fore-token of justice having the knot of white silke made in forme of a crosse with an hood upon their left shoulder But of these complements which my purpose was not to prosecute in particular this may bee thought sufficient if not superfluous Now as touching those Knights who simply without any addition bee called Knights and howsoever they are in order ranged last yet by institution they be first and of greatest Antiquitie For as the Romans a gowned nation gave unto them that were entring into mans estate a virile and plaine gowne without welt or gard even so the Germans our Ancestors bestowed upon their young men whom they judged meet for to manage armes armour and weapons Which Cornelius Tacitus will informe you of in these words of his The manner was not for any one to take armes in hand before the State allowed him as sufficient for Martiall service And then in the very assembly of Counsell either some one of the Princes or the father of the young man or one of his kinsfolke furnish him with a shield and a javelin This with them standeth in stead of a virile gowne this is the first honour done to youth before this they seeme to bee but part of a private house but now within a while members of the Common-weale And seeing that such military young men they termed in their language as we in ours Knechts from them I deeme the originall both of name and institution also ought to be fetched This was the first and most simple manner of creating a Knight this the Lombards this the Frankes this our countrymen all descended out of Germanie in old time used Paulus Diaconus reporteth thus among the Lombards This is the Custome that the Kings sonne dineth not with his father unlesse hee receive Armes before from some King of a forraine nation The Annals of France record that the Kings of the Franks gave armes unto their sonnes and to others and girded them with a sword yea and our Aelfred as William of Malmesburie witnesseth when he dubbed Athelstan his nephew Knight being a child of great hope gave him a scarlet mantle a belt or girdle set with precious stones and a Saxon-sword with a golden scabberd Afterwards when as religion had possessed mens minds so as that they thought nothing well fortunately done but what came from Church-men our Ancestors a little before the Normans comming received the Sword at their hands And this Ingulphus who lived in those daies sheweth in these words He that was to be cōsecrated unto lawfull warfare should the evening before with a contrite heart make confession of his sinnes unto the Bishop Abbat Monke or Priest and being absolved give himselfe to prayer and lodge all night in the Church and when hee was to heare divine service the morrow after offer his sword upon the Altar and after the Gospel the Priest was to pu◠the sword first hallowed upon the Knights neck with his Benediction and so when hee had heard Masse againe and received the Sacrament he became a lawfull Knight Neither grew this custome out of use streight waies under the Normans For John of Sarisburie writeth in his Polycraticon thus A solemne Custome was taken up and used that the very day when any one was to be honoured with the girdle of knighthood hee should solemnly goe to Church and by laying and offering his Sword upon the Altar vow himselfe as it were by making a solemne profession to the service of the Altar that is to say promise perpetuall service and obsequious dutie unto the Lord. Peter also of Blois writeth thus At this day young Knights and souldiers receive their Swords from the Altar that they might professe themselves Sonnes of the Church and to have taken the Sword for defence of the poore for punishment and revenge of malefactors and delivery of their Country But in processe of time saith he it is turned cleane contrary For in these daies since they are become adorned with the Knights cincture presently they arise against the Annointed of the Lord and rage upon the patrimonie of Christ crucified And as for this ceremonie that they would be girt with a Sword it may seeme no doubt to have proceeded from the militarie discipline of the Romans because as they denied it unlawfull to fight with their enemie before they were bound to their militarie oath by a drawn sword even so our Forefathers thought they might not go to warfare lawfully before they were by this ceremonie lawfully authorised according to which wee reade that William Rufus King of England was dubbed Knight by Lanfranke the Archbishop But this custome by little and little grew to disuse since the time that the Normans as Ingulphus writeth laughed and scorned at it and in a Synode at Westminster An. 1102. a Canon passed That no Abbats should dubbe Knights which some notwithstanding expound thus That Abbats should grant no lands of the Church to be held by Knights service or in Knights fee or service Afterwards Kings were wont to send their sonnes unto the neighbour Princes to receive Knighthood at their hands thus was our K. Henrie the Second sent unto David King of the Scots and Malcolme King of Scots unto our Henry the Second and our Edward the first unto the King of Castile to take of them Militarie or Virile armes for these termes and phrases they used in that age for the creation of a Knight Then it was also that besides the sword and girdle gilt spurres were added for more ornament whereupon at this day they are called in Latin Equites aurati Moreover they had the priviledge to weare use a signet for before they were dubbed knights as I gather out of Abendon Booke it was not lawfull to use a seale Which writing quoth he Richard Earle of Chester purposed to signe with the seale of his mother Ermentrud considering that all Letters which he directed for as yet he had not taken the Militarie girdle were made up and closed within his mothers signet In the age ensuing knights as it may be well collected were made by their wealth and state of living For they which had a great knights Fee that is if wee may beleeve old records 680. akers of land claimed as their right the ornaments and badges of knighthood Nay rather under Henry the Third they were compelled after a sort to be knights as many as in revenues of their lands might dispend fifteen pounds by the yeare so as now it seemed a title of burden rather than of honour In the yeare 1256. there went out an edict from the King by vertue whereof commandement was given proclamation made throughout the Realme that whosoever had fifteen pounds in land and above should be dight in his armes and endowed with knighthood to the end that England as well as Italie might be strengthned with Chivalrie and they that would not or were not able to maintaine the honour
Canutus are in the Normans tongue translated under the name of Baro and loe what the very words are Exercitualia verò c. That is Let the Heriots or Relevies be so moderate as that they may bee tolerable Of an Earle as decent it is eight horses foure with saddles and foure without saddles foure Helmets and foure shirts of male eight launces or speares and as many shields foure swords and withall 200. mauces of gold Of a Viron or Baron to the King who is next unto him foure horses two with saddles and two without saddles two swords foure speares and as many targets one helmet and one coate of mauile and with fifty mauces of gold Also in the first time of the Normans Valvasores and Thani were ranged in degree of honour next after Earles and Barons and the Valvasores of the better sort if wee may beleeve those that write de Feudis were the very same that now Barons are So that the name Baro may seeme to bee one of those which time by little and little hath mollified and made of better esteeme Neither was it as yet a terme of great honor For in those daies some Earles had their Barons under them and I remember that I read in the ancient Constitutions and ordinances of the Frenchmen how there were under an Earle twelve Barons and as many Capitaines under a Baron And certaine it is that there be ancient Charters extant in which Earles since the comming in of the Normans wrote thus To all my Barons as well French as English Greeting c. Yea even Citizens of better note were called Barons For the Citizens of Warwick in Doomesday book were named Barones likewise Citizens of London and the Inhabitants of the Cinque-ports enjoyed the same name But some few yeares after like as at Rome in times past they chose Senators for their worth in wealth so were they with us counted Barons who held lands of their own by a whole Baronie that is 13. Knights Fees and a third part of one Knights Fee reckoning every fee as an old book witnesseth at 20. li. which make in all 400. marks For that was the value of one entire Baronie and they that had lands and revenues to this worth were wont to be summoned unto the Parliament And it seemed to bee a dignitie with a jurisdiction which the Court Barons as they terme them in some sort doe prove yea and the very multitude that was of these Barons perswaded me to thinke them to be Lords of this nature as that they might in some sort minister and execute justice within their circuit and seigniorie such as the Germans call Free-heires and especially if they had Castles of their owne For then they Jumped Just with the definition of that most famous Civilian Baldus who defineth him to be a Baron whosoever had a meere and subordinate rule in some castle by the grant of the Prince And all they as some would have it that held Baronies seeme to have claimed unto themselves this honor so that as divers learned in our lawes are of opinion a Baron and a Baronie a Count or Earle and a Countie a Duke and a Dutchie were Conjugata that is termes as one would say yoked together Certes in those daies Henrie the Third reckoned in England 150. Baronies And hereupon it is that in all the Charters and Histories of that age all noble men in manner be called Barons and verily that title then was right honorable and under the terme of Baronage all the superiour states of the kingdome as Dukes Marquesses Earles and Barons in some sort were comprised But it attained to the highest pitch of honor ever since that King Henrie the Third out of so great a number which was seditious and turbulent called the very best by writ or summon unto the high Court of Parliament For he out of a writer I speake of good antiquity after many troubles and enormous vexations betweene the King himselfe Simon of Mont-fort with other Barons raised after appeased did decree and ordaine that all those Earles and Barons of the Realme of England unto whom the King himselfe vouchsafed to direct his writs of Summons should come unto his Parliament and none others But that which he began a little before his death Edward the First and his successour constantly observed and continued Hereupon they onely were accounted Barons of the kingdom whom the Kings had cited by vertue of such writs of Summons as they terme them unto the Parliament And it is noted that the said prudent King Edward the First summoned alwaies those of ancient families that were most wise to his Parliaments but omitted their sonnes after their death if they were not answerable to their parents in understanding Barons were not created by Patent untill such time as King Richard the Second created Iohn Beauchamp de Holt Baron of Kiderminster by his letters Patent bearing date the eighth day of October in the eleventh yeare of his raigne Since that time the Kings by their Patâ—ents and the putting on of the mantle or roabe of honour have given this honour And at this day this order of creating a Baron by letters Patent as also that other by writs of Summons are in use in which notwithstanding they are not stiled by the name of Baron but of Chevalier for the Common law doth not acknowledge Baron to be a name of dignity And they that be in this wise created are called Barons of the Parliament Barons of the Realme and Barons of honor for difference of them who yet according to that old forme of Barons be commonly called Barons as those of Burford of Walton and those who were Barons unto the Count-Palatines of Chester and Pembroch who were Barons in fee and by tenure These our Parliamentarie Barons carie not the bare name onely as those of France and Germanie but be all borne Peeres of the Realme of England Nobles Great States and Counsellors and called they are by the King in these words To treat of the high affaires of the kingdome and thereof to give their counsell They have also immunities and priviledges of their owne namely that in criminall causes they are not to have their triall but by a Iurie of their Peeres that they be not put to their oath but their protestation upon their Honor is sufficient that they be not empanelled upon a Iurie of twelve men for enquest de facto No supplicavit can be granted against them A Capias cannot be sued out against them Neither doth an Essoine lie against them with very many other which I leave unto Lawyers who are to handle these and such like Besides these the two Archbishops and all the Bishops of England be Barons also of the kingdome and Parliament even as in our Grandfathers daies these Abbats and Priors following The Abbat of Glastenburie The Abbat of S. Augustines in Canterbury The Abbat of S. Peter in
Westminster The Abbat of S. Albans The Abbat of S. Edmonds-Bury The Abbat of Peterburgh The Abbat of S. Iohn of Colchester The Abbat of Evesham The Abbat of Winchelcomb The Abbat of Crouland The Abbat of Battaile The Abbat of Reding The Abbat of Abindon The Abbat of Waltham holy Crosse. The Abbat of Shrewsburie or Salop. The Abbat of Sircester The Abbat of S. Peters in Glocester The Abbat of Bardeney The Abbat of S. Bennets of Hulme The Abbat of Thorney The Abbat of Ramsey The Abbat of Hyde The Abbat of Malmesburie The Abbat of S. Marie in Yorke The Abbat of Selbey The Prior of Coventrie The Prior of The order of S. Iohn at Ierusalem who commonly is called Master of S. Iohns Knights and would be counted the first and chiefe Baron of England Vnto whom as still unto the Bishops By right and custome it appurtained as to Peeres of the Kingdome to be with the rest of the Peeres personally present at all parliaments whatsoever there to consult to handle to ordaine decree and determine in regard of the Baronies which they held of the King For William the first a thing that the Church-men of that time complained of but those in the age ensuing counted their greatest honor ordained Bishopricks and Abbaies which held Baronies in pure and perpetuall Almâ—s and untill that time were free from all secular service to bee under military or Knights service enrolling every Bishopricke and Abbay at his will and pleasure and appointing how many souldiers he would have every of them to find for him and his successours in the time of hostility and warre From that time ever since those Ecclesiasticall persons enjoyed all the immunities that the Barons of the Kingdome did save onely that they were not to be judged by their Peeres For considering that according to the Canons of the Church such might not be present in matters of life and death in the same causes they are left unto a jurie of twelve men to be judged in the question of Fact But whether this be a cleere point in law or no I referre me to skilfull Lawyers Vavasors or Valvasors in old time stood in the next ranke after Barons whom the Lawyers derive from Valvae that is leaved dootes And this dignitie seemeth to have come unto us from the French For when they had soveraigne rule in Italy they called those Valvasores who of a Duke Marquesse Earle or Captaine had received the charge over some part of their people and as Butelere the civill Lawyer saith had power to chastise in the highest degree but not the Libertie of faires and mercates This was a rare dignity among us and if ever there were such long since by little and little it ceased and ended For in Chaucers time it was not great seeing that of his Franklin a good yeoman or Freeholder he writeth but thus A Sheriffe had he beene and a Câ—ntour Was no where such a worthy Vavasour Inferiour nobles are Knights Esquires and those which usually are called Generosi and Gentlemen Knights who of our English Lawyers be termed also in Latin Milites and in all nations well neere besides tooke their name of Horses for the Italians call them Cavellieni the Frenchmen Chevaliers the Germans Reiters and our Britans in Wales Margogh all of riding Englishmen onely terme them Knights by a word that in the old English language as also of the German signifieth indifferently a servitor or minister and a lusty young man Heereupon it commeth that in the Old written Gospels translated into the English tongue wee read for Christs Disciples Christs Leorning Cnyhts and else where for a Client or Vassall Incnyght and Bracton our ancient civill Lawyer maketh mention of Radâ—nights that is to say serving horsemen who held their lands with this condition that they should serve their Lords on horsbacke and so by cutting off a peece of the name as our delight is to speake short I thought long since that this name of Knights remained with us But whence it came that our countreymen should in penning of lawes and in all writings since the Normans conquest terme those Knights in Latin Milites I can hardly see And yet I am not ignorant that in the declining time of the Roman Empire the Denomination of Milites that is Souldiers was transferred unto those that conversing neere about the Princes person bare any of the greater offices in the Princes Court or traine But if I have any sight at all in this matter they were among us at first so called who held any lands or inheritances as Tenants in Fee by this tenure to serve in the warres For those Lands were termed Knights Fees and those that elsewhere they named Feudatarij that is Tenants in Fee were here called Milites that is Knights as for example Milites Regis c. The Kings Knights Knights of the Archbishop of Canterburie Knights of Earle Roger of Earle Hugh c. For that they received those lands or manors of them with this condition to serve for them in the wars and to yeeld them fealty and homage whereas others who served for pay were simply called Solidarij and Servientes that is Souldiers and Servitors But these call them Milites or Equites whether you will are with us of foure distinct sorts The most honorable and of greatest dignitie be those of the Order of S. George or of the Garter In a second degree are Banerets in a third ranke Knights of the Bath and in a fourth place those who simply in our tongue be called Knights in Latin Equites aurati or Milites without any condition at all Of S. Georges Knights I will write in due place when I am come to Windsor Of the rest thus much briefly at this time Banerets whom others terme untruely Baronets have their name of a Banner For granted it was unto them in regard of their martiall vertue and prowesse to use a foure square ensigne or Banner as well as Barons whereupon some call them and that truly Equites Vexillarij that is Knights-Banerets and the Germans Banner-heires The antiquitie of these Knights Banerets I cannot fetch from before the time of King Edward the Third when Englishmen were renowned for Chivalrie so that I would beleeve verily that this honorable title was devised then first in recompence of martiall prowesse untill time shall bring more certainty of truth to light In the publicke records of that time mention is made among military titles of Banerets of Men at the Banner which may seeme all one and of Men at armes And I have seene a Charter of King Edward the Third by which he advanced Iohn Coupland to the State of a Baneret because in a battell fought at Durham hee had taken prisoner David the Second King of the Scots and it runneth in these words Being willing to reward the said Iohn who tooke David de Bruis prisoner and
his owne hopes and so hee raised that deadly Warre betweene the Houses of Yorke and Lancaster distinguished by the white and red Rose wherein himselfe soone after lost his life at Wakefield King Henry the Sixth was foure times taken Prisoner and in the end despoiled both of his Kingdome and life Edward Earle of March sonne to the said Richard obtained the Crowne and being deposed from the same recovered it againe thus inconstant fortune disported herselfe lifting up and throwing downe Princes at her pleasure many Princes of the royall bloud and a number of the Nobility lost their lives those hereditary and rich Provinces in France belonging to the Kings of England were lost the wealth of the Realme wholly wasted and the poore people thereof overwhelmed with all manner of misery Edward now being established in his royall Throne and in the ranke of Kings carrying the name of Edward the Fourth gave unto Richard his second sonne the Title of Duke of Yorke who together with king Edward the Fifth his brother was by their Unkle Richard the Third murdered Then king Henry the Seventh granted the same Title unto his younger sonne who afterwards was crowned king of England by the name of Henry the Eight And even now of late King James invested Charles his second sonne whom before hee had created in Scotland Duke of Albany Marquesse of Ormond Earle of Rosse and Baron of Ardmanoch a childe not full foure yeeres of age Duke of Yorke by cincture of a sword imposition of a Cap and Coronet of gold upon his head and by delivering unto him a verge of gold after he had according to the order with due complements made the day before both him and eleven more of Noble Parentage Knights of the Bath Reckoned there are in this County Parishes 459. under which he very many Chappels for number of Inhabitants equall unto great Parishes RICHMOND-SHIRE THE rest of this Country which lyeth toward the North-West and carryeth a great compasse is called Richmond-shire or Richmount-shire taking the name from a Castle which Alan Earle of little Britaine had built unto whom William the Conquerour gave this Shire which before time belonged to Eadwin an Englishman by these short letters Patents as it is set downe in the booke of Richmond Fees I William sirnamed Bastard King of England doe give and grant unto thee my Nephew Alane Earle of Britaine and to thine heires for ever all and every the Manour houses and lands which late belonged to Earle Eadwin in Yorke-shire with the Knights fees and other liberties and customes as freely and in as honourable wise as the said Eadwin held the same Given at our Leaguer before the City of Yorke This Shire most of it lieth very high with ragged rockes and swelling mountaines whose sloping sides in some places beare good grasse the bottomes and vallies are not altogether unfruitfull The hilles themselves within are stored with lead pit-coale and Coper For in a Charter of king Edward the Fourth there is mention made of a Mine or Delfe of Copper neere unto the very towne of Richmond But covetousnesse which driveth men even as farre as to hell hath not yet pierced into these hilles affrighted perchance with the difficulty of carriage whereas there have beene found in the tops of these mountaines as also in other places stones like unto sea winkles or cockles and other sea fish if they be not the wonders of nature I will with Orosius a Christian Historiographer deeme them to be undoubted tokens of the generall deluge that surrounded the face of the whole earth in Noahs time When the Sea saith he in Noahs daies overflowed all the earth and brought a generall floud so that the whole Globe thereof being therewith surrounded and covered there was one face as of the Firmament so also of the Sea The soundest Writers most evidently teach That all mankinde perished a few persons excepted who by vertue of their faith were reserved alive for offspring and propagation Howbeit even they also have witnessed that some there had beene who although they were ignorant of the times past and knew not the Authour himselfe of times yet gathered conjecturally as much by giving a guesse by those rough stones which wee are wont to finde on hilles remote from the Sea resembling Cocles and Oisters yea and oftentimes eaten in hollow with the waters Where this Country bordereth upon Lancashire amongst the mountaines it is in most places so waste solitary unpleasant and unsightly so mute and still also that the borderers dwelling thereby have called certaine Riverets creeping this way Hell-beckes But especially that about the head of the River Ure which having a Bridge over it of one entire stone falleth downe such a depth that it striketh in a certaine horror to as many as looke downe And in this Tract there be safe harbors for Goates and Deere as well red as fallow which for their huge bignesse with their ragged and branching hornes are most sightly The River Ure which wee have often spoken of before hath his fall heere out of the Westerne Mountaines and first of all cutting through the middest of the Vale called Wentsedale whiles it is yet but small as being neere unto his Spring-head where great flockes of Sheepe doe pasture and which in some places beareth Lead stones plentifully is encreased by a little River comming out of the South called Baint which with a great noise streameth out of the Poole Semer. At the very place where these Rivers meete and where there stand a few small Cotages which of the first Bridge made over Ure they call Baintbrig there lay in old time a Garison of the Romanes whereof the very Reliques are at this day remaining For on the toppe of an hill which of a Fort or Burge they now call Burgh appeare the ground workes of an ancient Hold containing about five acres of ground in compasse and beneath it Eastward many tokens of some old habitation and dwelling places Where amongst many other signes of Roman Antiquity I have seene of late this fragment of an antique Inscription in a very faire letter with Winged Victory supporting the same IMP CAES. L. SEPTIMIO PIO PERTINACI AUGU IMP CAESARI M. AURELIO APIO FELICI AUGUSTO BRACCHIO CAEMENTICIUM VI NER VIORUM SUB CURALA SENECINON AMPLISSIMIO PERIL VISPIUS PRAELEGIO By this we may guesse that the said hold at Burgh was in times past named BRACCHIUM which before time had been made of turfe but now built with stone and the same layed with good morter Also that the sixth Cohort of the Nervians lay there in Garison who may seeme to have had also their place of Summer aboade in that high hill hard by fensed with a banke and trench about it which now they tearme Ethelbury And not long since there was digged up the Statue of Aurelius Commodus the Emperour who as Lampridius writeth was sirnamed by his flattering
