Lismore sometime Legate of Ireland an earnest follower of the vertues which he had seen and heard of his devout father Saint Bernard and Pope Eugenius a venerable man with whom hee was in the Probatorie at Clarevall who also ordained him to be the Legate in Ireland after his obedience performed within the monasterie of Kyrieleyson happily departed to Christ. Jerusalem was taken with the Lords Crosse by the Soldan and the Saracens after many Christians slaine MCLXXXVII Upon the Calends or first day of July was the Abbey of Ynes in Ulster founded MCLXXXIX Henry Fitz-Empresse departed this life after whom succeeded his sonne Richard and is buried in Font-Ebrard In the same yeere was founded the Abbey de Colle victoriae that is of Cnokmoy MCXC. King Richard and King Philip make a voiage into the holy land MCXCI. In the Monasterie of Clarevall the translation of Malachie Bishop of Armagh was honourably celebrated MCXCII The Citie of Dublin was burnt MCXCIII Richard King of England in his return from the holy land was taken prisoner by the Duke of Austrich and he made an end by composition with the Emperour to pay for his ransome one hundred thousand markes and with the Empresse to pay thirtie thousand also with the foresaid Duke 20. thousand markes in regard of an obligation which he had made unto them for Henrie Duke of Saxonie Now hee remained in the Emperours prison a yeere sixe moneths and three daies For whose ransome all the Chalices in manner throughout England were sold. In the same yeere was founded the Abbey de Iugo Dei that is of Gods yoke MCXCIIII The reliques of S. Malachie Bishop of Clareval were brought into Ireland and with all honour that might be received in the Monasterie of Mellifont and the rest of the Monasteries of the Cistertian order MCXCV. Matthew Archbishop of Cassile Legate of Ireland John Archbishop of Dublin carried away the corps of Hugh Lacie the conquerour of Meth from the Irish and solemnely enterred it in the Monasterie of Blessednesse that is Becty But the head of the said Hugh was bestowed in the Monastery of Saint Thomas in Dublin MCXCVIII The order of Friers Preachers began in the parts about Tolouse by Dominicke the second MCXCIX Richard King of England died after whom succeeded John his brother who was Lord of Ireland and Earle of Mortaigne which John slew Arthur the lawfull heire sonne of Geffrey his whole brother And in this manner died Richard When K. Kichard besieged the Castle of Chaluz in little Britaine wounded he was to death with an arrow by one of those in the said Castle named Bertram Gurdon And when he dispaired of his life hee demised the Kingdome of England and all his other lands unto his brother to keep All his Jewels and one fourth part of his Treasure he gave unto his Nephew Otho and another fourth part of his Treasure he gave and commanded to be dealt among his servants and the poore Now when the said Bertram was apprehended and brought before the King the K. demanded of him in these termes what harme have I done thee that thou hast slaine me Unto whom without any manner of feare he answered thus Thou killedst my father and two of my brethren with thine owne hand and me also thou wouldest now have killed Take therefore what revenge so ever thou wilt of me for I passe not so thou maist be slaine that hast wrought so many mischiefes to the world Then the King forgave him his death and commanded that hee should be let goe at libertie and to give him besides one hundred shillings sterling But after the King was dead some of the Kings ministers slayed the said Beâ—â—â—am and hung him up And this King yeelded up his vitall breath the eighth day before the Ides of April which fell out to be the fourth day of the weeke before Palme-Sunday and the eleventh day after he was wounded and buried hee was at Foâ—â— Eâ—â—ard at the feet of his father Touching whose death a certaine versifier saith thus Istiâ— in morte perimit formica leonem Proh dolor in tanto funere mundus obit In this mans death as is well seene the Ant a Lion slaies And in so great a death alas the world doth end her daies The Corps of which King Richard is divided into three parts Whence was this verse made Viscera Carceolum Corpus Fons servat Ebrardi Et Cor Rhothomagum magne Richarde tuum Thy bowels onely Carceol keeps thy Corps Font-Everard And Roan hath keeping of thy heart O puissant Richard When King Richard was departed this life his brother John was girt with the sword of the Duchy of Normandie by the Archbishop of Rhoan the seventh day before the Calends of May next ensuing after the death of the aforesaid King which Archbishop did set upon the head of the said Duke a Circle flower with golden roses in the top round about Also upon the sixth day before the Calends of June hee was anointed and crowned King of England all the Lords and Nobles of England being present within the Church of Saint Peter in Westminster upon the day of the Lords Ascension and afterwards was John King of England called to a Parliament in France by the King of France to answer as touching the death of his Nephew Arthur and because he came not he deprived him of Normandy The same yeere was the Abbey of Commerer founded MCC Cathol Cronerg King of Conaght founder of the Monastery de Colle Victoriae that is of the Hill of Victorie is expelled out of Conaght The same yeere was founded the Monasterie de Voto that is Tynterne by William Marshall Earle Marshall and of Pembroch who was Lord of Leinster to wit of Weisford Ossory Caterlagh and Kildare in regard and right of his wife who espoused the daughter of Richard Earle of Stroghul and of Eve the daughter of Dermot-Mac-Murogh But because the foresaid William Earle Marshall was in exceeding great jeopardie both day and night in the sea he vowed a vow unto our Lord Jesus Christ that if he might be delivered from the tempest and come to land hee would make a Monasterie unto Christ and Marie his mother and so it came to passe when hee was come safe to Weisford he made I say the Monasterie of Tyntern according to his vow and called it the Monasterie De voto that is Of the vow In the same yeere was founded the Monasterie de Flumine Dei that is Of Gods river MCCII. Gathol Cronerg or Crorobdyr King of Conaght was set againe in his kingdome The same yeere is founded the house of Canons or Regular Priests of St. Marie by Sir Meiler Fitz-Henrie MCCIII The Abbey of S. Saviour that is Dowiâ—ky being founded was in this yeere and the next following built MCCIV. There was a field fought betweene John Curcie Earle of Ulster and Hugh Lacie at Doune in which battell many on both sides lost their lives But John Curcie had the upper
already into the hearts of all nations in manner that are Behold in one faith he hath conjoined the limits of East and west Behold I say the very British tongue which could nought else but rudely bray Barbarous words long since began in the land of God to resound the Hebrew Allelu-jah And in his Epistle to Augustine himselfe Who is able heere to shew sufficiently what great joy is risen up in the hearts of all the faithfull for that the nation of Englishmen by the operation of God almightie his grace and the labour of your brotherhood after the darknes of errours were chased and driven away is illuminated with the light of holy faith for that with most sincere devotion they now spurne and tread idols under their feete who beforetime in superstitîous feare lay prostrate before them In an old fragment also written in that age thus we read Augustine upon one day of Christs Nativitie which with the universall glorie of the Englishmen is for ever celebrated did regenerate by lively Baptisme above ten thousand men besides an innumerable multitude of women and young children But what a number of Priests and other holy orders besides could be sufficient to wash such a sort of people Having hallowed and blessed therefore the river called in English Swale the Archbishop Augustine commanded by the voice of Criers Maisters that the people should enter the river confidently two by two and in the name of the Trinitie baptize one another by turnes Thus were they all borne againe with no lesse miracle than in times past the people of Israel passed over the red Sea divided and likewise Iordan when it turned backe for even so they were transported to the banke on the other side and notwithstanding so deepe a current and chanell so great and so divers differences of sex and age not one person who will ever thinke it tooke harme A great miracle no doubt but this miracle as great as it was a greater preeminence doth surmount in that all feeblenesse and infirmitie was laid off in that river whosoever was sick and deformed returned out of it whole and reformed O festivall spectacle for Angels and men to behold when so many thousands of a nation suing for grace came forth of one rivers channel as out of one mothers wombe and out of one poole so great a progenie sprung up for the celestiall and heavenly Citie Hereupon the most gracious Pope Gregorie with all the companies of Saints above breaking forth into joy could not conceale this but wrote unto Saint Eulogius the Patriarch of Alexandria that hee would most thankefully congratulate with him for so great an host baptized upon one Christmas day No sooner was the name of Christ preached but the English presently with such fervent zeale and devotion consecrated themselves unto Christ that they tooke incredible paines in propagating Christianitie in celebrating divine service performing all functions and duties of pietie building Churches and endowing them with rich livings so that there was not another region in all Christendome that could make reckoning of more monasteries richly endowed Yea divers Kings there were that preferred a religious and monasticall life before their Crowne and Kingdom So many holy men also this land brought forth which for their most firme profession of Christian religion constant perseverance therein and sincere pietie were canonized Saints that it gave place to no other Christian province in this behalfe And like as Britaine was called of that prophane Porphyrie a plenteous province of Tyrants so England might truely be named a most fruitfull Island of Saints Furthermore they applied their minds to the bringing in againe of the better kind of arts and sciences and sowed the seeds of Divinitie and good literature throughout all Germanie by the meanes of Winifridus Willebrodus and others which a German Poet sheweth in these verses Haec tamen Arctois laus est aeterna Britannis Quòd post Pannonicis vastatum incursibus orbem Illa bonas artes Graiae munera linguae Stellarumque vias magni sydera coeli Observans iterum turbatis intulit oris Quin se religio multum debere Britannis Servata latè circùm dispersa fatetur Quis nomen Winfride tuum quis munera nescit Te duce Germanis pietas se vera fidesque Insinuans coepit ritus abolere profanos Quid non Alcuino facunda Lutetia debes Instaurare bonas ibi qui foeliciter artes Barbariemque procul solus depellere coepit Quid tibi divinumque Bedam doctissimus olim Dum varias unus bene qui cognoverat artes Debemus Yet this immortall praise is due to Britain Northern Isle That when the world was overrun and wasted all the while By Pannonik invasions it did reduce in ure Those troubled countries with good arts also with knowledge pure Of Greeke tongue and observing still the stars in spacious skie And planets with their wandring waies taught them Astronomie For true religion eke preserv'd and sowne in many a land The world much bound to Britaine is and to her helpfull hand Thy name and gifts ô Winifride who knowes not since by thee The way was made in Germanie where faith and pietie First setting foote beganne to chase all rites profane away What ow I not to Alcuine now may eloquent Paris say Who happily went there in hand alone to plant a new Good arts and thence all barbarisme to banish far from view And unto thee for worthy Bede we are beholden much The only man for sundry arts his learned skill was such Peter Ramus saith moreover that Britaine was twice Schole-mistris to France meaning by the Druida◠and Alcuinus whose industrie Charles the Great used especially in erecting the Universitie of Paris They brought also into Germanie military knowledge of Armes as well as learning and religion yea and which you will marvell at if wee may beleeve these words of Eginhardus they gave unto those Saxons their first Originall who now inhabite the Dukedome of Saxonie The nation of the Saxons saith he as Antiquities do record being departed from the English inhabiting Britaine sailing through the Ocean partly upon a desire they had and partly driven of necessitie to seeke where they might seat themselves arrived upon the coasts of Germanie and landed at a place called Haduloha what time as Theodericus King of the Franks warring upon Hirminfridus Duke of the Thuringers his Daughters husband cruelly with fire and sword wasted their land Now when as they had in two pight fields already tried the doubtfull fortune of battaile with lamentable slaughter of their people and uncertaine victorie Theoderich disappointed of his hope to be Master of the field dispatched Embassadors unto the Saxons whose Duke was Hadugato who having heard the cause of their comming and taken their promise that upon obtaining victorie they should cohabite together led forth an armie with them to aide Theodoricus By meanes of which forces valiantly
them have very goodly houses also adjoyning to the Church and all these buildings stand within the close wall severed from the Citie As the Bishop was busied about erecting of Gods house the Citizens likewise for their parts did their best to found the Citie they established their civill government derived rilles and servers of waters into every street and cast a deepe ditch all along that side on which it is not fenced with the running river having obtained licence of Simon the Bishop thus to strengthen and fortifie the same And in such sort grew up this new Salisburie by little an little out of the ruines of old Sorbiodunum that so soone as they by the Kings warrant had turned hither the high-way that leadeth into the West parts it became the second Citie in all this tract passing well inhabited and frequented plentifull of all things especially of fish adorned with a very stately market place wherein standeth their common Hall of timber worke a very beautifull edifice But nothing is there whereof it may so much boast as of Iohn Iowell not long since Bishop there a wonderfull great and deepe Divine a most stout and earnest maintainer of our reformed religion against the adversaries by his learned books Old Sorbiodunum from thence forward decaied more and more and in the raigne of King Henrie the Seventh became utterly desolate so as at this day there remaineth onely a towre or two of the Castle which notwithstanding a long time after the departure of the townesmen from thence was the dwelling house of the Earles of Salisburie and about which in King Edward the Thirds time there arose a memorable controversie and suite For Robert Bishop of Salisburie stirred Milliam Mont acute Earle of Salisburie by vertue of a processe which our Lawyers terme Breve de Recto that is A writ of right for this Castle and hee made answer that hee would defend his right by combat Whereupon at a day appointed the Bishop â—rought forth his champion to the railes or bars of the Lists clâ—d in a white garment reaching downe to his mid-leg upon which he had a mandilian or cassocke garnished with the Bishops Armes at whose heeles followed a Knight carrying a staffe and a page with a shield Immediately after the Earle brought in by the hand his owne champion also arraied in the like apparell accompanied with two Knights bearing white staves Now when these Champions were to enter the Lists commanded they were to withdraw themselves aside that their weapons of both parts might be viewed and they searched whether they had any Amulers or Enchantments about them But all on a suddaine unlooked for came the Kings precept to reprive and defer the matter to a further day that the King might loose thereby none of his right Meane while they grew to this composition That the Earle for the summe of 2500. markes paied and received should yield up all his title and interest in the Castle to the Bishop and his successors for ever This Salisburie had long agoe Earles of that name whose pedigree I will derive somewhat farther off and more truly out of the short reports of Lacock Historie William Conqueror of his bounty liberalitie assigned unto Gualter de Evereaux Earle of Rosmar in Normandie faire lands and large possessions in this shire which he left unto Edward named de Sarisburia a younger sonne borne in England like as to Walter his eldest sonne other lands in Normandie with the Title of Earle of Rosmar whose issue within a while after was extinct That Edward of Sarisburie aforesaid flourished in the twentieth yeere of the Conquerours reigne and is often times barely named in the Indiciarie booke of England without the title of Earle His sonne Walter built a a little monasterie at Bradenstocke and there in his old age tooke him to the habit of a Canon or Regular priest after he had first begotten his sonne Patricke the first Earle of Salisburie upon Sibil de Cadurcis This Patricke I say the first Earle in his returne from his pilgrimage at S. Iames of compostella in Spain in the yeere of our Lord 1169. being slaine by one Guy of Lusigniam left William his sonne to succeede who died in King Richard the first his time His onely daughter Ela through the favour of the said King Richard was married to William Long Espee surnamed so of a long sword that he did usually weare a base sonne of King Henrie the second and her marriage honoured him with the title of Earle and her owne coat of Armes be Azur adorned with sixe Lions Ceux This William had a sonne named likewise William Long-Espee against whom King Henrie the Third conceiving great displeasure for that without licence obtained he was gone to serve in the holy land taking the crosse as they termed it upon him took from him both the title of Earle and also the Castle of Salisburie But he holding still his purpose went into Egypt with S. Lewis King of France and neere unto Damiata which the Christians had wonne carrying a brave and valorous minde fighting manfully among the thickkest troops of his enemies died an honorable and glorious death a little before that holy King was unfortunately taken prisoner His sonne named likewise William lived without the title of Earle and begat one onely daughter Margaret who neverthelesse being reputed Countresse of Salisburie became the wife of Henry Lacy Earle of Lincoln unto whom she bare one only daughter Alice wedded to Thomas Earle of Lancaster Who being attainted King Edward the Second seized upon those possessions which she had granted and demised unto her husband out of which King Edward the Third gave way unto Willam Mont-acute Trowbridg Winterbourn Ambresburie and other Lordships in these words So fully and wholly as the Progenitours of Margaret Countesse of Salisbury at any time held the same And even then hee preferred the said William Mont-acute to be Earle of Salisburie and by the cincture of a sword invested him in the said Earledome This William became Lord of the Isle of Mann and begat two sonnes William who succeeded in his Fathers honour and died without issue having unhappily slaine his onely sonne while he trained him at Tilting and Iohn a Knight who died before his brother leaving behind him a sonne named Iohn Earle of Salisburie whom hee had by Margaret daughter and heire of Thomas de Mont-Hermer who being of an unconstant and changeable nature and plotting the destruction of King Henrie the Fourth was in the yeare of our Lord 1400. killed at Chichester and attainted afterwards of high treason Howbeit his sonne Thomas was fully restored a man worthy to be ranged with the bravest Captaines and Commanders whether you respect paines taking in his affaires industrie in action or expedition in dispatch who lying at the siege before Orleance in France was with a bullet levelled out of a great piece of Ordnance wounded in the yeare 1428. and thereof died
