCCLXXV Died Thomas Archbishop of Dublin the same year Robert of Wickford was consecrated Archbishop of this see MCCCLXXXI Edmund Mortimer the King's Lieutenant in Ireland Earl of March and Ulster died at Cork MCCCLXXXIII A raging pestilence in Ireland MCCCLXXXV Dublin bridge fell down MCCCXC Died Robert Wikford Archbishop of Dublin Robeâ—t Waldebey Archbishop of Dublin of the order of the Austin Friers was translated also this year MCCCXCVII Died Frier Richard Northalis Archbishop of Dublin of the order of the Carmelites This year Thomas Crauley was consecrated Archbishop of Dublin Thomas Lord Burk and Walter Lord Bermingham cut off 600 of the Irish and Mac Con their Captain * Read Roger. Edmund Earl of March Lieutenant of Ireland with the assistance of the Earl of Ormond wasted the Country of O Bryn and knighted Christopher Preston John Bedeleu Edmund Loundris John Loundry William Nugent Walter de la Hide and Rober Cadel at the storming of a strong mannor-house of the said O Bryn MCCCXCVIII Forty English among whom were John Fitz Williams Thomas Talbot and Thomas Comyn were unfortunately cut off on the Ascension day by the Tothils On S. Margaret's day this year Roger Earl of March the King's Lieutenant was slain with many others by O Bryn and other Irish of Leinster at Kenlys in that province Roger Grey was appointed to succeed him in the office of Chief Justice On the Feast of S. Mark Pope and Confessor the noble Duke of Sutherey came into Ireland being made the King's Deputy Lieutenant thereof accompanied with the Archbishop of Dublin Thomas Crawley MCCCXCIX In the 23d year of King Richard being Sunday the very morrow after S. Petronil or Pernil the Virgin 's day King Richard arriv'd at Waterford with 200 sail At Ford in Kenlys within Kildare on the 6th day of this week two hundred of the Irish were slain by Jenicho and others of the English the next day the people of Dublin made an inroad into the Country of O Bryn cut off 33 of the Irish and took to the number of 80 men and women with their children prisoners The King came to Dublin this year on the fourth before the kalends of July and embark'd in great haste for England upon a report of Henry duke of Lancaster's being arriv'd there MCCCC At Whitsontide in the first year of King Henry IV. the Constable of Dublin-castle and several others engag'd the Scots at Stranford in Ulster which prov'd unfortunate to the English many of them being cut off and drown'd in that encounter MCCCCI In the second year of this reign Sir John Stanley the King's Lieutenant went over into England in May leaving Sir William Stanley to supply his office On Bartholomew-eve this year Stephen Scrope came into Ireland as Deputy to the Lord Thomas of Lancaster the King's Lieutenant The same year on the feast of S. Brice Bishop and Confessor Thomas Lord Lancaster the King's son being Viceroy of Ireland arriv'd at Dublin MCCCCII The Church of the Friers Predicants at Dublin was consecrated on the 5th of July by the Archbishop of this City The same day 493 Irish were slain by John Drake Mayor of Dublin assisted with the Citizens and the Country people near Bree where they gain'd a considerable victory In September this year a Parliament was held at Dublin Sir Bartholomew Verdon James White Stephen Gernon and their accomplices kill'd John Dowdal Sheriff of Louith in Urgal during this session MCCCCIII In the fourth year of King Henry IV. Sir Walter Beterley a valiant Knight then steward there with thirty more was kill'd in May. About the feast of S. Martin this year the King's Son Thomas went over into Enlgand leaving Stephen Scroop to officiate as his Deputy who return'd also on the first day of Lent into England after which the Lords of the Kingdom chose the Earl of Ormond Lord Chief Justice of Ireland MCCCCIV In the 5th Year of King Henry's reign died John Cowlton Archbishop of Armagh on the 5th of May and was succeeded by Nicholas Fleming The same year on S. Vitali's day a Parliament was held at Dublin by the Earl of Ormond at that time Chief Justice of the Kingdom where the Statutes of Kilkenny and Dublin and the Charter of Ireland was confirm'd Patrick Savage was this year treacherously slain in Ulster by Mac Kilmori his brother Richard being also given in hostage was murder'd in prison after he had paid a ransom of 200 marks MCCCCV In the 6th year of King Henry three Scotch Galleys two at Green Castle and one at Dalkey were taken in May with the Captain Thomas Mac Golagh The merchants of Tredagh entred Scotland this year and took hostages and booty The same year Stephen Scroop went into England leaving the Earl of Ormond to officiate as Justice during his absence In June this year the people of Dublin invaded Scotland entering it at S. Ninians where they gallantly behav'd themselves after which they made a descent upon Wales and did great hurt among the Welsh in this expedition they carried the shrine of S. Cubie to the Church of the Holy Trinity in Dublin Item This year on the vigil of the blessed Virgin died James Botiller Earl of Ormond at Baligauran during his office he was much lamented and succeeded by Gerald Earl of Kildare MCCCCVI In the seventh year of King Richard the Dublinians on Corpus Christi day with the assistance of the country people overcame the Irish and kill'd some of them they took three ensigns and carried off several of their heads to Dublin The same year the Prior of Conal in a battle with 200 well-arm'd Irish on the Plain of Kildare vanquish'd them by his great valour killing some and putting the rest to flight The Prior and his party were not above twenty such is the regard of Providence to those that trust in it The same year after the feast of S. Michael Scroop Deputy Justice to Thomas the King's son Viceroy of Ireland arriv'd here The same year died Innocentius VII succeeded in the chair by Gregory The same year on S. Hilaries-day a Parliament was held at Dublin which broke up in Lent at Trym Meiler Bermingham slew Cathol O Conghir in the latter end of February about the same time died Sir Geffery Vaux a valiant Knight of the County of Carlagh MCCCCVII A perfidious base Irishman call'd Mac Adam Mac Gilmori never christen'd and therefore call'd Morbi nay one that had been the ruin of forty Churches took Patrick Savage prisoner forc'd him to pay 2000 marks for ransom