God was minded to purge his family and to recure it thus infected with so great corruption of sinnes by hearesay onely of tribulation the winged flight as one would say of an headlesse rumour pierceth the attentive eares of all men giving notice of ancient enemies ready to arrive and upon their comming fully minded to destroy them utterly and after their wonted manner to possesse and inhabite the countrey from one end to another Yet for all this were they never the better but like unto foolish and senselesse horses resisting the bridle of reason and refusing to admit the bit as they say into their close shut mouth leaving the way to salvation narrow though it were ran up and downe at randum all in the broad way of all wickednesse which leadeth directly and readily to death Whiles therefore as Salomon saith the obstinate and stubborne servant is not amended with words scourged hee is for a foole and feeleth not the whip For loe a pestilent contagion bringing much mortalitie falleth heavily upon the foolish people which in a short space when the enemies sword was gone destroied so great a multitude of them as that the living were not able to bury the dead Neither verily were they the better for it that the saying of Esay the Prophet might in them also bee fulfilled And God calleth them quoth he to sorrow and mourning to baldnesse and sackcloth but behold they fell to killing of calves to slaying of rams Lo they went to eating and drinking and said withall Let us eate and drinke for to morrow wee shall die And why the time drew neere wherein their iniquities like as those in times past of the Amorites should come to the fulnesse For they fall to consult what was the best and most convenient course to be taken for to represse so cruell and so many invasions of the forenamed nations with the booties which they raised Then all the Counsellors together with the proud tyrant become blinded and bewitched devising such a protection nay a destruction rather of their country as this namely that those most fierce Saxons a people foully infamous odious both to God and man should be let into this Island as one would say wolves into the sheep-folds to repulse forsooth and beat backe the Northern nations Than which I assure you nothing was ever devised and practised more pernicious nothing more unhappy unto this land O mist of sense and grossest understanding that ever was O desperate dulnesse and blind blockishnesse of mind Those whom in their absence they were inclined and given to dread more than very death now of their owne record these foolish Princes of Egypt entertained as I may say under the roofe of one house giving as hath beene said fond-foolish counsell unto Pharao Then rushed forth out of the barbarous Lionesses den a Kennell of whelps in three Vessels called in her language Cyulae that is Keeles and in our Latine tongue Longae naves under full saile carried with the wind of lucky sure presaging auguries whereby fore-prophesied it was unto them that for 300. yeares they should possesse and hold that land as their countrey unto which they directed their course and for an hundred and twentie that is the one moity of the said space oftentimes waste and depopulate the same These being put on shore first in the East-part of the Island and that by commandement of this infortunate tyrant set fast their terrible pawes and clawes there pretending unto the Islanders defence of their countrey but more truely intending the offence thereof unto which whelpes the foresaid dam the Lionesse finding that their first setting foote and marching forward sped well sends likewise a greater rabble of worrying freebooters which being arrived here in Flotes conjoyned themselves with the former misbegotten crew From hence it is that the shoot-grifts of iniquitie the root of bitternesse and virulent plants due to our deserts sprout and put forth in our soile proudly bud branch leafe Well these barbarous Saxons thus admitted into the Island obtaine allowance of victuals and wages as for douty souldiers and such as would endure hard service and much hazard for so they falsly beare men in hand in defence of their good hosts and friends for their kind entertainment Which being given unto them a long time stopped as wee say the dogs mouth Howbeit afterward they complaine that their monthly wages was not well paid them devising of purpose colourable occasions of quarrell protesting and threatning that unlesse they might feele more munificence powred and heaped upon them they would with the breach of covenant spoile and waste the whole Island throughout And without further delay they second these threats with very deeds for the cause of deserved revenge for precedent wickednesse was still nourished the fire kindled and set a flaming by these prophane men from sea to sea ceased not to consume all the cities and countreys bordering there about untill such time as burning well neere all the inland soile of the Island it licked up with a red flaming and terrible tongue all unto the westerne Ocean In this violent furious invasion comparable to that of the Assyrians in old time against Iuda is fulfilled also in us according to the historie that which the Prophet by way of sorrowfull lamentation uttereth They have burnt with fire thy Sanctuarie they have polluted in the Land the Tabernacle of thy name And againe O God the Gentiles are come into thine heritage they have defiled thy holy Temple c. In such wise as all the Colonies by the force of many engines and all the Inhabitants together with the Prelates of the Church both Priests and People by drawne sword glittering on every side and crackling flame of fire were at once laid along on the ground yea and that which was a piteous spectacle to behold in the midst of the streets the stone workes of turrets and high walles rent and torne in sunder from aloft the sacred altars and quarters of carcases covered with imbossed works of imagerie of a bloudy hue were seene all blended and mixed together as it were in a certaine horrible wine-presse neither was there any Sepulcher at all abroad save onely the ruins of buildings and the bowels of wild beasts and fowles When we shall read these reports let vs not be offended and displeased with good Gildas for his bitter invectives against either the vices of his owne countrey-men the Britans or the inhumane outrages of the barbarous enemies or the insatiable crueltie of our Fore-fathers the Saxons But since that for so many ages successively ensuing we are all now by a certaine engraffing or commixtion become one nation mollified and civilized with Religion and good Arts let us meditate and consider both what they were and also what wee ought to be lest that for our sinnes likewise the supreame Ruler of the world either translate other nations hither when wee are first rooted out
or incorporate them into us after we are by them subdued BRITANS OF ARMORICA DVring this most wofull desperate and lamentable tempestuous season some poore remaines of Britaines being found in the mountaines were killed up by whole heapes others pined with famine came and yielded themselves unto the enemies upon composition to serve them as Bondslaves for ever so they might not bee killed out of hand which was reputed a most high favour and especiall grace There were also that went over sea into strange lands singing under their spread sailes with a howling and wailing note in stead of the Mariners Celeusma after this manner Thou hast given us O Lord as sheepe to be devoured and scattering us among the heathen Others againe remained still in their owne countrey albeit in fearefull estate betaking themselves but yet continually suspecting the worst to high steepe hilles and mountaines intrenched to woods and thicke growne forrests yea to the rockes of the sea Of those who passed beyond-sea no doubt were they who for to save their lives went over in great number to Armorica in France and were kindly received of the Armoricans That this is true besides the communitie of language the same in manner with that of our Britans and to say nothing of other authors who all accord in this point hee who lived neerest unto that age and was borne even in Armorica and wrote the life of S. Wingual of the Confessor sufficiently doth prove An off-spring saith he of the Britans embarqued in Flotes arrived in this land on this side the British sea what time as the barbarous nation of the Saxons fierce in armes and uncivill in manners possessed their native and mother-soile Then I say this deare off-spring seated themselves close within this nooke and secret corner In which place they being wearied with travaile and toile sate quiet for awhile without any warres Howbeit our writers report that our Britans long before this time setled themselves in this coast For he of Malmesburie writeth thus Constantinus Maximus being saluted by the Armie Emperour having proclaimed an Expedition into the higher lands brought away a great power of British souldiers through whose industrie and forward service having obtained triumphant victories to his hearts desire and attained to the Empire such of them as were past service and had performed the painfull parts of souldjerie their full time he planted in a certaine part of Gaule westward upon the very shore of the Ocean where at this day their posteritie remaining are wonderfully grown even to a mighty people in manners and language somewhat degenerate from our Britans And true it is that Constantine gave commandement in this wise Let the old souldiers according to our Precept enter upon the vacant lands and hold them for ever freely Ninnius likewise Maximus the Emperor who slew Gratian would not send home again those souldiers which he had levied out of Britaine but gave unto them many countries even from the poole or Mere which lieth above Mount Iovis unto the Citie that is called Cantguic unto Cruc-occhidient And he that hath annexed briefe notes upon Ninnius fableth besides in this manner The Armorican Britans which are beyond-sea going forth from hence with Maximus the tyrant in his expedition when as they could not returne wasted the west-parts of Gaule even to the very bare soile and when they had married their wives and daughters did cut out all their tongues for feare lest the succeeding progenie should learne their mother-language whereupon we also call them in our tongue Lhet vydion that is halfe silent or tongue-tied because they speake confusedly The authoritie of these writers herein I cannot in any wise contradict yet I am of opinion rather that the children of those old souldiers gladly afterward received these Britans that fled out of their countrey Neverthelesse the name of Britans in this tract I find not in all the writers of that age before such time that the Saxons came into our Britain unlesse it bee of those whom Plinie seemeth to place in Picardie and who in some copies are named Brinani For if any man out of the fourth booke of Strabo his Geographie doe with Volaterane thinke that Britaine was a citie of Gaule let him but looke into the Greeke Booke and he will soone informe himselfe that he spake of the Island Britaine and not of a citie As for that verse out of Dionysius which before I have alleaged some would rather understand it with Stephanus of our Britans than with Eustathius of the Armoricans especially seeing that Festus Avienus a writer verily of good antiquitie hath translated it thus Cauris nimium vicina Britannis Flavaque caesariem Germania porrigit ora Britaine the North-west winds too neare And yellow haired Germanie her front doth forward beare Neither let any man thinke that the Britannicians mentioned in the booke Notitia came from hence who in truth were certaine cohorts onely of souldiers enrolled out of this our Britaine Before the arrivall of our Britans this country was at first called Armorica that is situate by the sea side and afterwards in the same sense Llydaw in the British tongue that is coasting upon the sea and thence in Latine by our writers living in the middle age Letavia From when I suppose were those Leti whom Zosimus nameth in Gaule when he noteth that Magnentius the Tyrant was borne among the Leti in France and had a Britan to his father These Armoricans when as that Constantine elected for the names sake became Emperor and the barbarous nations over-ran Gaul having cast out the Roman garrisons instituted a common-wealth among themselves But Valentian the younger by the meanes of Aetius and at the intercession of Saint German reclaimed them to allegiance At which very time it seemeth that Exuperantius governed them Of whom Claudius Rutillius writeth thus Cujus Aremoricas Pater Exuperantius or as Nunc post liminium pacis amore docet Leges restituit libertatemque reducit Et servos famulis non sinit essesuis Whose Sire Exuperantius the coasts to sea that reach Now after discontinuance long in love of peace doth teach He sets the lawes againe in force reduceth libertie And suffereth them unto his folke no more as slaves to be Out of which verses I wot not whether Aegidius Maserius hath made some collection when he wrote That the Britans were servants under the Armoricans and against them errected a freedome The first mention to my knowledge of Britans in Armorica was in the yeare of our salvation 461. about the thirtith yeare after that the Anglo-Saxons were called out of Germany into our Britan. For then Mansuetus a Bishop of the Britans among other Bishops of France and Armorica subscribed to the first Councell of Tours In the ninth yeare after these new Inhabitants of France seeing the West-Gothes to seize into their hands the most fertile territories of Anjou and
of the Romans helpe For the people of Rome after that the Emperour Martial was by his souldiers killed being sore tired out with forraigne warres was not able to assist their friends with supply of accustomed aides Yet neverthelesse the Romanes having built a mightie peece of worke for the defence of the Countrey reaching betweene the confines from sea to sea where it was thought that the enemies would assaile the Inhabitants left the Land But no difficultie it was for the enemie fiercely bent and alwaies ready to wage warre especially where they deale with a nation feeble and unable to make warlike resistance to destroy the said worke Therefore hearing by report of the worthy and fortunate exploits atchieved by the Saxons they send an humble Embassage to require their helping hand and so the Embassadors having audience given them came forth and spake as followeth Most noble Saxons The poore and distressed Brets out-toiled and over-tired by the many incursions of their enemies hearing the fame of those victories which yee have valorously atchieved have sent us suppliants unto you craving that yee would not denie us your helpe and succour A large and spatious Land plentifull and abundant in all things they yeeld whollie to be at your devotion and command Hitherto have we lived liberally under the patronage and protection of the Romanes after the Romans we know none of more prowesse than your selves and therefore wee seeke for refuge under the wings of your valour So that we may by your puissant vertue and armes be found onely superiour to our enemies what service soever ye impose upon us willing we are to abide the same To this petition the Peeres and Nobles of the Saxons briefly made answere in this wise Know yee that the Saxons will be fast friends unto the Brets and prest at all times both to assist them in their necessitie and also to procure their wealth and commoditie With joy returne these Embassadours home and with this wished for tidings make their countrey-men more joyfull Hereupon according to promise an armie sent into Britaine and joyfully received in short time freeth the Land from the spoiling enemies and recovered the countrey unto the behoofe of the Inhabitants For the performance hereof required no great labour the enemies who had long since heard of the Saxons were terrified with the verie fame that was bruited of them so that their very presence drave them farre off For these were the nations that troubled the Brets namely Scots and Pehits against whom the Saxons whiles they maintaine warres received of the Brets all things necessary They abode therefore in that country a good while making use in civill sort of the Brets friendship reciprocally But so soone as the Chieftaines of the armie saw the countrey to be large and fertile and withall the hands of the Inhabitans slow to practise feats of armes and considered therewith that themselves and the greatest part of the Saxons had no certaine place to seat themselves in they send over to call unto them a greater power and more forces Thus having concluded peace with the Scots and Pehits they rise all together in common against the Brets drive them out of the countrey and divide the Land at their pleasure as if it were their owne Thus much Witichindus The originall and Etymologie of the Saxons like as of other nations not onely Monkes ignorant as they were in learned antiquitie but also latter Writers being men of some exact and exquisite judgment have enwrapped with forged and fained fables Some derive them and their name from Saxo the sonne of Negnon and brother of Vandalus others from their stonie nature some from the remaines of the Macedonian armie others of certaine knives whereupon was made that rhyme in Engelhusius Quippe brevis gladius apud illos Saxa vocatur Vnde tibi nomen Saxo traxisse putatur For Sax with them and Short-sword is the same From whence it 's thought the Saxon tooke his name But Crantzius deriveth them from the Catti in Germanie and that learned Capnio from the Phrygians Of these let every man follow which he liketh best For such conjectural opinions as these I will not labour to disproove Howbeit that conceit of the best learned Germans may seeme worthy of acceptance and to bee preferred before the rest who suppose that the Saxons descended from the Sacae a most noble Nation and of much worth in Asia and so called as one would say Sacosones that is the sonnes of the Sacae and that out of Scythia or Sarmaria Asiatica they came in companies by little and little together with the Getae Suevi Daci and others into Europe Neither is this opinion of theirs improbable which fetcheth the Saxons out of Asia wherein mankind was first created and multiplied for besides that Strabo writeth how those Sacae as before time the Cimerij made invasions into countreys which lay farre off and termed a part of Armenia after their owne name Sacacena Ptolomee also placeth the Sassones Suevians Massagetes and Daci in that part of Scythia and Cisner observeth that these Nations retained the same vicinitie or neighborhood in a manner in Europe which was among them in former times when they were in Asia Neither is it lesse probable that our Saxons descended from these Sacae or Sassones in Asia call them whether you will than the Germanes from those Germanes in Persia of whom Herodotus maketh mention which they themselves after a sort doe affirme by reason of the affinitie of their Language for that singular Scholer Ioseph Scaliger sheweth that these words Fader Moder Tutchter Band and such like are at this day found in the Persian tongue in the same sence as we use Father Mother Brother Daughter and Bond. But when the Saxons began first to bee of any name in the world they had their abode in Cimbrica Chersonesus which wee now call Denmarke wherein Ptolomee placeth them who was the first author as far as I find that mention them For we should not indeed read Saxones as it is in some bookes but more truly Axones in that verse of Lucan Longisque leves Axônes in armis And Axons in side armour light and nimble Out of this Cimbrica Chersonesus in the time of Dioclesian they with the Frankes their neighbours troubled our coasts and the seas with Piracie in so much as for the defence of the countrey and to repell them the Romanes made Carausius their Generall Afterwards they having passed over the river Albis part of them by little and little gat footing within the seat and territorie of the Suevians where now is the Dukedome of Saxonie and part of them bestowed themselves in Frisland and Holland which now the Frankes had quite forsaken For those Frankes who before time had inhabited those inmost Fennes of Frisland whereof some by overflowes and flouds are growne to be that sea which at this day they call Zuider-sea and possessed
faithfull Knights or upon the faith of a Knight how far they were from base gaine and lucre and what manner of paiment or Aid is to be levied for Knights fees when as the Prince the Kings eldest son should be invested in this honour c. I leave it for others to write as also when they had so far offended that being to suffer death therfore they were first dispoiled of their ensignes and of their degree to wit their militarie Girdle ungirted the Sword taken away their Spurs cut off with an hatchet their Gantlets or Gloves plucked from them and the Escutcheon of their Armes reversed like as in the degrading Ecclesiasticall order all the Ecclesiasticall ornaments booke chalice such like are taken away Let the curious also enquire whether those knights were truly by some termed Knights Bachelars or whether Bachelars were of a middle degree between these Knights and Esquires For in the Kings Record are read The names of Knights of Bachelars and of Valects of the Earle of Gocester and of others Whereupon there be that would have Bachelars so called as one would say Bas-Chevaliers that is knights of low degree although other derive that name from the French verbe Battailer which signifieth to combate or fight it out Withall let them weigh and consider whether these dignities of knighthood in times past so glorious as long as they were more rare and bestowed onely as the reward of vertue may not be vilified when it becommeth common and lieth prostitute as it were to the ambitious humour of every one Whereof in the like case Aemilius Probus complained long since among the Romans Next in degree after these Knights are Esquires termed in Latine Armigeri that is Costrels or Bearers of Armes the same that Scutiferi that is Shield-bearers and Homines ad arma that is Men at Armes the Goths called them Schilpor all of carrying the shield as in old time among the Romans such as were named Scutarii who tooke that name either of their Escutcheons of armes which they bare as Ensignes of their descent or because they were armour-bearers to Princes or to the better sort of the Nobilitie For in times past every Knight had two of these waighting upon him they carried his Morrion and shield as inseparable companions they stuck close unto him because of the said Knight their Lord they held certaine lands in Escutage like as the knight himselfe of the King by knights service But now a daies there be five distinct sorts of these for those whom I have spoken of already be now no more in any request The principall Esquires at this day those are accounted that are select Esquires for the Princes bodie the next unto them be knights eldest sonnes and their eldest sonnes likewise successively In a third place are reputed younger sonnes of the eldest sonnes of Barons and of other Nobles in higher estate and when such heires male faile togither with them the title also faileth In a fourth ranke are reckoned those unto whom the King himselfe together with a title giveth armes or createth Esquires by putting about their necke a silver colar of SS and in former times upon their heeles a paire of white spurres silvered whereupon at this day in the West part of the Kingdome they be called White-spurres for distinction from Knights who are wont to weare gilt spurres and to the first begotten sonnes onely of these doth the title belong In the fifth and last place bee those ranged and taken for Esquires whosoever have any superiour publike office in the Common-weale or serve the Prince in any Worshipfull calling But this name of Esquire which in ancient time was a name of charge and office onely crept first among other titles of dignitie and worship so farre as ever I could observe in the raigne of Richard the Second Gentlemen or the common sort of Nobilitie bee they that either are descended of worshipfull parentage or raised up from the base condition of people for their vertue or wealth Citizens or Burgesses be such as in their owne severall citie execute any publike office and by election have a roome in our High Court of Parliament Yeomen are they whom some call Free-borne or Free-holders and our law termeth Homines Legales that is Lawfull men and who of Free-hands may dispend fortie shillings at least by the yeare Lastly Craftsmen Artisans or Workemen be they that labour for hire and namely such as sit at worke Mechanicke Artificers Smiths Carpenters c. Which were termed of the Romans Capite censi as one would say Taxed or reckoned by the poll and Proletarii LAVV COVRTS OF ENGLAND AS touching the Tribunals or Courts of Justice of England there are three sorts of them among us for some bee Ecclesiasticall others Temporall and one mixt of both which being the greatest and most honourable of all is called by a name of no great antiquitie and the same borrowed out of French The Parliament The Anglo-Saxons our ancestours termed it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is An assembly of the wise and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is A Counsell and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Greeke word Synodus that is A great Synod or meeting The Latine writers of that and the ensuing age called it Commune Concilium Curiam altissimam Generale placitum Curiam magnam Magnatum Conventum Praesentiam Regis Praelatorum Procerumque collectorum Commune totius Regni Concilium c. That is The Common councell The Highest court The Generall Plea The Great court The meeting of States The Presence of the King Prelates and Peeres assembled together The Publike Councell of the whole Kingdome c. And like as the Generall Councell of all Etolia is named by Livie PANAETOLIUM so this may well be termed PANANGLIUM For it consisteth of the King the Clergie the superior Nobles the elect Knights and Burgesses or to speake more significantly after the Lawyers phrase of the King the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and the Commons which States represent the body of all England It is not held at set and certaine times but summoned by the King at his pleasure so often as consultation is to be had of high affaires and urgent matters that the Common weale may sustaine no damage at his will alone it is dissolved Now this Court hath soveraigne and sacred authoritie in making confirming repealing and expounding Lawes in restoring such as be attainted or outlawed to their former estates in deciding of the hardest controversies betweene private persons and to speake at a word in all causes which may concerne either the safetie of the State or any private person whatsoever The next Court after this in the daies presently following the Normans comming and some good while after was The Court of the King himselfe and the same kept in the Kings house or Palace accompanying the King whither so ever he retired or went in progresse
