it good For this reason Robert Mowbray Earl of Northumberland chose it for his chief hold when he rebell'd against King William Rufin but as is usual matters succeeded not well with this Rebel who being here brought into distress by his besiegers retir'd to the adjoyning Monastery which had the esteem of an holy and inviolable sanctuary Nevâ—rtheless he was thence carry'd off and afterwards in along and noisom durance justly suffer'd for his treason I must now coast it along the shore Behind the Promontory whereon Tunnocellum or Tinmouth is seated near Seton Seton part of the Barony De la-vall in the reign of Henry the third stands Seghill Seghill call'd Segedunum Segedunum the station of the t The Fourth says Dr. Gale's edition of the Notitiae third Cohort of the Lergi on the Wall or Rampier and indeed Segedunum in the British tongue signifies the same thing as Seghill in the English A few miles from hence the shore is out by the river Blithe which having pass'd by Belsey the ancient inheritance of the Middletons and Ogle-Castle belonging to the Barons of Ogle Barons of Ogle does here together with the river Pont empty it self into the sea These Ogles were honour'd with the title of Barons from the very beginning of Edward the fouâ—th's reign having enrich'd themselves by marrying the heirs of Berthram de Bothal Alan Heton and Alexander Kirkby The male issue of these Barons was lately extinct in Cuthbert the seventh Baron who had two daughters Joan marry'd to Edward Talbot a younger son of George Earl of Shrewsbury and Catherine marry'd to Sir Charles Cavendish Knight A little higher the river Wents-beck Wentsbeck falls into the sea It runs by Mitford Barony of Mitford which was fir'd by King John and his Rutars when they miserably wasted this Country u That age call'd those foreign Auxiliaries and Free booters Rutarii Rutarii or Ruptarii who were brought out of the Low-countries and other places to King John's assistance by Falques * Or de Breant de Brent and Walter Buc. Brent being a u Homo efferatus is our Author's expression Our Historians call him Praedo nequissimus and a thousand more hard names because he us'd to make a little free with the Monasteries and their treasures as they lay in his way crack-brain'd fellow was afterwards banish'd the Kingdom but Buc a person of more sobriety having done the King good service had conferr'd on him by his Royal Bounty Lands in Yorkshire and Northamptonshire where his Posterity flourish'd down to John Buck who was attainted under Henry the seventh Great grandson to this John is that person of excellent learning Sir George Buc Knight Master of the Revels who for I love to own my Benefactors has remark'd many things in our Histories and courteously communicated his observations This was formerly the Barony of William Berthram whose line soon fail'd in w This Roger I suppose is the same whereof Mart. Paris in the year 1242. makes such honourable mention In partibus Borealibus Rogerus Bertram cum aliis quibusdam nobilibus ab hâc luce migravit Sir John Bertram was several times Sheriff of Northumberland in the reign of Henry 6. The Christian name of Bertram out of which as our Author notes in his Remains some think the Spaniards have made their Ferdinando is still very common in these northern parts Roger his grandson the three co-heiresses being marry'd to Norman Darcy T. Penbury and William de Elmeley After this Wentsbeck runs through the famous little Town of Morpeth Morpeth for the body of the Town is seated on the northern bank of the river and the Church on the southern Near to which stands also on a shady hill the Castle which together with the Town came from Roger de Merlac or Merley whose Barony it was to the Lords of Greystock and from them to the Barons Dacre of Gillesland I meet with nothing anciently recorded of this place save only that in the year of our Lord 1215. the Towns-men themselves burnt it Hist Malros in pure spight to King John uu From hence Wentsbeck runs by Bothal Castle anciently the Barony of Richard Berthram from whose Posterity it descended upon the Barons of Ogle Upon the bank of this river I have x This in all probability had not been very long fancy'd For in some former Editions of this work Bainbrigg in Yorkshire is supposed to bid as fair as any place for the old name of Glanoventa But Caervorran as has been already noted is as likely as either that or this long fancied whether upon good grounds or pure conjecture I know not was the seat of Glanoventa Glanoventa where the Romans plac'd a Garison of the first Cohort of the Morini for the defence of the Marshes This the very situation of the place seems to argue and the name of the river with its signification may further evidence For 't is ad Lineam Valli upon the range of the Wall or Rampire as the Liber Notitiarum places that Fort. And the river is call'd Wents-beck Now Glanoventa in the British tongue signifies the shore or bank of Went whence also Glanon a Maritime Town in France mention'd by Mela may probably have had its name Not far hence to omit other less considerable Turrets stands on the shore the old Castle of Withrington Withrington or Woderington in the Saxon Language Widringtun which gave name to the eminent and knightly family of the Withringtons who have frequently signaliz'd their valour in the Scotish wars Near this the river Coqued or Coquet Coquet falls into the Sea which rising among the Rocks of Cheviot-hills near its Head has Billesdun from whence are sprung the worshipful family of the Selbies lower to the South Harbottle Harbottle in the Saxon Herbottle i.e. the Armie's station whence the Family of the y From the reign of Henry the fourth down to Richard the third there were several of this name Sheriffs of Northumberland The Saxon Termination of botl which is of the like import with by ham and tun is not only to be observ'd in the name of this Village but in Larbottle Shilbottle and others of less note in this County Harbottles of good note in the last Age. Here was formerly a Castle which was demolish'd by the Scots in the year 1314. Hard by stands Halyston Hâ—lyston or Holy-stone where in the primitive English Church Paulinus is said to have baptized many thousands Upon the very mouth of Coquet the shore is guarded by the fair Castle of Warkworth Warkworth belonging to the Percies wherein is a Chapel admirably cut out of a Rock and fully finished without Beams or Rafters This King Edward the third gave to Henry Percy Parl. Rolls 5 Edw. 3. together with the Manour of Rochbury It was formerly the Barony of Roger Fitz-Richard given him by Henry the second
which they still keep of which leader they are to this day called Dalreudini Dalreudini for in their language Dal Dal. signifies a part And a little after Ireland says he is the proper Country of the Scots for being departed out of it they added unto the Britons and Picts a 3d Nation in Britain And there is a very good Arm of the sea or a bay that antiently divided the Nation of the Britons from the Picts which from the West breaketh a great way into the Land and there to this day standeth the strongest City of the Britons call'd Alcluith In the Northern part of which bay the Scots whom I now mentioned when they came got themselves room to settle in Of that name Dalreudin there are now extant no remains that I know of nor any mention of it in Writers unless it be the same with Dalrieta Dalrieâ—â— For in an old little book of the Division of Albany we read of one Kinnadius who 't is certain was a King of Scotland and subdu'd the Picts in these very words Kinnadius two years before he came into Pictavia so it calls the country of the Picts enter'd upon the government of Dalrieta Also there is mention made in a more modern History of Dalrea Dalrea hereabouts where King Robert Brus fought a battle with ill success K. James the 4. with consent of the States of the Kingdom enacted that Justice should be administred to this province by the Justices Itinerant at Perth whensoever the King should think convenient But the Earls themselves have in some cases their Jura Regalia who are persons of very great authority and of a mighty interest deriving their pedigree from the antient petty Kings of Argile through an infinite series of Ancestors and taking their sirname from their Castle Cambel But they are oblig'd to King James the 2. for the honour and title of Earl who as it is recorded created Colin Lord Cambel Earl of Argile Earls oâ— Argile in regard to his own virtue and the dignity of his Family Whose Posterity by the favour of their Kings have been a good while General Justices of the Kingdom of Scotland or according to their way of expressing it Justices generally constitute and Great Masters of the King's Houshold e CANTIRE LOgh-Finn Logh-Finn a Lake that in the season produces incredible sholes of herrings divides Argile from a Promontory which for about 30 miles together growing by little and little into a sharp point thrusts it self with such a seeming earnestness towards Ireland separated from it by a narrow streight of scarce 13 miles as if it would call it over to it Ptolemy names this the Promontory of the Epidii Epidium between which name and the Islands Ebudae opposite to it methinks there is some affinity It is now called in Irish which language they use in all this Tract Can-tyre that is the Land's head 'T is inhabited by the family of Mac-Conell very powerful here but yet at the command of the Earl of Argile they sometimes in their Vessels make excursions for booty into Ireland and have possessed themselves of those little Provinces they call Glines and Rowte This Promontory lieth close to Knapdale by so small a neck of land being scarce a mile over and sandy too that the Sea-men by a short cut as it were transport their vessels over land from the Ocean to Logh-Finn Which a man would sooner beelieve than that the Argonautes laid their Argos upon their shoulders and carried it along with them 500 miles 10 From Aemonia to the shores of Thessalia f LORN SOmewhat higher lies Lorn towards the North a Country producing the best Barley divided by Logh-Leave a vast Lake upon which stands Berogomum Beâ—ogoâ—um a Castle wherein the Courts of Justice were antiently kept and not far from it Dunstafag that is Stephen's Mount antiently a seat of the Kings above which is Logh-Aber â—â—gh-â—â—â—r a Lake insinuating it self so far into the land out of the Western sea that it would meet the Lake of Ness which empties it self into the Eastern Ocean did not the hills which lie between separate them by a very narrow neck The chiefest place in this tract is Tarbar in Logh-Kinkeran where K. James 4. by authority of Parliament constituted a Justice and Sheriff to administer justice to the inhabitants of the Southern Isles These Countrys and these beyond them were in the year of Our Lord 605. held by those Picts which Bede calls the Northern Picts where he tells us that in the said Year Columbanus a Priest and Abbot Lib. 3. ca. 4. famous for the profession of Monkery came out of Ireland into Britain to instruct those in the Christian Religion that by the high and fearful ridges of mountains were sequester'd from the Southern Countrys of the Picts and that they in requital granted him m It does not appear that the Western-Isles belong'd to the Picts at that time so that they could not dispose of any part of them 'T is more probable that it was Hoia one of the Orkney-Isles the Island Hii lying over against them now call'd I-comb-kill of which in its proper place Its Stewards in the last Age were the Lords of Lorn but now by a female heir it is come to the Earls of Argile who always use this among their other titles of honour BRAID ALBIN MORE inwardly amongst the high and craggy ridges of the mountain Grampius where they begin a little to slope and settle downwards lies Braid-Albin n Now an Earldom in the family of the Campbels that is the highest part of Scotland For they that are the true and genuine Scots call Scotland in their Mother-Tongue Albin as that part where it rises up highest Drum-Albin that is the Ridge of Scotland But in a certain old Book it is read Brun-Albin where we find it thus written Fergus the son of Eric was the first of the seed of Chonare that enter'd upon the Kingdom of Albany from Brun-Albain to the Irish-sea and Inch-Gall And after him the Kings of the race of Fergus reigned in Brun-Albain or Brunhere unto Alpinus the son of Eochal But this Albany is better known for its Dukes than the fruits of its ground The first Duke of Albany that I read of 〈◊〉 of â—â—â—â—ny was Robert Earl of Fife advanced to that honour by his Brother K. Robert the 3. of that name yet he spurr'd on by ambition most ungratefully starved to death David this very brother's son and next heir to the Crown But the punishment due to this wicked fact which himself by the forbearance of God felt not came heavy upon his son Mordac or Murdo second Duke of Albany who was condemned for treason and beheaded after he had seen his two sons executed in like manner the day before The third Duke of Albany was Alexander 2. son of King James 2. who being Regent of the Kingdom Earl of
be found out as in the isle of Sanda it flows two hours sooner on the west side than it does on the east side and in North Faira which lies betwixt Eda and Westra the sea ebbs nine hours and flows but three And at Hammoness in Sanda both ebb and flood runs one way except at the beginning of a quick stream when for two or three hours the flood runs south The sea here is very turbulent in a storm and as pleasant in a calm The tides are very swift and violent by reason of the multitude of the isles and narrowness of the passage for when all the rest of the sea is smooth these tides carry their waves and billows high The tides run with such violence that they cause a contrary motion in the sea adjoining to the land which they call Easter-birth or Wester-birth according to its course Yet notwithstanding all this rapidity of these tides and births the inhabitants daily almost travel from isle to isle about their several business in their little cockboats Whatever the ancients have written of the number of the isles of Orkney it 's certain there are but 26 at present inhabited viz. South Ronaldsha Swinnà Hoy Burra Lambholm Flotta Faira Cava Gramsey Mainland Copinsha Shapinsha Damsey Inhallo Stronsa Papa-Stronsa Sanda North Ronaldsha Eda Rousa-Wyre Gairsa Eglesha North-Faira Westra Papa Westra The rest of the isles are called Holms and are only used for pasturage all of them being separated from one another by some narrow streights where you may remark that the most of these names end in A or Ey which in the Teutonick Tongue signifieth water to shew that these isles are pieces of land surrounded with water They are of different natures some sandy some marish some abounding in moss and some that have none some mountainous and some plain Of these some are called the south isles and others the north-isles and that as they stand to the south or north of the greatest isle called the Mainland South Ronalsha is the Southermost of these Isles five miles long fertile in Corn and abounding with People To the South-east lye the Pightland-Skerries dangerous to Seamen but to the North is St. Margarets Hope a very safe Harbour for ships which has no difficulty in coming to it save a Rock in the midst of the Sound betwixt this Isle and Burra called Lippa From Burwick in this Isle is the usual ferry to Duncans-bay in Caithness A little separated from this to the South-west lyes Swinna a little Isle and only considerable for a part of Pightland Firth lying a little to the West of it called the Wells of Swinna which are two whirlpools in the sea occasioned as it is thought through some hiatus that is in the earth below that turn about with such a violence that if any boat or ship come within their reach they will whirl it about till it be swallowed up and drowned They are only dangerous in a dead Calm for if there be any wind and the boat under sail there is no danger to go over them If a boat happen to come near them in a Calm through the force of the tide the Boats-men take this way for their preservation they throw a barrel or oar or any thing that comes next to hand into the Wells and when it is swallowed up the sea remains smooth for a time for any boat to pass over Beyond this and to the West of South-Ronaldsha lyes Waes and Hoy thought to be the Dumna of Pliny which are but one Isle about 12 miles long full of high mountains and but thinly inhabited unless in Waes where the ground is more pleasant and fertile From Snel-setter there is the other ferry out of this country to Ham in Caithness Here are several good harbours Kirk-hope North-hope Ore-hope and others but not much frequented To the North of South Ronaldsha about a mile lyes Burra a pleasant little Isle fruitful of Corn and abounding with Rabbets Betwixt it and the main-Main-land is Lambholm and to the West toward Hoy-mouth lyes Flotta Faira Cava and Graâ—nsey all of them fruitful and pleasant Isles though they be not large Next to these is the main-Main-land called by the antients Pomona or Pomonia about 24 miles long and well inhabited About the middle of this Isle looking to the North stands Kirkwall the only town in all this country There are in it especially four excellent harbours for ships one at Kirkwall both large and safe without any danger of shoals or blind rocks as they come to it unless they come from the West by Inhallo and Gairsa another is at Deirsound which is a great bay and a very safe road for ships having good anchoring ground and capable to give shelter to the greatest Navies The third is at Grahamshall toward the East side of this Isle where is a convenient road but the ship that sails to it from the East would do well to keep betwixt Lambholm and the Main-land for the other way betwixt Lambholm and Burra which appears to them to be the only open is very shallow and dangerous even for small ships The fourth is at Kairston a small village at the West end of the Main-land where is a very safe and commodious harbour well fenced against all winds and weathers by two small Holms that stand at the entry To the East of the Main-land lyes Copinsha a little Isle but very conspicuous to sea-men in which and in several other places of this countrey are to be found in great plenty excellent stones for the game called Curling To the North-east of this Isle is a Holm called The horse of Copinsha To the North of the Main-land lye the North Isles the first of which is Shapinsha betwixt five and six miles long and hath a safe harbour for ships at Elwick Of an equal bigness to that toward the South-east lyes Stronsa which hath two convenient harbours one at Lingasound fenced with Linga-holm the other at Strynie fenced with a little pleasant Isle to the North of it called Papa-stronsa Beyond these toward the North at a pretty distance lyes Sanda of about 11 or 12 miles in length but very narrow well stored with Corn and Rabbets It hath two roads for ships one at Kitle-toft guarded by a little Holm called The Holm of Elness the other at Otterswick guarded by the most Northern Isle in all this country called North-Ronalsha which is a little fruitful Isle but both it and Sanda are destitute of moss-ground and are forced to bring their peits or turfs a great way off from the adjacent Isle Eda This Eda lyeth to the South east of Sanda thought to be the Ocetis of Ptolemy near five miles in length full of moss and hills and but thinly inhabited unless it be about the skirts of it it hath a safe road to the North called Calf-sound guarded by a large Holm called The Calf of Eda in which there is a good Salt Pan. Three miles to
the West of Kirkwal at the bottom of a large Bay lyes a little Isle called Damsey with a Holm beside it as big as it self To the North-north-west lyes Rousa a large Isle about six miles long full of heatherly hills well stored with Plover and Moor-fowl it is but thinly inhabited Betwixt it and the main land lyes Inhallo and toward Kirkwal lyes Wyre and Gairsa small but profitable Isles North from Kirkwal at eight miles distance stands Eglesha something more than two miles long but pleasant and fertile having a convenient road for ships betwixt it and Wyre there is in it a little handsome some Church where it is said that St. Magnus the Patron of this Country lyes buryed To the North of Eglisha is Westra seven miles long pleasant fertile and well inhabited it hath a convenient harbour for ships at Piriwa at the East end of it lyes Faira called for distinction Faira be North and to the North-and-by-east is Papa-Westra a pleasant Isle three miles in length famous for Saint Tredwel's Chapel and Loch of which many things are reported by the vulgar All these Isles are indifferently fruitful well stored with fields of Corn and herds of Cattle and abound with Rabbets but destitute of Wheat Rye and Pease The chief products of this country and which are exported yearly by the Merchant are Beer Malt Meal Fish Tallow Hides Stockings Butter Selch-skins Otter-skins Rabbet-skins Lamb-skins white Salt Stuffs Writing-Pens Downs Feathers Hams Wooll c. Thus much of the particular Islands They have good store of field and garden-plants and make great quantities of butter Their Ews are so fertile that most of them have two at a birth and some three nay Mr. Wallace affirms that he has seen four at a birth all living and following the Dam. Their horses are but little yet strong and lively they have great herds of Swine and Warrens almost in every Isle well stored with rabbets That they can want either fish or fowl considering the situation of the Country we cannot well imagine The Eagles and Kites are there in great plenty and are very troublesome seizing sometimes upon young Children and carrying them a good way off So that if any one kills an Eagle he may by law claim a hen out of every house in the parish where it is killed Hawks and Falcons have their nests in several parts of the Islands and the King's Falconer comes every year and takes the young who has twenty pound sterling in salary and a hen or a dog out of every house in the Country except some houses that are privileged They have several Mines of Silver Tin Lead and perhaps of other Metals but none are improved They find abundance of Marle which turns to good account to the Husbandman Free-stone quarries with grey and red slate are in many places and in some Marble and Alabaster When the winds are violent the sea casts in pieces of trees and sometimes hogsheads of wine and brandy Ambergreese exotick Fowls c. Forest or Wood they have none nor any Trees except in the Bishop's garden at Kirkwall where there are some Ashes Thorn and Plum-trees Here and there in a Gentleman's garden there are Apple and Cherry-trees but the fruit seldom comes to any maturity Yet it should seem there have been Woods formerly for they find Trees in the Mosses of twenty or thirty foot in length with their branches entire Where the Country is divided into so many small Islands it cannot be expected there should be any large rivers yet bourns and torrents they have well replenished with Trouts There are many Lochs but they serve to no further use than affording water to their Mills or Cattle The many excellent roads bays and ports make it exceeding commodious for navigation Thus much of the Country in general Particular places are no ways considerable except it be Kirkwall an account whereof take from my Author together with the ancient state of the Church of Orkney the Cathedral and Bishop's Palace being both in this Town Mr. Wallacâ—'s account of Kâ—râ—wall The only remarkable town in this Country is Kirkwall an ancient borough long possessed by the Danes by whom it was called Cracoviaca built upon a pleasant Oyse or inlet of the sea near the middle of the main land near a mile in length with narrow streets having a very safe harbor and road for ships Here is the seat of justice the Stewart Sheriff Commissary all of them keeping their several Courts in this place Almost all the houses in it are slated but the most remarkable edifices in it are St. Magnus's Church and the Bishop's Palace As for the King's Castle it is now demolished but by the ruines it appears to have been a strong and stately fort and probably built by some of the Bishops of Orkney as appears from a remarkable stone set in the midst of the wall that looks towards the Streat which has a Bishop's Miter and Arms engraven on it There is in it a publick School for the teaching of Grammar endowed with a competent salary and at the north end of the town is a place built by the English ditch'd about and on which in time of war they plant Cannons for the defence of the harbor against the ships of the enemy as it fell out anno 1666 when there was war between our King and the Hollanders a Dutch man of war coming to the road who shot many guns at the Town with a design to take away some of the ships that were in the harbor was by some Cannon from the Mount so bruised that he was forced to flee with the loss of many of his men This Town had been erected into a royal borough in the time of the Danes and Anno 1480 King James the third gave them a Charter confirming their old erection and privileges specifying their antiquity and giving them power to hold Borough-Courts to incarcerate and arrest to make laws and ordinances and to elect their own Magistrates yearly for the right government of the town to have a weekly Market on Tuesday and Friday and three Fairs in the year one about Palm-Sunday another at Lammas and the third at Martinmas each to continue three days He moreover disposed to them some lands about the town with the customs and shore-dues and the power of a Pitt and Gallows and all other privileges granted to any Royal Borough within the Kingdom exempting them from sending any Commissioners to Parliament unless their own necessities requir'd it This Charter is dated at Edinburgh the last of March 1486. And in the year 1536 February the 8th King James the fifth ratified the former charter by a new Charter of confirmation And in the year 1661 King Charles after his restoration ratified the former Charters by a signiture under his royal hand dated at Whitehall May the 25th whereupon the Parliament at Edinburgh the 22d of August 1670 confirmed all by their Act yet with this special provision
by the Picts They are in the fashion of Pyramids with a winding pair of stairs within to the top Under them they had Cells all vaâ—â—â—ed over and from the top of them they made a sign by fire when there was any imminent danger The ground is clean and the soil naturally inclines to a sandy clay The product of the Collary is mainly fish 〈…〉 feathers beef tallow hides stâ—ff stockings with wollen-gloves and garters There have been seen at one time in Brassâ—y-found fifteen hundred sail of Hollanders After Farâ— an Island lying in the and way between Orknay and Shetland the first that appears is called main-MAIN-LAND as being the biggest â—0 〈◊〉 in length and where â—roadest 1â— or 〈◊〉 The Country belongs to the Crown of Scotland being part of the Stewarâ—â— of Orkney and govern'd either by the Stewart or his Deputy They have one Presbytery which meeteth at Scalloway And though the north-pole is not so elevated that it has day continually for six months together as Pithaeas of Marseils has falsly said of Thule for which Strabo reprehends him for this is not to be affirm'd of Iseland it self where cold and winter is in a manner fixt and permanent Yet that Schetland is the same with Thule we are induced to believe first from the situation of it in Ptolemy For our Thule is defin'd in the 63 degree from the Aequinoctial by Ptolemy sheâ—Sheâ—land call'd by some Hethâ—â—nd and so is Schetland Again it lies between Scotland and Norway where Saxo Grammaticus places Thule and as Solinus describes Thule this is but two days sail from the point of Cathness Tacitus says also that the Romans espied it afar off in their voyage round Britain as they sail'd by the Orcades Lastly it faces the shore of Bergae in Norway and so lay Thule according to Pomponius Mela in which author the text is corruptly Belgarum littori instead of Bergarum littori For Bergae a City in Norway lies over against Shetland and Pliny makes Bergos to be in this tract which I take to be the country of the Bergae as Nerigon in Pliny by which no one will deny but he means Norway This may suffice for Thule which is hid to us as well as it was to the ancients by snow and winter as a certain Author expresses it Neither was any of them able to tell which of the Northern Isles they meant when they talk'd of Thule As for the length of days in that unknown Island Festus Avienus when he treats of Britain gives these verses out of Dionysius Longa dehinc celeri si quis rate marmora currat Inveniet vasto surgentem gurgite Thulen Hic cum plaustra poli tangit Phoebeius ignis Nocte sub inlustri rota solis fomite flagrat Continuo clarumque diem nex aemula ducit Hence urge your course along the watry road You 'l come where Thule swells above the flood Here Sol's bright wheels when near the Northern Pole They cut their way still sparkle as they roul Not here vain men expect the light 's return But every night 's a rival of the morn Pomponius Mela hath likewise made the same remark Over against the coast of the Belgae lies Thule an Island much celebrated both by the Greek Poets and by ours by reason the days are very long there and the nights very short Though in winter the nights are dark as in other places yet they are light in summer for though the face of the sun be not seen for that time yet the sun is so much above the horizon that his light is clearly visible During the solstice there 's no night at all for the sun being then higher his light is not only visible but the greatest part of his body The sea above these Islands is term'd slow frozen and icy The by Sea or Croniuâ— and was thought rough and unnavigable by reason of great flakes of ice It was also call'd Cronium from Saturn for the ancients had a story as Plutarch writes that Saturn was kept sleeping in a deep cave of pumice-stone in some British Island hereabouts Saturn a Prisoner that Jupiter had thrown him into a deep sleep which served instead of fetters and sent Ambrosia by the birds which was so fragrant that all the place was perfum'd with it that many spirits are posted here to attend him by whom he is serv'd with great diligence and honour This Fable if I am not deceived points at the veins of metal over which Saturn presided that lye in these Islands and are useless for want of wood to supply fornaces The THULE of the Ancients By Sir Robert Sibbald THere is no place oftner mentioned by the Ancients than Thule and yet it is much controverted what place it was some have attempted the discovery of it but have gone wide of the marks the Ancients left concerning it yet they seem all to agree that it was some place towards the north and very many make it to be one of the British Isles and since Conradus Celtes sayeth it is encompassed with the Orkney Isles it will not be amiss to subjoyn to the description of Orkney this Essay concerning it Some derive the name Thule from the Arabick word Tule which signifies Far off and as it were with allusion to this the Poets usually call it ultima Thule but I rather prefer the reason of the name given by the learned Bochartus who makes the same to be Phaenician and affirmeth that it signifieth darkness in that language Chanan Lib. 1. Chap. 40. Thule proprie Syris Umbrae sunt hinc translata significatione Thule protenebris passim sumitur itaque gezirat Thule erat insula tenebrarum quod idem est ac tenebrecosa quod nomen insulae ad extremum Septentrionem sitae quam congruat nemo non videt Hence Tibullus Panegyric ad Messalam speaking of the Frigid Zone hath this Illic densa tellus absconditur umbrâ Odâ—ss 1. v. 25. And these places of Hom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad caliginem and lib. 3. v. 1190. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neque enim scimus ubi sit caligo is by Strabo interpreted nescimus ubi sit septentrio We know not where the north is lib. 1. p. 34. and lib. 10. p. 454. and 455. And consonant to this Statius lib. 3. Ad Claudiam Uxorem Vel super Hesperiae vada caligantia Thules And lib. 4. ad Marcellum aut Nigrae Littora Thules And indeed this derivation of the word carries more reason than any other they give it and is an evident proof that the ancients agreed in placing their Thule towards the north We shall see next what northern country they pitched on for it The ancients seem most to agree that Thule was one of these Isles that are called British Strabo one of the most ancient and the best of Geographers extant sayeth Pythaeas Massiliensis circa Thulen Britannicarum insularum septent rionalissimam ultimam ait esse Yet he himself