owne habitation For kings in those daies sat in Judgement place in their owne persons And they are indeed the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Judges Whose mouth as that Royall Writer saith shall not erre in Judgement But the foresaid Palace after it was burnt downe in the yeare of our Lord 1512. lay desolate and king Henry the Eighth translated shortly after the kings Seat from thence to an house not farre off which belonged but a while before to Cardinall Wolsey and is called White Hall This house is a Princely thing enclosed of the one side with a Parke that reacheth also to another house of the kings named S. James where anciently was a Spittle for Maiden Lepres built by king Henry the Eighth on the other side with the Tamis A certaine Poet termed the foresaid House according to the English name thereof Leucaeum in Latine as appeareth in these Verses Regale subintrant Leucaeum Reges dederant memorabile quondam Atria quae niveo candebant marmore nomen Quod Tamisis prima est cui gloria pascere cygnos Ledaeos ranco pronus subterluit aestu To Royall Palace Kings enter in sometime LEUCEUM hight This famous name those Courts it gave that shone with marble white Hard under it with low-sound streame Tamis downe apace doth glide A River feeding Swannes wherein he takes especiall pride Hard by neere unto the Mues so called for that it served to keepe Hawkes and now is become a most faire Stable for the kings horses there remaineth a monument in memoriall of that most pious and kinde Queene Aeleonor erected by the king Edward the First her most dearely beloved husband and certes the memory of her loving kindnesse shall remaine worthy to be consecrated to aeternity For shee the daughter of Ferdinand the Third king of Castile being given in marriage to Edward the first king of England accompanied him into the Holy Land where when as he was secretly forelaid and by a certaine Moore wounded with an envenomed sword and by all the remedies that Physitians could devise was not so much eased as afflicted shee tooke her to a cure strange I must needs say and never heard of before howbeit full of love and kinde affection For her Husbands wounds infected with the poison and which by reason of the malignity thereof could not bee closed and healed shee day by day licked with her tongue and sucked out the venemous humour which to her was a most sweet liquour By the vigour and strength whereof or to say more truely by vertue of a wives lovely fidelity she so drew unto her all the substance of the poison that the wounds being closed and cicatrized hee became perfectly healed and shee caught no harme at all What then can bee heard more rare what more admirable than this womans faithfull love That a wives tongue thus annointed as I may so say with faith and love to her Husband should from her well beloved draw those poisons which by an approved Physitian could not bee drawne and that which many and those right exquisite medicines effected not the love onely and piety of a Wife performed Thus much of Westminster joyntly with London although as I have said it is a City by it selfe and hath a severall jurisdiction from it because with continued buildings it so joyneth thereto that it may seeme to be one and the same City Moreover at the West end of the City other Suburbs runne a great way in length with goodly rowes of houses orderly ranged as namely Holborne or rather more truely Oldborne wherein stood anciently the first house of the Templers onely in the place now called Southampton house But now there stand certaine Innes or Colleges of Students in the Common Law and a City-habitation of the Bishops of Ely well beseeming Bishops to dwell in for which they are beholden to John de Hotham Bishop of Ely under king Edward the Third At the North side likewise there be Suburbs annexed to the City wherein Iordan Briset a man very wealthy and devout built an house for the Knights Hospitalers of Saint Iohn of Ierusalem which grew in time so great that it resembled a Palace and had in it a very faire Church and a Towre-steeple raised to a great height with so fine workemanship that while it stood it was a singular beauty and ornament to the City These Knights Hospitalers at their first institution about the yeare 1124. and long after were so lowly all the while they continued poore that their Governour was stiled Servant to the poore Servitours of the hospitall of Ierusalem like as the Master of the Templars who shortly after arose was termed The humble Minister of the poore Knights of the Temple This religious Order was instituted shortly after Geffery of Bollen had recovered Hierusalem The Brethren whereof ware a white Crosse upon their upper blacke Garment and by solemne Profession were bound to serve Pilgrimes and poore people in the Hospitall of Saint Iohn at Hierusalem and to secure the passages thither they charitably buried the dead they were continuall in prayer mortified themselves with watchings and fastings they were courteous and kinde to the poore whom they called their Masters and fed with white bread while themselves lived with browne and carried themselves with great austerity Whereby they purchased to themselves the love and liking of all sorts and through the bounty of good Princes and private persons admiring their piety and prowesse they rose from this low degree to so high an estate and great riches that after a sort they wallowed in wealth For they had about the yeare of our Lord 1240. within Christendome nineteene thousand Lordships or Manours like as the Templars nine thousand the Revenewes and rents whereof in England fell afterwards also to these Hospitalers And this Estate of theirs growne to so great an height made way for them to as great honours so as their Prior in England was reputed the Prime Baron of the Land and able with fulnesse and aboundance of all things to maintaine an honourable Port untill that King Henry the Eighth advised by them which respected their private profit gat their lands and livings into his owne hands like as hee did of the Monasteries also Albeit it was then declared that such religious places being of most pious intent consecrated to the Glory of God might have beene according to the Canons of the Church bestowed in exhibition and Almes for Gods Ministers releefe of the poore redemption of Captives and repairing of Churches Neere unto it where now is to be seene a sightly circuit of faire houses was the Charter-house founded by Sir Walter Many of Henault who with singular commendation served under King Edward the Third in the French warres and in that place heretofore was a most famous Cemitery or buriall place in which in a plague time at London were buried in the yeare 1349. more than 50000. persons a
we may see in the Histories whether by celestiall influence or other hidden causes I leave to the learned But so farre as I could hitherto reade it did never set foote in England before that time Besides these places before named of great name and marke wee must not overpasse neither Melton Mowbray neere unto this Burton a Mercate Towne bearing name of the Mowbraies sometime Lords thereof wherein is nothing more worth the seeing than a faire Church nor Skeffington standing farther off which as it hath given name to a worshipfull Family so againe it hath received worship and credit from the same The River that watereth this part of the Shire is by the Inhabitants about it called the Wreken along which upon resemblance of the name I have sought VERNOMETUM but in vaine This Wreken gathereth a strong streame by many lively Brookes resorting unto it whereof one passeth by Wimondham an ancient habitation of a younger branch of the house of the Lords Barkleis well encreased by an heire of Dela-Laund and so on by Melton Mowbray before mentioned by Kirkby Bellers where there was a Priory having that addition of the Bellers a respective rich and noble Family in their time by Brokesby a seat now of the Villiers of an old Norman race and descended from an heire of Bellers which Brokesby imparted formerly the sirname to the Brokesbies of especiall antiquity in these parts Then the Wreken speedeth by Ratcliffe high mounted upon a cliffe and within few miles conjoyneth it selfe to Soar neere unto Mont-Soar-hill before mentioned Whatsoever of this Shire lieth beyond the Wreken Northward is not so frequently inhabited and part of it is called the Wold as being hilly without wood wherein Dalby a seat of the old Family of the Noels of whom I shall speake elsewhere and Waltham on the Wold a meane Mercat are most notable Through this part as I have beene enformed passeth the Fosse-way made by the Romans from Lewing Bridge by Segrave which gave sirname to the honourable Family often mentioned and the Lodge on the Wold toward the Vale of Bever but the Tract thereof as yet I know not This Shire hath beene more famous from time to time by reason of the Earles thereof have beene very renowned And seeing it had under the Saxons government Earles by inheritance I will first reckon them up in order as Thomas Talbot a skilfull Antiquary hath delivered me a note of them out of the kings Records In the time of Aethelbald King of the Mercians and in the yeere of our Redemption 716. Leofrick was Earle of Leicester whom there succeeded in direct line Algar the first Algar the second Leofrick the second Leofstane Leofrick the third buried in Coventry Algar the third who had issue two sonnes Aeadwin Earle of March Morkar Earle of Northumberland and a daughter named Lucy first married to Ivon Talboys of Anjou afterwards to Roger of Romara who begat of her William of Romara Earle of Lincolne Now when as the issue male of this Saxon Family failed and the name of the Saxons was troden as it were under foot Robert Beaumont a Norman Lord of Pont Audomar and Earle of Mellent after that Simon an officiary Earle of Leicester was dead obtained his Earledome in the yeere of our Lord 1102. at the bountifull hand of King Henry the First which Robert A man for skill and knowledge excellent faire spoken subtile wise and witty and by nature wily who while hee lived in high and glorious estate an other Earle carried away his wife from him whereupon in his old age being much troubled in minde he fell into deepe melancholy After him succeeded from father to sonne three Roberts the first sirnamed Bossu because hee was crook-backed who after he had rebelled against King Henry the First weary of his loose irregular life became a Chanon Regular the second sirnamed Blanch-maines of his lily-white-hands who sided with the young King against King Henry the Second and dyed in the expedition of King Richard the First to the Holy Land the third sirnamed Fitz-Parnell because his mother was Parnels daughter and one of the heires to Hugh Grant-maismill the last in whose right hee was Seneschall or Steward of England and died issuelesse in the time of King John A few yeeres after Simon Montfort descended from a base sonne of Robert King of France who had married the sister of Robert Fitz-Parnell enjoyed this honour But after that hee and his were expelled in the yeere 1200. as wholy devoted to the French Ranulph Earle of Chester attained unto this Dignity not in right of inheritance but by his Princes favour Howbeit afterwards Simon Montfort sonne of the foresaid Simon obtained this honour when Almarik his eldest brother surrendred up his right before King Henry the Third This Simon stood in so gracious favour with King Henry the Third that hee called him home againe out of France when he was banished heaped upon him great wealth admitted him unto the Earledome of Leicester granted to him the Stewardship of England and to honour him the more gave him his owne sister in marriage But hee thus over-heaped with honourable benefits when he had no meanes to requite them such is the perverse wilfulnesse of men beganne hatefully to maligne him yea and did most wickedly molest the good King having so well deserved making himselfe Ringleader to the rebellious Barons and with them raising horrible tempests of civill warre in which himselfe also at length was overthrowne and slaine As for his Honours and Possessions King Henry the Third gave and graunted them to Edmund his owne younger sonne Earle of Lancaster So afterward this honour lay as it were obscured among the Titles of the house of Lancaster and Mawde the daughter of Henry Duke of Lancaster being married to Henry Duke of Bavaria Earle of Henault Holland Zeland c. added unto his other Titles this of Earle of Leicester also For in the Charter dated the five and thirty yeere of King Edward the Third hee is in plaine termes stiled William Earle of Henhault and of Leicester yea and as we finde in the Inquisition made Anno 36. of the said King Edward the Third shee by the name of Dutchesse of Bavaria held the Castle Manour and Honour of Leicester After whose decease without issue that honour reverted to John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster who had wedded Blanch the other sister of Mawde From which time it became united to the House of Lancaster untill in our remembrance it reflourished in L. Robert Dudley who was by Queene Elizabeth girt with the sword of the Earledome of Leicester and extraordinarily favoured whereupon the States Generall of the united Provinces in their great troubles chose him triumphantly for their absolute Governour and soone after as contemptuously rejected him reserving all Soveraignty to themselves But after a short time he passed out of this transitory life
gold made him Lord chiefe Baron of his Exchequer conferred upon him the whole Seignorie or Lordship of Holdernes together with other lands belonging unto the Crown and that by the Kings Charter yea and ordained that he should be reputed a Baneret Yet if any man make doubt hereof the Recordes I hope may satisfie him fully in which William De la Pole is in plaine tearmes called Dilectus Valectus et Mercator noster that is Our wellbeloved Valect and our Merchant now Valect to tell you once for all was in those daies an honorable title as well in France as in England but afterward applied unto servants and gromes whereupon when the Gentry rejected it by changing the name they began to bee called Gentlemen of the Bedchamber From Hull a Promontorie runneth on forward and shooteth out a farre into the sea which Ptolomee calleth OCELLVM wee Holdernesse and a certaine monke Cavam Deiram as it were the hollow Country of the Deirians in the same signification that Coelosyria is so tearmed as one would say Holow Syria In this Promontory the first towne wee meet with in the winding shore is Headon in times past if wee list to beleeve fame that useth to amplifie the truth and which for my part I will not discredit risen to exceeding great account by the industry of merchants and sea-faring men from which so uncertaine is the condition as well of places as of people it is so much fallen by the vicinity of Hull and the choaking up of the haven which hath empoverished it that it can shew scarce any whit of the ancient state it had Although King Iohn granted unto Baldwin Earle of Aulbemarle and of Holdernesse and to his wife Hawis free Burgage heere so that the Burgers might hold in free Burgage with those customes that Yorke and Nichol that is Lincolne Yet now it beginneth by little and little to revive againe in hope to recover the former dignity There standeth hard by the Pomontorie an ancient towne which Antonine the Emperour called PRAETORIVM but we in our age Patrington like as the Italians have changed the name of a towne sometime called Praetorium into Petrovina That I doe not mistake herein both the distance from DELGOVITIA and the very name yet remaining doth prove which also in some sort implieth that this is the very same that in Ptolomees copies is written PETVARIA corruptly for Praetorium But whether this name were given it either from Praetorium that is the hall of Justice or from some large and stately house such as the Romans tearmed Praetoria it doth not appeare for certaine The inhabitants glorie much yet as touching their Antiquity and the commodiousnesse of the haven in ancient times and they may as well glorie for the pleasantnesse thereof For it hath a most delectable prospect on the one side lieth the maine sea brimme upon it on the other Humber a famous arme of the sea and over against it the fresh and greene skirtes of Lincoln-shire The high way of the Romans from the Picts wall which Antonine the Emperor followed here endeth For Ulpian hath written that such high waies commonly end at the sea at rivers or at Cities Somewhat lower standeth Winsted the habitation of the Hildeards knights of ancient descent and higher into the Country Rosse from whence the honorable family of the Barons Rosse tooke their name like as they were seated there in times past and hard by the sea-side Grimstons-garth where the Grimstons for a long time have lived in good reputation and a little from hence standeth Rise the mansion house in old time of certaine noble men bearing the name of Falconberg And then in the very necke of the promontorie where it draweth in most narrow into a sharpe point and is called Spurnhead is KELNSEY a little village which plainely sheweth that this is the very OCELLVM mentioned by Ptolomee for as from OCELLVM Kelnsey is derived so Ocellum doubtlesse was made of Y-kill which as I have said before signifieth in the British tongue a Promontory or narrow necke of land From Spurn-head the shore withdraweth it selfe backe by little and little and gently bending inward shooteth Northward by Overthorne and Witherensey two little Churches called of the sisters that built them Sisters kirks and not farre from Constable-Burton so called of the Lords thereof who being by marriages linked to right honorable houses flourish at this day in great worship and out of which familie Robert as wee read in the booke of the Abbay of Meaux was one of the Earle of Aulbemarls knights who being aged and full of daies took upon him the Crosse and went with King Richard in his voiage toward the holy land Then by Skipsey which Dru the first Lord of Holdernesse fortified with a Castle When the shore beginneth to spread againe and beare out into the sea it maketh roome for a bay or creeke that Ptolomee calleth EYAIMENON GABRANTO VICORUM which the Latin Interpreters have translated some PORTUOSVM SINVM that is the barborous Creeke others SALVTAREM that is the safe Creeke But neither of them both better expresseth the nature of the Greeke word than the very name of a little village in the nouke thereof which wee call Sureby For that which is safe and sure from danger the Britans and French men both terme Seur as wee Englishmen sure who peradventure did borrow this word from the Britans There is no cause therefore why we should doubt but that this creeke was that very EYAIMENON of the GABRANTOVICI who dwelt there abouts Hard by standeth Bridlington a towne very well knowne by reason of Iohn of Bridlington a poeticall monkish prophet whose ridiculous prophesies in Rhime I have read albeit they were not worth the reading And not farre from hence for a great length toward Driffield was there a ditch cast up and brought on by the Earles of Holdernesse to confine and bound their lands which they called Earles Dyke But whence this little nation here inhabiting were named GABRANTOVICI I dare not search unlesse happily it were of goates which the Britans tearme Gaffran and whereof there is not greater store in al Britain than hereabout Neither ought this derivation of the name to seeme absurd seeing that Aegira in Achaia borroweth the name of goats Nebrodes in Sicily of fallow Deere and Boeotia in Greece of Kine and Oxen. That little Promontory which with his bent made this creeke is commonly called Flamborough head and in the Saxon tongue Fleam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Authors who write that Ida the Saxon who first subdued these Countries arrived here Some think it took the name from a watchtowre which did by night put forth a flame or burning light for to direct sailers into the haven For the Britans retaine yet out of the provinciall language this word Flam and Mariners paint this creeke in their sea-cards with a blazing flame on the