Iustices of the Assises to end and dispatch controversies depending and growne to an issue in the foresaid principall Kings Courts betweene plaintiffes and defendants and that by their Peeres as the custome is whence they are commonly called Iustices of Nisi prius which name they tooke of the writs sent unto the Sheriffe which have in them these two words Nisi Prius that is Vnlesse before c. The Star-Chamber or the Court rather of Kings Counsell wherein are discussed and handled criminall matters perjuries cousenages fraud deceit riots or excesse c. This Court in regard of time is right ancient and for dignitie most honourable For it seemes that it may claime antiquitie ever since the first time that Subject appealed unto their Soveraignes and the Kings Councell was erected Now the Judges of this Court are persons right Honourable and of greatest reputation even the Kings Privie Counsellors As for the name of Star-Chamber it tooke it from the time that this Counsell was appointed at Westminster in a Chamber there anciently garnished and beautified with Starres For we read in the Records of Edward the Third Counseil en la Chambre des Estoilles pres de la Receipt al Westminster that is The Counsell in the Chamber of Starres neere unto the Receit at Westminster But the Authoritie thereof that most sage and wise Prince Henry the Seventh by authoritie of Parliament so augmented and established that some are of opinion though untruely hee was the first founder of it The Judges heere are The Lord Chancellor of England The Lord Treasurer of England The Lord President of the Kings Counsell The Lord Keeper of the Privy Seale and all Counselors of the State as wel Ecclesiasticall as Temporall and out of the Barons of the Parliament those whom the King will call The two chiefe Iustices of the Benches or in their absence two other Iudges The Officers heerein are these The Clerke of the Counsell The Clerke of writs and processe of the Counsell in the Star-Chamber c. And causes here are debated and decided not by Peeres according to our common Law but after the course of Civill Law The Court of Wards and Liveries hath the name of Pupils or Wards whose causes it handleth was first instituted by Henrie the Eighth whereas in former times their causes were heard in the Chancerie and Exchequer For by an old Ordinance derived out of Normandie and not from Henry the Third as some doe write when a man is deceased Who holdeth possessions or Lands of the King in chiefe by Knights service as well the heire as his whole patrimonie and revenues are in the Kings power tuition and protection untill he be full one and twentie yeares of age and untill by vertue of the Kings briefe or letter restitution and re-delivery be made unto him thereof In this Court the Generall Master sitteth as Judge under whom are these The Supravisor or Surveior of Liveries The Atturney generall of the Court The generall Receiver The Auditour The Clerke of the Liveries The Clerke of the Court Fortie Fedaries and a Messenger There have sprung up also in these later times two other Courts to wit Of reforming Errours whereof the first is to correct Errours in the Exchequer the other to amend errours committed in the Kings Bench. The Judges in the former of these twaine are the Lord Chancellor and Lord Treasurer of England with others of the Kings Justices whom they are disposed to take unto them In the later The Iustices of the Common Pleas and the Barons of the Exchequer The Admirals Court handleth Sea matters In this are reckoned the Lord Admirall of England his Lieutenant and a Iudge two Scribes a Serjeant of the Court and the Vice-Admirals of England Now proceede we to the Courts of Equitie The Chancerie drew that name from a Chancellor which name under the ancient Roman Emperours was not of so greate esteeme and dignitie as wee learne out of Vopiscus But now adaies a name it is of highest honour and Chancellors are advanced to the highest pitch of civill Dignitie Whose name Cassiodorus fetcheth from crosse grates or lattesses because they examined matters within places severed apart enclosed with partitions of such crosse bars which the Latins call Cancelli Regard saith hee to a Chancellor what name you beare It cannot bee hidden which you doe within Lattesses For you keepe your gates lightsome your barres open and your dores transparent as windows Whereby it is very evident that he sate within grates where he was to be seene on every side and thereof it may be thought he tooke that name But considering it was his part being as it were the Princes mouth eie and eare to strike and dash out with crosse-lines lattise like those letters Commissions Warrants and Decrees passed against law and right or prejudiciall to the comon-wealth which not improperly they termed to cancell some thinke the name of Chancellor came from this Cancelling and in a Glossarie of latter time thus we read A Chancellor is he whose Office is to looke into and peruse the writings and answers of the Emperour to cancell what is written amisse and to signe that which is well Neither is that true which Polydore Virgil writeth namely that William the Conquerour instituted a Colledge or fellowship of Scribes to write letters pattents c. and named the Master of that Societie Chancellor considering it is plaine and manifest that Chancellors were in England before the Normans Conquest How great the dignitie and authoritie of the Chancellor is at this day it is better knowne than I can declare but of what credit it was in old time have heere in a word or two out of a writer of good antiquitie The dignitie of the Chancellor of England is this He is reputed the second person in the Realme and next unto the King with the one side of the Kings Seale whereof by his Office he hath the Keeping he may signe his owne injunctions to dispose and order the Kings Chappell as hee liketh to receive and keepe all Archbishopricks Bishopricks Abbeies and Baronies void and falling into the Kings hand to be present at all the Kings Counsels and thither to repaire uncalled also that all things be signed by the hand of his Clerke who carrieth the Kings Seale and that all things be directed and disposed by advise of the Chancellor Item that by the helpfull merits of his good life through Gods grace he need not die if he will himselfe but Archbishop or Bishop And heereof it is that the Chancellor-ship is not to be bought The forme and manner of ordaining a Chancellor for that also I will note was in the time of King Henrie the Second by hanging the great Seale of England about the necke of the Chancellor elect But in King Henry the Sixth daies this was the order of it according to the notes I tooke out of the Records When the place of the Lord
Townes able to set out a great fleet of Ships the inland parts have rich and plenteous mines of tinne For there is digged out of them wonderfull store of tinne yielding exceeding much profit and commoditie where are made houshold pewter vessels which are used throughout many parts of Europe in service of the table and for their glittering brightnesse compared with silver plate The Inhabitants doe discover these mines by certaine tinne-stones lying on the face of the ground which they call Shoad being somewhat smooth and round Of these Mines or tinne-workes there be two kinds the one they call Lode-workes the other Stream-workes This lieth in lower grounds when by trenching they follow the veines of tinne and turne aside now and then the streames of water comming in their way that other is in higher places when as upon the hils they dig very deepe pits which they call Shafts and doe undermine In working both waies there is seen wonderfull wit and skill as well in draining of waters aside and reducing them into one streame as in the underbuilding pinning and propping up of their pits to passe over with silence their devices of breaking stamping drying crasing washing melting and fining the mettall than which there cannot be more cunning shewed There are also two sorts of Tinne Blacke tinne which is tinne-ore broken and washed but not yet founded into mettall and white tinne that is molten into mettall and that is either soft tinne which is best merchantable or hard tinne lesse merchantable That the ancient Britans practised these tinne-works to omit Timaeus the Historian in Plinie who reporteth That the Britans fetched tinne out of the Isle Icta in wicker boats covered and stitched about with leather appeareth for certaine out of Diodorus Siculus who flourished under Augustus Caesar. For hee writeth that the Britans who Inhabited this part digged tinne out of stonie ground and at a low water carried the same in carts to certaine Ilands adjoyning From whence Merchants transported it by ships into Gaule and from thence conveied the same upon horses within thirtie daies unto the spring-heads of the river Eridanus or else to the citie Narbone as it were to a Mart. Aethicus also who ever hee was that unworthily beareth title to be interpreted by S. Hierome out of the Sclavonian tongue insinuateth the very same and saith That hee delivered rules and precepts to these Tinne-workers But it seemeth that the English-Saxons neglected it altogether or to have used the workmanship and labour of Arabians or Saracens For the Inhabitants in their language terme the mines forlet and given over Attal Sarisin that is the leavings of the Saracens if they did meane by that name the ancient Panims After the comming in of the Normans the Earles of Cornwal gathered great riches out of these mines and especially Richard brother to King Henrie the Third and no marvell sith that in those daies Europe had tinne from no other place For the incursions of the Mores had stopped up the tinne mines of Spaine and as for the tinne veines in Germanie which are in Misnia and Bohemia they were not as yet knowen and those verily not discovered before the yeere after Christs nativitie 1240. For then as a writer of that age recordeth was tinne mett all found in Germanie by a certain Cornishman driven out of his native soile to the great losse and hindrance of Richard Earle of Cornwal This Richard began to make ordinances for these tin-works and afterward Edmund his sonne granted a Charter and certain liberties and withall prescribed certaine Lawes concerning the same which hee ratified or strengthened under his seale and imposed a tribute or rent upon tin to be answered unto the Earls These liberties priviledges and lawes King Edward the Third did afterwards confirme and augment The whole common-wealth of those Tinners and workmen as it were one bodie hee divided into foure quarters which of the places they call Foy-more Black-more Trewarnaile and Penwith Over them all hee ordained a Warden called L. Warden of the Stanniers of Stannum that is Tinne who giveth judgement as well according to equitie and conscience as Law and appointed to every quarter their Stewards who once every iij. weeks every one in his severall quarter minister justice in causes personall betweene Tinner and Tinner and betweene Tinner and Forrainer except in causes of land life or member From whom there lieth an appeale to the Lord Warden from him to the Duke from the Duke to the King In matters of moment there are by the Warden generall Parliaments or severall assemblies summoned whereunto Iurats are sent out of every Stannarie whose constitutions do bind them As for those that deale with tinne they are of foure sorts the owners of the soile the adventurers the merchants or regraters and the labourers called the Spadiards of their Spade who poore men are pitifully out-eaten by usurious contracts But the Kings of England and Dukes of Cornwall in their times have reserved to themselves a praeemption of tin by the opinion of the learned in the Law as well in regard of the proprietie as being chiefe Lords and Proprietaries as of their royall prerogative Lest the tribute or rent imposed should be embezelled and the Dukes of Cornwall defrauded unto whom by the old custome for every thousand pound waight of tinne there is paid forty shillings it is by a Law provided that all the tin which is cast wrought be brought to one of the foure appointed townes where twice in the yeere it is weighed and signed with a stampe they call it Coinage and the said impost according paid neither is it lawfull for any man before that to sell or send it abroad under forfeiture of their tin And now only tin is here found but therewith also gold and silver yea and Diamonds shaped and pointed anglewise smoothed also by nature it selfe whereof some are as big as walnuts and inferiour to the Orient Diamonds in blacknesse and hardnesse only Moreover there is found Eryngium that is Sea Holly growing most abundantly every where along the shore Furthermore so plentifull is this countrey of graine although not without great toile of the husbandman that it hath not onely sufficient to maintaine it selfe but also affoordeth often times great store of corne into Spaine Besides a most rich revenue and commoditie they have by those little fishes that they call Pilchards which swarming as one would say in mighty great skuls about the shores from Iuly unto November are there taken garbaged salted hanged in the smoake laied up pressed and by infinite numbers carried over into France Spaine and Italie unto which countreys they be very good chaffer and right welcome merchandise and are there named Fumados Whereupon Michael a Cornish Poet and of Rhymers in his time the chiefe in his Satyre against Henrie of Aurenches Archpoet to King Henrie the Third because he had unreverently plaied upon Cornishmen as if
hath now partly effected and in some sort over-mastred it A little beneath by Langport a proper market town the Rivers Ivel and Pedred running together make betweene them an Iland called Muchelney that is to say The great Iland wherein are to bee seene the defaced walles and ruines of an old Abbey built by King Athelstane as writers reporr This Pedred commonly named Parret hath his beginning in the verie edge or skirt of the shire southward and holding on a crooked and winding course thorow Crockhorne in the Saxon tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Pedderton to whom it gave the name sometime Pedridan the Roiall seat of King Ina â— which towne now adayes is of none account unlesse it be for the market and Faire there held which Henrie Daubeney obtained of King Henrie the Sixth at this place runneth into Ivel and robbeth him of his name when hee is come downe three miles Eastward and hath bidden farewell to Montacute so termed by the Earle of Moriton brother by the Mothers side to King William the Conquerour who built a Castle upon the verie hill top and at the foot thereof a Priorie because the said hill riseth up by little and little to a sharpe pâ—int for before time it was called Logoresburgh and Biscopeston As for the Castle it came to nothing many yeeres since the stones thereof being had away to the repairing of the Monasterie and other houses Upon the pitch of the said hill there was a Chapell afterwards set and dedicated unto Saint Michael built with arch-worke and an embowed roofe overhead all of stone right artificially to which for halfe a mile wel nere men ascended upon stone-staires which in their ascent fetched a compasse round about the hil But now that the Priorie and chapell both be pulled down the faire and goodly house which Sir Edward Philips Knight and the Kings Sargeant at Law built lately at the hill foote maketh a very beautifull shew This high place Mont-acute hath given surname to that right honourable family of Montacute which had their beginning of Dru the younger Out of which there were foure Earles of Sarisburie the last of them left one daughter onely Alice who by Richard Nevil pare Richard that renowned Earle of Warwick who kept such stirres and made all England to shake also Iohn Nevil Marquesse Montacute who were both slaine at Barnet field in the yeere 1472. Afterward King Henrie the Eighth conferred the title of Lord Montacute upon Henrie Poole sonne of Margaret daughter to George Duke of Clarence that came of the daughter of that Richard Nevill aforesaid Earle of Warwicke and when hee had so done straightwaies made him shorter by the head afterwards Queene Marie advanced Anthonie Browne whose Grandmother was a daughter of Iohn Nevill Marquesse Montacute to the title and honour of Vicount Montacute which his Grandchild Anthonie who succeeded him now honourably enjoyeth And here I must not forget neither Preston sometime the seat of Iohn Sturton younger sonne to the first Lord Sturton one of whose heires was married to Sidenham of Brimton thereby neither Odcombe adjoyning thereto as small a towne as it is seeing it had a Baron of the owne William de Briewer for so was his father named in the Norman-French because he was borne in an heath who being taken up in the new Forrest by King Henrie the Second in a hunting journey prooved a great man and gratious in the Court as whom King Richard the First highly favored as his minion and all the world embraced and loved grew unto a verie wealthy estate married Beatrix of Vannes widow to Reginald Earle of Cornwall and his daughters for that his sonne died without issue by their marriages brought great possessions to their husbands Breos Wake La-fert and Piercy Under this towne hard by lieth Stoke under Hamden where the Gornaies had their Castle and built a Colledge This familie de Gornaico commonly named Gornay was verie ancient and of good account descended from the same stocke out of which the Warrens Earles of Surrie and the Mortimers are sprung but in the fore-going age it failed and some of their lands descended by the Hamptons to the house of the Newtons Knights who willignly acknowledge themselves to bee come out of Wales and not long since to have beene named Caradocks Neither must I passe over in silence how Matthew Gournay a most famous warriour in the raigne of Edward the Third was buried heere who in the fourescore and sixteenth yeere of his age ended this life when as appeareth by his Epitaph he had fought at the siege of Algizer against the Saracens in the battels of Benamazin Scluse Cressie Ingenos Poictiers and Nazars in Spaine Then Pedred watereth Martocke a litle market Towne which in times past William of Boloigne King Stephens sonne gave unto Faramuse of Boloigne whose sole heire Sibyll was wedded to Ingelraine Fienes from whom descended the Fienes Barons of Dacre and Lords Say and Sele Parret from hence thorow the mire and moorish plaine countrey holding his course Northward passed by Langport a market Towne well frequented and Aulre a Village consisting of a few poore Cottages which seemeth to have beene a Towne of good account for when King Elfred had given the Danes such an overthrow in battell and by strait siege compelled them to yeeld so farre forth that they tooke an oath immediatly to depart out of his dominions and Godrus their King promised to become Christian as writeth Asserius at this very place he with great pompe was Godfather to the said Godrus at the sacred Font. Beneath this place from the West Parret receiveth into it the river Thone which springing farre of in the West part of this Countrey very neere unto Devonshire runneth thorow most rich and pleasant fields passing downe neere Wivelscomb assigned anciently to the Bishops of Bathe and by Wellington which in the time of King Edward the elder was a land of â—ix Manentes what time hee granted it together with Lediard that had twelve Manentes Hides unto the Bishop of Shirburne Now a prettie market Towne it is and graced most by the habitation there of Sir Iohn Popham For vertuous men and such as have so well deserved of their countrey are not to bee passed in silence a man of an ancient worshipfull house and withall a most upright Iusticer and of singular industry who being Lord chiefe Iustice of the Kings Bench administreth his office toward malefactours with such holesome and available severity that England hath beene beholden unto him a long time for a great part of her private peace and home-securitie For thence with a soft streame and gentle fall Thone runneth by Thonton commonly Taunton and giveth it his name A very fine and proper Towne this is indeed and most pleasantly seated in a word one of the eyes of this shire where Ina King
answered for him at his Baptisme Then Ceadwalla King of the West-Saxons when the said Edelwalch was slaine and Aruandus the petty King of the Island made away annexed to it the Dominion and in a tragicall and lamentable massacre killed every mothers child almost of the inborne Inhabitants and the fourth part of the Isle to wit as much land as contained 300. Hides hee gave unto Bishop Wilfrid The first that instructed the Islanders in the knowledge of Christian religion But these matters Beda will informe you best writing as he doth in these words After then that Ceadwalla had obtained the kingdome of the Gevissi hee wonne also the Isle of Wight which unto that time had beene wholly given to Idolatrie and then endeavoured what he could to make a generall massacre and tragicall slaughter of all the native Inhabitants thereof and instead of them to plant there people of his owne province binding himselfe with a vow although he was not yet regenerate and become Christened and in case he wonne the Isle he would give unto God a fourth part both of it and also of the whole booty Which vow he so paied as that he offered this Isle unto Wilfrid the Bishop who being of his nation hapened then to come thither be present to the use and glory of God The measure of the same Island according to the English mens estimation is proportionable to one thousand and two hundred hides of land Whereupon the Bishop had possession given him of so much Land as rose to three hundred Hides But hee commended that portion which hee received unto one of his Clarkes named Bernwin and his sisters sonne he was giving unto him a priest named Hildila for to minister unto all that were desirous of salvation the word and laver of life Where I thinke it not good to passe over in silence how for the first fruits as one would say of those who of the same Isle were saved by their beleife two young children brethren of the Royall bloud to wit the sonnes of Arvandus King of the Isle were by the especiall favour of GOD crowned with martyrdome For when the enemies approached hard unto the Island these children slipt secretly out of the Isle and were remoâ—ved into the province next adjoyning where being brought to a place called Ad Lapidem when they had committed themselves upon trust to be hidden from the face of the King that was conquerour betraied they were and commanded to be killed Which when a certaine Abbat and Priest named Cynbreth heard who not farre from thence had his monasterie in a place named Reodford that is the Ford of reed hee came unto the King who then in those parts lay secretly at cure of those wounds which hee had received whiles hee fought in the Isle of Wight and requested of him that if there were no remedie but that the children must bee murthered they might yet bee first taught the Sacraments of Christian faith before their death The King granted his petition and hee then having catechised them in the word of truth and bathed them in the fount of salvation assured them of their entrance into the everlasting Kingdome of heaven And so within a while after when the executioner called instantly for them they joyfully suffered that temporall death of the body by which they made no doubt of their passe unto the eternall life of their soules In this order and manner therefore after all the Provinces of Britaine had embraced the faith of Christ the Isle of Wight also received the same in which notwithstanding for the calamitie and trouble of forraine subjection no man tooke the degree of Ministerie and See Episcopall before Daniell who at this day is the Bishop of the West Saxons and the Gevissj Thus much Beda From this time forward our writers for a great while have not one word of Wight unto the yeare of our Lord one thousand sixtie six in which Tostie Hing Haralds brother with certaine men of warre and Rovers ships out of Flanders in hatred of his brother invaded it and after he had compelled the Islanders to pay him tribute departed Some few yeares after as we read in the old booke of Cares broke Priorie which Master Robert Glover Somerset shewed me who carried as it were the Sunne light of ancient Genealogies and Pedigrees in his hand Like as saith this booke William the Bastard conquered England even so William Fitz Osbern his Mareschal and Earle of Hereford conquered the Isle of Wight and was the first Lord of Wight Long after this the Frenchmen in the yeare 1377. came suddenly at unawares under saile invaded and spoiled it and the same French in the yeare 1403. gave the like attempt but in vaine For valiantly they were drived from landing even as in our fathers daies when the French Gallies set one or two small cottages on fire and went their way As touching the Lords of this Isle after that William Fitz-Osbern was forth-with slaine in the warre of Flanders and his sonne Roger outlawed and driven unto exile it fell into the Kings hands and Henrie the First King of England gave it unto Richard Ridvers otherwise called Redvers and de Ripariis Earle of Denshire and withall the Fee or Inheritance of the Towne Christ-Church Where like as at Caresbroke that Richard built certaine Fortresses but Baldwin his sonne in the troublesome time of King Stephen when there were in England so many Tyrants as there were Lords of Forts and Castles who tooke upon them every one to stampe money and challenged other rights of Regall Majestie was by Stephen disseized and expelled from hence Howbeit his posteritie recovered their ancient right whose Genealogie wee have already put downe when wee treated of the Earles of Denshire But in the end Isabell widow to William de Fortibus Earle of Albemarle and Holdernesse sister and heire of Baldwin the last Earle of Devonshire of that house after much intreatie was overcome to make over by charter all her right and interest and to settle it upon King Edward the First with the Manours of Christ-Church and Fawkeshaul c. For foure thousand Markes Ever since which time the Kings of England held the Isle and Henry de Beauchamp Earle of Warwicke was by King Henrie the Sixth unto whom hee was most deere crowned King of Wight and afterwards nominated The first or principall Earle of all England But together with him this new and unusuall title died and vanished quite Afterwards Richard Widevile Earle Rivers was by King Edward the fourth stiled Lord of the Isle of Wight Sir Reginald Bray took it of King Henry the Seventh with whom he was most inward in Fee farme for a rent charg'd of three hundred markes yearely to be paid Also beside these Lords this Isle had a noble Familie named de Insula or Lisle out of which in the raigne of King Edward the Second one was summoned unto the Parliament by the
it with King Henrie the Eighth Somewhat lower hard by Darent standeth Lullingstone where there was sometime a Castle the seat of a family of the same name but now of Sir Percival Hart descended from one of the coheires of the Lord Bray Then Darent giveth name unto Darentford commonly Dartford a great mercat towne well frequented and well watered where King Edward the Third built a Nunnery which King Henry the Eighth converted into a house for himselfe and his successours Heere the rivelet Crey anciently called Crecan intermingleth it selfe with Darent when in his short course hee hath imparted his name to five townelets which hee watereth as Saint Mary Crey Pauls Crey Votes-Crey North Crey and Crey-ford in former ages Crecanford where Hengist the Saxon the eighth yeare after his arrivall joyned battaile with the Brittaines and after he had slaine their captaines brought them under with so great a slaughter that afterwards hee never stood in feare of them but established his kingdome quietly in Kent From the river Darent or Dart unto the mouth of Medway the Thames seeth nothing above him but little townes pleasantly seated which to passe over in silence were no prejudice either of their fame or any thing els Yet amongst them is Swans-combe of which I have heretofore spoken of honorable memorie among the Kentish men for obtaining their the continuance of their ancient franchises afterward it was well knowne by the Montceusies men of great Nobility the owners therof who had there Barony here-about And by it Graves-end so called as Master Lambert is my author as the Gereves-end that is the limit of the Gereve or Reve. A towne as well knowne as any other in England for the usuall passage by water betweene it and London since the Abbat of Grace by the tower of London to which it appertained obtained of King Richard the second that the inhabitants of it and Milton onely should transport passengers from thence to London King Henrie the Eighth when he fortified the sea coast raised two Platformes or Block-houses here and two other opposite on Essex side Beyond Graves-end is Shorn held anciently by Sir Roger Northwood by service to carry with other the kings tennants a white ensigne fortie daies at his owne charges when the King warred in Scotland Somewhat more within the land lieth Cobham the habitation for a long time of the Barons of Cobham of whom Iohn Cobham the last of that name founded a Colledge here and a castle at Cowling who left one onely daughter wife to Sir Iohn de la Pole Knight Shee likewise bare but one daughter though married in her time to many husbands But by Sir Reginald Braibrooke onely had shee issue As for her husband Sir Iohn Old Castle whiles hee endeavoured to bring in innovation in religion was both hanged and burnt Ioane her onely daughter by Sir Reginald Braybrooke was wedded unto Thomas Broke of Somersetshire from whom six Lord Cobhams have lineally descended and flourished in honorable reputation untill our time From Graves-end a little country called Ho lying as a demy Island between rivers Thames and Medway stretcheth it selfe into the East and is for situation but unholsome At the entry hereof is Cowling Castle built by Iohn Lord Cobham in a moorish ground and Cliffe a good bigge towne so called of a cliffe upon which it standeth But whether it bee that Clives at Ho so famous in the tender age and infancie of our English Church by reason of a Synode there holden I dare not as others doe affirme considering that in regard of the site it is a place inconvenient for such an assembly and besides that Clives at Hoo seemeth to have beene within the Kingdome of the Mercians As for the river Medweg now called Medway and in the British tongue unlesse I misse of the truth Vaga whereunto afterward was added Med hath his spring head in the wood Anderida which is termed the Weald that is a Wood-land country and taketh up the South-part of this region farre and wide At first whiles it carrieth but a slender streame it receiveth the Eden by Penshurst the seat anciently as it seemeth by the name of Sir Stephen de Penherst who also was called de Penshester a famous Warden of the Cinque ports but now the house of the Sidneies who derive their race from William de Sidney Chamberlaine to King Henrie the second out of which came Sir Henrie Sidney that renowned Lord deputy of Ireland who of the daughter of Iohn Dudley Duke of Northumberland and Earle of Warwicke begat Philip and Robert This Robert Iames our soveraigne King made right honorable first by the title of Baron Sidney of Penshurst and afterwards of Vicount Lisle But Sir Philip whom I cannot passe over in silence beeing the glorious starre of this familie a lively patterne of vertue and the lovely joy of all the learned sort fighting valerously with the enemy before Zutphen in Gelderland died manfully This is that Sidney whom as Gods will was he should be therefore borne into the world even to shew unto our age a sample of ancient vertues so his good pleasure was before any man looked for it to call for him againe and take him out of the world as beeing more worthy of heaven then earth Thus wee may see Perfect vertue sodainely vanisheth out of sight and the best men continue not long Then the river Medway branching it selfe into five streamlets is joyned with as many stone Bridges and thereof giveth the name of Tunbridge to the towne there situate as the towne of Bridges This about King William Rufus his time Richard sonne of Count Gilbert Grandchild to Godfrey Earle of Ewe Lord of Briony obtained in requitall for Briony in Normandie when there had bin long debate about Briony This Richard as William Gemeticensis writeth in recompence for the same castle received in England the towne of Tunbridge for it And the report goeth that the Lowy of Briony was measured round about with a line and with the same line brought into England hee received so much groūd measured out at Tunbridge Shortly after he built here a faire large castle fenced with the river a deepe ditch and strong walles and albeit it is now ruinous and 〈◊〉 Keepe attired with Ivie yet it manifestly sheweth what it was His posteritie who were Earles of Glocester and surnamed De Clare for that they were Lords of Clare in Suffolke built here a priorie for Chanons of Saint Augustines order founded the parish Church which was impropriated to the Knights of Saint Iohn of Hierusalem and compounded about the tenure of the Mannour for which there had beene long suit to hold it of the Archbishop of Canterburie by Knights fee and to be their high Stewards at their inthronizations From these Clares Earles of Glocester it came by an heire generall to Sir Hugh Audley Earle of Glocester and