Conjectures upon the British Coins lxxxvii Additions xci Notes upon the Roman Coins xcvii Additions c Destruction of Britain ci Britains of Armorica cv Britains of Wales and Cornwall cvii Picts cix Scots cxiii Saxons cxxi Names of cxxxiii Saxon Coins cxxxvi Danes cli Normans cliii Division of Britain clxiii Degrees of England clxxi Law-Courts of England clxxxiii Discourse concerning Earl-Marshal clxxxix Original and dignity of Earl-Marshal cxciii Danmonii Cornwall 1 Devonshire 25 Durotriges Dorsetshire 43 Belgae Somersetshire 57 Wiltshire 85 Hamshire 113 Isle of Wight 127 Atrebates Barkshire 137 Regni Surrey 153 Sussex 165 Cantium Kent 185 Arsenals for the Royal Navy in Kent 229 Dobuni Glocestershire 231 Oxfordshire 251 Cattieuchlani Buckinghamshire 277 Bedfordshire 285 Hertfordshire 291 Trinobantes Middlesex 307 Essex 339 Iceni Suffolk 367 Norfolk 383 Cambridgeshire 401 Huntingdonshire 419 Coritani Northamptonshire 429 Leicestershire 441 Rutlandshire 455 Lincolnshire 459 Nottinghamshire 481 Derbyshire 489 Cornavii Warwickshire 499 Worcestershire 315 Staffordshire 527 Shropshire 539 Cheshire 553 Silures Herefordshire 573 Radnorshire 585 Brecknockshire 589 Monmouthshire 593 Glamorganshire 609 Dimetae Caermardhinshire 621 Penbrokshire 629 Cardiganshire 641 Ordevices Montgomeryshire 649 Meirionydhshire 655 Caernarvonshire 663 Anglesey Mona 673 Denbighshire 679 Flintshire 687 Princes of Wales 695 Brigantes Yorkshire West-Rid 705 East-Riding 735 North-Riding 749 Richmondshire 757 Bishoprick of Durham 771 Lancashire 787 Westmorland 805 Cumberland 819 Picts-Wall 837 Ottadini Northumberland 847 Large ADDITIONS at the end of each County Explication of the Letters and Figures in the Text. a b c. refer to The Additions at the end of each County where the same Letters answer them a b c. The cursory Remarks at the bottom of the Page 1 2 c. Dr. Holland's Interpolations set in a small Italick at the bottom of the page ENGLAND By Robt. Morden BRITAIN BRitain called also Albion and by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most famous Island of the whole world is divided from the Continent of Europe by the Ocean It lies over against Germany and France in a * Figura Triquetra Triangular form having its three Promontories shooting out three several ways viz. Belerium the Lands end towards the West Cantium the Kentish Foreland towards the East Tarvisium or Orcas Cathness towards the North. On the West between it and Ireland the Vergivian or Irish Sea breaks in on the North it is beaten upon by the vast and wide Northern Ocean on the East where it faceth Germany it is washed by the German Ocean on the South over against France by the British Chanel Thus divided by a convenient distance from these neighbouring Nations and made fit by its open harbors for the traffick of the whole world it seems to have advanc'd it self on all sides into the sea See in Kent as it were for the general benefit of mankind For between Kent and Calais in France it runs so far out into the sea and the Chanel is so contracted that a That Britain was ever by an Isthmus joyn'd Eastward to the Continent of France seems an improbable opinion However see besides Authors cited by Mr. Camden White 's Hist Brit. L. 11. Not. 11. Burton's Comment on Antonin p. 18. 19. Twin de Rebus Albion Britan. Sammes Britan. l. 1. c. 4. Verstegan l. 1. c. 4. Some Foreigners also Dominicus Marius Niger Antonius Volscus Vivianus and Du Bartas have favour'd this groundless fancy some are of opinion that a breach was there made to receive the sea which till that time had been excluded and to confirm it they bring Virgil's Authority in that Verse Et penitus toto divisos orbe Britannos And Britain quite from all the world disjoyn'd Because says Servius Honoratus Britain was anciently joyn'd to the Continent And that of Claudian they urge in imitation of Virgil Nostro diducta Britannia mundo And Britain sever'd from our World And it is not unlikely that the outward face and fashion of the earth may by the Deluge and other causes have been alter'd that some mountains may have been rais'd and heightn'd and many high places may have sunk into plains and valleys lakes and meers may have been dried up and dry places may have become lakes and meers and some Islands may have been torn and broken off from the Continent But whether it be true indeed and whether there were any Islands before the Flood I shall not here argue nor give too rash a judgment upon God's Works All know that the Divine Providence hath dispos'd different things to the same end And indeed it hath always been allow'd as well by Divines as Philosophers that Isles scatter'd in the sea do no less contribute to the beauty of the whole World in general than lakes dispers'd in the Continent and mountains rais'd above plains Livy and Fabius Rusticus have made the Form of this Island to resemble an * Seâ—tulae Oblongae oblong Platter or b See Sir Henry Savil upon this place in Tacitus †Bipâ—nni two edg'd Ax and such certainly is its shape towards the South as Tacitus observes which yet hath been ill apply'd to the whole Island For Northward the vast tract of land shooting forward in the utmost shore groweth narrow and sharp like a wedge The Ancients thought it so great and so very large in circumference The Panegyrick spoken to Constantius falsly entitled to Maximian that Caesar who was the first of the Romans that discover'd it wrote that he had found out another world supposing it to be so great that it seem'd not to be surrounded with the sea but even to encompass the Ocean And Julius Solinus Polybistor asserts that for its largeness it almost deserv'd to be call'd another World Nevertheless our age by the many surveys made by several persons hath now well nigh found the true Dimensions of the whole Isle For from Tarvisium to Belerium reckoning the windings and turnings of the shores along the West side are computed about 912 miles From thence along the Southern coasts to Cantium 320 miles Hence coasting the German Ocean with crooked bays and inlets for 704 miles it reacheth Tarvisium So that by this computation the whole Island is in circuit 1836 miles which measure as it falls much short of Pliny's so is it also somewhat less than Caesar's Com. l. 5. †Schymnus Schitinius Chius is not worth my mentioning who in Apollonius de Mirabilibus having told us strange stories of fruits growing in Britain without kernels and grapes without stones makes its circuit 400 †Stadiis furlongs and no more But Dionysius Afer in his Description of the World hath given a much better account of the British Islands that is Briâ—ain and Ireland 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vast is the compass of the British coasts A like extent no rival Island boasts And with him Aristides and other Greek Writers agree who
winter what they lost in summer they were now worsted alike in both seasons In all these actions Agricola would never rob another of the honor due to him but let him be Captain or whatever other Officer he would faithfully attest the bravery of the Action Some have counted him too sharp and bitter in his reproofs and it must be granted that as he was affable and courteous to the good so was he morose to the bad But then anger never continued longer than the reprehension lasted If he pass'd a thing by without notice there was no fear upon that account for he thought it more excusable even to commit the offence than to hate an offender The fourth summer was spent in setling what he had already overrun and if the valor of his armies and the glory of the Roman Empire could have permitted it they needed not have sought any other boundary in Britain Glota and Bodotria the two arms of opposite seas which shoot into the Country are parted by a narrow strip of land only which was then secured by our garisons so that the Romans were masters of all on this side having pent up the enemy as it were within another Island In the fifth year of this war Agricola first took shipping and sail'd over to certain nations never before known of which after many prosperous encounters he subdued and then put garisons into those parts of Britain which lie towards Ireland more out of hopes than out of fear For Ireland Ireland being situated between Spain and Britain and lying convenient for the French Sea would with many other advantages have united those mighty members of the Empire As for its bigness 't is less than Britain but larger than the Islands of our sea The soil the temperature of the air the nature and manners of the people are not much different from the British The ports and havens are better known by reason of more trade and commerce Agricola had formerly received a Prince of that country driven out by civil wars and under pretence of friendship had kept him for a fair occasion I have often heard him say that with one legion and some few auxiliaries Ireland might be conquer'd and retain'd and that it would be of great import and consequence to our interest in Britain if the Roman forces were on all hands and liberty as it were banish'd out of sight About this time dy'd Titus who for these exploits of Agricola was saluted Emperor fifteen times as Xiphilin tells us and as 't is manifest from an old coin Under Domitian Agricola in the sixth year of his Lieutenancy being apprehensive of a general insurrection * Ampla Civitas al. Amplas civitates in those large cities and remote countries beyond Bodotria and that his march would be made very troublesome by the enemy sent out a fleet that summer to try the creeks and havens of the large country beyond it Thus Agricola was the first that ever seconded his land army by a fleet and what was very great that brought war upon them both by land and sea Oftentimes it happen'd that the troopers the foot soldiers and the seamen would meet and make merry together in the same camp each one magnifying his own feats and adventures and making their vaunts and comparisons souldier-like the one of the woods and high mountains the other of the dangers of the waves and tempests The one valuing himself upon the land and the enemy the other upon the sea it self subdued by him The Britains as we understood by the prisoners were amaz'd and daunted at the sight of this fleet considering that if once their sea was discover'd and navigable all retreat and refuge would be cut off Whereupon the Caledonians with great preparation but as 't is always with things unknown not so great as reported broke out into open war and assaulted our castles that by being aggressors they might discourage us so that some poor spirits on our side under shew of prudence advis'd Agricola to retire on this side Bodotria and rather make a voluntary retreat than a forc'd one In the mean time we had advice that the enemy's design was to divide and attack us in many places at once Whereupon lest he should lie under disadvantage by the number of the enemy and their knowledge of the country he likewise divided his army into three bodies They having intelligence of this forthwith took another course and in one entire body fell all upon our ninth legion as being the weakest and between sleep and fear in the night cut off our centinels and broke in among them Thus the battle began in the very camp when Agricola having found out the enemies march by his scouts traces them and sends in the lightest of his horse and foot upon their backs which were seconded with the huzza's of the whole army and the appearance of their colours towards break of day This danger on all sides terrifi'd the Britains and the Romans taking heart at it and knowing there could be no danger fought now for honour They gave them a fresh onset and after a sharp dispute at the very gates put them to the rout while both our armies were contending the one to come up timely with their assistance the other not to seem to need it If the fens and woods had not protected the enemy in this flight they had been utterly conquered Upon this constancy and the news of our victory the whole army grew so resolute that they thought nothing invincible to them they clamour'd to be led into Caledonia and to fight their way through to the remotest part of Britain Thus they who were but just now requiring wary conduct are forward and blustering when the event is seen And this is always the case in war every one claims a share in that which is successful but misfortunes are always imputed to one single person However the Britains attributing all this to good luck and the conduct of the General and not to any valour in them were not at all dejected but went on to arm their young men to convey their wives and children into safe places and by assemblies and Religious rites to establish a confederacy among them And thus both armies left the field in great heat This summer a Cohort of Usipians rais'd in Germany and sent over into Britain undertook a very strange and memorable adventure Having kill'd their Captain and some Soldiers that were dispers'd among them to shew them how to exercise they fled and embark'd themselves in three vessels compelling the masters to carry them off but only one of them doing his duty the other two were slain upon suspicion and this strange kind of voyage the fact being not yet nois'd was much admir'd Afterward being toss'd up and down and falling upon some Britains that oppos'd them in their own defence often victorious and sometimes baffled they came to that pinch for want of provision at long run
that they eat one another first of all the weakest and after that as the lot fell Thus having floated round Britain Britain â—â—iâ—'d round and lost their ship in conclusion for want of skill in sailing they were taken first by the Suevians and then by the Frisians for pirates Some of them being bought by the merchants and by change of masters brought to our side of the river grew famous upon the account they gave of this adventure In the beginning of the summer a great misfortune befel Agricola in his own family for he lost his son who was about a year old His carriage under this affliction was neither vain-glorious like some great men's in those cases nor on the other hand soft and effeminate Among other consolations to divert him from this sorrow he made war one Having therefore sent his fleet before which by making a descent here and there might render the consternation greater and more uncertain he prepar'd and follow'd himself with the army to which he had added some of the stoutest Britains such as after the test of a long peace he had found faithful and march'd to the hill Grampium where the enemy had posted themselves For the Britains without dismay at the loss of the last battle intent upon nothing now but revenge and slavery by leagues and treaties muster'd up their whole power being at last sensible that a common danger must be fenc'd off by confederacy and union About thirty thousand arm'd men were now reckon'd in the field besides a great number of youth and lusty old men who had been formerly famous soldiers and still retain'd the skars and badges of their bravery Galgacus Galgacuâ— both by birth and merit the chief commander as the multitude was eager to be engaged is said to have made this speech to them When I consider the cause of this war and our present necessity I have great reason to presume that this day with this unanimous resolution of yours will give a happy beginning to the freedom of the whole Island We have liv'd thus long in the full enjoyment of our liberty and now there 's no other Country beyond this nor indeed sea to secure us while the Roman navy can thus hover upon our coasts so that arms and fighting as honour will recommend them to men of valour so will self-preservation to the worst and most cowardly of us at this time The battles heretofore which with various success have been fought against the Romans have always rely'd upon our bravery and expected a turn from it For we are the very slower of the Britains and therefore seated in the most inward parts of the Country without the ken of those Nations enslav'd by the enemy so that our eyes are yet unpolluted and free from the contagion of foreign tyranny There 's no country farther on this side of it nor liberty on that this corner which has been hitherto unknown to fame hath hitherto preserved us Now the remotest part of Britain lyes open to them and people think every thing great and magnificent that 's strange and unknown Beyond us there 's no country nothing but waves and rocks * Interiores Romani al. Infestiores vel inter ea the land inward is all under the Roman Vassalage already T is in vain to curry favour with them by address and submission their pride and haughtiness is not to be thus laid who ransack the universe and when they have plunder'd all lands and want more set sail and rummage the wide ocean to find them Where the enemy is rich there the prize is wealth where poor 't is ambition neither the East nor the West have sufficed them these and these only covet and gape after the wealth and poverty of the whole World with equal appetite and pleasure Spoil murder pillage passes with them under the false names of Government and where they make solitude there they think they have made peace Children and relations by nature are tender and dear to every one yet they press them they bereave us of them to make them slaves in foreign Countries Our wives and sisters if they escape ravishing in a violent and hostile manner yet under the name of guests and friendship they are certainly debauch'd by them Our goods and fortunes become theirs by the name of tribute and our corn by that of provision Our bodies and hands are put by them to the drudgery of paving bogs and woods with a thousand stripes and indignities to boot Those who are naturally born slaves are but once sold and then maintain'd at the owner's cost but this Isle of Britain daily purchases daily feeds and maintains its own bondage at its own charge And as in a private family the last comer is ever the most scouted by his fellow-servants so in this old bondage of the World we who shall be the last and the vilest slaves in the universe are now to be destroyed if they can do it For we have no fields to cultivate neither mines nor havens to be employed in and therefore to what purpose should they let us live Besides the courage and resolution of the conquer'd is never grateful to the conquerour And this distance and privacy it self as it makes us safe so 't will make us the more suspected Thus seeing we have nothing to relie upon let us put on resolution as well those who tender their own safety as they who value honour and glory The Trinobantes Trinobâ—â—tes under the conduct of a Woman extirpated one of their Colonies and forced their Castles nay if success had not slacken'd their diligence they might have entirely ridded themselves of the Roman yoke We are as yet whole and untouch'd we were born free †Unde â—stâ—ndâ—mus 〈◊〉 abundâ— let us shew them in the first onset the bravery of the men they 'll meet with on this side Caledonia Do you imagine the courage of the Romans in war to be every jot as great as their debauchery in peace Their glory is all owing to our dissentions the faults of their enemies has been made use of to raise the reputation of their army As nothing but success could have held that medly army of theirs pickt up out of so many several nations together so they would soon dissolve upon a miscarriage unless we can suppose that the Gauls and Germans nay to our shame be it spoken many of our own Countrymen will lend their lives to establish a foreign power who have yet been much longer enemies than slaves to them and go on with a true zeal and affection for this quarrel No this is nothing but the effect of fear and terrour which are no great motives of endearment these removed their hatred will break out as their fear grows causless We have all the motives that excite to victory on our side The Romans have no Wives to encourage them to stand to it no parents to upbraid them if they run away they
I cannot but observe that some very learned men have betray'd a want of judgment by bringing Scotland into this number which some of them urge to have been the Maxima Caesariensis others the Britannia Secunda As if the Romans had not altogether neglected those parts possessed as it were by the bitterness of the air and within this number only included such Provinces as were governed by Consular Lieutenants and Presidents For the Maxima Caesariensis and Valentia were rul'd by persons of Consular dignity and the other three Britannia Prima Secunda and Flavia by Presidents If one ask me what grounds I have for this division and accuse me of setting undue bounds he shall hear in few words what it was drew me into this opinion After I had observed that the Romans call'd those Provinces Primae which were nearest Rome as Germania Prima Belgica Prima Lugdunensis Prima Aquitania Prima Pannonia Prima all which lye nearer Rome than such as are called Secundae and that the more nice writers called these Primae the Upper and the Secundae the Lower I presently concluded the South part of our Island as nearer Rome to be the Britannia Prima For the same reason since the Secundae Provinciae as they call them were most remote from Rome I thought Wales must be the Britannia Secunda Further observing that in the decline of the Roman Empire those Provinces only had Consular Governors which were the Frontiers as is evident from the Notitia not only in Gaul but also in Africk and that Valentia with us as also Maxima Caesariensis are called Consular Provinces I took it for granted that they were nearest and most expos'd to the Scots and Picts in the places above mentioned And as for Flavia Caesariensis I cannot but fancy that it was in the middle of the rest and the heart of England wherein I am the more positive because I have that ancient writer Giraldus Cambrensis on my side These were the Divisions of Britain under the Romans Afterwards the barbarous nations breaking in on every hand and civil wars prevailing more and more among the Britains it lay for some time as it were without either blood or spirits without the least face of government But at last that part which lyes northward branched into two Kingdoms of the Scots and Picts and the Pentarchy of the Romans in this hither part was made the Heptarchy of the Saxons For they divided this whole Roman Province except Wales which the remains of the Britains possessed themselves of into seven Kingdoms viz. Kent South-Sex East-Anglia West-Sex Saxon Heptarchy Northumberland East-Sex and Mercia But what this Heptarchy of the Saxons was and what the names of the places in that age you will more easily apprehend by this Chorographical Table Considering that such Tracts or Counties as these Kingdoms contained could not so conveniently be represented in a small Chorographical Table because of its narrowness I chose rather to explain it by this other Scheme which at once gives the Reader an entire view than by a heap of words The Saxon Heptarchy 1. The Kingdom of Kent contain'd The County of Kent 2. The Kingdom of the South-Saxons contain'd The Counties of Sussex Surrey 3. The Kingdom of the East-Angles contain'd The Counties of Norfolk Suffolk Cambridge with the Isle of Ely 4. The Kingdom of the West-Saxons contain'd The Counties of Cornwall Devonshire Dorsetshire Somersetshire Wiltshire Hamshire Berkshire 5. The Kingdom of Northumberland contain'd The Counties of Lancaster York Durham Cumberland Westmorland Northumberland and Scotland to the Fryth of Edenburgh 6. The Kingdom of the East-Saxons contain'd The Counties of Essex Middlesex and part of Hertfordshire 7. The Kingdom of Mercia contain'd The Counties of Glocester Hereford Worcester Warwick Leicester Rutland Northampton Lincoln Huntingdon Bedford Buckingham Oxford Stafford Derby Shropshire Nottingham Chester and the other part of Hertfordshire 〈…〉 Counties BUT yet while the Heptarchy continued England was not divided into what we call Counties but into several small partitions with their number of Hides a Catalogue whereof out of an old Fragment was communicated to me by Francis Tate a person very much conversant in our Law-Antiquities But this only contains that part which lies on this side the Humber Myrena contains 30000 * A hidâ—sas some will have iâ— includes as much land as one plow can till in a year but as others as much as 4 Virgats Hides Woken-setnae 7000 hides Westerna 7000 hides Pec-setna 1200 hides Elmed-setna 600 hides Lindes-farona 7000 hides Suth-Gyrwa 600 hides North-Gyrwa 600 hides East-Wixna 300 hides West-Wixna 600 hides Spalda 600 hides Wigesta 900 hides Herefinna 1200 hides Sweordora 300 hides Eyfla 300 hides Wicca 300 hides Wight-gora 600 hides Nox gaga 5000 hides Oht-gaga 2000 hides Hwynca 7000 hides Cittern-setna 4000 hides Hendrica 3000 hides Vnecung-ga 1200 hides Aroseatna 600 hides Fearfinga 300 hides Belmiga 600 hides Witherigga 600 hides East-Willa 600 hides West-Willa 600 hides East-Engle 30000 hides East-Sexena 7000 hides Cant-Warena 15000 hides Suth-Sexena 7000 hides West-Sexena 100000 hides Tho' some of those names are easily understood at the first sight others will hardly be hammered out by a long and curious search for my part I freely confess they require a quicker apprehension than I am master of Called in the Coins Aelfred Afterwards when King Alfred had the whole government in his own hands as our forefathers the Germans which we learn from Tacitus administer'd justice according to the several Lordships and Villages taking an hundred of the common-people as assistants to manage that business so he to use the words of Ingulphus of Crowland first divided England into Counties because the natives themselves committed robberies after the example and under colour of the Danes Moreover he made the Counties to be divided into so many Centuries or Hundreds Hundreds and Tithings ordering that every man in the Kingdom should be ranked under some one or other hundred and tithing The Governours of Provinces were before that called * Vicedomini Lieutenants but this office he divided into two Judges now called Justices and Sheriffs which still retain the same name By the care and industry of those the whole Kingdom in a short time enjoyed so great peace that if a traveller had let fall a sum of money never so large in the evening either in the fields or publick high-ways if he came next morning or even a month after he should find it whole and untouch'd This is more largely insisted upon by the Malmesbury Historian Even the natives says he under pretence of being barbarians i.e. Danes fell to robberies so that there was no safe travelling without arms But King Alfred settled the Centuries commonly called Hundreds and the Tithings that every English man living under the protection of the Laws should have both his hundred and his tithing And if any one was accused of a misdemeanour he should get bail in the