the West twenty degrees and forty eight minutes in Longitude Whiles I looked round about from the top of the said castle hill to see the mouth of Lone that issueth it selfe into the sea a little lower Fornesse the other part of this shire appeared in sight which the sea hath after a sort violently rent apart from the rest For when as the shore did from hence shoote out a maine way into the West the Ocean as it were much displeased and angry hereat obstinately ceased not to flash and mangle it nay which is more hath with his fell flowing at boisterous tides devoured the shore and thereby maketh three wide creâ—kes or bayes namely Kent-sand at which the river Ken powreth it selfe forth Leven-sand and Dudden-sand betweene which two the land beareth out so much that thereupon it tooke the name For with us in our language For-nesse Foreland is all one with the Latine Promontorium anterius that is a Fore-promontory All this part unlesse it be hard by the sea side mounteth up aloft with high topped hils and huge fels standing thicke together which they tearme Forness-fells Among which the Britans lived safe a great while trusting upon these strong naturall fenses although the victorious English Saxons made way through all in the end For in the yeere 228. after there comming in I gather that the Britans had their abode here because Egfride King of Northumberland gave unto Holy Saint Cuthbert the land called Carthmell and all the Britans in it thus we finde written in his life and it is very well knowne that Carthmell is a part of this shire by Kentsand and a little towne in it retaineth yet the same name Wherein William Mareschall the elder Earle of Pembroch built a Priory and endowed it with living If you read in Ptolomee SETANTIORUM 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The Setantians Mere as some Copies have and not Setantiorum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The Setantians Haven I durst boldly avouch that these Britans here were called SETANTII For among these mountaines the greatest standing water in all England now called Winander-mere in the English Saxon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haply of his winding and turning in and out lieth stretched out for the space of ten miles or thereabout with crooked bankes and is all paved as it were with stone in the bottome in some places of wonderfull depth and breeding a peculiar kinde of fish found no where else which the inhabitants there by call A Chare And a little village standing hard by carrieth the name thereof In which Eathred King of Northumberland in the yeer of Christ 792. when he had by force fetched King Elfwolds sonnes out of Yorke flue them that by his owne wickednesse and their blood hee might secure the Kingdome to himselfe and his Betwixt this Mere and the river Dudden the promontory runneth out which wee commonly call Fornesse and hath the Iland Walney as a fore-fence or countremure lying along by it with a small arme of the sea betweene The gullet or entry into which is defended with a fort called the Pile of Fouldrey standing in the midst of the waves upon a rocke erected there by the Abbot of Fornesse in the first yeere of King Edward the third As for the Promontory it selfe there is nothing worth the sight in it unlesse it be the ruines of a monastery of Cistertian Monkes called Fornesse Abbey which Stephen Earle of Bullen afterwards King of England in the yeere of our redemption 1127. built in a place called sometimes Bekensgill or translated rather from Tulket in Andernesse Out of the Monkes whereof and from no place else as they themselves have reported the Bishops of the Isle of Man that lieth just over against were by an ancient custome wont to bee elected as having beene the mother as it were of many Monasteries in the said Man and in Ireland More Eastward standeth Aldingham an ancient hereditament belonging to the family of the Haveringtons or Harringtons unto whom it came from the Flemmings by the Cancefelds and whose inheritance descended by a daughter unto William Bonvill of Somersetshire and at last by him unto the Greies Marquesses of Dorset And somwhat higher is Ulverston in this regard not to bee passed over in silence for that King Edward the third gave a moity thereof unto Sir John Coupland a most brave warriour whom also he advanced to the dignity of a Banaret because in the battaile at Durham he took David the second King of the Scots prisoner But after his decease the same King granted it with other faire lands in this tract and the title also of Earle of Bedford unto Ingelram Lord Coucy of France as who had married his daughter Isabel and whose ancestours in right of Christiana Lindsey had great revenewes in England Touching the noble men which have borne the title of Lancaster there were in the first infancy of the Norman Empire three stiled Lords of the Honour of Lancaster namely Roger of Poictou the sonne of Roger Mont-gomery who was surnamed Pictavensis as William of Malmesbury writeth because hee had married a wife from out of Poictou in France But when he had by his perfidious disloyalty lost this honour William the sonne of King Stephen and Earle of Moriton and Warren had the same given unto him by his Father After whose death King Richard the first bestowed it upon his brother John who was afterward King of England For thus we read in an old History King Richard declared his singular love to his brother Iohn For beside Ireland and the Earledome of Moriton in Normandy he heaped upon him so many dignities in England that he was in maner a Tetrarch there Finally he conferred upon him Cornwall Lancaster Notingham Derby with the country adjoining and many more beside A good while after King Henry the third the sonne of John first advanced Edmund his second sonne called by some Crouth-backe to the title of Earle of Lancaster unto whom hee conveyed and made over the inheritances and honours of Simon Montfort Earle of Leicester Robert Ferrars Earle of Derby and John of Monmouth because they had risen and rebelliously born armes against him and he gave this Honor of Lancaster unto him in these words The Honour County Castle and Town of Lancaster with the Cow-pastures forrests of Wiresdale Lownsdale New castle under Lime the manour forrest and Castle of Pickering the manor of Scaleby the towne of Gomicester and the rents of the towne of Huntendon c. After hee the said Edmund had missed the kingdome of Sicily in which the Pope had invested him in vaine by a ring and not without ridiculous disgrace to the English nation caused in honour of him certaine peeces of gold to bee stamped with this title AIMUNDUS REX SICILIAE having first cunningly suckt a great masse of money from the credulous King in this regard This Edmund
Sampford archbishop of Dublin In the same yeer the King of Hungary forsaking the Christian faith became an Apostata and when hee had called fraudulently as it were to a Parliament the mightier potentates of his land Miramomelius a puissant Saracene came upon them with 20000. souldiers carrying away with him the King with all the Christians there assembled on the even of Saint John Baptists day as the Christians therefore journied the weather that was cleere and faire turned to be cloudie and suddenly a tempest of haile killed many thousands of the Infidels together The Christians returned to their owne homes and the Apostata King alone went with the Saracenes The Hungarians therefore crowning his sonne King continued in the Catholike faith MCCLXXXIX Tripolis a famous citie was laied even with the ground not without much effusion of Christian blood and that by the Soldan of Babylon who commanded the images of the Saints to bee drawne and dragged at horses tailes in contempt of the name of Christ through the citie newly destroyed MCCXC Inclyta Stirps Regis Sponsis datur ordine legis In lawfull guise by hand and ring Espoused is the Kings off-spring The Lord Gilbert Clare tooke to wife the Ladie Joan a daughter of the Lord King Edward in the Abbey or Covent Church of Westminster and the marriage was solemnely celebrated in the Moneth of May and John the Duke of Brabant his sonne married Margaret the said Kings daughter also in the Church aforesaid in the moneth of July The same yeere the Lord William Vescie was made Justice of Ireland entring upon the office on Saint Martins day Item O Molaghelin King of Meth is slaine MCCXCI Gilbert Clare the sonne of Gilbert and of the Ladie Joan of Acres was borne the 11. day of May in the morning betimes Item there was an armie led into Ulster against O-Hanlon and other Princes hindering the peace by Richard Earle of Ulster and William Vescie Justice of Ireland Item the Ladie Eleanor sometime Queene of England and mother of King Edward died in the feast of St. Iohn Baptist who in the religious habite which she desired led a laudable life for the space of foure yeeres eleven moneths and sixe dayes within the Abbey of Ambresby where she was a professed Nun. Item there resounded certaine rumours in the eares of the Lord Pope Martin on the even of St. Mary Maudlen as touching the Citie Acon in the holy land which was the only refuge of the Christians namely that it was besieged by Milkador the Soldan of Babylon an infinite number of his souldiers and that it had been most fiercely assaulted about fortie daies to wit from the eighth day before the Ides of April unto the fifteene Calends of July At length the wall was plucked down by the Saracens that assaulted it and an infinite number of them entred the Citie many Christians being slaine and some for feare drowned in the sea The Patriarch also with his traine perished in the sea The King of Cypres and Otes Grandison with their companies pitifully escaped by a ship Item granted there was unto the Lord Edward King of England by the Lord Pope Martin the tenth part of all the profits of Ecclesiasticall benefices for seven yeeres in Ireland toward the reliefe of the holy land Item the eldest sonne of the Earle of Clare was borne MCCXCII Edward King of England eftsoones entred Scotland and was elected King of Scotland Lord John Balliol of Galwey obtained the whole kingdome of Scotland in right of inheritance and did homage unto the Lord Edward King of England at New-castle upon Tine on S. Stephens day Florentius Earle of Holland Robert Brus Earle of Carrick John Hastings John Comyn Patrick Dunbar John Vescie Nicolas Soules and William Roos who all of them in that kingdome submitted themselves to the judgement of the Lord King Edward Item a fifteene of all secular mens goods in Ireland was granted unto the soveraign Lord King of England the same to be collected at the feast of S. Michael Item Sir Peter Genevile Knight died Item Rice ap Meredyke was brought to York and there at horses tailes drawne c. MCCXCIII A generall and open war there was at sea against the Normans Item no small number of the Normans by fight at sea was slain by the Barons of the Ports of England and other their co-adjutors between Easter and Whitsuntide For which cause there arose war between England and France whereupon Philip King of France directed his letters of credence unto the King of England that he should make personall appearance at his Parliament to answer unto Questions which the same King would propose unto him whose mandate in this behalf being not fulfilled straightwaies the King of France declaring by the counsell of the French the King of England to be outlawed condemned him Item Gilbert Clare Earle of Glocester entred with his wife into Ireland about the feast of S. Luke MCCXCIV William Montefort in the Kings counsell holden at Westminster before the King died sodainly which William was the Dean of S. Pauls in London in whose mouth the Prelates Bishops and Cleargy putting their words which he was to utter and doubting how much the King affected and desired to have of every one of them and willing by him to be certified in whom also the King reposed most trust being returned to the King and making hast before the King to deliver expresly a speech that he had conceived became speechlesse on a sodain and fell downe to the ground and was carried forth by the Kings servants in their armes in piteous manner In regard of which sight that thus happened men strucken with feare gave out these speeches Surely this man hath beene the Agent and Procurator that the Tenths of Ecclesiasticall benefices should bee paied to the King and another author and procurer of a scrutinie made into the fold and flocke of Christ as also of a contribution granted afterward to the King crying against William Item the Citie of Burdeaux with the land of Gascoigne adjoining was occupied or held by the ministers of the King of France conditionally but unjustly and perfidiously detained by the King of France for which cause John Archbishop of Dublin and certaine other Lords of the Nobilitie were sent into Almaine to the King thereof and after they had their dispatch and answer in Tordran the Lord Archbishop being returned into England ended his life upon S. Leodegaries day The bones of which John Sampford were enterred in the Church of Saint Patrick in Dublin the tenth day before the Calends of March. The same yeere there arose debate betweene Lord William Vescy Lord Justice of Ireland for the time being and the Lord John Fitz-Thomas and the said Lord Williliam Vescy crossed the seas into England left Sir William Hay in his stead Justice of Ireland but when both of them were come before the King to fight a combat under an Appeal for treason the foresaid
Bartholomew Verdon James White Stephen Gernon and their complices slew John Dowdal Sheriffe of Louth MCCCCIII In the fourth yeere of King Henry the fourth and in the moneth of May was killed Sir Walter Beterley a valiant Knight then Sheriffe there and with him thirty men In the same yeere about the feast of S. Martin there passed over into England Thomas the Kings sonne leaving Stephen Scroop his Deputy who also himself upon the first day of Lent returned into England and then the Lords of the land chose the Earle of Ormond Lord Justice of Ireland MCCCCIV In the fifth yeere of King Henry died Iohn Cowlton Archbishop of Armagh the fifth of May whom Nicholas Fleming succeeded The same yeere on S. Vitalis day began a Parliament at Dublin before the Earle of Ormond then Lord Justice of Ireland wherein where confirmed the Statutes of Kilkenny and of Dublin also the charter of Ireland In the same yeere Patrick Savage in Ulster was treacherously slaine by Mac-Kilmori and Richard his brother given for an hostage who likewise was murdred in prison after he had payed two hundred Marks MCCCCV In the sixth yeere of King Henry and in the month of May were taken three Scottish Galions or Barkes two at Green-castle and one at Dalkey with the captaine Thomas Mac-Golagh The same yeere the merchants of Tredaght entred Scotland tooke pledges and preies The same yeere Stephen Scroope crossed the seas into England leaving the Earle of Ormond Lord Justice of Ireland And the same yeere in the month of June the Dublinians entred Scotland at Saint Ninians and there behaved themselves manfully then landed they in Wales and did much hurt to the Welshmen there yea and carried away the Shrine of S. Cubie unto the Church of the holy Trinitie in Dublin Also the same yeere on the Vigill of the blessed Virgin died James Botiller Earle of Ormond whiles he was Lord Justice to the griefe of many at Baligauran unto whom there succeeded in the office of Lord Justice Gerald Earle of Kildare MCCCCVI And in the seventh yeere of King Henry on Corpus Christi day the Dublinians with the people of the Countrey about them manfully overcame the Irish and killed some of them they tooke three ensignes and carried away divers of their heads to Dublin The same yeere the Prior of Conall fought valiantly in the plaine of Kildare and vanquished two hundred Irish well armed killing some and putting others to flight there were in the Priors company not above twenty English and thus God regardeth those that repose trust in him In the same yeere after the feast of S. Michael Sir Stephen Scroop Deputy Justice under the Lord Thomas the Kings sonne Lievtenant of Ireland entred into Ireland The same yeere died Pope Innocentius the seventh after whom succeeded Pope Gregory The same yeere beganne a Parliament at Dublin on Saint Hilaries day which ended at Trym in Lent and Meiler Bermingham slew Cathol O-Conghir in the end of February and Sir Gefferey Vaulx a noble Knight in the countie of Carlagh died MCCCCVII A certaine Irishman a most false villaine named Mac-Adam Mac-Gilmori who caused fortie Churches to be destroied one that was never christened and therefore termed Corbi tooke Patricke Savage prisoner and received of him for his ransome two thousand Marks and yet killed him afterwards with his brother Richard The same yeere in the feast of the exaltation of the Holy Crosse Stephen Scroop Deputy under Thomas the Kings sonne Lievtenant of Ireland accompanied with the Earles of Ormond and Desmond and the Prior of Kylmaynon with many out of Meth set forth from Dublin and in hostile manner invaded the land of Mac-Murgh where the Irish had the better of the field in the forepart of the day but afterwards they were manfully by the said Captaines repulsed where O-Nolam with his sonne and others were taken prisoners But hearing then and there that the Burkeins and O-Keroll in the countie of Kilkenny had for two daies together done much mischiefe sodainly the said Captaines rode in all haste with bridle on horse necke unto the towne of Callan and there meeting with the said enemies manfully put them to flight O-Keroll and to the number of eight hundred they killed in the place The same yeere Stephen Scroop sailed over into England and Iames Butler Earle of Ormond was by the country chosen Lord Justice of Ireland MCCCCVIII The said L. Justice held a Parliament at Dublin in which Parliament were confirmed the Statutes of Kilkenny and of Dublin and a Charter granted under the great seale of England against Purveyouris The same yeere the morrow after S. Peters day ad Vincula the Lord Thomas of Lancaster the Kings sonne arrived as Lievtenant of Ireland at Cartingford and in the weeke following came to Dublin and arrested the Earle of Kildare as he came unto him with three of his house and all his goods he lost by the servants of the said Lievtenant and in the castle of Dublin he imprisoned him untill he made paiment of 300. Marks for a fine The same yeere on Saint Marcellus day died the Lord Stephen Scroop at Tristel-Dermot The same yeere the said Thomas of Lancaster was wounded at Kylmainon and hardly escaped death and afterwards caused Proclamation to be made that whosoever by his tenures owed service to the King should appeare at Rosse And after Saint Hilaries feast he held a Parliament at Kilkenny for to have a tallage granted And afterwards upon the third day before the Ides of March he passed over into England leaving the Prior of Kylmainon his Deputy in Ireland In this yeere Hugh Mac-Gilmory was slaine at Cragfergus within the Oratory or Church of the Friers Minors which Church he before had destroyed and broken the glasse windowes thereof for to have the iron barres therein at which his enemies to wit the Savages entred MCCCCIX In the tenth yeere of King Henry and in the month of June Ianico of Artoys with the English slew fourescore of the Irish in Ulster MCCCCX On the thirteenth day of June began a Parliament at Dublin and continued three weeks the Prior of Kylmainon sitting as Lord Justice The same yeere on the tenth day of July the same Justice beganne the castle of Mibracly in O-Feroll and built De la Mare and a great dearth there was of corne In the same yeere the Justice entred the land of O-brin with a thousand and five hundred kernes of whom eight hundred departed unto the Irish and had not the Dublinians beene there there would have beene wailing and many a woe and yet Iohn Derpatrick lost his life there MCCCCXII About the feast of Tiburce and Valerian O-Conghir did much harm to the Irish in Meth and tooke prisoner 160. men The same yeere O-Doles a knight and Thomas Fitz-Moris Sheriffe of Limerik killed one another In the same yeere the ninth of June died Robert Monteyn Bishop of Meth after whom succeeded Edward Dandisey sometime Archdeacon of
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