thing recorded to posterity by an inscription which continued there a long time engraven in Brasse On this North-West side likewise London hath other great Suburbs and there stood in old time a Watchtowre or military Forefense whence the place was of an Arabicke word called Barbacan and by the gift of King Edward the Third became the dwelling house of the Vffords from whom by the Willoughbies it came to Sir Pengrine Bertey Lord Willoughbey of Eresby a man noble and generous and one of Mars his broode Neither lesse Suburbs runne out on the North-East and East In the fields of which Suburbs whiles I was first writing these matters there were gotten out of the ground many urnes funerall vessels little Images and earthen pots wherein were small peeces of money coined by Claudius Nero Vespasian c. Glasse vials also and sundry small earthen vessels wherein some liquid substance remained which I would thinke to bee either of that sacred oblation of Wine and Milke which the ancient Romanes used when they burnt the dead or else those odoriferous liquours that Statius mentioneth Pharijque liquores Arsuram lavere comam And liquid baulmes from Aegypt-land that came Did wash his haire that ready was for flame This place the Romanes appointed to burne and bury dead bodies who according to the law of the xij Tables carried Coarses out of their Cities and enterred them by the high waies sides to put Passengers in minde that they are as those were subject to mortality Thus much of that part of the City which lieth to the Land Now for that side where the River runneth toward the South banke thereof the Citizens made a Bridge also over the Water reaching to that large Burrough of Southwarke whereof I have already spoken First of wood in that place where before time they used for passage a ferry boat in stead of a Bridge Afterwards under the Raigne of King John they built a new Bridge with admirable workmanship of stone hewen out of the Quarry upon 19. Arches beside the draw-bridge and so furnished it on both sides with passing faire houses joyning one to another in manner of a Street that for bignesse and beauty it may worthily carry away the prise from all the Bridges in Europe In this Burgh of Southwarke to speake onely of things memorable there stood sometime a famous Abbay of Monkes of Saint Benets Order called Bermondsey consecrated in times past unto our Saviour by Aldwin Childe Citizen of London also a stately house built by Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke which having served his turne but a small time was shortly after pulled downe These are extant Saint Thomas Hospitall reedified or founded rather by the City of London for the sustenance of feeble and impotent persons The Priory of the blessed Virgin Mary called Saint Mary Over Rhe because it standeth beyond the River of Tamis in regard of London erected by William Pont del Arche a Norman for blacke Chanons The Bishops house of Winchester built by William Giffard Bishop for his Successours about the yeare of our Lord 1107. From which along the Tamis banke there runneth Westward a continued raunge of dwelling houses where within our fathers remembrance was the Bordello or Lupanarie for so the Latines terme those little roomes or secret chambers of harlots wherein they filthily prostituted their bodies to sale because they after the manner of ravening she-wolves catch hold of silly wretched men and plucke them into their holes But these were prohibited by King Henry the Eighth at which time England was growne to excessive lasciviousnesse and riot which in other Nations are continued for gaine under a specious shew of helping mans infirmity Neither of these Strumpets and brothel-houses doe I thinke that this place in our tongue tooke the name Stewes but of those Ponds or Stewes which are heere to feed Pikes and Tenches fat and to scowre them from the strong and muddy fennish taste Heere have I seene Pikes panches opened with a knife to shew their fatnesse and presently the wide gashes and wounds come together againe by the touch of Tenches and with their glutinous slime perfectly healed up Among these buildings there is a place in manner of a Theater for baiting of Beares and Buls with Dogges and certaine kenels appointed severally for Band-Dogges or Mastives which are of that strength and so sure of bit that three of them are able to take and hold downe a Beare and foure a Lion so that the Poet in old time reported truely of our Dogges in these words Taurorum fracturi colla Britanni The British Dogges are able well To breake the neckes of Buls so fell Like as he that said they were more fierce than the Dogges of Arcadian kinde which are thought to be engendred of Lions What time as the Bridge was thus made betweene London and this Burrough the City was not onely enlarged but also an excellent forme of Common wealth was therein ordained and the Citizens reduced into certaine distinct Corporations and Companies The whole City divided into six and twenty Wards and the Counsell of the City consisted of as many ancient men named of their age in our tongue Aldermen as one would say Senatours who each one have the overseeing and rule of his severall Ward and whereas in ancient time they had for their Head-Magistrate a Portreve that is a Governour of the City King Richard the First ordained two Ballives in stead of whom soone after King John granted them liberty to chuse by their voices yearely out of the twelve principall Companies a Major for their chiefe Magistrate also two Sheriffes whereof the one is called the Kings the other the Cities Sheriffe This forme of Common wealth being thus established it is incredible to tell how much London grew and groweth still in publike and also private buildings whiles all the Cities of England besides decrease For to say nothing of that beautifull peece of worke the Senatâ— house named Guild Hall built by Sir Thomas Knowles Major Leaden Hall a large and goodly building erected by Simon Eire to bee a common Garner in time of dearth to pull downe the price of Corne the Merchants meeting place standing upon Pillars which the common people call the Burse and Queene Elizabeth with a solemne ceremony named The Royall Exchange for the use of Merchants and an ornament to the City set up by Sir Thomas Gresham Citizen and knight a magnificent worke verily whether you respect the modull of the building the resort of Merchants from all Nations thâ—ther or the store of wares there Which Sir Thomas Gresham being withall an exceeding great lover of learning consecrated a most spacious house his owne habitation to the furtherance of learning and instituted there Professours of Divinity Law Physicke Astronomy Geometry and Musicke with liberall salaries and stipends to the end that London might be a place
a great summe of money and pledges withall of his loyalty that it might not be overthrowne and rased Not farre thence from the banke you may see Mettingham where upon a plaine Sir Iohn sirnamed De Norwich Lord of the place built a foure square Castle and a Colledge within it whose daughter and in the end the Heire of the same Family Robert de Vfford aforesaid Earle of Suffolke tooke to Wife with a goodly Inheritance Now Waveney drawing neerer unto the Sea whiles hee striveth in vaine to make himselfe a twofold issue into the Ocean the one together with the River Yare and the other by the meere Luthing maketh a pretty big Demy Isle or Biland which some name Lovingland others more truely Luthingland of Luthing the lake spreading in length and bredth which beginning at the Ocean Shore is discharged into the River Yare At the entrance whereof standeth upon the Sea Lestoffe a narrow and little Towne and at the issue of it Gorlston where I saw the towre steeple of a small suppressed Friery which standeth the Sailers in good stead for a marke Within the land hard by Yare is situate Somerley towne the habitation in ancient time of Fitz Osbert from whom it is come lineally to the worshipfull ancient family of the Iernegans Knights of high esteeme in these parts farther up into the land where Yare and Waveney meet in one streame there flourished Cnobersburg that is as Bede interprereth it Cnobers City we call it at this day Burgh-Castle Which as Bede saith was a most pleasant Castle by reason of woods and Sea together wherein a Monastery was built by Fursaey a holy Scot by whose perswasion Sigebert King of the East-Angles became a Monke and resigned up his Kingdome who afterwards being drawne against his will out of this Monastery to encourage his people in battaile against the Mercians together with his company lost his life In that place now there are only ruinous wals in forme as it were foure square built of flint stone and British Bricke but all overgrown with briers and bushes among which otherwhiles are Romane peeces of coines gotten forth So that it may seeme to have been one of those fortifications that the Romans placed upon the River Y are to represse the piracies of the Saxons or rather that it was the ancient GARIANONUM it selfe where the Stablesian Horsemen had their Station and kepe Ward at the declination of the Romane Empire in Brittaine Suffolke hath had Earles and Dukes out of sundry families There bee of the later writers who report that the Glanvils in times past were honoured with this title But seeing they ground upon no certain authority whereas men may easily mistake and I have found nothing of them in the publike records of the Kingdome they must pardon me if I beleeve them not untill they produce more certainty Yet in the meane while I confesse that the family of the Glanvils in this tract was of right good note and high reputation Neither have I hitherto learned by witnesses of credite that any one was entituled Earle of this Province severally before the daies of King Edward the Third who created Sir Robert Vfford Earle of Suffolke a man much renowned both in peace and warre the sonne of Sir Robert Vfford Steward of the Kings house under King Edward the Second by Cecily de Valoniis Lady of Orford After him succeeded his sonne William who having foure sonnes that were taken away by untimely death during his life died himselfe suddenly in the Parliament house as he was about to report the minde of the Commonalty And then Sir Robert Willoughby Roger Lord Scales and Henrie Ferrars of Groby the next of his blood and his Heires divided the Inheritance betweene them Afterward King Richard the Second promoted Michael De-la-Pole to this Title and made him L. Chancellor of England Who as Thomas Walsingham writeth imployed himselfe more in trafficke and Merchandise as having beene a Merchant and a Merchants sonne than in martiall matters For he was the sonne of William De-la-pole that first Maior of Kyngston upon Hull and for his wealthy Estate adorned by King Edward the Third with the dignity of a Baneret But when as in the prosperous confluence of so many advancements the mans nature was not capable of so great fortunes he was enforced by his adversaries envy to depart out of his Country and so died a banished man His sonne Michael being restored died at the siege of Harflew and againe within one moneth his son Michael was slaine in the battell of Agincourt leaving daughters onely Then William his brother succeeded whom King Henry the sixt so favoured that hee made him also Earle of Penbroke and then Marquesse of Suffolke to him and the heires males of his body And that both hee and the heires of his body should carry the golden rod having a Dove in the top thereof on the Coronation day of the King of England and the like rod or verge Yuory at the Coronation of the Queenes of England And afterwards hee advanced the same William for his great service and deserts to the honour and title of Duke of Suffolke Certes hee was an excellent man in those dayes famous and of great worth For whereas his father and three brethren had in the French wars lost their lives for their Country he as we finde in the Parliament Rols of the 28. of King Henry the Sixth in the same war served full 34. yeeres For seventeene yeeres together he never returned home from warfare being once taken prisoner when he was as yet no better than a private Knight hee paid downe for his ransome twenty thousand pounds of our English mony hee was of the Kings privy Counsell 15. yeeres and a Knight of the Order of the Garter 30. Hereupon as he stood in especiall grace and favour with his Prince so he incurred therefore the greater envy of the common people and some emulatours being grievously charged with treason and misprisions And therefore called before the King and Lords of the Parliament after he had answered the Articles objected referred himselfe to the Kings order Whereupon the Chancellor by the Kings commandement pronounced that whereas the Duke did not put himselfe upon his Peeres the King touching the Articles of treason would be doubtfull and as for the Articles of misprision not as a Judge by advice of the Lords but as one to whose order the Duke had submitted himselfe did banish him the realme and all other his dominions for five yeeres But when he was embarked for France he was by his adversaries intercepted upon the sea and beheaded He left a son nam'd Iohn De-la-Pole who wedded K. Edward the fourth his sister and of her begate Iohn Earle of Lincolne by K. Richard the Third proclaimed heire apparant of the Crowne whose ambitious minde puffed up and giddy therewith could not containe it selfe but soone after brake out
our Historians call Kings-delfe not farre from that great Lake Wittlesmere And as this Abbay did adorne the East side of the Shire so the middle thereof was beautified by Salâ—rie which the second Simon de Sancto Lizio Earle of Huntingdon built From which not farre is Cunnington holden anciently of the Honour of Huntingdon where within a foure square Trench are to be seene expresse remaines of an ancient Castle which as also Saltrie was by the gift of Canutus the seat of Turkill that Dane who abode heere among the East English and sent for Sueno King of Denmarke to make spoile of England After whose departure Waldeof the sonne of Siward Earle of Northumberland enjoyed it who married Judith Niece to William the Conquerour by his sister on the mothers side by whose eldest daughter it came to the royall family of Scotland For she by a second marriage matched with David Earle of Huntingdon who afterwards obtained the Kingdome of Scotland being the younger sonne of Malcolm Can-mor King of Scots and of Margaret his wife descended of the royall line of the English-Saxons For shee was Niece to King Edmund Iron-side by his sonne Edward sirnamed The Banished David had a sonne named Henry and Henry had another named David Earle of Huntingdon by one of whose daughters Isabel Cunnington and other lands by right of marriage descended to Sir Robert Bruse from whose eldest sonne Robert sirnamed the Noble James King of Great Britaine lineally deriveth his Descent and from Bernard his younger sonne unto whom this Cunnington with Exton fell Sir Robert Cotton Knight is lineally descended who over and beside other vertues being a singular lover and searcher of Antiquities having gathered with great charges from all places the Monuments of venerable Antiquity hath heere begunne a famous Cabinet whence of his singular courtesie hee hath oftentimes given me great light in these darksome obscurities But these Quarters considering the ground lying so low and for many moneths in the yeare surrounded and drowned in some places also floting as it were and hoven up with the waters are not free from the offensive noisomnesse of Meres and the unwholesome aire of the Fennes Here for sixe miles in length and three in breadth that cleare deepe and fishfull Mere named Wittles-mere spreadeth it selfe which as other Meres in this Tract doth sometimes in Calmes and faire weather sodainly rise tempestuously as it were into violent water-quakes to the danger of the poore fishermen by reason as some thinke of evaporations breaking violently out of the bowels of the earth As for the unhealthinesse of the place whereunto onely strangers and not the natives there are subject who live long and healthfully there is amends made as they account it by the commodity of fishing the plentifull feeding and the abundance of turfe gotten for fewell For King Cnut gave commandement by Turkill the Dane of whom ere while I spake That to every Village standing about the Fennes there should bee set out a severall Marsh who so divided the ground that each Village by it selfe should have in proper use and occupation so much of the very maine Marsh as the firme ground of every such Village touched the Marsh lying just against it And be ordained that no Village might either digge or mow in the Marsh of another without licence but that the pasture therein should lye all in common that is Horne under horne for the preservation of peace and concord among them But thus much of this matter When the sonnes and servants of the said King Cnut sent for from Peterborough to Ramsey were in passing over that Lake There fell upon them as they were cheerefull under saile and lifting up their voices with joyfull shoutings most untoward and unhappy windes wherewith a turbulent and tempestuous storme arose that enclosed them on every side so that laying aside all hope they were in utter despaire of their life security or any helpe at all But such was the mercifull clemency of Almighty God that it forsooke them not wholy nor suffered the most cruell Gulfe of the waters to swallow them up all quite but by his providence some of them he delivered mercifully out of those furious and raging waves but others againe according to his just and secret judgement he permitted amiddest those billowes to passe out of this fraile and mortall life And when the fame of so fearefull a danger was noised abroad and come to the Kings eares there fell a mighty trembling and quaking upon him but being comforted and releeved by the counsaile of his Nobles and freinds for to prevent in time to come all future mishaps by occasion of that outragious monster hee ordained that his souldiers and servants with their swords and skeins should set out and marke a certaine Ditch in the Marishes lying thereby betweene Ramsey and Whittlesey and afterwards that workemen and labourers should skoure and clense them whereupon as I have learned of ancient predecessours of good credite the said Ditch by some of the neighbour Inhabitants tooke the name Swerdesdelfe upon that marking out by swords and some would have it to bee termed Cnouts-delfe according to the name of the same King Yet commonly at this day they call it Steeds dike and it is counted the limit and bound between this County and Cambridge-shire In the East side of this Shire Kinnibantum Castle now called Kimbolton the habitation in times past of the Mandevilles afterwards of the Boâ—uns and Staffords and at this day of the Wingfields doth make a faire shew Under which was Stoneley a prety Abbay founded by the Bigrames A little from hence is Awkenbury which King John gave to David Earle of Huntingdon and John sirnamed the Scot his sonne unto Sir Stephen Segrave of whom I am the more willing to make mention for that he was one of those Courtiers who hath taught us That there is no power alwaies powerfull Hardly and with much adoe hee climbed to an eminent and high estate with great thought and care hee kept it and as sodainely hee was dejected from it For in his youth of a Clerke he became a Knight and albeit hee was but of meane parentage yet through his industry toward his later dayes so enriched and advanced that being ranged with the great Peeres of the Realme hee was reputed chiefe Justice of England and managed at his pleasure after a sort all the affaires of State But in the end he lost the Kings favour quite and to his dying day lay close in a Cloyster and who before time from a Clerkship betooke himselfe through arrogancy to secular service returning againe to the office of a Clerke resumed the shaven crowne which hee had forsaken without the counsell and advise of the Bishop Not farre from hence is Leighton where Sir Gervase Clifton knight lately made Baron Clifton beganne to build a goodly house and close to it lyeth Spaldwicke
with his streame at Buldewas commonly Bildas there flourished a faire Abbay the Sepulture in times past of the noble Family of the Burnels Patrons thereof Higher into the Country there is a Mansion or Baiting Towne named Watling street of the situation upon the foresaid Rode way or street And hard by it are seene the Reliques of Castle Dalaley which after that Richard Earle of Arundell was attainted King Richard the Second by authority of the Parliament annexed to the Principality of Chester which hee had then erected And not farre from the foote of the foresaid Wreken in an hollow Valley by that high street before mentioned Oken-yate a little Village well knowne for the plentifull delfe there of pit-cole lieth so beneath and just at the same distance as Antonine placeth VSOCONA both from URICONIUM and also from PENNOCRUCIUM that no man need to doubt but that this Oken-yate was that USOCONA Neither doth the name it selfe gainesay it for this word Ys which in the British tongue signifieth Lowe may seeme added for to note the low situation thereof On the other side beneath this Hill appeareth Charleton Castle in ancient times belonging to the Charletons Lords of Powis and more Eastward next of all unto Staffordshire Tong-Castle called in old time Toang which the Vernons not long since repaired as also the College within the Towne which the Pembridges as I have read first founded Neither have the Inhabitants any thing heere more worth shewing than a Bell for the bignesse thereof very famous in all those parts adjoyning Hard to this lieth Albrighton which in the Raigne of King Edward the First was the seat of Sir Raulph de Pichford but now of the Talbotts branched from the Family of the Earles of Shrewesbury But above Tong was Lilleshul Abbay in a woodland Country founded by the family of Beaumeis whose heire was marryed into the house of De La Zouch But seeing there is little left but ruines I will leave it and proceed forward Beyond the river Terne on the brinke thereof standeth Draiton where in the civill warres between the houses of Lancaster and Yorke a field was fought that cost many a Gentleman of Cheshire his life For they although the battaile was given up almost on even hand when they could not agree among themselves but tooke part with both sides were slaine by heapes and numbers on either side Beneath this Draiton and nere enough to Terne lieth Hodnet wherein dwelt sometimes Gentlemen of the same name from whom hereditarily it is come by the Ludlows unto the Vernons It was held in times past of the Honour of Mont-Gomery by service to bee Seneschall or Steward of the same Honour After this Terne having passed haâ—d by certaine little rurall Townes taketh in unto him the Riveret Roden and when hee hath gone a few miles further neere unto Uriconium of which I spake even now falleth into the Severn Upon this Roden whiles hee is but new come from his spring head standeth Wem where are to be seene the tokens of a Castle long since begun there to be built This was the Barony after the first entry of the Normans of William Pantulph from whose Posterity it came at length to the Butlers and from them by the Ferrars of Ousley and the Barons of Greystock unto the Barons D'acre of Gillesland Within a little of this upon an high hill well wooded or upon a cliffe rather which sometime was called Radcliffe stood a Castle mounted aloft called of the reddish stone Red-Castle and in the Normans language Castle Rous the seat in old time of the Audleies through the liberall bounty of Lady Maude Le Strange But now there remaineth no more but desolate walles which yet make a faire shew Scarce a mile from hence lyeth all along the dead carcasse as it were of a small City now well neere consumed But the peeces of Romane money and those brickes which the Romans used in building there found doe testifie the antiquity and founders thereof The neighbour Inhabitants use to call it Bery as one would say Burgh and they report that it was a most famous place in King Arthurs daies as the common sort ascribe whatsoever is ancient and strange to King Arthurs glory Then upon the same River Morton Corbet anciently an house of the Family of Turet afterward a Castle of the Corbets sheweth it selfe where within our remembrance Robert Corbet carryed away with the affectionate delight of Architecture began to build in a barraine place a most gorgeous and stately house after the Italians modell But death prevented him so that he left the new worke unfinished and the old Castle defaced These Corbets are of ancient Nobility in this Shire and held Lordships by service of Roger Montgomery Earle of this County about the comming in of the Normans for Roger the son of Corbet held Huelebec Hundeslit Acton Fern-leg c. Robert the sonne of Corbet held land in Ulestanton Rotlinghop Branten and Udecot And in later ages this family farre and fairely propagated received encrease both of revenew and great alliance by the marriage of an heire of Hopton More Southward standeth Arcoll the habitation of the Newports knights of great worship descended from the Barons Grey of Codnor and the Lords of Mothwy and neere unto it is Hagmond Abbay which the Lords Fitz Alanes if they did not found yet they most especially endowed Not much lower upon Severn standeth most pleasantly the famousest City for so it was called in Domesday booke of this Shire risen by the ruine of Old Uriconium which wee at this day call Shrewsbury and Shrowsbury having mollified the name whereas our Ancestours called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that it was anciently a very thicket of shrobs upon an hill In which sense both the Greekes tearmed their Bessa and our Welsh Britans named this also Pengwerne that is The high plot planted with Alders and a Palace so named continued heere a long time But whence it is that it is called now in the British tongue Ymwithig and by the Normans Scropesbery Sloppesbery and Salop and in the Latin tongue Salopia I am altogether ignorant unlesse it should bee the ancient name Scobbes-beng diversely distorted and dis-jointed Yet some skilfull in the British tongue thinke verily it is called Ymwithig as one would say Placentia or Plaisance of a British word Mewithau and that their Poets the Bardi so named it because of all others it best pleased the Princes of Wales in times past It is seated upon an Hill of a reddish earth and Severn having two very faire Bridges upon it gathering himselfe in manner round in forme of a circle so compasseth it that were it not for a small banke of firme land it might goe for an Island And thence it is that Leland the Antiquarian Poet wrote thus Edita Penguerni latè fastigia splendent Urbs sita lunatâ— veluti