person still living had done the same in Oxford for the Northern Languages in general but that a sudden change of Affairs prevented him This place has been lately honour'd by giving the title of Marquess to the Right Honorable William Earl of Bedford now created Duke of Bedford This town has given several great Lawyers to the State as Sir John Glanvill a Judge Serjeant Glanvill his son and Sir John Maynard who was lately one of the Commissioners of the Great Seal of England Two miles from hence is Lamerton Lamerton parish in the Church whereof is an ancient monument of the Tremaines where may be seen the effigies or Nicholas and Andrew Tremaine twins alike in all lineaments suffer'd like pain tho' at a distance desir'd to sleep walk eat and drink together and were slain together at New-haven in France An. 1663. Nearer to the sea is Beare-Ferris Beare-Ferris so nam'd from the family call'd De Ferrariis anciently famous in this County In this parish there were Silver-mines in the reign of K. Hen. 6. which were lately re-enter'd by Sir John Maynard but have since been discontinu'd e From hence the river carries us down to Plimouth Plimouth mention'd by our Author as a town lately risen and a haven well fortify'd We may add that it had anciently but one Church till the 16 of Ch. 1. when a new one was erected and consecrated in the time of Ch. 2. Here is also a Royal Cittadel built by that King consisting of five regular Bastions and 165 guns The guns of the other fortifications added to these make up in all 253. There are two Docks begun in 1691. and finish'd in 1693. As Sir Francis Drake was born here so both he and Mr. Candish began their voyage from this town for discovery of the unknown parts of the world By his contrivance and his own proper chargo there was brought to this town a large stream from a great distance through many windings and turnings which is a great benefit to the Town carrying several Mills and serving for other common uses of the Inhabitants This place has been honour'd since Mr. Camden's time by giving the title of Earl to Charles Fitz-Charles natural son of K. Ch. 2. created July 29. in the 27th of that King f Eastward from hence is Modbery Modbery and of the Fortescues of Wimpston in that Parish was descended Chancellour Fortescue Author of the famous book De Laudibus Legum Angliae Between Modbery and Kings bridge there is a fair bridge over the river Avon about a quarter of a mile long At the mouth of the river stands S. Michael's Rock several acres over in which are to be seen the remains of an old Chappel This ancient Rhyme seems to refer to it Where Avon's waters with the sea are mixt St. Michael firmly on a rock is fixt Kings-bridge Kingsbridge is a pretty market town pleasantly situated and particularly deserves our notice for the benefaction of Mr. Crispin a late citizen of Exeter who founded here a Free-school and endow'd it Near which is Dodbrooke Dodbrooke singular for a custom of paying tithe to the Parson for a certain sort of liquor call'd White-Ale g The river Dert first runneth thro' Dertmore Dertmore a large Forest 20 miles long and 14 broad It was first made a Forest by K. John and had anciently in it many tinn-works It now yields pasture every summer to near 100000 sheep with a proportionable number of other cattle and supplies the North West and South with variety of pleasant rivers h Then to Totnes Totnes which in K. Charles the first 's time gave the title of Earl to George Lord Carew of Clopton son of Dr. George Carew Dean of Windsor Torr bay i Directly East-ward lies Torr-bay memorable for the landing of the Prince of Orange now K. William on the 5th of November An. 1688. Where we must not pass by Mary-Church being the first Church founded in this County according to tradition Near this bay is a remarkable well call'd Lay-well which ebbs and flows several times in an hour and bubbles up sometimes like a boiling pot the water as clear as crystal very cold in summer and never freezing in winter accounted by the neighbours to be medicinal in some fevers Farther up in the country is Moreley Moâ—â—ley remarkable for it's Church built upon this occasion In the time of Edw. 1. Sir Peter Fishacre Knight upon a controversie between him and the Parson of Woodley about tythes kill'd the Parson in a rage and being constrain'd to answer the same at Rome was by the Pope condemn'd to build this Church where he lies bury'd From hence towards Dertmore lies Wythicombe Wythicombe where in the 14 Car. 1. in a violent storm of thunder and lightning a ball of fire came into the Church in divine Service kill'd three persons wounded 62. turn'd the seats upside down c. the damages amounting to above 300 l. A like storm hapn'd at Crews Morthard Crews Morthard in this County An. 1689. which rent the steeple melted the bells lead and glass and nothing escap'd but the Communion Plate k Returning to the shore we meet with Teignmouth Teignmouth which as it formerly suffer'd by the Danes so was it of late burnt by the French l North-east from which is the river Ex upon it stands Tiverton Tiverton where Peter Blundell a Clothier built a free-school and endow'd it with a liberal maintenance for a sâ—hool-master and usher He gave also two fellowships and as many scholarships to Sidney College in Cambridge and one fellowship and two scholarships to Baliol College in Oxford for scholars bred up in this school m Upon the river Creden lies Kirton Kirton now no more famous for the Bishop of Exeter's house than it was in Camden's time for the College of Prebendaries For the house together with the mannour was alienated to the Killigrews so that now there do not remain the least footsteps of the Bishop's having any thing there except the name of a great meadow call'd My Lord's Meadow n The river Ex carries us to Exeter Exeter the Cathedral Church whereof our Author observes to have been enlarg'd by several hands 'T was for a long time no bigger than our Lady's Chappel An. 1112. William Warlewast Bishop of Exon. laid the foundation of the present Quire Two hundred years after Peter Quivell Bishop began the Nave of the present Church to which John Grandison Bishop made an Isle on each side An. 1450. Edmund Lacy Bishop built the Chapter-house and about the same time the Dean and Chapter built the Cloyster So that this Church was about 400 years in building and yet the symmetry of it such as one might easily imagine it the work of a single man The organ of this Church is accounted the largest in England the greatest pipe being 15 inches diameter which is two more than that of
Fishermen it has now very considerable Merchants in it It is remarkable for being the landing place of the unfortunate Duke of Monmoâ—th June 11. 1685. when he asserted his pretended right to the Crown He brought with him but one man of War of about 30 guns and two other small vessels with Arms for about 4000 men having not above 100 that came over with him But notwithstanding the great increase of his Forces in a very short time he was routed in a pitch'd battel and his attempt prov'd faâ—al to him and his Followers c From hence our Author passes on to Bridport Bâ—â—dport which he says seems to want nothing to make it a port but industry But it appears by experience that it is not this will do it for the inhabitants have lately attempted it and fail'd in the undertaking the tides perpetually barring it with land against which they could not find any remedy North east from hence is Winford-Eagle Wâ—â—ford-Eâ—gâ—e * â—â—â—r M n. Brit. MS. near which in a ground call'd Ferndown upon the road to Bridport is a barrow amongst many others thereabouts that was search'd and open'd some years ago Upon the first removing of the earth they found it full of large flints and at length came to a place perfectly like an Oven curiously clay'd round and in the midst of it a fair Urn full of very firm bones with a great quantity of black ashes under it But what is most remarkable one of the diggers putting his hand into the Oven when first open'd pull'd it hastily back not being able to endure the heat and several others doing the like affirm'd it to be hot enough to bake bread †Dr. Jorden of Baths c. 14. p. 106. The same natural heat is often found by our mineral-men in their mines so as sometimes they are not able to touch them Digging farther they met with 16 Urns more but not in Ovens and in the middle one with ears to it they were all full of sound bones and black ashes Not far from hence is Winterborne Winterborne ‖ Aubr Mon. Brit. MS. in the parish whereof within an inclosure near the London-road there stand certain stones nine in number in a circular form The highest of them is seven foot the next highest almost six foot the rest are broken and now not above a yard high And upon the same road half a mile farther there stand three stones which are four foot high The stones of both these monuments seem to be petrify'd lumps of flints cc Descending from hence to the sea-coast we come to Portland Portland which in the year 1632. gave the title of Earl to Richard Lord Weston of Neiland Lord High Treasurer of England who was succeeded by several of the same family It now gives that title to William Bentinck After the donation of Edward mention'd by our Author this Island continu'd in the Church of Winchester to the time of Edw. 1. in whose reign Gilbert de Clare Earl of Hertford and Glocester probably looking upon it as an impregnable place gave other lands to the Church in exchange for it through whose heirs it came to the Crown in Edw. 4. where it still continues d Upon the south-east-part of this County lies the Isle of Purbeck Purbecâ— the south part whereof is very good land It has plenty of marble and of many sorts of good stone from which as tradition informs us the Cathedral Church of Salisbury was supply'd and they to their great advantage carry much of it to London e The most considerable piece of Antiquity in it â—orffe-â—â—â—â—e is Corffe Castle the foundation whereof is not distinctly clear'd by any history though there are some circumstances that would justifie at least a conjecture of it's being built by K. Edgar For by an Inquisition taken 54 Hen. 3. concerning the Abbess of Shaftsbury's claim of Wreck in her mannour of Kingston in Purbeck it is thus mention'd Juratores dicunt quod ante fundationem Castri de Corffe Abbatissa Moniales S. Edwardi de Shaston habuerunt wreccum maris quod evenire consuevit in manerio suo de Kingston sine contradictione Now the Nunnery of Shaston was founded An. 941. by K. Edmund after which time the castle must have been built and 't is probable was not done in either of the two succeeding Reigns which were but short till Edgar the peaceable the rich and the great builder too for he founded and repair'd 47 Monasteries came to the Crown After the strength and safety of the Realm began to consist in Castles this was one of the most principal belonging to the Crown and in the 42 Hen. 3. when Simon Montfort had took that King prisoner it was the third Castle requir'd to be deliver'd up to that party and was afterwards by Mortimer look'd upon as the fittest place wherein to secure his prisoner Edw. 2. It was repair'd by K. Hen. 7. and in the late Civil Wars was a garrison for the King and defended by the owner of it Lord Chief Justice Banks nor did it come into the Enemies hand but by the treachery of one who pretending to have brought relief let in the besiegers The town is one of the nine burroughs of the County that send Burgesses to Parliament and what is remarkable the principal members of it especially as many of them as have born the Office of Mayor are call'd Barons as the Chief citizens of London anciently were and the governing part of all the Cinque-ports still are In the Island there is one family Clavil recorded in Domesday-book to have been here in the time of the Conqueror f To the north lies Poole which our Author says in the last Age arose out of a few Fishermens houses Notwithstanding it seems to be a town of good note and antiquity though no mention be made of it in Domesday For it appears by Records that in the 2 Edw. 2. the Free Burgesses of Poole Thomas Plantagenet Earl of Lancaster being then Lord in right of his wife paid to the said Lord the sum of 8 l. 13 s. equal to about 80 l. now for the farm of their Liberties and in 14 Edw. 3. they sent Burgesses to Parliament g Upon the river Frome lies Dorchester â—hester a pretty large town with very wide streets and delicately situated on a rising ground opening at the south and west-ends into sweet fields and spacious downs It is a Corporation formerly govern'd by two Bailiffs and Burgesses but was in the 5 Ch. 1. incorporated a-new by the name of Mayor Bailiffs Aldermen and Burgesses with an enlargement of Privileges Franchises and Immunities In the 29 Hen. 8. it contain'd 349 houses In the time of the Romans it was one of the two winter Stations of their Legions mention'd in those parts Vindogladia now Winburne being the other 〈…〉 h So Maiden-castle is observ'd by our Author to have been a summer Station and
which gives name to the house called Broke situated upon it Baron Brooâ—e This house was heretofore the seat of John Pavely Lord of the Hundred of Westbury and afterward gave the title of Baron to Rob. Willoughby because by the Cheneys he was descended from the family of Pavely when K. Henry 7. created him Peer of the realm of which King he was a great favourite and by him as it is reported made 9 Steward of his house and c. for some time Lord high Admiral For which reason he gave the r The Rudder is painted in several glass-windows of his house rudder of a ship for his Cognizance as Pompey the Admiral of the Roman Navy stamp'd the stern on his medals But this family was soon extinct for he left but one son Robert Baron Brook who had by his first wife a son call'd Edward who dy'd in his father's life-time and left one daughter afterwards married to Sir Fulk Grevil by his second wife he had two daughters by whom this rich estate came to the Marquess of Winchester and the Lord Montjoy Not far from hence toward the east lies Edindon Edindâ—â— heretofore Eathandune where K. Alfred won the most glorious victory that ever was obtained over the ravaging Danes and drove them to that extremity that they solemnly swore immediately to depart the land In this place also William de Edindon Bishop of Winchester a great favourite of K. Edw. 3. who was born here and from hence took his sirname founded a College for Canons call'd Bonhommes k Upon a hill a little above on the same rivulet stands Trubridge in old time Truþabrig that is Trubâ—â— a strong or true bridge But for what reason it had this name does not at all appear Now it is very noted for the Clothing-trade and shews the ruines of Å¿ The Castle says Leland stood on the south side of the town it is now clean down There was in it seven great towers whereof some pieces of two of them yet stand c. The Earls of Sarum were Lords of Thoroughbridge then the Dukes of Lancaster and now the Earl of Hertford So he The Court of the Dutchy of Lancaster for this County is annually held in this town about Michaelmas a Castle which belongeth to the Dutchy of Lancaster 11 And sometime to the Earl of Salisbury l The Avon being encreas'd by this river watereth Bradford â—radford in old time Bradanford call'd so from the Broad ford which standeth on the side of a hill and is built all of stone where a bloody battel was fought in the Civil wars between Kenilwachius K. of the West-Saxons â—n 652. and Cuthred his Kinsman Here the Avon leaveth Wiltshire and entreth into Somersetshire running toward the Bath m From hence the west limit of this Shire goes directly southward n by Longleat â—ongleat the well-contriv'd and splendid house 12 In a foul soil which c. tho' more than once damnified by fire 13 Hath risen eftsoons more fair of the Knightly family of the Thinnes descended from the Boteviles o Maiden-bradley â—aiden-â—radley so named because t This is a vulgar Fable the Hospital being built long before the division of that estate among daughters See the Additions to Worcestershire under the title Kidderminster one of the daughters and heiresses of Manasser Bisset a famous man in his time being her self a Leper built a Hospital here for leprous maids and endowed it with her inheritance her father had founded a Priory here u In the reign of K. Stephen before Stourton â—rons of â—ourton 〈◊〉 Hen. 6. the seat of the Barons of Stourton who were dignified with this title by K. Henry 6. w This is a mistake for Sir W. Stourton marry'd Elizabeth heiress to Sir John Moigne long before Hen. 6.'s time viz. 21 Ric. 2. See Sir William Dugdale's Baronage at which time a very great estate accru'd to them by a marriage with the heiress of the family of Le Moign or Monk not Mohun as some have erroneously thought and from thence their Crest is a Demi-Monk with a penitential whip in his hand The town took its name from the river Stour which riseth here out of six fountains between which proper the Stourtons Lords of this place bear for their Arms a Bend Or in a field sable By the foresaid Maiden-Bradley glides a rivulet call'd Dever-ril â—ver because like Anas in Spain and the Mole in Surry which took their names from thence x There is nothing at present to be heard of any such diving river it diveth under the earth and a mile off riseth up again and hasteneth to Verlucio â—erlucio a very ancient town mentioned by Antoninus the Emperor in his Itinerary which name it hath not yet quite lost being call'd Werminster â—erminster a compound of that old name and the Saxon word Minster which signifieth a Monastery Heretofore it had great privileges for it is recorded in the book which William the Conqueror caused to be made that nec geldavit nec hidata fuit that is it paid no tribute Now it is only famous for a great y Kept on Saturdays Corn-market and indeed it is scarce credible what quantities of Corn are every week carried hither and presently sold 14 But for remnants of Roman Antiquities I could discover none here only on the East side are seen some trenches upon the Hills and on the West a natural round and high cop'd hill called Clay-hill p From this place toward the south north and east all along the middle of the Shire the Downs are so wide that there can scarce be any bounds discover'd from whence they are call'd the Plains â—sbury-â—ns but thinly inhabited and heretofore of bad repute for frequent robberies The south part of them is water'd by two pleasant rivers the Willey-bourn the Guilou of Asserius and the Nadder commonly called Adder-bourn Willey-bourn having its first rise at Werminster runneth by Heitesbury or Hegedsbury the feat of the Barons of Hungerford q 15 But in the Church which hath been Collegiate there is seen but one defaced monument of them The last Lord Hungerford created by K. Henry 8. had his denomination of this place but enjoy'd that honour a short while being condemn'd of a crime not to be utter'd to a village called Willey Opposite to which is seen a very large military entrenchment fortify'd with a deep double ditch and called by the neighbouring inhabitants Yanesbury-Castle â—nesbury From it's figure any one may easily conclude that it was a Roman Camp Some think it was Vespasian's Camp who being Lieutenant of the 20th Legion under Claudius subdued two nations in this part of England to the Roman Empire and some remains of Vespasian's name are thought to be in Yanesbury r 16 Opposite to this on the other side of the water is another less
to believe it For Dio tells us that Plautius and Vespasian when they were sent by the Emperor Claudius against the Britains divided their forces into three several parties for the greater convenience of landing for fear they should have been more easily repulsed if they had attempted a Descent all at one place And from Suetonius we learn that Vespasian in this expedition engaged the enemy 30 times and brought under the Roman yoke the Isle of Wight which lies opposite to this County and two other valiant People for which victories by land and his happy voyages at sea Valerius Flaccus thus complements Vespasian and makes him more prosperous than Julius Caesar O tu Pelagi cui major aperti Fama Caledonius postquam tua Carbasa vexit Oceanus Phrygios prius indignatus Iulos O you whose glorious reign Can boast new triumphs o're the conquer'd main Since your bold navy pass'd the British sea That scorn'd the Caesars and the Roman sway And Apollonius Collatius Novariensis writeth thus Ille quidem nuper felici Marte Britannos Fuderat The Britains he of late o'recame In prosp'rous war How in this war Titus rescu'd his father Vespasian from an imminent danger when closely besieg'd by the Britains and how a snake twisted round the General at that time without doing him any harm which he interpreted as an omen of being afterward Emperor learn from Dio and Forcatulus But falling to my design I shall begin with the west-side of this County and having first survey'd the sea-coasts and the rivers that there fall into the Ocean I shall then pass to the more inland parts Near the western bounds of this County runs the gentle stream of the Avon River Avena or Avona which as soon as it enters into Hamshire meets with the ford of Cerdick call'd formerly Cerdicks-ford Cerdicks-ford b Cerdicesford in the Saxon Annals afterwards Cerdeford and now by contraction Chardford from Cerdick a valiant Saxon. For in this place the famous Cerdick engaging the Britains gave them so signal a defeat that he not only enlarged the limits of his own government but left it easie for posterity to maintain his conquests When before this in the year of our Lord 508. in a very sharp engagement Natanleod or Nazaleod he had conquer'd Natanleod a potent King of the Britains with great numbers of that People who is by others call'd Nazaleod and from his name a small tract of land reaching up to this place was call'd Natanleod as we read in the Saxon Annals in the search after which place I have been very curious but cannot yet find the least footsteps of that name b Nor indeed can I imagine who that Natanleod was Whether Natanleod and Aurelius Ambrosius was the same person Yet 't is most certain that at the same time Aurelius Ambrosius in these parts had many conflicts with the Saxon forces and with various success and yet this great man is never mention'd in those Annals of our Saxon Ancestors who as I observe have been forward enough in reciting those battles wherein they had themselves the advantage but mention none of those wherein they were losers betraying too great a partiality to their own cause Hence the river runs along by Regnewood or Ringwood Ringwood in Domesday book call'd Rincewed which was that Regnum Regnum a town of the Regni mention'd by Antoninus as we may believe both from the course of the Itinerary the remainder of the old name and the sense of the present For Ringwood by the Saxon addition seems to signifie The wood of the Regni That this was formerly a place of great eminence seems probable from the adjacent Hundred which derives it's name from thence but 't is now only famous for a good market The Avon running from hence takes in the river Stour which comes out of Dorsetshire and at the conflux of these two there stands a small populous market town now called Christchurch Christ-church from the Church so dedicated but heretofore from it's situation between two rivers Twinham Twinamburne upon the same account as the Interamna in Italy It was formerly strengthen'd with a Castle and adorned with an ancient Church of Prebendaries which being first built in the Saxon age was in the reign of William Rufus restored by Ralph Flammard Bishop of Durham who had been Dean of that Church and richly endow'd by Richard de Rivers Earl of Devonshire to whom King Henry 1. gave this place in fee and so continued in great repute to the time of Henry 8. and that fatal Fall of Monasteries Below this town the Stour and the Avon joyning in one chanel empty themselves into the sea at one mouth which Ptolemy call'd the mouth of the river Alaun The river Alaun and very rightly For I can scarce believe that Avon was the proper name of this river since that word is an appellative and the Britains call'd rivers in general by that name but I rather think it was of old called Alaun because there still remain some marks of that word in the villages upon it such as Allinton Allingham c. c On the east-side of this river William the Conquerour destroy'd all the towns villages and churches and turning out the poor inhabitants made a forest for wild beasts of more than thirty miles in circuit which the English in that age call'd Ytene we at this day New Forest New-Forest of which Walter Mapes who liv'd in the next age writes thus The Conqueror took away much land from God and men and converted it to the use of wild beasts and the sport of his dogs by which he demolish'd 36 Mother-Churches and drove away the poor inhabitants d This he did either to make a more easie access for his Normans into England for it lies opposite to Normandy in case there should be a new insurrection in this Island after his suppos'd Conquest of it or to indulge himself in hunting or to raise money by methods tho' never so unjust For he more merciful to beasts than to mankind appointed a most grievous pecuniary mulct and other more severe penalties to be inflicted on those who should trespass on his game But divine vengeance was not long wanting to this impious project of the King 's Example of Divine Vengeance for Richard his second son and William Rufus King of England another of his sons both lost their lives in this Forest the latter being casually c The place where William Rufus was kill'd is call'd says Leland Itinerar vol. 6. p. 100. Thorougham where there yet standeth a Chappel shot with an arrow by Walter Tirrel and the other poisoned by a pestilential blast And Henry his grandchild by Robert his eldest son while he was here eagerly pursuing his sport was caught by the head in the boughs and there ended his life to teach us that the crimes of parents are often punish'd upon their childrens children Of