the Arians their heresie crept into Britaine wherein from the first yeares of the great Constantine a sweete concent and harmonie of Christ the head and his members had continued untill such time as that deadly and perfidious Arianisme like to a pestiferous Serpent from the other side of the sea casting up her venom upon us caused brethren dwelling together to be dis-joyned piteously one from another and thus the way as it were being made over the Ocean all other cruell and fell beasts wheresoever shaking out of their horrible mouthes the mortiferous poison of every heresie inflicted the deadly stings and wounds of their teeth upon this our countrey desirous evermore to heare some noveltie but holding nought at all stedfastly In favour of these Arians Constantius summoned foure hundred Bishops of the West Church to Ariminum for whom the Emperour by his commandement allowed corne and victuals But that was thought of the Aquitanes French and Britaines an unseemely thing refusing therefore that allowance out of the Emperours coffers they chose rather to live at their owne proper charges Three onely out of Britaine for want of their owne had maintenance from the State refusing the contribution offered unto them from the rest reputing it more safe and void of corruption to charge the common treasure than the private state of any person After this when Constantius was departed this world Julianus that Apostata who had taken upon him the title of Augustus against Constantius first drave out Palladius who had been master of Offices into Britaine and sent away Alphius who had governed Britan as Deputy Lieutenant to reedifie Jerusalem but fearefull round balles of flaming fire breaking forth neere unto the foundations skarred him from that enterprize and many a thousand of Jewes who wrestled in vaine against the decree of God were overwhelmed with the ruines This dissolute Augustus and in his beard onely a Philosopher feared as hath erewhile been said to come and aid the poore distressed Britans and yet from hence he carried out every yeare great store of corne to maintaine the Roman garrisons in Germany When Valentinian the Emperour steered the helme of the Roman Empire what time as through the whole world the trumpets resounded nothing but the warlike Al Arme the Picts Saxons Scots and Attacots vexed the Britans with continuall troubles and annoyances Fraomarius then King of the Almanes was translated hither and by commission made Tribune or Marshall over a band of the Almanes for number and power in those daies highly renowned to represse the incursions of those barbarous nations Neverthelesse Britaine was through the generall conspiracie of those Barbarians afflicted and brought to extreme distresse Nectaridius Comes or Lieutenant of the maritime tract slaine and Bucholbaudes the Generall by an ambush of the enemies circumvented The intelligence of which occurrences when it was brought unto Rome with great horror the Emperour sent Severus being even then Lord High Steward of his houshold to redresse what was done amisse in case his hap had beene to have seene the wished end who being within a while after called away Iovinius went to the same parts sent backe Proventusides in post minding to crave the puissant helpe of an armie For they avouched than the urgent necessary occasions required so much At the last so many and so fearefull calamities were by daily rumors reported as touching the same Iland that Theodosius was elected and appointed to make speed thither a man of approved skill in warlike affaires most fortunatelie atchieved who having levied and gotten unto him a couragious company of young gallants to furnish as well Legions as cohorts put himselfe in his journey with a brave shew of confidence leading the way At the same time the Picts divided into two nations the Dicalidones and Vecturiones the Attacots likewise a warlike people and the Scots ranging in divers parts did much mischiefe where they went As for the cohorts of Gaule the Frankners and Saxons confining upon them brake out and made rodes where ever they could either by land or sea and what with driving booties with firing towns and killing poore captives made foule worke there To stay these wofull miseries if prosperous fortune would have given leave this most vigorous and valiant Captaine intending a voiage to the utmost bounds of the earth when he was come to the sea side at Boloigne which lieth divided from the opposite tract of land by a narrow streit ebbing and flowing where the water is wont to swell on high with terrible tides and againe to fall downe flat and lie like even plains without any harme of sailer or passenger from thence having sailed and leasurely crossed the said sea he arrived as Rhutupiae a quiet rode and harbour over against it From whence after that the Batavians Heruli Iovij and Victores companies confident of their strength and power who followed were come hee departed and marching toward London an old towne which the posteritie called Augusta having divided his troopes into sundry parts hee set upon those companies of roving and robbing enemies even when they were heavy loaden with bootie and pillage And having quickly discomfited those that drave before them their prisoners bound and cattell he forced them to forgoe the prey which the most miserable tributaries had lost In the end after full restitution made of all save onely some small parcels bestowed upon his wearied souldiers he entred most joyfully into the citie over set before with distresses and calamities but now suddenly refreshed so far forth as hope of recovery and safetie might effect and there being raised up with this luckie hand to adventure greater exploits and yet casting with himselfe projects promising securitie he staied doubtfull of the future event as having learned by the information of revolting fugitives and confession of captives that so great a multitude of sundry nations and a stiffe-necked people of so fell and fierce a disposition could not possibly be vanquished but by secret wiles and sudden excursions Finally after proclamations published and promises made of impunitie he summoned as well the traiterous runagates as many others that went with free pasport dispersed sundry waies to present themselves ready for service Vpon which summons given so soone as most of them were returned he as one pricked forward with so good a motive and yet held backe by heavie cares called for Civilis by name who was to rule Britaine as Deputie to bee sent unto him a man of a very quicke hastie nature but a precise keeper of Iustice and righteousnesse likewise for Dulcitius a redoubted Captaine and right skilfull in feates of armes Afterwards having gotten heart and courage to him he went from Augusta which in old time they called Londinum well appointed with industrious and considerate souldiers and so brought exceeding great succour to the ruinate and troubled estate of the Britaines gaining
see And on the other Hoc Anglis signo Regem fatearis eundem By this a King to Englishmen acknowledge him to be Moreover as William of Malmesburie doth report In imitation of Caesars policy who expelled the Germans lying hidden within that huge forrest Ardenna and by many asallie from thence annoying his armie not by the helpe of his owne Romans but by the Gaules his confederates to this end that whiles strangers and aliens killed one another himselfe might triumph with their bloud-shed the very same course I say did William take with the English men For against certaine of them who upon the first battell of that infortunate man Harold were fled into Denmarke and Ireland and returned with a puissant armie in the third yeere after he opposed meere English forces and an English generall permitting the Normans to sit still and keepe holiday foreseeing heereby and providing for his owne great easement whether of them soever should have the better Neither was he in this point frustrate of his purpose For the English having thus a prettie while skuffeled and skirmished one with another in the end rendred up the entire Victorie to the King without his paines taking And in another place Having undermined and quite overthrowne the power of the Laimen he provided by a sure and irrevocable edict to suffer no Monke or Clerke of the English Nation to endevour for to get any dignitie much disagreeing herein from the clemencie and gentlenesse of King Cnuto in times past who gave unto those that he conquered all their honours entire And hence it came to passe that when hee was once dead the naturall Inhabitants of the countrey upon light occasions fell to driving out of strangers and recovered unto themselves their ancient right and freedome When he had brought this to passe above all things hee laboured to turne away the storme of the Danish wars that hung over his head and to purchase peace though it were with round sums of mony Wherein he used Adelbert Archbishop of Hamburgh as his Instrument For Adam Bremensis writeth thus Betweene Suen and the Bastard there was continuall strife about England although our Bishop being greased in the hand with Williams bribes would have concluded a firme peace betwixt the Kings Which may seeme also to have beene established for since that time England was never any whit afraid of the Danes And William verily betooke himselfe wholly to the defence and maintenance of his Imperiall dignitie and to governe the state by excellent lawes For as Gervase of Tilburie writeth When the renowned Conqueror of England King William had subdued the farther coasts of this Island under his dominion and throughly tamed the stomacks and hearts of rebels by terrible examples lest that from thenceforth they should licentiously run into errour and commit trespasse he determined to reduce his subjects under the obedience of positive and written Lawes Having therefore all the lawes of England laid before him according to the Tripartite Division whereby they were distinguished that is to say Merchenlag Denelag and Westsex-enlag when hee had rejected some of them and allowed of others he adjoyned thereto those Lawes of Neustria beyond the seas which seemed most effectuall to preserve the peace of his Kingdome Afterwards as mine Author Ingulphus saith who flourished in those daies He commanded every Inhabitant of England to doe him homage and to sweare fealtie to him against all men He tooke the survey and description of the whole Land neither was there an Hide of England through but he knew both the value and the owner thereof there was neither plash nor place but set it was in the Kings Roll and the rent revenue and profit thereof the very tenure of possession and possessour himselfe was made knowne to the King according to the credit and true relation of certaine Taxers who being chosen out of every country did put downe in writing the territorie properly belonging thereto And this Roll was called the Roll of Winchester and by the Englishmen for the generalitie thereof because it contained fully and exactly all the tenements of the whole Land named Domesday I have beene more willing to make mention of this booke because it is to be cited alleaged often times hereafter which booke also it pleaseth me to name Gulielmi librum Censualem that is The Tax-booke of William Angliae Notitiam that is The Notice of England Angliae commentarios Censuales that is The Taxe Register or Sessing booke of England and Angliae Lustrum that is the Survey of England But whereas Polydore Virgill writeth how William that Conqueror first brought in the Triall or Iudgement of twelve men there is nothing more untrue For most certaine it is and apparant by the lawes of Etheldred that it was in use many yeares before Neither hath he any cause to terme it a terrible Iudgement For these 12. free-borne and lawfull men are duely by order empannelled and called forth of the Neighbourhood these are bound by oath to pronounce and deliver up their Verdict de facto they heare the counsell pleading in courts on both sides before the Bench or Tribunall and the disposition of witnesses then taking with them the evidences of both parties they are shut up together and kept from meat drinke and fire unlesse haply some one of them be in danger of death thereby so long untill they be all agreed of the fact which when they have pronounced before the Judge hee according to right and law giveth his definitive sentence For this manner of triall our most sage and wise Ancestours have thought the best to finde out the truth to avoid corruption and cut off all partialitie and affections Now as touching martiall prowesse how much the Normans excelled therein let others tell this may suffice for me to have said thus much that being planted among most warlike nations they alwaies saved themseves not by obsequious basenesse but by force of armes and founded most noble Kingdomes in England and Sicilie For Tancrede nephew unto Richard the second of that name Duke of Normandie and his posteritie atchieved brave exploits in Italie and having compelled the Sarazens to flie out of Sicilie erected a Kingdome there Whereupon the Sicilian Historiographer doth freely acknowledge that the Sicilians are beholden unto the Normans for that themselves remaine still in their native soile live in freedome and continue Christians Likewise in the holy Land their martiall prowesse hath been seen with singular commendation Hence it is also that Roger Hoveden writeth in these termes Bold France having made triall once of the Normans warfare durst not peepe out Fierce England being conquered yielded as captive unto them Rich Apulia falling to the lot of their possession flourished a fresh Famous Ierusalem and renowned Antioch were both subdued by them And ever since their comming England as well for martiall honour as civill behaviour hath among the most flourishing Kingdomes of
by word of it Hengston downe well ywrought Is worth London deere ybought And it was an ordinarie place where every seven or eight yeere the Stannarie men of Cornwall and Denshire were wont in great frequencie to assemble together and to consult about their affaires At this hill in the yeere of savation DCCCXXXI the British Danmonij who calling the Danes to aid them of purpose to break into Devonshire that they might drive out the English from thence who alreadie possessed themselves of the countrey were pitiously defeated by King Egbert and slaine almost to the very last man Beneath it Tamar leaveth Halton the habitation of the Rouses anciently Lords of Little Modbery in Devonshire and running nigh unto Salt-Esse a prettie market Towne seated in the descent of an hill which hath a Major and certaine priviledges of their owne as I said erewhile it entertaineth the river Liver on which standeth that same Towne of Saint Germans whereof I spake before And now by this time spreading broader dischargeth it selfe into the Ocean making the haven which in the life of Saint Indractus is called Tamerworth after it hath severed Cornwall from Denshire For Athelstane the first English King that brought this countrey absolute under his dominion appointed this river to be the bound or limit between the Britans of Cornwal and his Englishmen after he had remooved the Britans out of Denshire as witnesseth William of Malmsburie who calleth it Tambra Whereupon Alexander Necham in his Praises of divine wisedome writeth thus Loegriae Tamaris divisor Cornubiaeque Indigenas ditat pinguibus Isiciis Tamar that Lhoegres doth divide from Cornwall in the west The neighbour-dwellers richly serves with Salmons of the best The place requireth here that I should say somewhat of the holy and devout virgin Ursula descended from hence as also of the eleven thousand British Virgins But such is the varietie of Writers whiles some report they suffered martyrdome under Gratian the Emperour about the yeare of our Lord CCCLXXXIII upon the coast of Germanie as they sailed to Armorica others by Attlia the Hun that scourge of God in the yeare CCCCL at Coline upon Rhene as they returned from Rome that with some it hath brought the truth of the History into suspition of a vaine fable And as touching that Constantine whom Gildas termeth a tyrannous whelpe of the uncleane Danmonian Lionesse as also of the Disforresting of all this country for before time it was reputed a Forrest let Historians speake for it is no part of my purpose As for the Earles none of British bloud are mentioned but onely Candorus called by others Cadocus who is accounted by late writers the last Earle of Cornwall of British race and as they which are skilfull in Heraldry have a tradition bare XV. Besaunts V. IIII. III. II. and I. in a shield Sable But of the Normans bloud the first Earle was Robert of Moriton halfe brother to William Conqueror by Herlotta their mother after whom succeeded William his sonne who when hee had sided with Robert of Normandie against Henry the First King of England being taken prisoner in battell lost both his libertie and his honours and at last turned Monke at Bermondsey Then Reginald a base sonne of Henrie the First by the daughter of Sir Robert Corber for that King plied getting children so lustfully as that hee was father of thirteene Bastards was placed in his roome This Reginald dying without issue male legitimate King Henry the Second having assigned unto his daughters certaine lands and Lordships reserved this Earledome to himselfe for the â—ehoore of his owne youngest sonne Iohn a child of nine yeares old upon whom his brother Richard the First conferred it afterwards with other Earledomes This Iohn afterward was crowned King of England and his second sonne Richard was by his brother King Henry the Third endowed with this honour and the Earledome of Poictou a Prince verily in those daies puissant in Gods service devout and religious in war right valiant for counsell sage and prudent who in Aquitaine fought battels with fortunate successe and shewed much valour and having made a voyage into the Holy Land enforced the Sarazens to make truce with him the Kingdome of Apulia offered unto him by the Pope he refused the troubles and tumults in England he often times composed and in the yeare of our Lord MCCLVIL by some of the Princes Electours of Germany was chosen King of the Romans and crowned at Aquisgrane whereupon as if he had made meanes thereto by money this verse was so riâ—e and currant every where Nummus ait pro me nubit Cornubia Romae For me my money saieth this Cornwall to Rome now wedded is For so well monied he was before that one who then lived hath put downe in writing that for ten yeares together hee might dispend one hundred markes a day But when as Germanie was all on a light fire with civil warres among competitors of the Empire he returned quickly into England where he departed this life and was interred in the famous Monastery of Hales which he had built a little after that his first begotten son Henry newly in his return from the Holy Land whiles he was at divine service devoutly occupied within a church at Viterbium in Italy was by Guy de Montfort son of Simon Montfort Earle of Leceister in revenge of his fathers death wickedly slaine Edmund therefore his second son succeeded in the Earledome of Cornwall who died without any lawfull issue and so his high and great estate of inheritance returned to King Edward the First as who was the next unto him in bloud and found as our Lawyers say his heire Whereas that Richard and Edmund his sonne Princes of the bloud Royall of England bare divers Armes from the Armes Royall of England to wit in a shield argent a Lyon rampant gules crowned or within a border sables Bezante I have with others oftentimes much marvelled at neither I assure you can I alleage any other reason but that they in this point imitated the house Royall of France for the manner of bearing Armes came from the French men unto us For the younger sonnes of the Kings of France even to the time wee now speake of bare other coats than the Kings themselves did as we may see in the family of Vermandois Dreux and Courtney and as Robert Duke of Burgundy brother to Henrie the First King of France tooke unto him the ancient shield of the Dukes of Burgundie so we may well thinke that this Richard having received the Earledome of Poictou from Henry the Third his brother assumed unto him that Lyon gules crowned which belonged to the Earles of Poictou before him as the French writers doe record and added thereto the border garnished with Besaunts out of the ancient coat of the Earles of Cornwall For so soone as the younger sonnes of the Kings of France began to beare the Armes of France with