it at this day which Sir Rhise ap Thomas that warlike Knight who assisted Henry the Seventh when he gat the Crowne and was by him right worthily admitted unto the Society of the Knights of the Garter renewed whereas before time it was named Elmelin Which name if the Englishmen gave unto it of Elme-trees their conjecture is not to bee rejected who will have it to bee that LOVENTIUM of the DIMETAE whereof Ptolomee maketh mention For the Britans call Elmes Llwiffen But seeing I can finde by no record in Histories which if the Normans first wrested this Country out of the hands of the Princes of Wales I am to proceed now orderly to the description of Pembroch-shire It hath Parishes 87. PENBROK Comitatus olim Pars DEMETARVM PENBROKE-SHIRE THE Sea now retyring Southward and with a mighty compasse and sundry Bayes incurving the shores presseth on every side upon the County of PENBROKE commonly called PENBROKE-SHIRE which in the old Bookes is named The lawfull County of Pembroch and of some West-Wales unlesse it be in the East side where Caermarden-shire and on the North where a part of Cardigan-shire boundeth upon it A Country plentifull in Corne stored with Cattaile and full of marle and such kinde of fatty earth to make the ground fertile and not destitute of pit cole This Land as saith Giraldus is apt to beare Wheat plentifully served with sea-fish and saleable wine and that which is farre above the rest by reason that Ireland confineth so neere upon it of a very temperate and wholsome aire First and formost upon the shore descending Southward Tenby a proper fine Towne well governed by a Major and strongly walled toward the Land looketh downe into the sea from a dry cliffe very famous because it is a commodious road for ships and for abundance also of fish there taken whereupon in the British tongue it is called Tenby-y-Piscoid and hath for Magistrates a Major and a Bailiffe From thence the shore giving backe Westward sheweth the Reliques of Manober Castle which Giraldus calleth The Mansion of Pyrhus in whose time as himselfe writeth It was notably fortified with Towres and Bulwarkes having on the West side a large Haven and on the North-West and North under the very walles an excellent fish-poole goodly to behold as well for the beauty thereof as the depth of the water From hence runneth the shore along not many miles continuate but at length the land shrinketh backe on both sides giving place unto the sea which encroching upon it a great way maketh the Haven which the Englishmen call Milford Haven than which there is not another in all Europe more noble or safer such variety it hath of nouked Bayes and so many coves and creekes for harbour of ships wherewith the bankes are on every side indented and that I may use the Poets words Hic exarmatum terris cingentibus aequor Clauditur placidam discit servare quietem The Sea disarmed heere of windes within high banke and hill Enclosed is and learnes thereby to be both calme and still For to make use of the Mariners words and their distinct termes there are reckoned within it 16. Creekes 5. Baies and 13. Rodes knowne every one by their severall names Neither is this Haven famous for the secure safenesse thereof more than for the arrivall therein of King Henry the Seuenth a Prince of most happy memory who from hence gave forth unto England then hopelesse the first signall to hope well and raise it selfe up when as now it had long languished in civill miseries and domesticall calamities within it selfe Upon the innermore and East Creeke of this Haven in the most pleasant Country of all Wales standeth Penbroke the Shire-towne one direct street upon a long narrow point all rocke and a forked arme of Milford Haven ebbing and flowing close to the Towne walles on both sides It hath a Castle but now ruinate and two Parish Churches within the wals and is incorporate of a Major Bailiffes and Burgesses But heare Giraldus who thus describeth it A tongue of the sea shooting forth of Milford Haven in the forked end encloseth the principall towne of the whole Country and chiefe place of Dimetia seated upon the ridge of a certaine craggy and long shaped Rocke And therefore the Britans called it Penbro which signifieth as much as a head of the Sea and wee in our tongue Penbroke Arnulph of Montgomery brother to Robert Earle of Shrewsbury first in the time of King Henry the First fortified this place with a Castle a very weake and slender thing God wote of stakes and turfes which afterwards he returning into England delivered unto Girald of Windsor his Constable and Captaine to bee kept with a Garison of few Souldiers and immediately the Welshmen of all South Wales laid siege unto the said Castle But such resistance made Girald and his company more upon a resolute courage than with any forcible strength that they missed of their purpose and dislodged Afterwards the said Girald fortified both Towne and Castle from whence hee invaded the Country round about it farre and neere and at length that as well his owne estate as theirs that were his followers and dependants might the better grow to greatnesse in these parts he tooke to wife Nesta sister to Gruffin the Prince of whom he begat a goodly faire Progeny by the which as saith that Giraldus who descended from him The Englishmen both kept still the Sea Coasts of South Wales and wonne also the walles of Ireland For all those noble families of Giralds or Giraldines in Ireland whom they call Fitz Girald fetch their descent from the said Girald In regard of the tenure of this Castle and Towne of the Castle and Towne likewise of Tinbigh of the Grange of Kings Wood of the Commot of Croytarath and of the Manors of Castle Martin and Tregoire Reinold Grey at the Coronation of King Henry the Fourth made suite to carry the second sword but in vaine For answere was made that those Castles and Possessions were in the Kings hands as Pembroke Towne still is Upon another Creeke also of this haven Carew Castle sheweth it selfe which gave both name and originall to the notable Family de Carew who avouch themselves to have beene called aforetime de Montgomery and have beene perswaded that they are descended from that Arnulph de Montgomery of whom I spake erewhile Into this Haven there discharge themselves with their out-lets joyned almost in one two rivers which the Britans tearme Gledawh that is if you interpret it Swords whereupon themselves use to tearme it Aber du gledhaw that is The out-let of two swords Hard by the more Easterly of them standeth Slebach a Commandery in times past of Saint Johns Knights of Jerusalem which with other lands Wizo and Walter his sonne gave in old time unto that holy Order of Knighthood that they might serve as Gods Knights
part of the Shire Nature hath loftily areared it up farre and neere with Mountaines standing thicke one by another as if she would here have compacted the joynts of this Island within the bowels of the earth and made this part thereof a most sure place of refuge for the Britans in time of adversitie For there are so many roughes and Rocks so many vales full of Woods with Pooles heere and there crossing over them lying in the way betweene that no Armie nay not so much as those that are lightly appoynted can finde passage A man may truely if he please terme these Mountaines the British Alpes for besides that they are the greatest of the whole Island they are no lesse steepe also with cragged and rent Rockes on every side than the Alpes of Italie yea and all of them compasse one Mountaine round about which over-topping the rest so towreth up with his head aloft in the aire as he may seeme not to threaten the Skie but to thrust his head up into Heaven And yet harbour they the Snow for all the yeere long they be hory with Snow or rather with an hardened crust of many Snowes felted together Whence it is that all these hilles are in British by one name termed Craig Eriry in English Snow-don which in both languages sound as much as Snowie Mountaines like as Niphates in Armenia and Imaus in Scythia tooke their names as Plinie witnesseth of Snow Neverthelesse so ranke are they with grasse that it is a very common speech among the Welsh That the Mountaines Eriry will yeeld sufficient pasture for all the Cattaile in Wales if they were put upon them together Concerning the two Meares on the toppe of these in the one of which floreth a wandring Island and in the other is found great store of Fishes but having all of them but one eye a peece I will say nothing left I might seeme to foster fables although some confident upon the authoritie of Giraldus have beleeved it for a veritie Yet certaine it is that there be in the very toppe of these Mountaines Pooles in deed and standing Waters whereupon Gervase of Tilbury in his Booke entituled Otia Imperialia writeth thus In the Land of Wales within the bounds of great Britain there be high Hilles that haue laied their foundations upon most hard Rockes and in the toppe thereof the earth is crusted over with such a coate of waterish moisture that wheresoever a man doe but lightly set his foote he shall perceive the ground to stirre the length of a stones cast from him whereupon when the enemies came the Welsh with their agility and nimblenesse lightly leaping over the boggy ground either avoide the enemies assaults or to their losse resolutely expect their forces These Mountainers John Salisbury in his Polycraticon by a new forged Latine name termed Nivicollinos that is Snow-down inhabitants of whom in King Henry the Second his daies he wrote thus The Snow-downe Britans make inrodes and being now come out of their Caves and lurking holes of the Woods enlarge their borders possesse the plaines of the Noble men and whiles themselves looke on they assault they winne and overthrow them or else keepe the same to their owne behoofe because our youth which is so daintily brought up and loves to be house-birds and to live lazie in the shade being borne onely to devoure the fruits of the earth and to fill the belly sleepes untill it be broad day light c. But come wee downe now from the Mountaines into the Champion Plaines which because we finde no where else but by the Sea side it may suffice to coast only along the shore The Promontory which I said before shooteth out toward the South-west is in Ptolomee called according to the diversitie of copies CANGANUM JANGANUM and LANGANUM Which is the truest name I know not but LANGANUM it may seeme considering that the inhabitants name it at this day Lhein which runneth forth with a narrow and even by-by-land having larger and more open fields than the rest of the Country and the same yeelding Barley most plenteously Two little Townes it sheweth and no more that are memorable Farther within upon the Creeke is Pullhely that is that Salt Meare or Poole more outward by the Irish Sea hat beateth upon the other side of the Bi-land is Nevin a Village having a Merket kept in it wherein the Nobility of England in the yeere of our Lord 1284. in a Triumph over the Welsh did celebrate the memory of Arthur the great as Florilegus writeth with Iustes Turnaments and festivall pompe If any other Townes flourished here then were they destroied when Hugh Earle of Chester Robert of Rudland and Guarin of Salop entring into this Country first of all the Normans so wasted this Promontory that for the space of seven whole yeeres it lay dispeopled and desolate From Nevin the shore pointed and endented with one or two elbowes lying out into the sea tendeth Northward and then turning afront North-east by a narrow sea or Frith they call it Menai it serveth the Isle Anglesey from the firme land Upon this straight or narrow sea stood SEGONTIUM a City which Antonine the Emperour maketh mention of some reliques of the walles I saw neere unto a little Church built in honour of Saint Pulblicius It tooke the name of a River running by the side of it which yet at this day is called Seiont and issueth out of the Poole Lin-Peru In which there is a kinde of fish peculiar to that water and seene no where else called by the dwellers there Tor-coch of the belly that is somewhat red Now seeing that in an ancient copie of Ptolomee SETANTIORUM PORTUS is here placed which according to other copies is set farther off if I should reade in stead of it SEGONTIORUM PORTUS that is the Haven of the Segontians and say it stood upon the mouth of this River I should perhaps aime at the truth if not yet should I obtaine pardon for my conjecture of a courteous Reader This Citie Ninnius called Caer Custenith and hee that wrote the life of Gruffin the Sonne of Conan recordeth that Hugh Earle of Chester built a Castle in Hean Caer Custenith that is as the Latine Interpreter translâ—teth it in the auncient Citie of Constantine the Emperour And Matthew of Westminster writeth but let him make it good if he can that the bodie of Constantius Father to Constantine the Great was here found in the yeere of our Lord 1283. and honourably bestowed in the Church of the new Citie by the commandement of King Edward the First Who out of the ruines of this Towne at the same time raised the Citie Caer-narvon somewhat higher upon the Rivers mouth so as that on the West and North-sides it is watered therewith Which as it was called Caer-narvon because it standeth right ouer against the Island Mona for so much
a mercate towne well knowne which river watereth Stokesley a little mercate towne likewise that hath a long time appertained to the Noble family of Eure. Beneath which places Wharton Castle belonging in times past to the Barons Menill and Harlsey to the family of Hotham and afterward to Stragwaies now wrestle with old age and hardly hold up their heads The mouth of Tees aforesaid suspected in times past of sailers is now found to be a sure road and harbour and to give direction for safe accesse and entrance unto it there are erected on both sides thereof within our remembrance high turrets with light Foure miles from this Tees mouth standeth Gisburgh on high now a small towne but whiles it stood in flourishing estate it was right glorious for a very faire and rich Abbay built by Robert de Brus Lord of the place about the yeere of our Salvation 1119 and for the common buriall place of all the gentry and nobility in this tract which also brought forth Walter de Heminford no unlearned Historiographer This verily is a passing good place and may well for pleasantnesse delightsome variety and rare gifts of Nature contend with Puteoli in Italy which in regard of healthy situation it also farre excelleth The aire is mollified and made more mild by the mountaines seated betweene it and what way the sea yeeldeth a cold and winterly disposition the soile fruitfull and plenteous in grasse affordeth delectable floures a great part of the yeere and richly aboundeth with vaines of metall and Alum-earth of sundry colours but especially of ocher and murray likewise of iron out of which they have now begunne to try very good Alum and Coperose Which with learned skill and cunning not many yeeres since Sir Thomas Chalâ—ner Knight a learned searcher into natures workes and unto whose charge our most high and mightie King hath committed his son Prince Henry the lovely joy and delight of Brittaine first discovered by observing that the leaves of trees were of a more weak greene colour here than in other places that the oakes had their rootes spreading broad but very eb within the ground the which had much strength but small store of sappe that the earth standing upon clay and being of divers colours whitish yellowish and blew was never frozen and in a cleere night glittered in the pathes like unto glasse Not farre off Onusbery or Rosebery Topping mounteth up a mighty height and maketh a goodly shew a farre off serving unto sailers for a marke of direction and to the neighbour inhabitants for a prognostication For so often as the head thereof hath his cloudy cap on lightly there followeth raine whereupon they have a Proverbiall Rhime when Rosebery Topping weares a cap Let Cliveland then beware a clap Neere unto the top of it out of an huge rocke there floweth a spring of water medicinable for diseased eies and from hence there is a most goodly and pleasant prospect downe into the vallies below lying a great way about to the hils full of grasse greene meddowes delightsome pastures fruitfull corne fields riverets stored with fish the river Tees mouth full of rodes and harbours the ground plaine and open without danger of inundation and into the sea with ships therein under saile Beneath it standeth Kildale a Castle of the Percies Earles of Northumberland and more Eastward Danby which from Brus also by the Thwengs came unto the Baron Latimers from whose heire descended the Willoughbeies Barons of Brooke But this Danby with other possessions was sold to the Nevills of which family Sir George Nevill was by King Henry the sixth called among the Barons to the Parliaments under the name of Lord Latimer in whose progenie and posterity this dignity hath continued unto our daies There remaineth nothing else heere for me to note but that the Barons Meinill held certaine lands in this shire of the Archbishops of Canterbury and for the same the Coigniers Strangwaies and Darcies descended from them are bound to performe certaine service to the said Archbishops And whereas the King of England by his Prerogative shall have the Wardship these bee the very words of the Praerogative of all their lands who hold of him in chiefe by Knights service of which themselves as tenants shall be seized in their Demesne as of Fae the day whereon they die of whomsoever they held by the like service so that themselves notwithstanding hold of the King any tenement of the ancient demesne of the Crowne unto the full and lawfull age of the heire Yet are excepted these Fees and others of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Durrham betweene Tine and Tees c. so that they may have the Wardship of such lands although elsewhere they held of the King Farther within the country among the mountaines of Blaca amore there offereth it selfe besides wandering beakes and violent swift brookes which challenge the vallies every where as their owne to passe through no memorable thing unlesse it be Pickering a good bigge towne belonging to the Dutchy of Lancaster situate upon an hill and fortified with an old Castle unto which a number of small villages lying there round about doe appertaine whereupon the country adjoyning is commonly called Pickering Lith The Libertie of Pickering and Forest of Pickering the which King Henry the Third gave unto his younger sonne Edmund Earle of Lancaster Wherein neere unto the river Darwent standeth Atton that gave name unto the right noble family of the Attons Knights descended from the Lords Vescy the inheritance of which family was by the daughters parted betweene Edward Saint Iohn the Evers and the Coigniers Now from Edward Saint Iohn a great portion thereof came by a daughter to Henrie Bromflet Which Henrie verily was summoned to the High court of Parliament by these expresse termes elsewhere not to be found in Summons Our Will is that both yee and your heires males of your body lawfully issuing be Barons of Vescy Afterwards that title passed away by a daughter to the Cliffords On the otherside foure miles from Pickering neere unto Dow a swift running riveret lieth Kirkby-Morside hard unto the hilles whereof it had that name a Market towne not of the meanest reckoning and the possession sometime of the Estotevilles Behind these Westward Rhidal lieth low a goodly pleasant and plentifull vale adorned with three and twenty Parish-churches through the mids wherof runneth the river Rhie A place as saith William of Newburrough wast desolate and full of horrour before that Walter Espec had granted it to the Monkes of the Cluniak order and founded there an Abbay In this vale is Elmesly seated which if I deceive not my selfe Bede called Vlmetum where that Robert called de Rosse surnamed Fursan built a Castle nere unto which the river Recall hideth it selfe under the ground More beneath hard by the river side standeth Riton an ancient possession of the ancient familie of the Percihaies commonly
or Band of the Exploratores with their Captaine kept their station heere under the dispose of the Generall of Britaine as appeareth for certaine out of the NOTICE of Provinces where it is named LAVATRES But whereas such Bathes as these were called also in Latine Lavacra some Criticke no doubt will pronounce that this place was named LAVATRAE in stead of LAVACRA yet would I rather have it take the name of a little river running neere by which as I heare say is called Laver. As for the later name Bowes considering the old Towne was heere burnt downe to the ground as the inhabitants with one voice doe report I would thinke it grew upon that occasion For that which is burnt with fire the Britans still at this day doe terme Boeth and by the same word the Suburbes of Chester beyond the River Dee which the Englishmen call Hanbridge the Britans or Welshmen name Treboeth that is The burnt Towne because in a tumult of the Welshmen it was consumed with fire Heere beginneth to rise that high hilly and solitary Country exposed to winde and raine which because it is stony is called in our native language Stane more All heere round about is nothing but a wilde Desert unlesse it bee an homely Hostelry or Inne in the very middest thereof called The Spitle on Stane more for to entertaine waifaring persons and neere to it is a fragment of a Crosse which wee call Rerecrosse the Scots Reicrosse as one would say The Kings Crosse. Which Crosse Hector Boetius the Scottish Writer recordeth to have beene erected as a meere stone confining England and Scotland what time as King William the Conquerour granted Cumberland unto the Scots on this condition that they should hold it of him as his Tenants and not attempt any thing prejudiciall or hurtfull to the Crowne of England And a little lower upon the Romanes high street there stood a little Fort of the Romans built foure square which at this day they call Maiden-Castle From whence as the borderers reported the said High way went with many windings in and out as farre as to Caer Vorran in Northumberland There have beene divers Earles of Richmond according as the Princes favour enclined and those out of divers families whom I will notwithstanding set downe as exactly and truely as I can in their right order The first Earles were out of the house of little Britaine in France whose descent is confusedly intricate amongst their owne Writers for that there were two principall Earles at once one of Haulte Britaine and another of Base Britaine for many yeeres and every one of their children had their part in Gavell kinde and were stiled Earles of Britaine without distinction But of these the first Earle of Richmond according to our Writers and Records was Alane sirnamed Feregaunt that is The Red sonne of Hoel Earle of Britaine descended from Hawise great Aunt to William Conquerour who gave this Country unto him by name of the lands of Earle Eadwin in Yorke-shire and withall bestowed his daughter upon him by whom he had no issue He built Richmond Castle as is before specified to defend himselfe from disinherited and outlawed Englishmen in those parts and dying left Britaine to his sonne Conan Le Grosse by a second wife But Alane the Blacke sonne of Eudo sonne of Geffrey Earle of Britaine and Hawise aforesaid succeeded in Richmond and he having no childe lest it to Stephen his brother This Stephen begat Alan sirnamed Le Savage his sonne and successour who assisted king Stephen against Maude the Empresse in the battaile at Lincolne and married Bertha one of the heires of Conan Le Grosse Earle of Hault Britaine by whom hee had Conan Le Petit Earle of both Britaine 's by hereditary right as well as of Richmond Hee by the assistance of King Henrie the Second of England dispossessed Endo Vicount of Porhoet his Father in Lawe who usurped the Title of Britaine in right of the said Bertha his Wife and ended his life leaving onely one daughter Constance by Margaret sister to Malcolne king of the Scots Geffrey third Sonne to King Henry the Second of England was advanced by his Father to the marriage of the said Constance whereby hee was Earle of Britaine and Richmond and begat of her Arthur who succeeded him and as the French write was made away by King Iohn his Unkle True it is indeed that for this cause the French called King Iohn into question as Duke of Normandy And notwithstanding he was absent and not heard once to plead neither confessing ought nor convicted yet by a definitive sentence they condemned him and awarded from him Normandy and his hereditary possessions in France Albeit himselfe had promised under safe conduct to appeare in personally at Paris there to make answere as touching the death of Arthur who as a Liege subject had bound himselfe by oath to bee true and loyall unto him and yet started backe from his allegeance raised a rebellion and was taken prisoner in battaile At which time this question was debated whether the Peeres of France might give judgement of a King annointed and therefore superiour considering that a greater dignity drowneth the lesser and now one and the same person was both King of England and Duke of Normandy But whither doe I digresse After Arthur these succeeded orderly in the Earldome of Richmond Guy Vicount of Thovars unto whom the foresaid Constance was secondly married Ranulph the third Earle of Chester the third husband of the said Constance Peter of Dreux descended from the bloud royall of France who wedded Alice the onely daughter of Constance by her husband abovenamed Guy Then upon dislike of the house of Britaine Peter of Savoy Unkle by the mothers side unto Eleonor the wife of king Henry the Third was made Earle of Richmond who for feare of the Nobles and Commons of England that murmured against strangers preferred to honours in England voluntarily surrendred up this Honour which was restored to Iohn Earle of Britaine sonne to Peter of Dreux After whom succeeded Iohn his sonne the first Duke of Britaine who wedded Beatrice daughter to Henry the Third King of England Whose sonne Arthur was Duke of Britaine and as some write Earle of Richmond Certes John of Britaine his younger brother immediately after the fathers death bare this honourable Title And he added unto the ancient Armes of Drewx with the Canton of Britaine the Lions of England in Bordeur Hee was Guardian of Scotland under King Edward the Second and there taken and detained prisoner for three yeeres space and dyed at length without issue in the Raigne of Edward the Third And John Duke of Britaine his nephew the sonne of Arthur succeeded in this Earledome After his decease without children when there was hote contention about the Dutchy of Britaine betweene John Earle of Montfort of the halfe bloud and Joane his brothers daughter and heire