this Forest there are extant some Verses of John White Bishop of Winchester which though they falsly attribute the making of this Forest to William Rufus yet because many readers are pleased with them I am content to insert them in this place Templa adimit Divis fora civibus arva colonis Rufus instituit Beaulensi in rure forestam Rex cervum insequitur Regem vindicta Tirellus Non bene provisum transfixit acumine ferri Towns Fields and Churches took from God and Men A spatious forest made in Beaulieu-plain The King a Hart Vengeance the King pursu'd And Tirrel's arrow drunk his guilty blood He calls it Rus Beaulense because nigh this place King John founded a small Monastery called Beaulieu Beaulieu from it's pleasant situation which even in our fathers memory was very famous for here was an inviolable sanctuary Sanctuary and a safe refuge for all criminals and our forefathers thought it a most unpardonable sin to take from hence the most bloody murderers or traitors that fled hither for protection But sure when our ancestors did in several parts of England erect these sanctuaries or Temples of Mercy as they call'd them they seem rather to have followed the example of Romulus than of Moses Exod â—â— 2â— Joseph lib. Antiâ— who commanded that those who were guilty of wilful murder should be taken from the altar that they might be put to death and appointed a city of refuge only for them who should by chance slay a man without lying in wait for him e But that so great a tract of ground as this Forest is might not lye defenceless and expos'd to the enemy Hen. 8. began to secure it with Castles for in that neck of land that runs farthest into the sea from whence there is the shortest passage over to the Isle of Wight he built Hurst-Castle Hurst Castle which commands the sea on every side And more westward Calshot Castle he built another strong Fort called vulgarly Calshot instead of Caldshore to secure the entrance of South-hamton-Bay f 10 As more inwardly on the other side are the two castles of S. Andrew and Netley For here by the great distance of the two shores and by the opposite situation of the Isle of Wight is made a very commodious Harbour Mouth of the river Trisanton which Ptolemy calls the mouth of the river Trisanton in my opinion for d According to Dr. Davis's Welsh-Dictionary Traith is nothing but Tractatus Traith Anton that is the Bay of Anton for Ninnius an ancient Author calls it almost by the same name the mouth of the Trahannon The river that runs into this bay which we now call Test was in former times as we learn from the Lives of the Saints named Terstan and that it was before called Ant or Anton the towns which lay upon it Antport Andover and Hanton would almost persuade us So far am I from thinking that it was ever so called from the Roman Hammon there killed which yet Geoffry of Monmouth delivers in his romancing way and is follow'd by a Poet who has this passage concerning that Hammon Ruit huc illucque ruentem Occupat Arviragus ejusque in margine ripae Amputat ense caput nomen tenet inde perempti Hammonis Portus longumque tenebit in aevum As to the bank he fled Enrag'd Arviragus with happier speed Aim'd a fierce blow and fell'd his trembling head And thus great Hammon's death proclaim'd by fame To Hamton gave an everlasting name On this Port is situated the town of South-hanton Southâ—â—ton near which to the north-east stood once another town of the same name which was the Clausentum Clausenâ—â—â— of Antoninus as seems probable by the distance from Regnum on one side and Venta on the other and as Trisanton signifies the Bay of Anton so Clausentum signifies in British the Port Entum for I have learnt that Claudh imply'd the same among the Britains as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did among the Greeks that is a Haven made by casting up Banks of earth That this place was called Hanton and Henton no one need question because in the book wherein William the Conqueror register'd his survey of England the whole County is expresly call'd Hantscyre and in another place Hentscyre and the town it self from its situation southward South-anton g What the condition of the ancient town was is difficult to determine but it was situated in that place where is now the Field of St. Maries and reach'd as far as the harbour and seems to have extended it self on the other side the river For a little higher just opposite to Bittern Bittern Francis Mills a worthy person who lives there shewed me some rubbish pieces of old walls and the trenches of an ancient Castle half a mile in compass which at full tide is three parts surrounded with water The Antiquity of it is so sufficiently attested by the digging up of Roman Coins that if it was not the Castle of the ancient Clausentum you may easily judge it to have been one of those forts which the Romans erected on the southern coasts as Gildas tells us to prevent the Saxon piracies When all parts were miserably harrass'd and weaken'd in the Danish wars then did the Old Hanton fall a prey to them in the year 980 and in the time of William the Conqueror to use the expression of his own Book the King had in that town only 80 men or tenents in Demesne But within these 200 years when King Edward 3. and Philip of Valois contended for the Kingdom of France it was burnt by the French Out of the ashes whereof there presently sprang up a more conveniently situated town that which now remains between two rivers famous for the number and neatness of it's buildings for the richness of inhabitants and resort of merchants h fortified with a double ditch strong walls with several battlements and for a better defence to the harbour there is a strong Castle built of square stone upon a high-rais'd mount by Richard 2 2 And afterward K. Hen. 6. granted to the Mayor Bailiffs and Burgesses that it should be a County by it self with other Liberties That action of the most powerful Canute King of England and Denmark reproving the baseness of a flattering Courtier who pretended that all things would obey his royal will and pleasure was in this place and is well worth our mention â—he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Canute When he came says Henry of Huntingdon to shore he commanded a chair to be set for him and said to the sea flowing up to him Thou art under my dominion and the ground on which I sit is mine nor has any yet disobey'd my orders without severe punishment therefore I command thee not to come upon my ground nor to wet the cloaths or the feet of me thy Lord and Master But the disrespectful waves presently came up and wet his royal
the best market town in the Island formerly call'd Medena and Novus Burgus de Meden i.e. the new Burrough of Meden whence the whole country as it lies east and west is divided into East-Meden and West-Meden u Caeresbrok Caeresâ— an old castle so call'd by a strange mangling of the name for Whitgaresburg from one Whitgar a Saxon of whom more hereafter and lies in the very midst of the Island It was lately magnificently rebuilt by the Governour To this castle belong very many Knights Fees and for antiquity it exceeds all others in the island w Brading another market-town Newton and Yarmouth Mayor towns that return Burgesses to Parliament This Yarmouth and Sharpnore have their castles which with Worsleys-tower defend the north-west shore Opposite to it and not above two miles distant is Hurst-castle Hurst situated on a little tongue of land in Hamshire q 'T is plain from the Monasticon Anglicanum that this Quarre or more rightly Quarrer was not for Nuns but for Monks founded by Baldwin Earl of Devon and consecrated to the Virgin Mary Quarre where was founded An. Dom. 1132. a Nunnery Godshill where J. Worsley erected a school for the education of youth West-Cow and East-Cow which are now ruin'd were built at the Entrance into Newport by Hen. 8. of which Leland Couae fulmineae duae coruscant Haec casum colit ille Solis ortum Vectam quà Neoportus intrat altam The two great Cows that in loud Thunder roar This on the Eastern that the Western shore Where Newport enters stately Wight On the North-east side stands Sandham castle strengthen'd like the rest with great pieces of Cannon This Island is as well fortify'd by Nature as Art for it is encompassed with a continu'd ridge of rocks some also lye under water all along before the Island and are very incommodious to Sailors But the most dangerous are the Needles so call'd because they are very sharp and pointed the Shingles which lye on the west corner of the Island as on the east-side the Owers and the Mixon and on the North-coast the Brambles shelves which often deceive the Mariners And if there be any place where an Enemy might conveniently land that according to the old custom is fenc'd with stakes fasten'd in the ground But for all this it is not so well fortify'd by its rocks or castles as by it's inhabitants who are naturally very bold and couragious and by the dayly diligence and care of the Governour have the methods of Exercise so perfect that let the service they are put upon be what it will it is not new to them for they shoot at a mark admirably keep their ranks march orderly if occasion require they can either cast themselves into a round stand at a distance one from another or come close up together they can endure long marches and the fatigue of them in hot and dusty weather in short they are Masters of whatever is requisite for a souldier The Island of it self can raise 4000 such men in time of war besides there are 3000 of the Hamshire Militia and 2000 of the Wiltshire appointed to be always ready for the defence of the Island And that they may with greater ease repulse the Enemy the whole Country is divided into eleven parts every one of which has it's Centoner as much as a Centurion and it 's Vintons as much as the Vicenarii i.e. Leaders of Twenty not to mention the great pieces of Cannon the Centinels who keep watch on the high hills where the Beacons stand and their Posts and Couriers by an obsolete name call'd Hoblers who are to give intelligence of all occurrences to the Governour Vespasian was the first who reduc'd it to the power of the Romans whilst he serv'd as a private Officer under Claudius â—he life 〈◊〉 Vespaâ— c. 4. For thus Suetonius writes of him In the reign of Claudius by the favour of Narcissus he was sent Lieutenant of a Legion into Germany thence remov'd into Britaine he fought 30 pitch'd Battels with that Enemy subdu'd 2 powerful nations took above 20 towns together with the Isle of Wight that lies upon the Coast of Britain and all this partly under the command of Aulus Plautius a Consular Lieutenant partly under the conduct of the Emperor Claudius himself For which he was honour'd with triumphal ornaments and in a short time after with 2 Sacerdotal Dignities 'T was at this Island that Alectus's fleet when he had usurp'd the * government of Britaine â—â—rpâ—â—â—ra laid wait for the Romans coming against them who yet by the help of a favourable mist sail d undiscover'd by the enemies to shore and set fire to the ships that there might be no temptation to run away The first of the Saxons that subdu'd it was Cerdicus and he gave it to Stuffa and Whitgar Dom. who put the British Inhabitants to the sword so that but few were left in Whitgaraburgh call'd so from him and now by contraction Caresbrook After Wolpher King of the Mercians subdu'd this Island and gave it together with the country of the Meanvari 〈◊〉 4. 〈◊〉 to Edelwalch King of the South-Saxons when he stood godfather to him Ceadwalla King of the West-Saxons after that Edelwalch was kill'd and Arvandus petty King of the Island was made away joyn'd it to his own dominions and most cruelly massacred very nigh all the natives of the Island He gave to Bishop Wilfred who first instructed the inhabitants in the Christian Religion 300 Hides being the 4th part of the Island For your better information take Bede's own words 〈◊〉 l. 4. After that Ceadwalla had got the Kingdom of the Geuissi he took also the Isle of Wight which till then was wholly given to Idolatry and by a bloody Massacre did endeavour quite to extirpate the native inhabitants and in their stead to people it with his own Country-men obliging himself as they say by vow tho' he was not as yet become a Christian that if he conquer'd the Island he would devote the fourth part both of it and his whole spoil to God which he accordingly did by giving it to Bishop Wilfrid for the service of God for he being his country-man happen'd to be there The compass of this Island is judg'd by the English to include 1200 * Familiarum hides whereupon 300 of them were given to the Bishop But he committed that part which he receiv'd to one of his Clerks by name Bernwin who was his sister's son giving him a priest whose name was Hildila with orders to baptize and preach the word of God to all those that were desirous of salvation Where I think my self bound to observe that among the first fruits of those who were converted in that Island 2 young boys of the blood-royal brothers to Arvandus King of the Island were by the special grace of God crown'd with martyrdom For when the enemies were ready to invade the Isle these young
a Furnace and Forge others a Forge only and others only a Furnace Near Hastings also are two powder-mills where is made as good Gun-powder as any in England And in that end of the County where the Iron-works are namely the East Char-coal is made in great abundance c To go along now with Mr. Camden St. Râ—â—â—-hill North of Chichester which has given the title of Earl to Francis Leigh Lord Dunsmore and after him to Charles Fitz-Roy natural son to K. Charles 2. is a place call'd St. Rook's hill †Aâ—â—â—â— Mâ—◠〈◊〉 MS. and upon it is still to be seen an old camp the diameter whereof is two furlongs and better The form of it is circular from which thus much may be undoubtedly gather'd that it is not Roman but probably Danish Those who have an opportunity of searching into the Records of the place would do well to consider whether the true name of it is not S. Roch's hill for he was patron of the pilgrims and here was formerly a Chapel which might possibly enough be dedicated to him A mile and a half from this place to the west is a Camp call'd Gonshill Gonâ—hâ—â—â— Ibid. which being of a different form must be made by some other people The figure of it is an oblong square which comes nearest to the Roman way of encamping The Bâ—ile Hard by Chichester towards the west ‖ there has been also another large Roman Camp call'd the Brile of an oblong form 4 furlongs and 2 perches in length and 2 furlongs in breadth It lies in a flat low ground with a great rampire and single graff and in such a place as renders it probable enough to have been that of Vespasian's after his landing d Eastward from hence is Arundel â—rundel which our Author observes to be of more fame than real note tho' it is now a market-town and a borough sending 2 Burgesses to Parliament The famous high-way Stanesstreet-causeway which is in some places 10 yards broad but in most 7 comes to this town out of Surrey by Belinghurst It is a yard and a half deep in stones which they discover by cutting passages to let in water and runs in a streight line It is made of flints and pebbles tho' no flints are found within 7 miles of it As the story of Bevis's horse call'd Arundel ought not to be altogether rejected so neither ought our Author's name of the river Arun and derivation of the town from thence be too securely clos'd with For that Bevis was founder of the Castle is a current opinion handed down by tradition and there is a tower in it still known by the name of Bevis's tower which they say was his own apartment Besides 't is natural enough to imagine that the name of a horse might be Arundel from his swiftness since that word in French signifies a Swallow and the present Arms of the town which is corporate by Prescription are a Swallow Now why might not Bevis's Arundel as well have the honour of naming a town wherein his master had a particular interest as Alexander's Bucephalus had of a city But whatever approbation this conjecture may meet with 't is certain that Mr. Camden's fetching it from Arun will not hold For that river is call'd High-stream to distinguish it from the other small rivulets or streams and seems to have bore the same name as to the sense at least all along The Norman English call'd it Hault-rey and answerably the middle-aged Latin writers Alta ripa so Mr. Camden tells us that Rhie in this County is call'd in Latin Ripa and several branches breaking out of the High-stream are at this day call'd Ripes or Rifes There was also an ancient family of Knights owners of much land in these parts even in the bosom of this great river in the parish of Hardham otherwise Feringham call'd from it de Hault Rey and their posterity remains in these parts to this day under the name of D'Awtrey in Latin De alta Ripa But our Author's interpretation Aruntina vallis will not by any means suit either the name of the place or the circumstances of it For tho' it be writ several ways yet no one makes it end in dale nor is a low tract of ground ever express'd by that word in this County as it is in other parts of England but by a Level as Pevensey-Level Lewes-Level Bramber-Level Arundel-Level with many others And the Commissioners of Sewers call the Imposition laid upon Land for repair of publick banks and sluces a Level-tax 〈◊〉 Eâ—rls â—â—iâ—â—ed Thomas Howard being restor'd in blood 1 Jac. 1. and dying An. 1646. was succeeded in his honours by his son Henry who in the life-time of his father was summon'd to Parliament by the titles of Lord Moubray and Maltravers By whose death An. 1652. this title came to Thomas his eldest son restor'd also 13 Car. 2. to the title of Duke of Norfolk which had been forfeited by the Attainder of Thomas the last Duke By which means the title of Duke of Norfolk came to Henry his brother along with the Earldoms of Arundel and Surrey who now among other honours enjoys them e Towards the north-east lies Findon â—â—â—don within a mile of which is an ancient Camp at about 2 miles distance from the sea 'T is call'd Caesar's-hill because the people imagine it was Caesar's Camp and they pretend to shew the place where Caesar's tent was Notwithstanding which the form of it shews that opinion to be an error for being roundish it seems rather to have been a British work f And farther eastward near Lewes Lewes there is another Camp From whence going forwards we meet with Pemsey Pemsey which * Forts and Ports in Kent Mr. Somner disallowing Camden's Lambard's and Selden's conjecture of Newenden thought to be the ancient Anderida where was the band of the Abulae grounding partly upon Gildas's words expressing the situation of these garrisons In littore Oceani ad meridiem on the sea-shore to the south and the design of them to ken and spy out the invading enemy and partly upon the antiquity of the place which Archbishop Usher makes the old Caer Pensavelcoit of the Britains by the coit i.e. wood the former condition of this County being hinted to But tho' he seems most inclin'd to this place yet he is not altogether so positive but either Hastings or even Newenden may lay claim to this piece of Antiquity g Not far from hence is Ashburnham Ashburnham of which place and family John Ashburnham Esquire Grandfather to the present Lord Ashburnham built there a handsome Church with 3 Chancels There is also a noble house of the present Lord Ashburnham's which for stately buildings and convenient garden-room is one of the best in this County North-east from hence lies Breede Breede the Court whereof is a branch of that at Battle and hath the same privilege and process The Lands
publick spirit For this reason the present Chancellor of the University at the same time providing for the memorial of himself has in this Library erected a Statue of Sir Thomas Bodley that great friend and patron of Learning with this Inscription THOMAS SACKVILLUS DORSETTIAE COMES SUMMUS ANGLIAE THESAURARIUS ET HUJUS ACADEMIAE CANCELLARIUS THOMAE BODLEIO EQUITI AURATO QUI BIBLIOTHECAM HANC INSTITUIT HONORIS CAUSSA PIE POSUIT That is THOMAS SACKVIL EARL OF DORSET LORD HIGH TREASURER OF ENGLAND AND CHANCELLOR OF THIS UNIVERSITY PIOUSLY ERECTED THIS MONUMENT TO THE HONOUR OF SIR THOMAS BODLEY KNIGHT WHO INSTITUTED THIS LIBRARY In the Reign of Henry the Seventh for the better advancement of Learning William Smith Bishop of Lincoln built new out of the Ground Brazen-Nose-College ff which was b With Exhibitions for 13 Scholars An. 1572. well endow'd by the pious and good old man Alexander Nowell Dean of St. Pauls About the same time Richard Fox Bishop of Winchester founded Corpus-Christi-College gg After these Cardinal Wolsey Arch-bishop of York on the site of the Monastery of St. Frideswide began the most noble and ample Foundation of all others 15 For Professors and two hundred Students which King Henry 8. with addition of Canterbury-College did richly endow and gave it the name of Christ-Church Christ-Church hh 16 Assign'd to a Dean Prebends and Students The same mighty Prince at the expence of his own Exchequer honored the City with an Episcopal See and the University with publick Professors And in our own age that the Muses might still be courted with greater favours Sir Thomas Pope Kt. and Sir Thomas White Kt. Citizen and Alderman of London have repair'd Durham and Bernard Colleges which lay almost buried in their own dust have enlarg'd their buildings endow'd them with lands and given them new names dedicating the former to the Holy Trinity ii this latter to St. John Baptist kk Queen Mary c The publick Schools at the time of Mr. Camden's writing ow'd their restitution to the piety and bounty of Queen Mary An. 1554. but the present fabrick in form of a stately Quadrangle was rais'd by the contribution of Sir Thomas Bodley and other Benefactors An. 1613. built from the ground the publick Schools And lately Hugh Price Dr. of Laws has happily laid a new foundation 17 With good speed and happy success as I wish call'd in honour of our Saviour Jesus-College ll These Colleges in number sixteen beside eight Halls mm all fairly built and well endow'd together with their excellent and useful Libraries do so raise the credit and esteem of Oxford that it may be justly thought to exceed all other Universities in the world nn Nor does it yield the precedence to any in Living Libraries for so with Eunapius I may term the men of profound learning nor in the admirable method of teaching all Arts and Sciences nor in excellent discipline and most regular government of the whole body But why this digression Oxford is very far from standing in need of a Panegyric having already gain'd the universal esteem and admiration of the world Nor would I by any means seem extravagant in the commendation of my mother University Let it suffice to say of Oxford what Pomponius said of Athens It is so eminent that there needs no pointing at it But by way of conclusion take this passage which begins the history of Oxford from the Proctor's book Chronicles and Histories do assure us that several places in different parts of the world have been famous for the studies of Arts and Sciences But of all such places of study among the Latins Oxford appears to be of the most ancient foundation to profess a greater variety of knowledge to be more firm in adhering to the Catholick Religion and to enjoy more good customs and greater privileges The Astronomers observe this City to be in twenty two degrees of longitude or distance from the fortunate Islands and in the northern latitude of fifty one degrees and fifty minutes 18 And thus much briefly of my dear Nurse-Mother Oxford As soon as Isis and Cherwell have joyn'd their * Besides this number valu'd at more than a thousand pound he gave 126 Volumes more in the year 1440. an in 1443. a much greater number with considerable additions at his death An. 1446. streams below Oxford the Isis with a swift and deeper current passes on to the south to find out the Tame River Tame which it seems long to have sought for Nor does it run many miles before the said Tame rising in the County of Bucks comes and joyns with it which river upon entrance into this County gives its own name to a Market-town of pleasant situation among rivers for the river Tame washes the north part of the town and two little brooks slide by it on the east and west sides This place has been in a flourishing condition ever since Henry Bishop of Lincoln in the reign of Henry 3. Claus 3 Hen. 3. brought the great road which lay before upon one side of the town through the middle of it Alexander that munificent Bishop of Lincoln Lord of this Manour to alleviate the publick odium he had contracted by his extravagant expences in building of Castles founded here a small Monastery And many years after the Quatremans a Family in former times of great repute in these parts built here an Hospital for the maintenance of poor people But neither of these foundations are at present to be seen though instead of them Sir John Williams Lord Williams of Tame Kt. advanced to the dignity of a Peer of this Realm by Queen Mary under the title of Baron Williams of Tame has here founded a beautiful School and an Alms-house oo 19 But this title soon determined when he left but daughters married into thâ— families of Norris aâ—d Wenman From hence the Tame runs near Ricot Ricot a neat seat which belong'd formerly to the Quatermans upon whose failure of issue male it was sold away by the Fowlers and Hernes till it came at last into the hands of the Lord Williams before-mention'd and by his daughter to the Lord Henry Norris Lord Norris whom Queen Elizabeth advanc'd to the dignity of a Peer by the title of Baron Norris of Ricot pp a person as well eminent for his honourable descent being deriv'd from the d Sir Edward Norris Knight marry'd Tridesaide younger daughter of Francis Viscount Lovel Lovels who were allied to most of the great families in England as more especially for his stout and martial sons whose valour and conduct are sufficiently known in Holland Portugal Bretagne and Ireland The next place visited by the Tame 20 Huseley where sometimes the names of Burentines flâ—urished as at Chalgrave is e The same place we find in the Catalogue of the British-Cities call'd by Ninnius and Huntingdon Cair Dauri by Alfred of Beverley
Ethelfleda that victorious Governess of the Mercians by surprize took it and put them to the sword In Edward the Confessor's time as it is in Domesday there were 143 Burgesses in it which number was so much lessen'd that in William the first 's reign there were only 100 remaining These at the feast of S. Martin paid twelve * trabes of corn to the King This seem to mean Thraâ—â—â— â— corn Its reputation at present proceeds from the Assizes for the County held there and from the excellent good Ale brew'd in it The beer caâ—l'd Cuâ—mi in Dâ— sâ—aridâ—s in Eâ—â— Alâ— fâ—eaâ— Dâ—â—â—sh word Oâ— a word deriv'd from the Danish Oel and not from Alica as Ruellius says The British express'd it by the old word Kwrw for which Curmi is falsly read in Dioscorides when he says that the Britanni and the Hiberi perhaps he means Hiberni drank Curmi a liquor made of barley instead of wine For this is our Barley-wine which Julian the Apostate ingeniously calls in an Epigram of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. Spicigenam Bromon not Bromium This is the ancient and peculiar drink of the English and the Britains very wholesom notwithstanding Henry of Auraunches the Norman Poet-laureat to King Henry the third plays upon it smartly in these verses Nescio quod Stygiae monstrum conforme paludi Cervisiam plerique vocant nil spissius illa Dum bibitur nil clarius est dum mingitur unde Constat quòd multas faeces in ventre relinquit Of this strange drink so like the Stygian lake Men call it Ale I know not what to make They drink it thick and piss it wondrous thin What store of dregs must needs remain within However Turnâ—b â— Wine the most learned man in France does not question but men that drink this liquor if they avoid excess will live longer than if they drank wine and that this is the cause why some among us that drink ale live to the age of an hundred years Yet Asclepiades in Plutarch ascribes this longevity to the coldness of the climate which preserves the natural heat of our bodies when he tells us of the Britains living 120 years However the wealth of this town does in a great measure depend upon a certain kind of retail-trade which is to buy corn and sell it again to the high-land countries for the town consists wholly in a manner of these sort of Merchants b Not far distant from hence the course of the river Derwent lyes through that place where Ralph de Montjoy The Barâ— Montjoy had lands in Edward the first 's reign and then it runs by Elwaston where was born Walter Blunt who was rais'd by Edward the fourth to the dignity of Baron of Montjoy 2 With a pension whose posterity have equall'd the glory of their descent and family by the ornaments of learning and particularly above the rest Charles now Earl of Devonshire Baron of Montjoy Lord-deputy of Ireland and Knight of the Garter so eminent for his virtue and learning that no one is preferable and but few comparable to him in those respects Below this place the Derwent runs into the Trent which soon after receives Erewash the boundary between this and Nottinghamshire in this part Upon this stands Riseley which belongs to the Willoughbys of whom as I have heard was that Sir Hugh Willoughby Kt. who in discovering the frozen Sea near Wardhous in Scandia was starv'd to death with his whole company Near this too stands Sandiacre or as others would have it Sainct Diacre the seat of that noble family the Greys of Sandiacre Grey of Sandiaâ—â—â— whose estate came to Edward Hilary in right of his wife his son took the name of Grey one of whose daughters and heirs some few years after was marry'd to Sir John Leak Kt. the other to John Welsh On the East-side there succeed in order to the north Codenor Câ—denor-â—â—â—e heretofore Coutenoure a castle which did belong to the Barons Greys stil'd Lords Grey of Codenor whose estate in the last age came by marriage to the Zouches for John de la Zouch the second son of William Lord de la Zouch of Haringworth â—â—ons Gâ—ey of Codner marry'd Elizabeth heiress to Henry Grey the last Lord of Codenor Winfeld a very rich manour where Ralph Lord Cromwel in the reign of Henry the sixth built a very stately house considering that age Then Alffreton Alfreton which is believ'd to have been built by King Alfred and so denominated from him It has likewise had its Lords nam'd de Alfreton from it of whom the second Robert the son of Ranulph built the little Monastery de Bello Capite commonly Beauchief in the remotest angle of this County But a few years after for default of heirs-male their estate went with two daughters to the family of the Cadurci or Chaworths and to the Lathams in the County of Lancaster Their Arms were two Cheverons as they call them Or The Arms â—f the Baâ—onâ— Alâ—â—n â—â—ely in a Shield Azure Which very Coat the Musards 3 That is to say Doubters and delayers Barons of Staveley in this County bore likewise but with different colours who in the reign of Edward the first ended in N. Musard for his eldest sister was marry'd to T. de Freschevill whose posterity remain and flourish here at this day Higher in the very edge of the County to the east upon a rough ground stands Hardwick â—ardwick which has given name to a famous family in this County from whom is descended Elizabeth the present Countess of Shrewsbury who has there laid the foundation of two stately houses almost joyning to one another which at a great distance appear very fair by reason of their high situation At present the title of this Barony is enjoy'd by William Cavendish â—â—on Caâ—â—â—dish or â—â—dâ—sh her second son who was lately advanc'd by King James to the honour of Baron Cavendish of Hardwick More inward we see Chesterfield â—heâ—terâ—â—â—ld in Scardale that is in a dale enclos'd with rocks d In the North we call rocky places Skarrs to this day and the Southern parts still retain something of this in the skar of a wound For rocks or crags were call'd Scarrs by the Saxons Both the ruins of the walls and this new name do prove it to be of antiquity but the old name of it is superannuated and quite lost 4 King John erected it into a Free-burrough and gave it to William Briewer his particular favorite and it is only mention'd in authors upon the account of a Battel between Henry the third and the Barons in which Robert de Ferrariis the last Earl of Derby of this family was taken and degraded by Act of Parliament after which he liv'd privately and his posterity have since flourish'd under the title of Barons only d Next Chesterfield to the west lyes Walton â—alton which hereditarily descended