fuit Hinc abiens illinc meritorum fulget honore Hic quoque gestorum lande perennis erit Two mountaines high that reach the stars two tops of Sion Faire From Libanon two cedar trees their flouring heads doe beare Two royall gates of highest heaven two lights that men admire Paul thundreth with his voice aloft Peter he flasheth fire Of all the Apostles crowned crew whose raies right glittering bee Paul for deepe learning doth excell Peter for high degree The one doth open the hearts of men the other heaven doore For Peter lets those into heaven whom Paul had taught before As one by meanes of doctrine shewes the way how heaven to win By vertue so of th' others Keys men quickly enter in Paul is a plaine and ready way for men to heaven hie And Peter is as sure a gate for them to passe thereby This is a rocke remaining firme a Master builder hee Twixt these a Church and altar both to please God built we see Rejoice ô England willingly For Rome doth greet thee well The glorious Apostles light in Glaston now doe dwell Two bulwarks strong afront the Foe are rais'd These towres of faith In that this Citie holds the head even of the world it hath These monuments King Ina gave of perfect meere good will Vnto his subjects whose good deeds remaine and shall doe still He with his whole affection in godlinesse did live And holy Church to amplifie great riches also give Well might he our Melchisedech a Priest and King be thought For he the true religious worke to full perfection brought The lawes in common weale he kept and state in Court beside The onely Prince that prelats grac'd and them eke rectifide And now departed hence to heaven of right he there doth reigne Yet shall the praise of his good deeds with us for ay remaine In this first age of the primitive Church very holy men and the Irish especially applied the service of God in this place diligently who were maintained with allowances from Kings and instructed youth in religion and liberall sciences These men embraced a solitarie life that they might the more quietly studie the Scriptures and by an austere kind of life exercise themselves to the bearing of the crosse But at length Dunstane a man of a subtile wit and well experienced when he had once by an opinion of his singular holinesse and learning wound himselfe into the inward acquaintance of Princes in stead of these brought in Monks of a later order called Benedictines and himselfe first of all others became the Abbat or ruler heere of a great covent of them who had formerly and afterward gotten at the hands of good and godly Princes a royall revenue And having reigned as it were in all affluence 600. yeres for all their neighbours round about were at their beck they were by K. Henry the Eighth dispossessed thrust out of all this their Monastery which was growne now to be a prety Citie environed with a large wall a mile about replenished with stately buildings was razed and made even with the ground and now onely sheweth evidently by the ruines thereof how great and how magnificent a thing it was Now I might be thought one of those that in this age have vanities in admiration if I should tell you of a Walnut tree in the holy Churchyard heere that never did put forth leafe before S. Barnabees feast and upon that very day was rank and full of leaves but that is now gone and a young tree in the place as also of the Hawthorne in Wiral-park hard by which upon Christmasday sprouteth forth as well as in May. And yet there bee very many of good credit if we may beleeve men of their word who avouch these things to be most true But before I returne from hence I wil briefly set downe unto you that which Giraldus Cambrensis an eie-witnesse of the thing hath more at large related touching Arthurs Sepulchre in the Churchyard there When Henrie the Second King of England tooke knowledge out of the Songs of British Bards or Rhythmers how Arthur that most noble Worthy of the Britans who by his Martial prowesse had many a time daunted the fury of the English-Saxons lay buried heere betweene two Pyramides or sharpe-headed pillars hee caused the bodie to be searched for and scarcely had they digged seven foot deepe into the earth but they lighted upon a Tomb or Grave-stone on the upper face whereof was fastened a broad Crosse of lead grosly wrought which being taken forth shewed an inscription of letters and under the said stone almost nine foot deeper was found a Sepulchre of oake made hollow wherin the bones of that famous Arthur were bestowed which Inscription or Epitaph as it was sometime exemplified and drawn out of the first Copie in the Abbey of Glascon I thought good for the antiquitie of the characters here to put downe The letters being made after a barbarous maner resembling the Gothish Character bewray plainely the barbarisme of that age when ignorance as it were by fatall destinie bare such sway that there was none to be found by whose writings the renowne of Arthur might bee blazed and commended to posteritie A matter and argument doubtlesse meet to have beene handled by the skill and eloquence of some right learned man who in celebrating the praises of so great a prince might have wonne due commendation also for his owne wit For the most valiant Champian of the British Empire seemeth even in this behalfe onely most unfortunate that hee never met with such a trumpetter as might worthily have sounded out the praise of his valour But behold the said Crosse and Epitaph therein Neither will it be impertinent if I annex hereunto what our Countrey man Ioseph a Monke of Excester no vulgar and triviall Poet versified sometime of Arthur in his Poeme Antiocheis wherein he described the warres of the Christians for recoverie of the Holy Land and was there present with King Richard the First speaking of Britaine Hinc celebri fato foelici claruit ortu Flos Regum Arthurus cujus cúm facta stupori Non micuere minús totus quód in aure voluptas Et populo plaudente favus Quemcunque priorum Inspice Pelaeum commendat fama tyrannum Pagina Caesareos loquitur Romana triumphos Alcidem domitis attollit gloria monstris Sed nec pinetum coryli nec sydera solem Aequant Annales Latios Graiosque revolve Prisca parem nescit aequalem postera nullum Exhibitura dies Reges supereminet omnes Solus praeteritis melior majorque futuris For famous death and happie birth hence flourish'd next in place Arthur the flower of noble Kings whose acts with lovely grace Accepted and admired were in peoples mouth and eare No lesse than if sweet hony they or pleasant musicke were See former Princes and compare his worth even with them all That King in Pella borne whom we great Alexander call The trumpe
to make therein his Episcopall residency This Birinus as wee may read also in Bede was wonderfully in those daies admired for a deepe conceived opinion of his holinesse whereupon an ancient Poet who penned his life in Verse wrote thus of him Dignior attolli guà m sit Tyrinthius heros Quà m sit Alexander Macedo Tyrinthius hostes Vicit Alexander mundum Birinus utrunque Nec tantùm vicit mundum Birinus hostem Sed sese bello vincens victus eodem More worthy for to be extold than Hercules for might Or that great king of Macedon who Alexander hight For Hercules subdu'd his foes and Alexander he Wonne all the World by force of Armes But our Birinus see Did vanquish both nor conquer'd he onely the World and Foe But in one fight subdu'd himselfe and was subdu'd also After 460. yeares Remigus Bishop of this place least the name of Bishop should loose credit in so small a City a thing forbidden in the Canons in the Raigne of William the first translated his seat to Lincolne At which time this City of Dorchester as Malmesbury saith who then flourished was but slender and of small resort yet the majesty of the Churches was great whether you respected either the old building or the new diligence and care emploied thereupon Ever since it beganne by little and little to decay and of late by turning London high way from thence it hath decreased so as that of a City it is scarce able now to maintaine the name of a Towne and all that it is able to doe is to shew in the fields adjoyning ruines onely and rubbish as expresse tokens of what bignesse it hath beene A little beneath this Towne Tame and Isis meeting in one streame become hand-fast as it were and joyned in Wedlocke and as in waters so in name they are coupled as Ior and Dan in the holy Land Dor and Dan in France whence come Iordan and Dordan For ever after this the River by a compound word is called Tamisis that is Tamis He seemeth first to have observed this who wrote the booke entituled Eulogium Historiarum Now as touching this marriage of Isis with Tame have heere certaine Verses taken out of a Poem bearing that Title which you may read or leave unread at your pleasure Hic vestit Zephyrus florentes gramine ripas FLORAQYE nectareis redimit caput ISIDIS herbis Seligit ambrosios pulcherrima GRATIA flores Contexit geminas CONCORDIA laeta corollas Extollitque suas taedas Hymenaeus in altum Naiades aedificant thalamúmque thorúmque profundo Stamine gemmato textum pictisque columnis Vndique fulgentem Qualem nec Lydia Regi Extruxit Pelopi nec tu Cleopatra marito Illic manubias cumulant quas Brutus Achivis Quas Brennus Graecis rigidus Gurmundus Hibernis Bunduica Romanis claris Arthurius Anglis Eripuit quicquid Scotis victricibus armis Abstulit Edwardus virtúsque Britannica Gallis Hauserat intereà sperati conjugis ignes TAMA Catechlaunûm delabens montibus illa Impatiens nescire thorum nupturaque gressus Accelerat longique dies sibi stare videntur Ambitiosa suum donec praeponere nomen Possit amatori Quid non mortalia cogit Ambitio notamque suo jam nomine villam Linquit Norrisiis geminans salvete valete Cernitur tandem Dorcestria prisca petiti Augurium latura thori nunc TAMA resurgit Nexa comam spicis trabea succincta virenti Aurorae superans digitos vultumque Diones Pestanae non labra rosae non lumina gemmae Lilia non aequant crines non colla pruinae Vtque fluit crines madidos in terga repellit Reddit undanti legem formamque capillo En subitò frontem placidis è fluctibus ISIS Effert totis radios spargentia campis Aurea stillanti resplendent lumina vultu Iungit optatae nunc oscula plurima TAMAE Mutuáque explicitis innectunt colla lacertis Oscula mille sonant connexu brachia pallent Labra ligant animos tandem descenditur unà In thalamum quo juncta FIDE CONCORDIA sancta Splendida conceptis sancit connubia verbis VndÃque multifori strepitat nunc tibia buxi Flucticolae Nymphae Dryades SatyrÃque petulci In numeros circùm ludunt ducuntque choreas Dum pede concutiunt alterno gramina laeti Permulcent volucres sylvas modulamine passim CertatÃmque sonat laetùm reparabilis ECHO Omnia nunc rident campi laetantur AMORES Fraenatis plaudunt avibus per inania vecti Personat cythara quicquid vidêre priores Pronuba victura lauro velata BRITÔNA Haec canit ut toto diducta BRITANNIA mundo Cùm victor rupes divulserit aequore Nereus Et cur Neptuni lapidosa grandine natum Albionem vicit nostras delatus in oras Hercules illimes libatus Thamisis undas Quas huc adveniens ar as sacravit Vlysses Vtque Corinaeo Brutus comitatus Achate Occiduos adiit tractus ut Caesar anhelus Territa quaesitis ostendit terga Britannis c. And after a few other verses Dixerat unito consurgit unus amore Laetior exultans nunc nomine TAMISIS uno Oceanúmque patrem quaerens jactantior undas Promovet Heere Zephyrus with fresh greene grasse The Bankes above doth spread Faire Flora with ay-living herbs Adourneth ISIS head Most lovely GRACE selecteth forth Sweet floures that never dy And gladsome CONCORD plats thereof Two guitlands skilfully With all God HYMENAEUS lifts His torches up on hie A Bride-chamber the NAIADES Beneath of rare device And Bed do rear ywov'n with warp Beset with stones of price All shining eke with pillars tall And wrought full curiously The like did neâ—her Lydie for King Pelops edify Nor thou Queene Cleopatra for Thine husband Antony There lay they foorth and make no spare Those spoiles that whilom Brut From Achives tooke what riches great From Grecians Brennus stout And from fierce Irish Gurmund wonn What either Bundwic Queen From Romans gat or Arthur from Our English there are seene What ever from the Scots by force Of fight our Edward King Or valiant English from the French By armes away did bring Meane while down Catechlanian hils TAME gliding kindled had The fire of love in hope of ISE Her husband wondrous glad Impatient now of all delay She hastneth him to wed And thinks the daies be long untill They meet in marriage bed Untill I say ambitious she May now before her love Her own name set see whereunto Ambition minds doth move And now by this shee leav's the town That knowen is by her name All haile fare well redoubling to The Norris's by the same Old Dorchester at length shee sees Which was to give presage And lucky Augury of this Long wished marriage Up riseth Tame then who know's Her locks with eares of corn Full well to knit with kirtle green Her wast eke to adorn The lightsome raies of morning bright She now doth far excell Dione faire in countenance Lookes not by halfe so well Her lips
the clouds disparcled and golden dayes in deed shone upon it Since when it never sustained any great calamity to speake of but through the speciall favour and indulgence of Princes obtained very large and great Immunities beganne to bee called The Kings Chamber and so flourished a new with fresh trade and traffique of Merchants that William of Malmesbury who lived well neere about that time termed it A noble and wealthy City replenished with rich Citizens and frequented with the commerce of Occupiers and Factours comming out of all lands And Fitz-Stephen living also in those dayes hath left in writing that London at that time counted an hundred and twenty two Parish Churches and thirteene Covents of religious Orders also that when a Muster and shew was made of able men to beare Armes they brought into the Field under their Collours forty thousand footemen and twenty thousand horsemen Then was it enlarged with new buildings and the spacious Suburbs stretched forth from the gates a great length on every side but Westward especially which are the greatest and best peopled In which are twelve Innes ordained for Students of our Common law whereof foure being very faire and large belong to the judiciall Courts the rest to the Chauncery besides two Innes moreover for the Serjeants at Law Herein such a number of young Gentlemen doe so painefully ply their bookes and study the Law that for frequency of Students it is not inferiour either to Angiers Cane or Orleance it selfe as Sir Iohn Fortescue in his small Treatise of the Lawes of England doth witnesse The said foure principall houses are The Inner Temple the Middle Temple Graies Inne and Lincolns Inne Those two former named stand in the very place where in times past during the Raigne of King Henry the Second Heraclius Patriarch of Jerusalem consecrated a Church for Knights Templars which they had newly built according to the forme of the Temple neere unto the Sepulchre of our Lord at Hierusalem For at their first institution about the yeare of our Lord 1113. they dwelt in part of the Temple hard by the Sepulchre whereof they were so named and vowed to defend Christian Religion the Holy Land and Pilgrimes going to visite the Lords Sepulchre against all Mahometans and Infidels professing to live in chastity and obedience whereupon all men most willingly and with right loving hearts embraced them so that through the bounteous liberality of Princes and devout people having gotten in all places very faire Possessions and exceeding great wealth they flourished in high reputation for Piety and Devotion yea and in the opinion both of the holinesse of the men and of the place King Henry the Third and many Noble men desired much to bee buryed in their Church among them Some of whose Images are there to bee seene with their legges acrosse For so they were buryed in that Age that had Taken upon them the Crosse as they then termed it to serve in the Holy Land or had vowed the same Among whom was William Marshall the elder a most powerfull man in his time William and Gilbert his sonnes Marshalles of England and Earles of Penbroch Upon William the elder his Tombe I some yeares since read in the upper part Comes Penbrochiae and upon side this Verse Miles eram Martis Mars multos vicerat armis Of Mars I was a doughty Knight Mars vanquished many a man in fight But in processe of time when with insatiable greedinesse they had hoorded great wealth by withdrawing tith's from churches appropriating spiritual livings to themselves and other hard meanes their riches turned to their ruine For thereby their former piety was after a manner stifled they fell at jarre with other religious orders their professed obedience to the Patriarch of Ierusalem was rejected envy among the common sort was procured which hope of gain among the better sort so enkindled that in the yeere of our salvation 1312. this order was condemned of impiety and by the Popes authority utterly abolished Howbeit their possessions were by authority of the Parliament assigned to the Hospitalier Knights of S. Iohn of Ierusalem least that such Lands given to pious and good uses against the Donours will should bee alienated to other uses And yet it is apparent out of ancient writings that this place after the expulsion of the Templers was the seat and habitation of Thomas Earle of Lancaster and of Sir Hugh Spenser King Edward the Second his minion afterwards of Sir Aimer de Valence Earle of Pembroch and in the end turned into two Colledges or Innes of Lawyers Of the rest of these Innes I have found nothing at all by reading But the generall voyce goeth that the one was the dwelling house of the Lord Greies of Wilton and the other of the Earles of Lincolne Nere unto this K. Henry the third erected betweene the New and the Old Temple an house of Converts for the maintenance of those that were converted from Iudaisme to the Christian Truth which King Edward the Third appointed afterwards for rolls and records to be kept therein and thereof at this day it is called The Rowls These Suburbs with houses standing close together and stately habitations of the Nobles and great Men of the Land along the Tamis side reach out as farre as to Westminster Among which these are the most memorable here Bride-well where King Henry the Eighth built a royall house for the entertainment of Charles the Fifth Emperour but now it is an House of Correction Buckhurst house or Salisbury Court belonging sometimes to the Bishops of Salisbury the White Freers or Carmelite Freers The Temples whereof I speake Then without the Bars Essex house built by the Lord Paget Arondel house before called Hampton place and Somerset house built by Edward Semer Duke of Somerset The Savoy so named of Peter Earle of Savoy who there dwelt which Queene Aeleonor wife to King Henry the Third purchased of the fraternity of Mont-joy and gave it to her Sonne Edmund Earle of Lancaster Whose Posterity dwelt in it a long time untill that King Henry the Seaventh dedicated it as an Hospitall for the Poore Worcester-house late Bedford-house Salisbury-house Durham-house built by Antony Becke Bishop of Durham and Patriarch of Jerusalem and thereby the onely ornament of this part the Britain-Burse built by the Earle of Salisbury and so named by King Iames Yorke-house in times past Bath-house and Northampton-house now begunne by Henry Earle of Northampton But what meane I to name these places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 None claime them wholy for their owne Fortune disposeth them every one By this Suburbs Westminster which sometime was more than a mile distant is conjoyned so close unto the Citty of London that it seemeth a member thereof whereas it is a Citty of it selfe having their peculiar Magistrates and Priviledges It was called in times past Thorney of Thornes but now Westminster of the West situation
people but now having lost the old name it is called Caster And no marvaile that of the three VENTAE Cities of Britain this onely lost the name seeing it hath quite lost it selfe For beside the ruines of the Walles which containe within a square plot or quadrant about thirty acres and tokens appearing upon the ground where sometimes houses stood and some few peeces of Romane money which are now and then there digged up there is nothing at all remaining But out of this ancient VENTA in the succeeding ages Norwich had her beginning about three miles from hence neere unto the confluents of Yare and another namelesse River some call it Bariden where they meet in one which River with a long course running in and out by Fakenham which King Henry the first gave to Hugh Capell and King John afterward to the Earle of Arundell and making many crooked reaches speedeth it selfe this way by Attilbridge to Yare and leaveth Horsford North from it where a Castle of William Cheneys who in the Raigne of Henry the Second was one of the great Lords and chiefe Peeres of England lieth overgrowne with bushes and brambles This NORVVICH is a famous City called in the English Saxon tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a Northerly Creeke if Wic among the Saxons signifieth the creeke or Cove of a River as Rhenanus sheweth unto us for in this very place the River runneth downe amaine with a crooked and winding compasse or a Northerne Station if Wic as Hadrianus Iunius would have it betokeneth a sure and secure station or place of aboad where dwelling houses stand joyntly and close together or a Northerly Castle if Wic sound as much as Castle as our Archbishop Alfrick the Saxon hath interpreted it But if I should with some others be of opinion that Norwich by a little turning is derived from Venta what should I doe but turne awry from the very truth For by no better right may it challenge unto it selfe the name of Venta than either Basil in Germany the name of AUGUSTA or Baldach of BABYLON For like as Baldach had the beginning of Babylons fall and Basil sprang from the ruine of Augusta even so our Norwich appeared and shewed it selfe though it were late out of that ancient VENTA which the British name thereof Caer Guntum in Authours doth prove wherein like as in the River Wentsum or Wentfar the name of Venta doth most plainely discover it selfe For this name Norwich wee cannot reade of any where in our Chronicles before the Danish warres So farre is it off that either Caesar or Guiteline the Britain built it as they write who are more hasty to beleeve all than to weigh matters with sound judgement But now verily by reason of the wealth the number of Inhabitants and resort of people the faire buildings and faire Churches and those so many for it containeth about thirty Parishes the painefull industry of the Citizens their loyalty towards their Prince and their courtesie unto strangers it is worthily to bee ranged with the most celebrate Cities of Britaine It is right pleasantly situate on the side of an Hill two and fifty Degrees and forty Scrupuls from the Aequator and foure and twenty Degrees and five and fifty Scrupuls in Longitude The forme is somewhat long lying out in length from South to North a mile and an halfe but carrying in breadth about halfe so much drawing it selfe in by little and little at the South end in manner as it were of a cone or sharpe point Compassed it is about with strong walles in which are orderly placed many Turrets and twelve gates unlesse it bee on the East-side where the River after it hath with many windings in and out watered the North part of the City having foure Bridges for men to passe to and fro over it is a Fence thereto with his deepe Chanell there and high steepe bankes In the very infancy as I may so say of this City when Etheldred a witlesse and unadvised Prince raigned Sueno or Swan the Dane who ranged at his pleasure through England with a great rable of spoiling Ravenours first put it to the sacke and afterwards set it on fire Yet it revived againe and as wee reade in that Domesday booke wherein William the Conquerour tooke the review of all England there were by account in King Edward the Confessours time no fewer than one thousand three hundred and twenty Burgesses in it At which time that I may speake out of the same Booke It paid unto the King twenty pounds and to the Earle ten pounds and beside all this twenty shillings and foure Prebendaries and sixe Sextars of Hony also a Beare and sixe Dogges for to bait the Beare but now it paieth seventy pounds by weight to the King and an hundred shillings for a Gersume to the Queene and an ambling Palfrey also twenty pounds Blanc to the Earle and twenty shillings for a Gersume by tale But while the said King William raigned that flaming fire of fatall sedition which Raulph Earle of East England had kindled against the King settled it selfe heere For when hee had saved himselfe by flight his wife together with the French Britons endured in this place a most grievous Siege even to extreme famine yet at length driven she was to this hard pinch that she fled the land and this City was so empaired that scarce 560. Burgesses were left in it as we reade in that Domesday booke Of this yeelding up of the City Lanfrank Archbishop of Canterbury maketh mention in his Epistle to King William in these words Your Kingdome is purged of these villanous and filthy Britons The Castle of Norwich is rendred up into your hands And the Britons who were therein and had lands in England having life and limme granted unto them are sworne within forty dayes to depart out of your Realme and not enter any more into it without your leave and licence From that time beganne it againe to recover it selfe by little and little out of this diluge of calamities and Bishop Herbert whose good name was cracked for his foule Simony translated the Episcopall See from Thetford hither and built up a very faire Cathedral Church on the East side and lower part of the City in a certaine place then called Cow-holme neere unto the Castle The first stone whereof in the Raigne of King William Rufus and in the yeare after Christs Nativity 1096. himselfe laid with this inscription DOMINUS HERBERTUS POSUIT PRIMUM LAPIDEM IN NOMINE PATRIS FILII ET SPIRITUS SANCTI AMEN That is LORD BISHOP HERBERT LAID THE FIRST STONE IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER THE SONNE AND HOLY GHOST AMEN Afterwards he procured of Pope Paschal that it should be established and confirmed for the Mother Church of Norfolke and Suffolke he endowed it bountifully with as much lands as might sufficiently maintaine threescore Monkes who had there faire and spacious Cloysters