seeking for moisture get under the ground and men goe a fishing with spades But that in Paphlagonia many and those good fishes are gotten by digging in places nothing watery there is some secret and peculiar reason thereof in Nature and pleasantly wrote Seneca Why should not fishes enter and passe into the land if we passe over the Sea From hence the open shore shooteth out with a great bent and more within land from the sea standeth Ormeskirke a mercate towne well knowne by reason of the sepulture there of the Stanleys Earles of Derby whose chiefe seat Latham is hard by a stately house which they have enlarged continually ever since King Henry the Fourth his dayes what time Sir John Stanley knight father to John Lord deputy of Ireland descended of the same stemme whence the Barons de Audley married the daughter and heire of Sir Thomas Latham a right noble knight who brought to him for her dowrie this faire inheritance with many other possessions And from that time have the Stanleys planted their seat heere of whom Thomas the sonne of Thomas Lord Stanley was by King Henry the seventh created Earle of Derby and had issue by Eleonor Nevill daughter to the Earle of Salisbury George Lord Strange for he had wedded Joan the onely daughter and heire of John Baron Le Strange of Knockin who dying in his fathers life time begat a sonne named Thomas the second Earle of Derby unto whom Anne the daughter of Edward Lord Hastings bare Edward the third Earle of Derby who begat of Dorothea daughter of Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolke Henry the fourth Earle who married Margaret daughter of Henry Clifford Earle of Cumberland mother unto Ferdinando the fifth Earle lately deceased and to William now the sixth Earle who succeeded his brother but I forget my selfe now when as I have formerly remembred as much Duglesse a riveret creepeth and stealeth along quietly by this place neere unto which our noble Arthur as Ninnius writeth put the Saxons to flight in a memorable battaile At the head hereof standeth the towne Wiggin called in ancient times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which name I have nothing else to say but that in Lancashire they call buildings and houses Biggins neither of the towne but that it is faire and a Corporation also with a Maior and Burgesses and the parson of the Church as I have learned is Lord of the towne Hard by it Holland sheweth it selfe out of a younger brother whereof that most noble and renowned race of the Hollands Earles of Kent and Dukes also of Surry and Excester fetched both their originall and their sirname But the daughter and heire of the eldest brother who flourished here in knights degree being in the end married into the house of the Lovels brought unto them an addition of possessions with her Armes viz. in a shield Azure florete Argent a Lion rampant gardant Arg. Neere unto the mouth of Duglesse is Merton a very great large poole which emptieth it selfe into this river and then streight waies meeteth with the river Ribell neare his out-let for this is the next river after Mersey that runneth into the sea and hath not yet lost quite his former ancient name for Ptolomee calleth the salt water or arme of the sea here BELLISAMA and we Ribell perhaps by addition of the Saxon word Rhe unto it that signifieth a River This river comming with a quicke and hasty streame out of the hils in Yorke-shire taketh his course first Southward by three exceeding high mountaines Ingleborow hill at the spring head which I wondered at to see how it ascendeth as it were by degrees with a huge and mighty ridge Westward and at the farthest end mounteth up into the aire as if an other hill were set upon the head of it Penigent haply so called of his whitish snowy top for so Pengwin signifieth in the british tongue and he riseth aloft with an huge bulke howbeit not altogether so high as the other But when Ribell commeth into Lancashire for those two stand in Yorke-shire Pendle-hill advanceth it selfe up to the skie with a lofty head and in the very top thereof bringeth forth a peculiar plant which as though it came out of the clowdes they tearme Clowdes-bery But this mountaine is most notorious for the harme that it did not long since to the country lying beneath it by reason of a mighty deale of water gushing out of it as also for an infallible prognostication of raine so often as the top thereof is covered with a mist. Of these hils I have made mention the more willingly both because they are the highest in our Apennine whence commeth this vulgar Rhime Ingleborow Pendle and Penigent Are the highest hils betweene Scotland and Trent As also that the reader may understand as I said before why the highest Alpes were called of the old Gaules Penninae and why the very top of the hils named Pennum and Apennini were of them so tearmed For Pen in the British tongue signifieth the tops of hils By an out corner or parcel of Pendle hill standeth Clithero castle built by the Lacies neere unto Ribell and a neighbour unto it Whaley in the Saxon tongue Walalez famous for the monastery that the said Lacies founded which was translated from Stanlaw in Cheshire hither in the yeere 1296. where in the yeere 798. duke Wade unfortunately gave battaile to Ardulph King of Northumberland at Billangho which is more short called Langho This Ribell no sooner turneth into the West but imparteth his name to a small towne which in our age is called Riblechester where are digged up from time to time so many monuments of Romane antiquity statues peeces of coyn Pillars Piedestals Chapters of pillars heathen altars Marble-stones and inscriptions that the inhabitants may seeme not without cause to have this hobling rhyme so rise in their mouthes It is written upon a wall in Rome Ribchester was as rich as any towne in Christendome And the port high wayes came directly hither raiâ—ed up with eminent cause is one from Yorke another out of the North through Bowland-Forrest a spacious peece of ground which as yet is most evidently to be seene for many miles together But the country folke have so disfigured the inscriptions that although I did see many yet could I scarce read one or two of them At Salesbury hall an house of that ancient family of the Talbots standing neere by I saw the base or foot of a pillar with this inscription DEO MARTI ET VICTORIAE DD. AUGG. ET CC NN In a wall neare unto it there is another great stone infixed shewing in the fore-part Cupid and another little image out of the backe-side or reverse whereof this was exemplified for me but the inscription carrieth no sense with it which because it troubled me a long time I will set down here underneath to see what
Somewhat higher Irt a little river maketh way toward the sea wherein the muscles and cochles after they have with a kinde of yawning or gaping sucked in dew which they lust after to conceive by bring forth pearles or to speake as the Poet doth Shell-berries which the inhabitants there by search after at a low water and our Lapidaries and Jewellers buy of the poore needie people for a little but sell again at an high rate of these and such like Marbodaeus seemeth to speake in this verse Gignis insignes antiqua Britannia baccas And Britanie of ancient fame Breeds and brings forth pearles of great name Now by this time the shore extendeth out more and more and encloseth Westward where it maketh a little promontorie which the common sort for Saint Bega call St. Bees For Bega a devout and religious Irish woman led there a solitarie life unto whose holinesse are ascribed certain vain miracles as the taming of a wild bull and the procuring of a mightie deep snow which in the longest summers day by her praiers fell and lay thicke upon the vallies and tops of hills Scarce a mile hence standeth Egremont Castle on the top of an hill the seat in times past of William de Meschines unto whom King Henrie the first gave it to hold by one knights service and that he should serve at the Kings commandement in the army for Wales and Scotland Who left behind him a daughter the wife of William Fitz-Duncan of the blood roiall of Scotland by whose daughter also the inheritance came into the family of the Lucies from them likewise by the Moltons and Fitz-waters the title of Egremont descended unto the Ratcliffes Earles of Sussex And yet Sir Thomas Percie through the favour of King Henrie the sixth enjoyed it for a time being summoned to the Parliament by the name of Th. Percie of Egremont From hence the shore drawing it selfe backe by little and little and as it appeareth by the heapes of rubbish it hath beene fortified all along by the Romanes wheresoever there was easie landing For it was the outmost bound of the Roman Empire and the Scots lay sorest upon this coast and infested it most when as it were with continuall surges of warre they flowed and flocked hither by heapes out of Ireland and certaine it is that Moresby a little village where is a roade for ships was one of these fortifications For there are many monuments of antiquitie as vaults under the ground great foundations many caves which they use to tearme Picts-Holes many fragments of stones with inscriptions engraven in them are there often times found in the ground of which upon one I read this LUCIUS SEVERINUS ORDINATUS on another COH VII And this Altar I saw lately digged out there with a little horned image representing Sylvanus erected to his honour by the second Cohort of the Lingones DEO SILVAN COH II. LING CVI PRAEES G. POMPEIVS M SATVRNIN As also this fragment which I. Fletcher Lord of the place transcribed out for me and sent unto mee OB PROSPE RITATEM CVLMINIS INSTITVTI But no stone hitherto hath beene found that assureth us that it was MORBIUM where the Cataphractarii horsemen or men at armes served notwithstanding the name in some sort implieth as much Neither is Hay-castle which I saw hard by to be passed over with silence a place verily to be regarded for antiquity sake which by report of the inhabitants belonged successively in elder time to Gentlemen surnamed Moresby and Distinton After this the river Derwent hideth himselfe in the Ocean which having his first beginning in Borrodale a valley hemmed in with crooked hills creepeth betweene the mountains called Derwent Fels wherein at Newlands elsewhere copper mines were discovered by Thomas Shurland and Daniel Hotchstatâ—er a German of Auspurge in our daies and yet the same were knowne before as appeareth by closse rowles of King Henrie the third n. 18. Upon the discoverie of these mines there was a memorable case in law between the late QUEEN ELIZABETH of sacred memorie and Thomas Percie Earl of Northumberland in whose Lordship they were found but in regard of the Queenes royall prerogative and for that there were in them veins of gold and silver they were adjudged to the Queen But hereby it is well seene how untrue it was that Cicero wrote in his Epistles unto Atticus This is for certaine knowne saith he that there is not in the Iland Britaine so much as one scruple of silver Neither would Caesar if he had known of these mines have written That the Britans had use of copper brought in to them from other parts beyond sea seeing that the mines not onely serve all England over but also affoord great plentie beside that is carried yeerly forth of the realme Here also is commonly found that minerall kind of earth or hardned glittering stone we call it Black-lead with which Painters use to draw their lines and make pictures of one colour in their first draughts which whether it bee Pnigitis or Melanteria spoken of by Dioscorides or Ochre a kind of earth so burnt with heat that it becommeth blacke or whether it were unknowne unto the old writers I cannot certainly averre and let others for me search it out Derwent after it hath passed through these hills spreadeth abroad into a large lake Bede termeth it praegrande stagnum that is a very great poole wherein are three Ilands eminent above the water The one hath an house in it of the Ratcliffes a family of Knights degree the second is inhabited by the Dutch Minerall men the third is thought to be that wherein as Bede writeth Saint Herbert lived an Heremeticall life On the very skirt of this bottome in a pleasant soile compassed about with deawie hills and fensed on the North side with that high mountaine Skiddaw lieth Keswike a little towne which King Edward the first made a mercate by the procurement of S. Thomas of Derwentwater Lord of the place from whom it lineally descended to the family of the Ratcliffs It was well knowne many yeeres agoe by reason of the mines of copper as we may see in a certaine Charter of King Edward the fourth and is at this day much inhabited by Minerall men who have here their smelting house by Derwent side which with his forcible streame and their ingenuous inventions serveth them in notable steed for easie bellowes workes hammer workes forge workes and sawing of boords not without admiration of such as behold it As for that mountain Skiddaw aforesaid it riseth up to such an height with two heads like unto Parnassus and with a kind of emulation beholdeth Scruffel hill before it in Anandale within Scotland that from these two mountaines according as the mistie clouds arise or fall the people there by dwelling make their prognostication of the change of weather and commonly sing this note If
it hard by a little Monastery a very narrow vault within the ground much spoken of by reason of I wot not what fearefull walking spirits and dreadfull apparitions or rather some religious horrour which cave as some dreame ridiculously was digged by Ulysses when hee went downe to parley with those in hell The inhabitants terme it in these daies Ellan u ' Frugadory that is The Isle of Purgatory and Saint Patricks Purgatory For some persons devoutly credulous affirme that Patrick the Irishmens Apostle or else some Abbat of the same name obtained by most earnest praier at the hands of God that the punishments and torments which the godlesse are to suffer after this life might here bee presented to the eye that so he might more easily root out the sinnes which stucke so fast to his Countrimen the Irish and withall their heathenish errours But seeing that this place is named in Saint Patricks life Reglis I would deeme it to be the other REGIA that Ptolomee mentioneth and the very situation of it in the Geographer implieth no lesse Besides this Patrickes Purgatory there was another Purgatorie also of Sir Brendan in this Island but since I could not finde out the place take here with you that only which I found namely Nechams Tetrastichon of it Asserit esse locum solennis fama dicatum Brendano quo lux lucida saepe micat Purgandas animas datur hic transire per ignes Ut dignae facie Iudicis esse queant If common fame say true a place of Brendan taking name There is and often times cleere lights doe shine within the same The soules have licence here to passe through Purgatory fire That worthily before that Judge they may at length appeare Where this river Liffer augmented by other waters comming unto it approacheth neerer to the sea it spreadeth out againe into a Lake which Ptolomee called LOGIA and now they usually terme it Logh Foile and Logh Der whereupon Necham hath these verses Logh Der aquis dives Lacus est Ultonia novit Commodus indigenis utilitate placet Logh Der a Lake in waters rich this Ulster knoweth well Commodious and pleasing much those that about it dwell Hard by this there flourished sometime Derry a Monasterie and Episcopall See where in the yeere 1566. Edward Randolph renowned for his long service in the warres spent his life in the behalfe of his countrey to his everlasting fame and gave Shan O-Neal who had then assembled and armed all the power he could possibly against the English such an overthrow as that he could never after recover the losse he then sustained But now of late Sir Henry Docwra knight who in the warres of Ireland quit him so well that with great praise he hath approved his singular valour and martiall skill brought hither first a garison and afterward planted here a Colony to bridle the Earle of Tir-Oens insolent pride and established and settled the same with so good orders that it both standeth in good steed for helpe against the rebells and also traineth the barbarous people to their duties The ROBOGDII placed above LOGIA held all that Northren sea coast of Ireland where O Dogherty an obscure Potentate had great sway Amongst these Robogh a little Episcopall towne retaineth the expresse footings of the old name Robogdii Which should be that promontory ROBOGDIUM unlesse it be Faire Foreland I know not From hence the utmost shores all rockie bend backe againe by the mouth of Swilly Lake which Ptolomee seemeth to call ARGITA Beyond these more Westward were the VENNICNII seated where Mac Rwyn Faid Mac Swyn Netoeth and Mac Swyn Bannigh have great lands and large possessions Among these Ptolomee placeth the river VIDUA which now is called Crodagh and the Promontory VENNICNIUM which they now call Rams-head and the Foreland BORAEUM now S. Helens head Upon the shore as it twineth backe from hence Southerly Calebeg affordeth an Haven and commodious harbour for sailers then appeare the ruins and rubbish of Sligah Castle which Maurice Fitz-Girald Lord Justice of Ireland built about the yeere 1242. when he had made himselfe Lord of this country But Iohn Fitz-Girald the first Earle of Kildare was dispossessed of this castle and a goodly inheritance in this tract fined also in a great sum of money for that hee had raised a civill and dangerous war against the Earle of Ulster Lower yet and not far from the mouth of Logh Earne Donegal that is the towne of the Gallicians of Spaine with an Abby sheweth it selfe whence this county when it was made a county tooke the name There have beene rulers over this territory for these many ages they of the house of O-Donel and those extracted from the same stock that the family of O-Neals neither had they any other title than O-Donel and Lords of Tir-Conell For the getting of which title and that they might be by a certaine election of the people inaugurated with their due complements at a stone beside Kilmacrenan they were at deadly discord and committed outrages one upon another untill that King James not long since by his honourable Letters Patents conferred the honour title and stile of Earle Tir-Conell upon Rory O-Donell the brother of that Hugh the rebell who being fled out of his countrey died in Spaine and this Rory his successour practising new treason against King James his advancer upon the terrour of a guilty conscience fled the realme in the yeere 1607. and died at Rome The ancient inhabitants of this Ulster like as the rest of all Ireland throughout were by one name in times past cleped SCOTI and from hence carried they over with them the name of Scots into the North parts of Britain For as Giraldus writeth about the yeere of salvation foure hundred six sons of Mured King of Ulster seized upon the North parts of Britain whereupon it was by a speciall and peculiar name called SCOTIA And yet it appeareth by the Scottish Annales that this happened long before Also Ferguse the second who re-established the kingdome of Scots in Britain came from hence unto whom Patrick had prophesied by way of divination or Soothsaying in these words Although thou seemest at this day base and contemptible in the eies of thy brethren thou shalt shortly be the Prince and Lord of them all And to avow the credit and authority of this prediction the said writer addeth moreover and saith No long space of time after this Fergus according to the Holy mans prophesie obtained the soveraignty in all that land and his seed reigned for many generations together From his stemme proceeded that most valerous King Edan the sonne of Gabran who subdued Scotland that is called Albanach whose posterity in lineall descent and succession reigneth there still The first Englishman that in the reigne of King Henry the second attempted this countrey was Sir Iohn Curcy who having by force won Downe and Armach
were slaine about foure hundred whose heads were sent to Dublin and wonders were afterwards seene there The dead as it were arose and fought one with another and cried out Fennokabo which was their signal And afterward about the feast of the translation of S. Thomas there were rigged and made ready eight ships and set out from Tredagh to Crag-fergus with victuals Which were by the Earle of Ulster much troubled for the delivery of William Burk who had been taken with the Scots and the Saturday following there were made friends and united at Dublin the Earle of Ulster and the Lord John Fitz-Thomas and many of the Nobles sworne and confederate to live and die for the maintenance of the peace of Ireland The same yeere newes came out of Connaght that O-Conghir slew many of the English to wit Lord Stephen of Excester Miles Cogan and many of the Barries and of the Lawlies about fourescore Item the weeke after Saint Laurence feast there arose in Connaght foure Irish Princes to make warre against the English against whom came the Lord William Burk the Lord Richard Bermingham the Lord of Anry with his retinue of the country and of the same Irish about eleven thousand fell upon the edge of the sword neere unto Anry which town was walled afterwards with the mony raised of armor and spoile gotten from the Irish because every one of the English that had double armours of the Irish gave the one halfe deale toward the walls of the towne Anry Slaine were there Fidelmic O-Conghir a petty King or Prince of Connaght O-Kelley and many other Princes or Potentates John Husee a butcher of Anry fought there who the same night at the request of his Lord of Anry stood among the dead to seek out and discover O-Kelley which O-Kelley with his Costrell or esquire rose out of their lurking holes and cried unto the foresaid man to wit Husee come with mee and I will make thee a great Lord in my countrey And Husee answered I will not goe with thee but thou shalt goe to my Lord Richard Bermingham Then said O-Kelley Thou hast but one servant with thee and I have a doughtie esquire therefore come with mee that thou maist bee safe unto whom his owne man also said Agree and goe away with O-Kelley that wee may be saved and inriched because they are stronger than we But the said John Husee first killed his owne servant and O-Kelley and his Esquire and cut off all their three heads and carried them to his Lord Richard Bermingham and that Bermingham gave unto the said John Hussee faire lands and dubbed him Knight as he well deserved The same yeere about the feast of S. Laurence came O-Hanlan to Dundalk for to destreine and the Dundalkers with their men killed a number Item on Monday next before the feast of the nativitie of Saint Mary came David O-Tothill with foure more and hid himselfe secretly all night long in Coleyn wood which the Dublinians and Sir William Comyn perceiving went forth and manfully pursued them for sixe leagues and slew of them about seventeen and wounded many to death Also there ran rumors to Dublin that the Lord Robert Brus King of Scotland entred Ireland to aid Edward Brus his brother and the Castle of Crag-fergus in Ulster was besieged by the foresaid Scots The Monasteries of St. Patrick of Dune and of Seball and many other houses as well of Monkes as of regular preaching Friers and Minors were spoiled in Ulster by the Scots Item the Lord William Burk leaving his son for an hostage in Scotland is set free The Church of Brught in Ulster being in manner full of folke of both sexes is burnt by the Scots and Irish of Ulster At the same time newes came from Crag-fergus that those which kept the Castle for default of victuals did eat hides and leather yea and eight Scots who before were taken prisoners great pity and griefe that no man relieved such And the Friday following newes were brought that Thomas the sonne of the Earle of Ulster was dead Also the Sunday following the feast of the nativitie of the blessed Virgin died Lord Iohn Fitz-Thomas at Laraghbrine neere unto Mayneth and he was buried at Kildare among the Friers Minors Of which Lord John Fitz-Thomas it is said that a little before his death he was created Earle of Kildare after whom succeeded his sonne and heire the Lord Thomas Fitz-Iohn a prudent and wise personage And afterwards newes came that the Castle of Crag-fergus was rendred to the Scots and granted there was to the keepers of it life and limbe Also upon the day of the exaltation of the holy Crosse Conghar and Mac-keley were slaine with five hundred of the Irish by the Lord William Burke and Richard Bermingham in Connaght Item on Munday before Holloughmas happened a great slaughter of the Scots in Ulster by John Loggan and Hugh Bisset to wit one hundred with double armour and two hundred with single armour The number of those men of armes that were slaine in all was three hundred beside footmen And afterward in the Vigill of Saint Edmund King there fell a great tempest of winde and raine which overthrew many houses and the Steeple of Saint Trinitie Church in Dublin and did much harme on land and sea Also in the Vigill of S. Nicholas Sir Alan Stewart taken prisoner in Ulster by John Loggan and Sir John Sandale was brought unto the Castle of Dublin In the same yeere newes arrived out of England that the Lord King of England and the Earle of Lancaster were at variance and that they were desirous one to surprize the other for which cause the whole land was in great trouble Item in the same yeere about the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle sent there were to the Court of Rome the Lord Hugh Despencer the Lord Bartholmew Baldesmere the Bishop of Worcester and the Bishop of Ely about important affaires of the Lord King of England for Scotland who returned into England about the feast of the purification of the blessed Virgin Mary Also after the said feast the Lacies came to Dublin and procured an inquisition to prove that the Scots by their meanes came not into Ireland which inquisition acquitted them Whereupon they had a charter of the Lord the King of peace and upon the Sacrament given unto them they tooke an oath to keepe the peace of the Lord King of England and to their power to destroy the Scots And afterwards even in the same yeere after the feast of Shrovetide the Scots came secretly as farre as to Slane with twenty thousand armed men and the armie of Ulster joyned with them who spoiled the whole countrey before them And after this on munday next before the feast of S. Matthias the Apostle the Earle of Ulster was taken in the Abbey of St. Mary by the Maior of the Citie of Dublin to wit Robert Notingham and brought to the castle of Dublin where