kind which they call Peregrins For according to the account they give of them I need not use other words to describe them than these verses of that excellent Poet of our age Augustus Thuanus Esmerius in that golden book he entitles Hieracosophion Depressus capitis vertex oblongaque toto Corpore pennarum series pallentia crura Et graciles digiti ac sparsi naresque rotundae Flat heads and feathers laid in curious rows O'er all their parts hook'd beaks and slender claws The sea now with great violence assails the land receding from this Promontory which is a small region call'd the Lordship of Kemaes B◠〈◊〉 Kâ—â—â—â— Fâ—â—â—â— The chief place in it is Fiscard seated on a steep rock and having a convenient harbour for shipping so call'd by the English from a Fishery there and by the Britains Aber-Gwain which signifies the mouth of the river Gwain The next is Newport Neâ—pâ—â—â— * At the foot of a high mountain on the river Nevern call'd in British Trevdraeth which signifies the town on the sand 6 And in Latin Records Novus Burgus This was built by Martin of Tours whose posterity made it a corporation granted it several privileges and constituted therein a Portrieve and Bayliff and also built themselves a Castle above the town which was their chief seat They also founded the Monastery of St. Dogmael St. Dogmael bâ—â—â— St. Tegâ—â—â— 7 According to the Order of Tours on the bank of the river Teivi in a Vale encompass'd with hills from which the village adjoyning as many other towns from Monasteries took it's beginning This Barony was first wrested out of the hands of the Welsh by Martin of Tours Lords â—f Kemaâ—â— The faâ— iâ— of the Mâ—â—tinâ— from whose posterity who were from him call'd Martins it descended by marriage to the Barons de Audeley They held it a long time until the reign of King Henry 8. when William Owen descended from a daughter of Sir Nicholas Martin after a tedious suit at law for his right at last obtain'd it and left it to his son George who being an exquisite Antiquary has inform'd me that there are in this Barony besides the three Burrows Newport Fishgard and St. Dogmael 20 Knights-fees and 26 Parishes More inward on the river Teivi already mention'd lies Kil Garan 〈◊〉 Garan which shews the ruins of a Castle built by Giraldus But now being reduc'd to one street it 's famous for no other thing than a plentiful Salmon Fishery For there is a very famous Salmon-Leap â—â—e Salâ—â—â—â—eap where the river falls headlong and the Salmons making up from the sea towards the Shallows of the river when they come to this cataract bend their tails to their mouths nay sometimes that they may leap with greater force hold it in their teeth and then upon disengaging themselves from their circle with a certain violence as when a stick that 's bent is reflected they cast themselves from the water up to a great height even to the admiration of the spectators which Ausonius thus describes very elegantly Nec te puniceo rutilantem viscere Salmo Transierim latae cujus vaga verbera caudae Gurgite de medio summas referuntur in undas Nor thou red Salmon shalt be last in fame Whose flirting tail cuts through the deepest stream With one strong jerk the wondring flood deceives And sporting mounts thee to the utmost waves There have been divers Earls of Penbroke â—â—rls of â—â—nbrâ—ke descended from several families As for Arnulph of Montgomery who first conquer'd it and was afterwards out-law'd and his Castellan Girald of Windsor whom King Henry 1. made afterwards President over the whole country I can scarce affirm that they were Earls King Stephen first conferr'd the title of Earl of Pembroke upon Gilbert Strongbow son of Gislebert de Clare He left it to his son Richard Strongbow the Conquerour of Ireland who was as Giraldus has it à Clara Clarensium familia oriundus descended from the famous family of the Clares Isabella the only daughter of this Earl brought this title to her husband William Marshal so call'd for that his Ancestors had been hereditary Marshals of the King's palace a very accomplish'd person well instructed in the arts of peace and war Of whom we find this Epitaph in Rudburn's Annals Sum quem Saturnum sibi sensit Hibernia Solem Anglia Mercurium Normannia Gallia Martem Me Mars the French their Sun the English own'd The Normans Mercury Irish Saturn found After him his five sons were successively Earls of Pembroke viz. William call'd the younger Richard who having rebell'd against Henry 3. fled into Ireland where he died in battel Gilbert who at a tournament in War was unhors'd and so kill'd and Walter and Anselm 8 Who enjoy'd this honour but a few days All these dying in a short space without issue King Henry 3. invested with the honour of this Earldom William de Valentia of the family of Lusignia in Poictiers who was his own brother by the mother's side and marry'd Joan the daughter of Gwarin de Mont Chensey by a daughter of William Marshal To William de Valentia succeeded his son Audomar who was Governour of Scotland under K. Edw. 1. His 9 Eldest second sister and coheiress Elizabeth being marry'd to John Lord Hastings brought this title into a new family For Lawrence Hastings his grandchild by a son 10 Lord of Weishford and c. who was Lord of Abergavenny was made E. of Penbroke by a Rescript of K. Edward 3. a copy whereof it may not be amiss to subjoyn here that we may see what right there was by heirs-female in these honorary titles Rex omnibus ad quos c. salutem Know ye that the good presage of wisdom and virtue which we have conceiv'd by the towardly youth and happy beginnings of our most well beloved Cousin Lawrence Hastings deservedly induce us to countenance him with our especial grace and favour in those things which concern the due preservation and maintenance of his honour Whereas therefore the inheritance of Aimar of Valence sometime Earl of Penbroke deceas'd long since without heir begotten of his body hath been devolv'd upon his sisters proportionably to be divided among them and their heirs because we know for certain that the foresaid Lawrence who succeedeth the said Aimar in part of the inheritance is descended from the eldest sister of Aimar aforesaid and so by the avouching of the learned whom we consulted about this matter the Prerogative both of name and honour is due unto him We deem it just and due that the same Lawrence claiming his title from the elder sister assume and have the name of Earl of Penbroke which the said Aimar had whilst he liv'd Which as much as lyeth in us we confirm ratifie and also approve unto him willing and granting that the said Lawrence have and hold the Prerogative and honour of Earl-Palatine in those lands
a bloody battel slew Edwyn the first Christian King of Northumberland and Prince Offride his eldest son in the year 633. Here are many Firr-trees found in the ground and here was also the birth place of Prince William second son of K. Ed. 3. A. 1335. which the rather deserves our mention because by most Historians it is misplac'd at Hatfield in Hertfordshire but that it is an errour plainly appears by the Rolls which tell us that Queen Philippa gave 5 marks per An. to the neighbouring Abbot of Roch and 5 nobles to the Monks there to pray for the soul of this her son William de Hatfield which summs are transferr'd to the Church of York where he was buried and are to this day paid by the Earl of Devonshire to the Bishop and Dean and Chapter of York out of the Impropriation of the Rectory of Hatfield Near the town are many entrenchments as if some great army had been there encampt 'T is said that no Rats have ever been seen in this town nor any Sparrows at a place call'd Lindham in the Moors below it tho' it is a good earth for corn or pasture but encompast with a morass 〈◊〉 k Near the confluence of Don and Are is Cowick the pleasant Seat of the ancient family of the Dawneys which name occurs frequently amongst the Sheriffs of this County of which Sir John Dawney was by King Charles 2. advanc'd to the degree of Viscount Downe in the Kingdom of Ireland â—â—â—th l Not far from Nosthill is Hemsworth where Robert Holgate Arch-bishop of York depriv'd in the first of Queen Mary for being marry'd did An. 1544. found an Hospital for ten poor aged men and as many women who have each about 10 l. per An. and the Master who is to read Prayers to them betwixt 50 and 60 l. per An. He was likewise a Benefactor to if not Founder of the School there 〈◊〉 The Levels or Marshes mention'd by our Author especially eastward and north-east of Thorn a market town are generally a Turf-moor in other places intermix'd with arable and pasture grounds By reason of the many Meres it was formerly well-stor'd with f esh-water fish especially Eels and Fowl But in the reign of King Charles 1. several Gentlemen undertook to drain this morish and fenny country by drawing some large rivers with other smaller cuts There is an angle cut from about Thorne to Gowle which is ten miles in length and extraordinary broad As to what our Author observes of the ground being heav'd up Dr. Johnston affirms he has spoke with several old men who told him that the Turf-moor betwixt Thorn and Gowle was so much higher before the draining especially in winter-time than they are now that before they could see little of the Church-steeple whereas now they can see the Church-yard wall Under the Turf-earth and other grounds from one yard to two yards deep are frequently dug up great quantities of firr-wood and some oaks the wood of the latter being very black At low water the foresaid learned Doctor has often observ'd in the great cut to Gowle-sluce several roots of trees some very large standing upright others inclining to the east some of the trees have been found lying along with their roots fasten'd others seem'd as if cut or burnt and broke off from the roots Upon the digging of these large rivers there were found gates ladders hammers shoes nuts c. and the land in some places was observ'd to lay in ridges and furrows as if it had been plow'd Under some part of the Turf-more firm earth was found but in other places nothing but sand About thirty years since they met with the entire body of a man at the bottom of a Turf-pit about four yards deep with his head northward his hair and nails not decay'd Dr. Johnsâ—â—on has the hand and the arm to the elbow who by laying it in warm water softned it so tho' otherwise like tann'd leather that he took out the bones which were spungy 'T is said that in the cut-river to Gowle there was found a Roman Coyn either of Domitian or Trajan m After the river Don our next direction is the river Calder near which lyes Bradley Bradley famous for the nativity of Sir Henry Savil brother to Sir John mention'd by Mr. Camden Warden of Merton-College and Provost of Eaton the noble editor of St. Chrysostome n At some distance from this river is Halifax Halifax to which town and parish Mr. Nathaniel Waterhouse by Will dated the first of July 1642. was an eminent Benefactor †Extraâ—t of his Will by providing an House for the Lecturer an Hospital for 12 aged poor and a Work-house for 20 children the Overseer whereof is to have 45 l. per An. and a yearly Salary to the preaching Ministers of the 12 Chapelries which with moneys for repair of the banks amounts to 300 l. per Ann. Brian Crowther Clothier gave also 10 l. per An. to the poor and 20 l. per An. to the Free-school of Queen Elizabeth in the Vicarage of Halifax In this Church is interr'd the heart of William Rokeby of the Rokebys of Kirk-Sandal by Doncaster where he was born Vicar of Halifax and person of Sandall afterwards Bishop of Meath and Arch-biâ—hop of Dublin where dying the 29th of Nov. 1521. he order'd his bowels to be bury'd at Dublin his heart at Halifax and his body at Sandall and over each a Chapel to be built which was perform'd accordingly The vast growth and increase of this town may be guess'd at from this instance which appears in a MS. of Mr. John Brearcliff's of one John Waterhouse Esq born An. 1443. He was Lord of the Manour and liv'd nigh a hundred years in the beginning of whose time there were in Halifax but 13 houses which in 123 years were increas'd to above 520 householders that kept fires and answer'd the Vicar An. 1566. It is honour'd by giving title to the Right Honourable George Lord Savile of Eland Earl and Marquiss of Halifax and with the nativity of Dr. John Tillotson Arch-bishop of Canterbury So that this West-riding of Yorkshire has the honour of both the Metropolitans of our Nation Dr. John Sharp Archbishop of York being born in the neighbouring town and contiguous parish of Bradford where Mr. Peter Sunderland of an ancient family at High-Sunderland nigh Halifax besides other benefactions founded a Lecture and endow'd it with 40 l. per An. But nothing is more remarkable than their methods of proceeding against Felons The Law of Halifax which in short was this That if a Felon was taken within the Liberty with Goods stoln out of the Liberties or Precincts of the Forest of Hardwick he should after three Markets or Meeting-days within the town of Halifax next after his apprehension be taken to the Gibbet there and have his head cut off from his body But then the fact must be certain for he must either be taken
hand-habend i.e. having his hand in or being in the very act of stealing or back-berond i.e. having the thing stoln either upon his back or somewhere about him without giving any probable account how he came by it or lastly confesson'd owning that he stole the thing for which he was accused The cause therefore must be only theft and that manner of theft only which is call'd furtum manifestum grounded upon some of the foresaid evidences The value of the thing stoln must likewise amount to above 13 d. ob for if the value was found only so much and no more by this Custom he should not dye for it He was first brought before the Bailiff of Halifax who presently summon'd the Frithborgers within the several Towns of the Forest and being found guilty within a week was brought to the Scaffold The Ax was drawn up by a pulley and fasten'd with a pin to the side of the Scaffold If it was an horse an ox or any other creature that was stoln it was brought along with him to the place of execution and fasten'd to the cord by a pin that stay'd the block So that when the time of execution came which was known by the Jurors holding up one of their hands the Bailiff or his Servant whipping the beast the pin was pluckt out and execution done But if it was not done by a beast then the Bailiff or his Servant cut the rope But the manner of execution will be better apprehended by the following draught of it Printed for â— Sold By F Bentley in Halifax A A. The Scaffold B. The piece of wood wherein the Axe is fix'd C. The Axe D. The Pulley by which the Axe is drawn up E. The Malefactor who lyes to be beheaded F. The pin to which the Rope is ty'd that draws up the Axe o On the other side of the Calder is Cambodunum Cambodunum which probably was built most of wood there being no manner of appearance of stone or brick The fire that burnt it down seems to have been exceeding vehement from the cinders which are strangely solder'd together One lump was found of above 2 foot every way the earth being melted rather than burnt But Mr. Camden's guess at a burning there from the blackness of the stones in the buildings is groundless for the edges of them are so in the Quarry which is half a mile off and so deep that for fire to reach them there is impossible p Next the Calder goes to Wakefield Wakefield where by the noble charity of the pious Lady Campden is a weekly Lecture endow'd with fourscore pounds per An. The other for she left three thousand pounds to Trustees for the founding two Lectures in the north of England is at Grantham Upon the light hand of the high-way leading from Wakefield to Sandal there is a small square plot of ground hedg'd in from a Close within which before the war between K. Charles and the Parliament there stood a Cross of stone where Richard Duke of York was slain The owners are oblig'd by the tenure of the land to hedge it in from the Close The carved work of stone upon the Chapel built by King Edward 4. on the bridge hath been very beautiful but is now much defac'd The whole structure is artificially wrought about ten yards long and six broad Dâ—â—tâ—n At some distance from hence is Darton of the Beaumonts of which Mr. George Beaumont a Merchant left 500 l. for the founding a Free-school in this place of his nativity as much to poor Ministers 150 l. to the poor of London 50 l. to York 30 l. to Hull with a considerable estate amongst his relations Farther from the Calder lyes Burton-grange Burtâ—â—-grangâ— where the no less religious than honourable Lady Mary Talbot second daughter and coheir of Henry Talbot fourth son of the illustrious George Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury erected an Hospital for six poor widows each of which have 40 s. and a Gown every year She built also and endow'd two other Hospitals in other Counties during her life and at her death An. 1675. left 40 l. per An. for 99 years to be put to such like uses More to the south is Stainbrough Stainbrough where Henry Edmunds Esq has generously built a good house for the Minister and Mr. Walker late Master of University-College has annex'd a Library to the school Two miles from Howley is Drighlington D ighliton memorable only for the nativity of Dr. James Margetson late Archbishop of Armagh who founded here a school and endow'd it with 60 l. per An. q The river Are our next guide runs to Skipton Skiptâ—n where lye interr'd several of the Cliffords particularly George third Earl of Cumberland honour'd with the Garter by Queen Elizabeth and famous for his sea-services performing * Inscâ—â—pâ—â—on in Sâ—â—â—ton Caâ—â—â— nine Voyages in his own person most of them to the West-Indies being the best born Englishman that ever hazarded himself in that kind He died 30 Oct. 1605. leaving one only daughter Anne Countess of Pembroke Dorset and Montgomery an eminent benefactor born 30 Jan. 1589 90. at Skipton-Castle in Yorkshire wherein I am the more particular because Dr. Fuller in his Worthies Com. West p. 140. out of a mistake says 't was in Hertfordshire She built from the ground or considerably repair'd six ancient Castles one of which Brough had lain 140 years desolate after the fire had consum'd it An. 1520. Another wâ—stmâ— See the â—â—ditioâ—â— Wâ—stmâ—land Pendragon-castle of which our Author tells us nothing remain'd in his time but the bare name and an heap of stones 320 years after the invading Scots under their King David had wasted it An. 1341. She built also seven Chapels or Churches with two stately Hospitals richly endow'd and died 22 March A. D. 1675. This Country Craven hath given the title of Earl to William Craven Baron of Hampsted Marshal created Earl of Craven Mari 16. An. 16 Car. 2. From hence the Are passeth by Thornton the seat of Richard Thornton Esq to Rawdon Rawdon famous for Sir George Rawdon a most accomplish'd person who with 200 or fewer British most valiantly repulsed Sir Philim o Neile at the head of an army of about 7000 rebels assaulting Lisnegarvy now Lisburn in Ireland in that grand massacre 1641. wherein thousands of Protestants were most cruelly murder'd There now resideth Henry son of Francis Layton Esquire who in pursuance of his said father's will has built there and endow'd with 20 l. per an a Chapel which was consecrated by Archbishop Dolben 4 May 1684. r Upon the same river is Leeds Leeds possibly from the Saxon Leod gens natio implying it to have been very populous in the Saxon times which town and parish King Charles 1. by Letters Patents 13 July second of his reign incorporated under the government of one chief Alderman nine Burgesses and twenty Assistants Sir John Savil afterwards Lord
where the bowels of Walter Skirlaw Bishop of Durham were bury'd ‖ Ibid. as appear'd by the Inscription of a very fair stone varii marmoris as my Author calls it The same person had reason to build a high belfrey in order to secure them against inundations for the several Commissions that have been issu'd out for repair of the banks thereabouts argue the great danger they were in and within these seven years the Ebbe by reason of great freshes coming down the Ouse broke through the banks and did considerable damage both to Howden and the neighbouring parts Here the Londoners keep a Mart every year beginning about the fourteenth of September and continue it about nine days where they furnish by whole-sale the Country Trades-men with all sorts of Goods e Tho' the Abus Abus and the Humber be generally lookt upon as one and the same yet Ptolemy's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to be the corrupt Greek reading of the old name Ouse rather than sprung from the British Aber. 'T is plain however by that expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. the emptying of the river Abus that he meant the river had that name before ever it came to the Out-let f What our Author says of Coyfi throwing down the Fanum Impietatis domicilium Saxon-Idols does hardly seem to be cautiously or accurately enough exprest For it does not appear that any cover'd Temples were erected for the service of those Pagan-Idols which the Saxons here worship'd Polluit destruxit eas quas ipse sacraverat aedes says the Latin * Lib. 2. c. 13 Bede speaking of this Coyfi and the Saxon-Paraphrase uses the word Æ¿igbed or as some Copies have it Æ¿eopede Æ¿aes HaeÆ¿enan gyldes implying not a Temple but an Altar as is evident from Matth. v. 23. and xxiii 18 19 c. No they were only surrounded with a hedge to defend their ditches from the annoyance of cattel as is sufficiently intimated by another expression in the same Chapter Mid Heora Hegum Æ¿e Hi ymbsette Æ¿aeron i.e. with the hedges wherewith they were surrounded g But for Antiquities Beverley Beverley is the most considerable place hereabouts call'd formerly Beverlac quasi locus vel lacus Castrorum à Castoribus quibus Hulla aqua vicina abundabat says Leland * Vid. Monast Angl. t. 1. p. 170. from an old Anonymous Manuscript concerning the Antiquities of Beverolac or Beverley Tho' our Author tells us it has nothing of greater Antiquity than John of Beverley yet the same Manuscript informs us it had a Church before that time dedicated to S. John the Evangelist which this Archbishop converted into a Chapel for his new-erected Monastery On the 13. of September An. 1664. upon opening a grave they met with a vault of squar'd free-stone 15 foot long and 2 foot broad at the head but at the feet a foot and a half broad Within it was a sheet of lead four foot long and in that the ashes six beads whereof three crumbl'd to dust with a touch of the three remaining two were suppos'd to be Cornelians with three great brass pins and four large iron nails Upon the sheet laid a leaden plate with this Inscription ✚ ANNO AB INCARNATIONE DOMINI MCLXXXVIII COMBVSTA FVIT HAEC ECCLESIA IN MENSE SEPTEMBRI IN SEQVENTI NOCTE POST FESTVM SANCTI MATHAEI APOSTOLI ET IN AN. MCXCVII VI. IDVS MARTII FACTA FVIT INQVISITIO RELIQVIARVM BEATI JOHANNIS IN HOC LOCO ET INVENTA SVNT HAEC OSSA IN ORIENTALI PARTE SEPVLCHRI ET HIC RECONDITA ET PVLVIS CEMENTO MIXTVS IBIDEM INVENTUS EST ET RECONDITUS Cross over this there lay a box of lead about seven inâ—hes long six broad and five high wherein were several pieces of bones mix'd with a little dust and yielding a sweet smell All these things were carefully re-interr'd in the middle Alley of the body of the Minster where they were taken up Which circumstance does not by any means agree with what Bishop Godwin has left us about this Saint namely that he was bury'd in the Church porch For tho' what is mention'd in the Inscription was only a Re-interrment upon the Inquisition made yet it looks a little odd they should not lay the Reliques in the same place where they found them unless one should solve it this way that but part of the Church was then standing and they might lay him there with a design to remove him when it should be rebuilt but afterwards either neglected or forgot it The Minster here is a very fair and neat structure the roof is an arch of stone In it there are several monuments of the Percies Earls of Northumberland who have added a little Chapel to the Quire in the window whereof are the pictures of several of that family drawn in the glass At the upper-end of the Quire on the right-side of the Altar-place stands the Freed-stool mention'd by our Author made of one entire stone and said to have been remov'd from Dunbar in Scotland with a Well of water behind it At the upper end of the body of the Church next the Quire hangs an ancient Table with the pictures of St. John from whom the Church is nam'd and of K. Athelstan the founder of it and between them this Distich Al 's free make I thee As heart can wish or egh can see Hence the Inhabitants of Beverley pay no Toll or Custom in any port or town of England to which immunity I suppose they owe in a great measure their riches and flourishing condition For indeâ—d one is surpris'd to find so large and handsome a town within six miles of Hull In the body of the Church stands an ancient monument which they call the Virgins tomb because two Virgin-sisters lye buried there who gave the town a piece of land into which any free-man may put three milch-kine from Lady-day to Michaelmas At the lower end of the body of the Church stands a fair large Font of Agate-stone Near the Minster on the south-side of it is a place nam'd Hall-garth wherein they keep a Court of Record call'd Provost's Court. In this may be try'd Causes for any sum arising within its Liberties which are very large having about a hundred towns and parts of towns in Holderness and other places of the East-Riding belonging to it It is said to have also a power in Criminal matters tho' at present that is not us'd But to come to the condition of the town It is above a mile in length being of late much improv'd in its buildings and has pleasant springs running quite through it It is more especially beautified with two stately Churches and has a Free-school that is improv'd by two Fellowships six Scholarships and three Exhibitions in S. John's College in Cambridge belonging to it besides six Alms-houses the largest whereof was built lately by the Executors of Michael Wharton Esquire who by his last Will lâ—ft 1000 l. for that use The Mayor
