Selected quad for the lemma: land_n
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A43535
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A full relation of two journeys, the one into the main-land of France, the other into some of the adjacent ilands performed and digested into six books / by Peter Heylyn.; Full relation of two journeys
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Heylyn, Peter, 1600-1662.
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1656
(1656)
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Wing H1712; ESTC R5495
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310,916
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472
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came from my pen but was corrected by the line and levell of my present Judgement And for such petit errors as then scaped my hands being they are but petit errors they may the more easily be pardoned by ingenuous men But howsoever being errors though but petit errors I hold it necessary to correct them and shall correct them in this order as they come before me Normandy bounded on the South with L'Isle de France Not with the Isle of France distinctly and properly so called occasioned by the circlings of the Seine and the Marne in which Paris standeth but by that part of France which is called commonly France Special or the Proper France as being the first fixed seat of the French Nation after their first entrance into Gâ—…ul which notwithstanding may in some sense be called the Isle of France also because environed on all sides with some river or other that is to say with the Velle on the East the Eure on the West the Oâ—…se on the North and a vein Riveret of the Seine on the South parts of it The name Neustria Not named so in the time of the Romans when it was reckoned for a part of Gallia Celtica as the words not well distinguished do seem to intimate but when it was a part of the French Empire and then corruptly so called for Westris signifying the West parts thereof the name of Westria or Westenrick being given by some to this part of the Realm of West France as that of Austria or Ostenric to a part of East France By the permission of Charles the Bald Not so but by the sufferance of Charles the Sâ—…mple a weaker Prince and far lesse able to support the Majesty of a King of France For though the Normans ransacked the Sea coasts of this Countrey during the reign of Charles the Bald which lasted from the year 841 to the year 879. yet Charles the Bald was not so simple nor so ill advised as to give them livery and seifin of so large a Province That was a businesse fit for none but Charles the SIMPLE who began his reign in the year 900. and unto him the words foregoing would direct the Reader where it is thus told us of these Normans anno 900. they first seated themselves in France c. which relates plainly to the reign of Charles the Simple in the beginning whereof they first setled here though Rollo their chief Captain was not honoured with the title of Duke of Normandy untill 12 years after For the most part of a light and sandy mould mistaken in the print for a light and handy that is to say of a more easie tillage then the rest of those Kingdomes Which words though positively true of the Countrey of Norfolk are to be understood of Normandy comparatively and respectively to the rest of France for otherwise it would ill agree with the following words where it is said to be of a fat and liking soyle as indeed it is though not so far and deep as the Isle of France La Beause or many others of the Southern Provinces The French custome giving to all the sons an equality in the Estate which must be understood of the Estates of meaner and inferiour persons and not of those of eminent and more noble Families which have been altered in this point The Lands and Honours passing undivided to the eldest sons the better to support the dignity of their place and titles as many Gentlemen of Kent have changed their old tenure by Gavelkinde into Knights service for the same reason and obtained severall Acts of Parliament to make good that change For when Meroveus the Grandchilde of Pharamond so he is said to be by Rusener as eldest son of Clodian the son of Pharamond but Paradine the best Herald of all the French speaks more doubtfully of him not knowing whether he were the son or next kinsman of Clodian and others whose authority I have elsewhere followed make him to be the Master of the Horse to Clodian whose children he is said to have dispossessed of the Crown and transferred the same unto himself The reason of the name I could not learn amongst the people That is to say not such a reason of the name as I then approved of my conceit strongly carrying me to the Bellocassi whom I would fain have setled in the Countrey of La Beause and from them derived that name unto it But stronger reasons since have perswaded the contrary so that leaving the Bellocassi near Bateux in the Dukedome of Normandie we must derive the name of La Beause and Belsia by which it is severally called by the French and Latines from the exceeding beautifulnesse of that flourishing Province that which the Latines call Bellus in the Masculine and Bella in the Feminine Gender being by the the French called Bell and Beau as it after followeth Picardie is divided into the higher which containeth the Countreys of Calice and Bologne c. That Picardie is divided into the higher and the lower is a Truth well known though I know not by what negligence of mine they are here misplaced that being the lower Picardie which lyeth next the sea containing the Countreys of Calais and Bologne with the Towns of Abbeville and Monstreuille and that the higher Picardie which liethmore into the Land in which standeth the fair City of Amiens and many other Towns and Territories else where described Both these were born unto the King by Madam Gabriele for her excellent beauty surnamed La Belle Madam Gabriele is brought in here before her time and bâ—…ing left out the sense will run as currently but more truly thus Both these were born unto the King by the Dutch sse of Beaufort a Lady whom the King c. And for the children which she brought him though they are named right yet as I have been since informed they are marshalled wrong Caesar Duke of Vendosm being the eldest not the younger son And as for Madam Gabriele she was indeed the King best beloved Concubine one whom he kept not only for his private chamber but carried publickly along with him in the course of his wars Insomuch that when the Duke of Biron had besieged Amiens being then lately surprized by the Spaniards as before was intimated and was promised succours by the King with all speed that might be the King at last came forwards with Madam Gabriele and a train of Ladies to attend her which being noted by the Duke he cryed aloud with a great deal of scorn and indignation Behold the goodly succours which the King hath brought us A Lady in great favour but in greater power to whom the character was intended which by mistake is here given to the Dutchesse of Beaufort though possibly that Dutchesse also might deserve part of it When the Liturgie was translated into Latine by Doctor Mocket Not by him first translated as the words may intimate it having