in old time called Guarthenion as Ninnius restifieth who wrote that the said wicked Vortigern when he was plainely and sharply reprooved by that godly Saint German did not onely not turne from his lewd and licentious life to the worship and service of God but also let flie slanderous speeches against that most holy man Wherefore Vortimer the sonne of Vortigern as Ninnius saith for the slander which his Father had raised of Saint German decreed that he should have the land as his owne for ever wherein he had suffered so reprochfull an abuse whereupon and to the ened that Saint German might be had in memory it was called Guarthenion which signifieth in English A slander justly retorted The Mortimers descended from the Niece of Gonora Wife of Richard the First Duke of Normandie were the first Normans that having discomfited the English Saxon Edricke Sylvaticus that is The wild wonne a great part of this little Country to themselves And after they had a long time been eminent above all others in these parts at length King Edward the Third about the yeere of Salvation 1328. Created Roger Mortimer Lord of Wigmore Earle of this Welsh limit or according to the common speech Earle of March who soone after was sentenced to death because he had insulted upon the Common-wealth favoured the Scots to the prejudice of England conversed over familiarly with the â—ings mother and contrived the destruction and death of King Edward the Second the Kings Father He by his Wife Joan Jenevell who brought him rich revenewes as well in Ireland as in England had Edmund his Sonne who felt the smart of his Fathers wickednesse and lost both patrimonie and title of Earle Howbeit his Sonne Roger was fully restored recovered the title of Earle of March and was chosen a fellow of the order of the Garter at the first institution thereof This Roger begat of Philip Montacute Edmund Earle of March and he tooke to Wife Philip the only daughter of Leonell Duke of Clarence the third sonne of King Edward the Third whereby came unto him the Earldome of Vlster in Ireland and the Lordship of Clare After he had ended his life in Ireland where he governed with great commendation his sonne Roger succeeded being both Earle of March and Vlster whom King Richard the Second declared heire apparent and his successour to the Crowne as being in right of his Mother the next and undoubted heire But he dying before king Richard left issue Edmund and Anne Edmund in regard of his Royall bloud and right to the Crowne stood greatly suspected to Henrie the Fourth who had usurped the kingdome and by him was first exposed unto dangers in so much as he was taken by Owen Glendour a Rebell and afterward whereas the Percies purposed to advance his right he was conveyed into Ireland kept almost twenty yeeres prisoner in the Castle of Trim suffering all miseries incident to Princes of the bloud while they lie open to every suspition and there through extreame griefe ended his daies leaving his sister Anne his heire She was married to Richard Earle of Cambridge in whose right his heires and posterity were Earles of March and made claime to the kingdome which in the end also they obtained as wee will shew in another place In which respect King Edward the Fourth created his eldest Sonne being Prince of Wales Duke of Cornwall c. Earle of March also for a further augmentation of his Honour As for the title of Rad-nor no man ever bare it to my knowledge In this are Parishes 52. BRECKNOC Comitaus pars Osim SILVRVM BRECHNOCK-SHIRE BEneath Radnor-shire Southward lyeth BRECHNOCK-SHIRE in the British Brechineau so named as the Welshmen relate of a Prince named Brechanius whom they report to have had a great and an holy Offspring to wit twenty foure Daughters all Saints Farre greater this is than Radnor-shire but thicker set with high Hilles yet are the valleies fruitfull every where On the East side it is bounded with Hereford-shire On the South with Monmoâ—th and Glamorgan-shires ond on the West with Caermarden-shire But seeing there is nothing memorable or materiall to the description of this small Province which is not set downe by the curious diligence of Giraldus Cambrensis who was an Archdeacon heereof above foure hundred yeeres since I thinke I may doe well for my selfe to hold my peace a while and to admit him with his stile into the fellowship of this labour Brecknocke saith hee in his Booke called Itinerarium Cambriae is a Country having sufficient store of Corne and if there bee any defect thereof it is plentifully supplied out of the fruitefulnesse of England bordering so neere upon it a Country likewise well stored with pastures and Woods with wilde Déere and heards of Cattaile having abundance beside of fresh water fish wherewith Vske on the one side and Wy on the other serveth it For both these Rivers are full of Salmons and Trouts but Wy of the twaine is the better affording the best kinde of them which they call Vmbras Enclosed it is on every side with high hilles unlesse it be on the North part In the West it hath the mountaines of Canterbochan On the South-side likewise the Southern mountaines the chiefe whereof is called Cadier Arthur that is Arthurs chaire of the two toppes of the same for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is shaped with two capes resembling the forme of a Chaire And for that the Chaire standeth very high and upon a steepe downefall by a common tearme it was assigned to Arthur the greatest and mightiest King of the Britans In the very pitch and top of this hill there walmeth forth a spring of water And this fountaine in manner of a Well is deepe but foure square having no brooke or Riveret issuing from it yet are there Trouts found therein And therefore having these barres on the South side the aire is the colder defendeth the Country from the excessive heat of the Sunne and by a certaine naturall wholsomnesse of the aire maketh it most temperate But on the East side the mountaines of Talgar and Ewias doe as it were foresense it On the North side as he said it is more open and plaine namely where the River Wy severeth it from Radnor-shire by which stand two Townes well knowne for their antiquity Buelth and Hay Buelth is pleasantly situate with Woods about it fortified also with a Castle but of a later building by the Breoses and Mortimers when as Rhese ap Gruffin had rased the ancient Castle Now the Mercate much resorted unto maketh it more famous thereabout but in times past it seemeth to have beene for the owne worth of great name because Ptolomee observed the position therof according to the Longitude and Latitude who called it BULLEUM Silurum Of this towne the country lying round about it being rough and full of hils is named Buelth wherein when as the Saxons were
after he had rebelled against Rhese his Prince and not able to make his part good with him very rashly and inconsiderately which hee afterward repented too late sent Enion a Nobleman to whom he had affianced his daughter to procure Robert Fitz Haimon sonne to Haimon Dentatus Lord of Corboil in Normandy to come out of England and aide him against Rhese who forthwith having mustered certaine forces and taking for to associate him in his journey twelve Knights first gave Rhese Battaile and slew him and afterwards being allured with the fertility of the Country whereof before hand he made full account to be Lord turning his power upon Jestine himselfe because hee had not kept touch with Enion nor performed his promise easily thrust him out of his ancient Inheritance and shared the Country among his Companions The hard and barraine hill Country he granted to the said Enion the more fertile parts he divided betweene him and those twelve Knights whom he tearmed Peres on this condition that they should hold them in Fee and vassallage of him as their chiefe Lord to maintaine one another in common with their aides and auxiliary forces to defend every one his owne Ward in his Castle of Caerdiffe and to bee present and assist him in his Courts in the administration of Justice It shall not be amisse to put downe their names out of a little Pamphlet which Sir Edward Stradling or Sir Edward Mounsel both Knights men of ancient descent and most skilfull in Antiquity I wot not whether for it goeth abroad under both their names wrote concerning this matter And these be their names William of London or de Londres Richard Granvil Pain Turbervill Oliver Saint John Robert de Saint Quintin Roger Bekeroul William Easterling for that he was borne in Germanie whose heires are now called Stradlings Gilbert Hamfranvill Richard Siward John Fleming Peter Soore Reinald Sully The River Remnie falling from the Mountaines is the limite on the East side whereby this Country is divided from Monmouth-shire and Remnie in the British tongue signifieth to Divide Not farre from it where the River holdeth on his course through places hardly passable among the hilles in a Marish ground are to bee seene the tottering walles of Caer-philli Castle which hath beene of so huge a bignesse and such a wonderfull peece of worke beside that all men well neere say it was a garison for t of the Romans Neither will I deny it although I cannot as yet perceive by what name they called it and yet it may seeme to have beene re-edified anew considering it hath a Chappell built after the Christians manner as I was enformed by John Sanford a man singular well learned and of exact judgement who diligently tooke view of it In later ages it was the possession of the Clares Earles of Glocester descended from Fitz-Haimon aforesaid neither doe any of our Chronicles make mention thereof before king Edward the Seconds time For then after that the Spensers by underhand practises had set the King Queene and Barons at debate the Barons besieged a long time Hugh Spenser the yonger whom they called Hugolin herein and could not prevaile By this river also but the place is not certainely knowne Faustus a very good sonne as Ninnius writeth of Vortigern so bad a father built a great Place where with other holy men hee prayed daily unto God that himselfe whom his father committing most abominable incest had begotten of his owne daughter might not be punished grievously for his fathers faults also that his father might at length repent heartily and his native Country be eased from the bloudy warres of the Saxons A little beneath hath Ptolomee placed the mouth of RATOSTABIUS or RATOSTABIUS using a maimed word in stead of Traith Taff that is The sandy Trith of the River Taff. For there the said River Taff sliding downe from the Hilles runneth toward the Sea by Landaff that is The Church by Taff a small City and of small reputation situate somewhat low yet a Bishops See having within the Dioecesse 154. Parishes and adorned with a Cathedrall Church consecrated to Saint Telean Bishop of the same which Church German and Lupus French Bishops then erected when as they had suppressed the Heresie of Pelagius that was dangerously spread all Britaine over and preferred Dubricius a most holy man to bee the first Bishop there unto whom Meurioke a British Lord freely gave all the land that lyeth betweene the Rivers Taff and Elei From hence goeth Taff to Caer diff called of the Britans Caerdid a proper fine Towne as Townes goe in this Country and a very commodious Haven which the foresaid Fitz Haimon fortified with a Wall and Castle that it might bee both a seat for warre and a Court of Justice wherein beside a Band of choise soldiers those twelve Knights were bound to keepe Castle-guard Howbeit a few yeeres after Yuor Bach a British Mountainer a little man of person but of great and resolute courage marching with a Band of men by night without any stirre suddenly surprised tooke Prisoner William Earle of Glocester Fitz Haimons daughters sonne together with his wife and young sonne and detained them in hold with him untill he had made him full satisfaction for all wrongs and losses But how Robert Curthose William the Conquerours eldest sonne a man over venterous and foole hardy in warlique exploits quite put by his hope of the Crowne of England by his younger brethren and bereft of both his eyes lived untill he was an old man in this Castle you may see if you please in our Historians and understand withall that royall Parentage is never assured either of ends or safe security Scarce three miles from the mouth of Taff in the very bending in of the shore there lye aflote as it were two small but pleasant Islands separated one from another and from the maine Land with narrow in-lets of the Sea The hithermore is called Sullie of the Towne right over against it which tooke the name as it is thought of Robert Sully for it fell to his part in the division if you would not rather have him to take his name of it The farther more is named Barry of Baruch an holy man buried there who as he gave name to the place so the place gave the sirname afterwards to the Lords thereof For that noble Family of Vicounts Barries in Ireland had their originall from hence In a Rocke or cliffe heereof by the sea side saith Giraldus there appeareth a very little chincke into which if you lay your eare you shall heare a noise as it were of Smithes at worke one while the blowing of bellowes another while the striking of sledge and hammer sometime the sound of the Grindstone and iron tooles rubbing against it the hissing sparkes also of steele-gads within holes as they are beaten yea and the puffing noise of fire burning in the
to recover the Holy Land That part of this Country which lyeth beyond the Haven and hath onely these two Rivers to water it the Britans doe call Ros making the name answerable to the thing for that it lyeth for the most part all low on a flat and greene plaine This Tract was inhabited by Flemings out of the Low Countries who by the permission of King Henry the First were planted heere when the Ocean by making breaches in the bankes had overwhelmed a great part of the said Low Countries These are distinctly knowne still from the Welsh both by their speech and manners and so neere joyned they are in society of the same language with Englishmen who come nighest of any Nation to the low Dutch Tongue that this their little Country is tearmed by the Britans Little England beyond Wales A Nation this is as saith Giraldus strong and stout and continually enured in warres with the Welsh a Nation most accustomed to seeke gaine by clothing by traffique also and merchandise by sea and land undertaking any paines and perills whatsoever A Nation of very great power and as time and place requireth ready by turnes to take plough in hand and till the ground as ready also to goe into the field and fight it out And that I may adde thus much moreover a Nation most loyally devoted to the Kings of England and as faithfull to Englishmen and which in the time of Giraldus was wonderfull skilfull in Sooth-saying by the Inspection of Beasts inwards whose worke also is heere seene as they are a people passing industrious namely The Flemish High way reaching out a great length The Welshmen have many a time banded all their Forces in one and to recover this country belonging sometimes unto their ancestors have violently set upon these Flemings and overrunne their lands spoiling and wasting where ever they went yet they most courageously have alwayes from time to time defended their estates their name and life Whereupon concerning them and King William Rufus the Historian Malmesbury writeth thus Many a time and often King William Rufus had but small successe against the Welsh men which any man may well mervaile at considering that alwaies otherwise he spread most fortunately in all adventures of Warre But I take it that as the unevennesse of the ground and sharpnesse of the ayre maintained their Rebellion so the same empeached his valour But King Henry who now Reigneth a man of an excellent wit found meanes to frustrate all their devices by placing Flemings in their Country who might be alwaies ready to represse and keepe them in And in the fifth booke King Henry with many a warlike expedition went about to force the Welsh men who ever and anon rose up in Rebellion for to yeeld and submit themselves and resting in the end upon this good and holsome policie for to take downe and abate their swelling pride he brought over thither all the Flemings that dwelt in England For a number of them who in those daies in regard of his Mothâ—rs 〈◊〉 by her Fathers side flocked thither were closely shrowded in England in so much 〈◊〉 they for their multitude seemed burdensome unto the Realme Wherefore he sent them altogether with their substance goods Wives and Children unto Ros a Country in Wales as it were â—â—to a common avoidance thereby both to purge and clense his owne Kingdome and also to quaile and represse the rash boldnesse of his enemies there By the more westward of these two Rivers is Harford West called by the English men in times past Haversord and by the Britans Hulphord a faire Towne and of great resort situate upon an hill side having scarce one even streete but is steepe one way or other which being a Countie by it selfe hath for Magistrates a Major a Sheriffe and two Bailiffs The report goeth that the Earles of Clare fortified it with Rampier and Wall on the North side and we read that Richard Earle of Clare made R. Fitz-Tancred Castellan of this Castle Beyond Ros there shooteth out with a mighty front farre into the West Ocean a great Promontory which Ptolomee called OCTOPITARUM the Britans Pebidiauc and Cantred Devi we Saint Davids land A stony barren and unfruitfull ground as Giraldus saith Neither clad with Woods nor garnished heere and there with Rivers ne yet adorned with Medows lying alwaies open to windes onely and stormes Yet a retyring place for most holy men and a nurserie of them For Calphurnius a Britaine Priest as some I know not how truly have written heere in the vale of Ros begat of his Wife Concha Sister to Saint Martin of Tours Patricke the Apostle of Ireland and Devi a most religious Bishop translated the Archiepiscopall See from Isca Legionum into the most remote and farthest angle heereof even to Menew or Menevia which afterwards the Britans of his name called Twy Dewy that is Devi his house the Saxons Dauy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the English men at this day Saint Davids and was for a long time an Archbishops See But by occasion of a pestilence that contagiously raged in this Country whereby the Pall was translated into little Britaine in France to Dole this Archiepiscopall dignity had an end Yet in the foregoing ages the Welsh men commensed an action heere about against the Archbishop of Canterbury Metropolitane of England and Wales but they were cast in the Law What this Saint Davids was and what maner of thing in times past a man can hardly tell considering it hath beene so often by Pirates rased but now it is a very small and poore Citie and hath nothing at all to make shew of but a faire Church dedicated to Saint Andrew and David which having been many times overthrowne Petre the Bishop in the reigne of King John and his successors erected in that forme which now it sheweth in the vale as they tearme it of Ros under the Towne and hard by it standeth the Bishops Pallace and faire houses of the Chaunter who is next unto the Bishop for there is no Deane heere of the Chauncellor Treasurer and foure Archdeacons who be of the number of the XXII Canons all enclosed round within a strong and seemely wall whereupon they call it the Close This Promontorie thrusteth it selfe so farre Westward that in a cleere Sunshine day a man may from thence see Ireland and from hence is the shortest cut to Ireland and by Plinies measure which he tooke false was from the Silures for he thought that the Silures reached thus farre thirty miles But that this land ran out farther and that the forme of the Promontory hath been changed it may be gathered out of these words of Giraldus What time saith he as King Henry the Second made his abode in Ireland by reason of an extraordinary violence of stormes the sandy shores of this coast were laide bare as farre as to the very hard ground and the face of