third day of February Also in the parts of Ireland the frost was so vehement that Aven-Liffie the river of Dublin was so frozen that very many danced and leaped upon the Ice of the said river they played at foot-ball and ran courses there yea and they made fires of wood and of turfe upon the same Ice and broyled herrings thereupon This Ice lasted very many dayes And as for the snow also in the parts of Ireland that accompanied the same frost a man need not speake any more seeing it was knowne to lye on such a wonderfull depth This hard time of weather continued from the second day of December unto the tenth day of February the like season was never heard of before especially in Ireland MCCCXXXIX All Ireland was generally up in armes Item an exceeding great slaughter there was of the Irish and a number of them drowned even 1200. at the least by the meanes of the Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas Earle of Desmond and the rest of the Geraldines in the parts of Kernige Item the Lord Moris Fitz-Nicolas Lord of Kernige was apprehended and imprisoned by the Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas Earle of Desmond and died in prison being put to strait diet for that he openly went out and rebelled with the said Irish against the Lord King of England and against the Lord Earle Item a number of the O. Dymcies and other Irish were killed and drowned in the water of Barrow by the English and the hot pursuit of the Earle of Kildare Also a great booty of cattell of sundry sorts and such a booty as had not been seen in the parts of Leinster by the said Lord Thomas Bishop of Hereford and Justice of Ireland and with the helpe of the English of that country was taken from the Irish in the parts of Odrone in the end of February MCCCXL The said Bishop of Hereford and Justice of Ireland being sent for by the King returned into England the tenth day of Aprill leaving in his place Frier Roger Outlaw Priour of Kylmaynon Also this Sir Roger Lord Priour of Kylmainon Justice and Chancellour of the said land died the thirteenth day of February Item the King of England granted by his letters patents unto Iohn Darcy the office of Lord Justice of Ireland for terme of life MCCCXLI Sir John Moris Knight came Lord Justice of Ireland in the moneth of May as Lievtenant unto Iohn Darcy in the foresaid land Item this wondrous prodigie following and such as in our age had not been heard of before hapned in the county of Leinster where a certain waifaring man as he travelled in the Kings high way found a paire of gloves fit as he thought for his owne turne which as he drew upon his hands forthwith instead of a mans voice and speech he kept a strange and marvellous barking like unto a dogge and from that present the elder folke and full growne yea and women too throughout the same county barked like bigge dogges but the children and little ones waughed as small whelpes This plague continued with some 18. daies with others a whole moneth and with some for two yeeres Yea this foresaid contagious malady entred also into the neighbour shires and forced the people in like manner to barke Also the King of England revoked all those gifts and grants that by him or his father had bin conferred by any meanes upon any persons whatsoever in Ireland were they liberties lands or other goods for which revocation great displeasure and discontent arose in the land and so the land of Ireland was at the point to have beene lost for ever out of the King of Englands hand Item by the Kings Councell there was ordained a generall Parliament of Ireland in the moneth of October To the same Parliament Moris Fitz-Thomas Earle of Desmond came not Before which time there was never knowne so notable and manifest a division in Ireland between those that were English by birth and English in blood The Maiors besides of the Kings cities in the same land together with all the better sort of the Nobility and Gentry of the said land with one consent upon mature deliberation and counsell had among other their conclusions decreed and appointed a common Parliament at Kilkenny in November to the utility and profit both of the King and the land before named without asking any counsell at all of the Lord Justice and the Kings officers aforesaid in this behalfe Now the Lord Justice and the rest of the Kings Ministers in no wise presumed to come unto the same Parliament at Kilkenny The Elders therefore of the land aforesaid together with the Ancients and Maiors of the cities agreed and ordained as touching solemne Embassadours to be sent with all speed unto the King of England about relieving the State of the land and to complaine of his Ministers in Ireland as touching their unequall and unjust regiment of the same and that from thenceforth they neither could nor would endure the realme of Ireland to be ruled by his Ministers as it had wont to be And particularly they make complaint of the foresaid Ministers by way of these Questions Imprimis How a land full of warres could be governed by him that was unskilfull in warre Secondly how a Minister or Officer of the Kings should in a short time grow to so great wealth Thirdly how it came to passe that the King was never the richer for Ireland MCCCXLII The eleventh day of October when the moone was eleven dayes old there were seen by many men at Dublin 2. moones in the firmament well and early before day The one was according to the course of nature in the West and appeared bright the other to the quantity of a round loafe appeared in the East casting but a meane and slender light MCCCXLIII St. Thomas street in Dublin was casually burnt with fire upon the feast of S. Valentine Martyr Item the 13. day of July the Lord Ralph Ufford with his wife the Countesse of Ulster came Lord chiefe Justice of Ireland Upon whose entring the faire weather changed sodainly into a distemperature of the aire and from that time there ensued great store of raine with such abundance of tempestuous stormes untill his dying day None of his predecessours in the times past was with griefe be it spoken comparable unto him For this Justicer bearing the office of Justice-ship became an oppressor of the people of Ireland a robber of the goods both of Clergy and Laity of rich and poore alike a defrauder of many under the colour of doing good not observing the rights of the Church nor keeping the lawes of the kingdome offering wrongs to the naturall inhabitants ministring justice to few or none and altogether distrusting some few onely excepted the inborne dwellers in the land These things did hee still and attempted the like misled by the counsell and perswasion of his wife Item the said Justice entring into Ulster in the moneth of March through a Pas called Emerdullan
was fiercely set upon by Mac-Carton the which Mac-Carton verily having encountred with the said Justice spoiled him of his clothes mony utensils silver plate and horses yea and slew some of his men But in the end the foresaid Justice with the helpe of the men of Ergale got the victory and entred into the parts of Ulster MCCCXLV The seventh of Iune a common Parliament was holden at Dublin unto which the Lord Moris Fitz Thomas came not Item the Lord Ralph Ufford Justice of Ireland after the feast of S. John Baptist with the Kings standard raised yet without the assent of the Elders of the land against the Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas Earle of Desmond marcheth forthwith into Mounster and there seized into the Kings hands the Earles lands and these lands so seized letteth out to farme unto others for a certain yeerly rent to be carried unto the King Item the said Justice being in the parts of Mounster delivered unto Sir William Burton Knight two writs the one whereof the said William should deliver unto the Lord Moris Fitz-Thomas Earle of Kildare the contents of which was this That upon paine of forfeiting all his lands he should with all speed repaire unto him to aid the King and him with a strong power Now in the other writ contained it was that the said Sir William should apprehend the said Earle of Kildare and so apprehended commit him to prison But Sir William seeing that this could not possibly be brought about and effected accordingly by himselfe with colourable words framed for the nonce perswaded the said Earle whiles he was preparing himselfe with his army and levying a power unto the foresaid Justice that before his departure out of the countrey hee should repaire unto the Kings Counsell at Dublin and that by the unanimity and joint counsell of the same so deale as to provide for the safe keeping of his owne lands in his absence and if after that any hurt should befall unto his lands whiles he was absent it should be imputed unto the Kings counsell and not to him The Earle therefore giving credit unto the Knights words and thinking of no treacherous practice in this behalfe disposed and addressed himself to come unto Dublin When he was come altogether ignorant of any treachery toward whiles himselfe sat in consultation with others of the King Councell in the Exchequer-court sodainly he was by the said Sir William betraied attached or arrested and apprehended and brought to the castle of the said city and there clapt up in prison Item the said Justice entred with his army the parts of O. Comill in Mounster and by a treacherous device taketh two castles of the Earle of Desmonds to wit the castle of Yniskisty and the castle of the Iland in which castle of the Iland thus taken the Knights being within the said castle namely Sir Eustacele Bâ—re Sir William Graunt and Sir Iohn Cotterell were first drawne and afterward in October openly hanged untill they were dead Also the said Earle of Desmond with some other of his Knights were by the said Justice banished The foresaid Justice having attchieved these exploits in Mounster returned in the moneth of November with his company unto his wife then great with child remaining at Kilmaynon which is neere to Dublin over and beside those things which had beene done against the Laity by inditing and emprisoning some of them and turning them out of their goods he also caused the Ecclesiasticall persons as well Priests as Clerkes to be endited and standing endited attached and imprisoned them and fetched no small summes of money out of their purses Item as touching the grants and demises of their lands to wit whom before hee had deprived of their lands he bestowed the same upon divers tenants as hath beene said as also the very writings concerning those grants so sealed as they were by him and with the Kings seale he revoked tooke the same from them cancelled defaced and wholly annulled them Item all the mainpernours of the said Earle of Desmond in number twenty sixe as well Earles as Barons Knights and others of the countrey whose names be these to wit Lord William Burke Earle of Ulster Lord Iames Botiller Earle of Ormond Sir Richard Tuit Knight Sir Eustace Le Poer Knight Sir Gerald De Rochfort Knight Sir Iohn Fitz-Robert Poer Knight Sir Robert Barry Knight Sir Moris Fitz-Gerald Knight Sir Iohn Wellesley Knight Sir Walter Lenfaunt Knight Sir Roger de la Rokell Knight Sir Henry Traharn Knight Sir Roger Pover Knight Sir Iohn Lenfaunt Knight Sir Roger Pover Knight Sir Matthew Fitz-Henry Knight Sir Richard Wallis Knight Sir Edward Burk Knight the sonne of the Earle of Ulster David Barry William Fitz-Gerald Fulke Ash Robert Fitz-Moris Henry Barkley Iohn Fitz-George Roch and Thomas de Lees de Burgh their own travels and proper expences which some of them with the said Justice in his warre had beene at and in pursuing the said Earle of Desmond notwithstanding he by definitive sentence deprived of their lands and dis-inherited and awarded their bodies to the Kings pleasure excepting foure persons only of all the foresaid sureties whose names be these William Burk Earle of Ulster Iames Botiller Earle of Ormond c. MCCCXLVI Upon Palme-Sunday which fell out to be the ninth day of Aprill the above named Lord Ralph Ufford Justice of Ireland went the way of all flesh for whose death his owne dependants together with his wife sorrowed not a little for whose death also the loiall subjects of Ireland rejoice no lesse The Clergy and people both of the land for joy of his departure out of this life with merry hearts doe leap and celebrate a solemn feast of Easter At whose death the floods ceased and the distemperature of the aire had an end and in one word the common sort truely and heartily praise the onely Son of God Well when this Justice now dead was once fast folded within a sheet and a coffin of lead the foresaid Countesse with his treasure not worthy to be bestowed among such holy reliques in horrible griefe of heart conveied his bowels over into England there to be enterred And againe in the month of May and on the second day of the same month behold a prodigious wonder sent no doubt miraculously from God above For lo she that before at her comming entred the city of Dublin so gloriously with the Kings armes and ensignes attended upon with a number of souldiers in her guard and traine along the streets of the said city and so from that time forward a small while though it were living royally with her friends about her like a Queen in the Iland of Ireland now at her going forth of the same city privily by a posternegate of the castle to avoid the clamour of the common people calling upon her for debts in her retire homeward to her owne countrey departed in disgrace sad and mournfull with the dolefull badges of death sorrow and heavinesse Item after the
Lievtenant there 300. markes and the Parliament was adjourned eftsoones unto the munday after St. Ambrose day Then rumours resounded that the Lord Thomas Fitz-Iohn Earle of Desmund died at Paris on St. Laurence feast day and was buried there at the Friers Preachers covent the King of England being present at his funerals After whom succeeded in that Seigniorie James Fitz-Gerald his Unkle by the fathers side who had three times thrust him out of his patrimonie and laid an imputation upon him that he was a prodigall spend-thrift and had wasted his patrimony both in Ireland and England and that he gave or would give lands to the Abbey of St. Iames at Kernisham 1421. The Parliament began upon prorogation the third time at Dublin the munday after the feast of S. Ambrose and there certain persons were ordained to be sent in message to the King as touching the redresse of the land namely the Archbishop of Armagh and Sir Christopher Preston Knight At the same time Richard O-Hedian Bishop of Cassell was accused by John Gese Bishop of Lismore and Waterford upon thirtie Articles laid to his charge After all that hee charged him that hee made very much of the Irish and loved none of the English that hee bestowed no benefice upon any Englishman and gave order likewise unto other Bishops that they should not conferre the least living that was upon them Item that hee counterfeited the King of Englands seale and the Kings letters patents that he went about to make himselfe King of Mounster also that he tooke a ring away from the image of S. Patrick which the Earle of Desmund had offered and bestowed it upon an harlot of his beside many other enormities which he exhibited in writing And the Lords and Commons were much troubled betweene these twaine Now in the same Parliament there was debate between Adam Pay Bishop of Clon and another Prelate for that the said Adam went about to unite the others Church unto his but the other would not and so they were sent and referred unto the Court of Rome and this Parliament lasted 18. daies In the Nones of May there was a slaughter committed by O-Mordris upon the family or retinue of the Earle of Ormund Lievtenant neere unto the Monastery of Leys where were slaine of the English 27. The principall parties were Purcell and Grant Then Gentlemen of good birth were taken prisoners and 200. fled unto the foresaid Monastery and so were saved In the Ides of May died Sir Iohn Bodley Knight and Geffery Galon sometime Maior of Dublin and was buried in the house of the preaching Friers of the same City About this time Mac-Mahon an Irishman played the divell in Urgal wasting and burning where ever he went The seventh of Iune the Lievtenant entred into the country to wit of Leys against O-Mordis and led thither a most puissant army having the killing of his enemies for foure daies together and untill the Irish promised all peace and quietnesse Upon the feast of Michael the Archangel Thomas Stanley accompanied with all the Knights and Squires of Meth and Iriel took Moyle O-Downyll prisoner and slew others in the 14. yeere of King Henry the sixth his reigne Thus far forth were continued the Annales of Ireland which came to my hands and upon which I have bestowed these few pages to gratifie them that may delight therein As for the nice and dainty readers who would have all writings tried to the touch of Augustus his dayes I know they can yeeld no pleasing rellish to them in regard of the harsh words and the saplesse dry stile familiar unto that age wherein they were penned Neverthelesse I would have those to remember That HISTORIE both beareth brooketh and requireth the Authors of all ages Also That they are to look as well for reall and substantiall knowledge from some as for the verball and literall learning from others THE SMALLER ILANDS IN THE BRITISH OCEAN NOw will I at length waigh anchor and set saile out of Ireland and lanching forth take survey of the Ilands scattered here and there along the coasts of Britaine If I durst repose any trust in my selfe or if I were of any sufficiencie I would shape my course to every one But sith it is my purpose to discover and inlighten Antiquity such as are obscure and of lesse account I will lightly coast by and those that carry any ancient name and reckoning above the rest I will enter and visite yea and make some short stay in them that now at last in a good and happy houre they may recover their ancienty againe And that in this voiage I may at first set out orderly and take a straight and direct course I will to begin saile out of Ireland into the Severn sea and by the Irish sea after I have doubled the utmost point of Scotland follow my course down into the Germai◠Ocean and so from thence through the British sea which extendeth as far as to Spaine hold on my race as prosperously as I can But I am afraid lest this my ship of Antiquity steared by me so unskilfull a Pilot either run and be split upon the rockes of errours or else be overwhelmed with the waves of ignorance yet venter I must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Antiphilus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Adventure is a good sea Captain and he that saileth the same voiage a second time may haply speed much better and finish his desired course First and formost because it seemeth not impertinent to my matter I will set down what Plutarch out of a fabulous narration of Demetrius who seemeth to have lived in Hadrians time reporteth generally as touching the Ilands lying neer to Britain Demetrius made report that most of those Ilands which coast upon Britain lie desert desolate and scattering here and there whereof somewere dedicated to the Daemones and Heroes also that himself by commission from the Emperour sailed toward one that was neerest of those desert Iles for to know and discover somewhat the which he found to have in a few inhabitants and those he understood were reputed by the Britans sacred and inviolable Within a while after he was landed there the aire and weather as he said became foully troubled many portenteous signes were given by terrible tempests with extra-ordinary stormes flashing and violent lightnings and fiery impressions which after they were appeased the Ilanders certified him that some one of great eminency was dead And a little after Now he said moreover that there was a certain Iland there wherein Saturn was by Briareus closed up and kept in prison sound asleep for sleep was the means to hold him captive about whose person there were many Daemones at his feet that stood attending as servitours Thus they took pleasure in old time as now also at this day boldly to devise strange wonders and tales of places far remote in a certain secure veine of lying as it were by authoritie In the narrow sea
Isle Lodhus So obtained Olave the kindgome of the Isles MCCXXXVII On the twelfth Calends of June died Olave the sonne of Godred King of Man in S. Patricks Iland and was buried in the Abbey of Russin He reigned eleven yeeres two by his brothers life and nine after his death Harold his sonne succeeded him being 14. yeeres of age and reigned 12. yeeres In the first yeere of his reigne he made a journey to the Ilands and appointed Loglen his cousin Custos of Man In the Autumne following Harald sent three sonnes of Nell namely Dufgald Thorquill Mormore and his friend Ioseph to Man for to consult about affaires On the 25. day therefore they meet at Tingull and by occasion of a certaine envious quarrell that arose between the sonnes of Nell and Loglen there was a sore fight on both sides wherein were slaine Dufgald Mormore and the foresaid Joseph In the spring ensuing King Harald came to the Isle of Man and Loglen as he fled toward Wales perished by Shipwracke with Godred Olaves sonne his foster child and pupill with 40. others MCCXXXVIII Gospatricke and Gillescrist the sonne of Mac-Kerthac came from the King of Norway into Man who by force kept Harald out of Man and tooke tributes to the Kings behoofe of Norway because he refused to come unto the King of Norwaies Court. MCCXL Gospatric died and is buried in the Abbey of Russin MCCXXXIX Harald went unto the King of Norway who after two yeeres confirmed unto him his heires and successours under his seale all the Ilands which his predecessours had possessed MCCXLII Harald returned out of Norway to Man and being by the inhabitants honourably received had peace with the Kings of England and of Scotland Harald like as his father before him was by the King of England dubbed Knight and after he had been rewarded with many gifts returned home The same yeere he was sent for by the King of Norway and married his daughter And in the yeere 1249. as he returned homeward with his wife and Laurence King elect of Man and many other Nobles and Gentlemen he was drowned in a tempest neere unto the coasts of Radland MCCXLIX Reginald the sonne of Olave and brother to Harald began his reigne the day before the Nones of May and on the thirtieth day thereof was slaine by one Yvar a Knight and his company in a medow neere unto the Holy Trinity Church on the South side and lieth buried in the Church of Saint Mary of Russin At that time Alexander King of Scots rigged and brought together many ships meaning to subdue the Iland and in the I le Kerwaray he died of an ague Harald the sonne of Godred Don usurped the name of King in the Ilands all the Nobles of Harald King Olaves sonne hee banished and placed in their stead all the Princes and Peeres that were fled from the said Harald MCCL. Harald the sonne of Godred Don being by missives sent for went unto the King of Norway who kept him in prison because he had unjustly intruded himselfe into the kingdome The same yeere there arrived at Roghalwaght Magnus the son of Olave and John the sonne of Dugald who named himselfe King but the people of Man taking it to the heart that Magnus was not nominated would not suffer them to land there many of them therefore were cast away and perished by shipwracke MCCLII Magnus the sonne of Olave came to Man and was made King The next yeere he went to the King of Norway and stayed there a yeere MCCLIV Haco King of Norway ordained Magnus Olaves sonne King of the Isles and confirmed the same unto him and his heires and by name unto his brother Harald MCCLVI. Magnus King of Man went into England and was knighted by the King of England MCCLVII The church of S. Maries of Russin was dedicated by Richard of Sodore MCCLX Haco King of Norway came unto the parts of Scotland and without any exploit done turned to the Orkneys where at Kirwas he ended his daies and lyeth enterred at Bergh MCCLXV Magnus Olaves sonne King of Man and of the Ilands departed this life at the Castle of Russin and was buried in the Church of S. Mary de Russin MCCLXVI The kingdome of the Ilands was translated by reason of Alexander King of Scots That which followeth was written in another hand and of a later character MCCLXX The seventh day of October a navy set out by Alexander King of Scots arrived at Roghalwath and the next morrow before sun rising a battaile was fought between the people of Man and the Scots in which were slain of the Manksmen 537. whereupon a certaine versifier played thus upon the number L. decies X. ter penta duo cecidere Mannica gens de te damna futura cave L. Ten times told X. thrice with five beside and twaine Ware future harmes I reed of thy folke Man were slaine MCCCXIII Robert King of Scots besieged the Castle of Russin which Dingawy Dowyll held against him but in the end the King won the castle MCCCXVI On the Ascension day Richard le Mandevile and his brethren with other Potentates of Ireland arrived at Ramaldwath requesting to be furnished with victuals and silver for that they had been robbed by the enemies warring upon them continually Now when the commonality of the country had made answer that they would not give them any they advanced forward against those of Man with two troops or squadrons untill they were come as far as to the side of Warthfell hill in a field wherein John Mandevile remained and there in a fought battell the Irish vanquished the Manksmen spoiled the Iland and rifled the Abbey of Russin and after they had continued in the Iland one whole moneth they returned home with their ships fraught with pillage Thus endeth the Chronicle of the K.K. of Man The Processe or course of the Historie following I will now continue summarily out of other Writers WHen Alexander the third King of Scots had gotten into his hands the Westerne Ilands partly by way of conquest and in part for ready money paid unto the King of Norway hee attempted the I le of Man also as one of that number and through the valiant prowesse of Alexander Stewart brought it under his dominion yea and placed there a petty King or Prince with this condition that hee should be ready alwaies at his command to serve with ten ships in his warres at sea Howbeit Mary the daughter of Reginald King of Man who was become the Liege-man of John King of England entred her suit for the Iland before the King of England but answer was made unto her that shee should demand it of the King of Scots for that he then held it in possession And yet her grand-child John Waldebeof for the said Mary married into the house of Waldebeofe sued for his ancient right in Parliament holden in the 33. yeere of King Edward the first before the K. of England as the superiour
Lord of the kingdome of Scotland But none other answer could he have than this if I may speake the words out of the very authenticall Records Sequatur coram Iustitiariis de Banco Regis c. that is Let him sue before the Iustices of the K. Bench let him be heard and let justice be done But that which he could not obtaine by right Sir William Montacute his kinsman for come he was of the race of the Kings of Man wonne by his sword For with a band of English mustered up in hast he drave all the Scots out of the Iland But being by this warre plunged deeply in debt and not having wherewith to make some paiment thereof he mortgaged it for seven yeeres to Antonie Bec Bishop of Durham and Patriarch of Jerusalem and made over the profits and revenues thereof unto him yea and soone after the King granted it unto the said Antonie for tearme of life Afterwards King Edward the second passed a grant thereof unto his minion Piers Gaveston what time as he created him Earle of Cornwall and when the said Piers was rid out of the way hee gave it unto Henry Beaumont with all the domaine and regall jurisdiction thereto belonging But shortly after the Scots under Robert Brus recovered it and Robert Randulph that right warlike Scot like as a long time after Alexander Duke of Albany used to stile themselves Lords of Man and bare the same coat of Armes as did the later Kings of Man namely three armed legges of a man linked together and bending in the hammes such for all the world as the Isle Sicilia gave the three legges naked in like forme in her coines of money in old time to signifie three Promontories Notwithstanding before time the Kings of Man used for their armes as we have seene in their Seales a ship with the saile hoised up with this title in the circumference Rex Manniae insularum that is King of Man and of the Islands Afterward about the yeere 1340. William Montacute the younger Earle of Salisbury wrested it by strong hand and force of armes from the Scottish who in the yeere of our Lord 1393. as Thomas Walsingham saith sold for a great summe of money Man with the crowne thereof unto William Scrope Who being for high treason beheaded and his goods confiscate it came unto the hands of Henry the fourth King of England who granted this Iland unto Henry Percy Earle of Northumberland as a conqueror triumphing over William Scrope whom he as yet a private person had intercepted and beheaded when he aspired to the crowne with this condition that himselfe and his heires should when the Kings of England were enstalled and crowned carry before them that sword which the said Henry wore by his side what time he came backe againe out of exile into England commonly called Lancaster sword But I think it good to set this down out of the Record in the very words of the K. himself De nostra gratia speciali dedimus that is Of our speciall grace we have given and granted unto Henry Earle of Northumberland the Isle Castle Pile and Seigniory of Man and all the Ilands and Lordships to the said Isle belonging which were Sir William le Scropes Knight now deceased whom in his life time we conquered and have decreed him so to be conquered and which by reason of our conquest of him we tooke into our hand as conquered which conquest verily and decree in our present Parliament with the assent of the Lords Temporall in the same Parliament being as touching the person of the foresaid William and all the lands tenements goods and chattels of his as well within our kingdome as without at the petition of the Communalty of our kingdome stand confirmed c. To have and to hold unto the said Earle and his heires c. by service of carrying at the daies of our coronation and of our heires at the left shoulder and the left shoulder of our heires either by himself or a sufficient and honourable Deputy of his that sword naked which we ware and were girt with when we arrived in the parts of Holdernesse called Lancaster sword c. But in the fifth yeere following the said Henry Percie entred into open rebellion and the King sent Sir Iohn Stanley and William Stanley to seize the Isle and castle of Man the inheritance whereof he granted afterward to Sir Iohn Stanley and his heires by letters Patents with the patronage of the Bishopricke c. And so his heires and successours who were honoured with the title of Earles of Derby were commonly called Kings of Man From Man untill we come to the Mull of Gallaway we meet with none but very small Ilands But after we be once past it in the salt water of GLOTTA or Dunbritton Frith appeareth the Iland GLOTTA whereof Antoninus maketh mention which the Scots now call Arran whereof the Earles of Arran in Scotland were stiled and neighbouring unto it is that which was in times past named Rothesia now Buthe of a sacred Cell which Brendan erected for so they terme a little Cell in Scottish thence come we to Hellan in times past called Hellan Leneaw that is as Iohn Fordon interpreteth it The Isle of Saints and to Hellan Tinoc that is The Isle of Swine and these Ilands are seen in the same Frith or Forth But of these I have spoken before Without this Bay or Frith lye a number of Ilands very thicke together which the Scots themselves that inhabite them call Inch-Gall that is haply The Isles of the Gallicians the English and the rest of the Scots The Western Isles the writers of the former age HEBRIDES but the ancient Ethnickes Bettoricae and Giraldus other where Inchades and Leucades Pliny Solinus and Ptolomee name them EBUDAS HEBUDAS and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which names have some consonant affinity with Epidium the promontory of Britain opposite unto them and an Isle among these so named The reason of the name I cannot picke out unlesse I should thinke they were so called because there groweth here no corne or graine For Solinus writeth that the inhabitants of these Ilands are not acquainted with corne and live onely upon fish and milke and Eb eid in British soundeth as much as without corne The inhabitants as saith the same Solinus have no skill or knowledge of corne they live of fish and milke onely They all have but one King For how many soever they be they are severed one from another by a narrow enterflow of the Sea betweene The King hath nothing that hee may say is his owne all things are common to them all and held hee is to equity by certaine lawes and lest hee should for covetousnesse swarve aside from the truth by his poore estate he learneth justice as who hath no house furniture and provision of his owne but all his maintenance is from the common coffer No woman is he allowed to have in