Earls of Albemarle mention'd by our Authour that title was vacant till upon the Restoration of King Charles the second George Monk who had been chiefly instrumental in it was advanc'd to the Honours of Baron Monk of Potheridge Beauchamp and Tcyes as also Earl of Torrington and Duke of Albemarle July 7. 12 Car. 2. Who departing this Life in 1669. was succeeded in his Estate and Titles by Christopher his son and heir NORTH-RIDING SCarce two miles above the Promontory of Flamburorw the North-part of this Country or the North-riding â—orâ—h-â—â—ding begins which makes the frontier to the other parts From the Sea it extends it self in a very long but narrow tract for threescore miles together as far as Westmorland to the west 'T is bounded on this side with the river Derwent and for some time by the Ure on the other all along by the course of the river Tees which separates it from the Bishoprick of Durham to the North. This Riding may not unfitly be divided into these parts Blackamore Cliveland Northalvertonshire and Richmondshire That which lyeth East and towards the Sea is call'd Blackamore that is a land black and mountainous being with craggs hills and woods up and down it rugged and unsightly The Sea-coast is eminent for Scarborough a very famous Castle formerly call'd Scear-burg i.e. a Bourg upon a steep Rock a Take the description of it from the History of William of Newburgh A rock of wonderful height and bigness and inaccessible by reason of steep craggs almost on every side stands into the Sea which quite surrounds it but in one place where a narrow slip of land gives access to it on the West It has on the top a pleasant plain grassy and spacious of about sixty acres or upwards and a little well of fresh water springing from a rock in it In the very entry which puts one to some pains to get up stands a stately tower and beneath the entry the City begins spreading its two sides South and North and carrying its front Westward where it is fortified with a wall but on the East is fenc'd by that rock where the Castle stands and lastly on both sides by the Sea William sirnam'd le Grosse Earl of Albemarle and Holderness observing this place to be fitly situated for building a Castle on encreased the natural strength of it by a very costly work having enclosed all that plain upon the rock with a wall and built a Tower in the entrance But this being decay'd and falln by the weight of too much age King Henry the second commanded a great and brave Castle to be built upon the same spot For he had now reduc'd the Nobility of England who during the loose reign of King Stephen had impaired the revenues of the Crown but especially this William of Albemarle who Lorded it over all these parts and kept this place as his own It is not to my purpose to relate the desperate boldness of Thomas Stafford who that he might fall from great attempts surpriz'd this Castle in Queen Mary's reign with a very small number of Frenchmen and kept it for two days nor yet that Sherleis a noble Frenchman of the same party was arraign'd for High-Treason altho' he was a foreigner because he had acted contrary to the duty of his Allegiance â— Dier â— there being then a Peace between the Kingdoms of England and France These things are too well known in the world to need a publication here Yet it is worth remarking that those of Holland and Zealand carry on a very plentiful and gainful trade of fishing in the Sea here for herrings call them in Latin Haleces Leucomenidae Chalcides The gainful trade of herring-fishing or what you please whereas by an old Constitution they use to get a Licence first for it from this Castle For the English always granted leave for fishing reserving the Honour to themselves but out of a lazy temper resigning the gain to others For 't is almost incredible what vast gains the Hollanders make by this Fishery on our Coast These herrings pardon me if I digress a little to shew the goodness of God towards us which in the former age swarmed only about Norway now in our time by the bounty of divine providence swim in great shoals towards our coasts About Mid-summer they draw from the main sea towards the coasts of Scotland at which time they are immediately sold off as being then at their best From thence they next arrive on our coasts and from the middle of August to November there is excellent and most plentiful fishing for them all along from Scarborough to the Thames-mouth Afterwards by stormy weather they are carried into the British sea and there caught till Christmas thence having ranged the coast of Ireland on both sides and gone round Britain they convey themselves into the Northern Ocean where they remain till June and after they have cast their spawn return again in great shoals This relation puts me in mind of what I have formerly read in S. Ambrose Fish in prodigious numbers Hexameron l. 5. c. 10. meeting as it were by common consent out of many places from several creeks of the sea in one united body make towards the blasts of the * Aquilo North-east wind and by a kind of natural instinct swim into the northern seas One would think to see them as they climb the main that some tide were approaching they rush on and cut the waves with such violence as they go through the Propentis to the Euxine Sea But now to return From hence the shore is craggy and bendeth inward as far as the river Teise and by its winding in Teise river there is caused a bay about a mile broad which is called Robin-Hoods Bay Robbin Hood's Bay from that famous Out law Robin Hood who flourish'd in the reign of Rich. the first as Jo. Major a Scotchman informs us who stiles him a principal and leading robber and the most kind and obliging robber From hence the shore immediately going back on both sides le ts us see the Bay Dunus sinus mention'd in Ptolemy Dunum upon which is seated the little village Dunesly Dunesley and just by it Whitby Whitby in the Saxon tongue a Streones-heal Streanes-Heale which Bede renders the bay of the Watch-tower I will not dispute this explanation of it though in our language it seems so plainly to intimate the bay of Safety that I should certainly have said it was the Sinus Salutaris if its situation as the Geographer makes it did not perswade me to the contrary b Here are found certain stones Stony-Serpents resembling the wreaths and folds of a serpent the strange frolicks of nature which as one says she forms for diversion after a toilsome application to serious business For one would believe them to have been serpents crusted over with a bark of stone Fame ascribes them to the power
are read these verses in an old barbarous character concerning King Oswald Hic locus Oswalde quondam placuit tibi valde Northanhumbrorum fueras Rex nuncque Polorum Regna tenes loco passus Marcelde vocato This happy place did holy Oswald love Who once Northumbria rul'd now reigns above And from Marcelde did to Heaven remove From Warrington the Mersey grows broader and soon after contracts it self again but at last opens into a wide mouth very commodious for trade and then runs into the Sea near Litherpoole Litherpool in Saxon Liferpole commonly Lirpoole call'd so as 't is thought from the water spread like a fenn there It is the most convenient and frequented place for setting sail into Ireland but not so eminent for its being ancient as for being neat and populous e For the name of it is not to be met with in old Writers but only that Roger of Poictiers who was Lord of the Honour of Lancaster as they express'd it in those times built a Castle here the government whereof was enjoy'd for a long time by the noble family of the Molineaux Molineux Knights whose chief Seat lyes hard by at Sefton Sefton which the same Roger de Poictiers bestow'd upon Vivian de Molineaux about the beginning of the Normans For all the Land between the Ribell and the Mersey belong'd to the said Roger as appears by Domesday f Near Sefton Alt a little river runs into the Sea leaving its name to Altmouth a small village which it passes by and runs at a little distance from Ferneby where in the mossy grounds belonging to it they cast up Turves which serve the Inhabitants both for fire and candle Under the Turf there lyes a blackish dead water which has a kind of I know not what oily fat substance floating upon it and little fishes swimming in it which are took by those that dig the Turves here so that we may say we have fish dug out of the ground here as well as they have about Heraclea and Tius in Pontus Nor is this strange when in watry places of this nature the fish by following the water often swim under-ground and men there fish for them with spades But that in Paphlagonia many fish are dug up Fishes dug up and those good ones too in places not at all watery has somewhat of a peculiar and more hidden cause in it That of Seneca was pleasantly said What reason is there why fish should not travel the Land if we traverse the Sea g From hence the shore is bare and open and goes on with a great winding More into the Country stands Ormeskirke Ormeskirk a market-town remarkable for being the burial-place of the Stanleys Earls of Derby whose chief Seat is Latham hard by a house large and stately which from Henry the fourth's time has been continually enlarg'd by them h At that time John Stanley Knight father of John Lord Lieutenant of Ireland descended from the same stock with the Barons of Audley married the daughter and heir of Thomas Latham an eminent Knight to whom this great estate with many other possessions came as his wife's portion From that time the Stanleys Stanleys have liv'd here of whom Thomas son of Thomas Lord Stanley made Earl of Derby Earls of Derby by King Henry the seventh had by Eleanor Nevill daughter to the Earl of Salisbury George Lord Le Strange For he married Joan the only daughter and heir of John Baron Le Strange of Knockin who dy'd during the life of his father leaving a son Thomas the second Earl of Derby He by his wife Ann daughter of Edward Lord Hastings had a son Edward the third Earl of Derby who by Dorothy the daughter of Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk had Henry the fourth Earl whose wife was Margaret daughter of Henry Clifford Earl of Cumberland and mother of Ferdinand the fifth Earl who dy'd lately and of William now the sixth Earl who succeeded his brother 4 But I forget my self now when as I have formerly remembred as much i Here Dugless Dugless river a small brook runs with an easie still stream near which our Arthur as Ninnius says defeated the Saxons in a very memorable battel Near the rise of it stands Wiggin Wiggin a town formerly call'd Wibiggin as they affirm I have nothing to say of this name but that the Lancashire-men call buildings Biggin Biggin what nor of the town but that 't is neat and plentiful and a Corporation consisting of a Mayor and Burgesses also that the Rector of the Church is as I have been told Lord of the town Hard by stands Holland Family of Hollands from which the Hollands a most famous family who were Earls of Kent and Surrey and Dukes of Exeter took their name and original The daughter and heir of the eldest brother who flourish'd here under the degree and title of Knight being at last marry'd to the Lovels brought them both the estate and Arms of this family Arms of the Hollands namely In a field Azure ‖ With flowers de Ly◠florete Argent a Lion rampant gardant Arg. Near the mouth of the Dugless lies Merton a large broad lake which empties it self into this river where in the out-let of it it is presently joyn'd by the river Ribell Next to the Mersey this is the first river here that falls into the Ocean the old name whereof is not quite lost at this day for Ptolemy calls the Aestuary here Bellisama Bellisama and we Ribell by adding perhaps the Saxon word Rhe which signifies a river This river running in a swift stream from Yorkshire-hills is first carry'd to the southward by three high mountains Ingleborrow-hill near the spring of it which made me very much wonder for it shoots out in a vast ridge rising as it were gradually to the westward and mounts up towards the end as if another hill were rais'd upon the back of it Penigent Penigent so call'd perhaps from it's white and snowy head for so Pengwin signifies in British it is of a great bulk but not so high as the other Where the Rhibell enters Lancashire for these I have mention'd are in Yorkshire stands Pendle-hill Pendle-hill of great height and which on the very top produces a peculiar plant call'd Clowdesbery Clowdesbery as if it were the off-spring of the Clouds k But this hill is chiefly famous for the great damage done to the lower grounds about it heretofore by a fall of water that issued from it and for being an infallible prognostick of rain when the top of it is black and cloudy I the rather make mention of them both because they are the most eminent hills in our Appennine and therefore 't is commonly said Ingleborrow Pendle and Penigent Are the highest hills between Scotland and Trent and also that what I have already said may be the better understood Why the highest Alps should be
and sent for Aidan a Scotchman to instruct his people in the Christian Religion The place where the Victory was obtain'd was afterwards call'd Heafenfeld â—â—fâ—nfeld â— Haleâ— or Heaven field which now in the same sense as some will have it is nam'd Haledon Whereon Oswalds Life gives us the following piece of Meter Tunc primùm scivit causam cur nomen haberet Heafenfeld hoc est coelestis Campus illi Nomen ab Antiquo dedit appellatio gentis Praeteritae tanquam belli praesaga futuri Nominis Caussam mox assignavit ibidem Coelitùs expugnans coelestis turba scelestam Neve senectutis ignavia posset honorem Tam celebris delere loci tantique Triumphi Ecclesiae Fratres Haugustaldensis adesse Devoti Christúmque solent celebrare quotannis Quóque loci persestat honos in honore beati Oswaldi Regis ibi construxere Capellam And now he understood whence Heavenfeld came Call'd in old time by that prophetick name For now the reason of the name was given When Hell 's vile Troops were overcome by Heaven But least devouring Ages should deface The glorious triumph of the sacred place The Monks of old Hagustald every year Do meet and joyn in their devotions here And that great Oswald's fame should never dye They 've rais'd a Chapel to his memory And another for his Commendation well enough for the barbarous Age he liv'd in writes thus Quis fuit Alcides Quis Caesar Julius Aut quis Magnus Alexander Alcides se superâsse Fertur Alexander Mundum sed Julius hostem Se simul Oswaldus Mundum vicit hostem m Caesar and Hercules applaud thy fame And Alexander owns thy greater name Tho' one himself one foes and one the world o're-came Great conquests all but bounteous Heav'n in thee To make a greater joyn'd the former three Below S. Oswald's both Tines meet after South-Tine which goes along with the Wall at about two miles distance from it has pass'd by Langley-Castle where formerly 〈◊〉 Neâ— in the Reign of King John Adam de Tindale had his Barony which afterwards descended upon Nicholas de Bolteby and was lately in the possession of the Percies and has slidden under a tottering and crazy wooden Bridge at Aidon And now the whole Tine being well grown and still encreasing presses foward in one Chanel for the Ocean running by Hexam Hexam which Bede calls Haugustald and the Saxons Hextoldesham That this was the Axelodunum Axelâ—dunum of the Romans where the first Cohort of the Spaniards were in garison the name implies and so does its situation on the rising of a hill for the Britains call'd such a Mount Dunum Dunum But take an account of this place from Richard its Prior who liv'd above five hundred years ago n Not far from the Southern bank of the river Tine stands a Town of a small extent indeed at present and but thinly inhabited but as the remaining marks of its ancient state will testifie heretofore very large and magnificent This place is call'd Hextoldesham from the little rivulet of Hextold which runs by and sometimes suddenly overflows it In the year 675. Etheldreda wife to King Egfrid assign'd it for an Episcopal See to S. Wilfrid who built here a Church which for a curious and most beautiful Fabrick surpass'd all the Monasteries in England See also what Malmesbury has written of it This was Crown-Land till Bishop Wilfrid chang'd others for it with Queen Etheldreda 'T was wonderful to see what towering Buildings were there erected how admirably contriv'd with winding stairs by Masons brought in prospect of his great Liberality from Rome Insomuch that they seem'd to vye with the Roman pomp and long out-struggled even time it self At which time King Egfrid made this little City a Bishop's Seat But that Honour after the i There were twelve several Bishops of Hexham besides S. Cuthbert who might brobably be reckon'd for a thirteenth For he is said to have been both elected and consâ—crated to â—hat See though he did not think fit to take the charge upon him eighth Bishop was wholly lost the Danish wars prevailing Afterwards it was only reckon'd a Manour of the Archbishop's of York till they parted with their right in an exchange made with Henry the eighth 'T is also famous for the bloody Battel wherein John Nevil Lord Montacute very bravely engag'd and as fortunately vanquish'd the Generals of the House of Lancaster and for so doing was created Earl of Northumberland by Edward the fourth At present its only glory is the old Monastery part whereof is turn'd into the fair house of k It was since part of the estate of Sir John Fenwick who sold it to Sir William Blacket of Newcastle Baronet Sir J. Foster Knight The West-end of the Church is demolish'd The rest stands still entire and is a very stately Structure in the Quire whereof may be seen an old Tomb of a Person of Honour of the Martial Family of the Umfranvils Men buried cross legg'd as his Coat of Arms witnesses lying with his Legs across By the way in that posture it was then the custom to bury such only as had taken the Cross upon them being under that Banner engag'd in the Holy War for the recovery of the holy-Holy-Land out of the Hands of the Mahometans Near the East-end of the Church on a rising brow stand two strong Bulwarks of hew'n-stone which I was told belong to the Archbishop of York From hence Eastward we pass'd on to Dilston Dilston the Seat of the Ratcliffs call'd in old Books Devilston from a small brook which here empties it self into Tine and which Bede names Devil's burn where as he writes Oswald arm'd with Christian Faith in a fair field slew Cedwall the Britain Bede l 3. c. 1 that wretched Tyrant who before had slain two Kings of Northumberland and miserably wasted their Country o On the other bank of Tine stands Curia Ottadinorum mention'd by Ptolemy Ninius calls it Curia which by the distances should seem to be Antonine's l Read Corstopilum For so says H. Surita's Edition both in the Text and Comment Corstopitum 't is now call'd Corbridge Corbridge from the Bridge here built by Hoveden Corobrige and by Henry of Huntingdon Cure At this day it has nothing remarkable but a Church and a little Tower-house built and inhabited by the Vicars of the place Yet there are many ruins of ancient buildings Treasure sought in vain Hoveden Tacitus amongst which King John search'd for some old hidden Treasure but Fortune favour'd him no more in this vain quest than she did Nero in his Enquiries after the conceal'd riches of Dido at Carthage For he found nothing but stones mark'd with Brass Iron Lead p Whoever views the neighbouring heap of rubbish which is now call'd Colecester Colecester will readily conclude it to have been a Roman Fort. Upon the same bank we saw the fair Castle of Biwell
was in times past exceeding strong Which being surprized by the English while King James 2. of Scotland was besieging it he was untimely slain in the flower of his youth by a piece of Cannon that casually burst He was a Prince much missed and lamented by his Subjects Notwithstanding this the Castle was surrender'd and being mostly demolished is now scarce to be seen But the adjacent Territory called from it the Sheriffdom of Roxborough â—â—â—â—â—ffâ—â—â—e of â—â—â—boâ—â—â—gh â—â—â—editaâ—â—â—heriffs hath an hereditary Sheriff of the family of Douglass who is usually called the Sheriff of Teviotdale And now f It is now an Earldom belonging to the same Family Roxborough by the favour of King James 6. is also a Barony in the person of Robert Kerr Kerr of the house of the Kerrs a very noble and numerous family in this tract from which are descended the Fernhersts and others who being educated in the school of Arms have render'd themselves very illustrious Twede Twedale aforesaid runs through the middle of a Valley or Dale that takes its name from it abounding in sheep whose wool is very valuable This is certainly a Noble River which having its source amongst the hills more inwardly Westward and running as it were with a streight Channel by Drimlar-Castle by Peeblis Peeblis a Market-Town * See more in the Additions which hath for its Sheriff Baron Zester as also g This town is a burgh-Royal has a weekly market and several â—airs is the head burgh of the shire and the seat of the Sheriff and Commissary-Courts Selkirk Selkirk †See more in the Additions hard by which hath one out of the family of Murray of Fallo-hill it receives the little River Lauder upon which appears h Here the late Duke of Lauderdale has built a well-contriv'd handsom Church consisting of four Isles with a large Steeple rising in the middâ—e Lauder together with Thirlestan Here Sir John Maitland not long since Chancellor of Scotland for his singular prudence created by K. James the 6. Baron of Thirlestan Baron of Thirlestan hath a very beautiful seat i The said Duke has adorned it with avenues pavillions out-Courts and other beauties requir'd to the making of a compleat Seat Then being increased by the accession of the River Teviot beneath Roxburgh it watereth the Sheriffdom of Berwick which is most of it the Estate of the Humes wherein the Head of that Family exerciseth now the Jurisdiction of a Sheriff and then running under Berwick the best fortified Town of Britain whereof I have already spoken with a prodigious plenty of Salmon it emptieth it self into the Sea b MERCHIA MERCH or MERS MErch which is next and so named because it is a March-Countrey lieth wholly upon the German Ocean Here k It was demolished by the English in the late War Hume Castle first presents it self the ancient possession of the Lords of Home or Hume who being descended from the Earls of Merch have spread themselves into a numerous and noble family Of which Alexander Hume who was before Primier Baron of Scotland and Sheriff of Berwick was lately advanced by James King of Great Britain to the Title of Earl of Hume Earl Hume Not far off under this Castle lieth l It is a burgh of Barony and a large beautiful Town Kelso Kelso formerly famous for a Monastery founded by King David the first among thirteen more for the propagation of God's glory but to the great impairing of the Crown Lands Thence we have a prospect of Coldingham Coldingham called by Bede Coldana and Coludi urbs perhaps the Colania Colania of Ptolemy consecrated many Ages since to professed Nuns whose Chastity is recorded in ancient Writings for their cutting off together with Ebba their Prioress their Noses and Lips chusing to secure their Virginity from the Danes rather than preserve their Beauty but they notwithstanding burnt them together with their Monastery Hard by is Fastcastle belonging to the Humes so called from its strength near the same St. Ebbe's Promontory who being the Daughter of Edelfrid King of Northumberland when her Father was taken Prisoner seized upon a Boat in the Humber and passing along the tempestuous Ocean landed in safety here became famous for her sanctity and left her name to the place But Merch is much more celebrated in History for its Earls Earls of Merch. than places who were highly commended for their Martial Courage They were descendants of Gospatrick Earl of Northumberland who after his being driven out of his Countrey by William the Conqueror was entertained by Malcolm Conmer that is Great-head King of Scotland and honoured by him with Dunbar-Castle and the Earldom of Merch. His Posterity besides very large possessions in Scotland held as appears by an old Inquisition the Barony of Bengeley in Northumberland that they should be Inborrow and Utborrow between England and Scotland What the meaning should be of these terms let others guess what my conjecture is I have said already But in the reign of King James the first George of Dunbar the Earl of Merch by authority of Parliament upon the account of his Father's Rebellion lost the propriety and possession of the Earldom of Merch and the Seigniory of Dunbar And when he proved by good Evidence that his Father had been pardoned that fault by the Regents of the Kingdom he was answered that it was not in the Regents power to pardon an offence against the State and that it was provided by the Laws that the Father's transgression should succeed to the Children to the end that being Heirs to their Father's Rashness as well as Estate they should not at any time out of a vain opinion of power plot against their Prince and Country The Title of Earl of Merch was afterwards amongst other Honourable Titles conferr'd on Alexander Duke of Albany And in our memory this title of honour was reviv'd in Robert the 3. Brother of Matthew Earl of Lenox who being of Bishop of Cathness made Earl of Lenox soon after resigned up that Title to his Nephew created Duke of Lenox and received of the King by way of recompence the name and stile of Earl of Merch c LAVDEN or LOTHIEN LOTHIEN also called Lauden Lauden and anciently from the Picts Pictland shoots out along from Merch as far as the Scottish Sea or the Frith having many hills and little woods but for its excellent Corn-lands and civility is commended above any County in Scotland About the Year of our Lord 873. Edgar King of England between whom and Keneth the third King of Scotland there was a strict alliance against the Danes the Common Enemy resigned up his right in this Lothian unto him as Matthew Florilegus asserts and to tie his heart the closer to him He bestowed upon him moreover many Lodges in the way wherein both he and his Successors in their coming to the Kings
Falkirk but we need not here be particular in the Description of it designing a separate discourse upon that subject at the end of this Kingdom SELGOVAE BEneath the Gadeni to the South and West where now lie the small Territories of Liddesdale Eusdale Eskdale Annandale and Nidisdale q To which add Wachopdale so called from Rivulets running through them which all lose themselves in Solway-Frith were anciently seated the Selgovae the reliques of whose name seem to me whether to others too I knâ—w not to remain in the name Solway IN Liddesdale â—â—ddâ—sâ—â—â—e we have a high prospect of Armitage so called because anciently dedicated to a solitary life But now it is a very strong Castle which belonged to the Hepburnes who deduce their Original from a certain English Captive whom the Earl of March for delivering him out of a danger much enriched They were Earls of Bothwell â—â—rls of â—â—thwell and for a long time Admirals of Scotland by inheritance But by a sister of James Earl of Bothwell last of the Hepburnes â—â—pburnes married to John Prior of Coldingham a natural son of K. James 5. who had several such issue both title and estate devolved to his son Hard by is Brakensey â—â—akensey the seat of the warlike Family of Baclugh â—â—â—d â—â—clugh sirnamed Scot with many other little Forts of men of Arms up and down the Country In Eusdale Eusdale I should be apt to think from the affinity of the name that the ancient Uzellum Uzellum mentioned by Ptolemy lay upon the River Euse In Eskdale Eskdale some are of opinion that the Horesti Horesti dwelt into whose borders Julius Agricola after he had subdued the Britains that inhabited this Tract led the Roman Army especially if we read Horesci for Horesti For the British Ar-Esc signifies a place by the River Eske As for Aesica in Eskdale I have spoken of it before in England and need not repeat it here a ANNANDALE JOined to this on the west-side lies Annandale Annandale that is the Valley or Dale upon the river Annan into which the access by land is very difcult The places of greatest note are a Castle upon Lough-Maban Lough-Maban which is three parts surrounded with water and strongly walled And Annandale Town almost upon the very mouth of the river Annan divested of all its glory by the English War in the reign of Edward 6. In this Territory the Jonstons The Jonstons are men of greatest name a family born for Wars between whom and the Maxwells who by ancient right preside over the Stewartry The Stewartry of Annandale for so 't is term'd there hath been too long an open enmity and defiance even to bloodshed This Valley Edgar King of the Scots upon his restoration to his Kingdom by the Auxiliaries he had out of England gave for his good services to Robert Brus The Bruses Lord of Cleaveland in the County of York who bestowed it by the King's permission upon Robert his younger son being unwilling himself to serve the King of Scots in his Wars From him are branched the Bruses Lords of Annandale of whom Robert Bruse married Isabella the daughter of William King of Scots by the daughter of Robert Avenel his son likewise Robert the third of that name married the daughter of David Earl of Huntingdon and Garioth whose son Robert sirnamed the Noble upon the failure of the issue of Alexander the third King of Scotland challenged in his mother's right the Kingdom of Scotland before Edward I. K. of England as the direct and superior Lord of the Kingdom of Scotland as the English give out or as an Honorary Arbitrator as the Scots will have it as being more nearly related in degree and bloud to King Alexander the third and to Margaret daughter to the King of Norway although a second sister's son Who soon after resigning up his own right granted and gave over to his son Robert Brus Earl of Carrick and to his heirs I speak out of the very Original all the right and claim which he had or might have to the Kingdom of Scotland But the point was determined in favour of John Baliol who sued for his right as descended from the eldest sister though in a more remote degree in these words Because the person more remote in the second degree descending in the first line is to be preferred before a nearer in the second line in the succession of an inheritance that cannot be parted Nevertheless the said Robert son to the Earl of Carriot by his valour possess'd himself of the Kingdom and establish'd it in his posterity A Prince who as he was illustrious for his glorious Actions so did he successfully triumph over Fortune so often his Adversary with a courage and presence of mind invincible b NIDISDALE CLose to Annandale on the West lies Nidisdale abounding in arable and pasture grounds so named from the River Nid The River Nid by Ptolemy falsely written Nobius for Nodius or Nidius of which name there are other Rivers in Britain full of muddy shallows as this Nid is It springs out of the Lake Lough-Cure upon which stood anciently Corda Corda a Town of the Selgovae It takes its course first by Sanqhar a Castle of the Creightons The Creightons Barons of Sanqhar who were long honoured with the Title of Barons of Sanqhar and the authority of hereditary Sheriffs of Nidisdale next by Morton Earls of Morton which gave the Title of Earl to some of the family of Douglass of which others are seated at Drumlanrig upon the same River near the mouth whereof stands Dunfreys Dunfreys between two Hills the most flourishing Town of this Tract which still shews its ancient Castle a Town famous for its woollen Manufacture and remarkable for the murder of John Commin a man of the greatest Interest amongst the Scots whom Robert Brus lest he should oppose his coming to the Crown ran through in the Church and easily got a pardon of the Pope for a murder committed in a sacred place Nearer to its mouth Solway a Village still retains somewhat of the old name of Selgovae Upon the very mouth is situated Caer-Laverock Caer-Laverock Ptolemie's Carbantorigum a Fort looked upon as impregnable when K. Edw. I. accompanied with the flower of the English Nobility besieged and took it But now 't is a weak Mansion-House of the Barons Maxwell who being of ancient Nobility were long Wardens of these Western Marches and lately advanced by a marriage with a Daughter and Coheir of the Earl of Morton whereby John Lord Maxwell was decâ—ared Earl of Morton as also by the Daughter and Heir of Hereis Lord Toricles whom J. a second son took to wife and had by her the title of Baron Hereis Barons Hereis In this valley also upon the lake lies Glencarn Glencaâ—â— of which the Cunninghams about whom I shall speak