place might still remaine entire In honour of Saint Oswald King they built a Chappell there And another in praise of him wrote in that unlearned age not unlearnedly thus Quis fuit Alcides quis Caesar Iulius aut quis Magnus Alexander Alcides se superasse Fertur Alexander mundum sed Iulius hostem Se simul Oswaldus mundum vicit hostem What was to Oswald Hercules What Iulius Caesar what Great Alexander Hercules is named much for that Himselfe he won Xander the world Iulius made foes to flye Oswald at once conquer'd himselfe the world and enemy Beneath Saint Oswalds both Tines meet in one after that South-Tine which keepeth just pace in parallel as it were with the wall about two miles from it hath passed by Langley Castle where sometimes under King John Sir Adam de Tindale had his Barony which afterwards came to Sir Nicolas Bolteby and of late belonged to the Percies and at Aidon runneth under the woodden weake bridge and shaking through the violence of the streame Tine by this time being now broader and broader continueth his course in one channell apace toward the Ocean by Hexham which Bede calleth Hangustald but the old English-Saxon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That this was named in the Romans time AXLELODUNUM where the first Cohort of the Spaniards had their station both the name implieth the high situation upon an hill answerable to the name when as the ancient Britans called an hill Dunum But as touching this heare what Richard Prior of this place saith who flourished 500. yeeres agoe Not farre from the river Tine Southward there standeth a towne now in these dayes verily but of meane bignesse and slenderly inhabited but in times past as the remaines of antiquity do beare witnesse very large and stately This place of the little river Hextold running downe by it and swelling otherwhiles like unto a flood with a swift streame is name Hextoldesham which town Etheldreda the wife of King Egfrid gave unto Saint Wilfrid in the yeere 675. that hee should exalt it with an Episcopall See who built there a Church that for the artificiall frame and passing beauty went beyond all the Minsters in England Take with you also that which William of Malmesbury wrote This was Crown-land when Wilfrid the Bishop exchanged with Queen Etheldreda other lands It was wonderfull to see what buildings were erected there with mighty high walls and how they were set out contrived with divers turning in out by winding staires all polished and garnished by the curious workmanship of Masons and Pargetters whom the hope of his liberality had allured from Rome so that these buildings carried a shew of the Romanes stately magnificence and stood very long struggling with time The foresaid King Egfrid placed an Episcopall See in this little City But that dignity after the eighth Bishop vanished cleane away whilest the Danish warres were at the hottest And so ever since it was counted onely a manour or Township belonging to the Archibishops of Yorke before the exchange made with King Henry the eighth wherby they resigned up their right This place was also renowned by reason of that bloudy battaile wherein John Nevill Marquesse Montacute encountred the leaders of the Lancastrian Faction with much courage and with greater successe put them to flight and therefore was created Earle of Northumberland by King Edward the fourth But now all the glory that it hath is in that ancient Abbey a part whereof is converted into a faire dwelling house belonging to Sir John Foster Knight As for the Church it standeth whole and sound save that the West end onely thereof is pulled downe and I assure you a right stately and sumptuous building it is within the quire whereof is to be seene an ancient tombe of a noble-man of that warlike family of the Umfranvils as appeareth by his Escutcheon of Armes lying with his legges acrosse After which fashion in those dayes were they onely enterred that I may note so much by the way who tooke upon them the crosse and were marked with the badge of the crosse for sacred warfare to recover the Holy land from the Mahometans and Turkes Hard by the East end also of this Church upon the brow of an hill are erected two most strong bulwarks of free stone which belong as I have heard unto the Archbishop of Yorke From hence we went Eastward and came to Dilston a mansion house of the Ratcliffes In old evidence it is found written Divelstone of a little river running into Tine which Bede called Divelesburn where as he writeth Oswald having the faith of Christ for his armour and defence in a set battaile slew Cedwalla the Britan that wicked and horrible Tyrant who had already slaine two Kings of Northumberland and depopulated the country all over On the other banke of Tine lieth CURIA OTTADINORUM whereof Ptolomee maketh mention it may seeme by the distance thereof to bee CORSTOPITUM in Antonine called at this day of the bridg Corbridge in Hovedons Annals Corobridge and in Henry of Huntingdon Cure It can shew nothing now but a Church and a little tower hard by which the Vicars of the Church built and wherein they dwell Howbeit there remaine still sundry reliques of antique worke among which King John searched for ancient treasure supposed to have beene buried there But he was overtaken in his owne vanity and deceived of his great expectation no lesse than Nero when hee searched for the hidden wealth of Dido at Carthage For nothing found hee but stones signed with brasse iron and lead But whoso shall see the heap of rubbish that lieth thereby and is called Colecester will soon say it was some hold of a Romane garrison Forward still upon the same banke wee saw Biwell a proper faire castle which in the reigne of King John was the Barony of Sir Hugh Balliol for which he did owe to the Ward of Newcastle upon Tine thirty Knights service Beneath this Castle there is a very goodly Weare for the catching of Salmons and two solid piles of most firme stone which in times past supported the bridge stand up in the midst of the river From hence Tine running underneath looketh up to Prudhow Castle in ancient bookes written Prodhow situate very pleasantly upon the ridge of an hill This may I ghesse to have beene PROTOLITIA which also is called PROCOLITIA the station of the first band of the Batavians till time tell me more and instruct mee better But it is famous in this regard that in King Henry the second his dayes it valiantly gave the check unto William King of Scots laying siege unto it when as William of Newborrough writeth hee had taken great paines to no purpose to his losse and hurt Afterwards it belonged to the Umfranvils men of great estimation among whom Sir Gilbert Umfranvill flourishing in the profession of armes in right of his wife attained the title of Earle
bigge and large as that it may seeme to match with a city Neither went it for any other but a castle when King William Rufus having raised over against it a tower called Mal-voisin gave assault continually to Mowbray while hee rebelled and lurked there who at length privily stole away escaped by flight The greatest part of the beauty therof was lost long time after in the civill warre when Bressie the Norman redoubted souldier who sided with the house of Lancaster exercised his rage against it very outragiously Since then it hath beene sore beaten with time and the windes together which have blowne by drifts an incredible deale of sand of the sea into the fortresses Hereto adjoyneth Emildon sometime the Barony of John Le Viscont but Rametta the heire of that house sold away the possessions to Simon de Montfort Earle of Leicester In this was borne John Duns called Scotus because hee was descended of Scotish bloud who being brought up in Merton Colledge at Oxford became wonderfull well learned in Logicke and in that crabbed and intricate Divinity of those dayes yet as one still doubtfull and unresolved he did overcast the truth of religion with mists of obscurity And with so profound and admirable subtlety in a darke and rude stile hee wrote many workes that hee deserved the title of the Subtile Doctor and after his owne name erected a new sect of the Scotists But hee died pitifully being taken with an Apoplexy and overhastily buried for dead whiles upon returne of life nature though too late was about to discusse the violence of the disease and hee making meanes in vaine by a lamentable noise to call for helpe after he had a long time knocked his head against the grave stone dashed out his owne braines and at last yeelded up his vitall breath Whereupon a certain Italian wrote thus of him Quaecunque humani fuerant jurisque sacrati In dubium veniunt cuncta vocante Scoto Quid quod in dubium illius sit vita vocata Morte illum simili ludificante strophâ Quum non ante virum vitâ jugularit ademptâ Quà m vivus tumulo conditus ille foret All learning taught in humane books and couch'd in holy writ Dan Scotus darke and doubtfull made by subtlety of wit No marvaile that to doubtfull termes of life himselfe was brought Whiles with like wile and subtle tricke death on his body wrought When as her stroke to kill outright she would not him vouchsafe Untill the man a piteous case was buried quicke in grave That he was borne here in England I avouch it out of his owne manuscript works in the Library of Merton Colledge in Oxford and upon their faithfull testimony which conclude in this maner Explicit Lectura c. that is Thus endeth the Lecture of the subtle Doctor in the University of Paris Iohn Duns borne in a certaine little village or hamlet within the Parish of Emildon called Dunston in the county of Northumberland pertaining to the house of the scholars of Merton Hall in Oxford On this shore forward there is nothing to be seene worth relation but the Holy Island whereof I will write in due place untill a man come to the mouth of Twede which parteth England and Scotland a great way asunder and is called the East limit and thereupon our Necham thus writeth insinuating that the hither part of Scotland was called pict-Pict-land Anglos à Pictis sejungit limite certo Flumen quod Tuedam pristina lingua vocat The river Twede a certaine bound Divides * Pict-land from English ground This river breaking forth at a number of Springs out of the mountaines of Scotland wandereth a great while with many a crooked winding in and out among the ranke-riders and borderers to give them no worse tearme whose manner is as one saith to try their right by the swords point But when hee is come hard to a village called Carram waxing a great deale bigger by reason of many waters fallen unto him hee begins to distinguish the Confines of the Kingdomes And when hee hath watered Werke a Castle often assaulted by the Scottish belonging in times past to the Rosses and now to the Graies who by feats of armes have wonne much honour hee is encreased more with the streame of Till a river that hath two names For at the head which is in the innermore part of this country it is called Bramish and upon it standeth Bramton a little village very obscure and almost of no reckoning from whence it goeth Northward by Bengeley which together with Brampton it selfe with Broundum Rodam which hath given name to a stock in this tract of good note Edelingham c. was in King Henry the third his time the Barony of Patricke Earle of Dunbar who also as we read in the book of Inquisitions was Inborow and Outborow betweene England and Scotland that is to say if I mistake it not he was to allow and observe in this part the ingresse and egresse of those that travailed too and fro betweene both Realmes For Englishmen in ancient time called in their language an Entry and fore Court or Gatehouse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Higher somewhat standeth Chevelingham now called Chillingham hard by the river which like as Horton not farre distant from it had their Castles belonging to the Greies ever since that those two families of the Greies were conjoyned in one by marriage There lyeth neere unto it Wollover a Barony which King Henry the first gave to Robert Muschampe who bare Azure three Butterflies or Papilions Argent of whose race descended Robert who in Henry the third his reigne was reputed the mightiest Baron in these North parts But the inheritance was quickly dismembred and parted among the females one of whom was married unto the Earle of Stratherne in Scotland a second to Sir William de Huntercombe and a third to Odonell Ford. Then the river of Glen from out of the West augmenteth Till with his waters and nameth the vale that he runneth thorow Glendale Touching this little river Bede writeth thus Paulinus comming with the King and Queen into a Manour or house of the Kings called Ad-Gebrin at this day Yeverin abode with them 36. daies there emploied wholly in the catechizing and baptising during all which time he did nothing from morning but instruct the people resorting to him in the saving word of Christ and being thus instructed he baptised them to the forgivenesse of their sinnes in the river of Glen which was hard by This house was in the time of the succeeding Kings neglected and another made for it in a place called Melmin but at this day Melfeld Here within a little of Brum-ridge by Brumeford K. Athelstan fought a pitched field with Aulase the Dane Constantine K. of Scots and Eugenius or Owein Prince of Cumberland with so fortunate successe that this battaile was most famous farre
stranger chance Here haply may he thinke he hath a sight againe of France What drew this place from thence their wit and spirit hot trow yee Or rather had the same at first by native propertie Now where the shore turneth inward a front Northward hard by the salt water of Tau there flourished in old time two goodly Abbyes Balmerinoch built by Queene Ermengard wife to King William daughter of Vicount Beaumont in France But lately King James of great Britaine advanced Sir Iames Elphinston to the honour of Baron Balmerinoch and Lundoris founded among the woods by David Earle of Huntington and at this day the Baronie of Sir Patrick Lesley betweene which standeth Banbrich the habitation of the Earle of Rothes strongly built castle wise But as touching the townes of Fife planted along the sea side have here now if it please you these verses of Master Ionston Oppida sic toto sunt sparsa in littore ut unum Dixeris inque uno plurima juncta eadem Littore quot curvo Forthae volvuntur arenae Quotque undis refluo tunditur orasalo Penè tot hîc cernas instratum puppibus aequor Urbibus crebris penè tot ora hominum Cuncta operis intenta domus foeda otia nescit Sedula cura domi sedula curaforis Quae maria quas non terras animosa juventus Ah! fragili fidens audet adire trabe Auxit opes virtus virtuti dura pericla Iuncta etiam lucro damna fuere suo Quae fecêre viris animos cultumque dedêre Magnanimis prosunt damna pericla labor Who sees how thicke townes stand upon this coast will say anone They are but one and yet the same all joyned in that one How many sands on crooked shore of Forth are cast by tides Or billowes at the seas returne beat hard upon bankes sides So many ships well neere you may here see to saile or ride And in those townes so thicke almost as many folke abide In everie house they ply their worke no idle drones they are Busie at home with diligence busie abroad with care What seas or lands are there to which a voiage for to make In brittle barkes will not their youth courageous undertake By valour be they growne to wealth yet valour meet with paines And perils too some losses too have they had with their gaines These things have made them valiant civill withall and courteous Losse perill painfull toile availe all such as be magnanimous The Governour of this province like as of all the rest in this Kingdome was in times past a Thane that is in the old English tongue The Kings Minister as it is also at this day in the Danish language but Malcolm Canmore made Macduffe who before was Thane of Fife the first hereditarie Earle of Fife and in consideration of his good desert and singular service done unto him granted that his posteritie should have the honour to place the King when hee is to be crowned in his chaire to lead the Vant-guard in the Kings armie and if any of them should happen by casualty to kill either Gentleman or Commoner to buy it out with a peece of money And not farre from Lundoris there is to bee seene a Crosse of stone which standing for a limit betweene Fife and Strathern had an inscription of barbarous verses and a certain priviledge of Sanctuarie that any Man-slaier allied to Macduffe Earle of Fife within the ninth degree if he came unto this Crosse and gave nine kine with an heiâ—er should bee quit of manslaughter When his posteritie lost this title I could never yet find but it appeareth out of the Records of the kingdome that K. David the second gave unto William Ramsey this Earldome with all and everie the immunities and law which is called Clan-Mac-Duffe and received it is for certaine that the linage of the Wemesies and Douglasse yea and that great kinred Clan-Hatan the chiefe whereof is Mac-Intoskech descended from them And the most learned I. Skerne Clerke of the Kings Register of Scotland hath taught mee in his significations of words that Isabel daughter and heire to Duncane Earle of Fife granted upon certaine conditions unto Robert the third King of the Scots for the use and behoofe of Robert Stewart Earle of Menteith the Earldome of Fife who being afterwards Duke of Albanie and affecting the Kingdome with cruell ambition caused David the Kings eldest son to be most pitifully famished to death which is highest extremitie of all miserie But his son Murdac suffered due punishment for the wickednesse both of his father and his owne sonnes being put to death by King James the first for their violent oppressions and a decree passed that the Earldome of Fife should be united unto the Crown for ever But the authoritie of the Sheriffe of Fife belongeth in right of inheritance to the Earle of Rothes STRATHERN AS farre as to the river Tau which boundeth Fife on the North-side Iulius Agricola the best Propretour of Britaine under Domitian the worst Emperour marched with victorious armes in the third yeere of his warlike expeditions having wasted and spoiled the nations hitherto Neere the out-let of Tau the notable river Ern intermingleth his waters with Tau which river beginning out of a Lake or Loch of the same name bestoweth his owne name upon the countrey through which he runneth For it is called Straith Ern which in the ancient tongue of the Britans signifieth the Vale along Ern. The banke of this Ern is beautified with Drimein Castle belonging to the family of the Barons of Dromund advanced to highest honours ever since that King Robert Stewart the third took to him a wife out of that linage For the women of this race have for their singular beautie and well favoured sweet countenance won the prize from all others insomuch as they have beene the Kings most amiable paramours Upon the same banke Tulibardin Castle sheweth it selfe aloft but with greater jollitie since that by the propitious favour of King James the sixth Sir Iohn Murray Baron of Tulibardin was raised to the honour and estate of Earle of Tulibardin Upon the other bank more beneath Duplin Castle the habitation of the Barons Oliphant reporteth yet what an overthrow the like to which was never before the Englishmen that came to aide King Edward Balliol gave there unto the Scots insomuch as the English writers in that time doe write that they won this victorie not by mans hand but by the power of God and the Scottish writers relate how that out of the family of the Lindeseies there were slaine in the field fourescore persons and that the name of the Haies had bin quite extinguished but that the chiefe of that house left his wife behind him great with child Not farre from it standeth Innermeth well knowne by reason of the Lords thereof the Stewarts out of the family of Lorn Inch-Chafra that is in the old Scottish