Parliament The Parliament by the same name as it is in England and hath the same absolute Authority It consists of three States of the Lords Spiritual that is the Bishops Abbots and Priors of the Lords Temporal viz. Dukes Marquisses Earls Viscounts and Barons and the Commissioners for the Cities and Buroughs To whom were joyned not long since for every County also two * Delegati Commissioners It is called by the King at pleasure allowing a certain time for notice before it is to sit When they are convened and the causes of their meeting are declared by the King and the Chancellour the Lords Spiritual retire apart and choose eight of the Lords Temporal the Lords Temporal likewise as many out of the Lords Spiritual Then all these together nominate eight of the Knights of the Shires and as many of the Burgesses which all together make 32. and are called Lords of the Articles and with the Chancellor Treasurer Privy-Seal the King's Secretary c. admit or reject all matters that are propos'd to the States after they have been first communicated to the King After they are approved by the whole Assembly of the States they are throughly examined and such as pass by a majority of Votes are presented to the King who by touching them with his Scepter signifies the confirming or vacating of them But if the King dislikes any thing it is first razed out Next to the Parliament is the College of Justice The College of Justice or as they call it the Session which King James 5. instituted An. 1532. after the manner of the Parliament at Paris consisting of a President fourteen Senators seven of the Clergy and as many of the Laity to whom was afterwards added the Chancellor who takes place first and five other Senators three principal Clerks and as many Advocates as the Senators shall think convenient These are to administer justice not according to the rigour of the Law but with reason and equity every day except Sunday and Monday from the first of November to the fifteenth of March and from Trinity Sunday to the first of August All the space between as being the times of sowing and harvest is Vacation and intermission from Suits and matters of Law They give judgment according to Acts of Parliament and where they are defective according to the Civil Law There are besides in every County inferiour Civil Courts wherein the Sheriff or his deputy decides controversies amongst the inhabitants about ejections intrusions damages debts c. from whom upon suspicion of partiality or alliance they appeal sometimes to the Session These Sheriffs are all for the most part hereditary For the Kings of Scotland as well as of England to oblige the better sort of Gentlemen more closely to them by their favours in old time made these Sheriffs hereditary and perpetual But the English Kings soon perceiving the inconveniencies happening thereupon purposely changed them into annual There are Civil Courts held also in the Fiefs of the Crown by their respective Bailiffs to whom the King hath graciously granted Royal privileges as also in free Boroughs and Cities by their Magistrates There are likewise Courts called The Commissariat the highest of which is kept at Edenborough wherein before four Judges actions are pleaded concerning matters relating to Wills the right of Ecclesiastical Benefices Tythes Divorces c. and Ecclesiastical Causes of like nature But in almost all the other parts of the Kingdom there sits but one Judge on these Causes In criminal Causes the King 's Chief Justice holds his Courts generally at Edenborough which Office hath for some time been executed by the Earls of Argyle who depute two or three Counsellors to take cognizance of actions of life and death loss of limbs or of goods and chattels In this Court likewise the Defendant is permitted even in case of High Treason to retain an Advocate to plead for him Moreover in criminal matters Justices are sometimes appointed by the King's Commission for deciding this or that particular cause Also the Sheriffs in their territories and Magistrates in some Boroughs may sit in judgment of Manslaughter in case the Manslayer be apprehended in the space of 24 hours and having found him guilty by a Jury may put him to death But if that time be once overpast the cause is referred to the King's Justice or his Deputies The same privilege also some of the Nobility and Gentry enjoy against Thieves taken within their own Jurisdictions There are likewise who have such Royalties that in criminal causes they may exercise a jurisdiction within their own limits and in some cases recall those that dwell within their own liberties from the King's Justice provided they judge according to Law These matters as having had but a transient view of them I have lightly touched upon What manner of Country Scotland is and what men it breeds Pomponius Mela. as of old that excellent Geographer writ of Britain will in a little time more certainly and evidently be shown since the greatest of Princes hath opened a passage to it which was so long shut up In the Interim I will proceed to the Places which is a subject I am more immediately concern'd in GADENI or LADENI UPon the Ottadini or Northumberland bordered the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gadeni who by the turning of one letter upside down are called in some Copies of Ptolemy Ladeni seated in that Country lying between the mouth of the River Tweed and Edenborough-Frith Joh. Skene de Verborum significatione which is now cantoned into many petty Countries The principal of them are Teifidale Twedale Merch and Lothien in Latin Lodeneium under which general name the Writers of the middle age comprised them all a TEIFIDALE TEifidale that is to say the Valley or Dale by the River d This river divideth that part of the shire properly called Teviotdale into that which lyeth on the South and that which lyeth on the North. Tefy or Teviot lying next to England amongst cliffs of craggy hills and rocks is inhabited by a warlike people who by reason of so frequent encounters between the Scots and English in former ages are always very ready for service and sudden invasions The first place we meet with amongst these is Jedburg a Borough well frequented standing near the confluence of the Tefy and Jed from whence it takes its name and Mailros â—â—â—â—ross a very ancient Monastery wherein in the Church's infancy were Monks of that antient instituion that gave themselves to prayer and with the labour of their hands earn'd their living And more Eastward where the Twede and the Tefy joyn in one stream â—â—â—oâ—â—â—h e The Royalty of this place was transmitted to the town of Iedburgh the chief burgh-royal of the shire Rosburg called also Roxburgh and in antient times Marchidun from its being seated in the Marches where stands a Castle that by its natural situation and tow'red fortifications
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