and beautified by Henry V. It is for the most part the inhabitatiou of the Governour who is Captain of it stored with about some forty pieces of Ordinance and guarded by some five and twenty wardours A place of good service for the safety of the Island if perhaps it may not be commanded or annoied by an hill adjoyning which doth equall if not overtop it This Island as before we noted is some 33 miles in compasse comprehending in it 12 Parishes whereof the principall is that of S. Hilaries A Town so called from an antient Father of that name and Bishop of Poyctiers in France whose body they suppose to be interred in a little Chappell neer unto the Fort Elizabeth and consecrated to his memory But of his buriall here they have nothing further then tradition and that unjustifiable for St Jerome telleth us that after his return from Phrygia whereunto he had been confined he dyed in his own City and we learn in the Roman Martyrologie that his Obit is there celebrated on the 13 of January The chief name the which this Town now hath is for the conveniency of the Haven the Market there every Saturday and that it is honoured with the Coâ—…u or Sessions house for the whole Island The other Villages lie scattered up and down like those of Guernzey and give habitation to a people very painfull and laborious but by reason of their continuall toyle and labour not a little affected to a kinde of melancholy surlinesse incident to plough men Those of Guernzey on the other side by continuâ—…ll converse with strangers in their own haven and by travailing abroad being much more sociable and generous Add to this that the people here are more poor and therefore more destitute of humanity the children here continually craving almes of every stranger whereas in all Guernzey I did not see one begger A principall reason of which poverty I suppose to be their exceeding populousnesse there being reckoned in so small a quantity of ground neer upon thirty thousand living souls A matter which gave us no small cause of admiration and when my Lord of Danby seemed to wonder how such a span of earth could contain such multitudes of people I remember that Sir John Payton the Lieutenant Governour made him this answer viz. That the people married within themselves like Conâ—… in a burrow and further that for more then thirty years they never had been molested either with Sword Pestilence or Famine A second reason of their poverty add also of their numbers may be the little liking they have to Trafick whereby as they might have advantage to improve themselves and employ their poor so also might that service casually diminish their huge multitudes by the losse of some men and diverting others from the thought of marriage But the main cause as I conceive it is the tenure of their Lands which are equally to be divided amongst all the Sons of every Father and those parcels also to be subdivided even ad infinitnm Hence is it that in all the Countries you shall hardly finde a field of Corne of larger compasse then an ordinary Garden every one now having a little to himself and that little made lesse to his posterity This Tenure our Lawyers call by the name of Gavel-kinde that is as some of them expound it Give all-kinne because it is amongst them all to be divided For thus the Law speaking of the customes of Kent in the 16 Chap. De praerogativa Regis Ibidem omnes 〈◊〉 masculi participabant baereditatem eorum similiter foeminae sed foeminae non 〈◊〉 cum viris A tenure which on the one side hath many priviledges and on the other side as many inconveniences For first they which hold in this Tenure are free from all customary services exempt from wardship at full age when they come to 15 years and if they please they may alienate their estates either by gift or sale without the assent or knowledge of the Lord. But which is most of all in case the Father be attaint of Felony or Murder there is no Escheat of it to the Lord the whole Estate after the King hath had Diem annum vastum descending on the Heires Et post annum diem terrae tenementa reddentur revertâ—…ntur porximo haeredi cui debuerant descendisse si feloâ—…ia facta non fuisset so the Lawyers On the other side by this means their estates are infinitely distracted their houses impoverished the Kings profits in his Subsidies diminished and no little disadvantage to the publick service in the finding of Armours for the Wars Whereupon as many Gentlemen of Kent have altered by especiall Acts of Parliament the antient Tenure of their Lands and reduced it unto knights-Knights-service so is it wished by the better sort of this people and intended by some of them that their Tenure may be also altered and brought into the same condition A matter of no little profit and advantage to the King and therefore without difficulty to be compassed By this Tenure are their estates all holden in every of the Islâ—…nds except 6 only which are held in Capite whereof 4 in Jarsey and 2 in Guernzey and those called by the names of Signeuries The Signeuries in Jarsey are first that of St Oen anciently belonging to the Carterets and that of Rossell bought lately of Mr. Dominick Perin by Sir Philip de Carteret now living 3. That of Trinity descended upon Mr. Joshua de Carteret in the right of his Mother the heir generall of the L' Emprieres And 4 That of St. Marie vulgarly called Lammarez descended from the Paines unto the Family of the Du Maresque who now enjoy it Those of Guernzey as before I said are two only viz. that of 〈◊〉 and that of De Sammarez both which have pâ—…ed by way of sale through divers hands and now at last are even worne out almost to nothing The prâ—…sent owners Fashion and 〈◊〉 both of them Engâ—… in their parentage The chief Magistrates in both these Islâ—…s for as much as concernes the deâ—…nce and sâ—…ety of them are the Governours whose office is not much unlike that of the Lord Lieutenants of our shires in England according as it was established by King Alfred revived by Henry III. and sâ—… continueth at this day These Governours are appointed by the King and by him in times of warre rewarded with an annuall pension payable out of the Exchequer but since the encrease of the domaine by the ruine of Religious houses that charge hath been deducted the whole Revenues being allotted to them in both Islâ—…nds for the support of their estate In Civill matters they are directed by the Bailiffs and the Jurates the Bailiffs and other the Kings Officers in Guernzey being appointed by the Governour those of Jarsey holding their places by Patent from the King The names of which Officers from the highest to the lowest behold here as in a Tablet according