of these Isles of Orkney which till that time were unknowne and subdued them if we may beleeve Tacitus but questionlesse they were knowne in the time of Claudius the Emperour for Pomponius Mela who then lived mentioneth them Yet doubtlesse Orosius is untrue in that he writeth that Claudius conquered them and so farre is it off that Claudius should conquer them which is avouched in S. Hieroms Chronicles that Iuvenal in Hadrians time not long after Agricola wrote thus of them Arma quid ultra Littora Iuvernae promovimus modò captas Orcades minima contentos nocte Britannos Why warred we past Irish coasts and Orkneys lately won Beyond the Britans where there is least night and longest Sun Afterward when the Romans Empire in Britaine was utterly decaied now the Saxons as it seemeth were seated in them for Claudian the Poet plaied upon them in these termes Maduerunt Saxone fuso Orcades With Saxons blood that there were slaine The Orkneys was imbrued againe Ninnius also writeth that Octha and Ehissus Saxons who served for pay under the Britans sailed round about the Picts with 40. Ciules that is Flyboats or Roving Pinnaces and wasted the Iles of Orkney After this they came into the hands of the Norwegians whence it is that the inhabitants speake the Gothes language by the grant of Donald Ban who after the death of his brother Malcom Can-Mor King of Scots by excluding his nephewes had usurped the kingdome that by their helpe he might be assisted in that intended ambition and the Norwegians held the possession of them unto the yeere of salvation 1266. For then Magnus the fourth of that name King of Norway being by the Scots that warred upon him brought to distresse surrendred them up againe unto Alexander the third King of the Scots by covenant and composition which Haquin King of the Norwegians confirmed unto King Robert Brus in the yeere 1312. And at length in the yeere 1498. Christian the first King of Norway and of Denmark renounced all his right for himselfe and his successours when he affianced his daughter unto James the third King of Scots and made over all his interest to his said sonne in law and his successours and for the stronger assurance thereof the Popes confirmation was procured to ratifie the same To say nothing of the Earles of Orkney that were of more ancient times who also in right of inheritance obtained the Earldomes of Cathnesse and of Strathern at the last the title of Orkney came by an heire female unto Sir William Sent-cler and William the fourth of this line called The Prodigall Earl for wasting his patrimony was the last Earle of this race Howbeit his posterity enjoyed the honour to be Baron Sent-cler unto these daies And the title of Cathnes remaineth still in the posterity of his brother But within our remembrance this honourable title of the Earle of Orkney and Lord of Shetland was conferred upon Robert a base sonne of King James the fifth and Patrick Steward his sonne enjoyeth the same at this present Beyond the Iles of Orkney and above Britaine the author of that ancient Commentary upon Horace placeth the Fortunate Ilands wherein as they write none dwell but devout and just men and the Grecians in their verses celebrate the pleasantnesse and fertility of the place calling them the Elysian fields But as touching these Fortunate Isles take with you if you please another relation of that old fabulous Grecian Isacius Tzetzes out of his notes upon Lycophron In the Ocean saith he there is a British Iland between West Britain and Thule that looke toward the East Thither men say the soules of the dead are translated over for on the shore of that sea wherein the Iland of Britaine lieth there dwelt fisher-men subject unto the French but paying them no tribute because as they say they ferry over the soules and folk departed When these fishermen returne home in the evening within a while after they heare some knocking at the door and heare a voice calling them unto their work Then rise they and to the shore they goe not knowing what causeth them for to goe where they see boats prepared but none of their owne and no men in them which when they be entred into they fall to their oares and feele the weight of the said boats as if they were laden with men but see no body After that with one push they come to a British Iland in a trice whereas otherwise in ships of their own they could hardly get thither with a day and nights sailing Now when they are come to the Iland then again they see no creature but heare a voice of those that receive them that are a shipboard and count them by the kinred of father and mother yea and call them one by one according to their dignity art and name But they after that the ship is discharged of her load return home againe with one yerke of their oares Hence it is that many men thinke these be the Ilands of blessed ghosts Of the same stampe also may that Poeticall Geographer seeme to be of whom Muretus maketh mention in his variety of readings who hath written that C. Iulius Caesar went thither once in a great galley with an hundred men aboard and when he was willing to have seated himselfe there as being wondrously delighted with the incredible pleasantnesse of the place he was full against his will and struggling what he could to the contrary throwne out by those invisible inhabitants Five daies and nights sailing from the Isles of Orkney Solinus placeth THULE An Iland if any other often celebrated by the Poets whensoever they would signifie any thing very remote and farre off as if it were the furthest part of the whole world Hereupon saith Virgil Tibi serviat ultima Thule that is Let Thule most remote thee serve Seneca Terrarum ultima Thule that is Thule the farthest land that is Juvenal De conducendo loquitur jam Rhetore Thule that is Now Thule speakes how Oratours to hire Claudian Thulen procul axe remotam that is Thule far remote under the Pole and in another place Ratibusque impervia Thule And Thule where no ships can passe Statius Ignotam vincere Thulen that is To conquer Thule all unknowne And Ammianus Marcellinus by way of an Adage or Proverbiall speech useth it in these words Etiamsi apud Thulen moraretur that is Although he made his abode even in Thule To passe over other testimonies give me leave yet to note thus much moreover that the said Statius used Thule for Britaine in these his verses Caerulus haud alitèr cùm dimicat incola Thules Agmina falcifero circumvenit acta covino Even so the blew inhabitants of Thule when they fight Environ battels marching on with sithed chariots might As also in this place of his Poem entituled Sylvae as it seemeth restuo circumsona gurgite Thule Thule that doth resound amaine With sea that ebbes
Constables a great family ibid. High Constables of England 621. c Constantius Chlorus riddeth Britaine of Usurpers 73. elected Emperor 74. espoused Helena mother of Constantine the great 74. putteth her away ibid. weddeth Theodora ib. a godly Emperour ibid. died at Yorke ibid. buried there 703 Constantine the Great Emperor 74. his warlike exploits 75. advanceth Christian religion 75 proclaimed Emperor in Yorke 703. e. f. his renowned titles 76. first entituled Dominus Noster 76. taxed for subverting the Roman Empire ibid. altereth the state of the government ibid. Constantine the younger ruleth Britaine 77. slaine by his brother Constans ibid. Constans an Emperiall Monke 264. c. 85. is killed ibid. Constans Emperour in Britaine 77. holdeth a councell at Sardica ibid killed by Magnentius ibid. Constantius the yonger Emperor ibid. favoureth Arianus 78. holdeth a councell at Ariminum 79 Constantine created Emperor in Britaine for the name sake 270. d. 85. his exploits ibid. his gourmandise ibid. Constantine a tyrant among the Danmoniâ— in Britaine 113 Constitutions of Clarinton 251 Conwey a river 667. b. 669. d Conwaie a towne 669 â— Convocation 181 Converts their house 428. b Sir Th. Cooke a rich Maior of London 441. f Counts Palatine See Earles Th. Cooper Bishop of Lincolne 540. c Copes a family 376. e Copper or Brasse mynes 767. a Coper as made 217. â— Copland or Coupland 765. d Iohn Copland or Coupland a brave warrior 775. e. made Baneret 171 Coquet the river 812. e Copthall 439. â— Corbets a great family 592 e 594 e Corbet a forename ibid. Sir Wil. Cordall Knight 462. e Corinaea and Corinaeus 184 Corinaeus and Gogmagog 200 c Coritani 504 Cornden hill 662 b Cornelius Nepos for Ioseph of Excestre 32 Cornavii 614 560 Cornovaille in little Britaine 184 Cornage 787 a Cornwalleies a family 467 f Cornwailes of Burford highly descended 590 f Cornwall a dukedome 198 c why so called 184 Cornwallians soone subjected to the Saxons 114 Corpus Christi Colledge in Oxford 383 a Court Barons 168 Cornishmens manners 186 Cornish Chough 188 Corham in Coverdale 729 Corbridge 808 b Corby Castle 777 f Corstopitum ibid. Corve a river 590 c Corvesdale ibid. Coway stakes 296 a Cowling Castle 329 d Cosham 243 c Coughton 565 â— Covinus 18 Costrells See Esquires Coy-fi a convert Bishop of the heathen 711 c Coteswold why so called 364 c Henry Courtney Marquesse of Excester 206 a Courtneyes knights 206 b. Earls of Denshire 207 208. Courtneyes 190 f Cottons knights 313 â— Coverts knights ibid. Cottons of Cambridge-shire knights 491 a Cottons of Cunnington 526 c Sir Robert Cotton of Cunnington a learned knight highly descended 500 d Covetousnesse complained of 562 â— Coventry 567 c Coventry Lords 568 a Councell of the Marches 590 e Cow a Towne West and East 274 c Cowbridge 643 c Cradiden 493 a Cranburn 217 b Crecan or Crey a river 328 f Creeke Lade 241 e Credendon or Credon 396 Creplegate in London 413 d Cressy a family 550 â— Crevequeurs 331 c Crawdundale 761 f Crew a place and notable family 608 c Creden a river 203 d Crediantun or kirton ibid. Craven 694 b Creake in Cliveland 723 e Le Craux 21 Croco or Croke a river 609 b De Croeun or de Credonio a Barony 532 f Crococalana 537 b Croidon 302 b Cromwells knights 497 d Sir Th. Cromwell 526 b. Earle of Essex 454 e Cromer 479 a Croft Castle 619 Crofts knights an ancient family 619 f Crophuls a family 620 c Crouch a creekâ— 443 b Crowland 530 b Crowland Abbey 530. the foundation and building of it 531 c. d. e Cruc Maur 537 c Cruc Occhidient ibid. Cuckmere 315 d Cucul 19 Saint Cudman 313 c Cuentford a brâ—oke in Coventry 567 d Culchil 747 c Culfurth 461 â— Cumberland 765 Kings and Earls of Cumberland 788 a Cumbermer Abbey 607 e. 799 Cumero 21 Cuneglasus a Tyrant in Britain 113 Cuno what it signifieth 98 Cunobelinus 418 a Cunobelin 447 b Curia Ottadinorum 818 b Curiales what they were 771 a Cursons a family 553 c Sir Rob. Curson Baron Imperiall ibid. Robert Curthose an unfortunate Prince 361 d Curcies 221 a Iohn Curcie his vertues ibid. Curtius Montanus a dainty teothed glutton 342 e Saint Cuthberts parcimony 735 Saint Cuthbert Bishop of Lindefarn ibid. Cworwf 20 Curwens knights 769 a Custodes or captaines in every shire 159 Cuthred King of the West Saxons 373 f Cyprus called Keraftis 184 Cyrch 18 Cythariftes 21 D DAbernoun 297 b D'acre Barons of Gillesland 594 c Dacre castle 776 c D'acre Baron ibid. Leonard D'acre a Traitour and Rebel 784 f Dacor a river 776 c D'airells or D' Hairells 369 e Dalaley castle 593 Dalison or D'alanson a family 544 c Dalrendini 126 Dan or Daven a river 608 d Danby 721 f Danbury 446 b Dancastre 690 b Danewort See Walwort Danes infest the coasts of England 139. why so called 141 they land in England c. 142 Danes massacred by the English 143 Their detestable sacrifice 142 Danegelt atribute ibid. Danmonii 183. whence their name commeth ibid. Daning-schow a riveret 608 e Dantesey a town 243 c Danteseys knights ibid. Dantrey towne 508 a. the fort there ibid. Henry Baron Danvers of Dantesey 243 c Darby shire 553 Darby towne 554 c Darby Lords and Earles 558 d Darcies de Nocton c. 543 c Darcies Barons de Chich 451 c Darent river 328 d Darenford or Dartford 328 â— Darwent a river and city 709 Davenport or Damport a place and notable family 609 a Saint Davids land 653 c Saint Davids an Archbishops See 653 d David bishop refuteth the Pelagians 657 b Davery or de alta rupe 312 b Dawnes of Utkinton foresters of Delamere 607 a Deben a river 465 b Depenham or Dapenham ibid. d ee a river 594 c. whence so called 602 c. Dee-mouth 604 b Dee head 666 b Devonshire or Denshire 199 a Walter and Robert Devreux Earles of Essex 455 a Iohn Dee a famous Mathematician 746 c Decimes See Tithings Decuman a Saint 220 e. murdered ibid. Decuriones what they were 771 Saint Decombs 220 e Deale or Dole 343 a Deanries how many in England 161 Deanforest 358 b Deane a place 514 a Deanes a family ibid. Deifying of Roman Emperours 70 Deiri that is Hol-der-Nesse 136 De la-mares 233 a De la mere forest 607 a De-la-pree a Nunnery 509 b D' eincourts Barons of Blankenay 535 f Edmund Baron D'eincourt desirous to perpetuate his name 536 a De la cres Abbay 787 c Iohn De la Pole Earle of Lincolne slaine 549 a. 388 f De la bere an ancient family 620 c D'elveseyes a family 607 e Delgovitia 711 b Delgwe what it signifieth 711 b De la val Baronie 811 f De la ware 364 c Dench-worth townes 281 a Denelage 153.159 Dengy or Dauncing hundred 443 c Dengy towne ibid. Dengy Nesse 352 a Dennington castle 284 a Edward Deny Baron of Waltham 439 b Denisses 206 c Denbigh-shire 675 Denbigh towne 675 d Denbigh Baron
is ibid. Hertlebury castle 574 b Hertford shire 405 Hertford towne 407 a Hertford Earles 415 e called Earles of Clare ibid. Herty point 207 b Doctor Hervey his Causey 489 c Hervey first Bishop of Ely 493 d Herward a valiant Englishman 533 a Heston 420 a Hesus 17 Hesselwood 696 c Hous 17 Heveningham a towne and family 467. c Hexhamshire 799. d Hextold a river 807. d Hextoldesham ibid. Heyford Warin 377. a Heyford Purcell 377. a Hides a family 281. a Hide what it is 158 339. e Highgate Castle 778. c High Crosse 518. a High Dike a streete-way 534. a 64 High ridge ibid. Highham a towne and family 463. c Highham Ferrars 510. b high-High-land men 119.126 Higra 707. c. What it is 357. e Saint Hilda a shee Saint and her miracles 718. e Hills erected for what purpose 406. e Hildersham 489. e Hildeards ancient Knights 713. f Hilton a Castle and familie 742. e Himilco never in Britaine 33. Hinchingbrooke 497. d Hindersket or Hunderdskell a Castle 723. e Hinkley a Baronie 518. c Hith or Hide a towne 349. b Hith what it signifieth ibid. Hitching 406. c Ho 329. c Baron Ho 318 319. Hoes a family 542. c Hobarts Knights and Atturneys Generall to Kings 476 Sir Edward Hoby Knight 286. b 334. a Hobelars 272.275 b Hocke and Hocks old English for mire and dirt 402. a Hoch Norton 375. a Hockley in the hole 402. c Hodde hils 215. c Hodesdon 408. d Hodingdon 578. c Hodlestons an ancient familie 699. e. 765. d Hodengs a family 394. c Hodnet a towne and family 594. b Hodney a river 628. a Hoel the good Prince of Wales 650. c Holburne or Oldburn 432. f Holcrofts an ancient family 608. d Holcroft a place and family 747. d Holdernesse a promontorie 713. c Holdenby house 508. e Holdernesse a promontory 713. c Holdernesse honour 715. b Holes within the Ground 440. d Holland a part of Lincoln-shire 529. why so called ibid. Hollands a great family 519. b and most noble 749 Iohn Holland of Denshire 205. a his coate of armes ibid. d Iohn Holland Duke of Exceter and Earle of Huntingdon 205. d Henrie Holland Duke of Excester ibid. his miserable case ibid. f Iohn Holland halfe brother to King Richard the second beheaded at Plaisi 445. b Hollands Knights 353. b Hollands Earles of Kent ibid. Iohn Holland the younger his stile 502. f Henrie Holland Duke of Excester his fall 502. f Thomas Holland Earle of Kent and Duke of Surrey 304. â— beheaded 304. c Holme Cultraine Abbey 773. a Holmesdale 294. b Holme Pier Pount 548. f Holme castle 296. f Holmes Chappell a towne 609. a Holme Lacy 621. a Holt in Denbigh shire 677. b Holt castle 594. b Holly head 673. a Holy Island 814. e Hooten 606. e Hope castle 681. a Horne church 441. f Horne castle 541. c Hornby castle 753. f Honorius Emperor 83. succoureth the distressed Britains against invasion of Barbarians 86 Honoriaci what Souldiours 118 Honoriani 127 Horse running 723. d Horse the badge or cognisance of the old Dukes of Saxonie 135 Horse heath 489. e Horton 691. f Hote-Spur 596. c Hothams a family 711. d. 721 Howards a Noble Family 472. c Henrie Lord Howard Earle of Northampton 516. e Henry Baron Howard of Marnhil 215. c Charles Lord Howard Earle of Nottingham 551. d Tho. Vicount Howard of Bindon 213. a Howards Earles of Surrey 304. e Thomas Lord Howard of Walden 452 e. 470. d. Earle of Suffolke ibid. William Lord Howard of Naworth 783. b Iohn Lord Howard duke of Norfolk the first of that house 483 slaine ibid. Thomas Howard his sonne vanquished the Scots 483. c Henrie Howard Earle of Surry a learned Nobleman ibid. Tho. Howard last duke of Norfolke ibid. Houden and Houden-shire 710. c Houghton 480. a Howgill castle 762. c Howley 693. e Howty a brooke 608. e Hubert de Burge Earle of Kent 352 Hubba the Dane 208. f Hubbestow ibid. Huckstow forest 592. c Huddleston 696. c Huesi 23 Hugh the Norman 212. d. a traitour 205. a Hugolin or Hugh Spenser 642 b Hugh Earle of Shrewsbury slain 672. d Hull the river 711. c Hull the towne 712. d Humfrey Duke of Glocester and his stile 369. c. The good duke and a favorer of learning 382 his death 561. c Humber an arme of the Sea 689 542. e Humel or Hymell castle 514. b Hundreds or Centuries appointed 158. d Hungerbourne 255. c Hungerfords 195 Hungerford towne 282. e Hungerford Barons 245. d. 282 Hunibald a bald writer 6 Hunshâ—l â— forâ— 509. d Hunstanston 418. b Hansdon a Barons seate 408 c Hunt Cliffe 720. e Huntercombs a family 394 c 815 d Huntingdon castle in Hereford shire 620. c Huntingdon shire 497. e Huntingdon towne 497. d Huntingdon Earles 502. c Huntingfeld towne and Baron 467. c Huntly Nab 720 f Hurling 186 Hurlers 193 Hurst castle 260. d Huscarles what they be 576. e Hussy the first and last Baron of that name 535. d Hyeritha a Shee-Saint 208. b I. JAmes the sixth of Scotland stiled King of great Britaine 141. a mild and gracious Prince 298. b Iames the fourth King of Scotland slaine 483. c Tho. Iames of Oxford a stâ—dious Antiquarian 639. â— Ianus with two foreheads 97 Iaphets progenie how it was propagated 10 Iarrow 743 d Iberi whence they tooke name 20 Iccius portus in France a port townelet 3â— Iceni 456 Ichnild-street 456. d Iceniiâ— Britaine discomfited 43 Idle a river 550. d Iermins Knights 461. d Iermegans Knights 468. e Ierby a towne 769. c Iervis or Iorvalle Abbey 729. c Ierusalem in hand to be re-edified 79. Iestine a rebell against Prince Rhese 641. e Iesu of Bethlems house 297. e 410. f Iesus Colledge in Oxford 383. b Iohn Iewell Bishop of Salisbury 208. e. a profound Clerke 248. e S. Iies 193 Ikborowgh 482. b Ikeâ—ild street 64 Ikening street 402. d Ikesworth 461. d Ilands of what use 478. d An Iland floating 478. d Isle of Ely 485. c. why so called 492. f Il-bre an Isle 607. a Ilcester or Ivelcester 221. e Ilfarcomb 207. a Ilkley 697. c Il-street 603. e K. Ina 226. c Innes of Court and Chancery in London 427. c Inborow what it is 815. b Incubi 17 Infants of Spaine 164 Inglebeys a family 535. f. 699. f Ingleborne 242. c Ingleborrow Hill 749. e Inglefields an ancient family 284. c Inglini bipenniferi 154 Inis wen 24 Insula Caeruli ibid. Inundations in Monmouth shire and Somerset shire 634. d Ioan the faire maide of Kent 353. b Ioan de Acres 369. b Iohannes de Sacro bosco 692. c Iohn of Weathamsted 7 Iohn Earle of Athol cruelly executed 336. a Iohn of Gaunt his stile 757. b King Iohn his sword at Lin. 480. f King Iohn called judicially into question in France and endited for murdering his Nephew Arthur 733. d Saint Iohns Knights of Ierusalem 428. a. 433. a Ioseph of Arimathea 68 Ioseph Iscanus a Poet 204. d Ioseph Scaliger 10 Ipres
towre 319. d Wilde Ipres 332. c. Earle of Kent 352. e Ipswich or Gipwich 464. c Ireland the site thereof 56 Irke a river 746. a Irchenfield or Archenfield 617. e Irt a riveret 765. e Irmunsull See Ermin 64 Irthing a river 782. f Irthington 745. e Irwell a river 745. e Iron or Yron mynâ—s 581. b Isa a river See Usa Isabelâ— de Fortibus 207. e Isan parles a rock 763. b Isc river See Ex. Isca Danmoniorum 203. f Isca Silurum 204. a Iscaw 20 Isis haire or Isidis plocamos 211 Isis a river 241. c Isis a river in Glocestershire See Ouse Islip 377. a Simon Islip 332. c Is-urium Brigantum 701. c Ithancester 443. d Itium is whitsan not Callais 348 Iudeal de Totenais 201. f Ivel the river 221. b Iulham or Chilham 336. b Iulia street 639. e Iulian the Apostata usurpeth the Empire 79. is declared Caesar 78 Iulius Caesar attempteth Britaine 34 Iulius a Martyr in Britaine 73 636. e Iullaber 336. b Ivo Talboys of Anjou 532. f Ivo a Persian Bishop 499. a A Iury of 12. men 153 Iustices of the Forest 293. e Iustices ordained by Aelfred 158 Iustices of Peace instituted by K. Edward the third 160 Iustices of Assises 160.179 Iustice or chiefe Iusticer of England 178 Iustices Itinerant 179 Iustices in Eyre ibid. Iustices of Goale delivery ibid. Iustices of Nisi prius ibid. Iutae a people in Germany 128 why so called 130 Ixning 459. d K KAderne 18 Kainho a Barony 401. d Katharine Dowager of Spaine enterred 513 Keiana Scot 649. b Keidelston 553. e Keimes a Barony 654. c Keina a devout Virgin 236. f Keirch 20 Kilhop a riveret 738. c Kelnsey 714. a Kelsay 543. a Ken a river 753. f Kenchester 618. d Kendale or Kirkby Kendal 759 Kendale Barons and Earles ibid. K. Kenelm a Saint 365. e Kenelworth or Killingworth 566 Kenelworth castle ibid. Dictum de Kenelworth 567 Kenet the river 255 a Keninghal 472 c Keniwalcsh vanguisheth the Britans 221 d Kent 323. why so called ibid. Kentishmen right courteous and valiant 324 c Kent Earles 352 d Kentish Pety-kings or Potentates 37 Kent-sand 753 f Kentigern Bishop of Glasco 679 c a great Clerke 378 f Kernaw 183 Kernellare what it is 753 f Kesar for Caesar 326 c Kesteven a part of Lincolnshire 533 b Keston 326 c Keswicke 763 c Ket a rebell hanged 473 b Kettel the name of a familie 543 b Kettleby 543 a Kettering 510 Keven 21 Keven Caer 661 e Kevenles Castle 624 a Kevin 21 Saint Kibie an holy man 673 a Kidderminster 573 f. a Barony 514 a Kidwelly 649 Kildale Castle 721 e Kighley a place and family 693 Kilgarth 192 Killey 816 e Kilgarran 654 e Killingworth See Kenelworth Kilmain Lhoyd 650 d Kilnsey Crag 697 b Kilpeck a castle and family 617 The Kings Champions ibid. Kilton castle 720 c Kime a noble family 535 e Kimbolton or Kinnibantum Castle 501 c Kindreton 610 b Kindreton Barons 609 b Kined a Saint 646 c Kinefeage Castle 644 d King what it signifieth 163. his soveraigne power c. ibid. his roial prerogatives 163 Kings of England made heires to their subjects 485 e. f Kings in Britain during the Romans Empire there 67 The Kings Courts of Iustice 177 Kings Bench 178 Kingston Lacy 216 f Kings Cleare 272 c Kings knight or Taine 293 e Kingston upon Tamis 297 b Kings Delfe 500 b Kingston upon hull 712 d Kings Ditch by Cambridge 488 c Kingswood Abbey 364 c Kinnoburga 502 b Kinnersley 620 c Kinton 561 c Kirkham 709 d Kirkby Bellers 522 f Kirkby Morside 722 c Kirkby the same that Pontfret 695 c Kirkby Lonsdale 760 c Kirkby Stephen ibid. d Kirby Thore 761 c Kirk Oswald 777 f Kirkton 532 c Kirsop a river 781 d Kirtling 491 b Kirton 203 d Kits Coty house 332 b Kitsons knights 461 e Knarisborow Castle 699 f Knebworth 406 e Knevets a family 472 c. d Knevet or Knivet Baron of Escrick 707 e Knight what degree of Gentry 170 Knights simply so called 173 Knights of foure sorts 171 Knights Banarets ibid. Knights of the Bath 172 Knights dubbed Earles 174 Knight a title of dignity 175 Knights how dubbed 176 Knights Bachelars ibid. Knights twelve emploied in the Conquest of Glamorgan-shire 641 e. f Knightleys ancient knights 508 Knighton 623 e Kniveton a place and familie 553 e Knocking Castle 597 b Knoll 328 a Knolls Barons de Rotherfield 389 e Knots a dainty fowle 543 c Knotsford a towne 610 c Knute the Hardie or Hardie Knut 143 Knute King of the Danes vanquisheth Ethelbert 143 Kowain 18 Kumero 10 Kumbri or Kambry 765 b Kumari ibid. Kumeraeg ibid. Kwrm a British drinke 31 L. LAberius Durus slaine by Kentishmen Lac a riveret 753 d Lacie 213 d Lacies Conquerours of Ireland 631 c Lacie the Norman 695 d Iohn Lackland who hee was 255 f Lacon a family 591 d Lactorodum seemeth to be Stony Stratford 397 b Laelianus an usurper in Britaine murdred 71 Laetavia 111 Laeti ibid. Laetus a valiant Captaine 69 Laeford by contraction Lord 168 Lanae 19 Lakes in Staffordsh of a strange nature 588 b. c William Lambard commended 323 b William Lambard his hospitall 327 f Lambith 303 b Lambley Nunnery 799 â— Lamborne 283 f Lambourn Manour 440 c Lampreies 574 c Lane the name of a family 509 f Lanandiffry 649 d Lancashire 745 Lancaster or Loncaster towne 754 b Lancaster Lords 755 f Lancaster Earles 756 Lancaster Dukes 757 Lancham 463 d Lanchester 742 â— Landaff 642 d Lands end 188 Lanercost Abbey or Priory 782 c 785 c Langerston 465 a Abbots Langley 414 f Kings Langley ibid. f Langley 592 a Langho 750 a Langtons a family 752 e Langanum 668 b Lanheath 491 a Lapis Tituli See Stonar Lacelles a family 707 e. 724 c Latham 749 a Latimer what it is 598 â— Latimers a towne 394 e Latimers de Corby a family 507 b Latimers Lords 721 f. 729 d Latimer a sirname 598 c Lavatrae 732 d Laver a river ibid. e Lavellin an high hill 767 f Lawleyes a family 591 f Lawlesse Court 441 e Lawes of England in a tripartite division 153 Law-courts of England 177 Lawes that is Heapes of stones 802 b De la Lawnds a family 542 c Laurence Noel repayrer of our Saxons language 188 Laxton or Lexinton a towne and name of a family 550 Layth 21 Lea or Ley a river 406 e Lea the name of a family 592 d Leach 21 Lead of Darbyshire 556 e League 21 Leakes Knights 556 b Leam the rever 507 e Leama brooke 561 d Leamington ibid. d Leanminster 17 Leckhamsted 396 e Leddets a family 507 b Long-Leat 245 a Ledden a river 620 e Ledbury a towne ibid. Lee Knight 280 c Lee a place and family 610 c Sir Henry Lee 395 f Leeds Castle 331 c Leeds 694 e Leegh 441 c Leez 445 c Legeolium 695 a Leibourne 332 c Leiden Castle built by Hengist 130 Leightons knights 593 a Leighton Buzard 402 e Leighton