meane Banchor Out of whether of these twaine that Arch-hereticke Pelagius came it is uncertaine whiles some will needs have him to spring from hence others from that in Britaine but neither of them grounding upon any certaine warrant of authority Howbeit certaine it is that he was of Britaine as may appeare by other testimonies as also by this distichon of Prosper Aquitanus inveying against his impiety I procul insana impietaâ— artesque malignas Aufer authorem comitare exclusa Britannum Avaunt far hence impiety and lewd Arts take with thee Once gone with British sire of thine keep alwaies company But touching this place heare what S. Bernard saith A rich and mighty man gave a place called B anchor unto Malachy to build or rather to re-edifie there a Monastery It had been ywis a most noble house before time under the first founder and father Congel breeding many thousand Monkes and the head likewise of many Monasteries A holy place in truth and a breeder of many Saints most plenteously fructifying unto God so that one of the sons of that holy congregation named Luan is reported to have been the founder of an hundred Monasteries Which I have beene more willing to relate that by this one the reader may give a ghesse what a mighty multitude there was beside Thus at length the sprouts thereof replenished Ireland and Scotland From out of which S. Columbane comming up to these parts of ours here in France built the Monastery of Luxovium which grew to a mighty multitude And so great an Abbey by report this was that the solemnity of divine service held out continually in one quire after another so that there was not one moment of time night or day without singing praises Take all this to be spoken of the ancient glory of Banchor Monastery Malachia both in regard of the noble name that it bare and of the ancient dignity especially liked this place although it was destroied as minding to replant it like unto a certain garden or Paradise as also because many bodies of Saints slept there For to say nothing of those that were buried in peace it is reported that 900. in one day were slaine by Pirats Verily the possessions belonging to that place were great But Malachias contenting himselfe only with the site of the holy place surrendred the possessions and lands wholly to another for from the time that the Monastery was destroied there wanted not one to hold it with the livings thereto belonging For they were ordained by election also and called Abbats keeping still in name thought it were not so in deed as it had been in old time And when many gave advice not to alienate the possessions but to retaine the whole together unto themselves this professor of poverty agreed not thereto but caused according to the custome one to bee chosen for to hold the same reserving onely to himselfe and his the place as I have before said Moreover within a few dates there was the Oratory or Church finished of timber peeces made smooth but fitly and firmely knit together a Scottish kind of work faire and beautifull enough Afterwards Malachy thought it good to have a Church built of stone proportioned like to those which he had seene built in other countries And when hee had begun to lay the foundation the native inhabitants of the countrey began to make a wonder thereat because there were not found in that land as yet such maner of buildings and thereupon one cried out O good Sir what meane you to bring in this new fashion into our countries Scots we are and not French What vanity is this what need was there of such worke so superfluous so proud and so glorious More inward hard by the Lake is the Bishops See of Conereth or Coner where sat the said Malachy as Bishop But what manner of flock this so holy a Pastor fed listen unto S. Bernard Malachy in the thirtieth yeere almost of his age was brought in and presented a consecrated Bishop of Conereth for this was the cities name Now when as he began to execute his function according to his office then perceived this man of God that it was his lot to come not unto men but unto beasts No where had he to that time experience of such in the most barbarous parts that ever he came unto No where had he found for manners so froward for rites so divellish for faith so impious for lawes so barbarous for discipline so stiffe necked and for life so filthy Christians they were in name and Pagans in deed Tithes and first fruits they gave none lawfull marriage they contracted none confessions they made none to crave or to give pennance there could be found just none And Ministers of the Altar there were very few or none But what needs many words where the very paucity and fewnesse among the lay Persons was in maner idle and imploied about nothing no fruit was to be expected by their duties and functions among so leud a people For in the Churches there was heard neither voice of Preacher nor sound of singing What should the Lords champion doe in this case either hee must yeeld with shame or bicker in jeopardy But he who acknowledged himselfe to be a Shepherd and not an hireling chose rather to stand to it than to flye ready to give his life for his sheep if it so behoved And albeit they were all wolves and no sheepe in the midst of wolves he stood as a fearlesse Shepherd by all meanes casting about how to make of wolves sheepe Thus wrote Saint Bernard and little better can he that is Bishop there at this day say as I heare of his wilde flocke hereabout This Ardes the Savages an English family in times past held in possession amongst whom there goeth a great name of him who said no lesse stoutly than pleasantly when he was moved to build a castle for his defence That he would not trust to a castle of stones but rather to a castle of bones meaning thereby his owne bodie Afterward the O-Neals wrested it out of their hands who being attainted of high treason by permission of Queene Elizabeth Sir Thomas Smith Knight and the Queenes Secretary planted a Colonie there not long since a worthy adventure but it sped unhappily For after great expences defraied the Irish by a traine caught his base sonne whom hee had made Captaine and ruler thereof and cruelly cast him to hungry dogges for which barbarous cruelty those most wicked wretches suffered afterward most grievous punishment accordingly being killed and given unto Wolves to bee devoured Above Ardes Westward the more Southerne Clan-boy that is the Yellow Nation or Sept or the kinred of Hugh the Yellow a country very full of woods reacheth as farre as to the bay of Knock-fergus inhabited by the Sept of the O-Neales and is counted the farthest territorie of this county of Downe THE COUNTY OF ANTRIM THE
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
with Gylly Cavinelagh Obugill and Mac-Derley King of Oresgael with the principall men of Kineoil Conail And many of the army of the said Justice were drowned as they passed over the water of Fin Northward and among them in the rescuing of a prey there were slaine Atarmanudaboge Sir W. Brit Sherif of Conacth and the young knight his brother And afterward the said army spoiled the country and left the Seigniorie of Kineoil Conail to Rory O-Coner for that time There was another expedition also by the said Justice into Tirconnell and great spoiles made and O-Canamayu was expelled out of Kenoilgain he left the territory of Kenail Conail with Gorry Mac-Donald O-Donnel There was another expedition also by the said Justice into Tireogaine against O-Neale but he gave pledges for the preservation of his countrey There was another expedition by the said Justice in Leinster against the Irishry whom he pitifully outraged and spoiled their land In another expedition also the said Justice destroied Kenoilgain and all Ulster in despite of O-Neale tarrying three nights at Tullaghoge MCCXLIII Hugh Lacy Earle of Ulster died and is buried at Crag-fergous in the covent of the Friers Minours leaving a daughter his heire whom Walter Burk who was Earle of Ulster espoused In the same yeere died Lord Girald Fitz-Moris and Richard Burk MCCXLVI An earthquake over all the West about 9. of the clocke MCCXLVIII Sir John Fitz-Gefferey knight came Lord Justice into Ireland MCCL. Lewis King of France and William Long Espee with many other are taken prisoners by the Saracens In Ireland Maccanewey a sonne of Beliol was slaine in Leys as he well deserved MCCLI. The Lord Henry Lacie was borne Likewise upon Christmas day Alexander King of Scotland a childe eleven yeeres old espoused at Yorke Margaret the King of Englands daughter MCCLV Alan de la Zouch is made Lord Justice and commeth into Ireland MCCLVII The Lord Moris or Maurice Fitz-Gerald deceaseth MCCLIX Stephen Long Espee commeth Lord Justice of Ireland The Greene castle in Ulster is throwne downe Likewise William Dene is made Lord Justice of Ireland MCCLXI The Lord John Fitz-Thomas and the Lord Maurice his son are slaine in Desmund by Mac-Karthy likewise William Dene Lord Justice of Ireland dejected after whom succeeded in the same yeere Sir Richard Capell MCCLXII Richard Clare Earle of Glocester died Item Martin Maundevile left this life the morrow after Saint Bennets day MCCLXIV Maurice Fitz Gerald and Maurice Fitz Maurice took prisoners Rich. Capell the Lord Theobald Botiller and the Lord John Cogan at Tristel-Dermot MCCLXVII David Barrie is made Lord Justice of Ireland MCCLXVIII Comin Maurice Fitz Maurice is drowned Item Lord Robert Ufford is made Lord Justice of Ireland MCCLXIX The castle of Roscomon is founded Richard of Excester is made Lord Justice MCCLXX The Lord James Audeley came Lord Justice into Ireland MCCLXXI Henry the Kings sonne of Almain is slaine in the Court of Rome The same yeere reigned the plague famine and the sword and most in Meth. Item Nicholas de Verdon and his brother John are slain Walter Burk or de Burgo Earle of Ulster died MCCLXXII The Lord James Audeley Justice of Ireland was killed with a fall from his horse in Twomond after whom succeeded Lord Maurice Fitz-Maurice in the office of chiefe Justice MCCLXXIII The Lord Geffrey Genevile returned out of the holy land and is made Justice of Ireland MCCLXXIV Edward the sonne of King Henrie by the hands of Robert Kelwarby a Frier of the order of Preaching Friers and Archbishop of Canterburie upon S. Magnus the Martyrs day in the Church of Westminster was anointed K. of England and crowned in the presence of the Lords and Nobles of all England whose protestation and oath was in this forme I Edward son and heire to King Henrie professe protest and promise before God and his Angels from this time forward to keep without respect the law justice and peace unto the holy Church of God and the people subject unto me so far forth as we can devise by the counsell of our liege and loiall ministers also to exhibite condigne and canonicall honour unto the Bishops of Gods Church to preserve inviolably whatsoever hath bin bestowed by Emperors and Kings upon the Church committed unto them and to yeeld due honour unto Abbats the Lords vessels according to the advise of our lieges c. So help me God and the holy Gospels of the Lord. In the same yeer died the Lord Iohn Verdon likewise the Lord Thomas Clare came into Ireland Item William Fitz-Roger Prior of the Hospitalers with many others are taken prisoners at Glyndelory and more there slaine MCCLXXV The castle of Roscoman is erected againe In the same yeere Moydagh was taken prisoner at Norragh by Sir Walter Faunte MCCLXXVI Robert Ufford is made Lord Justice of Ireland the second time Geffrey Genevile gave place and departed MCCLXXVII O-Brene is slaine MCCLXXVIII The Lord David Barry died Likewise the Lord John Cogan MCCLXXIX The Lord Robert Ufford entred into England and appointed in his roome Frier Robert Fulborne Bishop of Waterford in whose time the money was changed likewise the Round table was holden at Kenilworth by the Lord Roger Mortimer MCCLXXX Robert Ufford returned out of England Lord Justice as before Also the wife of Robert Ufford deceased MCCLXXXI Adam Cusack the younger slew William Barret and many others in Connaght Item Frier Stephen Fulborne is made Justice of Ireland Item the Lord Robert Ufford returned into England MCCLXXXII Moritagh and Arte Mac-Murgh his brother are slaine at Arclowe on the Even of Saint Marie Maudlen Likewise the Lord Roger Mortimer died MCCLXXXIII The citie of Dublin was in part burnt and the Belfray of Saint Trinitie Church in Dublin the third day before the Nones of Januarie MCCLXXXIIII The castle of Ley was taken and burnt by the Potentates or Lords of Offaly the morrow after Saint Barnabe the Apostle his day Alphonsus the Kings sonne twelve yeeres old changed his life MCCLXXXV The Lord Theobald Botiller died the sixth day before the Kalends of October in the castle of Arclowe and was buried there in the covent of the Friers preachers Item Girald Fitz-Maurice was taken prisoner by his own Irish in Offalie and Richard Petit and Saint Doget with many other and a great overthrow was given at Rathode with much slaughter MCCLXXXVI Norragh and Arstoll with other townes were one after another continually burnt by Philip Stanton the 16. day before the Calends of December In these daies Alianor Queen of England mother of King Edward tooke the mantle and the ring at Ambresburie upon the day of Saint Thomas his translation having her dower in the kingdome of England confirmed by the Pope to be possessed for ever Likewise Calwagh is taken prisoner at Kildare The Lord Thomas Clare departed this life MCCLXXXVII Stephen Fulborn Archbishop of Tuam died after whom there succeeded in the office of Lord chiefe Justice for a time John
Valentia Barle Clan-Caâ—r Beare O Swilivant O Mahon Notium Promontorium The river Iâ—rnus Earles of Desmond Vodiae a people Coriandi a people Muskeray Carbray Spaniard landed in Ireland and from thence driven Kerry-wherry Vicount Butiphant Baron Roch Vicount Fermoy Yoghall The Kay The kingdome of Corke Lismor Christian a Bishop Ard-mor Dessee Dungarvan Poers Barons of Curraghmore Waterford Earle of Waterford Steward of Ireland An. 28. H. 8. Conilagh Knoc-Patric Knight of the Valley Anno 11. Reg. Eliz. Limirick Clan-William Baron of Castle Conell Clan-Gibbon 13. Elizab. Fitz-Geralds Emely The lower Ossery The county of Holy Crosse of Tipperary Wood of the Crosse. Cassile Baron de Cahir Clomell Earle of Caricke Anno 9. Ed. 2. Ormond Butlers Earles of Ormond Anno 2. Ed. 3. Earle of Tipperary Wolf-men The disease Lycanthropia County of Kilkenny Upper Ossery Baron of upper Ossery Thomas Towne Callan Inis Teog The Statute of Absenties Barony Ydron Cavanaghs O More Out of a pamphlet of Patrick Finglas Hook-Tower Lease Mary Burgh Donemaws Rheba Baronet of Rheban Offaly Philips towne Kildar S. Brigid Ch. 9. Ed. 2. N. 12. Barons Fitz-Eustace Pat. 2. Ed. 4. Carausius Tintern Monastery Hieron a Promontory Cauci O Tooles O Birns Arklo Glynnes Wicklo lately made a county 1606. The Grounds Old-Court Poers Court Liffy river which Girald calleth Aven-Liff * That is the river Lâ—ff Eblana Dublin Who also is named Abloicus Aulafus and Olavus Ioscelin of Furnes in the life of S. Patricke Lib. 2. verum Anglicar c. 26. Kaies * Upon Ausonius l. 2. c. 22. Dammensis All-Hallowes An University begun 1591. 13. May was the foundation laid 1593. Scholars were first admitted 1320. A Manuscript of Baron Hoult Thomas Court Statut. Parli 18. H. 8. c. 15. Tole-stale Marquesse of Dublin Pr. p. Pat. anno 9. Rich. 2. m. 1. Saint Laurence Barons of Houth Malchid Fingall Th. Stukely Marquesse of Leinster Laberus Barnwell Baron Trimlet stoun Baron Slane Navan Baronet of Navan Bishop of Meth. Molingar Barons Delvin Nogents Lords of Meth. Genevile Constables of Ireland Anale O-Pharoll River Senus or Sineus Shannin and Shannon Macolicum Malc Rigia Which others call Mare Bredunicum Nagnatae Gangani Concani Auteri Killaloe Catarracta Bunraty Clare Earles of Twomond Ilands of Arran Bed l. 4. c. 4. Ecclesiast hist. Logh-Corbes Gallwey The battell of Knoctoe 1516. Aterith Birminghams Clan-Ricard Earles of Clan-Ricard Archbishoprick of Toam or Tuen Maio. Killaley Bishoprick of Killaley Lib 4. cop 4. Logh-Mesk Galloglasses Mac-William who also is called Mac-William Eughter Cuttings Coyne Liverey c. Cause of Rebellions in Ireland Richard Bingham Nagnata Diploma l. 2. c. 6 Girald Cambren de expugnatio Hibern p. 787. Curlew hills Barony of Boyle Balin Tober Rog. Hoveden Anno 1175. pag. 312. John Perot Lord Deputy 1585. Uriel in Latin Urgalia Tredagh Mellifont Abbey Dundalk Carlingford Birmingham who also is called Brimicham Earle of Louth Baron Louth East Breany O Reily Kilmore Bishopricke Poore Bishops Lough-Ern Bal-tarbet Belek Mac-Mahon Fitz-Urse 1590. Charles Blunt L. Mont-joy Fewes Orry Mont-Norris Armach S. Patricke Vita Patricii Marianus Scotus The Irish shaving See Bed l. 5. c. 22. S. Bernard in the life of Malachy Lib. 1. Ceremoniar sacrar Sect. 14. Isanium the Promontory Dunum Downe Saint Patricks Sepulcher Robert de Monts de Immutatione Ordinis Monachoâ—um Banchor Abbay Pelagius the Arch-heretick In the life of Malachias Bishoprick of Coner Savage Upper Clane-Boy Knoc-Fergus Nether Clane-Boy Isle of Magie Glinnes Bissets James Mac-Conell The Rowt Mac-Guilly Surley Boy Chairly Boy Donluse River Ban. Glan-Colkein Salmons O-Cahan Uraights The election of O-Neal Scottish Ilanders Upper Tit-Oen Bishopricke of Cloghter Dunganon Baron of Dunganon Fort of Black-water Patricks Purgatory Regia Reglis Derry Robogdii Robogdium Promontory Vennicnii River Vidua Boreum Promontory Sligah â— Donegall O-donell Scoti In the life of S. Patrick Earles of Ulster An. 7. Ioannis See pag. 624. and 725. Ireland neglected Scoto-Chronicon lib. 12. cap. 26. Shan or John O Neale Thomas Earle of Sussex Lord Deputy Sir Henry Sidney Lord Deputy 1565. 1567. Hugh O-Neal Earle of Tir-Oen 1588. 1595. Die 12. Iunii Lord Generall of the Army Baron Burough Lord Deputie 1597. 1598. Robert Earle of Essex Lord Lievtenant 1599. 8 September 1599. 28. Septemb. 1599. Charles Blunt Lord Deputy 1600. The manners of the Irishry or wild Irish. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in the Epitome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is feeding upon herbes and weeds O prefixed to the names of the Noblest men in Ireland by way of excellency Brehons Professionâ— hereditary Tanistry Girald Cambren Galloglasses Kernes Barritus Water-cresses Shamroots This place is corrupted in the copie The whole yeere out of an old fragment Haply Hollâ—wood Gresholme Stockholme and Scalmey Silimnus Bernacles Annales of Th. Otterborn Anno 7. H. 4. Scottish or westerne Iles. Earles of Orkney Thule Thule for Britaine Island Lib. 2. belli Gothici Shetland which some call Hethland Bergos Nerigon The frozen sea or Cronium Lindis-farne Holy Iland Farn Isle Bede in the life of Cuthbert Saxon Ilands Lib. 7. Birchanis Borkun The British Armory or Store-house Holland coast Britten huis Portus Morinorum Britannicus The Chamavi dwelt thereby as appeareth out of the Embassages of Eunapius Burgus what it is Zosimus l. 4. Saxons in Holland Janus Douza in his Nomenclator Britten an herb Zeland See pag. 333. 441. Toliapis Caunus Canvey See in Essex Shepey Goodwin Sands Some call it Lomea The British narrow sea Alderney Casquettes Gerzey Castra Constantia Moritavum Uraic Fucus marinus Sarnia Garnsey Haply Granonâ— by a transposition of letters which the Nâ—â—titia placeth iâ— the Tract of Armorica Smyris Normandy lost Tillet Serke Set-Iles Barsa Basepole Where the British sea is deepest Lisia by transposition of leters Silia * Sacrum Promontorium Non usque navibus we read in the notes of Paris Stella Maria. Ulpian lib. 7. de Mathematicis Axantos Ushant Siambis Mariners cal it the Seame Veneti Insulae Vene cae Vannes Venna Caro i. Charles Fiâ—shing as Heâ—gardus saith Nesidae * Samnitum Bacchus Oleron Uliarus Lex Rhodia Admirall of England Hereditary territories in France belonging to the Crowne of England
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