is not large but has been well fortified with three fosses and dykes of earth of which so much is still remaining that one on horseback cannot see over them It seems to have inclos'd all that ground on which the town stands and may have been about a mile in compass When you tread upon the ground of the Praetorium it gives a sound as if hollow occasioned probably by some Vaults underneath such as are at Camelon and Airdoch two others of their Camps About a quarter of a mile from this are two other risings one to the South and the other to the West which along with this make a triangular form By the footsteps remaining they seem to have been little larger than the Praetorium of the first without any fortifications save a single Fosse and a Dyke of the same form 'T is probable enough that these might be the Stations for the outer guards At Langsyde Langsydâ— also there is the appearance of an old Camp on the top of the hills Here a battle was fought between Queen Mary and the Earl of Murray call'd the field of Langsyde In the lands of New-yards near Pasly Ebbing-spring there is a remarkable spring which is observed to ebb and flow with the tyde tho' it be on a far higher ground than any place where the tide cometh The water of the River Whyte-Cart upon which Paslay stands is commended for its largeness and the fineness of the Pearls that are frequently found hereabouts and three miles above They fish for them mostly in summer-time and meet with them at the bottom of the water in a fish-shell much larger than the ordinary Muscle c LENNOX Lennox also called likewise Dumbartonshire from Dumbarton a Burgh-royal and chief town in the shire is made by our Author a part of the Damnii tho' some learned men according to the division of it into the High country and the Low have thought it more convenient to make the latter part of the Gadeni and the former the seat of the Vacomagi the remains of which name they observe in a village upon Loch-lomund called Blowvochie 'T is bounded on the South with the River Clyde and its Firth on the West it hath Logh-Lung and a water of the same name which falleth into it on the North it hath the Grampion-hills and on the East the water of Blane divides it from Sterlingshire It s length is about 24 miles and its breadth about 20. The Lower part lyes to the East and is very fertil in corn especially towards the Rivers The Higher is hilly moorish and more fit for pasture especially where the Grampion-mountains begin The country is very well furnished with Gentlemens seats and here is the Castle of Murdock the residence of the Marquis of Montross They have Lochs both of salt and fresh water the greatest of the fresh-water Lochs is Loch-Lomond Lâ—ch Lâ—mond 24 miles in length in breadth about eight miles where broadest and where narrowest two 'T is surrounded with hills on all sides except the South and is full of Isles some whereof are cultivated and inhabited d STERLINGSHIRE Sterlingshire is the fourth of those comprehended by our Authour under the antient Damnii but Sir Robert Sibbalds who has consider'd these matters very accurately is of opinion that this as well as the adjacent part of Dumbartonshire belonged to the Gadeni a name referring to this narrow neck of land It is encompassed to the West with Dumbartonshire to the South with part of Clydsdale and part of Dumbartonshire to the East with the shire of Linlithgow and to the North with the Firth and river of Forth where 't is longest it is about 20 miles and where broadest twelve miles over The South part is high hilly ground somewhat moorish and fit for pasture but that which lyes upon the Firth of Forth is very fertil and abounds with Coal Besides Sterling a Royal Burgh where the Courts meet there is Kilsyth Kilsyth a Burgh of Barony which giveth title to the Viscount thereof named Levingston who has several manours and lands in the neighbourhood Falkirk Falkirk another Burgh of Barony well built upon a rising ground much beautified with buildings by the first Earl of Kalendar brother to the Earl of Linlithgow a person famous for his valour and conduct Elphinston Elphinston the residence of the Lord of that name adorned with a large wood of Firs c. with several other seats Near to Sterling stands the Abbey of Cambuskeneth which belonged to the Monks of the Order of S. Augustin and was founded by King David Emanuel is a Nunnery of the Cistertian Order founded by Malcolm 4. and stands upon Evan water CALEDONIA ALL that part of Britain lying Northward beyond Graham's Dyke or the forementioned Wall of Antoninus Pius and jetting out on both sides is called by Tacitus Caledonia as its people are The Britains inhabiting Caledonia Ptolemy divides them into many nations viz. the Caledonii Epidii Vacomagi c. All these were afterwards from retaining that custom of painting their bodies called Picts by the Romans and Provincials They are divided by Ammianus Marcellinus into two Nations the g The Dicaledones seem to have possess'd the countries of Argile Perthshire part of Loughaber and the mountanous part of Angus and the Vecturiones the rest of Scotland north of the Firth of Forth Dicaledones and Vecturiones which have been treated of before Nevertheless in Classick Authors they go all under the name of Caledonii who I should think were so called of Kaled a British word signifying hard making in the Plural number Kaledion whence Caledonii that is a people hardy rough unciviliz'd wild and rustick such as the Northern nations generally are as observ'd to be of a fiercer temper from the extream coldness of their climate and more bold and forward from their abundance of blood And beside their clime the nature of the country confirms it which rises up every where in rough and rugged mountains and Mountaineers are lookt upon by all as a hardy and robust sort of people But whereas Varro alleges out of Pacuvius that Caledonia breeds men of exceeding large bodies I should rather think it meant of that part of Epirus called Caledonia than of ours although ours too may justly challenge this commendation Amongst these was the Sylva Caledonia â—â—â—â—a Caâ—â—â—â—â—â—a called by Lucius Florus Saltus Caledonius spreading out to a vast compass and by the thickness of its trees impassible divided also by the Mountain Grampius now called Grantzbaine that is the crooked Mountain Solinus tells us it is plain that Ulysses arrived in Caledonia â—â—â—sses's 〈◊〉 by a votive Altar inscrib'd with Greek Characters But I should rather think it was set up in honour of h. Concerning Ulysses's being in Britain and the Altars being inscrib'd to him in sâ—veral nations see the General part p. 36. Ulysses than by Ulysses himself Martial also in this verse mentions
the Caledonian Bears Nuda Caledonio sic pectora praebuit urso His naked breast to Caledonian bears He thus expos'd Plutarch too writes that they transported Bears from Britain to Rome where they had them in great admiration whenas Britain hath bred none for many ages What sort of Monster that should be mention'd by Claudian Caledonio velata Britannia monstro With Caledonian monsters cover'd o're Great Britain next appears I cannot really tell It certainly bred in antient times abundance of wild milk-white Bulls â—â—â—edoniâ—â— Bulls with thick manes like Lions but only few now a days and those very cruel and fierce having such an aversion to mankind that for some time they cannot endure any thing handled or breathed upon by them nay they value not the baiting of dogs though Rome in former ages so wonder'd at the fierceness of Scottish Dogs that they thought they were brought over in cages of Iron However this word Caledonii grew so common amongst the Roman writers that they made use of it to signifie all Britain and all the Forests of Britain Hence Florus tells us that Caesar pursued the Britains as far as the Caledonian Forests and yet he never saw them Hence also Valerius Flaccus addresses himself thus to Vespasian Caledonius postquam tua Carbasa vexit Oceanus When Caledonian waves your streamers bore That is the British Sea Hence likewise Statius addresses his verses to Crispinus concerning Vectius Volanus his Father Propraetor of Britain about Vitellius's time Quanta Caledonios attollet gloria campos Cùm tibi longaevus referet trucis incola terrae Hîc suetus dare jura parens hoc cespite turmas Affari ille dedit cinxÃtque haec moenia fossa Belligeris haec dona deis haec tela dicavit Cernis adhuc titulos hunc ipse vacantibus armis Induit hunc regi rapuit thoraca Britanno What glories Caledonian plains shall boast When some rude native of the barb'rous coast Salutes you thus Here Sir with awful state Your noble father oft in judgment sate On this small hill I 've seen the Heroe stand While willing Legions heard his just command These walls these ditches own his mighty hand These Arms their old inscriptions yet appear He fix'd glad trophies to the God of War This sumptuous Corslet for the fight put on And this from Britain's Prince in combat won But in these as in other things Crescit in immensum facunda licentia vatum Nor laws nor bounds poetick licence owns For neither Caesar nor Volanus ever so much as knew the Caledonians In Pliny's time as himself witnesses almost 30 years after Claudius the Romans with all their expeditions had carried their victories no farther in Britain than to the neighbourhood of the Caledonian Forest For Julius Agricola under Domitian was the first that enter'd Caledonia which was then under the government of Galgacus Galgacus the Britan. called 5 In the Book of Triplicites in the Triadum Liber amongst the three Worthies of Britain Galauc ap Liennauc a Prince of a mighty spirit and courage who having routed the Legion with an undaunted resolution charg'd the Romans and with the utmost bravery defended his country till fortune rather than his own valour fail'd him For then as he saith thâ—sâ— northern Britains were the utmost bounds both of land and liberty And they certainly were the utmost of this Island as Catullus calls the Britains the utmost of the world in his verses to Furius Caesaris visens monumenta magni Gallicum Rhenum horribiles ultimosque Britannos To view the noble marks of Caesar 's power The Gallick Rhine and Britain 's farthest shore In the time of Severus as we read in Xiphiline Argetecoxus Argetocoxus a petty King reigned over this Tract whose wife being reproached as an Adulteress by Julia the Empress frankly made this answer We British Dames have to do with the bravest of men but you Roman Ladies with every lewd fellow in private FIFE IN this large Country of the Caledonians beyond Sterlingshire of which I treated last and two little Governments or Sheriffdoms Clackmans Clackmans of which a Knight named de Carss a and Kinross Kinross of which the Earl of Morton is Sheriff b lies Fife a very fine Peninsula wedged in as it were between two Arms of the Sea the Forth and the Tay and shooting out towards the East The land yeilds great plenty of Corn Forage and Pit-coal the Sea besides other fish produces abundance of Oysters and Shellfish and the coast is well planted with little towns that breed good store of lusty Seamen In the South side hereof upon the Forth we first have a sight Westward of Cul-ros a late erected Barony in the person of John Colvill then of Dunfermling Dunfermling seated on an Eminence a famous Monastery in former times both the building and burying place of King Malcolm the third But now it gives the name and title of Earl to that wise Statesman Alexander Seton of late deservedly advanced from Baron of Fivy to be Earl of Dunfermling and High Chancellor of the Kingdom of Scotland by James King of Great Britain Then upon the Frith stands Kinghorn Earl of Kinghorn from which i They are likewise Earls of Strathmore Patrick Lyon Baron Glamys by the favour of King James 6. lately received the title and honour of an Earl After this upon the shore is Dysert Dysert situate upon a rising ground with an open heath of the same name stretch'd out before it Here is a good large place which they call the Coal-plot that hath great plenty of an earthy Bitumen part whereof burns not without damage to the neighbours k It has a harbour and much trade in coal and salt and is the residence of the Lord Sinclare Near to this lies Ravins-hecuh that is the Raven 's craggy hill the seat of the Barons St. Clare or Seincler Above this the River Levin The River Leven buries it self in the Forth which River running out of the Lake Levin wherein there stands a Castle of the Douglas's now Earls of Morton hath at its mouth Wemmis-Castle Wemmis l 'T is at prâ—sent the residâ—nce of the Countess of Weems to whom belongs the new-built haven very commodious for shipping the seat of a noble family of that sirname lately advanced to the dignity of Barons by King James 6. From hence the shore bends inwards with many windings and turnings as far as Fif-ness that is the promontory or nose of Fife Above it St. Andrews Sâ— Andrews an Archiepiscopal City hath a fine prospect into the open sea The more antient name of this place was Regimund that is St. Regulus's Mount St. Regulus as appears by old evidences in which we read Oengus or Ungus King of the Picts granted unto God and St. Andrew that it should be the Head and Mother of all the Churches in the Picts Dominions And then an Episcopal
himself and his Commentator Tzetzes The Islâ— Cerne make Cerne to be situated in the East and the most learned are all of opinion that Madagascar must be the place which lyes as it were in another world under the Tropick of Capricorn over against Egypt Thus much for the names of Ireland not forgetting in the mean time sâ— Ireland called Sâ—land that in later ages it was called Scotia by Isidore and Bede from the Scotch Inhabitants and that thence the name of Scotland together with the Scots themselves came into Britain But this has been already observed and need not be here repeated This Island is stretcht out from the south northward not broader than it is long as Strabo says but of a lentel or oval form nor yet of twenty days sail as Philoemon in Ptolemy has related but according to modern computation 't is reckoned 300 miles in length and scarce 120 in bredth On the east of it lyes England The situation of Ireland sever'd by that boisterous Sea called the Irish Sea On the west it is bounded by the vast Western Ocean on the north by the Deucaledonian and on the south by the Vergivian Sea Geraldus â—ambrenâ—â— in Taâ—grâ—phia Hâ—â—ermae g Concerning the peculiar Excellencies of Ireland see Ware 's Antiquitat Hibern p. 34. A Country says Giraldus uneven mountaneous soft washy overgrown with woods windy and so boggy that a man may see standing waters upon the very mountains The Climat according to Mela is so unkind that it does not ripen corn yet the countrey produces grass in such abundance and that not only very rank but very sweet so that the cattel may fill themselves in a small time and shall even burst if they are not interrupted and hindered from eating longer Upon this account their breed of cattel is infinite Fâ—sh manâ—les and rugs and are indeed the greatest wealth and support of the inhabitants as also sheep which they shear twice a year and of the course wooll make Irish rugs and mantles Their Horses Horses likewise we call them Hobies are very excellent they go not as other horses do but amble very soft and easie The Hawkes Hâ—wkes also of this country are not without their praise but these as all other animals besides men and greyhounds are of a less size here than in England â—â—eases The air and ground are of too h As it grows more populous it becomes less waterish and boggy the low-lands and marshes being drained by the industry of the inhabitants The woods too are in a great measure destroyed and as for corn they have that in great abundance moist a nature and this makes fluxes and rheums so usual in this countrey especially to those that are strangers yet their Uskebah Uâ—kebah which is less enflaming and yet more drying than our brandy is an excellent remedy for this distemper Giraldus says that none of the three kinds of fevers are incident to the natives of this countrey which is daily refuted by experience Yet to cite the same Author as evidence in another matter i Though there is not so much difference between the climates of England and Ireland yet of the two Ireland may seem to be more temperate as being neither so hot in summer nor so cold in winter The Countrey it self is of all others the most temperate here are neither the scorching heats of Cancer to drive men into shades nor the piercing colds of Capricorn to compel them to the fire-side The air is so mild and pleasant that all seasons are in some measure warm Bees are so swarming in this Countrey that we have them not only in hives but in the trunks of trees 〈◊〉 grapes â—â—â—eland â—â—d why and caverns of the earth k Vid. Scalig. Exercit. 200. Cardan de Rerum Varietat lib. 6. c. 23. p 223. Vines grow here but yield not so much benefit by their fruit as by their shade For as soon as the sun is pass'd Leo we have cold blasts in this country and the afternoon heat in Autumn is too little either in strength or continuance here and in Britain to ripen and concoct grapes to a full perfection Moreover Ireland has no snakes or l They have neither frogs nor moles nor are there any wolves to be met withal except in wild and solitary mountains where there are few or no inhabitants other venemous creatures yet it is infested with Wolves all over To wind up all whether we regard the fruitfulness of the soil the advantage of the sea with so many commodious havens or the natives themselves who are warlike ingenious proper and well complexioned soft-skinn'd and very nimble by reason of the pliantness of their muscles this Island is in many respects so happy that Giraldus might very well say Nature had been more favourable than ordinary to this Kingdom of Zephyrus And the reason why 't is now and then spoke ill of is because of the inhabitants who are unciviliz'd in some places and which is strangely inconsistent love idleness and hate quiet They begin very early with their amours for among the wilder sort when their daughters arrive at the age of ten or twelve they marry them as ripe and capable without expecting that age and maturity which is required in other nations But in the end of this Book we shall treat more largely of their Customs Here if the reader pleases he shall hear Ireland speaking of it self and its commodities in the verses of the most learned Hadrianus Junius Illa ego sum Graiis olim glacialis Ierne Dicta Jasoniae puppis bene cognita nautis Quae Tarthesiaco propior se tingere soles Flumine conspicio Cauro subjecta procaci Cui Deus melior rerum nascentium origo Jus commune dedit cum Creta altrice tonantis Noxia ne nostris diffundant sibila in oris Terrificae cretitabo Phorcynidos angues Et fortè illati compressis faucibus atris Viroso pariter vitam cum sanguine ponant En ego cum regni sceptro Mavortia bello Pectora horriferas hominum nil fingo figuras Qui cursu alipedes norint praevertere cervos Dedico piscososque lacus volucrumque paludes Omnigenûm lustris foetas stannique fodinas Et puri argenti venas quas terra refossis Visceribus manes imos visura recludit I 'me cold Jerne me the Grecians knew Me Jason and his Pegasean crew Fixt in the Ocean near the sportive West I see great Phaebus posting down to rest And when his fiery Car the flood receives Hear the wheels hissing in Tartessian waves On me kind mother nature hath bestow'd The wondrous gift which grateful heaven allow'd To Crete's fair Isle that nurs'd the thundring god That no vile snake sprung from Medusa's gore Should vent an hiss upon my peaceful shore If hither brought their feeble jaws they close And dearer life do with their poyson lose A crown I bring and
antient and noble family have flourished from the first conquest of this country by the English who were afterwards advanced to the honour of Barons o Now Earl of Tyrone Curraghmore Upon the bank of the river Suire stands Waterford â—â—terford the chief City of this County Of which thus old Necham Suirius insignem gaudet ditare Waterford Aequoreis undis associatur ibi Thee Waterford Suir 's streams with wealth supply Hasting to pay their tribute to the sea This City which the Irish and Britains call Porthlargy the English Waterford was first built by certain Pirats of Norway Though 't is situated in a thick air and on a barren soil and close built yet by reason of the convenience of the haven p It was once but now Cork may claim that honour 't is the second City in Ireland for wealth and populousness and has ever continued q It s motto was Intacta manet Waterfordia But in the course of the Irish rebellion begun An. 1641. by means of the Popish Clergy it became exceeding faulty Now that the English Inhabitants daily encrease we may expect it will recover its former reputation particularly loyal and obedient to the Crown of England For since it was first taken by Richard Earl of Pembroke it has been so faithful and quiet that in our Conquest of Ireland it has always secur'd us from any attempts on this side Upon this account the Kings of England have endowed it with many and those considerable privileges which were enlarged and confirmed by Henry 7. for behaving themselves with great valour and conduct against Perkin Warbeck a sham-Prince who being but a young fellow of mean extraction had the impudence to aim at the Imperal Diadem by pretending to be Richard Duke of York the second son of King Edward 4. King Henry 6. gave the County of Waterford 〈◊〉 of â—â—terford together with the City to John Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury in words which so clearly set forth the bravery of that warlike man that I cannot but think it worth the while and perhaps some others may think it so too to transcribe them from the Record We therefore says the King after a great deal more wherein one sees the defect both of the Latin and eloquence of the Secretaries of that age in consideration of the valour of our most dear and faithful Cousen John Earl of Shrewsbury and Weysford Lord Talbot of Furnival and Lestrange sufficiently shewn and proved in the wars aforesaid even to his old age not only by the sweat of his body but many times by the loss of his blood and considering how our County and City of Waterford in our Kingdom of Ireland with the Castle Seigniory Honour Lands and Barony of Dungarvan and all the Lordships Lands Honours and Baronies and their appurtenances within the same County which by forfeiture of rebels by reversion or decease of any person or persons by escheat or any other title of law ought to vest in Us or our progenitors which by reason of invasions or insurrections in these parts are become so desolate and as they lye exposed to the spoils of war so entirely wasted that they are of no profit to us but have done and now do many times redound to our loss and charge and also that the said lands may hereafter be better defended against the attempts and incursions of enemies or rebels do ordain and create him Earl of Waterford with the stile title name and honour thereunto belonging And that all things may correspond with his state and greatness we hereby of our special grace certain knowledge and free motion that the Grandeur of the Earl may be supported more honourably do give grant and by these presents confirm unto the said Earl the County aforesaid together with the aforesaid title stile name and honour of Earl of Waterford and the city of Waterford aforesaid with the fee-farm castles lordships honours lands baronies and all other appurtenances within the County as also all mannors hundreds wapentakes c. along the sea-coast from the town of Yoghall to the city of Waterford aforesaid To have and to hold the said County of Waterford the stile title name and honour of Earl of Waterford and likewise the city of Waterford aforesaid with the castle seigniory honour land and barony of Dungarvan and all other lordships honours lands and Baronies within the said County and also all the aforesaid mannors hundreds c. to the abovesaid Earl and to the heirs males of his body begotten to hold of us and our heirs by homage fealty and the service of being our Seneschal and that he and his heirs be Seneschals of Ireland Seneschal of Ireland to us and our heirs throughout our whole land of Ireland to do and that he do and ought himself to do in the said office that which his predecessors Seneschals of England were wont formerly to do for us in that office In witness whereof c. However while the Kings of England and their Nobility who had large possessions in Ireland were either took up with foreign wars in France or civil dissentions at home Ireland was quite neglected so that the English interest began to decay r See the Statute of Absentees in the County of Caterlogh and the power of the Irish grew formidable by reason of their absence and then it was enacted to recover their interest and to suppress this growth of the Irish strength that the Earl of Shrewsbury for his absence and carelesness should surrender the Town and County of Waterford to the King and his successors and likewise that the Duke of Norfolk the Baron Barkley Ann. 28. H. 8 the Heirs Female of the Earl of Ormond and all the Abbots Priors c. of England who held any lands there should surrender them to the King and his successors for the same faults The County of LIMERICK THus far we have surveyed the maritime counties of Mounster two remain that are inland Limerick and Tipperary which we are now come to The County of Limerick lies behind that of Cork Northward between Kerry the river Shanon and the county of Tipperary fruitful and well inhabited but it has few remarkable towns The West part of it is called Conilagh Conilagh where among the hills Knock-Patrick Knock-Patrick that is St. Patrick's hill is most eminent for its height from the top whereof one has a pleasant prospect into the sea and along the river Shanon which at a great distance falls from a wide mouth into the Vergivian Ocean At the bottom of this hill the Fitz-Giralds liv'd for a long time in great honour Knight of the Vally Qu. Elâ—z An. 11. till Thomas call'd the Knight of the Valley or de Glin when his graceless son was put to death for Arsony for 't is treason by the laws of Ireland to set villages and houses a fire was also found an Accessary and had his estate
the labour of their own hands to quit tithes and oblations and leave them for the clergy of the Diocess to depend upon and wear woven or leathern breeches no longer On the contrary they flatly refuse to recede from those customs observed in the Monasteries of the west which were allowed to be instituted by Maurus of blessed memory disciple to S. Benedict and by S. Columban But this is too great a ramble therefore now to return Upon the Sea-coast stands Arglus where S. Patrick is reported to have built a Church and Strangeford formerly Strandford a safe harbour where the river Coyn runs into the sea with great noise and violence In the Chersonese hard by Queen Mary always bountiful to the Nobility gave much land to the Earl of Kildare The Russels Audleys Whites and those who setled last here the Bagnells of English descent live up and down among the wild Irish in these parts against whom they stoutly defend the possessions left them by their Ancestors Ardes Ardes another Chersonese 47 Called the Andes lyes over-against this separated on the west by a small chanel from the Lough Coin enclosed on the east by the sea and on the north by the bay of Knoc-Fergus You may resemble it to a bended arm for by a very narrow Isthmus it grows to the main land just as the arm does to the shoulder The soil is very good in all parts of it unless in a flat boggy plain in the very middle of about twelve miles long The shore is well stock'd with Villages and was formerly grac'd with a monastery situated upon the bay of Knoc-Fergus very famous for the same order and name with that eminent and very ancient Monastery in England near Chester call'd Banchor Banchor Monastery Which of them it was that produc'd that great heretick Pelagius Pelagius is uncertain some will have him from this others from that of Britain but both upon ill authority That he was a Britain is most certain upon many accounts and among others upon the authority of Prosper Aquitanus thus inveighing against his impiety in that distich I procul insana impietas artesque malignas Aufer authorem comitare exclusa Britannum Far hence with wicked arts profaness fly And bear thy british patron company But let us hear what S. Bernard says of him A man of great power and riches gave Banchor to Malachy In the life of Malachy to build or rather re-build a monastery thereon For it had been a noble monastery before under Congell the first father which had bred many thousand Monks and planted many inferior Monasteries A place truly pious the mother of many holy men and very fruitful in promoting Godliness insomuch that one of the sons of that holy Society called Luan is said to be the sole founder of a hundred Monasteries I mention it that by this instance the Reader may imagine the vast numbers in it Lastly by this means it filled both Ireland and Scotland with its off-spring One of which S. Columbanus came into these parts of France and built the Monastery of Luxovium which grew up to a great society 'T is said to have been so large that divine service continued both night and day without ceasing one moment by the many Quires they could make immediately to succeed one another And thus much in praise of Banchor monastery Being formerly destroyed by Pirats it was repaired by Malachy who seized it with a design to replant a sort of Paradise in respect of its ancient dignity and the many Saints that had dy'd in it For not to mention those that had departed in peace there nine hundred were said to have been put to death in one day by the Pyrates The lands belonging to it were very large and many but Malachy contenting himself with the holy place only gave them to another For from that instant it was destroyed it had been seized upon and held with all its possessions For Abbots were still elected and enjoyed it under that name being as heretofore nominally though not really so Althâ—ugh many dissuaded him from alienating these Lands and pâ—ssessions and advised him to retain them yet he was so much in love with Poverty that he made one be chosen as formerly to hold them reserving only as we have already said the place to himself and his Within a few days the Church was finished made of wood smooth'd and firmly joynted after the Scotch manner but pretty beautiful Malachy thought it proper afterward to have a stone Church in Banchor like those he had seen in other Countries When he began to lay the foundation the natives were struck with admiration at it having never seen any building of that nature before in this Country So that one of them exclaimed Good Sir Why these fashions from other Countries We are Scots and not Frenchmen What means this levity what need this superfluous and proud fabrick More inward upon the lake lyes the Bishoprick of Coner Bishoprick of Coner in which S. Malachy himself presided but how far his flock was from coming up to piety we may learn from S. Bernard Malachy was made Bishop of Coner for that 's the name of the city near the thirtieth year of his age When he began to do his duty among them this man of God soon saw that he was not placed among men but beasts such as he had never before met with for all kinds of barbarity for manners so froward for customs so devillish for faith so impious for laws so barbarous so averse to discipline and good living They were nominally Christians but really and indeed Pagans No tithes nor first-fruits no lawfull marriages nor confessions of sins among them No one either to ask or give penance and few or no Ministers of the Altar But what need I enlarge upon this matter since the Laity was for the most part idle No fruit could be expected by their performances among so lewd a people For there was neither preaching nor singing to be heard in their Churches And what could the Lord's Champion do in such a case He must either yield with dishonour or fight on with danger And so he did knowing himself a Shepherd and not a hireling he chose to stand rather than fly being ready upon occasion to give up his life for his flock And notwithstanding they were all wolves and no sheep he stood in the midst of them like an undaunted Shepherd considering how by any means he might convert his wolves into sheep Thus S. Bernard and as I am informed the present Bishop even at this day is hardly able to give them a much better Character This Ardes was formerly the estate of the Savages Savaâ—e an English family one of which is famous for that stout and witty saying 48 When he was mov'd to build a Castle for his own defence He would never rely upon a castle of stones but upon one of bones
meaning his own body The O-Neals afterwards wrested it out of their hands but they being attainted of treason Sir Thomas Smith Knight and one of Queen Elizabeth's Privy-Council by her permission planted a Colony there an excellent design but very unsuccessful For after great expence his own natural son whom he had set over it was taken by an Ambuscade of the Irish and then thrown to be tore in pieces by the dogs a piece of cruelty for which they afterwards severely suffered being themselves put to death and given to the wolves Above Ardes westward lyes the more southern Clanboy Clanboy the Upper i.e. a Yellow Sept or the family of Hugh the Yellow as they interpret it a woody Country which extends to the bay of Knock-Fergus inhabited by the O-Neals and counted the very utmost part of this County of Down The County of ANTRIM THE next County to Louth northwards is the County of Antrim so called from Antrim a small town only remarkable for giving name to the whole shire which is bounded by the bay of Knock-Fergus Knock Fergus the Lough Eaugh and the river Ban. This bay of Knock-Fergus called Vinderius in Ptolemy took it's name from a town situate upon it which the English term Knock-Fergus the Irish Carig-Fergus that is the rock of Fergus from that famous Fergus drowned there who first brought the Scots out of Ireland into Britain This town is more frequented and famous than any other upon this coast by reason of a commodious haven fortifications though not yet finished a castle standing upon a high rock and has a garison to keep the country in subjection with an ancient palace now converted into a magazine Near this lies Clane-boy the lower Clanboy the Lowâ—â— the habitation likewise of the O-Neals memorable for the death of that lewd rebel Shan or John O-Neal who after many outrages was defeated in one or two skirmishes by 49 Sir Henry Henry Sidney Lord Deputy and reduced to such streights that he was resolved to go and address himself to the Lord Deputy with a halter about his neck for pardon but his Secretary dissuaded him and induced him rather to seek assistance from the Island Scots who under the conduct of Alexander Oge were now encamped here and ravaged the country Accordingly he went to them and was kindly received but put to death soon after with his whole party for the slaughter he had formerly made among their relations The war being thus ended by his death and he attainted with his whole party Queen Elizabeth bestowed this Clane-boy upon Walter D'Evereux Earl of Essex who came hither sent perhaps by means of some Courtiers under pretence of honour for he was made Governor of Ulster and Marshal of Ireland into a Country ever rebellious and ungovernable Where endeavouring with great expence to compose affairs and reduce them to a state of peace and quietness he was at last after many and great difficulties snatch'd away by an untimely death to the loss and trouble of all good men and to the benefit of the O-Neals and Brian Carragh of the family of the Mac-Conells who thereupon got this territory and since that time have been at war with one another for the Lordship of it Near this Knock-Fergus lies a Peninsula joined by a small neck of land to the continent which is call'd the Isle of Magie 〈◊〉 oâ— Maâ—â—â— being four miles in length and one in breadth Here some suppose that the Monastery of Magio so much commended by Bede did stand which I have already mentioned in the County of Maio. Then the Glinnes â—â—â—nnes that is the valleys begin at Older-sleet a bad road for ships and run along a great way by the sea This territory belong'd formerly to the Bissets â—â—â—ts Noblemen of Scotland who for making away Patrick Earl of Athol were banished hither and by the favour of Henry the third King of England were settled in an estate here For John Bisset who died in the beginning of Edw. the first had a great estate in lands here and in Edw. the 2d's reign Hugh Bisset forfeited part of it by rebellion In the last age this was invaded by the 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ni â—â—torâ—s 〈…〉 Coâ— Irish Scots from the Cantire and the Hebrides under the conduct of James Mac Conell Lord of Cantire in Scotland who claimed it as descended from the Bissets Shan O-Neal having cut off their Captain soon repelled them Yet they returned and made cruel ravages in these parts fomenting rebellions in the Kingdom till but very lately 50 Sir John John Perrot Lord Deputy first reduced Donall Goran who was slain together with his brother Alexander in Conaught by 51 Sir Richard Richard Bingham and afterwards Agnus Mac Conell the sons of James Mac Conell to that pinch that they submitted themselves to the Queen of England and upon their humble petition received this Country to hold of her by Knight's service on condition to bear arms for none but the Kings of England and to pay a certain number of Cows and Hawks yearly c. Above this as far as the river Bann the Country is called Rowte The Rowte the seat of the Mac Guillies Mac Guâ—lly a family of no small note among the Irish but pent up in this narrow corner by the outrage and continual depredations of the Island-Scots For Surley-Boy Surley boy also Chairly boy that is Charles the yellow brother to James Mac Conell who possessed the Glinnes did in a manner make himself master of this tract till 52 Sir John John Perrot the aforesaid Lord Deputy having took the castle of Donluse Doniuse strongly situated upon a rock hanging out into the sea and severed from the land by a deep ditch drove out him and his party However he recovered it the year following by treachery after he had slain Carie the governor who made a stout defence Upon this the Lord Deputy sent out Meriman an experienced Captain against him who cut off the two sons of James Mac Conell with Alexander the son of this Surley Boy and pressed him so closely driving away his cattle the only riches he had for he was able to make up 50000 Cows of his own stock that he surrender'd Donluse came to Dublin and made an open submission in the Cathedral exhibiting a petition for mercy Being after this admitted into the Governors lodgings as soon as he saw the picture of Queen Elizabeth he threw away his sword once or twice and fell down before it devoting himself entirely to Her Majesty Being received into favour and protection among the other subjects of Ireland hereupon he abjured both in the Chancery Kings-Bench all allegiance to any foreign Prince whatsoever and by the bounty of Queen Elizabeth had four territories or Toughs as they call them from the river Boys to the Ban bestowed upon him namely Donseverig Loghill and Ballamonyn together with the government of Donluse
castle given to him and to the heirs male of his body to hold of the Kings of England upon this condition that neither he his men nor posterity shall take up arms in behalf of any foreign Prince without licence that they should restrain their followers from depredations find 12 horsemen and 40 footmen at their own charges for 40 days together in time of war and pay every year a certain number of oxen and hawks to the Kings of England The County of COLRAN BEyond the Glinnes westward lies Krine now call'd a 'T is now the County of London-derry from the city of London-derry which was built and planted by the Londoners the County of Colran from the chief town in it bounded by the river Bann 〈◊〉 Bâ—nn on one side and the Lough-Foile on the other and the County of Tir-Oen on the south This Bann is a very beautiful river as Giraldus says which indeed its very name intimates It rises out of the Mourne-hills in the County of Downe and emptying it self into the large lough of Eaugh or Sidney where it loses both it's self and name after thirty miles for so long this Lough is counted it receives it again by Tome castle From whence crown'd with wood on both sides it proudly runs by Glancolkein â—â—â—olâ—â— which by reason of thick woods and unpassable bogs is a safe refuge for the Scotch Islanders and rebels as the English are sensible by their pursuit of Surley-boy who absconded here and so into the sea being the best stock'd with Salmon of any river in Europe by reason as some imagine of its clearness above all other rivers Salmons a quality with which that kind of fish are particularly delighted The Cahans are of greatest authority in these parts the chief of which family is O-Cahan O-Cahan who was reputed one of the greatest of those Potentates or Uraights Uraights as they term them that held of O-Neal tyrant of Ulster as being the person who in the barbarous election of O-Neal The election of O-Neal performed with barbarous ceremony upon a high hill in the open air has the honourable office of throwing a shoe over the head of the O Neal then chosen Yet his power is not so great as to restrain the Island-Scots The Island Scots who to save their own at home in the summer-time leave those barren and fruitless Islands where there 's nothing but want and beggery and come hither for provisions where they take all opportunities to raise or nourish rebellion so that it has been declared high-treason either to call them into Ireland or receive them in it 53 But this County without confining is escheated to the King who graciously purposing a civil plantation of those unreformed and waste parts is pleased to distribute the said lands to his civil subjects and the City of London hath undertaken to plant Colonies there The County of TIR-OEN UNder Calaran southward lies the County of Tir-Oen that is the land of Eugenius 54 Which name the Irish have contracted into Eogain and Oen. This is a midland County divided from Tir-Conell on the west by the river Liffer from the County of Antrim on the east by the Lough-Eaugh and from the County of Armagh on the south by Blackwater in Irish More which signifies the same thing Though it is somewhat rough and unpleasant yet is it fruitful and very large being sixty miles in length and thirty in breadth divided into the Upper Tir-Oen on the north Upper Tir-Oen and the Nether Tir-Oen on the south by the mountains of Slew-Gallen In this lies Cloghar Bishoprick of Cloghar Dunganon Barons of Dunganon a poor Bishoprick Dunganon the chief seat of the Earls which by the favour of Henry the eight gave the title of Baron to Matthew son to the first Earl of Tir-Oen The house is neater than is generally to be met with in this County but often burnt by the the Lord of it to save the enemy that trouble Next Ublogabell where O-Neal who with great pride and haughtiness king'd it in Ulster was wont to be crown'd after the barbarous custom of that Country Then the Fort at Blackwater Fort of Blackwater or the river More which hath sustained all the changes and chances that are in war being the only passage into this country the harbor of rebels But it has been neglected ever since the discovery of the other ford below which is defended by a fort on both sides built by Charles Montjoy Lord Deputy as he pursued the rebels in these parts At the same time he also made another Fort called from him Montjoy situated upon the Lough Eaugh Lough Sidney or Sidney as the souldiers in honour of Henry Sidney at this day call it which encloses the west-side of this shire and is either made or much enlarged by the river Bann as I have observed This Lough is very clear full of fish and very big being of thirty miles extent or thereabouts as the Poet says Dulci mentitur Nerea fluctu With his sweet water counterfeits the sea And considering the variety of appearances upon the banks the shady groves green meadows and rich corn fields when they meet with good husbandry as also the copling hills and pleasant brooks all contrived so agreeable and fine by nature they seem to upbraid the natives for letting things run thus wild and barbarous for want of industry In the Upper Tir-Oen Tir-Oen the upper stands Straban a noted castle inhabited since our times by Turlogh Leinigh of the family of the O-Neals who after the death of Shan O-Neal as I shall shew by and by was elected by the people and raised to the dignity of O-Neal The Castles of Ireland and some other castles of less note which like those in other parts of the Island are no more than towers with narrow * Foraminibus loop-holes rather than windows to which adjoins a hall made of turf and roofed over-head with thatch and a large yard fenced quite round with a ditch and hedge to defend their cattle from thieves But if this County is famous or eminent for any thing 't is for its Lords who have ruled as Kings or rather Tyrants over it of whom two have been Earls of Tir-Oen namely Conus O-Neale and Hugh his Grandchild by his son But when I treat of the Earls and Lords of Ulster I will speak more at large of these The County of DONEGALL or TIR-CONEL ALl that remains now in Ulster towards the north and south was inhabited by the Robogdii and Vennicnii At present this tract is called the County of Donegall or Tir-Conell that is as some interpret it the land of Cornelius and as others the land of Conall and accordingly Matianus calls it Conallea The County is in a manner all champagne and full of havens being bounded both on the north and west side by the sea on the east by the
grew so concerned for blinding his brother that he renounced the Kingdom and with the sign of the cross went in pilgrimage to Jerusalem where he died 1089. As soon as the Nobility of the Island receiv'd the news of Lagman's death they dispatched their Ambassadors to Murecard O-Brien King of Ireland desiring that he would send them some diligent man or other of Royal extraction to rule over them during the minority of Olave the son of Godred The King readily consented and sent one Dopnald the son of Tade with orders and instructions to govern the Kingdom though it belonged not to him with modesty and tenderness But as soon as he was advanced to the throne without any farther heed to the commands his Lord had laid on him he grew grievous to the people by his tyranny and and reigned three years with great cruelty and outrage The Nobility being then no longer able to endure this oppression conspir'd rose up in arms and banish'd him Upon that he fled into Ireland and never returned 1097. One Ingemund was sent by the King of Norway to get the soveraignty of these Islands When he came to the Isle Leod he sent to all the great men of the Islands commanding them to assemble and make him King In the mean while he with his companions did nothing but spoil feast ravish women and virgins giving himself wholly up to such beastly lusts and pleasures As soon as the great men of the Islands were acquainted with these proceedings being now assembled to make him King they were so enraged that they went in all haste towards him and coming to his house in the night set it on fire so that he and his whole retinue were either destroyed by the fire or by the sword An. 1098. was founded the Abby of S. Mary at Cistercium Antioch was taken by the Christians and a Comet appeared The same year was fought a battle between the Inhabitants of the Isle of Man at Santwat those of the north-side got the victory In this engagement were slain Earl Other and Macmaras the two Leaders This same year Magnus King of Norway the son of Olave son of Harald Harfager out of curiosity to know whether the Corps of St. Olave King and Martyr remained uncorrupt commanded his tomb to be open'd This order being opposed by the Bishop and his Clergy the King himself came in person and had it open'd by force And when with the sense of his own eyes and hands he found the body sound and unputrified he fell into great fear and went away in all haste The next night the King and Martyr appear'd to him saying Take thy choice of these two offers either to lose thy life and Kingdom within 30 days or to leave Norway and be content never to see it more As soon as the King awaken'd he called his Nobles and the Elders of his people together and told them what vision he had seen Being frighted at it they gave him this Council That with all haste he should depart from Norway Upon this he prepared a fleet of an hundred and sixty ships and set sail for the Orcades which he soon conquer'd from whence he went on with success and victory through all the Islands till he came to that of Man Being landed there he went to St. Patrick's Isle to see the place where the Islanders had been engaged a little before for many of the dead bodies were as yet unburied This fine Island pleased him so well that he resolved to seat himself in it and to that end built forts and strong holds which retain his name to this day Those of Gallway were so much over-awed by him that at his order they cut down wood and brought it to the shore for him to make his Bulworks withal Next he sailed to Monia an Island of Wales where he found two Hughs both Earls one of them he slew Monia for Anglesey v. Girald Cambrensem in Itinerario Cambria the other he put to flight and conquer'd the Island The Welsh men made many Presents to him so taking his leave of them he returned to Man To Maricard King of Ireland he sent his shoes commanding him to carry them upon his shoulders thro' the middle of his house on Christmas day in sight of his Messengers to signifie his subjection to King Magnus The Irish received this news with great wrath and indignation But the King more advisedly said That he would not only carry but also eat his shoes rather than King Magnus should destroy one Province in Ireland So he complied with this order and honourably entertained his Messengers and sent them back with many presents to him and made a league with him Being returned they gave their Master an account of Ireland describing its situation and pleasantness its fruitfulness and the excellence of its air Magnus hearing this begun to turn his thoughts wholly upon the Conquest of that Count try For this end he gave orders to fit out a good fleet and went before with sixteen ships to take a view of the Country but as he unwarily left his ship he was beset by the Irish and cut off with most of those that were with him His body was buried near St. Patrick's Church in Down He reigned six years After his death the Noblemen of the Island sent for Olave the son of Godred sirnamed Crovan who lived in the Court of Henry King of England the son of King William 1102. Olave the son of Godred Crovan began his reign which continued 40 years He was a peaceable Prince and in league with all the Kings of Ireland and Scotland His wife was Africa the daughter of Fergâ—se of Gallway by whom he had Godred By his Concubines he had also Regnald Lagman and Harald besides many daughters one of whom was married to Summerled Prince of * Argiâ—e Herergaidel to whom the Kingdom of the Isles owe their ruine By her he had four sons Dungall Raignald Engus and Olave 1133. The Sun was so eclipsed on the fourth of the Nones of August that the day was as dark as the night 1134. Olave gave to Yvo Abbot of Furnes part of his lands in Man towards building an Abby in a place called Russin He enricht the estate of the Church with Islands and Revenues and endowed it with great liberties 1142. Godred the son of Olave sailed over to the King of Norway who was called Hinge and did him homage he staid there some time and was honourably received This same year the three sons of Harald the brother of Olave who were bred at Dublin came to Man with a great multitude of men and such as the King had banished demanding one half of the Kingdom of the Isles for their share The King being willing to please them answered That he would take the advice of a Council about it Having agreed upon the time and place for their meeting these base villains began to plot against the King's life At the
Scotland that of Hirta lieth farthest into the sea being about 50 miles from the nearest land two miles in length and about one in breadth having in it some ten families 'T is very mountainous and not accessible but by climbing One can hardly imagine what prodigious numbers of fowl frequent the rocks whereof as there are many sorts so some are of strange shapes Amongst these there is one they call the Gare-Fowl bigger than a goose lays great eggs and is distinguished by a great white spot upon the breast They stuff the stomach of it with the fat of other fowl in the Isle and having dried it in the chimney sell it to their neighbours on the continent as a remedy against aches and pâ—ins Their sheep are differenâ— from all others having long legs long horns and instead of wooll a bluish hair upon them Of the milk of their sheep they make butter and a sort of cheese very poinant to the taste They have no salt but what they make of sea-tangle by buâ—ning it Their greatest trade is in feathers which they sell and the exercise they affect most is climbing of steep rocks Some corn they have though but little and their food is eggs and young sea-fowl their drink whey and water They keep their holidays very strictly in their little Chapels The women labour the land and the men climb the rocks for fowl The duty they pay their Master is reasted mutton reâ—sted wild fowl and selch-skins Hirth being either rough and stony or unaccessible by reason of craggy cliffs and without grass These however as we have already said were all of them purchased of the King of Norway by the Scots as a support to their Empire though they turn it to little or no advantage by reason of the inhabitants who are old Scots or Irish men of great spirit and boldness that will not subject themselves to the penalty of Laws nor the sentences of Courts As for their manners dress and language they differ little or nothing from the wild Irish of whom we have already treated so that one may easily know them to be one and the same nation The interest and wealth of them are enjoyed by Mac Conell Mac Alen or as others call him Maclen Mac Cloyd de Lewes and Mac Cloyd de Harich But the most potent by far of these families is that of the Mac Conells who derive themselves from Donald that in the reign of James the third took the title of King of the Isles and ravaged Scotland with all the outrage and cruelty imaginable for which his son John was outlawed and suffered in his estate being forced to leave it all at the King's will and mercy who gave back some possessions in Cantir In the last age flourish'd Gormy Mac Conell of this family that is the blue perhaps so called from his cloaths who had issue Agnus Mac Conell See Antrim and Alexander who leaving Cantir as poor and barren invaded the Glinnes in Ireland This Agnus Mac Conell was father of James Mac Conell slain by Shan O-Neal and of Surley Boy who had lands given him in Rowt in Ireland by the bounteous Queen Elizabeth James Mac Conell had issue Agnus Mac Conell 1586 and 1598. but of him we have spoke already who fell into such an inveterate enmity with Mac Clen that no indearments of consanguinity could ever reconcile nor restrain either of them from seeking the blood and ruine of one another k Others of these Islands that are pretty considerable are 1. JURA lying over-against Knapdail some 24 miles in length and in breadth where broadest about 6 miles The sea-coast is fertil in corn and the middle parts are fit for pasture Betwixt this and Ila runneth that most dangerous chanel called the Sound of Ila near 10 miles long and two broad 2. SCARBA about two miles distant from Jura about 4 miles long and one broad It is a high rough Isle and hath some wood in it Betwixt this and Jura runs a stream called Arâ—y-Brescen eight miles long which is not to be ventured upon but at certain tides for there is no sailing or rowing against it 3. TERIE lying off the Isle of Mull towards the west about 8 miles in length and 3 in breadth where broadest The coast of it is dangerous for rocks banks and vioâ—ent tides and the entries are very bad 4. COLLE north of Terie about 12 miles in length and two in breadth It is fertil enough and affords plenty of Iron ore 5. WIIST about 34 miles long and 6 broad 6. BARRAY 7 miles long and 4 broad 7. RONA a little Isle low and well manured hath for many generations been possessed by 5 Families which seldom exceed the number of 30 Persons They have a kind of Comm nwealth amongst themselves and if any one has more children than another he that has fewer takes from his neighbour so many as will make his number equal Those that are above 30 are sent with the sea-boat to Lewis to Seaforth their Master to whom they pay yearly a quantity of meal stitched up in sheep-skins and some feathers of sea-fowls All things are common amongst them They have no fuel for fire but the sea yearly casts in so much timber as serves them for that use As we steer north-east from the Hebudes we come in sight of the Orcades Orcades now Orkney Orkney being a cluster of Isles distinguished by the interflow of the sea from one another about 30 in number which are said by a certain old manuscript to be so called as if one should say Argat that is for so it is there explained Above the Getes but I had rather expound it Above Cat for it lies over-against Cath a Country of Scotland which from the promontory is now called Catness the Inhabitants whereof seem to be falsly named Carini in Ptolemy instead of Catini These Islands in Solinus's time were without Inhabitants and sadly overgrown with rushes but now they are improved and produce much barley but no wheat trees nor woods The chief and most remarkable of them is Pomonia Pomona a Bishop's See call'd Pomona Diutina from the length of the day there by Solinus but by the Inhabitants at present Mainland as if it were Continent adorned with a Bishop's seat at Kirkwal a little town and with two castles and enriched with store both of tin and lead Ocetis is also reckoned among these Isles by Ptolemy I suppose it may be that which we now call Hethy But whether Hey which is counted one of these be Pliny's Dumna Dumna is a question I cannot yet resolve If it be not I should be apt rather to think Fair-Isle this Dumna wherein the only town is called Dum than Wardhuys in Lapland Tacitus as Becanus does Julius Agricola the first man that sailed round Britain discovered the Orcades in that voyage unknown to the world till that time and conquered them 3 If we